Time Waits for No One

[Prophet]

A woman of deep blue eyes, saddened by seasons of pain and anguish, walked among the villagers in a small town near the sea. The robes of sky-colored thread trailed along the dusty road while the wind blew tiny swirls of debris here and there. The sky darkened with an approaching squall but the maiden did not seem to mind. In fact, were one to read the features on her face it would seem as if she expected the storm.

Ticks turned into chimes and the steps went from village to the coast. Rocky pathways gave way to sand and moss but the wind chastised all with equal impunity. The robed woman was not moving quickly nor did she linger; the steady pace was like a heartbeat during normal activities. This pace moved the woman off of the beaten path and into the froth left by the lapping of waves. Clear fingers entangled themselves into the long trail of her garments and pulled harder with each retreat. The water beckoned for the woman to enter and take solace.

Lightning ripped the clouds asunder just long enough for the world to view the storm’s massive wall as it continued to bear down on the peninsula. The woman remained unamazed by the fury that stood before her. Careful steps led out to sea. One, then another and more followed in a line of evenly spaced and timed strides that stopped only when the waves splashed upon the woman’s thighs. The sweeping motion of the tide shifted her body but did not have enough force to drag her away.

The woman reached into her robe and produced a small bowl. With steady hands, she dipped it into the swelling sea then raised it to her shoulders with her arms fully extended. Suddenly, the wind blew her hood back from her face and revealed long flowing locks of brilliant white. The deep blue eyes stared in a challenge to the storm as rain started to fall upon her skin. The woman was undaunted and slowly began to pour out the water from her bowl. When the tip of the stream touched the waves everything changed.

In that instant, time slowed to all but a crawl. The rain hovered like a perfectly imperfect splatter from the waters to the clouds. The white hair of the woman was extended as if still held in the thrall of the wind and the waves lingered as if afraid to fall. In the line of water spilling from the bowl, the woman spoke names as if reading from a book.

“Clyde. Dust. Garland. Aerius…You are summoned.”

The chosen would hear her voice speak the name across time and space. They would all be swept away in the currents of her spell. What comes next is a little hard to believe.

When the current catches its intended, the person is dropped into a black water that blocks all of the senses but does not give the impression of drowning. Ticks comprise the full breadth of the journey and its end is something fully unbelievable.

[Prophet]

The Events:
(as told with 12,702 words and just over 59,000 characters )

Part 1 :

(22:17:58) Prophet: The strangers arrive in a city of massive proportions. Nothing can be seen beyond its high walls, towering structures and grid of lights fueled by djed wire. There is hardly a quiet corner as some kind of festival seems to be in full swing. Men in uniforms keep watch from the streets as well as tactical positions along the skyline. While it seems to be a night filled with revelry, the breaking dawn is an eerie color that might lead one to believe that not all is right with the world. The arrival of the strangers occurs within a crowded alley where music and drink flow almost as well as the pickpockets and drug dealers. The notice given is one of little concern and as each looks around he or she will see that everyone is dressed with garments foreign to what is familiar. The shocked faces of the travelers is the only thing that unites them. Men will oogle the woman and the men will be viewed as marks or meat.

(22:22:50) Clyde_Sullins: Clyde had been heading to the surface when he heard his name spoken aloud. One moment he was walking down a hallway in Sahova, Cha in his hand as he tapped along on his way to the surface of the citadel, the next he was swept up in something he couldn't describe. Clyde's mind went to the void first, but that wasn't right as it was like water not empty void. Then before he could get used to it the sensation was over, and he was overloaded with sensations. Lights, movement, noises, things. Clyde found his feet as he stared at the closest wall, his eyes trapped on the lights... Which came from interconnected D-wire, something he'd worked with in the past but never seen used in such a fashion. It was half a chime before he noticed the people.

(22:29:29) Dust: Dust had been trying to draw a rock - yes, a rock. An island, of sorts, surrounded by a tide pool which was itself a miniature mirror of the greater sea. Then she suddenly found herself doing her own best impression of an island -- if the black stuff that engulfed her could properly be called water. The Kelvic had just enough time for shock, surprise, the beginning of panicked floundering... the realization that her gasped breath didn't result in instant drowning... and then the water was gone. Dust landed on her rear somewhere that was neither sandy beach nor wave-carved pool, but had paved streets and stone walls and music, not to mention positively full of people. She gawked openly, scrambling up to her feet almost as an afterthought, book and ink stick hanging all but forgotten in her hands. Wherever this was, it didn't look like any city she'd ever visited. Wasn't that interesting?

(22:34:47) Garland: Garland was just starting his day, slapping on his armor and weapons, full heavy-plate, taking his blade and taking his crossbow with ten bolts with him. He wanted today to just be a simple training day, shoot a few targets, swing a few swords, the regular stuff. As Garland finally finished grabbing his gear and aimed to leave the armory of the knights, he heard his name being called out from the wind. Garland felt like he was being pulled down into some sort of dark lake, at first he gasped for air, a reflex more than actually needing air, but when he awoke and looked up to see something strange, he was in a completely different place. He didn't recognize anything, the stonework, the streets, the people, it was all different. Then he looked up at the sky, it felt like it was going to be a red day, something was terribly wrong. "The petch happened?"

(22:37:54) Aerius: Aerius always found himself exploring the idiosyncratic creatures of Sahova. He knew not why they were created, and their purpose was not for him to know. However, they always made outstanding test subjects for various experiments. The biodiversity of such a desolate area would lead one to believe that where survival is possible it will occur. However, when one has been “Alive” for a millennium an attempt to find the purpose of a living being lacks purpose. Just as he began his documentation of the large birds that roamed the area; he heard his name called as if the wind itself had summoned him. He found himself surrounded by darkness within a split-tick. He began to wonder whether or not he had been trapped, but if that were true he would have been harmed. Yet he had not been, and just as swiftly as the strange darkness appeared it dispersed. He wondered where he was now, and arrived bewildered with a look of suspicion on his visage. "What.. The.. Petch is this?"

(22:46:59) Prophet: A woman with little more than a few pieces of string for clothing rubbed up against a man with an interesting staff. In her state, she twirled and grinned at him then followed the intense stare of his eyes to the lights. “Pretty lights, huh pretty eyes?” She moved to grab for his staff and would happily stroke it if he allowed. Her idle hand toyed with the minimalistic frill along her waistline as she looked him up and down. The woman with the blonde hair and sketchpad was approached by a young couple who seemed to be very rich based upon their gold-trimmed clothing. “Pardon me, kid. Would you draw a picture of my wife and I? It’s our first night out since our daughter was born.” The man flashed some coins but they were not like those Dust would’ve been used to at all; wrong size, wrong color, wrong face. The squire made a bit of a ruckus and several uniformed men with bird’s eye views blew a cadence with a whistle and within moments, the alley was being descended upon <C>
(22:47:06) Prophet: by nearly twenty men all bearing serious expressions and black uniforms adorned by red bands that bore a seal on their right biceps. The final traveler was to have his question answered by an old voice. “Petch isn’t what I would call it, lad. This is the first time in almost fifty years that the regime has allowed people to gather in the streets after dark. Miracle is more like it.” The man’s eyes were covered by a red ribbon and his beard was perfect except for a gap along his right cheek that split the silver hairs.<D>

(22:55:24) Clyde_Sullins: A shiver went up Clyde's spine, only not his but Cha's. The two being as interconnected as they were, someone coming into direct contact with her instantly drew his attention as if she was his own skin. Pulling his eyes away from the lights on the walls where he'd been tracing their circuit and light outlets, he noticed the woman pawing at his staff. Clyde stared at her with a look bordering on disdain, as if he had been busy doing something and was annoyed something had interrupted his work. Then his eyes took IN the woman, and he involuntarily took a step back, which would likely wrench the staff out of her grip. "I... What?" Glancing about Clyde finally took in the many people about, also noting a familiar face of a squire he'd met and Oathed back in Syliras. Reaching through Cha he felt out with his aura sight, reaching for the squires aura. He'd felt it before, and so would recognize if it was him and his aura. However before he had time to do so he noted movement, angry movement as armed men came charging in. Clyde<C>
(22:56:00) Clyde_Sullins: Wasnt sure if he should react, or defend the squire, or not. For the moment he just watched, puzzling out the many people about him and just now taking in the oddity of the people around him. <D>

(23:00:24) Dust: A bunch of the men in strange clothing seemed to be staring at her. And then there were one, two... three? men who seemed... less strange, anyway... with expressions that rather matched how she felt. That made them worth a second look. Given that two were swearing, Dust was pretty sure they didn't have any more clues than she. One wore lots of armor in the Syliran style. One was tall and skinny, and the other... had green in his hair? That might've been a more noteworthy trait, if not for their current environs. And the people who interrupted her study, with their very fine (if strange) clothes and an altogether unexpected request. Dust blinked at them, brightened -- whatever it was they were offering in exchange, she was flattered just to be asked -- only to have her assent cut short by still more strangers. Way too many of them, everywhere, wearing not exactly friendly expressions. She went up on the balls of her feet, startlement shading into caution. <C>
(23:00:34) Dust: "...I think that depends on these guys," Dust finally replied to the couple, without quite looking directly back at them. "Do you have any idea what's going on?" <D>

(23:01:28) Garland: Garland knew that look, that's the look of him being in trouble. Well, haven't brushed up on my bullshyking skills in a while... 20 armed guards surrounding him, he clearly had a weapon on him, he obviously was not one of them, and he looked confused more than threatening. "Excuse me, Officer. I seem to have lost track of my master, I'm a bodyguard of a traveler, and he'd given me a bit of leeway with a few drinks and women and I seem to have lost track of him." Garland was no stranger to being in trouble, he was no stranger to fighting either, but 20 armed and angry individuals was not something he could take on alone, at least not easily. He was too busy being surrounded by guards to notice the other people around him, for all he knew he was only outsider here.

(23:09:38) Aerius: The man intrigued Aerius with his words; in the past fifty years the government had not allowed people to gather in the streets during the night. The moment that the immortal heard his question be answered so swiftly he began to wonder if the person knew why they had arrived. Yet, before he had the chance to complete a sentence he noticed several men come forth. “Well, my friend that is wonderful.. Do you by chance know the name of this area?” Aerius voiced to the elderly man, and turned his head toward the figure slowly. Only to see that his eyes were covered by a ribbon, and one obvious conclusion came to mind; he was blind. Through several centuries of experience, Aerius knew that blind people were not to be underestimated. However, two questions remained if he was blind; how could he have possibly navigated the area without eyes, and who were these men that all dressed in a similar fashion? <C>
(23:11:13) Aerius: He was not nervous, nor did he even show the slightest hint of fear in the presence of the several individuals that surrounded him. Disinterested could not even begin to describe the way that he felt at the moment. Firstly he was interrupted from his research, his name was called and then he had to be dropped in the middle of a shyke-storm. “Why must I be subject to such torment..” He asked himself aloud and directed his attention toward the multitude of individuals. <D>
(23:19:18) ChatBot: Clyde_Sullins rolls 1d100 and gets 97.

(23:27:01) Prophet: The strange guards were in similar garb but not the exact same as those who had sounded the alarm. Once people started to realize who they were, the crowd thinned quickly including the couple who had asked for a commissioned portrait. The half-naked girl was slightly upset at being snubbed so quickly but when Clyde turned she took her chance. Adept at her skill, the girl lifted a handful of strange coins but the gold rims would be worth something so she bailed without a sound. The old man sniffed once, twice and then a long third time and he bumped into Aerius with his bony finger. “You smell like the dead, lad. Do you work for the squads cleaning up their mess?!” His voice rose in such anger and volume that some of the darkly-clothed men moved past the armored man towards the corner where the red-ribboned elder was beginning to breath in the shallow breaths of anger. The musicians stopped playing and more people fled the alley. <C>
(23:27:07) Prophet: Before any blows could be landed or responses made, a woman veiled in the finest of light blue silks appeared. She cleared her throat and spoke like the ringing of a clear bell. Beside Garland, she lowered her hood revealing tediously curled tresses of golden hair laced with flowers and jewels. “Sirs, I am Yahina, servant to Queen Kova. This man is helping some of my guests find their way around your wonderful city. Please excuse him into my care.” The guards stopped and several began to whisper but a series of whistles from above sent them all back to the shadows. The woman turned and faced Garland. “Say nothing. You owe me a debt, stranger but I have need of assistance.”<D>

(23:35:44) Clyde_Sullins: Clyde had listened as Garland spoke, watching the exchange. Something about a master, guarding, and some other things lost. The idea occurred to Clyde to pretend to be said master, perhaps annoyed at the nearly naked woman accosting him, and perhaps help Garland that way. Not totally selflessly, Clyde would admit to himself, as Garland was an investment and he'd prefer not to waste said investment. However even as he watched another woman approached, this one speaking and scaring off the guardsmen. Busy as he was watching the exchange he'd not even noticed the woman make off with some of his coin. The word Kova, a queen apparently, sounded oddly familiar, but Clyde couldn't place it. He didn't know of any queens about, except self claimed ones. <C>
(23:35:51) Clyde_Sullins: The entire experience, in Clyde's opinion, was getting quite odd. As the guards cleared out Clyde made his way closer to the two, noticing that the street was almost empty but half a dozen people or so. "Garland." Clyde stated his name as he approached, with little inflection so as to leave it open to interpretation on Garlands part.<D>

(23:43:23) Dust: Apparently the couple knew something, because they flitted away without further words for Dust. So did a bunch of other people, trickling out in dribs and drabs, just a bit shy of an outright flood. The Kelvic felt a little exposed, standing there like a lump while so many others moved out. She made up for it by cautiously stepping closer to the others who were staying put -- including yet another new arrival, female, well-dressed, her speech seeming loud in the abruptly quieted alley. Faced with her, the uniformed men did as the regular people had, clearing out and leaving the alleyway even emptier. But also calmer. The Kelvic was good with that. "Um..." Dust raised a hand diffidently, last two fingers folded down, the better to catch the woman's attention. "What city is this, anyway?" Also, because she was just that curious... "...and what're the flowers you're wearing? They're rather pretty!"

(23:45:42) Garland: Garland said nothing, his hand rested above both his sword and his handcrossbow ready to attack before the black guards buggered off. Nope, the names meant nothing to him. Queen Kova? Yahina? The only queen he vaguely knows about is the goddess-queen of war, Myri. Garland finally turned and looked around to see one familiar face. Garland trusted Clyde wholeheartedly, which is really a huge mistake, like the worst mistake that has ever happened, but at least it was a familiar face. Garland could still feel eyes on him from the roofs. "Clyde." Garland replied, in truth he just believed this to be a whole messy dream. He would introduce himself to the girl later, right now, he felt like one little move and the black guards would descend on him again but with their blades out.

(23:55:05) Aerius: The immortals eyes darted back and forth, and he immediately caught sight of a woman; obviously of high importance since she seemed to stop the commotion with her presence alone. However, he was not about to flee and join her side with a stranger that she called upon. Trust was for the weak, and anyone capable of putting their faith in a single individual without returning something was a fool. Aerius simply stepped back and attempted to disperse alongside the crowd and blend in. If he could perhaps make himself appear like every single other person; he would adapt and change himself to fit the situation. If he could not easily overcome an obstacle why not become part of the obstacle, and remain hidden in plain sight. Although he was not the most stealthy individual the one thing everyone knows is how to flee. Aerius stepped back, and attempted to remove himself from the potential danger of staying in the area.
(23:55:08) Aerius: <c>
(23:55:16) Aerius: “I know now that if I simply change my facial features, and perhaps my hair color that I would get away. With that being said I also know that if anyone catches sight of me doing that I will be in even more danger.” Aerius thought to himself as he contemplated his next decision, and for now he would become “Grey” the most neutral color in the spectrum. By “grey” he meant that he would become a man that made himself appear like everyone else. First impressions were certainly the most important; he wanted to get away from the man who recognized his question as well. He wanted to appear lost in his thoughts despite the fact that he would be cautious of his surroundings. While he stepped back he attempted to devise a plan. <D>

Part 2 :

(00:05:14) Prophet: Yahina paused when the two men paid recognition. She had not counted on such luck but turned with her emerald orbs to see Clyde’s approach. She scoured his staff, having an eye for magic, and bowed her head in respect. She was about to address him when a female voice caught her attention. Rather than twirl back and forth, Yahina stepped back so she could see all three of these people without having to make an effort of it. She smiled at the girl and patted her hand gently. She was about to respond with the name of the flowers but paused. The girl inquired about the name of the city. She was either dumb, drunk or utterly confused. Yahina narrowed her gaze at each of them. Something was out of place but her mission deemed she press onward.<C>
(00:05:21) Prophet: “I am handmaiden to the queen of Alahea, Queen Kova and will pay handsomely for your help in an errand.” She brought her hands up in a fan-like wave that spread out as she brought it closer to their eyelevel and revealed an immense worth of jewels and gold bands upon her fingers. “Suva City is no place for naïve travelers after dark. Follow me and be well compensated or stay here and wind up robbed, blind or dead. Galifor is merciless but those who roam in the dark are no better.” With that, Yahina took a few steps back and drew her hood up around her beautiful hair and face. The emerald eyes were now dark and she moved quickly to one side of the alley along the brick wall while her hands searched for something.<D>

(00:12:34) Clyde_Sullins: As he approached the woman noted Cha, before giving a respectful bow of her head in response. As, Clyde supposed to himself, was to be expected to those knowledgeable of such things. Cha, in Clyde's opinion and experience, was the finest staff in existence. Perhaps there were others finer, but he'd yet to run into one even matching Cha's stature. However before she could speak a woman approached, and so the woman who had aided Garland spoke to all present instead of just Clyde. The word Alahea also stirred something in his memory, something to do with Sahova, though he couldn't completely recall. However when she offered him money in exchange for aid, Clyde simply cringed his nose at her offer. "I will come. But I've no interest in being paid in money. I've got plenty of such common stuff as that."

(00:17:40) Dust: The Kelvic smiled cheerily back at the woman, Yahina, for the moment that they shared regard. She didn't name the flowers, but what she did say gave Dust a pretty puzzle to ponder, so that was okay. Syka was full of flowers, she might just find them for herself. Later. For now, she had a list of names unrecognized. Suva City. Alahea. Queen Kova. Someone or something (or somewhere?) called Galifor. None of them really rang a bell, except... "Suva City? Is that on the Suvan Sea?" It was half an actual query, and half just Dust musing aloud while she tagged along in the woman's wake. (She wasn't about to let someone possibly possessed of answers just walk away like that...) The Kelvic sniffed at the air; it smelled of food and drink and woodsmoke and dung, as city air was wont to do. "Doesn't smell like we're near any sea..."

(00:24:41) Garland: Garland looked over to Clyde. "I have no idea what the petch is going on." With that Garland simply shrugged and followed this Yahina person, at least from what he could see was a person, could be a kelvic for all he knew. "Money is nice, but I just want to go home. What's with the celebration I might ask." Garland then noted what Clyde had said, he didn't look like a rich man, upper middle class, but from what Garland had seen in Clyde's home, he didn't have fineries like the average man. Still Garland tried to blend in, feint knowledge of the city. "Yes, Suva City, I remember now." He turned to Clyde and whispered. "I have no idea where Suva City is." He then turned back to the female. "A marvelous city to be sure." Garland then turned to Dust with his charismatic smile. "You seem out of place, a traveler like myself, better to stick together than wander off alone in the city."

(00:32:13) Prophet: Yahina was far from stupid. She lingered near the wall with her face to it as the other three gathered and shadowed her even more. To herself but still aloud, she muttered “Wait for it…” Almost a chime later, whistles went off overhead. While everyone looked in the far off direction of the noise including the guards overhead, Yahina pushed a brick with her foot and a slim doorway shifted open where the wall once stood. She slipped inside the building and stepped out of the way for the others to follow. There were in a chamber large enough for ten, maybe twelve, people and it was made of smooth rock from top to bottom which had been polished to a shine. The old man with the red ribbon over his eyes shoved past Aerius at the last moment and ran with silent steps towards the very faint sound of bricks rearranging themselves. He piled in after everyone and bowed in the direction of the woman in silk. Now in the close quarters, her aroma of sandalwood and lilac was potent and unmistakable to the elder. "All's well, mlady."

(00:36:51) Clyde_Sullins: While he waited for the woman to do as she would with the wall, Clyde reached out further with his aura sight, sending out an additional tendril to grasp at both of the woman. However it wasn't long before something happened, a distraction above followed by the wall shifting and making an opening. Clyde followed along inside with the others, surprised when an additional person crowded in at the last moment. Almost as an afterthought Clyde extended another subtle tendril of aura sight, reaching out for everyone in the room. He knew Garland, so only looked at him at a basic level, but spent more time on the others. Unless they were doing magic or had something magical upon them however he'd likely not notice anything for a time but the basics of their aura.

(00:42:09) Dust: Dust got a smile and a statement of common-cause from the maybe-knight; she gave him that same cheery smile right back. "I agree!" Besides, she could be alone any time. Strange people and places were much more interesting. So were secret doors, which Dust -- distracted momentarily by the whistling, and the potential of more grave uniformed men descending upon them -- only just caught Yahina's cloak disappearing into. "Ooh. Sneaky!" Dust followed after, looking around at the peculiar little chamber. She nearly got run over by the ribbon-blinded man in her gawking, ducking out of his way with a squeak. That at least put her next to one of the walls, where she could poke at its gleaming surface with curious fingers. The Kelvic did keep one eye turned towards the strangers in the meantime, and turned her full attention back to them soon enough. "So... what's hiding away in here?" she prompted, mostly focusing on Yahina, since the woman seemed to know the most out of anybody, so far.

(00:50:05) Garland: Garland followed closely behind, he wasn't really sneaky, being in full-plate and all. He kept an eye on Clyde, even in this strange world, his oath was still in effect. He was for all intents and purposes Clyde's bodyguard. Garland like Dust's cherry smile, he had a feeling they were going to get along well for the time being. He heard the whistle, and thought that the guards were here for him again, and in one swift motion he had his handcrossbow aimed at the shadows and his sword drawn in his other hand. He turned and saw the opened passage and was the last one to step inside, except for that old man that pushed in before the doors closed. He wasn't particularly stealthy with his entrance, mostly because of his very loud platemail and lack of any formal training in stealth, hopefully no one noticed. "Nice place, very... spy-ish."

(01:01:11) Aerius: The Immortal watched as the elderly man simply darted past him as if he no longer existed toward a sound off in the distance. Aerius had little time to react, but he turned his body almost instantaneously in the direction that the elderly man ran; he saw several more individuals in the same vicinity and they charged toward whatever moved in the wall. Aerius was not one to play fair, and he too charged toward the old man. His cold tempered hand was placed upon the back of the seemingly blind individual the moment he caught up. However, he quickly noticed that the competition for the entrance was quite heavy. Several bodies collided with his own, but he held on tight and followed the old mans suite and barely managed to squeeze himself into the chamber only to see several others as well. “That damned old man” Aerius thought to himself as he came to the realization that he was trapped alongside strangers in a small space.<C>
(01:01:18) Aerius: “I am to be petched in one way or another, aren't I Luck?” he whispered to himself as he began to concentrate on the situation. Aerius attempted to piece together a puzzle that seemed as if it would never end, and the mystery had only just begun. <D>

(01:12:45) Prophet: Yahina watched as the room filled with people. When the wall closed back up, a dim light radiated from a stone around her neck. The soft green color bathed each of them in an eerie shadow but enough for her to take stock of those assembled. She narrowed her eyes at the last stranger. He had been lingering elsewhere and so she had not had the chance to read him and this made her wary. Regardless, her mission was far too important to bother with interrogations. Yahina nodded to each and said a thank you in her soft, cheery voice. “You’ve all become far more important than you could ever know.” <C>
(01:12:55) Prophet: Yahina extended her hand to the blind man who held out his own fist with his palm facing down. When he felt her touch he opened it and released a square gem of some kind. It was almost a perfect cube except for one corner notched out with an intricate cut with more facets than one could count. Yahina turned and set the stone into a hole in the smooth wall that was previously unseen. The room groaned and then dropped several inches. A second groan nearly masked the sounds of boots and voices on the other side of the wall but none would have a chance to react to their pursuers since the room dropped rather rapidly from underneath them. <C>
(01:13:01) Prophet: After a few ticks, gravity would catch back up to the travelers and everyone would be able to stand. For over a chime, the room sank down further and further until it slowed and then stopped. Behind Yahina, a hallway opened up and she started down it without a word as did the old man. The red ribbon hid his eyes from sight but scars seeped out from behind the fabric indicating that he was, indeed, blind but he moved without aid and didn’t seem slowed by his apparent handicap. The hallway was the same smooth stone and was wide enough for two people to walk side by side. It went on for almost twenty chimes of brisk walking before they entered a huge underground cave that spanned beyond light. Here, Yahina waited for everyone to catch up. A stream of clear water ran from a stalactite from which she took a drink then stepped aside.<D>

(01:19:14) Clyde_Sullins: As Clyde groped about within his aura sight, he noted the various people about him. The man to barge in last, Garland, and the confused girl, didn't seem innately magical. Or at least, not actively so. However when he peered at the woman who had aided Garland, and the man with the ribbon over his eyes, he sensed several bright spots with denser djed. The woman's bright spots were mainly focused around her hands, some of her rings giving off a glow stronger than their mundane equivalent would, implying they were magical in some regard. However he almost stumbled back when he gazed at first upon the man's ribbon, as it was much brighter by comparison. That instantly took his interest, as he openly stared at the man and his ribbon. Clyde watched as he released an odd cube, and then placed it into a hole. Like everyone else he was caught by surprise when the room dropped, the last thing he'd been expecting. This more than anything puzzled Clyde as he inspected the room they fell in, but only sort of fell in. <c>
(01:21:06) Clyde_Sullins: When they stopped Clyde puzzled over everything, and pushed to walk beside the ribboned man when they left. As they walked Clyde tried to question the man on what had happened. "What was that room? How did it work? And what is that ribbon of yours?"<d>

(01:31:19) Dust: One more person had to squeeze themselves in -- the man with green in his hair. It made for a fair crowd in the little chamber, the air beginning to warm and take on scents other than that of stone. At least they were all passably familiar to Dust, even if still strangers. The handmaiden spoke up again, drawing attention, expressing gratitude... for what, really, Dust wasn't sure. Her statement about importance didn't make any sense; the Kelvic lacked context. But whatever. The goings-on between her and the ribbon-blinded man piqued considerably more interest -- and proceeded to drop the floor out from under them, an unfortunately reminiscent sensation. Dust yelped, book and inkstick clattering to the stones; she shifted in a glitter of ivory light, shed backpack dragging her clothes down while the white raven wriggled out the neck of her shirt. <C>
(01:31:24) Dust: She flew up; the ceiling came down, and that was just strange, but Dust quickly figured out a flap-and-glide rhythm that kept her in the upper reaches of the room while it also descended. Better than standing on the floor waiting for it to hit bottom, by far. When the room did settle, not all that much later, Dust gave it an extra quarter-chime just to be sure it was reallystaying put before coming to rest atop her stuff. Shifting back to human and giving her companions a slightly sheepish smile -- at least all's well that ends well... -- Dust gathered up her loose possessions and shrugged her pack back on before following Yahina out. ...and on, and on, through a tunnel that apparently had a long ways to go. When they eventually got somewhere -- with water, no less! -- Dust happily followed example and got herself a drink, too. <D>

(01:33:54) Garland: Garland held his crossbow at the undead man that came in last. "You're pretty much Petched if you do anything stupid." Garland was no hero, he was no leader, he was the loud-mouth sidekick at best, at worst just part of the background, but that suited him just fine. Garland didn't take his eyes of the last person that came in, he stepped in between Clyde and the strangely pale man, of course Garland knew Clyde could take care of himself, but he was Clyde's first line of defense in this strange land. Garland was a goofy, carefree, and generally fun-loving chap, but when he goes to work, he stays as serious as he could. When the floors gave way, Garland fell first, accidentally firing his crossbow, luckily it missed and hit the roof and simply bounced off. The armor did not cushion the fall and Garland groggily got up. "Aww, that smarts... Hey, Yahina, I thought we were meeting Queen Suva, Huva, Kota, Kuva, Kova. That one, I don't think it's normal for a queen to live in a cave." Garland still kept one eye at the undead one.

(01:46:32) Aerius: The Immortal felt tension in the small space, and listened to the one individual who looked rather stretched out for a pulser. He asked several questions, but Aerius ignored him, and directed his attention at the animal, and the idiotic mortal who thought he was tough. The most that he could offer was a chuckle in response to the “threat” posed by the obviously young child that attempted to step up and be a man. Obviously he cared enough to listen to a whisper that no one else bothered to respond to, and Aerius spoke up. “You can shoot at me with that little bow of yours all you want to, and if you do you'll find out that I won't be harmed, Child. Perhaps you should know your place before you talk that way to a stranger.” He spoke in a sarcastic voice with a smug smile on his face, and turned his head toward the others. The human was clearly a mage himself, an one who understood other magical presences in the vicinity.
(01:46:38) Aerius: He wondered which magic in particular that was, and would attempt to remember and research whatever it was for future reference. The other individuals in the room were obviously the curious sort, and asked question after question. Aerius understood after about two centuries that his presence made anyone in his vicinity uneasy. He practically radiated discomfort, and suspicion; in a small setting the effect seemed to be even more potent. The thought of his presence being so imposing was beautiful, and even he grew curious when he saw the woman and man both openly display magical items. He was quickly brought discomfort in the form of immobilization temporarily. However, the moment it all ended he remained silent.
(01:46:45) Aerius: While the remainder of the individuals made their way out, and into another hallway; the two pulsers with powerful magic led the way. However, Aerius was not so quick to trust people; especially those who he made uncomfortable so easily. Despite the fact that he hated the thought of walking alongside a human, he exited next to the last of the party.<D>

Part 3 :

(02:04:41) Prophet: The red ribbon man ignored Clyde. He simply looked at him and smiled as if he didn’t understand but pretended to anyway. Kelvics were rarely seen unattended so Yahina gasped when Dust shifted forms. The woman waited until Dust went for a drink of water to lean in and whisper. “You’re so beautiful. I wish I could go with you and learn all you have to share.” The lady-in-waiting did not linger in this conversation but moved off to one side where a faint whisper could be heard followed by a hushed rasp that belonged to a different voice. <C>
(02:04:49) Prophet: Out of the shadows and back towards the group, Yahina returned with a huge blue man and a small human boy. Yahina had her arm around him and ushered him about as if he were shy. The Akalak was not, however, and strode from one person to the next giving each a few ticks worth of observation and study. He growled a bit at the armored man but more out of distaste than anything else. The fellow with pale skin and green hair received a scoff that flew from the corner of the giant’s mouth; something about vagik. Lastly, the blue man squared off with the red-ribbon man. Both held a cold silence before locking arms in some kind of unspoken agreement. <C>
(02:04:54) Prophet: Yahina touched the light on her necklace and it glowed brighter. “This is your purpose.” She moved the lad in front of her with delicate hands on his shoulders. “Safely escort this boy from Suva City. Ki’enkoul will aid you.” The akalak bristled. “Trace will guide you.” The red ribbon man clicked his tongue against the back of his teeth. “Let’s go.” He said. He led the way with Ki and the boy behind him. Yahina vanished into the shadows and after a bell of walking, they reached the other side of the cavern where a set of stairs wound upward in a spiral. Trace turned to face them all. “Galifor’s goons are up there. If we fight, it must be silent. We won’t survive otherwise.”<D>

(02:11:41) Clyde_Sullins: Clyde was somewhat annoyed when the ribbon man ignored him. He wasn't overly surprised though, having spent time around mages he knew how secretive they could be. Once they were in the cave a few more people joined their party, a large blue man and a young boy. He noted the action involved in the necklace, her touch making it glow brighter. He wondered if it was her touch, or if any touch would do it. As they walked Clyde asked a few questions, trying to clarify some things. "If we are to help, we need to know some things. Like who is this boy? Why does he need to be moved safely? Who is this Galifor you all keep speaking of? And why do you want us to help?" As he spoke Clyde began to weave a spell within Cha, forming the res into shape so that he could store the completed spell within ready to fire off. He began by building res, but doing so within Cha. As silence was needed, he used his most stealthy and deadly spell, the water cutter. For now he simply gathered and compressed res.

(02:22:23) Dust: The handmaiden whispered nice words at her while Dust was drinking, but was gone again before the Kelvic could swallow her drink and manage a reply. Her gaze followed the woman's progress into the shadows, sharpening with interest when Yahina returned in company. Dust hadn't seen an Akalak in seasons; she waved at the overlarge man, though he was busy glowering at other people. No matter. Yahina brought the boy forward, gave directions, and then their rest was over. Dust padded down the tunnel after them, and squinted up the stairs when they stopped. Goons and fighting, or better yet not. Hmm. She pointed a finger up. "Do you want me on foot, or flying?" the Kelvic asked, both of the red-ribboned Trace and the group generally. "I could scout a bit, but I'm not sure what to look for besides out and black uniforms...?" Those points were at least rather self-evident. <C>
(02:22:29) Dust: She was also interested in the answers to Clyde's questions, glancing expectantly between him and the people who actually belonged in this strange city. <D>

(02:33:19) Garland: Garland just stayed silent, he remembered the fog last fall, like something was sapping the joy and made the place extremely uneasy. So far, he was the only one paying any attention to the feeling. He tried to shrug it off, thinking it was just some sort of unease from the strange location. Eventually Garland saw two other figures a little distance away. A small boy, and a very large Akalak, although Garland hadn't met much Akalak, this one seemed bigger than most. Garland stared at the Akalak, simulations of battle running through his head, so far, he didn't trust anything here except for Clyde. <c>
(02:33:28) Garland: "Right, escort a boy out of a city we have no idea about, we have to be stealthy. I'm wearing full-plate, we have a blue giant and we're being guided by a blind man. Somehow I think we're gonna need... more of those distractions, at the most we need to move fast." When Dust turned into a bird, Garland thought about what she was offering. "My order shoot birds that get too close to certain things, who's to say these Gilly's Goons aren't arrow-happy either. I say stay down, but it's not my call." Garland looked over to Clyde, the closest thing he felt was a leader to the group. <c>
(02:34:56) Garland: Garland then looked over to Aerius. "I guess you're tagging along. I say to just leave him. I don't trust him." Garland then looked down to the boy, his fatherly insticts kicking in. "Hey, kid. It'll be fine, stay close to the blue man, alright?" With that Garland looked the blind man named Trace. "Where's your walking stick, my friend? Seems a bit odd a blind man doesn't have a stick."<D>

(02:47:32) Aerius: The reaction that the Immortal hoped for; the child responded in just the fashion that he was expected to. He did not bother to go on with another bold statement after being addressed in front of the party. “Right.” Aerius spoke and in response to yet another statement and he observed his surroundings. Although he had lived for quite a lengthy period of time that did not mean he did not enjoy the simple things. The area was quite beautiful, but the moment that the woman mentioned a name “Galifor”. Aerius continued to ponder about whether or not that was the name for an adversary, and he came to that conclusion immediately. He heard the incredibly large blue skinned individual scoff from a distance, but he did not have time to deal with the mortal for now. <C>
(02:47:37) Aerius: His attention remained on what he could do to benefit the party. He was not the most particularly skilled individual in terms of combat. However, when it came to other things such as deceit and or strategy he seemed to have a natural affinity for such a thing. Aerius began to think he was useless, but he did not bother to voice his opinion; he would much rather wait until he was asked to do something. Volunteer work was not something he went around doing for fun. Hopefully this “Tracer” and the other individual would provide some sort of favor or pay in return for these services. <D>

(02:48:43) Prophet: The man with the red ribbon turned to face them all. “The boy’s the son of the queen and he’s in danger.” Carefully, he moved into the stairwell and gazed up checking for sounds of officials or guards. Hearing none he stepped back into the cavern, his voice low. “Galifor is ruler of the Suvan Empire. People vanish every day. His police kill any who speak up. These tunnels exist because of thieves and those forsaken by our rulers. If you won’t help then this is your new home.” Ki moved forward with a wicked blade in each hand but stopped when boots could be heard on the stairs. Trace moved off to the side and kept the boy with him. He motioned for all to be silent. The boots drew closer then suddenly stopped and for many ticks there was no sound until a black uniformed body was dropped in a heap onto the floor by the first step. <C>
(02:48:51) Prophet: Ki moved first and ran up the stairs then gave a soft coo like a bird to Trace. He moved quickly and led the boy upwards. When they all reached a landing and the few steps beneath, a small figure became apparent, a pycon shaped like a toy horse but with a lion’s head. They faced a brick wall much like before but before Ki pushed the lever, Trace held up his hand and the boy lifted his head to the strangers. He had pale skin and brown eyes with blonde hair that looked like silken fire. “Thank you.” He was barely eight years old and Trace smiled at the sign of gratitude. The old man smirked. “Ready to die? I am.” With that, Ki pushed the brick and the wall slid aside. <C>
(02:48:58) Prophet: The city on the other side was not peaceful like before. Whistles sounded and bells rang and there was fighting everywhere. Something horrible had happened and the uniformed police as well as guars with strange armor and heavy spears were fighting and killing people everywhere. Fireballs exploded and waves of light blinded enemies as mages fought back but the sheer number of the Suvan forces were overwhelming even the most potent of wizards. A unit of black coats turned and charged at the sudden appearance of the strangers and their charge. The fifteen men all drew rapiers and sported mailed fists. The clack of their boots was ominous but the party would have almost a chime to prepare for a defense. Trace yelled above the clamor. “We must get him outside the city!” <D>

(02:56:30) Clyde_Sullins: Clyde wasn't sure he understood, but it seemed events were pressing him along. He had only really one choice, to help. He was a stranger in a strange land, with strange people. Even if he'd wanted to help the opposition, or go to someone else, or shop around, he had no way to do so. His only hope of finding his way home he could see was to press on. He simply noted what was said, the boy, the queens son, and other details, and continued to do his work. Within Cha the res compressed, growing in saturation until a column of res as big as himself was held within. All at once he compressed the res down into a tight stream, and then transmuted it into highly compact water. At the same time he focused on that niche within Cha, and focused on slowing it, freezing it in motion. By the time he'd reached the surface he had his spell fully stored in stasis within the staff, a small bit of his attention on keeping it as such.<C>
(02:59:29) Clyde_Sullins: When they exited however they were met with a warzone. The calm streets from before were replaced by a battle of mages, warriors, and all manner of combat. When they began to be charged, Clyde began to slowly unweave his spell, letting a small bit of it slip out of stasis. Angling Cha like a spear, he let the magic flow out of her top, a half second spurt of water would shoot out at high speed, aimed at the first mans neck and face. With such force it would rip through flesh like hot metal through butter. Then he lined it up on the next person... And the next... With spurt after spurt. <D>

(03:19:48) Dust: The only person who replied didn't seem too keen on her in feathers. Dust took that under advisement, and also took the time to stuff everything she carried in her backpack. Hands-free seemed best, right now. The ribboned man spoke of police, death, vanishment. She paused in the midst of swinging her pack on, squinting at him before finishing the motion. The Kelvic had a suspicion she wouldn't be wearing it for very long. That suspicion trebled when a black-clad guard tumbled into their space; Dust hopped back half a step, but he didn't move. Clearly dead. Not himself a problem, then... Up the steps they all went, emerging into combative chaos, or the next best approximation so far as Dust was concerned. She flinched back against the nearest wall, trying to make sense of the disaster she'd emerged into. Light and fire and noise and everyone running around... and something like a dozen black men set to face off with the escort group. Nope. Dust was so not remaining earthbound for this. <C>
(03:19:51) Dust: The pack went down again; the raven went up, swinging about for a better perspective of the battlefield. Skinny man seemed to be a wizard of some kind, throwing... something... from his staff that cut into the heads of the men opposing them. But only one person at a time, however quickly he could aim. Dust couldn't attack quite so directly -- no raptor, she -- but the raven could act to help bunch up the guardsmen, squawking white harrier swooping at the heads of those who thought to spread out, move away, flank her companions. Humans were just as apt to duck away from loud things swiftly approaching their faces as any other creature. She herself just had to keep an eye out the other way to see where her allies were attacking in their turns, and keep herself anywhere else... <D>

(03:22:26) Garland: Garland reloaded his crossbow before rushing upstairs away from the cave and back into the streets. The entire surface was a warzone, unlike before where people were merrily drinking and dancing, now bells and whistles were sounding everywhere. Garland raised up his crossbow and fired into the oncoming black goons. The bolt flew straight and true, sticking right inside of one. "So much for being sneaky!" Garland noted that with mere water, Clyde had cut down at least 3 of the goons without much of a thought. "Forgot my petching shield again!" Garland yelled and was on the forefront of the fight, he was on the defensive and kept dodging and blocking more than actually striking. The one Garland had shot had survived the shot to the armored chest, but Garland could see his breathing was a bit labored, Garland might have punctured a lung. Garland parried one blow and threw a a strong haymaker to one of the goon's faces. "Run or fight, gents?" Garland called out, the other goons moved pass him and went to the others to attack.<c>
(03:27:11) Garland: Garland saw Dust flying and swooping around, attacking the guardsmen with quick diving attacks. Garland saw an opening when one of the guards was too focused on the bird than Garland. The squire rammed his sword into the man's neck, the blood spurting, and just as quickly Garland pulled back and went back on the defensive. Garland started clenching his fists, building up his res slowly, he was no expert, but he could possibly get someone's hair on fire. <D>

(03:27:37) Aerius: Aerius followed suit with the remainder of the group, and would not hesitate to shed blood. The Immortal generally loved to murder and slay pulsers as he pleased, but he knew that since he was in a party the advantage of numbers came to mind. The Immortal wanted to become the biggest disruption possible to the armored men, and it seemed like majority of them attacked on foot. He did not spot very many of them on mounts, and thought for a moment. “Think, damn you.. You've been alive for a millennium and you cannot solve this?!” His mind raced, and his eyes widened for a moment as he began to visualize movement. Movement on food required people to take steps, and he witnessed the beauty of the slender-built man. He was obviously a wielder of reimancy too; with the way that his spell killed several opponents back to back. <C>
(03:27:53) Aerius: Aerius began to conjure a spell of his own, and his eyes closed for a moment. From what he could tell they were practically surrounded on all sides. The Immortal brought his palms together, and interlocked fingers with his opposed hands. He focused on spreading out a large amount of liquid res, and concentrated it at first in between his palms. The Djed itself much like the element he would soon transmute was a vivid blue. Aerius quickly leaned forward, and slammed both the palms of his hands onto the ground simultaneously. He did not want to overgive, and he decidedly only spread the liquid res forward for approximately ten meters in a thin layer.<C>
(03:28:22) Aerius: “Hopefully that gives you time, Kill them Wizard!!” Aerius shouted in Clydes direction as he transmuted the res into ice beneath the feet of the heavily armed attackers. The faulty and rushed spread of the res resulted in an uneven layer of ice which had several spiked areas, and grooves. Aerius could only hope that the layer of ice would cause them to lose their equilibrium as it began to melt. <D>

(03:43:05) Prophet: The initial bursts of attacks demolished nearly the entire charging unit. Water and sword pierced vulnerable points, ice dropped would be attackers and the bird offered a splendid distraction. Ki and Trace along with their Pycon assassin worked along the edge of the buildings leaving a trail of bodies behind them but they did well to avoid too much attention; the strangers saw to that. As stragglers from other units continued to pour into the area, the resistance appeared to be winning and trace called for his companions to join them as they rounded a corner. This street was narrowed and had shorter buildings on the one side. Daylight broke over the rooftops as a large mob of ordinary folk pushed against a solid line of black shirts. When bodies fell, more took their place. <C>
(03:43:13) Prophet: Ki saw this as an opportunity and began to run with the Pycon. He used the small fiend like a missle and hurled him at pairs of guards or whistle-blowers. The Pycon rarely failed to quickly dispatch his targets. Trace ushered the boy along and encouraged the strangers to pick up the pace. When they were halfway down the street, a scream tore their attentions to the taller buildings across the way. The earth shook and without warning, a storefront collapsed in upon itself. A line of four monstrous golems trudged into the street and squished any –including the uniformed men- into goo. Along their legs ran scores of children all dressed in red robes that fit them tightly at the sleeves and waist. These kids all had shaved heads and bloodshot eyes. <C>
(03:43:18) Prophet: The Pycon jumped down upon Ki and said something which the Akalak conveyed with a sad tone. “Leechers…” As the battle from around the area converged on this street, rebel mages and soldiers were abhorred by the child soldiers. More spearmen and black shirts flooded the streets and the seemingly easy route turned into a clusterpetch. Trace tore off his ribbon and clutched it in his fist. He called out an incantation in Nadar-Canoch. The ribbon floated in front of him and he waved his hand. It flew in between two of the golems and exploded in a horizontal disc of red light which decapitated the animations. The rest continued forth aided by the leeching boys and girls who not only stole djed but infected spells with poisoned djed which made everything wrong. People on both sides were dying at a rapid pace but the party edge closer to the far end of the street just the same.
(03:43:22) Prophet: <D>

Part 4 :

(03:48:39) Clyde_Sullins: Clyde ran along, using his spell at will when someone opposing got in their way. For the most part he released it in half second shots or spurts at a particular foe, but occasionally when enemies clumped he fired off a more sustained sweeping blast. He also noted the other Reimancer in their party using ice spells, the kelvic pecking, Garland attacking, and a pycon killing. Eventually though his stored spell was used up, forcing him to use other means of attack. By then they'd moved quite a distance from where they had started. It even seemed they might win, when a entire building collapsed. Golems charged out, a odd design Clyde noted but hadn't seen before. Along with them ran a number of... Children, Clyde was surprised to see. Hairless, red robed, with bloodshot eyes, they had a frightening appearance about them. <C>
(03:51:05) Clyde_Sullins: It seemed he would need to use more force to get them through, when the ribboned man took off his ribon, and attacked with it in a way Clyde had never seen. It chopped through a pair of golems, silencing them, but the others along with the children kept going. Confused as to his enemy, Clyde peered at the person leading them. "Are they with us, or against us?"
(03:52:35) Clyde_Sullins: <D>

(03:57:03) Dust: Their opponents (of the moment) dealt with, the white raven drew back to maintain position above her companions, keeping low out of caution regarding all the other crazy stuff going on in the city. Party one bell, war in the streets the next... definitely something wrong with this place. It had more surprises in store as they made their collective way down the streets; namely, large things stomping fit to shake buildings down and a veritable flock of children swarming around their legs. The Kelvic had no idea what to do with these opponents. Did giant earthquaking monsters even have eyes? She wasn't sure. And there were too many children to count, going every-which-way, too many for one single raven to mob. Not to mention, whatever they were doing was just weird, beyond her ready understanding. Rather than pit herself against the throng, Dust dropped to take station on their boy's shoulder, blue gaze alert for anyone... or thing... that might get through and threaten him directly.

(04:00:51) Garland: Garland had built up enough res and threw it at the nearest black guard's face, and with a thought, it was set a flame, it did little more than make the man stumble back, but it did the job of distracting them. Garland used the distraction and removed the guard's head from his body. Garland then rushed back to the group, picking up Dust's bag and then following the Akalak and Pycon. Garland saw the little clay thing dispatch a cluster of guards quickly and efficiently, something even Ball would have enjoyed seeing. Garland slung Dust's bag over his shoulder, thinking it was of some importance. Garland then took any moment of reprieve to reload his crossbow and was ready to fire at anything planning on jumping them <c>
(04:00:58) Garland: Then there was a loud crash and giant golems bursts through the building. "Petching shyke in a handbasket! What the petch is that!" Garland being the absolute idiot that he was saw the kids and yelled at them. "Get out of there, don't get stepped on!" He turned his attention back to Trace. "We better move, how are we leaving? The gates or through the water? Underground?" <d>

(04:03:41) Aerius: Aerius began to speak in nadar-canoch, and he chose select words for the adversaries “ RozaVino!” As he stood erect, and attempted to prepare yet another spell to follow up on his first one. However, when he saw that more of them continue to come forth he began to lack confidence. “Petch them all” The Immortal spoke, and thought about the fact that if he had not lived for one thousand years he might've been less determined to stay alive. However, since he knew that he could not afford to die here; he would willingly give them everything that he had. The Immortal had already come up with a spell that he never used before on a whim; perhaps he could do it again, and hope that the next attack would succeed. <C>
(04:03:54) Aerius: The immortal did not care for the living, but only for his own safety. Even if that meant that he would be stuck attempting to protect people he did not value; he had no choice but to protect himself. He absolutely hated the thought of being around these people in the future. However, he gained respect for the other Reimancer in an instant. Among the group he was the only one outside of Tracer who instantly caught his attention. Although after the dire situation was said and done he could almost say with certainty that if he and the other Mage saw one another again they would not care for each-other. <C>
(04:04:01) Aerius: “We have to get out of here, if not we will all be slain, I have lived for one thousand years, and I will not die like this.” Spoke Aerius in a stern tone; a tone which he hardly ever has had to make use of unless of course the situation was this dire. They were soon to be collapsed upon, and utter chaos erupted in the blink of an eye. A building nearby collapsed, and as they continued to battle they would eventually lose. No matter how strong a mage was eventually they would over-give if they were forced to use so many spells rapidly. They needed to retreat, and Aerius was ready to follow suit at the first sight of an opportunity to escape with his current “comrades” <D>

(04:22:46) Prophet: Ki and Trace covered the boy who turned curiously to look at the raven on his shoulder. Though he appeared to be nearly eight, his eyes registered something far younger like those of an infant or toddler. The boy seemed to be frightened of everything but curious enough to remain composed. Deep, deep within his eyes, the bird might catch a glimpse of fire and lava. As the golems advanced and the children spread, a weird aura overtook the entire area. It was almost like feeling sick but it could be felt by varying degrees to all. The Pycon returned and screamed loud enough for the entire party to follow him then took off running. Black shirts and spearmen were no longer the issue. The golems were to slow to chase them but the children were laying waste to the street. <C>
(04:22:57) Prophet: Mages were having their own spells explode in their faces or bounced to their friends. Overgiving and overwhelming odds seemed to clear a great deal of the confusion and the whistles soon resumed. Should any attacks successfully reach the creepy kids, the wielder would quickly realize that while some of the kids are leechers, the others are shielders. Ki erupted and peeled away from the boy intentionally falling behind the group. He drew his dual lakan and screamed something. The look in his eyes was different and the Pycon yelled to him ‘good luck’ but called him by a different name. The blue man began to saw and slice through the children until only a dozen or so remained. The warrior eventually fell to the wicked youth but Trace urged them all forward. <C>
(04:23:05) Prophet: A tunnel appeared before them. It lead down into the lower realms of the city’s outer wheel; a final stretch to freedom. A handful of powerful mages were keeping the way clear with storms and raging fires as well as beams of light and impressive feats of agility. Trace was laughing now as he sprinted with the boy tucked in his arms. A sound like the rustling of leaves overtook the din of battle. A shadow filled the sky above them as small shurikens fashioned into orbs rained down in thick clusters. Far away, catapults could be heard springboarding the ammunition. One sank deep into Trace’s neck and he fell spilling the child onto the street. The boy’s robes became torn and his knees skinned. In a painful cry, a shockwave sailed out from the lad and melted the projectiles midair causing hot clumps of molten steel to splashdown around him.<C>
(04:23:09) Prophet: The Pycon rose after taking cover. More of the deadly stars were falling and their allies were dying rapidly. The Suvan forces had retreated but anyone could see they were using the covering fire to try and flank the strangers and the boy. One mage who commanded storms stepped near and cast his hands to the sky. He cried to Zulrav and spoke in whispers that sounded like the howling gusts of a squall. Amidst all this, he pleaded to the five adventurers to take the boy. “Go through the tunnel and don’t stop til you reach the river!” Should they hesitate too long, the amount of crashing metal would kill them all just as it eventually would claim the Stormwarden. <D>

(04:28:17) Clyde_Sullins: Chaos was a constant. Clyde's mind processed it as best it could, competing over various threats and things, attacks, spells, fact, constants, changes. Clyde was about to unleash an attack on the children, when a silent conversation was exchanged and the akalak charged into them. This gave their group time to get away, moving quickly once more. Silence and stealth over, Clyde began building another spell, this one of lava within Cha. Like the first he stored it, making it over time and transmuting it, only to freeze it in stasis. A good sized mass of lava was prepared, a bit larger than his own bodies size in the material.
(04:28:21) Clyde_Sullins: <C>
(04:33:16) Clyde_Sullins: As they raced underground again, it seemed they had found a calm, a chance to get away from the fight. Clyde didn't care, he just wanted to be done, to get out of there. Weapons from above fell, hitting the man holding the child, sending both falling. Hot metal rained down as the child used some magic of his own. Holding Cha up in the air he released his spell, a spume of lava rising up. With it he poured forth a gout of res, res so that he could control the lava and hold it up, forming it into a barrier above him. They would be done when they got the child out. So the solution was to get him out. With the wave of lava overhead, Clyde raced forward and grabbed up the child, taking him up in a awkward grasp while still holding Cha. The lava formed a protective sheet over them, blocking any more raining projectiles. And then Clyde ran, holding up the lava, holding the child, and ignoring all else, the stitch of pain forming in his side. To be done. For himself. To complete their mission and to get out.
(04:33:24) Clyde_Sullins: <D>

(04:39:32) Dust: Dust hardly noticed the wave of ill-feeling, between the noises and explosions and obvious magic going every-which-way. In another circumstance, she might have hidden herself under the boy's hair, scant cover though that provided. Feathers fluffed, her claws tightened on the boy's shoulder as something boomed far too closely; they weren't sharp like talons. The raven croaked an apology, only to be cast back into flight as Trace scooped the boy up. She swooped after them, their companions making haste alongside; and then things rained down from above, airspace that was otherwise the Kelvic's greatest refuge suddenly anything but safe. Something impacted her wing, taking the tip off at least one of her primary feathers. She didn't really have time to assess. The boy was on the ground; Dust dropped because he did, shifting back to human and scrambling to her feet. <C>
(04:39:37) Dust: The skinny wizard snatched him up before she could; Dust pushed forward and ran apace, breath rasping through her teeth. She would have offered to carry the boy, but breathing, running, escaping; better not to interrupt, just to be ready. <D>

(04:41:06) Garland: Garland saw that the kids were not just simple children, but more mindless killing machines. They ignored Garland's yelling, Garland cursed in frustration at the monstrosity that those children had become. The squire saw the Akalak slow down, even stopping. Garland stopped a few feet ahead of him. "Oy, blue man, keep running!" Garland saw the others running further and further away. "Petching shyke!" Garland emptied his crossbow bolt into one of the children and started sprinting to back to the group. When he finally reached the group, he saw Trace get stabbed in the neck by something sharp falling from the sky. "Trace! Dammit!" Garland rushed forward to the child, hopping over the molten metal that was landing all around them. <c>
(04:41:21) Garland: Clyde took the boy before Garland and held up molten lava with nothing more than his will, and the staff. Impressed as he was, Garland was busy being a human meat shield for Clyde in case any of the black armored goons decided to attack them. Finally when they reached the underground. He looked over to the child and Clyde. "I'll take him." <d>

(04:42:16) Aerius: “Never have I witnessed such beauty” Aerius thought to himself as he took a look back at the carnage. The entirety of the area looked like it had been absolutely destroyed, they went from being without an escape route to having one opened for them. Sacrifices were made, and lives were lost in large quantities. The child was their first priority above everything, and everyone else even if it meant that he were to sacrifice himself. However, in the blink of an eye; he watched as the other mage somehow managed to control already transmuted lava and use it to protect the child as well as rescue him. The sounds of the battlefield were wonderful, and melodic to his ears. “Petch am I going to miss those sweet sounds.” Aerius spoke as he followed the remainder of his party off into the tunnel and they were given a single command. <C>
(04:42:27) Aerius: The command was to take the child, protect him and do not stop moving until they reached the river. The immortal hurried alongside the rest of the group, and watched as the mage cried to some sort of deity. His cries seemed to have been answered immediately as the objects temporarily stopped, and Aerius knew that he too would die like the rest of them. Everything here was strange; the people, the Golems, and the various types of magic that he had seen today. <C>
(04:42:32) Aerius: “Cursed be those who attempted to bring harm to an innocent child; even if it is a pulser.” Aerius voiced as he darted behind Clyde and the boy. The Immortal remained indifferent to the situation, and despite the fact that he knew he should not become attached to a mortal; he could not help himself. The boy had become part of their party temporarily. Until they reached the river he was one of them, and he would be protected as if he were the parties child.
(04:42:38) Aerius: “Swiftly. “ Aerius spoke as they had all finally reached the underground after they passed through the entrance <D>

(04:57:09) Prophet: The Pycon managed to slip in ahead of Clyde and the group. Once they had all made it inside, he darted between each of them encouraging them to keep running, keep moving. The tunnel was not lit and was barely seven feet tall and not as wide. The stone was cold but vibrated with the erupting world above. When the entrance was just a dot of light, the sounds of boots could be heard echoing up the cobblestones after them. The Pycon persisted in his cheering and coaching. He hovered near the boy now, aways near him. The tiny clay thing had shifted now in appearance. He had wings like Dust, pauldrons like Garland, a staff like Clyde and hair similar to Aerius (not as flowing). <C>
(04:57:19) Prophet: As the boots continued to pound behind them, a new sound rose up in front of them; the languid splash and slop of water. The Pycon began to bounce around them again and even bounced off the walls and ceiling. “Almost there!!” After nearly twenty chimes, a dim blue light like a mystic pyre rose up in the tunnel’s heart. As they drew closer, it became known that the structure was a manned brazier and those waiting looked to be normal folk. They wore clothes and styles that made them each individuals unlike the drones and soldiers of the Suvan. When the party finally came to rest and remained leery of the new group, a woman came forward and the boy rushed to her. It was clear that she had been crying.<C>
(04:57:28) Prophet: They hugged and the woman whispered something. The boy wept and fell into her arms. Several of the others gave nods of appreciation and one man even bowed to the adventurers. More than one stared at the naked form of Dust but said nothing disrespectful. The boots drew ever nearer but no one seemed to care. The Pycon hopped around with gleeful humming and soon a narrow boat appeared in a tiny rut of water next to the tunnel. There was not enough light to see where it went. As the soldiers shouted and ran down the corridor, a wave of black water came and swept up everyone. Just like in the beginning, Clyde the mage, Dust the raven, Garland the warrior and Aerius the skeptic were bound by the dense liquid. Sleep would hold them and when they awoke, it would feel as if nothing had ever happened. The question is… did anything truly happen?<The End>

Lores will be awarded some day, I promise. I wouldn't be resistant to helpers, however.