[center][img]https://i.ibb.co/vqKwCkN/Aelphis-Border.png[/img][h3][color=C70039]Balmung Castle - Courtyard
Catching Up[/color][/h3][hr][sub]Specific Mentions: [/sub][/center]
So... much... running...

Aelphis had paused for a bit in the middle of the hallway, resting a hand on the wall as he leaned over to recuperate. Gods, if he had to do this much running on the [i]field,[/i] he'd probably be dead before he even had a lick of that Gil! Aelphis was regretting not investing into any materia that would increase his physique in any way. That would have been better than the one he was shackled with. Procuring the green orb in his sleeve, Aelphis actually wondered for a bit about its uses. Really, all he used it for was for pest removal, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that toads are pretty fast and light. Maybe turning into one would help him catch up with the rest!

Speaking of the rest, Aelphis began to take in his surroundings, specifically the bodies littered around the hallways he was in. Truthfully, the dead never really bothered Aelphis in the past. After all, one of his earliest lessons in alchemy and magic involved processing carcasses to their base materials. What made the Faye a bit on-edge, however, was the fact that he [i]recognized[/i] some of these bodies. For instance, the Sollan Vagrant he was leaning over!

Wait a minute. That guy spilled wine on Aelphis's shoes when they were making their way to their sleeping quarters. Aelphis gave his body a firm kick to the ribs, flinching backwards at the pain of kicking solid steel. Right, he was wearing a breastplate.

Well, between his bruised foot and his aching legs, there was no way Aelphis would catch up to the others in his condition! So instead, he would test his thesis out, procuring the green orb. Thank the Skaelans for their innovation! Thankfully, he didn't even need to come up with some magical mumbo-jumbo like he does with his spells! All he needed to do was focus on the aether held within the orb and...

[i]Poof[/i]

With a puff of purple smoke, Aelphis's very form would change into that of a... toad. Nothing special or fancy, just a toad. On one hand, the shock of your body shifting into something smaller and [i]slimier[/i] had induced the Faye into a bit of minor shock, but on the other hand, his feet were in less pain! Well, time to hop on over to the rest!

...

By the time Aelphis had reached the courtyard, a few people already had their weapons drawn on each other. At first, Aelphis thought more Valheimans were about, and prepared to recite (think very hard on) the incantations needed to turn back to his natural form. It was only after he realized that it was his team against those from the [i]other[/i] group that he second-guessed that decision. Were they fighting each other already? And is that their boss over there? Things are looking pretty tense...

... and Aelphis has decided he is not having none of it, today. Instead of making his grand appearance, he would instead hop back into the hallway he was walking from and shift back, peeking over to see what would come about from this encounter.