[System]
Age: 20

Gender: Male

Race: Human

Appearance: Standing at about 5'9" tall, Tiral has a fairly average build for his age, which is kind of strange considering how he's perpetually surrounded by the other Iron Rose Knights who seem to be much sturdier than he. His light brown hair is cut short, but has found a way of remaining a shaggy mess that barely avoids his eyes, even while he is wearing armor. More often than not, though, Tiral opts to avoid the usage of any large plate armor or metal armor, instead only wearing stronger equipment over his vitals and leaving the rest under regular leather garb. His sword will often times be sheathed at his side, ready for combat at a moment's notice.

Personality: Tiral is... Actually fairly deliberate for a knight, if not somewhat bored by the peace of everyday life. His journeys at a young age meant he was already able to experience life in the real world, and since then the dusty old libraries that the mages hold in such high regard have been... Well, fairly dull. This doesn't mean that he isn't devoted to his work, but rather that he does not wish to learn anything unless he finds it interesting. Even so, his patience when it comes to such things is unparalleled. Or maybe it's just the fact that he can slap some ice onto people's mouths when he's trying to focus. That too.

Brief Backstory: Having been orphaned a young age due to an illness that wiped out the rest of his village, Tiral was taken in by a priestess of Mayon who was moving with a group of travelers to bring aid to those in need. Though he was never explicitly religious, he greatly appreciated the efforts put forth to save his life, even then. As he grew up alongside these people, the priestess soon found that Tiral had an aptitude for magic. With a recommendation from her (and the goading of those around her), Tiral went off to the capital to further his studies of magic. Sadly, the monotonous life of a studying magician was not quite what the then-young boy had expected of magic.

It was then that he heard of the Iron Rose Knights, whose feats were oft recorded in the books he was forced to pore over. Deciding that the life of a knight was much more entertaining than the life of a magical scholar, Tiral packed up his things once more and went to join the order. Learning the sword came about as easily as magic did to him, but the combination of the two (and his somewhat strange insistence on learning both at once) made him particularly noteworthy among that year's recruits. Since then, Tiral has been honing his abilities, both magical and physical.

Equipment: Other than his rather 'unique' set of armor, Tiral wields a shortsword and a small ceremonial dagger. While the sword is standard-issue, the dagger is mainly used as a catalyst for some of Tiral's larger spells. It may be used as a glorified kitchen knife, but he'd probably never stand for that. More often than not, this dagger is tucked away in his shirt or under his breastplate, but it never leaves his person.

Skills: Contrary to many of his peers, Tiral has chosen not to solely specialize in the way of the blade; rather than just being proficient with his shortsword, Tiral is also proficient in the usage of magic in combat. This magic, focusing mainly on the manipulation on water and ice, has become particularly noteworthy for those who are particularly religious. He, quite frankly, just sees it as sort of a coincidence; his specialty being water does not mean that anything was pre-ordained by the gods.
Probably.

[User]
Sult inhaled so slightly, looking at the perspective of things. Fanilly seemed to compose herself quite neatly, and compensated the lack of height with the log's own. She would've looked majestic, if she wasn't just a simple teenager. Still there was hope, as the orders were sound and solemn.

However, deep in the trickster's mind, other things sprung to mind. I was thinking too much with my loins it seems. Why did I reveal my magic at the worst possible moment? Now everyone will want Sult's miracle touchy cure, and I'll be all drained and tired, and sweaty... and so much for this easy quest. I wanted to slack off a bit...

The former priestess-in-training, blithe spirit, and knight by vocation just resigned herself to her fate, looking at her surroundings. Well, she wasn't that heartless to deny her magical blessing to the people who needed it after a first checkup by the resident creepy doc. Specially that Hundi. Puppy eyes were a most dangerous weapon in her mind. Yet, something else caught her attention first.

Sir Garret was gently nudging Sparky, trying to wake her up from her mana overexertion.

"Maybe one should kiss the sleeping beauty." Sult shrugged as she advanced. She pouted so slightly, and then as if struck by a revelation, she suddenly grinned.

"I know! I'll use a new magical revival spell!" Sult added, with a mischievous grin, as she plucked out some small icicle of the log, advancing towards the unconscious Marianne. "Let's see." She paused.

"Wakey wakey, sparky." And then, without further notice, she slid the chunk of ice in the other damsel's back of the neck "Seriously WAKE UP OH MY REON THERE IS AN ADDER CRAWLING IN YOUR ARMOR." She added, her tone raising in feigned alarm.

[Assistant]
With the captain acknowledging Tyaethe's suitability as a bodyguard and the injured being tended to, Tyaethe sheathed the sword on her back and looked around for the bisected knight. Whilst the injured needed a lecture on how it was ridiculous to get yourself hurt in a fight against common bandits, and some lessons to drive the point home, it was obviously the wrong time to address them. Instead, gather up the dead--though anyone dying in this fight was even more unreasonable in the paladin's mind--and start the journey home.

Fortunately, nobody had trodden over the body in the rush to get to Jeremiah and the undead was able to identify the man. A veteran of the War of the Red Flag, he should have been a more than capable guard for the captain in her temporary absence--'should' being the key word. A surprise attack from an enormous sword was capable of felling almost any foe, and she should know. "Enjoy your rest in the Twin Palaces, my friend."

Now carrying the man--both halves--she waited for the doctor to be finished with his work, or for someone else to come along so they could fetch the shield. Best to connect the two parts before checking if one of the magic users could preserve the dead before heir burial.

[User]
Marianne Delacroix

It wasn't until Sir Garrett laid his hand on her shoulder to shake her, ignoring her cloak of electricity with his leather-protected gloves, that she started to rouse from her impromptu slumber. Eyelids slowly fluttering open, her vision blurry, Sir Garrett's face gradually came into focus. In any other situation, she'd be extremely uncomfortable with how close he was to her, but with her head still pounding she couldn't be bothered. He was saying something to her, but his words came across muffled and unintelligible as if she were underwater. Wincing from being lightly shaken, she softly groaned and her eyes closed shut again. She was felt absolutely exhausted. More than likely from the combination of mana over exhaustion and head trauma.

However...

All of this was immediately ignored and forgotten the moment she felt an intense chill shoot from her neck down her back. Waking instantly as her eyes snapped open and she let out a sharp gasp, Marianne got to her feet and tried as best she could to reach behind her to grab whatever it was that gave her such a fright. Yelping and letting out little anxious cries as she 'danced' and hopped about, even more so after hearing something about a snake from Dame Sult. It wasn't that she was afraid of snakes, she just didn't like being touched by unknown creatures. Especially to have one crawl on her.

It wasn't until she finally grabbed the offending piece of ice and held it in her hands to look at it to realize that a slight joke had been played on her. Looking at the partially melted icicle, her mouth hung open as she looked up to Dame Sult and stared at her with an incredulous expression. The blood in her cheeks immediately heated as she turned a bright red, mortified and embarrassed at such unbecoming behavior of herself. She wasn't mad at Dame Sult as she was simply trying to help wake her, and it worked quite effectively, she just wanted to crawl into a hole and hide for a little while. Quickly tossing the icicle aside and smoothing the front of her clothing and skirt, she desperately attempted to regain her composure. Clearing her throat, she strided over to her sword which lay near where she had fallen and returned it to its sheath.

She looked at all who had seen her little display and politely bowed her head to each of them.
"Th-...thank you all for...waking me. N-now if you'll excuse me, I must...uphold Delacroix traditions..."
Straightening herself up a little more, she cleared her throat once again. Remaining silent about the little show that she just gave.
Her cheeks still burning an intense red, she turned her back to the group and walked toward the center of the camp where the dead were being gathered and captive bandits. She couldn't walk away fast enough.

[Assistant]
Gillian's face was slightly flushed, both from the heat of the battle and its conclusion for their flank. The movement, for their part, had been entirely pointless, and he swore he heard at least one knight describe it as 'being caught with their dicks in their hands' by the end. While they effectively missed out on the second portion of the battle, none of them were dead, and he would gladly take the embarrassment of poor command over the alternative. He collected his abandoned spear while the remainder of the flank celebrated or swept across the battlefield, performing the normal mercy killings for those too injured to take captive. The captains charge still weighed heavily in his thoughts, how could that child be so damned foolish? Were there more to the ambush than just the tree and some crazy bandit 'king' they could have well suffered greater losses. Still, were he to admit that to Klien, his old friend would surely tear into him for focusing too strongly on the hypothetical.

He is pushed out of his thoughts by a sharp twang of pain coursing through his artificial arm. He grabs the offending appendage, hissing curses while the wave of pain washes over him. The Adrenalin of the fight had since worn off, and the minor hit now began to show its true colors, the socket of the arm audibly grinding in his ears as he moved the arm. He sighs, knowing that going to the doctor should be made a priority, though the thought filled him with more anxiety than any battle could. The only one he knew of was the odd fellow in the plague mask from earlier, and little about the man screamed 'warm beside manner'. Lifting up his gauntlet a bit, the young man whispers into the black chitenous wrist laying underneath, "Le Vrai Nom". He shuddered as the cold rush of magic shot through him, watching as the hard black shell of his arm fades into pale flesh. It would hardly hold up to the scrutiny of a trained medicine man, but it should be enough to avoid causing too much of a scene.

 "Th-...thank you all for...waking me. N-now if you'll excuse me, I must...uphold Delacroix traditions..." he hears as the approaches the now frozen log, as the young Delacroix rushes past, face flush, evidently fleeing some social fuax pas between her and the two knights who had rushed to aid the young captain. Teller was not far away, already tending to the hundi knight. "Is…this the line for the good doctor then?" he asks the two, clutching his arm at the shoulder.
@Themerlinhawk

[User]
Tiral gave a slight nod towards Ian, his body still aching like it had been run through by a bolt of lightning. Which, to be fair, it just had been, so there was still a considerable amount of pain that he had to deal with. With his mana almost gone right now, even standing up straight was a bit of a chore. Even so, with the captain's orders, he would have to give a report... Even with his current situation, there would be no excuses if he didn't.
...
Well, assuming the orders would be brought down with a firm hand, at least. He wasn't incapacitated unlike Marianne, after all, so that was one less excuse to pull.

Before dragging his body upright, the ever-strange doctor came over to evaluate the damage, with two of the knights who had been involved with the fight with whatever the hell Marianne had just run through with her magic following suit (albeit from the opposite direction). They woke her up in short order, to which Tiral shook his head in disapproval. Regenerating her mana would probably have gone better if she wasn't exerting herself, so at the moment she wasn't much better off than him. Well, minus the shock and all that.

With that out of the way, Tiral gritted his teeth and got to his feet unsteadily as he used the frozen log for support. Step by step, he brought himself over to the Captain's position, where he attempted to put on a brave face before nodding.

"Tiral Yevan reporting. No casualties on the southern flank. Enemy casualties, uncounted."

That was all he could muster before falling to one knee, his face contorted in pain.

"Damn... This is why I really don't like electricity..."


[System]
Theme: youtube.com/watch?v=vR18NP-acL4

Gender: Male? I'm a slime...no genitals. I think...

Species:
Slime > Amorphous Slime

Appearance:

A fluctuating red and orange colored slime that would probably fill a five gallon bucket. It's genuinely difficult to tell where he's looking unless he "generates" a head with limited facial features.

Goals: The world is vast and new. I want to see it and hopefully not get killed by some idiot newbie with a stick sword.

Past Life:
Asura's past life he only had a few things that stood out. He worked for the city he lived in. Doing things like mending roads, removing trees, cleaning up debris from storms, fixing waterlines and sewage, installing signs and various lights. He's sort of a jack of all trades when it comes to work. Thankfully he wasn't high enough in the chain to be forced to do loathsome paperwork. While not at work he was doing one of three things. Playing video games, namely western styled rpg's with the occasional slice of life genre. Busting his ass at the gym to keep a general strong body. The gym led to the third aspect of his life, boxing. He loved boxing even if he never went pro. His naturally high pain tolerance stacked with building it up higher through training let him dominate local challenges. Despite being a healthy guy and working hard he still died fairly young. He honestly doesn't remember how it happened but he figured it's most likely work related.

Abilities:* Physical Damage Resistance I - Lowers physical damage taken by a little bit. (A bundle skill applying to all three types, Blunt, Slash, and Pierce)
* Blunt Damage Resistance I - Lowers Blunt based damage taken by a little bit.
* Piercing Damage Resistance I - Lowers Piercing based damage taken by a little.
* Magic Resistance I - Magic damage from lower level spells is reduced, regardless of its element. Whenever you gain Elemental Resistances, their threshold will be used first before Magic Resistance is activated. Obtaining at least one level of all Elemental Resistances will cause Skill Synergy and automatically increase Magic Resistance by one rank.
[Earth Resistance I - Take less damage from Earth and Earth Elemental Magic. If all other Elemental Resistances are acquired, this will also increase the rank of Magic Resistance.
* Limited Shapeshift IV - Two properties of your body, not including color, temperature, or base material, can now be altered in the same manner outlined at Rank III. Unlike Rank III, these properties can be maintained simultaneously. Your body, or an extension, could become Sharp AND Hard, or gain a Texture while maintaining another property. Your ability to shift fine details with your base form is increased. The ability to shift fine details with extended forms, such as pseudopods, is now the same as the details on the base form from Rank III. If you alter only one property of a form, such as Sharpness, that property is greater than it was at Rank III. Your maximum reach with extensions remains the same. Forms that are most commonly used or associated with earlier Ranks now cost less Stamina to maintain. Your maximum "reach" with stretched portions of your body remains the same. While maintaining your original mass your ability to alter fine details is increased. A "blade" made from your body could be shaped in various ways, for instance, but a pseudopod with a blade at its tip would not be so refined; this would apply to other features like imitated body parts or facial traits.
* Stamina Furnace I - A form of physical and mental cultivation akin to meditation. Similar to concentrating on the beat of one's heart to calm it, you have accelerated the rate of physical recovery. Expend Mana to restore Stamina. This effect is increased if you have recently eaten, as it speeds up digestion--however, this may require larger amounts of food
* Blood Drain I - Through physical contact with whatever body part or orifice the user needs to eat and drink, drain the target's blood through an already open wound. In addition to dealing damage, this skill also restores the user's HP. The amount of HP restored will not be the same as the amount of damage dealt or the same as the amount of blood consumed. Any disease, poison, or other danger contained within the target's blood may also present a threat to this skill's user. At this rank the user is limited in how much blood they can drain and how quickly, as well as the target's defense, healing factor, and other circumstances.
* Cling I - As a Slime you are naturally suited to sticking to objects. By expending stamina, you cling to any surface and are able to climb or stick upon it. At this rank, the type and texture of the surface will change the skill's effectiveness. At this rank, you are much slower when moving on objects while clinging. At this rank, this skill cannot be used save to climb or stick to surfaces.
* Faster I - Your base physical speed is increased! By gaining the skills Harder, Better, and Stronger, Skill Synergy will occur and you will gain one rank of Physical Conditioning.
* Harder I - You have toughened yourself up through training! Clenched muscles or hardened flesh can be an effective shield--your base defensive stats increase! By gaining at least one rank in Faster, Stronger, and Better, Skill Synergy will occur to increase the rank of Physical Conditioning.
* Dextrous I : Your practice with fine manipulation and using your pseudopods has earned an unusual skill for your species! Your body can now be used to more effectively manipulate small objects and tools, though you still aren't strong enough yet to "wield" weapons or pick up very large things without other Skills.
* Slime Whip I - A unique ability for slimes. Create a sturdy tendril from a pseudopod and lash out at the enemy. At this rank, your range of reach is 5 feet. -Skill Synergy- You possess Limited Shapeshift III. Range is increased to 10 feet and adding a shifted blade, bludgeon, etc to your Whip is more effective.
* Throw Item I - Using an item from your inventory, you hurl it at the opponent by expending Stamina. Different items may have different effects and some are more suited than others as projectile weapons. At this rank, the chance to destroy the thrown item is very high. Damage type depends on the item.
* Smash II - A Physical Skill that consumes Stamina instead of MP. One blunt type attack deals increased damage! Damage buff increased. Stamina drain increased. Using a non-blunt type attack can now trigger this skill, but its power will be halved.
* Slash I - A Physical Skill that uses Stamina instead of MP. A single Slashing type attack becomes more powerful!
* Skewer I - A Physical Skill that uses Stamina instead of MP. A single Piercing type attack becomes more powerful!
* Rabid Fit I - Fly into a mindless rage, and destroy the enemy! A sudden burst of fury grants you increased strength and damage, but you'll become more vulnerable to damage yourself.
* Overwork I - Push through, break the limit, and--probably need a nap later. When you really need it, you're able to summon up just that little extra bit of power, at the cost of slowly stressing yourself to death.
* Skill Synergy: Rabit Fit I, Overwork I, Smash II. Your attack's power is vastly increased!

Transformations:* Slime > Amorphous Slime > ?

Inventory:* Healing Herbs x2 (??? Quality)
* Source Crystal Shard x1
* Jawbone Club x1 (??? Quality)

[User]
Asteria

---

---

Immediately upon seeing Mother rat being attacked by three ants, Asteria dropped the hatchet and the jar on the ground, and used Monster Analysis on all three insects. If there was a time to learn of a convenient weakness of these guys, it was now. However, while she'd taken a moment to consider the situation and her approach, Ed was already using all he had to attack the larger ant with his club. Deciding to let him handle that for the moment, Asteria darted into the hole they'd previously dug out, grabbed the Bloodingfly stinger with her tail, wrapping it tightly in its grip, then snuck to one of the smaller insect still focused on the Mother, and proceeded to strike with the stinger in a flurry of thrusts. With her front paws, she grabbed the Myrminor Scout, attempting to grapple and hold it down. All the while, she swished her tail-stinger in swift jabs at the Scout. Because its description had mentioned them possessing mana, she also used Mana Sense and Mana Drain while she held onto it.

Drops the hatchet and jar when she sees MR in trouble.
Uses Monster Analysis II on all three insects.
Goes to the hole to fetch the Bloodingfly stinger.
"Equips" the stinger by holding onto it with her tail.
Sneaks to one of the Scouts and attacks it with the stinger.
Grabs the Scout with her front paws to hold it down.
Uses Mana Sense and Mana Drain on the scout.

[Assistant]
---

@Duthguy

With a final flex of his will, Jason ripped the last vestige of the frog's soul from its body, and ending its life. Draining the frog had thankfully been enough to return him to full mana, and the last morsel had pushed him just barely over the top. With that done and over with, Jason floated back over into the shade of the log, and began to work on his next big project-- the skill, [Possession].

First Jason went over what he knew in his head; there was a spot in each living creature where a soul would be housed, it is difficult for an undead soul to stay inside a body that already houses a soul, and that by 'locking' a portion of one's mana pool, an enchantment stabilizing the connection can be created. Though he hadn't had much time to examine the high-level spirit, Undine was by far the best example of [Possession] he had seen thus far, and was subsequently going to attempt mimicking her as far as ideas for methodology went. First, Jason began to wiggle and squirm his way into the corpse of the slime; using [Transparency] only if he needed to. Carefully, he worked to locate the pocket he had ripped the slime's soul out of the night before. Then slowly pushing himself into it, Jason would cast [Shield] on the inside of the dead slime, attempting to seal himself in. If successful in sealing himself within the dead monster, the ecto slime would attempt to then suffuse the body with his spiritual being, to become like blood beneath a delicate skin just like Undine did with that blade..... To make this body his own.

[User]
While Asura worked with the skull, thinking over his experiences with it, he watched the other three. Mother Slime was draining the deer corpse of blood, probably trying to mimic what he did. But she didn't have his puddle-like nature to really push herself into the corpse. "Remember to save some of the meat, Mother. That's a big animal to eat." He said as he started to strip the muscles and meat from the skull. Trying to control the muscle fibers was clearly inefficient.

Adhering himself to the skull via Cling I would work. He knew exactly how to control his body, no guesswork on which muscle did what. While he moved about with the skull, making the jaw clatter a little as he did. Huffing audibly he detached the jaw and split it with a slash from a sharp pseudopod with at the tip of the bone. Given the nature of the deer teeth it could be used as a bludgeoning weapon. He could use it to enhance his own damage like Mother Slime had with the bone shards.

"We'll head back deeper into the woods in a bit. Plant fiber, more plentiful food, and other materials will be useful." He said as he checked the stones he held within himself. He took the one with the narrowest point and tried to use them to bore into the underside of one of the jawbones. Meanwhile he started to work on grinding the others together to sharpen them. Trying to give them an edge while using himself as the liquid.


[System]
Age: 16
Appearance:

Personality: Enver is a laid back guy that doesn't like to take life too seriously. He is the kind of guy to live life in the moment, taking opportunities as they come and paying little attention to the bigger picture. He likes to joke around and make fun of just about everything he comes across, be that people, situations, or whatever else, and is particularly fond of sarcasm. He is usually quite irreverent, and doesn't have much respect for authority of any kind. That said, he's never deliberately cruel, and tries not to go too far with his jokes.

History: Enver is Australian, born in Sydney to a pair of Turkish immigrants. As a kid, he developed a fondness for pranks. He spent a lot of time sneaking around, setting up his pranks and then making escapes from angry victims. As he got older, he grew out of doing practical jokes the way he used to, but he developed a specific set of skills during that time that stuck with him. In particular, his gift for sleight of hand and quick movement made it easy for him to pick up magic tricks. He wasn't really interested in it at first, but after messing around with the tricks a few times, he found it fun as a way of provoking reactions from others.

When he reached high school age, he had made a local name for himself as a decent magician. He was hardly famous, but he was able to draw in small crowds for his performances. As his reputation grew, he attempted to expand his array of tricks. He was almost always able to pick up tricks naturally, but there was one thing he just couldn't work with; fire. Any trick he attempted involving fire always ended up failing, with at least one try resulting in a small fire in his house. At first, he swore off the idea of preforming any fire based tricks, but as time went on, he just wasn't satisfied with being unable to do what he saw as such simple tricks. Out of sheer stubborn pride, he was determined to manage it eventually.

One day, he was fiddling around with a lighter while attempting to preform once such trick. As he fumbled with it, it ended up slipping from his hands without him even managing to flick it once. And yet, he realised his hand was on fire. It was only for a brief moment, but it certainly freaked him out. Having not even been singed, Enver realised something weird had just happened to him. He started obsessively attempting to re-enact that event. However, outside of a few freak moments of unintentional fire, her couldn't reproduce it reliably. That all changed when he received the letter from Four Winds. Realising he could perform authentic magic, Enver jumped at the opportunity to go there and learn more.

Skills: As a stage magician, Enver learned a lot about how to preform tricks without being found out. He can move his hands with amazing dexterity, and is quick and agile in general. In addition, he is a quick thinker that is used to compensating for failed tricks on the spot. He is used to being in the limelight, and doesn't flinch in the face of pressure easily.

Magic:
* Name: Combustion
* Type: Transmutation
* Description: Allows can emit fire from his body. At present, he has only sporadically managed to produce it from his hands, and still hasn't the foggiest as to how it actually works.

Inventory: Enver has a handful of items on hand for preforming basic magic tricks, such as a few coins, a handkerchief, and other random objects. Nothing too big or too useful.

[User]
Alice frowned. There were a lot more people waiting at the front gate of the academia than what she hoped. Even half of the current number would make her feel less special, but this much? She had braved through an unknown nation where she got lost for a while, only to be shown that she was less special than the letter promised her to be. It dampened her mood somewhat, but she decided that perhaps the people there could be used as parts of her story. She brought her pen and notebook, and started her observation of the ruckus that was happening - which didn't last long as a mysterious fog rolled by. Unable to see as much as she liked, Alice let out an audible sigh, and waited patiently until something else happened.

The fog thinned not long after however, and the keen-eyed Alice noticed that it came from a gasmask-wearing person that was still surrounded in a similar fog now. Alice wondered whether she should approach that person, but with how someone else approached them, the girl decided to stay put instead, taking notes on how the interaction unfolded from her current position.

Of course, the peace of mind that would allowed her to write did not last long. The sun suddenly darkened as smoke covered it. A glimpse was enough to confirm that it came from someone else this time. The smoke then crashed into the ground, and in a blink, turned into doves that raced towards each of the kids around. Alice's reflex was to take off her jacket and used her ability on it, but instead of continuing, the dove turned back to smoke, dodged the attempted block, and the smoke then entered her.

She couldn't move. She couldn't do anything but be frozen in her place.

The feeling of vulnerability and powerlessness scared Alice as much as she hated to admit it. Soon however, the culprit decided to show himself. Tattoed short-haired man wearing a lab coat. Alice attempted to memorize that person's image with as much detail as she could. He introduced himself afterwards. This man was Jasper, the one that sent the letter to her, and presumably the other kids too. He explained how he had effectively poisoned every single one of them just so he could allow for a quick transfer of information. This man made Alice felt uncomfortable.

He soon said that he had selected instructors to show them around the academia however, and promptly disappeared along with the paralyzing smoke. Finally being able to move again, Alice attempted to catch her breath. Losing control of her body like that, no matter the reasoning, felt nightmarish. She thought that sooner or later, she should find a way to avoid being in the same situation. Soon a red-haired man entered the scene though, and asked them all to follow him for the first trial. Still shaking, Alice wore her jacket again, and dragged her luggage as she passed through the gate, following the lead of the man named Varus.

This wasn't what she hoped to be the start of her story.

[Assistant]
Mikhail Suburov-Tachibana

Mikhail was going to kill Donovan (not that he knew his name). Why? Because he had messed with someone who must not be messed with, someone who he liked, someone who he saw as a friend. And yes, he meant Nico. Nico was precious, Nico was quirky, Nico was someone who thought poorly of others, but that just steadied Mikhail, provided a balance to Mikhail's own idealism. Nico kept him grounded, although the other young man didn't know it. But why had Mikhail missed the fight in the first place? Why wasn't he there to protect the person he liked? Well, there was one answer to that - because Mikhail had been surprised and shocked at how much the school campus stank of crime and malice, which to him, was like sulfur.

If not for the fact that Nico was there, he would have bailed out and ran back to his parents at the smell, smell that was presumed to come from the less...distinguished alumni of the school. But he was not going to do that, he was going to look for Nico - and did that guy just threaten to break his nose?! He was going to activate his aura, then punch that person in the face and show him what a broken nose was like!

Mikhail began running towards where Nico and Donovan were, fist raised against the latter. Then, the ground was shaded in darkness and shadow, and the sulfuric stink intensified. Then, the dark grey cloud that covered the sky broke, transforming into little cloud-doves that forced their way into everyone's nose, that last part counteracted his aura, bringing him into paralysis.

Then, a hologram of Jasper Takayama began to appear, clarifying that the image, and the words spoken, were part of an information-transferring spell that may or may not poison their lungs as well. Well, at least the spell's end allowed them to cough out said smoke. Mikhail breathed out, looking for Nico again...before their asshole of an instructor came out of the campus and asked them to follow him to their 'first trial'.

But right now, Mikhail can only care about Nico and how to make up for not having saved him from that bullying redhead. Plus, also, taking vengance on said redhead for his actions. Taking a glance at a shaken-looking girl who also stank of sulfur - though much less so than the bullying redhead - Mikhail finally found Nico as he said 'Capiche'.

"Nico, is that you?!" Mikhail would say in defiance of Varus as he walked with the other boy towards the open field. "It's me, Mikhail. Mikhail Suburov-Tachibana. Your penpal." Nico looked...handsome in his glasses and black suit. "I'm sorry that I failed to protect you; we'll get the other student - the one who threatened to beat you - later, perhaps during the trial our instructor was talking about."

It didn't matter that Nico stank of sulfur as well, due to his hidden tendencies to think badly of people. Nico was Mikhail's, and Mikhail was Nico's, so everything was all right. One would notice that Mikhail was not going to try hiding his sexuality, his...crush on the other boy. Let the others mock him; Nico was Nico, flaws and all. He was not going to leave him.

He just hoped he hadn't disappointed Nico by failing him today. A sigh.

You could turn off the Presumption of Innocence, you know, his mind told him. Mikhail immidiately rejected that idea, even as he looked at the other girl, the one in the jacket who stank, as well as the bully who tried to attack Nico, the one whom he promised to 'get'. He was not going to let down his guard in this place, not when everything seemed to be heading to bad things for him and Nico and anyone whom he might make friends with in this unfortunate place.

Then...he noticed something; the language barrier, it had faded! Something must have overriden his aura - or did it fade away when he inhaled the smoke?! If so, he had to be careful of the immense power the faculty had...

Ninanai@January@Scio@banjoanjo

[User]
Tavani Feracho

10 minutes ago

"Tch...man...I'm considered gifted but I have to travel this far. This is annoying...." The cry of dissatisfaction plastered the young Tavani's face as he walked with his hands in his pockets, thinking back when he had a conversation with his elder sister about this academy he was being encouraged to apply for. Good idea, she said. He'd make many friends, she said. He'll meet people just like him with the same troubles, she said. The problem was, Tavani didn't want to meet others like him. He'd feel less special just like at home.

Coming up to the academy and raising an eyebrow from the the scenery that were before his eyes. He had to admit, the place did look impressive and he was surprised by the amount of other teens who were present but with pouty expression still displayed on his face, you couldn't tell. With the potential students chatting and with Tavani scanning the area to take a look at these...."freaks" who were like him, Tavani decided to stick to himself at the moment and crossed his arms, waiting with everyone else. What were these others capable of? Curiosity tickled at his mind when he noticed a few individuals with interesting features about them. Not to mention, some of the girls present, looked cute.

Now

"The hell I need to socialize for?" he said to himself before looking up immediately at the smoke that formed above them and then crumbled and fell but then surprisingly turned into doves flying at them. Tavani took a step back from what he originally thought were pigeons but with the double take and failure to dodge because of the speed, the doves turned into smoke and entered into him.

The first thought that came to mind....was he high? Did his uncle's good shit extend all the way here? no...not at all. Yeah he couldn't move and could feel his senses were dying, which seemed pretty damn close to shit his uncle was snorting or smoking and had almost the same effects. This was worse though.... whatever this was, it happened immediately. Tavani gained the vision and could hear this man who was smoking in front of him, call himself Jasper. Explaining that he poisoned them, Tavani's heart raced as he physically was sweating from the powerless feeling before coughing and nearly choking after being set free and listening to the introduction.

While down on one knee, Tav didn't notice the other man that showed up but looked up when he introduced himself. Varus...a tough looking guy who not only told the students to follow but gave a tough stipulation. Now Tav definitely felt this was an annoyingly bad idea but since he came this damn far, failure was not an option and he simply nodded. But...how was Tav going to impress him. I mean, all he could do was shift his weight. For all he knew, the others probably had killer magic 10 times better than his but he was going to have to pull something out of his ass to pass this. "*sigh* Thanks Shauna for making me sign up and come all this way potentially for nothing...this is the last time I listen to you, sis...dammit..." he said to himself.

[Assistant]
Finally, something official started happening. But whatever it was, it didn't seem like something pleasant. A plume of smoke erupted from the building and blotted out the sun. Then, the smoke began to break apart, and transformed into doves, hurtling towards Enver and the rest. Enver should have been frightened, but all he could think of at first was why this was so bafflingly convoluted? Who needed to make a magic spell that created smoke that blotted out the sun that then turned into a horde of attack doves? Having always been a quick thinker and a quick mover, Enver moved to evade the onslaught of demonic smoke doves, but was caught nonetheless. The smoke entered his body and left him immobilized. It was soon revealed by the appearance of their headmaster via wacky magic image that this was all part of gathering information on them. Enver couldn't help but feel like his privacy was being invaded something fierce. Eventually, the spell was released, and Enver coughed up the gunk from his system. He still felt dirty.

Next they were introduced to the man called Varus who was apparently going to show them the ropes. Yet, he also claimed he was going to toss them out if they didn't measure up to his standards. Enver was under the impression he came here to learn how to be impressive, not to demonstrate himself to already be impressive. He had to wonder if his pissant flames were going to be enough for Mr. Douchebag here. If he was going to get thrown out of this place before he even got to learn something, then this whole trip was going to be a complete waste of time. Enver just rolled his eyes and followed along with the rest of the crowd. He had a feeling he wasn't going to have much fun right now.


[System]
Age: 24 when she was sealed in the sword. Now she is technically 724. Though her body hasn't changed.

Gender: Female

Race: Formerly Hylian, now Spirit.

Role: Sword Spirit

Appearance:

Personality: Observant and wise beyond her years. Ashi is the motherly type who likes to protect those who are close to her. She has a strong sense of duty and a whole lot of stubbornness. She's intelligent and loves to learn, one of those types who knows a little bit of everything. Her knowledge of the goddesses is second to none, books wouldn't even know more about that then she does. She hides her emotions from others and can come off as cold if people don't know better. She can keep a clear head in nearly any situation and can always be the calm voice of reason.

Special Item: Knowledge of the adventure that is to come and the telekinetic ability to call together the hero and their companions.

Weapon: Energy based magic that is pale blue in color. She uses it mostly for shielding the hero and their allies. But can also use it to attack with spheres and whips. She has also manifest it into various weapons, her favorite is a spear.

History: I'll be keeping that to myself for now and revealing through the RP.

Song:Ashi's Song

Other: When Ashi manifests from the Master Sword, she is surprisingly human. She can be touched, she can be injured, she can even be killed. It is only inside the Master Sword that nothing can harm her.

[User]
"Squeezing? What do you mean-" Then she very quickly knew what he meant when Farore's Wind took them away. It was as if her body was being rammed through a hole too small for her but somehow she managed to get through. The squeezing sensation made her feel uncomfortable but like the Sage had said, the feeling soon past and she could breathe easily.

"-I see...well a very new experience to be sure." She said after the spell was finished and they found themselves in the back streets where no one but a few stray cats were wandering around. It was a sight she did not see often but she restrained herself and followed after the Sage to the Temple of Time.

When they got there the Sage kindly opened the door and Stella thanked him with a formal nod and stepped inside. As usual the temple was magnificent to behold, full of wonder and splendor that told tales of the legends of old but while she had been inside before, never like this with the Master Sword out in the open and of course the various people who populated its interior.

Two young men, a Lizalfos, and the presence that had spoken to her, an ethereal looking girl who seemed to be a great mystery. She could instantly tell it was she who had spoken to her, partly because the voice had been female and she was the only female in the room. Already a thousand questions wanted to burst out of her mouth, such as why was a lizalfos there? Had he been summoned as well? Why were there so many of them? What did their caller want to tell them? And many more but she managed to restrain herself.

Stella, in the presence of the one who had called them together, instantly went back into princess mode. "It is an honor to meet you all, I am Princess Stella Vanessa Vi Hyrule." This time she gave a short curtsy in her royal garb, looked at each one in turn but focused her attention on the woman. "Forgive me for arriving so late as I had duties to attend to. Now I hope you can tell us why we are here. It must be of great importance for so many to be called."

[Assistant]
After sending out her messages, Ashi didn't have to wait long for the door to the Temple of Time to be opened. She saw them, before they saw her. Silently, before she was noticed, she examined each of three chosen. The Hero was Hylian, which was to be expected, but like the goddesses had told her, he looked nothing like the heroes before him. He sported silver hair and eyes, as opposed to the usual blonde hair and blue eyes. The Guide was probably the most surprising of all. He, at least she thought it was a he, was a Lizalfos, one of the dark creatures created by Ganon. The Musician was the least surprising, simply because she had never dealt with one before. Judging from his joke and manner, he was a bit carefree, but his rugged appearance said that he knew how to handle himself.

The hero was the first to approach, Ashi stayed sitting where she was and let them come to her. He sat down just a short ways away from her and spoke. "That is correct." Ashi answered, eyes sweeping across the three once more. "But I will explain no more than that until all of the chosen arrive. We are still waiting on two." It was exciting being near people again. Ashi wanted nothing more than to jump up and hug each of them. But she stayed sitting by the Master Sword for the moment. Keeping half her attention on the Princess and the Sage, while the other half was on the people in front of her.

It was only a short time later that she received the first message back from Sage. Then the second one letting her know that the other two were on their way. Then again only a short time after that they arrived. The Sage was a Sheikah male, something that Ashi was glad for, the Sheikah had always been important parts to the quests of the heroes. The Princess was very different than any of the other princesses she had met. They were all either blonde or brunets, this one had black hair. But Ashi could still sense the Triforce of Wisdom in her, not to mention the powerful light magic of the royal family.

Both the Princess and the Sage apologized for being late, and Ashi finally rose from her sitting position. "It is quite alright, your duties are important Princess." She said with a small bow. "As for why you are all here... You must have heard of the stories, about the heroes who go on great journeys to save the world from evil. Then the world becomes peaceful again before it happens all over again. This is the next part in that cycle. The goddesses have gathered you all here, the chosen, in order to end the cycle for good. It will be the six of us who destroy Ganon once and for all." Ashi paused, letting that sink in for a moment before she explained further.

[User]
Bris was a little shocked when the Lizalfos entered that had put his on guard, then the rogue he'd help early entered as well cracking a joke about them. "You know if this is a good then you've got a really strange group together ma'am." Said the mercenary his eyes locked on master sword, his hands itched sweating in his gloves. "A little early for a job but I didn't exactly make a ton on my last trip out." He paused shaking his head his eyes turning as he heard magic then footsteps.

He bowed his head as the Sheikah and the Princess entered the room, he respected them both a good deal. "I see we've join by royalty and a Sage no less." Smiled the Mercenary as they entered. "I believe we meet before Sage Rikshath, you had me collect resources for your work a year or so ago, I'm Bris Lux, in case you forgot." The boy finished as next the woman who had summoned them all here spoke. She said they would be Hero's who would defeat Ganon and end this cycle once and for all? Sounded like a lot of work and little pay, but if saved millions he could put off filling his coffer's, plus traveling with this lot would be good fun at least.

His's tore back to the master sword his hand's now burned, he thought it might just be the leather on the gloves. So carefully he slipped off his gloves as he spoke now to Ashi. "Well I'm normally one to take jobs that pay, this sounds to good to pass up, so what are we each..." The boy froze, staring down at his left hand a tattoo like pattern of the Triforce with the piece of courage glowing. "I'm the... I'm the Hero reborn?" He asked as if he couldn't believe it himself, slowly his legs moved as if they weren't his own.

He stopped at the pedestal his Triforce piece glowing brighter as his hands wrapped around the grip, his wore a look bewilderment and strength. Slowly he lifted his hands, wondering if the blade would follow and it did carefully the mercenary withdrew the ancient weapon, the Sword of Evil's bane was gripped tightly in his left hand. It felt as if he was suddenly stronger, his mind clearer and more focused, he felt as if this blade was rightly his carry.

Lux smiled slowly stepping down laying down his old sword at the pedestal he slipped the master sword into his scabbard. "So... I guess that tells me what I'm doing here." He joked to them as his Triforce's glow finally dimmed a little, he slipped the gloves back on to his hand. "So... I guess I'm here to fight whatever comes our way?" He stated as he sat down besides Ashi. "Was I not supposed to do that yet?" He asked the girl with all the answers.

[Assistant]
Stella's eyes grew wide as a legend appeared right before her eyes. This man, Bris Lux was in fact the Hero reborn! There was no mistake as the familiar glow of the Triforce appeared on his hand when he removed his glove. In response to his own Triforce piece glowing, Stella's own piece, the Triforce of Wisdom, glowed on her own hand, spreading its soft glow outward.

Of course her own piece was not a mystery so only its reaction to Bris's own was of any interest to her. For now she found herself inside one of the ancient legends she had only read about. In awe she watched as the new hero pulled out the sword from its resting place and replaced his old sword. It was a very magical moment for the princess who was instantly filled with energy.

Eyes glowing with anticipation, Stella stepped up to Bris after he sat down and asked Ashi if he should have taken the sword already. "Forgive the interruption but I just have to know a few things." What erupted from the royal's mouth was like a flood wanting to wipe out all in its path.

"Did you ever think you were different from others? Did you just learn about being the hero reborn? What did it feel like to hold the Legendary Master Sword? Do you feel any different now? Also do you have any stories you could tell me later?" Throughout all that the princess nearly forgot to breathe and had to stop herself from going any further, as her whole being seemed to be anticipating the answers that would follow.

She had not forgotten about the others and certainly had questions for them as well, but after seeming the beginning of a new legend, the hero was forefront in her mind at the moment.

[User]
Rikshath's attention was quickly brought to the man with the sword as he spoke at him. "I believe we meet before Sage Rikshath, you had me collect resources for your work a year or so ago, I'm Bris Lux, in case you forgot." Ah, yes... now Rik remembered. "Mm. Yes, I remember you quite well. Those books came rather in handy for my work, indeed. Of course, I've heard that you've continued to excel at your jobs." Rik indeed had remembered the man once he saw his face. From the back, he could've been anyone. However, the Sheikah was rather pleased that his perfect memory had been as reliable as ever.

However, it was soon after that the mercenary surprised everyone in the room by showing that he was the Hero of Time reborn. If the glowing Triforce of Courage was not enough proof, then his ability to wield the Master Sword was more than enough. The man held it as if it was his to wield, which indeed it was. It was shortly after Bris picked up the Master Sword and returned that he was bombarded with questions by the Princess. Rik sighed.

"Princess, perhaps it'd be best to ask only one question at a time, mm? After all, the man might scarce have even understood half of them, let alone answer them all." Rik said to the Princess, before resuming his studying of everyone in the room. He turned to the Spirit. "Would it be safe to assume you're the spirit that lives inside the Master Sword? I can scarce think of any other reason why you'd know so much. If so, perhaps you can inform those of us without Triforce pieces what our roles are, mm?" Rik asked, studying the spirit closely, almost seeming to see into her soul.

[Assistant]
It was odd hearing the Hero compare the journey to destroy evil to a simple paid job. Then again, just being around others was odd. It had been so long since Ashi had been outside this room. She wondered how Hyrule had changed this time, as it always did. Sometimes the differences were still, other times it was like it was an entirely different place. But through it all, the Temple of Time stayed the same. As it was protected by the goddesses' power. Usually evil creatures weren't able to get inside it. Though a few times it had happened. Never in Ashi's lifetime.

The Hero was drawn to the Master Sword, that much was obvious by the way he kept glancing at it. It didn't take him long to figure out that he was the Hero reborn. Moments after that, he stepped up to the Master Sword, and pulled it out of the pedestal. Ashi had close her eyes for a moment when it did, as the connection between the Hero and the Sword Spirit was established once again, making her dizzy for a brief second. Then gone was the feeling of emptiness that always replaced the connection when each Hero eventually died. "No, you just did fine." Ashi reassured the Hero after he asked if it had been alright to remove the sword. "As for your other question, yes, only the Hero and the sword of evil's bane can slay the creatures in the temples."

The corners of Ashi's mouth twitched upward as the Princess suddenly bombarded the Hero with questions, then was stopped by the Sage. It did not surprise her when the Sage guessed what she was correctly. "That is correct. My name is Ashi and I can in fact tell you what your roles are. As I said before, you are all here in order to end the cycle of evil once and for all. To do that, we will need to travel to the temples of the land. That is where things get complicated."

Ashi looked at the Lizalfos who was the Guide. "Only the Guide knows where the temples are." Next she looked at the Musician. "You have the Wind Waker, yes? By playing the song of each temple with it, the Musician opens the doors." Then it was the Princess. "The temples are covered in a darkness that would consume all who enter, if not for the powerful light magic of the royal family. Her eyes went back to the Hero. "As I said before, only the Hero and the sword of evil's bane can deal the final blow to the creatures inside the temples." Finally she looked at the Sage. "In the very heart of the temple, past the puzzles and creatures guarding it, is an altar. It is at that altar that the Sage must put one of each of the medallions."

Ashi paused for a moment to think. Should she tell them more about her role in all this? Then again, hers wasn't really important to them. No, they needed to know about the temples more than anything. "Once each medallion is in place, all five of you will gain a boost in strength. Whether that be through new magic, or some others means I'm afraid I don't know. After all the temples have been completed and all the strength is gained from them, can we finally take down Ganon once and for all." After that, she fell silent, allowing them to digest the information and give them the chance to ask questions. They couldn't say no to the quest, but they had the right to know everything they wanted about it before getting started.


[System]
Lauren Cartier

Lauren, as Iiniwa, dressed in his grandfather's clothes

Character basics
Nicknames/alias: "Matey", Al Revoir, Iiniwa

Age: 34

Place of birth & ethnicity: Red River Colony, Rupert's Land, Canada. Métis.

Gender: Male

Occupation: Bounty hunter, Soldier (Formerly), Huntsman (Formerly).

Character appearance & personality

Apperance: Lauren is lanky and tall, he has an average build. He is long-haired and has short facial hair. He has light skin and almond eyes, his hair is a dark black. Lauren has a large scar on his lower back, and has a rife bullet located somewhere in his lower abdomen. He has long hair, reaching his shoulders. He has a round face and high cheekbones.

Clothing: Lauren often wears a small black jacket with cuffed sleeves over a similarly black waistcoat, a gold pocket watch chain hung over it. He has a brown gun-belt on his waist for his revolver. He wears black trousers and brown boots. He also wears a large black brimmed hat. When in Indian territories, he wears an outfit once worn by his grandfather, a Blackfoot elder. When in this outfit, the only thing that prevents him from appearing fully native is his white skin. It is comprised of a loose-fitting shirt, chaps, and moccasins.

Personal style: Lauren is often sharply dressed, wearing suits and jackets that are in fashion in Europe. When riding or performing a bounty, he trades his fashionable attire for dark brown ponchos with beige trim, or worn dusters, already stained with a plethora of substances.

Personality: Lauren is taciturn and never talks about his past, he dislikes racism towards Indians due to his descent and especially dislikes bandits. Lauren is spiritual and often quick to bond with members of the Indian community. Lauren speaks the language of his people and French, and has little ability with English. He speaks English with a heavy accent and many pauses due to his unfamiliarity with the language's many confusing rules and clauses, as such, he prefers to stay quiet, when he does speak, it is often in monosyllabic words. Lauren is exceptional at hold-em, and is often found at a saloon table when not on a bounty. Lauren has little empathy, caring only on what he is about to do next, and not caring about anyone else his actions might affect.

Habits: When angry, Lauren's already heavy Quebecois accent becomes even heavier, and he rants in both his native tongues so fast not even native speakers understand him. He also has a habit of pushing against his lower back when distressed due to his scar.

Skills and items

Regular life skills: Lauren is a good tracker, and exceptional at riding, able to guide his horse with just his knees when aiming his rifle. He can barter well when he is pushed, and he is quite charismatic, owing to his handsome face and smooth French accent.

Combat skills: Lauren is an incredible marksman, especially when armed with a repeater or other rifle. He has a good quick-draw and is alright in a brawl.

Items on your person: Lauren carries a Cookson repeater and a Colt SAA, he also carries a beaver-fur hat, a gift from his father which he does not wear for risk of damaging it. He often has enough money on his person to afford a good horse. He also carries a hatchet and a hunting knife.

Additional stuff: Lauren has four sets of European style clothing, his bounty hunting duster and poncho, and his grandfather's outfit for visits to native territories.

History
What brings you to Haylliesburg: Lauren arrived at Haylliesburg a few months ago, stopping on his way to a bounty for a meal. Remembering the location, he returned recently to have some downtime before heading back out after bounties.

Your life before coming to Haylliesburg: Lauren Cartier was born in the Red River Indian territory to a native woman and a Voyageur by the name of Laurent. Lauren was raised mostly by his mother as a child, spending his time amongst the other Métis children and sometimes joining with the other Indians when they had ceremonies. Lauren especially idolized his grandfather, an elder among the Blackfoot who still made time to go out buffalo hunting with the young men. During his childhood, his father would periodically come around to check on him and teach him of the European culture, much to his mother's chagrin. At the age of four, his grandfather was shot by a bandit, his body dragged around by his horse so much it was barely recognizable. Soon after, his village was raided and his mother was killed, along with four in five of the village's inhabitants. Lauren was raised for four months by one of the now-homeless young hunters, Tired Condor, until his father, shocked and crying, came upon the two, shooting Condor dead due to a miscommunication. Lauren had already been through so much, and his father wasn't surprised to see the youth become walled-off and hard to talk to. Lauren's father, still a young man, retired to Quebec in order to raise the child. As a young man, Lauren returned to his home in the west, gathering the remaining members of his village together and holding a solemn vigil for the passed. A few years later, the Red River Rebellion broke out. Lauren enlisted into Louis Riel's army, serving on the firing squad of Thomas Scott, though he did not fire a single shot, instead fleeing south on horseback with all his possessions and reinventing himself as "Matey", a corruption of "Métis", for his ethnicity. He began serving as a bounty hunter and patron of the many Indian villages still thriving in the west.

Extra
Anything else you feel needs to be added, but doesn't fit anywhere else.
* Lauren has also been known as Matey Scott and Al Revoir, when in Indian territories, he goes by his native name Iiniwa.
* Lauren prefers to not introduce himself by name, instead going as Matey most of the time.
* Lauren is a father, though he doesn't care for his children, and with many, isn't even aware they exist.

[User]
As the brawl came to an end and the building burst into flames, Lauren wasn't afraid at first, more disappointed in his rivals, who had stepped up to fight a "savage" Indian and had ran at the first sight of any "savagery". Taking another look at the building consumed with flames, he began to fear, the last time he had been in such a fire, he had barely survived.

Nipooata! A voice echoed in his head, he saw the arms wrapping around him, the collapsing of his home and the pull on his body as he was thrown onto horseback, never to return. The present was different, he had been through much more, he knew how to carry himself, how to hold his head around the Americans, Canada was different, he was still treated with disrespect, but he was treated much better than those here, mostly due to the fact that the Americans had fought wars against his southern cousins, while the Canadians had signed treaties and peacefully joined hands with the population, the future seemed bright up there, not so much down here.

Looking over at his bounty, he sighed, knowing he had lost his investment, it took time to hunt a man, and a horse would need food, so it wasn't healthy on the wallet neither. Pulling out his revolver, he plugged the man in the forehead, spinning the revolver on his finger to shoo out any fowling and loading a bullet back into the newly free chamber. The bullets would leave "fowling", powder and other worthlessness, in the chambers, one could safely spin it so long as the hammer wasn't pulled to free them up, yet another thing his father had learned during his long years trading furs with the western tribes.

Coughing due to the heavy black smoke, Lauren dropped to avoid any bullets, noticing his breathing had become easier. He noted that as he crawled towards the back door, leaping through it and staring, wall-eyed. Putting his fingers into his mouth, he let out a shrill whistle, hoping that his horse, and with it, his rifle, would hear. He had a smart horse, one that wouldn't waltz right into open gunfire, so he had no worries about the beast's safety. What he was worried about was his gun-fighting capabilities with only a pistol. He much preferred a rifle. Looking at the sheriff, he yelled as loud as he could to get the man's attention.

"Mon cheval- my ch-horse will arrive!" He said woodenly, hoping "arrive" was the right word.

[Assistant]
The tan and white Appaloosa cantored up the low ridge towards Haileysburg. The Seneca native was not in a hurry, taking his time getting back from Tucson. He had the cash for Iiniwa in his coat pocket. He had to deliver the money to his friend of the Blackfoot tribe. The one thing a man had that another could never take away was your integrity. That was something you could easily part with if you behaved poorly. Mingan wasn't about to become dishonest when so m any others had already trodden down that worn out path.

When he reached the top of the ridge, he was just a quarter mile from town. But something was amiss. Mingan distinctly heard a gunshot and then several more followed the first one. Having survived that hellish event known as war about 16 years ago, Mingan was not in a hurry to charge down into another gun fight; especially not knowing who it involved. Maybe his friend Iiniwa was in this fight, maybe he wasn't. Mingan decided he would wait until the engagement quieted down before continuing down the hill towards the town.

From his vantage point, roughly four hundred or more yards away, Mingan could see people running between two buildings and plenty of lead flying back and forth. He couldn't identify anyeone, but it was quite a hot fight. Then he recognized his friend Iiniwa diving out the back door of hte building on the left and he let out a shrill whistle; one he had heard before. Iiniwa was calling for his horse. Knowing the native Canadian too well, Mingan knew he needed assistance.

Mingan spurred Pajackok and gave off a loud, "Whoop! Aye-yi-yi-yi-yip!" Rider and horse rapidly charged forward heading toward the back door where Lauren Cartier waited for his mount. Mingan reigned in the thundering Apaloossa just as horse arrived. The Seneca native known as Joseph Rittenour dismounted his horse and retrieved his revolver as his boots hit the ground. He smiled at Iiniwa and spoke in Algonquin, "How are you my friend? What has happened here?"

[User]
Ducking down and pulling back the hammer on his revolver, Lauren's heart skipped as he heard the telltale yipping of his fellow bounty hunter and the heavy thump of horse hooves on earth. It couldn't be him, he was all the way over in Tucson, off handling the bounty Lauren couldn't get around to doing. Turning his head, he stood finally as the Appaloosa thundered it's way into the town, rushing behind the saloon in a hail of gunfire.

A portion of wall exploded near Lauren's head, sending a spark into Lauren's cheek as he turned to look at his partner. Cursing with an angry hiss, he rubbed his cheek once.

"A lot has happened, wolf." He yelled over the many shots echoing from the town center.

"All that you will know is that my bounty was killed, a coup de gras as my people call it." He said, noting that the building had begun to become fully engulfed in flames.

Rushing over to Mingan's side, he took a few shots around the burning tavern, hitting one bandit through the eye in a shot that he hadn't expected to get with a revolver. Pulling behind the building and thumbing the hammer, he smiled at Mingan.

"Coup." He stated as he was like to do, a jab at his own native ancestry, he much preferred taking coup with a revolver than with a stick.

Spinning his revolver once more, he held back tears as the rising smoke from the burning tavern stung at his eyes. He hated fire, perhaps it was the trauma, perhaps it was the smoke, perhaps he was just a pansy, no matter the case, fire was one of the few things he never liked encountering, that and maybe the Canadian army... or the Marshals... actually he didn't like encountering a lot of things... especially rattlesnakes.

His mind began to wander, the bullets whizzing by as he stared wall-eyed at his riding companion. He shook his head as he noticed that he still happened to be staring.

"Sorry, I just had another vision." He lied.

Just then, his horse raced in from behind the building, having gone the long way to avoid the gunfire. Cursing the thing under his breath, he pulled his rifle from off the beast's saddle, pulled back the lever and mounted.

"Either we leave or we help, I believe we have to do the former, but it is up to you." He said, holding the rifle in his off hand and the reins with his other.


[System]
Rank (If applicable): Major (Swords of Sanghelios)

Species: Sangheili

Appearance: Standing at 252 cm (8'3") and keeping his brown eyes to himself most of the time, Yalu is the model of any Sangheili soldier. His average grey complexion only conforms him further. Without his armour, he barely sports a somewhat wide chest and mandibles to give him an individual appearance. His combat harness at least allowed the expression of his lineage; a refurbished assault pattern harness he brought out from family storage shortly after The Great Betrayal ensued.

Skills: Close to medium range combat, vehicular combat, and just about any situation requiring improvised solutions under pressure. Not the strongest or most resilient, but fast of body and mind.

Preferred Weapons/Equipment:
- Type-57 Carbine [T-57 C] or Needle Rifle [T-31 Needle Rifle], though any good marksman's weapon will do
- Concussion Rifle [T50 DER/H]
- A Brace of Plasma Grenades [T1 Antipersonnel Grenades]
- Wrist-mounted energy dagger
- Whatever else is at hand

Background: Yalu began his career from an unassuming life on Sanghelios, indoctrinated like many of his peers into the Covenant dogma and piped into its military training. It quickly became clear that he was a fast fighter and a faster learner. Merit in training carried him into promising early missions for his masters. He distinguished himself enough to earn respect -- a reliable soldier with strong initiative, a level head in a crisis, and always looking out for his team mates. His superiors saw enough potential in him to present fitting challenges, but he generally fell short in one key aspect. His kill count was low for a soldier of his capabilities. He was promoted to major only when most at his cohort and skill level were already each majors for at least three years, and he never earned the right to carry a sword.

Those Yalu worked alongside could not begrudge any lack of skill or courage. He knew when to strike and was a fantastic shot in amongst any firefight, not to mention no one could recount a time he seemed to panic or give any indication of retreat. When the time for slaughter came, he simply feigned advance when everyone else rushed forward to take scalps for personal glory.

Superior officers spoke with him about his reticence, but there was always an excuse or a dodge he had. They most eventually tolerated his behaviour as a lack of ambition. That was until he was assigned to an Ultra with a deep seated bloodlust during the Human-Covenant war. Yalu faced the most dangerous months of his life in that time, as he was thrown into mission after mission with the tacit (and sometimes clearly stated) objective of killing as many as possible. It was in this time that he grew resentful and empty. He might have lost himself completely as he justified the missions as a path to the Great Journey.

Then the prophets stole away everything. The Sangheili were replaced by the Jiralhanae and the truth came out about the Halo rings' purpose. Yalu's commanding Ultra tossed aside any notion that the prophets were in the wrong as if there was hope on the other side for any of them. Yalu, with the support of the soldiers around him, called the Ultra out, accusing him of dishonourably feasting on blood rather than granting mercy to worthy opponents. The Ultra drew an energy sword and a duel followed. Yalu won out by taking a cheap strike at his opponent's jaw to shed one drop of blood, before claiming it was the only honour he had to spill. The Ultra lost his temper and fell into all of Yalu's traps until he collapsed into a battered heap, beaten to within an inch of his life by the butt of Yalu's carbine. In one more act of mercy, Yalu obliged the Ultra's next order to end his life to cover his shame.

Thankfully, Yalu was not the only one resentful of their position and betrayal by the prophets. The battlegroup agreed to find and defect to the separatists. Once again, Yalu fought for a cause in a way he could agree with.

After the war, Yalu's body count was still abnormally low. While respected by his peers, his new leaders resented his lacking approach to his personal honour and glory. The prospect of Aegis Team was the perfect way to dispose of Yalu while still providing a top notch fighter with a cooperative spirit to joint operations.

[User]
For the most part, Comi and Lucas kept to themselves on their Phantom, speaking quietly and punctuated by the occasional laugh or chuckle from one of the two. When game time came, they were ready to go.

Spartan Lucas Ryker

As his boots hit the soft earth of the planet's surface, the SPARTAN-IV was already putting his DMR to his shoulder and moving to secure the perimeter before anything else was done. However, he had to admit that the weather conditions would make this trip just a little trickier than they'd likely anticipated. Of course, as he cleared his quadrant and found nothing, he did smile as he recalled the days with his old Black Ops squad, using weather like this to hide both their approach and their exfiltration. This might not be so bad after all, all things considered.

Hopping into the back seat of one of the spectres, DMR still in hand. "Well, on the upside, you can't ask for better weather to mask an approach from the low ground."

Comi'Masam

Comi had landed alongside Ryker when she dropped from the Phantom, but moved in an opposite direction. She had her sniper rifle stored on her back and her plasma pistol up and at the ready, though her sword remained on her hip as she moved to the edge of the clearing and secured it. Following that and doing as she was ordered, she sat in the spectre separate from Spartan Ryker, storing the pistol and drawing her sniper rifle. "I am in agreement, Commander. Any guards on patrol will not see us through the rain and fog."

[Assistant]
Tar sat quietly through the phantom ride, listening to every rattle and hum of the hull as if it was talking to her. Her mind slowly calmed, uncoupling from the galaxy outside Brissekh to focus solely on the mission.

They all knew what they were doing, they'd seen the maps and force strength reports. Now all that was left was to walk those paths and eliminate anything that got in their way. Tar was loyal to Brissekh, but like any other Sangheili warrior, wouldn't hesitate to kill her clanmates if they refused to stand aside.

She checked her loadout one more time, then stared into space again. Time passed, until suddenly it was time to go. Tar got up and stepped into the grav lift without hesitation.

The rain whipped about her as she levitated down to the ground, bringing the smell of wet vegetation with it. This instantly brought back memories from Tar's childhood, foraging and hunting in woods like these. She scanned around as she flew, taking in the edge of the forest and the mountains in the background. It was good to be home; she could've warbled with delight had it not risked attracting attention.

Tar's feet sank into the mud with a satisfying squelch. Thankfully as her armour had been crafted on Brissekh, her shoes came with small retractable studs to keep her steady on this kind of unstable ground. The Commando raised her carbine and fanned out, securing the perimeter as rain hammered the clearing and trickled into the cracks of her breastplate.

Once Vael gave the order to mount up, Tar moved quickly to the lead Spectre, stowed her carbine and hopped into the driver's seat. The front hull closed in around her legs, leaving just her head and upper body exposed. She activated the vehicle, and it floated into a ready position. "The fog could get worse. Stay close." Tar grunted, checking her instruments. She wasn't as familiar with driving Spectres as she was with Phantoms and Banshees, but most of the principles were similar.

[User]
Yalu 'Suumko

The descent to the planet could only accommodate so much meditation. Yalu found himself ruminating too much to glean any more benefit to his mind and body. He opted to bring himself back to the present around him and joined in conversation with his team mates. He grew quiet when they were near the ground.

The grav lift hatch opened to blast them with cool humidity. Yalu almost spat at how thick the air was. This place, the plant life and the atmosphere, it could be as potentially disorienting to the team as it would their enemy. The notion of the keep guards' home ground advantage sank in as deep as his toes into the mud.

Maybe bringing along 'Mdalak would be more a benefit than he had estimated.

"Mounting up," Yalu obeyed, hoisting himself up and dropping into the cockpit of the next Spectre vehicle. He deposited his needle rifle in a suspension holster beside the controls and powered up the sleek grav craft like a swift morning routine. It hummed to life and raised a foot above the mud.

"Do not get too comfortable," Yalu warned. "They might have your Promethean optics too. Do your best to spot them first."

[Assistant]
Vael 'Virisusai

---

Vael took the driver's seat of one of the spectres himself. It was going to be a long drive, so he wanted to be sure that each one was taken by an experienced driver. He did not want any delays in getting to their objective ,if they could be avoided. Although, he did still decide to defer to Tar to lead their convoy. Being a local, she had more intimate knowledge of the environment and terrain, especially surrounding the keep. He believed it would be wise to take advantage of her experience.

"Check your maps. Our objective is located on a plateau in the mountains near the keep. Once we come close enough, we will proceed on foot up the mountain. We will establish the communications jammer for the Human construct to use to cut off the cannon's guards from the keep. Should we be detected, we must ensure there are no survivors to report our presence." Vael explained as he prompted Tar to take the lead.

---

Although they had to move through a forest, the spectres were maneuverable enough that the team started out making good time. Once they came to a small river they could follow, they were even able to press on at full boost for over ten minutes straight. Naturally, the closer they came, the more cautious they would need to be.

However, before the cannon's defenders could even begin to be a problem, there was another obstacle manifesting around them. The rainstorm surrounding them did not subside. Far from it, the storm grew ever stronger as time passed. Heavy rain turned into a torrential downpour, deafening thunder followed cracks of lightning every few seconds, and winds picked up to the point that the rain was falling near horizontally. The storm was strong enough that the spectres started to tilt in the wind. Vael had to turn his vehicle into the wind at an angle just to keep going straight, which only added to the issue of poor visibility. Vael could just barely make out the glow of the gravity propulsion drive of the spectre ahead of him. For those on the turrets, and especially the side passengers, it would be a struggle just to hang on.

[User]
Tar swore as her Spectre creaked again, trying to fly away in the howling wind. She was taking on a worrying list; her engines whined as she turned the front into the wind and squeezed every ounce of power from them. "Lean into it or we'll go over!" She bellowed at her passengers. Rain splashed directly into her face off the front hull of the Spectre.

"We should find shelter. This is the rainy season - the worst could still come!" Tar knew all too well the perils of braving events like this, especially on the exposed plateaus where they were headed. Many Sangheili had spilled their blood on the rocky outcrops below.

She frantically cast her eyes around for somewhere they could go while trying to control her Spectre. Visibility was almost nil outside the basin they had been riding through. Then Tar saw the dark green vines plastering the forest floor on one side. She knew immediately what that meant. "Up on our left! There's a cave system!" Tar called, pointing with her free hand.

[Assistant]
Yalu kept his hand calmly hovering over the emergency brake every moment he could. Lower visibility meant following closer behind the commander's Spectre. The speed they were keeping up did not help the risk either. Though, he did not falter — he was not on the team for being an average driver.

Tar's directions caused Yalu to bank hard to turn in her new direction. He made the repulsors weaken to almost nothing as the wind turned his vehicle into an aerofoil for a moment. It was all he could do not to have the whole thing flip over and injure his passengers.

He said nothing but a quick acknowledgement to keep down on radio chatter. His questions and concerns about the weather would have to wait.


[System]
Color: Light Green

Age: 36

Gender: Male

Description: Urs has shaggy and sandy brown hair with thick eyebrows in width, although they are not necessarily bushy. Parts of his right eyebrow are covered by small tufts of hair which protrude from his shaggy forest which is his hairline. His eyes are a crisp and burning blue, which are fabled for their oft directed daggers, always sent someone by way of someone who is annoying with furious blue passion. Urs' jaw line is defined and sharply chiseled, with high sculpted cheek bones that highlight his cheeks. His teeth are blindingly bright, and when he smiles you can just swear you hear a "Ding!" almost straight out of a cartoon. Plasted accross his facial features is a trademark grin, his teeth glinting, or perhaps when he is feeling stubborn and moodier, a dirty scowl. Moving down his face, his collar bone is accentuated and very visible. Burns and leathery patches from chemical fires or backfiring experiments spot his body. Standing at five feet and ten inches, his body is not muscular perse, but he has a slightly above average build. For present world perspective; he is akin to being able to bench press 145 lbs (slightly above the untrained average of 135).

As far as attire goes, Urs can be seen, when working on chemical productions or traveling, a large and enveloping trench coat which doubles as a cape of sorts, an andonized navy vest under, brown fabric pants, thick leather gloves with adjustable buckles, and leather boots with dried dirt and soot carpeting them. Strapped to his head rests a primitive gas mask capable of filtering out most dangerous gasses and concoctions. Carefully placed atop his head is a wide brimmed classic Fedora, sewn of a rusty colored thread. At his waistline is a an animal-hide belt with various items strapped aboard.

Occupation: Oasis Resident Alchemist / Scientist

Personality/Bio: Urs decided to foray into the field of alchemy not because he had incredible interest in it at first, but rather a lack thereof in other professions. Without a promising future in any other trades, Urs was left a journeyman of many professions for the earlier years of his life. Perhaps by chance, or by fate, whichever you believe in, Urs was given the oppurtunity for apprenticeship at an alchemy shop through a friend of the family. Looking back, Urs always finds comedy in the irony that led to such a fruitful and invariably successful career for him. Much to his surprise, Urs found much appeal and fascination with alchemy, one that would consume him for the rest of his being. Years of extensive research and bestowed knowledge from his old and veteran master, who has since long passed away, have shaped Urs into a master chemist and alchemist. Urs would absorb what little literature the Oasis had on the subject, spending hours at a time invested in research documents written prior to his birth. Long nights would be spent toiling in the Alchemy shop's Labratory, which was furnished with the best equipment that the Oasis had to offer. Urs would be enthralled in the subject, incessantly trying explore new investigations and trials into the chemical properties of his experiments. This hunger and thirst for knowledge would grow to define him as his life went forward. Eventually, at the benefit of his master's passing, Urs was given the keys to the kingdom, and carried on the lineage set before him by inheriting one of the most prominent alchemy shops and research centers in the Oasis.

Urs unearthed many things previously unknown to the field of alchemy in the oasis, and a myriad of possible chemical compounds were uncovered. Urs spent much time hired by nobility and royalty to attempt to find ways to transmute metals and coppers into the elusive and fabled gold ore. Even if all his attempts were unsuccessful, his reputation as an intelligent and sharp-witted scientist and alchemist was growing. Many say that it was Urs' drive for success and his yearning for discovery and knowledge that engendered Urs to become one of the prime alchemists in the field and be considered one of the smartest minds in the Oasis. It was, perhaps, that same drive and desire that led to his volunteering for this hopeless "fool's errand." His desire to discover more, to learn of the deep unknown that extended for as far the eye could see in the desert, was what drove him to volunteer. He has hopes to discover possibly more elements or different vegetation which he may be able to bring back to revolutionize the scientific scene in the Oasis as he had done so many times before with his discoveries. It is on these hopes that he pins his journey.

Possessions: Urs carries an iron dagger strapped to his animal-hide belt at his waist. Although iron and other metals are very rare in the Oasis, Urs' high status as a prominent scientist and alchemist has allowed him access to those types of resources more than once. Although he is not especially adept with the blade, it is there should he ever need cause to use it. Urs also has a myriad vials, a small collection if you will, also fastened to his belt, all of them serving different purposes. He has vials that contain ointments to be applied to be burns or others that disinfect open wounds. Other glass vials can be thrown (parallels are drawn here to modern day grenades) which once the glass is broken and pressure is released various hazardous effects can occur. These effects include things like the effect of a molotov cocktail, poisonous gasses, small explosion on impact, and other chemical defects. And as previously mentioned, Urs carries a basic gas mask capable of filtering out most harmful compounds. As well as this, he carries a collection of elemental and chemical compounds for testing while out in the oasis. Lastly, he carries with him a pair of goggles to keep harmful chemical gasses out of his eyes.

[User]
The Wanderer: Gabriel Del'Tannon

Gabe nodded at Hannibal's apology. It was an odd custom, but one he'd seen before. He made sure to give him a pat on the back as soon as he turned to go. It looked like his spirits weren't dampened though. "Ho! My fellow beacons of life in this cruel wasteland! A joyous close to the first day, isn't it? I feel as if the whole of Oasis couldn't stop us if they tried! With luck this blasted desert won't either." Gabe was usually averse to such men, but with a suicide mission like this, he was glad they had a leader with such spirit. "Reckon so." he replied to Hannibal's announcement.

He began to move on at that, the Caravan still moving at a brisk pace, before the Nekroz girl invited him to sit by the fire that night. She made it sound ominous, but he knew better. He glanced back at her as he led his own mount away, and tipped his hat in acceptance. He'd join her, if only to sit by a fire and listen. The desert still sprawling before them and Oasis sinking into the distance, he might need a strong drink to lift his spirits.
@Snagglepuss89

[Assistant]
When the woman finished stumbling over her words Hannibal let out a sigh of exasperation before shoving the bottle of wine he was holding into her hands. The woman clearly needed the drink more than he did, and seemed to be growing more flustered by the moment. If her words caused him any thought at all, it was unnoticeable. Although underneath all the fluster she seemed... dangerous somehow to him. Storing that info in the back of his mind, he clapped a hand onto her shoulder and replied with confidence:

"My dear, it doesn't matter if Oasis were to chase us or not, and it doesn't matter whether we are greeted with love or disdain."

He then pivoted, facing the setting sun once more and pointed towards it, as if in challenge and began shouting.

"We are on a journey of greatness and goodness! So some of us are reviled? Bah! People are quick to forget, thieves will become heroes, and Oasis will remember us fondly! I say feed your pasts to the pack and be done with them! Our futures are to be grand! And Oasis grander for our efforts!"

Hannibal then turned to the two newcomers as they approached and addressed him. He took a moment to size them up. The man almost felt like a kindred spirit, in some respects. The woman, however, young and attractive as she was felt... Felt a lot like the tanned woman he had just been talking to. Hannibal's feel for people had kept him alive over the years, and he was inclined to trust his instincts.

Ava Hemmingway, I'll hav-

His thoughts were interrupted as she introduced the man next to her, all thoughts of responding to her flattery having thrown out of his head. Instantly he clapped his hands onto the man's shoulder and spun him around once in delight, letting out a laugh of enthusiasm. He had suspected this man was accompanying them when he read through the ledger, but to actually have it confirmed...

"Urs Uring, yes? My word, what a surprise to have you aboard this little venture! I've kept up on all your work over these years, fascinating stuff. If we'd had these advancements at the palace twenty years ago, why... Things may be mighty different now in Oasis I tell you! Have you had any more success transmuting metals? I'm beginning to fear it's impossible, personally. The possibilities though! Imagine being able to convert copper to steel, forget that gold nonsense, it'd be revolutionary! We all know it's lack of iron holding us back technologically."

Almost as an afterthought he turned to the young mercenary. She'd get to meet a famous person face to face? Was she so ignorant of her current company? Still, he supposed there might be a slight difference in the level of celebrity status between him and Urs. That or perhaps the woman was one of those idiots who read newspapers instead of books. Regardless, he gave her a bow of indulgence, she certainly wasn't the first fan he'd ever greeted.

"The Hannibal Bartleby Hughes at your service, Ava. I promise to do my utmost to keep us alive and well on our journey towards discovery."

He grinned and finally took her hand after speaking. At the same time, drawing his sword and giving another theatrical slash towards the sun. The fans seemed to love that stuff, and he was nothing if not indulgent.

[User]
~Senna Daher~

"Hey, don't worry about Hannibal." Senna laughed. "I'm pretty sure he gets that on a daily basis. I do too sometimes." She laughed as Aurelia mentioned they should have seen to Hannibal first. Well, maybe she should have, but she honestly couldn't stand those jackasses that were laughing at Aurelia. Well, at least they had more or less been silenced by her threat which was good for now. So the redhead merely gave Aurelia a wide grin as said she was alright. That was good. It would be kinda bad to get injured out here so soon and early. Well, with that out of the way, she should probably get moving.

Senna watched Hannibals little display with a small hum of interest. She hadn't seen something quite like that before. Some sort of...promise or something? Apology? Why couldn't he just say sorry or something? The only apology she'd accept was a drink and possibly a compliment telling her how pretty she was...okay, maybe just a verbal apology. She honestly wasn't one for apologies in general. Whatever Hannibal did was maybe a bit much to her, but hey if he wanted to do that then that was his thing. Not her place to say something about it.

The redhead watched Aurelia walk away, and her offer of joining her tonight. Well, there was an enticing offer. Senna hadn't been lying about her being adorable of course, she found most women adorable in some way but that was besides the point. Most people might consider that a bit bad, but well, she only offered her compliments because they were completely true. Most of the time. Unless she was being catty and sarcastic, which she liked to think she did quite well.

"Yeah, sure! I'll see ya there." She called out after the soldier. She'd talk with her later, but for now though the redhead moved back to the front of the Caravan. She wanted a front row seat to everything, and the front of the caravan was obviously the place to be for that. Night would be coming soon, though. The desert was already cooling down, and chances were they'd stop soon.

[Assistant]
Urs chuckled to himself. Hannibal, after all these years in the brutality of the Oasis which had an uncanny knack for molding even the strongest ofwills, still remained a jovial and upbeat man. Whilst many others would find Hannibal's antics obnoxious and distasteful, Urs always got great laughter and uplifting from Hannibal. His almost naive fervor for recognition was always entertaining, and to be honest, Urs found his amicability refreshing in a world rife with cynicism. Urs supposed others might view it as arrogance and egotism, but Urs saw past that. He saw a man with love for adventure, and nothing more malignant, nor spiteful. Although, he could probably see where certain people got annoyed with him, but Hannibal had never bothered Uring. All the years when Hannibal had been chasing escapades whether it be in the scientific world, or whether it be the town guard, Uring had always admired his perseverance and tenacity; his utter devotion to being a man of the people. Urs could not think of a better man in the Oasis to run the caravan; a man who was motivated by the people.

"Mr. Hughes, please, you flatter me too much with your kind words of my work. As for the metals, I am a man of principle so I will not officially say anything, but between you and me, yes, I have not been successful, and quite frankly, don't think I ever will be. But that is life, sometimes mother nature will allow it, sometimes she will not. But that's just how it is, and I think you know that more than anyone Mr. Hughes," he said, smiling a genuine smile at Hannibal.