Paric grinned at his friend, his fear had already started to drain away. The Nillium ship had started to put distance between them without ever sounding an alarm, and the shark was doing its best to mate with their boat. He laughed, "yes, friend, it thinks that we are a potential mate." Their luck was, once again, on their side. They should have died or been captured... but it didn't happen. Paric did not, in anyway, expect it to end the way it did. Ayer's explanation of how the Nillium could have been blinded by mating helped Paric understand the situation. "I did not realize that animals can be so blinded by sex. I guess the same can be said for some of us though."

"To shore it is. Would you mind paddling?" He asked, knowing that he wouldn't be of much help, and would just waste energy that he needed to heal. "In the meantime, I can tell you a little about my family." He shuffled to a more comfortable position, took a breath, and started. "I was the first born of my family, who have lived in Kel as far back as we can trace our lineage. I left Kel around the age of twenty. My parents had not decided to have another child, at least not while I was there. I don't know if I have a brother or sister now, but the possibility isn't low. Anyway, my parents were neutral in the Eldi ways. They did not fight those who ate humanoids, nor did they side with them. I did not realize my hate for my own race until I witnessed the stabbing and consumption of a human. From there I decided to leave Kel without my parents. For they had told me they wished to not get involved, and so stayed in Kel." He looked down at the boat's floor. "I wandered for awhile, y'know. I didn't have a place to go. For a moment, I got involved with some bad people. They were killed by some paladins while I was away from camp. From there I wandered from town to town as soon as I had the money for safe passage."

He let his head lean against the side of the boat. "That's a over simplified version of my past life. I thought you might like to know, given our situation."

The druid was pushed from the roof by Blake's overwhelming strength. He slid onto the ground and would have lost footing if he didn't use his staff for leverage. He thought about how quickly he could end this if he needed to but the thought itself was reckless. Using too much power would only prove to harm the people he was trying to protect. He glanced in the direction of the other assassins and frowned. Whatever they were preparing didn't look good for him but he didn't have the time to worry. Another moment and Blake would have the prize he so stubbornly sought.

Just then Captain Zay opened the door. He and several others were trying to get out of the caravan. Rem gave him a look and then gestured with his head toward the ranged ambushers before returning attention to Blake. While it was possible they could run or fight it wasn't possible to move everyone safely at once. There were too many wounded still left behind. This would have to be quick. Energy crackled in Rem's left hand. It was a palpable, hair raising current. Several flashes lit in his left hand before he gripped it tightly and it let loose a resounding crack with blinding light. Lightning was dangerous for anyone to use. It was generally seen as a higher tier elemental magic, like manipulating lava currents or deadly gases. It was even more dangerous to be on the receiving end. In the dark the lightning whip was blindingly brilliant, like one constant surge of light and current. With a sound like the rolling thunder, Rem swept the lighting whip across the roof of the caravan to strike Blake.

Vizz rolled his eyes as he was starting to get bored. It was time to try one more time to get that gem or get on with the day. The Gibu shook his head. "No. No. Wrong. Definitely don't hide in the sewers... all the time... during the day as well! It's a good spot, okay!?" Vizz said as he listed off all the misconceptions this kid had. Geez, what do they even teach in school nowadays? Wait. Why was he defending himself? He didn't need to answer to this punk. The Greenskin's ears twitched at the sound of "Trash Goblin." Vizz whipped around when he heard that and stared the kid down. "Listen buddy. I'll go by many nicknames, but I ain't gonna be called nothing to do with trash! Got it?" He scowled aggressively. It was tiring having his people be misunderstood like that, but there was nothing Vizz could do to change that. He certainly wasn't a revolutionary.

The Gibu sighed. This wasn't worth getting upset over. There's no way he was gonna get that gem for free now. An idea crossed his mind. He reached into his pouch and pulled out an small, silver medallion, with bronze for the teeth.. "Sorry... that was... unexpected..." He mumbled, clearing his throat. Apologising was not his style. Vizz offered the boy the emblem. "Here. A trade. My trinket for your gem. Do we have a deal?" This was the emblem of the Emerald Cutthroats, the Guild he belonged to. While these are usually valuable, he could easily get another one. Anyone that isn't a part of the guild could 'cash it in' for a free task from the Gibu it belonged to, and that's where the value came in. Although, Vizz wasn't just gonna spell it out for the kid.

Ayer Lecomte

--
- Mentions: @Mataus

Ayer felt tired and sore, but they were so close now. He simply started to oar towards the sandy beach before them at the command while his companion nestled themselves.

While the water trickled the sounds of the oar splashing faintly in the murky nighttime water, he heard to more of Paric's story. He didn't know if it was the waters or the thought of escape that made the man so leisurely. Or maybe it was the lack of blood that made the man pour out his personal story? Isn't this what people did if they thought they were going to die? If that was the case, he needed to hurry. Though still, despite his focusing on paddling, he listened as much as he could. Much of the tale felt foreign to him, as he didn't bother involving himself with politics or customs or social dynamics. All he knew was magic, machines, and tinkermanship, and the laws that govern those things. Ayer learned only what was in books, or essays, and old manuscripts. He was no person to say what was right or wrong, or how things should have been in a society or should be. But Ayer felt a tinge of sorrow for the lonely life of a traveler.

He glanced back, a familiar wicked smile perched across his lips. "Keep your spirits high, my friend. Whatever happened in our pasts affects us no more! As travelers, we live in the now."

Ayer suddenly threw his head back and laughed, "If you have nowhere to go, then be my assistant! A position of utmost prestige, I assure you. This is only the beginning of my grand path! This may have been an unfortunate roadblock, but I have overcome adversity after calamity all my life! Like you said, Leias will be a new opportunity for us. And there, I will find my wings among the ruins of the ancients. And with them, to the very heavens I will soar! Like a glorious Phoenix, burning bright in the pyre of my naysayers! And my allies will share in my profound bounty. Those fools that lead you astray before. None of them were a genius like me, I bet! Together, with you as my assistant, we will make changes in this world that not even the Gods can defy!"

His haughty, near maniacal laughing continued for a while. Until he was promptly thrown off his seat by a rough halt of the boat. They seem to have landed.

...

Dannisus was anxious, to put it lightly. Upon spotting a small dot on the horizon growing larger by the second, his feet scrambled through the sand for a moment until he dropped down onto all fours and charged towards the jungle brush behind him to take cover. That's where he hid, curiously eyeing the approaching craft. It was hard to make out, but as a researcher of Magical Artifacts, it was natural that he'd have a device for just such an occasion. He reached into his backpack, pulled out a monocle - something that he'd coined as a Soul Spyglass - and held it in front of his dominant eye. His view through the glass ring was enhanced tremendously, allowing him to see the two figured clearly, despite how far they were from shore. An Eldi and a Human, both looking as if they were having a bit of trouble on the water. He noticed the trouble moments later, and lowered his eyeglass in shock.

"That's a Nillium. It's not mating with them, right? That would be silly right?"

He rose the eyeglass again to confirm, and then closed his eyes.

"It is. It's mating with them."

Animals were stupid. Even as a Myti, he could admit that. The ability to speak with them didn't change his opinion. If anything, it confirmed his suspicions. Within minutes, the boat neared shore. Dannisus considered turning from the two and retreating right then and there. But he noticed one other thing on board that vessel before they landed. Something that the human clutched closely. He didn't recognize it, but it reminded him of an artifact. When the boat hit the coast, he hid himself quietly, waiting patiently with his ears at the ready to discern exactly how approachable these people were. The last thing he wanted to do was get involved in the southern forest's silly turf war.



With Daelin passing out, Hyo cursed under her breath. She expected him to at least have the chance to combat her psychic assault, but it seemed that the man was not very well versed in his mana control at all. The Myti flinched when a piece of metal bounced off of her back, sending her closer to the ground. Great. Now they were chucking things at her, and the whirling winds were making it exceptionally difficult to hear any assaults. Her eyes darted from one side of the rocky landscape to the other, from knight to knight. There wasn't anywhere to go, and she had no way to communicate with the knights without getting up close and personal. Ellorei waited for a command, and Noru waited for a chance to get close. He glanced at the druid and nodded. "Can you sink them? Open the earth?" He said just quietly enough to try and prevent the Myti from hearing a word. But the Myti heard it anyways.



Blake walked towards the edge of the ruined cart as those within funneled out in a panic. Zay got up quickly and ran for the exit. He looked past Rem as he directed his attention towards the archers and ran forward with Neal at his back. "Right, out of the big wooden deathtrap!" He ordered, "Towards the back line!" His mana had been partially restored with what rest he was allowed, but even with access to his magic, he wouldn't last in a four-on-one in the shape he was in. Fortunately, Pyra had awoken, and Neal felt capable of putting some work in himself. Captain Copp stopped after passing Rem, only looking back at Rem's display of energy for a split second. Neal slapped him in the head lightly and ran past the man. There were more pressing mattered to attend to.

The archers quickly reloaded as Zay's team vacated the Caravan, while Bart took aim with his strange artifact. "Don't let'em near me," He grunted while funneling his mana into the length of the translucent spear. Another volley of Crossbow bolts followed his order, but they were met with another wall before meeting the line of warrior. Two bolts struck Zay, only to shatter against a partial shield covered his body, while another headed for Neal, only to fall to the ground before reaching him. Captain Copp rolled his eyes.

"They're just idiots." He sighed with relief.

Blake on the other hand, planted the base of his hammer's shaft in the ground when the lightning whip headed for him from one side. A flash of energy sparked so brightly that the underside of the rock looked as if it were kissed by daylight for a moment. The streams of energy that Rem conjured froze and his whip went taught. As the energy's glow dimmed slightly, his whip slowly began to fade. It was, somehow, wrapped around Blake's hammer. The large man let out a laugh and patted his knee with one hand.

"Nice mana," He taunted, "Why don't you try that again?" The mana in his elemental spell was quickly losing form despite its raw power, and would not approach Blake's body. That hammer of his acted like some kind of conduit which not only attracted the electricity towards, but physically deconstructed and drained the mana that composed it. Close inspection would in fact reveal that several tiny runes along the hammer's handle were glowing brighter as the attack was dispersed. That was no ordinary hammer. It was an artifact.

The situation only got worse when Neal heard that man's voice. His eyes widened and he spun around. Zay turned to him for a moment and called out, "Hey, eyes up front!" he shouted. Neal didn't acknowledge him. When he saw Blake's face, his shoulder began to ache. That was the same man who had killed his Caravan Mates earlier in the day.



Matthew cringed with every one of Vizz's accentuated syllables, but wasn't scared by the little guy in the slightest. Most kids would have already dropped their belongings and turned tail by now, even if they were in the sewer. Not this kid though. He spent a great deal of time dealing with the guards of Berganfont, and typically danced with death with every single heist he pulled. If they hadn't been so kind to him because of his age, Matthew would definitely be dead by now. When Vizz pulled out his little trinket though, it piqued the boy's interest. His bi-colored eyes - red and blue respectively - narrowed to inspect the small amulet closer. Was that thing even valuable? Come to think of it, was Vizz telling the truth earlier? Matthew reached into his pouch and pulled out the small black gem to inspect it again. Was this thing valuable? It was cloudy, definitely of a low quality, and didn't let light through it at all. The creepy little rock looked to be absorbing the light itself. The Eldi child looked down at Vizz and then back to his amulet.

"You're suspicious," He said quietly. "My dad always told me never to trust suspicious guys that are shorter than you." He looked at his gem again and then up at the bridge above them. "I never liked him though." Matthew walked past Vizz towards one of the gaps in the side of the wall, pretending like he wasn't even there for a moment. This kid was absentminded, aloof to some kind of extreme. But before leaving, he turned back towards the Gibu and gestured towards his apparent exit. "My name's Matthew. Only trade with friends. So let's be friends, first."

Vizz listened to the boy's words carefully, and as he stood up and began to walk out, Vizz smirked. "Heh. Alright, kid... Uhh, Friend even." The Gibu chuckled. He stuffed the amulet back into his pouch and followed the Eldi out of the rotten crevice. Vizz put his hand up, to signal the Eldi to wait. The Thief used his ability to stick to the bricks of the bridge they were hiding under to climb up and get a good look up on to the surface. His protruding nose peered over the stone with the rest of his head to check the coast for guards. So far, so good. Vizz clambered back down before hopping off about three quarters of the way down. He ushered the kid to follow him as they trudged away, taking every nook, cranny and alley that was out of sight. It wasn't Vizz's preference to travel, but he doubted that even this athletic kid could keep up with a Gibu Thief.

"They call me Vizz, by the way." He mentioned as they continued walking. Once they arrived next to a fairly clear street, the thief leaned against a wall, folding his arms. "Alright, kid. Where we heading?"

Flin glanced at Noru for a moment. It was possible that the Myti heard what he'd been saying, and was planning to counter it somehow. If she managed to recover and held Daelin hostage, they'd be in a bad position. He moved his mouth as if he was whispering to Noru, but nothing seemed to come out. A voice emerged from the Myti's left ear, one that she would recognise and only she would hear. It sounded like one of the other Myti that had assaulted the caravan, the one who'd screamed after the flashbang had gone off earlier. It sounded a little distant but relatively close to make it sound as realistic as possible. He hoped it would make the Myti glance into that direction.

"Over here!"

At the same moment, Flin used his telekenetic grab with his left hand on a small rock nearby which was at the opposite direction, at the Myti's right side. He removed any sound that it would make with his right hand, and flung it at her head with a quick movement of his left hand, allowing the wind to speed it up again in an attempt to knock the Myti out.

Paric stared, eyebrows raised, as Ayer once more launched into one of his bouts of laughing. So Ayer is willing to take me as an assistance. Wouldn't that be funny? He didn't know a thing about Ayer's devices or about arcane theory in general. Those devices Ayer had were cool, though, and it would give him the ability to cast other spells... if Ayer made one for him. He wouldn't be constricted to only fire magic, not that he minded it, but magical freedom sounded... bliss.

He thought it over as they made their way to shore. It took the jolt of striking land for Ayer to stop laughing, giving Paric the chance to speak. "Ok, friend," he started as he went over the side of the boat, "I have considered being your assistant." His legs hit ground, which felt unstable. "So this is what it's like..." he mumbled to himself, thinking of the sailors who had talked about the land still feeling like the ocean after they had disembarked from their ships. "And I have decided that I would like to be your assistant. I believe you know what that means."

The beach they had landed on felt refreshing. The breeze off the water felt cool against his exhausted limbs and woke him up a bit from his exhausted state. It was open as well, which beat the dirty, cramped town of Nillium. It was concerning that they were no longer walled in, though. Most small wildlife could be scared away by a large wave of flames, but if any actual threat found them. I'm not ready for a fight with something actually deadly. "So, friend, do you know where we are? Leias would be in a northerly direction..."

--9:43pm
- Mentions: @Mataus

Ayer smiled at the reprieve of his new instated assistant, taking a deep breath as he swung himself over the ledge. "Yes, you won't regret it. There are plenty of benefits... However, do not expect an easy time. There is much to do, as my life is ever so busy. Don't think this is a tactless position."

That said, never before did he have a subordinate. There wasn't much opportunity in the first place. All his life, though surrounded by work and science, he hadn't ever been integrated into a formal laboratory and research group setting. Was there a procedure, or some form of contract? Or perhaps was there supposed to be some sort of promotion offering from Ayer, himself? As a sign of good will. He didn't know. All Ayer knew was that he owed the man, and this was the best way Ayer could conceive putting his gratitude into action. Still, he didn't really understand what to do with that. Maybe he'll have Paric be a live test any new experiments for any new ideas. That's what assistants did, correct?

To be the man to sacrifice for the greater evolution of arcane sciences -- An honor even greater than the conception, he believed.

The pale blonde immediately fell over in the sand, letting the ground gather around him as the Ars slunk into the grainy surface. He didn't even mind it getting into his hair and scratch his sore neck. He gazed up at the blinking stars, shining like a glittering spray of dust across the indigo of the night. He never truly appreciated its beauty until now. Seeing the look of relief on Paric's face brought him a light chuckle. Escaping with one's life was an odd way of making one appreciate all the small things more.

"Yes, I've lived on the road so long... Everyday I would observe the starry sky, but it was never beautiful as it is now..."

He resolved to lay there for a moment longer, but Paric brought up a good point.

"Ah... I don't know how much more I can take, but I suppose we still have ground to make. We'll sleep by day. A long sleep." as he said this, he pressed a botton on the mechanism adorning his right ear and a small disk snapped off. A small compass.

He raise it up to the light of the moon, looking at it then at the land for a bit.

"Hmm... That's... No, that's North." he muttered, pointing towards the forest that encompassed the main landmass of this island. By the looks of it, this was the main continent. And this was the preliminary overgrowth that lead into the Meotey Jungle, judging by the thick gangling canopy that topped the horizon. With a sigh, Ayer hoisted himself and returned Wax Jury and her many modules around his waist and back, slinging the many straps and clamping them shut with a click. He coiled the tubes as he walked forth, flushing them with a few shakes to purge any residual water or sand caught inside.
"Well, it was nice while it lasted, but -- Ouch!"

Feeling a sharp pain, Ayer swung his head and discovered a nasty little creature pinching the lobule of his left ear. A tiny, ferocious crustacean. He tried pulling it, but learned it would sooner tear off his ear than let go.
"Ow, ow, ow! Paric, my assistant, quick! Do something! It's not letting go! It's going to eat me whole! Help!"

...

Rem smiled at Blake, the kind of half-mad smile that expresses the realization of just how much crap you're in. "Did that lightning taste any good? I always figured it would taste like purple." The druid joked. Bringing his fingers to his mouth, he whistled loudly and sharply, echoing all down the pass. The sound was attracting something, like a magicked call. "These ones taste purple too. Don't let them sting you." He lied. The tiny fluttering of wings could be heard even over the sounds of battle. Hundreds of them, maybe even thousands. The little purple dragonflies swarmed at Blake. Totally benign creatures but there was no telling if he knew that. Using something dangerous had crossed his mind but there was no guarantee he would have been able to keep them from murdering everything in sight except himself.

Blake's danger was only mitigated with that swarm in his face, Rem ran over a proper solution. He ran his sense of magic deep, tugging on the strength of the earth that rested beneath him. If Blake could dissipate what magic he used then he wouldn't hit him directly with magic. He felt for it in the stone beneath the dirt that ran all the way up to the rock face protruding from the ground. He could borrow some of that and return it when he was finished. Rem flexed his arm instinctively, feeling the rock shuffle beneath like it was part of him.

If the Wax Jury's ability to perform various types of magic wasn't amazing enough, Ayer had just pulled a compass out of it. If Paric had this man on all of his previous travels, he would have been in a better place. Paric recalled a time when he tried to make a short trip by foot... only to get lost for a week and, when finally reaching his destination, realize it was where he had left from. All because he didn't carry much except a bottle of liquor and some clothes.

For all of Ayer's ability, the man still managed to find a crab dangling from an ear. Paric chuckled, "well, it could be worse. That Nillium would have done more than dangle from your ear." He walked over the beach's cool sand to his friend. The crab looked like it was more angry about dangling in the air than anything else. His friend had already tried to pull it off, which probably just made the crustacean angrier. "This should be pretty easy," he said, putting his palm under the crab. The crab's legs found his palm and its claws let their furious grip go. Paric lowered it to the sand, where it scurried off sideways to some nearby rocks. "We could have ate it if it was larger," he said, his voice showing slight dismay. "Then again, if it was any bigger, you would have a hole in your ear."

Ayer was not the only one feeling the fatigue, but Paric motioned towards the trees Ayer had said were North of them. "Shall we? I guess I will go first. Seeing as I am your assistant, friend."

Dannisus' nose twitched and his ears flapped with each mechanical click that sounded from Ayer's device. It was a familiar smell, something he'd come across before, hidden beneath of veil of mana and sea-water. That was something he would have liked to get his hands on. Usually, he wouldn't consider approaching strangers at all. The danger that accompanied such foolish choices led many Myti to their doom. Slavers were not uncommon in the northern sprawls of Meotey. But even if the two of them didn't belong to one of the Slaver Caravans, Humans and Eldi were the two most dishonest races in the entire world. But listening in on their conversation slowly granted Dannisus peace of mind. Not because they seemed innocent, or even remotely trustworthy.

It was because they sounded stupid.

Perhaps he should be judging others, considering his own decisions. They began their approach into the jungle after wrestling with a wee Dustilk that had somehow clung to his ear, putting Dannisus on guard. But this was a good opportunity to grab an advantage. He looked up, and then back down, and then up again. His nose twitched. The coast was clear, and there was nothing dangerous for at least half a kilometer. Without further delay, the Myti hopped up towards a tree-trunk and began scaling it with a pair of claw-like gauntlets, reaching the upper branches in a few seconds before turning around and hanging in place with one hand latched to the branch above him. He'd made a slight ruckus, and was in plain view now. If they posed even the slightest threat, his options were plentiful now. It's not like a couple of idiots from the ocean were going to be able to keep up with him in the trees.

"Well now," He started. Dannisus paused for a moment, trying to think of something clever to say, but simply couldn't manage another word for a solid three seconds. Despite how cautious the man was, there was one thing he couldn't manage for the life of him. Dannisus was a socially inept buffoon.



In contrast to the tightly-packed stone monuments that define the most populated cities in Arcadia, the Myti's homeland was a stark reminded that even intelligent creatures could survive without crude walls to keep them safe. Leias was nothing more than an assortment of tree-tops with vast, untamed wilds branching at random beneath them. Wards lined the edges of Myti territory where ground-based structures did exist, but for the most part, they were a tree-faring people taking to the heights with no issue at all.

The center of the city, known to most as the Stretch of Gaia, was home to most of what the Myti would consider civilian housing. It also acted as a hub for trade and commerce, where the northwestern and northeastern stretches of the city were home to more secluded patches of the Myti Populace, including the living quarters of Kiki Myalmo, current ruling Empress of the beautiful Nation. Rounded Tent-like enclosures wrapped around the stripped undersides of massive trees that stretched more than 10 stories into the sky. Between them, rope bridges held their homes together, and even stretched across the wide open plains where Myti would hunt, farm, and gradually expand their forest-side territory towards, connected by lone trees across stretches longer than 10 kilometers, at most. Truly, the nation was a dangerous place to traverse for those inept at climbing. Of course, most Myti could climb naturally by age 3. Male Myti were the only exception, forced to implement tools in order to assist their travel. You wouldn't often see a man in Leias without a pair of Feral Arms at his side, unless he had chosen to remain in the trees or on the ground without any desire to leave.

For visiting humans or Eldi, the forest was unwelcoming. Not because of the locals, though. Myti were rather accepting of visitors, and open to trade. But entering through the Meotey Trade Route would only grant visitors access to a fraction of the Nation's potential market. If they wanted to speak with figures of importance, or locate some of the more respected merchants, they would have to climb. Naturally scaling 10 to 15 stories of wood with one's bare hands was no easy feat, of course. Especially if you planned on hauling anything you found back down without aid of the often fully-occupied Marketplace Winches. But people who hadn't been to the city before couldn't have possibly known just how terrible it might have been to get up to the treetops.

A few kilometers east of the Nation's singular path to the rest of the world, a treetop shop was opening for business. Jimo Hizz, a dealer of antiquities, alchemy reagents, and various types of smoked/dried meats had just finished restocking his place for the new season. Later winter in Leias was a perfect time to gather Summer-seasoned herbs and game. Thing never adhered to a strict schedule in the wilds, despite what the calendar liked to claim. Jimo was one of the few people who knew that, and it was one of the only reasons as to why he could keep up with the surrounding businesses in the stretch of Gaia. Businesses like the ground-based Boa's Baubles, or his neighboring competitor, Salidor's. Salidor Sorrelpaw was probably one of the most irritating merchants in the entire Nation. Jimo wouldn't mind him as much if it weren't for his customers though. Rumors traveled pretty quick about independent Male Myti in Leias, and they weren't all unfounded nonsense.

Jimo was almost sure of it himself, that his neighbor was in touch with the Sisterhood.



Blake rolled his eyes at Rem's comments with a smile, hefting his hammer up in the process. But as soon as he took a step forward, he heard something buzzing in his good ear, his left ear. It was faint, but he turned his head for a moment, only for the buzzing to grow louder. He turned again, towards Baeshri hills, and his eyes widened when he noticed the encroaching swarm of nasty nasty bugs. The huge man flinched before they even got near him, and jumped behind the Caravan, placing his back against its left side while channeling Mana into his hammer. He had no idea what those things were, and although he wasn't particularly afraid of insects, he really didn't like them.

Captain Copp was in no mood to go about killing these assholes, and he wasn't in the shape to fight at his best. Neal on the other hand, was perfectly able to go all out. But risking any permanent damage to his arm wasn't something on his to-do list. He looked back towards the Caravan, expecting back-up in the form of Pyra or Lyullia, but wasn't going to waste any hope on either of them. Bart finally finished charging his artifact before the two Captains could reach him though. He licked his lips and clutched the handle tightly.

"Back down!" He shouted, Firin' Yvin'lo!" His weapon sparked with mana for a moment. It lost its glow immediately afterwards, drawing dull particles to its tip. But there was only silence as the spear got darker and darker. Neal held one hand towards the man and overtook Zay, holding his other arm out to stop him. Captain Copp looked up at the man and hid behind him, slapping him in the back.

"Stopping? Why are we stopping?"

Bart looked down at the barrel of his artifact in utter confusion.

"Bart, why's it-"

Mana expanded outwards, stopping several feet shy of where Neal stood as a giant ball of plasma-like energy. A second or two afterwards, it shrunk back down towards the point of creation, Yvin'lo. The spear was broken in two, all of the nearby men were on the ground and covered in burn marks, and Neal was astonished at just how stupid Blake's Lackey's really were. Bart coughed viciously, crawling to his knees and grasping the stained hilt of his artifact, only the realize that it has broken in two. He didn't know exactly what'd happened, but it all Neal's doing.

"If there's nowhere for energy to go, it starts to get temperamental," Neal gasped, clutching his right shoulder. Zay looked around his massive body at the aftermath with droopy eyelids and chuckled.

"Oh, like Champagne," Captain Copp quipped.

Gravity magic was extraordinarily powerful if applied correctly.



Matthew did his best to keep up. Usually he wouldn't rush himself this much, but he had a strange desire to keep this little green thing from showing him up. Despite his age, the kid considered himself pretty capable as a thief. By the time they had a chance to rest, he needed a moment to catch his breath. But as soon as he was able, Matthew answered Vizz's inquiry with a heavy rasp.

"Friends-" He gasped, "We're going to go see some friends." Suddenly it occurred to him... They were in the Low Houses now. Matthew didn't need to hide here! He stepped out of the alley casually, not even thinking for a second that most people might have had a tiny problem with seeing a little green man walking through the town square casually. Regardless of the little Gibu took a direct route, stopped him, or simply followed along as if there was no issue, Matthew was headed directly for Lily's Keg across the plaza.

Za’Kul’s shoulders relaxed. He could breathe. His father always had a way of maintaining his calm; it was almost like he had a soothing aura about him. It was just from his experience. Za’Kul rose to his feet. There would be no war, but there would have to be osme repercussions, surely? What was next for Za’Kul and his clan?

He also wondered what was next for his father; Ha’Kul was older, near the end of the life cycle even as a Lok’Sha. It worried him just slightly. Za’Kul trailed his father,

“What next for us then, Pa?”

--9:45pm
- Mentions: @Mataus

Ayer followed Paric up the sandy shore, using the miniature compass as close and confident reference. While he wasn't sure of his own senses of navigation, he was sure technology would never fail him. As the arcanist kept keen watch on the metal dial, he noticed something and glanced up.

Well, it was rather hard to not notice the leafy ruckus.

He scanned the canopy above and spotted the source, cautiously hold Wax Jury's handle. That was, until he spotted it. Ayer narrowed his eyes and stared intently at the silhouette hanging from one of the tallest trees nearby, of which, curled up from the soil beneath the sands and hung over them in an almost warning manner. He knew the forests of Meotey were hostile, but he didn't expect resistance from nature so early. Luckily, it seemed to be more keen on observing them than attacking outright. This meant this thing was probably alone. They were not immediately in danger. From what appeared to be... a Primate of sorts? And did it say something? He was too focused on discerning the shape that the small utterance was lost to his ears.

He quickly tapped Paric on the shoulder, whispering into his pointed ear, "Hey, umm, do you see that? Is that a primate or something? Or am I seeing things? It's hard to see clearly with the moon shining down at this angle."

Ayer stepped from side to side, bucking his head even to try to get a clearer look from various angles. He even pulled down the little monocle adorning the side of his head for a better examination. "Nope, yeah, that's definitely some sort of funky looking primate... Maybe a simian, or monkey. I'm sure of it."

He glanced back, "What should we do?"

...

Dannisus adjusted his ears forward on reflex, immediately scowling at Ayer's comments. For a moment, he actually considered robbing the unimpressive little human. Even if it went against his morals, maybe losing something precious to him would teach this guy some manners! We he that far away? Dannisus thought on it for a second, letting his body go limp as he hung there by his Feral Arms. He was used to conversing with Myti, and if he wasn't mistaken, none of the other races could hear very well. Their ears were like useless little skin flaps that poked out of their heads. Worthless little skin flaps. He wondered if they even needed them? Couldn't they hear just the same if their ears were torn off? The researcher shook the thought and slowly clambered towards the trunk of the tree where he propped himself sideways with both feet.

"I'm not a Primate" he shouted from overhead.

Vizz chuckled to himself as the kid caught his breath. It was easy to forget other race's limits to their stamina when a Gibu's was so vast. Turns out Vizz is pretty proud of his race. Sure they're small, fairly weak physically and are often debated on if they ever exist, but it had it's perks. Vizz listened to the boy's words. Friends, huh? Vizz would reserve judgement for now, but it was always prudent to keep a hand on the hilt of a dagger around strangers. It was then that the kid just walked out onto the street.

"Kid? Psst! Hey, Kid!"

The Gibu Thief whispered out. Wow, not even letting him know, huh? What an asshole kid. Vizz rolled his eyes as he began to scale up the houses, using the rooftop route to shadow Matthew's progress around the plaza. Vizz kept himself fairly low to the jagged and crooked slates of the Low Houses' as he crept above the streets. Now THIS was Vizz's style. Rooftops provided many opportunities of getting around guards, dynamic points of entry and creative angles of attacks. Leaping down to carve his knife into someone from above was a favoured move of Vizz. As the kid reached the entrance of some sort of tavern or pub, Vizz began to clamber back down the side of one of the neighbouring buildings. Vizz kept his hood low to help shroud himself as he hugged the wall before following the kid inside.

Vizz kept under tables and into the far corners of the front house area, making sure to keep just outside the patron's line of sight, keeping a watch on the Eldi youngster to make sure nothing funny happened. To him or Vizz for that matter. Last thing he wanted was a double-cross. The Gibu pulled up his mask around his neck to cover his face a bit better. As he tried to listen in and follow Matthew, something caught his attention. He'd recognise it anywhere. Gold.

Of course! Taverns were full of absent-minded drunks and friends having fun, which meant one thing vital to a pickpocket's success. The victim's carelessness. A green, gnarled hand crept up onto a table and swiped what it could before Vizz moved on to hide under the next table. Sometimes a couple of coins from the table, a loosely tied pouch or a silver poking out from some unsuspecting fool's pocket. Even if he wouldn't get the diamond, at least the trip wasn't entirely fruitless.

Shane enjoyed his meal to the fullest. His stomach was no longer whining, and it would certainly keep him going for a little while. "Thanks for the meal, bud!" He said to Peter, smiling at him. He poured gold onto the bar beside his plate to pay for the meal. He was about to stand up and leave, but he saw something that was moving quickly from the corner of his eye. It was a small hand, looking to snatch the gold he'd left. It was done in an incredibly fast and silent movement, too. If Shane wasn't on high-alert due to past experience with pickpockets, he may never have noticed.

Shane quickly placed his arm in the way of the gold before Vizz could grab it. He looked at Vizz's small figure with a frown. He couldn't see his face properly, so he assumed that it was just some kid trying to snatch his money. "Look, kid.." He calmly said. "I know times are harsh, but this ain't what you should be doing. Stealing won't get you far." He told Vizz.

4th of Summer - 5:44 PM

Ryio was hunched low in the dirt beside her bedroll, counting her meager few coins in the dimming light of the forest. One, two... She paused, looking in and around the bedroll, then in the already empty coinpurse on the ground. She had just two coins to her name- and not particularly valuable ones, either. That's the price for chasing a dream, I suppose. She thought, sweeping the two coins into the small coinpurse. Ryio then packed her bedroll, attaching it to her back with a spare leather strap she had cut from a discarded boot several weeks back. She tucked the coinpurse away in the rough canvas bag at her side, donned her cloak, and began the walk into central Leias.

She'd been camping just off of the main trading road and walking into the Stretch of Gaia every day, hoping to hear more about the ancient ruins and artifacts she caught rumors of in Arcadia. Though, most Myti were fairly clueless or stubbornly tight-lipped about them, leaving Ryio stuck- literally. She didn't have the money to buy enough provisions to go back to Arcadia, nor did she have the means to find the ruins on her own. For now, her mission to replace her left arm was at a complete standstill, and it was a frustrating one.

Ryio looked up from the path to see the road had become more crowded, and the noise of the late-afternoon markets slowly became louder and louder. Before she knew it, the stench of pack animals assaulted her nostrils, and she could taste the sour dust kicked up by their hooves. Ryio brought her scarf further up her face and slowly pushed through the crowd, eventually making her way to a less busy side of the stretch. Her stomach growled again, that made eight times now. Ryio scanned for potential business owners to bother, but one in particular caught her eye. The stand was ramshackle and made of yellowed, molding wood. A crude scrawl was scratched into the top plank of the stand, "Kolo's Bobbets".

She wasn't particularly sure what exactly a bobbet was, but it was probably better than starving. "Hey. Are you offering work? I'll do almost anything, and take almost any payment." Ryio stood lifelessly still, staring blankly at the owner.

@tex

Tt Ayer's touch, Paric looked up from the leafy carpet that was the forest floor. He had been singing in his head, too distracted to have been listening. Wow, I need to pay more attention. Had Ayer not been listening, we would have never seen the creature in the trees.

It did appear to be a monkey or something similar. Usually they weren't dangerous, but it was hard to tell with the wildlife on their damned continent. Everything had it out for humanoids. "Well," he whispered, removing his gaze from the creature, "it is best not to stare it in the face or show it our teeth, I think. That would challenge it." He stopped walking altogether, his unease growing as he thought into it. "Do you know how long it has been watching? Has it called out?" He let out a breath. "Maybe we should make a loud noise to scare it off."

Truth be told, like most things, Paric did not know much about what they should do, or about the creature in front of them. He was running on luck and gut feelings, albeit with Ayer's knowledge. He was learning, though, and he felt that he would become more valuable as he spent more time as Ayer's assistant. Soon to an invaluable resource! Or perhaps I'll just be invaluable company... either way, I think I still would prefer being a drunk over an academic.

"Next for the Kul is to care for survivors. Once all dust settles, Lower and Low tunnels must be reconnected through aftermath of Wor's hearth. Monsters nest without hearth, nearest junction besides that above is hours away by foot." Ju'Kul nodded in agreement.

"I will tend to Wor. Search parties should return any minute," Ju'Kul announced. Ha'Kul nodded to him.

"Good news comes with them, I hope."

Moments after Ju'Kul's comment, one of the search parties entered through a lower path. Five Lok'Sha in total, including the likes of Mia'Lai and Kul'O, two of the Kul's most trusted warriors. But as they cross the dark recesses of the hearth site, it became clear that they weren't returning with good news. One of their women was missing an arm, with blood coating her entire left side. She stood resolute despite this. An arm could be grown back with aid from the appropriate soul magic as long as a Lok'Sha's soul remained in tact. Ha'Kul glanced at his son as they approached, immediately overcome with disappointment. Of course. When dealing with the powerful Lok'Sha of Smor'Gen'Blok, things could never be that simple.

"Chieftain," Mia'Lai spoke, "One dead. One injured. Many Wor still alive in collapse. None willing to accept help. All willing to place blame with low tribes." Ha'Kul grunted and slapped the side of his fist against his thigh. Ju'Kul stopped half-way across the cave and walked back over to the chieftain. "We kill three, luckily. Two escape, one of them use soul to empower self. Encounter happen near Low Jo Tribe's hearth site in Lower Tunnels."

"Collapse not kill them all?" Ju'Kul grunted, "Unbelievable."

"Not surprise," Ha'Kul grunted in return, "Wor warrior Resilient and stubborn. If what happen with Mia'Lai's group not simply fluke, many more survive, and lurk in Lower tunnels. All Low tribes in danger."



Dannisus' expression was drained of all life as the men refused to acknowledge him as anything more than a primate. Idiots. Completely idiots, the lot of them. The Myti latched one of his claw-grips into the bark of the tree and began to slide down into the dense overgrowth at its base, fully intent on approaching the two men and giving them a refresher course on his elegant people and their defining features. Maybe a few whacks to the head would improve their eyesight a little.



Blake sat still for a few moments, swatting away the nearby bugs until he heard the explosion coming from where his cart was positioned. Even with a busted ear, it was obvious. But he didn't know what had caused it. Regardless, he knew that it was something that needed to be taken care of. Without another second of delay, the massive man rose to his feet and charged across the path, ignoring Rem and heading straight for the two Captains. As he moved, he held his hammer high and unleashed a shock-wave of compressed mana to disperse the harmless dragonflies.

"Outta' my way!"



Matthew paid little mind to the patrons of the Keg this early in the morning. It looked like there was only one guy present thus far. He wasn't one to steal from the Low-house patrons. They sure as hell didn't deserve to have their lives made any harder by self-centered thieves. That's why he would always go to the high houses! Those pompous assholes, especially the priests of Shaidra, had tonnes of gold to spare. He ignored him and slowly made his way to the opposite side of the bar, where he hopped up onto one of the chairs and waited patiently for Lilith to come out and greet him. Even if she didn't think so, he thought of the woman as a sort of foster mother. Lilith kind of hated the kid either way. She was diametrically opposed to thievery, otherwise she wouldn't have opened this bar.
When Matthew noticed Vizz's cloak enter the pub, he sighed at the Gibu's shameless greed. Hardly honorable of a thief to steal from the poor! Fortunately, the man he'd stolen from wasn't a drunk, or an idiot. Part of the Eldi wanted to vouch for Vizz, but this was bound to be a hilarious show if he didn't interfere. How would he react to a greenie? Matthew's mouth curled into a sadistic smile before he even realized it.

"What are you smiling at, Matthew?" Lilith asked as she approached the bar again with a sarcastic smile. Matthew's smile vanished and he spun his head towards the pub's owner. Without a second thought, he pulled his coin purse out, or rather some old guy's coin purse, and splayed the contents on the bar. Lilith knew it already.

"Food please!"



The owner of the stand stood out more than anything it sold. Kolo Rio was a portly young woman - a trait very uncommon among the Myti - with thick auburn fur and exceptionally bloodshot eyes. Her ears were drooped, her nose twitched with a barely audible sniffle every few seconds, and worst of all, her frown was overbearing. But as soon as Ryio approached her, Kolo's features struggled to brighten. With a half-smile, she approached the edge of her little stall, but frowned again what it became clear that this human didn't want to buy anything. Even worse, with a human taking up space in front of her stall, several potential customers that glanced in Kolo's general direction ended up passing her by. The stream of Myti and foreigners behind Kyio was irritating to behold.

"Dud'it look like I'mb offerin' woork, sweedie?" She groaned exclusively through her mouth. Her nose twitched and she hacked back a mouth full of phlegm. "Bid'niss in Bobbeds' id'nt vereh, good ri'de now. If yoor lookin' foor woork, de' treetops are yer best bed'." Kolo's ears shifted forward as she spoke, and she looked the young woman over. She narrowed her eyes and rose a silky napkin up to her nose. A few men and woman shoved past Kyio by accident as she stood in front of Kolo's, offering a gentle meow as apology. The human looked more helpless with every passing moment. Even the no-nonsense Bobbet merchant was starting to feel sorry for her. "Bud..." Kolo paused and blew hard into the square of silk. "If your hungry, I've got some stale bobbets left over." With one hand, she reached under the stall's counter. Just then, and woman in dark robes shoved Kyio towards the stall with a considerable amount of force, hissing something indiscernible in Myti tongue.

'мσνє, ℓιттℓє нуυмαη'