The Chosen [IC / Not Accepting / PG-16]

[LordCowCow 840]

"I doubt The Council will have trouble making it worth your while... but surely someone as modest as yourself won't mind doing it all for the karma, right?"

"Well aren't you just the nicest friend around." Damien said. There was a brief moment, when the Council was mentioned, that the young man grimaced, but it faded soon after. "You know, most people would think what you're trying to do is preeetty crappy." He kept the friendly tone but the way he was looking at them made it seem like a lecture. "I'm just a guy. You're the Chosen. The heroes. But you're asking a normal person like me to take on the world saving quest. And you'd even stoop so low as to try and guilt me into it. For shame." He said this last part towards Lindow.

Keres shifted. "So you won't?"

The young man smiled wider. "Well I wouldn't say that. I might as well tag along for a little bit. Get out of this place. Cause you do have a way of getting out of here that's easier than walking I assume." At Keres's stiff nod he continued. "So I'll stick with you for a bit. How long is up in the air."

He stepped to the side and gestured grandiosely inside the hut. "I take it you came here to see him right? Hey old man! I'll be leaving after all! Don't croak till the city gets big enough again to throw a real party for me!"

Keres hesitated, and then stepped into the hut.

[Doggo 218]

Listening to Ryia and Damien talk only reinforced the thoughts the girl had shared earlier. Reinaan was growing more annoyed the longer he listened in large part because nothing felt entirely genuine to him. The man would hide everything he could under a friendly smile and joking tone. It seemed this conversation and Lindow's talk of the Council compensating him did seem to be enough to win the man over to their side for a time longer. While appreciative of the additional fighter, the Draken was still unhappy with the person himself. Despite this brewing frustration the boy refrained from commenting at Damien's shout to the Elder and followed Keres inside.

As the group entered the eye might be caught by the various textiles lining the walls of the place. However there was little flair to them and thus the next focus was a small circular table low to the ground in the middle of the room. Here sat the Elder, on the floor and cross-legged. It was likely he had yet to move from his conversation with Damien. There was a bowl containing a liquid of some kind in it not far from him. Reinaan found the room strange, largely because such a table would be little more than a foot rest for creatures as large as Draken.

"Hello Elder," Reinaan started the group off as they filed in. The older man's attention shifted to them at the sound of the boy's voice. A smile took to his face at the sight of the gathered Chosen.

"Welcome, my young friends." he said.

"We've come to tell you we'll be leaving your village soon. Thank you for everything you've done for us." the Fire Chosen said, lowering his head some as a sign of respect. The Elder had helped them under trying circumstances when they arrived. Despite his repeated rebellious actions toward his own village the boy had learned well the lesson of respecting his elders and appreciating kindness in whatever form he found it in.

"I figured you'd be going soon. You all have so much left to do." the elder said, his voice touched with melancholy bordering on mourning. To have their saviors leave so quickly would likely be hard on the people so the sentiment was understandable. That said, there was little left to threaten them and the endless sun had come to an end. Hopefully they wouldn't need the Chosen anymore.

"I hope I can return some day, after everything's over." Reinaan said, feeling some of the sadness the elder did himself. The people had been kind and he wanted to enjoy some more of the hero treatment he'd been getting during the celebrations. He could imagine the reaction now of his triumphant return to the small desert town. The people would run out to meet him and ask for stories of bravery and courage. It'd be fun. But for now the boy felt satisfied to leave and so took a step or two back, giving the floor to the others to address the man.

Edited April 13, 2019 by Klonoa

[Skaia 578]

Though Damien seemed to be willing to come along with them, the girl couldn't help but continue to feel frustrated at the antics that he was putting on. In this moment, the girl wasn't quite sure if she would have rather him declined or not, though, she was certain that his tip toeing around his answer was only making things more irritating for her. As he walked past them and let them go to talk to the elder, the girl let out a small sigh, making her way in after Reinaan and had and giving a small bow to the Elder. As the two of them talked, Ryia nodded in agreement with Reinaan. With a more pleasant expression on her face she said, "I'm, um, glad that we were able to um, return things to normal. I hope for things to look up for you all."

[Hollow 21]

"I'm just a guy. You're the Chosen. The heroes. But you're asking a normal person like me to take on the world saving quest. And you'd even stoop so low as to try and guilt me into it. For shame."  Damien addressed Lindow with a stern look. 

The Thunder Chosen simply shrugged in response before before closing his eyes and flashing the other man the smirk of a fox. "I mean we are just a buncha kids after all..."

"and if we fail, the whole realm will be worse off. Though I'm sure you've already gathered that, right?" Lindow watched the other three enter the hut, but chose not to bother going in to see the elder himself. Instead, he lingered near the entrance as he continued to talk to Damien. "You can be the Chosen of Charity."



[LordCowCow 840]

"I hope I can return some day, after everything's over."

"I'm, um, glad that we were able to um, return things to normal. I hope for things to look up for you all."

"And I hope you all can return as well." The elder said. "You're going to be in much danger...survive it. It's too soon in your lives for it to be snuffed out." He seemed saddened for a moment but gave them a smile. "We'll be fine here I'm sure. Go on now."

---

Outside of the hut Damien watched and listened as Lindow talked. "and if we fail, the whole realm will be worse off. Though I'm sure you've already gathered that, right?"

"Maybe, maybe not, who's to say this whole prophesy business is true or not. But hey, why you trying to convince me, I already said I'd come." He shrugged. "Someone has to keep you all from dying."

---

Once the group was back together Keres explained how the teleportation would work. Like before they each had to be in contact with the device. There would be a dizzying sensation that would abruptly end with them in front of the Council's Tower.

Damien, once he got his bearings, would look up at it and groan. "Really? Look, those stuck up pricks might have sent you on this but no way I'm going to step foot in there. You all can go report in but I'm staying out here till you're done. You can pick me up later."

As before one of them had to step up to the tower and announce themselves. There was a few minutes of silence before a portal opened up in the side of the tower. No one emerged and it was clear that they were supposed to go inside.

Without much enthusiasm Keres was the first to break from the group to enter through the portal. There was a brief chill sensation and they would all emerge into the council's chamber.

The room seemed familiar, calling to mind the fight with the Shadow Ghouls from the start of their journey. Except this time it was lighted.

And they could see three men sitting up above them.

One was Saleh, the blind, grey-skinned Auran that they had met before leaving.

The second was a skinny human who was watching them with a slight jeer on his face.

The third was a muscular man whose strong arms were crossed over his chest as he looked down at the group with a steady gaze.

"You've returned." Saleh said, relief clear in his voice.

"Your numbers seem to be lower than they were when you came to us." Came the snide voice of the skinny man to Saleh's left.

"Did it really take that many of you to destroy one of the gates? Providing you really did destroy it." Came the disapproving voice of the man to the right.

"James, Braxus, cease that." Saleh said with a sigh. "My apologies. My companions are...on edge, you see....I sense something amiss with the Chosen of Ice."

"It seems she has a cursed disease in her body." The skinny man, James, said with a wave of his hand. "She'll have to be treated. It will take some time." He sneered at the group. "I take it you will not want to stay here the month it will require."

"At this rate we may not have a month left before we're overwhelmed by the evil encroaching at all sides." Braxus said with grunt.

Saleh sighed once more. "Chosen, I sense that the gate is indeed destroyed. But if you could tell us yourselves what happened it would be appreciated."

[Skaia 578]

With their goodbyes spoken, the group of Chosen had made their way back to the councils tower. Ryia sighed as their new companion made an audible scoff at the grandiose structure before them, and the girl didn't exactly blame him for it. The council hadn't exactly been the most welcoming to them the last time they arrived here, and she wasn't sure how they'd treat them this time around as well. All the same, stepping up, the girl looked to the gate and announced herself, saying, "Um, Ryia, Chosen of Earth. May we um, enter?" The girl felt incredibly awkward with just announcing herself to a building, but it had seemed to be heard as a portal opened up. 

Walking inside, the Chosen were met with three of the council members. While she had recognized Saleh, the girl wasn't sure who the two other were nor was she sure she wanted to. They had seemed generally demeaning and discontent with the current state of the group, which Ryia couldn't exactly argue about as their numbers had dropped a considerable deal. Not to mention they themselves were still worse for wear from the encounter, and even still with the daunting fact that there were seven more to still defeat. 

While her own doubts and the doubts of the council before them were starting to weigh on her here, she snapped out of it as Saleh asked for them to explain what had happened. Between the five of them, they had managed to tell the whole tale of what had happened. Their arrival at the outpost that had been filled with bandits and being attacked by sand sharks. Their trip to Sol. Their defense against the bandits and their raid on the bandit camp. Their travels through the desert. Their fight with the scorpions, the abandoned building and the lamia underneath it. Their trip to the rock spire and ensuing fight against the sharks, the fire mage and the demon gate. Their reclamation of the sun stone and the night sky, their new ally and their trip back here. 

When all was said and done, Ryia looked to Saleh and said, "um, there is uh, something else. The mage we fought - I don't really know much about it because um, I didn't read it myself, but um - he was - used to be? Um, a member of the council."

[Doggo 218]

If Reinaan had thought the first teleportation experience would have him any more ready for this time around he was wrong. It was just as disorienting but it passed quickly. What stood before the group now was the Tower the Council resided in. It was a sight the young Draken had hoped to never come into view again, though he knew at least one return trip was going to be necessary to remove the curses the mages had put on them. Ryia announced them after Damien took his leave and they entered to what looked to be the same room as their first visit. The boy hadn't bothered putting his jacket on the first time and saw no reason to do so here now, especially given how moving one of his limbs hurt. Despite his left arm's condition, the boy was ready for a fight as he didn't trust the group to not want to kill some more of them.

All there was were three men sitting up in the seats that overlooked the room. Saleh was the one who had sent them on their way in the first place. The other two the group hadn't seen amidst the darkness of the room on the previous visit. He was set to dislike them already and it didn't take much to confirm the feeling. The two new faces were incredibly condescending. If destroying gates was supposed to be so simple they should go and do it themselves the boy thought to himself.

The Draken assisted in the group's collective explanation of events, though with none of the excess and showmanship that he showed in the desert village. He did little to hide his contempt for them when he spoke and continually scanned the room, expecting some other member to appear and blindside them with magic. He'd controlled himself from outright yelling at them to remove their curses through much of the explanation. He hadn't even said much about Kha. But as their explanation concluded and Ryia mentioned that the mage they'd fought was once part of the council, something snapped.

"Is messing everything up all you people know how to do? Kha would still be here if not for your stupid curses! The gate's gone, so get 'em off!" he growled, fully aware that provoking the world's most powerful mages was an incredibly unwise course of action. Still, for what little it meant they had said they'd remove them after one of the gates was destroyed. The Draken would press for whatever scraps of honor he could find.

[LordCowCow 840]

The three Council Members remained silent as the group described their experience, occasionally letting out some sign of shock. It seemed that they didn't know how bad the situation there really had been. However they didn't speak up until the end.

"um, there is uh, something else. The mage we fought - I don't really know much about it because um, I didn't read it myself, but um - he was - used to be? Um, a member of the council."

James and Braxus looked to Saleh as Ryia gave this information. The elder Auran leaned back and put his hand on his chin. His blind gaze didn't move but his face had hints of concern. "If this is true it could only be one person. There once was more Auran on the Council in the past. It originally was entirely Auran, in fact, but over time many moved on to their own personal devices. One, however, started growing agitated. Convinced we were doing something wrong. What it was exactly he never elaborated. But he left years ago, after destroying part of the tower, and we had never been able to find him."

The man sighed. "I am saddened to find out that he never found peace. But at least now he cannot harm anyone."

"Is messing everything up all you people know how to do? Kha would still be here if not for your stupid curses! The gate's gone, so get 'em off!"

There was a silence as Reinaan mentioned the curse. A look of confusion swept over the Council, and James let out a hollow laugh.

Saleh raised a hand and the man, with a roll of his eyes, stifled the laughter. "I'm sorry but...I don't understand." Saleh said. "That is not possible."

"That 'curse' was nothing more than a motivator." James said. "It doesn't do anything. The symbol is empty of magic. Beyond giving a visual appearance it cannot do anything."

"Whatever happened to The Light Chosen it was not this magic's doing, but some other, outside, force." Saleh said.

"What good would come from killing off the only people who can help?" Braxus grunted.

Keres was silent the entire time but finally spoke up, drawing all eyes to her. "But...the shades. The Chosen of Wind...."

Braxus waved his hand. "Bah, I told you that would cause issue, James, but you just had to keep it a secret."

"We all decided that, actually, Braxus." James replied scornfully.

Saleh leaned forward. "The Chosen of Wind didn't die. It was an illusion. Those creatures were being controlled very carefully to prevent permanent harm. The poor girl contacted us before you all arrived here. She couldn't handle the pressure but didn't want to admit to failure. Her plea was so heartfelt I couldn't help but listen to it. We decided to fake her death to give her a way out and at the same time motivate you all to take this seriously. Such a grave and important task...must be given the most severe importance in one's mind."

"In the end it turned out for the better. That girl would not have been able to survive out there. But now...we found another way." James said.

Saleh nodded. "Right, I suppose it's time. You see while the girl was here we were able to make an astonishing discovery. We were able to remove the spirit from her body and allow it to choose a new host."

"Unfortunately not one we could choose ourselves." Braxus said with a frustrated grumble. "It would have been much easier were we able to give the spirit to whoever we felt most fitting."

"Perhaps, but, perhaps it is best we let the spirits choose for themselves." Saleh said. "At any rate I suppose now we should introduce you to the new Chosen of Wind."

A portal opened up on the same level as the Chosen, in front of the Council, and out of it stepped an elven girl.

[Doggo 218]

Wisps of flame licked the young Draken's lips as he heard the council members talk. Nothing about what happened outside their tower seemed real to them. They spoke of the Auran the group faced and past events but with little alarm or care. And for Reinaan's demanding of the curse being removed all he got was a laugh and Saleh claiming they did nothing to Kha. To then find out the curse had never been real and they'd just been lied to had the boy's blood boiling at how he'd been toyed with. But the worst offense was yet to come as they spoke of the Wind Chosen who they had seen die in their first visit to the tower. He was now to believe it had all been staged because the Wind Chosen didn't feel comfortable about her position. Why the show then? Why not simply explain she wouldn't be attending? What was the point of showing them a vision of the girl dying? That these men had no respect for the people they needed to save the world only further stoked Reinaan's flames.

"Look Reiny, they're gone!" Ziiyol said as she materialized at the boy's side. She had well remembered the placements of the curse marks on the boy's body, despite the difficulty in seeing them on the black scales. But her partner could hardly care, his anger near blinding him at this rate. He looked behind them only to see the portal already closed. All he wanted was to leave yet he'd have to wait on the council's whim for that too. He looked forward as a new figure stepped into the room. The so-called new Chosen of WInd as the council had somehow been able to make the Wind Spirit choose another person. Reinaan knew nothing about this girl but all he could see was more council lies written all over her. He wanted nothing to do with the girl and if she was really to travel with them would be keeping a constant eye on her.

"Let's just get Gilly treated and leave..." the boy said with every ounce of restraint he could muster as he turned back to the rest of the group. He was visibly shaking at how much he wanted to hurt the men sitting up above and the girl they'd just introduced. Another push might be all it took to make him lose control of himself. He moved toward the back of the group and kept his eyes closed, not wanting to look at anyone at the moment. And while he spoke of Gilly being looked after, he seemed to be ignoring his own useless burnt limb that likely couldn't be tended to anywhere else in the world. But receiving their help disgusted the boy to his core. He would never be in debt to these men if he could help it. Ziiyol hovered near, perplexed at the anger. She understood they'd been deceived but thought it a delightful trick with how convincing it had all been.

[yui 575]

This was it. The big day. Pyrrha Varan had never met the other Chosen in person, but she at least knew who they were, what they were up to, and most importantly, the undeniable weight of her mission as someone about to join them. She double-checked everything for probably the seventh time that day, running down the mental checklist of her important possessions. Got my bow. Got my axe. Got my cloak and my flute. And Eltain of course. Being lucky(?) enough to become a Chosen was a great honor to her, and frankly, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to live up to it. But she would try her heart out anyway. As the portal opened up, signalling that it was time to get going, Pyrrha grabbed her things and stepped through.

The moment was now.

Once she stepped out the other side of the portal, she saw them. All... four of them? There were supposed to be more, right? Something must have gone terribly wrong. It was less people to remember which was something, but the sense that something was wrong wouldn't leave her. Least of all because of the very-obviously-fumingly-angry draken in the room. Despite the anger, Pyrrha couldn't help but look at him with interest. She'd seen other draken before in passing, but never really had the chance to meet one for herself! Then there was a boy and a girl - both human - and another girl.

"Pleased to meet you," Pyrrha started, taking a bow in front of the other Chosen. The nerves were hitting her. She'd spent a bit mentally preparing herself to start this adventure, but now that it was finally time, she felt nervous. Pyrrha would have to just grin and bear it, she figured. She then moved on to an introduction she'd been working over in her head for days now. "I'm Pyrrha Varan, the Chosen of Wind. I'm not really sure if I'm up to snuff to be a Chosen, but I'll give it my all! I specialize in archery and scouting, and look forward to putting my skills to use to help save the world from this demon problem."

I didn't blow it. Phew.

[Skaia 578]

Any anger or agitation that Ryia had felt towards the initial scoffing at their curse was immediately replaced with both a strange sense of relief, confusion and concern. The girl couldn't help but feel relieved that they had never actually been cursed and that however callous the council may have seemed, they had not actually done something to them to hamper or kill them. This relief was even doubly so as they learned that the chosen of wind had never actually died, and instead was just an illusion that they had displayed to them. That she was still alive and free from this conflict had at least some comfort to the girl, though the lengths to which the council was willing to go to motivate them unsettled her all the same. Yet despite these conflict feelings, one thing stood out in particular to her. Were they never cursed what was it that affiliated Kha? That there was something else lurking inside of them, or at least just one of them, was enough to leave her unsettled. 

When all was said and done though, it had seemed that the Chosen of Wind had changed mantles, now belonging to the small dark skinned elf before them. The girl herself seemed bright and earnest, somewhat reminding her of their halfling companion with a bit less of their eccentricities. The whole idea that there was new chosen amongst them had taken the girl by surprise, and added to the fact that her draken companion seemed to be shaking with what Ryia could only presume was a great fury. Feeling greatly awkward, between her companion's frustration, the council before them, and the new chosen introducing themselves, Ryia was starting to feel like it would be best to leave the room sooner than later. All the same, she turned to the new chosen and returned her bow. "Um, a - um - pleasure to meet you. Pyrrha. I'm Ryia Mariote, Chosen of Earth. I look forward to um, working alongside you." 

Looking back to Reinaan, the girl said, "um right." Ryia looked back to the council and asked, "um, where should we take our friend?" As the girl asked, a portal had opened and a person had stepped out and come to take the halfling. Ryia was a bit surprised at this, but bowed gratefully to them as well for their assistance. 

[Hollow 21]

Lindow had not to contributed very much to the report. The teleportation process had left the man with what could have easily been the worse case of motion sickness had ever experienced, forcing him to hang in the back of the group to recover. Despite the bubbling in his gut, the man listened intently to the exchange between the council and the other chosen. The news of the curse being a fake only solidified his suspensions that the women from his dreams might be playing against them, but he decide to hold his tongue rather than voice his concerns. 

Watching Reinaan storm over to join him in the back of the party whilst Ryia went to greet the new arrival, Lindow placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze before finally stepping forward. "Hello," He greeted Pyrrha with a smile and nod. "I'm Lindow." As he spoke, he turned to see a that a portal had opened and a person stepped into the room to retrieve Gilly. 

"So if that concludes our report..." He addressed the three members of the council with a tone reserved for meetings with his superiors. Though he still wore a slight smile, his words seem to have a lot more weight to them. "I'd like to request healing for our wounded, and access to any armories and supplies you have available." Straightening his posture from the slight bow he had done with his head, Lindow peered up at the three men with a level expression. "Taking down your guy wasn't exactly child's play I'm afraid, and if we're going to be fighting more on your behalf, we'll need some equipment better suited for the job... I bet you have all kinds of artifacts hidden away in this tower. Are you saving the good stuff for the next apocalypse perhaps? 

-Oh!" He suddenly turned to back to Keres motioning for her to hold up the teleportation device. "And could you also be so kind as to provide us with more fuel for this... contraption? It would be very helpful of you." Lindow smiled sweetly. "Once all that is sorted out, we'll be able head off to the next target. Would you gentlemen have any insight on which gate that should? Or any other useful information for that matter? I'm sure you've been very busy whilst we've been out doing the leg work."

Edited May 1, 2019 by Hollow

[LordCowCow 840]

Keres didn't greet this "new Chosen". The mage instead stayed back near where Reinaan was and observed the girl. She seemed somewhat small, and acted stiff, but it was clear that this girl was in fact chosen by a spirit. Keres had to wonder at how this happened. Nothing that she knew pointed towards this possibility. She supposed if anyone could do it it would be the council.

And it wasn't like they couldn't use the help. Either way Keres didn't feel as comfortable as Ryia and Lindow with approaching and speaking directly to the girl. She must know who they all are by now anyway.

"I'd like to request healing for our wounded, and access to any armories and supplies you have available."

Lindow then proceeded to request aid from the Council. The Water mage watched as Braxus's face darkened and James's appeared amused.

"You overestimate what we have available." James said, waving his hand. "It may come as a surprise but this land does not have the most resources. No, I do not believe we can spare any more than we have in terms of supplies. We need to keep the country going after all."

"We can repair your current equipment, and anyone in need of healing just needs to ask." Saleh said gently. "As for that device, yes, I can provide some assistance in making it active once more."

"Once all that is sorted out, we'll be able head off to the next target. Would you gentlemen have any insight on which gate that should? Or any other useful information for that matter? I'm sure you've been very busy whilst we've been out doing the leg work."

Braxus stood up. "I don't like your tone, boy." He said. "We all have our jobs to do and you already know yours."

Saleh placed a hand on the man's arm but Braxus remained standing. Watching Lindow. "The gates are unfortunately hidden from us. The only way we will be able to tell for sure where they are is if they are active. Which is...undesirable. However we do know, from history, that each island beyond this one houses one. Which you should go to next...is uncertain. I'd suggest something with terrain you all are more...familiar with, if possible, however."

Keres, with great effort, leaned in towards Reinaan. "Your...erm...your arm." she mentioned, looking at the damaged limb. "I can't...do anything about that myself."

Spoiler

So yeah feel free to have the healing, repairing, and such done off screen. If you have anything else to say or ask the council (or each other) go ahead.

 

[Doggo 218]

A hand interrupted Reinaan's stewing. It was Lindow's hand as it happened, placed on his shoulder before the man went to speak to the council members. There weren't any words between the two but there didn't need to be. The boy knew his friend was offering some support and understanding even if he didn't express it. No doubt controlling emotions was vital to his line of work. It was only in this exchange that the Draken realized he could now see over LIndow's head as well. He knew he'd gotten taller based on comparisons to Ryia but he hadn't thought he'd become the tallest in the group. If he were in a better mood he might have celebrated. The Wind Chosen then introduced herself and some of the others responded. Yet the boy had no words for her. Not until he could be sure she wasn't just a spy from the council. With their various business concluded Reinaan was all but ready to leave when Keres approached. She mentioned what the boy already knew, neither she nor anyone in their group could tend to his arm sufficiently.

"...There's gotta be someone else I can go to." he eventually replied after a small shot of flames erupted from his mouth. There was no reason to get mad at the girl for reminding him of the truth so he did his best to calm down. Still he didn't want to be indebted to these men.

"We...would have to look...might get attacked before then." the Water Chosen replied. The response was just as correct as the initial statement. It elicited a sigh which turned into a groan on Reinaan's part. But he knew she was right. He had to have both arms fully functional if they were going to get by. And with no solid lead on an amazing healer they'd be wandering about aimlessly with him still handicapped. Fighting it anymore would prove to just be slamming his face into a cavern wall and so he ultimately conceded by asking for healing for his arm. He was quickly escorted to the infirmary where Gilly had already been taken.

Upon stepping into the other room Reinaan saw a strange sight. Gilly was suspended in the air, in a bubble of some sorts. Several men dressed in robes were standing about it, chanting all the while. Whatever had happened to the girl seemed to require some serious magical intervention. Reinaan meanwhile was seated with a single man who began looking over the burned limb. It was still entirely without sensation in most parts. But those portions of the limb that hadn't been burned to the third degree were in a fair bit of pain in general, even more so with his limb extended for inspection.

"How did this happen exactly?" came the simple question.

"I overloaded Ziiyol's magic intentionally to try and stop a giant flaming skeleton monster." Reinaan said with as detached a tone as he could. With a bit of audible pondering, the man placed his hands on either side of the limb and an almost blinding light began radiating from them. It was similar in nature to the healing magic Kha had and Lindow now possessed, but the boy had never seen this intensity before. He watched in awe as the charred tissue toward his shoulder gave way to soft, new pink flesh, with his scales coming into their place over them soon afterward. The man moved his hands slowly down the burnt limb, pausing longer over the more severely burned sections to ensure they had finished the renewal process. It took a fair bit of time as it happened, the wound was pretty serious and the man wanted to be thorough in his work. Eventually the light faded and the man paused before asking Reinaan to examine the limb for himself.

"Woah..." the Draken said under his breath as he brought his left arm before his face. Amazingly, he could feel over the limb again. There wasn't a trace of the burns and his scales had come in beautifully to cover the arm. They felt somehow shinier than they normally were which the boy realized might have been his lack of bathing during the adventures in the desert. Reinaan moved, flexed and stretched the arm about to test the healing job. It was better than it had ever felt. His claws had even fully formed at the end of each finger with a beautifully sharp point. For the sake of it the man began channeling the healing magic again and after asking Reinaan to stand, applied the magic briefly across the whole of his body. Tension and stiffness from past battles and mostly healed injuries vanished away and the sensation nearly relieved the boy of his irritated mood.

"That ought to do it. You can put your clothes and armor back on now." the man said. Reinaan was confused of course.

"Uhh... I came in like this." he said plainly. Now it was the man's turn to be confused. The Templar of course would never go about naked as this relatively small boy did. Clearly he thought this had been for the sake of a thorough medical examination and not the boy's norm.

"Y-you really should consider armor like the Templar use. Your arm might have been somewhat less damaged if you'd protected it correctly." the man asserted.

"My scales will do fine, thank you." Reinaan replied, his irritation building a touch at the outset of what he perceived to be an incoming lecture. Yet the healer relented quickly before letting the boy out. He paused briefly to watch Gilly for a moment before continuing on. He was next taken to those who would repair equipment as needed. There wasn't much damaged that Reinaan could think about but he did have his jacket mended so he could finally wear it again. Though with how tall he was getting he was worried it might stop fitting soon. Thankfully it was an easy thing for the mages to add a bit of length for him. He was happy with the repair job though wished it had been somewhere else. He packed it away, deciding against dressing himself yet. He still had to completely disprove Ziiyol's stupid theory after all.

Eventually Reinaan was let outside to await the others going about their business. He was the first to exit and went and sat by Kloqah who had been waiting outside with the other mounts. He leaned into the lizard's side and looked up at the sky, still trying to hold onto the last traces of his outrage at being deceived and played with by the council. It was getting harder to stay quite as intensely angry the more time went on, especially with how good his body was feeling. But for now all he could do was appreciate the endless heat of the desert being behind him.

Edited May 3, 2019 by Klonoa

[Hollow 21]

The muscular man stood up. "I don't like your tone, boy." He said. "We all have our jobs to do and you already know yours."

Lindow peered back up at the other man with he same slight smile he had moments ago. Seeing that he had remained standing despite Saleh quickly stepping in, the Thunder Chosen's mind began to work quickly as the blind Auran spoke. Did the council know details about their abilities? How quickly could he close the distance between them if he traveled through the shadows? Or was it smarter to use his shadow to defend, then counter with the Third Blade... 

 "The gates are unfortunately hidden from us. The only way we will be able to tell for sure where they are is if they are active. Which is...undesirable. However we do know, from history, that each island beyond this one houses one. Which you should go to next...is uncertain. I'd suggest something with terrain you all are more...familiar with, if possible, however."

He began silently running through possible tactics to defend himself should the council member make a move, only breaking eye contact with the large man once he realized that Saleh had finished speaking. "I see." Taking a final glance man at Saleh's side to confirm that he had no intention of making a move to attack, Lindow bowed his head respectfully towards Saleh before turning to make his exit. "Thank you. I suppose I'll go see about those repairs then..." A portal opened up promptly the moment the words left his lips. Lindow examined it for a second before shrugging and stepping through, vanishing in an instant.

The healing process was surprisingly quick. Whilst the man tended to his body with magic, Lindow stared intently at Gilly as the other tower mages seemed to be preforming some kind of purifying ritual on her. When it was time to proceed to the forge he mumbled a brief goodbye to the Ice Chosen despite knowing that his words wouldn't reach her. Slightly more solemn than usual, Lindow went about the process of having his gear tended before finally exiting the tower to meet with the rest of the group.

Walking out into the fresh air with his equipment pilled neatly in his arms, Lindow took a deep breath before looking around. At first it seemed that all the other Chosen were still inside, but after looking over the mounts he caught sight of Reinaan sulking next to Kloqah. He scoffed a bit before quietly strolling towards the boy. Not particularly partial sitting in the middle of small farm they had parked at the side of the tower, the Thunder Chosen opted to lean against a tree that stood a few feet across from the mounts. 

"It must be rather tricky pout without lips..." Lindow brought his hand up to his chin as if he were studying the boy. "or eyebrows." He added with a playful smirk. 

Edited May 5, 2019 by Hollow

[Skaia 578]

The girl's brief moment of respite as she met with a new friendly face to join their group was interrupted as Lindow and one of the council members seemed to be at odds with each other.  The girl just looked between Lindow and Braxus, as the two seemed to have a stare down with one another,  nervous about what could come from the two were they to go to blows, yet calmed a bit as they seemed to settle down. She looked to Saleh as he gave his own advice, which the girl couldn't help but agree with. She didn't want to have to go through the troubles of walking over the hot desert stand in armor all over again. While she had this idea, the  girl didn't really say much as the rest of the group began to fan out to get their own individual needs taken care of. That left the three of the female chosens just standing there, and with a somewhat awkward atmosphere in the room, the girl felt it best to simply drop out and discuss the issue of where to go next after she had done her own tasks as well.

Looking to the new chosen she said, "well, um. Pleasure meeting you." She then turned to the council and bowed again, "if you'll, um, excuse me." And with that, the girl went through another newly opened portal. Once there, the girl was met with the sight of a large draken man manning an impressively large forge. With her mace bent, her shield dented and her armor having taken a chunk out of, the girl simply presented all of her gear to the man for him to repair. Once finished with that, all of her gear now perfectly repaired much to the girl's delight and surprise, she gave a bow and thanks to the man before going to get her wounds treated. When all was said and done, the girl had returned back to the others, seeing that both Reinaan and Lindow had stepped out elsewhere. 

The girl felt ready to go once again, but didn't really know where to go, mainly due to her own lack of geographical knowledge. Thankfully, there was someone much smarter than her when it came to these things. Granted, she felt like just bluntly asking about the matter was a bit rude and so the girl just stepped over to her saying, "um, Keres. About where our next destination is." Of course, this wasn't really all that better of a way. "I'm um, not really great with maps so I uh, don't know what's similar to here. So, would you um, be able to teach me about them?" The girl simply looked to Keres as she finished awkwardly stumbling into asking for advice. 

[Doggo 218]

In the midst of stewing, Lindow appeared nearby the Draken and propped himself up against a tree. Reinaan looked about for a moment to see if he had the rest of the Chosen with him, hoping they might be on their way. However it was just the Thunder Chosen. The boy didn't mind, he felt the most comfortable with Lindow of the remaining anyway. Not that he himself didn't feel comfortable with Keres and Ryia but the women themselves seemed on edge around him. There was none of that here. Lindow had never treated him much differently than he did any human they'd met and for it Reinaan was grateful. And despite his foul mood, the boy couldn't stay too terribly mad when the man teased him about lacking lips or eyebrows.

"Not like I'd want all that gross hair on my face." Reinaan shot back, trying to smile now that he was away from the Council and with a friend.

"I suppose the claws and scales do have their perks... especially in our line of work." Lindow responded thoughtfully. His attention turned next to his weapons which he returned to their rightful places about his hip and back. He came to the bandit leader's sword and a hand waited upon it a moment while he looked back to Reinaan. "We're getting stronger." he stated. Reinaan huffed, the thought returning his own to less happy things.

"I didn't get stronger just to be ordered about like some pet to those old bastards." Reinaan pouted again despite eyebrow-less state. He wasn't entirely sure how to express what he was feeling anyway. He had been shocked at the idea that the men in charge of the world would have been so violent as to kill a Chosen in front of them and curse them all. But somehow, accepting there were evil men felt a lot easier than trying to accept that there were men who claimed to be good while using such underhanded and emotionally manipulative techniques. Lindow found the statement amusing as he smirked and put the bandit cleaver away.

"Who knows... keep getting stronger and they might change their tune." he suggested before pausing a moment in his thoughts. Reinaan however was caught on his last statement. If he got strong enough the Council would have to respect him. They seemed to only respect those things that could directly threaten them, like the Demon Gates. Lindow had another thought that he continued with before much longer. "Hey, Ziiyol, what do you spirits have planned once we've destroyed the last of the gates?" he asked of the air surrounding the duo. Before long a burst of flames appeared to Reinaan's side and there hovered Ziiyol, spirit of fire.

"Hmmmm," came her usual relaxed pace to life. "Well while I'd love to stay and see how all sorts of things burn, when our mission is done we will all return home." the spirit said, speaking on behalf of the others. This didn't entirely seem to satiate Lindow's curiosity however.

"Hm, I wonder if the same goes for the three of you that are lending me strength..." he pondered aloud. Ziiyol recoiled a bit at having attention brought to the Thunder, Light and Dark spirits that Lindow had consumed and made a part of him permanently.

"That... I don't know. Everything has its own realm where it ought to be. You in yours, us in ours, and the demons in theirs." she responded nervously. This line of thought had Reinaan distracted enough from his pouting to add to the conversation.

"Maybe you'll get to go between the spirit place and here whenever you want." the boy said with some wonder in his voice. It made Lindow think for a moment as well.

"Think I'd much rather stay here if given the choice." the Thunder Chosen replied as his smirk grew a bit wider. The idea of being the only person in the world with the power of the spirits entertained him. "And what about you, my friend? What will you do once the curtain falls on this journey?" he said, shifting focus back to Reinaan.

"Me? Well... I haven't really thought about it much past going back home. The village needs everyone it can get to thrive. And I still have to be officially recognized as a man. Hopefully I pick up a few more inches between now and then." the boy said while feeling the top of his head with his healed hand. He still wasn't fully grown by his people's standards. Despite his achievements, lacking the proper physical stature would be embarrassing at his ceremony.

"At the rate you're growing you should be more worried about how you're going to fit into doors..." Lindow said before the two laughed about it together. The man slid down to sit with his back against the tree as he spoke. "I suppose I can respect that. Home is where the heart is after all- or so I've heard." he mused while closing his eyes and tilting his head back. "I think I'm going to continue traveling. Who knows, maybe me and you can take the long way back to your village... could be fun."

"Yeah, that'd be great!" Reinaan cheered, a smile taking up his face all the way for the first time since arriving. "The elders will be so mad when I bring a human in." he gleefully thought aloud for a moment. Lindow was drifting off to sleep so it was one-sided. Still, it was enough to lift the boy's spirits. Reinaan looked to his friend and was able to finally shrug off the bitterness the interactions in the tower had instilled. It didn't matter how rude and manipulative the Council were. In the end, only the Chosen could save the world. And being a hero of that caliber was more than the young Draken could ever dream of. He stood and left his friend to rest while he walked forward some, just to be sure Keres and Ryia would be able to find them when they had finished their business with the mages.

Edited May 8, 2019 by Klonoa

[LordCowCow 840]

Keres stood there like a statue. Just looking straight ahead without giving acknowledgement to the people in the room. The other Chosen, barring the new one, had gone off to do their tasks. But Keres herself didn't have any business here and even if she had she wasn't sure she would be welcome in most other parts of this tower.

Not that she felt particularly welcome here. While the three talked among themselves James would shoot her looks of discontent and annoyance. They didn't like her. Didn't like that she had been the one, of all the students, current and former, here to be chosen.

For Keres's part she wasn't very pleased to be here either. Though her face didn't show it the girl was relieved when Ryia returned. The only sign of this she showed was her turning and leaning slightly towards the soldier.

"I'm um, not really great with maps so I uh, don't know what's similar to here. So, would you um, be able to teach me about them?"

Keres wasn't sure how to respond. She didn't expect to be approached on something like that. "Erm...okay." She said. "Maybe out there?" She added. She didn't want to keep discussing things here. Not in front of all of them.

She gestured towards the other Chosen and waved her over. Then, in the general direction of the council, she said "We're going."

Saleh nodded, "I wish you luck in your journey. You're free to return at any time."

---

Outside of the tower Keres took a deep breath. Relieved at being out of there finally. She turned back towards Ryia, opened her mouth, hesitated, and closed her mouth again.

The mage coughed and started up again. "None are exactly...like Haven. But the closest I guess would be Bresa or Qresa. To the south-east and south. They have the most...flat land." She hesitated. "There's...a lot of differences still." She looked away, not sure how to continue. Or even what it is that Ryia was looking for.

[yui 575]

"Um, a - um - pleasure to meet you. Pyrrha. I'm Ryia Mariote, Chosen of Earth. I look forward to um, working alongside you." 

"Hello. I'm Lindow."

The other two had never introduced themselves. It didn't matter all that much to Pyrrha. What was more important to her right now was everyone's goal. Not the long-term one of dealing with demon gates - not yet anyway - but the more immediate one of restocking. It was time to get out of here. Pyrrha followed the other Chosen, leaving the Council with little more than a nod of acknowledgement in response to their goodbye.

Being outside felt like a load off her shoulders. Like meeting the others was some sort of test and she'd just been told she passed.

"None are exactly...like Haven. But the closest I guess would be Bresa or Qresa. To the south-east and south. They have the most...flat land. There's...a lot of differences still."

Pyrrha's ears perked up at the mention of Bresa. She didn't know much about Qresa, but Bresa was a different story. "They've got fish in Bresa, for one," Pyrrha commented, pulling back the string of her bow. There weren't any arrows ready to fire; she just wanted to make sure her bow was still in good shape. "...lots of fish. Among other things." If she was being totally honest though, part of her didn't want her first stop in this great adventure to be Bresa. She'd already lived there for most of her life, so coming all this way and becoming a Chosen just to go back felt... odd.

Pyrrha released the string of her bow, pointed at the back of Keres's head. "Qresa's just a bunch of farmers, the way I hear it."

[Skaia 578]

Ryia followed Keres outside, before having her brief lesson on what it was she should expect from the other islands. Thinking on it, the girl thought that either of them sounded fine as a next destination to head out to. She wasn't really sure what the difference between the two islands were though, but thankfully their new chosen had come in to help make the decision easier. Where there was lots of fishing to do, there was lots of water. And for no better apt comparison, Ryia knew that in large quantities of water, she would sink like a rock. Shuddering at the thought of having to do any manner of fighting underwater, Ryia simply muttered, "farms sound much better."  Looking to Pyrrha and Keres, she asked, "so, should we, um, pick Qresa to go to next then?"  

[LordCowCow 840]

"so, should we, um, pick Qresa to go to next then?"  

"I...I guess." Keres said, not sure how to respond to being asked to decide this. It was probably the best option as they were. Though she did wonder how they would handle some of the more naturally dangerous places if any more of them...No, she shouldn't think like that.

Meanwhile as the Chosen were filing out of the tower Damien was busy playing a game of eye spy with Kloqah and the mule. "I spy...oh, what do I spy here?" He said as he noticed Pyrrha. He slid on over to the girl with a wide smile on his face. "Well, I can't say I expected them to come out of that place with someone so cute...The name's Damien. I'm the chaperone on this little adventure. And you are...?"

-----

Eventually the group gathered around the teleportation device in what was becoming almost routine. Keres focused intently on their destination. There was a bridge that connected to Qresa that was near one of the major cities there and that would be their destination. With luck they'd manage to reach the place without any hassle. Taking a deep breath they plunged once more into the magic of teleportation.

Book 2: The Hidden King of the Grassland

BGM

Qresa was immediately a much different experience than the one they had when entering the desert. They appeared on a paved, if beaten, road. The land before them was filled with grass. In the near area the grass was cut short but the farther they looked the taller they could see the grass getting until at some point it was likely chest height of the average traveler. Though the road seemed large enough for two carriages to ride upon it side by side so this seemed to not be a hindrance as far as travel went.

Off in the distance they could see various grazing animals, horses, cattle, and sheep, wandering about. Though the group would notice that these animals, even separate species, kept close together for fear of predators.

Similarly to the desert, however, was the fort that was placed on the end of the bridge. Though it seemed much more well taken care of than the one in the desert. Adding to the differences the doors were flung wide open and several armored knights were already coming out to greet them.

The one in the lead, who was the only whose helmet had a red plume atop it, spoke up. "And these must be the Chosen we were told about. Greetings, Chosen, and welcome to Qresa!"

"The Chosen, them? Are you certain?" One of the other knights asked.

"No, I'm Sir Perior. Sir Tann is still inside. I think you need surgery on your eyes, lad." Sir Perior said with a laugh.

"Ah, perhaps you're right. My apologizes. Sir Jury, if you would."

The third knight nodded and raised a glowing hand over his fellow's eyes. "Your sight gets worse every day, you'll have to retire soon enough." Sir Jury looked back at the group. "Sorry for the odd circumstance."

"Oi, I'm right here, no need to call me odd." The knight, whose eyes were being healed, muttered.

"Oh stay still, Sir Cumstance, else this won't work." Sir Jury replied.

Sir Perior cleared his throat. "Right, yes, well as I said, greetings Chosen. I hope that your journey will be a successful one."

[Doggo 218]

It was almost relieving to have the group back together. Though the feeling was dampened a bit for Reinaan by the continued presence of Damien and the new Wind Chosen. Damien at least he had hoped would run off after something that had captivated him but had no such luck. The girl he still thought was a council spy so it was only natural for her to be sticking to them. He made no real effort to greet her like he did Keres and Ryia; she would no doubt press him for information soon anyway so there was no need to volunteer anything. With everything back in order, the teleportation device was set to perform its function once again. They were headed to Qresa, which, as Reinaan had gathered from the others, was a fairly simple farmland. An easy venture, and one not near so hot, after their previous excursion seemed preferable. The magic of teleportation was quickly becoming a familiar experience, this being their third use of the device. Many more such trips were likely to follow. It seemed like it would be extremely handy were it charged more often than not.

The sights ahead of the Chosen on the bridge were vastly different from before. Instead of an ocean of sand, an endless plain of grass rolled on and on into the distance. Reinaan had yet to mount Kloqah, simply holding onto the reigns and walking by her side to take things in at a slower pace. She didn't seem to mind for now, though the teleportation seemed to annoy her. The Draken appreciated the Sun being up and yet the temperature was comfortable enough to move about in. Ahead was a room similar to where they had encountered their first bandits in the desert. As they walked several armored men began approaching.

"Ha, Ziiyol's theory falls apart here!" he thought as he readied for battle. The last time he'd ended up with his throat slit so he wasn't about to trust these men. But instead the group was met with a series of knights who not only knew who the group were, but rambled on among themselves. Reinaan couldn't quite tell if he was hearing them correctly, but their names sounded ridiculous. He relaxed a bit as Kloqah prodded him, almost as if she were mocking him for getting so worked up over a calm situation. He had been wrong, if Ziiyol's idea was to be disproven, it would not be now. And so naked he would stay until something terribly unfortunate happened and he could rub it in her face. It took him a moment to catch the insanity of the thought process of wanting something horrible to happen.

"Uhh, hello... sirs?" Reinaan began addressing the knights, uncertain of what all to call them. They had all been Sir Something or other so he leaned on what they shared. "We're trying to get to town for information and supplies. Is it very far from here?" he asked, hoping for a quick journey to their first destination. Nothing seemed immediately threatening about their surroundings but he wasn't planning on getting caught off guard again.

[Skaia 578]

With the destination decided, the group had gone on their none too enjoyable but necessary trip via teleportation. When next she opened her eyes after the experience, Ryia looked around to see that, they indeed had ended up in some place entirely different. Though they had already done this several times, Ryia was sure that opening her eyes and being somewhere new was never something she was going to get use to. All the same, the group was now at a bridge and surrounded by much more welcoming scenery then just an endless expanse of sand all around them. They were also welcomed by a few new friendly faces. 

The girl was, naturally, a bit on guard as the knights came to greet them, given what had happened last time. This was quickly assuaged, both by their knowledge of who they were and the antics between them, leaving the girl more confused then anything else. All the same, she managed to regain part of her composure and do a hasty bow, saying, "um, thank you...Sir...Perior." 

Reinaan then walked up and asked them about where the next town was, the girl seeing that he had the same kind of awkward feeling about them that she had. Looking to the knights as well, the girl asked as well, "um, yes. Would you uh, know about any...strange? Things, going on." 

[yui 575]

"I spy...oh, what do I spy here? Well, I can't say I expected them to come out of that place with someone so cute...The name's Damien. I'm the chaperone on this little adventure. And you are...?"

Who was this guy? He wasn't one of the Chosen, and claimed to be chaperoning them instead? They didn't seem like a group that needed looking after like that. This Damien guy wasn't making the best first impression to her. Scooting away from him a bit, Pyrrha replied "Pyrrha Varan, I'll be joining the rest of the Chosen as the new Chosen of Wind." Hopefully it was just a poor introduction and that was that.

---

"And these must be the Chosen we were told about. Greetings, Chosen, and welcome to Qresa!"

Following that warm greeting was a very... confusing dialogue. Pyrrha wasn't entirely sure which of these knights was which, what with those odd names making her unsure when they were talking about a word or a knight. Reinaan didn't seem to get it either. Following up on the questions from him and Ryia, Pyrrha simply nodded. She stepped up to the knights, and added "If you happen to have a more detailed map of the island to spare, that would also be appreciated."

[LordCowCow 840]

"A new Chosen. How very interesting." was all that Damien said before they transported to the new location. Yet he kept his eyes on the girl. She could practically feel his burning stare in the back of her head. Though if she looked all she would see was his flirtatious smile and a, while not innocent, not suspicious look that he was giving her.

Keres had taken a few moments to recover from the move. It took a lot more out of her than she let on to do that so she preferred to stay in the background at least until she had recovered. In fact she was grateful for the distraction of the knights. Even if she wasn't entirely happy to see them. It was better than bandits but they still were soldiers placed there by the Council. She remembered having to avoid them when she had left the tower a couple times. Though these didn't seem to know anything about that.

"We're trying to get to town for information and supplies. Is it very far from here?"

"Not at all actually! It would only take a day or two to reach it. We try and keep the path from here to there clear of monsters at that so you shouldn't have too much trouble. Can't say there won't be anything, you know how it goes, but it's much better than trying to get through the forest that's for sure."

"um, yes. Would you uh, know about any...strange? Things, going on." 

"Besides Sir Cumstance? Hm." The knight gave it some thought. "Well, we don't venture out far but we have heard some rumors that the monsters are getting more agitated than normal. The locals too. Those Minotaur tribes used to be fine helping out with the farms but lately they've been becoming more scarce. Don't know much else beyond that."

"What about the lake?"

Sir Perior hesitated. "Yes the lake is a strange place. Never been there myself but townsfolk are always telling people to stay away. Rumor has it that fog on the lake has been there since people first settled this place, hundreds of years ago."

Keres gave that some thought. If it were really that long ago then could it have been caused by a Gate? She knew that the devices weren't always here but if not that, what could possibly be the cause?

"If you happen to have a more detailed map of the island to spare, that would also be appreciated."

"As I said before we don't venture out much. We keep to this area you see. Gotta keep the bridges safe else travel becomes a whole lot harder. Sorry bout that."