Oh wow. Figured this would have had a response by now. Anyway, lately I've been getting my music almost exclusively from CDs because I don't want to rely on my internet service to give me music and things like Spotify don't have everything I want.
Oh wow. Never thought we'd see you back again. Neat. Welcome back for however long your stay is.
His first thought was to call the witcher leaving the ship a coward but what would be the point? Witchers were not noble creatures bound by lofty ideals such as honor. They were glorified mercenaries and that was all. Perhaps there was a point to thinking the battle would lead them to their doom. Not Enok himself of course. Though the thought of getting chained up and dropped with stones to be left to drown was not an experience he would wish to repeat. His patience, or perhaps just the Hym's patience, was already wearing thin. Were they still trying to discuss this matter amongst themselves? All that mattered was that someone needed to be dead right now. For having such limited lifespans mortals wasted so much time on talk. It was tiresome. He shook his head feeling his thoughts being blurred and indistinguishable with that of the specter. Did he always refer others as mortals? Or was it maggots? "Well are we ready to set sail or not? While you chat amongst yourselves about how futile this battle might be a monster is roaming free. A thing capable of bringing giant sea serpents to wreck this city."
At the questioning of one of the strangers about their king the man responded with, "Our king is a hard but fair man. He has kept us strong through what was once a dark period of our history and helped us flourish in a time without hope." "Though over the centuries he has grown weary. I believe it will not be long before his daughter takes the throne." Another said, stating it simply as if it were no big deal that their king had ruled for centuries. "Do not speak of our king in that tone. He will pass the throne to Kida when she is ready, no sooner." The man spoke harshly before softening his tone when returning his attention to the students. "If you can help us with the beasts, I am sure you will enjoy your stay in Atlantis. Its beauty is unrivaled by any civilization. Are all of you ready to enter the city?" "I think that is enough." The Light Chaser spoke up over the sound of Koa's muffled laughter at Aria's noodle/fork comment. Her sense of humor was familiar. "Koa, Dentro, Avra." Two of the students, a male and a female, stepped forward. "Don your armor and begin clearing out the darkness for when I am ready to bring Eventide out of its sleeping state." "Wha-I can't stick around a little longer? Uh...O-Of course, Master. We'll return the instant it is done." Koa sounded all too eager to please and rushed ahead of the others as their armors appeared in a flash of light. "It was nice meeting you, Aria!" Koa took off on a keyblade glider and the other two followed suit. "Alright, Miss Dorin, it's about time to catch you up on your studies. Don't worry, these lessons are easy enough to learn." Aria learned the magic spell Cure and the ability Guard! Aria gained 1 Level! See the OOC Thread for details on Magic and Abilities and post there for your level bonus."You will be able to better protect yourself now. There will be more lessons ahead but for now," The Light Chaser looked off towards the three remaining students and motioned for his first to come over while the other two, knowing they were to be dismissed, left to carry on with their studies. "Aria, this is Chrysanthemum, the first of my students. Until this world is safe for you to leave she will be your guide and be there to lend a helping hand should any darkness linger in this world." Aria's doubt of them was still clear on her face and continuing to wear his hood and conceal his identity was never going to make it easy for her to trust him. By placing Aria under Chrys's watch she could have a face to connect his side with. "Chrysanthemum, I'd like you to keep an eye on Aria for me. Get to know one another. 'Show her the ropes' as one would say. Any questions?"
"I think that is enough." The Light Chaser spoke up over the sound of Koa's muffled laughter at Aria's noodle/fork comment. Her sense of humor was familiar. "Koa, Dentro, Avra." Two of the students, a male and a female, stepped forward. "Don your armor and begin clearing out the darkness for when I am ready to bring Eventide out of its sleeping state." "Wha-I can't stick around a little longer? Uh...O-Of course, Master. We'll return the instant it is done." Koa sounded all too eager to please and rushed ahead of the others as their armors appeared in a flash of light. "It was nice meeting you, Aria!" Koa took off on a keyblade glider and the other two followed suit. "Alright, Miss Dorin, it's about time to catch you up on your studies. Don't worry, these lessons are easy enough to learn."
"Does it really matter at this point who leadsd? We all know what needs to be done." Alder responded to Cerdic, digging his keyblade in the ground as he leaned against it. By "what needs to be done" he obviously meant taking down Ria. There were fewer of them now but he believed they still had the numbers and power to defeat that monster if they all worked together. He was about to head towards the ladder to the surface when Mora spoke up, having distanced herself during the commotion between Cerdic and Chrono. "An idea? Well if it's better than us just ganging up on Ria and hoping our numbers is enough to do the job, then I'm in."
"Does it really matter at this point who leadsd? We all know what needs to be done." Alder responded to Cerdic, digging his keyblade in the ground as he leaned against it. By "what needs to be done" he obviously meant taking down Ria. There were fewer of them now but he believed they still had the numbers and power to defeat that monster if they all worked together. He was about to head towards the ladder to the surface when Mora spoke up, having distanced herself during the commotion between Cerdic and Chrono. "An idea? Well if it's better than us just ganging up on Ria and hoping our numbers is enough to do the job, then I'm in."
As the girl struggled to keep up with him Koa's eyes ever so slightly shifted in the direction of his Master, the man staring at them with his hands clasped behind his back while quietly observing them. Was there a sense of approval or pride the man felt but refused to show under that hood or was he only scrutinizing their technique? He figured he would never know even if he felt the vaguest sense that the master might have been focusing more on- His attention was snapped back into the sparring match when Aria stopped his assault and put him in a blade lock. Her push was not enough to knock him off balance as he was stronger than her but she still maneuvered around him to get some breathing space of her own before she began to retaliate. She was quick, that was sure, but her attacks were rather...crude and lacking in any finesse. Still, the girl at least proved to be determined to put on a good show for the others and he was not about to embarrass her by immediately switching to using his most powerful abilities. "Not bad." Koa spoke, stepping back as he lost some ground against Aria while staving off her swings. "But it's time to show you something new!" Suddenly, Koa stopped defending just as one of Aria's downward swings came at him. Just before it came too close to him it struck a magic barrier which had formed, a Reflect spell. He smirked and just then the barrier exploded to knock Aria back. "It's okay to just lay down and admit defeat. I think you've proved your point." He said calmly as he rolled his shoulders backwards.
As the girl struggled to keep up with him Koa's eyes ever so slightly shifted in the direction of his Master, the man staring at them with his hands clasped behind his back while quietly observing them. Was there a sense of approval or pride the man felt but refused to show under that hood or was he only scrutinizing their technique? He figured he would never know even if he felt the vaguest sense that the master might have been focusing more on- His attention was snapped back into the sparring match when Aria stopped his assault and put him in a blade lock. Her push was not enough to knock him off balance as he was stronger than her but she still maneuvered around him to get some breathing space of her own before she began to retaliate. She was quick, that was sure, but her attacks were rather...crude and lacking in any finesse. Still, the girl at least proved to be determined to put on a good show for the others and he was not about to embarrass her by immediately switching to using his most powerful abilities. "Not bad." Koa spoke, stepping back as he lost some ground against Aria while staving off her swings. "But it's time to show you something new!" Suddenly, Koa stopped defending just as one of Aria's downward swings came at him. Just before it came too close to him it struck a magic barrier which had formed, a Reflect spell. He smirked and just then the barrier exploded to knock Aria back. "It's okay to just lay down and admit defeat. I think you've proved your point." He said calmly as he rolled his shoulders backwards.
"Wait." The leader of the masked strangers called towards Illiana, now speaking the language of those who had arrived. They lowered their spears. "You are all children." The man pulled his mask off to reveal...that he was just a man. Nothing more. "I told you they don't look dangerous. Not like the others. These children even got rid of the dark monsters. Maybe-" "That is enough. It is for the king to decide." The others took their masks off to show that they were not going to harm them. "You have come this far and your weapons seem to fare better than ours at fending off the monsters. Come with us and we will take you to our city." This was a hint of desperation in the man's voice as he turned to walk ahead of Illiana to lead them in the right direction. "Our people have remained here in secret for centuries and we have never had to worry about visitors until now. First those from the world above, then the monsters of the dark, and now you. But all of you seem different." As he led the group forward the sound of what could only be a waterfall could be heard echoing at the cave's exit, now visible, where light was now shining from. "I am sorry we frightened you all. Our people have been in danger since those things you defeated arrived-" "I think those newcomers are to blame." One of them interrupted. "We don't know that." The man continued. "You can discuss why you are here with our king but for now allow me to introduce you to our home." "Welcome to Atlantis." The party has gained 1 Level! Post in the OOC Thread for your choice of level bonus! Koa hadn't expected the girl to hold her balance like that. He assumed she was a newbie, unable to properly defend herself, and he ended up falling over. Koa caught himself with one hand just as he was going to hit the ground and kicked at Aria in response before pushing himself up to his feet awkwardly with his hand. Koa spun his keyblade around in his hand and began to attack Aria, his blade going downwards then horizontally and then in every other direction with Koa intending to keep the girl on the defensive to see how long (if at all) she could keep it up.
Koa hadn't expected the girl to hold her balance like that. He assumed she was a newbie, unable to properly defend herself, and he ended up falling over. Koa caught himself with one hand just as he was going to hit the ground and kicked at Aria in response before pushing himself up to his feet awkwardly with his hand. Koa spun his keyblade around in his hand and began to attack Aria, his blade going downwards then horizontally and then in every other direction with Koa intending to keep the girl on the defensive to see how long (if at all) she could keep it up.
As Aria summoned her keyblade Koa could not help but laugh out loud at her words. "Wow really? You serious? Hah!" He looked at the other students. One of them actually shrugged in response and another covered their mouth in attempt to hold back a snicker. "Yeah well I guess this girl's for real then. Uh. Okay. Right. Onto business." He switched his keyblade into a reverse grip before leaping at Aria and swinging downward diagonally at her before using the momentum of the cut to switch his keyblade back into a normal grip and slashing back in the opposite direction. He could have moved faster or used a spell or a special technique or...well, the point was to test her. Not to go all out and show off his power.
As Aria summoned her keyblade Koa could not help but laugh out loud at her words. "Wow really? You serious? Hah!" He looked at the other students. One of them actually shrugged in response and another covered their mouth in attempt to hold back a snicker. "Yeah well I guess this girl's for real then. Uh. Okay. Right. Onto business." He switched his keyblade into a reverse grip before leaping at Aria and swinging downward diagonally at her before using the momentum of the cut to switch his keyblade back into a normal grip and slashing back in the opposite direction. He could have moved faster or used a spell or a special technique or...well, the point was to test her. Not to go all out and show off his power.
"Allow me to answer that for you." Koa offered, looking to the Light Chaser who gave him a nod of approval to carry on. He cleared his throat and stepped closer towards Aria. Koa kept quiet for a moment as his brows furrowed, obviously in his attempt to find the right words to start describing to the girl just...who they were. Their stories were far too long for just one conversation and cutting it down to one just did not do them justice. Still, he had to try. "For the most part, we never had masters of our own until our teacher found us." He motioned to the Light Chaser. "Some came from worlds falling from the dark, too far gone to be saved but they had been pulled to safety by the Light Chaser. Myself? My homeworld was falling to the dark, it nearly fell too, but he," Koa pointed to his teacher once more with determination in his voice, "kept the darkness from destroying my homeworld and offered me a chance to become strong enough to never allow my world to go so close to the brink of destruction again." "That was two years ago." He looked in the direction of the other students, still as silent and motionless as statues. Koa ran his hand through his hair and combed it back only for it to fall back into place. He whistled absentmindedly as he eyed his comrades in arms. "They're a tough bunch, maybe a little intimidating, but only because they've seen the worst the darkness has to offer and made it out alive. So, if you don't mind..." He summoned his keyblade into hand and got into his battle stance, his eyes intense as they bore down on Aria. "Show us what you've got, princess. Show us that you're ready for more than learning just the basics."
"Allow me to answer that for you." Koa offered, looking to the Light Chaser who gave him a nod of approval to carry on. He cleared his throat and stepped closer towards Aria. Koa kept quiet for a moment as his brows furrowed, obviously in his attempt to find the right words to start describing to the girl just...who they were. Their stories were far too long for just one conversation and cutting it down to one just did not do them justice. Still, he had to try. "For the most part, we never had masters of our own until our teacher found us." He motioned to the Light Chaser. "Some came from worlds falling from the dark, too far gone to be saved but they had been pulled to safety by the Light Chaser. Myself? My homeworld was falling to the dark, it nearly fell too, but he," Koa pointed to his teacher once more with determination in his voice, "kept the darkness from destroying my homeworld and offered me a chance to become strong enough to never allow my world to go so close to the brink of destruction again." "That was two years ago." He looked in the direction of the other students, still as silent and motionless as statues. Koa ran his hand through his hair and combed it back only for it to fall back into place. He whistled absentmindedly as he eyed his comrades in arms. "They're a tough bunch, maybe a little intimidating, but only because they've seen the worst the darkness has to offer and made it out alive. So, if you don't mind..." He summoned his keyblade into hand and got into his battle stance, his eyes intense as they bore down on Aria. "Show us what you've got, princess. Show us that you're ready for more than learning just the basics."
Enok stood there, watching the others as some debated whether or not to go with him all the while the Hym was losing its patience. He looked off to the distance, the mist still obscuring his view. "The longer you take to decide to more time they have to escape unchallenged." He looked back at his ship, with only one occupant (an elf woman he recognized), then back at the group. "Like I said, I can't man a ship alone. I can steer but someone's going to have to handle the sails and the ballistae." He assumed the Witchers at least knew the basics of ships and siege weapons and as for the others? Well if they didn't there was still a fire mage among them who was more than enough firepower (pun not intended) to make up for it.
As soon as the Heartless were destroyed the cave was silent. The darkness in the area was cleared leaving a quiet sense of calm to fall down. The sound of rocks rolling down the sloped terrain in the area broke the short-lived silence. Several figures jumped down, landing between the group of students and the bridge that was in their path. They wielded spears, directing their tips at the group but not attacking. Their faces and torsos were hidden behind large tribal masks they wore. One of them, a man, began to speak loudly as he aggressively waved his spear at the keybladers though in his native tongue none would be able to understand him. With the tip of his spear he motioned towards the keyblades they were wielding and continued to shout angrily at them.
The Heartless began to grow more aggressive as their numbers dwindled and began speeding about desperately trying to strike any target they could reach. Two of them made their mark by crashing into Tinarah simultaneously at their top speed while others managed to strike at Chrono, Glyde, and Mika though with significantly less force as they were just glancing blows. Tinarah suffered 11 Damage (9/20HP) Chrono was hit for 3 Damage (22/25HP) Glyde was hit for 3 Damage (10/20HP) Mika was hit for 4 Damage (14/20HP)
The Heartless began to swarm around the students, growing frenzied as their numbers began to lessen. The began to violently peck and dash past the group as they retaliated aggressively. Glyde and Illiana were hit by more than one Heartless during the frenzy leading them to take more damage than the others. Take was hit for 3 Damage (17/20HP) Illiana was hit by the frenzy for 8 Damage (17/25HP) Glyde was hit by the frenzy for 7 Damage (13/20HP) Mika was hit for 2 Damage (18/20HP) 62 Heartless Remain "Mr. Light Chaser? Doesn't exactly have the ring to it that I hoped." Despite the words he spoke, there seemed to be no surprise in it as if he had already expected the phrase to sound as such. There was a pause in his speech but despite this, the man did not offer up a name for which Aria could use in place of "Light Chaser". The Light Chaser looked down at Aria who had found herself a place to sit on the ground. She was eager to return to her friends but that would have to wait. "If you find that our company is unsatisfactory, I shall return you to your friends. But this world is unstable, a pure light such as yourself traveling from the realm of sleep to the waking world would...well, the mechanics of it are beyond your grasp at this point. Simply put, I only managed to save this world from the darkness by, to your understanding, placing it somewhere else. I cannot return this world back to its normal space until the darkness around that space has been cleared. Plucking you out of this world's boundaries to meet your friends would severely damage this world in its current state. I am sure you do not want that to happen." "As for why I saved you? As a keyblade weilder, you're special. But there's more to it than that and I'll save it for another time." He looked off towards the other hooded figure and gave a nod. The other left in a brisk pace, disappearing from sightonce they rounded a corner. Once the hooded student of the Light Chaser was gone he motioned towards one of the others, a brown-haired boy looking to be Aria's elder by just a few years. Seeming to not having expected to be singled out, he pointed to himself and mouthed "me?" before straightening his posture and stepping forth closer towards Aria. "This is Koa. If you're comfortable with this, Miss Dorin, I would like you to have a short sparring match with him to test your skills. Even if by the end of this you still find that you must stand against me, growing stronger right now would help you protect your friends."
"Mr. Light Chaser? Doesn't exactly have the ring to it that I hoped." Despite the words he spoke, there seemed to be no surprise in it as if he had already expected the phrase to sound as such. There was a pause in his speech but despite this, the man did not offer up a name for which Aria could use in place of "Light Chaser". The Light Chaser looked down at Aria who had found herself a place to sit on the ground. She was eager to return to her friends but that would have to wait. "If you find that our company is unsatisfactory, I shall return you to your friends. But this world is unstable, a pure light such as yourself traveling from the realm of sleep to the waking world would...well, the mechanics of it are beyond your grasp at this point. Simply put, I only managed to save this world from the darkness by, to your understanding, placing it somewhere else. I cannot return this world back to its normal space until the darkness around that space has been cleared. Plucking you out of this world's boundaries to meet your friends would severely damage this world in its current state. I am sure you do not want that to happen." "As for why I saved you? As a keyblade weilder, you're special. But there's more to it than that and I'll save it for another time." He looked off towards the other hooded figure and gave a nod. The other left in a brisk pace, disappearing from sightonce they rounded a corner. Once the hooded student of the Light Chaser was gone he motioned towards one of the others, a brown-haired boy looking to be Aria's elder by just a few years. Seeming to not having expected to be singled out, he pointed to himself and mouthed "me?" before straightening his posture and stepping forth closer towards Aria. "This is Koa. If you're comfortable with this, Miss Dorin, I would like you to have a short sparring match with him to test your skills. Even if by the end of this you still find that you must stand against me, growing stronger right now would help you protect your friends."
Arctus kept quiet for what seemed like months as he observed the others. Normally he would have been fine just speaking up but at the time he had nothing to say, nothing to add. Not even a witty remark. So he kept his mouth shut and waited in the back, keeping his hood up not out of some sense of secrecy but because it was comfy. Comfy hood. ...Seriously, who made these anyway? He could hardly see Lea sitting down stitching these things together. And why did they only come in black? Why not a nice shade of gray? Blue? Maybe add some accents to them so they didn't all look the same. In fact, he had just the thing to- And then his name was called out in a string alongside some others, one of them being the girl who was quite so obviously hiding the fact that her name was not "Kiara". Kari? Kariette? No, that sounded stupid. It didn't really matter now. If she wanted to play that game then so be it. In any case, he was ready to move out now. "Ready whenever you all are."
Arctus kept quiet for what seemed like months as he observed the others. Normally he would have been fine just speaking up but at the time he had nothing to say, nothing to add. Not even a witty remark. So he kept his mouth shut and waited in the back, keeping his hood up not out of some sense of secrecy but because it was comfy. Comfy hood. ...Seriously, who made these anyway? He could hardly see Lea sitting down stitching these things together. And why did they only come in black? Why not a nice shade of gray? Blue? Maybe add some accents to them so they didn't all look the same. In fact, he had just the thing to- And then his name was called out in a string alongside some others, one of them being the girl who was quite so obviously hiding the fact that her name was not "Kiara". Kari? Kariette? No, that sounded stupid. It didn't really matter now. If she wanted to play that game then so be it. In any case, he was ready to move out now. "Ready whenever you all are."
Alder stared at Cerdic for a moment realizing the severity of his words and feelings but he had to find out for himself. As for the "worst of it" being in someone else's possession he gathered it must have been in Chrys's hands considering he was the only one not down here. Daeni began to reach for the damaged journal when Alder quickly moved forward to pick it up before she could take it. He skimmed the pages quickly knowing there wasn't time to give an in depth read of the damn thing but from what he could gather, the warning signs for the extractor were already there and it seemed that Aevum just...ignored them. "Chrono isn't Aevum right now though. I've been traveling alongside him a little longer than you have, Cerdic. He may have the same body but without the memories or intent Aevum had Chrono is just as innocent or guilty as the rest of us. You're not a killer, Cerdic, so lower your weapon so we can deal with Ria." Alder looked down at the journal in his hands knowing he could not allow Ria to take it from them and as for Chrono? He mulled it over for a moment before quickly deciding--"It's better if you don't read it, Chrono. Not yet at least. We have no idea if it'll trigger some memory that make you turn against us or lead us down a path Ria wants us to take. I know you want to learn more about who you were but you're already a better person now than you were then. If we survive this ordeal, I'll swear to tell you everything myself but..." Without any warning Alder tossed the journal in the air and aimed his keyblade at it. "Ria's never touching this!" A burst of flame erupted from his keyblade and launched straight at the airborne journal, burning it to ash in the blink of an eye. It did not matter if the action angered the others. They had already failed at keeping the people of this town safe and any action taken to prevent Ria from hurting anyone else was the right action.
Alder stared at Cerdic for a moment realizing the severity of his words and feelings but he had to find out for himself. As for the "worst of it" being in someone else's possession he gathered it must have been in Chrys's hands considering he was the only one not down here. Daeni began to reach for the damaged journal when Alder quickly moved forward to pick it up before she could take it. He skimmed the pages quickly knowing there wasn't time to give an in depth read of the damn thing but from what he could gather, the warning signs for the extractor were already there and it seemed that Aevum just...ignored them. "Chrono isn't Aevum right now though. I've been traveling alongside him a little longer than you have, Cerdic. He may have the same body but without the memories or intent Aevum had Chrono is just as innocent or guilty as the rest of us. You're not a killer, Cerdic, so lower your weapon so we can deal with Ria." Alder looked down at the journal in his hands knowing he could not allow Ria to take it from them and as for Chrono? He mulled it over for a moment before quickly deciding--"It's better if you don't read it, Chrono. Not yet at least. We have no idea if it'll trigger some memory that make you turn against us or lead us down a path Ria wants us to take. I know you want to learn more about who you were but you're already a better person now than you were then. If we survive this ordeal, I'll swear to tell you everything myself but..." Without any warning Alder tossed the journal in the air and aimed his keyblade at it. "Ria's never touching this!" A burst of flame erupted from his keyblade and launched straight at the airborne journal, burning it to ash in the blink of an eye. It did not matter if the action angered the others. They had already failed at keeping the people of this town safe and any action taken to prevent Ria from hurting anyone else was the right action.
Mora seriously thought for a moment that they would kill her though he could see why she might think that given that this was a young terrified girl. "What? No! You were just trying to help your family. It's our fault this happened to you and we will make it right. Don't worry you'll be saf-" Memories came rushing in at that moment, cutting him off mid-sentence. The view of Chrono, of Aevum, was more malicious than what he had imagined it would be. He could hear Chrono scream back where the group was making him realize he was not the only one who gained new memories. Given what he knew from Cerdic that particular memory would not bode well for Chrono. From what he could tell, their memory troubled companion was nothing like Aevum and even if his new memory cast Aevum in a worse light that he had imagined that didn't mean Chrono needed to die for it. "Just stay close to me." He told Mora, staring hard at the girl. "You have my word we won't harm you." He took off back in the direction where he had heard Chrono to see Cerdic, a now vertical Kara, and Daeni around Chrono with Daeni standing at his defense. "Stand down, Cerdic. Ria's still our primary enemy and we'll need everyone to put that monster down. We can't afford to lose anymore people here. So can you hand me that journal you found, or whatever's left of it, so I'm not so far in the dark as to what you're so angry about?" Alder paused. "Give me a chance to understand why you're so angry."
Mora seriously thought for a moment that they would kill her though he could see why she might think that given that this was a young terrified girl. "What? No! You were just trying to help your family. It's our fault this happened to you and we will make it right. Don't worry you'll be saf-" Memories came rushing in at that moment, cutting him off mid-sentence. The view of Chrono, of Aevum, was more malicious than what he had imagined it would be. He could hear Chrono scream back where the group was making him realize he was not the only one who gained new memories. Given what he knew from Cerdic that particular memory would not bode well for Chrono. From what he could tell, their memory troubled companion was nothing like Aevum and even if his new memory cast Aevum in a worse light that he had imagined that didn't mean Chrono needed to die for it. "Just stay close to me." He told Mora, staring hard at the girl. "You have my word we won't harm you." He took off back in the direction where he had heard Chrono to see Cerdic, a now vertical Kara, and Daeni around Chrono with Daeni standing at his defense. "Stand down, Cerdic. Ria's still our primary enemy and we'll need everyone to put that monster down. We can't afford to lose anymore people here. So can you hand me that journal you found, or whatever's left of it, so I'm not so far in the dark as to what you're so angry about?" Alder paused. "Give me a chance to understand why you're so angry."
The tallest hooded figure, the leader of the group, stepped towards Aria. "Don't be alarmed. We're not going to hurt you." His voice was warm and soft. "In fact, you would not be standing here in one piece if I hadn't come and plucked you from the dark." The hooded man looked over to his allies in armor and snapped his fingers causing their armor to disappear in an instant revealing the faces of six young men and women hardly any older than Aria herself in order to make the girl feel more comfortable around the strangers. The other hooded figure kept their hood up as did the master. He motioned for Aria to take a look around at the town they were in. "Your friends couldn't save this world from falling but I had the power." He clasped his hands behind his back as he examined Aria from behind the black where his face was. "Your teacher, Master Choma, is a good man but perhaps too burdened with the pain of the loss of previous students to bring himself to train you to your full potential. I can show you techniques they could never even dream of. I can help you dig down and bring out that light of yours so that you will not be powerless against the Heartless again." "It seems your master has misinformed you. My comrades and I have been working to save the worlds from darkness. Eventide is just the first world to have been pulled from the brink of destruction. This world we are standing on should be proof enough that I am, as you might say, one of the good guys. Other masters fear my power and that is why they wish to get in my way. As a student, they keep much hidden from you but I can tell you that they resist me out of ignorance and fear. I do not hate them for this. It is only understandable for those to fear what they do not understand. To fight the light that outshines their own." "Now, will you join us on our quest, Miss Dorin?" The journey through the tunnel was uneventful. Though dark the tunnel did not hold any darkness within. If one looked at the ground they could see tread marks of vehicles that had come through, places where there was mud looking as if it had just recently dried leaving solidified boot prints pointing in the same direction the students had been heading towards. As the group exited the tunnel they could see a stone bridge crossing over an endless chasm. Hanging above the bridge was a stone structure holding glowing green glass that lit the area. A faint buzzing sound could be heard coming from it. The cavern shook and rocks from the ceiling broke off and fell into the chasm. Suddenly, the glass from the stone chandelier shattered and a swarm of Heartless flew forth speeding down at the students below. They were Rapid Thrusters. Enemies Remaining: 100 The OOC Thread has been updated. Rapid Thrusters cost 1 AP to defeat.
The tallest hooded figure, the leader of the group, stepped towards Aria. "Don't be alarmed. We're not going to hurt you." His voice was warm and soft. "In fact, you would not be standing here in one piece if I hadn't come and plucked you from the dark." The hooded man looked over to his allies in armor and snapped his fingers causing their armor to disappear in an instant revealing the faces of six young men and women hardly any older than Aria herself in order to make the girl feel more comfortable around the strangers. The other hooded figure kept their hood up as did the master. He motioned for Aria to take a look around at the town they were in. "Your friends couldn't save this world from falling but I had the power." He clasped his hands behind his back as he examined Aria from behind the black where his face was. "Your teacher, Master Choma, is a good man but perhaps too burdened with the pain of the loss of previous students to bring himself to train you to your full potential. I can show you techniques they could never even dream of. I can help you dig down and bring out that light of yours so that you will not be powerless against the Heartless again." "It seems your master has misinformed you. My comrades and I have been working to save the worlds from darkness. Eventide is just the first world to have been pulled from the brink of destruction. This world we are standing on should be proof enough that I am, as you might say, one of the good guys. Other masters fear my power and that is why they wish to get in my way. As a student, they keep much hidden from you but I can tell you that they resist me out of ignorance and fear. I do not hate them for this. It is only understandable for those to fear what they do not understand. To fight the light that outshines their own." "Now, will you join us on our quest, Miss Dorin?"
A human head broke out through the water's surface and coughed out blood that did not belong to him. Kord stared down through the depths to see that the serpent had already disappeared out of his sight probably to die from its injuries. He heaved while catching his breath finding that the icy chill of the water was starting to creep up on him making him shiver. He was used to being in the cold but no one, save the dead, were ever truly immune to it. His muscles were sore from the desperate swim he had to get his breath of sea-air and the strain of the transformation. Kord squinted his eyes spotting someone on a small boat that had several Skellige raiders pointing their weapons at the person. Was there a reason to play hero and help out? He looked down realizing he already had helped out. Unless he wanted to swim all the way back to shore his best bet for not freezing in the waters was climbing aboard one of the Skellige ships and...doing something. He hardly wanted to stowaway and wait who-knows-how-long for them to turn around and head back to Skellige. He didn't want to go back in any case. He dove under the water and swam towards the nearest Skellige ship intending to sneak--or kill?--his way aboard. Preferably sneak. As confident as he was in his own survival skills fending off a ship full of raiders would only turn grim for him. Enok was already intent on loading another bolt into the ballista, finding the process to go smoother the second time. It was like sailing a ship, you never truly forget. The bowstrings were locked in place but with no serpent to aim at anymore, the beast having seemingly died, his eyes stared beyond feeling the draw of the specter pulling him to someone in the distance. He was a good shot but blindly firing through the mist with a single ballista was not his idea of a good plan. There were more ships out there and alone there was little he could do. And a ship as large as this could not disembark with a single person manning it. He picked up his sword, leaving the ballista locked but unloaded, as he went over to the stern of the ship looking below to the docks where the witchers and sorceress stood. His better judgment told him that calling attention to himself was a bad idea. He did not want the witchers to be aware of his existence as that would only lead to complications in the future. But the Hym insisted. Whoever had been responsible for the attack needed to be put down. "If you lot want to do something about those raiders then get on board and help me man this vessel!" He called out to the lot of them. "If you're going to fire into the mist then at least let me take you closer."
Enok was already intent on loading another bolt into the ballista, finding the process to go smoother the second time. It was like sailing a ship, you never truly forget. The bowstrings were locked in place but with no serpent to aim at anymore, the beast having seemingly died, his eyes stared beyond feeling the draw of the specter pulling him to someone in the distance. He was a good shot but blindly firing through the mist with a single ballista was not his idea of a good plan. There were more ships out there and alone there was little he could do. And a ship as large as this could not disembark with a single person manning it. He picked up his sword, leaving the ballista locked but unloaded, as he went over to the stern of the ship looking below to the docks where the witchers and sorceress stood. His better judgment told him that calling attention to himself was a bad idea. He did not want the witchers to be aware of his existence as that would only lead to complications in the future. But the Hym insisted. Whoever had been responsible for the attack needed to be put down. "If you lot want to do something about those raiders then get on board and help me man this vessel!" He called out to the lot of them. "If you're going to fire into the mist then at least let me take you closer."
Free at last. Alder's eyes followed after Mora and fought the urge to chase after the girl immediately when Cerdic called him out to help bring the unconscious Kara to safety. He stepped over to help lift some of the girl's weight off of Cerdic's hands so they could move her farther away. "Slap her around if you need to in order to wake her up. We can't leave Mora alone. She'll get herself killed." The second he felt they had moved Kara far enough away from the circle Alder turned and ran after Mora, his keyblade materializing in his hand. It felt good to have it back again and he had no intention of losing it again. "Mora stop! You're safer with us!" Alder called after the young girl as he caught a glimpse of her making a slow attempt at climbing the ladder out of the area while he closed the distance between them.
Free at last. Alder's eyes followed after Mora and fought the urge to chase after the girl immediately when Cerdic called him out to help bring the unconscious Kara to safety. He stepped over to help lift some of the girl's weight off of Cerdic's hands so they could move her farther away. "Slap her around if you need to in order to wake her up. We can't leave Mora alone. She'll get herself killed." The second he felt they had moved Kara far enough away from the circle Alder turned and ran after Mora, his keyblade materializing in his hand. It felt good to have it back again and he had no intention of losing it again. "Mora stop! You're safer with us!" Alder called after the young girl as he caught a glimpse of her making a slow attempt at climbing the ladder out of the area while he closed the distance between them.
Enok locked the ballista's bowstrings into place with the iron bar and looked out to sea through the mist and heavy rainfall. The serpent had yet to rear its head once more but he had a feeling it would not stay down forever. There wasn't much left to do other than load the bolt, take aim, and wait for his chance to take a shot. He took up the bolt in one hand and looked it over for a moment. It was certainly heavier than any arrow but it wasn't made out of any "monster-killing" silver. Hopefully a well-aimed bolt would have to do. Enok loaded the bolt into place and narrowed his eyes at the water's surface as he prepared to take aim when the serpent reared its head once more. The werewolf began to dig its claws into the serpent's flesh once more as it made an attempt to rip off as many scales from the creature as it could. He would not be able to stay under water much longer and as the air in his lungs began to deplete so did his rage. Worse than just needing to take a break from tearing into the flesh of the beast to get air the transformation was not going to last much longer. Still, sensing the strength fading from the creature he clung to the werewolf chomped down with its powerful jaws to do as much damage as it could with the time it had left.
Enok locked the ballista's bowstrings into place with the iron bar and looked out to sea through the mist and heavy rainfall. The serpent had yet to rear its head once more but he had a feeling it would not stay down forever. There wasn't much left to do other than load the bolt, take aim, and wait for his chance to take a shot. He took up the bolt in one hand and looked it over for a moment. It was certainly heavier than any arrow but it wasn't made out of any "monster-killing" silver. Hopefully a well-aimed bolt would have to do. Enok loaded the bolt into place and narrowed his eyes at the water's surface as he prepared to take aim when the serpent reared its head once more.
