Artificial Souls: Heart of the Unknown (Official RP)

Don Valence

Don Valence

Virtuous Madman
The Elparan Mountains, the northern reaches of the Alcainian Empire...

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A lone figure emerged from the darkness of the mountain pass, concealed by the shadows of the overhanging rock ledges which not even the light of the moon could penetrate. The figure stumbled out and attempted to limp away from whatever was chasing it. As it emerged into view, one could tell that the figure was obviously male, and rather beaten up at that. The man, human in appearance, was battered and bleeding. His dark gray Alcainian armor was broken and dented in several areas, including his legs and torso. The cold night air made his rapid breathing misty, and the mountainous terrain made every breath echo against the pass' walls. He turned his head toward the pass at the sound of howling from deep within the mountains, his pupils dilating from fear overwhelming his mind. They are after me! I need to stop them! Desperately limping over to the exit of the pass, he grabbed a small rock and threw himself against the rocky walls, furiously scratching the rock's edged points against the stone. When he was finished, a rather hasty but still sufficient transmutation circle was inscribed into the surface.


Stepping back a bit, the man raised both of his hands and placed them both on the left and right sides of the transmutation circle, grunting as he channeled some of his energy into the alchemical equations. A small green light flashed from the use of Alchemy, and a rumbling sound could be heard as bars of stone began spreading from his side of the pass, slamming into the other side to block the exit. The process continued for several more rows of moving stone, until the entire exit was shut away with alchemically-enhanced rock. Panting heavily, the wounded man stumbled away from the now sealed pass. Turning his back on it, he began to limp away...until he heard a voice that chilled him to his very soul.


"Oh, come on. You can do better than that, Alcainian. For an Alchemist, you have yet to impress me." The voice's origin was from directly behind the newly-made stone barrier. The Alcainian warrior turned, his eyes wide in terror as he saw the stone slowly darken, breaking down into ash as an ovular hole was made. From the darkness of the pass emerged an intimidating, black-armored man. As the individual emerged into the light, the details of his armor became apparent. The obsidian-colored metal encompassed his entire body with the exception of the lower portion of his face, the metallic plates harboring brutal-looking spikes, and the upper portion of his face was covered in darkened scales that hid his eyes entirely. The evil-looking man sniffed the air, then turned to look at the Alcainian, a devilish smile growing on his pale-white lips. "Survival one-oh-one, Alcainian; always mask your scent...otherwise, your hunter will know exactly where you are." He cackled as he began to walk forward calmly and slowly. The man was having a lot of fun with his prey...a bit too much, perhaps.


The Alcainian gulped as he tried to get away, his left foot dragging against the ground as he desperately tried to get some distance from the monstrous humanoid behind him. When it became apparent that the creature would catch up to him easily, the Alcainian reached into a still-intact side pocket and pulled out a smooth stone, covered in Alchemical symbols and aimed it at the black-armored man. "Die, monster!" The stone began to shine with a brilliant orange glow, and it was almost fully charged and ready to release a powerful ball of fire...but then one of his hunter's 'pets' leaped down from the cliff above and landed on the Alcainian's arm, biting down on his wrist and pulling him to the ground. The man gave out a frightened cry as he lost his grip on the Alchemist stone, and stared at the creature who had torn him down; it was a chimera of sorts, a wolf-hybrid with razor-sharp fangs and a swinging scorpion's tail. Pain enveloped the man as he screamed, thrashing on the ground all the while his pursuer laughed coldly from only a few feet away.


Once he was standing right next to the Alcainian, the whistled for the chimera to release its grip, which it reluctantly obeyed. The black-armored hunter lowered down and lifted the Alcainian by a choke-hold on his neck and up into the air easily; his strength was not that of a normal human's. He was superior to the pathetic race. The Alcainian managed to speak through the grip on his throat, his voice barely above a whisper. "Y-you won't...get away...with this! Th-the Stone will...never be...reforged! Nyla...escaped! The...General will know...of this!" The hunter tipped his head at his prey's comment, before emitting another harsh cackle. Whistling again, the hunter beckoned one of his pet chimeras to bring forth a little surprise for his victim. Pulling behind a blood-covered, mangled female corpse from the shadows of a nearby tree, the chimera dropped the body on the ground next to the hunter. "I think that will not be much of a problem, wouldn't you agree?"


Staring down at his fallen comrade, the Alcainian went limp in the hunter's grasp, a feeling of helplessness and despair falling over him. He had failed. They all had failed. The world would never know what these monsters intended to do...and it was their fault. A few stray tears crept down the Alcainian's eyes, and the hunter's nose twitched curiously. "Saline...? Are you weeping? Fear not, for you will not be for long." The hunter's mouth opened to reveal a couple rows of sharp, pointed fangs that glistened in the moonlight. The Alcainian glared at the creature, before closing his eyes as he awaited his death. I am sorry, General Amateas...I failed you...I failed Alcain...I failed...Daestraya.


The hunter leaned forward and bit deep into the Alcainian's throat, like a predator finishing off its prey. He remained there, streams of crimson liquid pouring down his armor while biting down into his prey's flesh. The hunter continued until the man's body quit moving. Once the man was dead, the hunter retracted himself from the unfortunate man's throat and tossed him aside, not even bothering to pay attention as the corpse was set upon by a trio of his pet wolf-chimeras. His hunt was over, and now he had to return to his 'cage'...his fun never lasted very long, and it was something he had tried to fix, but to no avail. His master liked things to be finished in a certain time table, and it was restricting for the hunter's amusement. With his grin fading into a frown, the hunter waited for his pets to finish their meal before making his way back to the pass' entrance, fading into the darkness with his chimeras in-tow, all the while muttering to himself; "I look forward to my next hunt; hopefully, it will be more amusing than the last."

The struggle has begun!

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~ Aeris Fallborne, Silarus, the City of Spires, Church of Repentance~


"AUUUGGHHHCK! GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU WHITE DEMON!"


Aeris paused a moment, letting a small chuckle escape her lips as the man gave her a nickname she certainly hadn't heard of before. She was even more surprised he was able to utter it after she broke so many of his ribs. A slow trickle of blood began to escape his mouth, and his breath was ragged with every loud, prolonged exhale.


"White Demon? I've never heard that one, I think I'll keep it," she laughed tilting her head to the side slightly as she spoke.


"G-GET AWAY FROM ME!" he wailed, backing up further into the corner of the pavilion, crushing a few of her lovely flowers in the process.


"Stealing from the church? How disgusting, mongrels like you absolutely disgust me... taking what's not yours from the Great Divine, like those dirty alchemists. Of course this does give me an excuse to slay you... not something I get to do frequently... unfortunately," she sighed, running a hand through her hair and pouting slightly before slamming her foot onto the man's throat. He wriggled and wheeze under the pressure, spurting up more blood in the process, when she had her fill of watching him choke she gripped him by the shirt and hauled him to his feet.


"Now, if I am to slay you I want it to be in be fair, now to your feet and draw your weapon. And pray to the Divine that your death won't be as painful as I hope it is, of course since you've stolen from him I doubt he'll listen," Aeris said, lips twisting into a wicked smile as she stepped backwards from the man.


He scrambled to his feet, drawing a dingy dagger from the holster of his thigh, shaking violently but something glinted in his eyes... anger maybe? No, it was defiance. Her wicked smile turned the corner of her lips up further, the only thing that was more interesting to induce in someone other than fear was hope. After backing up far enough she tossed her gauntlets aside, he seemed to breath easier now that she was unarmed, until she reached into her pocket and unsheathed what appeared to be a handle of some sorts. He stared, his face quickly blanching in horror as the sections of metal began to slide out at the touch of a button, resulting in a broadsword almost the size of her, complete with a lining of teeth around the edges, like a chainsaw of some sort.


"W-WAIT, I..." he began as he charged forward, sputtering nervously. Aeris didn't let her demeanor change a bit, he was stooping too low and moving too slowly, obviously assuming she wouldn't be able to maneuver her blade with excellent proficiency. While her strength was profound, her speed was what she was known for, the smile slipped from her face, replaced with a stoic mask as she bolted forward.


With a double handed grip and a smooth motion she had hacked him from the legs in an upward arc, sending the bloody torso airborne, a shrill shriek escaping the man's mouth. Unfortunately momentum was lost from the strength and energy used to make a clean cut. The man made his way back towards the ground, in order to increase the potency of the final blow she spun in a circle, dipping to the ground at the last moment and slicing upward, imitating an uppercut with her blade. The gore rained.


Aeris let a small sound of disgust free of her lips before staring at the ground, "Consider yourself an honor to be slain by the White Demon, I am a gift of the Divine," she muttered.


She made her way back to her chambers and bathed herself clean of the man, cursing the fact she had his blood in her hair and how hard it was to it wash out. After she was clean and smelled of nice again she promptly dressed and went to find Callixtus, almost immediately spotting the man, he was never too far from her. She had what he needed.


"Callixtus, what in the world are you doing? You know what, never mind that, I'm sure I do not wish to know, " she sighed, approaching the man dutifully.
 
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+Caine; City of Spires, Silara, Church Gardens+


True to the assumption, Callixtus had not been far from the pavilion amidst the oceans of flowers that engulfed them on either side that lined the blindingly white marble that paved the road towards the Church. There were multiple beaten paths that allowed others to take pleasant walks through the aromatic flora and he was sitting off to the side of one when he'd been approached by Aeris.


The great boiling cask that the behemoth of a man normally carried had been unhitched and set to the side while he enjoyed his brief foray from the usual of slaughtering the heretics that infested his beloved city and country. He was turning a flower over and over in his hand as he murmured to himself, only stopping to look up from underneath the crimson hood to gaze at whoever had called his name. The glowing orange lens of his metal mask whirred with a metallic grind as they extended in closer examination.


He seemed pleased to find that it had been his 'good friend' come in search of the machine man, evidenced in his voice (although it could have just been the edge granted by a broken mind) when he answered. "Oh, most frabjous! It is Daisy! Come to sniff the flowers and learn of their secrets? They don't talk back to me..." His voice dipped low, saddened as he concluded and set the flower he'd picked, or rather completely uprooted, down as evidenced by the clump of earth hanging by its withering stem.


Callixtus lumbered to his feet and stood as he pushed the extended lenses back into his face like a cartoon character would replace an eyeball popped out of their skull in excitement. A sharp hiss was heard as the hoses in his mask drew in liquid from the vials attached to his chestplate, and he inhaled deeply once it had been converted to vapors. A momentary lapse in attention overtook him before he seemed to move and become fully conscious halfway into whatever snide remark Aeris had undoubtedly replied with to his babblings.
 
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~Aeris Fallborne; Silarus, City of Spires, Church Gardens~


Aeris sneered at being called Daisy, and almost went into a full tirade about why they couldn't speak to the flowers and why he should never call her Daisy again, but she knew her rants would be dismissed and he would go chase a bird of some sorts and she would have to resort to chasing him through the gardens, again.


"Callixtus I tell you time and time again, do not call me Daisy, I do not like being called that. Unless you want to have to rebuild the majority of your body without your body, I suggest you do NOT make this mistake again!" she snapped, jutting a finger into his chest for impact, though she knew he couldn't feel it. In fact her threats weren't all too intimidating to a man who was immune to pain, despite how insane he was.


She resorted to pinching the bridge of her nose and placing a hand on her hip, taking a few seconds to count to ten as the breeze pulled gently at her elaborate, white, dress. Of course even as she did this it was probably taking a huge snort of her inhalants, much to her distaste. She plucked a flower up effortlessly from the ground as she took a short break from Callixtus for a few seconds, scrutinizing it with a heavy glare. In her classes as a young child she learned that they were alive, hard to believe that something could be alive without a goal. There was no purpose if you didn't have a goal, she herself was burdened with a very important one and she wouldn't have it any other way.


She shook herself free off these thoughts and turned herself back to Callixtus, who had now risen to his full height, lumbering above her as he made mechanical clamor and rumbles.


"I wanted to know if news had reached you of the Alcanian man who had died horrendously, chewed up and left in bits and pieces. I want to travel to Alcain and sort the issue out myself, of course as representative of the Church of Repentance, I also want to see their army, as the war is reaching a climax," she spoke softly, thumbing the petals of the flower between her finger tips.
 
Abandoned Outskirts of Alcain, the Crimson Empire


The fired glowed in the endless darkness illuminating the trees that surrounded as the wisps of smoke rose up, the meta slowly cooking on the spit as it slowly turned crispy brown... The boy watched with anticipation, he was starving as he grabbed his stomach, it grumbled in pain.


"Shut up! I'll feed you just now!"


He stared at the food, thinking: come on, come on, come on as if he might mentally make it ready faster. Suddenly his head swung to the sid


"Well lookee what we got here.... And you said the night watch patrol on the city edges would be boring and uneventful, lame you called it."


The man smirked as his lip twisted to his friend who soon followed behind him, pushing away the leaves of the bush. It was too late for the boy, he hadn't had the time to duck out of the way. They had seen him.


"Look it's a little boy, what are you doing out here? You could be in trouble being out this late a lone. We might forgive you if you give us your food, then we again we could just take it and leave you for dead. No one would know out in the darkness here." The second soldier mused to himself with his twisted sense of humor to unnerve the boy as held his spear.


The first guard looked closer upon the boy as his eyes narrowed through the slits of his helmet. His armor seemed similar to Alcanian soldier's armored, except like it was scrapped from a junk yard and shaped to fit him. As his eyes focused in the dim light of the fire he saw the symbols, alchemy symbols etched across the armor. That's when it hit him as he gasped in surprise and delight.


"That red hair! Your the boy the Fist is looking for, if we bring you in. We will get a handsome little bonus in our pay check." The first soldier looked to his friend who smiled back, knowing they had gotten very luck tonight. The second felt bad that they were going to get such praise and all they had to do was take down a little kid, he felt kind of sorry for the little boy, but not really.


The second soldier couldn't wait as he stepped forward.


"Now come quietly boy and I won't break all your bones." He smiled even bigger as he let out a demented laugh. When the boy didn't reply he got annoyed.


"Ok brat, let me show you." He stepped forward, holding his spear up. He knew he could scare him, the sight of the spear would terrify and probably make the kid cry and beg for his life. When the boy did not reply, only stared the soldier got a little more angry and charged forward.


It seemed like a split second as the runes on the boy's boots glowed, as he poured his energy into it and they glowed red like the magma of a volcano. Light seemed to burst from the ground beneath him as he shot up, flames emanating from his feet like the fire from a volcano as he shot up into the air over the soldier. The second soldier's mouth dropped in shock as he turned around to attack the boy with his elbow since his spear was still pointing the other direction.


The boy landed as he skid along the ground, while still sliding he held up his gloves as they began to glow as his boots once did. Flames began to lick around the gauntlets as the stream of flames leapt out hungry for their target as they consumed the man. The second soldier screamed in pain as he was set a light, running around like a mad man as his skin burned and turned black.


The first soldier was in such shock he could not move, he couldn't even talk. He only stood there with his mouth agape as a young teen had flown in the air for a few seconds and set his partner alight like a candle.
 
High Inquisitor Liandros; Silara, Silarus, the City of Spires, within the Church of Repentence...

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"Alchemy...what is Alchemy? It is a gift granted to us by the Great Divine to use not as a weapon, but as a tool to advance our society and, in return, give thanks to the Great Divine. Some believe Alchemy is evil, but I do not share this same regard; Alchemy is a science, and thus is not capable of being evil or good...it is the user who is either, and that must be understood. The Great Divine gave us Alchemy to advance the mortal races to a place in the world where all may be perfect...but we must never learn the Forbidden Arts, for if we attempt to remake ourselves in the likeness of the Great Divine, we will bring destruction upon ourselves as our ancestors have thousands of years ago. Divine Alchemy...is the Great Divine's domain, and we must not stray into such a dangerous realm."

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Liandros stood at the front of the gathered congregation of avid believers, each one holding a lit candle for the sermon and gazing up at him with religious fervor in their eyes. It was something the white-and-gold robed man was used to, and it pleased him to know that so many listened to the teachings of the Church, for it was the one thing that stood between Daestraya and another Alchemical Cataclysm. Liandros closed his bright-blue eyes as he began to speak once more, his voice echoing against the shining white walls of the Church walls. Calling the religious sanctuary a 'church' was a modesty...if anything, it was the largest cathedral in all of Daestraya, dedicated to the Great Divine as a testament to the will of mortals to please their creator. Of course...religion did have its limitations, and the High Inquisitor was fully aware of those limitations.

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"However, the heretics of the other nations of Daestraya fail to see this. Yes, they may all ban the use of Divine Alchemy out of fear, and a rightful fear at that, of that branch of the science...but they still use Alchemy as something it was not meant to be; a weapon for the use of expansion and personal greed. They are sinners in the eyes of the Great Divine, and must be punished; at this point, they are beyond salvation except in the afterlife. We must purge their souls, or else they will succumb to the darkness and wander the world forever. There is no peace for the damned. That is all; disperse, and remember to hold the Great Divine close to your heart...for he is always watchful, always vigilant." The congregation bowed their heads reverently as Liandros finished his sermon, murmuring in unison the closing chant: "May the Great Divine remember us on the Chosen Day." With that, they stood and began to make their way for the rear doors of the Church's entrance. Liandros watched in silence as they poured out of the holy temple and back to their modest, Divine-fearing lives. Once they had all gone, a smile crept onto the High Inquisitor's face as he made his way to the side exit of the altar; one that led toward the gardens.

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The sun blinded the priest for a moment as he came outside, causing him to squint as his pupils adjusted themselves to the sudden change of brightness. As his vision came clearer, he could see the young Aeris and...her pet monstrosity...out in the garden's fields. The young woman appeared to be troubled by something; it was Liandros' duty to soothe any difficulties within the Church. Striding quietly toward the bizarre pair, he stopped a few meters away behind Aeris and spoke flatly to the both of them. "Are you enjoying the garden today? I will be honest; seeing the two of you here is a surprise...but not an unpleasant one, I suppose."

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Farah Valen, Research Camp Terra in some arid area outside of Corvinium:

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Her hands were wrist deep in the soft loamy soil, the sun warming her back while she dug for potatoes in the dirt. The soft earthy scents of the ground mixed with the savory aroma of meat on an open fire, sizzling with deliciousness, drops of liquified fat making runnels down the crispy and flavorful skin. Sweet birdsong in the trees and a cooling breeze against her cheek, all things were in balance. Calmly and meticulously she sifted through the dirt, one by one she located the wild potatoes and deposited them onto the green grass. She filled in the hole and took up the root vegetables to clean them.


After cleaning the potatoes she wrapped them in large water soaked leaves with a pinch of salt, he then placed them carefully within the embers and left them to cook. With that done she lay down on her blanket roll to stare aimlessly at the sky in all of its cerulean wonder. Dotted about that blanket of pure blue were wisps of white clouds fraying to pieces in the wind. She smiled contentedly and yawned, she spent the previous night pouring over maps, charts and schematics. Last week she had been appointed the head researcher for an agricultural project funded by some lord looking to make money out of nothing. She suspected her appointment was simply a means to get her out of the way for as long as possible, she had been a thorn in The University for Advancement's over sized and overfed buttocks.


The work itself was refreshing, she hated being cooped up within the walls of the city doing bugger all, she was not one for an Idle life, being out in the countryside with a handful of farmers, alchemists and a small spattering of military grunts wasn't as bad as she made it out to be. Everyone else was away from camp and doing whatever it was they did for fun while she cooked herself a simple meal with no one to bother her. The quiet was refreshing, a welcomed change to the raucous din of life within the walls of Corvinium, she loved the city, the university and the people but change was welcome.


Just as she finished taking her food off the fire she heard the sound of running boots crunching against the loose gravel, belaboured breaths and a faint yet resonant thumping. seconds later some of the soldiers assigned to their expedition came running through the underbrush, their faces red and fatigued, she waited patiently while the soldiers tried to regain their breath but all they could do was wave frantically behind them. The resonant thumping became louder and louder until the source revealed itself as a Scaled Behemoth. Farah looked fearfully from the creature to the men who limped away, slowly her fear was eventually taken over by rage, not at the beast but at the soldiers who were stupid enough to provoke the creature.


The creature charged and the soldiers scattered in their clunky armour that rattled uproariously as they fled, the Behemoth however trampled her tent and the food she had just finished cooking, her hot fiery rage then turned into a freezing cold anger, the like of which one experiences when everything has become less important than the subject of your ire. Both the creature and the soldiers would pay dearly for their transgressions against her dinner.


The Scaled Behemoth looked upon Farah with undiscerning rage and charged once again, Farah however, simply stretched her palm out and gathered energy into her veins before releasing it as a sudden and angry flash of light. The monster stumbled unsure of itself, Farah took the opportunity and ran towards a nearby stream where she could better handle the beast. Her quick and light footsteps were like pin drops before the lumbering and base notes of the Behemoth's steps. It thrashed to and fro toppling trees here and there with loud creaks and crashes as oaks as old as a hundred years went crashing to their deaths.


Lithe ad quick as she was, she barely made it to the stream in time to dodge the beast's clumsy charge into the rushing waters.Regaining he senses Farah raised her hand once more and flashes of light pulsed from her hands in an attempt to disorient the beast. Her ploy worked but the creature had spun suddenly and its tail knocked her from her feet and for a moment she drowning in both her stupidity and water. It took her a while to get back to her feet but by then the monster had given up and lumbered to the opposite side of the stream away from the camp and work site.


She arrived back at camp cold, shivering and bedraggled to find the soldiers sitting about laughing while passing about a skin of 'her' finest wine. Steam lifted from her shoulders as she unintentionally evaporated the water that drenched her. CLEAN this camp!! Put MY wine back and then for the love of whatever gods you pray to, PISS OFF!! The soldiers looked at her incredulously and continued to pass around her Lentrian Red irregardless of her demands. With no warning she aimed her index and middle fingers at the closest soldier, she concentrated her mind into a needle of cold rage and precision, her hand began to glow a brilliant white until a small beam of light lanced from her fingers to strike the soldier's neck.


An hour and a half later she was sitting on a log, dressed in new clothes sipping from a mug of Lentrian Red, another cut of beef on the fire with some salvaged potatoes. Her tent was back in order and she watched as the soldiers returned to their own tents. A smile played across her face as she remembered the she had stinging each and everyone of them into action. I am your SUPERIOR in every way!! She yelled while shooting them with small beams of light that left wounds that would sting for several days.
 
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+Caine; City of Spires, Silara, Church Gardens+


Yes. He had missed most of what Aeris had to say to him, including all of her rant and the beginning of her question for the machine man. Callixtus had been about to chime in with some likely inane answer when he was interrupted by the High Inquisitor. "I had. I bet he was a heretic- ... Most frabjous! Hello, hello, Father Liandos!" All attention shifted from his compatriot to the man in the bright robes denoting him from the Ascendant Order and not a templar of the Mechanus Solidarius.


"Yes, I was, at any rate! Talking to the flowers again. They won't reveal to me the pixies and their treasure though. I'll get them to talk eventually." His train of thought derailed and crashed most horrendously into an orphanage and was set aflame as he turned his back on the two of them.


Callixtus was never much for conversation with others, preferring to "shut up, stand there, and look... uh. Just let me do the talking." in Aeris' words. He knelt down and went back to poking and prodding at the flower he'd uprooted and had subsequently faded away, losing its luster and shine in comparison to the bounty spread out before them.


He'd grow bored of this soon enough and move to the boiler that had been set aside earlier. With one hand, he'd hoist it up and would attach it to the hooks jutting from his backside. Once securing it into place, he'd reattach the various hoses to the different parts of his body, leaving the one intended for Aeris' railgun coiled up and put away. He did this in knowing that they were likely going to be leaving soon, and he might as well be prepared and not have to listen to her complain about how slow he went about things.
 
~Aeris Fallborne, City of Spires, Silarus, Church Gardens~


Aeris stopped trying to bash reality into Callixtus' head, which in all reality she should have stopped trying to years ago, and turned to face the High Inquisitor. She smiled and offered her hand to shake, regardless of whether he shook it or not, she neatly clasped them in front of her after the handshake took place.


She opened her mouth to answer when Callixtus began his babbling again, she narrowed her eyes in an attempt to shut him up, and by the Divine, it worked. Of course it was probably because something in that atrocious mind of his malfunctioned and had absolutely nothing to with the glare she shot him. She ceased her mental insulting of the tinker-wad and turned back to the High Inquisitor, offering him a gentle smile and tilting her head to the side slightly before she spoke.


"Well it is certainly a pleasant one for us... well me, I can not tell what opinion Caine might have as he is... Caine, I am in fact enjoying the garden. Father has taken me here a lot recently and I have grown rather attached to coming here and gazing at the flowers... the pavilion must be cleaned though.... there's blood everywhere," she said, a slight smile slipping to her lips as she looked over the Inquisitor's shoulder and past him. After a moment of silence she visibly straightened up and caught his gaze again, smile slipping from wicked to soft once more.


"I can not stay long Liandros as I am soon off to Alcain in search of dealing with this recent murder I've heard of, of course if you and the others will allow me, as a representative of the church of Repentance," she said, not noticeably bowing her head or showing any sign of being humble as she spoke.
 
-Dove Graceheart, Silarus, the City of Spires, Her Home-


The soft glow of the fire flickered against Dove's delicate cheeks, the orange and yellow flames jumping through the smoky air. The young woman sat beside it quietly, her dark eyes watching the wall opposite of her. There was a sad, almost desperate air around her, as if she was losing hope. From the corner came the violent coughing of a much older woman, causing Dove's eyes to flash in worry. "Mother?" she asked softly, slowly rising to her feet.


The past three days had been miserable, with her mother trapped in a sickly state, despite all of Dove's desperate attempts to help heal her. Carefully, almost fearfully, Dove made her way towards the small, stuffy room her mother rested in. The older woman was as pale as a ghost, her dark eyes hallow and empty. Strands of grey hair clung to her sweaty face, and her bones could be seen beneath her sagging skin. The sight made Dove feel ill at ease, and she was quick to turn away, a single tear running down her cheek.


A simple, plain quilt rested over her mother's body, one filled with healing equations. Yet they rendered useless against whatever disease she was fighting, and it drove Dove insane. "Mama...." she whimpered, turning her head to look at her once more. If she did not receive more medical attention soon, she would die. There was no doubt about that, and the thought filled Dove with pure terror. Her mother was all she had... she couldn't lose her, not now.


Hastily, Dove grabbed her cloak, flinging it around her shoulders. It was a dark velvet, and hung down low to her ankles, covering her floral dress and porcelain skin. She pulled the hood over her head, glancing back one last time to her ill mother. As much as she did not wish to do this, she had no choice. Her mother meant more to her then anything, despite always being in a daze. She had to do this, for her sake. Even if she was discovered.


With a final, deep breath, Dove stepped outside, squinting her eyes at the blaring sunlight. She had been trapped in the darkness of her home for so long. It does not matter, she thought to herself, straightening her shoulders and dashing forward, What matters is making sure Mother is cured of whatever disease that currently pollutes her. Dove focused on that, her footsteps light and quick as she made her way to the Church of Repentance.


She paused for a long moment at the large doors, hesitating only the slightest. Her hood fell back to her shoulders, revealing her round, childlike face and short, auburn hair. Was this a wise decision? Or was she merely walking herself into even more trouble? Gulping, Dove pushed open the doors, silently peering inside. "H-hello?" she whispered, taking a single step inside. The door swung shut behind her, causing her to flinch, wrapping her arms around herself.


What was she doing?! This was probably one of the most foolish decisions she could make! This would merely lead to her getting caught and being forced into a war she wanted no part of. But her mother... she had to help her mother, right? Would her mother even want this, or would she scold her for taking such actions? Hesitantly, Dove stepped back, debating on leaving before anyone could even see her. This was much too risky.
 
Abandoned Outskirts of Alcain, the Crimson Empire

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It had finally sunk in what had happened to his partner as the first soldier stared at the young boy, he gripped his spear tightly as he glared at the boy. That little brat had dared to burn his partner, his eyes thinned under his helmet as he was filled with both anger and fear.

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The boy pulled out a blade from the sheath strapped to his back as the metal whistled while sliding out of it's container, he did it slowly as the long seemed to take forever to slip out as he brought it forward, it's length seem greater when compared to the boy's height.

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The second soldier finally collapsed to the ground, his body still slightly burning as his screams stopped. The first soldier growled as he put his right foot forward and steadied himself with the other foot, forming into the stance he was taught in basic training. The boy simply stared at him as a small smile crept upon his face. His sword glowed as the symbols lit up, standing out against the dark blade as the sword glowed an eerie red as it heated up. The soldier could feel the temperature rising from the sword as the heat reached him.

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The sword burst into flames as the soldier stepped back losing his stance, with that he turned tail and began running for his life as he lost all resemblance to a real soldier as he bolted like a scared child, his armor clanking in the night.

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The boy turned around with a satisfied smile on his face, as he turned around his face quickly switched to one of terror.

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"Oh no! My food! It's burnt!" He rushed over to see the meat he had been cooking was now charred black from sitting on the flame too long while he had been fighting. His only thoughts were of hunger and those damn soldiers....

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The frown on the Crimson General’s face was unsettling as he cantered past the infantry on his steed, a fearsome beast with a coat of reddish brown and eyes that resembled burning coals which seemed ready to stomp on the soldiers who cowered in the shadow cast by the General as he rode past. So this was Azazael’s motley crew, the whole bunch of snivelling, gutless cowards driven by only monetary income and the promise of glory and fame that they could bring to inns and taverns to gather the whores in their arms, to ensure them nights of pleasure with soft women. Narathzul pulled on the reins of his horse, which gave a loud whinny and rearing up on its hind legs, sending the soldiers cringing and biting their lips, resisting the urge to cower on the ground. The Crimson General’s own troops that lined up opposite the gathering barely even flinched as Azazael’s soldiers shook in their boots. Narathzul swung one leg over Scarlette, as the horse was called, and stepped down from his steed. He thrust his spear towards one of his own soldiers, who, in reflex, grabbed hold of it and stood at attention, before he made his way to the disappointing troop of soldiers.


Narathzul’s feet crunched on the pavement as he walked down the row of soldiers, slow and deliberate steps that warned of the danger that approached them. There was a slight audible sigh that came from each soldier that Narathzul passed, one that he would have punished with a backhand to the face and latrine duty for a week. But these weren’t his troops. Azazael’s were his own to care for. He stopped at an empty space, next to another one. The two soldiers that stood on either ends of these empty places looked as if they were about to faint as Narathzul turned his entire body to face the empty spaces. There was a long moment of silence, broken slightly only by the cawing of a crow in the sky as it passed its beady eyes over the scene. Narathzul’s eyes directed themselves at the soldier on the right, his glare fixing upon the soldier. “You.”


The low growl from the General almost sent the man into tears, as the other soldier nearly melted from the suspense. Narathzul made his way to the soldier he had called, and soon, his shadow loomed over the soldier, his eyes piercing the man’s very own soul as he glared at the poor soldier. “Account for the absentees.”


“I…I don’t know, sir.”


“….you ‘don’t know’?” Narathzul repeated quietly.


“Yes, sir.” The soldier’s armor was clanking from his shivering, but Narathzul ignored the man’s nervous breakdown. No doubt had he pissed himself already from this encounter. Disgusting pig. The soldier looked as if he hadn’t shaved for the past few days, his armor was in dire need of polishing as well as refitting, judging from all the dents. The same could be said for the rest of Azazael’s team. Narathzul calmly reached forwards and grasped the hilt of the soldier’s sheathed sword, and drew it out, holding it against the light and examining it. Uncleaned, unsharpened, dull as the soldier’s commander’s wit and brain. These were the unfortunate few that fell first in war, and the unfortunate few that Narathzul could care less about, despite his love for his countrymen. Narathzul slammed the sword back into its sheathe and returned his gaze to the soldier.


Without another word, Narathzul stepped back to his horse and climbed onto it, and took up the reins. He looked down upon the quivering lieutenant of Azazael’s. “I need to speak with your commander.”


“He’s…..”


“At the whorehouse, I presume, with his member in every hole he can fit it in as well as those that he can’t. Or the tavern, wetting his lips with alcohol, enough to bring a giant to his knees in drunken stupor. Or mayhaps at the gambling den, removing more and more of his own wealth from his own pockets by the second. I would hazard a guess that he would be kicking the poor as they beg for salvation from the people of Alcain, the good people of Alcain.” Narathzul’s tirade spared no time for an intake of breath and completely admonished the incompetent and corrupted party of soldiers. “No doubt have those two idiots in your ranks stirred up trouble with the wrong crowd. The Dragons forbid that they mucked about with Homunculi and had their fingers burnt, perhaps even more than their fingers. I suggest you take it upon yourselves to find these two right now, be they dead or alive.”





Narathzul reared up his horse again and turned her towards the exit of the city, towards the outskirts. He lowered one hand and the soldier from earlier stepped forth to return the lance. Narathzul raised his lance and directed his own troops to the gates, sending the small collection of the best soldiers in his regiment towards the exit, where their own horses awaited them. The General had always been seen to be in a bad mood, but today…today was even worse. All of the patrols had reported back, sending messages, either by a dove, a raven, a courier even, giving messages of the condition at the borders and the areas around the cities, towns and villages of Alcain. However, the Northern patrol had failed in their report, no message arriving back. Narathzul had sent two emissaries, one a white dove, and two a raven black as night, to deliver a message to them, expecting a reply. The birds returned, their messages untouched. This was, of course, bad news.


Bad news to the enemies of Alcain, the ones that now bore Narathzul’s grudge, the two words that should just be replaced with ‘death sentence’. The General of Carnage would leave none alive in his wake. Scarlette trotted out to the exit of the gates, which grinded close in order to get the bad taste of the admonishing that Narathzul had delivered. Narathzul’s soldiers mounted their own steeds, all fierce rides that could serve as soldiers themselves were they human, not equestrian in nature and Narathzul spun his lance and thrust the point towards the sky. “For the flames that stoke the strength of the Empire, we ride! For our comrades, we ride! For the deaths of those who dare take our comrades-“


“WE RIDE!” The soldiers responded as one, a tremor that shook the walls as their voices resonated. The thundering of hooves kicked up a storm of dust as the soldiers of the Scarlet Empire galloped forwards to the last known position of their comrades, the Elparan Mountains. The small platoon bypassed an abandoned settlement, where one of the soldiers reportedly saw a young boy with two charred corpses. Narathzul merely dismissed it as a confirmation of his suspicions and rode on towards the north.
 
Selyf Magali: In the forest outside of Camp Terra, just beyond the perimeter of Corvosinium

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It had been a long few days.


The Alkor clan of about sixty gypsies had just escaped from the wastelands of Metenos. Although the Alkor were allied to the Drakal clan through intermarriage some ten years ago, a cut-throat mentality pervaded the nation that scraping through a civil war. Once the Alkor had sold the Drakal three of their largest Scaled Behemoths in addition to weapons and armor made from the scales they shed, the clan's safe passage through Metenos ran a few days short of the border. The caravan of Alkor had seen three attempted raids over the past week, and it was only the deadly, poison-tipped arrows used by the Alkor clan that deterred their attackers.


Once out of the wastelands, the plan was to recuperate in Corvosinium for a few days, where the clan could recover from constant travelling and sleep deprivation. Although the Corvosinians rarely bought the Behemoths themselves, a few inventors and magicians were always interested in buying powdered Behemoth tusks and unaltered scales. The Alkor's wares fetched a good price in Corvosinium since Behemoths were rare in these areas, whose natural environment was more tropical. It was only through the prowess of a few Alkor who were skilled in Flora and Elemental Alchemy that the Scaled Behemoths had enough feed and water to traverse the barren lands of Metenos without dying.


The clan also possessed several alchemists who were able to use Fauna Alchemy in order to create young Scaled Behemoths, which were chimeras made of baby elephants, crocodiles and wildebeests. By creating the chimeras when they were young, the clan was able to train the beasts as they grew. Not that the Alkor advertised to strangers the fact that a few members of their clan were Alchemists.


As the clan travelled towards Corvosinium, plantlife began to return: stinted at first, but after a day's travel, great trees burst forth from the earth to create a sparsely shaded forest that followed a tributary stream. As the stream grew, the surrounding forest became more dense, supporting diverse plant and animal life under the trees' branches.


Finally, when the caravan of the Alkor clan was only a few hours from Corvosinium, they were stopped by a group of soldiers.


"Halt! You are nearing the border of Corvosinium! State your names and business!" One of the soldiers shouted. It took several minutes to organize compliance with these orders, since all sixty-some people and eight Scaled Behemoths had not all heard or understood the order. Indeed, one particularly old and stubborn Behemoth, now used to walking for days on end, kept moving forward despite all of its handlers' efforts to get the Behemoth to stop. It would have walked straight into the formation of Covorsinian soldiers had they not pointed their spears at the beast's head.


Nonetheless, the old Behemoth did not appreciate the less-than welcoming gesture. It snorted loudly and reared up on its hind legs, suddenly becoming a twenty-foot monstrosity, before throwing all of its weight into its shoulders as it landed on feet the size of dinner plates, making the ground tremble beneath the soldiers and nearby clan members. If that hadn't been warning enough, the Behemoth tucked in its massive chin, setting its three-foot long tusks at a perfect angle to skewer anything above five feet tall--- and charged.


As the soldiers fled, the Alkor clan burst into a collective laughter. The deep voice of the Alkor patriarch, Zavir, rumbled over the clamour, chortling, "Selyf, go fetch the beast, if y'please!" Zavir then collapsed into a fit of chuckles with all the rest.


A woman, smaller and more fine-featured then the rest, emerged from the back of the caravan. The clan's dread-locked hairstyle was too large for her small frame, making her appear more delicate than she actually was.


The grin that had been pasted on her face a moment ago had vanished as she suppressed a groan at being selected for this troublesome mission. She knew that she had been selected for her ability to talk to animals, but it would not make her task much easier. That particular Behemoth was just a mean-spirited old hag. Regardless, Selyf bowed her compliance to Zavir before breaking into a smooth sprint after the enraged Behemoth, running faster than a woman of 4'6" generally ought to be able.


After a minute, Selyf came upon a clearing where a campsite had been set up, though one of the tents and the campfire had been razed, presumably by the intolerant Behemoth who was now snorting furiously at a woman standing in the middle of the stream. The woman kept blinding it with flashes of light, and the disoriented creature finally gave up its tirade against humanity and galloped through the water and to the other side of the stream.


"Wait!" Selyf called out after the retreating Scaled Behemoth. If only she had arrived a moment sooner...


Selyf looked at the woman for a moment and then set her jaw stubbornly as she came to a decision. Some quick thinking brought Selyf to two conclusions: that this woman was probably an Alchemist and that swimming with a rucksack full of equipment was only going to slow Selyf down. She could probably take care of the Alchemist and the soldiers later, if she needed to, but she needed to catch up with the Behemoth immediately. So she shed her rucksack next to the dilapidated campfire and dove into the stream, tunic, boots, and all. A taller person might've been able to wade through the water, but such were the shortcomings of being an Eranin.


Once on the other side of the stream, the Behemoth gave another few hundred feet of chase before Selyf caught up with the miserable monstrosity. It took several minutes of pleading, bargaining and threatening until the Behemoth finally agreed to turn around and head back towards the Alkor clan. Selyf, still breathing heavily and dripping with water, even convinced the massive creature to let her ride on its back so she wouldn't have to get wet a second time.


Once back at the soldiers' campsite, Selyf jumped off the Behemoth's back and landed in a crouch. The headstrong animal turned its back on Selyf, taking the opportunity to drink from the stream and munch on a low-lying bush.


Selyf looked around, noticing that the soldiers were no longer in sight. Disregarding what the woman might think of her appearance or actions, the oddly-dressed and drenched Eranin strode up to the campfire with every intention of retrieving her belongings. "Sorry about the disturbance, Ma'am," Selyf apologized without any real sincerity. "Mind if I take my rucksack back?"
 
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High Inquisitor Liandros; Silara, Silarus, the City of Spires, within the Church Gardens...

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Liandros ignored the young woman's handshake, as if it had never been attempted. He eyed Aeris coolly as she smiled at him after a couple glares at her 'charge', Caine. In truth, Liandros pitied the poor creature in the mostly-metal body...definitely the most malformed of Homunculi he had seen; pathetic beings, they were. Only to be used as living tools...slaves to their fate, they were. A shame, really. Returning his mind to the conversation at hand, he raised an eyebrow at Aeris' mention of blood in the pavilion, and then he sighed. It seemed she over-reacted once more...well, the servants would clean up the place as they always did. However, the shocking part of what she said came from her intentions of heading towards Alcain. The bizarre murders in the Elparan Mountains was common talk everywhere, from what he could gather; but it posed a question. The High Inquisitor's face was flat and controlled as it always was; but this time frustration built up inside him at the sheer insubordination this child showed. Liandros did not care one spit about her heritage, or about her being the so-called 'gift' of the Great Divine...she had a place, just like everyone. "Listen here, child. Do not refer to me by my name...we are not familiar in that way. Thus, as you should know by now, you are to refer to be as 'High Inquisitor'. Your father did ill when he allowed your ego to become so inflated, and I fear that if this keeps up, a punishment may be in order to smooth out your behavior."

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Once he had made his point, Liandros continued on with the matter at hand. "In either case...you have my blessing to go forth on this 'mission' of yours, Daughter Aeris. However, do not be surprised with any harsh treatment coming from the Alcainian heretics; we are still at war with their mongrel nation, and I doubt they will act kindly to any Silaran...even a representative of our holy Church. Do be careful, and make sure you bring back Caine, alive preferably. His uses are invaluable." Without even a single motion of farewell, Liandros turned his back on the pair of them and proceeded back towards the Church...he had lost his desire to enjoy the garden today. Once he was back within the Church, he heard a voice echo from the congregation chamber. "H-hello?" Liandros frowned slightly; Mass was over, so why was someone here? For what purpose? Raising his head, he approached from the side doors of the Church to the Divine Altar, turning his gaze on the young woman who had entered the holy structure. The girl had a rather dark-colored cloak on over a delicate dress, and appeared very childlike due to the way her face took shape.

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Folding his arms behind his back, Liandros looked at the girl with his sharp blue eyes and smiled warmly; welcoming, even. It was not every day when the Church had visitors for reasons other than the Mass. "I am High Inquisitor Liandros. Are you lost, my dear child? Is there something that you need? You look frightened." He gestured for her to take a seat at the front-most bench row on his right, willing her to sit down and relax. "There is no need to be intimidated, dear girl. You are in a house of the Great Divine, and thus you are safe from any evils that exist on the outside; you can be at rest, here. Come, come, please sit and tell me what brings you here."

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Raiza Xerxes; Alcain, north of the Elparan Mountains, Stormbreaker's Pass...

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Raiza knelt down to the ground on one knee, glancing down at the set of tracks she had been following for a couple days now; the same ones she believed were to be of the rumored victims that had died here. Raising her eyes from the tracks to the path beyond her, she hefted her wind-spear and stood back up from the ground, brushing off the dust on her skirt and knee-plates. Keeping her weapon close and ready, Raiza kept moving forward up the bare pathway up the mountain-side, slightly concealed by the few pine trees nestled in the rocky earth. Her brown, green-tinted hair blew slightly behind her due to the gentle breeze that flew downwind, carrying her scent of lavender down to whoever may be down the path...and if they had a strong nose. Fortunately, this was Alcainian territory, and far away from primary civilization too. Raiza found herself at home in the wilderness; it was peaceful, simple...something she wished the world was similar to.

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For several hours she climbed the mountain path, following any sort of signs in which the Alcainian party had traveled, until she came upon her destination; Stormbreaker's Pass. Situated between two great stone barriers stood a jagged gap that extended for several hundred meters in...it would appear intimidating for most people. The Pass earned its name from the shifty, lightning bolt-shaped entrance that was supposedly made by a mad Alchemist a few hundred years ago, but that story was never proven to be accurate. Still, the place made her shiver, setting her on edge. It was the perfect place to be ambushed, whether by Alcainian soldiers or maybe a Metenosian hunting party that had made a foray past the border. Keeping her guard up, Raiza approached the Pass's entrance, her wind-spear raised and pointed out in front of her while being braced by both her hands. Her eyes locked onto what at first appeared to be scratch marks against the left side of the entrance, but upon closer inspection, she noticed the deliberate shaping and curving that involved a transmutation circle. Letting go of the spear with one of her hands, she put a hand against the broken transmutation circle and frowned. "...an Elemental transmutation; perhaps that of the 'earth' variety...but was it used?"

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The Hunter and Gravekeeper; Alcain, north of the Elparan Mountains, above Stormbreaker's Pass...

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The Hunter stared down at the mysterious and pretty woman down below, his sightless gaze peering down from the high alcove above the Pass. The smell of lavender and honey filled his sensitive nostrils...it was intoxicating. This new lady smelled absolutely delicious...he wondered how she would taste if he sank his teeth into that soft, tender flesh of hers. The Hunter's tongue flickered across his lips, moistening the pale-white skin as he prepared to move forward, drop down, and intercept her...but he was stopped by a firm grip on his shoulder. Turning his gruesome face to the person who grabbed him, he snarled a bit.

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Standing there was an incredibly elderly man, his face and body wrinkled and thin from old age. He wore long gray robes that blended into the stone, and bore black patterns of skulls all across his robes and tattooed on his skin. The Gravekeeper, as he was called, turned his pure-gray eyes on the woman below them, and a small smile appeared on his gnarled face. "Not yet...she looks useful. Besides; she may have others with her, and neither of us has the tools needed to handle multiple enemies. Come...we must return to the Master." The old Eranin pressed his fingers against one of his skull-ornaments as a swirling purple vortex grew out from the stone wall behind them. Sparing one last look at the young woman at the bottom of the pass, the Gravekeeper went inside the portal, disappearing out of sight.

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The Hunter glanced down at the pretty woman once more, an expression of impatience on his face. Oh well...I guess I will have to enjoy her later. His frown warped into an eager grin as he also turned around and entered the portal the Gravekeeper had made, fading completely into the darkness of the vortex before it closed behind him.

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~Aeris Fallborne,Silara, Silarus, The City of Spires, Church Gardens~


Aeris sneered after the man, having the chance to lash out at him with her tongue taken away as he walked off, in the direction of the stairs leading to the Church. Anger burned and bubbled in the pit of her stomach as she watched his form grown smaller and smaller until it disappeared through doors. Child. Was she a child? To him? After all she had done for the Church? No, all she had done for the Great Divine? Of course they were only humans, only vessels for his good, which each person interpreted differently. She knew her own purpose, to end the war how it was mean to be ended. Church of Repentance and Silara be damned if it was meant to be, she glanced back over at the pavilion, still painted in the blood of scrounger. And then back to Caine, who to her was the Divine's greatest tool, as the only way to gain control of something was through complete submission... or fear.


She watched him almost longingly, wishing her mind could be melted to complete and utter shit, so she wouldn't be plagued with thoughts of self-loss, wondering what was to become of her after her task was complete. There was almost an innocence to him, she thought a small smile slipping onto her face as she turned from him back to a bed of flowers. A daisy rested, completely alone, but it's petals were limp, and tired. Her eyes narrowed, thinking back to the High Inqui-Liandros' words, her ego, she was praised but never spoiled, there was a difference between the two.


She found her feet already moving, taking her out of the gardens and in the direction of her father's stables,


"Come along Caine, we are to be off soon or we'll never get there before things start to get bloody," she said, glancing down at her nails, chipped? By the Divine!


She dropped the flower she had been holding in her hand and left the church gardens in a hurry, Caine would catch up, he always did, she still needed a few more things before she ventured off, likely a companion, maybe some guards, armor, a few things for Caine to tinker with so he wasn't bored. Speaking of, how in the hell was she going to lug his ass in a carriage? He would kill the horses!


"Caine, how would you like to pull my carriage?" she asked, tossing a sweet smile over her shoulder as she approached the stables, her things had better be packed away and stored, or heads were bound to roll.
 
Quite and peace had returned b back to her warm camp, the sound of crackling fat in the burgeoning flames caught her attention, she rolled to her feet and went to the fire, scuffing dirt along as she went. She stopped and looked down at her soft leather boots, they were bordered by rolls of dirt. As far as she was concerned, her job was complete, the area had been terraformed. Another day's travel and she'd be back in her house amongst piles of research and orders from the hierarchy, no doubt they'd wish to prolong her absence from the city.


She bent down just beyond the fire's bite though the heat was quite intense, she tenderly took hold of the spit and and rested the cooked meat on a flat stone she kept near the fire. She wrapped her hands in strips of wet cloth and one by one she reached in to the flames tentatively and plucked the leaf wrapped potatoes from the coals. With every component in place she took to eating. Each bite slow and ponderous while she savored the flavors of the lamb and potatoes.


Not too long later she noticed a rucksack sitting by the ruins of her old fire, she grimaced a moment in confusion. She hadn't seen any of the soldiers carrying its like and she didn't notice anyone slip by. She figured it musn't be too important if whoever owned the sack left it there or maybe they would eventually return to reclaim their belongings.She pondered over what the bag might contained, by the looks it was a well made bag so it would not belong to a grunt but it was not the finest which eliminated a political official. It probably belonged to a merchant who dropped it while she dealt with the Scaled Behemoth or an alchemist who did the same.


Satisfied with her conclusion she returned to her wooden bowl of food and continued eating, time passed by and she watched as the wispy white clouds of that lazy afternoon changed into full bodied ones as the sun reached the horizon and turned the sky all shades of red, purple, orange and pink. It was quite the stunning view and she smiled at the wonder of it.


Red sky at night Sailor's delight.


She hoped that was true, she hoped that at least the sea would be calm in the coming days or for however long the coming war would last. She hoped that at least some aspect of this world would remain untouched by the rivers of blood sure to come in the future. She knew that a part of her was at least one excuse for this war. Homunculus were sought after, like prize winning cattle, everyone wanted a cut of the beef or a sip of the rich creamy milk. She was told what she was when she arrived in Corvosinium some years ago. It was part of the reason she chose to take up tutelage with the UA.


The sky was a deal darker when she heard the now calmer but still very recognisable thumps, the Behemoth had returned. She was about to roll to her feet and assault the creature with more flashes of light, it would be harder with less ambient light but the fire would provide her with enough to manage the beast once more but then she heard another thump, this one was quite different.


Farah relaxed once more as the light footsteps padded against the dirt. A shadow passed over her and Farah looked up to see something quite unexpected. A tribeswoman of the Eranin standing there as brazen as the rumours said. Farah was quite surprised to see her there and giggled at her stupidity. She noted the insincerity of the woman's apology and was puzzled when she asked if she could reclaim her property. On second thought Farah realised that the behaviour simply reflected the times and shrugged.


I doubt it was your fault, I suspect that those idiot soldiers had much more blame in the matter. Come, sit. Warm yourself at my fire and partake of my food, I am sure the War can wait long enough for a woman to dry off before returning home, no?


Offering the woman a seat at her camp and her food was an old custom of peace, her parents were quite the traditional pair and followed the Old Ways, when breaking bread with a stranger was an unbreakable oath of peace. She gestured at the food and to the log that sat within the circle of light, it would e warm from the fire and the woman looked quite bedraggled. Farah retrieved a second bowl and filled it with three potatoes and a large portion of Lamb. She wasn't quite sure what Eranin ate typically and hoped she simply wasn't offending her guest.


If you don't mind my asking, why exactly was it that the Behemoth was raging after those soldiers?


She asked with her naturally soft voice. She wondered how much of their exaggerated tale was true. This woman would be her best source of information on the matter, she leaned towards the woman and offered her the bowl of steaming food before she sat down. She then rummaged through her pack and found an extra fork, it was made of ebony and its prongs were tipped with metal.


Feel free to stay the night, I wouldn't expect anyone to travel in the darkness if they were in no particular rush.


Her kindness was a strange thing during such times but it was Farah's nature, her father often warned her that her kindness would see her dead or poor one day. She might be as fierce as a lion but her heart was the size of the sun.
 
Alcain, northeast of the Elparan Mountains

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Dren's feet dragged along the dirty ground as he yawned slowly, his hands reaching into the sky. He had been traveling all night, after he was attacked by two soldiers. He knew he couldn't stay after being discovered and the one ran away, so he was force to travel through the night. What was worse was that he was starving, he hadn't gotten to eat because thanks to his fight the food he had stolen had burnt. So he was hungry, tired and pissed.

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Dren grumbled incoherently as his eye lids slung heavily towards being closed as he yawned again, he could see the Stormbreaker's Pass from his altitude. He yawn looking at it, as he shook his head back to reality. He had to keep moving, it didn't matter what direction, he had to keep moving before more soldiers found him. He clutched his shoulder through his metal armor as he jiggled it in pain, he was still sore and being tired just made it feel worse.

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As Dren turned back, to resume in his direction, his eyes shot open as he saw the Red-Tail Panther stared at it's gaunt body hung low against the ground as it's claws dug into the earth with it's teeth bared, it's ears back and it's eyes fixed on Dren.

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"Now now girl, I don't want any trouble..."

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Dren tried to speak soothingly, he didn't want to kill the creature. It was just hungry like him, he slowly back away but this caused the creature to lunge forward at him as Dren took off into a full sprint, blasting out flames from his boots to add to his speed, just to keep his back from latched on to by the fast cat like creature.

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+Caine; City of Spires, Silara, Fallborne Stables+

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Callixtus stomped after Aeris in his "Slow and Easy Wins the Race" pace, the flower that she had dropped upon her exit smashed underfoot. He was never much for speed, but when he chose to get those gears turning, he could move at a pretty solid pace. The problem was in building up the speed, and slowing down to stop. He had a great deal of unnatural weight both from the cask that he carried and the fact that virtually most of his body was nothing but machine. Of course, when you see hundreds of pounds running at you with a drill screaming for blood, you'd ask Callixtus never to do that again as well.

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He got to the Fallborne stables in due time, coming in as he heard Aeris asking if he'd like to pull her carriage, chiming in almost immediately as if there were no thought behind the response. "Nope - What about the horseys? I'd be putting them out of a job, then they'd be mad at me and mug me in the streets when I'm alone." He would nod in a sage-like manner before he would approach the carriage that was loaded with Aeris' things, but not hitched with steeds yet. As it were, there was no way that he could ride it without slowing everything down, and he didn't feel much like walking today.

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Callixtus would consider sane ideas for once, mulling them over in his head. When it came to alchemy and engineering, he was one of the brightest natural minds in Silara. In other areas? ... not so much. He would run iron claws down the wooden trimming of the carriage; it was beautiful in appearance, gaudily colored and marked with the Fallborne family crest.

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"Yes... Yes, that could work." A wicked smile would appear, at least in soul. With his iron claw he would soon begin scratching several alchemical equations directly into the wood of the carriage, marring its mentioned beauty with several intricate runes, likely gathering the ire of his traveling companion. He would pause again as he inhaled another lungful of vaporized painkiller before resuming until he'd covered just about every inch of it in his work. Then, he'd place his hands on the two largest circles on the broad side of the carriage, which were connected in some way to every other rune on the carriage. He would begin with incantations, chanting to the Great Divines like something possessed.

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Light began to overtake the room, and it only got brighter and brighter as he chanted louder and harder, until the penultimate moment before concluding and everything faded away. What stood in the old carriage's place looked like something out of the design books of some crazed engineer, whose works would never see the light of day. Everything had been replaced by metal, sparing only the comfortable interior from its changeover. The wheels now were attached with great cranks and sliders and an entirely complicated system that led up to the front of the carriage sporting a rather impressive steam engine, with a slot the front for his massive boiler, to which he set into place and began setting everything up.

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Behind the boiler, and behind the engine sat the same old carriage driver's seat, but jutting up looked like a great steering column and two great pedals meant to be pressed by either foot. One, of course, allowed steam through to drive the wheels and the other threw in great blocks that would lock them. The braking system was crude, and needed to be applied several seconds before one desired to stop, but it was certainly effective.

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Callixtus stepped back from his work, quite pleased with himself as he gazed upon it all, ignoring the great feelings of fatigue he'd undergone in transforming the carriage into this beast Ah well, nothing a little relaxing ought to take care of and he'd be rested upon long before they reached Alcain, even going the speeds that this thing was capable of.

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~Aeris Fallborne, City of Spires, Silarus, Fallborne stables~


Aeris cringed as Caine began working his alchemy on her carriage, terrified at what he was going to do to it, but more terrified at why he thought the horses were going to mug him. She knew to say nothing though, as her gorgeous carriage was pillaged and defiled, one wrong word and he could go from helping her to turning her beloved carriage into a giant dingy spoon.


She shifted a few steps backwards as the real alchemy began, complete with ramblings and a bright light, bathing the room and forcing her to close her eyes and look away. As the light began to settle and she turned to see what monstrosity had become of her property, yet a delightful surprise graced her sanity in it's place. A machine! A machine that looked like it could go fast! Without horses!


"Oh Callixtus! Lovely work! Oh look at this! It's fantastic! Will we be able to run people over with this? I could get some large swords fashioned onto the front! We could do hit and runs all the way to Alcain!" Aeris said, almost squealing as she hugged Caine, unable to wrap her arms fully around him, and only briefly before his smell plagued her, "Oh Caine, you lovely, lovely, hunk of metal~" she laughed.


"Now you get yourself situated while I ready my armor~" She said, tossing a smile over her shoulder and rushing back to her housing, fitting her armor on, the process taking a good while before transferring the rest of her things into the carriage, taking a few moments to fashion some good 'ol spears onto the front of the carriage. She glanced at Caine to see if he was situated, and then with that she got onto the seat of the carriage, hesitantly trying out the controls, after a few seconds of getting familiar with them a wicked smile slipped onto her face.


She sped out of the stables and onto the street almost impaling one of the help as she went, turning the wheel hard and sending the contraption skidding onto the road, before hitting the pedal that made them go faster and tearing down the road, much to the civilian's horror.


"Why Caine, what do you call this thing?" she said happily, forcing a man toting a rickshaw filled with cabbages to leap aside, screaming about the vegetables as she completely ran them over, before she adjusted to a normal speed when she saw Silarus guards approach, staring at her wildly. She loved Caine, what a good man he was, but this machine? The absolute love of her life.
 
Selyf Magali: Camp Terra, a day's trek from Convorsinium

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Selyf raised her eyebrows in surprise at the woman's laughter- the sound was almost too joyful to be shared between stangers. If the woman's giggle had made Selyf wary, the offer of food put Selyf on her guard completely. People did not go out of their way to be helpful in this age unless there was something to be gained by it. Yet...she was wet and hungry. The day wasn't getting any warmer, and her stomach rumbled at smell of the meaty meal. She had been living of meager helpings of horse jerky and sweetgrass during the Alkor's time with the Drakal, a diet which had little improved on their trek to Corvosinium.


Twilight was beginning to overtake the evening, which meant that the Alkor would probably be making camp nearby, anyways. This last thought tipped the scales, and Selyf accepted the strange woman's offer of food. Selyf picked up a steaming potato with her bare fingers and bit into it, wincing as its heat burnt her tongue. However, the traditional offer of peace and its acceptance had been forged.


With that, Selyf excused herself for a minute to go fetch the Scaled Behemoth that had wandered further downstream. Convincing it that the firelight was warm and safe, Selyf took the Behemoth's leash and jogged back to the camp, the great beast's lumbering trot effortlessly keeping up with the small Eranin. After tying up the creature to the tallest, strongest nearby tree she could find, Selyf returned to the woman's campfire.


"Well, you hit the nail on the head, calling those soldiers idiots," Selyf said finally, sitting opposite the woman at the campfire and falling into conversation. "The human clan I'm travelling with is called the Alkor clan. They sell Scaled Behemoths, as well as their tusks and scales. We just travelled through Metenos, heading for Corvosinium, now. Anyways, your soldiers were patrolling the area, I think, and told my clan to stop. When that animal kept moving forward---" Selyf nodded to the Behemoth that was standing contentedly on at the edge of the firelight, its eyes dozily half-shut--- they thought it was a good idea to point their spears at the stubborn creature." The Eranin shook her heavily-dreadlocked head and grimmaced, indicating the stupidity of the soldiers' actions.


" 'Course we've trained the Behemoths not to charge unless they're told to, but that monstrosity keeps saying it was just trying to defend itself." Selyf arched an eyebrow and gave the woman a small, impish smile, as if to say, Don't wholly believe the Behemoth's version of things, either.


Selyf took a moment to tend to the food she was given. As she picked up the fork, the transmutation mark scarred on her palm was visible even in the dim flickering of the firelight. "This is delicious, by the way," Selyf complimented the stranger, trying to maintain some dignity while shovelling the food into her hungry mouth. If Selyf had had any dietary restrictions as an Eranin, she had long since forsaken them since travelling with the Alkor clan. The gypsies could not afford to be picky, or they would have died off from starvation long ago.


Once the first spoonfuls of food had coated Selyf's stomach, she took the time to observe the wooden bowl, the ebony fork with metal prongs, and the quality of the food. Lamb this tender was not a poor man's dish, since sheep could be used for wool before they were slaughtered at an old age, when their meat was tough to chew. The quality of the fork also represented some wealth. Selyf eyed the woman's clothes, noting the leather boots and practical outfit that was certainly in better condition than her own tunic and footwear. She concluded that this was someone well off, who had access to a rather good marketplace, given the variety of well-made materials around the campfire. However, she couldn't understand for the life of her why this woman was camped a day outside the safety of Corvosinium.


"So what's a woman like you doing out in the wilderness with a group of useless soldiers while there's a war going on?" Selyf asked, tactfully not commenting on the woman's earlier use of Alchemy. She skewered a second expertly cooked potato with her fork before adding between bites, "I'll hazard a guess that you're from Corvosinium. My name is Selyf Magali, by the way. I'm a healer, for the most part."
 
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-Dove Graceheart, Silarus, The City of Spires, Church of Repentance-


Pure panic seized her at the abrupt voice of the man. She stumbled back, hitting the wall with a faint thud, her dark eyes wide and locked onto his form. He had sharp blue eyes, quite contrasting to his warm, welcoming smile he gave her. She was unsure on whether or not to trust him, her body stiff and unmoving, despite his kind demeanor. What if it was some sort of trap? Her mother had always told her to be careful when traversing the city, to avoid those of the church at all costs. If she did not, she would get caught and be sent off to wherever the Homunculi of Silara were sent.


But what choice did she have?


Hesitantly, Dove stepped forward, watching the man carefully. What had he called himself? High Inquister Liandros, she believed. He seemed nice enough, but whether or not that was an act was the question. For now, Dove decided it would be best to explain to situation, while avoiding to mention the fact of her true abilities as an alchemist. Her mother needed her. And she needed her mother. Dove swallowed, running her tongue over her teeth to moisten her dry mouth. Just act like he is an average person, she told herself calmly as she sat on the bench. Think of Mother. For a long moment, she did not say a word. She sat there in silence, as if incapable of speech, her fear almost overwhelming.


At last, she found the courage to utter some form of speech, her voice soft and quiet, nearly inaudible. "I-I am D-Dove Graceheart.... I didn't know where else to go..." She clenched her hands in her lap, pulling her cloak tightly around her shoulders. She seemed to sink further down in the seat, as if she was hiding. "M-my mother... she's sick.... I don't know what to do..." A sense of foolishness filled her as the words passed her lips. What would the church be able to do about it? Were they even allowed the interfere in the affairs of a commoner, of someone who did not attend mass or other church events?
 
High Inquisitor Liandros; Silarus, Silara, the City of Spires, Church of Repentance...

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Liandros watched the nervous young woman as she spoke, briefly giving the explanation as to why she was here. He raised an eyebrow at the predicament, but after a moment of thought he nodded. "So you came here to look for medical aid? I can arrange that, my dear girl. Where is it that you live, so that I may send a physician to procure a remedy for your mother? Never mind; no need to detail such. Go down the road from the south exit of the Church, and enter the fifth building on the right...a Medical alchemist of superior ability works there, but his treatments are expensive. But do not fret; simply tell him Liandros sent you, and he will do it for free." Looking over at the altar, he smiled brightly at the gold statue of the Great Divine; an aged, wise-looking man without a face. The Great Divine carried a laurel scroll on his left, and a brilliant scepter on his right, with intricate robes covering the entire being.

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"Amazing, is he not? I am not a fool as to know what the Great Divine truly appears to be...but I can say how he feels about us; his children. The Great Divine is a being who can make miracles happen, young one; but he will only perform such miracles for those who have accepted his light and benevolence into their hearts..." He looked over to the girl, keeping his smile warm. "...I have not seen you here before, my child. Please, as a favor to me and to yourself, will you not come by during one of the Masses? If only to meet people who can help you succeed in your life, and also to receive the Great Divine's blessing." Chuckling softly, he folded his arms to his sides and nodded. "But I will not force you; a follower of the Great Divine can accept him in any part of the world, so long as they keep their hearts open to his glory...but it would be a refreshing change of pace to see you among the crowd. Ah! The time! Alas, young lady, I must leave; please be careful on your return home, and give your mother my blessing, for my sake? Pardon me." Bowing slightly to the young woman, Liandros turned away and went behind the altar to a silver-lined wooden door, opening it and entering into a dimly-lit hall where only a couple of electric lights were to be seen.

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Losing the smile from his face, Liandros looked into the darkness on the right side of the all. "...I know you were watching the entire thing, Valerion. That girl...she did not seem the same as most others. Did you notice anything off about her?" The High Inquisitor addressed whoever may be lurking in the shadows, his tone cold and flat.

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(Will post more later.)

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~Nerissa Dalavesta, Near Elparan Mountains, Alcain~

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"N-no! NO! Why are you doing this?" The woman shouted up at the dark cloaked figure. It's face covered by the hood, but anyone could clearly tell it was a woman. She held her crossbow up pointed at the woman's head, ready to take her life. She then lowered her weapon watching the other woman cower away in fear. A small smile formed over her lips as she gently pushed the scared woman over with her foot. She turned, picking up the front of her heavy cloak, as she walked back to a path. She stopped at the edge of the path and listened as the faint sound of a galloping horse could be heard. Her eyes shot in the direction of the sound as she moved back behind a tree.


Pulling a light weight old red oak bolt out, she drawled back the string on her crossbow and made sure it clicked in place. She placed the bolt in its place and pulled the cloak around her, to hide the crossbow. Struggling to hold the crossbow with one hand she tugged her hood over her eyes and walked out to the middle of the path. She lowered her head and awaited for the horse to get here.


(My first post sucks ;-; Didnt really know how to put her into the story. Ineffectivd Get your butt over here!)
 
+Caine; City of Spires, Silara, Aboard the Model T Caine+


All of her praises went right over her head as he was too busy mentally clapping at his own handiwork. When Aeris had left to grab the rest of her things, he would do as she asked and clambered aboard the side of the machine and transmuting his hand and a nearby surface together. That way, he wouldn't be knocked loose if something were to happen, and he could even take a nap!


By the time she'd returned, he was situated and ready to go, and patiently waited as she figured out its mechanisms. In all honesty, he should have driven it, but doubling back most sane persons of good repute would disclaim such an absurd idea and would rather put a llama behind the wheel than Callixtus, although only if the intent was to cause as much damage to everything possible. Even then, the same affect could be achieved by tying a stone to the gas pedal and just letting it barrel along with no care in the world!


"I call it..." He paused as he talked over the great churning engine, thinking of what he should call this great beast of his. After a good minute deliberating, he gave his answer: "The Model T Caine! Steam powered carriage! Bane of the fleshies! HAHAHA!" He giggled madly and thoroughly enjoyed the ride.


+Valerion; City of Spires, Silara, Church of Repentance+


Stepping away from the darkness, what light that existed cast itself over Valerion's form, giving birth few details. Eyes shining like a cat's, they rested upon Liandros as hands turned a metal mask over again and again, as if trying to wring the life from it.


"... She's hiding something, harboring a secret. She wilted under your gaze, fearful of you knowing. I'm not sure what yet. But she certainly knew who you are... Or what you are, for that matter." He was referring, of course, to the fact that the High Inquisitor belonged to the Ascendant Order, whom publicly shamed non-state Alchemy and outlawed non-state Homunculi. Thin lips twisted into a smile.





Valerion lifted the mask to his face and slid it on before he continued to speak, on the topic of his true intentions for watching Liandros from a distance. "I believe you have need of my services, Father. I assume you want me to follow those two out to Alcain and make sure they don't come cantering back with any threatening evidence... yes?" He made it evident that he had done more than just watched Liandros interacting with the nervous girl. He'd been watching and listening for an opportunity.
 
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Reggi Malcome, Xerith, Within the shed of his Foster Parents' Backyard


Reggi screwed in the last few gears into his newest clockwork, a mall brass beetle. I been the week, and he had finally finished. This is what he lived to do. As he made the intricate markings into the beetle's shell, e couldn't help but smile as the spark of life was born within his creation. He watched as the newly born clockwork tested out its mechanical legs then tried its wings for a flight test, soon joining the other clockworks in the garden.
 
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