[System]
"It's a... trap?"

Sprite:
Nicknames/Title: Having never lead his own congregation, Heike has no official or unofficial titles.

Gender: Male

Marital Status: Forever Alone

Age: 18

Sexuality: Not so much Asexual as unexplored and annoyed by the idea.

Family Ties: His former Master, Werthmann

Class: Ex-Priest

Weapon Mastery(ies): Staves (Not in use), Spears

Inventory: Iron Spear
Vulnary x3 (2)

Personality: Heike is an open book when it comes to his current mood. Whether it be annoyed, excited, depressed, or angry. Despite this he isn't particularly prone to mood swings, and generally adopts a fairly neutral disposition. He is also a man of firm conviction, perhaps a little too firm. His allies will always be his allies, his enemies will always be his enemies, right will always be right and wrong will always be wrong. It takes the most extreme of circumstances to change his mind, however it's not impossible. In fact, it's happened at least once in his past.

A past he is not comfortable speaking of. Despite being an open book on his emotions, his history is a door he prefers to keep firmly shut. He will shoot down any attempts to uncover it with a smile at first, and then with escalating irritation and anger quickly afterwards. He's lost more than one traveling companion over the other being too nosy.

Aside from this, his history as a priest has instilled him with a great passion towards the sick and wounded, and he always tries to carry healing supplies with him into a fight, sticking close to his friends in case of an emergency. While he has steeled himself towards a more bloody path in life, he will stop fighting to tend to the wounded if the situation is dire, even leaving himself open in the process. It's resulted in him receiving scorn and praise in equal parts.

Biography: Heike was given to the priesthood of one of the many churches in the capital of Frosspeak at a young age. He was one too many mouthes to feed for his family, and they were compensated fairly for his future service. While many followers became monks, illuminating the darkness of the world with the scriptures and magic, Heike was taken instead to be raised in the arts of healing. A talent he excelled at from an early age. In the middle of the city, there was no shortage of illness, especially in the area his church was located. He spent years practicing with herbs, and studying the scripture, until he finally earned his right to use a staff.

At that point in his youth, not even saving a life filled him with as much pride as carrying his own staff.

It was presented to him by Master Werthmann, a figure of authority within the church, one said to even associate with His Holiness from time to time. He was a man built like a berserker and gentle as a mother. Their first meeting inspired Heike with awe, and he threw himself at the large man's knees, begging to be taught under him. All the pride he had been filled with at receiving his staff was cast away from that one chance to follow this man.

And follow him Heike did.

They left the inner city, and he found his new home in largest church in Frosspeak. It was a massive cathedral where, if the congregation was blessed, His Holiness would even preach a sermon on occasion. Here Heike found his new home, with a new teacher, and a new purpose.
Sadly, that purpose seemed to be more scripture. While the monks honed their magical abilities for the assistance of others on the road, the Cathedral was in the wealthiest part of the city. Very few sick that weren't nobility ever made their way to the building. Instead, Heike's skills rotted while he was taught to give sermons, eventually destined to lead a congregation instead of healing the sick. It was never a fate that sat well with him, but it was a fate he resigned himself to all the same.

Everything changed very quickly for him on his sixteenth birthday though. Prince Alexandro of Jotenvarr had fallen extremely ill, and Master Werthmann was dispatched as an emmisary to assist the Kingdom's priests in their efforts to cure him. More as a measure of goodwill (and Heike now suspected, a bit of espionage) than anything else. The Kingdom's priests were competent after all, and doubtless didn't want Master Werthmann directly treating the prince for security reasons. Heike accompanied his master on the journey, and stayed in Jotenvarr for the better part of a month while the prince recovered.

Meeting the man who would rule Jotenvarr changed Heike's life, and likely destiny. They didn't speak often, but there was a... magnetism to the prince that drew Heike to him. A genuine goodness, and powerful charisma. It was the same sort of awe that took hold of him the first time he met Master Werthmann. Alexandro was a person to admire, a person to follow. That, and being able to help someone sick again had helped remind Heike why he had fallen in love with the church in the first place.

It was what he considered the best month of his life, and upon leaving Jotenvarr he felt... empty.

Almost to the day, one year later Heike left the priesthood, in such a violent temperament it was muttered about for weeks afterwards. He managed to make his way out of Frosspeak unaccosted, despite expecting to be killed before he even left the Cathedral. Once his homeland was behind him, he snapped the head of his staff off, as a final breaking away from his old life. He did work in a border town for a time, trying to find a purpose for his life. When the calling came from the palace to find guards for the king, Heike didn't hesitate to set on the road towards the capital. He had a blacksmith fit his former staff, now a walking stick, with an iron spearhead, and he practiced fighting with anyone that would travel with him on the road.

By the time he reached the capital, he was far from a seasoned warrior, but his burning determination would hopefully make up the difference.

[User]
Hiro Anu

---

Hiro looked around as the bandits had come out of no where, it had been a well placed ambush this entire time and he had to applaud them for managing to accomplish that. However, this as squad Quinque, they had some of the best teamwork that he had ever seen and this certainly would do nothing to dissuade that. The sniper then watched as their leader showed himself, then hearing Tybalt's orders being given out before he had gotten injured. Hiro did notice, however, that Tybalt was in no true danger after that scream of pain. He then proceeded to take a pot shot at a charging raider, landing an arrow straight into the knee of the man. That would hopefully incapacitate the raider before he could truly do anything to harm the squad. Hiro ran back to Tybalt and asked [/b]"Is everything under control over here?"[/b]

[Assistant]
Chunks of dirt and grass shot into the air as the axe blade buried itself into the earth, luckily without Mikhail in the way as he rolled to the side towards his lance. Not so much struggling as taking his sweet time, the warrior delayed on removing his weapon from the ground to instead observe his foe's next action. Unfortunately for him, his choice to wait was the wrong choice, as the tip of Mikhail's lance punctured the side of his throat. An attempt at a cry of war and pain came out silent.

What!? An attack from such a vulnerable position!? How could he have thought that would work!?

No matter the likelihood, it was undeniable that the warrior had in fact been struck. He clasped his right hand over the wound and doubled back. However, instead of calling the fight, he reached down and picked up the massive axe with his left hand and lifted it onto his shoulder, ready to retaliate against Mikhail's next move.

[User]
Mikhail Fuast

Mikhail knew full well that there had been a good deal of luck involved in his strike actually hitting his mark. Normally he would have counted all of his one lucky stars, but he had to move. The axe fighter backing up gave the lancer time to roll over and rest on one knee. He's off balance. Good, let's keep it that way.

His breath was ragged, his lungs on fire, but the cavalier knew what he had to do. "I grew up with an older brother that was much bigger and more experienced than me," his voice was hoarse and labored. The royal guard's bewildered look and defensive stance told Mikhail that he had his full attention. "Whenever we got into a scuffle, I never won by fighting fairly. No, I had to be unexpected and lucky." His grip on the spear was tenuous at best. He could only hope that the adrenaline coursing through the axe fighter would be enough to muffle the sounds of the horse that was approaching from behind the man. At least until it was too late, at which point Mikhail would be able to strike at him again if he were to turn around to face Rollo, who was well on his way to run him into the ground, quite literally.

[Assistant]
Kalim

 From the outset of his journey, Kalim made it a point to not question the flow of time. Even if the seconds blended into years, he kept his eyes forward and his feet moving on the road. It wasn't without it's hardship; having to defend himself from wayward brigands, finding places to sleep during the nights, and working at random townships for food and supplies. Overall, he made a modest sum, or at least enough to keep him on his path. There were two things that he did stop to make time for: patching his armor and sharpening his blade. As his adoptive father taught him, 'A warrior without a weapon is a fool, and one without armor is inviting death to his door.' Words that continued to echo in his mind as he stripped and salvaged what he could to keep his equipment in order.

 The trek wasn't all trials and woes, some courteous merchants and caravans offer to carry the man a way... However, many dismissed him at the nearest town. His quiet demeanor and intense stare were enough to disturb lesser men, finding Kalim waking up to nothing but wagon trails and horse tracks. Still, he never turned down the ride nor did he forget where he was going. In time, he found himself on the home stretch: the road to Jotenvarr. Already the scenery was much different from his homeland; vast stretching deserts with sparse oasis dabbed across the monochrome canvas turned into lush green grass field and forests dense and lush with foliage. However, even the new and unusual sites were but a momentary distract for the man. Onward he's push, with no hesitation in his step.

 After an indeterminate amount of time, there stood the great city of Jotenvarr upon the horizon. Just this site alone steeled the man as he continued his stride, but he began to notice something... It's true the war had ended some time ago, but the stigma of his garb and his skin were obvious. As he had made his way further into the interior, he noticed some people recoiling or moving quickly out of his way. Once a woman snatched her child from his path and proceeded to hug the boy tight to her form while staring up at Kalim. True, his recent ventures gave him the complexion and look of a brigand, but he never raised his sword to anyone that had not tried to do him wrong initially. Now he was encroaching on the interior of the capital, and all the while guards would eye him over while keeping their hands upon their weapons. This continued all the way to the palace until a duo of guards stood before the vagabond.

 "Hold!" The older one spoke, hand on sword as he stood erect at his post, "What business have you in the palace?" Eyes narrowed, tone strict, posturing, but his grip on his blade is weak. All these factors Kalim took in at first glance, though it seemed like his eyes never waivered from the guards.

 "I seek employment." Kalim's reply was short, though he kept both arms at his sides and his hands away from the sword and pouches on his side. Last thing he wanted was a confrontation in the place he intended to call home. Though he did his best to keep his agitation of his voice, he felt it creep through slightly.

 Seems the guard caught wind of it as well, eyeing over Kalim with a slight sneer, "Then help the merchants or brandish your sword as a bouncer for an Inn."

 Kalim gave and audible sigh, closing his eyes slightly as he attempted to retain his composure. 'Step forward. Grab sword hand and trip. Draw blade and strike down. Stab through heart quickly and ready for next combatant. If unable to withdraw blade, retrieve opponent's and retreat to cover. Familiarize yourself with the weight and length. Let your opponent make the first mistake and then-' It was at this point the guard before him cleared his throat, snapping out the man out of his trance as his eyes focused ahead once more.

 "I represent former general Musaludin. He plans to settle here in Jotenvarr. I'm here as a sort of... Good-will ambassador." Kalim replied, attempting to put on his most courteous tone. His gaze however remained pointed and directed at the older man before him. After a moment of silence the man before him motioned with his head to the guard behind him. In an instant, the younger man nodded before slipping inside the palace.

 "We'll see what General Davos says about all this. IF you wish to serve Jotenvarr's guard, it will be his call."

[User]
A battle of strength was not one Heike was suited to fighting. He could feel his grip weaken, lying on top of the bandit at the bottom of the slope, his own air long ago cut off by the man's hands around his throat. This whole fucking day had been one long kick in the face after the other to Heike, and he was too pissed off to let it kill him at this point. He thrashed out, desperately, letting go of the man's throat just as his knee connected with the bandit's crotch.

With a howl of pain the grip on his neck was loosened, and fresh lungs brought renewed energy to Heike. He seized the brief opening his blow caused and dove forward with a snarl, shoving his thumbs into the man's eyes until blood began flowing and howls of pain turned to screams. Then... pain, as steel entered Heike's side, the man had stabbed him with a knife.

Heike quickly scrambled away, leaving a trail of blood as the blind man screamed incoherently, waving the knife furiously all around him. The ex-priest wanted nothing more than to deliver the finishing blow to him, but without a weapon it would be a pointless danger. That, and blood had begun pouring of of his mouth, the dagger must have entered his lungs.

Fighting pain and panic, he began stumbling his way over to squad Quinque. He knew they had a healer with them, having seen her from the top of the slope. The thought of being healed by a staff made him want to vomit, but he knew that anything less would be too risky, and at this point he just wanted to live through the day. As if to punctuate the thought, he coughed up more blood, struggling to breathe.
Still, he knew the body as well as any other healer would, he would have a few minutes yet before blood loss or suffocation took him.

Surely that was plenty of time...


[System]
Age: 26

Nationality: German

Appearance: Black shaggy hair and hazel eyes. Very defined jaw bones, and fairly short in height with lean, formed musculature.

Biography: Trevor grew up on his own most his life. He bounced from home to home within the system for the first years of his life, and when he turned 12 he left his current caretakers and vanished from the system with his best friend Tania. Never wanting to be apart of anything that could track him or make him do things that made him feel stifled, he and Tania lived on the go, never settling down longer than a year at most. They made their living from "confiscating" funds from agencies and programs they deemed unsuited for the capital. They became good at extorting, moving unseen, and hiding in plain sight. Tania was very good at the talking and grifting, while Trevor handled the subtle art of appropriating. They made many enemies with many gangs and thugs, making it necessary for them to learn to fight with guns just as well as with hand-to-hand weapons.
When Trevor was 22, he and Tania came into contact with a Thin Man. They knew about the alien invasions taking place, but they'd never had to worry about it as long as it didn't effect them. Then when they were confronted with a Thin Man, they were terribly outmatched and had to use all their skills in non-detection... and it still wasn't enough. Trapped on top of a building with the Thin Man making his way up the stairs to the rooftop where they hid, they had no choice but to climb down the outside of the three-story building. They made it one story down and didn't even have time to find a window to climb back into before the Thin Man discovered them and fired down at them from the rooftop. Tania was hit and fell without a sound. Trevor already knew she was dead before she hit the ground. With no alternative, he jumped the remaining height onto a patch of grass. He performed a roll back onto his feet, and before he could register any pain, he sprinted away as fast as he could, vowing vengeance for Tania. After he recovered from his fall and heartbreak, he was contacted by XCOM because of his innate tactical ability, and firsthand experience with the alien threat.

Base of Operations: Europe

Squad: (Will be assigned)

Class: Ranger

Rank: Squaddie

Personality: Very quiet and standoffish. He assesses situations well in advance before taking any action. He is closed off to anyone new until they gain his trust, then he is voraciously loyal. Because he had spent his life taking it upon himself to assess the nature of people he targeted, to determine if they were bad people and unworthy of their money, he tends to be very blunt when asked questions; both to give short answers, but also to see how people react when he tells them things they don't expect to hear. He finds that's usually when you see people's true colors.

Other: He prefers to sleep on the ground. Growing up as he did, beds were a luxury and he now prefers the comfort of minimalism. He owns only what's necessary for his immediate task, changing through his items as it suits him.

Strengths: He is very good at going unseen and quiet. He is quick and agile, using his speed in close quarters more than brute strength. Very loyal when befriended. He is honest in everything he does and thinks everyone else should be the same.

Weaknesses: (Anything that has a noticeable negative impact on your character such as Trust issues or Fears) He lacks strength to the fullest. Because he relies so heavily on his speed and agility, he is very minimally armored. His loyalty is both a strength and a weakness; if put in a situation of whether to sacrifice a friend or a population, he would save the friend. He is honest to a fault. His tongue sometimes getting him into more trouble than he can easily get out of.

Psionic-Potential: Yes

Mech Soldier Candidate No

[User] Angelo had stayed silent and simply listened to his squad leaders order to go and get himself set up. He got up from the couch and went to the bunk in the far corner away from the door and set himself up. He did wish he could drink more but one glass at a bar here would have to be enough. Then he noticed that something was happening so he went to the screen and it turned out they were being deployed. When he was ordered to suit up he didn't hesitate and he went to his locker grabbing his gear and strapping it on making sure it was secure. When Allen asked about his tingling hands he shook his head and said "nope, my hands are steady. I just want the target practice" he said cooly as he got ready. Once he was set he went with the others and grabbed his sniper rifle from the armory. He made sure that it was in full functioning order once he did that he cut his thumb with his combat knife and he pressed his bloody fingerprint on the stock adding his personal touch. He then got into the skyranger and waited to be briefed with everyone else.

[Assistant]
Nian Zhen, Medic of the Red Dragons

Nian Zhen made am impressed face at Reyes' statement. "Up close? Sounds dangerous. I think-" Before she could continue, a warning was initiated. Sydney, Australia was under attack. It was time to move. Nian Zhen's face grew serious again.

"The time has come, Reyes." She said, squinting towards the speaker.

"Tiāndì jiān bùpà." She glanced at him briefly again with a determined look, before sprinting, her feet pounding the steel floor at quick intervals, to retrieve her gear at the armory. Her breathe began to quicken as she followed the labelled path to the armory, where she found the weapons locker labelled 'Nian Zhen'.

She flung it open, to find the pieces of kevlar and reinforced padding that went over her fatigues, as well as her weapons and most importantly, her medi-kit. Clipping her knee protection was easy. Then, she slipped into her body vest, which she reached behind her back to finish clipping in herself. Then, she attached the shoulder pads and fore-arm pads. Finally, she tilted her head back to make it easier to connect the chin-straps of her basic helmet. She had nothing covering her face, but if any blunt objects fell on her she would be more protected, and this way she had full vision to work.

Now, she wrapped the pistol holster around her left thigh, and the medpack holster around her right thigh. Her assault rifle was also waiting for her, and she attatched a few magazines to her belt and made sure the safety was on. Her heart fluttered from nervousness, but she steeled herself, closing her eyes and taking a deep breathe.

"Tiāndì jiān bùpà..." The young medic murmered the mantra in her mother tongue quietly to herself a few times. Upon opening her eyes again, she found herself calmed. Physically and mentally prepared, she quickly jogged to the hanger, holding her rifle pointing downward. In the empty space she stood at attention once again for orders from her Lieutenant.

[User]
Joe smiled as he talked to Kathryn, putting away his duffle bag containing the essentials that he had managed to bring in time. There was a lot of things he still had to do, he thought. First, he had to learn the base's layout. Then, he'd have to spend some time on the range. Or maybe get a snack. Wonder if the food is any good here, he thought to himself. Although, knowing military food, he didn't have high expectations. Or, who knows, maybe they'd surprise him.

His thoughts were interrupted as he saw Kathryn turn to the monitor, and as he watched it go from 'On-Standby' to 'Prepare for Deployment'. "Ah, hell..." He let out a very deep sigh. Of course, they would have a mission on his first day. Of course. He stayed quiet as the AI spoke, taking in the information. A cruise ship, eh? Well, guess we're Marines now. Chuckling to his own little joke, he walked off to get suited up.

His armor was thicker than the others, which was to be expected. He'd always been the big guy of the squad. As he put it on, he could feel a strong sense of nostalgia. Been a while, hasn't it? Shaking his head, he looked up to the rest of the squad. "Well, I hope you're right. Anyways, let's stick together, and get this mission done. There's a Yankees game on later tonight, and if the aliens make me miss it, i'm going to find their leader and personally shove my foot up his slimy alien ass."

[Assistant]
Trevor gave a grim nod at the word "freaks". He looked at Cyril as he said "Let's bring the hurt down on them, yeah?" Trevor looked into his eyes and nodded again, a little more sternly. "You can bet on it." He said just above a whisper. They look into each others' eyes and Trevor knew right then that Cyril felt exactly as he did about the alien invasion, and when push came to shove, Trevor could count on this man to have his back. A little of the tension Trevor felt eased off his shoulders. "I wouldn't mind getting a little close and personal, myself." Trevor said with a smirk. "Mind if I join you?" He asked as he pulled a full length sword out of his locker with a grin. Trevor shifted his attention back to his locker. Might as well test my armor to make sure it fits right, he thought...

He didn't even have time to reach into his locker to put his sword away before he heard Major Holzer yell "It looks like it's time for battle!" His head snapped up to look at her and he immediately saw the monitor that had changed to their new status. "Get your armor on and we'll head straight for the armory!" The Major continued. Trevor hastily put his sword in his locker and grabbed his armor. "Let's move!" He thought she had yelled the last words at him, so he yanked his armor free and threw it on without a second thought. Luckily, he only had a light breastplate with shoulder pads and leather helmet, which he thought looked more like a cap. He slipped it on easily and spared a glance at Cyril to see if he needed help donning his armor. He knew the assault armor could be similar to donning the armor of medieval knight. After making sure Cyril was ready, he would run to the armory.


[System]
T U R N I N G
B A C K

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A C C E P T E D C H A R A C T E R S

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Military:

Commander - RADM.William Locke - @Sep

Head of Security - 1stLt.Jermija Turov - @Sovi3t

Chief Engineer - MCPO.Kazuhiro Okasaki - @The Survivor - NPC

Tactical Officer - Lt.Dakota Lee Roach - @OrangeInk

Combat Medic - LCpl.Declan Farraday - @Nevix

Pilot - Col.Theodore Anderson - @boomlover

Security Guard - Sgt.Min-jae Jeong - @buddha

---

Civillian:

Head of Cryogenic Vault - Doctor Loretta Raidne - @Sep

Professional Surgeon - Dr. Jameson Myŏng - @Firecracker_

Synthetic Android - Micheal - @Heat

Mechanic Assistant - Archimedes - @vosenedich

Culture and History Expert - Benjamin Fumio Vipond, PhD - @Lo Pellegrino

Historian and Ambassador - Kevin Wilson Ford - @The Spectre

Psychiatrist/Medical Doctor - Dr. Nikita Ilyushin - @CanisMajoris2

Assistant Therapist - Melanie Chamberlin - @Xandrya

Robotic Technician - Masamune Isogai - @Raxacoricofallapatorius

Programming Technician - Katsuyuki Isogai - @Raxacoricofallapatorius

Head of Investigation Dept. - Nick Simmons - @obisemkenobi

Member of Research Dept. - Lucius von Schraltmass @Lobiok

[User]
"Reboot sequence complete. All systems nominal." The synthesized voice announced, as a myriad of orange lights flared up on Archimedes' main display, showing the Armani Corporation Systems logo for just a brief second before switching to a pair of dots, someone's comical attempt at simulating eyes.

"Alright. 4rch1M3d3Z, display user settings." The technitian requested, a noticeable irritability in his voice. His mood seemed to improved during the second of silence that followed his request. "Access denied. User lacks the required-" was what the machine had been spewing over and over again for the past couple days. After the boarding process for the ark had begun, Archimedes' administrator settings had been transfered to the Admiral, and now the poor technician to whom it had been assigned had been struggling to get it to respond to even the most basic of commands.

The technician sighed with frustration and left the uncooperative machine in its coffer, strapped and connected to the machines for its analysis and repair, making his way to a nearby chair to rest for a moment. As he picked up his cup of coffee, the admiral's voice came through the speakers, a ship-wide announcement.

"... I have faith, now. Action stations, all hands prepare for lift-off." The techician raised his sight to the speakers as the admirals final words were delivered, and then back to Archimedes' who'd sprung to life and was slowly floating out of the coffer. "Hey! 4rch1M3d3Z, stop!" he demanded, rushing in front of the AI, cables stretching out from the expensive machinery.

The syntheziser wirled and buzzed once more, patching the string of words: "Administrator recognized, Rear_Aldmiral_William_Locke. Activating activity protocols." as it lowered itself to meet the metallic flooring of the technician's room. "Does guest user, technician require immediate assistance?" The AI questioned as the man made the best of this time-waste to disconnect the machine. "Does guest user, technician require immediate assistance?" the question came in japanese this time, as was specified by one of the many administrators' user preferences.

"No. Now-" the techician was about to order Archimedes to deactivate when the AI interrupted. "Please stand aside." was what came out of the tiny speakers. "What?" the man asked, standing dumbfounded as the robot made its way around him, and out the private suite's door. "Proceeding with activity protocol zero. Begining maintainance sequences." was the answer the man got as he tried to follow the Ion Cannon-propelled machine, only to realized he'd left his credentials inside the room.

Hundreds of scematics for the Ark Vitae flashed past Archimedes visor simultaneously, as the quantum processor made short work of the pathing algorithm to get it to the Bridge. The route was traced through the HUB's airspace, calculating an average speed of 600km/h, full thruster capacity for the straight segments. A large hourglass symbol was diplayed instead of Archimedes's "face" as it flew across the HUB, and the QPU ran calculations on both the unit's flight and the Ark Vitae's status, with the limited information it could retrieve from Archimedes' restricted access to the ship's server.

As it finally reentered the hallways and was forced to slow down to prevent human injury, Archimedes' sensors picked up the ship's shift in momentum and visual contact was confirmed on the Head of the Engineering Division. The radiator on its chest heating up as new calculations were run and the simulation model updated, Archimedes aproached the man as the magnetic pull from its legs brought it to a stop. "Sub-Administrator identified. Maintainance protocols are in place. Please instruct." the machine urged him.

[Assistant]
---

Humanity had once been a feeble seed slowly growing in the safe confines of Sol. slowly spreading it's roots outward. Becoming a strong tree. But now the tree was burning. It root's being burned, it's leaves ripped of. But It would not mean the end of the tree's life. It had small seeds that would spread towards new destination to once again grow strong and mighty. But how many of these seeds would even reach their destinations. Being snatched mid travel by whatever was out there. This and more Theodore pondered as he checked the controls of the ship. He had been extremely nervous this entire time. Rechecking again and again if everything was running smoothly which it of course did. He knew every part of his controls. To the smallest button to the biggest of screens. And yet he wondered if everything would go alright. If they would even survive the travel through the warp gate. So much questions and yet not a single answer could be given to any of them. He looked around the bridge everyone looking at there control panels with all the concentration they could muster. For a moment Theodore looked blankly across the bridge looking at the human machine that worked in perfect unity. That was until he felt a quick tap on his left shoulder. He looked to his left looking at navigator Leroy Jenkins who looked at him with curious eye's. Apparently Theodore had been starring around the bridge long enough that it started to look awkward. Theodore gave Leroy a reassuring look. Leroy simply gave a quick nod and went back to his work. Theodore was of course scarred as all hell considering he was charge of flying 600.000 towards a safe destination. If they would ever find one that is. But now he had to swallow his fear somewhere deep inside him. He would release it later in his quarters while drinking some of the last scotch that would ever be made. He had to make sure to only use the small shot glasses while using the actual drinking glasses for harder times. He then heard the voice of the admiral giving a speech towards the rest of the crew. It wasn't the best speech he had ever heard. but it would have to do. The rear admiral then looked at him nodding to start up the main drive.

---

---

It was night aboard the Vitae. And most of its occupants where asleep. Beside Theodore who couldn't even close his eyes. He decided to wander the halls a bit taking a small glass of Whiskey with him. Something to calm the nerves and to maybe make him a bit more tired. For an hour he walked the silent and lowly lit corridors of the ship seeing no one. He took a small sip from his drink the liquid warming up his belly and giving him a relaxed feeling. He had made sure not to pick up the entire bottle as that would have caused some problems if any of the crew members who could have seen him reported seeing the pilot walking around at night with a bottle of Whiskey.But the more he drank from the small glass the more he started to feel bad for himself. Why was he chosen to fly this ship? Why was he cursed by seeing the rest of humanity die? How could he enjoy his own life if the lives of so many others where about to end like millions of candles. He took a big sip only making the feeling worse. And slowly walked towards one of the observation platforms of the ship. He took a seat and looked at the planet in front of him. Pondering how chaotic it would have been down there. He had heard that a part of the population was heavily rioting. Theodore would have probably joined those rioters in all honestly. Or he would have drowned himself in beer. He most likely would have drowned himself in beer. He looked at the glass with a mix of longing and hatred. He Hated and yet loved the substance with a passion. He knew that with every drink he took he would only damage himself slowly. But at the other side of view it also kept back the horrible memories. In a fit of rage he threw the glass against the wall it contents flying everywhere and the glass shattering into pieces. He looked at it for a moment before standing up and walking away. He wondered if the AI had been looking at him the entire time. But in all honesty he couldn't care less.

---

Theodore nodded back towards the admiral and turned back to his controls. He started to type in the procedures that where needed and quickly all light went green as the drive spun to live and a low hum of the engine could be heard. His flight path had already been made available to him. He was i'm pressed by how tactically the layout was with exiting strategies and the like. Whoever made this flight path sure ass hell knew what he or she was doing. As he wondered this he could hear the icy voice of Dakota Lee roach informing the Admiral of her tactical report. He awaited till she was finished with her little tactical assessment before turning around and looked at the admiral.

"Main drives are online sir. Awaiting your command for liftoff." His voice sounded almost as emotionless and icy as the of Lee. But then again this was the military after all and it was to be expected to be as a cold and calculating as a machine. In all honesty he was more interested in the admirals eye patch that any thing. Any why he didn't put a normal eye in it like any normal person would. "But to each his own." He thought to himself as he turned around to his controls. To each his goddamn own."

[User]
Music played through the terminal sitting in front of her. It was an old song, really old but she had found it in the archives and had taken a shining too it. It was fitting at least for what they were going through, it wasn't happy but it wasn't quite sad either. It was a goodbye, as she browsed through images of Earth on her terminal she realized something. She had never known Earth, not the same as the Federation or Conglomerate had. Her home had always been the stars, and now she was trusted to looking after thousands of people on their journey to a foreign planet. Part of her wished she had spent more time on Earth while she had had the chance, now she never would. She sighed as she closed the pictures on Earth, she had a feeling that the movie theaters in the Hub that showed documentaries would be the most popular, this wasn't going to be an easy journey.

She scrolled through the status screens on the different cryo-trays, each holding a thousand people. A single error, or a single misstep could cost them thousands of lives that they could not spare. She thought back to her parents, being younger and fitter as well as engineers they were qualified for the project. They had refused out of stubborn pride, claiming that they wanted to help give their daughter the best chance they could at getting away from the Devastators. She slammed her fist down on the console, the screen flickered slightly as she did so. They had already lost everything, why couldn't they come? Why did they have to be so noble and stubborn? She stood up to take a walk around the vault. A couple of techs scurried around ignoring her, busy with their duties. It sometimes helped her to walk these giant halls when she got like this. All of this had been so trying ever since she was enlisted.

---

"What do you mean no? Don't you understand what this means? There's no survival, the Arks are the only way out of this. They're the only way to live." Loretta stood on front of the door, she wasn't letting her parents out of this easily. After all, with ships taking off all over the place there was no telling where they'd be in the next half hour as Armani engineers were in high demand these days since most of them were wiped out. "You're going, if you're not smart enough to make the decision for yourselves I'm going to make it for you. This is your last chance, I'm not going to leave you to die like the rest." By this point tears were beginning to well in her eyes.

Her dad just sighed and put his hands on her shoulders, her mum was beyond words at this point. "Loretta, no. We've had long full lives, we may be qualified to go on the ship but so are thousands of other people. We're proud of you, and if we die know that we'll die happy knowing that you're going to survive."

"But Dad-" He raised one of his hands to silence her.

"No, listen honey. We're proud of you, we couldn't be more proud of you if we tried. Though we can't leave, this is our home and we're going to fight for it. More importantly we're going to fight for you." He used his right hand to lift her chin so he could see her face. "We are so, so proud and we love you more than anything. Though your mother and I, we have to do this. Let us, for you."

"Oh Dad-"

---

She shook her head, this little re-enactment wasn't exactly doing much to settle her nerves. She sighed as she heard the engines beginning to power up, the low hum created tiny reverberations throughout the hull. To a planet-borne such a feeling would likely take some getting used to, but for someone who had spent the majority of her life on ships it was reassuring. It was the most like home she had felt ever since she had come aboard. She smiled a sad smile, at least her parents would die doing what they loved. Working with machines aboard a ship, machines were always so full of life despite them being constructs.

Resting her hand on one of the cryo-trays she realized that was why she was so invested in cryogenics, the perfect symbiosis of life and machinery. The only way to make it more perfect were if the occupant were able to interact with the machine though all tests people had performed in those fields had failed miserably. Closing her eyes she allowed one of her neural implants flood her mind with images from her past, her and her parents. Even the bad moments were cherished. The scoldings and the jokes, all signs that they loved her more than everything they had ever known. She would take those memories out into the void, further than her parents had ever been. Humanities survival would be her monument to them.

She would not fail.


[System]
I R L
Age - 20
Place of Origin - Alberta, Canada
Occupation - Freelance artist

A V A T A R

Character's Name - Alex
Pathos Affiliation - Drox
Role - Ranged DPS
Profession - Craftsman
Weapon of Choice - Bow
Domains - Wind / Conjuration, Enhancement

-

P E R S O N A L I T Y

Frenetic
With a pep to his step and a patter permanently engraved in his speech, Alex is the sort of person to always be doing something, and desperately crave doing something whenever nothing's going on. His impatience and eagerness can sometimes get the best of him, but he sees them as a double-edged sword, with many of the best moments in his life originating from decisions with no foresight involved.

His hobbies are hands-on, creative activities that reign him in well. Carpentry, plastic arts, sewing, anything that gets the gears in his brain spinning and keeps him busy.

Frank
Alex likes to talk. A lot. It's something not everyone discovers, as he is outstandingly awkward during first encounters. The people who've stuck around, however, eventually realize he doesn't have a voice in his head telling him to stop. He overshares, states what shouldn't be stated, and asks all the questions someone his age would agonize over but ultimately suppress out of a fear of looking foolish. None of this is ever done intentionally, he just marches to the beat of his own drum.

Adaptable
Not everyone can dive into the world of freelance art and make a decent profit, and not everyone can toss themselves into the commercial thunderdome of a virtual reality game and come out friends with various NPC denizens and enough money to leave the combat to his brother's guild half the time. Alex's impulsive ideas aren't easy to trust from an outsider's perspective, but he finds himself succeeding where others would fail through high energy and a good work ethic. Conflict with others rarely bothers him as well, and he often finds himself spearheading cooperation with the people he's warmed up to.

B E N C H M A R K S

I can't die if they don't hit me, buddy
Rather than protect himself with anything bulky, Alex has instead opted to use a combination of light armors, long range attacks and solid athleticism as a means of avoiding damage. This newfound athleticism, consisting of speed and reflexes, helps him duck and weave through blows that would have otherwise sent him soaring.

Jack of all arts and crafts
Alex's craftsmanship had already been passable prior to his introduction to Pariah, but the game has now given him ample time and resources to cut loose. While not an expert in any one field, he's found a niche making light armor and robes. The finished pieces aren't on the same level of glamour as what other crafting wayfarers can offer, but hey, it works.

Quantity over quality
Alex's signature ability is being able to fire arrows in disturbingly rapid succession, tearing opponents to shreds. This leaves him vulnerable when taken to machine gun-like extremes, however. His combat style plays off this ability for the most part, favoring fast and powerful arrows over anything slow.

Heads or tailwinds
His domain over wind allows him to rely on small bursts of it in and out of combat. Whether helping him jump a bit higher or throw off a lighter opponent's balance, he's managed to find couple of utilitarian uses for it besides thrusting his arrows.
  | Physical Description
Alexis Barnett's appearance had always been underwhelming and… begrudging, to sum it up in a word. Brown hair kept at medium length as a concession with the rest of the world, minimal cosmetics, the occasional cardigan or modest skirt in between rows of jackets and jeans. Shirts, too, followed a similar goal. Shirts that a woman would reasonably wear, at a size baggy enough to conceal a small bust.

Accessories, if any, were always tossed on haphazardly, as last minute additions spurred less by their wearer and more by questioning family and friends. That's not to say they were a bad thing. You could wear the baggy and dull clothing you wanted, Alex discovered, if you wore enough pink jewelry to shut people up.

Alex has been pessimistically aware of his appearance since adolescence, so it's no surprise to see that his avatar in Pariah has a lot in common with his real self, from his height and frame down to the color of his hair and eyes. His features could be described as "pleasantly average", a likely result of him wishing to not stand out and blend in. Within Pariah he dislikes wearing anything that restricts his movement and regularly wears comfortable merchant's clothing, as it's extravagant enough to signal his wayfarer status to others without having to adopt any of the flashy accessories everyone else seems to be so fond of.

Pariah's avatar system was keen enough to pick up on Alex's true feelings and assign him a male body, a contrast to real life. That ended up being a fun thing to explain to his brother Logan. Or in his own words, "Shit."
Character Conceptualization
While it could be said that the bulk of Pariah's playerbase had been well acquainted with the conventions of video games, Alex was an exception. Dragged into it by his older brother, he accepted with lukewarm enthusiasm, more interested in the prospect of untouched nature or trying his hand at art made through a new kind of medium. Logan would do the embarrassing tryhard LARP shenanigans he always did with his friends whenever a new competitive game came out, and Alex would go for walks in the woods and do medieval arts and crafts. That had more or less been the plan, until Logan dragged Alex into another one of his games again, the world of PvE.

Under his care, Alex learned the ins and outs of the "glasscannon" "ranged DPS" "kit" his brother orchestrated for him, with the understanding that Alex would leave for a guild more suited to his interests past a certain point.

Despite his initial insecurities he adapted quickly to Pariah. He focused on crafting armor to support himself financially, on the days he wasn't being made to train or serve as an auxiliary member to their guild's activities. Mostly robes for the magically inclined, but he began stepping into leathers and furs as he grew bored of doing too much of the same thing. In time, he began to make a name for himself among the denizens and wayfarers of Pariah.

It felt silly to admit it, but he was starting to understand his brother and every other player that was using the game to live their biggest fantasies. Having so many people finally appreciate your art, even if it was mostly just clothing after a while, was a thrill he had never anticipated.

Spells & Spell-like Abilities
Conjuration fletching

Conjuration ability that allows the user to create an arrow out of arcane energy for next to no energy expenditure. This ability can be "charged" to create a stronger arrow, but is slightly more demanding as a result and requires more time to employ.

Forest hunter

Conjures a heavier arrow with a tip that expands into a net. Can trap entities that are roughly humanoid and smaller for a limited amount of time. The conjured net dissipates after receiving enough damage.

Blowback roulette

Envelops the user in a small shield of wind for a very brief moment. Any projectile or magic attacks that hit them during the shield's duration will instead transfer into the ability of their next arrow.

Heads or tailwinds

A burst of powerful high-velocity wind channeled from the user's body. Used to make an arrow travel faster and hit harder, or simply help the user move. Can be used to throw an opponent off-balance, although physical contact is mandatory for this. Can be channeled for longer-lasting effects, with the consequence that it will exhaust its user far more.

Other Information
Although technically a member of his brother's guild, there's friction between its competitive bloodthirsty members and Alex, who only joined to learn the ropes. Alex is expected to leave after having proven himself capable enough. |

[User]
---

"'M...fine, Raylll," Alja slurred out, surprising herself with just how indistinct her words were. Somethin's wrong. Somethin's wrong. Still, she tried not to let her concern show on her face, attempting to get up again before falling back down in a gross display of miscoordination. "'M jus'...dizzy for sum reason. Dunno why." She rubbed at her eyes aggressively, trying to will her vision back to clarity and somehow being surprised when it didn't work.

She tried to stand again, and this time she managed to make it to her feet, supporting herself on the table and breathing deeply as a denizen came over, concern on her face. Alja waved her away, but removing one of her hands from her support table had the reasonably predictable outcome of her barely managing to stay on her feet. She turned to face Graves, frowning as she found it difficult to see his face clearly; it kept swimming in and out of focus. "'S gotta be...debuff or som'thin,' righ?'. 'M real dizzy..." she brought her hand up to her face, feeling the heat rushing through it as her normally fair skin was suffused a bright red by...whatever this was.

She sat down again, grunting in mild irritation as the waitress continued hovering out of something like concern. And, it occurred to Alja, there was something she could use at the moment. She waved the waitress over and, voice still slurred, asked: "C'n you get me some water?"

She nodded and scurried off, and Alja slumped back down, her eyes drawn as if magnetically to the blurry image of a tearfully happy Luci being congratulated by everyone in the bar, and Aaginim standing next to her. She looked on, the previously confused expression on her face replaced with what seemed like an almost comical melancholy. "Sh'd b'mm," she mumbled, her face lying sideways on the table and distorting her mouth to the point of incoherence.

Then--for the first time in a long time--some of her IRL self leaked into Alja, and she pivoted her head until she was looking at Graves almost piteously. And in that moment, she looked almost as small as her real-world counterpart. "'M I gonna be okay, Graves?"

Then the moment passed, and she slumped back into the table with a dizzy groan.

[Assistant]
Location: Wayfarer's Retreat -- The City of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

An incredulous look crossed his face. It was something he had dismissed out of hand, but now that he was watching Alja talk and move up close, it seemed less and less outlandish by the moment. Drunk assholes were a familiar commodity 'round the gas station and his home alike. There were more than a few instances when one of his siblings would come stumbling into the living room, sloshed out of their mind- it looked a lot like Alja did now. Damned if it made any sense, though.

"'M I gonna be okay, Graves?"

He took her by the shoulder and gave it a squeeze. The irony of it wasn't lost on him. "You're gonna be just fine, pal. Nothin's been done to you, you're just..." He paused a moment. "I get the feelin' you don't drink too much IRL. This is that. Now, I'unno why you're feelin' it in here, but I think I've got a fix for it."

With one hand he lifted up Alja's palm into his. With the other, he unsheathed just an inch of the greatsword hanging from his belt. Just enough that he could nick the tip of her finger. It was a cut he'd practiced a hundred times for diabetic strips, only piecing enough skin for a droplet of blood to slip out.

'Focus. Only pull out what's needed. Don't want her to hit me.' Graves turned his hand over, motioning toward the wound with a single finger. A tiny stream of oddly colored blood began to be coaxed out...

[User]
Location: Wayfarer's Retreat -- The City of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

Alex flashed a quick thumbs up at Kazuki after Benkei finished assigning their team's roles for the raid. "Looks like I'm gonna be your bodyguard, man." He felt like giving him a slap on the back, but they hadn't been well acquainted enough for Alex to do that, so he settled for the awkward gesture.

Most of his raids had been done with the magic-heavy team compositions his brother's guild naturally produced, so it was reassuring to know his role was nothing out of the ordinary. On the contrary, the amount of tanks was galvanizing. Entering combat lacking tank support meant having to get good at not being swatted around. With teammates like his current ones, he'd be able to go all out with his arrows. He thought of all the movement and attack combinations he'd been taught in a similar fashion, with special attention given to the ones that were too risky to pull off without a distraction. Another ruckus in the hall snatched his attention, however.

"Someone's getting engaged in-game?! You can do that?!" he exclaimed, eyebrows stretching towards their limit. People took online relationships on this game pretty seriously with all the immersion it gave players, so it wasn't completely unbelievable that someone would take it a step further. But still... proposing in some dumb hall before a raid of all things?

"Hey, congratulations!" he said at last.

It had been an odd thing to do, but it was still cute. His teammates, too, paused their actions to admire the sight in similar ways, with one reaction in particular startling him.

"Huh, You all right there Kalie?" he asked. Her queenly veneer had slipped for a fraction of a moment in a way that was surprisingly endearing. No talk of darkness or shadows, just a simple appreciation. "It's good to take a break from roleplay every now and then you know," he said, suppressing a chuckle.


[System]
Esther von Degraff

---
Age: 14 years old

Appearance:

Height = 160 centimeters
Weight = 45 kilograms

Bio/Summary:
A young heiress of the Degraff noble family, she was pretty much raised by her stern grandfather for most of her life, as her mother perished when giving birth to her and her father soon followed afterward due to sickness. When her grandfather found out about her magic potential, he sent her to the Academy to bring glory to the Degraff name. Esther reluctantly agreed as she loved her grandpa and she didn't want to disappoint him, even though she felt she wasn't really suited to be a fighter. She is somewhat shy and dislikes fighting after all. Doesn't mean she will run away in combat though as she has the Degraff name to uphold.

Vessel:
Her vessel normally takes the form of the red high heeled slippers she wore. It could also turn into a pair of red knee-high boots to use its stronger, battle-fit abilities.

Abilities:
Her vessel's ability is basically to manipulate wind to her bidding. In slipper form, it uses the wind to enhance her mobility, allowing her to run at great speed and jump for a great height/distance. In boots form is where it truly shines in combat however, as it allows her to create a wind barrier that circles around her, protecting her from any attacks coming her way. If she were to stomp her foot, she could send a high pressure wind blade that will cut anything blocking its path. She can also choose to create smaller wind sickles that she could control.

Equipment: Her favorite red dress and purple headdress.

Trivia/Other: She is quite the terrible sleeper. She would mumble all sorts of things in her sleep and she would often wake up in the morning falling off her bed.

[User]
W A R N O T E S

---

"Alright, Cadets, it's time to move out!" The Captain shouted once she thought that enough time had gone by. "We have to report our findings to Orello— What, how can that be?" However her voice trailed off as soon as took a look at the journal Althea gave to her. "They certainly can't mean the Prime Minister Bergman, can they?"

"Stop acting like you are alone here," the Captain said to Natus, grabbing a hold of his shoulder before he could totally leave. "You are going to scout ahead, but only if you have back up. Ferris, you are going to team up with Finis and clear a path through the hillside. We don't need anymore scouts facing Wagnil's fate or worse," she said before letting Natus go. The route through the hill would no doubt be the worst for Wagnil, but not only would it cut almost full day of walking, it also seemed to be the only safe route they had now.

"Everyone, form a line, we are moving to Orello, now!" The Captain said before leading the formation toward the hillside.

The sounds of water from the stream that crossed the bottom of the rocky hills mixed with the howling of the wind in a sinister symphony. It was clear that the Cadets had yet to go through the worse this cloudy night had in store for them.

---

@Er0r @Onarax @Mercurial @TheWindel @Mega Birb @Hammerman @Mag Lev @DracoLunaris @Leotamer @Ghost Queen @Lonewolf685 @Crimmy @SilverDawn

[Assistant]
Finis did not even turn around, and spoke  "While I believe it that if I was alone, I will be much more likely to go undetected, this is not the time or place to challenge your judgment. I will go slightly ahead of her, but I will remain in her attacking range. Should a natural event separate us, such as a possible storm, I will set off two explosions every one minute. Should an enemy attack me, and I have no other means of contacting the rest of the group, I will let off a series of four explosions. Should my mark move, I will move back to where Ferris was, and send her back to contact you. Is my plan of action agreeable, Captain? I can not force you to accept this plan, but I believe this would be the most effective course of action."

He took a few steps forward, and then waited for the rest of the group to get in formation, in particular Ferris.

@Lonewolf685

[User]
The fighting stopped just as soon as it had begun, leaving Gerhardt with three kills and his attire slightly bloodier than it had been earlier that night. Nothing he wasn't used to though. As the rest of the cadets collected their items and returned to the camp, the northerner made it a point to take on of the rifles from a dead gunman and loot as many bullets as he could from his corpse. He ended up with around ten loose rounds, which he pocketed, and whatever was still in the firearm. Then he heard Crispin mention something about wanting to mutilate a corpse, to which he responded by rushing over while slinging the gun over his shoulder. "Crispin, take what you want from them, but don't tear apart a body! That makes us no better than savages!" With unwavering determination, he stared the affluent Mr. Clean down with a sort of disappointment, hoping to appeal to his high opinion of himself.

It was likely someone would notice his halt and confrontation of an immoral action outside the current triad of two sadists and a justiciar, and if not, the situation would probably progress to either a fight or the situation decompressing itself.

@KoL

[Assistant]
Leblanc Farris
 [[ Location : Imperial Camp ]]

She grunted in affirmation of the captain's orders even as her brow rose in concern of Finis' own perception of events. Wouldn't it have made more sense for the bombardier to be serving in a more supportive role? Leblanc saw as much synergy between them as she had with artillery. By all accounts she could calculate trajectories and fire with speed and accuracy, but it left most of her talents under utilized.

But if the captain wanted them to go in pairs then she wouldn't argue. Worst case scenario he would decrease the number of gunshots heading towards her so all was not a waste.

Before she could head off and storm the hillside, the ever dapper Clean approached with an interesting request for assistance she thought looked rather interesting if it weren't such a blatant display. Timing was key with releasing sadistic impulses and his must have been off as, sure enough, one of the more upstanding recruits intercepted him with a mind to raise hell over the grisly mutilation.

"Perhaps another time." She remarked to Clean from over Gerhardt's shoulder, clearly not interested in getting involved when she'd rather slip off and take point on their expedition across the slopes. A treacherous path for such a group, especially with the wounded. If they hadn't been blessed with a competent physician then they wouldn't be burdened with a soon-to-be-corpse Leblanc had already written off. Were he to survive this night he'd still not be of any service for some time, if ever.

"Keep up, Finnis." Her voice rang softly before melting amidst the whirling shadows her conflagration cast and she could be glimpsed bolting up the infirm stone and steep embankments with nary a pebble pushed out of place. The main host could be as slow as it wished, leaving her all the time in world to enact upon any possible adversaries what Clean was now denied.

, @Crimmy, @Hammerman, @Leotamer, @Mercurial, @DracoLunaris, @Mega Birb, @SilverDawn, @KoL, @TheWindel

[User]
@Crimmy

Tzi, who was unfortunately wearing a shirt for once, and Leon both offered their weapons for the stretcher as she had requested. She could tell they were reluctant to give up their arms, but hopefully they could book it for Orello without getting into more fights. She quickly assembled the stretcher, wrapping the sheet around the poles and securing it with suture then with the help of the bearers carefully loaded the wounded scout onto his improvised transport.

"Your assistance is appreciated. Now, make sure to keep ze patient steady as we travel and avoid jostling him"

She quickly collected her own journal and writing implement, stored them alongside the patient's journal in her bag and then hurried back to the rest of the troop columb. She kept a close eye on Wagnil's condition as they traipsed through the rocky hills, while helping his bearers secure their footing whenever possible or adding a little bit of push or pull to get up slopes. It was a little way into the walk when she remembered to put her Vessel back on, plucking it from her bag and securing to once more around her wrist. While she was hopeful they wouldn't run into more trouble it would be unfortunate to be caught without her vessel at hand. Or rather on her hand.

[Assistant]
Esther von Degraff

---

"Alright, Cadets, it's time to move out!"

"Hmm--A-aaahh, yes, Captain!" Esther replied. The girl had been sitting on the sidelines as she waited for the others to report their findings. As she was feeling tired from all the excitement, she had been slowly dozing off to dreamland. So when the Captain shouted her orders, she immediately jumped in shock, before quickly walked towards where the Captain was. She then heard something about Prime Minister Bergman, and then the Captain chastising Natus for his idea of going on ahead. She had to agree with her. They really didn't need another (near) tragedy like Wagnil.

"Everyone, form a line, we are moving to Orello, now!"

"Aye, aye, Captain!" Esther answered, giving a salute, her voice full of excitement.

As the cadets head out towards the hillside in a line, a gust of cold wind blew upon them, making Esther hold herself, shivering a little bit. It was indeed a cold night. Esther hoped they would get to a warm place soon, which would probably be the fort. But there was a chance that it had fallen to enemy control. That meant they would have to either take it this night or sleep outside again.

"I swear I will make whoever did this pay!" she grumbled to herself.

[User]
✠ G R A D O N G I L T W I T H ✠

⛨ Current Location: Mountain Path ⛨

Gradon nodded, both to Althea and Esther. It would have been politer to acknowledge their words but as Althea had said, their work came first. And so he continued to act as their shield in any way he could, mainly deflecting bullets and slashing at anyone who dared to come close. He didn't have to do much because as soon as the battle began, so too had it suddenly ended with the quick retreat of the enemy.

A great sigh of relief was heard from him as the Captain announced her presence, praising them on their efforts. Thankfully no casualties had been made on this day. With her orders given, Gradon made a note to do just that after finding out about that book. After all, he was curious as to what they were risking their lives for. When Althea revealed the contents, he tilted his head in confusion. Surely the fuss hadn't just been for a personal journal, right?

But more importantly…Esther looked to be in near tears. And it wasn't right to have one of his classmates on the verge of sobbing. So before she could leave he said, "Ah, good job Esther. We couldn't have done it without you." Perhaps it was just being nice but there was nothing wrong with being nice now was there? Certainly, it did no good to morally bring down his friends.

With that said and done, he nodded in acknowledgement to Althea before discarding the traces of their presence here into the inferno Leblanc had created. Note to self; try not to get on that one's bad side. With that resolved, he reported back to the Captain and waited for her next orders. All the important things to say had already been said by the others at this point.

In any case, the Captain's next orders required for them to line up in rank and march towards their destination. And given that they had just been ambushed, it was doubtful they would be stopping until reaching said location. As the class trudged on, the cold air and buffeting winds was definitely not a good omen for things to come.

As if fulfilling this prophecy, the wind began to pick up even more. The snow and ice surrounded the group on all sides, obscuring vision and carrying voices everywhere. But one voice, one very close to Esther, could be heard by the girl alone. "M-Miss? What are you doing in the cold this late?" it asked, sounding much like a sniffling child. "It's so c-cold out here…please help me…"

, @Er0r, @Onarax, @Mercurial, @KoL, @Mega Birb, @Hammerman, @Mag Lev, @DracoLunaris, @Leotamer, @Ghost Queen, @Lonewolf685, @Crimmy, @SilverDawn

[Assistant]
Esther trudged along amidst the cold winds. Even when she was walking in the middle of line, with Leblanc in front of her and Gradon behind her, she still could feel the chill going inside her body. Her long-sleeved dress somewhat helped in lessening the effect, but it still wasn't enough. She wondered how Leblanc could look so comfortable when she wore such little clothing.

Suddenly, her ears picked up something other than the sound of the wind. It was hazy at first but it grew clearer and clearer the further Esther walked forward. It was the sound of a... sniffing child? But that didn't make sense! How could there be a child in the middle of nowhere like this?

"M-Miss? What are you doing in the cold this late?" it asked, sounding much like a sniffling child. "It's so c-cold out here…please help me…"

At first, Esther dismissed it as just her imagination. But the sound kept coming back, louder and louder each time. She looked nervously at Leblanc and Gradon, but none of them gave any signs that they heard anything.

And then, it dawned on her. There were tales of disembodied voices echoing in the mountains amidst the cold winds. Voices of spirits that wandered across the earth, doomed to never finding their way to the afterlife.

A ghost had been whispering to her.

Esther's face immediately turned as pale as a sheet. She was never good with ghosts. She remember how her playful tutor would often tell her stories about them, and every time she would cry due to just how scary they were.

"G-g-g-g-ghosts! T-there are ghosts here!" Esther shouted before jumping towards the nearest person she could find, which just happened to be Gradon. She clung to his arm, unknowingly pressing her amply-sized bosom into it.


[System]
Clan: N/A
Village: Sunagakure (Hidden in the Sand)
Age: 15
Appearance:

Abilities: Fire Ninjutsu, Taijutsu
Weapons: Katana
Personality: Ikari is the sister that is more prune to anger. A lot of things annoy her. She doesn't like her family messed with either, especially her sister, Kina.

Back Story: Ikari is the younger sister by a year, of course. Her and Kina were rather close. Well, when they weren't studying or training. Most the time the two of them practiced on their own. Ikari thouht it weird that her parents weren't ninja, but they made sure her and Kina made it through the academy. It was dumb. Like. Ikari thought her parents didn't know anything for awhile.

She just spent her time studying and practicing her justsu. She finally became a Genin. That's when she heard Kina asking about them quitting? Huh? They didn't even give her a reason. Just said it didn't matter. In other words, they didn't even want to tell them. In fact, they probably didn't want her and Kina to know they quit.

Her parents were so dumb. Honestly. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to be hanging around home too much now that she's a ninja. And she definitely wasn't going to let something cause her to quit unless it was a very good reason.

Which brings her to the fact that she agrees with Kina on the fact that their parents quit to raise the two of them. Would certainly explain why they refused to give them a reason. Talk about the dumbest reason in the world to stop being a ninja.

Family: A sister whose also a Genin, Kina. They both have a mom and dad, but they quit being a ninja, though they never told the two sisters why. . Ikari believes it was because they had her and Kina, which Ikari finds completely stupid. Like dumbest reason in the world to quit.

Other: Fighting Dreamers
Name: Kina Rose
Clan: N/A
Village:Sunagakure (Hidden in the Sand)
Age: 16
Appearance:

Abilities: Taijutsu, Wind Ninjutsu, She knows some Medical Ninjutsu and often times tends to try and make sure she's carrying medicinal herbs.
Weapons: Shuriken, Kunai, and 2 small hand fans.
Both fans look like this:

She tends to use the fans while using wind based jutsu.

Personality: Kina is usually nice and easy to get along with. Unlike her sister Ikari, she doesn't let much get to her. Or at least she tries not to. Very little will get on her nerves. If you're wanting to get to her, however, the best way is to threaten or say something bad about Ikari. She can be protective of her sister even though sometimes she doesn't need to be.

Back Story: Kina is the older sister by only a year. It doesn't change the fact that she was born first though. Her and Ikari grew up raised by parents who used to be ninja. It wasn't like they retired either. They just simply quit. Kina spent the better part of her academy days thinking her parents were just never interested. Until one day, when she overheard them talking that is.

Long story short. They were talking about how they were glad Kina and Ikari wanted to be ninja since the two of them just quit. She kept quiet about it until after she became a Genin when she asked her parents about it. They told her that their reasons didn't matter.

She just started believing they decided to quit to raise her and Ikari which didn't make much sense. There are plenty others who are still ninja and raised their children just fine. Kina just decided she wouldn't quit no matter the reason unless she absolutely had to.

Family: A sister whose also a Genin, Ikari. They both have a mom and dad, but they quit being a ninja, though they never told the two sisters why. . Kina believes it was because they had her and Ikari though she couldn't understand why that would cause someone to quit being a ninja.

Other: Fighting Dreamers

[User]
A call to action is sent out all over the land and to each and every village. The Land of Fire is holding the Annual Chunin Exams. Many applications were sent out to each head of the village and it is their decision who qualifies and who has to wait another year. This year the exams will only be a small batch of ninja but that does not mean the test will be any easier. If you feel that you are powerful enough to be called Chunin, then come and prove yourself. The Exam begins in 5 days. Hope to see you then.

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

Hikaru received her application as she read it over. "Look at this Saki. We have a chance to show off our true power with other village's ninjas." She said as Saki barked happily. "I know we got this in the bag." She said as she placed her application in a safe place and headed out towards her training area. She knew that if she was going to make a good impact on the exam that she needed to train as fast as she could.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sanjiro was sitting in the window seal in his apartment reading over the application. He knew this was going to be extremely difficult. He knew that him only having Taijustsu would already make him at a disadvantage but he did not care at all. He knew this would be his only chance to see if he had what it takes to be a great shinobi even if no one else had any faith in him. Even his squad leader said he should not apply but he still did. He grabbed his bag of clothes and headed towards the entrance of the village to start his trek to the Land of Fire.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Nakamura grabbed his puppet making sure he wrapped it up as best as he could. He did not want anyone to know his ability until the moment of his attack. He knew having the element of surprise would be the best thing he could do in order to have an advantage in this exams. He also packed up enough food and water for the trip to the Land of Fire. Everyone in his squad was too chicken to take the exam. They kept saying since the land of Stone and the Land of Fire were not on good terms that they would not even get promoted because of the hatred between the clans. He knew that was a lie and decided he would prove to them that he had what it takes to become a Chunin. He was not really the leader type, but he knew with the right training he would one day work for the black opps of his village. He grabbed his gear and headed out towards the Land of Fire.

[Assistant]
Sasha looked at the application she received. She hardly ever showed her emotions but couldn't keep her excitement contained. It made her want to train herself harder than she usually does. I can prove myself if I start my training today. She first had to get herself a hearty meal before she would begin.

---

When Anna received her application, she almost couldn't contain herself as she jumped up and jown with joy. "This is gonna be great!" She decided she should brush up on her training today. After all, 5 days wasn't long.

[User]
Konohagakure was full of excitement the day that this call was sent out. Businesses were bustling, shops were selling out of Ninja gear such as Kunai.

And then, one traveling by might notice the one who was walking through Konoha with a blue, fur trimmed cloak.

This male was William Hyuuga..Or Yuuki. With his half and half lineage, it was hard to tell the difference. White hair and Pale White eyes(The Byakugan) marked a face that was youthful. An ANBU mask was attached to the shoulder of this cloak, depicting a white wolf.

The Hyuuga stopped as he heard about the Chunin Exams, moving towards the sound of people who were talking about it. After he had heard enough..He did not even go back to the Hyuuga household. He moved to the training grounds, ready to prepare himself even more than he already had in Yukigakure.

[Assistant]
Gin was busy training in a wet field on the outskirts of Kirigakure and he wondered how much longer it would be until he received an invitation to partake in the upcoming chunin exams. He was practicing his Eight Dragon Head technique and had a large red dragon head sticking out of his shoulder. It was giving a growling noise and blowing smoke out of its nostrils. He couldn't make it use his fire release techniques, but he would train hard to achieve the goal. With a swift motion of his arm he had the monstrous head slam right into a practice dummy and smash it to pieces.

He then focused on creating a second head and succeeded. He then broke two more dummies with both heads. Gin proceeded to create a third head and used them to destroy another three of the dummies. Finally he tried to make a fourth head, but no matter how hard he concentrated his chakra just was not great enough to summon the fourth head. This was frustrating to him and he wanted to go further, but right now he was at an obstacle that he would have to overcome. It frustrated him, but he would have to keep training as hard possible.

It wasn't too long after he finished practicing with his bloodline technique that he got his letter of invitations to take the chunin exams. He was excited to have the chance to move forward with his shinobi career and also interested in fighting ninja from the other villages to see how strong they were.

"Five days until it starts huh? I guess I'll have to be prepared as I can be and go kick some butt" he said with a smile as he went back in the direction of his home to start getting rid for his journey.

[User]
Ako began his long journey to the Land of Fire, looking forward to the Chunin Exams. Then again, he can't really say that since he accomplished not that many missions at his rank of Genin. The musician ninja silently checks his mandarin a few times, making sure the inscriptions are in place...then finally starts heading out. Going from tree to tree, Ako silently makes a list of plans to accomplish if he manages to pass the Exams.

"Finally...freedom? Hope...so."

[Assistant]
Shirou let out a sigh as he and his team made their way to Konoha, silently lamenting the fact that he was stuck with the only two idiots in all of Kirigakure that knew absolutely nothing about swords. He adjusted the two swords on his hip as they walked, before pulling his scarf up just enough to cover the lower half of his face. He hated this time of year in Mizu no Kuni(land of water). The fog was even thicker than normal and it rained nearly every other day.

Tatsuya was sitting in the Kurama Clan's library, a scroll of advanced genjutsu in his lap as he read through it. He was memorizing the information for the upcoming Chunin exams, so he could use his clan's techniques to give himself an advantage. After all, Kurama Clan genjutsu are powerful enough to even possibly act as a replacement for ninjutsu, since they can cause physical harm.

[User]
The Hyuuga slowly took off the cloak he had worn since his arrival and departure from Yukigakure, deciding it would be better to practice without the extra weight.

The pale-skinned male was lean underneath his cloak, his body shaped in a way that almost made the wolf mask seem..fitting. His dark blue shirt was imprinted with the symbol of the Hyuuga clan on his left shoulder, giving off a sheen..as if it was covered in ice. His pale white eyes fixed themselves on a target, and he slowly slid his left foot back, left hand held down at his waist. He waited, to see if anyone would interrupt before he began..

Better now than while he was training.

[Assistant] Aya sat in a tree, watching passersby quietly, hiding her Chakra signature, her pale, slender arms folded over her chest. Her blue glassy eyes were completely void of all emotion, almost like the eyes of a corpse, were her eyes not reflecting the light, assuring she was definitely, truly alive. She frowned. The Chunin Exams...huh... She thought to herself. Her Yin giggled girlishly. Lovely! Another chance to maim and kill~ Aya's eyes narrowed slightly at her inner demon's attempt to initiate dialogue. Oh, shut it, demon... She inwardly growled. Suddenly the branch she sat on moved, which meant someone was behind her. She turned her head to see her uncle, his serious expression on his face looking completely ridiculous. He asked, "Did you get one?" The raven-haired girl produced the application.

[User] Hikaru looked up to see Yuki Hyugua walk up to the training grounds. Great...so much for being alone. She looked down at Saki then back at Yuuki. Saki barked in response and she walked over to the other genin. "Hey Yuuki." She said waving to him as Saki ran up to him smelling the air and his chakara. "By chance did you want to spar?" She asked him curiously.

[Assistant] Aya got left alone finally and she pocketed the application form again with a small sigh. The fool...He could never get over the fact she achieved what she could. She came down from her perch and began walking toward the training grounds. She drew her double swords and began hacking at a dummy she had set up, not making a noise.

[User]
The Hyuuga nodded softly. "..It's William, Not Yuuki." He said, his tone almost as silent as the wind around them. Will then held out a hand to Saki. To the dog, his hand would smell of snow, of ice..His chakra was nothing less.

What most people did not know was that he concealed part of his chakra, taking part of what he gathered and storing it within himself. He had been building this reserve since an early age, to keep himself prepared.

"And, I will accept your..invitation..to spar. I just got back from The Hidden Village of Snow."

[Assistant]
Sasha searched for a ramen shop so she could have something to eat. She would head over to the training grounds afterward. She was never very social yet found herself wondering what kind of ninjas she would find there. She decided she would study some of their moves as part of her training today.

---

Still excited, Anna decided to go to the training grounds but she wanted to do more than just train. She wanted to meet other ninja who were probably just as excited as she was. She found herself a good spot before practicing her lava techniques.

[User]
Ikari and Kina were both at home when they got their applications. At the moment, they were in their own rooms reading over it. Kina was plenty excited and immediately left her room to knock on her sister's door.

"Ikari, did you get one too? An application to the Chuunin Exams?"

Ikari answered her door, somewhat annoyed thinking it was one of her parents but calmed down to see it was simply her sister. "Yeah. It's right here. I know I'm going. I'm not going to quit for dumb reasons like somebody we both know."

"You do realize that's just our theory on the matter right? But yeah. I'm going too. It's in Konohagakure, so we better get going soon." Kina said before going back to her room.

Both girls got themselves ready as quick as possible and made their way to the village entrance.


[System]
Gender: Male

Appearance:
Sophos' robes are a much brighter blue, however. Almost like you'd see in a children's book. He stands at around 6' tall, and is a light 150 pounds.

Age: 62

Race: Terminian Human

Skills: Alchemy, Knowledge of lore.

Magic Abilities: Time Magic, near mastery. Sophos is incapable of creating stable portals as of now, however. His most successful attempt managed to last about three seconds before collapsing violently on itself.

Weapons: N/A

Inventory: Alchemical reagents, a satchel to carry them in, a book with every recipe he's ever used (Caboose it did other stuffff but I forget T.T) a magical floating chair, and a wand to help focus his magic with.

Bio: Sophos grew up in Termina, in Clock Town, and had an uneventful life until his marriage. He made a living by working in the town's library, and creating potions for people on the side, although he never charged much more than what one would need for ingredients. They had two children, but when Sophos was on a trip on day, a man broke into the house, killed his children, and impregnated his wife. Sophos saw the man when he returned, but out of concern for his family, he did not make chase. Unable to suffer the thought of bearing another man's child, his wife ran off into the mountains, giving birth to the boy in her last moments. The son was adopted and raised, his existence unknown to Sophos until much later in his life, and vice versa. After his wife and children's deaths, Sophos became a bit more reclusive, but still offered his services to those around him.

Nearly a decade later, while he was travelling to Hyrule for ingredients, he encountered the man who'd murdered his family. Rather than killing him, he alerted the guards, who arrested him promptly. At his execution, Sophos stood silently as the man returned the populace's insults, claiming that only Sophos had a right to kill him. After the execution, Sophos found a bit of closure, but he was still much of a loner, spending his time with books and alchemical ingredients.

Name: Gaios (Occasionally referred to as "The Fatherless" by other Templars.)

Gender: Male

Appearance: Armor

Face
He stands at about 6'1", and weighs around 200 pounds.

Age: 32

Race: Terminian Human

Skills: Excellent swordfighter, great with his magic, not much else: he's bred for combat.

Magic Abilities: Earth magic. Gaios uses it in a bit of an unorthodox manner, electing to use platforms and discs of earth to move and attack rapidly while evading being hit rather than tanking attacks, although his elemental affinity still makes him extremely durable.

Weapons:

Inventory: A red potion

Bio: Found almost frozen to death by a pair of mountain-dwelling folks, Gaios was raised under the name of Lucidon, learning how to make a living in the mountains, mainly through hunting. When he was little older than 12, his magical abilities manifested themselves, and his parents made the decision to send him to Castle Town in Hyrule for training. He learned under a charitable master who fed, sheltered and taught him so long as he made himself of use. At first, Lucidon joined the Hylian Guard when he became an adult, quickly earning favor among the locals for his kindness towards them.

When the Templars came around, Lucidon was quick to jump ship and join them. His talents were quickly recognized, and he was brought into the elite echelon of Earth Knights. As time passed, the Templars became more influential, and he was seen as a calming presence when he was in Castle Town. However, one day when he was chatting with locals, he overheard talk about an old man who frequented the area, by the name of Sophos Ailred. For some reason, Lucidon couldn't help but listen to his story. After learning of the fate of Sophos's wife, he was stunned that something so horrible had happened to somebody so kind and beloved by people he rarely even met. Hearing about the killer's execution did little to assuage the pity and grief he felt for Sophos. This man had had everything he loved ripped from him, and yet he continued to make the long journey to Hyrule for his service to the residents of Clock Town.

Soon, Lucidon was a touch obsessed with Sophos and his story. He'd listen to what anybody had to say, and even managed to collect a group of pictographs of Sophos, his family, and the man who destroyed all that. And then he looked in a mirror, changing his life. When he compared the photos, along with the timeline of the events, the similarities were too great to be coincidence. He'd known he was found as a child, rather than born to his parents. It bothered him little, as they still raised him lovingly. But now he knew something that shocked him: he was a child unwanted, burden to his mother and product of a heinous crime. With this news, he rechristened himself as Gaios, refusing to accept his biological father. To him, Sophos was more of a father than the man who sired him. He never blamed himself for any of what happened, but the revelation certainly didn't help his obsession with Sophos, who he'd learned was also a worshiper of the Goddesses in Termina.

When Thallus began his heretic hunt, Gaios used his influence and ability to join a task force specifically made to hunting down heretics to the One God. After discovering that Sophos was travelling with a group of heretics fighting against the Templars, Gaios's obsession lead him to an impasse. Would he betray the Order, or his birthmother's husband, the man he'd spent so long learning so much about?

[User]
Demoko turned to see Sophos and Gaios, he put the spell book he had in his hand down as he greeted them both. "I would say I am happy to see that you both made alive, but you know I am quite incapable of producing positive emotions. Though in terms of just vocabulary, yes I am happy you both made it." He then proceeded to pick up his spell book once more. There temporary headquarters was built in the ancient ruins beneath Castle Town and had a concealment spell that prevented them from being detected. "Link, Regol, and Caelan went to collect supplies from someone loyal to our cause, but they have not return oddly. I risk not pursuing until I know with certainty something has happened to them."

--------------------------------------

Regol believed they could pull it off. Fiona very seldom walked about the castle just for the hell of it. She would no doubt be in the grand throne room awaiting Father Thallus' return. This plan would work, it had to work, and a determined attitude was half the battle right? The map disappeared and Regol took the lead, ushering for Link and Caelan to follow behind him like an escort of sort. Once they were in formation he walked quickly down the hallway. The interior of the castle was quite large, the hallways with large chandeliers, armored statues, mosaic windows, and long eloquent red carpets were quite impressive for those unaccustomed to the royal lifestyle. The hallway they were in alone could fit 5 horses side by side.

As the group hurried to their destination at what seemed like an eternity of fast walking down a few random hallways, they finally made it to the central staircase. Four Templar Castle Knights stood guard, but didn't both to look at Regol, or Link and Caelan who were in their Templar disguises. As they approached two staffs locked and prevented them from entering. "State your business... Oh my...? Brother Regol??? We had been informed you died in great battle against the heathen pirates! How... Wha... How come your return was not announced..." One of the Templars asked, now becoming more suspicious, Regol raised his hand nonchalantly at Caelan as to usher him to speak on his behalf. Caelan seemed to be the wittier on the spot thinker here compared to Link, at no offense to him of course.

[Assistant]
MEANWHILE
in the Lost Woods...
The green-haired boy stooped down, two fingers gingerly testing a patch of dried mud on the cobbled stone floor.

The Forest Temple was a mythical place, even for the Kokiri. They respected what it represented, but rarely went near it. Even Dilly, one of the oldest who was still among them, had only stepped foot in the temple one other time before. Then, as now, it was as part of a mission to understand what was happening in or around the Lost Wood. These were strange days, prone to stranger nights, and the Kokiri were anxious about what they didn't know of the going-ons beyond their forest.

Stalfos were known to walk the temple courtyard at night, and the eerie light of a poe's lantern could be seen flickering like the will'o'wisp, so the boy had been careful to approach the Forest Temple in the light of day. Which meant that the light coming in through the entrance to the temple marked a very real countdown, by which the boy would need to take whatever there was to learn here and be gone.

"Someone was here. There was a struggle of some kind," the child noted aloud, as the amber light of the orb fairy drifted overhead.

Black splotches on the stone. Blood. Someone had been hurt. Possibly more than one 'someone.'

"I can't tell how they left," the boy mused, continuing to air his thoughts aloud as he examined the individual clues and tried to use them in his mind's eye to understand just what he was seeing. Someone came in here. Three, maybe four? A struggled ensued, but there were no bodies. Nor evidence of bodies having been dragged away.

It begged the question of whether they'd left at all. They could still be here, their souls trapped in the poe's light or shambling about as Stalfos.

Or worse, ReDead.

"I don't sense the presence of the Sage of the Forest," Ayala noted, the melodic voice echoing in the back of his mind, even as he looked up and contemplated the vaulted ceiling above them.

He remembered Saria. Her absence from the Kokiri Village had diminished them, and he found the notion that she occupied now a place alongside the Great Deku Tree as a protector of the Forest less comforting than he probably ought to have. Because she wasn't with them, she was here.

And, seemingly, she was not here either.

A shadow by the door prompted the Kokiri into motion. His footsteps silent as he crept into the shadows of a support pillar. The outline of a wolfos was cast upon the far wall.

Had the pack he'd encountered earlier managed to track him here this quickly?

That question was frozen in his mind as another shadow overlaid that of the wolfos. Gasping, his breath stuck in his throat, the boy risked a peer from behind the pillar.

"Moblin," he uttered softly.

[User]
Was the direct route better? Should they still try to somehow sneak around? Even with the disguises Caelan wasn't abundantly certain they would go unnoticed, the only certainty was if Fiona found them they were as good as dead. Falling in line with a man like Regol only did so much to calm his nerves as they moved through the halls and he expected for Fiona to be around every bend, yet she never appeared. Glancing back over his shoulder a handful of times he'd occasionally catch a glimpse of a Templar patrol passing along but nothing struck him as alarming, so far they were safe. Maybe they really would make it to the Princess without any trouble, and really that was the hardest part right? Getting out was still a whole different matter but he just had to trust that Regol, or Demoko, somebody had a plan in mind.

Everything was going just fine until they arrived at a central staircase leading up to the topmost reaches of the castle. Stood at the stairs were four armed Templars diligently minding their posts. Was Regol going to try and dispatch them like he had the others before? Or were they going to be found out? Caelan's skin grew clammy as they approached the guards and his heart all but stopped when they were told to halt and state their business. Then the confusion set in as some of the men recognized Regol which only served to further Caelan's confusion on the matter: just who exactly was Regol again? Stiff as a board his eyes slid to the corners as he watched the man for any signs of what they would do, preparing to cast a spell at a moment's notice. When a gesture was made he was almost ready to cast something when it clicked in his mind what Regol was asking of him, his jaw going slack before hastily composing himself again. Why was he getting left to sort this out?!

"Brother Regol... Wanted to be certain they were dealt with. He's been working alone trying to bring down the heathens and he's been doing so in secrecy. As far as people are aware he is dead, its part of his cover. So long as the pirates believe he's dead they won't be on the lookout for him, its a perfect cover." What were they even talking about? What pirates? For all he knew he'd just declared that Link and the others were dead but he'd already opened his mouth and he had to commit at this point, otherwise everything was going to go south very quickly.

"We happened to run into him out on patrol today and he's asked us to bring him along. He explained he needs to speak to the Princess and that its supposed to be a private meeting, so his arrival wasn't announced. In fact the only one who probably knows he's here is Fiona." That should save their skins if he claimed that right? No one was going to go causing trouble if they thought they would get in trouble with her. Unless they went to confirm this with her, then his story would fall to pieces in a second. Caelan could only hope that they wouldn't question it considering Regol seemed to be a pretty big name around here and with luck they'd take his word for it. If not... Well, they could probably grab the Princess and run at this point!

[Assistant]
Gaios was the first to respond to Demoko's news. "If you'd like, one of us could go out there and act as a scout, see if there's been any movement among the Templars in the event they've gotten themselves into trouble. As long as the news of my defection hasn't become total public knowledge, I could probably leverage the lower-level Templars for information regarding our...allies."

Sophos was quick to react to that idea, however, displeasure evident in his voice. "And if everybody knows you fought alongside us against General Onyx, you'll be attacked on sight up there. We will need to be more careful than to show our faces directly." He put his hand on Gaios's shoulder, sighing. "Demoko, when we were on the bridge, you gave us rings that could disguise us. Do you have any more of those, or perhaps some magic that could shroud us from view entirely?"