Resolving to Innocence

• Tiffany gains 2 RP due to Constant Recycle.
  

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Omitted...

Allies:

Enemies:

Legend:

The for permeated through every inch of space around her. It had a dank smell that she had to smell no matter what she did or where she went. It was almost inescapable. Tiffany listened to Vina with a clouded mind. Did she hear a note of distrust? Certainly not; that would most certainly be unacceptable. Looking towards Astrid, the soldier, she noticed that her form began to disappear into the dark fog. Looking back towards Vina, not sure of what she was supposed to say towards that motion, she sighed. She could fumble with words all she liked, though that would not necessarily mean that she would be successful. She opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, then closed it with no sound escaping her lips.

If this operation were to be successful, she needed their undying devotion and trust. There simply was no other way. A dark look crossed her eyes as she stared into the distance. She could smell them. Nasty things that reminded her of must and mold, yet had the wet smell of rain. Were these enemies of an avian nature?  She moved closer to Astrid and whispered a few words of protection over her. A bright flash of light illuminated them for a moment and then died down. She could feel the warmth that radiated from the soldier that was granted to her by the light.

It would take time.

[Tiffany moves to H6!
Tiffany uses Benevolence on Astrid! [MP: 25/35]
Astrid is bestowed with Protect!
Tiffany waits...]

Astrid felt the warm light wrap around her, but said nothing. Her head did not turn in their "leader's" direction to thank her either. Instead, the soldier decided to race off in the fog again, having found nothing the first time. The smell of musk and, strangely, rain hit her, but once more she chose not to comment. She came to a sudden halt. "I don't have all day, ya know!" she barked, preparing her stance in case something decided to fly out at her.

Astrid moves to D6!

Gale turned it's head around to look at the girl with the lantern.

-...f-friend...?

It bobbed the head to one side, then the other. Well, she did have a light. Gale could see better next to her. The wizard decided it liked staying close to the girl. It gazed for a while, trying to decide if speaking was necessary. In the end, she had been kind, or at least Gale thought that was being kind, so it should be too.

-Dark...I don't like darkness. Cast it alway, and I will explore. Stay in range...friend...?

It sounded unconfortable. Did it? It seemed to. Gale cast off those thoughts and walked around the rock. It could see a large form in the distance. Maybe more rocks? Was worth a look.

Gale moves to J2.

Gale waits.

{Vina moves to I3 [K4 - J4 - I4 - I3]}
{Vina waits...}

"...f-friend...?"

The figure remained crouched, but acknowledged her with its glowing eyes from the shadows below its cap. It tilted its head to the left, then the right, as though sizing her up. Vina shuddered, a chill rushing up her back. It remained to be seen just what capabilities the being had, and Vina wasn't one to take chances in the midst of an unnatural dark fog. She opened her mouth to speak, but ultimately the figure beat her to the punch, confirming that it was, indeed, afraid of the dark.

Quickly, it scuttled off again into the shadows, turning around the rock that it had been huddled up against. The light from Vina's lamp seemed to reassure it slightly, so she thought she would try to keep it talking. Regardless of what lurked in the shadows under its cap, Vina decided she wanted to remain on its good side. "I would be happy to keep the dark away... er, friend." she stammered, attempting to be reassuring, as she rounded the rock. She didn't even know the creature's name... if it had one. "After all, that is my job."

The fog remained thick and barely permeable by the light from her lantern, and the air was growing thicker. Was that the heavy scent of rain that was drifting their way? Vina certainly hoped not, for her lantern was the only thing casting any sort of light, save for the ethereal sort of Mana that their leader wielded, and cast off into the distance, lighting up the faint form of the acrobatic soldier in the mists beyond. So much for formation... Vina thought to herself with a sigh. Though she had seen the woman's deadly tricks in their last fight, it still worried her that the group was being split up like this. It had to be a trap.

Deciding it best to worry about what she crossed when she actually crossed it, she turned back to the figure as it continued to explore, standing just at the edge of where her light cast. She decided to proceed forward, her eyes not as attuned to the darkness as it appeared to be. "Wait up!" she called, trying not to let the figure out of her sights.

Tiffany gains 1 RP due to Constant Recycle!




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The light from the lantern was beginning to pierce through the permeating darkness. The inky blackness seemed to just melt away in the heat of the lamp before it. As it did, what should have been monotonal ground was simply replaced by an entire spectrum of colors. In what had been empty space before was a bird standing on tall, thin legs and donning feathers of a rainbow hue. It cried with a beautiful sound almost akin to a tolling bell and it began to make its first move towards the light bearer, ruffling its feathers with a curious pattern.

[Aria moves to G4!
Aria uses Sparkle on Vina! [MP: 13/25]
10 ATK damage! [Evade MISS!]
10 ATK damage!
10 ATK damage! [Evade MISS!]
Aria waits...]

Over towards the other edge of the dark field, Astrid herself was coming up onto the same kind of bird. It poked its head up towards him and reared back, crying with the same beautiful bell tone the other had. Ruffling its feathers, it started towards the intruder ready to make some kind of ruckus to make sure that there would be no more action from this human here. Good luck.

[Qataz screeches!
Qataz uses Sparkle on Astrid! [MP: 13/25]
10 ATK damage!
10 ATK damage!
10 ATK damage!
Qataz moves to A6!
Qataz waits...]


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Allies:

Enemies:

Legend:

[/color][/b]


Tiffany listened to what sounded like pounding bells. That wasn't good, but it wasn't necessarily bad either. Nothing that the group couldn't handle. She could faintly see outlines of something near Vina, but Astrid simply disappeared into the darkness. Concerned, she began in the direction he headed in. She wasn't entirely sure of where she was going other than that there was a rok in front of her. She merely traversed around the rock, trying to keep some sort of landmark. Vina would be fine. She was even keeping the amorphous figure called Gale safe within her wing. They would be okay. It was Astrid she was worried about. "Astrid? Where are you? I can't see you!"

Such concern. Was it real?

[Tiffany moves to G7!
Tiffany waits...]

From the dark, Gale saw a bright, multicolored light, and though Friend Vina was only a shape from there, Gale could se something was hurting her. Startled, the Wizard ran forward, in the same awkward, clumsy manner as before, to get in range.

-No! Don't hurt Friend Vina!

The mysterious figure raised the staff in it's hands and yelled.

-Stream of time, rest the meager and give your love to the worthy! Borrowed Time!

Golden lines of power erupted from the tip of the staff and rattled across the air, trying to connect with the source of light.

Gale moves to H2.

Gale casts Borrowed Time on Aria! 75% chance to Stun. Hastes Gale if it connects!

MP: 28/37

Astrid grunted. Well, gotta give it to the thing, she thought with a sneer, it certainly packs a punch. As much as she wanted to rush over to it and wring its scrawny neck, she knew that if it hit her again she'd be finished. The thing was much stronger than the weird beasts she had demolished earlier. "Better fall back." she grimaced, rushing away from the action.

Astrid moves to H5!

She had rushed through the mist as swiftly as her legs would carry her, only to catch sight of another bird. A weird veil of magic wrapped around it, Astrid could only assume that one of her allies was around here somewhere. Hopefully they could take it down in numbers.

Astrid attacks Aria! 7 Atk Damage! 20% Chance of Critical Hit!

{Vina moves to J4 [I4 - J4]}
{Vina basic attacks Aria (G4)! 9 INT Damage! Vina gains 1 Flame Counter.}
<Flame Counters: 1/3>

Perhaps pressing onward so quickly had been a poor idea.

As soon as she circled around the rock, trying to keep the creature who she had befriended in the ring of light that was cast by her lantern, Vina saw the shadows melting away to reveal something she would never have expected to see in such a dismal atmosphere. A tall, thin bird with dazzling feathers that glistened in the light cast from her lantern. It seemed almost as alarmed as she was; apparently, she was infringing upon its territory. It squawked with an alarming noise, emitting the sound of chiming bells that caused Vina to recoil slightly.

She stood as still as she could manage, halfway trying not to alarm the beast further, and halfway still stunned by the noise. After so much silence and very minimal conversation and coordination, it was a terrible adjustment to her ears. All thought of retaining the vision on her new 'friend' fled her mind, as she was faced by a dazzling array that seemed to sear her skin and caused her to avert her gaze. It was clear now to her that this bird was hostile... and also more dangerous than either of the two monsters that she and her allies had faced before.

Before she had time to further react and move away, the creature from before emerged with a clumsy rush, bursting towards it and clearly trying to alarm it. "No! Don't hurt friend Vina!"

Had she the brainpower to comprehend this action, she would probably have asked herself How does it know my name...? But instead, she could only barely comprehend the action unfolding before her. The shadow-veiled being had finally shown its hand, releasing surging lines of golden power. Tendrils that seemed to wrap themselves around the bird that had assaulted her just moments prior. The power seemed to be searching to siphon energy... Vina was glad that she had chosen to attempt to befriend this being. The power it wielded was so foreign... but yet, it remained unpredictable.

It appeared that they were compounding their efforts to take down the rather diminutive bird, as the silver-haired woman darted into view and spinning a bullet straight for the bird. She seemed to have been attacked as well, as Vina noted the sear marks on her skin. She grew worried for their leader, whom she had lost sight of, but there was nothing she could do now. She simply had to press forward. She swung her lantern menacingly, the flames erupting once more from its depths, with the sole intention to burn the beautiful feathers clean off of the bird.

Tiffany gains 1 RP due to Constant Recycle!

Gale's Borrowed Time connects!
Aria is Stunned!
Gale is bestowed with Haste!

Qataz disappears into the shadows...

Aria takes 4 DMG! [HP: 36/40]
Astrid's Killer Enhancement has 4 turns left...

Aria takes 7 DMG! [HP: 29/40]
Vina gains a Flame Counter! [1/3]




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Omitted...

Allies:

Enemies:

Legend:

Tiffany looked as Astrid came back to the rest of the group with a few wounds, apparently from the other bird. Vina had also been quite hurt in the process of trying to get rid of these creatures. Perhaps they weren't ready for this search as of yet. Then, however, was a strange power from the being known as Gale. It seemed to stop the bird directly in its tracks, as it didn't move or utter a sound while damage was being applied to it. A small smile came across her lips. Perhaps they could achieve more than she thought they would. This battle she had orchestrated was really beginning to prove more than what she thought it would. She was taking mental notes about her comrades' battle behaviors as well as how well they all worked as a cohesive team. If they proved themselves, then she would be obligated to reveal more to them than what the decree had stated. However, they needed to finish all of this first.

"All this pain and suffering... Let me help alleviate it. These birds are much, much stronger than they look, so do be aware." She moved closer to Astrid, with her staff in hand. "Like sunshine, pass through here, pierce the veil of darkness and bring happiness true." A light shone down on Astrid once again, erasing some of her hurt. It did not have the heat of sunshine, but perhaps she would feel a bit better and perhaps not be so close to death. If she was going to achieve any of her goals, she needed all of her team members fully alive and well.

[Tiffany moves to I5!
Tiffany uses Healing Light on Astrid! [MP: 19/35]
100% INT Healing!
Astrid recovers 6 HP! [HP: 21/30]
Tiffany waits...]

Gale raised the staff, prepared to rain destruction on the bird-like creature...and then stops. The strange mage takes a look at the rock right in front of it. Then looks at the bird. Then looks at the rock. And once again at the bird.

Gale holds the staff on both hands, takes a step back, spins twice and SWATS the rock with the staff. The rock soars with unexpected force, shooting straiht to the bird's face. Gale spins around alittle more and falls right to the ground, where the rock stood previously.

Gale uses Kick the Rock! on Aria!
1 Atk Dmg!

Gale moves to G2.