[IC] Scattered Shades: Arcadia Chronicles

[tex]

Xena Rock Field

_{The Ambush Point}

Luke turned to Karida as she stepped out of the totaled ATV. A chill crept down his spine at the sight of another obedient mage with a CMAS leash clasped tightly around her neck. It was peculiar to see Luke so upset, but as soon as Karida spoke, his worried glance disappeared. Luke's muscles remained tensed, but he spoke with the same arrogant tone from earlier. "We're com-man-deer-ing your truck, little lady! Fancy that, despite being at a very real disadvantage, yeh still got the nerve to demand anything at all, haha!" Luke sneered and shook his head, keeping on eye on Onweer and Cecil. "Got a problem, take it up with the rocks. You'll have plenty of time to discuss your situation with 'em on your way out of Xena."

[Wind Wild]

Ah, shame. So the bluff didn’t work after all. She’d have to spank Brian later and teach him a few things about acting if they got out of this alive.

Onweer’s hopes had gone up when she saw Cecil fire at the Divers’ leader but they were just as quick to plummet when he didn’t hit. She held her breath, half-expecting Luke to kill his assailant but luckily the men of the waste were no more eager than herself to spill more blood. And while being called “little lady” and “cutie-pants” amused her greatly, she wasn’t sure she liked the prospects of anyone “restraining her”. Not to mention that judging by his stance, he wasn’t about to ask politely.

She was tempted, really tempted, to go into a kamae herself and see what the little boy was made of but that would mean revealing her skills and it wasn’t the right moment for that. For now she’d play nice. “Oh, is it just the truck you wanted?” She was wondering just as Karida came out of the vehicle. Onweer wasn’t sure what the woman was capable of but the confidence with which she handled the situation was pleasing her, especially when she saw the way the Divers’ leader had flinched at her appearance.

“As far as I’m concerned you can have the piece of junk. We all know boys like their toys but there are more important things out there and getting a proper burial for our fallen comrades is one of them.” She said, looking at Yvette for reassurance. Would the leader agree or was that machine important enough to risk their lives for? Personally, Onweer thought they should rest and regroup and think about how to fight against or at least avoid the Divers. She waited for their leader’s reaction but kept a very close eye on the red-haired man slightly below her. Her body was ready to react to any tremble of his muscle, albeit not the way he imagined she was.

[Jensoman]

@Gisk @Unfortunately @FateWeaver @Wind Wild @tex

Xena Rock Field

_{The Ambush Point}

Jenso smiled as Luke seemed to be handling the situation rather well. The flame hammer that he was holding turned into regular fire, which he absorbed through the palms of his hands. He kept his focus on Onweer as he was ordered, prepared to act when needed. As the hatch on the roof of the ATV opened and Karida suddenly appeared, Jenso's fists clenched tighter and his stance shifted slightly. As Karida demanded an explanation, she seemed like she could be the one in charge of the ATV. He narrowed his eyes at her. Now, not only did he need to keep Onweer at bay, but Karida as well. Of course, Jenso was fully aware that there were plenty of Divers nearby to provide assistance.

Jenso listened as Luke began to speak once more, specifically directed towards Karida this time. He was slightly concerned about Luke's sudden look of worry, which quickly vanished. As Luke regained his arrogant attitude, Jenso calmed down a bit. 'Can't let my guard down now.' He thought, keeping his attention on Onweer who was closest to him, and Karida who was a bit further behind her. Even if the other Divers were nearby, he was still the closest near the two Junkers. As such, he needed to make sure they couldn't just rush him and take him down. Despite this, however, he appeared relatively calm. His confident smile vanished, and he looked more serious now.

[tex]

Xena Rock Field

_{The Ambush Point}

By now, Yvette was shifting her weight around carefully, as if to avoid further injury as she lifted her head off the ground and glared at Luke. Upon hearing Onweer's ideal, she nodded subtly and coughed up a throat full of dust. "We've no quarrel with... The divers, beyond what you've stirred, battle-mage," Yvette heaved, rising to her feet slowly but surely. She turned towards Brian and Cecil, nodding kindly, to inform that surrender was confirmed, finally looking towards Onweer, somewhat pleased with the girl's action. Luke turned to Yvette momentarily, somberly craning his head around to trace the Diver and Junker bodies strewn across the rock fields. Brian rushed to Cecil's side to comfort him as soon as the moment presented itself, fully confident that Yvette would be fine without assistance. That woman was practically a machine, despite Luke's earlier surprise attack. The fact that she'd been knocked out of the fight so casually was very concerning, but Brian's anxiety was slowly melting away with each passing moment.

As the conflict came to a pause, there was still one peculiar detail that lurked in the back of Luke's mind. Where was the fourth squad of Divers off to? They'd circled around the truck, but they were nowhere to be seen, even though there was ample time for them to assist. Did they chicken out? Luke felt something rumble across the soles of his feet, resonating up his femurs and throughout the rest of his body. What the hell was that? Brian felt it to, and turned towards the cleared path of dirt that the ATV had left in its wake on the way into Xena. Anyone else with sensitive feet might've felt it too, but what the hell was upsetting the terrain?

"Burials 'aint gunna be necessary..." Luke growled with a frown, walking back over to his long sword.

[Jensoman]

@tex @Wind Wild @Gisk @Unfortunately @FateWeaver

Xena Rock Field

_{The Ambush Point}

Jenso gave a sigh of relief as Yvette agreed to surrender. A lot of tension fell off his shoulders. "Yeah! We did it!" He cheered, raising his arms in the sky. As he did this, he let his guard down completely. During all of the fighting that he had done, Jenso forgot all about the 4th group of Divers. As Luke turned his head towards the many dead bodies across the battlefield, Jenso's smile vanished and he lowered his arms. Despite that the Divers had won, it all came at a great cost. He wanted to believe that by destroying the cannon, he at least managed to save some lives.

As Luke got completely silent and Brian suddenly turned, Jenso was confused. 'What's he looking at..?' He thought, looking at the cleared path of dirt. Due to standing on the roof of the ATV, he did not feel the ground rumble. But he remembered what Onweer had said. Brian had a special ability to sense things from great distances. Were the Junkers getting any reinforcements? He got in a combat stance once again. Even though he was ordered to keep an eye on Onweer, his focus was now completely aimed at the path of dirt. As Luke spoke and walked over to his long sword, it seemed that Jenso was right to be concerned.

Someone or something was coming, and it wasn't part of Luke's plan.

[Hatman1801]

Xena Rock Field

_{The Serpent's Territory}

The Xena Rock Fields were a dangerous place. All of No-Man's Land was dangerous of course, and there were reasons why Divers were seen as crazy. They spread among one another myths and legends, of treasures and monsters, each with varying amounts of accuracy. The only known truth was that leaving the Four Nations was a decision worthy of an asylum.

And there were the risks. Divers lost their lives out on their adventures plenty. Sometimes nobody would even know they died, which only added to the mystery of what might be out there. Diver's Paradise didn't exactly have a library on it, and the CMAS wasn't about to believe that it was as dangerous as it was simply deprived of resources. Anything else they heard was superstition and ridiculous. Even the Junkers couldn't confirm much.

With every force comes an echo. Of footsteps, of words, of the winds. These ring loudest on the battlefield, with the clash of weapons and the thunder of battle. This was a familiar echo to man though, who had been warring for ages. But this land was not meant for men; it was meant for greater things.

The tremors intensified, and many were beginning to lose balance. The phrase "earthquake" was moving around several of the surviving Divers, but it was hushed as they faded for several moments. Perhaps enough to get confused. Until the ground split open barely a hundred meters northeast from the site of battle, and a serpentine creature burst from the earth, cracking the ground around it and making a noise between a hiss and a roar. Thick as a house and ten times as high, scales brown as dirt, pointed snout and horns perfect for tearing through the underground, it was more than visible to everyone present. It was also spotted with blood, especially around the mouth. Human blood.

Luke's fourth squad was dead, and a monster was thier demise. It was still for awhile, tongue flicking out, before diving into the ground before it, roaring as its horned face tore apart the ground like a drill, the rest of its immense length moving in an arc as it burrowed again, from one hole to the next. Directly towards the people who had disturbed its home.

[Jensoman]

@tex @Gisk @Unfortunately @Wind Wild @Hatman1801 @FateWeaver

Xena Rock Field

_{The Serpent's Territory}

Jenso's eyes widened as the massive beast appeared in the distance. "So the legend was true.." He said, standing in shock for a moment. It wasn't out of fear, but rather out of disbelief. He recomposed himself however, as he noticed the blood that was dripping off it's teeth. 'That's right...Luke's fourth squad never showed up..' Jenso thought. An anger erupted from inside him as he glared at the serpent. He grit his teeth as he looked at everyone around him. He jumped down from the ATV, landing beside Luke. "Luke! Get everyone outta here! I'll try to distract it!" He shouted. This was no longer about the truck, this was no longer about scaring off the CMAS and the Junkers.

This was simply about survival now, and nothing else. It didn't matter who was on his side and who wasn't; This thing needed to be stopped as soon as possible. And Jenso wanted to do it before more people would die. He dashed further to the right as the beast burrowed it's way towards the truck. Jenso was fully aware that there was no way he could beat it on his own, but perhaps he would be able to give the others a chance to get away.

He slammed his right heel into the ground. A flame wave erupted from the spot where he struck his foot, moving towards the moving dirt where the beast's head would be. It got wider and bigger as it moved forward.

[Gisk]

Cecil was relieved at the surrender. He was getting less and less sure of their course as the fight went on, and it was a blessing not to have to kill anyone else(if, indeed, any of his bullets had ever hit anyone).

He was getting back up, brushing Brian off with a grateful smile, and holding his gun(which nobody seemed about to take from him anyway) in an awkward, distancing way. As if to show that he didn't really like it all that much.

"Burials 'aint gunna be necessary..."

"What does that...?" The thing answered, bursting from the earth to finish eating the humans who were standing above its burrows. It didn't see Junker or Diver, only food.

"Oh..."

Someone, the one who threw the fire at the start of the fight, was trying to hurt the thing. And what else was there to do? The ATV was useless, and they couldn't outrun the serpent. But... there were the rocks. The creature traveled through the soft earth, the larger rocks might provide some safety...

Cecil pointed and tried to raise his voice, but it came out as a croak. He realized how much he had hurt his throat with all of his screaming during the battle. Instead, he kept pointing and waving, and made his way to climb the largest of the cairns he could find, hoping that the beast would at least be unable to tunnel through it.

[Wind Wild]

Onweer’s eyes widened at the sight of the creature and she scurried to the ground, not over-eager to attract that kind of attention to herself. She quickly wrapped the feathered scarf tight around her neck to prevent it from flapping in the wind like an injured bird. She glanced at Jenso, appreciating that there were some Divers crazy enough to want to try and fight that thing and frowned in regret at not being one of them anymore. If she could still summon her windy beast she stood a chance but not without it.

Cursing at CMAS for their stupid plan to raid no-man’s land with no plan whatsoever and cursing at the Divers for demolishing the ATV’s canon she turned to Yvette and Karida in turn. All humour had drained from her features and suddenly she looked at least five years older and extremely serious. “Can any of the projectiles used by the canon be activated manually?” She then turned to the Divers’ leader. “And do you and your squad have any bright ideas or did your plan also only go as far as bashing your fists into things?” The aggression in her voice conveyed annoyance but also fear. She wasn’t ready to die yet.

[tex]

Xena Rock Field

_{The Ambush Point}

Luke was quick to pull his sword from the ground and leap to join Jenso and Onweer on top of the totaled ATV. He shook his head when Jenso spoke, staring the serpent down with a subtle grin. He was intent on fighting the massive beast, head-to-head, despite how utterly suicidal that prospect was. Him and Jenso shared one quality, or weakness, in the sense that their bravery knew no bounds. Onweer's comment stung Luke's ego, regardless. "I was planning on slashing at it, but you might be onto something there, girly!" He rasped, watching the ground around them carefully. He caught sight of Cecil climbing to higher ground as he spun around, and smiled. Looks like these CMAS clowns weren't completely inept after all! Not that Luke was in any place to speak. "That guy's got the right idea, oi, get off the ground!" As he shouted, the ten remaining Divers scrambled towards the nearby boulders, frantically attempting to escape the impending disaster that awaited. Yvette grunted loudly and clutched her side, but Brian was already by her side, and helped her onto the Truck's roof to join Onweer, and Luke.

"The A/B powering the Cannon works like any other, Onweer. Granted, it's much larger than most, but to use it as a weapon might be..."

"Dangerous as all hell!" Luke Chimed in, interrupting Yvette as he tapped into his arcane network to add a few more inches of steel to the tip of his sword. "I'm excited just thinkin' about it!"

---

Arcadia

_{CMAS HQ - Sydney's Quarters}

"It's so nice to have a plethora of such obedient mages nowadays," Sydney mused, sipping from a small ornate teacup. He sat at his desk, overlooking a series of notes regarding the Survey initiative with Joshua standing meekly behind his left shoulder, and Mina Neve, the head of arcane supervision, hovering precariously over his right. "None even dared to question the sketchy, details of the mission. Isn't that funny, Joshua?" Joshua didn't respond. The scientist instead gripped his clipboard tightly and stared at his toes with a tinge of regret creeping down his spine. "Funny, isn't it?" Sydney repeated, turning his head towards Joshua unexpectedly and peering at him through his silvery-blonde hair. Joshua looked up and nodded with a painful smile. Sydney offered a curt nod and returned to his notes once again. "What's the report on the situation in Xena, Miss Neve?" Sydney asked, listening attentively as he gently traced the details of his robes with his left hand.

[Hatman1801]

Xena Rock Field

_{Giant Snake Land}

Jenso's flame wave didn't do very much to deter the snake, although it did adjust the angle, moving further down instead of just below the surface. Which didn't seem to accomplish much in the grand scheme of things, as it only took a few moments for the beast to break the surface once more, shooting up beneath a stray Diver who hadn't gotten onto some sort of higher ground fast enough, like a shark taking a surfer. For such a small bite though, it seemed like burrowing carried a lot of momentum, as it rose up several stories before swiveling its head around once more, hissing at the air, tongue flicking out between its many teeth. It was tasting the air, seeking out more of the invasive prey who were trying to work around its subterranean senses. Their footsteps were quieter now, on top of places that it couldn't feel beneath the earth.

It wasn't going to be long though. The beast would sniff them out, and take them out one by one if that weapon didn't come online soon. And if they didn't find a better way to distract it, there might not be many people left to save once that cannon was ready to fire.

---

Arcadia

_{CMAS HQ - Sydney's Quarters}

Mina Neve brushed a bang away from her face before placing two fingers on her temple, closing her eyes for a moment. "Utter chaos, Sydney. The designated location was accurate, and the Xena Serpent is ravaging among their ranks as we speak. The ATV's weapon may or may not still be in order, but otherwise it seems as though they lack anything with enough power to subdue the beast before it tears them apart. Our friend is confident that everything is going well." She sighed, taking her own seat at the table. She opened her eyes as she removed her fingers from her temple, ending her psychic link with their source. She began to pour herself a cup of tea, her eyes trailing to the unnerved Joshua, and a faint giggle escaped her. "Do relax, Mr. Joshua. You have played your part excellently. You'll be rewarded well, if this all falls into place properly."

[Jensoman]

Xena Rock Field

_{The Ambush Point}

Jenso frowned as his attempt to lure the serpent away from the others failed, and a Diver was eaten. He heard what Onweer said as she asked about the cannon's projectiles. He was angry at himself now. He hoped that his hammer strike from before hadn't ruined the cannon completely. At the time, the cannon was the biggest threat, and needed to be taken care of. But now, it could be the only way to take the beast down. He would certainly blame himself if the cannon failed to work, despite his good intentions of wanting to save as many lives as possible by trying to destroy it earlier. It seemed that everybody remained on the scene, not intending to run.

Jenso, who was still near the ATV as he dashed away, leaped onto a large boulder nearby. He smiled at Luke and the others. He was pleased by Luke's attitude, the man certainly was up for the challenge. "Got it, Luke. I'll try to give you guys the time you need to charge that cannon." He replied, as the beast began to sniff the remaining people out.

Jenso aimed the palms of his hands at the creature as flames gathered within them. A torrent of flames erupted from his hands, headed for the Serpent's tongue. 'If it comes for me, the others will still be out of harm's way...and the people at the ATV will have an easier time to blast it.' He thought.

[Gisk]

As others started following his lead, Cecil put his gun down and bent at the steep edge he stood upon, lending his hands to help up Junker and Diver alike. He had to bring his hands up to shield himself as the creature burst from the surface, showering the whole field with loose earth and smaller stones.

When Cecil looked out over the field, he saw one of the Divers working with fire, trying to aim it at the serpent. The serpent, meanwhile, didn't seem to know where anyone was. Is it blind? It was possible, probable even. What use did such a creature have with eyesight?

There was also a team of both Divers and Junkers on top of the ATV, messing about with the cannon.

If they can hit it with that...

But it's reaching was a concern, it seemed to be tasting the air, like a regular snake might. It needed its attention brought elsewhere. Cecil's mind went back to the curving bullets he had produced during the firefight, and he set about Constructing a new one. When it was done, he loaded it into his VAD and took careful aim several yards wide of the serpent.

The bullet curved gently for a distance, soaring past the serpent, but then suddenly spiraling in sharply, so that it hit the creature on the side facing the edge of the rock field, where no one was at the moment.

[Unfortunately]

Karida was about to begin scolding Luke, but she was twice interrupted: once when Yvette declared surrender, a daring, yet somewhat logical move as Karida thought it was, and and the emergence of... something, down below the ground, a massive man-eating beast. This, according to the Divers cowering and running in fear, is said to be a legendary serpent capable of devouring all of them. This is very well wildlife in No-Man's-Land.

All the quarreling had to quit at the moment for both Junkers and Divers alike to work together to slay the beast. Right in front of Karida were both of them, attempting to fix the trashed cannon as fast as they can. A few others were also working to keep the serpent busy, or at least try to lay even a scratch on it with all they can.

Karida joined the effort to keep the serpent busy. Turning a hand to the left, Karida quickly sped to the right and off the ATV, setting her feet tightly and firmly to the ground. What came next was Karida's first display of power: a bright stream of oddly-colored purplish flame lunging towards the serpent.

[Wind Wild]

Usually Luke’s response would have made Onweer slap her forehead and laugh out loud. Right now things seemed less funny than usual. She glanced around everyone still alive, most of them scattering for shelter to the rocks and then the small frontline group that was still around the ATV. “Trying to evade it by climbing up high is presuming that it can’t attack from above.” She commented, thinking out loud. “Then again, above ground it’s vulnerable so we can hope that attacking it while it’s overhead will deter it.”

The woman slipped inside the ATV, emerging a second later with one of the shells for the cannon. “I don’t know much about machines,” she turned to Yvette, seeking advise. “Is there a chance for the cannon to still be operational and aim fast enough to catch it? If not, I have another idea. If an open fire can make this explode, then me and fire guy can run to one of the recent holes and blow up the thing’s tail from underground. We drop the shells and make them explode, I can propel them further into the tunnel with my wind magic.” Her eyes darted to the serpent nervously. If she could still fly the way she used to, she could have plaid bait and drop the explosive directly into the animal’s mouth but as things were such a manoeuvre would nigh be impossible. If Yvette said the shells couldn’t be used as explosives and if Luke, Jenso and Karida’s magic kept achieving so little, Onweer might have to leave them to their own fate and try to save her own skin.

[tex]

Xena Rock Field

_{The Ambush Point}

"Explode," Yvette mumbled, questioning the viability behind detonating that much concentrated arcane energy, "That would be a very uncontrolled explosion, Miss Daybreak. But it may be our only option," she croaked, still trying to compose herself. She looked at Luke irritably, but the hulking man only offered a half-hearted shrug in return. "It might be worth an attempt. The beast seems blind, after all."

"Watch it!" Luke shouted, as the Xena serpant pulled its entire body back in a quick jerking motion. Jenso's flames seared the tip of its tongue, forcing it to turn its attention towards the brave flame mage immediately. But the follow-up explosion from Cecil's rifle forced it to turn its head once more. A large chunk of its scales was blown off as a result, revealing a softer layer of flesh underneath, near the back of its head. This time it couldn't discern exactly where to explosion had come from, but the serpent spent no more time searching for new targets, and spun back towards Jenso and the ATV, lunging head first in a striking motion, ready to swallow the man whole, and knock the truck over in its approach. Karida's flames seared a large portion of its scales as it emerged from the ground even more, but it didn't deter the giant serpent's approach in the least. Luke rose his sword and waited for the perfect moment to strike, while Yvette and Brian stood motionless, unable to assist in the least. "Here it comes! Hope you've got a quick way to apply your little plan there, cutie-pants!"

---

Arcadia

_{CMAS HQ - Sydney's Quarters}

Joshua reeled back slightly at Mina's words, shifting in place despite Sydney's hearty chuckle. "Good, good! That treacherous bitch won't be an issue after this, and if all goes as planned, the Divers won't be a factor by the time the sun falls," Sydney said confidently. What a treacherous swine. Who could have seen it coming, though? Sydney hadn't been a significant force politically, so none would've thought to suspect him of such dirty tactics. Not that it would've mattered. The CMAS was law, regardless of what people thought about their methods. "Joshua, please return to me with an apt progress report by 7. You may leave for now."

"Y-Yes, sir," Joshua chirped, running off to handle his work.

"Mina, please alert Survey group 1, and tell them that the Alpha test will be concluded shortly," Sydney ordered, clasping his hands together anxiously. "It's about time for paradise to fall apart, don't you agree? Hm hm hm..."

[Wind Wild]

A quick way?! Onweer’s eye twitched but before she could even utter a curse at the Diver, her body was in motion. Her plan was predicated on the assumption the creature would be underground so a swift change was in order. She grabbed Yvette’s hand on the way into the ATV. “Grab as many as you can and hurl them in the air on my command.” The girl instructed, making an example of scooping up three of the surprisingly heavy projectiles. This was going to take a lot out of her. But as sacrificing a bunch of people for her own benefit was more than likely to get her killed as soon as the creature was dead, she had to hope that at least one of those people could be trusted with her own life.

Emerging back on top, she briefed everyone. “It’s striking from above, everyone but Redhead and Karida run for cover!” She pushed a rocket in Brian’s hands, hoping to shake him out of his stupor. “Grab one each and throw them towards the beast as hard as you can. I’ll summon a gust of wind hopefully strong enough to blow them towards it, then you two ignite them. If you miss you have to blow up the ATV itself.” She gave Yvette and Brian a worried look. They seemed the most trustworthy out of everyone so she hoped they wouldn’t just abandon her. “I might pass out.” Her voice broke a bit and she cleared her throat. “Please be prepared.” She looked at Luke, Jenso and Karida in turn, hoping they could pull it off. It would take a lot of bravery for them to play both lure and weapon. They’d have to put their life on the line and hope she wouldn’t betray them. And she in turn would probably exhaust all of her arcane energy in one burst and hope any of the survivors would care more than to leave her to the wolves.

Definitely not how she expected this mission to go. Heaving a deep breath Onweer steeled her nerves, climbed on a nearby rock and prepared the magic.

[Jensoman]

Xena Rock Field

_{The Ambush Point}

Jenso glared at the beast as it lunged towards him and the ATV. He leaped onto the truck, and grabbed a shell of his own. "Got it! Name's Jenso, by the way." Jenso said, in regards to Onweer referring to him as Redhead. He threw the shell towards the beast's gaping mouth, and began gathering flames in his hands. He could ignore the plan and just run away quickly if he wanted, and have an easier time to dodge the beast's attack. But he wasn't going to back down now. This was their best shot to take the beast down, and he had no intention of letting it continue it's rampage.

At the moment when people would throw their shells and Onweer would launch the gust of wind to blow the shells into the serpent's mouth, Jenso would follow up immediately and strike the shells with a torrent of flames to ignite them. He kept in mind that Onweer could possibly pass out after performing her technique. Jenso would be able to grab her and attempt to move out of the beast's way in time if it was needed. However, he did not very much like that idea as he would only be able to save one person that way. He kept his focus on the incoming serpent, prepared to fire.

[tex]

Xena Rock Field

_{The Ambush Point}

Yvette stumbled into the ATV and almost fell to her knees as Onweer tugged on her arm. Her request was asking a little much, but Yvette simply nodded and heaved one of the Giant A/A cartridges up as quickly as she could. Luke followed up and grabbed it as she launched it up, and hurled it at the snake's head. Brian however, wasn't able to move or assist in any productive way whatsoever. He was frozen as the snake approached. Everyone did their part though, and in the end, Yvette and Jenso struck the shells with their fire magic, and gun, right on cue.

The resulting explosiona caused the giant serpent to flinch and jerk around violently, parts of its head flying across the rock field. Although it looked like a lethal injury, the snake was still able to retreat back into its hole, despite flailing its body from side to side violently like an unbound water hose. Its cold blood spattered everywhere, along with a series of shattered scales and what appeared to be brain matter, or seared flesh. Luke laughed out loud and stabbed his blade into the ATV's hard carapace. "That's the way!" he shouted happily, clapping his hands.

---

Diver's Paradise

The sudden combination of screams and explosions caused most Divers to rush out of the underground cavern in a state of utter panic. But there wasn't anywhere to run. Several mages stormed both the southern and northern entrances to Diver's paradise, armed with weapons, unique magical enhancement, and spells capable of slaughtering most in seconds. Bodies were piling up at either end of the massive area as the attackers threw lethal attacks left and right, looking to exterminate the Divers and ruin their home. "Pour in through the left! Take out those elementals!" A man shouted, appearing to have some level of authority over the northern group of attackers. The defending elemental mages were making their approach difficult, but with sheer numbers, the attackers would eventually overcome what little defenses they had. Luke wasn't there to defend his home, after all. Where the hell did these attackers come from? The answer to that question was far too simple.

The CMAS were finally honest in their approach.

[Letter Bee]

Paradise 'Par' Rapids - Diver's Paradise

Par was getting ready for the return of the 'conquering heroes'; they would surely want to have their Magitech repaired once they came back, either in victory or defeat. He did most of the work himself; his shop was small enough for that. Spend 8 hours working, 8 hours in 'lesiure' (mostly reading) and 8 hours asleep; that was his philosophy. He would love to talk with Luke himself; talk about taking part in the next expedition -

Then the CMAS attacked. At first, the 19-year old boy couldn't believe it; a second later, rage filled him as he saw that the CMAS were intent upon genocide. Acting quickly, Par took out a placard and quickly wrote: 'All Weapons are Free While We're Under Attack!' and put it by the shop window, before taking his sniper rifle and pistols and running up the stairs of his shop, past the attic, and clambering onto the roof, which had a vantage point facing at least one of the entrances, which was coincidentally where the enemy commander was.

One shot, thought Par, I'm in the open here, and I'll only have one shot. He then took out his sniper rifle, set the scope to maximum zoom, and aimed at the CMAS Mage.

Being careful not to hit the defenders, he shot a mana bolt at the enemy officer!