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[color=#736AFF][b][h1]Ranbu no Izayoi[/h1][/b][/color]
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Three days spent on the road back to Brightlam. Progress was slow due to the fact that they'd had to avoid the major roads and towns now that the Kirins were wanted across the country. So they were stuck taking back roads and paths through the forest, hoping to avoid patrols. This led them into conflict with the local monsters, but it was nothing that the group couldn't handle at this point. 

Of course, that also meant that there was a risk of becoming hopelessly lost when taking paths not recorded, much less ever actually trod. As they were right this moment. The rainforest was getting ever denser, the climate muggier. They knew that south was still the right direction, but that meant little without knowledge of when they would be able to get their bearings again. 

As they trudged and hacked their way through the undergrowth, something drew their attention: warped roars and howls, interspersed with the sound of thunder crashing down close by. Very close by. When the Kirins did manage to cut their way through, they came across a clearing in which [url=https://i.imgur.com/NgoFBbf.png]a giant of a sage with an equally large beard[/url] floated above, sending bolts of lightning down on a horde of snarling, slavering Blightbeasts. And on the ground below him was...

[b]"Back, you mindless wretches!"[/b] Cid scowled, blasts of light magic flying from his staff before he saw the Kirins enter the clearing. [b]"Thank the gods, you live! I beseech you, help me protect Ramuh's domain!"[/b]