Castur raised an eyebrow under the mask and shook his head, slightly amusing at Ananta's attitude. The girl couldn't wait to pick Karina apart yet she was still whining about fixing things with her. How long had it been? Instead of thinking too hard about it he instead wondered if everyone in Karina's group had attitude problems. Were they all that dysfunctional? As amusing as it was to believe that Karina only made friends with unstable people, that would have put him in a strange position. Not that he ever believed he was the most mentally fit person to walk the realms. Not wanting to speak up just yet, Castur leaned back and listening in to a conversation happening elsewhere in the convoy. The civilians were talking about their mundane lives and it offered him little in the means of information besides the thing called "the Heart of Atlantis". "Hm." He returned his attention to the sights up ahead and saw several tribal-looking people. Milo took off after them and Rourke ordered his men to follow after. Moments later and waterfalls gave way to the entrance of a magnificent hidden city. Castur let out a whistle, impressed by the sight of what he knew to be Atlantis, at least according to what Milo had said. "Not every day you see that." He mused. Castur glanced at Ananta and motioned for the seat she was supposed to be sitting in. Another guard was beginning to look nervous with the girl moving around so much and the last thing they needed was someone armed and nervous. "No time to get all weepy. If you're gonna get all emotional, do it while sitting down."
Castur raised an eyebrow under the mask and shook his head, slightly amusing at Ananta's attitude. The girl couldn't wait to pick Karina apart yet she was still whining about fixing things with her. How long had it been? Instead of thinking too hard about it he instead wondered if everyone in Karina's group had attitude problems. Were they all that dysfunctional? As amusing as it was to believe that Karina only made friends with unstable people, that would have put him in a strange position. Not that he ever believed he was the most mentally fit person to walk the realms. Not wanting to speak up just yet, Castur leaned back and listening in to a conversation happening elsewhere in the convoy. The civilians were talking about their mundane lives and it offered him little in the means of information besides the thing called "the Heart of Atlantis". "Hm." He returned his attention to the sights up ahead and saw several tribal-looking people. Milo took off after them and Rourke ordered his men to follow after. Moments later and waterfalls gave way to the entrance of a magnificent hidden city. Castur let out a whistle, impressed by the sight of what he knew to be Atlantis, at least according to what Milo had said. "Not every day you see that." He mused. Castur glanced at Ananta and motioned for the seat she was supposed to be sitting in. Another guard was beginning to look nervous with the girl moving around so much and the last thing they needed was someone armed and nervous. "No time to get all weepy. If you're gonna get all emotional, do it while sitting down."
The Horned King refused to go down without a fight and in his hands gathered green mist until it coalesced into flames which he threw at the party. A flame that hit Chrono was mostly absorbed by the Reflect spell Take had cast and exploded back on the Horned King while another flame collided right into one of Torrin's dark blades causing it to shatter harmlessly in front of him. Rather than attack Illiana or Tinarah the sorcerer went on to launch several spells at Take instead, knocking the boy over. Turn 3 Torrin Aria Chrono Tinarah Takehiko Illiana Boreas Qamar Enzo Tinarah dealt 55 Damage! Aria dealt 59 Damage! Chrono dealt 93 Damage! Takehiko dealt 15 Damage! Boreas dealt 138 Damage! Enzo dealt 55 Damage! Torrin dealt 620 Damage! Torrin was protected by Phantom Blade! Aria took 29 Damage! MP Rage activated! Chrono was Critically Hit for 18 Damage! Tinarah was protected by Take's Provoke! Takehiko took 40 Damage! MP Rage activated! Illiana was protected by Take's Provoke! Boreas took 29 Damage! Qamar dodged the attack! Enzo took 29 Damage! The Horned King HP: 4,672 / 6,660 AP: 21 DEF: 10 BREAK GAUGE: 70 / 130% STATUS: Gravity, Poison Torrin's Info HP: 110/130 MP: 40/40 FOC: 52/70 FLUX: 1/5 STATUS: Silence (9 Turns) [Magic locked], Cheer (1 Turn), Rainbow Glow (3 Turns), Inspiring Presence (3 Turns), Phantom Blade (3 Turns) [7 blades remaining] Aria's Info HP: 81/110 MP: 40/57 FOC: 1/27 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: Cheer (1 Turn), Rainbow Glow (3 Turns), Inspiring Presence (3 Turns) Chrono's Info HP: 127/145 MP: 35/35 FOC: 30/50 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: Pain (9 Turns) [DEF reduced to 0], Cheer (1 Turn), Rainbow Glow (3 Turns), Inspiring Presence (3 Turns) Tinarah's Info HP: 160/160 MP: 88/90 FOC: 3/15 FLUX: 0/3 STATUS: Pain (9 Turns) [DEF reduced to 0], Cheer (1 Turn), Rainbow Glow (3 Turns), Inspiring Presence (3 Turns) Takehiko's Info HP: 121/200 MP: 26/28 FOC: 8/28 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: Cheer (1 Turn), Rainbow Glow (3 Turns), Inspiring Presence (3 Turns) Illiana's Info HP: 56/70 MP: 22/40 FOC: 28/28 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: Leafga (2 Turns), Cheer (1 Turn), Rainbow Glow (3 Turns), Inspiring Presence (3 Turns) Boreas's Info HP: 87/145 MP: 30/30 FOC: 18/33 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: Cheer (1 Turn), Rainbow Glow (3 Turns), Inspiring Presence (3 Turns) Qamar's Info HP: 92/120 MP: 15/15 FOC: 41/41 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: Leafga (2 Turns), Cheer (1 Turn), Rainbow Glow (3 Turns), Inspiring Presence (3 Turns) Enzo's Info HP: 92/150 MP: 48/70 FOC: 15/20 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: Stun(9 Turns) [Ex-Arts locked], Cheer (1 Turn), Rainbow Glow (3 Turns), Inspiring Presence (3 Turns) Combat Guide
The Horned King refused to go down without a fight and in his hands gathered green mist until it coalesced into flames which he threw at the party. A flame that hit Chrono was mostly absorbed by the Reflect spell Take had cast and exploded back on the Horned King while another flame collided right into one of Torrin's dark blades causing it to shatter harmlessly in front of him. Rather than attack Illiana or Tinarah the sorcerer went on to launch several spells at Take instead, knocking the boy over.
Gero stroked his beard and nodded slowly. "Yes. It would appear that when Joch took it upon himself to destroy those terrible weapons he failed at disposing of the last one." "Can you really call them weapons, Master?" Stamatis asked, a hint of concern in his voice. "I would not expect you to understand without having seen one in person. Such raw destructive darkness...though it seems that the last one of its kind has been damaged beyond repair. No doubt thanks to the Light Chaser's extensive plans..." "Why do you use that title? We knew him long before he ever took that alias. Why not simply call him A–" "The boy we trained died a long time ago, Stamatis. We failed him and only the Light Chaser remains." Gero clasped his fingers together and leaned back in his seat. He silently contemplated his own words for a moment before moving on and returning to the subject at hand, knowing reliving the pain of the past would do them no good. "My interactions with the Sovereign of the Night were few and far between but Joch did not strike me as the kind of man to leave something unfinished. He was not that sloppy." "Perhaps he intended to use the weapon? That would certainly prove to be a better explanation for his civil war than the one we've currently heard." Stamatis spoke calmly. "Mm. Perhaps. Or perhaps he kept it in tact out of sentiment. In either case, that would have caused tensions to rise. After seeing what the others were capable of, no reasonable person would not want them all destroyed. After all, that is exactly why he contacted me all those years ago when he knew he could not destroy those weapons himself. Still...that does not explain why the Light Chaser would go to such lengths to render one useless rather than destroy it makes no sense to me." "Yet you still have plans to use that weapon yourself, do you not?" "In light of our current predicament, we must take every advantage we can. I expect your support on this, Stamatis. Should I die, you are the only one capable of unleashing that weapon." "I...I understand, Gero. But if you are so concerned about our current numbers, perhaps it is time we brought in another." Stamatis smiled faintly. "You would have no objection to me contacting Fost, would you?"
Torrin grabbed another two blades of darkness from the air and leapt at the Horned King, bringing both blades down on him before summoning his keyblade once more, back in its normal form, and bringing up in a powerful cut. With the momentum from his swing Torrin flipped backwards and landed a few feet from the Horned King. If he wasn't going to hold back then he had to give it his all and his signature technique was exactly what came to mind. Torrin flicked his wrist, his keyblade flashed, and in the blink of an eye he was behind the Horned King. Rather than blood, more of the same green mist poured out from the sorcerer's side. Torrin's eyes narrowed at the sad sight of how far that creature had gone to gain his so-called "immortality". "You're outnumbered and outmatched." Torrin teleported back towards the others, striking the Horned King as he did so. The Horned King growled and fell to one knee. "Stay down if you know what's good for you!" And as expected, the sorcerer rose back up glaring at the keybladers with hatred in his glowing eyes. "Suit yourself." In the next moment Torrin lunged at the Horned King, coming at him from several directions and disappearing before each thrust as he used Chaos Blade, the final lunge sending Torrin back beside Aria. Surprisingly, the sorcerer was still standing but Torrin knew he wasn't done yet. He still had more to give. "You know, I prefer him to the clown. At least he isn't laughing at us." Torrin mused. HP: 110/130 MP: 40/40 FOC: 52/70 FLUX: 1/5 Torrin attacked and used Shin-Zantetsuken, Warp Strike, and Chaos Blade.
Torrin grabbed another two blades of darkness from the air and leapt at the Horned King, bringing both blades down on him before summoning his keyblade once more, back in its normal form, and bringing up in a powerful cut. With the momentum from his swing Torrin flipped backwards and landed a few feet from the Horned King. If he wasn't going to hold back then he had to give it his all and his signature technique was exactly what came to mind. Torrin flicked his wrist, his keyblade flashed, and in the blink of an eye he was behind the Horned King. Rather than blood, more of the same green mist poured out from the sorcerer's side. Torrin's eyes narrowed at the sad sight of how far that creature had gone to gain his so-called "immortality". "You're outnumbered and outmatched." Torrin teleported back towards the others, striking the Horned King as he did so. The Horned King growled and fell to one knee. "Stay down if you know what's good for you!" And as expected, the sorcerer rose back up glaring at the keybladers with hatred in his glowing eyes. "Suit yourself." In the next moment Torrin lunged at the Horned King, coming at him from several directions and disappearing before each thrust as he used Chaos Blade, the final lunge sending Torrin back beside Aria. Surprisingly, the sorcerer was still standing but Torrin knew he wasn't done yet. He still had more to give. "You know, I prefer him to the clown. At least he isn't laughing at us." Torrin mused. HP: 110/130 MP: 40/40 FOC: 52/70 FLUX: 1/5 Torrin attacked and used Shin-Zantetsuken, Warp Strike, and Chaos Blade.
"I don't think this should take very long at all now should it?" Zeno spoke as he walked forward down the quiet streets of Eventide Town. He let out a whistle which echoed against the brick streets and let out a dramatic sigh. "This place really is quite dull. Safe, yes, but just terribly dull. Well at least we don't have to worry about Heartless dropping in on us at night." He complained, glancing over at Chrys before returning his gaze to the path ahead. The two continued to walk as the terrain started to slope upwards, Zeno's pace picking up when he caught sight of a flower shop ahead. "That's where we need to go. Chop chop!" Zeno called out, urging Chrys to hurry after him as he took off in a light jog. When the two arrived at the front of shop there was an elderly w oman in view watering her plants. "Allow me to do the talking, grandmothers love me." He smirked. As Zeno walked forward the old woman looked over at him and frowned. "Child, you shouldn't dye your hair that color. People might think you're a hooligan." "What? No! I-it's not dyed it's–" "And fix that slouch, you'll end up with a hump on your back!" She scolded. "Argh...Chrys? This one's yours. Today's not my day." Zeno shook his head, exasperated, and stepped back letting Chrys take the lead on the questions.
"I don't think this should take very long at all now should it?" Zeno spoke as he walked forward down the quiet streets of Eventide Town. He let out a whistle which echoed against the brick streets and let out a dramatic sigh. "This place really is quite dull. Safe, yes, but just terribly dull. Well at least we don't have to worry about Heartless dropping in on us at night." He complained, glancing over at Chrys before returning his gaze to the path ahead. The two continued to walk as the terrain started to slope upwards, Zeno's pace picking up when he caught sight of a flower shop ahead. "That's where we need to go. Chop chop!" Zeno called out, urging Chrys to hurry after him as he took off in a light jog. When the two arrived at the front of shop there was an elderly w oman in view watering her plants. "Allow me to do the talking, grandmothers love me." He smirked. As Zeno walked forward the old woman looked over at him and frowned. "Child, you shouldn't dye your hair that color. People might think you're a hooligan." "What? No! I-it's not dyed it's–" "And fix that slouch, you'll end up with a hump on your back!" She scolded. "Argh...Chrys? This one's yours. Today's not my day." Zeno shook his head, exasperated, and stepped back letting Chrys take the lead on the questions.
Torrin raised an eyebrow at Enzo's comment towards Aria, finding the words strange. He shook his head and returned his attention to the battle at hand. Boreas seemed to be in the mood for combat and his words made pushed Torrin to take things one step further. Even Take seemed to be having fun with the battle as he provoked the Horned King. "Well then, with a speech like that, I think it's about time I finally stop holding back." Torrin gripped his keyblade with both hands and the guard broke apart as the blade lengthened until it took the form of a greatsword. "Alright...let me show you my darkness!" At his words there was an explosion of darkness centered on Torrin as a black aura wrapped around him. From the wisps of the aura black blades began to form around Torrin and in an instant twelve blades now floated behind him before vanishing into the shadows. Torrin released one hand from his keyblade and flexed his hand, looking at it for a moment before returning it to the handle. "Been way too long since I used this." He said with a smile forming across his face. He charged forward towards the Horned King and swung his keyblade down on the sorcerer, released both hands from his keyblade causing it to vanish, and reached for the air. Two dark blades materialized as he reached as if they had been waiting for him to call upon them and Torrin deftly struck at the Horned King in swift spinning motion, the two blades shattering upon striking the sorcerer, before jumping backwards to summon his keyblade back into his hand and firing off a bolt of darkness in one motion. HP: 120/130 MP: 40/40 FOC: 70/70 FLUX: 1/5 Torrin entered Phantom Blade and Attacked! The Horned King's eyes flashed with rage, his robe torn from the attacks that had struck him. He bellowed at the keybladers with hate and thrust his hands out towards them, knocking them back with the Black Cauldron's green mist that burned like steam and left several party members feeling sick. Turn 2 Torrin Aria Chrono Tinarah Takehiko Illiana Boreas Qamar Enzo Tinarah dealt 120 Damage! Aria dealt 60 Damage! Enzo dealt 50 Damage! Takehiko dealt 42 Damage! Boreas dealt 68 Damage! Qamar dealt 115 Damage! Chrono dealt 128 Damage! Illiana dealt 105 Damage! Torrin dealt 265 Damage! Torrin was protected by Take's Provoke! Silence inflicted! Aria dodged the attack! Chrono was protected by Take's Provoke! Pain inflicted! Tinarah dodged the attack! Pain inflicted! Takehiko took 39 Damage! MP Rage activated! Scourge inflicted! Illiana took 29 Damage! Imperil inflicted! Boreas took 29 Damage! Qamar was Critically Hit for 43 Damage! MP Rage activated! Enzo took 29 Damage! Stun inflicted! The Horned King HP: 5,707 / 6,660 AP: 21 DEF: 10 BREAK GAUGE: 20 / 130% STATUS: None Torrin's Info HP: 120/130 MP: 40/40 FOC: 70/70 FLUX: 5/5 STATUS: Silence (10 Turns) [Magic locked], Cheer (2 Turns), Rainbow Glow (4 Turns), Inspiring Presence (4 Turns), Phantom Blade (4 Turns) [10 blades remaining] Aria's Info HP: 110/110 MP: 48/57 FOC: 14/27 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: Cheer (2 Turns), Rainbow Glow (4 Turns), Inspiring Presence (4 Turns) Chrono's Info HP: 145/145 MP: 35/35 FOC: 39/50 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: Pain (10 Turns) [DEF reduced to 0], Cheer (2 Turns), Rainbow Glow (4 Turns), Inspiring Presence (4 Turns) Tinarah's Info HP: 160/160 MP: 77/90 FOC: 3/15 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: Pain (10 Turns) [DEF reduced to 0], Cheer (2 Turns), Rainbow Glow (4 Turns), Inspiring Presence (4 Turns) Takehiko's Info HP: 161/200 MP: 28/28 FOC: 18/28 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: Scourge [HP, MP, FOC, and FLUX cannot be restored], Cheer (2 Turns), Rainbow Glow (4 Turns), Inspiring Presence (4 Turns) Illiana's Info HP: 41/70 MP: 22/40 FOC: 28/28 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: Imperil (10 Turns) [Take double magic damage], Cheer (2 Turns), Rainbow Glow (4 Turns), Inspiring Presence (4 Turns) Boreas's Info HP: 116/145 MP: 30/30 FOC: 33/33 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: Cheer (2 Turns), Rainbow Glow (4 Turns), Inspiring Presence (4 Turns) Qamar's Info HP: 77/120 MP: 15/15 FOC: 41/41 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: Cheer (2 Turns), Rainbow Glow (4 Turns), Inspiring Presence (4 Turns) Enzo's Info HP: 121/150 MP: 70/70 FOC: 15/20 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: Stun(10 Turns) [Ex-Arts locked], Cheer (2 Turns), Rainbow Glow (4 Turns), Inspiring Presence (4 Turns) Combat Guide
Torrin raised an eyebrow at Enzo's comment towards Aria, finding the words strange. He shook his head and returned his attention to the battle at hand. Boreas seemed to be in the mood for combat and his words made pushed Torrin to take things one step further. Even Take seemed to be having fun with the battle as he provoked the Horned King. "Well then, with a speech like that, I think it's about time I finally stop holding back." Torrin gripped his keyblade with both hands and the guard broke apart as the blade lengthened until it took the form of a greatsword. "Alright...let me show you my darkness!" At his words there was an explosion of darkness centered on Torrin as a black aura wrapped around him. From the wisps of the aura black blades began to form around Torrin and in an instant twelve blades now floated behind him before vanishing into the shadows. Torrin released one hand from his keyblade and flexed his hand, looking at it for a moment before returning it to the handle. "Been way too long since I used this." He said with a smile forming across his face. He charged forward towards the Horned King and swung his keyblade down on the sorcerer, released both hands from his keyblade causing it to vanish, and reached for the air. Two dark blades materialized as he reached as if they had been waiting for him to call upon them and Torrin deftly struck at the Horned King in swift spinning motion, the two blades shattering upon striking the sorcerer, before jumping backwards to summon his keyblade back into his hand and firing off a bolt of darkness in one motion. HP: 120/130 MP: 40/40 FOC: 70/70 FLUX: 1/5 Torrin entered Phantom Blade and Attacked! The Horned King's eyes flashed with rage, his robe torn from the attacks that had struck him. He bellowed at the keybladers with hate and thrust his hands out towards them, knocking them back with the Black Cauldron's green mist that burned like steam and left several party members feeling sick.
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Torrin smiled at Aria. "I'm glad to see you're still in one piece. I was getting worried too." Even though the Horned King's undead minions continued to surround them a weight had been lifted off his chest now that he was here. The lingering pain still keeping him from fighting at full strength soon subsided when Tinarah caught up to them and cast a Cure spell. She sounded more annoyed than anything. Torrin raised an eyebrow and shook his head at her request. "Unfortunately that's not my decision." He spoke. As long as he had something to fight for, he knew he was going to continue putting himself at death's door. So long as the Light Chaser was out there, he was never going to stand down and that just meant more close calls. From a short distance away he heard Boreas's call to battle and soon enough his friend was fighting by his side. "Late? A few seconds more and I would've wrapped things up." Torrin teased. The Horned King was finally in view. Suddenly, the Cauldron-Born stopped fighting the keyblade wielders and lowered their weapons, stepping to the side to finish clearing a path to the Horned King himself. "Leave them be. If these children wish to challenge the new ruler of this world then so be it. Their deaths shall serve as a message to all who challenge me. The power of the Black Cauldron flows through me, I am immortal." The Horned King hissed. "Then let's test that immortality of yours against us, sorcerer!" At Torrin's challenge the mist pouring out of the Black Cauldron began to spiral around the Horned King and began to sink into his gray skin. The weight of dark magic filled the air and a black aura began to rise from the sorcerer as his power continued to swell. "THEN DIE!" Turn 1 Torrin Aria Chrono Tinarah Takehiko Illiana Boreas Qamar Enzo The Horned King HP: 6,660 / 6,660 AP: 21 DEF: 10 BREAK GAUGE: 0 / 130% STATUS: None Torrin's Info HP: 130/130 MP: 40/40 FOC: 70/70 FLUX: 5/5 STATUS: None Aria's Info HP: 110/110 MP: 57/57 FOC: 27/27 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: None. Chrono's Info HP: 145/145 MP: 35/35 FOC: 50/50 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: None. Tinarah's Info HP: 160/160 MP: 90/90 FOC: 15/15 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: None. Takehiko's Info HP: 200/200 MP: 28/28 FOC: 28/28 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: None. Illiana's Info HP: 70/70 MP: 40/40 FOC: 28/28 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: None. Boreas's Info HP: 145/145 MP: 30/30 FOC: 33/33 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: None. Qamar's Info HP: 120/120 MP: 15/15 FOC: 41/41 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: None. Enzo's Info HP: 150/150 MP: 70/70 FOC: 20/20 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: None. Combat Guide
Torrin smiled at Aria. "I'm glad to see you're still in one piece. I was getting worried too." Even though the Horned King's undead minions continued to surround them a weight had been lifted off his chest now that he was here. The lingering pain still keeping him from fighting at full strength soon subsided when Tinarah caught up to them and cast a Cure spell. She sounded more annoyed than anything. Torrin raised an eyebrow and shook his head at her request. "Unfortunately that's not my decision." He spoke. As long as he had something to fight for, he knew he was going to continue putting himself at death's door. So long as the Light Chaser was out there, he was never going to stand down and that just meant more close calls. From a short distance away he heard Boreas's call to battle and soon enough his friend was fighting by his side. "Late? A few seconds more and I would've wrapped things up." Torrin teased. The Horned King was finally in view. Suddenly, the Cauldron-Born stopped fighting the keyblade wielders and lowered their weapons, stepping to the side to finish clearing a path to the Horned King himself. "Leave them be. If these children wish to challenge the new ruler of this world then so be it. Their deaths shall serve as a message to all who challenge me. The power of the Black Cauldron flows through me, I am immortal." The Horned King hissed. "Then let's test that immortality of yours against us, sorcerer!" At Torrin's challenge the mist pouring out of the Black Cauldron began to spiral around the Horned King and began to sink into his gray skin. The weight of dark magic filled the air and a black aura began to rise from the sorcerer as his power continued to swell. "THEN DIE!"
"Oh you. I don't scheme! But it is funny you should phrase it like that, Chrys. Especially considering the adventure I have planned for us today." Zeno snapped his fingers. "Master is out and, from the sound of it, he might be gone for some time. At least long enough for us to get a few questions answered." Zeno walked over towards Chrysanthemum and lowered his voice as if their master could still hear them. "With Dentro gone, it's made me realize how dangerous this could really be for us. I don't want to die knowing half of the story." He gave Chrys a gentle pat on the shoulder and smiled innocently. "Oh don't you worry, sweet Chrysie. We're not going to sneak into the Master's own study. We're just going to ask a few questions here and there and I just happen to know the first place to start." He stepped away from Chrysanthemum and began walking. "I know it's not the usual kind of trouble I'm interested in getting us into but..." He stopped for a moment and sighed. "After all this time, there's still so many unanswered questions. I haven't even seen the Light Chaser's face." He shook his head but soon returned to his normal upbeat tone. "Perhaps that old woman at the flower shop might have some answers. I've seen him go there a few times. Maybe she's related to him! Just think of it, our master could be a regular guy with a cookie-baking grandmother! What a sweet man?" Zeno smirked.
"Oh you. I don't scheme! But it is funny you should phrase it like that, Chrys. Especially considering the adventure I have planned for us today." Zeno snapped his fingers. "Master is out and, from the sound of it, he might be gone for some time. At least long enough for us to get a few questions answered." Zeno walked over towards Chrysanthemum and lowered his voice as if their master could still hear them. "With Dentro gone, it's made me realize how dangerous this could really be for us. I don't want to die knowing half of the story." He gave Chrys a gentle pat on the shoulder and smiled innocently. "Oh don't you worry, sweet Chrysie. We're not going to sneak into the Master's own study. We're just going to ask a few questions here and there and I just happen to know the first place to start." He stepped away from Chrysanthemum and began walking. "I know it's not the usual kind of trouble I'm interested in getting us into but..." He stopped for a moment and sighed. "After all this time, there's still so many unanswered questions. I haven't even seen the Light Chaser's face." He shook his head but soon returned to his normal upbeat tone. "Perhaps that old woman at the flower shop might have some answers. I've seen him go there a few times. Maybe she's related to him! Just think of it, our master could be a regular guy with a cookie-baking grandmother! What a sweet man?" Zeno smirked.
Torrin struck down one of the skeletons that came their way. A fireball that exploded before them had come from the sky and by the time Torrin looked up all he could see was a blur of motion that left his line of sight before he could make heads or tails of what it was. "Pretty sure birds don't spit fire. Unless it's a Heartless bird. Then maybe it does." Torrin leapt into the air and came down, destroying another enemy as he crushed it beneath his blade. "Thanks for the advice but I'd prefer just destroying...these...oh great..." As he spoke one of the skeletal warriors they had destroyed was already beginning to reform. "Forget it! They'll only get back up. We need to get to the source of this mess and my gil's on that castle being the source. Come on! Follow me." Torrin charged his keyblade with elemental magic using Spell Fencer, his blade glowing blue while sparks of electricity arced around its edge. He sprinted forward with renewed vigor, cutting down Cauldron-Born that got in his way with single cuts of his blade. "It doesn't matter if he has an ulterior motive. Right now the Horned King is our concern, not Ardyn. So you either fight or you stand here and wait for those creatures to overwhelm you." Thallasa looked at Taran, Eilonwy, Fflewddur, and Gurgi then back at Illiana. There was no one better suited to keeping them safe than herself. "I need to keep them safe. Our mission was to find the next Princess of Heart and we have one right here." She looked to see Aria running ahead and saw that the Cauldron-Born she had been knocking down were already getting back up by now. "You need to back her up. Now." "Numbers aren't on our side...we could really use the others right about now. Just where are they?" Right as she asked that question a group of Cauldron-Born were blasted backwards by a surge of water and broke apart upon crashing into several pillars. "Sorry it took so long! Just what the hell did you guys get yourselves into?" Torrin called out after entering the chamber from back entrance. He looked over at Enzo then at Thallasa but there was no time for introductions. "Hope you're up for a fight. Otherwise you can always turn back and run." He spoke towards Enzo while Torrin's eyes scanned the area in front of them to figure out what move to make next. He spotted Aria weaving and cutting her way towards a tall figure standing by what he could only assume was the Black Cauldron he had learned about from the pig keeper. Which meant that Aria was trying to fight her way to the Horned King. "If you're going to fight, then stick close to me. We're heading into the thick of it." Torrin narrowed his eyes and made a beeline in Aria's direction regardless of Enzo's response, his keyblade striking down everything that came in reach as he forced his way through the mob. Thallasa saw the others begin to arrive at the same time as Torrin and called out to them. "The Horned King! Get to him and force him into the Cauldron! It's the only way to stop his army!"
Torrin struck down one of the skeletons that came their way. A fireball that exploded before them had come from the sky and by the time Torrin looked up all he could see was a blur of motion that left his line of sight before he could make heads or tails of what it was. "Pretty sure birds don't spit fire. Unless it's a Heartless bird. Then maybe it does." Torrin leapt into the air and came down, destroying another enemy as he crushed it beneath his blade. "Thanks for the advice but I'd prefer just destroying...these...oh great..." As he spoke one of the skeletal warriors they had destroyed was already beginning to reform. "Forget it! They'll only get back up. We need to get to the source of this mess and my gil's on that castle being the source. Come on! Follow me." Torrin charged his keyblade with elemental magic using Spell Fencer, his blade glowing blue while sparks of electricity arced around its edge. He sprinted forward with renewed vigor, cutting down Cauldron-Born that got in his way with single cuts of his blade.
"It doesn't matter if he has an ulterior motive. Right now the Horned King is our concern, not Ardyn. So you either fight or you stand here and wait for those creatures to overwhelm you." Thallasa looked at Taran, Eilonwy, Fflewddur, and Gurgi then back at Illiana. There was no one better suited to keeping them safe than herself. "I need to keep them safe. Our mission was to find the next Princess of Heart and we have one right here." She looked to see Aria running ahead and saw that the Cauldron-Born she had been knocking down were already getting back up by now. "You need to back her up. Now." "Numbers aren't on our side...we could really use the others right about now. Just where are they?" Right as she asked that question a group of Cauldron-Born were blasted backwards by a surge of water and broke apart upon crashing into several pillars.
"Sorry it took so long! Just what the hell did you guys get yourselves into?" Torrin called out after entering the chamber from back entrance. He looked over at Enzo then at Thallasa but there was no time for introductions. "Hope you're up for a fight. Otherwise you can always turn back and run." He spoke towards Enzo while Torrin's eyes scanned the area in front of them to figure out what move to make next. He spotted Aria weaving and cutting her way towards a tall figure standing by what he could only assume was the Black Cauldron he had learned about from the pig keeper. Which meant that Aria was trying to fight her way to the Horned King. "If you're going to fight, then stick close to me. We're heading into the thick of it." Torrin narrowed his eyes and made a beeline in Aria's direction regardless of Enzo's response, his keyblade striking down everything that came in reach as he forced his way through the mob.
Thallasa saw the others begin to arrive at the same time as Torrin and called out to them. "The Horned King! Get to him and force him into the Cauldron! It's the only way to stop his army!"
Torrin chuckled at the ridiculousness of the situation. Even if he knew that Enzo was hiding something at least his general attitude was beginning to grow amusing to him. Or perhaps it was the loss of blood making him delirious and rekindling his old sense of humor. Either way, Torrin was glad to feel his magic beginning to return to him when Enzo freed the stone from its place. "Good work." Torrin nodded in approval once the wall had been blasted asunder. "Ah...thanks..." Torrin gritted his teeth when Enzo helped him up. From what he could tell Enzo was comfortable casting magic and was strong enough to mostly heal his wound. "I think I'm good enough to walk on my own. Just don't sing so loud next to my face. My ears are still ringing." The two stepped through the broken wall to find themselves in a hallway that reeked of death. Around the corner came a rolling green mist. Sensing a powerful evil force nearby he summoned his keyblade in his left hand. "On your guard. We're not out of the woods yet." True to his word, a pack of skeletal warriors came lurching around the corner. "What the? Undead incoming." Torrin narrowed his eyes. The instant the Cauldron-Born caught sight of Torrin and Enzo the undead soldier came charging at the two. Flammie continued to circle overhead, launching fireball after fireball down at the Cauldron-Born to help clear a path to the castle's entrance doors. Every time the Cauldron-Born were struck down by magic or blade, they would rise up once more, formed whole again to continue the fight. Even from the ashes's of Flammie's magic they would begin to reform, albeit slowly. Even with the army looking to be invincible, the time it took them to reform was enough to begin to make an opening for the others to run through and make it to the chambers where the Cauldron and the Horned King was held. Thallasa rubbed her wrists where the chains had left their mark. "We're not running. An army like that won't stay down unless they're stopped at their source." She narrowed her eyes at the Black Cauldron. "We'll find a way to destroy that Cauldron that doesn't involve any sacrifices. For now we need to clear our path over towards it." "A-and what about us?" Fflam asked as he, Taran, Eilonwy, and Gurgi gathered around the keyblade wielders. "And what of the Cauldron? You still have no way to stop those dreadful abominations, do you?" Ardyn stepped out from behind a pillar and into view. "I do beg your pardon for the harsh way I treated you, Illiana." Ardyn bowed courteously. When Thallasa looked ready to strike him down he held up his hands out in front of him. "Temper temper! Now you wouldn't want to fight me and the undead and the Horned King, would you? I've come to you with nothing but good will, my fair ladies." "We don't need the likes of you. I suggest you disappear before I cut you in two." "As fun as that sounds, I believe we have a mutual goal. While the Horned King did...force me into an unfortunate contract to help him acquire the Black Cauldron for him, the deed has been done and I am once more a free man! You see I was a victim in this just as much as you women were." Ardyn frowned. "But there is another way to stop the Cauldron that I'll bet those witches never told you about. If the wielder of the Black Cauldron's dark magic were to suffer an unfortunate accident and happen to fall into the Cauldron...well...I'll let you see for yourselves, shall I? Now please, be a good bunch of girls and dispose of that petty sorcerer for me, will you?" Before Thallasa could do or say anything Ardyn vanished in a flash of red light. The Cauldron-Born, having seemingly ignored them while Ardyn was present, now set their sights on the keyblade wielders and began to slowly creep over towards them flashing their blades and sharp finger bones.
Torrin chuckled at the ridiculousness of the situation. Even if he knew that Enzo was hiding something at least his general attitude was beginning to grow amusing to him. Or perhaps it was the loss of blood making him delirious and rekindling his old sense of humor. Either way, Torrin was glad to feel his magic beginning to return to him when Enzo freed the stone from its place. "Good work." Torrin nodded in approval once the wall had been blasted asunder. "Ah...thanks..." Torrin gritted his teeth when Enzo helped him up. From what he could tell Enzo was comfortable casting magic and was strong enough to mostly heal his wound. "I think I'm good enough to walk on my own. Just don't sing so loud next to my face. My ears are still ringing." The two stepped through the broken wall to find themselves in a hallway that reeked of death. Around the corner came a rolling green mist. Sensing a powerful evil force nearby he summoned his keyblade in his left hand. "On your guard. We're not out of the woods yet." True to his word, a pack of skeletal warriors came lurching around the corner. "What the? Undead incoming." Torrin narrowed his eyes. The instant the Cauldron-Born caught sight of Torrin and Enzo the undead soldier came charging at the two. Flammie continued to circle overhead, launching fireball after fireball down at the Cauldron-Born to help clear a path to the castle's entrance doors. Every time the Cauldron-Born were struck down by magic or blade, they would rise up once more, formed whole again to continue the fight. Even from the ashes's of Flammie's magic they would begin to reform, albeit slowly. Even with the army looking to be invincible, the time it took them to reform was enough to begin to make an opening for the others to run through and make it to the chambers where the Cauldron and the Horned King was held.
Thallasa rubbed her wrists where the chains had left their mark. "We're not running. An army like that won't stay down unless they're stopped at their source." She narrowed her eyes at the Black Cauldron. "We'll find a way to destroy that Cauldron that doesn't involve any sacrifices. For now we need to clear our path over towards it." "A-and what about us?" Fflam asked as he, Taran, Eilonwy, and Gurgi gathered around the keyblade wielders. "And what of the Cauldron? You still have no way to stop those dreadful abominations, do you?" Ardyn stepped out from behind a pillar and into view. "I do beg your pardon for the harsh way I treated you, Illiana." Ardyn bowed courteously. When Thallasa looked ready to strike him down he held up his hands out in front of him. "Temper temper! Now you wouldn't want to fight me and the undead and the Horned King, would you? I've come to you with nothing but good will, my fair ladies." "We don't need the likes of you. I suggest you disappear before I cut you in two." "As fun as that sounds, I believe we have a mutual goal. While the Horned King did...force me into an unfortunate contract to help him acquire the Black Cauldron for him, the deed has been done and I am once more a free man! You see I was a victim in this just as much as you women were." Ardyn frowned. "But there is another way to stop the Cauldron that I'll bet those witches never told you about. If the wielder of the Black Cauldron's dark magic were to suffer an unfortunate accident and happen to fall into the Cauldron...well...I'll let you see for yourselves, shall I? Now please, be a good bunch of girls and dispose of that petty sorcerer for me, will you?" Before Thallasa could do or say anything Ardyn vanished in a flash of red light. The Cauldron-Born, having seemingly ignored them while Ardyn was present, now set their sights on the keyblade wielders and began to slowly creep over towards them flashing their blades and sharp finger bones.
Aria. Kidagakash. Merida. Pocahontas. Anastasia. Eilonwy. Six names were written over and over again and no matter what happened, the seventh name would not appear in his book. He tapped his fingers impatiently against his desk and shook his head. "It should have been revealed to me by now." He spoke lowly. He flipped back several pages, going through his own accounts of his students' Mark of Mastery exams and even further back as he glanced over details of Koa being brought into the fold and even when Chrysanthemum had been taken under his wing. All were pages that were useless to him now since they might as well have been set in stone. The Light Chaser shut the book and stored it back in his coat. Waiting was no longer proving to be useful. The time to act had come. "This is not the first time I have been called upon to help settle the differences between two masters. There is no need to act so abrasively towards me. I just believe that we should all be on the same page as we are all on the same side." "We don't need a counselor." Atmos spoke bluntly. "I already know exactly the kind of person my sister is." She spat as she shot a glare towards Aster who was sitting on the opposite end of Stamatis's room. "Maybe if you weren't so stubborn you'd realize that I was acting in your best interest. I always have. Do you think I enjoyed hiding Avra's whereabouts from you?" "Don't act so high and mighty with me. You may be the eldest but you've never been the brightest." "Oh? Let me tell you what would have happened if I told you the truth of what happened to our little sister. It shouldn't take long so you don't have to worry about your precious time being wasted." Aster spoke coldly. "You would've done the same as you always do and thought it was your place to protect her. You would've gone after her and guess what? You would've gotten yourself killed!" "You don't know that!" "Atmos, Aster, I think we should all take a deep breath and–" "Shut it, Stamatis. That mediation garbage isn't going to work with me." Stamatis raised an eyebrow at Atmos's outburst but allowed her to continue. "Someone had to look after her, Aster. You were so eager to leave home weren't you? I had to pick up the slack when you weren't there and I had to act as both sister and mother to her! You don't have the right to tell me you were acting in my best interests! You don't even know your own sister!" Aster stood up, her eyes burning. "I wasn't going to lose you too. You have no idea what I've had to protect you from or what I have lost. Going after Avra would've only gotten you killed and I refuse to let anyone else I love be taken from me." "So what?" Atmos rose up and stepped over to her sister, standing just an inch shorter than her. "Do you know how many people Choma has lost? He and his students have had more encounters with the darkness than both of us combined and he's still here trying to help while you're doing nothing but shutting out everyone close to you. You don't even realize that you've already considered Avra a casualty of war, do you? I haven't and you should be ashamed of yourself for thinking you had the right to keep this from me. I mourned her for three years, Aster. All that time we could have been working to bring her home and...and..." She held up her fist, shaking with rage and sorrow and lowered it, unable to find the words. She turned and headed for the door. "Atmos, wait!" "Let her be, Aster. It's obvious the two of you will have much more to work through than I could have known." Stamatis rubbed his chin as Aster turned towards him now that the two were alone. "I...I tried so hard to keep them safe. I thought by being a part of the Council I could do that but now I'm losing them both..." She sat back down and buried her face in her hands. "Where did I go wrong..?" "I would suggest going to her when things have calmed down. Perhaps it is finally time you told her of what you know of him." "But how? I don't think she could understand..." She lifted her head and looked to Stamatis for answers he did not have have. "She would never forgive me for ever being close to A..." "Knock knock!" Zeno called out as he knocked on Chrys's door. "The Master woke me early and has had me going about telling the others that he'd be out. It appears that our training will have to wait. Ugh I didn't even have time to fix my hair too." Zeno caught sight of his reflection in a window and winced in disgust before he running his hand through his blue hair in an attempt to style his already flawless hair. He shook his head in disapproval and sighed dramatically. "Since Pagos is spending the day with his nose in the books and Avra is out sparring with Koa, that leaves us normal people to be sensible about how to spend our time. There's more to life than work, dear girl! And I hope today isn't the day you pick to be a heavy sleeper. I'd hate to repeat myself and lose the spirit of my words." "I shall be waiting by the courtyard fountain. Perhaps we could find some other way of entertaining ourselves besides being as dull as our companions."
Aria. Kidagakash. Merida. Pocahontas. Anastasia. Eilonwy. Six names were written over and over again and no matter what happened, the seventh name would not appear in his book. He tapped his fingers impatiently against his desk and shook his head. "It should have been revealed to me by now." He spoke lowly. He flipped back several pages, going through his own accounts of his students' Mark of Mastery exams and even further back as he glanced over details of Koa being brought into the fold and even when Chrysanthemum had been taken under his wing. All were pages that were useless to him now since they might as well have been set in stone. The Light Chaser shut the book and stored it back in his coat. Waiting was no longer proving to be useful. The time to act had come.
"This is not the first time I have been called upon to help settle the differences between two masters. There is no need to act so abrasively towards me. I just believe that we should all be on the same page as we are all on the same side." "We don't need a counselor." Atmos spoke bluntly. "I already know exactly the kind of person my sister is." She spat as she shot a glare towards Aster who was sitting on the opposite end of Stamatis's room. "Maybe if you weren't so stubborn you'd realize that I was acting in your best interest. I always have. Do you think I enjoyed hiding Avra's whereabouts from you?" "Don't act so high and mighty with me. You may be the eldest but you've never been the brightest." "Oh? Let me tell you what would have happened if I told you the truth of what happened to our little sister. It shouldn't take long so you don't have to worry about your precious time being wasted." Aster spoke coldly. "You would've done the same as you always do and thought it was your place to protect her. You would've gone after her and guess what? You would've gotten yourself killed!" "You don't know that!" "Atmos, Aster, I think we should all take a deep breath and–" "Shut it, Stamatis. That mediation garbage isn't going to work with me." Stamatis raised an eyebrow at Atmos's outburst but allowed her to continue. "Someone had to look after her, Aster. You were so eager to leave home weren't you? I had to pick up the slack when you weren't there and I had to act as both sister and mother to her! You don't have the right to tell me you were acting in my best interests! You don't even know your own sister!" Aster stood up, her eyes burning. "I wasn't going to lose you too. You have no idea what I've had to protect you from or what I have lost. Going after Avra would've only gotten you killed and I refuse to let anyone else I love be taken from me." "So what?" Atmos rose up and stepped over to her sister, standing just an inch shorter than her. "Do you know how many people Choma has lost? He and his students have had more encounters with the darkness than both of us combined and he's still here trying to help while you're doing nothing but shutting out everyone close to you. You don't even realize that you've already considered Avra a casualty of war, do you? I haven't and you should be ashamed of yourself for thinking you had the right to keep this from me. I mourned her for three years, Aster. All that time we could have been working to bring her home and...and..." She held up her fist, shaking with rage and sorrow and lowered it, unable to find the words. She turned and headed for the door. "Atmos, wait!" "Let her be, Aster. It's obvious the two of you will have much more to work through than I could have known." Stamatis rubbed his chin as Aster turned towards him now that the two were alone. "I...I tried so hard to keep them safe. I thought by being a part of the Council I could do that but now I'm losing them both..." She sat back down and buried her face in her hands. "Where did I go wrong..?" "I would suggest going to her when things have calmed down. Perhaps it is finally time you told her of what you know of him." "But how? I don't think she could understand..." She lifted her head and looked to Stamatis for answers he did not have have. "She would never forgive me for ever being close to A..."
"Knock knock!" Zeno called out as he knocked on Chrys's door. "The Master woke me early and has had me going about telling the others that he'd be out. It appears that our training will have to wait. Ugh I didn't even have time to fix my hair too." Zeno caught sight of his reflection in a window and winced in disgust before he running his hand through his blue hair in an attempt to style his already flawless hair. He shook his head in disapproval and sighed dramatically. "Since Pagos is spending the day with his nose in the books and Avra is out sparring with Koa, that leaves us normal people to be sensible about how to spend our time. There's more to life than work, dear girl! And I hope today isn't the day you pick to be a heavy sleeper. I'd hate to repeat myself and lose the spirit of my words." "I shall be waiting by the courtyard fountain. Perhaps we could find some other way of entertaining ourselves besides being as dull as our companions."
I shall do this. Sign me up J-dog.
Torrin refrained from letting out a sigh. Trying to pry information out of Enzo seemed to be a waste of effort for the time being. "Theatrical material?" He asked under his breath. Torrin was not fond of the images that followed in his mind. The last thing he wanted to do was look like a fool while waiting for death. He shook his head and cleared his mind of the thought, slowly moving over towards Enzo while leaning against the wall for support. "A newer wall? Hm...I don't know. I guess we could hope they built it in a rush. It's like this place was built for the explicit purpose of keeping in a magic user...or a keyblade wielder." That marked the second time on the journey he had encountered such measures. First was the magitek generator in the previous world and now there were runes etched into walls to prevent the use of magic. Torrin stepped beside Enzo and put his weight against the newer wall. Nothing happened. "Hm...maybe if we could find a loose stone somewhere..." He began to press on stones one by one hoping to find any kind of weakness in the wall. After a few moments of searching Torrin was beginning to suspect that he was at another dead end. "Come on dammit." Torrin grunted as he pushed on a large stone. For a moment he thought he felt it budge just barely but as he began to put more muscle into the effort a searing sharp pain ran through his body. "Agh!" Torrin immediately stopped pushing and backed away from the wall clutching his wound which had started to bleed again. He stumbled back and leaned against another wall just to keep from falling over. Torrin could already feel his strength slipping fast. "No good..." He panted and looked over to the fellow prisoner. Torrin hated feeling weak but he hated not knowing what was going on with the others even more. He sucked up his pride and asked the only thing he could. "Enzo, do you think you could force that stone out? I'm not sure I can in this state." The Flammie looked at the group and once it saw that everyone had taken to the skies it flew in the direction of the Horned King's castle. As everyone began to close in on the distant castle, the scenery began to darken. The clouds overhead were black and lightning danced across the dark sky. Echoes of thunder rumbled all around the closer they got. A moving mass of people could be seen slowly exiting the castle along with a green mist that rolled out of the front gates. The Flammie roared in anger. The closer the group got the clearer the sight below became. The army creeping out of the castle were not the Horned King's bandits but his undead army of Cauldron-Born, skeletal warriors that had be risen to conquer and lay waste to Prydain. Flammie let loose a quick blast of fire that spiraled out of its jaws and tracked down the army, exploding right at the gates in an impressive fireball. The gates were no longer standing but even though at least a hundred Cauldron-Born had been destroyed more still came pouring out, climbing over the ashes of their brethren as if nothing had happened. The explosion from Flammie's blast caused the entire castle to shake. The Horned King let out an angered growl and thrust his hand out to bark orders to his new army. "Go my warriors! Do not stop until all our enemies are dead! Do not let more of these outsiders interfere with our destiny!" While the Horned King was distracted ordering his army around, telling them where to stand guard and where to go, Doli reappeared in front of the group. "You kids really are in trouble. That army is going to kill everyone! What are you doing hanging around like that being useless!? I have to do everything around here don't I?" The fairy complained as he flew over towards Aria first. "Hold still, girl. You don't want your hands blown off do you?" A flash of light zapped from Doli's hands and struck the chains binding Aria's hands, causing them to disintegrate in a shower of blue sparkles. Doli flew over towards Master Thallasa ready to do the same for her. "STOP!" The Horned King shouted, pointing his crooked finger at Doli. "Make me!" The fairy defiantly spoke. "I'll keep him distracted, girl! Hurry up and do something!" Doli called out as he blitzed over towards the Horned King, acting like a bee made of light as he flew circles around the evil sorcerer zapping at him from every angle though nothing he did appeared to do anything other than make the Horned King angrier.
Torrin refrained from letting out a sigh. Trying to pry information out of Enzo seemed to be a waste of effort for the time being. "Theatrical material?" He asked under his breath. Torrin was not fond of the images that followed in his mind. The last thing he wanted to do was look like a fool while waiting for death. He shook his head and cleared his mind of the thought, slowly moving over towards Enzo while leaning against the wall for support. "A newer wall? Hm...I don't know. I guess we could hope they built it in a rush. It's like this place was built for the explicit purpose of keeping in a magic user...or a keyblade wielder." That marked the second time on the journey he had encountered such measures. First was the magitek generator in the previous world and now there were runes etched into walls to prevent the use of magic. Torrin stepped beside Enzo and put his weight against the newer wall. Nothing happened. "Hm...maybe if we could find a loose stone somewhere..." He began to press on stones one by one hoping to find any kind of weakness in the wall. After a few moments of searching Torrin was beginning to suspect that he was at another dead end. "Come on dammit." Torrin grunted as he pushed on a large stone. For a moment he thought he felt it budge just barely but as he began to put more muscle into the effort a searing sharp pain ran through his body. "Agh!" Torrin immediately stopped pushing and backed away from the wall clutching his wound which had started to bleed again. He stumbled back and leaned against another wall just to keep from falling over. Torrin could already feel his strength slipping fast. "No good..." He panted and looked over to the fellow prisoner. Torrin hated feeling weak but he hated not knowing what was going on with the others even more. He sucked up his pride and asked the only thing he could. "Enzo, do you think you could force that stone out? I'm not sure I can in this state." The Flammie looked at the group and once it saw that everyone had taken to the skies it flew in the direction of the Horned King's castle. As everyone began to close in on the distant castle, the scenery began to darken. The clouds overhead were black and lightning danced across the dark sky. Echoes of thunder rumbled all around the closer they got. A moving mass of people could be seen slowly exiting the castle along with a green mist that rolled out of the front gates. The Flammie roared in anger. The closer the group got the clearer the sight below became. The army creeping out of the castle were not the Horned King's bandits but his undead army of Cauldron-Born, skeletal warriors that had be risen to conquer and lay waste to Prydain. Flammie let loose a quick blast of fire that spiraled out of its jaws and tracked down the army, exploding right at the gates in an impressive fireball. The gates were no longer standing but even though at least a hundred Cauldron-Born had been destroyed more still came pouring out, climbing over the ashes of their brethren as if nothing had happened. The explosion from Flammie's blast caused the entire castle to shake. The Horned King let out an angered growl and thrust his hand out to bark orders to his new army. "Go my warriors! Do not stop until all our enemies are dead! Do not let more of these outsiders interfere with our destiny!" While the Horned King was distracted ordering his army around, telling them where to stand guard and where to go, Doli reappeared in front of the group. "You kids really are in trouble. That army is going to kill everyone! What are you doing hanging around like that being useless!? I have to do everything around here don't I?" The fairy complained as he flew over towards Aria first. "Hold still, girl. You don't want your hands blown off do you?" A flash of light zapped from Doli's hands and struck the chains binding Aria's hands, causing them to disintegrate in a shower of blue sparkles. Doli flew over towards Master Thallasa ready to do the same for her. "STOP!" The Horned King shouted, pointing his crooked finger at Doli. "Make me!" The fairy defiantly spoke. "I'll keep him distracted, girl! Hurry up and do something!" Doli called out as he blitzed over towards the Horned King, acting like a bee made of light as he flew circles around the evil sorcerer zapping at him from every angle though nothing he did appeared to do anything other than make the Horned King angrier.
"I'm surprised you don't know if you made it this far. We're explorers. What? Did you expect a different answer cuz I ain't got none." He casually spoke with a gruff inflection in his tone, knowing that a real soldier in this group would be unlikely to give the entire truth. It worked out for him anyway since he was not entirely certain just what exactly was the purpose of Rourke's mission. Though he already had a few ideas in mind as to what it could be given how predictable the cause of military actions often were. He hoped he would not have to play this part for too long as he already felt that making himself talk that way would get tiring. Castur was certain he would be able to let the other keyblade wielders free soon enough once there was not so much attention on them. All he had to do was wait for the right moment so a fight would not immediately start. The soldier beside Castur motioned towards a truck halfway filled with other soldiers sitting in the back. "Come on. Git. We're not walking the whole way." He motioned with his hand for Ignis while the soldiers who apprehended Faust were a little less than friendly and waved their guns at him to do the same. "Loire stop getting friendly with our guests and get the girl in the truck already!" Castur called out though he did not actually care whether or not Ananta and Laguna got along, only that they did not do anything to cause any fighting this early on. How long had it been since he had given orders to anyone? A year? Two? He almost missed it. "All of you take your seats."
"I'm surprised you don't know if you made it this far. We're explorers. What? Did you expect a different answer cuz I ain't got none." He casually spoke with a gruff inflection in his tone, knowing that a real soldier in this group would be unlikely to give the entire truth. It worked out for him anyway since he was not entirely certain just what exactly was the purpose of Rourke's mission. Though he already had a few ideas in mind as to what it could be given how predictable the cause of military actions often were. He hoped he would not have to play this part for too long as he already felt that making himself talk that way would get tiring. Castur was certain he would be able to let the other keyblade wielders free soon enough once there was not so much attention on them. All he had to do was wait for the right moment so a fight would not immediately start. The soldier beside Castur motioned towards a truck halfway filled with other soldiers sitting in the back. "Come on. Git. We're not walking the whole way." He motioned with his hand for Ignis while the soldiers who apprehended Faust were a little less than friendly and waved their guns at him to do the same. "Loire stop getting friendly with our guests and get the girl in the truck already!" Castur called out though he did not actually care whether or not Ananta and Laguna got along, only that they did not do anything to cause any fighting this early on. How long had it been since he had given orders to anyone? A year? Two? He almost missed it. "All of you take your seats."
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Torrin's eyes narrowed at Enzo when he was questioned about his home. Not only did it feel like Enzo was prying but he had not answered Torrin's own question. "You know..." Torrin grunted as he planted his left hand on the ground and used his good arm to push himself to stand upright. Doing so caused him to stumble forward and nearly lose his balance but he forced himself to keep standing out of sheer stubborn determination. "It's rude to answer a question with another question. That's the kind of thing that makes someone think you're hiding something." Once more he tried to call on his magic to heal his wound and once more he failed. Torrin cursed under his breath. "But right now I don't have time to waste with stories. I have friends I need to get back to." As he spoke those words he wondered if that was even true. Did anyone besides Boreas or Aria even consider him a friend? Take? Chrono? Tinarah? It began to sink in that he was starting to care whether or not his new team would miss him if he died right now. He shook his head and used his hand as a support as he began to circle slowly around the room looking for any kind of weakness in the circular wall that surrounded them. "Come on. Don't just sit there. You can't actually be comfortable with staying here forever, Enzo. Help me find a way out of here. Surely you must have noticed something about this place. This room was built by someone. It has to have a way out. Some kind of structural weakness. Something we could to our advantage." The Flammie blinked at Take and its eyes shifted from Boreas to the boy several times before turning its attention to the small girl who approached it. Seeing her hand stretched out and open towards it, the Flammie lowered its head to allow Tinarah to touch its soft fluffy head. The dragon then nudged Tinarah with its nose as it gave her a long sniff. Ignoring whatever was going on between Take and Boreas, seemingly unconcerned with the fact that Take was resentful of its existence, the Flammie began to trot over towards Chrono and pushed him hard enough with its nose that it might have felt like a punch to the gut as the dragon eagerly sniffed the other stranger. Meanwhile . . . "Can anyone get free?" Thallasa asked the others as everyone began to regain consciousness. If she had been able to access her magic she would have used to get free but, master or not, her powers were restricted just the same as everyone else. Looking over to the smallest member of their party she asked, "Gurgi are you able to slip out of your chains?" The small furry creature wiggled and squirmed for a minute before giving up, hanging on the chains as he was too short to reach the floor. "We're doomed!" Fflam despaired. "If only I could play one final song..." "Don't give up Fflewddur! We'll make it out of this! I know we will!" "Do not allow yourself to hold any false hopes, wench!" The Horned King scowled. "Perhaps it may interest you to see what fate has in store for you." He spoke to the group as he walked over towards a cart and pulled its cloth cover off of it to reveal the pile of skeletons that had been exhumed from the crypts. The Horned King let out a low laugh as he picked one of the skeletons up and began to walk towards the Black Cauldron. As he lowered the skeletal warrior into the Cauldron he began to speak in his raspy voice which echoed throughout the stone chamber. "Now I call on my army of the dead. The cauldron-born. Arise my messengers of death! Our time has arrived!" Flames erupted from the Cauldron and a green mist began to pour out and stretch towards the piles of skeletons that were dumped around the chamber. The Horned King's bandits began to step back in fear as they watched the evil magic run amok. As the mist began to thicken one man poked his spear at the mist which caused the spearhead to melt and magical electricity to run along the shaft. A skeletal warrior, risen from the dead, leapt out from the mist and attacked the man. His screams pierced the air for several seconds before he was silenced. Also meanwhile . . . The Flammie's ears suddenly perked up the creature looked more alert as it circled the clearing the group was in. The white dragon huffed and whined as it began to sniff the air noticing something amiss. Its eyes narrowed and the dragon let out a low growl as it paced. Finally it stopped its search and looked at the sky. The Flammie looked back at the group and then back at the sky. Once more it looked at the group and extended its wings. In a single powerful flap of its wings a gust of air shout outwards as the dragon took the skies. Rather than fly away immediately the dragon circled overhead waiting...
Torrin's eyes narrowed at Enzo when he was questioned about his home. Not only did it feel like Enzo was prying but he had not answered Torrin's own question. "You know..." Torrin grunted as he planted his left hand on the ground and used his good arm to push himself to stand upright. Doing so caused him to stumble forward and nearly lose his balance but he forced himself to keep standing out of sheer stubborn determination. "It's rude to answer a question with another question. That's the kind of thing that makes someone think you're hiding something." Once more he tried to call on his magic to heal his wound and once more he failed. Torrin cursed under his breath. "But right now I don't have time to waste with stories. I have friends I need to get back to." As he spoke those words he wondered if that was even true. Did anyone besides Boreas or Aria even consider him a friend? Take? Chrono? Tinarah? It began to sink in that he was starting to care whether or not his new team would miss him if he died right now. He shook his head and used his hand as a support as he began to circle slowly around the room looking for any kind of weakness in the circular wall that surrounded them. "Come on. Don't just sit there. You can't actually be comfortable with staying here forever, Enzo. Help me find a way out of here. Surely you must have noticed something about this place. This room was built by someone. It has to have a way out. Some kind of structural weakness. Something we could to our advantage." The Flammie blinked at Take and its eyes shifted from Boreas to the boy several times before turning its attention to the small girl who approached it. Seeing her hand stretched out and open towards it, the Flammie lowered its head to allow Tinarah to touch its soft fluffy head. The dragon then nudged Tinarah with its nose as it gave her a long sniff. Ignoring whatever was going on between Take and Boreas, seemingly unconcerned with the fact that Take was resentful of its existence, the Flammie began to trot over towards Chrono and pushed him hard enough with its nose that it might have felt like a punch to the gut as the dragon eagerly sniffed the other stranger. Meanwhile . . . "Can anyone get free?" Thallasa asked the others as everyone began to regain consciousness. If she had been able to access her magic she would have used to get free but, master or not, her powers were restricted just the same as everyone else. Looking over to the smallest member of their party she asked, "Gurgi are you able to slip out of your chains?" The small furry creature wiggled and squirmed for a minute before giving up, hanging on the chains as he was too short to reach the floor. "We're doomed!" Fflam despaired. "If only I could play one final song..." "Don't give up Fflewddur! We'll make it out of this! I know we will!" "Do not allow yourself to hold any false hopes, wench!" The Horned King scowled. "Perhaps it may interest you to see what fate has in store for you." He spoke to the group as he walked over towards a cart and pulled its cloth cover off of it to reveal the pile of skeletons that had been exhumed from the crypts. The Horned King let out a low laugh as he picked one of the skeletons up and began to walk towards the Black Cauldron. As he lowered the skeletal warrior into the Cauldron he began to speak in his raspy voice which echoed throughout the stone chamber. "Now I call on my army of the dead. The cauldron-born. Arise my messengers of death! Our time has arrived!" Flames erupted from the Cauldron and a green mist began to pour out and stretch towards the piles of skeletons that were dumped around the chamber. The Horned King's bandits began to step back in fear as they watched the evil magic run amok. As the mist began to thicken one man poked his spear at the mist which caused the spearhead to melt and magical electricity to run along the shaft. A skeletal warrior, risen from the dead, leapt out from the mist and attacked the man. His screams pierced the air for several seconds before he was silenced. Also meanwhile . . . The Flammie's ears suddenly perked up the creature looked more alert as it circled the clearing the group was in. The white dragon huffed and whined as it began to sniff the air noticing something amiss. Its eyes narrowed and the dragon let out a low growl as it paced. Finally it stopped its search and looked at the sky. The Flammie looked back at the group and then back at the sky. Once more it looked at the group and extended its wings. In a single powerful flap of its wings a gust of air shout outwards as the dragon took the skies. Rather than fly away immediately the dragon circled overhead waiting...
Under the mask Castur raised an eyebrow and blinked when the masked soldier who walked in just after he himself had slid into sight was called out and pointed at by the red-haired girl. He found it to be an odd distraction that ultimately had absolutely no payoff whatsoever. If Castur had been the type to grow nervous when suspicions rose about him he would not have lived this long and kept calm when the man beside him was called out. He was neither worried when Rourke turned towards his direction, nor relieved when Rourke had not chosen him to remove his mask. If it had been him Castur had already formed half a dozen separate and intricate lies to explain why the commander would not have recognized him. One particular example was that he could have said that he was a last minute addition to the expedition and had chosen to keep his mask on the entire time due to being exceedingly cautious about safety procedures. Though, perhaps it did make him wonder what that said about his mental state for him to have become so at ease when it came to lying. Castur wondered if he might need therapy one day in the future. Maybe. Maybe not. It did not matter and now was not the time for him to be running through such idle thoughts were a waste of time. The man who removed his mask was someone who looked just a fear years older than him and, if he was to give an honest assessment, appeared to be more than just a bit naive. Laguna Loir was the man's name and he did not appear to be quite the right fit for this kind of task. Given some of the equipment Castur had seen in one of the trucks and the kind of garb he and the other uniformed men were wearing, there was definitely something more going on than a cautious bunch of explorers venturing out into new territory. It was difficult to justify all that extra equipment as purely for self-defense purposes but perhaps they were just paranoid. Either that or things were not going to play out well down the road. Thankfully, the mask made it impossible for anyone to tell where his eyes were looking so he could take a few mental notes on what was going on around him just as he and another masked soldier were given orders by Rourke to place the red haired woman who pointed Laguna out in cuffs. Castur followed suit after the fellow soldier and gave a salute just the same as the other man before he began to approach the red haired girl. At the same time the green haired girl, the one he recalled having a spat with Karina over something, was already trying to throw herself at Laguna by flirting with him. From the corner of his eye he saw her lift up her shackles and speak but it was so quiet he could not hear what she was saying, just the fact that she said something at all. Castur rolled his eyes from behind his mask, finding the situation at least somewhat humorous. If that kind of tactic was going to work on anyone it would have definitely had the most chance to work on a seemingly "nice guy" like Laguna. The poor guy seemed nervous around greeny and so terribly sorry about the entire situation. Just how did someone like that end up in a place like this? Did he not see the company he was keeping? Rourke seemed like a true military type, disciplined, brash, concerned more with the mission than setting anyone at ease. Laguna was not that kind of person though he seemed comfortable enough with just being here so Castur thought that he must have been tougher than he looked. At least a little. Flashes of memories came to mind as he was handed the cuffs given to him by the other soldier with him. As Castur stepped closer to Ignis and getting a better look at the party he knew he recognized them from an earlier battle. He had heard both the green haired girl's name and the red haired girl's name before back when the Black Coats had briefly joined up with Karina's old gang. Though the white haired boy was definitely new and he had no idea what his name was. As Castur began to firmly place the cuffs on the red haired girl with attitude, briefly thinking whether or not these particular cuffs were effective constraints for a keyblade wielder, he tried to recall the names of the two girls he had seen before. He recalled a brunette girl speaking the red head's name before. Ignis? Yes. That was it. And as for the other girl, he was sure that the one called Beuce had spoken her name. Anne. No, he was sure it could not have been that. Ana? Anna? Anata? Was it Ananta? It was something along those lines though Castur was sure it was the last name that came to mind. Castur started to wonder how long this charade would go on. Karina might have found it amusing that he had played the part of a faceless goon just to cuff her friends but the humor of the situation was nonexistent to him. Castur was just trying to get some more information on the situation before acting on his own and revealing himself. There was no need to reveal to the others that there was another master in their midst. What would have been the point? All that would have happened was for him to get captured as well or start a fight with strangers fighting alongside near total strangers. At least this way he was sure he could uncuff them with ease should the need arise. Not that it would do him any favors with Ignis or Ananta. With Ignis apprehended all that was left was to move forward with the rest of the convoy.
Under the mask Castur raised an eyebrow and blinked when the masked soldier who walked in just after he himself had slid into sight was called out and pointed at by the red-haired girl. He found it to be an odd distraction that ultimately had absolutely no payoff whatsoever. If Castur had been the type to grow nervous when suspicions rose about him he would not have lived this long and kept calm when the man beside him was called out. He was neither worried when Rourke turned towards his direction, nor relieved when Rourke had not chosen him to remove his mask. If it had been him Castur had already formed half a dozen separate and intricate lies to explain why the commander would not have recognized him. One particular example was that he could have said that he was a last minute addition to the expedition and had chosen to keep his mask on the entire time due to being exceedingly cautious about safety procedures. Though, perhaps it did make him wonder what that said about his mental state for him to have become so at ease when it came to lying. Castur wondered if he might need therapy one day in the future. Maybe. Maybe not. It did not matter and now was not the time for him to be running through such idle thoughts were a waste of time. The man who removed his mask was someone who looked just a fear years older than him and, if he was to give an honest assessment, appeared to be more than just a bit naive. Laguna Loir was the man's name and he did not appear to be quite the right fit for this kind of task. Given some of the equipment Castur had seen in one of the trucks and the kind of garb he and the other uniformed men were wearing, there was definitely something more going on than a cautious bunch of explorers venturing out into new territory. It was difficult to justify all that extra equipment as purely for self-defense purposes but perhaps they were just paranoid. Either that or things were not going to play out well down the road. Thankfully, the mask made it impossible for anyone to tell where his eyes were looking so he could take a few mental notes on what was going on around him just as he and another masked soldier were given orders by Rourke to place the red haired woman who pointed Laguna out in cuffs. Castur followed suit after the fellow soldier and gave a salute just the same as the other man before he began to approach the red haired girl. At the same time the green haired girl, the one he recalled having a spat with Karina over something, was already trying to throw herself at Laguna by flirting with him. From the corner of his eye he saw her lift up her shackles and speak but it was so quiet he could not hear what she was saying, just the fact that she said something at all. Castur rolled his eyes from behind his mask, finding the situation at least somewhat humorous. If that kind of tactic was going to work on anyone it would have definitely had the most chance to work on a seemingly "nice guy" like Laguna. The poor guy seemed nervous around greeny and so terribly sorry about the entire situation. Just how did someone like that end up in a place like this? Did he not see the company he was keeping? Rourke seemed like a true military type, disciplined, brash, concerned more with the mission than setting anyone at ease. Laguna was not that kind of person though he seemed comfortable enough with just being here so Castur thought that he must have been tougher than he looked. At least a little. Flashes of memories came to mind as he was handed the cuffs given to him by the other soldier with him. As Castur stepped closer to Ignis and getting a better look at the party he knew he recognized them from an earlier battle. He had heard both the green haired girl's name and the red haired girl's name before back when the Black Coats had briefly joined up with Karina's old gang. Though the white haired boy was definitely new and he had no idea what his name was. As Castur began to firmly place the cuffs on the red haired girl with attitude, briefly thinking whether or not these particular cuffs were effective constraints for a keyblade wielder, he tried to recall the names of the two girls he had seen before. He recalled a brunette girl speaking the red head's name before. Ignis? Yes. That was it. And as for the other girl, he was sure that the one called Beuce had spoken her name. Anne. No, he was sure it could not have been that. Ana? Anna? Anata? Was it Ananta? It was something along those lines though Castur was sure it was the last name that came to mind. Castur started to wonder how long this charade would go on. Karina might have found it amusing that he had played the part of a faceless goon just to cuff her friends but the humor of the situation was nonexistent to him. Castur was just trying to get some more information on the situation before acting on his own and revealing himself. There was no need to reveal to the others that there was another master in their midst. What would have been the point? All that would have happened was for him to get captured as well or start a fight with strangers fighting alongside near total strangers. At least this way he was sure he could uncuff them with ease should the need arise. Not that it would do him any favors with Ignis or Ananta. With Ignis apprehended all that was left was to move forward with the rest of the convoy.
Castur had reached out for Karina as they were pulled underwater by the force of the storm. The darkness he found himself staring into as he felt himself getting dragged under only brought back flashes of memories of his past. Blood. More blood. Sounds of gunshots echoed in his ears and reverberated as the memories ran through his mind. Yet even as traumatic experiences were running through the back of his mind another singular thought came to him. It would be okay. Karina would be okay. She would find her friends. He would find a new mission to focus on. In the distance I light could just faintly be seen. The breath he had been holding was still not close to running out but he did not want to stay underwater for so long lest he drown. Slowly Castur began to swim to the surface and as he did so the blurry faint glow above him began to clear. From what he could see there were several people near the shoreline. Some military looking types for the most part. Castur's head peeked up over the surface of the water, his nose just barely popping up to catch a breath of air before he lowered himself further into the water to keep from immediately revealing himself to the strangers. From what he could see going on before him, there were several odd looking people, people who looked like they did not particularly belong to this world, being harassed by "the big military man" who seemed to be in charge of the outfit. As he floated there in place Castur's eyes began to scan the surroundings to get an idea of the place he found himself in. Uniformed soldier type looking people filled the background. They all looked heavily invested in what was going on with the strangers they had come across. The primitive technology and vehicles they were surrounded by suggested that this world was in an era at least two hundred years the technological developments of his own world but the fact that they still used guns was not a good sign. No matter how primitive they were, guns were still lethal. There were three people of interest that caught his eye. The same people who was sure to be not of this word due to their clothing. In the trio were a redheaded girl who looked like she had a bad attitude towards anyone who so much at looked at her. People with those kinds of attitudes were tiresome. For the most part they acted tough just because they had little else to offer. A green haired girl with...pointed ears? He squinted but wasn't sure if it was just the dim lighting or something but he was sure he saw pointed ears. Was she some kind of elf? He had heard of them and even once heard a rumor of a jolly fat man with a legion of elven crafters at his command but he had imagined that they were smaller. Though he did hear that they stories that they were dressed in green. That girl appeared to be dressed in green... did she serve the fat lord of the elves? That would certainly be a story to write home about. Not that he had anyone left to write to. His mind wandered and for a brief moment he felt sad to remember that fact but quickly shook his head to snap back to reality. After having played the part of "Arctus" for so long he had been out of practice keeping his mind focused. His eyes shifted to the last person of the trio. A white haired male who looked lax. There was very little else he could tell about this person from a glance. Aside from those three there seemed to be others who appeared to not be dressed in military uniforms that were part of the larger group. He was certain that those were contracted civilians although they did appear to be a sort of "ragtag" group of misfits based off of appearances alone. Judging by the large equipment and one particular massive vehicle with a giant drill attached to its front, he could only guess that they were some kind of excavation team. Castur's eyes went up to examine the massive underground system he had been transported to and wondered just how large a cavern like this was. There was no way that excavation team could have dug this all out and he wondered if they weren't just excavators but, rather, explorers. Although the group appeared to be too militarized to be explorers. If he knew his history, and he did, they had the appearance of conquerors, not people of peace and discovery. Given how they seemed to be treating the trio, by holding weapons up towards them, Castur was more certain about his assumption. He dove back under the water, giving the large group a wide berth to continue being unnoticed as he circled around to the very back of the group while they were distracted with the off worlders. Water dripped off Castur as he emerged from the depths of the water and caught his breath. He used trucks and other vehicles as cover to sneak closer and remain unseen. He knelt down and slicked his hair back to keep it out of his face before flicking his hand to throw off the water it gathered. Not that it did much good considering his clothes were completely soaked. Castur sighed, not wishing to have been forced to make any aggressive actions so soon after arriving in a new world but he was left with little choice given the circumstances. He gently knocked on the metal side of the truck he was crouched behind. This drew the attention of one of the masked soldiers and lure him over. The instant the man was within grasp Castur leapt upon him. It was over in an instant and seconds later a man in his underwear, bound and unconscious, was thrown into the back of a truck and covered with equipment so he would not be spotted. Thankfully, the outfit was loose fitting enough so that it still fit properly on Castur despite being taller than the soldier he had knocked out. Castur, now dressed in the world's standard military garb and wearing the soldier's mask, joined the group behind Rourke.
Castur had reached out for Karina as they were pulled underwater by the force of the storm. The darkness he found himself staring into as he felt himself getting dragged under only brought back flashes of memories of his past. Blood. More blood. Sounds of gunshots echoed in his ears and reverberated as the memories ran through his mind. Yet even as traumatic experiences were running through the back of his mind another singular thought came to him. It would be okay. Karina would be okay. She would find her friends. He would find a new mission to focus on. In the distance I light could just faintly be seen. The breath he had been holding was still not close to running out but he did not want to stay underwater for so long lest he drown. Slowly Castur began to swim to the surface and as he did so the blurry faint glow above him began to clear. From what he could see there were several people near the shoreline. Some military looking types for the most part. Castur's head peeked up over the surface of the water, his nose just barely popping up to catch a breath of air before he lowered himself further into the water to keep from immediately revealing himself to the strangers. From what he could see going on before him, there were several odd looking people, people who looked like they did not particularly belong to this world, being harassed by "the big military man" who seemed to be in charge of the outfit. As he floated there in place Castur's eyes began to scan the surroundings to get an idea of the place he found himself in. Uniformed soldier type looking people filled the background. They all looked heavily invested in what was going on with the strangers they had come across. The primitive technology and vehicles they were surrounded by suggested that this world was in an era at least two hundred years the technological developments of his own world but the fact that they still used guns was not a good sign. No matter how primitive they were, guns were still lethal. There were three people of interest that caught his eye. The same people who was sure to be not of this word due to their clothing. In the trio were a redheaded girl who looked like she had a bad attitude towards anyone who so much at looked at her. People with those kinds of attitudes were tiresome. For the most part they acted tough just because they had little else to offer. A green haired girl with...pointed ears? He squinted but wasn't sure if it was just the dim lighting or something but he was sure he saw pointed ears. Was she some kind of elf? He had heard of them and even once heard a rumor of a jolly fat man with a legion of elven crafters at his command but he had imagined that they were smaller. Though he did hear that they stories that they were dressed in green. That girl appeared to be dressed in green... did she serve the fat lord of the elves? That would certainly be a story to write home about. Not that he had anyone left to write to. His mind wandered and for a brief moment he felt sad to remember that fact but quickly shook his head to snap back to reality. After having played the part of "Arctus" for so long he had been out of practice keeping his mind focused. His eyes shifted to the last person of the trio. A white haired male who looked lax. There was very little else he could tell about this person from a glance. Aside from those three there seemed to be others who appeared to not be dressed in military uniforms that were part of the larger group. He was certain that those were contracted civilians although they did appear to be a sort of "ragtag" group of misfits based off of appearances alone. Judging by the large equipment and one particular massive vehicle with a giant drill attached to its front, he could only guess that they were some kind of excavation team. Castur's eyes went up to examine the massive underground system he had been transported to and wondered just how large a cavern like this was. There was no way that excavation team could have dug this all out and he wondered if they weren't just excavators but, rather, explorers. Although the group appeared to be too militarized to be explorers. If he knew his history, and he did, they had the appearance of conquerors, not people of peace and discovery. Given how they seemed to be treating the trio, by holding weapons up towards them, Castur was more certain about his assumption. He dove back under the water, giving the large group a wide berth to continue being unnoticed as he circled around to the very back of the group while they were distracted with the off worlders. Water dripped off Castur as he emerged from the depths of the water and caught his breath. He used trucks and other vehicles as cover to sneak closer and remain unseen. He knelt down and slicked his hair back to keep it out of his face before flicking his hand to throw off the water it gathered. Not that it did much good considering his clothes were completely soaked. Castur sighed, not wishing to have been forced to make any aggressive actions so soon after arriving in a new world but he was left with little choice given the circumstances. He gently knocked on the metal side of the truck he was crouched behind. This drew the attention of one of the masked soldiers and lure him over. The instant the man was within grasp Castur leapt upon him. It was over in an instant and seconds later a man in his underwear, bound and unconscious, was thrown into the back of a truck and covered with equipment so he would not be spotted. Thankfully, the outfit was loose fitting enough so that it still fit properly on Castur despite being taller than the soldier he had knocked out. Castur, now dressed in the world's standard military garb and wearing the soldier's mask, joined the group behind Rourke.
Username: Arch Name: Castur 'Arctus' Pollux Age: 24 Appearance: Castur Personality: Observant and strong-willed. Holds a strong moral compass and does his best to act mature but finds himself being awkward around others. Homeworld: Zephyr's Gloom Keyblade: Nightbreak What's most important to you? I don't know anymore. What do you want outta life? Redemption and justice. What are you afraid of? Finding out that my quest is an impossible one. Path Chosen: Guardian Path Sacrificed: Warrior
