@Plank Sinatra @Onarax @Expolar

"You get used to Rei."

A little shrug came with the comment, an acknowledging glance directed Wes' way. Cyare picked up her own plate as soon as it touched the counter, just slowly enough to try and camouflage how hungry the smell made her. No need to seem hasty. She settled back into her chair with a long drink from her mug and, as soon as she set it down to free up a hand, a large bite from her BLT. What had been a little smile widened to a bigger one with a second bite, and another look directed Angel's way. The cook got an atypically enthusiastic nod, given that her mouth was a little full, and a thumbs up.

"Great work, Rei, Ferr-" She stopped short when the door opened, head swiveling to take in the scene. Her eyebrows went up a little at the mayor's appearance and demeanor, but she nonetheless listened politely while he began to speak. Patiently. She'd get the chance to get a word in edgewise, if he ever stopped talking.

When he jabbed a finger in her friend's direction, though, her smile turned brittle. The Tactical Mage watched him walk out without a word.

"Not much sense in patrolling until we get details on the situation." The musings were level, betraying little of the underlying irritation, but had lost a little of their cheer. She jerked her food in the vague direction of the door before taking another bite to raise her spirits. "I took a look around, few blocks around the inn. Layout of the town is pretty simple. What do we know about these marauders?"

Angel Ferrara

@Krayzikk @Onarax @Expolar

Angel was caught red-handed.

The slim young man took the mayor's verbal tongue thrashing with wide blue eyes, head slowly tilting to the left as he and the other assembled mages were reamed for their lack of poise and initiative - before he, specifically, was called out (as a girlllll!) and told to get out of the kitchen! When the chubby little man stormed out as quickly as he came, and Angel numbly felt the innkeeper tap him on the shoulder and encourage him, the mage just kept staring at the door, his soft gaze huge and shell-shocked.

He could feel Cyare getting angry.

...

"Teeheeehee!"

He blinked and looked at the Tactical Mage with a mischievous air that bordered on faelike.

"Pfff...I bet his breakfast wasn't fully bal~aaaanced~" he teased, laying down his frying pan and cheese knife to leap over the counter and sit next to Cyare. "Don't be such a sourpuss, eat up. It's not the first time I've been mistaken for a girl!"

He waited for Cyare to take a few more bites and for some of the cheer to return before he favored her with his typically bright beam. He held the hand she wasn't using to eat the sandwich and squeezed it reassuringly.

"Hey Cyare, Rei says you've fought Dark Guilds by yourself before, right Rei?" Angel queried innocently. "Up in the mountains? That's near Veronica! I wonder if they're anything like up there down here...whatcha think, Wes?"

Never been a big fan of the grumpy, plumpy, dumpy sort. Too obtuse for my liking. Then again, I can't say they've ever been my fans either. Probably for the best, it's only a matter of time before I'd politely ask them to grant me the pleasure of rolling them down a hill. Seriously, haven't you ever wondered if rotund humans could act as wheels? Sure they might be a tad deformed, but they make up for their inefficiency with a grimace that'd only get grumpier as they continue to go round and round.

^{Maybe I should ask Cyare.}

Still, leave it to my companions to scowl at the man, my beautiful grin shouldn't disappear for something so trivial. I've met grumpier after all, and plumpier and dumpier. Y'know this one time I met a woman in a small town called Townsville (okay so I forgot the name. I've been to a lot of towns.), you should've seen her when I asked for sixteen dozen eggs. I swear that every inch of her large face was used up in the scowl she threw my way. Like that thing squirrels do when they're hiding their acorns. I was only asking for a couple eggs, not sure why she got so annoyed. I think it might have something to do with the fact that I-

I'm going off on a tangent again aren't I?

Moral of the story: I can deal with the Humpties of the world.

But if I knew the Kid half as well as I think I do then I'm sure her blood pressure was rapidly rising. Of course she'd keep things under wraps, that was just the way she was. Can't tell you how Bandages is feeling; I obviously don't know the newbie that well. Oh right, I'm not supposed call him that. But he's not an oldie and middledie just doesn't make sense. As for the Trap, he's well, he's...

I'm not quite sure how to put it in words. But he's doing fine. He's also still jubilant that everyone enjoyed the meal we prepared. Can't say I disagree with that sentiment. "Yup," I affirmed the Trap's query, "Big scary Pawn here chased them all the way to hell and back. Last I heard, the remaining members have avowed to only play checkers from now on."

Of course the Trap was a bit too hyperactive to wait for the Kid's response; already he was engaging our fourth wheel in conversation. So I took advantage of the moment to lean over and mention my plan to my original teammate: "I'll run a sweep around the outskirts of the town when you guys finish. See if I can narrow down the paths the marauders take into the town, while you all find out what you can inside the village."

See? I can be business minded. Just let the kids have their fun.

@Expolar@Krayzikk@Plank Sinatra

Frenzy Plant's elderly general gave a short laugh. ”Not such a long journey aboard an airship, but I'll gladly accept a drink of water.” His escort waited, looking around idly at the sights of the rambunctious Phoenix Wing guild hall with a mixture of patronization and disinterest, while Sanders received a glass. With it in hand he followed Jamie and Fraquar to a back room, and at the door motioned for his soldiers to remain outside as guards. Knowing they were free to sit as well as stand, the four adopted somewhat more casual positions near the doorway, on guard but not too stuffy in manner.

Once inside, Sanders seated himself—the last to due so, no doubt on account of his age. Once properly situated, he took a sip of his beverage before interlacing his fingers and looking toward the individual who had arranged this notable assembly. ”So, what is it that you have to share with us that is of such grave importance, Mrs. Beltras?” Though polite as they came, his manner suggested that he expected something of nothing less than astronomical significance to warrant his physical presence abroad.

The first half of the briefing didn't interest Saya too much. Earthquakes are usually a natural occurrence unless an earth-type magic user may start them for some terrorist deed. What really caught her attention however was the fact that they were going to Bellum. Her ears pick up slightly as she looks at Grane with more interest.

"And you want me to come to Bellum since I was born there?" she asks curiously as she swirls her glass around, "Granted it's been years since I've even stepped foot into that country, but I suppose I know the place more than everyone in the Council as a whole..."

Fraquar followed after Jamie and Sanders, watching the carefree and generally chaotic nature of the Phoenix Wing guildhall with a smile. This was what a guild should be in his opinion, a place where people could come together and feel safe enough to be themselves. When they reached the upstairs part of the hall, unlike Frenzy Plant, he gave Amelia and Sam a kind smile and ever gave Sam a piece of candy, holding a finger to his lips to tell her to stay silent about it.

Once they were in Jamie's office, he leaned against a wall and watched as everyone present took their places. Sanders was the first to speak and immediately got down to business. Fraquar couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head this. However, when he spoke his tone was serious.
"Jamie is not the only one with news Sanders, though I suspect, given how you like to know everything, you already know what my bit of news might be. But even if you do, I suspect you won't know as many details." He said before turning to Jamie. "And I suspect you'll want to know this bit of business as well, since it concerns your older daughter as well."



Amelia held Sam back as her parents and the guildmasters passed, returning Fraquar's smile and silently laughing when he gave her sister a piece of candy. Once he left, she led Sammy downstairs and over to the bar where Elyse and Rose were. Once she was sure Sammy would be occupied with Elyse, she headed back upstairs and walked over to Sanders' entourage.
"If there anything I can get any of you? Something to drink or something to eat perhaps?" She asked them, her crimson eyes examining each of the Frenzy Plant members carefully.

Damian turns to face the God Slayer when he calls out his name and cocks his head to the side questioningly. Nolan wasn't exactly lining up to speak with the Blade of Phoenix Wing, or spar, if Damian thought about it long enough. But the request was met with a nod. "Sure. Not got any jobs lined up at the moment anyways."

"Then meet me out back whenever you're ready. Just don't make me wait long." Nolan said with blunt gruffness before he headed out back to the courtyard area of the guild. At least there, there would not be collateral damage... Well, not serious collateral damage.

He unzipped his hoodie and tossed it onto a bench, revealing he was just wearing a black t-shirt though in the grand scheme of things, being neigh shirtless outside in the late autumn day was probably not a good idea, but he didn't want to ruin it. He only just got it after his previous one was destroyed between clash with Indigo and he sure as well was not going to shell out more cash for another. Damian took only a moment to follow after the Ash God Slayer, retrieving Andor from where he'd rested it against a nearby table and carrying it out, the metal that made up the bulk of the great sword's edge shining in the winter sun. Taking up a position at one end of the courtyard, Damian settled into a relaxed position, as he wanted his opponent to move first here.

Nolan unsheathed Kaso from her scabbard, gleaming from the light of winter day and almost felt like the sword itself was taunting Damian to come and fight. He then entered a very strange stance; he stood on the tip of his toes with his arms held up in the air with one hand holding the hilt with his other hand pressings it palm against the dull side of the blade. It looked like he was about to perform a pirouette.

His eyes closed for a second and steam from the cold air escaped his mouth with a exhale. "Not taking the first move huh? Alright then." With a burst of speed Nolan came straight towards him with a newfound grace that almost seemed like he was gliding above the ground. In range of his sword, Nolan was about to swing his sword towards Damian's neck with a horizontal from the left, but this was a feint. Nolan had turned his entire body inward and in that same motion he flipped and swung his right leg down towards Damian's head for a crushing blow with an axe kick. Damian didn't make a response, opting instead to bring the great sword up in defense when the feint came, but as it turned into an axe kick, Damian caught the blow with Andor's flat, pushing Nolan's foot up and off as he moved into a spinning low kick, aiming to take his opponent off his feet and put him on the ground.

"Tch!" Nolan used the momentum of the push to perform a back flip, avoiding the the sweeping kick. He landed on his lands and while performing a one handed handstand, he spun his body around and brought down a vicious kick hooking towards Damian's head in a way that was reminiscent to a street dancer. Damian rolled to the left and brought Andor around in a wide, sweeping arc that threw dust up and hopefully into Nolan's eyes and makes a quick and powerful dash forwards, shoulder first. Should the blow impact like he intends, he follows it up with a pommel strike and then an overhead slash. Thanks to his magic, the blow would be far from lethal, but the welt would be insufferable for a couple of days. If it missed, he'd flare a cone of Field of Blades as he slashed upwards vertically, the sword and spear blades coming up out of the ground up to twenty feet from the Blade of Phoenix Wing, spreading the widest at the twenty foot mark.

Nolan cussed from the sand hitting his eyes and leaped back to gain distance away from Damien, but the Sword of Phoenix Wing was fast and rammed his elbow into Nolan's chest, knocking the wind out of him and forced his eyes open wide. He stumbled back, but saw in time that he would step to his left and just had enough time to get his footing back and slammed his blade against Damien's.

As Damien summoned his field of blades, Nolan's sword erupted with ashes and he swung it towards the incoming cacophony of blades, releasing a massive Ash God's Flying Fang, creating an explosion of ash and ethereal blades colliding together. The ash clouds that came from the collision may have obscured Damien's vision, leaving Nolan with a possible opening to take advantage.

From the cloud of ashes came a barrage of bullets of ashes going at high speeds and while they will not pierce his flesh, it will leave a series of bruises if he doesn't find a way to protect himself. Sticking his left arm straight out to the side, he summoned a Shield Blade, the wider than normal sword blade appearing to place itself just like a shield would be, and then kneeling down behind it, the tip anchoring itself into the ground to prevent movement. Timing it, eventually Damian would dive to the right, though not without a couple of new bruises, and unleash three Piercing Blades towards the last place that the Blade of Phoenix Wing knew his opponent to be, the high speed sword-spear tips were non-lethal, but the welts would once more not be worth it.

To make sure that he knew where Damian was, Nolan was using his Shaman Magic to see his soul through the dark ashes. That is how Nolan was able to clearly aim for Damian in the first place. However, that did not mean he could see the attacks that Damiam was dishing out. The three blades flew out of the ashes and Nolan swiftly took out two of the blades with precise slashes though he barely dodged the third one in time with a side step, but he got bruised from the attack.

It was about time Nolan decided to really let his abilities shine. Slayers, despite having a common ability, also have their own unique traits. Sky God Slayer's can heal themselves, Iron Dragon Slayers can turn their bodies into metal constructs, White Dragon Slayers make use of holy status effects, and so on. The Ash God Slayer's ability was to manipulate the ashes that were already cast before, turning the battle field into their domain.

The wall of ash that was blocking their vision was suddenly flying up towards the sky, turning into compact little balls. With a wave of Nolan's hand, they rained down at high speeds towards Damien. Should they hit them, it would probably leave his body with bruises as if he was being pelted by marbles. Damian countered with his Rain of Blades, the varied myriad falling towards Nolan to deliver welts and bruises of their own, before shifting to a more defensive stance, using the flat of Andor to keep the bulk from reaching him. After a moment though, he lunged forwards into melee range again and leapt over the Ash God Slayer, aiming to deliver a Helmsplitter attack to the man's temple.

Nolan took the same defensive measure as Damian when he brought down his Rain of Blades on the slayer. The younger mage summoned the massive and inelegant gun sword, Ragnel, and used to shield himself from the onslaught of blades from above. However, he must have had the same idea as Damien because he dismissed Ragnel and charged straight towards him swung Kaso for a helmsplitter. The blades ended up colliding though ashes erupted by Nolan's elbows apply even more force to Damien in an attempt to break his stance. As the two swordsmen clashed, Damian could feel something come to life within Andor just a moment before it manifested, a spectral dragon's paw that swung at Nolan and knocked him away despite his ashes. But as soon as it was there, it was gone, as was the active magic within Damian's great sword. Damian, surprised by what had just happened, attempted to find the source, though he didn't have much luck, finding nothing. He didn't drop his guard, however, as he was fully aware the Nolan would quickly rebound from the surprise.

Nolan skidded back from the surprise strike came from Damian's sword. It was too sudden for Nolan to take notice of what the form was exactly. "Well that's new." Nolan mumbled to himself, cracking his neck. Whatever it was, Damian did not have any idea of what it was either nor did he have any control of it so he had no reason to fear.

Ashes were swirling violently like a miniature hurricane in his free hand. Nolan swung his hand and summoned a violent twisting tumult of ashes that were meant to capture its target and throw them straight to the ground, a technique known as Ash God's Wayward Wind. If Damian was caught in the attack, well, he may not like being tossed around. Seeing the attack, Damian spun in place a moment before unleashing a Bladed Whirlwind, the attack clashing with Nolan's and exploding once more. Following through the smoke was a Triangle Pincer Strike, leaving the Ash God Slayer only one way of escaping it's grasp, by jumping up, unless he got incredibly creative. If he went airborne, he would find Damian had used the pincer to flank him and leap into the air as well and grapple with him, tossing him back towards the ground before following, his great sword's tip aimed for the God Slayer's midriff for the landing. If none of that came to pass, Damian would simply do the plummeting thrust without the throw, leaving Nolan time to dodge or defend as he pleased.

A pincer attack, huh? Just like when Frenzy Plant used Riot Lily on him, but an attack like this isn't going to work this time. Nolan did indeed jump with a high pirouette to avoid the incoming trifecta of blades, but saw that Damian was coming towards him. In a split second decision, Nolan created a small explosion of ash from the tip of his toes to propel himself over Damian, flipping over the Swordsman of Phoenix Wing.

Once he was behind him in the air though, he threw a hard roundhouse kick amplified the inertia of Nolan's rotations straight towards the back of Damian's head. Damian spun in mid-air at the trick, bringing Andor between himself and his opponent once more. The kick, however, still sent Damian rocketing towards the ground. Using a trick he'd come up with after his crash landing during the Grand Magic Games a couple of months prior, Damian summoned a Striker Blade that rose up at an angle to meet his back, repeating this several times until he could flip to land on his feet on the ground. Taking advantage of Nolan's airborne state, Damian unleashes a Storm Blade spell, the central giant blade rising tip first towards the Ash God Slayer, with several smaller blades branching out and up from the bottom of it at an angle before it spun. Following that, the Blade of Phoenix Wing would unleash a Blade Wave, which was a horizontal slash that sent a wave of several blades flying towards the target.

Seeing that blades were flying towards him, Nolan decided that the best course of action was to blow it all away. Ashes were seeping from his mouth violently before Nolan let loose an Ash God's Bellow, the wild tornado of ashes collided with the blades and caused another explosion.

Nolan landed on his feet, skidding back until he finally stopped and regained his footing. "Not bad. You live up to your rank after all, but I know you got more in you than that."Damian slid into an easy to settle ready stance, though after a moment, he placed Andor on his back and summoned a pair of Ares Blades to his hands, sliding into a stance more fitting a master of duel wielding weapons.

"It's going to take more than a taunt to get me to come to you. He who strikes second often controls the flow of battle after all." Nolan sighed irritably and sheathed Kaso back into her sheath by his waist.

"Don't put me in the same league as Joshua. I am not taunting you, I'm telling you to stop holding back and show me what you can really do. Any less than that is a waste of my time." Red lights flashed by his hands, forming into two of Nolan's god slaying blades. One was Hermes, the sword that boosts his speed and the other was Ares, the broadsword that increased his physical strength.

"If you won't, then I will simply force you to." Nolan's right foot was straight forward while his left was behind and horizontal. He raised one arm up, holding Ares over his head while Hermes was held forward on a lower plane. Damian retained his own stance, a blade held in reverse while the other was held in a more standard fashion.

"Going all out all the time isn't as much a strength as you think it is. But all the same, I'll choose when I go full power, and not a moment before." Switching to his Hermes Blades, Damian closed the distance with Nolan quickly, making it seem like he was going to go for a spinning whirlwind series of slashes, but then switching to the Hercules Blades at the last moment, turning his rotation into a powerful overhead slash with both swords that was made stronger by the Hercules Blades' strength boosting effect. Seeing as Damian was going for an overhead attack, Nolan decided to not give up ground, but rather force his opponent back. Nolan dashed forward past the striking zone of the slash, seeing that Damian's overhead strike left his torso open for a body blow. Nolan went to ram his elbow deep into Damian's chest, making use of his enhanced strength thanks to Ares. If this attack worked, Nolan would follow up with a pommel strike to Damian's temples.

Midstrike, as Nolan moved, Damian's blades changed to his Hermes once more, allowing him to flip gracefully over the intended elbow and land on the other side, spinning around on his heel and delivering a series of rapid thrusts with the sword blades and finishing with a sweeping blow that smoothly transitioned into a crouch as he flipped the swords around in his hands before going into slashes from the dagger blades on the bottom of his Hermes Blades' hilts, alternating between low and high strikes to force Nolan into a defensive. The length of the dagger blades would keep the Ash God Slayer from bringing his swords' full length to bear, making striking more difficult. He spun back to meet Damian's multiple strikes, matching him blow for blow with their blades, but Nolan could not make full use of the range of his swords due to those damned daggers. The slayer blew out a cloud of ash from his mouth at point blank to Damian's face, trying to blind him just as he did to Nolan earlier.

The sudden cloud of ash caught Damian off-guard, blinding him in turn as he'd done to Nolan earlier, however he immediately danced back a bit and released another Field of Blades in Nolan's direction, keeping them apart while the Blade cleared his eyes. Once they were, he swapped one of his swords back to the Hercules Blade and took a ready stance as the Field dissipated. "You're expending energy too quickly. Focus your power." The field had erupted with blades, causing Nolan to jump back to avoid the onslaught.

"You should be taking your own advice. You haven't been very conservative with your own power." Nolan cracked his neck and dismissed Ares and Hermes. He unsheathed Kaso, deciding to use a weapon that does not need a constant supply of magic. Damian smirked, spinning each blade in his hand.

"The only magic I expend is that to create them and dismiss them. But, since you're done with the magically summoned blades," Damian dismissed the Hercules and Ares Blades before reaching back and pulling Andor free of it's resting place, sliding into a stance that would allow for both quick defense and powerful offense with the weapon, "then so am I." As the words left his lips, something about Damian's demeanor changed, and suddenly his magic aura flared black, the limiter he normally keeps in place to keep from wearing himself out broken before he closes with Nolan once more.

Andor's first strike was a feinted diagonal slash, going from Nolan's right shoulder to his left hip, that changed into a surprisingly quick thrust at his abdomen, followed by a backhanded horizontal slash. Damian's skill with the blade was surprising, as he rarely drew the weapon except to maintain his skill with it at a constant level, and begged the question of what his own training between jobs had consisted of. Nolan saw the intial slash coming for him and went to block the attack, but realized that it was a feint. He was able to shift his stance to the side in time, letting the blade go past him, but it came back for another bite at Nolan. Their blades collided once more and Nolan pulled Kaso's sheathe off his belt and swung it towards his head as a bludgeoning weapon. Despite it being a sheathe, it was made of an actual deity and held a durability that surpassed many of the highest grade weapons.

Damian pushed off just before the sheath could connect with his head, shoving Nolan back and himself as well. Brandishing the blade, he unleashes a powerful Bladed Inertia, which is a high speed thrusting attack that upon impact transitions into a vicious uppercut. Following the spell, whether it connected or not, would be a Damocles Slam, the blow impacting the ground and sending several six foot tall blades forward in a line. Stepping back from the push, Nolan barely had enough time to block the initial strike from Bladed Inertia, but he was not prepared for it to turn into an uppercut, breaking his guard and sending his weapons flying out of his hands. The next thing he knew, he was sent flying into the air by the rising blades below him.

A violent burst dark green energy from his body. It was just like when his rage got the better of him during his battle with Zander and Xyster, yet this time it was different; it was controlled rather than just fueled by pure rage. The training that Nolan had undergone for the last two months was not to control his newfound power, but to also control the power he already had. While it was not perfect, it was far better than the violent torrent that came from his anger. There was also another issue though that will be evident soon enough.

Emitting ashes from his hands and feet, he regained his control in the air and just as his feet touched the ground, a deafening boom resounded throughout the area. Nolan moved straight towards Damian like a bolt of lightening and initially threw a punch straight towards his face, but that was not his real goal. The initial punch with Nolan's left whiffed by Damian's face, but Nolan had kept his body low and threw his weight for a right punch covered in ashes towards Damian's liver. As the blow whiffed past Damian's head, he dropped Andor towards the ground, sliding into a hand-to-hand stance reminiscent of a form of Jujitsu. Spotting the right hook, Damian would summon a small Shield Blade, no wider than his forearm and not going past the wrist, and catch the blow with his left forearm just inside Nolan's guard before countering with a punch of his own aimed at the Ash God Slayer's adams apple. While he didn't have strength enhancing special spells like a Slayer did, but his natural physical strength was more than enough to make even a six foot tall, 350 pound wall of muscle named Joe the Bouncer reconsider pissing the mage off

Nolan had swung his right arm outwards against the punch towards his throat, not blocking it, but changing the direction so that he could feel Damien's arm skid against his own. Using the new opening created from Damien's punch, Nolan stepped in close to limit Damien's mobility and in that same step he threw a quick ashen jab with his left towards his solar plexus. Not only would this be incredibly painful, it could be enough to hinder Damien's own breathing. Damian was able to lean back just barely in time, avoiding the brunt of the blow, but still taking some of it to his chin, causing his intended backflip kick to miss Nolan's chin and sliding him back a couple of extra feet further than he'd normally go, not to mention he'd have a bruise to explain away for at least a day and a half now. Recovering, the Blade of Phoenix Wing summoned a trio of knife blades between the fingers of his left hand and threw them at the Ash God Slayer. However, before they reached him, the fractured into dozens of smaller, harder to track blades and began to move in random directions, forcing Nolan to focus on them and try to focus on Damian.

The opening this created allowed Damian to flank Nolan from the left, closing and delivering a series of fast jabs and finishing it up with a powerful uppercut aimed for the Ash God Slayer's gut. When this finished, he'd roll to the right, retrieving Andor in the same motion, and land on his feet, ready to defend or attack once more.Such distractions would be useless against Nolan. With an upward sweeping motion, ashes shot up in a stream by his feet and due to their combined density the blades only dug halfway through the ashes. Flicking his wrist, the ashes dissipated and he turned quickly to his opponent who was throwing a flurry of jabs at him. Nolan matched him blow to blow, but as soon as Damien threw an uppercut towards his gut he changed tactics. Ashes sprung from the ground just as before and compacted into barrier harder than most metals, most likely damaging his hand.

Nolan dashed over to Kaso picked her up from the ground. 'Why the hell did you leave me on the ground for so long?!' The Goddess, Kaso, as Nolan began to refer to her as, reprimanded him via telepathy.

'Quit complaining.' He slashed the blade through the air, casting its dirt and dust off. Nolan took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to concentrate his magic power. While he tries to play the straight man, his emotions are intense and that only made his immense magic power even more volatile. It took a conscious effort for him to keep himself in line and it was not just his regular magic power.

'It burns.' Nolan thought to himself though he grimaced as if he was in pain, the back of his neck glowed dimly gold. His frustration and anger acts as a catalyst for God Force, but in the end that great power will drain him to absolute zero. 'I've got to stay calm. I have to keep it from leaking out.'

His eyes focused on Damian, keeping his eyes on his target. Damian spun Andor around over his head before unleashing another Damocles Slam, the straight line of rising blades rushing towards Nolan while the Blade of Phoenix Wing zig zagged between them to close the distance before clashing with Nolan's blade, then breaking off as another blade rose between them and clashing against it from a different direction. He could see that the Ash God Slayer was putting everything he had into maintaining his focus, which worked both for and against him. He continued with his attack style for another fifteen seconds before changing it up. This time when he came around the freshly risen blade, Damian spun low and lashed out with a low kick to try and trip Nolan up before unleashing an unexpected Rising Slash, a spell that lined Andor's edge with a special form of Damian's normal Blade Magic that caused it to rise up at high speeds. Following that, he spin and unleash another Piercing Blade at Nolan, be he on the ground or in the air.

Over and over again Nolan had to block a variety of slashes coming from each direction, shifting his stance constantly to keep up with Damien. However, Damien changed his tactics and tried to trip him and sent a rising slash towards Nolan, but that did not work against him. Nolan had slammed his leg against Damien's sweeping kick and he swung Kaso down with ashes seeping from it, causing the two attacks to clash.

Ashes accumulated around his blade again and he swung his blade, the arc of ashes collided with the flying ethereal weapons. The collision destroyed both attacks and Nolan charged forward and swung his blade horizontally towards Damien's chest. Damian didn't bother trying to block the attack, instead spinning underneath it and slashing at Nolan's back before once more dancing back to force the Ash God Slayer to him. Nolan spun around and their blades collided again, but rather than turn around and strike with his blade, Nolan threw his right leg for a back kick towards Damien's chest.

Backflipping away from the strike, Damian closes with Nolan again, only instead of a sword slash, he goes to headbutt Nolan before aiming a kick at his jaw which he follows up with a heavy slash aimed to go across the Ash God Slayer's belly followed by a shoulder check and finally a heavy overhead slash that would crack the ground between the Blade of Phoenix Wing and Nolan.

Unexpectedly, Damien slammed his forehead against Nolan's. It was at this was when Nolan lost control of himself. His eyes turned into golden orbs and he swung his blade down, creating a massive blast of golden ashes that had surged forward and collided with the barrier that made sure that the spar was contained, but that barrier could barely contain that attack.

As the attack finally died down, Damien could see whatever power that Nolan lost control of; his left arm was covered in glowing, golden cracks that went up to his neck. It radiated so much heat that his own arm was steaming against the cold air. There was even a partially formed golden dharma wheel floating his back.

Nolan glanced down at his arm and grimaced as he forced the power to recede; the cracks traveled up to the back of his neck and the golden dharma wheel shattered. He looked down at the ground, his arm shaking from the nerve damage. "I yield."

He chuckled bitterly and then said, "I know what you're going to say. Don't waste your breath on telling me something that I already know." What Damien saw was not the prideful, grumpy mage that the guild knew, but a young man, barely just a kid, full of self doubt. As the golden ashes formed, Damian's reflexes kicked in and he summoned a Shield Blade to his left arm and braced behind it once more, a bunker formed from the blades that the Blade Magic used for both attack and defense. For the first couple of seconds, the bunker seemed to be holding, but it wasn't one of his stronger forms of the spell, having been summoned in a haste to avoid the worst of the damage, and soon enough the spell shattered, leaving the Blade of Phoenix Wing to take the brunt of the assault. He used Andor to defend his face, but there was little else he could do as the ashes tore at him, burns and scrapes appearing on his cheeks while small chunks of leather and metal alike vanished, or were melted in the metals case.

When the storm died down, Damian was up once more with Andor in a defensive position before he spotted the state his opponent was in; the golden spiderweb up his arm to his neck and the partially formed dharma wheel on his back to the steam radiating from his arm against the cold. As Nolan came back to his senses, he willed the beginnings of some strange transformation to vanish, the yielded the fight. Damian, his instincts not allowing him to completely relax, lowered Andor before his aura turned a light blue as his limiter was replaced, then faded away completely as he replaced the weapon on his back, convinced Nolan was being honest.

A bitter chuckle came from the Ash God Slayer, causing the Blade of Phoenix Wing to frown."I know what you're going to say. Don't waste your breath on telling me something that I already know." It was in that moment, Damien saw not the prideful, grumpy mage that the guild knew, that Nolan pretended to be all the time, but a young man, barely older than a kid, full of self doubt and perhaps even some small amount of fear. For several minutes, the Blade magic wielder didn't speak, simply watching Nolan pick himself up and look at himself. When Damian did speak, he wasn't as cold or harsh as he was sure the man who had nearly destroyed the field around the training field had likely been expecting.

"'Arma autem motus iste fortissimum.' Emotion is the strongest weapon, one you seem to have trouble controlling. What is it you're hiding, Nolan? And don't think you can lie to my face and walk away. Even at full strength, I was holding back."

Nolan had picked up Kaso's sheath and placed her back into it. It was about time for him to leave, but Damien had other plans. The slayer gritted his teeth and turned around to look at the Blade of Phoenix Wing. "And why should I tell you of all people Damien? This is the longest we've ever interacted with each other." This was actually true. Their encounters had only been glancing, which is true for most of his relationships with everyone else in the guild. The only person that had a deeper understanding of him was Ariel, his girlfriend, but he was a mystery even to her. Damian raised an eyebrow.

"Because my father taught me you can learn more about a person by crossing blades with them or trading punches than their words or any other action would tell you. For all the wall of indifference you put up, all the tough guy part you act, there's a pain inside you that shows in your technique, your approach to your attacks, and your effort to tame the wild beast that is human emotion, a pain you hid well until you asked me to spar. Now, you're right," Damian says as he summons a Striker Blade to sit on, also summoning an Ares Blade to inspect while he spoke, "this is the longest we've ever spoken before, hell longest you've acknowledged I'm here outside of throwing that roll or butter knife at me during the Games a couple months ago. And that's a two fold problem. I haven't taken the time to try, and you put off that you don't care to try.

But to answer the question, I thought it was something you weren't ready to share with Ariel yet, not until you've worked through it somehow. But if you really don't care to share," Damian's eyes met Nolan's, something hidden behind his mask of indifference, "then go ahead and go. But I want you to know that I do care, because this guild is my family, and you're my brother as far as I'm concerned. And family doesn't turn it's back on family." A pain crept unbidden into Damian's voice in that last line. "Because that's a pain I know all too well, and refuse to push on anyone else."

Nolan spoke through gritted teeth,"Shut up...Just shut up." It has appeared that Damien has struck a nerve now. "Family this, family that. God dammit, you insufferable people. This is what you bloody people do! You sneak into people's lives and make them give a damn and for what?!" Realizing what he said, Nolan quickly shut himself up. He nearly let it all come out, but he can't tell them about the awful things he had done, the things that he had seen.

Nolan glanced up at him and looked like he was about to spit in Damien's face. "Don't give me that look. I don't need your pity."

"You stood in the guild hall the day I told everyone I was a child soldier, that I stood on the battle field and took the lives of grown men with families of their own who never saw them again, futures that never came to be and dreams that remain unfulfilled because they found their end on the tips of my swords. By all accounts, there is nothing redeemable about the things I did, and yet I still came out with it and was judged no differently. Because, dark past or no, we are there for each other. So let me ask you, so why is it you fear sharing your past? Is it judgement you fear? Or are you scared to face the darkness inside you and damn well PROVE that it does not define you?" Damian stood and through the Ares Blade into the ground between them, the weapon vibrating slightly from the impact as Damian's eyes grew hard. "You can walk away right now, Nolan, leave your past hidden and keep up the tough guy act. But a man who fears his past, fears facing it and TRULY putting it to rest, is no better than a coward. And I'll be damned if you're going to stay a coward the rest of your life."

"Because I'm not ready to lose everything for a third time in a row! That's why I'm so fucking terrified!" Nolan's eyes widened when he realized what the words that came out of his mouth were. Not knowing what else to say, he just stayed silent though his body was shaking like a branch in the wind. Damian frowned at what Nolan said, letting it process in his mind. Admittedly, he knew very little about the God Slayer other than he'd learned his magic in a temple or something like that. Still, he approached Nolan and rested a hand on his shoulder, his gaze softening.

"Then take it one step at a time. Start with me. I swear, on my honor, that I will not forsake you no matter what dark secrets rest in your past. I told you, I wouldn't force that pain on anyone, ever." Nolan was just going to let the shoulder touch slide for now though he did shrug it off. His gaze turned back to Damien and he sighed.

"If you're going to make me tell you my life story then I'd rather not do it out in the open." Nolan said with defeated tone. Damien wasn't going to let him go off easily. Damian nodded, humming thoughtfully for a moment.

"Well, the most immediate place that comes to mind is my place. I never get any visitors and only a couple of people in the guild know where it is exactly. I guess the only question left is if you want Ariel to be there." He beckoned for Nolan to follow him. "Oh, and do you want something to eat? I should have eaten a bigger meal after working out earlier." At the mention of Ariel, his face went pale.

"No... That's something I'll have to do on my own." How in the world will he bring this up with her? She already had an extremely vague understanding of his past, but they never really talked about it. Maybe it was because she knew he didn't want to discuss it.

His thought was broken when his stomach roared a mighty, guttural roar. "Uh...food I guess?" Damian nodded.

"We'll figure out what to eat when we reach my house then." And with that, the Blade of Phoenix Wing was walking down the street, making sure to avoid going through the hall so that Jamie wouldn't demand to know why he and Nolan had made so much racket. The duo had left a now completely destroyed training field and were definitely trying avoid the wrath of their guild master. If memory served him, Jamie was dealing with the other guild masters. At this point, it was better that they had left the scene of the crime until one of their guild members decided to tell Jamie who used it.

---

Hunter stopped as she vanished and sighed. She wasn't going to get better by hiding, but it seemed that at this point, it wasn't a concern for her. Turning to Jackie, he indicated where she disappeared. "So that's all she can do then, huh? Redirect and run away? Won't do her much good against someone who can nullify magic."

---

Nodding to his student, James heads the opposite direction from Cody, making the short walk down to the train station. On the way, he stops to pick up something more to drink, as he didn't get to finish his one in the guild hall, and then purchases his and Cody's tickets while waiting for the young man to catch up.

@Joshua Tamashii@Zarkun@Lugubrious


Penny was beginning to wonder why she had even come back. She’d wanted to see her family, yes, but so far… that wasn’t working out for her. The last two months hadn’t been good, and she suspected things weren’t going to get better. She sighed, closing her eyes, weary of it all. For a moment, she considered just leaving, and never returning. And then she thought on her responsibilities. Ariel… she couldn’t just leave the girl to fend for herself, to figure out everything about being a Phoenix by herself… she couldn’t leave jasmine either, the girl needed someone. She couldn’t abandon her, after everything. And she had S class duties, not that Mayt or Damien ever worried about that. Most of the S class duties fell on Penny, something she had long since gotten use to, even if she was weary of it.

She knew Mayt didn’t think he was worth the title of S class, and Damien always seemed to have something else going on, leaving her to pick up the slack, despite the fact she had other things going on.

For a moment, she very nearly let the tears that wanted to fall, fall, but she got a hold of herself. She drew in a breath, and opened her eyes, looking back to Jasmine and giving the girl what she hoped was a reassuring smile. ”No, it’s okay, Jasmine. You can stay. It’s not important. But seriously, are you okay?” she asked, knowing that she herself might be a mess, but that she couldn’t deny her responsibilities, and that Jasmine deserved the best of her, and not the worst.

---

[centre][b][h3]Jamie[/b][/h3][/centre]

Jamie gave a small chuckle, ”Mere months ago, you wouldn’t even have had my last name, and yet you were still formal. I prefer Jamie, more than anything else, Sanders. But i know you are nothing if not formal, and structured” She shifted so she could see all her fellow Masters, looking to Fraquar as he spoke.

”Of co-” Jamie stopped, gaze serious as Fraquar finished, ”Amelia? What involves her?” she demanded, worriedly, fearful for her girls, needing to make sure that neither was in any danger first.

---

Sam smiled, and cupped the candy in her hands, making sure to say ”Thank you, sir” before letting Amelia lead her away, smiling at Elyse she held out her hands with the candy, smiling encouragingly at the other girl ”Want some?”

@Lmpkio
Pleased by Sayatachi’s assumption, ”That’s one reason. The other is because I’ve seen for myself how you can handle yourself against an opponent like Frye. So I would prefer to have someone of your capability to be nearby.” Although that was not the only other reason that he brought her along. There was a small rumor among the rune knights about Sayatachi’s ‘shopping spree’. Bringing her along would be a better way keep her busy and not have the public begin to think that new Council is becoming too laid back.

Realizing that Sayatachi probably doesn’t know who the wizard saint is on this island, it would be best to prep her ”We might have some time until we meet the Wizard Saint on this island. So as a small introduction, his name is Aldrigde and he lives in a place called Adamond City. There, the inhabitants appearing like ethereal beings, similar to that of ghosts. Aldridge explained its from the amount of concentrated ethernano in the area. Telling you now, would probably be best than being surprised on your first encounter.” With that said, Grane returned to the deck as he awaited their arrival on the island.


The ship eventually arrived on a small harbor town on the island and the two council members were quickly meet two people as they left the ship. One was Council Member Dochas and a man who followed beside her.

“Ah, Council Member Sayatachi, it’s nice to see that you’re still trying to make yourself look young. Now Grane, I’m ready whenever you are to depart to this Saint’s… ominous home. I also hope that you don’t mind if I bring this geologist with us?” She gestured over to a rather middle aged man wearing very generic explorer’s outfit.

“Greetings, I’m Peter Brown, Council Member Dochas brought me here to study these recent earthquake activities. But it’s simply a pleasure to meet other Council Members during this expedition out here on this island.” Giving both Council Members a firm handshake.

"Tell me Sayatachi, are you excited about this place?" Dochas tried making it sound a bit sarcastic with her bored tone, but was actually found the idea of the people in Adamond City to be a bit creepy.

@Krayzikk@Onarax@Plank Sinatra

Hearing Cyare say that he might get used Rei’s behavior was both relieving and a bit disappointing. Will he accept how Rei is, or just tolerate him. ”I hope so.”

After hearing the mayor’s speech and storming off, Wes was quite annoyed at how the guy treated the reinforcements. But that could probably just be from the stress of being mayor and having the responsibility of keeping this town safe. At least, that’s what he would like to think and hopes he wasn’t always that rude. Hearing Rei retell a story about Cyare fighting off a dark guild, smirked as he hoped things would be that easy. ”From what Janice told us, there’s only one individual from their group to be a reported as a wizard. So I would like to think that a four versus one wouldn’t be that difficult. But the fact that the rune knights can’t handle just one wizard and his gang make this situation quite concerning.”

Once the mayor finished and speech and stormed off, Wes could feel a bit of tension ” Council Member Janice stated that she wanted us to make sure the town was safe and protected while we’re here. It may seem redundant to constantly do patrols around the town, but it might be the best action at this moment. The rune knights here believe patrolling around the town would be best give the residents here some comfort. But perhaps two of us could patrol further out the town, make sure that these marauders aren’t bring anything crazy to the town or just report back if you see anything suspicious. What do you guys think?”

The door to the Phoenix Wing guild hall suddenly and without warning flew open and through the entrance came a man cloaked in a large robe. Robin had been out for the past couple of months learning more about the world and the different types of towns and guilds scattered throughout. It felt good to return to a familiar site, the home he'd known shortly but a welcoming one none the less. The man threw back the hood of his robe revealing it to be him under wearing a wide smile as he threw his arms out from under the robe. "Hello my dear brothers and sisters of the Phoenix guild. I, Robin Lowen, have returned at last!"

He looked around at a few familiar faces and a bundle of new faces reaching his right hand back behind his head and rubbing it gently laughing nervously to himself. "Boy..I seem to have been gone longer than I thought. Well, anyone glad enough to see me back that you'd by me a drink?!" He shut the door behind himself as he walked to the main counter and plopped down for a seat.

Angel Ferrara

Angel looked between the three other members of the delegation, slightly taken aback. It was clear he hadn't expected to be asked to stay inside the village; if anything, the androgynous young man seemed to be slightly fidgety, as though the mayor's appearance had reminded him of how cooped up he was feeling in town.

"You...you could use me, though," he suggested to Rei. "I know little border towns like this, and even if you're faster than me I'm still the best tracker in the gang. I could help out lots if you're following game paths or anything like that."

Then again, Cyare had been needling him since they'd first departed about spending time patrolling with her when they reached Myrtle Town. The way she said it, Angel was the most personable, cheerful person of the four, and the young chef's devil-may-care vibe would endear him to the people faster than any of them. Angel didn't know what that had to do with patrolling with Cyare specifically, though...

Unless...

Ohhh!

One chef per team! So that if Rei's scouting took longer than anticipated, they still had a mage capable of feeding everyone! Cyare was so cool; she was such a survivalist, always thinking two steps ahead on how to benefit the group. That must be why she was such a Tactical Mage.

"But I can do whatever," he demurred brightly. "I can help whoever wants the help!"

@Plank Sinatra @Onarax @Expolar

“Just the once,” Cyare clarified, nodding a little. As much as she enjoyed a little recognition, she didn’t want to give Angel the wrong impression. She had fought a Dark Guild alone, but they hadn’t been anything much to speak of. Scary when they were the only ones with magic, not as much when it was a level playing field. If the rune knights present before them had been having difficulty it was entirely possible that this enemy was a few steps up. Still, she squeezed his hand back and gave a faint smile. “Hard to say yet if they’re anything alike.”

“I wouldn’t count them out just because we have numbers, it’s entirely possible there’s a factor we don’t know.” The mage mulled over Rei’s suggestion a moment, nodding a little to herself. If nothing else Rei could scout the fastest, cover the most ground before the marauders had much chance to act. She doubted their arrival the night before had been unnoticed. “That would be a good idea I think, Rei. Take a look around further out, you and Wes can probably get a sense of what we’re dealing with.”

“Angel and I,” She squeezed his hand lightly. “Can patrol the town a little. Help the locals feel better, maybe get an idea of what they know. My magic isn’t too flashy so it shouldn’t cause distress if I have to use it. Ferrara is the most personable one here, he’ll help put them at ease.”

“We should plan to meet back here before noon at the latest to share information. If an attack comes Rei can find us pretty easily, and there’s a decent chance I can neutralize the enemy’s magic if we get close enough. Either way we can come up with a solid plan of action then.”

Barely had the assembly of Guild Masters begun than Fraquar made sure to demonstrate his maturity by needling his elder. Though Sanders did, of course, resent the barb, he knew that pursuing it would create only further pointless unpleasantry. Jamie made a comment as well, also prying into his nature for some curious reason, before losing focus completely at the mere mention of her children. Did this woman have so little faith in her underlings that a couple of words elicited a motherly panic? In the end, though, it made no difference. By now, Sanders could boast of a certain familiarity with his counterparts' quirks, and his patience could bear the strain as he waited for the two to sort the matter out between themselves. No matter how long it took, Frenzy Plant's general felt sure that he would learn from Jamie why he came all this way.



Alert to any movement in the vicinity, the badlands fencer known as Owen had already locked on to Amelia as she approached. He did not miss her scarlet scrutiny before, during, and after her offer. In an ordinary establishment such behavior would be acknowledged as common courtesy, but Owen was no fool. Nobody in the upper echelons of Frenzy Plant was ignorant of the disdain cultivated in Phoenix Wing by its master for the 'rigid', 'heartless' soldier guild. Amelia's request tested him and his crew as surely as her eyes pored over their appearances.

”Thank ya, miss, but we don't need nothin'. 'Preciate the offer though.” His mud-brown eyes returned Amelia's gaze. The luminescence of her red irises intrigued him, more out of their connotation of danger than anything else. Did she ignore the undeniable connection between red eyes and monsters, or did she embrace it? The answer could tell him a lot about who she was. At the very least, he felt certain that she was no normal girl. No such thing existed in Phoenix Wing's ranks. His words served as a suggestion for her to leave the soldiers alone with their duty and to return from whence she came, but the Games taught Owen that Wingers were an argumentative and contrary lot. Would she try to confront them further, or turn away with her judgments bottled up inside? Owen waited to see.

"I got word not to long ago that Fiore's capitol prison was destroyed. Actually, that's too kind a word. It was obliterated. From what I heard, there's only a crater left where the prison formerly stood. Prisoners, staff, and the warden are all dead. However, while the evidence is lacking, I'm pretty sure I can narrow down who did it as one of the prisoners inside. Keep in mind though, this is all mere conjecture and could simply be me being paranoid." Fraquar said, before pausing so Sanders could needle him for being theories rather then facts. If the general did, Fraquar would just deal with it before continuing. "Now, as you know Jamie, I used to be part of a dark guild. That guild leader was in the prison and he's probably the one that destroyed it. Chances are, someone broke him out. But if he had his way, he probably brought some other prisoners with him.

But again, there's nothing left of the place, so there's no evidence to support this theory. But, if he is lose you should both be on guard. He is extremely powerful, shows no value for human life, and there is no line he will not cross to achieve whatever he wants. On top of that, he's obsessed with your daughter Jamie, since they were part of the same experiments. He'll come after her and try to take her. He won't kill her but he'll want her for... other reasons."



Amelia listened to the mage who spoke with her, declining her offer while also examining her closely. He seemed to stare at her eyes for a while, which made her uncomfortable and look away. When he finished though, she looked back at the group, giving them a kind smile.
"May I join you out here then? I'd like to know more about you and your companions sir. And please, call me Amelia. No Miss or anything like that." She said, showing none of the possibly expected hostility.

"My my, do I feel flattered." the flamboyant woman replies to Grane nonchalantly, "Frye wasn't a problem really. He put up a reasonable defense, but if he didn't retreat I would've beaten him."

The lizardman continues to talk, switching subjects to mention the wizard saint on the mainland. His name is Aldrigde and lives in Adamond City, where ghost-like ethereal beings lived due to the high concentrations of ethernano. Saya's eyebrow perks up as she issues an audible 'hmmm' while Grane leaves towards the desk. Little did he know, Saya has actually heard about that place since she was a little girl. However, she never had the chance to visit it, let alone see the ethereals, despite her mother sometimes going on business missions there. Interesting that they'd be heading there of all places.

As soon as they land in the harbor, the rainbow-haired woman walks down with Grane as they approach the harbor deck. There they are greeted by two people, council member Dochas and a man beside her, he being geologist Peter Brown. The girl compliments Sayatachi on looking at her most youthful.

"Thank you darling." she replies politely as she lifts her white wide-brim hat a bit more on her head. She then receives a firm handshake from the geologist, replying with a firm shake of her own. Dochas then asks the lady if she's excited about this place in a rather... sarcastic manner. It was the best of replies, but then again, she's simply a young girl who'd rather be probably doing other youthful things that others her age do.

"Oh cheer up dear." she replies in a sweet-talking manner, "You could've been placed in some other more boring position for all you know. I think this place will be quite fascinating."

With that she follows Grane and the rest into the saint's 'ominous home'.

Y'know how people often go on about never splitting the party? Well I gotta say those people are pretty damn dumb, cause unless we're talking horror film, pretty much any decent tactic revolves around splitting the party. Besides, how else do I let the two young 'uns prance around town holding hands and munching on snacks. So really, I just need to hope this isn't some horror flick. Although I guess it wouldn't be terribly unheard of. A couple of fools heed a distress call at a remote village filled with backwards thinking townspeople.

I'm sorry that was rude.

I mean townspeople with different prejudices and values.

^{Read: the wrong ones}

Well I guess we'll find out if the innkeep dies, since he's the first nice chap we've met. That's how it tends to go right? The one nice guy in town dies first and the audience realizes just how bad the situation is. Then things kick off in earnest and the scary monsters come out to play.

But it's not like that was going to be the case here at all right? So let's split the party.

"Sounds like a plan to me, Bandages and I will check the outskirts while the two of you can patrol and enjoy some crepes. We can depart as soon as everyone has had their fill of food."

Trinity Stratos

With no noticed response to her poll for French toast or bacon or breakfast, Trinity retreated back into the kitchen. "Oh, pardon." She almost bumped into the kids heading upstairs, but did a little pivot and through the door she went.

Well, even if they didn't say anything, she figures someone will be hungry. A few more eggs and a bit more milk, and more cinnamon, and the mix was ready for more. The sizzle of bacon was the first sound from the kitchen. Soon after, slices of breakfast bread were placed alongside, to cook together.

The musician sings while she cooks.

Jamie listened as Fraquar spoke, troubled, but knowing that Amelia was well protected within the guild, and she was no longer vulnerable outside the guild. Beyond anything else, Jamie would make sure she always had a Teleportation lacarmia. So she could escape, if she needed to. Composing herself, Jamie gave Fraquar a nod, "Thank you for telling. Nothing is going to get either of my daughters" She said, before she turned back to the matter at hand.

"two months ago, at the end of the games, we spoke of working together. A time, I believe, has come for that. We are still waiting for Jack, of course, but I believe that... there are certain events that may happen, no, will happen. Asides from the rising number of dark guilds, there have, I'm sure you have experienced, a rising number of natural disasters."

Jamie paused for a moment, looking to the images of her guild members on her desk, wall, thoughtful, and waiting for the other guild masters to speak.

@Lmpkio

After traveling for about half an hour, the small group found themselves at quite an ominous sight. , the sky appeared almost dark as a stormy night, the air appeared dusty, the vegetation was dead, and the land desolate towards a walled city that emitted a bluish glow. From there, Grane directed the group towards a small station nearby that a track of a single rail that connect the building and city.

Inside, the station was station was completely empty and silent. Although the building appeared to be devoid of any life or activity, there was only one individual that could be seen. Behind a ticket booth the person wore armor and some loose fabric that hid most of where their body could be seen. Speaking into a mic, his hollowed voice could be heard through the speakers, echoing in the open space.

Grane walked towards the booth and spoke to the armored man that now hunched over as he asked Grane some questions of who and why they were here. After that and payment of a large sum of jewels, the armored person gave Grane some wristbands and spoke again into has microphone as his hollow voice echo out. “Monorail to Adamond City is on its way for pickup. Please make sure to wear your iron wristband before entering inside the city, always have it on you, and don’t forget to have them recharged while inside. Please ask any other questions before the monorail arrives.”

Grane returned to the group and passed each one an iron wrist band. ”As the announcer said, make sure to always have these on at all time as they act as a special ward against the ethernano at the city. If you don’t, the large concentration of ethernano at the city will probably kill you.”

With a heavy sigh from Dochas “Comforting.” she placed the band on. Peter simply appeared to be fascinated by the item and the engravings on it.

”Constant security is always Aldridge’s first priority. If things haven’t changed since I last came here, they will probably do another through check of us once we’re in the city. I say another because excluding the explanation of who we are to the man behind the booth, there is a constant surveillance hidden in this building. That and any of form of magical communication to the outside world won’t work from this point on.”

@Krayzikk@Onarax@Plank Sinatra

A bit upset that he was partnered with Rei, Wes tried thinking of it as a good thing. Possibly this could be a way that he could get use to him. Just as Cyare mention earlier. ”Sounds like a good plan. I’m about done but will just once you're ready Rei. By the way, before we leave I want to ask. What is with the nicknames? It’s not like we’re on some kind of espionage mission. Is Rei your actual name or a nickname as well.” It started to sound like he was starting to pry into something that could simply a joke. But he had to ask, at least it could be a reason for him to either accept or tolerate the name, Bandages.

"It's his name," Cyare commented offhandedly, most of her attention fixed on her food and coffee. She was content to eat while she listened to Wes and Rei's thoughts, especially with food like this, but she didn't want to run the risk of Rei confusing the man further. "He likes nicknames. Practicality has nothing to do with it, he just likes it."

Another long draught of coffee chased the last of her sandwich, and served to disguise her smile. Things were working out quite well. Angel would be absolutely invaluable for their patrols, he couldn't help but be endearing. A public relations boon for sure. The quiet would be nice, too.

Crepes were, of course, ridiculous.

They were working.

"I'm just about done. You ready to go, Angel?"