Marveila's city square was rife with activity. People left their homes and businesses, standing in crowds that spoke with worried voices and hushed whispers. Many in particular grouped around the stairs that led up to the city's temple of Alesia, upon which the preacher stood, clutching ash between her hands. Prayers were spoken, attempting to pierce through the overwhelming dread that she felt. The townsfolk nearest noticed her unease, which spread throughout their part of the crowd. All eyes were on the pillar of light in the distance, confusion and questioning on every mind. The city guards had set up near all entrances, prepared to defend the town from whatever threat may have come, though there was visible nervousness among them all.<br/><br/>At the train station, people left hurriedly, piling off of their transport onto the platform. Most of them were seeking refuse within the city, though some remained to gawk at whatever was happening. From the car nearest the vehicle's end, Magnus emerged with his parents. His weapons were worn, belts crossing his torso and waist to secure the sword to his hip and both hammer and shield to his back. Under his arm, he carried his helmet. Once on the platform, all of them turned toward the event. Magnus's father put a hand on his shoulder, taking a deep breath before he spoke.<br/><br/>"Are you sure you want to go out there? Goddess only knows how dangerous it could be. We could just tell the church, let them send in their paladins..." There was obvious concern to the old man's voice. The idea of his son running into whatever that light even was, the mere possibility of him not coming back, was deeply distressing. Magnus placed his own hand over his father's, giving a nod.<br/><br/>"They'll know something's happened. If I felt it, so did they. With the time it would take a legion to come, whoever is responsible could already be gone. I can't let this opportunity slip by." Magnus admitted silently, the church's warriors would be the best backup he could have asked for in this situation, but there was little time to waste on waiting. It was now or never, as far as he was concerned. His father's hand slipped off his arm, and the two embraced tightly. "I'll come back. You two need to stay safe until then." He smiled, pulling back ever slightly. "I expect a welcoming party."<br/><br/>His father laughed a little halfheartedly. "Aye," He answered, pursing his lips as the hug ended. "We'll stay at the temple for now. You'd best come back in one piece, lad."<br/><br/>Magnus once again nodded. "I'll be sure to keep everything attached, don't worry about that." The attempts to lighten the mood helped somewhat. Before they began to leave, Magnus's mother hugged him as well.<br/><br/>"If there's anything out there the church can help with, tell them once you've come back. We aren't in this alone." She tightened her grip on him, then pecked him on the forehead. "And if there's anything either of us can do, let us know."<br/><br/>It was a reassuring thought, and as the rest of their party gathered on the platform, Magnus agreed with her second statement. "You're right, we're not. For now, stay safe." The three of them shared a hug together, during which Magnus quietly prayed for their safety and protection. From the bag on his belt that held the amulet, a soft gold glow spread, circling the family in the outline of a runic circle for a few moments. Eventually, they parted, and both of Magnus's parents left the platform for the city's gates.<br/><br/>When they finally left his view from the platform, he turned away, flipping his helmet over so he could put it on. The last piece of armour slid over his head, and he secured the bevor and burgonet with small straps on either side of the helmet. Now fully encased in his armour, he rested his left hand on his sword's pommel, awaiting the rest of his companions.<br/><br/>-----<br/><br/>Verigan emerged from the train, his hat's brim tilted down over the eyes of his mask. Just looking at the event on the horizon was causing him discomfort. The unfamiliarity of the presence was only a part of it; it felt like there was even more holy light in the pillar than even the sun at high noon. The distance they were from it and his various wards kept him from combusting, yet they did little to soothe the feeling of sheer foreboding that it carried down from the sky. Once on the platform, he approached Magnus and stood next to him, peering down to catch his attention before speaking.<br/><br/>"That's quite a thing to be running toward," He commented, to which Magnus responded with a small noise of agreement. "I may not know much about the intricacies of Light, but I do hope whatever it is, you can handle it." Idly, his arms moved forward, and he balanced his cane on its tip in front of him, both palms resting atop its skull-like knob. While he did not say that he could feel it, Verigan didn't doubt for a moment that Magnus could tell he had some sort of ethereal knowledge beyond magic. Miraculous disposition was a two way street when it came to sensing and giving off spiritual auras. While Verigan had learned much in the ways of Dark, and knew how to hide most of his, his very nature as a lich gave him a distinct air.<br/><br/>He was curious as to how the Alesian would feel in regards to users of Dark in the party. Not only him, but Atisha too. On the ride, he'd learned about her use of hellfire to stop the burning of his home, but not whether he'd realized the flames were of the miraculous sort. It was a delicate situation, but not one that could be avoided forever. He felt that it would be better for Atisha to tell him of her own volition when the time came; they'd traveled together longer than he'd been around. How long, he didn't quite know, but there was sure to be more trust between the two. For now, he decided to remain with her, and awaited the Alftar girl's arrival to the platform.<br/><br/>-----<br/><br/>Tarkus grunted, moving his shoulder as he adjusted the position of his blade. "That, I do not know. But there is always a method." His knowledge of the supernatural beyond the old spirits of his homeland was limited, but even those deeply revered could be defeated by someone of a strong enough constitution. As far as he knew and was concerned, this display of light and runes was just a show. He felt nothing regarding the pillar's actual spiritual power, but felt it worth investigating nonetheless. Something of this degree of flashiness was an attention grabber, especially considering descriptions of things to come he'd beaten out of a few would-be assassins encountered during his travels.<br/><br/>He began to walk, clicking with his tongue as he did so. Brom, after some moments hesitation, pushed himself off the ground and shivered. The cat-beast was clearly intimidated by what had just happened, glancing repeatedly towards the light show. In some effort to hide from it, he moved behind Vival, ducking below the dragon's mass. Now, nearly the whole group was between him and the pillar, and some newfound ease came to him. The stables were a mess of activity, workers trying their best to calm down panicked horses and cockatrices, but another click from Tarkus kept his attention off of them.<br/><br/>During the walk, Tarkus slowed slightly to accommodate Vasma, coming to a pace near hers so he could address her. "This may be it," He said with some uncertainty. "Are you sure you wish to see this through? There are going to be risks." The other people he was with, he wasn't as worried about. They were young, fit, and best of all, he barely knew any of them. But Vasma was a longer-term companion, and he had concerns for her safety in regards to this event. Still, he continued walking, looking toward the platform of the train station as they neared it. His attention was drawn towards the armoured figure staring toward the light, as well as the people piling off one of the vehicle's cars without immediately bolting for the safety of the city walls.