Chaos Project

Day 1: The Stars Disappear


The stars are gone.  Most everyone is too distracted by the conflict between the factions to notice.

In Unificus, Prince Wensil is reassuring the city's residents of his control.  He just announced that the Royal Guard is formed and loyal citizens may be rewarded with the opportunity to join their ranks.  Giovanni Ursa, a cousin of Prince Wensil, is heading the Royal Guard and taking liberty upon himself to issue the Royal Guard's first decree.

"Citizens of Unificus:  By order of Giovanni Ursa, Head of the Royal Guard, a census is being taken and loyalties will be signed over to Prince Wensil.  Citizens will recieve IDs and are required to always have their ID on them.  The census will take place in 2 days, and any citizen without proper ID thereafter will be properly taken care of."

Prince Capsol continues his military build up in Castle Terna.  A draft is being issued for all men age 16 to 40 to join the ranks of the Republic or face banishment (at best).

In Shishra, Zenith continues welcoming all who come seeking him and his power.  He has established an arena to test potential followers.  The wannabe-Freeseekers fight to the death in the arena, but the victors are allowed into the palace of Zenith to train and study his ways.

The village, Fendmoore, was far enough away from all the commotion of the factions, so several of it's inhabitants noticed the absence of the stars and began whispering about what it could possibly mean.

Crossroads was busier than ever.  People were leaving the major cities due to the new martial laws being enacted.  The inns were all crowded in this town, the nightlife was crazier than ever.  Not only were members of opposing factions breaking into fights, but anyone caught outside would end up getting mugged or running for their life.

---

---

Rumor of the Day
Beer Wench #1: "I heard there are people living in the mountains that don't even know the King died!"
Beer Wench #2: "No.  That can't be possible.  You would have to be crazy to step foot into the mountains, let alone live up there.  What about all the goblins and who knows what else is up there?"
Beer Wench #1: "You're probably right, I don't know what I was thinking."

---

---

Significant Events
-Unificus will have a census in 2 days
-Prince Capson has issued a draft
-Zenith has set up an arena for those who wish to become a Freeseeker

---

---

Character starting locations are locked in.  By the way, since this is Day 1, and you are the first characters in the game, the Storyteller sees fit to make today exceptionally lucky.  What does that mean?  Well, start playing the game and you'll find out when the Storyteller interacts with you.

Pyrrhus wandered the buzzing town unmoved by the excitement. As the townsfolk flitted from place to place, he walked along his own path, unflinching, but without a destination. Time had wearied him and the previous day was long, harsh and bitter. It seemed that everyday was a repeat of the last though, never escaping from time's gaping maw as if the world consumed him with the phlegm of misnomered autonomy, the guise of freedom masking fate. Turn by turn, the streets passed by and in a never ending daze his path was harried by the thoughts awoken by the sleepless dark in his mind.

The prospect of banishment didn't cause him fear, but the idea of fighting wasn't to his likign either. If he were to fight, he would be marked by the military and could be traced later, so long as they kept supervision of their soldiers as a top priority.

Pyrrhus found himself in front of the draft office with a glint in his eye. Whether or not he would join was yet to be determined, but his will was made up. He knew what he wanted to do.

The Rebuplic Office (one of many in the town) was full of commotion.  Some were part of the Republic directing people left and right, making sense of the chaos, others were worried women begging the officials to not send their sons and husbands away.  Captain Orion didn't think much of the hectic atmosphere, until a calm figure entered the room.  Orion didn't get excited over much, but this stranger delighted the young captain.  There was just something about the stranger's serenity that lured Captain Orion over.  He made his way through the sea of people and finally was in front of Pyrrhus.  Examining Pyrrhus up and down, he knew a fine soldier could be made of this one, one that could help lead the fight against Prince Wensil.

Captain Orion cleared his throat and spoke up, "You, there's something different about you, I could feel it the moment you entered.  This draft is maddening, I have to stand by all day long while pipsqueaks and their old, even weaker fathers are filed into the Republic's military ranks.  It's rare that you should stand out.  What would you say to forgetting the draft and instead joining the Republic's ranks as an officer?"

This was rather front of Captain Orion, but he knew what he wanted, and he was a person who always got what he wanted too.  Now he just waited for Pyrrhus's reply.  Would Pyrrhus join Captain Orion as a military officer in the Republic?

Chris spotted the notice regarding a census and an Oath of Loyalty, but passed it by with only a glance. An Oath of Loyalty? Sure. Honesty had never been one of her strong points, so she didn't mind any oaths or such ridiculousness. She didn't believe in karma or any of the like; nothing would happen to oath-breakers except an advantage over those stupid enough to believe in such things. She'd swear to whatever those pompous fools who were in charge of this place wanted. Briefly, a thought entered her mind that they would somehow use some sort of super-natural powers to enforce the oath, but she dismissed it quickly as nonsense. Besides, she had more important things to do: today, she was going to hunt out the Thieves Guild. For a long time, she had believed that it was best to be in this business by herself, but with the rising commotion in the city, it would be good to have others to watch her back. Mentally rummaging through the rumors she had heard regarding the group, she thought up a couple shady locations where she would be able to find them or at least gather more information, and set off towards the first on the list.

Vael
It took him some time to get back into his hideout. Although the abdoned hut he was currently living in was apart from the actual town, he still had to pay attention - after all, the guards where probably searching for him and if he was found, he'd have to flee again.
Vael let out a sigh and called a small flame to warm his hands. He had been careless once again... he got caught before, but this time was different. It was the first time since 5 years that he lost control over his flames, and only by luck he was able to get away when the guards arrived.
He might have to leave soon anyways.
And yes, I know my writing style is aweful... just trying to have fun here, lol

@Chris

The Thieves Guild had eyes everywhere, yet it existed nowhere.  Of course it would be knowledgeable of the goings and comings in Unificus--just because the city was large and now under a sort of martial law, did not mean the Guild was set back in any way.  In fact, it began to thrive like it never had before.  It's amazing how many petty thieves were swept off the streets with the death of King Ursa and the rising to power of Prince Wensil.  Once the Royalists began patrolling the streets at night, petty crime virtually stopped in Unificus.  For the thieves in the Guild, this was refreshing, they hated amateurs, and now only had to pay attention to a select few who still stalked in shadows at night.

One girl had caught their eye; however, due to her young age, they never considered her before.  However, when Chris showed up to a shady home and knocked on the door, the old man who answered the door was surprised.  The old man happened to be Scott Hemming, and one of the Guild's oldest members.  For years now he had been "retired" although no one truly retires from the Guild.  Although he didn't go running around on missions from the Guild any more, he was one of the Guild's eyes and he had noticed Chris before.  He took this encounter with her as a sign that she was indeed ready to be tested.

Scott Hemming opened the door.  "Come in Chris."

He led her inside and secured the door tightly behind her.  "I've had my eye on you, and it seems as if you haven't been completely blind to our presence.  What if I told you I could divulge secret knowledge of the Guild to you?  What if I told you, you could be a part of something that does not exist?"


@Vael

Shishra's guards had lost Vael and the head guard knew he could not return to Zenith empty handed.  Zenith had heard of a young man capable of creating an intense flame that consumes everything around him.  Somehow this man had escaped Zenith's guards many times and Zenith grew tired of chasing him.  The head guard, Ryan Scott, had lost Vael again.  He shook his head in disappointment at himself, but then noticed something out of the corner of his eye.  It was a piece of clothing covered in dirt, it had to of belonged to Vael.  But this dirt wasn't found inside the city, but on the south-eastern outer wall of the city.  Now Ryan and the rest of the guards had a clue as to find this supposed firemaster.

There were huts scattered outside the city, an area where the extremely poor people could live without spreading their filth to the rest of the town.  After searching the 7th hut, Ryan was getting discouraged again.  He decided he'd search one more hut before returning to town for the night, empty-handed. All Ryan had to do was get a hold of Vael long enough to inform him of a requested audience with Zenith.  Surely any young adventurer would be happy to know that the great Zenith desired his presence... why was Vael being so elusive?  It probably didn't help that the guards had been known to use more than necessary force... but nevertheless, Ryan would not give up.  As he stepped up to the door he smelled the air, it smelled of burnt hair.  Had he finally found where the burning man lived?  He knocked on the door and heard movement inside.  "Come on, open the door so we can have a chat!"

No one responded.  Ryan looked to the other guards and nodded.  He broke into the hut and saw a man in tattered clothes.  It was Vael.  The guards reluctantly held Vael down, knowing what Vael was capable of.

Ryan spoke slowly, "You're not in trouble.  I just want to talk."  The head guard exhaled.  "You were a pain in my ass to catch you know?"  Vael still said nothing.  "Well look, the Lord Zenith has requested an audience with you.  He has heard of your powers and is impressed.  What do you say?  Will you come willingly?"

Seles sat at the edge of the pier with her feet barely kicking the surface of the water.  Her humbles shoes were scattered a few feet behind her, while her Guqin was laid gently at her side.  She gazed towards the sky, watching the bloody red dome turn to cooler hues with a few stars branding their light for all to see.
Despite the approaching night, Seles did not feel cold as a warm, gentle breeze kept her company.  She lazily plucked a few strings with her right hand without changing their tones with her left, letting their purity ring through the approaching night.  A few serene bars were hummed as the sun slowly died that day.  Fish gathered near her feet, almost as to listen to the songtress's informal performance.  Everything was at peace.

Vael didn't resist. He knew that doing something acting hash could put him in serious trouble and while he didn't fear the guards, he didn't want to end up in prison, especially not because of a stupid mistake like this.
He examined the guards closely. By what he could see, they didn't wear anything that he could easyly set on fire, and the guards holding him down would be able to stop him before he could built up a bigger fire. They seem to be well prepared, Vael thought with a sad smile.
He assumed that Zenith probably wanted to have him on his side before any of the other fraction could get him, but Vael wasn't interested in siding with any faction in this laughable conflict. It didn't seem like he had another choice right now, though. Vael sighed once again.
"I'm coming with you... and can't promise anything though."

Chris was surprised; never had she expected things to go so smoothly. She knew the Guild would have been watching potential members, but she had no idea she had been on the list. 'Well,' she thought to herself, 'I guess when you're as fantastically good at something as I am, there's no use hidin' it.' Trying her best not to let her excitement show on her face, she hung up her tattered cloak and helped herself to a seat. Certainly, there wasn't any sort of trick behind all this? From what little she had heard of the mysterious Guild, she wouldn't put it past them.
"I'm listenin'," she said in response to the old man, her piercing blue eyes not leaving his.

@Seles

As the sun set in Fendmoore, the townsfolk slowly moved their activities inside.  Fishermen got off their boats and carried today's catch inside, while mothers herded their children inside.  Only two remained outside to watch the sun set.  A young girl, appearing to be roughly 7 years of age, silently watched as the musician fiddle with her instrument.  In the background the sun set.  The young girl looked up at the sky as it grew dark in the sun's absence.  She frowned at the darkness of the night and suddenly was afraid of being alone.

Stepping out from her hiding place, she revealed her tattered clothes to the musician, and scuffed face.  Her arms were too skinny, the young girl was emaciated, and almost hard to look at.  The girl, aware of her own awkwardness hesitated when the musician turned around to look at her.  What could the young girl say?  After a few unnerving moments of silence, the young girl began to turn to run away into the dark.  In a panic she dropped a picture she had been clutching tightly, she turned to look at the picture falling to the ground, then at the musician by the water, fear became the best of her, however, and she took off running without the picture.

The picture was a well-done drawing of what appeared to be the girl, and next to her a tall man, both of them elegantly dressed and no where near Fendmoore.


@Vael
"Smart choice!"  Ryan Scott laughed as he shooed the guards away from Vael and helped him to his feet.  "Now then, we can't have you appearing before Zenith in such rag-tag clothing, haven't you got anything else to wear?"  Ryan thought to himself and remembered just what Vael was known for, and suddenly realized clothes might be hard to come by for a guy that spontaneously combusted.  "Nevermind that, Ryan reassured him.  We'll get you something to wear back at the armory, and then make our way to the great Zenith himself!"  The guards followed Ryan and Vael out of his shack as the headed to the armory.  Once there, Vael was given new clothes to wear, an elaborate suit, that just seemed ridiculous for Vael to wear considering his "condition".  Nevertheless, tomorrow Vael would meet Zenith.  Til then he was locked up with the guards in the armory.

Ryan Scott approached Vael.  "Well, you can bed down here tonight.  I have a family to tend to, but I will be here first thing in the morning to take you to the palace.  If you need anything, just ask any of the guards."  With that, Ryan waved goodbye and left the armory.


@Chris
Scott noticed Chris's childish excitement, but set it aside.  There was no doubt as to her skills, in fact, at times Chris would seem to vanish completely from the Guild's eyes.  "I've noticed you have a unique... characteristic about you."  The old man walked over to a kettle and poured two cups of what could only be assumed was tea.  He handed Chris a cup and began sipping his.  He watched her blue eyes and lowered his cup.

"Chris...  I will be honest with you.  I have watched people for many years now and no one has ever escaped my gaze.  There are those out there who have called me Stone-eyed Scott, for my glare never waivers.  If I didn't know better, I'd say you had a cloak of invisibility, but I know that can't be true, because there are only a few left in the world and they all belong to a certain organization.  You are not part of that organization.  Also, you were not fully invisible, at least not to my eyes.  Although many people pass you by while you creep in the shadows, you're sloppy and affect the environment around you when moving with your.... technique."  Scott sipped his tea again.  He continued staring into the girl's blue eyes, and was impressed by her attentiveness.  Although her earlier excitement made her years (or lack there of) obvious, she had a sense of maturity about her.

"Whatever method you have of cloaking yourself-and don't try to deny this ability, I know you have something up your sleeve-this ability is going to waste.  Although you do have quick fingers and have gotten your hands on many things that don't belong to you, you're still so young and lack true experience.  My full name is Scott Hemming and I am making a proposition.  I am offering you to become my pupil."  He realized he might of disappointed the girl by teasing her with rumors of the Thieves Guild initially, but he had to draw her in and keep her attention some how.  He knew the Guild wouldn't accept her as she currently was, but with the right fine tuning, he just might make a respectable thief out of her yet.

Seles cried out, "Wait!" to the little girl, but the command was not followed.  The musician quickly grabbed her instrument with one hand, carefully picked up the drawing with the other, and ran to follow the girl, leaving her shoes on the pier.  Seeing as the girl would not slow down, Seles began to sing a serenade that her mother would always sing to her when she was younger to calm her down.
The sweet notes left the singer's lips and quickly reached the listener's ear.
A feeling of hush fell over the girl as she started to slow down, enjoying the tune.
Seles caught up with her and presented the drawing to the girl with a simple, "Here."

shit, I was planning for something to happen on the way there xD whatever then
Vael
Vael sat down. He didn't know what to do anymore, or even what to expect.
He didn't want to join Zenith, and something inside him just refused to accept that he had no way out now - the guards might still inprison him when he refused, after all, whatever they said, they caught him for the crimes he commited.
He looked around in the armory. Although they pretended to take him as a guest, this seemed more like a prison cell to him. The guards blocked every possible exit and although he was told to "bed" here, he couldn't find any place that looked like a roost.
Silently he kept sitting there, staring at the ceiling. The cold, humid air and the blank stone the walls where made of brought back the memories from 5 years ago.

Chris tried (but not too hard) to hide her disappointment; she had been expecting to be welcomed into the Thieves Guild with much pomp and circumstance, but instead here was an old geezer who probably didn't know the first thing about the Guild. No doubt he'd been making the whole thing up-
She felt a strong grip on her arm. The silverware had been absentmindedly disappearing into her pack, but Scott had grabbed her arm before she could remove her hand from the pouch. Without a word, he pulled the silverware back out and placed it again on the table.
"Wow, would you look at that? I wonder how that got in there." said Chris with a nervous chuckle. "You've gotta keep a closer eye on your stuff, mate; it's a good thing I was holdin' onto that for you. Never know when some thief might be lurking around to nick it, ya know?"
Scott did not appear to be amused. Chris was quite impressed he had managed to catch her; for an old man, he sure was quick on his feet. Maybe some lessons wouldn't be such a bad thing, after all. She took a sip of her tea and sighed. "Alright. You win. When do we start?"

@Seles
"I... uh-"  The little girl was shy and didn't quite understand why she had stopped running.  Nevertheless, there was a strange comfort coming from the singer's lips.  The little girl was obviously tired and hungry, and now filled with a long-forgotten comfort, her eyes filled with tears and she ran into the musician's arms, grabbing the picture just before collapsing from exhaustion.

@Vael
A fat guard waltzed over towards Vael.  "I suppose you's be needin' a place to sleep, hmm?"  It was hard to understand the guard, but it was understood the guard was offering a bed for Vael.  "We's guards have a room that you'll be stayin' in too.  Just follow me."  The fat guard slowly bounced back and forth towards a doorway, where laughter and loud voices could be heard.  As Vael and the guard stepped into the room, another guard shut and locked the heavy door behind them.

The gatekeeper spoke up, "Welcome to your home for the night.  Sure as hell beats that shack you were in before, don't you think"  The gatekeeper waited for a laugh.  "Nevermind that.  I suggest you get some shut eye, you have a big day tomorrow."  The room was filled with bunks--each bed draped with sheets and wool blankets... very.... flammable... wool blankets.   Unfortunately the room was also quite small with all those beds crammed in there.  It would make a nice coffin for all the guards... and Vael as well if he tried anything.


@Chris
Years of his trade had allowed Scott to maintain intense concentration, and he needed to do so to repress the urge to laugh.  He was actually quite impressed with himself being able to appear completely void of amusement.  The truth was he'd been stuck in the Guild for too long, everyone was so serious there.  This girl was refreshing and reminded him of his days before the Guild.  He quit daydreaming and reeled himself back to reality.

"Tomorrow."  He said abruptly, and sternly as to not show his softer side.  "It obvious you can hide in shadows, but you don't truly understand the concept of stealth until you can hide in plain sight.  Tomorrow we'll see just what you're really capable of."  The old man finished sipping his tea, set it down and saw Chris to the door.  "I suggest you meet me under the clock tower at 9 in the morning.  Sharp."  He emphasized sharp while slamming the door on Chris, leaving her outside in the dark.  Maybe he overdid the dramatics on that last bit.  Even so, Scott Hemming was glad to take on a new pupil, something he hadn't done in years.


Day 1 is coming to a close.
Feel free to post any final character storyline for the close of Day 1.  (it's late here, so I'll wake up early and post Day 2, seeing how some people haven't been able to contribute to Day 1 at all.  I'll give them a chance to in the 4-6 hours I sleep.)

Seles comforted the small girl in her arms and decided to treat her to dinner to help fight the hunger.  After strapping her Guqin to her back, Seles led the small girl back to town.
"How would you like to have a meal with me?" Seles asked with a smile.
The girl was too shy to reply with her voice, so she just nodded instead.
The two walked hand in hand towards a tavern of Seles' choosing.  They walked in, and the keeper greeted his frequent comer.
"Lady Seles, coming to perform again tonight?" He asked with a grin.  He always got more patrons when there was a performance.
"Not tonight, Kirk.  I'm treating this little one to dinner," Seles replied with a nod signaling her guest.
"Well, you can sit yourself anyway, my Lady."

The two sat at a small table near a corner.
"You can order anything you would like," the elder told the younger.
The small girl quickly nodded while peering quickly at the short menu.
"I want everything!" she exclaimed.
Seles was taken aback by the fact that she had said her first words to the songstress rather than the fact that she wanted everything.
Seles smiled and told Kirk that they wanted everything.

After a short time, both had their fill, but there was still plenty of leftovers.
Seles told the waiter to wrap them up, as the young girl sat there awkwardly, resuming to remain silent.
"Don't worry about paying," Seles started, "I got it covered.  And also, bring these leftovers to your family; I'm sure they'd love it."
"Thank you, Lady Seles," the girl replied with a nod and a smile.
Seles laughed.  "Just call me Seles.  'Lady' is just a title that Kirk likes to add."
A short silence ensued.
"How about we get you home?"
"Okay."

The pair walked together again, hand in hand, under the night sky.  The little girl became more talkative and said random things that Seles followed for the time being but would probably forget in the morning.
Before they reached the destination, Seles asked for the little girl's name.
"Aurora."  And she ran off.

Kiba

Kiba sat alone in the gentle candlelight, trying to concentrate on the breeze outside his open window as he had been doing for hours before. He felt himself slipping, remembering the events of the day. He had been told not to sign up for the military draft, and that it was being handled.

Kiba wondered what the head Paladin had in store for him, and thoughts of another 5 dismal years of training, that he did not believe was needed, diminished his concentration completely. Surely they wouldn't keep him here? Of course he was just speculating, they had not yet told him anything. He had sensed something wrong in the winds recently, and his thoughts shifted to the possibility that there was a connection with his current situation.

Standing, Kiba paced over to the selection of candles on his plain chest of drawers, and relit the candles that had been blown out.
He slowly wandered back to his bed and sat with his back straightened against one edge, again attempting to hone his concentration, attempting to sense the air, attempting to feel it, to tap into it. He focused his mind completely, blocking out the flickering candlelight in an otherwise dark night.

And there he sat until the morning's sun woke him from his tranced state.

Vael looked around in his room. This was better than the hut he had to live in before, but still, he couldn't feel comfortable. Something about this sitatuation made him feel trapped, made him break out in an irrational fear. Suddenly, Vael noticed that there where flames burning on his arms, moving around his fingers.
He quickly put them out and looked around to see if anyone saw it, but the guard was already gone.
He only lost control of his powers once five years ago, but now it happened twice in one day.
Something was changing.
And it was changing for the worse.
Vael knew that he would not be able to sleep this night.

Pyrrhus thought about his situation. In most cases, accepting such a generous propose would be of no consequence, but the problem was the military. He was dogged by the military once before for deserting, but in some senses he had loved the excitement that preceded it. The fights, the action, the command. It was the aphrodisiac to his sensuous lust for war. However, he was coming of age. It's a common trait among youth to search for the golden horizon, but Pyrrhus was beyond that. Or so it seemed.

Also, yet another advantage peaked his interest. As he turned his dagger in his hand, he thought of the money, the security and the power he would gain. In his mind, there exists not one but two minds, the one of reason and the one of passion and both consented to the same option.

"I'll join," he said, his words sticking to his throat.

Revan made it into the Crossroads just before nightfall. Overly exhausted from his long ride he couldn't wait to sleep in an actual bed. As the young adventurer walked excitedly through unfamiliar territory he took in all there was to see. He finally caught sight of an inn. Starting to head towards his awaiting bed he caught sight of a large crowd centered outside of this building. Four men had started to fight amongst each other. Only few tried to stop the fight and those that did wound up joining into the fight. Revan managed to make it through the crowd and into the inn. He was greeted by a nervous young woman barely passing for 18. Revan noticed her attractive appearance and was sure many men have tried to force themselves onto her.

"He... Hello sir, if you are looking for a room I must say that we are all out of smaller rooms. All we have left is a room meant for a larger party." She spoke softly giving him a small smile.

Revan returned the smile and replied. "Well I don't have any other company with me but I will take the room for the night."

She nodded "Wise choice, you do not want to be caught outside during the night. Follow me and I will show you to the room." Revan followed the young woman up the stairs and to his room.

Day 2: Wednesday


In Fendmoore a homeless girl, curled up underneath a bench, woke up to the rising sun.  Her parent's had died when she was a baby and since then her uncle had been taking care of her.  A tall fellow, very well-to-do, who always treated Aurora like a princess.  However, he was far too ambitious for his own good.  In fact, George Serna, the uncle, had noticed a change in the world just before the King died.  It was suddenly darker to him, and at the realization of this change, he formulated a plan.  He'd heard rumors of an island where ancient stones were said to hold powers of insight and even foresight.  If he had this knowledge he could return to the mainland with new information and spread the word, adding fame to his wealth.  So the day the King died, George just so happened to set out on his journey.  He would travel to Fendmoore and buy a boat, then set sail on his own in search for these stones.  Oh he loved his niece, and it broke his heart to leave her behind, but at the same time, the past 6 years of his life were ruined by having to babysit for this child instead of living life in its prime.  He was now an older man than he was 6 years ago and if he waiting any longer, he might never find his purpose in life.

After abandoning the child and setting sail, George Serna was confronted by a horrible storm on the sea.  His boat wrecked, and he drowned.  Karma seemed to have been watching his every move.

Aurora shivered, then stood up and began walking around Fendmoore, unnoticed by the local populace, but at least today she woke a little less hungry.

In Unificus, the Royal Guard would continue parading through the streets, shouting word of the census taking place tomorrow.  Everyone was to be in their homes from the hours of 8 a.m. tomorrow, to 8 a.m. the next day.  Prince Wensil had a large number of men at his disposal in reinforcing Unificus and making the city safe for its loyal citizens.  Over the next days, more and more Royal Guardsmen would patrol the streets and man the towers around the city.

Scott Hemming woke that day at his usual time--before the sun rose, and poured his tea.  He thought of his visitor last night and of what the day would have in store for him.  It had been a while since the old man had gone out in public, so he ruffled through his clothes for something clean, and dressed after he sponge bathed some of the stench off of him.  He opened the door as the sun was shedding the first light of the day on the city.

Crossroads looked like the after picture of a great arena.  Outside one inn, in particular, 4 bodies were being dragged away by a clean-up crew.  More members of the clean-up crew were scrubbing at and mopping up the blood stains on the ground.  The citizens of Crossroads didn't even pay attention to the mess, but travelers passing by could help but stare.

A woman dressed in a dark emerald robe and traveling from the west part of town laughed as she passed by, but then abruptly stopped, after realizing what just escaped her mouth.

Lord Zenith woke in his palace in Shisra, and after dressing and eating, he walked to his throne room.  The aesthetics of success always amused Zenith.  He really had no desire for all the fancies that power brought, but he realized they were necessary to maintain a proper image.  Zenith threw the doors open with his mind and then was pleasantly surprised.  There in front of him was a man, a man who was definitely out of place and escorted by Ryan Scott, Zenith's head guard.

"Is this who I believe it is?"

Ryan Scott quickly answered, "We've been searching night and day for him, yesterday we finally found him cooped up in a dirty old shack outside of town."

Zenith eyeballed the lad with no expression on his face.  "Very well, he needn't be here, however.  I have no use for him unless he really is capable of what I heard.  Take him with the others to the Arena."

Ryan stood upright, "Yes sir."  He took Vael by the arm and led him to the Arena.  The Arena was huge, and inside it was more of a heavily guarded marketplace than anything else.  "Here you will be allowed to outfit yourself for your fight.  It seems Zenith wants to see your power in action, so you'll be pitted against some random bloke in the Arena.  Feel free to look around, choose a weapon, some armor if you'd like.  Just make sure you're ready for the fight, it will be at midday."

Captain Orion was eager to process his new Lieutenant into the Army of the Republic.  The day prior, Orion told Pyrrhus to gather what belongings he needed and show up at the Castle Armory in the morning.  Pyrrhus would be positioned directly under a veteran officer, Captain Nerub, and would have the unique opportunity of being a part of the 1st infantry battalion under Prince Capsol's banner.  This battalion would be the first to step foot outside of Castle Terna since the King died and it's soldiers were eager to experience the excitement of war.

Deep in the Castle, the Order of Paladins made council with Prince Capsol.  The prince sat at the head of a large table, with cloaked figures lining the rest of the table.  Each paladin was tall and dark, a contrast to their holy ways.

The prince spoke loudly and fast.  "Why has this council been summoned?"

One of the paladins stood and spoke, "Prince Capsol, we believe you blinded by rage towards your brother and are acting too hastily with the draft and advancement of your military."  Any other man would be a fool to speak such words to the prince, however, these ancient paladins held great prestige in the kingdom and the prince was lucky to have them on his side.

Prince Capsol took a deep breath, "I realize your meticulous ways of planning and plotting, gentlemen.  However, time is NOT a luxury I currently have at my disposal.  My brother, is currently refortifying what should be my city, and I will not stand idly by while now is the best chance to strike!"

"Young Capsol," another, older paladin projected from the end of the table, "if you send an assault against Unificus now, you will surely fail."

The prince was clearly flustered, "Old paladins, instead of questioning my methods, where is your support?  Why don't you aid my 1st battalion of soldiers and send some of your paladins to fight along side them?  Or do you not truly support me in the first place?"

The Order of Paladins remained quiet for a moment, then whispered among itself.  One paladin stood up.  "We will send paladins with you, m'lord, despite our reluctance to support such rash actions."

With that, Prince Capsol stood and exited the room abruptly.

---

---

Rumor of the Day
Soldier #1:  I talked with a goblin once.
Soldier #2:  What?  That's nonsense, everyone knows goblins are unintelligent creatures, capable only of mindlessly destroying anything made by man!
Soldier #1:  No, I swear it!  The goblin even made me dinner and I sat down with its family!
Soldier #2:  You have been in this army way too long!  *hysterical laughter*
Soldier #1:  *joins in with more laughter*

---

---

-Unificus will have a census in 1 day
-The 1st Battalion of Prince Capsol's army will deploy along with a platoon of paladins, supporting the movement, 0600 tomorrow
-The Arena in Shishra will have its premier fight today, between Mark Vix (a legendary adventurer) and young Firemaster, Vael
-A shadow fell over Crossroads

---

---

Kiba

"So, they wish me to become a troop after all." Brendt said nothing, but Kiba could clearly see that the Order had no willing support in these actions. In fact, he wondered if the Order was even willingly supporting the Prince.

Brendt had been a close friend and comfort in the small stony halls of the Order House, but he had been forced to deliver this... questionable news. Kiba did not dislike war, but he found it sloppy, uncontrolled. He much preferred one-on-one combat. Especially with Brendt. Much more controllable.

Of course politics didn't always sit well with him either.

"When are we ordered to leave?"

"6 in the morning" replied Brendt.

Without starting another round of conversation Kiba headed to his drawers, where the last of the candles were cowering in the dawn light. He fished his leather moneybag out of the top draw and made his way to the exit of the Order House.

"They have offered to supply all weapons and consumables needed" remarked Brendt.

Kiba opened the door slightly and paused. "And you think I'm about to trust their rusty old swords?" He closed the door behind him and shielded his eyes from the dawn sun and set off through town, beginning a mental shopping list as he walked.

Castle Terna had always been a great place of business, comparable to Unificus.  In fact, some even preferred the castle's goods to those of other towns.  The castle was located east of the Forlorne Forest, and just north of the Vireal Mountain range.  Just south of that was Port Brenan, and a trade route connected the two cities.  Needless to say, adventurers from all 3 locations often came to the castle to sell amazing artifacts, weapons, and armor.  Although they charged a hefty price for these relics, merchants gladly bought them, knowing that local soldiers and paladins would pay a great deal for unique items such as these.

The market square was busy, especially in the morning.  Everyone knew where the big blacksmiths and artificers were, and those merchants sold very fair goods.  However, the Order of Paladin's knew of other shops not available to the public.  There were two Holy Shrines in the city, one where the majority of the citizens went to worship their gods, and one where the Order of Paladins would find solace for prayer.  Everyone assumed this Shrine was just a place of prayer, but for those who bore the Crest of the Order, it offered a service where Paladins could browse their goods and make donations in order to use the rare relics.

Kiba

As he wandered through the market square, Kiba noted the prices on various weapons and tonics and made a mental note to revisit the herbalist on the edge of the square. He knew his weapons, and instantly dismissed the majority of blacksmiths. A large amount of the weapons they had were overpriced or off balance, a testament to the pride of the creators and the lack of knowledge they held.

Kiba left the bustling square and headed for the Paladin's Shrine further north. The shrine was situated at the furthest point from any entrance to the city, and was originally built as a second stronghold, in conjuction with the castle itself. He paused, sensing a very small disturbance in the air behind him, feeling as though he was being watched by something. He dismissed it as some form of household animal and continued on.

At the shrine the doormen greeted him with courteous nods, and Kiba continued through the prayer area, showing his Crest at one of the rear doors. With continued silence the doorman opened the small wooden door and ushered Kiba past. As he sought out the Paladinian merchant, a large broadsword caught his eye, stored with the holy relics and magical items the shrine protected. It was an odd sword, with only one side sharpened to a blade, and the other thickened to give the effect of a thin triangle-shaped cross-section. The only other thing that made the blade stand out was the gleam of the blue hilt. Kiba wished to ask the merchant the price of this blade... but first he had to find him somewhere in the winding halls.

Just before Kiba stepped out of the vault a short figure stepped in front of the door.

"Welcome Paladin, leaving so soon?"  The figure was a man, but only about 5 feet tall, with wiry hair and a crooked smile.  How such a man came to be a Paladinian merchant was unknown.  "I am Carzual, and this is my humble vault."

Carzual ushered Kiba back inside and picked up the oddly shaped broadsword.  He swung it around effortlessly in an impressive display, especially for someone of such short stature.  "This," Carzual stated, "Is Azrael.  And it is one of the most impressive hilts ever."  Carzual looked up and noticed a puzzled look on the young paladin's face.  "What?  Are you confused as to why I reference the hilt and not the blade?  The blade is nothing special, although heavy and sharp, as well as quite useful, the Azrael's blade has been changed many times.  This hilt is what is impressive here."

Outstretching the sword, Carzual offered the blade to Kiba who took the sword by the blunt in of the blade and was baffled by the weight.  The short man continued, "Heavy, isn't it?  Now, take the sword by the hilt.  A hell-of-a, excuse me, a heck-of-a-lot lighter, wouldn't you say?  The smith that created Azrael was a master Windwalker, and was able to imbue the hilt with a concentrated spell to make anything attached to it, light as a feather.  I've been waiting to find a good wielder for Azrael, what do you say?  Do you have a worthy donation?"

(God knows how currency works but here we go :P)
(oh and I'm on my blackberry now)

Kira

Impressed by the sheer weightlessness of the blade when he held the hilt, Kiba could only stare in awe and wonderment. He was unsure of the mechanics of such a spell, and pondered about how heavy a blade it would be when slicing through an enemy.

After 5 or so minutes Kiba realised he was simply gawking at the hilt. The merchant had called it Azrael... Was that just a name or did something inhabit the hilt?

"Take what you need" Kiba said, clearly still mesmerised by Azrael. He slowly pulled the leather pouch from his pocket and handed it to the merchant, who, almost greedily, eyed the contents.

Carzual took the pouch over to a nearby deposit box, unlocked it, and threw the pouch in.

"Thank you for your kind donation, Sir Paladin.  Now if you please, take Azrael and leave this place, unless you have more golden hidden somewhere else?  That's rhetorical, of course you don't.  Now seriously, I need you to be going."

*Kiba acquired Azrael.  Power surged through the hilt into Kiba's hand and up his arm, sending a shiver down his spine.*

Carzual pushed Kiba back out into the sanctuary and locked him out of the vault.

"Good day to you sir."  And with that, the short man disappeared outside, leaving many questions unanswered.

The next morning Revan gathered his things and prepared for his  longtrip to Castle Terna. He left the inn and seen what was left of the brawl from the night before. He looked around and noticed that the sky was darker than what it should have been. He then noticed the woman in the emerald robe, the night before he had a dream about seeing this exact woman. 'Who is this woman' Revan thought to himself. He then slowly approached her.

Kiba

Kiba stood in the prayer room of the shrine, slightly dazed and confused by the merchant's attitude after he had bought Azrael, and headed home, gripping the long hilt in his right hand. He needed some kind of scabbard or strap to hold it in, and toyed with the idea of a strapped hold on his back as he made his way back to the Order halls.

The market was no less crowded than it was in the morning, and by now it was past midday. Kiba was suddenly concerned by the lack of gold he now owned, having only a few more coins hidden around his room, and realised miserably that he would have to put up with the foul tasting herbs that the army used rather than the fine medicines in the market. He headed to the halls anyway and, after some food, spent several hours attempting to concentrate again on the breeze outside his open window.

His concentration was not wholly on the wind however, and his thought drifted towards the magical object on the bed behind him.

@Revan

The woman draped in emerald passed the young hunter by, but noticed that she had caught his eye.  She stopped and knew of his approach, perhaps even before he knew that he would approach her.  Just before he was behind her, the woman turned around, her eyes appeared to be on fire.  She outstretched her arm and the fire from her eyes seemed to consume Revan, as he was knocked back towards a stack of crates.  *Interaction with Revan continues*

@Kiba

*Kiba gained experience*

Azrael's blue tint played tricks on Kiba's eyes.  It looked as if it were glowing, though it most certainly was not.  There was a history to this sword, more than the merchant had let on.

Revan picked himself up and got to a readied stance drawing his sword. He began to pull the ground onto his body as it attached to his skin as if it were a magnet.

"What is your problem!?" He shouted at the woman.

Before he could finish his sentence the area was consumed in darkness for an instant.  When the light came back the emerald-robed lady was gone.  In fact, after the flash, the entire town seemed a bit brighter.

*Revan gained experience*

The citizens and travelers in the streets seemed unaffected by what just happen, save for an angry man who came out of his home to the scene of Revan with a drawn sword and a pile of shattered crates.  His crates.

The man barked at Raven, "What are you doing!?  You crazy outsiders think you can come in here and trash the place like you own it!  I've got news for you, buddy... you'd better pay for this!"  Revan looked at the man and noticed the man's plump nature.  He didn't even have shoes on, all the commotion must have woke him.  This man was in no position to fight, or chase, but he was set on getting a settlement for this damage.

"Well?"  The man waited for Revan's response.

Revan sighed and sheathed his sword. "How much do you deem fit for the damage, sir?"

He lost himself in thought 'Who was this woman? And why did she attack me? And even how the hell did she disappear like that?' Revan shook his head and before the man could speak he pulled a small bag of money and threw it at him. "Hope that covers it. I'm in a hurry." He then walked away from the man and headed east out of the city.

As he was walking out of the city he said under his breath. "Son of a bitch! That was the last bit I had"

A young boy approached Revan and tugged his shirt.  Turning around, Revan saw the boy looked strangely familiar... almost like a shorter version of... Aha!  The young boy was indeed the grumpy man's child, there was no mistaking it.  "Uhm... mister?"  The young boy held out his hands and offered a small pouch with a note attached to it.  As soon as Revan took the pouch, the boy took off running.  The note attached read as follows:

"I'm delightfully surprised that you didn't threaten to kill me or just take off running as most crooks in this town do.  Thank you for manning up to the damages you caused.  As a token of my appreciation, you may have these.  It's Elkfolk jerky.  Not only does it satiate your hunger, it's also been known to increase your metabolism in such a way that makes you faster for a short duration.  Very useful if you ever do have to run away.  Thank you again for not."


*Revan aquired Elkfolk Jerky (x3)*
*Elkfolk Jerky added to DATABASE: Items*
*Elkfolk added to DATABASE: Enemies*

Revan looked rather pleased as he put the pouch away. 'These can come in use later I am sure'. Revan ventured farther out now heading northeast through the mountainous path. Revan wondered how long exactly his trip was going to take. He wasn't in a hurry, no he was just dreading the long travel and what might await him on the way. He kept his sword readied at his side as he ventured onward.

Revan was forced to make a decision.  He knew that the road would take him to Port Brenan, and from there he could continue on the road to Castle Terna.  He also knew that there were valleys between the mountains that could take him straight north to the castle.  Unfortunately, while going through the valleys would be shorter (and more beautiful), it was a well known fact that goblins scoured the mountain sides, save for when other, greater beasts were nearby.  A lone traveler might be considered daring, but very foolish to take a path through the valleys.

Vael looked at the weapons. Actually, he didn't know how to use any of them - he always tried to avoid open combat, concidering his strengh was far below average his fire was useless when he couldn't concentrate.
He grabbed one of the swords, but quickly put it back as he noticed how heavy it was. Never could he learn how to handle it in the short time until his battle.
But then Vael noticed something among the swords. He took a closer look at it and noticed 6 short, fine daggers, which where perfectly identical. Although he never fought with daggers before, he somehow seemed to remember them.... but where had he seen them before?
Just as Vael picked them up to take a closer look, One of the guards shouted:
"Hey, you over there! You better hurry, your fight is about to begin!"
Still irritated by the familarity of the daggers, Vael decided to take them with him. After all, he didn't know how to fight with any weapons, so it wouldn't make a difference.

Revan foolishly decided to brave the mountainous path. He knew it was not the brightest idea he has ever made but he knew that the thrill would be exhilarating. He stretched and double checked all of his equipment before he ventured towards the valleys.

@Vael

The stadium roared with shouts, screams, laughter, and applause as Vael entered the Arena.  He walked towards the center as giant gates shut behind him.  Before him was a large man, big as a bear.  The man laughed openly when he saw his opponent carrying 6 little daggers.  Honestly, what would a dagger do against such a beast of a man?  The bear picked up a hammer lying on the ground next to him and swung it around to his shoulder, letting out a loud ggrrrraaaaaaaagh as he flung it through the air.

"Ladies and gentlemen!"  A loud voice was somehow projected across the stadium, one guess through some sort of wind manipulation.  "Today we present you with Herk the Bear and Vael the firemaster!  Who will join Zenith and his might Freeseekers?  Will it be the beast, Herk and his brute strength?  Or will this firemaster have a trick or two up his sleeves?"

The crowd roared and Herk taunted Vael with growls and swinging his hammer through the air.  This fight seemed impossible.

"Fighters!  Are... you... ready!?"  This wasn't a question, but instead an opening to this.  "BEGIN!"  And with that, Herk the Bear came charging at Vael.


@Revan
It was midday and Revan had some daylight to make his way towards the ominous mountains.  It would take the rest of the day just to get to the base of the mountains, but if he maneuvered correctly tomorrow, he could possibly make it all the way past the mountains and not have to camp overnight with goblins dangerously nearby.

Revan continued on towards the valley contemplating whether the thrill would be well worth the trouble he could potentially face. He hurried towards the mountains looking up at their tall stature as the sun slowly fell over them. He got a odd feeling in his gut as he began to look out for any odd sightings.

As Revan continued his trek off the beaten road, 2 figures could be seen in the horizon, they were too far off for the eyes to make out just who or what they were, but there was a eerie feeling about them.  The way they were moving wasn't normal.

Revan began to stare off at the horizon trying to adjust his eyes to identify the two eerie figures. He then began to kneel onto one knee resting his head on it and his hands onto the ground. he began to focus and channel energy through the ground, his hands glowing a dark green color he began to listen to the earth. Using his years of hunting knowledge to try and determine what the creatures were.

Revan's abilities of insight were well used, although his elemental stamina was partially drained.  The two figures appeared to be a man and a goblin, both were bleeding from what seemed to be battle wounds.  The man had a sword sheathed to his side and the goblin dragged an axe behind him.  While Revan continued to observe the figures, the man fell down, incapacitated from his wounds.

Vael saw at the first glance that he had no chance beating this enemy.If he tried to concentrate on forming a flame, it could end deadly, concidering the raw power Hark swang his hammer with, and he couldn't get in range of his daggers either.
Hark now was directly in front of Vael, swinging his hammer like a berserker, leaving Vael barely any time for dodgeing. This was a one-sided battle, and there was only one way it was likely to end.
Suddenly Vael felt a sharp pain in his right arm - he was hit. Feeling his bones shatter under the force of the bears hammer, Vael collapsed on the floor, closing his eyes, awaiting the strike to end the battle.
Then he heard an uproar from the audience -Suprised that he wasn't dead yet, Vael opened his eyes and saw Hark staring at him, his eyes opened wide in terror.
The next moment, he noticed what was wrong - Vael was on fire.
Slowly getting back on his feet, trying not to use his right arm, he noticed that the flames were collecting around his left hand. He looked down and saw the daggers he was holding during the battle, now glowing in white heat.
Vael, using up his last power, ran towards Hark, who was now dropping his hammer in fear, and stabbed him in the right arm with the glowing daggers.
please note that these aren't magical daggers, he heated thrm up himself.

Revan ran towards the two figures. Unknowing as to what happened. He tried to hide behind any cover that he could as to not let the goblin notice him but get close enough to see what is happening.

@Vael
"Rrrraaaaaaaarrrggh!!!"  Herk let out a pathetic cry for such a large man.  "What the hell are you?"  Herk staggered backwards clutching his right arm.  Luckily for the poor brute, he could take a hit.  That attack would've probably mortally wounded lesser men.  "My arm!"  Herk looked down at the gash in his arm.  It wasn't bleeding, due to the sheer heat of the dagger when it penetrated his skin, it instantly seared.  That wasn't the problem.  There was so much heat in that attack that the flesh around the cut was still smoldering.

Herk was hurt, no doubt, but he staggered for his hammer anyway.  He wanted to kill this devil now.  No one lived to tell of their battle with Herk, and the brute wasn't planning on letting this guy off.  Lifting his hammer slowly, but still with much strength, Herk swung at Vael again.  The hammer crashed instead into a nearby rock and left Herk vulnerable to the mercy (or judgement) of Vael.

The audience roared at this and screamed, "Kill him!"  It was obvious this arena wasn't for mere sparring, it was designed for fights to the death.

@Revan
A closer look revealed the goblin helping the wounded man.  What could this possibly mean?  Weren't goblins unintelligent creatures, capable only of savagery?  The goblin had dropped his axe and his full attention was devoted to the injured man.  The two hadn't noticed their stalker getting closer.

Vael had no intention to kill Hark. He knew the bear would have killed him, but he didn't want to play these games - he didn't kill someone without a reason, although he was a headhunter - he didn't like doing it.
He looked down on Hark. It was pathetic, the same person who just tried to kill him was now laying on the ground, nearly crying for mercy.
 
Vael gave a disgusted glance at the audience, thirsting for blood with greedy looks on their faces.
He slowly turned around to them, letting the flames around him burst out once more. Instantly, their greed turned into fear as they realized again what just happened.
In the moment that his victory was announced, Vael passed out.

The gates of the arena opened and head guard Ryan Scott ran out escorted by a handful of heavily armed guards.  They ran towards Herk the Bear and the now fully nude Vael.  What power Ryan thought as he examined the panting man.  It was obvious Vael had won this fight, why he didn't kill the brute was unknown to everyone in the audience.

Before the crowd could start a riot in the stands, a loud voice filled the stadium again.  "The victor... Vael!  Now folks, don't worry, if that wasn't enough actions for you, we've got a special treat for you!  A group of mercenaries from Dylon's Drifters have agreed to put on a spectacle performance for you!  4 men, facing off against a horde of goblins, here, right before your very eyes-"  The voice continued, as Ryan came before Vael.

"Put this on,"  Ryan Scott handed Vael a blanket and began walking him out of the arena, leaving his guards to tend to the broken down heap of a man.  It took 3 guards to lift Herk to his feet, but they slowly made their way behind the victorious Vael and their head guard.  "Quite a show you put on back there," Ryan said, still amazed at the performance.  "I think Zenith was pleased."  With that, he pointed to an area in the stands that stood out, as it had a throne, and seated on it was Zenith, and nearby robed figures stood vigilantly.  "We'll get you cleaned up, then make our way to Zenith."  The gates to the arena closed behind them as the crowd roared at the sight of goblins flooding out from other gates.  The crowd couldn't tell how weak and emaciated these goblins were as they had been being starved for days in the cellars beneath the stadium.  Nevertheless, the 4 mercenaries came out shortly after and began the blood bath.

Chris ran down the street, her tattered cloak whipping behind her and the wind ruffling her short, messy hair. She hadn't meant to be late, but a minor misunderstanding with the town guards regarding a piece of property someone had misplaced had slowed her down considerably. She hoped Scott was a patient man. Panting, she arrived at the appointed meeting place.

As Chris approached the clock tower, she noticed someone was lying on the bench underneath it.  Scott Hemming snorted and rolled over, fast asleep.  The square where the clock tower was located was loud and busy, especially at 9:30 in the morning, however, the old man was sleeping like a baby.

Chris allowed herself a grin, and began thinking up all manner of devious pranks to pull on the old man. Just before she could put her plan into action, however, he rolled over and awoke.
"Oh, 'ello," said Chris, trying to sound nonchalant.

The old man grumbled and stood up.  "You're late."  He looked at her and realized in her youth she probably didn't value time like he did so he didn't press the matter any further.  "Well, I suppose you're ready to get this show on the road."  Scott walked up to her, examining her up and down, the walked in a circle around her examining her further.  It seemed creepy for an old man to be staring at a young girl so intently, although notions of sex had long left his mind.  He was merely sizing her up and studying her details.

He stopped in front of her once he'd made a complete circle.  "This is what you're going to do.  Hide--no, not just yet."

Scott looked around at the local vendors, then pulled something out of his pocket.  It appeared to be a firecracker.  This was no ordinary firecracker however, as Chris would soon come to find out.  He had crafted it himself.  He gathered static from the air around him causing a bright spark which ignited the fuse of the firecracker.  He dropped the toy and smiled wryly.  As the firecracker hit the ground a cloud of smoke briefly consumed the two.  Chris felt him hand her a bag, and when the cloud vanished, Scott was no longer in front of her, but his voice was loud as ever.  "There she is!  See!  She has Madame Victoria's precious sack!  Get her!"  Scott then took off running away from Chris, while a crowd of Royal Guards come rushing towards Chris.  As Scott vanished into the city his voice trailed off with, "Lesson 1:  Running is hiding!"

"This is just bloody unfair!" said Chris aloud. She was stunned for only a moment, then bolted as fast as her legs would carry her. "This ain't my fault, ya know!" she called back to the pursuing guards, and, for perhaps the first time in her life, it was actually true. Not looking back, she used her knowledge of the city to take the smallest possible alleyways, where the guards hopefully wouldn't be able to follow due to their bulky armor. She had no idea how long they kept up the chase, but once she hadn't heard the clank of their armor or the thunder of their footsteps for several minutes, she swung up onto a roof, where she collapsed, spread-eagled.
"This old man's gonna kill me," she breathed.

"Hardly."  Scott Hemming was standing directly behind Chris.  He couldn't hide his amusement this time and let out a hearty laugh.  "Congratulations on completing the first lesson!  It's important to be able to escape, seeing how you won't always be able to hide in shadows.  Now then, are you ready for lesson 2, or have you already had enough--you look out of breath!"  He was beaming, somehow he had made it just as far, if not further than Chris and there wasn't a bead of sweat on him.

Revan watched the goblin for a few moments longer and then decided to approach them. Trying his best to not look threatening to the goblin. He walked forward.

Chris wasn't sure whether to admire his skill or punch him in the mouth. She climbed to her feet, and took several deep breaths.
"'Course I'm ready," she lied.

@Revan

The goblin looked up and hissed at Revan.  "Stay back!"  The goblin was slightly confused as to whether he should continue trying to heal the injured man or get ready to fight this other human.  Thinking the battle was inevitable, the goblin reached for his axe.  "What do you want human?"


@Chris

"Very well!  To begin this lesson..."  The old man pulled out another firecracker, "...you will have to do the chasing!"  Again Scott summoned electricity from the static in the air to ignite the firecracker, and he let it fall to the ground again, exploding in a puff of smoke like last time.  When the smoke vanish, the old man was no where in sight.

As soon as she saw the firecracker, Chris knew there was going to be trouble. As soon as the smoke cleared, Chris jumped to the roof of the building next door and stood on the chimney, giving her a clearer view of the streets. She squinted down into the alleyways, trying to make out the old man through the regular bustle of the city. Finally, she caught a glimpse of silver moving through the crowd: the old man's hair. She scrambled off the roof and set off after him at a sprint. "Gotcha!" she yelled, nearly tackling the old man. "Ha, thought ya could-" She froze. The old man continued to stare at her in a sort of shocked daze. The wrong old man. Chris swore, and ran off before he could call the guards; she'd been in enough trouble with them already.

Back on the roof, she sat down and thought, trying to think of some sort of clue. Then she remembered the bag the old man had given her in the first test; she was still carrying it. She pulled out the bag, and examined its contents.

Revan lifted his arms slowly into the air. "I'm only passing through, not here to cause trouble nor fight. I can help you with this man if you would let me."

Pyrrhus arrived late, mid-day instead of early morning. He was dressed in whatever the officer had given him, but sported a cloak fashioned with various knick-knacks and contraptions he enjoyed. He liked being late. I made him feel privileged and special, as if he were free from at least some of the world's burdens, especially deadlines. He always remembered, but never cared to fulfill obligations. In short, he was lazy.

He showed up though on the day he promised. He didn't know how the captain would react, but when he stepped in front of the building what did he find, but...

@Chris

There was a note in the bag.

"Lesson 2: Hiding is running"

She rustled through the bag further and found Madame Victoria's panties.  How the old man got a hold of those was a mystery.  Another note was in the bag however.

"Good job looking in the bag, young pupil!"

*Chris gained experience*


@Pyrrhus

"Lieutenant Pyrrhus, am I glad to see you!"  Captain Orion ran out of the building, grabbed Pyrrhus and began walking.  "Some citizens weren't happy about the draft and began rioting.  We've got to get to the draft office quickly before it gets any further out of hand."  The Captain took off running and Pyrrhus had no choice but to follow.  They arrived quickly to a scene of about a dozen men harassing a few soldiers.

"It looks like you'll see action on your first day as an officer afterall!  I think we can handle these peasants, just try not to kill anyone.  These people aren't our enemy."  With that Captain Orion began effectively brawling with the rioters, taking down one with a simple maneuver around to his backside and choking the rioter til he was unconscious.  "I've already taken care of one!"  He shouted, "Are you going to help me or just stand there"  Orion let out a chuckle and continue subduing the uprising.

@Revan

The goblin looked at the young hunter realizing this man didn't seem to have any desire to kill him.  "The only way I can save this man is if I get him to a physician.  There is one the man spoke of in Port Brenan, although I could never been seen in a city, I'd be killed on the spot.  If we don't start moving him though, he will die.  I'm too small to carry him unfortunately... you damned humans are all so big.  Nevertheless... do you still want to help?"  The goblin was obviously desperate, and the reason he was with this man in the first place, let alone helping him, was still a mystery.

   Aseras awakes from a deep slumber, after returning from an earlier mission he had exhausted himself. He feels energized and anxious to kill, with no current missions being issued at the moment he decides to visit his mother's grave in the mountains. He always feels like she is next to him when he is there, so he also goes there for a blessing before he leaves to complete a task.

  When Aseras arrived at the grave site he began to think about his life, the way it has turned out. He wonders what things would be like if he had joined the militia like his parents. As he drifts off into his daydream, a stick behind him cracks, and acting on instinct, he pulled out his blade and held it close to one of the perpetrator's vitals. Aseras realizes that the person sneaking up on him was a fellow brother, he sheathes his blade, and apologizes.

 "Hail brother, what brings you out here?" Aseras asks.
 "Sister Sophia has requested your presence, she has some sort of 'special task' for you."
 "Right away."

  Aseras swiftly says goodbye to his mother and disappears. As he arrives to the Brotherhood's sanctuary, he sees Sister Sophia waiting for him just outside the entrance.

Pyrrhus looked around for some open space. This was fairly simple. In the art of theft, you must be trained to be able to leave as little evidence for a crime as possible. The only difference from his work was that he wouldn't have to kill anyone or clean up the blood.

Pyrrhus silently snuck up behind a civilian and grabbed him by the nape of his shirt. Dragging him down low, Pyrrhus hit him three times in the neck, the stomach and the chest, after which the victim passed out. He proceeded in this manner, until the numbers were down to perhaps four. He looked at the captain, who had taken down as much men as he, and then looked back at the rest of the victims. He and the captain took out the remaining rioters in this manner.

Seles awoke the next day full of energy.  After greeting her parents and having a small breakfast, she went to go train out in the fields in an area that she had designated as hers.

There were two long, rectangular shaped columns of water running from north to south with only 3 feet between them.  On the south side end of each, there lay two large vases filled with water.  These vases had a very intricate design with colors of gold and azure.  The townspeople had made these two gifts for Seles for all she has done for them.

Seles walked into the middle of the area, sat down, and set her Guqin at rest with support from the edges of the columns.  She slowly raised her hand, caressed the edge of the water to test its temperature, and lightly plucked the first note, the lowest one of the instrument.  As the sound resonated from the string, vibrations ran across the columns of water, forming many waves.  She continued in the same manner with the six remaining strings of the instrument, each one making the waves dash quicker across the pool.

She then started to play a song that began slow but powerful.  With every note, the water shook in harmony.  As the beat picked up, so did the water.  The water splashed as each sound wave hit it, causing water to spray everywhere.

As the song reached its climax, Seles started to concentrate harder.  As her hands moved back and forth across the strings in great fervor, big waves of water rushed in the same direction, causing the water in the vases to push against the sides.  This continued for a few more bars, and the vases almost tipped over from the disturbance.

The silence from the song's abrupt end rang through the air, and the water started to calm.

Seles once again touched the surface of the water.
"Hm... it got warmer."


(Lol... I hope that whole thing made sense @.@)

Revan nodded to the goblin. "Yes, I will help and get him to Port Brenan as fast as I can." Revan prepared to carry the man on his way to Port Brenan. Although he thought he would encounter goblins he never dreamed of actually having a conversation with one, let alone helping one.

"One thing before I go." Revan looked at the goblin with a puzzled expression. "May I ask why you would want to help a human?"

@Aseras
The Brotherhood Sanctuary wasn't impressive, as it was underground and rather dark.  The inner chambers were a different story, but very few people saw the insides of those.  A door to the inner chamber opened and an elder stepped out and whispered something to Sister Sophia who had been waiting for Aseras.  She shook her head in acknowledgment to the elder and he returned to the inner chambers.

Sister Sophia greeted Aseras.  "Hello brother.  I apologize that I don't have time to chat.  The inner chamber requires my presence.  Here is your assignment, sorry for the short notice."  Sophia didn't allow Aseras to say anything in return; she handed him a letter, and turned around leaving him for the inner chamber.  Foolish men would say that she was beautiful, everything about her; the long silky black hair, deep dark blue eyes, long legs that she moved with in a very elegant-lady-like way.  She was; however, a black-widow of women, taking advantage of men's lust to get where she is now, an ear to the inner chamber.  She was perhaps the most ruthless killer in the Brotherhood.  She shut the door to the inner chamber behind her securely, and that was that.  Aseras had his assignment in hand.  He was to travel to Unificus.  There was a known member of the Thieves Guild there who was a little too perceptive for his own good.  His name was Scott Hemming, and he was to be terminated.


@Pyrrhus
*Pyrrhus gained experience
"Phew," the Captain exhaled.  "Not bad for an old bloke who does nothing but recruit, eh?"  The Captain then ordered the soldiers to escort the people to the jail where they would spend the night contemplating their disobedience (and perhaps finding out some persuasive ways Prince Capsol's army had of convincing citizens to behave).

The Captain and Pyrrhus began making their way back to the armory.  "Well, I do apologize for that interruption in the day's schedule.  Today wasn't going to be much more than making sure you were outfitted for tomorrow's departure anyway."  They made their way into the armory and were surrounded by an arsenal of weapons and armor.  "Being an officer has its perks-one of them being sufficient access to supplies.  You'll find your preference in weapons here, along with an armorer who will fit you with a nice light mail that I think even a man of your strength will handle just fine.  What I need you to do is outfit yourself and gather your things to be ready tomorrow 0600 sharp.  The army will be leaving Castle Terna, and who knows when they'll return."


@Seles
Seles's powers were increasing due to her devout training.
*Seles gained experience*

@Revan
The goblin seemed reluctant to talk to Revan.  "You humans don't realize it, but there is a whole other world up in those mountains.  Humans and Goblins have an understanding up there, although... complications do arise.  This human was doing a cultural study with a small tribe of Goblins who accepted his request with a band of adventurers raided the tribe and the human along with all us goblins there.  You think we're savage?  At least we don't attack our own so easily.  You humans are self-centered creatures always looking out for yourself.  It surprised me when this man had a desire to learn about us as if he actually saw us as intelligent creatures capable of more than savagery.  Him and I managed to escape the raid, but we were both injured in the process.  We've travelled 8 miles from the mountain ridge, I'm suprised he made it this far.  Luckily my regenerative nature healed most of my wounds, but you fragile humans don't share my abilities.  That's why I'm trying to get him to one of your physicians as soon as possible.  We couldn't go back into the mountains, not with those madmen still running around."

"Understandable. Perhaps you would accept me to visit your tribe sometime? After we get this man help that is. IF you can direct me in the safest and quickest route to Port Brenan and I will get this man medical attention. Oh, and for formality purposes my name is Revan." He slowly offered to shake the goblins hand.

Pyrrhus looked around at all the different weapons and thanked the Captain as he left before he let out a sigh of joy. Here was a place he was comfortable, surrounded by all the inanimate demons who awaited his beck and call. He picked out a sword with about his arm's length and weight and two daggers which felt much sturdier than the one's he had carried. He then went over to the armorer and asked for his armor to be ready by tomorrow at 0600 at the latest. The armorer took his measurements and bade him farewell.

Things were looking up and the sky seemed a bit brighter. Pyrrhus was overjoyed until he reached the shocking realization: he had no where to sleep tonight. Usually he would have spied out a house during the day while stealing foods, but he lost his time dealing with the insignificant pests. He wondered what he should do...

Bysir sat next to His fire in the Mountains, having just arrived overlooking Unificus. So many years, so many deaths. He rubbed His shoulder, sore from a wound taken in much younger years. Bysir had been an assassin in His youth, pledging allegiance to a faction of the Order of the Paladin few even knew of . For Bysir's crimes, He believed that God himself had cursed Him to walk the earth for eternity. It had been something of the range of 200 years since Bysir had a Friend, but Family, Family He watched. Which is what brought Him to Unificus. His great grandson Edvin was killed just this month, for "treason." He had been executed in the city center as an example. Edvin's crime? A letter to His father. For this, Bysir swore, Prince Wensil must die.

   Aseras stood there, silently thinking of what impact his next victim's death would have on the world. He wondered why he loved killing so much, why he was so bitter towards a human being. He shoved the thought out of his head, that kind of thinking could get him killed or worse being in the Brotherhood.
   He unsheathed his short sword, and noticed it was damaged and dull. He went inside the sanctuary and headed for the smith, if he had anything close to a friend in this god forsaken cavern, then Brother Blade was that. He had been Aseras' guide when he was first recruited, then during a mission his leg was severed. So the Brotherhood wouldn't get rid of him, he trained in blacksmithing and engineering and started a stock for the assassins. He often created new types of weaponry useful for assassins, so Aseras figured he would see what he had to offer.
   When Aseras walked through the doorway, Blade was working on constructing....

Chris sat in frustration, watching the setting sun. She had searched for hours, but there had been no sign of the old man. Her knowledge of the city had lead her to search every nook and cranny in the district, but it was to no avail. Now that it was dark, there was no way she was going to find Scott. As the last rays of the sun passed beyond the horizon, she let out a long sigh. Well, there was nothing for it now. She'd have to continue in the morning. Depressed, she found the most sheltered street corner she could, wrapped herself up in her worn cloak, and drifted off to sleep.

@Revan

"Formalities..."  The goblin shook its head, "What you call manners I deem rude and unnecessary.  Nevertheless, much as this man tried to understand our culture, I'll try to understand yours."  The goblin bowed, "You can call me K'thelok, it is the shorter version of my name in my native tongue."  K'thelok left it at that and the two silently and swiftly moved into the night towards Port Brenan.

"There it is."  The goblin pointed ahead at a glow just around a foothill to their left.  "Port Brenan is just around this corner, I can't go any further.  The blood I fed him earlier won't sustain him much longer."  K'thelok noticed a strange look come across Revan's face at the thought of the man being fed blood.  "Oh don't give me that look, goblins are naturally more regenerative than humans, if I hadn't done that he'd be dead by now."  K'thelok dropped his pack and his axe.  "I'll be setting up camp here.  Do what you will with this man, he's your burden now.  I will not be here when you come back, but I have noted your open-mindedness and deem you worthy enough to perhaps one day meet with me again.  Take this, it has a scent too mild for any human to notice, but a goblin's nose can smell that from nearly a mile away.  If you're ever wandering in my part of the mountains where you saw us coming from, I'll be sure to find you."

*Revan recieved a Goblin Stone


@Pyrrhus
As he was wandering the streets for a place to sleep, he came across a Holy Shrine.  He decided this was a good a place as ever to bed down for the night, at least he would have "god" watching him tonight, if such a notion existed.  He laid down on a bench and went to sleep.


@Bysir
Two generations ago King Ursa's father, King Charles, learned of the Dark Circle, and having been a paladin in his youth, shunned the abomination that was the Dark Circle.  He sent many men out to find any information on the members of the Dark Circle and was largely successful getting every name of the ex-paladins.  After this one done a decree was set throughout the kingdom and bounties were placed on the heads of every Dark Circle member.  Their numbers dwindled down to a dozen, as a frenzy was raging in adventurers hearts to kill these Dark Paladins and collect their bounty.  However, the mountains were too dangerous to chase after the members, and eventually the adventurers lost interest in the bounty.

10 years later, when the Dark Circle was less prominent in King Charles mind, Alex Starwright descended from the mountains and entered Unificus, disguised.  During a public address, Alex Starwright assassinated King Charles gruesomely, decapitating him and throwing his head into the crowd of people.

"This is what becomes of cowards and fools!"  Alex screamed at the crowd as the King's Guard tested his immortality with their blades.  The steel penetrated his chest and Alex fell face forward into the crowd.  The next day the Queen issued a decree that anyone associated with the Dark Circle in any way would be made an example of in front of the entire town.  King Ursa continued this legacy and passed it down to his sons.

Since then security in Unificus has included familiarization with the Dark Circle and intense training to recognize and effectively combat any of these Dark Paladins that showed their face again.  24 years ago a Dark Paladin entered Unificus, thinking he was disguised, but a birthmark of his gave away his identity and a public hanging was held, the Dark Paladin the main exhibit.

For 24 years, no Dark Paladin had gone anywhere near a large city, but now, rage filled Bysir's heart and that would all soon change.

@Aseras

Brother blade picked up a strange looking blade.  Along one side of the blade was a fine tubing made out of a meshy material.  "This is Stinger, and my original creation.  I know you're learning to utilize poisons and thought I'd make something specifically for you."  He flipped the sword around and revealed a compartment in the hilt that he opened and pulled out a bag.  "All you have to do is fill this bag with whatever poison you're concocted, close it up tight, and now you'll inflict your poison with every strike.  I took the liberty of throwing in my special blend initially, in case you didn't have any readied poisons.  Anyway."  Brother Blade handed Stinger over to Aseras, "I hope you enjoy."

@Chris
When Chris was finally asleep, the old man came over to her with a blanket, draped it over her and left a note for the girl.  Chris would come to find out that it read this, "Meet me back on the rooftop in the morning, don't worry if I'm there or not when you show, in fact, I'll tell you this now, you won't find me there.  Lesson 2 continues tomorrow!"

Kiba

Kiba shot up in bed, breathing heavily and coated in sweat. It was still early, Kiba guessed around 1 in the morning, and two of the candles he had left burning from his training were still lit, flickering gently.

It was not the thought of impending war that had woken him so early, but rather the strange dream he had just left. In the dream a strange wispy monster-like figure seeped out of the hilt of Azrael. It began speaking to Kiba, but he could not hear what it was saying, as if it was truly miles away rather than standing in front of him.

He managed to make out two words; Training and Windwalker.

He had only managed to read Windwalker by remembering what Carzual had said not twelve hour ago, but the rest he could not see.

Kiba slowly paced over to Azrael and effortlessly picked it up. He realised he had never actually spoken the hilt's name, and uttered a quiet "Azrael" into the darkness. Suddenly, and for just a split second, he felt everything. The oxygen in his lungs, the small candles which seemed to get slightly brighter then died down, the jug of water on his desk, the strong wind outside his closed window, the breathing of every Paladin in the halls. Only for a moment, for a split second.

Well, Kiba was awake now, and restlessly alert after picking up the windwalker's hilt. He decided he needed a bath and some prayer before the six o'clock call, and wondered the best place to do those things. The Paladin shrine had no baths in the instantly-accessible area, and they were closed at this hour. The public shrine, however, was closer, and had public baths usable all night for any patrons that desired them.

He gathered his effects, including the newly fashioned scabbard for his back, and headed off to the public shrine. There were few who were resting here tonight, but one man in particular caught his eye. He was dressed in off-standard military gear, and had what looked to be a regular sword. Kiba thought to himself "to each his own", and quietly walked past in the direction of the baths.

(start day 3 round about now? I'm ready for war :D)

On the way out of the foothills Bysir spotted a building, maybe a tavern, built between two large oak trees. On approach, the sign above the door read "Two Trees Inn." Fitting, Bysir thought. Bed down, develop a plan in the morning Bysir reasoned. The innkeeper,  Roman, limped to the counter and eyed Bysir curiously. Bysir paid for a room, and headed to bed for the night. The morning would bring clarity and fate always played in his favor.

Day 3: Inevitability


An army mobilizes.  The gears of the clock of war continue turning, faster now than before.  A city is fortified.  This will not be a quick ordeal.  Warriors are hardened in a battle dome.  The inevitable is coming.

Fendmoore and it's people rose with the sun as usual.  As the first boat hit the water, another boat was setting sail from Port Brenan.  Instantly the entire waters of the ocean surged and a wave surged onto all the coastlines simultaneously.  Most didn't notice.  The waters calmed shortly thereafter and business continued on as usual.

Outside of Unificus in the nearby Two Trees Inn, a dark stranger slept soundly.  The innkeeper, Roman felt this man seemed out of place, he'd never seen eyes as dark as this stranger's.  A strange chill had run up Roman's spine as soon as the stranger had entered the building.  After fronting hospitality, the innkeeper proceeded to wake his wife, and allow her to take over the rest of the night shift.  Roman set off quickly to Unificus, it was only an hour's walk away.  Upon arriving to the city, he was greeted by the Royal Guard, and immediately told of the dark stranger.  Running up through the proper authorities, the Royal Guard notified the 1st Investigative Unit of the King's Guard (also known as the King's Watchmen).  The Watchmen inquired about the stranger at the inn and had reasonable suspicion as to his identity, only 11 members of the Dark Circle were left, and even though their numbers were small, they would remain an active threat against the king (or in this case, Prince Wensil).  The 1st I.U. sent out Theed, although he was 56 years old, Theed was one of the Watchmen who took down Alex Starwright years before.  He would be able to tell if this stranger had the darkness in his eyes or not, and if he was in fact a Dark Paladin, he would know how to stop him.  The innkeeper and Theed set out for the Two Trees Inn, they'd make it back before daybreak.

Scott Hemming remained hidden on top of the rooftop quietly waiting for Chris to return.  He had been hoping that Chris would've found him the day prior, but he supposed it was good for him to practice maintaining his concentration for such a long period of time.  He saw potential in this girl, he just wondered how long he would have before past deeds of his caught up with him.  He'd been in Unificus for too long already.

In ShishraVael stayed asleep from the end of the battle all the way through the night.  This time he slept on an amazingly comfortable bed in the palace of Zenith.  Zenith was quite pleased with his performance, despite the fact that Vael hadn't killed Herk the Bear at the end.  No matter, Herk was effectively cut up into pieces and fed to the goblins in the dungeons below the arena.  No point in keeping a loser of the arena alive.  Now Zenith waited patiently for word of Vael awakening.  The lord had great plans for this young firemaster, and was fully convinced that Vael would become a great asset to his Freeseekers.

Castle Terna was busy early in the morning.  Along with the sun, a battalion of soldiers and a platoon of paladins rose to greet the day.  In a holy shrine, Kiba prayed, and just outside, Pyrrhus slept somewhat soundly.  The 1st Infantry Battalion along with the group of paladins would set out today, their destination, not Unificus, but the town of Darson instead.  Prince Capsol's interest in the town was unknown to all but his highest ranked military officers, along with a few paladin elders from the Order.

Outside Port Brenan, a goblin returned to its native mountains.  Inside a man recovered slowly in the home of a local doctor.  The benevolence of a fellow man, along with that of a goblin saved the man's life.  The streets were busy as the town woke up, Port Brenan was always busy sending ships out and merchants were constantly restocking their stores with goods from traders.  Looking out to the sea as a ship left, the sky seemed darker.  The ship was sailing south into the deep ocean it appeared.

---

---

Rumor of the Day
Goblin #1: "These flatfooted humans are restless.  It appears as if they're about to fight eachother."
Goblin #2: "They claim to be of superior intelligence, but how it is they kill others of the same skin?"
Goblin #1: "We'll show them who's superior, I heard the Big Boss is making negotiations with Shaman of the Northern Yetis."
Goblin #2: *Squeals in excitement*  "The Yeti?!  Oh that will be most interesting!"

---

---

Significant Events
-Unificus is having their census today from the hours of 8 a.m. today to 8 a.m. tomorrow.  All citizens from here on out caught without their ID assigned during census will be arrested and questioned.
-Prince Capsol mobilizes his army and they begin marching towards the town of Darson.

Revan left the healing man to prepare for his travel towards Castle Terna. As Revan walked the bustling streets of the town he noticed in the sky the darkness that he seen the day before. He had a flashback of the prior day when the woman dressed in the emerald robe attacked him. He leaned against the side of a building and looked up into the sky. Revan decided he should head out as soon as possible try to make it to Castle Terna before sun down. As Revan was walking towards the exit to the town he couldn't help but keep looking over towards the ocean. An eerie feeling sweeping over him he continued on his way.

A ship continued sailing on the ocean, south from Port Brenan.  A woman looked back at the mainland, then up at the sky, an emptiness was growing in her heart, a well of darkness consuming her more and more every day.  She didn't understand her blackouts, or the reason she was on the ocean, but she knew she had to continue traveling.  Unaware of where she was going, she continued staring back at the home she was leaving behind, the home she was steadily forgetting.

Revan continued to look back towards the ocean watching as the ship sailed south and the darkness over the sky moving along with it. Revan knew that woman was on that ship. He wanted to find her and see why she attacked him. But how could he manage to make it onto that ship he wondered. Revan knew he could either press onward or possibly find a way onto that ship. He knew he was very keen for making foolish decisions and he continued his journey towards Castle Terna. Looking back more and more as he felt the eerie feeling he was feeling become less extreme as the darkness over the sky moved farther and farther out.

A shadow stalked Revan--a shadow by the name of Robert Pollen.  Just before Revan exited Port Brenan's city gates, the shadow jumped out in front of Revan, outstretched his hand in a friendly gesture and stated, "Robert Pollen."

Revan looking confused at first shook the mans hand and with a smile. "Hello Mr.Pollen, my name is Revan." Revan gave this man a good look up and down trying to understand why this man had got infront of him.

Bysir woke just before daybreak and began collecting his things. Before setting out he would consult the Darkness through meditation. Bysir had done this countless times, relax breathing, channel energy, visualize the darkness within stretching, breathe, expand, breathe. The fog crept to the door, and then beyond, Bysir knew that there was an elite group of soldiers trained specifically to hunt his kind. How to get past, what disguise will work, what path is true? Just then Bysir shuddered with fear "The Light?!?! HERE?!?!" Bysir snapped to his feet, drew his swords and turned to face the door just as the handle turned....

@Revan
"Right!  Revan!  Good name!"  Robert Pollen began pacing back and forth.  Well let me be up front!  I'm a rogue-for-hire and I could just sense the adventure you reek of.  What do you say about me tagging alone with you and your journies?"  The energetic man stood still as a big grin came over his face, a strangely genuine and happy smile.


@Bysir
Theed approached the inn, was let in by Roman and greeted by his wife.  He kept the introductions short;however, if there was indeed a member of the Dark Circle present, he must act fast.

"Where is the dark stranger staying?"  Theed inquired and was shown to a door on the second floor of the inn.  Theed turned the handle on the door, and began opening it.  His reaction to the man in front of him was slower than he'd hoped.  The Watchman reached for his sword as quickly as he could.  Damn, it's been a long time, Theed thought to himself in the midst of the excitement.  This is definitely a Dark Paladin, he must of been in a meditative state for me not to notice him sooner.  I forgot how difficult it was to detect a being void of a heart.  With that, Theed began to unsheath his sword.

Revan thought to himself for a moment. He could really use an extra person to tag along with him. "Sure why not Mr. Pollen the more the merrier. I'm currently heading to Castle Terna."

*Robert Pollen joined Revan's party!*
*Now that you have a party member, you can utilize their abilities as you see fit.  If you have any questions about their background or their abilities, feel free to ask them!*

"Good man!  Well, don't mind me, I'll just quietly trail behind you.  If you want to know anything about me, though, don't hesitate to ask!"  Robert was bouncing with excitement at his new "friend."

"Well then let us get on our way." Revan and Robert started their journey towards Castle Terna. Revan had thought to himself for quite a while about how nice it would be to actually have someone to talk to on his journey now. The traveling merchants he road with to the Crossroads were not very talkative unless he was going to pay them money for something.

After traveling for a short period of time Revan became curious of Robert. "Well since we are going to be traveling together we may as well get to know each other right? So Robert tell me a little about yourself please. Like what kind of abilities do you have and where do you come from?"

Robert Pollen had remained silent like he promised.  When Revan finally inquired about him, however, a grin instantly covered his face.  It was almost sickening how cheery this fellow was.  He spoke up.  "Well, Revan, I'm glad you asked!  While I'm not much for the assassination business many rogues find comforting, or the thievery others enjoy, I do quite enjoy hiding in the shadows and getting into places I'm not supposed to be.  I grew up in Shishra, and it had so many places I wasn't supposed to be.  Because of that, I was able to hone my stealthy ways and now I offer my services to the likes of you and other adventurers!  Why don't I request a payment?  Well that's a silly thing to wonder, you see, I'm paid in delightful experiences, friendly new faces, and new places to explore!"

Revan liked this man very cheerful and outgoing yet doing what he is asked. Revan smiled at the man. "Nice to know Robert." Revan and Robert exchanged many conversations along their travel towards Castle Terna. As they grew closer and closer to Castle Terna Revan got an odd feeling in his stomach, passing it off he continued along their journey watching out for anything suspicious.

"Revan, let's stop."  A seriousness befell Robert Pollen that was uncanny for the rogue.  He nodded off in the distance just around the bend of the road.  There was an odd stack of rocks that most people wouldn't have noticed.  This rogue had a good eye it seemed.  "I bet you those rocks didn't stack themselves.  What do you want to do?"

Revan thought to himself a moment before he looked at Robert. Revan then knelt down onto one knee and began to focus his energy into the earth. A green aura covering Revan he focused his power to travel the memory of the earth and see why the rocks were stacked unnaturally.

Bysir lunged at Theed, extending the short sword in his right hand to meet with Theed's carotid artery. "too slow" Bysir thought as he watched Theed draw his sword at an alarming rate.....

@Revan
Revan's insight allowed him to sense the area around the rocks.  There was nothing special about the rocks, but nearby across the road a wire was cleverly camouflaged.  There was clearly a trap.  Revan attempted to maintain his concentration a bit longer, but could not long enough to see just what the trap consisted of (due to low Willpower).  A decision had to be made, how would the hunter and rogue react to the situation?


@Bysir
Theed suprisingly reacted fast enough to the strike, although he unsuccessfully was able to recover from the initial attack.  Fast, Theed thought, a split second earlier I might've been done for.  Unfortunately I'm in no position to counterattack.  The Watchman noticed a second sword in the Dark Paladin's other hand.  This might hurt a bit, Theed braced himself and strategically decided how to shift his weight to soften the blow.

Revan pulled his bow out. "I've never been that great of a marksman. But maybe I can set this trap off if I am lucky enough to cut it with an arrow." Revan pulled out an arrow and began to level out the wire with his bow. He tried to feel the breeze acknoledging any wind that may throw his arrow off point. He readied the bow at what he thought was a good enough point and released the arrow.

Bysir noted Theed's attempt to absorb the blow and adjusted accordingly. The thigh wasn't Bysir's intended target but it would have to do, after all if Bysir had to flee, what better way to prepare for it? Bysir corrected his aim, shifted his weight and plunged the sword into Theed's right thigh, just above the knee....

@Revan
The arrow flew towards the trap.  Revan's strength provided the arrow with enough velocity to hiss through the air quickly forward.  Unfortunately, his low skill with the bow threw the direction off just enough to miss.  The arrow bounced off the ground.  Almost simultaneously, the brush at the side of the road rustled and from the foliage jumped a tall man accompanied by a short woman.

"Well this just won't do," the woman said.

"Not at all," the man stated, "Plan B?"

"Plan B!" the woman threw her hands in the air and an invisible gust cradled her's and her partner's bodies.  The began charging at Revan and Robert with intense velocity.


@Bysir
Theed was not suprised by the pain, and as the blade penetrated his thigh, he whispered something silently in a strange language.  His left hand began glowing red and he pressed it to the blade in his thigh, super-heating the blade enough to to weaken the metal and allow Theed to break the blade in two as he pulled it from his leg.  Tossing the broken half of the sword aside, Theed quickly proceeded to put his hand over the gash, effectively searing the wound to prevent any further bleeding.  His muscle was torn, but Theed had encountered much worse injuries during previous fights.  In a flash, he lifted his hand towards the Dark Paladin and released a wave of heat, effectively knocking Bysir back, luckily against the wall and not out the window.  Theed had his sword ready now, and was effectively attentive to every action the Dark Paladin was making.  Lucky... he thought, then said, "Corrupt Paladin, member of the Dark Circle, Bysir... I am Theed, Watchman of the King.  Throw down your weapon."  Theed's eyes calculated Bysir's every move.  The years had been kind to the old man and he was sharp as ever.

Revan quickly drew his sword and readied his sword to swing as they quickly approached him.

Robert drew his own weapon preparing to fight as well a small smile forming on his face. "I knew there would be some excitement with you."

Revan ignored his comment and as the two drew closer he began to strike.

Bysir shot to his feet, this will end badly if he doesn't think quickly. Luckily for Bysir, this wasn't the first fight he couldn't win, and had prepared for events such as this. He reached into a pouch and sent a shower of glass and oleoresin capsicum directly into Theed's face. Oleoresin capsicum is a strong pepper that will effectively blind someone if the user's aim is true. While the dust was on it's course, Bysir leapt against the wall and rebounded behind Theed's back headed directly for the door.

@Revan
The male and female were dangerously close and saw the blades of Revan and Robert drawn and ready to strike.  The man pronounced loudly, "Great Earth provide for us!"  And with that, the ground beneath the rapidly charging team rose quickly, effectively lobbing them up and over the hunter and the rogue.  They landed effortlessly, probably due to the wind circling them from whatever spell was cast by the woman.  With that, they continued running down the road to Port Brenan, faster than an Elkfolk could run, even.

Robert Pollen looked at Revan.  "I guess we're safe afterall.  Which is really good..." Robert pulled out a slingshot and aimed quickly at the trap, letting loose a rapidly moving rock at the wire.  It set the trap off and a large log swung out from the nearby forest crushing the path where the trap was wired.  "I really only know how to use this slingshot.  Like I told you earlier, I'm not much for killing."  With that he smiled sheepishly and continued walking towards Castle Terna.

*Revan gained experience*


@Bysir
He's quick, Theed thought, unfortunately I can't effectively stop him while disposing over this substance in front of me.  That's all the Watchman had time to think, as he quickly reignited his hand, sending out another heat wave to disintegrate most of the dust flying towards him.  While Theed was saving himself from blindness, however, Bysir effectively escaped past him.  Unfortunately for Bysir, Roman was at the bottom of the stairs, with a gardening tool readied in his hand for "battle".  Theed's eyes still caught some wind of the pepper-attack, and was momentarily stunned.

Bysir made it out the door and half way down the stairs to be greeted by the Innkeeper holding what might as well be a carrot. So this is how Theed had found me, Bysir thought. With one swift move, Bysir sunk the blade in his right hand to the hilt in Roman's chest. Bysir continued down the stairs and out the front door, headed for the refuge of the mountains. After that encounter, I might have underestimated my skill. I need to brush up a bit before my undertaking, perhaps this arena in Shishra could be useful. Bysir pondered this and decided to head there once he was rid of this, menace......

*Bysir gained experience*

Roman's wife heard a blood-curling yell.  She quickly left the closet she'd been hiding in and saw the dark visitor quickly escaping the inn.  Her husband was on the floor, no longer even breathing.  That strike was quick and deadly, Bysir's years as an assassin were shown in it.

Theed recovered and realized the Dark Paladin had escaped completely, there was no use chasing him with an injured thigh.  Dammit, how am I going to explain this to the Prince?  I forgot protocol when it came to these things.  The Watchmen normally had a system set up to alert each other when a threat was present.  Even though the inn was nearly an hour's walk away, there would've been no doubt as to the ability of other Watchmen arriving moments later if Theed had just activated the beacon every Watchman was supposed to do upon an encounter with any threat, let alone against a Dark Paladin.  It had been a long time since Theed had seen any action, and unfortunately it showed in his performance.  He returned to Unificus with thoughts of intense training and recruitment for the Watchmen racing through his head.

Kiba

Kiba had spent the entire morning praying. He had slipped into his tranced state after a warm bath a few hours previously, and had sat as still as ever until what he guessed was just after 5. The sight of a Paladin praying in a common shrine was a sight to behold, and many common folk stood and stared, some even touching the holy Paladin's off-white and sky-blue lined robes. Kiba didn't really mind this, he liked the fact that people thought of the Paladins as holy.

But now Kiba was out of his trance. He had kept Azrael stored behind the counter to prevent anyone from stealing it and was now patiently waiting for the assistant to fetch it for him. As he waited, he wondered about the apparent soldier sleeping outside, and how this 'war' was going to play out. War. Funny concept for brothers.

After retrieving Azrael, and holding that familiar blue hilt, he left the shrine. Kiba noted that the 'soldier' was still there, and tried to wake him, but to no avail.

He set off towards the Order House to find Brendt before they had to set off to the Castle courtyard for the 'war'.

Kiba approached the Order House and upon entering, Brendt was waiting in silent meditation.  23 other paladins had joined him, the silence in the House was amazing for the number of men inside.  These men were elite warriors, highly disciplined in their Paladinian prayers, and capable of amazing feats, especially together.  Some of the paladins also practiced sparring with each other to hone their overall combat skills.  Brendt did this with Kiba often, and that's part of the reason why the two were like brothers.  Now wasn't the time for such games though.

Brendt opened his eyes and broke meditations realizing the only one expected to show was Kiba.  "Good morning.  Rest well?"  The veteran paladin stood and offered grasped his friend's arm in a familiar greeting.

Bysir made it up the first set of foothills along a spur before he stopped to check if his menace had given chase, thankfully he had not. Now to find a place I can rest, and learn from my mistakes, the years have weakened you Bysir. I've felt some presence in these mountains before during meditation, but that was when I was much more in tune with my curse. Bysir set out to find a cave or glade to reflect on the days events, perhaps search for this presence.....

The mountains were full of mystery.  Traversing them was a great feat even setting aside all the dangerous creatures present.  The cliffs were treacherous and it was a time consuming process traveling over the great peaks.  The time the Dark Paladins spent in the mountains was slow to pass, as they did their best to simply survive and bear their curse.  Most of them avoided contact with any other intelligent race, goblin, yeti, even the extremely friendly elkfolk, as it would potentially lead to exile from the mountains as well.  If that happened, where else would the Dark Circle flee too?  Nevertheless, Bysir was familiar with the dangers of the mountains, and knew how to stay alive.  He was too tired to fight anything else that day so he had to remain diligently aware of his surroundings, as to avoid complications with the dangerous mountain wildlife.

As Vael opened his eyes, he didn't remember where he was. He was laying in a quite comfortable bed, in what seemed to be a room of an expensive inn. How did he get here? The last thing he remembered was Battling Herk, but didn't he knock Vael out? Still confused, he got up and noticed that his right arm was put in a bracer.

Being mindful to stay far away from normal paths taken by the inhabitants of the mountains, Bysir made his way to a familiar ridge, where a small cave gave sanctuary for Bysir's metaphysical wanderings. Bysir started his session by burning the last of the sage he had saved for a spiritual walk of this magnitude. Bysir spent until mid-afternoon studying Theed's movements trying to better understand them in order to effectively counter them if another encounter took place. As Bysir meditated, his darkness aura stretched into the wilderness of the mountains, searching the surrounding area. Bysir felt it, it crawled up his back and grabbed him by the spine. There was something....more in this wilderness, something dark. Bysir waited until he had an approximate direction and distance on this presence, and then set out to investigate what chilled even his blood......

@Vael
Ryan noticed as soon as Vael awoke and signaled a guard to go get Zenith; the lord had been waiting for his young firemaster to awaken.  "Well, well, well," the head guard walked over to Vael, "I'm most impressed that you were able to sleep for so long, I mean, I do understand passing out after you took down Herk but-" with that Vael had a puzzled look on his face.  He hadn't realized that he had defeated the bear of a man.  Ryan took note of the expression and altered his sentence, "You don't remember even taking down Herk, do you?"


@Bysir
A cold chill befell the mountain where Bysir was located.  Just before exiting the cave, a loud clashing was heard outside, maybe 200 meters away.  A fight was taking place, and from the sounds of it, it was destroying much of the landscape around the combatants.  Bysir heard another sound, a tree falling, what kind of beast could create such havoc and contain so much power?

Bysir did his best to stay in the shadows and moved closer to where the sounds of battle were taking place. He drew his only remaining sword, just for good measure.

Kiba

Kiba returned Brendt's friendly gesture and they both sat on the cold stone floor. Kiba noted the time and motioned his head towards the door. "We need to set off soon, they'll be expecting us."

Brendt stood up and rang the small glass bell on the large font at the end of the room, and the other Paladins rose from their meditation.

As the Paladins left the room in single file, kiba tried to recognise any that he knew. The order of Paladins was a large one, with several Order Houses situated in this city alone, and more in various other towns. Only a small few of the Paladins present were part of Kiba's order, the White Wolf House, and Kiba recalled their names and abilities.

Waver, a firemaster, had sparred with Kiba many times, and had even had joint training. Kiba's oxygen-based skill could make Waver's flame grow larger, or, in sparring, had starved his flames to a small flicker.

Iain was an earthmover, trained specifically in defence. He was able to create walls of earth and rock with a simple hand movement, and was even learning to bend and move iron and steel based objects.

Vauhan was a medic, trained in the healing powers of water, and, if touching the patient, able to cease the flow of blood and seal wounds in minutes. Due to the short-range capabilities however, he had no chance to test it in battle.

Lastly, Brendt. he was another proficient in the arts of earth control, and it was why he was so good to spar with. Earth and air are useless against each other, so each duel came down to tactics, and mostly weapon combat. Through these competitive duels, Brendt was fast learning how to hurl rock projectiles without much concentration, and Kiba was learning to use the oxygen in the wind to push himself, and even nudge weapons to stop an accurate swing.

As the last of the Paladins filed out towards the castle courtyard, Kiba checked that Azrael was fastened in and followed, quietly chatting about recent events.

@Bysir
Claws could be seen.  Then a tale.  Then a beak.  How was this possible?  There were only two figures there but already several beasts had been seen.  One thing was consistent.  There was a person fighting the beast.  Bysir looked closer.  The beast was continuously shifting forms, it became a birdlike creature to dodge attacks, a large beast with claws to attack, and a creature similar to a cat to pursue its foe.  In all its magnificence, the beast was not what Bysir felt, the dark presence was coming from the person.  Impressed by the movements of the shadowy figure, he noticed something... Bysir had moved like that before.

The person rolled out of the way of a huge claw aiming to rip open his chest.  As the beast turned around and began charging for a second attack, the man whose presence Bysir had felt during meditation began to emit darkness, similar to the way Bysir imagined it in his metaphysical journeys.  The darkness completely consumed the person and a mighty shadow sprung up in his place, with burning red eyes.  The beast could not slow down, moment was already built, but surprisingly, it showed no fear in the presence of this monstrosity.  It's bravery was in vain however, as it swiped at the shadow, it passed right through, but came out the other end in pieces.  The great beast laid slain, the shadow was easily victorious.

Bysir was awestruck at the scene, and to be honest, he hadn't experienced a feeling of terror in a long time, this though, was terrifying, even if Bysir would never admit it.  The eyes slowly turned towards Bysir and the Dark Paladin froze.  The shadow stared him for what felt like an eternity, only to dissipate into the air as it quickly flew into the sky.  Nothing was left of the scene except a bloody mess of the shape shifting beast and debris from uprooted trees and smashed rocks.


@Kiba
Gripping Azrael, he was overcome by a vision.  He was seeing through another's eyes.  He was fighting a great shape shifting beast, although he had no control over what he was doing.  Standing over the corpse of the beast he'd just slain, Kiba's vision turned and the Paladin met the eyes of a man with dark eyes, darker than any he'd ever seen.  Everything flashed white and when Kiba could see again, he was exactly where he was before, although now he was gripping Azrael a bit tighter.  Brendt looked at his friend, seeing the brief hesitation.  "Don't fret, friend.  You're going to love war!"  And with that, they made their way with the rest of the paladins, 25 total, to meet up with Prince Capsol's 1st Infantry Batallion.

Vael first wanted to lie, but then noticed that it would have no use anymore - The guard already knew it.
"I... don't. But I think the memory might come back again." Little did the guard know that Vael didn't have any memories of ever loosing control. He always just remembered everything around him suddenly being in flames, people fleeing in terror - never did he know what esactly he did, but he thought it would be better not to tell this Zenith, or he might think he'd be useless after all, and that might not be good for Vael, even if he decided not to join.
So Vael just walked along the guard, who seemed to be okay with his reply, and thought about what happened.

Bysir fades back to reality, what had he just witnessed? Who was that...that.....thing? And what was that other.......thing? 300 years spent in these mountains and Bysir had never seen anything close to what had just occurred. Bysir decided to investigate the remains of the beast, if they can be called that.

Kiba

Kiba stood with the other Paladins, unsure as to what he had just seen. had it been a vision of some kind? of the future? or even of some time in the past? was it within the sword? Another plane of existance maybe?

He went through the scene in his mind, fighting that great beast. First a bird, then a large cat, then what Kiba could only describe as a deformed bear. And the sudden shift of stance. No, of height. Who or whatever he was seeing through had just grown. The beast had charged, and gone through him, yet didn't touch him. After that the beast had lay dead behind him, ripped to shreds, and those eyes through the woods... Strangely familiar eyes...

Kiba shuddered, and realised a young officer was speaking to him about the protocol of the day. "My apologies, please continue."

@Vael
I know already.  That thought resonated through Vael's mind, though it was not his own.  Thereafter the door to the bedchamber opened and Zenith walked in.

Hello again Vael.  Another thought that wasn't his own entered his mind.  Wait... was Zenith inside his head?

"Yes."  Zenith exclaimed, "I am in fact right up there with you.  Interesting condition you have... obvious great power with zero control over it!  You don't remember a thing from yesterdays slaughter!  Well... it wasn't quite a slaughter, for some reason you didn't finish your opponent, but don't worry, I took care of Herk's demise."  Vael wasn't sure what to say, so Zenith continued.

"I have a great proposition for you.  Seeing how you have a great power with no control over it, and I've spent my years perfecting control over my power, I think you might be able to learn a thing or two from me.  Why don't you become a pupil of mine?  Strive to become a Freeseeker?"


@Bysir
*Bysir picked up a Shapeshifter's Claw*

The claw was large and sharp, and seemingly the only thing that wasn't cracked or broken or ripped apart.  Bysir knew nothing of this claw, but knew of a place that just might have information he was looking for.  The town of Darson to the north was surrounded by a mystical forest on each side, containing a great variety rare creatures.  It also had a library put together from tales of adventurers who had come to the town and braved the creatures.  Maybe there a bestiary in the library that could identify this strange claw.


@Kiba
"You Paladins need to know your proper place in this military.  Yes I realize and acknowledge your supposed "elite" nature, but that matters not!  You fall under my command while Prince Capsol has you assigned to the 1st Infantry Batallion."  The young officer was surprisingly a captain, and indeed he was in charge of the Paladins, at least superficially for the time being.  He continued, "We are to make our way to the town of Darson, along the road, and defeat any resistance we find along the way.  Once at Darson we'll proceed to occupy the town and await further orders from higher."  He stood in front of Kiba specifically, "Any questions?"

kiba

Kiba's mind was filled with thoughts of the events of the day. Last night's strange dream, and now this vision.

Though his mind was full, his face showed nothing but serenity, and he answered the captain.

"Only one, what time do we march... Sir."

The young captain replied.  "We're still waiting on a new lieutenant, once he arrives we'll start out march."

Bysir gets his bearings, and heads for Darson. Shishra will have to wait, there is something very odd about todays occurrences, and fate always plays on Bysir's side.

Vael didn't know what to do. He still ha no interest in becoming a freelancer, but  learning to control his power.. it was tempting... Suddenly, Vael shook his head. Controlling the power that killed his parents? The power that left him alone, trapped in the burning building? His light scars from 5 years ago began to burn as the memories came back again.
"I think you already know me answer."

Quote from: (Hexamin) on March 11, 2010, 03:12:31 pm
The young captain replied.  "We're still waiting on a new lieutenant, once he arrives we'll start out march."

Pyrrhus arrived at what he thought was just the time, recieved his new armor, and went to see the Captain.

Kiba

While the other 24 Paladins, including Brendt, sat in a corner of the courtyard to meditate or chat amongst themselves, Kiba was busy sifting through his mind. He remembered the dream, and how he had woken and went to Azrael. He unsheathed the sword from his back and lightly held the hilt in his right hand. A few people stared in awe at the sheer size of the blade, and the ease of movement of the bearer in comparison.

"Azrael."

The same sensation filled his body as just 8 hours before, and he felt the presence of every man in the courtyard for a split second. Other windwalkers shivered as if cold, but none looked towards Kiba as the cause. No amount of concentration could bring forth the vision again. It was clear that the moment had passed in whatever reality it took place in.

Now all Kiba had to do was wait. He sat with the other Paladins and plunged Azrael in the ground next to him. He sat in silent thought as the hours passed, opening his eyes only to watch the man who was sleeping at the temple waltz in casually.

@Vael
Zenith thought carefully about this predicament.  Vael had so much potential and all Zenith wanted to do was unlock it and allow Vael to fully control it.

"If you don't mind me asking... why are you so reluctant to stay away from this power?"  Zenith offered Vael the opportunity to speak his mind instead of the lord reading it.

@Pyrrhus & Kiba
"Well it looks as if we're all here.  Lieutenant Pyrrhus, I'll talk to you later about military discipline and making appointments set by your superiors.  For now, introduce yourself to these paladins.  You'll be seeing a lot of each other from here on out."  The young captain proceeded to round up the rest of the battalion while introductions were being made.  Pyrrhus couldn't help but notice the large blade on the ground next to a paladin lost in thought.

Kiba

Kiba snapped out of his trance and noticed a commotion towards the center of the courtyard, in the center of which was the sleeper. Assuming the march was close to ready, Kiba closed his eyes and collected his thoughts for a few minutes, then stood, scabbarded Azrael, and waited for the orders to be called.

*Enter Pyrrhus :D*

(looks like this day may be abit longer  :^_^': haha)

@Vael
Zenith grew slightly impatient of Vael and his reluctance to unlock repressed memories.  The lord decided to instigate memories locked inside Vael.  He walked slowly over to Vael as to not alarm the nervous firemaster.  Firemaster, Zenith thought, hardly a master...  Nevertheless, Zenith was determined to, if nothing else, open Vael's mind to allow him to confront his past and possibly get past this idea that his power was wrong in any way.  Zenith saw power as a gift and couldn't understand why Vael thought otherwise.

As Zenith reached out and touched Vael's shoulder, the young man was suddenly overwhelmed with a near-hypnotic flashback, one that Zenith watched carefully.

Vael remembered the dream he had that night.  Red was all Vael could see.  It wasn't menacing in anyway, merely extremely powerful.  A deep voice filled the area surrounding Vael.  It was mistakenly terrifying and Vael was just that--terrified.  Vael desperately searched the vast Red he was consumed in, but to no avail.  He felt a burning sensation consume his entire body.  The deep voice tried comforting Vael, but Vael would not listen.  Instead he became overwhelmed by the burning sensation that he woke up to a house in flames.  He didn't notice at the time that he himself was consumed in flames.  Vael noticed the situation he was in and his own flames went out, and in that moment the fire around him began burning his skin.  He frantically escaped the burning building, not even realizing that he had left his parents inside to die.  It was too late to return to his home to try to rescue his parents, when he moved forward to attempt this, the house crumbled underneath the instability of the flames.

Vael suddenly came to and Zenith stepped back from the young man.  Zenith examined Vael and his reaction to the suppressed memory while he analyzed the memory of Vael's himself.  Zenith was fully aware of the Spectrum and the fact that it was the source of everyone's powers on this planet, and recognized the Red in Vael's dream to be the Red of the spectrum.  This Red would not do anything to harm life, and Zenith saw that Vael's powers were due to a deep connection with the Reds.  It was unfortunate that Vael did not see this connection.  Despite Zenith's questionable philosophies on life and death, there was a genuine interest in Vael and allowing the firemaster to actually master this power.  The decision was now up to Vael, however.

Zenith said a final word before awaiting Vael's response, "The power within you is in no way evil and can be contained.  I could help you in doing this, but I will no longer pursue you if you do not desire it."

@Pyrrhus and Kiba
The army started its march towards Darson.  The young Lieutenant Pyrrhus seemed too distant to introduce himself to the paladins he would be overseeing, and Kiba lost interest for the time being.

Unlike most people, Seles noticed the disturbance in the water.  She knew it was not a natural occurrence, and yearned to find out the source.  Only problem was... how?

Vael sighed. He didn't like his power - or "gift", as Zenith called it, but is probably was better to learn to control it, he could then still choose not to use it, he could learn to surpress it. But still, it wasn't easy for him - he didn't even know what this power was, he seemed to become someone else when he used it...
"I guess I have no other choice."

Kiba

Kiba walked at the head of the group of Paladins, occasionally glancing behind to see how they fared. At one point, a small ferret ran in front of him and stopped, looking up at Kiba before running off. He paid it no mind... Until it shimmered.

His sight followed the ferret until it ran up onto the shoulders of a woman, who saw him watching and waved with a polite smile. Spirit companions Kiba thought, I should get myself one, maybe a nice dragon or something.

He smirked at the thought.

@Seles
Seles couldn't help but notice that there was some disturbance, and it seemed almost as if something was about to fall upon the town, just what, she could not determine, but the sensation of its imminence was powerful and dark.  She had a few options.  She could brave the waters and search for the cause of the surge the ocean displayed earlier.  She could sit and wait to see what was about to hit Fendmoore.  She could venture out from Fendmoore into a different part of the mainland.  Each choice would have it's own repercussions, and would end up shaping Seles into the woman she was to become.  A woman destined to affect the fate of the world.


@Vael
Zenith let out a sigh of relief when he read Vael's thoughts.  He had long ago gotten over the thought that mind reading was intrusive, it saved him the trouble of conversation which was usually dull and boring.  He had high hopes for Vael and desired to begin teach Vael control immediately, however, he left it up to Vael.

"When would you like to begin this training I offer?  I realize the potential stress you must of endured by experiencing your repressed memory, so I'll understand if you need some time to yourself."  Zenith awaited Vael's reply and allowed his concentration on Vael's thoughts to cease.  He was listening for Vael's words.


@Kiba
The woman continued looking at Kiba.  She found the young paladin interesting, and appreciated his noticing of her, even if it was initiated by her ferret.

"Do you like my companion," she inquired.  "He's one of many I've conjured, but by far the softest."  She pet the ferret as it snuggled into her shoulder.

"Arrite, old man. Today's the day." Chris stood atop a roof, gazing out into the city. He had to be out there somewhere. Yesterday, she had checked all of the obvious locations. He had to be somewhere he thought she would never look.... But where?
The clock rang out; it was now 12 o'clock noon. 12 o'clock... clock.... the Clock Tower? It couldn't be so simply, could it? Chris swung down from the roof and practically ran to the clock tower. She jiggled the handle; locked, of course. But that wasn't going to stop her. Climbing a stack of boxes next to the building, she managed to get onto the roof. If she could get to the top, above the clock, she should be able to slide into one of the small windows leading to the room containing the bells. Finding a foot-hold, she began scaling the tower, but before she had gone more than a couple feet upwards, the brick cracked beneath her, tossing her back down onto the roof. She had a brief thought: if she was having trouble, certainly a man as old as Scott certainly couldn't have gotten in there. She dismissed it quickly. No time for that kind of thinking. Gritting her teeth, she made another attempt to scale the tower. Winded, she reached the window. With a final push of her legs, she clambered inside the tower. Inside, wooden scaffolding made her decent down to the floor quick and painless.
"Oi, Scott? Ya in here, mate?" she called out, not really expecting an answer.

Kiba

Kiba slowly stroked the ferret and gently smiled at the young woman. "How does one conjure a spirit companion? And what is your name, young miss?"

The ferret slowly faded and the woman held out her hand in a polite gesture.

@Chris
"Right behind you actually," the old man panted as he somehow climbed through the window.  It was like the space around him was bending to accommodate his size.  Chris looked bewildered.  "Oh don't think I got this far in life without having some tricks up my sleeves."  Scott brushed off some dust from his clothes then cleared his throat.  "I saw you read my note.  Lesson 2: Hiding is running I distinctly remember it saying.  I was on that roof that you begun on the whole time.  I didn't think you'd run off on a wild goose chase after I vanished and you read the note, but... I can't expect youth to have the wisdom of it's elders.  Anyway... congratulations!  It looks like you'll never need to hide seeing how you can effectively get yourself around virtually anywhere in town.  Here, by the way, I saw you struggling with the door to the clock tower and thought you might appreciate this."  The old man tossed Chris a lockpick set.  "Maybe you'll find it useful"

*Chris acquired a lockpick set*
*Chris gained experience*


@Kiba
"Oh it's really only an understanding of the Color you're aligned with."  The woman explained, "I'm a Blue and that ferret of mine happens to share the same Color alignment.  I learned of these conjurations from a book I read years ago, and have since then just expanded on my understanding.  I could try to teach you if you really wanted."

Kiba

"We have time before we reach Darson" stated Kiba. "I also follow the blue path, which creatures would I be able to summon?"

Kiba stepped back, looking uncomfortable. "And what will it cost me, I'm afraid I have nothing to give..."

Chris sighed. Never before had she felt such a mix of respect and irritation towards anyone. Clearly, there was more to Scott than met the eye. "Thanks," she said, stuffing the kit into her bag after examining it briefly. "I'm sure it'll come in handy."

@Kiba
"Are you kidding me?  It'll pass the time wonderfully teaching you how to do this, no payment neccessary.  Granted... you do have to keep in mind that when I first summoned a spirit companion I only got the furry little ferret you saw earlier, it's not really up to you initially what you can and cannot summon.  However, with much practice, you'll be summoning other creatures in no time.  I personally can summon this ferret, a deer, and a phoenix.  Though their purpose is largely superficial, it's a great party trick!  Us Blues' spirit companions usually maintain a passive theme, creatures that are generally benevolent in nature.  Maybe I could help you achieve a more desirable companion on your first try, but I'm not sure if it'll work.  Shall we try the ritual?  It does take concentration, but we won't have to stop moving if you were worried about that."


@Chris
"Good," Scott said,  "Now then, we need to somehow get back to my house without being noticed by the Royal Guard patrolling the streets.  The census has begun and I'm afraid if we get caught outside, we might find ourselves in a bit of trouble."  He looked out the window then back at Chris.  "I'll follow your lead."

Kiba

"Sure, I'm a Paladin, we're concentrating every hour of the day" Kiba said with a grin, "Let's get started."

Kiba and the young woman, whom he forgot to ask her name, walked side by side as she taught him how to summon.

Pyrrhus was bored out of his mind. Time slowed down and tick, tock of the illusory clock resounded like knell in his head. Four times strikes the hammer to the side, slowly sounding the song of death upon wakeful eyes. Beating softly like a lullaby, the resonance of a single note  lays to waste the time spent watching the surrounding men.

Pyrrhus was lonely. No man seemed to address him, no man of merits, meriting his meticulous attention. Winding and winding, the paths from his path and his path from the paths diverged until he awoke to find himself somewhere he had not known before. Getting lost in foreign lands was generally accepted as a remarkably not impressive idea.

So he walked, and walked, looking for something to do.

@Kiba
After several minutes of concentration Kiba and the woman summoned Kiba's first spirit companion: a rabbit.  Not quite what he was going for... Blue spirits seemed kind of dull to Kiba, and the woman noticed the disappointment on his face.  "Don't worry too much about it," the woman stated and closed her eyes briefly summoning a phoenix above her.  "See this Phoenix?  I mastered being able to summon it all on my own, and all I am is a medic for the army.  I'm sure a paladin like yourself will have this mastered in no time!"  With that, the woman walked off with her phoenix, disappearing into the crowd of soldiers mindlessly marching towards Darson.  The bunny hopped alongside Kiba, sweet and cuddly in contrast to the large paladin.  Kiba glared at the rabbit menacingly.

@Pyrrhus
The young captain in command of Pyrrhus and the paladins noticed the new lieutenant walking off on his own.  He snuck up behind Pyrrhus along with two soldiers and bashed the apathetic officer across the head with a club.  When Pyrhuss came to the marching had stopped.  He was surrounded by soldiers and paladins who were ready to watch a fight.  The young captain spoke up.  "I am your commander, Captain Hershing, and I will not tolerate your deliberate dereliction of duty.  We are solving this insubordination you are sporting like men... one of us beating the other to a bloody pulp."  The captain raised his fists ready to fight.  Pyrrhus looked around and realized he was without weapon and knew he would only have his fists as well.  "Well Lieutenant Pyrrhus, what are you made of?"

Chris nodded. "Well, we certainly don't want to go out the front door; no doubt those goons are all over the streets. So..." She glanced back at the window. "Looks like we're going up." She grabbed onto the scaffolding on the walls. "Don't even think about lookin' up my skirt," she said, and started to climb. When she reached the window, she stopped. She took a deep breath, concentrating. Like a candle, her body flickered, and winked out, though a faint shadow remained. Clambering quickly down from the tower, she glanced back to make sure Scott was still following her. Once she had confirmed it, she slipped into the long afternoon shadows, and easily avoid the guards, slinking along the walls of building after building. She allowed herself a smirk; for Royal Guards, they certainly weren't very bright.

Pyrrhus was more shocked than he was nervous. After all, he had never lost a fight and had always had a way to win. But, if anything, he was a bit mad at the Captain for attacking him unprovoked, even though he would have done the same thing himself.

"Quite a statement you've made there," he said, getting to his feet, "about fighting like men. I know a few women who could hit hard then you." His mind drifted a bit to some of the people he had once known, the stronger men and women who had forged him from molten potential  and demystified the disillusions of his youth.

Let's fight then, said Pyrrhus to himself, throwing a left hook, which the nimble Captain easily blocked. However, Pyrrhus's fist all, but glanced the blocking captains and continued further. With such momentum, he struck out with a leg sweep and kicked the captains nimble limbs from beneath him.

The Captain got up, brushing himself off, and said, "It seems like this would be an interesting fight." He stepped in and began his assault.

Kiba

Kiba forced his way through the crowd of soldiers to stand at the edge of an almost empty circle, and saw the sleeper facing off (lazily) with the 'commanding' officer, the young captain.

Kiba watched as one of the other soldiers threw a sword for the captain, and he brandished it in the direction of unfortunate Pyhrrus. Having no weapon at hand, save for Azrael (and he was not about to let go of that), Kiba commanded his furry little friend to run at the captain.

Kiba watched in amusement as the spirit rabbit darted towards the captain and jumped, clinging to his leg, before disappearing in a wisp of smoke. The captain was clearly unfamiliar with spirit companions, and stared at his leg with a look of slight terror for a few minutes... Just enough time for Pyhrrus to step in once again...

*queue pyhrrus :D*

...And smash the Captains face in. Pyrrhus released a deadly jab that solidly smooshified the Captain's face. He grabbed the falling Captain and ripped him back up after he had fallen and again, punched him in the same manner. However, on his third attempt, Pyrrhus felt another movement from the Captain as the hook of the Captains right connected solidly with his cheek, hitting him towards the ground and leaving him sore and dazed. Before he let the Captain could react though, Pyrrhus took out his legs, dragged him close and wound up to punch the Captain once more, a hook to the left side of the jaw. It connected. Pyrrhus stood up, brushes himself off and was about to leave when the Captain twitched and lifted himself heavily off the ground. What would the Captain do?

@Chris
Upon arrival to Scott's home they shut the door and shortly after Scott had poured his tea, Royal Guards came knocking on the door.  "Census!"  They shouted through the door.  It looks like they'd come to take down Scott's information.

Scott set his fresh tea down and looked at Chris, "We should probably knock this out; it might be a pain always having to run from the guards from here on out.  Just say you live here so we can get these guards off our back."  With that, Chris and Scott proceeded to answer the guards questions, convincing the guards of their "loyalty" to Prince Wensil and the kingdom.  The guards gave the two their IDs and left them alone.

"Chris," Scott said picking his tea back up.  "I need to discuss something with you.  I've got a history with some people I should have never upset in the first place.  Because of this, I've constantly had to move often.  I've overstayed my welcome here in Unificus and I'm afraid I've been tracked by the Brotherhood of Blood.  Years ago I thought it would be a thrill to steal from them, and they've held a grudge this whole time.  The Thieves Guild and the Brotherhood have never gotten along, and that definitely did not help.  Anyway, an assassin is sure to be on his way, and my location is known.  I'm tired of running though, and with this new turmoil in the world between the factions, I'm afraid it would be difficult for an old man like me to keep up a life on the run."

Scott sipped his tea slowly, took a deep breath then cotninued.  "The Thieves Guild is real, but its secrecy must be kept.  They never recruit unless they lose a member due to extenuating circumstance.  I have a feeling an extenuating circumstance if about to take place.  I don't want my position going to any dumb kid out there, so I've been testing your skills.  I've decided to let you be the dumb kid my spot gets filled by.  What do you say to taking this old man's spot in the Guild after my death?"  Scott was strangely calm about a death he felt was inevitable.


@Pyrrhus
The Captain wasn't a force to easily be reckoned with.  Nearly unaffected by being knocked to the ground, he side stepped another attack from Pyrrhus and retaliated with a left hook that he knew would be blocked.  A quick recoil of his arm with a 1-2, right-left jab nearly caught Pyrrhus off guard, nicking the lower part of his jaw, although not directly due to Pyrrhus's quick movements and amazing instinct.  "Hmm... looks like neither of us will go down easily!"  Captain Hershing stated.

... *the storyteller resigns and allows Kiba and Pyrrhus continue after lawling slightly at the captains face being "smooshified"*

Kiba

Kiba watched the fight unfold. After the rabbit stunt, the captain stood no chance as Pyhrrus hammered into him. Pyhrrus now had his back turned, exiting the duelist's circle, as the young and very brash captain lay on his back, fumbling for the sword he had dropped moments earlier.

The captain lunged at Pyhrrus's open back, and Kiba, using the air to push himself, drew Azrael and blocked the thrust moments before it pierced the unknowing Pyhrrus. "Now that wasn't very sportsmanlike was it, captain" he said, a look of anger on his face.

The captain staggered back and redied himself, expecting a fight. "Only if you truly want to do this, captain." The last word Kiba had said with insulting tone. Kiba stood, Azrael in hand, waiting.

The captain backed off and left Pyrrhus alone, muttering undisclosed feelings to himself.

Pyrrhus turned to the man before him and grasped his hand.

"It's quite nice to have someone to back you up in a fight it would seem. Thanks." Pyrrhus then turned and started to walk away, in order to hide his shock and amazement at the man's actions.

"No!" said Chris. Scott raised an eyebrow. "I mean, yes, I want to join the Thieves Guild, but you can't die! Isn't there anything you can do?"
Before she even finished her sentence, she could see the answer in his eyes. There was nothing either of them could do. Chris bit her lip, and turned away so Scott couldn't see the single tear that slid down her face. She hadn't known him long, but he was the only friend she had ever had. Still not turning to face him, she spoke. "Thanks, mate. You've... I mean... " She couldn't find the right words. Turning around she saw he was smiling. She returned it with a sad smile of her own.

kiba

Still watching the captain as he stalked away, Kiba returned the sleeper's handhake and, as he walked away, shouted a quick "No problem!"

Kiba forced his way through the cheering troops, some patting him on the shoulders and laughing, and exlpained the happening with the other Paladins. "I'm taking command of the Paladins, I don't like that captain. He's too... uncontrollable." The majority nodded in agreement.

After the troops settled themselves and got back into rough travelling groups, the force slowly moved on towards Darson, stopping to camp around 7. Kiba spent the majority of the night in silent meditation, sleeping for only 4 hours, and waking from the same dream of Azrael.

*awaits day 4*

Seles sat on a dock, deeply troubled and lost in thought.  She rested her hands on the strings of her instrument and slowly closed her eyes.  She did not think about any song to play; she only thought about the water around her and the Blue of the Spectrum. 
A slow, sad song was played by unwilling fingers as Seles just let her hands move with the energies around her. 

Seles thought about what that surge of waves could mean...  Is something happening in the world?  Is Fendmoore in danger?  Will anyone be safe?
These thoughts ran in her mind as the song continued.

The songstress then began to list the people whom she would be afraid to get hurt if anything were to happen.
Mom... Dad... Kirk...  The other fishing families...  The townsfolk who come to the tavern often to see her perform and whom she has gotten to know...  The monger lady at the market...
The list continued until she thought of a final person.
...Aurora...

As the little girl's named flashed through her thoughts, Power, the seventh and highest string of the instrument, snapped and made a ghastly noise.
Seles was startled by such an event; she has never broken a string since her first few times of picking up the instrument.

This could only mean one thing, she thought.  Something bad is coming... and it's coming soon.

"I've got to warn everyone!" she exclaimed to herself as she started running back to town.

Day 4: More Than One

Prince Capsol's army appeared to be undisciplined and there was power struggle between the soldiers, officers, and paladins.  The army woke that army just outside of Darson.  The army was to blockade the road to Darson, not allowing anyone in or out, while the paladins ventured into the town.  There was a library there, where a book was to be located.  The books name, The Birth of the Phoenix.  It held information on the legendary bird and was essential to Prince Capsol's war strategy.  The paladins would be escorted into the city, along with Pyrrhus, who was to oversee and aid the paladin's in their activities.

Already in Darson, Bysir arrived early in the day.  He sought out the library as well, but for his own reasons.  He had come into the town without realizing an army would soon block the exit behind him.  Luckily for him Prince Capsol never paid attention to anything his father had taught him of the Dark Circle, and hardly new the purpose of the King's Watchmen.  His army couldn't smell a Dark Paladin, and even the paladins had long since forgot about their dark brethren.  An image of Bysir's dark eyes remained dormant in Kiba's mind.

In Unificus, an assassin arrived to kill Scott Hemming.  Scott knew of his presence, but felt his own death necessary, or rather, had grown tired of running and living.  Chris spent as much time with Scott as she could, knowing of his imminent death.  He was constantly answering questions about the Thieves Guild, offering tips and advice, and fully enjoy his last hours.  Citizens filled the streets again today, each possessing their IDs.  Royal Guards roamed the streets and occasionally stopped people to see their IDs, then sent them along their way.

Shishra's arena continued entertaining the masses, people roaring for blood.  Vael was going through a series of memory-unlocking hypnotic sessions.  Zenith was determined to allow Vael to control his power, and surprisingly was making quick process.  In many of the sessions since yesterday, Vael had begun to glow, but with Zenith's assistance, would stop, before he blacked out, and then reflect on the sensations he had while his skin was ignited with his inner flame.  Vael would quickly know how to prevent himself from exploding with power, and from there would be able to only use his power when he deemed necessary and never (hopefully) explode again.

Revan approached Castle Terna with Robert Pollen.  The town was recently deserted by a large number of soldiers.  Just what would Revan do now that he arrived at the Castle?  There was plenty to do around town, but for an adventurer there were many possible choices.  He heard news of the army and it's recent departure and thought of chasing after it in order to experience some excitement of fighting.  At the same time, he was next to the mountains, and they almost seemed to be calling out to him.  Revan reached into his pocket and fiddled with the stone the goblin had given him previously.  What would the young hunter decide to do?

In Port Brenan the town woke to horrifying noises.  Wood shattered, and ships went up in flame.  Not much could be seen other than fire and the night sky out at the docks.  A few people noticed out of the darkness and flames, two large red glowing eyes, wrapped in shadow.  Shortly there after, the docks and all the boats were completely destroyed.

Fendmoore had a strange silence that morning as a dark figure entered the town just before the sun rose.  Seles sensed a disturbance and was awoken by a terrible feeling in her gut.  The stranger walked to a local bar and banged on the door.  No one answered.  With a firm kick, the dark figure broke down the door and walked in.  He sat down in a dark corner and waited.

---

---

Rumor of the Day
Brenan Nurse: "Have you heard what that man has been saying?"
Brenan Doctor: "Is he still rambling?"
Brenan Nurse: "Yes! On and on about some "Dark Circle" and a new presence in the world!  Complete nonsense, I say!"
Brenan Doctor: "Just fill him with some more anesthetics, he'll be fine."

---

---

Significant Events
-Prince Capsol's army blockade the entrance to Darson
-Port Brenan's port was destroyed by some unknown force along with all its ships
-*Chris, Kiba, Seles, Vael, Pyrrhus, and Revan all leveled up to level 2.  They have 3 attribute points to allocate and become slightly more capable with their manipulations.*

Kiba

Level up!
-Strength: 2
-Endurance: 3 (+1)
-Dexterity: 1
-Intelligence: 3 (+1)
-Willpower: 3 (+1)
-Luck: 1

*due to the fight with the captain, Kiba's summoning skills and windwalker skills have increased, and he can now summon the rabbit with a thought, and use oxygen manipulation to create small winds*

Kiba had received his orders, though strange they were. He was to enter the city of Darson with only 12 other Paladins, seek out the main library, and retrieve a particlar book mentioning a Phoenix. Meanwhile the other 12 Paladins, along with the entire battalion, would completely blockade the exits.

The spiritual phoenix the woman had summoned sprung to mind. Did that have anything to do with the book?

Kiba headed through the eastern-most city gate, and proceeded with his selection of Paladins, including Waver, to search for the library.

Bysir wandered into Darson's library and was greeted by the librarian, an older man with a kind face. "Good afternoon sir, My name is Marcus and I am the Librarian here. Is there something I can help you find?" Bysir paused for a bit, He wasn't one for conversation and had lost the art somewhere through the years. "A book, I'm looking for a book that can answer some....questions I have about the beast of Darson forest. Do you know of such a work?" Bysir inquired.

@Kiba
Kiba was walking tall today.  He'd just strong-armed his was to a leadership position among the paladins.  Most of the 25 thought it a good idea, one however, was unsure about the last night's brawl.  As they were walking into Darson, Brendt confronted his friend and new leader.

"Rather brash of you last night don't you think?"  Brendt was serious.

Kiba looked at his friend and tried to shrug it off, "Huh?  What are you talking about?"

Brendt looked down at the ground seraching for words, then returned his gaze to his friend.  "I've noticed a subtle change in you as of late, my friend.  Ever since..." Brendt looked at the sword holstered at Kiba's side.  "Well... never mind."  Brendt dropped the subject and tried to assume the best about his friend.


@Bysir
"Ah!  A zoologist of sorts are you?"  Marcus said, looking into Bysir's dark eyes.  "Follow me, I know just the book you're looking for!"  The librarian motioned Bysir to follow and began walking into the sea of books.  Marcus had only briefly looked into Bysir's eyes, but in that instant he noticed a familiarity... darkness.  Marcus hid it well, however, and began contemplating the situation.  For now he would aid this stranger.  He came upon a shelf lined with old books.

"Ah ha!"  Marcus said, pulling a book of the shelf.  "This is the Bestiary of Spire.  In case you didn't know Spire is the name us locals have given the surrounding forests.  Anyway, it has a plethora of information, its actually quite incredible how many beasts have been recorded!  Everything from the cute little Wind Squirrels to the great Phoenixes, you'll find it in these pages."  Marcus looked at Bysir's eyes again, trying not to get lost in their dark nature.  Definitely the same as his.  The librarian thought.  "Well!  I'll leave you to it then."

The librarian left and Bysir sat down with the book, opening it up to the index.  He scanned the names of the various beasts. Air Squirrels... Elkfolk... Goblin... Parenthus Shiftus... Phoenix... wait.  Parenthus Shiftus, this must be it.  Flipping through to the article on Parenthus Shiftus, Bysir began reading about the creature.

*Information about Parenthus Shiftus added to the DATABASE:Bestiary*

Bysir learned about this shapeshifting beast and proceeded to search for a book about crafting.  He searched the shelves for a book and came across a book titled A Crafters Guide to Unique Weaponry.  After thumbing through the pages, he found a page describing the Shifting Blade.  Ingredients included a claw of Parenthus Shiftus, hair of a Wind Harpy, and blood of an Elkfolk, along with some minor crafting materials any smith would have.  The blade was last crafted by a man in the town of Yisra by the last name of Orion.

Bysir contemplated this knowledge but then was interrupted by a cough and a tap on his shoulder.  Turning around Marcus was there.

"Sir, you look as if you were in your twenties... but those eyes are much older."  Marcus boldly stated.

Bysir shifted uncomfortably debating whether or not he should strike this man down immediately or hear him out.  He decided to hear him out, curious as to the man's insight.

Marcus resumed speaking, "My grandfather was a member of the Dark Circle, you might know of him... Xenos Rayth.  I know much more about you than you might understand.  Something has changed in this world recently, I'm sure you noticed considering your... condition.  I need you to take this book and read it, not here though.  It's not something to be taken out in public."  The librarian handed Bysir a book titled The Darkness Becomes.

*The Darkness Becomes was added to Bysir's inventory[/b]*

"Now, I can't discuss anything further, but I'm sure you will return one day with questions.  I will be here."  Marcus turned and walked away without letting Bysir inquire as to his mysterious past.


@Kiba
Upon arrival to the library, Kiba told the rest of the paladins to stay on guard outside.  Kiba would go inside and locate the book he needed with the information on the Phoenix.  He didn't want to cause a scene in the library.  Walking inside he saw an older man talking to another man.  The older man turned and began walking towards Kiba.

"Good afternoon sir, My name is Marcus and I am the librarian here.  Is there something I can help you find?"  The librarian stopped in front of Kiba.


*Database Update!*

Level up!
Strength: 0
Endurance: 0
Dexterity: 6 (+)
Intelligence: 3 (+)
Willpower: 1
Luck: 3 (+)
Ability increase: Chris is now more proficient at her ability, meaning that when pseudo-invisible, she is even harder to see.

Her last day with Scott seemed to pass in a blur. He seemed cheerful enough as he gave her tips and advice regarding the shadowy Thieves Guild, but the whole time there was a bad feeling in the air. Something bad was about to happen, and it would happen soon.

@Chris
"I've lived a long life.  No one is meant to live forever, human hearts aren't capable of existing that long, eventually they'd be filled with hatred for the continuously changing world around them."  Scott tried comforting the clearly distressed girl.  "Besides!  At least I'll be dying gloriously.  I mean, how many people have hitmen assigned to them?"  The old man laughed genuinely.  He was so calm about it.  Why is he so damned calm?  Chris disregarded the thought.

Continuing their walk-and-talk around Unificus, Chris noticed something out of the corner of her eye.  Behind a crate was a pouch with gold pieces spilling out of it.  Lucky, she thought, picking up the pouch.  The two continued their walk, waiting for the impending assassination.

*Chris found a pouch filled with gold*

LEVEL UP!
Level:2
Strength:0
Endurance:2 +
Dexterity:2
Intelligence:3 +
Willpower:4 +
Luck:2

Seles knew that the feeling in her gut was foretelling the day's events, and she could not just let whatever was to happen to actually happen without trying to save her own townspeople.

She concentrated hard as she prepared to amplify the sound waves from her own voice to reach all of the town.

"Everyone, listen!  This is Seles.  Something bad is going to happen today; I just feel it.  Please... everyone, only gather your most precious belongings and some food and escape the town.  Don't take the boats; there isn't enough time to prepare them for long journeys.  Take the roads... and... be safe."

Seles broke into a sweat and practically collapsed from exhaustion; that message took a lot out of her.
While she sat, trying to recover, she could only hope that the town would take her advice.

Kiba

Kiba had been walking towards the largest structure in the town, hoping it was the library, when Brendt had spoken to him about yesterdays events. Kiba had chosen to stay silent, and ignore his friend's implications.

Afterwards, Kiba's right hand had, almost instinctively, found the hilt of Azrael just above his right shoulder. As he touched it he experienced a sharp pain, and a flash. An image of burning ships seen through shadowy eyes. He had dismissed this as hunger playing tricks and had continued to the library, where he had instructed the other 12 Paladins and Pyhrrus, who had been mostly silent, to wait outside.

And now he had been confronted by the librarian, Marcus, who obviously had something on his mind.

"I require the book titled 'The Birth of a Phoenix' kind sir" he said with a bow.

@Seles
The man who'd broken into the bar heard this message and was startled.  He looked towards the door, then flashed over to the door.  Stepping outside into the town, he noticed people were looking outside also to see what was occurring.  The man bolted towards the source, examined the woman standing before him with the incredible voice.  His eyes flashed red, and his body temporarily faded out of existence, with darkness taking its stead.  The man opened his mouth and a loud terrifying cry came out, and overwhelmed the message Seles had been sending.  He the proceeded to run away from the woman as his sound resonated through the air.  This noise in combination with Seles's warning caused panic amongst the townsfolk.  Many began running outside and down the streets to the edge of town.  The man arrived at the docks and again flashed in and out of existance, this time the darkness around him larger.  He fell to his knees, grabbing his head, and letting out another cry.  This time when he faded from existence he remained gone, with a dangerous large shadow completely replacing him.  The shadow thrashed about, it's red eyes glowing fiercely.  In a burst of aggression, the shadow proceeded to attack the docks, effectively destroying them.  Seles tried to catch up to the shadow, but the man's speed in getting to the docks was incredible.  By the time she arrived the shadow had already shown itself, and the docks along with all its ships laid in ruins.  The shadow turned and looked at the songstress.  It's eyes were overwhelmingly evil.  The shadow began charging towards Seles.


@Kiba
Marcus looked at Bysir who was nearby and had noticed the presence of the paladin but had so far done nothing.  He spoke quickly, "Ah yes!  You've come to the right library!  The Birth of a Phoenix... right this way, sir!"  Marcus motioned Kiba to follow and walked just past Bysir.  The paladin met eyes with the dark paladin, and the vision for before flashed in his mind.  Those eyes...  Kiba mindlessly continued following Marcus to a shelf, where he took down the old book and handed it to the paladin.  Kiba grabbed the book.

*Kiba obtained The Birth of a Phoenix*

The paladin got what he came for and was to return to the blockade where the rest of the army was to analyze the book further, but here was that man with dark eyes.  What would Kiba do..?

A strange presence descended on Bysir, Something was near. Just then a large Paladin walked in to the library, Marcus hurried to great Him. Bysir decided to stay seated, and try not to cause any reason for this Paladin to suspect him. The two conversed, and then Marcus led the Paladin straight toward Bysir! Marcus wouldn't give me up, not after that speech Thought Bysir. Marcus and the Paladin continued past Bysir, the Paladin looked straight at him There is something very familiar about that Paladin, and I sense a dark presence. Bysir knew this was no ordinary Paladin, the darkness had touched this one, but to what degree?

Kiba

All he could see were those eyes, resonating in his mind. He had seen them in the vision, which meant that beast that had confronted 'him' through those shadowy eyes had been real.

Kiba ran through the options. He decided to choose the one that avoided blood.

He slowly walked over to stand behind the dark-eyed man. "Who are you? I have seen you before... In a vision I saw you in the forests, watching me battle a strange shapeshifting beast."

"And more to the point, what are you?"

"Greetings Paladin" Bysir stood, and turned to face the Paladin. Bysir weighed his options, flight wasn't an option for this Paladin was not alone. The Paladin spoke as though he had seen through the eyes of Darkness, which meant that his exposure was enough to justify friendly conversation. "My name is Bysir, I am a Dark Paladin of the Dark Circle. YOU on the other hand, are blessed with..wind manipulation is it? Of the Blue? And what shall I call you good Paladin?

Kiba

"You are... correct... How did you know?" said a startled Kiba.

"My name is Kiba, a Paladin of White Wolf House, loyal to the Order. Might I ask what business you have here?" Kiba took a seat two away from the dark Paladin.

Bysir took his seat, realizing this Paladin wasn't here for his head. "An honor, Kiba. Having been touched by the Darkness I am able to detect, if you will, other's alignment with the gods and the blessings they have bestowed." Bysir chose his next words carefully.Might as well drag it out in the open Bysir thought. "I sense you carry an object, or item touched by the Darkness?"

Kiba

Kiba's hand grabbed his hilt. "Azrael, that's its name. It seems to channel my manipulation energy, the merchant said it was created by a windwalker. What do you know of it?"

"Azrael you say? I have heard of this weapon, but only in legend. I can feel it's power, Kiba. It is said that there is a blade to match, rumor I gather. As for my business, I came to this library seeking knowledge of the beast You and I both saw. Marcus aided me and then some. Let me ask you, what do you know of the Darkness and of the Dark Circle?"

Vael leveled up!
-Strength: 1
-Endurance: 1
-Dexterity: 1
-Intelligence: 2
-Willpower: 7 (+3)
-Luck: 1
Abilities: Vael is now able to use some of his special abilities to his own will, as well as surpressing his outburst to a certain degree.

Though Vael learned about his power and how to control it, he still was afraid. He didn't know if Zenith just didn't notice or if he didn't care, but everytime he managed to glow, he felt anger coming  from deep inside of him, and anger he couldn't explain.
Sitting outside, looking up to the sky, Vael wondered if this had to do with the disappearing of the stars. After all, they were linked to his element and his loss of  control started again two days ago, when it happened.
Being lost in his thoughts, Vael didn't hear the steps behind him, coming closer.
I pass on to Hexamin!

Kiba

"Another blade you say? Interesting." Kiba thought for a moment about what he knew about the Dark Circle. "I only know that the Dark Circle is a brotherhood of assassins that were made immortal for their crimes. That is why your eyes show like empty blackness, is it not?"

Kiba looked straight into the dark one's eyes, seeing the unblinking malice and hate.

"Indeed." Bysir thought for a moment. "I am disappointed that our brethren have forgotten us so quickly. You see Kiba, I too was once a Paladin. Silver Serpent House. Many of us were persuaded by the Darkness to leave The Order and serve it's cause. Only now I fear I have lived a farce. Marcus Bysir pointed to the Librarian gave me this book, it is written by his great grandfather." Bysir sets "The Darkness Becomes" on the table. "Xenos Rayth was a good friend of mine, and fellow member of the Dark Circle. Shortly after our exile and damnation by the gods, Xenos and I went our separate ways. In this book 'The Darkness Becomes,' Xenos tells of the Darkness' betrayal of the Dark Circle. Xenos also, however, tells of a way that paladins can use the Darkness' power against it. Redemption, if you will. I will never again consult the Spectrum, but perhaps I may still do some good in this world. As for you Kiba, I fear I must tell you that possessing Azrael gives you only three options. Option one: Embrace the dark nature of the weapon and let it's power guide you. Option two: Discard the weapon and embrace the Spectrum. Or finally, option three: Keep Azrael, fight the Darkness within, and eventually succumb to madness. Fortunately I believe I may be of assistance, maybe even giving you a fourth option."

Kiba

Kiba sat, eyeing the book Bysir had placed on the table, and voiced his thoughts. "Azrael is a handy weapon, and I feel I can use it to my advantage since it channels my own air-based energy. I would hate to let it go, but at the same time I cannot give in to the darkness I have vowed to fight. Tell me of this final option." Kiba glanced at Bysir, waiting for the final option.

Bysir eyed Kiba, wondering if the paladin was strong enough to do what was going to be necessary. "I have not read this entire book, only a few pages. In this book however, I believe lies the key to your sword. Azrael is of the same Darkness that this book claims to be able to control. In the first page, it clearly states that in order to control the Darkness you need not be of it. That means that you can learn this Kiba. It may require a sacrifice of yourself, but I'm sure the Spectrum will be more lenient on you than they were on me. I'm not sure how long you have before Azrael begins to affect your mind, but I need to understand this before I can help you. I have a proposal. Prince Wensil has murdered my grandson. I understand that Prince Capsol plans on attempting to take the throne from his brother. Give me a few days, to tend some business and learn more from this book. Once I have an understanding great enough to help you, I will meet you at Castle Terna, or wherever you may choose. For this I ask only one thing. When the day comes that the forces of Prince Capsol are upon Unificus, grant me entry to the city and aid me in anyway possible in my quest for Prince Wensil's blood. Is this a reasonable bargain paladin?

Kiba

Kiba was thoroughly shocked by Bysir's proposal. "I ask for control over my own darkness, and you ask for a life in return? You do not possibly think that I could make my mind up right this instant?" Kiba stood and half turned away from Bysir.

After all this, Kiba would have to sacrifice the Prince's brother. All this trouble for a sword he had only owned for two days. To Kiba this seemed like a cruel plot of Destiny, a plan of Fate born from the boredom of the Gods.

"Find me in two days, when you fully understand the book. If we have left Darson by then, which I doubt, I will leave word with our good friend Marcus here." With those words, Kiba turned and exited the building, gathering his thoughts and leading his troops back to the eastern gate. The sun was a few hours from setting, and Kiba had a few things to do.

Back at the gate Kiba searched for the woman he had met earlier, and found her only by following the phoenix she had not yet unsummoned. "Can spirit companions carry objects, say a letter, and if so can you teach me how to summon a winged messenger?"

Bysir was taken aback by Kiba's response. Has Azrael already corrupted Kiba's mind? No matter, Bysir had already made up his mind to help the paladin, regardless of Kiba's intent on helping Bysir into Prince Wensil's chamber. After all, "The Darkness Becomes" would help Bysir master his control of his own inner darkness which would no doubt provide a way for Bysir to exact his revenge on his own. I must consult the Dark Counsel. But before this, I should seek the Elkfolk The Shifting Blade would prove valuable in the coming battles, Bysir made up his mind to acquire the ingredients for the weapon before seeking the Dark Counsel. From what Bysir gathered, the Elkfolk were rumored to reside in "The Spire" near Darson. Bysir spent most of the afternoon studying "The Darkness Becomes" in a dark corner of the Darson Library. Because of this, Bysir's control over his own dark powers increased and he began to understand a technique to command ripples of the Darkness. Bysir entered a deep state of meditation, his inner darkness crept to the forest's edge which was not far from the Library. In the blink of an eye, Bysir was in the woods. He stood and turned to face Darson,  there he saw the Army of Prince Capsol, and his new "friend" if he may very well be. Good luck Kiba, hold to the principles of the Order and confide in the Spectrum. I will not let my fate be yours. At that Bysir turned and began his search for the Elkfolk.

So this is the evil presence that I've been feeling, Seles thought.
As the shadow charged towards Seles, she manipulated the water from the ocean with her hands and formed two small streams.
She prepared to use them for any offensive or defensive tactic needed to stop the mysterious being.

As the shadow was only a few feet away, Seles lashed out one of the streams at the entity.

Level up!
Strength: 1
Endurance: 2
Dexterity: 5 (+)
Intelligence: 3 (+1)
Willpower: 1
Luck: 1 (+)
Ability increase: Pyrrhus finds himself holding a greater control over the winds, though he still lacks the ability to do such manipulation with easy.

Pyrrhus had watched as the young Kiba went to acquire the item. It wasn't a task he loathed, but he expected more action. More or less though, the time spent here could only aid him later. He watched as Kiba went to find a woman and thens trolled off for himself, hoping to find someone of note.

   Aseras stared at the blade his old friend prepared for him. It was going to be fun using his new 'toy' he thought. He thanked Blade, gave him a small yet generous donation, sheathed the sword, and left.

   Aseras had been hiking through the mountains for sometime when he sees...

@Seles
The stream nearly hit the shadow and the entity dissipated into the air, the stream splashing on the ground previously occupied by the evil.  The darkness still seemed to have a limited ability to manifest itself in this world without possession of a physical body.

*Seles gained experience*

It was still early in the day, the port was destroyed along with all the ships.  On the other side of the continent, Port Brenan suffered the same loss.  Hundreds of people were now jobless.  For some reason it seemed as if the Darkness wasn't wanting anyone to leave the continent.

Meanwhile... one ship continued to sail south, in the seas east of Port Brenan.

Seles had to act.  The mysterious Darkness had come to her town and ruined her family's way of life.  The songstress was becoming more confident in her powers, however, if she traveled inland, water would be scarcer, which might prove to be an obstacle, although easily overcome if the mind was willing to adapt to the circumstances.


@Vael
"Vael!"

Quickly, Vael turned around to see Zenith behind him.  "Yes?"  Vael responded, still unsure of Zenith's true intentions.

Zenith seemed slightly upset.  "I've been searching the minds of this world.  It seems that Port Brenan has suffered a catastrophe.  Some evil came to the town and destroyed the ships there, along with the docks.  This wouldn't be upsetting, and could possibly be dismissed as some beast from the mountains, but I searched more minds and found another incident occured, not even an hour later.  In the port town of Fendmoore, another evil, or perhaps the same one, destroyed that towns ships and docks.  I fear Shishra might be targeted soon.  If we don't act fast, this city's lifeline might be destroyed."

Zenith passed back and forth.  "Vael... recently the world was tainted with an ancient evil.  I can feel it.  This is why I've begun my build up of Freeseekers... to combat the ancient evil.  Unfortunately the dimwitted Princes don't sense the disturbance like I do, they're too busy fighting like children.  The world will HAVE to unite together, however, if we plan on defeating this darkness that has descended upon us."  Searching for words, Zenith momentarily paused.  He had withheld information from the young firemaster, and was debating whether or not to finally disclose it with Vael.

"My powers of mind-bending have their perks... I can search people's minds, and essentially their souls.  Vael, the Color that resides in you is Red.  If you were familiar with the history of our planet, you would know that the stars in our night sky were created by the Reds... and if you noticed, no stars have shone in 4 nights.  The evil that has come to this world robbed the stars of their color... of your color.  If you are ever going to fully control this power of yours, and unlock your past... you have to let me help you, so that this darkness can be defeated."

"I hesitate to ask what I am about to..."  Zenith pondered how he could spin this to make it easy for Vael.  "I think the evil is about to strike Shishra's port soon.  It appears to only be able to manifest itself for a limited amount of time, and I think if you and I work together, we might be able to repel it long enough to prevent it from destroying this town's livelihood.  You are too weak to combat something of this magnitude... and I'm afraid my powers revolve around humans and manipulation of their minds.  I will not force this on you, although I could... instead I ask your permission... Come with me tomorrow morning, when the evil is likely to strike, and let me control your powers for you.  I'm afraid we have few, if any other options to combat this evil currently..."  Zenith's words trailed off.  He waited patiently for Vael's response.  This was a lot of information to process and Vael might have questions needing to be answered.


@Kiba and Pyrrhus
Pyrrhus was about to run off again, like he had a tendency to do.  Always looking for action, the lieutenant was eager to see some real action.  As Pyrrhus was walking off he was stopped by a woman accompanied by a Phoenix spirit companion.  As she began to speak, the Phoenix vanished, as she could clearly tell Pyrrhus was unsure of it.  "You are Lieutenant Pyrrhus, are you not?"

The lieutenant nodded his head.

"I am Mary Stormbrew.  I was assigned to this mission for what we're about to do.  Your paladins are out retrieving a book on the legendary Phoenixes.  What's important is not the information on the phoenixes in the book.  I happen to be an expert on the creatures.  I am here to help you and Kiba track down a Phoenix and collect its ashes.  The ashes will be used to create a potion, the exact ingredients and methods of creating the potion are located in the book the paladins are picking up now.  This potion will grant Prince Capsol's army with immortality potions, and will allow the army to successfully attack Unificus.  Now however, I need you to begin planning how you and the young paladin will dispose of the phoenix, once I track it and trap it.  The bird is not to be trifled with.  It's capable of emitting huge amounts of heat, capable of burning or even killing.  The hard part is immobilizing it so it won't run away at the sight of us."  Mary was cut short when Kiba saw her and Pyrrhus.

The eager paladin approached her, she formally introduced herself and told him of the plan.  He seemed less interested about the plan to kill a phoenix and collect its dust as he immediately inquired about the physical abilities of spirit companions.

Mary responded to his question, "Spirit companions are capable of interaction with the physical realm, although the summoner must remain in a constant state of concentration, as the spirit companion moves further and further away.  I would be able to show you how to summon a pigeon, I think you could handle it.  If you maintained your concentration, you would be able to successfully fly the pigeon with letter attached to wherever you needed it to go."

"Before that, however, tonight we head out into Spire, the three of us only.  A phoenix could never be found if an entire army stormed the forest.  These woods are dangerous, though, so prepare yourself as needed."

*Kiba learned how to summon a pigeon.*

"I'd suggest if you are going to send a letter off today, you send it quick.  It will take some time for the spirit companion to fly to its destination."  With that Mary walked off to make her preparations for the adventure.

Pyrrhus and Kiba were left alone, with the book, The Birth of a Phoenix.


@Bysir
After an hour of walking deeper into the forest Bysir was confronted by some noise in the distance.  Sounds of laughter could be heard and in taking a moment to reexamine his surroundings, he noticed a fragrant smell.  He slowly crept forward as to not alarm anyone or anything of his presence.  The dark paladin came to a small cliff and went slowly to its edge, looking down at the source of the noise.  Elkfolk! Bysir had found some.  They were a good sized creature.  It's body was that of a large, healthy steed, with the torso of a man.  It's head was human-like, except for the overwhelmingly blue eyes, and the antlers coming from their forehead.  The elkfolk had created a fire and were brewing some sort of soup.  It smelled sweet like the berries and plants it must have been created from.  Bysir knew of the elkfolk and was aware that once an elkfolk saw you, it would immediately come to you and shower you with hospitality.  Their minds were quick with languages and would nearly instantaneously speak in their high pitched voices in response to whatever you spoke.  Although initially they remained silent, waiting to hear what you had to say.  The creatures had an aura of benevolence and happiness.  To Bysir it was sickening... especially because it actually made him feel better just being on a cliff nearby them.  Bysir let out a reflexive, blehhh in response to the feeling.  The elkfolk stood upright, and turned their heads towards Bysir.  Immediately they ran around the cliff, up a hill, and were in front of Bysir staring and gawking, waiting for Bysir to speak.  There were three elkfolk total.  6 curious deep blue eyes staring curiously and happily at the stranger.  Bysir smiled.  What the hell?!  He thought as he noticed his smile.  Why the HELL am I smiling?  Gah... these creatures are awful...ly delightful.  Bysir didn't know what to do.  He'd initially come here to kill the creatures, but now was admittedly wondering how he could kill while he was in such a good mood.  Bysir spoke......


@Aseras and Chris
Aseras woke up from his dream that he was hiking in the mountains and instantaneously remembered where he was.  Unificus... to kill Scott Hemming, the master-thief.  Grasping Stinger by its hilt, the assassin made his way into the city in search of Scott.  Traversing across the rooftops he finally spotted the old man.  He was accompanied by a young girl.  Shouldn't be a problem.  All I have to do is stab him, the poison will do the killing.  Aseras was ready to carry out his task... this was his opportunity.

"Wha....wha...what are your  names?" Bysir felt a sudden rage creeping up from somewhere deep inside him. The Elkfolk continued to stare curiously at Bysir. "My name is....." Confusion clouded Bysir's mind, something was very funny about all this.... Bysir suddenly burst into hysterical laughter, happiness hurt! "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" The Elkfolk joined in Bysir's laughter for a few moments, until Bysir's laughter became obnoxious. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!" The Elkfolk stared in what could be described as fear at Bysir. Bysir continued laughing and lunged at the nearest Elkfolk "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!" Bysir knocked the Elkfolk off it's feet and landed on top of it, he began striking the beast with his fist, first only to it's head, then across it's entire human like torso. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" Bysir began to tear peices of flesh from the beast, devouring it all while laughing. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!" The other two Elkfolk looked on with horror as Bysir beat their friend to death, ripping flesh from him and eating it! Bysir's laughter slowly trickled to a burdened sob "HAHAHA....HA...HA...HAHA..." Bysir stood, covered in the Elkfolk's blood and tissue.......

@Bysir
The two remaining elkfolk finally realized what this stranger had done.  They let out high pitched cries, while Bysir turned around, with his bloodlusted eyes.  Elkfolk are so genuinely pleasant that, unless killing one from afar, insanity must be your friend before you could kill such a kind beast.  Bysir was at least insane, whether it was from the darkness inside him, or the years of solitude spent in the mountains.  The elkfolk took the blatant hint that this stranger was no friend, spit on the maniac, then ran away.

Elkfolk's defensive nature is that of their benevolent ambiance, which triggers endorphins and pleasant thoughts in the minds and bodies of nearby creatures.  Thus, they naturally have nothing that hunt them in the wild.  They lacked instincts to deal with this stranger who just pummeled their fellow elkfolk to death with his bare hands.

Although the elkfolk have no effective means of attacking, they do have a corrosive spit that breaks down the normally indigestible plants and bark they usually throw into their soups.   Both the elkfolk spit on Bysir and took off running into the trees while Bysir experienced a new sort of pain.  The spit burned the surface of Bysir's skin, and although it was hardly fatal in anyway, it was perhaps one of the most excruciating pains the aged assassin had experienced in his long life.  He dropped to his knees, writhing in pain, while he couldn't help but feel relief.  The elkfolk were far enough away that their charm had worn off.  Bysir was back to his normal, heartless self.

Aseras lept from the rooftop, keeping his eye on the old man. It was an easy task with his new companion at his side, and he was ready to test it out.

He landed in the alley, keeping a mental picture of the last time he saw Scott. He started rushing through the crowded street, calculating where he last saw his target, and measuring the distance he would of traveled, constantly updating it as to catch up with the old man. Sudden Aseras came into a clearing, it was the marketplace, he will have to stealthily stab Scott as to not alarm any of the witnesses. He searched through the crowd, trying to make out Scott and the girl he was with. He saw them talking with some merchant of some sort of supplies. He closed in on the old man, taking silent foot steps. As he unsheathed Stinger, he flipped open the poison container, making sure there was enough to kill Scott with just a quick pierce to his side. He came with in 10 feet of the aged-thief, and decided it was time to pounce. He lept towards Scott with great force, while at the same time swiftly preparing his weapon for impact...

Vael didn't know what to answer. This was different from any missions he did as a headhunter, he didn't even know his enemy nor could he do his usual recherches... and even if he could, this enemy wasn't human. What chance would he have against a power that can make the stars dissappear? What did Zenith expect from him?He coudn't even use his full power...
But still, the red light in his dream, his recent losses of control... everything hinted at that he was somehow linked to the reds.
"I am going... but I want to do it on my own."

Kiba

Kiba had learned how to summon a pidgeon after the conversation with Pyhrrus and Mary. It seemed blue spirit companions were mostly there for show...

As explained by Mary, Kiba had little time to send his letter to Terna, and scribbled down the contents on a small piece of paper. It was to reach the Order Council's oldest member, and simply said 'The best way to kill a prince?' He would know what it implied.

Kiba then spent hours with his back, and Azrael, to the wall of the city in silent concentration until his messenger had reached its target. The oldest would have his ways to send a long distance message back.

Now Kiba had to prepare for finding the Phoenix, and acquired some supplies from the quartermaster, before heading to meet Mary at the edge of the Spire.

Bysir sat and relished the pain for some time, it had been awhile since he felt alive. He gathered his intellect and removed a poison vial from a pouch. Leaning over the Elkfolk, Bysir proceeded to fill the empty poison vial with Elkfolk blood. Bysir then began stripping the edible meat from the beast, wrapping it and storing it in his pack. Bysir walked down to the campsite and drank the Elkfolk's soup, then began a cursory search of the campsite to see if there had been anything of use. not so much value, Bysir cared nothing for money because he had always had a means to what he needed. While Bysir rummaged through the Elkfolk campsite, he planned his next move. Wind Harpies were very common in the area of the mountains he had lived in for the past centuries. Bysir noted that there was a den of Harpies not more than a half days walk from the spire, and decided to head there once the camp had been searched properly...   

@Aseras and Chris
Scott felt the assassin's presence before Chris could.  Thinking quick, Scott distracted Chris with a new conversation.

"Chris."  The girl looked at Scott.  "In life there are many mysteries."  Chris wasn't entirely interested, still distracted with the old man's impending death.  "Let me elaborate.  There is this creature in the mountains called a Wind Harpy.  It's a beautiful creature, charming in its aesthetics.  However, in all that beauty lies a lethality.  Harpies travel together, usually sending one harpy in front of the others to bait any ignorant predator.  The predator sees the beautiful harpy and doesn't realize its lethality.  Then... just before the predator strikes, the harpy playing the bait flies skyward, while the other harpies rip apart the predator with their sharp claws."  Chris was slightly more interested.  "The harpy effectively distracted its prey long enough to carry out what needed to be done."  Chris's eyes widened as a blade entered the old man's side.  Scott fell to a knee and smiled at Chris as the assassin began to make his escape.  "Life is unpredictable, Chris.  Don't take it too seriously..."  The old man's words trailed off into the wind... they were his last.

*Aseras gained experience*

@Vael
Zenith was disgusted at Vael's ignorance.  "You don't understand!"  Zenith regained his composure.  "Fine..."  He looked at Vael and couldn't understand this man.  He claimed to be a headhunter, but wouldn't kill in the arena.  He claimed to fear his powers, but yet, felt confident enough to take on the Darkness by himself.  Zenith was always sure of the outcome of his endeavors, and here was a young man so contradictory in his actions, that Zenith could not figure out what he would do.  "I am going too.  If something goes wrong, you will need my help."


@Kiba
The quatermaster greeted Kiba openly.  "Welcome to Prince Capsol's finest supply tent!"  The man brought Kiba inside and inquired as to what the paladin required.


@Bysir
The soup revitalized Bysir, unfortunately it nearly filled him with the same glee he experienced before.  The revitalization almost wasn't worth the painful happiness.

*Bysir acquired elkfolk meat*
*Bysir acquired elkfolk blood*
*Bysir gained experience*

Bysir arrived to the mountains as the sun was setting.  The harpy den wasn't far off.  A den full of the harpies would surely rip Bysir apart.  Luckily, as Bysir began stalking through the trees of the mountain, he saw in the distance a harpy slowly moving along.

Pyrrhus was bored yet again, but he figured that since no one seemed to be watching him anymore, he might as well earn some extra cash.

Quietly he slunk down the silver-lined streets, the richer part of town that is, and found a house with a gorgeous balcony overlooking the road. Silently, furtively, he sneaked around the house, until he saw one open window and heard someone's voice coming from it. He liked this approach best: if you heard someone talk or move, it was best to enter from that position so that you had the opportunity to "disarm" them as soon as possible.

So he entered the window and saw a woman about to finish doing her hair against a mirror in the next room. Quietly, he sneaked along the edge of the room until he could hear her talking to herself. Strange as this was, Pyrrhus had learned that people did strange things on there own. He knocked off a vase from it's stand across the room with his knife and waited as she entered the room to observe the mess.

He quickly knocked her face inwards and laid her down on her bed. He then searched throw the room, found her small safe, shattered the lock -- as he was accustomed to doing -- and took what was inside, a not unsubstantial amount of money.

He then left through the window he came out, jumping from rooftop to rooftop until he found the spot Kiba entered and jumped down to go inside.

Kiba

Kiba greeted the quartermaster with a friendly nod. "I require equipment for a mission set by the Prince. We are to hunt in the forest, and need supplies for the situation."

Kiba hesitated briefly. "I assume it's provided without payment?"

Wind Harpies do not taste very good. Bysir had learned this when he spent YEARS (literally) working out a method to isolate a Harpy. The trick was, you see, to set a rudimentary trap for the "bait" Harpy. The following group of Harpies would then converge on the location of the distressed Harpy due to a pheromone release, all but two that is. One Harpy would circle the group and approach from the other direction, searching for other would be attackers. The final Harpy would loiter back, guarding the rear. The trick was to make your way in between the attacking group, and the rear guard, approach from the attack site and overtake the Harpy before it could call for help. Bysir set his trap, made his way to where he believed the attacking group would come from and hope that none of the Harpies had wised up to his trickery...

@Kiba and Pyrrhus

The Storyteller encourages interaction between the two.  Now that Pyrrhus has money... the supplies can be paid for easily.

Kiba noticed Pyrrhus entered the tent behind him.


@Bysir
Harpies retained their tactics.  Bysir's bait worked and was now faced with one isolated and alarmed harpy.  Luckily for Bysir, harpies were proud creatures and would not run from a fight.  The harpy began charging Bysir, claws outfront and ready to rend his flesh.

Kiba

"Pyhrrus was it? I believe you need supplies for this hunt too?" Kiba motioned towards Pyhrrus. "You may serve my companion first, I'll browse for now."

Kiba eyed the good the shop had for sale, and noticed some small bladed shuriken, each with five points, and a selection of elemental grenades, which would explode with the element imbued inside it.

Bysir normally took Harpies by surprise, but no matter this had happened before. Bysir timed his attack pefectly, the Harpy was not more than a few meters away when Bysir rolled right, shot against a tree, rebounded and caught the Harpy on it's back with a long slash from his blade. Bysir landed across from the Harpy, turned around and prepared for the next encounter.

Vael didn't know why he said that. It wasn't what he intended to say, and it now seemed completely insane to him. He knew he probably had no chance even if Zenith helped him, and now he rejected his help? He turned around to explain this to Zenith, but he was already gone.
As Vael looked down in thoughts, he saw a few small flames dancing around his hands. Confused, he put them out and sat down on his bed.

All Pyrrhus wanted was a mage's sword, something imbibed with elemental power. He took note of swords of differing lengths, each with their own benefits, but too care to not be drawn into things too lengthy and too thick. He chose a balanced sword of wind, something of his own element.

"Can I take that one?"

"Yes, but didn't you say you needed supplies for a mission?" The quartermaster said so with a slight grin. Pyrrhus had gotten caugfht up in his own lust again.

"Then could I get..." Pyrrhus listed a number of foods, potions, a tent, firestarting kits and other such things until he thought it was sufficient. nothing special. He saved a bit for Kiba though, in case he wanted any special supplies and still had enough to furnish himself for a month with prime restaurant food.

"So then I'll be taking that sword..." The quartermaster gladly handed over the sword to Pyrrhus and accepted the payment. Pyrrhus gave a glance to Kiba and swapped places with him, letting Kiba pick out any necessary supplies he had forgotten.

Kiba

Kiba graciously accepted the hadfull of coins that Pyhrrus offered him, and stood infront of the counter. "All I require are a set of those shuriken, two water grenades, a fire grenade, and some simple health poultices." Kiba exchanged some of the coins for the goods, and pocketed the rest. "Come on Pyhrrus, we need to get back to Mary. Where did you get those coins from anyway?"

With that, they left the shop and made their way back to camp.

Chris wasn't going to cry. She knew this would happen, and had mentally prepared herself. But she hadn't expected it to happen so fast. Before she could even get a clear look at Scott's killer, he was gone.
"G'bye, mate,' she said softly, looking at her friend's body one last time. With grim determination, she left the market square, leaving the guards to deal with the body. It was time to find the Thieves Guild. Recalling what Scott had told her about its location, she set off, habitually staying to the shadows.

The task was complete, Scott was dead, and Aseras had gotten away with ease. Another day another life taken, he lived by this, accepting it as his destiny.

While on his way back to the Sanctuary, darkness falls over the sky above, and Aseras decides to set up camp. It was a simple campsite, with just a small fire and a cloth to sleep on. Aseras stared into the stary sky above, thinking of his life as he always does, when he heard something rustling in the bushes near him.

Day 5:Destiny Reveals


Fendmoore began its reconstruction.  Fishermen quickly constructed small boats to continue their professions.  Unfortunately the town was setback.  The supplies it needed to fully reconstruct the docks and ships wouldn't come cheap.  Someone had to go find help and resources.  Seles decided to be this person.  She had realized that something had changed in the world and she couldn't sit idly by, not if she was going to be able to protect her town if the creature ever respawned.  The day prior, she had set out on her journey to Unificus, to plea with Prince Wensil in an attempt to gain his support and supplies.

In the Spire, Pyrrhus, Mary, and Kiba had set up camp the night before.  Today they would seek out the Phoenix and slay it, bringing Prince Capsol's army one step closer to beginning their advance on Unificus.

Bysir had acquired the other two ingredients for the Shifting Blade he desired, and now made his way through the familiar mountains, quickly, to arrive at Yisra later that day.

Chris had rummaged through Scott's house for clues to the Thieves Guild, and had been successful.  Unfortunately, the guild's headquarters were not located in Unificus like she'd hoped and expected.  The Guild resided in Yimne, and she had to decide just what she was going to do.  A life in the Guild would be exciting, but non-stop.

Vael awoke early that morning to get to the docks before sunrise.  Zenith followed closely behind, but allowed Vael his space.  How would this young man defend against a monstrosity, so ancient?

Aseras was returning to the Brotherhood of Blood to accept his reward for completing the task.  Afterwards he would continue on passing time until the next assignment was issued.  To him, the world went on all the same.

A ship turned west on the seas; a dark cloud continued to follow it.  The girl on board looked out to sea questioning her own humanity, as a darkness grew in her heart.

*Aseras leveled up!*
*Bysir leveled up!*

---

---

Rumor of the Day
A bard sang his song in a tavern near Yimne.
"A shadow visited this world we knew,
In evil hearts, the shadow grew.
Better men saw this and fled,
As the world's future they had read.
The mountain men, they would be known,
And the would reside until it shown.
The darkness, that is, that's with us now.
Even though, no one knows how.
Perhaps the mountain will know.
Perhaps these better men will show,
The path we need to hold onto,
The path they know is pure and true."

The tavern's patrons booed the bard off the stage.

---

---

Significant Events
-Unificus has significantly increased its defensive parameters
-Prince Capsol's army continued blockading Darson
-Fendmoore and Port Brenan began reconstruction of their ports

*LEVEL UP!*
-Strength: 1
-Endurance: 3
-Dexterity: 3 (+)
-Intelligence: 1 (+)
-Willpower: 4 (+)
-Luck: 1
Aseras increased is Psychic Wind ability, he can now summon more wind blades and can keep them present longer.

A little rabbit jumped out, Aseras calmed down, and decided to go to sleep. He will travel back to Castle Terna first thing in the morning. When Aseras awoke he discovered something was poking around in his food from the previous night. It was a...

In the moment he arrived at Shishra, Vael noticed that there was something unusual about this place... there was no wind at all, and there was not a single wave on the water. Was this related to the darkness he was supposed to fight? Vael shuddered. This might be even more dangerous than he thought.
What if his theory wasn't right? This decision might as well have been his doom, a punishment for being this ignorant, to think that somebody like him could defeat an ancient darkness, a darkness that could steal the color of the reds...
But now it was too late to run away. All he could do was to hope his theory would be proven soon.

Kiba

Kiba awoke to the sound of troops sparring outside his tent. Today was the day they hunted the legendary bird, Phoenix. Obviously Mary and Pyhrrus had not woken him up, so there should be some time left.

Kiba had spent hours meditating the previous night, and felt the need to train his body instead. Inside his rather spacious tent he started to stretch, and then to work out various muscles with push-ups and stretches of various kinds, occasionally swinging Azrael to loosen up.

@Aseras
Aseras woke to the sound of his belongings being rummaged through.  When he stepped out of his tent he was surrounded by goblins.  The one rummaging through his belongings looked at him, then continued rummaging.

"Hellos Human!"  A goblin, slightly larger than the rest stepped forward.  He examined Aseras up and down.  "Sleeps a little too close to these mountains, don't you think?"  The goblin stepped closer, and 3 more goblins surrounded the assassin with him.  "Now thens... what's a humans with nos weapon and nos belongings gonna do beings surrounded by goblins?"  Aseras quickly went for Stinger.  It was gone, along with everything else he had.  A goblin in the back laughed and held up a sack, while another goblin joined in laughter and swung the assassin's sword around, accidentally striking another goblin in the arm.

The goblin who's arm was struck let out a whine, then smacked the one wielding the sword in the face.  "Yous dummy!  What are you thinkin- woah"  Before the sword-wielder could say anything in response, the poisoned goblin fell down, dead.

The big goblin looked at the situation and then back at Aseras.  "Looks like yous gots some poison in that sword of yours!  Brilliant!"  Even though one goblin dropped dead, the assassin looked around... there were dozens of them, swarming the area.  "Now thens... what do you have to say for yourselfs... human?"


@Vael
The wind had stopped.  The waters were calm.  A dark man approached Vael from behind.  Vael turned around at his presence, the man was directly behind him.  He had not made a sound approaching the young firemaster.  Zenith watched from a distant, trying to read the man's thoughts.  He couldn't understand a single thought.  This is no good, the lord of Shishra thought to himself.  He watched the situation very carefully.

The man's eyes were nearly nonexistant, a void filled them, "dark" could not describe these eyes for they were darker than dark... an abyss.  The man flashed out of existence in a cloud of darkness, quickly reappearing on the other side of Vael.  He began walking towards the nearby docks.


@Kiba
Mary woke at the sound of Kiba's morning exercises.  She watched the paladin effortlessly swinging the large blade around, then saw the distinct blue hilt.  It sent a shiver up her spine just looking at it.

"Quite a blade you have there."  She stated, walking up to Kiba after he noticed her and lowered Azrael.  "It's so large, yet you wield it as if it were a feather."

REVER UP!!!!

Strength:2+
Endurance:1
Dexterity:5+
Intelligence:1
Willpower:1
Luck:3
Bysir increased his Darkness abilities to the point that he may now linger in the darkness realm as long as he wishes. His ability to sense color and skill has been fine tuned and His Darkness aura now spreads a bit farther during meditation and takes less time to reach distance.

Bysir stopped for a break near the peak of one of the smaller mountains in the ridge. He opened "The Darkness Becomes" and began reading. After a couple of hours Bysir fully understood the technique to control Darkness ripples, this was great news! Bysir now only had to tailor this command of Darkness to fit Kiba's need and the young paladin would be saved from a life spent serving the Darkness, and would hopefully server Bysir in facilitating Prince Wensil's death. Bysir had already arranged a contingency in case Kiba refused to help him, which was seeming more and more likely. Bysir closed his book, meditated a while to ensure he grasped the Darkness and then set out to Yisra, which he was now making his way to by following the smoke trail he assumed was Yisra. All the while Bysir swore there were eyes upon him, he even got a similar feeling to that of the Elkfolk, a happy feeling, yet at the same time he sensed immense danger and the presence of the Spectrum somewhere in these mountains. The Others had mentioned an enemy of the Darkness in these ranges, but Bysir had never been curious or stupid enough to go looking. Bysir just hoped that whatever it was would either not detect him fully, or choose to leave him alone....

@Bysir
The dark paladin's presence was well known in the part of the mountains he was passing through.

Fredrick Moonfire watched the man closely, though not through conventional means.  A young man entered Fredrick's tent.  "Archtemplar Moonfire, there's a disturbance in the area."

Fredrick exited his meditative trance and opened his eyes.  "I know.  And you should know that we are fully aware."

The young man was humbled.  "He's reeks of darkness, Archtemplar."  Anxiously, the young man waited for Fredrick's response.

"This is not the darkness we are waiting for."  Fredrick rose to hit feet.  He was tall, 6'4", and his long red hair flowed past his shoulders, down his robe.

The young man knelt, "Archtemplar... I could easily dispose of him."

"No."  The young man was taken aback by the quick response.  "If you feel it necessary, you may continue observing him, but this man is not to be touched.  Do not make your presence known."  The young man stood and exited the tent.

Bysir was moving quickly through the mountains, Yisra was nearing, a few more peaks and the dark paladin would arrive at his destination.  The presence Bysir had previously felt left him, although the thought remained in his mind.  They were watching me.  Not good.  Bysir thought to himself.  The members of the Dark Circle stayed away from these parts of the mountains because of the local inhabitants.  Some had resided in the mountains since before the Dark Paladins had made their pact with the darkness, and the Dark Circle's history was known by these templars.  Much knowledge was held in the mountains, and with recent events unfolding, a time to act was coming fast.

Vael hesitated, following the dark man, who was now slowly walking to the nearby docks, with his eyes. How was he supposed to stop him? He just dissapeared in front of his eyes, and reappeared somewhere else... how could Vaels attacks even harm him? But he had no other choice now.
Frightened, Vael started to follow him.

@Vael
The man shrouded in darkness ignored his follower.  He arrived at the docks, then said something in some dark unknown language that sounded like gargling and frothing of the mouth.  Just then a transformation began, the dark man had disappeared and was replaced by a hulking shadow.  The shadow turned around towards Vael who wasn't far behind.  The dark red eyes pierced Vael and a power could be felt surging in the young firemaster.

   "This should be fun", Aseras thought, "its like an early birthday present..." Aseras smirked, the goblins were unorganized and now cocky because they had Stinger, little did they know Aseras was summoning up two massive wind blades to come up and swipe them from behind. He needed to distact them while he did this however... He dropped to his knees, pretending to surrender.

  The large goblin moved in on Aseras, Stinger in his hand. "Are you surrendering human?"

  Aseras lowered his head, showing the goblin his life was in his hands. Then a huge gust knocked the goblin onto one knee, he quickly got up so the human didn't do anything, Aseras was still on his knees however. One thing had changed, he was now looking up, it was nothing significant, except there was one thing, he was smiling again.

  "Why are you smiling human??" the goblin exclaimed, "What is so joyous about your death?!"

  Aseras said only one thing, it was all he needed to say... "Turn around..."

  The goblin did so but moved behind Aseras so he didn't try to overwhelm the goblin. As he shifted his sight towards where his companions stood, all he saw were the remains of the savages, their blood soaking the fertile soil they once stood on.

  "What the hell are you? What did you do to my men??" The goblin questioned, now pointing the blade at Aseras' throat.

  "Me? I didn't do anything, you were watching me this whole time."

  The human was right, someone or something had killed his followers, however, and the only other living threat was the traveler... "Either way human, your life ends now!"

   There was a loud, animalistic groan that spread across the valley, the sound hadn't come from Aseras' though, it was the large goblin who owned the noise. Just as the goblin had lifted his arm equipped with Stinger, Aseras had unsheathed his hidden weapon he kept under his forearm in his gauntlet, and struck him right in the throat. The goblin released a massive amount of blood, soaking Aseras' head, and fell to the ground. Aseras sheathed his hidden blade, and picked up Stinger. He checked the poison in the blade, it was almost out, Aseras needed to prepare more posions. He decided he would collect herbs so he could practice preparing poisons when he got back to the Sanctuary, so Aseras packed up his belongings, and went off to collect herbs.

 

@Aseras
Luckily for goblins, they were regenerative creatures.  Although the attack seemingly "killed" the goblins, none of them, save for the large one, were dead.  Aseras had severely underestimated the goblins.  As soon as Aseras had made the killing blow on the large goblin, two goblins grabbed him from behind, immediately restraining him and removing his remaining weapons.  Shit, Aseras thought to himself.  He had been cocky and overlooked the goblins true powers.  Even though many goblins had been knocked down by his gust of wind, the goblins behind Aseras's tent immediately responded, and now the assassin was completely defenseless.

Goblins were fully accustomed to death among themselves.  That's why when the large goblin was slain, and the goblin before him poisoned, none of the goblins were surprised or even reacted really.  They quickly adapted the situation.  Another goblin stepped forward.  He looked older, almost wise in his age.

"I am Glek'ol the Wise," he paced calmly before the assassin.  "It seems as if you are quite hasty, a quality I can admire, being a goblin."  The way this goblin spoke was sophisticate, almost human-like.  "Unfortunately, we can't very well allow you the liberty of movement, and will thus, remain restrained for the time being.  You seem to have some skill, this power you summoned is intriguing, especially to us goblins."  Aseras was defeated and now at the goblin's mercy.  Glek'ol motioned to some goblins by the tent.  They in return torched the tent, while the two goblins restraining Aseras moved him towards Glek'ol.  The old goblin spoke again, "I'm taking you to the Big Boss in the mountains.  We'll see if he can find some use for you."  With that, Glek'ol and the rest of the goblins began moving Aseras into the mountains.  Aseras looked at the bloody goblins as their wounds began healing.  The attack was seemingly impressive, although goblin's had thin skin and were easily wounded.  The attack wouldn't of done as much on greater beasts, or even humans for that matter.  His skills were still weak.  Aseras contimplated his situation while being roughly moved into the treacherous mountains... goblin territory.

  "F*ck" Aseras thought, "I knew that goblins possess regeneration abilities, I should've known that my ability couldn't take them down. Now i'm stuck in this mess, oh well, maybe they will let me go if I do something for them... I've got some explaining to do to the Elders now too. That's just great..."

@Aseras
The journey into the mountains was a long one.  Glek'ol walked up beside the assassin being escorted.  "Tell me, human... what is your purpose in all of this?  How can you be content within a race that fights among itself?"

I'm hardly human goblin, I have joined a group of people who kill for contract, we dont interact with the government unless it involves money and death. How did you learn to speak english so well?

As the dark man, now merely a shadow, turned around to Vael, a sudden impulse of coldness came crashing towards him, taking his breath. Vael gasped for air, when suddenly the shadow stood directly in front of him, looking at him with his empty, black eyes.
It started to deform again, slowly shrouding Vael in its darkness while lifting him up into the air.
Vael struggled, trying to escape from the dark one's grip, but he could barely move. As the shadow continued to drown him in his colourlessness, Vael managed to call a small flame, a fire too small to do any harm to this ancient being... but it worked.
For the first time, Vael seemed to notice an emotion in the shadow's emotionless face... or rather, he felt it.
It was just there for a short moment, but it seemed to be... recognition.
Recognition and fear.
As the shadow was distracted for a moment, Vael managed to free himself.

@Vael
The shadow's red, glowing, eyes flashed in response to the fire, and the darkness released Vael.  It turned away from the young firemaster and began trashing at the docks.  It was enormous and overwhelming.  Zenith continued watching from a distance, initially cringing at Vael being restrained by the shadow.  He waited though, to see just what power Vael could muster up.  Luckily, Vael survived the attack.  Unfortunately the shadow had begun attacking the docks.  Vael needed to act fast to distract the shadow further.

'STOP', Vael shouted, spawning two flames in his hands, directed at the darkness.  While it might not have heard Vaels voice, it seemed to sense the fire. It disappeared again, appearing in front of Vael, again staring at him again in anger.
"YOU! WHY... DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR COLOR?"
Its dark, deep voice seemed to surround Vael, coming from no fixed point and echoing from the walls around them.
The shadow streched out its arm, trying to grab him again.
In that moment, time seemed to slow down as everything around Vael turned into a glowing, red light.

The shadow stopped moving, his arm still reaching for Vael, his eyes now open wide in terror.
From far away, Vael heard a voice, first silent, but progressively becoming louder. It was a female voice, repeating the same word over and over again, or rather, a name... As the voice came closer, he could hear what it said: "Phoenix!"...
Suddenly, as the light was gone, he noticed the giant flame, many times as big as the shadow, and in his center, glowing red, stood Vael.

After gathering up her few meager belongings, Chris prepared to leave Unificus. She still wasn't entirely sure about this whole Thieves Guild thing, but her youthful spirit of adventure had had enough of this town. It was time to leave it behind, possibly for good. Swinging her bag up onto her shoulder, she started for the city gates.

After a day's worth of working on reconstruction, Seles believed that the town could support itself without her for a bit.  She was sent to request help at Unificus due to her family's name being well known.  Although the songstress did not support the beliefs and practices of the eldest prince, she saw no other option available to find aid for her town.  She packed enough supplies for a few days of traveling, a few extra skins full of water, and her beloved instrument.

She treaded the plains southeast of her hometown towards the capital and hoped that this journey would be without trouble.

Bysir made it into the small town of Yisra taking note that he had been followed. It didn't seem like the follower wanted to do any harm, so Bysir just dismissed it. He walked up to the first person He saw and said "Excuse me, I'm looking for a smith with the last name of Orion, do you know where I can find this person?"

Kiba

Kiba hefted the blade and once more began to strike at his none-existant foes, taking care not to hit Mary. "The hilt was blessed by a windwalker, it makes the blade lighter" Kiba said simply, stopping his exercise. "I've had weird dreams since I bought it, almost like theres something inside it, trying to tell me something. And it seems to increase my own wind-based powers."

Kiba muttered the name in demonstration, and focused on pushing Mary slightly forwards. "You see, it's a special weapon. One I would like to keep."

What Pyrrhus never told anyone was where he got his weapons, not at least the one's he felt like keeping. Apart from his sword, he had taken two daggers which escaped his notice on his first viewing. However, as Kiba left, Pyrrhus had taken the opportunity to relieve the daggers with payment from his own cash supply, which was quite limited to be frank.

"These daggers are of no note, but have at least a minor wind enchantment on them. However, they seem to be capable of more than such small and unrefined enchantment so you might have success getting them re-enchanted elsewhere."

He took out his sword however, and met Kiba where he was swinging his sword.

"Mind if I have a go?" Pyrrhus waited for Kiba to leave his vicinity and began to practice forms, basic techniques, using short thrusts copiously. After he felt he was done, he examined the blade. He felt as if it were perhaps a bit too unweildy, but he knew that it would serve his magic abilities and wind manipulations well until he felt ready to use the daggers.

@Vael
The flame Vael emitted was indeed large, but it didn't give off significant heat.  Nothing around him burned.  This was strange, most times when Vael lost control it was just a violent surge of heat, incinerating everything in its path.  The shadow was taken aback though.  It's eyes stopping glowing as prominently as they had been before, and seemed dim in the light of Vael's fire.  The shadow attempted to strike Vael, but unsuccessfully so.  It spoke out in it's unknown language again, more gurgles and frothing noises.  The shadow then began a new approach.  It quickly grew several times as large as Vael's flame.  The density of the darkness was astounding.  Zenith watched from afar, still reluctant to go against Vael's wishes and assist him.  Then the darkness passed over the flames, consuming the flames and Vael as well.  Zenith had to act.  He closed his eyes and muttered something inaudible, but the flames around Vael responded to Zenith's words by encasing the young firemaster in them.  Although his flame was now smaller, and only surrounding his immediate person, the intensity of the fire could be seen through the darkness.  The shadow's eyes lost their glow altogether then, and only darkness could be seen.  Then it slowly dissipated into the surrounding air.  Vael was successful.  The shadow had lost its strength and was unsuccessful in its plot to destroy the docks.

Zenith stepped out of the background and approached Vael.

*Vael gained experience*


@Seles and Chris
Seles got to the northern gates of Unificus while the sun was still high in the sky.  Chris was nearby and couldn't help but notice the woman approaching her town.  Upon walking up to the Royal Guards protecting the gates, Seles greeted them, but their reply was unwelcoming.

"The city of Unificus is on lockdown.  If you don't have the proper identification, you cannot come inside."  One guard stated.

Seles made eye contact with Chris through the gate.


@Bysir
"A smith by that name?" the stranger said, "I know no such person."  Bysir repressed his anger.  "However, there is a family by that name here.  You'll find them on the southern side of town."


@Kiba and Pyrrhus
Mary was only slightly impressed by both the of the performances.  "Well, that is lovely,"  Mary lied, "but, we have a task at hand."  Mary began walking forward.  "Let's head deeper into Spire, shall we?  The Phoenixes live deep in the forest."

Kiba

Kiba, Mary and Pyhrrus made their way through the thick forest, moving quietly in order to avoid any beasts that may be lurking. They came to the edge of a wide clearing, and Kiba noticed that some of the trees were cut down, not by blades but by something clawed, and judging by the size of the trees, something large.

The party heard a deep growl not too far away, and Kiba opted, out of curiosity, to follow the sound. Mary and Pyhrrus were close behind as they got nearer to the mystery beast's location, both with weapons ready.

Seles looked at the guards sternly.
"I am Seles of-"

"I don't care who you say you are," one guard rudely interrupted.  "Do you have the proper identification?"

"No, I don't, but-"

"Then you are not allowed in," the other butted in.

Seles gave a humph to the guards' reactions.  However, she had a plan.

She took a deep breath and started to sing.


Oh let me inside, good guards.
`5  1   2   4  3      5       2

Open the two iron gates, oh please.
4  3    2    5   3 1   `6     3     2

Listen to this.  It's my only wish.
`7  1   2  `5     6    5  3 5    4

Please, oh dearest guards, listen closely.
    3      1   4   3       2      1 `7   2   1

Open the gates.  Let the songstress in.
7  6   7     1'       7    6    7       2'   1'

There will be no trouble if you follow this:
    4    3   4   6    5  1'  4  3     2 1    `7

Open up, come, open up!
1 7    6     4     5  1   1'

*Level up music plays*
Level:2
Strength:4 (+1)
Endurance:4 (+1)
Dexterity:1
Intelligence:1
Willpower:2 (+1)
Luck:1
Revan's earthshaping ability now requires less focus and less energy to use. The amount of defense when using this ability defensivly has also increased.

Revan clenched the stone in his hand and looked onward towards the mountains. Having spent the last day resting and stocking on travel items. Revan and Robert ventured off towards the mountains.

"Why are we heading towards the mountains?" Robert asked Revan have excited and half nervous.

Revan laughed to himself holding onto the small stone. "We are going to meet a friend there."

"In the mountains? Goblins are there! I'm not meant for a fight no, no, no. But the thrill of excitement we will have." Robert shivered from chills that ran down his spine. Nervous as he may have been, he loved thrills.

Revan knew something was awaiting him in the mountains. He knew that there was something far greater happening that extended beyond brothers fighting over power. Something far greater. Revan looked onward as he walked a bit zoned out and looking only towards his destination.

Bysir headed to the southern end of the town, where He found a home clearly marked "Orions." Bysir wasn't very social and encounters like this made him nervous. Bysir stepped to the door and knocked three times...

Bysir proceeded to punch Hex in the face and rip his flesh off through his anus, then setting him on fire all for being a doucher and losing drive for DB, which was his very own creation. Because of Hex's lack of discipline and focus, Bysir decided to go to Hex's room and make him do 300 push-ups because Bysir did in fact out rank Hex by quite a lot and had many years of service on him. You should all pray for Hex.

Vael then exploded and burned everything down.
The End.

Kiba survived by knawing off his own arm (somehow). He was the last living human on the smouldering planet.

Bysir turned into pure darkness and then reassembled himself as kiba's arm. With sweet tattoos and over 9000 muscles.