GambolMuse

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Yumi's brow twitched slightly when Viral commented on what she was saying, a forced smile crossing her lips as she tried to be friendly with him. "It's called optimism, I'm just trying to be positive about this. We've beaten Elites already so what more can there be?" They had done what should be very difficult and beaten Elites, that had to be a measure that they were improving. So there was being slightly emboldened by that and the confidence at having your friends at your back that lent itself to her optimism. That being said she wasn't nearly as optimistic, or perhaps cocky was the right word, as Takeshi. It was fine to be confident and another to be arrogant, that had always been a line that he'd had trouble staying on the better side of as long as she'd known him.

"What do you mean a 'warrior's fate' anyways? It's not like we're killing the guy," Takeshi retorted, frowning as he rolled his eyes, "I figured I guy like you who wants to test himself would get it. We don't get anything from fighting run-of-the-mill soldiers, you know? I don't know if we've gotten any better yet." Shu was nervous about it yet he had no reason to be, the two of them had taken down Elites before. They were stronger now, and even if the little guy didn't know it he'd been taught some actual moves, it was just a matter of actually replicating them. When Viral took a shot at him and his ability to lead Takeshi grew red in the face, holding up a fist as he glared at his friend. "I've got plenty of power right here if you wanna see it!" he snapped, pointing then at the Beastman, "And I am too a leader! I can easily get these- Ow ow ow!" Yumi had clearly had enough as her hand was now firmly gripping his ear, tugging him along as he struggled to keep pace and not topple over from the awkward angle. Blinking back tears he glared up at her, too hesitant to try wrenching her hand off of his ear. "Okay okay, I'm done! Stop, you're gonna tear it off!"

"Well if that's what it takes for you to not run your mouth then I just might!" Yumi shot back, releasing her grip and huffing as Takeshi nursed at his sore ear. "We're here to fight the Saiyans, not each other." Keeping in line behind Viral they continued moving through the halls, finding no resistance as they continued on. It appeared almost like their fighting had scared everyone else off, either that or they were regrouping somewhere else to fight. Nothing seemed to come of their exploration until Viral caught sight of something and ran ahead, stopping at an unassuming large set of doors. Unassuming to everyone but Viral as he quickly went about trying to pry them open, and after stepping in to help with it she and Viral managed to part them. What was revealed on the other side wasn't the Beastmen but a massive lift in the center of a spacious room, completely void of anyone else despite the size of the space. Furrowing her brow Yumi poked her head in, making doubly sure they weren't going to be ambushed before approaching the lift. "Where do you think this goes...?" she asked as she glanced at the control panel, looking to see then if there was a hole in the ceiling. Down, it had to go down, but what was beneath them?

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

There were instances in life where things happened too quickly to react. A sudden accident, a surprise sprung on an unsuspecting guest, events could unfold in such a way that they seemed to be a blur. The opposite was true too and time could seemingly slow as chaos unfolded, as it was now. Ethan watched in silent horror and confusion as the guards and Machina began to fight, unable to make reason of what he was witnessing. They were attacking, but why? What reason would they have for that? He thought Machina obeyed and served their owners, killing them was as far from that as one could get. It wasn't as though they'd be questioning the machines either as the fighting unfolded, with Nymira burning away a trio climbing through the window to boot. Over Cecil's screams and Bernadette's muffled sobs he was left trying to direct everyone to the window, insisting they follow Nymira's lead out.

Even their escape was far from graceful as Cecil fell and tumbled, Bernadette continued to be hysterical and he and Nymira were borderline collapsing from exhaustion. Amuné had been spooked but was surprisingly quiet at the moment, perhaps because he was holding her and Wyth was nearby. Having broken apart the wall with a powerful gust Ethan fought to keep his grasp on the Ydran girl, his whole body feeling like gelatin it was so worn. "But... If anyone comes..." the white-haired magi panted out, not terribly enthused with that idea. Leaving Amuné on her own to flee could be disastrous if they were chased, it was safer to keep her in his arms, even if releasing her might be easier. Giving the bricks a shove to collapse the section of the wall he was about to step through when Zander bolted past him, repeating something about "tampering" over and over as he ran away. Wanting to give chase he stepped over the rubble, being halted when Nymira grabbed his shoulder.

"We don't have time... He'll find his way out," she said firmly, not having any of her escort run off on her. Truth be told too she wasn't terribly concerned about the healer, she knew little of him and their meeting hadn't been a favorable one. For all they knew too he could be the one responsible for the mayor's death, and in turn her denial of a council with the man. Aggravating and enough to warrant her giving him a good smacking about, though she hadn't the energy to chase him either. Right now their focus should be to escape the scene of the battle, as contradictory as that might be to her usual behavior, and find a way to figure out what was happening. With most everyone over the wall she glanced back and saw Bernadette standing there, wringing her hands nervously with a panicked expression on her face. "If you remain you'll die, hurry up!"

Bernadette looked back at the mayor's manor before glancing at Nymira, a worried look etched deeply on her face. "I... I can't... I know you weren't responsible, you couldn't have been. But... If I flee with you then they'll think you're responsible!" She couldn't allow the children to be thrown in a cell or worse for a crime they didn't commit, she had to somehow convince the authorities they were innocent here. "I'll go to the guard barracks and get help, then I'll explain to them what happened. You need to run though, wait until it's all died down."

While running away and avoiding authorities was not something Ethan was accustomed to he couldn't quite argue with Bernadette. Right now they were suspects, and if they stayed around they might be attacked by some guards, like Zander nearly was earlier. Their only hope was to hide until the calamity died down and then come back, profess their innocence and hope it took. "Thank you Bernadette, we owe you a lot," Ethan said with a nod, managing a small smile before looking to Cecil and Nymira, "Come on guys... We should head a few blocks away at the very least... Make sure we're nowhere near here." Ignoring the protesting of his body as his legs moved he started down the hill in the back of the mayor's home, easing himself onto the dirt road below and cutting across into an alleyway between two ramshackle buildings.

"This is simply inexcusable... That damned man was meant to help me negotiate with other diplomats. Now he's dead, the buffoon..." Considering his deplorable behavior one could only assume he'd angered the wrong people, clearly someone who was rather efficient at dealing with those they disliked. What an underhanded way of eliminating a target though, using magic and then manipulating machines to clean up. No honor in that, anyone could attack through a pawn and never bloody their own hands. It seemed more and more like Murans were fine with letting others soil their hands to be rid of problems, quite the contrast from Dimuran society. Yet these were the people, along with the Varuna and Ydrans, that her father wished to make an alliance with, for reasons that were beyond her. "Stupid... Stupid politics..."

"Well... It's not like he planned on dying, I'm sure..." Ethan commented, a tired smile on his face as he trudged along, "Besides... There's other towns still, it's not... The end of the world." Dang, he wasn't going to be going much further than this if he couldn't catch his breath. His lungs burned from oxygen deprivation and his legs were shaking, he had clearly overdone it. Finally having had enough he stopped as soon as they crossed into another alleyway, sinking to his rear and releasing Amuné on her own feet, letting out a breathless chuckle. "At least... At least tomorrow can't be any worse."

Those poor children, thrown into the middle of this chaos. Put in the spotlight despite trying to remain hidden and becoming suspected of what would now be several accounts of murder. If only they had died when they were supposed to then none of this would have had to happen. "Tsk tsk tsk..." Bernadette clicked her tongue and shook her head as she turned around, walking back towards the manor. As she passed by a tree the view of her was obscured briefly, and when she reappeared she looked completely different. A snide smile crossed her crimson lips as she slowly walked towards the front of the building, taking in the aftermath of the battle. It had been brief but fierce, and by now every guard and Machina involved in the battle lay dead at one another's hand. So satisfying, watching pawns attack each other like that. Almost too easy too, they were all so naively willing to believe whatever was fed to them. To so unwaveringly trust that Bernadette woman, they must have either been incredibly loyal or terribly foolish. Either way they had died for their incompetence, just as they should have.

Kicking aside a guard's corpse as she entered the hall to the mayor's office she stopped briefly seeing one just barely alive, a sickle buried in his side as he lay trying to stop the bleeding. As she approached he glanced up at her wordlessly, his bloodied hand reaching up as though expecting help. What he received instead was a sudden death as a black sword was thrust into his chest, piercing his heart and killing him near instantly. "Rats should know better than to ask for mercy, they're only vermin after all," she sang sweetly, a smile playing on her lips as she retracted the sword, shaking the blood off and sheathing it. Stepping over his corpse she entered the mayor's office, watching in amusement as a creature tore away at the man's body, enjoying his poisoned flesh as though it were a delicacy. "You didn't screw this one up, well done. I think I'll not be killing you today."

"Yesss... This was easy prey for me, child's play..." the Varuna magi laughed, observing as his summoned creature continued its feast, "With no Remusss to interfere, they were as easy as crushing a fly. Why do we not kill the children though...?" He wished to see them dead and by his hand if it could be helped, and it could have easily been done here today. They were exhausted from their battle on the boat, an amusing sight that he wished he could witness again, and wouldn't have even been able to defend themselves. Helpless prey, how amusing!

"Because this isn't simply about killing them anymore, you know that," the woman pointed out, smiling as she took a seat on the mayor's desk, "Magi cannot be allowed to roam around freely, yet many still do. This shows the world just how loathsome those outside of the Church's hold are," she continued as she folded one leg over another, reaching back to stroke the gelatinous beast at her back. "Not only have we turned them into outlaws, but now Magi will be seen unfavorably and as criminals in this town. Soon word of their deeds will spread to other towns, and any Magi will be ostracized for simply being who they are. Just think about it... Neighbors turning on neighbors, brothers on sisters. People will fight to bring in Magi, and it'll only empower the Church in turn. Today we moved out first pawn of the game, and before long we'll have our victory."

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

It was somewhat disheartening that she couldn't sniff out the Beastmen, Yumi was hopeful she might be able to be of some use. Then again without knowing what any of them smelled like to begin with she supposed tracking a scent was impossible anyways. Smiling amused when Shu got slightly defensive she shook her head, pointing at him with a laugh and explaining, "You smell even when you're clean Shu, it's just a different smell. You smell nice actually," she added, winking playfully before turning to Viral. "Right, somewhere probably locked away so we can't get to them, only problem is we'll reach them no matter what." For emphasis she gave her knuckles a crack, more than confident they would win the day. Fighting the Elites had taken a lot out of them but they would recover, and by the time they did they could handle whoever else remained in their way. Another Elite? Bring it on, she was ready for them. Before she got ahead of herself though they had to actually find the Beastmen, and common sense told her to move further into the facility to track them down.

"We kicked the crap out of two Elites and loads of soldiers, I don't see what else they can throw at us," Takeshi said with a grin, starting off down the corridor, throwing his hands up in the air eagerly, "This place is as good as ours!" If Elites couldn't stop them then they were as good as done already, it was just a matter of finding the people they were here for. Seeing as they had only one way to go too they might as well go forward, past where the Elites had been and further into the facility. Placing his hands on the back of his head he hummed to himself for a moment, stopping as he glanced back and looked at Viral, smirking as he raised an eyebrow. "So what's the plan when we find these guys? I mean they might come with us now that we've beaten all of the guards, or they might not. We really shouldn't force them to you know?" he added, looking ahead and rubbing his hands together excitedly, "If there's another Elite then Shu and I got dibs on them!"

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

That was a tough fight, is what Takeshi would like to say. Working over a few dozen of your everyday soldiers though was so easy he could do it in his sleep. Hell it was so easy Shu could do it while goofing off, not bad for someone who was convinced they couldn't even fight. While they toyed around with troops Yumi and Viral got the real fight and managed to win them too, much to no one's surprise; they had trained a lot recently and gotten stronger and better at fighting, he fully expected them to win. "Yeah, they kicked those Elite's butts huh? Let's go congratulate 'em!" the older boy said as he ruffled his brother's hair, heading then to the others with a grin. Between all of the soldiers behind them out cold and the two Elites knocked off in the room besides they'd certainly left a mark on the base, and they still hadn't even found what they were here for. "I hope they got more Elites, that was barely a warm up," Takeshi said nonchalantly as he placed his hands behind his head, "You guys made it look easy, I hope they're not getting rusty. What's the fun in fighting Elites if they aren't strong?"

"Only you would think fighting an Elite is fun," Yumi commented in exasperation, rolling her eyes then as she turned to Viral, "We still have to find the Beastmen though... And I'm guessing this is the way to go." They wouldn't have posted Elites here unless there was something important beyond them right? It could be a distraction too but then she doubted that, if they never came this way the Beastmen would be completely unguarded. No this had to be the right way she just knew it. Despite being sore from being knocked around a bit she was prepared to keep going too and find these people before too much longer. On a whim she lifted her head and closed her eyes, taking a few sniffs at the air then letting out a sigh when she noticed nothing. "Whole place must be sterile or something, I can't smell a single thing," she complained before glancing at Takeshi and Shu, "Aside from two boys that is. So where do we go from here then...?" As she thought continuing on the way they had been made the most sense, but then she'd never been in a place like this, at least not that she could recall. If the others had a better idea of it then she was all too happy to let them make the decision.

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Viral was meant to be weak and broken by this point so how was he putting up a fight? Whatever was going on now that he was out of their hands was completely against plans they had made, they never anticipated having to fight him. Of course the damn doctor was nowhere to be scene otherwise they might have a chance of subduing him and turning him on his comrades. "And you're a fool to think you can defeat a superior! You're a tool for Saiyans and nothing more, nothing will change that!" the Elite laughed as he rose to his feet. He knew what would take down Viral, he'd simply blow him to bits and be done with it. To hell with trying to beat him into submission, he had better things to waste time on. Beginning to amass Ki at a rapid rate he grinned when the Beastman picked up on what he was doing, nearly prepared to let his attack loose. "I'll turn you to ash, traitor! Die!" Before the Elite ever had the chance to release his attack he was struck hard in the face by Viral, his nose breaking as a fist smashed into him and knocked him off his feet. Ki dispersing and flying through the air and out of the base the Elite went flying back into the wall, smashing through it and landing in the room opposite the corridor, smashing into a table and finally coming to a rest, utterly out cold.

"Oh come on, it's okay if I say them!" Takeshi retorted as his face flushed slightly, looking to Shu as he spoke, "Just don't say them back, you know?" Shu didn't have to do everything he did, certainly not that. If he so much as uttered a single curse then Yumi would probably stop what she was doing, storm over here and pummel him for being an idiot or something. She was too busy for that so it looked like he'd get off the hook until later. Just as well because they were working on whittling down the number of soldiers, some of which were beginning to think of better and run away. Knocking down three men he aimed a Ki blast at them, smirking as they panicked before simply blasting the floor and sending them flying off. It wouldn't kill them and chances were they could fly, no harm done other then maybe making them crap themselves. "Woah, I wonder how far they're going!" Takeshi laughed, placing a hand on his brow to watch them vanish into the distance. By this point the final soldiers were more or less done with the fight, and it may have something to do with the Elite getting thrown through a wall courtesy of Viral. So that's what all that Ki had been about, he probably should have paid more attention to it. Heh, oops.

She had to find a way to put this man down for good, he was being worn down yet nowhere near as quickly as she was. Taking a moment to catch her breath as he pulled himself from the wall Yumi came up with a plan of attack, getting back up again and bouncing back and forth on the balls of her feet. She let him come in for the attack and nimbly ducked beneath his first strike, using the second for leverage as she blocked the uppercut with both hands, getting hoisted high into the air by it. Managing to kick off the wall with her feet she drove her body hard into his chest and winded the man, and as soon as she landed again she jumped up and drove a fist into his jaw, causing him to nearly topple over but not quite. Lowering herself closer to the ground she swung out a leg at his bad one and took him off his feet, and as he was falling she fell back on her hands and kicked out with both legs, throwing him through the same wall that the other Elite had gone through. Watching through the hole as he tumbled across the room his head eventually slammed into one of the consoles, knocking him out in the process. Expecting him to get up again she watched with baited breath for any movement, exhaling with relief when he showed no signs of getting back up. "Thank goodness that's over... What a lug..."

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Defeating a former commander here and now, just thing of the acclaim! The accolades! He would be promoted to general after a victory here today and even greater if they brought the princes in. He couldn't fail, there was too much at stake without even considering the project being in jeopardy. That being said bringing down Viral was proving to be difficult, he was supposed to be a broken, shadow of his former self. Shadows didn't land you flat on your behind after pummeling you. "Bah! I don't even need the weapons to defeat you, you're nothing compared to a Saiyan!" the Elite shot back, grinning as he climbed to his feet, "Defeat only makes us stronger, you've no hopes of winning here!" Even if he was beaten he would return to take revenge, he'd never suffer the humiliation of losing to a Beastman. They were tools for the Saiyan empire and were inferior in every way! Striking out with a flurry of punches he found every strike to be either blocked or met with one from Viral, ending up being knocked down again by a hefty blow. "Hah... So you're not falling apart any longer, pity..." the Elite panted as he rose once more, grinning as he wiped blood from his mouth on the back of his hand. "You may be strong, but you cannot do anything against this!" Placing both hands before him, heels together, he began amassing Ki at a rapid rate, his body bulking up as energy grew. He'd blow Viral into cosmic ash if he had to, then the others would be easy picking.

Takeshi was having fun fighting the troops even if they were pitifully easy to beat. At least more kept coming, it gave them something to do while Yumi and Viral got the real fights. After blasting away that annoying soldier he disappeared with his Ki between two more men, smirking as they tried to flee and only have the collars of their shirts grabbed, with Takeshi bashing their heads together and simply dropping them at his feet. "What are you talking about buddy? You're fighting right now and you're kicking ass!" the older boy replied, lazily leaning to the side to avoid a punch, throwing a fist back and clocking the soldier in the bridge of the nose, "You can fight, you're showing me that right now! Keep it up!" Though fighting these guys was slightly easier than an Elite, he could do this in his sleep. Hearing another soldier running up behind him he swiveled his body around, kicking the energy blade from his hand before spinning again and kicking him in the chest, knocking him into three more and causing all of them to fall over. Charging a small amount of Ki then in his palm he aimed at them, smiling as they all looked panicked and shook their heads. "Oh I'm not gonna kill you, you're just going for a trip," Takeshi said, aiming below them and blowing apart the tiles by their feet, causing them to soar up into the air and out of view fairly quickly.

Takeshi and Shu were having fun no doubt, shame the same couldn't be said for her and Viral. Relaxing and goofing off were two things they couldn't afford to do when fighting two Elites. Managing to ground her opponent Yumi began punching away in hopes of knocking him out cold, drawing blood but failing to reach her goal. Instead her fists were grabbed and her head smacked by the Elite's, becoming dazed as she was kicked off by his one good leg. Seeing somewhat blurry for a moment she watched the alien get to his feet in spite of the pain and stalk towards her, Ki in his hand and no doubt primed to put her down. Waiting until he got close to shoot she spun her body and kicked against the wall, causing her to slide along the floor and between his legs. Using her hands to stop herself then she sprung up and kicked him in the back, sending him face first into the wall. Following that up with another kick to his bad leg she brought him again to a knee, and another kick to his back to put him into the wall a third time, denting it. She was going to deliver yet another but instead was thrown back across the hall as she was hit with a blast, taking relatively little damage but being caught completely off guard. Seeing the Elite airborne and bearing down on her she hastily rolled aside as his fist impaled the wall, being blown apart by his Ki shortly afterwards as she scrambled to avoid the debris.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

They hadn't done anything wrong by anyone so why the hostility? They'd done the town a favor by getting the boat back, no questions asked, and it was hardly like they were going to steal the cargo. Given their small group size, and the small size of some of their friends, how were they meant to haul off crates and crates of goods? That was the only reason Ethan could come up with their being aggressive at first, though the guards revealed it was over their supposedly being Magi, or however their mayor had been put to sleep. This was the first he was hearing of such a thing and it confused him greatly, furrowing his brow as the accusations were laid out. Then when Zander stepped forward to try and take the blame the guards seemed skeptical, as if he couldn't have done it. Though he managed a smile the corner of Ethan's mouth twitched, even he wasn't naive enough to expect Zander's claims to absolve them of these accusations.

"We're taking you all back to town before we decide anything, and you'll be punished accordingly for it," the lead-guard answered, looking to no one in particular as he spoke, "We'll figure out who exactly did it when we get there, until then you're all to come with us and be silent on the matter." There was a small issue as well of potentially having Magi in the mix, so to be safe they had to not aggravate any of them. Fear couldn't prevent them from upholding the law though, they had technically attacked the mayor and had to answer for that crime. "Punishment will be weighed based on what you did here today as well, you'll likely get off with little more than a small fine," the guard added, looking to Amuné mainly this time. He didn't know how a small child became mixed up in all of this, but it wasn't right to put this on her. Even if the little girl might be a Magi he sincerely doubted she'd any part in the massacre aboard the ship, she should be free from these charges.

What a complete and utter mess this had turned into. Doing this favor was meant to be a guarantee for getting what she wanted: favor with the local officials and perhaps good word for other towns. Instead Nymira found herself possibly being charged with a crime and treated like some criminal, as if she'd done anything wrong. "I did not realize putting a man into a slumber was such a heinous crime," the Dimuran remarked angrily, holding Amuné against her shoulder as she addressed the lead guard. The man admonished her with a disapproving look but she continued in spite of that. "We risked our lives to return this ship to Lazlo, and we've potentially stopped future robberies in the process. Surely everything we've done overrides such a petty crime, yes? If you insist on being so difficult I'll not be pleased with your town, we'll be sure to avoid it when my clan begins trade."

"W-What she means to say is we should get off a little light, even if we did put someone to sleep," Ethan interjected with a nervous laugh, "Besides, it's not as if the mayor was hurt, right? I mean yeah maybe putting him to sleep was a little... Unnecessary, but it didn't hurt him. I'd hardly call that assault." To him it kind of seemed the guards were stretching it, their definition of assault that was. Shame he hadn't a single idea how it had even happened or he might be better able to explain it to them. Why were they making such a big fuss over a man being placed in a nap?

Absurdity of the charges notwithstanding they were going back to town, their fates to be determined once at the mayor's home. The walk back to Orosi was largely silent save for Amuné's occasional whimpers and Bernadette's trying to convince the guards to let them off. The whole situation was stressful and made very little sense with even a few of the guards appearing to question their actions; no one knew for certain what was going on, and they likely wouldn't until they returned. More guards and some dock workers would be by later to retrieve the cargo and ship as it turned out, meaning their participation in the job was officially over. An impending sense of nervousness washed over Ethan as they caught sight of the manor, though he brushed it aside and tried to smile in spite of himself. They had been through some nasty business but they'd made it through, the worst was behind them and they could be done with this. Yes they were being charged, with what he didn't know, but it wouldn't be too bad.

"I just want to make this clear before we speak with the mayor. Only the one responsible for putting him to sleep is being charged here, and it'll likely end up as little more than a misdemeanor, disorderly conduct or something similar. You kids should be awarded for what you did here today as well, even if the way you did it was... Unexpected." All of those dead men aboard the ship, not quite what was expected out of a group of youths. Again the notion of Magi plagued the lead guard's mind but he tried to ignore it, still having no concrete evidence the claims were even true. They had to be certain before passing judgment, otherwise it would turn into a witch hunt; neighbors would accuse one another of being Magi and be whisked away without question, that was a kind of chaos that could not be permitted.

Passing through the courtyards leading up to the manor the guards led the group, brushing aside any Machina that tried to approach to offer assistance or greet them, as per their programming. It was well known that the Machina here were frequently approaching guards, having been taught to address them and assist them however possible. Thoughtful but terribly bothersome when they did it every single time whether one was coming or going, it became a hassle quite quickly. Thankfully the servant model was never quite as bothersome as the others, greeting them as was expected and agreeing to see them to the mayor's office. Approaching the office some of the guards seemed to be distracted by something, as was Bernadette after a moment. First thing that was unusual was her desk, which while manned by a Machina servant in her absence was unusually clear of papers, ones which she'd instructed to be left out for when she got back. Next was the mayor's door which was slightly open, odd considering the man almost always kept it closed.

"Sir, we've brought the children back to see you as you've requested," the guard declared, stopping short of the door and standing at attention. Awaiting a response there was nothing but silence for several moments, and after clearing his throat the guard repeated himself. "Mister mayor, the children are here, we'd like to show them in if it's alright." Again no response. Frowning the lead guard exchanged a look with Bernadette before placing a hand on the hilt of his sword reaching out and slowly pushing the door open as he entered the room. Nothing seemed out of place though the mayor's back was turned to them, the rear of his chair facing the door. Letting out a sigh the guard approached, reaching out to touch the seat. "Sir... Please wake up, we've brought the children."

When the chair was tapped it slowly turned around, and at once the air seemed to leave the room. Rather than find a dozing man as one might expect they found a sickly pale mayor, his eyes sunken and colorless in his unusually thin face. In fact his entire body was thin, like the life and every bit of strength had been sapped right out of him. No immediately notable injuries and yet he was very clearly dead, yet for how long? Appalled and baffled by the turn of events the guard slowly reached out, habitually checking for a pulse and finding none. "What in the name of the Saints..." he whispered, pausing as he noticed something unusual on the inner sleeve of the mayor's vest. Parting the cloth he reached in and pulled a slip of paper from his chest, eying the peculiar markings on it in confusion.

"A talisman...? But that's..." Wait, how could that be? He'd been with the others hadn't he? Yet that looked remarkably similar to something she'd seen before. Looking to Zander, Bernadette's eyes widened as she approached him slowly. "Zander? That's... Isn't that yours? You used the same thing before..." she mumbled nervously, stopping short as one of the guards stuck out an arm to halt her. Looking between everyone present her hands went to her chest, her eyes silently begging for some kind of explanation. No way could they be responsible, they weren't here. But... Who else used talismans like those?

The mayor was dead and evidently one of these children was to blame. Seeing Bernadette questioning the boy called Zander was all the guards needed to place an accusation. Drawing his sword from the scabbard one of the guards approached Zander, holding the blade out towards his chest as his hand trembled angrily. "You brat, you'll rot in a cell for this!" he shouted, raising his arm as though to strike him. Being grabbed in the back of his shirt by the lead guard however he was pulled back, scowling before glaring at the healer. "He killed the mayor! The brat double crossed us!"

"We don't know that! Don't jump to conclusions!" the lead guard retorted angrily, glancing back towards the rear of the group as other weapons were drawn. "Stand down, all of you! We'll investigate before we jump to conclusions!" A second later one of the men let out a scream, and a few incoherent shouts followed as the guards began turning around. Furrowing his brow the lead guard moved towards the door, edging everyone out of the way to see what was happening. In the hall and armed to the teeth were the Machina, eyes glowing an unusual red as they advanced in droves on the mayor's office. The guards had begun to try and fend them off and were now in a full out battle with them, struggling to hold back the inhuman fighters.

"What in the hell is going on? Why are they attacking?!" the guard shouted, glancing back at the mayor's corpse before looking again to Zander and the others, "You will wait here, we'll deal with this!" No sooner had he said that did the window behind the mayor's seat burst open, knocking his chair and body over onto the floor. Another Machina was coming into the room, sickle in hand as it tried to climb in. Storming over to the window the guard knocked away its weapon as it swung out at him, severing its head and pushing its body out. "Damn it! That's it, everyone out of the manor!" Stepping out the window the guard began to try and clear the way, only to suddenly be skewered by a pitchfork through his chest. As blood bubbled and passed through his lips he fell out of view, another three Machina piling up along the window.

Why was this happening? Why were the Machina attacking? When they were here before they hardly seemed to even acknowledge their existence, what had changed? Nymira cursed as the fighting escalated behind them, another guard being cut down and then another as the Machina continued to assail their position. They had to get out of here, staying was certainly going to spell death. Handing Amuné off to Ethan she moved towards the window, extending a hand out towards the three Machina and letting a fireball loose that engulfed all three, melting them into skeletons as their frames fell to the ground. Jumping out of the window then she glanced around and found it clear, waving the others on. "Hurry, before more come!"

"Right, move everyone, move!" Ethan called as he held Amuné in one arm, waving the others on first. With the guards keeping the Machina behind them at bay they could get away like this, and while he hated to leave them to their fate he knew staying was out of the question. Bernadette went first, practically in hysterics as she clambered out the window with Nymira's help. Once everyone else had gone the white-haired Magi hurried after the others and climbed out as well, following the Dimuran around the back of the manor. No Machina had made it out here yet which was good, and the only thing between them and freedom was the wall. Mustering up what little magic left he could muster Ethan slammed a gust of wind into the bricks, knocking it loose enough to be toppled over. Panting from the exertion he went through the opening with the others, hurrying away from the manor as the sounds of battle raged on behind them.

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"Hah, you were nothing but a subject, a tool for the project! I've been entrusted with its protection," the Elite shot back with a grin, taking another swing at Viral and missing by just a hair, "You're no longer of use to us here!" Having two more strikes blocked the Saiyan twisted his body around and kicked at Viral's chest, having it blocked yet knocking him away into the remains of the wall with a satisfying crash. Smirking proudly his mouth quickly contorted into an annoyed frown as he was provoked, stalking forward to pummel some sense into the Beastman. With surprising speed however Viral came at him as well, throwing a series of rapid and powerful punches. The first one or two were easily blocked, but the second made it through and slammed into his side, the second into his shoulder and the third into his jaw. After that his guard was broken and he took several hard strikes, finally ending up on his back when it was all done. "Hah... I should expect nothing less... From a former commander," the Elite chuckled, sitting up and spitting out blood as it dribbled from between his lips. "But it takes more than that to beat a Saiyan, you should know." Pushing himself up he dashed back in at Viral, throwing a flurry of punches of his own.

Takeshi figured he was being kind of cool with that line, provoking the soldiers and all too. With Shu pointing out the obvious though his shoulders sagged and an eyebrow twitched slightly as he found it totally lost on his brother, letting out a sigh and deciding to hell with it. Charging into the fight he knocked off two soldiers right off the bat, smirking seeing Shu getting all involved right away. One nice thing about fighting soldiers like this was it didn't take much to put them out of commission, just one good strike usually did it. Turning to another nearby soldier he leaned to the side to avoid a fist, grabbing the man's arm and holding it under his own before punching him twice in the face, letting go and watching him simply drop backwards in a daze. "Man... I kinda wish we were fighting the Elites..." he mumbled, letting out a slight gasp as a blast hit his back. Stumbling forward a few steps he frowned and glanced back at his burned shirt, shooting a blast in turn at the soldier responsible for hitting him and sending the guy careening across the floor.

Yumi knew how she had to fight the Elite now but that didn't make it too much easier. He still struck hard with what he had left and it wasn't as though hitting pressure points permanently numbed a limb. She had to deal with a lot more than just a single limb too if she wanted to beat this man. Taking advantage of her speed she began ducking and weaving to avoid his strikes, finding her speed was at least greater than his own. Managing to evade a nasty chop that made the air reverberate around it Yumi struck out again at his leg, hitting the spot just above his knee and again on his thigh, spinning her body and kicking the dead leg out to bring him to a knee. Trying to kick him in the face and knock him down she grit her teeth when her leg was grabbed instead, being lifted up and slammed back onto the floor. Trying to wrestle her leg free she was dragged across and slammed into the wall, letting out a groan as her body smashed against the hard surface. In a fit of desperation she gathered Ki and threw it at his face, hitting him and causing him to drop her and send him back. Ignoring the pain in her back and sides Yumi charged him down and tackled his leg, popping it out of the socket and knocking him over, sitting on top of him then and giving his jaw a good few punches in hopes of knocking him out.

Far From Home

As groups had been decided long before this point there was no use in trying to change them now. Shame, that, as Doku wasn't terribly thrilled with who he'd gotten. Suto he would have in his group without question, it was the other three he was not thrilled off. A heavier set man wielding a hammer, complaining constantly of wanting food in spite of hunger being almost nonexistent. Beside him was a tall, thin man wielding a bowstaff, seeming to be just as impatient with his companion as Doku was, and about as imposing as a garden gnome. The final member, a woman with a pair of chakrams, looked far more inclined to inspect some of the more impressive males in this team than focusing on the fight. He hardly wished for death upon any of the people present, but if any were to fall he'd not be terribly surprised to find those three among them. Every player present was presumably competent, but he'd hold that reservation to himself until the battle actually began.

Tension and excitement both unbridled, the air thick with each as the groups formed and prepared for the final battle. With knowledge of the boss courtesy of the Beaters they were confident victory was at hand, and this becoming a death game did little to cause players to waver. Yes there was real threat and a single misstep could spell the end, but with many of the best gathered here and several veterans of the MMO genre there was ample reason to be assured things would work out. Rallying around their designated leader, a blue-haired man named Diavel, everyone prepared to pass the threshold into the boss room. With a resounding kick that signaled the beginning of the battle the doors were thrust wide open and players filed in, spreading out and keeping to their groups. This was most certainly the room, but where was the boss?

"Does it have a trigger for its spawn or something?" Suto wondered aloud, frowning as he stood upright and glanced around. He knew in some games bosses might need specific events to happen, maybe that was the case here? Though it would be weird for the first boss to be like that, he'd think there was nothing special about it. A bit disappointed to find nothing awaiting them he let out a sigh and slumped, looking at his brother who remained on alert. "This is a total rip off, where's the boss, Arashi? I wanted to fight it!"

Yes, where was it exactly? One would expect the boss to be waiting for them in the room, standing in the center surrounded by innumerable minions. As soon as the door was thrown open it should have initiated the instance, so where was the enemy? Keeping a hand on the hilt of his greatsword he scanned the room patiently, his emerald eyes poring over ever pixel for some sign of life. Save for the flickering of the torches along the out edge of the arena nothing moved, this seemed wrong. No sooner had he considered the possibility of this being a trap a roar alerted everyone present, and soon thereafter a heavy weight slammed into the floor of the arena, causing a small quake as players fought to keep on their feet. At last at the head of the room was their target, Illfang, and with another thunderous roar the battle truly commenced.

In keeping to their groups some players moved to strike at the boss while others remained behind, fending off the numerous smaller beasts that spawned. Grabbing Suto's collar to keep him from running off, Doku rolled his eyes once and threw his sibling behind him. "Don't leave my side, we agreed on that. Help me with the adds." Moving slowly through the room he found their first target in a triad of kobolds, each brandishing some form of bladed weaponry. Pulling his greatsword from his back Doku stepped forward to meet a charging beast, and with a wide arching swing he cut it clean in two, promptly spinning his body once the cooldown passed and repeating the motion, decimating the second. The third kobold by this time was nearly upon him, letting out a shrill howl as it struck at him with its rusted dagger. The blade missed his skin however as Suto lunged forward and landed on its back, driving his tantō through its neck.

As the battle progressed it appeared as though the confidence from before was not misplaced. The boss followed the patterns dictated in the books, the minions were hardly difficult and not a single loss had been taken. The two brothers were a flurry of steel as they cut down one kobold after another, with Doku's wide swings cleaving at times two or three at once, and Suto darting about so swiftly some of the enemies had trouble keeping their eye on him. All told it was expected without conversation that they would triumph before long, and moving forward they would only be even more emboldened. Tentative as Doku tried to be during the battle even he found himself relaxing as they made progress, impressed that their group, like a well oiled machine, worked flawlessly and performed its job without error. Exchanging a glance with the portly hammer-wielding man from before they shared something almost akin to an amicable smile, pleased with how events were unfolding.

As things are wont to however the battle changed at the drop of a hat, and what was a flawless victory quickly turned sour. The first sign something was amiss was seeing Diavel thrown across the room by Illfang, slamming into one of the pillars and cracking it. When the hefty beast lunged across the open space and closed the gap, talwar raised high above its head, everyone must have known what was coming next. After the shards of their leader dispersed an eerie silence fell over the once hectic battle, even the minions seeming to stop to take stock of what had occurred. Replacing the sounds of jubilation and triumph then were screams of panic and terror, rank broke and players began to spread out. Illfang was hardly through however as his aggro reset, charging down a nearby spear user and skewering them with ease. The fight which they should have breezed through suddenly became infinitely more difficult.

"W-Wait... How'd it do that? That wasn't in the book!" Suto voiced among others, staring wide-eyed as Illfang claimed a second and third victim within seconds. Had they changed the boss since the beta? Mind running a mile a minute he tried to find an explanation for what was happening, poring over everything he knew of video games for an answer. He seemed to be berserk, Illfang, and he was simply attacking whoever was closest. So what should they do? Someone with more health should try and take his aggro, but what if they fell too? Despite being eager for the encounter moments before he now found his body unwilling to comply with him, his hands shaking as he watched yet another player fall to the boss' onslaught. They were actually going to die here.

Hearing the howl of a nearby kobold Suto managed to finally tear his gaze from the boss, eyes widening seeing its blade speeding towards his neck. Fearing the worst he raised his arms instinctively to try and defend himself, whimpering as he prepared to take the hit. The sound of a kobold screaming and then pixels dispersing however prompted him to glance up, seeing Doku swinging his sword again to take out yet another enemy.

"Don't stop! We can still win this!" Doku shouted loudly, for both Suto's sake as well as everyone else's. Losses were expected, they had come into this with that fact in mind. Just because they had this slight bump didn't mean everything was lost, they would only fail if they couldn't rally and keep pushing. Grunting as he took a blade to the chest during a cooldown he retaliated with a shoulder charge, knocking the kobold into the man with the hammer and watching as it was pummeled flat into the floor. They had to keep going, failing now meant dooming everyone else. Failing meant Suto would be killed here, and he absolutely refused to let that happen.

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"You're right... We just didn't think you were so stupid as to come here!" the Elite taunted as he took another swing, missing by just a hair. Throwing another strike he slammed into the Beastman's arms and nearly toppled him over, though frustratingly Viral managed to stay upright. Raising an arm then to block an incoming kick he caught the blow with his forearm, gritting his teeth from the force as he slid backwards on the soles of his boots. "Beat us and just maybe you'll get your answer!" the Saiyan retorted with a grin, dashing back in to attack, "I doubt that will happen!" In his dash he reeled back a fist and threw an uppercut Viral's way, and should it miss he'd spin his body around completely and swing a leg at Viral's side to try and knock him into the shattered wall. "You never should have returned, traitor!"

Yumi was trying to disable the man in some way, any way that could give her an advantage. He was far larger physically and built sturdy enough most of her blows did nothing. In trying to fix that she was wrenching his arm to tear it from its socket yet even that had no effect. Gasping as the man lifted her up and slammed her back down onto the floor she released him, scrambling away as he slammed a fist down at her and rose to his feet. It wasn't her first time fighting a larger opponent, she'd just have to get a little more creative with her attacks, that was all. Frowning as he sneered at her she waited for the Elite to charge in, flipping backwards onto her hands a few times to avoid swinging limbs then ducking as a fist punched through the wall at her back. Using two fingers she hit the underside of his bicep with a quick jab, then the side and one on his shoulder, pushing off of him to get away from a swing of the arm. While it didn't seem to do much at first he moved that limb now, his right arm, with notably less fervor and speed. It hadn't numbed it completely but she'd managed to slow him down some, and with that she could smile proudly. She had a way to deal with him, it was just a matter of hitting the right spots.

"Sure you are bud, you just gotta see it for yourself," Takeshi answered back, giving Shu a small smile before hastily turning and tackling him. It might seem unreasonable to do such a thing, but as a massive Ki blast ripped through the space they'd been standing in surely the little guy got it. Once the blast had subsided Yumi and Viral wasted no time going on the offensive, leaving him and Shu to watch them fight. Getting off his brother he got to his feet, helping Shu up and glancing at the destroyed building. "Yeah, same guy, and I don't know who that Saiyan is..." he muttered as he inspected the damage, not terribly impressed by it. A blast like that wouldn't have taken them out, it was more a reaction than anything, he was certain. Scoffing he heard the clatter of boots behind them, looking back to see a small group of soldiers coming up from the rear, armed with blasters and blades alike. Furrowing his brow in annoyance he turned around and cracked his knuckles, glancing to the side at Shu and nodding to the troops. "Well we'll let them handle the Elites, let's swat some flies," he said with a smirk, turning back before darting ahead, tackling the nearest soldier to the ground with a shoulder charge before kicking another past everyone else, sending him flying down the corridor.