Graded [Goldcrest Village] The Grandmaster of Goldcrest

[Scholar Ya]

Davina Solon
✺
​

Davina had silently acknowledged Kane's answers to her during the tread to the Grandmaster's temple by simply smiling or nodding. It was quite interesting to know how their perspective on Goldcrest both differed extremely. One liked the village whilst the other didn't, finding it dull. Though that is just what she gathered based on her own thoughts. It became awkward when he asked her where she was from, not because the question made her uncomfortable or anything but because she truly didn't know how to respond to it. A person like her couldn't easily just up and say they were from another world without being looked at like they were growing a second head. So she opted for an uncomplicated yet vague response, saying she hailed from the east. It technically was the truth after all. She had been living on the eastern coast of her former country at the time of her inopportune death. It felt a horrible taste in her mouth to lie to someone who had only been continuously kind to her but she didn't want to be viewed as some sort of freak because of her circumstances.

The hand in her grasp getting clammy as they got closer to the entrance of the temple was a sure sign that something was wrong. But before Davina could address it, she was beaten to it by Kane. Thin violet brows furrowed at the explanation provided to her. It only opened up a bunch more questions in her mind. What did Kane do to not be liked? It couldn't have been something serious, could it? He certainly didn't look the type to be up to anything nefarious. As the heavy wicket gate creaked open and Kane stared at her with wide eyes, she smiled serenely. "Davina. Davina Solon." A pause occurred as the girl considered her next words quite carefully. "Please don't forget it, Kane. Thank you for all so far." The next few parts were up to her now. Trying to move past her nervousness about the Grandmaster's samurai guards, her mouth opened to respond to the figure's command before she was cut off by a familiar face. Hiroshi.

Irritation flared up inside of her at his words. She had an urgent matter that concerned her future in this godforsaken world! Davina Solon was very patient, she could endure and wait until the time was right but her mission could not wait any longer. Tomorrow wasn't ideal. Not at all. "Mr. Hiroshi please wait! Hear me out! I need to speak to the Grandmaster desperately!" To sell the role of a helpless girl even further, Davina dropped to her knees and cupped her hands in a praying manner. Shame was not a word in her dictionary at this point. Could shame let her learn magic? Could shame allow her to become powerful? Could she eat it? No, none of it. If she had to cry, scream or even thrash around just to see the freaking Grandmaster she would.

 

[NeramoDJI]

Zeke “Mors” Valdain

​

Zeke sat at the table with the rest of them, smiling as she ate slowly, pacing himself since he had no reason to rush. Well, unless Stella kept eating everything she could get her little claws on. It was endearing enough for the little dragon. He looked towards the grandmaster, listening to what the old man had to say, smiling a little bit. "Well, can't be much of a captain if I can't protect my crew. But, what did you have in mind?" He asked, wondering what was in store for him. He was about to just get up and go when he was told it would take ten years, before listening once the man clarified that there was a faster way. He listened to the man say that the fountain path was dangerous, but they would be fine if their bonds were strong enough. However, Zeke knew the only bond he could likely truly trust was Stella, so even if he wanted to it might likely fail. However, the old mans earlier words gave him a subtle feeling. "I'm not much comfortable with putting my pals in danger. Instead, I'll go alone down the path." He said, looking towards the man. "If I can't do something like that for the sake of my crew, I would be better off with whatever that path would do to me than leading my crew into danger if I can't protect them." He said, deciding to give his thoughts on what the best way forwards would be.

He heard some kind of commotion from the gates, wondering what was going on as he glanced at the headmaster, raising a bit of an eyebrow. "That for you?" He asked ,jutting his head towards Davina's commotion. After addresssing him, he chuckled and lifted Stella up to the table again so she could keep eating. "I'll eat on my own time Stella, you eat your fill all you can." He said, giving her a big pet on the head.

 

[RavenSong]

Grandmaster Iwamoto, Yukito, Hiroshi


The elder would turn to glance at the seemingly youngest of the group Orrius, then at Yukito as they appeared to be in some kind of glaring match. “Well, there you have it..” he chuckled. “..a boy over less than half your age, with the heart of a dragon. Meanwhile you quiver in your shoes Yukito.” The grandmaster wasn’t trying to be mean to his students, he was just running out of time, he had to push them further. Especially Yukito.

Yukito then broke the stare down between himself and Orrius, looking down at his empty plate “ugh.. naive.. simply naive..” he said as he crossed his arms. “Grandmaster, this is foolish.. you’ve only met these people and suddenly you entrust them to take the Fountain Road? What’s worse is you justify it by saying friendship will save them? Friendship?!”

“Yes.. you have heard correctly..” The old man said his eyes closed with indifference as he sipped his tea “..combat with others is much more effective than the martial prowess of an individual, you have to lean on those around you.. trust..”

“Trust?” Yukito repeated, a look of disgust contorting his features.

“You wouldn’t understand Yukito.. you spend countless moons on your own inside a cave.”

Loke would then speak, inquiring about the Fountain Path. The grandmaster slammed his hands on the table jubilantly. “Oh! I thought you’d never ask!” He exclaimed. “There are three very easy levels.. Err.. ah.. hmm.. I actually don’t remember what guards the doors..”

Yukito rolls his eyes as he takes a bite of egg roll.

“..but, what I do know is that at the very end, is a spring. Drink from it and your martial efforts will be immensely accelerated. Suddenly your fists become like stone, your aim true, and your magic focused. But I will advise a word of caution young man.” His tone softer, “There are some who would use this power for evil.”

He then listened intently at the pirate captain's words, he spoke like a leader who would certainly go the distance.
Impressed by his humility he remained silent.

Yukito would break the silence however as he pointed a chicken leg at the pirate. “There’s a smart man. It’s not fitting for a leader to bring his own into danger. Besides, why should others suffer his fate, when they don’t owe him a thing?”

The grandmaster would then start.
“I would ask you to trust me and reconsider captain Zeke, but that’s a tall order coming from someone you’ve just met..” he continued to smile brightly as he looked at Yukito then back to Zeke “..danger has a funny way of finding us regardless of our choices, something tells me you’ll find out soon enough.. don’t be troubled.. follow the Fountain Pat-” before he could continue however a commotion was heard at the door.

The guards were taken aback and gasped at the woman’s begging display. They looked at one another then at Hiroshi who had but caught a glimpse of Kane who appeared to have evaporated. Hiroshi was speechless, and confused as if he’d seen a ghost but would come to his senses as he looked down at the pleading woman. “I..don-“
“Let her in Hiroshi.. what is this about?” The grandmaster called out as he rose to his feet.

"This woman desires an audience with you, Grandmaster." His expression revealed a bit of suspicion towards Davina.

“..ah another guest! Please welcome!” Without mentioning the servants would take her in, brought in seats and took any food requests. “Please, make yourself comfortable..” the old man said. “What brings you in such desperate need to speak to me?” Yukito would keep eating, a bit annoyed by the dragon getting into everything.

Hiroshi continued to guard the door, but kept vigilant, he decided to not mention who he saw. For now.






Stella looked up at Zeke as he pet her, an enjoyable feeling coursing through her scaly body as he did so. She didn’t want to go to sleep just yet however. No. Not with all this food in front of her!
Upon Zeke mentioning he wouldn’t eat, she shrugged. “Welp.. more for me!” She said as she climbed back onto the table. She would continue to feed Orrius the served sushi rolls, while she herself gorged on noodles. “Mm, I don’t think.. nom.. I’ve ever eaten.. nom.. this much in my life!”
When the grandmaster mentioned the Fountain Path and the curious tension happening her frame perked up. “Oh, don’t worry Zeke..” she said as she came closer to him. “..If the others don’t want to go, then I will!” Her sudden brave facade vanished as she looked away a bit anxious. “..although I would feel much safer with Loke and Orrius.”
Then, the dragon flinched as a woman at the door dropped to her knees. The little dragon's eyes followed her to her seat, she seemed friendly enough to her.
Upon Davina sitting, Stella flew up and sat on her head then, leaning forward Stella gazed into her violet eyes. “Hi! I’m Stella! What is your name?” She didn’t understand social queues all too well just yet, and that some people might want space before being sat on.





NeramoDJI Lulidew Scholar Ya NebulaBlossom

 

[Scholar Ya]

Davina Solon
✺
​

Davina released a subtle breath of relief that her act had actually worked. She was half-expecting to just be tossed out of here. Hiroshi held suspicion towards her, which was clear as the sky was blue. But that was more of a him problem than hers. The man was simply irrelevant to her. Thus as the Grandmaster's servants took her inside and took her food request about noodles, she passed the samurai with a brazen smirk. She had yet to meet anyone as audacious as her in this world. "I humbly thank the Grandmaster for his graciousness." She said quite sincerely as she took a seat. Binge-watching all those historical dramas finally served a purpose. Her eyes quickly took survey of those seated around the table. Surprise filled her upon seeing the pirate man, his dragon, bubblegum hair, and the little kid who came out of nowhere there.

What a coincidence this was. Well, not that they would have known she was watching them earlier but a coincidence nonetheless. Another person that stuck out to her was the man with hair that was white at the roots and blue at the ends. Could he be the one she was looking for all this time? Davina's intense staring session was cut short when the Grandmaster began speaking again. "I hope my spectacle didn't disturb you and your companions too much Grandmaster. But my reason for coming here today is because of the rumors of a magic-user of great power residing here." She gave a cursory glance towards the white-blue paletted man again. "I've been looking for a great master to teach me in the ways of the mystic so that I can gradually become powerful." A strange, almost wrathful light settled in her eyes. It looked out of place and very unusual on her face. Her death could have been prevented if she had the power to stop it. She would have been in the arms of her mother right now if she hadn't been killed in that accident. Everything leading up to this happened because she was a powerless girl without any kind of ability.

"So please, I beseech you, Grandmaster. Allow me to meet with them and plead my case. I'm willing to do anything." After coming to this world Davina had become increasingly reckless. After all, she had died once and it wouldn't a big thing to do so once more, right? Those thoughts were incredibly dangerous and she knew it. But she didn't care.

The feeling of something settling down on her head almost made her jump. And before she even knew it, a dragon was staring straight into her eyes. Perhaps she would have felt uncomfortable if it was another human this close to her face, but it wasn't so she simply smiled. "Davina Solon. It's quite nice to meet you, Stella."

 

[Lulidew]

Orrius
After hearing Loke's reassurance that he had a place to stay with them, Orrius nodded in response, breaking his stare down with Yukito and resuming his meal. He only ate anything resembling chicken, pork or beef to him, as vegetables and rice tasted bad and he'd never gotten a chance to eat this much meat in his life. The boy also didn't have much knowledge when it came to nutrition, so he just ate what tasted nice to him.

He then heard that they needed trust in one another in order to succeed, and started having doubts himself. This crew didn't seem like the closest bunch, and Orrius had just met them a few moments ago. Well, they did bring him good food however... so they were good people kinda...? With all sorts of thoughts racing through his mind, Orrius was starting to get a headache. He shook his head, telling himself not to overthink things and to leave it to the others to decide.

When Zeke mentioned that he would take on the path alone, Orrius started to frown. He wanted to go on more adventures, to see more of the things he never got a chance to see, and he was mostly curious as to what the Fountain Path had in store for them. But then hearing that Zeke was doing it for the sake of their safety, he decided to keep his mouth shut instead of voicing out his disappointment.

Stella then mentioned that she would prefer it if Loke and him could come along with them. Mustering up the courage, he decided to voice his thoughts. "Well… if the Grandmaster recommends us to go together, I think we should do it…"

Suddenly, a commotion seemed to break out from behind them, and the Grandmaster welcomed the visitor to sit alongside them. Orrius didn't take an interest in the visitor immediately, continuing to focus on the food in front of him. He was shy when it came to meeting new people after all. He then glanced up at the visitor when she had taken her seat, only to find himself stunned by her beauty. The silky fair skin, vibrant purple hair and wide curious eyes... He quickly averted his gaze back to the food, unsure of what he was currently feeling. His heart raced and his hands started to perspire. Was she a witch? Had she cast a spell upon him? Why was he feeling weird? The boy had many suspicions about her. After all, he was brought up in a world where the concept of 'love' didn't exist, and he never interacted with any girls before.

Hearing her speak, she seemed somewhat impatient and desperate in achieving her goal of...... receiving a mentor's guidance in the ways of magic?! So it was possible that she had done something to him with her magic? He glared at her, but keeping his eyes mostly hidden beneath his excessively long hair.

While feeding on the sushi rolls Stella had brought him, he realized that this visitor was a fellow magic enthusiast like himself. Stella then sat herself atop Davina's head, which gave her a bit of a shock, and Orrius couldn't help himself but to chuckle at the scene. Maybe she wasn't a bad person after all...

 

[NebulaBlossom]

Loke nodded, listening intently. So, it didn’t seem to be a strict test of friendship, merely a test best taken as a group where you could put trust in your comrades. Before he could speak though, a commotion at the door pulled the attention of the room and the Grandmaster welcomed another guest.

She too was looking to bolster her magic? Loke wondered what her abilities were and if she found out about the path they were discussing, would she cause a commotion to make them take her as well? This could certainly lead to a headache.

“Captain, I ask that you reconsider at least on my account. My healing is potent, but certainly not ranged. I wouldn’t be any use if I remained here.” Loke quieted his tone, speaking more privately to Zeke while the girl spoke with Stella. He wasn’t keen on throwing the little dragon into danger or Orrius. They would have to make their own cases to Zeke should they choose to come.

 

[NeramoDJI]

Zeke “Mors” Valdain

​

Zeke chuckled at the girls manner of speaking, supposing that she was really desperate or was far away from whatever fancy home she came from to be talking like that. He looked over his crew, most volunteering themselves to go along the path with him, chuckling a little bit. If trust was something that was needed, then he had one way to make sure he could trust Loke wholeheartedly. "Oy Loke, when we get back to the ship to divvy out the lads pays, remind me to fix yours, I think your cut was a few shares bigger than usual." He said, essentially saying he was going to pay Loke extra when they got back if they got through this path. With the promise of extra pay, he was sure that the cleric would do whatever he could to get the captain through.

He as well however didn't want to put Stella in any danger, seeing as he had a soft spot for the little dragon. He looked towards the Grandmaster, figuring if there was anyone who could tell them where to go to get to this path it would be him. "Orrius, if you're sure you want to come, I'll letcha, but you stay behind me and Loke, got it?" He said, turning to the smaller boy to get the stipulation through. He didn't care much about the strangers safety, however there was a reason he told the boy to do so. "And stella, you stay on the boys shoulder and keep an eye on 'im alright?" He said, standing up a bit before turning to the Grandmaster.

"No way to do this but to try for that path then. Can you point us to the way?" He asked the grandmaster, figuring the sooner they got out of there, the sooner he could avoid having the extra baggage of a girl obsessed with being stronger. Naturally he had no room to talk on that line of thinking, but he also couldn't trust the girl, which apparently was important to complete this path.

He then saw Stella on the girls head, sighing a bit. "Stella, watch out there, you don't know where that's been." He said with a joking tone, figuring he'd make some light of the awkward violation of personal space committed by his lil dragon.

 

[RavenSong]

Grandmaster Iwamoto


Upon hearing Davina's well spoken words, he nodded. “It’s certainly a pleasure Miss, I welcome you to our little feast here..” he turned to look at the others who had been gorging on the food before them with a smile. “..as you can see some of the other guests are a bit.. famished. But please help yourself.”

He then returned to his seat from before as he heard her mention a powerful magic worker. “Ah yes! That must be my very fine student Yukito!" He exclaimed enthusiastically as he elbowed him gently, Yukito grunting with annoyance. “He is in fact the finest, if I do say so myself..” he’d rub his chin with absent thought. “..although, he's not exactly fond of equally ambitious people as himself.”

The grandmaster continued to ponder in thought however as the thought of another idea. “Yes.. very well, it seems you might make a most excellent addition to this little quest!” He said, finally pointing at Davina. “Well well.. so many guests tonight, desiring abilities beyond their means. I truly am surprised.”

The conversation between the boy, zeke and Loke seemed to stir something within the old man as they spoke. “Yes, yes.. drink from the fountain at the end, and then.. perhaps you can put your newfound abilities to the test against me.” He laughed, and shook his head jubilantly as Hiroshi looked at the old man a bit embarrassed for him.




Yukito

Yukito wouldn’t pay much attention to the new guest, he was too busy shaking his head in disapproval of the party’s sudden change of heart. “You’ve been warned.” he said finally with a frustrated sigh. It was then that the grandmaster had elbowed him, which made him turn towards the violet haired woman, his expression wouldn't change. “Word spreads quickly even if it’s private news.” He looked at her a bit suspiciously, he was usually very good at keeping his matches with the grandmaster secret, so he couldn’t help but wonder who had told her. “Hmph.. surely it was Kane..” he retorted as he glanced at Hiroshi.




Hiroshi

Hiroshi had been eyeing the newest guest, then coming closer as mention of the lead Davina had been following reached his keen ears. Upon Yukito pressing her further however he decided to interfere. “Please, that’s enough, we don’t want to interrogate our guests..” he looked at Yukito then at the grandmaster before looking at the others. “..Kane is the third and arguably the best of the three students under the grandmasters instruction. However even though he possesses abilities and immense martial prowess he chooses not be among us in favor of a more.. shall I say.. current way of life and away from tradition.”


He looked down with disappointment then back at the party. “The three of us would have surely taken the Fountain Path.”




After everyone had finally settled any further talk or disputes, the Grandmaster would rise. “Very well, please follow me..” he said as he started walking to the back of the temple. The party would notice the polished floors, the smell of incense in the air, the lighting was kept with oil lanterns around the edges of the building as well as illuminating every path. “..this place is as old as the divine scrolls themselves, protected by generations of grandmasters and their pupils..” the party would then move out into what could be perceived as a large zen garden. Lush and varied plants both known and unknown, beautiful sculptures dotting the landscape on a backdrop of small waterfalls, streams and ponds full of koi fish. At the center of the garden resided a lonely structure which seemed to bring the entire scenery together as its main focal point. Hiroshi and Yukito would stay behind to keep watch.

The party would start into the structure, which revealed there to be stairs that would lead down into a hall illuminated by torches. At the end of the hall however it appeared to look like some kind of outline carving of a door onto stone - inanimate and seemingly ordinary. The old man then came forward and would close his eyes and with the wave of his hands a sudden flash of lightning appeared, piercing the wind beside him, the lightning stream quickly formed a circular shape, outlining the door before a portal roared into existence. The party could feel a pull coming form the portal, but not enough to be moved by it. If any in the party could see beyond the portal, what could be seen on the other side was just the inside of a damp and cold cave.




“Remember, there are three which you must defeat..” the grandmaster said, as joyful as ever. “..Please, take your time..” He said with a nod as he started back towards the entrance.





Stella

Stella smiled as she stared into Davinas violet eyes, “Dav-” It was then that Zeke called her back to him, “Right, aye captain!” she exclaimed as she messily flew towards Zeke, she was full and the extra weight made it difficult for her to fly as she normally would.

Hearing what her duty would be in regards to the quest they were about to set off on she nodded her head. “Oh oh thats perfect!!” she said happily, as she started rolling here and there due to her big belly, towards Orrius and climbed up his sleeve until perching on his shoulder. “You hear that Ori? We get to cheer everyone on!” she exclaimed in her usual jolly tone. “Well, you can make things go ‘boom’ I guess that makes ME the cheerleader? Hmm.. I wonder what I could get by drinking from the spring, do you think I could breathe fire if I wished for it?”

After they set off, Stella was astonished by the atmosphere, for the little dragon everything was new. The garden would really make an impression on her, “Whoa! Look at all that green! Oh.. why can't we live here?!” she begged.

It wasnt long before they went deep into the earth, eventually reaching the long hallway. When the grandmaster made the portal Stella jolted with shock and frantically reached for the top of Orrius head. “Ahhh! No no no..” She was trembling, Orrius could feel it as she did so. “I know we have to go there.. But i wish we had another way that wasn't ten years of never ending training!” she covered her eyes, as the party decided what to do before calling out.


NeramoDJI Scholar Ya NebulaBlossom Lulidew

 

[RavenSong]

After giving the decision some thought, and discussing it among themselves, Zeke felt he should be the first to step through - being the captain surely had its responsibilities. A strange metallic sound could be heard as his figure dissipated into the buzzing static portal. Once on the other side, Zeke would observe his surroundings, before calling back to the others who could hear him on the other side of the portal.

The others would follow, some possibly revealing more hesitation than others before walking through. Passing through the portal was not a painful experience, a sudden sudden falling feeling could be felt however.




Once on the other side, the party would perceive a cave, lit by torches and filled with crystalline structures. An open passage could be seen as floating lanterns lit the way, this was the Fountain Path.

The party follows the lights, taking them through cave chambers, each with their own unique patterns. Eventually they reached a large door. There appeared to be ancient glyphs etched into the wood that began to glow before a strange mist began to overtake the space.




Soon, whispers could be heard as small specters came in and out of the walls. “Return.. go back.. “ A lever could be seen just before the mist shrouded it’s location in a booth of sorts some distance from the door.

Through the mist, the silhouette of a figure could be made, as it stepped out of the mist it pointed at the party.

“Your efforts have been in vain, go back from where you came. Take a step closer and you will suffer at the edge of my blade!”

 

[Lulidew]

Orrius

Upon hearing Zeke's conditions to coming along with them, Orrius nodded his head obediently. "Okay..." It was advantageous for the kid as well, who lacked any form of defense. His body was frail and weak due to how malnourished he was, and neither did he have any prior muscle training. On top of that, he had no armor to protect him. The only way he could hope to provide help was to hide far behind in the safety of his teammates and unleashing powerful spells from afar.

Hearing that Stella was tasked to stick by his side and look out for him, he heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that he was probably the most vulnerable of the group, and the primary target for enemies to aim for. At least now he had Stella to protect him from potential threats as well. The dragon then climbed onto his shoulder excitedly, asking him if she would be able to gain the power of fire breathing at the end of this challenging path. "I dunno... but I do know I'm going to wish for even bigger explosions!"

As they made their way to the back of the temple and into the zen garden, Orrius was so impressed by the various sights, he was almost on the verge of tears. It really felt like he had just crawled out from the depths of hell (from his village) and went straight into the heavens. Along the way, he also kept his distance from the new girl who just arrived, shyly glancing in her direction every now and then. He had no idea why he was so flustered, and it was driving him mad!

They then reached the end of the hallway, which stood a door. When the grandmaster had summoned the portal, Stella started to have second thoughts about entering the portal, as she trembled in fear while gripping onto Orrius' head tightly. On the contrary, Orrius felt like he had nothing to fear. He had already escaped his hell of a family, who were the cause of all his suffering. He felt like he could do anything now! Although the kid wasn't really all that confident in his abilities, he still decided to reassure the dragon in whatever way he could. "Don't worry... I'll protect you with my magic..."

As Orrius stepped into the portal, he let out a small yelp from the sudden falling sensation catching him off guard. "That felt weird..." He reasoned, feeling embarrassed by it. Seeing the cave that was well-lit with torches, he wondered if this place was regularly maintained by someone. It was dark, eerie... but at the same time really cool! The crew followed the lights all the way, before reaching a large door. Mist started appearing, before a figure showed up from within.

Stepping out from the mist was a figure dressed up as a ninja, who threatened them to head back or they would perish. So this was the first enemy they had to overcome... Orrius was tempted to blast the enemy with his mana just to see how effective his abilities were, but decided to hold himself back instead as he didn't want to step out of line. Making sure he was a good distance behind Loke and Zeke, he awaited for the captain's orders.

 

[NebulaBlossom]

Loke smiled at the mention of extra pay. He and Zeke may not be friends but the transactional nature of their relationship was certainly something he could rely on. He kept Zeke alive, and Zeke paid him for it. This was the niche Loke had carved for himself. He would keep carving that niche until he was irreplaceable. With other magic users now with them, he had to capitalize on his specifics. He eyed the purple-haired girl, if she too was a healer, he'd have to pay extra attention to what she could do. If she was going to come along, it meant one more person to protect.

Loke looked to Orrius and nodded. "Don't put yourself in harm's way if you can avoid it. The same to you, Stella." With his malnourished state, Orrius wouldn't be able to take direct hits well. He'd need to stay behind Loke and Zeke to act as meat shields. Shields huh... That gave Loke an idea, one that would directly complement his niche as a support healer. Perhaps magical shields would be something interesting to look into. For now, he wanted to borrow Orrius's idea of selective area of effect to his healing or alternatively, range.

The walk through the zen garden could only be considered serene, it was beautiful beyond compare. The scenery didn't strike Loke as hiding something as treacherous as the Fountain Path but he wasn't one to take appearances for granted either. As they walked down the pathway leading to the lone building, Loke took in the sights of the strange plants, wondering how many were ornamental and how many had other properties. He remained quiet as they headed into the building and down the stairs where they came to the portal. Stella was beginning to have second thoughts but Orrius was quick to comfort her. "It'll be okay, Stella. Remember, I can take care of a wide variety of injuries in case someone gets hurt." He smiled at her.

He stepped through the portal, the sudden falling sensation making him tense but the group crossed without incident thankfully. Loke took in the cave beyond the portal. It was either well maintained, or the torches were magical ones, enchanted to never go out. It was eerie, certainly, but they kept going despite the voices in the mist. The whispers didn't do anything but try to deter them with warnings so they posed no threat, yet.
That would change when they came to the large door in the mists. The figure stepped out, threatening them with a blade. The first challenge. Loke made sure Orrius was behind him with enough room to see. "Remember, stay behind us." Hopefully, the girl listened and didn't have an issue with Zeke's authority. This would get messy fast if she didn't work with the group. Loke had his wand at the ready, keeping himself close to Zeke in preparation to support him.

 

[Scholar Ya]

Davina Solon
✺
​

Davina felt extremely uncomfortable. No, not because she was about to step into a buzzing static portal that led to god knows where but because of the people she found herself surrounded by. It didn't take a genius to see that she was an outsider. These people knew each other longer than they had her. With the way they interacted and talked, it was evident they held at least some degree of trust in each other. Even the little boy, whose name she found out to be Orrius after silently eavesdropping on the conversations at the table, knew the party better than her. Not that there was room for secrecy in such a small place anyways. Thus this led her to the main problem. She was an enigma to them. A random girl who caused a scene and forced her way into their space. No doubt they had already formed less than stellar impressions of her after that whole display. With this in mind, she obviously wouldn't be trusted and if they had their heads on right, a close eye would be kept on her.

Falling after entering the portal almost caused panic to well up inside her. The sensation reminded her too much of the way the bus lurched once crashed into and skidded off the bridge. She shook her head and tried to focus on what was in front of her. That was the past. One couldn't linger for so long on such a thing when it was time to look forward to the present. Her grief was still there but eventually, it could heal- would heal. She followed behind cautiously as the group headed towards some floating lanterns and through unique-looking cave chambers until they all reached a large door. It didn't take long for the ancient glyphs etched onto the wood to glow, strange mist to appear, and creepy ghostly warnings to be whispered. Though it wasn't stopping at that, for a geared-out figure stepped out of the mist brandishing a blade and threatened them.

This was so cliche. And she didn't know if it was the stress of everything finally catching up to her but when the bubblegum head, whose name was Loke, told her to stay behind she glared at him with irritation. Of course, this was what she was expecting but that didn't mean she liked being told what to do. The only authoritative figure she would listen to was her mother and that woman was worlds away. "I've got it." She grumbled softly. Perhaps when this was all over she would apologize for her impolite behavior. However, not now. She did not care, at all. Plus it was pretty laughable that he of all people was telling her to stay behind them. He was a healer for crying out loud. Of course, while this was quite ironic coming from her, the point still stood. As far as she could see the man held no physical capabilities. No calluses on his hands that evidenced hard work or scars that told heroic tales. So what right did he have to tell her such things?

Davina pulled her wand from her large robe pocket and twirled it around in her hand. It was a crude shapen thing but it was her wand. Had been since she woke up in this world, literally. She held quite the affinity to light magic which in turn was oriented heavily towards healing. Or was that divine affinity? Her whole being paused as a sudden thought entered her mind. Could healing magic be reversed engineered? Think about it, if healing could heal wouldn't it be possible for it to also destroy? Say if a certain person were to pump a bit too much healing magic into a poor soul.. would they explode? A grim smirk made home on her face. Of course, this was all very theoretical but who said healers couldn't deal damage? So disgustingly stereotypical. As frightening as those thoughts were she knew herself well enough to not be that concerned.

Her mental state had been shattered upon entering this world. Shattered upon she had once thought about just giving up. She had lost everything. Losing all you've ever known tends to do stuff to a person.

When had she ever said that she was a saint?

 

[NeramoDJI]

Zeke “Mors” Valdain

​

Walking in first was something Zeke figured was the best to do, even if for a moment he would have preferred to force the outsider go through, but he figured he had to keep up appearances. The only reason the old man was helping him was because he believed Zeke was a good man, so he had to at least pretend he was. At least, while he was around the old man. So instead, he walked in himself, taking the free fall in stride. He'd done far falls quite a few times, and this was how it felt whenever he went through his own portals. So he simply fell and landed on his feet, a confident grin on his face as he looked around the cave system. However, his smile faltered for a small moment. The system reminded him of Zebes, his last life's home. It was a harsh land, with no resources to speak of. It's why his people resorted to piracy. However, he got over his homesickness soon enough.

"Alright lads, front to back single file, you know the drill." He said when they entered the cave system, looking back at the others. He knew the outsider might be defiant or rowdy, but it was no skin off his back. He'd let her do the work then put a bullet in the back of her head right before the fountain. He could just as easily say she died in the trial, and the only potential snitch was Orrius. Killing the kid would be unfortunate, but from the looks of him it would be easy enough with a bullet if he looked like he'd tell. However, if the girl didn't step out of line, he figured he'd just walk their separate ways. No need risking the murderer title before it was necessary.

When the shade stepped out from the shadows, he simply grinned. Some automated guardian, most of the time these were robots in his experience, but this was probably some kind of magic. So instead of backing up, he drew his pistol and sword. He began to step forward, his hands slowly shifting around as he held his sword at his side and the gun in front, a stance replicating his last life's style. However, instead of jumping at the ninja or shooting, he jumped to the side. "Orrius! Blast em!"

He called out, shooting at the man as he hopped, trying to distract it just long enough for Orrius's blast to go through. He hopped to the side deliberately, not wanting to stay in the blast radius. He knew the kid said he could choose his targets, but he wasn't about to test that if he didn't have to. He'd been through one explosion, and that left his charred to the bone. He wouldn't be through another.

 

[Lulidew]

Orrius

Upon hearing Zeke’s order to blast the enemy, Orrius clapped his hands once, sending blue sparks flying as he did so, and as he brought his hands apart, azure wisps of mana could be seen swirling between his hands.

“Death.” He muttered under his breath, with a cold and dead tone the boy had been hiding up till now. He then pushed both his hands outwards, sending a blast of mana targeted at the unknown figure.

[DEATH] - Magic C, Mana affinity D, Magic area of effect D, Selective magic D - Blasts everything around the user in a 100ft radius with condensed, pure mana, to hurt all enemies - Grade C - 3 Post Cooldown

 

[RavenSong]

The shadowy guardian would replicate itself in the face of an incoming attack. Orrius’ [Death] spell would send a spiraling vortex of exploding mana towards the swordsman unleashing an explosion of inverted magic into the air. Dust and shards of crystal would fly about the place, some flakes and debris falling upon the group. It would also deny the party any further visual on their opponent, after the explosion. Zeke would look around as he shielded his face from the plume of magical smoke and debris blowing through the chamber. He’d have barely regained his sight when, by merely an instant, Zeke raised his sword to parry the katana, sending sparks flying as both weapons clashed. Orrius' attack appeared to have resulted in dispelling the guardians' duplicates, due to the disorientation of such a blast he was having trouble recasting his magic. This could be a great advantage, since otherwise they would be fighting countless duplicates. And who knew which one was real, which one fake.

Upon noticing his ability had been disabled, the guardian seemed to enter a frenzy. Striking at Zeke, although the pirate was more than matched, the guardian quickly proved to be formidable due to his speed as he managed a few strikes at his legs and arms. Loke however would heal Zeke almost instantly, stepping close to be within range of his magic. Zeke wouldn't have felt any of it due to the sharpness of the guardians blade and the agility of magic at Loke's disposal.
Although they continued to duel, and Zeke appeared to be in a dire situation for the moment those remaining in the party, especially Davina who was closer, would notice the lantern lit booth housing two levers. One jeweled with sapphire and another a simple wooden handle. They would have to choose one should they approach it and interact with it. Otherwise, the party would have to improvise a plan of attack, or outwit the shadowy guardian.







STELLA


Upon hearing the shadowy assassins words, or more like, threats Stella instantly wrapped her tail firmly around Orrius neck. Not enough to choke him or anything, just to get a better grip on him should he try to run or make quick movements.
Suddenly aware of her dire situation in the combat department, she damned however long it had been since she hatched from a little egg. If she was older, she might have been much more useful here after all!
It was too late to practice fire breathing now; however, she had to rise up and do something. But first she had to muster up the courage to even begin to think of it.
When Zeke ordered the command, her captain's confidence inspired the little dragon.
“Aho! Orrius, fire!!
After the spell was cast, Stella would giddily speak to Orrius. “W-whoa! You weren’t kidding when you said “you make things go boom!"

 

[saxon]

Eris Granstone​

Eris clutched her quarterstaff with her right hand as she rubbed her butt. Looking up she could see the hole that had literally dropped her into this cave system. "You have got to be kidding me, I was just walking along the side of the road!" Eris exclaimed as her voice echoed off the walls of the small cavern that she was now in. Puffing her cheeks a bit as she figured it would be too high for her to try and use a rope to get out with. Her grey eye's scanned the room that she was now in looking around. The young priestess saw the tunnel which led deeper into the system noting that it was really her only option. So onward she went walking along a path.

Walking further into the cave she saw some light toward the end of the tunnel upon reaching it she saw that she was in a cavern, not just any cavern but a rather large one. Oh boy, I might not get out of this one. She thought to herself as she held out her hand in a fist and rested her staff against the inside of her shoulder clasping the other hand over the other much like a monk would do. Lady Holfeel please grant me your wisdom and allow me to bring your light further into this world. She prayed silently before letting out a sigh grabbing her staff and continuing to follow the path forward.

Eris started to hum a tune to herself as the silver-haired girl that her mother used to sing to her when she was a child. Probably a bit louder than she should have considering she had no idea what was in the cavern. But, she figured her patron deity Lady Holfeel would protect her and guide her hand as she does with the souls of the dead. Rather an ironic twist of fate if you asked her what she thought about the whole thing. Before she died death wasn't on her mind at all but now that she was a priestess of a goddess who was the deity of rebirth and guiding the souls on their journies had changed that.

Pulling out the book that Holfeel had given her she opened it to a marked section in the front. "Book of Icarus verses 2-10, upon her light do the souls of the dead wander towards. Those who see the light at the end of their life shall be reborn again, mended with new flesh and relationships. So that they might continue on their journey in life to fulfill whatever goals their next cycle has. For it is those who do not see the light that forever walks in shadow and become twisted. Looking to do harm to the world of man in the form of monsters and demons." Having memorized the verse in her mind she happily closed the book with a smile and started to pick up her pace a little bit.

She continued to follow that same path for what seemed like hours until she heard something explode not far from her. Which caused her to jump a bit and cover her ears from the echoing that sounded throughout the cavern as bats shifted about. She quickly picked up the pace and entered a part of the cavern that was lined with torches as a shadowy figure was attacking a pirate. Wait there are pirates in this world? Wait why wouldn't there be? She argued with herself for a moment before coming to a realization that she should probably help the group.

"Do you all need help? I Eris priestess of Holfeel shall assist you!" She eagerly announced running towards the group coming within 10 feet of the figure before gripping her staff with both hands and closing her eyes. "Holfeel merciful goddess of rebirth and guider of souls hear your servant's prayers. For there are those who do not walk the path of your welcoming light and souls are in need of guidance. Please lend me your retribution." As she finished her light a beam of radiant light would be shot at the target from the ceiling of the cavern.

• Retribution - Religion F, Magic E, Magic Area of Effect F, Divine Affinity F, Magic Range F - The caster can call down a beam from the heavens causing radiant damage to the target. The target must be within 10 feet of the caster. - Grade E - 1 Post Cooldown

mentions: NeramoDJI Scholar Ya NebulaBlossom Lulidew RavenSong

 

[NebulaBlossom]

Loke wasn't expecting Orrius's explosion to be so... intense. The smoke and dust left behind obscured his vision and the ninja disappeared from his sight. He'd need to remember that for next time and figure out some way to prepare better. He scanned the immediate area before glancing back to make sure the ninja hadn't gone after Orrius. Then, the ninja appeared and clashed with Zeke.

The ninja's attacks came quick, though all of the cuts to the Captain seemed superficial, shallow nicks. That was child's play as far as healing went. Wand out, Loke put his hand on Zeke's back for just long enough to activate his healing. "Minor Remedy." The end of his wand glowed gold along with his hand on Zeke's back. On Zeke's body, the cuts closed rapidly before sealing as if they weren't there at all. The only trace left behind were the holes left behind in his clothes.

• Minor Remedy - Healing F - Grade F Ability - Relieves body aches and minor ailments. Alternatively, can heal superficial wounds - 0 Cooldown

If this was as bad as it got, they'd be fine. Loke could keep this up easily and had more potent healing still up his sleeve if need be. His perspective changed when they were joined by yet another caster. She looked like a priest and his suspicions were confirmed when she cast via a prayer. Hopefully she's not also a healer or I'm in trouble. Loke thought bitterly. Healers like her were easily his antithesis but he didn't have the luxury to assume right now, refocusing on the battle in front of him.

 

[Scholar Ya]

Davina Solon
✺
​

Being close to an explosion, a magically induced explosion at that, was heart-stopping, to say the least. The area shook and dust, debris, and broken shards of crystal rained down upon them with fury. Ears ringing, Davina shielded her face the best she could until it all stopped. It didn't take a mirror to know she looked a mess now. Hair in disarray, robes masked in dust, and most likely cuts of varying size across her body, taking into account the small stabs of pain she was starting to feel. She almost had half a mind to throw a glare at the pirate man, Zeke. Did he really think a massive explosion in an enclosed space was really a good idea? Even a toddler would know of the possible dangers of such an act. He's lucky it worked out with minimal damage to everyone. A world with magic or not, the law of physics still applied to this plane.

Gravity would champion over anything else. Plumes of smoke and debris clouded the view in front of them, an occurrence that would have proved fatal had Zeke not managed to parry the unforeseen incoming attack with his own weapon, sending orange sparks of clashing metal flying. The duel continued with intensity and while Loke healed and healed endlessly, it wasn't enough nor was it going to be enough. The human body had its limits and the pirate man didn't look like he had an abundant source of stamina. Eventually, he would fold, and what then? The ninja wouldn't even blink an eye at the fallen Zeke and slash all of their throats with a flash of his blade. Game freaking over.

The situation was becoming dire and they needed to figure out how to solve this as quickly as possible. Davina's head whipped around as she surveyed the area. Immediately a floating lantern that was about 30ft from the door and housed two levers, one ornately jeweled in sapphire and the other a simple wooden handle, caught her eye. Those had to be for the door or at least one of them. In her deep concentration, she didn't even notice when a new person, a white-haired priestess of some sort, appeared on the scene. It was only when a very radiant beam of light shot down from the ceiling of the antre that her attention was pulled towards the other girl. Where did she come from? There were a hundred questions bobbing around in her mind but she knew that wasn't what needed to be focused on right now. As long as she wasn't another hostile entity to worry about, all was fine. "Look at that lantern! It has levers in it. We need to get it!" She called out quite loudly over the sounds of battle in order to pull everyone's attention, minus Zeke, towards the lantern in question. However, the unspoken question of how exactly lingered in the air. If anyone had an impromptu idea, she'd love to hear it right about now.

 

[Lulidew]

Orrius

The guardian had duplicated itself, but it was not a problem for Orrius as his blast was able to take them all out. However he instantly regretted summoning an explosion using his full power, as shards and debris started raining down upon them while the place got clouded with dust. He dived behind some rock formations for cover, hoping that Stella was alright. “Sorry! Maybe I should have dialled back the power output a little…”

There was the clashing of swords somewhere in the dust. So the enemy was still alive, huh… Orrius thought to himself, noting that he still had room for improvement.

Suddenly, a mysterious girl showed up to the scene, dressed in white robes and having pure white hair. She then blasted the enemy, leaving Orrius with many questions. Did an angel come to lend aid to them? Who was she? Could they trust her?

Davina then pointed out the lantern with levers. “I guess Stella could fly up there… or should I blast it down?” Orrius could still summon another blast, but it wouldn’t be as powerful as the one before. He might also end up damaging the mechanism in the lantern.

[DEATH] - C grade - 2 post cooldown

 

[NeramoDJI]

Zeke “Mors” Valdain

​

Zeke knew he had made the right choice when the clones disappeared, grinning as he brought his saber up to bare against the guardian, starting to focus entirely on the defensive since if he could take all the hits his allies could likely wear the guardian down. Pain like this was nothing to the weathered pirate captain. However, he was also a wily one, and got an idea for how to bring this to a stop as fast as possible. However, his thought process was sidetracked for a slight moment as he saw the priestess across the cave say something, and a beam of light strike the being he was fighting. Rather convenient, but he didn't exactly like getting close to that type of people, especially those with the actual knowledge of what his charred flesh meant.

Instead, he focused back on the battle with the ninja clone maker, smirking as he waited for the ninja to swing their blade, quickly bringing his pistol to bare and firing at the ninjas gut, trying to distract them before he slipped his pistol in it's holster, and reaching out for the ninja with his open hand that shone with a divine glow, smirking with a manic expression. ["HEAVENLY BANISHMENT"] He shouted, casting the skill to banish the ninja into another realm for a limited period, as he grinned once the ninja was gone.

"And now we display patience." He said simply, walking behind where the ninja once was, drawing his pistol, admiring it for a moment before pointing it at where the ninja would reappear, waiting for the ninja to reappear from the banishment to put a bullet in it's head. As he waited for the ninja's reappearance, a subtle sadistic gleam was in his eye, but his face had a calm expression to it. He'd been meaning to use this techinique on that dragon brat earlier today, but he guessed this was a better application for it.

 

[RavenSong]

The guardian would relentlessly continue his flurry of slashes, it seemed he could never fatigue. Fury burned blindly in his eyes. He wouldn’t pant or even blink as the ninja’s scowl deepened with every strike through his masked features. Seemingly out of nowhere the priestess would cast [Retribution] a beam of radiant holy energy from Eris’ catalyst would blast through the ninja's shoulder, literally making a hole through its body. “Aghhh!!” He cried in agony as his good arm dropped the katana in his grip to cover the burning hole and scorched fabric on his body as he fell to his knees.

Then the pirate zeke would then cast [Heavenly Banishment], making the assailant evaporate into thin air as a spectral shriek echoed throughout the cave. Filling the air with a chilling eerie wake, as the cave resonated the sound. Although Zeke's spell had connected, being exposed to heavenly energy would instantly destroy the ghost ninja.

The lantern booth with the lever floating above would also evaporate, making the door hum with life and begin to emit an azure glow. Various gears could be heard before the door slowly opened to reveal the path forward. Dust would fall from the edges, breaking rock and crystal as the door revealed the path.



On the other side was no longer a cave, the seemingly barren and glowing crystal formations gave way to a lush swampy forest. A fog would make it difficult to see more than 10 ft throughout the land. The only thing that could be seen however were the floating lanterns illuminating the fountain way through this humid swampland.

Ghostly whispers, raspy and ominous could be heard coming from this new setting. Specters once again echoing their lamentations, warnings and encouragement.”

“Turn back.”

“Others have beaten you to the fountain.”

“heh heh heh!”

“Don’t drink from the fountain!”

“Do it! Don’t hesitate! Seize your moment!”

“Be strong, you’re almost there.”

“Hmph! You’re all so weak!”

The sounds of frogs, crickets and waterfowl could be heard both near and in the distance as the party looked through the open gate. The cawing of crows could also be heard above the canopy. The air smelled of loamy earth, with occasional hints of algae from the swampy pools.

After any words exchanged by the party, and/if the newcomer would introduce herself to the party further, they would enter.

However, all in the party would feel as if something was watching them. Something didn’t feel right, and occasionally some would see a pair of red eyes watching them for an instant before vanishing. They would press on however, the path was fairly solid but anywhere out of the path got very muddy.




Eventually they reached the second gate.





A sound would be heard, similar to the previous door that clicked and clanged with gears and all manner of sophisticated clockwork. After a few moments, the scroll suddenly emerged from the center of the gate. The scroll would then float, the spectral sounds rising this time in some kind of ancient language.

After the incantation the scroll would unwind rapidly as more scrolls came out of that one scroll suddenly manifesting into the fountain path's second guardian.





A very hollow deep voice could be heard emitting from the guardian; metallic in nature.

“I am a guardian of the fountain. If the fountain is what you seek, then please do not be meek. Take a step forward now and prove your worth.”

The guardian would open into its fighting pose, welcoming any challenger forward.




Stella

After the massive explosion, Stella's ears sort of fell back a bit. Even though she hadn’t cast the explosion herself she felt a bit guilty about it when Davina gave a disapproving sentiment. “Uhm.. sorry!” Then hanging on tightly to Orrius as he took cover behind formations. “Yeah, let's save the cannon fire for the enemy ships!” She said, trying to sound like Zeke.

The little dragon would listen to Orrius, but before she could act on his suggestion she froze on his shoulder. “Hey! Who is that!?” She exclaimed at the sight of the new arrival. She would cast a beam of light at the guardian, exposing him to a finishing strike. But then.. poof! He was gone.

“Huh? What happened?” Stella asked Orrius then to Zeke as she flapped her wings in excitement. “Hey! Are you okay!?”

—

When they observed the opening of the gate, Stella fidgeted anxiously. “Whoa! That’s a whole different world in there!”

It was bewildering for the little dragon. The smells changed, bats would occasionally fly past. The atmosphere was denser and it was a bit hard to see. But her newly found fascination was interrupted by a large bug slowly flying by her. “Hmm..” she hummed as she calculated a bite at the insect before finally crunching down on it. “Mm! ..Nom..Not bad!” She gulped.

“Say..” she started as she called out to Iberis. “..how did you get here? My name is Stella!”

After some time, they eventually reached the gate. Stella stood at the ready, and made sure to observe anything out of the ordinary.

 

[saxon]

Eris Granstone​

Upon seeing the shadow disappear Eris let out a sigh of relief, closing her eyes and resting a hand against her chest as she said a silent prayer. After completing that she opened her eyes smiling as she brushed some loose silver hair behind her ear before clearing her throat. "Eris Granstone, priestess of Holfeel goddess of rebirth and guider of souls." She introduced herself giving a slight bow as she looked around at the party. She knew how crazy it must have been to run into someone else out of the blue down here. Hell, she didn't even expect to run into someone down here she had just fallen down into this place by chance.

To be honest, the whole thing was a bit strange to her, she hadn't expected to fall down into a whole cave system. Letting out a sigh once again as she took a better look at the party that she had run into before adjusting her haori and flattening her skirt which ran down to her mid thigh. "I have to say I didn't expect to fall into this cave system, I was wondering for a bit until I heard fighting and an explosion." She explained looking toward the pirate which she figured would be the obvious culprit of the explosion. Though she noticed that during that fight he didn't look to be in the best condition. "Oh, I can heal anyone if they have any minor wounds." She offered looking around at the party before looking toward the next area.

Upon hearing the many voices that warned them and encouraged them she took a few steps forward. She held out her staff in front of her. "Book of Lycaran, verses 16-25. "Into the valley of darkness travel, the faithful for it is in the darkness that light can be found. For we are merely sheep lost without our Sheppard who watches over us. Ask and you shall receive the Goddess as your Sheppard so that you may walk the path of the light. For it is not lost, the night is long and the path is dark. Look to the sky for one day soon, the dawn will come." She paused for a moment as she tapped the butt of the staff on the ground twice. "Merciful Holfeel guide the souls here toward your welcoming light so they might find peace in the next cycle." She requested before turning back to the party waiting for them to be ready to push further into the swamp.

Upon reaching the next gate she looked at the guardian that stood before them. Well, I guess this can't be easy and I doubt that he will let us pass without a fight. She thought to herself as she looked at the group, she wasn't sure how this was going to play out. "How should we handle this?" She inquired looking at the rest of the group waiting to see what the plan of action was going to be.

mentions: NeramoDJI Scholar Ya NebulaBlossom Lulidew RavenSong

 

[Lulidew]

Orrius stared in disbelief as Zeke casted a powerful spell on their assailant making him vanish into nothingness. The levers too had disappeared all of a sudden.

Stella then asked him what had happened, as if she also didn't know what her captain just did. He could only shrug in response, unsure of what just happened himself. Were the levers all just a prop in the background? Was Zeke always a mage?

He then turned to face the newcomer as she gave her introduction to them. "H- how do you know you can trust us? We might be the ones intruding in this place." He questioned, fixating his eyes on the ground as he spoke. He couldn't seem to look at her directly in the eyes, just like with Davina, as it made him feel flushed.

The door then opened, revealing the next location. A swamp full of fog. As the party traversed through the swamp, Orrius constantly peered all around him, trying to look for potential threats in the fog. This was the perfect chance for them to get ambushed, and he would occassionally spot red eyes looking at them.

There were plenty of voices coming from all around them too, which Eris responded to by giving a long chant of her own. Orrius assumed she was trying to drown out the nonsensical voices with her own nonsense, as he couldn't understand what she was saying.

Fortunately, they managed to reach the next trial unharmed as they came across another gate with mechanisms. A scroll popped out from it, transforming into the next guardian and welcoming them to their next fight. Afraid that his explosions would once again harm the others, Orrius decided to await for further orders before taking action.

[DEATH] - C grade - 1 post cooldown

 

[NebulaBlossom]

Loke only relaxed once there was a signal that they completed the trial. If all of it was this simple, they'd be out in no time. Zeke had dealt with that while hardly needing any backup. He looked over to Orrius, "You did good, but keep in mind where you're using those spells, okay? Might've been a little potent for inside a cave like this. And don't worry, Stella. Zeke's fine. I healed him up." He understood, of course, that Orrius probably was just trying to make a good impression and show off what he could do but it certainly had been a little over the top. Davina and Stella seemed fine too.

Then the newcomer spoke up about being a priestess before she offered her healing. "Thank you, but I've got the healing more than covered." His tone was cold and clipped with her. He had no patience for anyone coming in and risking his paycheck or insulting his abilities as a healer. "As you can tell, the Captain was the only one who was injured and I've already taken care of his injuries." Whether or not she came with them the rest of the way with the group was up to Zeke. Her offensive magic had been impressive but ultimately, Loke would be just as happy to be rid of her.

Of course, the gate opened and the group had to move on so Loke went quiet again. He ignored the whispers of the spirits as they made their way through the swamp. They were meant to deter them as part of the test, he was sure. They just needed to keep moving forward. The second gate came into view and with it, the second guardian appeared. "The same plan, Captain?" Loke glanced to Zeke, keeping the rest of the spellcasting group behind him. This formation was working so far so there was no need to fix what wasn't broken he figured.

 

[NeramoDJI]

Zeke 'Mors' Valdain
​

Zeke watched the guardian disintegrate into dust at his touch, smirking confidently as it faded into nothingness. He simply flicked the dust off his hand, the energy fading as he flexed his hand to release it. He turned to his group, the grin clear on his face. "Alright lads, keep moving. We have two to go." He said, smirking a bit to himself. Did he intend for that to happen? No. Would he completely play it up like he did? Absolutely. No reason to let an opportunity like this go to waste. If they believed he was much stronger than he was, they'd be easier to control. Loke and the boy he had no worries of, but that priestess and purple girl were his main issues.

He had a theory on why his spell worked that way, and if his theory was correct, this whole test would be a cakewalk. These spirits were bound to where they were, and his spell's sole purpose was to send his enemies far far away. And if that was the case, then that meant being violently ripped from where they were tethered would leave them completely destroyed. Much like that one ninja. "Good assist Missy. I guess if you've got no way out of here, you'll be followin us." He said, greeting the newcomer, before sheathing his saber and starting to move.

As they began to pass through the foggy section, he listened to the words of the spirits or ghosts or whatever they happened to be, keeping a hand on his pistol. "Dead bastards can't keep quiet." He muttered, looking around at his group to make sure the voices weren't getting to any of them, before he continued on ahead, keeping himself in the front.

When he saw the new guardian form, he chuckled a little bit. "Aye, lets give this a go then. Give me a moment to set up." He said, slowly grabbing his pack, placing it down. He reached into his supplies, pulling out a firm torch, chuckling to himself as he looked it over, before lifting his flintlock and using the spark of the flint to ignite the torch, holding it instead of his sword as he approached the guardian. "I'll be your foe from this group. C'mon then, lets have at it!" He said, keeping the torch bared. If this guy was made of scrolls, he'd likely be just as flammable as they were. And if things got hairy, he'd test his hypothesis of the banishment.