GambolMuse

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Two Days Later...

Taliya had been serious about putting them all to the test as two days of intensive training could attest. Ethan had been wowed by Kensen's knowledge of wind magics - magic which, while his own, he was admittedly a novice - and the variety of applications it could have. Much of it was out of his reach and would remain so for a long while but the possibilities had inspired him to push through training. Kensen's other student however didn't quite share the level of enthusiasm as Ethan did. The style of fighting seemed so... Unconventional to Nymira. And the fact Kensen was able to take flight meant much of his style couldn't hope to be applied to the Dimuran princess either and she'd have to compensate for such. It was fair to say her kin was a capable fighter as she'd seen him first hand, but it felt insulting that his abilities should overshadow hers. But in her agreement with Taliya she would be trained, and she did so, albeit while biting back numerous critiques of her instructor. In all likelihood anything she might say would be overshadowed by Ethan's idiocy and enthusiasm, a waste of her breath at best.

Nymira's training consisted of two parts: refining her flames and trying to imbue her weaponry with magic. Her 'enchanted smithing' as it was called - a term she'd never heard until recently, was only uncommon among Dimuran as a number of subjects within Adelon reportedly shared the same magic. Yet few could claim they had any magic suitable for combat as well and the natural process was to try and combine the two. After attempting and failing to create a vortex of flames as Kensen was able to she'd devoted most of her time to bolstering her blades with flame. She had done it before albeit temporarily and the fires were never too hot, lest she melt her own weapon. Trying to set the blade alight with a powerful flame and do so without reducing it to liquid was much more difficult than she'd anticipated. Her first attempt ended with a partially deformed dagger, her second fairing little better as she caused the heated blade to fold in on itself. It wasn't until the second day of training and after a dozen attempts she'd finally managed to ignite a proper flame on her weapon. Firing a fireball or releasing a stream of fire was fairly simplistic: you channeled the energy required and released it. But to retain her weapon's durability, the intensity of her flame AND focus on a fight? The princess was finding herself coming up infuriatingly short on her exercises.

Ethan was handling his training considerably better than Nymira - perhaps in part because he never considered himself exceptional to begin with - and took to his lessons with a fervor. Kensen had been respectful yet quick to point out that all of the training Ethan had received up until that point had been effectively moot; Cedric's earth based magic called for a forceful, static and rigid style of casting. Wind magic conversely was fluid, fast and meant to confuse the enemy with erratic and quick movements. Gusts of wind, while a viable attack, were hardly the best application of wind spells. Short, controlled bursts were better suited as quick strikes while arcs of pressurized air were a highly effective weapon against opponents at a distance. With no weapon to his name unlike Nymira he couldn't quite hope to imbue anything, not that he'd even know how, which had given Kensen and Ethan an idea. With his non-lethal mentality it would be difficult to willingly teach any fatal moves, and so a compromise had been reached: learn spells which could harm but not kill. And so Ethan had begun to learn to augment strikes with short bursts of air, in essence creating an area of effect with punches and kicks. One slight problem remained however: while serviceable with a blade the wind magi was dreadfully poor with hand-to-hand combat. It would take a lot of training for him to even hope to use it in combat.

As Nymira carried on with her training Ethan had to take a breather, ducking away to join Amuné and Wyth at the edge of the training grounds. Flashing a weary smile he turned and collapsed backwards into the grass as a breathless laugh escaped his lips. "He's... One heck of a teacher..." the magi commented, lifting his head and looking at his practice dummies. Their burlap hides were well worn and ripped in places where his control faltered and the wind had torn clean through. "But he's fair... Doesn't give me too much grief when I mess up." Aside from the reminders that he'd kill someone with his current level of skill, or to be more exact the lack thereof. The style was like night and day in contrast to that of Cedric's and yet it felt much more natural, his magic clearly more suited for this. Wiping sweat on his sleeve Ethan turned to Amuné, smiling as he ripped up a few pieces of grass and playfully dropped the blades upon her head. "How's your training going? Is Gage still... Well... Gage?"

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That should conclude the installation process and the trial period. Cecil was capable of activating the barrier on command and, should the demacite shard burn out, he could use his own battery as an auxiliary source until the shard could be replaced. Which shouldn't be for a good while assuming his calculations were accurate, which they usually were. The installation had been painless and quick which left only the actual testing of the device. Pending Cecil's ability to use the barrier and erect it on time the practical tests could be as painless, or painful, as he wanted them to be. Norman of course took no pleasure in subjecting the Machina to anything which might cause harm but there was no other means of testing a shield other than throwing attacks at it. And on the off chance Cecil was injured somehow? They were right near the shop, repairs wouldn't be terribly hard to do!

"If we're confident the shield is ready then we can begin the projectile tests. Cecil, could you stand at the far end of the room please?" The scenario he'd had in mind was quite simple: load a simple, miniature ballista with increasingly heavy objects to find whether the barrier had a breaking point or not. In theory everything they had to fire shouldn't penetrate the shield, nothing shy of a greataxe or warhammer should have enough force to do so. Testing spells against the shield wouldn't be possible without some of Taliya's people to help and at the moment none were available for the experiments.

"Just to be sure we're clear we're going to fire an array of increasingly dense objects at your shield to test its durability. We'll start with a rubber ball and work our way up to an iron cast, which I suspect only the latter may have a chance of penetrating your defenses," Norman commented, furrowing his brow then as he examined the slew of items prepared, "Probably... Ah! But you don't need to worry, I won't be firing any of these directly at you! Just in the general vicinity. And it's not as though the majority of these can even cause you damage." To prove his point Norman used the rubber ball and bounced it off of an assistant's head, annoying them but causing no actual harm. His expertise in near all things mechanical was only rivaled by his eccentricity when he became excited, a trait that the people of Mutebo had quickly come to notice. If he asked anyone for assistance on a project they were typically quick to turn him down, but those of the shop were contracted with Taliya and, by extension, Norman. Simply put they had no choice.

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Being late was as synonymous with Lionel as Taliya and a hard drink. But even Lionel wasn't usually this late to report back. His job hadn't been far and it had been easy enough in nature: help guide back a few stray magi to Mutebo for safety. The people they were bringing in had no records and weren't wanted by the Church so there should be no complications but something was clearly holding them up. With Gage and Kensen both working with new recruits and she herself having to manage everything Taliya had no choice but to go outside of her group for help. She needed a person who knew the area well, who knew Lionel, and could hold their own if anything should happen. The list of people she'd trust to travel on their own was woefully short but someone needed to go. Luckily she'd just the person in mind, and she was owed a favor so she knew they were good for it.

As expected Adrianna had been absolutely ecstatic about having to go and assist Lionel. It was no secret that the two of them got along terribly but Taliya could care less, a job needed to be done and preferences be damned. Adrianna had traveled alone for a long time and knew the lay of the kingdom well, sending her only seemed natural. The job was simple enough: find Lionel and the magi and help them get home safely. Had the boy gotten distracted by something? It wasn't wholly unlike Lionel to meander and go chase a girl or get caught up in something non-work related. All the chastising and smacking in the world didn't change that.

"I'm having second thoughts, I should have sent you." Gage was in between assignments and juggling his teaching duties, sending him off to find Lionel was out of the question. But he'd been with her longer than most people and she knew he was reliable, magic or no. He made a short remark about being stretched thin to which Taliya scoffed at. It meant he was good and his services many, a compliment that fell utterly flat to the rough man. Leaning back in her chair and drinking from her flask Taliya peered out the window and watched a handful of her people at work, frowning as she sealed her drink. "If the Church finds him we're fucked, you know that right? He volunteered for the job but I'm beginning to think it was a mistake. Dumbass is going to get himself in trouble."

"I doubt we're lucky enough for him to get caught. Little shit'll come back home with more people than we bargained for, and probably be in debt to boot," Gage remarked with a snarl. Too many people to keep track of and he was glad that duty fell on Taliya's shoulders, not his. Slinging his weapon over his shoulder he paused at the door and looked back to the leader, drowning herself again in a flask of mead. "Keep drinking like that and you're going to be no use to anyone, Tali," he grumbled before leaving her be. He'd be the first called to help Lionel if anything serious happened but for now they'd leave it to that Adrian kid. Wasn't much of a fighter but he had healing magic at least, better than nothing.

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Well that had been fun. On the bright side the men sent after these people were quite thoroughly dead - as most people with holes blown in them tended to be. There were going to be some words exchanged when they finally did reach Mutebo: nothing at all about this job had mentioned there might be Church hunters after this group. They at least got the better end of that scuffle of theirs. Save for the now limp arm hanging at his side the clients remained totally unharmed and he himself was alive if a bit beaten.

"Seriously what did they do...? Sleep with the bishop's wife or something?" A grunt somewhere between exertion and pain as Lionel popped his arm back into its socket. The look on the faces of his wards told him he looked exactly as awful as he felt. Shame, not half an hour ago he'd been doing quite well sweet talking a pretty redhead in the group, now she looked like she might hurl seeing him. "It's not that bad, honest! Most of the blood isn't even mine." Why he'd thought that might be of any consolation was anyone's guess. Watching one of the women faint he let out a long winded sigh as the others began shouting at him, claiming he was a danger to them and too reckless.

"I'm not the one that lied about their position now am I?" Lionel pressed, smiling angrily as he sat on a stump and began to try cleaning himself, "Any more surprises and you all are taking the walk to Mutebo on your own. I didn't sign up to fight groups of hunters." They hadn't been any big name hunters either but there had been 5 in all, and raw power advantages meant very little when it was 5 on one. The fact he'd gotten out with some cuts and a dislocated shoulder was quite miraculous actually and he'd be able to undo it all once he got a little more energy, for now he'd have to put up with the dull throbs of pain. Maybe he hadn't signed up for that but he had agreed to help out in exchange for using Taliya's resources for his own ends, fair was fair after all.

"Not that any of you care but we're going to be waiting a bit, I'm about to pass out. And unless one of you wants to fight the next group we're staying put." The thunderous silence either meant they were fighting over who got to play hero or that none of them wanted to even try. He was guessing the latter. Smiling to himself Lionel wiped traces of blood out on the grass before going to the discarded packs of the group, fishing through one of the bags for an apple to snack on. A woman complained he wasn't being kind enough and they would speak to Taliya later, to which he simply smiled and tossed the apple in the air. "Go ahead, she's not going to do anything," he laughed, catching the apple and taking a bite, "Mmm... Complain all ya want though! By the way, where'd you get this apple? It's good!"

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

With the support of Haku and the gentle pushes on his part T'charrl was ready to go back into the winds. Yusef did not expect his son to master the training in a day and indeed even the lowest level of the exercises was proving trying. Perhaps it was a lot to ask of anyone in a single month - to be able to do something their people as a whole regularly avoided. But they were capable of the feat as many had done it before: Yusef was not the first to learn how, he'd learned from those before him. Were he clever enough to come up with this on his own... "You've made three attempts T'charrl, the first which nearly resulted in injury, the third which has shown progress already. Are you finished? No, not even close," the general spoke as he entered the chasm as well, casting his gaze into the darkness before them, "But you've already taken a large step forward, and starting is always the most difficult part. Unless you don't feel up to it we could try once or twice more, then we can stop for the day. It is hard training, I won't deny that." But nothing worthwhile came easily and T'charrl had a large mountain to overcome before he and Haku left again. "Try one last time, then we can stop for the afternoon. Besides you'll still need to meet with King Nema as well, perhaps its best you go before you end up in pain. Would make meditation difficult I imagine!"

"You're doing great T'charrl, it does seem r-really hard too," Haku agreed with a nod, "You just need to k-keep working at it! If I can m-make rank as a soldier then a-anything is possible!" Not that he'd had a choice about being a soldier but that was a technicality T'charrl didn't need to know. Besides their entire purpose coming to Kaesstra, visiting aside, was so that T'charrl could get some much overdue help with his powers. There was no way they were going to give up so easily and leave without making some progress, Haku refused to let his friend settle for failure. Grabbing T'charrl's claw and pulling his friend a few steps forward he gave a reassuring smile, standing this time at T'charrl's side. "When we go b-back you're going to surprise everyone with how w-well you did here! And they're going to see just how h-hard you worked. They'll practically be b-b-begging you t-to train them!" Nothing less than success, Haku would be in this chasm day in and day out if he needed to for T'charrl to succeed. Not that he'd ever say so openly but this was as much a trial for himself as it was for his friend. He still didn't belong in this group and he hadn't done anything to pull his weight, he needed this. If he could show he was useful in some small way then he wouldn't be treated like a small time fighter to just be thrown aside, he wasn't going to have a repeat of his time on Kortal.

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If Krom thought he was completely absolved of guilt than he was an idiot. Sure he didn't run the experiments on Shu or Viral, and he hadn't been the one to give the orders either, but that didn't matter. He'd been complicit in it all and was the reason Viral was ever put in that situation. Takeshi knew it was his fault too that Shu was ever harmed - he'd known all along it was his fault for chasing Viral - he didn't need a bastard like Krom reminding him of that. The Elite was fast wearing his already minute patience thin and so Takeshi started the training, opting to put his anger and frustration into something constructive for a change. There'd be chances later to make Krom pay, and his father, and Korian and anyone else he deemed responsible. But right now he had to get his own crap in shape and show he actually cared about Shu; throwing the match at the tournament had seemed like a redeeming moment and yet it was only the beginning to earning Shu's trust back. Sneering at Krom one last time the older boy toed the floor with his boot before starting to jog along the perimeter, quickly at first until the full weight of his gear pressed on him. Krom hadn't been joking when he said this was going to be more difficult! Gritting his teeth he strained slightly to keep his legs up and his back straight, glaring at the aforementioned Saiyan out of the corner of his eye as he ran. He was expecting him to freak out and upset Shu wasn't he? To throw a fit and instigate a fight that would only make things worse? Well screw him and screw his shitty expectations, he was going to make damn sure Shu got better - and that all started with him getting his own act together.

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Of course he'd been trying to help Viral! Vegeta couldn't have managed the international corporation that was Capsule Corp and juggle Viral's handling, he'd barely been able to handle the former! Some of the buyers had been less than ideal but somewhere else - anywhere else, would have been better than where Viral was. At least... That was the idea, right? The truth of the matter was Vegeta had done very little vetting for the potential buyers and had inadvertently almost agreed to a deal with the RRA: one of the groups Viral had been created for to fight against. Why hadn't he thought to ask Viral? Why had he decided to try and make the choice all on his own?

Because you didn't care.

But he'd cared! He'd cared enough to try and Viral another home, a place where Viral could actually live a life instead of being confined constantly. During the inner monologue with himself Viral had gone back on the offensive and, bogged down with his thoughts, Vegeta had been slow to react. Narrowly blocking the first punch thrown he gasped as another rocked his gut and lifted him slightly off of his feet, taking a kick to the same spot that sent him hurtling backwards. Flipping and righting himself he managed to get his feet on the ground and his heels dug in to stop his slid, mere inches from the wall when he came to a halt.

You didn't want the hassle of taking care of him. You just wanted him gone.

Like hell! They were effectively brothers, he could never do something so callous! And yet he had, hadn't he? Because of his own ineptitude and inability to ask for help Viral had nearly paid dearly. Because of his indifference the man before him was bitter, distrusting and furious with the world. All because of him. Vegeta raised his fists again and took a low, shaky breath as he sprinted back towards Viral, his movements hardly as planned as his mind was abuzz with conflicting thoughts. His moves were slower, woefully so, as he cocked back an arm and threw a jab at the Beastman. Everything that had transpired up until now - all of the injuries, the kidnappings, the resentment, it was all because of him. As if Viral hadn't felt terrible enough for what he'd done to Aito it had been pushed further by the negligence on his behalf. It was no small wonder Yumi was frustrated with him all the time. Missing his punch he took another blow to the jaw that split his lip, spitting blood aside as he threw another at Viral.

"And yet you're still here, despite everything..." Despite all of his efforts, inadvertently or otherwise, to tear down Viral he was still here. Some might argue the Beastman was a shell of his former self and yet he still pressed on without any apologies or condolences, and even in his efforts to help Vegeta had never once addressed what the real problem was: himself. What an idiot he'd been.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Well yes, but he could also simply just stand in front of someone and effectively shield them all the same.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

In my mind the way the spell works like this: Cecil can stand close to allied and expend whatever energy needed to shield himself and them. I'm trying to think of a way that it'd block incoming projectiles but allow outgoing, meaning one could shoot from safety (Amune).

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

"Are you saying our people don't have artisans? Have you truly been away for so long you think us savages?" Annoyance and the slightest tinge of anger colored Nymira's words, her eyes holding Kensen in no small degree of disdain. Were they back in their lands and had she the authority to she might just smack him. Instead the Dimuran refrained from striking out and exhaled deeply, opting to use her words instead. "You speak as though our people use violence for the sake of violence. Its how we've decided a ruling clan, how we decide on our leaders, its been that way since the first clans settled. Do you mean to say our people are wrong then? Because we do things differently?" On one hand Nymira did agree with Kensen to an extent: fighting among themselves for supremacy weakened their people for a time as warriors were inevitably taken on the fields of battle. But with their numbers smaller than any other race in Adelon they needed that strength for a time, power enough to force outsiders to seriously consider trying to attack them. But the age of warfare was passing and, as her father argued, time had come to pass for a change.

And perhaps that was the issue with their people, Nymira would admit. There was a clear divide on those who wished to keep things the way they had been and those who wished to move forward - she herself was stuck somewhere in between, forced to choose between what was new, and what their people knew. On her father's behalf she'd forge alliances but she couldn't deny some small part was always questioning if the effort would even be worth it. "If we're to be stuck in Mutebo then I suppose it can't be helped, I'll need to speak with the common peoples..." not terribly thrilled Nymira conceded with a frown, "And I suppose you speak of our fight with the beasts? A fight with something that we've never encountered? You may as well tell a child they're a worse warrior than you for all the good your logic does. I don't think myself so powerful that I can triumph over any foe, known or otherwise." Accepting her meal from the vendor she reached for her coin pouch and simply handed it over, instructing the man to take whatever was needed for their food. Nymira noted curiously how unlike so many merchants before the sum of coin that was taken seemed paltry by comparison: perhaps she had been a little too generous with her givings.

Ethan could scarcely keep himself from salivating as they walked, his eyes fixated on the lamb like a hungry wolf. Wanting to be polite however he had waited for everyone to have their meal, stopping himself twice from taking a first bite. By the time he'd finally sank his teeth into his meal he happened a glance up front and saw Nymira, half through with her meal, and his eyes widened as he stammered out a weak protest. And he'd tried so hard to express patience too! His complaints fell on deaf ears as the Dimuran ignored him and continued to speak with Kensen on the finer points of their training regiment. "That's so not fair... And here I've been drooling over mine the whole time..." a whimper and a sigh accompanied the words as Ethan slumped his shoulder slightly, smiling slightly as he looked at his meal, "Oh well... Time to dig in!" With how hungry he was he'd have sank his teeth into a wooden plank, though this was a much tastier alternative. How had he never had venison before? There were loads of deer around Kinsgrove and yet he'd never tried it, not once. Or maybe he'd had it and simply forgotten which was entirely plausible.

After their meal they were going to get right to training at last. There was a tentative excitement bubbling up inside of Ethan as he wondered just what Kensen had in store for them. They had been told their magic was lacking - and after fighting the beasts earlier he'd be inclined to agree - but he hadn't the foggiest idea of how they'd improve that. His speed magic while perhaps crude was his bread and butter, and while he could use wind as a means of attack it was by no means effective normally, or efficient for that matter. "Hey... Did you run into much trouble while traveling? Like... People from the Church, monsters, that sort of thing?" Either they had terribly unfortunate luck or their situation was just one of many similar cases. Ethan took another sizable bite from his meal and hastily wiped his chin as juice slid down it, smiling at the flavors assailing his taste buds. "Mmmph... Cuz... We've been running into all sorts of things while traveling and I don't really get why. It's like we've got a target on our backs or something," he mentioned before giving Adrianna a curious look, "Uh... You know... How do you fight? Not that you'll have to, just... Well you're a healer right? So your magic isn't exactly for fighting... I think."

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Norman was unable to keep himself in check as his enthusiasm bubbled to the surface. It was a rare chance nowadays he had an opportunity to actually upgrade anything, most works were either commissions - usually fixing a broken Machina or tool - or personal hobbies of his, like his bike. Upgrading things had its own unique flair to it, trying to push a technology to its limits was exciting. Cecil was in need of many things and they had a limited time to work with, he'd have to be fast if they wanted to get this work done. What took priority though? Power consumption? Defensive upgrades? Offensive capabilities? Perhaps they should try and remodel Cecil so he didn't stand out quite so much. The latter would take far too much time and, as Cecil revealed, his power consumption wasn't terribly pressing. That left the choice of offense and defense. Considering he'd fixed Cecil twice now for damage perhaps it was best to think of defense first and foremost.

"Bad? No, not at all. Though it depends on the style of shield we employ for you," Norman noted, placing a beneath his chin as he examined the array of parts before him, "We can opt for a solid, expanding sheet of metal for you to use. It would work well against deflecting projectiles and melee attacks but it would suffer against magical strikes. There's the option of a magic-imbued shield as well. We could use Demacite as a core and with two conduits create an arc of magical energy, and since it would have its own power supply it wouldn't drain your energy at all. Of course that shield wouldn't be as effective against weaponry, given it would be intangible. So what do we do then..." That was a pressing matter wasn't it? Each option had its benefits and yet neither was foolproof, Cecil would need an absolute shield in order to ensure his best chances of survival. For a short while Norman went silent as he began to examine and work with several items, muttering to himself and shaking his head as he threw aside a few he deemed lacking. It was both in his own best interest as well as that of the group that he got this right the first time but what should he do?

"Ah, of course! Why didn't I see it earlier! We simply use a tempered steel allow imbued with Demacite dust, make a double-plated shield from the metals, use conductors to pass a magical signature through the weapon thus inducing a reaction that would ignite the crystal dust, creating a magical coating on a physical surface! It would not only nullify magical blasts but the physical shell would help to absorb and redirect physical strikes as well!" Brilliant and simplistic! The only issue with that was grinding up Demacite crystals and having the shards retain their properties was no small matter - very specific machines had been designed to do such a task, machines he lacked - and the steel he had in mind was of high grade and terribly difficult to acquire outside of major cities. Nonetheless it was the best option, he needed only to pull a few strings for the materials. "Cecil! Tell me, if I were to forge a retractable shield for you what would be the best place to put it? We could... NO WAIT, I HAVE A BETTER IDEA!" Grabbing a small container from the table Norman circled around Cecil and pressed it to his back, adjusting it a few times before smiling and nodding to himself. "A barrier that forms around you! Demacite can act as the energy source and you control the power used, thus influencing the size of the barrier. It would allow you to move while maintaining a constant shield around yourself and it would take no power on your part to use, how's that sound?"

Teaching this child was going to be impossible. Why did she have to be so insufferably difficult? And why in the hells was she afraid of him? He wasn't the enemy! So maybe he wasn't quite as "soft spoken" as those who she kept company but she'd just have to learn to deal with him and his language. Saints above he really was being turned into a damned babysitter wasn't he? Picturing Taliya's smug face and her biting laughter in his mind Gage growled under his breath and folded his arms, his foot tapping against the dirt as he watched Amuné even try to find a stance. Unbelievable, she'd traveled with these people under attack and she didn't even understand how to wield a weapon? A bleedin' crossbow of all things!

"Listen pup, you're doing it completely wrong. If you try holding it like that you're gonna lose yer grip on the damn thing." Finding a rusted pipe in a pile of scrap Gage held it up to his shoulder, resting the end against his upper pectoral as he aimed the imaginary weapon at a tree. "See? You need a steady base to fire from or you're going to stagger, though I doubt that puny thing has any kick to it. And you'll want to hold the weapon steady, place one hand under the barrel," he explained as a hand cupped the middle of the pipe, "And your other will rest around the grip. If you ain't moving then that'll be your best bet for firing accurate bolts. 'Course chances are you won't have much time to just stand around takin' aim when someone or something's trying to kill you. But let's get the basics down, ain't gonna do us any good if you can't even aim properly." Live fire exercises were the best way to learn but Gage wasn't sure Amuné could even manage to shoot without killing herself yet. To think he could be on a job right now instead of this. Settling down against a discarded crate he reached into his coat and pulled out a rusted canteen, pulling off the flask and taking a long drink from it, exhaling and shaking his head as the liquid burned down his throat. "Let's see if you can figure out a stance before I finish this," he teased as he shook the container, "Show me you're not just some helpless whelp."

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Oh gee willikers its my post again! :O

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"Everything has been taken care of Haku, don't you worry. We've planned for every possible situation and the people here are willing and wanting to help. You just focus on your exercises my son." There was far too much worry and not enough action from T'charrl, the boy needed more confidence. And confidence he would have once he began to do these exercises - and work with Nema on finding a 'peace of mind - of that Yusef was absolutely certain. They had anticipated that the beginning would be slow and yet no one was fretting too much over that: T'charrl would succeed given the time to. "Now then, I believe I feel another strong wind coming on! How about you show me that your last attempt wasn't just a fluke?" coercing his son the general smiled, gesturing towards the chasm once again, "A word of advice? Don't try to breath while the wind hits you, the force of it is likely going to knock you breathless. Its easiest to take a deep breath and hold it, helps to keep you from becoming winded... Literally." Haku was the first into the chasm and for that Yusef was glad they'd had the boy come along to help them. It should be of some consolation to have a friend there for his son and Haku's willingness to take part in the training could only make it easier.

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"If you're talking about Viral it's not like I wanted to do that, it's your guys' fault we even had to fight him to begin with," grumbled Takeshi, frowning as he strapped weights to his legs and his arms. Krom could do whatever he wanted to try and shift the blame but ultimately he'd been complicit in the King's twisted ways and was every bit as guilty as their father. And his reasoning was... What? Avoiding punishment? Okay so then the guy was just a lousy coward willing to get kids hurt to save his own skin, that sounded so much better. "It's not that I don't think you haven't been training, I know you're a soldier and all. It's just that I know I'm going to pass you anyways, me and Shu both are," Takeshi continued as he finished preparing himself, grinning tauntingly at Krom, "And you're going to be part of what makes us better than you. Then our shitty old man, you, that jerk Korian, none of you guys are gonna be able to order us around anymore, you know? And we'll go back to Earth and you all can fight over whatever, I really don't care anymore." These aliens, this war, whatever went on didn't matter as much as keeping Shu happy and safe. And Viral, and Yumi, and Vegeta and the rest of his friends. Like hell he was going to keep letting these people order them to worlds and fight and get hurt for their stupid causes. He'd get strong enough to end the whole mess and once that happened they could forget any of this crap even existed. "Let's go pops, what am I doing to start? And don't hold back either, I want to do this crap right."

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Kill him? Why in the world was anyone going to kill Viral? The point of a sparring session wasn't even to injure someone let alone take their life... Wasn't he being a bit extreme? Releasing Viral's arm to avoid being swept Vegeta backed off and put his hands up preemptively, waiting for his friend to make his next move. Hearing the words that came next made his heart sink, a visible show of unease on his face as he threw a sidelong glance towards Aito accusingly. "Viral that's not..." Damn his father, they'd talked about it hadn't they? Conversation wasn't an option with the Beastman bearing down on him and again he was on the defensive, blocking punches hectically while trying to find an opening for himself. "It wasn't that, Viral! It's not that you were worthless, or even that I wanted to sell you! I..." A hard right cut him off and after staggering Vegeta found himself on the floor, bouncing off of it as an overhead punch sent him over. Rolling to the side quickly he stretched out a hand and lifted himself up, flipping onto his feet before darting back in at Viral. "I had no choice! I couldn't help you, hell I could hardly help myself!" Vegeta shouted as he spun on a heel, trying to kick at Viral's side and send him flying, "It was meant to help you!"

Under the Light of a Crimson Moon

Of course she meant Lady Maria, he'd known that. Realistically there was nothing Josephine could teach him that Edmund hadn't already imparted upon them. That said Kael had a difficult time imagining what - if anything - they might gain to learn at this point in their training; veteran hunters were borne of countless hours of the hunt, of trial and error and learning the mannerisms of their quarry. The basics could be taught but from thereon out it fell to the apprentice to gain the experience that only combat could bring. Edmund must have known this and yet not thought them ready, and given today's fatal blunder Kael was forced to agree. Still, what reason was there to seek out this Maria, other than finding some kind of closure for Josephine? Would she even train them once they did find the woman? He would see his given task through of course but to say his heart was wholly devoted to it would be false.

They needed to get moving before beats began to converge on their location. The fire was bound to lure some their way even with Lydia fighting the majority, some were bound to break off and follow their curiosity. Gathering their belongings Kael brushed over the fire with his boot and snuffed out the flames, leaving a few cinders burning in its wake. Not as though it mattered whether it was extinguished or not, he noted, there weren't any people left here, only beasts. "Cocky huh...? Sure, whatever you say," Kael muttered as he watched the drying embers, clicking his tongue and noting how dry his mouth felt. He needed water after all of that, not to mention he was noting just how dry and hoarse his throat felt. Where was there a well nearby? Water should be safe provided nothing had been slaughtered in it recently, they should be sure to fill up before departing.

Rest was out of the question for two reasons: neither of them would realistically be able to sleep after today's events, not for some time. The presence of another on these empty streets was enough to stir them from their stupor and they were greeted by an alarming stench - rank blood. While not wholly uncommon in the soiled city this smelled fresh, and decidedly un-beastly. Turning on his heel Kael narrowed his eyes at the figure before them, lowering his bag and freeing his weapon. It was a man, aye, but there was something... Off about him. Josephine attempted to speak with him and yet their only reply came in ramblings, words jumbled together and incoherent. Lydia's warning rang fresh in his ears as the man lifted his head and a pair of hollow, sunken eyes stared back at them. His hair was dirty and matted, his skin pale, blood soaked on every piece of clothing as fresh blood seeped from his blade. No two ways about it - this man had succumb to the blood.

"Stay back! We have no reason to fight, turn and leave!" Diplomacy was perhaps the worst idea right now and yet Kael saw fit to at least try. Not that it had ever been his strong suit, talking things out, and as expected the man continued to shamble towards them, his murderous intent palpable in the stale air. Cursing under his breath Kael swung his weapon and let the blade split in two, stringing the bow before notching an arrow. Killing another man was not something he'd ever wished to have to do. But then this was not a man anymore was it? Taking aim he lowered the bow and fired a single shot at the hunter's leg, deciding it was best to cripple him and run rather than have an all out fight. Fighting would attract beasts, beasts would chase them until they either tired or they were killed, it was not something they could afford. A single arrow was all he'd need.

If it hit. The arrow was on the verge of tearing through the hunter's ligaments when he dashed to the side and avoided it, the arrow piercing and shattering the stone where he had stood. He was fast! Unlocking his weapon again he let the string retract and held a blade in each hand, charging the man for a more personal encounter. They had to kill him quickly, the longer they lingered the more likely beasts would appear. Raising his right arm and taking a swing Kael growled as his blade glanced off the side of the man's axe, lifting his other arm to block an overhead cut from the weapon. Straining to hold it back with both weapons he grit his teeth and tried to push black, closing his eye reflexively as blood dripped down from its rusted edge onto his cheek.

"I need... Fresh blood... The Vials, they no longer work..." The man's voice came out in raspy hisses and he smiled hungrily at the young hunter, his teeth stained and several missing. The pair were at a stalemate until Josephine intervened and forced the man back, and another dodge helped evade a Quicksilver bullet from Kael's pistol. As though unsteady the man swayed side to side briefly before flashing the pair a delusional grin, laughing dryly as he approached again, dragging his axe along the cobbled streets. "Come children, give me your blood... Our evolution... Is at hand..." he cooed, extending a gnarled hand and curling his fingers to them, "You... Won't need it before long, surrender... Your blood!"

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

"Insensitive...? It's the truth Kensen, or do you truly believe every person here to be a capable hunter and warrior? People in the kingdoms don't understand how we Dimurans live, even the smallest of towns I'd visited have it easy compared to us. So forgive me if I come across as a little jaded but I don't think most people in Adelon to be the capable sort." She had yet to see terribly much to discount this idea of hers either. After traveling several hundred miles from home Nymira was convinced of two things: people within the kingdom proper were complacent and the Church was never going to be an ally to her or her clan. What Kensen said was true - the Church was not an issue for most people - but it was a major issue for her and her goals. Her exposure to them consisted of listening to their people decry the use of "free magic" and being attacked by their people on numerous occasions, not exactly things which would build favor with her. Kensen wasn't the only one to argue against her point: Adrianna was quick to denounce her assumptions as well. Merely acknowledging the healer with a sidelong glance she returned her gaze to the fire instead.

Watching her selection brown over the fire Nymira watched the flames dance, becoming lost in thought. Would she even be able to make allies? Given all that she knew now - and what she still may not yet know - the probability of anyone openly allying themselves with a Magi seemed increasingly slim. If not for their ability in combat the only thing she and hers could offer were rare minerals and blacksmiths, neither of which the kingdom appeared to be wanting in. Diplomacy was the only option and yet they had nothing to use to forge an alliance, they were smaller in number, had less to trade and arguably little value outside of being soldiers. And no Dimuran would rightfully allow themselves to become a soldier of the Church or whoever was in power here, something which still baffled her concerning Kensen.

"Kensen... What is it like in the inner cities? From what I understand the capitol is further east still, and there are many cities further still, larger than any we've seen yet. Have you been that far?" If forging an alliance in the traditional manner was out of the question she would have to rely on other means. Gathering information would be important then, and only after she understood enough to have her way of things could she perhaps hope to make ties to the people here. Crossing her arms she clicked her tongue and looked back to Ethan who was practically leaning over the fire as his food cooked, rolling her eyes again and shaking her head. "I'm beginning to wonder if this journey of ours is a... How do you say... Idiot's errand? I'm traveling with a man-child, a literal child, and a machine. It sounds almost as absurd as the tales they used to tell us around the fires..."

"Or why don't I try both? We're probably going to work up a big appetite later so we should eat all we can!" Not too much though or he'd get ill and cramp up during training, something he'd incidentally done quite a few times. Between the two Dimurans it was probably not a good idea to hinder their training, not unless he wanted both of them furious at him for the rest of the day. Ethan happily accepted Adrianna's offer and order himself a thin steak as well just to be sure he filled up. As soon as the meats were licked by the flames he could smell them beginning to simmer and his mouth watered, causing him to lean over and take a long hearty whiff of his meal. Should he see if they had some kind of sauce? Maybe he should see if they had bread, or vegetables... Was there a chance he could go get some mead without Nymira noticing? Engrossed in his musings he missed the brief exchange between Adrianna and Nymira, looking back a moment later confused to see them both annoyed. Were they arguing again? Ethan really didn't understand why, Adrianna seemed like a nice guy!

----------

Norman stared at the hole in the shop wall for a moment before hastily ordering one of the workers to make sure they hadn't just killed someone. As the man rushed out the door he let out a lengthy sigh and pulled off a sullied glove to rub his face, looking at Gage impatiently. "Please refrain from firing off weapons indoors, thank you!" he ordered, "I'm already on a thin rope here for dragging my vehicle through town, there's been dozens of complaints coming in about the noise!" Then, growing defensive, the engineer sighed again and shook his head dejectedly, "I can't minimize the noise, the engine and the exhaust has to be left open in order to properly vent the fumes and..."

"Stand down cat, I am not in the mood," Gage grumbled as he knelt down before Amuné, "We can take that outside and you can practice firing it. I'll teach you how to properly hold the weapon and how to control your breathing to steady your shots. It doesn't seem to have proper sights so you'll be winging it." Which was not exactly great for even an inexperienced fighter, let alone an incompetent child. Ignoring Norman as he continued to prattle on about some mechanical device of his Gage looked about the room until he spotted a far door, moving aside a worker as he reached it and held it open for Amuné, simply pointing to the gap for her to move through. "I was told to train you today and we're going to train, your machine friend is going to be just fine without you hanging onto his damn leg. Now move it girl, before I drag you out."

"A little tact goes a long way Gage, you might want to try it..." Norman uttered in exasperation, giving a shake of his head before passing Amuné a patient smile, "Go ahead and try it out, let me know how it works. I'm sure you'll be able to find something back there to use as a target, fire a few bolts and tell me how it feels. I'll adjust it to fit your needs. As for you..." There was a decidedly eccentric glean to his eyes as the engineer addressed Cecil, and placing an arm around his shoulders the Machina was led over to a table with numerous tools strewn about it. "As a combat model you should be capable of a number of things, both offensively and defensively. You have some offensive enhancements but nothing for defense, obviously. Otherwise you'd not have shown up the way you did." Rubbing his hands together while smiling Norman looked through his tools before grabbing a wrench and then grabbing Cecil by the arm, examining one of his gauntlets thoughtfully. Turning his arm over he tapped at a panel and seemed to become bothered by something until a light went off in his head, voicing his excitement as he turned and moved across the room. "A shield! Of course, so simple and yet invaluable! But it can't be a physical shield, no... Corrosion would be too much of a risk, not to mention repairs..." Norman began as he started to sift through a bin of what only seemed to be scraps, "Tell me Cecil, how's your power consumption since your last tune up? Any difference?"

---

Playing keeper to a homicidal Varuna was hardly the type of work Remus was used to. Not that he was complaining, the majority of his assignments had him playing executioner to Magi who refused to bend beneath the Church's thumb. Matters were only worse too when one considered how thoroughly violent and unpredictable Bernadette could be, the woman seemed to revel in her job; Magi were under such scrutiny that it always struck him as odd that they should be fighting one another like this. Given their combined strength, if none stood with the Church, could they even hope to enforce the laws they had now? Not that humoring such thoughts did any good as the state of the world clearly did not favor their kind. On his way out of the tavern Remus thanked both the owner and his daughter, giving the latter a handful of silver on his way out: under the Church's orders they operated and the others used that to their full ability, often traveling and dining places without having to pay. The very least he could do was throw a little coin their way to make amends for the rude behavior. For members of such an esteemed group his fellow hunters surely had no issue with abusing their authority.

It brought so much satisfaction to make men like Remus heel and obey her every word. He had absolutely no choice in the matter, Bernadette knew this, as she knew he loathed her and hers with every fiber of his being. A wry smile crossed her face as she pulled a dagger from her sheath and examined the pristine blade with a soft him, running a fingertip along its edge before looking at the Ydran before her. "Elluine? Tail him. He's failed as well and I want to be certain he does his job. Should he fail then you have my permission to kill him too. And try to do it outside of a settlement won't you? I'm still trying to clean up the mess at Orosi."

"That was your doing my lady, you've no one to blame but yourself," the Ydran cackled, "But as you wish, I'll see to it that they fight outside and away from civilians. Though... If any do happen to be caught in the crossfire-"

"Avoid that, that's an order," Bernadette demanded as she pointed to Elluine with her dagger, "I've already had to go back to the capitol once because of you fools, if I have to go back again it will be with your heads. Now get going, I've got other business to attend to." That was quick to get him out and thank goodness for that, the moron thought he had the freedom to do as he pleased under her. The only reason Elluine was even under her command now was because he'd been so unruly before with his former leader, a problem they had been unable to rectify. Now that he was her responsibility she would be damned certain he never stepped out of line. Shame killing your subordinates was so frowned upon... But then that's what she had subordinates for, they could do her dirty work for her. "And Remus will do it no matter how much he detests it, won't you Remus?" Giggling to herself Bernadette stuck her dagger into the top of the desk and slid out of her seat, cracking open the door to the office and getting the owner's daughter's attention. "Dear? Tell me... How would you like to be of service to the Church and your king?"

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"That won't happen T'charrl, we've taken extra care to make sure it doesn't. The reason so many people were brought along is we've established a network through the chasm, an early warning system if you will. If a strong gust pushes through they send word down our way and we let it pass. Nema has some system to gauge the strength of winds and he assures me it's foolproof." Of course having so many people o hand to assist them worked as a double edged blade: safety went up but their time arguably was reduced, the system was only as good as long as everyone present could remain. Most of those helping were the King's men and thus they would in one form or another be carrying out his work regardless, but to the same end there were other duties they needed to attend to. Were they closer to their own home perhaps Yusef would have brought some men with him to help as well, but traveling so far was out of the question. Taking a break for food fruit was handed out to everyone and the General sat upon a stump, turning over a fruit in his claws and laughing at his son's outburst. "I am only teasing, relax T'charrl! And from what we've been told it depends largely on the weather, otherwise the winds are usually constant. We should be safe to do this as long as we want to today, or as long as you're able."

----------

"Whatever, I don't care about your family. You sure as shit don't care about mine." Krom would always be a piece of crap who justified being such by following orders, but you only followed lousy orders like that if you were a crappy person to begin with. No decent person kidnapped children so they could be put through awful tests. So all the guy had in mind was some extra weight huh? Nothing actually difficult? Takeshi was going to show this jerk up and make it look like a breeze. "Fine, fine, no sparring until Shu feels better, I get it,' Takeshi said with a wave of his hand, smirking as he started to gather up weights for himself, "And it's not me that's going to bother him, I didn't drag him to my insane father now did I? If anyone here is making things hard for him its you." The bastard was right though, he had to shut the hell up if Shu was to have any hope of relaxing during their training. It was his fault Shu was the way he was and the last thing he wanted to do was prevent his brother from getting better. "You know... I'll give you this much: when we first met you were definitely stronger than we were, by a lot," Takeshi said as he put on a weighted vest, leaning over to fasten weights to his legs as well, "But we're going to be stronger than you before long, and then we'll be stronger than our shitty old man too. And when that happens his whole world is coming crashing down, you got me? And that means anyone who supports him is going down too, which means you. And don't you forget that. Now let's get this crap out of the way so we can get back to kicking your ass."

---------

Was he holding back? Vegeta was just trying to keep himself from being pummeled, throwing back any strikes like this would only result in them trading blows unnecessarily. Knocking aside another fist he frowned as Viral shouted to him more and continued throwing punch after punch, clearly agitated by his defensive approach. "Holding back? I wasn't, I was waiting for this." Pushing aside another punch Vegeta folded his hand and struck Viral in the chest, stepping forward with his back foot and hitting him again with an open palm, exhaling as he watched the Beastman stagger slightly. Quickly blocking another punch Vegeta moved to take a step back, catching his toe on the ground and stumbling back, leaving him open as he took a punch to the jaw. Nearly spinning around he caught himself and blinked the stars away, turning and catching another punch thrown. "You're not holding back either I see, either that or you're stronger than I remember," Vegeta commented, catching another punch and trying to push Viral back as they locked grips. Seeing it going nowhere he glanced down for a split second at his friend's feet before sweeping a leg out to try and knock him over, intending to grab Viral's arm and lift him over and throw him onto his back if it should work. "Don't underestimate me just because I've been out of action."