((OOC: Combo Post with [@JBRam2002] & [@ChickenTeriyaki]))

The first several minutes of their journey was filled with conversation and, in some cases, bickering, but the crew soon quieted down, their exhaustion overtaking their speech. The group made the rest of the way in relative silence, Julian leading their formation and rarely looking back. Eventually, they could see a fire burning in the distance. “That’s our camp,” Julian said quietly. “We should be there in only a few more minutes.”

The plains were rather peaceful during the group’s steady march. Herds of animals walked by, not paying heed towards the advance of the party. Unknown to them, they had company. Within a cluster of trees hid a sneaky mercenary, who held his guns close to him. He wasn’t exactly a mercenary, but he used to be one.

And he was just as cunning as one of them would be.

His eyes focused upon the vast scenery, despite the dark of the night hindering his optical prowess. Within his sight would be the camp that he was in charge of defending. He then noticed a group of people approaching. Within the group, he spotted a handful of people with various attire. Using what the light of the bonfire provided him with, he made out the appearances of some of the people within the party. The sentry recognized the unique outfits that some of the newcomers were wearing, and a surge of adrenaline ran throughout his body. 

[i]Pulsians.[/i]

The sentry had to act quickly. He made his way out of the cover provided to him by the trees and approached the group with precisely timed footsteps. His stealth was not something to mess with. Upon getting close enough to the party, he aimed a handgun at them and began to speak:

[color=#E74C3C]“Looks like there are beans to be spilled.”[/color]

As they approached the camp, Julian seemed to relax significantly. Their mission was at an end and, despite the various setbacks, could be considered at least a partial success. As such, he was caught unawares as the man approached them. Julian immediately raised his cane to counter, but soon lowered it upon recognizing the voice. “Rice. It’s me, Julian. I’m back from my mission, and I brought a few new allies for our cause.”

[color=#E74C3C]“Julian? Welcome to the club, then.”[/color]

Upon hearing Julian’s name, the sentry lowered his handgun and holstered it. He walked towards the bonfire, which illuminated the slender body of a man clad in a military vest and several other bodily implements. He squatted and let the heat wash over his face, and the group would be able to make out the face of a red-haired man wearing glasses tinted with a similar shade of red.

[color=#E74C3C]“Good evening peeps. You’re all going to be staying here for the rest of the day. Name’s Rice, by the way.”[/color]

Julian nodded and pointed out the new faces. “And we’ve also... captured a member of PSICOM,” Julian added, pointing towards Isis. “We’re still figuring out what to do with him, but please keep an eye on him until we have more information.” With that, Julian gave a short yawn. “Man, I’m beat. We’ve been running almost all day. Could you run ahead and tell Cid we’re coming?” 

The sentry nodded at Julian’s news.

[color=#E74C3C]“That’s some loot you’ve got there, friend. I’ll be watching the PSICOM member until you get the needed info. Cid’ll know of you arrival shortly. Sorry for the hostility, by the way. My flashlight ran out of power.”[/color]

[color=#E74C3C]“By the way, I can’t believe you’ve been running around all day while wearing that silly hat. Don’t tell me you’re hiding a chocobo in there, kiddo.”[/color]

With all that said, Rice took off. He muttered a few words to himself, then turned back for a moment and aimed a wide grin at some brown-haired girl within the group. He then walked away.

“Some people appreciate fashion!” Julian called after Rice as he walked off. He gave a quiet huff of annoyance before collecting himself once more. “Shall we?” he said to the group. “I’m sure I’m not the only one who would appreciate taking a load off his feet. Hopefully, there will be no more surprises until we get there.”

As he spoke, he glanced over the crew and noticed for the first time the state that Isis was in. “I know he can be a talkative one, but was that really necessary?” Julian asked, rubbing his temples. “Fine, as long as he’ll be okay, I’m sure a headache or two is a better price to pay. Let’s go.”

Julian led the group across a [url=http://img11.deviantart.net/1f6e/i/2015/107/5/1/the_sunleth_waterscape_by_caelum_the_sky-d8q2cka.png]scenic outcropping[/url], the skies just barely beginning to brighten from the impending dawn. Members of the camp began to stir, and Cid could be seen talking to the redheaded scout next to the bonfire. “Maurice, please make sure our guest of honor wakes up and sees me in my tent. I’ll need to figure out what we should do with him. The rest of you, please introduce yourselves. Get to know the crew. With PSICOM on our heels, we’ll need to pack up and leave soon, but we should have time for a short rest first.”