[center][img]http://ares.cooltext.com/images/442/442c3ecad362fb47092288de80b2274d4a01606d.png[/img]
Level 1 Hero, 5 Khookies[/center]

[hider=Falas Summary]
-Falas is still overwhelmed by the task Loth had set for her, so she decides to clear her thoughts by seeing the outside world for once.
-Falas discovers a tribe of Hain living near the Valley of Peace and establish friendly relations with one old Hain named Grandfather Alexen.
-Alexen imparts a bit of wisdom to Falas, and she returns to the Valley of Peace to resume her task.
-Falas prays to Mother Niciel for strength and wisdom, and Niciel replies that she is already capable of her task and does not need much help from her.
-Falas works hard establishing friendly relations with other Angels, then gets them to go visit the outside world more frequently.
-Falas gives a big speech, and Angels clap and cheer for her.
-Niciel broadcasts to Angels that she accepts Falas as the leader of the Angels, and grants Falas a blessing, transforming her into a Seraph and leveling her up 4 times (-1 Might, Falas becomes Level 5), and granting her a blessed suit of armor, lance, and buckler. (-1 Might and 2 FP, with portfolio bonuses).
-Falas is now ensuring that Angels are well-trained when she gets a call from Loth, who warns her of the incoming army approaching the Valley of Peace.
-Falas resolves to defeat Grot, and begins to prepare for war.

Niciel MP
[b]Might:[/b] 14
[b]FP:[/b] 0
[/hider]

Falas was currently sitting on a branch in a Holy Tree, contemplating Loth's words. Become the leader of the Angels, he said. Well, that was certainly a lot easier said than done. How was she going to do the job if she didn't have the first clue about being a leader? It seemed like there was so much to do. First she had to get the Angels to accept her as a leader, which was already a huge task itself. Was there even a need for the Angels to have a leader? 

To help clear her thoughts, Falas decided to go outside the Valley of Peace herself. Falas reflected on Loth's words. "[color=ec008c]The area outside of the Nice Mountains, huh?[/color]" Falas thought out loud. She should see how the world was with her own eyes. 

Flying to the summit of a mountain, Falas took a good look at the view being presented to her. The world outside looked... nice. Maybe a bit bare in some areas, but plenty of trees around at least. There was one clearing, though, that caught her attention. It had some... shelters in it. Falas didn't know much about the world, but even she could tell that that didn't look like a natural occurrence in the world. 

Falas spread her wings and glided down to the clearing, and there she found... creatures. These creatures were very much unlike the Angels. They did not have wings. They didn't resemble Angels in the slightest. The creatures turned to look at her as well, some curious, some concerned, some even indifferent. One of them, who seemed to be walking with a limp, stepped forward to Falas and introduced himself. "[color=f26522]Welcome to our humble village. I am Grandfather Alexen. What is your name?[/color]" 

Falas was still in a state of surprise, but she recovered quickly and managed to introduce herself as well. "[color=ec008c]My name is Falas.[/color]" There was a slight pause as she continued with a question, "[color=ec008c]Forgive me for sounding rude, but... what [i]are[/i] you?[/color]"

Grandfather Alexen raised a hand as if not taking offense, and answered, "[color=f26522]We are Hain, creations of the Porcelain, Toun.[/color]" Falas noticed a slight but discernible distaste when Alexen spoke of Toun, but Falas chose not to question it. Alexen continued with a question of his own, "[color=f26522]You are an... Angel, correct?[/color]"

"[color=ec008c]Yes, how did you know?[/color]"

"[color=f26522]You are not the first of the Angels to appear here,[/color]" Alexen explained as he led Falas through the village. "[color=f26522]There were several that joined us for a time, but they soon returned to the Valley of Peace. Then there was another blue-haired one that visited us often, who was much different from the others. He spoke much about Angels, the Valley of Peace, and the goddess Niciel. Now, there is you.[/color]" Alexen turned back to stare at Falas with a curious look in his eye, then he asked, "[color=f26522]Is there any particular reason you chose to visit us?[/color]"

Falas awkwardly looked away and responded, "[color=ec008c]No, I just... needed to clear my thoughts. There's so much I need to do, but... I don't know what to do.[/color]"

Alexen stared at Falas for a moment before saying, "[color=f26522]Hmm... you sound like you have a large task ahead of you. So, here's some advice for you. Don't focus on a large task all at once. Think of it as merely a large amount of little tasks and focus on one of them at a time. I think you'll find that your task isn't as large as you think.[/color]" 

Falas looked thoughtfully at Alexen, wondering if his advice would actually work. She was skeptical, but willing to try it out. Falas bowed towards Alexen and said, "[color=ec008c]Thank you, Grandfather Alexen. You have given me much more to think about.[/color]" 

Alexen's turned his beak slightly upward and a hand upturned, then continued on, "[color=f26522]Of course. Feel free to visit any of us when you have the time.[/color]"

Falas flew off, back to the Valley of Peace. There was still so much to do, but now Falas felt like she could handle things. 

[hr]
First, a prayer to Mother Niciel. Falas got down onto her knees and put her hands together, then closed her eyes.

[i][color=ec008c]Mother Niciel, I pray to you for advice and strength. I pray to you for your blessing. Please, grant me the power to become a proper leader for your children. Grant me the strength and wisdom to guide them and protect them.[/color][/i]

The answer came quickly. [i][color=fff79a]My daughter Falas, you already have everything you need to become what you wish,[/color][/i] Niciel told her. [color=fff79a]You are already blessed with my power, and you possess a strong heart needed for your journey. I can help guide you through this path, but you must reach the end with your own efforts. For now, get to know your brothers and sisters. Make friends with them, and be there for them. [/color]

[color=ec008c][i]Thank you, Mother Niciel,[/i][/color] Falas said to Niciel before getting back onto her feet. She still had a long way to go, but it was alright. Falas now had a lot more support and confidence than she did before. All she needed to do as put in the effort.

[hr]
Falas spoke to many Angels over a long period of time. Simple greetings, offers to help carry various items, exchanging friendly and enjoyable conversations, etc. Over time, Falas created many bonds of friendship with many Angels.

Then, Falas made her next move. She began inviting Angels to see the world outside the Valley of Peace. First, it was merely one at a time. Some refused, but more and more agreed to, and they began to see the appeal of the outside world. Of course, they interacted with the Hain village, and those present at one time attended Grandfather Alexen's passing when it came. They learned of food and drink from the Hain, and learned of new tools and techniques from them as the Hain continued to grow as a species.

There were still many Angels who refused to see the outside world, refused to change their comfortable ways of living. To them, there was no need. The Valley of Peace and Mother Niciel would protect them from outside threats, so they could enjoy themselves all they wanted. The news that some Angels had disappeared while they had been exploring the outside world had not escaped them either, and they used this news to even try to convince other Angels to resume their peaceful ways. Falas continued working hard, however, and the activities of those peace-loving Angels soon died down.

Now, as the time finally came, Falas would attempt to show them her main goal all this time. She began inviting everyone she had ever made contact with, both with favorable and unfavorable ties. Everyone needed to hear this, after all.

After they gathered in the center of the Valley of Peace, Falas spoke to them.

"[color=ec008c]Brothers. Sisters. I invited you here today for a very special reason,[/color]" Falas began. "[color=ec008c]For many years we spent our time in the Valley of Peace, lounging about, resting, conversing fondly with others. All of these activities are enjoyable, but... that was where our problem lay. For too long have we done this. Many of us had grown complacent and lax under the protection of the Valley of Peace. We had, and still have, the utmost confidence that it will protect us even in the most dire of times. Today, that changes. From here on, we will not rely solely upon the protection of Mother Niciel and the Valley of Peace. We must gain the strength to defend ourselves. We must gain the strength to defend each other. Most importantly, we must gain the strength to protect our very home, the Valley of Peace. As it protects us, so too will we protect it! It has done much for us, so we will do more for Mother Niciel's, no, [i]our[/i] land! Please, accept me as a leader and allow me to guide you to peace and prosperity! Let us combine our power together so that we do not let our land fall to outside forces! We are Angels, and we are the guardians of the Valley of Peace![/color]"

At first, there was silence. The silence, however, soon broke with a clap. The sound of that single clap soon grew with more and more claps until there was a loud applause, following by many cries and cheers. 

Falas sighed with relief. She wasn't sure how her speech would have been received, and she was glad that it had such a positive response. There was no time to rest just yet, though, for there was still one more voice to be heard.

[color=fff79a][i]I, too, support this. I support my daughter Falas', and have faith that she will be a great and wise leader,[/i][/color] Niciel answered. An orb began to float down from the sky, shining yellow, pink, and blue, stopping its descent when it reached Falas' hands. The orb was soon absorbed by Falas' body, and began to glow, her silhouette shining white. 4 more wings grew from Falas' back, her clothes began to morph into a new shape, and a long object grew from her hand. When the glowing stopped, Falas was found with 3 sets of wings, each set a different color of pink, yellow, and blue. Her hair and eyes were now found to have all three colors of pink, yellow, and blue. Her white robe was now a suit of armor, which was colored a pale blue, with trim and patterns of yellow and pink. In her right hand, she gripped a long and beautiful yellow lance that pulsed with energy, while on her left was a small round shield, this one completely blue. [color=fff79a][i]This is my blessing. You are no longer a mere Angel, but now a true Hero. You are the Guardian and Champion of the Angels, Seraph Falas.[/i][/color]

Falas examined her new body, moving each of her wings experimentally, as well as examining her new equipment. They were all so... magnificent. Falas could not have asked for a higher honor than this. [color=ec008c]Thank you for this blessing, Mother Niciel,[/color]" Falas thought, sending the short prayer to Niciel. Falas looked back at the Angels still gathered together. It was not time to rest, oh no. Now was the true time to work.

[hr]
Falas supervised the training of the Angels. Many of them had learned to use their powers, and trained their bodies to be able to handle themselves in combat. No longer were most of them the weak and lazy Angels that found enjoyment in resting and doing nothing. Now they were more hardened, more able to defend themselves. Still, Falas couldn't shake the feeling that something felt missing. Something that would be needed to ensure their full potential would be used in battle. What it was, though, Falas had no idea. What she did know was that it was missing from her as well. 

As she thought about it, Falas felt a small pulse of energy coming from within her armor. Falas felt compelled to upturn her left palm, and a crystal on the palm was shining. The crystal that Loth had given to her to communicate with him. An image appeared in front of Falas, revealing Loth. Unlike Falas, who had undergone a major change in appearance, Loth didn't appear to have changed in the slightest. However, Loth was looking rather concerned. 

"[color=6ecff6]Falas, there is a dire threat approaching the Valley of Peace,[/color]" Loth warned. "[color=6ecff6]I'll be blunt. An [i]army[/i] is headed towards the Valley of Peace. Many dangerous creatures compose this army. You must be ready to protect the Valley of Peace by the time they arrive.[/color]"

"[color=ec008c]Loth, please explain from the beginning. Tell me [i]everything[/i],[/color]" Falas requested. 

"[color=6ecff6]Very well,[/color]" Loth said. "[color=6ecff6]The main threat you should be concerned about is an incredibly large creature that is [i]carrying[/i] the army.[/color]" Loth disappeared from view, revealing the terrifying creature Grot from an overhead view. "[color=6ecff6][i]That[/i] is what is coming to attack the Valley of Peace, and it will devour and destroy anything and everything in its way, unless the Angels stop it.[/color]" The image zoomed in to reveal other creatures riding it. "[color=6ecff6]Of course, there are the other creatures that make up the rest of this army. Fortunately, they don't seem to be nearly as powerful as this monstrosity.[/color]" Those creatures looked mainly small and fleshy compared to Grot, although there were some that appeared to be composed of rock. Loth reappeared in the image and said, "[color=6ecff6]Falas, the Angels [i]must[/i] be prepared for this. The Valley of Peace must not, [i]cannot[/i], be lost.[/color]"

Falas was shocked. The Angels had indeed been training to protect the Valley of Peace, but against a creature like Grot... would they even be able to survive? Falas began to feel overwhelmed, but Loth shouted, "[color=6ecff6]Falas! FALAS! You cannot falter here! The Angels look up to you now, do they not? Show them the strength of their Champion! You must show them that they can repel these attackers. I have faith that you can, and will, do it.[/color]"

Falas took a deep breath, then her resolve began to show in her eyes. "[color=ec008c]I'll do it,[/color]" Falas stated. "[color=ec008c]I'll stop this monster even if it costs me my life.[/color]"

Loth nodded and said, "[color=6ecff6]Do try to stay alive, though. No Angel wants to see you dead,[/color]" before disconnecting. 

Falas looked toward the sky and clenched her lance tightly. There would be war.