GambolMuse

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

I found my pillows in the woods doe! :o It's moss, but eh, it works :D

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

The Saiyan's blow pulverized the ground and shattered stone, sending chunks of rock skyward and splitting the foundation of a nearby building in two. Standing upright as the building slowly began to crumble he smiled, ducking under the first blow and blocking the second. "Is that right? I belong with the Saiyans, Viral. I have a home. Can you truly say the same?" he laughed as he deflected another blow, easily keeping up with the Beastman's uncoordinated strikes. It seemed like he was fighting purely out of fury and not thinking this through, if he continued on in such a manner it would be a short fight between them. "You never truly fit in with the Saiyans and you do not seem to fit here either, there is no place for you in the whole universe!" There was every intention to kill Viral here but he didn't wish to be too hasty about it. He would make the turncoat regret ever coming to Lioma, he would make Viral's demise as slow and painful as possible. And he would be the last to die of course, after all of his comrades went before him. Reaching out and trying to grab one of Viral's arms the Elite would try to pull Viral closer if successful, throwing a single, strong punch at his stomach. "Your only home is in Otherworld! Here, let me send you there!"

The good news was that as quick as the Elite might be Yumi was just as fast, able to dodge their attacks without much issue. There was the small issue however of her blows having zero effect despite feeling like they had some sizable impact behind them. She knew she was striking the man, her arm tingled every time she landed a blow and yet he showed no signs of slowing down. Worse still was the fact that he was only one of a handful of Elites sent down to Lioma, clearly the King had every intention of crushing this world. They absolutely could not lose, an entire world and its people hung in the balance here. Whether or not they were fighting for the rebels didn't matter when letting the Saiyans have their way was clearly the worst outcome. Closing the gap to get in close to the Elite, Yumi ducked beneath a swipe and jumped over a low kick, reaching down and using the Elite's leg for leverage as she stood on her hands, lifting a leg and kicking him square in the jaw. Finally some response as he reeled back on his heels, giving her a chance to follow-up as she tried to deliver another punch to his gut. In a split second she saw the man grin and knew she'd made a mistake, his hands grabbing her sides and lifting her upside down into the air, slamming her back into the ground. Dazed she was unable to do much as her leg was then grabbed and she was swung about, being thrown into a building and crashing through a wall.

Frick. Frick. Frick. Stupid telekinesis! How was anyone supposed to fight someone like this? Kabocha couldn't even get close enough to hit the damn Elite without something be hurled at him, last time having an entire vehicle launched his way. This was just getting annoying now and being unable to reach his opponent was grinding the last of his nerves. Throwing a Ki blast just to test the waters he clicked his tongue in annoyance when a beam collided with it, both blasts exploding well away from him and his opponent. He just had to manage to get near enough to hit him right? So long as the Elite could see him... Wait, so long as he could see him. Smirking, Kabocha began to run around again, dodging the rubble hurled his way as he circled around the man, biding his time. When he thought he had a good vantage he charged another Ki ball and hurled it, not at the Elite but the ground near him. The result was precisely what he hoped for as the road exploded and dust was kicked up everywhere obscuring their view of each other. Darting in immediately he went right for where the Elite had been and swung, his fist meeting flesh as the Elite was sent careening out the other end of the cloud and rolling down the road. Victory was brief however as the sound of twisting metal alerted him and he was promptly smacked aside like a fly by a floating light post, only barely keeping himself from smashing through a window. "That hurt dammit!"

-----

"It's w-worth a try! Even if I only learn a few words it's b-b-better than nothing!" If they were going to be on Kaesstra for a little while it would only help to know the language of the native people here. Not that Haku expected it to be easy, even with the scouter translating everything he could still hear them speak and T'charrl was right, the sounds they made almost sounded impossible to copy. He'd try though, he might as well given there may not be much else to do while here. Then again given everything new in the cities they were making maybe he'd be plenty busy just with tours, provided T'charrl was okay with going around seeing everything as well. He could probably go by himself but... Well something about being utterly alone on an alien world with people who didn't speak your language was a little bit intimidating. The mention of a monorail had Haku a fair bit intrigued and he followed T'charrl's father eagerly, taking in the sights as they went. Come to think of it why did people with wings need something like this? Maybe they just didn't want to have to fly themselves between cities? Or were there things in those forests that were that bad?

"We've been assured by Katas and his men that it's all very safe. They've planned for everything while building this, and I'd love to explain it to you, but... Well..." Yusef began, smiling slightly as he itched at his cheek, "I don't quite understand what he was talking about when I asked him earlier. He assures me though everything is taken care of though." Technology native to their world was one thing but all of this, technologies being introduced from other worlds, Yusef couldn't even begin to pretend to understand. He knew what a monorail did but understood nothing of how it moved, of how those rails supported such large machine and let it race underground at such high speeds. But then perhaps he wouldn't have to explain any of that himself. "If you have questions then feel free to ask the man behind the project himself," the General said, smiling as he looked down road towards Katas and a group of Kaesstrians. "Katas! How good of you to join us!"

Katas lifted his head and paused his animated discussion at Yusef's voice, and at seeing T'charrl he broke out into a run to reach the group. "So the rumors are true, our beloved Prince returns home!" he cheered, raising all four arms in greeting before folding them behind his back, "You're looking well, all things considered. And I see your father is already giving you a tour of some of our newest creations. Wonderful, don't you think? A vehicle that can travel underground and removes all threat that traveling brings. It's going to do great things in bringing our people together!"

-----

Sure Shu was a bit hit and miss with his Ki blasts but this was just throwing a ball right? Surely the little guy was good at this much! Takeshi watched with baited breath as his brother reeled up a throw and let the ball fly... Only to barely clip the corner of the game and send the ball bouncing to the ground. Well... He threw it in the right direction at least? "Uh... I mean that was really close, good for your first time, you know? But... You're supposed to hit the targets buddy," Takeshi answered with a smile, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, "You know, the little round things moving back and forth, throw the ball at those. You've gotta hit them to get points for a prize." Maybe another example would be a good idea? Grabbing up the next ball he placed it in Shu's hand and grabbed his brother's wrist, helping him aim at one of the closer targets. "It helps to watch what you're looking at, then throw. And it's gonna be moving so don't throw it right at it, throw just ahead of where it's gonna be, understand? You'll never hit anything otherwise since you're always gonna be throwing behind it."

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

See there was your first mistake... Expecting me to remember to do something xD

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

How would the Commander handle a few soldiers, he wondered. Last they had seen Viral he was in a pitiful state as always and being sent off to do battle against the Princes, that had been some time ago. Seeing him now it was evident the man was in better shape than before, and no small amount of venom came from the words he spat. "Handle the dirty work? You have it all wrong Viral," the Elite laughed as he lowered himself onto the road, "My men do most of it because I'm terrible at holding back. I tend to kill whatever I fight and His Majesty doesn't always demand we kill, so it makes things difficult for me. However he gave no such restriction today which means I'll fight you myself. Besides..." Another crowd of soldiers came racing in from not too far off, their numbers slowly increasing, "There are more then enough men to entertain your friends. So how about we settle this?" No wasting time posturing, no slowly building up his power and toying with Viral. He'd kill the man here and now and be done with it. Unleashing his Ki and letting it surge to its limit the ground at the Elite's feet burst apart, a swirling vortex of energy turning the air around him into a violent storm that sent rubble flying around, nearly striking several of his troops. With a sneer the Elite lowered himself slightly and rushed right at Viral, arms lifted over his head and swinging down trying to hammer him into the ground.

Yumi wanted to help Viral fight, worried that an Elite might be too dangerous for any one of them to take on. But she wouldn't have the luxury of lending a hand, there were far too many enemies to deal with. Not only that but a handful were dressed in armor similar to that an Elite wore, and while not Saiyans themselves she assumed they must be high ranking, and in turn powerful too. They weren't pulling any punches if multiple Elites had been sent after them were they? Clicking her tongue in annoyance Yumi picked out the first and closest Elite she could find, dashing right past a group of ordinary soldiers to get after him. A smaller man covered in orange fur with a long snout and clawed hands, nothing like anything she'd ever seen before. Throwing a straight punch at him to test him out she grit her teeth when her fist hit his chest and he didn't budge, promptly flipping backwards to avoid being smacked aside. With surprising speed he was upon her and she jumped up to avoid being kicked, flipping again and bringing her leg down in an axe kick that shattered the road on impact but missed him by a fair margin. So he was moderately fast then, so much for an easy fight.

"The King must really be running out of troops if he's sending nobodies now," Kabocha quipped, squaring off against a blue, gilled-humanoid. Now here was an odd looking alien, large yellow eyes, gills, what he assumed were some kind of dorsal fins on his arms and a tail to boot. Shouldn't this freak be in water? Letting the Elite make the first move he watched on confused as the man refused to move, wondering why in the world they weren't doing anything. When the Elite tilted their head to the side and emitted a strangle bubbling sound he felt a chill run up his spine followed by the sound of stone crashing down, turning to see a large piece of pipe hurtling towards him. Flying into the air to avoid it he watched awestruck as it halted itself, a purple glow engulfing it before it flew up towards him. "What the hell?!" Firing off a Ki blast he blew it into pieces and was stunned when the shards continued on their path, dashing away to avoid being torn to shreds by them. What in the hell was going on? Looking back at the man below he got his answer: the yellow eyes were now glowing an ominous purple, and wherever he went the man followed with his gaze. A telekinetic, now that was annoying.

Leto wasn't facing off against an Elite though he had plenty of trouble himself. Instead of a single powerful soldier a group of four came at him all at once, clearly trying to overwhelm him with sheer numbers. On a typical soldier such odds might spell doom to be facing so many foes and yet for him it was little trouble. His size, massive compared to them, and experience made fighting a small group the same as a single opponent. Catching the leg of the first soldier to attack him he reached out and caught the arm of another, bashing them together before hurling them aside into buildings. "I will defend my homeland! None of you will harm another Lioman as long as I'm here!" Leto shouted, charging after one of the nearby soldiers. The man tried to take flight and escape but was quickly enveloped in Leto's grasp, bear-hugged as he was driven back through a wall and only released thereafter. The fourth soldier tried to use the opportunity to land a shot on him but it barely phased the Lioman, and swinging a trunk like arm backwards Leto smacked the man in the head, shattering their visor and sending them flying. Another four soldiers were upon him in no time however and he began doing his best to fight them off. He refused to let any of these people beat him, Lioma's future could ride on their battle here.

-----

"O-Oh, yeah the scouter... Or I could try to l-learn your language too," Haku replied with a small smile, "I mean... You learned ours, so it's only f-fair I try learning yours, r-right? And I have a guide right now, you. T-Though I guess if we travel somewhere you've n-never been then we m-m-might be in trouble." Nice as this world was he'd prefer to not get lost on it given how expansive it was. Still he would love to get to see more of it, he'd never seen any planet quite like Kaesstra. Even from the atmosphere he'd noticed just how varied and colorful the entire planet was, there had to be so many new and exciting things just waiting to be seen. Traveling may have to wait a while though until T'charrl was able to figure out what was happening with him. Haku thought they could be rid of the orbs and be done with it but apparently doing so would kill the spirit within T'charrl. Why was the spirit so important, and why was T'charrl willing to suffer for its sake? Losing abilities might be a downside but T'charrl must have had something before he'd changed, what was so bad about going back to that? Haku opened his mouth to pose the question but was quickly silence as Yusef spoke instead.

"There may be a way to look yourself and keep the spirit, who knows. We'll have to look into it more to find out," Yusef smiled as he spoke, turning heel and beginning to walk from the tree, "We'll get to that, there's still so much for you to see! I wanted to show you some of the amazing things Katas has developed for us! We have this new vehicle, I think Vegeta called it a "monorail"? I'm still not sure what we're building it for but it's astounding, wait until you see it!" As it happened the project site was not a terribly long way away either, a few blocks and they were there. At the site of an old building there was now a tunnel and a set of stairs leading into the ground, a domed building over the stairs to cover them from the elements. Several machines were sat around the entrance and out of use and a handful of Kaesstrians could be seen coming and going, all dressed in some manner of work gear. "It's a vehicle that travels underground at high speeds, we'll be able to use it to safely connect with neighboring kingdoms, without fear of the wildlife attacking us. And we're being extra careful to avoid the root systems of trees, they're dug deep enough the roots won't reach. I'd show you inside but it's off limits for the time being, until they finish the tunnels."

-----

Getting hissed at... Now that was a new one. What was Shu, a cat? Takeshi put his hands up in resignation and continued following the others along to the game, wondering why in the world they were doing this instead of the tournament. He figured that was later but they could still go check out the arena, get a feel for it and maybe an idea of who else was competing. But where they weren't supposed to trigger Shu he supposed they probably weren't doing that anyways. "I'd guess you get one of those if you win Shu," the older boy pointed out, a large board beside the game itself. There were plenty of things from festival clothes to toys and a few items Takeshi couldn't even begin to pretend he knew what they were. It all had to be kids stuff though right? "One of us will keep count for you buddy, all you've got to do is throw and try and hit them. Easy, you know?" Seeing as they were next up Takeshi stepped forward first and asked for just one of the balls, showing it to Shu with a smirk. "It's easy Shu, just look at what you want to hit and throw, you should hit it then. Nothing to it really." Looking at the furthest target, the 5 pointer, Takeshi gave the ball a lob and easily struck what he was aiming for, motioning for the woman manning the game to hand over all of them. "Go for it buddy."

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

"To a more friendly city, Ralthor willing," Nymira muttered in reply, scowling as her horse whinnied and smacked her in the face with its hair, "And somewhere we don't need these damned things... It's making my entire body ache, riding on this animal." It was better than walking she supposed given the sorry shape of her leg, but it sure would be nice to be able to ride in the cart instead. Complaining wasn't going to make the pain go away and would only serve to give the horse more reason to make the ride unpleasant for her. Sighing under her breath the Dimuran gingerly nursed at her aching head, wondering how far from Warren they should travel before stopping for the night. After a strenuous day like today they all needed some rest, goodness knows tomorrow had plenty more in store for them.

"Also... I don't remember when this became a matter of "we", or when you joined our group. Though I suppose beggars can't pick... Is that how that saying goes?" Stupid colloquialisms, she'd gotten confused so many times speaking to residents of nearby towns, unable to follow what they were saying. Another reason to keep other people around, they could translate whatever backwater slang those she spoke with used. The inner cities would no doubt be even worse as they were a melting pot of peoples, if her information was anything to go by. All kinds of dialects, races, lifestyles, so much coming together in one place that it nearly made her head spin just thinking about it. Or perhaps that was the near-concussion she'd suffered.

Perhaps it was the events of the day weighing on his mind, or perhaps it was his naivete that everything would work out fine beginning to fade. Whatever the case Ethan was finding it increasingly difficult to remain optimistic about Cedric's safety and his own ability to find the man. He couldn't think of a reason for the Church to kill his mentor and yet he couldn't think of a reason for them to keep him alive either. Cedric was old, well past his prime even though he was a powerful Magi, so they couldn't use him for anything really. Heart sinking at that thought Ethan felt a small tug on his arm and glanced down, meeting the gaze of a worn down Amuné. Then there were her parents to find as well, something else that was weighing heavily on his mind. They had found those Ydrans earlier and gotten them free but who was to say her parents weren't in a similar situation? Maybe they had already been sold off, which would mean finding them would be even harder.

Giving up on her parents now wasn't going to help them though, nor was giving up on Cedric. Even if they were past the point of being helped they still had to keep going; never knowing what happened was infinitely worse than any alternative, even the negatives. At least they could have closure if worst came to worst. Putting on a smile for Amuné he hugged the young girl to his chest, resting his chin on the top of her head and closing his eyes. "Things were rough for a bit, but they're going to work out for us. We just have to keep moving," he whispered, looking down at her. It was as much reassurance for her as it was himself, he desperately needed to hear those words right now.

---

Sleeping out in the open was rough that night. It cooled down considerably making aches and pains that much worse. Even with a fire going there was a chill in the air and it kept Ethan up most of the night. His nerves hadn't helped him any either as flashes of what went on in that building yesterday kept racing through his mind, his stomach turning each time a bloodied face crept into his mind. They didn't need to kill those men, most of them had no clue how to fight and could just have easily been locked away to keep other safe. Instead they'd been essentially slaughtered by a group of far better fighters than them. Maybe they had deserved it for capturing and imprisoning those Ydrans, for hurting Amuné. Maybe they had saved them all from a horrible fate by doing that, but did that mean it was necessary still? Even with no blood on his own hands there was an insurmountable level of guilt over what had happened, like he should have tried harder to prevent it. For the umpteenth time in just half a day Ethan rubbed his hands over and over against his pants as though trying to wipe something off of them, as if he could just wipe away the guilt that plagued him. By the time the sun had finally risen into the sky he'd only barely slept, the sound of birds singing grating on his ears.

Nymira had little issue sleeping herself, the cold was hardly an issue when your body was naturally warmer than others. That said the heat did little to prevent the stiffness that set in from sleep or the aching of her head as she stirred from her sleep, taking extra time to rise to her feet that morning. A restful sleep perhaps not but she counted herself fortunate she'd been able to go to sleep at all given how others had fared yesterday. Any day your enemy lay beaten and you lived on was a fine day indeed. Rubbing at her arms to wipe away grass she went to the cart to fetch some of their food reserves, handing them out before reigniting their campfire for others' warmth. No one knew where they were going now since Geoffrey's departure meant loss of a guide, their only idea was to continue heading east. East was where the cities were and where eventually the capital itself sat, though no one thought they would travel that far. With virtually no support from foreign leaders yet Nymira loathed to think she'd make it through her journey without so much as a single ally but it was becoming increasingly likely that would happen. Next stop she would make it a point to visit their leader and negotiate some kind of deal. Anything, she couldn't return home empty handed, she refused to.

It couldn't have been later than 9 in the morning when they were back on the road again. Until they reached the sanctuary that was another town resting for too long was dangerous given their penchant for being attacked. Ethan still struggled to understand why they seemed to be so unfortunate, why at every turn they ran into some form of trouble, be it bandits, beasts or other Magi. It seemed like no matter where they went the Saints had some kind of obstacle in their path and each encounter proved to be as harrowing if not more so than the last. All of this over trying to save Cedric? For Amuné to perhaps see her parents again? Cecil had to know where he'd come from and Nymira needed to help her clan, they all had reasons for traveling, even Asta. But was any of that really enough to warrant what they had been through? It was like they had a target painted on their backs for some reason.

High above their heads the sun hung over them and bore down, warming the area and erasing the morning's chills. Blue skies and warm weather, a perfect day for travel. Yet an almost paranoid Nymira couldn't relax despite the wonderful conditions, her eyes constantly shifting back and forth between the sides of the road as they went. Though she knew soldiers could experience stress after a battle she'd never done so herself and doubted she'd been so badly shaken; the slavers were a pitiful lot save for their leader and even he was felled, so why should she be rattled? Even trying to reason with herself the Dimuran was unable to shake the feeling of impending doom, as though just around every bend in the road might lead to another battle. Time passed and they continued on without issue yet the sensation of an enemy nearby never left her, as though someone was right with them the entire time, biding their time to strike. It had to just be residual tension from yesterday, the wound to her head was making her worry unnecessarily. With no cause to speak out she kept silent on her concerns and continued along, remaining alert to the threat that wasn't there.

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"The city would have evacuated by now, there should be no civilians!" Leto's reply came as he continued forward like a bull through a china shop, nothing deterring him from his path. If there were any civilians left within the city then they were likely dead, a grim truth that he acknowledged the moment he realized where they were. Saiyans would often kill the innocent populace as a means of demoralization and it often worked; some planets were hardier than others and took it as more reason to fight, but in the end it rarely made a difference. Leto knew full well they were likely dealing with at least one Elite soldier and several troops, nothing that his people would be prepared for. Those at his back would be what Lioma's salvation relied on and he prayed that it would be enough. "Come my friends, there's a world to be saved!"

They could argue about Kortal and nobility later, with Leto rushing into battle there wasn't a whole lot of time for chatter. Kabocha hit the ground running as soon as he stepped out of the shuttle and flew low to catch up with everyone, running along the group as they entered the city limits. They hadn't wasted any time in taking this place apart that was for sure, towers of smoke blotched the otherwise clear sky and explosions rung in their ears every few seconds. Further in they went and they began to see recent signs of battle, smoldering wrecks of vehicles, bodies laid across the roads, a few Liomans helping one another, warriors by the looks of them. Was the whole planet under siege or was it just this city? What made this city so important?

Yumi's nose stung as the smell of smoldering bodies and other noxious fumes hit her nose, her face wrinkling in disgust. The Saiyans had absolutely no care for who they hurt or how many people died did they? They claimed to be trying to save everyone and yet they killed more than anyone else, more than those monsters ever had. It made her blood boil knowing that this world too had been one they'd already been too, conscripted its people and probably ransacked for all it was worth. This was how they repaid that? Gritting her teeth her head swiveled slightly when the sound of falling rubble alerted her, skidding to a stop seeing a Lioman trying to climb out of a building. Calling out to the others she rushed over to the wreckage and began pulling away blocks, her stomach turning inside seeing the man's leg all but gone, crushed by the weight of the stone. "We'll get you out just hang in there! We have a medic who can help you."

"R-Run..." the Lioman whispered hoarsely, frustrated when Yumi didn't pay him any mind. "R-run... You must... Flee..." Across the street a figure walked up onto the rooftop and stared down at them, the man paling as he shook his head fitfully, "GO! YOU MUST RUN! LEAVE NOW!" Reaching forward he grabbed Yumi and pushed her back off of the pile just as a Ki blast engulfed the rubble, swallowing the man in its blinding light and blasting away everything it touched, leaving nothing but a smouldering crater in its wake.

"So we do have visitors, how quaint..." The Saiyan looked down upon Yumi with a condescending smirk, leaning on one knee as he watched her helplessly go to the pit, as though the man might still be saved. "Your entrance wasn't very well hidden, we've been expecting you. And the former Commander as well..." Turning to Viral the Elite grinned, spreading his arms in greeting as he stood to his full height. "How we've waited for a chance to meet you in combat! There was quite a stir when you abandoned your post, Commander. His Majesty almost wanted you back but we brought him to his senses, and we shall treat you and yours as we do any traitor."

Several more Ki signatures began speeding towards the group then, high class warriors and standard fare soldiers alike swarming on their location. The odds were at the very least 3 to 1 in the Saiyans favor in terms of sheer numbers yet the Elite knew not to relax because of that. Viral was dangerous, those boys were dangerous, and even the bumbling Lioman in his own way could be a threat. What a satisfying kill they would all be though. "Men, we have ourselves a group of traitors, how about we give them the greeting they deserve?" the Elite shouted, eying Viral viciously as he raised a hand and snapped his fingers, the troops immediately going on the attack as he went after the Commander.

-----

"Ah... Well I suppose not every world would be. Our own can be dangerous too, it shouldn't surprise anyone other planets are the same." Still he would give anything to be able to travel to at least one other world in his lifetime, to be able to see what existed beyond Kaesstra. Not that there was anything wrong with their own planet, only that he'd seen almost all of it in his lifetime, there was nothing new for him here. But then there were new things weren't there? Their own city was changing at a rapid pace and others were bound to follow suit, their whole world was changing now. It was refreshing as well to have someone like Haku along to which everything of their world was a new surprise. That must be how it was to visit a new planet and see it for the first time, he could hardly imagine the elation. "I was wondering about those, perhaps Renthal could look at you later?" Yusef suggested, "He could at least tell you what they are made of, if not why they appeared on your body. And with time he may even know of a way to help you be rid of them too."

So those weren't normal for him then? Haku had only ever known T'charrl to look as he had, well that and his much more imposing form. He had noticed how different the others were compared to his friend since arriving, so it really was a big change then. "I w-want to see more of the world, if th-that's okay with you. It all looks so amazing so f-far..." It was really a whole different type of world from Kortal, a largely barren world with sparse trees if any. But this world was littered with them, enough so that from high enough above it didn't look like there was anything but trees. There was a bit of jealousy that T'charrl had gotten to grow up somewhere like this, Haku wanted to spend as much time as they could here. Seeing his friend's father start to move away he smiled at T'charrl and followed along, taking another passing glance back at the massive tree. "There has to be someone here who can help you with those, and with everything else too..." he muttered, rubbing at one of his arms, "I m-mean... They said they had an idea, r-right? So you'll be back to your old s-self in no time."

-----

"Uh... I'm pretty sure it was you that didn't let go buddy, you and that damn tail of yours," Takeshi retorted with a smirk, reaching over and playfully trying to tug at the offending limb, "But whatever, we got the money and we met because of it, so it's all good. Next time we do that though don't get all wrapped up on me, you know?" The tournament might be a lot of fun but there was a little to be concerned about with it: Aito had said not to do anything that might trigger Shu, and wrestling, however innocent, might be enough to do that. Unless they were talking about just letting Shu watch then Takeshi wasn't so sure how good an idea that was. And if he could figure that much out then Sasha and Ricken surely had thought of it too. "If it's anything like fairs on Earth then you've got to try and win 'em buddy. Of course on Earth they charge you to play and the games are rigged, and the prizes are usually crappy little things. They'd better be worth it here."

"The games aren't rigged you monkey, you were just bad at them," Ricken said with a roll of his eyes, staring at Takeshi unamused, "And you don't pay for these games either. Everything for these festivals is funded by local business and by the rebels, meaning you just go in and have fun. What kind of festival charges people to attend? It's a party, not a business." Earth sounded like a lousy world if you had to pay for this sort of thing.

Sasha wasn't even going to bother trying to keep those two from butting heads any longer, she'd just focus on making sure Shu had a good time. Easing him from Ricken's grasp she smiled and winked at him, pulling him to the side of the road for their first game. There sat a lengthy display, several floating targets sitting atop of a pool of water, being pulled back and forth along guided lines. Above was a sign with the prizes, each becoming greater and greater the more points one scored. Standing in line Sasha pointed up to the sign and explained what it all meant. "Here they give you five balls and you try hitting those targets. The ones in the back are worth more points than those in the front, and the more points you get the better your prize is. Sounds easy enough right?" It could be a little unfair perhaps for people like them who trained constantly, their precision was generally a bit better than your everyday townsfolk. "Want to try this one or move on?"

Legend of Zelda: Templar Ascension

Yay living! \o/

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"I'm talking about nobility on Kortal. You know, Saiyans, not whatever other races are out there," Kabocha said with a wave of his hand, "There'll probably be loads of people getting promotions after this is over but I'm talking us, our kind. No one who sided with Yamate is going to get a promotion, it'll be us. And there aren't exactly loads of Saiyans on this side are there? And it'll give you, oh I don't know... Your own home? People won't treat you like trash? Your father can live comfortably? You know, little stuff like that." Kabocha couldn't understand why anyone wouldn't want to be nobility, it had to be leagues better than being some hired help like the twins were. Then again they weren't even hired help, they were a lot more like indentured servants if anything. "You wouldn't poison me though, I'd kick your ass before I died. Then you'd have my folks to deal with," he joked before pulling his lips in a thin line, "Well... My mother. My father's not good for much other than holding money. And well it's not exactly like you two were my first choice. How do you figure I felt when we were assigned to the same team together at first? It was a joke," Kabocha admitted, shrugging before smirking, "But hey, for what it's worth things turned out alright. I'm glad you two ended up on my team."

Yumi smiled knowingly as the ship began to settle, shaking her head and winking at Viral. "Sent us? We heard a distress call and we came to help, no one sent us. At least that's what we'll tell them." It wasn't a lie, a distress signal was exactly how the rebels had found out about the attack, it just so happened they were told secondhand. Actually they should leave this to Leto to decide ultimately seeing as it was his home world. Watching the back of the shuttle open she heard Viral growl beside her when Leto all but jumped out and took off, fighting with her belt to get up before racing after Viral in turn. "He's right, we have to stay together Leto! We don't know where we're even going yet!"

"To the fighting my friends, isn't it obvious? My people need me and I must aid them! I cannot wait!" His city was in trouble, his comrades were fighting and dying to save their home and he was able to help, he couldn't wait around. "Your friends have Ki and I know you're fast enough, Commander. We must hurry!" The closer they got to the city the more prominent the sounds of battle became, blasts erupting on nearly every block and unintelligible shouting being drowned out by them. It wasn't just a small scale invasion then, it wasn't just a small force sent to teach a lesson to someone: the scale of battle likely meant an entire battalion of troops had been sent down with an Elite at the helm, more than his people were probably prepared for. Charging headlong towards the fray Leto glanced up as a vehicle was blown apart and the debris flew his way, tumbling out of the air in a flaming mess. "We will not let Lioma fall!" he shouted, cocking back a fist and punching the vehicle out of the air, smashing it into a nearby ruined building.

So much or a leisurely start to the fight, looked like they were going into it right from the get-go. "Come on guys, we can't let them show us up now can we?" Kabocha grinned as he threw off his harness, rushing past the rebel soldiers unloading and jumping out the back. "Come on, nobility isn't going to just hand itself over!"

-----

"The world will be the same, but our people will change. Maybe that is a better way to put it? We will work together in ways we haven't in generations and Kaesstra will become all the stronger for it. Instead of fighting the kingdoms will begin working with one another, it's a bright future for everyone here." A world where children wouldn't have to fight for their homes, where family would no longer be torn apart by the ravages of war and cities could grow and prosper. It would not be an easy transition to a world of peace but it was possible, and the beginnings were already taking shape. "Other worlds... I envy you, T'charrl, to see other worlds... I've always tried to imagine it since you left but I can't picture it. What other worlds must be like. But that is fine and well, nothing would make me prouder if you fought for the freedom of others, just as you did for those here," Yusef said, smiling as he stopped in his tracks, reaching out and placing a hand on T'charrl's head. "Perhaps some day our people can join you among other worlds. But that is neither here nor there, I want to show you something magical."

Ahead was the tree, plain as day as it towered over even the tallest of buildings within the city. That was their destination and it was within a few blocks, reaching it took no time at all. Even before they had arrived though it should be obvious what Yusef was so keen on showing: Roads had been engulfed and covered by soil and grass, plants sprouting up and dotting the landscape. Buildings once inhabited had been taken over by plants, but were painted and maintained, used as part of the scenery. The closer to the tree they got the more plentiful other plants became, vibrant flowers creating beds of rainbows. Once the tree itself was in plain view T'charrl was greeted by the sight of a massive park, a large pond forming between two of the roots and several benches and tables set up around the space. Pathways were designated by flat stones and several Kaesstrians were already there, running about and enjoying themselves.

"We originally thought the tree would be a problem, since it had destroyed so much. But instead it's given us a wonderful gift, and new opportunities," Yusef explained with a smile, folding his hands behind his back as he looked to the canopy, "After the tree fell a mysterious glimmering light fell from it and coated the area, and within a day plants had begun to take root. People were evacuated and we almost considered taking the tree down, but we waited to see what would happen. Growth went on for three days until it suddenly stopped, and not terribly many homes were taken from it. We were able to relocate those effected to better homes and began to develop the park you see before us. No one harms the plants here and its a wonderful addition to the city, something everyone can enjoy. Rich, poor, young, old, its open to everyone. Isn't it wonderful?" And there were other benefits as well, though Katas would be vastly more qualified to explain those than he was. "There's one more thing about the tree as well," Yusef added, looking to T'charrl and Haku with a twinkle in his eye, "You should see it at dark. It glows."

Haku didn't hear most of what was being said as he was too busy gaping up at the tree. He'd never seen anything so massive, not even a building! And the park... He was pretty sure he'd never seen so many plants in one place either, besides maybe a forest. And it all looked so nice, had this place really been at war recently? He'd said it before and he'd say it again: T'charrl was lucky to live in such an amazing place. "This is incredible... It's so nice..." Haku gasped, jumping slightly when a child screamed. Worrying there was something wrong he relaxed and smiled seeing them being thrown up in the air and caught by, what he assumed, were its parents. How did you tell T'charrl's people apart anyway? What were the differences? With Saiyans and humans it was easy, one gender had a flat chest and the other had... Not a flat chest. "C-Can we come back here at night, T'charrl? It's so n-nice," Haku asked, his eyes shining excitedly as he smiled at his friend, "P-Please? If the tree glows I really want to see it!"

-----

Ricken had brought up the idea of games but Sasha was the one who would explain them to Shu. "There are all kinds of games here Shu. Throw a ball at dummies to win toys, and then there's trying to fish in little barrels, and if you catch something you win a prize. There are also fun things like races, and they have a wrestling competition later in the evening. We usually don't enter it but that could be a lot of fun if we'd all enter." It might be a little bit unfair though if the Princes took part, most of the participants were usually casual fighters or some of the newer, less busy rebels that had free time to spare. Not that they shouldn't get to compete, just against Saiyan royalty...

"I wouldn't mind competing in that later if we have time actually... I've been going stir crazy being back here." Ricken was used to being the utility man for the rebels, being sent on all kinds of missions that required different skill-sets. Which was a nicer way of putting 'he did work no one else wanted to.' Someone had to take it on. Besides getting to take part in that would give him a chance to smack Takeshi around a bit without getting into trouble, what more could he ask for? Of course he had to bear in mind that this was all for Shu, they couldn't do anything that would agitate the little kid.

"That could be pretty fun... It'd be a lot like the tournaments back on Earth," Takeshi mused aloud, smiling as he looked at Shu, "Remember that? It's where we met, back in the World Tournament. We got to the last round and we both... Lost." What had happened again anyway? It had been so long, all he could recall was somehow both of them tumbling off the ring and splitting the earnings. Things were a hell of a lot different now for them though, if they ended up in another tournament it'd be purely for fun, no money or anything on the line. "We should do it buddy, it could be fun. When is it anyways?"

"Not until tonight, they always do it at the end of the day. You'll know when its starting too, most of the city usually goes to either participate or watch. It's a lot of fun, it's just some innocent sparring and a way for people to unwind. Plus they do a huge feast after it for all the competitors, it's really neat!" The people who took part got some really great food, items that were usually hard to come by or were brought in from other worlds. Rare and exotic, it was a feast that people had to work hard to get. "There's also a lot of music that is played all day too, and shows that we could see. That tournament isn't the only thing we can do, you just tell us what you want to do Shu."

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Cecil was right, staying around would draw all kinds of attention to them, attention they didn't want or need. They couldn't afford to be stuck here a day or two while the guards tried to sort everything out, hopefully their new friend could work things out in their favor then. Finding a healer was the foremost item on their list and once everyone was patched up, Saints willing, they could leave without any problems. They couldn't go just yet though... Weren't they missing someone? Speaking of healers why wasn't Zander with them? Or Geoffrey? Ethan knew he hadn't seen them among the bodies and yet they weren't outside either, so where had they gone? Maybe the constant fighting they were going through was too much for them, if that was the case he couldn't blame them. This was supposed to be a peaceful, solitary trek to find lost loved ones and all of this fighting, there was no reason for any of it. If they wanted to go their separate ways then that was perfectly fine.

"R-Right, a healer. We need to find a healer..." Ethan agreed with a nod, still numb as he blankly turned his head towards Wyth. The moorcat was injured too and one leg nearly hobbled, could he be asked to walk? Unfortunately Wyth was much too large for any of them to comfortably carry with the exception of Cecil and he had Amuné now, the poor animal would have to walk.

"Look for Nan, she's an old herbalist in town, works wonders for guards back on patrols. Let her know I sent you, she'll see you right as rain. Her shop is back by the markets, little thatch building just off the central road, can't miss it."

Right, Nan the herbalist, they'd find her. They sure were spending an awful lot of time getting patched up as of late weren't they? Smiling ruefully Ethan took a quick look at the group to gauge how well everyone could move, turning back to thank the guard and blinking at the absence of one. The single man who had been left was gone too, hadn't they just been there a second ago? Where did they go so quickly? Whatever, they had to get moving before anything else happened, they needed medical attention. "Nymira, are you okay to walk? I can help you if you need it."

"Please, I was knocked around, not crippled. I'll be fine Ethan," the Dimuran answered as she placed a hand at the cut on her head, "Just... Take it a bit slowly, will you? For Wyth's sake." Things spun still and her head throbbed painfully but Nymira wouldn't say as much, she didn't want to tie them up any longer than need be. Even if she had to hobble alongside Wyth she'd walk under her own power, both pride and urgency dictated she did so. Waiting for Ethan to lead on she kept in stride beside Cecil instead, keeping her eyes on Wyth to be sure he didn't fall behind either. "You both did great today, I truly mean that," Nymira spoke, offering the smallest of smiles to the moorcat and Machina, "Perhaps I was wrong in doubting you, it seems you're perfectly capable of handling yourselves and protecting others. I'd almost say I'm proud to be able to fight alongside you." Maybe it was the blow to the head but she felt rather sentimental right now. Or perhaps all of the fighting and more recently the slavery was reminiscent of events back home, who knew. Was she getting homesick? She hadn't the time for that, there were still cities to visit and alliances to be forged.

The crowds had thinned somewhat since their frenzied search had began and thankfully Nan's shop wasn't terribly difficult to find as a result. The guard had been right in saying it was a small building, compared to those made of stone and brick at its side it seemed terribly out of place. The inside of the shop was no different, before even passing through the door one could smell several different herbs and various remedies inside, permeating through the thin walls and soaking the adjacent road in an odd mix of odors. Poor Wyth's head was probably spinning from the assault on his nose. Nan herself was every bit what one might expect from a small town herbalist: an older woman using a cane to help herself walk, her wrinkled face lit with worry as soon as their ragtag group walked in. Calling for her assistant, a younger man whose hair fell to the middle of his back, the two of them frantically went about seeing to the injured.

Wyth was seen to first, his wounds were all either superficial or easily mended, nothing a cleansing wash and some bandages and gel couldn't soothe. He would have to tread lightly for a while and avoid running but his wounds would heal within a few days, assuming the medicine took. Asta's wounds required particular attention and for that the assistant took her aside to work on her, making sure every injury great and small was cleaned and covered, in some regards leaving her looking almost mummified. How convenient it had been having Zander around, their wounds which would have taken moments to heal now may require a full week even with the aid of the potions and salves. Nymira's injuries were not terrible save for the gash on her head, giving Nan cause for concern she may have suffered a concussion. True or not the Dimuran was adamant about not remaining in Warren for another day, citing having to meet family as a reason to leave to which the old woman had to finally relent. Some herbs to help soothe nausea then was supplied and extra cloth for gauze, should any wounds reopen. Casual as ever with her funds Nymira had perhaps overpaid on the purchases, if Nan's near-faint was any indication, though Nymira had given her extra not only for the aid but to buy her silence, even if it wasn't said outright. Assuming the guard from earlier held up his word no one would know where they went, which was good considering any intrusions from the guard would delay them.

Cleaned and bandaged now the group could retrieve their cart and be on the way. Back down to only four in the group, five counting Wyth, they didn't need nearly as much as they had on them. Nymira voted they leave some behind and Ethan argued they keep it, better to be safe than sorry. At worst they could hand some off to another traveler on their journeys if their cargo proved too much, and eventually the vote to keep the supplies won out. Horses were drawn up with Ethan taking Jorvind and Amuné in his lap. Nymira, Cecil and Wyth would ride along in the other, the latter two in a smaller cart purchased from the stables. In their current state, bandaged and exhausted, it would appear they had just come from a war, and in some ways it wasn't wholly off. If fortune favored them they wouldn't have to do anything quite so dangerous in their next stop, though given their recent track record no one would be surprised to run into trouble.

Ethan didn't know what to think anymore about his journey. He'd been elated at first to find company, first in Amuné and then Cecil, and finally Nymira as well. How long had it been since they'd met? A week? Maybe two? Not that long and yet so much had happened, a good deal of which he would just as soon forget. In trying to avoid harming others men had been killed, in trying to keep out of the spotlight they had somehow drawn the ire of Church members, and in wanting to make the trip alone he now had companions. Not that he could complain, those who were still with him were considered as close as could be by now, he supposed fighting did that to you. There was a certain bittersweet knowledge however knowing while they traveled together their paths would diverge eventually, each had their own course to take and they couldn't remain together forever. Ethan prayed to whatever Saints might listen that their journeys would end well, that each of them would get whatever it was they were seeking. After all they'd endured and what was to come it only seemed fitting, suffer a little to be rewarded in the end. Maybe it was naivete or optimism, or simply being a plain fool, but Ethan liked to think things would still work out for them. "Just a little bit longer, Cedric. Hold on..."

Nymira couldn't believe how poorly her journey was going so far. She'd managed to secure the loyalty of a single town in her weeks of travel, a town so pitifully small that its population barely equaled half of her clan. A fine relationship to have if you had many allies but a poor one when it was all you could count on. How long would she have to travel until she found something worthwhile? East Orosi had ended in a slaughter, Warren had been promising until events took a turn for the worse, prompting them to leave. If her clan was to thrive and her people find reason to follow her lead she had to prove capable, she had to prove both her and her father's ideals were not simply empty dreams, but a reality obtainable through hard work. She refused to relent even if she'd had no success yet, sooner or later something would come through. It had to, she was one of Ralthor's chosen, blessed with his gift of magic and heiress to the Rumia clan. She refused to let those go to waste, she had to make something of her journey and return with good news, anything less was simply unacceptable.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Expect a post from me tomorrow!