Castur raised an eyebrow at Ananta when she said that her grandmother happened to be named Anta but her tone of voice made it seem as if she was just joking leaving him wondering if she meant it or not. He supposed it did not really matter either way since it was too much of a minor detail to be concerned about at a time like this. He shook his head and shrugged it off. Ananta seemed to have grown tired of holding back simply because the soldiers had guns and the girl immediately changed her stance on no killing and went with a particularly gruesome way of killing off a bunch of helpless soldiers. Helpless because what hope did they have of fighting back against the girl's magic? "Yeah, what's the fairness in fighting them when we clearly outmatch them in every way and have magic to which they have zero defense? These grunts are out of their league, there's no honor in killing them." The irony in such a statement was not lost to him. Years ago he would have had no moral issues with such swift deliveries of death to helpless prey. In fact, that was even preferable. But things were different now or, at least, he tried to make them different. He was no fan of holding back but when the alternative was worse... Still, it seemed like even the deaths of their companions did not slow the soldiers' advances on them. Castur muttered a curse under his breath and brought his keyblade down on one of their rifles, cutting it cleanly in two pieces before kicking the soldier over to the ground. Another group of soldiers readied their guns and trained them on Castur who shook his head and sighed out in annoyance. "Come on then. Have at thee." He spoke in a halfhearted challenge towards the group, motioning for them to come at him. The opened fire first, likely hoping to get a lucky shot in but Castur deflected bullet after bullet with a swift whirl of his keyblade until the soldiers ran their guns dry. Castur motioned once more at them for them to come at him. They shook their heads and began to reload. Thinking that they needed some motivation to change tactics he snapped his fingers to create a small gravitational field in the center of the group to draw them in towards each other causing them to crash against one another. Angered, they charged him. His keyblade began to glow as he charged the blade with his own particular brand of magic. Castur ducked under one swing and tapped the soldier gently twice with his hilt. The soldiers' movements began to slow. He sidestepped and prodded another enemy in the side three times with his keyblade. A few ducks, dodges, and taps of his keyblade was all it took to make all of the soldiers go down, their weight having been increased so far by his magic that they were incapacitated with barely any effort on Castur's part. Words: 508 EXP: 100 Defeated: 5 24/50 Remaining 1 Injured [7/40]
Castur raised an eyebrow at Ananta when she said that her grandmother happened to be named Anta but her tone of voice made it seem as if she was just joking leaving him wondering if she meant it or not. He supposed it did not really matter either way since it was too much of a minor detail to be concerned about at a time like this. He shook his head and shrugged it off. Ananta seemed to have grown tired of holding back simply because the soldiers had guns and the girl immediately changed her stance on no killing and went with a particularly gruesome way of killing off a bunch of helpless soldiers. Helpless because what hope did they have of fighting back against the girl's magic? "Yeah, what's the fairness in fighting them when we clearly outmatch them in every way and have magic to which they have zero defense? These grunts are out of their league, there's no honor in killing them." The irony in such a statement was not lost to him. Years ago he would have had no moral issues with such swift deliveries of death to helpless prey. In fact, that was even preferable. But things were different now or, at least, he tried to make them different. He was no fan of holding back but when the alternative was worse... Still, it seemed like even the deaths of their companions did not slow the soldiers' advances on them. Castur muttered a curse under his breath and brought his keyblade down on one of their rifles, cutting it cleanly in two pieces before kicking the soldier over to the ground. Another group of soldiers readied their guns and trained them on Castur who shook his head and sighed out in annoyance. "Come on then. Have at thee." He spoke in a halfhearted challenge towards the group, motioning for them to come at him. The opened fire first, likely hoping to get a lucky shot in but Castur deflected bullet after bullet with a swift whirl of his keyblade until the soldiers ran their guns dry. Castur motioned once more at them for them to come at him. They shook their heads and began to reload. Thinking that they needed some motivation to change tactics he snapped his fingers to create a small gravitational field in the center of the group to draw them in towards each other causing them to crash against one another. Angered, they charged him. His keyblade began to glow as he charged the blade with his own particular brand of magic. Castur ducked under one swing and tapped the soldier gently twice with his hilt. The soldiers' movements began to slow. He sidestepped and prodded another enemy in the side three times with his keyblade. A few ducks, dodges, and taps of his keyblade was all it took to make all of the soldiers go down, their weight having been increased so far by his magic that they were incapacitated with barely any effort on Castur's part.
Gero nodded at Aria as he began to walk with her once more. "I see..." It appeared as if the man wished to say more but even if he was on the verge of letting Aria into every painful detail behind the man known as the Light Chaser, he said nothing more on the subject and allowed his thoughts to remain private as he contemplated over what the girl had said to him. "That nightmare you have seen...it may be a creature neither of the light nor the darkness yet it seems to fear the light and welcome the darkness. It is a creature not of the heart, nor of the body, nor of the Realm of Sleep. It is one of many vile entities that have existed since before the realms of light and dark took form. Because of this, even the Council holds little knowledge of such a subject. Perhaps the only thing that can vanquish such a creature is a pure light such as yourself. If this is true, your own power may be your best hope of ridding yourself of the entity. The stronger you become, the more you should be able to resist it." He spoke as he answered her first first about the creature plaguing her dreams. Gero clasped his hands behind his back and guided Aria around the castle's exterior. Seeing how apparent her need for knowledge about her family was, he obliged to answer her. "Your family had sent you away to a world that we had believed would be safer for you. I had believed you would be safer away from your family. After all, if someone came to search for you the first place they would look is where your family and their people moved to after your homeworld's destruction. Unfortunately, this precaution did not protect you from the wrenfel and it seemed to do little in slowing the Light Chaser in his search for you." The old man shook his head slowly. "Your parents were heartbroken when they had to send you away. Hm..." The man smiled faintly. "That reminds me... The day is still early. Perhaps this news would be better suited at another time. However, there is another detail I can reveal to you that may surprise you, Aria." He stroked his beard. "Your homeworld was governed by two benevolent rulers who had maintained a lasting era of peace. Even in their people's new home the king and queen still maintain peace. Those are your parents, Aria. You are a princess in more than one way. Though I am sure farm life on Amerath has made you feel anything but regal." "Not a big fan of sweets, but thank you." Kide spoke plainly as he pulled out a small device from his pocket and stared at a screen that displayed a long list of numbers and charts that covered the entire surface of the screen on his hand. "Hm...looks like the updated bug detection algorithm is running smoothly. Simulation stability has improved seventeen percent too...that's a good improvement. Exactly where it should be..." Kidemonas rubbed his chin and glanced up from the screen to nod at Qamar. "I remember those days. You may have gotten more comfortable around the other masters but it doesn't seem like you've changed that much over the years. You're definitely stronger now than you were when you first arrived though. Bigger too." He said. "And didn't I tell you to be more patient? You can hang out here but once I get the simulation running I'll announce it to the rest of the Council and everyone will get a chance to use it. It's a good thing I Qamar-proofed the control panels too..." He looked back at his screen, keeping a straight face as to not let Qamar know whether he was joking or not.
Gero nodded at Aria as he began to walk with her once more. "I see..." It appeared as if the man wished to say more but even if he was on the verge of letting Aria into every painful detail behind the man known as the Light Chaser, he said nothing more on the subject and allowed his thoughts to remain private as he contemplated over what the girl had said to him. "That nightmare you have seen...it may be a creature neither of the light nor the darkness yet it seems to fear the light and welcome the darkness. It is a creature not of the heart, nor of the body, nor of the Realm of Sleep. It is one of many vile entities that have existed since before the realms of light and dark took form. Because of this, even the Council holds little knowledge of such a subject. Perhaps the only thing that can vanquish such a creature is a pure light such as yourself. If this is true, your own power may be your best hope of ridding yourself of the entity. The stronger you become, the more you should be able to resist it." He spoke as he answered her first first about the creature plaguing her dreams. Gero clasped his hands behind his back and guided Aria around the castle's exterior. Seeing how apparent her need for knowledge about her family was, he obliged to answer her. "Your family had sent you away to a world that we had believed would be safer for you. I had believed you would be safer away from your family. After all, if someone came to search for you the first place they would look is where your family and their people moved to after your homeworld's destruction. Unfortunately, this precaution did not protect you from the wrenfel and it seemed to do little in slowing the Light Chaser in his search for you." The old man shook his head slowly. "Your parents were heartbroken when they had to send you away. Hm..." The man smiled faintly. "That reminds me... The day is still early. Perhaps this news would be better suited at another time. However, there is another detail I can reveal to you that may surprise you, Aria." He stroked his beard. "Your homeworld was governed by two benevolent rulers who had maintained a lasting era of peace. Even in their people's new home the king and queen still maintain peace. Those are your parents, Aria. You are a princess in more than one way. Though I am sure farm life on Amerath has made you feel anything but regal."
"Not a big fan of sweets, but thank you." Kide spoke plainly as he pulled out a small device from his pocket and stared at a screen that displayed a long list of numbers and charts that covered the entire surface of the screen on his hand. "Hm...looks like the updated bug detection algorithm is running smoothly. Simulation stability has improved seventeen percent too...that's a good improvement. Exactly where it should be..." Kidemonas rubbed his chin and glanced up from the screen to nod at Qamar. "I remember those days. You may have gotten more comfortable around the other masters but it doesn't seem like you've changed that much over the years. You're definitely stronger now than you were when you first arrived though. Bigger too." He said. "And didn't I tell you to be more patient? You can hang out here but once I get the simulation running I'll announce it to the rest of the Council and everyone will get a chance to use it. It's a good thing I Qamar-proofed the control panels too..." He looked back at his screen, keeping a straight face as to not let Qamar know whether he was joking or not.
Castur spun his keyblade around absentmindedly as he kept his eyes trained on the soldiers still aiming at him, now weary at even opening fire on him after his swift bullet deflections. Ignis had spoken up about having thought she had spotted him and he simply shook his head. "I mean if you count pointing out Laguna instead of me as catching me, then sure. You got me." He muttered under his breath so that Ignis would not hear him. It did not really matter and if it made her feel smarter than she was, he had no complaints about it as it was hardly detrimental at the time. Castur stopped spinning his blade and rested it over his shoulder to watch as another teammate, Faust, took down several other soldiers with a carefully placed blast of a spell. "Hm. Not bad." He spoke with some amount of amusement in his tone. One soldier rushed at Castur from the right, opting to use his rifle as a bludgeon in an exercise of futile caution only for the keyblade master to simply step to the side and trip the man. "Not quite close. Maybe next time. Or not. Definitely not." He commented right as another soldier came at him from the opposite side with the same idea as his other comrade. Castur retaliated by elbowing the rifle that had come swinging down at him as hard as he could causing the gun to bounce back and strike the soldier hard enough to crack the mask the grunt wore and knock the man out. Castur turned his arm over to look at his elbow to find that his coat was scuffed up a little but it hardly looked like something that could not be easily repaired. He shrugged it off and slapped another bullet that had come his way back to whence it came from, bringing down another soldier in the process. Castur returned to his regular guard position and breathed out in annoyance. "This is going to take too long." He spoke with a slight hint of frustration in his voice. "I'd rather not be dealing with the small fries right now when Rourke is the cause of this." Castur's eyes narrowed at the soldiers who still remained steadfast in their determination to kill the group despite having witnessed how easily they were being taken care of. Castur wondered if it was due to their obvious reluctance to kill their enemies that the soldiers were still coming after them. Still, they were supposed to be the good guys. Taking out those who got in their way just because it was easier was not supposed to be an option. "Alright. Next." Another two soldiers rushed at him and one of them even managed to come close to dodging Castur's first strike with his keyblade but had misread the keyblader's attacked as Castur then immediately feinted and struck the man on the leg instead of the head where he had first aimed. On the way to the ground Castur made sure to knock the soldier out with a second deft strike to the back of the head using his keyblade's guard. By this point the second soldier had come within grappling range and Castur immediately dropped his keyblade to rip the goon's gun from his hands and strike him with his own weapon before Castur discarded the gun and summoned his keyblade back to his hand. Words: 573 EXP: 100 Defeated: 5 34/50 Remaining 1 Injured [15/40]
Castur spun his keyblade around absentmindedly as he kept his eyes trained on the soldiers still aiming at him, now weary at even opening fire on him after his swift bullet deflections. Ignis had spoken up about having thought she had spotted him and he simply shook his head. "I mean if you count pointing out Laguna instead of me as catching me, then sure. You got me." He muttered under his breath so that Ignis would not hear him. It did not really matter and if it made her feel smarter than she was, he had no complaints about it as it was hardly detrimental at the time. Castur stopped spinning his blade and rested it over his shoulder to watch as another teammate, Faust, took down several other soldiers with a carefully placed blast of a spell. "Hm. Not bad." He spoke with some amount of amusement in his tone. One soldier rushed at Castur from the right, opting to use his rifle as a bludgeon in an exercise of futile caution only for the keyblade master to simply step to the side and trip the man. "Not quite close. Maybe next time. Or not. Definitely not." He commented right as another soldier came at him from the opposite side with the same idea as his other comrade. Castur retaliated by elbowing the rifle that had come swinging down at him as hard as he could causing the gun to bounce back and strike the soldier hard enough to crack the mask the grunt wore and knock the man out. Castur turned his arm over to look at his elbow to find that his coat was scuffed up a little but it hardly looked like something that could not be easily repaired. He shrugged it off and slapped another bullet that had come his way back to whence it came from, bringing down another soldier in the process. Castur returned to his regular guard position and breathed out in annoyance. "This is going to take too long." He spoke with a slight hint of frustration in his voice. "I'd rather not be dealing with the small fries right now when Rourke is the cause of this." Castur's eyes narrowed at the soldiers who still remained steadfast in their determination to kill the group despite having witnessed how easily they were being taken care of. Castur wondered if it was due to their obvious reluctance to kill their enemies that the soldiers were still coming after them. Still, they were supposed to be the good guys. Taking out those who got in their way just because it was easier was not supposed to be an option. "Alright. Next." Another two soldiers rushed at him and one of them even managed to come close to dodging Castur's first strike with his keyblade but had misread the keyblader's attacked as Castur then immediately feinted and struck the man on the leg instead of the head where he had first aimed. On the way to the ground Castur made sure to knock the soldier out with a second deft strike to the back of the head using his keyblade's guard. By this point the second soldier had come within grappling range and Castur immediately dropped his keyblade to rip the goon's gun from his hands and strike him with his own weapon before Castur discarded the gun and summoned his keyblade back to his hand.
Castur sighed in annoyance. Just as he had anticipated Rourke had already turned against them to steal the Heart of Atlantis. The reasons did not matter, only that the man cared not for what would become of the people of this world. To make matters worse, the man was getting away and they still had to deal with his armed thugs who dared to call themselves soldiers. "You son of a... gah... It's not like I can be a traitor if I was never on your side to begin with!" Castur called out to Rourke even though the man must have been out of earshot by the time Castur's voice rang out. He looked over at Ananta and shook his head when the girl called him by his old name that he used in the Black Coats, Arctus. Unable to resist the urge to correct her he called out, "The name's Castur! Weird, I know, but I hope you get used to the name change! You wouldn't want me calling you Anta or Anananatana." He muttered the last bit to himself. He hoped this would not become a recurring thing but given that he had gone by a different name before he almost expected to be correcting people constantly. Especially Karina. Castur raised an eyebrow when he saw Ananta fight and chuckled. "Yeah, keyblades are great aren't they?" He said right as he called his own into his hand and readied into a battle position. "Such a shame that I don't have one, huh? Or a Mark of Mastery. And don't worry about me hopping onto the murder train. The guy I stole this stupid getup from is still tied up somewhere in the back of a truck. Which reminds me..." Dramatically, Castur somehow tore off the uniform he was wearing to reveal he regular clothes underneath. Somehow, they appeared to be completely unwrinkled despite having to be crammed into a uniform this entire time. "Alright. Let's get down to business. To defeat. These goons." When the first soldier fired at him Castur simply slapped the bullet back at him with his keyblade, hitting the soldier in the leg and causing him to fall over in pain. "Hm. Guns here don't fire as fast as I'm used to. Sorry buddy, I was just aiming for the ground. Kind of miscalculated there....ooo...that looks like it hurts. Still. You shot first..." Castur scratched the back of his head and briefly considered healing the man but when another gun was fired at him those merciful thoughts vanished as Castur repeated the same move and deflected the bullet back at its shooter and down came another soldier. Castur shook his head at the soldier in disappointment for his attempt to catch him off guard. If there was one thing Castur was confident in, it was his own quick reflexes and his defensive style. He spun his blade around and knocked another soldier back who wanted to close the distance between himself and Castur but was just far too slow. EXP Writer III: [1 for every 5 words] 505 words Gained XP: 100 [Max 100 per post] Total XP: 100 Castur has 102BP Defeated: 2 Soldiers 47/50 Soldiers [40 BP each] Injured: 1 Soldier [7/40BP]
Castur sighed in annoyance. Just as he had anticipated Rourke had already turned against them to steal the Heart of Atlantis. The reasons did not matter, only that the man cared not for what would become of the people of this world. To make matters worse, the man was getting away and they still had to deal with his armed thugs who dared to call themselves soldiers. "You son of a... gah... It's not like I can be a traitor if I was never on your side to begin with!" Castur called out to Rourke even though the man must have been out of earshot by the time Castur's voice rang out. He looked over at Ananta and shook his head when the girl called him by his old name that he used in the Black Coats, Arctus. Unable to resist the urge to correct her he called out, "The name's Castur! Weird, I know, but I hope you get used to the name change! You wouldn't want me calling you Anta or Anananatana." He muttered the last bit to himself. He hoped this would not become a recurring thing but given that he had gone by a different name before he almost expected to be correcting people constantly. Especially Karina. Castur raised an eyebrow when he saw Ananta fight and chuckled. "Yeah, keyblades are great aren't they?" He said right as he called his own into his hand and readied into a battle position. "Such a shame that I don't have one, huh? Or a Mark of Mastery. And don't worry about me hopping onto the murder train. The guy I stole this stupid getup from is still tied up somewhere in the back of a truck. Which reminds me..." Dramatically, Castur somehow tore off the uniform he was wearing to reveal he regular clothes underneath. Somehow, they appeared to be completely unwrinkled despite having to be crammed into a uniform this entire time. "Alright. Let's get down to business. To defeat. These goons." When the first soldier fired at him Castur simply slapped the bullet back at him with his keyblade, hitting the soldier in the leg and causing him to fall over in pain. "Hm. Guns here don't fire as fast as I'm used to. Sorry buddy, I was just aiming for the ground. Kind of miscalculated there....ooo...that looks like it hurts. Still. You shot first..." Castur scratched the back of his head and briefly considered healing the man but when another gun was fired at him those merciful thoughts vanished as Castur repeated the same move and deflected the bullet back at its shooter and down came another soldier. Castur shook his head at the soldier in disappointment for his attempt to catch him off guard. If there was one thing Castur was confident in, it was his own quick reflexes and his defensive style. He spun his blade around and knocked another soldier back who wanted to close the distance between himself and Castur but was just far too slow.
Gero smiled faintly at Aria as he walked and looked straight ahead as he led the girl back out into the courtyard, remaining silent until they were outside. "Your parents would have been proud to see how far you've come." He finally said. "It has been a long time since you were the scared little girl I saved from the monsters of your adopted home. The dangers you have faced may have grown stronger with you yet you have still handled yourself well." The man stopped for a moment to stare at the surrounding field around the castle and took in a deep breath of the fresh air. He sighed and shook his head slowly, his eyes narrowing at the memory of a time long past. The old man looked down at Aria and spoke softly. "The Light Chaser. Other than Torrin, you are the only one amongst your comrades to spend a considerable length of time with him. Tell me Aria, what could you sense from him, if anything at all?" "Well I had to install some new ones in the rooms...mostly for emergencies. And also for...um...well nothing important." Kide shrugged. He tilted his head at Qamar and stared at her curiously when she asked about Gero having issues with Torrin and shook his head. "It's nothing to do with lineage and everything to do with the fact that he's dangerous. Maybe it's also because of Gero's time in the Realm of Reflection. Tinarah may have suffered there but what she saw was nothing compared to the horrors Gero told the rest of the Council about. Between you and me, I'm glad it's the Light Chaser we're facing and not that monster. Though the Torrin here seems...tame to say the least. A little broody but I can't blame Gero for being weary about him. But that's that. No one is going to be jumping out from that realm ever again so it's not like we need to worry about it." Kidemonas spoke confidently. "And my project? Well it's not done. Almost but not yet. I'm just taking a bit of a break before putting on the finishing touches. There's bound to be some tweaking down the road but other than that it should be done in two or three hours. I lied to Master Gero about it taking the rest of the day just so he might be impressed when I finish earlier than expected. ...And so that if I don't, I still have leeway before he gets mad at me...he can be kind of scary. Um...anyway. Don't be so impatient. I can tell you what it is though. A training room. Packed full of simulations of battles everyone's done on their journey so far. Non-lethal obviously. Wouldn't want you guys risking death if you're not on the top of your game. I've had to take a few creative liberties with the battles since I wasn't there but I think I did a good job at it."
Gero smiled faintly at Aria as he walked and looked straight ahead as he led the girl back out into the courtyard, remaining silent until they were outside. "Your parents would have been proud to see how far you've come." He finally said. "It has been a long time since you were the scared little girl I saved from the monsters of your adopted home. The dangers you have faced may have grown stronger with you yet you have still handled yourself well." The man stopped for a moment to stare at the surrounding field around the castle and took in a deep breath of the fresh air. He sighed and shook his head slowly, his eyes narrowing at the memory of a time long past. The old man looked down at Aria and spoke softly. "The Light Chaser. Other than Torrin, you are the only one amongst your comrades to spend a considerable length of time with him. Tell me Aria, what could you sense from him, if anything at all?"
"Well I had to install some new ones in the rooms...mostly for emergencies. And also for...um...well nothing important." Kide shrugged. He tilted his head at Qamar and stared at her curiously when she asked about Gero having issues with Torrin and shook his head. "It's nothing to do with lineage and everything to do with the fact that he's dangerous. Maybe it's also because of Gero's time in the Realm of Reflection. Tinarah may have suffered there but what she saw was nothing compared to the horrors Gero told the rest of the Council about. Between you and me, I'm glad it's the Light Chaser we're facing and not that monster. Though the Torrin here seems...tame to say the least. A little broody but I can't blame Gero for being weary about him. But that's that. No one is going to be jumping out from that realm ever again so it's not like we need to worry about it." Kidemonas spoke confidently. "And my project? Well it's not done. Almost but not yet. I'm just taking a bit of a break before putting on the finishing touches. There's bound to be some tweaking down the road but other than that it should be done in two or three hours. I lied to Master Gero about it taking the rest of the day just so he might be impressed when I finish earlier than expected. ...And so that if I don't, I still have leeway before he gets mad at me...he can be kind of scary. Um...anyway. Don't be so impatient. I can tell you what it is though. A training room. Packed full of simulations of battles everyone's done on their journey so far. Non-lethal obviously. Wouldn't want you guys risking death if you're not on the top of your game. I've had to take a few creative liberties with the battles since I wasn't there but I think I did a good job at it."
"I'd really appreciate that." Torrin responded to Aria with a smile. "And um...that's..." Torrin scratched the back of his head, unsure of what to make of Enzo's odd statement. "That makes sense I think. I'd rather not think about numbers right now though." He mumbled the last part. Torrin may have understood the subject but there was just so much more that he preferred. Torrin glanced over as Qamar came and left with little to say as she seemed to be in a rush. He finished up his hot chocolate in the next big gulp he took of it and began to think about other topics of conversation to bring up. Small talk came to mind but he wasn't a fan of the idea. "Back home, sweets are a rarity. Kind of hard to have sugar when there's so many Heartless around. Though I guess the current state of affairs doesn't help much either." He looked down at the mug in his hand, empty save for a sole marshmallow that slid around slowly on the inside of the cup. "Once this is all over and I settle things back home, it'd be nice to bring some new faces over. Though most of you guys would need protection. Aria, you'd be fine. One of the advantage to being you is that the darkness there wouldn't get you sick." Torrin placed the mug on the counter and mulled over what he said. A civil war in the Realm of Darkness wasn't something he could just wave his hands and make disappear but at the same time, he was certain that with everything he had seen and learned it would make a difference. "Hm...well I'm sure everyone has places to be after this but the offer still stands. Oh...and I suppose Qamar will be wanting to visit or stay there too...I just need to make a mental note to keep her away from my family." He shook his head and shrugged. "Anyway..." "A word, Aria?" Gero's voice came from the kitchen's entrance causing Torrin to turn suddenly, his eyes flashing gold for an instant, and nearly call for his keyblade. The elderly man seemed to be completely ignoring the existence of anyone else there as he motioned for the girl to come over to him. "Guess he still has some unfinished business with you." Torrin directed towards Aria, his eyes fixed on the old master. "I'm actually not as hungry as you'd expect." Kide spoke up as he popped out around a corner. "Mm...looks good though." He took one of the sandwiches Qamar made and took a large bite into it as he began to speak, his voice muffled by the sandwich. He tried to speak to Qamar but it came out as such a jumbled mess that it was incomprehensible and, noticing it, he stopped talking and held up a finger for the girl to wait for him to finish chewing and swallow what he had before he could speak again. "Mm. That definitely hits the spot. Thanks, Qamar. Anyway, as I was trying to say...what are you doing down here? The weather's nice out. At least that's what the sensors have told me...I haven't been outside in days." He looked at his hands. "Well I haven't gotten any paler so I guess I haven't been down here too long. So, what's on your mind? Does someone need me? Was a meeting called? I'm sure I tied the comms to my equipment...they should have been able to contact me if I was needed."
"I'd really appreciate that." Torrin responded to Aria with a smile. "And um...that's..." Torrin scratched the back of his head, unsure of what to make of Enzo's odd statement. "That makes sense I think. I'd rather not think about numbers right now though." He mumbled the last part. Torrin may have understood the subject but there was just so much more that he preferred. Torrin glanced over as Qamar came and left with little to say as she seemed to be in a rush. He finished up his hot chocolate in the next big gulp he took of it and began to think about other topics of conversation to bring up. Small talk came to mind but he wasn't a fan of the idea. "Back home, sweets are a rarity. Kind of hard to have sugar when there's so many Heartless around. Though I guess the current state of affairs doesn't help much either." He looked down at the mug in his hand, empty save for a sole marshmallow that slid around slowly on the inside of the cup. "Once this is all over and I settle things back home, it'd be nice to bring some new faces over. Though most of you guys would need protection. Aria, you'd be fine. One of the advantage to being you is that the darkness there wouldn't get you sick." Torrin placed the mug on the counter and mulled over what he said. A civil war in the Realm of Darkness wasn't something he could just wave his hands and make disappear but at the same time, he was certain that with everything he had seen and learned it would make a difference. "Hm...well I'm sure everyone has places to be after this but the offer still stands. Oh...and I suppose Qamar will be wanting to visit or stay there too...I just need to make a mental note to keep her away from my family." He shook his head and shrugged. "Anyway..." "A word, Aria?" Gero's voice came from the kitchen's entrance causing Torrin to turn suddenly, his eyes flashing gold for an instant, and nearly call for his keyblade. The elderly man seemed to be completely ignoring the existence of anyone else there as he motioned for the girl to come over to him. "Guess he still has some unfinished business with you." Torrin directed towards Aria, his eyes fixed on the old master.
"I'm actually not as hungry as you'd expect." Kide spoke up as he popped out around a corner. "Mm...looks good though." He took one of the sandwiches Qamar made and took a large bite into it as he began to speak, his voice muffled by the sandwich. He tried to speak to Qamar but it came out as such a jumbled mess that it was incomprehensible and, noticing it, he stopped talking and held up a finger for the girl to wait for him to finish chewing and swallow what he had before he could speak again. "Mm. That definitely hits the spot. Thanks, Qamar. Anyway, as I was trying to say...what are you doing down here? The weather's nice out. At least that's what the sensors have told me...I haven't been outside in days." He looked at his hands. "Well I haven't gotten any paler so I guess I haven't been down here too long. So, what's on your mind? Does someone need me? Was a meeting called? I'm sure I tied the comms to my equipment...they should have been able to contact me if I was needed."
Torrin scratched his chin as he considered what Chrono had said. The plan was basic and, as Chrono implied, not much of a plan but Torrin wasn't sure "out-thinking" the Light Chaser was the right way to go about it. He would have preferred a more elegant solution but trying to do anything more than lure the Light Chaser into a place where they could contain him for a fight just seemed doomed to fail. Still, he wondered if he was giving the brainpower of the many minds he was surrounded with too little credit. He couldn't be sure. Before Torrin could think of something more to add Aria had offered to make food, including hot chocolate and his mind immediately dropped the subject. Almost as if summoned by this offer, Enzo showed up...appearing to have just finished eating judging by the remaining crumbs on his clothes. Torrin snickered and rolled his eyes. "Guess being stuck in that dungeon made you real hungry." Torrin commented as they headed to the kitchen and Aria began swiftly working on drinks for the small group. "Mm...It feels like it's been too long since I had this." Torrin took a long whiff of the chocolate-scented steam rising from the mug and took a short swig of the drink. "Ooo...I could have this all day." "Thanks Aria. You're definitely the best at this. I can't imagine how I went on so long without ever trying this before meeting you." Torrin looked down at the marshmallows floating about and leaned back against the counter. "I think I'll try my hand at this next time." "Perhaps he has done so already. It wouldn't surprise me." Gero once more looked outside through his window though did not spot the four-winged dragon this time around. "There will be time for a Mark of Mastery examination but first everyone must be ready. Both mentally and physically. I cannot simply allow for anyone to become a master simply because of a desperate situation. To do so would be irresponsible and would do more harm than good. When the time comes, the potential for everyone to fail, the potential for everyone to pass, and the potential for everything in between...all of those possibilities exist." He stroked his beard and continued to stare out into the horizon as he spoke. "I require no food right now, Qamar. But thank you for offering. I believe Kidemonas is in the basement working on completing his project. He assured me it would be done before nightfall so perhaps he would be willing to divulge what it is to you."
Torrin scratched his chin as he considered what Chrono had said. The plan was basic and, as Chrono implied, not much of a plan but Torrin wasn't sure "out-thinking" the Light Chaser was the right way to go about it. He would have preferred a more elegant solution but trying to do anything more than lure the Light Chaser into a place where they could contain him for a fight just seemed doomed to fail. Still, he wondered if he was giving the brainpower of the many minds he was surrounded with too little credit. He couldn't be sure. Before Torrin could think of something more to add Aria had offered to make food, including hot chocolate and his mind immediately dropped the subject. Almost as if summoned by this offer, Enzo showed up...appearing to have just finished eating judging by the remaining crumbs on his clothes. Torrin snickered and rolled his eyes. "Guess being stuck in that dungeon made you real hungry." Torrin commented as they headed to the kitchen and Aria began swiftly working on drinks for the small group. "Mm...It feels like it's been too long since I had this." Torrin took a long whiff of the chocolate-scented steam rising from the mug and took a short swig of the drink. "Ooo...I could have this all day." "Thanks Aria. You're definitely the best at this. I can't imagine how I went on so long without ever trying this before meeting you." Torrin looked down at the marshmallows floating about and leaned back against the counter. "I think I'll try my hand at this next time."
"Perhaps he has done so already. It wouldn't surprise me." Gero once more looked outside through his window though did not spot the four-winged dragon this time around. "There will be time for a Mark of Mastery examination but first everyone must be ready. Both mentally and physically. I cannot simply allow for anyone to become a master simply because of a desperate situation. To do so would be irresponsible and would do more harm than good. When the time comes, the potential for everyone to fail, the potential for everyone to pass, and the potential for everything in between...all of those possibilities exist." He stroked his beard and continued to stare out into the horizon as he spoke. "I require no food right now, Qamar. But thank you for offering. I believe Kidemonas is in the basement working on completing his project. He assured me it would be done before nightfall so perhaps he would be willing to divulge what it is to you."
Gero raised an eyebrow at the girl. "You are wondering what my stance on you is, are you not, child? If a little darkness was all it took to spoke the Council we would have allowed the Light Chaser to complete his plans as soon as he revealed them. No, the darkness is part of the balance. It was those who upset it that nearly destroyed this realm." Gero clasped his hands behind his back. "Darkness can be a useful tool against a light that shines too bright and vice-versa. Where pure sources of darkness must be destroyed, those who merely harbor more of it within their hearts like Boreas and yourself are fundamental to the balance. Even Skia seems to have done an excellent job taming the darkness for her use." "As for what is the Council's standing with those in the Realm of Darkness...that is a question I cannot answer. Not because I am keeping the answer from you, but because only King Joch would be able to give an appropriate response to such a question." Atmos folded her arms and felt as if she was about to fall asleep. It hadn't truly been that long but she was beginning to agree with Choma and wondered if going to seek out Gilgamesh would have been a smarter move than waiting around. "Do you think we're waiting in the wrong spot?" She asked. Choma shrugged, Varos and Thallasa gave no answer, and Stamatis ever so slightly shook his head in response to her. She was about to suggest they begin searching elsewhere when the wind suddenly kicked up and caused the sand around them to spin and encircle the group. Everyone drew their keyblades and stood close together, facing in five different directions. As hard as she tried she could not see anything past the wall of sand blowing around them yet she could sense a powerful presence nearby unlike anything she had ever felt before. The howling wind began to die down and it was then that she could just barely make out a shadow of a figure through the sand. It approached them, appearing to be a massive armored man, carrying a large blade slung over his shoulder. "Is this him!?" "Yes. It is I! GILGAMESH!! The Morning's Champion! The Chosen One to defend the Balance!" A deep voice boomed across the desert. The sand began to settle and before them stood a muscular man larger than both Choma and Varos, standing at least 8 feet tall (244cm for metric users). The man stabbed his blade into the sand causing the ground beneath the keyblade masters to shake. "I am the Warrior of Light, GIlgamesh! Who amongst you has the strength--the heart to challenge me, GILGAMESH?" "He seems a little...intense? He really enjoys saying his name...are we sure we want his help?" Ignoring her words and stepping forth as he had said he would, Choma entered a battle stance to challenge the Warrior. Gilgamesh let out a hearty laugh and pulled his blade from the sand and pointed it at Choma. "Very well. I, Gilgamesh, shall test your worth! PREPARE YOURSELF!"
Gero raised an eyebrow at the girl. "You are wondering what my stance on you is, are you not, child? If a little darkness was all it took to spoke the Council we would have allowed the Light Chaser to complete his plans as soon as he revealed them. No, the darkness is part of the balance. It was those who upset it that nearly destroyed this realm." Gero clasped his hands behind his back. "Darkness can be a useful tool against a light that shines too bright and vice-versa. Where pure sources of darkness must be destroyed, those who merely harbor more of it within their hearts like Boreas and yourself are fundamental to the balance. Even Skia seems to have done an excellent job taming the darkness for her use." "As for what is the Council's standing with those in the Realm of Darkness...that is a question I cannot answer. Not because I am keeping the answer from you, but because only King Joch would be able to give an appropriate response to such a question."
Atmos folded her arms and felt as if she was about to fall asleep. It hadn't truly been that long but she was beginning to agree with Choma and wondered if going to seek out Gilgamesh would have been a smarter move than waiting around. "Do you think we're waiting in the wrong spot?" She asked. Choma shrugged, Varos and Thallasa gave no answer, and Stamatis ever so slightly shook his head in response to her. She was about to suggest they begin searching elsewhere when the wind suddenly kicked up and caused the sand around them to spin and encircle the group. Everyone drew their keyblades and stood close together, facing in five different directions. As hard as she tried she could not see anything past the wall of sand blowing around them yet she could sense a powerful presence nearby unlike anything she had ever felt before. The howling wind began to die down and it was then that she could just barely make out a shadow of a figure through the sand. It approached them, appearing to be a massive armored man, carrying a large blade slung over his shoulder. "Is this him!?" "Yes. It is I! GILGAMESH!! The Morning's Champion! The Chosen One to defend the Balance!" A deep voice boomed across the desert. The sand began to settle and before them stood a muscular man larger than both Choma and Varos, standing at least 8 feet tall (244cm for metric users). The man stabbed his blade into the sand causing the ground beneath the keyblade masters to shake. "I am the Warrior of Light, GIlgamesh! Who amongst you has the strength--the heart to challenge me, GILGAMESH?" "He seems a little...intense? He really enjoys saying his name...are we sure we want his help?" Ignoring her words and stepping forth as he had said he would, Choma entered a battle stance to challenge the Warrior. Gilgamesh let out a hearty laugh and pulled his blade from the sand and pointed it at Choma. "Very well. I, Gilgamesh, shall test your worth! PREPARE YOURSELF!"
Gero placed the large tome down on his desk and remained quiet as Qamar spoke, hardly looking at the girl as he opened the cover to examine the book's first page. He nodded in satisfaction and stroked his beard before closing the book once more. "The Council's goals are simple, child. Council members are tasked with protecting the Seven. Typically there are only seven members of us at any time and when there are more, only the seven longest-serving members are entrusted with the identities of the Seven." Gero looked away from the book to turn towards Qamar. "Our other goal is to ensure that keyblade masters do not disturb the world order or act in such a way as to usher in another Keyblade War." "The Light Chaser had been a member of this Council at one point. He had not been amongst the most senior members but his betrayal and his actions since then..." Gero sighed. "His power far exceeds that of any of us. We have had to act defensively because of an item within these castle walls. A book or, rather, an abridged copy of one that holds the names of all the Seven, past, present, and future is in our possession. To be certain the Light Chaser would not simply storm the castle we have had to remain here to ensure he did not steal this book to locate the Seven. Leaving to collect them ourselves would have been far too risky but now that he knows of all Seven...our goals have shifted slightly and my sights have been set on alternative methods of defeating him." "That is the limit of what I will tell you, Qamar." Choma, Atmos, Varos, Stamatis, and Thallasa had landed on the foreign world, a world dotted with a few cities he would have considered to be ancient by his standards and covered with more sand than he was comfortable being around. Thankfully, the magic of their armor kept them from being baked in the desert heat. "So many dunes. Maybe Aster was wrong. This doesn't seem like the place the Warrior of Light would have isolated himself in." "And you know this from how many legendary warriors you've met?" Atmos asked. "Fair enough." "Too dry for my tastes." Thallasa chimed in. "We are not here on vacation." Varos stepped forward. "Well what do we do? Wait around? Fan out and search?" "Patience, Master Choma. If the stories are true then all that is required of us is patience. The Warrior will sense our collective strength find us." Stamatis answered calmly. Choma folded his arms, unhappy with the idea of being forced to do nothing once more. "Alright. But if he bothers to show up, I'm taking the first crack at him. I've done enough waiting for a lifetime."
Gero placed the large tome down on his desk and remained quiet as Qamar spoke, hardly looking at the girl as he opened the cover to examine the book's first page. He nodded in satisfaction and stroked his beard before closing the book once more. "The Council's goals are simple, child. Council members are tasked with protecting the Seven. Typically there are only seven members of us at any time and when there are more, only the seven longest-serving members are entrusted with the identities of the Seven." Gero looked away from the book to turn towards Qamar. "Our other goal is to ensure that keyblade masters do not disturb the world order or act in such a way as to usher in another Keyblade War." "The Light Chaser had been a member of this Council at one point. He had not been amongst the most senior members but his betrayal and his actions since then..." Gero sighed. "His power far exceeds that of any of us. We have had to act defensively because of an item within these castle walls. A book or, rather, an abridged copy of one that holds the names of all the Seven, past, present, and future is in our possession. To be certain the Light Chaser would not simply storm the castle we have had to remain here to ensure he did not steal this book to locate the Seven. Leaving to collect them ourselves would have been far too risky but now that he knows of all Seven...our goals have shifted slightly and my sights have been set on alternative methods of defeating him." "That is the limit of what I will tell you, Qamar."
Choma, Atmos, Varos, Stamatis, and Thallasa had landed on the foreign world, a world dotted with a few cities he would have considered to be ancient by his standards and covered with more sand than he was comfortable being around. Thankfully, the magic of their armor kept them from being baked in the desert heat. "So many dunes. Maybe Aster was wrong. This doesn't seem like the place the Warrior of Light would have isolated himself in." "And you know this from how many legendary warriors you've met?" Atmos asked. "Fair enough." "Too dry for my tastes." Thallasa chimed in. "We are not here on vacation." Varos stepped forward. "Well what do we do? Wait around? Fan out and search?" "Patience, Master Choma. If the stories are true then all that is required of us is patience. The Warrior will sense our collective strength find us." Stamatis answered calmly. Choma folded his arms, unhappy with the idea of being forced to do nothing once more. "Alright. But if he bothers to show up, I'm taking the first crack at him. I've done enough waiting for a lifetime."
"Mm...thanks." Selene rubbed her arm now that Qamar had offered to carry the book for her. "Anyway, I'm sure the Master has time to spare. Though if you're looking for secrets I wouldn't get my hopes up. I'm on the Council and Kaio still won't tell me what his favorite color is. I wanted to knit him a scarf for his birthday but he wouldn't even tell me that either! ...Or if he likes scarves. Or if he likes clothes at all. Well I guess he does because he's always wearing them but then again it'd be really bad if he wasn't...huh? O-oh! Not those kinds of secrets. Sorry." She scratched her cheek and gave a small shrug. "Well I guess it doesn't matter if you're a student or not. Well it does but it doesn't matter that you're Kide's student. The fact is, some secrets are just restricted to masters and just as many are restricted to Council members...and apparently there's still more secrets after that. Before you guys returned I had no idea boys could be Princesses! Uh. Princesses of Heart I mean...er...Princes in this case... Neither did Kide. Everyone else though? They already knew! Uh...anyway." Selene slowed her pace as they approached Gero's door. "We're here now." Selene gave a quick knock on the door and almost immediately the door opened. "Master Gero! We brought that book you asked for." Selene took the book from Qamar and held it out towards Gero. "Good. Thank you, Selene." The man simply said as he retrieved the tome from Selene. He glanced over at Qamar but said nothing to her prompting Selene to speak up again. "Oh her? Qamar's just here because she wanted to talk." "Hm. Very well. You may return to your duties." "I don't think anything's been assigned to me recently...oooh. You're telling me to leave. Uh...I'll just be...on my way..." With a friendly wave to Qamar and a quick bow to Gero the young woman took off.
"Mm...thanks." Selene rubbed her arm now that Qamar had offered to carry the book for her. "Anyway, I'm sure the Master has time to spare. Though if you're looking for secrets I wouldn't get my hopes up. I'm on the Council and Kaio still won't tell me what his favorite color is. I wanted to knit him a scarf for his birthday but he wouldn't even tell me that either! ...Or if he likes scarves. Or if he likes clothes at all. Well I guess he does because he's always wearing them but then again it'd be really bad if he wasn't...huh? O-oh! Not those kinds of secrets. Sorry." She scratched her cheek and gave a small shrug. "Well I guess it doesn't matter if you're a student or not. Well it does but it doesn't matter that you're Kide's student. The fact is, some secrets are just restricted to masters and just as many are restricted to Council members...and apparently there's still more secrets after that. Before you guys returned I had no idea boys could be Princesses! Uh. Princesses of Heart I mean...er...Princes in this case... Neither did Kide. Everyone else though? They already knew! Uh...anyway." Selene slowed her pace as they approached Gero's door. "We're here now." Selene gave a quick knock on the door and almost immediately the door opened. "Master Gero! We brought that book you asked for." Selene took the book from Qamar and held it out towards Gero. "Good. Thank you, Selene." The man simply said as he retrieved the tome from Selene. He glanced over at Qamar but said nothing to her prompting Selene to speak up again. "Oh her? Qamar's just here because she wanted to talk." "Hm. Very well. You may return to your duties." "I don't think anything's been assigned to me recently...oooh. You're telling me to leave. Uh...I'll just be...on my way..." With a friendly wave to Qamar and a quick bow to Gero the young woman took off.
"I can't believe we're being sent on a wild goose chase." Choma grumbled under his helmet as he and Atmos flew through the Lanes Between. "You're telling me you don't believe in the Warrior of Light?" Atmos asked in an amused tone. "No and the fact that the Council has seen fit to dispatch not just one but five keyblade masters to seek out a fairy tale is just ridiculous. Why was Master Gero so intent on keeping us all cooped up in that castle under the guise of holding a strong defense only to send out five of us after this...this...rumor." "We shouldn't be gone too long. If anything happens while we're away we should be able to return quickly if anything goes wrong. And...well apparently my sister has been keeping an eye out for other worlds and found something interesting...Master Gero seems to think that the Warrior will give us an edge against the Light Chaser. We just have to best him in combat first." "Hm. Five against one? Hardly honorable." "Well it'll be one on one. That's why Gero sent five of us. If four masters can't beat him then surely they would have tired out the Warrior enough for the fifth to do so. He's not supposed to refuse any challenge from those who manage to find him and are strong enough to withstand his presence." "How do you know so much about this? Stamatis was in such a hurry he barely had time to explain why we were leaving so suddenly." "The Tales of Gilgamesh were required reading when I was a young schoolgirl. I'm surprised one as...wizened as you has yet to read them." Choma laughed at her prodding at his age. "I'm still in my prime. Don't you forget that. And I had more important things to do when I was a kid." "Yes yes. Boys will be boys, hm? I bet you played with wooden swords and hunted your own food with your bare hands." "You've definitely got a more active imagination than Aster! Are you sure you two are related?" "Mm..." "...Have you two reconciled yet?" "I...I don't know. Maybe when she and I get our baby sister back we can finally have a real heart to heart." "Avra, right? Look, I don't know what's been said about it but I'm sure she had her reasons for disappearing the way she did. As much as I hate to admit it, if I was her age again, I'd have a hard time saying no to someone with such lofty goals." "I'd rather not talk about this right now, Choma. Another time, alright?" "Alright. Let's just focus on what's ahead." The man nodded. "Hey. Heads up. I think we've just about caught up with the other three."
"I can't believe we're being sent on a wild goose chase." Choma grumbled under his helmet as he and Atmos flew through the Lanes Between. "You're telling me you don't believe in the Warrior of Light?" Atmos asked in an amused tone. "No and the fact that the Council has seen fit to dispatch not just one but five keyblade masters to seek out a fairy tale is just ridiculous. Why was Master Gero so intent on keeping us all cooped up in that castle under the guise of holding a strong defense only to send out five of us after this...this...rumor." "We shouldn't be gone too long. If anything happens while we're away we should be able to return quickly if anything goes wrong. And...well apparently my sister has been keeping an eye out for other worlds and found something interesting...Master Gero seems to think that the Warrior will give us an edge against the Light Chaser. We just have to best him in combat first." "Hm. Five against one? Hardly honorable." "Well it'll be one on one. That's why Gero sent five of us. If four masters can't beat him then surely they would have tired out the Warrior enough for the fifth to do so. He's not supposed to refuse any challenge from those who manage to find him and are strong enough to withstand his presence." "How do you know so much about this? Stamatis was in such a hurry he barely had time to explain why we were leaving so suddenly." "The Tales of Gilgamesh were required reading when I was a young schoolgirl. I'm surprised one as...wizened as you has yet to read them." Choma laughed at her prodding at his age. "I'm still in my prime. Don't you forget that. And I had more important things to do when I was a kid." "Yes yes. Boys will be boys, hm? I bet you played with wooden swords and hunted your own food with your bare hands." "You've definitely got a more active imagination than Aster! Are you sure you two are related?" "Mm..." "...Have you two reconciled yet?" "I...I don't know. Maybe when she and I get our baby sister back we can finally have a real heart to heart." "Avra, right? Look, I don't know what's been said about it but I'm sure she had her reasons for disappearing the way she did. As much as I hate to admit it, if I was her age again, I'd have a hard time saying no to someone with such lofty goals." "I'd rather not talk about this right now, Choma. Another time, alright?" "Alright. Let's just focus on what's ahead." The man nodded. "Hey. Heads up. I think we've just about caught up with the other three."
