The Path Less Traveled: An Esper's Tale

Terra moves to C5!

Terra casts Holy on Ritual!
(Damage: 100% Int x 5/Effect: --/Element: Light)

Terra took a few steps forward, staring down the defacto leader of the opposing group. She wasn't perfectly sure, but there was a possibility that if that one creature fell, the others would be rather lost. It was a long shot, but she had to take it, and so orbs of light rushed to her side only to be fired off at the bone mage.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Event Name: Road Trip
Party Win: Route Enemy
Party Loss: Party KO
Atmosphere: Midnight Darkness (All Attacks have a 20% chance of missing)


{ } { } { } { } {J} { } { } { } { } A
{ } { } { } { } { } {A} { } { } { } B
{ } { } { } { } {T} {L} { } { } { } C
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } D
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } E
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } F
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } G
{ } { } { } {H} { } {C} { } { } { } H
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } I
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9-

Party gains a Boost to stats!

James and Annalise gain Haste!

James and Annalise gain Center of Attention!

Curse is Immobilized!

Curse evades Disable!

Curse's R-Ability, Shadow Retribution, Activates!

Alexander takes 12 Damage!

Ritual takes 30 Damage! Undead!

Ritual KO!

Enemy Phase - 1

Hex casts Dark Thundara on the Enemy Party!

Terra takes 10 Damage!

Terra is Stopped!

James and Annalise take 17 Damage!

James and Annalise are Immune to Stop!

Jesse takes 13 Damage!

Jesse evades Stop!

Alexander takes 17 Damage!

Alexander evades Stop!

Hex moves to G5!

Hex casts Dark Thundara on the Enemy Party!

Terra takes 10 Damage!

Terra is already Stopped!

James and Annalise take 17 Damage!

James and Annalise are Immune to Stop!

Jesse takes 13 Damage!

Jesse KO!

Alexander is protected through Auto-Guard!


{ } { } { } { } {J} { } { } { } { } A
{ } { } { } { } { } {A} { } { } { } B
{ } { } { } { } {T} {L} { } { } { } C
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } D
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } E
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } F
{ } { } { } { } {H} { } { } { } { } G
{ } { } { } { } { } {C} { } { } { } H
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } I
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9-


Terra *I Love Rock n Roll (5)* *Stop (5)*
Hp: 20/40
Mp: 55/65
Atk: 9 --> 13
Def: 7 --> 10
Int: 9 --> 13
Spr: 8 --> 11
Move: 3 Cells

James and Annalise *Haste (3)* *Center of Attention (3)* *I Love Rock n Roll (5)*
Hp: 16/50
Mp: 52/60
Atk: 11 --> 15
Def: 6 --> 8
Int: 1 --> 1
Spr: 3 --> 4
Move: 4 Cells

Jesse *I Love Rock n Roll (5)* *KO*
Hp: 0/25
Mp: 42/60
Atk: 1 --> 1
Def: 5 --> 7
Int: 10 --> 14
Spr: 6 --> 8
Move: 2 Cells

Alexander *I Love Rock n Roll (5)* *Mana Substitutes (2)*
Hp: 6/35
Mp: 20/20
Atk: 9 --> 13
Def: 6 --> 8
Int: 3 --> 4
Spr: 3 --> 4
Move: 2 cells

Ritual *KO*
Hp: 0/25
Mp: 120/120
Atk: 2
Def: 6
Int: 13
Spr: 10
Move: 2 Cells

Hex
Hp: 25/25
Mp: 96/120
Atk: 2
Def: 6
Int: 13
Spr: 10
Move: 2 Cells

Curse *Immobilize (3)*
Hp: 25/25
Mp: 96/120
Atk: 2
Def: 6
Int: 13
Spr: 10
Move: 2 Cells

Player Phase - 2

Event Name: Road Trip
Party Win: Route Enemy
Party Loss: Party KO
Atmosphere: Midnight Darkness (All Attacks have a 20% chance of missing)


{ } { } { } { } {J} { } { } { } { } A
{ } { } { } { } { } {A} { } { } { } B
{ } { } { } { } {T} {L} { } { } { } C
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } D
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } E
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } F
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } G
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } H
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } I
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9-

Experience:

+4 - Skeleton Mage KO
+6 - Skeleton Mage Overkill x 2
+2 - Completed in ≤ 5 Player Phases
+1 - No D-Abilities
+1 - No Items
-1 - Player KO

Total: 17 (9 for Jesse)

Terra:
9/24 --> 26/24
Level Up!
+3 Stat Points
JOB PROMOTION!
2/36

James and Annalise:
8/24 --> 25/24
Level Up!
+3 Stat Points
JOB PROMOTION!
1/36

Jesse:
17/24 --> 26/24
Level Up!
+3 Stat Points
JOB PROMOTION!
2/36

Alexander:
12/16 --> 29/16
Level Up!
+3 Stat Points, +1 Skill Point
13/16

(Update yer profiles)

The skeleltons screeched and cackled, turning to dust, the strange effects of their magic wearing off shortly afterwards. Terra slowly came back from the trippy time experience, shivering all over from the strangeness of it. Jesse was revived shortly after, and though they were beaten and bruised, the party moved onwards. Heading for the small town of Faythe that had been their goal the entire time.

They got in late. The entire town, save the innkeeper sleeping like babies. With a room quickly purchased, and the keys handed over, Terra turned to everyone else.

"You guys go on ahead. I'll stand guard."

James nodded at Terra after a moment of scrutinizing her. "Alright." He supported Anna up the stairs, the girl having already dozed off in his arms. It looked like she was going to sleep straight through the night.

Jesse, however, stayed back. Something seemed to be bothering their amnesiac friend, and she didn't like it. "You okay?" She said, placing a steady hand on Terra's shoulder.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry."

She smiled at the guitarist, somewhat happy that the girl had actually took the chance to check up on her. It was a comforting feeling to know that she, herself, was being looked out for. Keeping the smile, she nodded and waited for her leave, turning her head to the recently freed prisoner.

"You should go too... it must have been a while since you last had a bed to sleep in."

Alexander had been enjoying the silence brought about by the defeat of the prior enemies. He was rather exhausted from the entire ordeal of the day, and the sound of reaching a town...meant absolutely nothing to him. He hadn't been able to see one freely, or wander about in so long, the meaning had been lost with many of his memories of not being restrained. When the time came to rest, he merely stood there, silent, not knowing what to do. But Terra's words brought him out of his thoughts.

"I...should do that....m-my apologies...," he said, and shivered. Before leaving, he took Terra's hand gently in his own and looked into her eyes. "I...wanted to thank you one more time. You risked your life for me." He paused. "I want you to know...that as long as I'm with you...I'll be glad to do the same." Here, his frown turned into a weary smile and he shuffled off to his room in the inn. He fell upon the bed...and instantly fell asleep. Not even a single thought was able to pass through his mind about being able to sleep in a comfortable bed again. Those thoughts could come in the morning when he wasn't so tired.

Somehow, Jesse still didn't believe that Terra was 'fine', but what could she do about it if the girl didn't want her to? Besides, she did feel pretty battered and bruised. It was time to rest.

Still. "You get some sleep too. Alright?" Jesse gathered the girl into her arms in a rather worried hug, then slipped away up the stairs with a last look at her friend. On the second floor, she passed the runners' room and saw James stroking Anna's hair, a rare, affectionate gesture from him. "Good night, you idiots." James smiled faintly at her before she shut their door and headed off to bed herself.

Terra wrapped her arms around Jesse, understanding she was still rather worried. But she wasn't going to go upstairs, she knew that as much as it would be necessary everyone being asleep would be dangerous. The skeleton creatures could pop up anywhere, and she didn't want to there to be serious injuries because they weren't careful. So she remained propped up against the wall, staring out the window opposite of her.

She stayed there, her eyes barely open as minutes drifted into a few hours. She found her purple iris fading, her vision along with them, a yawn escaping her lips. But just before she could fall into a much needed slumber, a sound outside caused her eyes to snap open. A hooded figure outside the window staring at her, his pale skin containing a slight glow in the moonlight.

Terra froze on spot, watching him closely, as if expecting him to move or do something. But he did little other than breathe, just standing there staring back at her under the cloak. She made a small movement towards the door and he nodded, the most movement he ever made, and then he disappeared. Terra reluctantly left the inn, moving over to the cloaked figure who stood in the center of Faythe looking up at the moon.

"Beautiful isn't it? It's a shame it'll disappear."

"What will disappear? What are you talking about?"

"It's all going to disappear. It's sad to know it will go, but it has to happen. He has important plans."

"What are you going on about? Who's he?"

"He has plans for you too Terra. You best be watching yourself, and your little friends too."

Shock spiraled up her system as he said her name, and it didn't end as he continued, issuing a threat to the esper and the life she had begun to make for herself. But the shock didn't keep her natural instincts from reacting, her rapier brandished in seconds. The man wasn't phased.

"Put that thing away, you might hurt yourself."

Terra gritted her teeth in frustration as she stared the man down, no intention of putting her weapon away. The man sighed, turning away from the esper, looking back up at the moon.

"Get some rest Terra... you've no fight here. If I wanted to fight I would have knocked you out already."

And with that a strange new air came over the area. For some reason the man's words willed themselves towards her, and in time, she put her rapier way. Turning, her normally purple irises dulled and lost color, she walked away from the strange man. She went into the inn where she had been for the past few hours, went up to one of the rooms and fell to the bed, closing her eyes. Sleep came in moments.

(This is a cue for you all to wake up the next morning and come down to find Terra not there :p)

Of the two runners, Anna woke first, almost surprised to find herself in James' arms. Watching him, to started to snicker as he snorted in his sleep. She leaned in real close and licked his nose, cackling when he jerked awake. "Haha, out of bed sleepyhead." James only groaned and shut his eyes again, sighing annoyedly.

Anna rolled out of his warm embrace and started dragging him along with her. "Come oonnnnn." James let himself be pulled up, letting out a groggy smile, and causing one in Anna when she spotted it. They met Jesse in the hallway moving towards the stairs, all just grinning at each other for the simple reason of it being morning. As they filed out downstairs, however, their grins slowly disappeared upon finding that their Esper was nowhere to be found.

" . . . Terra?"

Alexander awoke, half-expecting to be looking up at the ceiling of a prison cell or something. But there he was. He sat up and looked around. It was the room at the inn he had fallen asleep in last night. So it wasn't a dream after all. He was really free. A small, groggy smile crept onto his face as he stepped out of bed, making it before venturing into the hall. He had thought he caught a glimpse of the others heading down the stairs. Quietly, he closed his door and followed them. When he came to where they were, he realized they were a bit unnerved.

"Is everything all right?" he asked softly, looking around. "Isn't Terra supposed to be here somewhere?"

Anna started slightly at hearing Alex, having not heard him approach before. "Yeah, do you know--"

"Yeah, no shit." Jesse cut in and quickly scanned the whole of the inn that she could see. "Terra!" She shouted. Where the hell was that girl?

Upon Jesse shouting, a door closing at the top of the inn's stairs was heard. Several low paced footsteps walking towards the stairs, Terra stopping and looking dead ahead. She waited a moment before slowly descending the stairs at the exact same pace, her eyes glued on the doorway to leave the inn.

If her actions didn't come off to the party as strange, then her eyes did when they were easier to see. The normally brilliant purple irises, were faded and now more storm colored, the pupils practically invisible. And if that didn't come off as strange, her demand when she reached her friends did.

"Move. He awaits my presence."

Jesse immediately moved forward to confront the esper, ignoring Anna's attempts to hold her back. "Terra, what the hell is going on? Who is this 'he'?" The guitarist placed her hands on Terra's shoulders, hoping for some kind of response, but having a terrible feeling she wouldn't get one. "I knew something wasn't right last night." She murmured.

The runners stood back, watching the exchange in apprehension. James in particular stared hard at Terra, trying to put two and two together. They'd met the esper girl in a crater outside of any town, and taken her in without any second thought. Maybe that hadn't been the greatest idea they'd ever had, but she'd seemed so helpless then.

"What have we gotten ourselves into . . ."

The Esper still stared straight ahead, not focusing in on either Jesse or the runners. Her eyes still glued to the door on the other side of the three people blocking her way. When asked a question, she ignored for several moments, as if she weren't going to answer again. But then she spoke, her near soulless eyes glancing at the guitarist, this time her voice holding a slight twinge of anger.

"He's of no importance to the likes of you. Move."