RPG ~Still Can Dream~

[skedy]

[COLOR=#ffffff][SIZE=1][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] Athen could hardly see through the thick plumes of dust rolling through the air inside the clock tower. Chaos had erupted in the square outside, just as he was returning to the post office. Three hellish beasts had bounded over the roves and into the crowded market place below. The young messenger wasn?t really sure what they were, he didn?t get the chance to look at any of them clearly before he was forced into the seldom trod confines of the old clock tower. The structure was six stories tall, higher then any other building in all of Glen Haven, and was rarely entered, save for Mr. Hallman who was responsible for maintaining the array of giant cogs and other mechanical oddities. Unsure what he was suppose to do Athen bounded up the stairs, arranged in one great big spiral that stretched from roof to ceiling. The wrought iron work shuddered heavily under his weight, threatening to give way several times before he reached the platform at the top. Here he could see the carnage spreading through the town. Moving out onto the small catwalk across the highest point of the inner tower, Athen made for the narrow door nestled between the massive glass clock face and the weathered stones. Spot fires were already spreading across Glen Haven. The once bustling town?s occupants ran like ants before a storm, uncoordinated, panicked, one viewed together, but each individual moving with their own hurried purpose. The black hell beasts cut swathes through the fleeing crowds, tearing apart stalls, homes and shops as they went. If only Terra were here, then she could summon the dragons; they?d make short work of the demons, surely. The thought had hardly left his mind before the immense shadow of a wyrm fell across the clock tower. Athen?s hopes fell as it continued over the screaming masses of the Town Square. It made for the northern end of town, intently; it could obviously see something he couldn?t. The upper level, the paved section that both the Curiosity Shop and the post office opened onto hadn?t been touched as it lay in the shadow of the clock tower. Besides the wretched creature that had leapt over Talon?s roof the luscious green gardens and carefully placed stone benches had gone unnoticed. Unable to see the courtyard directly below the tower, Athen wasn?t sure what to do. He?d lost sight of the demon that had chased him into the tower, but was still pretty sure it was near by, and his magic was far to weak take one of them down by himself; the fiends had already savaged dozens of more capable warriors scattered in the markets. Edging back into the tower he tried to block out the screams, he wasn?t sure whether the noise or the knowledge of the hellish actions, that accompanied them, was worse. Athen was stranded, in the tallest building in all of Glen Haven alone, hopefully, with nowhere to go. A shrill roar sent a fresh chill the mailman?s spine. One of the beasts was close, close enough to echo through the tower?s airy confines. Unsure what else to do Athen settled to the center of the catwalk and calmed himself. He?d need to find his focus if he was going to free himself, if he was going to summon help.

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[Dmitri_Dragoon]

OOC: Definately not the kind of dragons I grew up with...
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[SIZE=1][B]Gavin broke the bread in half, and put one half in a pouch, the other he started eating on.

As he munched on it, he heard a thump on the roof of the bakery. The sound seemed out of place, there couldn't be a person on the roof, and there was no bird large enough to make that noise.

He started to exit, when he heard a shrill cry, it was a death cry, and it was inhuman. He looked back at Isabelle, who had a worried look on her face. He frowned, dropped the piece of bread, and pulled his sword from its scabbard.

Gavin stormed through the door and out onto the street, where he was met by a creature he had never seen before. It caught him by surprise, its ghastly appearance sent a chill up his spine. The creature braught a clawed hand down to slash at Gavin. The warrior raised his sword to block the hit and felt a jolting shock in his arm as the clawed hand struck the blade.

Gavin looked at his sword and saw that it was intact, he looked at the hand that struck it, and saw that it had barely drawn blood. He cursed under his breath, and realized that this would be a difficult fight, but he had little choice, he had to protect those in need.

Gavin drew back his sword and went on the offensive, driving thrusts and slashes at the demonic creature, who blocked them all with ease. Gavin was started to tire, he had to finish this fight quickly.

He went on the defensive, and allowed the demon to drive him back. He blocked as many of the blows as he could, but unfortunately, he took several hits that seared his flesh. In a desperate move he took the dagger off of the hilt of his greatsword and thrust it forward at the demon, who had just started an attack and was unable to block it. The dagger went into the demon's abdomen and sunk deeply into the flesh. The demon clutched at the dagger that Gavin had released, and let out a deafening roar of pain. Gavin took his chance and brought the sword around and struck the demon's neck, slicing the head off.

The decapitated body flailed for a moment, then fell to the ground. Gavin retrieved his dagger and looked about. He heard more screams of pain and death, and went in search of any that would need his assistance. First, he decided, he would go back to the Tea Kettle and retrieve his armor. The blood that now appeared on his tunic made him realize it would be useful to have.

He ran in the direction of the inn, doing his best to ignore all that was going on around him. He smiled thinking of how he must have looked at that moment, panicked, and running away.

He rounded a corner and could see the inn, it was still some distance away. As he passed an alleyway a demon jumped him. It brought a clawed hand up in a uppercut motion, cutting through Gavin's tunic, and slicing open flesh. The hand continued up and Gavin felt it strike under his chin. He flew back and struck the ground hard.

The world went black.[/B][/SIZE]

[GuyYouMetOnline]

Wrong. Something was wrong. Seuneu felt it. The same feeling as when Yuka died. Weaker, but more than once. Multiple dragons were dying. [i]Coincedence?[/i] Seuneu wondered. [i]Or is there a relation? I think there's relevance. I didn't speak with him for long, but I don't think Valse is one to take chances. He's probably attacking Glen Haven. Because of Terra, many dragons live near that town. But I doubt Valse is acting alone. If he's the one everyone's afraid of, then he commands demons. Some of them are undoubtably with him in the attack. But Valse probably doesn't really need them. He took Yuka, who was a lot more powerful than most dragons, even though she was far weaker than she once was. I doubt that he'll have trouble with any of the dragons that come to defend Glen Haven. Hell, he can probably take Plejalta any day, and Plejalta's no pushover.

Valse probably wants to get Terra. He won't take any chances. Hopefully, she left before Valse attacked. And hopefully, Valse doesn't know where she is going.[/i]



Another dragon fell to the ground, dead. Valse spotted another one, one that had landed voluntarily. It was facing two demons, and was probably powerful enough to take both of them. Valse didn't wait to find out. He landed in front of the dragon and grabbed it by the neck. He sent dark energy into the dragon, killing it.

Valse took to the air again, and two more dragos flew at him. He hovered above the town as they approached. One opened its mouth to breath fire, but Valse threw a black energy sphere into its mouth, with the same results as earlier. The other dragon impacted Valse. It grabbed him and dove downward, intending to slam him into the ground. Valse broke the dragon's grip and reversed positions. He slammed the dragon into the ground, decapitating it for good measure. Then he took off again, located another dragon, and flew at it.

[Dead Alice]

Without thinking, Isabelle ran up to her room. She glanced around for sight of her mage's staff. [I]Where did I put it...?[/I] Finally she found the object on top of a desk that was rarely used, wrapped in cloth. She removed the cloth to reveal the smooth, twisted oak no longer than her forearm. The top of the staff curved, as if to hold an invisible sphere. With a wave of her hand, a faint white light appeared. This was the magic that had slept within her since the death of her tutor. Finally, she hoped to put this power to good use.
Isabelle put the staff inside the large pocket on the side of her dress and went back downstairs. She decided to take the largest knife she had, just in case. It was a large blade used for cutting tough loaves of bread, with a saw-like edge. She put the knife in a leather pouch her father had made to reduce injuries and pocketed it. She walked outside and was immediately greeted with the atmosphere of panic and destruction in the streets, instinctively pulling out her staff.
A shrill noise behind her made her jump. Before she could even turn around, a hideous creature landed in front of her, brandishing dagger-like claws that could've ripped a person in half. Her eyes grew wide in terror, a shaky hand nearly dropping her weapon. She quickly remembered her training and thrust the staff outward, producing a fierce green light that knocked the demon backward. It flew nearly 10 feet, but did not seem injured. Before it could stand up, Isabelle cast a spray of blue flames. They did not seem to be as effective as she had hoped, though the demon did shriek again, sending chills up her spine.
The monster stood quickly, lunging toward Isabelle. She screamed at the wrong moment, allowing the creature to swipe at her. Its claws missed, but the force of its hand knocked her to the ground, nearly dislocating her shoulder. The demon was ready to pierce her stomach when she cried, "Freeze!"
Almost instantly, the demon haulted, engulfed in a sheet of ice. Isabelle knew this spell would not last long, and her strength alone was not enough to vanquish the beast. Her only choice was to run. Heart racing, she stumbled to her feet and began to run as fast as possible with the slight limp recieved from the demon's blow. She was unsure of her destination at the moment, but knew she needed to find help at all costs.

OOC: So how was that? No more bread-baking. I tried to make the fight realistic...ish because Isabelle isn't very experienced (but I don't want her dead...). Whatever, I'm trying to write longer posts. ^^;

[Rhym]

Aleks awoke with a start to the sounds of screams. [I]Something is wrong.[/I] Aleks pulled out a weapon consisting of a wide circular blade with a handle (see [URL=http://www.blizzard.de/war3x/images/units/warden-right.gif]here[/URL]). Bursting out of the door, Aleks was confronted with an abomination. [I]Demons? Here? This makes no sense![/I] The demon let out an ear-splitting screach and took a powerful swing at Aleks. Skillfully ducking down to avoid the strike, Aleks elbowed it in the stomach to get it away. The demon traveled some distance, but was otherwise unfazed. Aleks charged the beast and whirled the blade upwards. It made a deep cut on the demon. On a human, it would have been fatal, but the demon just fell, and seemed temporarily incapacitated. Pulling a dagger, Aleks plunged it into where the heart was. [I]I hope that does the trick. Let's see what's going on outside.[/I]

Outside was sheer chaos. Aleks was stunned at the devastation that was being caused by the demons. The damage was widespread and overwhelming. Aleks looked down the street and saw another demon perched over a greviously injured man, about to finish him off. Aleks ran up behind it and swiftly beheaded it. Looking down at the man, Aleks saw that he had a deep cut running up his stomach. [I]This looks serious. This man needs a healer, and soon. He might not make it, otherwise.[/I]

Further along the street, Aleks came across a paladin wielding a formidable sword and a round shield healing a stricken peasant. [I]Perhaps he can help that man...[/I]

[skedy]

[COLOR=#eeeeee][SIZE=1][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] [color=#ffffff]Frantic Flight: [/color] The Curiosity Shop had emptied some time before chaos erupted across Glen Haven. A bloodcurdling chorus of screams had ended the days trading. The all too familiar sounds left Talon despairing. He?d encountered Gal?naash demons only once before. A pair of them had attacked the caravan he was traveling with, they had slaughtered some of the best fighters in the southern lands. Thirty men had perished alongside their wives and children that day, Talon had been among the few lucky enough to saddle a horse and ride from the slaughter. Even from the sheltered confines of the Curiosity Shop he had heard the shrill cries of at least six separate demons, most rising from the Town Square below. There was little Glen Haven?s residents could do, they?d have to rely on the nearby dragons to rescue the town. But they were unlikely to rally unless Terra was nearby. And considering the urge to have her message translated earlier he doubted she would still be in town. Turning from the window Talon hurried to the back door, grabbing several small satin pouches and a large shimmering staff as he went. He paused at the door, spotting the tome he?d left open on the desk. The contents of the book would be useful, especially if he managed to catch Terra before she reached the mountains, but there was no way he could carry it. No, he?d have to hope it would be safe here in Glen Haven until his return. Locking the door behind him the storekeeper muttered a stead stream of gibberish before tapping the building?s wall with a head of his staff. Satisfied with the appearance of a soft glowing field he headed for the stables, there was no way those demons would enter his store, no extra-planar creature could. All save three horses had broken their lashings and bolted from the stable. Of the remaining steeds Talon chose the most hardy, a chestnut gelding with a brilliant white streak running along one side, and saddled the beast. He hit the town at a gallop, heading north, towards the looming mountains, towards plejalta?s range. The Town Square?s bustling market had already been demolished, the broken tents and fallen bodies did little to slow his horse as he made for the streets. He was too pressed to check for the wounded, the unfortunate souls who had managed to survive the hell-beast?s carnage. He?d seen the fever their claws brought on before, it was hard to cure, and even harder to bare. It could only really be treated early, when the wound was still fresh. And the smallest scratched was enough to infect someone unfortunate enough to face the fiends. Glen Haven?s outskirts were far worse than its heart, the Gal?naash were obviously unorganized. Every second building was smoldering beneath a heavy blanket of black smoke and many of the residents had been spread across the broad streets, there were very few intact corpses. The most disturbing sight, however, was the fallen bodies of dozens of dragons. Many were headless, others just ripped open. There were few things on Gaia capable of killing so many of the legendary beasts, the most powerful of all creatures in the natural world, and the beings powerful enough to do so were often loathe to leave their plane. Gaia was far too confining for them, its laws too rigid, too alien to cope with. No there was something big, something ready to shake the realm, taking place in the quiet town of Glen Haven. And there was nothing he could do to stop, nothing any local could do, not without help. Talon spurred his steed, muttering another incantation as he went. He had spent years perfecting the art of spell casting, developing some of the most advanced spells of the ancient world; spells that most would find impossible to cast normally, let alone from the back of a galloping horse. His heart sank as he finished the spell. A single syllable off, the results of his horse jumping the remains of what may once have been a merchant, he?d have to try again. Talon focused and repeated the spell, fortunate enough to pronounce it with the required exactness. A soft glow fell across the mage and his horse, reminiscent of the one surrounding the Curiosity Shop. It wasn?t nearly as powerful as that which protected his prized store but it would afford him enough time to avoid an unwanted company. Rounding yet another corner Talon gulped. Centered amongst the smoking carnage of the street was the looming bulk of a single Gal?naash, a young woman sprawled desperately before its feet. He recognized her as Isabelle, maker of the best breads in all of Glen Haven, well so he thought. Unsure what else to do, Talon charged towards the fiend, his mount?s whiney enough to draw its attention from the woman in the street. Isabelle had already scrambled to her feet when the horse reached the demon, every inch of its body rippled with anticipation. The mage whispered to the staff as he went. The relic was older than the first Gal?naash, ancient when humanity?s first ancestor was borne into the world. And it appreciated Talon?s words, humming softly in response. The fiend failed to notice, it was rash, as all of its race were. The humming went unheard, the building glow unseen. Talon rolled the relic through his fingers as the distance faded. The pair came together: the mage swung his staff, the demon clawed for his face. He didn?t block, simple swung. The staff caught the hell-beast?s chest, the barrier its claw. Talon?s horse didn?t falter, it was going too fast to even consider it. An air borne corpse crashed through the front doors of the bakery, its back broken, innards splayed across the dusty ground. Talon?s aura was all that filled the air where the pair had met, its crackling mass broken and shattered. He was thankful it had held against the attack, glad he?d retained his head. Spurring the steed into a fiercer gallop the mage lowered and arm and helped Isabelle swing a leg over the horse behind him. He hadn?t time to stop and could barely manage the words to tell her where they were headed as the pair was jostled onwards by the sweating horse. The carnage stopped just past Gen Haven?s threshold, giving way to luscious green plains. Halting the horse for the briefest moment, Talon turned his gaze back towards the town. High above the smoking ruins a brilliant flash eye. It wasn?t a bright dazzling light, as one would expect from a dragon?s powerful magic, but a dark sphere sucking light into it as it grew. As the flash subsided, a tiny figure could be seen hovering above the smoky wreck. It was bigger than a human, but still far smaller than the trio of wyrms rushing towards it. A gargantuan set of devilish wings adorned its back, motionless. Obviously a powerful creature, able to bend the laws of Gaia, to exude enough power to free itself from a force all others were bound by. Unable to turn away, Talon watched as the dragons closed in the gap between themselves and their target. The first two charged forwards head first, the third approached from the rear. This was the beast that had already slain more than a dozen of their kind today, the being powerful enough to bring about a prophecy millennia old. Isabelle gasped as the first of the two dragons fell, its broken body twirling towards the ground. The remaining creatures reached the beast at the same time, the first enough to draw its attention long enough for the second to tackle it from behind. Unfortunately its attack came to late and it dragged the hell being towards the ground alongside its headless counter part. As the pair disappeared within the buildings Talon turned the horse and resumed their gallop. He knew the dragon would fail, become another casualty. [color=#ffffff]OOC: [/color]Sorry to use your character Takuya, I don?t think I did anything wrong with him. But let me know if I need to edit. Chaosfaerie: if you don?t want Isabelle to go with Talon to find Terra and the others either let me know and I?ll fix it in my next post or post yourself, Talon will not turn back towards Glen Haven however.

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[GuyYouMetOnline]

OOC: That was fine, Skedy. You had him do nothing that I hadn't already had him do.

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It was ending. It had to end eventually. Defenders were dying, and there wasn't much town left. The remaining dragons (Sideria and Dryoga included) left the area. Four of the demons had been slain (at least, I counted four. Feel free to tell me if I miscounted), but eleven of them, including Estubane, were still alive. They all gathered at the west side of town.

Valse landed in town and assumed human form again. He walked through what was left, scattering papers everywhere. When he reached the demons, he stopped. Estubane stepped forward. "There was no sign of the girl Terra."

"I thought this might happen," Valse said. "That's why I have a backup plan. Two, actually. One involves an elemental spirit I met earlier today, and the other... well, I'd rather not reveal it at this time. Fortunatly, I believe I know where Terra is. She'll look for Plejalta. I have set the plan in motion here. We wil noel return to Mt. Krolstoronomono."

Valse and the demons left, leaving the destroyed town behind. The few lucky enough to survive were slowly recovering, and would soon notice the pieces of paper scattered throughout what was once Glen Haven: [i]Mt. Hastumnen in the Grolomorena range is the destination of the girl Terra. Head west from here to get there. If you desire to learn why this town was destroyed, do so. I will find you when you reach the Grolomorena range, and explain the reason. For those who come, I will see you then.[/i]

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OOC: That message provides a way for everyone still in Glen Haven to become involved in the main story. Form a group and follow Terra. The attack on Glen Haven was the first step in involving all of the characters, the message is step two. Characters who go after Terra will become involved in the main plot, but I doubt that those who don't will.

[skedy]

[COLOR=#ffffff][SIZE=1][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] [color=#300EC4]Farewell: [/color] The Town Square was silent by the time Athen ventured from the Clock Tower, dismissing the pair of eagles he had summoned. Glen Haven was little more than a burning wasteland. Spot fires were leaping from one building to the next, slowly making for the ensuing inferno. Glen Haven was gone, its inhabitants lay strewn throughout its streets, its shops and stalls smoking and broken. The survivors too few to combat the raging flames. Unsure what he was supposed to do the mailman crossed to the Curiosity Shop. Of all the people in Glen Haven Talon was the most likely one to know who, or what, attacked the town. No luck, the door was locked and there was no reply. Unable to repress a sigh Athen started cautiously for the small apartment he kept on the edge of town. The screams had stopped, there was simply nobody left to cry. Moving away from the smoldering ruin that had once been the heart of a bustling township, Athen began to notice an increasing amount of papers scattered across the ground. Struggling to read the uniform print under the thick blankets of smoke rolling through the air Athen doubled his pace. Sprinting through the remnants of Glen Haven he collected what little he owned and made for the closest stable, one of the few in town. It took quite sometime to find and saddle a horse. Most of them had bolted during the attack and the few that remained were still wide eyed and started at the smallest sound. From here Athen made for the food markets and collected what little he could for supplies, most coming from the ruins of a bakery not far from the edge of town. With that he crossed the northern threshold, bidding Glen Haven and his duties to it farewell as he went. He knew, as everybody with knowledge of the lands surrounding the town did, that the quickest way west was north. The hills and landscape immediately to the west were too rugged and did little more than slow travelers down, especially those with horses. No, it was far better to cut across the plains to the north when speed was necessary. Athen smiled as he left Glen Haven for the last time. Alone. Free.

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[GuyYouMetOnline]

Seuneu had made a mistake, and he didn't realize it until a couple hours after he left fo Mt. Krostoronomono. He had instructed Terra and her companions to head west from Glen Haven. He didn't take into account the terrain, because it didn't slow him down. He wasn't affected by it. Terra wouldn't take it into account either. She was used to dragons, to flying. Terrain problems simply wouldn't occur to her until too late. She and her companions would be slowed by a couple hours, allowing anyone who wanted to catch them to to do so.



The demons had an alternate method of travel, through their realm. Valse was forced to travel the long way, across Gaia, instead of shortcutting through another realm. But that was all right with him. He had discovered a pair of humans, a male and a female. They had undoubtably ran durring the attack, but that didn't mean they wouldn't be useful. They wouldn't have seen his message, but that didn't matter. He could tell them himself.

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OOC: The two Valse discovered are Talon and Issabelle. Skedy and chaosfaerie, I'd like it if you let me post their meeting, please.

[Dead Alice]

OOC: All fine with me.
~~~
Isabelle was surprised that a stranger would bother to help someone in this time of urgency, but was appreciative nonetheless. Her rescuer seemed a few years younger than herself, but he was confident and knew what he was doing. Her heart soared at the thought of adventure, after so many years of lonely boredom.
"What's your name?" Isabelle asked amid the thunder of hooves.
"Talon," said the young man without averting his attention from their destination.
"I am Isabelle. Thank you for saving me." [I]Riding in a dress is very uncomfortable...[/I]

[GuyYouMetOnline]

A man stepped in front of the two of them, and Talon quickly brought the horse to a halt. "Watch it! We almost ran right into you!"

"I was not worried about that," the man replied. "I assume you come from Glen Haven?"

"Yes," Isabelle said. "I'm Isabelle, and this man is Talon."

"Who are you?" Talon asked.

"I go by Valse, but that is not important. Being from Glen Haven, you undoubtably know the girl Terra. What would you say if I told you that the recent attack was caused by her?"

"How did you know about the attack?" Isabelle wanted to know.

"Well, I was there."

Talon figured it out. "You say that the attack was Terra's fault."

Valse nodded. "That's true."

"No, it's not. You're the one, aren't you? You led the attack. You also killed the dragon Yuka."

"Correct," Valse said. "Could you explain how you arrived at that conclusion?"

"I know that something Yuka," Talon replied. "Not an easy task, even considering her age. I also know that Terra had something from Yuka."

Valse nodded. "Yes, I know about the message."

"It's obvious that Yuka had something to tell Terra," Talon continued, "something that the one who killed her doesn't want her to know. But Yuka managed to write a message."

"She did," Valse agreed. "I was sloppy. I left after defeating her, allowing her to live her last couple minutes by herself. Fortunatly, there's only one written language that she would know, and very few know it."

"But some do," Talon said, "and the one who killed Yuka is aware of that. That's why Glen Haven was attacked. Because that being knew that Yuka's message didn't die with her. Now, after the attack, you show up and tell me that it's Terra's fault, when there's no way she was still in town at the time of the attack. she would have left as soon as humanly posible-sooner, actually. Oh, and I know Terra. She's the last person who'd be responsible for an attack. When you told me that, I figured out that you were after Terra. I concluded that you were after her because of the message from Yuka. The rest came naturally from that. You killed Yuka to prevent her from telling Terra something, you attacked the town in the hope that she was Terra was still there, and you spoke to us hoping to turn us against Yuka."

"Very good," Valse replied. "Yo're a smart one. Now, because you know all of that, there's no further reason for me to stay here."

"I have one question," Talon said. "I saw you durring the attack. All are bound by gravity, although some, such as dragons, are able to fly. You weren't flying. You were more floating. Nothing I know of can do that. What are you, Valse?"

"I choose not to reveal that at this time. However, I will say one thing. You mentioned that no being can free itself from gravity, one of the many laws of the realm of Gaia. I leave you with something to think about: if one comes into existance outside all restrictions, is one as bound by them as those created within them are? You know nothing outside of Gaia's laws. Does a being created outside all such laws find it impossible to bend or maybe even break them? Think about it." And with that, he left.

[skedy]

[COLOR=#eeeeee][SIZE=1][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] [color=#ffffff]Reeling Doubts:[/color] Surer of the situation but far from easy, Talon spurred their steed once more. He hadn?t revealed to the stranger all he knew of the ancient languages, he?d be a fool to do so. There was very little new information presented during their meeting, save the alternate form of the beast, and its capabilities. Having studied the divine arts throughout his childhood, the mage knew the way the planar realms linked to Gaia, knew their laws were unimaginably different. There was a limit, however, to what visitors native to these alien worlds could do on Gaia. They were still bound by the laws of their home plane, as far as he understood it. But where the menace?s origins lay was beyond him, there was simply no way Talon could learn them. And there were far more pressing issues to deal with before he could. Mind racing, Talon continued to urge his steed on, Isabelle shifting uncomfortably in the saddle behind him. He had lost valuable time on the stranger and could only hope Terra wasn?t pressing forward as hard as he was. [color=#ffffff]OOC:[/color] Talon?s view on things isn?t necessarily right. I haven?t talk with Ohkami about the way planes work in her setting, they may not actually exist, though Takuya?s post implies it. The information presented is what Talon has gained through the tome in his store - skedy

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[Sakura]

[COLOR=Navy][B]OOC:[/B] I'm so sorry everyone. I've had major case of writer's block and not much time to go on now coz I got school again now. Takuya's been doing a great job to keep it up and everyone's fine. I'm still watching the thread so don't worry, I'll always find a way to check in.
[B]Skedy:[/B] Different [I]Plains[/I] do exist. They are like seperate realms but you can't stay in them for long or else you're trapped there until someone opens a portal to enter and you can escape through it. ^_^

Sorry to the mods for this post. I just needed to let people know. Hope it's no trouble.

Thanks, sorry again,
~Ohkami[/COLOR]

[GuyYouMetOnline]

Seuneu didn't see it. He felt it. He had felt it before. He assumed human form, and was not surprised to see Valse approach him, also in human form. "You're fast," the fire spirit remarked. "I take it your natural form is capable of flight?"

"That's the best words can put it," Valse agreed. "But what made you think that I can move fast?"

"I felt the deaths of multiple dragons. I assumed that you attacked Glen Haven, and that many dragons died trying to defend it. Of course, you didn't need to attack. I have the stone with the message on it."

"Good. I thought you would do that for me. You're smart enough to know which side will win. I attacked Glen Haven in case you had decided not to follow my instructions. Not that it would have done any good. Terra wasn't there. She left, and I'm guessing she's going to Plejalta."

Seuneu nodded. "She has a piece of paper with what she thinks is the message written on it. I told her that I'd copied the message to paper, and that I was going to give the original message to you to make you think she no longer had a message to get translated. She believed me. What she actually has is a fake message. I looked at the characters of the real message. The 'copy' consists of those characters in a completly random order. It's useless."

"Very good," Valse said. "However, she might have an actual copy of the message. The chance may be slight, but I can't afford the risk. I want you to stay with her. Act like your on her side, to the point of fighting any force I send. I want you to learn exactly what she's doing, pay attention to her every move. When we meet next, I'll want you to tell me everything. Oh, and take this. The reward I promised you. It should prove useful."

Valse held out what appeared to be a bracelet. Seuneu examined it. "Some kind of magical object. Takes a form matched to the current form of the holder, and so can be used by any kind of being. Oh, please remove the termination sequence from it. I don't want you to be able to kill me just by making the right sounds."

Valse chuckled. "I thought you'd figure that out. I put that in all such objects I come across." He concentrated on the bracelet, which glowed for a few seconds. "There. Removed."

"Thank you. Now, would you kindly neutralize the beacon spell? I don't want my location knowable to anyone with basic magical talent."

Seuneu took it after Valse had done so. "Thank you. Now, any other business?"

"No." And with that, Valse left. Seuneu put the bracelet on, then resumed spirit form, the object seemingly dissapearing inside of him, just like the stone with the message. He headed back the way he had come, looking for Terra.

[Dmitri_Dragoon]

OOC: Thanks Rhym for not ignoring me completely. Looks like I'll need to come through on my own...
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[SIZE=1][B]Gavin opened his eyes, and immediately wished he had not. What light that could shine through the smoke hurt his eyes so badly that he wanted to black out again. He almost did, and he almost lost the bread that he had eaten earlier. Luckily he kept the bile down.

He tried to sit up, but a hand kept him down. He looked at a shadowy figure, whose face was hidden behind a cloak.

"Stay down, you are still weak from the demon's attack." The figure said in a gender neutral voice.

The demons. Gavin had almost nearly forgotten about the demons. He felt for the wounds that he had sustained, and felt that they were wrapped up the best they could be. He looked around once again and saw that he was next to The Tea Kettle Inn, or what was left of it anyways.

Otik sat nearby, ashen faced and obviously very upset. Gavin's heart went out to him. The middle-aged innkeeper had lost everything, his home, his lively hood, everything. Gavin sat up, against the protests by the hooded figure.

"What is your name?" Gavin asked the person.

"Aleks," the figure replied.

"You are much for talking are you?" Aleks remained silent. Gavin shrugged, "My name is Gavin. Thank you for helping me." Aleks gave a nod of acceptance.

Gavin looked around the ruined town. He saw several pieces of paper fluttering around. There would be a lot of cleaning up to do from the survivors, if there were anymore. Next to him, Gavin noted, was his armor. Obviously it had been salvaged from the ruins of the Tea Kettle. He would put it on the first chance he got.

One of the pieces of paper fluttered towards him. He saw that there was something written on it, so out of curiousity he read it.

"We need to go west," Gavin looked at Aleks. "Will you go with me to the west to help this girl...." he looked at the paper again. "...Terra."[/B][/SIZE]

[Sakura]

[B]OOC:[/B] Sorry if this post is a little short. And everyone still part of this and watching, please PM me with whether you think I should start a thread in Arena Underground for this. Thanks.

[COLOR=Navy]Terra galloped along steadily, the path was getting rougher and the horses were struggling to keep up the speed with the uneven ground. Terra told the others and they all agreed. They would have to slow down their speed, because if the horses kept going as they did, it was sure that one of them would break or twist a limb. Terra whispered gently to Sakura, asking her to slow down, she did so and they travelled at a medium speed trot.

Terra raised a hand to shield her eyes as she looked around for any signs of Seuneu. It was taking him longer than he thought, hopefully the enemy Valse hadn't gotten him.

In the back of her mind somewhere, something was still bugging her about that feeling they had gotten earlier, Terra decided to call.

["Sid, Sid can you hear me?"] Terra called telepathically.

["Yes, I can hear you Terra."] Sideria replied, her mind voice sounding tired.

["Is everything all right back there?"] Terra asked.

["I'm afraid not, a dark creature came to Glen Haven and ruined the town, many dragons have died, many wounded. He came with his demons, and he had the same type of evil aura as the day Yuka's cave was attacked and you saw the black shadow."] Sideria relayed.

["That's terrible, it's Valse! I swear I'll get him!"] Terra said angrily. ["Is Dryoga all right?"] she asked with worry.

["He's alive, but wounded. Charity's parents are fine also, but hurt. I'm sorry but I must see to other things. Good luck Terra, come back safe soon."] Sideria said sadly.

["Thankyou old friend, say hello to the other dragons and tell them to have faith and keep hope."] Terra finished.

"That feeling we felt when we were in the forest? It was because there was an attack at Glen Haven. Valse attacked with some of his demons and have ruined the town." Terra told them.

"Mom! Dad!" Charity cried.

"They're fine. Sideria said they were hurt but they're ok." Terra said, getting her to calm down.

"We gotta get back there ASAP." Kel said.

"Then that means we have to do this faster." Leon finished.

"So let's go." Terra said, speeding Sakura up a bit as the land started to get slightly smoother.[/COLOR]

[GuyYouMetOnline]

Terra and her group stopped as they saw something approaching. They were tense, but relaxed as it neared. It was Seuneu, approaching in spirit form. When he reached them, he assumed human form. "Hello, everyone. I take it you didn't have any problems?"

"Who and what are you?" Leon asked.

"My name's Seuneu. I'm an elemental spirit of fire. Who are you?"

"My name's Leon. Terra wanted me to accompany her on her journey."

"Thought so," Seuneu replied. "That was my idea, by the way."

"What took you so long?" Terra wanted to know.

"Nothing. I didn't expect to see you for a couple days. Mt. Krolstoronomono is about twenty-four hours from Glen Haven for me. Then I'd need to double back and find you. But a little while ago, Valse found me. He had attacked Glen Haven, and was on his way to Krolstoronomono. He can move fast. His natural form is capable of flight. He told me that, although he used an odd phrasing.

"I gave him the stone. Then, he told me that he thinks you have a copy of the message. He attacked Glen Haven looking for you, just in case I didn't get the message for him. Valse takes no chances. As for the copy, I told him that I gave it to you, and that it's a fake, just meaningless symbols. He believed me, but he's concerned that you have a real copy with you. He told me to accompany you, basically as a spy. He wants me to help you, even fight any force he sends against you. But when I next see him, he wants my report. I agreed, but you can be sure I won't be telling him the truth.

"Oh, one more thing. See this bracelet? Valse gave it to me for getting him the stone with the message. It's some kind of magical object that changes to a form compatible with the current form of the holder, so any can use it. Unfortunatly, Valse didn't tell me what it can do. Oh, he had a couple spells in it, but I saw them. I can, you know. I was born from a kind of magical energy. That's not completly accurate, but there aren't words in any language of humans that can express the truth. Anyways, I could see the spells he had added. They didn't belong, and so were easily visible. Now, let's get moving."

"We don't have a horse for you," Leon said.

"That's all right. In my natural state, I can easily keep up. I can also produce human speech, by the way, although it's not the easiest thing ever. But I can still talk in my natural state, or, as most humans I know think of it, my 'spirit form'. Now, let's get moving. We have no time to waste."

[skedy]

[COLOR=#eeeeee][SIZE=1][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode] Two days of solid riding, with his mount beginning to fail under the strain, Talon was yet to see a single sign of Terra?s group. He was confident he had moved fast enough to be able to circle around and meet the girls from the direction they were heading, assuming he could survive another day of riding. Unlike Isabelle, the mage had had no chance to sleep, he had pushed the gelding through the night and long into the morning, breaking only once for water. The woman dragged hopelessly onto the horse still had very little idea of what was going on. She wasn?t sure why Glen Haven was burned, why her store, friends and happy existence had been torn from her. No, she was as the majority of Glen Haven?s citizens would be, confused and innocent. A whole town had been dragged into the foundations of war. Exasperated, Talon released his breath and pulled their mount to the crest of a nearby hill. They had reached the western plains, the vast expanse of empty, grassy fields that stretched from the end of the rugged hills, Terra had unwittingly rode through, to the thickets of Harlmul forest, bordering the swamps of the surrounding mountain ranges. Unsure whether to stop and make camp or continue to ride blindly across the expansive wilderness in the hope of stumbling across the others, Talon dismounted and helped Isabelle to the ground, they needed to drink before they could go much further. Unfortunately the mage hadn?t gathered enough supplies in his hasty escape, he didn?t reckon on needing them, his spells would have been more than enough to sustain him. But he couldn?t help Isabelle; she?d need food and water if they were to continue much further. It wasn?t long into their break when their first glimmer of hope could be seen galloping through the knee high grasses below?

[/font][/size][/color]

[GuyYouMetOnline]

"I've been thinking," Terra said to Seuneu. "If Valse wants the message, why doesn't he just take it? He's certainly more than able to. o why doesn't he?"

"I've been wondering that myself," Seuneu replied. Terra still hadn't gotten used to the way his speech sounded when he was in human form, and she probably never would.

"I have a couple different ideas," the fire spirit continued. "First, he may be unable to for some reason. Don't believe that, though. I certainly don't. Another posibillity, and this it what I think is the truth, is that he's afraid."

"Of what?"

"Of you. I don't know why. Certainly anyone who can take out Yuka would have no trouble with you. But Valse's actions indicate fear. He's using others to do his dirty work. He thinks he's using me, and I'm sure he has at least two other plans in motion. He's not one to take chances, but for some reason he's reluctant to confront you directly. No, it's pretty clear that he's afraid of you. The question is: why?"

"Who's that?" Charity asked, pointing. Ahead of the group were two humans and a horse. As they closed, Terra recognised one of them. "That's Talon!"

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OOC: You implied that Terra's group was nearing Talon and Isabelle, skedy.

[Kayin Cloud]

"Stupid demons..." Kayin said quietly. Kayin had been in the villiage when the attack occurred. "I wonder if that dragon is okay..." Kayin returned to his home, which had been damaged badly. He rummaged through the rubble of his home and found his case of throwing weapons. He equipped the case in two halves onto the inside of his jacket. 'There will be more demons...I'll be ready for them this time.' Kayin thought as he left the rubble of his room.

Kayin stumbled as he felt the injury his leg took from the demons. 'Who were those demons and where did they come from?' he thought. Kayin walked through the town noticing how many of the people were injured. He reached a point where the dragons who were slain lay...'This isn't right...' Kayin looked around for an object to dig with. Kayin dug up holes right by the slain dragons and after he finished each hole, he'd struggle to push the dragons in, then he'd cover them, and end the process with a short prayer. After he'd finished he was exhausted. "I'm sorry, but that is the best I can do for you, noble creatures." Kayin left the grounds and found a building to lean on and fell asleep.

OOC: Ohkami couldn't attach his picture so here's what Dryoga looks like if anyone cares...[URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=20510]click here[/URL]

[GuyYouMetOnline]

Instead of returning to Mt. Krolstoronomono, Valse headed back toward Glen Haven. He was looking for others who had recieved the message, others who, perhaps, he could convince that Terra wasn't a friend.

[i]Things are happening faster than I anticipated,[/i] he thought. [i]I'll just have to work faster. euneu is acting as a spy, I believe. Just in case he's lying, I've got other plans. After all, why take chances when you don't have to? Hopefully, I can find others, ones willing to believe that Terra is their enemy, but even if I can't, well, I know where she's going, and I can certainly beat her there. Plejalta won't be any good dead. But I don't want him dead quite yet. He might still be useful. Killing him will only be a last resort. Hopefully, I won't need to.[/i]

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OOC: I'm going to be gone for a few days, and I would appreciate it if nobody included Valse in their posts, please. I don't want my plans for him screwed up. As for Seuneu, well, he's with Terra's group, who just met up with Talon and Isabelle. Don't be afraid to include him in your posts.

[Ayokano]

?Terra!? yelled a young man on a stead, a women that looked about Leon?s age near his side. Both of them waved their hands in the air with smiles on their faces, their horse galloping to Terra and the others. They soon caught up with Terra and her party, and Terra soon started to talk to the young man with short black hair.

?Hi Talon, I was worried about you.? Terra said with content, knowing a friend of her?s was safe. She looked to the young women. ?I don?t think we have met before.?

The women smiled at Terra ?I am Isabelle, I own the bread store in town.? Leon looked at Talon and Isabelle?s faces saddened because of Isabelle?s words. They didn?t know that they already knew, and Leon could sense the weight on their shoulders.
?We know.? Leon spoke, taking the weight of the two shoulders.

?Oh, we didn?t know if you would.? Talon told them. ?But who told you.?

?Terra was informed by a dragon friend of hers.? Seuneu said. Leon hadn?t taking a liking to the being, even if he was on their side. Leon gave him a slightly cold look, and turned the other way. He didn?t like Seuneu because of the fact that he was ?allying? himself with this Valse fellow, who had destroyed the town Terra and the others had lived.

?So, I guess we can get going now.? Terra suggested. Everyone else agreed, and the soon they were off. Leon could feel them getting closer to this elder dragon. Two days had passed, meaning they should be there in one more if everything went right. Leon soon kept his attention on the dirt road their horses were riding on.

OCC: Well I hope this isn't fully dead.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

OOC: So do I.

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"The road turns up ahead," Seuneu said. "We shouldn't take it."

Leon dissagreed. "Why not? It's faster."

"Not by much, and there's a much greater danger on the road. It's much easier to find someone who's on the road than it is to find someone who's cutting through the woods. And we don't want to be found, remember."

Then went straight despite Leon's dissagreement. "Why do you dislike me so much?" Seuneu asked him.

Leon was surprised. "I don't-how-"

Seuneu chuckled, which sounded very disturbing when he was in his natural state. "It's obvious that you don't like me. It's because of what I am, is it not?"

"You mean a fire spirit?"

"That's right," Seuneu agreed. "I'm a fire spirit. Fire is destructive. It burns crops, destroys homes, kills people. You probably lost something in a fire, or maybe someone. When you see me, a fire spirit, you remember that fire, that loss, and you hate me because of it. Well, let me tell you something, something that nobody ever seems to realize.

"A person eats some meat. That person becomes ill, and ends up dying from that illness. A different person cooks his meat before he eats it, and he's perfectly fine. And what does he use to cook that meat? Fire. What do people use for heat durring the winter? Fire. There's a gentler side to fire, a side that nobody seems to care about, even though their lives would be inconcievably different without it. Even forest fires aren't totally destructive. The old stuff gets cleared away, allowing new plants to grow. Fire is seen as a purely destructive force, but it's not."

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OOC: I'm not saying that Leon lost something or someone in a fire. Seuneu thinks that, but it's not necessarily true.