“Oh um, Darah, my name’s Darah.” She replied, and emboldened by Sainera’s kindness and obvious sensibilities she turned her gaze to Phaen. “And ye can tell that one over there that just because someone bumps into you on the street doesn’t make them a suspicious individual. Whereas people who bowl others over in the street while brandishing weapons and a demon’s scowl before pouncing on said victims are often considered criminals. Just so he’s clear on that particular subject.”

Darah would have continued her tirade if the green-haired man had not begun talking. She was taken aback when she realized that the man was a half-elf, much like she herself. How had she missed that earlier? She had never met another half-elf before; or even a full elf for that matter and now found herself to be rather curious. She was surprised by his obvious kindness, yet when considering his previous actions perhaps it wasn’t so peculiar.

“…Riea, you and Lady Nera here grab Miss Thief there.”

“Huh?” Darah blinked in surprise and felt a flush remembering her earlier actions, and how she had just accused Phaen of being a criminal. ‘Well murderers are still worse than thieves’ she reassured herself. That did little to help her situation now however. Although her spirit had returned in full force her body wasn’t quite functional yet. She hoped this half-elf was half as nice as he seemed, perhaps then she’d get out of this with her life.

Phaen replied to Darah with a threatening scowl, although it was surely lost on the girl due to his hood's obscuring shadow. He wasn't positive what she meant by "demon's scowl," but figured it was just some inflammatory remark.

He examined the contents of the flask he had subconsciously intercepted. The contents looked to be a healing potion, though you wouldn't need a clever alchemist to change such appearances. If he was indeed a sorcerer, Phaen inferred Kuroryu had the capabilities necessary to do it himself.

Despite those observations, he downed the entire vial. He didn't trust the man in the slightest, however he knew that he'd die of blood loss if nothing was done to mitigate the damage to his torso. Almost immediately, he felt a distinct chilling sensation be dispersed throughout his body, closing the cut above his brow and mending flesh, muscle, nerves, vessels and tissue until all that remained was a throbbing ache in his side.

He muttered some incoherent curse in demonic at Kuroryu, but proceeded to heft Geral over his shoulder with relative ease. While he was indeed strong for his size, it was his refined balance that allowed Phaen to carry the man without buckling under the weight.

(OOC: eee bad post! Edit: I was spelling Kuroryu wrong. ;;)

OOC: Ember, I can have Nera find Kalani if you wish or he could just bump into the ground on their way to/ or at the guildhouse

IC:
Nera walked over to Darah and knelt beside her, smiling gently at the now more confident young woman. She nodded briefly at Inariea, who replicated her gestures on the other side of Darah.

"We'll assist you in walking. Just put your arms over our shoulders and let us support your weight." Nera and Inareia each pulled an arm over their shoulders and slipped the other arm around the young woman's waist. They rose in concert with the two of them, the weight was much more manageable. Nera turned her head slightly to look over at Darah, the warm golden eyes taking in the woman's countenance. "Does it still hurt? Tell us if it starts to, then we can readjust our grip." She smiled again at the woman, peering over a shoulder at Phaen, who heaved the taller Geral easily over his shoulder. The potion must have been pretty potent. If Phaen was suffering, he wasn't showing it. Then again Phaen no doubt had a high tolerance for pain, he had still been fighting with that side injury. He seemed fine, but she might want to check in on him later.

The three woman moved forward together following after Kuroryu to the guild house. They must look like an unit returning from war.

"Kuroryu, sir, after we have settled these three, I would like to go look for Kalani. He was traveling with us and Inmreari's student. He wasn't taken with Fera."

"As the pretty lady requests." Kuroryu imitated the motions of a gentlemanly bow with his free hand, seeing as he could not do a proper one. "Inmri will be upset with me if I left his student running lost on the streets."

They did not have to walk long before they reached the guildhouse, which resembled a rather dismal monastery located at the end of a street to the edge of the place. A single dark red flag with the guild's crest flapped morosely above the building as a random breeze frolicked with it. The guard munching on a piece of bread glanced up as the group approached, and he nearly dropped his food in his surprise. "Back so soon, Kuroryu? What's wrong with Inmreari?"

"He's just sleeping to recover his energy, the idiot." The half-elf sorceror scowled at his younger brother's sleeping form, though there was no heat in the fierce expression. Motioning to the others with a wave of his hand, he spoke with a nonchalent tone. "There was an explosion, and Inmri's pals were injured. We have space here, Merais?"

"Of course. Ash Fire hasn't been causing us trouble for years, so our rooms are empty. And a bit dusty, if you don't mind. Come, I'll lead the way."

[OOC: Nope, I don't mind you using Elkasna. But it does seem that she got all over the place doing bad things, lol. Anyway, welcome to Dreamers, Shiju. ^^]

When he felt the last bit of the second warding spell settle around the building, Kuroryu turned towards the man he knew had been waiting for him to finish. "I have no idea why you guys like to bring every small thing to me whenever I step into a guildhouse. What is the matter now, Koeren?"

"A member of the Silver Dragon is here to speak with the guildmaster. He refuses to tell me his name, and wants information about the current events in this town." The old consultant's answer was flat, but Kuroryu was used to it. Koeren had always been on the grumpy side, ever since he was prohibited to do any physical duty due to his weakened legs.

"A member of the Silver Dragon? Correct me if I'm wrong but hadn't they tried to cut off ties with us after we refused to let them bring up Baby Joy? What sort of information would they want from us that they can't get from the town guards? Let me handle this, Koeren? I'm quite curious about our visitor."

Even then, he took his own sweet time to check on the sleeping Inmreari and Geral, threw a charming smile at the thief they took along with them, before he finally sauntered out to meet the visitor.

"The guildmaster that you seek is permanently located at the Main House in the Capital City of Keraeni. As the honorary advisor of the guild, I will try to provide whatever information you want, my anonymous friend of the Silver Dragon guild."

[OOC: I just mentioned the obvious casualty who couldn't be moving about, so the rest can be out doing something, somewhere... free time until my two sleeping beauties wake up. Oh, and after Kalani comes.]

(OOC: All right! I'll have to be posting sometime tomorrow though, because I'm going to be picked up for a day trip in about half an hour, and mostly was checking how things were going. Nera finding Kalani is fine with me, but like I said, I won't be able to post until tomorrow. But I will definitely be on it tomorrow; I already started the trio's part of the post yesterday.)

Phaen had made his way from the infirmary to one of the vacant pews facing a stage that looked as though it hadn't been an avenue of worship for ages. It must have been the part of the structure used for preaching, prayer and sermons. If a deity were once recognized and revered here, it's presence had dwindled into an eventual oblivion years ago. No tomes, statues, paintings or other evidence of servitude remained. Maybe the entire monastery served as a religious front for the guild, until the cause for discretion had vanquished.

Whatever the reason, Phaen appreciated the progeny of it's demise. Unabated silence blanketed the entire vicinity. His side still pulsed unconfortably as he sat, but the resounding affliction wasn't of enough consequence to interject a voice of it's own in his chorus of thought.

He was absently toying with the frayed ends of leather that, as a result of Darah's flurry, now opened in places to reveal a semi-transparent rendition of his right arm. Phaen felt nothing as his fingertips trailed over his own ethereal form. Phaen was lost in one of the few childhood memories he could brandish as happy and comforting. It wasn't something he was accustomed to, reminiscing. Not only did he consider the idea foolish, but he had blocked out much his past.

His adolescent form clung to the figure of a teenage girl. They were in an alley sparsely populated with a mere handful of others who had no home. Sheets of rain poured from the angry, billowing clouds overhead and splashed carelessly upon the stragglers who had been refused admittance to already occupied shelter. Phaen was soaked, but the affectionate embrace of his older sibling seemed to drive away the freezing cold. His face was lost amongst the velvety strands of her hair. Despite the weather, her body seemed to emit sanctuary in the form of a dry, relaxing warmth as though he were basking in the sun of a bright, cloudless day.

When the assassin returned from his reverie, the perverted projection of his sister was straddling his lap and smiling teasingly, as though she knew the exact moment he was recounting. Phaen half jumped in surprise and half threw her off of him. She exploded into a cloud of dust just as his hands went through her body and he stumbled off-balance against the back of the pew in front of him.

He kicked it in frustration and looked about himself, only to find the room completely devoid of her image. Phaen growled low in his throat and clenched the rear of the now cracked pew tightly in both hands. After a moment, he closed his eyes in acceptance of defeat and sat back down, now filtering all notion of anything but emptiness.

(OOC: little hint at her true nature somewhere in there.)

OOC: not much for me to post

"Inariea, can you keep an eye on our friends here? I'm going to go to hunt for Kalani." At the cat girl's nod, Nera smiled slightly and left the group to recover. She soundlessly walked down the hallway towards the door to the outside. The ceiling was darkened with age and cobwebs clung to the higher parts, out of reach. A shabby red rug was sprawled across the floor, worn from heavy usage. She got the impression that the guild preferred to use its money on its various activities rather than interior decorating. Where did guilds such as these get their funding, donations from rich benefactors? Or was there some sort of profit from their activities. Nera's education had only covered magic workings and general education rather than the various organizations. It had probably had been another way that Elkasna and Celin prevented her from being able to seek out help. She shook her head. Damn them both. And now that dear child... Nera noted that Kuroryu was talking to an Elven man. She slide past both of them, with a smile and wave to Kuroryu to indicate she was going out. Nera strode towards the outside door.

"She really spread her influence everywhere eh?" Kuroryu murmured as he pressed two fingers to his own forehead. "So I wasn't the only one who felt Elkasna's magical signature."

"Pardon me?"

"Enough with that formal crap then. I'll be straight with you. Yes, Elkasna is involved in that explosion, and now I'm sure she helped cast whatever spell that was being cast. Yes, I have heard of Elkasna. She's my irresponsible mother, whom I'm hunting as well." Kuroryu gave Heru a smile. "The name's Kuroryu. Now, what's your story?"

Darah felt reassured by Nera’s kind demeanor and came willingly enough. After all, what would be the point in healing her only to harm once more? As they approached Darah was taken aback by the sight of the guild house. True, there had been not much upkeep in recent years; still, the building held a certain grandeur about it. It seemed familiar somehow. She did not know this specific building, yet it reminded her of something she had seen before. A chill ran down her spine and she shuddered. ‘No matter, it’s not important anyway.’ Regardless, Darah continued to find herself intrigued by the building. It was simple in design, but sturdy, and it was obvious a lot of work had gone into the building. The building must have been of an old make; fore it was of far better quality than anything else she had seen in the city. Quality always seemed to diminish with the years.

The two women set her down and the group dispersed going about their business, tending to the wounded and such. A short time went by and the half-elf, Kuroryu by name, passed her by. He smiled at the sylph as he went and she could feel her face flush a deep red. He was gone again before she even realized that she was blushing. ‘Get a hold of yourself woman,’ she chastised ‘you haven’t the time to be dallying about.’ Still… She shook her head to clear away the thoughts. “I need some air.”

She wandered about in search of a courtyard, admiring the architecture from time to time. The guild house itself was old and dust covered, the place felt vacant and Darah wondered how long it had been in disuse. There didn’t seem to be very many members, and those she did encounter continued about their business, paying her no heed. Despite the lack of religious artifacts the place seemed to be some manner of temple.

The young sylph frowned when she realized she wasn’t alone. She watched the man’s display half curious half irritated by his presence. Darah tried to remind herself that Phaen was dangerous, but her pride seemed to override her better judgment. The young thief called out to him. “Do you make it a habit of attacking just about anything you come across? You do seem to be having quite the tussle with that pew over there. I afraid it might be winning.”

Perhaps it was his preoccupation with the ghostly rendition of his deceased older sister, or his recollection of past events, but Phaen hadn't noticed any other presence until she spoke. That was a mistake he didn't plan on making again. He stood up to face her and his hands instinctively hovered in the vicinity of his dagger and short sword. The girl's method of attacking via projectiles wouldn't work as well in such tight quarters with ample cover.

"I hope you've came here for something other than pointless attempts at humor, or in any misled aspirations of actually killing me." Phaen was pointedly moving closer to the girl as he talked in a very slow tempo. He was taking the roundabout route that allowed most of his progression to pass through the darkest areas between the two. He favored the darkness, as it was where he operated at his prime effectiveness.

He continued until he was face to face with the attractive young lady, close enough that she could see his unwavering stare that was normally hidden by the shade of his hood. "So," he pressed, "what is it then?"

OOC: >> Umm, sorry but could you please put your posts through a word processor and spell check. I'm dyslexic and if the word isn't similar enough in structure to the real word, I can't read it. I don't have the ability to sound things out.

Darah frowned as the man approached. Just what was she doing here? The question was not directed only at her present situation, but her whole life up until now. What had she been doing up till now? In which direction was she headed? When she had been young there had been one goal to escape the gutter, to claw her way out, despite social standing and race. This she had accomplished, but to what end? Her life had lost all direction, which had lead to stagnation. She lived solely for the entertainment of others, with no purpose of her own. To further worsen matters her heritage left her alienated and isolated.

She was bitter and perhaps she transferred these feelings onto Phaen, breeding an intense hate despite having just met him. No, it was more than that. The man had brought her to the brink of death, and her experience had forced her to reexamine her life. While she was determined not to let it affect her and push such thoughts out of her mind there was a lingering fear, it hung silently in the background of all her thoughts. The fear that all she had done till now was meaningless, that her whole existence had served no purpose and in the end there would be no one to even remember her. It was true that she came upon the man by chance, but it had been her choice to approach him, she could have just as easily walked away. She hadn’t and she was beginning to understand why.

“What do you live for? What is it that makes your existence worthwhile?”

Certainly a warrior of his caliber had experienced life and death situations before and would have suffered similar introspection. Maybe she was overestimating the man. She was undoubtedly overestimating his patience in approaching him. It surprised her how little she cared, perhaps because if he had no answer for her then her life served little purpose. If she held no meaning then the blade would be a preferable reply.

[OOC: I hope you don't mind my using of your char, Shiju. And welcome again, Hamina.]

"A spellsword eh? That's rare around here, but no doubt helpful. Especially when she has joined up with a group of powerful mages. As to why I'm hunting her... that's a story for another time. I've never thought of her as my mother, if you want to know. Anyway, welcome onboard, mate."

Right after he finished his reply, he heard the sound of somebody at the door and as she spotted them, she came closer and began to speak. "Hello there, lady elf. Are you sure you're at the right place? Normally, you search for the Magicians Guild for help on dealing with wayward magic-users. Or the high and mighty Sorcerors Council."

Heru cut in at this point of time. "Is there a chance it's Elkasna's doing? She is known as a witch sometimes."

The half-elf sorceror frowned. "All this time while you're hunting her, have you known her to just attack a village if there was no purpose behind it? It is no doubt an act that will expose her whereabouts, or at least, her trail."

"But hasn't she done it today, with the explosion? Perhaps there is a reason behind this attack of her village?"

"Good point." Kuroryu turned to the elf girl again. "Do you have a description of this witch you speak of? Or the reason why she attacked your village? If she happens to be the person we're trying to find, we may be of some help."

[OOC: I hope this works. If it's Elkasna, she sure is spreading her evilness around. She's doing a bit too many things... isn't she?]

The response was far from what Phaen expected. Not only had Darah answered his question with a question, the reply was entirely awry of anything he could've thought she'd say. He didn't need to note the clamour in her lingering azure glance to tell that something was bothering her.

Something about that uncertainty, that pervading fear, beckoned for him to leap onto her at that moment of crippling weakness and decimate her very existance. Maybe it was because of his own worry that he wanted to reach out and destroy what he didn't want to become. Maybe that could deter the seemingly inevitable demise of everything he'd worked to accomplish.

If she asked the same of him two years ago Phaen wouldn't have known how to respond. He lived merely to survive. He killed to survive and he was exceptionally well at what he did. He wasn't the best, but Phaen had scribed his worth as above almost all others of his class.

His experience in the abyssal plane of hell had changed all of that. He was only dead for a few days, but time existed in chaotic fluctuations after death. He had no idea how long he'd been there. All Phaen was sure of is that it felt like centuries. Not centuries of luxurious life -- no, they were filled with unrelenting torture at the hands of merciless, demonic beasts. And so, his response reflected as such.

"I live because the alternative is far worse than you could ever imagine."

That was the driving force behind his passion for life, the fear of once again returning to the pits. Unfortunately for Phaen, some of hell came with him in several forms.

He didn't bother waiting for Darah to say something in return. Instead, he moved around her and left her alone in the room. He could hear faint echos of voices that seemed to have congregated into some sort of discussion toward the entrance to the monastery. His curiousity led him there where he proceeded to listen in on the conversation.

(OOC: Sydra asked nicely. How can she possibly respond to your posts if she can't understand what you're saying. I'm risking being an ass here, but it's hard not to when you totally disregard her request... especially when it was totally warranted.

Before you (Hamina and Shiju) post, at least have the courtesy to run it through spellcheck. If you don't have them on your computer you can do it for free at:

http://www.spellcheck.net
http://www.grammarstation.com/index.htm (Actually checks for both grammar and spelling.))

OOC: it's Sel's rp not mine and she has already accepted you. ^-^ I don't have much trouble with grammar errors. God knows I'm not particularly good with grammar myself. I can read when "Surprised" is spelled "Surprized", they are close enough.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courtyard
Isn't wiki great. ^-^ I use it all the time for weaponry and armor referrences.

Ember? ^-^;

[OOC: Well... making your post understandable to others is sort of one of more important things in roleplaying. If somebody feels that it's not, try to improve, hm?]

Kuroryu groaned outright at Heru's sabotage, and muttered a good deal of vulgarities under his breath before he turned to Hamina with an obviously forced smile. "Unfortunately, I'm not as wise as he says, and the information is too vague, so we'll have to take a trip to your village to have a look before we can really know."

"But," he continued quickly before the girl could say something, judging by the grateful light in her eyes, "we are not able to set off for your village right away because of other business. And if the witch is not whom we are looking for, I'm afraid you'll have to find somebody else to help you."

Giving the lady elf some tiime to absorb what he said, "So... do you still want our help? And do you have a name to go by?"

[OOC: Short, but to the point. Ember, ya posting yet?]

Darah felt at a loss and remained as she was for quite some time. He had spoken as if he had known death rather intimately. Had he spent a life surrounded by it? He seemed like a hardened man, lonely even. She surmised that he had likely lost those close to him.

Perhaps in life there were no easy answers. Realizing this she felt emboldened. It was true that nothing in life was easy, especially so in her case. Why had she expected this to be any different? What if Phaen had given her a simple cliché answer such as love, truth, or justice? Such things would mean little to her, and may have even lead her to feel more dejected. He had not however, and this was what she had needed. Not superficial answers and gentle reassurances but truth, cold, and often hurtful truth. His reasons were not her own, and likely would never be, they were far too different. Those reasons did, nevertheless, lead her to realize that she would need to discover her own reason to be and that no one else could give her the answers.

She recalled her childhood briefly. The small group of orphans she had run about with, those she had considered her comrades. Even from them she had hid her heritage in any way possible. In spite of this there had been good moments, times when she felt like even she belonged. And whenever one of group complained about the state of their lives, their leader, a scruffy brown-eyed boy by the name of Curio, would reply. “Life is what you make it; to blame anyone else is admitting defeat.” They all doubted it was something he had come up with himself; still, they admired his philosophy and repeated it to themselves whenever times got hard. She did so now and steeled her resolve. The young sylph did not know where she would begin but quickly realized that her survival would have to come first. At the moment survival required that she find herself a job. “Damnation.” She cursed and wondered if she should inquire about work in the guild house.

(OOC: I'd like to post, but there's not much of anything for me to do right now.)

Kalani was lost. He’d never been to such a large place before, and it was confusing him. The place had winding streets that tapered off into dead ends. There had been a few of those where he came from, but there seemed to be an uncanny amount of them around here. And then there were the masses of people swarming about all the time. It was getting more than a little annoying, especially with some suspicious looks being thrown his way from time to time.

Eventually, Kalani and Kit made their way to a food place that didn’t seem too expensive and Kalani took a seat, with Kit lounging comfortably at his feet. Kit normally would’ve had a seat on Kalani’s lap, but it would have attracted more attention, he was sure.

As he sat awaiting his meal, Kalani reviewed things lately. He was learning magic, which pleased him—though he felt guilty that it wasn’t his father teaching him. He wanted to find his father before anything happened to him. But then his thoughts wandered to the group. He didn’t have many attachments to them thus far. They all seemed rather distant—or was that him again, only sub-consciously. He wasn’t sure. But he did know that he had a habit of not getting close to strangers. About the only ones he liked so far were his magic instructor and that kid with the unfortunate fate.

Kalani was still troubled by that kid’s fate. He didn’t see anything good happening from it, so why had the people responsible even gone through it? They must have been crazy. Or at least that mage lady was. Kalani shivered. He never wanted to meet her. And if he did… Well, at first he thought he’d want to kill her, but he had a feeling he was merely an ant under her shoe when it came to power.

The food arrived, and Kalani began eating, sharing scraps with Kit as he always did. His thoughts were still on the disturbing possibilities when he saw a familiar face coming towards him.

~*~

The trio had finally left that cold area where they had met their certain someone. Well, after their run-in with the strange man with whom Firefly seemed to hold a grudge. As the three of them sat in a small, cozy little restaurant, staking out that kid whose father was important. Whose father had gotten mixed up with the person they really needed to stake out, but it had been deemed too dangerous to go to the actual tower to check things out.

“Why’d ya get so weird, eh, Firefly?” Ferrin asked, eating with a speed that would have choked most people. Firefly still looked as though he was holding the grudge.

“He killed my firefly,” he said, as though it was obvious. When he said nothing more, and simply pushed his meal around on his plate, Acacia and Ferrin exchanged looks. Ferrin shrugged and shoveled the rest of his meal into his mouth as though he hadn’t eaten in weeks. Acacia went back to his own meal with less zeal. He was wearing a cloak so that Kalani wouldn’t notice him.

“You should’ve weaseled your way into their group, Acacia. He would have forgiven you if you didn’t show up to the meeting,” Ferrin said, pushing his plate away and rubbing his full belly. Acacia watched him, waiting for it. Ferrin let loose with a loud belch, then grinned. “’Scuse me.”

Firefly looked away, setting his chin in his hands.

“Is he going to mope all week about that?” Ferrin stage whispered to Acacia. “It was just a stupid bug.”

“He was scrying through that stupid bug,” Acacia told him, in all seriousness. He couldn’t believe how stupid Ferrin was sometimes.

“So?” Ferrin looked puzzled, and even looked to Fellis for help. The cat blinked her eyes lazily before flicking her gaze in another direction.

“So, he suffered its death,” Acacia said patiently. “Didn’t you learn anything from Instructor Pieros?”

Ferrin paled. “Wow, that bad, huh? Why didn’t you just say something, Firefly?!”

Firefly shrugged, listlessly blinking. He didn’t have anything to say on the subject. He just wanted Ferrin to give the subject up.

“Sooo, I heard a lotta stuff went down and that kid got kidnapped,” Ferrin said. He quit talking when he saw a woman enter the restaurant and go over to Kalani. “Shhh, they might say something!”

Both Acacia and Firefly looked at Ferrin. Ferrin shrugged and said, “What?” The other two looked back over at Kalani’s table, ignoring the stupid mage.

(OOC: It's not much, but I have to get ready for work...)

The wind surged around her. Her eyes closed as she followed the wind magic in her mind's eye. She soared above the crowds as a gentle breeze. The wind flew down through an open window. It swirled gently around the quarter demon and dissipated. Nera smiled slightly and jogged off in the direction of the restaurant. The sound of her boots hitting the cobblestone were obscured by sound of the crowds. She slowed down as she entered the busy street, turning sideways, she slipped through the crowd. Occasionally, she nudged people aside as she moved, receiving curses in reply.
She entered the restaurant, the hostess smiled at her.

"Miss, would you like a table?"

"No, I'm here to meet with someone, excuse me," she said, smiling in return to the woman and disregarding any other comments she had to say. Nera made her way towards Kalani. He seemed to be enjoying his meal. The fox was nestled at his feet. She quietly sat down in the chair on the other side of his table.

"Sorry to bother you when you are breaking your fast." She nodded down at his food, her troubled expression warning him. "I don't want to talk about it too much here in this public place, but." She sighed, leaning forward. "Fera has been abducted, everyone else is at the Scarlet Dragon guildhouse. We need to formulate a plan. So I suggest that you come with me to the guildhouse. Perhaps you could get the remainder of your meal wrapped up to take with you? Sorry again."

“Sure, it’s no trouble,” Kalani said, swallowing his recent bite of food with difficulty. He was puzzled and more than a little freaked out by the little news he’d already heard. Fera had been abducted? That was impossible… Well, not really, but it wasn’t good news in any way. For some reason, Kalani felt so shocked by the news, he was more numb than anything else. He was sure his anger would kick in once the reality of it sunk in. He wasn’t sure if he really wanted to hear the rest or not.

Kalani hailed a waitress down, and asked her if he could take the rest of his meal out. She immediately gave him a box and his check, which he paid. Then he and Kit and Nera were out of there.

Kalani didn’t chance asking anything on the streets either. He could wait until they’d met back with the others at some guild house.

~*~

Watching the two—and the fox—leave the restaurant, Firefly frowned slightly, while Ferrin slapped a hand onto the table. “Well! What do you know? All she said was what we already know!”

“I’m sure anyone who knows anything knows he’s been kidnapped,” Acacia said offhandedly. Firefly summoned one of his fireflies to follow the pair, fervently hoping that it wouldn’t be crushed so callously again. Acacia sighed and twirled a strand of hair around his finger.

Ferrin sat up straighter. “Maybe me or you could try being the spy for that group, since they don’t know us.” He was looking at Firefly. Firefly looked back at him with a steady gaze for a long moment, until Ferrin had to look away. “What? It was just an idea.”

Acacia suppressed a laugh. Ferrin really could be quite stupid.
(OOC: Forgive me if it lacks quality... I just got back from work--I got off at midnight--and I'm bushed.)

The conversation he'd attended from afar hadn't exactly blossomed with the fruition of information. There were a few points that Phaen noted, but nothing that really merited an overhead evaluation of tactile advancement.
Apparently, this place was a beacon for elven-kind, as those of sylvan heritage seemed to flock to the gloom infested guildhouse. The arrival of two newcomers was relevant only in that he had to be aware of their presence, ability, and possible motives.

It was always good to have a contingency plan, and when new factors were introduced the equation often had to be manipulated or even re-worked in it's entirety. Of course, Phaen didn't actually have a plan. With every sunrise, several extrinsic influences clawed out of their confines and threw themselves into the never stagnant group with which he travelled. This prohibited the culmination of any such contingency. Not that Phaen couldn't move without and invoke a solution to spontaneous circumstances. He'd done so many times before, but thinking ahead was always convenient.

That reminded him of his poison. Elkasna only allowed him to procure enough, never extra. He'd need to locate an herbalist in order to acquire the necessary ingredients. Even then it'd take a week before he could cultivate a vial of the two he'd used. The two that remained were trivial in their purpose. They'd only work as a hinderance to an assailant.

He decided he'd head back to the infirmary where the group had previously congregated. Hopefully, they would've agreed upon some direction for advancement. Unfortunately, when he got there he was only welcomed by a burrowing glare from Inariea, who watched over the resting forms of Inmreari and Geral.

Phaen decided to wait there, so he returned a mischievous smile to Inariea and pulled a chair up beside Inmreari's bed. "I hope you'll be a loving sentry for me, as well," he remarked, before resting his head against the cool, stone wall behind him.

As the pair headed out into the crowds, Nera offered to take the packaged food so that Kalani could carry the fox, preventing the creature from being trampled. Nera took Kalani's free hand in her own, so they wouldn't get separated. She kept her pace slow to minimize the inevitable jostling. After getting through the busier parts of the town, she released his hand smiling in relief.

"Even for me, the sheer number of people can be overwhelming. The guild house is this way." Kalani set Kit, who had begun to squirm, back on the street. Nera led the way to the aged building. "Inmreari is probably still resting. So don't be alarmed. Geral suffered some minor injuries but will mend soon enough," she said as they entered the building after being nodded in by the guard outside. Kuroryu was in more or less the same position she had last seen him, however the Elven man was gone and now replaced with a woman. As she walked towards him, she noted his expression was somewhat strained. A tiny frown formed on her lips.

"Kalani, if you want to check in on Geral and Inmreari, the infirmary is down that hallway, third door on the right," she murmured, nodding in the direction of the room, then promptly strode over to Kuroryu.

"Is something a matter?"

Kuroryu half-turned towards Nera and his frown relaxed somewhat. There was something about her that could make a person relax, and although he was not sure if that was a good thing or not, it definitely helped at that moment. "I take it you found Kalani? Good, now Inmri won't panic too badily when he wakes up. As for your question, something is the matter."

Briefly, he summarised all that was said when she was out, and ended it all with, "So I'm now thinking of consenting to helping this lady who still hasn't tell me her name yet, without accepting her proposal to help us yet."

Nera's face turned thoughtful, "Why not accept her help?"

"Because even you and the sinister guy don't know why Geral, Inmreari and Fera are on a journey, do you? I'm not inclined to get unrelated people involved in the mess now, even though Elkasna is involved." Kuroryu sighed. "But to be honest, it all depends on what Geral and Inmri has to say about this. But lady elf, we'll visit your village tomorrow. Is that fine with you?"

[OOC: Kuroryu's a little frustrated, but he'll be okay.]

Kalani nodded when Nera told him where to go, then took off in that direction. He wondered why they were in the infirmary. Well, he could guess; it wasn’t like they would just let someone waltz out with Fera, valuable as he was. But what he didn’t know was the nature or extent of the injuries. He hoped it wasn’t serious.

When he got to the door of the infirmary (he had to ask a woman outside if it was, indeed the infirmary) he paused with his hand ready to open the door and thought better of his decision. He’d better knock, just in case. For politeness’s sake, Kalani rapped on the door.

~*~

Firefly’s little bug companion stayed mostly out of sight while following the pair. It ended up trailing the girl rather than the boy, for she seemed to be having a more serious conversation; that and Firefly directed it to do so.

~*~

“BORING!” Ferrin whined as the three of them took to the streets. “Why do we have to do that???”

“Because I said so,” Acacia said, playfully sticking a tongue out. “You and Fellis take that way,” he pointed to the marketplace. “I’ll go to the town hall and scope out politics. And Firefly will go toward the guild house.”

“Not fair! BOO!” Ferrin slammed a thumbs down in front of his face. “I don’t want the boring old marketplace! Why can’t I go to the guild house?!”

“Because you’re not discreet.”

Ferrin spun to face Firefly, but he was already walking off, hands in his pockets.

“ARGH!” Ferrin slammed his fist down and stomped a foot impatiently. “NOT FAIR!”

“Calm down, you’re making a scene…” Acacia said flatly. Indeed, a lot of people were giving them odd stares. Most of them looked like they’d like to kick Ferrin’s ass. Ferrin shoved his hands into his armpits, crossing his arms. He was definitely pouting. Acacia moved his face away as though he was scanning the crowd, though he was really hiding an amused smile. Once he had regained his composure, he turned back. “Let’s do our jobs. We’ll meet back up at the ghost hippo.”

Ferrin’s eyes lit up. “Heheh… I came up with that one!”

“Yes, yes…” Acacia tried not to roll his eyes and instead made a shooing motion. “Now GO!”

“Yes, sir!” Ferrrin saluted, then scuttled off. Acacia watched him go, then a strange smile curved his lips.

"Hmph. That's no longer called 'helping', lady, that's just being nosy. And you ought to learn that keep your nose where it belongs is what keeps you alive, most of the time." Kuroryu smirked unpleasantly, obviously displeased with Hamina's obstinance. Then he turned around, his robes swirling around him. "Do as you please. We'll set out for your village tomorrow morning after the sun rises."

Following behind him, Nera spoke up, "What if it really is Elkasna?"

"Doing all that to the nosy lady's village? What can we do, really? Except figure out why she wants that thing she stole, of course. No matter what, I'm not inclined to take the priestess with me, Elkasna or not. Nor am I going to be stuck in her village mending damage." Kuroryu rolled his eyes, though Nera could not see it. What she could tell, was that his tone changed as he continued. "To be honest, I'm more concerned with what Inmri and Geral wants to do when they wake up. The precious child has been kidnapped, and I imagine they will want to get him back."

"Nera! Inmri's awake and he's asking for his brother!"

Kalani's yell may not have made it to the opposite side of the town, but it came close. But it fulfilled its purpose as Kuroryu went running towards the infirmary. Typical to his twisted personality, he slowed and tried to contain his breathing as he stepped into the room, looking as though he strolled there with the speed of a turtle. That was, if one did not notice the quick motion of his chest.

Kuroryu came to the side of the bed and frowned as he checked his brother's condition. "I thought you would sleep longer."

"Would have, if you did not soothe away most of my backlash." Inmreari smiled impishly when he saw Kuroryu's face twitched. "I know I know, you merely want me to get well quicker so we can get into business as soon as possible."

Kuroryu cleared his throat. "Exactly. But I'm afraid we'll still have to wait. Geral's injuries are healed, but he's still in magical shock. I can't do much about it because of his natural high resistance, but he's recovering quite quickly, as far as I can tell. My guess is, he'll wake up before the evening meal."

Like an obedient dog trained to respond to certain words, Inmreari's stomach grumbled loudly before the sound of Kuroryu's last word could even fade. His face turned a shade of red as the others responded with various degree of amusement, with the half-elf sorceror being the worst, laughing out loudly.

"As Inmri's tummy so kindly suggested, should we get our midday meal too?"

[OOC: Okay... just establishing the time and moving things on a bit.]

He trained himself to be a light sleeper. Hence, Phaen was awake before Kalani's knock on the door, the tanari's footsteps acting as an alarm. After Kuroryu spoke to his half-brother, it was decided that they'd go and eat while Geral maintained his steady recovery.

He really wasn't hungry in the slightest. He'd rather have sat there alone, but Phaen thought it'd be best to join anyway. It was likely they'd converse over their next course of action and he wanted to be there for that exchange.

Phaen trailed the group who had now been joined by Darah to the guild's dining hall. It was as unkempt as the rest of the building he'd been allowed access to, not that he couldn't circumnavigate most any magical or mechanical impedance using his thieving skills. In the middle of the hall there was a lengthy, oaken table set with twenty-four chairs that looked as though it weighed a ton. The room itself was impotently adorned with nothing more than two flowing banners portraying a massive, crimson dragon with wings outstretched, as though it were about to exhale a fiery cloud of incendiary breath.

He opted for a corner chair at the far end of the room. That way his back was to the wall and he was facing what, without further inspection, was the only entrance. He removed the hood from his head, allowing his neglected, umber hair the freedom it rarely observes. Phaen wondered if they'd have anything to drink. He was mentally exhausted and his side still rang in defiance of comfort. The past days had been cumbersome and demanding. Although it wasn't something he regularly indulged in, he wouldn't mind something to temporarily shield him from their impression.

Phaen realized that everything seemed to function as a deprication to his discipline recently. At this moment, however, he really didn't care.

“Well, I got food already…” Kalani pointed somewhat sheepishly at his wrapped meal (which he’d obtained back from Nera at some point, I’m sure) as the others left to go eat. Kit was perched on the bed, two paws up, as he looked at Inmreari and whined. He nudged his hand and whined again.

“Don’t mind him,” Kalani said. “He’s just worried…” he didn’t say the rest, because he knew that Inmreari was also worried about Fera. Instead, he held the food out. “You can have this… If you’d like. It’s still warm.”


(OOC: I know it's short, but I didn't know what else to write and I'm in a bit of a hurry.)

OOC: haha, I completely forgot about the food, let's just she gave it back to him after he put Kit down on the street. XD


Nera chuckled lightly at Inmreari's embarrassment. As the group begun to head to the dining hall, Nera paused, letting the others pass her. After they had all exited the infirmary, she walked over to where Geral was resting. She shouldn't had gone out that morning. Perhaps if she had been in the building she could have prevented Fera from being abducted. The cynical part of her mind suggested that she might have just been added to the list of injuries without being able to help the child. She sighed, shaking her head at the unknowns.

At any rate, Fera was gone. They would have to figure where Elkasna or those sorcerers of the tower of Babel had taken the child. As for the Elven lady, while she doubted the woman had anything to do with the abduction, somehow for Elkasna to do that didn't feel right. Elkasna had more interest in the magic abilities of individuals than objects. She also had her hands full enough with the abduction of Fera. Yet the timing was so close that it seemed unlikely it was merely a coincidence. A decoy or a trap? Elkasna's actions tended to be more blunt. The Tower of Babel may have some involvement perhaps, but she didn't know enough to make a judgment. Another sighed escaped her lips. Nera peered down at the still form in front of her.

"Apologies Geral," she said softly and turned to join the others in the dining hall.

"Well, you can still join us. No harm in eating more." Inmreari's palm landed on Kalani's shoulder, and then on Kit's furry head, before he pushed himself off the bed, wobbling slightly. Inariea hovered beside him, ready to catch him if he so much as leaned in the wrong direction. "Let's get going."

"I'll make you stay in the bed if you fall." Came the dry uncaring comment from a caring brother.

Inmreari grabbed his staff and the half-feline girl to stable himself and grinned triumphantly at his brother, who made a sound like a snort and headed for the dining hall. The magician stuck his tongue out childish at his brother's departing back, before he carefully made his way towards the exit. The scent of food however, was incentive enough that he quickened his footsteps considerably. His drum-like stomach had already embarrassed him once, there was no need for a second time.

The meal provided was surprisingly good, for such a dilapidated guildhouse, and Inmreari ate an even greater share than normal to recover his energy lost. When he was not busy stuffing his face full, he asked about what had happened while he was asleep, which Kuroryu responded by sighing and answering in the way one would recite a boring speech.

"... but I feel that you and Geral still need to rest and shouldn't to trouble yourself with a trivial matter such visiting a village and investigate. To be frank, I don't think Elkasna is involved, but I can't tell if the Tower is involved, that is mainly the reason why I want to go down and check."

Inmreari swallowed the mush inside his mouth, "It's worth checking out. But I think it is more urgent and important to do something about Fera."

"What do you think you can do, even at full strength? Sure, we know where he is, and Geral can lead the way. But what can you do?" Kuroryu shot back quickly. "Even if they didn't join up with Elkasna, there are still at least a dozen of corrupted twisted magicians and sorcerors in that blasted Tower, and each of them stronger than last. And right now, all their eyes will be on that kid, if he is as powerful as you say he is."

"He is. I may not be as good as you, brother, but I know when I witness power that is so great that it should not even exist. And he's growing stronger as we speak." Inmreari replied solemnly, with Inariea nodding beside him.

Exasperated, Kuroryu sighed. "I'm not doubting you, idiot. I will gladly forget about Elkasna and give my life to get him out of those Babel mages' reach, but that won't help at all. All of us here can do that and it won't help a bit. I'm asking you what you think you can do and will work."

Inmreari did not answer, but instead, chose to indulge in his roasted chicken and consider Kuroryu's question seriously. Kuroryu too, fell silent and sipped at his tea. It came as a surprise when Inariea chose to break the silence.

"I think... it's time to decide on something else more important." She continued once she got everyone's attention. "If Nera and Phaen are to come with us, it's time they know the purpose of our quest."

When asked by one of the guild house members to enjoy a hot meal Darah had eagerly accepted the invitation. Not having eaten much in the past few days had left her drained and famished. As she was lead to the dining hall the pleasant aromas wafted her way. Poison was usually the first word that came to mind whenever someone offered Darah food. This time, however, she found herself not caring overly much, if at all. If I die I shall die sated! She thought to herself cheerily. She was joined by the group from earlier and found herself to be somewhat distressed in the presence of so many, especially since she knew the names of so few. They all seemed rather peculiar to themselves, and she felt they were all very skilled in one fashion or another. She certainly knew that Phaen and Sainera were. There was also the attractive half-elf who had caught her earlier. More alarming was the sight of a half-demon, though he looked to be little more than a child. She tried to settle her nerves and got to eating. The food was rather good, and to one who was on the point of starvation it was a true feast. Darah gave a satisfied sigh when she was done. The atmosphere of the dining hall had been cheery before, but now it took on a serious tone. The group, who seemed to be adventurers or an organization of some sort, we’re discussing a sorceress and another group of magic users. The names they used seemed familiar but again she couldn’t quite place where she had heard them before. The conversation made her feel uncomfortable, she wasn’t related to this group and it certainly wasn’t her place to eavesdrop.

“I think... it's time to decide on something else more important.” The feline spoke up, the room settled and she continued. “If Nera and Phaen are to come with us, it's time they know the purpose of our quest.”

Darah got up to leave; this conversation was definitely not for her ears. As she quietly slipped away a boisterous elf made a rather bold entrance. His arrival covered her escape but she still found herself wrinkling her nose. She had had bad experiences with full blooded elves, usually of the genocidal disposition.

She gave her thanks to the chefs on the way out and continued on till she had exited the guild house. Sighing softly she leaned against the cool stone her eyes turning to the pastel sky. The guild couldn’t offer any work, they were a somewhat secretive bunch. She could understand where they were coming from but it left her at a loss.

“So now what?”

[OOC: It's actually Inariea who was speaking, Shiju. ^^; I'm not sure how to continue from here because my part will be bloody short. Can somebody else do the honour?]

OOC: sorry for the late reply, midterms this week.
IC:

Nera had ate sparingly, her appetite affected by events of the morning. There was much more on her plate than she could possibly eat. She disliked wasting food, but was unable to push herself to eat more so she ended up finishing before the others and pushing her food around her plate.

"I think... it's time to decide on something else more important." She continued once she got everyone's attention. "If Nera and Phaen are to come with us, it's time they know the purpose of our quest."

"I'm willing to assist if you allow me," Nera said instantly, smiling over at Inmreari and Kuroryu. Fera still weighed on her mind. Inmreari had given her back her life when he had freed her. She was quite willing to aid him and his friends despite the probable risks. She was about to say more when they were interrupted. She recognized the elf as the one she had saw talking to Kuroryu earlier. Her face fell into a neutral expression as she gauged the reactions of those around her to the man's approach.

"I knew she'll say that." Kuroryu grumbled. "And no doubt psychotic stealth boy over there will say the same. And it's likely because there's a high chance that we'll find and deal with Elkasna somehow. Ha! If only everything is so simple."

"Kuroryu is right." Inmreari nodded and swept the area around his mouth once for crumbs. "True, Elkasna has gotten herself officially involved in what we set out to do initially. And Lihen Celin too. But the whole matter is more than that. As my brother had said earlier, we are dealing with the Tower of Babel, a group of magicians that is so evil and powerful that nobody dares to do anything about them. And now that they have their hands on Fera and cooperating with Elkasna, they are more powerful than ever."

"Glad you know that, little brother." Kuroryu sulked like a child would as he stuffed another mouthful of mashed potato into his mouth. "I'm even willing to approach the Council or even all the kings of the countries in this area to help out. It more or less concerns them, now that Fera's back in their hands."

"No. I will not allow that." A weak but clear voice rang out from the entrance, where a pale-faced swordsman leaned against the side of the door and panted. "We will not involve so many."

"Geral!" Inariea rushed to his side and helped him to the table even as the brothers stare at each other and him in surprise.

Kuroryu burst out, somewhat accusingly. "You're not even suppose to be awake!"

"Normally, yeah. But Fera did something to me before he was taken." Geral coughed as he sat down and laid his head down on his crossed arms on the table. "I'm now running a normal fever, but I'm alright."

"Fera did something?" It was Inmreari's turn to exclaim. "You mean... 'he' did something to you?"

"Yeah." Catching the real meaning behind the magician's words, Geral rubbed his heated forehead against an arm. "And 'he' told me what to do too."

Inariea interrupted before either of the magic-using siblings could inquire further. "I think that we should tell everyone here, including Mister Heruioshi, about what we are really doing. If you want to leave after that... it's still up to you. Geral... do you want to start or should I do it for you?"

"I'm not that weak, Riea." Geral smiled at her concern as he propped himself upright and began the story that was real.

[OOC: So Geral, Inmreari and Inariea will tell them all about Fera and Fury and the Tower's plans and everything. Nera, Phaen and Heruioshi will now know everything that Geral and co. knows. Kuroryu heard a summarized version so some of the details, he'll be a little surprised about, but he won't show it. Hamina and Darah still won't know. As for Ember's other chars... up to you. Okay, let's get the plot moving, ladies and gentleman.]

Kalani had ended up following the rest of the people to a table, and since nobody had wanted his wrapped food, he ate it himself, sharing with Kit, who sat in his lap and between bites, looked around as though he understood everything that was going on. He’d whine when he heard Fera’s name. But other than that, he was quite perky.

Kit yipped at a bug that circled over the party’s head. He looked agitated. Kalani swung at it absentmindedly, slightly annoyed that Kit was suddenly being misbehaved. Kit did like to play with bugs, but in the middle of a serious conversation? He was usually good about things like that. The bug flew off and Kalani forgot all about it.

Kit did not.

Kit continued to yip at it, where it now sat on the wall. Kalani frowned. “What’s wrong with you, Kit? Quit acting like that!”

~*~

Firefly could hear what was going on, and the fox was getting on his nerves. Not only did the little creature keep barking in the middle of important things, he was also getting his master, or whatever he was, to slap at him. Nobody had even noticed him until that fox had started up his incessant barking. In the tree where Firefly was crouched on a branch near the guild house, he closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on the words being said and any significant images the Firefly was sending him.

~*~

Ferrin, had…as was his clumsy nature, tripped on some old lady’s cane, and went sprawling across the marketplace, and into some guy’s barrel of fruit, which was now rolling around on the ground, bruised and battered. Ferrin felt the weight of the seller’s foot on the back of his neck. The man was cracking his knuckles and looking at him with an evil gleam in his eye.

“Eheheheheheh…I’m very sorry, sir, I…”

“My fruits…” the man said in a scary voice. “My fruits… are ruined…”

“But it was an accident! Sir!” he squeaked as an afterthought. Great, now he was gonna die, and he hadn’t even found anything out… Just as he was thinking this, Fellis had landed on the man’s face, gouging his forehead and nose painfully. Yowling in pain and trying to get the hissing cat off his face, the man stumbled backwards, giving Ferrin an opening to get out of there. Grabbing the man’s airborne foot, Ferrin shoved him backwards with all his strength, sending the man crashing back into another of his barrels. Quickly, Ferrin scrambled onto his feet and took off. Town guards were now showing up. “#####!”

Fellis skittered down a little-used alley, leading Ferrin into it. Ferrin slid to a stop before the alley’s opening, then took off down the alley, leaping haphazardly over a fence at the end. He ripped his robes on it, and he looked back at it mournfully. But he didn’t have time to retrieve it; the guards had noticed his path and were barreling down the alley, stepping an old hobo’s hand as they went.

“Agh! Why the hell does this always happen to me???”

~*~

Acacia stood almost imperiously outside the mayor’s office. He knew this mayor personally. He got a lot of information of this man, without stealthy bugs and infiltration. It was just a little thing called politics. See, the man had screwed a fairy at one point in his lifetime that coincided with Acacia’s apparent human age. With a little conniving on Acacia’s part, the man believed Acacia to be his son. Acacia smirked as he remembered his little act to get the man around his fingers. Acacia wondered if this was called shameless or clever?

Shortly, the mayor opened the door, he had once been a handsome man, but he wasn’t aging very well. What had been thick black hair at one point, was now graying and balding, especially towards the middle, though he wore a rug there to hide this balding patch. He had a regal nose, even now, and his eyes, once sparkling blue with mischief, were now tired, faded, and surrounded by crow’s feet.

The man let Acacia in silently, no words passed between them until the door clicked shut…

(OOC: Whatever they know already and what they find out isn't all up to me though. I don't even know everything they might know... ^^;; )

(OOC: mmm fairy sex... you always know what to say to me! kinda out of it cus of work)

Phaen regarded the entirety of the briefing with a level of attentiveness far dwarfed by indifference. He already knew enough of the current situation to articulate his own presumption. The details of why the child was so precious were just belated monuments in a map with the path already evident. He would've absorbed the content if it were vital to a mission, but he didn't hold any emotional ties or unfounded empathy for the boy. Maybe he would after Elkasna had her way with him, he thought absently; ignoring Kuroryu's rude proclamation of his interpretation of Phaen's mental health, an accusation he'd usually kill for as a retort.

He knew that their goal was essentially comprised of the same outcome as his. That's all he needed to bolster his inclusion as an ally in their conceited parade of righteousness. After his revenge was enacted, the fate of the fury or it's vessel was simply inconsequential. Phaen would have ridden himself of his preoccupation with that cambion of a woman and the satiation he needed as compensation.

At the present, however, he found it more attainable to sate his hunger with the delectable entree. And so he did, all the while absorbing the banter of his temporary comrades.

OOC: going to be a short post, studying. Change things if you need to.

IC:
Nera closed her eyes thoughtfully. It wasn't the sort of story she was expecting. It did clarify things. Combining a child with a fury? Those mages must be out of their minds.
"I see. The situation is more urgent than I originally thought then." Her eyes opened, she stared at her plate as though she had never seen it before. If Elkasna so despised the Tower, what in the Goddess' name did they bribe her with? She shooked her head slightly and sighed. "So Geral, you have a plan then? Oh before I forget."
She slipped her focus crystal from under her tunic. The crystal caught the light as it hung from its string. She tossed it to Kuroryu. "Do you keep focus crystals in the guild or know where I can buy a higher quality one than that? I'm limited by the crystal's strength."

[OOC: I have no idea what the heck happened, but Shiju and Hamina's posts seemed to have disappeared. I will try to find out what happened. In the mean-time if you guys wish to reference his posts, I managed to archive all except the most recent posts -> here (somewhere near the bottom).]

"So you two are still in?" Kuroryu caught the crystal and threw the question out with a faint tone of resignation. "What a bunch of fools. You could have lived longer, you know."

He sighed when he saw the determined expression on her face, and concentrated on examining the crystal. "Hmm... this one is not bad, but there's a bit of a fault here that will make it dangerous when casting more powerful spells. It's good for channeling normal level magic though. But you do need a better one. There's a shop in this place that sells stuff for sorcerers. Some of our guild's own will occasionally store focus stones in here, the quality varies. If you're lucky, I think we may even be able to find some Dragon's Breath Crystals."

"Dragon's Breath Crystal... you mean those that were magically created by the dragons' fire?"

"More like when those scaly baby blast at rocks for fun, but yeah." Kuroryu grinned as he handed the crystal back. "I know how rare and expensive those can get. I've been offered the price of a very cozy mansion for mine. And the quality is guaranteed. But it's said that it is fate that allows you to have one, so let's see if lady luck is hovering behind you today."

Inmreari, who had been fussing over Geral along with Inariea, suddenly butted into the conversation. "Can you get one for Kalani? Not a Dragon's Breath Crystal, but a focus stone. Need not be a good one yet but one to see if he should be trained as a sorcerer or magician after he masters his basics."

"Ah yes... I almost forgot about him in all of this mess. The kid the lady went out to fetch and holler for me just now, the same one whose father is now running from the Tower too eh?" Kuroryu's sharp purple gaze landed on the quarter-demon. "No wonder his father was chosen, such strength in power. It'll be interesting to train you up to my level or even higher. It'll make me happy for twenty years just seeing the look on those high sorcerers' faces."

The magician stepped up on his request quickly. "So you'll get him one?"

"Consider it done, brother. But I'll need the details."

"Later. We have to discuss our plan of action." Geral coughed again and he took another sip of water under Inariea's watchful eyes. "Fera... or rather, the Fury in him, told me not to rescue him, but instead to find his soulmate. And to find her as soon as possible, because Fera and him won't last sixty days, at most. Before I was knocked unconscious by the blast, the Fury forcibly opened a complete soul-link to me, channeling a portion of their combined energy into me and my essence into Fera's body. In doing so, he deliberately caused the body's magical balance to become unstable, and the good thing is that the Tower magicians won't dare to do anything to him because of it. We will just have to pray that they can't undo what the Fury did with this."

A grim smile tugged at his lips, a sad but determined look in his blue eyes. "The bad thing is that if either of the Furies die, the other one and I will both die as well. Which is why we will have to reach the female Fury first, because she is our only way to reverse the situation. If she is captured by them, all is lost. And if, in the unlikely case that we manage to rescue Fera, my death will be able to return the magical stability to him and then we will proceed as previously planned. So in short, all we can do now, is get to the soulmate of Fera's fury."

[OOC: Geral is not aware of the side-trip the next day, or the fact that it is possible that the Tower of Babel is already after the female fury. But he does know that he needs rest and can't set out immediately. And that they need to restock and whatever they need to do, like get the focus crystal and stuff.]

(OOC: There's not really anything for me to do right now.)

Nera peered down at her hands, clasped in her lap. And if, in the unlikely case that we manage to rescue Fera, my death will be able to return the magical stability to him and then we will proceed as previously planned. She grimaced, even if they save Fera, Geral's fate was sealed? The child is so attached to him. Though she realized the situation had more stake than the individuals involved and that they all were risking their lives but to have Geral's outcome already decided was too sad. Perhaps she could think some other way. Nera merely sighed as she directed her attention to the Elf's dialogue.

"Necromancers?" Nera frowned, thinking back to her studies. "I did not study their magic too intensely as I would never be able to cast such magic successfully, however I don't think they would be anymore problematic than the other mages from the tower... Granted I know nothing of the tower's. From what I saw, animating corpses required injecting a bit of vitality into the body and using that one could control them." She pressed a finger to her lips meditatively, eyes cast downward. "If I was alone, casting an area spell, it should syphon off enough of the life energy to disable the bodies or cast a high enough area spell to removed both the life energy from the necromancers and obliterate the bodies, though that would be more expensive magic-wise," she muttered to herself. Suddenly aware of gazes falling on her, she looked up and gave Kuroryu a small smile.

"I guess we haven't really had time to discuss that. Elkasna was interested in me because of my rather unique type of magic. I can cast a type of magic that will drain life essence. When I cast it high enough to drain off all of the essence, the body decomposes into the basic elements it is made of. As a corpse has already started breaking down, it is easier for me destroy than a live person. Since my magic would be instantaneous if cast successfully, it would be better to use than a simple fire spell. If I were to keep breaking of all the bodies we come across into their components, the necromancers would run out of bodies to use at some point." She grimaced slightly, glancing at Geral. "For now, it would probably be best to focus on preparation for the journey ahead of us. If you will excuse me," she said with a smile. Nera stood up and stretched her arms above her head. She picked up her plate and dropped it off by the kitchen. Perhaps she would take a walk and give the others time to finish their meals.

OOC: XD I had no idea how to end this post, so clumsy.

Phaen ended his meal, albeit prematurely, only slightly after Nera had, and left the room to their plates in a similar fashion. He caught up to Nera as she was exiting the kitchen and stopped her with a firm, yet careful hand on her arm and a less than approving frown.

"I don't know what you're thinking, proposing you go ahead alone and overwhelming your magic reserves. You'd be vulnerable afterwards and that's just reckless. You don't know what else they could conjure, summon or call in the wake of your casting."

He took a pensive posture and looked away from Nera. "I doubt their ranks will be completely allocated to the undead and their respective kin. Sure, you could obliterate the bulk of their force, but what of the others? It's settled then. I'll have to come with you."

He followed that assessment immediately with a question, giving her no time for reply. "So, then, where were you heading? I'll accompany you."

Phaen didn't recognize the connection between mindless, animated corpses and himself. But he, as the zombies, was also the writhing offspring of necromancy, although multitudes more complicated and powerful.

(OOC: so forced)

Phaen's hand on her arm paused her forward motion. She blinked up at him in surprise. He had somewhat misinterpreted her intentions. She was unsure of this man and motivations. While she did believe he wished no harm to them, she had little idea of the depth of the relationships he wanted from the group. Was he just protecting his own interests by insuring his allies would not perish or was he demonstrating honest concern for them as individuals? Nera sighed and smiled hesitantly.

"I was just going to take a walk. I find that walking aids my thought process for some reason," she said, removing his hand from her arm gently with another smile to show she did not intend to insult. "By the way, I have no intention of attacking the tower by myself. It was more of a commentary to myself. When faced with a necromancer, it would be easier for me to take one out if I was alone because I would not have to worry about the effect of my spell on others or worry about warding them from my magic. That is, if I were to cast an area spell, which would be the easiest way for me to get rid of the corpses. If others are around me, I'd have to resort to single magical attacks, which would be slower. I know I have my limits." Nera started moving toward the door as she spoke.

Outside, the sun was almost flippantly bright. People rushed around on their numerous tasks. Nera avoided the more crowded streets, selecting smaller side roads. The sunlight felt pleasant on her skin, however it didn't lighten her pensive mood. They had wandered a decent distance from the guild house. She blinked as she noticed the distance the sun had travelled since they had left.

"That reminds me. I should set those wards around you. They'll last until morning. If you could stand still for a moment," she said pausing and turning around to face him. She closed her eyes and concentrated. Her mouth moved, but no sound was uttered. A faint blue light flared around him for a few seconds then faded. Nera chanted on for another minute, then opened her eyes.

"There, that should keep incorporeal entities from seeking you out and keep them from being visible to you. I added another spell for dreamless sleep, just in case. Let me know if it doesn't work." She frowned, shaking her head. "It should work, but I'm not sure exactly what we are dealing with. Anyways, perhaps we should head back before it gets completely dark."


OOC: all right, so Tenshi if you want, you can rp their return or if Phaen wants to stop by someplace that is fine too. Seluna, I'll leave the focus crystal thing up to you. A relative of mine died recently, so I'm just giving a heads up that I might be gone for a couple days sometime in the future to attend the funeral.


EDITTED: for time of day

Darah found herself in a forest, soft light filtering through the branches. She wasn't sure how she had gotten here but the alarm that usually consumed someone who was lost and confused did not reach her. Her mind felt clouded and foggy, nothing seemed to matter anymore, she felt peaceful almost. Her feet moved slowly over soft, powdery soil, a beaten path only she could see and feel. Where had her shoes gone? 'It matters not' came a soft voice. Yes, the voice, the voice was guiding her. The voice had led her away from the guild house, down the road past wayfarers and merchants, away from the city and into the cool glade. The voice guided her onwards still. It was soft and sweet, the voice, it would keep her safe, it would- A flash of terror and alarm seized her. Where was she? Why was she here? Darah looked about her frantically, her movements’ jerky, her mind fear stricken. 'Hush child.' The voice came again, and despite her best efforts her mind succumbed. All terror, all thought, all sense seemed to leak out of her until she was moving again. Her feet moving in perfect even steps, following the voice deeper and deeper into the mist. The trees parted before her, seeming to sway out of her way as she approached. She found herself before an embankment, forest on all sides. 'Come closer child, closer....’ the voice seemed to resonate from all around her and from inside her head at the same time. She stepped into the cool stream and again the alarm in her mind rang out, but it went unheeded as she waded deeper and deeper into the water. 'Closer...' The voice breathed barely more than a whisper now, and had Darah had the sense of mind she would have likened that hissing breath to the voice of a snake.

"What an optimistic bunch we have here." Kuroryu commented dryly as he drained his goblet empty, observing the others as they left. "I'm not even sure I'll live long enough to see the notorious black tower as a little dot in the distance."

Geral raised an eyebrow as he pushed his unfinished bowl of porridge away, despite Inariea's disapproving glare. "Low on confidence, Kuroryu?"

"You, of all people, should understand my thinking." Stabbing a finger in the swordsman's direction, Kuroryu grumbled as he refilled his drink. "I'm more worried about the magicians seeking the Phreya Fury."

"What?"

Inmreari blinked, then gasped and almost choked as realization hit him. "Oh dear gods! We forgot to tell you! Rudric told me to come here to confirm a few things on the Phreya Fury. Apparently some people there found what could be her nest, and also spotted suspicious characters hanging around."

"We think there's a high chance they are Babel magicians, looking for her."

Geral sighed heavily, dismal apparent in his sky colored eyes. "We should set off as soon as possible then."

"Perhaps, perhaps. But a nosey elf-girl got me and Heru there interested in an attack on her village, so the two of us at least will be leaving tomorrow to check it out." Kuroryu's sharp purple eyes shot at his brother's best friend. "While you will stay for at least a day and recover from whatever is making you ill. I don't care if the magical shock has been nullified by a bond with a Fury, but I don't want you dropping when you're the needed the most."

As if to prove the sorceror's argument, a cough escaped from Geral's throat and Inariea quickly stuffed a cup of water towards him.

"Fine, I get your point. But I doubt I'll take all week to get well, so maybe we can leave for Mount Phreya first."

"Deal. Besides, I know teleportation and you don't." Kuroryu deposited the goblet on the table as he got up. "Inmri, do you want to tell me more about Kalani's element or should I find out for myself?"

The magician grinned boyishly and clapped a hand onto his student's shoulder. "How about we let him show you himself?"

[OOC: Pwah. I think my roleplaying is start to suck. Tag, Ember!]

Phaen started to speak in protest, but Nera had already began her inaudible incantation. He wasn't sure he trusted the wards she'd impose wouldn't be more than what was promised, and he worked to hold trounce the urge to attack her chanting form and disrupt the spell. As her casting subsided and the azure radiation concluded it's resignation, Phaen was relieved to feel that he hadn't been bombarded by some magical intrusion.

He expected to feel different after Nera finished, yet he couldn't tell that anything had changed. He stared at her inquisitively for a moment and, after tossing several curious questions, brushed off the event entirely.

The two returned just as silently as they departed, sharing no conversation past Nera's post warding instructions. Phaen spent the travel time envisioning the inevitable rendevous with Fera's captors. It was something he counted on with bristling anticipation. He wanted to taste the delectable euphoria of serving death, the most ambrosial of all being that of Elkasna. He would savor her demise greatly, though he knew it wasn't something he couldn't aspire to accomplish in solitude.

When they were once again inside the monastery, Phaen thought it prudent to explain his pressed escort. "We were attacked in this town. Even if everything points to Fera's kidnappers having left, it isn't wise to travel alone. They could have paid anyone to secure our demise."

(OOC: Still suxing in my RPing. We needa do somethin!)

((OOC: Okay, I'm back, but I'm really tired, and going to sleep really soon and have work tomorrow, BLEH. But I'll be posting probably sometime maybe tomorrow, but more likely Thursday; I'm gonna have a long day at work ~~;; Just wanted to let you know my net was back in action))

(OOC: Heheh, your avatar is from that scene in Xenogears, right? I loved that. Aside from Shadow Hearts 2, I have yet to see video games that portray scenes like that. And I'm not counting stupid games like Playboy Mansion or whatever.)

"But all I know how to do is make a small flame..." Kalani said, feeling a little self-conscious. But he made the tiny flame, just to show them that he could. "Is there anyway I could learn things faster? So I won't feel so useless? I can tell we're going to be doing a lot of fighting, maybe even against experienced mages, and I don't know anything... I won't even know they're slinging a spell at me till it's too late... Is there a way I can learn to know when someone is casting a spell? And a way to block it?"

Wow, he was getting way ahead of himself, for a kid who barely knew how to illuminate a room. But he was eager to learn, and desperate to help Fera. He was willing to do pretty much anything to get a little power to help out. (Well, he wouldn't sell his soul, or sell out his firends, but pretty much anything not evil.)

Nera trailed her fingers across the surface of the wall close to her and responded with a resigned smile.

"I suppose.. you are right." A languid sigh escaped her lips, then she turned slightly to face him. "I'm going to check and see if they keep books of magery here and if they would allow me to look through them." Noting one of the guild members down the hall, she started after the man then paused to take a glance at Phaen over her shoulder. "Thanks, Phaen," she said, then jogged after the guildsman.

She had found out that they indeed had a library though she was not permitted to see one entire section of library. She would have to make do with what was available to her. Nera had gathered a number of tomes she was unfamiliar with and settled them on a table. Elkasna had only sent her books that she thought would useful for Nera to learn. She suspected that there were some rather large gaps in her education. For now she would just search for any spells that could prove useful. She opened the first tomb, coughing as dust flew. Leaning forward, she began to search through its pages.

OOC: how are we going to get Pixel involved again?