The gods answered his frustrations as Savayna would finally stop for just a moment. Unfortunately he got a little more than he had bargained for, and soon after an explanation was offered, Savayna was interrupted by an arrow. She crashed into him, the man himself staggering backwards as he caught her. Before he could even yell out her name, another arrow came by. He was luckier as it flew past his face, though he was going to make sure the owner wouldn't be as lucky.

"[b][color=purple]I believe the time has come![/color][/b]" He called out as he lifted his hand into the air, Zeromus taking form before him as more arrows threatened to end his life. "[b][color=purple]Wherever they are, find them![/color][/b]" He ordered his Esper as he would pick Savayna up, making an attempt at finding cover as his Esper would do battle for him.

As he would hide behind a rock, he placed Savayna down for a moment, withdrawing his gun in case an enemy would slip by his Esper. He examined the arrow carefully, though the way it looked, it seemed poisoned. Holding out his hand, a spell would conjure from his fingertips: "[b][color=purple]Reverse![/color][/b]" He called. At the very least, the poison would not inflict any more damage, although he wondered just how much it had done. He scrambled through his bags, silently lamenting that Nadeline wasn't there to cleanse her.

[hr]

Lorenzo listened carefully, waiting until Jaakuna would finish until he would respond. He scratched his cheek almost bashfully, a small smile on his face. "[b][color=darkorange]You're really preaching to the choir more then you realize, kid,[/color][/b]" He admitted sheepishly,though he would let out a great laugh as he would throw his head back. "[b][color=darkorange]Man...when I was your age, only thing I had to worry about was trying to find the time to sneak out so I could rummage through the junkyard for parts. Wasn't 'til sometime later when I accompanied my father to the barracks did I meet Karolina...and boy, did she [i]hate[/i] my guts![/color][/b]"

He sighed dreamily, caught in nostalgia. "[b][color=darkorange]She was beautiful...and I was an idiot. But by the gods, I promise that it was love at first sight--I just didn't realize it yet, figured I just wanted to get in her pants like the other gorgeous women I had met. But they were all so shallow, all just wanting to become someone of royalty. She didn't really care about any of that, but she did care that I wasn't making an effort to at least try to get the know the woman I was supposedly so in love with. I used every excuse and every chance I got to go see her, and I guess with some time and effort, I got her to feel the same way."

"That was the easy part--falling in love, getting to know one another. I guess the hard part was ironing out everything else that would follow. She was a commoner, I was a prince, and everyone from the Council to my parents rejected the fact that I wanted to be with her. Kinda got to the point where Karolina started thinking that maybe this wasn't the best idea. She wasn't that interested in having a family while I wanted at least four or five kids. She didn't want to live in the castle while I did. She hated the publicity that came with dating a prince. Not just all that, but she wanted to stay in the army while I wanted her to stay by my side int he castle. We actually fought a lot about that part--and sadly, even though I got my way, it nearly ruined our relationship. I wondered if it was worth it.

"And then, she got sick. Real sick. Like...in bed every day because she couldn't lift herself up kind of sick. She was dying...and suddenly everything else seemed so petty. Why did we care so much about having our own way when all we really needed was one another? I must have apologized a hundred times, begging the gods not to take her away from me because of my selfishness. Then, when she found out she was pregnant, things got worse. There was a huge scandal--I had knocked her up before we had gotten a chance to get married, after all. After that the Council had the audacity to suggest that I leave her right then and there. My parents disagreed, though they were pretty disappointed in me. The world seemed to be falling apart around me...and then the baby died. She blamed me, I blamed her, and one day she just packed her bags and left.[/color][/b]"

Lorenzo stared up at the ceiling, wracking his brain for more memories. "[b][color=darkorange]Let's see...we broke up after that. Wasn't until about a year later that we ran into one another again. No, two years? I don't remember. But all that time apart...and the first thing I did when I saw her was cry. I cried like a bitch, and for some reason she cried, too. We apologized because despite all the shit we went through, not once did we stop and wonder how the other was. I was selfish, she wanted things her way. You'd think at that point 'happily ever after' would follow, but nah, it stayed the same shitfest life is. It was us against the Council, though this time I did things proper and married her ass the first chance I got. Then she got pregnant, got sick, and that was when I met Aloa, I think. And when I saw that baby of ours for the first time...boy, does it change you. But there Karolina was on death's door again no matter what I did."

"At that point, I gave everything up. I gave up my frivolous life, gave up the idea that someday I'd be an engineer, gave up my right to ascend the throne...and did my best to just stay and take care of her. Everything else came second, and one day when it was just us with Nadeline sleeping in her crib, she said to me, 'Thank you'. Now, it doesn't seem like it now, but that was the first time she had thanked me for anything. And then it was her turn to give her own stuff up. She gave up the idea of staying in the army, gave up her own dream of becoming a full fledged white mage, gave up the life she knew to stay with me...and when she did, I swore to her that I'd give her enough love to make up for every little thing she left behind.[/color][/b]"

The man paused once more, though this time he would look at Jaakuna, letting out a small cough. "[b][color=darkorange]Excuse the rambling, I actually didn't mean to go and pour out my life's story, but...a 'perfect' marriage doesn't just come easy. It takes a shit ton of work and communication from both sides just to keep the relationship afloat. You really don't think that leaving her behind hurt her more then any wound from a sword would? Though I'm not just accusing you--it was written all over her face how much she wanted to go, yet she didn't say a damn thing either.[/color][/b]" Lorenzo told him earnestly, bringing everything completely out into the open. "[b][color=darkorange]If she's stuck with you this far despite all the crap you've put her through, it means she's willing to stay no matter what. So now, I have to ask again--are you guilty because she's gotten hurt time and time again, or are you guilty because you don't feel you're worth it, whether it be physically, mentally, or emotionally?[/color][/b]"

[hr]

Keiran couldn’t help but scoff as the Creature would fade away, clearly displeased at his little show of power. Of course he was going to do as he was told, it wasn’t like he was going to go at it any other way. His hand massaged his neck, though a wicked smile played upon his lips. Just a pebble, huh? Probably accurate, though it could be surprising how much damage a little pebble could do. But for now, he would digress, and focus on the matter at hand. He figured she’d be waking up at any moment, and as he made his way back to the castle, he would practice his words.

As he rounded the corner, he jumped backwards, hiding himself. Was he going crazy? He almost felt like he had just sensed the Blue Rose here. He dared to peek around the corner, and sure enough, there she was in all her glory. She was accompanied by a viera he didn’t recognize, though the two seemed to be in a deep discussion as they walked. And of course, they were walking straight to Emiri’s room. Great.

[i]Now what?[/i] He contemplated his next move, scratching his head. The Creature specifically warned him not to get Emiri hurt in any way—though the way things were going, that would be the exact consequence. If he revealed himself, he’d probably get the entire castle on him, and while it wouldn’t be a problem per se, it’d make it increasingly difficult to disobey his master’s orders. It was one thing to deal the Creature, but disobeying his master was not an option.

He placed his hand on the wall, a darkness seeping out of it. It would enabled him to sink through the wall and into Emiri’s room, though hearing their talking outside the door informed him that his time was up. He went over to the sleeping girl, shaking her shoulder. “[b]Emiri, wake up,[/b]” He told her urgently.

The brunette grumbled something under her breath, though she would open her eyes. She was pale, and seemed to struggle to get up. Keiran should have been pleased, as they were signs that his magicks were taking their place, though now was not the time to weaken her. “[b][color=pink]Keiran? What’s—[/color][/b]” She was interrupted by a knock on the door.

An idea popped into his head, and he would put his finger to his lips, dropping his voice to a whisper. “[b]Listen to me very carefully,[/b]” He told her. “[b]Aloa is here, she has come to ensure you remain here.[/b]”

“[b][color=pink]Why wouldn’t I be?[/color][/b]” She asked, though at least she kept her voice quiet.

“[b]Because Lola has been found—[/b]” The knocking came again, interrupting him, though he was shocked when she grabbed a hold on his shirt.

“[b][color=pink][i]Where is she?![/i][/color][/b]” She hissed, somehow managing to keep her voice low, though her anger was obvious.

It was too easy. It really was! Keiran placed his hands on hers, looking at her very seriously. “[b]We’ll go now. But we have to keep ourselves in the shadows—Aloa wants to make sure you don’t go running off now.[/b]” Emiri ran a hand through her hair, contemplating. As a loud, more urgent knock happened, it seemed she made her choice as she would leap to her feet, making her way to the balcony. The man grabbed her by the hand, stopping her for just a moment. “[b]Only go if you’re absolutely sure.[/b]”

Emiri had a rather dark expression on her face as she would pull her hand away from him. “[b][color=pink]I’m sure. Let’s go.[/color][/b]” She said, and before he could retort, she would leap over the balcony.

Keiran looked over his shoulder at the door, though he would follow suit. Off to the Aerodome…