--- SEASON TWO ---

Jason is walking along the outside of HQ, looking at the ongoing reconstruction and the damage that still needs to be fixed. Really, it's mostly one side and the upper two floors- the first floor is basically intact, what little damage there was already repaired- but it's still taking a while. Idly he touches base with Mimring, Fricai, and Deathstorm as a general check-in- something he's been doing a lot lately- and recieves relatively quick affirmations from the first two. He turns his brief poke of his link with Deathstorm into an actual question, however. /Everything clear over there?/

Deathstorm was still situated at the location of the fourth seal, overlooking it from a nearby cliff. His red eyes were focused upon the seal as Jason contacted him through their link. /Yeah, everything is clear. Strange that they have not made a move on this seal yet.../

Jason runs his hand along the stone wall of HQ, before stepping away from the building and giving a general look to the east. /They might be regrouping just like we are, but I'd stay on guard. You never know when they'll strike./

Valerie bites her lip as she stares at the mess of material in front of her. Her face was a mess; rather, her entire body was a mess. with blackened grease smudges from head to toe, her hair in an unruly manner and her clothes mangled, Valerie looked like she had just walked out of a car shop. She reached over and grabbed a strange piece of tech and looked at it thoroughly, then to some blue papers firmly placed on the floor next to her. "This has to be it..." she reviews to herself, but still unsure. She slowly hobbled her way over to what appeared to be a very well-constructed piece of machinery against the wall. She maneuvered agilely around the many delicately-placed metal pieces and wires as she reached deeply into he construct with the tech in hand. Stopping where she could not longer stretch, Valerie stuck out her tongue in concentration as she reached upward where she couldn't see and attempted to fit the tech into the supposed compartment that was to be there. After several tries, Valerie heard a satisfying click. Smiling and letting go, Valerie pulled back and gave a small sigh of satisfaction. /Still quite a bit more to go.../ Her smirk quickly turned serious as she looked at the blueprints once again, then over to the pile of pieces. "I know this isn't supposed to be easy, but..." she starts, sighing, "these blueprints are ridiculously hard."

Deathstorm ) /That goes without saying, but alright./ He continued to stare down at the seal. However, his focus soon shifted toward the southwest as he was overcome by a rather strange sensation. In that direction, he felt something strange in the wind... But just what exactly was he sensing?

Vale carefully observed the work done on HQ while his hand softly grazed the blade handle of the noire macabre. The strange otherworldly edge vibrated slightly. It had only been a few days after the fight against Oikeus. Vale had been doing better physically by the looks of his back being nearly back to normal again and other wounds closing up. However, a lingering sting held his thoughts and emotions hostage. His past. There was a constant heavy feeling in his stomach. Somehow things did not feel over at all. It was like an entirely new prison for him. The earthward angelic leaned back against a dead tree and kept his gaze close by. "This entire place is a mess." he scoffs to himself

Jason: *A calm voice sounds from a ledge nearby and above Deathstorm. "You know, you tend to pay less attention to something when all you do is stare at it all the time." Looking at the source of the voice would reveal a young, barely-adult Golden Firedrake, head on his foreclaws as he looks down at Deathstorm with half-closed, bright blue eyes. His tail hangs somewhat lazily over the edge of his perch. "Take a break. I can watch it for a while."*

Vale: Emma: *Rolling her eyes, she speaks while attempting to balance a cigarette between her lips* This cult is a cursed one. Destruction is all they know, and all we /should/ know at this point, Five.

Valerie: Kayera: *smiling with a glimmer of satisfaction, Kayera patted Jack's arm with approval* alright, I think that should be it. All of your little nanomachines have been retrofitted with what technology I could give them. Each of them can harness a portion of your mana and even cycle a little for you. They can also act independently if you give them the command and, most of all, are now extremely flexible and durable and intelligent, like my pod here. *she pauses* Basically, they'll do what you want them to do in any way. *She bites her lip* Although... we should probably talk about mana usage and such. Firstly, how do you feel? Is your main component syncing well?

Jude: Jack: *looking at Kayera, he smiles brightly. This had been a long time coming.* Well, there are a few minor bugs here and there, but they seem to be with the firmware interface, so I can fix them.

Deathstorm turned to a voice direct at him, only to see the source of the voice was Volant, seemingly having recovered from his injuries. "Volant," he silently spoke, then listened to the Golden Firedrake's offer to take his place in watching the seal. "Uh... sure..." He then began to walk away, likely returning to the cave. However, he quickly came to a stop. "Hey Volant, I have been meaning to ask you... Do you know what happened to Helix and Faryx after our last encounter?"

Shadow casually walks through the third floor hallways in the Cult Headquarters, or rather, where he can /actually/ walk on. Even in ruins, the place has a distinctive homely feel to it, however shocked he was to find out the true state of the building shortly after the aftermath with Oikeus. The lobby and most of the central area of the first floor were completely demolished due to something called a "Frozen Heart", and the damage to the third floor was comparatively the worst, with one half of the floor effectively crushed. He feels the entire setting reminiscent of the days after the Black Assassin's defeat, in fact. Hearing familiar sounds coming from his miraculously intact room as he nears it, Shadow smiles knowingly, and immediately heads over. "Morning, Val." he greets her with a smile, and stepping inside his room... which has, over the course of the past few days, progressively turned into a workshop of sorts. He had walked in on Valerie building the insanely complicated contraption several days ago, so it has become more or less daily routine to head over to HQ to see her progress. "You're a mess, you know?" he adds jokingly with a light chuckle, glancing at the impressive machinery. To think she has been able to build something this impressive in the span of only days...

Vale narrows his eyes. This talk is depressing him. "Wheres the madam, anyway? I thought she was with you."

Jason: Volant: *Tilts his head slightly at the question, then shuffles his wings.* We went our separate ways. Faryx went south. I'm not sure where Helix went off too, and I didn't try to follow him. *He snorts, casting a glance at the seal.* Even without Drake's influence, the two of us didn't exactly get along well.

Vale: Emma: Well.. *Her eyes lose a little shine under the question* She sent me off again. All she wants to do is be alone.....training.

Valerie: Kayera: *nodding, she continues* Right, well... first things first, they all sync with your mana reserves. I've programmed each of them with prerequisite commands that I'll tell you, but they can alter to accept new commands very easily. I've just given a few to start you off. *Kayera pauses for a moment* You haven't separated portions of yourself and used them independently have you? It should be easier this time around, even though the feeling might be strange or overwhelming.

Jude looks to Emma and Vale, a tad concerned at their words, but nothing too damning. The blade on his back--which had taken the place of the Shards, at least temporarily--pulsed with an entirely contrasting vibration to that of the one in Vale's possession. "Training..? In my realm?" he said, chuckling slightly, "Well, your origins were on a planet of perpetual blizzard, so if the shoe fits. I merely hope she isn't training herself on the Manor."

Deathstorm ) "I could honestly believe that," he spoke in response to what Volant had said regarding Helix. "I don't know exactly what is was, but whenever I saw Helix, I just sensed something off about him. Something malicious." A smirk then appeared on his face as he then spoke rather jokingly. "Either that, or I was just sensing how jealous he was of you."

Jude: Jack: I... can't say I have. I don't think I incorporated that into my body's original design. It may have come on later variants--I was the prototype, after all--but it's not something I thought of incorporating. This is going to be completely new to me.

Vale looks down slightly. It bugged him. "Her attitude towards all of us is not something I like. She is never this distant." Swerving the blade to his side, a void opens and consumes it. The Noire Macabre had been put away. "Anyway, can I ask you one favor? Talk to her. Tell her that she does not need to train. I'll personally protect her."

Vale: Emma: As will I, but you have to admit....she can hold her own, Five...

Jason: Volant: *His tail twitches.* Faryx and I both avoided him for that reason. He was probably Drake's favorite slave for the "virtue" of being an aggressive rakh. *He narrows his eyes slightly, as if not used to using the Drakine word, then chuckles at Deathstorm's next comment.* Jealous? How so? He's older, larger, stronger, and was more favored than me.

Jude: I would happen to agree with Emma; her performance during the battle with Oikeus has proven that she is formidable on her own.

Valerie , reciting part names and numbers under her breath, barely even noticed Shadow enter the room. That was, until, she looked to find a piece only to see Shadow's shoe in the corner of her eye. Jumping slightly she looked up to see Shadow and smiled. "Oh! 'Morning, Shadow!" she replied with a beaming smile. She sat on her heels and sighed. "Well, I've been working since much earlier this morning... These pieces are so numerous, I don't know how I'm going to put them all together." She tilted her mouth into a half frown as she stared at the mess before her. Half of the room was jumbled parts, the other half her construct. "I mean, I know where everything goes as far as the very basics, but... this'll take me a while."

Vale raises a brow in disbelief. "No. That can be true, can it? She is not much of a fighter against something twice her size. " his voice then grew firm. "Just talk to her."

Jude sighs. "Even a mouse can overcome its hurdles and do battle with an animal many times its size." he says, "But I will see what I am able to do."

Vale: Emma: Five, are you really that worried about the madam? This sure is uncharacteristic of you.

Deathstorm slightly chuckled in response to Volant's response to his last statement, noting his obliviousness to what the Shadow Drake meant. "You know what, nevermind." He then began to crawl away from the area. "I will say this, though. If you find yourself in the mood to mess with Helix, then you should go seek her out whenever you get the time."

Valerie: Kayera: *shifting her sitting position, Kayera formulated her next words.* Ok. Well, first of all, understand that I've worked your nanomachines to cycle mana into its plasmatic state, meaning it'll be used more for attacks more than magic. I assume you don't work much with magic, so this will be fine for you. *she paused, standing up* now, then. I want you to imagine you grabbing this. *pulling out a small metal cylinder, Kayera walked a few feet from Jack's location. She placed the cylinder on the ground and turned to him* Don't move or anything. Just stretch your hand out and think about grabbing it. It might feel weird but just let it happen.

Vale grunts and pulls out a cigar to pop into his mouth. The man then slides down to sit on the floor and crosses his legs. In order to light the cig, he lifted up his shoe and tapped on the side of it, causing a lighter's end to plop out and light up with fire. Vale leans down and takes a puff. "She is the future of our world." Vale pauses. "I want to make sure I do my part in preserving it."

Vale: Emma: *Grins and pokes Vale with her foot in an oddly fun way. They were friends, after all* Sure, Mr. Future. I know your game.

Jason: Volant: *Tilts his head again as he watches Deathstorm leave.* I'd rather not, but whatever you say. *He looks away, watching the seal. What he says next is barely audible; he doesn't even know if Deathstorm will hear him.* And... I'm sorry for all that trouble we gave your group before.

Jude: Jack: Alright, I'll give it a shot. Gotta learn to be efficient at utilising new features, after all. *he pauses, suppressing a laugh* ... If I hit myself in the face by accident, feel free to laugh. *then, he held his left hand out, and directed not only his mind, but the control module in his watch to tell it to try to pick the cylinder up. Soon after, something incredible--to Jack, at least--happened: his hand seperated from the rest of his body and began to float!*

Vale stands up and heads off. "I'll be training if you need me. You should be too, Four. You've gotten far too idle for my tastes."

Valerie: Kayera: *giggles* You'll do just fine. *As these words left her mouth, Jack already started on the process. Suddenly, a very crude separation along Jack's arm lit up for just a moment before Jack's hand started forward. Smiling, Kayera sat down* that's good... you're doing good. Just remember that this body is one big tool. Don't focus so much on the feeling as the goal. Keep it steady.

Jude chuckled. "Well, you know to call my name if I am required, Valen."

Vale: Emma: *Looks Vale off in quite an uncomfortable irritation.* /Is it just me...or does Five actually....have feelings for the madam? His boss?/ *Emma rolled her neck around in order to crack it, then began walking off with a bow forming in her hands to hunt* /No. Could love really bloom on the battlefield as they say?/

Jude: Jack: *staying silent and in focus to his goal, he willed his now-seperated left hand to move toward the cylinder. Reaching it shortly after, he then told the fingers to close around it. Now that he had the cylinder, he directed the seperated hand to bring it back and place it in front of him.*

Shadow looks at the aforementioned pieces. Now that he is actually inside the room, he notices the seemingly-disorderly array of metallic parts extending even further on the ground than the day before. Well, not like he minds in any case, as he is not even using the room in question for obvious reasons. He sides with the nearby wall to avoid stepping on anything important, and looks over. "You've done that much already... I think you'll be finished in no time, really..." he says, looking once again at the complex machine the girl has assembled. There is a short pause as Shadow watches Valerie work, before he adds, "Um, I can help you if you'd like. I don't know how useful I can be but, well... I guess it's better than just watching you do all the work by yourself."

Jason sighs, approaching the forest. The last week has been a wonderful reprieve. But he knows, especially with the Cult's history, that it can't last long. /We solved one problem. We still have a ton more to face,/ he thinks, almost bitterly. /And by the time we take care of them, five more will have popped up along the way./ He stops several feet from a tree, where Mimring is coiled silently, watching him. The dragon's left side if mostly hidden by angle, though Mimring also seems to hold his right wing in such a way as to obscure a good view. It's mostly instinctual, but... Jason sighs.

Valerie: Kayera: *grinning even wider as Jack not only managed to grab the cylinder but to bring it back and place it down, Kayera raised herself onto her toys with a form of joy* Perfect! That was great! *Turning to Jack, she nodded* Ok, put your hand back on. We're going to try a test with using your mana.

Kenchoi approached the wreckage that was once the headquarters of the Cult of Ustream. "Wow, Hobek and Mr. Igneite weren't kidding," he seemingly spoke to himself as gazed upon wreckage, both exterior and interior through various openings in the walls. "Oikeus really /did/ do a number to this place." His gaze then shifted toward someone walking away from what was one a building. "Hey, isn't that..." He quickly recognized this person as Jason, then began to follow after him.

Vale: Shockwing: *after doing his best to try and talk things out with the local Peacewalker, his mind was still out of it. Why haven't they found Starr yet?* /Don't worry, she'll come around.../ *with a sigh, he keeps walking just before spotting Jack from a distance. He was with Kayera. Something interesting seemed to have been happening.* Oh..? *The young sky serpent places his hands in his pockets and began walking towards them* I...hope i'm not interrupting something...! *he called out at the duo in particular*

Jason opens his mouth to say something, but Mimring looks past him. /We have company./ Jason turns to look, seeing Kenchoi approach. The Shapeshifter gives a short wave in greeting before glancing back at Mimring. /... It's not all bad. At least you're healthy./

Jude: Jack: *willing his hand to reattach itself to the rest of his arm, he turned his head in the direction of Shockwing* Oh, not much. Just working out the bugs in some recent upgrades to core..!

Valerie stops, thinking for a moment. "Well, I would appreciate the help..." smiling, Valerie leaned over and grabbed the blueprints. Standing up, she tiptoed over the pieces she had all over the floor and sat down next to Shadow on the bed he would have slept in prior to the destruction of half of HQ. "This is basically where all the pieces go." She paused and waited for Shadow's exasperated expression upon seeing the papers, smirking already in apprehension.

Vale: Shockwing: *widens eyes* Upgrades? Really? *he grins and finally stops in place as he observes. The young sky serpent flicking a few strands of blonde hair away* I take it you gave yourself one after recent events, or am I wrong?

Jude: Jack: *chuckles* No, not me. Kayera did.

Valerie: Kayera: *turning toward Shockwing, Kayera greeted with a wave* Oh, you're not intruding. *she blushes as her work became very apparent* It's nothing, really. I'm just helping out where I can, and Jack really asked for it, so...

Vale: Shockwing: *Blinks and looks closer. She did it? He is amazed* ...wait so-- This was...you?

Kenchoi waved back in response to Jason's greeting as he approached him, stopping a few feet away from the Shapeshifter. "Mr. Igneite wanted to see how you guys were doing after you left our place."

Jason glances at Mimring for an instant, who watches Kenchoi with some degree of boredom, then nods at the Seotaran. "We're doing fairly well, I suppose. We've been rebuilding HQ and there haven't really been any incidents in the last week. And your group?"

Valerie: Kayera: *still blushing lightly, she continues* Y-yes, I did... we haven't finished diagnostics, though, so we're about to continue the trial run... *looking toward Jack, she spoke* Ok, I want you to initiate a very base command. Try command "Plasma Palm". You should probably say it for now before you go to thinking them; it'll help you get a feel of each of them.

Kenchoi: Things have been relatively calm on our side. *pauses* Although yesterday, Mr Igneite, Hobek and I had another talk regarding Sundavr. And I figured that you of all people would take what I'm about to say into consideration. *pauses again* So by all means, we do have to depend on him for now. But at the same time, we know his next move, and that in theory, he can leave his current position at any moment. But the more we thought about it, there was just one thing that we just couldn't quite figure out an answer for... While we know that he's been free for quite some time now, the question remains... How was he freed in the first place?

Shadow blinks. "E-eh?" He blinks again to make sure he is looking at the right thing. He leans closer, confusion evident in his face. To him, it just looks like completely esoteric scribbles, utterly incomprehensible as they are overlayed over each other, but as he focuses, he can barely begin to discern individual shapes, parts, and purely graphical building instructions... but they are nevertheless very complex. "Wow, that's... very complicated..." he sighs in defeat, crossing his arms. He scans all the blueprints anyway, finding them all equally in-depth. A small, nearly invisible term crosses his line of vision, which makes him recall that Val called this a "supercomputer". "What is this meant to do, anyway...? I don't think you've told me what a "supercomputer" does..."

Jason listens to Kenchoi, then seems to consider. "We don't know, and he never gave us any hints on the matter. All I really know is what most historians say about it; he was sealed in the desert to the south after Shyr subdued him, and that he and Koth were sealed seperately for security reasons." He glances at Kenchoi. "Do you guys know anything more than this?"

Vale: Shockwing: *Giving a nod, the young man sits down on the floor to observe. Aside from Starr there wasn't many people around here who did these kinds of things and seemed good at it. Theres Giga, but hes a bitch. Shockwing observes carefully out of curiousity and as a chance to expand his knowledge if possible* Interesting...

Valerie giggles. "It's fairly complex, but you can see the pieces." She pauses and lets Shadow think it out. To her surprise, Shadow brings up something she had never even considered since they last talked about it. "Oh... Well," she began, "This model of supercomputer was invented by my cousin Brian, who was Alex's older brother. He created it specifically to manage and intake inventions and trial runs and all sorts of other things all the while keeping connections with other supercomputers in a form of "hivemind."" She smiled. "Well, I couldn't name off all of the functions it does, but really... I want to see if I can connect to CrazEcorp's network from here. We do have deep-space satellites, but..." she stopped, suddenly showing a hint of bittersweet nostalgia.

Jude: Jack: *nods affirmatively* Right. Plasma Palm. *with those words, he formulated a design in his head, and his left arm once again began to undergo changes--though this time more complex than simple seperation. The nanomachines that made up his arm began to shift around his watch, some taking on a transparent property as they covered the screen, while those that were formerly his hand rose up to meet them. Soon enough, he had a full wrist-mounted blaster, with the LED's from around his watch forming wide, blue stripes on either side. The blaster itself was quite angular in design, but still ergonomic enough as to be practical. Jack suppressed a surprised gasp.*

Kenchoi shook his head. "Sorry to say, but we don't know any more than that other than the fact that historians seem to have no idea where Koth was sealed." He paused. "Well, whatever the case is, hopefully we'll have some answers soon. Mr. Igneite's planning an investigation of the location where Sundavr was sealed to see what he could fine there."

Jason exchanges a look with Mimring, then nods as he looks back at Kenchoi. The dragon snorts but stays quiet. "You know what, tell Bophez he can count at least some of the Cult in. Personally, I'd like to see the site myself, and I'm sure some of the others could use the, er..." He looks to the side, as if trying to find the term. "... Field experience. If you want to call it that." He gives a wry grin. "Personally, I haven't been outside Ustream for more than a day or two." Mimring raises his head, giving him a look; that last comment is a lie. /But it wouldn't do to tell a Seotaran that we're from a country they're at war with, either way./

Kayera: *smiling, Kayera nodded* Ok. Stay calm; we don't want you going crazy with your weapon. First, focus on something nearby. Then, just take a shot. All of this is basically mental imagery, so you can get this down in no time as long as you focus. You might not get it all perfect right now, but we can keep practicing."

Jack: Don't worry about me going crazy with arms; I was trained not to. *taking rough aim at a nearby tree, he sends a mental message to the control module, telling it to bring up a translucent hologram scope, which he then uses to futher refine his aim at the middle of the trunk. Quickly powering a shot, he exclaims,* Fire in the hole! *then fires at the tree, the resulting Mana projectile blowing the part above the barrel of the gun clean off.*

Kenchoi nodded. "I'll go ahead and tell him to meet anyone you're bringing along in the colosseum." He walked by Jason as he prepared to walk back to the station's headquarters. "You know Jason, you really should take the time to explore areas outside of Ustream. You'll find all kinds of interesting places, like Glixis Chasm, or Kurasa, or..." He paused for a moment. "Jierno." Not even waiting for Jason to let the last location he noted sink in, he spawned an unusually large key and jumped on top of it. "Later, Jason!" he called as he rode away on the unusual key.

Shadow listens to the explanation. "Hivemind, huh...?" He does not /quite/ get it, but from Valerie's brief explanation, he can deduce it is a device to store information somehow. He suddenly becomes aware of the unnatural stop, as Valerie mentions crazEcorp. "Hey, Val." he addresses her, turning to face her. "Do... you miss your world?" he ventures the question. "I arrived from elsewhere, too. I'll probably never know how it happened, but I guess I miss it sometimes, as well..." he recalls his homeworld, a semblance of nostalgia crossing his face. But if it is bitter, it does not show in the slightest. "But I also think it's amazing in its own way that I got to meet everyone here... and you." he grins.

Jason almost immediately frowns as Kenchoi mentions Jierno. Other than the fact that it's a decently sized trade city, there's so little of interest there that Kenchoi mentioning it can't be a coincidence. As the man leaves, Jason and Mimring exchange an uneasy look. /They can't know, can they? Why would they even?/ Mimring snorts softly, nuzzling his master's shoulder before standing, with his left side still mostly hidden. The dragon does seem to have a bit of trouble keeping his feet however- as if he's off-balance. /... Either way, let's go gather up the others./ He gives a passing mental note to Fricai and begins to walk towards HQ.

Kayera: Wow.. you did it. *Kayera stared at the ruins of what was once a tree* ... Well, you have that basic down... *looking at Jack, she nodded* Ok, well. That's just one of many functions. Now, I want you to try and detach that arm, move it several feet away from you... and then shoot this cylinder. *pointing to the cylinder at Jack's feet that he had picked up moments earlier, she smirked* This time, this is to focus on your concentration at the same time as managing your mana usage. It shouldn't be too hard since your nanomachines are doing the majority of the work for you, but let's see how in-control you are! *she then looks to Shockwing* ... We should take a few steps back.

Vale: Shockwing: *Blinks and gives a small clap* Don't worry about me, I'll be alright from this distance but Wow. I've never seen you do that before Jack! So you've basically fitted him with a more natural process like mana, correct? *He looks at Kayera intently*

Valerie looks up at Shadow, smiling slightly. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to get sad right now... I don't just miss my planet, I miss... everything.. my old life... my parents..." she stopped herself. Looking into Shadow's eyes, she felt those feelings of depression start to ebb. Feeling her cheeks warm as he stared back into her gaze, she stuttered. "I-I'm... I'm glad to have meet you too, Shadow..." Feeling his eyes draw her in, Valerie couldn't help but lean forward...

Jason: Fricai: *He suddenly speaks up from the doorway, as if he's been there the entire time. He sounds bored, not particularly reacting to the clutter or to Valerie.* Jason has agreed to have some Cultists accompany the Station of Seotara on a trip to Nienearcl to investigate the site where Skyking Súndávr was sealed. Are you coming along?

Valerie: Kayera: Yes, actually. *walking over to where Shockwing stood, she turned and looked at Jack* his nanomachines now run on his own mana in secondary to electricity. He also is fitted with mostly the same materials as my pod. I tried to use as little as possible, since I still need to... *pausing, Kayera bit her lip* well, let's focus on Jack right now. SO far he's doing well, but trying to shoot from a completely different angle takes extreme attention. If he does this, then his more complex commands will be perfect for him.

Shadow mirrors the movement almost without thinking, frankly not giving a fuck about Valerie's messy appearance. That is, until Fricai's voice causes him to nearly fall off the bed, as he quickly jerks back into position. Well fuck. Blood rushing to his face, he manages to stutter out a greeting to the dragon. "H-Hey Fricai, I didn't know you... err, yeah...?" he glances at Valerie beside him, who probably shares the awkwardness of the situation, then breathes out. "A-Anyway..." he coughs, "They're... going to Nienearcl to investigate, right? Where is this place? Is it in Ustream?"

Jude: Jack: *laughs whole-heartedly* Well, I can try. No guarantees I'll actually hit the thing; that watch may be my control center, but I haven't added a camera yet. *willing his gun arm to seperate again, he first positioned it in the general ballpark of where he wanted to fire* Hm... a difference of even a few inches may mean hitting myself... let's think of this from a designer's point of view. *visualising the floor in front of him as an overhead blueprint, he noted the cylinder next to his right leg as point A as the now-independent blaster as the origin on a linear trajectory. Wirelessly sending that blueprint to the control and position modules was enough to properly aim the blaster; now all he needed to do was fire.* Now, to fire the thing. *focusing his will--and indeed, his previously untapped Mana reserves once more, and thinking chiefly of the end result to help ignore the strange sensation of something previously unused being utilised, he willed the gun to fire on the cylinder.*

Valerie almost yelps at the sound of Fricai's voice, having been lost in Shadow's eyes prior. Turning and looking at the dragon, her face burned with embarrassment. Shadow was just as red as her as he replied. She sat silently, her hands still up to her mouth where she got a thick whiff of metal. /phew, is that what I smell like?.../ glancing at Shadow, she remained red. /And he was still going to kiss me?/ She smirked silently to herself.

Jason: Fricai: Nienearcl is the desert country that shares Ustream's southern border. *He tilts his head, scanning the room briefly before his gaze locks onto Shadow again.* If you wish to come, be at the colosseum soon. *He turns to go, but glances over one of his vestigial wings. When he speaks again, his voice carries a tone that only those who know him well would recognize as something similar to amusement. Almost approval.* My apologies for interrupting. *He walks away.*

Vale: Shockwing: Amazing, hes totally natural at this... *He tilts his head* man, if only we had enough money to do this kind of stuff.

Jude: Jack: Natural? Not really. I just approached it as a designer and engineer.

Valerie: Kayera: *jumping slightly as a burst of plasmatic mana shot from the gun from the distance it was at, she watched the cylinder fly off into the distance as a small crater marked its previous position. Kayera nodded in approval* This is good... But, if you want this to be used tactically, you'll have to train like this for a bit. It'll take a while... *she smiles* but I think you'll get the hang of it.

Vale: Shockwing: *Stands up and dusts himself off, then facing Jack* Hey, I could help you train with that. I do need some training myself, erm...to not be so useless during a crisis.

Jude: Jack: I... would appreciate that, actually. Martial arts taught me that the best way to train is to spar.

Shadow opens his mouth to say something, but closes it again as Fricai mentions "interrupting". Even as the dragon leaves, he can still feel himself blushing at the fact they were... well. He follows Fricai with his gaze until he disappears from view, failing severely at ignoring the implications of his tone. "W-well." he manages out, after a few seconds of awkward silence. "I'm going to see what they're up to, at least... this sounds fairly important."

Valerie nods slowly, smiling weakly up at Shadow. "R-Right..." Looking at her materials, she sighed. /I might as well clean up for the day../ As Shadow got up to leave, she stood up as well. "Wait, Shadow." Walking up to him, she leaned upward and landed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "I'll come too. I'll be over soon." Turning extremely red after the brief display of affection, she merely turned and started cleaning up.

--- Timeskip ~ Colosseum ---

Jason looks over the group that ended up showing up at the colosseum- quite a large group, actually. /Guess everyone's eager to take some time off from rebuilding HQ,/ he idly says to Mimring, who gives a mental snort in response. The dragon is up in the stands rather than his usual perch on a pillar- the reason being obvious. He's given up trying to hide his left side and now it's painfully obvious why he isn't coming. Jason frowns in sympathy, not wanting to leave his Familiar alone, but there's not much choice right now. He forces himself to turn back to the group. "Alright, then. I'm not sure how long we'll be gone; I assume you're all ready for this?"

Valerie: Darius: *crouching at the base of the wall separating the stands and the colosseum pit, Darius retained a calm composure as a small tilt of a smile remained on his face. Valerie was nearby with Shadow just next to her.* Jude had called me down, but I still don't quite understand. Everyone is going someplace?

Jason: Fricai: *Is sitting near Shadow as well, but he seems far less content than the others. He sits with an agitated tail and a displeased expression on his face, but says nothing.*

Vale stood within the group in nothing but the lightest clothes he could gather. Despite the cold atmosphere surrounding Ustream, none of it bothered the man. His body was adapted to the most harshest of winters. In his arms were a small sack and a book about the place they were going to resting between his fingers. The gunslinger gave a glance at Emma and Gaga, the latter whom looks away rather dissapointingly when they make eye contact. /Oh you have got to be kidding me./ the man mentally scoffed. Vale rose his voice once Darius arrived. "As a matter of fact we are. We are going to investigate an area where this Sky King fellow was once sealed in. "

Valerie: Kayera: *standing apprehensively on the other side of Valerie, Kayera turned to look back toward the direction of HQ. Despite her having locked her pod entirely, she felt slightly anxious leaving it behind. She was even coaxed into not wearing her suit; rather, she had on a blue skirt with a white frilly blouse. and a matching blue jacket gifted by Valerie* /I feel so exposed.../

Vale: Gaga: *Standing a bit away from the rest of the group, the rose eyed woman tapped the tip of her feet on the ground nervously. For days now her psychic-like powers have not given her a rest. Her world was a constant blur filled with a cacophony of loud buzzes and screeches from basically nowhere. Vibrations constantly followed her, mysterious shifts in things also occured. As she has been honing in on her newfound ability to manipulate things by merely "listening" to the ressonance it made, the woman still felt unsure. Maybe she had potential to hurt, maybe not. In her mind she had that feeling the former was more than likely. The woman carefully clutched her belongings in her arms*

Bophez: Indeed. Seal guardian or not, Skyking Súndávr presents an eventual problem for us. Investigating where he was sealed may provide answers as to how exactly he was allowed his freedom.

Shadow: Espira: *leans back against the wall of the mid-level sector of the stands, but still within talking distance with everyone else. Having recovered rather quickly after the confrontation nine days ago, she looks as if nothing had really happened.* I do not see why such a large group is to be sent to unfamiliar territory, especially when it simply involves scouting and information-gathering. It would be far more effective if a far smaller and more specialized group were sent, instead.

Jude was standing near Vale, with the other two Lycans standing beside him. He, and indeed the other two, seemed to be carrying nothing but what they has on them. This was due to Jude keeping it for them in the Manor, where he could go and retrieve it for them if needed. He then spoke up when Espira mentioned the size of the group. "Perhaps, since we are still recovering from the encounter with Oikeus, we could also use this trip as a rest of sorts?

Hobekitsu was leaning against one of the colosseum pillars. His eyes shifted toward Jude in response to what the Lycan had said regarding their intended investigation. "You say that like this is meant to be some kind of vacation."

Jason speaks up, his voice clipped in tone. "We all know it isn't, but why deny the opportunity to catch a break from all the chaos Ustream tends to attract?"

Vale: Emma: *watching from a distance away, the huntress had doubts about the trip in general, mostly due to that fact that it could easily lead them to steer away from the purpose they set out there in the first place. Jude's words only confirm it, causing her eye to twitch slightly. No matter. She was only going to keep her mistress safe. Her weird and now reckless behaviour called for more protective measures. She placed her hands on her belt as she awaited any other commands, slightly grazing some holding compartments of blood strapped to her sides for emergencies.*

Shadow glances curiously at Fricai's evident uneasiness, but he says nothing. Espira is right. There is no reason for a group of this size to collectively leave Ustream for the simplest of missions, so he wordlessly watches the conversation develop. That is, until Jude and Hobek mention the words "trip" and "vacation", respectively. He blinks. "Huh...? A trip... right now?" he is puzzled by the line of thinking, but not particularly opposed to it. He glances at Valerie with a curious look to see what she thinks, then looks back. "Would... that be a good idea? I mean, there's a lot going on here at the moment already... we haven't defeated the Sealbreakers yet." he offers the thought. /Then again, we haven't heard from them in a while, but even so.../

Shadow: Espira: *raises an eyebrow at the prospect. Her expression both seems to convey how ridiculous the notion is, and yet holds a degree of consideration to it, somehow. Even so, she refutes.* The biggest flaw in this plan is essentially Shadow's point. The Sealbreakers both remain an unassessed and undealt threat, regardless of their extended periods of inaction. It is a mistake to leave Ustream unattended while this threat persists.

Jason nods in acknowledgement, but Mimring chimes in from the stands before he can say anything. "There are some people remaining here, I am sure, and in any case if a seal is attacked we do have a way to respond quickly. I would exercise caution in how many people go, but otherwise there is nothing wrong with a group leaving Ustream."

Valerie notices the glance Shadow gave in her direction, suddenly feeling the perplexing conversation dig into her. /If it's supposed to be a mission.../ "I think," she suddenly piped up, her eyes trading an almost electric stare with Espira, "That the Sealbreakers are recovering as well. And if that's the case, we need to have people ready as backup for this mission." She pauses. "I mean, we can't wait for word to come back here to send more people... it might be better to have a general mass to get it done quicker." She looks at Shadow to see if she was doing well.

Hobekitsu: The problem with what you said there is that in our last encounter with them, there were only three indivudual members that we fought. And from what we've seen, one of them could easily continue their mission without the need for rest.

Shadow nods encouragingly, but something Mimring said immediately makes a very peculiar crystal come up to mind. /Ah.../ he reaches for the hanging gem, clutching it appreciatively and staring into the deep, pitch-black core in the middle. It is, after all, the key factor in their rapid response plan... well, at least, the red variant he got from Careodry, as he has no plans in wasting this particular one. "Oh, right! We have the Voidcore in case anything happens." he says, holding out the strange crystal for them to see.

Shadow: Espira: *exchanges a cold glance with Valerie, before blinking in surprise as the Voidcore is mentioned, widening her eyes slightly in realization. It seems she did not consider that.* Ah, the Voidcore. In that case, then... *she trails off, as she raises her hand to her mouth in deep thought.* It might not be a problem mobilizing to Nienearcl if that is the case.

Vale: Shockwing: *For once the boy looked completely alone without Starr being next to him. It was odd not having the woman bossing him around or anything. In his mind he would rather just go out and ditch this trip to find her but he knew as a professional that he was needed there just in case an injury happened. Wearing some khaki shorts and his usual lab coat, the young man listened to the conversation* so I guess that covers the dilemma nicely *he speaks up for once. Usually starr did that.. His mind then trails off to the twins who were under the care of one of Starr's sisters he called over a few days prior*

Jude looks to Shockwing. He seemed to be right. "Indeed, Shockwing." he says, then scanning across everyone present, "So, it has been settled then, I assume?"

Vale gives a nod. " If so, I suggest we get a move on." He glances at Gaga again to check on her

Jason nods. "Unless there are more objections-" he glances at Hobek- "we should get going."

Hobekitsu narrowed his eyes as now more people had opted to go through with this, regardless of any possible consequences. He then sighed as he then answered Jude. "Well, you all seem to have decided. Though at this point, it definitely doesn't look like there's any point in attempting to change your minds." He then got off of the pillar and proceeded away from the group. "Though just to be on the safe side, I'm staying in Ustream."

Valerie evades the piercing stare by turning back before the full message could be brought through, instead turning and looking at Darius. "Darius, would you like to come?" she paused. "You look distracted."

Jason and Mimring exchange a look at Hobek's last comment. "Good, that," the Shapeshifter mutters, barely audible.

Valerie: Darius: *listening intently, Darius hadn't much to say. It seemed as though the plan was in action. Rather, his concentration was on something else... His focus broke as Valerie pulled him from his thoughts* Oh. Yes. I was concentrating on contacting a friend of ours... *he smirks*

Shadow: Espira: *gives a light sigh.* I suppose I have no choice but to follow.

Valerie: *from atop the stands of the colosseum, a dark figure cursed as he appeared from a burst of dark mana.* /Why did I get called here? Of all places.../ *Walking slowly down as he recognized Darius and Valerie just ahead, he folded his ethereal arms*

Valerie: Darkside: ... What is this all about? *looking directly to Valerie, he tried to avoid everyone else's stares*

Valerie smiles widely as she realizes what Darius meant. As the dark figure progressed down the stands, Valerie burst from her spot by Shadow and rushed up to him. Quite surprisingly, she crashed into the dark figure in a tight embrace. "Darkside! I haven't seen you for a while now! Where have you been?"

Jason blinks. /Huh. Where's he been all this time?/ He glances at Mimring, who shrugs his remaining wing in response.

Bophez: My, quite an unexpected appearance. *clears his throat* Now then, shall we get going?

Shadow blinks as Valerie suddenly runs up to Darkside, then just blinks harder as she hugs the dark being with familiarity. "...What." escapes his lips, tilting his head to the side at the extremely peculiar, borderline ridiculous scene before him. /Well that was... really unexpected./ He knew that they were both acquainted, but that was a legitimate surprise. "Hey, Darkside." he finally greets him with a friendly wave.

Vale: Gaga: /oh, this is starting to look like quite a crowd../ *she could almost feel the difference of vibrations from darkside's arrival. Her spine tingled, though she was already growing used to it, therefore ignored it. She speaks up after bophez* yeah, let's...

Valerie: Darkside: *suddenly rushed by the little girl, he growled as she embraced his tangible form* Get off, me, girl! *he says, although anyone could tell that the true threatening voice that Darkside possessed was not apparent. He didn't, in fact, try to resist. Instead, he glared at everyone that dared to stare in amusement* I'm only here because Darius summoned me. And even that it was under consideration.

Valerie just giggles while she released the dark figure. "You're coming with us. We're going to a place where we'll--" she paused, glancing at Espira nearby before continuing. "Well, we'll talk about it when we get there." She remains smiling as she grabs Darkside's hand and pulls him down the stands toward Shadow.

Jason looks on, then shakes his head. "Are we ready /now/?"

--- Timespaceskip ~ Ryoyu ---

Jason steps out of the portal, immediately noting the very large temperature jump. Though there is a slight breeze, the air is dry and hot, and has a relatively dusty quality to it caused by stirring of the pale sand underfoot. He takes several steps forward- they are outside the city, but well within walking distance. This is good; they don't need to attract too much attention. In the distance, the eastern horizon seems to shimmer. Before he can really focus on it, however, Fricai walks out of the portal as well, giving a slight growl and glaring at the sand around him. "Why did it have to be a desert?" the dragon mutters inaudibly.

Vale follows out of the portal with a very irritated expression once the desert breeze hit his frame. Great. As if on cue, his cheeks began to grow red under the intense (for them) heat, though he keeps himself composed the entire time until Emma and Gaga step out of the portal as well. He looks up at the blazing sun hatefully, though for some reason he felt the rays of the sun keep his energy at a desired level. The angelic gunman opened his book and used it as a shade for his head. "I agree with the dragon there. Though I shouldn't complain." he mutters.

Jude ) Stepping out of the portal shortly after, Jude too notices the temperature difference, but smiles slightly when he realises where he is. "A desert, hm? I have never visited a dry one such as this, only the tundra of the Northland back home. This will be interesting." Emerging from the portal after him is Jack, followed by Dark. The latter seems a bit harder hit by the new climate, letting his wings droop slightly before slowly beating one of them closer to his midsection to produce a more substantive breeze. Clearly, he was already getting hot. "This might take a bit more getting used to..." he said.

Bophez emerged from the portal, taking in a good view of the surrounding area. For the most part, nothing but sand for miles. The only other thing he could note was a city within the distance. Though unlike a few other members, he was seemingly unaffected by the change in temperature. "Either way, this seems to be a rather opportune location. Our destination is within reasonable distance, as is one of Nienearcl's towns."

Vale: Gaga: *gives out a tired huff while her hands patted her cheeks. They were bright red. With her pale complexion it was a given that she'll only get more red by the minute. She looks back as Shockwing emerges out of the portal, then proceeds to place her palm next to her face. A small mist of ice began hitting her so that she could cool down. But for how long?* I-I don't think this is a nice place for me to be at....I hope we're staying in somewhere nice and cold..

Jude ) Observing as more of his compatriots followed them out, he looked over to see Gaga mention something about the heat. He chortled. "I am sure there is an oasis somewhere nearby; most deserts are not without them. Simple geology."

Jason nods. "Most desert cities in Nienearcl have an oasis nearby, to support the town," He chimes in. "I'm sure the buildings will be lower in temperature."

Vale: Emma: *breaks out an umbrella and covers herself immediately. She hisses* /'Long as the mistress is fine, I must remain here. In the sun./

Valerie: Kayera: *stepping through her own portal with a slight pant and a sudden gasp to the dramatic temperature change, Kayera squinted immediately to the harshness of the sun* W-Wow.. *taking a sidestep, she allows the others to follow suit. The portal struggled in maintaining itself as Kayera fed mana into it, hoping that it wouldn't close before everyone got through.* Did I get close?

Valerie , after pushing Darkside through, quickly feels her skin tingle as heat erupted around her. Repeating Kayera's reaction perfectly, she put a hand to her forehead. "Geez, this is hot!"

Valerie: Darkside: *grumbling as he reached the other side of the portal, with some aid from Valerie, Darkside growled as the sun shone against the darkness of his figure. Immediately summoning a veil of dark mana over the immediate area, he glared at nothing in particular* This brightness disgusts me. Why was I brought here anyway?

Valerie: Darius: *slipping through the portal with relative ease, Darius stepped onto the burning sands with a raised eyebrow. Although he didn't flinch, he did hesitate in continuing further. This wasn't weather he was used to* /I'm going to sizzle out here.../ *traveling fully through and thankfully into the shade of Darkside's creation, Darius took in several deep breaths of the dry air. Each breath felt empty. He looked to Valerie, trying to hide his discomfort* So, what do you think?

Bophez: Kenchoi: *blinks as he notices the apparent lack of the sun in the sky as he steps out of the portal.* /O-Okay.../ *He glances around, noticing how uncomfortable almost everyone present seems to be having arrived in the desert of Nienearcl. He slightly chuckled.* /Looks like no one here is used to this kind of weather.../

Shadow emerges from the portal, suddenly feeling the wave of heat in full. "W-whoa." he blinks, shielding his gaze from the harsh morning sun. "So this is a desert..." he comments, gazing around curiously and stepping closer to the group. Unlike some rather unenthusiastic Cultists, the Diclonius seems to be more accepting and intrigued of the new environment than concerned about the spike in temperature. Espira follows suit shortly after, immediately frowning slightly in displeasure, though this only lasts a bit as Darkside proceeds to shield the entire area with a shadowy veil. He hears her sigh lightly, as if in resignation.

Jason gives the group a quick, cursory glance, then nods in apparent satisfaction. "Alright, since almost everyone here seems to be struggling with the heat, we should head into town and get our bearings. The town's called Ryoyu, I think." He looks at Bophez as if for confirmation, then back to the group. "I think we can figure out what to do from there." Hesitation. "... And try not to attract more attention than we're already going to get, please."

Jude looks to Jack, then to Dark, realising the implication. Outside of Acaran, nobody not in the Cult or Station, or associated with them, had yet been exposed to a Lycan, let alone any other other races or even a hybrid. This would be tricky. He nodded, prodding the other two mentally as if to say "this possibly means us."

--- ... Timeskip already? ---

Jason ) The group arrives in a relatively busy town, with the most immediately apparent things being merchant stalls- some obviously imports from elsewhere (Jason raises an eyebrow in amusement at a Durasken-made bow very similar in design to his own) and others appearing to be local goods- tropical fruits and a lot of glasswork. Jason glances back to the group as he walks- their large party is getting passing glances, the Lycans and Fricai especially- and seems to sigh.

Jude notices the awkward stares the three of them, as well as Darkside, seem to be getting, and sighs. He, of course, knew this would happen. /If this continues, it may be that myself and the others will be staying out of town limits.../

Valerie goes from stall to stall, eyeing each object and item of value being sold with immense enthusiasm. As she passed by, one could hear the repetitive "ooh"s coming from Valerie's curious tone. "Shadow, look at this!" she says, pointing at a specific form of glasswork. It was elegantly twisted into a serpentine shape. Kayera approached and looked as well, although with more skepticism than curiosity. "Well, I don't suppose they have anything else to do than to mold the sand around them," she remarked. Valerie nodded in agreement. "And they do well with it!" Looking over to Shadow, she smiled. "What do you think?"

Valerie: Darius: *walking quite casually with the Crimson Meister, Darius held a sort of frozen smirk upon his face. He could feel the talkative commotions through the Spirit resounding through the air. It was quite palpable. Laughing, playing, haggling. It wasn't a bad place at all.* Is your world like this by chance, Espira?

Valerie: Darkside: *growling from Valerie's chest, Darkside shifted with unease* Why do I have to be stuck as a pendant around your stupid neck anyway? I come here with you and all you tell me is that we're going traveling, and now I'm an accessory. *receiving a very discreet flick from Valerie, he simply growled and returned to silence*

Jason: Shopkeeper: *Seems to perk up as Valerie approaches his stall to inspect his wares, particularly a twisted glass sculpture that could be considered a snake if viewed by the right person.* Ahh, you have good taste, my girl! *He chuckles.* This is no ordinary glass sculpture, either. Blown from sand by a dragon's fire, carved into the elegant shape before you with magic! Strongest glass you can find around here- you'd be hard-pressed to break it with even a hammer!

Bophez: Kenchoi: As strange as it sounds, the shopkeeper's not kidding. *approaches Kayera and Valerie* There's actually a massive sea of glass to the east of here that was the result of a powerful dragon scorching a large part of the desert.

Vale anxiously looks around the busy shops and people surrounding him. The air seemed too thick. His eyes snaped around as he gives a glance at Gaga whom is begin to topple over by the heat. Vale growls and then spots a merchant stall containing some edible goods. /Maybe there is water in there./ "Madam? Would you like some water?" he asks with a dry voice.

Vale: Shockwing: *gives a very curious look at a local glass shop containing the most peculiar of items. Glass vases, glass cases, glass knives. Their work was incredible. He nearly grazes his finger on a glass item until an invisible force grabs his arm in protest* AHH!

Vale: Shopkeeper: *A young man in his 20s suddenly appears with a snap. Outlines of floating glass trace themselves out in the open space before vanishing-- a camoflauge light technique. The man narrows his auburn eyes* You...aren't trying to steal shit from m'shop, are you?

Vale: Shockwing: H-Halp!-- Argh! *He feels something pointy prod his neck as he puts his hands up* No no no! I was just looking! Looking!

Jason stops, looks over at Shockwing's dilemma, and cells out, voice sharp. "Hey!" He trots over, glaring at the man with Shockwing. "Hands off, he's with us."

Shadow is probably just as absorbed as Valerie is, glancing around the town rather excitedly. His experience with population centers has, all in all, been minimal throughout his life, so he cannot help but stray slightly from the group and follow Valerie's exploits as they walk through the town. He silently chuckles to himself at Darkside's predicament, then replies, "Glass, huh? It's pretty and well-made..." he hums, looking at the object in question, and listening to the shopkeeper's explanation. /Magic, huh? Well, it does look too perfect.../ he muses, glancing at the various articles. Some of them are even jewelry of sorts. Shadow adds, glancing at Valerie "I think you'd look cute with some of these things." /...Well, not like I have any money.../

Jude: Jack: *inspecting the stalls from a distance, he notes one that seems to sell glass arms and scoffs* Glass weapons? The Hell? I-- *he is then yanked away by Jude*

Vale: Shopkeeper: *Suddenly appears behind Jason with a bright flash of light. Arms crossed, eye brow risen with intrigue* Ho hooo...alright, /tourist./ While you're at it, yank the boy's ear for me. What nerve one must have to touch some glass that he isn't prepared to buy.

Vale: Shockwing: *He narrows his eyes* What is your PROBLEM, man?! I just grazed it.

Jason whirls around to quickly face the man, baring shifted fangs. "We're here on business, not as tourists. Now leave us be."

Valerie looks up at the shopkeeper with eyebrows raised. "Really?" Looking at the glass for a moment, she is quite skeptical. Turning her head as she hears Shadow suddenly compliment from the other side of the stall, she blushes as she notices the beautiful glass jewelry. "O-oh, you think so?" she says, smiling shyly. She walked over to where Shadow was and grabbed one of the more elegant necklaces. It glimmered with all sorts of vivid colors as it shifted. In fact, it seemed to glow these different colors to some extent. She looked at the Shopkeeper for a moment before putting it on cautiously. She turned to Shadow and took a pose. "How does it look?"

Jason: Shopkeeper: *Seems to maintain interest- not realizing they probably don't have money- but then his gaze slides to a certain gemstone hanging from Shadow's neck.* Hey there- boy. How much for that pendant of yours? I buy as well as sell, y'know.

Shadow: Espira: *watches the group being to gradually dissolve as they are drawn by the myriad of shops and stalls stationed on the streets. Despite her earlier reaction, she has a rather unconcerned expression. Her eyes flick to Darius as he asks her a question.* I suppose. It is reminiscent of my world, at least in the lively aspect of it. *she glances at Shadow who seems to be acting precisely like she expected him to act. She smirks slightly.* I have only been to a desert region once, as well. Not the most enjoyable experience, but this at least is tolerable.

Vale: Dio: *Spits aside as he waves his hand off* Its Dio you blonde girl. Dio. *He doesn't even bother to spare a glance at Jason. Instead the man just spins on his heel and turns his back, then walks back to his stall* Hmph.

Vale: Shockwing: *touches his hair and snorts* I'm a boy you blind idiot. *he mutters under his breath, then turns to Jason* Err, thanks.

Jason glares after the shopkeeper, then nods at Shockwing. "No problem. This happens a lot in merchant towns, so just be..." He looks around, blinking, as the group that had entered town seems to be breaking apart. "... careful..." He sighs, shaking his head. "... Okay, this is the other problem with merchant towns... And large groups..."

Jude: Jack: *planting his right hand firmly against his face, he proceeded to shake his head* The fact that you had to insist on it, Shockwing...

Vale helps Gaga to a stall against her will-- she seemed pretty annoyed at him-- and slams his hand on the wooden shelf with the most stale, forced grin he could muster up. His lips twisted unnaturally, his teeth showed too much. His eyes twitched hard. "You. Boy. I need liquid for this lady here."

Vale: *The shopkeeper pees himself and stumbles out of the stall and into the street*

Vale continues to smile. "Well shit."

Vale: Gaga: *narrows her eyes and sighs, then shoves the man away* Jerk.

Shadow watches Valerie as she experimentally tries on the necklace. His next heartbeat thumps louder in his mind--he had only meant that as a passing comment, but... /...She actually does look pretty cute./ he nods quietly to himself with a smile. "Yeah, definitely cute on you." he chuckles. He is about to say something else, when the shopkeeper suddenly asks a strange question. He tilts his head, looking down at his pendant. /Oh./ The Voidcore. "Ehh..." he hesitates, clutching it possessively. "It's... not for sale."

Vale , having absolutely no qualms about stealing, then slips into the stall and begins looking for interesting things to get. "Well if there is no impediment in what one wants, there is a justification for what you do to get it." Vale casually says, then stopping at a very interesting item laying around in a compartment behind the stall. He slowly picks it up, looking over its chrome glossy finish. It was a box. "Hm? This. What is this?"

Jude cranes his neck slightly to look over and see Vale and Gaga over at a stall with the shopkeeper seemingly missing. He chuckles, knowing Vale is new to the whole "being social with anyone other than himself and Gaga" thing. "Is any assistance required over there, Valen?"

Valerie: Kayera: *following Valerie almost passively, she admired the works of the vendor with a sort of pondering gaze. Her eyes shifted from item to item as if taking note of each one. She, too, reached for a piece of jewelry and held it to her chest. Thinking about it a moment, she instead put it back. Taking a step back, she looked at Valerie as she tried on one of the pieces* It looks very pretty! *she pauses as the shopkeeper notes something even she hadn't noted; Shadow himself had a gemstone.*

Jason: Shopkeeper: *Furrows his brow* Oh, come now, everything's for sale with the right price.

Bophez nodded. "Yes, we should definitely try to round everyone up before it becomes any more difficult." He then glanced over to the stall Vale was at... and the man seem to be sneaking into it. He sighed. "Oh dear..."

Bophez nodded. "Yes, we should definitely try to round everyone up before it becomes any more difficult." He then glanced over to the stall Vale was at... and the man seem to be sneaking into it. He sighed. "Oh dear..."

Vale: Gaga: I-I.... *she holds her head and then begins to slump over the counter of the stall due to the heat. Her cheeks were a bright tomato red while her eyes seemed too unfocused*

Jude chuckles at the notion of having to find water, but is nonetheless intrigued by Vale's find. "Remember that my lineage grants me dominion of water. You need only ask." he says, "What is this you have discovered?"

Jason sighs. "You know what, it's going to be easier to get everyone to focus once we've got a place to stay while we're here. I'm going to scout ahead to see if there's a large tavern inn or something; I'll be able to find you guys when I'm done." He smirks slightly, tapping his nose, then trots off.

Vale: Shockwing: *gives a nod at Jason and then looks out at the vast sea of merchants.* Well, I guess I'll have to walk through this alone. Hopefully I wont run into that shopkeeper guy again *Sighing, the boy began to walk off casually with his hands in his pockets, carefully observing the entire scene and hopefully finding someone from the cult to acompany*

Valerie: Darius: *nods silently* I've never had too much exposure to desert areas. I am more used to the cold than anything else. I'm also used to isolation... I didn't really run into anyone atop the mountain back on my planet where I spent all my years. *pausing, he shifted his pace as a feeling of uneasiness came over him* /I feel something strange.../

Bophez ) "Alright then," he responded as Jason had left to find them a place to stay. He then focused back on the stall Vale and Jude were at, then began to walk toward them.

Valerie: Darkside: *rumbling underneath the glowy gem, Darkside resisted completely eviscerating Valerie with words. Rather, he merely burst* Would you get this off me already? You're not going to keep it are you? Not while I'm on here!

Vale quickly grabs Gaga and gives a grunt. He seemed conflicted about having someone help her other than him. Somehow it angered him. Nevertheless it was his friend, Jude. Vale tosses the box at him before hefting the woman in his arms. "I don't know but we should keep it. Now my main priority is to bring her to somewhere much cooler than here, Jude."

Shadow shakes his head. "Sorry, but not this one." he says firmly. /Why is he suddenly interested in the Voidcore, anyway...?/ he wonders briefly. He glances at over Valerie and Kayera are, motioning towards the street. "Hey, they're going to leave us behind, so... we should get going."

Valerie looks at Shadow curiously, having truly noticed the gem for the first time. /Since when has he had that?.../ she thought, trying to remember. It may have been while she was away. After Shadow blatantly refused, Valerie nodded and pulled the necklace off her, handing it to the shopkeeper with a nod. "Thank you!" she said, smiling before turning and keeping pace right by the Diclonius. As Kayera repeated and followed, she continued to glance curiously at the gem. "Shadow..." she starts, "What is that by the way? I don't think I've ever seen you have it..." She bites her lip as a pressing thought comes to her mind. "... Is it from someone? Someone important?"

Valerie: *from the top of the stall, a pair of eyes stared down at the gemstone hanging upon the stranger's chest. The masked individual was there originally for the rest of the items within that very stall, but now this new item of worth had caught their eye. Pulling the ragged hood back ever slightly, the masked individual shifted their tiger-like mask to fit more snugly. If this was to happen, they'd need to have as much vision as possible. Slowly, the figure faded into the air as if they had never been there in the first place... and before the Diclonius knew it, his gemstone flew from his chest, straight over his head, and down the street with incredible speed*

Jude almost falls over after Vale literally throws the box at his chest. Composing himself, Jude scratches quizically behind his left ear. "Are you certain this does not belong to the shopkeep? I wish to not be found stealing; I received stares while entering this town due to what I am already. I fear what could happen."

Jason darts down one of the side streets- it feels strangely nostalgic somehow, he often ran with his few friends back in the streets of Jierno- and keeps his eyes out for anything that resembles as place the large group can stay. After several minutes he slows down, however. It isn't because he's getting tired; his endurance is fairly high. No, something feels off. He eventually slows to a walk, looking around- wait, what was that even? He turns, having seen someone in the corner of his vision, but there's nothing there now. The shapeshifter gives a growl of consternation before cautiously continuing to walk.

Bophez: Kenchoi: *prepares to answer Valerie's question regarding the Voidcore Shadow was wearing around his neck, but blinks as it's something suddenly blurs past the group, removing the item from the Diclonius' possession* Whoa, what the heck?! Someone just swiped the Voidcore! *starts to run off in an attempt to chase the thief down*

Vale blinks. "Sometimes your lawful goodness makes me want to cringe. Very well, leave it then. We'll buy it later." he looks at Gaga and then back at Jude. "We should head off now. I am not paid to idle around."

Ziolang: *As Jason continues, a distorted figure seemingly appears in the street. The mirage-figure seems to look directly at Jason, before blurring into an alley and out of view*

Jude sighs exasperatedly. /What is a friendship without stubbornness and quarrels..?/ he thought. Looking to Vale, he simply said, "Very well." and began walking.

Shadow releases the gem from his hold as he leaves the shop and resumes walking down the street with the rest of the group. He still thinks the incident is rather strange, but his passing thoughts are cut short as Valerie asks about the gem. "Oh, this?" he says, glancing down at the crystal in question. "...Well, it's from someone, but--" it is something rather complicated, is what he means to say, but a swift blur of movement from above makes him stop immediately. "Wh--" He watches the Voidcore suddenly leave his person, and shoot straight down the street. Nope. Nope, nope, nope. His mind then catches up to the events as Kenchoi--who he did not even notice before--chases after the invisible thief. "H-HEY! WAIT!" he yells, and immediately breaks into a run after him.

Jason stops upon seeing the figure again, and the two stare at each other for a split second before it vanishes into an alley. /... What even?/ Ignoring his better judgement to simply continue on his way, the boy shifts into the familiar black wolf and pursues the figure.

Ziolang: *the mirage to blurs in and out of vision as it moves at matching speed of Jason's pursuit. It continues, leading the shapeshifter further from the main street and into the alleyways*

Jason continues to chase the fleeing figure. At this point very little rational thought remains; his mind and instincts are too caught up in the chase to care that this is likely a terrible idea. The Shapeshifter bolts through the alleys, straining to catch up.

Valerie is suddenly jolted as the gem in their conversation suddenly flies from Shadow's person, as if on its own. Very quickly, it zooms down the street as if fleeing from the group by its own volition. Valerie shifted to the side as one of the people from SoS, whom she didn't exactly notice as someone that was in fact associated with them, dashed forward, followed by Shadow. Valerie tensed her muscles, suddenly watching Kayera pass her by as well. Clenching her teeth, she sprinted forward as well. The crowd seemed to have noticed and separated ever slightly, but now the population became an obstacle and the stalls the course. It was now a chase.

Vale carries the woman through the street despite gaining some suspicious glances by passerbys. The gunslinger kept his focus on ahead before straying off to a lesser occupied road filled with several living quarters. He can hear Gaga curse under her breath in protest of being womanhandled by Vale. At this point his irritation to her sudden hostility towards him began to boil.

Ziolang: *the figure slows slightly, allowing Jason to gain on it. As it continued on its path it charged directly toward the wall of a small home. Suddenly it stopped, waited for the shapeshifter to close in, then ran directly into the wall, disipating upon impact into nothing*

Valerie: *Laughing to themselves as they ran, the masked figure flew through the crowd like water. their pace hadn't slowed in the slightest; being invisible, it was the perfect getaway.* /This gem has to be valuable,/ *they thought, slowing as they pushed deeper and deeper into the city. There would be no way they'd be found now.*

Jason skids to a halt as the figure vanishes /again/ and he nearly runs into the wall; as it is, he does bump into it and lose his footing. But he quickly springs back to his feet, bristling, growling, and looking around for his quarry.

Bophez: Kenchoi: *continues his pursuit of the thief, now being followed by Shadow, Kayera, and Valerie.* Damnit. We got so caught up in the merchant stalls that we allowed this guy an opportunity. We need to try to cut him off. *he then leaps off of the ground, a large key forming under his feet as he then rode it over the crowd as he shot off after the thief*

Ziolang: You really shouldn't follow mysterious figures down alleyways. *The Demon spoke from a rooftop to Jason's right, kitty-corner to the one the shapeshifter had bumped into.* You could get yourself killed. *He stood erect, the crimson of his demon hide reflecting ever so slightly in the bright sun. Sword at the ready.*

Bophez approached Jude and Vale, the latter was carrying Gaga. "Oh dear, she doesn't look too good..." he said as he then stopped a few feet away from them. "Not to worry, though. Jason went off the search for lodging for us."

Shadow: Espira: Isolation? *she echoes the term as she continues glancing around rather idly, but far from actual disinterest. In fact, it seems she is enjoying the reprieve, glancing at the variety of items in display every now and then.* Part of your training regime, I assume. *suddenly, she tenses slightly as there is a shift in the air. Her vision darts towards the source of movement--just in time to see the Voidcore be snatched by an invisible force from Shadow, and the events that follow.* Tch. I see naivete can only go so far unattended. *saying this, her form begins to waver, before disappearing altogether as she cloaks herself with a delicate veil of Mana.*

Valerie: Kayera: *pushing through the crowd along with the rest of them, Kayera's eyes gleamed. Her perception of the world was dramatically altered as her vision perceived the cycles of mana coursing through the very atmosphere. through the mass of mana pools, Kayera noticed one in particular with no physical body visually noticeable much further up ahead. She gasped.* I've found him! They're just up ahead! They're slowing down!

Vale gives a passing glance at Bophez. "In the meantime I need to find some shade for us. You haven't seen any on your way here, have you?" He pauses. "The heat is our mortal enemy."

Jason blinks at the /extremely/ familiar voice, perking up his ears and looking in Zio's direction. It's been months. Jason almost shifts back into human form to cordially greet the demon- but wait, he has his sword out. Tilting his head slightly, he gives Zio a questioning look.

Shadow dodges through the mass of people with surprising agility as he follows Kenchoi and the thief in turn. Or at least, that is what he thinks until Kayera, who has caught up with the chase, relatively quickly, mentions something about locating them. "/They/?" he repeats. He almost has no time to think about that, as his priority is retrieving the Voidcore. /Damnit, I was careless.../ he curses inwardly. He considers releasing a vector, but... /No, that'd get too much attention.../

Bophez shook his head. "Unfortunately no, though I suppose that's to be expected when in a desert town."

Ziolang half-smiles as he receives Jason's gaze. He had no idea. "It's exactly that kind of idiocy that gets you into so much trouble." His eyes trailed toward his blade, which showed no reflection of light from the sun at all. "And now, 'Kuda'... it gets you killed." He sharpened full attention on the shapeshifter before taking a flying leap off the roof, bearing the blade down on Jason as he came down.

Valerie: Darius: *tensing as he hears Shadow's voice above the rest, along with their sudden burst of speed through the crowd of spirits. He noticed one in particular already on its way through the crowd. It was much more agile than the others. Darius looked to Espira as she already prepared her chase. Darius sighed* /Walking never was a thing for me, anyway.../ *crouching low, Darius prepared himself. Then, blurring from view, Darius burst onto the rooftops and flew over the streets*

Jason 's eyes widen and his crouches, bristling again. Nope. Something is definitely not right. He leaps aside, back towards where he came from. His eyes are on Zio the entire time, even as he gives Fricai a mental poke, a sort of distress signal. The dragon in question raises his head, ceasing his own attempts to find shade. There's a moment of hesitation before he runs to answer his master's call.

Jude nods. Bophez had a point, thought he was about to counter with a poit of his own. "However, we should remain in the alleyways; the buildings will provide shade until Jason finds our accomodations."

Vale: Shockwing: *after a while on the stalks the sky serpent walks out with various beautiful glass sculptures of his liking. Many of them had flawless finished of colored glass such as red and green. Shockwing's skills of bartering and trading were useful for once. As the sunlight hit down on him comfortably, the young man cuasually made his way to a specific stall filled with high seats--* A...desert pub? *the boy whispers in bewilderment, then heads for it. Without warning a couple of hands grab him from behind as he is then pushed towards the stall pub* Aaaaaaagh! What the--/

Valerie: *feeling a nagging feeling on his neck, the figure looked back to see, surprisingly, a girl staring directly at him as they pushed through the crowd. Her eyes were... glowing.* /... can she see me? Oh man../ *feeling a haste shiver through them, the figure quickly burst back into a sprint through the crowd. Looking about, their eyes connected with another's just to the side. With a nod to each other, the other figure gave a flick of the wrist forward. As the tiger-masked being continued forth, a thin veil surged forward, effectively cutting the entire path off before it wavered into an invisible ethereal force*

Vale: *a bunch of young woman drag him to the pub while feeling his soft hair rather aggressively. They all collectively complimented him on how cute he looked which did not bother the young man one bit*

Ziolang burries the blade into the ground as he lands much quieter than one would expect. Instantly he releases the blade as he steps infront of it, places his foot on the handle and launches himself toward Jason. He spreads his wings to add balance and flare as Zhegard erupts behind him into flame and disappears before reapearing in the Demon's hand in like manner. A lunge of the blade decorated with embers seal the package into the deadly strike for the Shapeshifter.

Bophez: Kenchoi: *glances back at Kayera as she mentions that the thief they're chasing has slowed down* /Odd... Why would they slow down? ... Something's not right here.../ *He then comes to a stop as he suddenly noticed something blocking the path forward*

Vale: Shockwing: Hey I uhh *is interrupted with a glass being shoved in his face* No! I don't dr--- H-HEY THAT IS BOT TOUCHABLE! *as he sat down, the young man crossed his arms while the women constantly showered him with attention. He felt his cheeks burn* L...Ladies, agh!

Bophez: Well, I suppose that is a fair point. *glances around in search of an alleyway. He then stops in a direction where there could possibly be one and begins walking in that direction.* And I think I found one. Follow me.

Jason bolts back down the alley he came from keeping his attention on Zio. Distance, he needs distance. He can sense Fricai speed up slightly but he knows the dragon still won't be arriving for a while. And Jason doesn't want to fight Zio... but still, something seems off. Zio's attacks are much easier to dodge than he remembers. Taking the brief, short-lived opportunity that dodging and running gave him, the Shapeshifter quickly begins to change his form, gaining wings first and shooting upwards out of the alleyway for more room and maneuverability. Some stares are drawn to him as he continues becoming a Darkwing Firedrake, but survival comes before subtlety.

Vale nods. "Got it. The madam's temperature is steadily rising. We need to hurry."

Shadow notices Kenchoi oddly slowing down to a stop. Confused, he looks directly ahead--the crowds have thinned considerably, allowing for a more or less clear view of the street. The space right in front of Kenchoi seems to waver and ripple with subtle distortions, as if having become a screen of sorts to impede his progress. /Magic./ he recognizes immediately. Gritting his teeth, he finds he has no other choice. There is a blur of motion as two of Shadow's vectors surge forth to attempt to break the strange veil with blunt force, with the Diclonius himself making no attempt at slowing down whatsoever. He has to get the Voidcore back...

Jude gives an affirmative 'mhmm,' then follows Bophez towards the alleyways of the city.

Ziolang cut through the air in his pursuit. The shapeshifter was faster than he rememebered. However his tactics were just as predictable. Run away until help can come to save him. Jason began to shift and took off, but Zio wasn't after an arial spectacle. He'd need the shifter on the ground. Staying to the streets, he kept his pursuit from the ground.

Vale: Shockwing: *hesitantly takes the glass and takes a sip. /huh, this run tastes rather good...why did starr warn me about this?/. *Shockwing smirked while his palm slammed onto the wooden counter. There was this great drink in his hands and he was knee deep with stranger women. There was a hint of uneasiness, however, he knew things couldn't get any better. If only starr saw him now. The boy takes a bigger sip and calmly sits up straight, daring to smirk with confidence. He may as well bullshit this until someone else came to whisk him away.* Did I mention I'm a scientist and specialist in biological phenomena?

Jason finished his transition to dragon, but notices that Zio is remaining on the ground. Fine for him, really, it gives Jason the distance he needs to think and figure this situation out. And meanwhile... He glances to the main street, where people have very obviously noticed the sudden dragon, but his actions make it relatively clear that he isn't trying to launch an attack on the city. This is relieving; Nienearcl isn't nearly as anti-dragon as Durasken. He notes Fricai approaching and tells the dragon to follow as a standby, then angles to the east, trying to get Zio out of the actual city so buildings aren't going to get destroyed. Or people.

Valerie: *the figure holding the veil grunted as his own barrier, which was surely unbreakable, suddenly popped in a surge of energy before dispersing. The figure awkwardly stared at the group before turning and disappearing into one of the stalls. Meanwhile, the figure up ahead already heard the boom of energy, suddenly feeling a surge of nervousness. They were still in full pursuit.* /Looks like I'll have to kick it up a notch.. persistent people./ *increasing in speed, the figure sprinted forward for a few meters before suddenly bursting in a surge of energy. A few moments later, the figure reappeared on a rooftop a distance away, although now no longer cloaked, before dashing forward again.* /they can't keep up if I keep jumping./

Ziolang gives a sadistic grin as the full dragon form emerges. He wasn't going to like what happens next. He landed into a sprint and folded his wings, his body seeming to mold as it took on his human-form-shell; best not to draw attention to himself. Rushing on his pursuit, he took in a deep breath and focused his mind on a point several feet below Jason and held it. The heat of the day would make this all the easier. A flame erupted at the spot, not close enough to graze the shapeshifter, which then descended in a cone upon a few buildings in the town looking for all the world as if Kuda had just breathed fire upon it. "It's attacking!" Zio shouted, trying to cause panic.

Jason snorts out a small, harmless plume of notably blue fire as Zio attempts to frame him, but speeds up all the same. He quickly reaches the city limits, angling towards a particularly empty spot of desert as he glances back at Zio. /Why on Euthora is he doing this?!/ the Shapeshifter wonders with a mix of emotion. Once past the buildings- and at an angle where he could not possibly breathe fire at the city from his current position- he gives Zio a roar of challenge.

Ziolang reveled in the responses of fear, confusion, courage and anger. He passed one individual after another, soaking in the emotions and responses. Some were ready to track it down, some tried to hide and others were saying something about the color. As he approached the city limits he saw Jason move downward and heard him release his call. In response, he leaped up onto the last building and vaulted into the air toward the shapeshifter, intentionally coming very short and landing before him. "Look at that mess you made, you killed three people!"

Jason growls down at Zio, but does not attack. Instead he beats his silver-tipped wings in a hover, watching Zio with a now unreadable emotion. "Why are you doing this." The question is spoken with an extremely flat tone. It is not roared, and carries no anger or any trace of emotion. Just an animal's indifference.

Valerie tries to keep pace with the rest of the group but, as the bustling crowd cuts through and around her, she finds Shadow and the rest start to fade further and further away. Desperately pushing through the crowd, Valerie felt her heart thump anxiously. /It's getting too tight here.. I'm being left behind... no, no no no..../ Valerie pushed and pushed through the masses, feeling her arms shake faster and faster. /I'm not being left behind... I can't... I CAN'T/ Giving a yell, Valerie thrust her fist toward the clearest space of ground beneath her, sending a very sudden shockwave through the earth with immense force. The stalls all about shook violently as many people quickly pulled themselves to the nearest wall in confusion and for support. Valerie then built kinetic force into her legs as she started to run. Before she knew it, she jumped with all of her built-up force. The girl flew high into the air, looking down from above with a look of sudden shock. /Wh-/ she started before feeling gravity's descent. She hadn't planned this at all. "O-Oh no....!"

Ziolang smirked with great pride as he gazed back into those eyes. "You are a coward. That image needs to be corrected or erased!" He waved his blade toward the town and the sounds coming there from. "They fear you now. Does that not fill you with pride? The /power/ that brings!"

Valerie: Kayera: *pushing past with Shadow, Kayera felt a buildup of mana within their thief.* He's going to try somethi- *before she could finish, the being already disappeared in a flash. Growling, Kayera kept her eyes on the residual traces of mana left behind. Taking a step to the side where there was a clear spot, Kayera extended her arms and took control of the mana itself.* /Souce./ *suddenly, the mana reforged and separated, revealing a portal and what appeared to be a rooftop on the other side. The figure was staring back in shock before taking to a run. Kayera smirked.* /This is... fun./

Valerie: Darkside: /... Really?/ *As Valerie's form descended rapidly, the black pendant around her neck shook violently before bursting and a surge of darkness flew forward. Several dark tendrils stretched out and struck against the ground as Darkside extended his formed arms, catching the girl and slowing their fall to a stop as his reformed boots touched ground. Darkside retracted the tendrils, a scowl on his face.* Now look what you made me do!

Jason completely ignores Zio's comments and questions, instead roaring out in something similar to but not quite the same as anger. "/Answer me!/" He bares his fangs at Zio, flaring his wings for an intimidation effect before returning to his hover. "Why are you doing this? Why are you /here/?!"

Ziolang levels his smile, seriousness sweeping over his face. "To kill you, of course. I can't afford weak friends."

Jack: Jude: *finding a shady spot, he was about to sit down in it and tell the other two to do the same, but a roaring demand, in a voice he recognised as that of Jason, permeated his ears. That plan was quickly abandoned.* Bophez, Valen, stay here. *he then turned to the general direction of the roar, and seemed to vanish from vision as he broke into a run.* /What has that stubborn fool landed himself in now?/

Vale gives a nod in agreement and sits down on the shade.

Jason lands, surprisingly enough taking a fighting stance almost immediately. He still betrays nothing more than a cold neutrality in his eyes as he regards Zio. "Then be on your way, and I will no longer consider you a friend. You have done enough here. I have no wish to fight you..." He growls at this, smoke trailing out of his snout, "but I will not hesitate to kill if I must."

Shadow narrows his eyes as there is a suddenly a surge of visible Mana as the figure simply vanishes, and then reappears--fully visible--atop a building in the distance. But said distance is just too much. As he begins losing hope in catching up, Kayera suddenly pushes past him and forms a portal that reveals the masked thief staring back in shock at the event. And his exact chance presents itself in the moment of his hesitation. Speeding up in his dash--giving Kayera a thankful nod--a vector cuts through the distance between them in a flash. It reaches the thief's position as he transitions into a running start, not even at maximum length yet, and attempts to grasp the figure by the neck.

Ziolang sized up the dragon-Jason and felt the icy tone. Complete seriousness. Perfect. He held eye contact for several seconds as he entered a fighting stance. Raising his blade as if to charge, he suddenly threw his blade into the ground, burying it into a stand, before he began... laughing. Full, outright laughter came spilling from the Demon.

Jason simply gives a bone-chilling snarl in response.

Ziolang steadies himself from his fit and catches his breath. "Oh it's /good/ to be back! You were perfect! For a second there I thought I'd actually have to kill you!"

Bophez: Kenchoi: *descends toward Shadow and Kayera as the latter creates a portal to the thief's current location on a rooftop. He smirks in amusement as the surprised thief then continues to flee. He then watches as Shadow attempts to use his vector to grasp the thief. /Looks like they have this covered./ *He then turns around, looking back into the stands.* /Rats... where did that other one get to./ *he then shoots off in a different direction, hoping to be able to confront them*

Jack: Jude: *slowing to a stop in an alleyway nearby, then jumping up on to a nearby roof, Jude surveyed the situation. There he saw Jason, and someone... surprising.* ... Ziolang? *looking to Jason, he posed the question* Is this what that deafening roar was about?

Jason gives another snarl, before turning away, shifting back to human form as he walks back to the city. He completely ignores Jude.

Bophez sighed. "And to think, this was supposed to be a simple investigation. Where did it all go wrong?"

Ziolang walks after Jason. "Where are you going? I haven't seen you in /years./" The tone was all too his old, uncaring, lackadaisical self.

Jack: Jude: *jumps off the roof and on to the street, as if following Zio. He wasn't going to let both of them completely ignore him.* I could say the same of you, although it seems as if you are all too absorbed with poking the proverbial hornets' nest.

Vale looks at Bophez. "I don't know, but this certainly is not helping our situation with our group's problems at this time."

Jason doesn't stop walking. "It's only been a few months," he says in an utterly emotionless tone.

Valerie: *the figure kept his pace. The home stretch was in sight; another jump and... suddenly, the figure felt a completely harsh tug on his ragged scarf-hood that sent him fumbling back into a loud thud against the sandy rooftop. Feeling the wind get knocked out of their lungs, the figure coughed as they fiddled with their scarf* /what the hell is going on?/

Valerie grips tightly onto Darkside as she felt her heart pounding through her chest. "I..." she started, although she allowed her panting to continue. There wasn't any excuse anyway, what with Darkside fully knowing what she just did. She merely looked up at Darkside's bloodred gaze and smiled weakly. "Th-thank you...!"

Ziolang: Oh yeah, time. Anyway, I've got things to do so I'll see you later, Kuda. *he turns to leave and almost walks into Jude.* Ohey, didn't see you there... Jane? Jewel... um... Jerry?

Jack: Jude: *chuckling, he shifted slightly* Jude, Ziolang. It is Jude.

Valerie: Darkside: *snorting with very forced contempt, Darkside put Valerie down and crossed his arms.* So, what? Are we going to keep chasing or are we going to wait? *Darkside shifted his stance, glowering down at the people who dared to stare back up at him*

Ziolang: No that's not it... James... Gerald... Jude! That's it. How are ya?

Shadow crosses through the portal merely a second after, his grasping vector shifting to push the figure down as he decelerates into a stop near the fallen thief. Pinning the masked person down, he shifts the second vector into a blade--just in case--and aims it down towards the figure, just in case something happened. "Give it back." he orders.

Jack: Jude: Quite good, yourself? It has been a while.

Ziolang: Better, now that I know Kuda gets to stay alive. You? I don't know yet. Got to go, though! *Without waiting for a response, he leaps into the air and pyro-rockets off*

Jack: Jude: places his hand over his eyes to act as a Visor as he watches Zio simply rocket off into the distance. Chuckling to himself, he simply utters the words,* Three months; little change. *then lowers his hands, and begins walking back in the direction of Vale and Bophez.*

Valerie: Kayera: *quickly crossing the barrier of the portal to the other side, she allowed it to close behind her before more people gawked at the event. She watched Shadow forcefully handle the thief, almost smiling.* Looks like you have him handled well. *there is a tone of being impressed in her voice*

Valerie: *The figure struggled, completely confused as to why his scarf wasn't giving way. Then, stopping, the figure stared tentatively up at a wavering, translucent ethereal blade.* N-Now now... *the male voice echoed from behind the mask* There's no need to get violent... *suddenly, one by one, figures appeared as if out of thin air and surrounded the group in an orderly, almost planned fashion. Each of them wore similar masks, although their physique ranged in size and shape. Each other them, however, had a weapon. The figure on the floor paused* ... we don't have to do this. I- well, we, need some money. Nothing personal!

Vale: Gaga: *stirs in her heat induced deleria* v-vale.....? *her hand reaches out to caress his cheek* ....vale you....nnngh....I feel like I'm suffocating....

Jason reenters the city, completely ignoring the dying fires that were blamed on him. Mimring, and even Fricai, are notably silent, unsure how to address their master in his current frame of mind. Fricai does walk alongside Jason for once, however, casting a glance up at him every now and then.

Vale looks down and feels her forehead. Of course she had no cold or fever, but he could feel her pulse pounding. The gunslinger looked up at the clear skies. "As am I, madam. Hang on."

Shadow quickly glances around as, suddenly, they are surrounded. He frowns slightly, but does not hesitate or falter. Instead, the first vector suddenly grasps the thief's actual neck and lifts him upwards in a strong, but nonlethal hold. The bladed vector also moves in sync, coming to a stop inches away from the man's chest. "...Don't make me do something." he warns. He is ready to fight if necessary, but he does not want to resort to that... he knows that it will be very difficult holding back the strength of his vectors if it comes to that. No human being could withstand that. "Give it back." he repeats.

Valerie: *As he was held there, the masked figure chuckled softly.* "Do something"? What were you having in mind? *Before both Shadow and Kayera knew it, the figure suddenly vanished from Shadow's grasp in a burst of blue light. He reappeared several meters away on another rooftop, repositioning his leather gauntlets and fixing up his scarf hood.* Maybe we'll see each other again. Then you can "do something" about my fortune. *With that, the figure turned and started walking. Meanwhile, the other figures, namely a few with blunt-trauma weapons. They didn't seem to want to fatally wound, although it was hard to tell by their obscured features*

Vale: Shockwing: H-Hey! HEY WHAT ARE YOU DOING! *the young sky serpent yelled out as one of the girls reached into his pocket and forcibly yanked out the little money he had. Bastards. He quickly realized they were all over him just for the sake of getting his money. With a hesitant growl, the boy moved back just before he felt his other items stored in his jack get stolen.* /Oh Cor I really want to hit these women. I really do, but Starr...said I can't./ *Unfortunately, the boy had qualms against hitting a woman. However, just as the mugging was ending, a small cloaked figure phased into view. Two delicate hands connecting to the necks of each woman in order to knock them out one by one. Shockwing stood in utter surprise as the bodies fell and an intense pair of orange eyes stuck on him* U-Uhmmm....

Vale: ???: Hyyaa *The sudden sound of a young feminine voice pierces the air. The figure's face, nearly covered with a thick white veil of sorts turned her head at the bartender and then looked at Shockwing again. She suddenly retracts her hand and yells out* OWIE MY HANNNNDDDD!!!! *somehow she begins to cry*

Vale: Shockwing: *Jumps up and quickly runs to her side. The medical expert that is this young sky serpent couldn't resist inspecting the wound--- if.....wait.* /Wait theres nothing here---/ *He then feels his arm twist back as the figure vanished and apeared behind him. With one swift slam of her elbow, Shockwing bent down on the counter as the girl leaned in* G-GAH! WHAT IS YOUR DEAL?! WERE YOU FAKING IT?!

Vale: ???: Observing your slack posture you don't seem like you are from here. Your eon intake is very high not to mention I can literally feel that eon running through your veins. Furthermore, you were getting mugged by the-- *She almost gives off an entertained chuckle* eaaaasiest place ever. *She narrows her eyes* I know what you're going to say next, too: "Why are you doing this?!?!"

Vale: Shockwing: Why are you doing this?! *He hisses and wiggles helplessly*

Vale: Shockwing: Wait---....

Shadow blinks as his chance slips away before he can even react. Is that what he gets for being too nice? He retracts his vectors close, glancing in the direction of the voice--now further away, on another rooftop, mocking him. He suddenly feels an urge to punch the shit out of this idiot. "...I don't have time for this." he looks around as the figures close in on them, gritting his teeth. There is no other choice, then. In a blur of movement, a vector sweeps a wide arc from Shadow's position, intending to slam into the bandits with pure psychokinetic strength.

Vale: ???: *She lets go slowly* I need to ask you questions about a man on the run i've been looking for. Oh uhm, hehehe hold up. I think this is getting in the way *With a soft chuckle the young girl began removing the veil from her face, revealing a beautiful set of coal black hair cut at the ends of her jaw. Her piercing orange eyes blinked as she rubbed them and then tossed the veil at Shockwing* There.

Jason finally manages to find a decently-sized tavern inn a few streets down from where the fires had been, and being relatively far from the main marketplace, it seems rather empty of tourists. When he and Fricai enter, there are only a cluster of people to one corner drinking and talking racuously, and a few quieter individuals scattered among the large room. A bartender and a woman that must either be his assistant or the innkeeper are behind the bar, idly chatting as the former wipes a glass clean with an old rag. Jason approaches the pair without much of an expression beyond neutrality, Fricai trailing behind. The bartender gives the dragon and boy a raised eyebrow, but doesn't say anything yet.

Vale: Shockwing: *gives a very awkward blink while the veil lands on his head* ...Okay..? Ask away...

Valerie: *much to their surprise, the masked group grunted in surprise as the general mass of them was pushed to the side by an unseen force. As they piled on the ground, one further back dashed right through and directly toward shadow, sharp point gleaming in the hot sun and flying directly toward the Diclonius*

Valerie: Kayera: *suddenly in front of the Diclonius, Kayera gripped the side of the attacking opponent's wrist and twisted as they flew, effectively forcing them toward the ground. Kayera delivered an extremely swift punch to the masked figure's chest, causing them to cough with the wind being knocked out of them. She then turned and kicked at seemingly nothing, the movement being surprisingly fast for a girl her size. The sound of her foot connecting with something resounded before a masked figure grunted and fell, visibly appearing from thin air* Go after that one! I'll handle them.

Vale: ???: *Despite her rough antics so far, the girl politely sits down on a bar stool and crosses her fingers. She seemed to have been wearing a strange glove contraption with a clear gem in the middle. Various energies swirled around in harmony. Suddenly the girl waves her ungloved hand above the glove, causing a fine thread to swirl up softly to her fingertips. The thread then began to release a light blue mist* Do you recognize this essence by any chance? I have been looking for it's source. *she pauses* Oh, don't worry though! Anybody can decipher it if they have encountered the source. This source, though, belongs to this very bad man running a Sky Serpent and Dragon egg trade. *She leans in and looks at Shockwing intently* Well?~ Have you?

Jason reaches the bar, gives Fricai a glance, and then locks eyes with the bartender. "How many rooms do you have available?" His voice is still flat, with a predator's edge to it, but to his credit he's at least trying to be civil. The bartender gives him an odd look, and the woman takes a slight, though audible, sniff, before the man says something about "not wanting dragons running around the place under the control of a teenage boy". Jason gives a very low warning growl at this- the woman narrows her eyes in response- and when he speaks again, the animal edge in his voice is all the more audible. "Look. I've got a large group that needs lodgings for a few days, /way/ too much has happened in the hour or so since we've arrived, and /I am not in the mood to deal with this shit/." His tone is extremely level until that last part, which ends off with a growl and a suddenly-shifted black-scaled claw digging into the wood of the bar. "I'll ask again. How many rooms do you have available?"

Vale: Shockwing: Erm....have...I? *He leans in but then snaps back as the girl leans in for his answer. Shockwing began to think it over as the mist began swirling around him.* /Something doesn't feel right here...I'm getting this chill.../ *He begins to think. What /could/ it be? Was this belonging to someone in the woods? No. His mind wanders off with visuals of the river instead. No. As he thinks further, he could feel his blood boil slightly just before he stands up and grunts* I can't remember where....it-- I....*he points at the thread* it totally feels familiar, though.

Vale: ???: ...Oh... *She pouts and flicks her wrist, causing the thread to vanish into space. She then stands up and puts out her hand to Shockwing* Come. You don't seem familiar in these parts. Like, heck, heheh. You didn't even want to fight back while being mugged. How pathetic is that? Heheh~

Vale: Shockwing: *He narrows his eyes and stands up* Thats not funny. I was raised to be a gentleman.

Valerie: Darkside: *already disliking where the situation was turning to, Darkside grumbled* /I could be finding more dark energy right now and I somehow find myself still with /her/... where did my volition go wrong?/ *Suddenly hearing Valerie's voice, the word "pendant" echoed into his mind. Staring at Valerie for a long moment, he contemplated whether to leave right now.* . . . *growling with even more frustration, Darkside started to shift* /What am I doing?/

Shadow is momentarily stunned as Kayera intercepts the attack for him, and proceeds to engage the remaining figures with surprising skill. Snapping into attention as Kayera tells him to pursue the main culprit, he nods and turns in the bandit's direction--he is still walking away at a leisurely pace, blissfully unaware of how easily they handled the rest. "Right! Thanks, Kayera!" he nods, and breaks into a run towards the ledge of the rooftop. He reshapes the other vector back into an arm, and with the help of both, he quickly leaps through the air, cutting the distance between the two buildings in a matter of seconds. As he lands, he extends his vectors again towards the figure. The difference this time lies in the fact the grasping strength involved is meant to cripple limbs.

Vale: ???: Well if being a gentleman leaves you open for abuses, then let me fix that for you with a little training, Eon user. *The girl gives a nod and begins walking off, waving her hand at Shockwing to follow* I wanna show you something if you have the time of day to follow

Valerie: *the figure, as the others started getting taken down, broke into a sudden and unprovoked sprint. Before Shadow could close the distance as much as the Diclonius would have liked, the figure was already on the other end of the building, leaping across the street and rolling onto the next rooftop. Easily and expertly rebounding, the figure returned to a hasty sprint, attempting to further the distance as much as possible* /They're very persistent... what is this gem worth?/

Jason sighs in exasperation as the man resolutely shakes his head, telling Jason that threats aren't going to work. The woman then opens her mouth to say something, buy Jason withdraws his claw from the gashed wood and looks at the dragon beside him. "Fricai?" Fricai blinks, raising his head in visible surprise before following a mental note. The dragon crouches and springs up, over the bar, his front paws hitting the man's chest and pinning him to the floor. Fricai gives a low growl, but does not move to bite or kill. "Well?" Jason's voice is back to the frigid tone he had taken with Zio. He doesn't want to do this, but at the same time he doesn't remotely have the patience for it.

Vale: Shockwing: Tch--Ergh, *he grits his teeth and then follows after the mysterious girl. Shockwing couldn't help but notice her...unusual persona. She was so confident but her fragile self was also a factor. She also seemed way too young to be a bounty huntress. Way too young. The sky serpent nervously shrugs and begins noticing that the girl is leading him out of the city. At that point Shockwing speaks up* Hey, uhh...little girl-- Where are we going?!

Valerie ) As Valerie retracted her hand, there was a force suddenly pulling back. Panicking and pulling further, the girl desperately fought for control of her hand. /What the heck is going on? The void has never done this!/ As she pulled further and further, she gasped as she pulled her hand further and further out. Two separate, foreign hands tightly gripped hers, holding tightly against her will. Screaming out, Valerie pulled the void off and gripped the lip of the pouch, trying to tear her hand completely free. As she did, she built her kinetic force as quickly as possible. With a final tug, Valerie ripped her hand free and sent... somebody flying out of the void. Landing backward onto her behind as the other figure hit the ground with a thud, she panted with adrenaline coursing through her. "Wh-wha-...who-"

Vale: ???: *Stops and waits for Shockwing to catch up, then spins on her heel in order to slap his cheek hard* I...I am NOT LITTLE! *The girl grows, failing to recognize her tiny voice said otherwise. She then huffs and crosses her arms* I'm taking you out where there is more air for concentration. I want this lesson to be properly excecuted.

Vale: Shockwing: *Promptly blocks the slap but flinches* H-Hey! I'm sorry! Okay, okay....where the air is better, alright. That could work since I'm an aeroimperist.

Vale: ???: *breaks off to a slight sprint.* Alright! Lets gooooooooo!~

Shadow gives an annoyed "Tch." as the figure begins running away from him. This time, however, he has no intentions in being nice--he HAS to get the Voidcore back. He reaches the ledge and performs a vector-aided leap in pursuit, but as he lands and continues running after him, Shadow realizes that the bandit is gaining distance by the second even with him running at full speed. Quickly considering something, he releases two other vector and, with a boom of force, he slams the first two behind him as he is running. He is not propelled upwards by the impact; instead, he is sent forward due to the angle of the impulse, closing in on the bandit's position with two vectors at the ready.

Valerie: *the form on the ground wavered and groaned, slowly pulling himself off the sand* Agghhh... you didn't have to pull so hard! I was just trying to get through-- *pausing the boy pulled himself further off the ground and sitting back on his heels. Turning to look back, the boy's eyes widened* Wh-Wha- you're not crazE!

Vale: Shockwing: *After a few moments of running, the duo began hitting the outskirts of town, then the open desert. The sun was oddly intense in this particular area, not to Shockwing's displeasure of course. As he caught his breath, he looks up and sees the young girl stand in combat position a few yards away. There he saw the familiar Eon energy starting to flow out of the top of her gloved hand. He had to inquire* What-- who are you, anyway? And why are you-- how are you even doing that?!

Valerie: *the masked figure already had his sights on the next ledge to jump from. Turning to check on his pursuer, his eyes widened. The figure was rocketing toward him, translucent limbs ready to grab him the moment he was within range. He was so close. Forgoing the last portion of the ledge, the figure leaped over as the Diclonius tackled directly into him. Beforehand, however, a sudden burst of energy surged just in front of the previous one, revealing a new masked figure just in front of him. This new individual gripped onto the Diclonius as the momentum carried them forward, while the previous figure flew down into the street below, hitting the ground with a loud thud and rolling several feet to a stop. Grunting, the figure pulled himself to his feet very slowly.* /Geez, what's with him?/

Valerie stared at the boy that had just come out of her void. /The Void!/ Backing up dramatically as he stared back at her, she put a hand to her mouth. She felt a scream rising in her throat. However, quickly suppressing her panic, she pointed at him. "Y-You came out of the void!" she spoke, as if confirming it for herself. "What the heck were you doing in there?! How do you know crazE?! What are you doing /here/?!"

Valerie: Kayera: *downing a third masked mysteryman to the ground, Kayera furrowed her brow. Already she could tell something was wrong. As another one rushed her, she forced her palm into the being's chest, thrusting them back forcefully. At the same time, though, she had sent a command through into the individual. The figure stumbled back, stopping the momentum of the force and repositioning. However, the figure yelled out as it stared down at its chest. Slowly, but surely, the figure's chest started drooping. Then, it started melting. Before the figure knew it, its own body was dripping onto the rooftop. Kayera smirked* /I knew it./ Forcing her hand forward again, she this time focused a massive wave forward into the rest of the figures. Before the figures could react, they quickly liquefied right before her eyes. With no one in her way, she traced the residual forces that the figure used to escape. Ripping a portal open, she saw Shadow on the rooftop ahead and sprinted forward*

Vale: ???: *she leans down and swipes her hands back, causing a rippling force to start breaking the space around her. A series of air slices began to fill the area followed by brief glimmers. With a smile, the girl puts up her hand, then gives off a snap* Show me the range of your Eon use and I'll tell you. Now think fast!~ *suddenly a barrage of eon energy pin needles began raining down on Shockwing from all angles. Their points were more keen and unusual than regular pin needles. At least...normal ones would not cause small explosions upon hitting the sandy floor* Show me what you need to do in this situation!

Shadow widens his eyes, but reacts immediately. The spare vectors slam into the man from the side, easily ripping him off Shadow and sending him plummeting to the opposite street. He uses the vector's momentum as it collides with the man to adjust his path diagonally downwards, where the Voidcore thief is just touching ground. "Got you!" he exclaims, as a vector hammers down on the bandit's leg. He held back, in truth. An impact like this with the full force of a vector would normally be enough to crush all layers of flesh plus bone into a fine paste, but this one is just meant to disable the man--by breaking muscle and bone. He lands near the thief somewhat roughly, all four vectors pointed at him.

Valerie: Sky: *pulling himself to his feet and dusting himself off, Sky gave a huff* I should be asking you what you're doing with CrazE's void! I knew that hand didn't feel familiar. *grumbling as he finished dusting off the sand from his legs, Sky stared at the girl for a good few seconds. Then, he took a step forward* Now, give me the void and no one gets hurt.

Valerie furrowed her brow immediately as the boy approached her. "Take one more step and I'll punch your head right off!" she threatened. They both paused right where they were for an entire minute, the boy staring at Valerie as if testing the waters. The boy then receded. "CrazE gave the void to me for safe-keeping. He said it was extremely important." she replied. After a few moments, she asked. "... how do you know CrazE? You didn't really tell me what you were doing in the void."

Vale: Shockwing: *Blinks and quickly solidifies two piercing edges of eon to cover his hands, then swiftly begins to hack and slice through the pins with ease. His fluid movement proves useful when he is under a rain of constant projectiles. Long and lean legs carried him at high speeds as his body easily bent and moved in order to let the eon pins graze his form. With a sideways twirl after getting out of the girl's line of fire, he launches the two hand blades towards her and then summons more. Shockwing waved and punched into the open air in order to shoot the hand blades at her* ERRGH!

Valerie: *the figure yelled out as his leg was quickly incapacitated, bone cracking as the invisible limb crashed down upon it. Slamming the ground with a fist, the bandit held back yelling out entirely* Alright! Get it off! Get it off!

Vale: ???: Oh-ho! Alright! You are not hapless like I thought you were! *The girl puts out her arm while retracting her other arm, then effortlessly moved her head to the side to dodge one projectile, then another, then another, all while maintaining the least possible movement she could make from her current point. Her hand provided a point of focus for her as she felt the rush of Eon flow through her. Though at this point she knew what would happen next as Shockwing literally vanished* The desert's flury never leaves one footprint go silent. *the girl whispers to herself, seeing the sands shift when Shockwing vanishes. His location was revealed as the girl then bent back while extending one leg and her gloved arm, causing a massive amount of eon to impact Shockwing's stomach area as he tried to sneak up behind her. The poor sky serpent's eyes bulged while the air in his lungs were forcibly punched out. The girl smirked and backflipped over the boy, then wrapping around a few clear threads around his form* Ah-hah!

Valerie: Sky: *Folding his arms, he contemplated whether telling the girl was the right choice. After a moment of biting his lip, he spoke* CrazE is... well, my dad. And I was in the void because I wanted to be. Enough info? hand it over.

Valerie blinked. CrazE was /his/ dad. That made no sense; the kid had to be at least her age! "Wait, hold on a second... how is he your dad? You don't look your age at all!"

Shadow sighs, "Just give me back that pendant." he states plainly, more annoyed and tired by the chase, glaring down at the fallen thief. He avoids using the term "Voidcore", because he has remembered a vital piece of information he had forgotten until now. /"Extremely valuable", huh... I'll have to hide or something while I'm in this place, then./ He readies another vector, "And don't try anything." he warns.

Vale: Shockwing: GOUGHCK! *That was not it. No. Shockwing, despite being hit quite hard, kept his ground and even began to shift into his sky serpent form. Briliant blue scales hit the sunlight while he lets out an angered roar, then rushing up into the skies with a blast of Eon. He can feel the threads around him. They constricted in such a way that it felt unreal. With another roar, his eyes glowed while a massive concentration of wind began to swirl into view. The desert sands began to shift violently below as Shockwing readied himself in the air for the kill. His fangs flowed with Eon*

Valerie: *the figure reached into his pocket slowly, digging deep into it as he stared through the mask into Shadow. Neither one took their eyes off each other. Finally, the masked stranger produced the gem, revealing it to the Diclonius hesitantly* Here it is. You can take it if it's worth a leg. *he didn't expect anyone to laugh at it, but the figure tried humoring Shadow for the moment as he repositioned on the ground. He let out a grunt of agony as he tried moving the leg that had been broken, fumbling back onto his backside with a sigh.*

Valerie: Sky: *raising an eyebrow, Sky stared at the girl with complete bewilderment.* /Why did CrazE choose to let this girl handle the void?/ . . . Look, just point me in the direction of where CrazE is and I'll go find him myself. *looking down both ends of the street they were on, he realized he had no idea whatsoever where he was. In fact, nothing architecturally looked correct.* /... what did I miss?!/

Vale: ???: Oh NO.YOU DON'T! *the girl yells out and swiftly swirls her hands around in a circular motion. A myriad of clear threads began to swirl like a vortex around her in response to the winds picking up. As the winds and the threads came into contact, she commands* Furnace Storm. *Then from the bottom of her being, a blue fire lit ablaze in place of the vortex of winds, then like fire traveling through a line of gunpowder, the fires reached the sky serpent as she gave a follow up* STAMPING THREAD: FIRE SENSITIVITY! *The threads around shockwing glowed, then as the flames hit shockwing, the pain was amplified to imensely powerful levels*

Valerie: Kayera: *stopping on the top of the roof, Kayera folded her arms at the sight of the thief already in the hand of Shadow. She closed the portal behind her and smirked* Very clever using mana clones. I'm surprised you're that good with mana usage. You even altered their shape and physique.

Shadow shifts his gaze from the mask to the pendant, his face lightening up. /Phew./ he uses a vector to quickly retrieve the Voidcore, putting it on immediately and shifting it in a way so the crystal itself is hidden by his jacket. "You know, maybe it's worth your face too." he smirks wryly. A vector quickly turns into a blade right in front of the thief, and with a simple "Nothing personal." he swiftly slashes diagonally. The tiger mask is split in two and... nothing else. Shadow holds back his amusement--the least he can do as compensation is scaring the guy shitless. Listening to Kayera as she arrives from a portal, he blinks in surprise. "Wait... they were clones?"

Vale: Shockwing: *He gives out one last roar before a surge of Eon covers his body. His scales were sizzling horribly* AGH! I CAVE I CAVE I CAVE! STOP IT!!!!

Valerie: *the figure smirked. As the ethereal blade struck the mask, a significant repulsion warped the blade around the mask instead as it passed over. The man shifted his mask as if positioning glasses slyly* There's things you'd be surprised about that come from the poorest of circumstances. Nice to meet you both. *giving a curious look to Kayera before, suddenly, the man disappeared in a blur of light. Once again, he had blinked away from them, this time no where in sight*

Valerie stared at Sky with not only bewilderment, but now a solemn silence. After a "what? too hard?" from Sky, Valerie took in a deep breath. Already, she could feel an unsettling feeling coming from the boy. It now became painful to let the words out to him. ".. Alex is dead..."

Shadow blinks as the blade curves away as if deflected by an unseen force around the mask, his expression shifting quickly into light surprise as the man disappears from view. He then sighs. "I get the feeling this was utterly pointless." he complains. Well, at least he got the Voidcore back, so all is well. Taking a mental note to keep the Voidcore safely hidden, he turns to Kayera. "Thanks for the help, Kayera."

Bophez: Kenchoi: *after what seems to be several minutes of searching and beating up bandits, he just flies aimlessly across the town.* Damn, all that, and I ended up getting nowhere. *sighs* Well hopefully, Shadow's managed to get the Voidcore back. In the meantime, I should probably go find Mr. Igneite. *he angles his key in a different direction as he begins his search for Mr. Igneite. However, just as he begins his new path, the wind suddenly picks up, quickly becoming a gale that slams into him and off of his key. He crashes into the ground, and struggles to get up. However, as he struggles, he catches a glimpse of something blur past him. He can't quite make it out as the violent wind blurs it even further, but he can still make out two distinct features. Whatever it is, it is dressed in full brown, and sports a pair of what appeared to be feline ears. But as soon as it appears, it vanishes, along with the sudden gale, leaving Kenchoi perplexed.* ... Wha... What was that?