[System]
Leader: Fleet Admiral G. Warren
Goals: The protection of the United States and NATO interests in the outer Solar System.
Troops:
10x Nimitz-class Supercarriers
100x Dewey-class Carriers
276x Delaware-class Battleships
18x Congress-class Dreadnaughts
488x Washington-class Destroyers
735x Iowa-class Gunboats
1,450x Kansas-class Patrolboats
Important Members: Fleet Admiral G. Warren, Congressman J. Winter, Anna Elize, Seeschi
Tactical Advantages:
Numbers: The fleet is extremely numerous, as required to effectively patrol the outer solar system and inner reaches of the Oort cloud.
Long range: The starships are optimized for long-range warfare, with the smallest class ship, the Kansas-class, containing the equivalent of seven ICBM silos.
Gravitic Drives: The battleships, carriers, supercarriers, and dreadnoughts are capable of carrying ships to and fro, crossing the solar system in a matter of weeks.
Tactical Disadvantages:
Analog Computers: The computational power of the ships is limited, digital computers are a thing of legend.
FTL comms: NATO has limited FTL communications, achievable only by blowing up a ship's gravitic drive and encoding a message on the resultant gravity wave. Other than that, they have a hard-to-use lightspeed communication option called the transmission laser.
Bureaucracy: NATO is weighed down by endless safety checks, internal politics, and inane procedures.
Origin: Original

Name: George Warren
Appearance:
Personality: He is a no-nonsense man of the United States Navy, focused on the advancement of US interests.
Abilities: N/A. He is a normal human.
Equipment: 1x Colt 2044. 3 .45 magazines.
Origin: Original
Theme Song: youtube.com/watch?v=h-ujfjbVurM

Name: Johnathan Winter
Appearance:
Personality: A tempermental man focused on advancing his party's political goals through any means necessary.
Abilities: N/A, regular human.
Equipment: He carries no special equipment.
Origin: Original
Theme Song: youtube.com/watch?v=jAYPN-1Yjt0

Name: Anna Elize
Appearance:
Personality: A mining and manufacturing tycoon owner based from the USNJF Fleet Command docks, she is a successful and shrewd business woman.
Abilities: N/A. Regular human.
Equipment: N/A. A fancy pen maybe?
Origin: Original
Theme Song: youtube.com/watch?v=7xXEtO3bEe0

Name: Seeschi
Appearance:
Personality: She is clinically insane for an Aeolian, experiencing a manic/depressive cycle. This, however, also means she is brave enough to be an ambassador for the species as a whole in a human military installation.
Abilities: N/A
Equipment: N/A
Origin: Original
Theme Song: youtube.com/watch?v=jyLMgIR69G4

[User]
@thewizardguy

Mithias looked from Martin to the sleeping human-like being he had recently fed from. So the Imperium did this kind of thing to their own kind? Hell, making an automaton servant out of any kind of being was rough, but maybe there were good reasons for it. Martin said he used to perform the procedure himself on others, and he seemed to regret it. He didn't seem like such a bad guy to the recovering vampire. Mithias replied in consideration, "So, you stole their servitors, and their powercore... That is definitely getting off on the wrong foot. I'm surprised they haven't shown up at your door, or... air-lock, by now. Then again, there are clearly bigger problems they need to deal with."

Mithias glanced at the bot. I suppose that will have to suffice for a re-introduction for you. I need to get you in touch with the Imperium on the off-chance they can help you analyze and copy Alucard's biotech. At least we might be able to run some tests to try to mass-kill those creatures of his. But I can't have you getting blow up or executed or something." Mithias winced.

"I know where to find them, Martin. Drop me off, and I will telekinetically carry your bot with me. It's the fastest way, unless you want to risk getting your ship closer to their territory, which I assume you don't."

Martin seemed to agree with this and Mithias and the bot departed, flying from wherever, heading back to Vulkan. The two land a safe distance away from the boundary and try to get noticed by an outpost or something while on the ground.

[Assistant]
- Australia -
@supertinyking@Wraithblade6

The fire blast exploded around the knight's figure even as the sawblade launched into the explosion. Dust was thrown into the air and for a moment it obscured everything. The invisible form of the wraith shot forward, shrieking as it hungered for the knight's soul. It seemed the bargain had gone awry. But as the dust began to settle, the silver-clad figure was shown to be mostly unharmed. The hand that had previously held the crest was now outstretched, an armoured gauntlet wrapped around the wraith's head. The undead creature shrieked, attempting to turn incorporeal and yet somehow failing, as purple flames danced along it's figure. With a final agonising howl the creature dissipated, it's very essence burned into nothing. Then, calm as ever, the knight turned it's attentions once more to the mortals before it. It's figure now surrounded in purple flames and lightning, it's very glare appeared to pierce into the souls of those present. It was clear that this being was a powerful opponent indeed, judging from the casual ease with which it dispatched a powerful undead being. But the flames did not appear to be entirely it's doing, and it's form began to shimmer. Chaotic energies overtook it as space bent around it, and slowly it became clear that it was being somehow dragged out of this realm. With a hint of amusement, the choir of voices once more spoke. "It appears that I misjudged you. Unfortunate. The power I offered you would have allowed you to progress. But perhaps that stubborn head of yours may serve you. There will be greater temptations ahead. See that you rebuke them with the same fervour you now show." The knight's form began to fade, dissipating into a strange purple cloud that was drawn away into the heavens. "I came here because I felt the call of something ancient beyond even my reckoning. Beware, mortals. For the vampire is but a puppet, and the true threat to this realm is greater than even I can imagine. If you are to survive, you may need to learn to set aside old hatreds." With those words the being disappeared completely, a thunderclap sounding at it's departure. Lightning flashed, the ground seemed to tremble for a moment, and then the being was gone, leaving a silence almost as noticeable as the being's presence had been.

[User]
@supertinyking@gentlemanvaultboy@tyki

Damien caught himself falling forward onto his hands after the servant of chaos had departed. The strain on his mind had been stronger than he had realized, and now that the storm of emotions was gone, he realized how much energy he had been spending.

"I'm alright." He waved off the others and pushed himself back up. "That abhorrent creature was the bane of my existence. I am much relieved that it is gone." Damien gathered his wits and looked at his ally. "It was very wise of you to refuse it, my lord devil. The forces of chaos are never to be trusted, for they are fickle and estranged to any form of honor. Perhaps it was attracted to whatever mysterious power lies here, but it just as well might have eaten us and used our flesh to make a quilt rather than remember why it had come." Damien pressed a hand to his head is if he was suffering a hangover. After that strain, he needed sleep, but he didn't want to admit such a weakness. "Lord Asmodeus, I will press on."

Even though he had dismissed what the strange knight had said as jibberish, Damien's thoughts still dwelt on it. Something about the end of the realm, and a vampire puppet. He scoffed. He was sure he could handle any old vampire. Why, he was a powerful necromancer, of course! Besides, he could surely use another undead minion now that his wraith had been destroyed. If only vampires weren't so pathetic in broad daylight...

At present, there was the matter of this soulless girl that was still with them. Damien was a young looking man, no older than his early 20's, yet he looked withered in spirit. Dark magic surrounded and flowed through him, creating an aura that would drive most innocent life away. Keeping himself close by Ozo, who had recently protected him, Damien beheld the girl with extreme distrust. Why hadn't she done him the favor of also vanishing? He leered at her, finding the closeness of a female disturbing.

[Assistant]
@supertinyking@Wraithblade6

Firebrand tried to put on a brave front after what had just happened, but only made it to the end of Damien's praise before dropping like a freshly severed limb. He managed to land on his feet, but his knees buckled and he collapsed forward onto him hands on the ground. He felt wet all over. He rubbed a hand across his forehead, assuming it would come back covered in blood that was now oozing from his skin in some sort of revenge for his violent rejection. Instead he found something much rarer.

Sweat wasn't normally something that happened to a demon of fire. In a way he wished it was blood. It would have been more reassuring.

The old demon rose back to his feet, pondering the meaning behind the departing gods words. A vampire puppet. That was troubling. Vampires were a high class of devil. Members of that race made up one of the greater demon worlds seven noble families, and were an extremely prideful lot. If one of them had been reduced to a mere puppet...

He shook his head, and finally caught sight of the new arrival. He stepped over to her, a little shakily at first, and looked her over. He hadn't seen anyone else from the air yesterday, but that didn't mean anything for someone human sized. She could have been in one of the buildings, a grove of trees, or simply so far away as to be beyond his sight. "You a native?" He asked.

[User]
@Wraithblade6@thewizardguy[@supertinyking

"N-no... some crazy lady threw me over here to deliver some rock to the middle of the island. Could someone please tell me what's going on?" Kyoko asks confusedly, having been beholden to quite A LOT of strange things over the course of the day, and to be entirely frank she looked about ready to just kinda lie down and curl up in a ball as the impact from earlier had left her clothes in shambles even if her skin was perfect. She was simultaneously quite the oddity in that she was utterly mundane, completely lacking in magic senses including the vacant nature of her soul and while she, herself was unblemished her clothes looked like she'd been thrown into a blender or more accurately sandblasted repeatedly but either way she'd somehow managed to keep her glasses completely unharmed.

[Assistant]
USNJVC - United States Navy Jovian Fleet Command
In orbit of Jupiter

The massive facility was in a veritable uproar. Communications had suddenly cut out with the entire inner fleet. Unconfirmable by the command center itself, due to the orbital path, they had to rely on secondhand reports from the rest of the outer fleet. People scurried to and fro, civilians and military contractors alike in a mass rush. There was no alleviating this panic. George had his work cut out for him. Not only was the US congressman insisting making repeated calls to his office, but the ambassador had once again been reported vandalizing sections of the facility.

The military police were getting agitated. The civilians were getting agitated. The soldiers and astronauts were getting agitated. A majority of the fleet was stuck in the dark, awaiting commands as they pinged outposts reported as no longer existing. And to top it off, ships in high-power telescope range of the inner solar system were reporting the Mercurial Dust Clouds missing, that Mars was back to being the red planet, and Earth was green and healthy. Fixed outposts on Pluto, the asteroid belt, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune were no longer responding.

Regardless, order slowly began to reassert itself as the transmission lasers met their marks, relaying across the fleet like a vast web. The ships in the Oort cloud were to rendezvous in orbit of Pluto, while the outer solar system fleet was to dock in Jupiter, and those without the power to make it that far, in orbit of Neptune. Of course, that left the ships on the other side of the sun in the dark. It would likely take a long time for the information to be relayed around.

So many problems. So many new developments. So little time.

---

Seeschi teetered uncertainly in the cell. Her mind swam, where were the tools of her trade? The military police insisted what she did was vandalism. Didn't they understand? It was art. Art, the purest form of expression. She had fought bravely, but the stun batons had proved too much for her. She had been apprehended. Utterly unfair. Why had the empire given her such an ambassadorial assignment? She could do so much more then represent for a primitive species. An utter disgrace.

An utter disgrace.


[System]
Gender: Female
Age: 19

Appearance/Physical Description: Tall, slim, and blond. Jacel has a thin, angular face, with tired green eyes. She looks, quite rightly so, as someone who doesn't get a proper meal very often. The hair on her head is sheared extremely close to her scalp, and she covers her head with a blue headscarf, in the fashion of the Southerlings that have lived in the Old Kingdom now for nearly a century. She chose this as it allows her to cover her tainted charter mark without attracting very many questions.

She dresses in an amalgamation of clothing from both sides of the wall, and many walks of life. Her boots and trousers are those of a Crossing Point Scout. Made in the military style of Ancelstierre, but by hand so that they can withstand being in the Old Kingdom. She wears a button-up shirt that is faded and colorless. Over this is the bandolier of bells, signature to a Necromancer. Her belt is brown, and the seven handles that stick out of the pouches are of sandalwood, the bells themselves are brass. Her bells are typically covered by a wide triangular cloak, similar to a poncho. This she got from a band of Travelers, and it bears their clan markings and sigils embroidered in the fabric. Her head, over top the blue scarf, is adorned with a wide brimmed hat, the left side being pinned up in a cavalier fashion.

She has a sword belt on her waist as well, hanging with a plain shortsword that is Charter spelled. With the Free Magic flowing in her veins now, it hurts her to wield it and she only does so out of desperation.

Personality: "Curiosity killed the cat," one ought to say to her. When she was a child she would reply snarkily "Satisfaction brought him back." But, though still young, she's come to see her thirst for knowledge as a bit of a weak point for her. She's not a "watch and wait" kind of person, she has a need to do and experience. And so she isn't satisfied to explore the theoretical, hence her impatience with Wyverly's magical curriculum.

This is underlined by a compassion that has been born from seeing too many bad things happen(and causing some of them). Her time with her Master has left her less than willing to continue in the more traditional veins of Necromancy. Instead, she wishes to use her powers for good. She has a feeling like she needs to atone for past wrongs, and habitually sacrifices her own recovering Charter Mark to do so.

History/Background: Born Bethany Hooke in Ancelstierre, the Necromancer who would later be known as Jacel was a native of Bane. She came from a well off family that had long lived in the Northern part of the country, and grew up on stories of superstition and magic about the Wall and what was beyond. It was a subject she was immensely curious about, and so was always willing to hear scary stories of times that things had come across(though it never happened during her childhood).

She attended Wyverly College, and was all too happy to jump to the magic lessons that were taught this close to the wall. But she found it lacked something, she wasn't sure what. Some element of the stories and superstitions she had been told just seemed to be missing. She hungered for it, but couldn't place what it was. For two years at school she studied hard, but still found her magical education lacking. Over this time she fantasized about running away to the Old Kingdom, but it wasn't until she was fourteen that she finally did it.

Getting across was easier than it should have been. She put on a blue head scarf and hid in a group of refugees who were being forced across. Not only did the army not stop her, but they actually helped her!

The refugees were beset by all sorts of nefarious characters shortly after being shuffled across, but little Bethany Hooke was the only one among them with a Charter Mark, and so she attracted the worst of the attention.

Even these days, Jacel believes she was lucky with who got to her first. A Necromancer looking to recruit an apprentice. Anyone else might have killed her, she reflected later. Used her Charter Mage's blood for ritual, taken her soul and body for their own purposes. Instead, she learned those same dark arts that could easily have been used upon her. By age fifteen she had walked in the First Precinct, and eschewed her own true name.

By seventeen, her master had gone missing. She didn't know where, he often left to go about his own business, leaving her with tasks to complete. It was months before she realized he wasn't coming back this time. She set out on her own, but didn't have a clear plan at the time. Since then, it's become clear that her kind is wanted in very few places. Without the influence of her teacher, her own better nature was able to blossom, and she tried to use her powers for good. She would ring Kibeth to walk the dead back where they belonged, or Ranna to quiet a graveyard. Once she even used Belgaer to discover the identity of a man's murderer, and inform his family.

In some places she has gained a sort of respect. She is called Jacel the Impure, a semi-derogatory title. They dislike her powers, but these are places out of the way, where the Abhorsen doesn't come very often, and she is often their best defense against the dead.

Jacel wants to put Free Magic behind her, but she finds it hard not to use the Bells when she finds a village beset by the Dead.

Skills: Necromancy and Free Magic Adept. Novice swordfighter, she had classes at Wyverly, but had only taken one year before running away.
She knows a novice level of Charter Magic, but accessing the Charter is exceedingly difficult for her, nearly impossible.

[User]
Toriel stared at her father...in a puddle of crimson blood. She was standing there, holding a bushel of flowers she'd brought for him. They were Sunflowers.

He loved Sunflowers.

She dropped the flowers and walked towards him, in a daze.

"Pa...pa..." she said, like a broken doll.

She tripped on a sword, HIS sword, and fell into the puddle, her white sleeves soaking up red blood.

She whimpered and crawled closer. Trying to call for help, she sent out a flare of Charter Magic, out the broken window. Holding her fathers head in her hands, she tried to sit up and shook violently, waiting for someone to see the flare for help.

[Assistant]
Navis

The chief of the village, an elderly man, rushed to meet the paperwing that came fluttering down with the grace of a live bird, its eyes shutting as the Charter Magic that powered it was cut off and the rider climbed steadily out of the transport. He was dressed for battle with the traditional symbols of his esteemed lineage but the slowness in his movements could not be mistaken for anything except for what it was: old age. His beard was a storm grey as was his close-cut hair but there was a strength in his body and although he moved cautiously there was strength and purpose in his actions; this old Abhorsen still had plenty of life in him yet.

"Where?" He asked, shortly. The village chief nodded, not questioning his esteemed visitor's shortness. When the Abhorsen came in a Paperwing dressed for battle, looking tired from a long journey, then pleasantries were merely a waste of time. The chief guided the Abhorsen to where two horses were held by his fellow villagers, also mounted on their own animals. They were work beasts, stocky and slow as opposed to the lean gallopers messengers and warriors used but they would serve their purpose well enough.

The Charter stone being watched by two more of the villagers, a little out of the town and closer to the chief's village but due to the thick forests all around it had been easier for the Abhorsen to land at Navis and then continue on foot or horseback.

"Nothing yet." The elder of the pair greeted them, noticing their grim but determined faces. "The body looks to have been there a good few days now."

The Abhorsen went alone and on foot to examine the stone and the corpse still crucified upon it. He circled the stone before gesturing for the village chief to join him. All of the villagers looked ill from their proximity to the broke Charter stone but the chief had weathered much in his time and made no sign of his unease.

"Have you seen any of the Dead?" The Abhorsen asked and the man nodded.

"Yes, sir. Not many and out of the village proper, sir. When we go back there's nothing left, no trace. Their tracks just stop, like they disappeared. One of the young lads says he saw a lass camping around here. Says she had bells on her, sir." He spoke the last words in a whisper as if mentioning the devices might bring the Dead down upon them. The Abhorsen stared at the stone, shifting his shoulders as he prepared for the exhertion ahead of him.

"See if your young lad can find her again. I'll need to have a word with her."

[User]
The Abhorsen was here, finally. Jacel the Impure looked at them from a distance, but she knew the blue of the coat he wore over his armor. Their conversation - about her - was lost on her, she couldn't hear form this far away. She turned and started walking the other direction. Rushing would give away her position, there was no sense in it when they were distracted by the stone. The proximity to that much corrupted Charter would make her own Free Magic presence impossible to detect.

Now that the Abhorsen was here, he could do... something. Some Abhorsen trick that she, as a common Necromancer, was not savvy to. Could an Abhorsen repair the stone? Or was that the domain of the Royal Family. She didn't know. It irked her to be that ignorant, but she was.

Jacel had not gone more than twenty meters when a shape burst form the trees. It was all shadow, like a vaguely-shaped man cut out of the scene in front of her, untouched by the sun under the cover of the thick trees here. Jacel reached in instinct first for her bells, but she didn't dare ring those this close to the Abhorsen. She changed the movement to her sword, steeling herself for the burn as the Charter Magic in it fought the Free Magic that tainted her body. She thrust the sword, but the only sparks that flew were from the hilt where her own hand touched it, the shadow thing had twisted like a snake away from the blade. It brought an arm down, wrapping like a tentacle around Jacel's own, locking her sword arm away from her body. She cut her losses and dropped the sword, all it was doing now was burning her. It landed flat on the ground.

Jacel grabbed at her bells with her left hand, she took Kibeth and rang it. The Abhorsen would be here in moments, she knew. But he was better than the dead. She might walk past the Ninth Gate if he interfered, but if he didn't, she might never make it there at all.

The creature was strong, and she couldn't get a full control of it when she was off balance and unprepared, but she managed to force it to take a step back, its shadowy foot landing right on the Charter-spelled blade. Now the white sparks were form the creature, it screeched and let go of her, falling backwards. When it hit the ground it slithered away from her, even more like a snake than before. But she rang the bell a second time, and it faded away, passing back through the barrier into Death.


[System]
Gender: M

Age: 19

Primary Power: Telepathy Specialty

Personality:

Peaceful, friendly, and sensitive. Takes things at his own pace and tends to live in the moment. He's devoted to the people in his life and is not inclined to debate, disliking disagreements. He is attuned to small variations in the physical world and highly aware of balance, understanding what does and doesn't fit. He is emotionally well-rounded and empathetic toward others.

Skills:

Sneaking out of his room has given Daz some skills in being stealthy. Daz loves to paint, and greatly enjoys art in general. He is fluent in French and has some skill in other languages acquired while trekking across Europe.

Bio:

Daz was born in Bristol, in the UK, and grew up there with his eldest brother who would go on to be a YouTuber of some reknown. At age 15 he first discovered his powers when he began reading his teacher's thoughts to find the answers to her quizzes. His powers gradually began to grow from there; teleporting from his room to the bathroom in the mornings, reading the muted emotions of his parents to know when they were sleeping, and then summoning his panicked cat to him. Inevitably, he turned to the Net for answers, which was where he first found another like him. At first his searches turned up no satisfactory results, but then he was contacted by fantalazy86, a man- he assumed it was a man- who just so happened to be an internet genius keeping an eye out for people with powers like himself. He told Daz he was in contact with 12 others and gave some advice on how to use and hide his powers. He also informed Daz that every now and again one of their kind, Deviants he called them – as in deviation from normal humans – would disappear, and he advised keeping a low profile.

Before moving on with his education to go to uni, Daz went on a trip with several of his friends across Europe, starting in Portugal with plans to stop and meet fantalazy86 in person while in Germany. He never made it that far, he was suddenly being chased across the streets of a small town just outside Lyon by uniformed men with American accents. Foolishly he refused to use his powers in front of people until he had no other choice and in the process of being tackled he vanished in the middle of a large crowd. His reappearance at the edge of the town did not mean his escape, as he had transported the man with him. A sharp pain saw the world fade from view, and then he was waking up in a white room to the sound of running water.

EXTRA INFO:

Relationship Status: Single

Relationship Preferences: Pan/Open

Likes: Cats, Books, Sweets, Tea

Dislikes: Coffee, Dogs, Cold, Bullies

Health: None.

Other Important Information:

His brother, Sean Quirke, is a YouTuber of some fame, Daz's disappearance has not gone unnoticed by him, and thus not unnoticed by his viewers. Daz owns a homemade time-turner necklace with his initials carved into it, he informed his contact in Germany to look for it when they met up. It was confiscated when he was captured, but his attachment to the object means he will seek to reclaim it.

[User]
Daz led the charge for the most part, being the first one on the stairs with the others porting in just behind him. But he was quickly overtaken by several of the faster prisoners. His steps faltered unsteadily as he felt another death, a sickening feeling in his gut, but it wasn't one of the Deviants at least. With every step he cast his mind out as far as it could reach, taking in everything he could find. There! Daz snatched the stray half-thought from one of their pursuers; "Mr. Whittemore is going to be pissed-" A name! Mr. Whittemore... who the hell is that?

Yeah, keep it together. I will survive this! He mustered as much determination as he could, but he was being buffeted on all sides by quick, panicked thoughts and powerful, erratic emotions. It was hard to keep focused.

Then he noticed a really sickening thought; "Better than cutting them open at least-" Accompanying the thought was an image of a young girl who had been cut up like a frog in a school lab. They were going to do that to us...? Daz felt sick at the mere notion of being dissected, to have it thrust in his in all the detail of a memory- "Shit!" He cursed fearfully. He flinched as another wave of pain and death washed over him. Seven, he thought, his anxiety building. He'd never thought it was this bad, he'd been sitting in his cell for three days imagining he was just going to be poked and prodded for blood samples, not murdered!

One of the Deves ahead of him was a dark haired woman about his age, and judging by the sheer damage she wrought on the door her impressive telekinetic abilities far surpassed his own. At least they were out, he followed the flow of relieved Deviants out into the fresh air. It was wet, as if it had just rained, and they were in a field beside a large concrete warehouse. Not far was the treeline, tall, thin evergreens forming a ring around the empty grass. The ground sloped sharply just before the wooded area, going into a steep, rocky incline. Mountains could be seen in the distance, and Daz got the feeling they were at the base of one.

A loud, harsh rushing sound assaulted his ears, forcing him to take note of the large waterfall behind the complex. He'd been avoiding the thought, but faced with this landscape, the accents, and a name like 'Toketee', it seemed they were most definitely in America, Oregon must be a state then. He doubted he could safely teleport all the way home from here, but he was willing to give it a try. His attempt quickly failed, maybe it was too far, maybe not, but his powers wouldn't reach beyond the glade.

Steeling himself to the best of his ability, Daz kept running, moving as fast as he could towards the treeline. Porting doesn't work! He informed his fellow escapees, keep running!

[Assistant]
Bunny was at the base of the stairs when she caught the thoughts of those around echoing with fear, revulsion anger at the death of a girl she'd never met. She might have dwelt on the information a bit longer if she hadn't been so worried about the two younger girls she'd taken charge of and now felt responsible for their safety an survival.

Still needing to recharge her teleportation ability she grabbed her two wards hands to pull them up the stairs an was surprised by the surge of energy she felt flow from them and into her.

"That explains why they kept us separated because we can combine our energy reserves" thought Bunny as she pulled the girls higher up the stairs
And as the trio ascended towards the light Marjorie began to know things about both girls that would have taken days to learn verbally

Their names were Tina an Brittany and were three months apart in age. Neither was skilled in the use of the powers they possessed or even aware that they had any until a few weeks before they were snatched. Both girls were only children raised in loving families like her own; and both were terrified and now leaning one her will for support. This only reinforced a maternal older sister feeling in Bunny making her stronger than she normally could be.

They broke out into the open and Marjorie paused to get her bearings. She saw the falling water which explained the sensation she'd been receiving for a long time now, it was water an lots of it.
 Toketee Falls; now it all makes sense" she thought

Run" Was what she understood when Daz sent his warning

Bunny didn't hesitate and began running for the tree line hoping that distance from the facility would remove the restraint she felt on her power. If that did happen she could teleport herself and her two companions to the mountains on the horizon.

[User]
Lucas flung himself back down the hallway as a hail of bullets crashed into the wall next to him. It was time to get out, they were sufficiently distracted. That was when he started listening to the telepathic shouts. Yup, it's time to get the hell out of here he thought. Hurtling at top speed down the corridors, he picked the minds of the people around him until he found which way was out. He rounded a corner and crashed into a tall woman and a child.
 "Watch where you're going," shouted the lady
 "Really? That's what you're worried about?" Lucas retorted. He dashed up the stair and burst out into the light. Blinded momentarily, he stumbled and crashed into the ground. A running boy grabbed his arm and pulled him up. "Name's ja..." the bullet found his throat and he went down in a spurt of blood. Lucas took that as his que and started sprinting into the woods.

[Assistant]
Running for the tree line was easy enough, dodging the bullets that followed her not so much. Alisha was an adequate runner, and adept at parkor, but this situation with the wet grass, death and gore was making it hard to concentrate on not tripping, falling over, or getting shot. The adrenaline rush was helping, and it gave her the boost of energy needed to telekineticly toss a big log at the group of shooters behind them all. Effectively smashing two of them under the log and distracting the five others for a very short moment. Running she jumped down the incline into the woods. The jump down resulted in a sprained ankle but she ignored the stabbing pain, and kept going, where to she had no idea.

The only information about their whereabouts was that they were in Toketee Oregon. Getting away from the waterfall and bad guys was the number one priority at the moment. She wanted to teleport as far as she could. The fact that she only had those grippy hospital socks on was not helping, as they were soaked through and flopping as she ran. Darting behind the thickest tree she saw, Alisha quickly tugged the socks off and left them. Sure running through a forest barefoot was going to suck, she would probably end up with cuts, but she would be just a tad faster.

Alisha had been to Oregon one time with Mandy over three years ago. It was where they met up in Portland with a man named Dexter who had been a friend of Mandy's and was also a deviant. Hopefully if she could get away from the rushing water, and have a safe hour or two to sore up some energy she could just teleport to Portland for help... Some food and water wouldn't be to bad ether. She tried to teleport but only managed to go about half a yard deeper into the forest. She was low on energy and could still hear the waterfall behind her. She also noticed a rushing creek to the left, which didn't help anything.

She needed to catch her breath so she looked behind her for the pursuers. They weren't visible from where she was running and though she could hear the gunshots off in the distant, there seemed to be less of them shooting off. Alisha leaned against a tree and breathed heavily, sweat dripping down her face, and her feet and legs were covered in mud and pine needles. Her throat was bone dry, and her heart was beating mile a minute. Pushing off from the tree she ran.

[User]
Daz stumbled, his foot catching a loose stone, and toppled to the ground. His teeth clapped together painfully and a large stone bruised his shoulder. He scrambled to his feet, not even waiting to catch his breath, and spun back to face his pursuers. Running would be foolish now that he had lagged behind, best to use this chance while he had it. His mind tore into one of the snatcher's, the attack noticeable even to the man's mundane brain. He pulled information like a vampire pulled blood, delving deep and taking lots.

The reason their powers were dampened were due to interference by running water, a weakness Daz hadn't even known he had. This building was owned by The Geonova Corp, a name that meant nothing to him, and the leader of the corporation was a man surnamed Whittemore who was very much aware of the Deviants. The Deves' chasers were on the verge of giving up because the escapees were almost far enough away to teleport unhindered. Accompanying that last tidbit of information was a memory of a map of Toketee Falls, a red line of sharpie marking the range of the dampening effect, the fastest of Daz's comrades were almost past that line. He also became aware of where their possessions were being kept, or rather, not kept as the case was; they were piled into a van in transit to be disposed of discretely. Wallets, odd trinkets, clothes, everything.

But for now he just needed was a place to go, these people knew his name after all, he was most certainly not going home and leading them to his friends and family. Daz dived back into the man's mind, locating a place even the weakest, most exhausted of them could reach. A city large enough to hide in and preferably hard to reach, but as it turns out Toketee Falls was quite remote, in the middle of a National Forest in fact. Their best hope was the city of Roseburg to the west, but there was a road nearby that led straight there, the city of Eugene to the north west would have been better, but it was far enough away that Daz doubted the most worn of them would reach it. Roseburg it was then. He ripped an image of an alley behind a hotel from the man's mind, along with images of nearby locations in all directions just in case. He then projected the image to the other Deves in the area and took of at a sprint, mustering enough energy for a small port closer to the edge of the Falls' effect zone.

Daz had only stood still for a few seconds, but that was enough for the chasers to have noticed and then shot him. That hadn't happened though, his mental attack had distracted them, and then another had intervened as well, a log had bowled over a few of them, giving Daz just enough time to raid a mind and run for it.

Unfortunately his small port was blind and he reappeared over a creek, landing in it with a splash. The chilly water was like daggers in his skin. He climbed from the creak soaking wet, breathing hard, and bleeding slightly from a scrape on his knees. Daz's back had been splattered with blood earlier, during those first rounds of gunfire, but by now his front was splattered as well, and the stiff white pants they'd given him did nothing to hide the stain leaking from his leg now. Huffing and puffing, Daz at last scrambled over the invisible line and disappeared with an odd rumbling sound not unlike thunder. He landed on his back in the alley, taking a moment just to lay there and catch his breath.

Daz's steady influx of information would reach Bunny and her two charges easily, he was not so far away from them that his telepathic ability was becoming at all distorted. Occasionally emotions would slip through the connection as well; fear, anger, frustration, and brief bouts of triumph followed promptly by a new piece of intel. Normally emotions didn't transfer along with thoughts, but Daz was a better telepath than most and his range extended to emotions as well.

Lucas was a bit further from Daz, a bit behind him, so the telepath's words were a bit muffled and faint due to the nearby Falls. The image of a dark alley in a place called Roseburg, as well as a map of the Falls' dampening range, were readily available though.

Alisha was a bit further from Daz, ahead instead of behind him, she would experience similar telepathic communication problems as Lucas, but again the two most important parts of information made it through. She might even already be safely across the line and able to teleport by then.


[System]
Age: Ancient

Appearance:

(His angelic form. He has a Demon form and a True form, the only differences are that he has evil-ish looking wings, angelic wings, or one of each)

Nature: Independant

Personality: Neveras is a quirky kind of Angel, or Demon. Yes, he believes he is both, but he calls himself Neveras the Angelic Demon. He can be a smartass, a jokester, he is very unpredictable... and even when faced with the impossible, he still thinks he can do the impossible. He can be silly, perverted, macho, and even greedy, but Neveras is only expressing the many traits of the Mortals. For he was created in their realm, on Ceyr, and believes that he is the one to take the Mortals side in discussions, out casting the Creator, even though the Creator created him. Neveras seeks to save the Mortals and bring them back to a flourishing time. However, with the obtaining of all the Mortals feelings, emotions, and personalities, it may have become a backfire, as when he escaped the forbidden sanctuary (Which he calls the Pit), he may have either came out enraged... or uncaring. He may have became greedy with the want for power, or came out just to be out, and no longer cares for his purpose.

Skills and Abilities: Neveras can not be killed by any Upstart, and can only be killed by Mortals. By Ancients (Who remember the cursed seal enchantment), he can only be sealed back inside of his banished realm, which is just a spiritual sanctuary where he is bound eternally until released.

-Neveras has an ancient weapon, which is only a spiritual weapon that he can form into any style he wishes (May it be a sword, a knife, a spear, etc) which he chooses to be a sword. This sword can kill any Angel or Demon, but not those of pure heart. It is also the weapon that Mortals can wield and kill Neveras with it, but in a Mortals hands it can do nothing else. If Neveras dies, the sword dissipates.

-Without Neveras' sacred weapon, he can create a spiritual weapon that has only the power to resist an Angel or Demons attacks, but the spiritual weapon does not give him strength or invincibility or anything, as it only acts as a shield or another sword to clash with another sword. With both weapons, Neveras can take on multiple opponents. However, he is still not all powerful, both weapons only give him the ability to fight multiple Spirits, as with just one or the other weapon, Neveras is weak against multiple opponents.

-Neveras has the ability to heal Mortals from grievous or light wounds, but can not bring them back from the dead.

-Neveras has a created inability, where if he escapes from his Forbidden Sanctuary, without being released, he is still bound in his chains. From this, he is slower, weaker, and does not have his outward abilities such as he is able to pull his Sacred Sword to his hand, locate his sword wherever it may be, and heal Mortals. When he is still bound in spiritual chains, an Upstart can banish him back to his Forbidden Sanctuary, if they know the enchantment.

-His ability to kill other Spirits is defined by how much power he has, which is from how many followers he has. With little to no followers, he can strike any Upstart as long as he has his weapon. The more power he gains, the more likely he can take on even the most powerful Ancients/Gods.

Backstory: The reason for his creation was because Neveras was supposed to create balance between the other Spirits, making sure neither became more powerful than another. Neveras was supposed to be powerful enough to take out those who seek to be One God, or be the complete powerful rulers on Ceyr, this made sure any Mortal and any Spirit may choose the way the life they wish without forcing all Mortals or Spirits to live One Life. If Neveras ever turned towards his darker side, becoming too greedy and wanting to be the very thing he was created to take down, then it was for the Mortals, the Mediums to be granted the ability to outright strike Neveras, for he has no power against them. However, during the battle of Heaven, it was made as the decision to banish Neveras for all eternity. Long before the decision was made, there was always an argument over Neveras' true purpose, for he was unlike the others. Many thought of him as a bad batch, maybe a Spirit who would find a way to kill them all, gain more power. Maybe it was their greed, or their fright, but along with the creation of Neveras... all of the Ancient Spirits were given the knowledge of the seal enchantment, and the enchantment to release him... which Mortals can use, but that meant Neveras also had that knowledge. Unfortunately, any Mortal he gave that knowledge to is surely gone due to the events that occurred while he was sealed away, which is why he never escaped, until now.

The only reason, in fact, that Neveras escaped his eternal containment was because an Ancient (Ancient Angels Neveras sees as ArchAngels) Spirit must be made to stand guard over the spiritual realm of his banishment, giving it power to hold him and keep him weak. But who ever was made to keep the seal strong, was lost, went away, or died. Neveras never got the name of his guard, but over the time he gained more power, and the seal became weaker. Until he escaped, but because of his escape, the seal had burst, which alerted all the Spirits. Telling them Neveras has escaped, and he could gain the power to kill them. Especially in a time like this, where the Spirits are divided, Neveras sees he has been gone for far too long, and everything is unbalanced by a severe degree. However, even aside from the chains, Neveras has not regained his full power. And he won't. Because Neveras was made for the Mortals, he must have followers to regain his true power. He must have many Mortals to use the enchantment to break his chains, and only then, can he find his sacred sword. The sacred spiritual weapon that was also locked away, like him, but no Ancient is left that even knows where it is.

Connections: Hiraga - They have somewhat similar beliefs, where as even if related... if other spirits desecrate something they call sacred, they will fight back. But, not exactly. Neveras still had the views that Mortals can do as they wish as long as they don't hurt each other. While not an enemy, he still acts friendly. (Knows the Seal)

Danives - Neveras and Danives seemed never really seemed to be at each others throats. Even though Neveras fought in the war and Danives tried avoiding it, they never seemed to cross each others paths as enemies in any way shape or form. They considered each other Friends in the past. (Knows the Seal)

Voana - Sees her as a rival and fears there will always be a battle when their eyes meet. Always thought that Voana thought like the others that banished him, one that will become greedy and try to kill all the others. (Does not know Seal)

Sohena - Neveras always had a bit of a crush on her. Before the banishment and War of Heaven, he'd often visit her and bug her; not in a heartless way. She, out of everyone else, knew Neveras wasn't evil or able to become greedy. He was just a smart dumbass looking for fun. ...While he had a crush, she knew, but he never pushed too far. Neveras still has a gentlemanly side to him. (Knows the Seal)

Agimar - Neveras doesn't like him. He doesn't hate him, and he's not first on the list to die, per se... but Neveras just saw him as the asshole that thought with "It's just business." (Knows the Seal)

Yakushi - One of the girls Neveras liked to poke and prod, and by poke and prod, he would always pop in to be silly and make games out of who knows more. Neveras doesn't see her as an enemy, and hopes that they can become friends in this new time. (Does not know Seal)

(Upstarts not listed due to not knowing of each others existences, but Upstarts still get an overwhelming feeling of Neveras escaping his Pit, and are given the knowledge of him and what he can do)

Religion: Neveras once had a scripture on his religion, but if it still exists... it would be a miracle through all of the death and chaos. It told the Mortals of Neveras, that he was a great Warrior who fought for the sanctity and life of all mortal men, who would not allow Fate to determine their lives, but that they would live the way they wished, but they could not harm one another or create any force against another. The scripture still remains, and few Mortals know of it, but they don't know what they should believe.

[User]
Being not much older than forty years of age, Varavana had never experienced Aett or its hellish counterpart. The sudden rush of unique sensation came as a surprise to him, feeling as if his body was beginning to rip its self apart at the metaphorical seams. In almost the same moment he came out from the other side of the ripple, his body morphed and compacted into the much smaller form of a green-feathered owl. Only after the rather sudden transformation did the pain subside. Flight came naturally to Varavana, taking briefly to the air to find an appropriate spot to land.

'What on Ceyr was that...?' The Upstart thought to himself, finding even his vocal capacities reduced, 'It felt like -' he paused in his thought, thinking of a way to describe the ungodly pain to even himself, 'I was being picked apart.' He finished, large yellow eyes squinting in the air. He descended, landing upon the shoulder of Hiraga softly. Of all those present, she was the least likely to swat him after all.

The reflective feathers glinted as Varavana turned his head at an almost 180 degree angle to stares back at where they had come from, large eyes blinking.

'...This is a different world. I cannot connect with the creatures here.' He concluded upon looking around at the vast forest surrounding them and the creatures just out sight. 'It is a wonder I did not revert into whatever state I was in upon my creation.' An idea that was not completely unappealing to the Upstart, but not something he wanted to discover when surrounded by the others.

Varavana looked at the eyes of Hiraga's humanoid form, giving an apologetic tilt of the head. For one such as herself, the simple message of 'sorry' would be easily carried through such a gesture.

[Assistant]
After Gaon Latze's answer, Shoshar looked forward and meandered ahead of him, inhaling the golden air of Aett to taste the abundance of power. He had intended to ignore the upstarts from then on, but his breath caught in his throat upon hearing that Gaon Latze didn't even know his name. He halted in place and slowly turned around to leer at him with wide, disbelieving eyes. Whether it was the look he was given or the realisation of Shoshar's advice, he seemed to partially back off, but Shoshar was not letting him get away with it.

"My...name?" Shoshar started in a low rumble. Shoshar's head emerged from the front of his water bubble. For effect, he spread a layer of sparkling frost over his face in a regal pattern. "Have the mortals in your home lost their respect enough to forget my name!?" Shoshar coiled upwards in front of Gaon to look as big and imposing as possible and fashioned a pair of wings wrought from ice either side of the middle of his body. Looking down at Gaon, he bellowed such that his voice echoed. "I am Shoshar! The Water Dragon! Liege of Storms and Sire of the Seas!" Shoshar showed his teeth and lowered his voice, the impact made clear, "I hold many secrets, but my name is not one. Mortals who dishonour me by forgetting it hold no welcome on the water. See that you do not forget, little fisherboy." Shoshar slithered downwards until he was at eye level with Gaon, melting his crystalline wings back into his water bubble. In this position Shoshar's head was over half Gaon's entire size. Shoshar's breath was much colder on the fisherman's front than the odd climate of Aett. "I made you what you are. I can just as easily revert you to a drowning whelp."

Shoshar tossed his head to one side with a "hmph!" and swam away side to side. Though he hardly perceived it, Shoshar found that he had to put forth more effort than usual to stay angry with Gaon Latze. He had some atmosphere about him that seemed to affect Shoshar's temper.

Up ahead was a sight that even brought Shoshar to quieten. Never had there been such a magnificent and at the same time haunting sarcophagus as the the Fortress of Redemption. Paying respect didn't seem appropriate. This structure demanded respect by its nature. Shoshar didn't know whether he wanted to go further to see the Golden One's corpse. Even if the creator was dead, the aura was uneasy.

[User]
Neveras slowly sifted through the portal, still in his cold demeanor as he over heard the yelling from the beast near him. "You are in the presence of the very thing that created you, and you dare bring hostility before him? You would be wise to keep your tongue, lizard." He spoke at Shoshar, "Lest I, myself, remove it." Neveras already planned for Vaul to be one of the very first, so he didn't care how he felt about himself. But if Shoshar wants to be disrespectful to family then he can be on the list as well.

As Neveras was in his thoughts, he continued on the path presented to him from the portal. "I don't have all day, I have things to do, so let's hurry this up, Great Angel Thirianna" He spoke out loud, as if a prayer, knowing she would hear him. The portal nor the body of the creator affected him as much as it did the others. The portal was a theatric, just a simple door, that any angel could make... if they had the power. The body... he felt its' presence before the great war, so in its' death, it was still as overwhelming as ever.

But none of this mattered to him. He was giving his last respects to everyone until he decided to give everyone one chance, and leave. Neveras was done with the squabbling, disrespect, and forced way of life the spirits had created. He was going to change it.


[System]
Character Summary
Age: 4

Birthday: April 9

Race/Species:
Siberian Tiger

Gender:
Male

Birthplace:
Arceria, Kaeler

Jewel color:
Birthright: Purple Dusk
Offering: Blood Opal

Class/Caste:
Warlord

Languages:
Kindred

Occupation:
Kindred

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Appearance

Height:

Weight: 294kg (around 648lbs)

Eye Color: Yellow

Fur Color: Orange with black stripes (Duh... it's a tiger )

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Character Psychology

Sexuality:
Heterosexual
Relationship Status:
Single
Personality:
Largely protective around his own kin and particularly those he consider friends and allies. Naaji is not afraid of showing his fangs to defend himself, his food or his allies.

Habits:
* Marking the trees nearby with claw marks to keep intruders away.
* Hide any leftovers on trees, carrying the carcass up to one of its branches.

Hobbies:
* Stalking "humans" out of curiosity.
* Climbing on trees, and sleeping on it's branches.

Fears:
* Being caged
* Hayllians (Not only fear, but he came to really hate them as well)

Likes:
* Meat
* "Humans" (the ones who don't attack him)

Dislikes:
* Hayllians
* Eels. They taste terrible...

Skills

General Skills
* Tracking
* Climbing trees and even some rocks, depending on their size.

Combat skills
* Agility and flexibility: Once he is after his prey, running away from him is very difficult.
* Precise bites: Always aiming for the neck, the back of the head or other weak spots, every bite he gives is very dangerous.
* Hunter's patience: If his prey is too strong for Naaji to take down, he will give it a few bites to cripple it, and let it bleed away, or wait until its weak enough for him to go in for the kill.

Magic skills
* Wrath of the Wild: Temporarily heightens his physical capabilities. It is a very tiring skill, and the longer he keeps it active, the more hungry and tired he gets when it ends.
* Meld: Mild camouflage. Although it doesn't make him completely invisible, instead making him somewhat 'transparent'. As long as he moves very slowly, he is very difficult to see. If he stands still, its impossible to see him.

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History

Background

Naaji was born on Arceria, Kaeler. Differently from some other tigers, it was raised relatively close to a blood village, so sometimes, a few "humans" went near his territory to hunt, gather herbs, or cutting down trees. Naaji always knew that if he attacked them, they would only come back hunting for him, otherwise, they rarely even tried to hunt him. After all, it would be much easier to simply hunt less dangerous animals. Due to that, Naaji grew curious about the weird humans. They sometimes came to the forest just to cut down trees and carrying them back... Such weird actions caught his interest, and so he started stalking them, out of pure curiosity, simply to watch them. Unfortunately, he didn't knew that some humans weren't that comfortable in being stalked... Even if he was simply following them, now growling nor attacking them... He would soon find out that humans were not to be trusted...

One day, a few strange humans, with a strange colored skin came to the forest. They weren't the ones that Naaji used to watch. They were carrying weird half circles that they used together with sharp sticks to hunt. This time though, they weren't trying to hunt the animals they always used to. Instead, they were seemingly searching for something else... A loud, angry and very familiar growl echoed through the forest... It was his mother's. Running as fast as he could, the young Naaji got there just in time to see an arrow hitting his mother right in the neck. With her last breath, he could only hear her faint growl, telling him to run away. The last thing he saw before running was the weird humans using their knives to rip his mother to shreds, taking her fur away.

As the time passed, and Naaji grew older, he soon learned to differentiate the normal humans from the so called 'poachers' with dark golden skin. He knew that those meant trouble. His fear soon transformed itself in hate for those humans.
He would never let that happen again. He wasn't a cub anymore, he was now an adult, and quite a fearsome one at that.

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Additional Information

Other:

Theme Song:

[User]
Arsenio slowed his run to a walk as the girl tripped, stopping several feet away as she started to get up. He took a moment to examine her, left hand coming to rest on his sword's crossguard and his right hanging loose. While the relative lack of light in the alley concealed much of her features, he could tell the girl was small and dexterous. He was still trying to discern more about her when she croaked out an excuse about someone having stuck their nose where it hadn't belonged and made to leave. He was going to let her before he felt a shoulder crash into his side and a few fingers brush over his hip. Ever alert, Arsenio's right hand shot out and gripped the girl's upper arm. While there was malice to the grab, it swiftly faded and the monotone voice of the sociopath came forward. "You're not about to run off with my coin."

He took a long moment to look the would-be thief over, taking in every detail from her hat to her boots. She was dirty on a bad day, dusty on a good one, and keen. In here eyes he saw an opportunist, a girl that couldn't resist a loose pocket or heavy purse. From the state of her dress, he could tell she had been less than fortunate lately, and she was desperate. The look in Arsenio's eyes turned from a cold hardness to somewhat warmer stare. His grip loosened slightly as he plucked the back of gold back, affixing it to his belt again. "Though, you do need it more than I do. How does lunch sound about now?" Without waiting for a proper answer, Arsenio began to pull the girl by her wrist towards the inn. While he wasn't applying much force, he wasn't about to let go of her with the intention to give her some food in mind. "So, what's your name? I never caught it."

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Isadora passed Faeril on her way back down to the inn's main room, giving her a slight smile as she passed. Once in the room proper, she returned to the table at which she had sat earlier with that group, now waiting for Fae to finish what she had planned. While waiting, she made a trip up to the bar to order herself a drink and some food, a simple mug of ale and a plate of some kind of meat. It took a fair bit of time to prepare, but she received her meal and sat back down just as Fae returned from whatever it was that she had been doing.

"There wasn't much of interest, really. Not that I was looking for anything," she said between mouthfuls. She looked up from her food just in time to see a mountain of a man come through the door, and she pegged him as a warrior of sorts immediately. He went to the bar and exchanged words with the tavernkeep, resulting in him getting a number of keys, which his company took. Not a female in them, Isadora noted. He would definitely be a score if one existed. "Fae, you'll forgive me if I don't head home yet. I have some... additional business, to conduct," she added, not acknowledging the fact that her covenmate was already gone.

Isa then noticed the wolf pup that had jumped from the man's shoulder, and made a conscious decision to get his attention. With a light snap of her fingers, she leaned down from the table with some of her meal in hand in an attempt to get the small dog's attention. And hopefully his favor as well.

[Assistant]
Tempest S. Velorios
Location: Hyall -- Terreille

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Tempest noticed a Scelt growling at her and was slightly confused why. She smiled when she heard what the woman said. She noticed her pick up the scelt in question who was growling at her. "What is his name, lady?" Tempest asked politely. She blinked in confusion at what the woman said towards the Scelt. "That's strange… but the Scelt is a cutie," Tempest thought to herself with a smile on her face.

She looked directly at the woman and smiled. "That's okay, I haven't really made a good first impression. What's your name, lady?" Tempest asked politely and somewhat curious. She moved her hand to her golden necklace than up to her chin. "Ohh sorry, my name is Tempest. I kinda forgot to introduce myself…," Tempest said, embarrassed.

[User]
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Rathe Grey & Chiya!
Location: Hyall, Drunken Unicorn Inn, Realm of Terreille

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Interacting With: @Mega Birb

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Rathe was contented with his observations of the new city that he found himself within. The people who crossed were not of his kin and several gave him odd glances, some even bordering on curious and filled with desire. Yet through it all he remained on his vigil as he always has. True he was no longer at the walls of Helios, but now his vigil was for both himself and for his compatriots. That is why he only purchase three rooms, so his companion would double up and be able to watch one another's backs. Just as he and Chiya would in the third room. Yet just because they were in a foreign place, did not mean one could not enjoy it. Chiya making a prime example of this by running all about in the inn, like a kid in a candy shop. Wide-eyed and happy to make such new discoveries like currency, perfume, and silk. All while under the watchful gaze of the biggest Eryian in the place.

For Chiya he was amazing by everything. Scampering around with his small size to weave a path in between legs of both people and chair as he ran up to many strangers who took on a different appearance from the Eryians he was used to seeing. Taking his chance to run up to a table of Hayllians and chipperly chiming up with his tail wagging so fierce his entire hind end was sway side to side, "Hello! I'm Chiya! I don't know who you are, but now you know me! And I haven't seen people like you before! What are you and I like your eyes!" He blurted out, though to a mixed take and it appeared that they didn't understand him. Though one did speak up to hi and that he is called Jared. So the race must be called Jaredians! What a strange name for a race... Chiya thought to himself before scampering off to his next big find.

Though before he could go and make a new discovery, it appeared as if somebody made a discovery of him! Some lady with black silks and she wasn't like others he has met. She looked kinda different, but she offered something in her hand at his height! Looking over to her he sniffed the air and raised his head, directing his attention to her before lowering his head and sniffing his way closer. Though before he reached her his nose was raised, his tail began to wag ferociously and he ran at her. Just barely skidding to a stop before he started speaking out to her, "HI! My name is Chiya! I don't know who you are, but now you know me! What do you have?" He looked away from the lady's face and down towards her hand, sniffing at the morsel in her mits before giving it a second look and taking a snap. Yoinking the bit from her grip and chomping it into his maw. A quick taste and a snarf later and he had consumed the snack, looking back to the treat giver and speaking up cheerily once again, wagging his tail even more feircely as he did, "That was good! And tasty! THank you for it, but who are you? And why did you give me that? Is that how your people say hello? WIth offerings of food? If so then I'm sorry, but I don't have something for you but I can get something! But first! Um... what is your name! My name is Chiya! Like I said before, but now you know it again! You know, in case you forgot! Not that I thought you did! But better be safe than sorry! That's what my big brother always says!"

[Assistant]
Location: Forest, Kindred territory.

It didn't matter how much Naaji tried to say that, he knew that things would never be like that. He knew better than anyone how it was to loose someone... He saw with his own eyes her mother being slaughtered by those hunters... Her blood, her flesh, her fur, her life... Everything was taken away from her. Taiah's words made him see himself on her. She knew how cruel the humans could be. He experienced that himself.

Taiah's words were unfortunately, true. Most of the kindred had lost someone to hunters... It wasn't only him and Taiah... Just like Taiah said, they took whatever they wanted from them. They respected nothing, they loved nothing. They only came to destroy and kill...

"You are not the only one, Taiah... Maybe it is foolish of my part, but I was always curious about the humans... I believed that there are two type of humans. The normal humans, who come to the forest to do their strange things such as cut trees, hunt a few small animals... and then there are the hunters... Those who come only to kill, destroy and take everything away from us..." Naaji said, gently resting his head on her paws.

"Maybe I'm just foolish... It seems that every time we interact with them, someone close to us pays with blood... My mother was killed, butchered right in front of me for her fur... Maybe that is right... Maybe I'm just being too naïve and thinking that there are good humans around... Even if I only saw humans that weren't hunting me a few times." Naaji said, in a saddened tone.

Naaji was so distracted talking with Taiah that he didn't perceive that before, but there was something very, very wrong in the air... Hunters... They were surrounded by them. Immediately, Naaji stood up in front of Taiah protectively, showing his fangs towards the man that just appeared in front of them.

"Hunters..." Naaji said, looking at the man with an aggressive posture.

"Taiah... He is a hunter... And he is not alone." He said, roaring towards the man, giving a step forward.

"Go away, and take your friends with you. Last warning, otherwise I wont hesitate to kill you." Naaji said, ready to pounce on the man.

"Run Taiah... I wont let someone die in front of me again. Please run, I will try to hold them back." He whispered to her.

Angel


[System]
Age: 19

Race: Lizardman

Gender: Male

Appearance:

Lizard Fighter seems like your typical lizardfolk, huge, muscular, and intimidating. Except instead of browns and greens he's ruby red with a cream colored 'underbelly'. He stands at seven feet tall and has the build of a long time laborer, muscles rippling under that naturally tough hide. Some scars do litter his body, focused mostly in the arms and shins, except an obvious quadruple line running diagonally across his face. Barely missing his eyes.

His garb is strange for a lizard man of the deep swamps. Fingerless gauntlets that retained the fur underneath and floofed out at the elbows. A thick hide vest with a fishnet shirt underneath with the same fluffy visibles like his hand protection. Strangely made pants of leather and canvas that left open pockets at his upper thighs, probably due to his tail. Digigrade leather wrappings that had connecting iron kneepads. To hold his ensemble up is a coarse leather belt with a pair of leather bags, one at the hip the other at the small of his back for his stuff.

Height: 7'7"
Eye Color: Emerald Green
Hair Color: None

Personality:
Unlike what Lizard Fighter's gung-ho body looks like, his personality is very laid back. Preferring to lounge and watch others instead of actually doing extra activities with others. Maybe it was because of his reptilian nature, watching and being a lethargic behemoth. Although when he does interact, it's in almost a deadpan manner and incredibly blunt. The reptilian man never sugar-coated what he was saying or thinking. This lack of tact didn't earn him many friends back home.

Despite his supposed laziness, he does get riled up. It's also very easy to do so, a lazy giant with a short fuse isn't very good. This probably ties into his animalistic tendencies, at the hint of aggression or provocation he returns it in force and forcing others to restrain him from going ballistic.

Likes: Warm and Humid Climates, Exotic Foods, Wrestling and Tests of Strength.
Dislikes: Cold Climates, Physical Weakness, Being Provoked.
Hobbies: Trying New Foods, Basking in the Sun, Making Atlas Stones.

History:
Lizard Fighter had the typical upbringing of a lizardman. He was raised in the swamps to the South, learning to care for what the village had as soon as he could walk and speak. He quickly developed a deep seated need to take care of everything he earned considering certain things were harder to come by in a swamp than on dry land. Like quality metal, iron bacteria was plentiful but produced little of that hard metal. Although his people never wanted for food since they knew what to look for.

Unfortunately Lizard Fighter wasn't adept at tracking, or hunting, or gathering non-poisonous substances for the younger tribe members. Eating so much poison gave him a big boost in his resistance to it, it tended to taste good dammit...

He did excel at combat though, each member of the tribe when they reached eight started to learn basic weapon usage. It was here that he took up the lead, wrestling other youths into submission or disarming and knocking them to the ground. His people practiced with clubs, wooden spears, and claws. No metal until they were older so they didn't kill each other by accident.

Of course accidents happen. L.F's rival raked his claws across his twelve year old face, leaving deep cuts that developed into the scars he adorned today. Training and real combat were different however, so he had been sent out years later to experience the world gain the experience needed.

It was at this point L.F received an old knife and a buckler from his chief before being sent on his way. His people weren't blind to the world though and he had heard about Adventurer's. How often they fought and how far they explored. What better profession could there be for the 'savage of the swamp'. He followed rumors and directions to Palisade town, a place of beginnings for Adventurers or so they said.

Adventuring Rank: Porcelain

Equipment:
* Studded Club: A hefty piece of wood with a simple leather binding at the tapered 'grip'. In the bulky head of the club are iron rivets to help concentrate the bludgeoning force into smaller areas for higher damage. Or so the shopkeeper said...
* : A surprisingly huge blade, more like a small beefy sword than a knife, that protects the knuckles of the user with a sharpened guard. It has several cracks along the blade denoting its heavy usage along with a slightly rounded tip.
* Buckler: The smallest of all of the shields, this is strapped to his forearm to leave his hands free. It's a thin piece of iron, dinged up and slightly rusted, with the typical bubble in the middle to ease impacts.
* Leather Attire: Adorning the man were basic leather clothing. Albeit thick and much more crude than what humans normally made. Essentially it was hides turned inside out so the fur was inside, except the collar and hem of the vest.
* Porcelain Adventurer's Tag

Skills:
* Athletic: Living in a swamp has its benefits. You learn how to move through tougher terrain, build strong muscles, and learn how to climb good. Lizard Fighter can perform long leaps, swim easily, climb where others can't, and traverse muddy terrain as if it were a dirt road. Of course the deeper the muck the slower he goes despite being used to it.
* Toughness: Given his reptilian nature he has a tougher physique thanks to his scaled hide. Also thanks to taking many a blow back in his home while growing up. He can shrug off minor hits and mitigates some of the damage of stronger attacks. Either by changing the angle of how they hit or flexing to lessen the impact.
* Poison Resistance: Due to living in a swamp the majority of his life he has become highly resistant to poisonous substances. Prolonged exposure will still affect him but it takes longer than the average human.

[User]
Steppe Archer's smile only brightened at the prospect of their job getting easier with the bright moons being out. It certainly made alleyways more inviting, with each hour passing only making each place a more unsafe place for darkness to dwell. She really did feel like they were doing great, even if this was just a single, well-lit night on the job. If she didn't feel like getting harassed by drunks on a bi-nightly basis was a turn-off, she might well have considered swapping careers...but adventures sounded a lot more fun than guard duty. Still, she wouldn't mind taking a job like this another time, if needed to.

As the time grew nearer for them to end their night off and head to bed, Steppe Archer would yawn and stretch, energy finally having hit its limits. "Yeah, we just...gotta get back to the garrison, get paid, and go to bed." she would say, starting to walk towards the center of town with her companions, then back north to the garrison. It was simple enough to get back, and, with the time limit having just been hit, it was a good time for the nomadic archer to finally bottom out on stamina.

Thankfully, nothing would happen as they entered, the archer stepping forward to say: "We patrolled around, and no trouble sir! We found a drunk, but...he found out that going home was a lot better than spending the night in a cell," she would say, extinguishing her torch and saluting.

[Assistant]
Lizard Fighter kept his eyes and mind on the job at hand. Those reptilian eyes twitching this way and that when something moved. Rats, cats chasing the rats, and some debris shifting in the errant breezes. The girls talked again, getting a mental sigh from the male. Oh, they were saying it was time to get back to the garrison to report. Great! He walked with them, just because the shift was over didn't mean they wouldn't be dragged into something else.

Thankfully things stayed quiet, the return trip uneventful as they made their way into the barracks. The Archer Girl was finally losing energy after her big yawn. So there was a bottom to that particular well, huh? Like the others he dropped off the torch and shield and made his way to the captains office.

Archer Girl gave a good enough synopsis about the nights events. A little vague though. "The drunk was arguing with the tavern keeper and some intimidation made him run home." He clarified as the Guard Captain nodded and handed the group the paper to give the Guild. Which was probably closed up for the night.

Lizard Fighter pocketed the parchment before leaving the building with the two girls. "Alley camping or an inn?" He asked, obviously not caring which the group did.

[User]
After having returned their equipment, and the archer and lizard gave their report to the Captain, who olny nodded in acknowledgement, Druid Girl felt no need to add anythinbg more. The details about what the drunk had been arguing about, and his lewd comments about her chest, didn't need to be mentioned. Still the Captain sighed a bit when there was mentino of intimidation.

"Well, better than having you beaten him over the head and drag his sorry ass here, I suppose." The middle-aged man muttered, standing from his seat and handing over the tiny parchment to the big red lizard. "Good work, if we ever need stand-ins again, I'll know who to ask the Guild for." He said, jokingly of course, before wishing them a good night.

Upon leaving the garrison, the moons had begun to wane a bit from their zenith, though not by much. It was thus barely past midnight, so the guild wouldn't be open at this hour, which meant they couldn't go and turn in their receipt and get paid tonight. Still, Big Red's comment about alley camping made Druid Girl shiver a bit. She was fine with camping outdoors, in the wilderness, but inside a town, in some dank, nasty alley? With flea-addled sewer rats, stray dogs, drunks and possible rapists? No thank you, there were times when human-made establishments had their charm. Plus, sleeping in a bed sure beat sleeping on cobbled stone any day of the week. Of course, the silky-haired, caramel-skinned girl already had a room booked at an inn, but it was a single bedroom...

"Well, I already have a room at the Salty Pork Inn, so I'll be staying there but..." She started, looking at the two. "It's only got one bed... So, I guess you could fit in if we squeezed together in the bed-" She said to the archer. "-but, I'm afraid you might have to sleep on the floor, if you wanna come too." She said, looking at Big Red.

"Oh, but maybe there're still some rooms available for rent there, since it wasn't fully booked when I rented my room." She added, as if a candlestick had just lit up over her head and given her an idea.

UUuuuurrrrrrrrh.....

Druid Girl's face went beat-red. The sound that had just escaped from her belly, and echoed through the empty street they were standing in now, was a clear indication that dinner was way overdo. The girl, however, looked absolutely mortified at the noise she had just involuntairly just made, seemingly wanting to sink through the solid stone street and disappear into the crust of the earth itself.

"Ah... Uh... Ahaha... So, we uh... We really haven't eaten anyhting since l-lunch, huh? Haha..." She tried to play it off nonchlantly, rubbing the back of her head and averting her gaze from her two companions.

Whether they'd join her at the inn she was staying at, or if they had their own accomodations or plans for the night, one thing was for certain. Once she got back, she was going to force the innkeep to give her something, anything to eat!

[Assistant]
Steppe Archer beamed as they walked away, a job well done under their belts, and a rumbling in their stomachs. Steppe Archer slumped a bit at hearing the druid girl's stomach, her own seemingly agreeing as it grumbled. "I uh...don't really have money for food tonight but I'd gladly share your room. Hehe...most of my money goes into stabling my horse," Steppe Archer admitted, scratching the back of her head. Looking to their Lizardman friend, Steppe Archer would say: "But I won't go sleeping in a bed if our big pal here has to sleep on the floor, feeling like it wouldn't be fair for him if Steppe Archer got better treatment for being a girl. And small.

Fishing through her backpack, Steppe Archer would offer an apple to the druid girl, smiling. "Its not much, but it might help you save a little by fighting off hunger pangs for the night," the archer would say, just as her own stomach grumbled.

[User]
Lizard Fighter raised an eyebrow at the Captain's words, and then his joke. Guards were known to intimidate people getting out of line. At least with his people in the larger enclaves. It was a promise of violence basically to keep the potential criminal from doing criminal things. Maybe humans did it differently? Preferring sugary words and false facial expressions? Either way the job was done, parchment safely tucked away, and they were outside in the cool night air.

Druid Girl clearly didn't relish the idea of camping out in the alleys, and mentioned she had a room at an inn. She offered to share it which got a blink from him. "You two can share it, I'll just pick a spot in the common room. It's a frontier town, I'm sure the proprietor won't mind if I toss some coins at them." He stated, it'd still be a floor space. But Archer Girl seemed determined to sleep on the floor as well if he had to. A single bed room at an inn was not very spacious, no need to clutter it up.

Then the very audible stomach growl from the Druid got a brief chuckle from him. Like a couple seconds worth of mirth from the normally stoic reptilian being. Archer Girl plucked an apple from her satchel and offered it to Druid Girl. "Best to eat light just before sleep. It's not the most pleasant sensation waking up after eating a full meal. Also might be best to keep some dry food on your person, never know when you'll need it." He said, having dried meat resting in his own satchel at the small of his back.

Since this was literally his first time in this human town, he gestured for the two women to lead the way. Honestly if the buildings didn't have signs he'd wonder where the hell he was supposed to go to get things done! And he'd be leading the girls around town all night hunting for the inn Druid Girl talked of.


[System]
Sol Grim
Occupation: Lawyer

Name: Kelsey Larson
Dallen's daughter. Student.

Name: Lucille "Lucy" Carlson
Dallen's girlfriend. Lawyer.

Name: Riley Nelson
Dallen's partner and friend. Lawyer.

Court house lead security officer.

Court house security guard.

One of the cafeteria room survivors. There on misdemeanor charges. Steel worker.

The little girl that that was stuck in the cabinet.

Student at Romero high school.

Football quarterback at Romero High

Pastor of the church

Leader of the Ranger Station group

Ranger station member

Bartender. Ranger station member.

[User]
"All of the boats are already gone," Riley said, peering out the window of the beach side shop they were hiding in. He was with Lucy and Steven, and they all just stayed low and quiet as they watched the massacre outside.

Before long, the military was gone from the bridge, and everyone left behind was either dead or dying. The horde was too large to stay at the one place, and so, as the bombs dropped deeper into the city, they shuffled and spread out to the beach. From their angle, they could see the tavern that Dallen and the others were in. The trio made there way quickly and quietly to them, just before the horde surrounded the area.

Ethan let them in, and immediately Lucy saw the body on the floor covered in a sheet. It was a small body, and her and Riley knew that it was Kelsey. Before words could be said, the bombs started rumbling closer. The military had begun dropping napalm into the streets, as it quickly filled up all in its pathway, scorching everything.

"We can't stay here," Briggs said. "We make for the ocean, now!"

Dallen was unmoved, simply kneeling over his daughter's lifeless body. Lucy and Riley came to him and tried to lift him up. "Come on, Dal," Riley said. "Don't give up, not yet."

"Yo, if we don't go now, we'll be stuck here!" Ethan yelled, watching the doors as the dead pressed against them.

Dallen nodded, got up, and grabbed the fire axe that was hanging on the wall. Ethan pulled the doors open, and Briggs shot the way through. The group ran past the undead and onto the sandy beach, heading toward the water. A jet flew by overhead, the napalm dropping immediately after. All of the buildings at sea side exploded, taking up the attention of the undead as the group jumped into the ocean. There they waited, and sunk in deep enough to avoid contact with the fires. Moments later it was done, and everything was on flames.

The group stayed and stared up at the chaos, but their time was short spent as more walkers came toward them. These ones were slow, as they had trouble with the sand of the beach.

"Do we swim to the other side?" Steven asked, coughing as he swallowed in sea water. The other side was no easy task, as it was miles away and daunting to even comprehend.

"I don't know if I can make that," Riley added.

"We have no choice," Briggs told them all.

The dead were still after them, now entering the ocean with them but not being able to stay afloat. The undead would sink to the bottom, though they wouldn't stop in their pursuit. The group swam toward the other end.

[Assistant]
The sudden voice surprising them both, Erin squeaked as she ran behind Elizabeth, peering out from behind her at the man who introduced himself as Leroy Book. Becoming wary of other individuals after her run ins with others, the woman stared at the him warily at first before deciding she had no reason to distrust him yet. Giving Erin a reassuring nod, the little girl stepped out and cautiously stepped towards the pastor. "I'm Erin," she said, introducing herself. "That's Lizzy."

Picking up one of the heavy boxes, Elizabeth just grunted a hello as she adjusted it on her knee. What he said finally sinking in, she suddenly exclaimed, "Bombs? What bombs?!" This being news to her, she tried not to panic for Erin's sake, but if she were to be honest, she didn't see how she could possibly make it out of this alive. Keeping a clinched jaw to stifle any emotion from getting out, it was hard not to think of her son—where ever he and his father were. Despite their differences and the animosity between them, she hoped they were both still alive and he was keeping him safe.

Hearing a sudden voice, the three of them stopped to find another survivor seeking solace in the church. The box of canned goods heavy in her arms, she glared at the new arrival in frustration as it meant she had to stand there a little longer. Erin on the other hand was a bit nicer and stood on her tiptoes to reach into the box in Elizabeth's hands. The girl grabbed something before running towards them, offering whatever it was she grabbed in her hands. Elizabeth couldn't see what it was. "Erin," Elizabeth barked. Once she'd handed the food off she came running back to her.

Leroy welcomed the two of them in the same manner and gestured for them. "This is like something out of a movie," Elizabeth commented, looking around at their surroundings as Leroy led them deeper into the church to a staircase leading underground.

Erin hesitated at the top of the steps. "A scary movie," she whimpered before jogging to catch up to them.

When they finally reached the bottom, Elizabeth was surprised to see there were more people already in there seeking shelter. Dropping the box on the floor, she shook her arms to work them out before stretching them. Glancing over to the other new arrival, she softened when her gaze moved to the toddler in his arms. "What's your names?" she asked. Erin stood watching beside her, interested in the answer as well.

[User]
There would be plenty of food and water for Axe and his little brother, for Elizabeth and Erin, and everyone else. As introductions were being made within the church's underground, the bombs fell on Mecha city overhead. The entire area shook violently as they all had no other choice but to wait it out. When it was finally over, and the surface was completely on fire, Pastor Leroy Book moved over to the table in the room and picked up the radio.

"-Kenjen, it's Leroy, copy?-"

There was a slight pause. "-...Leroy, good to hear you're still alive...-"

"-I told you there would be others in need, we're on route to you-"

"-Copy that-"

Once the people were calmed that they were still alive, Leroy spoke to all of them. "People hear me! God has brought you to us, as he has told me to wait for you. There is still a light, and we shall find it together! There is a passageway that leads through the sewers, and outside the city. I have arranged safe passage to the mountains, where a group of good people await. They have more food, supplies, everything we shall need to get through this dark time. When you are ready and able, please follow me to the carts!"

They would go even deeper underground, to an old passage where a few golf carts awaited them. The drive through the tunnels would be a long one, long enough for them to sleep if need be, or simply rest. For the extra people, a few of the carts carried a storage crate behind it. It held a good number of them per one, though the ride would be slightly uncomfortable.

Leroy sat in the passenger cart of one, and behind him in the pull storage he turned to face the newcomers. "Forgive me if I was brief before," he said to them. "But now we are safe. There is no more to fear."

...

"Help!" Riley fell further underwater. He tried desperately to stay above it, but his sides were aching. They had been swimming for an hour now, the bright blazes from the burning city still shining over the water they swam.

Dallen and Lucy pulled him up, the three of them now back padalling together as one. Lucy tried to speak, but her exhaustion was becoming to high. Same with Dallen, however his mind was elsewhere; his daughter's death was still fresh in his mind. The constant wave and lack of oxygen kept his mind sharp enough to at least focus.

"Yo, what if the sharks are infected, too?" Ethan spat out.

He was ignored, as the rest continued to swim toward land. What they left behind was covered with the undead, and the flames from the napalm. It was either make it, or drown.

"Hey, hey something's out there!" Steven yelled.

Ethan almost freaked out, until they all noticed it was a small fishing boat. Their morale was raised slightly as the boat came up to them, a single asian man in a dark overcoat was in control.

"You all picked a bad time to go swimming," he said, then helped them in. "I'm Kenjen, how's it going?"

While the others caught their breaths, Ethan slapped a big hug on the man.

"I'm with a group at the ranger station, up there in the mountains," he told them, trying his best to point it out in the distance. "We watched the bombs fall, but luckily for you guys one of our own spotted you with thier binoculars. Don't give up hope, yet." He gave Dallen a friendly nudge, but the man gave him a cold glare that made Kenjen uncomfortable.

"He just lost his daughter," Lucy told him.

"I'm sorry," Kenjen said, and the rest of the trip was made in silence.

[Assistant]
The trek up the mountain path was made with ease, as Kenjen had a jeep parked close by the shore. The group took in one last look at the destroyed city on the other side of the bay, the flames still burning bright. The ranger station sat halfway up Mt. Charleston, it was a large log cabin with a small parking lot in the front of it. There were a few outhouses by it, as well as a larger cabin just behind it down the dirt path. The larger cabin was an old motel, three stories high, and it held the majority of the people here.

Most of the group were soaking wet and missing some clothes, so the first thing they all did was dry off. There were fresh clothes and warm towels waiting for them in the bathrooms of the station. Dallen and Briggs were the only to want to keep their clothing after they dried, as the rest happily changed into the random employee outfits of the lodge, sage green color shirts that read: Ash Tavern.

"Welcome to the ranger station," Kenjen said as they all came back out. "Let me show you around." The station itself was self explanatory, as there wasn't much inside the cabin but a bathroom, loft area, and a small arsenal that was locked behind a desk.

"We could use those guns," Briggs said upon seeing it, and after they all had lost their weapons to the sea.

"We will, but your safe for now," Kenjen replied.

He led the way back outside, down the short dirt path and through the tall trees, to the motel tavern. There were a few covered hot tubs and outside dining areas, but it was currently too cold out for their use. "There's a small town a few miles down the path," kenjen informed. "Everyone came up here, but we still have some supplies down there we need to get."

"How many people are here?" Lucy added in.

"Let me show you," Kenjen said and opened the doors to the tavern. The place was bursting with life, as people were all around on the inside doing various activities. Some drank at a bar, others ate or sat and talked in the dining area, where there were sets of large, long tables. A fireplace was going strong in a corner, where others were drinking tea. Everyone paused to notice the newcomers, but then quickly went back to their activities.

"We have enough supplies to last awhile," Kenjen said. "Give us a good head start, anyway. This mountain is full of game, too, so there's that. Plenty of space for all of you. All we ask, is that you pitch in. Give back, but we'll get more into that stuff tomorrow. Feel free to rest, take any room that doesn't have a marker on the doorknob. We have at least 30 open rooms. We can all hold out here together, until the military finds a solution to this."

"The military tried to kill us," Dallen said.

"It was chaos," Briggs added. "We were at the bridge. The infected got through, then they started shooting everybody."

"...we've been here for the past couple weeks or so, watched the whole thing from here," kenjen said. "We have guardposts, if those things get to us we have an evacuation plan. Basically, if you hear bells, it's time to go."

"You have power, so what about the news?" Lucy asked. "Anything?"

"The grid shut down yesterday," he answered. "Before it was just a lot of confusion, but this thing wasn't worldwide. It affected Mecha city and those around it, but things moved so fast. As far as we can tell, though, the disease isn't on this mountain. Please, make yourselves at home, I have word that more people need my help in getting here, so I might be out for a few days. If you need anything, talk to Gwen over there." He pointed her out through the people, then made his leave with others in his group.

Dallen went to the bar, grabbing a bottle of whiskey and a pack of smokes from the machine that was busted open. "Hell yeah, lets get wasted!" Ethan said, joining him. They all eventually joined, realizing that they all needed a drink.

"Booze won't last with us around," Steven added as they all downed a shot together.

"It's okay, we've earned it," Briggs said, smiling for the first time since leaving the court house building.

"I'll go find us a room," Lucy said to Dallen, she tried to kiss him but he wasn't in the mood. She left, asking one of the many people for directions.

"These people are lucky," Ethan said. "Very lucky."

"Yeah, I don't think they realize how bad things are," Steven said. "I mean, everyone knows what's going on...but, to actually see the dead. To actually have to run for your life...I still don't feel very safe here."

"That's because you're not," Dallen added in, pouring the guys another round. "Just be ready."

The rest of the night was peaceful. The people here were nice, feeding them and engaging in conversations. Eventually, they all grew tired and went to their rooms. Dallen was the last of his group to stay up, still drinking casually. He opened a new bottle up, not planning to stop until he passed out.