Roleplay The Haven (RP)

[Mystics Apprentice 2,397]

Lord have mercy; no wonder Galla rejected companionship or closeness, if what she said were true!  The dark-haired mage's eyes grew wide as he watched Galla slit her own hand, in a fashion all too familiar to Kolm, before invoking the power of her skull companion as she did so.  "Necromancy uses blood magic," he breathes, considering her for a moment before continuing.  "Our magic stems from a similar root, only you invoke death and fear, while mine stems from the cold and the living."  Words died in his throat before he could voice them.  His expression betrayed his thoughts: concern, empathy, relation. The seemingly cold-hearted and cruel woman that Kolm met just the other day was slowly starting to come to light, and she was indeed different than he'd initially painted her to be.  Not haughty, but distant, perhaps to protect herself from more pain.  He tore his gaze from hers, unable to look her in the eye any longer.  What was there to say, when he too had his own insecurities about trust and befriending others?

"I am indeed," he answered, choosing to focus on channeling his magic rather than responding to the woman's earlier statement.  Knitting a web of frost along his arm, Kolm unleashed it, streaking from underfoot toward his opponent.  He then charged forward, mace raised and preparing to do a wide-arced horizontal swing, aimed at Galla's skull companion.

[HeartOfFerria 83]

From above her flaming skull rose high into the air just like it had in the fight with Pang. It opened its mouth As a thick new poison fell upon the two fighters, this one Purple in color. Galla chose to run away from the smoke covering the area.

(Atk Down, Def Down)

 

the skeleton crumbled to pieces its bones scattering to the floor revealing runes on every bone marked with a rune that began to glow, reacting to the toxins that now fill the air. The air grew hot within the cloud. 

 

Galla tapped both hands on the grounds creating bone guardians who raised their Shields to protect their mistress.

[Vaude 536]

Winnie looked Ceres over with a half-open stare, hiding her surprise and unsure of two things:  where Ceres came up with this wisdom or why she was harping it towards her.  Nevertheless, there was a certain charm to her worry and her desire to help.  Winona nibbled her lip a little, viewing Ceres' assisting hand, and accepted it with a firm handshake.

"Who am I to refuse such free assistance?" she inquired needlessly, finally grinning with beaming white teeth.  "You have a deal there, Ceres, and austere company such as yours would be welcome on the trip through desolate woods that I was planning.  However, didn't you place your mark with our dear chef and the others?  What if you are being sought by them?  If you think it to be all right, I'll hesitate no longer and take you with me through the portal.  This should be a piece of cake with two."

[Mystics Apprentice 2,397]

The purple smoke ensnared Kolm, though he was already too committed in his movement to be able to avoid inhaling and treading into it.  Poison, or some sort of it.  He felt his muscles weaken and his focus detracted; it would be harder for him to coordinate his movements to successfully land blows, or avoid them.

Thankfully his mace had indeed met with Galla's skull companion, causing it to have shattered from the impact.  Kolm then raised a fist above his head, causing the ice trails underfoot to stretch up into large stalagmites ranging from 3-7 feet tall.  The ice stalagmites would likely rise behind and around the bone guardians, and, unless Galla had another plan, it would be hard to shield from their chilly, sharp, range.

[HeartOfFerria 83]

The shards pierced through Galla in a flurry of cold. She was only able to get distance from the spikes in time to save her vitals. 

The guardians lost a few parts as the spikes drove through them. One lost its shield the other its entire spear arm. They groaned as the began to shamble towards Kolm.

Galla placed her left hand on the ice and heated it up, melting herself free. With her free hand she splattered some of her blood on the ground conjuring another flaming Skeleton. 

The bones of the previous skeleton, destroyed in the smoke, then cracked, igniting the smoke causing an explosion.

 

(i keep forgetting how tedious the summoner aspect is)

————

Ceres smiled “My sword is your’s then. Lead me well.” She says

Edited April 29, 2019 by HeartOfFerria

[Mystics Apprentice 2,397]

Kolm drew his mace, prepared to strike at the guardians should they get too close.  It seemed that Galla used blood sacrifices to summon her skeletons.  While this could prove menacing, Kolm understood that this likely also had its limits, if anything like his own usage of blood magic–something that he vowed to himself not to use in his fight against her.

The explosion within the smoke caught Kolm off-guard.  He side-rolled to try escaping the brunt of it, though he wasn't unscathed.  Searing pain lanced down his right arm, blood trickling to the ground.  He watched it, numb, battling his sudden urge to utilize this blood to augment his magic, though forced himself not to.  Instead he struck his palms together, two rotary blades nearly as large as him emerging from behind him, formed from ice.  They traveled the battlefield in a criss-crossing fashion, surging toward Galla.  He had forgotten about the guardians for a time, along with the skeleton that was newly formed at Galla's side.

(By the way, Heart, what were the terms for this battle?  I realize that we didn't decide if they were fighting until one surrendered, or to the death as Galla and Pang had?)

[HeartOfFerria 83]

(Id say till surrender or two the death since none of it really matters in terms of who dies or not and Galla is trying to push the limits of her necromancy)

 

the new skeleton calmly repositioned as the rotary blades came flying towards Galla. The necromancer was purposefully making this difficult for herself, she was pushing herself. 

 

Galla herself readied to dodge the blades watching their movements. Two flames appeared in her hands as she got ready. As the blades drew near she dove between them, however Galla had never been physically inclined and felt the blades created large gashes across her body. After a short time of feeling that pain she loosed a fireball towards Kolm, she slowly got back up. The blades had done heavy damage.

 

The two sentinels rushed Kolm in an attempt to tackle him together as the fireball came flying indiscriminately at them in an attempt of destructive sacrifice.

 

the flaming skull began to loose more poison atop Kolm.

Edited April 30, 2019 by HeartOfFerria

[Vaude 536]

Winona grinned anew from ear to ear and placed her hand on her hip, the shortsword swiveling in its sheathe from the movement.

"Is there even a doubt?  Then we'll be on our way.  Thanks, Ceres.  I will tell you more as we go on."

With that, the two travelled to the room with the gate, which snapped and groaned with electricity that flitted over its organic body like dancing snakes.  A portal yawned wide and revealed a distant glimmer of town streetlamps amidst an ocean of black, dead trees that stretched up to the heavens like hands.  This desolate, sooty landscape was plagued with constant fires, but the town of Adamant still stood as an untouched bulwark against the elements.

Winona led the way with a certain step and a familiarity few could match, slipping into the portal and weaving her way through the trees, purposely straying from the road.  She talked along the way.

"The land of Gravigo is a world of constant change.  The four elements of old are at a constant struggle for superiority due to plate tectonics, and nature is not as kind as on other worlds.  The sun is harsh, water is scarce and bubbles up from time to time from hot springs, the ground is almost universally volcanic.  It wasn't always like this, but all things adapted to this lifestyle, including us gravity artisans.

"Let's talk about the job instead, as I voiced I would do.  Some locals are observing a tall man in otherworldly robes visiting the city, then a grove of trees near a ley line.  They suspect them, but cannot prove anything, and have no jails to put him in, so they request the cities for aid.  The cities refused, so they came to the Haven for aid, or at least that's what I suspect.  It is the nature of things out here in the boondocks.

"Anyway, the description of the man caught my ear.  He was tall, slender, robed in spidersilk, and wore thin glasses that seemed almost ethereal (his words, not mine).  When I asked of his fingers, they told me that they were long.  I suspect you know what this means, Ceres?"

She paused, earnest to hear what the lady paladin would say in lieu to this new information.

[Mystics Apprentice 2,397]

Many things seemed to happen at once, more than Kolm could calculate or possibly avoid.  Galla unleashed a rather large fireball at him, which he thought interesting.  It did not take her long to deduce that fire was his weakness, it seemed.  She was clearly well-versed in artes beyond that of necromancy.

As he was preparing a getaway, he felt clawing from the skeletons' bony fingers as he was thrust into the dirt.  "Get off!" he growled, kicking one hard in the knee joint and bringing the hilt of his mace down on the skull of the other.  It was too late, however, and the damage had been done: the fireball met with the trio, its bright flames causing heat to sear Kolm's leg and rise up.  It felt like he were smoldering within.  Whether the skeletons were purposefully being sacrificed, he did not know, though it seemed their main job was to ensure that Kolm would take the blow of Galla's magic.

Which he did.

It took him perhaps longer than it should've to realize that his pant leg was on fire, his boot singeing to his leg as the stomach-wrenching scent of burnt leather and flesh insulted his nostrils.  He swore under his breath, bringing a hand filled with cold to his ankle, putting out the flames and placing a temporary numbing on the wounded flesh.  Would these injuries magically heal after leaving the arena, or was he going to be a wreck fighting a dragon later?  He did not know, though if memory served, Galla and Pang seemed well after their match to the death.  Hopefully he would, too.

Trembling, Kolm rose to his feet, waving a hand about him as a swell of cold magic rose about him.  "You have been lucky so far," he murmured toward her.  "Though your luck is soon to run dry."

With a wave of his hand, he became invisible to the naked eye.  The skull had managed to poison him again, once more reducing his attack and defense, though he hoped to have the advantage of a sneak attack upon the necromancer.  He fled behind her, and, kicking off from a wall, charged at her back with a palm outstretched, his hand glowing with a bright blue aura that would freeze what it touched, or at least partially.

(Hopefully that wasn't too much for one turn.  I sort of considered him touching his ankle to put out the flames to be a bonus action of sorts, but if you feel that I should retract his latest move just let me know.  He could also miss Galla entirely if you wish, especially with his atk down)

[HeartOfFerria 83]

Galla seemed surprised by the invisibility looking around for any  context clues that would let her figure out where the black haired mage had gone. She noticed a strange shift in the poison smoke but beyond that she couldnt figure it out. So ignited both hands and prepared to take heavy damage. But would make sure she struck back just as hard. She began to go through her incatation that she went through at the end of the fight with Pang, the skeleton king

The phalanx took their positions on the left and right sides of their controller

 

The skeleton  in dark robes that stood to the side began speaking an ethereal  chant. “Dance Dance in dark flames, flames of unlife and undoing. Twisted evil and horrid in nature, Dance forevermore” a black flame formed in its hand and it looked for Kolm.

 

Then Kolm’s attack hit and Galla froze up as she felt Kolm’s icy touch. Both figuratively  and literally. Terror and Ice ran across her body. But not before her phalanxes  and dark pyromancer loosed both a flurry of stabs and the unholy flame towards him. Galla herself was immobile but her connection was still linked to the minions. Acting as her very last line of defense  Kolm got the feeling that if she got free of the ice she would loose something big.

——————————

Ceres grit her teeth. “The thin man.... I told Pang that id do him in for him. Would that hurt our mission?” Her hand formed into a fist

 

Edited April 30, 2019 by HeartOfFerria

[Mystics Apprentice 2,397]

The phalanxes made their move moments after Kolm's palm impacted with Galla's back.  He gave his position away; they knew where he was now, chiefly since he allowed the invisibility mask to fall away as he froze the necromancer in place.  Searing pain lanced his already wounded arm, one of the phalanxes landing blows wherever it could on his person.  He drew his mace with his uninjured arm and rose it in defense, deflecting further stabs and simultaneously knocking the phalanx back with a wide swing toward its chest area.

Kolm was too distracted to notice the unholy fire unleashed in his direction.  It hit him square on the back, gnawing away at his dark trenchcoat and t-shirt before eating at his flesh.  He cried out in agony, smacking at his back frantically though the flames only further spread.  He dropped his gear and coat in one swift motion, before rolling on the ground to put out the fire.  For a brief moment he remained on his knees, blood dripping from his stabbed arm and his back throbbing menacingly.  He watched the blood trickle down his wrist.  He'd resolved not to use blood magic in this fight, though not to harm her.  Perhaps he could use just a small blood sacrifice to augment his healing magic–else he didn't think he would be in the fight very long.

Still on his knees, Kolm slammed his open bloodied palm on the ground, a blue sphere surrounding him as if in a protective casing.  He would attempt to heal himself, at least partially, while Galla remained frozen.  He kept his eyes locked on the skeleton that had thrown the dark flames at him, prepared to take quick action if the need arose.

(Can one heal after being afflicted with unholy dark flames?)

[HeartOfFerria 83]

Galla remained immobile however the pyromancer moved towards her and began to work on the freezing effect with its fire magic, using heat rather than flame.

The flaming skull floated above Galla and the other summons coating them in a poison cloud, obscuring them from vision.

The phalanx, once staggered, returned to position and prepared to guard Galla not seeming to take action till their controller was freed. Their spears pointed at Kolm and their shields up in a very defensive posture.

[Mystics Apprentice 2,397]

Kolm watched as Galla's summons protected her.  While this would be a very opportune time to break down her defenses, he was not in any condition to do so.  He felt the burning sensation die to numbness on his back, the blood slowly ceasing to drip from the stab wound on his arm.  The healing process seemed to be working, though he was far from fully healed.  Ultimately he felt it best if he continued to restore himself while Galla and her minions were otherwise occupied.

[HeartOfFerria 83]

Galla started to move, but very slowly. “That ice of yours is nasty... and painful....” she says. Barely holding herself up. Her body hadn’t  completely unfroze itself.

The skeletons kept their position.

[Mystics Apprentice 2,397]

Kolm gritted his teeth, continuing to mend his wounds until Galla came within range.  Eventually he rose.  "You think I enjoy your flames?" He closed his eyes.  "They are different from normal fire.  As I was afflicted by them, I felt . . . torture.  An agony that is unlike that of normal fire.  I felt hopeless, despair, and agony.  It was dark fire of a sort, wasn't it?"  He stood several paces from her, though did not make a motion to attack.  "If you wish to end this fight, we can call it a draw.  I don't want to push you, Galla."

[Vaude 536]

Winona eyed Ceres mischievously through the dim light, replying, "No, it won't.  Our mission may be one of probing and inquiry, but accidents happen all the time, and I'll chalk this up as an 'accident.'  If this man is the one Pang is seeking, I've no issues with doing him in then and there with you."

Her eyes clouded as she migrated to the next strip of dirt road, still amidst a good expanse of dead or dying trees.  The town glittered dimly through the trees from a closer distance, the nearest streetlight maybe a kilometer and a half (about a mile) away.

"We are almost there at the ley line, if I remember this place right.  I am from the neighboring city of Cama, but I remember a lot of the passages in the Charred Woods.  Keep an eye out for a grove of live trees with white blossoms.  Being on a ley line has its perks.  The trees bloom and produce fruit all year long, and the grass stays green regardless of the weather.  I'd hate to ruin the place with a fight, but if I have to I will.

"First and foremost, we should come up with a mutual plan.  If he runs, I don't have the speed to catch up with him quickly without using gravity magic, and even then, in such a dense forest it would be . . . tricky.  You have shield magic, right?  Can you project a wall of energy from a distance?  If that is possible, we can trap him with both our abilities, you with a shield blocking his escape and me with snapping trees under their own weight."

[HeartOfFerria 83]

Ceres nods. “Aye, I can do that that. Not a strong one but it can be done” she says as she follows the gravity mage. She tried to make it so her armor  did make as much noise it was certainly proving difficult.

 

 

Galla nodded. “My legs aren’t exactly unfrozen And your wounds are deep and painful. A draw would benefit both of us. She says as the poison  cloud clears from around her. She lets the skeletons crumble, except for the flaming skull of course.

[Mystics Apprentice 2,397]

Once the draw had been declared, Kolm's ice dissipated, as did the wounds which troubled him.  The mage was left feeling weak, though no longer was he in pain.  The memory of pain as all too fresh, however, and he would need to unwind for a bit before he'd be ready to tackle a dragon.  He cocked an eyebrow at the necromancer.  "Oh, I'm not so sure.  I could have gone on for much longer," he bragged, offering her a hand though withdrawing it upon remembering that Galla did not like human contact.  Instead he led himself out of the arena, grabbing his trench coat up off the ground as he went.  Thankfully it fully mended itself, as had he and the clothing on his back.  How the arena managed this, he would likely never know.

His drink remained where he'd left it in the stands, to which he polished off the rest of it.  The cool liquid did wonders at combating the mental flames that still tormented his body.  Dark hair clung to his forehead from having worked up a sweat in combat, getting in his eyes and causing them to sting.

"Are you alright?" he asked Galla if/when she approached.  "I am sorry that I hurt you.  That is something that I loathe about these arena matches.  It does not bring me pleasure to see a friend in pain."  Especially after my dream, he thought, but he was not going to tell her about that.

[Elrandir 783]

- The Haven: Dormitories -

Far deep into the hallway where everyone's rooms were, a door always remained closed, as if it wa empty, no one really questioned it, no one really cared to ask about it. Why should they, when they had their own rooms. Inside was a bedroom devoid of light, pitch black and ominous would be a way to describe it, if only because it was impossible to actually see what was hiding in the darkness. Only faint breathing and slight rustling could be heard around the room, until the tune of a message that was on the floor was heard.

From under the sheets of the bed on the far end of the room came a small figure, slowly making it's way towards the envelope. Even walking in total darkness was not a problem, it's eyes worked better in such conditions, so finding the envelope and reading it was an easy task. After reading the short message, the figure walked to the closet and began to dress themselves.

The room's internal lights brigthened slightly, revealing the figure of a young girl wearing different pieces of armor around her body and what it seemed like a dark cloak, but said cloak also looked like it was made of mist, it was a strange sight. The girl looked down at her ashen hands and stared at them for a couple of minutes, wondering what the ruckus outside was. She had been working at night time, or what she was told was night time, while everyone in the Haven was asleep. It was better that way, no interruptions, no noise, just calm and quiet. But not today, it seemed. She had finished her previous mission before the three week limit was almost done and so she was going to remain in her room until that time was almost over before going out again, but maybe Fate had other plans for Iseult Mylis today.

"May the light of the Spark and the Mistress guide my way."

 

- Iseult Mylis - The Haven: Cafeteria -

The last door in the hallway opened and the young woman came out, her steps were silent, nonexistent. She quickly made her way towards the cafeteria, moving like a silent shadow through the different hallways to avoid the different voices coming and going to different places. She reached the cafeteria, but did not saw Uzumeashy, and didn't really payed any attention to whoever had stayed there. Instead, she kept walking towards the kitchen to find the person who wrote the message. It didn't took long before she found who she was looking for after turning around the corner.

"Good even-sorry, good morning, Uzumeashy, I couldn't help to notice your message under my door and I-" Iseult stopped as she noticed the blood on Uzumeashy's hand before taking the hood of her cloak off, "By the Pale Mistress. Is everything alright, Uzumeashy? Did you got hurt while I was gone? Or is this part of the reason for the urgency of the Dragon's Quest?"

[Vaude 536]

Winona smiled, this piece of news gladdening her.  There was a good chance that they can catch and interrogate this man, and, if the situation deserved it, to kill him as well.  While not the closest of friends with Pang, she disliked witnessing the hurt on his face on that night.  Destroying the man that caused him such harm and directly killing another Haven member in the process would bring about a sense of justice.  She liked that.

She noticed that Ceres had difficulty with her clattering metal plates, and deigned to assist her with that.

"This might aid you with that armour," she coaxed, reaching out a hand over the distance that glowed with some sort of eerie light that seemed grey in appearance.  "Relax as I cast a lightening spell on you."

Soon afterwards, the spell was cast and, if successful, Ceres' armour would feel lighter.  In fact, her step would be lighter as well, gravity losing part of its effect on her.  She hoped that this would help with the rustling of the heavy-seeming protective gear.

Continuing on a minute later, a noise in the background could be heard, barely audible at first and getting louder as they advanced.  Catching this, Winnie froze at first and, upon realising that the voice from afar did not seem to approach nor retreat, signaled Ceres to continue onward.

"That's a man's voice coming from where the grove should be . . . and he is staying in place.  Would that I could, I would give some of my strengths away for better hearing.  He sounds like he is in conversation, but I do not hear anyone else.  Do you think he's talking to himself or to someone distant, like . . . telepathically or something similar?  Let's close the distance a little in the meantime," she whispered over the distance to Ceres.

~~ ~~ ~~

Pang, in the meantime, was greatly relishing a platter of food with a lovely cup of tea, still in the sanctity of the Haven's cafeteria.  The room's occupants greatly dispersed, some going to the arena and others biding time before the showdown with the dragon.  One person slipped by him and seemed to enter the kitchen, catching his eye just for a moment, but nothing about him or her was instantly recognisable, so he continued on with his meal.

Hogarth, on the other hand, stirred to life, annoyed by the fact that the note still sang a second wake-up call even when cloven in two by a throwing star.  With a grunt, he retrieved himself from the mattress on the floor and migrated over to the note.  As soon as he picked it up, it stopped chiming.

"Of course you do," he mumbled.  "Just when I feel fully awakened."

Reading on, he found out about the quest and how everyone was requested to be gathered at the cafeteria, so he readied himself and headed off for the cafeteria as well.  He found himself in great need of a shower and hoped that nobody would mind his smell of yesterday's clothes, but if he wanted to make it in time he had to be quick about seeing everyone.

Of course, he was late, and as he entered the cafeteria he espied a slew of people he knew.  Reksis and Hektor were there, and for a moment Rhiannon.  Pang seemed to be there too, though there was no sign of the chef.  He sat down nearby, ordering something from the in-table menu, and waited for it to come to him.

~~ ~~ ~~

Uzumeashy shrank back against a counter, fearing whoever came into the kitchen and saw the blood she coughed onto her hand.  She was quick to recognise who this was, however, and her heart rate dropped considerably upon doing so.

"Iseult?" she murmured, partially through disbelief that she actually came but also alleviation.  It was good to be around a friend who she thought would not judge.  "I . . . yes, I guess this is part of the urgency.  I've contracted something native to my world, and I have to get a cure.  This is just one of the first symptoms.  Sorry if I woke you."

She migrated over to the washing station and cleaned the nastiness from her hands and mouth with flowing water, then scrubbed herself down with soap.

"Good morning, by the way.  Also, I hope you know that this is all new.  I don't . . . normally cough into my hands," she voiced in a sheepish manner, worried that people would think less of her as a cook if news of this ever spread.

[Elrandir 783]

- Iseult Mylis - The Haven: Cafeteria -

"It is no problem to be awoken if there is such an emergency," Iseult answered calmly, "besides, if you needed help, you only had to come and ask. You know I would agree to such request."

Iseult's eyes followed Uzumeashy all the way to the washing station and remained on her all the time. In all the time she had been in the Haven, she had been working alone, making sure to never miss the time limit, and only doing some of the easier quests, Uzumeashy was always there to offer her some company. But this one was different. This quest was to help one of her friends in the Haven, and she was going to get whatever was needed to help her get better.

"You do not have to worry about such things, Uzumeashy. As I have said before, whatever is spoken between the two of us will remain a secret, unless you think it is important to share," she said with a smile, "Now, give me the short version of what is this quest about. And who will be taking part in it. As I am sure facing a dragon is not a quest a person would dare to take alone."

There were dragons in her own land, in Arcadia, the ancient city of dragons, also known as the Desert Jewel, a place were the more peaceful dragons took residence alongside a few selected fey deemed worthy of walking among them. She personally had met one, in fact. "Soul of the Desert Jewel" some called her, but that was a story for another time. Today, fulfilling Uzumeashy's request was more important that thinking about her own world. There would come a time when she would be back, ready to face those who had attacked her home.

[HeartOfFerria 83]

Ceres slowly approached. “If its telepathy that could be a worrisome sign of his other powers... if he talks to himself... im unsure.. maybe crazed... it could be an incantation like Galla’s Necromancy. Ive know some spells need to be preformed daily to make permanence.” She says before quieting down as she got closer. The lightened weight of the armor was quite enjoyable. Her eyes scanned about for the thin man. Her desire to help her friend achieve a certain peace carefully rising, as was her heart rate And her emotions. She focused on a way to strengthen her barrier. Thinking of changing  its shape and elemental structure. She had anew gift. Maybe she should use it. Maybe not. It was an unpracticed ability. She didnt know how to properly use it. 

————————

Galla began to enjoy the feeling of revitalization that she received from the arena. It was like new life came into her body. True opposition. Something gentle. Then it left and she stood up and exited the arena, returning to the stands where Kolm was. “Im quite fine...” she says. Her distance, respectable as usual. “The arena... is necessary, how else could we improve ourselves without the combat practice.  We couldn’t ... and we would all die...” she folds her arms. “A better self through trial and tribulation. The ranking board stands to encourage such battle. To encourage strength.”

Edited May 4, 2019 by HeartOfFerria

[Nero Kunivas 3,046]

- Lucia Quinn, the Raging Tempest - The Safe Haven: Cafeteria -

For a while, Lucia remained quiet as she pondered what to do before the expedition began and thus, the hunt for the Dragon and its esteemed gall bladder, key to remedying Uzumeashy's ailment, which was far more severe than the cook had allowed the others to see for themselves. More training? There was only so much good inanimate training dummies could do for one in the realm of self-improvement and combat techniques. This lead to her wondering how she would fare squaring off with one of her allies in combat...but who would give her a sufficient challenge?

Taking a seat at a table in pondering, she was so enamored in thought that she failed to notice Hogarth was at the table as well, so she sat opposite him, unaware of his presence, resting her head upon her arm against the table, furrowing her brow as her eyes darted around all present for a few moments, then down to the floor.

 

- Reksis Sahn, the Void Stalker - The Safe Haven: Cafeteria -

Reksis however held little interest in sparring, instead pondering to himself regarding the Void, wondering to himself just how strong it could become and how much power he would attain with enough focus, meditation and practice.

He had also ordered a cup of tea at his own table, as his curiosity from his last chat with Hektor had not yet been slaked, the order being placed brought Reksis a chuckle from his Ghost, though he did not miss the humor in the situation either in fairness. 

[Mystics Apprentice 2,397]

Kolm crushed the can of soda in his hand, musing over Galla's words.  "You're very wise," he informed her.  "To see things in that way.  I'm sure that you'll go far in the Haven with your frame of mind."

Strength was not something that he struggled with.  True, there was always room to grow, but Kolm's chief concern was the duration of one's stay in the Haven.  It seemed that people did not reside there for long, Winona being among the eldest there.  But what happened to those who disappeared?  No one seemed to quite know the answer, and yet it seemed all too imminent for all of them; one day it would be him, too.

He wished to ask Galla more about what she knew concerning the higher ups, but he didn't wish to make her uncomfortable.  She had seemed open enough with him back in the Aquafolk village, but he thought too much prying may seem like a red flag.  "You did well in our fight," he instead proffered.  "I must say, this is the first time that I have fought a necromancer.  Your magic is interesting, far different from that of my own."

He considered the lengthy bench beside him, before turning to Galla and proffering: "Would you, er, care to sit?  Not near me, necessarily, but near enough to speak further, if you wish.  I don't believe we're supposed to be leaving the premises just yet, and I've nothing else better to do.  I don't precisely make good company for the fellow patrons here."

(Will post for Rhiannon after Hektor's post)

[Vaude 536]

- Uzumeashy, within the kitchen of the cafeteria with Iseult -

Uzumeashy's face flushed at the kindness of her companion.  She was more than happy of having befriended Iseult when so many others hardly knew that the dark elf existed.  Beneath all of her calm demeanour, Iseult truly had a heart of gold, at least in Uzumeashy's eyes.  She reiterated what she told the others about the quest -- about the need to acquire a dragon's gallbladder for a cure for her people's blight, and about the posting that was on the job board for some time that luckily and aptly fit her own quest.  The job called for the dragon's death, she said, though she personally would like to leave the dragon with its life, humbled but not slain.  "That is open and depends greatly on the situation," she affirmed afterward.

"As for those who are taking part in it, hmm . . . Pang, Galla, Rhiannon, and Ceres I know joined in, then Hektor and Henry.  Kolm?  I think that's his name, and perhaps a few more, and then you.  It's a big group, which means I have to make some big rations while camping tonight.  What to make, I wonder?  Behemoth goulash with carrots and parsnips might be good."

She zoned out, eyes glossing over as she thought about meals she could prepare, then snapped her fingers and wrote down a blurb in her recipe book, a constant thing on her person.  Some people write in diaries.  Uzumeashy wrote in recipe books.  ((Like a certain Final Fantasy 15 chef I know.))

- Winona, within the forests near Adamant of the world Gravigo with Ceres -

The lady tryhard shuddered at the thought of the man's murmuring being an incantation.  That was a thought that she did not originally imagine, and if it was then they and others might be in a great deal of danger.  Then again, it made sense.  If this man controlled Aprameia, he may have been a necromancer, one of the greater users of magical incantations throughout the multiverse.  Swallowing hard, she continued onward alongside Ceres.

"Whatever he is, let's not lower our guard even once, even as we assess the situation.  He may be either a nobody in our book . . . or our greatest lead so far."

As they came closer, the white blossoms of the tree were rapidly coming into view, and within the grove of surrounding trees was a blue-cloaked individual, in a full robe of similar make and an unveiled head.  Dark hair trickled down over his ears, golden skin shone in the combination of starlight and an inner glow, and his mouth, moving as it was, revealed the whitest of teeth, finely filed and twisting in a very odd manner.  Above it all, clouding his oddly shimmering green eyes, were a very thin line that Winona, upon further inspection, noted as spectacles.

"That's him!  That has to be him," she whispered toward her companion, ducking behind a tree whose trunk was thick enough to hide her.  Her heart raced like Ceres' as she peered around its charred bark, though some level of doubt was surmised.  "Ceres, let's learn some more before we attempt to take him on and pin him down.  I want to make sure of this."

She slipped ahead, just enough to overhear most of what he was saying.

"--ollow and assassinate then seems too tedious.  Why not remove the man immediately and be done with it?  He is a hermit.  He has no friends or family, and even if the book is hidden--"

He stopped, as if he were cut off by another speaker, and covered half his face with a sweeping motion of his hand as a sign of annoyance.  Whether he was seen or not was a mystery.

"You're the boss," he voiced in an oily manner which can easily be understood as sarcastic.  "I will carry on these orders as desired, then, though may I remind you of the fact that you are interfering with my studies.  Over and out."

His frame relaxed as the smiling facade was reduced to an abhorrent frown.  He huffed angrily and moved a few steps further into the grove, tensing one of his hands.  Winona felt tempted to continue after him, but checked to see what Ceres was going to do first in an act of caution.

- Hogarth, with the others in the cafeteria -

Hogarth was quick to be surprised, as was evident with the lift of all three of his eyebrows, at Lucia's seating opposite him.  The girl was always training in the sparring rooms, ripping dummies and active combat robots to shreds with her powers.  Was she one of those who were invited to join the dragon hunt as well?  He did not know and could not know without additional information, so he struck up a conversation.

"You seem lost in thought," he voiced across the table, mirroring her with a hand holding up his leaning head.  "Is it regarding our favourite chef, B--I mean, Uzumeashy, or something else?  Come to think of it, we rarely talk or meet, don't we?  It's an uncommon occurrence that I see you outside of the coliseum or the field.  The name's Hogie, short for Hogarth."