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Caravan: Resurrection

Noru scoffed at her comment. "This job is far more peaceful than one might expect at first. Unless you're assigned to a hunting Caravan, or a war breaks out, you'll likely never have to kill anything." He shook his head. "But it's odd you would register as a knight despite that. There are plenty of jobs for mages in Arcadia... Though recently, it has been exceedingly difficult for newcomers to support themselves on a working wage." Noru sighed and tapped his forehead. "It's a handicap if we do end up in danger though. If you're face to face with something that wants you dead, the most efficient way to keep yourself alive is to kill it first."

Caravan: Resurrection

Noru nodded. "I was born in the Varnish District. Now it's more of a slum than anything else. Thankfully I got my family out of there a year after signing up with the knights." He looked over to Lyullia, the other un-talkative and somewhat abrasive member of their team. "I don't suppose you're from outside the city as well? You strike me as native to Marrenfall." He gestured towards her hands subtly. "Worker's hands."

A Hero Tale {Complete}

The body within the dome lost contact with the energy around Jenso, forcing it to disappear in an instant. Likewise, the gravity sphere above him lost a significant amount of its pull. There was something about the raw power of his blue tinted energy that dampened Yzeira's ability to commune with his energy. But much like his earlier encounter with this barrier-like technique, it wasn't too difficult to break out of.

Yzeira took 1 of his orbs into his body and tensed his body as much as possible, crouching down towards the ground, and then standing up very quickly with his arms splayed out. A massive burst of energy pushed in all directions, weakening the barrier around him, but not destroying it fully. That was odd. Had he underestimated it?

Meanwhile, the fog that Jenso spread out disappeared in an instant as another shock wave burst from the clone that he was approaching. It seemed that by now, it didn't even require an orb to eliminate Jenso's fog. Whatever Yzeira was capable of with those eyes of his clearly made repeated strategies inefficient, or completely useless altogether. That shock wave was not just an oppressive burst of energy, he was methodically taking Jenso's energy apart as it came out. Naturally, the more one solves a puzzle, the easier it is to solve the second, third, or fourth time around. "No amount of power will make up for a simple mind," The body taunted, taking all three of the remaining orbs into his body. One hand aimed at the gravity well above him, immediately re-applying the power that was being channeled into it by his double earlier. This slowed Jenso significantly, allowing Yzeira to aim his second hand towards the head-first charging hero with ease. It was a simple attack, one with nearly no flaws, but also no significant strengths aside from its overwhelming power. Jenso knew it well, but now it had the added dangers of Yzeira's Meta energy attached to it.

"Arcano Ultima"

A sheer beam of energy launched towards Jenso, encompassing his entire body. With the gravity pulling from above, his previous momentum, Yzeira's ability to predict his movements, and the speed of his beam combined, there was no way to dodge.

Caravan: Resurrection

Around the time that Pyra's rock ricocheted off the roof, the cart roared to life with a series of hefting clanks. Rolling wheels began to tread across the barracks floor at a steady pace. Marilyn had gotten things moving already! That didn't put Zay in the best mood though. He peeled his eyes open and grunted before getting back on his feet with a light swing of his legs.

"Right, I guess we're moving already."

Of course they were! It was past 10 AM already. If they didn't leave now, they were sure to fall behind schedule. What bothered Zay is that he wouldn't be allowed to take his little nap until after all the formalities had been dealt with, the first of which included answering to Major Hanz Farrell. He stood up and walked towards the pilot's balcony, hefting himself forward like he was wading through tar.

The front of the Caravan was awfully spacious, despite the fact that Marilyn would be the only one out front most of the time. There was an overhang above to prevent the weather and sun from interfering with the pilot's work, held in place by two pillars at the both front-most corners of the bow. A single seat sat between them for the pilot to sit, with a low hanging fence reaching about a foot above Zay's knees all around the exterior. It prevented falling forward sometimes, but its main purpose was to keep the cart attached to its Venbu. There were several latches attached to intricate harnesses that wrapped around the entire body of each Venbu, to which Marilyn had full control over their movement with a combination of the right verbal commands and gentle tugs. A lot of new pilots had a tendency to pull their reigns without restraint, but Marilyn looked like she'd been working the beasts for decades already! A natural pro. Behind her seat were two rows of benches were the rest of the crew would sit if they needed to see further out, with a small path in the middle that lead back into the Caravan. Behind those seat, and to the right side of the Caravan's entrance, there was a small ladder leading up onto the roof through a hatch in the overhang. The roof above them was flattened, with a couple benches on either side and an equally high fence installed for safety.

As they approached the exit gate, it opened wide and the Venbu came to a stop just outside. Major Farrell was waiting near the side of the archway with a clipboard in his hand, just as expected.

"Caravan Centaurus, lead by..." He looked up and snickered when he realized it to be true. "...Captain Zay Copp. You've been confirmed for takeoff at 10 AM." He checked his watch and nodded. "Proceed to the Sunken Ramparts for final review." He knocked on the side of the Caravan to signal they were free to leave, and smirked. "Good luck."

"It's just a diplomacy mission Hanz. Get your head outta' your ass," Zay spat, gentle tapping Marilyn's shoulder. The girl nodded and whipped her reigns. Hanz kissed his teeth and returned to his clipboard as the Venbu pulled their Caravan through Arcadia.

"You don't see many Eldi with the knights," Noru grunted, moving from his bunk towards the small rounded table, "If we don't demonstrate some level of camaraderie, Captain Copp will start to share his diminutive tales of loss. It isn't good for morale." He looked around the cart for a moment. Flin and Daelin didn't seem too walled off from everyone else. But the other two didn't even look like they wanted to be here. Even Marilyn demonstrated her excitement, albeit through a series of nervous bouncing. That girl had her head in the clouds. "I don't suppose this is your first time outside the walls?" His voice was dripping with judgement. Noru hated having to mingle, and he wasn't too fond of the Eldi, but knew that there was some truth to Zay's little spiels. The better you knew somebody, the better you'd work together. He just wished there wasn't a need to mix and match Knights in each Caravan between every damn mission.

* * *

10:25 AM
Berganfont Main Square, Lilith's Keg

Smack dab in the middle of Berganfont sat a sad little establishment that served food and drink. It was smaller than most, maybe 800 square feet in its entirety, counting the front, the kitchen, and where the owners slept. From outside it looked like a dump. Vines and mold climbed one side of the building, wrapping around its only window towards the sign that read 'Lily's Keg' above the hollow door frame that lead inside.

Despite its unsavory exterior, the interior was very clean. Two small tables sat on either side of the front room with a few wooden chairs that looked like they'd gone through the sea at least twice. The bar itself reached across the entire width of the room, but it looked absolutely brand new. That was because the human owner, Lilith Casteli could be found behind the bar at almost any point in the day until 4 AM, polishing it clean with one of her rags. Lilith was a fine looking woman, lithe and gentle albeit with a rough way of handling things. She always kept her curly brown hair in a bun while she worked, but could never stop a few strands from getting free by the afternoon. Most would define her as a well kept woman with the working spirit of a horse, but she was awfully skinny for her height. Truth was, she starved herself for her kids a lot of the time, but you could never tell by looking at her.

For most, Lilith's little home away from home was a cheap retreat from Berganfont's slowly declining economy. For those with money, it was a quaint escape from the High Houses where their expensive dining had lost its flair. The generous tips that those rich folk left in their wake were the only thing keeping her afloat. She didn't know what she would do if they stopped coming around. The last thing her family wanted was for their mother to fall into the underground world of prostitution. They'd sooner become thieves! Imagine that, two teenage boys willing to pickpocket to protect their mother. It was heartwarming and devastating, all the same.

Most lived like that in the Low Houses. Without magic to keep their city growing Berganfont could only depend on trade and luck. The Nation was lucky enough to even exist. Monsters didn't come around, but its people couldn't escape the borders either. They depended solely on the private Caravans that came from Arcadia and Marrenfall to keep afloat. Where did that leave people like the Castelis? In hell.

This morning was quieter than most for Lilith, but she didn't mind. The lull in business gave her time to think and prepare for the rest of the day. With only 5 hours of sleep, it was moments like this that gave her the strength to move on. She was methodical like that, polishing glasses and fervently rubbing rags across the bar top to keep herself calm. She'd often stare at customers too long or lose herself daydreaming if she didn't manage herself properly, not that the regulars cared all that much. They were just happy to have a healthy distraction, both in the bar's product, and Lilith herself. Who could get tired of looking at those softly lit emerald eyes? Even when she spoke, her customers found it comforting. She didn't even have to lie to them, or hold back her own woes. Her honesty and pretty face, paired with a comforting tune, kept the Low House drunks in good company. Despite all of the poor conditions, the community in this drab chunk of Berganfont was tightly knit. Lilith just happened to be a focal point for a few souls at a time.

The doorbell chimed and Lilith snapped out of her stupor almost immediately. It wasn't one of her regulars, not anyone from the Low Houses anyways. She recognized him as Father Myron, one of the priests of the local church. Lilith wasn't religious at all, she hated the gods and their teachings in any light, but she saw Father Myron almost on a daily basis. He'd order something to eat if it was early or something to drink if it was late, all while trying to convince Lilith to attend his service at least once. She'd always politely decline him. Father Myron spent a lot of money at her place. Telling him to take a hike was not in her best interest. As he approached the bar, draped in a black robe with his dark hair slicked back neatly, he offered Lilith a smile. She smiled back, waving her dainty little arm for half a second before returning her attention to the bar top.

"That looks clean," Myron assured her. His voice was just unusually hoarse today. For a man in his twenties who spoke to a hall of over 200 people daily, maybe it wasn't too unusual. For Lilith, it was strange enough to hear Myron's usual voice tampered so terribly.

"You're not soundin' too smooth today, Myron," Lilith barked, ignoring his comment while she continued to polish the bar top.

"Sickness my de-"

"Sickness my ass, you've been going to those Bishop Ceremonies, haven't you?" Myron sat down and interlocked his fingers quietly. "You know that shit is shady Myron."

"They've given me a chance," He rasped, "Arch Bishop Ramon made it happen himself... He came to me directly. I'd be a fool to decline his offer." Lilith's gentle features went tense. She shook her head so violently that her curly brown hair flailed from side to side, almost coming undone from its tightly wrapped bun. "Don't do that."

"Shaddup." Lilith slammed the bar top and looked towards the doorway behind her. "Boys! Eggs! Myron style!" Two little voices barely rang back with acknowledgement.

_{"Of course!"
"You bet!"}

"That's fine, right?" Myron nodded. Lilith looked him over with the corner of her mouth pulled back anxiously. She'd taken a liking to Myron despite all of his holy speeches. He wasn't a bad guy, and he certainly wasn't bad looking either. He was just a little too eager to serve his superiors, and that stupid god of his. The priest stared at his fingers nervously, waiting for his food to arrive. Usually he'd be talking up a storm by now. His vocal chords probably wouldn't allow it though. "You know, you're starting to look and sound like the Bishops more and more each day." Myron smiled. Lilith frowned. "That's not a compliment.

"It is, though."

"No, it's not. Those people are seriously messed up Myron!" She grunted to herself and put both hand son her hips. "Do you know how many priests go missing every year to that shit?"

"The unworthy." Lilith froze and her eyes went incredibly wide.

"Excuse me?!" Myron looked up at Lilith with his mouth hanging open.

"S-Sorry." She shook her head and slapped her rag on the bar top.

"Get out."

"I didn't mean to insult-"

"No no, I know what you meant. Get out." Lilith's children shimmied up to the side of the kitchen's door frame and peered around its edge. One of them wielded a spatula aggressively, standing a few inches taller than his brother. Myron sat quietly, not moving a muscle. "I don't mean later. I mean now. Right now." The priest's eyes wandered until he let out a sad huff and pushed himself away from the bar. He began making his way out of Lilith's place, half expecting her to call him back.

She didn't.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

The furthest figure lowered his hand and sliced upwards, splitting Jenso's wall in two before dashing between the segments. His shield grazed the edges, glowing intensely for a moment before fading back into transparency. Almost immediately afterwards, he took in even more orbs, leaving him with 3, and unleashed another pulse of energy. This time, not only way Jenso's fog dissipated, but the spear headed for Yzeira's other body were weakened as well. His cancelling magic didn't seem to have enough strength to completely delete Jenso's attacks anymore. But as the spears reached Yzeira's shield, they shattered on contact, once again leaving minuscule cracks on contact that re-sealed themselves a moment later. The lightning bolt, after having its clouds dissipated, suffered from a severe drop in power. Yzeira's barrier suffered no damage at all.

In his moment of freedom, the closest body restored his orbs and aimed one hand at Jenso while keeping the other aimed at the sky. The gravity well from above still pulled at him. If his whip broke, he would begin to float back once again. A red aura started to form around Jenso and his flame whip slowly thickening over time.

A Hero Tale {Complete}

The body under siege sucked the energy from his beam back into the palm of his hand and clenched his fist. Then he lurched forwards and slammed the palm of his hands on the floor, expelling the energy and consuming the flurry of energy that Jenso launched with a tidal wave of his own. The other clone took an orb into his body and aimed both its palms at the gravity well above the center of the battlefield. It suddenly doubled in size and power. Jenso's efforts to escape its pull seemed successful at first, but were quickly negated. He was once again drawn towards the orb after his explosive burst expired.

"Come now, you can do better than that," Yzeira taunted. The furthest body from Jenso who had just destroyed his electrical attack, rose one hand and took an orb into his body. A shock wave covered the entire battlefield, dispelling the mist that Jenso used to detect his earlier attacks, while also dampening his aura slightly. "Then again, maybe you can't."

A Hero Tale {Complete}

The light where the lasers connected suddenly collapsed in on itself, changing its physical makeup until it coalesced into an orb, but Jenso's spear collided with it, and the resulting explosion left it as nothing more than mist. The flames that spread outwards were burst back and put out by a sudden pulse of energy that emitted from both of Yzeira's bodies. They reoriented themselves with seven orbs at their waist, and dropped their hands down heavily, palms facing the floor in front of them. Their bodies were directed towards Jenso, and the lasers he fired were pushed down by an energy that originated from above. Each one collided with the floor, tearing into it before they reached Yzeira's left body. The floor reformed itself immediately and the body that Jenso attacked slammed its hands together.

Suddenly the push turned into a pull, and Jenso was slowly being lifted off of the ground by the growing mass above him. Meanwhile, the other body took an orb into itself and conjured another beam, similar to the one from earlier, except twice as thick and bright. As soon as Jenso's feet left the ground, it swiped at him, aiming to hit his back.

Caravan: Resurrection

"Well now, there's an interesting idea Lyullia," Zay moaned through another yawn, "We need scouts at all times, and somebody to maintain the Caravan if we hit any bumps in the road. I can cook something good if I'm in a good mood, but we have enough as-is rations stored for weeks, just in case we get stranded. Additionally, a forward scout comes in handy to keep us ahead of the beasties. That's why I brought Daelin on board." Zay jostled his shoulders a bit. "Scouting ahead of the Caravan is not common for missions like ours. It's dangerous as hell. But Daelin seemed willing." He paused again and turned over in his bunk, facing his back to the rest of the squad. "Other then that, there isn't much to be done. I'll go over some other stuff later... Let me just close my eyes for a bit."

Caravan: Resurrection

Zay pointed to Daelin with his thumb, yawned, and returned to his resting pose.

Caravan: Resurrection

Noru backed away from Flin and sighed while gently touching his forehead with two fingers. Zay ignored the banter about Colossal class creatures. He knew Flin's type. They were headstrong and stubborn. Even if he assured everyone of his ability to follow orders, the right circumstances would likely end up overpowering his better judgement. Zay didn't want anyone to die, but when people join up with the knights expecting the wilds to be anything like their training drills, they end up dead sooner rather than later.

"Don't worry yourself about that too much. Lok'Sha bandits, barbarians - whatever you want to call them - aren't prowling around as often as the officials like to think. If we come across one it's better for us to keep our distance. We have a newbie on board," Zay stopped and pointed at Marilyn. She flinched and looked at everyone nervously. "She doesn't look too eager to die. If it comes down to it though, I can easily restrain a Lok'Sha with my magic of we can immobilize it first. We'll chuck his body in the back with the barrels if we manage to capture one. Prisoners are as good as cargo, dont'chya know?" Zay eyed Marilyn expecting her to get to her station. When she didn't respond, he motioned towards the front door that lead towards their Venbu and widened his eyes. She realized what he wanted and scrambled out of her seat.

"Sorry, sorry!" She mewled, "I'll get them ready." She might have been nervous and timid, but Marilyn was on top of her duties. She disappeared into the pilot's seat not a moment later, and started going through her personal checklist.

"But do keep in mind, if we are put into a position where apprehending a violent Lok'Sha becomes too dangerous, it won't be a problem if we kill it. Don't hesitate if it seems like your life is on the line. I intend on bringing everyone back alive." Zay fell back into his bunk and rested his hands behind his head. "I know this goes without saying, but I'd just like to remind you that I'm your Captain. If I give you an order, follow it." Noru looked away from the Captain and slowly backed away, making himself comfortable on his bunk. If he was going to sleep there for the next week, it'd be a good idea to work it in.

"This bunk is mine," Noru groaned.

"Left wall, top right!" Marilyn called out from the outside, claiming her bunk. Zay pointed to his bunk with his foot and closed his eyes. Claiming bunks was kind of an unspoken tradition among knights. It was supposed to be good luck. Some of them liked it, while others didn't care much. Considering Noru's disposition, it was surprising that he bought into the superstition.

"We'll settle duties when we leave Arcadia's borders," Zay said quietly, shifting around on his bunk until he was completely comfortable, or as close to it as he could manage.