Sethera

Catriona did not have to say anything more. As soon as she heard the rustling, a small, pear-shaped head with pointed ears peeked out from behind the stone, a bone in its mouth. It dropped the bone, panting, as soon as it saw them, or more specifically Link, and ran toward him. Though as it got closer, it started to whine, head and tail lowering, till it was almost crawling on the ground when it reached the mercenary's boot. "It appears you found Rohns," the lord commented, mystified as to why the beast was acting that way. Still, she wasn't her place to know the ins and outs of animal behavior, and so the woman decided to continue the patrol. "Let's move on," she ordered. The two completed an entire circuit of the shrine grounds. Oddly enough, as they turned the corner to the northern exit again, it felt as if something changed. Catriona stopped dead in her tracks, glancing around wildly before looking at Link. "Do you feel that?" she asked. "It's as if..." she struggled to form the words. "As if this place has lost something." What that something was, she couldn't quite describe. A presence? Magic? Whatever it was, it was reassuring. The world had righted itself. "Let's return," she said finally. Stepping into the shrine itself, the first thing the woman noticed was the atmosphere. It was...gloomy. Not a single person looked happy or even pleasantly neutral. No, they were all pensive, brows furrowed in thought, or outright upset. Next, she noticed the lack of their supernatural compatriots. The Awakened, as well as the abbot. "What happened here?" she asked. There was a pause before Penelope stepped forward, explaining what had happened in serious tones. Catriona listened, but parts of it felt unbelievable. Scenery of the past? An actual good church? Anti-goddess soldiers acting in such a wicked way? Was it not supposed to be the other way around? Still, she held her tongue. The abbot, after all, had been kind, and the Awakened that had fought on their side seemed like goodly people. Still, they were, in the end, goddess supporters. They did not deserve such cruel deaths, but they had chosen their side. It was then that L'Arachel chose to speak up, voicing that she could not tarry for much longer, and now had to leave to find her retainers. It seemed even staying awake all night had done nothing to curb the princess's energy levels, and with one last exchange of farewells, and a wish to perhaps visit Augusta at some time, the valkyrie left as quickly as she had come. For the rest of them, the night had been long and for the most part sleepless, so it was decided to wait until midday before their departure. Prioritizing weariness over wariness, Catriona chose single watches, with her on the first, Link on the second, and Gunther on the last. Gunther's shift was the shortest, as he had not gotten any sleep at all. She looked at Edrick, but, after seeing his troubled expression, decided to let him sleep. Thankfully, the day was peaceful, with no further disturbances. Catriona woke up a little before noon, stretching and rousing the others. With most of them having some sort of travel experience now, it didn't take long at all before they were ready to leave. However, they had to make a decision. West, north, or east. They had been told the Great Dragon was possibly to the north, but how far north that was, wasn't specified. Eventually, Licorice made the decision for them. "There should be a village a little over a day's distance from here to the west," she said. "Perhaps they might know something." With nothing else to go on, Catriona agreed, and the group set out on the road. Chapter 6: Village of Silence Date: 8th of Ramesoth, Year 556 Time: 9:00 PM (Compline) Location: Phar Road, Histia BGM Though the lord kept a careful eye out, the road that led west from the ruined abbey was free of any danger. However, the road itself was...nothing to write home about. It was little more than a muddied trench. Were it not for the undergrowth surrounding it, it would have been better to walk next to it rather than on it. And after it began to rain, it became a miniature stream, every step taking twice as much effort as before, as their shoes wanted to sink into the mud and stay there. Catriona forged on ahead doggedly, but even she was starting to tire under the added strain of marching through the rain. To make matters worse, night had fallen, and the rain didn't look to be stopping anytime soon. Still, there was no shelter in sight, so the group kept walking, hoping to find some form of protection against the rain up ahead. As the night wore on, however, the group was forced to halt in their tracks. Ahead, a river blocked their way. A wooden bridge spanned it, or was supposed to span it. The wood was rotted through in multiple places, and the middle had sunken into the water. The rain had caused the river itself to boil and churn, with small whitecaps frosting the current on its northward rush. With the state the river was in right now, it was impassable. "What now?" Catriona wondered. OOC

Ari frowned when Mia left. Mac didn't seem to have noticed anything, but Ari felt like the woman didn't really approve of what they were doing. Thinking about it, people all over seemed to have mixed feeling on Chasers, but it still stung whenever he met somebody that didn't like them. Chasers. That was what he was. What they were. And maybe heroes too. Or would-be heroes? What they were doing...it was a good thing, right? I keep having doubts, he thought. I never know if what I'm doing is really what I should be doing. But, perhaps that was part of making a decision. You had to accept the bad parts of it too. And to be a Chaser, he had to accept that he would get into danger, that he might not be able to save everybody, and that people might not like what he did. But that was true for everything, right? The Litleo shook his head. He had always thought he'd be a "man of action," the one that led the way for the others, but it seemed like, more and more, he'd been hesitating, holding back, and thinking things over. Was that good or bad? Either way, that wasn't important right now. What was important was figuring out what they were going to do now. Mac wiped her face with the back of her arm and said to the other two. "I'd be okay leaving honestly. Looks like the people here are mostly nosy old ladies and brats anyway. Otherwise we probably should find a place to sleep." Nosy old lady? Was she talking about Mia? She didn't look that old, did she? Leaving that aside, Ari thought a bit before replying. "Well, I wanna stay for the wedding at least, but after that, I guess it's fine." Still, there was one problem. "But where are we gonna go next?" -- The soldier that Easter spoke with seemed to swell even more with pride than before. "It's the most beautiful city in the world I'd say." Under his breath he muttered "Not that I've seen any of the others." Easter giggled. "Well, I've seen many others, and I have to say, this is definitely the prettiest," while that might have been a bit of an exaggeration, the city was still one of the most beautiful he had seen. As they entered the city proper and could actually stand again, Easter glanced at Brooke. "You all right?" he whispered under his breath, low enough that only she and Denku could hear it. "You look...nervous." Which, thinking about it, was kind of a stupid question to ask, considering their location. "Don't worry. If anything happens, you won't be the only one in trouble." Denku was a rock type, after all, which was also weak to water. Or maybe that wasn't so reassuring. Dora started to run ahead, and while Easter was ready to stop her, the soldier's words reassured him, though he still kept an eye on her. "This is some place," he muttered. "Who'd have thought that Dora was a princess of an underwater kingdom? Not I, that's for sure." -- Keanu listened to the conversations while keeping to the back. Looks like they had reached a dead end here. Which kind of sucked, but he wasn't surprised. His luck--or their luck--had been on a downward slope for a while now, since the invasion of Alola. At least Marie had had better luck talking to the bro than Randy had, which also wasn't surprising. "Heh," he snickered at the dark type. "Looks like yer face isn't doin' ya no favors again." He reached up to pat the Tyranitar on the shoulder lightly. "No worries, brah, you've got at least three people that know the truth," his tone darkened at the last word. "That Marie's the scariest of us all." He paused solemnly before turning back to the Flygon. "Wait, so yer sayin' the kids are with you? Well isn't that convenient," he finished lightly. "Least we no need to go traipsin' over the whole town, then." -- "Fufufu...you sure love to keep blabbing on and on, huh? Just shut up and kick the bucket, would ya?!" "Bring it! We will stop you maniacs no matter what!" Veronica laughed mirthlessly, shaking her head at the gijinka in front of her. "Poor, benighted fools," she murmured. "What a pity it is, when the protected turn against the protector...to ally with the enemy!" she shot a glare filled with venom at Zygarde. "Fight it if you must, but I will not be silenced, not until I make you understand!" she roared out, soaring into the air, fast enough that Taiga's attack did not strike her torso, though it did hit her legs. Wincing, the Crobat continued her ascent, barely missing Zygarde's grapple in the process. It seemed she was far more maneuverable in the air, as she managed to avoid most of Isole's Blizzard, though not all of it. The Crobat hovered momentarily as she thought over her next move, before diving down to slam into Taiga. Her eyes blazed with determination as she shouted out, "I will end this!" However, at the last second, she swerved, aiming for Scarlet instead.

The girl glanced over to where Belle's hand went. "Thazwhy the Spheal had a horn on it...thanks f'movin it!" she said, grinning goofily up at the blue-haired girl. "Is'not comfy to lay on." This girl might somehow be lazier than I am, Belle thought, a little impressed despite herself. Still, I can't understand a thing she's saying. The girl shrugged one shoulder at the Hoppip's antics. "Dunno, he's pretty energetic." She yawned. "Mebbe he wants to play." She made no move to get up, even after saying that. "Oh, but what's your Pokemon like? You met Knight. That's Princess over there." The brunette grew slightly more invested as she started talking about her Pokémon. "Isn't she cute? I gave her the bow cause it matched her personality I think." Princess let out a grumpy grunt at this, getting up and thudding her way towards the pair at the mention of her name. I can see why he's so restless, Belle sweatdropped, before doing so once more when she heard the name of the Rhyhorn. Princess? What kind of name is that...for a Rhyhorn? Is she doing a medieval theme? Honestly, she really didn't understand the whole concept of nicknaming Pokémon, but people were weird, and did weird things that she didn't understand. Like this girl. "My Pokémon's a Poamoo," she said, giving up any idea of strategic secrecy at the moment, taking the opportunity to sit down on the couch the girl had just fallen out of. Meanwhile Knight seemed to be getting frustrated and, a moment later, zoomed out of the room. Dang. She really should have waited to get the better couch. Now she had to get up again. "Guess he wantsta go fer a walk." The girl, who still hadn't introduced herself--then again, neither had Belle--looked up. "Does your Pokemon like to take walks? I don't really get it myself." Why was she so friendly? What was with all these people and acting friendly? Belle really couldn't understand it. "Walks are stupid," she agreed. "And shouldn't it get enough exercise with battling?" To be honest, she didn't really know anything about raising a Pokémon. She had never had one before, not even as a pet. Most of the games she had played that involved Pokémon ended up being about battling, pinball, or picross. Or the card game. But taking care of them? That just seemed...tiresome. Now that she thought about it...when was the last time she fed Moo? Actually, no, he was pretty self-sufficient. As long as there was grass around, he was fine. The perfect Pokémon. The one that could take care of itself.

It looked like Anne was fine with the purchase. Which was good...but also made Yue have some second thoughts. Especially after hearing Raynor's comment. Maybe this was a bad idea after all? Still, it was too late, and now she was down 100 gold, but with a new--well, old, bow in hand. They bid goodbye to the woman, who called her a weird name, but that was fine, right? Weird names, she was used to that. Well, maybe not that much, but people gave each other nicknames all the time right? So this was fine, just fine, even though she had no clue why Snow Flower, but-- "See ya! Hopefully we meet again!" Raynor waved as the shopkeeper left. He chuckled and rolled his free shoulder. "Well, that was productive, wasn't it?" he asked. Productive? Maybe, but the more Yue thought about it, the more it seemed like they just got scammed. "U-um...maybe?" she replied in a small voice. "Or maybe she ch-cheated us," she continued in an even smaller voice. Soon after, she noticed Raynor looking at the charms he had bought. They were really cute, but she wasn't sure why he had bought them. Maybe as a present for his girlfriend? Gasping, she looked down, a little embarrassed at the thought. Who could it be? she wondered. Ada? Maybe. Or Rona? She shook her head frantically. She wasn't sure why that bothered her, but it did. Rona was so amazing, and there was probably something going on with her and Leon, and...she stared down at the ground. Yeah, they're perfect for each other. Something nudged her in the side. Looking up, she came face to face with Gojira, who was proudly holding the charm in his mouth. "Oh...for me, thank you!" she smiled brightly, and then realized something. Turning to Raynor, she bowed slightly before stammering, attempting to get her tongue to work somehow. "Th-thank you!" she finally finished, face red. OhspiritsIjustmademyselflookreallystupidwhydidIsaythankyoumaybehedidn'tmeanitformemaybehemeanttogiveittohislizardinsteadwhyohwhyohnoI'msuchanidiotargh! "U-um, sorry, I--" her eyes wild and confused, the girl began to run away. But as she was running, she realized she still had the charm. Wait, doesn't this look like a hit and run? she thought. Oh no, he's going to think I'm just terrible, but I don't know if I can face him right now. It was then that she overheard a nearby villager muttering about what sounded like a "Jouran menace." Paling, the girl thought about that. Jouran menace...do they mean Raynor? He hasn't been with us long, so it could be him...oh no, I left him by himself all alone! He was scary, but Gojira was nice, and he...he might actually be nice too. Nodding firmly to herself, the archer turned around, starting to run back to where she came from. She caught sight of a trio who looked like Leon, Rona, and Aleithe next to a lumber shop, but she didn't stop to check. No, she had a mission. To save Raynor from the townsfolk. Or...save the townsfolk from him? No, no, she thought. I'm saving Raynor. Even though he probably doesn't need it, now that I think about it, but! What if he does? If that what if comes true then I have to help!

What the woman said...about looking for a home. Ari wondered if that was really it. If it was, then maybe...he could come live in Pride Rock? No, no, the lion shook his head. Once he finds his brother, then...maybe that'll be his home? Mac didn't seem too attached to the idea of a home. If he remembered, she came from Oasis, the place where everything started. Why? he wondered. Why doesn't she think of it as home? But she ended up answering that question for him, and the answer was something he should've expected. Of course if nothing exciting was happening, Mac wouldn't want to be there. She was just a trouble magnet. It was then that Ari was finally set down. The nice lady didn't seem to believe what they were saying, but the Litleo couldn't blame her. Two kids, going against a Godslayer? That was...well, it was definitely shocking. If he hadn't experienced it himself, he wouldn't believe it. No, he still could barely believe it. But it happened. "Yeah, I dunno if we beat them so much as they got tired of fighting. Or maybe that's the same thing," the fire type mused. -- Easter made sure to milk this source of information for all it--he was worth. Still, it seemed like the information wasn't of much worth, aside from that tasty tidbit of keeping strong in case of...something from the surface. All that effort for nothing. How boring. "Oh, no, not boring at all," he shook his head vehemently. "You saved us, but we're just a few of the people you helped. That's so admirable." Thinking about it, it was, but Easter knew he could never do a job like that himself. Staying in one place, fighting only when it was called for. It all sounded so...restraining. Meanwhile, Denku seemed to be having better luck than he was at fishing for information, with the man talking about how special Dora was. Special in what way, though? Special in the head? Soon they began to approach the city, and as the soldiers straightened, Easter glanced around. There wasn't really much for him to do right now, but the place sure looked impressive for something built underwater. "Wow, that's a beautiful city," he gushed at the soldier he had been talking to earlier. -- The others ignored Keanu's belly flop, which caused the Pikachu to just lie there uselessly until he realized he was being left behind. Groaning, the electric type staggered upright, and hobbled along behind the others. It wasn't fair. He just wanted to lie down, and now that the cannibals were dealt with, this place should be just fine. Still, he followed them, all the way to Trailsau. It wasn't much of a city, but there was a house, a little separated from the others, that the group headed toward. After knocking, while watching the door slowly creak open, Keanu felt a little nervous, but the person on the other side of the door was...rather timid-looking. He even started asking them to not beat him up. Tilting his head to the side, Keanu said. "Huh, yer not what I expected. You all right there, brah? Why do you live here if you don't like to scrap?" Not that he could blame him. Fighting was tiresome. It was much better to take things local style, and laid-back. Then Nani started talking about the Tyranitar girl they had fought before--well more like Randy fought her and Keanu tried to keep himself alive through all of that. The Pikachu looked at the Flygon in front of him a little skeptically. This guy doesn't look like he'll be much help. But any port in a storm, eh? -- Veronica gritted her teeth as the legendary's attack hit home. "Oh, so you're going to enter the fray as well?" she chuckled breathlessly, turning her gaze to Isole and materializing the giant pair of fangs from before to attack her. Backing away soon afterward, she kept her distance from the group, eyeing them with a bit more wariness in her gaze than before. "Humph, ganging up on me. I should've expected such behavior from legend-lovers," she sneered. "I just never expected that you, who have seen the devastation that legends wreak, would be among them. I won't hold back then." The air around her began to roar once more.

"Yes." L'Arachel said gravely. "I mean no ill when I say your party is not the most equipped to battle such a fierce foe. Of course, many would have said that about the group I once traveled with, yet we were able to save our land. What I mean to say is that one thing I have learned is that even those not of such grand and blessed blood as us can still make a difference." "Yes, I have seen that," Catriona replied. After all, Alois and Edrick were two of the fiercest fighters in the group, and neither were born from nobility, though Edrick was born from a hero. "I am gladdened to hear you were able to save your land. I can only hope our efforts will be enough as well." -- As the lord made her rounds, she could not help but notice that the air seemed so much more peaceful than it had mere hours ago. She could hear the faint cry of insects and early morning birds, and with such a chorus, it was hard to imagine that they had just finished a battle against a horde of terrifying undead. And yet that was how things were. Even her intuition, which had never steered her wrong, was calm. And yet, she couldn't not patrol. It was a habit long since ingrained since her time on the border, to make sure everything was safe, that there were no enemies about. Walking like this, with a member of the Garou alongside her, was familiar. And now, more so than ever, she needed a taste of the familiar. “... Thank you your highness. For the compliment,” Link finally said, just as they were nearing the south side of the building. Startled at his continuation of a topic she had thought finished, the woman turned just in time to catch him looking down at his hands, clenching and then unclenching several times experimentally. “It feels strange to be like this again. Strong again.” The man clenched his hands one final time and brought them down to his sides, looking around a few times, as if making sure nobody was around, before turning back to Catriona. “Your highness. Cat," the use of that nickname caused the lord to blink. She had never known quite how to react when others called her by that. The first to do so had been an overly familiar soldier with a lack of respect for the formalities--no, the first had been her sister, Penelope. Who now didn't even address her by name if she could help it. She was shaken from her thoughts by his next words. "I know there’s a lot of real weird stuff going on right now, stuff I can’t even begin to comprehend. Stuff I saw with my own eyes and I still can’t believe. Are...you alright?” "Am I?" she asked. "I...of course I am," she finally said. "I apologize if I gave off a different impression." She had almost forgotten herself, with everything that had happened. So much...and all of it unnatural. Wrong. Her stomach churned at the lie, but she could not afford to be truthful here. Not with her father's words ringing in her head. "You may rage, and you may cry, but you cannot let that show outside. Emotions are signs of weakness, and everybody around you will be looking to take advantage of that. Leaders cannot share their heart's feelings with those they lead, either, not when their followers are expecting perfection. They were chosen for that role, and it can just as easily be taken away from them. And as royalty, that applies even more to you. Every single one of your vassals has the chance to be a leader, might already be a leader. If you show them your emotions, then that reminds them that you are human, of flesh and blood like they. They will see you as an equal, and wonder why the crown sits on your head instead of theirs. Once they start thinking like that, you must act fast. For that is the beginning of the end." It was not like she believed that Link was out to get the crown, far from it. She knew he was not the same breed of man as the vipers at Court, who played power games almost constantly, every day a desperate battle for more land, more riches, more of everything. Still, if she were to open her mouth right now and tell him the truth, what then? What could he do, to lessen her burden? Tell her everything would be fine? That would be a lie. The only thing he could do was the same thing he had been doing--accompany her on the journey to stop the goddess. "Thank you for your concern," she finished, before finally hearing what sounded like motion from behind a gravestone. "What is that?" -- The abbot listened to Tsetseg's ramblings with a bemused smile. "Well, that is an interesting theory," he smiled gently before refuting her. "Except there is only one goddess, has only ever been. Still, I can see how you would come to believe that. Her behavior has changed so much since then..." he gazed off into the distance wistfully before returning his attention to the group. After Penelope put in her point, the abbot shook his head sorrowfully. "Human beings ever strive to understand the goddess, but one thing I have learned is that, as time goes by, our understanding changes as well. I have not read these new texts, so I cannot fully determine the truth of their teachings, but..." he smiled. "I myself am going off of what I have been taught as well. After curing Ciela's paralyzed legs, the abbot performed a short bow. "With the Goddess, all things are possible," he murmured. "Rejoice, child, for you have earned a second chance." Edrick's words caused the abbot to turn fully and face him directly. "The Divine Will, what a fitting name," he said, pausing. "Perhaps that is so. The priests have started to call her the Twofold Goddess..." he turned silent, contemplating. "Yet I feel that might not be quite right," he muttered to himself, before shaking his head. "This issue has been the subject of much debate recently. Unfortunately, I do not have the answers you seek." He looked sad. "I am but an old man who has lingered here for far too long. As for this place...it was destroyed after She had already changed." He turned to look at Penelope. "You wish to know my history? I cannot tell it in full, but with the last of my power, I can show you." He glanced at Unil and the others, who had stood to the side until now, before closing his eyes and humming a prayer. Soon afterward, everybody there could see the surroundings change, as if they had suddenly been transported, a multitude of scenes passing in front of their eyes. -------- BGM "Alltrades Abbey was once a place known far and wide across Mysia for its ability to give people the chance they needed to change their paths." A large stone abbey stood, surrounded by a bustling village. The buildings were made in a simpler style, but the people's faces looked happy and content. "Yet that was not its only purpose. It also served to help any and all who came for succor." "Abbot Jack," a monk approached a man who looked to be a younger version of the specter they were speaking to. "About the boy you found...I mean no disrespect, but...are you sure about keeping him? He is a..." his expression twisted, "street urchin, after all." "Yes," the abbot replied, his voice gentle but firm. "I am only sorry that I cannot do so for all such children we find. Remember, in the eyes of the goddess Inera, every person is equal in status." "Very well," the other bowed. "I can only hope to be as open-minded as you." -- The scene shifted, showing the abbot talking to a brunette who looked around four or five years old in a room with several simple wooden beds. "You need not worry anymore, my child. While we do not live lavish lives, we have food enough for us all." "Liar!" the boy spat. "'M not stoopid! Ya jus' wanna sell me off! Well yer the stoopid one. 'M not worth anyfink." "No," the man shook his head. "You are worth more than gold, my child. For you are a human being, and beloved of Inera." He handed over a white robe. "Wear this. You will work as an acolyte while you are here. For now, though, rest," he left the room, closing the door gently behind him, just in time to hear a thud as a book slammed against the hard wood. -- The scene shifted once more to show the boy, a little older and dressed in the robes shown earlier, lighting candles. Beside him, another boy, this one blond and nervous, was helping. "S-so I saw that you're all really close? Like family. It seems nice...m-maybe one day, I'll be a part of it too." "Ain't ya from the Aquilia family?" the brunette interrupted rudely, wrinkling his nose. "They're the richest blokes in town, righ'?" "Yeah, but," the other boy bit his lip. "T-they don't really care for me...because I'm useless," he stared at the ground. "Oh..." the first boy paused. "Well, okay, I guess we can be friends then. M'name's Unil. The abbot gave that name to me, said it meant 'one.' Cuz I'm one of a kind!" his face softened slightly as he spoke. "What's yers?" "M-mine? It's...Dua." "Okay, Dua, well you're part of the family now. Let's work at this together." "Yeah, let's!" -- A raven-haired teenage boy dressed in furs and covered in scars shouted at the abbot in what looked like the village square. "I am with much anger right now! See my angry face, right here! You refuse to fight. You, the most powerful man in village." The abbot shook his head, "Though I have been blessed by the goddess with some minor knowledge of light magic, I am not interested in fighting." He smiled at the boy. "You are more than welcome to talk things out instead if you wish." "I'll fight him, Father," the brunette boy, now a teenager himself, stepped forward. "I know a little o' the lance, myself." "There will be no fighting," the abbot's voice boomed out, causing both boys to stumble back, one in surprise, the other in embarrassment. "You said your name was Trim, correct?" he looked at the boy, smiling. "Let us talk this over inside. I see you are hungry." "Yes, I am with much hunger," the boy said. "I have traveled far, across the mountains, seeking to fight strong men, but you do not fight!" he roared. The abbot spread his hands wide beseechingly. "This is a place of peace, not of war. If you come here, come as a person, not a fighter." -- The abbot kneeled over a silver-haired girl in what looked to be an infirmary, holding a healing staff to her heavily scarred face. He shook his head, expression sad, as the glow faded from the staff. "I am sorry, my child. I can do no more for you. Time is the only thing that can take away your scars now." The girl wept. "No, I can't...I can't do this. Everybody looks at me funny, you know? Ever since I got attacked by that bear while out hunting...they used to call me the prettiest girl in the village, but now I'm nothing but a freak." "You are not a freak," the abbot replied. "People may not see it, but you are the same person you always were. A beloved child of the goddess. Your flesh is but a shell for your mind and soul. Remember that, Quatro." "Yeah, listen to Father!" Unil crashed through the door excitedly. "He knows a lot, a lot more than those stupid faces out in the village." He smiled bashfully at the reprimanding look the abbot shot him. "Th-thank you," the girl sobbed. "Really, thank you. I felt like it was the end for me, but at least...one person, maybe two," she looked up and smiled through her tears, "still sees me as me." -- The scene shifted to the main worship hall of the abbey, where a redheaded girl dressed in half-fitted robes was busy stuffing chalices and coins into a large sack. She sneered at the abbot, who had just entered through the doors. "Yeah, ah know, 'm an ungrateful slut. That's wha' they all call me," she spat on the floor. "But least 'm true to myself, not a 'ypocrite like you, lordin' yerself 'bove us, an' pretendin' t'be good. Hah!" she snorted. "Good doesn't exist, there's jus' gold an' more gold. Betcha regret savin' me now, huh? Makin' me work 'ere as penance 'stead," she sneered. "Keepin' me from the choppin' block, cuz I'm jus' tryna survive, ye say. What an idjit!" She glared at him. "Say something, ya brainless twit!" The abbot smiled sadly at her. "I am sorry you have had to place such importance on material wealth, my child." He spread his hands wide. "If you need these humble objects that much, then may you leave with them, with my hope for a better future." The girl stopped, slack-jawed, before scoffing. "Huh, guess yer not a 'ypocrite after all, yer jus' stoopid!" Still, she seemed shaken, and left the place soon after. Then, as the lighting changed from night to morning, the girl returned, slamming the door open and dumping the bag of stolen goods on the floor, to the shock of everybody there. "What're you doing back here?!" Unil scowled at the girl. "I thought you ran away!" "Well ah can't believe it, but ya've infected me wi' yer stoopidity," the girl glared at the abbot. "'Ere, ye can 'ave these, but ye gotta take 'sponsibility now, fer makin' me stoopid too." The abbot smiled proudly at her. "You asked me earlier if I regretted keeping you from execution when you were caught pickpocketing. My answer is, no. I will never regret that, Penvo." -- "However, with the darkening of the goddess, the darkness in people's hearts began to take over." It was night, but the whole village was lit up like the day. Lit up by the flames the outsiders had brought with them. Armored men ran through the streets with torches and swords, killing any they could lay their hands on. "Everything must burn!" roared the commander. "These are all followers of the dark goddess. We have to purge them, or they'll come back as Her undead soldiers!" "Yes, sir!" another nodded and grabbed at the hair of a fleeing woman. Bringing her closer, he sneered. "Witch, don't expect any mercy from me." With a crack, he let her go, her neck twisted at an odd angle. A small, piping sound made him lean down. "Hah! She was hiding a whelp?" he snickered, picking a baby up and gagging. "Ugh, it smells. What'd it do, shit its pants?" Bringing his pike up, he stabbed the baby through the eye, and then through the other eye. "Hah, don't have to worry about that now...hurk!" he gasped, a lance protruding through his chest. "Scum!" a brunette man on a horse cried, eyes blazing with anger. "Why are you attacking our village like this?" "He's not breathing anymore, Unil," a blond priest nearby supplied helpfully. "We just got back, but with much lateness, maybe too much," a barbarian said worriedly. "That's because we had to bring along all of Penvo's junk," a pretty silver-haired archer with the slightest shadow of scarring on her face shook her head. "'Ey, money makes the world go round," a redheaded thief scoffed, before stabbing a man who had been sneaking up behind her without blinking. "Still, looks like we need ta clean house." Unil sighed. "It seems that way." He thought for a moment. "We should try and gather everybody in the abbey. Let's go!" -- "Everybody fought valiantly, but in the end, sheer numbers won out." "Seems like...everybody came out to play today," the barbarian grunted as he parried another blow in front of the abbey. "I have much doubt on whether we can go on like this or not." "You and me both, Trim," the archer sighed as she let loose an arrow. "I only have so many arrows before I run out." "And I only 'ave so many asses to hand out," the thief sneered. "This is why daggers are better than bows, Quatro." "Not this again," the priest groaned as he healed a wound on Unil. "What, do ye think I'm wrong, Dua?" "I think this is the worst possible time to discuss this subject." "No, this is the only time. Cuz I dunno about you, but I don't think we're gonna live to see the sun." "We might not, but Father has to," Unil said, expression determined. "He's the one they're after. Did you hear what they've been calling him? Dark spawn, a servant of darkness. As if he could be anything but good." "They just don't know him like we do," Dua said. "Uhh...guys? My axe just broke," the barbarian stared down at the broken weapon in dismay. "And I'm down to my last arrow." "Heh," the thief quirked a grin. "My weapons are chipped to pieces. Guess your bow outlasted my daggers this time." "Unil, I...have only one last healing spell," the priest stared at the cavalier seriously. "Then this will be our last stand," the man raised his broken lance into the air. "Come, let us fight!" "Heh...d'ya think..." Trim panted as they stood in a ring around the door. "The bards will be with much song about us?" "Doubt it," Penvo scoffed. "We'll probably star as the villains instead." "The world may malign us, but at least...we went down fight--." Unil's words were cut off with a gasp as a sword pierced through his chest. "Unil, no!" "Don't worry about me...protect the others!" "Goddess preserve us!" "Aaargh!" "Gotta...keep...ugh." "No!" "I'm sorry...Father..." -- "You are guilty of the crimes of sowing dissolution among the people and spreading lies in support of the evil goddess, Inera. For this, you are charged with death by flogging and crucifixion. Any last words?" The abbot sighed. "I can only pray that your soul finds peace from all of this. And..." he lifted his head to stare at the sky, tears running down his face. "I am sorry...my children. I have failed you. May you find...happiness." The whip fell, and any further words were cut off by his screams. -------- As the surroundings finally returned to normal, the abbot said nothing, head hanging in sorrow. Finally, he raised it, staring straight at Unil. At Dua. At Trim. At Quatro. At Penvo. People who had died so long ago, their lives taken by force. "You wonder why you are still here, why your spirits were summoned first. The blame lies with me. It is my memory that keeps you here. And it is my guilt that keeps me here." His eyes shone with tears. "I am sorry for everything you experienced. Were it not for me..." "No. Don't blame yourself, Father." Unil stepped forward. "All of us...if we could turn back time, we wouldn't change a thing." He looked at the others, who nodded, stepping closer to the abbot. "Father...I've wanted to say this for such a long time. I'm sorry that we failed you." "No, my child," the abbot shook his head. "It is I who failed you." "Never," the cavalier shook his own head. "Still, I am glad to hear that you do not blame me. For so long, I worried..." the tears ran down his face freely. "But now, with this...I can move on." He looked at the Awakened. "Will you come with me?" "Always, Father." "With all my heart." "Yah, you still owe me that fight." "Without a doubt." "'Course." "Then," the abbot looked back at the group. "Thank you, for protecting this place. With you all here, my worries have eased." He smiled, and started to chant. "May you succeed on your road. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; And the rain fall soft upon your fields. And though we may not meet again, May the Goddess hold you in the palm of Her hand." And then, he, as well as the other Awakened, started to glow a soft white, their bodies growing translucent, until finally, the light faded, and with it, the last remnants of those from a bygone era. The group would notice then that the atmosphere had changed. No longer did the place feel watchful, or dangerous, or even mysterious. No, instead, they merely stood in the shadow of a crumbled stone building. There was nothing out-of-place about this area anymore. It was just an old ruin. OOC

Catriona listened to L'Arachel's answer with mixed feelings. Being called brutish was...well, in this case it was meant as a compliment, but still the lord wasn't quite sure how to feel about that. However, it was what the green-haired woman said next that really blew her away. Magvel. A land she had never heard of, and she knew of every single country in Mysia. So that meant that...she really was not of Mysia. That was something to think of. That there were lands beyond Mysia, beyond the wars and strife that so raged within the continent. "Perhaps..." she answered L'Arachel, convinced that the other was telling the truth. It wasn't as if she had any concrete proof of that, but still, it did not seem as if she were lying either. "Nevertheless, I am grateful we did meet, as we might not have come out of this battle unscathed otherwise." After answering Edrick's question, the abbot seemed taken aback by the zealousness of Penelope's request. "Alas, I do not have much time left for this world. Time enough to change your paths, but beyond that..." he shook his head. "It might be better for you to see it yourself. Forgive me, however, I shall do that at the end." After Ciela greeted him, he greeted her in return and listened to her rant with a serene smile on his face. "Ahh, good questions. It is almost as if I am teaching the monks again," he chuckled. "Contrary to what many might assume, belief in the goddess alone cannot grant one the power of healing magic. No, it is belief, coupled with zeal. The belief need not be in the goddess, but in yourself, a friend, or even a cause. The purity of your devotion is what grants you the power to heal." He looked at her. "You may not follow the goddess, but there has to be something else that you believe in. That you are passionate about." He paused before moving on. "The goddess is, and has always been, beyond the ken of we mortals. However, I personally believe that She is not a wicked being. Were it not for Her, we would not be here, would not have made the advances we have. And that is a noble cause. "As for the reason for Alltrades...that is a long story. A story I do not have time to tell, so I shall keep it brief. Benefactions 2:1-5 The goddess Inera heard the laments of the people, seeking a way to undo the mistakes they made in their lives and forge new paths. Thus, with Her almighty power, did she grant to one of her servants a gift. 'Go forth and aid the people with my blessing,' said She, 'that their fates might change. And to all of your successors, I shall lend them this power as well.' So he obeyed her words and went on to found an abbey, naming it Alltrades for its purpose, and the people were happy." He smiled sadly. "This is from the holy text Ya-Laubhan, which has been lost to history." "And as to your second request...this, at least, is within my power, though it may take up the last of it." The priest reached a hand out and laid it on Ciela's head, and soon after, what one could only call a miracle occurred. Licorice watched the spectacle of the abbot and Ciela, her eyes thoughtful. This power is truly terrifying. Much like...well, that is to be expected, after all. She turned her head then, taking note of Catriona's reaction. The lord had reared back, unable to process this...on top of everything else. No, she could not. And Link's request...it could not have come at a better time. "Yes," she straightened. "That is a good idea, Link. It wouldn't do for the perimeter to be breached while the rest of us are distracted." This was something physical. This she could deal with. The dead walking, specters, miracles, those were all things she could not understand nor handle. And this was all because of Her. Of that thrice-accursed goddess. Ciela might want to preserve the knowledge of Her magic, but Catriona would rather burn it all to ashes. And if they succeeded on this quest, she would. "Shall we?" she asked Link, before pausing awkwardly as they neared the edge of the church, outside of the others' hearing. "I am glad you are...well." There. That was good. That was normally what people said to others after recovering from illnesses and such, correct? While it wasn't exactly the case in this instance, it was the closest comparison she could use. Nodding stiffly to the mercenary, the white-haired woman marched north of the shrine, where the enemies had first appeared. As it was still dark, she had to strain her vision, but there was not a trace of glowing red eyes now. As they marched to the south of the building, however, Link would hear a faint rustling coming from behind one of the tombstones. OOC

While her companions were upstairs battling, Belle was busy with a battle of her own. The battle to claim the remote. And the raging battle in her head, which always happened whenever she strained her powers. Hammer versus head. And the hammer was winning. At least the other girl was awake now. "Ello, strange girl," the other mumbled. "Where did the Krabby go? T'was makinoise. Lotta noise. Noise..." She started to nod off again before jerking upright. Jerking so suddenly and fast that she collapsed off of the couch and almost bowled Belle over in the process. "Mm. Floor." She looked up, blinking with half-asleep green eyes, and muttered. "I like the couch more." She raised her hand up as if expecting the girl to help her up. Belle did nothing. This girl fell over on her own, and now she expected her to help her up? She didn't touch other people if she could help it, but it looked like the girl wasn't getting the memo, as she dangled her hand in the air even when it was obvious it wasn't going to be grasped. "Whatcha doin ere? You wanna sleep too?" "Well, not yet, I was going to watch TV," Belle grumbled. "Though now that you mention it...no, never mind!" She was getting off-topic. The bluenette reached her hand out like she was going to finally take the other girl's hand, but her hand went past that...and to the remote. Which was dangling off the edge of the couch, and in danger of falling off as well. "You were sitting on the remote," she stated, hoping that this girl would understand just how massive of a crime that was. Just how irreverential an action that was. Though going by the brunette's sluggish expression, she probably wouldn't. She was about to slouch back to the nearest couch when the Hoppip zoomed over and began to bounce around in mid-air. "Pip, piiiip!" it shouted eagerly, gesturing towards Belle's Pokeballs. "What?" the girl whined. "Whaddaya want? My balls? You can't have them," she scowled. "Wait...do you want to see my Pokémon?" How pointless. It wasn't as if she would be traveling with this girl. There was no reason to introduce Moo to a stranger or her Pokémon. Actually, strategically, that was a bad idea if they ever ended up battling each other. ...Though judging by this girl's behavior, it seems like the elevator doesn't go all the way to the top floor.

Yue didn't know much about talking to people, or people in general, actually, but she could safely say that the grin on the other woman's face was not innocent, and in fact rather creepy and maybe she should start running now-- "Well, if you're so curious of my wares, I just have to show you now." Turning back around, the girl began to dive into her wares, shuffling through a pile of what Yue could at best call "novelty items." "See, when you're as prolific a merchant as I, it is no wonder that you might stumble across a few odd or rare objects, foreign to the common wares from a street vendor, in your travels. And there is nothing more exotic that I've found than this!" The archer leaned forward despite herself, only to slump in disappointment at what she actually saw. In the merchant's hands was an incredibly old-looking wooden bow - or at least what used to be a bow. The string on it seemed to be snapped and the wood rotted, with the grip of the bow looking cracked and like it was about to be snapped in two. Oh. That's no good. "Now, I know what you're thinking. 'Isn't that just a broken bow?' Well, maybe it is. But, I wouldn't just present a decrepit bow to my precious customers for no reason. See, on this bow is a text unreadable to all, and yet, hold it." Anne presented the bow for Yue to hold. At first glance, she couldn't see what the other was talking about. But upon looking closer, at the inner part, there was what appeared to be writing, but in a language she had never seen before. "U-um, if you're sure..." The girl reached forward to hold the bow gingerly, her fingers gliding across the wood to grip the handle. Looking again, a thought came to her like a bolt from the blue. Without strain, one cannot hope to strike the sun. "Curious isn't it?" Anne started to nudge the bow more towards Yue now. "But what could it possibly mean? Well, I haven't the faintest of ideas, but this bow is likely a charm of sorts. Carry it on you and who knows what fortune might be bestowed upon you. And who knows what strange secrets it might hold?" Anne had seemed to be getting really into describing the broken weapon, making a few dramatic hand gestures here and there before saying, "well, how about it? Only 100 gold and this bow of ancient mystery and wonder could be yours. Quite a steal don't you think?" The merchant switched back to friendly, yet eagerly, smiling towards the girl. "Um..." Yue couldn't really see herself as a person of mystic and wonder. That was more her father. No, she was a girl of the woods and wilds, where anybody with knowledge and experience could read the direction in the trees, and follow the animals to find shelter and edible plants. There was no mysticism, no higher being, nothing but herself and the cute critters of the wilderness. However, she was an archer through and through, and there was a strange draw in this bow, in the idea of a weapon that might not be very much to look at now--in fact it looked one fumble away from shattering--but with some work, could be...well, better anyway. It was silly, but she felt like she could relate with this bow. Her skill with the bow was one of the few things she could take pride in, and that had only been achieved after years of hard work. At the start, nobody had thought she could do it. After all, she had never really stood out, had never shown any great talent in the things that mattered to the tribe. Chen Fa was the only person who had ever given her a chance. Maybe this bow, too, was waiting for somebody to give it a chance. Could she be that person then? "Uh a-all right," she stammered, "I-I'll..." She paused and nodded, eyes growing firmer and more determined. "I'll take it. Buy it." Oh no, was that too much? I hope she doesn't think I'm demanding. "I mean, i-if that's okay with you."

Belle sighed as she came downstairs and saw that she wasn't the first one to get the idea to go below deck. All three of the couches were occupied somehow. Okay, couch one had a girl on it. Couch two had a Hoppip, which could easily be batted off but from the way it was looking at her, would probably be troublesome. And couch three had a Rhyhorn which didn't look like it'd pay her much attention, but she couldn't help but be wary of the rock type's size. Sighing, the girl decided to go for couch two, the one with the Hoppip. If it became too much of a pain, she'd just...have to move...ugh. Approaching the couch, she started to look around for the remote. Except...it wasn't there. No remote in sight. And yes, she could walk toward the television and turn it on, but that would be way too much effort. Also, if she had to change the channel later...no, she had to find the remote, and find it soon. Searching the vicinity, Belle paused when she saw what looked like a small rectangular object sticking out from underneath the sleeping girl. Oh joy. Glancing around, the bluenette made sure nobody was around before closing her eyes and focusing. When she opened them, they shone an eerie light blue. A similarly-colored glow appeared around the remote, but try as she might, nothing happened, and the glow faded with the remote still in place. Dang, it looks like the girl's actually sitting on the remote. This meant that she would either have to push the girl off the remote, which was unlikely with her level of strength, or wake her up. Which meant socializing. Gritting her teeth, Belle decided to bite the bullet. "Hey," she snapped her fingers in front of the sleeping girl. "Hey," she repeated, voice sharp. "Wake up. You're sleeping on the remote." Honestly, with the girl's weight pressing down on the buttons, she was surprised the television hadn't turned on already.

Ari was happy. Mac would get to eat! Which meant she wouldn't complain about being hungry! Which meant he didn't have to listen to her! Score! But instead of being grateful, the Helioptile proved once more why she was still a child. Ari shook his head at her. How was it that he was younger than the electric type but he still acted way more grown-up than her? The nice gijinka gave a small laugh behind her hand and turned back towards Ari and Kazo. "And what of you two? Did you eat your fill? You're both so very skinny! I heard you were adventurers of some sort that sounds like an awfully dangerous thing for a group of young Gijinka like yourself. I wonder, what drove you to take up such a risky endeavor? Surely you must have homes to go to." She then brought a hand to her face and gasped. "Oh, I apologize if I struck a nerve. I'm afraid I can be rather nosy at times." Ari grinned. "Well I won't turn down another bowl," but then looked at Kazo. What if he was hungry too? The dragon was bigger and probably needed more food. "What about you, Kazo?" After hearing the question, his expression became a little sadder, as he thought for a bit before replying. "No, you're fine. And well, when I left home I wanted to become strong and make my family proud." He paused. "I still do. But I also found other people who I want to make proud too." He smiled at Mac and Kazo. -- Easter couldn't say he was surprised by Brooke's reaction. No, not surprised at all. In fact, he could say that he himself was more than a little annoyed at the idea of parting from Dora, and it had to be ten times as bad for Brooke, who had practically raised her--at least for a while. He glanced at the fire type, unsure whether he approved or disapproved of her outburst. He could understand why she did it, but it was always good to be careful in situations such as these. He looked at Denku in approval. The Pupitar was smart, or at least had good instincts. Still, it seemed like the guards would let them go with Dora for now, so that was something. They set off again, and Easter was ready for a strained, if quiet ride when he sensed somebody staring at him. Glancing out of the corner of his eyes, he saw it was one of the soldiers. He looked tense, but he wasn't hostile, though he was a little red in the face--ah. Well, well...he could use this, couldn't he? "Hello hello," he greeted, tone light. "So, I was curious...going by your armor, you're a soldier for Merm? That must be a tough job." The Lanturn puffed out his chest a little. He probably thought it made him look manly and cool, but to the Sylveon, he just looked silly. "Yes, I am. And it's tough, definitely tough, but someone has to do it to protect Merm." "Oh wow," Easter simpered. "You're really dedicated. I've always admired that." "R-really?" the other blushed. "W-well, I'm glad to hear that. I've always tried to do my best." "Yes, and I see it paid off," the Sylveon leaned a little closer, close enough the soldier could detect a faint whiff of sugar and strawberries. The water type gulped, mind blanking when one of the hair ribbons trailed over his leg. "I, uhh, yes, yes it did." This close, he could safely say that those eyes matched the color of the sea around them. Oh gods, what were they talking about again? "So admirable," the fairy type murmured. "I've always looked up to soldiers. They work so hard, but never really get the...attention they deserve." He tilted his head up toward the other man, batting his eyelashes coyly. "I would love to hear more about your exploits...sir," he appended the address with a breathless sigh. And with that, the man started to sing like a Chatot. -- Keanu was right. It didn't take long before the others had finished off the remaining cannibals. He heard the others talking, but didn't bother reacting. The ground was so comfortable after all... Except then Nani addressed him. Or at least included him. "You two don't mind a bit more walking, right? We're already awake now after all." "N-Not like we really have...much of a choice..." Randy sighed, moving closer to Keanu if the sound and vibration of his footsteps were any indication "...as much as I hate the rain...gotta be thinking b-bout you all's safety too. So...g-guess we'll move on." The Pikachu felt a nudge in his side. "Oi...Keanu...you still alive and kicking...?" The nudges were still happening. "If you are, try and blink twice." "Ngyaah," Keanu opened his eyes and blinked three times to be difficult. "'M alive," he groaned. "Barely. So what's the plan? Moving? Can't we just stay here?" he flopped over on the ground like a Magikarp. -- "Trust us... we understand completely. You're blinded by your sense of 'justice', we understand that perfectly." Scarlet said, leaving the area soon afterward. Before Veronica could reply, the combined water and electric attack hit her, causing her to jerk uncontrollably for a couple seconds, allowing the arrows to hit home as well. Gritting her teeth, the Godslayer kicked up another gust of wind, and with the enhanced speed flew toward Taiga, releasing a Cross Poison from point-blank range. "Blind? No, I am not blind. I just opened my eyes." The woman retreated and stared out at the group, her eyes assured and austere. "It is you, who walk underneath the shadow of the legendaries, who have been blinded."

Yue had not been doing much with herself in the time that the others had been going to the island. Besides looking after Aleithe and Reina, she had been practicing her archery and taking care of the animals. Chang'e had become more and more distant lately, refusing to come along with her for things. He was probably in his "rebellious stage." Whatever the case may be, the others had finally returned, which was good. What was bad was that she had been sent shopping, and was now alone with the scary eyepatched man. Aleithe had wandered off somewhere else, which just left her, the scary man--Raynor right?--Gojira, and...who was this? Anne? And it looked like the scary man was taking lessons on how to be even scarier by buying dark magic tomes. Glancing around wildly, Yue eeped whenever a villager met her eye and hid behind Gojira. Didn't her companion realize how weird it was, buying dark magic in the middle of the street from a strange girl? Didn't his parents ever tell him not to talk to strangers? Could he even use that book anyway? Yue sighed. Not like anybody would listen to her anyway though. If they'd even hear her to begin with. And then Raynor decided to buy more items--actually those looked kind of cute--well, anyway, it still wasn't good to buy strange things from strangers! Except that was the whole point of this, but still, Yue had been here long enough to know the names and faces of quite a few shopkeepers, and this woman wasn't one of them! Ergo, she was a stranger and to be avoided. Then her companion turned to her, before gesturing to Anne's direction. "So, do you wanna buy something here?" "Eh? N-n-no I c-couldn't--" "Yes, please, feel free to browse my wares all you want. I'm sure a beautiful young lady like yourself has shopping needs as well. After all, I'm sure a girl like you loves a good book or two," the girl gestured towards the set of anima tomes that were lined up in her cart. "Of course, if you're into the more mysterious and esoteric kind of things, well, I might have just the item for you." With a coy smile on her face, she looked towards Yue expectantly. Oh, no. She was getting curious. She was falling for it, she--"W-what kinds of things?" she stuttered, peeking her head out from behind Gojira.

As each person stepped up to the abbot, each hoping for something to change in their hearts, a young lord stood to the side and felt regret. Regret, because she did not have the freedom of choice that they did. Once, she did walk up, just to see, not to go through with it, but just, maybe... The abbot shook his head at her. "Some things even I cannot change. I cannot bring back the dead, nor can I stop the death that may be. The only thing I can change are the small decisions that lead to a single path. Fateful events, loss of lives, they still remain." He glanced at Link as he spoke this. Following his gaze, the white-haired woman saw the mercenary had filled out quite a lot since she had last laid eyes on him, which...happened to be just before he had stepped up to change himself. It was startling, and hit home a fact she had not realized till now. That the man had let himself waste away, and she, his friend, had not even noticed. Had she been so wrapped up with her own matters that she had been blind to the pains of others? What would Anaïs say about that, what would Rohns... Which begged the question of what had happened to the wolf cub her now filled-out friend had brought? Had he run off? She was distracted from that train of thought by the cultured voice of one of their helpers. Lahrushel--no, L'Arachel, as she called herself. An odd name, and an odder woman. Everything about her, from her style of clothes, her magic, her accent, even her name, was foreign. And when she properly introduced herself, it was as a princess?! What mummery is this? Catriona thought, annoyed. Does she not know that there is no such thing as Rausten? The only princesses on the whole continent are myself and my sister. Still, she does not have the air of the lowbrow about her. "A lot of fancy titles...," Shiro commented softly. "And royalty too... Well, thank you very much for your help, your Highness. Hopefully, we can repay you in someway." The fact that Shiro so readily believed her was startling. True, he was from a hidden village, but surely he would know of the various rulers across Mysia? Unless... Unless Rausten is not a country, or...it is from a land not of Mysia. "I hight Catriona, Princess of Galtea" the lord introduced herself formally, "Well met, Princess L'Arachel, and many thanks for your aid. I must admit to some confusion as to the whereabouts of your Rausten. May I ask where exactly that may be?" If the other was lying, the mere mention of her name would be enough to give any would-be liar pause. If she was telling the truth, however...well, she would have to put her training in foreign diplomacy to use once more. Or her sister would. Meanwhile, Licorice turned to Sienna. "It is goddess magic," she explained, tone unreadable. "He is a follower of Inera from long ago, and was granted with power for dedicating his life to Her. And it seems that this power gives him the ability to change one's path to a certain extent. You were gifted a firestone, and found an affinity for magic, but if you wanted, he could make it so that you never found it at all. Perhaps you found an interest in archery instead, or a love for swordplay. He would gift you the subsequent ability. It is...a weighty power," she admitted. The fox glanced at Ciela. "However, even that has its limitations." She couldn't say for sure whether the abbot would be able to perform "miracles" such as granting one the power to walk again. If he could, then that would be a terrifying power indeed. Unil looked at Penelope with his pale eyes. "It is not...your people," he answered. "Many...years ago." He looked at the abbot. "Do not be sorry...we do not regret it." After all other business was settled, Edrick stepped forward to the abbot, a question on his tongue. "Părinte de preot," he addressed the abbot with the honorific for a priest and continued in his native language. "What happened here? All...all my life I have been taught that when The Mistress returns our ancestors to us-" he stopped there, raising his head weakly to look upon the abbot with pleading, hopeful eyes. The abbot smiled sadly down on him, answering, "Copilul meu," in traditional Pontic address, before continuing. "I see now it must have been you who cleansed this place. Thank you for that." He gazed out at the ruined building before looking back to Edrick, and the rest of the gathering. "This is not the first time I have seen the Awakened in action." The abbot glanced wistfully at the five who remained. "Back then, She would 'awaken' hordes, whose only goal seemed to be to add to their number in slaughter." The man took a breath. "I still remember hearing Her voice before She changed, when I ascended as abbot. Then, it felt as if I were washed in warmth, a child at my mother's side again. But when I heard it again, it came like the baying of hounds, out for blood as She ordered the deaths of the unworthy." He sighed, looking older and frailer than before. "I am but a foolish old man. I cannot fathom the whims of The Mistress, nor can I explain Her actions. The Awakened have always been this way, though I confess they looked more...whole back then. The only noticeable difference between an Awakened and a living being were the eyes, which shone a brilliant red. I heard tell that before She changed, the eyes were white, perhaps like these ones here. I cannot say why that is, or even guarantee it as the truth. I can only hope that one day, She will return to the way She once was. It is, after all, that goddess that I grew to love and worship, not what She has become." Catriona could not help but step forward then. "Then, you are from before? Do you know of Augustus?" The abbot glanced at her. "Augustus? No, I have no idea who you could be referring to." Which meant he had to be from before even Augustus. The very idea was staggering, but this entire frame of events was outrageous to begin with. And yet, it was all real. They were talking to a person from a time before their ancestors. An ancient time. Feeling overwhelmed, the princess backed away, leaning against the tower wall for support. This was just too much too fast. Battles she could handle. Enemies, who she could point a sword to and overcome. Even nobles, with their words lanced in venom, were not out of the question for her. But the supernatural, the goddess, that was something she could never truly get used to, even if she wanted to. The world was better off without adding holy magic to the mix.

I like the description for mine. ?

Normal huh? Let's see what I get.

Poached egg hmm? Not a huge fan of those but all right, that works.

Oooh Leafa's cute yeah. Though I prefer her real-world counterpart actually. ?

Yeah that's a good song. ?

Oooh, let's see who it is.

As a foodie, this interests me.

The others were talking about boats, but Belle didn't really care for boats, aside from the obvious. Being on a boat meant that they didn't have to walk. Which meant that Belle didn't have to walk. So that was good. "Boats're good." The girl glanced around the ferry, noting that the captain looked oddly similar to the previous one. Deciding that she didn't care enough to question it, the girl opened her mouth to announce that she was going to go below deck and sleep...or watch TV. "Gonna--" "Let's take this time to train up before the ferry departs. We shouldn't waste any time." Belle was going to tell him just what she thought of that plan when Jacklyn interjected, "oh, that's a good idea! But we probably shouldn't too stray from the boat. After all, a few hours can go by like that -" she waved her hand and made a "woosh" noise as she did so. "But, we could train against each other on the boat. After all, I'm sure Rus would love to spar with Po and Moo - oh but Cherry didn't do much yet, so I'm sure she'd love to just as much!"  And then before the bluenette could even respond to the whirlwind of speech, the purple-haired girl retrieved a camera from her bag and snapped a quick picture, saying "cheese" almost at the same time she took the picture. Blinking owlishly after the picture was taken, Belle glanced at the picture and grimaced at the bad quality of the photo. Before she became a shut-in, she had loved having pictures taken of herself, and along the way, especially after playing Pokémon Snap, she had become a bit of a shutterbug herself. But it didn't take any great skill to see that this picture...sucked. Still, Jacklyn seemed happy. Belle wasn't sure whether she looked down on the other girl or envied her for being so easily pleased. "You can train. Gonna TV," she grumbled, taking the slow, stumbling steps of the walking dead, or somebody who had just woken up, toward the entrance to go belowdeck.

Ari breathed a sigh of relief when it looked like they weren't going to get in trouble because of Mac being...well, Mac. "It's fine, Mac's tough. She can take it." He grinned at Mac before shooting a look at the other kid that had started the fight. At least he seemed to have calmed down. Maybe they'd get to eat in peace. "Is it fine if she goes up and gets another bowl?" he asked. She'll start whining about being hungry otherwise... he thought. -- Escort them back to the surface? When they hadn't even arrived? "No thank you," Easter replied, smiling brightly. "How could we pass up the chance to visit your fair city? Plus, I can't see us wanting to separate from Dora so suddenly. No, if it's fine with you, we'd like to continue to Merm." Easter could admit to some curiosity on his part. Merm was one of the few cities he hadn't been to. Skuldafn was another, but that was for an entirely different reason. -- Keanu continued to lie on the ground, his mind finally starting to clear. But even so, the ground was much more comfortable than he had first thought. Also, it took a lot less energy to just lie there than it would to stand up. The others have it handled, he thought, giving a mental thumbs up toward them. You can do it! -- Veronica attempted to escape, but as the wind had died down, she was not nearly as fast as before, though still quite fast. Taking the grapple and the Bug Bite from Scarlet, the woman gritted her teeth before slipping out of the hold and turning back to the woman, eyes determined. "You don't understand...none of you do." She shook her head. "I suppose words won't work on you. In the end, force has always been the greatest persuader." The Crobat retaliated with a bite of her own against the Scizor, those giant fangs from before appearing, aiming to pierce through the gijinka's body.

Thanks for the tip, Mirei. Yeah, I have pasted the direct link before, but when I did, the image came up skewed on mobile view. So I switched back to using the button and the image came up fine again. So I figure there must be something about pasting it directly that makes the image a little different than using the button. It's a small difference, but it's there. I appreciate you guys looking into it though.

I shall take everybody down with the power of petals! ?

Oh wow Pauline! That's like, old school cool. Pretty neat.