Tales Of Elyansia ~Main RP~

[Goddess Martel]

OOC: Okay! This is it! Let's do our best and hope it's sucessful guys. ^.^
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Elyansia, a magical world filled with life source is Mana. It's existance is more important than water itself, without Mana, life could not exist. So when the world was merely a barren young planet, just born but with no life on it's soil, the Goddess, Lyra was said to have descended to the planet and granted mana to the world. Life began to grow, evolve and eventually walk the path of evolution and the awakening of people's free-will.

However, a few thousands of years later, Ragnarok, the celestial demon appeared, bringing with him chaos and coruption, the once pure-hearted races began to fight and quarreled with each other, until it broke out into a full-scale war that lasted seven years. The two powerful deities fought in battle. Lyra was proven victorious and sealed away the Celestial Demon.

Goddess Lyra created ten crystals and handed them to each leader of every race in Elyansia to guard and protect them, these crystals were named the 'Ragnarok Tears'. For if the ten crystals were brought back together in the hidden tomb of Ragnarok, it would revive the demon and bring back the ancient war that nearly destroyed the world. This war became known to the future generations as the 'Legendary War'.

The Goddess, also tired from her fight also rested, within the great tree of Mana, that is protected by an impassible barrier of wind. Days turned into months, months turned into years and years turned into generations. Four thousand years have passed since the 'Legendary War' and life remained at peace.

But an new war was surging, one that was feared to be the reincarnation of the 'Legendary War'.

The world trembles in fear of the awakening of the new war, but alas, a seer revealed a prophecy that brought hope into the hearts of the people. 'When all hope is nearly gone and doom seems nigh, a group chosen by the hand of destiny, will rise to become the beacon of hope and free the Goddess from her slumber to end this war'.

And so the people continue to wait for these destined heroes and heroines, what no one knew, is when they would appear....

~:Zanark City, the slums:~

Our story begins in the bustling city of Zanark, the major captial of the human race and Loire region. Ships flew in the skies and on the ocean waves. Home to the royal family of Zanark and the best universities for mechanics and scholars.

But where our tale starts, begins deep underground, beneath the high-class and posh upper city, below the grand city, rested an underworld of slums and crime.

This was the lower Zanark district or in more vulgar words, the 'Zanark slums'.

A young boy was jumping and walking along the sewage pipes for the upper city, he was whistling a simple tune with a bag of gold in his hands, swinging it almost dangerously, but he kept a tight grip on it.

"Alright, that must be my best raid yet. I feel bad for the people I robbed...but growing family's got to eat." He talked mainly to himself, he looked below him to see the seedy world below him that he had called home for the last fourteen years of his life.

He had no idea of who he was before besides from his name. Although he had a funny feeling that he wasn't a human, he looked like a regular human, save for his slightly pointed ears. But since he had no idea what other race he could be, he just simply thought of himself as human.

He never knew his famly's last name or who his parents were, so he adopted the last name that the leader of the family of good-hearted theives had. He was happy with his family and he was willing to do anything for them. Even steal from others, even though he knew it was wrong.

Not even his family liked stealing even though they were theives, but they had no other means of surviving outside Zanark City. So he was happily content with his lifestyle, even though he was nearly caught over a few hundred times and had a few narrow escapes.

He continued to walk on the pipes as he made his way back to their home, which was a very rundown and ruined mansion that somehow existed in the lower district. What he didn't know that, today, was going to be a life-changing event for him...

~:Magica Sari ~ Magica Academy:~

Rune snored quietly throughout his lessons even though his friend Roan was trying to nudge him awake. It wasn't until an eraser was thrown at him, making him startle awake.

"Have I got your attention now, Mr. Blanchemont?" His teacher scolded lightly.

"Oh, Professor Epocha! Is class over?" Rune laughed nervously, only to be rewarded with another object at his face. "You feel asleep in class, in history of all lessons! Do you have any idea what kind of crime that is?!" Momo huffed, her rabbit nose twitched a little as she crossed her arms.

"...Falling asleep in History is a crime?" Rune turned to Roan.

"Don't you know, Professor's obbsessed with history." Roan whispered in his ear.

"Oh."

"Ugh, nevermind, now let's continue our lesson. As I was saying, Ragnarok, the Celestial Demon had companions known as the 'Tainted Ones' who forsaken Goddess Lyra and chose his side. When Goddess Lyra won the war, the Tainted Ones that Lyra's followers managed to capture was put to death while others suffered sealment and torture before their death." Momo used her learning stick to point at the blackboard that was now scribbled with many sentences and words.

"I have an question, why would they turn against Goddess Lyra if she's so great? There must be something wrong with her." Rune raised his hand.

"No one really knows, some say that the Tainted Ones and the Celestial Demon himself were the real victims of that time, but those people were branded as heretics and burned them at the stake." Momo answered Rune's question.

"...I see." Rune grimanced.

Just then the bell rang, stating that the school's lessons now ended.

"Alright, class, remember your homework next week. I WILL be checking them so they better be accurate." Momo told her class as she started gathering her books together.

The students gathered their own things and left the room, along with Rune and Roan following closely behind them.

~:Magica Sari ~ Square:~

"Finally, free from that crazy professor. Why did she replace our old one again?" Rune asked as they exited the academy.

"Heh heh, because she's much more knowledgable on history than our last teacher." Roan laughed.

"Hmph, well I think she's insane." Rune pulled an face, he noticed a small group of Gewehr soliders that were stationed nearby.

"What are those creeps doing in this city?" Rune narrowed his eyes.

"...Rune..."

Rune decided to approach the soliders while Roan tried to pull him back.

"Hey! I'd like to know there are Gewehr soliders in this Mahouni city? As the Mayor of this city, I demand an answer, I don't remember hearing any reports of your kind being here.." Rune barked at an solider nearby.

"Rune, stop it! You're going to get yourself in trouble with them!" Roan gasped.

[Gabriel Helsing]

Zanark City~Square

Nearby, a young man was walking nearby. Several people passing by greeted him hello, "Hello, Mr Sainte. Good day to you."

Symon Sainte smiled and greeted in return, "Hello and good day to you too."

"Heading to the church as usual, Symon?" An old lady asked.

"Yes, as always. It's pretty obvious, right Mrs Palmer?" Symon replied.

Mrs Palmer chuckled, "Just like your mother, Symon. Your parents must be very proud of you! Well, don't let this old lady keep you. See you, Symon."

Symon nodded, "See you Mrs Palmer." Symon checked the pocket watch given to him by his father, "Hmm.... looks like I still have some free time. I could go visit the gang, then go to the church."

Symon put the watch back in his pocket and set off, not to the church but to the slums. Symon has a secret that he can't tell anybody, but it's nothing to be ashamed off. To him, it's something very precious.

"Goddess Lyra, please grant us your divine blessing and prevent any misfortunes from happening..." Symon offered a prayer before heading on.
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At the birth of the world, Man was given a soul and with it, Clarity.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Light and Darkness... the road to both Dawn and Twilight...

[Goddess Martel]

~:Ruined Mansion:~

Crest entered through the door of his home, but as soon as he did, he was tackled by a horde of children, all of various races, to him, they were like little siblings.

"Yay, Cresty's back!" A half-elven girl cheered happily.

"Where did you go? Everyone was looking for you this morning." A Fae boy asked.

"Sorry about that, I went to get some extra money for the orphanage." Crest ruffled the boy's hair.

"Stealing again? One of these days, you're going to get caught." A Felis boy warned.

"Yeah right, the guy who's gonna catch me hasn't yet walked this earth." Crest rolled his eyes at that idea.

"That's our Cresty." The girl smiled.

"Anyway, have you guys seen Kia or Raiku? Knowing Kia though, he's probably causing trouble for some poor guy or woman back up on the middle plate." Crest asked.

"Ahhh...I don't know. We haven't seen him yet." The girl answered honestly.

"Ah, don't worry about it. I'm sure he'll come back soon." Crest shurgged.

"Raiku's in the kitchen making lunch though~" The girl added.

"That's my girl." Crest winked as he got up and patted the girl's head softly. "If you're going outside, be careful out there and stay away from the main Slums' district." Crest called out to the kids.

"We will~" The children answered before they went outside to play in the small courtyard of what used to be a large mansion.

"Now, let's go see what Raiku's up to." Crest looked ahead and threw the bag in the air before catching it again, he went to find the kitchen to speak with Raiku about his latest catch.
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Colloyd Forever~ ^-^

Mao-kun sprite by Augla *Glomps Mao*

[Gabriel Helsing]

Zanark City, the slums

Symon made his way across the street with a hood over his head. He had used a black robe which he always used whenever he made his way through all knew too well slums. He recalled the first time he came here 10 years ago, how he had wondered aimlessly through the slums. Nearby, he sees several people gathered nearby.

"I told you, it's true! I was robbed by the Midnight Thief!" A man said. "It was like the guy came out of nowhere and suddenly snatched my money! And then he suddenly... disappeared! Just like that!"

"You're sure you're not pulling my leg? That you didn't just leave it somewhere?" Another man questioned the first.

"Crest, you did it again..." Symon chuckled silently as he continued his way. Despite knowing the man's misfortune, he couldn't help himself. Knowing Crest, he probably stole it for his loved ones. That, and Crest's thieving skills has really improved. Last Symon remembered, Crest ended getting chased all around the slums.

Finally Symon saw his destination, the familiar run-down mansion. Making sure nobody was looking, Symon knocked on the gate.
_________________
At the birth of the world, Man was given a soul and with it, Clarity.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Light and Darkness... the road to both Dawn and Twilight...

[Archer]

-Zanark City-

"Get out! And stay out!"

Three large men were seen bursting out of a pub. Two of them were doing their best to drag the third away from the building, and eventually tossed him onto the street.

"If you're lookin' fer a fight, go sign up for the army or somethin'!"

With that, the two men went back into the pub and slammed the door behind them. The third man was still lying in the street, drunk, bruised, and feeling a bit sick.
Eventually, the drunk rose to his feet. He was awfully shaky, but he did it. While stumbling back onto the sidewalk, he pulled a small flask out of his back pocket, and took a swig.

"Mm... need me so' more rum." Wiping his chin, the man began to stagger over to the other side of the street. There was a bulletin board there, and the drunk had to check on something.

"Hm, mm... uh..." The man scanned over the board, looking for a certain page. "Ah...!" When he found it, he squinted his eyes to read the print. It read:

BRANDAR
Famed Mercenary
Will protect you during your trips across the continent
Fees negotiable
Leave your name and contact information
________ ________
________ ________
________ ________

Brandar groaned. Once again, no one even signed up for his service. How could he make money like this? A man needs his gald, if he wants to buy his rum...

Discouraged, Brandar turned away from the board, and headed down the street. Who knows where he'll end up. He was drunk, after all. In a short while, Brandar found himself in a different part of town. It was dirty, and gloomy... he didn't know it, but he had entered the slums.
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[Psychon]

<Magica Sari: Square>

A light chuckle sounded from behind Rune, and a gloved, black hand appeared on his shoulder, gently tracing it across as she walked in front of him. The woman who stood before him now was decked out in full military dress, a sepctacular, black uniform, with red buttons and embroideries decorating it's surface. She removed her cap, combing her hand through the curtain of wavy, golden hair flowing from her head.

"Aww, the mayor is a lot cuter than I thought he would be, I expected some aging, ugly beaurocrat with a lot of facial hair..."

She smirked at him, extending her hand.

"You don't need to worry, dear mayor, we are only here on peacekeeping business, by direct orders from Mr. Cordite himself. We're thinking of setting up an outpost near here, and the boss just wants us to scout out for a good location."

She set her cap back on her head.

"Oh, where are my manners, Mr. Mayor, I am Major Destino Rovina..."


<Yumir Region: Village of Physis>

"Come on Pas, wake up... it's time to go..."

At the sound of his voice, he raised his head, the eye-markings on his head coming up to meet Fractal's own gaze. He gave him a warm, freindly smile, one that seemed to touch him in a way he couldn't quite understand.

"Today's the day, we're leaving the Village."

Pas responded in his low, grating, metallic voice.

"I understand, let us commence the mission."

Pas reached forwards, stepping out of the power station that connected him to the village's network of magitech power. As he pried away, cables and plugs attached to him stretched and popped out of their sockets, some being jettisoned, a loud hiss announcing their release. It was then that Fractal turned around, and Pas's armored body seemed to open up, his ribcage-like chest seemingly splitting open, before enclosing around Fractal's own body. The headset snapped tight around Fratal's head, and a band of solid metal fell over his eyes, temporarily blinding him until Pas began to feed images directly into his mind.

"Neural integration is complete, operating at maximum projected levels of efficiency."

"Good, let's get up top, dad's waiting for us at the hatch."

As Pas relenquished control to his partner, Fractal began to move, climbing up stairs and walkways as they headed towards the upper reaches of the underground reaches of the village. The populace froze in place upon seeing the armored elf walking through the village to the central spire. Fractal gave them a reassuring smile as he passed, trying to let them know that everything was going to be okay. They reached the spire, and began to climb upwards, before in Fractal's field of vision, a set of numbers began to flash by.

"Fractal, we are running late, please increase the pace."

"Relax Pas, we're not that late. Heh, you really are a machine, aren't you? Can't even be a second off?"

Pas didn't respond, and Fractal laughed, finally reaching the small door that led to the hatch above. He opened the door, but much to his surprise, not only did he find his father and mother, he also found the other elder of the village and his wife, but even more surprising, the guardian of the village herself had come out of her seal long enough to witness their departure. Fractal let out a surprised gasp, and Physis smiled at him.

"My son..."

Lorenz came running towards him, wrapping his arms around the armored body of his son.

"H-hey! Dad, what is... what's going on up here?"

"Physis insisted she see you off... she wants to talk to you."

Nervous, Fractal nodded, and approached the summon spirit, keeping his gaze low to the ground.

"Today is a wonderful day, where you will begin a new journey... Fractal."

He almost leapt when he felt the spirit lay a hand on his shoulder, only now did he finally raise his head to look up at her. She had a wisened, motherly gaze, one that seemed to reassure him, and finally allowed him to relax.

"I have faith in you, Fractal, that no matter what you do, you will do it with a heart filled with noble intent... and Pas... I believe that is what Fractal has come to call you, may I speak with you as well?"

"Yes."

"This is going to be a journey for you too... listen to everything Fractal says, watch everything he does... he will teach you many things."

"I already understand my purpose in life, there is nothing more I need to learn."

Physis could only smile, before passing beside Fractal. Lorenz and Henri both approached the hatch in the ceiling above, the marks upon their hands appearing and glowing as they commanded it to open. The great, metal door began to split and divide, and Fractal stepped under the opening door, gazing in wonder at a sight he had never seen before in his entire life, the natural, early morning sky. He suddenly felt a seize grab hold over his arm.

"Are you ready for synchronization, Fractal?"

"Ready..."

He closed his eyes, and soon began to feel Pas's consciousness begin to merge with his own, both of them becoming a single entity, bound both in body and spirit. Their personalities also merged, combining the ethics and humanity of Fractal with the intelligence and efficiency of Pas.

"Flight program loaded, telekinetic field is stable, destination: Zanark."

Fractal was surrounded witha protective, arrowhead shaped field as he suddenly was lifted skywards by his own, psychic abilities. He ascended rapidly, and as Physis gazed skywards at the both of them, who appeared to be nothing more than a flickering star in the early morning, she could only smile, thinking of Pas, of her creation.

"Good luck... my son..."

[Goddess Martel]

Magica Sari: Square

Rune and Roan turned to see a young woman garbed in posh military uniform.

"Aww, the mayor is a lot cuter than I thought he would be, I expected some aging, ugly beaurocrat with a lot of facial hair..."

"Charming." Rune scoffed at the remark.

"You don't need to worry, dear mayor, we are only here on peacekeeping business, by direct orders from Mr. Cordite himself. We're thinking of setting up an outpost near here, and the boss just wants us to scout out for a good location."

'Peace-making? Gewehr? Now that's the biggest bunch of lies I've heard.' Rune mocked mentally but as Mayor, he had to try and stay on their good side, as he had to think about his people.

She set her cap back on her head.

"Oh, where are my manners, Mr. Mayor, I am Major Destino Rovina..."

"I see. Nice to see you, Major. I would like to remind you though that our people have not forgotten about what happened five years ago, so just be warned that you won't be welcomed by most of the people in this city."

"However, I suppose your reasons are justified enough. However, if you or your men step a foot out of line, I will ban you and your 'Gewehr' force from our city, is that understood?" Rune answered.
_________________

Colloyd Forever~ ^-^

Mao-kun sprite by Augla *Glomps Mao*

[Akashic]

<Kia Englehart ~ Ruined Mansion>

Stirring awake in his bed from a loud racket going on in the main room, Kia stretched his arms and sat upright, yawning as he did so. He wasn’t sure how late in the day it was at the moment and quickly jumped out of bed to get dressed afterwards. The children sounded excited about something and as Kia was about to leave his room, he felt something rub against his leg. A soft mewl entered his ears and he grinned finding Nora leaning against his leg, purring loudly.

“Hey girl,” Kia cooed as he lowered to pick up the black cat, “Did you sleep well?” the cat continued to purr and stared deeply into Kia’s eyes, “I’ll take that as a yes?”

When he left his room, he lowered the cat by his feet again and walked down the hallway to the main room where all the children were gathered. It appeared that Crest had returned to the mansion after paying a visit to the city. Barely hearing the younger boy ask about him and Raiku, Kia was about to call out to Crest but he was soon interrupted when a couple of children came running to him, and Crest was making his way to the kitchen.

“Kia! Come play tag with us in the courtyard!” a young boy cried out excitedly with his younger sister by his side. The boy took hold of Kia’s hand and tugged him toward the door.

“Ah, wait a minute,” Kia stammered a bit and pulled his hand from the boy’s grip. He saw Nora already padding towards the door. Soon a devious grin spread across his lips, “Okay, you two get a heads start…” he paused, opening the door to the courtyard and pulled over the hood from his coat to cover half his face, “Better start running before big bro. Kia finishes counting to ten!”

The young pair gasped happily and already started to run off into the courtyard, blending in with the rest of the children playing and notifying them that Kia was ‘it’ in their tag game. The some of the children played along as well, either hiding behind large hedges or remaining out in the open to be chased to test their speed. Kia began counting to ten and when the number nine escaped his lips, he let out a loud roar and immediately dashed over to the nearest kid in front of him. Nora stayed by the front door, lying down lazily and watched the children playing their games.

Kia was chasing a small group of children, reaching out to touch the girl that was just inches from his fingertips, but as soon as they passed the front gate, a familiar figure around Kia’s age caught his attention. Pausing from his chase, he went up to greet the man.

“…Hey, Symon! What’s up man?” Kia broadly grinned and opened the gate to let the man inside the courtyard. “Decide to visit today?”

“Big brother Kia! Come on! Hurry up and play with us!” the children behind him shouted impatiently and some of them hid shyly from the newcomer behind the older children.

“Okay, okay, I’ll be there in a minute,” Kia replied back to kids and turned to Symon, “Sorry, looks like I got my hands full… I’ll chat with you later.” He twisted around to chase the children again, but then glanced over his shoulder to Symon, “Crest should be inside if you want to see him.”

After that, he resumed his game of tag with the children.
_________________

[Goddess Martel]

Ruined Mansion

Crest arrived in what was their kitchen, he sneaked in though, seeing that Raiku, the old Drakonite busy at cooking their lunch. Feeling mischivious, he decided to creep up on him but just before he was going to try and scare the older Drakonite...

"Don't even think about it, Crest." Raiku simply answered without looking behind him.

"Awww, how did you know it was me?" Crest whined, deflated that he was caught.

"I'm your surogate father, I know everything. Now where have you been all morning? I had the kids interrogating me for information." Raiku asked.

"Heh heh, I thought you knew everything." Crest teased.

"Hmph, don't get smart with me." Raiku softly smirked.

"Well if I must tell, I was out in the middle plate of Zanark City again." Crest brought his hands behind his head in a carefree manner.

"Stealing again? I know we have to steal to live, but honestly, one of these days, you're going to get caught." Raiku sighed.

"Funny, that's what Niko said." Crest replied, recalling what the Felis boy said a few minutes ago. "Anyway, here's the gald I got. It's a really great catch, this will last us for a few months." Crest said as he dropped the bag on to the counter.

"...I'm impressed, that's a big bag." Raiku raised his eyebrows.

"Well, I did learn from the best." Crest smiled, nudging Raiku.

"Heh, back then, I was still young, but this old dragon's still got some zest left in him." Raiku answered.

"Don't you ever miss your home in Balacour?" Crest asked.

"Ah, not really. The lifestyle's different from my homeland's but I'm happy here. Besides, someone needs to keep an eye on you and Kia, you two always seem to be causing grief for the locals."

"Speaking of Kia, where is he?" Crest questioned.

"Hm? He's been upstairs sleeping, why?" Raiku raised an eyebrow.

"That lazy-" Crest started before shaking his head. "He's probably up now from hearing me come in. I'll go see if he's playing with the kids." Crest told Raiku as he started to leave.

"Oh, tell them and lunch is nearly ready, will you?" Raiku called out.

"I will." Crest waved to let Raiku know before leaving the kitchen entirely.
_________________

Colloyd Forever~ ^-^

Mao-kun sprite by Augla *Glomps Mao*

[Psychon]

At the mention of an incident five years past, she raised one perfectly preened eyebrow over the other.

"Hmm, I'm afraid you've lost me. I've only been with Gewehr for a year now... but I assure you that my men will be on their best behavior..."

She motioned her hand in the air, directing her soldiers to start moving, before herself turning around, whirling about so that the bottom of her jacket flared out like a skirt. She then looked over one shoulder, gazing at the younger Rune, sighing.

"If only you were a few years older, maybe we could have had this discussion over dinner..."

She seemed to wink at him, waving before beginning to walk away.

[Goddess Martel]

Magica Sari: Square

Rune looked quizzingly at Roan. "What was that all about?"

"I think she likes you." Roan teased.

"Please tell me you're joking." Rune huffed.

"Well, we should get back at the mansion. Samuel will start wondering where you are again." Roan cheerfully pat his back before the duo headed to the mansion near the centre of the city.

That mansion was home to the Blanchemont Family, the leaders of the Mahouni Race. Although they weren't exactly royalty, they were still chosen by their people long ago and remained as it's leaders ever since.

As long as their family bloodline lived, the Blanchemont family would remain in power, however, Rune was now the last remaining member of the family, as the rest of them were killed during what was known as the 'Cluvern Massacre' that happened five years ago.

And the ones responsible for their deaths along with many other Mahounis who lived there, were none other than Gewehr themselves.

Of course, Rune had nothing against the human race, just Gewehr. Which is why he had Roan as a friend, he was young human who was brought here to work in the Blanchemont Mansion after his parents' death. Needless to say, they became best friends during those years and remained that way to this day.

'I just hope that Rovina lady was telling the truth' Rune was still a little skeptical, but he would just have to wait and see what their intentions were.
_________________

Colloyd Forever~ ^-^

Mao-kun sprite by Augla *Glomps Mao*

[Gabriel Helsing]

Ruined Mansion

“…Hey, Symon! What’s up man? Decide to visit today?”

Symon nodded, putting down his hood. "You know me, Kia. I just can't seem to keep myself away from here." he grinned.

“Big brother Kia! Come on! Hurry up and play with us!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll be there in a minute,” Kia replied back to kids and turned to Symon, “Sorry, looks like I got my hands full… I’ll chat with you later.” He twisted around to chase the children again, but then glanced over his shoulder to Symon, “Crest should be inside if you want to see him.”

Symon nodded, "I understand. See you later, Kia!" And with that, Symon made his way to the mansion.
_________________
At the birth of the world, Man was given a soul and with it, Clarity.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Light and Darkness... the road to both Dawn and Twilight...

[Psychon]

<Magica Sari: Square>

One of the soldiers beside Rovina turned to look at their small squad's leader.

"So, what was that all about?"

"Please, he was an attractive young boy... but like I said, he's just a tad too young for me."

"Not that, I meant the... incident... five years ago."

"Ahh yes, I remember reading about that little piece of classified info. You weren't here, were you yet Mujihi?"

The Genji assistant remained silent, and Rovina could only chuckle.

"Apparently, some years ago, Maxim up and went to a small, defenseless village called Cluvern, and bombarded it with artillery fire. The place was practically levelled to the ground. Officially, the reason was a hostile takeover to forcefully obtain the land, apparently there were some valuable mineral resources under the place."

Mujihi narrowed his eyes.

"You suspect Maxim's motives were... more sinister?"

"I think so, he and the Mahouni don't seem to get along too well. I think he was also settling a personal score, and the fact Cluvern happened to sit on a mineral deposit just gave him a good excuse, but of course, the incident has been covered up, only survivors of the incident, or soldiers who participated in the little village's shelling, they're the only ones nowadays who even knew the place existed."

Rovina let out a deep sigh.

"I could care less about these games our dear Maxim is playing, though, it really doesn't matter to me."


<Ironclad: At Sea>

Maxim stood at the head of the large, armored battleship, leaning on the butt of his rifle and gazing out at the sea ahead. His moment of quiet reflection was interrupted as a pair of arms were draped over his shoulders, and a light pair of lips brushed against his neck.

"Fukiya..."

"Come inside, it's cold out here Maxim."

He smiled, reaching up with his left hand, to grab her right, the rings worn by both were side by side, a pair of dull, matte sheens of brushed stainless steel.

"I'll be fine, a little cold won't hurt me..."

She smiled, setting her chin on his shoulder.

"So, what are we doing out here?"

He looked out towards the ocean once more.

"Legend tells of a relic of unspeakable power, something I've heard of called a Ragnarok Tear. We're out to pursue information, and, if necessary, interrogate these people."

"Huh, it's not like you to believe legends and stories..."

"Many legends have an element of truth behind them. I want to capture and weaponize these... tears... if we can. They sound like something that can stop wars for good if they're real."

Fukiya tightened her grip on him then.

"Then I'll help you..."

[Akashic]

<Kia Englehart ~ Ruined Mansion>

As Kia continued his game with the children, he was once again tagged and had to chase the children again. He jogged all around the courtyard pursuing them; his pace starting to lessen, and his panting became slightly increased. These kids had way too much energy; Kia mused and stopped in his tracks, bending over with his hands over his knees.

“Kia! Come on and get us!” the children shouted, jumping up and down impatiently, “Are you getting too old for us?”

Kia shot the kids an annoyed look before faking a smile that clearly showed his irritation. “Hey, I’m not that old,” he growled as he dashed off again after the children, yelling out loudly, “You guys are going to pay for saying that!”

The kids cried out again and took off, while Kia took his hood and pulled it over his eyes again, raising his arms in the air as if he were some sort of monster or madman. His growls and shouts were loud around the courtyard and his voice could be heard from inside. When he caught up with one of the children and scooped him up from underneath his arms, Kia’s laughter died down when his black cat came up to his leg and yowled.

“Whoa, Nora,” Kia lowered the boy back to the ground and kneeled down to scratch the cat behind the ears. The other children gathered around as well. “What’s up, girl?” he asked and the cat turned her gaze towards the mansion, swishing her tail sharply. Kia noticed that and picked up the cat in his arms. “I guess it’s time to go back in?”

Nora meowed softly and Kia nodded. He knew Nora was an odd cat—acting almost like how a loyal dog would with its master and understanding him. His cat had been with him ever since he had been born and he even found it strange how the cat never seemed to be having any problems in her old age. Ushering the children back toward the mansion entrance, he remained at the back, making sure all the children were in his sights as they returned to the main hall. By that time, Kia’s stomach growled loudly and echoing his were the children’s stomachs.

“I bet lunch is ready!” a half-elven girl cheered and pointed in the direction of the kitchen, “Oh, I see Cresty! Let’s go, guys! Cresty!” she said and the group of children rushed towards Crest down the hallway in the direction from the kitchen.

Kia only grinned as he followed the children too, walking at his own pace toward the younger man, and along the way spotted Symon already inside from his peripheral vision. Suddenly, Nora hopped from his arms and lied over his shoulders almost like a scarf, watching Crest intently with eerie yellow eyes. “Yo, Crest!” Kia raised an arm and waved a greeting to the youth, remembering he didn’t get to speak with him earlier when he was dragged off to play with the kids.
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[Goddess Martel]

Ruined Mansion

“Oh, I see Cresty! Let’s go, guys! Cresty!” she said and the group of children rushed towards Crest down the hallway in the direction from the kitchen.

Crest was soon tackled once more by the familar bunch of children. "Hey guys, you finished playing outside already?" Crest smiled as he greeted them, he then looked up to notice a familar face.

“Yo, Crest!”

"Hi Kia, and hello to you as well, Nora. I see you got dragged into playing hide and seek with the kids." Crest smiled.

"Cresty~ Is lunch ready? Our stomachs are growling." The small half-elven girl asked, tugging the sleeve of Crest's coat.

"As a matter of fact, Raiku asked me to find you lot on the way out. I met Symon while leaving, he's currently talking with Raiku right now." Crest told them.

"Yay~ Can we go ahead to the dining room?" The girl cheered.

"Of course, Lola." Crest winked.

The kids hurried to the dining room leaving just Crest and Kia in the hallway.

"So, I heard you were snoozing away upstairs while I was busy earning our gald. Ahem, well okay, when I mean by 'earning'...okay I stole it, sue me." Crest rolled his eyes. "Oh, by the way, I heard someone from outside, did someone come in before you guys?" Crest asked.
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Colloyd Forever~ ^-^

Mao-kun sprite by Augla *Glomps Mao*