Lord of Azure Flame Final Chapter: Victory or Death

[Phoenix]

[spoiler=Fading Words]"Isooooo~"

"Mmmph." Iso turned away from the familiar voice, hoping it would let him sleep. Before long he was poked roughly. "Urgh, what?" As he forced his sleepy eyes open, he saw Miranda hovering over him with her arms and legs down around him like a sort of cage. "Miranda?"

"You'd better not doze off while I'm talking, Iso. It took me three hours to sneak in here to talk to you."

"Why didn't you just pretend to be a normal person? I'm sure no one would have noticed ... on the other hand, if by some chance they catch you sneaking around, they'll probably just assume you're a demon and attack," he reasoned in response.

"... I considered all of that ... but honestly, sneaking around is fun, if not risky as hell. Now listen carefully. I need to tell you this now, so all the weird shit that's about to happen doesn't steer you off course. Ixion and I are going after Shanice ... when we catch him, I'm going to finish what I started ... consequences be damned ..."

[spoiler=Something to Think About]With the desert gear issue dealt with, and with his own claimed gear now with him, Lev headed back to TISME hoping to relax a little. Mental preparation for the next and final mission would have to wait until after he was well rested, plus, there was nothing like meditating about worse case scenarios over breakfast. Once he arrived at TISME, a thought occurred ...

(Hmm ... maybe I should try and figure all this out before we run off into a demon war ... ... yeah. Well, let's just hope this doesn't seem like it came out of nowhere.) Actually tracking down the person he was looking for proved difficult, but eventually he decided to check the library, and lo and behold. He didn't recognize the cloaked girl, but Charlotte and Stephanie were also there. "Evening, ladies," he greeted.

"Oh, hello, Levski," Stephanie replied. "Have you met umm ... 'Chi' yet?"

"Who?" The chimera girl pointed to herself. "Oh ... no, not yet, hahah." Then, approaching, he extended his hand and said, "Levski, or just Lev. It's a pleasure to meet you, Chi."

"Is ... pleazure ... too," she constructed a reply by mimicking his words somewhat and then put her hand out near where his was. Of course it was the opposite hand, which made a shake difficult if not impossible.

"Heh." He switched to his left hand so he could shake her hand anyway and then said, "Interesting girl."

"She is a chimera created by Ixion to provide the energy needed for the warp," Morgan responded to Lev's remark. Perhaps I should inform everyone of this- explaining this to everyone individually would grow tiresome.

She's a quick learner- good at mimicing behavior she's only seen once. "Do you know Ixion's plans for Chi following our victory over the demon king?" Charlotte asked, which Morgan responded to by shaking her head.

"Well, I hope he has some plan for her. It seems horribly irresponsible to create her just for this and then to discard her afterward," Stephanie commented fretfully.

(Considering what happened with the gigas chimeras ... I wouldn't get my hopes up, Stephanie.) "Well that ... kind of explains things," Lev acknowledged. Well ... it seemed like it was now or later, but he preferred now. "By the way, Morgan, I wanted to talk if you have the time."

"It will have to wait, Levski," Stephanie interjected. "It may just be for tonight, but Chi needs some place to sleep, and a decent meal before bed, and most definitely a change of clothes."

Lev winced at first and then smirked before saying, "You expect Morgan to help with all that?"

"Well ... I just assumed- ... urgh, never mind. I suppose the responsibility will fall to me in the end since she and I will be partners ... of sorts."

"It is the duty of all those who serve the Goddess to provide for her children, no matter where they come from," Charlotte added. Whether Ixion is in the right to create life is another matter, but the blame does not lie with Chi in any case.

"You two have leave to do with her what you will. Make certain she is prepared by tomorrow morning and that she is safe- you both know of her importance in the plan to come," Morgan directed. If a similar fate befalls her that befalls Esphyr...well she has been provided with guardians who should be able to keep her from harm for one night.

"Very well," Stephanie reluctantly agreed. "Go have your little talk, then, I suppose."

As he turned to leave, hoping Morgan would follow, Lev said, "We don't deserve either of you~" to Charlotte and Stephanie. A cleverly worded 'thanks' if nothing else.

Morgan followed Lev and began speaking once the priestesses were out of the vicinity. "So, what business do you have with me?" she asked.

"Right, well I wanted to ask you a few questions, get your opinion on some things, and then I'll have a better idea of where I'm heading with all this. Sound good?" Lev replied, looking back over his shoulder as they walked. He wasn't sure whether to head for a room for guaranteed privacy or just keep walking and keep the blood flowing.

"Ask away," Morgan said, keeping pace with Lev. He must want my opinion on some of the preparations before we leave- understandable given the timing.

"Well for starters, I was wondering just what you were planning once we deal with the Lord? I might have asked this before, but it's still a good place to start with this ..." No turning back now, he figured.

"A good question...I have been so preoccupied with the war that I have not given the matter much thought," she answered, pausing for a moment to think. "I will need to become more powerful to deal with Flemeth and I hope to remain largely unnoticed after the battle so that I can live a life of seclusion. If I have learned anything on this journey, it is that I am ill-suited to dealing with politics and idiots," she concluded.

"Hahahah, yeeeeah, true. Still, would you be opposed to any alternatives? A life in seclusion has its upsides I suppose, but when you're on your own ... well ... you're on your own."

"Judging by the status of the current heroes, I would be surrounded by mindless sycophants. if the people of Elyisima cannot see that Percy is a useless idiot, I have little need for their company. I lived much of my life before this journey in solitude and I relish its return...being with people has been very wearisome," she responded, rubbing her temple.

"Oh come now, you don't feel that way about everyone, do you?" Lev asked, looking at her as if she was exaggerating. "Think of all the people you deal with well enough ... and people like Reese who actually seem to hate Percival more than you do. More importantly, think of Tessa ..." Stopping for a second, he placed a hand on her shoulder and added, "Think of me," and smiled.

"I...well, perhaps I exaggerated slightly," Morgan amended her previous statement. "I do not mind spending time with every individual, but I have no desire to become some sort of 'hero'. Let the other Crimsons have their fame and all the troubles that come with it."

"Being famous certainly would have its downsides," Lev agreed. "Still, you don't want to be completely on your own do you?" he asked with a visible frown.

Morgan shrugged. "I am quite capable of living on my own. Where else would I go?" she asked out of curiosity.

"Well, I did hit up on an idea not too long ago ..." Lev alluded at first. "Instead of going off on your own, why don't you just stick with me?" he asked with a shrug. It was a pretty serious matter for him, but he preferred not to look too invested in the idea for now. "I've got plenty of time to point out all of the advantages if you'd like a few 'reasons'." And now, there really was no going back ...

"Yes, I would be interested in hearing these reasons," Morgan replied simply. I'm unsure what this is about- is he making some sort of business proposition?

"Alright then," Lev began, trying to decide just how deep into this he should go. "For one, you've got a better chance of dealing with Flemeth with some actual help around. Any training you have to do can be supplemented by world experience. if we get into actual work, you'll have an income to fallback on if you get tired of home cooking or need to buy supplies or anything else. You've got a free second opinion whenever you need it." He paused for a moment and then said "... shall I continue ...?" with the beginnings of another smile showing up.

"If Flemeth decided to make her move, you would be of little assistance in stopping her. It would be wiser for you to stay out of her way. You may continue with your reasons, though I wonder what you would plan to gain out of this arrangement," Morgan answered, squinting.

"You never know; if there's one things I've learned about fighting magic users, there's no one sure fire way to do it. If you face her alone, your options are looking pretty limited, and all this time you use to prepare is just time she can use to prepare too, so you've got to consider all your avenues for help, even the minor ones," Lev countered gently. He, frankly, had no intention of leaving her to deal with that problem all on her own, but wasn't going to get into that right now.

"Anyway, as for what I get out of this ... everything I just pointed out, to start. Anything beyond thatdepends on you I guess."

"Perhaps you are right...but I really do not know what to think about all this. It all seems rather sudden," Morgan answered, frowning.

"I've been thinking about it for a good while, so I guess I've had time to grow to like the idea," Lev noted amusingly. "The way I see it, you're a woman I can trust to keep her head in a crisis, handle things thoughtfully, say awkward-funny stuff on occasion, cover for my magical shortcomings, and if we're lucky, make life after this a lot more interesting." Then, deciding to take a 'risk' of sorts, he added, "Besides, I've grown accustomed to seeing you around and I'd hate to see you just disappear after this. You're quite easy on the eyes."

Morgan felt her face flush at the variety of compliments. "I, er, have also grown accustomed to your presence," she admitted before shaking her head. "This is not the time to discuss such matters I think. If we do not defeat the Lord of Azure Flame, there will be no future for us to mull over."

"I considered that, but I also considered how much more motivated I'd be if I talked with you about this in advance. The only other thing on my schedule for the night is sleep and well ... it's honestly not that late yet, heheh. I just wanted to see how you felt about the idea so I could decide how I'll deal with it and address some things in my life. I'm starting to get a good idea of how to handle a few things going forward," Lev explained.

"That is uh, good, it is always beneficial to have a handle on things especially given what is to come," Morgan babbled. "I must retire early tonight, tomorrow will be a busy day with the warping and such. Be prepared to leave tomorrow morning!" she instructed him before speeding off to her own quarters.

Lev chuckled a bit once Morgan was out of sight. "Well, that went 'okay'." He took a deep breath and then let it out with a heavy sigh. "... yeah, I think I'll go for it."

[spoiler=Something To Talk About]The next morning, Viveka went into the stables early to tend to Susann and try to prepare her pegasus for the mother of all marches. Things were going well, and she'd even managed to fill Susann's head with all sorts of positive thoughts when Lev arrived.

"What do you want?" she asked, squinting at him.

"Ah, there you are. Look, Viv, we need to talk."

"Is this important?" She looked genuinely surprised.

"Yeah. It's about us."

"There's ... no 'us', Lev," she said, stopping what she was doing and turning to face him fully. She crossed her arms impatiently and said, "What are you on about?"

"Look, I know we never talk about it, but deep down we both know that there's always been something there. You've tried to deny it by treating my like a fool and I've tried to just outright ignore it, but now it needs to be addressed."

"What the hell are you talking about?" she asked plainly, her expression becoming blank for lack of appropriate expressions.

"This secret love you have for me ... it's flattering, but ... it's about time we both moved on. There's too much at stake for us to be so heavily invested in each other," Lev said adamantly, though he was laughing so hard on the inside that he could barely hide it anymore.

"Snrk ... what?" Viveka began to break down bit by bit into a laughing fit and before long she had grabbed onto Susann as she began to slip down to the ground. "Bahahahahahahahahahahahhhhhh! Secret love?! You?! Hahahahahahahahahahahaahhahhhhh!" Eventually she was sitting on the ground with her arms wrapped around Susann's right foreleg for support and had tears in her eyes. "You're drunk, hahahah! Or maybe you hit your head on something, hahah! Seriously ... where did you get the idea that I ... oh my goddess, hahah. Okay ... calm down. It's not that funny; it's actually kind of repulsive. How do you figure I actually love you? I don't even like you." She began to haul herself off of the ground and dusted her legs off once she had.

Lev walked right up to her at a hurried pace, catching her off guard. She braced to be grabbed, but he stopped just in front of her and looked her dead in the eyes. His gaze was serious, yet calm; relaxed, yet intense. Viveka wasn't sure how to respond. "Going to keep putting up appearances until the end ... I understand, though it saddens me deeply."

"It's not an appearance ... I don't love you, Lev. Though ..." she paused to mull over something related. "You disappointed me a few times during this crazy campaign and I ... guess I have been a bit harder on you than I should have. There's also the fact that you've had like a hundred chances to put your axe in Ixion's back or poison Victor and haven't even considered it yet, not even for my sake. You're not a bad person, you just really rub me the wrong way. Oh, and your thing for Morgan really scares the crap out of me. I wouldn't mind being friends, someday ... ... if you stop acting like such a doofus. Anyway, is that all you wanted to say? You're a little too close for comfort right now."

"Not quite," he replied before backing away from her, turning to leave, and then beginning to do so. "The tension between us has always been high, sexual and otherwise, but now we're heading into the real battle. It's time to focus. We can't keep spending so much energy on each other ... and after this battle, we'll have to go our separate ways. As fun as it is to see you wrestle with your feelings like this, you've got to put them aside and focus ... and we, as I said, have to move on."

"I'm always focused, you idiot, and what the hell are you talking about, 'move on'?! There's nothing between us! Period!"

"Dammit, Viv, I've got to make some sacrifices here too, you know? But ... old habits die hard, I guess. Well then ... that's all I had to say." As soon as he reached the exit to the stables, he turned around quickly and said, "Oh!"

"What?" Viveka asked with dreadful anticipation.

"Those pants look nice on you, though I actually prefer the old miniskirt. Moving on now."

"... ... ... it's Morgan, isn't it? You've decided to pursue her and you're pestering me because you think my feelings will be hurt one way or another, is that it?" Viveka asked, deciding to check on her hunch.

Lev suddenly looked surprised, but quickly replaced that expression with a smirk. "Figured it out, huh?" (I don't think she cares one bit, but I love messing with her~)

"I almost feel sorry for you. You know what the worst part in all this is? She's going to dump you the second you slip up and push you away like anyone else. Though, knowing you, you'll probably just try to run over to Jasmine. I should probably make it a personal mission to get her married off soon, just to limit your options."

(Please, are you trying to hurt my feelings or Morgan's? Good luck with either, by the way.) "Hah, so you want me to come back to you and you only, is that it?"

Viveka winced, realizing she'd given him an opening without meaning to and quickly said, "No! I just figured you weren't stupid enough to come crawling to me after you fail here. I don't want you. Go hit on that chimera thing Ixion made or something when Morgan gets rid of you, I don't care," she waved a hand at him dismissively.

"Speaking of Chi ... did you hear that Ixion didn't even get her the basics before handing her over to us? Stephanie was furious when she finally noticed."

"What do you mean, 'the basics'?" Viveka didn't want to talk with Levski at all anymore, but was curious just the same.

"Use your imagination. That cloak and that little dress were all she had on her. Apparently Ixion was 'short on time'. Poor thing didn't even notice she was indecent."

"Seriously, Lev, if you just run up and hit Ixion with your axe, I will forgive you for this and every other stupid thing you've done since I've known you. I'll even be nice to you in general from now on. You don't even have to kill him, just make him pay for being such a bastard, please ... ugh."

"I'll consider it," Lev said with a smile. "Anyway, I should go. Remember our little chat, nooow~"

"I'd sooner fly into a hurricaaane~" Viveka retorted, mimicking his inflections and expression.

(And with that, I'm ready to face the rest of the day, be it filled with demons or politics.)

Circle of Fate

By the next morning, the Crimson Brigade, and Reese's escorting battalion had begun gathering at the warping point. It would be time to leave soon, and most of Reese's men were double checking their supplies and gear; they wouldn't get another chance to do so.

Iso was ready for the trip, if only physically, but his mind was racing, trying to remember everything that Miranda had told him that previous night. He already knew she wanted Shanice's core to safeguard her own life, but she expounded quite a bit on Ixion's plans, and that was what he couldn't quite remember. He didn't want to tell anyone until he could at least remember it, himself, and so he stood around dwelling on it.

Irina couldn't leave either Kiev or Nikita behind and so ended up preparing both for the trip. She'd only even considered leaving one of them behind in Elysima due to the all the extra food an extra wyvern could eat. Kiev in particular was a growing wyvern as well and would always be at least a little peckish throughout the journey. She fed them each big meals before the gathering, however, so she hoped that would tide them over for now.

Viveka was thinking about some things though, mainly Tobe. She couldn't take him with her on this final mission and she couldn't deal with it properly until she got back, and so with Conrad's help, she convinced the barracks commander to allow Tobe to stay with him and his family for the duration of the mission. After that, she would have to figure something out. She hoped that after they 'saved the world' her options would open up at least a little bit more.

Lev was having a fantastic morning so far and looked enthusiastic about their final march against the demons. Conrad, not so much. He was worried that even with Chi's help, Stephanie wouldn't be able to consistently warp the demons to the killzone, and without taking her there in person to commit the place to memory, there was a very real chance she would miss the mark. Still, the plan wasn't contingent on the demons being killed off immediately after being warped away, but it would certainly prevent them from circling back and trapping the crimsons later on. Since overall demonic mobility was an unknown, cutting down the demons as they were warped to their allies was a good solution to their otherwise risky plan and Ixion had clearly taken this into account when devising it.

Stephanie herself was standing by beside Chi being shown several different detailed maps of the continent and various regions by some of Reese's navigators. They were trying to help her pinpoint the various warping locations they would be using, one of which, the demon ambush drop off point, they wouldn't have time to visit. "I think I can get us to the first warp point if Chi really can provide the necessary power."

"The ambush spot is more important. The alliance army assigned with wiping out the demons you send their way is heading there right now. It's a nice spot, a cliff with a large clearing right next to a river. The army will set up all around there and rain hell and thunder down on anything that shows up there. If they try to cross the river, thunder mages get even more fun. You have got to remember this location. If you send the demons anywhere else, we'll be having an ordinary skirmish with them and either side could win as they start piling up on us. Alright?"

"I can promise only my best efforts," Stephanie humbly replied with her head bowed to avoid eye contact. The pressure was building on her and she wasn't comfortable with so much riding on her and Chi's shoulders.

[-Cynthia-]

Morgan made rounds around the area where the group was gathered to warp, checking to make sure that no group members had gone missing. We cannot afford to lose anyone here- we will need as much strength as possible to succeed here.

Charlotte decided to go over towards Stephanie and Chi to review their overall warping plans. If anything happened to Stephanie, Goddess willing, someone must still warp the demons away. I have never used such a staff before...but if Ixion is correct, Chi should be able to augment my abilities.

Bellerophon struggled against his reins as Tristan led him into the warping area, the pegasus snorting and stamping likely in response to all the other animals assorted around. "C'mon just calm down," Tristan pleaded with his mount, attempting to placate him with a carrot to no avail.

[eclipse]

Midori checked her meager belongings one last time. The bedsheets she'd pilfered were a bit rough around the edges, but they'd do their job. She had enough for a couple of other people, should the need arise. She silently hoped that everyone else was prepared. With nothing else to do, she waited in a corner.

[-Cynthia-]

After Morgan had confirmed that all of their group was present and accounted for and after checking with Reese to make sure he and his contingent were ready, she instructed Stephanie to commence the warping. Their destination was a small village on the outskirts of the great Haltonian desert.

The warping was over in a matter of seconds, leaving Morgan slightly lightheaded as it usually did. She wasted no time in getting down to business however, striding towards Kelas. "Do you know where to go to find one of these guides? Time is of the essence- I ask in your assistance in this matter given your expertise in the nomadic language," she stated firmly.

Charlotte looked around to check if everyone was there. Reese's battalion had a number of unfamiliar faces. There was a girl who didn't seem to be dressed like the rest of the soldiers that she didn't recognize at all. Another chimera...or maybe she's just a scout or something.

As Tristan and Bellerophon arrived, Bellerophon looked around and snorted loudly in confusion. "What's the matter now?" Tristan asked with a sigh. "It's just sand you know, don't get in such a fuss over it," he guessed, stroking Bellerophon's feathers in an attempt to soothe him.

[eclipse]

The girl turned around the corner, and saw a large group assembled in the middle of the room. Their clothing and armor were a mishmash of everything, ranging from common stuff to things that looked familiar. Speaking of familiar. . .could it be? Discarding all pretense of stealth, she ran into the middle of the group. There, amidst the strange clothes and stranger faces was what looked like a familiar piece of armor. A light went off. . .and the next thing she knew, she stood in the middle of an outdoor area. She did her best to reorient herself, but it was clear that she was no longer in TISME. She looked around for her target--there! No mistake about it!

"Mother? Is that you?" The woman turned around. It was the same face she remembered. Somehow, against all odds. . .her mother was here.

"Who are you?" came the frigid reply. The color drained from the girl's face. How could this woman possibly NOT be her mother?

"Mom, it's me. Midori. Your daughter!" Several heads turned her way. What is going on?

[-Cynthia-]

Charlotte turned her head towards the scene with the unfamiliar girl and the soldier she had seen with them previously. So she's the woman's daughter- but the mother seems not to recognize her? I wonder why?

Bellerophon was still snorting loudly and whinnying. "He, uh, hasn't seen sand before," Tristan explained to no one in particular, scratching his head in embarrassment.

[Phoenix]

The Frontier

Reese's men had been briefed, but that would only let them brace themselves for the warp. Afterward, they were all a little disoriented and a few even stumbled about as a result. Stephanie and Chi had the worst of it though and by the time any eyes fell on them again, the former was sitting on her calves, trying to cope with the stress of warping so far. She sorely regretted it, but at least now they wouldn't need to make multiple trips, and fortunately, with Chi's help, it was actually possible. The human shaped chimera knelt down in front of Stephanie and tried to help her, but all she could do for the moment was be by her side.

Iso sighed heavily after getting one look at the landscape out in front of them. This was the last place he wanted to take trudge through, but apparently it couldn't be helped, at least not unless they found out the exact location of the Lord's tomb. The heroes might have been useful here, but they left without them for some reason. He scanned the massive group to make sure that was actually true. He didn't see Harold or Percival anywhere. He did see someone that wasn't supposed to be with them though, a woman who quickly approached Midori and called her mother. Oh dear ...

Viveka noticed the woman too and muttered, "Wow ... our security really needs to get its head on straight. If she were a demon, she might have killed someone before we even knew we were under attack."

Lev, disagreeing with that wholeheartedly, said, "No, Morgan, Iso, or Beau's attendant would have seen that coming. We're not that vulnerable, but I'll admit, Elysima does need more vigilance, heheh."

"Do you think she knows what she just got herself into, here?" Irina quietly asked while stroking Kiev's forehead. The wyvern looked as sick as a dog for some reason.

"Not a chance."

[Dark Sage]

Warpsick

In a flash, Alf found himself in a small village. He pitched on all fours as he finished materializing, his vision blurring and a sickness rumbling in his stomach.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that, goddamn," he grumbled to himself, shaking his head as he got up, the sickness passing. As he took a closer look at the town, he realized that he recognized it. It was a border town on the desert, where he smuggled a couple of wanted nomads to before; beyond the village, he caught of a glimpse of the dusty plains, the first stage of their journey.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Reika kneeling, reeling from the warp as well apparently. As he pulled her up, a thought occurred to him.

"You know, the nomads here are a bit of a superstitious bunch," he began quietly. "Is warping in town really going to make a good impression? Let's just hope nobody saw this."

No sooner did he finish this sentence then he heard a girl cry out to Midori that the halberdier was the girl's mother.

"You were saying?" Reika smirked?

"....."

Sadie

It was as if everything flashed before her eyes, with new scenery popping in as a replacement. Kneeling down, Sadie shook her head and got back up, disoriented but none worse for wear. No sooner did she get up did she see a girl approach Midori and call her mother. It was tempting to watch but Sadie figured it would be best if she tried to ignore it. Undoubtedly the girl was uncomfortable with so many eyes on her and nosiness was not a desirable quality.

[scorri]

Tiria ground her teeth as they popped out of the warp. Magic. Ugh. Even though she was irreversibly linked to magic now, she still couldn't bring herself to like it. Turning around to find Beau, she quickly glanced around to make sure there were no hostiles approaching and then approached him. "Is there anything you need of me, sir, or are we just waiting for orders?"

Adena meanwhile, knelt to the ground and quietly threw up. She should have known that eating breakfast before warping was a bad idea. Quickly burying the results, she wiped her mouth and pulled herself up onto Snips. Patting his neck, she sighed. "Now what..." she mused idly to the air.

[Mercakete]

The warp was disorienting, as it tended to be, but it only caused a temporary dizziness for the courier. The queasiness he suffered was by far and away more due to nerves. Tas had double and triple checked his stock of things before the warp, trying to think of every possible problem that could occur during the group's endeavor. One thing he'd thought of but didn't bother to try to address was final expenses. He figured that if this really was humanity's last hope, no one would bother trying to give anyone a proper farewell anyway, let alone finding their bodies and burying or burning them.

A fresh wave of nauseous dizziness forced Tas to lean on Namid a bit more heavily with a shaky "Oh goodness..." as he lowered his head and closed his eyes. What have I gotten myself into? At least I gave father and Riggs a good send-off... Oh dear... I'm not going to make it... Not like this, especially! Namid turned his head around to face his partner more directly, as much concern on his face as wyvernly possible, tilted his head and gave a deep, rumbling, inquisitive coo.

"I-I'm fine...!" Tas shakily lied as he, quivering, raised his head to show a very poorly-faked smile. Namid gave the human a blank frown. He wasn't buying it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Preparations had gone relatively well and Beau was actually somewhat excited for the trip. Raemond's meager attempts at warning him of just how serious the situation and dangerous was had only succeeded in discouraging the monk himself and now the time had finally arrived. They warped and when they appeared, those less accustomed to the jump of a warp staff became fairly easy to pick out. Beau's disorientation only lasted the shake of a head and Raemond was surprised he felt any effect at all. It must be the distance... he reasoned.

Immediately, Raemond's eyes began slowly scanning the scenery with that no-nonsense scowl he had the tendency of wearing around the group as a whole. However, he was less concerned with what his eyes told him and more focused on trying to sense any nearby demonic activity. He was only minorly distracted by a somewhat nearby scene for a moment before returning to his careful observation. There were the crimsons, of course, so that took tuning out...

Beau, meanwhile, took a deep breath and let out a content sigh. He hadn't been to this particular location before. It certainly was interesting. Before he could do much else, however, loyal Tiria addressed him. The young duke smiled pleasantly at that. As relaxed as he was, there was a sense of reassurance from her question, intended or not. It also helped refocus him some.

"Vigilant and dependable as ever! For the time being, we wait. A noble I may be, but the command of this mission is not mine. Rightly so, I should say. Things such as this are better left to those trained for them. We will know when we are to do something and as for personal requests, I have none at the moment," he replied, apparently in a good mood.

The nearby ruckus was a tad irritating, but not enough so to bring down his mood. It seemed trivial in any case. From the sounds of things, someone had just been mistaken for someone else's mother. From the looks of them, they weren't nobles, so Beau wasn't too invested in it. However, he did listen in.

[eclipse]

"Who. . .are you?" the woman who'd named herself Midori asked the girl. "I don't remember you at all." The girl ripped her face covering off. Dark hair framed a petite, fine-boned face. Her brown eyes were filled with tears, and her light skin was slowly turning red with emotion.

"Mother, how could you forget me? Wasn't I the reason why you didn't desert?!" The woman could only stare blankly at the crying girl.

"I--I'm sorry. I've forgotten. . .so much. Even who I am. All I have is this." The girl sobs stopped as the woman took off her armor. There, etched into the armor, was the girl's name. The name that the woman had took, when she had none to call her own. Rather than answer her, the girl ran to the woman, and gave her a big hug. Confused, the woman hugged back, as the girl cried her eyes out.

"You ARE my mother. Oh, I'm so glad you're alive! Ah, I'm sorry. . ." The woman wasn't quite sure what to do, but it seemed that she had a link to her past. The girl claiming to be her daughter looked nothing like her, but the emotional attachment was unmistakable. It looks like I did some good in my life before I lost my memories she mused.

"I--I guess I should tell you your name, at least. I called you mother, but everyone else called you Arlene," the girl said. "My name is Midori. Let's start there."

[-Cynthia-]

Morgan briefly turned her head towards the scene between their soldier and the unfamiliar girl, before returning her attention to Kelas. That is a personal matter with little importance to our group.

Charlotte watched the interaction between mother and daughter, remembering that the name of the lancer of their group was named Midori- although her actual name was Arlene apparently. So the mother still remembered her daughter's name after losing everything else- this is what we are fighting for. A world in which parents and children can live together in peace...

Tristan had managed to quiet Bellerophon for the most part, although the pegasus was clearly still quite agitated. He looked around to check who was nearby and saw Tas who was acting a little strangely. "Err, are you all right over there Tas?" he asked the wyvern rider, cocking his head.

[Mercakete]

"Y-yes! I...I'm f-fine!" Tas attempted to reassure Tristan, keeping an arm on Namid but turning to face the prince, albeit shakily with that same, fake smile. He was fairly pale.

[-Cynthia-]

"If you say so," Tristan replied, still thinking Tas was acting a little funny. Maybe he ate something that disagreed with him? I'll keep an eye out for him while we travel.

[Inactive Account]

[[reactions to warp go here i'll edit them in in the morning]]

Kelas was a bit relieved that Morgan was looking to her to make contact with the guides; it would be better if she could explain Morgan before they actually met her. "Yeah, I can find 'em, and work out a deal for us," she told her. "Everyone else can catch up after I've talked to them, but I'll need someone with me who's got the coin to pay them, and preferably isn't a mage or going to put a foot in his mouth. Who'll it be?"

Edited August 2, 2013 by kdanger

[-Cynthia-]

Morgan had assumed that she would be accompanying Kelas, but she supposed that the superstitious nature of the nomads would make her presence more of a hindrance than a help. "Lev should do an adequate job of negotiating this," she decided quickly and loudly enough for him to hear. "If you do not have enough money on you to pay them, do not be afraid to promise them more. If we cannot get through the desert we will have no use for coin, so saving it would have no purpose."

[Phoenix]

Arrangements

"Correct me if I'm wrong here, Kelas, but I don't think any 'I oh you's are going to work in a situation like this ... not on the nomads, at least. And no, I don't have the money to pay them right here with me, so it'd probably be better to ask the Grand Marshall for some help with this." Lev glanced in the Reese's direction once he mentioned him to see what he was doing, and fortunately for them, he was already on his way over, though likely for his own reasons.

"Morgan," Reese began on arrival. "My men will need another fifteen minutes before we'll be ready to head out."

"What's wrong?" Lev asked first.

"Some of them are having far worse reactions to that magic circle than we anticipated; two passed out a moment ago, five were--and three are still--vomiting and a few of the horses can't make heads or tails of anything around them. We need to make sure everyone's alright before moving out. We're only here to keep you from getting completely outmaneuvered and escort you to the tomb, so you don't need us right on your coat tails; you can head out first and we'll catch up, but you need to know what's going on on our end."

"And you need to know what's going on on our end," Lev cleverly noted. "We need some money if we're going to hire guides to take us through the desert. How much can you spare?"

"Whatever you need, though you should warn them about the size of this group. They might back out of the deal if you surprise them with all of this."

[-Cynthia-]

"We will need time to acquire this guide regardless. It may be wiser for your group to lead the way by a short distance- you can warn us of impending demon attacks or other dangers," Morgan said to Reese, trusting that Lev and Kelas could work out the matter of the guide on their own.

[Phoenix]

Stuff

"I've got no problem sending scouts ahead of you, but the bulk of our forces need to stay behind you," Reese began explaining. "As long as we're both heading in the same direction, we can help you in an emergency, whether or not you can contact us in time. If we're out in front and you get hit from behind, our response time will be sluggish at best on terrain like this."

"We really don't have anything better to do here, so Jasmine and I can scout directly ahead if that's the plan," Viveka offered.

[-Cynthia-]

I have to wonder whether that is his real reasoning or if he would rather lose our people than his... Morgan wondered. "All right, if you must- but be sure not lag too far behind. I think you two should begin scouting immediately. I do not sense any demons nearby, but knowing what lies ahead will aid our journey," she said, turning to Viveka.

[Phoenix]

More Stuff

Viveka scanned the area and then said, "Immediately? Err ... well, the perimeter's not exactly secure yet, so I guess it's not premature to do some scouting. We'll get on that." She then took Susann by the reins and went over to collect Jasmine.

[Snike]

Alex

So, this was it. A trek across the desert, a battle or two with standard demons, and then, the Lord himself. After that, if they survived, there was Father to deal with. Then, it would finally be time to remove herself from the picture. But for now, she had to support the royals, and the others. The Septimian lance wielder stood off to the side and waited for the march to begin. And with it, the beginning of the end.

Eric

The ex-templar took a moment to let the dizziness from the warp fade and collect his thoughts. This was to be the final push in their struggle and so far, aside from the surprise guest - who was the female Haltonian lancer's daughter apparently- everything was proceeding as planned. Hopefully that would last. Eric turned to see his sister off to the left, and the Princess further off to the right, and briefly considered letting them know about Jace's current state. He decided against it, as everyone needed to be focused for this last battle. Besides, it wouldn't matter if... Well, it would matter, since they would defeat the Lord. Even if it cost him his life, he'd end this threat with the help of the others. For Charlotte and Alex, and everyone else in the land.

But enough of that train of thought. The Brute's son closed his eyes and began to scan for any sign of unfriendly demons while he waited for the group to officially set off. So far, so good.

[scorri]

Tiria

Tiria nodded to Beau and went to sit down near the group. Taking a breath, she closed her eyes. Focusing on the empty space between her hands, she breathed in and breathed out. The crimson sword quickly materialized in her hands. The immediate assault on her emotions began as expected, but she slowly focused on emptying her mind. She let go of the anger, let go of the hurt. She breathed in, breathed out. She grasped the sword firmly in her hands, and quickly drove it into the ground in front of her. Breathe in, breathe out. You will not beat me. I will control you.

Adena

Slowly standing up, she wiped her mouth and took a drink of water. Slowly, she lead Snips over to were Alex was standing. "How can you stand those warps? No matter how many times I do them... I always seem to just lose it." Staring out at the desert, she gulped. "This is it I guess. The battle. Maybe the end of the world. Do you think we'll be able to do this?"

[Snike]

Alex

"... Years of experience. If you've had to use warp staves as often as I had to, you eventually can ignore the nausea," the Comet said, motionless. She turned to Adena. "We have to believe that we can, otherwise this effort will be for naught. Besides, the Lord's been proven vulnerable before, by fewer warriors. We have greater numbers now, so hopefully that will be enough."

[scorri]

Adena

"What's ahead for you after this? I'll probably just return to being a healer in the military... For the rest of my life unless I get married or something. How about you?"