Sovereign Capitol Building -- Council Chambers

~To the lands below we descend,
our Might to never cease,
Upon the realm which beckons so,
the time which He shall sieze.

Sounds of legend, life, and lore,
his name the flag, his hand our blade.
For when the knights of tomorrow reign,
He shall be their grace.~


The words of the old folk song remained engraved on the large door that gave way into an extraordinary meeting chamber. The walls, carved of the most beautiful marble, brightened the contrasting round, granite table which held four seats. The room was excessively tall, creating somewhat of an echo - mostly to let the speakers know when they needed to stop talking over one another. At each corner of the four seats stood an eight-man squad of soldiers, each dawning the colors of their respective province, but sharing the Leginian Crest upon their arms.

It was here, in an eerie quiet, that the Leginian Council met for the first time since the election of Nayomi Black. She was a beautiful woman, a bit young for her position, actually. Rumors spread that she had only won the election due to her father's previous ownership of the seat. But regardless, she had proven to be a fine leader to her people. And now, she would meet with the other three Representatives. For the very first time.

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"Whenever you're ready, sweetheart," came the sweet voice of the oldest Represenative on the council: Ingrid Yvore. Her voice was gentle, but her speech was firm. The marks of age did not let her keep her former beauty, but was unable to take away her pride. Nayomi Black appreciated the confidence that Ingrid sparked in her - it was a sort of maternal assistance as she stood to begin the council.

"*ahem* Greetings, I am Nayomi Black, first and last of Sergio Black. As the Head Representative, I will initiate this gathering." Looking down at her Holopad, she took a moment to collect her thoughts and then began again:

"We will begin with resource allocation. As for Gaia, we've been redirecting many assets - 30% of our military power, I might add - to the finalization of Project Spartan. The wall has been finished, all underground and whatnot. The cores have been implemented and all that's left is the Mass Kinetic Barrier systems and aerial protection."

"Hm... you have yet to announce ANY reasonings behind this odd... erm... suspicious notion..." Haythum Pierce, a tall, slender man with slicked-back gray hair spoke with a sly and cunning tone. His voice resembled that of a fictional snake, and as such, many of his political opponents referred to him as so. "You have an indestructable barrier being put up but for what? Our people don't know... your people don't know... I mean, all you have is the word of blind prophets. You ca-"

"Enough, snake," bellowed Rugo Pierre, his voice resonating with a deep, authoritative tone. He stood at 6'6", weighing well over 250 pounds. His shoulder length beard and oversized hands gave him the look of a giant, and he was known as a brute to many who were unable to understand him as a person. "Leave the girl, alone, huh?" he stated with a touch of annoyance. Haythum snickered, "That doesn't answer my question, Rugo. Don't take your failures out on me, my friend." Rugo grunted at Haythum's response, to which he could only shake his head. Haythum would not stop, however, utilizing his opponent's silence to strike twice - "You don't intend to keep it a secret, now, do you? I mean, seventy one men died, Rugo. That's more than enough for me to consider that an emergency."

Rugo grit his teeth, but was interrupted by Nayomi before he could say anything. "Easy now, Mr. Pierce. Rugo, would you mind explaining this 'emergency'?" Rugo sighed, but complied: "One of our smaller strains of lightning cores out in Leo's Valley seemed to uh... well, the mining expedition found some sort of unidentified core, and upon bringing in some Corologists... well... boom. All of them dead. The mine collapsed on itself, tremors wrecked three nearby towns. Monsters went haywire, too. Ye ole' Rugo coulda taken em, but alas, I was busy with these politics. Y'know you shoulda sent me 'em troops Haythum..."

As the two women in the council fell into deep thought regarding Rugo's emergency, Haythum chimed in to prevent his "loss." "Now, now, Rugo, you had this coming. We specifically passed Ammendment 14 to Article 3, stating no mines may operate without corologist presence. My sources tell me you've been handling this rather unethically, hm?"

Rugo began to turn a slight red, "You... you send spies to me home? Yeh oughtta hold on tight to yeh seat, buddy, cuz-"

Haythum snickered, "Ha, and might I add, I would not have been able to send any help either! As I, too, have had multiple reports of "unstable" cores found along the coast. However, we were smart enough to NOT get ourselves killed." Rugo growled and shot up in his seat, "You dirty lil'-"

"Enough!" Ingrid's voice rang loudly in the hall. "Quit your mindless bickering and heed this - I, too, have been forced to answer to reports of what my citizens refer to as 'Ancient Cores.'" Nayomi raised her brow and chimed in, maintaining her calm, "Ancient cores? From the folk tales?" Ingrid nodded. "The very same, actually. The cores of the ages lost to legends." Rugo scoffed, "How? Weren't they supposedly weapons of the gods, buried deep within Aeros? This is a joke, no?" Nayomi shook her head, "It's rather silly, but we gotta tie these ends up. We have had a rather nasty experience with overzealous "prophets" these days." Ingrid nodded, "Indeed. Who knows - cores are a mystery in themself. The reports indicate that these Ancient Cores eminate energies that are too powerful for any human to near without gear. No corporation could afford for a full squad to extract it." Haythum raised a brow and responded, "The Gold? You tried them yet?" Ingrid shook her head, "Negative. But it is a good idea. And actually... now that I think about it Rugo..."

Rugo finally nodded as well, beginning to pick up the matter at hand. "Aye... the mining incident could have easily been the same... but remind me, eh, me memory fails - those cores were symbolic of something, no?" Nayomi sighed before responding - "Well, I mean... father used to tell me the stories all the time. Ancient Cores - the weapons left behind the predecessors of mankind in order to save the race for when it would need it most." The council all nodded, brought to an eerie silence but both realizations and speculations. Rugo ended the silence, a sense of utter concern lining his face.

"But... what would we need to be saved from?"

---

While prestigious Council members pondered of the unknown threats of the future a much smaller, and tragically overlooked tale was playing out in the harsh times of the present. On the cold streets of the beautiful city of Sovereign was a small child. The fifteen year old girl clung to her heating core like it were a precious doll. Ragged clothe covered her fragile frame, rat nested hair hung down to her shoulders, her skin was muddied, and her eyes were a dull white, absent of the innocence that should have filled a youth at her age.

Darkness...

It was her world, her way of life. She lived with blindness for so long now that her memory of the splendors of sight were fading. She had lost all hope of salvation years ago. She was a husk, filled only with bitter hatred for any who approached her. Whether it was an offer of love, or the ruff leather of an abusers boot, she scorned it. Every single wrong that had ever been done to her she remembered. Every word of hate, every strike from another. She held it in her mind and let it brood, brood for the day she would finally strike back, the day she would laugh as the world burned.

A soft thump pulled her thoughts from the sea of hatred they had been adrift within. Her little hand reached out to feel what had fallen. 'Bread...' she thought to herself as she picked it up and brought it too her nose. She took a hurried bite, her teeth clamping down on something hard halfway through. Her tooth shattered and she tasted blood in her mouth. She dug through the loaf to try and determine what had caused this. After a few moments of searching her small hands produced five steel balls. She could not identify them as steel, but she knew they were not naturally occurring things in a loaf of bread.

She searched the rest of the loaf, being more careful with her next bites. Each time she chewed she winced in pain, blood ran down her chin and she heard the feint cackle of the one she now identified as the culprit. She said nothing, did nothing, no she simply sat and listened; imprinting the sound of that cackle in her mind for future reference. 'One day...' she thought to herself with a rage that chilled the air, 'one day you will feel regret in the form of a bloody knife....'

She made this promise to herself and slowly continued to eat her bread.

Vates (Night before) - Tuborg Heights, in one the upper-class sectors of Sovereign
It was a dim evening with light fog lingering around the compact streets of Sovereign, making even this upper-class and relatively spacious area of the city seem more hazardous. This no doubt attributed to the lack of people around, as after all Vates’ rich neighbours were – like anyone with vast amounts of things to loose – scared to take such a trivial risk of walking the streets. This was not the case for Vates who unlike most of the local snobs was not born into wealth, and understood that more often than not that there was nothing to be afraid of.

Vates was jogged out of his deep trail of thoughts by the unpleasant sensation of stepping in a fog concealed puddle. He grimaced as he gazed upon his black leather ‘Evennio’ shoes, and contemplated whether to clean them when he got home or simply buy a new pair. Both he quickly decided as he continued walking on, suddenly noticing the presence of two men close behind him. They were likely passing through this area or delivering something; they were not residents Vates judged by their clothing, and by the same measure unlikely to be visitors either. Then again, he had no idea who these men were and for all he knew could be fellow residents who simply like the simpler things.

Vates was now in sight of the building that housed his apartment and he could make out the silhouette of the security guards in the window, the dim yellow light from inside only just piercing the thin veil of fog. He sighed however, knowing that they were too far away to deter the two men that had increased their paces and were in fact looking for trouble. He turned around to meet them.

“Oi! You little trust-fund prick! Where’d ya think you’re going?!” said the bigger man who was approaching from his left. The one on the right, although not too big himself, was still slightly bigger than Vates and both carried machetes.

“Home” replied Vates confidently; knowing that if need be he could probably outrun the two.

“Not before I gut you and take your gear!” the man shouted as he swiftly lunged forward. The sheer escalation and violence surprised Vates but he was able to quickly raise his left hand and use his kinetic gauntlet. A big burst erupted from the gauntlet and the attacker was hit with what could be compared to as ridiculously strong gust of air, sending him flying back off his feet.

Vates turned to see that the other had begun to flank him and was now lunging himself. Vates didn’t have time to turn and knock him back but instead closing his eyes he used his right gauntlet to emit a blinding flash of light. Taking advantage of the stun he glided around the man, using his right arm to get the man in a choke hold whilst placing his left hand on the side of his head. With a small point blank jolt from the left gauntlet the attacker’s brain was briefly moved out of its usual position, causing a severe concussion and knocking him out.

The bigger man by this point had regained his footing and looked through the fog at the lone silhouette before yet another blast sent the machete flying from his hand. In the heat of the moment the man rushed the silhouette and delivered a hard take down to the ground. But as he went to give the first blow to the face he saw that he had tackled his unconscious friend. He had but a second before he felt the touch of Vates hand on his head and suffered the same fate as the man beneath him.

Thanar Zey was worried. Cores should not explode. It just shouldn't happen. And yet, from what he heard, that was precisely what had occurred. This was why he was in Sovereign. Even in Argos he had noticed the effect - his core arrays had measured a large release of energy, and soon after, the rumours had started arriving. And on a recent business trip passing this way, he had felt a large concentration of cores underground. Powerful ones. For what, he couldn't say, but it didn't bode well.

His aircraft came to a smooth landing just outside the town, and he disembarked quickly, striding down the ramp with his purple robes billowing around him. At each step, the Corestaff hit the ground with a solid thunk. He proceeded at speed through the town, stopping momentarily to drop a handful of high-denomination coins in the lap of a blind beggar girl before continuing on his way to the council hall.

As he walked, he mulled over what he knew.
Fact: there had recently been a large release of energy near Sovereign.
Fact: rumours were that this had been caused by an exploding core.
Fact: there were large concentrations of active, refined cores underground.
Fact: there had been a lot of work going on in the area recently

Hypothesis: the Sovereign Council have been building something large underground. This thing involves cores. However, they have run into complications.
Course of Action: Make inquiries on the side - use personal sources. Then contact Sovereign Council.

This chain of reasoning had led him here today, and he intended to follow it to its conclusion, whatever that might be.

Arianna jumped suddenly, frightened of the unexpected honking of a horn. She clutched the strap of her satchel tighter, unnerved by the city noises. The poor twenty-year old had only been in Sovereign for a week, so many of the new senses she was experiencing were still completely foreign. While Argos was as big as Sovereign, it was silent compared to the raucous city. Sovereign seemed so inviting the day she had first chosen to move here. She remembered the day well. Her poor parents were so worried at the thought of their darling daughter moving to the big city, especially since it was so far away. Arianna had implored them to let her go, and eventually they allowed it, but on their own conditions. Arianna was to call them every night before she slept to tell them about her day in her new home. She smiled softly as she recalled each conversation. Her parents were eager to know every detail and thought. Oh, she missed them already, but she didn’t miss her final boring years in Argos. While her friends had been continuing their studies in Argos High, Arianna had been home, reading all the books in her library over again just so she wouldn’t forget them. She had saved her favorite books for last; The Fault In Our Stars, Fahrenheit 451, the Inkheart series, and Anthem. Despite Arianna’s realistic mindset, her favorite genre of books was fiction, especially Science-Fiction. She somehow yearned to live another life, a life full of adventure and deeds of derring-do.

Arianna’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted as a policeman flew past, his siren blazing from his hovering motorcycle. Instinctively she froze, standing there as he sped onwards She watched him speed down the street and take a turn down another, her hair tossing softly in the wind he left in his wake. Where was he going? Who was in trouble? Had it been a car wreck, or a robbery? Perhaps there had been a murder? Arianna bit her bottom lip, hoping the poor soul that had called him was safe and sound.

With a soft sigh to calm her nerves, Arianna continued on her way. She had an important meeting to attend, which, now that she thought of it, was in less than ten minutes. Although she had mainly moved to Sovereign to further her studies and experience life away from Argos, she was also here on a personal matter. Years ago, just after she graduated freshman year, her best friend, Iktomi Ascher, suddenly packed up and left without a goodbye. Arianna was left alone, bored, a little hurt, to be honest, and with many unanswered questions. There were rumors that this friend was in Sovereign, and she intended on finding him. Yes, this close friend of Arianna’s was a boy. Come to think of it, this friend was considered a man nowadays. He was roughly a year older, going by the age of 21. She remembered him as a taller, leaner, and darker individual than she was. In their last year together, Arianna had studied Iktomi (she usually called him Ik) closely. Perhaps she had studied him a little too close…

Arianna felt her heart flutter in excitement at the thought of seeing Ik again. She wondered about him whenever she had a free moment to just sit and think. Of course he had changed since then, but by how much? She shook these thoughts away. There was no sense of imagining what he looked like, or how he acted now. She could always risk setting up expectations of him, and she didn’t like expectations. Anyways, she would find out soon enough. Perhaps today, if Mr. Smith had stayed true to the deal and found him. The day after she had arrived in Sovereign and found a quaint apartment to stay in, Arianna had walked through the city just to get a feel of it. She had overheard a conversation about a man named Mr. Smith, and how he was the man to go to if you needed to find something… or someone. Arianna indulged herself and inquired where she might find this Mr. Smith. This led her to his area of business, where she made a deal with him. Although she didn’t know what he would want in return from her, which in turn made her question why she even thought of agreeing, Arianna was just glad to finally find Iktomi after all these years. So, with a newfound courage, she had agreed to the deal. She could only hope that Mr. Smith was a decent and kind man, that wouldn’t ask too much of her just for an address. As the ten minutes turned into five, Arianna felt nervousness and excitement bubbling all about her. She could only smile as she saw the meeting place, a small café, up ahead.

On the border of Sovereign's lower class Sector stood one of the better tower constructs. These buildings, known as Skymalls were exactly what they sounded like: large centers of leisure, shopping, and entertainment for members. The best Sector C skymall, known as the Lift, also housed one of the primary hangars for shuttles, and it constantly answered passing traffic, assisting pilots land, maintain, and take off. The hangar was right outside a quiet, dimly lit bar. The stools and tables were wooden and the walls and floors were as rough as the regulars who frequented the bar, known as "Cloud 9." Here, a young man stood leaning against a supportive pillar, hiding from others glances as he had no membership ID. No, he was here for something else.

---

[*Cue MUSIC*]



"Two mercs... FreelancerS? No... Not Gold... Militia? Hm... Two civilians... The tender... Another merc..." Kisheto's voice was low and inaudible; he glared at his target as he continued to think aloud. "They're sober. Why won't they hurry up and drink? Hm... I'm definitely faster... Stronger? I dunno... Maybe I could use it..." His eyes fell upon a single black dagger that rested in its sheathe, which was latched to the mercenary's leg. Kisheto looked around, "Two windows... Hm... Too high. Door... Nah, too- wait... Ledges, shit, that's right... Ledges...."

Silently and swiftly, Kisheto began walking towards the table that housed three mercenaries. He kept his head low to avoid making any eye contact and walked as if he were merely a shadow of the restlessness that rustled through the wooden frame of the complex. Finally, he was within ear shot of the mercenaries, and could tell they were well into their discussion. Slowly and steadily, Kisheto walked forward and "accidentally" knocked off the target mercenary's empty cup.

"Oy, lad, yeh blind or what?" came the voice of the large man. Kisheto emulated a stumble, "Oh, sorry, yo," he said as he reached for the cup. As he reared to stand up, he quickly snatched the blade out of the hilt, smooth and gentle. He placed the cup on the table and turned to walk away in a hurry, only managing to drop the dagger in his excitement.

"What in the... You... THIEF!" yelled the mercenary, attracting the attention of every man in the bar. Kisheto froze as heard he man get up abruptly and pace towards him. "Shit.. No time to think..."

*BAM*

Kisheto's elbow slammed right into the man's nose, causing a splash of blood to stain his armor. He staggered back and Kisheto quickly dove for the dagger, dodging the tackles of another mercenary who attempted to assault him. In an instant, the entire bar broke into chaos. Stools started flying, tables started turning, and in general, hidden angers erupted from the violent men who sat and drank under the guise of retreat. Kisheto could feel the ground tremble as men began charging his way. "Shit, windows it is"

Kisheto jolted to his feet and broke into a full out dash towards the nearest open window, facing the backside of the tower. He pushed off his soles and soared through the air, diving through the square and out of the pub...

And into the city below.

The wind embraced him as he soared through the air, submitting to gravity for a good three seconds before he somersaulted in mid air, landing on a ledge that was made to support the Shuttle Pad directly above him. He looked back, sighing in relief, but quickly wiped his grin off his face at the sound of sirens. "Shit!"

With a quick dash, he began free running through the framework that consisted of pipelines and iron ledges, as the sound of a Police shuttle neared. He reached the end of the hangar and skidded to an abrupt halt, the sight of the city looming below him. But it was too late, the police shuttle ascended in front of him and hovered in air as the the siren wailed for him to submit. Kisheto merely chuckled and dashed forward, jumping and kicking up onto the top of the rather small shuttle, causing it to tip a bit. As he did this, he could hear the muffled voices inside: "Shake the bastard off!" Kisheto simply smiled and slid to the nearest antennae, on which he held as the shuttle began soaring through the air above Sovereign.

"WOOOO! YEAH BITCHES!!!!! I'M THE KING OF THE W-"
The shuttle suddenly dropped a good number of feet, causing Kisheto nearly lose grip as it began descending rapidly. In a final attempt to shake Kisheto the shuttle rolled over as it flew, trying to cause Kisheto to fall off. Kisheto merely hung on to the antennae, his legs dangling above the rooftops that zipped past him. He then felt the shuttle begin to roll right side up, but before it could do so, he let go.

It was an idiotic move, but it was nothing out of the norm for someone like Kisheto, who could never stop pushing his luck. His body flew through the air, quickly making contact with a unstable roofing that gave way under his weight. As he crashed through the rooftop and into some sort of living room below, the inhabitants inside screamed. Kisheto felt all sorts of pain along his back and sides, and he struggled to get up as he groaned in agony. "FUCK!" Despite his pain, his adrenaline was still pumping, and he swallowed his discomfort before dashing out the front door of the apartment, into the balcony, and finally, into the alley below. He landed on the ground with a certain grace which was finished with an unnecessary but flashy flip. As he stood up and dusted himself off, he whistled at the sight of the damage he caused. Before he rushed off into the crowds in the middle class sector that lay before him, he checked to make sure he still has the dagger...

"Hehe, hell yes. This baby's gonna get me a boatload of Laurels!" He said before disappearing into the crowd of Sovereign - the city he had called home for so many years. The same city that reduced him to nothing more than a petty thief. The same city that breathed it's life into his. Sovereign - it was of him as he was of it.

Vates - His apartment, Tuborg Heights, Sovereign

Vates sat behind the massive u-bend table with his face buried in his hands. His hands slid up his face so that his palms could rub his eyes of the tiredness. Sitting back he let out an audible sigh, frustrated at the information that lay before him. He had gotten wind of something potentially big, a large project being funded by the Leginian Council which was almost a sin to talk about. They didn't want anyone to know about the plans being put in place and Vates still couldn't fathom why. From the tiny pieces of information he managed to scrounge it appeared that they were building some sort of construct around the edges of the city, but the details still eluded him and when he attempted to see the work himself was met by discrete military outposts both new and old scattered along the areas the construction was taking place. He could not work out what they were building either. Some rumours alluded to the possibility of a shield of some kind, but what purpose would that serve? Greater control over comings and goings? Over smuggling? Any reason that he could think of did not appropriate the need for such a project. The city would not stand for such rigid controls over immigration nor would it really benefit from it. Smuggling did not appear to be of massive concern to the Army previously either. There was something amiss. The information he had was worthless as it was; whilst lesser brokers might not think so, Vates was a man who understood that information meant nothing without context.

The bleeping of his alarm clock meant that he had run out of time to think about it anyway. He had to go meet with a young client who was looking for an old friend, and he had idea of where she could find him.

Standing up into a joint cracking stretch Vates took an appreciative look around his secret office. Vates penthouse apartment appeared to occupy the top two floors (including a nice little roof terrace) of the complex, but in actuality housed an entire secret third floor below. It was used by the previous tenant, a cunning smuggler now deceased, to store goods and act as a safe-room. Whilst there were electronic security systems in place, Vates felt safer in the knowledge that due to the secret old-school style vault door that the room would still be functional in the unlikely case that he lost power. What made Vates feel even more secure was that to the best of his knowledge he was the only one who knew about it, having come across the deceased smugglers diary locked away on a previous job. Vates knew everything about the building, including the various escape routes and weak spots. Like for example the fact the building contained no stairs, instead relying on a nearby private fire-fighting firm to conduct any rescues – the drill was that tenants would remain by their windows and be picked up by shuttles; Vates however knew that there was a ladder in the elevator shaft that could be used if need be.

The morning sun shined a beam through the curtains and an alarm clock buzzed in a simple hotel room. Zachary, who had been sleeping, turned off the buzzer and slowly stretched his way out of bed. Taking a shower and getting dressed for the day, he departed his room taking a bag with him. He worked his way up the tower to the skyway bus terminal, stopping along the way to buy a cheap takeaway breakfast meal.

From the bus on the skyway, there were panoramic views of the marvellous city of Sovereign, with its towering, elegant buildings and web of roads. However, Zachary was more interested in the glimmering blue skyway beneath his seat, which had been the subject of his masters. He, along with a team of other masters students, had been endeavouring to find a way of allowing vehicles to travel upside-down on them without scattering their occupants and cargo throughout the vehicle. A gravity core, although it could solve the problem (and already has for very very high-class carriages), was out of the question on a matter of cost. To substitute, Zachary had found a way to simulate the desired effect by means of a kinetic core embedded alongside the polarity cores. The design was yet to be implemented throughout the grand city of Sovereign, but proposed skyways were considering it.

Soon the bus stopped at a terminal by the university, where Zachary disembarked. The reason he was here in Sovereign, as opposed to his residence in Argos, was to perform some research for his thesis on a novel propulsion system for shuttles. At present, shuttles use kinetic cores to propel themselves by brute force. However, this method leaves a lot wanting in terms of efficiency. This is where Zachary is investigating- means to efficiently and cheaply propel a shuttle. So far, in his preliminary research, air and polarity cores have been found to improve propulsion provided by kinetic cores. With the theory in hand, he has come to Sovereign to access facilities which would allow him to put that theory into practise.

Zachary entered a lift and descended to the lower floors, where he proceeded through a door and into a mechanical workshop. Several other people worked inside, constructing and tinkering with their own projects, making use of the sophisticated tools available to them. Zachary found a small crate addressed to him, which he opened to find a selection of metal parts, some electronics and a few cores, along with a piece of paper which was the receipt. He smiled to see that his order had come through on time. Inside this crate were the materials he needed to create a prototype miniature shuttle engine. Using a trolley to move the crate over to the workbench he had reserved, he got to work on fabricating a working machine from this collection of parts and his own notes, which he had in a notepad he had been carrying in his bag. It was like a hands on puzzle, and he loved those, so he was quickly engrossed in his task.

He was interrupted by the man working on the bench next to him, who had decided to strike up a conversation. "Did you hear of the recent explosions in the core mines?"

Zachary nodded. Core mining had always been risky business, but the risk was rarely from the cores themselves. On their own cores are rather stable. It takes special conditions to get a core to release its energy. "I have. It is a strange occurrence. Cores don't normally explode unless prompted."

The woman on the bench in front of him chimed in. "It has been..." she hesitated, choosing the next word with care, "suggested that these explosions are caused by the Ancient Cores."

Zachary chuckled. "Those myths? Even if they are real I doubt they are what the legends say they are." He held up his wind core and the casing for it. "My guess is that they've come across some hybrid of a core and this metal. Such a core would likely be very unstable. The size of the explosion need not be from a core of legends. Even this puny little wind core would flatten everything in this room if it exploded. Just imagine what would happen if a full vein of cores went off? And in a shaft mine it doesn't take much to bring it down on you." He put the core back down. "Of course, the final verdict lies with the corologists." And with that, he returned to work on his engine.

Collab Between Kyle and Skai

The scent of coffee and tapping of keys on a keyboard filled Arianna's senses as she stood aside, waiting for her order to finish being made. As she waited, her eyes wandered around the small café curiously. Among the faces hidden by laptops, coffee, or long hair, Arianna saw no sign of the mysterious Mr. Smith. Really all she saw were a bunch of hipsters with tight pants, leggings, boots, and scarves. She chuckled, feeling like she belonged here with her blue button up blouse, skinny jeans, and black combat boots. Even if she wasn't wearing a scarf or had her hair in a messy bun, she still looked the part. Consciously, she brushed her hair back from her face. Where was this Mr. Smith? Was he hiding behind a laptop, or was he late? Her anxious thoughts ceased as her order had been called. Arianna's favorite form of coffee was a white chocolate mocha, with copious amounts of whip cream. Her lips spread into a warm smile as she took it, quietly thanking the girl behind the counter. She then found a seat for two by the window. She sat in the chair facing the door and removed the lid from her coffee so it could cool. Now, all she had to do was wait.

Vates smiled as he caught sight of the girl sitting in the window. The choice of seating was a bit too visible for his liking, but it mattered little. From his quick survey of the area there was no obvious surviellance, nor did he expect there to be. Still, it was worth being slightly late for the sake of a little bit of extra safety. As he entered he took a glance around at the various figures, he too noticing the hipster crowd that the café attracted. He instantly could not help but feel out of place in his expensive crimson and black suit. He hid his short lived insecurity as he took his seat opposite his client.

"Good morning Miss Chrystein" He said with a smile, his concealed eyes scanning her up and down out of cautious habit.

Arianna had seen him since he entered the door, a smile of relief spreading across her features as she saw him strolling in. She watched him as he looked around, then as he finally took his seat. She smiled warmly as he greeted her and nodded. "Good morning." Her eyes scanned the mirrored aviators, wondering if he would take them off. What color were his eyes? Was he watching her, or the area behind her? She couldn't tell, and the curiosity drove her a little insane inside. His eyes were secrets for now, and Arianna was dying to see these secrets.

"You'll be happy to hear that I was able to locate your friend, Iktomi Ascher." Said Vates as he removed a small envelope from his inside jacket pocket and placed it on the table before sliding it slightly towards her. He took care to keep the envelope firmly under his hand as he awaited her resonse.

Arianna tore her eyes away from his aviators to watch the envelope. There it was, her peace wrapped in a bundle and waiting to be opened. She resisted the urge to take it and look inside. He would want to discuss her payment towards him before she ever took his information. Inhaling slowly, she controlled herself and looked up at him, giving the strange man a small smile that hinted at nervousness. "Thank you, so much." Her eyes once again watched the mirrored aviators, hoping that her way of payment wouldn't be too unreasonable.

"Miss Chrystein, before I hand over this information I need to ensure that you understand repayment." Vates paused for a moment to let it sink in, "You are not required to make any financial payments for this service, instead you will owe my employer a small favour. I cannot say what this favour will be or when it will be asked of you, but I can esure you that it will be a minimal task, one in proportion to the task we have undertaken for you. Do you understand?" In truth, the reason that Vates was not charging her was simply that it was not worth charging her. These small tasks were well beyond him now and would usually be left to some of his own employees. The only reason Vates accepted this request himself was that Iktomi Ascher was a business acquintance, and the request sparked interest in him. As for the favour, Vates could never be disadvantaged by having people to call upon when need be.

Arianna listened intently to him the whole time, at one point biting her bottom lip gently out of her anxiousness. Her stomach twisted as she heard how she would repay him. A small favour? She thought nervously. Was the mystery and debt really worth the easy way to finding Iktomi? She didn't know anything about this "employer" or what he would want from her. With a small nod, Arianna expressed her understanding. Although she didn't like owing a stranger, she would do as he asked when the time came. For now, she would be happy with the deal and would find her lifelong friend. "I understand," she murmured, watching his mysterious aviators again.

Vates once again gave his well performed superficial smile and took his hand from the envelope. He could see she was nervous about the deal, and if he was sitting in her position he might have felt the same way. In reality he was unlikely to ever call in the favour as she appeared to be very innocent and truthfully useless to him in herself. However, Iktomi Ascher, whilst a very well paying client, was a man he understood to be even more cunning and manipulative than himself. Having potential leverage could be useful in the long run. "Good. I'll leave you to enjoy the rest of your coffee then." bade Vates as he heaved himself out of the chair.

Arianna only nodded. "Thank you, again. I'm sure it seemed pointless, but it means a lot." She smiled warmly, watching those mirrored sunglasses again.

"In my business nothing is pointless. All information has value."

---

“Mr. Ascher I have followed the old man as you requested. Your suspicions were right, just as always sir. After visiting several stores he returned to his home.He was only there for a couple of minutes before rushing out with a duffle bag. I tailed him through the city, no easy task I may add sir, for several hours. He stuck to the ground and took side paths whenever he could. FInally he arrived at a long abandoned warehouse. I waited for a couple of seconds before entering after him. I snuck up on him and knocked him out, he didn’t get a chance to put up a struggle. After looking in the bag to confirm they were the documents you wanted, I rushed here at once.” As the man finished speaking, his fingers tightened around the brim of his hat. Inhaling deeply he continued, a slight tremor noticeable. “You said you would give me a place to stay and food to eat for a night if I did this.”

Iktomi leaned back in the high backed chair he rested upon, his fingers forming a triangle as they hovered above his chest. The man had indeed carried out his orders, but he had also seen the documents which made him a liability unless he could be controlled to an absolute. Giving the poor individual a reassuring smile he spoke, his voice filled with false warmth. “I remember the deal Alex, and I am a man of my word. Leo!”

A figure cloaked in a black shroud stepped out from behind Iktomi’s throne like chair, bowing as soon as they appeared. “Yes sir?”

“I would like you to escort Alex to his room and bring up our finest food, he did his job well. Make sure to place the documents in the safe.” Iktomi turned his gaze away from Leo, staring down at Alex once more. “Leo will meet you in the main hall, if you are ever in need again please don’t hesitate to visit I always have work that needs doing.” Alex beamed as he quickly dipped into a poor bow before exiting the room.

“Leo add some Black Widow to his food, just enough that if he doesn’t return in a week he will be dead. I either need him dependent on me, or dead I cannot trust him after he looked at those documents. Am I safe to assume you won’t make the same mistake as him?” At Leo’s nod, Iktomi continued speaking his voice as cold as the winters of Warshire. “Good then you are dismissed.”

With Leo’s exit another figure entered, clad in a similar manner to Leo with the addition of a bright red X upon the torso. As they halted several feet in front of Iktomi, he nodded slightly giving them permission to speak. A feminine voice slipped out from the concealed face. “Sir we have received word that Arianna has gotten the information to your location. We will continue to tail her and inform you as soon as it appears she is heading here.”

Iktomi nodded again a very real smile spreading across his face, though it is quickly removed to be replaced by his normal lifeless expression. “Good work, congratulate your team Hali. You are dismissed.” With her departure, Iktomi brought his fingers back into their temple formation, his middle fingers brushing his chin. “Certainly an interesting development. I wonder what Vate’s charged her for this little service of his..”

'So busy... All of them... They don't have it in them to just stop and observe... To understand those around them... To accept that, no matter how much of a rush they're in, the man or woman that they bump shoulders with may be in twice the hurry. No, they just seem... Too preoccupied with themselves. Come on, now. We can do better.'

Ishigo stared down at the streets below, bustling with activity as the market district of Sector B filled with civilians. He was sitting with his back against the wall of a large building that was parallel to another row of buildings. The sky bridge that connected the two ends of the street was where he sat, one leg dangling off the side of the bridge and one leg stretched out on the roof. He observed each individual, a good 100 or so feet below him. He studied their faces, reactions, and body language in order to understand the flow of the traffic of emotions that gave the city life. It wasn't soon before he gaze set upon an idle individual, choosing to remain in the same spot, watching as others passed by.

'You refuse to join them... You don't appear to be observing, but you understand. Or do you? Hmm... You're in pain... You're in need... But you make such a strong effort to appear otherwise...' he thought to himself as he sighed and got up. With a quick stretch, he simply let his body fall of the side of the sky bridge and used his swinging momentum to grab a diagonal rail that held it up. Using his arms, he completed the swing and landed on the rail, proceeding to slide down it. As he neared the point at which the rail joined the other building, he kicked off and slid down the remaining height on the wall - about 30 feet - until he landed gracefully in the ground beneath.

He looked around and took in the sight of the hustle of the daily activity. Ignoring the various glances he got, he began walking towards the young girl who piqued his curiousity. Alone? She must be alone... Can't be older than 16-17... Damn. He noticed a man giving her bread, tossing at her as if she were some wild animal, and before he could speak to him on basic ethical approach, he snickered and paced away, leaving a bleeding girl on the side of the road. Ishigo looked at her, tilting his head to the side and simply examining her condition. He didn't speak for a minute, wanting to make sure he understood her before choosing his words.

"That isn't fair," he said in a soft, reassuring tone as he knealt down next to her. "Life just isn't fair..." He placed a hand on her shoulder and then changed his tone to a more firm and authoritative vibe. "You shouldn't let people like that feed your hatred. Sitting here and accepting your fate with either submission or contemplation will leave you rotting. You're too young to rot."

He lifted his hand and looked behind him before looking back at her, "You need care. Let me take you to a clinic, hm? Keep in mind, that once you pass out, I'm legally permitted - no, obligated - to do so."

"I'm bored."

"Ah, I see."

Another day in this boring ceremony of her father. Hayami Koihime, having spent a full night in another one of her father's luxurious hotels fending off the advances of suitors after her and her money, felt rather.... peeved. Even more so when she discovered her father forgot to stock the place with her favorite drink. It was as if he was purposefully trying to make her angry. But at least he had the decency to give her own private suite. The sofa she sat on had just the right amount of padding, while the huge glass wall/window thing they had gave an impressive view of Sovereign. It's not home however, where she had everything she could ever want. Sighing, she picked up one of the shrimps from the bowl beside her, giving it a gentle shake to rid it off excess sauce. Munching on the shrimp, she decided Sovereign had worse food than she was used to in Arcarus.

"Oi." Hayami turned to her maid. "Aren't you going to do anything? I just said I am bored."

"Do what? The mistress had not given any orders to me." Hilda had been in her family since Hayami was young, being about the same age as she was. Not surprising since Hayami was the one who picked her up from the streets. "Or did the mistress go senile already?"

Hayami smiled. It would make her father furious to hear her maid say that. Not that he can do anything about it. Hilda was hers and hers alone; she planned on keeping her pet for a long time to come. "Fetch me that book. The one by that Stephen fellow. I still haven't found out whether they killed that sewer clown or not."

As Hilda started to search through her luggage for the book, Hayami took a glance out of the window, watching all the lights moving around in the daily bustle of the city. After this few days of this stupid opening ceremony, she can go back to her relatively comfortable home, where she can look forward to more school with more of those gossiping hussies. Just a few more years and she can be rid of these things, start her own business, and never have to meet another person again, save for perhaps her maid and staff members. Maybe a that perfect someone as well. She laughed a little to herself at that.

"Mistress, why are you laughing to yourself?" Hilda put down the book on the coffee table in front of Hayami. "Have the mistress finally gone mad?"

Hayami dismissed her maid with a wave of her hand, and picked up the book. That perfect someone doesn't exist for someone like her. If he does, he'll be like the rest of them, dishonest cretins with eyes only on her wealth or what's underneath her panties.

Just like those bastards in her school...

Ariela~~~

Footsteps..

followed by a strange hand upon her head..

The voice gave away him away as a man. The sadness within it gave him away as kind. The words he used gave him away as foolish. He did not know her suffering, nor did he know her hatred. "You speak as though I can still turn back... It is too late for me.." She lowered her head as his hand lifted of of it. She curled into the fetal position and wept softly. "You could never understand... None of you could.." She sat their, unmoving, whimpering softly into her one companion. The simple cor eof warmth that had seen her through the winter. It had been cold, but she had survived. She did not need help then and she would not take it now.

"Leave. Before something bad happens to the both of us." Her blind eyes stared up into what she thought to be his current location. His presence hovered over her, it was suffocating, she loathed it. "Leave me be!" She suddenly screamed, shooting up from her fetal position. She was now standing upright, tears streaming out of her dead eyes. "I don't want your pity! I don't want your help! Humans are dirty! And you are know different!" She broke down, unable to do anything other than mutter the same phrase over and over.

"too many times..." She fell too her knees once more. The crowd had stooped and know encircled the two of them, silent and watching. It was like they were observing some animal at a foreign zoo. She felt their stares, heard the deafening silence that gave away their unwanted presence. "EVERYONE JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" She ran past the man who had approached her, blindly running in the direction of a police hover car, who's sirens had triggered the worry of another woman just two blocks up from Ariela's corner...

Ariela was moments from being struck...

Sam~~

Samuel Baxter was taking a leisurely stroll through the market district of Sector B, it was one of his favorite times of the year. The sun in the sky, the caress of the wind upon his cheeks. Absolute serenity. Only one thing could brighten this day further, and he was on his way to retrieve it. Passersby took notice of him simply because of his strangeness, seldom was such a finely dressed man seen in such a downtrodden part of the city. Samuel despised these people, so content with their day to day lives, so perfectly fine with the dull atmosphere of the day to day. Bah, these fools.. If they only knew what they were missing he thought to himself smugly.

Before long his favorite tea shop was in sight, yet, to his dismay, his route was blocked by a large group of civilians, who seemed rather interested in some event on the other side of their little blockade. Sam let out a displeased sigh. This would not do. He would be forced to clear a way at this rate. Something he would rather avoid doing. So instead he simply took a leisurely seat on a nearby bench and awaited the crowds dispersal. Samuel overheard the cries of what seemed to be a young, female child on the the other side of the blockade, but he could not get a good enough look too see what was happening.

In truth he was extremely interested in what was happening on the other side of that human wall, but he seemed unable to get a good look. Suddenly he heard the screeching of hover brakes and the gasps of onlookers as the crowd quickly dispersed. Samuel peered forward too see what exactly all this commotion was about...

The poorly-lit silence of Captain Meyer's office was quite unwelcome. Weston prefered moving and being busy to sitting at a desk. This lifestyle wasn't exactly the kind of thing he would imagine his uncle saying was "his path" or "where his heart would lead him". With a deep sigh, Weston folded his hands on the back of his head and rested his forehead on the cold fake-wood surface of the desk. His hair brushed the stack of paper in the upper right corner, reminding him of the paperwork he still needed to complete before ten-hundred hours this morning. He focused his mind on the faint sounds of marching and yelling from outside, imagining himself out there giving and taking orders. However the prevelance of the sounds were a little more than usual, since the base had been mostly inactive for the past few days.

As Weston let out a quiet groan, the doorhandle to his office clicked and turned and the door swung open. Caught by suprise without a knock, Weston flung himself back into correct posture and tried to reach for a pen to look busier. Unfortunately his haste knocked the cup of pens over and the intruder saw the whole mess. He looked up to thankfully see, not a superior, but his own Lieutenant Riley Maize. Slightly less embarrassed than he might be, Weston propped the cup back up and stated, "At ease," the moment Maize straightened her posture at the door. She quickly complied before Weston asked, "What is it lieutenant?"

"The 104th is deploying today sir," she replied, sounding a bit surprised by the statement. "Colonel Reyborn issued the order to the whole base. All companies are being deployed."

"Deployed?" Weston asked. "Where are we going?" It was odd for an entire company, let alone several, to be so abruptly sent off unless of an emergency. The last time the entire 104th was on a single mission was to quell the insurrection in northeast Valira seven years ago.

"The capital sir. There must be something urgent occuring in Sovereign. The colonel asked for you right away. He's meeting with the other officers right now," Lieutenant Maize finished. After Weston nodded and waved her off, she saluted before turning back down the hall from whence she came.

Groaning, Captain Meyer stood from his desk, sliding the rolling chair back before straightening up his formal attire. Strange, he thought to himself before making his way through the door toward the briefing room.

Rhyn Beach, off the coast of Arcarus

~The beach was a beautiful sight. Its pearly white sands contrasted the dark blue waters which crashed at the coastline with a mystical might. The greenery was scarce, only managing to line the division between beach and road. The coastline stretched for a good few miles before hitting an incline that led to a natural array of hills in the distance. Behind the beach was the town of Rhyn, a humble and comfy establishment that was a common hub for middle class tourists. Two men stand on the beach, each sitting on opposite sides of large beach bedrock, staring at the ocean before them. Away into the distance floated a lone, golden vessel in the shape of a large rectangular box with a single crane stationed off it's side.~

Hector sighed as he took his seat. "Papers got signed. This stretch of sea zone is off limits until we're done." He looked down at the sand that hugged his golden boot, waiting for his brother's reply. "Good t'hear, hermano. You all set then?" Hector remained quiet, debating whether or not answer. Victor chuckled, "I know you don't want to go, hermano, but it's your duty, sì?" Hector looked back out into the ocean and then opened his mouth to speak, "Why are we doing this, Vic? We're mercenaries, not slaves. We don't have any debts, any shortages, we-we... We're already famous, I mean, they're just abusing us now! I say let their military dogs handle this!" Hector shook his head in frustration, quieting as he heard his brother chuckle. "Ay, mi hermano, you forget. We're all about glory, hehe, comprendé?"

Hector laughed and shook his head once more, "You dumbass..." The two glanced at each other and chuckled, but they're smiles faded as the ground beneath them began to tremble. Victor stood up and planted his feet while bending his knees slightly. Hector sprang up and faced his back towards Victor's. Before they could speak, a huge, single shockwave knocked them off their feet, and a spray of ocean water splashed over them as they fell. In the distance, a huge pillar of water erupted from the ocean, completely eradicating the vessel that had been attempting to retrieve precious cargo. Victor's eyes widened at the sight and Hector gasped. For a good minute, as damage sirens went off in the shaken town behind them, the two sat there in disbelief before Victor finally stood, offering a hand to Hector. Hector took in and cursed under his breath, "They had Luke and Tenno on there! SHIT! SHIT! SHIIIT!" Victor shook his head, his expression blank but his eyes fierce. "Damnit Hector, calm down..." He took a look around him and then ushered for his Carriage, which pulled up beside him. Turning to Hector, he gestured towards the carriage, "Alright. Off to Sovereign for you, hermano." Hector opened his mouth, "Wha- no! Es tu loco?! I'm no-" Victor held up his hand, and Hector silenced himself. Victor grinned, "I need a full Primary squad, hermano. Find me two. Take some time off, too. You've been working hard, sì? Maybe find a brothel or two..." Hector nudged his brother and chuckled but fell quiet and sighed as he understood that he had lost men. He nodded and entered the carriage, waving off to Victor as he departed from the beach.

On the workbench was a strange device constructed from twisting pipes of exotic metal and three colourful gems. This was Zachary's engine. He held it up at eye level and inspected it, and he was evidently pleased with his creation. But there was something left to do. He looked around furtively and found an open area in the workshop. He walked over there with his engine and gently placed it down. He pulled out a small apparatus which was, practically speaking, a pair of wires attached to a battery designed to initiate core sparking reactions. Checking that the coast was clear, Zachary applied the electrical current to two nodes on the engine.

Suddenly the engine jumped from the ground and bounced across the floor, with the sound of a roaring wind (and metal bouncing off a concrete floor). This little display caught the attention of everyone in the room who hadn't already been looking. Aware from the stares he was receiving from some of them that an explanation was in order, Zachary said cheerfully, "It works wonderfully." To his relief, the people in the room shrugged off his impromptu demonstration, despite it being against safety procedures. He just couldn't restrain himself from trying out his engine: a machine, not only wrought by his own hands but designed by himself too. And now that he knew it worked, he took great pride in it. All he needed was to build a control mechanism and a chassis and he would have a complete prototype. He could just sense the achievement.

The echoing or core engines, the loading of soldiers into shuttles, and the barking of orders from officers all mixed into a familiar sounds to Weston. He had first heard this medley before fighting the insurrection, then again when raiding illegal core distributors, and now ten-fold. Something big was coming and Weston Meyer could feel it in his bones.

---

MUSIC
"According to extremely reliable intel, the capital of Sovereign may be in immediate danger from hostile forces," the colonel had said moments earlier during the briefing. "The orders are to supply the city with heavy military presence and employ a state of martial law in the extreme circumstance of enemy occupation." The room was silent with confusion for w while after he finished. The orders were vague and illogical.

"Sir," another captain replied, "I'm sorry but what enemy? That kind of occupation is better suited for a siege than protecting our own capital." Weston couldn't help but agree, since dozens of platoons were being sent into the city rather than around it's border protecting it. Not to mention that Sovereign was far from the sea where Henele or Tribus nations would attack first. The only way to attack the city directly would have to be from inside the province, but there hadn't been any insurrections in Gaia for decades.

"These orders come straight from the top and are as need-to-know as it gets," The Colonel continued in his gruff, commanding voice. However, Weston could hear a shred of doubt inside the man's tone. "And all you need to know is that the troops stationed here at Maxwell are to deploy to Sovereign at once, is that clear?"

The captain lowered his eyes humbly and relpied with a simple "Yes sir."

The colonel eyed everyone sitting at the multiple rows of desks before finishing, "Will that be all with the questions?" Each officer remained silent. "Well then you're all dismissed. Begin loading all shuttles and prepare your men. We leave at oh-nine-hundred." Each officer in the briefing room stood up almost in unison and saluted before exiting one-after-another."

Weston found himself being one of the last to leave, and was surprised when the colonel addressed him. "Captain Meyer," he said in a quieter voice than with the briefing, "may I speak with you for a moment?" Curious, Weston nodded and stepped toward Colonel Reyborn as the last of the other officers left the room. "Captain," the colonel began, "where was your objection?"

Puzzled, Weston replied, "Excuse me sir?"

"Where was your objection captain? In every major moperation by this company you've spoken out against the inconsistencies in orders or the needless use of force. You were quiet just now."

Weston wrinkled his brow in confusion, recalling his outspokenness, but also recalling the colonels disdain of it. "I'm sorry sir, would you rather have me defying orders? If I recall, you don't approve of such behavior."

Reyborn raised an eyebrow before stepping forward and placing his hands on Weston's shoulders. "Do you know why you're here right now, leading the 104th like I did when you first joined? It's not because you're a soldier, but a leader: A man. We've had our disagreements, but you'd have no value if you were a mindless drone."

"Sir," Weston answered, now completely perplexed, "What are you trying to say exactly?"

"I'm saying..." the colonel pause, apparently in thought, "I'm telling you to keep your head screwed on straight, because all those boys out there might be counting on you when it comes down to it. Big things are coming, and I can feel it in my bones."

---

The more Weston thought about it the more he began to worry. Something in his stomach just wouldn't sit right, and somehow he knew it never would again for a while.

"All hands prepare for ascension!" He suddenly heard a voice call over the intercom. "Next stop, The Gem of the Mainland, Sovereign." Weston suddenly felt himself rising as the shuttle doors sealed and the craft took to the sky.

AnriuSB said
Ariela~~~Footsteps..followed by a strange hand upon her head..The voice gave away him away as a man. The sadness within it gave him away as kind. The words he used gave him away as foolish. He did not know her suffering, nor did he know her hatred. "You speak as though I can still turn back... It is too late for me.." She lowered her head as his hand lifted of of it. She curled into the fetal position and wept softly. "You could never understand... None of you could.." She sat their, unmoving, whimpering softly into her one companion. The simple cor eof warmth that had seen her through the winter. It had been cold, but she had survived. She did not need help then and she would not take it now."Leave. Before something bad happens to the both of us." Her blind eyes stared up into what she thought to be his current location. His presence hovered over her, it was suffocating, she loathed it. "Leave me be!" She suddenly screamed, shooting up from her fetal position. She was now standing upright, tears streaming out of her dead eyes. "I don't want your pity! I don't want your help! Humans are dirty! And you are know different!" She broke down, unable to do anything other than mutter the same phrase over and over. "too many times..." She fell too her knees once more. The crowd had stooped and know encircled the two of them, silent and watching. It was like they were observing some animal at a foreign zoo. She felt their stares, heard the deafening silence that gave away their unwanted presence. "EVERYONE JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" She ran past the man who had approached her, blindly running in the direction of a police hover car, who's sirens had triggered the worry of another woman just two blocks up from Ariela's corner...Ariela was moments from being struck...

Shortly after he gave the coins to the beggar girl, Thanar heard a commotion behind him. Stopping and turning, he saw the girl have some sort of emotional outburst and sprint away, directly into the path of a hover car.

His mind slowed down, as it often did in such situations, allowing him time to think and calculate.

Observation: It is near-certain that girl will be hit by the car. Judging from the speed it's travelling at, the impact will most likely be fatal or cause mortal injury. This will most likely be seen as a serious event: the girl will be dead or dying, the driver probably imprisoned and the man who caused the girl such distress also likely to receive some form of punishment.

Measurement: Only I have the speed to get to her in time, using my windcore ring.

Argument: If I do not save her, she will most likely die.

Counter-Argument: This will be a severe delay and I have important business. Furthermore, she is only a beggar girl and therefore mostly unimportant.

Logical Answer: Continue on my way.

Emotional Answer: Save the girl.

Course of Action: Save the girl.

All this having passed in a fraction of a second, Thanar ran back towards the area, concentrating on his windcore ring, feeling the air build up beneath him until he released it and shot forwards, riding on a gale to slam into the girl and snatch her out of the path of the hover car. He hits the ground hard, taking the impact and feeling something break in his left arm, the one he had grabbed the girl with.

Crying out in pain, he quickly dragged himself to his feet and examined his arm. The hand was at an odd angle and the skin around the wrist was discoloured and bruised. Broken wrist, then. Swearing under his breath at the lack of any sort of core that he could use to heal it or at least alleviate the pain, he returned to the girl and checked her for injuries.

((I'm assuming he succeeds here, obviously.))

Samuel~~

It happened in a moment, one second the beggar girl, who he had confirmed as the cause of the earlier commotion was hurling at full speeds towards a police vehicle, and the next, well that was when things got interesting. Two things crossed Samuel's mind in the next second, one; the absolute tragedy that was his persistent lack of good tea to enjoy this fine day with, and two; that he was not quite sure he had remembered to take his pills this morning. The second thought was more or less confirmed in the next three moments.

The first spent idly lifting his form from the bench, the second stepping into the shop that was now accessible to him, and the third, coming face to face with the rotting figure of his deceased sister Emily. So it is getting worst is it? These god damned delusions should just hurry up and cease. is what he thought about this otherwise terrifying experience. What he did was rather odd indeed. First he stepped back with one foot, and then tipped his hat to the grotesque form, then with a bowing gesture he stated politely, "good day to you milady, now off with you." This was a sort of self medication he had developed over the years of meeting with his psyche, Doctor Mathews. Mathews was a practical man, and had helped Sam come to terms with quite a few of his past issues. Samuel would have almost found his murder a sad thing, if it hadn't been orchestrated by him that is.

Samuel was no longer than ten minutes in the shop, lucky for him the business owner was also a practical man, who did not believe that the distractions of the street warranted his employees time off. The young lady behind the counter kept dashing worried glances at the the scene just outside of the store, Samuel shook his head and chuckled to himself when she tried to ask him what he thought of it. "Why my dear lass, this simply further proves the age old truth that children should not be allowed to play in the street." He chuckled at his own pun as he turned out of the shop to further his own knowledge of what exactly had happened.

Ariela~~

*Snap*

The sound of her hipbone breaking under the weight of a sudden form was all Ariela could recall before entering a world of unconsciousness. Her malnutrition and high adrenaline had contributed to both her sudden unconsciousness, and the easily broken bone. As it usually was, Ariela dreamed, she dreamed of better times, of the beauties of the colored world that every other human had taken for granted...

song

The leaves of a fresh autumn graced the floor of the world with a beauty Ariela held most precious in her heart. It was her favorite time of year, and her favorite picnicking spot to boot. Ariela glanced up at her mothers face and tried to tell her that she loved her, and tried to tell her how happy she was to be with her again. Ariela found herself unable to speak however, and found her mother unwilling to look at her.

She turned left, hoping to see her father's smiling face their, greeting her. She felt his soft hands in hers, but when she looked up to him, the world grew dark. No longer was it the beautiful autumn's of her past, nay, now it was horrible fires of her nightmares. Her fathers dead body lay on the floor at her feet. Ariela tried to get him to wake up, but he wouldn't. He just lay there, the comfort of his beating heart absent when she held her ear against it. "Papa!" she cried, unable to accept the facts.

Then she looked up, only to see her mother, dieing of a horrible disease, yet still refusing to eat her portion of the rations. Ariela pleaded with her, but she instead simply shook her head. "You grow strong my dear, you live to see tomorrow, find a man, and find a life... of love..." Her mother breathed out her final breath and Ariela cried into her cold bosom. Her Mother's final wish unheard, and the last of her childhood innocence ripped from her in a single moment.

Then it was dark again, and there were sounds, and there were hands, and then..

There was nothing..

Arianna tore into the envelope as soon as Mr. Smith had walked out the door. The envelope opened with a satisfying rip before she pulled out the contents. Inside was one slip of paper, which Arianna clutched in both hands as she read the small print.

Iktomi Ascher
Lower Class District
888 Spider Silk Way
22801
Arianna let out a small breath, reading over the address multiple times. She committed it to memory, just in case she ever lost the paper. With this address in her hands, her worry about that small favor dissipated into nothing, or at least was pushed to the back of her mind. She found him, and he was close. She felt like she could reach out and touch him.

After replacing the lid on her coffee, which was long past being cooled, but still a decent temperature, the excited young lady gently tucked the envelope and note back in her satchel. She stood, a small smile on her face, picked up her coffee, and left the café. There was a small bounce in her step as she quickly found her bearings and headed towards the lower district.

I’m on my way, Ik…