Something of Revolution

Aria casts Mana Globules on Verdant Earth (2)!
MP: 6/30

Aria waits.

The moment arose. As unforgivably as she had decapitated the previous golem, Aria offered the next punishment none the weaker. Rapidly snapping her fingers in an exotic, yet fashionably rhythmic style, a trio of aquatic globes implanted themselves within the giant's torso. Its joints severely weakened by the onslaught of the other party members, the final beast could not withstand the torture, instantly collapsing into several disjointed pieces as the water bubbles burst from within. As elegantly as she had snapped her fingers, Aria siphoned the excess mana into her tome, which she proceeded to close as the battle came to its end.

However, she did so with hesitance, as the room's curious aura did not fade with the golems' demise. There was now no obstacle - not a single ant, nor cobweb, nor inconveniently placed vine lying between the party and their ultimate goal. The rose was in clear sight, shining radiantly and virtuously even within the Freyja Ruins' sickly fog. The time had finally come. Standing awestruck and without reaction, Aria gazed at the rose, its mere presence delivering her spine shivers of amazement, "This is it. This is the treasure we have been seeking.", she spoke, her words tinted with relief.

However, deep down, she knew the rose was not a mere spoil for the king. It was something more. Such a precious gem of a flower would not have been locked within these ruins, guarded by ample amounts of animated creatures, without reason.

The rose was more than that.

---

Verdant Earth (2) takes 39 damage!

Verdant Earth (2) ... PERFECT KILL!!

{ } {c} { } {c} { } { } {c} { } {c} { } A
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } B
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } {N} { } { } C
{ } { } { } { } {S} { } { } { } { } { } D
{ } { } {L} { } { } { } { } { } { } { } E
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } F
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } { } G
{ } { } { } { } { } {D} { } { } { } { } H
{ } { } { } { } { } { } { } {A} { } { } I
{ } {c} { } {c} { } { } {c} { } {c} { } J
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9--10

All enemies have been defeated!

Event 003: COMPLETE!!

Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxZN2wgE79s

EXPERIENCE:

+10 - Verdant Earth PERFECT KILL x2
+2 - No Items used
+1 - No Awakenings used
+1 - Completed in 10 or less Player Phases

TOTAL EXP GAIN: 14

Aria: 8/10 ---> 22/10
Level UP!
3 Stat Points gained!
1 Skill Point gained!
Next Level: 12/16

Lacie: 8/10 ---> 22/10
Level UP!
3 Stat Points gained!
1 Skill Point gained!
Next Level: 12/16

Ashe: 8/10 ---> 22/10
Level UP!
3 Stat Points gained!
1 Skill Point gained!
Next Level: 12/16

Anemone: 8/10 ---> 22/10
Level UP!
3 Stat Points gained!
1 Skill Point gained!
Next Level: 12/16

Daniel: 8/10 ---> 22/10
Level UP!
3 Stat Points gained!
1 Skill Point gained!
Next Level: 12/16

GOLD FOUND: 200

ITEMS FOUND:

Verdant Earth Loot:
- Earth Essence x2
- Guardian of the Purest Rose

AFFINITY GAINED:
- The awesomeness of the ninja moves has graced you with 1 point.

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

*Please update your profiles and we will continue shortly, feel free to post if you'd like*

Lacie watched as the stone guardian crumbled to the ground under the pressure of their powerful attacks. As the rock heap became still, Lacie relaxed only slightly, keeping her guard up and her silver sword out and ready for any surprises. When they did not come, Lacie relaxed a little more and turned her head to look around the room, only now fully taking in her surroundings.

The columns around them stood tall, supporting the ceiling of the strange area, and a stone wall at the other end of the room stood cracked and worn down with age. Still, Lacie could make out a serpent, biting it's own tail, engraved in the stone, and a small white rose that seemed to emanate a powerful aura. It was this aura that was blocking Lacie from sensing any other presence in the area, she surmised.

Lacie slowly took the tip of her blade and touched the empty sheath, the sword sliding down into the protective covering effortlessly and without sound. She walked closer to the rose, not too close, but a few steps closer, to where she was the closest one to the rose, and examined it again.

"It is beautiful," Lacie murmured, entranced by the rose's appearance. She was surprised that such a small thing could give off such a powerful aura. Lacie paused, then turned back to face Aria and Daniel, the two from the Capital Army. Her face was set in a frown, but she did not glare at the military officers, merely observed them with care. "I believe it is time you told us your exact mission, word for word, before we continue. I refuse to believe that the military does not intend to use this rose's powerful aura in a dishonorable way. Depending on your answer, I may have to do something drastic, Commander Aria." Lacie's eyes flashed once, an instant that was too quick to notice unless they were paying attention. Her eyes had shown a dangerous aura, a hostile emotion towards the empire and...something else too complex to identify as a mere emotion.

As the final earthen creature fell, Ashe raised an eyebrow at a minor glimmer from within. As it fell apart, she quickly made haste in getting over the the strange reflection of light. She was not surprised by what it was, taking the object by its handle and pulling it from the rubble. A brilliant white blade, giving off a rather minor aura similar to the other one in the room.

Her eyes darted over to the rose, looking at the other woman who had not been apart of the army or her guild. She looked as though she were about to slice them all in two with her swords, at which Ashe stepped back. She motioned for Anemone to do the same, attempting to stay out of whatever conflict that might happen in the coming minutes. After all, her guild had nothing to do with the army, they had just been out here to hunt monsters.

They didn't have anything to do with their being here; It just happened.

The intensity of Aria's suspicion almost paralleled Lacie's. Even her loyalty to the law could not match her curiosity; she wanted to know why the rose was important, as it clearly was not merely a pricey object worthy of retrieval. It was too obvious. The king would never send the Capital Army on such a pointless mission.

I best not provoke her. She has proven herself to be quite skilled in the arts of swordplay. Her eyes narrowed, taking slight step after slight step toward Lacie and the rose.

"I can relate to your cynicism, miss Lacie." Aria humbly remarked, removing the parchment given to her by Capital Royalty from her bag and reading it aloud, "Due east of Capital and north of the Emptied Ocean lies the great plains of Folkvangr. Within the center of the plains, you will find obscure ruins - dubbed by The Exalted One as the 'Freyja Ruins'. It is your mission to retrieve the magnificent artifact sealed within the ruins and return it to The Exalted One."

Rolling up the frail sheet of paper, Aria gently placed it back into the open pocket of her satchel. "That is our assignment. Word for word. You may read it if you doubt my integrity, miss Lacie."

Lacie listened carefully, particularly to how Commander Aria addressed her. She nearly smiled, it was the first time any commander of the army talked to her in such a respectful manner. But she kept her face set into a constant frown, looking over the commander and her subordinate. If she were to engage them in battle, she would most likely come out as the victor, that was what she saw. Lacie briefly scanned the two other warriors who were there, Lacie observed one of the women backing away and immediately surmised that they, or one of them at least, knew that they could not win against her either.

Lacie gently placed her hand on her steel sword's hilt, her gloved hand meeting the metal with a soft clank. She returned her gaze to the commander, Aria. "Do you intend to carry out your orders?" Lacie inquired, keeping her tone neutral, showing no hostility, not yet at least. She asked no more, nor did she move from her spot. Lacie stood perfectly still, waiting for an answer from the commander.

Aria frowned, slightly drawn aback by the woman's awkwardly neutral tone of voice, which greatly contradicted the context of her language in general. Clearly, this woman held some sort of vendetta or distrust for the royal army, therefore, it would not be proper to begin an argument with her at this point in time, especially because of her sheer strength and combat capabilities.

"As a loyal commander of the Royal Army of Capital City," Aria began, taking in a deep, long-winded breath of the sickly yellow, foggy air, "it would be appropriate for me to say with great certainty that I plan on carrying out my orders." In fear of a sudden hostile reaction, Aria placed her fingers between pages of her grimoire. However, Lacie remained as still as ever.

Continuing, she spoke, "However loyal I may be," Aria's eyes closed, her arms cringing slightly in response to her sour, hesitant words. Though she felt these emotions, she spoke with great certainty, "I am an inexperienced commander who allows her emotions to take priority over what is right, what is wrong, and what I am ordered to do. My instincts are telling me that my orders are ill-worded and vile, miss Lacie."

Aria was sickened, such a rebellious maiden had provoked her true emotions, forcing her to show them, even. She felt unpleasant, however satisfied and relieved. Glancing at Daniel with assurance, and then back at Lacie, she spoke, "I do not intend on carrying them out."

Lacie refused to show her relief to the group, instead she merely took her hand off of her hilt and placed her arm by her side, not too far away from her sword. Lacie allowed her lips to curve upwards, not a smile, but not a frown either.

"If that is what you have truly decided, then your inexperience has saved your life and the life of your subordinate, Commander Aria," Lacie commended, now folding her arms over her chest. "I am glad that I do not have to cut down yet another commander of the empire's military. I fear the king might send an army after me if I did," Lacie chuckled a little bit, a feminine laugh that seemed to echo in their ears.

"You two," Lacie spoke towards the two warriors that had joined her and the military officers, "I am most grateful for your assistance in our fights through this dungeon. Surely by the time you go back through this place and to the exit, you will find that it is light outside." Lacie's sense of time was a bit off, she felt. She needed to reconnect with the outside world to set herself right. Lacie returned her attention to the two from the army.

"What do you two intend to do now? Besides taking the bodies of your fallen comrades back to the capital?" Lacie inquired carefully. She did not mean to pry, but she did want to make sure that they wouldn't be coming back to this place to take the rose. Lacie wanted to leave at that instant, to leave the guardians of the object to recover and defend the treasure once more. But first, the military needed to be dealt with.

Daniel had stashed his staff away, drawing in more remnants of mana to get over the sheer amount he lost in the battle with the giants, now adequately taken care of. Seeing that the others approached the rose, he did, as well, sticking close to his commander. Upon hearing Lacie's request to hear their orders, he tilted his head a bit in curiosity. He crossed his arms as he listened to the commander read over their orders as clear as day. It was simple enough. However, it did not appear as though the woman, Lacie, was going to be happy with them carrying out what they intended to do. He felt one hand go to his staff before being taken completely aback by the words of the commander he respected so greatly, even with the look she gave him, it was horrible. He felt his heart skip a beat.

"My Commander? A traitor?" Daniel said, just shocked. His voice lacked the anger another soldier might express. Was this what she had intended all along? To ignore the orders and take the object for herself? What was there to gain? "To be sure this is just some sick joke. If she's pressuring you into this, forget it. Our combined strength is more than enough to take her down, Commander! Where lies your courage? I just want to know if what you say is the truth in your heart...," he rambled, searching for explanations that he could not grasp. It had to have happened to him, of course. Just when he had found a stable life in the Royal Army, everything had to go askew.

Anemone listened and nonchalantly twirled her hair as the two women, Lacie and Aria, talked, mentioning something about the Royal Army and that odd-looking artifact. She didn't realize what was such a bit deal with this rose-like object. Then again, Anemone probably wouldn't care even if she knew. Caring about something like this, especially since she and Ashe would probably never return to this chamber again, was one more unnecessary issue that she didn't feel the need to bother herself with.

When Anemone looked over to where she thought Ashe was, however, she noticed Ashe had backed away a considerable distance. Anemone tilted her head in confusion, not realizing the reason for her superior's caution. Sure, Lacie was a bit threatening right now, but Anemone was confident in her ability to hold her own.

"Ashe, no need to be so tense. Relax, I'm sure Lacie here wouldn't do anything to harm us." Anemone said, her two swords had already been sheathed.

It wasn't like she could harm them anyway.

Aria smiled uncontrollably. She had never expected such a ridiculous situation to arise from a mere retrieval mission, nothing close to it. "I am not a courageous woman, Daniel. You should not feel forced to respect me simply because I am your superior. I am a coward, some might even call me spineless. I can't really disagree with them, but-" She let out a droll laugh, "no, no buts. If I speak anymore I'll probably begin to contradict myself."

At that moment, Aria's eyes opened wide, filled with something like an emotion, but she wasn't quite sure. It might have been motivation, a far off silhouette in the distance motioning her forward, coaxing her with success. Whatever it was, it motivated her to speak, "But, because I am inexperienced, untainted by the swindlers of the Capital, I will continue to speak."

Turning toward her protegee, she announced aloud, her voice echoing triumphantly throughout the ruins, "Daniel, as a commander, I witness things within the citadel of Capital City that I cannot forgive. These commanders, who hold positions similar to mine, are not obligated to be respected simply due to their position. They have sent my family into economic distress, stripped them of all valor, and regurgitated their pleas back to the king as if they were twisted and shameless requests." Surely she was beginning to spout more nonsense than was required, "All because my family was intelligent enough to learn something they were not obligated to learn." Her voice began to drag off, however, it regained its volume with the words "That rose will bring nothing but trouble."

As Aria's words entered his ears, Daniel frowned. "I see. It is not as everything had seemed," he stated solemnly, giving up his grip on his staff. There wasn't any point. No conflict would take place. Alone, he could not do much, and it wasn't as if he himself were loyal to the Capitol. How could he question Aria's? He only stayed there and worked for the Royal Army for security of a life that he couldn't remember, and to study as a scholar. He said his oaths to the Royal Army, promising his arm when they needed it, but...there was no sincerity within his voice that day. There was no emotion. He shook his head.

"My apologies, Commander, for questioning you. I must say my loyalties aren't what I've made them to be, so I was out of place," Daniel explained, placing his arms by his side. "The question is, what are we going to do about this mission? Call it a failure when we return to the Capitol? Or...," he paused with uncertainty, gazing deep within his commander's eyes. "Are you even planning on going back?" The question tasted odd in his mouth, though it shouldn't have. What would await for them in the Capitol for their failure? It all depended on the significance of this artifact, and he was slightly afraid.

Something crossed Lacie's mind, during the conversation between Daniel and Commander Aria. She frowned slightly, her eyes moving from side to side, her mind working at a quick pace. There was something she neglected to realize, the fact that the king could simply send others to retrieve the treasured artifact in these ruins. Though the entrance was well hidden, it would not stay secret for long if the king sent an entire army, or one who knew about the entrance.

"Commander Aria," Lacie addressed the woman, not caring if she was interrupting her or not. "There is something of major importance that needs to be addressed. Regardless of whether you choose to leave this object here or not, it is not safe in these ruins, nor is it in your hands. Do not take this personally, Commander, but I will not have someone of the military carrying such an artifact with them near the Capital."

Lacie glanced back at the rose for a moment, then readdressed the commander, "With your blessing, I would like to take the rose and I will place it in another location where it would be safe, out of reach of the king's hands."

Though Aria did not wish to deal with the king's scorn, nor the disappointment of failing, nor the disapproval of her peers in the city, she reluctantly allowed Lacie to take the rose for herself, even through her hesitance and distrust. Sealing the most stressful decision she had made up to that point as a commander of the Royal Army, Aria signaled her approval with a single nod, thus allowing an enemy of Capital City to obtain a crucial object. How irresponsible of her.

I always knew I would make mistakes as irresponsible as these, Aria cringed silently, watching intently as she awaited Lacie to take action, However, I never expected to make them so soon, especially ones so important. She closed her eyes momentarily, That's like me. I'm horribly flawed, like any human. Though, I wish I were born with flaws in a criterion of lesser importance. Oh well, it can't be helped, really.

Aria didn't attempt to make amends with Daniel, nor seek the opinions of the other two travelers. She couldn't deal with anymore outbursts of emotion. It would increase her level of stress even further.

"Then at your leave," Lacie bowed slightly, out of respect. Her pride refused to allow her to demean the commander's actions as foolish, for allowing an enemy of the empire to have an item that the empire desired. But Lacie would not complain. Instead, she turned, careful to keep her senses alert to those behind her. Just in case they changed their mind.

Lacie approached the rose, staring down at its beauty with a reverence unlike her. Never before had she seen such an object of such power. But it looked frail, as if it would shatter the instant she touched it. Carefully, Lacie reached out her right hand to take the rose. Slowly, she allowed her middle finger to touch the rose. Hesitating slightly, Lacie wrapped her middle and fore finger and thumb around the rose, picking it up and off of the place where it lay, probably for decades upon decades.

Daniel glowered and turned his back as Lacie was probably taking the rose. "We go back to the Capitol then, 'Commander'," he stated firmly, taking a few steps away from the rose that had caused them so much trouble. "If we're just going to let this happen, it would be in our best interest just to take responsibility for it." He continued taking more steps away, but stopped. "No point in giving up hope. We'll see what happens when we get there. I know one thing, and that is that if the rose is of that importance, the king will most likely stop at nothing to get ahold of it. Nothing." His words were empty---devoid of emotion. He looked at the guild members.

"You two don't have to come with us back to the Capitol, unless you want to act as witnesses to our failure, but I presume you have better things to do?" Daniel said to them. At least they weren't asking anything of him and the commander. He didn't even care anymore. He just wanted to get out of the ruins. There was so much going through his mind, and in the depths of it, he felt sorry for Aria, for what she must be feeling had to be a million times worse.

Soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paN2a9y1-Cs

Interrupting Daniel's brief monologue, the rose's petals, which remained as pure as the whitest of snow, even during the disruption of emotion occurring only moments earlier, shone a color brighter than white - one might call it the the most radiant of all beacons of light. This glow, however, grew beyond the boundaries of the rose's physical form. It came to encompass Lacie's entire being, even spreading beyond her and throughout the expanses of the treasure chamber. Enveloping each party member in an alleviating sensation of light, the rose's physical form evaporated before the gaze of each party member.

However, as the rose faded, its empowering shine did not, eventually overcoming the whole of the room, blinding the party with an intense brilliance, brighter than the greatest of man-made beacons, reaching into the deepest expanses beyond the human eye and into the depths of the mind. Eventually, the party's senses shifted from irritation and discontent to peace and calm; with the mending of their shattered emotions came the fixation of physical senses.

First, the discomfort of ruinous rubble rubbing against the soles of their shoes transformed into a sensation like no other, as if the bottoms of their feet were being massaged by the swaying of gentle grasses. The stringent, yellow fog, polluting the air with a foul, unwelcoming scent, was drowned out by the freshness of a breeze as chilling as it was calming. The grandiose supernova of light began to fade, and with it, the party's eyesight began to return. However, the scene was not ruinous, nor was it bleak, mossy, nor shadowed by cracked, bloodstained columns. It was open-aired, garnering a sky whose sapphire hue contrasted the clear horizon, which was accented by the tall, golden grasses of the Folkvangr plains. However, this was not the Folkvangr, but a foreign land of unknown origin.

Within this land, a trio of matching tablets protruded from the luscious soil. Remaining resolute and clear, the tablets' scriptures were of a readable quality, in order from left to right:


Overshadowing the triumvirate of well-kept stone, despite its minuscule size, lay the rose, its white petals as pure and as glorious as they were within the ruins. As the party approached the scene with utmost caution, a gentle voice, identical to the one which spoke in the ruins' treasure chamber, echoed throughout their eardrums. It whispered words of sweetness, which contrasted the seriousness and severity of its message: "You are capable of administering change within the corruption", "You are the catalyst to the change in the continuity of reality", "Should you accept the rose, without question and without denial", "Should it accept you in return", "Reality is your toy, your clay".

Ashe had been turning to leave after the military commander gave Lacie permission to take the Rose. She didn't wish to see something go horribly wrong for disrupting the peace of the artifact. But then Daniel chose to speak to her and her subordinate, just as Lacie reached out for the rose. Turning to speak, she was caught off guard by the light which soon enveloped the treasure room, and thus remained silent.

What happened next was something of a mystery to her, the ruins giving way for some foreign land. The rather tense emotions she had been feeling up until this point faded and dulled into a sweet relaxation. She knew better than to let her guard down, but she couldn't do anything about this. So silently taking it all in, she closed her eyes and chose to just listen; To absorb the information. And when the words had finished echoing in the back of her mind, she nodded.

She accepted.

Anemone noticed Ashe was about to leave, and turned to follow her. But she stopped short to see an expanding bright white light. First it enveloped Lacie, then those two in the military, and finally her and Ashe, who were the furthest away from the rose, were swallowed by the radiant glow. The light stripped Anemone of her sight, and she could no longer sense the presence of anyone nearby. It was a familiar feeling from long ago, she felt alone.

That feeling of loneliness did not last long, however, as Anemone regained her senses to be met with the view of a completely different land. She felt a sense of peacefulness and relaxation here, more so than usual. Calming and gentle, Anemone closed her eyes and sighed. She fell backwards onto the grassy field and stared at the blue sky. The others could figure out what to do here now, all Anemone had to do was follow Ashe.

Following the rose's whispers, a vague, unsettling silence ensued, almost as if it was awaiting a certain response - a certain trigger. However, this response would not come from the group of awed explorers; they were too confused, too lost and unsure of their surroundings to react. The rose was dissatisfied with this level of response, urging itself to take action. You know, to please itself, to acquire satisfaction.

It blossomed. Petals flourishing in every direction, a sudden burst of light manifested itself in the form of a young maiden gifted with hair as white as newly fallen snow. It cascaded down into a well-kept set of bangs, which fluttered gently in the chilling breeze alongside the leftmost portions of her hair's backside. The right tied itself into the form of a crescent-shaped braid, remaining still and unmoving even in the most overwhelming of gales. Her pale, softened skin glistened luxuriously in the field's blazing sun. Her visage was calm and at peace, with her narrow, lavender eyes opening mellifluously, gazing downward toward the perplexed party.

"You people are quite young, are you not?" The woman giggled childishly, covering her mouth with her gown's left sleeve, which flowed melodiously in a sea-green tint, alongside the occasional black stripe (one across the waist, another diagonally over the torso). She smiled, her lavender gaze shifting to Lacie, "As the new bearer of the Rose of Revolution, I assume it would only be appropriate to brief you on your situation, young mistress." The woman wore no shoes, her white, exposed feet placing themselves over stringy grasses with an unusual carefulness, "Pardon me, young miss, young sir." She spoke, gently maneuvering between Aria and Daniel, and past Anemone and Ashe, toward the final member of the party.

Emerald eyes met lavender ones, and appropriately, the lavender spoke with judicious declaration, "You are the bearer of the object which shifts the continuity of reality. You will be hunted, watched, and confronted by the world's greatest threats, magnates, and travelers who also desire this object-" Her hair fluttered, "-this object which shifts the continuity of reality." The woman motioned her hand toward Lacie's breast, her pale pinkie finger situating itself comfortably atop the knight's armor, "Blue Knight, should you accept this responsibility, you may bring revolution to a dying world. Should you decline, may you die with the world which you have chosen to forsake."

The beauty of the world surpassed Lacie's faintest dreams. In no place on this continent that she has traveled to has she ever seen such a sight before, such a glorious feeling. And from the blooming rose, a woman appeared, a very strange and beautiful woman. Lacie felt small in her presence, and when the lavender eyes spoke to her, she felt an encompassing sense of honor and duty wash over her.

Lacie, nearly consumed by her own sense of honor, quickly knelt in front of the strange woman with respect and reverence. "I have faced many challenges on my travels, and none have yet bested me. I will take responsibility for this sacred item, and all of the hardships that come with it. I will protect this Rose of Revolution, and I will protect the peace of this world and bring forth true justice to those who do evil."

"You have my word and my honor as the Blue Knight of Seria," Lacie finished, bowing her head slightly. She couldn't help but feel respect. Her instincts told her it was the right thing to do, and she did it.

Stopped dead in his tracks, Daniel's jaw dropped as he felt the wave of light--a sheer presence in and of itself burst forth, and it eventually blinded him as what he figured it was intended to do. The whole of the ruins gave way, and he felt...ethereal. It was as if he was an entity amidst the light and nothing more. It would cradle him and obscure his worries, scathing them to dust on the breeze. The feeling was to die for, but as reality began to reform in the shape of what appeared to be a beautiful, wondrous land untouched by the taint of malice that dwelled within the hearts of men, feelings of worry for the others--something he had not expected to cross his mind--overwhelmed him.

The young priest blinked and looked around. Everyone who was in the ruins was standing there with him in the grass. The large ominous stones. Obviously the center of attention. The words that seemed to echo across the expanse of space and time. They were ones that he could not understand. Where was he? About to head to the Capitol, but that didn't seem to be possible at the moment. Unable to resist the hesitation within the party, he turned to witness the rose taking the form of a young woman who seemed to want nothing to do with them, and everything to do with Lacie, for she was the one who had opted to take the rose in the first place.

So it would be dangerous for Lacie. Daniel restrained a smirk. He didn't understand why, but he gained a feeling of satisfaction from that fact. Protect it with your life. By all means, Daniel thought emptily and said nothing. He had no words for this situation. There was nothing to ask except whether or not they could get on with what they had to do, but he figured that would be revealed in due time.

A familiar smile arose from the woman's upper lip, however, at this moment, she appeared quite a bit more pleased than she had previously seemed. "I see." She stated bluntly, turning back to the four party members she had passed, "All of you, your fates have been sealed by the words of this woman - the Blue Knight of Seria. She will carry the Rose of Revolution into the world above, and will subsequently initiate the struggle for revolution. Should any of your hearts remain filled with compassion, even in this corrupt, dying year, you may aid her on her quest. That has become your fate, your true purpose - to acquire revolution and bring light to a new generation, pure and happy and full of life.

"Young knight," Her voice began to redirect once more, this time, focusing solely on Lacie, "You are the catalyst of this journey. Protect the rose at all cost." With a swift movement of her left hand, the Rose of Revolution, in all of its glory and purity, arose from Lacie's bosom in a quick flurry of petals and radiance. Gently floating into the emerald-eyed woman's palms, the rose settled.

"Let us initiate the quest for revolution." The pale woman shouted triumphantly among the sapphire skies, dispersing within patches of rose petals and into the endless winds. Her voice, trailing slightly behind her body, whispered eloquently, "You may find your exit to the left. To reality." And as she had declared, the party spotted a mundane, oak door among the swaying grasses. Surely, it appeared to lead nowhere, though it most definitely did not.

Whenever the party desires, they may traverse the gateway back to reality.

Ashe opened her eyes after the woman had disappeared, looking to the gateway back to their reality. Now it didn't seem so stupid to return to the capital, to return to what they knew. They had a mission. One that would change the way the world beyond that gate worked. And she was ready for what was to come.

"Shall we return? If we're going to get anything done we need to go as soon as possible."

"Alright, lead the way guys~"

Within an instant Anemone was back up, stretching herself and brushing blades of grass out of her hair. Anemone yawned. She had almost fallen asleep during the whole thing, and she would have too if not for the odd woman shouting her last few words. And as much as she liked it here, with the place being so peaceful and serene and calm and quiet and relaxed, Anemone had to go back. The real world was where all her friends and companions were at.

"By the way, what do we do now?" Anemone asked her guild commander, "Everyone's probably worried about us, we've been gone for an entire day without telling anyone where we were going."