Sanctuary IC

[wonderweiss]

Toran heard a thud and shot up. He saw a woman in armor and took action. He jumped up and surrounded himself in earth spikes, which would look cool... If he didn't accidentally pierce himself with one of them in the stomach.

"Gah... Dammit, I thought this place was secluded!"

He grabbed the spike and crushed it. He faced the woman.

"Hmm... Analysis complete, armor set, check, weapon set, check, weapon class, medium, overall threat, moderate, proceed with caution... So what are you here for? Ya just wanna fight a zombie? I honestly don't want any trouble, but if I must resort to it, then I'll do what I must. I'm warning you though, I've been given a stone. I'm a geomancer, not to mention the smartest zombie ever to have been created. So, we can either have at it or we grab a drink."

[Cucoo5]

Land of Cinders and Ashes - 6:55

"Zombie? Geo Arcane stone?" Dalia looked up at the undead man with a wicked smile. Everything else he said was lost on her.
"Me? Harm you? OH, PERISH THE THOUGHT!" She was up on her feet, flipping back her long black hair out of her face in what could be considered an elegant manner.
"So! Geomancer ya say? Think it might be possible since your...you know...dead...to show me that wonderful little gem?" She leaned in close. "Pretty please?"
"This will be like taking candy from a baby..." She added in her mind.

[wonderweiss]

Toran leaned in closer and whispered in her ear.

"Or... I show you what it can do."

Toran quickly backed away. He placed his palms on the ground.

"Seismic wave!"

Then, the terrain rise and pushed away the woman like a wave, increasing the distance between them.

"Let me tell you a story. I don't deal well with temptresses. I feel in love with only one person. Guess what? I nearly killed her."

Toran then clasped his hands together.

"Summoning, stone golem!"

Then, the stone armor that was on the floor filled itself in and picked itself up.

"Ya know, you still have the choice of getting a drink together."

[Cucoo5]

"He really is an idiot..." Dalia thought as she looked at the hulking mass of stone and clay. She then went through her options.
Kill him? Would seem the easiest way of getting what she wanted...if he wasn't already dead.
She looked to the bracelet she wore with the Fire Arcane Stone embedded in it. Burn him? ...can't really control it yet...and the last time she burned off her clothes instead...
Steal it while he's asleep? Hmm...just gotta knock him out then...she then thought about the offer.
"Oh fine..." Dalia got up. "Just until you have enough to pass out... she added in her mind. Then another thought popped up. Do zombies even have a brain to get inebriated? "...oh well it'll be worth it if it nets me a shiny Geo Arcane Stone..."

[wonderweiss]

Toran thought to himself.

"Hmm... Battle status, victory, fashion, forfeit, length of battle... None. Be cautious..."

Toran emptied the golem and entered it, enclosing himself and hiding the gray. He faced the woman with a smile.

"Great. God thing we didn't have to resort to violence..."

He walked to town.

[Cucoo5]

Land of Cinders and Ashes - 6:55
"Ha...ha...yeah right..." Dalia grumbled to herself. "As soon as I get that geo arcane stone...ugh this better be worth it."
...She then considered the fact that she might have missed the opportunity to just rip it out of him. Would be far easier...maybe...though might as well give the subtle way a shot then once she has it she can ditch the moron and pick through the shrine. Then she remembered another detail.
It was strange, Dalia thought. The woman praying...what was she praying to?

----------------------------------------
Tempus - alternate present - 6:50
The Streets were lined with celebration decorations everywhere. But Aion overlooked the city with nothing but despair. Dalia stood next to him.
"Something bothering the so-called 'Great Assassin'?"
"I...It wasn't meant to be..." He looked away, "Kami..."
"Yea, sure you screwed up, just don't go kickin' the sh*t outta yourself, alright?"
Aion looked up at her. "What happened to you...?"
Dalia then took on a more sincere tone. "You know what happened. You were the one that betrayed me. You left me for dead."
"And you know that I thought I saw you killed."
"...'Thought'..." Dalia picked up one of the glasses on the table behind them. The other patrons of the bar were slowly bringing the party to the second floor as the lower level became too crowded. "Enjoy your moment of glory, brother." She then raised the glass. "To the Hero of Tempus." As she said this, she took a draught.
"Dalia. I want to show you something before...you leave." Aion turned and undid the bandages on his right hand. underneath, on his upturned palm, was the mark of the sun and moon that was on the sheath of Mercurius and Arke. The only difference was the fact that it was a blood red and the pointed rays were inverted.
The sound of a glass being dropped echoed in Dalia's ears. "No...A-Aion...no...brother...not...not you...!"
"I'm sorry, sister. I had to."
Dalia felt her conscious slipping, her strength faded rapidly. Next, she found herself looking at a glass that had rolled onto the floor. She noticed something strange on the rim. "Poison..." She looked around slightly and noticed everyone else starting to succumb to the poison's effects. "W-why did-?"
"To save you. This fate is far kinder...than what I must now endure." Aion watched as Dalia went limp, finally giving in to death's embrace. "I will end this for both, nay, all of us." He looked again at the crest emblazoned on his hand. The mark of Hyperion...

[wonderweiss]

Toran had paid full attention to the woman. He's studying her every speech pattern, her every bodily impulse, and get every move. He was prepared for anything.

"Hoo, boy. This trip might take a while, like five minutes or something. Why don't we talk, say, shot any personal goals we've set?"

Toran walked down the roads, the familiar strange glances. Toran began thinking up done scenarios.

Let's see here. There are numerous possibilities of what her next move could be. Perhaps she does wish for peace. Pshh. And maybe my luck has turned. Ha. Maybe she wants a drink, but someone to treat her. She was probably going to rob me to do so. There is also the possibility that she wants my arcane stone and was hoping that I drink myself out cold. In that case, she would have something coming to her. Either way, this armor should be able to do much more than just hide the gray.

[Cucoo5]

Land of Cinders and Ashes - 6:55

Dalia watched the zombie every step of the way. She had to think of a better way. Maybe...she could cause a scene in the bar...just have to get the armor off...

As they walked on, Dalia noticed the kids that were playing between the houses.
"Tag your it! Ha ha~!" Dalia turned to see the girl that just 'tagged' her. She recognized the blue haired girl immediately.
"K-Kiara?!?"

[wonderweiss]

Toran heard the woman scream something and immediately assumed it as a battle cry. He jumped back and summoned the stone spikes. Good news is that he didn't pierce himself in the stomach again. Bad news... One of them bent his bad leg so far back that it had torn off again.

"God dammit, I just had this fixed..."

He looked towards the girl.

"... Armor, none, weapons, none, attitude, childlike... Threat level, pending..."

[Cucoo5]

Land of Cinders and Ashes - 6:55

Kiara was startled by the sudden spikes erupting forth from the ground.
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH-!" Kiara screamed in fear. At the same time, the water in the air immediately above Dalia and Toran condensed into a cloud.
Dalia knew what was going to happen next. "F*ck....my....life..." On cue, the cloud turned into a column of water and drenched the area underneath it with such force it almost knocked Dalia unconscious, but did knock the breath out of her lungs. As a reflex, she grabbed hold of the sword with the golden sheen, to prevent it from being knocked away in the flash flood.

[Kristia]

Tempus

The fight was getting harder and harder to endure as the undead kept focusing on the the Yaju on top of the wooden high building, she kept firing arrows in fast boleys hiting their targets with only a few misses.

"I have to get their distraction, there isnīt a single soldier around.. probably already left this area with the civilians" she said to herself going for another arrow, but found nothing on the quiver.

The black vixen growled throwing the quiver away and used the bow to hit an undeadīs face with it, the wood splintered on the soldierīs face as he fell from the high floor. She looked down as more stopped climbing and.. wait.. they are cutting the support pillars!

In a moment, Nera turned and started moving towards the time magician, yet her feet found nothing to press on as she fell down quickly.

There was a great pain on her shoulder, opening her eyes with a blurried scenery, the fox saw a rather reddish stick comming from her shoulder as she gritted her teeth holding the pain. An undead was already going for a stab from above and she moved quickly whincing a lot as the stick was still on her shoulder

"Got to feel it.. the pain keeps me.. awake" she moaned holding her sword with her free arm, the other was too pained to move it yet as she kept defending from the undead.

With a swift move, the vixen ducked and impaled her steel sword on the undead and kicked his gut out from it. She then focused on the scenery looking for the man, but he seemed to still be up on the high floor. She took a deepbreath and jumped her way towards the high floor and landed on her knees and free arm "We must get.. out of here there is no more civilians around" she said getting up and preparing to either help the man run or lift him up with possibly her last strength

[wonderweiss]

Toran recovered from the sudden attack. He grabbed his leg and reconnected the armor parts to hold the leg together.

"Dammit, look what you did..."

Toran stood up.

"Reanalysis, attitude, easily frightened, contains arcane stone, water mage, threat level, moderate."

He straightened his back and gave a heavy sigh.

"... Not one moment... Can I not spend one moment without this dreaded misfortune? Oh well..."

He disarmed the spikes and walked over to the girl.

"Sorry. I was merely frightened by your sudden presence, as you somewhat just were. Please, may I ask you for your name?"

Toran gave a sincere smile.

[S121]

Chronomancer's Tower - Gensei Woods 6:55 AM




Soon, Azeruk was outside the tower. Azeruk looked across the lake and followed the water's edge with his gaze. Every morning, it was the same routine. Azeruk was to run around the lake five times in one-hundred pound armor with another one-hundred ponds in a bag, then go to the shack nearby to practice focusing his time magic, among other exercises. It was very harsh training, but it helped him learn to push himself past what most people could do, allowing him to use his magic for longer periods of time.

Azeruk sighed as he looked through the trees and at his usual running path. This was his least favorite part of the day, and for good reason. Azeruk took a deep breath and ran on the path that circled the lake.

[Cucoo5]

Tempus - 7:10
"Mercurius...it channels energy. The will of the user is the only limit. If you have an unbreakable will, the sword shall never dull. Your will defines the blade. The blade is a part of you."
Aion's expression was blank. He managed to unlatch the sheath from his belt. He slowly got up, holding the bound blade in his right hand. His left hand found itself resting on the handle, slowly finding the most comfortable means of holding it. Aion closed his eyes and focused on the last memory...the last words that drifted through his mind. "My will." Energy focused itself on the seal on the chains. "It's time. Time to break the shackles."
The emblem shattered, the chains fell loose, unwinding themselves from the hilt. Aion readjusted his grip. An undead was about to strike down Nera. "Forgive me, father...but I have to use this accursed blade..."
SHINK
Aion began to draw the blade forth from it's scabbard. A brilliant light emanated from the exposed blade. It was neither of the light, nor of the darkness. Aion continued to draw the sword, energy flowed to him. Mercurius summoned forth energy to him. Veins of crystalline energy worked its way up his left arm. Aion opened his eyes, now a brilliant silver. In a flash, a spear of energy went through the undead soldier that assailed Nera.
"Quick. Get yourself to safety! These fiends will cause you no more harm."
As Aion said this, energy surged in arcs all around his body as he held the sword with both hands

"I-incredible...This much...it's too much...It's going...to kill me if I keep this up...!"

[Kristia]

Tempus

Nera saw Aion preapring to face the undead and had to disagreed "They may be many, but they are also slow, there is no one else to protect in the vecinity, we must go!" she said taking her sword and sliced an undeadīs face.

Her shoulder kept hurting as the stick was still stuck on it, crimson stains appeared on her cloak ("Calm down, take a deep breath and..") she thought grabbing an end of the wooden object and pulled it out fiercelly

Growling in agony, the vixen use the bloodied stick to stab another undeadīs heart. She then noticed the ever growing power of Aion, he looked strained as it kept going through his body.

Not hesitating, Nera ran towards the mercenary and took his arm ready to go away from the battle