MSN RP Farrivon

[defender158]

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FARRIVON

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[defender158]

Chapter 1
Kyther and the Fragment of Heaven

"We slaughter a full battalion of the bastards last night."

"Not bad, but I heard Varion's unit took down one of their flying castles two days ago."

"Impossible. One unit? There's no way a single unit could ever-"

Kyther smirked slightly as he moved through the Rider's Barracks, his sheathed sword in his hand, and his helmet strapped to his belt. The sun was just rising, bringing an end to a night of glorius bloodshed. He'd just put his beloved Se-raen to the stables, bidding his draconic companion good night, and was intent on food. His night had been easy. A simple patrol route, guarding the western chasm that connected to one of their main supply routes. He was met in the corridor by a familiar face.

"Voren, I see you're still alive. GOt lucky AGAIN huh?"

"Oh hold your tongue, Kyther, else I'll remove it."

The two laughed, and Voren spoke again. "I have good news for you, my brother."

"Oh? Well share. Anything that could brighten my mood even further is welcome."

"You are to be knighted."

Kyther fell silent for a moment, his expression one of puzzlement. "Ex...excuse me?"

"Aye, All of Varion's unit are to be knighted, for their bravery and skill in destroying a sky fortress on their own. Had you all not brought that thing down, it'd surely have unleashed a full assault on our supply routes."

"But STILL. I'm of common birth. Being a Rider is unbeleivable ENOUGH for me. Being knighted... that's simply unbeleivable. You are certain?"

"Aye. I was sent by the chancellor to tell you. Congratulations, brother. You're climbing the ranks" Voren grinned, and patted his battle brother's plated shoulder. Kyther simply nodded, still a little stunned.

"Thank you... I.. I am hungry. I'll go and eat."

"You do that. Make sure you rest well though."

"I will. Be well, brother."

Kyther left him, and as he continued down the narrow, dimly lit corridors, his mind swirled with thoughts. A knight. He'd be a knight. He had been born to the streets, joined the militia, and dragged his way through the ranks. He owed so much to Varion. Perhaps his beloved Rider Captain would become a Lord. Kyther hoped so. He reached the kitchen, ate quickly, then retired to his chamber, collapsing on his bed, and instantly drifting into dreams.

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"Can you beleive they knighted a whole unit?"

"Of course! What those guys did was AMAZING!"

"But still.... it's not often twelve men are knighted at once. And... what of the man Kyther?"

"... mmh. That IS a situation..."

"For a commoner to carry the title of Knight. It's unheard of."

"Still. He EARNED it. He fought well that night, and saved a lot of lives."

"Aye, of course. Still... there are SOME who wont be too pleased."

"... there will. Still, I'm sure it wont come to much."

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"To arms! Those damned Smokers are assaulting the east gate!"

"WHAT?! How the hell did they surprise us?!"

"I hear they came from the clouds!"

Kyther fasted his helmet as he sprinted to the stables. Se-Raen had already been brought to the launch cliffs for him, saddled and awaiting his arrival. He swung up onto his mount, secured his riding straps, fastening himself to the saddle, and kicked off. The beast lunged into the air, dropping a few seconds before his wings burst open. One powerful beat drove him into the air, and the world blurred as the two, dragon and Rider, cast themselves head-long into the fray.

Kyther's eyes narrowed as he reached the battle. Countless airships lined the skies. But how?! There should've been no way THAT many could... his eyes turned upwards. So much cloud... but it was clear as summer back at the cliffs... A sudden realisation washed over him, bringing with it a cold, merciless anger. Those were NOT natural clouds. The Smokers has CREATED a cloud bank, with which to move their abominations under cover. He kicked against Se-Raen's flanks

The dragon burst forward. He reigned his mount to the right, gaining a vantage of height over one of the airships. As Se-Raen passed over the ship, Kyther swung his longsword down in a smooth, deadly arc, slashing through the men on board. As they reached the other end, the dragon's talons gripped the cold metal railing, and he dragged with all his might. Twisting around, he cast the airship out with terrifying strength. It flew through the air, spiraling out of control, and collided with another, sending them both up in flames. Kyther reigned in again, and moved on with his onslaught

The battle raged feircly, but finally, with the rising sun, the last of the ships burned and fell. Se-Raen landed back at the cliffs, and Kyther all but toppled off of his back. He stumbled across the stone floor, fumbling with his helmet. Tossing it to the ground, he ran a hand through his jet black hair, disorientated and weak. NEVER had the Smokers launched such an assault on them. It was unheard of. His whole body felt weak, and he was struggling to catch his breath. That damned false cloud had filled his lungs, burning his throat and eyes. He leaned against the wall of the stabbles, and slowly slid to the floor, slipping out of conciousness.

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"Well DO SOMETHING!"

"Damn it! Where the hell are all the mages?!"

"We NEED healing magic, NOW!"

"My lord... my lord stay awake. No.., NO, damn it he's NOT going to make it."

"By the GODS, how did this happen?!"

"Varion? VARION!"

It all sounded so.... far away, in Kyther's ears. And WHY did that name mean so much to him...? He slipped once again into his exhausted sleep.

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"For his acts of bravery, and astounding command of his Rider Unit, Lord Varion Garveas will always be honored as one of the finest Rider Captains ever to grace our skies. May the gods find his spirit, and guide him to eternal rest. And we shall ask, always, for his watchful blessing, as we fight on against the abominations."

Kyther kept his face blank of expression, standing in line with the rest of the unit. The priest finished his speach, and the unit moved forward, each of the eleven men laying a torch around the base of the pyre. At quickly took, and in those flames, Kyther watched a peice of his own life end.

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"Kyther. Thank you for coming."

"Of course, sire. Always I answer the call of my king." Kyther kept his head bowed, kneeling before his beloved king.

"Following the assassination of Lord Garveas, and your appointment as Rider Captain, I beleive I can entrust your unit with an... important task."

"Anything for the crown."

"You have, of course, heard of the Heaven Star."

"... I have, my lord..."

"Last night, it struck Faraevor Forest to the east. I want you and your unit to go there, and see if you can harvest any remnant of it."

"Of course, my lord. May I... ask a question?"

"Speak."

"Are we to have reinforcement?"

"Not in this case. This is a delicate matter. We CANNOT send too many of our men away from the city, the risk of attack is still too great. So I will send my best unit, and trust they are able to get the job done alone."

"You have my word, sire."

"Good. Now go, you leave as soon as you are ready."

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"Argh this is rediculous! The Star is GONE, as ALWAYS, and there's nothing left! Kyther, let's just go back to the city and tell the king we couldn't find anything!"

"Shut UP, Dorga. This is an order from the king, and we've only been here two hours."

"It's been five, at least, and I don't remember anyone putting YOU in command of me, Largis."

"Both of you, be quiet and keep looking. Captain... any sign of anything?"

Kyther gave no responce, and simply kept wandering around the crater, his eyes on the ground. His helmet was again strapped to his helmet, and he kept one hand on his sword. After a few minutes, he spoke.

"STAY on guard. The Smokers will be here soon... they never miss an oppertunity..." he sounded somewhat thoughtful. "... they'll come... and when they do, I'll drench this ground sanguine."

Something caught his eye. A faint sparkle in the scortched earth. He knelt, and swept his hand over it, brushing the dirt from it. There before him, was a shining stone, jagged, as though it'd split from a far greater one. At least... it looked like stone. Then it also resembled metal. Or perhaps... a scale? As he went to pick it up, he withdrew his hand, and tilted his head. It was HOT. He drew his belt knife, and began stabbing at the earth around it. He dug out a small hole around the object, then sliced a length away from his Captain's waist-cloak. He used the cloth to pick up the object, wrapping it carefuly. Even through the cloth, it was warm to the touch. He stood, and turned to his men, who had gathered behind him. "... we're going ho-"

There was a sudden rush, then an explosion, showering them all in rock and rubble.

"SMOKERS!!!"

"To the dragons! We have what we came for, we don't need t-"

"NO!" Kyther yelled in responce, glaring into the air as three airships descended. "No... they came here of their own will. Their choice, their mistake. I'm not letting ANY of them leave..."

"Lord Kyther, we're DONE here!"

"Shut up! He's right. This is for Lord Varion!"

"Hah! Yeah! Vengence for our captain! C'mon, there's only about fourty of em."

"We'd have more trouble rounding up the cattle"

The brothers drew their weapons, and charged. Dorga and Largis mounted their dragons, taking to the skies to deal witht he airships, while the rest of the unit hacked their way mercilessly through the men on the ground

"my lord... he's dead. My lord, that's,... KYTHER!"

Kyther's blade stopped short of the thirtyith cut to the corpse of the last man. He breathed heavily, staring at the hacked up mess that was once his foe. Staggering back, he rammed his sword into its sheath, turned, and strode back to his dragon, muttering "We're going home."

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"Go on ahead, I'll join you soon. Tell the the guards at the throne room we require audience with the king. Tell them we found something in the crater."

As his men left him, he was alone in the stables. He took the object from his pouch, and carefuly unwrapped it. He stared it it. It was still shining, glistening, somehow, despite the lack of light in the room. He touched it carefuly with his fingertips, and a peice, about as big as the palm of his hand, came away. He cursed under his breath, then frown in puzzlement. As the fragment left the object, the greated peice seemed to cool, while the fragment retained its heat. He touched the fragment, warey if being burned. Yet, although it was hot, it did not burn him. He took it in his hand, and stared it it. In that moment, something in his mind seemed to come together. It was new, yet... felt almost as though it'd always been there. Something made him quickly slip the fragment into his pocket, keeping it seperate from the Object. He wrapped the Object up again, and returned it to its pouch, before hurrying off to present it to the King

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After leaving the throne room, he went straight to his chambers. He closed the door, and bolted it, making sure he would not be disturbed, before he took the shard from his pocket. Something about it seemed different... and then he realised. It wasn't shining. Interesting. So, it kept the heat, but lost the shine. He wondered what that could mean. He realised, despite the warmth of the Shard, his room was ice cold. Glancing at his fireplace, he sighed. AGAIN the servents had forgotten to light his fire. Annoyance swept over him. It was the third time in five days he'd returned to a cold chamber. As his iritation rose, the shard in his hand began to glow, and his fireplace burst into flames. He staggered back in surprise, staring at the fire, before turning his eyes slowly to the shard. The glow died down gradually, and he looked back to the fire.
"Oh... o.....k..." He muttered to himself. He turned his gaze to one of the candles on his writing desk. Narrowing his eyes, he attempted to recreate the emotion. Frustration washed over him, and the shard glowed again, igniting the candle.

"Alright... that's not normal." then it registered in his mind. He'd seen people do this before, countless times. Mages. "Oh crap......... I can.... use Magick?"  

[defender158]

Chapter 2
Messages

"...and therefore, we witness a promising and altogether stunning new route for arcane medicine. My concusion is that the potent venomous coating excreted by scales of the elusive Northwestern Dragon may indeed provide a powerful insulation for the furless races of our fair Altrae. This, in turn, could ultimately protect from, and even heal, freezing, in the inconvenient absence of a skilled/able-bodied mage. Further studies are highly recommended.

~Maxton Joseph, Arcane Researcher"

"Max" ran his fingers through the feather of his pen before setting it slowly down in thought. He'd gathered substantial evidence and his name had good credibility...maybe he'd take a few months off for hobbies. And his nephew. To always be busy felt so wrong, good cause or not.

So, he decided to write another letter.

Miles,

I trust you are well and your studies progress as marvelously as ever. My career has led me to many an exciting locale, but I have not forgotten you back at home. Your day of manhood approaches, and yet, already I know you are quite matured. You have learned to be self-sufficient at home, so very understanding of my inability to hire a second servant. Many ladies enjoy men who understand the intricacies of housework, you know.

But I digress from this teasing. It seems little is above or beneath you, as you excel at most all that you put your hand to. Truly you are a Joseph. You are missed, my nephew, and it is likely I'll be paying you an extended visit soon. Take care until next point at which I send word.

Sincerely,
Uncle Max

Suddenly, an explosion. His pen fell to the desk, and for once he does not care about ink splatter upon mohogany desk or cotton-silk robe signifying his rare place in the middle class. He rushed to the door and peered out, his gaze captured by the sky above. "God be-- Smokers! Our dragon riders quick as ever to defend, but alas, never have they gotten so close...I see the crowd gathers quick."

Indeed, people of common and uncommon births alike appeared from their balcony doors, houses, shacks and huts. Quickly, somewhat of a festival began, despite the fear deep in everyone's hearts, and perhaps because of it. Meats were cooked, baked goods sold cheap, cheers and cries for loved ones and the glory of the defenders of the homeland.

Amidst the rush, he caught a tan-shaded blur and hailed to it, "Raison! Come hither!" Within a second the blur ceased its breakneck crowd weaving and revealed a strong yet lean hyena man with a rough leather bag strapped around his shoulder. "You summon me, Master Joseph?"

"One moment." He hurried back inside and came out with two letters sealed in envelopes, with a family crest attached on each. "I will not hold you up with chatter this time. You must so be busy during such an event."

"How considerate." He took the letters and stuffed them into a private pocket in his bag; the main pocket was about full to bursting. "I thank you for the sentiment. Good day." And then he was rushing off.

"So dependable..." Then he stood there transfixed, watching the victory beginning to spread out before them, until...Everyone was screaming. "Varion! VARION!" "Beloved captain, NO!" Words like these were heard, and Max could hardly believe his eyes as he saw a knight tumble out of the sky, wyvern tumbling soon after. "I'll...be needing my black robes."

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The next day, a funeral. He saw the man's brother there. Both brothers had been friends of his for a long time. The pain Kyther felt was plastered all over his face, his mannerisms, his silence.

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More time passed and there were rumors of a Heaven Star incident. Under the somewhat valid premise of research, he left the city to go explore the forest...at the very least, it would allow him to clear his head.  

[defender158]

Chapter 3
Summons and a Book

The streets of the market area were busy, but not overcrowded. Kyther was waiting outside the blacksmith's forge, awaiting the completion of his sword repairs. He leaned back against the wall, his arms folded. He had always trusted the smith down in the market more than the one the nobles used. Tired and tested, passionate work, that's what he prefered. Suddenly he heard a cry from up the street.

"Theif!"

A man, dressed in leathers, with a hood pulled down over his face, sprinted past him. He frowned, his eyes narrowing, and covertly touched the shard, now hanging around his neck and tucked under his jerkin. It glowed softly as he turned his gaze on the theif.

"Stop..." he muttered casually. The man skidded to a halt, looking around, rather puzzled. "...fall."

As though a carpet had been pulled from under him, the theif went down, colliding witht he ground hard. Kyther folded his arms again, and bowed his head, the glow from within his jerkin subsiding

"...Hello," Raison said, apparently beside him. "I was told to come find you. You are requested at the palace gates as soon as is convenient, for your commemoration ceremony is to take place today if possible."

He glanced to his side, and raised an eyebrow. "... when did you show up...?"

*"Moments ago. I get that a lot. Such a clumsy thief, that one..." He shrugged. "Regardless, I've delivered the message. Their advice to look for you in the marketplace was well founded."

"Aye... clumsy indeed. ALthough it has rained recently. Perhaps there was mud. Thank you, sir. Your work is... finished."

He simply nodded. Before running off: "Have a pleasant day."

"Aye..." he murmured, apparently rather thoughtful now. He narrowed his eyes, then shrugged

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It was late, as Kyther entered the library of the royal court. He was clearly a little nervous. Not often was a Rider seen within these walls, amongst the dusty tomes and echoing silence. He wandered in, his heavy boots thudding against the stone floor. As he wandered past the shelves, his fingertips lightly caressed the spines of the books, his eyes drifting over the titles. He glanced around the stacks and shelves, perhaps looking for something, perhaps just browsing. The librarians and readers all looked up at him, a little puzzled and warey. Not only was a Rider in their precense, but it was "sir" Kyther, the commoner risen to glory, the man who'd, of late, apparently become increasingly.... odd.

Violet tilted her head as she watched him. He looked so INTERESTING. He wasn't refined like the nobles she normally saw. He didn't look as though tight wires held him up. He was tall, and he moved with a form of... animalistic grace. An elegance of the wild. Perhaps she was reminded of the beast he rode into battle. Oh but yes, she'd seen that too, and it both terrified and fasinated her

Her eyes drifted over him, taking in his every aspect. He was dressed in leather, trimmed, perhaps, but still rather rough. At his waist hung his longsword. Odd, she thought, that a man should bring a weapon to a library. Oh how dangerous he seemed, as though, even now, as the day ended, he was about to charge into battle. Her head tilted in the other direction, as though perhaps she'd see him differently from this angle. In a way, an odd way, she did. Of course, there was the rugged, dangerous, soldier side of him, always ready for battle. But also, there was the side of him that WAS, somehow, noble. his leather jerken WAS finely trimmed, the sanguine red of thread trim of a Rider Captain. His hair was swept back, althoug his fringe was untidy. And he carried himself that seemed to say "I know, I was not born noble. But I've worked for this."

Seeing that side of him, he was a little different. A little less scary. He almost, ALMOST fit.

He turned then, locking his eyes on hers, and in that moment she almost jumped out of her skin. Seeing that glimmer of fear in her, he seemed to smile a little.

"Good evening, ma'am." He said in a tone of voice that was both soft and a little scary.

"Uhm... yes. Hello, Sir Kyther."

"Don't mind me. I'm just... browsing." His smile became soft then. Charming. She blushed a little.

"Anything in perticular you're looking for?"

To her mild annoyance, he laughed quietly, then shook his head.
"No ma'am. We soldiers are... not big readers. I wonder though... there is... PERHAPS... one thing that catches my curiosity."

"Oh...?"

"Magick. I've never studied it and I wonder, perhaps. Have you any... manuels?"

"Manuals, sir Kyther...?"

"Aye... spellbooks. Training texts for young mages..."

"Ohhh. We... we do. Please, follow me."

He nodded, and followed her, as she lead him to another corner. Here the shelves were stacked high with books focusing on magick.

"These... hm.... ah!" She reached up, he glanced, and took a large, leather bound tome from a shelf above. "Uhm... this is what most of the trainies read, when they're first starting out. But... well it's for those who have already released their magick. So, obviously, YOU wont be able to cast any of the magicks yourself..."

"Oh of course. I'm just curious." he took it from her, and nodded in a form of tiny bow. "Thank you, ma'am. Have a pleasent evening."

"Oh... of course. You too, Sir Kyther.." She turned, and left him, her mind swirling with questions  

[defender158]

Chapter 4
Unusual and Forbidden

A rustling, as Max walked along the old trail. Weeds and shrubs had begun to take over the stone walkway, putting cracks in it and covering it up completely in some areas. As he walked, his mind wandered to old tales often told around campfires or at festivals to children. He remembered one of a young Altraen who travelled into Balkia and discovered the evils and horrors within; supposedly it was a place where man became machine and machine bent man to its will. Occasionally a machine ate a limb or swallowed a person whole, and in the air was a constant miasma of oil and an "artifact of hell," gasoline.

He also remembered another tale that he had heard but once. It was an odd tale, and didn't sound very believable in comparison to the giant mound of anti-steam stories. It told of a forbidden--

His thought pattern stopped abruptly due to another form of rustling.

His short-cut, slightly greased, shiny, honey-blonde hair stood naturally on end anyway, but even more so now. "Damn...a techie..."

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"s**t, a mage!"

They stared each other down. She idly wondered if she could trick this man with her feminine wiles; he wasn't all that bad looking either, and probably about her age, late twenties to early thirties.

Vile as these magic folk were, they did have some really kickass clothing choices.

"...Why, hello, kind sir. Ya lookin' for something?"

"...I could ask you the same thing, ma'am."

"This is the part where it gets all...down and dirty. Isn't it?"

"You could phrase it that way if it..pleases you."

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The man had to admit, those steam freaks had nice clothes. She wore a hard leather suit that signified her commoner social standing, but it still had a trim of some kind of synthetic fabric that fluttered at the slightest breeze, dyed an unnatural light pink to match her long, flowing hair. As they stared and prepared for a surely inevitable battle, both kept a somewhat cocky grin.

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"You know, guy. You're seriously outclassed. Rich as you look, it's not likely you've been put to the test before. You'll look like bloody cheese by the time I'm done with you." Indeed, to her back was attached an iron polearm, and to her hip was clipped some small sort of mechanical pistol.

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"You like to assume, do you? Why, I shouldn't be all too surprised...My wit and research have been tested time and again. I know things. I DISCOVER things. My knowledge of the arcane will leave YOU as food for the next desparate animal to wander on by."

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She stood there, silent a moment, and then giggled a bit. The man couldn't help chuckle. "Neither of us are willing to budge, huh?"

"Seems that way."

"You know, I almost like you...Are you even sane? I thought mages were supposed to be cowards."

"I thought gunslingers were supposed to be wild and reckless."

"Oh, I can be. If the situation calls for it." She winked.

He crossed his arms in amusement. And then their eyes met. After a few moments of very deep staring, they suddenly both got serious.

"Who are you, and why are you looking for Heaven Star clues?"

"Name's Sera. I'm a curious being too, assuming you mean the Ultra Shard. Now, your name."

"Call me Max. I'm keeping my eye on you..."

"Oh, I bet you are. Men tend to do that-- but you, maybe I don't mind so much."

"Hah, trying to get my guard down."

"Me?! I heard the way you said that. Keep your EYE on meeeeeee, huh?"

They walked off together to the supposed site of the prior reaction and then battle, keeping their guard and banter up simultaneously, and eventually came upon a small hole that had been preserved by heavy tree cover and a dry week.

"Oho...this dust."

"Dust? Don't be a boring researcher right now."

"Take a close look. You know, bend over."

They both peered into the hole.

"Heh...Okay, I see what you mean. I see a couple scorch marks too, on that twig."

"Oh, you're right...Damn. Why the hell are we working together?"

"Fighting's just a waste of time. We both know I"d win."

"Whatever gets you through the day, sweetheart."  

[defender158]

Chapter 5
Loyalty to the Dracomage

He moved quietly through the streets, covered by a dark cloak, the hood pulled down over his face. A soldier though he was, Kyther did have SOME skill when it came to moving unseen. He'd acted in ambushes before. Varion had once...- he pushed such thoughts from his mind, shaking his head slightly.

He moved onwards, quiet and quick, avoiding the streetlamps, until he came to a familiar house. He'd first met the owner even before becoming a Rider, back when they were both somewhat younger. Mac was a bit older than Kyther, perhaps five, maybe seven years.

He knocked on the solid wooden door, then pressed against the wall, out of the light of the lamp that hung above the door.

The door creaked open. "Good evening."

"My friend, good to see you in one peice, in these troubling times." Came Kyther's voice from the shadows to the right.

"It is even better to see you are well. Do you wish to come in?"

"I think that may be a good idea. I'd hate to have this conversation out in the open."

He nods and steps aside. "There is leftover tea, still somewhat warm. I have many fruits and breads. Wine if you'd like."

He stepped inside, and pulled back his hood, turning back to his friend. "I am fine as I am, thank you. I'm sorry to disturb you are this late hour."

"It is no trouble. I usually read myself to sleep around this general span of three hours, but speaking with a friend takes priority."

A pause, and Max continued. "Something troiubles you."

"Yes. Well... no. It's not so much troubling as wonderful. Ahhh but how to say it. In truth, it is odd. I have never said it to anyone, as of yet. You shall be the first, and possibly only person I tell. Uhm... ahha! Would you do me a favor? Put out that candle over there." He pointed to a candle on a table in the corner.

He merely snapped his fingers as he glared directly at it, and it fizzled out into a trail of smoke.

"THIS, I have mastered." Kyther said, before lightly touching the Shard. Again, a faint glow could be seen through his jerkin, and the candle burst again into life.

He stared, remained silent for a long moment. "...When did you gain this ability?"

"My unit was sent to investigate the recent Heaven Star landing. You've most likely heard by now, I recovered an object from the crater?"
Nick says (6:06 PM):

"Yes, I belive I've seen that crater...and the very hole you dug it from."

"Well..." he reached into his jerkin, and pulled out the shard, leaving it still hanging around his neck. It seemed to thrum dimly with a faint, but warm light. "THIS is a peice of that object."

"So that explains those rumors of you acting 'odd' lately, I presume."

"Partly... I suppose. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking I should have given it to the king. But listen... this will sound a little... odd. Or perhaps it wont, to a mage, I don't know. I'm NOT a mage. But... when I touched the Shard... it seemed to... to join up two things in my mind... like it completed something that had been left out from birth. For some reason, I feel it is supposed to be with me, and the very thought of giving it up fills me with an emptiness and dread I cannot bare."

"A power so great and revered...I would choose to believe that this is how you truly feel."

"And anyway... I will need this new power for what I must do..."

"What must you do? Avenge your brother?"

"First, I must find his killer. Something isn't right. Varion's Wyvern, Garlandos, was far too powerful to brought down by the airships he was fighting. And Varion himself, far too great a flier. No. Something... doesn't fit."

"Everyone speaks of it. I imagine they get quiet around you. Whatever happened to them was hidden behind a most inconvenient piece of artificial cloud, from where civilians spectated."

"I was up there... yet I didn't see him for the whole fight. When I landed... I was so filled with their smoke, I collapsed. Anyway... I... I digress. My friend, I have a request..."

"You seek my experience as a mage?"

"I do. There is only so far books, and my own attempts can take me. I need to be taught. However... if I took this to most mages... it would most likely result in my execution. I cannot reveal this to the king until I have a grasp of it, firm enough to make it essencial the Shard stays in MY Hands. I know, my friend, I know that this is a lot to ask of you. I appologise, but I am in need."

"I understand. You have my word that I will not betray you, even under fear of death."

"Thank you. I knew I could trust you." He reached into a pack hanging from his waist, and pulled out a leather bound book. "Now... a girl gave this to me, in the library. Sweet little thing, blushed a lot. Anyway. It all seems rather basic. I was wondering... how long before I can teleport and stuff?"

"It's hard to say. Magical aptitude for melee warriors is not a common concern, especially ones with a very covetable shard."

"I'm good with fire. It was the first thing I did. But I'd like to learn some more useful stuff. Oh, and I managed to trip a thief. That was amusing. However that messenger... mmh"

"Messenger. Raison, the hyena fellow?"

"Aye... I'd say that was him. He may have seen me use the shard, I'm unsure."

"He has quite an eye. But, I imagine your secret would be safe in his care. He tends to stay out of other peoples' business, perhaps a little too readily."

"mmh... my friend I beleive this is a point we may have to face... The fact that perhaps Lord Varion was NOT killed by the Smokers."

"The fact that no one knows what happened, not even anyone from your squad, does make one wonder."

"As far as I'm concerned, only one thing could spell death for Varion. A sneak attack from another Wyvern."

"The Smokers do have their cunning moments, but your theory is possible as well."

"I have to know. Varion must be avenged."

"...Apparently the shard has already granted you some Fire and Nerve capabilities...I'd hypothesize that all affinities would be at your disposal with proper training."

"Hm... good. I'll need everything I can get."

"Water, Fire, Green, Yellow, Nerve, Light, Dark, and Special. This is usually the order that mages learn their affinities. Your shard seems to have deviated from the common method."

"Perhaps. My theory is it's a peice of the Heaven Star. If that's the case... then we now have in our posetion a tiny peice of what our nation has been searching for for years."

"Centuries, even. Let's go ahead and start with water-- something very simple I could have offered you but didn't think to."  

[defender158]

6

"Well it SHOULD be working!" "Clearly it isn't..." "And that's my fault HOW?!" "You ARE the technician you know. It's your job to make sure it... well... works." Fair sighed, and vaulted the railing from the top of the steamtank. He landed softly, and knelt, hooking his hand under the solid armour, and fiddling around inside. "...what the hell is he doing?" "Lord knows.... does he know how to fix one of these things?" "No idea. He never speaks." He ignored them, lying on his back in the dirt, so he could get his other hand in as well. After a couple of minutes, he frowned faintly, did SOMETHING, and the machine lurched again into life. He stood, brushed himself down, and climbed back onboard. "You... fixed it?" "..." Silent as ever. "Huh... I guess even a nobleman can do this job better than you." "Shut the hell up!"
"Today," the commander yelled to the assembled men, "You will all be investigating an Ultra Shard sighting in Faraevor Forest. This will be a dangerous mission. That area is WELL within the Barbarian's lands. No doubt by the time you arrive, they will already be there. Act fast, hit them without mercy, and take whatever you can find. Failure is not an option. Now, go!" Fair turned, without a word, and boarded the airship his unit had been assigned to. He took his place, and waited in silence.

"Damn! He was right! There's a unit of those damned fliers down there!" "Only one? Well that's easy, we outnumber them by what? Four times? We'll turn them to ash, ready the guns!" Fair drew his twin revolvers, checked they were fully loaded, and took a breath. He was a pretty good gunner, but he preferred his sword. It was, as usual, strapped to the back of his waist. He moved to the deck of the ship, and gazed down as they descended. Ten... only ten? Why would they send so few... unless they were utterly confident in their abilities. But that was just foolishness. But perhaps not. Were these the fliers with nightmarish skill? Those men who had, not a week before, destroyed an entire Flying Fortress alone? The nobles and commanders had attempted to quell those rumours, but Fair knew the truth in them. His blue eyes narrowed... then locked on the eyes of one of the fliers. The man had jet black hair, and glared at him with a cold, dark contempt that chilled his soul. There, in those icy green eyes, he saw hatred in its purest form. Then, the man drew his sword, and the rest of the men around her also prepared for battle. Well fine, if they wanted so badly to fight, Fair would surely grant them their wish. He took a few steps back from the edge, then launched himself into a running jump over the side, his guns blazing as he fell gracefully through the air.
The echoing of blades and guns filled the air, and above it, the terrible roar of their flying beasts, raining hell from above. He glanced up, and saw as one of them tore into one of the airships. He looked down again, staring into the edge of a sword, its blade coming in a smooth arc of his face. He raised his left revolver, just in time to stop the blade. The two metals clashed, locked, and scraped against each other, sending sparks flying as the two men battled for dominance. Fair narrowed his eyes, and stared down the sword. There, at its handle, he found the man who'd stared him down while he'd stood on his airship. That same contempt still shined in his eyes. Fair raised his right gun, partly in fear of those eyes, levelled the barrel at the man's face, and fired. The Barbarian ducked and twisted, the shot narrowly missing him. He brought his sword around in a clean slash, aimed for Fair's stomach. The Balkian jumped back, and fired both weapons at his foe. The man cried out in anger, dodging both, and lunging forward again. The two became locked in a battle of spins, slashes and gunshots.
Then, from the nowhere, a fireball hit, not ten feet from Fair. The blast sent him flying back, and he crashed into the ground, rolling painfully. As he was about to get to his feet, one of the airships collided with the ground near him. Again, he was thrown through the air. His back hit a tree, he bounced, hit the ground, and slipped out of consciousness.

The sound of... snuffling? Whatever it was, it woke Fair from his forced sleep. He groaned, and rolled onto his back. When he opened his eyes, he found himself staring into the face of one of the flying beasts. His instinct to cry out in fear was only held back by the other instinct to simply play dead. The beast stared at him, its eyes golden and bright. It nudged him, he remained still. It nudged him again, then growled quietly, and pulled back its head. Suddenly, it roared loudly, and he rolled from beneath it. Skilfully, he flipped to his feet, and locked his eyes on the beast. It stared back at him. How the hell do you get yourself into this stuff? the thought ran through his head, tinted with both annoyance and fear. Without warning, the winged fiend charged. Rather than turning to run, something told him to stand his ground. It was as though... something in his mind simply... connected. The beast roared, and for some reason, he roared back, letting forth his own cry to counter that of his attacker. He thrust his hand forward, and his open palm collided with the lowered head of the beast. It stopped. His arm... didn't break. Breathing heavily, he focused his vision. The beast had simply... stopped, against his hand. He tilted his head, and it looked up at him. Their eyes locked on each other, and those two fragments in his mind that had been dancing so close, fused into one.
"... Baradir..." Fair murmured softly, and the beast... no... the dragon nuzzled gently against his palm.  

[defender158]

7

(7:17 PM) Nick: There comes a point in many sentient lives where one must take very dire chances. Consider this: A man attempts to walk up, alone, to the gate of an enemy country.
(7:20 PM) Nick: He actually crossed the clearing about halfway before the dragon rider swooped in and put him at lance point. He surmised that his appearance was not conspicuous until his garb was taken note of: Balkian armor. Shabby, but Balkian nonetheless.
(7:22 PM) Nick: "You idiot Smoker, did you HONESTLY expect to just walk right in? Your overconfidence is ********--"
(7:24 PM) Nick: The Balkian interrupted him, noticing that he was drawing his lance back as if to impale him. "Sir! I know this looks suspicious. But I'm not here to hurt anyone. My loyalties are to you now!"
(7:24 PM) Nick: "What kind of stupid--"
(7:25 PM) Nick: "Begging is not beneath me." He dropped to one knee and bowed his head. "Please, take me to someone. Anyone who can give me a chance."
(7:27 PM) Nick: "Oh, I'll make you beg, alright. You'll be screaming for the pain to stop before I do you any favors." He again drew back his lance before being interrupted by a new voice.
(7:29 PM) Nick: "Generally, you're only supposed to kill someone who poses a threat. Perhaps you should reconsider your plan of action?" Max Joseph had moved towards them, and was now very close. And previously unnoticed.
(7:29 PM) Nick: "...This is the business of the military, sir. Also, I demand to see your credentials given the current circumstances."
(7:31 PM) Nick: "Very well, one moment please." He slowly pulled A roll of parchment out from an inside pocket of his cloak. "Passport of Research, Maxton Joseph of the Elite Arcane Institute."
(7:33 PM) Nick: The dragon rider stared at it as he put the point of his lance to the foreigner's skull. He stared, skimming with scrutiny for any error, any sign of forgery that could allow him to put this man to the lance as well. Seeing none, he sighed. "Please move along while I dispose of this scum."
(7:36 PM) Nick: "I do not believe you have given him the proper chance to spin us his tale. Balkian or not, killing him would bring you much controversy. Perhaps we could learn valuable information from him, or use him as a bargaining chip. Do consider what is at stake here before you remove his gut and spew his brains."
(7:38 PM) Nick: The man took the opportunity to offer one more plea. He sounded fairly calm for someone possibly about to die. "Please. Please just take me to your captain, your nobles. Your king if you must. I have no intentions of going back."
(7:39 PM) Nick: The rider's face grew red with fury. "Very well, Sir Joseph. Do YOU have any bright ideas for handling this guy?"
"...I may..."
((I figure that's a time skip.))

(10:29 AM) Nick: They entered the barracks, followed by a large stream of angry and secretly curious dragon riders; several foot soldiers stood just outside.
(10:30 AM) Nick: Kyther's bed, a captain's bed, was a bit larger than the others, with a red silk curtain. There was little trouble in finding him. Max simply bid Kyther a greeting.
((How's that?))
(10:31 AM) James.: ((Fine. So Kyth's being rudely awoken to speek to a Balkian? lol)
(10:32 AM) Nick: ((Lol. By a dear friend who's being polite about it. In fact: ))
(10:33 AM) Nick: "I apologize if I'm disturbing you. But it's...rather urgent."
(10:34 AM) James.: A groan could be heard from behind the curtain. A moment later, it slid to the side, revealing the rider captain sitting up on his bed. He was topless, but otherwise fully clothed, his sword resting beside him. When his eyes fell on the Balkain, his hand inched towards the handle of the blade.
"Urgent indeed. You caught a rat."
(10:36 AM) Nick: "Not so much caught. He was simply walking across the field, armed with nothing but a simple sword which he did not draw. In fact, he dropped humbly to one knee when confronted by a rider guard. His travelling bag holds nothing but spare clothing and a small blanket. Curious man, yes?"
(10:38 AM) James.: "More like idiot. Why wasn't he executed?" Some who were there may have noticed the bandage wrapped around Kyther's chest. Something that hung around his neck was tucked inside. A faint glow seemed to eminate from beneath the white cloth as he frowned at the Balkian.
(10:40 AM) Nick: "He might be useful as a prisoner of war. I also wish to hear his story." He turned then to the prisoner, whose hands were shackled behind him. "Will you speak it now?"
(10:41 AM) Nick: "...Yes. If I may, I will tell it."
(10:42 AM) James.: "... make it fast. And I reserve the right to execute you at any point."
(10:52 AM) Nick: "My clothes reveal my nation of origin is Balkia, yes. I didn't expect to trick anyone and I knew it would be useless to try hiding this fact. I have no travel credentials, which I was correct in asssuming are necessary for Altraens as well, and nobody here would vouch for me." He shrugged. "I will give you my name. Baskin Aturnin. I was born with a condition that few are born with, probably one in thousands. I have zero mana capacity. Zero. A key to Balkian society is that technology is run by the mana pool present in everyone, and thus, I am nothing but an outcast. My birth family has to provide for me. Most jobs and all types of convenient gadgets are cut off from me. I hardly get any respect...So I ran away and came here, where magical ability is only really needed for mages and sword mastery is a respectable occupation. The only hobby I have been able to put time into is swordsmanship, so I feel I'm well prepared for transition into Altraean life if I'm given a chance. A-and, though I wish to prove myself very much, I'm also excited to learn. To be taught."
(10:53 AM) Nick: Max gave a thoughtful pause. "...Interesting..."
(10:54 AM) Nick: "Please. Just give me a chance..."
(10:54 AM) James.: ((I am here btw. Reading))
(10:54 AM) Nick: ((Kay.))
(10:55 AM) James.: "Wait wait... mana pool?"
(10:56 AM) Nick: "Oh...you didn't know? Most everyone has one, just...I guess some pools are deeper than others. Only the really deep ones allow people to become mages. Or something."
(10:57 AM) James.: He blinked, and glanced at Max. "You have... a really deep.... mana pool?"
(10:58 AM) Nick: Max stared at the man. "If that's true...That is highly valuable information...It would explain how all their machines are run."
(10:59 AM) James.: "So. You left cause you suck at being a Smoker."
(11:00 AM) Nick: Something flickered in the man's eyes then. A very profound sense of anger, and maybe some hurt. Not the hatred that Kyther was accustomed to. "...You could say that."
(11:01 AM) James.: He smirked somewhat "Thus you want US to accept you? The runt of your pathetic, self centered race of abimination worshiping murderers?"
(11:04 AM) Nick: ".......Just because...JUST BECAUSE I can't function in one society doesn't MEAN I can't be useful in another. I believe myself capable in close combat. It's why I brought the sword. In case you'd actually give me a CHANCE to prove my worth. But maybe you're just too busy writing me off like everyone else I've ever--"

He was pushed to the ground then by another rider. "You will hold your tounge to the honorable captain, vermin."
(11:06 AM) James.: Kyther waved his hand, a semi-bored gesture. "No... no, let him speak. He says he's capable. What do you say, my friends? Shall we... test... his theory?"
Kyther laughed quietly, and picked up his sheathed sword.
(11:10 AM) Nick: Max's arms found themselves folded across his chest. "They do wield swords, some of them, but never as a primary weapon. This is a rare...opportunity..."

Some grins and laughs spread throughout the room, and Baskin was released. His sword was returned to him. More riders flooded in and all backed up against the walls, blocking all exit.

"You will be my opponent? Name your conditions."
(11:12 AM) James.: Kyther stood, and stretched, flexing his battle-honed muscles. He looked sideways at the Smoker, a glint of pure glee in his green eyes.
"Conditions? Hah... Smoker, if you can survive, I'll consider letting you live. No one is to interfere! This one's mine..."
He drew his sword slowly, and spun it in his fingers before gripping it in both hands, and shifting his feet apart.
"C'mon then Smoker... let's see if you can last a round with a REAL warrior."
(11:15 AM) Nick: His sword slowly rose to point directly at his insulter. This time he did not attempt to hide his fierce expression. "Fine by me. Let none of your men interfere, and you've got a match."
(11:17 AM) James.: Kyther grinned. It wasn't refined. It wasn't noble, it wasn't even wild like a solider. It was savage, full of battle-lust and pure hatred.
He stepped in, and swung his sword around in a decending arc aimed at the man's left shoulder. If it didn't cut, the strength behind it would be enough to crush almost any block. Such a wild force raged now within Kyther, that holding back was barely on his mind.
(11:26 AM) Nick: Such a fierce swing was a force to be reckoned with, but also left openings. Baskin side-stepped the blow and attempted a simple and quick horizontal slice of his sword across Kyther's abdomen, in a way that would draw blood but not cause much threat to life. He knew that he faced two dangers; this man was one, yes, but so was the wrath of everyone else if he did something regretable. His aim was not to kill, if he even could anyway.
(11:27 AM) James.: He felt the slice across his flesh, and blood splattered across the floor. Kyther used the momentum of his swing to keep turning, and again, stepped in to his foe, semi-crouching. He glanced up at the man, laughed, and brought his sword up, aiming to slice from stomach to throat.
(11:31 AM) James.: ((I'll be back in about 15 minutes. Gotta go out and get a newspaper))
(11:31 AM) Nick: He saw the move coming with only enough time to jump as far back with his back foot as he could. This included the side effect of tripping, and he quickly jumped to his feet. Some audience laughter accompanied the feat, but he had successfully avoided the blow.
(11:31 AM) James.: ((keep posting))
(11:31 AM) Nick: ((Kay.))
(11:31 AM) James.: ((oh you did. cool))
((well I'll reply when I get back))
(11:31 AM) Nick: ((Alright.))
(11:32 AM) Nick: ((Hm. I'll go shower.))
(11:32 AM) Nick has changed his/her status to Away
(11:32 AM) James.: ((alrighty))
(11:32 AM) Nick has changed his/her personal message to "Shower."
(11:59 AM) Nick: ((Back.))
((I see you are too.))
(12:02 PM) James.: Kyther chuckled himself, and shouldered his sword, tilting his head to the side and watching the smoker.
"Well aren't you an agile little rat? You keep your sword sharp, too" he added, refering to the wound to his pelvis, which was leaking a steady flow of blood. "Well, my friends? What shall I do with him?"

"Flay him, Sir Kyther!"
"Make him bleed!"
"Nail the little rat to the wall, finish him!"

From the howls of his comrades, came a voice he'd actually listen to.
"The fight's not over." Dorga spoke up, his arms folded and his head slightly bowed. "So don't judge him yet."

"Well well. Seems my wingman has taken in interest in you, Smoker. Alright, I'll indulge him!" He lunged forward again, and released a steady flow of light, fast blows. Of course, his opponent would be able to defend, but his aim was to gradually wear him down, untill he made a mistake, and died.
(12:03 PM) James.: ((welcome back man))
(12:05 PM) Nick: ((Thank ye'.))
(12:05 PM) Nick has changed his/her status to Online
(12:05 PM) Nick has removed his/her personal message
(12:11 PM) Nick: He attempted to tune out the hateful remarks, but Dorga's actually threw him off for a moment. A cut appeared in his left forearm, and after that he refocused and blocked each and every blow perfectly. Perhaps if he kept blocking, the commander would eventually concede and let him live.
(12:15 PM) James.: Kyther kept up his strikes, almost impressed at the man's skills. He stopped suddenly, his blade halting just before the strike. A divertion attack. He spun around quickly, hoping this false strike would have fooled his foe into attempting to block, and tried to plat his elbow in the Smoker's stomach.
(12:19 PM) Nick: The tactic worked, and his stance became less upright; he appeared to be out of breath.
(12:20 PM) James.: Kyther took the moment presented, and was in an instant standing upright, his swordpointed at the Smoker's neck. A smirk of triumph touched his lips.
"Tell me... did you at any point have enough 'confidence' in your skills, that you though you'd beat me?"
(12:21 PM) Nick: "...Did you have enough confidence to believe you would kill me in one strike?"
(12:23 PM) James.: "...hm." He sheathed his sword, and tilted his head. "You're brave I'll give you that."
(12:24 PM) Nick: "Thanks."
(12:26 PM) James.: "Oh don't thank me. I haven't made up my mind yet."
(12:26 PM) Nick: "Do you seek a second round?"
(12:27 PM) James.: "Oh you really DO have guts. You think you're up to fighting me again?"
(12:28 PM) Nick: "I'm hardly injued. If I was forced to, I might've even been able to turn the tables on you. You left yourself open too, when you cornered me." He spoke with a boldness he wasn't sure he had.

6:09 PM) James.: "Best me? You DO have guts. I assure you, if it came down to a true fight, I WOULD SLAUGHTER you."
(6:14 PM) Nick: "I suppose there probably is a reason for your rank. You probably have a lot more experience than I do. But apparently I'm worth something, right?"
(6:16 PM) James.: "You're alive. That counts for something."

"What?! Sir Kyther, you have to be j-"

"SILENCE! Within this room, I rank highest, and as such, my word is LAW! As of NOW, this man is MY captive, and I'll do with him as I please. Begon, NOW!"

The room quickly emptied, leaving only him, Max, and the Smoker.
(6:19 PM) James.: "Now then. I have a question."
(6:20 PM) Nick: An invisible relief washed over him as the others left. "What is it?"
(6:20 PM) James.: "The False Cloud. What do you know of it?"
(6:23 PM) Nick: "...I think I've heard whispers of it. It's one of their newest inventions. My family had-- er, HAD a few high-ranking military officers in it. They were all...excited about it. And then a recent crushing defeat. I guess by a single unit of Dragon Riders? They tried to cover it up. It worked, at least mostly."
(6:25 PM) James.: "... wait.... what about it? What was on that Fortress?"
(6:27 PM) Nick: ((Clarify for me what he's asking? Wasn't it just soldiers and guns, possibly cannons?))
(6:27 PM) James.: ((indeed. But he wants to know why that fortress is related to the Flase Cloud))
(6:29 PM) Nick: ((Hm..))
(6:31 PM) Nick: "What was...on it? As far as I know, soldiers, guns, cannons. It's basically designed to devistate a town, a city, a castle, anything. The cloud was just an experiment at stealth, I guess. They hoped to outsmart you until it was too late and just take the capital."
(6:32 PM) James.: "So, the Fortress we destroyed was armed with a false cloud, too.... then it's lucky we got to it early."
(6:34 PM) Nick: ((They live in the capital, right? I thought the fortress was using its cloud.))
(6:35 PM) James.: ((not when they destroyed it. They got to it before it reached the capitol))
(6:36 PM) Nick: ((Ah.))
(6:37 PM) Nick: "'We?' Ah...'Black-Haired Menace,' they called you. I think."
(6:40 PM) James.: "It was my brother's unit that destroyed your abomination."
(6:43 PM) Nick: "Their abomination. I literally had no part in making it. Or much of anything." He shrugged. "Interesting though."
(6:44 PM) James.: "So you see now? You race is somewhat weak. TWELVE men destroyed one of your greatest weapons." Kyther didn't seem to be bosting. Apparently, he was just angry as hell.
(6:45 PM) Nick: "Though I really shouldn't be defending them at all, those twelve just happened to be ELITE, right? That's what I gathered, anyway."
(6:46 PM) James.: "We're not bad."
(6:50 PM) Nick: He shrugged again. "Any other questions?"
(6:51 PM) James.: "What am I to do with you..."
(6:51 PM) Nick: "Put me to work with a sword?"
(6:52 PM) James.: "It's not my place to do that. The King must judge you first..."
(6:52 PM) Nick: "Can you take me to him?"
(6:53 PM) James.: "You really think that's a good idea?"
(6:53 PM) Nick: "Well, what are our other options? I sort of expected this if I made it this far."
(6:54 PM) James.: "If I go to the king, you will most likely be executed. I'm... not yet willing to allow that..."
(6:55 PM) Nick: Max chuckled. "Taken a liking to the guy, eh?"
(6:56 PM) James.: "Not exactly... however... mmh." He touched the shard under his bandage, and glanced at the door. It slammed shut and bolted, leaving the three sealed within his chamber. He looked back at Baskin, and the glow receeded. "We already have secrets. Why not another?"
(6:59 PM) Nick: ((brb ))
(7:01 PM) Nick: ((Back))
(7:01 PM) James.: ((welcome back ^-^))
(7:01 PM) Nick: (( ~ ))
(7:02 PM) Nick: ((Oh, did you just hit curfew time?))
(7:02 PM) James.: ((shush now XD))
(7:02 PM) Nick: ((Okay, continuing. XD))
(7:03 PM) Nick: Baskin stared, looking extremely puzzled. "...Draco...mage...?"
(7:03 PM) James.: "Excuse me?"
(7:06 PM) Nick: "That's new...I didn't know warriors could do that."
(7:07 PM) James.: "They cant."
(7:08 PM) Nick: "Then, why are you showing me this? I'm not complaining, but...wow."
(7:09 PM) James.: "You switched sides at the right time. Soon, I'll rip through Balkia with a fury yet unknown."
(7:11 PM) Nick: "So, you want my aid then. It's yours."
(7:12 PM) James.: "What does Balkia know of the Heaven Star?"
(7:13 PM) Nick: "Ah-- Looked into that one. What they call it is the Ultra Shard. And, pretty much nothing. I've doubted either nation does, the way their militaries have been clashing so much over it."
(7:14 PM) James.: Kyther took a moment, the gently pulled his Shard from under the bandage, bringing it into view. "This is, as far as I know, a peice of it."
(7:15 PM) Nick: "How'd you come across it?"
(7:16 PM) James.: "I took it from a heaven star crater. It came to me. It is supposed to be with ME."
(7:20 PM) Nick: "Alright then."
(7:22 PM) James.: "With it, I will get o the bottom of what happened..."
(7:23 PM) Nick: "Of what happened?"
(7:23 PM) James.: "My brother is dead, offically by the hand of the Smokers. I want to know the truth."
(7:24 PM) Nick: "I heard that one of the team was allegedly downed. Allegedly. Not sure what to make of that, so I can't really help you with that one right now."
(7:28 PM) James.: "Tch... I don't even know why I thought you could."
(7:31 PM) Nick: "My family underestimated me. Apparently they thought I was an idiot just because I had no mana. Apparently I couldn't pay attention. Or spy on their conversations. I've heard a lot of things, but very little about your brother. Maybe there wasn't a lot to hear anyway."
(7:36 PM) James.: "hm... I am as yet unsure of what to do with you... Maxton, what would you say?"
(7:44 PM) Nick: "Well, he has few options now. He can follow your lead, try to find audience with the king, or attempt an escape from our land even though he is now a known prisoner. He seems too determined to attempt the third one. Are you, Baskin?"

"I am."

"Then you probably have his loyalty. At least for now."

"Give me a purpose involving a sword and some protection from your countrymen, and you'll have it for a long time."
(7:45 PM) James.: "Indeed, but there's still the fact he king will NOT accept him."
(7:47 PM) Nick: "Then you have to gauge how much his loyalty means to you. You risk treason by keeping him secret, and you risk losing him by turning him in."
(7:47 PM) James.: "Already I've commited treason."
(7:47 PM) Nick: "This is true."
(7:48 PM) Nick: "Is there nothing I can do to win the king's favor?"
(7:50 PM) James.: "I'm not sure. You have to understand, our race has a deep hatred for you."
(7:50 PM) Nick: "It's a mutual sort of thing, as I'm sure you've guessed."
(7:51 PM) Nick: ((*Adds*))
(7:51 PM) Nick: "And yet..."

Max cocked his head slightly. "And yet what?"

"And yet I've won your favor. I think."
(7:53 PM) Nick is now Offline
(7:57 PM) javalinkross@hot: "mmh... that is a point. But then, I've alreayd betrayed my people. I've kept a power rightfuly my king's for myself. Perhaps I cannot be trusted either."
(7:57 PM) Nick is now Online
(7:58 PM) James.: ((need a repost?))
(7:59 PM) Nick: ((Surprisingly, it sent. If it was just that one messaged that ended at "cannot be trusted either"))
(7:59 PM) James.: ((yeap))
(8:01 PM) Nick: "If that really is a piece of...the thing. Maybe it's good to keep it in more than only the hands of rulers. Either way, if your aim is to rip apart the country that shunned me, I'm...sort of okay with that. If you do it somewhat humanely. I guess."
"You guess?" Max inquired.
(8:02 PM) Nick: "Not everyone in my country is an a*****e. Maybe. Just everyone I've ever met. But! Children are children, at the very least. Innocent, impressionable. I was given a bad impression."
(8:03 PM) James.: "So what are you requesting of me?"
(8:06 PM) Nick: "I don't really know. My plan went about as far as your nation's gate. Or rather, the field leading to it."
(8:07 PM) Nick: Max's face had taken on a small grin. "What is it with me and meeting interesting Balkians lately. This one has a conscience."
(8:08 PM) James.: "This one is simply foolish. I'll decide what to do about your former nation once I have the power to do anything. Right now my grasp of magick is still somewhat limited."
(8:11 PM) Nick: Baskin shook his head. "Okay. Now, what will we do?"
(8:13 PM) Nick is now Offline
(8:18 PM) Nick is now Online
(8:19 PM) Nick: Nick says (8:11 PM):
*Baskin shook his head. "Okay. Now, what will we do?"
(8:19 PM) James.: *"Damn it, give me some time. You've hit me with something of a tricky situation. I DO hold some favour with the king, but I simply do not know if it's enough. I could go before him, request you be... I don't know... perhaps given to me. You'd be placed under my charge. That would make you my responsibility. Your disgretions would be mine. That's a risky move. He may, perhaps, wonder WHY I care so much about a Smoker. Still... it's pretty much the only option I have, short of keep you a secret, and a whole barraks of Riders have seen you. As much as they look up to me, I'm not sure I can keep all of them quiet."

(8:20 PM) Nick: "If there's any information he wants, I MIGHT be able to offer something."
(8:22 PM) Nick: Max nodded. "There already is the secret of how their machines are run."

"I didn't think that was such a big secret. Do you all just destroy EVERY weapon you get from us without studying them?"

"Yes."
(8:22 PM) James.: "Yes."
(8:24 PM) Nick: "...What if you hide me till the next battle? Defeat a 'Smoker' and take its gun, or secretly take some other machine?"
(8:25 PM) Nick: ((Two routes we could maybe take that. Baskin's plan, or Max offers to use his OTHER Balkian connection. Lol))
(8:25 PM) Nick is now Offline
(8:31 PM) Nick is now Online
(8:33 PM) James.: "... perhaps... with the promise of your intelligence, he'd be willing to place you under my charge. I'm willing to take responsibility of you. If you betrayed us, it WOULD mean I would be held... nevermind that. Mmh... still, waiting for another bettle could be risky..."
(8:37 PM) Nick: Max's hand raised slowly into the air. "I have recently acquired...one connection. She might be able to help."

(8:38 PM) James.: "Oh? And who may this girl be?"
(8:39 PM) Nick: "Well, this is a long and unusual tale. Take a seat."  

[defender158]

8

(6:21 PM) James.: Moonlight shone through the trees, casting silvery streams of light on the forest. These pillars of of light illuminated Fair's expressionless face as he trudged on, slouching slightly. He was tired, he was cold, and he was hungry. He'd toyed with the idea of killing a local beast, but had written off that plan pretty quickly. Instead he reserved himself to relly on his own inner strength. It'd always seen him through in the past. Behind him, Baradir stayed close. Every now and then, the dragon would nudge him lightly, trying to get his attention. The balkian gave him no such satisfaction. So what if he now knew it was called a dragon? So what if it had a name? It was still a winged beast of the Barbarians. If it continued to follow him, he'd deal with it accordingly.
And so, he continued on, aiming to reach Balkia within the next two days. With any luck, he wouldn't run into any Barbarian patrols along the way.
(6:31 PM) Nick: "Y'know...It's not usually advised to let a winged beast follow you around. Got something to prove, tough guy?" Sera emerged out from behind a tree, gun clenched lazily in a dangling hand as if a form of identification, less reason for her countrymen to attack her than if it weren't there. The moonlight glistened eerily upon her hair, whitening the pink a hefty amount.
(6:32 PM) James.: Fair whipped around, his twin steam-revolvers swiping from their holsters on his thighs and instantly levelling on the woman. His eyes narrowed slowly, and he spoke in a flat tone.
"Name. Now."
(6:34 PM) Nick: She did not flinch in the slightest. "Sera. What's your name, soldier guy?"
(6:35 PM) James.: "Fair, forth regiment of the Obsidion Brass Knights. You are... Balkian."
(6:36 PM) James.: ((http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vxa4W9vuhAQ&playnext_from=TL&videos=JDkqRZbukQk yay for tention music, also, yay for the character, Karl))
(6:36 PM) Nick: She grinned when he paused. "Technician, Western region."
(( lol ))
(6:37 PM) James.: His weapons didn't lower, their target still traced on that blissful spot right between her eyes. "Why are you out here?"
(6:42 PM) Nick: "I walked. Got a permit thing." Her free arm swung out in front of her, open palm facing upwards. "It's a pretty forest, wouldn't ya say? No one appreciates it or visits it unless it means blasting an enemy's brains out-- no offense." She snickered.
(6:45 PM) James.: "None taken." He kept his eys fixed on her too. Amazingly, he never seemed to need to blink. "Why did you walk? Just for a visit?"
(6:46 PM) James.: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOUsUuYe2UU btw, watch this))
(6:48 PM) Nick: "It's a great workout, and I have a little free time. Avoids annoying questions, too. Everyone's so uptight! I go through hell just to get travel permits." She leaned back against the tree. "What about you?"
(6:48 PM) Nick: (( XD ))
(6:48 PM) James.: "Mission. Sent here to investigate."
(6:49 PM) James.: ((there's one of a cheeta too, lemmie find it...))
(6:49 PM) Nick: (( Also, that Law of Talos thing looks so cute. Game, right? ))
(6:50 PM) James.: ((no. It's an original character tournament on dA. That character, Karl, is one of the characters who competed. He made it to the final))
(6:50 PM) Nick: "You a straggler, Mister Fair? The investigation team left already."
(6:50 PM) James.: ((http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5oQviuuZt0 cheetah))
(6:51 PM) James.: "I was sent with a squad of fourty soldiers. I am the only surviver."
(6:51 PM) Nick: (( ... ))
(6:51 PM) James.: ((it's gotta be greenscreen. But it's AWESOME XD))
(6:51 PM) Nick: (( Really? The others died? ))
(6:51 PM) James.: ((mmhm. Yeah the 10 riders massacared 39 men))
(6:52 PM) James.: ((and 2 airships >_>))
(6:52 PM) Nick: "Hah...Okay. Your story checks out."
(( One way or another, she knows, dammit. XD ))
(6:52 PM) James.: ((XD))
(6:53 PM) James.: "No one walks all the way here just for a visit. THese are times of war."
(6:55 PM) James.: ((http://unknown-person.deviantart.com/gallery/ tada. This is Karl's story throughout the tournament. Start at "karl reference sheet". For the law of talos stuff, take a look at everything that starts with "LoT"
(6:56 PM) James.: to enlarge the images, just click them *nods* but the actual rounds are flash animated))
(6:58 PM) Nick: ((*Nods*))
(7:01 PM) Nick: "Permit says I'm gathering valuable ores, for building our machines. I get long-term permits so I have some leisure time; secret is, collecting ores ain't that hard once you're here. I know just where to look and just how to dig."
(7:01 PM) Nick: ((That sound good? I totally just made it up.))
(7:01 PM) James.: ((figured XD. Yeah it does))
(7:04 PM) James.: He stood in silence for a while, before lowering his weapons. "Mmh. I beleive you."
(7:11 PM) Nick: She shrugged cooly, and her line of vision panned over to the creature that stood next to Fair. She stared for a few long moments, hardly blinking herself. "Up close, those things are acutally almost cute! Is that why you have one?"
(7:12 PM) James.: "I DON'T have one." he said flatly, before sighing and shaking his head. "It's following me. I'll kill it if it's still with me when I reach the border."
(7:14 PM) Nick: "To think, it hasn't tried to kill YOU yet."
(7:14 PM) James.: "Maybe it likes me. I've certainly done nothing to earn such affection."
(7:21 PM) James.: "But then... of course I haven't. Such an act would be... treason."
(7:22 PM) Nick: "Of course."
(7:22 PM) Nick: She never lost her cocky grin.
(7:26 PM) James.: Baradir took a step forward. He lowered his head, and growled quietly from deep in his throat. His golden eyes, contrasting to his shadow-black scales, peirced the darkness of the night and fixed on the woman. Fair glanced sideways at the dragon and frowned. A moment passed between them, and the beast stepped back again, slinking into the shadows and becoming utterly invisable. Fair returned his gaze to the girl, and raised an eyebrow. "We need to get this straight."
(7:31 PM) Nick: As the dragon began to make its move, Sera raised her gun a bit and held it in both hands. She glanced it over, as if contemplating whether it really was ready to fire. Then her gaze was caught by Fair's staring contest with the beast, and the way it simply backed off. "I guess we do."
(7:32 PM) James.: "The dragon is nothing to do with me. So you have no reason to tell anyone you ever saw him." He paused a moment. "...it. No reason to tell anyone you even saw... it."
(7:35 PM) Nick: "And I was never slacking off. You have no reason to report that-- I mean, it." She nodded, sounding quite cheerful.
(7:36 PM) James.: His trigger fingers twitched, and he frowned again. "I cant trust this girl..." he murmured
(7:42 PM) Nick: "HEY, I struck a good deal with you, and I intend to keep that little promise. Don't start looking at that gun; you'd lose anyway."
(7:42 PM) James.: "To a technician? Careful. You might make a man want to test that theory."
(7:45 PM) Nick: "One of the best." She winked. "'Course, we'd probably just startle your little non-friend over there."
(7:46 PM) James.: "Who knows what could happen then." despite his calm tone of voice, his trigger fingers twitched.
(7:47 PM) Nick: "If you wanna fight me, maybe we should just...shoot him now."
(7:48 PM) James.: "just try it, your finger wont be half way back before I've blown you to a ragged, bloody mess." His tone was instantly feral, almost inhuman.
(7:48 PM) James.: ((and bam, there it is. The downside to his Shard))
(7:52 PM) Nick: "...How RUDE."
(7:53 PM) James.: ((XD))
(7:53 PM) Nick: (( I love Sera. XD ))
(7:53 PM) James.: ((she's some kinda awesome XDD))
(7:53 PM) James.: He blinked, and took a step back "I... mmh. I need to get back to Balkia."
(7:55 PM) Nick: "What'll you do then?"
(7:55 PM) James.: "What do you mean?"
(7:57 PM) Nick: "Well, apparently there's something up with you. If you can't control it, someone else is gonna notice.
"
(7:57 PM) James.: "You don't know what you're talking about."
(7:59 PM) Nick: "There were a lot of explosions in that battle, weren't there, Fair?"
(8:00 PM) James.: "There were a few. Why?"
(8:01 PM) Nick: "Maybe you experienced some head trauma. After all, there was probably a lot of. Shratnel."
(8:02 PM) James.: He narrowed his eyes, and tilted his head to the side. "Maybe."
(8:04 PM) Nick: "So what'll you do?"
(8:04 PM) James.: "I'll return to Balkia, and rejoin the military."
(8:07 PM) Nick: "You're sure optimistic."
(8:07 PM) James.: "Meaning...?"
(8:11 PM) Nick: "You've got a bit of Barbarian syndrome and are a little too attached to one of their flying battle creatures. Someone's gonna get you executed for treason, especially if you have..."
(8:13 PM) James.: "If I have WHAT?" He was obviously becoming increasingly angry
(8:15 PM) Nick: "Oh, come on. The third reason I'm here. It's not that hard to guess."
(8:15 PM) James.: "The Ultra Shard..."
(8:16 PM) James. is now Offline
(8:16 PM) James.: ((appearing offline))
(8:17 PM) Nick: ((Kay.))
(8:20 PM) Nick: "I know they must be hinding things from the public." She slid her gun smoothly into the holster on her hip and walked slowly towards him, speaking somewhat seductively. "Come on now...Let me see it. I promise I won't bite unless you ask."
(8:20 PM) James.: He raised his right weapon, locking his arm. "Don't ******** with me, girl."
(8:22 PM) Nick: "Ah ha, defensive again." But she did stop her walking.
(8:23 PM) James.: He stared her down for a long while, before slowly lowering his weapon. Again, a long stare, and then he holstered the guns. He slowly brought his hands up, keeping his eyes always locked on her, and opened his uniform coat. He unlaced his undershirt, letting it hang open. The silvery moonlight reflected off of the shard, ever embeded in the right side of his chest.
(8:25 PM) Nick: "...Well s**t. Good luck with that one."
(8:26 PM) James.: "As far as I can theorise... it's a peice of the Ultra Shard..."
(8:27 PM) Nick: "And it's given you the ability to...speak with giant fire-breathing lizards?"
(8:27 PM) James.: "Dragons."
(8:29 PM) Nick: "Dragons, then...Strange, legends usually don't describe anything like THIS."
(8:29 PM) James.: "Makes you wonder if there's ever BEEN anything like this, huh?"
(8:30 PM) Nick: "It does, it does."
(8:30 PM) James.: "So now, I have a situation."
(8:37 PM) Nick: "Doesn't look very easy to remove, does it?"
(8:38 PM) James.: "I highly doubt I'd survive seperation. What reason do you have not to turn me in?"
(8:40 PM) Nick: "Well, even if I wanted to, we both have dirt on each othe now. I should be several miles from where I am. Besides. Like I said, I think they hide stuff from us. Why would I turn in something so valuable, when all they'd do is kill you and take it...and then probably kill me, to shut me up?
"
(8:41 PM) James.: "You're... scheming something." his look turned to a glare. He bared his teeth for a moment, before laying a hand on his right gun. "I will NOT be used!"
(8:45 PM) Nick: She gave a short laugh. "You won't be USED? You poor guy, just about EVERYONE will be out against you once they know. I'm being up front with you to prove you have an ally. I bet there's so much we can gain."
(8:46 PM) James.: "...such as...?"
((I'd say he's showing now just how little of a plan he had XD))
(8:47 PM) Nick: (( Pretty much. XD ))
(8:48 PM) Nick: "Knowledge about what this ultimate power thing really is. The power to harness it for our own personal gain, and maybe whatever altruistic buillshit we've got going on in our heads."
(8:49 PM) James.: "mmmh.... I cant go back."
(8:50 PM) Nick: "Not really planning on leaving your dragon, huh?"
(8:50 PM) James.: "...Baradir. And no. No I'm not."
(8:51 PM) Nick: "...It has a name."
(8:52 PM) James.: "HE... damn it woman, I already said HE..."
(8:53 PM) Nick: "TOU-CHY! He, then. Sir Baradir the Dragon has a name."
(8:53 PM) James.: ((XD))
(8:54 PM) James.: "They're not savage..." he muttered quietly, as though thinking to himself. He turned his eyes away, looking around the dimly illuminated forest, before glancing back at the girl. "You need to see them like I do..."
(8:56 PM) Nick: "Give me a chance to and maybe I will."
(8:57 PM) James.: "Mmhm... maybe you will. Give... me your weapon." He held out his hand.
(8:59 PM) Nick: "Why?"
(8:59 PM) James.: "You may be different... but you're still Balkian. Its still built into your brain. You're not getting near him while you still have a firearm. I'll give it back."
(9:01 PM) Nick: After a moment, she sighed and handed it to him. "Fine, but I'm keeping my lance in case he loses it."
(9:03 PM) James.: "He wont" he muttered, but didn't say anything more on the matter. He took the weapon, glanced at it, and shrugged. A moment later, the giant black shape returned from the shadows. Baradir was large by all respects, with a massive wingspan and golden eyes the size of a grown man's fists. He lowered his head, and extended his armored neck, nudging Sera lightly, and inhaling quietly.
"Trust him." Fair said flatly, his tone utterly calm.
(9:05 PM) Nick: "..." She climbed carefully on.
(9:06 PM) James.: Fair smiled faintly, and rested a hand on the dragon's shoulder. "See? He's not savage. If he was, he'd have crunched you in half by now."
Baradir turned his head slowly, fixing his eyes on Fair. The two exchanged a glance, and apparently a though, and the dragon stood to his full hight, and flexed his wings.
"Just don't go crazy and he wont either."
(9:08 PM) Nick: "I can't believe this is happening."
(9:09 PM) James.: "I know exactly what you mean. It burns in your brain. Just... let it happen. You need to feel this, to break everything you've ever been told. Your whole life, Sera.... they've LIED to you. So it's about time..." he swung himself up behind her. His left arm snaked around her waist, his right hanging by his side, "...that you saw the TRUTH."
(9:11 PM) Nick: ((Lol, Max has competition now.))
(9:11 PM) James.: ((lulz))
(9:16 PM) Nick: Slowly the grin came back to her face, especially when Fair climbed on behind her. "Well...Lately I've been even more than what I've bargained for. I guess I've been asking for it! I'm ready, sirs! SHOW ME WHAT YA GOT!"
(9:20 PM) James.: For the first time, Fair laughed. It was truly melodic, and a rather pleasent sound. He shrugged, and passed another thought to Baradir. The dragon drug his talons into the ground, tensing the muscles in his legs, before lunging forward. The trees around them virtualy exploded as the dragon burst into the air. Fair calmly leaned forward slightly, making sure both her and Sera were secure. Baradir didn't go all that high. It was, after all, the first flight for either of the humans on his back. Perhaps it was his own sense, or Fair's request. Perhaps it was a combination of the two. He flew a steady path, soaring above the trees as the moonlight reflected off of his scales. Fair's open uniform coat flapped behind them, and after a while, he reached forward and slipped Sera's gun back into its holster.
"Welcome to the REAL world."