[IC] The Narrow Path

[Skinner35]

"She meant nothing. She is only trying to scare us." He says as he conjures a fireball for her. "Fret not, in due time, she will shy away from the childs prophecy."

[Gardevoiran]

"She... she's probably just stressed, since she was kicked out of her entire life..." Eve smothers her face in your hand before she realizes what she just did. Afterwards, she looks up at you with her face covered in black dust.

"O-oops... didn't mean to do that..." Her face turns red as she walks beside you. She's clearly embarrassed.

[Skinner35]

"Even if she lost everything, then she's no different than the rest of us." He said as he wiped off his hand and walked. "So. Who exactly is 'Eve, the Pheonix Queen?'"

[Gardevoiran]

"I'm still trying to figure that out, exactly," Eve starts off as she kicks a pebble down the street, keeping a close eye on Jen. "After the Liberation, I was a free phoenix again, able to do what I want, when I want, as long as it kept in accordance with the guidelines of the Harpies."

Eve looks towards the sky to point out a bird. "That's a male bird, you can tell by the feathers on it being more vibrant than normal, yeah? For some odd reason, harpies are a dominantly female race. The males are born very rarely, but are similar to other male birds. They're more like... like... you with wings, than me."

[Skinner35]

"Well that's very interesting. Now, what is the 'Liberation?' I am still new to this world." He said, as he looks at the male bird, amazed by its colors.

[Gardevoiran]

"Well... here goes..." Eve takes a deep breath before she starts her explanation.

"For thirty years at least, creatures of the depths had enslaved harpies, using them as various sources of work and entertainment. In order to stop an uprising, they had ordered for all male children to be euthanized publicly so nobody could stand to eventually end the race, since males were incredibly powerful. All that stood were females, and they're rather meager compared to men, save a select few of them. The enslavement period began when I was barely two years old..." You hear Eve's tone soften as she remembers the past.

"... I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to get soft on you there," Eve quickly returns to her mood as she continues. "Anyway, the Liberation was the day when all of that ended from some divine intervention. Y'see, the 'King' of all Harpies, Syphax Gallus, conquered a mighty labyrinth and was granted one wish at the very end, liberating our race and saving the future of us."

[Skinner35]

"Eve." Toby said as he looked at her. "Never be sorry for being 'soft.' It's okay." He said as he walked. "Also, this 'Mighty Labyrinth.' Is it still a thing?"

[Gardevoiran]

"The Castle of the Alchemist is what he called it, and as far as I'm aware, it is not open right now," Eve says before she sighs. "... I'm also... betrothed to Syphax. Don't get me wrong, he's a good guy, but... he is cocky as all hell. He said he was basically the god of the skies one time. I'd rather just... not marry him. Hell, I'm going on my own quest of discovery to avoid that very thing."

[Skinner35]

"Well, as you've already seen from our team, we don't quite follow the rules." He said, looking at Jen. "Even if it almost kills us."
"Anyways, the sky dude sounds like a dick."

[Gardevoiran]

"He's actually pretty cool to hang around for limited amounts of time. He knows how to party, too. It's a shame though that I feel like I have to stay committed to his betrothal because he saved me from... oh?" Eve stops talking as she notices the circus ahead of her, Jen with half-of-a-smile on her face.

"Aithwale is in here, along with someone whom we have yet to meet." Jen draws her mace and shield as she cocks her head towards you. "You should go first, I believe."

Eve leaps up into the air above you and hovers at around 10 feet as she watches you like a hawk, making sure for you to not be killed from the get go.

You can notice a few things about the circus, notably the big signs that are littered around the place that advertise the main event. Interestingly, nobody is around but you three, and the event starts in a few minutes. Odd.

[Skinner35]

"Ah shit. This is a trap." He says, annoyed, as we walks past Jen. He then fully extends his arm blade, mixing his fireball and electricity whilst drawing a pistol. "Everything that becomes hostile dies." He says to Jen. He then begins to walk towards the enterance.

[Gardevoiran]

You feel your arm blow a gasket as a puff of smoke shoots out of your palm. Afterwards, your arm goes limp completely, becoming only dead weight. Jen looks at you with true concern on her face before an unseen force hits her behind the head and knocks her out. Eve panics before she plummets down to the ground as well. Both are unconscious, but not dead. Not by a long shot.

You see the path behind you vanish as all that remains is the circus. Without any hope, and with both your allies down, it looks like you have to go in alone, unless you want to pull out Jen's tent to see if Gobbo is in fighting shape.

It does look more misty around here than normal...

[Skinner35]

"GOD DAMMIT." He yells as his arm blows, but they blade didn't retract. He shifts a bar to lock his eblow in a straight line. He didn't have an arm anymore, but it was a weapon, so that was a plus. He thought about the tent but he couldn't pitch it with one arm. He noticed the mist. "Alright, whoever is doing this, I don't have much to do anymore, so you may as well come out." He said in mock defeat, he wanted to draw them out, then assess the situation.

[Gardevoiran]

In here. Hurry.

You hear the faint voice of a woman in your head, but it didn't come from anywhere else. The voice sounds echoed, similar to Brock's own voice, but still distinctly female. Interesting.

The circus tent opens up. Just beyond it you see the outline of a bear in a cage.

Showtime.

[Skinner35]

He didn't seem to have many options, so he reluctantly entered the circus tent, pistol ready. He had to also make sure that he didn't forget about his machete.

[Gardevoiran]

Upon entering the circus tent, you notice a key individual wearing a shoddy Ringmaster costume, sporting a particularly portly figure.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. Boys and Girls. Introducing the third star for our performance tonight, Tobias Skinner the Short-Tempered!"

Nigel's voice booms through the magical reverb of the area as magical lights flick on throughout the Circus Tent. Before you stands a caged Aithwale, clearly aggressive and coated in a green cloud near his head. Beside Aithwale lies a chair with a girl chained to it, pale enough to look like a ghost, with the same green cloud around her head. However, her cloud was not to the point of Aithwale's own. It looks more like the cloud is coming FROM the girl.

"Now Tobias, lemme be a good ringmaster and explain what you have to do tonight!" Nigel says as he stands above you on an invisible platform, a smarmy grin decorating his punchable face.

"You'll be playing the role of lion tamer. Unfortunately, all we have tonight for this act is this shoddy excuse of a Werebear here, so I guess you're a werebear tamer."

Aithwale's cage opens as he rushes towards you, preparing to slash open your shirt and impale you with his might.

"Have fun, prey."

[Skinner35]

"Come on dude." He says as he quickly rolls away and looks around. He needed to use the environment to stop Aith.

[Gardevoiran]

Come here. To me.

The voice rings in your mind again, though you can't tell where it's coming from. It sounds inviting, but hurt, at the same time.

Aithwale chases behind you before some ethereal force causes him to ram directly into a wall, the beast grabbing his head with clear pain in his eyes.

All the while this is happening, Nigel is standing above you, cackling.

[Skinner35]

"Well... Here goes nothing." He says to himself as he shoots the chains on the girl in the chair, while making distance between himself and Aith. "Aith, I need you to snap out of it. Maggie needs you." He said, hoping that thinking of Magge would help Aith.

[Gardevoiran]

You see Aith take a mighty swing at you before he stops, frozen in time.

The girl who was once tied to the chair is on the ground, holding her arm up towards Aith. She's looking rather bruised and bloody, but she's still in some way not entirely out of it.

"Hnng... Toby! Come here, while the Bear is caught up!"