[center][h3][color=ed1c24]🔥Vară Riemsianne🔥[/color][/h3][/center]

[@PaulHaynek] [@Lmpkio]

Doing her best to hide the tears that began forming up under her eyes, Vară reluctantly joined her companions on the long track back home. Thankfully, everyone was in agreement of stopping some where to get food. Haley had led them to a tavern at a local town called Ambran. Once there they used some of their payment to enjoy some nice food and drink to recharge after the excursion at Coldstep Pass. Vară barely paid attention to her surroundings while enjoying the dessert items on the menu. While walking through town beforehand, she did notice the odd looks the locals where giving them, she guessed that in this supposedly neutral town they weren't used to seeing mamono here. She didn't let it bother her, though, she was just glad to be back within civilization again. 

Aside from the on lookers, even her comrades may give her a strange glance at all of the spices she was putting on her sweets-filled plate. But, at this point she was too busy stuffing her face to care. However, her attention was suddenly piqued by the charming voice of a cloaked figure. She quickly turned to see an estranged man, his face hidden by an obscuring hood, though shrouded in traveling robes she could see the armor the man wore under. 

This man had heard of The Guild, [color=9e0b0f][i]Wait, THAT'S what it's called?[/i][/color], she thought to herself. He wanted to chat for a little bit and even offered to pay for their meal. Hearing that someone heard of and was impressed by the actions of her and her guild further lifted her spirits, and leaving her tab to someone else sounded even better. For better or for worse, Vară decided to indulge the traveler. 

[color=ed1c24]"Greetings and salutations fair traveler. Brace yourself, for you now stand in the presence of none other than Vară Riemsianne, heir to the esteemed Riemsianne clan of noble fire demons."[/color] She said with a boisterous tone. [color=ed1c24]It doesn't surprise me that your ears have caught wind of our doings, any group that [b]I[/b] am a part of can only expect greatness to follow!"[/color]

[color=ed1c24]"However..."[/color], she continued, [color=ed1c24]"I do believe it is proper etiquette to introduce yourself before asking various questions. Tell me sir, what would your name be and what has brought you to these lands?"[/color]

[hr]

[center][h3][color=6ecff6]❄️Nagare❄️[/color][/h3][/center]

[@13org] [@Restalaan]

Nagare promptly followed her comrades to find Nera. At this point, Nagare could clearly hear the forest's voice, it was leading them to where Nera was last and it bade to save her. What really worried her was the strange, rough feeling magic she was beginning to sense as they went deeper into the seas of trees. It definitely wasn't of this area, it felt like the magic that humans use. At that thought, Nagare began to worry that their worst fears have come to pass. After reaching a clearing, they find Nera trapped in what appeared to be some sort of magical barrier. Nera was surrounded by slain soldiers who Nagare immediately recognized as Varjan soldiers. She also noticed that Nera wasn't quite herself, what with the sigils imbued on her body and her snarling like a rabid dog. [color=6ecff6][i]"It's true, they really have come. But, how did they find their way into the forest?[/i][/color] Nagare grimaced to herself. She analyzed the barrier for a moment. 

It was a roughly 20m grayish dome that had surrounded Nera and the corpses. On fives sides on the ends of the barrier, dark crystals engraved with red runes could be seen. Nagare, and Freyr as well, deduced those must be the source of the barriers. However, she began to sense magic forming up from behind them, but before she could warn her friends they themselves were also trapped in a barrier as well. At that point a man who had the look of a mage appeared before them. His demeanor and tone of voice were enough to identify him as a villain, a fact that he confirmed himself when he explained that he and a squadron of soldiers infiltrated the forest. Through his ramblings, it was revealed that he also was the one who did this to Nera and that he was able to find a way to move around the forest undetected. [color=6ecff6][i]That explains how he was able to come so deep in the forest![/i][/color]

Ditzy pointed at the man saying he had the face of a bad person, and he began finding something to throw at him. [color=6ecff6]"Who are you?! Release us at once and restore Nera to normal!"[/color] Demanded the ice dragon. Unsurprisingly it seems that her words fell on deaf ears. The man was pleased with what he had done and had muttered something about using Vieras as weapons and reporting back to his king. He also stated that he wised he could have stayed to see them all get killed by Nera. 

Freyr, who unsuccessfully tried to break the crystals, was beaten to a bloody pulp by the feral Nera. She tend turned to Ditzy and Nagare as her next prey. The runes on her body glowed with an eerie light as saliva snarled from her lips. No longer the noble warrior they had met prior, she was nothing more than a savage predator fueled by primal instinct. Ditzy put down his sandbag and taunted Nera into rushing him. [color=6ecff6]"Ditzy, what are you doing? Why would-"[/color] Her words were cut short by Nera blinding advance, she was already practically at the hobgoblin's throat. 

One thing was clear to Nagare, they needed to find a way out of the barrier. Freyr's brute force couldn't get the job done, but Nagare thought that perhaps her ice magic could. Freyr was still unconscious, much to her dismay. If anyone would be able to calm her down, he had the best chance of doing so. However, right now all she could do was hopefully make a hole in the barrier long enough for either her or Ditzy to get through and destroy the crystals that formed their prison. 

[color=6ecff6]"Ditzy, I'm going to see if my ice attacks can make a hole in this barrier. If so, I'll try to destroy the crystals from the outside. Please, be careful!"[/color] At those words, Nagare once again entered into her true dragon form. She thought it would be more effective to start off strong, she needed to make this hole as quickly as possible.

With that in mind, she fired a massive blast of frost, hoping that it would disrupt the flow of energy coming from the pillars and create a distortion large enough to jump through.