Hero

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Glory to the gods, Savayna was finally going to fill him in! Too bad they got caught, and as Grant was looking upwards, stars spinning in his eyes from getting literally knocked through a wall, he couldn’t help but feel that somewhere out there, the gods were enjoying toying with him. He couldn’t help but lament the fact that he hadn’t seen the spell coming at all; he had gotten much too excited that Savayna was going to tell him something, anything, so he let his guard down. As he was addressed, he realized Savayna was pulling him to his feet. Boy, did he hit his head heard, though he forced himself to focus as the man before him would speak.

On the surface, Grant was as calm and collected as ever—he would attribute years of discipline to this. After all, a prince was expected to be able to make decisions under the most dire of circumstances. Still, he found himself shocked when the man introduced himself as Atticus Frost—better yet, as Atticus Glacie. As Savayna would reprimand him for wanting to come, he would very briefly give her a look, though he would focus on the matter at hand. They were surrounded, and they didn’t look like the type to just let them walk away freely.

It took Grant every fiber of his being not to smile and say ‘Hey look, we ended up finding him anyway!’ but this was neither the time or place. Though in all fairness, had he known her father would be a dangerous looking fellow who had an entire force under his command, he could have reconsidered it. Maybe. Either way, this was a prickly situation they were in.

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr…” He almost said ‘Glacie, though he was sure Savayna would probably stab him in retaliation. “…Frost. Quite the setup you have around here, though the many refugees you’ve chased out of Mt. Bur-Omisace are hardly appreciative.”

---

Emiri lowered her arms, a disappointed look on her face. She looked back at Keiran, who would give her a shrug, though she would focus back on Wesley and Nadeline. That was definitely a threat, though she was more than sure he didn’t have it in him to apprehend him—or rather, he didn’t have it in him to get through Emiri to get to him. The dark haired youth would comply as he would reveal himself, resting his elbow on Emiri’s shoulder as he would look at the prince curiously.

“How very rude, I’m not fooling anyone,” Keiran stated rather haughtily, looking at the pair with a frown. “I thought it’d be nice for you all to meet up again, but the thought has gone unappreciated. Especially after she was left behind by you lot. Though it’s funny, I assumed you’d continue straight to Dalmasca, but your honor brought you here, didn’t it, Wesley?”

Nadeline shook her head at him, though she wasn’t sure who was more of a threat—the unknown man, or Emiri, especially after what she had seen. There was definitely something wrong, but what was it? Was he controlling her? Was that how he knew Wesley’s name despite this surely being the first time they had met? “It is our duty to ensure the safety of the people,” She stated, not liking how quiet or comfortable Emiri was with this man.

He is the reason Chaos is silent. Ultima would whisper to Nadeline. Be wary, for he is not the only foe before you.

Emiri let out a small sigh, staring wistfully at the sand. “They don’t care about me anymore, they wouldn’t be happy to see me,” She said, a sad tone in her voice. “Oh well. We should carry on, then.”

What was she talking about? And like hell was Nadeline about to let her go off with this man! “Emiri, that’s not it at all! You were supposed to be in Stigma, but you…you—!” The princess hesitated, for a moment, though she could no longer deny what she had seen. “You’ve lost it again, haven’t you?! You attacked Aloa in Stigma!”

Keiran’s eyes widened. How did she know that? He looked over at Emiri, who seemed to be remembering something. “Shion started it, and the viera chose to intervene…as did your mother,” Emiri corrected her very seriously, though a smile would play on her lips. “Then you know that I won the battle, right? Not even Shion could stand in my way…and now, I can get my revenge.”

Nadeline narrowed her eyes, though she would back away from Wesley as she stared at Keiran. He must have been controlling her somehow. There was no way the girl would do any of that of her own volition. Withdrawing her rapier, she earned surprised look from both Emiri and Keiran. “You’d draw a weapon on your friend? A bit harsh, isn’t it?” Keiran asked as he would take his arm off Emiri.

“I see the puppetmaster before me and I will cut your strings behind Emiri’s actions!” Nadeline announced, pointing her rapier at Keiran.

Keiran laughed, though he would take a step back as he looked at Emiri. “She wants to pick a fight with you! Hey, Prince, you think this is a good idea?”

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Once again, Savayna seemed to know something he wasn’t aware of. Once again, she would run ahead without giving him a second thought. Once again, Grant found himself following her trail, mentally questioning what the hell he was doing with his life where it had gotten to the point that Savayna repeatedly kept him in the dark. How hard would a signal be? Or at least a ‘follow me’? Was it because she considered it urgent, or was it that his own opinions didn’t matter? Before he could protest, she had already gone off, and he would remain in the shadows, lest he end up getting caught himself. The pair were taken care of, and she would finally give him a signal to follow, though before he could ask what the hell was going on, she would take off.

It was good that no one was around to hear Grant’s mumblings as he would complain about the situation. It was truly getting tiresome, though he hoped at the very least it would all be worth it. On the other hand, figuring out exactly why these people had set up a blockade was in his own interest, so he would comply with Savayna. For now.

---

The wind was gone for a moment. It was rather strange, as Emiri had just started getting used to it sweeping sand into her face repeatedly, but everything was still. It was also quiet, almost peaceful, though she knew better than that. The elementals seemed to go out of their way to avoid her as she walked, giving her quite the satisfaction, though she still had yet to see what Keiran wanted her to notice. Speaking of which, said boy had gotten awfully quiet all things considered. He would only gesture for her to keep going anytime she would look at him, though it was getting old.

---

The gods knew Nadeline tried to listen to Wesley, boy did she ever, but she felt the full brunt of the attack unwillingly. Why was she seeing all this? Why now? Who was behind it? What had Emiri done? Her own thoughts seemed to mix into the mess, and as hard as she tried, she couldn’t quite snap out of it. Was she going to be driven insane? That much seemed to be happening, though it was happening quite painfully. It was then an unfamiliar glyph appeared beneath her, one she only recognized because she had seen it recently. She recognized it as Ultima’s, and before she knew it, Emiri’s thoughts had silenced and faded away, leaving Nadeline alone. She let out a massive sigh of relief, though she remained still.

“It wouldn’t do for you to lose your mind, you still have much to do,” Ultima said simply, almost chiding her.

“I’m in your debt,” Nadeline replied somewhat bitterly, relaxing her hands as she looked at Wesley. “Forgive me, I…I do not know what happened or what that was, but I fear something terrible has happened.” She told him, shaking her head, though something in the distance would catch her eye. It almost looked like someone was approaching them, though as they would near, Nadeline’s eyes widened. “Have I gone mad, or is that…?

Emiri would stop before them, a good ten feet or so away, her black dress billowing as the wind would pick up once more. Keiran had chosen to hang back, out of sight, though he would be sure to watch the situation carefully. Now he understood what his master wanted; he wanted them to meet, didn’t he? He watched Emiri carefully, trying to gauge her reaction.

The blonde princess would stand, trying to understand the sight before her. Emiri should have been in Stigma—no, then all those visions she had were in fact reality? She was confused, though she somehow knew that she wasn’t quite hallucinating. Emiri stared at the pair, a rather blank expression on her face, and it was then Nadeline felt something was…off with her. Her usually tied up hair hung loose around her, her normally violet eyes were closer to a violet-red.

Nadeline took a step back, shaking her head. Everything she had seen was true. Emiri had fought with Shion, attacked Vlyn and Aloa. But why? What was happening?

Emiri raised both her arms at the pair, as if welcoming them. “We meet again, Highnesses,” She said, bowing deeply.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

The cooperation was appreciated, though he could live without the sass. Nonetheless he would nod in agreement, his gun at the ready with Zeromus' glyph glowing on his hand. His Esper and himself were in sync, and Grant would climb on top of his shoulders, a magical glyph appearing underneath him. A similar one would appear beneath Savayna, and Grant would motion the two Espers to go forth. As they would go, Grant's first spell was cast just before they became visible: "Gravity!" He called, leaving himself and Savayna in mid air as their Espers would drop to the ground. After mentally counting out the time, the Gravity spell would begin to wane, and the pair would slowly begin to sink. "Vanishga!" Came his next spell, wrapping himself and Savayna in a cloak of invisibility. The pair would be able to touch on the ground just as Gravity would expire. Time to get things going.

---

"Wesley!" Nadeline called out to him, immediately rushing to the man as he fell to his knees. As she extended her hands towards him, her words were caught in her mouth quite literally. Her mouth refused to say the words she wanted, her outstretched hand remained perfectly still. A paralysis spell? But how? There was no one in sight but the two of them! She struggled against it, but no matter how hard she tried to budge, she would remain in place, frozen as a statue.

The moment where she and Emiri said goodbye replayed right in front of her. For some reason, Emiri looked much more depressed than what she remembered. Or was it that she hadn't noticed? She watched as she would hug her, though to her surprise, she didn't hear anything she had said. Instead, she would hear Emiri herself as if she was whispering into her ear: At least one of us believed it. I'm going to end up ruining everything, aren't I...?

The scene around her changed, instead showing Utena Hospital. She had gone so many times that she recognized it instantly, though she was shocked to see Emiri standing in front of her father. She had an empty look on her face, and Nadeline let out a gasp as the girl would raise her arms. Within seconds, Lord Andre would breathe, though Karolina would come and wrench her away. Once again she could not hear her mother's words, instead only being able to hear Emiri's thoughts at the moment: I did it! He's better, he's awake! It worked...it really worked!

Now they were in the streets of Stigma, and Nadeline was shocked to see Aloa, Vlyn, and Shion in front of Emiri, doing battle. What was happening?! Why were they fighting?! She opened her mouth to protest, though she felt like she was getting swallowed by bloodthirst. Was this how Emiri felt? Nadeline almost mimicked Emiri's laugh, but she clutched her head. Emiri's voice whispered into her ear: They can't stop me! No one can stop me!

Why was she seeing all this? She was getting overwhelmed by Emiri's own emotions and thoughts that her head pulsed and caused her pain. Thoughts and feelings that weren't hers seemed to come in one after another, and without realizing it, Nadeline had dropped down to her knees.

I don't understand, it hurts, it hurts so much...

Get married? Why? I don't want to marry without my Papa. And I wanted Mother to be there, too.

Of all the things to say, why would you tell me this, Karolina? Papa is better now! I fixed him!

They all left me behind. Am I that much of a burden?

Jaakuna...you said you'd never leave my side...so why did you leave me?! Why?! Don't abandon me again! Please! I can't take it! I don't want to be alone anymore!

No one cares about me. All I ever did was cause trouble.

"Stop...!" was the only word Nadeline was able to mutter out loud. She was essentially on the ground in a fetal position, clutching her head tightly.

---

Keiran opened his eyes in surprise. Was that truly his master's wishes? How silly, of course they were, he knew that Mist from anywhere. No, what surprised him more was the direction where his master would order him to go. How strange, it was in the opposite direction. Was He there? No, something else must have been. Understanding his new objective, he would shake Emiri's shoulder, telling her, "Time to wake up." Emiri's eyes fluttered open, though rather than the magenta hue they had become, instead they were closer to a darker, almost pale violet red. She would look at him, and after letting out a yawn, she would stand.

"Sun's not so bad anymore," She mumbled as she would rub her eye, though she noticed Keiran's expression. "What is it?"

Keiran outright stared at her for a moment, though he would tear his gaze away from her and look out into the distance. "You should be able to feel it by now. There's something out there, isn't there?"

What was he talking about? Emiri squinted in the direction he was looking, as if to get visual confirmation, though she saw nothing. She looked at him again, though let out a sigh. "What is it that you sense?"

"I don't know. Let's go see--although..." He would stop, raising a hand over Emiri's head. She let out a gasp of surprise as her clothes would revert to normal, albeit her normally beige dress was now black in color. "To keep you cool, that little getup of yours was dragging you down."

She pouted, though she would follow suit nonetheless.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Why did he have to decide? Lorenzo wasn't happy with the decision being his, though as he would look to his sister for help, she would offer no condolences. Man, she could be a real pain in the ass sometimes even when she wouldn't utter a word. Lorenzo let out a rather nervous chuckle, trying to dissuade having to make the decision, but the longer he remained quiet, the more piercing both Jaakuna and Nila's glared would be. Yup, it fell on him with no way out. He honestly didn't see too much of a problem--the Wards were, after all, second to royalty, but Jaakuna was very clear in saying he didn't want Nila to tag along.

Letting out a cough to clear his throat, Lorenzo would try a reasonable approach. "In all fairness, we do have something pretty important to discuss with the Emperor. You wouldn't want to get swept in with all the boring chatter now, would you?"

"Don't bother," Reia stated rather simply, taking Lorenzo's hand as she would exit the vehicle. As she would smooth out any wrinkles that would appear, she let out a small sigh. "She's already made up her mind, regardless of what we have to say or what reason we may give."

Lorenzo nearly fell over at Reia's rather sudden decision. Why didn't she just say that earlier?! "S-So...uh, let's get going?"

---

Wesley seemed very sure of himself. Nadeline wasn't as confident as he was. Perhaps it was more because she was painfully aware of her status as the weak link of the group, but she felt uneasy as Wesley would take her hand in hers, though they would begin the trek through the desert regardless. She continuously prodded Ultima as they would walk, though her Esper was as stubborn as she was. Would her and Wesley be able to handle whatever awaited them in the distance? Or was this a mistake? For the first time in her life, uncertainty had a hold over her heart and wasn't going away. She really didn't like where this was going, though she could not bring herself to object to Wesley.

"Coward," Ultima scolded her.

Nadeline let out a gasp, clearly surprised. "She spoke to me!" She told Wesley rather excitedly, though it then dawned on exactly what Ultima said. "...How very rude."

"I speak only to inform you that your annoying way of thinking will only serve to hamper you. At the very least, if you're going to get in the way, simply stand back and let your man do all the fighting," Ultima chided her.

Nadeline huffed. "I will NOT stand by like some idiotic damsel! I can do my part as well!" She retorted, and would pick up her pace to the point she was practically dragging Wesley along with her. "The very first time she chooses to speak, she insults me! The nerve, why, you would think an ancient being would at the very least have some manners!" She began her rant, annoyed.

---

Keiran stepped over the body of the fallen Urutan-Yensa, letting out a low whistle of approval. He grinned, though he had to jog to keep up with Emiri. The girl was dragging her sword behind, little more than determination keeping her going at this point. She wielded the darkness like a true professional, and he had to admit himself proud. But the heat was an entirely different story, and even he was starting to feel some of the effects. As if reading his thoughts, Emiri would halt, turning around to look at him. Keiran gave her an apologetic smile, though the pair would then settle on a spot under the massive oil rig.

Emiri leaned against the metal, sliding down into a sitting position. It was cool to the touch, giving her a much needed cooling. The sun was particularly brutal today, and she would desummon her sword. She eyed Keiran for a moment, and he would look at her curiously. "I'm surprised," He admitted as he was sit down next to her. "You would stop, even if for a moment, despite the circumstances."

She would motion towards the literal path of death she left behind. "As if Lola would dispatch those things as easily. I need to be in good condition to face her...it's no good if I'm tired," She admitted, brushing her bangs aside with her hand. "Just a moment's reprieve...and then, onwards."

Keiran nodded in agreement, stretching his arms above his head. Boy, was having a physical body cumbersome. He almost wished he had a female one; at the very least, he would have something to look at. His own eyes wandered over Emiri's body, though he was surprised to find that she ended up falling asleep. No, he shouldn't have been surprised, she should have been tired. She used a lot of magicks in her fight against Shion, and there's only so much one still getting used to their powers could do. At the very least, his master should be happy. That was all that mattered, after all.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Of all the things to close with, did Jaakuna really need to be so curt? No, it was his informality that really seemed to make things worse. He was certainly very casual all things considered. Shifting slightly in her seat, she placed her hands on her knees rather daintily, shooting Jaakuna a look. “What is it about men that empty their minds so much that even common courtesy escapes them?” She asked the clearly rhetorical question. “And what sort of compliment was that? Is that supposed to tide her over?”

Now it was Lorenzo’s turn to snicker, though he was clearly enjoying Jaakuna’s discomfort. “Now Miss Ward is well aware of what happened. Satisfied, or do you need to know more?”

---

Oh that was the complete opposite of good. This was supposed to be their new beginning, and something clearly evil was lurking nearby. She couldn’t help but scratch her arm nervously, looking towards the distance. To think it could unnerve Wesley was really telling. But what was its goal? Was it simply lurking? Or was it planning to attack Dalmasca? After a moment, she looked at him very seriously.

“Do you believe it is something we should take care of?” She asked him though her expression fell into one of sadness. “Too bad we’re all separated…perhaps together we could have investigated.”

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Biting her lower lip, Reia (rather uncharacteristically) restrained a snicker as the woman would confront Jaakuna. It was a little mean spirited, yes, but she had to admit it was rather funny. Though the scene unfolding before her very quickly reminded her exactly why she preferred to have lovers rather than actual relationships; people were much too unpredictable, their desires and dreams much too fleeting for her own taste. Still, the girl's name definitely rang a bell, though she couldn't remember exactly where. She was well aware of the name, one of the biggest in Archadia, but for some reason this one in particular seemed to make her try to remember something.

Lorenzo, on the other hand, was outright laughing at Jaakuna. Ah, to be young and in love! Although now that he thought about it, this woman was definitely not what's-her-face (he knew her name started with an 'E' but Elizabeth was his own way of badly admitting her never remembered her name), and mostly definitely was NOT over Jaakie. Once the realization hit him, a curious look appeared, and he watched as Jaakuna would look to him for asistance. At the risk of probably getting pummeled himself, Lorenzo would gently pull Nila away from Jaakuna, offering a grin.

"There, there, we all know this guy's a jackass," He comforted her, though this time Reia wasn't quite able to hold back a laugh. He ignored her for the moment, gesturing at Jaakuna. "Oi, Jaakie, what's this all about, then?"

Reia quirked an eyebrow at her brother, though she stayed silent, if only because she didn't want to admit she was just as curious about the situation.

---

Morbid? What was morbid? Before Nadeline could ask, however, Wesley continued to speak to himself, though she would learn he was speaking to his Esper. Something was amiss, though that something was Wesley. He was concerned about...something, although what exactly she wasn't sure. She sure wished Ultima would clue her in, but the Seraph wasn't exactly the chatty type and preferred that they would keep a respectable distance. Admirable, but it didn't quite help the situation. Nadeline mentally prodded Ultima, wanting her to speak, though she outright ignored her.

Letting out a huff of annoyance, she tugged on Wesley's sleeve. "What is happening, Wesley?" She asked him, feeling left out.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Reia eyed the soldier rather warily as he was dismissed. No, she didn’t like the look of that one at all, less so when Jaakuna would state his concerns. She would look at Lorenzo, who seemed more interested than anything else, and let out a small sigh. She almost suggested turning around, but that wouldn’t just be an insult to Jaakuna, it would be an insult to herself as well. After a moment of collecting her thoughts, she couldn’t help but notice Lorenzo’s lack of response. Odd, considering he was the last person to ever shut up.

Lorenzo caught her look, and let out a rather dramatic sigh. “And you thought I was joking when I said I was your bodyguard,” He couldn’t help but smugly point out, though his expression immediately hardened into one more serious. “We’re already here, ain’t much left to do but to keep going. Don’t go striking your idea out just yet, Jaakie. Not saying it’s gonna turn out one hundred percent alright, but…shit, we need to make sure everything is alright here.”

She hated to admit it, but he was right. She would cross her arms once more, shifting somewhat uncomfortably. He would shoot her a grin, patting his chest. “If you’re absolutely sure…then I agree. Even if everything goes down the drain, no one can say we did not try.”

“That’s the spirit!”

How he stayed so optimistic was a mystery to her.

---

What am I doing?

Is this really worth it?

I can’t do this.

What’s going on?

No…I want my revenge…

I need it.

An inner battle seemed to wage on inside Emiri as she and Keiran trekked though the Dalmasca Westersand, close to the border of the Ogir-Yensa Sandsea. Keiran had led her this far, though the longer they walked, the more doubt she had. She wasn’t feeling too hot either; her movement was sluggish, her head ached fiercely, the heat beating on them terribly and adding to things as they walked. But she would carry on. She owed Lola…she needed to find her…she needed to make her pay for making her father suffer…for killing her mother…Who the hell did she think she was?!

Keiran eyed Emiri rather carefully. Once in a while, her body seemed to reject the dark powers she accepted. It was an odd phenomenon, though he couldn’t quite understand why. Chaos had been silenced, Shion was unable to purify her, so why was she able to resist it so much? Were his own powers not enough? No, that couldn’t be it, his master made sure of that. There was something missing, something blocking it that he didn’t know about. The brunette fell to one knee, clutching her chest. His eyes widened, though a blinding light would throw him to the ground. Emiri let out a gasp, turning around to see Shion at the ready, blade aloft. The wind whipped her blue hair around her like a storm, but the woman herself was at the ready. The blue rose in her hair glowed brightly, its petals scattering around them.

Emiri bit her lip as she smiled, slowly standing on her feet. “How I hoped you would follow,” She admitted as she withdrew her sword from her sheath. “Just you and me…with no one else to interfere.”

Shion’s amber eyes seemed to pierce through her very soul, though she was completely focused on her. Emiri took it as an invitation, cackling madly as she swung her sword. The two blades clashed as they did, hers oozing darkness to oppose Shion’s light. The result was another explosion that would send the two in opposite directions, although they would immediately charge at one another once more. Emiri’s moves became messy and erratic, a sort of unpredictability, though Shion was always one to adapt to a situation. The woman parried an attack, forcing Emiri back. The younger girl staggered backwards, her heels slipping in the sand for just a moment. Shion charged in, her hand glowing as she would strike her abdomen. Emiri let out a small gasp, shocked as she was sent flying a good distance away. Shion narrowed her eyes as the girl would fall to the ground, though for once, Emiri was not her target.

Instead, she approached the fallen Keiran, who was groaning. He looked up at her, one red eye shining, his face cracked from the exposure to light. He couldn’t help but smirk, covering part of his face with his hand. “Heh. You really got me. Well done,” He offered a congratulations, though Shion’s only response was to place her blade to his neck. “Touchy, aren’t we?”

“Of course. Eliminate the source, and the girl goes back to normal,” Shion replied rather simply, pressing the tip into his neck. “Your life is nothing more than a waste. Trouble me no more and return to the darkness from whence you came.”

To her surprise, Keiran laughed, his eyes widening somewhat. “That’s funny, it said the same thing! Oh, but the stories I’ve heard of you, Blue Rose…you and it would get along swimmingly, I’m sure!” He chuckled. “See, the thing is, the seed has sprouted. This physical form is just a better way for me to communicate with her. Slice it up, behead me, tear it apart…I’ll just come back so long as she’s alive.”

Shion narrowed her eyes, unconvinced, though she would see Emiri approaching them once more, seemingly angry. “A clever ploy for your life,” She said, and before he could respond, she ended him, her blade cutting cleanly through his neck.

Emiri’s eyes widened, a sharp pain coursing through her own neck. She screamed, partly from the pain, partly from terror, and an explosion of darkness erupted around her. She gripped her sword firmly, her free hand clutching her neck, and with murder in her eyes, she charged at Shion once more. As Shion lifted her sword, she let out a small gasp as Emiri swung, her blade going right through the sword of light. How was this possible?! With her free hand, she would catch the sword, though it was not without pain as she made an attempt to prevent the girl from slicing her open. The various petals swarmed around her hand and she was able to push Emiri back.

Her hand bled freely, though what was once running red ran black instead. Shion recognized it immediately, a white glyph appearing beneath her as the darkness seeped through her body. The darkness would fade from her wound, leaving her blood red once more, though it seemed Emiri wasn’t quite finished with her.

“You should have killed me back in Archades,” Emiri whispered as she tried not to smile. “I was right in front of you, do you remember? But your precious Wolf would have seen my dead body…how soft you’ve gotten, Blue Rose.”

Shion winced, her wound burning, though she wasn’t about to die here. “You haven’t won yet, Scion. Fallen petals have their uses, after all…” She replied as the wind picked up, sand scattering everywhere.

As Emiri raised her arms to shield herself, the sand fell to the ground, and Shion had vanished. She cursed out loud, clearly aggravated, though she would sheathe her weapon once more. Her eyes landed on Shion’s fallen blood, and couldn’t help but smile at it fondly. Not even Jaakuna could have landed a hit on her, but she did. She didn’t need him. She didn’t need any of them. Not after they all left her behind.

A pair of arms wrapped themselves around her, and she felt Keiran put his head on her shoulder. He was completely unharmed now, though he hugged her tightly. “That’s right, you don’t need them anymore,” He echoed her thoughts almost lovingly, a hand stroking her hair.

Emiri shook her head, tears rolling down her cheeks, and Keiran would turn her around and hug her properly. Never in her life had she felt so alone or felt so robbed. Why was all this happening to her? Why did he leave her again? What was wrong with her? She sobbed into his shoulder, her hands holding him as tightly as she could as she cried.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

To think she would be stepping on the soil of another country was far too bizzare of a thought to even register in her mind, And yet, as the mysterious voice would announce their arrival, Reia knew this wasn't the time to be nervous or excited or anything, She would take in a deep breath to calm her nerves, following Lorenzo closely back to the area to beam down once more. She was almost shocked to see Jaakuna in something that wasn't common sky pirate attire; she could almost say he looked handsome. Almost. Perhaps if he were a stranger, if she hadn't known him and his foul mouth. But for once, just once he seemed to be doing alright, and would wisely not even comment on her appearance.

Too bad his eyes betrayed him.

Reia couldn't help but cross her arms in disapproval. "You didn't believe I wouldn't be dressed for an occasion, did you?" She asked, almost defensively, as if trying to justify herself.

Lorenzo, on the other hand, was much more open about it. "Hey, hey, hey! That's my little sister you're gawking at! Put those eyeballs back where they belong, kid!" He huffed, clearly displeased that anyone would even look at Reia with the slightest hint of attraction.

To his surprised, Reia would snap at him next. "And you chose to remain the same instead of changing into something more suitable? Honestly, Lorenzo, did you forget that you are still a prince?"

"I ain't the one on trial!" Now it was his turn to get defensive. "And I'm not here as a prince, I'm here as your bodyguard. Gotta make sure no evil Archadians jump out from the bushes to try to kidnap you or something!"

That was probably one of the most ridiculous things she had heard all day--no, this was pretty typical for Lorenzo. She threatened to hit him with her fan again, and only then would he conceded, hanging his head like a child that had gotten scolded. Reia sighed, summoning up her will as she turned to Jaakuna. "Lead the way."

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Grant stopped completely in his tracks, squinting his eyes at Savayna dangerously. Did she really have to take that angle? Oh how he wanted to wipe that arrogant smug off her face. It was as if she was the one wielding the arrow and had managed to hit him right where it hurts. He scowled in response, wordlessly summoning Zeromus. Even the Esper was silent as Grant would hop aboard, shooting a rather pouty glare at the blonde haired woman. How she wounded him. He was definitely grumbling under his breath, clearly annoyed, though he would cease as he would fix his longcoat.

"...onwards."

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

I don't know how to feel about this.

Grant definitely wanted to object to...whatever it was that Savayna was thinking. Why didn't he just say] that this was probably a bad idea and that maybe getting some reinforcements or just stopping to come up with a plan would be ideal? He was an idiot, and as powerful as the Espers were, it was just the two of them. What if there were worse things than poisoned arrows awaiting them? What if the enemy was waiting for them, expecting them to give it another shot? He let out another groan as Savayna would effectively use Mateus as a form of transportation, and at that point he needed to vocalize some of his thoughts.

"I don't believe this to be the best idea," He said, hands on his hips as he watched her. "Did you forget about the flying machines from before? Your injury also marks another point in the 'bad ideas' column, I admit."