Mystics Apprentice

--Janus -- North of Ultimecia's Tower-- The blue-haired youth didn't care to admit it, but he was rather grateful that Jaina did the honors of skinning the rabbit. Growing up as a royal, Janus had little experience in hunting and the grizzly task of preparing the meat, so the less that he had to dirty his hands, the better. He sat by the fire and rubbed his hands together, before bringing them up to the dancing flames to warm them. "So, what was your home world like?" he asked, eyeing the meat as it roasted over the fire. His stomach growled; never did he recall a small piece of rabbit flesh looking so good. --Vivi -- Cornelia Castle-- When the black mage paused he noticed that Luna seemed deep in thought. He tilted his head, the top of his canvas hat drooping to the side. "Are you okay there, Miss Luna?" he inquired, searching her face carefully. His voice echoed throughout the palace chambers, in a sense that caused chills to run down Vivi's spine. He didn't much like traipsing through an abandoned castle. "I wonder why no one is here," Vivi questioned aloud. "Do you suppose anyone will end up coming back while we are here?"

I'm sorry; I will try to post tonight.

That, or he just took a Keyblade to it and hoped for the best.

Aww, so sweet! Just two puppies? Wow!

Perhaps. Only time (and the other players' actions) will tell!

Alderon – Pursuing Mariel "Stop, Angel!" Alderon threw his claymore out before the ex-Guardian Angel and, if it met with her claws like he intended, he would thrust her back. The confused human king stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, massive claymore before him with his gaze lowered to the ground. "You must turn away now. I do not wish to harm you, but I must do as I must." Which means what, exactly? Alderon inwardly quizzed, though he did not give a moment's longer pause as he slashed vertically at Mariel. Yevgeni Malachite The elf stood to the side as he watched the barrage of attacks collide with the newfound god–a blend of Odin and his former friend, Nergal. While he thought that surely he would fall amidst the sheer amount of attacks, the powerful being rose, unlike that of what he once was and instead an entire creature anew. Emerald eyes narrowed as he began to leap into action, though only a string of words caused him to pause in his steps: "Stahdim Zii do Yol, fahraal dii faan. Dunaak gol ko oblaan yem ahrk al daar wo hind zey aax!" The blond turned his head to notice Rabiyu fighting, though what she was fighting caused his heart to leap up into his throat. With speed he didn't know that he had, Yev darted over to the group, standing between Typhon and the hexagon of light that threatened to shatter the bug. He conjured a shield of light which shattered upon impact. Why he was saving the cyph, he honestly didn't know, except for his desire to honor the truce that he swore to Prince Jynn and the others. His gaze met with Rabiyu's, the woman's eyes unrecognizable to him. "Lady Eliltari," he uttered, voice strained. "It would seem that you, too, have been bewitched. I must beg of you, think about what you are doing. This is not you. Something has tampered with your mind." Elia Cabret The fairy watched the scene, and horror struck her as Nergodin prepared the orbs for her friends. Her eyes darted to the heir to the throne. "Prince Jynn!" she cried out, flinging herself to shove him out of harm's way. Still hasted, her movement was swift and she succeeded in getting the prince out of the range of fire, but the fairy was not so lucky. Lightning sizzled around her, and a searing pain burned into the flesh on her back and her left wing. Before their eyes the wing shriveled and partly disintegrated, and Elia let out a piercing cry of pain. She collapsed on Jynn, her petite form shuddering violently as the stub of her lost wing twitched. Elia's eyes fluttered closed as her breathing grew shallower.

"Is it bothersome?" Kolm asked shortly after Henry's elemental shift. "To be immune to weather changes, I mean? I have an affinity toward the cold, and while many think it must be a blessing I rather view it as a curse. I would like to feel what others feel, and be the same as everyone else. I would imagine you, also, must feel much the same." That, or perhaps I am the only one desirous to be normal, Kolm thought to himself, though he didn't have long to throw himself a pity party as they approached the village–and the undead who occupied it. Bracing his mace, Kolm drew a step forward, though he still resided far from the gates and the undead that threatened it. It seemed that wind magic was favored among the Aquafolk, though he wasn't certain if it would be very effective against the undead. "Thankfully there is plenty of water around us that I can manipulate," Kolm murmured, waving a hand over the waterberry-covered water. The water froze under his hand, rising from the body in the form of rather large icicles. With a rotation of Kolm's wrist the icicles' sharp ends pointed in the direction of their enemy, and in throwing his arm they shot forth. One of the undead, not expecting the assault, received icicles stabbing into its back. It let out a hissing growl and spun around, its attention now upon him. It darted toward Kolm with impressive speed for an undead, swinging its weapon precariously in an attempt to sever his head from his neck. Kolm met the attack with his mace, shoving the undead back and turning the breeze from one of the wind spells behind them (from an Aquafolk) into that of an icy gust. He swung his mace into the undead's gut before sending more icicles to rain upon his foe. It was a power struggle, the undead simply not wanting to fall, though with a well-timed strike of the mace, Kolm managed to knock its head off as it rolled down the hill and stopped with a dull thud against the wooden gate. There was little time to celebrate this victory, however, as two more of the undead began to approach him. He braced his mace like a baseball bat, determination fierce in his aqua-blue eyes. ------------- Rhiannon smiled at Hektor the gentleman as he offered to aid her later. "I would very much like that," was her response, before he was off with Reksis. The young woman began to then wander alone, through the overgrowth and deeper into the forest. The blonde hummed to herself, crouching down on her knees to inspect the plants growing on the forest floor. Things were more overgrown than she had remembered from her last trip out into the Elysian Forest, and yet strangely more barren of medicinal herbs. Just as she thought that she'd come across some more whitenectar but instead found simple honeysuckle, she heard something rustle in the thick brush behind her. Rhiannon rose, her braid falling silently against her back. "Hektor, Reksis? Is that you guys?"

I'm in a similar boat with Vivi. I don't want @twilight_roxas to get left behind. Has anyone been in touch with him?

(Sorry for the delay; I got caught up in the holidays and other stuff) –Janus Zeal – North of Ultimecia's castle – Janus wasn't sure if Jaina's comment was a joke or meant to be serious. A frown furrowed his brow. "I am not from this land and thus cannot tell if the berries or mushrooms here are safe for consumption. There is some bark that is edible, but again these plants are foreign to me." He stopped at a bush, its red berries ripe and beautiful. He sniffed at it, frowned, and continued moving forward. They had not even chanced upon some animals for hunting. Perhaps food wouldn't come readily to them. A deep meow broke the silence surrounding them, causing Janus to turn around to the source of the sound. Alfador came padding over, his jaw gaping open with something furry protruding from it. He dropped his "gift" at the feet of his master: a small rabbit that had met the end of its days. The blue-haired youth hesitated, considering it for a moment before picking Alfador up and scratching behind the pink cat's ears. "Well . . . that was useful. Do you know how to skin a rabbit?" Without awaiting a response, Janus began to collect some dry branches, placed them neatly in a pile, before snapping his fingers. Flames encircled his thumb and index finger, growing in radius and intensity as the moments passed. He flicked his wrist, and the flames leapt from his hand and onto the targeted broken branches, where the flames thrived. (I'm hesitant to continue on with Vivi without @twilight_roxas?)

Thanks for being so understanding, guys, and I'm glad to hear that things are going well for you both in terms of the RP. : ) Ah, writer's block is no fun. Perhaps Aqua can respond to this attack from Nergodin, giving you the chance to implement your rolls?

Yevgeni Malachite A frown furrowed Yev's brow. "Indeed, though I did not notice any form of an incantation either," he said in agreement to Rabiyu, his eyes never leaving the human king. "Your Highness, while you indeed have your qualms with me, now is not the time to settle them. Should we succeed in stopping Nergodin we will have plenty of time to sort out or differences, else we all will fall within this hour and there will be nothing left to trifle. Neither of us want that." Before Alderon could respond Nergodin arrived at the scene, slashing at Rabiyu faster than either the elf or human could react. It left Rabiyu on her knees, to which Yevgeni couldn't help making a motion toward. "Eli!" he called out, kneeling on one knee before the fellow elf and looking her over. "Stay here. It shall be my turn to take up arms with this god. Yevgeni didn't stand around long enough to find out whether Rabiyu would have something to say about this otherwise, as the blond charged up toward Nergodin's back and brought two fingers to the edge of his blade, whilst muttering an incantation. Four rays of light surrounded the elf, before scattering about to surround Nergodin. They would expand out in an X-formation around him, searing whatever they touched. Elia Cabret So much chaos. So much blood. And death. Elia's eyes widened as she saw Henry rise, though it seemed that the human woman, Everyth, had been laid to rest. The fairy felt happy to see that Henry was well again, but should she feel such when everything was going wrong? Guilt tore at her chest, though she pressed against it as she considered her next move. It seemed that Eclaire was planning something big, though required time to cast it. "Here, let me help!" The small girl swept over to Eclaire, holding her palms out before the cat girl. An amber aura extended from her palms and surrounded Eclaire, hastening her moves and, hopefully, allow her to prepare her great spell even faster–unless her haste spell was somehow intercepted or interrupted by Nergodin. Alderon Niles The king felt dazed and confused. He watched Yevgeni's aura as the elf spoke to him, though neither said or did anything to prevent him from retreating into the thick of the battle. His words made sense, and yet . . . . They angered him. I am not in my right mind, Alderon tried telling himself, fighting his urge to charge Yevgeni again or prevent Mariel from striking Nergodin. He felt oddly inclined to protect Nergodin, though his ideals were perhaps the exact opposite of his own. Watching the scene, however, Alderon felt his mind go numb, unable to tolerate standing idly by. Alderon charged forth, extending his claymore as a shield before swinging it horizontally in a wide radius before the ex-guardian angel.

I promise that I'm posting in Overworld soon. I apologize for dropping the ball on this RP as of late; real life has been a bit overwhelming and I haven't been able to dedicate time to Overworld as I would liked. How does everyone feel that things are going so far? Anything that could be smoothed out/improved upon?

(I am very sorry for the delayed response; very crazy week) The raven-haired cold mage nearly rolled his eyes at Lukkel's giddiness on their journey. We might get killed, Kolm wanted to blurt to his new friend, but he decided against it. Lukkel did not respond favorably to the concept of death earlier, and the last thing he needed to do was send him off in a fit just before their departure. They all started to teleport through the gate to their respective destinations, both Kolm and Rhiannon following suit, though both parties arrived in rather different locations. ---------- Kolm glanced around, absorbing his new surroundings. He could see mountains in the distance, and water much closer; this did not surprise him, considering this was Aquafolk that they were rescuing. The air was thick and moist, rendering it difficult for Kolm to draw in a breath. He shot a glance over to his fellow companions, and nearly followed Lukkel until Pang called forth a warning about the berries. Kolm trod over to one and prodded it with a stick. "Most interesting," he voiced, his gaze hovering along the water's surface, which was practically covered with the Aquafolk's favored fruit. "I wonder if it would be toxic to us." The cold mage did not linger long on this matter, however, after urgency was voiced on the well-being of the villagers. He joined the rest of the group in crossing the bridge en route to the village, its many rooftops visible from where he stood if just barely. ----------- Rhiannon's braid fell over her shoulder as the butt of her spear burrowed into the ground. Her violet gaze swept over their surroundings before calling out to the rest of her companions: "This seems like a fairly simple mission, but we should all stay close. You never know what might crop up, even if we're just out here farming." The blonde then busily got to work, walking along the brush and examine different leaves before deciding to either dismiss or pocket them. When she heard Hektor voice his doubts she smiled and knelt alongside him, fingering little buds on the ground. "These here are called whitenectar," she told him, voice soft. "They are pretty uncommon and quite useful. Their use has been known to treat ailment of the lungs, which has been especially useful in the elderly and premature infants." Hektor had not been with them for long, but already Rhiannon was growing quite fond of him. She wanted to continue showing him around, but Hogarth had other plans for him, it seemed. Her face held temporary disappointment, which she quickly masked behind an expressionless face. "Well, good luck, Hektor!" she said cheerily, before moving on to pluck more white nectar from the ground.

Vivi – Cornelia– The black mage arrived at the palace steps shortly before Marle, his orb-like eyes taking in the scene before him. The castle held much beauty, its condition well-maintained throughout the ages. Its style reminded him considerably of Alexandria Castle back home. Bracing both gloved hands on one of the heavy wooden doors, Vivi pushed with all of his might and opened one of them ajar. He turned to Marle and offered her a bow. "Ladies first." If Marle and Luna entered, Vivi would fall shortly behind, eyeing the decor on the walls as his boots tread softly upon the red velvet carpet. "Do you think anyone is going to be showing up anytime soon?" Vivi's voice echoed off the walls and danced throughout the foyer. Janus Zeal – North of Ultemicia's Castle– A smirk stretched Janus' pale lips fine. "Yes, traversing the forest does seem to be the most reasonable course of action. Let us proceed to seek shelter in the forest, then." No other words escaped the blue-haired youth's lips as they tread into the evening, his stomach rumbling though no protest came forth. He'd endured much worse back before the Mystics found him, and even after (in rare instances). Alfador, however, was louder about his fatigue. He meowed loudly during their trek, clawing at the pack on Janus' back before finally scampering away and chasing after some forest critter. Janus seemed rather unfazed by his disappearance, and before Jaina could utter a word on the matter he proffered: "Alfador is always doing that. He will return to us in time."

I think that this has been a temporary bug for some users. I believe if you continue to try refreshing that it may eventually work.

I think this would be a great opportunity to add another character. I'd definitely enjoy seeing Owain/Odin from Fire Emblem.

Yevgeni Malachite and Alderon Niles Before Yev could fully process what had happened, Alderon was slashing at Rabiyu's back and the elf fell to the ground. Anger flared up in the blond elf's eyes as he roughly grasped Alderon by the shoulders and shoved. "What in blazes are you thinking?" he demanded, readying his rapier to stab into the human king like a pincushion. It was not only Yevgeni and Rabiyu that offered Alderon some resistance. Bherna, Dawson, Prince Jynn, the Sentinel Soren, and even Typhon protested against Alderon's assault, which had clearly been directed at the wrong elf. Confusion washed over Alderon's face, viewing the figures of both Rabiyu and Yevgeni in his mind's eye. "Rabiyu?" He blinked confusedly as he shook his head. "Lord Raiden's ambassador from the North? I . . . . Oh, my lady, please forgive me! You have reunited me with my daughter, and this is how I repay you!" His apology may have softened some hearts, but not Yevgeni's. His glare did not waver, nor did his sword. "Regardless, your actions are nonsensical. Did we not all decide upon a temporary truce while dealing with the prime problem?" A frown furrowed Alderon's brow, seeming rather confused again. "Yes, yes, we did, didn't we? But I don't understand why I was attacking Nergal . . . ." The king's voice trailed off, seeming lost in thought and trying to figure out things in his mind. Yev's temper abated by for a moment as he considered the frazzled human king. "Something is amiss," he murmured, glancing toward the god-like being. "He seemed so certain of himself before." (I'll have to post for the others later)

Kolm was rather gladdened that Winona explained what to expect upon traversing worlds. Unlike last time, when he was harshly ripped from his world and arrived vomiting on the ground. Rhiannon simply nodded in response to Winona, falling to the vet's left side. "Thanks, Winnie. You travel safe as well." "People have actually died from touching the Gate?" Kolm asked incredulously, a question which perhaps was not appropriate to give voice to. The raven-haired mage watched the Gate with curiosity, wondering what source powered it–and what made it so deadly. This was likely not any kind of magic that Kolm had ever seen. In fact, it likely wasn't magic at all. Realizing that he had yet to take a side, Kolm took up residence alongside Winona's right, gripping his mace in his hands. He looked forward to showcasing his abilities, though did hope that he wasn't getting too far ahead of himself in this rescue mission.

No worries. I think quality over quantity is best anyway, and with the way that events are going it is rather difficult to produce longer posts at times.

Quick question: are we allowed to create NPCs? And is the world seeming abandoned by natives deliberately, or is it coincidental thus far? Sorry if this was mentioned earlier and I missed it.

Janus – Outside Ultimecia's Castle– Color rose into the mage's cheeks upon Jaina's comment. Was it that obvious that he was spotting her? Alfador leapt out from the boy's arms and licked its paw. "I am certain that you can," was Janus' smooth response. "I was simply–well . . . observing. You climb quite well." It was a terrible cover up, and Janus even bit the inside of his cheek as he cringed upon his own words. The youth was glad to change the subject, and stole a sweeping glance around the landscape with a critical eye. None of the grounds were familiar to him, so their direction did not matter significantly to him. Ideally he would've liked to find shelter, perhaps some food, and a map to identify where they could possibly settle. "This is all new to me," Janus admitted to Jaina. "So I have little preference on our direction. We could seek shelter in the trees, and perhaps find something to make a meal of there, and yet perhaps there is a village somewhere along the plains. Where would you suggest?" Vivi – near Cornelia – Vivi tilted his head curiously upon Luna's words. "It's familiar to you, huh? Maybe you're from here?" It would've been nice to meet someone who was actually native to this alien world, though since she had no memories it wouldn't be the most useful to them regardless. The castle sounded like a good general direction for them to head. Vivi nodded to Marle's suggestion. "Let's head there, then! I can make us a good meal once we get there, too, if there was any food." As they trudged along the dirt path the black mage mused about their current predicament, and thought deeper upon their placement in this world. "Do either of you find it odd that this world seems relatively abandoned? Apart from those of us that have been brought here? I mean, an abandoned castle, really? What if . . . ." Vivi's words trailed off as he spotted the castle in the distance. Not daring to continue with his train of thought aloud, the black mage picked up his pace instead, darting toward the castle as quick as his short little legs could carry him.

A soft smile played on Rhiannon's lips as she waved a gauntleted hand casually. "Oh, please, don't worry about it! You were not rude at all, Lukkel. It is nice to meet you; I am Rhiannon." She brushed her braid over her shoulder, violet gaze sweeping over toward Hektor who then introduced himself, followed by Henry. She offered them a slight bow. "It is a pleasure to meet you both, Hektor and Henry"–she paused, considering them momentarily before adding–"did you both arrive at the same time?" The spirits' greetings were enough to lighten Rhi's gaze. She clasped her hands in front of her, smile wide. "You four are so sweet! It's nice to meet you all, too. Are you spirits?" She greatly desired to pet Undine on the head, though thought better of it. It may be considered offensive to them, which she thought would not be a good foot to start on. Rhiannon listened as Henry laid out their plans, jabbing her spear into the ground. "Then I shall accompany them," she said at last, nodding toward Hektor and Reksis. "You may need another hand, and it has been quite some time since I have been herb-picking."

Vivi – Near Cornelia – The black mage followed closely behind Princess Marle, clutching his staff tightly in gloved hands. What if this individual was not friendly? What if they had to defend themselves? Thankfully his worries were washed away when they met Luna, who seemed even more lost and confused than they were. Why, she could not even remember her own identity! "You have no recollection of who you are at all?" Vivi rubbed his chin, thinking hard. "That is very strange. Admittedly I was transported somewhere beyond with Zidane and my other friends, but all of my memories are still intact. I wonder if you, too, have been ripped away from your home, or wherever you're from." Marle took the liberty of introducing them, to which Vivi followed up with extending a gloved hand toward Princess Luna. "Pleased to meet you, Miss Luna." Vivi glanced up at the sky, a frown furrowing his brow. "We should find some place to stay for the night. It is not yet dark, but it will be soon. Any ideas, ladies?" Janus –Leaving Ultimecia's Castle – "Very well"–Janus drew a step back before kicking off from the clock hand and floating parallel to Jaina–"I will meet you below, then. Safe climbing." He was, however, rather grateful that he would not have to fly her down; he feared that the two would've merely collapsed and tumbled on the ground instead. With finesse the blue-haired Zealot coasted through the air, his violet garments whipping about his body as his cat clung tightly to his back. His slippered feet hit the ground and he turned his head up to watch Jaina climb, amber eyes moving silently. He did not voice this, but he was prepared to catch her if she were to fall.

My apologies for the delay, but I will be posting sometime today. We were visiting family this past weekend.

Yevgeni Malachite It disappointed the elf to find that his meteor shower left little impact on Nergodin, but left a greater impact on himself. He had used some of his higher tier magic to pull it off, and Nergodin brushed it off as though it were merely raining; a brief annoyance and nothing more. "That is a fair point, Eliltari," Yev agreed. "We should indeed stagger our attacks, as well as buy Eclaire some time. It seems that she is planning something that may turn the tide in our favor." Yevgeni's gaze fell upon the retainer as she worked her magic, and saw that Nergodin, too, had taken notice of the succubus. He was too far away to do much, and the speed of the lightning bolts were ever quicker than he could've been. The best he could do was weave together rays of light that worked as a shield before Eclaire alone. It would shatter upon impact of the lightning bolt attack emitted from Nergodin, and may even still affect her, though the damage would greatly lessen than if he hadn't intervened. Elia Cabret The fairy kicked off into the air, rising high amidst the chaotic battle, knitting an arrow into her bow and tugging at the string. Wisps of violet magic surrounded the arrow, as time became distorted around the arrow. Eventually she let it fly, its speed ever increasing as it flew at Nergodin's head. It was darting at 500 mph by the time it would make impact, its force hearty enough to penetrate even the most invulnerable matters. Everyth Castanova The elder woman seemed at odds with the predicament, biting her lip hard. "Well," she started slowly. "I am useless in this battle, and soon I will die of old age anyway. Henry at least would be better suited for saving our world, and . . . . I'd like for him to have his happy ending once all of this is over." Very tenderly, Everyth planted her lips against Henry's cool, lifeless forehead before rising and turning to Mikhail. She gave the Witcher a nod. "I am ready." Once Mikhail would transfer her life energy, Everyth would find herself no longer on the battlefield, but rather in a field of white. Much like the bleak space where she had sacrificed her youth, only this was different. It felt different. She felt different. Not quite dead, but not quite alive, either. Everyth rationalized that this must be a place between life and death, the world and the afterlife. Her hair fell over her shoulder, and she felt relieved to find that it was dark again. Up ahead she saw what seemed . . . was it Henry? Was he real, or was this all in her head? She could not be sure, but to her it didn't matter. The raven-haired woman strode forward, pausing when she was standing side-by-side this Henry. "I don't know if you are real or not," she murmured, barely glancing over her shoulder, "but kick Nergodin up to the heavens. The worlds need you." She began to walk away, fading into the white light, before she turned back and added: "Oh, and do me a favor, would you? Take care of Princess Athena. She is a sweet girl and deserves her happiness, much like you do, Henry. Stay strong and be well." Alderon Niles His attack had been thwarted, only for an attack of Nergodin's to be launched his way. Nergodin's arm becoming ethereal confused Alderon for a moment, as the outlines which defined his position disappeared, leaving the human king blind to the swing. It deftly struck his chest plate, denting it and bruising his flesh, though thankfully no further damage riddled his body. Instead it addled his mind. The king felt confused. Why was he attacking Nergodin? Why would he bother? After all, the god had done nothing to personally offend him: it was Yevgeni who destroyed his world. Clutching his claymore, the human king turned around, eyes narrowing as he searched for the soul that he sought. The elf's outline was similar to the rest, though a few of his gestures were unmistakable. Letting out a cry, Alderon charged deftly across the battlefield, swinging his claymore horizontally toward Rabiyu, thinking that it was Yevgeni. "This is all your fault!" he cried out. "You wiped my world from existence, and now I shall wipe you away with it!"