Nodding to Ananta in thanks as she took off, Steel turned his attention to his adversaries once more. He was barely even scratched, but she was presumably rushing off to make sure everyone was alright, so the least he could do was thank her. Shrugging aside the lesser heartless for now, Steel found himself targeting Neoshadows this time around. Standing right across from him at this very moment was a group of five. However, as with the Neoshadow he had faced during the last wave, the ones before him were exhibiting... unique traits, as well as strange behavior. For one thing, the entire group was dressed in a wide array of clothing. They each seemed to have their own colors and styles. The two standing farther from him seemed to be mostly dressed in female attire, with one wearing a set of robes with a mostly white coloration, and the other was in a sort of green leotard with long sleeves. Of the three closer ones, two were dressed in armor; one was mostly in white with a few wavy, blue stripe like designs, and the other entirely in a sort of teal blue with a helmet that was shaped vaguely like some sort of reptilian animal. A dragon perhaps. They each held weapons, the white one a sword, and the blue a spear. The third seemed to be dressed mostly in loose clothing for freedom of movement. It also had a mask on its face and held both a dagger as well as a deadly looking Katana. Having spent much time using certain skills the Keyblade had granted him, Steel could easily identify this being as a Ninja. If he had to venture a guess based on this, he would say that the one in white robes was most likely a white mage. One that could move fast and one that could heal. Not even being able to determine the abilities of the others and he already knew this would be a tough fight. The Neoshadows took the initiative, and as one rushed him with its sword, the spear-toting heartless made a ridiculously high leap into the air. For a few moments, all he could focus on was doing his best to block and parry the blows of his direct opponent with his own blade. However, a glint in the corner of his eye told him the Ninja was hoping to blindside him and, once newly aware of his surroundings, he was able to make out a distinct whistling sound coming from above him. Fortunately for him, what seemed to be a clever coordination from the trio quickly fell apart when Steel shoved the swordsman away for long enough to backflip out of the way of his other two assailants. The ninja was unfortunate enough to rush straight into the path of the spear-mans falling lance. Impaled on the ground and struggling, the ninja was given a mercifully quick death when Steel thrust the 'Artisan Shard' into its head. Not giving the one in blue time to recover, he swung his Keyblade upwards and sent the draconic warrior flying away from its weapon. Steel heaved said weapon from the ground as he flung a quick Stopga at the white mage, knowing that of the four remaining targets, it was the most dangerous. With some distance between them, Steel enchanted the lance in his grip with a Firaga spell before throwing it with all his strength. His aim was true and the projectile tore through its path like a flaming Meteor, taking out several heartless on the way to its destination. The heartless and its robes vanished in a puff of smoke, as did a sizable number of shadow heartless. Keeping his sight on the three remaining as the blue went to retrieve its lance, Steel taunted: "Who wants to be next?" OC: Words: 642 EXP: 60 Total EXP: 240 Enemies Defeated: 16 Shadows 2 Neoshadows Enemies Remaining: 1635 Shadows 381 Darkballs 401 Neoshadows (3 Reserved) 23 Invisibles 2 Darksides Heartless Injured: Darkside: 1035/1500 Invisible: 22/50
Sure enough, not too long after the first wave of darkness had been cleansed did a new one rise to take its place. Fortunately, he and his fellows had become experts at the art of purification long before they had become masters. It was a most ancient rite, one that had been practiced since time immemorial: a good old-fashioned Keyblade to the face. Or perhaps the gut, or shins. Regardless, it was a practice they were all putting to good use right about now, whatever the designation of the anatomical target. Steel himself was targeting several faces and stomachs at the moment. He rushed about the battlefield, clawing at eyes and thrusting into stomachs. It occurred to him for about the thousand and umpteenth time that his style of fighting, was he not fighting a horde of dark constructs, would, in fact, leave quite the gory mess. But then, he was fighting dark constructs, and that meant a lot more options and angles for attacking. Why bother holding anything back? It occurred to him vaguely that some of the others were fighting one of the Darksides, but for the moment he satisfied himself by tearing through the normal shadows. It would surely benefit them all, he thought, to take out a large amount of the smaller heartless earlier on before they became too much of a problem. Of course, he wouldn't want to focus on them for too long: there were still plenty of heartless that could become a threat a lot faster if left alone. Invisibles were especially annoying. For now, though, the shadows would do fine. He dashed through an entire line of said ant-like creatures with a powerful forward thrust before crushing another small group underneath the incredibly impossible weight of a Graviga spell. One attacked, he dodged in turn. His counterattack was to impale it and fling it towards its friends. Their own sad attempt at a counter-offensive was met with the staggering voltage of a Thundaga spell. Yes, he was greatly enjoying having more than a single third tier spell, and offensive ones to boot. One could only imagine the further possibilities that would open up to him in terms of combat combinations as he furthered his magical prowess. Of course, his physical strength still required quite some honing as well. Of course, he was still quite adept in his precision, even without his Ninja abilities. He smirked as his thought was punctuated with the sound of his strike raid finding an unfortunate target. Finding another small group of hapless heartless, Steel cast a Stopga spell in their vicinity. His targets now extremely vulnerable, he rushed forward with a sliding dash, cutting through most of them as he ran past before turning around and charging back into their midst with a barrier surge. The explosion of light dealt heavy damage to multiple targets around him, and all of his stopped foes vanished into miasma as his spell wore off. Even some of those who had merely wandered into the blast radius had been dealt with, making for quite an efficient showing, though not necessarily one filled to the brim with humility. Satisfied with his extremely bright showing, Steel turned to the dozens of other heartless, clamoring wildly for their turn to attempt taking a chunk out of the Keyblade Masters. Not even remotely deterred by the immense blast of light that had just gone off, several more came charging towards him. He could show them the error of their ways with another immense infusion of light energy, but that would likely be wasteful on mere shadows. So instead, he just cut every single one that rushed him into two. OC: Words: 614 EXP: 60 Total EXP: 180 Enemies Defeated: 26 Shadows Enemies Remaining: 1822 Shadows 426 Neoshadows 424 Darkballs 25 Invisibles 2 Darksides
With the others making known their curiosity regarding the nature of her goals, Chrys took a large gulp of her drink, finishing the Paopu fruit juice off before setting her glass on the table. She let out a sigh as she tried to figure out how to even start such a story. "When I was a little girl...growing up in the castle..." She started with only the barest hints of hesitation. "My brother and I heard stories... mostly a legend about a Crystal, and the deity who had left it behind. He came from beyond time they say, and he and his allies fought a great war against those who sought to do us harm. When the fighting ended, he used his powers to form a great crystal and told the people that someday, in the distant future, someone would be born who could wield the crystals' power." She let out a small yet humorless chuckle. "It's a classic 'chosen one' story... The heir to the crystals power is supposed to dethrone the evil that has taken the world... but the crystal... it vanished, not long after I was born. I was always confused about that growing up. My brother didn't seem to know why either." She gave a brief pause. To the others, she would most likely appear to be making a sudden change in subject, but they would see the relevance soon enough. "Chrystopher, my older brother, and I... were a lot closer when we were younger. We played together all the time, and even though we fought, nothing seemed to ever tear us apart... until one day, when it all just stopped. I didn't understand why, but my brother... he didn't really ever stick around to spend time with me. He started to always have this sad sort of mood. Never really angry, just sad. That was also around the time I started receiving formal training for taking the throne. He was pretty much free to do whatever he wanted as far as I could tell, so I didn't find myself doing much about it other than sitting around in stuffy clothes, envying his apparent freedom. I should have thought about it more: our kingdom had never really had any specific rules about the gender of the heir, so it should have stuck out to me that I was selected when he was supposed to be the oldest... but I had forgotten all about the other stories I had heard when I was younger." She took a deep breath before continuing. "My father was the evil that had taken over the land. We hadn't really noticed: he may not have been the best ruler, but he was hardly a tyrant. He had grown mad with power though. He... wanted to stay in control. So when the Crystal and I... reacted to each other before it's disappearance, he found his in. He was going to steal the light for himself. So he had the court mages and scientist... Well, I don't really know what exactly they did, or even have the vaguest clue of how, but they... used some of my DNA and... they changed the crystal. They changed it into a... sort of clone. They... they made my brother. Chrystopher was the Crytal of our world... and my father... he was going to use our power to rule forever. Mother knew the whole time." Her eyes were starting to well up with unshed tears, but she couldn't stop her story now. "There were rumors of course. Whisperings told between adults, the inner mechanisms of authority, unmeant for children's ears. I heard enough though. Enough to carelessly toss out his apparent lack of humanity as some sort of excuse for why I should get to play with a toy." At that, a single tear did finally break free of its shackles, though the rest remained bound. "He had heard things too. He didn't really remember being the Crystal, but he was smart enough to know that Mom and Dad didn't really think of him as their son. He wasn't even allowed to leave the castle grounds, even for reasons of diplomacy or some such nonsense! It was no wonder he stopped talking to me... To even for a second imply that I thought the same... that I thought of him as some kind of tool..." She had long since started staring down into her lap, and her vision was blurry with her unshed tears. "I was the same to them. They gave me all that training just to keep up appearances, all while waiting... They didn't even really bother to give us different names...They gave us some lame excuses when the day finally came. Said once they had all that power they'd recreate us. Screw that though. It wouldn't have changed what they would have done. The day I learned all this... the day we both finally learned the whole truth, was the day our world was consumed by the darkness my parents had brought to it. The Master saved me, but... I don't know what happened to my brother. So I swore: whatever happened to Chrys, I'd get both him and our world back. To heck with my parents though: as far as I'm concerned, Chrystopher is the only one of the three that's really my family, no matter how he was made." She couldn't contain her tears, and they fell into her lap one by one. "Geez, sorry. I talk too much sometimes, huh? You just asked what my goals were, not all that other stuff..."
While the majority of the group was busy thinning out the remaining heartless crowd, Steel was locked in battle with Neoshadow and its pet Darkball. As he leaped about dodging fireballs and ice crystals acrobatically, he pondered how exactly the two lesser heartless had managed to learn such a wide array of magic. Of course, there wasn't much question as to how they were making it so powerful: their teamwork was the clear answer to that question. Though it was also true that heartless didn't usually participate in this level of cooperation. Steel yelped as he nearly collided with a thin red beam. He glanced at his opponents to see that they two had summoned a small, chromed black sphere. "Oh come on! How did you even manage to get your hands on a Lunarian attack core!" His incredulous shouts were met with several larger beams, pulsing erratically as he weaved away from them. The shining array of red cosmic rays would have made dust of any debris it happened to come across, and a large ditch had been punched into the sand. Unfortunately, that was not the end of the barrage of attacks by any means. Several bolts of purple lightning arced towards him from a large purple orb, which he quickly countered with his own fireball. It seemed, however, as the two spells met and canceled each other out, that this time the terrible twosome had actually managed to distract him for long enough to get a considerably more damaging spell off. Steel's heart nearly skipped a beat as he eyed the massive chunks of rock that were falling from the sky towards him. However, with no deathwish to call his own at the moment, he didn't stay still for long. He quickly broke into a mad dash to escape the range of the Twin Meteors, crashing into a tree and digging in his claws. This was no safe haven for the wolf, however, as the telltale signs of yet another spell began to gather around him. Black energy began to swirl around him, and he simultaneously found himself pondering once again how two relatively base and weak heartless had learned such powerful magic, as well as deciding with a certain sense of finality that he could not keep running from said magic if he was going to win this fight. "Not going to happen!" He shouted at his query as he sped towards them, frantically trying to get in range before the spell currently biting at his heels went off. Running just within distance of his target, he rapidly threw his own spell towards the duo to interrupt them. "Stopga!" With that, the pair were frozen in time, leaving them completely at the mercy of their Lupine adversary as he continued to dash towards them. The magic attack that had nearly charged dissipated into black smoke that faded without a trace, leaving him completely free to attack the duo. Which is just what he did. He grabbed the pointier-than-thou Darkball and thrust into it several times with the Artisan Shard. An action that he suspected would have created several holes had the target not been stopped in time. Jumping on top of it, Steel dug his claws into the creature's head before leaping back off and using his momentum to flip around and budge it from its resting place in mid-air. He wrenched it from its spot and bashed it into the Neoshadows head before letting go and blasting them both with a Thundaga spell. With that, the Stopga wore off, and the Darkball burst into several smoky fragments. It's companion Neoshadow, though slow to understand just what had happened at first, began to panic and tried blasting him with some kind of earth-based spell. However, without his companion, the spell was considerably weaker, and the small resulting rocks were knocked to the side with a relatively effortless flick of the newly appointed master's keyblade. Not giving his opponent any more chance to attack, Steel lunged for the caped heartless, blade outstretched- -And that was the end of the last heartless. His surroundings told him that the only one that now remained was a shadow that... had been helping Kaida? Whatever the case, the creatures numbers had been reduced to nothing. For that to happen so quickly was suspicious, to say the least. OC: Words: 726 EXP: 60 Total EXP: 120 Enemies Defeated: - 1 Darkball - 1 Neoshadow BP Used: 24 Enemies Remaining: Reserved Shadow
"Crystals, huh?" Steel listened to Ananta's story with interest, briefly comparing it to the legend of the crystal in his own world that Griffon mentioned. He also considered what she might have left unsaid; the possibilities of her relation to the "Chosen One" archetype. She apologized for rambling. "You don't have too. Thank you for sharing your story with me: I liked hearing it." He gave her a small smile. ----------------------- Not much later, after some strange incomprehensible scene that Steel couldn't make heads or tails of, the group was now fighting a massive swarm of heartless against a rather dismal backdrop. "Couldn't even give us an easy trip back." He muttered under his breath. Having drawn his weapon earlier, Steel was noticeably not switching into his Ninja form. He instead pulled had been using his "Artisan Shard" and the fencing stance that had once been his standard. The rapid thrusts and parries of the style along with his own brutal additions made him a swirling mass of melee zooming about the field. His latest target was a Darkball that he had actually impaled on his sword, wriggling its' ichorous tendrils in vain as it attempted to escape. Steel wasn't having any of that though. He chuckled slightly as he dodged a blow from behind... by leaping backward over the opponents head. Stabbing downward added another black sphere to his weapon, and it wasn't long before he had snagged a third from nearby to max out the swords capacity. It was a bit impressive considering how large Darkballs actually were. "Hehe. It's a kebab!" He swung his Keyblade about like a toy as he watched the pest struggle to escape. Perhaps he was a bit too entertained by this, but as he gazed at the result of the Thundaga spell that had been coating the blade detonating, he realized he couldn't find it in himself to care. Inky black smoke fell to the ground menacingly as a good amount of volts tore through their bodies and purged them from existence. Of course all the nearby heartless were purebloods, and so no heart points were earned. Steel hid his disappointment at the fact, though. Hearing the rush of an incoming projectile, Steel quickly turned to cut through it with his blade. The weapon met with a powerful wind spell in mid-air, and he found himself bracing the other end of his weapon with his second had before he was able to finally push through it. Seeing who had launched the spell, he was met with the interesting sight of a Neoshadow... wearing a cape...? In addition to large spiked shoulder pads? It was accompanied by an exceptionally toothy Darkball, and it seemed the two had worked together to launch the spell his way. "I'm... not sure that's allowed..." His comment fell upon deaf ears, and the pair started to charge an icy spell that was taking form in his vicinity. Not taking chance with the results, Steel fled from the area of effect. A decision that was quickly validated when everything in it froze solid. Hoping to make use of his distracted state, the two then launched a large fireball at him. It was unfortunate for them that he was not quite as distracted as they had hoped. From his position on a palm tree that had sunk into the landscape, He quickly reached out to the side and dug his claws into yet another Darkball. The things were almost as omnipresent as shadows, though there were a lot less than when the battle had started. He shielded himself from the magic spell with the purple-black sphere, instantly obliterating it. "Yeah, this really seems like it wouldn't be allowed." OC: Words: 617 EXP: 60 Total EXP: 60 Enemies Defeated: 4 Darkballs ENGAGED NEOBEZ AND THE BALL DRAGON! BP Used: 36/39 Enemies Remaining: 1 Shadow (Reserved) 16 Neoshadows (1 Reserved) 24 Darkballs (1 Reserved)
Here's another one for the books: Unequipping Ninja 22/32 AP Switching my Oath Keeper and Stroke of Midnight for Artisian Shard Purchasing Mystic Chain for 500 Munny Remaining Munny: 3,165 Using Crowns to Increase Stats: +1 Strength +1 Magic +1 Defense +1 Resistance +2 Speed +1 AP New Stat Totals: Strength - 17 Magic - 19 Defense - 20 Resistance - 20 Speed - 46 (+3) Max AP - 33 Crowns Spent: 70 Crowns Remaining: 4
"Yeah, there's nothing we can really do but keep on our own path." Chrys took another sip of her glass as her gaze seemed to grow slightly distant. "We're doing this for them, after all." She shifted her eyes down to look at her glass as she started swirling it again. "I... don't really know how my brother would feel about all this. Though I could venture a guess. I don't really know him as well as I'd like..."
Cadoc silently mourned his situation. He didn't really think he was to blame for everyone else running off on him, though he supposed he could have tried a little harder to go after one of the others, but... not all that much time had passed since they had just up and told him he was part of the team. Shrugging it off, he accepted Qrow's judgment as the huntsman stormed out with his alcohol. After all, it wasn't as if he was actually being punished for some imaginary wrongdoing. "So... I suppose since I'm the newest, I should formally introduce myself! My name is Braden Cadell, but most people call me Cadoc. It's nice to meet you all!"
Steel gave a small smile as he shook his head. She was hardly his only friend, but her offer was appreciated none the less. Her question had a bit of a complicated answer though. "It's... quite a long story. I suppose you could say I've always been like this... or perhaps that it's a more accurate depiction of my original self?" Steel cocked his head to the side and twitched an ear as he quickly realized that he hadn't really told her anything. "You may have noticed I tend to overcomplicate things..." Crossing his arms over his chest, Steel began again. "Let us say... I am an image. An image of a creature with many forms, that existed in a time and world beyond those in which we now live. I remember... being him, in essence. Though my powers are considerably more limited, I did have some degree over what form I chose... once I was conscious of my nature. I chose this one because... he was a wolf. In the beginning anyway. I suppose it just feels natural to me." --------------------------------- A being with many forms. One that showed many sides of itself and its varying strengths. He remembered glancing out over the horizon and seeing the rushing waters of the numerous rivers. Looking out and seeing the endless downpour, somehow knowing that it was his own tears of sorrow that torrented from the skies perpetually. It dawned on him: this was a fragment of his inner power. Steel has gained a Level 1 Water Aura!
Chrys giggled a bit as Koa invited her to take the first sip. "Oh come on!" She teased. "Shouldn't you guys be the ones saving me from tasting something awful?" Paopu fruit. An interesting name. Perhaps she had heard it somewhere before. She supposed it didn't really matter. Swirling her cup teasingly at the boys, Chrys brought the glass to her lips and took a quick sip. "Hmm... Well, I don't think it tastes bad. Not all that different from Pineapple really... There is something different about it though."
Steel placed a claw on his chin and thought carefully about Ananta's question. "Well... I have had interactions with others between missions before, but... I suppose most of those came about by chance. I guess you are the only one who checks in on me regularly." He shrugged his shoulders in dismissal. "I hadn't really thought about it... I mean, I kinda always just prop myself up menacingly against the nearest wall. I doesn't really scream 'talkative.'"
Watching the argument unfold before her, Chrys felt the corner of her mouth twitch upwards. "It wasn't all that bad a mission, really." Chrys' response was barely above a whisper. "A bit of a shock at the end there, but... what are you gonna do?" She shrugged a bit as she sat down at the table. Looking at the glasses scattered around the table. She pondered aloud: "So what have we got to drink?"
"Yeah. I'm doing alright." Steel shrugged to his friend. "I did fit in pretty well... too well really. I didn't change at all and yet..." Steel paused to shake his head. "The poor sap managed to mistake me for a mammal. Tried in vain to use a bioweapon on me... too busy monologueing to notice someone already dumped an entire chemistry kit into my blood veins I guess." He shrugged again as he briefly recalled how Fairbeak had blatantly ignored Steels' own speech. "What about you? You said you got turned into a bird?"
"Thank you for letting me know miss Noire! I'll go see him right away." Turning from the group, Cadoc headed off towards the inn. He briefly wondered what could constitute an emergency team meeting, but It wasn't as if he was particularly familiar with anyone yet. If nothing else, he supposed he could use the opportunity to familiarize himself with their individual personalities. Before long he arrived at his destination and found Qrow and Auburn waiting. "Reporting for duty captain!" He projected his usual, cheerful facade as he took a seat nearby.
Whilst the others were all mingling, Steel mostly just kept to himself. Not that he had any particular reason. He sort of just... people watched while contemplating the events of the last world. Would that he could have warned Nick and Judy of the possibly very real dangers of Fairbeaks' formula. Alas, it was not to be. They likely would have it analyzed anyway, so they would probably wind up nipping any potential threat in the bud anyway. Come to think of it, what was the chief to think when they never came back from the mission? Weren't they supposed to keep a low profile? Joining law enforcement only to vanish within 24 hours seemed like a surefire way to draw attention. Then again, the chief had gotten their files somehow. Whatever Megs had done to get them in, he could probably pull a few more strings and get them off the hook no problem. It was these and other thoughts that Steel entertained himself with as he patiently waited near the portal to Destiny Islands, only momentarily contemplating on going through the portal by himself and waiting by the ferry. He decided that he and his thoughts would dwell with the others a bit longer before going on ahead.
Chrys would be lying if she said she wasn't as shocked as Avra, but she kept her doubts to herself for the moment and did as her master said. Not that she wouldn't be thinking about it all the while. "Yes, Master." She bowed before turning around and walking away. If she was to be asked personally, she did not agree with what the Light Chaser had done. Yet it was likely necessary all the same. If the other princesses were still in the same state Kida had been in before she departed, then it wouldn't take much for Pocahontas to become convinced they had lied to her. In such an event they would be forced to incapacitate her... something they had done anyway. Chrys wondered if she shouldn't have just knocked the princess out in the first place. It felt better at the time to talk her down and convince her that they were attempting to do what was right, but in the end, it just felt like they had manipulated Pocahontas and betrayed her trust. Her attempt at a peaceful resolution practically went up in smoke. Her words had once again meant nothing, only causing others harm. Chrys shook her head and banished those thoughts from her mind. As she walked up to the tavern, "The Black Mages," she was briefly struck with the thought that it sounded more like the name of a band than a tavern. Nevertheless, the majority of her companions were inside resting, as she herself intended to do after all that had just happened. To that end, she stepped inside.
"The Darkness." Chrys replied. "The malevolent force has already corrupted many hearts and consumed just as many worlds. It's continuing to spread, and many people have already lost their families and homes to it. Only you and six others, united, have the power to banish it for eternity."
Seeing that Avra had blown their cover, Chrys couldn't help but sigh. Despite her personal qualms about her own ability to speak effectively, it may be the only solution. On the other hand, they hadn't necessarily lost the element of surprise. After all, the princess would hardly be prepared to handle the powers of two keyblade wielders. They also hadn't actually been spotted. She supposed though that they could also easily overpower the princess if she didn't agree to come with them, which slightly worried her. The Princesses might need better protection, though now was hardly the time for her to think about such a thing. She didn't think she could take another negative response, but... she wanted to talk. If only to explain why they were taking her away from her home and all she had ever known. The girl, Pocahontas, would have the right to know that at least, whether she came along willingly or not. With her decision made, Chrys jumped from the branches of Grandmother Willow. She landed gracefully with knees bent at the base of the tree, not far from Pocahontas. Straightening herself slowly as to avoid conveying a threat, Chrys gestured to herself with her hand and introduced herself in response to the princess's demand. "I am Chrysanthemum Light. You may call me Chrys. Both I, as well as a companion of mine came here seeking you. For you see, you have a power that can be used to stop a great evil. To that end, we came seeking the blessing of this tree. However..." Chrys hesitated as considered her next few words. Hiding their role in the tree's silence was pointless. Even if they could hide it, it would not be for long. Absolute honesty was the best policy. "...She was not pleased with us."
"I know things didn't go too well with the willow, but..." Chrys trailed off as she began to climb up after Avra. A part of her wanted to just try to talk to the princess, still clinging to the hope that someone out in the universe would understand them and their goal. However, that hope was becoming increasingly futile. Even if the princess listened to them, they wouldn't be able to hide the fact that they had fought and defeated the willow, not for long. Learning of the tree's defeat and possibly of it's disapproval of them, the princess would have very little reason to trust them. "Never mind..." She had already nearly screwed up the battle for them, she didn't need to screw this up for them as well. Talking was something she felt was a surefire way to accomplish just such a mistake. So instead she remained quiet, following her fellow apprentices up into the higher branches of the Willow tree. She was vaguely worried about their climbing it so soon after it's defeat, but she figured that was something else to stay silent about.
With the battle ended, Chrys was slightly ashamed that her tendency to be cautious had caused the fight to drag out for far longer than necessary. It had even very nearly been their undoing. Listening silently as Avra recommended they wait for the princess, Chrys brushed a strand of her hair from her face. "Alright then."
