The beastman glanced at Malachi as the older man began to panic and simply let out a sigh. He was not wholly dismissive of the half-elf's panic; no, there was some part of him that was also gnawing away at the back of his mind, asking if this was really the right decision. But all the young man could do now was rationalize that decision—that, if he had stayed behind, he might have been made an example of, and his family might have followed suit.

But it was definitely too late for any regrets now, after the deed had been done.

Aerarius' own comments were a sound suggestion to Byron, and he nodded in agreement. Had the old sage been in his usual condition, it might have proven just as well to pose as an old hermit and his disciple, emerging from the mountains after years of ascetic training. Something to that degree might have been plausible, and it would mean that he wouldn't be wandering into town without direct support.

"That makes enough sense. I guess we should count it a blessing that there weren't any assassins to try and assassinate us the second we stepped out," he remarked, nodding his head in agreement. "While I'd be a bit more willing to scout ahead, the old man down there doesn't seem to want to wait. I'm going to follow and make sure they don't cause too much of a panic; I'll regroup with you in a bit."

Opting to slide down the mountainside to catch up with the others as they moved off towards the town, Byron quickly made his way to the front of the group before deciding to start walking again.

"I'll take point here; as Aerarius pointed out before I got here, everyone else stands out a bit too much for people who just popped out of nowhere," he said, making sure to not fall behind the half-elf in doing so. "I'm going to see if we need to con or bribe our way in first, though given how the place looked, I'm not sure how necessary that will be."

---

The town itself seemed to have the most basic of fortifications at first glance, which caused Byron to frown in mild concern as he pressed forward ahead of the group. There were a pair of guards at the gate closest to them, which itself seemed to lead to a worn dirt path into the forest. It was certainly not the most impressive display of military might, given that their equipment seemed vastly inferior to anything that he had seen even among the rank-and-file soldiers of the Alliance, but at the very least it meant that they might be easier to convince without further issue.

As soon as he stepped onto the path and began walking towards the gate, though, the two guards—one male, one female, upon closer inspection—seemed to straighten their backs and stood at attention.

"Welcome to the town of Lefine!" the man said, almost as if reciting from a script. "Are you and your... Er... Companions over there... Adventurers, by any chance?"

"Adventurers? What sort of asinine response—actually, no, this is something I can use."

"Mmm... I guess you could call us something like that? We're more freelancers, though, and we kind of... Got lost a while ago. Lefine, was it? Do you mind if we enter?"

"Well, the entry tax is five copper per person if you're adventurers or merchants, but since you don't have IDs, it should be forty copper for the four of you," the girl responded. There was a brief pause (and a bit of wide-eyed staring) as Byron pulled out a single silver coin from his pouch and handed it off to the female guard.

"I really don't feel like waiting any longer to explore this fine place, so you two can keep the change," he said, leaving the slack-jawed guards behind as he walked back to the group. Their reaction, of course, was not lost on him, but it was probably better that he had paid a silver coin rather than fishing for nonexistent copper pieces instead.

All things considered, it would probably come back to bite him later—doubly so given that neither of the guards were paying as much attention to the other people with him as they were the coin that they had been handed. Gauging their reactions as ones of confusion and mild worry, Byron took the chance to move ahead and push his luck a little bit.

"Well, I assume there are no problems here, correct? Or are my companions unwelcome here?"

"Oh, no, nothing of the sort, good sir!" the man said, the arm holding his spear visibly shaking as he spoke.

"Good sir? I don't like the sound of that."

"Most certainly not! P-please, by all means, explore our humble home to your heart's content!" the girl followed, with both soldiers now moving to the side to allow them to pass.

With a somewhat forced smile, Byron simply nodded and walked forward, the rest of the group following close behind.

"Okay, that worked, but I'm not sure if I like the outcome. You three should probably split up and try to gather some more information; let's meet at the town square over there once you're done."

@Rune_Alchemist@Raineh Daze@Lugubrious@Crimson Paladin@VitaVitaAR

~Izel~

"Eh? Not human? Dear Aerarius, whatever do you mean?" She held a hand to the side of her face, giving the Automaton a playful wink and a smirk. "I'm totally a human, yes? A pretty forever-23 year old human!~" She said, as if that made perfect sense. At the further discussion of who should enter the village though, Izel let out an annoyed huff. Obviously that was the logical choice, but where would the fun in that be? The mage wasn't really one to follow orders well, let lone from...humans, but she supposed if she wanted answers she should play things a bit delicately for now, at least.

She followed along, refraining from saying anything to the guards as Byron talked. Adventurers? Amusing. Was that what she looked like to these people? At least they were easy to sway with words. She didn't have to use any...questionable methods to get herself in, so that was fine. A little mind trickery was always fun, but sometimes didn't end well. Especially if someone like Sylphie was here. Not that she wouldn't mind playing a bit with her, fufu.

Once inside the village, she was once again, mildly disappointed. So...rural. Ah, she missed her library. Her lab. Her cushy magically regulated air temperatures.

"Hmm...perhaps we should travel in pairs?" Izel suggested. More seriously, perhaps there would be a library or some sort of...books around here. Some place detailing recent history would be good, but from the look of the village she wasn't so sure they'd have access to such a thing. "'Twould be humorously unfortunate to awaken only to fall prey to the usurpers. I shall make the sacrifice and volunteer to go with Sylphie."

After drawing near enough to the settlement to catch a glimpse of its guards, Malachi slowed up a touch, inadvertently letting Byron steal ahead. Whoever got there first concerned him not, but something had occurred to him upon seeing a couple ordinary-looking strangers. The huge man carefully removed the Heavies, one after another, and stowed them in the pouches he wore on each hip for that purpose. While the 'heroes' might not think to give the onyx-black cestus a second glance, they were not meant for the eyes of normal folk. Just the sight of them could render some people queasy, or unnerved, like something in their midst that just didn't fit in. Malachi only hoped that the townsfolk couldn't feel them.

The brief delay allowed Byron to take the initiative, and it was he who spoke for their bizarre party. Clearly quick-witted, the catman played off the lucky tidbit of information the gatekeepers let slide, working up a just-vague-enough story to explain their group. As sure as death, however, came taxes, and while Malachi carried a decent sum with him, he remained taciturn long enough for Byron to foot the bill instead. Of course, he noticed straightaway the taken-aback looks on the guards' faces, which told him that Byron just forked over a much larger sum than they ever expected. Fluctuation in currency didn't come as a surprise, but did one silver coin really spark that much of a reaction?

As the party advanced, he followed up the beastman's weak smile with a hearty one of his own, giving the gatekeepers a wink. "Don't spend it all in one place, kids!" he joked, knowing as well as they that it'd be their bosses raking in the bonus. Perhaps they'd resent him for that, but a little personality went a long way. Once within the village, Byron suggested a split-up, which suited Malachi just fine. He had, after all, never conceived of himself as 'together' with these illustrious heroes, after all. Izel suggested pairs, but after she'd ignored what he had to say completely a few moments ago, he didn't care much what she thought. With a casual wave, Malachi set off by himself. The others could pore over all the records and consult all the officials they wanted, while he got down to brass tacks.

A moment later, Malachi pushed into the local bar. The sign outside, remarkably plain and ordered, read 'Croaking Duck', and the inside lived up to the name. With deep brown and pale green wood, it was full of earthy, dark colors, yet not so stark as to be depressing. His eyes fell on the long shelves behind the counter, where multicolored candles and bottles created a singularly gorgeous display of light and color. It seemed like a place where people could come to be alone or together, to fill an evening or to regain strength. Business must be good, Malachi reflected, for a small-town establishment like this to be able to achieve any kind of atmosphere other than 'place to die'. At this hour, what patrons sat at the bar were chowed down on lunch, mostly thin sandwiches with sliced produce and cured beef. Food and drink sounded pretty good after a long rest, and conversations often followed.

Malachi treated the few curious individuals who looked his way with a broad smile. "Now that's more like it!" he exclaimed, swaggering up to the counter. "Bein' out in the wilderness for so long, I came in expectin' dirty water and smelly bread, and instead I find a bonafide country tavern. Hey, mister!" he called out as he seated himself. The portly, gray-whiskered fellow behind the counter sidled on over, put at ease by the stranger's gregarious manner. "Two plates o' the best ya got! And a tankard of your sourest beer!"

Well, this was certainly odd, to say the least. Sylphie hadn't seen a town that looked like this, with guards like this, in hundreds of years by now. What was going on, exactly? This definitely hadn't been there when they were all sealed. But then again, neither had the forest. Had something terribly wrong occurred here? Sylphie was beginning to suspect that something had, at the very least. She frowned to herself for a few moments, ponytail swishing as she cocked her head.

"How strange," she commented, simply, with a shrug, before smirking towards Byron. "Well, if we have to keep up this charade, you have the right name to pretend to be a butler, do you not?"

The tiny girl giggled lightly, before considering the situation once more. Really, she was no good at covert information gathering... she didn't like the idea of being forced into such a role, but it looked like they didn't have much of a choice. Surely these people would understand the situation if she simply showed them her blade, right? No matter what had happened, the simple fact that she stood here now indicated that Aphei was still worshipped, so they would recognize her sword, wouldn't they?

It was then that Izel spoke.

"... Oh? Sacrifice? And here I thought my company was quite pleasant. Hmmm..." she let out a mock sigh, and shrugged. "Fine. I should like to visit the local church, however."

@Crimson Paladin@PKMNB0Y@Lugubrious@Rune_Alchemist@Raineh Daze

The beastman responded to Sylphie's quip with the same smile he had given the guards, making it fully known that he was not particularly enthused about even entertaining the though of having to act as a butler. Given that Malachi had headed straight to the bar and that both Sylphie and Izel were headed off to the church, Byron simply gave the pair a nod and slight two-finger salute before heading off on his own. The first destination in mind for him would have been the same as Malachi's, but given how much of an odd pair they would be together, the young man found it more prudent to head elsewhere instead.

Thus, the gathering point of the so-called 'adventurers' that the guards had mistaken him and the rest of his group for was his next destination. That, too, required a bit more inquiry, and so Byron quickly turned back around after the others had left and asked the guards for directions.

An 'adventurer's guild', they called it; located near the center of the town, next to the town square that he had suggested that the others regroup at later, it was apparently a hub of activity at all points of the day. Thanking the pair for the information, Byron promptly walked off to explore the building.

The first thought that popped into his mind when he entered the guild was that it was, more than anything else, filled with people who were far more rugged than he; in fact, his own entrance seemed to turn a few heads and draw a few snickers before the patrons therein (partaking in the food from the joint restaurant that served the adventurers and its staff) returned to their business. He was obviously an outsider, with his clothing standing out so prominently compared to the rough leather armor that many of the men and women present in front of him wore. When thinking about the state of the armaments of the guards and comparing them to these people, it seemed apparent that these 'adventurers' were really more along the lines of mercenaries; the term used instead simply had a better ring to it.

Without missing a beat, Byron walked up to the reception desk and, after a curious few glances around, noticed an open area next to a comparatively well-dressed young woman in uniform. There was a bit of curiosity in her eyes that he made note of as she sized him up, but the magician simply cleared his throat and spoke calmly instead.

"I'm sorry to bother you, ma'am, but are there any maps of the area for sale here?"

"A-ah... A map, was it?" the woman responded, clearly not expecting that line of inquiry. "I'm sorry, but if you want to purchase a map from the guild, you need to be registered as an adventurer. Do you have an ID with you?"

"Er... It's a bit complicated, but I do not. Would you mind if I simply looked at one instead?"

"Oh, certainly," she said, taking a roll of paper from behind her and rolling it out in front of Byron. There was a brief pause as the beastman scanned the area over, his eyes slowly narrowing the more locations he took note of. The map in front of him was by all means far cruder than the mass-produced copies available in the Alliance, but most notable was the shift in landscape. Nature had reclaimed territory from after the war, which was more than understandable, but the forests and mountain ranges that he took note of—the one they had just passed through included—were not things that could have arisen in the last three decades. The nations that had once made up the Alliance seemed to exist to an extent, if not vastly less powerful (he assumed), and the presence of the Empire in the northern half of the continent seemed markedly clear. Though as to what they were doing now...

Well, that remained to be seen.

After pulling out a piece of paper from his pouch and taking a few notes, Byron thanked the receptionist as she put away the map. Of course, the only thing left to ask now was the question that was bothering him the most.

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble, though, could I ask you for the date?"

"The date...? If I recall correctly, it's the twelfth day of the seventh moon. Oh, were you travelling somewhere for the Festival of Crows?"

"Er... Come again?"

"You know, the Festival of Crows! It's supposed to be the 300th anniversary of the Great War in a week or so, so every town's in a bit of a festive mood right now. If you're planning to stay in Lefine until then, I'm sure you won't be missing out."

"300th... Anniversary? Oh, this is far worse than I thought it was."

---

---

It took but a few scant moments for the bartender to pour the requested beer into a large wooden mug and hand it off to Malachi. There was a slight hand motion passed off from the old man towards a barmaid off to the side, who responded in turn with a nod as she disappeared past the door to the kitchen. Both sides seemed used to the crude half-praise that Malachi had given and took it in stride, and before long a pair of plates, each with a hefty sandwich sitting on top, were delivered to the half-elf.

"From out of town, I take it?" the bartender asked, a smirk on his face as he gave Malachi a once-over. "There ain't many people in this place even half your size, so I feel like I'm obligated to ask; what brings you out to our 'bonafide country tavern' here? A job or something?"

@Lugubrious

---

---

The church of Lefine was nothing all that distinct; the statue of Aphei, as was standard among churches, was erected near the entrance to the building itself, and though everything was quite well-kept there did seem to be a distinct lack of people present—bar the orphans playing around near the building and the nun watching over them, of course. It was to be expected of a day in the middle of the week, with people having jobs to do rather than offer their faith to the gods who looked over them.

There was a brief moment of pause as the nun, who had until this point been watching over the children as their ward, noticed the unusual pair of girls walking over to the church. Telling the children to not get themselves into trouble as she went to greet them (despite knowing full well that some might ignore her words entirely), said nun quickly walked over to greet the pair that had come to the church.

"May the Goddess smile upon you, dear travelers. Did you need something from our humble place of worship?" she asked, a smile on her face as a few of the children began to take notice of the unfamiliar people who she had begun to talk to.

@Rune_Alchemist@VitaVitaAR

~Izel~

The church eh? Izel didn't care at all. She was far more interested in potential books and reading up on the current magical and technological innovations that may have happened in her absence.

The mage twirled backwards, turning it into a rather flamboyant bow towards the others before walking off to the Church. Thankfully, it wasn't a very long walk to the place.

Izel didn't even glance at the statue of the goddess as she entered. Gods and such things were beneath her consideration. Perhaps it was because of her own nature as something...else, but she only felt utter indifference to religion. Perhaps that's why she decided to bother Sylphie. Her interest however, was more in the children that the Nun was attending too. Red eyes stared at them for perhaps a bit longer than one would find acceptable before her attention was gathered back towards the Nun. Orphans? Perhaps, perhaps once this was dealt with she could rebuild her tower...

"Mhm, this one does not need the protection of some goddess." Izel replied with a small smile. "For it is above such things. Existing in tandem, yet a sea of difference and purpose." If the Nun understood, it mattered not. "I am merely accompanying my companion so we do not get separated lest the hounds find us, so do not mind me." She cast another look to the Children before walking over to them.

"Care to see a magic trick?"

After draining a portion of his tankard, Malachi answered the bartender's question with a nod. "Ya got me. From way down south, actually. Thought I'd roam 'round the country to see what's goin' on." He wiped the foam from his lips with the back of his hand, then took a giant-sized bite of the first sandwich. Even simple ingredients tasted great when one was hungry. A few chews later, he maneuvered the food into a cheek and replied, "As for why I'm here, I spent a looong time wanderin' out in the wilds, survivin' on my own."

He paused to wonder why he was taking pains to construct a story when it would be easier just to be honest. Did it really matter, after all? Strange things happened all the time in a magical world, and it wasn't like he was going to just out himself as a one-time enemy of the empire. An old Sydane fairy tale came to mind, and he started work on an idea. After a moment or two spent with his mind in overdrive putting together what he wanted to say, Malachi continued. "To be honest, I'm real lost. Was up in the mountains when I heard these loud cracking noises. Found these little bearded men playing...some kind of game. Seemed alright, so I joined in. Had some of their drink, too. Guess I fell asleep. When I woke up, they were gone, and things were different. So, if you can tell me anythin' about the country, what's going on, even what year it is, I'll be real grateful." Wearing a distressed look, he put his sandwich down, and looked to the bartender for help.

The very fact that Sylphie was still able to summon her sword, still able to stand, was proof that Aphei was still receiving the worship that was so well-deserved. The familiar winged statue was just like those the demigod had seen many times before. However, it was nice to see that the church was so well-kept, and so proud of its religion.

However...

The orphans. That number of children. With the size of this town, that number of orphaned children was... this shouldn't have been expected in peace time. In modern times. Something was terribly wrong.

The desire for vengeance, to spill the blood of the wicked, twisted and coiled inside of Sylphie's heart. Taking note that the kids seemed distracted by Izel, she focused instead on the nun. If there was someone to kill... well, she practically hungered for it.

"... All those children," she began, "What happened to their families?"

It wasn't simply her desire to kill that motivated her questioning.

After all, she had lost her parents too.

@PKMNB0Y@Rune_Alchemist

"Above... Protection? Tandem? Difference? The hounds?"

There was a mildly confused expression on the nun's face as she listened to Izel speak, only giving a vague nod in response as if what cryptic words she had been given made any sense to her at all. A few of the older children who were listening in were just as confused, but the rest seemed to crowd around the magician in response to her question. A few seemed to clamor over one another, but after a short (but stern) glance from the nun, the children quieted down and formed a group centered around Izel. They were, of course, gathered by the church now instead of scattered on the street, so as to not interrupt the non-existent traffic in the area.

Once the oddity had moved to entertain the children, though, the nun was able to focus her attention back towards Sylphie, who seemed comparatively more reasonable to speak to instead. When the topic of the orphans came up, though, there was a brief pause as the nun's gaze turned towards the ground. It took but a moment for her to right herself and begin to speak in turn.

"Forgive me for the assumption, but you and your companion are from out of town, correct? I do not know if it is any place for a servant of Aphei to share her worries with others, but... Recently, a string of incidents have occurred on the outskirts of town. The children you see here... More than a few of them have had their guardians disappear, and as it is difficult for a single parent to care for a child on their own, you see, and so..."

There was a brief pause as the nun turned back to look at the children, making sure that none of them were focused on her conversation, before continuing.

"But even beyond that, there have been scant raids on the town on occasion. Often times, the guards and adventurers repel those responsible, but on occasion... There have been unfortunate accidents. I would not doubt that the two problems would be related, but... As of late, it is becoming difficult to care for those who come here for solace, so I have no time to worry about that any further."

Maybe it was the presence that the demigod gave off, but the nun so openly speaking of her troubles was not something that she was consciously aware of. It was here, though, that she stopped, her hands clasped together in front of her.

"I apologize for burdening you with such worries, ma'am..." she finally apologized, a distinct blush on her face as she spoke. "It is not the place of one in a position such as mine to confess such things to a weary traveler who must have their own share of worries..."

@Rune_Alchemist@VitaVitaAR

---

---

The barkeep failed to keep himself from laughing at Malachi's explanation, though that itself drew no attention from the customers who were engrossed in their own conversations.

"Ah, you've been unlucky, then? Damn shame, then!" he said, a smile on his face despite Malachi's own expression. "Well, everyone's got their own share of things to hide, so I won't pry any further than that. But, hm... Information? Well, let's see... This is Lefine, a city in the Kingdom of Pyden... The year... I think it's 937? Oh, right! It's the twelfth day of the seventh moon, so we're nearing the Festival of Crows! If you're the type to cut loose, you should drop by next week! Free drink if you buy a meal from us, among other things; not too shabby a deal, eh?"

@Lugubrious

Those children... rushing off like that and leaving an old-timer like her alone. Didn't they know that was awfully rude? Not to mention a sure sign of bad luck--the thought was promptly cut off by part of the passageway out collapsing. If she had delayed just a minute more, this would really have been something of a problem. Nearly as much of a problem as the sudden appearance of a forest.

Hm, from the growth, it wasn't an old primeval forest, it was more similar to the way some woods had grown up during the sage's prior travels. It was all in all... something of a bad sign. Like the bad luck hadn't been put in stasis and things had gone quite wrong, making their rest much longer. That would explain how her age had changed so drastically in comparison to the relatively short time they had been planning. A few decades, after all, wouldn't have been expected to both reconfigure one's anatomy and remove a normal lifetime's worth of ageing.

The new village at the mountain's base was the only place the others could have gone and Efander made her way down, continuing to work out some of the kinks in her muscles, testing the restrictiveness of her tailoring a bit more. Sure enough, outside the town was a quite noticeably metal figure, presumably left so as to not scare anyone... or maybe they thought that she might get lost on the short trip. As if a great sage could get lost; they would merely take a different path and arrive exactly when they meant to.

"Ho, so you have been left out here to greet me?" the girl asked, moving to more clearly be seen by Aenarius--complete with her change of outfit. Not that this was the ideal target to assess a reaction on.

~Izel~

"Aha, tell me children." Izel began wearing her usual small smile. "Do you have any interest in magic?" She asked curiously. This was info gathering just as much as it was entertainment for now. Unlikely they would know anything anyways, but she was simply curious if the title still held meaning. As she asked her question, a small sphere of light appeared at the tip of her finger. A bright star, slightly wavering at the edges as though it's form was unstable. The sphere moved upwards, shooting into the air as it split itself into little smaller orbs.

"It's a difficult subject to master, but with a little concentration and effort, anyone can make use of it...and it can be so very beautiful." The star spheres began raining down, harmlessly showering the area in little pinpoints of light. The main one fell back down to Izel's hand, a ring of light slowly expanding from around it. The stars slowly began rotating, spinning and slowly passing by each child present. The main orb lifted itself into the air before spitting out a shower of bright, harmless sparks over everyone. As the sparks hit the ground, they transformed into harmless little puffs of mist until it covered the immediate ground ankle high.

Once the lights diminished entirely, she made a wave of her hand, causing the smoke to rise from the ground and condense into the air just above the children...and it began to lightly snow inside of the building, coating the floor in the cool frozen flakes. "Don't bother the nun too much, with this hm? The snow will stop in an hour or so."

"...disappearances, hm?" Izel echoed, still keeping her ears open on the Nun and Sylphie so she didn't miss an opportunity. Now that the children were likely going to be distracted, she focused her attention back on the Nun. "Is it the Snatchers? Hmm...no no, this place is not urban enough. Not enough dark, old places for them to hide. They wouldn't be far from the school anyways." Well, this would be good enough for something to do. "...ah, one more question from me, my dear devout pretty little devotee." She flashed a playful smirk to the Nun. "Is there perhaps a place of knowledge? A library."

Aerarius watched from afar as the others approached the gate. He did not see them enter the town, but the lack of sounds of battle reassured him that everything had gone smoothly. He himself had chosen to remain outside the town, out of view. His mechanical body stood out too much- at best it'd unsettle the locals, at worst it could draw unwanted attention to the group. He was, to his knowledge, the last of his kind, and if the Volstanians still remembered Aerarius (assuming they themselves still existed), it wouldn't be hard for them to figure out that he'd returned once rumors of a brass mechanical man reached their ears.

It wasn't like he'd gain anything from entering the town. He trusted most of his companions with his life, and was confident in their ability to gather information, exercise discretion, and not draw too much attention to themselves. Besides, someone needed to stay behind to greet and update the sage when he, or she, made it here. And sure enough, he heard the patter of the footprints of someone diminutive approaching from behind.

"Ho, so you have been left out here to greet me?" asked Efander, in her new voice. Aerarius turned around. In theory, he could have simply rotated his head, but it wasn't like he had anything else to be pretending to be paying attention to.

"That, and because I sort of stick out." he answered, looking over her makeshift clothing. "How's the new body feeling?"

Aerarius knew how difficult it could be to adjust to a new body, even one that was arguably a vast improvement in most respects. Of course, Efander's teething troubles (possibly literally, considering her apparent age) would be far different from his own. Efander's new body was still human, but of a different biological sex and apparent age from the previous one. There were still several unanswered questions, though. Will the new body grow up or is it frozen at this apparent age? And will the new body affect the sage's mind in any way? Would Efander end up going through puberty a second time? Only time would tell.

@Raineh Daze

For a few moments, Sylphie was simply quiet as she listened to the nun's story. Internally, however...

Anger at the perpetrators. How dare they. It wasn't that she didn't understand why. There were many reasons why someone would turn to behaving as a bandit. Rather, it was because of the actions they had committed. It reminded her all too much of her own childhood. But she wasn't simply angry. To simply be angry was not in her nature.

She was excited. A familiar heat, entirely different then that of rage. To think, it was so soon and she'd already discovered news those who required her vengeance. Ah, it was exhilarating just to think about it! Oh yes, Sylphie was already prepared. She was ready. She was always ready. But there was still a little more that she needed from the nun. Placing one hand against her chest, the demigod gave the holywoman a pleasant smile, which was quite at odds with the situation.

"And where did these raiders come from, exactly?" asked the small girl, cocking her head to the side. The one of her voice, while seemingly calm friendly, seemed to carry something beneath it as well. Something Sylphie made little effort to hide.

If the nun realized what was about to happen, Sylphie didn't mind at all.

@PKMNB0Y@Rune_Alchemist

With a heavy heart, Malachi swallowed. The food, so good moments before, tasted like ashes on his tongue. And it wasn't the booze that roiled his guts. He kept a hold of himself, but it took a lot of strength—almost everything he had. While he could never boast that he knew a lot, Malachi kept track of the year in order to be aware of people's ages, and on this fateful day he stood on an earth three hundred years older than he'd seen it last.

A few still moments later, Malachi gave the bartender a weary smile. “Yeah, sounds great. If I'm still 'round, I'll be 'ere.” Fishing some coinage out of his pouch, he recalled how much Byron's silver piece astounded the young village guards. It'd been why he opted for large quantities of the establishment's priciest fare. Placing a single silver on the counter, he explained, “For this time, next time, the information, and this. Cheers.” So saying, he swiped the half-filled tankard itself, trusting in his payment to cover its cost, and headed toward the door. “Be seein' ya.” With a wave, he stepped outside.

The huge man got one step before collapsing against the side of the building. Suppressed emotion washed over him like a crashing time. “Three...hundred...” he wheezed, cackling at the insanity of it. And to think he'd been worried about his family getting older. No, no, no. His wife and daughter were dead. Long dead. He'd be lucky if a single person drawing breath today knew had ever heard his name. Every friend he'd ever had was history, and so were their great grandchildren, from the kindly villagers to the royalty of his homeland. Hell, Sydane itself might have been conquered, reduced to rubble, or swallowed by the sea during those centuries. Delirious, Malachi looked around. Things looked so similar, but this wasn't his world. It wasn't his land, nor his sky. He buried his face in his hands. How had he let this happen!?

After a few more minutes of conversation with the receptionist, Byron thanked the woman and left, leaving the scant few adventurers who had been paying attention to him out of curiosity somewhat disappointed that nothing had actually occurred. They were, at heart, a raucous sort, and soon enough their attention turned back towards their own friends and personal matters, regardless of what might have been.

Once he had left the establishment, the beastman took a deep breath and took to leaning against the outer wall of the building. While he had never smoked a day in his life (his father certainly had on more than one occasion), if there was any news that would make him want to start, it would be this.

"Damn... Three hundred years, huh? Not thirty? So much for my siblings, huh? I'm not even sure if I want to look into how they fared after I left at this point. At least the nations are intact, if not significantly less powerful given what bits and pieces I picked up in there..."

Drowning himself in the process of organizing information was probably the simplest way for Byron to try and quell the chaos in his head; the problem of grieving and panicking would do him no good, and anything particularly suspicious in that regard might get him marked. If it had been three centuries since he had been sealed, then information beyond these tidbits was by and large the most important thing to obtain. The state of each country, of the Empire in the years following the war...

The sight of a small crowd forming in front of the bar that Malachi had entered earlier brought Byron's attention away from his own thoughts, though, and given the situation the beastman had no reason not to walk over and check it out. Slipping through the crowd to get a better look, the young man found in the center a Malachi that was far less committed to keeping up a strong front. Given how much he had worried en route to the town, Byron could only assume that the half-elf found out what he had minutes ago.

Brushing away the rubbernecking bystanders, Byron knelt down besides Malachi and patted him on the back.

"At this rate, we're going to cause a scene," he whispered, trying his hardest to maintain composure. "I'm not going to say everything's going to be all right or anything stupid like that, but if you're going to grieve, it can't be in the middle of the street here."

Ideally, Malachi wouldn't lash out at him in return; there was only so much that could be done while trying to keep profiles as low as possible.

@Lugubrious

---

---

The children were wholly entranced by Izel's performance, and for good reason; none of them had even seen such a spell before—at least, not one so fine yet so impractical. Snow in the middle of the summer months was just as exciting, though, and the children were soon off in a huddle trying to come up with a new game in response to their new situation.

The nun, on the other hand, simply turned to Izel in wide-eyed amazement, glancing between the children running about and Izel herself, before finally realizing her actions and bowing her head slightly.

"I apologize, but there is no library in Lefine. The most that we have are scriptures here in the church and official documents in government buildings," she said, bowing her head in apology once more before turning towards Sylphie to address her question. There was a brief pause as the nun considered the way that Sylphie spoke before glancing around nervously.

"The... The raids usually originate from the mountainside, but though many adventurers have explored the area, they often come back empty handed. The bodies of dead monsters and the occasional rewards from clearing dungeons, yes, but beyond that..."

In other words, the nun knew little of their base of operations; given that she was not involved in matters of public safety, that much, it seemed, could not be helped.

@Rune_Alchemist@VitaVitaAR

The mountainside, then...

Sylphie nodded. None of the adventurers had been able to find it? None of them possessed the abilities she did. There was not a single doubt in the small girl's mind that she would find the perpetrators. The mere thought was already making her heart beat faster from sheer excitement. A group of raiders kidnapping townsfolk for some sort of wicked purpose... yes, that was the definition of the kind of people she was here to take vengeance on. Those were the ones where was here to exact righteous fury upon. Those were the ones she was here to claim just victory against.

They were the ones whose blood she was soon going to spill.

"Thank you for your information," she replied, placing one hand to her cheek with a smirk as she did. It was difficult not to look excited, she had no real intention of hiding it anyway. Her tone of voice would have conveyed her feelings immediately regardless. "In the name of Aphei, those raiders will soon trouble you no longer."

With that, the small girl turned on her heel and immediately began to head away from the church. If Izel followed her, that was the other girl's decision. She was going to find those raiders and kill them regardless of what anyone else said or did.

@Rune_Alchemist@PKMNB0Y

Thanks to Byron's help, the realization that he was making a spectacle of himself went a long with towards sobering Malachi up. Coughing a few times, he wiped his eyes and straightened himself up. It was painful, and he had no intention of letting go of this woe, but a man like him had an image to uphold. With an irate, “Don't you lot have anything better to do?” he marched off, headed back in the direction of the entrance through which he group arrived.

Not that he knew why he walked that way, or really, much of anything to begin with. He looked back toward Byron as he went, but he said nothing. Questions came to him, of course, like where do we go from here? but why would Malachi ask them? More than likely, the catman lost family of his own thanks to this catastrophe, but that didn't mean they were instantly companions or something. Malachi supposed that in a situation like this, the survivors ought to band together and work over their feelings, but these heroes were strangers at best. The happenstance that placed him with them constituted the sole thing in common that they shared. What became of them following his revelation didn't really concern him, even if it sort of felt like it should. But what did matter, then? This world harbored neither friends, family, or home. There was nothing for him—no reason to continue on.

Malachi heaved a sigh, hanging his head. Such thinking would get him nowhere, or perhaps even lead him to a dark place. Even with the far more severe situation, it wasn't the first time he'd lacked for purpose. He'd wandered the mainland for ages before settling down. Back then, of course, he hadn't tasted the sweet nectar of meaningfulness and developed the thirst for it that roiled him now, but that meant he'd be even more driven to find it, right? The only question: where to begin. He decided to address the catman after all. He turned to Byron and said, “Thanks. Took it a little hard, but...I'll be fine. Gonna find a reason to keep goin' on. First stop...” He sifted through his memories. What entity possessed the greatest chance of having remnants in this new era? An idea came to him, and he seized it greedily. “Sydane. Maybe that ol' kingdom's still 'round. If anywhere's got a record of me, it'll be that. Good luck out there, fella.” He needed to procure a map and some supplies first, but with the apparent conversion rate of his currency, that wouldn't be an issue. With that in mind, Malachi looked around for any structure that resembled a general store or merchant row. A smaller man might have enjoyed an expedited journey thanks to a horse, but the brawler doubted he'd find a steed large enough in this place, and he was plenty used to long walks besides.

~Izel~

"Really? Not even in the school?" Izel, for once, seemed momentarily silenced. Religious texts were useless. Nothing more than a time waster to read for interesting tidbits on how to perhaps, better blend in with a religion. "...perhaps one does not exist in this town either?" Just how far had society stalled? She had expected it to somewhat, but perhaps...had it even regressed? Izel's usual playful smirk wavered. The official documents would be good for informational purposes, such as finding out what really was going on here, but aside from that...

Ah, how deliciously annoying. Perhaps she should burn the empire? Destroy every single citizen? They deserve no less of a fate for messing with things that they should not. Hm, was this anger? Such an annoying emotion.

Of course, before she could continue the line of thought Sylphie made to leave.

"Oh dear." Izel laughed softly as Izel left. "The little demi seeks to spill the unclean blood. How uncouth, yet such is her nature." Offering the nun a decidedly flirtatious smile, Izel gave her an exaggerated bow before taking off after Sylphie. "Ta-ta for now, my lovely nun. Perhaps this one shall return later when the deed is done. Sylphie!~" She called after the Demigod. "Please don't mar that adorable face of yours with such an questionable smirk, you'll give people the wrong idea~"

Seeing that Malachi had managed to compose himself enough to at least talk sensibly was a small comfort to Byron, who made sure that the crowd had dissipated before following after the half-elf. His words, at least, seemed less founded in grief and more aimed towards a pragmatic solution—quite a boon, given his earlier despair, but one that he would gladly take. Discussing what they had found would likely be better done with the rest of the group, and by now both Aerarius and the "old" sage would have likely found their way to the town nearby.

"You and me both," he responded to the half-elf's first comment, glancing around to make sure that they had not gained the extended attention of anyone else in the town. "But it's good that we have a plan. It's not like we have much other direction, so maybe it'd do us some good to chart a route once we meet up with the others again. I think it would do us well to move as a group, regardless; there's only so much a lone traveler can do otherwise."

Given that Malachi seemed dead-set on moving from here to Sydane, there was no reason not to use that as a basis; every other nation had been weakened, save the Empire, which meant that it didn't matter to him where they went or in what order they did so.

As the half-elf seemed to find his target—a general store closer to the market—Byron noticed both Sylphie and Izel returning from their brief split from the group and heading straight for the exit. To some degree, this was something to be a bit thankful for; not having to explain to regroup outside would be for the best.

"Let's meet up outside the town once you're done picking up whatever you need to," Byron said, motioning off to the side before walking off to rejoin the pair of girls. Sylphie, it seemed, was already fired up to handle something... Which probably wasn't the best of things to see while they were trying to remain comparatively low profile. Knowing her disposition from legends and records alone meant that someone was going to die, but...

"Did you find anything out? I told Malachi to meet us outside, so if you're planning on going to kill someone, we should at least get the other two up to speed. I'll run down what I learned then."

@VitaVitaAR@Lugubrious@Rune_Alchemist

"I dare say it feels just as comfortable as the old one. Certainly, the stiffness has reduced considerably," Efander answered, musing. How odd that she felt so comfortable despite the major changes and their coming from what felt like one moment to the next, "It may be that regulating mana flows unconsciously has the same effect as exercising muscles would normally do so; or perhaps allowing her Divinity's essence in for so long had an effect.

"Perhaps at a later date I may find time to write a memoir and consider the effects of regular contact with advanced energies on the nature of the soul but for now, we have quite more pressing concerns. For instance, did I size my clothing correctly?" she wondered, turning around to give Aerarius a better look, "And..."

This time, the gold eyes were meeting the robot's gaze, "Did anyone on the way down note that this forest must have taken centuries to grow?"