As soon as Jaakuna had declared that he'd protect Emiri from the influence of Zodiark(or so he thought it was because of the sight of the swords), she had quickly rendered that notion useless. It became obvious to him that, instead of Emiri being possessed by whatever influence Zodiark would have over her, she was actually fine. There was no sign of his essence around her. It only took a moment, but Jaakuna saw it; this was all her. Whatever had happened to her, Emiri wasn't under anyone's influence other than her own. This was all her doing, which brought Jaakuna to a confusing thought: what the hell happened to her?

And amidst his own confusion, he just noticed that Igeyorhm was gone. "Goddamn it!" He roared, almost in a complaining tone, "I almost had him!" He was now whining.

Savayna ignored Jaakuna, "so, I'm guessing this is you ascending?" She guessed, though based off of Emiri's appearance and increase in power, it was the best guess anyone could offer up.

Of course he cared more about Igeyorhm. Way to prove my point. She grumbled mentally, though she was visibly annoyed. Emiri had half a mind to hit him, though Savayna's question would catch her attention. "Uh, I think so? I mean, I sort of met with Mitron--the real one. She informed me that I don't have to worry too much about Chaos...though I can't seem to be able to reach out to him, and it's weird, and...? Sorry, I'm still getting a little used to this," She ended up apologizing, letting out a giggle. "It's a little weird, I used to have to look up at everyone, but...Oh, that's right, I won't get stuck again, so that's nice."

As she finished speaking, she would take Jaakuna's injured arm in her hands. Concentrating for a moment, she watched the wound return to how it was before--her spinning time backwards for him. She patted his arm gently, releasing him as she finished. It certainly felt harder to do than usual, though maybe it was because she had used her own mist rather than the area's. "It's a little different now, but I also ride the wind. Somehow. I don't know the details, but it's pretty cool," She grinned, patting the sword on her sheathe. "Just feels right."

"Wind and Fire. Like two peas in a pod," Meli commented.

"I got something else you can ride," Jaakuna muttered, doing his best not to catch the attention of the others.

But he failed. They heard him loud and clear. While it seemed Meli and Michel simply shook their head in disappointment and Savayna had muttered something less-neutral, Jaakuna feared what Emiri would do. On one hand, he knew that, on some level, she found the comment hilarious. She had always been the type to see the humor in what he said and how he joked around, but she was already visibly annoyed with him as it was, so perhaps not.

"Who was that woman that came flying from the tower?" Savayna asked curiously, "I don't recognize her."

"Her name is Sophia. Admittedly, I don't know much other than she's connected to my Mistress somehow." Michel noted, answering Savayna's inquiry.

"Well, whoever she is, you sure got her good, didn't ya, Emiri?"

Emiri stared at Jaakuna, processing what it was that he muttered. He had what? What the hell was he talking about? What was he trying to say? It took her a moment, though once the realization did set in, her entire face turned a shade of red that would make Jaakuna's jacket feel jealous. She wasn't quite able to get the words out, her embarrassment culminating in her punching his arm and intent on staring at the ground. She almost missed Savayna addressing her, and it took her a second to calm herself down.

Meli wasn't too amused, raising an eyebrow at her her as she said, "Apparently Jaakuna gets her good as well," She stated, much to Emiri's horror.

Trying desperately to change the subject, Emiri would hurriedly speak. "S-Sophia...I met her in his castle," She clumsily stated, though as she spoke, she seemed to remember something. "She did seem to know Shion well, but she--Shion, that is--didn't seem to take her seriously. I mean, admittedly I had my own abilities, but I don't know, I felt like maybe she was holding back, like she was afraid to hurt me."

Both Savayna and Michel found it beneficial to their own sanity to ignore whatever had been going through Jaakuna’s mind. Savayna had glanced over at him with his cheeky grin, while Michel could only shake his head. Knowing him, he was thinking of something worse to say than what he had before to make Emiri blush like a tomato. So, instead they would focus on what Emiri had said about this Sophia person. It, if nothing else, was more interesting than Jaakuna at the moment.

“How strange..”

Michel bit his thumb, pondering on what Emiri told them. He sincerely wished he could offer up more information in retort to what Emiri just told them. She seemed to know more about Sophia than Michel, someone who was under Shion’s tutelage for three years now, had. Additionally, he seemed bothered by something she said.

“I think we should--” Michel spoke, though he sensed a presence that made him alert. Immediately, his mist surrounded not only himself but the others as well. Michel’s mist, unlike most, was somewhat protective in its essence. It came in varying colors and effects, but right now, it was acting as both a magick and physical prowess boost and a protective, shell-protect combo. “--show yourself! You cannot hide from me!”

“It seems not.”

Everyone would hear the voice of what sounded like a man, but something about it was peculiar. It was layered with obvious tells of magick woven to hide their real voice. Truth be told, it wa shard for anyone to gauge if it was a man or woman speaking to them. However, as shadows would fade away, in front of them, was a figure wrapped in cloths of summer colors: red, white, gold, orange, bronze - all of it was spread throughout the monk-like visage this person had. In their left hand were praying beads and in the left, a wooden staff. This monk wore a hood that was silver and had markings of an ancient language that Michel didn’t recognize. IT was hard to see who this person was, but as it lifted its head up, eyes shown from across the way, a shade of the brightest summer colors, all swirling around, dancing in those two irises.

“Who are you?” Savayna asked. She was on-edge. Whoever this person was, something about him or her made her suspicious.

“Who I am matter not, Scions.” The figure spoke, this time their voice simmering down to that of a deep, echoed male.

“Fine, then what do you want?”

“I come bearing a warning to those who have Ascended.”

“A warning?”

The monk nodded.

“What kind of warning?”

“Not yet. All of the Ascended have yet to arrive.”

In light of this not-so-speedy development, Savayna scratched her head, looking to the others for some kind of direction. Michel didn’t like that this perosn was here, though he couldn’t shake the feeling that the two of them have met at some point. Jaakuna, on the other hand, seemed as relaxed as he could be.

“I guess we wait.” Jaakuna spoke, hands behind his back as he planted his rear firmly on the ground.

“How can you be so damn calm?”

“You heard the monk. He’s not going to say anything until the others arrive, so might as well wait.” He shrugged.

“You’re utterly useless.” Savayna let out a huff of annoyance as she walked closer to where Emiri stood. She couldn’t stand to breathe the same air as Jaakuna right now.

Michel shrugged as well, propping himself where he stood, and took a seat. “Jaakuna, though often foolhardy, does have a point.” The sounds of gasps were heard from the collective. In that same moment, Michel suspended his mist from before, feeling the need no longer to keep it active. However, he would keep it centered to him just in case this monk gave him a reason.

After about a moment, Michel looked at the monk. “I suppose we wait, though if you don’t mind me asking, Monk, is there a name we can call you instead of ‘he’ or ‘they’?”

“Grigori.”

“A pleasure, Grigori. I am--”

“I know who you are, Michel Sicarius, as do I know who the rest of you are.”

“You’ll forgive my surprise, but I would’ve remembered if we had met.”

Grigori said nothing in retort, he simply stood there as still as it was humeanly possible. To be honest, it was a bit off-putting, especially considering how he knew about them being Ascendants. Moreover, he had a warning. What sort of warning could he have…

And then, as if some kind of divine intervention, Michel looked up and saw a welcoming sight. “Well, it’s about time the three of you arrived.” Michel said, a wide smile as he saw Grant, Wesley, and Nadeline fly in from an aircab.

Michel thought what she said was strange. What was so strange about it? Of course she wasn't going to get the chance to ask before they were surrounded by just about every color in existence. Pretty, but why? It seemed Michel had sensed something they hadn't, and sure enough an oddly dressed person appeared before them. Despite the surprise, it seemed they meant no harm--instead coming with a warning. Great, because more bad news was exactly the sort of thing they needed to hear right now. Michel was entirely on edge around this person, though as Emiri looked them over, he--the monk--didn't seem to want to fight.

The entire situation was peculiar, and while she wasn't as battle ready as Michel, she wasn't exactly comfortable. She wondered if it was because he knew exactly who they were. There was a part of her that wanted to ask more, but she had a feeling he wasn't going to open up to them. Jaakuna took the situation rather easily, electing to have a seat. She couldn't quite hide her small smile, watching as Savayna would grow annoyed with him.

As if on cue, however, an aircab arrived, and from it, stepped out just the people they were waiting for. It couldn't have been a coincidence--and as Nadeline thanked the driver, she seemed alert. Surveying the damages around them, the princess frowned, though when her eyes landed on the monk, she didn't seem too surprised. Grant, on the other hand, was wondering what was happening. Emiri gave the trio a wave as they approached the rest of them. The princess crossed her arms, seemingly taking a guess.

"I see you took care of Igeyorhm. Good to know that didn't turn into an issue," She stated.

"You can thank Jaakuna for that," Emiri replied. "He ended up turning his own element against him."

"Impressive," Grant admitted. Emiri let out a gasp, prompting him to look at her in confusion. "I assume more happened? Who is--"

"Grant! Your voice is back to normal!" She cut him off, letting out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness..."

Her reaction was appreciated. "You're not any more relieved than I am."

"Yeah! It didn't suit you at all, thank goodness you sound like a man again, that shrillness was so annoying, I think I may have cringed if I had to hear it much longer!" She told him happily.

Her reaction was less appreciated.

Even though the growing anticipation about this Grigori and what he had to say to all of them was definitely something that everyone should be putting at the top of their priority list, there was something more short-term, and by an extension, more important: Grant sounded like a man again. That, if nothing else, was worth talking about.

“You’ve never been one to be masculine, Grant. So, I don’t know about everyone here, but I, for one, am glad for you to gain some of your man card back. You have no idea how hilarious, not to mention fitting, it was to hear a teenaged girl’s voice coming from your mouth.” Jaakuna told him, giving Grant a smile, though it seemed he didn’t really appreciate his words all that much.

After a brief moment of silence, Savayna eyed Grant. “I, for one, am grateful. I don’t know how long I could’ve handled your pussy voice.” She grunted, her arms across her chest.

Michel found himself wanting to add something to the conversation, but his eyes went to Grigori, and he noticed an unusually high amount of anger coming from the monk. It only took the intuitive Michel a short moment to understand where it was coming from, so that’s when Michel let out an interrupting cough. “Perhaps you guys should save this for later on.”

“Huh? Why?” Jaakuna absentmindedly asked.

Savayna hit him in the head, whispering to him, “remember? He’s here to warn us.”

“OH!” He shouted aloud, laughing shortly thereafter.

“Michel, who is this man?” Wesley asked curiously, sizing up the monk from head to toe.

“I cannot answer that with confidence. All I know is that he bears a warning for all of us. He wouldn’t inform us until everyone was present.”

“What do you mean?”

“He knows that each and every one of us are Scions and that we are what they call Ascendants.”

“I see,” Wesley faced Grigori, trying to gauge the monk to the best he could. “There aren’t a lot who know about this. Only ones who know are, of course, us, the Viera, and the members of Utena. So, then how does he know? Is he one of Shion’s followers?”

“I have no allegiance to the Blue Rose.” Grigori retorted defensively as if insulted by what Wesley said.

“While it settles that matter, it doesn’t explain why you were waiting for us.”

Grigori didn’t bother addressing Wesley specifically. Instead, his head moved from left to right, examining all of those who were present. With the exception of Meli, who he sensed was just as invested in hearing what he had to say as the others did, simply ignored her. He knelt down to one knee, letting his staff rest gently on the ground, though as it did, he twirled around, gathering mist around him. Almost as if like a tornado, Mist gathered and surrounded not only him but those close to him - with the exception of Meli. The mist tornado he created expelled her out so it was only the Ascendants.

“What did you do that for!?” Michel asked, uncharacteristically demanded to know.

“She is not an Ascendant.” He offered only a variation of the same thing he had been saying.

“Just get on with it.”

Grigori nodded, taking off this hood from his face. As he did, everyone would see the face, not of a man, but something far more ancient. His face was of hume origin, that much couldn’t be denied, but upon closer inspection, one could see that his features were evolved - almost godly. His jaw wasn’t smooth but rather it was sharp. His cheeks had no flesh; they were a combo of muscle, bone, and mist pouring from it. The area around his eyes had swirling colors and actual magicite woven into it, giving his face a radiating, iridescent colors showing on the clear surface of his face due to the light. His actual eyes were crystallized and had all elements that were possible to tame in Ivalice dancing in them, producing various amounts of images in his eyes.

None of them were expecting that, though based off of the reactions that they had on their faces, it was safe to assume that they didn’t seem to have a problem with it.

“Well, aren’t you flashy.” Savayna commented, seemingly approving of Grigori’s face.

“I admit, you are somewhat of a surprise, Grigori.” Michel stated. He wasn’t expecting that.

“So, what? Do you have some kind of obsession with body modification?” Jaakuna couldn’t help but ask.

Grigori scowled, refusing to answer such an idiotic question.

“Please, Grigori, can you tell us exactly why you wanted to speak with us and why such secrecy?”

“You are all in great danger.”

“We’re always in danger, but we manage,” Jaakuna shrugged.

“Do not inturrupt me again, Lohgrif!” Grigori snapped, scowling even worse than before.

His sudden outburst made Jaakuna let out a low yelp.

“You all have ascended, but not one of you have the faintest idea of what this actually means for Ivalice. You think you were chosen just to inherit powers and defeat the Keeper?”

“What is it that you are trying to say?”

Grigori eyed Wesley now. “Fandaniel, you, who has transcended more than anyone here, still don't understand. Truly, how could Raithwall’s descendent not realize what’s been happening.” Grigori displayed great disappointment in everyone. “Honestly, how could none of you see it?”

“See what?”

“The Fallen Occuria Venat nor the Keeper pose you no threat. The one you need to truly find true worry in is he who bears the Calling of Death.”

“Could you be a bit more specific?”

“Follow the Winds of the Sea, Ascendants. Go to where the dead rests and seek out the true darkness.”

As Grigori left them with that, in a single moment, as the tornado he had created had withered away into nothingness, so was Grigori. And as he was away from Archadia’s soils, there was an air of mystery within the minds of the Ascendants. What did Grigori mean? Who was this true darkness? Who was it that posed a greater threat than Venat and Zodiark?

“What the actual fuck.”

"Interesting," Nadeline mused out loud, earning her some incredulous looks as she appeared rather unfazed by...anything.

"Is that really all you have left to say?" Grant couldn't help but ask. "That earned a little more than an 'interesting' remark, don't you think?"

Emiri had the opposite reaction, a serious expression as she wracked her brain. Why did all that sound familiar? She knew it was on the tip of her tongue as she tried to figure it out, getting slightly frustrated. It was like she knew what he was trying to say, but at the same time, found it difficult to actually put the pieces together. She knew what he was talking about, this much she knew with every fiber of her being. She crossed her arms as she closed her eyes. Maybe if she concentrated, she could remember. It wasn't so long ago, but Grigori's description and tone reminded her of it...

"That was rude is what it was!" An annoyed Meli huffed, crossing her arms.

"He was quite temperamental for a...being such as he," Grant seemed to agree. "Out of the frying pan and into the freezer, it would seem. I wonder if Shion would know more?"

"Considering on how he insisted on the 'Ascendants', I somehow doubt it," Nadeline said, frowning. "Her concentration has always been on Venat, so I can't say I'm entirely sure she knows about this...'Calling of Death'. What sort of being possesses such a title? And if that truly is our calling, why has it yet to reveal itself to us? Is that what is giving Venat its power? Does it truly possess further power than he?"

Grant waved his hand at her. "Slow down there," He told her. "Those are a lot of questions."

"Questions we don't have the answers to. I've never even heard of that term used like that. What sort of creature--" As she words left her mouth, Emiri let out a shout so loud it made Nadeline jump slightly. "What in the--"

"I know what Grigori was talking about!" Emiri cut Nadeline off a second time, practically bouncing in place. "I mean, it sounded familiar, but when you said what you said, I remembered! Grigori was probably referring to..." Her excitement seemed to wear off as she spoke, and once again she sported a serious expression. "There was this thing Keiran was afraid of. I don't know exactly what it is, but I'm willing to bet that's it."

"What thing?"

"He called it the 'Creature', although I have to admit I'm...not one hundred percent on this," She admitted.

Nadeline stared at Emiri for a moment, though she would then turn her attention to Wesley. "Could it be that presence we encountered in the Sandsea?" She reminded him.

As Emiri spoke and as Grigori left them with all of these vague allusions, a lot of uncertainty came to Wesley’s mind. He had no doubt the others had similar doubts. He imagined that Jaakuna and Savayna, and everyone else who hadn’t encountered the Creature had doubts regarding Grigori’s claims. This being a man, if he could pass for that, who claimed to have a warning for the Ascendants, and said they weren’t to worry about Venat nor Zodiark(and Levi by association). They didn’t know him. He was practically a stranger, yet he had an air of familiarity about him.

And then, as Nadeline would speak about their encounter with the Creature, Wesley found himself conflicted. There was a part of him that wanted to agree with her., but something beckoned him to doubt those words. While it was true that the Creature essentially embodied the essence of rotting corpses and the mist that came from it was like experiencing Venat and Zodiark’s mist - just intensified several times over. He remembered how it felt to be in the presence of that thing and how it seemed to enjoy toying with the lives of anyone who opposed him. There was no doubt in Wesley’s mind that he was a vile creature that posed an immediate threat, but was he a greater threat than all of those who came before him?

“I’m not entirely sure.” Wesley admitted after a long moment of silence. “Grigori wasn’t specific about much of anything. The evil he spoke of could be the Creature, sure, but it’s also possible that Grigori is setting a trap for us.”

“Never thought of you as one to be so negative, Wesley.” Jaakuna commented.

“I believe in anticipating all possible outcomes. Could he be referring to the Creature? It’s possible, but it’s also possible that Grigori might be leading us into a false sense of security so we take our eyes off of Venat and Zodiark.” Wesley didn't like it, but someone had to consider the possibilities. There was also a slight hint of fear in Wesley’s voice about someone worse than Venat and Zodiark being at large.

“So, what do you suggest we do?” Savayna asked, “that monk didn’t give us any real clues about where this ‘so-called’ evil was at. All he said was follow the winds of the sea. If anything, he’s staying true to his monk visage. Honestly, what did he--” Savayna was interrupted by Wesley’s sudden gasp. “What?”

“It could be nothing, but what if the ‘the winds of the sea’ are referring to the Sandsea? It’s constantly windy there.” Wesley turned to Nadeline, “darling, does your tome say anything about that about the Sandsea?”

“It’s with the rest of my belongings,” She lamented.

Emiri stared at Nadeline, causing the blonde to stare right back at her in confusion. Without breaking eye contact, she reached into her bag, pulling out Nadeline’s tome. She held it out for the princess to take back.

“That’s--is this some form of new spell?” Nadeline asked, actually surprised as she would take her tome back.

“Actually...I stole it,” She admitted.

There was a small moment of silence, interrupted only by Grant’s rather awkward cough. Nadeline let out a sigh as she opened the great book, flipping through its pages.

“No reply?” Emiri asked, surprised.

The princess looked up at her for a moment. “Your boyfriend is infecting you with his recklessness. I’d advise you to take something for it, but I fear it’s incurable,” She told her simply as she returned to the book. “The Sandsea...well, it does refer to a location to the west of it, a gorge referred to as the Valley of the Dead.”

“Coincidence?” Grant asked.

“I THINK NOT!” Jaakuna suddenly stated as a matter-of-factly, his arm raised with his index finger pointed up, and a ponderous expression on his face.

“Hopefully you don’t catch his stupid as well,” Nadeline warned Emiri.

“Don’t hate because I’m beautiful~” Jaakuna flipped his hair, emulating a certain Viera that everyone knew and loved.

Michel and just about everyone gave a scowl, though it was Wesley who would push this back into the direction the matter about the Sandsea. “The Valley of the Dead - that’s where King Raithwall’s tomb is located.” Wesley recalled, nearly forgetting such a crucial detail.

“No wonder Grigori was so on your case, considering it’s connected directly to your lineage, so that explains his frustration,” Emiri said, earning a sigh from Wesley. “Does that mean we should go there?”

“Go and do what?” Grant asked.

Jaakuna formed a magnifying glass out of mist and put it up to his eye. “WE INVESTIGATE, OF COURSE!” He spoke enthusiastically, stroking his beardless chin, and gave everyone a dramatic look.

Nadeline gave him a glance, though ignored him as she continued, “I’m more concerned to what awaits us if we choose to go. It can’t be something we can take on so lightly,” She said.

“Hmm...it’ll likely have a welcoming party awaiting us.” Grant seemed to agree.

“Bah humbug!” Jaakuna let out a scowl, “whatever happened to your sense of adventure!? Last time we went to the tomb, it went great. Killed a few monsters, scored some loot from that moving wall of death, and I got Belias.” Jaakuna casually noted to Emiri and Nadeline, “though, we did hit a bad patch there when GRant kidnapped us.” He glared at Grant for a moment.

Grant shrugged. “Sorry, bro,” He replied.

Nadeline rolled her eyes. “Sense of adventure--can you take this seriously?” She couldn’t help but get annoyed. “We’ve enemies at nearly every corner and now this! We haven’t even been able to deal with anyone, and now suddenly another enemy pops up! Need I remind you that two out of those three want your girlfriend?”

“Hakuna Matata.”

“I’m officially ignoring you for the rest of the conversation.”

Emiri shook her head, though she seemed troubled. “It does seem a bit overwhelming. First Venat, then Levi, now this...how are we supposed to handle any of them?” She asked.

“I’ll repeat myself,” Jaakuna cleared his throat, “Ha-ku-na Ma-ta-ta.”

“And what does that even mean?”

“It’s something I heard from an old Garif pal of mine. He was one of the more interesting fellows I met from there. It’s apparently something that was said long ago before they got all uptight about everything.” Jaakuna said to Savayna, “his meaning of it was a little too complex for me to understand, but essentially it means not to worry. No matter how dire a situation, if you stress too much about it, then it’ll only drive you insane like Nuttiline here.” Jaakuna gave Nadeline a glare, non-vocally telling her that’s what she gets for ignoring him.

“Okay, then what do you propose we do next?” Grant asked.

Jaakuna put his hand on Grant’s shoulder, smiling, then looked to Savayna, “good thing he’s pretty, huh?” He laughed, though collected himself a moment later. “I’m suggesting we go to the Sandsea, go to the Valley of the Dead, and check that shit out. And if shit goes sideways, then we have our handy, dandy Espers to help us out.”

“Not exactly a foolproof plan.” Savayna couldn’t help but state the obvious.

“When have we ever had a foolproof plan, huh?”

Espers. Emiri shifted her weight from one foot to the other, wondering. Mitron had helpfully shut Chaos up, though admittedly she wondered if that was a good thing. “I don’t know,” She ended up speaking up. “Just...waltz on over? I feel like…”

“Like?”

She fell silent.

“What’s up?” Jaakuna looked at Emiri with curious eyes.

“Like...this is what it wants,” She said slowly. “Sort of like it’s daring us to go and try to challenge it. Something like that.”

“You seem certain.” Nadeline raised an eyebrow at her.

She shook her head. “Just a feeling.”

“Even if it is, we’re much stronger than we were before. We survived Zodiark and Venat, so honestly, why all the negativity?”

“Not that I’m one to agree with Jaakuna, but he’s right,” Savayna said, shrugging. “Instead of wasting time worrying about what might happen, we should just go there and do what we do best.”

“But even he said it--we survived, we didn’t beat them.” Grant couldn’t help but point out.

“What didn’t kill us made us stronger.” Jaakuna professed proudly.

“...we didn’t kill them either…”

Jaakuna scowled, glaring at Grant. “I liked you better when you sounded like a woman.”

“I don’t think that will ever stop you from taking jabs at me,” He rolled his eyes.

Though Jaakuna was going to open his mouth, Michel would beat him to the punch. “I believe we’re getting off-course again,” Michel gave Jaakuna a glare, which prompted the blonde to let out a huff, but he seemed to understand. “Bottom line is we have a location and something to investigate. I, for one, don’t doubt what Grigori said to be the truth. I can’t say why, but I feel like I can trust him. Even if it turns out to be false, maybe you six should go to the Tomb of Raithwall.”

“You will not join us?” Nadeline asked.

“I feel he’s interested in actually living,” Meli smirked.

“Living? I assumed he had something else to do,” Grant said blankly, missing her sarcastic remark entirely.

“Yeah...it’s a really good thing you’re pretty,” Meli shook her head, much to his confusion.

Jaakuna snickered, though said nothing.

Ignoring him, Michel focused on Nadeline. “I have my own purpose in all of this,” Michel stated, grabbing Meli’s hand, “I mean we do. While you lot will be handling things on the Creature front, Utena will organize. Of course, I will need to get our mistress’ permission, so if you’ll excuse us.” Michel held out his hand and one of his portals appeared. He guided Meli with him as they had stepped through it.

“Try your best not to die!” Meli cheerfully told them, giving a half-hearted wave.

“Gee, thanks…”

And as the portal closed, they were left with the big issue of getting to the Sandsea the quickest. Most of Jaakuna’s fastest unsafe vehicles were in Rabanastre. Given the severity of their situation, haste was recommended. “So, how shall we get there the quickest?” Savayna asked, looking around to the group.

Emiri’s eyes light up as she raised her hand, waving it around. “Oh! I could try that dark teleporting again!” She volunteered, somewhat excited.

“You...know teleportation magicks…?” Nadeline asked, uncertain. “You’d have to be at Aloa’s level to pull it off successfully, you know.”

“We’re going to the Sandsea, right? I’m sure I can do it,” She said, motivated.

“Ah...what about the Ifrit?” Grant asked.

Thank you, Grant. Jaakuna didn’t want to be the one to say it because Emiri seemed psyched to use her teleportation magick, but he remembered what it felt like the last time she used that magick. Suffice to say, it wasn’t a feeling he’d welcome with arms wide open.

“Last I heard it was undergoing repairs,” Savayna stated, “though that was when we left for Rabanastre a few days ago. Roman did promise it would be fixed by the time we returned.”

“Oh, my baby - my true love!” Jaakuna said lovingly, thinking fondly of his Ifrit. “I miss her so much; I hope my brother has been treating her with care.”

Savayna rolled her eyes, though that did bring up a more...secure solution than Emiri’s questionable mastery over whatever teleportation magick she had. “I think it’s a safe bet. No offense to you, of course, but who knows what’ll happen to us if we leave our transportation in your hands. For all we know, we could end up sliced in half. If that happened, Ivalice would be domed, and it’ll be because you almost had it.” She bluntly stated, shrugging one shoulder.

She understood, but it still sucked to hear it. Emiri hung her head in defeat as Grant patted her back. “There, there, I’m sure you’ll get your chance someday,” He assured her.

“Let us go to see Roman, then.” Nadeline suggested.

”A wonderful suggestion!”

---

Deep within the Tomb of Raithwall, the shadows surrounded a relic in the middle of a circular room. Their mist surrounded their bodies, all ranging from different colors of the spectrum. It swirled and twirled around to form a single tornado of mist, both of transparency and solidified forms, the collective mist would pour into the relic which had a more dominant shadow hovering over it, its body seeming to absorb the mist through the relic.

Whatever it was -this relic that was ancient in design - was shaking. FOr a few minutes, it had been doing that, in the last ten seconds, it was starting to tremble at a more frequent rate than before.

And when it shot up, the shadow phased through it, but the relic stopped above it.

For a moment, time seemed to freeze. This relick, which had previously been gold and pure in its make, had been robbed of all life and light, and had been rendered into nothingness. It lost its color and had been sucked into the hovering shadow.

As it would touch the ground, a huge shake throughout the entire tomb - not just the room - would be felt. All of that mist that had been gathered and sucked into the shadow had been sent through the tomb, shaking it inches from its foundation, causing it to tip just slightly, and sand flowing in from the sandsea itself through the cracked walls of the tomb. In doing so, all of that corrupted, putrid, vile mist throughout Ivalice.

To the naked eye, this was simply a natural occurence. To those who didn’t have the Eye of Ivalice, it was her natural wrath causing a shift in weather. However, to those who were gifted, they knew. To those who were connected to the Wood knew exactly what this was.

“The Reckoning has begun.”

And it would be so fitting that it happened just as Aloa and Emette walked through the entrance of the Chamber of First Light, a point in the tomb that was just one room away from where Raithwall, the Dynast-King rested.

“Welcome, Viera and Angel of Truth. I feared you wouldn’t make it in time.”

Roman let out a sigh of happiness, leaning back in his seat as the soldiers left. Apparently, the threat had been subdued according to their reports. He sent them to assess the damages, and once they left, he found himself looking at a rather pleased looking Shion. The blue haired woman sat on the edge of his desk, her eyes out the window. She felt his look, turning her amber eyes onto him. He chuckled; she raised an eyebrow at him, though she would stand, her kimono trailing behind her.

"Nothing more pleasing than a lady's smile," He stated.

"It's nice to see things go according to plan," She admitted to him. "I only pray I'll be forgiven someday. Maybe then..." Her voice trailed off, and she turned in a different direction.

"My lady?"

Shion scowled, a hand on her chin as her eyes narrowed. "So that's where you went..." She muttered to herself.

---

Emette let out a small breath, her body shivering slightly. There was a small part of her that knew how this would go down, and admittedly, the shadows were very unnerving. She remained close to Aloa, whose expression was relatively neutral, though somehow slightly more concerned with what was actually happening. It knew who they were, just as she had predicted. That should have been comforting, but if Aloa was right about that hunch, she was probably right about everything else she had predicted. For the slightest moment, she thought of Emiri, but she had to put that thought to rest as they were addressed.

"And these are...?" Emette asked, looking around.

"Messengers of our hosts. How kind they are to welcome us so quickly," Aloa stated. "How you make Ivalice tremble so needlessly, have you no shame? An insult, to continue this farce, and for what purpose?"

The figures didn't physically respond to Aloa's words nor would they move at all; they just stood there like lifeless statues. Omnious to say the least, but they had a reason for this. The one who embodied their will - the one who led them - finally took to the ground, emptiness seen through where their face was. A shadow one-hundred percent and something far more ancient than even Ivalice herself. Their origins shrouded in the same shadows its body is comprised of, yet it had personality. There was no denying this as it found itself letting out a low chuckle.

As it walked towards Aloa and Emette, the dirt beneath its feet that had life had it automatically eradicated. The earthy tones were now blacker than a lightless night, and whatever life force was within the ground had been sucked away like a vacuum, and absorbed into this shadowy figure.

"Our power injures your senses, Viera. We are not messengers; we are the Collective -that which you Humes have dubbed 'The Creature'." The figure spoke with a echoed, deep voice, "our purpose is nothing a simple sequence of words could explain. It is too great and too prosperous for any individual mind to understand. But do know that, when the next fortnight cycle comes, your Wood - your very existence - will know what it means to live in terror." The figure said.

Her blue eyes widened as she watched the shadow take all life with each step. She felt nauseous, her hand covering her mouth. What in Ivalice was capable of doing such a thing? It didn't take her scion knowledge to know how utterly wrong it was. It was one thing to destroy, but there was nary a trace, the very life of it ripped from its essence. "Your very existence is a blight on Her soil. You dare to rob life out of the world you inhabit? How despicable!" Emette commented as she shook her head. Why would they do such a thing? What would they have to gain by casting death over everything?

To her surprise, Aloa had held out her arm, as if signaling her to stop. Whether on purpose or not, Zalera's symbol glowed on her hand. She remembered her words: death has nothing to fear but death itself. Is that why she was so calm? "You would correct me? You are still messengers. Or would you prefer the term 'minion'? I thought I was only returning the kindness," Aloa said rather whimsically. "The same way not all humes are created equal is the same way this so called 'Collective' of yours shows that not all of you are capable of the same task. However...if that is truly the case, if this Collective is all one and the same, then you have lost."

What? Emette looked at Aloa incredulously. "Do you mean...?"

"The problem with a unified being is a static amount of power. It is great, it is numerous, but it is also limited. Many of our kind are weak, but in return, you have those that go beyond what mortals can do," Aloa stated. Emette's eyes widened--she understood what Aloa was doing now. "You couldn't possibly be so arrogant to think you could rob Her of Her life without some sort of retaliation."

It seemed the rumors that flowed through Ivalice's winds about a Viera mastering the Death Scion were true. Admittedly, the Collective had their doubts. Though most would think the High Seraph or even the Keeper of Precepts were the more difficult Scions to tame, the truth of the matter was the Death Seraph - the one who literally controlled life and death in their hands - was the one whose will was the most unstable and dangerous to control.

Years and years of being the deciding factor of who lived and who died brought a plethora amounts of power. With such strength at their disposal, many tried to tame him, yet none have succeeded for extended amounts of time. Either their resolve wasn't absolute or they lacked the emotional state to balance life and death; the will to live and the will to kill. Centuries and centuries had passed and only few have been able to hold onto that power. During the days of Ashelia B'Nargin, it was the Dalmascan Dancer, Penelo fon Rosenburg, who gracefully flowed from one corner of the world to the other. It was her gentleness, yet burning resolve to protect those she loved that enabled her to channel Zalara's power into her body and become the very first Death Ascendant.

And it had been years since that day happened - centuries, even. so, to think that Zalara would bend to the will of another. Suffice to say, the Collective was impressed. Still, that wouldn't change the fact her attempts would've all been for nothing. "Sadly, you are too late, Viera. The Reckoning has already begun." As the 'Creature' had spoken, he gestured his arms forward and from below, black mist rose tangling the Angel of Truth in her claws, suspending her high above and Emet being at his mercy. "How much is it you value this life? Enough to lose the Angel of Truth?"

Begun--but that didn't mean there was no stopping it. As she stepped forward, a small cry of surprise caught her attention; Aloa looked back to see Emette in the air, dangling above like a trainer holding out a treat. The young woman was not amused by this, nor did she find it funny when Aloa would turn her back on her to face the Collective. At least pretend to care, will you?! Emette whined inwardly, admittedlt feeling slightly hurt that Aloa hadn't so much as blinked an eye. That's just cold...

"I value it as much as you adore the idea of leaving Ivalice as she is," Aloa replied curtly, her mist gathering as it would form her cloak around her shoulders.

"I resent that comment," Emette informed her. "And shouldn't you be concerned with whatever they're doing?"

"I'm concerned with stopping it."

"Way to leave me hanging..."

"Perhaps it would be wise to show kindness to the Angel of Truth. Who knows what'll happen if she remains suspended in the air like that."

As the figure had finished speaking, his arms went down, though Emette stayed where she was. The Creature - well, at least the one representing that which was known as the Creature - pointed a single finger towards Aloa and when the thumb came up and snapped, all around Aloa tendrils from the darkness came out of nowhere and had launched themselves for Aloa's form. Though, while she became focused on that, little did Emette know that the mist holding her up was not only keeping her from interfering but soon she'd figure out that the mist was slowly eating away at whatever remained of her life force.

One would reckon less than ten minutes remained before she'd be completely drained of the very energy that has kept her going for this long.

Kindness?! What kind of sick joke was that?! Emette struggled for a moment, though she let out a gasp as they launched their attack at Aloa. The viera closed her eyes, and as she stepped forward, it looked like the mist around her foot had been propelled back. As she opened her eyes, she whipped out her arm rather dramatically, her claws extending themselves. She seemed to grab the tendrils, a wave of magicks taking over them as she made contact. It happened very quickly, but it was as if she had frozen them in place, and she would crush them with her claws. The ones that survived continued their path, having Aloa leap upwards to avoid them, though she would go spiraling down, a whirlwind of magicks exploding as she landed.

Shit, there really was no surprising the viera, was there? Emette was rather surprised, though as she watched, she couldn't help but notice something very wrong. She winced, feeling whatever was grabbing her to be slowly draining her own mist. Great. "No need to worry about me, I'll get myself out, I suppose!" She called out to Aloa, though she seemed to be ignoring her as she would charge towards the Collective. Sheesh, talk about rude. Taking in a deep breath, Emette concentrated, though as she did, she felt the darkness start to vertebrate, and she ended up looking down to see another viera concentrating his magicks on the magicks binding her.

Vlyn grinned, giving her a wink. "You look like you could use a hand!"

"You're real proud of yourself for that pun, aren't you?!"

"Little effort, big payoff, now stop struggling, you're making it worse," He informed her.

"Oh yes, I'll lay perfectly still as it slowly drains away my life, seeing as how Aloa is ignoring me and I'm in your not-so-capable hands," Emette said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

The arrival of the male viera was unfortunate but it wasn’t unforeseen. His presence had been felt for a while now. He entered the most eastern part of the Sandsea with Aloa and the Angel of Truth had entered the Tomb. He wasn’t that far off from their trail, though the Collective had been entertained that he wasn’t slowed by the Reckoning first stage. That high amount of evil mist must’ve been appalling for the viera, since they normally have a high sensitivity to the mist due to their connection with the Wood.

And yet, as Vlyn had shown up in top form, there were no signs that he had been fatigued or slowed in any way. It was of no consequence. Honestly, Vlyn was hardly a threat. While true he and Aloa shared co-ownership of the Death Seraph, they were hardly equal. One would reckon that Aloa was the dominant owner, whereas Vlyn could easily be compared to the female corpse that Zalera used as a distraction from his real form. Of course, no one on Ivalice would dare make that comparison.

Until now.

But that was left for a later date, of course. The Collective had more important things to worry about, such as the concern of Aloa’s magicks running wild towards them.

Her power was undeniable. She cut through the tendrils as if they were nothing and froze the ones that still persisted. If they came at her, the powerful magick at her disposal would cause them to explode. This action alone caused the representative of the Collective to let out an approving chuckle. It would even bring further approval from them as Aloa’s magicks flowed from her body and exploded around her, though it seemed to come for the shadow figures, too.

They all gathered around their leader and a wall of black mist formed as high as the ceiling and not only fended off the oncoming magicks, but it absorbed them into the veil, then shot it back out, this time converted into a wave of darkja. Additionally, behind her, other tendrils came for Aloa. With both attacks in such close proximities, the likelihood of her escaping both was slim to none.

"I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying!" Vlyn told the complaining Emette, who somehow became even paler. She was losing her life force much too quickly for his taste, and he felt he was fighting a losing battle.

The woman felt her vision blur, though she chose to fight it. Her body glowed, ironically mimicking the dark properties as she took whatever little mist remained of the place into herself. The process was exhausting, and as she looked at Aloa, her eyes widened. "Ah! Vlyn!" Emette shouted to him, looking at Aloa.

Aloa cursed inwardly as the wall absorbed her magicks, but admittedly, she hadn't quite been prepared for them getting sent right back. There was hardly any time to cast, though instead, she focused herself on making sure her own barrage of magicks wouldn't pummel her. She ran faster, and when it looked like she was going to collide, and the last moment she dropped down to her knees, effectively sliding underneath. It was a little too close for comfort, though as her back was to the floor, she realized she hadn't quite seen the tendrils.

Vlyn, however, did; "Oh, that looks bad," He commented as he snapped his fingers, and right as they were about to converge on Aloa, several icicles erupted. They had little effect on the tendrils, as they tore right through them, but it would become clear that their goal was not to attack: one large icicle had essentially pushed Aloa upright and out of harm's way. The viera turned her body upright, though rather than run, she would have her fingers pointed together, jabbing her hand right into the wall. Turning her hand, the wall would glow a brilliant shade of violet, the mist effectively drinking whatever was left.

"That's Aloa for you..." Emette couldn't help but comment, though she felt herself slipping.

Try as they might, the viera wasn't going to make it in time. Even if Vlyn could muster enough strength left within his body and if the Angel of Truth could do the same for her own situation, the purpose that the Collective had for tying up the Scion of Light would’ve already been completed. Though, it was amusing to see them try and get her free. But as for Aloa, her actions proved to be less than her male counterpart. Her magicks were strong, that much the Collective could give her. Using multiple spells at once to distract the tendrils long enough to propel herself into the air and then, in the same moment, use those same, powerful magicks to exterminate the wall that had been put up was impressive, to say the least.

“No doubt Zalera’s handiwork,” the figure muttered as it let out something of an approving chuckle. As the violet mist had faded away as with all kinds of mist did, the figure’s head went up slightly to watch as Emette’s time was coming to an end. “Not long now, it seems,” it commented. “Even with your boyfriend there, she won’t make it, you know that, right?”

Crap, it was happening a lot faster than she had anticipated. Despite her and Vlyn's struggles, it wasn't enough. There was no way Aloa could both attack and free her in time. Closing her eyes for a moment, she seemed resigned, though she managed to barely wiggle her arm free. Several burn marks littered her skin, the darkness clashing with her light-based nature. Even if it wasn't for the Collective, what little time she had before was nearly up; they just happened to cut it shorter. "It's time, I suppose..." Emette muttered, shaking her head at Vlyn. "That's enough! You've done what you can, leave me be!"

"You'd give up so easily?" He couldn't help but ask. "After defying death itself you'd abandon your daughter now?! What happened to re-conciliating?!"

"It's because of her that I know what must be done!" She found herself getting emotional, despite her best efforts.

Aloa's eyes widened, though she shook her head, a similarly sorrowful expression. "If you insist, so shall it be," She muttered, raising her arm in the air.

Emette would copy Aloa, raising her own arm in the air, several symbols appearing on Aloa. "Bring me this end so that thee may begin anew, bring me liberation from life's cruelty so thee may rise again! Thy power floweth purely, ever unwavering. Accept my soul into thine embrace... " Emette chanted, her entire body glowing.

Vlyn's eyes widened, the realization dawning on him. Her body shined brilliantly, though after a few seconds she closed her eyes, her arm falling. She simply hung there, though to his surprise, she would then fade away. At that same moment, however, something seemed to click in his own head, and he covered his head as an explosion of mist surrounded Aloa. "So this is what the two of you were planning, huh..." Vlyn sighed, his own sigil appearing on his hand. "Did it really have to be this way?"

---

As the group moved to enter the office, Emiri found herself stopping in place. Something in the air seemed to overcome her, and for a moment, she was half-afraid she had become possessed. It took her a moment to realize that it felt like something had been holding her back, though she didn't know what. It felt very warm and familiar, almost nostalgic. Deep down, she knew something terrible had happened, though as to what, she hadn't the slightest idea. Her hand came up to her heart, and her gaze looked towards the sky outside the window.

I'm sorry.

She nearly jumped--it was so clear, it was as if Emette had been right next to her. But as she looked around, she didn't see her anywhere. Nadeline looked back at the brunette, suddenly alarmed. "Emiri, what's wrong?" She asked, concerned.

"Huh?" Had her surprise been so obvious.

"You're crying," Nadeline pointed out to the oblivious girl. "Are you hurt?"

Emiri touched her face, not having noticed the tears. "I feel like something really bad happened, but I don't know what," She admitted quietly. "I wonder if I'm going crazy...I thought I heard my mother's voice, too."