His eyes flashed with a surge of building anger. Alder had had enough of Cerdic's attitude and the last straw came when he dropped what had befallen Relli. He approached Cerdic and swung his fist right for his jaw, the sound of the blow echoing in the room. "How about you man up and do something other than run? We're getting out of this cave and dealing with Ria when we're out. We're not leaving this world." He growled lowly before turning around. He was angry but didn't want to turn this into a stupid scrap that would just waste more of their time. He huffed out and followed after Chyrs, intending to just get out of here and leave. The pain of losing Relli was still fresh and Alder had not even truly processed what had happened with the others. Was he supposed to mourn them? He had memories of them but still felt like there was a void of emotion that was supposed to connect him towards the others they had lost along the way. Alder could only deal with what was right in front of him and right now that was a world that needed their help.
His eyes flashed with a surge of building anger. Alder had had enough of Cerdic's attitude and the last straw came when he dropped what had befallen Relli. He approached Cerdic and swung his fist right for his jaw, the sound of the blow echoing in the room. "How about you man up and do something other than run? We're getting out of this cave and dealing with Ria when we're out. We're not leaving this world." He growled lowly before turning around. He was angry but didn't want to turn this into a stupid scrap that would just waste more of their time. He huffed out and followed after Chyrs, intending to just get out of here and leave. The pain of losing Relli was still fresh and Alder had not even truly processed what had happened with the others. Was he supposed to mourn them? He had memories of them but still felt like there was a void of emotion that was supposed to connect him towards the others they had lost along the way. Alder could only deal with what was right in front of him and right now that was a world that needed their help.
Torrin touched a hand to his side and breathed out in relief glad that it was no longer sore. He still wasn't feeling back at full strength but the fact that he was healing this well made him glad. Soon he'd be back at one hundred percent and he would be back on his way. Of course, he'd have to survive yet another potential encounter with the enemy but he had survived this long... He approached Chrono who was intent on staring at a pocket watch likely brooding over his missing sister. It was fine as Torrin could have been described as "broody" as well. It had been a while since he had last heard himself being called that, if only because he kept to himself for a year. "It's time to head out." He spoke up. "You'll be seeing your sister before you know it." He tried to sound positive about it but his tone did not convey any sort of optimism. Koa raised an eyebrow at Aria's disheveled appearance but tried not to make a comment on it. "Almost time." He scratched the back of his head. "Uh you okay? Light Chaser wanted me to check on you and see how you're doing." Koa shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he awkwardly tried to make some kind of small talk. He bit his lip and wondered what to say next then upon hitting the realization that there was something else he had to do he snapped his fingers. "Oh right. Light Chaser wanted to give you a gift before you were on your way out of here." He reached into his pocket and held up a small gold bracelet with an x-shaped charm on it. "It's for good luck supposedly."
Torrin touched a hand to his side and breathed out in relief glad that it was no longer sore. He still wasn't feeling back at full strength but the fact that he was healing this well made him glad. Soon he'd be back at one hundred percent and he would be back on his way. Of course, he'd have to survive yet another potential encounter with the enemy but he had survived this long... He approached Chrono who was intent on staring at a pocket watch likely brooding over his missing sister. It was fine as Torrin could have been described as "broody" as well. It had been a while since he had last heard himself being called that, if only because he kept to himself for a year. "It's time to head out." He spoke up. "You'll be seeing your sister before you know it." He tried to sound positive about it but his tone did not convey any sort of optimism.
Fuck you Canada.
"Hm. You're right, Chrys. Good talking to you." Dentro waved as she left before taking a seat on a couch. He didn't feel like sleeping right now. Dentro watched Kida and sighed. Things were going to be complicated no matter how they went. For now, he'd focus on not getting his own head chewed off. Atmos nodded towards Illiana to let her know that the message would be passed along. When it seemed that everyone was ready to turn in for the night she looked over at Torrin. "Be honest, what do you think our chances are?" "To tell you the truth? For the first time in a while I can just close my eyes and just sense where he is. I don't like it. It's a trap." "We won't be going there to pick a fight." "Of course not but if there's one we need to retreat immediately." "It'll be that dangerous then?" "No. It'll be worse." The Next Day Atmos rolled her shoulders and rubbed the back of her neck finding that the couch she slept on wasn't the most comfortable thing ever. She almost missed her old bed. No, wait, she did miss it. She missed it a lot. Was she getting too old for this? No, the couch was to blame. The couch. She looked around and stood up. It seemed like she was the first up...or at least the first to be up in the living room. Torrin had left after their conversation stating he would spend the night getting an exact fix on the Light Chaser's location. She briefly wondered if he even slept. The door creaked open and in came Torrin. "I have to send the students on their way first but are you ready?" He nodded in response. "Good. Get some rest if you need it. We will wait for the others to wake up and come here." A knock came to Aria's door. Koa folded his arms, feeling uncomfortable sitting there being forced into this. He preferred being in the action, not sitting back with the princess. Not that there was anything wrong with her but this was just awkward to him. Not only that but it was still early in the morning...was she even awake by now? "Uh...good morning?" He spoke quietly through the door.
"Hm. You're right, Chrys. Good talking to you." Dentro waved as she left before taking a seat on a couch. He didn't feel like sleeping right now. Dentro watched Kida and sighed. Things were going to be complicated no matter how they went. For now, he'd focus on not getting his own head chewed off.
Atmos nodded towards Illiana to let her know that the message would be passed along. When it seemed that everyone was ready to turn in for the night she looked over at Torrin. "Be honest, what do you think our chances are?" "To tell you the truth? For the first time in a while I can just close my eyes and just sense where he is. I don't like it. It's a trap." "We won't be going there to pick a fight." "Of course not but if there's one we need to retreat immediately." "It'll be that dangerous then?" "No. It'll be worse."
"Your power hasn't grown enough to do anything but put you at a liability. I am sorry Chrono, but if you were to come you would only get yourself hurt or worse. How would your sister feel if she was brought back to us only to know that you were gone?" She had no idea what kind of resistance the Light Chaser would offer but she could infer from Torrin's attitude about the man that any mistake around him could be deadly. She watched as Take left to another room, clearly upset but willing to listen to her. She wasn't happy with the result as Take's voice clearly betrayed how much this bothered him but it would have to do for now. The last thing she wanted to do was damage their confidence now but she had to be realistic. Illiana had left as well, possibly to clear her head though Atmos was glad that she seemed to understand. When Glyde spoke his concerns over how the last battle had gone over she scratched her chin. Not every keyblader was build for front line combat and so she decided there was one thing she had seen in the past that could help the boy on the road ahead. "There was something my own master had shown me years ago that might be more your speed. Now, let's see if I can recall this lesson correctly..." Glyde gained use of his Shoot ability. "Now that that's settled...I suggest you all get some rest." She glanced at Chrono. "Trust me. We will find your sister and we will bring her back."
"Your power hasn't grown enough to do anything but put you at a liability. I am sorry Chrono, but if you were to come you would only get yourself hurt or worse. How would your sister feel if she was brought back to us only to know that you were gone?" She had no idea what kind of resistance the Light Chaser would offer but she could infer from Torrin's attitude about the man that any mistake around him could be deadly. She watched as Take left to another room, clearly upset but willing to listen to her. She wasn't happy with the result as Take's voice clearly betrayed how much this bothered him but it would have to do for now. The last thing she wanted to do was damage their confidence now but she had to be realistic. Illiana had left as well, possibly to clear her head though Atmos was glad that she seemed to understand. When Glyde spoke his concerns over how the last battle had gone over she scratched her chin. Not every keyblader was build for front line combat and so she decided there was one thing she had seen in the past that could help the boy on the road ahead. "There was something my own master had shown me years ago that might be more your speed. Now, let's see if I can recall this lesson correctly..." Glyde gained use of his Shoot ability. "Now that that's settled...I suggest you all get some rest." She glanced at Chrono. "Trust me. We will find your sister and we will bring her back."
Sparks of electricity arced from one finger to the next as she exerted her magic to test how much strength had returned to her. Overall, considering the circumstances, she had made a quick recovery. Though word was already spreading about the commotion that had gone on while she was asleep and regretted being unable to join in. It seemed that Master Choma had not yet returned either. The door opened to the small abode she had been staying in and the students walked in with Torrin trailing behind the group. Her expression grew grim when she noticed that both Mika and Tinarah were not present. "What happened?" "Mika...she didn't make it. I think both Tinarah and the Princess of Heart of this world were taken captive." "No..." Atmos shook her head and pressed her hand to her forehead. "We need to get them back. Who took them?" "From the sounds of it, it sounds like it was the Light Chaser's doing. Look, I don't know what he's planning but he took that title for a reason. It's safe to assume he'd go after another Princess of Heart next." Atmos scratched her chin as she pondered their next move. The only thing that was out of the question was bringing the students to wherever the Light Chaser resided to mount a rescue mission. This was the first she had even heard of the Light Chaser doing anything adversarial. As far as she knew, until that moment she considered the Light Chaser a potential ally but that didn't seem to be the case now. "All of you," Atmos looked at the students now, "you have all done amazing work here. Regardless of what has happened, you have all exceeded expectations. Rest, mourn, and be thankful to be still here. Tomorrow you will all set out to a new world. I do not know where the next princess is but I know where to go in order to find the next one before the Light Chaser." Now, Atmos looked at Chrono. "We will find your sister and bring her back but right now you cannot come with us if we find where she has been taken. You are not ready." "Us?" Torrin pointed to himself. "Of course. From what I can gather, you've dealt with this Light Chaser before and so you are my best hope of locating him. I won't be taking no for an answer." "Wasn't gonna give you a no. I just wasn't sure you'd be up to another confrontation." "If we're discrete there wont be a confrontation." Torrin shrugged in response to Atmos and sat down on one of the chairs in the living room. "Everyone get some rest. We'll be moving out in the morning." "Hm. Interesting. This one looked to be anything but friendly. From what I could tell she would rather chew someone's head off than befriend them. Though...she was a curious one too. Maybe curiosity is a shared trait? Or maybe they don't have anything similar between them at all." Dentro shrugged and looked over at Chrys to see that she was curious about something else entirely. "Yeah. It apparently kept them alive and ageless. Can you believe that? I wonder if ol' El Cee's magic, Light Chaser I mean, can do that. Or maybe it's something us keyblade wielders just can't do? I dunno. There was some jerk back there trying to steal the crystal but I think the group of kids I left behind had it handled." He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "I also sensed something pretty dark there. Well, not a something. Someone. You don't think our old friend is running with those kids, do you? Can't see the loner being a team player."
Sparks of electricity arced from one finger to the next as she exerted her magic to test how much strength had returned to her. Overall, considering the circumstances, she had made a quick recovery. Though word was already spreading about the commotion that had gone on while she was asleep and regretted being unable to join in. It seemed that Master Choma had not yet returned either. The door opened to the small abode she had been staying in and the students walked in with Torrin trailing behind the group. Her expression grew grim when she noticed that both Mika and Tinarah were not present. "What happened?" "Mika...she didn't make it. I think both Tinarah and the Princess of Heart of this world were taken captive." "No..." Atmos shook her head and pressed her hand to her forehead. "We need to get them back. Who took them?" "From the sounds of it, it sounds like it was the Light Chaser's doing. Look, I don't know what he's planning but he took that title for a reason. It's safe to assume he'd go after another Princess of Heart next." Atmos scratched her chin as she pondered their next move. The only thing that was out of the question was bringing the students to wherever the Light Chaser resided to mount a rescue mission. This was the first she had even heard of the Light Chaser doing anything adversarial. As far as she knew, until that moment she considered the Light Chaser a potential ally but that didn't seem to be the case now. "All of you," Atmos looked at the students now, "you have all done amazing work here. Regardless of what has happened, you have all exceeded expectations. Rest, mourn, and be thankful to be still here. Tomorrow you will all set out to a new world. I do not know where the next princess is but I know where to go in order to find the next one before the Light Chaser." Now, Atmos looked at Chrono. "We will find your sister and bring her back but right now you cannot come with us if we find where she has been taken. You are not ready." "Us?" Torrin pointed to himself. "Of course. From what I can gather, you've dealt with this Light Chaser before and so you are my best hope of locating him. I won't be taking no for an answer." "Wasn't gonna give you a no. I just wasn't sure you'd be up to another confrontation." "If we're discrete there wont be a confrontation." Torrin shrugged in response to Atmos and sat down on one of the chairs in the living room. "Everyone get some rest. We'll be moving out in the morning."
"Hm. Interesting. This one looked to be anything but friendly. From what I could tell she would rather chew someone's head off than befriend them. Though...she was a curious one too. Maybe curiosity is a shared trait? Or maybe they don't have anything similar between them at all." Dentro shrugged and looked over at Chrys to see that she was curious about something else entirely. "Yeah. It apparently kept them alive and ageless. Can you believe that? I wonder if ol' El Cee's magic, Light Chaser I mean, can do that. Or maybe it's something us keyblade wielders just can't do? I dunno. There was some jerk back there trying to steal the crystal but I think the group of kids I left behind had it handled." He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "I also sensed something pretty dark there. Well, not a something. Someone. You don't think our old friend is running with those kids, do you? Can't see the loner being a team player."
Wet. Cold. Hungry. Angry. Kord had spent the journey cursing himself for his pathetic attempt at a "plan" that forced him to sneak aboard a raider ship and sit in a lower deck while his clothes were still soaked and partially frosted. He was mostly dry now though his hair still dripped water down onto his leg. Speaking of which, his legs were feeling numb from having been stuck in his sitting position for so long. When it finally felt like they had docked he waited for the activity on his deck to die down before making his escape. He didn't get far before he head some voices overhead on the ship's main deck. "Sounds important." He mused to himself in a whisper. It sounded like a struggle nearly directly above him with a prisoner given the sounds of rattling chains. Not good odds if he wanted to get involved considering his alternative was siding with the same people who would kill or chain him for stowing away on their vessel.
Wet. Cold. Hungry. Angry. Kord had spent the journey cursing himself for his pathetic attempt at a "plan" that forced him to sneak aboard a raider ship and sit in a lower deck while his clothes were still soaked and partially frosted. He was mostly dry now though his hair still dripped water down onto his leg. Speaking of which, his legs were feeling numb from having been stuck in his sitting position for so long. When it finally felt like they had docked he waited for the activity on his deck to die down before making his escape. He didn't get far before he head some voices overhead on the ship's main deck. "Sounds important." He mused to himself in a whisper. It sounded like a struggle nearly directly above him with a prisoner given the sounds of rattling chains. Not good odds if he wanted to get involved considering his alternative was siding with the same people who would kill or chain him for stowing away on their vessel.
Bard only challenge? BARD CHALLENGE. (But seriously I know what musical class I want)
"If this world doesn't have anything better than a keyblade and your plan is simply to fortify a new location, then we'll have the same luck there as we do here. In the end it'll boil down to us versus Ria. If we aren't strong enough now then we probably won't be strong enough one destroyed world later. Or two. Or three. How many worlds would you be willing to sacrifice, Cerdic? There's still people we can save right here and now. The odds aren't going to get any better regardless of where we fight Ria." Alder thought back to the people sleeping in their forced comas. Somewhere was Mora's family. What if it was his own? Would he so readily abandon them? No. Of course not. Alder crossed his arms, intent on choosing not to flee from this mess. If he was going to pick a world to die he was going to do it here. He looked over at Daeni who seemed to be focused on another matter, seemingly confused about the Chrono and Aevum situation. "That person you saw in the memory, Aevum, is Chrono. Well, in a way. Our Chrono doesn't seem to have the same kind of personality as Aevum so I count that as a plus." He glanced over at Chrono. "...No offence."
"If this world doesn't have anything better than a keyblade and your plan is simply to fortify a new location, then we'll have the same luck there as we do here. In the end it'll boil down to us versus Ria. If we aren't strong enough now then we probably won't be strong enough one destroyed world later. Or two. Or three. How many worlds would you be willing to sacrifice, Cerdic? There's still people we can save right here and now. The odds aren't going to get any better regardless of where we fight Ria." Alder thought back to the people sleeping in their forced comas. Somewhere was Mora's family. What if it was his own? Would he so readily abandon them? No. Of course not. Alder crossed his arms, intent on choosing not to flee from this mess. If he was going to pick a world to die he was going to do it here. He looked over at Daeni who seemed to be focused on another matter, seemingly confused about the Chrono and Aevum situation. "That person you saw in the memory, Aevum, is Chrono. Well, in a way. Our Chrono doesn't seem to have the same kind of personality as Aevum so I count that as a plus." He glanced over at Chrono. "...No offence."
Upon their arrival to the King's Chambers Milo ran over and explained the situation to the king. The man nodded somberly as Milo slowly made his way over to his friends where they began to murmur amongst themselves over what transpired. King Nedakh was looking to be in better condition than he had been when Rourke attacked likely due to magic being used to heal him. "Thank you for protecting the life source of our people, young keyblade wielders. Without it, we all would have perished. I would ask yet another task be done. Please, return my daughter safely home." He paused, looking at them with pained eyes. "You have cleared this world of the darkness plaguing Atlantis and, as I said, I will grant each of you some of the power from the Heart of Atlantis." He extended his hand out towards them and the group could, at that moment, feel new magic stirring within themselves. "Before you depart, there is one more item I have that I believe would be better off in the hands of those like you." "Safe travels, keyblade warriors." Take has gained 3 Levels, Chrono and Illiana have gained 2 Levels, and Glyde has gained 1 Level! Head to the OOC Thread in order to pick your Level bonuses. Take and Glyde and now pick 1 Ability to learn. Take, Chrono, Illiana, and Glyde can learn 1 new spell. Check the Magic section under Combat to learn more. The party has learned Doublecast! Two spells can be used per battle. Check the OOC Thread to read the scrap of the journal entry that was found. The Light Chaser looked to the sky to see that night was beginning to come upon them. "Some believe that my actions will be destructive. I wish to enlighten them that this will not be the case but that has proven...difficult." Before dispelling the spell he was using to project the image of darkness Aria was seeing he waved his hand in front of it to show an images of Tinarah sitting beside her brother. Both were smiling and it seemed that Chrono was showing off some kind of sleight of hand with a deck of cards. After giving Aria a few moments to take in the sight he waved it away once she was satisfied with what she saw. "It is getting late. I've had one of my students make arrangements for you at the inn on this world. Get some rest. By the morning the darkness will have cleared and I will be able to return you to your friends." "So, you see...what happened was..." As he spoke he lifted Kida by grabbing her from under her arms and dragged her into an empty home around the corner, expecting Chrys to follow. "Things were getting messy. There wasn't time to give her the rundown on our little operation and I--ugh this Atlantis chick is a little heavier than I thought--uh where was I? Yeah. No time. Bossman said I'd recognize one of them one I saw her and when I finally did, there was too much going on for me to talk her into coming so I kinda...stole her? And cast a Sleep spell to keep her from fighting and she's got a lot of fight in her. Light Chaser or his Right Hand should be able to talk some sense into her though if it were up to me I'd keep her asleep until we're through with her and can drop her off back at Atlantis." He huffed, finding the long string of words to be even more tiring than lifting Kida onto a couch. It was more for him than it was for her. She may not have noticed she was sleeping on a floor but he would have felt off just dumping her there like baggage. "So uh...what's your read on Aria?"
Upon their arrival to the King's Chambers Milo ran over and explained the situation to the king. The man nodded somberly as Milo slowly made his way over to his friends where they began to murmur amongst themselves over what transpired. King Nedakh was looking to be in better condition than he had been when Rourke attacked likely due to magic being used to heal him. "Thank you for protecting the life source of our people, young keyblade wielders. Without it, we all would have perished. I would ask yet another task be done. Please, return my daughter safely home." He paused, looking at them with pained eyes. "You have cleared this world of the darkness plaguing Atlantis and, as I said, I will grant each of you some of the power from the Heart of Atlantis." He extended his hand out towards them and the group could, at that moment, feel new magic stirring within themselves. "Before you depart, there is one more item I have that I believe would be better off in the hands of those like you."
"No..." Torrin ran a hand through his hair and began pacing back and forth as he began to run over everything that Take had just said with his mind's eye. It wasn't just Atmos's recovery that made him come. His anxiety had proven too much to keep him still. Somewhere in his heart he knew... He froze when he felt a familiar sensation. He looked down at Nini and knelt down beside the small cat unsure if of whether or not to make an attempt to comfort the thing. He couldn't find the words either for the cat or for himself. The knot in his stomach turned. In the background there was the sound of a gunshot that rang through the air. It was Rourke pointing his pistol to the sky to make his presence known. He aimed his gun at the keybladers as did the soldiers standing beside him, seemingly recovered from getting pummeled by the Leviathan. "Plan B. We're not leaving empty handed so how about you kids hand over those fancy weapons of yours and we'll be on our way. I'm sure those will fetch a good price on the black market." Without a second's thought a Blizzard spell shot from Torrin's palm and the shards ice collided with the guns wielded by Rourke and his soldiers outright freezing the guns and hands attached to them solid or knocking the frozen firearms out of their hands. "You brat you'll pay for that!" Rourke pulled his combat knife out and readied himself for a fight but in a matter of seconds Torrin was upon him and quickly overpowered the man. The sound of bone cracking almost made Torrin wince as he struck Rourke's arm with enough force to knock the knife from his grasp and break his arm. He grabbed the man's neck and pinned him to the ground, his eyes cold and his breathing unsteady from attempting to restrain himself from going too far. In his rage a small detail had slipped passed him. The mention of another keyblader who made an appearance. It took some effort to speak through gritted teeth without shouting at the others but somehow he reigned it in and called out to the group. "We'll...we will get your sister back. I don't know how but we will. I've got things covered here. Some of the other outsiders already subdued the soldiers topside when I arrived. They told me to tell someone named Milo that he was right." Milo, who had been silent since Kida had been kidnapped, perked his head up and smiled faintly. Another deep breath. He regained his composure and spoke more calmly this time. "Atmos will have a better idea for how to proceed but the King says he has something for everyone that will help on the journey ahead. There'll be time to mourn once you all get settled down and rest." "Princess of Heart." The Light Chaser corrected. "Yes...I can see why you would have trouble believing me." There was a pause as the Light Chaser inhaled and exhaled slowly. He raised his hand and snapped his fingers, a remarkable feat considering that his hand was still wearing a glove. The instant he did so a pale yellow circle the size of Aria's head formed in front of her the began to grow slowly. Within it she would have been able to see the night sky with shimmering stars dotting it everywhere. The Light Chaser moved to stand beside Aria and waved his hand causing the picture to move. Stars zipped by as the location of the view changed until they reached the point of interest he wished to show her. If Aria squinted she could have seen a massive black mass of tendrils and smoke at the center of the image. There were no stars that surrounded the area in view. "This is where Eventide Town resided before I moved it. In order to return to the waking world and, say, transport you to where your friends currently are I would have to open a portal that would cut through that darkness." He pointed at the darkness in the area. "It may look bad now but it has been clearing since you arrived. By tomorrow it should be safe enough for you to travel and for me to wake this world from its slumber." "Psstt. Chrys. Over here! Got a minute?" Dentro waved at his fellow apprentice from a short distance away, the lower half of body covered by the building he was leaning around making it obvious that he did not want to disturb the Master or cause a distraction in the conversation. He motioned for Chrys to come closer with his hand. Behind him and out of view was Kida and she was looking a little too comfortable sleeping on the floor due to the sleep spell he had cast on her the instant they arrived back in Eventide. He held up a small pebble as if threatening that he would start tossing stuff at her to get her attention if she did not come over soon.
"No..." Torrin ran a hand through his hair and began pacing back and forth as he began to run over everything that Take had just said with his mind's eye. It wasn't just Atmos's recovery that made him come. His anxiety had proven too much to keep him still. Somewhere in his heart he knew... He froze when he felt a familiar sensation. He looked down at Nini and knelt down beside the small cat unsure if of whether or not to make an attempt to comfort the thing. He couldn't find the words either for the cat or for himself. The knot in his stomach turned. In the background there was the sound of a gunshot that rang through the air. It was Rourke pointing his pistol to the sky to make his presence known. He aimed his gun at the keybladers as did the soldiers standing beside him, seemingly recovered from getting pummeled by the Leviathan. "Plan B. We're not leaving empty handed so how about you kids hand over those fancy weapons of yours and we'll be on our way. I'm sure those will fetch a good price on the black market." Without a second's thought a Blizzard spell shot from Torrin's palm and the shards ice collided with the guns wielded by Rourke and his soldiers outright freezing the guns and hands attached to them solid or knocking the frozen firearms out of their hands. "You brat you'll pay for that!" Rourke pulled his combat knife out and readied himself for a fight but in a matter of seconds Torrin was upon him and quickly overpowered the man. The sound of bone cracking almost made Torrin wince as he struck Rourke's arm with enough force to knock the knife from his grasp and break his arm. He grabbed the man's neck and pinned him to the ground, his eyes cold and his breathing unsteady from attempting to restrain himself from going too far. In his rage a small detail had slipped passed him. The mention of another keyblader who made an appearance. It took some effort to speak through gritted teeth without shouting at the others but somehow he reigned it in and called out to the group. "We'll...we will get your sister back. I don't know how but we will. I've got things covered here. Some of the other outsiders already subdued the soldiers topside when I arrived. They told me to tell someone named Milo that he was right." Milo, who had been silent since Kida had been kidnapped, perked his head up and smiled faintly. Another deep breath. He regained his composure and spoke more calmly this time. "Atmos will have a better idea for how to proceed but the King says he has something for everyone that will help on the journey ahead. There'll be time to mourn once you all get settled down and rest." "Princess of Heart." The Light Chaser corrected. "Yes...I can see why you would have trouble believing me." There was a pause as the Light Chaser inhaled and exhaled slowly. He raised his hand and snapped his fingers, a remarkable feat considering that his hand was still wearing a glove. The instant he did so a pale yellow circle the size of Aria's head formed in front of her the began to grow slowly. Within it she would have been able to see the night sky with shimmering stars dotting it everywhere. The Light Chaser moved to stand beside Aria and waved his hand causing the picture to move. Stars zipped by as the location of the view changed until they reached the point of interest he wished to show her. If Aria squinted she could have seen a massive black mass of tendrils and smoke at the center of the image. There were no stars that surrounded the area in view. "This is where Eventide Town resided before I moved it. In order to return to the waking world and, say, transport you to where your friends currently are I would have to open a portal that would cut through that darkness." He pointed at the darkness in the area. "It may look bad now but it has been clearing since you arrived. By tomorrow it should be safe enough for you to travel and for me to wake this world from its slumber." "Psstt. Chrys. Over here! Got a minute?" Dentro waved at his fellow apprentice from a short distance away, the lower half of body covered by the building he was leaning around making it obvious that he did not want to disturb the Master or cause a distraction in the conversation. He motioned for Chrys to come closer with his hand. Behind him and out of view was Kida and she was looking a little too comfortable sleeping on the floor due to the sleep spell he had cast on her the instant they arrived back in Eventide. He held up a small pebble as if threatening that he would start tossing stuff at her to get her attention if she did not come over soon.
"What do you mean they're underground? There's no way down from here." Torrin gripped the guard speaking to him by his tunic and narrowed his eyes at the man, a flash of yellow scaring the guard into quick cooperation. The Leviathan was beginning to slow down from the damage it had taken and it knocked Take away with its claw while its other it was about to crush Chrono when a black blur struck down upon the center of mass of the mechanical monster like lightning, punching through its armor. Sparks flew from the wound dealt to it and the Leviathan fell to its side with darkness fading away turning it back to its original shade of green. The Leviathan had been destroyed. "Mecha-Heartless. Don't see many of those." Torrin mused to himself his keyblade vanishing from his hand. Second after the stairs leading to the surface had finally cascaded downwards and reached them. He had sensed the darkness below and saw that jumping was just going to faster than waiting for a normal way down. He hadn't expected things to go south this fast but at least now it felt like the world was clear of Heartless. ...For now. Torrin placed a hand to his side, still feeling sore. Not back at a hundred percent but he was getting there. He looked around at the group and raised an eyebrow seeing their torn and dirtied clothing. The big Heartless must have given them a run for their money. "I suggest you finish up whatever business you all have here and return to Master Atmos." He stated plainly. He was unaware of the situation but knew it was imperative that he found the students. "She's awake." "Your master must have had his reasons for not telling you. He probably wanted to protect you." Even from behind the darkness of his hood Aria would have been able to tell that the Light Chaser was looking intently at her. "It takes training to recognize a Princess of Heart. Generally, only masters have had the experience to do so. For me, it is as plain as day to see that the purity of the light in your heart makes you one of the Seven. The name princess is a little misleading. You don't have to be royalty or live a life of grandeur in a castle to be one of the Seven." He crossed his arms. "It was simply a matter of fate that you were chosen." He stated this in an uncharacteristically blunt tone.
"What do you mean they're underground? There's no way down from here." Torrin gripped the guard speaking to him by his tunic and narrowed his eyes at the man, a flash of yellow scaring the guard into quick cooperation. The Leviathan was beginning to slow down from the damage it had taken and it knocked Take away with its claw while its other it was about to crush Chrono when a black blur struck down upon the center of mass of the mechanical monster like lightning, punching through its armor. Sparks flew from the wound dealt to it and the Leviathan fell to its side with darkness fading away turning it back to its original shade of green. The Leviathan had been destroyed. "Mecha-Heartless. Don't see many of those." Torrin mused to himself his keyblade vanishing from his hand. Second after the stairs leading to the surface had finally cascaded downwards and reached them. He had sensed the darkness below and saw that jumping was just going to faster than waiting for a normal way down. He hadn't expected things to go south this fast but at least now it felt like the world was clear of Heartless. ...For now. Torrin placed a hand to his side, still feeling sore. Not back at a hundred percent but he was getting there. He looked around at the group and raised an eyebrow seeing their torn and dirtied clothing. The big Heartless must have given them a run for their money. "I suggest you finish up whatever business you all have here and return to Master Atmos." He stated plainly. He was unaware of the situation but knew it was imperative that he found the students. "She's awake." "Your master must have had his reasons for not telling you. He probably wanted to protect you." Even from behind the darkness of his hood Aria would have been able to tell that the Light Chaser was looking intently at her. "It takes training to recognize a Princess of Heart. Generally, only masters have had the experience to do so. For me, it is as plain as day to see that the purity of the light in your heart makes you one of the Seven. The name princess is a little misleading. You don't have to be royalty or live a life of grandeur in a castle to be one of the Seven." He crossed his arms. "It was simply a matter of fate that you were chosen." He stated this in an uncharacteristically blunt tone.
Dentro rubbed his stomach where Illiana had kneed him and winced. He had already had enough of all this. It was time for the battle to be over. His grip on his keyblade tightened and when he looked over at Kida, the girl glowing with such a strong light it struck him that this had to be one of them. The signs were so obvious that he did not need a master's training to tell what she was. He looked over at the Leviathan as it spun around, striking the other keybladers with its tail once they were left open by their all out attacks. One more hit from him would be enough to do the trick. He had just enough strength to do it. Dentro spun his keyblade around and charged forward...in the opposite direction of the battle and made a beeline towards Kida who had just approached the shore. "No! She's mine!" He could hear Rourke call out from behind. The military man aimed his pistol at Dentro and fired only to have the shot bounce off the magical stone armor surrounding him. "Sorry guys! Been nice playing with you but you can all take it from here, right? Right? Right!" A column of light opened up as Dentro grabbed Kida by the arm. The glow around her faded as either the presence of the keyblade or being pulled towards the portal forced a separation from her and the Heart of Atlantis. She was too dazed in that moment to even realize what was going on. In another instant the two vanished into the portal and it closed. Dentro fled the battle! Take was hit for 10 Damage! (12/30HP) Chrono was hit for 8 Damage! (19/30HP) Glyde was hit for 4 Damage! (6/25HP) Illiana was hit for 8 Damage! (10/25HP) Dark Leviathan: 42/200 HP
Dentro rubbed his stomach where Illiana had kneed him and winced. He had already had enough of all this. It was time for the battle to be over. His grip on his keyblade tightened and when he looked over at Kida, the girl glowing with such a strong light it struck him that this had to be one of them. The signs were so obvious that he did not need a master's training to tell what she was. He looked over at the Leviathan as it spun around, striking the other keybladers with its tail once they were left open by their all out attacks. One more hit from him would be enough to do the trick. He had just enough strength to do it. Dentro spun his keyblade around and charged forward...in the opposite direction of the battle and made a beeline towards Kida who had just approached the shore. "No! She's mine!" He could hear Rourke call out from behind. The military man aimed his pistol at Dentro and fired only to have the shot bounce off the magical stone armor surrounding him. "Sorry guys! Been nice playing with you but you can all take it from here, right? Right? Right!" A column of light opened up as Dentro grabbed Kida by the arm. The glow around her faded as either the presence of the keyblade or being pulled towards the portal forced a separation from her and the Heart of Atlantis. She was too dazed in that moment to even realize what was going on. In another instant the two vanished into the portal and it closed. Dentro fled the battle! Take was hit for 10 Damage! (12/30HP) Chrono was hit for 8 Damage! (19/30HP) Glyde was hit for 4 Damage! (6/25HP) Illiana was hit for 8 Damage! (10/25HP) Dark Leviathan: 42/200 HP
Kida began walking towards the lake, the crystal on her necklace shining like a beacon as she was drawn towards the Heart of Atlantis while completely oblivious to the battle that was going on. Milo tried to grab her but the chaos of the battle prevented him from getting near her. When Kida approached the water rather than swim to it she walked across the lake. The light in the room slowly shifted from red back to the blue shade it had been before. She began to float up towards the light source above when the Heart began to draw her towards it. In a bright flash of light she and the Heart of Atlantis became one.
"Not helping." Dentro spoke through gritted teeth as he decided to step things up a notch and cast an Earth-based spell on himself. Rocks and earth began to swirl around Dentro and solidified as an armor that surrounded his torso. He started off by casting a Blizzard spell at one of the Dark Leviathan's mechanical legs holding it in place as he charged in stabbed it in the side with his keyblade...then proceeded to get stuck when he was unable to remove the blade lodged in the side of the Leviathan. "Great. Juuuust great." He hung there as the Leviathan swung about wildly trying to shake him off and eventually succeeded by throwing him into Illiana. It the Leviathan's rage it clipped Chrono and Glyde with its claw before it refocused and struck Take once more. HP: 86/110 AP: 0/42 Illiana was hit for 7 Damage! (17/25HP) Chrono was hit for 2 Damage! (17/30HP) Take was hit for 5 Damage! (22/30HP) Glyde was hit for 7 Damage! (10/25HP) Dentro was hit for 14 Damage! (86/110HP) Dark Leviathan: 81/200 HP "The portal I will open should take you close to where your brother was. Though travel through areas of such dense darkness can be imprecise. I would have preferred that you stayed here until it was clear but you will have your wish. I will take you out of this world." The Light Chaser extended his hand and a portal of light appeared behind Tinarah. This one was larger and brighter than she would have seen created by Master Choma. There was no way to see what was on the other side but the Light Chaser gave Tinarah a nod of reassurance. "It will be okay." He spoke softly. "I am sorry that this meeting between us had gone so poorly. May your heart be your guiding key, Miss Dellia." When the portal closed after Tinarah entered the Light Chaser looked over towards Aria and stood up from his seat. "Tell me, what do you know of Princesses of Heart? Your master never told you that you were one, did he?" When Tinarah passed through the portal and her way back to Eventide Town was closed off she would have been able to take a good look around her surroundings. She was left standing on a bridge. A thick fog obscured her vision and it seemed like the bridge went on forever in both directions. If she looked down to see what was beneath she would have heard or seen nothing but the dense fog moving beneath giving the illusion that the bridge was over the clouds. The air was cool and fresh with the scent of recent rainfall in the air despite there having been no signs of precipitation. The atmosphere was not oppressive yet it would have left anyone with a deep sense of loneliness just by being there.
"Not helping." Dentro spoke through gritted teeth as he decided to step things up a notch and cast an Earth-based spell on himself. Rocks and earth began to swirl around Dentro and solidified as an armor that surrounded his torso. He started off by casting a Blizzard spell at one of the Dark Leviathan's mechanical legs holding it in place as he charged in stabbed it in the side with his keyblade...then proceeded to get stuck when he was unable to remove the blade lodged in the side of the Leviathan. "Great. Juuuust great." He hung there as the Leviathan swung about wildly trying to shake him off and eventually succeeded by throwing him into Illiana. It the Leviathan's rage it clipped Chrono and Glyde with its claw before it refocused and struck Take once more. HP: 86/110 AP: 0/42 Illiana was hit for 7 Damage! (17/25HP) Chrono was hit for 2 Damage! (17/30HP) Take was hit for 5 Damage! (22/30HP) Glyde was hit for 7 Damage! (10/25HP) Dentro was hit for 14 Damage! (86/110HP) Dark Leviathan: 81/200 HP "The portal I will open should take you close to where your brother was. Though travel through areas of such dense darkness can be imprecise. I would have preferred that you stayed here until it was clear but you will have your wish. I will take you out of this world." The Light Chaser extended his hand and a portal of light appeared behind Tinarah. This one was larger and brighter than she would have seen created by Master Choma. There was no way to see what was on the other side but the Light Chaser gave Tinarah a nod of reassurance. "It will be okay." He spoke softly. "I am sorry that this meeting between us had gone so poorly. May your heart be your guiding key, Miss Dellia." When the portal closed after Tinarah entered the Light Chaser looked over towards Aria and stood up from his seat. "Tell me, what do you know of Princesses of Heart? Your master never told you that you were one, did he?"
Arctus turned his downswing into a stab towards the ground when she made him lose his balance, using his blade to keep from crashing into the ground. The instant the fire spell was cast he used his own magic, shifting the direction of gravity in the immediate vicinity upwards. Her spell only managed to clip his shoulder. Arctus didn't even react when he got burned as if the attack didn't even register to his mind. With gravity flowing upwards he was immediately already back on his feet. Arctus swung his sword upwards, sweeping up dirt and rock up towards her face as he ripped it out of the ground. Gravity shifted again, this time back downwards so that he could bring his sword back down on Kiara. During the attack his blade began to let off a bluish-purple glow as he used another of his abilities so that even if Kiara blocked with her whip it would only become heavier and more difficult to use.
Arctus turned his downswing into a stab towards the ground when she made him lose his balance, using his blade to keep from crashing into the ground. The instant the fire spell was cast he used his own magic, shifting the direction of gravity in the immediate vicinity upwards. Her spell only managed to clip his shoulder. Arctus didn't even react when he got burned as if the attack didn't even register to his mind. With gravity flowing upwards he was immediately already back on his feet. Arctus swung his sword upwards, sweeping up dirt and rock up towards her face as he ripped it out of the ground. Gravity shifted again, this time back downwards so that he could bring his sword back down on Kiara. During the attack his blade began to let off a bluish-purple glow as he used another of his abilities so that even if Kiara blocked with her whip it would only become heavier and more difficult to use.
Arctus unfolded his arms and shifted in place as he listened to the others. Was this how it was always going to be? Petty bickering? Sure it was amusing at first but at this rate... He remained silent and stepped back away from the others to get some room and out of the general line of sight. He didn't have anything else to add anyway. It was better this way. Arctus's fist clenched. He turned his head towards Kiara and stepped over towards her one foot after another as he silently approached her. Then, without any warning, Arctus struck Kiara in the center of her back with his pommel as he drew his sword and then kicked her behind her knee to force her down before raising his blade to swing downwards at her.
Arctus unfolded his arms and shifted in place as he listened to the others. Was this how it was always going to be? Petty bickering? Sure it was amusing at first but at this rate... He remained silent and stepped back away from the others to get some room and out of the general line of sight. He didn't have anything else to add anyway. It was better this way. Arctus's fist clenched. He turned his head towards Kiara and stepped over towards her one foot after another as he silently approached her. Then, without any warning, Arctus struck Kiara in the center of her back with his pommel as he drew his sword and then kicked her behind her knee to force her down before raising his blade to swing downwards at her.
Dentro growled, watching the others as they purposefully held back when they could have been trying to finish the fight quickly. "Fine. Let me show you all how it's done!" In a flash of green his blade was in his hand and he leaped up towards the mechanical monster, flipping forwards in midair as he swung down hard on the Dark Leviathan's head, denting its armor with one strike. It reeled and swiped defensively at him barely managing to scratch him. In its anger the Heartless-fueled machine bolted towards Take, its tail swinging from side to side towards the others. Illiana had blocked the attack but Chrono and Glyde were struck by it. With its claw it attacked the boy but he would have been able to withstand the blow. HP: 110/110 AP: 2/42 Take was hit for 3 Damage! (27/30HP) Illiana guarded the attack! (25/25HP) Chrono was hit for 11 Damage! (19/30HP) Dentro was hit for 10 Damage! (100/110HP) Glyde was hit for 8 Damage! (17/25HP) Dark Leviathan: 157/200 HP "Storks? I'm afraid my homeworld never had those." The Light Chaser chuckled and nodded at Aria. "Alright, Aria. Though the only reason why young Tinarah here was taken was simply because I had the power to heal her injuries in a way the others could not." He looked over towards Tinarah. "I apologize that I cannot show you my face and that this must be uncomfortable for you but this cloak is for the protection of everyone around me. My power tends to attract trouble. This cloak hides that power. Sometimes we are born with burdens far out of our control. This is mine." He tugged at the sleeve of his black coat and shrugged. "I will have you returned to your brother and friends soon enough. And it will only be a little while before Aria can join you. The only thing keeping her here is the darkness surrounding this world. Because Aria is a Princess of Heart, her crossing through that darkness would damage this world. You doing the same would not do that." He hoped that this would be understandable towards the girl but he knew that even after simplifying these concepts they could still be difficult to grasp. "But before I return you, would you like to speak to Aria for a while? Or my student," he motioned towards Chrysanthemum, "Chrys?"
Dentro growled, watching the others as they purposefully held back when they could have been trying to finish the fight quickly. "Fine. Let me show you all how it's done!" In a flash of green his blade was in his hand and he leaped up towards the mechanical monster, flipping forwards in midair as he swung down hard on the Dark Leviathan's head, denting its armor with one strike. It reeled and swiped defensively at him barely managing to scratch him. In its anger the Heartless-fueled machine bolted towards Take, its tail swinging from side to side towards the others. Illiana had blocked the attack but Chrono and Glyde were struck by it. With its claw it attacked the boy but he would have been able to withstand the blow. HP: 110/110 AP: 2/42
"Meatbag? Really? I mean at least come up with a more creative insult, you harpy." Ah the pun. It felt good...no, actually it didn't but it fit his description of being more creative. "I'm not the one who engaged first. Miss Hothead over there was the one who attacked first. I only jumped in because it was clear she couldn't handle the gravity of the situation." He coughed and shifted in spot. "Not that it did any good but it was better than standing back and watching someone get flung like a wet noodle."
"Meatbag? Really? I mean at least come up with a more creative insult, you harpy." Ah the pun. It felt good...no, actually it didn't but it fit his description of being more creative. "I'm not the one who engaged first. Miss Hothead over there was the one who attacked first. I only jumped in because it was clear she couldn't handle the gravity of the situation." He coughed and shifted in spot. "Not that it did any good but it was better than standing back and watching someone get flung like a wet noodle."
