Faith in the Spirits Arc 1: To Align the Stars

[Mercenary on the Winds]

With the final clap of thunder, and the thud of Kazran's axe. The conflict in the main hall seemed to come to a standstill. The remaining forces in the hall all froze as they gazed upon their leader, smoking, charred, dead, and for a moment, at Lati's boast, and then Sari's threat, it seemed as if all would be finished.

"What are we waiting for!?" One of the larger swordsman from behind shouted, "We are men of Islexia, and these beasts have killed our leader! The girl is nothing but a pretender! Death is the only way forward for us!"

There was quiet agreement, the men and women raising their weapons as the battle seemed poised to continue.

"Halt!"

The swordsman paused and turned, as the healer, a tall, aged man dressed in the attire of the a healer let his voice boom through out the room.

"Falco? What are you doing, do you actually plan to surrender to these--"

"No, because you do not know to who you speak."

The cleric held his staff above his head, and stepped forward, walking towards Lati. He looked over at Sari, removing his cloak to reveal no weapons on his person as he continued to move towards Lati, his face taking on a look of disbelief. "...There can be no mistake. You are Lamella's daughter... you look exactly as she used to. Which means... you are also Kazran's daughter." The man lowered his head to her, "Forgive me for failing your mother. I am Falco Rainieri, I was her caretaker, support, and friend when she was welcome here." He gazed on to Sylmaria and Giovanna, "I can offer no apologies to those two. I am but too cowardly to assist them when they needed it most. All I can do now in this moment is this."

He first waved his staff over Lati closing his wounds, and then turned to the survivors, "I have served for years under Kazran's thumb. Many of you here are not those who began with Kazran, many of you searching for glory... Kazran promised all of you that, the thrill of the hunt, and the kill... He is a relic of a time long past proven by his death here today... And in his place, comes Lati Serdio. She speaks no lies, she is truly his kin, daughter of a... friend I thought killed, but fate has a way. Many of you all swore an allegiance to Kazran, and we all breath as Islexians. Strength is our guiding principle, and both Cereza and Kazran lay dead here today, and it is Lamella's daughter that stands before you as this fight's victor! If you strive for death, and destruction then raise your weapons and find what awaits you in the next life. But if you declare true allegiance to Serdio, then our path, your path is clear."

The healer then turned back to Lati, and fell to one knee. "Now you may do with me as you see fit."

The men and women looked at one another, confusion adorning their faces, before slowly, begrudgingly, they all began to drop their weapons. Some kneeled, some continued to stand in a show of defiance, but no one continued to press the issue.

Elsewhere in the keep, the end of the fight was not so clear.

"Where are you going?! This fight is not ove--"

The man stopped before heading below ground, "Did you hear that thunderclap? I don't think it was made by our fearless leader here. Look ahead even. It's only a matter of time before all of you die, and I was given a mission. 'If Beacon Castle were to fall, report back.' That comes from Nicolas, you know? The real warlord in this country? You can stick around if you want to die, but I got more important things to do. The boss wants to know all that's going on, and more so than ever... you know what happened recently, don'tcha? See you later."

The man left behind his siege engine, a lit fuse slowly burning away tied to the keg of fuel used for the flaming arrows. He didn't want any of the attackers to follow him. Taking out his siege engine, and blocking anyone from following him seemed to be an operative move. He disappeared down the stairs, with a wave. 

"Rgh!" The man with him shook his head, and then started sprinting his way to the main hall. Lord Kazran had to be warned, he wouldn't fall here, he mustn't. But even if he did... someone had to be told about the treachery. 

"Hey, all of you keep pushing forward!" A cloaked man holding a knife continued to move for the archives, "Lord Kazran said to get the important things out of there, and burn the rest, so you all go and kill them, and I'll handle that." At this point, whether Kazran was alive or dead didn't really matter--he was going to grab what he could and get out of there. 

Edited July 23 by Mercenary on the Winds

[Nanami Touko]

"Stand." Lati stretched her drawing arm as her wounds were healed, putting a hand on this Falco's shoulder. "No one could have helped my mother. Not when her own sister was whispering the worst into Kazran's ears... She yet lives, so if you truly wish to make it up to her, I will tell you where she rests and you may go to serve her. I've no plans on bringing her back here... Too many memories, none good, and I'll not force her to attempt new ones." She slammed the end of her bow into the tile, glaring out towards everyone that still stood.

"If any of you want to try and deny my claim, do so now. I will accept any challengers, despite Falco's words. There will be change here, so much change, but we are all Islexian at heart. I know how you all work. Power worships power, and while I am not my father, I am every bit as strong as I claim. So if you wish to live the life of an Islexian, then face me, now, and make your wants known." She continued to watch them, finally shaking her head. "Good. You've all still the drive to live. For anyone that wants to stand under me, you may stay, and anything you've been made to do under Kazran, I shall pardon. The man worked in fear and ambition, and anyone that didn't listen met their end at his axe... While I'm sure some of you relished his orders, I imagine there are as many of you that felt disgust weigh heavy in your hearts. Those that will not listen, you may leave. Join Nicolas if you wish it, find some minor warlord to stand behind. I care not. Things... Things here are going to change."

She turned and pointed at the man of the hour, the one they'd truly fought this for. Even if she hadn't met him in person, his hair, his poise, there could be only one. "That man is Owen Egerton Gaffney. He lords over Castle Eslcas with his sister, and they are now our allies. So are any 'beasts' in this region of Islexia... If you don't like that? Go ahead. Fight me about me. So long as I draw breath, we will NOT live like that! Like savages! Denying the lives of others over their differences... Do you not SEE? If you won't hear it from the Glacians, the Hecatians, the Lufirians, then hear it from me, your fellow Islexian-- This must END! LOOK at her!"

Her eyes fell on Sylmaria, sobbing, melting, completely ruined from all of this. "They bleed. They feel. They hurt, they cry, they fight, they are ALIVE, all the same as any of us. LOOK and understand, that we are all the same. Things here will change. You're on board, or you can make yourself scarce... This is the one and only time I will say this. It will not be challenged in the future. It will not be brought up again." The message was plain as day, clear as crystal. Lati would wait, see who remained, see who left, take on any that fought... There would be tradition, and there would be change. That was how this would go.

---

Krystal did her best to cower behind Miria and Roxanne, even as that thunder sounded out of the main hall, as the sounds of distant fighting died and only a few voices could be heard... "H-Heyyyyy! I think... I think the fighting is over! We don't have to do this anymore, y-y'know?" She spoke towards the people ahead of them, but feared their denial, no attempt to speak, even for their former ally... The horns didn't help, she was sure. "We can all, relax! Talk some! Maybe even get cuddly... W-We don't have to keep killing each other!" She still had to go back and make sure Dwight was okay... She'd dip away to handle that if they denied her attempt. She felt it was coming, anyway...

[Bluemask 96]

Gean leaned against a pillar as Lati gave her speech. The day was full of surprises, she hadn’t expected to be fighting alongside the heir to the Serdio throne when they first docked at the castle. Thankfully there were people here who earnestly wanted the world to change, not just the Gaffney's either. As Gean thought about this, and the part she played in today's battle, she thought back to her conversation with Jeremiah. Maybe I am getting stronger. I've got a long way before I catch up to her, but I've begun walking that path,  Uncle J...

Gean looked out towards the remaining forces, wondering if any would challenge Lati's decree's, her hand on her axe in case someone wanted to be foolish.

---

Jesse stood by gripping her lance. The sounds of battle had grown further away from the ship, but she could barley hear them as the time passed. None of the Tigers nor the Gaffney's had returned yet, and now things were silent. Some of those who stayed behind, namely Kise, has chosen to disembark, but Jesse offered to stay behind. Defending is just more my style. Someone's gotta hold the fort down while the big hitters go of makin' history. A sigh escaped Jesse's lips, as she thought about the word history, she looked down at the glove on her hand. "Be safe Miria..." The sooner this is over, the better. We gotta discover more about these shrouds. Perhaps we can speak to that man before this is all over.

Edited July 23 by Bluemask 96

[Mercenary on the Winds]

Moon and the Stars... Arise Lunar Gold! 

The swing was wide, and the enemy soldier swung back. Miria wasn't able to move away, but she took the shot and pushed the man away from her, leading into a swift kill from Koba. She grit her teeth in frustration. She was still fumbling, despite how hard she was trying not to! She was ready to strike the next target in a fit, until a sound of a thunderclap made her freeze, and step back.

There was a moment of silence after, almost deafeningly so. She couldn't tell if the fight was over or not. The ice energy wore from her armor, and she was almost ready to collapse. Then, a yell from the end of the hall, to continue fighting so he can destroy whatever was in the chamber ahead.

"No, I can't let that happen." You can keep going, Miria. You HAVE to! She forced herself into her flame boost, and faced the rest of the group heading down the hall. "I'm going for the hooded guy! He's gonna torch whatever they're hiding down there!" Without anymore explanation, Miria began charging down the hall, sword readied.

This was it, then. The sounds of combat in the main hall were unmistakable, Roxanne’s elongated ears flattening down as they took in the story those sounds chose to tell. Kazran Serdio had entered the fray, and after a cacophony of heated shouting, the man’s voice had fallen silent, followed by a cry of victory that was not his. It was over. Kazran had fallen… he had to have fallen. Yet she was conflicted… the man had paid for his crimes, his bigotry, his contemptuous existence, and yet… she had never gotten a chance to engage him, nor these so-called elites of his. These men were a step up from the ones downstairs but they weren’t the Captains that had slain her friends. M had been with her on the same Southern flank… their deaths had been avenged, but it felt so empty. So hollow. She didn’t have any delusion of grandeur, no need to end the man’s life himself, she wouldn’t hold it against any of her allies for taking that honour, but to not even get the chance to see him, engage him, to make him know that those pirates, as few remained, would outlive him… it was a bitter pill to swallow. And any moment, the men in front of them… They would either flee, tails between their legs, or give one last charge, desperate to spill their last monster blood. 

Suddenly Miria charged forward, claiming that one of the men ahead was planning to dispose of... something. Something surely important to Lord Gaffney at the very least.

"Hey wai-" Roxanne began, but Miria had gotten a significant head start on her. She couldn't handle that many of them alone...

Miria charged ahead, not weary of the men in front of her destination. Koba, and Roxanne both had just dealt with their own targets, and Miria had moved too quickly ahead. Whether it was courage, or frustration from her missed strikes, Miria clattered into the healer, almost bowling him over, but it was just enough to find herself beset by two axe wielding men. It was then Miria noticed the issue--the axes were unusual, made to combat her sword. 

"Looks like one of them's trying to play the hero... Shame." 

Miria found herself thrown backwards, a crunching blow from the man's axe sending Miria flying. 

"Hurry up and get it done so we can finish skinning these idiots!"

Miria felt a cracking sound as her back crashed into a nearby wall. She kept herself off the ground, not entirely sure if something broke or not. She let out a pained groan, but she forced herself off the wall, and got into a readied stance again.

Not yet... not yet... She put herself into a stupid situation. Not paying enough attention may have just put her in a situation she wouldn't survive, but...

"Don’t count me out. It'll t-take more than that to kill me." She felt like... her body's heat was building up. Was she about to instinctively do her Arcfire? She can't, not yet... that would only put her in a more compromising position. "Just get the hell out of my way!" She began a second charge, directly at the fighter in front of her, as if to fully bowl him out the way. Even if she did go down, she wasn't going to without putting up a fight.

"Miria, what are you doing?" Roxanne managed, her rage building as she saw her friend take a heavy hit before continuing to charge. Even if she managed to stop that guy from burning whatever he intended to burn, it wasn't worth her life- Roxanne grit her teeth. She wasn’t done. Not yet. These men's blades were still stained with blood and hungering for more. They still had yet to pay, and with combat dying down and then starting anew, the adrenaline and drive that had been fading spiked back to the forefront. All of her anger focusing to a point as she could only watch Miria throw her life away with the headstart she had taken. 

No more distractions, dashing forward as her conduits fanned out around her, Roxanne could feel her magic flaring, building within the crystal armour she wore as the shimmering gemstone began to radiate light.

Miria charged into the man, and instead of making headway, she found herself grappled, fairly easily even. "It'll take more than that to kill you, huh?"

The second man stepped up with a grin on his face, "Then maybe someone should do it again!" 

The first men tossed Miria into the second, which launched the Golden Knight once more into the air sending her to the ground once more. The beast behind her seemed incensed enough to continue, but all that meant was they needed to kill the golden one. 

"Finish her off so we can take the sheep, and then the bird!" Two more men were arriving in the wind as the thief moved for the door, time was running out...

Miria tried to fight out of the fighter's grip but it only sent her careening into the next line of enemies, crashing right onto the ground. She coughed, and struggled. Roxanne was on her way too...

I can't... Miria huffed, and groaned as she continued to try and force herself back up.

Lucille almost killed me. I couldn't protect my friends from the Underground, couldn't beat Talulah when my life was on the line, and now...! Miria balled her fist, punching at the ground.

No! Not again! Miria began pushing herself off the ground, "I'm not... done yet!" Miria began building energy, the aura around her starting to heat up. I can't keep failing, if I'm not strong enough, I have to get stronger!

Soon enough, Miria was off the floor, and she picked up another sword. I know this stupid explosion can do something else! It HAS to! She faced down the men approaching her to make the kill. She waited, and continued to build up energy, bracing for an attack.

If this power is for me to use, then I'll make it work.

"This is your last warning." Her gaze maintained her ferocity despite being clowned as much as she was. "Move, or die."

As Roxanne continued to press closer, it felt like time was slowing to a crawl, Armour now fully aglow, shining not of gold like the girl ahead of her, but a blindingly bright white. Piece by piece, the magically infused shards of crystal broke away from Roxanne, armour falling to pieces and floating up into the sky to join ranks with her more permanent funnels. These would only last moments, but it was enough for her purposes. She wasn't going to get Miria out of there with armour, she needed to make an offensive.

There was no doubt, only resolve and fury. As she poured everything that she was into her conduits, committing every drop of magic that she could muster as she she charged, she was unsure what would manifest. She was no skilled mage, even the most basic of casting she had relied on to fell these beasts of men had succeeded not of finesse or talent, but of raw energy. Even that relied on these conduits, tools designed to mend her broken pathways and force her magic to work. But surely, surely… if she could harness that raw, wild might, then something would come of it. It had to...

Miria's words fell on deaf ears. The axe was already in front of her, falling on her form, "Die!!"

The axe starting falling, and with no attempt to dodge–

Everything seemed to stop. Like the world paused around Miria. The only sounds she could hear were the beat of her heart, and he weathered breaths. Was this her in her final moments? Those precious last moments where you remember your life before it’s finally stripped from you? The cub couldn’t tell, except…

Except…

Everything suddenly got very hot. Like, her own blood was on fire. But not in a way that was painful, more… It was empowering. Things suddenly went back to normal speed as Miria caught the axe with her hand. The burning aura that had begun emanating started seeping its way onto the hands of the man making the attempt on Miria’s life. She made a deafening roar as the aura spun around, like a flaming spiral surrounding the little cub, as she kicked the man away with an explosive kick.

Miria stood up straight, wiping sweat from her face, as the aura flooded into her. Once it was all absorbed, at first… nothing. Then, without warning, a blinding explosion seemed to engulf the cub. Once the flames and dust dissipated, Miria was adorned in a much more ornate armor. For once, it looked complete, even, with sharper shoulders, and even a helmet with the shape of a golden tiger. Then, a voice, clearly not Miria’s, seemed to come from the Shroud itself.

Shining Lunar Assault!
The light of the Full Moon shines a path through the darkness.

“Die it is.” Despite her new fiery power, her words ran cold. She took a readied stance with her sword, and approached the man she kicked away. She took her first swing, and when her blade swung, a flame trailed behind. The wound she’d made from the slash would almost immediately cauterize from the heat. She wouldn’t give the man a chance to recover as she brought down her blade in a lethal blow.

“Now,” She turned so that she could face the men, as well as Roxi. But... no words. Miria suddenly, couldn't say anything. Words wouldn't come out.  And, ever worse so, she couldn't move.

Ahh... yeah... With her armor fading out, Miria crumpled to the ground without warning. Like a wet paper towel, and her breaths sounding like the creaking of a rusted pipe. It truly, for once, was genuinely too much. For once, with no other emotions running through her,

Miria was afraid. 

"What the fu--" The man found himself engulfed by a flash of light, and then a boot in his chest. The last thing he saw was the golden armored woman, except, where pieces had been missing before, complete armor was found. He heard plenty though, his own screams as the woman's sword cut him, and in the same motion seared his skin closed. The pain was otherworldly, and he was almost thankful that in the next moment, it all stopped. 

"Serdio above, what the hell?" And then it was over, the woman's armor gave out, and she collapsed, lifelessly to the ground. 

"Kill her! Kill her now!" The thief had frozen as Miria transformed, forgetting for a moment what his objective was. 

There were too many of them. The day had been won but it didn't seem to matter, not with what their small group was facing. They were tired, struggling, and a wave of enemies was about to crash on them if they weren't careful. He knew he had been trying to be brave, trying to earn his spot as a mercenary, but even that had to have limits, right? 

Even as he opened his mouth to suggest they retreat, everything happened all at once, leaving him frozen in his spot. Miria charged forward, recklessly ignoring the sheer number of enemies in front of them, armor gleaming as she did, only to get easily defeated, again and again. "S-stop... just..." His quaking voice had no impact on the situation, everyone around him ignoring him beyond a single casual threat tossed his way. He could feel himself begin to shake, panic setting in. He was going to die here, there was nothing he could do. 

Run, time to ru... What... What are those lights? He looked around. Roxi was shining, a brilliant light that hurt to look at, made it impossible to even see her within the light. Then Miria almost exploded with flame, her armor transforming into something new, something brilliant. She stood up, tossing the man about to kill her aside with ease before suddenly destroying him with a fiery blade. Were they going to be ok?  The power she had now, it was like nothing he had ever seen before. Surely they could make it out...

Then Miria collapsed. Armor gone, she was still on the ground. Koba froze again before taking one more look at Roxi. That... He could feel the magic buildup. She was about to unleash... something, he didn't know what, but it was something much more powerful than anything she had used up to this point. Miria... She's going to be in the blast if Roxi isn't careful. I... He was moving, without even really realizing it. He darted  forward, a flurry of wind blades shooting out wildly. He wasn't even aiming them at anyone, just trying to keep the enemy at a distance for even a second longer. He grabbed onto Miria's arm and pulled, but she didn't move. Gritting his teeth, he growled out, "No, come on, come ON!" Finally she moved, sliding along behind him as he frantically pulled. He just had to get her out, a little further. Just far enough... "Roxi!!"

Miria had done... something. Tapped into some new ability from her armour, and swiftly took down one attacker, but it just wasnt enough. The Golden Cub was injured, tired, and spent. Just as Roxanne was sure she wouldn't make it in time, Koba surged ahead and extracted Miria with his superior agility. 

It was now or never. Whatever her something was, it was coming. Conduits sparking with magical energy as they flooded with mana, circling and rotating in the air like an infernal engine, a battery drawing power until it was set to unleash. At the apex of the funnel formation formed a solid core of light, rapidly increasing in volume as it absorbed magic from the assembled battery, the glow of each and every conduit coalescing at the epicenter. Arm coming down to point straight ahead down the hallway, Roxanne could feel the titanic weight of the gathered mana shift as it began to move at her direction. In an instant, the false star of her own creation detonated, unleashing it’s unbearable light and heat in a gamma ray burst, instantaneously filling the hall in front of her from the sheer radius of the beam. Almost as instantly, the temporary funnels began to give in to the strain, shards of crystal exploding from the pressure in midair as they failed to sustain the immense output. With each pop, more pressure crushed down on the remaining conduits, the amateur make of Roxanne’s own additions making itself apparent as they shattered in a violent chain reaction. She could feel her magic circuits straining, screaming. This wasn’t sustainable output, if it kept up much longer there would be permanent damage.

Just a few more seconds. She could manage that. A handful of seconds, to cleanse the hallway of all life, of anything that could try to turn the tide, to escape and spread more of the concentrated hate that had defined this place. 3… 2… 1...

She stopped. She had to. Any more and not only might her circuits suffer untold damage, but the funnels she relied on to cast at all would begin to break, even the properly made ones couldn’t manage this, not without acclimating. It was too far beyond her level, to suddenly force through them. A violent cough escaped Roxanne’s mouth as her hand shot up to cover it before anything else could follow. Funnels, drained of energy but unbroken, clattered to the floor, inert for a few short moments as the blinding light faded. The hallway came into view as the remnants of her spell faded, not a soul ahead, only scorched and melted stone. A heavy groan wracked Roxanne’s frame as she took in harsh breaths. That had done it, right? Miria and Koba had gotten behind her, surely that had cleared the place out... if not...

Miria's Boon and Bane have shifted! 

Flashy Victory -> Shining Lunar Assault 

Burning Exhaustion -> Lunar Burnout

Shining Lunar Assault- +3 to all stats and +1 Move for three turns

Lunar Burnout- Cannot take an action the turn after SLA ends, -2 to all stats until the end of the map

[TheRoon]

"It's no trouble at all Sari I-" The pat on her head caught her off guard, she was a little taken back by it too. It seemed in Sari's nature to do it in the middle of a battle too, a bold swordsman. But it was appreciated, to be thanked for her hard work was greatly appreciated. "Thank you..." She mumbled under her breath, though not too loud can't distract the others.

Kazran was a strong foe, but the Iron Tigers and their companions quickly let him know how out of his depth he was. His axe had made a loud clang against the floor, though at this point Renais was used to loud noises in battle. She braced her ears, but kept listening as Lati made her declaration. With the head of the serpent gone the body soon followed, and like a scene straight out of one of Renais' favorite novels a revolution had taken place. "Finally...it's over." She took a deep sigh as she finally relaxed her arms, it had been a long battle but it was done. "I never thought I'd be part of a moment soon to be in a history book..." That being said, this was what Renais wanted. She wanted people to know who she was so she can be allowed to help more. This is where I was meant to be all along. 

At this point she was content to leave the political matters to those who were suited for it, but before she could go to check in on the others she felt an intense amount of magical pressure from the eastern section of the castle. Followed by a booming noise. "!" Renais turned her head to the direction of both of those occurrences. Not everyone was in the room, Miria, Roxanne and the others were still out there. "No the fight isn't over yet!" She called out to everyone in the room as she quickly made her way to the southern halls, with hope in her heart that no one had died there. "Stay alive until I get there, we've won. We all have to go home together..."

Edited July 23 by TheRoon

[JakezuGD]

Tasha smirked as Kazran tumbled onto the floor, even after having to shield her ears from the intense crack of thunder right in front of her. The man was thoroughly proven wrong, consumed by the beasts he so disdained within a matter of seconds when push actually came to shove - all it took was a group that hadn't been systematically suppressed by him and his ilk, as well as a number of those who had been and were sick of it.

Besides the expected jubilation and breaking of tension around them, there was also an announcement that got a surprised look from the tiger. The armored girl who'd been with them since they came up from the back exit turned out to be Kazran's daughter!? And she was now claiming the place as hers, instead of giving the victory to who actually made it happen? Did she really just sneak in and join our forces only to steal our thunder if we were able to win? If it wasn't for her having pledged allegiance to Owen, I'd be pointing my gun at her right about now... At least it seemed like her goals aligned with those of the Tigers and their allies, but this was an unwelcome final twist to the plan in Natalya's book. All that mattered was what her current boss's opinion was about it, though.

But before she could address the lord Gaffney, Tasha found herself again covering her ears from an unnaturally explosive noise from the other side of the wall. Like combining a hundred gunshots in a constant stream instead of a single bang... She couldn't tell what exactly had caused that, but she knew that part of their forces were back there, meaning it was likely one of their mages. Since when did anyone besides the Evokers traveling with them have that level of capability, though? Surely if there were any people still left fighting, that would've shut them up, and with Renais dashing over to check up on things, she felt things were enough under control for her to be more worried about the diplomatic side of things going on in front of her.

Straightening up after that blast, she turned to Owen, not too far from the Serdio heir and herself, and gave him a nod. "Well, that's not exactly how I thought this would go, so what's the plan? You're our boss."

---

Back down at the ship, Belladonna had been guarding the stock of potions she'd brought with her alongside the ship in general with those left behind, the coast having been clear for a while now. She'd quirked an eyebrow at the many-tailed fox's gleeful departure to follow their forces, though didn't question her - the Tigers' business was their own, and it wasn't like she knew what the woman was like. Plus, having an adjacent magical affinity told her that she probably shouldn't be questioning whatever the fox was going to do, lest she get herself crushed into a marble.

A slight tension developed among the defenders, with there having been no contact with anyone from their forces, yet there were no enemies to fend off either. What ended up cutting through it was an almost hair-raisingly strong release of magic, so powerful that Bella wasn't sure if the castle was shaking or if it was just her imagination, and loud enough to just about be heard all the way down where they were. The signature was familiar even if she couldn't place it exactly, meaning it was almost certainly not any of Kazran's men... not that the superstitious idiot would ever have recruited someone capable of magic like that. "Seems like our people up top are really putting in the effort... Hehe, makes me a little jealous I have to keep our medicine stock safe, instead of seeing everyone in action.~" Pulling her big hat down a little, she tried to settle the thoughts running through her mind. And that I couldn't give the bastard a piece of my mind... I hope he's rotting in hell by now. Where he belongs...

[GoldsbroTSG]

Miria felt a tug as Koba approached her, and eventually, he was able to pull her away from danger. The cub did her best to help him move her, but she felt like her body had fully shut down. She'd read about something like this before, where a person's body strained far beyond exhaustion would just cease to function as it tries to recover. She just never expected her body could've gone through that. And to Koba, her body was still hot to the touch. There wasn't any time to think about that though, as she gazed upon whatever it was Roxanne was trying to do once Koba got them out of her blast range.

No, what she has done.

Despite feeling like her vision was fading, she couldn't take her eyes off of the sheep. She built up so much power. The blast she made was even greater than whatever the cub herself had done. She felt her hair blowing away from her face as the force of all that energy reached where Koba had fled to. She couldn't look away, even if she wanted to. She was enamored, even if her face couldn't emote it. She could see Roxi was struggling to even stand, and Miria weakly reached out, trying to get to her friend, even if it was futile in this condition.

Miria's hand dropped back onto her crumpled form. She tried to look around. Someone had to have been there. Her head slowly went back and forth before seeing Krystal, who had gotten behind them before all this started. Please, body make something work. Krystal can help.

It first started with some small lip movements, but the drained cub still couldn't get words out. But finally, she was able to force out a small, but audible, "Help. Please." Who it was for wasn't entirely clear.

Edited July 23 by GoldsbroTSG

[Billy12510]

Syndra's mind was focused and clear, similar to when she casted earlier against one of the soldiers, and her strike against Kazran rang true, even though it wasn't enough to finish him off, it was enough to create an opening for the rest of the fighters in the room to put an end to Kazran for good. In response, a woman who announced herself as Kazran's daughter piped up in an attempt to get the rest of the soldiers to stand down, something that looked like it was working. Lati Serdio...  She must've joined the group at some point during the fight, but this was the first time Syndra really got to see her in action. From what it sounded like, it seemed like her ideals and goals aligned with the Gaffneys and herself, and willingly taking up arms against her father... the story felt rather close to home. She did mention telling the others to go run back to Nicolas, which Syndra would've opposed, but trying to undercut her immediately didn't feel like the smart thing to do.

As all that happened, Syndra felt a rather strange and powerful sensation eastward from the room they were all in, followed by a loud blast. "The hell was that? Renais?" Syndra saw the pink cleric running off towards the sound. Now Syndra was torn, a part of her wanted to stay where she was, another wanted to go investigate it herself. She remembered the last time a rather powerful magical force effected the group, back when they were handling the Escaflowne, and how helpless she felt at not being able to do anything but let it unfold... Not this time. Syndra turned to her commander that was nearby, "You'll have to excuse me commander, I have to go find out what the hell that just was." And turned south to follow Renais. "Renais wait up! I'm coming with you!"

Edited July 23 by Billy12510

[Mercenary on the Winds]

Falco did not stand, but he looked up at Lati, and her hand on his shoulder, but then shook his head, "No... As far as I am concerned I am as traitorous as the men and women who saw her to the sands. I am also a memory of her time here, and perhaps it is best that I remain a memory until the end of my time, here." Falco listened as Lati staked her claim here to Kazran's lands. He turned to study the men and women she addressed, most were newer recruits, but some were Kazran's handpicked--men and women who had been at his side for years. Those were lost causes, nothing Lati could say would sway them, especially not the mention of the Clouded becoming their allies. Islexia was not yet ready for this, and Kazran was by far the most openly vitriolic warlord in Islexia. He was but a symptom of a underlying rot in Islexia, a refusal to progress beyond the suffering that their ancestors experienced, and a refusal to decry the suffering that they put the clouded and monsters through today. 

Falco almost smirked when Lati introduced Owen, forcing Kazran's remaining forces to know that it was the same boy they all dreamed of slaying who was the one standing victorious at the end of this battle. The movement was as expected, the newer men and women, seemed to at least show some deference to what Lati was saying, and those with Kazran had already gathered their weapons. As Lati finished, her plea, no, demand that clouded and monsters such as the one still sobbing were to be seen as if she were a woman sobbing, the same swordsman stepped forward, and simply spat on the ground, 

"Take that to be our answer. Kazran is dead, that much is understood. But he lost to no one. None of you stand above him. The diseased can find their own way, and we shall find ours. Sit on your throne, wench, it will not be yours for long." 

"Lord Kazran! Lord Kazran, Lord Kazra--" A man rounded the corner, and crashed into the swordman spitting on Lati's orders, almost bouncing off. 

"Who the hell...?" 

Falco looked up, it was Vermeil, one of the sprouts, "Vermeil, what are you--" 

It was then that Falco's eyes were dragged to the wall as there was... an unfathomable amount of magical energy on the other side of that wall all the sudden, 

"What is...? Wait. Vermeil, where is--"

Before Falco could finish his sentence, the very foundation of the castle shook as the magical signature that Falco had felt, grew in size, and then dissipated all through out the hallway next to them. The room shook, and vibrated, but almost as soon as it began... it faded. An explosion of some kind?

"What... in Serdio's name was that?" The swordsman said with a look of abject terror on his face. A single look across the group, showed that nearly all of the were falling apart now. There was not much that could shake the entire castle. Two of the women from the mercenaries darted away as if nothing major had happened, which provided Falco with the leverage that Lati could use. 

"...Powerful magic. Magic that Lati, and her allies are capable of bringing to bear... I surmise that Kristoph and his unit did not know that conflict was over, but I can be assured that it is over now. Harmon, you should go, and collect whoever remains, and depart if you're going to. Just know that is the kind of power that Lati, and her allies can call forth. This throne may remain hers for years to come." 

Harmon's mouth slowly opened, and then he turned to look at his companions--all similarly terrified of what awaited them in the eastern hallway--before turning to look at Lati for confirmation on Falco's musings...

[Xinnidy]

"Haaah..." Owen's hand shook, he was holding his breath, feeling the gravity of everything. Kazran had been slain by his own commander, and the whole room stood in confusion. "We did it... we actually did it." Oweb held his hand to his heart, pacing himself as, amidst the scene of battle, the woman who had joined their offense had revealed herself as Kazran's child by blood. "Lati Serdio... how long did you keep this burden?" Approaching the gathering around her, Owen looked her in the eye, tried to gauge the kind of person she was. "...I'm sure there's much and more to explain at an appropriate time, but thank you for your statement. Islexia needs a different strength, to find prosperity after these trying times. If you would change the relation between our lands, then I can sheathe my sword at last."

There was a pause as he looked at the remnant's of Kazran's forces. "We were just gunning for each other's throats, so I'll keep it brief. My goal was not to subjugate your lands to Eslcas. Stop any attempts to invade my land, and focus on restoring the stability these war plans costed you for the present. I will not plan to interfere with your lives." Within the unified front of Kazran's ideals, people certainly joined arms for many things. The allure of gaining land, the safety of income, the fear of a future where they'd lose... their preconceptions, while certainly inpactful and front dressing to it all, would not go away in a single speech. For now, Owen would have to tug at the underlying threads to see it undone. "You've gained yourselves a new leader, not deference to a warlord you were warring with. You can still go to your homes at the end of the--."

An... unfortunately timed explosion took the whole keep's attention. Owen had no idea what it meant. It could've been theirs, or the foe's, for all he knew. "...No, this isn't the time for a speech, this keep is big, we need to inform all parties fighting." He looked around, seeing the Tigers were already on the move. Goodness, too preemptive of me... "Sorry, Natalya, for now we secure the keep and make sure news of Kazran's death is spread. Your group has done its job as promised, just keep us safe until negotiations are settled and we return home. I will gladly part with the rest of your recompense."

---

Üllr's blood was rushing still, the woman had collapsed just a mere moments after his punch, a dagger sticking out, then Kazran followed, with blinding lightning disorienting him. Despite that, some of Kazran's remnants still deigned to fight... and that same woman he saw desperately fighting took  the front to stop it all. Related by blood to the big bad guy. "Hrm..." He could kind of see the similarities now, and for what it was worth, her pain and desperation during combat was genuine. It lend credence to her words for him, it was almost something he could relate to.

As for this whole speech part, Üllr'd rather not be there. It wasn't his world. He wasn't invested in making peace with all these men wielding pure weapons. Best not to ruin things and find a corner for himself.

...And then the explosion resounded.

"I'll check it too." His ears perked, he dashed to catch up with Renais and Syndra. If someone was  being unrule, his presence could matter.

---

Giovanna's spell burned through Kazran's skin viciously, and he finally fell to the floor, the last of his life draining. She could only stare, wordless, time itself stopped. At long last, the reason her life had been so miserable was killed, on the floor. She felt nothing.

"..." Giovanna never prepared herself for that day. She had odd dreams of freedom, certainly. For Sylmaria's sake, but her family's shackles were too much for reality. She was not free of sin, she would surely have her retribution in kind on the same day Kazran had his comeuppance. That's how it was meant to be.

Yet she lived, and he died.

Slowly, her senses came. Giovanna stepped off her horse, looking once more down to the charred remains of her odious leader. No words. Her attention was finally took by the one sobbing voice her ears filtered out from the crowd. Giovanna could hear Sylmaria's cries, and followed along in paced steps, approaching her childhood friend.

No words again, but this time, silent actions filled the gap. Giovanna embraced Sylmaria in a tight hug, eyes closed. "Ugh..." The faintest mumble escaped her. "You're alive, thank the gods..." She held back her own tears, afraid to giving away the dam.

Edited July 23 by Xinnidy

[scorri]

Koba collapsed, shaking as the pure force of the magical blast washed over him, followed quickly by the noise. He managed to turn, rolling over to look behind him, and gasped. The enemy force, the hallway, was destroyed. "What... what was..." He looked around, realizing that Miria was down and Roxi looked like she could follow suit any second now. Both of them had done something that Koba couldn't even begin to understand, the magic that they had pulled out so far beyond what he could do that he just found himself stunned. How badly all of that could have gone was setting in and he realized he was starting to shake as the adrenaline wore off.

"I... Y-you, you can heal, right?" He looked over at the woman they had recruited during the raid, panic clear in his eyes. "I can't... I can't help. Can you? I don't..." He forced himself to slow his breathing down, fighting back the panic. There were others here. They could help. They had to be able to help.

---

Cin popped open the chest, a grin spreading across his face as he found a weapon similar to the one that Ullr had found not all that long ago. A chakram, he thought it was called. He could use this. He turned, intending to search the study more, to see if there was anything of interest, when suddenly a loud explosion and wave of powerful magical energy burst from up the hallway some of their group had gone. "Miria... What just happened?" He spun, leaving the study behind to quickly move out of the room and up the hallway towards where the blast had originated.

[Nanami Touko]

Krystal wasn't sure what had happened until it was all over. The people she had hoped to hide behind were now crumpling to the ground, leaving her staring down... nothing. They were all gone. What was that all for? "What the fuck was that for!?" She was... upset. It was swiftly hitting her, how many people had just been erased, and, for what? Were there any attempts to stop the fighting? At least she'd managed to save a few, one, two lives herself, but that was... "What's the point in trying to be the better people if we just prove them right and blow them up like that? Maybe we are just beasts..." The little bird that had been tagging along with them was begging her to help, so was Miria. "Ugh." She didn't want to see anyone else die, angrily huffing her way over to Roxanne, almost smacking her in the back with her heal staff. "I hope you're proud of yourself. Live. Not gonna let myself be a hypocrite just because I'm pissed at this stupid, pointless display..."

---

The castle suddenly shook, Lati about to send Kazran's fools on their way, attention briefly drawn to it. Several of the mercenaries ran off to deal with the situation, deciding it was best to stay here alongside Owen. "I would have informed you earlier... but I didn't want to sow confusion in the middle of something so important. We've much to talk about, but know that I am not, and will never be, anything like my father... I've lived my life in Lufiria, raised in one of its most hostile and challenging environments, brought up by people of all walks of life. If I can impart some of that onto Islexia, I want nothing more than to help you achieve it."

She turned towards the man who had spat, raising her eyebrows at him. "Leave, then? If you're too stubborn to change your ways, then goodbye. You've no place here, and while enough blood has been shed, if you'd like to continue where we left off, we can add you to the pile. If you want to meet on another battlefield, I'm sure you know the way out of here. Take yourself and all those that refuse change with you... The rest of you! Those of you new, fresh, and those of you here by Kazran's will alone... Join us and see real change take hold of this country. Islexia is mired in its past. We WILL walk towards the future. Together." She placed a hand on Owen's shoulder, happy, almost relieved, to be standing next to him in this moment.

"All's well that ends well... well enough, anyway." Versaris wasn't about to go running off with this... odd standoff, not until the hall was clear, but he did sheathe his blade and cross his arms. "Wonder who blew up the east hall... That was certainly magic, so no one of Kazran's, and none of the Tigers capable of such are over there... Leaving... Roxanne? Hah... I wonder what mess she's made. I suppose it's another thing for us to deal with... One, more, problem. What a day." He idly wandered towards Alriana with his eyes watching the enemy soldiers. "Looks like we got to have our share of the fun, eh? Hopefully there isn't more fun waiting for us... I've had enough fighting, for one day. Need a proper rest before I can force myself through another conflict like this... Quite the workout."

Alvira shuddered under the sudden magical pressure, but Renais and Syndra were already on it, leaving her holding her magic aimed at these goons. She didn't trust them in the same way Lati and Owen seemed to, expecting them to just walk away... She was ready for any sudden movements, anyone stepping out of line or trying to be some kind of messed up hero. "Always something..."

Sylmaria, she simply cried and cried, only so much as flinching as Giovanna found her, desperate arms struggling between pushing her away and hugging her, finally settling on embracing the woman in a tight grasp, claws digging into her, trying to hold her closer than anything before. "Of course I'm still alive," her voice croaked between shattered breaths, "I had to come back for you." It was the most honest Sylmaria had been in all her years, the admission breaking that facade of an Islexian, built up on the laurels of things who wished for nothing but her demise. She was alive. Giovanna was alive. Nothing else mattered...

---

Cass had been catching her breath when thunder sounded out, and then an explosion, several people running off to see what had happened. "Hell, where's the fire...?" She didn't catch onto what had been so important. Magic and loud noises had been flying around the entire time... No point in panicking about them now, though, the sounds of fighting dying down meant only one thing in her mind. She grinned widely as she began to pour over the books in the study, finally erupting into a chuckle, almost a cackle. "Given the last sound from the main hall was thunder... You're dead, aren't you? You're dead, Kazran... My only regret is not having been there in your final moments~ I wonder what kind of face you made.

M was less composed, the final ear shattering noises making her jump in place curiously following after the tall dragon man. "Rrrhhh, it's always something right at the end... Some, complication, issue, problem. But who, and why? Urghhh..." All she wanted as things grew quiet was to leave and return to her daughter. Roxanne had claimed she was alive, so... she had to see her. See that Roxanne was telling the truth...

 

Edited July 24 by Nanami Touko

[Ether]

After a few moments of her eyes settling to the rapid change in luminosity, Roxanne was able to confirm it. There was no one left alive in front of her, and Miria and Koba were both safe behind... well, safe as one could be considering what had transpired. Another wretched cough wreaked havoc on Roxanne's body as her circuits cried out in protest, struggling to process what had just been forced through them. Shaky, she turned around and took a small, tepid step back towards the others.

"Don't scare me like that, Miria. I've alr-" She had barely began, when oops, there came gravity. Impressive the weight of it hadn't hit sooner, Roxanne fell to her knees, still managing to avoid crumpling to the floor. Her magic was spent but her faculties were still... mostly there. For now. Unfortunately when the call for a healer came, Krystal had started with her rather than Miria who was in greater need of having her wounds repaired. While Roxanne was thoroughly spent, her injuries had not been especially severe by the end of the battle. Krystal had made no attempt to hide her disdain either.

"What that was... was me stopping then from killing Miria, and then continuing on us until either all of us, or all of them were dead. I'm not going to ask you to forgive me. I'm sure that at least some of them were friends to you, if you stuck around so long... but I wasn't... going to let them take anyone else. I'm not wounded, I'm just spent... use your energy on Miria first. She's hurt." Roxanne managed to keep herself coherent enough for that much at least, before the coughs started again.

[Nanami Touko]

"You didn't need to do all of that to stop them. Don't you lie to me." Krystal bit back worse and pulled her staff away from the woman, shaking for a moment before forcing herself to turn to Miria. "And you! You've got to be more careful! You managed this whole time, what was that!?" At the least, her ire didn't hit Miria, concern on her face, letting the staff do what it needed to try and help her. "No one had to be a hero today, Gawds, why do the cool ones always try and play hero... Just live. So many people dying for nothing, just... live." She finally let her frustrations released, crying ever so gently. "So many of these people didn't have to die. So many. They just followed Kazran because he was strong... Because he told them to. Someone of them really, were, good people! Some of them cared... Just needed to make ends meet, needed to take care of their family, needed some place to live, dammit... Dammit, dammit, all because one man got so full of himself, Gods... Dammit..."

[Ether]

Roxanne didn't have a retort for Krystal. If she had taken out one or two, gotten them off of Miria, would the rest have surrendered? Maybe. They could only speculate to that end. But given the choice between sparing a few of the men who had slaughtered the closest thing she had to a family on the chance they might opt not to snuff out the life of one of the few new friends she had found, or reducing them to dust just to be sure... Roxanne didn't think there was a universe where she chose differently. It wasn't worth arguing with Krystal though, she had every right to be upset. As long as she moved on to healing Miria, and the golden girl made it through her little stunt... if the cost was that Krystal came to hate her, then she would just have to live with that cost.

[GoldsbroTSG]

Miria sat, and watched, hearing Krystal shouting about... something. It wasn't clear at first, but then the yelling was directed at her. As she was being healed, it became more clear. She was clearly chastised for exactly what she expected. Color returned to her drained eyes, and she shook her head as she looked around. As she listened to Krystal vent her frustrations, Miria finally got a good look at the impact left behind by Roxanne's energy blast. It was... terrifying admittedly. And even Miria's own hand in what happened. The cub didn't even really... try to stop these people from fighting. Would they have, if Kazran was dead? She didn't know, she just acted on a frustrated impulse.

The cub struggled, as she could finally move, if only weakly. She got herself off the ground, crawling to a nearby wall, and propping herself up until she was back on her feet. She made an exasperated sigh, but she was happy. She didn't need to be carried again. Before approaching Krystal, she went back to Koba, patting his shoulder and giving an already returning smile. "Thank you, I'm sorry, you shouldn't have had to jump in for me." It was the best she could do to give her thanks for her life, at least for now.

"Do you mind checking that room they tried to get into? Hopefully, it was worth all the trouble." She sighed, and finally turned back to Krystal and Roxanne. She processed. Her thoughts admittedly, were still all over the place. And she still felt very hot. It must've been a side-effect to whatever it was she had just done, but there wasn't time (or energy) to continue experimenting with it. The girl shuffled over, and gently placed a hand on the grieving woman's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I just... was angry, and I wasn't thinking. It's not a good excuse, but, I won't ask for you to forgive me, either. Just..." She looked over to Roxi, and took a deep breath again, "I'll keep living. Promise. No more dumb, crazy stunts like that again. At least, I'll try not to. Okay?"

[Nanami Touko]

"... You'd better not, Miria." She huffed. "And you should be happy. I made sure to remember your name... Mine's Krys... mmmn... Kristin," she leaned in and whispered, leaning back on her feet with a pointed bounce. "But don't tell anyone! Anyone asks, the name's Krystal, you got that? Gawds... New faces making me care already... Ughhhhh..." She groaned and then looked down, flushing somewhat. "Right. Still wearing that stupid bastards basic bitch tastes... I wouldn't mind some better clothes... They can still be revealing, but, battle bikini isn't exactly... Tasteful."

[scorri]

Koba shrunk away from the recruited healer as she started ranting about killing all of the men who had been threatening them, provoking a response from Roxi, though she was barely able to get one out. He'd been about to make a break for it, not wanting to be involved, when a sudden hand on his shoulder caused him to jump a foot in the air, wings flaring out and almost hitting Miria. "Ah... I, just wanted to help. You don't need to apologize..." He knew he was blushing, the thanks unexpected, but thankfully she quickly gave him something to distract himself with. "Yeah, I was just thinking that. The room. Must have something in it, for them to want to burn it like that. So. Yeah. Uhm. Don't push yourself too hard, ok?" He quickly darted away, shaking his head. It was all too much. Both of what Miria and Roxi had done showed just how outclassed he was here and yet, he wanted to stay. Somehow, after the terrifying battle, after almost dying, after seeing just how outclassed he was, there was something, a small flame burning in his chest that didn't want to back down. Stupid. It's going to get you killed, thinking like this. But... Maybe I could get used to this. A small grin crept onto Koba's face as he ducked into the small room, quickly spotting two chests and an assortment of other things. Pulling out his lockpicks, he started digging in, looking through it at to find anything that might be of use while humming contentedly. Finally... this might be where I belong.

[GoldsbroTSG]

Miria nodded, and repeated in her head a few times,

Kristin, but Krystal in public, Kristin, but Krystal in public... She had to be sure she got it, especially when she struggled at first when Versaris revealed his real name. "Okay, you got it, Krystal~ Now I won't forget." She gave the best salute she could, even of it was a little weak. She turned back as Koba said he'd investigate for them, and she gave him a similarly weak-looking thumbs-up. "T-Thank you, Koba!" She exclaimed with a small jump that was like instinct, causing Miria to groan and stumble when she landed. She caught herself and shook her head, focusing back to Krystal's comment about her outfit.

"Ohhh, yeah." Miria hadn’t thought too much on it. She'd seen plenty of people wear so many types of outfits in and out of combat, and too focused she hadn’t even realized Krystal was just, in a bikini. It made the cub blush herself, causing her to turn away as to not gaze too long. "Well, um, I have a spare outfit back on the ship. It might be... not a great fit cause," Miria made a motion to her chest in comparison to Krystal's, "but, we can at least try, before we can find you something more fitting, right? Well," Miria stumbled along, so that Roxi was back in sight,

"Hey Roxi, d-do you just want to head back? I don't know how you're feeling but I," she sighed, "I might get in the way right now."

[Ether]

With a little bit of triage from Krystal, Miria seemed to be up and walking again, if a little unsteady... that was good, it meant that despite all of the hard blows she had taken in her suicide charge, she should walk out of it okay with some recovery time. Krystal and Miria kept talking for a few moments, the former leaning in to whisper something to Miria, and Koba had moved into the room that Kazran's men had made a desperate attempt to burn down... the contents of which Miria had risked her life to save. It had better be something damn good, for all of the trouble it had caused. 

Getting up quite yet likely wasn't the best plan, Roxanne having settled into a slightly more comfortable sitting position by the time Miria had made her way over, the cub finding Roxanne gently squeezing hand open and shut, a slight wince adorning her face as she looked up towards her friend.

"Oh, Miria. Heading back might be a good plan but... I think I'll need a support. You got hurt pretty badly, so I won't burden you with that." Roxanne began, pausing to bring her arm up to her face and muffle another round of wheezing coughs, giving her head an annoyed shake as she finished.

"I used way too much magic... I just... really need to rest. Find some sort of pick-me-up."

[Bluemask 96]

Lati's, or rather Lady Serdio's talks were going about as Gean expected. Figures there'd be some assholes still after this, can't change a country in a battle. Gean began to approach, bolt axe still in hand just in case someone wanted to act foolishly after the swordsman spat on the ground, when a massive explosion on magic shook the castle. The mermaid was caught off guard, causing the bolt axe to crackle with electricity. "The hell was that?" A number of the Tigers were rushing to handle the situation, but Gean chose to stay back. She wasn't an expert on these things, but given that she felt magic from said explosion, it had to be one of their own forces, and the silence of the castle led Gean to believe things were once again over. 

Gean took this moment to approach Tasha, who was discussing with Owen on their next steps. "M- Boss, do you need any help? I was gonna head back to the ship and make sure we're ready to sail back, but I thought I'd check with you first. See if there's any other tasks to clear up here. Sorry for interrupting Lord Owen." Gean kept a mostly professional look on her face, but her eyes also gave Tasha a second message. Can we talk later?

Edited July 26 by Bluemask 96

[Nanami Touko]

"I don't think anything of yours will fit me, but some of the other women had big tits... That tiger lady might have something. Hopefully. Even a cloak would do..." She could manage if she had to, these people weren't going to try and ogle her in this situation, but it needed solved at some point. 

When Roxanne began to hide her cough, Krystal squinted at her, rolled her eyes, and then moved her way, slowly pulling the sheep's arm over her shoulder. "We're not leaving you here on the floor. There might be other people that don't know this is done, and you clearly done have anything left in the tank. One, two...!" She didn't want to be physical labor anything, but Miria was just as spent, and bird brain was way too small to carry her alone. "Ghhhh... Hate exercise... Come on...!"

Edited July 26 by Nanami Touko

[scorri]

Worst case scenarios kept flipping through Cin's mind as he made his way quickly, but cautiously, down the hallway towards the magical explosion had come from. Miria and the others dead, wiped out by some strange magical device or some powerful mage, the same thing only with his companions captured, held hostage to demand the surrender of the rest of the Tigers. He had to keep reminding himself that almost none of their enemies had used magic and that those who had were far too weak to set off a spell of the magnitude that he had felt. But if not that, then who... It felt like something one of the Evokers would do. Not one of us...

He rounded the corner and came to a sudden stop, the sight in front of him reassuring but confusing at the same time. From a quick glance, it seemed that most of the group that had headed this way was easy to spot, alive if exhausted, and the one he couldn't see, Koba, was also not obviously among the dead bodies. The rest of the scene was a mess. The hallway showed signs of a terrible magical force, and a swath of dead enemies, clearly from the same explosion. He was so stunned that it took him a second to recognize that the healer they had picked up along the way was trying to carry Roxi by herself. "Oh, uh, here, let me help." He quickly moved to the other side of Roxi, wrapping her arm around his and pulling some of her weight off of their new companion. "I'm Cin, one of the Tigers. I can help carry her, if you want. Pretty sure you have enough on your plate after... whatever happened here. Are these two going to be ok?" He glanced over at Miria, worried about the girl. With how tired she looked, it was almost like the time she had used that fire spell. Were the two related? Even that didn't quite make sense though. It hadn't been a fire spell he'd sensed and it had been more powerful than Miria's spell had been back on the boat all that time ago. Hopefully everything was going to be ok.

---

Koba grinned as he easily popped open the first chest, the lock providing no real challenge. Inside was a curious looking weapon, a scythe. It wasn't something he had seen used very often, but he shrugged, tucking it into the back of his belt, figuring someone in the group should be able to use it. Humming a cheerful tune, he moved on to the next lock, opening it quickly enough as well. Inside was something he hadn't quite expected. A picture of a woman and a child, together, seemingly happy. The child he quickly recognized as the one the Tigers had rescued from the Underground, a small spider girl, whose name he couldn't quite remember. The woman though... He had seen her earlier today, fighting with the group. A gun user, and a deadly one at that. He stared at the picture for a few seconds longer before tucking it away into a belt pouch. It would be safe there while he gave the room one final once over before returning to the group. Once he did, he imagined the woman would be quite happy to have the picture back.

[mcd900]

Laniva knelt before the chest, slipping the freshly picked key neatly into the lock, the lid coming free with a satisfying click. It slipped away with but a push, finding only a couple things inside. A staff, for one; locking magic away - she was seeing something of a pattern in this place, not that it had created many problems for her. Of more significant note, though, was the letter inside. She picked it up, gingerly, as if fearing that a mere touch would tear it to shreds with gauntleted fingers.

A quizzical look crossed her face - she stowed her blade, taking the envelope into both hands, noting how the paper was perhaps a touch finer than most she'd ever come across. She couldn't read the words; never could have - but as Laniva turned it over to the back, she laid eyes upon the seal binding the paper within. One that gave her pause; that she'd seen before, but hadn't expected to find here of all places, one that tugged upon a chain of memories tying long back.

This is... the seal of the Kansei royal family...?

There was a small clink as the joints of her gloves tightened together, her fingers creasing the letter in her confusion. Before she could ponder it longer, though, the sound of a massive blast echoed through the hall, and she stuffed the letter into her armor without a second thought, rushing out to join the rest of the group...

---

The witch was briefly stunned as the Tiger in golden armor rushed down the hall; these mercenaries were certainly the brash and reckless type, not that that was a particular rarity amongst sellswords - still, there was a particular lack of sense on display of self-preservation with this latest charge--

--at least, such was what Seila had thought until the flames began anew, and with the raw, uncontrolled display of power surging through the halls she found herself stepping unconsciously between Amera and the fire ahead, bracing herself for a wave of magic that never came. She took a deep breath, sighing half out of relief and half out of exhaustion, slumping back slightly against the cat. "...I guess all of the Tigers are alright, at least... they really are like none other. I'm not sure if that's necessarily a good thing, yet... Hahhh."

[Ursali]

The woman had been quicker with her bow than the Creation had considered, firing off a shot into her before she could even draw a dagger. But aside from the woman's speed there was little to note of her shot. Alriana had weathered much worse; it wasn't even enough to shatter her armor. With little fanfare her dagger found one of the woman's vitals, snuffing out her life within a matter of seconds. Her target slain, Alriana's attention turned to the real target of their job as the Tigers whittled away the fire of his life only for another unknown to her person to fell the beast of a man with a thunderous call of lightning.

Kazran fell, the charred remains of a monstrous man landing with a thud. There wasn't even a moment of silence, the armored archer that had been fighting with them moving forward to stake her claim over this castle and Kazran's lands. Alriana wasn't one for politics, hearing Lati but devoting none of her attention to what was being said; as far as she was concerned the hall was still filled with enemies and her attention would remain focused there.

The loud explosion that rocked the very ground beneath her feet proved impossible to ignore, however. Alriana's eyes darted over to the hallway, wondering what could have even caused something of that magnitude. She knew that at least some of the Tigers had to be over there and that with her speed few if any of Kazran's stragglers would be able to stop her if she was to go check. However with Renais and Syndra running off ahead of her it would only weaken their deterrent if their body count kept dropping. Versaris approached shortly after, apparently content enough with the situation to sheath his sword for the time being. 

Her eyes remained on the remnants of Kazran's forces, particularly the swordman of theirs that must've fancied himself the leader of the remnants, even as Versaris spoke. "Could handle fighting a little more." Her glare made the target of her ire obvious, almost daring him to do something about it were he to look at her. She opened her mouth to ask a question but she stopped herself, already knowing Versaris' answer. "Hmph... Know what going to say. Have to be the bigger people and stop the hate or it will just continue. But people like them won't change until they die."

---

Ember had been pacing around the deck of their ship for awhile now, pretty much since the sounds of fighting had left the range of the dock. She knew they needed people to guard their only method of an emergency escape if everything went tits up, but with both Seila and Amera having been chosen for the assault force she was left with little more to do than worry for the pair. There hadn't even been any sort of attempt by Kazran's forces to go after the ship so she was wound tight. She watched as the fox departed the ship, unable to leave the ship with out at least for some sort of excuse to abandon her post. She didn't think she'd actually get one, but then the whole damn castle shook, accompanied by magic strong enough for even her to feel it! "What the fuck was that!?" She could wait around any longer after that, a part of her immediately fearing that somehow Seila and Amera had been caught up in whatever had caused what she could only assume was an explosion.

The hellhound leapt from the ship, bounding into the keep proper at full speed, flames trailing behind her with only one thought on her mind. Please just be safe you two...