Tales of Alidaire: The Chase

Auza sighed in relief when the lift stopped. She hated every second standing in that thing, and decided she would take the stairs in the future, no matter how tired she was. She paused after Macha closed the door separating them and took a moment to observe her surroundings. These folk certainly did not mind the expense of a full hot spring. She could not sense anyone nearby, so she did not fear being spied upon. Even if there were people there, she would not care. They would be looking at Macha, not her, if they looked at all.

Auza first loosened the strings of her dress, noticing how filthy the thing was. This world was likely to have some kind of shop of it's own where she could get a new dress, but she also had a backup stored in her magic pocket. It never hurt to be prepared. The dress fell flat on the floor, which she stepped out of quite easily. Then she tugged at the string keeping her braid together and felt it slide through her length of hair. The black strings flew out of the braid and caused a bit of a wind to hit her back before it rested. Auza glanced down, the length was hitting the floor now, a good four inches of it at least.

Auza stepped gingerly outside, feeling the cold stone warm up as she grew closer to the hot springs. She saw Macha floating there and raised an eyebrow. Without a sound, Auza threw the washcloth at her, aiming for her face. "As requested," Auza said simply, noth bothering to test the water before putting her foot in. The warmth was a surprise to her foot, but Auza expected it and continued, immersing herself in the heat quickly. Her hair quickly began absorbing the water, becoming thicker and darker, if darker than black was even possible. Even with her short stature, the water only came up to just below her chest, so she had to crouch a little to immerse her whole body. She found a place where she could sit without straining her legs or drowning and sat there, relaxing.

Macha was taken aback by the sudden washcloth landing on her face. Perhaps she wasn't on guard all the time as she thought. She took the washcloth and dipped it in the water, using it to wipe the dirt and grime off of her face. It felt so wonderful that she let an audible sigh escape her mouth. "Thank you, dear; it was much needed," she voiced her appreciation to the girl before swimming over towards her and taking a seat next to her, reveling in the warmth of the water upon her skin. It felt so nice. It went without saying that this bath was much needed.

"So, what a mess we've wound up in, eh?" Macha posed nonchalantly, but there was ambiguity in her voice as if there was something more, and her intentions were revealed quite quickly. "I didn't want to mention it with the boys around, but what was the witch speaking about? What is Eternia?" She figured Auza might be reluctant to speak of it as she was being extremely secretive during their first encounter with the so-called Reality Witch. "Know that there is not much in this world that can surprise me any longer, and there are several reasons for that," she said sadly, finding her eyes gazing at the clean waters in which she sat. She remained silent for a moment. "And you can trust me. Whatever it is, it seems troublesome. Don't shoulder the burden alone. I can understand not telling the boys, but I'm different." She lifted her head and gave Auza a sad smile. "Maybe one of these days I'll tell you how so, but that time is not now. You, on the other hand, could stand to do a little explaining, hm?" The sadness was replaced with her typical playfulness.

* * *

Klein had reluctantly been browsing through the most boring books, jotting down notes as Henry requested while the younger fellow did his own research. By the time they were through flitting through the tomes, they had a sizable file of info, though Henry took special care in memorizing the most important facts. He returned the books to the librarian and thanked him kindly. It seemed that no other stops would have to be made. "The library will always be the best go-to for information, Mister Klein. Keep that in mind," Henry chimed cheerily as the duo marched down the street. "Come on, I think a relaxing bath is in order as a reward, don't you, Mister Klein?" He took Klein's hand gently this time as they walked along, and though it startled Klein, he didn't move to take his hand away. He figured he'd just let the kid have his moment.

The two reached the hotel rather quickly and ascended to their room, taking a look around and noticing how unbelievably spacious it was. There was certainly no corners cut here. "If we had a mind to, we could live here, save for the lack of a kitchen," Klein marveled in awe. He noticed belongings in one of the rooms past the dining area. The girls must have already claimed that room. "Guess this one's ours," he said, taking a seat on the bed for a moment to let his aching feet rest.

"Looks like they have a fully equipped bathroom; the fixtures look so advanced compared to what we have on our world," Henry spoke aloud, his voice echoing off the walls. He marched back into the bedroom. "I'm curious about the public bath though. You're going to join me...aren't you, Mister Klein?" he said and smiled, his face growing a bit hot.

"I guess so," was Klein's response. It would be nice, for sure, not to mention it was something he hadn't experienced before. The thought of seeing Henry naked crossed his mind and he blushed, not sure how to feel about that particular part of the experience. Ah well, he could just look away, no big deal. "I know we could probably both use an...extensive washing," he added, "as Auza might say anyway."

Auza sighed heavily. If she was to tell anyone about Eternia, it would have to be someone she could trust well enough to keep a secret. Macha seemed all about keeping secrets, and perhaps Auza did owe her an explanation. She tilted her head back and laid it against the stone so she could rest. "Eternia is a realm that I created three years ago. It is...connected to what some might call the Abyss, or the Void, but not part of it. After it's creation, I lost some part of my power, a part of my that serves as a key. The realm is not endless like the Void is, though it is large.

"Eternia is the place where I banish unruly spirits and demons making a mess of the mortal world. It is for the sake of balance, and this world has been thrown heavily out of that. It serves as a prison, sapping them of their life until they die, if they are weak enough. There is one demon imprisoned that is strong, and will not die to the magic in my realm. That magic is the same reason that no mortal may touch foot in that place, unless they wish to die as the demons do. Those with incredible affinity towards magic would be unaffected, though, so it only goes to say that I am the only one who can enter without dying."

Auza stopped herself. That was as much as she was willing to reveal.

Macha closed her eyes and tried to envision this Eternia. Unknown to the others, Macha's ventures had led her to the Void itself, and it was a frightening place filled with dangerous creatures, and the goddess that ruled over it all could be the friendliest entity--or the deadliest and most merciless. It was safe to say that Macha spent as little time in the Void as she could, granted it was a great place to practice swordsmanship. In the Void, there was no true fear of death for what was forgotten in mortal existence cannot die. It seemed as though Auza's Eternia was vastly different from the Void to which it was linked, and for her to make her own dimension like that said much about her true power. The blademaster smirked. It seemed as though this Desert Rose they were after had no idea who she was up against. This made things all the sweeter.

"That magic is the same reason that no mortal may touch foot in that place, unless they wish to die as the demons do."

No mortal... Macha pondered, a sad look appearing on her face once more. Things were starting to make perfect sense now. So this was the course of action. "I suppose our darling Reality Witch was concerned about said stability, but it really is none of her business. Should things need to be settled to finality in that realm, you may count on me to assist you." Macha was sure the woman would be bewildered. After all, how was a mere mortal supposed to be of aid? "There is more to me than you know." She gave Auza a teasing wink before ducking her head under the water, smoothing out the strands of hair. She would definitely need to shampoo it well.

* * *

With toiletries in hand, the boys left the room and locked it. They headed down the hallway back to the stairwell, unaware that the staff lift was available for guest use, but they had already walked so much that a little convenience from the lift was inconsequential. The lobby was as devoid of presence as it was when they had first arrived, and they headed down the hall, sliding open the door that led to the apparently empty men's bathhouse. It was designed similarly to the women's with no noticeable differences. Henry drank in the warmth; even the atmosphere was relaxing. He took a few steps forward.

"Ah it has been quite some time since I had a proper bath," Henry mentioned, starting to undo the buttons of his shirt slowly. He blushed as he slid the shirt off his shoulders and let it fall to the warm stone floor revealing his slender torso. Undoing the button on his pants along with the zipper, he let those fall to the floor along with his undergarments, stepping out of them and letting the warmth sink into his skin. He could feel Klein's eyes piercing him making him blush even more, his face a sheet of scarlet. He was scared to turn around, doing so only slightly and crouching a bit to grab his clothes, running them to the shelves at the side of the spring.

"No need to be so embarrassed," Klein laughed, some of his old pep returning to his voice. He removed his jacket quickly; it was becoming unbearable to wear it. He wasted no time stripping off his clothes and walking them to the shelves, shoving his stuff in the box next to Henry's. He placed a gentle hand on Henry's shoulder. "It's nothing I haven't seen before, you forget," the man said calmly, turning towards the water. He was slim like Henry, but his body was a lot more toned and muscular. Taking a deep breath, he headed to the side of the spring and placed a foot in. The heat was immense but just enough to make the fatigue in his muscles vanish instantly. "By the gods, this is great!" he exclaimed, jumping in with a great splash. He floundered about in the water, letting the waves he created carry off his worries.

Henry smiled feeling a little bit better about the situation. "It would not bode well for me not to join the fun," he said in a voice that was louder than usual, but certainly a far cry from a yell. Henry would never be able to match Klein's enthusiasm, but that's what made the swordsman who he was. Henry missed that enthusiasm. The self-control was alluring, but when Klein smiled, Henry couldn't help but smile himself. He, too, approached the water, but instead of jumping in, he allowed his body to slip into it, falling beneath the surface until just his head was above the water.

"Now this is indeed the life."

Auza scoffed. "There is nothing to be 'settled' in Eternia. The musing of that witch are merely meant to throw me off my guard. She wants to cause instability in Eternia. Probably so she could destroy it. I will not let myself be taken down by her meddling." Auza stopped, realizing that she was allowing her emotions to control her. Again. She sighed audibly and snatched the bottle of shampoo from where it sat near her. She allowed the liquid to drip on her head and felt it was over her hair. This was the most satisfying part. Feeling the cold soap run down her hair like melting ice.

Auza reached up and began pressing her hair up, sharing as much of the liquid as was possible in her incredibly long hair. "The last time I cut my hair was when I was nine years old," Auza said. She didn't know why she was talking about herself, it just kind of...came out. "I wasn't born to a rich family in a city I no longer remember the name of. My mother died giving birth and my father followed eight years after. I spent six months trying to figure out what to do about it before I discovered I was born into magic.

"A witch came to my house one morning. The ugliest woman you could imagine. She mistook me for my mother, Yeva, and was looking for her daughter. After some explaining, and calling the witch a hag, she found out I had a deep connection with magic. So she took me under her wing after forcing me to leave everything I had behind in order to train me. For six months. She cut my hair down to the root on my ninth birthday and sent me off to train at a Circle of Magi. I never cut it again, out of spite for her." That was the story about Auza's hair, and what a petty reason it was. Still, there was no need to throw away a tradition. Auza let a small smile cross her face as the dirt and grease washed out of her hair.

Macha smirked even more at the sound of Auza's tale. It seemed as though the woman had a rebellious streak to her, though it was tragic what had happened to her parents. It seemed as though the Fates knew what they were doing, however, for Auza to have wound up here on the continent of Berbatu on this wild chase for the infamous Desert Rose. "An interesting tale. Your hair certainly seems as though it has grown non-stop for years, I can tell you that much," the blademaster crooned. "I was scolded repeatedly when I was just an apprentice for keeping long hair. Believe it or not, it used to be longer than what it is now," she reminisced. "I'd still be scolded if my Master would see my hair now. Hair is a weakness and should be kept short or tightly bound and out of the face, but she never realized that with grace and perfected movement, hair could be overcame as an inhibition. If anything, it made my swordsmanship even stronger--stronger than hers, anyway. When the time came for her years to end, I engaged her in a final duel to the death. Even in her old age it was a struggle, but...well, I ended her life." Macha paused a moment, remaining silent as if in remembrance.

"There are certain codes when it comes to being a blademaster. I guess it should be good that you don't share such codes. I assume your hag might me demolished by this point should that have been the case," Macha chided, not sure how strongly Auza felt for the woman who led her on her path after her parents had passed away. Maybe the resentment didn't go that far, but she was mainly joking anyway as she always did.

* * *

Klein swam around for a while, his muscles feeling more and more relaxed. There was no doubt in his mind that he would sleep well tonight. He spared a glance over to Henry who looked like he might have been dozing off. Klein swam a bit closer, slowly, very slowly. When he was about a couple feet away, he noticed one of Henry's eyes shoot open which caused him to jump. "Something I can assist you with, Mister Klein?" he asked jokingly, relishing in the fact that he had managed to startle the swordsman so much. "It's not very nice to sneak up on snoozing people, no matter what your intentions might have been." A mock reprimand, to be sure.

"Ah w-well, I had no intentions. Just seeing if you were really sleeping...guess you're not," Klein rambled off quickly, blushing slightly.

"Perhaps you wished to engage me in conversation? If so, I have a question for you, Mister Klein. What did you wish to aspire to here in Berbatu?" Henry posed, genuinely curious, and the truth was that he had been for quite some time. It was only now that he had the chance to have an adequate talk with Klein about it.

"You know, I'm not really sure," Klein admitted sheepishly, feeling a bit embarrassed about not having an absolute plan. "I figured I'd get a hut and maybe make some money as a mercenary. That's the type of work I was doing in Dalmaschior anyway, so I knew it would work over here surely. Did I want to spend the rest of my life slaying monsters though? I don't know. To be a hero, that's the dream right?" He felt a bit childish but he wasn't even an adult quite yet, no matter close to adulthood he might have been.

Henry arose from his sitting position in the water and swam closer to Klein, taking his hands. "I think you would make for a wonderful hero, Mister Klein. It only seems fitting," the boy said, gazing into the swordsman's eyes, a soft smile upon his face. "It is my firm belief that you were meant to be one; I have believed it since I first laid eyes on you. Surely you have a ways to go before reaching Macha's level, but you're well on your way there." Henry spared a sidelong glance, a crimson blush creeping onto his cheeks. "The tale of your heroism would one I would be honored to write, Mister Klein. It would mean the world to me, and being able to accompany you on that journey that would lead you to becoming a legend would be all the more of a privilege."

Klein was completely taken aback by everything Henry said. He was immensely embarrassed, but in the very best way. His heart beat a bit more quickly as he put his arms around Henry and pulled him closer into a hug. At this point, he didn't even care about them both being naked. That was the very last thing in his mind. "Hey, I want you to know that...well, that means a lot to me..." he whispered in Henry's ear. "I definitely know I wouldn't want any other writer to come along with me; you're the most lively one I've met," he said a bit more loudly in his typical boisterous tone. He felt so much more full of spirit. It was as if Henry's very words themselves carried heaps of inspiration--inspiration that gave him the motivation to become stronger now.

"If you think that, then you are not very aware of how magic works," Auza commented easily. She remembered the old hag and her illusion magic. She had to be taught to see illusions, which was, to the hag, a new and interesting experience. "Magic grows stronger with age, and the growth is increased dramatically if practiced constantly. My teacher always had illusion magic active, changing her body to look in the shape of a beautiful and young woman. I've always thought that her power knew no limits, and I still do today. Or I would, if she was alive. By the time I graduated from the Circle, she had mysteriously disappeared.

"But no, if I were to have gone up against my teacher, it is I whom would have been destroyed without a single bead of sweat appearing on her head. Even as I am now, I wager I would be unable to defeat her. Before the creation of Eternia, perhaps I might have had a chance. But I lost a part of me to create that realm, and so much more besides." Auza frowned. The part of her that she lost was not her own magic. The cost to create Eternia simply involved it's upkeep, and that was minuscule. But she lost a part of herself that she could never regain. A dear friend who gave his own life to protect her.

"I should count my lucky stars that I had chosen swords over spells," Macha replied slyly with her cat-like grin as Auza explained the way things worked with disciples of magic and their masters. A magic that only grew stronger with time? It was almost like a fine wine. "See, the body deteriorates with age, unfortunately, and having an agile, youthful, and well-conditioned body puts younger swordsman at an advantage. The elders of swordplay can put up a great fight, but when you reach a certain point, it becomes impossible to keep up," Macha offered in explanation to her own discipline. "You will be strong in your old age, but poor old Macha will surely reach her limits. Maybe when I'm 90 or so. Perhaps Klein will be the one to deal the fatal hit to end my life. I've always wanted to go down fighting..." she rambled on playfully, though her tone took a rather sharp depressing turn near the end.

Macha procured the shampoo and dabbled some on her own hand, rubbing it into a lather before applying it thoroughly to her hair which was in rather nasty shape. It had dirt and was pretty oily. She didn't care much for appearances at this point in her life. She was an adventurer. There were times in the past where she was sure she had a cloud of foul odor following her around and it didn't matter. She probably wreaked of death and gore, but it was a testament to her victories as were the corpses she carried with her that acted as trophies for her vicious triumphs. She shuddered in delight to the thoughts of her glory days. Dunking her head underwater, she used her hands to clear the suds out of her hair, the warmth of the water overtaking her completely. She had been under for a couple of minutes before surfacing, granting Auza a smile as warm as the water itself. "Quick question for you, my dear," Macha quipped. "Did you ever imagine that you would get caught in some wild evil plot when you first came to Berbatu?" A thought crossed Macha's mind. What was it that Auza had lost? There was something more than just a fraction of her power. Perhaps she could glean that info from her without asking.

* * *

Henry's face was pure scarlet by this point but he didn't reject Klein's form of affection. He didn't even take the swordsman as the type to be like that, but perhaps the slightly older gentleman was more soft-hearted than he knew. He put his arms around Klein and buried his face in the man's neck. "Don't try and flatter me, Mister Klein," Henry said teasingly, making no effort to escape from the embrace. "I can only grant you so many boons in battle."

"Haha, they say flattery's insincere; I'm being totally honest!" Klein exclaimed with a chuckle. "Anyway, you should wash up instead of just relaxing. Water alone isn't going to get rid of that smell!"

Henry gasped suddenly and shoved Klein away. "As if you're one to talk, Mister Klein!" Henry shot back at him in false anger. "Perhaps you should deign to thoroughly wash your smelly self before picking fun at someone else's odor." He crossed his arms over his bare chest defiantly, awaiting some form of apology even though he knew that Klein was just kidding.

"Hmm maybe you're right. I'm sorry," Klein replied after appearing to be in serious thought for a few minutes. He fetched the body wash and lathered himself up before diving under the water, swimming forward through it letting all the soap stream off of him, leaving it behind in a cloud beneath the water.

Auza remained contemplative, settling now to let herself soak in the water. She would have to get out soon, her body was not very resistant to this kind of heat. The question Macha posed to her was interesting, at the very least. She had known all along that there was something more going on in Berbatu. She knew it from an entirely different continent. While Veign was with her, she sensed great change happening in a distant land, but could not tell whether it was for good or worse. When she connected with Eternia, her awareness grew, and she knew that she needed to pay a visit to the continent, lest risk allowing demons to rampage in the mortal plane.

"Yes," Auza finally answered, after a moment of deliberation. "I was traveling with a close friend three years ago when I first sensed the changes happening. He and I...parted ways, and I began to work getting myself to Berbatu. A few months ago, I arrived here. It was a difficult journey, and I didn't have my father's fortune or the Circle's funds to rely on." Perhaps that was enough then. Her bones were sufficiently warmed, and her hair was as clean as it had been when she first joined the Circle. Auza wondered for a moment if the Circle would ever take her back. Apostates were frowned upon, and she was pretty much that at this point. Perhaps there would be work for her to do elsewhere, in another world, perhaps. She disliked the notion of world travel, but if the realms betwixt were similar, there would be no harm done.

Auza stood and stepped out of the water, her long hair heavy and soaked. She found her towel and first took to her hair, squeezing every bit of water out of it that she could. It would need to be combed thoroughly before she braided it again. Auza patted the rest of herself dry and wrapped the towel around her chest. "I've had enough, I'm heading back to the room." Auza told Macha simply, though from her actions she was sure the woman knew what was going on. Auza paused for a moment, observing Macha bathe herself in the spring. The blademaster was hiding something from her and the others, Auza knew. After all, she herself was hiding something from all of them. And that something was very nearly revealed to them. She couldn't have that happen again.

"Thank you, Macha," Auza said suddenly, not knowing herself why she was thanking her. "For listening to me. I still grieve for my loss, but talking to you has made it somewhat...lighter." Perhaps that was a bit too much to reveal. Perhaps not, it didn't matter in the end. Auza dipped her head and headed back into the changing room, where she replaced her old clothes with a different, much cleaner dress. It was dark blue and soft as silks. The Circle gave these to her when she joined to be her uniform to wear at all times. She was incredibly thankful that the dress was not in a brighter color. Blue tended to be the color to symbolize magic.

Auza slipped the dress on over her head. It still fit perfectly after all these years. She had not grown an inch since her joining ten or so years ago. She supposed that made it easy on the tailors at the Circle. They didn't have to change her size every few years. The dress itself was pretty enough, the dark blue meshed with her black hair, which tumbled down with the rest of the garment until both hit the floor. The hem of the dress barely skimmed the ground, so when she walked her feet would pop out like mice flitting about their homes. The dress tightened a little around her hip and waist and her sleeves were fitted snugly around her arms.

Auza smiled a little bit as she remembered the first time she wore the uniform. She was both appalled and surprised at how well the dress fit her. And not just fit her body, but it matched her in every way, accentuating the length of her hair and letting her really show off her most dominant features. Which, admittedly, were not much. Macha's were larger, but Auza never cared much about that sort of thing.

She took her old dress and held it, not bothering to throw it into her magical pocket. She would clean it, first, and then throw it into the pocket. Auza decided then that she would take the stairs instead of the lift. She just could not bring herself to trust something she did not fully understand. The climb was tiring, and she was relieved when she returned to the room given to them. Here, she could finally rest. Here, she could-

Auza gasped suddenly, immediately dropping her old dress and clutching her head as a wave of displeasure and pain racked her head. She felt her whole body quiver and shake, as if possessed, and she fell to her knees and pressed her forehead on the floor. For what seemed like hours, all she could do was gasp in her breaths and wait for the pain to go away. Here, where no one could see or hear her, she gave in and cried out. Auza felt her heart beating painfully against her chest, working tirelessly to keep her alive. When her cry ended, she felt tears welling up in her eyes as the pain slowly faded away. Auza lay there on the ground for a long moment, catching her breath as the pulsing in her head diminished. When the attack seemed to have ended, Auza pushed herself back up onto her feet and dizzily stumbled over to her bed.

"Eternia again," Auza whispered to herself. She fell onto her bed, much too weak to do much else but think. The pain increased significantly since the last time, and lasted much longer, Auza thought to herself. It is that demon's doing. The one that killed him. He's trying to kill me now. Is that what the witch was trying to tell me? ...It doesn't matter now. The pain is over. It will come again, but it is over. For now. And lying there like that, Auza fell into a deep sleep.

Macha listened intently to Auza, not surprised to hear that this young woman was so in tune with the world that she knew what she would be getting herself into by visiting this continent. How bold. The blademaster smiled slyly at Auza as the woman said her words of temporary farewell and made her departure leaving Macha to float on her back in the warm water of the springs. She waited a long while before saying anything, sensing Auza was long since gone. "A loss. Friends parting ways. Oh, I think I know what it is that you were forced to watch leave you, my dearest Auza," the woman mumbled sadly, gazing up at the ceiling with a melancholy in her eyes. "I, too, know of such loss. If he knew that I still lived...I wonder how sad he would be..." A thick teardrop rolled down the pale skin of her cheek and merged with the waters in which she floated. "How frustrated would he be over the fact that he took his own life while I still walked the earth without him knowing?" She paused, choking on her own thoughts that deigned to be voiced but she couldn't manage the words. "How will I ever face him when my time to wander this world has finally come to an end?"

The blademaster raised one arm into the air slowly. She tilted her hand so that she could view her palm. Floating just in front of it was a strange glowing glyph in the shape of a clock, the hands moving at a normal pace, tick after tick after tick. No one but her could see it, and it was only her that could feel the magic, for it was tied directly to her essence via Spirit energy. It was completely devoid of mana. It served as a grim reminder that one day, she would need to move on. The time she had borrowed was a miracle in and of itself. True be it that it was common among legendary blademasters to undergo such rituals as the one she had went through, but everyone would meet their end at some point. She was no different.

At the end of the day, Death does not discriminate no matter how strong you are or weak you are. Death comes for all and claims all.

Macha dove under the water and resurfaced, quickly finishing the bath and making sure she got all the hard to reach places. She wanted to get back to the room in the case Henry and Klein had returned with information. Before going to fetch her clothing, she looked at the reflection of herself in the water. Good, no one would be able to tell that she had been crying. Turning her back on the reflection, she dried herself off and clothed herself. It was time to get back to business.

* * *

The two boys finished washing themselves until they were completely free of the dust and grime that so adamantly clung to their forms. Henry felt so happy to be nice and clean again. He was just a clean person in general. Though possessing no qualms with getting down and dirty, he always preferred to stay spic and span, and he loved to smell lovely. Crawling out of the bath, he hummed a merry tune, strolling happily to get a towel and dry off. He paid no mind to where Klein's eyes might have wandered; it wasn't something the other fellow hadn't seen before. Toweling himself off as quickly as he could, he dressed himself and beckoned for Klein to do the same. It was proving difficult to get the older guy out of the water. "The others are probably waiting on us by this point, Mister Klein. You may want to vacate the bath lest you wish to face both Miss Macha and Miss Auza's wrath," he called out to his friend in a serious, threatening tone. It seemed to work as Klein vaulted out of the water and landed with a firm thud on the stone floor of the bathhouse. Henry laughed as he watched Klein stumble forward for a towel, drying himself off clumsily while having plenty of trouble getting his clothes on.

"I can see you do no good in a stressful situation," Henry chided, poking Klein in the arm after the man had fully dressed himself. "Shall we?" The poke turned into Henry taking Klein by the arm and leading him out of the baths, heading back up the numerous stairs until they reached the room. In the distance they saw Macha, waving her down. The woman must just have gotten to the room herself.

"Oh my, look what we have here. Two clean young gentlemen. You look like completely different people," Macha teased as she unlocked the door to the room, opening it and entering, ushering the other two inside. She didn't want the door to remain open for long. They might have been champions in the eyes of these people but they were still strangers to this land. Their guard could NOT be lost at this point. She noted the room, if it could be called merely that, was quiet. Closing her eyes she could sense Auza's slow steady breathing--breathing performed by someone who would be asleep. She smiled. "Auza is asleep so try and keep it down. Whatever you learned can wait until later." She pat both of the boys on the head and chuckled softly as she navigated the area until she reached the room she was sharing with Auza, shutting the door to it behind her. In fact, there was Auza on her bed. Despite having just bathed, the woman looked rather weary. She tilted her head in concern but decided to shake it away, making her way over to her own bed, flopping down on it with a sigh. Sleep certainly did sound nice...

Back at the entrance, Henry was a little let down. He was eager to share their information but it seemed as though that was going to have to wait. "Ah well, perhaps I'll do some writing in the meantime," the lad said as he took a step forward before realizing this was one hell of a hotel room. "Look at this place!" he exclaimed as quietly as he could, taking off and looking around. The layout was simple enough and the furnishings were pretty. It was quite eloquent. He made it to the small hall with the rooms. One had the door shut and the other was left open and appeared to be empty. It was easy to deduce that Auza and Macha had claimed the other room. Henry meandered into the open one and set his stuff down on the wooden chest at the foot of the bed farthest from the door.

Klein entered moments later having finished his own little tour. "I...can't help but feel this place is much more advanced than the land we came from," he said, his mouth slightly agape in awe. He just slung his stuff on the floor only taking care with his two swords before taking a seat on the bed. It was so comfortable. The swordsman yawned and found himself falling back, his head hitting the white pillow which was even more soft than the bed. "H-hey I might be out here soon..." he gave Henry a head's up.

"That's okay, Mister Klein. Like I said, I'll probably do some writing before heading to bed myself," Henry replied softly, giving Klein a warm smile, giggling as he watched the man struggle to keep his eyes open. "Sleep well, Mister Klein." Henry kept watch over Klein until he was sure the fellow was asleep. Henry pulled out a book filled with blank pages that he had picked up discreetly at the library. It be great to write in it. Taking his pen and the book, he sat down on his bed and began to scrawl out a myriad of things--the journey he had been having so far, his feelings regarding his companions, new things to aid in battle, and information he had gained about this world so he wouldn't forget despite him having a very substantial memory. He had been writing for quite a while but eventually elicited a yawn after which he promptly closed his book and set it on the chest with his other belongings. He stretched drowsily, sparing a glance to Klein's bed. The beds were pretty spacy. Would he...? Henry shuffled over to Klein's bed and gently lowered himself onto it, curling up to the swordsman and closing his eyes with a wide, sleepy smile.

These beds are indeed rather comfortable, Henry's last thought drifted across his mind before he fell into slumber.

Auza's only wish that night was a dreamless sleep, something that she rarely ever got. And of course this night was no different from any other. Plagued by dreams and nightmares, Auza struggled to stay asleep during the night and found herself waking frequently before drifting back into the same, repetitive nightmare. This was the first night where she could not truly rest, and eventually gave up and stared up at the ceiling. Mages were able to control their dreams, to erase the memories of them from their minds or to just force themselves not to have them. This was one of Auza's failures as a mage. She could not block out her emotions while she slept, and so dreams came to her.

Auza took a deep breath and lifted herself from her bed. She glanced outside and saw a faint light beginning to rise, morning already. She stayed quiet, listening with slight envy to Macha's quiet breathing. The woman was fast asleep in her own bed, likely free of dreams or nightmares. Auza grabbed the hair on her head and swept it down the length. She felt the knots breaking and her hair straighten. It was too dry for a comb, she would use magic just this once to make it straight. She spent the next two hours braiding it, watching as light began to spill into the room. The day was starting soon now.

Auza wrapped her hair around her neck two times before letting it fall against her back. It now barely reached the back of her knees. In a few more years, she might have more weight in hair than in her actual body. That would certainly be a sight to see, and quite possibly the point where she decided to finally cut it. But what a waste that would be. Auza stepped barefoot into the center of the room and took a deep breath, not minding how tired she still was.

Auza's barrier shimmered into existence around her. The light green field of light was surrounded by text, incantations that kept the barrier active. She saw nothing that needed changing and the light disappeared. Next up, Auza raised her hands and summoned forth a wide array of glyphs of varying colors around her. The magic surrounded her and gave off a little light, illuminating her a little bit. It took no effort to summon a glyph, so summoning all the magic she knew was a simple feat. Activating the magic was the difficult part.

There were outdated magics in her knowledge. She would need to fix them at some point. Her new magic was powerful, she could see that clearly in the glyphs. Once satisfied, Auza removed the glyphs from the air, returning the world to its natural state. There was nothing to be done with her magic. Auza turned her body and glanced towards Macha. She should wait for the promised escort that would take them to see the king. Auza was growing impatient again.

Klein awoke to someone rapping at the door to their hotel room. It was Yan calling on them. Seemed he had come to fetch them as he had promised. Yawning, Klein snuggled up to what he was lying next to, his arms wrapping around it. Wait...what else was in his bed? He opened his eyes quickly to find himself spooning with Henry who must have crawled into his bed after he fell asleep. A scarlet blush wasted no time in lighting his face on fire but he didn't push Henry away, nor did he break his embrace. His heart pounded against his chest. Their door was still open. Had anyone else seen? This was rather embarrassing.

"Good morning, Mister Klein. Seems we're being called upon," Henry spoke up suddenly startling Klein so badly that he jumped and rolled off the other side of the bed. Henry calmly sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, yawning and stretching before standing up and straightening out his clothes. He didn't like having wrinkled clothes. Searching through his belongings, he grabbed his book and pen before heading into the hallway. "Try not to dawdle, Mister Klein. We have an eventful day ahead of us, surely," the boy chimed, marching off to the living area with a wondrous spring in his step.

"Meet me in the lobby you guys! I'll take you to the castle when you're ready," Yan called out from behind the door and departed before Henry could reach him.

Macha was still asleep. Auza frowned at the sleeping blademaster. What could the woman possibly be dreaming of? They wee in a completely different realm with no idea how to get back to their own world. Well, Auza had an idea, but she certainly didn't like it. There must be something else in this world that would allow them to return. Eternia was growing more troublesome, Auza could not afford to be in a world with inferior magic or the knowledge of.

Auza stepped closer to Macha's bed. She disliked invading others personal space, just as she disliked having her own invaded. Especially while that person was sleeping, there was nothing more disturbing. But of course there were exceptions to that rule. Auza remembered when Wallace found her unconscious and protected her until she woke. That was...one of the more pleasant situations she had been in recently.

"Macha," Auza spoke, as if in question. She touched the woman gently on her shoulders and pushed a little. "Macha. You need to get up, or we'll be late with our meeting with this world's king." Auza didn't care one way or the other, she owed this king nothing, and would give him nothing unless there was something he had that she wanted. Then there would be an equivalent exchange.

"Oh mother dearest, just five more minutes," Macha muttered playfully, the peaceful look on her face being instantaneously replaced with her cat-like grin. Her eyes shot open and she sat up, taking Auza's hand. "Sorry for the concern, dear. Just doing some morning meditation." Macha released Auza and promptly got out of bed with as much grace as she retained in battle. If there was a meeting to make--and with a king, no less--then it was best to get a move on. The blademaster procured her sword from its resting place against the wall and moved into the hallway, peering in on Klein and beckoning him. She had no idea what the fool was blushing about but it was of no concern to her. Maybe it was a dirty dream. She snickered to herself, eyes closed, and stopped abruptly as she sensed she was about to run into a wall.

Henry was already up, attempting to answer the door, but it seemed as though Yan had already left. The group gathered themselves together and headed down the stairs instead of using the lift at no one in particular's request. Yan was waiting for them in the lobby and now it was his turn to do the beckoning. He said they would walk and talk. They entered the streets of the city and were greeted with a comfortably warm breeze. The sky was still overcast with gray clouds but it was the perfect temperature out. "The king is very adamant about seeing you all as soon as possible. We're having a royal banquet in your honor so he hopes you're hungry," Yan explained. He seemed to be in quite the jovial mood as he marched along. "You could not believe the expression on his face when I told him that the Cosmolith had been vanquished. He didn't care where you came from; he was just so happy to not have to expend his magic anymore. You'll have to excuse his weary appearance. He has been keeping that thing at bay for a long time." They continued to walk along the main avenue until they reached a magnificent red gateway. In the distance, the castle sat perched atop a great plaza, goldenrod stone stairs leading up to the mighty reinforced door. Elegant banners and paper lanterns decorated the place making it seem to festive, and a colorful array of confetti fell down like rain, dissipating upon hitting the ground, done by magic no less. The castle itself was several stories with balconies and high walkways with red railings and awnings from which the lanterns and banners hung. People could be seen in rooms that had windows and paper doors open, mostly maids tidying up and such or other castle staff. Past the red gate was a lower level plaza paved with goldenrod stone with a myriad of beautiful, vibrant trees with green leaves and violet and pink flowers. A fountain akin to the one in the center of town could be seen in the center of the plaza just before the stairs only it was twice the size and the details were astronomically better. Yan waved them onward, hiking across the plaza and up the stairs.

The door to the castle opened on its own and Yan welcomed them inside, making sure everyone was in before the doors shut back again. It was pitch dark inside, but a hallway was unveiled as torches lining the wall lit up in pairs. The entrance was a dark blue stone--walls, ceiling, and floor--yet the floor was covered in a long red carpet with golden lining. The group were considered celebrities after all, so it was only appropriate. Henry took note of every detail; he would have to write about this experience later, not to mention he had a thing for buildings and architecture, at least their aesthetic appeal. They followed the corridor until they reached a door with guards on either side. One guard took a look at Yan and saluted before opening the door. It was apparently the door to the massive audience chamber which looked completely different from the ominous castle entryway. Tall red columns held the extremely vaulted ceiling up. The walls were made of a finely polished dark oak wood. Numerous paintings hung upon them, most of the surrounding landscape and the rest of strange people who were likely people of note in this land, their frames being of a golden hue. A large red area rug with elegant gold swirls and flowers upon it covered the majority of the wooden floor between the two rows of mighty columns, the open area leading up to a golden throne with a small alcove behind it possessing items that made it look like some kind of shrine, but it was hard to see from the group's current viewpoint. For a banquet, there weren't many people around. There were four long tables covered with white tablecloths and filled with food on beautiful china plates and drinks filling jugs and golden goblets.

"Heroes of the Wastes, come forth!" a mighty voice emanated from the throne upon which sat a rather sickly looking man. Yan escorted the group past the tables of scrumptious looking food, the aroma of which filled the vast chamber making Klein's mouth water. It had been some time since he had a decent meal. They stopped a few yards away from the throne, and Yan bowed. The man on the throne, most certainly the king, did not possess the stature of one. His face was sunken and skin dark gray. His amber eyes were weary, and they gazed down with a tired joy at the champions standing before him. His body was thin, almost skeletal. The wondrous red robes he wore were practically draped over his form. A golden crown encrusted with rubies rested upon his head, gently perched over his long, slick black hair.

"I apologize for being in such a sorry state for your honoring banquet," the man said, his voice much more commanding than his form. At least THAT was healthy. "May I have the honor of hearing the name of the land from which our heroes hail?"

The extravagance of this world could not have been more exaggerated. Auza found little to be impressed with when it came to matters of aesthetics. What she cared about was practicalities. Gather the useful things around and cut away with everything else. Her thoughts traced her back to her hair. The one and only thing that Auza would not get rid of was probably the most impractical part of her body. At least it would help keep her neck warm now.

The king himself was in a sorry state. Auza recognized the sickness, that much at least was not different from her own realm. Magic was incredibly dangerous, and constantly using it to keep something locked away was only going to make your own condition worse. Just like with her and Eternia. But that was something she needed to keep up, or else a great evil would be unleashed upon the world again. Not too different from this king, she imagined. Auza found herself grow a little more respect for the king.

Auza took a step forward and bowed her head, showing only a modicum of her respect for the king. "You need not apologize for your state. As a mage myself, I recognize the symptoms of excessive magic use." Careful now. Auza did not want to seem overly superior. Though she knew her magic was strong, pride was one of her worst enemies. "We are travelers, not particularly from any specific place. To be honest, we are unsure of where we are now. Tell me, king, do you know of a place called Berbatu?"

The king smiled sadly at the woman who was quite aware of the consequences of such magic use. She, too, was a magician of sorts, most likely a prominent one from her place of origin. He could feel it. "Yes, extremely excessive, and I have awaited the day where I can finally relinquish such use of magic and perhaps get back to my old form which was substantially more presentable than this. I can defend my people in a more active role rather than sealing away some vicious monster." He continued to listen to her speak of them being travelers. It was so fortunate that they had found their way into the Wastes, but he had never heard of their place of origin. "I'm...afraid I've never heard of such a place before..." He paused and the air grew extremely silent before a pleased smile formed on his face.

"Nowhere heroes from a nowhere land. It is good that you...won't be missed," the king spoke up suddenly with a sinister tone. With a snap of his fingers, a large vortex opened beneath the group and they were sucked in before they could react at all. With another snap, the vortex closed. Yan was spared from being absorbed. "Mmm, FINALLY. Oh, Fiyane, how you performed such an amazing act! I might have to keep just you around when I attain my old form just for company." A couple of guards ran forth and seized the gruff man who protested madly, but he was dragged away in the end. A couple more guards approached from behind the large columns and bowed their heads. "Prepare our guests for consumption. I have long awaited this particular feast. What was a banquet for them has now become a banquet for me. With the amount of power dwelling within all of them, I shall become even more powerful than I was in my glory days!" the king exclaimed wildly, filling the chamber with the sound of his laughter as his guards scurried away to perform their given task.

* * *

Macha rested her head back against the cold black stone. She had awoken rather quickly after having met with a terrible fall winding up with everyone sprawled out across the floor. Her body ached. That was some trip, and it was probably meant to debilitate her and the others. How troublesome. They were still granted their weapons, and because of that she was sure they would be ineffectual when it came to getting out of the cell they were in--a set of strange glowing black bars and the rest of the walls, floor, and ceiling comprised of that smooth black stone. There was an odd unsettling feel to it. There was something unnatural about it. She sighed. Looking straight ahead was a hall much like the one they had entered when they came into the castle--a long stretch of dark blue stone with torches lighting both sides of the hall. She could see figures patrolling the hall, and strange floating cages filled with balls of black fire. They gazed at the other prison cells and their contents with their yellow glowing eyes as they hovered along.

"What sort of mess have we been dumped into this time?" she murmured in distaste, trying to shake off her weariness to no avail.

Of course. How could she be so foolish to believe that there was a king in any realm that was not corrupt in some way? Auza knew she hated kings for a perfectly valid reason, and the minute she wanted to be proved wrong for once, turns out that everything went exactly as she expected. Luckily for her, she never put down her barrier. It has saved her life more times than she could count at this point. If only she could extend her barrier to the others, now that would truly be a feat of magic worthy of her.

Auza gazed around at the others, Macha was the first to rise. "Get up," Auza told them, "we're getting out of here." For a minute, she paused, wondering what everyone might be thinking. Would they want to take revenge on the king for what he did to them? That would be expected of them, at the very least. That was not what Auza wanted to do. There was nothing more dangerous then playing around in a world one did not know. Hence the Cosmolith and the king. Auza felt an urge to find the king again and drain every last drop of magic from his body. It would likely kill him, and it would be a death that power-hungry mages often got. Other than burning.

"I want to kill that damned king," Auza sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "But we cannot interfere with the balance of this world any more than we already have." Auza placed her hand near the cell they were caged in. There was magic flowing through them, she could feel it. Strong magic too, likely similar to the king's magic that kept the Cosmolith out. She could remove the magic, if she desired, but she did not, not yet. There might be magic lying beneath it, hidden from her view. "I can remove the magic containing us, but it may set off something else beneath it. Do we break out, or do we wait?" Auza contemplated for a moment. There certainly were benefits to breaking out. They could get a head start on whatever might be coming after them. If they waited, that chance might slip.

Something else crossed her mind, and she peered into her own mana cycle, testing her magic and measuring it. No changes yet. "My mana is stable," Auza murmured before turning her gaze onto the others. "The magic may be affecting our mana systems. I want to check all of you before we decide anything. I may be too resistant to sense any change in myself. Give me your hands."

Macha stood up with ease.  Though a bit weary, she could still move, and if push came to shove, she could certainly kick some ass.  She meandered over to where Klein and Henry were sprawled and gave them both a gentle nudge with her foot, enough to get them roused and on their feet.  "We certainly can't stay here.  There's no telling what that demented king is going to do to us," Macha stated simply.  She gave Auza her hand, and Henry and Klein also gave theirs, still disoriented.

"It always turns out this way, doesn't it?" Henry chided, starting to get his senses back.  "If that king gets back his strength, what will become of this land?" Henry asked.  Auza would be able to sense that there was nothing wrong with her mana system or that of any of the others.  All was normal.  The only thing was those bars, but with her expert control of magic, she was able to drain it reducing their prison to that of a normal one with normal bars that could be destroyed, and Macha, once realizing this was it, wasted no time in doing so.  This alerted the guards and floating, caged fireballs and they swarmed on the location.  Macha entered a battle stance.

"I do believe Auza is worried with how much meddling we are to do in this realm.  Ideally, we should have little to no impact on it," the blademaster explained, watching Klein take up arms as well.  "But by slaying the Cosmolith, how much have we already interfered?" she now posed the very serious question to Auza.  What would they have to lose in stopping the king from whatever plans he had going through that mind of his?  Should they not strike while the iron was steaming hot?  While he was still weak?  This may be their only chance.

Chapter 03-B: Feast of Champions

Location: Moraka'el Castle - Anti-Magic Block

Objective: Defeat all enemies!

Background: ~Foreign Land~

{ } { } {w} { } { } { } {w} { } { } A
{ } { } {w} {F} { } { } {w} { } { } B
{ } { } {w} { } { } { } {w} { } { } C
{ } { } {w} { } { } {O} {w} { } { } D
{ } { } {w} { } {H} { } {w} { } { } E
{ } { } {w} { } { } { } {w} { } { } F
{ } { } {w} {K} { } { } {w} { } { } G
{w} {w} { } { } { } {V} { } {w} {w} H
{w} { } { } { } { } { } { } { } {w} I
{w} { } { } {K} {M} { } { } { } {w} J
{w} { } {r} { } {H} { } {r} { } {w} K
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9

Klein (Apprentice Blademaster) *POWER STANCE*
HP: 100/100
MP: 55/55
Atk: 29 --- 32
Def: 19 --- 21
Int: 15
Spr: 14
Move: 3 cells

Henry (Novelist) *HP/SDO +20%* *DMG TAKEN -5%*
HP: 60/60
MP: 100/100
Atk: 3
Def: 19
Int: 28
Spr: 17
Move: 3 cells

Vincent (Necromancer) *BOOK*

Spoiler:

Macha (Blademaster) *CHR +20%* *EVADE +25%*
HP: 100/100
MP: 75/75
Atk: 28
Def: 18
Int: 8
Spr: 17
Move: 6 cells

Hy'tel (Spearman of the Wastes)
HP: 1025/1025
MP: 560/560
Atk: 27
Def: 21
Int: 19
Spr: 25
Move: 3 cells

Kan'dil (Spearman of the Wastes)
HP: 1025/1025
MP: 560/560
Atk: 27
Def: 21
Int: 19
Spr: 25
Move: 3 cells

Verd'ala (Spearman of the Wastes)
HP: 1025/1025
MP: 560/560
Atk: 27
Def: 21
Int: 19
Spr: 25
Move: 3 cells

Flicker (Black Lantern)
HP: 990/990
MP: 1275/1275
Atk: 10
Def: 19
Int: 32
Spr: 28
Move: 4 cells

Ouscu (Black Lantern)
HP: 990/990
MP: 1275/1275
Atk: 10
Def: 19
Int: 32
Spr: 28
Move: 4 cells

{w} - Wall
[No Occupy]

{r} - Prison Bar Rubble
[No Occupy]

Players may start in rows J-K!

Chapter 03-B: Feast of Champions

Location: Moraka'el Castle - Anti-Magic Block

Objective: Defeat all enemies!

Background: ~Foreign Land~

{ } { } {w} { } { } { } {w} { } { } A
{ } { } {w} {F} { } { } {w} { } { } B
{ } { } {w} { } { } { } {w} { } { } C
{ } { } {w} { } { } {O} {w} { } { } D
{ } { } {w} { } {H} { } {w} { } { } E
{ } { } {w} { } { } { } {w} { } { } F
{ } { } {w} {K} { } { } {w} { } { } G
{w} {w} { } { } { } {V} { } {w} {w} H
{w} { } { } { } { } { } { } { } {w} I
{w} { } { } {K} {M} { } { } { } {w} J
{w} { } {r} {A} {H} { } {r} { } {w} K
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9

Klein (Apprentice Blademaster) *POWER STANCE* *PDO +10%*
HP: 100/100
MP: 55/55
Atk: 29 --- 32
Def: 19 --- 21
Int: 15
Spr: 14
Move: 3 cells

Henry (Novelist) *HP/SDO +20%* *DMG TAKEN -5%*
HP: 60/60
MP: 100/100
Atk: 3
Def: 19
Int: 28
Spr: 17
Move: 3 cells

Vincent (Necromancer) *BOOK*

Spoiler:

Macha (Blademaster) *CHR +20%* *EVADE +25%*
HP: 100/100
MP: 75/75
Atk: 28
Def: 18
Int: 8
Spr: 17
Move: 6 cells

Auza (Oblivion Witch) *EVADE +10%*
HP: 70/70
MP: 120/120
Atk: 3
Def: 15
Int: 23
Spr: 24
Move: 2 cells

Hy'tel (Spearman of the Wastes)
HP: 1025/1025
MP: 560/560
Atk: 27
Def: 21
Int: 19
Spr: 25
Move: 3 cells

Kan'dil (Spearman of the Wastes)
HP: 1025/1025
MP: 560/560
Atk: 27
Def: 21
Int: 19
Spr: 25
Move: 3 cells

Verd'ala (Spearman of the Wastes)
HP: 1025/1025
MP: 560/560
Atk: 27
Def: 21
Int: 19
Spr: 25
Move: 3 cells

Flicker (Black Lantern)
HP: 990/990
MP: 1275/1275
Atk: 10
Def: 19
Int: 32
Spr: 28
Move: 4 cells

Ouscu (Black Lantern)
HP: 990/990
MP: 1275/1275
Atk: 10
Def: 19
Int: 32
Spr: 28
Move: 4 cells

{w} - Wall
[No Occupy]

{r} - Prison Bar Rubble
[No Occupy]

Player Phase 1!

Klein moves to H4.

Just like that it appeared as though they had a king to kill.  Klein wasn't sure what to make of the situation but he for one did not appreciate being served for dinner.  If it was the death of a king that would set things right in this world then he was all aboard.  Not to mention digestion didn't sound like a good way to go.  Certainly not as heroic as he would hope for.  "Well, if we need to get to the king, we have a path we need to carve for ourselves, starting with you!" Klein shouted, lunging at the nearest spear-wielding soldier.  Blades slicing through the air, he aimed his slashes at the man, hoping to overwhelm him.  What was one weapon compared to two after all?

Klein attacks Kan'dil!  6 hits!  35 Dmg per hit! (ATK)

Henry casts Peaceful Resolution! [Positive status duration doubled]

MP: 88/100

Henry casts Facts Come Together on Auza! [Bestows Doublecast]

MP: 80/100

"Well, I do believe we all know how this ends, don't we, Miss Auza?" the boy spoke ironically as he scrawled the ending he knew would be inevitable.  None of these men or constructs would be making it out of the skirmish alive.  It never grew easier to take a life, but this journey was showing him more and more the evil and greed that lurks in the heart of man.  When your life is threatened, you must fight back.  Those who can defend themselves should do so.  Henry refused to be a victim again like he had before when he lost his brother's book to the bandits.  Yes, do be sure that kindly never happens again, Vincent snarled in his mind.  He had been quiet as of late.  Henry wondered briefly if the man was up to something.  You're not scheming something twisted, are you, brother? Henry thought the taunt knowing Vincent would full and well receive it.  When he received no response, he took it as a victory and smiled, continuing to write in a way that made things easy to understand.  Auza would be able to tell that it was Henry's magic affecting the clarity of her mind quite easily by now, even without her immense magical prowess.

Henry waits.

Macha moves to E6.

Sparing a quick glance to Auza, Macha dashed forth with amazing speed, weaving between the enemies before she stood before one of the large caged fireballs.  I don't know what these are but they have to go; I get a bad feeling about them, Macha thought.  The might of the men was limited.  These constructs would be built to possess immense power and Macha aimed to be sure that its full extent was not displayed.  A triage of brutal and precise slashes landed upon the creature, but it didn't seem to be as effective as she would have hoped.  It almost seemed to enjoy the darkness that was radiating from her blade...almost...

Macha attacks Ouscu!  3 hits!  35 Dark Dmg!  53 Dark Dmg! CRITICAL!!  35 Dark Dmg! (ATK)

Kan'dil takes 84 Dmg!

HP: 941/1025

Ouscu takes 33 Dmg!

HP: 957/990

Chapter 03-B: Feast of Champions

Location: Moraka'el Castle - Anti-Magic Block

Objective: Defeat all enemies!

Background: ~Foreign Land~

{ } { } {w} { } { } { } {w} { } { } A
{ } { } {w} {F} { } { } {w} { } { } B
{ } { } {w} { } { } { } {w} { } { } C
{ } { } {w} { } { } {O} {w} { } { } D
{ } { } {w} { } {H} {M} {w} { } { } E
{ } { } {w} { } { } { } {w} { } { } F
{ } { } {w} {K} { } { } {w} { } { } G
{w} {w} { } {K} { } {V} { } {w} {w} H
{w} { } { } { } { } { } { } { } {w} I
{w} { } { } { } { } { } { } { } {w} J
{w} { } {r} {A} {H} { } {r} { } {w} K
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9

Henry's Peaceful Resolution has 2 turns left.

Auza's Doublecast has 5 turns left.

Klein's Immunity has 3 turns.

Macha's Immunity has 3 turns.

Henry's MP Regen has 5 turns.

Auza's MP Regen has 5 turns.

Enemy Phase.

Hy'tel attacks Macha!  2 hits!  27 Dmg per hit! (ATK) [Macha dodges (1)]

Hy'tel waits.

Kan'dil attacks Klein!  2 hits!  27 Dmg per hit! (ATK)

Kan'dil waits.

Verd'ala moves to J6.

Verd'ala attacks Henry!  2 hits!  27 Dmg per hit! (ATK)

Flicker moves to D4.

Flicker attacks Macha!  32 Fire Dmg! (INT)

Ouscu moves to B6.

Ouscu attacks Macha!  32 Fire Dmg! (INT)

{ } { } {w} { } { } { } {w} { } { } A
{ } { } {w} { } { } {O} {w} { } { } B
{ } { } {w} { } { } { } {w} { } { } C
{ } { } {w} {F} { } { } {w} { } { } D
{ } { } {w} { } {H} {M} {w} { } { } E
{ } { } {w} { } { } { } {w} { } { } F
{ } { } {w} {K} { } { } {w} { } { } G
{w} {w} { } {K} { } { } { } {w} {w} H
{w} { } { } { } { } { } { } { } {w} I
{w} { } { } { } { } {V} { } { } {w} J
{w} { } {r} {A} {H} { } {r} { } {w} K
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9

Player Phase 2!

Klein (Apprentice Blademaster) *POWER STANCE* *PDO +10%* *IMMUNITY*
HP: 88/100
MP: 55/55
Atk: 29 --- 32
Def: 19 --- 21
Int: 15
Spr: 14
Move: 3 cells

Henry (Novelist) *HP/SDO +20%* *DMG TAKEN -5%* *PEACEFUL RES* *MP REGEN [5]*
HP: 46/60
MP: 85/100
Atk: 3
Def: 19
Int: 28
Spr: 17
Move: 3 cells

Vincent (Necromancer) *BOOK*

Spoiler:

Macha (Blademaster) *CHR +20%* *EVADE +25%* *IMMUNITY*
HP: 61/100
MP: 75/75
Atk: 28
Def: 18
Int: 8
Spr: 17
Move: 6 cells

Auza (Oblivion Witch) *EVADE +10%* *DOUBLECAST* *MP REGEN [6]*
HP: 70/70
MP: 106/120
Atk: 3
Def: 15
Int: 23
Spr: 24
Move: 2 cells

Hy'tel (Spearman of the Wastes)
HP: 1025/1025
MP: 560/560
Atk: 27
Def: 21
Int: 19
Spr: 25
Move: 3 cells

Kan'dil (Spearman of the Wastes)
HP: 941/1025
MP: 560/560
Atk: 27
Def: 21
Int: 19
Spr: 25
Move: 3 cells

Verd'ala (Spearman of the Wastes)
HP: 1025/1025
MP: 560/560
Atk: 27
Def: 21
Int: 19
Spr: 25
Move: 3 cells

Flicker (Black Lantern)
HP: 990/990
MP: 1275/1275
Atk: 10
Def: 19
Int: 32
Spr: 28
Move: 4 cells

Ouscu (Black Lantern)
HP: 957/990
MP: 1275/1275
Atk: 10
Def: 19
Int: 32
Spr: 28
Move: 4 cells

{w} - Wall
[No Occupy]

{r} - Prison Bar Rubble
[No Occupy]

R-Ability Haste Counter activates against Kan'dil!  2 hits!  35 Dmg per hit! (ATK)

Klein moves to G5.

The spearman landed his hits with great ease and they definitely hurt, but Klein was able to shrug the stabs off for the moment and strike back with two even more speedy blows of his own before dodging around the man's side.  Macha was having trouble with the fireball creatures, and it only took one look from her to make him see his next objective: switch targets.  He would handle the fireball creatures and she would tackle the men.  He set his next target and prepared to move once more, but not before striking the nearby spearman several times, unleashing a brutal combination attack upon him.

Klein attacks Kan'dil!  6 hits!  35 Dmg per hit! (ATK)

Macha moves to J5.

"This isn't good.  They're resistant to the darkness of my blade," Macha mused, her expression certainly not one of a troubled person.  She heard commotion behind her; someone was assaulting Henry and that did not bode well with her.  No, it certainly wasn't going to fly.  The blademaster bowed her head to the nearby guard and fireball creature before leaping back and landing on the ground elegantly, only to swerve around her new target, unleashing a triage of slashes followed by a crescent-shaped slash with such precision that the would should have been spurting blood.  Instead of attacking once more, she plunged her blade into the stone ground which created a light pink forcefield around herself and the nearby Henry.  "Much better."

Macha attacks Verd'ala!  3 hits!  35 Dark Dmg per hit! (ATK)
---Macha links Crescent Slash!  36 Dmg! (ATK) [Chance of Bleeding]
---Macha links Safeguard!  Affects Henry! [Bestows Protect]

MP: 53/75

Henry casts Refreshing Start on Macha! [+45 HP Recovered]

MP: 73/100

Henry casts Troubling Turn on Macha! [All stats +10%]

MP: 61/100

The spear attacks hurt and Henry clutched his wounds watching blood spill from them onto his hand.  They weren't life-threatening; it only looked like a lot of blood.  He took a deep breath and continued to write.  A flurry of introductions.  A feeling of vitality.  Yes, Macha would be on the receiving end of this healing power, and just when things get started, they take a turn for the worse, but Macha would be able to handle anything in her path.  Of this, Henry was certain and he would use his power to make it so.  "Thank you, Miss Macha.  I think this will help you proceed in this skirmish," he stated his appreciation with a subtle glee.

Henry waits.

Hy'tel evades Seal!

Kan'dil takes 112 Dmg!

HP: 829/1025

Kan'dil is Sealed!

Verd'ala takes 57 Dmg!

HP: 968/1025

Verd'ala evades Bleeding!

Verd'ala is Sealed!

Verd'ala is victim to the White Chains!

Flicker evades Seal!

Ouscu evades Seal!

Chapter 03-B: Feast of Champions

Location: Moraka'el Castle - Anti-Magic Block

Objective: Defeat all enemies!

Background: ~Foreign Land~

{ } { } {w} { } { } { } {w} { } { } A
{ } { } {w} { } { } {O} {w} { } { } B
{ } { } {w} { } { } { } {w} { } { } C
{ } { } {w} {F} { } { } {w} { } { } D
{ } { } {w} { } {H} { } {w} { } { } E
{ } { } {w} { } { } { } {w} { } { } F
{ } { } {w} {K} {K} { } {w} { } { } G
{w} {w} { } { } { } { } { } {w} {w} H
{w} { } { } { } { } { } { } { } {w} I
{w} { } { } { } {M} {V} { } { } {w} J
{w} { } {r} {A} {H} { } {r} { } {w} K
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9

Henry's Peaceful Resolution has 1 turn left.

Auza's Doublecast has 4 turns left.

Klein's Immunity has 2 more turns.

Macha's Immunity has 2 more turns.

Henry's MP Regen has 4 more turns.

Auza's MP Regen has 4 more turns.

Henry's Protect has 3 turns.

Macha's Protect has 3 turns.

Macha's Troubling Turn has 10 turns.

Enemy Phase.

Hy'tel moves to F5.

Hy'tel attacks Klein!  2 hits!  27 Dmg per hit! (ATK)

Kan'dil is Sealed!

Verd'ala is Sealed!

Flicker moves to E4.

Flicker attacks Klein!  32 Fire Dmg! (INT)

Ouscu moves to E6.

Ouscu attacks Klein!  32 Fire Dmg! (INT)

{ } { } {w} { } { } { } {w} { } { } A
{ } { } {w} { } { } { } {w} { } { } B
{ } { } {w} { } { } { } {w} { } { } C
{ } { } {w} { } { } { } {w} { } { } D
{ } { } {w} {F} { } {O} {w} { } { } E
{ } { } {w} { } {H} { } {w} { } { } F
{ } { } {w} {K} {K} { } {w} { } { } G
{w} {w} { } { } { } { } { } {w} {w} H
{w} { } { } { } { } { } { } { } {w} I
{w} { } { } { } {M} {V} { } { } {w} J
{w} { } {r} {A} {H} { } {r} { } {w} K
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9

Kan'dil is Sealed for 2 more turns.

Verd'ala is Sealed for 2 more turns.

Player Phase 3!

Klein (Apprentice Blademaster) *POWER STANCE* *PDO +10%* *IMMUNITY*
HP: 40/100
MP: 55/55
Atk: 29 --- 32
Def: 19 --- 21
Int: 15
Spr: 14
Move: 3 cells

Henry (Novelist) *HP/SDO +20%* *DMG TAKEN -5%* *PEACEFUL RES* *MP REGEN [5]* *PROTECT*
HP: 46/60
MP: 66/100
Atk: 3
Def: 19
Int: 28
Spr: 17
Move: 3 cells

Vincent (Necromancer) *BOOK*

Spoiler:

Macha (Blademaster) *CHR +20%* *EVADE +25%* *IMMUNITY* *PROTECT*
HP: 61/100
MP: 53/75
Atk: 28 --- 31
Def: 18 --- 20
Int: 8 --- 9
Spr: 17 --- 19
Move: 6 cells

Auza (Oblivion Witch) *EVADE +10%* *DOUBLECAST* *MP REGEN [6]*
HP: 70/70
MP: 82/120
Atk: 3
Def: 15
Int: 23
Spr: 24
Move: 2 cells

Hy'tel (Spearman of the Wastes)
HP: 1025/1025
MP: 560/560
Atk: 27
Def: 21
Int: 19
Spr: 25
Move: 3 cells

Kan'dil (Spearman of the Wastes) *SEALED*
HP: 829/1025
MP: 560/560
Atk: 27
Def: 21
Int: 19
Spr: 25
Move: 3 cells

Verd'ala (Spearman of the Wastes) *SEALED* *WHITE CHAINS [51]*
HP: 917/1025
MP: 560/560
Atk: 27
Def: 21
Int: 19
Spr: 25
Move: 3 cells

Flicker (Black Lantern)
HP: 990/990
MP: 1275/1275
Atk: 10
Def: 19
Int: 32
Spr: 28
Move: 4 cells

Ouscu (Black Lantern)
HP: 957/990
MP: 1275/1275
Atk: 10
Def: 19
Int: 32
Spr: 28
Move: 4 cells

{w} - Wall
[No Occupy]

{r} - Prison Bar Rubble
[No Occupy]

Macha moves to J7.

"Look at him now; he's at our mercy!" Macha exclaimed, tapping her blade against her leg while gazing upon the man bound by the chains near her.  That was what he got for messing with Henry and getting waaaay too close to Auza.  Now he would suffer the consequences.  Nimbly dodging around the bound fellow, Macha turned quickly for a slice followed by two additional slices, the vital points hit rather easily on the incapacitated guard.  A not moving target was the easiest target to slay.

Macha attacks Verd'ala!  3 hits!  39 Dark Dmg!  59 Dark Dmg! CRITICAL!!  39 Dark Dmg! (ATK)

Henry moves to J5.

Henry casts Refreshing Start on Klein! [+45 HP Recovered]

MP: 54/100

Henry casts Rising Tension on Klein! [Target Critical Hit Rate +25%]

MP: 42/100

Henry moved into Macha's vacant spot and scrawled away with Klein serving as his main character now since Macha was taken care of and Klein was in a bit of a tight spot with all the attention on him.  He noticed that the fireball creatures were dealing quite a bit of damage to him in particular which was a bit concerning but he had the swordsman's back for sure.  A vigorous light formed around Klein, re-energizing him and healing some of his wounds, but the story wasn't over yet.  The man would find that his swords were easier to wield and move, striking with greater precision.  He felt the magic that was over him fade, and though he had wished to renew it, this course of action was for the best.

R-Ability Haste Counter activates against Hy'tel!  2 hits!  35 Dmg per hit! (ATK)

Klein moves to F6.

Klein attacks Ouscu!  6 hits!  35 Dmg per hit! (ATK)

Klein felt the flames lap his skin as the fireballs spat smaller fireballs at him.  The burns hurt but they weren't severe enough to drain his vitality.  The pain triggered his adrenaline, but it didn't last long as his wounds were alleviated for the most part.  It was a joyous feeling, and a fair trade-off for losing his speed.  With sound mind and body now, he dodged around the soldier and lunged into the caged fireball with a myriad of swift blows from his blades.