The story begins with a crowd surrounding the Tower. Today was the grand day for festivities. Today was the day when Iniya starts initiating more summoners into becoming official adventurers of the Tower. For some reason, even a few royals and the three heads of each of the factions have shown up! They were scouting, scouting the future generation on who could provide great benefits to their own powers in the near future. A certain leader of one of the factions was looking forward to one of his own joining the adventure in exploring the Tower. Iniya was starting to call names when a certain boy she couldn't recognize fell on his face from jumping off a nearby rooftop. She shakes her head and says in her high pitched voice, "Young man, I believe you are a little late! Please join the line behind me and get ready to enter the portal!" She starts leading the way and the procession toward the portal began as mini images best categorized for screens for the officials and nobles to watch for what was happening on the first floor.

---

Okami woke up late...again. Lupa was the one who woke him up as she licked his face multiple times. "I get it, I get it...oh gods the time!" He quickly got up and ran around the room, throwing on his jacket and scarf as he slides out the window and hops down to the ground. He enters through another window to the kitchen and kisses both his parents on the cheeks as he grabs his breakfast. "See you pops, mam. Wish me luck!" Before they could respond, the teenager hops out the window again and already began climbing up another wall to the rooftops once more. Lupa was still able to keep up quite easily as she found ledges and all sorts of boxes to climb up herself, always staying one step ahead of Okami. He quickly runs off across the rooftops and finds the procession already occurring in the middle of the city. Okami quickly heads off even faster but Lupa tries to give him a late warning bark...which kinda leads to him falling off a rooftop.
Then this led to him getting embarrassed and had a really red face, and Lupa hiding in her Catalysis in his journal due to not wanting to share the shame. He could already feel a certain pair of eyes on him and a snicker from the front of the group, a kid around the same age of Okami if not older who had blond hair and a sort of noble look to him. The two immediately disliked each other from one look and Okami heads to the back of the line with a red face.
He looks around the people with him in line and waves to try and ignore the embarrassment. "Hi you guys...um the name is Okami. I'll show you guys my partner Lupa later when we start the trial but err...hope we get along!"

Samuel just entered the capital city, and was unfortunately in a hurry. The camp he made the night prior took significantly longer to take down than he expected, causing him to nearly miss the festival. This was the entire reason he even left for the capital! Sometimes, Samuel wonders if he has even changed from the brat he used to be... No, now is not the time for those thoughts! Samuel shakes his head and sighs at the work he has ahead of him. He could really go for some tea right now. But it's like that old man always used to tell Samuel, "Life always goes on, whether you're there for it or not". Samuel holds the small dove, Gabriel, closer to his chest as he marches into the city.
Dozens of shops littered the city streets and while many of them were tempting to the tired old man, especially a somewhat busy looking inn that had a kid leaping out of a wi-... Samuel could really go for some tea right now. He feels the small bundle of feathers he is carrying begin to stir, alerting him to just how close he is to missing the initiation. Going as quickly as his old legs allowed, he maneuvered around the crowds with agility that was very uncharacteristic of his age. Gabriel lightly coos, alerting Samuel to the crowd that is growing in the distance. Silently thanking his feathered friend, Samuel made his way to the crowd of nobles and summoners. Samuel acted oblivious to those nearby who sneered at his dingy clothes and unkempt appearance. He has no right to judge them, that was simply how they were raised. A woman who appeared to be a part of the people organizing the initiation turned to Samuel. "Sir, please line-up over there, with the other candidates". Smiling and nodding in appreciation, Samuel turned to go to the back of one of the lines.
Upon making it to the back, Samuel raised his calloused hand at the other late arrivals and responded to them in a soft, nurturing voice. "It is good to meet you all, and I hope the lord gives you all strength for the challenges that lay ahead."

~Tania and Lena~

---

A few days ago

"License...?" A License? Like, a license to be an official adventurer in the tower? A thing like that existed? This was the first time she heard of such a thing, and it wasn't exactly her first time to enter the place. Granted, she only came once before, but she definitely hadn't gotten one the first time she ventured in...granted, the guys she went with did seem a little shady in hindsight...but they wouldn't want to do something like that intentionally, right? "Erm...what exactly do you mean?"

"You know, a license." Her friend, Saria continued, leaning over the table they shared, almost knocking over one of the cups on it. "You know, those things adventurers have on their way into the tower. I wanna see yours! Come oon, lemme see it, Lena." At this, Lena could swear she started breaking out in a cold sweat. License? She had never heard of such a thing, let alone actually have one.

"A-ah...u-uhm," She gave Saria the best smile she could, as ineffective as such a smile likely would be. She started getting a bad feeling in the bottom of her stomach. A little knot that always formed when she was in the spotlight after doing something completely wrong or failing at something again. She hated the feeling, but she couldn't make it go away so easily. Imagining that she could get in trouble for not having one and going into the tower anyways, was taking up too much of her attention at the moment. "I-I left it at home!" She replied, almost blurted out, causing Saria to raise an eyebrow.

"...you don't have one, do you?" She replied, sitting back down and taking a sip of her beverage.

"W-what? No, no! Of course I have one!" She laughed sheepishly.

"You're a terrible liar, Lena. You really should probably get one." She placed the cup on the table, propping her feet up on the table in a lazy manner as she started munching on an apple. "I heard they take people who don't have one to prison and they're never heard form again. Serious stuff. Considered the worst sorts of criminals, yep." Lena practically froze at the words. That was bad! She wasn't a criminal! She just...forgot to get one...for whatever reason. Granted she had only been in the tower once before...and the chances of them finding her and dragging her off to prison was slim.

"Haha...I...I only went in once. I-I'm sure it'll be f-" A sudden knock at the door caught Lena off mid sentence, causing the timid elf to leap from her seat and almost jump to the other side of the room. Saria just laughed, grinning like a cat who was playfully toying with a rodent and almost choking on the apple she was eating.

"Jeez Lena, you're too easy. Really. That's probably just a delivery for me." Lena visibly relaxed at this, sighing a bit and giving Saria a hurt look.

"That was mean, Saria." She said, walking towards the back door of the house.

"Hehe, but it was funny." Saria had to admit, Lena was 100% adorable when she was pouting.

"Only to you..." Lena pouted slightly. She knew Saria didn't mean anything by it, but it still made her worry needlessly about something. "I'm going to go find where Tania has fluttered off too...I'll see you later, alright?"
"Yep, bye! Look, really, sorry, don't pout so much. It'll make me feel bad."

---

@Duoya
@cloudystar

Alright! Today was the day! After what happened a few days ago, she had worked up her courage to go see what this whole license thing was about! She had never heard of it before. How, she had no idea, since it seemed to be an almost impossibly large event with a lot of hubbub and fanfare around it. In all, it looked pretty fun. Only problem was, she was almost late. She had ended up oversleeping, and if it wasn't for Tania doing her usual impish antics, she wouldn't have even woken up. Speaking of impish pixies...

"Arrgh, slow down you clumsy elf!" The butterfly winged pixie was holding on for dear life, tiny arms gripping the Elfs' ears trying not to fly off. "You are going to trip!" She continued, almost as if that was a forgone conclusion. Knowing Lena's surprisingly lack of grace and balance sometimes, the odds were pretty good she was going to end up tripping and falling into someone or eating dirt.

"Tania, we're going to be late!" Lena rebutted, moving as swiftly as she could through the crowd, trying her best not to run into anyone in the crowded streets. She really didn't want to miss this and get a license. She knew she shouldn't take Saria seriously at all, but that conversation a few days ago had put her more than a little on edge. Mostly because of her inherent fear of failure and making a blunder. She tried to ignore it a lot of times, but sometimes she just couldn't shake the feeling. Now though, such things weren't even in her head. She had a goal, and that goal was to get to the initiation so she could officially start on her dream of being an adventurer.

"You're going to be dead if you trip and run into a bottomless pit because you have the coordination of a drunk harpy!"

"Eh? There aren't any bottomless pits in the middle of the-Eeep!"

"You idiot, keep your head on the road, not on-" Tania didn't get finish the sentence. She let go of the Elfs ear as Lena's foot landed awkwardly on a loose piece of road. The elf tumbled forwards, sending her flying forwards...and slamming into the ground, face first right in front of Okami. Tania held a hand to her forehead, letting out a tired sigh, mumbling under her breath about 'uncoordinated drunk dwarfs'. The small pixie, flitted down, taking a seat on top of Lena's head.

"You alright down there, champ?"

"See? I made it." The elf replied, raising a hand and giving the surrounding people a thumbs up. Tania simply rolled her eyes. Well, she was as spirited as ever at least. It was then, the Pixie noticed Okami and the old man mumbling something about the lord. She looked up from her blond haired throne, patting Lena on the head.

"Hey, instead of mumbling about some fictional sky wizard, ya help a lady up ya old bat."

"Ah, no, I'm fine! Don't be mean, Tania." Lena replied, pushing herself up to a sitting position. "Oooowww..." She groaned lightly, rubbing a small sore spot on her forehead. She was pretty sure she was going to have a bruise there. Way to go Lena, good way to start your adventure. Tania simply stretched, still using Lena's head as a throne as the elf slowly stood. "Sorry about that! Ehe, I maybe was a bit too excited about getting a license." She laughed. "Nice to meet all of you, I'm Lena! The one on my head is Tania."

"I'd say it was nice to meet ya humans, but that'd be a lie." Lena reached up and gave the small pixie a poke, making the small creature make an ever so delightful sounding 'squee' noise.

"Sorry about her...she's uhm, nicer than she acts! Promise!"

The black haired girl had woken up early that morning, largely so she could receive the inevitable last minute well wishes and advice from the entire family and still somehow make it to the tower on time. As soon as she entered the children's living space, her two older step siblings made various jokes to tease her, resisting the urge to tear up as their newfound sister was leaving. When youngest one simply latched onto Vilivyn's leg and refused to let go, many tears were had and eventually the young girl was coaxed into letting go when a servant arrived, requesting Vilivyn's presence in the greenhouse.

The seventeen year old headed into the conservatory to meet with her step mother, Kythela, and while the pair picked herbs Vilivyn's ears were overloaded with various information involving the very basics of magic only to be followed by a hug and well wishes.

Her father simply told her as they were sitting down for a family breakfast to not act on his behalf in the case that Vilivyn met her mother. The rest of their private conversation was shared through various looks towards each other that they had developed living together for seventeen years, and the girl was given a series of last second goodbyes as she entered the coach gate and into the carriage that would send her to the tower.

---

@Rune_Alchemist@Duoya@cloudystar

Despite waking up early, the girl still managed to arrive late to the portal. After exiting the carriage as close to the back of the line as possible and waving goodbye to the driver, the demoness looked at the scene presented before her while bouncing up and down just slightly with excitement: about twenty feet away there was an elven girl sitting on the ground with a little dirt on her forehead and a smile on her face, a religious looking man standing in front of her, and finally an embarrassed looking teenager seeming to be stammering off an apology.

Shuffling to the back of the line, Vilivyn and Siren noticed the two smaller companions that were present with them as well. Being a demoness meant she usually suffered the disdain of religious folk, but the bird probably knew how to fly really well! Maybe it had some advice!

Sprinting up to the birdy and largely ignoring the elf and the man who the bird could be contracted to, Vilivyn stared straight at the dove with two wide eyes after bounding towards it with a leap and a flap of her wings. "Chirpieee Birdieee! I'm Vilivyn andIwaswonderingif you had any advice for me about flying around. Because you know, Idon'twannacrashintostuff with these wings! New to this, y'know?" Even with her familiar enhancing her flight speed and wing size, she wasn't really used to it. Perhaps the spirit had a bit of advice for her?

Siren in the meantime had spotted the butterfly-girl squee-ing and realized that she had found her new favorite toy. The bat landed next to the thing, tilting it's head and seeming to contemplate if the little person was edible or not.

@RabidAnubis
@Rune_Alchemist
@Cloudystar

Samuel, droning on about the ways of the lord with an increasingly bored looking teenager, soon noticed a cloud of dirt billow off of the ground. Laying face first on the ground was a young elven woman, followed by some demonic looking creature. Samuel pulled back slightly form shock, but quickly regained his composure. He is the adult after all, no need to look silly in front of these children. Besides, Samuel's only experience with any spirit before has been with Gabriel so, if that is anything to go off of, this creature probably just had a strange appearance. In time, the two of them may even become friends!

"Hey, instead of mumbling about some fictional sky wizard, ya help a lady up ya old bat."

...Well, not everyone was a fan of the lords teachings. Besides, being a follower does give one passage to paradise, it is a kind heart that does so! The creature - Tania - has a rude tongue, but the girl - Lena - seemed far more friendly. Perhaps she would be interested in learning of the lord? No... don't make this a repeat of the last adventurers, Samuel! They ran for the hills and left you alone in a forest for Pete's sake! GAH! Samuel nearly chocked on his spit when he realizes that he probably talked that teenager's - Okami's - ear off... Oh well, he hasn't left for another line, so that bridge hasn't burned down... yet.

As soon as Samuel was about to question the others for their reasons on coming to the initiation, Samuel nearly collided with... a pretty, young girl in a... somewhat risque outfit and - HORNS!? AND A TAIL!? This time, Samuel actually jumped back a step, but he quickly calmed down. C'mon Samuel, this is exactly what Sarah was talking to you about when she said you were being racist! Don't make this a repeat of that time with the orc patient! Samuel cringes at the memory as it returns to him, but quickly buries it as the small demon began to speak.

"Chirpieee Birdieee! I'm Vilivyn andIwaswonderingif you had any advice for me about flying around. Because you know, Idon'twannacrashintostuff with these wings! New to this, y'know?"

... Samuel realizes that she is completely ignoring him... and talking to the small pile of feathers in his arms known as Gabriel. That... hurts a little, but it actually makes Samuel feel slightly better - this person was just as apprehensive with him as he was of her. Gabriel chirped strongly in response, giving Samuel a feeling of comfort - the wounds were very severe when Samuel found him, and a full recovery was unexpected. Samuel notices what appears to be a bat float near Tania and sniff the air. That creature must be the demon's spiri-The girl's spirit, Samuel, you old racist fool! Samuel holds his small bible close to him as he addresses the small group.

"I apologize for not telling you all my name earlier. I am Father Samuel, and I am glad to meet you all."


"Chirpieee Birdieee! I'm Vilivyn andIwaswonderingif you had any advice for me about flying around. Because you know, Idon'twannacrashintostuff with these wings! New to this, y'know?"

Finally! A quest! A maiden has revealed herself to I, the mighty Gabriel, and she is even asking for my assistance! Sure, it's not defeating evil monsters and saving her... but helping someone learn the glorious art of flying is a noble task in itself! Surely Master has no qualms with the mighty Gabriel lending his aid to a fair maiden! And who knows, perhaps this maiden will reward me! Hopefully with some trail mix...

I turn to my Master, a beacon of radiance and light. He even surpasses the mighty Gabriel in terms of all that is virtuous... Well, Master surpasses the mighty Gabriel in many things that are virtuous. Surely someone like my Master would not be opposed to I, Gabriel, undisputed master of all that is virtuous, taking this maiden underneath my metaphorical and literal wing.

I spread my glorious wings and, with as thunderous of a voice as I can muster, bellow out my reply. "Of course the mighty Gabriel shall accept your request, dear maiden! I have trained many things in the art of flight: Leaves! Flies! Even the powerful birds have learned flight under the tutelage of Gabriel! I can guarantee that you shall be the best flier throughout the kingdom!"

"... On a completely unrelated subject, what is a kingdom, and how many people are in one?"

Rashenar's pale green eyelids flew open. She sat up and looked out her window, only to see a crowd of people gathering outside.

"Idiot dragon, you were supposed to wake me up!" She flung her covers off of herself and quickly got dressed, clearly panicking. She wanted to be one of the first people there, maybe even earlier than that. It was Ixenkothaesth's job to wake her up for important things, but the little blue lizard was still sleeping on a soft pile of discarded clothes.

Rash sighed and picked him up, "Come on little beastie, time to go," the majority of her previous panic gone now that she accepted her lateness. Ix yawned in response but didn't bother doing anything else to show he was listening. Rash threw on a bag and held her little monster close before rushing outside.

She shoved her way through the seemingly endless horde of people before becoming distraught and popping through the other side. She gazed at a circle of people, the 'Priest' looking fellow and the daemon catching her eye. Rash nearly squished Ix into her chest, for a new burst of anxiety was sparked in her.

"Is. This. Theparty?" Her anxiety caused her to stop after the first and second word, then blurt out the rest. Usually, she wouldn't be so socially inept, but this was a special case. She was going to a completely new place with people she had never even knew existed until that very moment.

@RabidAnubis
@Rune_Alchemist
@Cloudystar
@Duoya

The line slowly kept progressing further, the procession only having half of the line through the portal so far. The crowds kept on cheering for the future adventurers and kept on playing loud music and such as it kept moving. The ones in the back still had quite a while before they enter still giving the late participants some time to recover and even still time for more to join in.

---

Okami wasn't really that interested in the priest's sermon was nevertheless happy he met someone who was passionate about something. Then he saw the elf fall down...and he offered a hand to help her up. "Well...I know I fell on my face but at least I'm not the only one." He helps her up laughing a bit and wasn't so red-faced from earlier. "That and I'm glad I'm not the only one who was late. Nice to meet you Father Samuel...Lena and you other two. We're not really a party so far, but we're just latecomers I guess. Seems like a fun party though if we all grouped up." Okami follows along the line and turns to notice the others were all having their Spirits out...and takes key notice of each one's. "Wow...so many different types of Spirits. This is going to be such a fun adventure hehe." A static seems to go through him for a moment as he jumps up and down a bit. Lupa lets out a bark from the journal and starts materializing in front of the group, a trace of energy coming from one of Okami's pockets to allow Lupa a way to get out of his journal. She hops around to excited and happily barks as she seems to have as much energy as Okami too.

~Tania and Lena~

---

@RabidAnubis
@cloudystar
@LordofthePies
@Duoya

"A-ah thanks!" Lena's face redded slightly as she accepted help from Okami, fidgeting slightly.

Before Lena could get the names of the others around, a fairly hyperactive seeming demon came speeding up to them in much the same fashion Lena had earlier...except the demon didn't trip and fall flat on her face. The young elf didn't get much of a chance to think about it though, instead, she was more occupied with the new sudden weight on her head - it seemed the demons spirit, a Bat, had decided she also made a pretty good seat. Not that she particularly minded, she did like most animals and a bat wouldn't be an exception. She laughed lightly, reaching up and giving the bat a friendly little pet on its head as Samuel introduced himself.

"Ah, nice to meet you Father!" Lena replied with a bright grin, ignoring the older mans reaction to the demon person. She wasn't particularly adept with the workings of a church, but she knew a religious title when she heard it. She wasn't all that highly religious herself, but unlike Tania she wasn't about to antagonize someone just for their beliefs, even if she didn't entirely agree with them. "And uhm, you as well Okami. And-aaah...aren't you adorable!" Lena had to contain her excitement at Lupa. Ignoring both the Pixie and Bat on her head, Lena knelt down next to the spirit hound.

"Ehe~" Lena smiled down at Lupa as she started petting the hound, giving it especially good scratches behind her ears, only turning her head towards the Orc for a few seconds. "Ah...I guess? I wouldn't mind being in a party with all of you."

---

Meanwhile, a certain pixie was glaring at Okami as she laid on Lena's head, making the elf look like she had a pair of small butterfly wings braided into her hair if one didn't know they belonged to a Pixie. Making Lena blush like that. Not that it meant anything, Lena was easily flustered, but it left her with a quite unpleasant feeling. She almost decided to leave her throne and go make a mess of Okami's hair. That'd be hilarious.

"Grr...making eyes at Lena. I know he was...human scumbag." She muttered to herself, grinding her teeth together and pulling slightly on Lena's hair. She'd make sure he'd meet with a terrible fate. Or at least glue his shoes to the floor or make sure his hair was never properly styled correctly...or something. She'd get her revenge sooner or later.

There was a sudden flutter of wind that accompanied something lighting next to her. Would't be the first time birds thought she was a convenient snack, but after a broken wing or two, they typically left her alone. This though? Well, this was something ten times more annoying.

the Pixie looked up at the bat from her bed of golden hair, glaring at it.

"Oi, failed bird that no one loves. This is my throne. Get off."

"Ah...I guess? I wouldn't mind being in a party with all of you."

"You do not sound sure, but I guess I will accept your answer," Rashenar adjusted Ix, him growing uncomfortable in her arms. She whispered to the little dragon.

"Wake up, little monster," she nudged him and received a snort instead of him moving. Rash snorted back and set him on the ground. Ix made a mewl-like noise and stretched out on the ground.

"Strange little beastie," Ix yawned and sat up, looking towards the little bird in the priest's arms hungrily, but not enough to be distressing.

Why didn't you wake me up for breakfast?

"Why didn't you wake me up for the, whatever this is?" Rashenar would've probably looked odd talking to an overgrown lizard, but she was in the company of other summoners. She did start growing uncomfortable, though, now realizing what she was doing. She whispered an unneeded sorry before sitting down next to her dragon.

@RabidAnubis
@Rune_Alchemist
@Cloudystar
@Duoya

@Rune_Alchemist@Duoya@LordofthePies@cloudystar


"Of course the mighty Gabriel shall accept your request, dear maiden! I have trained many things in the art of flight: Leaves! Flies! Even the powerful birds have learned flight under the tutelage of Gabriel! I can guarantee that you shall be the best flier throughout the kingdom!"

"... On a completely unrelated subject, what is a kingdom, and how many people are in one?"

The demoness tilted her head as the dove spirit in the priest's arms gave a mighty reply, a smile crossing her face and her hands clapping just a little. This was the most ADORABLE creature ever, almost as cute as ... the little dragon nearby! Or that puppy! Vilivyn's wings flapped slowly with enthusiasm as her tail slid around the ground.

"A party! I'd love one!" The enthusiastic girl exclaimed to no one in particular. That had solved a problem she'd been concerned about for obvious reasons.

After a few seconds, she returned her mind to the creature in front of her rather than all the other great distractions that were surrounding her, resisting the urge to pet the little guy. He seemed to think himself some sort of chivalric knight based on the way he spoke, so demeaning the little thing would probably be cruel. And well, it was fun for the birdie to act like this! Responding with a tone to match the birds, the girl imagined herself running through some sort of fairy tail. "Mighty Gabriel, this maiden accepts your offer! It seems like we will be travelling together, so you can teach me how to fly and I'll tell you allaboutthemortalworld, alright?" After somehow giving the little bird a wider smile, the girl looked towards the priest holding the bird.

This was awkward. Looking at the man was a simple reminder of ... a few events from her early life. It seemed the teenage girl was able to meet his gaze for a few seconds ... before it faltered just a bit. "Pleased to meet you, Samuel, Dragon-Holder, Okami, Lena ... Siren, whatareyoudoing?!"

The bat had apparently decided during their conversation to land one someone else's head and stare at the fairy person hungrily, rubbing a wing against the pixie. Before the winged creature was able to do anything stupid, she grabbed it and placed it into her two hands. "No eating spirits, Siren. You know that." Her gaze drifted down towards the fairy. "I'msorryaboutthatuhhh ...."

After the bat didn't respond to a quick glare, and the Vilivyn's face faltered slightly. The bat was always a shy talker in front of other people. "We'll talk later." The demon absorbed her familiar, her wings becoming several feet longer and her tail becoming a bit more pronounced.

This was already super fun!

Samuel turned away from the chirping bundle in his arms so as to listen to Okami's response to the new arrivals.

"Well...I know I fell on my face but at least I'm not the only one."

This answer elicits a small chuckle from the traveled priest. It seems that these children are even more clumsy than he was at their ages... Well, that's being very kind to his old self. Little brat would have tripped over a kid he just beat the crap out of... As soon as Samuel has this thought, he jumps back as a swirling ball of energy emerges from one of Okami's pockets. A small wolf materialized near his feet and began to bark repeatedly.

"W-what just happened? What was that light? I... I'm just going to assume this is your spirit..." Samuel points to the small wolf that was currently being assaulted with head pats from Lena. Samuel smiled at the sight of the smiling girl... even if only a little, it looks like she still has some innocence. Samuel quickly averted his eyes as the pixie, Tania glared at the demon's- Vilivyn's spirit, looking as if she would launch herself at the small bat at the slightest provocation... Like a cat... Samuel mused.

The new arrival, the female orc (guide my tongue lord, I do not wish to make myself out to be a racist...) Rashenar seemed to mutter to the small dragon in her arms... Just how many of these kids can talk to their spirits!? Samuel begins to feel left out... No, envy is a sin after all! Samuel smiles at the prospect of a party with these people... but... Samuel silently closes his eyes and prays that his companions will show mercy to the foes that will face them. The lord guided Samuel to Gabriel to protect and heal, not to destroy and kill! But now is too early to deal with that issue... The Rashenar seemed very uncomfortable with the group.

"If you would like, I can help you acquire your license. I have heard that the initiation process is... difficult, to say the least."

A high-pitched voice brought Samuel back to the worrying thought that a literal demon was mere inches away from him...

"Mighty Gabriel, this maiden accepts your offer! It seems like we will be traveling together, so you can teach me how to fly and I'll tell you allaboutthemortalworld, alright?"

A few strong chirps from Gabriel in response, Samuel looked downwards to meet with a pair of large, warm eyes. Quickly, Vilivyn tears her gaze away... Samuel wonders, briefly, if he really looks that ugly? Sure, he's pretty old and traveling has not helped the aging process, but Samuel felt that he had a somewhat mature appeal- STOP. You're an adult, Samuel. God's sake...

Hoping none of his companions noticed this minor moral crisis, Samuel breaks into a genuine smile. "If you would not mind having an old man like myself around, I would be more than willing to offer my services."



"Mighty Gabriel, this maiden accepts your offer! It seems like we will be traveling together, so you can teach me how to fly and I'll tell you allaboutthemortalworld, alright?"

YES!!! I've done it! First maiden, conquered! All that's left is all the other maidens in the world! Soon, Gabriel shall be a name known throughout the entire world! Well, more known then it already is! Ah, but first, I must focus on the task at hand... What is flying...

Oh god, oh god, oh me!!! I don't know how to fly! Damn you, beautiful wings! You do not deserve to be attached to the mighty Gabriel! What have I ever done to deserve this? Was I too great? Wait... THAT! That large rat-thing that came with this maiden knows how to fly! Phew... I'll practice flapping my magnificent wings like that creature did when no maidens are around... Thank you, oh mighty Gabriel in the sky, you have saved your greatest knight once again! Now... while it pains me to do so, I must use my fantastic lying capabilities on this maiden...

"O-of course, however, the mighty Gabriel knows all their is that needs to be k-known!"

"...B-but the mighty Gabriel would appreciate those lessons..."

...She dosen't have a clue... Poor, poor maiden, Gabriel is simply too sly for her... I almost feel bad... Almost.

@RabidAnubis
@LordofthePies
@Rune_Alchemist
@cloudystar

The portal was now within eye's view of the group in the back as they were suddenly underneath the Tower and passing through the many guild shops. Trinkets and all sorts of carnival tricks were being displayed, even new tests of equipment such as Capture Balls in various types being shown. The bank Spirit Midas booms out at them, "Be jolly new adventurers! And if you find anything shiny, bring it to me when you come out!" All sorts of leaders of the guilds were here, hoping to scout out any promising adventurers for future investments or employments...

---

Okami was completely oblivious to Lena's blush as he helped her up. However, he was not oblivious to the pixie messing with his head and simply shook his head a bit to mess it back up to normal. The youth didn't really expect these people to be just as active as him but he really hoped that they would be okay after the initiation trials. His own research on the trials aren't too thorough but the rumors around the tavern seemed to have a common trend. No matter, he dismissed his thoughts and would rather enjoy the present. After all, he saw Lupa enjoying the attention she got and really liked the others for petting her. She rolled over to ask for a belly rub until she noticed the line moved forward again and quickly got up to scurry after Okami. He laughs once more and does another long look at the group.
"So...your name is Lena, elf knight? I hope I'm as useful looking as you since you are armored and much more equipped than me...and priest man, Father Samuel...hope we don't slow you down sir, and don't worry, you'll be able to keep us...err what's the term? Young'uns in check? I don't know you...Spirit-Touched girl nor orc lady but glad to have you two with us as well. Orc lady, we'll try not to disappoint...seems like you really want to get this done with. And Spirit-Touched girl, what kind of mix are you? Just curious because I haven't met many Spirit-Touched...if anyone, a Angel Type."
Okami kept on pestering the group questions, hoping that he'll be able to be better friends from doing so. Know your comrades as well as you know yourself...right? Well he wasn't a smart guy so he hoped that whatever sayings he heard from his dad were true...and might as well stick to them.
@LordofthePies@Duoya@RabidAnubis@Rune_Alchemist

~Tania and Lena~

---

@LordofthePies
@Duoya
@RabidAnubis
@cloudystar

"Ah, sorry! I was...distracted, ehe~" Lena replied to the orc, who seemed to be questioning her sincerity. It was the truth, she was too busy giving Lupa more petting and head pats she had probably received the entire week before. Lena just couldn't help herself, she was just too cute. Ah...Tania would probably be getting jealous though, so she probably should at least show some restraint. It was about that time, that Siren started trying to get a little overly...friendly with Tania. The Pixie was already glaring at the bat, and Lena genuinely thought that Siren was about to get hurt pretty badly, and that wouldn't do at all. Tania might not look impressive physically speaking, but Lena saw what she did to a bird that tried to make a snack out of her once.Thankfully, the demon seemed to have the bat under control and before anyone could be hurt, diffused the situation.

Tania sat up, dangling her legs off of Lena's forehead, wings fluttering behind her in an annoyed fashion, petting Lena's head, glad to have her seat returned to being solely occupied by her.

"Yeah, just keep that rat with wings from trying anything and I won't break his wings."

"Tania, be nice. Siren was just playing, I'm sure." Lena replied with a grin to Vili. "Really, she's nicer than she acts, I promise!"

"Keep tellin' yourself that, my naive little elf." Lena for the most part ignored the Pixie's words, deciding to instead focus on the demon in front of her. She had never seen a spirit touched before, or at least had very little interaction with them. She knew how it felt to be quietly shunned by others simply because you weren't particularly good at something your entire race was sort of known for. She had always thought they might be scary from everyone else's descriptions of them, but Vili seemed perfectly normal. A bit like Tania, really. Taller and more human size, but no little crown of horns and a tail...with wings. Okay, maybe not all that similar, but still. Why were they discriminated against?

...and then she realized she was staring. And that the demon in question was wearing a somewhat risque outfit that she would probably be never be caught dead in. And that staring at a person in a risque outfit, was not going to be winning her any popularity contests.

"A-ah...uhm." She blushed a bit, laughing sheepishly. "Lena! I'm L-lena. I hope we can get along, Vili." She didn't particularly seem to think too much about calling the succubus by a nickname. Tania had fluttered off of Lena's head by this point, and took a seat on her shoulder, and giving Gabriel a seemingly studying gaze but ultimately said nothing. The elf though, in fear of being accused of staring, quickly turned her attention back to Okami, who had addressed her.

"U-uhm, yes! I am erm, though calling me a knight might be a bit much. I'm uhm, not exactly the most skilled!" More like her skill level didn't match her equipment that much. Or at least, she didn't think it did. It had been a gift from the man who taught her, likely because he realized she'd get into trouble quick if she didn't have at least somewhat good equipment to make up for her stark lack of natural talent. "More of a squire, I think? Though I'm hoping to get a lot better!" She confidently continued with her usual smile. "Tania has been a really great help...I'm surprisingly terrible with magic but she's been pretty good at helping me....but I think my skill with a sword more than makes up for it."

The little spirit girl appeared to be upset as she sat on her throne. "Yeah, just keep that rat with wings from trying anything and I won't break his wings."

Vilivyn nodded towards the pixie, appearing mildly apologetic as her tail swished between her legs slowly. The apologetic girl caught a gaze from the butterfly girl's master, but quickly returned a brief glance to Tania. "I'll ... I'll be sure to!"

Before things got too awkward with the upset spirit however, Gabriel luckily seemed to collect himself and gave off a chirpy response with a brief pause in the middle.

"O-of course, however, the mighty Gabriel knows all their is that needs to be k-known! ...B-but the mighty Gabriel would appreciate those lessons..."

Of course the exchange would be mutual! And friendly! The bird seemed a little nervous, and that simply wasn't right! "We willteacheachother and have fun, alright Gabriel?" The black haired girl probably would have responded with more, but she noticed the elven knight was still looking at her from the corner of her eye.

Still looking at her. Like something was off. The elves deep blue eyes looked down at her thighs, examining her in deep thought. Was the girl thinking about her rarity, like she was some sort of fancy gem to be purchased at a store? Did she like girls, and was taking in what she saw? Perhaps evaluating her for danger, wondering if she was mentally stable enough to travel with? Perhaps she was simply wanting to have a conversation about their different styles of clothing? Vilivyn knew most girls did that, and the black haired girl was a little curious to experience what such a thing was like. Sometimes the demoness almost forgot what people thought about her spirt part, but silence was ultimately it's own commentary.

Still staring. Eventually, it seemed that the elf realized what she was doing and the black haired girl frowned as she backed off from any meaningful introduction. "Lena! I'm L-lena. I hope we can get along, Vili."

The demonesses response was short and curt, probably contrary to most of her conversation. "I hope we can." Luckily for the elf, the talkative boy interrupted their conversation, and Vilivyn reminded herself that she needed to appear cheerful so her thoughts wouldn't be too obvious. Of course the boy brought up her heritage as well, but the girl noticed that he also brought up everyone else's and at least he was willing to point out the dragon in the sky. "My father is a human, and my mother was an archdemoness within the tower. Not too surprising based on my appearance ..." The girl shook her head. More cheerful. "Anyways, what about you? I'm a magician of sorts, perhaps youarea miggghttty hero?"

@Rune_Alchemist@Duoya@LordofthePies@cloudystar

"Orc lady," circled around Rashenar's mind. I suppose I should introduce myself...

"My name is Rashenar. This," she gestured towards the small blue dragon on the ground near her, "is Ixenkothaesth. I did not think it, er, appropriate to keep you all in the dark, especially since we will be adventuring together."

Rash fidgeted with a piece of her clothing, her confidence slowly returning. She still had enough anxiety in her to forget some of the larger words that hid in her vocabulary.

@RabidAnubis
@Rune_Alchemist
@Cloudystar
@Duoya

---

"Tania has been a really great help...I'm surprisingly terrible with magic but she's been pretty good at helping me....but I think my skill with a sword more than makes up for it."

"That's great! You can at least use a weapon and magic...hehe, you guys will definitely be more useful than me. All I can do is run and punch things. And probably do other running things too but that's about it!"

Okami really didn't have nor had a chance to work on other skills unless you count serving people at the tavern as a waiter too. The summoner laughs again and Lupa seemed to climb up his leg, then onto his head to join the Spirit Resting on Everyone's Heads Party. A small spark seems to go off her legs as she climbs up and zaps Okami who doesn't seem to be affected by it at all. If anything, he starts getting more energetic and was barely able to stay still for more than a second. He looks to the respond of the Spirit-Touched and nods his head understanding.

"My father is a human, and my mother was an archdemoness within the tower. Not too surprising based on my appearance ..." The girl shook her head. More cheerful. "Anyways, what about you? I'm a magician of sorts, perhaps youarea miggghttty hero?"

"No way am I a hero hehe. My dad was an adventurer if anything...well step-dad. Plus more magicians means less smart things for me...right? Plus cool wings! Can't wait to see you fly around and such, be sure to call me when ou do so. I'd love to watch and maybe race you to a place with me running of course."

He studies her up and down as he did the elf earlier...noticing the dress she was wearing that was quite nice and suited her well. Okami's immediate thoughts were that of her being a magical person because it would not be suited at fighting close quarters...then again, he can't really think that since his white clothes weren't much suited for fighting close combat as well. Plus, he wondered if she was similar to those kind Angel Spirit-Touched he meets at the tavern a few times or opposite. Hopefully he'll get to be better friends with her so that he can find out. Quickly turning to the orc lady, he bows a bit though jittery at her, and laughs too after her response.

"I did not think it, er, appropriate to keep you all in the dark, especially since we will be adventuring together."

"It's alright if you're uncomfortable with the group. If you want to tell us anything that is bothering you like me being a pest from talking so much or being so active, don't hesitate! I'll take it in understanding, after all, you guys are kind enough to accept me in the first place to join the group. Cool Spirit by the way, can't wait to see him evolve to a 3rd Evolution...probably a giant Dragon Spirit! You look really tough but your outfit...says magicky of sorts. Are you a wizard too like the others? I should really learn some sort of spell like you guys if we have so many who could use magic..."

@LordofthePies@Duoya@RabidAnubis@Rune_Alchemist

---

Out of no where a robed person runs into the line of potential future adventurers. The person's face was invisible to anyone who wanted to look at due to the amount of light the hood blocked out, the robe covered the entire person and the person seemed to be unarmed and didn't seem prepared for a fight if there was going to be one. They didn't seem to have any visible soul partner. They just continue to look towards the ground silently as they try to act calm about the fact they are late to join the line, or rather they were glad to be free at last.

The person bows their head and uses it to inspect the group standing beside them. The person notices a girl with bat like wings, an Elven girl, an old guy dressed in priest like clothing, An orc lady and a guy who seemed like he was very much a normal person with quite a bit of wealth. The person wouldn't consider the group to be much of an adventuring type. The group were indeed a multi-racial group though.

@LordofthePies@Duoya@RabidAnubis@Rune_Alchemist@cloudystar

~Tania and Lena~

---

@LordofthePies
@Duoya
@RabidAnubis
@cloudystar
@Lady Athena

Ah...Vilivyn was upset with her probably, wasn't she? There was almost no way she wasn't, judging from that curt tone she had used when returning her greeting. Lena suppressed such thoughts for now though. Today was a day she should be happy about, and she shouldn't let her own shortcomings and awkwardness get in the way of that. Instead, she focused back on Okami and the Orc, Rashenar. Tania simply gave her a small pat on her cheek as they walked.

"Aha, I'm sure you're good! You probably at least don't trip over your own feet when training, ehe." Lena sheepishly laughed. Granted, she had only done that a few times and recently she had gotten a lot better at that, especially if she was borrowing power from Tania. Seeing that Okami was done speaking with her though, she fell silent as he spoke to Vili, looking at her feet as she walked. She should probably apologize some way for staring, even if she hadn't intentionally meant to. She just really wasn't used to somewhat...revealing clothing as hers. She was never particularly comfortable around such things.

"Nice to meet you, Rashenar." She finally spoke up again when the Orc spoke up, giving her a friendly smile. "Ixen is adorable." She commented as Okami started going on about wizards and robes. She was a wizard? That was...very fortunate for her! Maybe if she asked nicely, she wouldn't mind trying to teach her magic? There was only so much a spirit could teach her, and having instruction from an actual spell caster would definitely be helpful. Before Lena got the chance to inquire herself though, someone stumbled in line close to them.

Tania fluttered from her shoulder, hovering just a few feet in front of Lena before retaking her seat on the elfs head. The action caught Lena off guard somewhat, but for the most part she didn't think much of it. The pixie though, sat cross legged on her head, staring at the robed individual silently. Something about her made Tania wary. After all, nice people didn't go around fully robed with a hood obscuring their face during broad daylight in a crowded street like this.

"Oh, hello." Lena said to the robed individual, giving them a friendly smile. She didn't seem to particularly put off by the newcomer. They were all latecomers after all, which meant they might as well at least try and make a party together. "Late as well?" They seemed like they didn't want to be bothered, but Lena at least had to try and be friendly...hopefully she wouldn't put her own foot in her mouth. Again.

---

The line finally progressed long enough and the back of the procession managed to finally fit into the portal. The group re-emerges onto the First Floor, Flow Free Forests. The soft breeze and swift smells of nature constantly rose from the environment. Everyone was called to surround a podium with Iniya at the head of it. She waits patiently for the others to come around and clears her throat for a moment as she begins to speak:

"Summoners, as you all know, this is the trial for becoming full-fledged adventurers of the Tower of Babel. There are around 60 of you who are present today, and only 40 of you are able to progress and get your license. Do note that the Tower is a very dangerous place and only those who are able to defends themselves from harm or at least have a way to survive in exploring each floor are allowed inside. The way you will be judged is in four different categories which are broken into three sub-sets for each one. That is how the judges and adventurers quickly figure out what they excel in certain areas. The four categories are: Attacker, Defender, Magic, and Ranged. The Attackers are broken into Front-Liners and Side-Winders. Defenders are either Physical or Elemental. Those categorized in Magic are Explosive or Controlled. The last category Ranged are either Snipers or Sharpshooters. However, each one has their third subset which is Balanced. I won't explain the details on what each category means but I believe that you'll be able to figure them out in due time."

She takes a break for a moment as a feather on her ear shines and releases a rather large and rainbow colored bird. Iniya sighs and pets the rather large bird for a moment and seems to whisper something to it. The bird nods its head and flies high into the sky, which eventually leads to a shower of flyers on top of each individual.

"Each paper is easy to understand. Though you may have no writing material, just write out your name with your finger to sign the document. After doing so, there will be a quick question on what type of training dummy you want to showcase each of the Forms you can produce for this test. In other words, choose one of the three training dummies we have available for each one of your Forms to showcase your skill in using each form. The three dummies are Training Dummy for a regular one, Catalyst Dummy if you wish to cast magic such as healing magic on a target, or a Recorder Dummy to show what happens or what changes about you through a User Form for example. Lastly, you have to take a fourth dummy to show off one last skill whether it be using one of the Forms or none at all...but use a dummy to demonstrate that last talent. You may all break off into groups and separate across the forests, but don't forget...the people of Magnopere are watching, including royalty and officials. Good luck and may this trial be ever in your favor!"

@Lady Athena@Rune_Alchemist@LordofthePies@RabidAnubis@Duoya

@Rune_Alchemist@Duoya@LordofthePies@cloudystar@Lady Athena

Okami responded by saying he'd like a race, which made the girl with demonic heritage blush just slightly. "... surebutum ... I'm clumsy without Siren's help!" The bat though was currently inside of her and increasing her strength ... and wasn't she supposed to be the hero? The seventeen year old girl had almost forgotten her entire reason for coming here, caught up looking at the cute little pixies and birdies and puppies and dragons ... Focus, Vilivyn. Vilivyn knew she'd have to put the team in it's place, and this was a person she could start with. She finished responding by putting her back to him and looking over her shoulder with a confident smirk. "Surely I'd win either way, though."

Vilivyn was a little surprised as a hooded person came out of seemingly nowhere and was about to make a cheerful comment towards the person, but before she could speak the announcer on stage made their move. A piece of paper appeared into her hands, and she signed it completely with her right hand's index finger, including her father and step mother's last names just to make sure there was no mistake in her identity.

Vilivyn Vinoriana Santio de Draiochta

A question appeared afterwards, which she looked at for a short period of time. Ultimately, she decided on the training dummy since she could deal out a little damage using dark magic as a combo. She wasn't a healer ... and her connection with Siren could still use a bit of work. Adding a small notation for the other forms: recorder with user. Her hex would be useful, far more useful than trying to swing the small scythe Siren could turn into: catalyst with material.

"Timetogo!" As directed, the hellion started to head off into the forest, slowing down just a bit so the slowpokes could catch up. This would be fun, right?!