Hero

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Begun--but that didn't mean there was no stopping it. As she stepped forward, a small cry of surprise caught her attention; Aloa looked back to see Emette in the air, dangling above like a trainer holding out a treat. The young woman was not amused by this, nor did she find it funny when Aloa would turn her back on her to face the Collective. At least pretend to care, will you?! Emette whined inwardly, admittedlt feeling slightly hurt that Aloa hadn't so much as blinked an eye. That's just cold...

"I value it as much as you adore the idea of leaving Ivalice as she is," Aloa replied curtly, her mist gathering as it would form her cloak around her shoulders.

"I resent that comment," Emette informed her. "And shouldn't you be concerned with whatever they're doing?"

"I'm concerned with stopping it."

"Way to leave me hanging..."

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Her blue eyes widened as she watched the shadow take all life with each step. She felt nauseous, her hand covering her mouth. What in Ivalice was capable of doing such a thing? It didn't take her scion knowledge to know how utterly wrong it was. It was one thing to destroy, but there was nary a trace, the very life of it ripped from its essence. "Your very existence is a blight on Her soil. You dare to rob life out of the world you inhabit? How despicable!" Emette commented as she shook her head. Why would they do such a thing? What would they have to gain by casting death over everything?

To her surprise, Aloa had held out her arm, as if signaling her to stop. Whether on purpose or not, Zalera's symbol glowed on her hand. She remembered her words: death has nothing to fear but death itself. Is that why she was so calm? "You would correct me? You are still messengers. Or would you prefer the term 'minion'? I thought I was only returning the kindness," Aloa said rather whimsically. "The same way not all humes are created equal is the same way this so called 'Collective' of yours shows that not all of you are capable of the same task. However...if that is truly the case, if this Collective is all one and the same, then you have lost."

What? Emette looked at Aloa incredulously. "Do you mean...?"

"The problem with a unified being is a static amount of power. It is great, it is numerous, but it is also limited. Many of our kind are weak, but in return, you have those that go beyond what mortals can do," Aloa stated. Emette's eyes widened--she understood what Aloa was doing now. "You couldn't possibly be so arrogant to think you could rob Her of Her life without some sort of retaliation."

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Roman let out a sigh of happiness, leaning back in his seat as the soldiers left. Apparently, the threat had been subdued according to their reports. He sent them to assess the damages, and once they left, he found himself looking at a rather pleased looking Shion. The blue haired woman sat on the edge of his desk, her eyes out the window. She felt his look, turning her amber eyes onto him. He chuckled; she raised an eyebrow at him, though she would stand, her kimono trailing behind her.

"Nothing more pleasing than a lady's smile," He stated.

"It's nice to see things go according to plan," She admitted to him. "I only pray I'll be forgiven someday. Maybe then..." Her voice trailed off, and she turned in a different direction.

"My lady?"

Shion scowled, a hand on her chin as her eyes narrowed. "So that's where you went..." She muttered to herself.

---

Emette let out a small breath, her body shivering slightly. There was a small part of her that knew how this would go down, and admittedly, the shadows were very unnerving. She remained close to Aloa, whose expression was relatively neutral, though somehow slightly more concerned with what was actually happening. It knew who they were, just as she had predicted. That should have been comforting, but if Aloa was right about that hunch, she was probably right about everything else she had predicted. For the slightest moment, she thought of Emiri, but she had to put that thought to rest as they were addressed.

"And these are...?" Emette asked, looking around.

"Messengers of our hosts. How kind they are to welcome us so quickly," Aloa stated. "How you make Ivalice tremble so needlessly, have you no shame? An insult, to continue this farce, and for what purpose?"

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

"Interesting," Nadeline mused out loud, earning her some incredulous looks as she appeared rather unfazed by...anything.

"Is that really all you have left to say?" Grant couldn't help but ask. "That earned a little more than an 'interesting' remark, don't you think?"

Emiri had the opposite reaction, a serious expression as she wracked her brain. Why did all that sound familiar? She knew it was on the tip of her tongue as she tried to figure it out, getting slightly frustrated. It was like she knew what he was trying to say, but at the same time, found it difficult to actually put the pieces together. She knew what he was talking about, this much she knew with every fiber of her being. She crossed her arms as she closed her eyes. Maybe if she concentrated, she could remember. It wasn't so long ago, but Grigori's description and tone reminded her of it...

"That was rude is what it was!" An annoyed Meli huffed, crossing her arms.

"He was quite temperamental for a...being such as he," Grant seemed to agree. "Out of the frying pan and into the freezer, it would seem. I wonder if Shion would know more?"

"Considering on how he insisted on the 'Ascendants', I somehow doubt it," Nadeline said, frowning. "Her concentration has always been on Venat, so I can't say I'm entirely sure she knows about this...'Calling of Death'. What sort of being possesses such a title? And if that truly is our calling, why has it yet to reveal itself to us? Is that what is giving Venat its power? Does it truly possess further power than he?"

Grant waved his hand at her. "Slow down there," He told her. "Those are a lot of questions."

"Questions we don't have the answers to. I've never even heard of that term used like that. What sort of creature--" As she words left her mouth, Emiri let out a shout so loud it made Nadeline jump slightly. "What in the--"

"I know what Grigori was talking about!" Emiri cut Nadeline off a second time, practically bouncing in place. "I mean, it sounded familiar, but when you said what you said, I remembered! Grigori was probably referring to..." Her excitement seemed to wear off as she spoke, and once again she sported a serious expression. "There was this thing Keiran was afraid of. I don't know exactly what it is, but I'm willing to bet that's it."

"What thing?"

"He called it the 'Creature', although I have to admit I'm...not one hundred percent on this," She admitted.

Nadeline stared at Emiri for a moment, though she would then turn her attention to Wesley. "Could it be that presence we encountered in the Sandsea?" She reminded him.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Michel thought what she said was strange. What was so strange about it? Of course she wasn't going to get the chance to ask before they were surrounded by just about every color in existence. Pretty, but why? It seemed Michel had sensed something they hadn't, and sure enough an oddly dressed person appeared before them. Despite the surprise, it seemed they meant no harm--instead coming with a warning. Great, because more bad news was exactly the sort of thing they needed to hear right now. Michel was entirely on edge around this person, though as Emiri looked them over, he--the monk--didn't seem to want to fight.

The entire situation was peculiar, and while she wasn't as battle ready as Michel, she wasn't exactly comfortable. She wondered if it was because he knew exactly who they were. There was a part of her that wanted to ask more, but she had a feeling he wasn't going to open up to them. Jaakuna took the situation rather easily, electing to have a seat. She couldn't quite hide her small smile, watching as Savayna would grow annoyed with him.

As if on cue, however, an aircab arrived, and from it, stepped out just the people they were waiting for. It couldn't have been a coincidence--and as Nadeline thanked the driver, she seemed alert. Surveying the damages around them, the princess frowned, though when her eyes landed on the monk, she didn't seem too surprised. Grant, on the other hand, was wondering what was happening. Emiri gave the trio a wave as they approached the rest of them. The princess crossed her arms, seemingly taking a guess.

"I see you took care of Igeyorhm. Good to know that didn't turn into an issue," She stated.

"You can thank Jaakuna for that," Emiri replied. "He ended up turning his own element against him."

"Impressive," Grant admitted. Emiri let out a gasp, prompting him to look at her in confusion. "I assume more happened? Who is--"

"Grant! Your voice is back to normal!" She cut him off, letting out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness..."

Her reaction was appreciated. "You're not any more relieved than I am."

"Yeah! It didn't suit you at all, thank goodness you sound like a man again, that shrillness was so annoying, I think I may have cringed if I had to hear it much longer!" She told him happily.

Her reaction was less appreciated.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Emiri stared at Jaakuna, processing what it was that he muttered. He had what? What the hell was he talking about? What was he trying to say? It took her a moment, though once the realization did set in, her entire face turned a shade of red that would make Jaakuna's jacket feel jealous. She wasn't quite able to get the words out, her embarrassment culminating in her punching his arm and intent on staring at the ground. She almost missed Savayna addressing her, and it took her a second to calm herself down.

Meli wasn't too amused, raising an eyebrow at her her as she said, "Apparently Jaakuna gets her good as well," She stated, much to Emiri's horror.

Trying desperately to change the subject, Emiri would hurriedly speak. "S-Sophia...I met her in his castle," She clumsily stated, though as she spoke, she seemed to remember something. "She did seem to know Shion well, but she--Shion, that is--didn't seem to take her seriously. I mean, admittedly I had my own abilities, but I don't know, I felt like maybe she was holding back, like she was afraid to hurt me."

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Of course he cared more about Igeyorhm. Way to prove my point. She grumbled mentally, though she was visibly annoyed. Emiri had half a mind to hit him, though Savayna's question would catch her attention. "Uh, I think so? I mean, I sort of met with Mitron--the real one. She informed me that I don't have to worry too much about Chaos...though I can't seem to be able to reach out to him, and it's weird, and...? Sorry, I'm still getting a little used to this," She ended up apologizing, letting out a giggle. "It's a little weird, I used to have to look up at everyone, but...Oh, that's right, I won't get stuck again, so that's nice."

As she finished speaking, she would take Jaakuna's injured arm in her hands. Concentrating for a moment, she watched the wound return to how it was before--her spinning time backwards for him. She patted his arm gently, releasing him as she finished. It certainly felt harder to do than usual, though maybe it was because she had used her own mist rather than the area's. "It's a little different now, but I also ride the wind. Somehow. I don't know the details, but it's pretty cool," She grinned, patting the sword on her sheathe. "Just feels right."

"Wind and Fire. Like two peas in a pod," Meli commented.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Oh, now he was giving her attention.

Emiri crossed her arms, annoyed at Jaakuna. "Well, thank you for noticing my presence!" She couldn't help but huff at him. "When that guy was practically drooling on me, all you wanted to do was be all buddy-buddy, but now that he's gone, you've remembered me being here, hmm?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm surprised you didn't burst into tears the moment he vanished!"

Meli chuckled, though as she watched the pair, she felt like something was slightly different about the brunette. "Not that I care to interrupt, but...did you get taller?" She couldn't help but ask.

"Among other things, though I finally got an explanation for that," Emiri recalled Mitron's warning. "It's a good-news-bad-news sort of deal, but I'll take it for now."

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Talk about a curbstomping.

Meli let out a low whistle, clearly impressed with Jaakuna's display of the elements. She almost felt bad for the other knucklehead as he would stand, somehow still intact. As he wobbled, however, she noticed how he still managed to grin, even after taking such a beating. Still, it was clear he was no longer a threat, though something in the air seemed rather off. Something was coming their way, and Meli's jaw dropped as something was literally thrown onto Igeyorhm. He let out a yelp as he would once again crash into the building, though she was surprised to see it was a woman, almost as badly beaten as he was. Before she could question it, a gust of wind would inform them of Emiri's arrival, a rather disconcerted expression on her face.

"What happened to, 'oh I can handle Shion'?!" Igeyorhm scowled as he pushed Sophia off of him.

"Clearly, I underestimated the abilities of our enemy," She stated rather bitterly, giving Emiri a bitter glare as the brunette gave her a smile. "Three awakened...you weren't even able to distract them long enough."

"I was not informed of this," Igeyorhm admitted. "He ATE my lightning. He literally took it from me, shoved it up my ass, and told me to call him 'daddy'! How the fuck do I even respond to that?! Why would you send the guy as a distraction when I never stood a chance?!"

"Forget it," She stated as she would stand. Emiri beckoned her to attack, but Sophia shook her head. Instead she raised her orb, emitting a rather bright light. As she would get on the defensive, it shined much too brightly, forcing Emiri to close her eyes for just a second. As she opened them, she found the pair gone.

"Well that was a let down," Meli rolled her eyes as she approached Emiri, her finger tapping one of her swords. "So that one's a lighting-fire-hybrid-whatever, and you...can fly. With swords. Seems legit."

Emiri blinked in confusion, though let out a sheepish laugh as she dismissed her weapons, her green eyes returning to their usual violet. "Oh! That! Oh, that's just something I picked up, you know?" She laughed.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

As Sophia landed, she watched Emiri do the same. This wasn't how things were supposed to go--clearly, Keiran had failed. Letting out a small sigh, she would cross her arms for a moment. Could this, too, be something her lord had anticipated? He had made it very clear that Shion was the one he wanted, and yet, as the Scion readied herself, she found herself hesitant. No, she simply needed to follow orders--and the Scion of Time was deterring her.

Emiri didn't bother with semantics, leaping into the air, using the wind to propel herself forward. Sophia narrowed her eyes as she lifted her orb, a Protect interrupting Emiri's assault. As it faded she let it drop into the ground, several pools of gold forming. They would rise, forming several of her minions to surround the girl. Emiri wagged her finger, prompting her swords to separate from her. She moved just as they went in for the attack, each sword piercing Sophia's minions with ease, her control over her weapons flawless. When did she get this mastery, and so quickly?

As her last minion fell, Emiri's swords returned to her, if only for a moment. "So now the wind is yours to command...have you forsaken your ability to manipulate time?" Sophia couldn't help but ask.

The brunette smiled coyly, motioning for her swords to surround her as several glyphs appeared around her. For some reason, her movements seemed oddly familiar, though it wasn't until she sent one of her swords into one of the glyphs did she realize what she was going to do. She leapt back as the sword would appear, though by then Emiri would send several others through, the glyphs surrounding Sophia. One after another, they were a merciless assault, and for the first time in a long time, Sophia found herself on the receiving end of an attack.

---

Yeesh, that wasn't too pleasant. Clucking his tongue he felt the heat rise, much to his displeasure. That's right, this kid was the Transcendent. Still, he was standing in the way between success and failure, and if he wanted to get in the way, so be it. His fire magicks were particularly strong, and Igeyorhm found himself grinning as he swung his sword to clear the air around him, though not without a sweat.

"Fire, eh?" Igeyorhm couldn't help but comment as he seemingly blocked Jaakuna's mists with his sword. As if on cue, a surge of clouds darkened above them, thunder rumbling. He sported a wicked grin as his hand matched Jaakuna's, catching his fist. "I've always been called a hothead, but honestly, fire just isn't my style. Not that there's anything wrong with it--explosions are cool, but I prefer something with some more finesse, know what I mean?" He asked, a current of lightning zipping through his arm. He winked as he pointed his sword at the sky, and in that moment, a surge of lightning would crack down, his blade acting as a conductor.

When the smoke cleared, lightning surrounded his body, the man grinning from ear to ear. "They say lightning never strikes the same place twice--it does when I tell it to, though!" He laughed as lightning poured down from the heavens.

---

Letting out a shudder, Emette made sure to stick very close to Aloa as they ventured deeper. It was almost cruel how unsettling their surroundings were, though she was slightly more annoyed by how composed the viera in front of her was. The silence killed her as well; nary a whisper of life, death itself seemed to surround them. She walked right into Aloa, who had stopped suddenly, and let out a gasp of surprise. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!" She whispered, as if afraid to speak.

"They know we come," Aloa muttered, though she looked back at Emette. "Jumping at shadows, are we? I thought you braver."

"If we're being frank, this place creeps me the fuck out." The white haired girl outright admitted. "How can you be so calm?"

"I suppose you can say I'm in my element. Death has nothing to fear but death itself," She replied nonchalantly. "We tread carefully, our hosts are most generous to let us wander so freely, but I believe their hospitality will not reach further."

"Even so, we must continue," Emette resigned herself. "But...should it come to it..."

"I know I can depend on you," Aloa said simply, ending the conversation as she would continue forward.