Cyrus breathed in deeply as Fuyu's healing energies mended his wounds, though not as much of the feeling of raw adrenaline as the vicious beast began to discorporeate before them. He couldn't resist forming a large grin upon his face as he let out an exhilarating victory cry, "We did it! Take that ya damn overgrown booger!!" he gleefully exclaimed. He had successfully avenged his favorite shirt and survived his first on the job encounter with barely a scratch; granted that was due to Fuyu's magic, but he wasn't about to let that bother him. "By the way, thanks for the heal Fuyu," he called out a bit louder than he probably needed to, but he was on a high and there was nothing that could take him down from it. Nothing except a goddess that is.

He couldn't help but be overwhelmed with shock, fear and amazement; as the magnificent being spoke before them. Cyrus ran from where he has over to Fang's side as swiftly as he could, his mind a buzz. He was in the presence of a goddess, a real f$%&^$ goddess, and she was asking for their aid! His teacher would never believe him. As soon as he reached her, Cyrus lowered himself on one knee.

" Fairest Undine, maiden of the mist and goddess of the waters, what happened to you? By wind mana, do you refer to the Sylphs? Has something happened to them?" practically blurted out the young man trying to maintain his best tone of respect he could. He felt a bit of shame at his dirty and ragged appearance, but his mind was to busy taking it all in to fully feel shame. Though perhaps his greatest worry was that he felt as if he knew the answer to his questions; he hoped with all his heart he was wrong.

Gran sheathed his sword as the creature disappeared. He then turned towards the voice and was about to say, "Is that who I think it is?" He was interrupted by Cyrus. Gran could hardly believe that he was seeing Undine. When cyrus mentioned the Sylphs, Gran could only imagine what was to come in the near future. Gran went to one knee as well next to Cyrus and awaited the Goddess' commands.

_________________
Hey everybody, PandaBrady here, with more roleplaying!

Also, please support Monty Oum, his work is amazing, especially RWBY. I wish I was that good.

Looking as if it were impossible to dodge the magic the ninja held her ground and readyed to block it. Luckily enough the annoying boy was yelling angrily at her to cause the magic attack to be diverted, or maybe it was a different noise. Elia was growing red with rage and looked at Adeon for a moment after the mole began to dig. She stared at him, making no noise before slapping the boy across the face. She looked as if she were about to start yelling as well when the mole's burrowing knocked them off balance. If loud noises stun the blind mole then this should be a quick and easy fight, or she hoped, if the thief child pulled his head out of his ass and actually cooperated and used his brain.

Elia pulled both of her swords from their scabbards and waited for the mole to resurface, trying to make as little noise as possible as she shifted around the battle field. Hopefully the boy would be stupid enough to start yelling again, giving the ninja the chance to clang her two swords together to stun the monster then attack its weak point, all while she is unharmed. 'I already regret saving that stupid ass,' she thought to her self as she waited quietly, moving farther and farther away from the boy.

_________________

~Meeting with Undine~

“I’m surprised there is one who can recognize me.” she said in a gentle voice, “Yes I am Undine the summon spirit of water. The sylphs sent me a message saying that someone is trying to do something horrible to them and I fear they are getting close to accomplishing this feat. You all must be aware that this world is in danger. The recent increase in viruses has caused all of the spirits to hide away causing a decrease in mana flow but it’s just enough to keep the world save. I don’t know why but someone is trying to force their way into the spiritual altars for wrong reasons. Right now this person has discovered the location of the Altar of Wind and is trying to break the sylph’s barrier. Please there is no one else I can turn too, with the last of my powers I will take you to the continent to the southwest where Sylph resides. I needn’t tell you the consequences of what would happen if a spirit’s power falls into the wrong hands. Please would you all help me?”

Fang was still kinda confused still but he didn’t want something bad to happen to the world. The continent to the southwest…that’s where his hometown is! Fang didn’t really care about the spirits but if this bad guy got that power of the spirit he could endanger his family. Fang was determined to save his family from any danger; he wouldn’t let them get hurt. “I don’t really know what’s going on but I want to help. My home sounds like it could be in danger because of this and I won’t stand for it! What do you guys think?” he turned to glance at the rest of his companions.


~Mole Fight~

Under the ground the mole virus was getting ready to launch its attack. It popped out of the ground next to the two fighters. It’s back exposed but the mole virus had something in his mouth. It let out a heavy breath but it wasn’t meant to harm them physically. It was a poison gas cloud and thanks to them not being in the air the poison wasn’t dissipating fast enough. The gas cloud was purple in color but it wasn’t that thick yet. If nothing stopped the mole’s attack it would keep spewing poison and the two would find themselves dead soon enough.

_________________

"I'll help," Gran said, "If this person is trying to do this, I shall help stop them in anyway possible." Gran then stood up and sheathed his sword. He then thought of the people that might be hurt if someone obtained that power. He thought of his foster parents, about the people that saved him and were kind to him during his travels. and of his two lost siblings that could still be out there somewhere.

_________________
Hey everybody, PandaBrady here, with more roleplaying!

Also, please support Monty Oum, his work is amazing, especially RWBY. I wish I was that good.

Cyrus' heart sank as he heard Undine's plea; it was as he had feared. He couldn't help but tremble in horror at her words. His mind seem to freeze as the sense of dread over whelmed him, his eyes wide in shock. He lowered his head to the side forming the faintest frown upon his face, muttering almost as a whisper "So the end has begun,". He meditated for a moment upon his words, hoping the others would be to distracted by the goddess to notice.

He raised his sights unto the goddess, "I swear upon my name and my clan, that I will do all that I can to aide your sister and stop however is responsible for this!!!" he said with an amount of zeal that surprised even him.

Adeon glowered as the girl struck him once more. His father had always taught him to never hit a girl, no matter what they did, but she was making him start to question why that was in any ways fair, because she was striking him simply for being out of his element. If she touched him again, he was gonna hit her back, morals be damned. But first he needed his knife back. Luckily for him, the monster went underground, making it possible for him to retrieve the kitchen utensil. He moved as quickly and quietly as possible, which was surprising considering his thick leather boots. Moving quietly was the first thing he learned to do when he started stealing from the aristocracy, from almost being caught by the guards for being too loud. But because of his new positioning, when the mole popped up, he was in front of it rather than behind. So when the mole thing started blowing poison gas around, he instinctively held his breath and grabbed a firecracker out of his belt pouch, yanking on the pull fuse and lobbing it right at the creature's open mouth.

_________________
Zath: Behold, Karo: The only woman in existence who can make Fenix shut the fuck up.
Redsnow: That, and, frankly, if Karo doesn't like you that much, your character is probably going to die soon after his acceptance anyway.
Keiran: Bad RPs don't get picked, unmemberable RPs get ignored.
Zelosse: I don't usually laugh at blatant attitude, but when I do. It usually involves Karo.

~Journey to Leona: Crisis on the Seas~

“Thanks all of you, I will be sure to repay the favor in the future. Come let us make haste!” she said gracefully and floated down the river motioning the others to follow her. When the group had reached the mouth of the river the sun had already began setting. The scenery of the setting sun across the water was breathtaking and beautiful if only for a moment. Undine surrounded the four fighters inside a giant bubble that levitated them with ease and gently landed in the water. She floated alongside them as she guided the bubble across the seas. Everything was going smoothly until they reached about the halfway point in the journey on the ocean. Undine started to cough and scream in pain. “No it can’t be…someone has cut off my power…did the enemy steal my trident?” she said gasping. The bubble was starting to fade and if it did it would sent the four into the virus infested seas.

“What? Are you okay Miss Undine? Fuyu or Gran try casting First Aid or something. Uh oh what should we do??” Fang said almost losing his cool but trying to calm himself down internally. He thought it was pretty trippy to be floating in a giant magical bubble but not if it would kill them.

~Mole Fight~

The mole did not expect a bomb to be thrown inside its gaping mouth. As it exploded inside of him he screamed in pain. His innards were very weak compared to the shell that covered most of its body. Some of the poison lingered a bit inside the cave but the mole was down with a horrible stomach pain. Its body started to change color flashing red and it activated its dying defense mechanism. Poison would start flying out in a denser cloud out of the pores in its body along with stone projectiles concealed in the poison fog. It was on its last legs one more powerful strike would finish it off which is why the virus is going all out trying to protect itself.

_________________

The Gull's Cry could be seen in the distance heading towards the group, its lanterns shining against the black waters like stars in the sky. The light of the moon illuminated the sea like an artificial sun, without which no member of Eli's crew would have been able to see Undine or her companions. "Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me. We pillage, we plunder, we rifle, and loot, drink up me 'earties. Yo h-....Captain!!" One of the crew members cried as he spotted the floating bubble. "Something in the water!! Dead ahead!!"

Eli swung down from the helm, landing on the figurehead, which ironically was a carving of the very spirit in front of him. "All hands on deck!! Hoist the jolly roger!! We've got company!!" he ordered grabbing a line and swinging down below the deck, practically dangling above the virus infested waters, supported only by the half-rotten rope tied around his ankle. Before long the young pirate and his ship had arrived at the location Undine and the others were trapped in. ".....How's it hanging, sugar tits?" The somewhat idiotic captain questioned, staring directly at Undine. "Run into a bit of trouble have we?"

As a ship of pirates arrived at the bubble Fang finally felt he was saved. Fang was embarrassed by the totally explicit comment by the man that seemed to be the captain of the ship. He thought the captain must have been desperate for a woman being on a ship full of seamen for weeks on end. Even so he didn’t have to blurt it out so casually. Too embarrassed to say anything he looked at Undine. Her face looked angry and if it could turn red it might have. A little pissed off she replied to the captain, “Stay thy tongue lest you want to find you and your ship sleeping at the bottom of the sea. But you came at a perfect time I have a request for you rude pirate. I am the summon spirit of the water Undine. Take these four on your ship and take them to Leona. They are on a mission to save the summon spirit of wind. And if you would be able to help them in any way I can make it worth you while. But hurry up this is a dire situation you don’t want to know what happens if the wind spirit’s power fell into the wrong hands.” She was keeping a level head despite the slow draining of her power as she waited for a response but if he said something like that again who knows what she would do.

_________________

Eli continued dangling above the sea, rocking back and forth slightly as the cool ocean breeze blew against him. His head tilted awkwardly as Undine started to speak. "Touchy, eh?" he said before she started to speak again. "Whoa, whoa, whoa." he stated flatly, raising his upside down palm towards Undine. "First you tell me to 'stay thy tongue,' then you threaten to sink my ship, now you want my help?" Eli's eyebrow raised comically as he continued swaying back and forth. "I'll have to think about it. Gimme a minute." With a quick tug of the rope, Eli rocketed back up onto the ship. The goofball of a captain hung from one of the masts, staring down at the party. After a few minutes he swung back down, again hanging by only his ankle above the ocean below. "You say you can make it worth my while, eh? What did you have in mind? Practically anyone can afford a trip to Leona, even if you're bartering with a pirate. I'm guessing you're wanting a little more out of me than that, hmm?"

Undine closed her eyes for a bit and sighed before proceeding, “If you can accomplish this mission and stop the ones trying to attain the power of the Sylphs I shall grant you the source of my power.” She faded completely for a second showing a glowing bright blue stone where her heart would be. “This is a dire situation…I have no time to argue please I’ll give you myself if you can save them. Please take these warriors with them and accompany them I have no where else to turn…Please! Please!” Undine shed a tear a very pure tear of genuine sadness. It is said that Undine’s tears have a very high medicinal effect but the tear was dissolved when it hit the ocean floor. Fang felt bad for Undine she was giving it all on the line to help her fellow spirits and this greedy pirate was taking everything from her. But there was nothing he could do, he wasn’t in any position to bargain since he was hanging above the ocean in a fading magic bubble. He kept his mouth shut since saying anything else would hurt his chances of getting onto the safe boat. Undine didn’t tell them but unbeknownst to anyone the Cyanwell ports were getting blocked. Word of the crisis in Leona blocked all ships heading there and thus this wandering pirate ship was currently the only way to get there…unless one wanted to swim.

_________________

Back and forth, back and forth, Eli swung as Undine pleaded with him. His comical expression faded as the deity started to beg. "I don't do anything for free and I don't take anything without sacrifice." The captain averted his gaze to the crew above him. "Drop some lines and get some towels. We're taking on guests." Eli sighed, swinging closer and closer to Undine before finally grabbing hold of the summon spirit's shoulder to keep himself from swinging further away. "I know everything about you, Undine. We all do. Your missing your trident right?" he asked, a look of concern etching across his face. "Tell you what. In exchange for that stone, not only will I help your friends here. I'll get your trident back. I just happen to know the slimy bastard who took it." Without waiting for Undine to agree, the young pirate swung back towards the boat, hoisting himself upright so as to get a better look at the group below him. "Alright, climb up. I hope none of you are expecting a luxury cruise. So long as you're on my boat you'll pull your own weight."

Gran almost exploded with anger at the pirate, but he knew if he did anything that it would hurt his companions' chances of getting on board safely. "How dare he ask for payment," he thought to himself, "and how dare he lay a hand on lady Undine. This guy better be worth it." Gran grabbed the rope and climbed aboard so that he could help anyone else up. He got onto the deck and looked at the pirates. He then turned around so they could not see the look of anger on his face. He then began helping his companions back up the rope.

_________________
Hey everybody, PandaBrady here, with more roleplaying!

Also, please support Monty Oum, his work is amazing, especially RWBY. I wish I was that good.

Cyrus watched silently as Undine pleaded for their lives. The sight of the mighty goddess begging for their lives made him feel dirty. Hearing her offer up her stone, was far worse. He knew when it started it would be bad, but he had not prepared himself for such a sight. As the others were hoisted unto the boat, placed his hand on the desperate goddess' shoulder "I'm sorry," he said with a tearful look in his eye. He grabbed unto the rope and turned with a soft grin on his face, "Don't worry Undine, I swear we will stop this. So help me Astra, we will make them rue the day they decided to start this!" he said before climbing up the rope. He made sure to brush away his tears by the time he made it all the way up.

((OOC: Okay, my first post is done. =] I'm sorry it's so huge. I normally don't write this much, but I wanted to explain what Paulina was doing before the Virus attack, so this whole thing is actually two episodes. If you don't care about a little back story, just skip to the second half.))

::Enter Paulina Bannister::
Theme: “How Crazy Are You?” by Meja

A young woman strolled down the cobblestone streets of Leona City. Her umber tresses gleamed in the morning light, swaying against her back. She looked up at the sky and winced, shielding her eyes from the sun. It was a fine day in the country's capital, the heavens utterly clear after last week's bought of rain. The weather usually takes a turn for the worse before the Aurora Flash...kinda like PMS. The lass inhaled, noting the fresh fragrance that hung in the air, unmarred by the swarms of people around her. The marketplace was crowded today; vendors shouted out their wares with usual gusto, and shoppers eagerly amassed in front of the stalls. The dark-haired woman looked down at the sack clutched in her hands, filled with radishes and turnips. I don't want to go home just yet. Suddenly, a voice called out above the others. “Paulina!”

Paulina Bannister turned to see a freckle-faced girl running toward her. Her smile was guileless and wide, displaying crooked and missing teeth. The child's hair had been braided into two messy plaits, each one tied off with a pink gingham ribbon. “Marie,” Paulina stifled a chuckle. “What's up? Where's Joey?”

“Akshally, he wanted tah see you. He's around 'ere somewhere,” Marie's eyes sparkled as she looked up at the older girl. Paulina was struck with a peculiar, yet familiar feeling. It was strange, being someone else's “big sister” figure. She wasn't used to it; she could still remember being Marie's age herself. Paulina knelt down beside her, examining one of the child's fiery pigtails. “...You're getting better at braiding. I need to teach you how to do a Frenchie.”

“Hey you two. Marie, don't run off without me,” a deep, husky voice sighed. Both of them looked up to see the figure of a young man, about 25-years-old. He had lively green eyes and a square jaw, which was only made more prominent by his cropped haircut. “Joey, Joey! Paulina's gonna teach me how tah do a stenchie!” Marie exclaimed. The woman burst out laughing. “A Frenchie, Marie. It's called a French braid.”

“Marie, Gramps is waiting on that cabbage,” the red-headed man pressed several coins into his sister's palm before shooing her away; both adults watched as she tottered off to a nearby vegetable stall. “Your grandpa is still kicking, huh? He must be about ninety by now,” Paulina postulated. “Yeah, he is,” Joey looked exhausted. “I swear, that old man's gonna live to a-hundred. And of course, I'll support him the whole time,” he rotated one of his shoulders, and winced. “Work at the carpenter's ain't easy.”

Paulina's gaze trailed over the man's muscled forearm, and something flickered in her eyes. “That shouldn't be hard, for someone as strong as you... Say, have you been working out, Joey?" her smile was playful, yet subtly coy. "You're brawnier than usual...” the lass' soft hand trailed up his bicep. Joey's eyes narrowed with amusement, a grin stretching across his broad jaw. “Honestly, Paulina...I swear...”

The two were interrupted by a shrill voice. “S'okay, I gots the cabbage!” Marie held the vegetable up over her head, waving it at the grown-ups. Joey glanced down at her absentmindedly, plucking the cabbage from her grasp. “Marie, can you go over–” he was interrupted by Paulina herself this time. “But Joey, Grandpa is waiting on that cabbage!” she reminded him, pronouncing each word as if it was tantamount to disaster. The man, now a little flushed, shot her a rueful smirk. “I guess I'm defeated. C'mon Marie...” he grabbed his sister's hand and left, breathing a little harder than when he'd arrived.

::Leona Under Fire::
Theme: "Hemlock" by Aurelius

Paulina snickered to herself on the way home – teasing Joey was always fun. He's gotten pretty cute, actually. That chin could cut a grapefruit. She reached Alcott Square, a small neighborhood comprised of tiny, featureless houses, notable only for their quaint charm. Most of the buildings were situated around a meager cobblestone square, the eponymous Alcott Square. She knocked twice on her aunt's door before entering. “I'm home!”

A stout woman with short, mousy brown curls appeared from the kitchen. Her face, while not beautiful, was gentle and kindly. “Paulina, did you get the vegetables?” Aunt Therese stood with arms akimbo. “Yeah Auntie. I bumped into Joey and Marie on the way,” the younger woman sat in one of the wooden chairs at the table. “Oh really? How is their grandfather?” Therese disappeared again behind the wall that separated the living room from the kitchen. Paulina could hear clack! clack! clack! as the matron chopped the vegetables.

Before she could reply, a cacophony of clanging bells erupted outside, reverberating through the sparse room. Paulina jerked up in her seat, and Therese was immediately at her side, the kitchen knife gripped tightly in her fist. “A Virus attack...I thought we were overdue for one,” the older woman muttered. Paulina looked up at her. “It's attacking the city?” Such an occurrence was rare; Viruses usually besieged lone, unsuspecting travelers. “Why would–” she was interrupted by the door slamming open. A tall, sturdy man barged in through the entryway. Therese's brow was knit as she assessed her husband's face. “Hermann, what is it?”

Uncle Hermann retrieved his rifle from its place above the hearth. “Some kind of flying-type thing. Bastards are attacking us from the air.” “Has the neighborhood patrol been notified?” “Yeah.”

Since the capital of Leona was so large, the guards often had difficulty addressing each neighborhood's individual problems. Hermann was the leader of Alcott Square's neighborhood patrol, a group of local men who addressed disturbances in the area (although such disturbances were usually trifling, like a thief or a prowler). It was Paulina's idea that the men equip themselves with rifles, imported from Noire. Although such weaponry was common in Point Hope, it was difficult to find firearms for sale in Leona.

Paulina reflexively grabbed her pistol from its holster. “Paulina, wait!” Therese's expression was one of horror. “You can't – you're a girl!” she gripped her niece's fragile arm in a meaty hand. “Therese, this is an emergency,” the young woman said flatly, cheerful disposition gone. She was just as frightened herself, but managed to conceal any indication. The portly woman shot her husband a withering look, but Hermann's face was grave. “Therese, Paulina can handle a gun better than most men on the patrol. I'll protect her myself, but there's no time to waste,” he turned towards the door. The lass followed him out, leaving her aunt by herself. “But...my promise...! If something happens...Elena...”

The neighborhood patrol converged in the middle of Alcott Square. About twenty locals – all men from the community and their sons – stood in shabby clothes and grasped ancient-looking rifles. The fee to import weapons from Noire had been so expensive that the patrol couldn't afford to purchase modern firearms. Hermann stood at the head of the group, with Paulina to his right. “Listen up, everyone! We can't cover the entire city – just patrol Alcott Square and the surrounding areas for any Virus activity.” After the ragtag band had left, the man turned to his niece. “Listen, Paulina. It would kill your aunt if something happened to you today. Just stay by my side, alright?” Hermann's words were heavy, yet Paulina couldn't help but feel like she was being patronized. Now isn't the time for egos. “Don't worry Hermann – I won't be reckless.”

After half an hour of searching the neighborhood and shooting down stray boar Viruses, it seemed like the assault had let up. The city cannons took down most of them, thank Astra. Paulina turned to Hermann and sighed. “Phew...I think it's safe now. That last one was a little wily, though, huh?” her voice trailed off as she rubbed her neck. The marksman didn't respond. “...Hermann?” Paulina looked at her uncle when he remained silent; Hermann's brow was furrowed. “Something's coming.”

With a sudden jerk, the earth itself began to quake. The violent tremors shook the foundations of the homes around them, breaking off pieces of tiled rooftops. Several buildings collapsed on top of themselves, and as the ground distorted, giant crevices sunk into the road. “Astra have mercy!” Paulina screamed. “What the hell is happening!?”

“There's something underneath the ground. It's a big one!” Hermann caught hold of his niece and steadied her as the shaking nearly knocked her over. “Hermann, Paulina! Get over here, quick!” one of the patrolmen shouted from down the street. The gunslingers gingerly made their way towards the call for help, careful of their footing. As they entered the clearing, a gargantuan crater – even bigger than the others – came into view, its inside obscured by a cloud of smoke. As the smokescreen cleared, an odd scene was revealed.

A massive mole Virus faced off against two much smaller opponents. They looked like a young boy and girl. Are those...little kids? The beast, which seemed to be on its last legs, began lobbing stones at its prey. “Hey, they're in trouble!” Paulina shouted. “Men, open fire! Arnold, go get help!” Hermann called out. Every member in the patrol began to shoot except the youngest lad among them, who ran to alert the guards. The monster, its body thrashing with primal survival instinct, deflected the shots with the tough shell protecting its body. That isn't going to work...! Paulina tried to calm herself down and glanced around the vicinity. Her gaze chanced upon the flashing red core attached to the Virus' back. There!

The pistoleer broke away from the men and began to run around the perimeter of the crater. “Paulina, what are you doing?!” Hermann cried out. “Trust me!” she shouted behind her, sprinting until she was all the way on the opposite side. She faced the back of the beast. C'mon Paulina...this is up to you!

The lass leapt from the precipice, and for a moment, everything stood still. Her clothes, her umber hair – everything froze. Her finger tugged at the trigger in what seemed like slow-motion, and a small click echoed through the air. “Twin Bullet!” Two powerful shots burst forth from the pistol and blasted through empty space. Paulina began to free-fall, and couldn't tell if the bullets hit their mark before she landed at the bottom of the crater with a harsh thud! “...Nngh!”

_________________

As the mole began to flail trying to protect itself, Elia took the chance to strike at it from behind. Taking a few deep breaths before charging in and vaulting herself from the ground twirling both of her blades in the air and baring them down onto the creature. "Meshouha!" A dark blast shot from both of Elia's weapons at point blank range striking the back of the creature.

Using the force of the attack Elia pushed herself off the mole and landed next to the new arrival. Her landing was marked with a grunt followed by her standing up slowly, sizing the not-much-older woman up before turning back towards the mole. "Watch it, the kid over there might bite your head off for trying to help," she said angrily, shooting Adeon the evil eye. She twirled her twin swords and took her stance again ready to keep fighting if the mole wasn't dead. Hopefully it was, she wasn't sure how long she could last before the poison began to seep into her scarf.

_________________

Aftermath of Mole Fight:

With one final hit from the ninja girl the mole was done for. Screaming in pain as light started to shine from its body as it exploded. The explosion did not damage the three that were near its body but it weakened the dirt more. Thanks to the mole’s rampage digging the ground beneath the three collapsed sending them plummeting further and further. The light of the sun overheard growing fainter and fainter and it seemed like they would never stop falling. Luckily there was an underground pocket full of water in which they crashed into and cushioned the fall. As they floated on the water a mysterious person swam into the water and dragged off their bodies to dry land. There was light even in the dark caves from nearby torches. For now they were safe as they finally fell asleep, the recent events and the shock of the explosion and fall must have drained their energy.

At the Gull’s Cry:

As Fang climbed onto the ship he turned by towards Undine to hear her say, “Good luck, the rest lies in your hands” as she faded away in a blue light. Fang felt that the girl or spirit or whatever she was had sacrificed a lot in order to help someone she cares about. As much as he didn’t approve of the captain’s words toward her Fang didn’t want to get the person taking them to Leona in a bad mood. Walking toward Eli, Fang said, “Well looks like we will be working together from now on. My name is Fang Lotus, it’s good to meet ya!” offering his hand as a handshake.

Meanwhile…

A woman stands near a glowing orb at the top of the north tower of Leona’s castle. She is alone wearing a dark green cloak with the symbol of a crystal prism with an eye in the center. She was wearing a green witch’s hat over her brown hair that goes down to her shoulder, as well as green eyes that were gazing longingly inside the crystal orb as if searching for something or waiting for something to happen. The rest of her outfit consisted of a traditional Leona military uniform, a dark green button shirt and similar colored slacks. Stamping her heeled shoes on the ground with her foot impatiently she finally got what she was waiting for. “Finally I thought this stupid orb was broken.” she said to the orb.

A voice from the orb came through in a monotone voice, “Greetings Eudy, report the situation.”

“Very well, I completed the preparations for obtaining Sylph. The last bit of the King’s soul was carved out of his body he is now in my complete control and I got rid of the prince, the princess and the entire castle staff. With my puppet king I easily took care of that foolish knight captain by making him look for some petty elusive thief and the knights are going to be busy cleaning up the town. Those viruses I sent to attack really did a number on this shit hole of a city but it seems that all of them have been defeated but they have served their purpose. The staff that are present here are merely viruses I have cloaked with my powers. I also found the ancient throne and finished preparing the ritual.”

The voice spoke back, “Ah yes, the Sylphs put all their effort to cloaking the Gale Sanctuary in the blood of the Leona royal family and they left this passage for them. ‘Only the one whose royal blood flows true must sit on the throne of old to open the passage to the winds.’ So everything is going according to plan?”

“Yes, everything is set though finding the throne of old wasn’t easy. It wasn’t the one in the throne room since that would be too easy, it was hidden in the back of the castle torture chamber. I can’t believe they were using it for executions. Hehehehe…” Eudy cackled finding great humor in the irony.

“Don’t act so confident Eudy, the other spirits have started to catch on to what we are doing but since they can’t do anything themselves they must have something up their sleeves. We can’t afford to let anything get in our way.” The voice said sternly.

“What can the spirits do? They hide in fear of the Aurora Flash and the viruses as they should but their hiding is making it more difficult for us to get them but tomorrow everything will be in place. Tomorrow during the aurora flash at the top of the castle the path to Sylph’s haven Gale Sanctuary, will open. The last domino is almost in place and once it starts no one can stop the chain of events.” Eudy said with a malicious grin on her face.

“Very well, see to it that you fulfill you duty, remember there are others that can take your place. Now go! Fulfill the will of the Dark Prism!”

“Yes, thy will shall be done!” Eudy proclaimed bowing in respect towards the orb.

In the wake of destruction a light gleams through the clouds
It comforts the ones who have lost everything giving hope towards the future
But that light will soon be smothered by darkened clouds
The true destruction has only just begun
And so the curtain rises for the second act.

Tales of Dreams
Phase 2: Crossroads of Fate

The three that fought the mole awakened normally despite the lack of sunlight. Their circadian rhythms made them wake up and as they slowly awoke they overheard the following conversation:

“What are we going to do with them my prince? Does this mean that there is a safe way out of this place?” said a voice that sounded like an old woman.

“I don’t know but they look strong maybe we can force our way out of here.” replied a young man’s voice

Noticing that the three were waking up the people near them gathered around, one of them who was dressed in light green clothes. The clothes looked like they were made of very rare materials but they were covered in dirt. Despite being underground there were torches lit all around a tunnel like area. The man dressed in the dirty green clothes approached them, “Forgive me…but are you powerful warriors? I am the prince of Leona, Prince Greene. Someone has kidnapped me and my servants and they are keeping us held inside this hidden cavern next to the torture chamber. We tried escaping but there is a huge horde of viruses on the other side, we have no weapons and no way of fighting. If we don’t get out soon something terrible will happen please you must help save this kingdom!” The prince said on his knees. He was really desperate to escape since it’s been about a month since he had been trapped inside the deep underground cavern.

Meanwhile, it was a cloudy morning, about eight in the morning, meaning it was four more hours until the Aurora flash. The Gull’s Cry arrived at port at around 5 am and it took about 3 hours of walking to reach Leona City. The city’s walls were slightly cracked and destroyed and the town was in shambles. Word on the street was that the castle was still on lockdown from the virus attack and it was not allowing its citizens to enter. The five travelers were hit with the realization that Undine’s warning was true. That this was the result of someone’s ambition to forcibly open the path to the Sylphs. Standing at the closed gates to the castle the group was at a stand still of what to do.

Fang was in shock that the beloved capital of his homeland was in shambles but as long as his family was safe he could stay calm. There were so many people just lying on the streets some of them moving while some stood deadly still. One could only wonder why kind of person would do this to innocent people. “Damn it looks like we can’t get an audience with the king to find out what happened here. We should ask around town for more information. There has to be another way inside the castle. Also we don’t know what’s in store next so we should pick up whatever supplies are still left in town to be ready for what’s ahead. Alright then everyone where do you guys think we should go to look for information?”

((Everyone can now hold one item to use for emergencies. The choices are: Apple Gel, Orange Gel, Panacea, or Life Bottle. You don’t have to list it on your CS but when you say in a post that you used an item you can’t use another for the remainder of the chapter. ))

_________________

::Mounting Crisis::
Theme: Original composition by Atsushi Kitajoh

Everything was blurry at first. At length, the hazy darkness was penetrated by a faint, fiery glow. The light gradually grew brighter and brighter as Paulina opened her eyes. The right half of her vision was obstructed; immediately, the lass realized she was lying on her side. She made out several figures with her left eye, all of whom were huddled together for warmth. They don't know I'm awake.

The gunner instinctively shut her eyes, silently assessing the situation. I jumped from the ledge and fired at the mole. Then that girl stabbed it... She remembered the explosion of energy as the beast died. It felt like the ground gave way. I passed out...? The lass shifted to her other side, performing the motion slowly – as if she were still unconscious. With her back facing the group of shivering strangers, her eyes snapped open again. The boy and girl from earlier were lying a few feet away, each drenched in water. Did we fall in an underground lake? Paulina could get a better look at them now. The lad had a pretty face – almost like a female's – and silvery hair. The girl was clothed in warrior's garb characteristic of Nippon, but her facial features were obscured by the mass of damp hair covering her countenance.

With no other option, Paulina sat up at length. She looked down at her own clothes. The apricot-colored coat was sopping wet, and her hair hung in long, blackened tendrils against its light pink material. The shivering group of people stirred as they realized one of the intruders had awakened. The collective voices became louder as they neared her, crowding around the slender woman. Paulina's eyes were wide as each person spoke up at once. Who...?

Amidst the strangers, a rather handsome man stepped forward. He was obviously young, but the youth in his exhausted face was marred by stress lines. “I am the prince of Leona, Prince Greene,” he began formally. The man's manner of speech was exceedingly elegant; Paulina couldn't help but gape. Prince...? Prince Greene started to speak again, and quickly explained that he had been kidnapped along with his retainers. “What ha-” the lass was interrupted as Greene continued in an unnaturally fast tempo. As she processed his words, one phrase stood out from the others. “...There is a huge horde of Viruses on the other side.”

The anxiety that had been building in the pit of her stomach came to a head. Her fears were not alleviated when the royal man suddenly became hysterical. “Please,” Greene began to cry, his regal veneer cracking. “You must help save this kingdom!”

The magnitude of the situation overwhelmed her at first. This was too serious. She was Paulina – “just a girl,” as Aunt Therese would say. Stop that. The pistoleer gulped, and closed her eyes. This isn't the time. Relax.

At length, she opened her eyes again. “Please, Your Majesty...relax,” Paulina tried to sound soothing as she touched the man's shoulder. “My name is Paulina Bannister. I'm a pistoleer – I think I can help," the lass struggled to keep her words slow and methodical. With another burst of unease, she glanced back at the boy and girl on the cavern floor.

_________________

Three years. Had it really been that long since he left. Traveling the world writing more and more about the creatures he encountered. He couldn't believe that his home had become that since he left. Maybe if he hadn't left, then again, maybe nothing would've changed. "I-" Gran began, "I know of a few places we could try." Gran wondered if he might see his foster parents again. "My foster parents." He said, "My father was a knight, he might know what's going on." Gran wondered if they actually might go there.

_________________
Hey everybody, PandaBrady here, with more roleplaying!

Also, please support Monty Oum, his work is amazing, especially RWBY. I wish I was that good.

Once the party had boarded the Gull’s Cry, Eli set a course for Leona but not before addressing them and the rest of his crew. “Alright listen up. To all our new crew members, it’s time to go over the rules. Rule number one, I’m that captain, not you, do what I say or learn how to swim. Rule number two, there is no rule number two.” The young captain disappeared into below decks for a moment before returning with what seemed to be a set of mops and rags. “Right then, now that that’s settled. All you new people get to swabbing. Everyone else can go to bed. Oh and since I don’t intend to learn your names until you’ve earned your keep around here, I’m just going to refer to each of you as ‘brat.’ That alright with y’all? Good.” He said flatly, thrusting the cleaning supplies upon the group before returning to his cabin.

The following morning, Eli was among the first to rise, waking up the crew and their new companions soon after he did. There was something different about him today. He didn’t seem quite so smug, but rather quite the contrary. He seemed level-headed, even stoic to some degree, or at least what counted as stoic for him. “G’morning, gents. What say we grab a bite before setting to shore?” Eli lead the party down to the Gull’s Cry small mess hall, where they were served a few rations of bacon, eggs, and a bit of fruit to keep the scurvy away. Once he had finished eating, Eli sat at the head of the table waiting on the others to finish as well. Whilst they wolfed down their meals, Eli tinkered with the hilt of his sword. He could already visualize Undine's aquamarine embedded in the hilt, the thought of which made him all jittery inside. The sheer rush of owning something that nobody else could have, there was no other feeling like it.

Before long the sun was up and the ship was ready to land. No sooner than had the great pirate vessel pulled into port than did Eli swing down to the docks, tying the ship off as quickly as possible. His legs trembled beneath him with each step. “Blasted sea legs.” He grumbled, stumbling along comically up the docks while his legs struggled to adapt. Once he’d reached the inner city though, even the hardened pirate trembled at the sites before him. So much death. So much horror. “Why don’t you lot go check on his folks. I’ll take care of the supplies.” Eli dangled a bag of gald he taken with him from the ship’s hull in front of the group before heading off through the streets.

Luck hadn't quite been on Cyrus' side on this of all days. First he woke up late and had to run all the way to work. Then he got a faceful of lazor from a very aggravated green virus-brand gelatin. Now he was stuck on a pirate ship with his squad. Did I mention Armageddon had started? As I said, Cyrus had not had a good day.

Were it not for the titanic loads of crap running through his mind as he tried to make sense of it all he might have argued about little Captain No-Beard started given order, as things were he could use a menial task to help him think. Amidst his quite ranting he pondered upon Fang and the others.They had acted quite commendably in Undine's presence, lesser men would have been reduced to drooling idiots by her beauty. Though the one that took the cake was the new guy, Eli. The young captain had at very least won his begrudging respect. Never had he thought anyone could muster up the shear audacity to speak to a goddess the way he had. As a man, Cyrus respected him. As a scholar he wondered whether he did so out of courage or stupidity; alas, he knew he'd soon find out.

Though he didn't have much room to himself, he had ample time to read through his journal. The young captain fit squarely into his writings, though he had not thought he would meet him so soon or that he'd be that young. As Cyrus watched the moon's reflection upon the sea he couldn't help, but wonder how he'd ended up like this, part of his own premonition. He'd hoped that he'd been seeing into someone else's future. That maybe, just maybe, this set of prophecies would be his first proven wrong, but they weren't. The young lad wondered if he'd even still be involved in this mess were it not for his curse/gift. Then again, he knew better. He knew this was exactly what was expected of him. Even if he didn't have this gift, he knew he would have joined the fray if given the chance. It was what was expected of him; his mother would be proud.

"Thus the end shall begin with the wind..." he muttered to himself as a cold night breeze blew through him. He wondered whether he should tell the others, show them his journal. Perhaps they could shine some sanity into his ramblings... or would they turn on him if they read it all. Cyrus frowned and pushed the thought away with all his might. "It's too early; there' still so much time left after all. If I could change things in Leona then maybe..." he trailed off before sighing. He hated being like this, never-the-less he'd have to make his choice. Maybe that was what could change the future, or would it lock it in stone.

Exhausted from the days labor and his own mental self-flagellation he retreated bellow deck; the day had been long, tomorrow would be longer and a makeshift hammock was calling his name. Thus young Cyrus descended, letting the shadows comfort him in this most troubling of times.
****************************************************************************
Upon day break he already knew what awaited them in Leona; to his surprise the ruined city seemed to have fared better than he had expected, though it meant little. The signs pf the virus attack were all around them, he had little doubt the city guards were at their wits end dealing with the calamity, assuming there were any left. Though he knew this was only the tip of the iceberg.

"Agreed; though Idn't think you'll have much luck. Considering the state of things I don't think any of the shops will be selling their wares to outsiders; not unless you're willing to pay extra." he stated to Eli adding his two cents for what they were worth before turning towards the young magical knight. "Well then Grany boy, lead the way," he said motioning towards the town with a forced grin.

Adeon was waking up slowly, but as soon as he heard one of the voices above him introduce himself as the Prince of Leona, Adeon snapped wide awake and jumped to his feet, knife in hand. He pointed the weapon at the other Leonan male, a scowl of intense hatred on his face. "Why should I help you?" He roared, his body shaking from anger. "My family is on the brink of starving because of stupid, greedy nobles like you and your father! Whatever has you locked up down here, you probably deserve it!" There were only a few things that were keeping Adeon from attacking the prince, the number of retainers at the man's back and the fact that his family needed him and that he would be declared a traitor chief among them. "Tell me, why should I help save a kingdom that terrorizes it's everyday citizens? It deserves to burn to the ground."

_________________
Zath: Behold, Karo: The only woman in existence who can make Fenix shut the fuck up.
Redsnow: That, and, frankly, if Karo doesn't like you that much, your character is probably going to die soon after his acceptance anyway.
Keiran: Bad RPs don't get picked, unmemberable RPs get ignored.
Zelosse: I don't usually laugh at blatant attitude, but when I do. It usually involves Karo.

Gathering Information:
Leona’s Despair

Fang nodded, “Understood you can go get the supplies…meanwhile the rest of us will go with Gran. Let’s try to meet back here at the castle gates in about an hour.” The boy was still a little soar from all the work he had to do on the pirate ship but more thankful that he didn’t drown. The air of his home country was usually calming but now the smell of smoke and blood filled most of the air. Across the city the knights were doing their best to keep the citizens calm and preventing riots but if nothing changed the citizens would rebel in full force over the lack of aid from the king. He had never really seen the capital city but he wasn’t really happy to see it in these circumstances. Fang nodded at Cyrus’ statement saying, “Yah…let’s get a move on!” Remembering what happened last night then turned to Cyrus and asked, “Hey you looked kind of depressed last night on the ship, are you alright?”

Trapped in the cavernous City of Anoel!
Evil Looms in the Dark Caverns

The prince was joyous at one person’s reply but shocked when he got a knife pointed at him by another. “I’m sorry I thought you came to save us from our situation like a blessing from heaven but I can’t change how you feel. But if you can’t save us you won’t be able to save yourselves. We only got a limited amount of supplies from our kidnappers; I think they are trying to keep us alive for hostage negotiations honestly. That’s probably why we are all still alive…”

One of his servants snapped at Adeon saying, “How dare you say such things! How can you not care about your own kinsman! How can you not care out your country? You should be exiled for your treasonous tongue!” He was going to say more but the king gave him a glaring look that silenced him.

“Sorry forgive him…being trapped here for so long has made us a little crazy.” the prince giggled a bit in a sad way. “Please you must be tired you should relax for now. We don’t have much but we’ll share some of our food and clean water. You can think of this place as a makeshift town under Leona. Jokingly we call this place Anoel. Over there is where we sleep, over there is where we eat and keep our supplies, and over there is the exit into the virus pit that was once the Castle Torture Chamber.” He said pointing to the cave junctions that were lit up by the nearby torches. “Perhaps if you talk to more of the people here you can change your mind about the rich nobles since some of the people here were once nobles of the castle. I’ll be in our makeshift sleeping quarters if you change your mind or if just you want to talk I’ll be more than happy to do so. Farewell…” the prince and his servants than departed leaving the three to think about their next move.

_________________

Gran Zupheyer

~Home again~

Gran stifled a chuckle at the Grany boy comment. After it was settled Gran said "Then follow me, please." Gran said as he walked into the city while Fang spoke with Cyrus. They went down a few of the streets for a while until they reached a semi large (2 story) house which was located not too far from the castle walls. "Well, this is it. My house." The words felt odd, he had been away for three whole years. He wondered if his foster parents would recognize him. "Who am I kidding?" He thought to himself, "They didn't even forget what time it was when he was brought home from the monastery/orphanage. He was happy they let him keep his full name, it always reminded him that he had a brother and sister still out there somewhere. He walked up and knocked on the door. Standing there he looked at the nicks in the door frame where his foster parent's marked how tall he was. The highest one was at eye level to him and he reached out and touched it. Just at that moment the door's lock was heard being unlatched, and the door opened. Standing there was a man with a salt and pepper mustache dressed in noble looking clothing but it was smugged and ripped in places. "So," the man began "what are you doing outside, please come in." He said with a cheerful smile. "I brought some," he thought for a moment on what word to use. "These are my companions." Gran finished. "Well then, friends of Gran please come in. You must've gone a long way to get here." The man said opening the door and ushered everyone in. "So why don't you all tell me about yourselves." The man said.

Gran had gone to his old room and decided to change for both comfort and appeal. In his room he undid his armor and took it all off, with his Scarf he wrapped the armor and put it into his pack he had. He was now dressed in his white tunic and green shorts reaching just beyond his knees, and his red Sash covering the top of his shorts and part of his tunic. He moved around a little bit trying to loosen up from being stuck in his armor for most of the day.

_________________
Hey everybody, PandaBrady here, with more roleplaying!

Also, please support Monty Oum, his work is amazing, especially RWBY. I wish I was that good.