[IC] Paragon's End [Modern/Fantasy/Anime/Adventure]

[Prodigal Son]

Things escalated a bit more adversely than he had previously hoped. Though, he kept composure. With his abilities, guns hardly proved a problem. He could activate his manaegis and crumple a whole trained military army before anyone fired a single round (and in fact, he had before done that very thing). But Felix was far from evil, and only used violence in times when it was absolutely necessary, this was not one of those times. In fact, if he wanted to, he could rift jump away in an instant, or blink teleport a short distance away even faster. But Felix decided diplomacy was the best option at this point.

Felix raised his hands and gave a smile.

"Look, I am not here to do anything but talk, and I am not here on anyone's authority but my own." Felix explained

"I am the leader of a small group dedicated to finding ancient artifacts of great power named, the Paragons. I am trying to find them and seal them away for good so they are not abused. All I am here to ask is for your very own Ava Kurier to join our ranks. Though, we are a small group, granted, and our main enemy is the Catholic Arcanocracy, whose large hand reaches out to even the furthest of nations. We do have a dangerous task and our work is cut out for us. But we have a few advantages on our side. Advantages I might not be able to fully detail here. But one such advantage is that we already possess one of the Paragons." Felix explained in a polite tone, "So... what do you say?"

[Cottonmouth]

"Surely, follow... moi" Nemo replied before leading her upstairs and over to the hall of rooms. "Here we are, take your pick of that one, or that one, or... even that one... maybe this one." He rambled as he began to point out uninhabited rooms, finally opening the door right next to him. "I'm sure there will be something to change into in the closet as well." He said as he pointed to it in the example room. "However beforehand you might fancy a shower, over there. Not sure if you remember showers though. Just turn the knob and water magically reigns down from above. Red for hot, blue for cold." Nemo explained.

"But that should be enough for now, try exploring the rest for yourself. Independence can be an exciting thing. In the meantime, I shall return downstairs." He finalized with a small bow.

Nemo made his way downstairs back to Raiya and Alya. He sat down at the other side of the sofa Raiya was at. "So... how do you like my jammies?" He joked. "I could make some for you too."

[Skepic]

The man quickly explained his situation and his apparent.... proposition to Ava. The townsfolk relaxed a bit, but still were not trusting. Though the invitation to join this group made Ava's eyes light up. It was her chance! A chance to finally escape this infuriatingly boring and monotonous life of hers! No more paper routes, no more practicing magic in secret, and she gets to stick it to the bastards that forced her into this life anyway. However, before Ava could answer, the village leader once again stepped between the two. "I believe that question is best for her father, stranger. Follow me."

The group consisting of the stranger, Ava, and the village leader made there way a bit to the outskirts of the town, closer to mountains. There was a definite tense silence among them. Ava's mind was racing with all the possibilities this opportunity could provide, but she was anxious, worried even. She knew her father, and knew he would not agree to such a thing. Her only hope was her mother, potentially....

They arrived at a small cottage at the edge of a field. A simple home, with a middle aged woman outside, doing laundry. Her eyes widened at the site of the approaching group and she quickly ran up to them. "Ava! What did you do?!" She yelled before anyone could speak up. The village leader held up his hand. "Please, Mary, your daughter isn't in trouble. But this stranger here has an odd request of her that you as her parent should here.

They were led inside the house and sat around a kitchen table. Ava sat across from her mother and father next to the village leader, who kept a wary eye on the stranger. In the den near by, dozed her grandfather, seemingly uninterested in the situation. The stranger once again explain his position.

At first, it was silent, when suddenly the father slammed his fist against the table, shaking. "You.... I don't care if your enemy are those bastards in the church, I will NOT have you take our only child away on some crazed, half ass adventure! So what if you captured one these so called "Paragons"? What does that have to do with my daughter? Why come here, of all places, for her?! Our family has suffered enough through the generations, and I won't just send my daughter on some wild magical goose chase across the world, risking her life for some group that I've never heard of till now!" He finished loudly. Ava was taken back by her father's reaction. He always such a quiet, level headed man.

She stared at the table, dreams crushed. He was right... what was she thinking? Magical adventures? Powerful, ancient artifacts? Why would some group like that call upon some isolated freak of magic high up in the Alps? Her father was about to dismiss the man, when suddenly her grandfather spoke up.

"David. Your heart, as ever, is in the right place." The old man rose from his chair. His wings were tattered and grey, obviously had seen great use in his once youthful past. Slowly, he approached the table, placing a hand on Ava's shoulder. "You know it David, I know it, and this stranger here knows it. Ava possess an immense amount of power, just below the surface." Ava looked up at her grandfather, confused. This was the first she was hearing this. "A power that her ancestor, the one who cursed our bloodline, carried. The same curse that made me abandon my own mother and siblings, fleeing to this wonderful place. She has a power that could influence much more than a mere gust of wind. I understand your place, David, and like I said, its healthy and natural to not want to let go of your precious daughter, my granddaughter. But look at her. Like it or not, she has grown up. Every day that power within her awakens a bit more, and it is only a matter of time before you can contain it. Then the church will come for us all, and we could never fight them."

The Grandfather paced around the room, now resting a hand on Ava's father, David, with a tired smile. "You will worry, but you shouldn't, she's a Kurier! And if there's one thing we've proven, its that we're damn hard to snuff out. Now its time to prove we do not just flee." his eyes now finally rested on Ava. "Ava, my sweet granddaughter. You ultimately have the choice. " Ava's father sighed, face in his hands. Her mother gave her a pained smile, but nodded. For the first time in her life Ava had a freedom of choice. Something that may influence her life forever.

Turning to the stranger, eyes radiating stern confidence, she nodded. "I'll go with you. I want to get back a the church for what they did to me and my family. If it means keeping them from getting these Paragons, then I'll do it!"

[Prodigal Son]

After some deliberation among the elders and the family, they reached a consensus, and that was to let Ava choose. And, to Felix's surprise, Ava agreed to come.

Felix then stood up and opened a spacial rift between their current location and the living room of the cabin. A comfortable living room, and fiery hearth could be seen through the shimmery ripply surface of the rift.

"Well, gather your things up if you have anything to take, and say your goodbyes. Not to sound too pessimistic, but with who we are up against, and the nature of our task, it may be the last time you see them..." Felix explained honestly.

---

Raiya looked Nemo up and down and frowned.
"I sleep in my skivvies. So... no thanks." Raiya replied.

[Cottonmouth]

"The Emperor's New Pyjamas, huh?" Nemo replied, pausing to think for a moment. "A bold choice Rai, lounge-wear does have it's benefits. What if someone breaks in? Fighting someone without any clothes is just an indignity, win or lose. Learned that the hard way a few times in the past." Nemo explained. "Speaking of which, what if someone did break in? We wouldn't match at all..." He added, shaking his head while sounding seriously concerned.

"What would you wear for a sleepover?" Nemo asked. "Not to mention going around barefoot, one minute you've mobilized for a midnight snack, the next you're tumbling headfirst down the stairs with a shard of glass sticking out of your heel."

"But no matter," Nemo shrugged, "...I can make underwear too."

[Accurian]

Zuri smiled as Nemo bowed and left. She opened the door and went in, closing the door behind her but not locking it. Surprised at how nice it looked, she felt relived that she has such a nice place to stay for the time being. 'A shower..'

She went into the bathroom and saw the knob Nemo was talking about earlier. Zuri pushes the door half shut and starts taking off the little of what she had covering herself and steps into the shower. Zuri twists the red and blue knob simultaneously and warm water reigned down on her.

Pleasantly surprised at how it felt, she looked around and saw a bottle with the words "Body Wash". She gets a bit of it in both her hands and starts rubbing her hands against her smooth skin. Bubbles formed as she ran her hands along her body as she enjoyed her first shower in a few thousand years. The water washed away all the soap.

Zuri proceeds to wash her hair with the bottle that was labelled "Shampoo".The scent of sweetness and fruitiness enveloped her hair as she started scratching her head and washing it off. Zuri washes all the soap off and gets out to dry herself off.

She walks out of the toilet completely naked and starts searching through the closet which was filled with tons of clothing, and of course, undergarments. She picks a pair of pink panties with white spots on it and a matching bra to go along with it before she looks through the clothes in the main compartment of the closet and picks out a light blue t-shirt with a pair of white shorts.

"I wonder what the others are up to.." She says to herself before heading back out and down the stairs. "How do I look Nemo?" Zuri asks with uncertainty, wondering if she looked weird with what she wore.

[Skepic]

Ava bolted to her feet and ran up the stairs of the cottage to pack her things. It was more of an attique, but it had always served as one of the few private areas Ava had. She quickly began to throw things into a duffel bag. Clothes, a few tools, a knife that her grandfather had given her long ago, but she paused when she reached for a photograph. It was one of the only three pictures her family owned, and it was of her and her family from a few years ago. This picture made her start to fully realize the gravity of her decision. She sat there for a moment, worried... conflicted.

Giving a great sigh, she grabbed the photo and gently placed it atop the rest of her things before tying up the bag and heading back down stairs. She hugged her mother and father tightly, promising them she'd see them again, not matter what. She then turned to her grandfather. He smiled and hugged her. "Ava, my dear, I may not be back here when you come home from your great adventure, but please, do not regret this for my sake. Your are about to embark on a noble deed, one of which our bloodline could never had hopped to see. Make the most of it and save whomever you can. Now go, child, and return a woman. " With a sad nod, she turned and faced Felix, wiping away a single tear.

No turning back now.

"Okay, let's go." She said, then took a brave step through the rift.

[Prodigal Son]

Felix closed the rift behind them as they stood in the comfy cabin living room. Four others stood in the living room: Nemo, Alya, Raiya, and Zuri. Felix then turned to Ava with a bit of a puzzled expression.

"You never once asked how it was that I came to know about you or why I came to recruit you in particular." Felix pursed his lips, "I guess it could be that you already had people pursuing you, and from what I gathered, it was the Catholic Arcanocracy in particular. But, that wouldn't explain how I came to know about you." Felix stated.

He then flicked his wrist, in a flurry of blue flame, a folded piece of parchment appeared in his hand.

"It is important you know how it is that I came to recruit you, and what you are apart of." Felix began to explain, "Please, do not be startled when I tell you what I am about to tell you." Felix paused for a moment and then continued his explanation.

"I was, once, not too long ago, a Catholic Magi. Actually, an Arch-Magi to be exact. Around a few months back, during a council summit, an arch-magi by the name of Thadeus suggested efforts be focused on an endeavor. This endeavor involved making sure the Arcanocracy obtain nine artifacts of devastating power named the Paragons. Thadeus had said it to be solely for the purpose of assuring the position and the safety of the Arcanocracy as a world power. Many were opposed to this motion including me, and most namely the papal-magi. After the motion was rejected... I had thought that would have been the end of the discussion. I knew better than most people that this pandora's box known as the Paragons should not be opened. So I breathed a sigh of relief when the papal-magi rejected the motion. Unfortunately three weeks ago, the papal-magi died, and a new papal-magi was voted in. The unfortunate part sadly was not only the previous papal-magi perishing, but that Thadeus's brother Cornelius was voted in as the new papal-magi. I have no way to prove this, but rumor has it they are both of the Church of the First Company... Jesuits. Needless to say a few weeks later at the next summit, the motion to search for the paragons was brought up once more, only this time the motion was not only accepted, but made top priority. That night I had a fever dream that could only be explained as a vision. In this dream I was shown the many possible endings of this world should anyone get their hands on the paragons besides a group formed by me. I awoke to find me sitting at my writing desk pen in hand, and parchment in front of me. Upon the parchment was a series of names and locations written in my handwriting." Felix collected his thoughts before continuing.

"This parchment was the first of two lists. The first one was made only about a week ago. The second one, the one I am holding in my hand, it was written by me in my sleep only last night. Each list contains the names and locations of people I am supposed to recruit. People who can help find these paragons before anyone else gets their hands on them, lest they lay waste to the world with their tampering." Felix finished his explanation. He then handed the letter he held in his hands, the one with Ava's name on it, among the other names.

"This is the reason why you are here, and these are some of the people who are in your team." Felix explained.

---

The thought of Raiya wearing delicates made by Xero the Devourer, made shivers run up her spine.

"No thank you. I am like the brand of underwear I currently use. As for what I would do in the event someone broke in... Well, I can equip my clothes from my mana inventory in a second. So, that's not really a problem." Raiya explained.

Then Zuri came down and asked Nemo how she looked, which for some reason, annoyed Raiya. She could not rationalize the annoyance she felt, and that made her feel even more annoyed. So she then got up to make a stiff drink, but right as she stood up another rift open, and a brown haired girl stepped through with Felix. Felix went on his usual monologue, which surprised Raiya because normally he'd get that out of the way before he brought them to the hideout. It seemed this girl didn't take much convincing to bring back. Maybe she was actually an enemy. Or maybe she had her own reasons. Either way, Raiya decided to keep a close eye on her.

Raiya sat back down and waited for Felix to finish and the new girl to respond.

[Cottonmouth]

"You look lovely my dear, t-shirts are in this decade. Casual minimalist fashion is very a la mode... You'll need some footwear once we leave, sneakers or 'flip flops' come to mind to match your current ensemble. But it's your call, chief." Nemo explained to Zuri.

Nemo let out a small chuckle. "Isn't putting on the clothes half the fun though?" He asked. "Not going to make it easy for me, huh? Some people would kill to have my creative talents so freely at their disposal. Well, if you end up ill prepared for a sleepover it wont be on me. It's called a 'pajama party' for a reason." Nemo finished, looking over to Felix and the newcomer afterwards.

[Accurian]

Zuri smiled when Nemo said she looked lovely. "T-Thanks.." She says as she ran her left hand through her hair and circles around to the back of her ear, blushing just a little bit. "Hey Nemo, I feel a bit empty inside.. I'm not sure what I should do." Zuri says as she has her right hand on her chest. She was referring to her mana reserves stored within her, but she couldn't find the right words as she doesn't remember a lot of things. However, there's a chance that what she said could be misunderstood.

[Prodigal Son]

"On a list of things I'd likely take part in, a, 'pajama party' sounds like the least likely thing I would ever participate in." Raiya scoffed, "I don't do pajamas, and I definitely don't do parties without alcohol or other illicit substances involved." Raiya explained, as she folded her arms in discontentment, waiting for the conversation between Felix and the new brown haired bird girl to end.

[Skepic]

Ava stepped through the portal revealing her surroundings to be a somewhat cozy cabin. Before her was an... odd collection of individuals. Oh, who was she kidding, she was the one with freakin wings sprouting out of her back. However, that did not stop Ava feeling like a fish out of water among all these magic users. Having only rudimentary, self taught abilities, Ava has yet to tap into her immense power to any significant degree.

As she continued to look around, she realized she had no idea whether she was still in the Alps or in a whole other country. Regardless, she listened to Felix explain how he came to find her and why he needed her. "Yeah, I just assumed you knew me through some archives or something back at the church. Figured you were after the same thing as they were, but this.... wow.... this is really, really serious... huh...."

The gravity of the situation began to hit her. Leaving home, saving the world, all of this was starting to really sink in. Ava felt a shiver run down her spine, but refused to show any sign of nervousness. In fact, despite the seriousness of the situation, she still felt incredibly excited about finally getting out of that suffocating village.

Ava turned to the small group and smiled somewhat awkwardly. She figured that she'd at least introduce herself. "Umm.... Hello. I'm Ava Kurier. Nice to meet all of you." she said, a thick Austrian accent hanging off of each word.

[Cottonmouth]

"Might be at the bottom of the list, but... it's still on the list." Nemo commented as he faced Zuri.

"Hmmm, what an interesting statement." He spoke as he rolled his fingers on the side of his head as the thought. "If I didn't know better I'd say you're hungry. But I suspect it's more likely you're low on mana. I might be a mana aficionado, but what works for me in these situations probably will not work for you. My methods are a tad bit unorthodox... But luckily we do have a medical type magi in our little party now." Nemo explained as he looked to Alya. "I'm sure dear Alya has a mana-transfusion spell up her sleeve, hmm?"
@Mal2103

Nemo turned to Ava when her introduction was done. "Guten Morgen, Frau Kurier. Ich heisse Nemo Smiley." Nemo spoke in German as he introduced himself after picking up on her accent. Nemo's German sounded even more natural than his Japanese.

[Prodigal Son]

Felix smiled as Ava and he came to an understanding.

"With that out of the way, I'll leave her to you guys. I have to make a trip to Montana." Felix explained.

And with a quick salute with his index and fore finger to his forehead, he opened another portal and disappeared.

---

Felix appeared on a hiking trail at the base of the rocky mountains.

Deciding to give manalysis a shot, he felt a presence a bit higher up on the mountains. Using the mana steps he used to find Ava, he walked upwards increasing his elevation until he was at the same elevation the presence he felt was. Then he walked towards the presence, finding himself at an opening of a cave. Standing in the opening of the cave, was a wolf-like woman with purple skin and green hair, a mask on her forehead. The morning sun had not quite yet peaked up over the mountain range.

Felix used his mana steps to walk up to the new person. This was definitely the Zoey Ash he saw in his dream.

"Beautiful morning we are having, today." Felix approached the new potential member. "You're Zoey Ash, right? I'm Felix Glasius." Felix introduced himself.

Felix was still wearing the white t-shirt and levi jeans that he was wearing when he approached Ava's town.

[Dawnpath]

She stays silent for a while, watching the sun rise and the shadows in the mountain grow. "A man from the church, who knows my name. I don't know if I should be flattered, or running." She turns towards him, making no effort to hide herself, her weapons, or her faith. "Despite my instincts telling me to knock you out and run, I get the feeling this has little to do with the Church. That smell on you is weak." She stares him up and down. "What can I do for you, Felix Glasius?"

She then put on her pendant and imbued it with magic, transforming into a human guise. This form had brown hair in a braid down her back, green eyes, and tanned skin casual clothes, making the pendant feel a little out of place. To Felix, it would be clear that this was just a comforting illusion, but also a well-crafted one. She looked tiredly over herself and nodded; a human look, for human business.

[Prodigal Son]

Felix scratched his head for a moment at the, "smell on you is weak," bit.

"I'm not quite sure if you meant I smell weak, or the smell of the church is weak on me. Hopefully it's the latter and not the former, because with the former I'd tell you that your senses are off. Though, the latter would certainly mean you have a keen olfactory system. I am no longer with any church, and in fact, my goals run contrary to the Arcanocracy at the moment. This places me in the predicament of dealing with them as adversaries for the first time." Felix began to explain, "I can't begin to tell you why, or how. But a few weeks ago I had a dream. In this dream I was told to collect the ancient artifacts known as the Paragons, and that the consequences would be dire should I choose to refuse this request. Dire as in, world ending apocalypse dire. I was also told to gather specific people, and form an alliance with them. This was a peculiar request and placed me in a precarious situation. The day before my dream the arcanocracy had just voted to ascertain the paragons for the betterment of the Catholic order. You could see why that might be contrary to the status quo as it were. When I awoke from that dream I found myself sitting at my desk instead of in my bed, in front of me was a list of names and locations written in my hand writing." Felix continued, "So, I set out to find these names, and find them I did. I brought them back to my headquarters, and they quickly set out to find the first paragon which was close by. They found the paragon, but encountered the catholic arcanocracy along the way. An old colleague of mine, Arch-Magi Thadeus. I stepped in before he could harm any of the team, and he quickly retreated at my appearance. This all happened yesterday. After I got the group back to the headquarters, I ended up having a second dream, with more names on a new list in front of me when I awoke."

Felix flicked his wrist, a blue flurry of flames consuming has hand briefly, then quickly subsided, leaving a thick piece of parchment in Felix's once empty hand.

"Your name is the last name on this list. The others I have visited have agreed to join Paragon's End, the alliance to collect and seal the paragons. The road ahead of us is fraught with perils, enemies who were once my friends seek our blood. We have already lost two of the names from the first list, one dead by Thadeus and his gang before he could even answer the request to join the alliance, the other dead by a trap in the catacombs where the first paragon lay. With all of this said, will you consider joining our team?" Felix requested.

[Skepic]

An asian looking man greeted Ava in very authentic German. Ava was slightly taken back from this, but was non the less relieved that there was at least somebody here who could speak her native language. After all, being isolated for most of your life doesn't exactly allow for a healthy understanding of foreign languages.

"Guten Morgan! Ich habe nicht erwartet jemand meine Sprache sprechen. Wo hast du gelernt?" she asked.

[Dawnpath]

She looks at the ground, "My position in the Convent has lead me on long stretches without companions. My visage is not the most well received of forms, either. Knowing this, I give you a chance to reconsider your request. I am not the most easy of companions you could wish for. I do, however, possess a set of skills applicable to your mission. Your terms are not counter to my obligations or observances, nor my duty. Assuming you take no trouble with me, I take no trouble in our temporary alliance."

She looks him in the eyes, and for the briefest of moments the illusion drops around her, super-positioning both images together. As things stand, she seems to be accepting the request.

[Cottonmouth]

(Nemo isn't asian)

"ich lernte in das Vaterland, naturlich." Nemo replied pleasantly. "Und das ist mein bester Freund und Kamerad, Raiya Mamushi." He added seeing Raiya didn't seem too interested in pleasantries herself, glancing at Raiya before turning back to Ava. His positive introduction of her was odd considering what polar opposites they were. However with Nemo's pale ghostly visage and Raiya's heavy metal appearance, they made for a rather intimidating looking duo.

"So, tell me Ava, what brings a young girl such as yourself here, in such a dangerous and precarious situation?" He asked.

[Prodigal Son]

Felix smiled and blew out a sigh of relief.

"Luckily for you, we do not get the luxury of deciding our allies. Only those written on the lists can be one of us. And your name is here in bold black ink. We all treat each other with a certain amount of respect, even if Raiya is a bit rough around the edges when it comes to respect... You have no need to fear negative reception of your true form. I mean, our group consists of an ex-hitman convict who is pure white from head to toe, a yakuza leader who is part snake even sheds her skin every so often, a talentless magi scholar who gets by on his advanced intellect and quick thinking, an old enemy who was just trying to kill us yesterday, a girl who has no memories, and a hungarian girl who is actually part bird with wings and all. Oh, and of course me, an insane ex-Arch-Magi who has dreams and decides to listen to them as a good source of information. We are the motley-ist of crews there can be. You'll fit right in. I am sure." Felix explained.

---

All these plesentries made Raiya a bit sick to her stomach. Raiya didn't know german, but she knew enough to roughly understand what they were saying, and she was not amused. Best friend? I don't even have friends, only subordinates and circumstantial comrades. She thought. She was used to being the leader and giving people orders that they would follow with no questions asked. She wasn't really used to actually communicating feelings; in fact, she was sure she was allergic to it. The only reason she told Nemo as much as she did was because she was drunk, and also because she wanted to give him a false sense of companionship with her so she could find out any weaknesses he might have.

Raiya stuck out her tongue and made a overacted gagging sound. She promptly stood up and walked over to the kitchen to make some alcoholic beverage that could dull her senses. That was the only way she was going to make it through the day.