Mana Academy: Beyond Borders IC

[Kingdom of Irhk]

Paris - Unholy Confrontation

Blanchefleur did not need to tell anyone where she was or what her next plan was. She had driven Europe into a frenzy. Or better yet, Catherine had done the job for her. With her escape from the castle and with her current location unknown, she could watch as the continent observed the mysterious calamity that had struck Grenoble. In that time, she had managed to kill Lady Holstein, and now she would make her way through Paris from behind a dark curtain.

Paris was a beautiful, glittering city, but everything that sparkles casts a shadow. The spiders she had sent after Lady Holstein crawled happily through the dark corners of Paris’s slums, making their way into the busier, wealthier parts of the city. She would not just strike fear into the Magical World, but also the Mundane world. They would have no idea how to handle what was coming.

The pandemonium started when a Mundane man dressed in a black suit and white coat began to writhe and scream in the Paris Métro. Horrified first responders and medics observed as the man’s skin began to melt on his face, shoulders, and chest. Chaos ensued, and people began screaming and trampling each other to get out of the subway. In reality, several of Blanchefleur’s spiders had bitten the man at once, causing their rapid-action toxin to fire through his veins.

As people rushed to either give medical assistance or to escape the plague within the station, a portal opened in a dark corner of the Métro. Here the party would land, in a place which would have normally been hidden from Mundanes’ eyes. They were not exactly more visible now, with the chaos that had spilled and rumbled all around them. Yet the melted body drew the Fae-wolf’s attention, and her ears perked as she waited for the others to follow.

Blanchefleur’s Magic is here. Search carefully. Do not go near the body yet.

Indeed, the man was already almost dead. Nobody knew how, or why, but he had started to bleed everywhere. Other people were already injured from trampling each other, and as someone had gotten the right senses to call emergency services, others were trying to help the downed citizens out of the station and toward a nearby hospital.

Here, in the Paris Métro, would lie Henry and company’s next battle against Blanchefleur’s forces.

Henry von Kressel

"Yet?"

The melted body, who seemed to dissolve out of thin air into a paste of flesh and bone, was clearly a display of Blanchefleur's proclivity towards a cruel and effective way of dealing with her enemies or simply making a statement meant to last. Her spiders did the job? Or another creation that she hid somewhere deep in her now destroyed lair?

"This body will become an enemy or something, isn't it? I do not like our current position and I certainly like even less this scenario... If Blanchefleur's magic is this strong here, what does it even mean? She is giving up on the subterfuge and going on an all out offensive, no fear at all of her opponents?"

[Luminesa]

Paris - Unholy Confrontation

Blanchefleur did not need to tell anyone where she was or what her next plan was. She had driven Europe into a frenzy. Or better yet, Catherine had done the job for her. With her escape from the castle and with her current location unknown, she could watch as the continent observed the mysterious calamity that had struck Grenoble. In that time, she had managed to kill Lady Holstein, and now she would make her way through Paris from behind a dark curtain.

Paris was a beautiful, glittering city, but everything that sparkles casts a shadow. The spiders she had sent after Lady Holstein crawled happily through the dark corners of Paris’s slums, making their way into the busier, wealthier parts of the city. She would not just strike fear into the Magical World, but also the Mundane world. They would have no idea how to handle what was coming.

The pandemonium started when a Mundane man dressed in a black suit and white coat began to writhe and scream in the Paris Métro. Horrified first responders and medics observed as the man’s skin began to melt on his face, shoulders, and chest. Chaos ensued, and people began screaming and trampling each other to get out of the subway. In reality, several of Blanchefleur’s spiders had bitten the man at once, causing their rapid-action toxin to fire through his veins.

As people rushed to either give medical assistance or to escape the plague within the station, a portal opened in a dark corner of the Métro. Here the party would land, in a place which would have normally been hidden from Mundanes’ eyes. They were not exactly more visible now, with the chaos that had spilled and rumbled all around them. Yet the melted body drew the Fae-wolf’s attention, and her ears perked as she waited for the others to follow.

Blanchefleur’s Magic is here. Search carefully. Do not go near the body yet.

Indeed, the man was already almost dead. Nobody knew how, or why, but he had started to bleed everywhere. Other people were already injured from trampling each other, and as someone had gotten the right senses to call emergency services, others were trying to help the downed citizens out of the station and toward a nearby hospital.

Here, in the Paris Métro, would lie Henry and company’s next battle against Blanchefleur’s forces.

Henry von Kressel

"Yet?"

The melted body, who seemed to dissolve out of thin air into a paste of flesh and bone, was clearly a display of Blanchefleur's proclivity towards a cruel and effective way of dealing with her enemies or simply making a statement meant to last. Her spiders did the job? Or another creation that she hid somewhere deep in her now destroyed lair?

"This body will become an enemy or something, isn't it? I do not like our current position and I certainly like even less this scenario... If Blanchefleur's magic is this strong here, what does it even mean? She is giving up on the subterfuge and going on an all out offensive, no fear at all of her opponents?"

The Spiders on the Wall

Eglantine took a look at the body first, peering out of the corner while Ruby looked around for any immediate signs of danger. Of course, the group risked getting trampled while people were rushing out of the Metro, and the Rise girl did run to help a woman to her feet as she saw her trip in her heels. As the woman was able to stand and hurry away, Eglantine looked around and Ruby followed, wanting to keep her safe. They searched the area with caution as the number of people in the station diminished, and medical personnel were hurrying toward the Metro. Ambulances shrieked in the distance, only to echo away intermittently. Both women could hear their breathing as the metro became shockingly empty in less than ten minutes.

"...Uh...hey...do you...hear anything?" Eglantine's voice whispered. Her eyes flickered around, and rather than using a fireball in this instance, she took out her phone and used the flashlight to illuminate the floor. "...Like...I dunno...movement?"

Ruby kept her eyes on the decomposing body nearby, as it was melted and left in a horrific condition, not even recognizable as a person. Her eyes then looked down toward the floor. Something was crawling toward her foot. A miniscule, furry, black spider. Immediately, she smelled Dark Magic, and her eyes flared to an electric-blue glow. "GET BACK!"

The spider morphed into a humanoid creature, hissing and striking toward her in a flash. Yet Kusanagi met the creature's snarling face and slashed through it, rendering it dead in an instant. The sword glowered with its steel gaze toward the enemy, and Ruby clenched it with now-white knuckles as she looked back to Henry and Kimiko. "...If you see spiders, ANY spiders, BURN THEM. There's Dark Magic ALL over this station. There's no telling how many more people just carried them out of the station, we need to kill these and then go out. DO NOT get separated, understood?!" Ruby ordered.

Eglantine nodded, and immediately stepped on one spider as it came near her foot. In the meantime, Henry and Kimiko would sense little specks of darkness moving toward them.

Kimiko already would feel something...tiny...crawling up her leg.

[Britanania]

Paris, France
Kimiko Taira

No sooner had Kimiko and her allies return to Paris did utter chaos erupt, creating a scene of utter chaos as confused and frightened Parisians and others in the metro scramble to leave in a blatant and utter flaunting of magical power. Kimiko watched with sympathy as the man died as a result of Blanchefleur's magic, the toxins ripping through his body at a rapid pace. The young woman was no stranger to death, having served her Clan well, and she knew the dangers when she agreed to the fae wolf's call to adventure, but it didn't take away from the transcience of life before her.

There is no death, as there is no life/Are not the skies cloudless/ and the rivers clear? she recited to herself, although her moment of calm was short-lived as the new threat materialised, almost literally, in the form of spiders. Kimiko grimaced at the sight and moved into a defensive position even before Ruby warned her, reaching into her blazer jacket and pulling out three kunai as she looked around, searching for any threats.

It's mostly well lit, she observed. I could try some shadow magic, although that could leave me open to--

Immediately, the Taira scion felt something on her leg, and insatiately, she brandished her knives and scraped the offending area of her leg.

[Luminesa]

Paris, France
Kimiko Taira

No sooner had Kimiko and her allies return to Paris did utter chaos erupt, creating a scene of utter chaos as confused and frightened Parisians and others in the metro scramble to leave in a blatant and utter flaunting of magical power. Kimiko watched with sympathy as the man died as a result of Blanchefleur's magic, the toxins ripping through his body at a rapid pace. The young woman was no stranger to death, having served her Clan well, and she knew the dangers when she agreed to the fae wolf's call to adventure, but it didn't take away from the transcience of life before her.

There is no death, as there is no life/Are not the skies cloudless/ and the rivers clear? she recited to herself, although her moment of calm was short-lived as the new threat materialised, almost literally, in the form of spiders. Kimiko grimaced at the sight and moved into a defensive position even before Ruby warned her, reaching into her blazer jacket and pulling out three kunai as she looked around, searching for any threats.

It's mostly well lit, she observed. I could try some shadow magic, although that could leave me open to--

Immediately, the Taira scion felt something on her leg, and insatiately, she brandished her knives and scraped the offending area of her leg.

On The Killing Floor

Kimiko did not know the exact threat of these little spiders at the time. Ruby had not liked the Magic they had exuded, but she had been unable to guess what exactly these spiders did. Yet their appearance was still insidious, and the group kept themselves guarded as the Metro became far too empty. The skittering was hard to hear, but it was still present if one listened to the tinest sounds on the floor below. Yet the spiders did not stay still, and many of them had moved in and around the Metro. More screams of horror sounded outside, and ambulance sirens grew louder. Ruby moved away for a moment, just to see what had happened, and she peered up into the general populace.

Only to have a half-melted body collapse to the floor not too far from her face.

The scene was something from an apocalyptic movie. People were howling in agony, screeching and yelling for help, cursing in French, English, and couple other languages. That smell of melting flesh and muscle was revolting, and though Ruby was used to horrific smells, she could not stand this scent. She was also helpless to save these people, who seemed to collapse without warning and just died on the sidewalk. She could see at least three or four people now expiring on the ground, some giving their last breaths. A drop of sweat fell off her brow, and she hurried back into the subway to check on her group.

"Whatever is up there, or whatever was in this subway, it is causing people to actually melt. It's not hitting everyone, and there's no way to tell...The only source of Dark Magic I sense is those spiders, and if they are causing those sorts of deaths, kill EVERY spider you find!" she screamed.

Kimiko seemed to obey immediately as she scraped some tiny black dot off her leg. It was indeed a spider, one that was seconds from biting into her calf. Now that it had been thrown off her leg, it seemed to skitter away.

But Ruby still did not feel safe. She looked toward Henry and Eglantine.

"Burn ANYTHING that LOOKS like a spider, do you hear me?!"

"Loud and clear, chief," Eglantine murmured. She could not help but check every fold of her clothing for little specks of darkness, and a memory came back to her as she removed her scarf and wrung it in front of her. "...My aunt...really liked spiders...dungeons...and dark places...I mean, you can't get more Disney villain than that, but...my cousin Celestine used to tell me stories...of spiders crawling all over dead bodies in the dungeons...I wonder...if that's what this...HENRY!"

A shadow moved behind Henry in that moment, though it was not a spider. Rather, it seemed to be humanoid, the side of a young woman. One who was aiming a dagger straight for his jugular vein.

[Kingdom of Irhk]

Paris, France
Kimiko Taira

No sooner had Kimiko and her allies return to Paris did utter chaos erupt, creating a scene of utter chaos as confused and frightened Parisians and others in the metro scramble to leave in a blatant and utter flaunting of magical power. Kimiko watched with sympathy as the man died as a result of Blanchefleur's magic, the toxins ripping through his body at a rapid pace. The young woman was no stranger to death, having served her Clan well, and she knew the dangers when she agreed to the fae wolf's call to adventure, but it didn't take away from the transcience of life before her.

There is no death, as there is no life/Are not the skies cloudless/ and the rivers clear? she recited to herself, although her moment of calm was short-lived as the new threat materialised, almost literally, in the form of spiders. Kimiko grimaced at the sight and moved into a defensive position even before Ruby warned her, reaching into her blazer jacket and pulling out three kunai as she looked around, searching for any threats.

It's mostly well lit, she observed. I could try some shadow magic, although that could leave me open to--

Immediately, the Taira scion felt something on her leg, and insatiately, she brandished her knives and scraped the offending area of her leg.

On The Killing Floor

Kimiko did not know the exact threat of these little spiders at the time. Ruby had not liked the Magic they had exuded, but she had been unable to guess what exactly these spiders did. Yet their appearance was still insidious, and the group kept themselves guarded as the Metro became far too empty. The skittering was hard to hear, but it was still present if one listened to the tinest sounds on the floor below. Yet the spiders did not stay still, and many of them had moved in and around the Metro. More screams of horror sounded outside, and ambulance sirens grew louder. Ruby moved away for a moment, just to see what had happened, and she peered up into the general populace.

Only to have a half-melted body collapse to the floor not too far from her face.

The scene was something from an apocalyptic movie. People were howling in agony, screeching and yelling for help, cursing in French, English, and couple other languages. That smell of melting flesh and muscle was revolting, and though Ruby was used to horrific smells, she could not stand this scent. She was also helpless to save these people, who seemed to collapse without warning and just died on the sidewalk. She could see at least three or four people now expiring on the ground, some giving their last breaths. A drop of sweat fell off her brow, and she hurried back into the subway to check on her group.

"Whatever is up there, or whatever was in this subway, it is causing people to actually melt. It's not hitting everyone, and there's no way to tell...The only source of Dark Magic I sense is those spiders, and if they are causing those sorts of deaths, kill EVERY spider you find!" she screamed.

Kimiko seemed to obey immediately as she scraped some tiny black dot off her leg. It was indeed a spider, one that was seconds from biting into her calf. Now that it had been thrown off her leg, it seemed to skitter away.

But Ruby still did not feel safe. She looked toward Henry and Eglantine.

"Burn ANYTHING that LOOKS like a spider, do you hear me?!"

"Loud and clear, chief," Eglantine murmured. She could not help but check every fold of her clothing for little specks of darkness, and a memory came back to her as she removed her scarf and wrung it in front of her. "...My aunt...really liked spiders...dungeons...and dark places...I mean, you can't get more Disney villain than that, but...my cousin Celestine used to tell me stories...of spiders crawling all over dead bodies in the dungeons...I wonder...if that's what this...HENRY!"

A shadow moved behind Henry in that moment, though it was not a spider. Rather, it seemed to be humanoid, the side of a young woman. One who was aiming a dagger straight for his jugular vein.

Henry von Kressel

The shadow that moved behind the young mage pretended to be stealthy. Yet Eglantine's scream - and Rabbit's training, which allowed Henry to perceive the movement in the space around him without using his sight. With a precise movement, Henry quickly stepped to the left, his body extending forward as his leg went straight to his foe's torso in a flaming hit, sending it to the nearest wall.

Quickly, Henry ran to nearest rail, removing it from the wall using heat and improvising a reinforced staff with it, as the pale maid held her knife tight to her hand, her outfit slightly damaged by Henry's kick.

"I don't know what the hell that is, but I doubt she's the only one around and that she'll be gentle enough to talk!"

[Luminesa]

On The Killing Floor

Kimiko did not know the exact threat of these little spiders at the time. Ruby had not liked the Magic they had exuded, but she had been unable to guess what exactly these spiders did. Yet their appearance was still insidious, and the group kept themselves guarded as the Metro became far too empty. The skittering was hard to hear, but it was still present if one listened to the tinest sounds on the floor below. Yet the spiders did not stay still, and many of them had moved in and around the Metro. More screams of horror sounded outside, and ambulance sirens grew louder. Ruby moved away for a moment, just to see what had happened, and she peered up into the general populace.

Only to have a half-melted body collapse to the floor not too far from her face.

The scene was something from an apocalyptic movie. People were howling in agony, screeching and yelling for help, cursing in French, English, and couple other languages. That smell of melting flesh and muscle was revolting, and though Ruby was used to horrific smells, she could not stand this scent. She was also helpless to save these people, who seemed to collapse without warning and just died on the sidewalk. She could see at least three or four people now expiring on the ground, some giving their last breaths. A drop of sweat fell off her brow, and she hurried back into the subway to check on her group.

"Whatever is up there, or whatever was in this subway, it is causing people to actually melt. It's not hitting everyone, and there's no way to tell...The only source of Dark Magic I sense is those spiders, and if they are causing those sorts of deaths, kill EVERY spider you find!" she screamed.

Kimiko seemed to obey immediately as she scraped some tiny black dot off her leg. It was indeed a spider, one that was seconds from biting into her calf. Now that it had been thrown off her leg, it seemed to skitter away.

But Ruby still did not feel safe. She looked toward Henry and Eglantine.

"Burn ANYTHING that LOOKS like a spider, do you hear me?!"

"Loud and clear, chief," Eglantine murmured. She could not help but check every fold of her clothing for little specks of darkness, and a memory came back to her as she removed her scarf and wrung it in front of her. "...My aunt...really liked spiders...dungeons...and dark places...I mean, you can't get more Disney villain than that, but...my cousin Celestine used to tell me stories...of spiders crawling all over dead bodies in the dungeons...I wonder...if that's what this...HENRY!"

A shadow moved behind Henry in that moment, though it was not a spider. Rather, it seemed to be humanoid, the side of a young woman. One who was aiming a dagger straight for his jugular vein.

Henry von Kressel

The shadow that moved behind the young mage pretended to be stealthy. Yet Eglantine's scream - and Rabbit's training, which allowed Henry to perceive the movement in the space around him without using his sight. With a precise movement, Henry quickly stepped to the left, his body extending forward as his leg went straight to his foe's torso in a flaming hit, sending it to the nearest wall.

Quickly, Henry ran to nearest rail, removing it from the wall using heat and improvising a reinforced staff with it, as the pale maid held her knife tight to her hand, her outfit slightly damaged by Henry's kick.

"I don't know what the hell that is, but I doubt she's the only one around and that she'll be gentle enough to talk!"

Burning Webs

The group turned toward the assailant as she made her appearance-and was promptly repelled by Henry's kick to the stomach. She could have grabbed at his leg, if she had time to react, but Henry was strong enough to shove her away toward a nearby wall. Even so, she seemed hardly fazed. She was not tall, but she stood tall enough as she straightened herself and wiped the dust off her dress. Her traditional maid outfit should have been disarming, maybe even a little fru-fru for someone who was supposed to be a deadly assassin, but her unblinking red eyes and pathological, stitched-on smile made-up for the strange, innocent look. She tossed her short bob of black hair and giggled. "You were quite fast! But you'll have to be faster, Lord Von Kressel," she responded, her voice gratingly shrill and cute.

At the same time, more spider-maids rose from the darkness, hoping that the group of Mages were distracted enough by the presence of the first maid. Ruby, however, felt the surge of Dark Magic behind her. Whirling around, Kusanagi sliced through one spider maid's stomach, not even taking the time to register her appearance or how close she was. A horrifying sight did meet the Jaegar, however, when she did take a chance to observe her surroundings. Shadows of at least a dozen spider-maids stood in the darkness, their crimson eyes staring at the group. Ruby grimaced and eyed them as a standoff began. Most of the maids had knives in their hands, but some were barehanded. Given what the party had just witnessed, she figured that they probably did not need the knives in order to kill, if they had been responsible for the melting deaths they had witnessed moments ago.

Seeing Henry grab a rail and kick away the spider-maid, Eglantine set her fists aflame and looked for a cluster of spider-maids in a group. At least four. If she rushed into that group, she could not guarantee that she could protect her blind spot, and she groaned. "...Don't let them gang on you, it only takes one stab and you'll bleed-out in minutes," she murmured to Kimiko. She had no idea whether or not Kimiko was a newcomer to combat, but as someone who was used to gritty fights she knew what people could do if they found the right veins and arteries. "And if they really did melt all those people...we don't want to find-out firsthand how they did it."

With that statement, a trio of spider-maids rushed at Eglantine. They unleashed a barrage of chilling hisses and clicks, meant to disturb and confuse the opponent. However, the Rise heiress was in her fighting stance, and she did not budge until they were about to cross into stabbing distance. Charging a fireball over her right fist, she moved forward in a flash to make a punching motion, releasing the fireball to smash into the trio. A collision of screeches sounded as the assassins were thrown back by the force of the Fire Magic, their outfits now on fire. The successful attack only gave a moment's reprieve, however, as the rest of the maids charged forward, aiming on all sides to try and find the weak point. Eglantine knew, of course, that Blanchefleur only wanted her alive in theory. If she was to kill me, it wouldn't matter all that much to her...After all...what she did to Saturninus... Her rage at the thought of her cousin's suffering caused her to shoot another fireball toward a spider-maid, this time kicking it off her foot like a soccer ball at an unprepared goalie.

In the meantime, outside in the chaos, someone was rushing into the crowd to help with triage and emergency services. A tall man, tanned and dressed in layman's clothes, knew that the damage was Magical. In haste he found some of the victims, with the help of the EMS team. He then knelt next to one of the men, and he examined a gaping wound in his arm. Tissue and muscle damage. He adjusted his glasses, and put on a pair of gloves. "Let's take a look at that wound, huh?...It's serious, but I think I can help you. I have some gauze...I just need you to breathe..."

"Ah...ah...okay...okay...but...why are you...who are you...Are you EMS?..." The man questioned him in a panicked, thick, Parisian accent.

"No, but I know what's happening. My name is Victor-Pierre, and I need you to remain calm no matter what, okay?" the bespectacled man responded. Subtle Magic flowed off his gloves, and he put his hands over the man's wound.

[Kingdom of Irhk]

Henry von Kressel - Paris, France

The psycho-killer looking maids carried themselves with sadistic smiles on their faces, or unalterable expressions that upon ceasing, made the enemies regret their offenses to their lack of human features. The grotesque hissing and screaming seemed to be perfectly planned to go along with the cleanly presented outfits they wore, a sight that could easily trap their enemies if they, for a second, dared to think that they weren't dangerous enemies.

A pair marched towards Henry, armed with knives that Henry wasn't particularly interested on discovering their sharpness, as the maids would certainly manage to stab them even if they were completely blunt. Using his improvised weapon, Henry tried to keep his distance, making sure to cast a guard that went along his right arm to avoid getting cut on his dominant side, while giving them a little bit more space to work.

As a maid lunged on to him, the young mage made sure to quickly hit the maid at her chin, producing a hiss that could be easily described as an otherworldly snake getting angrier by the minute with the resistance of its prey. As the second maid took on the fight to herself, advancing and going for a frontal stab at Henry's chest, she met a deflection, using her hurry to deliver the frontal blow to gently pull her towards Henry, who took a step to the side and kicked her on the back, using the momentum to roll forward past the first maid, once again facing the two foes, realizing that he needed to quickly resume or bring an end to the fight.

The angered maid moved once again, trying to slash and stab the von Kressel heir, producing the sound of metal against metal as Henry divided his attention between deflecting, dodging and watching the maid who got hit. As she got up and Henry found himself entangled, his eyes set against the nearly inhumane eyes of the maid in a battle of blades, he opened his mouth, letting out a hellish barrage of fire straight at her face, briefly stunning her keeping the other maid at bay, before frontally kicking her with the clear objective of building some space between them.

As his eyes visualized a column of the subway, Henry finally had an idea: spinning, he hit the maid straight at her burned face, throwing a mass of lava at her that quickly solidified, tying her to the column, and near acrobatically using the staff as a support for the relentless aggression against the remaining maid, circling her until she was close to the same column, using his device to entrap the first maid to the column to keep the another maid, forcing her to drop the knife. Swiftly, Henry pulled the knife to himself, isolating her at a magically created sheath, before setting the tip of his improvised staff on fire and throwing it on a straight line at both of the maids, piercing through their heads as the metal shined with the heat it was transferred to it.

"Eglantine! Any tips on how we kill them? Or we just hit until they're not moving anymore?!"

[Luminesa]

Infestation

Henry was holding his own just fine against the spider-maids, who for all their combined power were not as strong if Henry caught them by themselves. He had managed to pull at least two of them away from the group, in order to bludgeon and then burn them. Both Ruby and Eglantine were glad to see him doing well, though for slightly different reasons.

The distance between Kusanagi and the maids was not very fair, and they could still reach for her to slash or bite at her. Yet Ruby did not flinch, and the first maid that entered her sphere of attack felt the cold, iron blade slice through their face. A screech, a hiss, and a clicking sound echoed, as more spider-maids sprung from the darkness in their response to the attack. Ruby grit her teeth. “There could be thousands…in this subway alone…” she grunted, as she sliced down another maid.

Eglantine was letting her body and movements speak for her, as she kept her stance and sent fireballs leaping through the air at her enemies. She killed at least two or three spider-maids by burning them to death. Yet when she saw the new maids rise from the shadows, her eyes grew wide with fright. She wished she had asked her father how he had gotten away from the spiders in Blanchefleur’s dungeon. She wished she had spoken to him more at all.

Yet Henry’s urgent question dragged Eglantine away from a moment of self-loathing, and she decided to change her route of attack. Rather than keeping on the same level as the maids, she put flames under her feet and rose in a fiery set of steps onto a burning platform above her. All the while, she managed to call down to Henry. “Keep distance between yourself and them! Don’t let them catch your blind side! There’s a lot more of them! Come up here if you can!” She made enough room on the top platform for Henry to climb. After all, he was a Fire Mage and an ally, she would not let her attack burn him. In the meantime, she sniped at spider-maids from below, especially as they rushed Kimiko or tried to climb her fiery staircase.

Outside, Victor-Pierre healed at least one man’s arm. He had moved to heal another person, a woman whose face had been disfigured. He was discreet about his use of Magic. He carried band-aids and gauze to cover wounds which he healed. Yet in the midst of the chaos, his careful work was not always foolproof, and at least one EMT gave him a strange look as the woman’s face was no longer melting. Yet he did not stop to explain. Bah, let them draw their own conclusions. I don’t have time to explain, he thought.

Sensing an accumulation of Magic in the subway, however, he knew that the only way the attacks would stop was to destroy their nest. He healed another person’s weeping wound, and stood to look inside the Métro. Pulling his gloves tight, he hurried toward the darkness. He could have sworn he heard at least one person’s voice yelling as he drew near, so he knew that people were still trapped inside the Métro. I hope I’m not too late…oh God…I hope I’m not too late… he thought, already sweating as he rushed toward the hissing darkness…

[Kingdom of Irhk]

Infestation

Henry was holding his own just fine against the spider-maids, who for all their combined power were not as strong if Henry caught them by themselves. He had managed to pull at least two of them away from the group, in order to bludgeon and then burn them. Both Ruby and Eglantine were glad to see him doing well, though for slightly different reasons.

The distance between Kusanagi and the maids was not very fair, and they could still reach for her to slash or bite at her. Yet Ruby did not flinch, and the first maid that entered her sphere of attack felt the cold, iron blade slice through their face. A screech, a hiss, and a clicking sound echoed, as more spider-maids sprung from the darkness in their response to the attack. Ruby grit her teeth. “There could be thousands…in this subway alone…” she grunted, as she sliced down another maid.

Eglantine was letting her body and movements speak for her, as she kept her stance and sent fireballs leaping through the air at her enemies. She killed at least two or three spider-maids by burning them to death. Yet when she saw the new maids rise from the shadows, her eyes grew wide with fright. She wished she had asked her father how he had gotten away from the spiders in Blanchefleur’s dungeon. She wished she had spoken to him more at all.

Yet Henry’s urgent question dragged Eglantine away from a moment of self-loathing, and she decided to change her route of attack. Rather than keeping on the same level as the maids, she put flames under her feet and rose in a fiery set of steps onto a burning platform above her. All the while, she managed to call down to Henry. “Keep distance between yourself and them! Don’t let them catch your blind side! There’s a lot more of them! Come up here if you can!” She made enough room on the top platform for Henry to climb. After all, he was a Fire Mage and an ally, she would not let her attack burn him. In the meantime, she sniped at spider-maids from below, especially as they rushed Kimiko or tried to climb her fiery staircase.

Outside, Victor-Pierre healed at least one man’s arm. He had moved to heal another person, a woman whose face had been disfigured. He was discreet about his use of Magic. He carried band-aids and gauze to cover wounds which he healed. Yet in the midst of the chaos, his careful work was not always foolproof, and at least one EMT gave him a strange look as the woman’s face was no longer melting. Yet he did not stop to explain. Bah, let them draw their own conclusions. I don’t have time to explain, he thought.

Sensing an accumulation of Magic in the subway, however, he knew that the only way the attacks would stop was to destroy their nest. He healed another person’s weeping wound, and stood to look inside the Métro. Pulling his gloves tight, he hurried toward the darkness. He could have sworn he heard at least one person’s voice yelling as he drew near, so he knew that people were still trapped inside the Métro. I hope I’m not too late…oh God…I hope I’m not too late… he thought, already sweating as he rushed toward the hissing darkness…

Henry von Kressel - Paris

Clearly, if they kept up this pace they would be outnumbered by the insane number of maids that seemed to come out of the shadows like a horde of assassins ready to murder anything and anyone standing on their way. There was blood in their expressionless eyes, and as Eglantine created a burning platform above the chaos, Henry knew that he could use the advantage of a higher ground. Quickly, he built pillars that he could step on until he reached the platform, blowing them as he passed by, damaging the maids before he finally stood by Eglantine's side.

"So what's the plan? You throw fireballs, I spit fire until they're all melted or cease to attack?"

[Luminesa]

Infestation

Henry was holding his own just fine against the spider-maids, who for all their combined power were not as strong if Henry caught them by themselves. He had managed to pull at least two of them away from the group, in order to bludgeon and then burn them. Both Ruby and Eglantine were glad to see him doing well, though for slightly different reasons.

The distance between Kusanagi and the maids was not very fair, and they could still reach for her to slash or bite at her. Yet Ruby did not flinch, and the first maid that entered her sphere of attack felt the cold, iron blade slice through their face. A screech, a hiss, and a clicking sound echoed, as more spider-maids sprung from the darkness in their response to the attack. Ruby grit her teeth. “There could be thousands…in this subway alone…” she grunted, as she sliced down another maid.

Eglantine was letting her body and movements speak for her, as she kept her stance and sent fireballs leaping through the air at her enemies. She killed at least two or three spider-maids by burning them to death. Yet when she saw the new maids rise from the shadows, her eyes grew wide with fright. She wished she had asked her father how he had gotten away from the spiders in Blanchefleur’s dungeon. She wished she had spoken to him more at all.

Yet Henry’s urgent question dragged Eglantine away from a moment of self-loathing, and she decided to change her route of attack. Rather than keeping on the same level as the maids, she put flames under her feet and rose in a fiery set of steps onto a burning platform above her. All the while, she managed to call down to Henry. “Keep distance between yourself and them! Don’t let them catch your blind side! There’s a lot more of them! Come up here if you can!” She made enough room on the top platform for Henry to climb. After all, he was a Fire Mage and an ally, she would not let her attack burn him. In the meantime, she sniped at spider-maids from below, especially as they rushed Kimiko or tried to climb her fiery staircase.

Outside, Victor-Pierre healed at least one man’s arm. He had moved to heal another person, a woman whose face had been disfigured. He was discreet about his use of Magic. He carried band-aids and gauze to cover wounds which he healed. Yet in the midst of the chaos, his careful work was not always foolproof, and at least one EMT gave him a strange look as the woman’s face was no longer melting. Yet he did not stop to explain. Bah, let them draw their own conclusions. I don’t have time to explain, he thought.

Sensing an accumulation of Magic in the subway, however, he knew that the only way the attacks would stop was to destroy their nest. He healed another person’s weeping wound, and stood to look inside the Métro. Pulling his gloves tight, he hurried toward the darkness. He could have sworn he heard at least one person’s voice yelling as he drew near, so he knew that people were still trapped inside the Métro. I hope I’m not too late…oh God…I hope I’m not too late… he thought, already sweating as he rushed toward the hissing darkness…

Henry von Kressel - Paris

Clearly, if they kept up this pace they would be outnumbered by the insane number of maids that seemed to come out of the shadows like a horde of assassins ready to murder anything and anyone standing on their way. There was blood in their expressionless eyes, and as Eglantine created a burning platform above the chaos, Henry knew that he could use the advantage of a higher ground. Quickly, he built pillars that he could step on until he reached the platform, blowing them as he passed by, damaging the maids before he finally stood by Eglantine's side.

"So what's the plan? You throw fireballs, I spit fire until they're all melted or cease to attack?"

Mana's Party - Pest Control

Eglantine had to dance almost literally in the air, as she shot fireballs at the spider-maids below to keep them from attacking Kimiko. Ruby was also guarding the young student, slashing through the dangerous crowd and trying to keep their fangs away from her limbs. Between all four combatants, they managed to down at least a dozen of the spiders, but they still continued crawling out of the darkness. Perhaps Blanchefleur's plan was to end them here, in darkness. To kill them without anyone knowing the cause or the end result. Yet the party continued to fight as hard as they could.

At Henry's question, Eglantine looked down from her fiery platform and nodded. "That's the plan! Keep going until we have to retreat, or until we can burn them all! There's a lot, keep your guard up!" she screamed.

Meanwhile, someone in the distance now affirmed the voice they had heard was that of his cousin. He had thought she was dead, and when he entered the Metro after climbing under some yellow tape, he only stopped for a moment to see the blonde shooting fireballs from high in the air. He then turned, and slammed a hand into the nearest wall. Cold earth emerged, without taking from the structure of the wall. That earth began to shape and form into something he held in both arms, and it would take a moment for the people who noticed him to realize that the man had created an arm cannon from his Magic.

Ruby took a look at the newcomer, whose glasses reflected the sparks of fire that fell in front of him. "...You're here to help?"

"Yes I am, unfortunately," the man responded, using more Magic to pump something like bullets into his Earth-sculpted creation. He then aimed at the spider-maids, and a blast of exploding Earth and "shrapnel" split the bodies of three of them to pieces. He continued to fire and reload, not stopping to answer questions. He moved closer to Kimiko, who was more overwhelmed, but he kept his eyes especially on Henry and Eglantine. Henry was closest to the maids, and so he felt a need to call to him. "Hey! Move back, only attack from a distance! Trust me, kid! They'll bite the moment they can get close!" he screamed.

[Britanania]

Into the Spider's Web
Paris, France
Kimiko Taira

Matters were quickly spiraling out of control for Kimiko and her allies. In moments, the entire area was quite literally crawling with the creeping critters, causing Kimiko to frown in disgust.

How utterly vulgar, the young woman thought, brandishing a knife and attacking any spiders that came too close. She killed the spiders with detached efficiency, hearing the warnings and accepting them, but putting the mission fist over her immediate safety. Still, the situation was again changing as assassins sprung out, attacking Eglantine and Henry--and her, soon enough.

Cracking her neck, Kimiko threw a knife between the eyes of one of the arachnid maids, blown with pinpoint accuracy and speed thanks to a gust of wind magic dancing off of Kimiko's gloves. Her hands now free, the yakuza daughter utilised the shadows around her, trapping the movement of any approaching maids and allowing Henry's fireballs to take care of the rest as she retreated up to the platform where the others rested, aided by a mysterious French mage. Again, Kimiko frowned, eyeing him warily as he moved closer to assist her.

[Luminesa]

Into the Spider's Web
Paris, France
Kimiko Taira

Matters were quickly spiraling out of control for Kimiko and her allies. In moments, the entire area was quite literally crawling with the creeping critters, causing Kimiko to frown in disgust.

How utterly vulgar, the young woman thought, brandishing a knife and attacking any spiders that came too close. She killed the spiders with detached efficiency, hearing the warnings and accepting them, but putting the mission fist over her immediate safety. Still, the situation was again changing as assassins sprung out, attacking Eglantine and Henry--and her, soon enough.

Cracking her neck, Kimiko threw a knife between the eyes of one of the arachnid maids, blown with pinpoint accuracy and speed thanks to a gust of wind magic dancing off of Kimiko's gloves. Her hands now free, the yakuza daughter utilised the shadows around her, trapping the movement of any approaching maids and allowing Henry's fireballs to take care of the rest as she retreated up to the platform where the others rested, aided by a mysterious French mage. Again, Kimiko frowned, eyeing him warily as he moved closer to assist her.

Victor-Pierre - A Past Surrendered

Victor-Pierre had never again wanted to see the spider-maids, or anything related to spiders. He had known the threat they faced far too well, and his shots landed with veracity as he kept the spiders away from Kimiko and Ruby. Victor had no issues viewing women as the most powerful members of a party, but Ruby and Kimiko were not using ranged weapons. Thus he took upon himself to fire an extra round any time the spider-maids came close to them. A Jaegar and her apprentice…I guess I shouldn’t be too worried…but I am…

He used Magic and a bag of soil at his side to create more explosive bullets, and he continued to fire rounds at the spider-maids. He noticed Henry and Eglantine tag-teaming to kill the maids with fire, and he had to snicker. It seems Teenie found a good battle-partner… he thought, with a chuckle. At one time he would have thought very few people her age could keep pace with Eglantine, but Henry fought like a dragon trying to burst through a human shell and to reveal its flaming scales.

For a moment’s breath, the Earth Mage did notice Kimiko shooting him a distrustful look. She seemed to dislike his sudden presence with very little introduction, and he did not blame her. He had not had time to talk when he arrived. “Hey, don’t worry! We’ll talk after we clear the place, huh? Just keep firing, good shot with the dagger!” he called to her.

Eglantine - Ready, Steady, Fire

Eglantine used all of her willpower to keep herself from being distracted by the sudden appearance of her eldest cousin. After all, Henry needed her to keep firing and supporting him, as he was still close to the spiders, who were trying to tear at his clothing. Any sort of slash or gash might be deadly, and though Henry was fearless, her stress for him rose in her chest. Don’t get so close, you knucklehead…You’re not fighting alone… she mentally chastised him. Her hands shook for a moment, possibly from all of the quick exertion she had made with her Fire Magic, but she kept moving.

Fireballs rained through the air, exploding over spider-maids with reckless abandon. The party had killed at least three dozen of them now altogether, but they needed a way to end the fight without burning down the Métro. At the same time, they would all have to take some sort of a risk. She scanned the field, waiting for the numbers to deplete enough so she could use a large-enough attack…

[Kingdom of Irhk]

Into the Spider's Web
Paris, France
Kimiko Taira

Matters were quickly spiraling out of control for Kimiko and her allies. In moments, the entire area was quite literally crawling with the creeping critters, causing Kimiko to frown in disgust.

How utterly vulgar, the young woman thought, brandishing a knife and attacking any spiders that came too close. She killed the spiders with detached efficiency, hearing the warnings and accepting them, but putting the mission fist over her immediate safety. Still, the situation was again changing as assassins sprung out, attacking Eglantine and Henry--and her, soon enough.

Cracking her neck, Kimiko threw a knife between the eyes of one of the arachnid maids, blown with pinpoint accuracy and speed thanks to a gust of wind magic dancing off of Kimiko's gloves. Her hands now free, the yakuza daughter utilised the shadows around her, trapping the movement of any approaching maids and allowing Henry's fireballs to take care of the rest as she retreated up to the platform where the others rested, aided by a mysterious French mage. Again, Kimiko frowned, eyeing him warily as he moved closer to assist her.

Victor-Pierre - A Past Surrendered

Victor-Pierre had never again wanted to see the spider-maids, or anything related to spiders. He had known the threat they faced far too well, and his shots landed with veracity as he kept the spiders away from Kimiko and Ruby. Victor had no issues viewing women as the most powerful members of a party, but Ruby and Kimiko were not using ranged weapons. Thus he took upon himself to fire an extra round any time the spider-maids came close to them. A Jaegar and her apprentice…I guess I shouldn’t be too worried…but I am…

He used Magic and a bag of soil at his side to create more explosive bullets, and he continued to fire rounds at the spider-maids. He noticed Henry and Eglantine tag-teaming to kill the maids with fire, and he had to snicker. It seems Teenie found a good battle-partner… he thought, with a chuckle. At one time he would have thought very few people her age could keep pace with Eglantine, but Henry fought like a dragon trying to burst through a human shell and to reveal its flaming scales.

For a moment’s breath, the Earth Mage did notice Kimiko shooting him a distrustful look. She seemed to dislike his sudden presence with very little introduction, and he did not blame her. He had not had time to talk when he arrived. “Hey, don’t worry! We’ll talk after we clear the place, huh? Just keep firing, good shot with the dagger!” he called to her.

Eglantine - Ready, Steady, Fire

Eglantine used all of her willpower to keep herself from being distracted by the sudden appearance of her eldest cousin. After all, Henry needed her to keep firing and supporting him, as he was still close to the spiders, who were trying to tear at his clothing. Any sort of slash or gash might be deadly, and though Henry was fearless, her stress for him rose in her chest. Don’t get so close, you knucklehead…You’re not fighting alone… she mentally chastised him. Her hands shook for a moment, possibly from all of the quick exertion she had made with her Fire Magic, but she kept moving.

Fireballs rained through the air, exploding over spider-maids with reckless abandon. The party had killed at least three dozen of them now altogether, but they needed a way to end the fight without burning down the Métro. At the same time, they would all have to take some sort of a risk. She scanned the field, waiting for the numbers to deplete enough so she could use a large-enough attack…

Henry von Kressel

Even if Henry was relatively safe on the platform Eglantine built, the newcomer that appeared, making use of his big weaponry to quickly reduce the numbers of the maids that incessantly attacked them with their knives and the ominous threat of a poison that would lead them to their fast demise.

"Eglantine, whoever the gunner is, I am sure he needs some safety from the rest of the spiders! I'll go, you, Kimiko and Ruby try to gather up here and come up with something! Don't worry about hitting us, I am sure we can protect ourselves from the blow!"

Jumping from the platform, Henry reached for the ground, pulling a firm piece of concrete, quickly shaped through heat in a spear: stabbing, cutting and pushing his way to the mysterious man who created a powerful magical cannon, he stepped on the ground, raising a small, mid-heighted barrier, from which he could stab the maids with the reach of his spear and also allow the cannoneer some security.

"I don't know who you are, but as long as you keep shooting the maids, I will keep them at bay! Just don't stop firing!"

[Luminesa]

Ending the Seige

Eglantine paused for just a millisecond to listen to Henry’s shout, and she looked down at the gunner. She smirked and looked to Henry. “Yeah, that’s my cousin. I’d recognize that gun made of rocks any day,” she called, before she continued to fire. She knew at this assault was wearing everyone down, but at the very least they would be able to defeat a large part of a threat. As she felt the sweat dripping down her face and shoulders, she knew she was glad for any additional help.

Ruby seemed puzzled by the new addition to the party, but she did not question it. She moved back to make sure Victor-Pierre had cover as he shot, and together the five of the combatants slowly managed to clear the tunnel. If any other spiders were around, they did not make their presence known. The maids that continued to stand and fight exploded into cinders, fell into multiple pieces, or broke apart from Magic shrapnel as the fighting mounted and then died. The last few spider-maids screeched their angry cries, and then silence filled the Metro. Outside, screams and ambulances echoed through the air. Inside, only the echoes of horrific spider-creatures rang in their ears.

Victor-Pierre let his gun fall apart, as dust slipped through his fingertips. He then wiped his hands on his hips and turned to the party. “…Well! Good job, kids…and madam. I suppose I should re-introduce myself, since names can get lost in the heat of combat. My name is Victor-Pierre Rise, or just Victor Rise. Or just Victor. We’ve all come here for a similar purpose…Dear Auntie has decided to take a slice of the pie that she shouldn’t have…I suppose the group of you know where she is headed next? We’ll need to move quickly.”

The shouts continued as he waited for his answer, and he knew that the police would be coming into this tunnel to investigate. Everyone had to move now at a breakneck pace. They had little time for formalities, as it was now likely that Blanchefleur was moving quickly through Europe to get what she wanted.

[Britanania]

Paris, France
Kimiko Taira

Victor-Pierre tried to assuage Kimiko's fears that he was not a covert opponent but was indeed an ally. The young woman had little choice in accepting his help, so she gave him a slight nod of appreciation, at least taking his help at the present, and worry later about his motivations later.

At the very least, Kimiko thought as she threw a kunai at one of the immobile maids. Ruby and the others do not seem too wary of his presence... With his help, and efforts from Henry, the battle began to wind down and he revealed that he too was a member of House Rise. Kimiko relaxed her posture slightly, holding a knife close to her chest, as the sirens from the police vehicles echoed in the distance--and fast approaching their position. Kimiko looked over at Henry and Ruby, deferring to their authority at present.

[Luminesa]

Blanchefleur Rise - Spider's Lace

Losing spider-maids in the Paris Metro was an event that Blanchefleur expected. The hoards were there to stall the heroes from reaching Austria. She had located her son, and she had a deal to complete with Von Kressel's Great Lord. Yet a report from one of her small spiders who had arrived from Vienna spurred her the most toward invasion. Her son was with Manfred, that sniveling weasel. He had met with Eglantine and Henry, even for a brief time, and he had seemingly expressed that he did not wish to go back to his mother. Conversing with the traitors, praising them, downplaying the training and victory that he was denied.

The spiders did not have any sort of comprehension of love, but they knew fear. When Blanchefleur rose from a couch in one of the castle's studies, they knew to skitter into the shadows. She stood with swiftness, as if her son's betrayal had prompted her into immediate action. Indeed, whether or not she had ever understood love was debatable, but her shoulders shook and her teeth clenched behind her lips. The future was hers, so close she could grasp it, and yet she could not grasp Saturninus.

In Joachim's residence, a void would form out of Dark Mist, swerving through the residence until it found its way to the Great Lord. The mist was almost dripping with corruption, and servants who felt it pass would shiver with a sense of dread. Their bodies and souls could wither if they touched it, or so they might think. In a dark corner of the Berlin residence, the mist arrived, and Lady Rise's voice sparked with cold precision. The time is now to strike Salzburg. Take the traitor and destroy him, and unite Von Kressel as you have always desired. Now is the moment. Take no prisoners.

Victor-Pierre - Battle Studies

Victor-Pierre stepped carefully out of the metro to check the surrounding area. Police were marching around, trying to get reports on any possible attackers. Injured and ill victims were wailing, screaming, and struggling to respond to questions. Many were still groaning in pain as they awaited EMTs. The eldest Rise Mage cringed at the destruction. He was sure that somewhere, a cold smile had cracked on his aunt's face. Turning to look back at everyone inside, he nodded. "You can come out. I don't think any of you were grievously injured, but we've got to get out of here. If Blanchefleur isn't in Paris, we need to find someone who might know where she is. She'll send the spider-maids to any city she wants until she's found. And once she is found, she'll try worse. Do any of you have any idea who might know her plans?"

Eglantine stared at him, and she remembered her cousin. Berlin, however, seemed quite far away. "Saturninus is in Berlin, one of Henry's family is housing him right now. We can always hurry over and talk to him," she suggested.

Her older cousin nodded and turned to Henry and Kimiko. "Berlin it is then? I forgot Von Kressel had family over there, and I don't know why Saturninus is there, but we've got to go. While we're talking, you two block the doorway so nothing can enter. Who knows what traps Blanchy might have set there. It never hurts to be paranoid these days," he explained.

The wolf near Ruby then marched forward, and walked toward Victor. Sniffing his leg and taking a walk around him, she seemed to be determining if he was trustworthy. After all, random humans suddenly appearing and offering help often was a sign of a trap or an ulterior motive. Yet when she finished her short investigation, she did not indicate that he was a threat. She turned to stare up at him, and he looked down at her.

"...Uh...hi?..."

Human, we are going to Berlin next? Berlin and Vienna are both in danger, as is Salzburg. Danger spreads her wicked poison, we must act and choose the best course of operation.

"If Saturninus is in Berlin, that's where we need to go. Nobody knows Blanchefleur better than her son," he responded with confidence.

And so the wolf opened another portal. Beyond that point lay Berlin, and an increasingly-anxious Saturninus. The young Rise heir knew that darkness was rising. He was hiding in a guest room, hoping and praying to something that his mother would not find him. Manfred could only provide shelter for so long, and if her plan succeeded, that shelter would fall like a house of feathers. Frail, dead, and silent.

[Luminesa]

At Mana - Early Morning

Rabbit had not had such a heavy rest in quite some time. His first night back in Mana, and all of the world seemed to become silent. The snow drowned and smoothed all noise into dust, which caked the walkways and the roofs of buildings. Frost kissed the windows and made the campus look like a soft, romantic blur from indoors. The students here slept at peace. Allistor and Shaun were safe. Soleil was safe-at least for now.

Henry and Eglantine were still away, and he had not seen Catherine. Thus the heavy sleep was not perfect. He awakened hoping to be able to call and to find how Henry was bearing. As for Catherine, he did not know how he would find her. Perhaps now that both of them had used Dark Magic, and he had teleported away from the Obsidian Towers, he could retrace his steps.

Yet what stilled him for just a moment was the sound of snoring next to him. He turned to look, and remembered that he had fallen asleep beside Artosh. Trying not to make sudden movements, he grasped for his mask and put it over his face. In the time that passed, his ivory eyes kept their blind gaze on the young man until he could see him with Magical sight.

Soft chestnut hair, toned arms. Both of them were clothed in soft robes, as they had wandered inside from the cold and had decided to huddle for warmth. Artosh slept, peaceful and unburdened by illness or fear. He was home, and happy in his surroundings.

Rabbit slowly moved a hand to stroke his face. His hand was cold, but soft and tender. He loved the feeling of the other man’s cheek against his palm, as if he was touching an apple ripened by the cheerful sun for harvest. This simple moment, he needed that physical contact and affection. War had awakened terrors within him, shadows he had hoped to swallow and hide. He had to stay here to protect the students on this campus. Yet just for a few moments, as the clock ticked, he could pretend that the world was well and this was just another snowy November morning.

[Finsternia]

Artosh Luxenia - Springtime Amidst Snow

The day before was a whole lot to process. It still felt unreal to Artosh. His Magic didn't feel like electricity coursing through his veins, making his brain shortcircuit in both pain and delusional high. It felt fresh, like springtime winds and cold winter air. In his dreams he would dream of stormy skies, of a bubbling earth littered with pools of pure violet liquid lightning. Somtimes it would be him at a hospital, his Magic raging and surging like a great tide and is devouring his life. Yesterday was like a dream, a good dream. It was almost unbelievable. He didn't think that he would be pulled away by a man dressed in flowers, and his curse will be taken away from him. A great and terrible power taken for the price of new life.

Now some life has returned to his body and self. His hair is no longer brittle but lush and brown. His skin healthier, tanned like the earth. His arms stronger, his body more firm. He thinks of his youth when he was still a student in Mana, both in the Academy and in its College. The stereotypical bubbly jock, head of the soccer team and over all sunshine guy. The Arcane hasn't taken a toll on his body yet, making him strong and explosive like a thunderbolt from the sky. It didn't take long for it to rob him of his youthfulness once he graduated and started teaching. But now... that life of his is slowly coming back. He can be the same bubbly teacher for his students, a good role model for the kids.

Slowly he feels cold upon his cheeks. Artosh stirs, thinking he left the window open. "Hnnnng... Cold..." In his groggy state he reaches for the window beside him and finds a body. Artosh opens his eyes and he stares at a masked figure, dressed in a beautiful loose night gown. Rabbit sees him blush and he stutters through his speech. "R-R-Rabbit! What are you... Ah!" He looks around. "...Right... We... slept together for the night..." His face turns crimson at his words. "...G-Good... morning..."

[Luminesa]

Artosh Luxenia - Springtime Amidst Snow

The day before was a whole lot to process. It still felt unreal to Artosh. His Magic didn't feel like electricity coursing through his veins, making his brain shortcircuit in both pain and delusional high. It felt fresh, like springtime winds and cold winter air. In his dreams he would dream of stormy skies, of a bubbling earth littered with pools of pure violet liquid lightning. Somtimes it would be him at a hospital, his Magic raging and surging like a great tide and is devouring his life. Yesterday was like a dream, a good dream. It was almost unbelievable. He didn't think that he would be pulled away by a man dressed in flowers, and his curse will be taken away from him. A great and terrible power taken for the price of new life.

Now some life has returned to his body and self. His hair is no longer brittle but lush and brown. His skin healthier, tanned like the earth. His arms stronger, his body more firm. He thinks of his youth when he was still a student in Mana, both in the Academy and in its College. The stereotypical bubbly jock, head of the soccer team and over all sunshine guy. The Arcane hasn't taken a toll on his body yet, making him strong and explosive like a thunderbolt from the sky. It didn't take long for it to rob him of his youthfulness once he graduated and started teaching. But now... that life of his is slowly coming back. He can be the same bubbly teacher for his students, a good role model for the kids.

Slowly he feels cold upon his cheeks. Artosh stirs, thinking he left the window open. "Hnnnng... Cold..." In his groggy state he reaches for the window beside him and finds a body. Artosh opens his eyes and he stares at a masked figure, dressed in a beautiful loose night gown. Rabbit sees him blush and he stutters through his speech. "R-R-Rabbit! What are you... Ah!" He looks around. "...Right... We... slept together for the night..." His face turns crimson at his words. "...G-Good... morning..."

Rabbit - Snow Dressed in Spring

Rabbit watched as Artosh began to stir to life, like a statue that Aphrodite had charmed into motion. He creaked and turned, trying to re-gain his bearings, and then turned to face the white-haired teacher. The younger teacher stammered and almost turned into a tomato as he realized that Rabbit had stayed in his bed the entire night. The previous night, wrapped in Fae dreams and bitter snowstorms, had seemed like a blur, and making sense of it was a task in itself.

Yet the white-haired teacher still smiled behind his mask, his nose crinkling as a laugh slipped from his lips. He enjoyed gazing back at Artosh, with the early morning’s snowy haze keeping all outside noise to a minimum. “Yes…I stayed with you for an evening…after we came inside from the snowstorm…It was quite freezing…” Even though Rabbit’s body was not sensitive to temperature changes, he had still felt the danger of moving through such icy conditions with Artosh. The warmth in the room, by contrast, was as cozy as the womb.

Slowly, Rabbit removed his mask so his comrade could see his face. Even though his own vision became darkness, he knew that Artosh was still in front of him, and his heart was at peace. Artosh could see how his nose had crinkled, how he had giggled at his bashful response. “It feels much better being home at Mana…This is the only place I could truly call a sanctuary…And feeling you here makes the warm welcome much nicer…”

As he spoke, he remembered something he had left in Europe. A bag. A beautiful bag. A luxury gift for Artosh. Panic threatened to build and break through the soft blanket of serenity, but Rabbit swallowed and took Artosh’s hand. “…Sweetheart…I…I had a gift for you…but I believe it is in Europe with Henry and Eglantine…I…I believe it will return with them, but…I did not have a chance to grab it. I am so sorry…”

Because he was unable to see without his mask, however, he did not notice that a sparkling gold bag had been shoved into the back of the closet. Fae Magic was all over the room, thanks to Artosh’s gift from Florian. However, the healed professor would notice the difference, the presence of more Fae Magic seeping out of a bag in the closet of his room.

[Serah]

Oliver - Coming back from the other side

At this point, his mind was basically more fog than sentience.
How long had he been asleep? Hours? Days? Possibly more? Oliver had no idea, whatsoever. All he remembered was that he was in some kind of fae alternate reality, and sort of passed out there among a gathering of wolves.

Wait, had Begnion eaten? Drank? Good lord, what if he couldn't open the door?
No, probably not, he was a smart dog after all, not one to let something like a door stop him. But he would be quite worried, if not downright furious.
Though admittedly, the thought of Begnion being angry brought mostly a light chuckle out of Oliver, pushing him, thought only partly, out of the fog of his mind.

"Urgh... Wh... Where..." He mumbled a bit, trying to find his mental, and physical footing.
He attempted to get up, or rather prop himself against the back of his bed, but his one flesh and blood arm failed him due to the horrendous pins and needles running through it.
"Ow, ow. That's not amazing a sign..." He shook his head, fast, then immediately held his head with his working, rocky hand, wincing at the sensory overload.

After a few minutes of silence, his blurry vision adjusted to the dark room, realising it was at least his room, gave him some peace of mind, at least no one had been bothered by him logging out like this.
He tried his best to remember what had happened in greater detail, but what he remembered ended indeed no further than the wolves surrounding him.
At last, even though eternity seemed to have passed in that time, he managed to stumble out of bed, not without tripping a few times over himself, thankfully though, he didn't feel like anything was amiss beyond grogginess, nothing, he thought, that wasn't expected from waking up from what felt like such a long sleep.

"I wonder... How long has it been, even? A week?" Stumbling over to his blinds, covered by dust, as they weren't really used in the first place, thus giving him no indication of past time, he opened them.
The following was his first thought:
"MY EYES, GOOD LORD!" Unfortunately for whoever might have been his next door neighbor, he thought very much aloud.

Recoiling from the light of the flaming orb in the sky with newfound pseudo-vigor, he decides to haphazardly wobble over to the calendar, tripping over his table in the process.
Letting his eyesight adjust once again to the mild shade of the room, he saw only two days hadn't been circled over.
"Oh, well it's not that bad. Two days. Could've been a month or something."

As he said this, he felt another sort of relief, that at least no one ended up coming to check on him, since it would've been awfully embarrassing to explain the whole distilling and alcohol making apparatus right by his bed.
"No one touched the computer, nor the cube." He nodded to himself, satisfied that nothing had disturbed the sanctity of his room, save for the spiteful fireball that temporarily took away his sight.
By now used to the sun beating down in his room, his stomach made itself loudly known, screaming, even, as it hadn't been fed for several days now.

"... I wonder if I can even get food at this hour, it's not a day off, is it?" Nevertheless, he went up to his door, stopped for a second, staying his hand off of the handle, and instead opened it using his wind.
The inwards opening door was almost instantly slammed open, not by his lack of control, but rather by a sizeable wolf that had been laying there, half standing, half leaning against the door.

[Luminesa]

Oliver - Coming back from the other side

At this point, his mind was basically more fog than sentience.
How long had he been asleep? Hours? Days? Possibly more? Oliver had no idea, whatsoever. All he remembered was that he was in some kind of fae alternate reality, and sort of passed out there among a gathering of wolves.

Wait, had Begnion eaten? Drank? Good lord, what if he couldn't open the door?
No, probably not, he was a smart dog after all, not one to let something like a door stop him. But he would be quite worried, if not downright furious.
Though admittedly, the thought of Begnion being angry brought mostly a light chuckle out of Oliver, pushing him, thought only partly, out of the fog of his mind.

"Urgh... Wh... Where..." He mumbled a bit, trying to find his mental, and physical footing.
He attempted to get up, or rather prop himself against the back of his bed, but his one flesh and blood arm failed him due to the horrendous pins and needles running through it.
"Ow, ow. That's not amazing a sign..." He shook his head, fast, then immediately held his head with his working, rocky hand, wincing at the sensory overload.

After a few minutes of silence, his blurry vision adjusted to the dark room, realising it was at least his room, gave him some peace of mind, at least no one had been bothered by him logging out like this.
He tried his best to remember what had happened in greater detail, but what he remembered ended indeed no further than the wolves surrounding him.
At last, even though eternity seemed to have passed in that time, he managed to stumble out of bed, not without tripping a few times over himself, thankfully though, he didn't feel like anything was amiss beyond grogginess, nothing, he thought, that wasn't expected from waking up from what felt like such a long sleep.

"I wonder... How long has it been, even? A week?" Stumbling over to his blinds, covered by dust, as they weren't really used in the first place, thus giving him no indication of past time, he opened them.
The following was his first thought:
"MY EYES, GOOD LORD!" Unfortunately for whoever might have been his next door neighbor, he thought very much aloud.

Recoiling from the light of the flaming orb in the sky with newfound pseudo-vigor, he decides to haphazardly wobble over to the calendar, tripping over his table in the process.
Letting his eyesight adjust once again to the mild shade of the room, he saw only two days hadn't been circled over.
"Oh, well it's not that bad. Two days. Could've been a month or something."

As he said this, he felt another sort of relief, that at least no one ended up coming to check on him, since it would've been awfully embarrassing to explain the whole distilling and alcohol making apparatus right by his bed.
"No one touched the computer, nor the cube." He nodded to himself, satisfied that nothing had disturbed the sanctity of his room, save for the spiteful fireball that temporarily took away his sight.
By now used to the sun beating down in his room, his stomach made itself loudly known, screaming, even, as it hadn't been fed for several days now.

"... I wonder if I can even get food at this hour, it's not a day off, is it?" Nevertheless, he went up to his door, stopped for a second, staying his hand off of the handle, and instead opened it using his wind.
The inwards opening door was almost instantly slammed open, not by his lack of control, but rather by a sizeable wolf that had been laying there, half standing, half leaning against the door.

Ambrosia - Wintry Sanctuary

Penelope did not mind the bitter cold. She stood all night outside of Ambrosia's room, watching the shoreline. Catherine's undead army had arrived, Hayleigh had come to the shoreline, Michel had arrived, and Rabbit and Artosh had returned, but the horse did not move from her post. She knew that her charge sleeping inside needed protection, and so she would stay nearby. The pink bows in her mane made her only an ounce less frightening, as she snorted and no frost came through her nostrils.

Ambrosia had awakened quite early, with her eyes flashing up toward the ceiling. She could not fall back to sleep, even though she desperately grasped for another hour of rest. Something had disturbed her, even though she had not had any nightmares tonight. Throwing her heavy plush blankets aside, she looked out the window. Her horse was still there. Snow still fell, and ice crackled like a thin sheet of diamond on the window. She reached for some layers of pastel sweaters, skirts, wool stockings, and boots, and she bundled herself as much as possible. With her eyes creaking open a little each minute, she eventually was able to stumble to the door.

The cold air lashed against her face, and she felt the shiver shock her spine. She was disturbed to realize how empty the campus was this early in the morning. Just a few days ago, she and her classmates had a snowball fight. A fun experience that had been sharply interrupted by the arrival of ghosts and Krol in the harbor. Now, the laughter was a distance memory, swallowed by the sea of snow. She stared around her as she stepped outside, and she could spot a speck outside of Oliver's door. Deciding that she needed to check the one spot that was not completely ice-white, she hopped into the walkway and hurried toward his room. As she got closer, she realized that the creature...was a wolf. Sitting patiently outside of Oliver's door.

The Next Wolf Calls

This wolf was quite large, graphite-colored and almost bulky. Yet he sat with patience and grace, as if he knew that he was a Fae messenger. Oliver would not recognize quite what this Magic was, but he would know it was not from this world. As the wind blew into the room, the wolf only momentarily regarded the Mage's dog before entering the room. He also did not turn to see Ambrosia about ten yards away, staring with worried confusion.

Oliver Hofmann. Your family has suffered many egregious curses in the name of fighting monsters and evil. If you so choose, today is the day you may be able to change your destiny, and the world's for the better. Oliver would receive the bizarre telepathic message, which seemed to make the air in the room even thinner and colder. The wolf gave no reason behind this message, but the war was not something that the children and teachers could ignore. Even if it was on the other side of the pond, it was still too close for comfort.

[Serah]

Oliver - Coming back from the other side

At this point, his mind was basically more fog than sentience.
How long had he been asleep? Hours? Days? Possibly more? Oliver had no idea, whatsoever. All he remembered was that he was in some kind of fae alternate reality, and sort of passed out there among a gathering of wolves.

Wait, had Begnion eaten? Drank? Good lord, what if he couldn't open the door?
No, probably not, he was a smart dog after all, not one to let something like a door stop him. But he would be quite worried, if not downright furious.
Though admittedly, the thought of Begnion being angry brought mostly a light chuckle out of Oliver, pushing him, thought only partly, out of the fog of his mind.

"Urgh... Wh... Where..." He mumbled a bit, trying to find his mental, and physical footing.
He attempted to get up, or rather prop himself against the back of his bed, but his one flesh and blood arm failed him due to the horrendous pins and needles running through it.
"Ow, ow. That's not amazing a sign..." He shook his head, fast, then immediately held his head with his working, rocky hand, wincing at the sensory overload.

After a few minutes of silence, his blurry vision adjusted to the dark room, realising it was at least his room, gave him some peace of mind, at least no one had been bothered by him logging out like this.
He tried his best to remember what had happened in greater detail, but what he remembered ended indeed no further than the wolves surrounding him.
At last, even though eternity seemed to have passed in that time, he managed to stumble out of bed, not without tripping a few times over himself, thankfully though, he didn't feel like anything was amiss beyond grogginess, nothing, he thought, that wasn't expected from waking up from what felt like such a long sleep.

"I wonder... How long has it been, even? A week?" Stumbling over to his blinds, covered by dust, as they weren't really used in the first place, thus giving him no indication of past time, he opened them.
The following was his first thought:
"MY EYES, GOOD LORD!" Unfortunately for whoever might have been his next door neighbor, he thought very much aloud.

Recoiling from the light of the flaming orb in the sky with newfound pseudo-vigor, he decides to haphazardly wobble over to the calendar, tripping over his table in the process.
Letting his eyesight adjust once again to the mild shade of the room, he saw only two days hadn't been circled over.
"Oh, well it's not that bad. Two days. Could've been a month or something."

As he said this, he felt another sort of relief, that at least no one ended up coming to check on him, since it would've been awfully embarrassing to explain the whole distilling and alcohol making apparatus right by his bed.
"No one touched the computer, nor the cube." He nodded to himself, satisfied that nothing had disturbed the sanctity of his room, save for the spiteful fireball that temporarily took away his sight.
By now used to the sun beating down in his room, his stomach made itself loudly known, screaming, even, as it hadn't been fed for several days now.

"... I wonder if I can even get food at this hour, it's not a day off, is it?" Nevertheless, he went up to his door, stopped for a second, staying his hand off of the handle, and instead opened it using his wind.
The inwards opening door was almost instantly slammed open, not by his lack of control, but rather by a sizeable wolf that had been laying there, half standing, half leaning against the door.

Ambrosia - Wintry Sanctuary

Penelope did not mind the bitter cold. She stood all night outside of Ambrosia's room, watching the shoreline. Catherine's undead army had arrived, Hayleigh had come to the shoreline, Michel had arrived, and Rabbit and Artosh had returned, but the horse did not move from her post. She knew that her charge sleeping inside needed protection, and so she would stay nearby. The pink bows in her mane made her only an ounce less frightening, as she snorted and no frost came through her nostrils.

Ambrosia had awakened quite early, with her eyes flashing up toward the ceiling. She could not fall back to sleep, even though she desperately grasped for another hour of rest. Something had disturbed her, even though she had not had any nightmares tonight. Throwing her heavy plush blankets aside, she looked out the window. Her horse was still there. Snow still fell, and ice crackled like a thin sheet of diamond on the window. She reached for some layers of pastel sweaters, skirts, wool stockings, and boots, and she bundled herself as much as possible. With her eyes creaking open a little each minute, she eventually was able to stumble to the door.

The cold air lashed against her face, and she felt the shiver shock her spine. She was disturbed to realize how empty the campus was this early in the morning. Just a few days ago, she and her classmates had a snowball fight. A fun experience that had been sharply interrupted by the arrival of ghosts and Krol in the harbor. Now, the laughter was a distance memory, swallowed by the sea of snow. She stared around her as she stepped outside, and she could spot a speck outside of Oliver's door. Deciding that she needed to check the one spot that was not completely ice-white, she hopped into the walkway and hurried toward his room. As she got closer, she realized that the creature...was a wolf. Sitting patiently outside of Oliver's door.

The Next Wolf Calls

This wolf was quite large, graphite-colored and almost bulky. Yet he sat with patience and grace, as if he knew that he was a Fae messenger. Oliver would not recognize quite what this Magic was, but he would know it was not from this world. As the wind blew into the room, the wolf only momentarily regarded the Mage's dog before entering the room. He also did not turn to see Ambrosia about ten yards away, staring with worried confusion.

Oliver Hofmann. Your family has suffered many egregious curses in the name of fighting monsters and evil. If you so choose, today is the day you may be able to change your destiny, and the world's for the better. Oliver would receive the bizarre telepathic message, which seemed to make the air in the room even thinner and colder. The wolf gave no reason behind this message, but the war was not something that the children and teachers could ignore. Even if it was on the other side of the pond, it was still too close for comfort.

Oliver - A quest for breakfast

"I see." Oliver answered blankly, sounding like he somehow hadn't talked in months to anyone or anything, and also looking like he absolutely did not see what the wolf was talking about.
The telepathic message did get the message across alright, but as of then, he couldn't care less about any war or curses or what have you.
"Well, that's cool beans and all, but I need to eat." He paused, looking left and right, which made him aware of Ambrosia's just as sudden appearance, and also about the scratched up state of his door.
Before acknowledging his door by a sigh, however, he did make an awkward yet noticeable sign of the hand to the young vampire; It almost looked like he was some sort of caveman lacking understanding in modern human social signals.

"But uh, why'd you scratch up the door though?" His head fell into one of his hands as he stepped aside the large canine, and gave a pat to a troubled looking Begnion. "I hope I won't have to pay for repairs."

Cracking his neck, he thought, first of all, that he should grab lunch/breakfast or at least pass by the infirmary to get a checkup for that sudden borderline comatose sleep he underwent just now.
As he passed Ambrosia, he once again waved at her, as if gesturing her to come along and keep him company at least, if it was too late for breakfast.
"Of course the fae stuff had to be real and crossed over from my dreams, of course." He thought, though mumbled about half the sentence drowsily.

[Serah]

Ephraim - Strange sights

It had a few hours since he had arrived on the island, exhausted, and drenched beyond belief. The good thing there was that he was alive, and on solid ground on which he could rest a little.
Exhaustion meant little to him, thankfully neither did the cold, and though he felt both in what would otherwise probably put someone in shock, he looked rather happy in between ragged breaths.

The buildings had started showing over the horizon quite a few hours ago, and as usual, despite having gone through many worlds, he did not recognize the place in the slightest. The architecture wasn't anything special, or rather, it did not stand out enough to tell what he should expect. Though of course, now that he was standing right at the gates he could infer a guess.

"A... Prison? No... Doesn't look quite watch over enough, even if they used magic..." He mused to himself, thinking back to when he arrived a few weeks back.

Ephraim had a way of telling some things in a world before he interacted with it in any serious manner, two of them, among others, were his name, and his memories.
As he came to understand his condition over his many, many years of life, he found that magic or interference with space time always gave his memories and name back in full.
He had been to other Earths before, long enough to explore them through various ages, too, but of course, none of them were exactly the same.

"Hm. Doors are awful easy to open... What sort of place is this, really?"

Initially, he just followed his instinct and traveled south to warmer places, but at some point, he started following another feeling, like something was beckoning him to this place.
For all intents and purposes, this felt like a terrible idea, what if it had been a trap meant to lure out people like him and pick away at his soul? It did happen once, it could happen twice after all.
Nevertheless, he did follow it, and whatever it was that was calling him became louder, and much harder to ignore.

Whatever the case, he walked in and tried to find whoever could explain where he might be, of course, not without the anxiety of knowing he might be walking into a trap.

[Luminesa]

Ambrosia - Wintry Sanctuary

Penelope did not mind the bitter cold. She stood all night outside of Ambrosia's room, watching the shoreline. Catherine's undead army had arrived, Hayleigh had come to the shoreline, Michel had arrived, and Rabbit and Artosh had returned, but the horse did not move from her post. She knew that her charge sleeping inside needed protection, and so she would stay nearby. The pink bows in her mane made her only an ounce less frightening, as she snorted and no frost came through her nostrils.

Ambrosia had awakened quite early, with her eyes flashing up toward the ceiling. She could not fall back to sleep, even though she desperately grasped for another hour of rest. Something had disturbed her, even though she had not had any nightmares tonight. Throwing her heavy plush blankets aside, she looked out the window. Her horse was still there. Snow still fell, and ice crackled like a thin sheet of diamond on the window. She reached for some layers of pastel sweaters, skirts, wool stockings, and boots, and she bundled herself as much as possible. With her eyes creaking open a little each minute, she eventually was able to stumble to the door.

The cold air lashed against her face, and she felt the shiver shock her spine. She was disturbed to realize how empty the campus was this early in the morning. Just a few days ago, she and her classmates had a snowball fight. A fun experience that had been sharply interrupted by the arrival of ghosts and Krol in the harbor. Now, the laughter was a distance memory, swallowed by the sea of snow. She stared around her as she stepped outside, and she could spot a speck outside of Oliver's door. Deciding that she needed to check the one spot that was not completely ice-white, she hopped into the walkway and hurried toward his room. As she got closer, she realized that the creature...was a wolf. Sitting patiently outside of Oliver's door.

The Next Wolf Calls

This wolf was quite large, graphite-colored and almost bulky. Yet he sat with patience and grace, as if he knew that he was a Fae messenger. Oliver would not recognize quite what this Magic was, but he would know it was not from this world. As the wind blew into the room, the wolf only momentarily regarded the Mage's dog before entering the room. He also did not turn to see Ambrosia about ten yards away, staring with worried confusion.

Oliver Hofmann. Your family has suffered many egregious curses in the name of fighting monsters and evil. If you so choose, today is the day you may be able to change your destiny, and the world's for the better. Oliver would receive the bizarre telepathic message, which seemed to make the air in the room even thinner and colder. The wolf gave no reason behind this message, but the war was not something that the children and teachers could ignore. Even if it was on the other side of the pond, it was still too close for comfort.

Oliver - A quest for breakfast

"I see." Oliver answered blankly, sounding like he somehow hadn't talked in months to anyone or anything, and also looking like he absolutely did not see what the wolf was talking about.
The telepathic message did get the message across alright, but as of then, he couldn't care less about any war or curses or what have you.
"Well, that's cool beans and all, but I need to eat." He paused, looking left and right, which made him aware of Ambrosia's just as sudden appearance, and also about the scratched up state of his door.
Before acknowledging his door by a sigh, however, he did make an awkward yet noticeable sign of the hand to the young vampire; It almost looked like he was some sort of caveman lacking understanding in modern human social signals.

"But uh, why'd you scratch up the door though?" His head fell into one of his hands as he stepped aside the large canine, and gave a pat to a troubled looking Begnion. "I hope I won't have to pay for repairs."

Cracking his neck, he thought, first of all, that he should grab lunch/breakfast or at least pass by the infirmary to get a checkup for that sudden borderline comatose sleep he underwent just now.
As he passed Ambrosia, he once again waved at her, as if gesturing her to come along and keep him company at least, if it was too late for breakfast.
"Of course the fae stuff had to be real and crossed over from my dreams, of course." He thought, though mumbled about half the sentence drowsily.

The Wolf Down the Hall

Oliver’s nonplussed response would have caught a human off-guard. However, the mysterious wolf did not seem to care. In fact, he gazed at the young Mage and nodded. Humans needed food, humans needed strength. To fight a war, they needed morale. Very well. Eat as you wish. But I tell you this is no dream. You are a warrior, and we are waiting for you.

Ambrosia approached with caution, as if she was not sure whether or not the wolf would turn and bite her. However, it only momentarily acknowledged her. She wondered why it wanted Oliver, but when she heard it mention “waiting”, she felt as if she was watching someone else leave. So many people had vanished and returned to the school in such a short period. If Oliver left her, she would be afraid for him. She knew he could take care of himself, but in another place, surrounded by war?

I can’t lose anyone else. I don’t want you to leave…

When she reached Oliver, she gave him her best winning smile. “Hey Ollie, you’ve been sleeping for a while. It’s good to see you! Uhhh…you wanna go get breakfast?” she inquired. Her eyes slid their gaze toward the wolf, as though she wanted to ignore him but could not.

[Luminesa]

Ephraim - Strange sights

It had a few hours since he had arrived on the island, exhausted, and drenched beyond belief. The good thing there was that he was alive, and on solid ground on which he could rest a little.
Exhaustion meant little to him, thankfully neither did the cold, and though he felt both in what would otherwise probably put someone in shock, he looked rather happy in between ragged breaths.

The buildings had started showing over the horizon quite a few hours ago, and as usual, despite having gone through many worlds, he did not recognize the place in the slightest. The architecture wasn't anything special, or rather, it did not stand out enough to tell what he should expect. Though of course, now that he was standing right at the gates he could infer a guess.

"A... Prison? No... Doesn't look quite watch over enough, even if they used magic..." He mused to himself, thinking back to when he arrived a few weeks back.

Ephraim had a way of telling some things in a world before he interacted with it in any serious manner, two of them, among others, were his name, and his memories.
As he came to understand his condition over his many, many years of life, he found that magic or interference with space time always gave his memories and name back in full.
He had been to other Earths before, long enough to explore them through various ages, too, but of course, none of them were exactly the same.

"Hm. Doors are awful easy to open... What sort of place is this, really?"

Initially, he just followed his instinct and traveled south to warmer places, but at some point, he started following another feeling, like something was beckoning him to this place.
For all intents and purposes, this felt like a terrible idea, what if it had been a trap meant to lure out people like him and pick away at his soul? It did happen once, it could happen twice after all.
Nevertheless, he did follow it, and whatever it was that was calling him became louder, and much harder to ignore.

Whatever the case, he walked in and tried to find whoever could explain where he might be, of course, not without the anxiety of knowing he might be walking into a trap.

Ruta and Michel - Recovery

The two Jaegars spent a tense, chilly evening in the infirmary, with Cecily and John making sure to tend to their needs. Michel was in better spirits than Ruta, laughing as the first nurse tended to his needs.

“If I had pillows this soft in my coffin, I might not have tried to wake-up,” he joked, much to the concern of the young nurse staring at him. Everyone working for Mana had a dark tint to their humor, as their work made it almost necessary at times. Yet Michel seemed to have even less qualms than usual.

Ruta did not respond to Michel’s joking. He laid in his bed and stared up at John as he brought him a cup of coffee. He should have been trying to sleep, but he needed to give instructions to the people around him. “Make sure that the other Jaegars are patrolling the island. Tell them I said to up security. We have no reason to delay. The situation in Europe is disintegrating very quickly,” he murmured to John.

Being a military man, John understood the request and hurried to grab his warmer coat. Without delay, he hurried into the snow. The bitter cold greeted him with a mocking, searing wind that slapped his face, but he kept moving. Eventually, he made his way to the beach, where some Jaegars already had their sights and swords trained on a stowaway swimming to shore. “…Oh boy…already?…” he murmured.

“HALT! STATE YOUR PURPOSE AND ALLEGIANCE,” one Jaegar screamed toward the figure.