Jollan

The Vanishing Kingdom

Temple steps

"Well, again, thank you. It saved my life," Valia aid with a little bow. "I should probably retire for the day, there has been more than enough excitement to last me quite some time I think. Allard finally settled down and set up his own proper tavern and inn, and that was his daughter just a moment ago, so if you want to come by later I am sure I am not the only one who will be happy to see you." She turned to Allenon after his comment on the village, "I thank you for all of your help today. If it wasn't for your quick acting, I may have never been able to recover from my injuries. The people of Kalla keep tight to an old saying, 'if a people can not stand together, then they will never stand at all'. On one's own, one can only be so powerful. It is this bond that all people in Kalla share that makes us stronger than any trail we face. If Portea is as divided as you make it out to be, one day it will surely lead to ruin." She bowed to him as well, though, as she did this, it seemed the small group of volunteers had arrived back at the square and started talking with the chief. "It would seem like they are nearly ready to depart, I shouldn't keep any of you any further. Please, do be careful out there. I hope to be able to thank and welcome you all properly upon your return." With that, she bid them farewell for now, and walked towards the inn. Even while she was still recovering from an injury, her gait was... hypnotic. Years of practice now routine even in something so simple.

Inn

"Aye, the desert may be cold at night enough for ya ta travel, but I'd warn ya about travlin' in the day. Even seasoned hunters can perish in those sands should he not be prepared, and thats not even mentionin' tha creatures that one would come across. Yur eagerness ta help is a blessing in itself , lass, but I would not recommend ya go with them, may Krogan watch o'r tha ones that do." There was then a sound of the front doors opening as Valia stepped into the inn. "Valia, girl, are you alright?" Allard asked.

"I am fine Allard, thank you. Some foreigner found me and was able to get me to the red saints fast enough. I shouldn't be too active for a while, but they said I should make a full recovery, and the scouting party is preparing to leave now," She smiled as Allard seemed to let go a sigh of relief. "Oh, and I see that we have even more foreign visitors today." She did a small bow towards Anrak and Maeve, "I'm sorry you had to arrive on such strenuous circumstances." She didn't tell Allard about Chihiro, she wantedit to be a surprise. He wasn't as close as she was to her, but he still knew her. He was just normally off on hunts or conflicts when he was still a warrior of Kalla.

Scout party

Most the volunteers ranged in various ages, with different types of gear and weapons as well. It seemed Kalla had no standard military past the few guards that roamed around. One of the odd ones out was a human looking young man in a red Jacket and sandy blonde hair. He didn't seem to be a Varuk villager from Kalla. In fact, if one was well traveled enough, they could probably pinpoint him being a Trantian. He did seem to keep to himself a bit, though it didn't look like it was to be rude, simply, he didn't know anyone there.

As for the other volunteers, they were a bit put off by the number of foreign people participating in their scouting mission. When Allenon approached and gave his name, the chief walked up to him, His eyes from at least half a foot above the man seemed to stare into Allenon's soul, like the man was assessing him before even saying a word. "I am chief Dorran, leader of this village. What brings you to volunteer, Allenon? I will not reject the aid, should it be just that. Though if I find deceit in your actions, I will bring you down. Are these others accompanying you as wel-" Dorran seemed to stop when he saw Chihiro. Not because he didn't mean his word, but because e was surprised to see her, as well as some of the other volunteers. "My, to what do we owe this pleasure of your return? It has been quite some time! I only wish that I had prepared a feast to welcome you back instead of a mission. Are you planning on volunteering as well? If these people are friends of yours, I'd be honored to let them accompany us as well." Apparently, Chihiro was quite a well known and liked figure in Kalla, for those that could remember her.

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

---

Miiba listened intently to the small pixie. Though she didn't recognize the place's, it sounded a lot like where she was from. School, stories about these fantasy creatures though they weren't real, waking up in a new world, it had to be the same. "Miiba think... really is maybe same? Pixie and Miiba both...persons? Miiba from Florida, the tippy top! Miiba no know how got here. Neighbor get Miiba from school, like normals, but no make home. Remember funny smell on cloth, then was here. Miiba want find home, no know why here... Do Pixie, um, Scott... know?" She slightly stepped from behind Lear to see Scott better.

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

---

Miiba, while still hiding behind Lear, peeked around him enough to see the pixie, especially since it was talking to them."Miiba no remember this one. Pixie that Miiba met in cave attack Miiba, but that pixie no talk. This pixie says remembers language....maybe...um." Miiba was a bit perplexed as well, so far, she had thought that she was the only person that was different in this world, but this was odd, and in the same way she was odd to the farmer's family as well. " Um... maybe pixie was person too? Like Miiba?" she said in a questioning tone, a look of confusion as well. "Pixie thing! Remember things from before cave? Like, um, where from? What do?" All the while, Miiba was still too afraid of him to come out from behind Lear.

The Vanishing Kingdom

Inn

Allard nodded to the Anrak, "Most folk 'round here appreciate a person who puts in an honest day's work. We got enough things ta worry about in this desert, we don't have time ta nit pick who looks like what. As far as troubles, well.... there had been some disappearances, and apparently Madame Valia was attacked. She'll be staying here until it is all sorted out. Not many dumb enough ta try anythin' in here." After that, he heard Maeve speak about not being able to see the dance while she as here and her thoughts regarding the kidnappings. "Tha Red Saints at the temple should 'ave her all fixed up, but I wouldn't guess she'd be in any state ta dance for a bit. Probly needs 'er rest. Whoever this person behind this is, may fin himself on tha sharp end of a Varuk Axe. Plenty o' fathers out here wondrin' where their baby girl has gone, wouldn't even blink if they had ta kill at least a dozen men each ta bring em back." Allard's arms were crossed now as he looked out the window, watching after his daughter.

Square / Temple Steps

Valia's eyes seem to light up when Chihiro arrived. Despite her recently healed injuries, she seemed to almost leapt into Chihiro's embrace! "Chihiro! It's been so long! I have missed you!" When the embrace ended she pulled away but still held her hands. "I only wish that it was under better circumstances... I had become the Master of Dance for Kalla, but now my students have gone missing, and this morning was was attacked by two men from this... Calabris family... But I am l glad you are here! I would show you to my home, but... You know, that blue sash you gave me those years ago. I kept it all this time as a good luck charm. I didn't think I would need it in the way you mentioned till now. Steel wire in a sash never quite made sense to me, but it made quick work of one of my attackers."

While the group was busy with the Naga, the two corpses disappeared, most likely Sahale's handiwork as he was gone as well, though there was no blood trail to be seen....or footsteps for that matter. Soon, they were approached by a young girl in armor, the one Kistal would recognize as Hilde. She gave a bow and dressed them, though she didn't recognize Chihiro, as she would have been a toddler last Chihiro was here, "Madame Valia, Whenever you are ready, father told me that your room is ready for you whenever you wish to retire."

"Ah, thank you dear. Tell Allard I will be with him shortly," Valia said as she returned the bow. Hilde nodded and waved to Kistal as she made her way back to the inn.

Inn

Hilde returned inside and saw everyone, well, Anrak, her father, and Maeve, seemed to be watching. She shifted a bit bashfully before speaking. "Madame Valia said she would be here shortly t rest. And it seems the cheif is preparing to go on an expedition to look for the missing girls and the people responsible. He is looking for volunteers t-"

"You are not going," Allard cut in, knowing where she was headed with it. Hilde's ears slightly seemed to droop a tad. "You are a Temple Guard. If you go running off while everyone else is out chasing these people, who will protect the temple? Or Kalla for that matter? Tha sands out there are ruthless Hilde, I'm only worried about you. You are strong, but if lost you ta that desert, I don't know what I'd do. Now come along, I'm sure your mother could use a hand." It was obvious this wasn't the first time they had this conversation. Hilde reluctantly went to the back to change and get ready to help around the inn. "I apologize. I hope I didn't sour your appetite.... Kids are a worsome lot, eh?" he said with a wry grin, shaking his head. "It may be selfish, but I'm not sure I'm strong enough to risk letting her go out there in that desert and never return. There are things out there that can tear a man limb from limb without any trouble whatsoever." He sat for a moment before getting back to work. "If ya need anythin' let me know, till then, I'll keep an eye out for our guest."

Legends of Atmosia: Auribus Teneo Lupum

Two oil leaks... a cracked rib manifold... an air leak on the left leg... Jarred sighed. Not terrible, There were plenty of spare parts at home. Jarred had a slight limp as he walked down the street on the way back home from an 'errand' of sorts. He had caught word of a few vagrants thinking about joining together to put the outcasts in the area under their thumb. Jarred had found out by picking up on their radio signal, and met with Auberi in person to ask him to watch Kiimi for a while. That was a week ago. During that week, Jarred had done his fair share of spying and learning about this upcoming group, and when he thought it was the right time, he cleared them out. Some got a few lucky shots in, but the damage was superficial. Now all Jarred wanted was to return home and make sure Kiimi was doing well.

One could imagine how thrilled he was to notice a person standing at his door, asking for him by his real name instead of one of the many random aliases he made up over time. From the corner of Auberi's vision, he may notice the rapid movement of Jarred launching himself into the sky with his pneumatic legs. It was high enough to even jump over his small home. He had to adjust for the leak in his left leg, but it wasn't anything he hadn't dealt with before, and still landed accurately where he wanted to on both legs. The ground would shake a bit as he landed despite the pneumatic legs absorbing most the shock.and a large mechanical hand would grab the back of Payam's skull, his hand locking back against his sword bracer, the sloth through his palm to his backhand lining up perfectly to the opening for the pneumatic blade stored in his arm. He looked to Auberi, and nodded towards Kiimi's room, a sign for him to watch over her while he dealt with....whoever this was. Jarred pushed him through the doorway and into the foyer, leading him by the and on his head.

"On your knees," a metallic voice said in a low tone. The voice sounded like it came from a radio speaker. He would then kick behind the knees on Payam to force him on his knees, and then push down to make his face touch the floor. "You heard the lady, start talkin' before you get a splitting headache... Who are you, and what do you want?" The last time Payam had seen Jarred, Jarred was an old man, about the king's age, and Payam was just a small boy. Whatever was holding him down was large and obviously mechanical in nature.

---

Kiimi coughed a bit as she waited for Auberi to return. The door to her room didn't face the foyer, so she wasn't sure what the commotion was, she just knew Auberi had went to the door. She sat in her bed with her legs crossed and a book in her lap. Quietly, she called from the room. "A-Auberi? Is everything all right?"

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

---

"State-us...," Miiba sounded out quietly after Lear said it. When he mentioned not being able to go to the Maker's Temple, Miiba had a small idea of her own. "Maybe if Miiba not look like gob later, Miiba go maybe?" she asked. Miiba was a little nervous being so close to the wilderness again. Her previous experiences with the wilds of the world were things of her nightmares, and where as before she was always told nightmares were fake and the monsters weren't real, now that all seemed to be a reality. It was no surprise by this way of thinking that when the pixie came barreling through the woods towards them, she let out a small cry of panic. Though, it seemed that Lear was quick to action and was already prepared for whatever it was, which ended up just being a pixie. They initial surprise caused Miiba to curl up in gear at the sudden action, but then she quickly scrambled behind Lear for protection, much like a child would hide behind their own father. And like that, when Lear laughed and asked if it scared her she peered around and shyly nodded. Out of all the creatures she had run across, the pixies scared her the least, but she wasn't too fond of the times she was around them, the image of the one that attacked her was still fresh in her memory. When Lear assured her that the things that were stirred up from the blast were just trying to get to safety and wouldn't attack them, for the most art, she seemed to relax a bit, but she now stayed even closer on Lear's heels. She would peek at the pixie from behind Lear, or turn to look at him if they were walking off. Something was odd about that pixie, she wasn't sure what, but curiosity hasn't been kind to her, so she kept silent on her gut feeling for now.

@CollectorOfMyst @Zeroth

The Vanishing Kingdom

Temple

"Krogan was the first and only Cheiftan to bring the Varuk tribes together in peace. His strength was unmatched, they say he was a giant of a man, dwarfing even the largest Varuk. When he passed they made a temple for him to rest in." Valia recalled, becoming more relaxed with the group around her.

"Ah, no fair, you're a local!" Sahale started with a smile. "But yes, that's the one. Well, then do you also know the tales of the Oracle and the Vanishing Kingdom? The, uh, treasures of the world perhaps? Yes, no, maybe? And how about the return of Gruskan Empire, eh? That one is a bit more fresh though, so if not I would completely understand. I mean, a whole town was just wiped off the map but it was only, what two weeks ago?" He let that stay in the air for a moment before he continued, his tone a bit lower than before. "I figure news might not officially reach here for another few days," he sighed and shook his head, "You see.... I have done a bit of reading....and I'd wager.... some things are more connected than you would think. And when you notice a client getting quite involved in old fairy tales, you wonder about them yourself."

"Dammit, I probably said to much now," Sahale reached up and scratched the back of his neck, and when he dropped his arm down, it was a slight of hand, but a trained eye would see a knife dart away from his dropping hand, a little to late to stop as it buried itself in the forehead of one of the guards that rushed in to asses what was happening to Valia earlier. He instantly slumped to the floor. The second guard yelled out in surprise, but it wasn't long before he was bleeding from his side and back, falling over and landing on his comrade. In a smooth movement, Sahale had went from feigning scratching his neck, to drawing and throwing a blade that was hidden in his collar, while his hand was low he had drawn a katar, which he used to slice across the man's side while he casually side stepped around the shocked man and then punched quickly into his upper spine between the shoulder blades, with accurate precision to cut the spinal chord, making the man lose control of his legs instantly, the cut to his side reached the shirtless man's kidney, he would be dead before long... The movement was casual, almost as if Sahale didn't even do it, but was just brushing by them until the final strike. It seemed unnaturally fluid, like it was as easy as breathing.

Valia shrieked out in terror which alerted some of the others in the temple, but Sahale held up a finger to his lips as he walked on to the opposite side of the dead men from the rest of the grou, "Shhhh, none to worry, these aren't the reputable guard sort you think they are. Here..." He squatted down and pick pocketed both of the men. From their corpses they each had a small stone with a carving in it....bearing the Calabris symbol. He tossed one of them to Allanon and the other to Kistal. Allanon may recognize them as tokens given to mercenary hires that were not directly associated with the Calabris family. "Interesting isn't it? That first one was quite intent on our discussion, and if you give a hard look at their features, they don't quite match those of Varuk who stay here. Travelers, maybe, but guards? Nah... Alright then, go let the chief know you are joining the volunteer force, I'll be there after running an errand. Hopefully, you will start connecting the dots, but do make sure you don't blab it everywhere. Never know if there are more of these guys milling about," he finished, lightly kicking the corpses.

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

---

Miiba nodded to Lear, following after him as he walked out side, shying from Geir slightly as she passed. She followed Lear around, making sure the perimeter was still all in tact and up to snuff. The explosion had her really shaken, any time she thought she heard anything that was loud or sudden, she was a little jumpy, apologizing each time she was startled. Still, she would do as she was told with the tasks given to her. She kept thinking about Gwen and her comforting her. It reminded her of her own mother, that comforting embrace that let you know everything was going to be okay, even in the worst situations. As she worked she also looked to Lear, thinking about what Gwen told her about him being an adventurer, which reminded her what she wanted to talk to Lear about. "Mr. Lear, may Miiba ask question?" she started. "When Miiba wake up, Miiba hear ding sound. Miiba ask Ms. Gwen, she says was thing called 'levlin up'. Miiba hear ding before, see numbers and words, even picked words before, things you called 'skills'. Miiba not sure how see skills, skills went away when scare. Can show how, bring skills back? Miiba wanna show you, Miiba get better!" she said excitedly.

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

---

Miiba wimpered a little when Gwen hugged her, tearing up and standing there hugging her back her face buried in her motherly embrace. It reminded her of home, of her own mother, and it struck a chord within Miiba that just made her feel even more homesick. But the show of affection was just what the little goblin girl needed after all she had been through recently. Soon, she would pull away and hold Miiba by the shoulders to speak with her eye to eye. Miiba would take a second to try to stop snffiling and wipe her eyes. "Miiba work hard, promise."

Miiba started to recompose herself as Gwen elaborated on the large white bird Miiba followed here. "Guild-hawk," Miiba mimicked as she noted the bird's name. She then listened to what else Gwen had to say about Lear, listening intently. There was no story, but Miiba could imagine Lear going on grand adventures in the suit of armor that was displayed, doing all sorts of great deeds. When she mentioned that he might be able to find someone that could help her eyes lit up. "Maybe Mr. Lear find person to help Miiba get home?" but her question came without answer as an enormous explosion sounded off.

It sent everyone into a fright, many shouted out or screamed , Miiba included, but the sound of the explosion drowned out most of it at first. Miiba hit the floor close to Gwen's feet and covered er head, shaking in fear. She wanted to cry out for her own mother, but she knew that she wasn't there. "W-what big boom!? she cried out, slightly muffled as her head was still buried beneath her arms on the floor.

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

---

"Dinged, Miiba dinged again, words and numbers pop up. Surprise Miiba, no expect it." Miiba explained to Gwen when she asked about the ding. Miiba thought anyone could hear it, after all, she had heard it so everyone else must have, right? Miiba took the cup gratefully and smiled, "Thank you," she said before she drank from it.

When Gwen asked her about who she was and where she was from, Miiba's happy demeanor seemed to fade a little. "Miiba...Miiba from somewhere else, not here, but no know how got here. Miiba from place where no magics or monsters. Miiba sees this world like fairy tale from home. But.... here much scarier... and Miiba remember being person. Miiba have momma and papa, no brothers n' sisters. was about to to be big girl and turn eight! ....but....then end up here. Miiba thought was in dream, and don't remember growing up a goblin, but... just be one all sudden. Everyone say impossible...but, Miiba don't feel like belong as goblin, and Miiba know what Miiba used to be, but can no prove, so no one believe. Miiba is person... or...was. Miiba can even remember, live in town, lotsa houses. Go to school, and play with other kids. Miiba even talk funny now! Miiba try talk normal, just no come out right. Miiba name not even Miiba! Was M-I-N-A, Miiba!" she finished, a little flustered spelling out her name but still unable to say it right, even after spelling it.

She sighed as it seemed she drooped down even more, even her ears seemed to dip down now. She curled up in place drawing her knees up to her as her arms wrapped around them. "Miiba try make friends... but Miiba only get hurt for it. Miiba not wanted by goblins, goblins to mean and scary, no want be friends with goblins." She let her legs down back to being cross legged as she continued. "Here are first people Miiba find, and was scarred when first met... still scarred of some, but... Miiba more happy. Miiba find place to help. And Mr. Lear help Miiba be something people no attack, so maybe Miiba can at least find place to be. Miiba don't think can be here. Miiba would like to, but Miiba here make people scared and angry....so...maybe Miiba should no stay long? Though..." she rotated the cup between hands in front of her and looked at it as she finished. "Miiba no know where else to go. Miiba only found here when follow big white bird..."