"Uh? Ahh~! Yuh huh!"

Seemingly so taken aback by Cyare's sudden question that he was lost for words for a second, Angel hurriedly leaped back over the bar in order to reach the kitchen again. In seconds, he had removed his chef's hat, rolled up his customized apron and tucked it into the back of his pants, and slipped on another layer with a nice, furry collar to keep him toasty outside.

In seconds, the cute young man had once again leaped across the counter like an inches-high hurdle and landed on his feet, hands tucked into the warm pockets of his coat. The fur's light-colored appearance blended with his already mussed-up thicket of curls, an optical illusion that tricked the unobservant into believing he wore his hair in some sort of longer mane than he actually had. It was especially deceptive considering how closely he wore the fur; one hand reached up and awkwardly pulled the fur closer to his chin, swallowing up his whole neck.

A shiver was already running through him.

Stupid cold.

Brrrr.

That was why he'd made everyone such hot food.

"Following your lead, best friend!" he confirmed, hiding his discomfort under an earnest nod. "Let's try to have fun, though, kay? We're trying to make these people happy, too, yeah? Best way to do that is by keeping the old spring in your step!"

@Plank Sinatra @Onarax @Expolar

"I think we can manage that."

Angel wasn't fooling anyone, but she smiled a little at his earnest demeanor anyway. Cyare reached over and pulled on the strings laced through his hood, tightening it around (and admittedly partially obscuring) his face. She handed him her scarf when she grabbed her own coat and drew it tightly around her, slipping her sword's hilt through a dedicated slit and pulling on gloves of her own. Her own hood stayed down; the cold didn't bother her much, not after where she grew up.

With a little gesture she directed Angel towards the door and held it while they both slipped out into the winter air.

"Try and stay warm." A pause, as she oriented herself. Then she pointed. "I went that way this morning. Nothing was open yet, but I think that's where the shops are. This time of morning we should find plenty of people opening up."

As the group approach the erie walled city, Sayatachi couldn't help to notice the ominous wasteland that they've just entered. The sky above them was dark and gloomy, like an eternal storm, with the thick air coming from the almost suffocating dust, and the dead foliage that lay withered on the ground. Then again, this entire place is literally a ghost town in a literal sense. Saya didn't mind the environment however, even as some dust may get onto her white clothes, something she can easily clean off later.

They then reach a small abandoned-looking station, which connects to Adamond City with a monorail. Apparently they are required, according to the armored person behind the ticket booth, to wear an iron wristband that will protect them from the ethernano inside the city. It was so highly condensed, that it is claimed "radioactive" and in large doses it can kill a person. It was interesting to say the least, yet she felt neutral towards the entire scenario, even with the risk of possible death that outweighs being attacked. She can hear Dochas sighing to himself and mentioning how 'comforting' this is. The armored man also noted that any of form of magical communication to the outside world will not work inside the city. In short, they were all on their own.

It's a creepy and rather unnerving feeling to realize the fact that you will be alone in such a 'haunted' location, but perhaps it makes things all the more fascinating. Sayatachi looks at the armored man in an almost oddly stoic manner.

"We will be weary not to get caught up in any of the resident's actions." she simply responds, "Just take us inside if you may."

Angel Ferrara

Angel beamed, although it was difficult to tell under the layer of protection Cyare had scrunched his face under; his smile only made the scarf ripple slightly. He shrugged and stuck his thumb out cheerfully nonetheless, and he bumped up against Cyare elbow-first as they left the inn and began their walk around town. Like Cyare said, she'd been doing rounds more frequently, and she was less likely to let the cold impede her judgment, and she was the coolest thing since bamboo stakes to fight predators, so he followed her lead.

"Well, people opening up is what our job's all about!" he joked playfully, stretching his arms up and waving one hand under the sun. The motion mimicked that of a bird in flight. "What've they got at the market? Anything cool? Anything you like? If there's something you like, or something we could both do, I'd totally shell out for it, y'know!"

If only there were a beach ball or something. A beach ball would be a lot of fun to bounce off your head in fits of boredom, or bounce off the back of Cyare's head in fits of mischief. But there wasn't likely to be one in such a snowy border down.

...

"Oh, wait, you wanted crepes, right?"

He should've never let her leave if she was still hungry...

When the master of Rider's Blade began to speak in earnest, General Sanders listened with intent. Fraquar described the empty crater that now stood where Fiore's most notorious prison once loomed, citing what he believed to be an ultra-violent jailbreak. Having received no such intelligence thus far about the issue, Sanders assumed it to have been a very recent occurrence, providing the man was speaking in total honesty. Though the commander in chief of Frenzy Plant regretted thinking ill of his colleagues, he could not depend on his counterpart delivering nothing but the truth in every detail—simply omitting things could be just as calamitous.

The warning Fraquar issued toward the close of his briefing momentarily roused Sanders' interest. Jamie's daughter had been experimented upon in the past? He could only think of such a suggestion as odd. Were the child his own, he might have fretted over her safety with more passion, but as it was the old man mused that knowing what an enemy wanted was a big step toward beating it. If Phoenix Wing's leader knew that somebody would be coming after her kid, she could take all sorts of steps to protect her. Judging by her confident response, Jamie certainly seemed dedicated to the idea of keeping her daughter safe.

With theorizing and a cautionary tale out of the way, the floor was Jamie's, and she used it to tell the guild leaders that they'd spoken in the past of cooperation. As fast as he could, Sanders cast his mind back to the ball that cemented the Grand Magic Games' end two months ago. He recalled meeting with Jack Goran, the currently-absent administrator of Dragon Fang, but not to anyone else. Then again, perhaps he'd simply disregarded such a suggestion from Jamie and then forgotten it. Being the General's age meant coming to grips with many facets a grim reality; that memories are slipping away, for instance. As such he elected to not deny Jamie's statement, but instead to acknowledge the follow-up. “I know not the specifics of your particular situations, masters, but Frenzy Plant's presence in Oak Town has deterred the rise of dark guilds in the territory. I will admit to perceiving more natural disasters as of late, however. Are you indicating that they are not natural phenomena?” Thoughtful and probing, Sanders stroked his short, well-trimmed beard.



So, she was going to stay. For the briefest of instants, Owen exhaled through his nose far more sharply than usual, pursing his lips. While he could admit to himself that he went into the situation on alert for any kind of mistreatment, Owen could not help but to feel as though this 'Amelia' was being disingenuous. He and his team were obviously here on official business; why would somebody try and butt in like this? She even plastered an oh-so-compassionate smile on her face. Who does that? The obvious conclusion was that she was being bothersome, wanted something from them, or both. Passers-by often messed with stoic guardsmen outside castles and the like to try and break their dignity, and so assert themselves over those restrained by their profession. Still, Zander would say: never call malice what can better be explained by foolishness.

He gave a shrug. ”Whatever floats yer boat, miss Amelia.” He chose his words carefully, as a reminder that this young woman held no sway over the soldiers' actions, and that his company was of the sort who addressed strangers with at lest semi-proper honorifics.

Fraquar nodded in response to Jamie thanking him for the warning. It was the least he could do, as he didn't want to see any harm come to the girl either. Relaxing again, he listened to Jamie and Sanders speak. When it was his turn, his expression was one of worry.
"My guild is only six members strong and we're in a small settlement town. We're attacked often and the attacks are becoming more frequent. While we're exhausting ourselves, the enemy never seems to send the same people twice. In fact, I see more new faces rather then old. And with old and powerful enemies possibly on the loose now, I doubt my guild will last much longer, let alone the town." He said. "As for natural disasters, I have noticed a slight increase but nothing worth troubling over for now. But please, tell us your tale Jamie."



"Thank you sir." Amelia said kindly, moving closer but keeping a respectable distance from the group before sitting cross legged on the floor. She could tell by how tense some of the guards, especially the one who had talked to her, where so she decided it might be best to let them know that while she would be staying, she didn't mean them any harm. As she sat down, she would let her wings come out from under her shirt and stretch out. The skeletal appendages made no sound as they moved and the six crystals on each wing swayed with the movements of said wings. The crystals glowed dimly, even in the present light, save the purple ones which appeared to be absorbing the light around them slightly.



"She was trained to reconnaissance and information gathering, with some combat training. So while she can probably hold her own against most, mages of your power are still beyond her ability to fight without magic. Since she lacks power and glass will do nothing on your jade scales, she used the best course of action she had, which was redirecting your power back at you." Jackie said with a shrug. "She's got decent enough reactions to use her magic with minimal thought but... she still lacks combat experience and you're taking this far to seriously for training."

@Lmpkio

Before Saya spoke to the armored man, he seemed preoccupied with something but quickly looked up as he heard her voice. “Thank you your reassurance. But do not worry about that. I was just given a message that Aldridge himself will be guiding you through the city. He should be meeting you on the monorail car that is arriving here.”.

It took some minutes, but the car finally arrived into the station. As the car door slid open, a ramp extended out to allow two armored guard to marched out with someone else between them. The guards also had a majority of their body covered by their armor and fabric, what could only be seen of their true form was the bluish glow emanating from their helmets. However, the man in the middle has his true form slightly visible enough to be seen. This was the Wizard Saint, Aldridge. Although the guards had their attention focused faced forwards towards the group and Aldridge facing Grane directly, Saya, Grane, and Dochas would feel a strange sensation quickly phase through them. With a hollowed voice, the Saint spoke.
“Grane Falo, it has been about 15 years since you last came here. What business does the Magic Council have here?”

”Two. One involving Dru’s current location and second involving help with understanding the recent earthquakes that are occurring in this sea.”

Aldridge and his guard stood nearly frozen in place for a few seconds until finally responding. “Then you may enter the city as our guests. Please board car.” The guards stepped aside, allowing group to enter first. “But I would like to state right now. Once you enter that car, none of you are allowed to use your magic until you leave the city. If there are no questions, then let’s go.” Although saying that last part, Aldridge quickly turned away before they could ask a question led the group inside the car.

As they began their walk to the car, a Grane's voice could be heard in everyone’s minds except for Aldridge’s people. ”I suggest that everyone follows his rule of not using magic and not test him on it. Although the title of Saint goes to extraordinary wizards, they usually have good ethics. Of the four individuals who we given the Saint rank to, Aldridge is the one that we have the least information on.”

@Krayzikk@Onarax@Plank Sinatra

As the two wizards entered the market area of the town, there were already a few shoppers at this time. Some chatted with the shop owner, walked around as they viewed each store wares, or simply found a comfortable place while waiting for most of the stores to be open.

“Hey, you two early birds there! Over here!” Not too far away from the two wizards was a man calling them over as he “Greetings fellow travelers, what brings you to this border town? Looking for some nice souvenir of Fiore?”

A cold wind blew through the streets, causing a sleeping teen to shiver himself awake. The surrounding was much different than he remembered leaving it. The night before he had been able to gain a room at a local inn, a comfort he seldom got. He slowly rubbed his eyes, thinking that perhaps that would clear his vision of his room. But this was to no avail.
"Oh great. I wake up in an alley again." He said as he got to his feet, but a sudden wave of nausea caused him to nearly topple over, if not for the nearby trash can that he managed to catch himself with. Upon doing so, the lid was dislodged from its resting place, causing it to fall onto the ground in a clatter that to him sounded like an explosion.
"Ugh. Another one. Elena come on!" he yelled before noticing that he was not in his usual attire, but a red dress that he didn't recognize. "What the hell am I wearing!?"
"Hmhmhm," A voice came from inside his head, each chuckle like a hammer to the poor boy's head. "Come now Perry. I think that look suits you."
Perry knew the voice well, as the two had become inseparable after a botched spell a year ago.
"Elena. Please." Perry pleaded with her.
"Oh fine. You're no fun when you are like this. You can't even enjoy my master prank." She said.
The boy's hand raised to his temple with a small glyph on it. "Healing Magic: Hang Under."
Perry began to feel a wave of comfort go over him, releasing him from the effects of Elena's partying.
"Thank you. Now... WHAT AM I DOING IN THIS DRESS?!" He yelled as he requipped his standard clothing...and a scarf.
Elena burst out laughing while Perry discovered that his wallet was now barren. The realization caused Elena to quiet down.
"Elena. What happened to all of my Jewels?" He asked rage building.
"Well...," she began before taking a deep unneeded breath. "After you went to sleep I took control because I remembered seeing a magic item shop, so I spent 5000 Js to buy that dress you had on and went to a Tavern because I wanted to test the dress and it works really well but I ended up drinking too much and got into a brawl with some guy because he grabbed my butt so I knocked him out with a Table, but the Bartender demanded I pay for the damages and drinks.
Perry sat grasping the bridge of his nose in annoyance, took a deep breath and gently asked, "Alright. That's par for you.
What does the dress do?"
He could practically hear Elena smile sheepishly, "It has a charm spell on it that makes the opposite sex attracted to you."
Perry rolled his eyes saying, "Typical." before hearing his stomach growl.
"Aw man. We don't even have enough to eat right now."
"Well, I mean, there are some local Guilds here. Maybe you could find an easy job to get some money. Plus, there could be a Wizard in one of those guilds that can help us in our little predicament."
"That's...Actually a great idea!" Perry yelled as he left the alley and began running towards what he thought is the nearest guild, a shining smile on his face.
"You have no idea where you are going do you?" Elena asked causing Perry to slow to a halt.
"Nope. Not a clue." He could feel Elena face plant inside his head. He noticed he has ran straight into the market area of town. He then turned to a nearby vendor. "Excuse me. Do you know where the nearest Guild is? I'm a traveling Wizard and need a job." He asked politely.

@PandaBrady The man running the shop paused what he was doing long enough to have a slightly bewildered look on his face. "You must have been traveling for the last few months to ask that. The nearest guild is here in town, Phoenix Wing. They participated in the Grand Magic Games just a few months ago which was a big deal." Nodding his head slightly he pointed off down the street. "It's in the center of town, big building. Just head five streets down, make a right, two more streets and left, and you should be going down the main road that'll take you by the place. Can't miss it."

Considering the mage was looking for a job the shop owner considered they might not have much money on them. That didn't mean he couldn't make a sales pitch though. "And if you're ever in the market for some jewelry be sure to remember that Ol' Pete pointed you in the right direction." He grinned and pointed to the fign above that read 'Ol' Pete's Fine Jewelry'

---

Since everyone that she had been talking to appeared to be busy Ariel wandered over to the job board. There were still a fair amount of things to do. One in particular seems to have been there for as long as she could recall. It was titled 'Myth Or Legend' and was a research mission. Which to be fair didn't sound like the most thrilling job in the world. But it did sound like something not too terribly difficult. Pulling the job off the board she decided that she would do it.

It would probably be a good idea to be sure that everything was cool before she left though. That might be a bit since it looked like the guild leaders were having a meeting. Folding up the paper she tucked it away and headed outside. As per usual things were getting busy in the hall and she could use a little fresh air and sunshine.

Once in the rays of the sun the slight gloom that had settled over Ariel lifted. It felt like things were going to just get more complicated but she couldn't let that get her down too much. As her spirit lifted she changed to her Light magic, the color of her hair, eyes, and clothing changing from blue to a light yellow. Raising her arms over her head she stretched and grunted. "Ah, much better."

??? | Myrtle Town, Marketplace

@Krayzikk@Onarax@Plank Sinatra

As the two wizards entered the market area of the town, there were already a few shoppers at this time. Some chatted with the shop owner, walked around as they viewed each store wares, or simply found a comfortable place while waiting for most of the stores to be open.

“Hey, you two early birds there! Over here!” Not too far away from the two wizards was a man calling them over as he “Greetings fellow travelers, what brings you to this border town? Looking for some nice souvenir of Fiore?”

Angel Ferrara - Tourist Trap

"Ooh!"

Of course, Angel and Cyare had met in the capital; it wasn't like they hadn't been to some of the more urban parts of Fiore, and it was pretty unlikely that they'd never return. But Angel hadn't been doing a lot of knick-knack shopping, especially after meeting up with Cyare and Rei, and they hadn't had time on their travels to really enjoy a market.

Plus, if Cyare had half a chance, she would buy him something first - and no doubt refuse to let him pay for anything after drawing first blood.

rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh

"O~kay~!" the mage cheerfully agreed, pulling Cyare by the hand over to the market with a slight bounce in his step. "Good to meetcha! What's it you sell, exactly?"

Oooh, I can get Rei something too!

He got the feeling nobody ever bought Rei presents. That had to be lonely.

[color=f49ac2][/color]

@Caits
It wasn't the most reassuring smile Jasmine had ever received, but if Penny was smiling then it all couldn't be too bad....right? She returned Penny's smile with her own nervous one.
"It's not anything important....I just. Ummm. Well I just don't...feel like I belong, I suppose. I mean..." The blonde looked away, glancing around at some of the wizards in the guild hall. She felt a pang of jealousy. She had always loved magic since she was a kid. Ever since that fateful day her parents had taken her to a local village festival. The tall man with the floating, explosive fireballs that fired off sparks of yellow, blue, green and every other colour of the rainbow. It was so beautiful, yet...her parents didn't approve of it. She had always wanted to use magic, but her parents didn't want her to have anything to do with it.
And now she stood here, in a wizard guild filled to the brim with magically talented people. And she too was a member, yet...she couldn't use magic. What kind of person joined a guild of wizards yet couldn't use magic?
"What can I even do here?" She asked, her voice coming out as a soft whisper.



@Zarkun
Cody knew he wouldn't need to take a large amount of things with him. His sword at his hip. Armor he simply wore under his robe. Then he packed some spare clothes and other necessities into a duffel-bag and slung it over his shoulder and after a brief moment to check over his mental checklist, Cody was off towards the train station.
It didn't take him long, and when he got there he found that James was already awaiting him. Not that Cody didn't expect him to.
It would seem that the paladin had also purchased his and Cody's tickets, which while Cody was grateful he had wanted to pay his own way. But it wasn't a huge deal, and the ticket had been purchased so no need to complain. Once aboard the train and the two had been seated, Cody turned to the older man.
"So any idea what we should be expecting?"

[color=fff200][/color][color=fff200][/color][color=fff200][/color]

@PandaBrady The man running the shop paused what he was doing long enough to have a slightly bewildered look on his face. "You must have been traveling for the last few months to ask that. The nearest guild is here in town, Phoenix Wing. They participated in the Grand Magic Games just a few months ago which was a big deal." Nodding his head slightly he pointed off down the street. "It's in the center of town, big building. Just head five streets down, make a right, two more streets and left, and you should be going down the main road that'll take you by the place. Can't miss it."

Considering the mage was looking for a job the shop owner considered they might not have much money on them. That didn't mean he couldn't make a sales pitch though. "And if you're ever in the market for some jewelry be sure to remember that Ol' Pete pointed you in the right direction." He grinned and pointed to the fign above that read 'Ol' Pete's Fine Jewelry'

"Thank you." Perry said to the man, " I shall keep that in mind. If there's anything I can do to repay you let me know." he said before taking off towards the guild.
"I bet that man is totally gonna ask you to do a mission later." Elena says within his head.
"Not everyone is as greedy as you Elena." He told her.
"But he was a salesman to the end. Plus, Jewl-"
"No. You've put us under enough."

The two followed the directions quietly, Elena knowing when to be quiet. Soon they arrived to the guild, and were met with the emblem of the Red Feather...or maybe a wing. Either way, the building was impressive. Not as impressive as some of the buildings his father owned, but still very impressive. To Elena, it looked very familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Cautiously, Perry came to the large red front door, and began to hesitate. He'd never actually been to a guild. Should he knock? Should he have asked around to be invited? Too late, as Elena had raised his arm and made him slam the door open, causing a much louder than intended thump. Embarrasment washed over the boys face as he stammered an excuse.
"Sorry, I don't know my own strength sometimes." He said, trying to play it off. The growling of his stomach brought him back to his senses.
"Oh, yes, I nearly forgot. I am looking for a guild to consider, and thought I might take a look at your job board to see if there was a quick job that would be right for me." He said trying to sound confidant.
"Umm... If that's okay with you all." He said to the various guild members, hoping not to be reprimanded for his behaviour.
"Dangit Elena, you put me in the spotlight." he thought to himself.

Seemed they had another arrival that felt the need to barge through the doors. That wasn't exactly a deal breaker though, he would be what, the fourth that day? Yeah it was pretty normal. In a better mood than before Ariel decided to greet the newcomer since she was right by the door. "Hi there, welcome to Phoenix Wing." She said as she stepped forward. [color-khaki]"I'm pretty sure that the jobs are mostly for guild members but I doubt there'd be a problem if you wanted to join."[/color]

She glanced back and didn't really see the leadership free up at the moment. "The guild master is currently in a meeting so you might have to wait a bit if you wanted to do that. In the meantime though you're welcome to stick around and chat, buy a drink, or just hang." She paused for a moment. Percival's magic was giving off an odd sensation but she decided not to call attention to it. "If you have any questions I can try and answer them. I'll admit I'm probably still a newbie here all things considered but maybe I could answer a few." She smiled and waited for a response.

<Snipped quote by Expolar>

Angel Ferrara - Tourist Trap

"Ooh!"

Of course, Angel and Cyare had met in the capital; it wasn't like they hadn't been to some of the more urban parts of Fiore, and it was pretty unlikely that they'd never return. But Angel hadn't been doing a lot of knick-knack shopping, especially after meeting up with Cyare and Rei, and they hadn't had time on their travels to really enjoy a market.

Plus, if Cyare had half a chance, she would buy him something first - and no doubt refuse to let him pay for anything after drawing first blood.

rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh

"O~kay~!" the mage cheerfully agreed, pulling Cyare by the hand over to the market with a slight bounce in his step. "Good to meetcha! What's it you sell, exactly?"

Oooh, I can get Rei something too!

He got the feeling nobody ever bought Rei presents. That had to be lonely.

@Plank Sinatra @Expolar

Oh no.

Even through a handful of incidents, given how little time they had to visit gift shops and markets, one thing had become abundantly clear. Like with cooking, Angel Ferrara did not do gifts by halves. It was all but a form of warfare; the war to find and deliver the perfect gift, even if the gift-ee did not want him to do so. Budget became a nonissue, somehow. Very endearing, but if left unopposed? Potentially catastrophic.

So even as she was lead away, following without too much resistance and with a smile on her face, she planned.

"Yes, what do you sell?" In the back of her mind she knew her questions should have been focused, first, on what he knew about the recent attacks. Buuut maybe he'd be more cooperative if they bought something first. Especially if it was cooking equipment. A new knife, maybe?

@Onarax

Once Angel and Cyare made their way into the market place, Wes and Rei were already on the outskirts of the town. As they made their short trek, nothing but snow and a few trees filled the landscape. To one side was some hills, possibly forming into mountain ranges further away towards Mt Hakobe. On the other side was a forest that almost acted as the border between Fiore and Bosco. ”Rei, exactly how fast can you run? I was thinking of flying in the air to get a good few of what might be behind some of these hills or in those trees. But what do you prefer, maneuvering around trees and bushes or going up and down those hills?”

@Krayzikk@Plank Sinatra

He was about correct Angel, but Cyare also asked about what was being sold at his shop. If only this was his store “Whoa, easy now. Weren’t you two listening? I said ‘fellow travelers’. Is that something that you people in Fiore don’t say that much? I’m actually here because I’m waiting for the owner to give me something. Must be strange to hear an owner give trust a random customer to watch their shop. But I suppose that’s something that you get when you’ve been in town for over a week and be the mayor’s cousin. Please, call me Rik.“

Seeing as more people are arriving into the marketplace, Rik wasn’t in the mood to deal with the same routine that just happened. “Anyways, sorry that I can’t sell you two anything, but perhaps we could have an exchange words. Some would say a conversation. As I mentioned, I’ve been in town for a while so I already got used to seeing familiar faces. But your faces, makes me wonder what brought you two here. You do know that there were some maunders that came by some time ago?”

@Lunarlors34

Jamie gave a nod to Sanders, “that may be the case, and we do our part in keeping our city safe, but its where guild influences are lacking that is the problem. Small towns, towns far enough away from our shadows, that are where, I believe, these dark guilds are taking root, but it is also likely, as we have experienced here in the past, of dark guilds working in secret, passing under the radar.. We are doing all we can to reveal these dark guilds to the light” She said, looking to Fraquar, her expression a little blank “If it gets bad, you can always call for help” She said simply, having not thought that the formidable, yet small guild, would be having any troubles. “There’s always a few members here looking for something to do” She meant it genuinely, no malice to her voice.

She paused a moment, before continuing on, “As for the natural disasters, i believe one of my members, Sasha, has been researching them quite thoroughly, and if you care to stay for a few hours, she’ll probably explain it to you. However, I don’t believe they are natural, even if they seem it. Something is causing them to come more frequently, than normal even for Fiore.” She said, shifting slightly, and looking around at the two men in front of her.

---

---

Penny watched Jasmine, listening as she spoke, and weighing her words. she looked away from the girl, over the guild hall. "You know, when I first came here, I came just for my sister. I found so much more' But now, Penny was beginning to wonder if maybe she didn't belong here. She gave a small sigh, looking back to Jasmine. “You can do a lot” She said “There’s always jobs around the guild that can be done, but… “

She thought for a moment, wondering if it was an option, wondering if maybe, it was what she needed. She studied jasmine once more, thoughtful. “Did you want to learn magic? I could teach you fire magic, if you have a ability for it”
@Joshua Tamashii@lugubrious

When they arrived at the front of Damien's place, Nolan's looked bewildered. He looked at the canal behind them and then to the house next to Damien's, Nolan's house. How long were they neighbors for? How did they not notice it? "Uh... This is awkward."

God dammit, looks like his own hidden abode is no longer so hidden anymore. Glancing up from his unlocking of his door and followed Nolan's gaze. After a moment of thought, it clicked why he said what he said and Damian shrugged. "Well, that explains why I keep having to chase Dalton off my roof. You know he's taken to spying on the butcher's daughter across the canal?"

"Wait what? Is that why he's been giving me dirty looks? I thought it was because she was constantly giving goo goo eyes." In hindsight, those were probably both the reasons why the butcher glared at him like that.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I shouldn't be surprised. That damn cat leers at whatever is wearing a skirt." Chuckling, Damian opens the door and beckons Nolan in.

"Well, I wouldn't worry too much about it. When I caught him this morning, I trimmed his pompadour an inch or two and threatened to turn him into a fur coat the next time I caught him." Closing the door as he steps in, he heads for the kitchen. "I think he's still in mourning over the minuscule amount of hair I cut off."

"Huh, that explains a lot actually." Nolan followed Damien in his house and looked around the house, feeling a bit out of place. He wasn't sure what to do at the moment; should he help Damien cook? He could, but what if Damien is the kind of person that doesn't let his guests help because they are his guests. Then again Nolan didn't want to be freeloader either.

"Been looking for him?" Damian opened the fridge up and started looking through it to see what he had. Finding nothing, he opened the freezer and smiled at what he found first. Pulling them out, he headed to the back door and then the back porch, where his barbecue was. "Don't mind bratwursts, do you?"

"Eh, he's probably just moping somewhere around the guild. He survived before meeting me so I'm not worried." Nolan followed Damien out to his back porch. "Sounds all good to me. I'm not one to turn down a good sausage." Yes, he knew what that sounded like, but he was just going to go with it.

"Good to hear." For several minutes, silence reigned as the Blade of Phoenix Wing started the barbecue up and began setting the sausages on the grill. There were a lot of questions that Damian had for the Ash God Slayer, but he really didn't want to pry too much and put an end to this budding bit of trust. Finally, he picked something. "So, I guess all I have to ask is where does your story begin?" Nolan had sat down on a wooden chair and leaned back into it. His body was still recovering from the initial spar with Damien. He let out a long whistle as he tried to figure out how to begin this.

"I guess I should begin with my childhood. Ever heard of Waltz and Co.? After Heartfilia Konzern fell into ruin, Waltz would become one of the wealthiest businesses and continue to do so. I was the son and heir to the company."

Nolan coughed, feeling a bit weird telling Damien, a man who used to be a child soldier, that he came from a life of privilege. "I was actually the youngest child of three, but traditionally in our family the heir of the company is someone who has the ability to use magic. In this case, I was the only one who had that ability. I guess you could say that I won the biological lottery." He forced a chuckle, but he certainly wasn't fooling anyone.

"Yeah, I certainly won the lottery until it was swallowed by the sea."

"I take it a ship you were on got caught up in a freak storm?"

Nolan nodded and said, "Freak was an understatement. My father always brought us on his business trips to other countries. We were heading to Caelum when it happened." He sat there in silence for a moment until he broke it. "I saw my mother get crushed to death by the ship's mast and I could only assume that everyone else drowned to their deaths. The only ones that survived were my brother, my sister, and I, but I wouldn't know that for a long, long time."

"When I woke up, I was on the shores of Caelum alone. Tell me Damien, have you ever been to Caelum before?" Damian shakes his head, turning over the brats with a set of tongs.

"Can't say I have. All my battles as a kid were fought with a home field advantage along Fiore's border."

"Then you're lucky. It is the most dangerous country in all of Ishgar. It's a lawless wasteland of human misery and corruption. The strong devour the weak. The rich live in a secluded haven where they are allowed to do as they please. It's their playground and they employ the scum of the world to meet their desires." He looked down at the ground, wondering how much he should tell Damien.

"Slavers especially make a killing there. There is always a need for slaves there." Nolan was scratching his neck now, something that could be written off as Nolan being uncomfortable rather than a nervous tick. Damian looks at his guild mate, a frown crossing his features.

"And it was slavers who found you, freshly washed up on the beach, wasn't it?" Nolan did not respond to Damien for quite awhile. This is the closest to Nolan allowing himself to being emotionally vulnerable that he had ever been, heck, more vulnerable than when Ariel and him were trapped in the painting together.

"Yes... They captured me and were going to pimp me out, but she...she." A lump in his throat made it near impossible for him to speak and he was beginning to tremble.

"Easy, Nolan. Say it when you're ready to say it. Don't force it out." Slavers had always been despicable to the former child soldier, degenerate pieces of crap that forced others into a life of things that no human being should have to go through. To know that his guild mate had been forced through it...that bothered him. Nolan took a deep breath and exhaled. His fingers ran through his own hair as he tried to gain some form of composure. In the end, Nolan just looked tired; tired from keeping his life a secret, tired of the terrors, tired of the constant anxiety.

"She called herself The Madame. She was the one in charge of the whole operation." He sighed and leaned forward in his seat a bit. "She never sold me to anyone. She took a liking to me and kept me as a pet... And whatever she wanted me to do, I had to do it." Damian's frown deepened, threatening to become a scowl.

"I get the feeling that I'm not going to like where this goes." Nolan glanced up at Damien and averted his gaze. His silence provided more of a response than words could say. And so the scowl came as he turned the brats again. "I hope she's dead and burning in her special place in hell. Slavers aren't even human anymore as far as I'm concerned."

Nolan chuckled in a bitter manner and said,"We'll never really know for sure then. She either was turned into cinders or she escaped with her life. I wish I could say that she is dead, but the world isn't as kind as to punish those that deserve it. I think we can both at least agree on that." As he spoke, Nolan pulled out a long, thin metal pipe and a small, dark brown jar that when opened it had tobacco in it.

"And yet, it was because of that I was able to meet him, the man that rescued me I mean." He pulled a small wad of tobacco out and stuffed it into his pipe. "His name was Arjuna, the man that would become my mentor, confidant, and my father."

"Sounds like a good man in a bad place. Happens far too often for my tastes." Nolan had to stifle a chuckle.

"A good man with a list of vices, but a good man nonetheless." Nolan lit the tobacco in his pipe and he took a long drag from the pipe. "It wasn't just him though; everyone in the temple taught me, fed me, and dressed me. They cared for me and even though we did not have much, it was enough for me." Damian nodded.

"Lived pretty barebones myself despite the positions my parents held in the military. We were a border patrol unit, so we didn't get much leave."

"We were self-sufficient for the most part. It was impossible to form a trade with communities with all of the organized crime and whatnot. Not to mention we tried our best to remain hidden from the rest of the world so we could protect our secrets. And I don't mean just our magic." He held his pipe in between his fingers lazily.

"I know this is a sudden shift in topic, but Damien, do believe in the existence of the Gods?" His tone wasn't filled with curiosity, but rather, stiff and unsure as if he was starting to regret his question. Damian thinks as he pulls off the first round of brats, four of them, before setting the next four on.

"Well, I couldn't say. I do believe in Death, having seen and dealt a fair amount of it in my time alive. But gods? If they exist, they've never bothered me and I'm OK with that."

"Then perhaps under any other circumstances I would allow you to be blissfully ignorant, but such luxuries are dangerous." The slayer stood up from his seat and approached Damien. The aggressiveness of his words were betrayed by an underlying fear that Nolan was attempting to conceal. "We mortals are so concerned with our own squabbles that we tend to not notice what goes on beyond us. It's understandable why you think the way that you do. The fault falls upon my forerunners and myself for being so paranoid and holding our secrets so close to our chests."

Nolan leaned against the railing and tapped the burnt tobacco out of his pipe over the ledge. "And I am the only one left in this world that knows the truth." Just saying those words made him look like a man racked with pain. "I am the sole survivor of our genocide. They, the Gods, sent their messenger and... they took my family away from me, yet he let me live." Damian considered his next words carefully, trying to figure out how to say what he wanted to. Finally, unable to come up with a less blunt way to put, he speaks.

"Do you know if this messenger can bleed?"

"Everything bleeds, Damien. It's just the fact that killing a god is much more complicated than just destroying their bodies." The Slayer held his hand out over the railing and a black sphere of ashes formed over his palm. "You can kill a god as many times as you want, but their very existence is one that defies our logic. They are so powerful that even if you kill them through normal means, their soul will persist and they will revive."

Nolan watched as he let the sphere of ashes dance around in the air with the movements of his fingers. "The purpose of a God Slayer is to not only kill the body, but to make sure that the gods can never be revived again. It takes the power of a god to kill a god. You witnessed yourself earlier when we sparred." Damian disappeared inside the house briefly, retrieving another couple of plates along with some buns and condiments, and started putting together a bratwurst.

"What I saw when we were sparring a mage who was trying to get a grip on his own magic and strength, not the strength of a God. Not to mention something about that golden magic you used though..." Damian fell silent again, working on the brat without speaking. Finally, as he finished, he spoke again. "It's not natural is it? I saw the pain on your face after you forced it down."

"I meant the magic itself." Nolan's face flared red in embarrassment and he averted his eyes from Damien's. With a grabbing motion, the sphere of ashes dispersed and he turned to face Damien. "It's..." He hesitated for a moment as he tried to find the right words. "It's something that was awoken in me during the games. On the day off, I wound up getting involved with fighting a mage so powerful that I dare say he could match a Wizard Saint and I...I was paralyzed with absolute fear. I've fought many people Damien, but I've never felt the fear of imminent death as much as I did that day."

A sigh escaped his lips and he removed his sword from his belt. "That's when I encountered The Goddess bound to the sword made of her very body." Damian didn't answer right away, opting instead to take a bite of food and move away from the brats so that Nolan could get his and he could turn the others over. Finally, he decided what to say.

"It makes sense, Nolan, but you still didn't answer the question. Is it natural?"

"God Slayer Magic in itself is unnatural; we take on the abilities of gods, yet remain human enough. We are dancing on the line between mortals and gods." Nolan grabbed some of the food that Damien cooked and took a bite from it. "The power you saw was something that cannot be awoken by yourself for the first time. It requires the power of a god or equal to it to even enter that form and well, it's much more power than my body can handle right now. Every time I use it, it feels like my atoms are being stretched and torn apart." Damian sighed as Nolan continued dancing around the question and pushed onwards to other things.

"Alright, so don't answer the question. Suppose it doesn't much matter at this point. Still, it comes back to control of your emotions. And that will become easier when we finish discussing what we started with. After this messenger left, how long before you came to Fiore?" He placed the food down and ran his finger through his hair.

"It was awhile. I wandered around Caelum aimlessly and at that time I was looking for an excuse to beat people up. I ended up tackling criminal groups by myself with reckless abandon, but at that time I let them live. The me then was far more foolishly hopeful that justice would prevail in that hell hole, but..."

Nolan sighed heavily and looked down at the food. He laid the palm of his right hand on his stomach. "I ended up staying in a village that somehow managed to protect itself. I was wounded and hadn't eaten in days, but they took me in. A family took me in and took care of me. The village had a doctor, Doctor Cornell. He was the villages' saint; he took care of everyone and he never asked for anything in return."

His face had suddenly turned white as a sheet. "Around the time I was there, something odd was happening; the children were disappearing. I had investigated and realized that they were being taken at night so I stayed out at night and found a child climbing out of a window. I confronted her, but her eyes were hollow, as if she was hypnotized. I followed her and we arrived at the doctor's home. I learned later that he was controlling them via mind control from a potion he mixed in with their vaccinations."

Nolan took a deep breath and continued on. "I broke into his house and I confronted him. I thought he was selling the children into slavery, but...but... he chopped them up and sold them on the black market as food. I tortured him until he told me everything; where it was going, who he was selling it too. When he had nothing else left, I beheaded him and hung his corpse by the roof with his head in between his arms."

He looked down, trying his best to keep his gaze away from Damien's. He did not want him to see the pain in his eyes. "After that, I became convinced that the only way to bring peace was through bloodshed, but honestly, that was just an excuse to let my grief and rage to control me. I've killed a lot of people Damien, a lot of people. They were criminals, but I had sunken below them and the worst part is that I ran away. I was a wanted criminal, but I managed to sneak on a ship to Fiore." Damian pursed his lips as Nolan spoke, rolling the brats over again. He would be lying if he told the God Slayer that he wouldn't have done the same with the doctor, but that was neither here nor there. What did matter was fleeing from his arrest, and given what Nolan had told Damian about Caelum, he might have been smart in doing so.

"Caelum's a fairly lawless place, right? Would you have been given a real and fair trial, do you think? If you'd let them arrest you, what would have happened?"

"You're even more ignorant of Caelum than I thought you were." Nolan placed his plate down and pushed it away. "I pissed off Caelum's oligarchy and nobleman, the people who were benefiting from the illegal trades of the black market in the first place. Only a few things would have had happened; I either would have been executed or would have been sold off as a slave. Honestly, sometimes I think I rather would have been better off dead."

"Do you know how hard it is to face our guild everyday? I only meant to join as a temporary means of survival, but I became attached to you all. When I first joined, I believed that killing was the only solution in a world without justice, but now I am ashamed of myself." He had buried his face in his hands and groaned loudly. "I am ashamed of becoming a murderer and everyday, everyday I am terrified that I am going to lose the life that I had built for myself here." Damian set his own food down and stepped forwards, resting a hand on Nolan's shoulder.

"The first lesson of right and wrong is that any man who benefits from the activities of criminals while claiming to have no part in their dealings is both a liar and a criminal themselves. Caelum is ruled by corrupt government officials and nobles, not good people. That said, I may not have killed criminals, but killing another person in battle, a person who has an entire life in front of them before you slice 'em open and run 'em through, well, it was still in cold blood, hardly a second thought given at the time. Getting older and being away from the military, I realize that what I did was wrong, no matter the reason. But that doesn't stop me from moving forwards." The Blade of Phoenix Wing steps away and goes inside, where the sound of rummaging could be heard. After about ten minutes, he finally comes back out, holding an old looking shield with the emblem of another nation on it.

"This was a momento from one of my first battles. Do you know why I've kept it all these years?" Nolan removed his face from his hands looked at the shield that Damien presented to him.

"As a reminder of the person you killed and of your past?" Damian chuckled, setting it against a pole.

"You're half right. I keep it to remind me that I took the man's life, yes, but also to remind me that if I hadn't, how many more would have been harmed? Soldiers often say that they'll gladly give their life for their country, and that is because if they die, then the people they care about don't. Yes, taking the owner's life was horrible, but in the long run, I might have saved dozens or even hundreds of other lives."

"And yet, you are able to say that without any fear in your heart. I wish I could do the same." Nolan laid his hand on his chest, over where his heart should be. "Actions all have consequences and I can only fear that mine will catch up to me. I have to be strong, but will I ever be strong enough to face it?" Damian shrugs as he removes the second batch of bratwursts and turns off the barbecue, gathering up the uncooked ones.

"As unhelpful as this will sound, only you will know that when the time comes. What I do know is you won't face it alone."There was a moment of silence between the two mages. After all of this, Nolan was not sure what he should say. Try as he might, he cannot help, but to feel awkward; this is the first time he had poured his heart out as much as he had just now. He shifted around uncomfortably, wringing his hands together.

"I, uh...Thanks." Damian nodded, picking his plate back up and taking another bite of his brat.

"Be aware that I'm always here for a good talk, no matter what. So that said, let's talk about this Goddess, since I know she's been listening by now. You trust her?"

"I don't have a choice to trust her. My training was never completed nor under any other circumstances could it have ever been completed. Without a god's guidance, a God Slayer can only get so far before they hit a wall." Nolan pushed the long locks of hair laying on his neck to show Damien the lotus seal that showed the pact between the mortal and deity. "For better or for worse, I've bound myself to her as both her student and champion. I can't help, but to wonder if there are other God Slayers who have made contact with a god." Damian shrugs, taking another bite.

"There probably are, but I'm willing to bet the encounter didn't end well for one or both parties. However, you danced around my question. Sure, you agreed to let her teach you and to champion her cause, as you've just revealed, but you didn't say whether or not you trust her, inferring you had no choice, which isn't true. There's always a choice, Nolan, it's just which one you pick that matters. Now, do you trust her?" The answer would determine if Damian needed to keep an eye on the God Slayer or trust him to seek help when he needed it, but he kept that bit to himself. He trusted his guildmate, it was this goddess that the Blade of Phoenix Wing didn't trust.

He saw that he was starting to test Damien's patience and decided to just not dance around the question. "I don't know if I do or not, but it's a risk that I am willing to take." Nolan grabbed the plate he pushed away and took another bite from his bratwurst. There are many things that he wants to say, to tell Damien, but his doubts lingered with him.

"It's strange. I feel like I have to live in two worlds at once: one of the regular mortal and one who is aware of gods." He looked down at his sandwich. Unknowingly, his hands were shaking as he seemed to be thinking of how to explain. "I know so much, I've seen so much and yet to the rest of the world I'd look like a maniac. I mean really, I find myself talking to her, but I look crazy to others." He motioned his hand to The Goddess, but of course, only Nolan could see her.

"You know he can't see me right?" She asked him only to receive a blank stare from the mage. Damian shrugged.

"If it's any consolation, I CAN sense her, sort of. Something that powerful doesn't walk around with you and not get noticed by those who can sense power. In fact, it likely explains a lot about some of the people I've met over the years. No one who knows them well had ever seen them use magic, and yet this incredible power seemed to seep from their pores. So, I suppose I can say this," he levels his gaze with where he could feel the magic from strongly, "cross me at your own risk. I don't need to be a god slayer to make you spend time thinking about mistreating someone. Waiting until he was desperate was a despicable move, not to mention cowardly. Know that I don't trust you for it, nor will I ever. Not to mention I know a Fire God Slayer personally who's always looking for a chance to flex his muscles." Well, that last part wasn't true, and Gods help them if she found out about his fear of cats, but she didn't need know that.

"He's long winded isn't he? Definitely the kind of guy that loves to posture." She commented on Damien's long threat nonchalantly. It's not like it was the first time that a man made a threat towards her, or person in general.

"Yeah, he tends to do that." Nolan responded to her without using their telepathic bond. It's not like he needs to hide her since Damien knows.

The Goddess smirked and leaned forward so that she was face to face with him. It's been awhile since a mortal was the one to make threat to her, kind of like a barking chihuahua. "I wonder if he realizes that he can't fight a dead person." She said with a teasing manner.

The God Slayer couldn't help, but to roll his eyes at the two of them. They were just acting ridiculous. "Okay that's enough out of you both...Though does it matter since you can't hear her?"

"I don't need to be able to hear her, she just needs to be able to hear me." All the same, Damian stopped and took a couple more bites out of his brat, watching the sun glitter off the snow. After a few minutes, and another bratwurst, he speaks once more. "Any questions for me?"

"No, there's no need." Nolan felt his hand twinge in pain from the nerve damage he received from the partial transformation. He glanced down at his hand and just shoved it in his pocket and hoped that Damien wouldn't notice. "I'm sorry for taking so much of your time. I should get going." Nodding, Damian continues eating.

"No bother to me at all, Nolan. Nice change of pace actually."

"Still, I'll take my leave. Thank you for your hospitality." Nolan headed towards the door and pushed it open, but stopped midway through the door and spoke with a hint of melancholy. "There are a lot of things that I haven't told you. There are many things that I want to say, but I'm not ready yet. For now I just want to hold on to the time that I have here with everyone." With that being said, he waved Damien off and saw himself out of Damien's home. For the first time in a long, long time his body felt weightless.

Damian remained on his back porch for a long time after Nolan left, mulling over what he'd learned of his guild mate and making notes of important names. As an S-Class wizard, he had a duty to make sure everyone was safe along with representing Phoenix Wing. This Madame...if he ever got the time, the Blade of Phoenix Wing might just pay the woman a visit and put an end to her operation permanently. He smiled grimly at the thought and then gathered up the cooked brats and headed inside with them and the buns and condiments. It was time to head back to the guild hall.

@Expolar @Plank Sinatra

The Mage's smile turned a little sheepish after her mistake was explained, accompanied by an apologetic nod. Trying to outmaneuver Angel had lead her to make the same error. Still she stayed composed and cocked her head a little bit at the... Volume of his explanation. The man, 'Rik' he said, seemed to be a bit of a chatterbox.

Still, even though his question seemed innocent enough...

It was worth exercising a little discretion, so as not to accidentally give key information away. Or, for that matter, offend one of the locals that wasn't fond of magic. They were trying to build bridges, not burn them. Best to keep certain aspects downplayed.

"Sorry about the mixup, I'm still waking up a little." Cyare admitted with a faint smile, hooking her thumbs in her swordbelt. "We got in late last night. Angel and I are here on a job, looking into those marauder attacks."

"Oh, thank you miss." Perry said to the girl that greeted him. "I guess I could wait."
Suddenly his stomach growled again, loudly. "Ehehe, so... this guild wouldn't happen to have any free food would it? I kinda... lost, all of my money." he asked afterwards, embarrassed that his stomach was making such a noise.
"But, if not, I'm sure I could slip into something more comfortable and seduce us some lunch." Elena called from Perry's mind. He rolled his eyes, then realized that he might have looked rude to anyone nearby and blushed embarrassed.
I really wish I could just think and you hear me Elena. he thought to himself.
"It's kind of a long story to tell. Embarrassing, and I doubt you'd believe me."

Glancing back at the bar she didn't doubt that someone might pay for the man's food. Actually since she was about to go out on a job she probably could stand to spare a few jewels. Taking a bit out she tossed them to Perry. "You can use this to get you something."

There was apparently a story behind the loss of money. Ordinarily Ariel would have stuck around to hear it but the client had likely waited long enough for someone to respond. "Maybe another time. I was just on my way out. Make yourself at home and get to know some of the others. I'm sure you'll be able to get a job in no time." She hated to cut things short but she needed to go. After heading out she smacked herself on the head. She didn't even introduce herself or get the person's name. Ah well, hopefully he'd still be around when she got back.

---

Arriving at the edge of a desert the woman could see a large encampment. Ariel had cleared the job back at the guild and after the long trip out to the desert she was ready to do something other than sit and walk. Explaining why she was there and showing the flier she was shortly briefed about what the job entailed. A fair amount of research still needed to be done in the ruins. It had already been months since the job was posted so by the time Ariel showed up she was quickly rushed out the door to get to exploring the ruins.

Ariel did not quite understand the rush, though she did overhear mention that they may not be the only ones interest in the ruins. So perhaps a mage was sought out in case a confrontation occurred. She'd been given a lacrama to capture images of anything she could find. It also would help her at least partially translate any writing she found. That would be handy for Ariel because her expertise were not exactly in ancient writing and civilization. Properly equipped to do her job the young mage made her way to the entrance. It was hidden, buried actually. The wind had blown sand over what remained on the surface. Luckily for Ariel she'd picked up Dust magic from her teammate, Fleo. Sand was a close enough medium at least. Changing to that magic she swept enough sand clear to slip in through the disintegrating doors.

The light leaking in from the entrance didn't give Ariel much to see by. The air was stale and dust that had settled was stirred for the first time in who know how long. While she had a torch the mage found that her Light magic worked a whole lot better. Holding an orb of light in her hand she could see that a stairway lead down further underground into the darkness. Yes it was a good thing Ariel was used to using that magic. Also had the benefit of cheering her up in such a gloomy place. A prospect that Ariel hadn't fully considered. If she could get a better handle of her magic she could in theory control her emotions more than the other way around.

The stairs opened up to a large chamber with different branching paths. One by one she explored the rooms. They seemed to be relatively normal; a room with tables and benshes, likely a dining hall considering the adjoining room appeared to be some kind of kitchen; a space that looked like some kind of meeting room, there were more benches facing a slightly raised platform with more chairs; a library filled with books and scrolls, they were in surprisingly good shape but that was probably due to the dryness of the envoronment; and another hall that lead deeper into the ruins. Ariel had been instructed not to touch anything unless necessary so the things she'd located were left as is.

The entire time she'd been capturing images of what was there. At first she'd been kind of creeped out by the place. It had supposedly been a place where a cult had gathered for some purpose. But so far it had been mundane and Ariel found herself getting engrossed in exploring the place. Some of the writing on the walls was beginning to come back translated and Ariel took the liberty of reading it. From the broken wording she could make out that something had been guarded here. That eased her mind a bit as she hadn't come across any mention of sacrifice or the like. There were armor and weapons that she found in a room, so whatever it was the people here were ready to defend it.

Her confidence was shaken though when she came across a door that appeared to have been open more recently. She could tell because the dust had been disturbed from its opening. There was also a draft coming through. Cautiously entering she found a tunnel broken through the wall leading upward. Robbers? Were they still here? Ariel tried to think back if anything she saw looked like it might have been missing something. There had been some statues that had armor and looked like they might could have been holding something. Her heart skipping a beat the room went dark. Fear had crept in and Ariel unintentionally switched to her Barrier magic, cutting out her source of light. She let out a sharp scream before covering her own mouth. Curse her fickle nature. The silence was shattered as the sound echoed through the ruins.

Having just frightened herself and unable to sufficiently compose her emotions Arirl had to fall back to the torch. Her mind was racing and she wanted to get out. The tunnel wouldn't be a good idea. She had no idea where it went or what might greet her on the other end. She would have to backtrack.

In the torchlight things seemed to jump around. Shadows moved which only put the woman more on edge. Thankfully she had marked out the path so she should could get back out. That didn't mean she didn't power walk the entire way. Sighing with relief Ariel looked about at the air rippling in the heat. Well no one was there to meet her which was great for once. Reaching for her pack she was going to make a note about the tunnel when she realized that the image lacrama was missing. Where did it go? She emptied her bag, turned it upside down, looked around the entrance. Great, she dropped it, probably in that room with the tunnel. And she couldn't go back empty handed. That lacrama was expensive from what she was told as well. So not only would she not get paid, she would owe them.

After sitting at the entrance, listening intently, Ariel decided she had to go back for the thing. Mentally preparing herself she headed back in. Still stuck with her Barrier magic she moved along carefully. This wasn't a magic she was that familiar with using. It was more reactive than anything. She hadn't planned to go back in she her tracks were a tad bit harder to follow now that it was all disturbed from her movement. While going down one hall she noticed a trail that seemed to lead to a wall. It wasn't something she noticed the first time she went down. Then she was marveling at the ruins and on the way out she had rushed. First things first, getting back to the room she found the image lacrama where she expected to.

Unfortunately there was sound coming from the tunnel. Someone must have heard her earlier and were coming the investigate. Her thoughts went to the extra trail. Someone else had been down there and found a hidden room. People were taking things from the ruins. Should she do something about it? The voices were getting closer and Ariel decided to hide. By now she was a tad turned around and rushing around was a surefire was to get caught. Snuffing out the torch she slipped behind some urns and waited.

Before long a light moved in and three men came in. They were talking with each other. "We need to get in before anyone catches wind of what we found. I heard a report that the researchers may have found a mage so we're on a time crunch. Let's get the work." the three left the room. Peaking around Ariel spotted a crate they brought with them. It had magic explosives in it. What in the would did they find that needed that kind of firepower? Sadly the men were now between her and her way out.

Once the group had moved away enough Ariel followed silently behind. Her heart was pounding now and when it came time to pass by the previously closed wall she found it opened. It had been slid to the side. Leaning over she glanced inside. There was a large room with a pitch black orb with glowing white lines winding and hooking on its surface sitting in the center. The men were laying the explosives on and around the orb. She listened in as they spoke.

Getting a better look at the three the big guy seemed to be the leader. He was the one that spoke before. "I know this isn't the right way to do this but we don't have the time to bring the proper equipment." He seemed a bit irritated.

A thinner man was working on some box that looked pretty hefty. "Just as long as we don't blow up the thing inside. The cultists put a lot of effort with that seal to hide the magic inside. Whatever's in there better be worth it."

The third guy didn't say anything but Ariel didn't have much choice but to wait. Whatever was in there she didn't think she would want robbers having it. She was about to move in when the explosives started to glow. Man they worked fast. They all moved to one side and the silent one protected them with a thick stone wall, clearly an Earth mage. Taking note Ariel ducked back into the hall and covered her ears. The blast rattled her bones but that didn't really match the wave of magic energy the was released. Whatever they'd just blasted open had a massive amount of magical power. The dust took a while to clear and when she looked back inside she saw a bracer that looked like it was made for a giant's forearm where the orb had been. It was a silver color, adorned with red jems outlined with violet that encircling the two rings that were linked with bands that wrapped around and overlapped as they spiraled.

The leader started to approach the object and looked pretty pleased. "Alright let's load this up and get out of..." He ran into a barrier that had come out of nowhere. "What the..." He cut off again as Ariel had run in and grabbed the bracer, protected by a barrier.

"Sorrygottatakethisbye." The woman bolted for the door.

Before she could gat out of the doorway though the thin man reared back and threw one of the explosives at her. Skidding to a stop just outside the door she put up a barrier but it wasn't a match for the bomb. The blast took out her barrier and threw her hard against the wall. Limping to her feet she tried to get out but hadn't quite recovered from the shock. "Crush her!" The lead told their Earth mage. Nodding the ceiling over Ariel's head cracked and fell. It wasn't like a cave in, the rock and earth mostly stayed together and came down as one big block, crashing against the floor below and smothering Ariel in the resulting rubble.

Under the rubble Ariel struggled to breath. She couldn't move and her senses were overwhelmed. In the darkness she heard a voice in her mind. Child.

"...W-who's there? I can't..." She was out of it and had to think through the pain. "I'm trapped. I need help, please."

I can give you the power to survive if you will be my champion. What do you say?

"I don't..." Pain shot through her body as the stone above shifted. She couldn't focus and wouldn't last much longer. "Y-yes. I'll do it."

The three came out to see the damage. "Nice job. Pick the thing out and leave her." Barked the leader. The silent guy nodded and proceeded to swipe away the loose stone and dirt that he'd used to crush the intruder. Without warning a black hand burst out of the debris and grabbed the man. Bursting out the woman they knew should be dead looked possessed. Her skin was almost completely pitch black like the orb had been. She had an unnatural glow around her and her eyes were the same color as the gems on the bracer. Speaking of the bracer it was now snugly fitted to her left arm.

Without a word she started beating the Earth mage senseless, throwing him around like a ragdoll. The thin one was freaking out while the leader stood dumbfounded. Once the woman was done with the mage she dropped him, battered near to death. "Hit her again!" The thin one didn't have to be told twice, he tossed another explosive but this time Ariel rushed forward and snatched it out of the air. There wasn't much time before it would blow but rather than throw it back she casually tossed it over her shoulder onto the wounded man and the hallway exploded.

Booking it out of the dust cloud the two remaining robbers headed for their tunnel. They'd unearthed a monster. As they turned a corner the one in the back, which was the leader in this case, didn't make it around as Ariel dove and tackled him through a wall. The yelling was over in seconds as she swiftly shut him up. The last one didn't even try and help at this point. He made it to the tunnel but his foot was grabbed and he was pulled back into the darkness. Holding him up to her face she revealed a live explosive in her other hand. "You forgot this." Not even flinching she let it explode there in her hand.

What really happened in the ruins only could be guessed at this point for anyone but Ariel, as she was the only one that walked out. She glanced about and huffed. "Worms." Checking that the image lacrama was still in it's bag she headed toward the research camp.

The voice from before came back. I'm surprised. You take well to my power. While not the ideal form you will make an excellent vessel for my return. A new surge of magic flooded through Ariel's body. Glowing white lines appeared and began to snake and branch across the mage's body while a cloud of purple and blue surrounded her. The magical surge dropped the woman to her knees. It felt like an invisible hand was closing around her, trying to snuff her out.

Slowly as the magic was being transferred the purple and blue clouds began to fade away as a new dark cloud replaced it. The magic that was supposed to be consuming Ariel was beginning to be consumed. There was a pause before the voice's tone returned with the slightest concern. What are you doing? It took a few moments to realizes that the woman was turning his own magic against him. How are you doing this? Remove the bracer at once.

"What's that?" Ariel asked coyly.

With a more stern tone it demanded again. I command you to release me.

"Release you?" She lifted up her left arm and looked at the bracer casually. "So first you want me to be your champion, you try and take my body, and then you want rid of me? Did your little plan backfire?"

You don't know what you are doing child. You may fare well now but it will destroy you in time.

"Will it? Hm, I think I'll take my chances. In the meantime it looks like you're stuck with me so you better enjoy the ride." The black cloud began to dissipate and Ariel rolled her shoulders. The power she consumed was more than any else she'd encountered and she felt like she could do anything. Somewhat disappointing she had no other plans though and resumed her trek back to the research camp.


Along the way her new magic receded and the bracer disappeared. Back with her Barrier magic she suddenly felt pain. Her body had still been injured by the attack that had been meant to kill her. Being stuck out in the desert after surviving that would be a terrible and slow way to go. Limping back she eventually made it before freezing to death in the cold night. Getting some medical attention she explained what happened and returned the lacrama. She did leave out the detail of the bracer though. Telling them where to find the tunnel the robbers had dug they likely could retrieve any stolen artifacts.

When she was left alone to rest she looked at her left arm where the bracer had been. What was that power? It felt slightly familiar but she couldn't quite place it at first. She was also pretty sure she just killed three people without a second thought. Her fears were being realized and she couldn't completely explain it. That magic made her arrogant, maybe even heartless. Where had she felt it before? One thing was sure in her mind, she need to get back to the guild quickly.