Tales of a Dreamer - Iceweed Addiction

New Objective!
+ Defeat the Wolf Pack
--Achievement (20): Eliminate all the wolves before they call for help.

~Tutorial Battle~
Area: Diaski Mountain Range Trail
Atmosphere: Snowy Mountain Biome (Chance of Hypothermia per turn: 5%)
Soundtrack: ~Snowy Mountain~

(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) (~) (r) - A
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) (~) (~) - B
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) (~) (~) - C
(r) ( ) (F) ( ) (~) (~) - D
(r) ( ) (G) (r) (~) (~) - E
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) (r) - F
(r) ( ) (N) ( ) (r) (r) - G
(r) ( ) (V) ( ) (r) (r) - H
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7

Growl takes 3 DMG! (Fu)

Growl takes 14 DMG! WEAKNESS!! (Nanaro)

Growl takes 3 DMG! (Vance)

Growl loses 8 EN in the encounter!

Vance takes 4 Piercing DMG from Hypothermia!

Vance is no longer suffering from Hypothermia.

~

Growl attacks Fu! 8 Atk DMG! Growl loses 4 ENG!

Fu loses 2 EN in the encounter!

Experience Table:

Fu is responsible for dealing 3 DMG to Tail.
+2 EXP.

Vance is responsible for dealing 3 DMG to Tail.
+2 EXP.

Nanaro is responsible for dealing 14 damage to Tail.
+7 EXP.

Totals so far:
Fu: +9
Vance: +14
Nanaro: +27

(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) (~) (r) - A
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) (~) (~) - B
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) (~) (~) - C
(r) ( ) (F) ( ) (~) (~) - D
(r) ( ) (G) (r) (~) (~) - E
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) (r) (r) - F
(r) ( ) (N) ( ) (r) (r) - G
(r) ( ) (V) ( ) (r) (r) - H
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7

Fu (Monk)
Lvl 1
EN: 21/56
HP: 16/36
MP: 32/32
Atk: 3
Def: 3
Int: 7
Spr: 6
Move: 3
Evade: 3%
Morale: (//////////)

Vance (Ninja)
Lvl 1
EN: 2/50
HP: 8/36
MP: 9/28
Atk: 8
Def: 3
Int: 5
Spr: 3
Evade: 6%
Movement: 5
Morale: (//////////)

Nanaro (Mage) *Confidence -9-*
Lvl 1
EN: 18/50
HP: 14/20
MP: 14/50
Atk: 1---3
Def: 3---5
Int: 8---10
Spr: 7---9
Evade: 4%
Movement: 2 cells
Morale: (/////////)

Wolf (Snow Wolf) *KO*
Lvl 1

Tail (Snow Wolf) *KO*
Lvl 1

Growl (Snow Wolf)
Lvl 1
EN: 1/50
HP: 9/45
MP: 17/24
Atk: 8
Def: 5
Int: 1
Spr: 4
Move: 4
Evade: 21%
Morale: (//////////)

Foxy (Snow Wolf) *KO*
Lvl 1

(r) - Rock wall (scenery)

(~) - Shifty Snow (Moves character one cell down each turn until the character is knocked off the battlefield. Move is reduced to 1 while in the snow).

Player Phase VI

They were down to the final stretch now, the wolf was done for at this point, it didn't even have enough energy to call for any of it's friends. Fu raised his open palm, his emotions under control, and blasted the wolf with his anti-demon wavelength. Another hit from Nanaro, and this battle would be over.

Fu attacks Growl! 7 Int DMG! 4 EN lost.

"I know that you two are tired, but we must press on," Fu told the two, "we're further from the village than the Diaski Mine. We will take refuge there and rest for the night. That's the plan, anyway."

New Objective!
+ Defeat the Wolf Pack
--Achievement (20): Eliminate all the wolves before they call for help.

~Tutorial Battle~
Area: Diaski Mountain Range Trail
Atmosphere: Snowy Mountain Biome (Chance of Hypothermia per turn: 5%)
Soundtrack: ~Snowy Mountain~

Growl takes 3 DMG! (Fu)

Growl takes 14 DMG! WEAKNESS!! (Nanaro)

Experience Table:

Fu is responsible for dealing 3 DMG to Tail.
+2 EXP.

Nanaro deals 14 DMG to Tail.
+7 EXP.

Nanaro is responsible for KO'ing Tail.
+3 EXP.

Totals so far:
Fu: +11
Vance: +14
Nanaro: +37

Objective Completed!
+10 EXP to all for surviving!

Fu gains 4 EXP for his two KO's.

Nanaro gains 4 EXP for her two KO's.

Fu damaged 3 of the 4 wolves.
+3 EXP.

Nanaro damaged 2 of the 4 wolves.
+2 EXP.

Vance damaged 3 of the 4 wolves.
+3 EXP.

Fu gains 2 EXP for interacting with the surroundings and finding something useful.

...

Total Experience Gained:
Fu: +30
Vance: +27
Nanaro: +53

...

Nanaro Levels up!
2 Stat Points gained!
1 Skill Point gained!

Maximum Health and Mana are boosted!
HP: 20----> 23
MP: 50----> 58

Level: 2
Progress: 3/50

Looting process is taking place, please wait.

...

Found 4 White Furs! (Common Item)

...No rare items found.

Found 47 Shards!

Inventory Updated!

Update your profiles, we will be continuing very soon.

Fu sighed in relief, the battle was finally over with Nanaro's fire. The bodies of the two wolves could still become a threat, so Fu grabbed them and quickly tossed them over the edge of the cliff. He looked back at Vance and Nanaro, "No time to stop now, we must keep moving. You'll warm up more if you walk." Though Fu said that, the temperature was far below zero at this point, and the wind had started to pick up again. Fu waited for the others before moving forward, leading them up the mountain trail to the safety of the Diaski Mine.

Or so he thought.

Up the mountain the trio climbed, the temperature dropping as they reached a higher altitude. After those wolves, they did not encounter any other angry beasts, allowing them to heal their wounds. Half an hour of climbing, and something strange began happening. The temperature rose. Fu noticed immediately, as he was the most in-tune with the cold here, and the temperature was only a half degree change, but Fu knew better than to be relieved. Something was happening, something bad.

Fu stopped in his tracks, the temperature rose again, this time by at least five degrees. "I am filled with dread," Fu announced, holding out his arm to stop Vance and Nanaro. "There is something foul in the air here."

Up the mountain the trio continued, all of them now realizing that there was much heat radiating in the air the further they climbed. Very soon, the snow melted down to nothing and they traveled on firm rock and gravel. Fu continued to worry for the safety of the Diaski family as they climbed. The rock was beginning to flatten out, the final stretch towards the mine. Fu could see the iron doors now from where they stood, as well as the form of a tall, cloaked figure.

There was something very strange about this tall figure, most likely male. Fu swallowed the lump in his throat as he looked at the man. The strange part about this cloaked figure...was the fire that engulfed his body, and the utter calm of the figure in spite of it. "No...why is he here?" Fu muttered, his entire body beginning to sweat and shake with fear.

The figure twitched slightly, moving to the side in order to look at the three approaching him. His face was shrouded by the red cloak that he wore, and the fire that sparked from his body didn't help reveal his identity any. "Who goes there?" a powerful, echoing voice came from under the hood.

Fu straightened, looking back at the hooded man, not showing any fear. "I am called Fu, and these are my companions Vance and Nanaro. We have come to take shelter-"

"I didn't ask why you came here," the hooded man snapped. He reached up to his hood with a hand, revealing his whole arm, which looked similar to lava rock, a deep red clashing with a black rock-like skin. The man grabbed his hood and moved it back, revealing his head. His facial features were very much like his arm, a molten rock, bald head, and completely black eyes. When he opened his mouth, a fire appeared within his throat and lit up his mouth, giving him a glowing appearance. It was this man that was producing the heat that could be felt from 450 feet above sea level. And now at 550 feet, it was unnaturally hot.

"I apologize," Fu replied nervously. He did not, under any circumstances, want to anger this particular person.

Nanaro had reached down to give Vance a helping hand while Fu cleared the wolf bodies from the ledge. He took her hand gingerly and gave her an odd look which made her raise her eyebrow. "What on earth is wrong with you?" she said, slightly taken aback, though she certainly didn't show it. She tossed the statement at Vance tactlessly. To be honest, she wanted to let go of his hand and let him fall on his behind, but she held it and tried to support him. He wasn't too much taller than she was, and he was surprisingly thin. It made it easier on her. She placed an arm around his waist and let him place an arm over her shoulders.

"Just tired, is all," Vance muttered, staring straight ahead. And he was. Extremely. He figured after walking a bit, he'd feel better like Fu said. So they took off. Compared to just sitting in the snow, walking certainly was a lot warmer. It made the numbness kind of go away which brought a little pain, but after more walking, Vance felt surprisingly refreshed. It was still freezing out. He shivered before stopping in his tracks as Fu held out his arms. He had been okay to walk on his own a while back, so he decided not to make Nanaro feel uncomfortable any longer.

"Phrases like that often don't mean well for people like us," Nanaro stated, her face a portrait of slight worry. She was too tired to play it off as nothing, because based on Fu's reaction, there was definitely something to worry about.

"I don't know what you mean. How do you know something's up?" Vance inquired and looked around, up, and down. Everything seemed all right. Was there something he was missing?

Regardless, they continued to climb. As they did so, it was far too evident why Fu had been worried and said what he said. The snow...was actually melted. At this altitude. On a frozen continent. That was unnatural. They eventually came to the entrance of the mine, only to find that they weren't the only ones that decided to ascend today. Vance looked at the figure, slightly disgruntled. He was covered in flames...and wasn't running around or rolling on the ground trying to get them out? He and Nanaro listened as the figure demanded some question, and Fu tried to answer, but the figure was a bit abrupt.

"Completely rude is more like it," Nanaro stated, displeased. She walked up next to Fu. "What is that thing?" she asked him innocently, though seeing Fu a bit worried, she kept her voice down. If the situation had been less serious, she wouldn't have cared if the thing heard her or not.

"That thing is none other than the Dragon of Flames, Ira in his human form. A very dangerous character," Fu answered Nanaro, careful not to take his eyes off of the cloaked man in front of them.

As if responding to them, Ira' entire body burst into flames, his cloak still not deteriorating. The surrounding air grew hotter, hot enough to melt the ice that had formed on the iron door. "Leave this place at once, or you will feel my wrath."

"I apologize, but that is impossible for us now," Fu tried to explain, pointing down at the mountain trail they had crossed to get there. The snow further down had already melted away, revealing many holes in the rock, some of them small, others large enough to block any sort of passage up or down. Ulysses eyed the pathway with annoyance, glaring from it and back to Fu.

"I can't have you near this place," Ira began saying, the flames on his body now spreading out to the rock. As soon as the flames touched the surface, they suddenly spread across the rock, surrounding and trapping the trio with Ira. "So I'll simply kill and eat you now."

New Objective!
-Stall your death in any way possible!

Achievement Opportunity:
-N/A

Atmosphere: Dancing Flames - Don't touch the flames, they hurt. (Standing close to the fire can cause Burn. 20% chance)
Soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-jrFcobLQM


( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) A
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) B
(d) ( ) ( ) (I) ( ) ( ) ( ) C
(d) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) D
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) E
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) F
( ) ( ) (F) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) G
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) H
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) I
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7

Fu (Monk)
Lvl 1
EN: 56/56
HP: 36/36
MP: 32/32
Atk: 3
Def: 3
Int: 7
Spr: 6
Move: 3
Evade: 3%
Morale: (//////////)

Ira (Dragon of Flames)
Lvl ---
EN: 250/250
HP: 236/236
MP: 344/344
Atk: 19
Def: 13
Int: 17
Spr: 7
Move: 6
Evade: 10%
Morale: (//////////)

(d) - Iron Doors (Entrance to Diaski Mines)

(r) - Rock face (Scenery)

( ) - Fire Cell - Don't step in this.

~Player Characters may start in rows G-H, and if you really want to, row I too~

New Objective!
-Stall your death in any way possible!

Achievement Opportunity:
-N/A

Atmosphere: Dancing Flames - Don't touch the flames, they hurt. (Standing close to the fire can cause Burn. 20% chance)
Soundtrack: ~Dance of Dragons~


( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) A
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) B
(d) ( ) ( ) (I) ( ) ( ) ( ) C
(d) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) D
(r) ( ) (F) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) E
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) F
( ) ( ) ( ) (V) (N) ( ) ( ) G
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) H
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) I
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7

Fu is defending! -11 EN.

Vance is defending! -10 EN.

Nanaro is defending! -10 EN.

~

"Foolish mortals," the dragon scoffed at them, glaring with his cold, black eyes. "Do you really believe you can stall your deaths in that way?" Ira put his hand on his chest, breathing in deeply, his glare turning upward in a confident smirk. When Ira was full of air, he bent his spine over and opened his mouth to release the air. A fire sprung out from Ira's mouth and shot all across the field, only grazing Fu but hitting Vance and Nanaro head-on, making the both of them go up in flames.

The fire evaporated slowly, leaving a few spots where the fire stuck to the earth and burned brightly. Both Vance and Nanaro still stood, but they were badly burned.

Ira breathes fire at Fu, Vance, and Nanaro!

Fu was only grazed by the flame. 19 Int Fire DMG!

Fu was Burned!

Fu lost 8 EN in the encounter!

Vance and Nanaro were covered in flames. 24 Int Fire DMG!

Vance was Burned!

Vance lost 10 EN in the encounter!

Nanaro was Burned!

Nanaro lost 10 En in the encounter!


( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) A
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) B
(d) ( ) ( ) (I) ( ) ( ) ( ) C
(d) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) D
(r) ( ) (F) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) E
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) F
( ) ( ) ( ) (V) (N) ( ) ( ) G
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) H
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) I
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7

~

Experience Table:

All characters are defending.
+3

Totals so far:
Fu: +3
Vance: +3
Nanaro: +3

Fu (Monk) *Burn -3-*
Lvl 1
EN: 35/56
HP: 26/36
MP: 32/32
Atk: 3
Def: 3
Int: 7
Spr: 6
Move: 3
Evade: 3%
Morale: (//////////)

Vance (Ninja) *Burn -3-*
Lvl 1
EN: 30/50
HP: 18/36
MP: 28/28
Atk: 8
Def: 3
Int: 5
Spr: 3
Evade: 6%
Movement: 5
Morale: (//////////)

Nanaro (Mage) *Confidence -8-**Burn -3-*
Lvl 2
EN: 30/50
HP: 14/23
MP: 58/58
Atk: 1---3
Def: 3---5
Int: 9---11
Spr: 8---10
Evade: 4%
Movement: 2 cells
Morale: (//////////)

Ira (Dragon of Flames)
Lvl ---
EN: 230/250
HP: 236/236
MP: 330/344
Atk: 19
Def: 13
Int: 17
Spr: 7
Move: 6
Evade: 10%
Morale: (//////////)

(d) - Iron Doors (Entrance to Diaski Mines)

(r) - Rock face (Scenery)

( ) - Fire Cell - Don't step in this.

Player Phase II

"Don't stay all in one spot!" Fu shouted, coughing at the same time, wincing from the pain he felt. That fire was extremely hot and extremely dangerous. His whole right arm was caught in the fire, and now it was shriveled and red, the skin and flesh had been completely burnt off, the blood hardened from the intense fire. Fu's arm just looked like a giant muscle, not to mention his clothes had been burned off of his arm.

Vance and Nanaro were in a worse condition than he, though. Nanaro managed to shorten the area of damage by curling up into a ball, though, Vance seemed to have taken the most damage out of all of them. "Don't give him the chance to breathe his fire like that again, spread out and defend yourself!"

Fu raised his hands and pointed at Nanaro. She seemed to have the greatest defense against Ira's flames at the moment, she was the most likely to survive another blast. "O, great powerful one, heal this young girl with your power, give her the strength to stand on two legs once more and face the world which you have made!" A green light passed from Fu's outstretched hand and wrapped itself around Nanaro, her burns disappearing and her skin and flesh growing back into place. He couldn't heal the damage that was done to her, but Fu was able to get rid of her burns.

Fu casts Lifting Spirits on Nanaro! Target: Burn. -8 MP. -4 EN.

New Objective!
-Stall your death in any way possible!

Achievement Opportunity:
-N/A

Atmosphere: Dancing Flames - Don't touch the flames, they hurt. (Standing close to the fire can cause Burn. 20% chance)
Soundtrack: ~Dance of Dragons~


( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) A
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) B
(d) ( ) ( ) (I) (V) ( ) ( ) C
(d) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) D
(r) ( ) (F) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) E
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) F
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (N) ( ) ( ) G
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) H
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) I
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7

Fu alleviates Nanaro's Burn! - 4 EN.

Vance is defending! -10 EN.

Nanaro is defending! -10 EN.

Fu takes 4 DMG from Burn!

Vance takes 4 DMG from Burn!

~

"Hmph." Ira seemed to laugh at them as he watched. He saw one of them, the ninja, walk up closer to him, following the monk's advice to spread out. It wouldn't do him much good to spread out if he simply stood right next to Ira. Ira simply took it as the ninja offering himself up as bait, but Ira ignored him. The monk had the gall to not defend himself and instead heal the woman. With a few short steps, Ira stood directly in front of the monk.

Ira raised his hand, palm and fingers outstretched. With a single downward movement, Ira slashed at Fu's chest, a trail of red fire forming claw-like marks over Fu's chest. Fu's new wounds spit out blood before going up in dark red flames, burning Fu and the new wounds shut. Fu's cries of pain placed a smirk on Ira's face.

Ira moves to D-3

Ira slashes at Fu! 19 Atk Fire DMG!

Fu's wounds are lit on fire! 8 Atk Fire DMG!

Fu lost 12 EN in the encounter!

Fu is Overheating! Burn is nullified!

Fu's Moral depletes entirely!

...

Fu is under a Slump! Energy is depleted! Maximum HP and MP go down by 5! All stats decrease by 2! 30% miss rate!

Final Resort, D-Ability is available for Fu.


( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) A
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) B
(d) ( ) ( ) ( ) (V) ( ) ( ) C
(d) ( ) (I) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) D
(r) ( ) (F) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) E
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) F
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (N) ( ) ( ) G
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) H
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) I
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7

~

Experience Table:

Fu heals Nanaro's Burn.
+3 EXP (3 turns left on Burn = 3 EXP points)

Vance and Nanaro are defending!
+3 EXP

Totals so far:
Fu: +6
Vance: +6
Nanaro: +6

Fu (Monk) *Burn -2-**Overheat -3-**PERIL**Slump*
Lvl 1
EN: 0/56
HP: 1/36---1/31
MP: 24/32---19/27
Atk: 3---1
Def: 3---1
Int: 7---5
Spr: 6---4
Move: 3
Evade: 3%
Morale: (//////////)

Vance (Ninja) *Burn -2-*
Lvl 1
EN: 15/50
HP: 14/36
MP: 28/28
Atk: 8
Def: 3
Int: 5
Spr: 3
Evade: 6%
Movement: 5
Morale: (//////////)

Nanaro (Mage) *Confidence -7-*
Lvl 2
EN: 20/50
HP: 14/23
MP: 58/58
Atk: 1---3
Def: 3---5
Int: 9---11
Spr: 8---10
Evade: 4%
Movement: 2 cells
Morale: (//////////)

Ira (Dragon of Flames)
Lvl ---
EN: 226/250
HP: 236/236
MP: 330/344
Atk: 19
Def: 13
Int: 17
Spr: 7
Move: 6
Evade: 10%
Morale: (//////////)

(d) - Iron Doors (Entrance to Diaski Mines)

(r) - Rock face (Scenery)

( ) - Fire Cell - Don't step in this.

Player Phase III

Hot.

Fu could hardly even breathe, the intense heat that surrounded him was too much for him to bear. The wounds he received were too great. He knew that his time was coming to a close. Fu raised himself up, glaring back at the dragon, Ira. Fu reached out and grabbed the dragon's head, the fire on Ira's skull burning his hand, but he hardly felt it. Fu raised his fore and middle-finger together at his chest.

"Bring yourself knowledge, o foolish one, of the gods' wrath you will not escape. Bring yourself to your knees before them and become enlightened! Beg for forgiveness and you shall be spared! Spit at the gods and be smitten down by them! Revelation!"

A white light sparked from Fu's palm, the clouds above them opening up and a powerful ray of energy shot down from the clouds and blasted the entire area with it's intense energy. The light engulfed Fu and Ira, shrouding them from view, and when the light faded, Fu was on his knees, panting heavily. Ira, however, stood as if nothing happened, glaring down at Fu's body.

Fu unleashes his D-Ability: Revelation on Ira! 5 Piercing Int DMG! Light Elemental! 10% chance of doing double damage!

New Objective!
-Stall your death in any way possible!

Achievement Opportunity:
-N/A

Atmosphere: Dancing Flames - Don't touch the flames, they hurt. (Standing close to the fire can cause Burn. 20% chance)
Soundtrack: ~Dance of Dragons~


( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) A
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) B
(d) ( ) ( ) ( ) (V) ( ) ( ) C
(d) ( ) (I) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) D
(r) ( ) (F) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) E
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) F
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (N) ( ) ( ) G
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) H
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) I
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7

Ira takes 5 DMG! (Fu)

Fu goes up in flames! 10 Piercing Fire DMG!

Fu KO!

Ira takes 1 DMG! (Vance)

Vance goes up in flames! 10 Piercing DMG!

Nanaro is defending! -10 EN.

Vance takes 4 DMG from Burn!

Vance KO!

Ira doesn't lose any EN in the encounter.

~

After the flashy light show, the monk lay on his hands and knees at Ira's feet, panting, exhausted. Ira paused for only a moment to raise flames all over his body to burn off the dust that collected on him after the monk attacked him. Suddenly he felt a few sharp needles hit his molten skin and immediately burn into nothing. Ira looked back at the source, the ninja had done something foolish. Another pause.

Both the monk and the ninja suddenly burst into flames at that instant, seeping away the rest of their stamina and causing both of them to fall to the ground, completely wiped out. Ira turned towards the girl crouched in a small ball in the corner. "This was their fate. The ants attacked a dragon, and their jaws broke off and killed themselves, for the dragon's scales were much too hard for them to injure. You three should have known that you would lose this battle, it was foolish to even try to defend yourselves. Now, it is your turn."

Ira moves to F-5.

Ira waits.


( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) A
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) B
(d) ( ) ( ) ( ) (V) ( ) ( ) C
(d) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) D
(r) ( ) (F) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) E
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) (I) ( ) ( ) F
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (N) ( ) ( ) G
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) H
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) I
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7

~

Experience Table:

Fu was KO'ed!

...

No experience is lost due to the power difference between Fu and Ira.

Vance deals 1 DMG to Ira...brave man.
+2 EXP

Vance was KO'ed!

...

No experience is lost due to the power difference between Vance and Ira.

Nanaro is defending!
+3 EXP

Totals so far:
Fu: +6
Vance: +8
Nanaro: +9

Fu (Monk) *KO*
Lvl 1
EN: 0/56
HP: 0/36
MP: 0/32
Atk: 3
Def: 3
Int: 7
Spr: 6
Move: 3
Evade: 3%
Morale: (//////////)

Vance (Ninja) *KO*
Lvl 1
EN: 0/50
HP: 0/36
MP: 0/28
Atk: 8
Def: 3
Int: 5
Spr: 3
Evade: 6%
Movement: 5
Morale: (//////////)

Nanaro (Mage) *Confidence -6-*
Lvl 2
EN: 10/50
HP: 14/23
MP: 58/58
Atk: 1---3
Def: 3---5
Int: 9---11
Spr: 8---10
Evade: 4%
Movement: 2 cells
Morale: (//////////)

Ira (Dragon of Flames)
Lvl ---
EN: 221/250
HP: 230/236
MP: 330/344
Atk: 19
Def: 13
Int: 17
Spr: 7
Move: 6
Evade: 10%
Morale: (//////////)

(d) - Iron Doors (Entrance to Diaski Mines)

(r) - Rock face (Scenery)

( ) - Fire Cell - Don't step in this.

Player Phase IV

The flames didn't even hurt anymore. Fu didn't feel hot. He felt cold. So very cold. His limbs went limp, his face hitting the rocks and his body rolling over into a slump, the fire around him reflected in his unconscious eyes. In a corner of his mind, he could hear Ira speaking, but he didn't understand. Fu couldn't hear anything anymore.

Within his mind's eye, he saw Marigold, the ice-like woman, smiling at him. A moment passed, and all thought washed from Fu's mind. There was nothing else.

New Objective!
-Stall your death in any way possible!

Achievement Opportunity:
-N/A

Atmosphere: Dancing Flames - Don't touch the flames, they hurt. (Standing close to the fire can cause Burn. 20% chance)
Soundtrack: ~Dance of Dragons~


( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) A
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) B
(d) ( ) ( ) ( ) (V) ( ) ( ) C
(d) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) D
(r) ( ) (F) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) E
(r) ( ) ( ) ( ) (I) ( ) ( ) F
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (N) ( ) ( ) G
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) H
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) I
-1---2---3---4---5---6---7

~

Ira's expression didn't change, his face was set in a continuous smirk. He opened his mouth to speak, spitting fire in the process, "Nice speech, but why should a dragon care about crushing a few ants when he has killed gods?"

Ira smirked down at the foolishly brave girl before him. He put his hand on his gut and began breathing in deeply, filling his massive lungs with the hot air, his insides already transforming that air into an active fire that swirled through his whole body. Just when he reached maximum capacity of fire, Ira noticed something change in the air. The temperature was lowering, and at a rapid pace. Ira ignored it, he would deal with that later. Instead he bent down and blew his breath of flames out at the mage, engulfing her and the rest of the area behind her.

Ira kept breathing his fire on the mage, until he was absolutely certain that the mage had been burned to dust. Ira straightened his back, letting the fire die out, noticing that the temperature around him had decreased significantly. He frowned, looking around.

To Ira's utter shock and surprise, the surrounding area, instead of being a blazing hell, was a winter one, the whole battlefield was covered in ice and snow, the fires completely gone.

"I couldn't agree more, Nanaro," a voice spoke from where the mage had burnt to a crisp. Ira shot his head back to the voice, only to see a large block of ice encasing the mage, Nanaro, and one other woman, who held the girl in a mother's embrace. Short blue hair obscured part of the woman's eyes, which were shut, and her blue-and-white dress gave the woman a stunning appearance.

Marigold slowly opened her eyes, the icy blue orbs locking onto Ira with a fierce gaze. A crack appeared on the ice. Then a second and a third. The ice that entrapped the two girls shattered suddenly, the ice shooting out in every direction, some of it hitting Ira, which dissolved on his skin as soon as the ice touched him. Marigold stood where the ice shattered, still holding and carrying Nanaro in her arms.

Ira growled, raising his hand to slash at the two insolent women who stood before him. Too late, Marigold had already jumped back and was placing Nanaro back onto her own two feet. Marigold returned her gaze to Ira for only an instant, taking a single step forward before jumping into the air again.

From where Marigold jumped, a small rumbling could be felt on the ground for an instant before a large wall of ice shot up from the rocky ground and blocked Nanaro from Ira and Marigold. Three similar walls of ice erected from the other sides as well, effectively blocking off Ira and Marigold from the others. Marigold stood not too far away from Ira now with her hand off to the side, preparing a small orb of frozen water just under her palm.

"Do you honestly believe that you can defeat a dragon?" Ira raised his non-existent eyebrow at Marigold, who smiled at him.

"Why yes, that is exactly what I believe, have you not heard of me? My name is Marigold Diaski, the sole inheritor of this mine," Marigold replied politely, her expression not showing any politeness that her voice showed. She glared at Ira with a passive hatred. "But for now, let me kill you for harming my friends." The ice that Marigold held suddenly shattered, the ice falling to the ground and evaporating.

An explosion of wind and snow burst from Marigold's center, her blue hair and dress billowing upwards uncontrollably as she released a massive amount of energy. The wind blew the snow around so fast, it felt as if the blizzard that they experience before was tame. Slowly, though, the wind began to die, and the snow dropped out of the sky in the next instant.

Marigold hovered about 5 feet in the air, her legs pressed together and her arms outstretched. On her back stretched six beautiful, white wings made entirely of ice. Her entire body was covered in a sort of white ice armor. Ice wrapped around her forehead and branched off down her cheeks, the back of her head was entirely covered with ice. Marigold's eyes and lips had turned white as well, they were covered in a thin layer of ice. Two thick strips of ice stretched down Marigold's arms and legs, protecting the most vital spots along with a pair of thick ice boots. The last changes were Marigold's chest, a heavy plate of ice covered it entirely, and two swords of ice, one in each hand. These white swords looked entirely normal, except for the fact that they seemed to emanate a cold aura.

Ira paused, looking at the form that Marigold took, and he smirked. "The Manifestation of Ice, I've finally found you. But are you sure you want to use that form? Are you serious about this?" The dragon asked, his malicious grin only getting wider. Marigold glared down at him with eyes filled with hatred.

"Dead serious," Marigold growled, bracing herself to attack. Marigold quickly shot herself at Ira, a trail of frozen mist following her around as she slashed at the dragon. Ira caught Marigold's arm with his hand, ducking and dodging under her and throwing Marigold at the wall she erected before.

Marigold's feet landed on the ice wall, and she used the wall to propel herself forward at an even greater speed at Ira. Marigold caught Ira with her icy blade, slicing right through the fiery dragon with her sword. Ira grunted in response, glaring down at where the sword struck him...but grinned. Ira spund around and immediately blew a great blast of fire at Marigold, showing no signs of taking any injury.

The attack engulfed Marigold in a blast of fire, a large cloud of smoke resulting from the collision of heat and cold. The smoke lifted, only to reveal that Marigold had encased herself in another shell of ice in time to block the fire from hitting her. The ice shattered and Marigold once again shot herself at the dragon, slashing down on his head with her sword, but to no avail.

Marigold jumped back and threw away the broken swords. The dragon's intense body heat melted the ice before it even had a chance to hurt him. Instead, Marigold held her hands out in front of her, the six wings on her back growing in size. A cold aura surrounded Marigold and her wings as thousands of sharp ice needles shot out of her wings and focused entirely on Ira.

After using his body heat to melt away most of the needles, Ira raised his hand, an orb of fire appearing there, and threw it forward at Marigold, who quickly erected another wall of ice to protect herself from the fire.

The smoke cleared, Marigold lowered the ice shield and stood still, her wings back to their original size. Ira lowered both of his hands and relaxed, completely confident now that Marigold couldn't do anything to harm him.

"Why don't you surrender to me? I will spare the lives of your friends for your own life," Ira suggested, gesturing with his hands to Marigold's fallen comrades and to Nanaro. "You obviously can't do anything to harm me."

"That's where you're wrong," Marigold replied confidently, the cold aura appearing around her again, surrounding her with an icy mist. Ira continued to leave his guard down, smirking up at Marigold's attempt to kill him. What he didn't realize, was the ice that was slowly forming under his feet.

Marigold raised her power level even more, her wings growing in size once again as she called forth the coldest ice that she could create. The ice beneath Ira was pure white, and began to reflect the sun's rays powerfully, causing Ira to notice what was going on. Ira glared down at the ice, and charged his body, bringing forth a powerful flame around him, but it was too late. The very air and light that surrounded Ira froze completely, leaving the angry dragon encased in an enormous block of ice.

Marigold's feet hit the ground, her wings and her armor shattering and dissolving into the air as soon as she did. It was over, the dragon was encased in a block of ice that would never melt. Marigold glanced at the dragon for a moment before straightening her back and raising her arms high. Slowly she lowered her arms and the ice walls that surrounded her lowered, allowing passage through the battlefield. Marigold stood there, too tired to speak out at the moment.

Experience Table:

Nice speech, Nanaro.
+1 EXP.

Oh hey, Marigold is here to save the day.
+3

Oh hey, Marigold kinda froze Ira in a huge -fucking- block of ice.
+17

Oh hey, Marigold kinda lost all of her special powers as the Manifestation of Ice.
...I'm not taking off experience for that.

Totals so far:
Marigold: +20
Fu: +6
Vance: +8
Nanaro: +10

~Post a reaction from Nanaro, if you wish, and update your profiles please~

Her passionate words fell on deaf ears. Apparently, to this foul creature, humans were expendable beings. If she were to perish now...then that was that. There was nothing more she could do. As the dragon prepared for what must have been an attack, Nanaro shielded herself. What good will this even do...? she shouted at herself in her mind, wishing dearly to cry out, but she would not give this soulless creature the satisfaction. She felt the temperature drop a bit. The shadow of Death...it's supposed to be cold... she thought. Any second, she would be burned away to nothing. An unjust end. But moments passed, and yet she still stood. That's when she felt it. This cold was no normal cold. And the touch. Someone was holding her. Protecting her.

She heard Marigold's voice--that of an angel in this instant. No harbinger of death, but one of justice. Tears streamed down Nanaro's face at that very instant. Just a few seconds ago, she had been face to face with death itself. Her charred hands...looking at them made her cry harder, but the tears froze. She let Marigold carry her off to safety, and she marveled at her powers over ice. She erected an ice wall to protect not only her, but the bodies of Fu and Vance as well. When the woman soared into the air with wings of ice and matching armor, Nanaro felt like passing out. A true angel if I have ever seen one... With intense determination, she refused to faint now, and watched intently as Marigold did battle with the dragon. Neither side was going to give, but the dragon was cocky. Marigold took advantage of that quite easily and sealed the beast in a block of ice--a punishment too good for such a malicious creature. Marigold landed and returned to her normal form, but she seemed really tired.

"A-are you okay?" Nanaro said and rushed off to Marigold's side, wary of the dragon encased in ice. She touched Marigold's arm with one of her burnt hands, trying to comfort her. Was she going to be all right? It did seem like a rather trying ordeal, not to mention the way she tossed that energy around. But she had saved their lives. A miracle.

"Yes." Marigold smiled kindly, gently, at Nanaro. Her eyes were half closed, Marigold was having trouble keeping them open, she was much too tired. "I am fine, Ira will no longer be able to do anything too us. As long as he stays in that ice, he is as good as dead to the world." Marigold looked over to where Vance and Fu lay, and began walking over to the both of them.

Marigold knelt down next to Vance first, reaching down and touching his cheeks with her cold hands. Marigold reached down and kissed his forehead lightly, leaving a plate of ice that covered Vance's entire forehead, cooling him and lowering his body temperature to normal levels. Marigold moved over to Fu and did the same, embracing the both of them and cooling their bodies.

Satisfied, Marigold approached Nanaro again, and wrapped her arms around the younger girl, kissing her forehead as well. Marigold was doing her best to alleviate everyone of their wounds, even in the tired state she was in. "You are all safe now," Marigold whispered gently.

Nanaro let out a sigh of relief as Marigold went to tend to the men. Would she be able to heal them? She watched as she bent down and kissed Vance on the forehead, and blinked. She did the same to Fu. And she gave them hugs. What was it she was trying to accomplish? Not saying farewell, to be sure. That's when the beautiful woman approached Nanaro herself and gave her a kiss on the forehead and a freezing embrace, but it felt so wondrous. It was as if all the heat the dragon had used against her had vanished. She felt...normal again. Never before would she have realized how wonderful it felt just being in a stable condition, something most take for granted.

Cold. That was all Vance could feel. Wait. I can feel? Since when? he thought weakly and laughed...in his mind. Someone was fiddling with his body. That much, he could tell. It was so cold. Where had all the heat gone? Before, he thought it the cold of death, but he was not dead. He could feel. And he could think. So...what was it? He opened his eyes slowly and looked around. It looked...like it should. Before it was blazing flames and rock, but now there was snow everywhere, so cold to the touch. When he saw the dragon man frozen in the block of ice, he let out a weak laugh, stumbling to stand up. The cold felt wonderful after dealing with someone like him. He looked over at Fu, who got the same treatment as he had. And then there was...Marigold? From the town? Treating Nanaro. Nanaro... He walked closer towards them.

"You saved our asses right?" he asked rhetorically, tapping her on the shoulder. "I want to say thanks. I know you'll give me the 'ah, it's no problem', but really. Who shows up out of the blue and rescues three souls from the abyss of death? It's amazing." He thought back to what Fu had said...the words that kept hope alight in himself and Nanaro too. "Fu knew you were coming all along. He told us there was someone who could stall that freak of nature."

Vance's words caused Nanaro to shake. He was going to be all right. And that meant Fu was too. And she was, though she already knew that. She could feel it. "Vance is right...," she said solemnly, looking up at Marigold. "Fu knew it all along. He kept us fighting, filled with hope. That's probably how he was able to stay so strong through it all as well. He knew what kind of person was coming to save the day." Here, she smiled, holding back a few more tears. They'd become nothing but ice if she allowed them to fall anyway.

Marigold smiled brightly at the two of them, saying nothing. What could she say? Saying 'you're welcome' would sound too apathetic and pretentious. Saying 'I did it because I care' would be too obvious. So Marigold said nothing, she only smiled at Vance and Nanaro, knowing in her heart that what they said was true.

"Save your breath, you two," Marigold finally spoke to give them a bit of advice. "You might feel better in comparison to the intense heat that dragon gave off, but this place is still dangerously cold for you."

Fu's grumbling echoed from his body, his face scrunched up in pain as he slowly opened his eyes, only to shut them again from the bright light. "Marigold, is that you?"

Marigold walked over and knelt down again by Fu's side, grabbing a hold of his hand with both of hers, allowing him to feel the icy grip of her skin. "I'm here, Fu. Vance and Nanaro are both safe and well, I arrived just in time. I heard that you were quite the brave man," Marigold told him slowly, so as to not stress his brain. Fu was the one who was the most severely injured, he was sure to be dizzy for awhile.

"Thank the gods," Fu sighed with relief, ignoring Marigold's compliment and attempting to open his eyes again in order to look at Marigold. Marigold swept her hand over Fu's eyes, creating a bridge of ice over his eyes that acted like a visor to protect him from the light of the sun. "We need to get inside the mine at once," Fu mentioned as Marigold began wrapping Fu's arm around her shoulder and pulling him to his feet.

"I know," Marigold replied, waving her free hand at the frozen, iron doors. The ice on the doors cracked slightly, and the heavy iron swung open to reveal the mine inside. "Everyone inside, quickly." Marigold led the way with Fu at her side into the mine, the doors swinging shut behind the group thanks to Marigold's magic.

The inside of the mine was well-lit, and they first entered a warm room with wooden floors and ceiling, a few support beams holding the ceiling up. There was a stone furnace off to the right hand side of the room, surrounded by a few cushion mats for sitting on. They could see a room with a few makeshift beds, made from iceweed and cotton (imported from other continents).

Marigold brought Fu over to the beds and laid him down in one of them, to grant him time to rest. She also turned the lights down a little so she could remove his ice-visor. Marigold then set about into another room filled with cooking utensils and products. She quickly started a kettle over the furnace, the burning coal inside the stone warming the room even further. Marigold continued her busy work, despite looking tired herself, preparing drink and food to help the others recover from their ordeal.

Vance took Nanaro by the hand, taking care not to grip it too tightly, and together, they followed Marigold and Fu into the mine where they would be much safer. The warmth made Vance cringe upon entering, and once he got his heart back to a normal pace, he realized that it was a rather nice warmth. Not blazing hot...like the flames of a dragon. He let go of Nanaro's hand only to grab her and embrace her. "Sorry about all this," he whispered in her ear, afraid of how she felt about the whole situation. He was just glad that she was alive. And had come to little harm. Otherwise, everything he did would have been in vain. Of course, Marigold was a major part of that. There was no way in all of Naletia that he could repay Marigold for what she was able to do.

"You're an idiot. Go rest," she said heartlessly, though there was a slightly playful tone that Vance would be able to pick up on. After traveling together for so long, he'd just know. She pushed him in the direction of the beds, and watched as he trundled along uneasily, collapsing with a sigh on one of them, enjoying the softness of it. Nanaro meandered over to where Marigold was hastily preparing food and drink, even after having experienced such an ordeal. It was a difficult battle, even for her and her power, so she had to have been tired. "Would you like any help with anything?" Nanaro offered politely. She had to have been the least physically tired out of all of them, so if she could make herself useful, she'd endeavor to make it so.

Marigold paused over her pots to glance at Nanaro with a smile. "If you'd like," she replied gratefully, wiping her hands with a towel and moving over to a cutting board and sliding it out of the way. "If you can bring the things that I call for, that would be a great help," Marigold said, grabbing a knife from the cupboard and placing it down on the cutting board. She moved back to the pot cooking over a stove, spreading a thin layer of salt over the surface of the water.

"Grab three of those roots and put them on the cutting board," Marigold instructed, cranking up the heat on the stove a bit more. She quickly spun around and moved to the counter on the other side, grabbing a few spice leaves lying in a pool of cold water and gave them a good shake before placing them in a mortar and crushing them with the pedestal. When she finished crushing them, Marigold brought the mortar over to the roots she asked Nanaro to put on the cutting board and began spreading the paste on the roots like it was butter, careful to cover the whole root with the paste. Marigold would go back to make more paste whenever she ran out, and this continued until the water in the pot began boiling.

Marigold cooked with Nanaro for awhile, all of her time was spent tending to the soon-to-be soup. When the kettle over the furnace began whistling, Marigold asked Nanaro to retrieve it as she put the finishing touches on the now good-looking soup. By the time Nanaro returned with the kettle, Marigold was already using a ladle to pour out equal portions of soup, giving two of them to Nanaro, so she could deliver them to Vance and Fu.

While Nanaro was away, this was the time that Marigold finally took a break, sitting down on a wooden stool in the kitchen area, her head leaned back as she breathed heavily. Even then, Marigold could hear Fu's voice in her head, complimenting her on her mother-like perseverance.

Nanaro nodded her head and did as Marigold instructed her. As she watched the cooking process, Nanaro had no idea what the woman was trying to prepare. It wasn't until the end that she realized that Marigold was making some sort of soup, which seemed heavenly in the condition they were in. Handing two bowls to the young girl, Marigold had told her to deliver them to the men, so she obliged without a word. They needed this more than anything. She walked to the room with the beds and peered inside. Vance was awake and sitting up, bent over a small piece of paper and holding a tiny pencil, scrawling something on it. He looked up as she entered.

"Marigold went through the trouble of fixing you guys something good to eat," Nanaro stated blatantly, walking towards Vance and handing him one of the bowls filled with the steaming hot broth. She honestly didn't know how it would taste, but she figured anything would be good after what they had just went through.

Vance put away his pitiful writing materials and tucked them into a different pouch next to his pouch of senbon. "Ah, I'll definitely have to thank her then; I'm starved," Vance responded calmly, taking the bowl into his hands and blowing on the soup that was inside, waiting for it to cool down just a bit.

"I'll make sure to give her your regards," Nanaro said whimsically and walked over to where Fu was. "And some for you, too, good sir," she offered, holding out the bowl of soup for the man.

Fu pushed himself into a sitting position when Nanaro entered with two bowls filled with soup. He had expected something like this from Marigold, after all, she still treated him as if she were his mother. Which was strange, considering that Fu wasn't that much younger than her. "Thank you," Fu said weakly, taking the soup from Nanaro as she offered it to him. He was still feeling very tired, both from getting buried in snow and getting lit up like a bonfire. Fu only really began to realize his weakness when he took a sip from the piping hot soup. He didn't even care that his tongue burnt, the way the liquid traveled down his throat so easily, and how it warmed his entire body from the inside was like heaven's embrace to him.

Fu took another sip, this time focusing in on the taste of the soup. He could tell that Marigold put a lot of spice in the soup from just looking at it. But the main ingredient was the root of iceweed. That root had such a powerful, bitter flavor that even the best chefs in Krephu couldn't get rid of it. But this soup was probably the closest thing Fu ever tasted to having that spicy sweetness those chefs looked to achieve.

Fu took another sip just as Marigold entered with a small tray of hot tea, and placed it on the small stable next to Fu and Vance's beds. There were three cups and a single bowl of soup, one tea for Fu, Vance, and Nanaro each and the soup was also for Nanaro. Marigold did not get herself anything. Fu raised the soup towards Marigold, catching her attention.

"It is delicious," Fu complimented, regaining some of his strength from the hot liquid that flowed through his digestive system.

"Thanks," Marigold accepted, giving him a little mock bow before climbing up onto his bed to sit down at the foot. "But we need to talk, you two," Marigold directed at Vance and Nanaro. "Get comfortable, because this may take awhile."