RPG Shackled Retribution [M-VLS]

[Raiha]

[FONT=Times New Roman][COLOR=DarkOrchid][i]Saturnine slept through the night, trying to ignore the burning of her back. At sunrise she performed her ritual, then slid her tunic losely around her shoulders, not tying anything tightly, and walked out to the stable. Altair was standing in the stable, waiting patiently. When she approached him, the huge stallion whickered to her and frisked his tail. She bounded up, and hugged him around the neck. He nuzzled her back, very very gently.[/i]

"Do you want to see?"

[i]Altair didn't say anything, of course. But he lipped at her tunic softly. And he seemed to be curious. Her scent would've been different to him of course. She had been imbibed with any one of many powerful elixers. To Altair, she smelled now of starlight and feathers, instead of before. Before she smelled like leather and roses. Saturnine smiled softly.[/i]

"I imagine it's all red and inflamed. I can't see it."

[i]Carefully, she untied her tunic and let it fall down around her elbows. Altair peered at her back, sniffing it here and there. He avoided the red spots, then nudged her side. She put her tunic back around her shoulders and tied it again.[/i]

"What do you think?"

[i]The Shire shook his mane at her, not making any vocalizations. Instead he lipped the bridle she had hung. She obeyed and slid it around his head, pressing the bit into his mouth. Then, without the luxury of a saddle, she slid onto his back and asked him to walk forwards. He went at a slow pace, not willing to jar her back and hurt her. After a time, he went faster, trotting at a smooth, even beat, his feathered legs flaring in the wind. Eventually he continued to a canter, not even being asked by Saturnine. He knew what she wanted.

Eventually it came to Saturnine that Altair was running in an infinity symbol. She smiled and leaned low over his back. Godo pulled aside the blinds of his window and peered out at the commons behind Clearwater. A girl and a stallion moved as one, following one pattern, wearing the grass down. He smiled and replaced the blinds.[/i]

[i]In the evening, she walked back to Godo's work place. He was waiting for her, engraving tools in hand. She entered quietly, sliding off her shirt as he closed the door. She inhaled the scents of both his body and several open jars. Each seemed to glow, but she didn't look further. Because he was pressing her down into the chair again, that familiar needle in his hand. She half shut her eyes and leaned forwards.[/i]

"Relax yourself.....this will be cake compared to yesterday."

"And why's that?"

"You'll feel it soon."

[i]She didn't move, and he placed his left hand over her recently formed crest. The newest, the one he would insert onto her tonight....it would uncurl itself on the small of her back, and stretch to her hips. The crest of Empowerment. It would heal her as he formed it. The power it afforded came as he added new sigils. She sighed and closed her eyes once more. This time, she knew what would come, and focused on the sound of her breathing, and the brush of Godo's footsteps on the wooden floor.[/i][/COLOR][/FONT]

[Sakura]

[color=Navy]Azalea yawned, so far it had almost reached two days that she'd been waiting. Yesterday she had left the marsh to feed Kage and returned, awaiting the arrival of Godo. But since it was approaching the second day, she didn't want to leave Kage out there because of the danger. She decided that since there was enough room on the platform, that she would bring Kage in. Though they would have to be careful since horses could break their legs in the sticky mud.

Azalea whistled loudly, she searched the plains before she saw Kage approaching. Azalea told the horse about going into the marsh, he was worried at first, obvious by his body language but Azalea assured him. Kage nodded, trusting his rider.

Azalea took hold of the reins and slowly lead Kage through the swamp. She now knew a route through that wasn't as dangerous and didn't have anything sticking out from the bottom.

After a while they arrived at the platform. Azalea climbed onto it before helping Kage up. Azalea was once again dirty from the mud, as was Kage. Azalea just rubbed it off, she still had her pants folded up from earlier. When her legs were clean she went to Kage, rubbing the mud off took a long time because she also cleaned his hoofs. When they left the marsh they would find a stream to wash it away.

Kage snorted and lay down on the wooden platform beside Azalea. Azalea stroked his mane and stared at the candle. After she had burned the map, the flame stayed a purplish blue colour, not reverting to its orange colour. And it hadn't gone out yet, even when strong winds blew through, the flame followed the wind but never went out. She was very curious about it.

Azalea sighed and leaned against the sleeping horse, her eyes started to get heavy and soon she was asleep, though sleeping lightly with her senses still aware, in case Godo arrived.
[/color]

[Kamuro]

[FONT=Garamond][COLOR=DarkRed]Roland sat on his bed, head in his palms he thought of several things. He was still angry that Godo had sent him back here. [I]Why? I've trained for years, I'm ready for this[/I] he spoke to himself. He wanted the great power at the end of the cave, he longed to feel a new burst of strength as he had felt when he first recieved his crests.

[B]Flashback...[/B]

"Your sure this is what you want?" Godo asked. Roland nodded "I need this power, how else will I defeat Chaos?" Godo sighed "This alone will not be enough, you must train hard, and learn to manipulate the power of your crests, you must master them and bring out the true potential of each, like Chaos has." Roland looked frustrated. He wanted to fight Chaos right this second, but he knew it impossible. He wasn't ready. "I will choose the placement of your crests." said Godo. Roland motioned to speak but was interrupted "I know your going to protest, but I know what is best, and you will listen, or you will not be engraved." Roland quickly closed his mouth and nodded.

Godo began by removing a long dagger from his belt. "Place your right hand on the table and we will begin." Roland did as he was asked. "Your right hand will be the place of the Destruction Crest. A powerful crest indeed, it is much easier to use when engraved on one's hand. The explosions must be manipulated perfectly or you will hurt yourself in the process, remember that." Godo proceeded to carve the symbol in Roland's hand. He flinched a bit, but had been in battle before and suffered much worse. What pained him was the hot black ink soon placed in the cut ridges of his hand. Steam bellowed from his arm as the Destruction Crest found its new home.

"The Dragon Crest will be placed on your left hand. The ability to command dragons is one of the most rare crests you will find. Not only do you need the crest, you must find your dragon and a bond must be formed. Without the trust of the creature the full potential of the Dragon Crest will never emerge." Roland nodded and closed his eyes as Godo once again began the engraving process.

"The third and final Crest of Fury will be placed on your face, over your right eye." Roland looked worried and Godo made note to calm him down. "I know it seems harsh, but the Crest of Fury is best kept close to one's brain. This particular crest creates a bond with his user and when he is in trouble, or greatly infuriated the crest will automatically activate and increase your power greatly. The Crest of Fury will also be able to mesh with your other crests increasing their power as well, now hold still." Godo carved the marking over Roland's eye and once again brought out his ink. "Now close your eye, this will not be as easy as the others." Roland's eyes closed and he gritted his teeth as the ink flowed down his face. He could feel it fusing to his skin and every inch felt as though a mile.

"You are no engraved, you will rest tonight and tomorrow we will test your abilities. Sleep well and be warned, the power of the crests is great, and if you abuse this power, it will be taken from you. You will be left with nothing but painful scars and symbols of the mistakes you've made." Roland nodded and layed cautiously in bed as to not injure his wounds further.[/COLOR][/FONT]

OCC: If you havn't found/interacted with Godo yet then do so now. You can be descriptive as to your crests, but I'd like to start the second chapter soon so the real fun can begin.

[Blayze]

[SIZE=1]"Godo?" Phoenix asked the man who had just crept up behind him. The man nodded, and he opened up a small kit, with brushes and scalpels inside.

"I am here to engrave you. I know you have had an encounter with me as a changeling, but I assure, I am the real Godo. Now, which Crests would you like?"

"I choose the Crests of Destruction, Intelligence, and Darkness," he replied. Godo stopped and gave him a strange look as he said the last one.

"You wish to acquire the power of Darkness? It is a dangerous power, one that must not be abused. Remember that when I engrave you. Now, are you sure of your choices?" Phoenix nodded, and Godo began to engrave him, starting on his back.

Phoenix felt the sizzling liquid splash onto his back as God engraved him. He winced slightly as the liquid burnt into his flesh, and the stench of singed flesh filled the air around him.

"That's one Crest done," said Godo, "Now to start the second." He took a small scalpel from his kit, and began to cut into the flesh on Phoenix's chest. Then, when there was a small opening, he took a brush dripping with the black liquid and insertd it into the wound. Phoenix gasped as the liquid burnt the tender flesh just under his skin. He clenched his teeth as the pain seared through his body.

"And finally, the Crest of Darkness," said Godo nervously. He took a larger scalpel and cut a slice over Phoenix's eye, the one with the scar. He had just reopened Phoenix's oldest battle-wound, and was now dripping the viscous liquid into the wound. He grunted as his wound burst into pain. His vision was obscured by the pain. He couldn't see properly.

Then, after a few minutes, the pain cleared and he could see again.

"You're looking quite the warrior now, Phoenix," said Godo, looking at Phoenix's form. He now had a large crest on his back, one across his chest and a very small crest over his eye.

"Now, put your clothes back on and ride back to Roland," said Godo. Phoenix put his clothes back on, and, grunting thanks to Godo under his breath, he mounted Inferno and began to ride back the way he had come...[/SIZE]

[Sakura]

[color=Navy]Azalea yawned, she had woken up a while ago and was still waiting. Kage was still asleep at her side and the sun had broken over the horizon. There was a wind and the purplish blue flame that sat crowned atop the candle wick went out. That had never happened before so Azalea got to her feet, she looked around and saw a figure wading through the marsh.

[b]"Godo?!" [/b]she called.

The figure looked up at her and nodded, Azalea was happy for there was no longer any more waiting. The man soon boarded the platform and they greeted each other, he explained that he had been busy, which was why he hadn't arrived sooner.

[b]"Which crests do you request?" [/b]he asked, laying his tools on the small table where the candle and stone slab sat.

[b]"The Crest of the Dragon, Crest of Intelligence, and Crest of Change."

"Do you mind if I am the one to choose the placement?" [/b]Godo asked, readying one of his tools.

[b]"No, go ahead, you know what's best after all." [/b]
[b]
"Alright, place your right hand out, that will be where the Crest of Intelligence will be, for it is most useful there when firing your energy blasts, instead of from somewhere else on your body." [/b]

Azalea nodded and obeyed, holding out her right hand. She winced as the firey liquid fell onto her skin, he drew the crest painfully, she breathed through her mouth so she didn't have to smell the burnt flesh. Kage had woken and neighed.

[b]"Shh, its ok. I'm fine." [/b]she said, calming the horse, who uneasily lay his head down again.

Soon he had completed the first crest. She looked at the new part of her body, the symbol was burnt into her palm.

[b]"The Crest of the Dragon will go on your left hand, it is a rare crest and you must form a relationship with your dragon partner once you find them or you will never be able to use the crest to its full potential."

[/b]Azalea nodded and held out her left hand and the process of the first was repeated. Kage was watching but stayed quiet, Azalea closed her eyes and focussed, it hurt but she could overcome it, she had been through worse things before. When Godo finished she examined the second crest, comparing it to the first, there were different symbols.

[b]"Finally the Crest of Change should go above your left breast, beneath your clavicle as it is close to your heart where all these changes you will go through will not affect it too much. Be weary of your morphs and never forget your human self or you will be stuck in the morph. It will get each time."

[/b]Azalea understood and pulled off her black top holding onto it. Her breasts were covered by a breast band and she winced as he started the last crest, she had gotten used to the pain but the soft skin on her chest was delicate. When it was done she thanked him and slipped her top back on.

[b]"Now, return to Roland, he awaits."

[/b]Azalea lead Kage back out of the marsh and they went to a stream. Azalea and Kage washed, though Azalea did it carefully as her skin was still delicate after the crest.

Then when they were clean, Azalea folded her pants back down and they galloped back to Roland.
[/color]

[Ahzraei]

Ashem swiftly rode out of the forest, his new crest boldly emblazoned on his forehead. After some experimentation, he had determined the best ways to use it to complement his accompanying crests of Stealth and Illusion. Annoyingly enough, his mastery of complete disappearance had begun to bother his horse, who had seemed to develop a mild paranoia whenever Ashem was not riding.

As the trees around him grew sparse, he heard raised voices on the path ahead. As silently as possible, he dismounted and led Nau'ian behind a large tree. Clenching his right fist, he willed the shadows to hide him from sight. Making no noise at all, he slowly crept up to the side of the path.

The red livery and armor worn by the arguing men sparked instant recognition in Ashem's mind. [I]Chaos' soldiers.[/I]

The one nearest to him was tiredly arguing with his two companions. "All I say is, I haven't seen any dragon. The captain's crazy; he's always hallucinating promotion, a dragon shouldn't be too far a strech."

"Maybe I should tell the captain what you're so fond of sayin' about him, Warveck," A much shorter soldier to his right shot back. "He just might shut you up for good."

"Ha! Let him try," Warveck said. "I wouldn't mind being captain."

Ashem silently retreated as the soldiers continued their march down the path. Delusional captain or no, Chaos' army never hung around a border village like this one for its health. Whatever the reason, Ashem was sure that Roland would want to know about it.

[Raiha]

[FONT=Times New Roman][COLOR=DarkOrchid][i]This time, the pain was negligent. Enough so that Godo continued straight through the Crest of Empowerment and into the Dragon's crest. This particular set of marks stretched down her chest, over her heart and breasts. She smiled slightly as he laid her down on the table top. As he began to pierce her skin, she deadened the pain, not healing the lacerated flesh right away, but healing the shrieking nerves. This time, everything seemed to run fairly quickly. Brush, clean, pierce again, brush, clean, polish, then close up again. She sighed and closed her eyes. He laughed and washed her skin the final time.

Now that he was done, she healed her body from the dull pain that was seeping from her back and chest. Godo bowed to her and she bowed back. Then she slid on her tunic, did up the drawstrings, and then picked up her chain mail from the counter top. Godo aided her in lifting it over her shoulders, then securing it with her belt. He gave her the cloak, swirled it around her neck, and then handed her the weapons she had set down.

She looked out the window at the dead town of Clearwater. Then she turned back to him.[/i]

"Thank you for everything Master Godo."

"But of course. I would not do so much for any other that Roland hadn't reccomended himself. And you were particularly wonderful to work with."

"Really?"

"Naturally. Your nerves are young and responsive. Your flesh malleable. Like clay almost."

[i]She smiled at him, a smile that would've stopped time. He looked back at her. Then out the window as well. Without another word, she bowed once more and left. In the church, she found the rest of her effects adn carried them to the stable. Altair was waiting, pawing the stall in boredom. She walked right up and put on his saddle, loaded the bags, and put on the bridle. He stood stock still for her, then lowered his head as she legged her way up. Once in her seat, he clamly strode out the door and down the long hall to the exit. Then, with sure and measured steps they made their way down the main street. As they passed Godo's workshop, Saturnine turned her head to look for the man that had given her so much. But the lights were extinguished. Nobody was there.

Lattinae's newly engraved daughter heaved a sigh, then gripped Altair's sides with her knees and held on tight. He neighed, loud enough to split eardrums, reared up, pawing the air, then slammed back down and charged foward like a bolt from a crossbow. Saturnine clung to his back like a tick, letting him chart their path back to Roland's castle. She wasn't afraid, she wasn't worried. She had amethyst. Engravings. And cold steel inlaid with silver. Anything that challenged her would be struck down.[/i]

"I'm coming."[/COLOR][/FONT]

[Blayze]

[SIZE=1]Phoenix was in the woods, practicing with his newly-acquired powers. He closed his eyes, held his hands out, and concentrated on the tree in front of him. The crest emblazoned on his back, the Crest of Destruction, shone with bright red light, and spun around. He opened his eyes, and they flashed the same red as the Crest on his back. The tree he had been concentrating on exploded, smashing into tiny splinters. Phoenix smiled. He could do many things with this power.

Then, the Crest on his chest, Intelligence, shone with a cool blue colour, and he gathered a ball of blue flame in his hands, throwing it at the nearest tree, a sturdy young sapling, and set it alight, burning with blue flames. He smiled again.

Before he could attempt to try out the third Crest, the Crest of Darkness, Godo walked into the woods, and said:

"You have become rather handy with your powers, I see, Phoenix."

Phoenix whirled around and saw the small man standing there. He looked at him suspiciously.

"How did you follow me here?" he asked.

"You're going back to Roland. So am I. It was inevitable that if we took the same or similar path that we would bump into each other eventually."

Phoenix grunted and turned back to his practice.

"I wouldn't try out the final Crest until you have people around you who can help you, Phoenix. It can get out of hand occasionally."

"If I am to use this power to defeat Chaos, then I should begin practice straight away, should I not?"

"The Crests of Destruction and Intelligence, perhaps, but the Crest of Darkness has engulfed many an unworthy mind. You must make sure you are ready before you use that power. Do you understand?"

Phoenix nodded, put his tunic and cloak back on, jumped onto Inferno's back and rode away, towards Roland's castle.

It wasn't long before he reached Roland's castle, and there he dismounted Inferno and hid him in the woods. He didn't trust the others with his horse yet. He walked into the castle slowly. It seemed that no-one else was there yet.[/SIZE]

[Raiha]

[FONT=Times New Roman][COLOR=DarkOrchid][i]Altair covered vast ammounts of space, enough to nearly make up for lost time. They had just come to the final stretch, when Altair came to a halt and sniffed the air. Saturnine hissed a warning to him and he shook his shoulders. Saturnine sniffed as well, feeling a slow cold feeling spread up her spine. Anyone watching her from behind would've noticed a faint glow eminating from her back. The crest of Light was not only activating, it was pulsing with energy.

She pulled Altair's head down to her and whispered, slipping the bridle off and into his saddle bags.[/i]

"I want you to go home, take a rest, the stable hands will take care of you."

[i]His eyes flickered, then he tossed his head and continued on the way home. Saturnine quietly began her way to the castle. When the doors opened, she noticed the obscene lack of people. Only one was there, and she could smell his darkness nearly pouring from him. She narrowed her eyes slightly, raising her hand to her weapon. Phoenix turned instantly to face her. She raised her head to his proudly, eyes clear and open. He stared straight into her and she stared right back.[/i]

"Feeling....lucky?"

[i]His words rolled off his tongue and caressed her ears. She pursed her lips and dropped her hand from the handle of her blade.[/i]

"I don't believe in luck."

"Good. It won't save you."

[i]She smiled at him. A dazzling smile, full of pleasure and spark. He didn't return it, but instead, let a little darkness seep from him in the form of a black shape. Saturnine raised her head a little, moved her lips silently, then looked back at him, wings pouring from her shoulderblades in a flurry of white light and colored feathers. Phoenix backed away slightly.[/i]

"A counterpoint."

"Should I tone it down a little?"[/COLOR][/FONT]

[Kamuro]

[COLOR=DarkRed][FONT=Garamond][B]Flashback continued...[/B]

Roland awoke in Godo's chamber, everything was dark and quiet as he looked around. He rose from the bed and stretched, feeling his scarred skin extend he grabbed the crests on his hands. [I]Still tender[/I] he thought. He clenched his fists feeling the power flow through them and tried his best to adjust to the new found pain as he moved his fingers. He put his hand to the crest on his eye and no longer felt the ridges of the scar, they had formed to his face forever engraved. He closed his eyes and focused, searching through his mind to find the power of the crest of fury. He couldn't, [I]maybe its just not ready yet[/I] he thought to himself. He walked around the chamber searching for Godo, but couldn't find him. [I]Might as well explore the rest of this place till he gets back[/I] Roland thought. He saw a sword draped across the wall, took it down, strapped it over his back, and went on his way.

As he walked the several halls of Godo's home he lit torches to mark his path. This "home" was almost like a maze and Roland feared to get lost in such an ominous place. He reached the end of a long hallway and entered a room. He walked to the middle and lit a torch illuminating only a few feet of the chamber. Just then a man jumped down infront him. It looked as though he had been hanging from the ceiling. Roland jumped back in astonishment and drew his sword. The man stood up straight and stretched the wings sprouting from his back. The man moved the hair from his face and revealed his identity. The man looked just like Roland. They were almost identical except for the wings and the crest over the man's eye. They even had similar swords and clothing. Roland stared at the man trying to comprehend his situation, but before he could even speak the man attacked.

Roland jumped back and swung his large sword making a loud noise as it clashed against the ground. The man jumped back and took flight. His black wings flapped wildly as he flew with great speed around the room. He flew out of sight into the darkness surrounding the small flame in the center of the room. Roland looked around trying to see where the man had went. Just then he attacked from behind slashing his sword across Roland's back. Roland fell to the floor in pain as he felt blood gush from his wound. He stumbled to his feet and turned to the mysterious man landing in front of him. Roland clenched his right hand and threw a ball of fire at the man. [I]The crest of destruction[/I] he thought to himself. He learned of his new power and began hurling large explosions all over the room in an attempt to crush his enemy.

The man took flight and dodged each blow swiftly. As a large explosion blanketed the room Roland stopped firing and huffed out of breath. Smoke floated all around him and he stood still trying to hear his enemy. Just then another strike came from his side slicing down his arm and disappearing almost instantly. Roland grabbed his arm in pain trying to tend to his wound. Another strike from the opposite side and both his arms cried tears of blood. He fell to the floor feeling dizzy from the loss of blood. [I]I-I can't win[/I] he thought to himself. Just then he felt an overwhelming power inside of him. He leapt to his feet and tensed his muscles. His wounds healed right before his eyes. No longer feeling the pain he picked up his sword. He watched as the blade became encased with a red light and felt as though a feather in his hand. He felt energy pound in his arms and chest. He screamed out in pain as his muscles expanded and he became larger.

He huffed and puffed as he felt the power course through him. Just then the man struck his chest but just barely broke the skin. He fell back as the recoil of the blade caught him off guard. Roland swung his sword violently slicing back and forth on the man's chest. Blood fell to the ground as he continued to swing faster and faster. Soon after the man's tattered body fell to the ground and his soul found a new home in hell. Roland fell to his knees feeling his muscles descend to their original size. He looked up at Godo standing before him "The crest of fury, wonderful isn't it..."[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Ahzraei]

Ashem smirked silently to himself from his position in a corner of the entrance hall. Saturnine, obviously engraved with some sort of angelic crest, was testing her new powers against Phoenix, whose crest was recognizable as the crest of Darkness, identical to Ashem's own.

Idly, Ashem wondered if any of them had gained some sort of power that would enable them to see him while using his powers of stealth. When he noticed Phoenix in the stables, he had cloaked himself in shadow, hoping to test his newfound abilities against the other potentials.

Noiselessly Ashem willed away his concealment. Saturnine and Phoenix were still staring at each other, taking stock of the new powers they each had acquired. Phoenix gave an almost imperceptible start at Ashem's sudden appearance, and narrowed his reddened eyes when he gazed upon the crest of Darkness engraved on Ashem's forehead.

"Well," said Ashem, breaking the silence in an amused tone, "Aren't we complementary."

"...Ashem?" Said Saturnine, in a slightly uncertain voice. "Stealth, I assume, and Darkness, of course."

"Splendid choices," Phoenix said sardonically. "In your voyeurism, have you noticed where the esteemed Roland is awaiting us?"

Ashem smiled. "I can understand why you'd look to him for direction, if you're so concerned about being caught off guard. Or are you so confident that you think you could kill Chaos without us? ... No, I haven't seen him."

Phoenix's lip curled. "That would be suicide ..." he said reluctantly. "As I'm sure you know."

Ashem paused. Apparently, Phoenix knew of his own past somehow. Or was he simply trying to unsettle him? He had been right to be suspicious of Phoenix. Or was Phoenix rightly suspicious of him? Annoyed, Ashem put such irrational conclusions from his mind.

"Shall we find him then?" Said Saturnine, somewhat disdainful of Phoenix and Ashem's confrontation.

[Kamuro]

[FONT=Garamond][COLOR=DarkRed][CENTER][B]Chapter 2[/B]

"Theres no need to look for me" Roland spoke as he joined Ashem, Phoenix, and Saturnine in the large room. Each of them looked over quickly, surprised that he had been watching. "Hmph, I thought I heard something" Phoenix said, patting himself on the back. Saturnine bowed as Ashem stood quiet. Roland began to look each person up and down taking note of the crests they had chosen. He rose his head and spoke "There will be no fighting between us. As of now, we will work together to accomplish our goal and destroy Chaos. I will not stand for any civil war between us, and you will be killed if I believe you are compromising our initial goal." All was silent except for a mumbled "Hmph" by Phoenix. Roland shot a glance in his direction "When I say we, I mean you as well Phoenix. I fulfilled my part of our deal and you will do the same." Phoenix turned and began walking to his room "I'll be ready to go tomorrow." Roland nodded and turned to his other teammates. "I expect both of you to be ready tomorrow as well, the others should be here soon." Saturnine and Ashem nodded as they walked off. Roland sighed and returned to his room for the night.

Roland awoke the next morning eager to begin his journey. He sat up and began his preparations. When he walked out from his room Juren ran to him hurridly. "I have some bad news sir. Only four of our six have returned. Zhuge and Kyss have failed to find Godo and have been killed accordingly. Azalea returned late last night after the other three had gone to their rooms." Roland put his hand to his chin and pondered. "Must they have been killed Juren?" Juren nodded "Yes sir, we would've let them go but they could leak information about our attack on Chaos. We'd lose our element of surprise." Roland sighed "Yes yes, I guess it needed to be done. However, we must press on, tell the others to meet me in the dining room." Juren nodded and ran away quickly.

Roland sat at the head of the table as each of his companions walked in and took a seat. Roland laced his fingers in front of his face and spoke "Today we begin our journey to the fortress of Chaos. Each of you has been informed on the powers of your crests and should be able to tap into their powers whenever you choose. Each of you who chose the dragon crest have selected a dragon and may now call on it whenever you see fit. There are certain places where dragons are unable to go, but we shouldn't encounter any problems like that until later in our journey. I expect that you've all prepared yourselves adequately and we will be leaving shortly."

The group left town afoot. The few horses kept at the stable were worn out from their previous journeys. Roland was aware of Phoenix's horse but assumed he'd like to keep it from the others for now. Roland watched the surroundings closely as Inferno strode quietly close to them through the forest. Although the day was bright and sunny, under the cover of the trees everything seemed dark. Shadows clouded around them obstructing their longer vision. Far into the forest they reached a junction. The initial path seperated into several others going in all different directions. They stopped and looked to Roland for direction. Just then a masked man dropped from a tree and grabbed Saturnine. He simply touched her shoulder and she fainted in his arms. He jumped and boarded a horse that looked as though it appeared from nowhere. "Stop!" shouted Roland as he threw his scythe in an attempt to down the horse. Just before the weapon reached its target it fell to the ground. "Damn, a barrier. You guys keep going, take the north path. I'll get Saturnine and we'll meet back up with you." Before anyone could object Roland took off after the horse.

Ashem, Azalea and Phoenix stood quietly. "Guess we better get going." said Ashem quietly as he began to walk down the path leading north. Azalea and Phoenix followed shortly after.

- - - - - - - -

There will be no specific posting order. We'll all be posting in accordance to the story. Ashem, Azalea, and Phoenix may interact however you guys choose, or even be split up themselves. For now, I won't mention our next destination, just remember that we're in an almost never-ending forest and anything can happen. However, we'll all end up in the same place eventually, so don't worry. And don't be afraid to have fun. Theres lots of freedom in this part of the story, and you have to make it to Chaos' fortress by any means.[/CENTER][/COLOR][/FONT]

OOC: Jian and Skye had to be removed for personal reasons, everything will still work out well though.

[Ahzraei]

"Will you stop that?" Phoenix said irritably.

"What?" Azalea replied defensively.

"That [I]humming[/I]," Phoenix spat.

They had been proceeding along the path for about a half an hour in silence. Ashem was ignoring them, ever-watchful of the slowly darkening forest. There was no sign of Roland, Saturnine, or her mysterious attacker.

"I'm sorry if it annoys you," Azalea said. "It's a song my parents used to sing to me. I'll sing it if I want." But she stopped after that, and walked on the right side of the path, leaving Phoenix on the left.

"This is a waste of time," hissed Phoenix to Ashem in open contempt. "Chaos knows we're here. Why not just take the main road, and to hell with the forest?!"

"You don't know that," Ashem said calmly. "If we still have it, there's no reason to give up surprise."

"If I recall our first meeting correctly, there were six of us. There are two unaccounted for. They could be spilling out our intentions to Chaos right now!"

"Chaos already knows he has enemies. Speculation at this point would be foolish," Ashem said. At that moment, a man stepped out from the underbrush onto the path in front of them. He was dressed in a ragged brown cloak, under which Ashem could discern the shape of a short sword. A great rustling in the bushes around them confirmed his suspicious; a gang of highwaymen.

"Alright, no need for heroics," the man in the cloak said in a thick drawl, leering at Azalea a moment before glaring belligerently at Phoenix. "Jus' let us take what we want ... and you may end up alive tomorrow."

Phoenix laughed aloud. "You have no idea who you're dealing with. Tomorrow you will never see."

[Blayze]

[SIZE=1]The small man stood in front of Phoenix, his hand on his short sword.

"You're going to die, then, you fool!" said the highwayman, drawing his weapon. Phoenix was quicker, though. In the time it took the highwayman to draw his weapon, Phoenix had drawn one of his, swung it through the air and sliced the man's head off. He never stood a chance.

"Now who's the fool?" Phoenix asked the corpse. He sheathed his sword and walked on, Ashem alongside him and Azalea behind them, choking over what had just happened.

"Stop your whining, girl," said Phoenix, "The forest is a dangerous place. If you are going to travel through it, then you must be prepared for anything, even your team-mate killing a human. Understand?"

She nodded slightly and they continued along the forest path...[/SIZE]

[Raiha]

[FONT=Times New Roman][COLOR=DarkOrchid][i]When Saturnine came through, she was aware of an acute agony spreading upwards from her stomach. She couldn't move. She could barely breathe. It was very dark. So quiet.

She couldn't make out anything. Her eyes weren't working. Or maybe she had been blindfolded. She blinked several times. It didn't get any better. Finally she gave up and laid very still, unwilling to attract attention to herself. If the burning sensations on her skin were any indication, she had been lightly tortured already and would get more later. Inahaling brought her nothing. She couldn't smell anything. Was she in a void?

It would've been better if she was. Because the blindfold was ripped away. She saw him. The man who had taken her away. Pressure points and all. She blinked several times again, then looked up at him. He gazed down at her, with an expression she could not understand. Then he smiled and leaned down to kiss her. Instead of struggling, Lattinae's finest surrendered to the humiliation, and let him do what he pleased. Then he drew back and raised her into a sitting position. Her arms had been bound above her head, but they were loosened from the restraints. In essence, he flipped her onto her stomach, and tied her back down again. His fingers brushed strands of hair out of the way of her smooth exposed flesh.[/i]

"Are you ready?"

"Ready for what?"

[i]She didn't move her head. She couldn't. Instead, she could hear him moving behind her, picking something up maybe. Saturnine couldn't tell.[/i]

"Pain."

[i]Without another word, he drew back, if she could tell from the sound of clothing brushing against itself, and lashed out. A multi tailed whip slashed into her back. She didn't move, but instead bit her lower lip. The Crest of Empowerment would heal her internally, but she figured if she did anything external he could tell. Accordingly, she muted her power and only healed the internal damage. He struck again and she remembered to cry out.[/i]

"Why?! Why are you doing this?"

"Why?"

[i]He struck again. This time he laid open her back in several places instead of just raising welts.[/i]

"Because it's fun."

[i]Saturnine didn't cry again. She only bit her lip. The agony was incredible, reminded her of being engraved. Secretly, she wondered if the lashing on her engravings would ruin them. She hoped not. Instead she figured that she had better just hold on and let him continue as usual. If she didn't move, it might end sooner.[/i][/COLOR][/FONT]

[Kamuro]

[FONT=Garamond][COLOR=DarkRed][CENTER]Roland ran as quick as he could after the large horse. Sweat dripped from his forehead as he attempted to catch up with the galloping creature. Pain coursed through his legs as they became weaker and weaker. He closed his eyes [I]n-no they won't take her[/I] he thought to himself. In that moment he felt a shot of pain from his eye. He felt the crest of fury initiating itself and his legs regaining their stamina. He burst into a run after the horse leaving streaks of fire in his wake. He caught up to the horse and reached out for its tail. As his hand just barely grazed the hair it disappeared and Roland fell to the ground with a thud.

He got up quickly looking around. [I]What? Where is it?[/I] he thought to himself. [I]I lost her![/I] he screamed in his head. The sound of failure echoed as he stood angrily. He made a fist and swung at a nearby tree, however his knuckles scraped the air and stopped instantly. Roland was confused so he took his other hand and moved it forward slowly. He felt a barrier in front of him and realized that this must what stopped him from catching the man on the horse. [I]Hmph, fools, they think this can stop me?[/I] he spoke to himself with a slight smile. His fist ignited, fire swirling around his fingers and dancing in his palm. He made a tight fist and struck the barrier, all was quiet for the following seconds until a huge explosion occured around the whole of the barrier. It seemed as though peices of glass fell to the ground as the barrier shattered at his feet.

It was a little while longer until he reached an encampment full of men who looked like the one that had captured Saturnine. [I]I have to make sure Saturnine is safe before I just rush in[/I] Roland thought to himself. An idea struck him, he'd create a distraction close to the camp and then search for Saturnine when the men left to fine the soruce of the disturbance. He raised his right hand as a large fireball began to form, he threw it far from himself but closer to the encampment so that it would be heard. As it exploded trees fell to the ground and smoke rised through the air. Everyone in the camp rushed to see what had happened as Roland snuck past them and into the camp.

He searched a few tents before he found himself in front of a large cabin. He swung open the door and found Saturnine lying on the floor, wrists and ankles tied together tightly, body bare from the waist up. Roland ran to her side and knelt there, examining her bloodied back. He ran his fingers over the gashes and quickly released her from the rope. He sat her up against the wall, examining the rest of her body for injuries. She awoke suddenly screaming and swiping her hands franticly. "Get away from me! Get away from me!" she shouted. Roland took her hands in his and steadied her arms "Saturnine, its me, its ok, I'm here" Roland spoke calmly. Saturnine settled herself and looked at Roland confused "I thought you'd leave me, this is compromising your initial mission isn't it?" she asked quietly. Roland laughed "Yeah, but I decided to make an exception. How are your wounds? Can you heal them?" Saturnine shook her head "They damaged my crest, I tried, but it won't work." Roland examined the bloody crest and stood up straight "Hold still" he spoke as he reached out his right arm. He took a dagger from his belt and reopened the crest of destruction on his right hand. Blood seeped from the ridges and fell to Saturnine's crest. The bloods meshed and ran through the scars of Saturnine's back. Her eyes closed as she felt the power of the crest of empowerment returning to her.

Her scars disappeared as she regained her herself. She turned to Roland and saw his bloody hand. She gasped as she ran towards him taking his injuried hand in her's. She attempted to heal the wound but was unable. "Crests don't heal other crests Saturnine, I'll be fine, we have other things to attend to." he spoke firmly as he took his hand from her's. He turned from her and made his way to the door. "Lets go, we have to find the others."[/CENTER][/COLOR][/FONT]

[Ahzraei]

Ashem's single eye intently tracked the movement of their pursuers beneath the green canopy of the forest. He rested comfortably on a high branch of a tall pine. Phoenix had first noticed their mysterious stalkers; he did not say how, and Ashem didn't ask, but merely investigated himself.

Phoenix had been right. Ashem had observed the mystery party for about twenty minutes, growing increasingly nervous as they approached. He leaned forward. At last, he saw the familiar shape of a hawk rise above the tree canopy and fly towards him.

The hawk perched upon a branch next to Ashem's. He had seen Azalea transform before, but he still stared with an eerie fascination. In a burst of color and energy the crest of change restored a bemused Azalea, who swayed on the branch a moment before Ashem steadied her.

She uncharacteristically smiled with rapture. "Flying is wonderful ... I'm going to do this every day when all this is over."

"What about our followers?" Ashem inquired intently.

Azalea sobered. "Chaos' soldiers. They have orders to find us I think."

Ashem muttered a curse, and dropped to a lower branch. "Follow me," he said, descending as rapidly as he could until he could jump to the forest floor. Landing without injury, he brushed himself off and looked around for Phoenix, and uttered another curse, this one far more vile. He should have known the man wouldn't have waited for them; he must have gone to confront the soldiers himself. Curtly summoning Azalea, he set out in the direction of the soldier band.

[Raiha]

[FONT=Times New Roman][COLOR=DarkOrchid][i]As soon as the door opened, they found themselves face to face with the people that had taken Saturnine. She backed away, fearful at first, but then her rage overtook better judgement. Roland looked at her in disbelief. Her tunic was glowing white, and it had opened in the back to reveal the Crest of Light.

The bandit stepped back as well, because she had just raised both her hands over her head, surrounded by a flurry of white feathers and snow. Then she raised her voice loud enough to be heard within a ten mile radius and she screamed for everyone to hear.[/i]

"By sun and flame and shinning light, open thou thy hidden might. Inlucesco!"

[i]Everyone was struck by a wave of white energy, knocked back, put down, and utterly destroyed. Saturnine raised her hands once more, filled with an inexplicable rage. She advanced on her captor and raised him up with one hand. He had one chance to look into her eyes before she slammed her gloved hand straight into his face, breaking his nose and shattering the bones inside. As he fell, she caught him agan and did it once more, this time gouging out both his eyes.[/i]

"You've hurt me. I do not suffer this lightly. Stab the body and it will heal. But you hurt my pride. So I am going to hurt you."

[i]She dropped him this time and stepped on and then over him, eyes filled with a menacing light. As she walked, her wings spread outwards, filling all available space in the room. Roland blinked several times, trying to clear his vision. He remembered seeing an orb of light emenate from her palms, and then her voice. But now all he could see was blood pouring from the hapless wretch that had taken her. Blood. And bright feathers.[/i]

"Saturnine! Don't kill them all!"[/COLOR][/FONT]

[Kamuro]

[FONT=Garamond][COLOR=DarkRed]Roland just stared as Saturnine went on a rampage through the camp of men. She looked so beautiful, wings flooding from her back and filling the air. However, the wings one white and full of life, now covered and stained by the blood of those who captured her. Her hands tainted a crimson red as she slaughtered anyone who stood in her way.

Roland finally had enough and ran to stop her "Saturnine! You don't know what your doing!" She turned to him striking his face, blood streaming from his mouth he spit on the ground and stood still. He gained power as the crest of fury began to slowly inflate his body. He darted infront of her, flames eminating from his smokey figure. Saturnine stopped and watched as Roland's eyes turned red and his hair blew wildly in the wind. Their auras clashed and the ground seemed to tremble as the two great powers collided. Roland's spirit began to overtake that of Saturnine's and she fell to the ground, the wings slowly shrinking and returning to the skin that once sat upon her back. Roland dropped to the ground as well, landing on his feet and walking over to Saturnine. She huffed and puffed coughing small amounts of blood from her mouth.

"You must control your anger Saturnine, that impressive display of power became an uncontrollable show of weakness. That crest is a part of you, and no matter how strong it may seem, you are stronger, and you can control it. If you're unable to, then it will consume you, and you will be sacrificed to the power of the crest. I wish for that not to happen, but if continue to let your emotions get the best of you that is what will happen." Saturnine rose to her feet slowly and nodded in agreement. She didn't quite understand what had happened but knew that she had let herself go. Blood soiled her hands and clothes as tears began to stream from her face. She wasn't supposed to kill, not like that, and after realizing what she had done, she was overcome with sadness and regret.

She whimpered quietly as Roland took her in his arms. Roland was never one so understanding, but he knew a girl believing so much in her faith would be crushed knowing that she had committed such a malicious, evil sin. He stroked her hair, trying to comfort her but knowing even his best efforts would go unnoticed. The rest of the men quickly scattered and retreated from the camp. Leaving Roland and Saturnine alone, surrounded by the smoldering cabin and tents embraced in each other's arms.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[Raiha]

[FONT=Times New Roman][COLOR=DarkOrchid][i]Eventually, she came back to herself. Saturnine sat up and pulled away from Roland, suverying the damage she had caused. The entire camp had burned and the survivors had ran with whatever limbs that hadn't been removed by Saturnine's vengeful rampage.

She stood and covered herself with her robes once more. She reached into her vials, all of which had survived her ordeal. Roland watched, mesmerized, as she opened one. Instantly, the smell of wisteria filtered through his nostrils, swarming around him, fluttering through the air, visible. She dipped a hand in it then drew a sign in the air, which became magic manifest.

The cleric closed her eyes and whispered her prayers for the dead.[/i]

"May the Faithful Father bless and guide you on your way to the Path. May the Faceless God recieve you at your journey's end. Be at peace, for you are free."

[i]She continued, her voice dropping a few levels until she sounded, to almost every listening ear, just like the whispering of leaves on the trees. She continued for a little while, then finished. She closed the bottle and put it back at her belt. Then she turned and looked around. As she had prayed, the forest had reclaimed the camp. The entire place had regrown. Forest trees had sprung up. Roland found himself standing on soft green sward, completely comfortable, surrounded by singing birds, brushing leaves, and warm light.

Saturnine dried her eyes and smiled slightly at him.[/i]

"I'm done. .....we can go now."

"Yes. We can."

[i]She took his hand and they began walking back through the forest, on the right path they had meant to go on anyway.[/i][/COLOR][/FONT]

[Kamuro]

[FONT=Garamond][COLOR=DarkRed]Roland and Saturnine walked close through the darkening forest. They had returned to the original path and intended to catch up with the rest of the group. However, they found no sign of anyone as they walked farther into the seemingly endless green maze. Saturnine looked around cautiously, she feared the occurance of another traumatizing event comparable to the last.

That night they set up camp in a forest nook near a small lake. The fire burned bright in the dark night air. Roland sat by it, staring into the flames as they danced around the wood he'd just thrown upon the ground. Saturnine had gone to wash up and as he sat alone he began to grow tired. He stretched himself out along the ground, resting his head on the soft grass below him and falling asleep soon after.

However, he woke late in the night, and found that Saturnine was still gone. He wondered where she had went and made his way to the lake to inspect the area where she had been. Here he found her, however, it was not what he had intended. She was waist deep in the water as it glimmered faintly in the moonlight. Her body was exposed, no clothes covered her soft bare skin. She ran her hands through the water, watching as it slowly rippled away from her radiant figure.

Roland wanted to take his eyes from her, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. She was so beautiful, and as he watched he found himself walking towards her, his dark figure emerging from the surrounding trees. He entered the water behind her creating ripples to match her own. She turned around slightly, surprised at Roland for joining her there, but not at all angry. He eventually stood beside her and took her hand in his own, the water overwhleming their intertwined fingers.

Roland looked out along the placid lake, and then back to Saturnine. Her eyes gleamed in the night and made him feel even more alive in the surreal moment. He lowered his head and their lips met slightly as Roland's arms migrated from her hands to her waist, where they sat intently caressing her delicate skin.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[Raiha]

[FONT=Times New Roman][COLOR=DarkOrchid][i]Saturnine turned and hugged him around the chest, leaning her head against his chest. Her pale blonde hair glistened wetly in the moonlight, suffusing her body with a pale glow. His hands rested on her crests, his fingers tracing the bizarre lines twisting around her back and spine.[/i]

"You are so beautiful."

[i]Saturnine looked up at Roland, her blue eyes changing slightly in starlight to become silver. She smiled slightly, but didn't say anything. Instead she kissed his throat and rested her hands on his shoulders. He kissed her forehead in return and watched her rest against him, her eyes closing slowly.[/i]

"Thank you."

"...of course."

[i]After a time, he lifed her gently and pulled her out of the water and dried her body off. She had fallen asleep in his arms, and he dressed her once more in her tunic, chain mail, and belt. Then he dressed himself and laid her head down, wrapping her warmly in her cloak. He looked up at the sky once more, surveying the lay of the planets, stars, and celetial bodies. When he looked down again, he watched Saturnine stir slowly in her sleep. She sighed and turned over, her arms over her head.[/i][/COLOR][/FONT]

[Kamuro]

[COLOR=DarkRed][FONT=Garamond]The following morning Roland awoke to the bright sun shining through the trees. Saturnine stood near him quietly admiring his sleeping body. "Finally awake?" she asked with a smile. Roland sat up and nodded "Yesterday took a lot out of me." He stood and stretched as Saturnine continued to watch on. "I think we should continue to search for the others. It'll be diffcult to defeat Chaos without them." he spoke calmly. Saturnine nodded and they prepared their equipment for the journey.

As they walked along the path Roland stopped abruptly. Saturnine walked into him and stumbled back "What did you stop for?" Roland looked around "Someones coming..." And with that Ashem emerged from the trees battered and bloody. "Roland..." he gasped as he fell to the ground. Roland ran to his side catching him "What happened, where is everyone?!" he asked Ashem who attempted to breathe, coughing up blood. "Chaos' soldiers...t-they're here. Phoenix and Azalea...s-still fighting...won't last long." And with that his mouth closed and he fell limp in Roland's arms.

Roland laid him on the ground and rose turning to Saturnine "We have to go help!" And with that they both ran in the direction Ashem had come from. After passing through the thicket of trees they reached the scene. Phoenix leapt from tree to tree clashing with soldiers and Azalea ran speedily dodging several enemies. Roland looked to Saturnine "Lets go."[/FONT][/COLOR]

OOC: Ahzraei's character has died. Looks like its up to us now.

[Raiha]

[FONT=Times New Roman][COLOR=DarkOrchid][i]Saturnine felt a slow, heavy tide rising inside her. It swarmed up through her body as she ran, eminating from every finger until she could hrdly control herself. She jumped up and everyone within the blast radius heard the sound of one girl venting her horrible rage in one lung splitting shriek. Feathers, white as driven snow, poured out of her scapulae, spreading wider than the sky, covering the ground in darkness.

Several soldiers whipped around to face the new threat, only to see a blinding flash of light and glowing blue eyes before the great darkness.

She raised one hand over her head and began to whisper, words so soft and loud all at once that everyone around could hear.[/i]

"By the Light of the Sun, May the Faceless God, Be the one to Judge."

[i]She brought both hands down, one drawing the sword, the other collecting energy in one fist. A soldier leapt up to face her, only to be cleaved in two. The blade of Lattinae sliced through him like butter, silver and amethyst and cold iron, driving away the creatures of darkness and evil. As she fought, she formed the words of an old prayer, a battle song, guiding her hands, giving her strength as she warded off the hellish nightmares that had killed one already, and so many others.

While she fought, she spoke the words of a prayer out loud, the Crest of Empowerment glowing across her skin, giving aid and comfort to her friends, and searing the minds of her enemies.[/i][/COLOR][/FONT]