A city in the midst of lakes sat in the groove between two mountains. Throughout the city, strange lights shined of brilliantly varied hues. Many sat at the end of streets or canals, others sat at the top. The town square had five of them set around the plaza. The streets were of quarried stone bricks that were light-gray in color. Lining the streets were buildings of varied material and architectural styles. Most stood 2 or 3 stories tall, though some steel and stone buildings reached towards the sky as though attempting to scrape it. Some buildings were excessively ornate, built from finely chiseled and polished marble. As diverse as the construction of the city were the people who occupied it. Every color imaginable was worn by someone somewhere, and one need only look down a street to see most of them. Clothing was crafted from everything from cotton, fine silks and leathers of varying textures. Some world even started exporting boots formed from the scaly hides of some of their native creatures. The people themselves were similarly diverse. Skin color ranged from blacks to light pales, and many variety of hues. Some were covered in animal like fur or even scales. A significant portion of the population was filled with people covered in bird like feathers with beaks and talons to match. But most were certainly human, or at least human like such as the pointy eared elves, or the short and stubby dwarves. As the sun rose over the city, and the fog retreats from the morning light, more and more people fill the streets. Wagons filled with goods traveled to and from the portals and into the storefronts and the Central Market. People traded gold, and silver for more than just physical possessions; the Castle-like Magister's Academy and accompanying Nexus Library set at the base of Wek'Vol Peak was a testament to the city's exchange of knowledge and ideas. On the outskirts of the city sat 5 large lakes at which the city's residents often sought relaxation upon. One some sailed seaworthy cargo ships small enough to fit the portals that sat at the surface of their lakes, connecting to the ocean of another world rather than another inland body of water.

Through the streets strode a young man, his clothes dark in color but his gauntlets ornate, constructed of gold and silver. His hair as dark as a raven, and his eyes as brilliant as the gauntlets he wore. Over his shoulders, he carried a sack containing something slim and pointed that was over 6 feet in length. It's weight was decent for its volume, but light for something constructed of the materials he knew it to be made from. He strode the street with confidence and purpose. Some who saw him backed away, they knew that look of determination was often the precursor to this man's intent to cause a stir; and right now, his gaze was fixed pointedly towards the growing spire at the center of the Representative Offices. "It's been a while since we last saw each other in person," he whispered to himself. He had heard whispers that the Caelestine Ambassador had headed into the offices with her personal bodyguard, likely to discuss matters of trade or diplomacy. But in his mind, these things could wait. There was a much more important matter at hand as far as he was concerned, and he would not be denied.

Still, he remembered the scuffle he got into with the bodyguard. The cycloptic mercenary definitely knows his stuff, but this time he'd most assuredly have been disarmed if he's in the Grand Ambassador's office. It was his one best chance to discuss the issue burning a hole into his mind directly with this so called "Blind Seer." And if need be, the fact that Conrose would be the only one in the room in possession of a weapon should be leverage enough to keep things on his own terms and assert his own demands. As he strode into the main lobby of the crescent shaped building's base, he was abruptly stopped by a pair of guards.

"Stop right there Conrose, you have no business here," called out the human guard.

The Averian laughed to himelf, "I think you paid off the fines for your LAST offense already didn't you."

"Yes, as a matter of fact I did you bird brain," he retorted angrily. That one wasn't even his fault either, the drunkard picked a fight with him convinced his woman was cheating on him for Conrose. The silver eyed man was only guilty of handily winning the fight. "But I'm here on business relating to the Caelestine representative."

"That's what the sack is for? Let us see,"

He smiled, "It is a weapon, you aren't going to draw your swords when I show it are you?"

The human put his hands on his sheathed blade's pommel. "Have you any proof of the purchase?"

Reaching into a small pouch in his belt, he pulled out a small rolled up scroll and handed it to the Averian. He opened it up and examined it closely; "A spear constructed of the gold trees of the Featherkeeper specifically suited for use with healing and protective magics and for channeling mana related to the light. The Grand Ambassador's signature is present here as well." He then looked up at the young man before them. "Can you explain why delivery of this can't wait til after they are done with their own meeting with Sokolniki?"

He laughed a little nervously. He had desperately hoped not to have to resort to this, but now... he had to. "My reason is legitimate, and in fact believable, trust me. But you wouldn't let me pass on this reason alone." Both guards then felt a swift pinch towards the base of their necks. Their heads swiftly went hazy and shortly thereafter they passed out. One fell forward, this one he caught, but the human fell away from him and hit the ground with a thump as 4 swords floated effortlessly in the air where the two men stood. "You two really should keep an eye out for strange things like swords slinking along the floor."

After carefully lowering the Averian to the floor, he regained a solid grip on his package and strode through the lobby. Most of the workers for the office luckily weren't present this early in the morning so no one was there to see his invasion.

Grand Ambassador's Spire, Representative Council Offices
Nexulai, Akreaus

---

Grand Ambassador Sokolniki stood to the side of his desk with an open window directly behind him, revealing the valley between the mountainous peaks around which the city resided. The Blind Seer gazed out a window on the far side of the room, as her guardian, Novaus, stood guard off to the side, His weapons were confiscated before he was allowed to enter, but he remained a protective presence around the Blind Seer. The Seer herself was dressed in silken robes, and her silver wings sparkled magnificently in the light of the rising sun and the many hues of the portals visible from the window.

"Are you certain that your people will accept this?" inquired the falcon-like Averian. "I don't want to give them the impression that Nexulai is... intruding upon your traditions."

The Blind Seer turned away from the window, her bandaged face pointed directly toward the Grand Ambassador. "It will be fine with my people, so long as I'm fine with your selected champion."

Sokolniki chuckled a little to himself. "Really, he's more of an explorer than a 'Champion'", he replied earnestly. "The main purpose of our explorers is to learn about other worlds and their populations. Fighting, while necessary for survival at times, is merely a secondary skill for them."

Her eyebrows turned gentle; she was accepting of his response. "Regardless, it will be necessary that I judge this individual myself before he is permitted to our world."

The Ambassador's cheeks widened in a rough grin around his beaks. "Yes, of course. I am certain that he will pass. He is someone we've had high hopes for ever since he began his training." Reaching up, his avian talons grasped and pulled down on a rope hanging from the ceiling, the chiming of a bell was heard outside.

---

Strolling through the halls of the Grand Ambassador's Spire was a freshly certified explorer named Aiden Toft. He was escorted by a young woman wearing a simple, yet elegant navy blue dress. His choice of apparel was a bit more ornate, but no less formal; he wore a black morning coat, with both sides connected by a single large button over his abdomen. A pristine cobalt handkerchief was folded in the coat's left front pocket. Underneath the coat was a dark grey double breasted vest with white sleeves, with a black tie neatly tucked underneath the vest. His trousers matched the color of his coat. His footwear did stand out a bit in comparison to the rest of his clothing, though; they were thick black leather boots, clacking against the smooth marble floor as Aiden and his temporary companion steadily made their way towards their destination.

Aiden had never felt more nervous in his entire life. He'd just completed the highly demanding, almost hellish training required to become an official Nexulaian state explorer. He'd entered many rifts in that time, navigating through the labyrinthine Abyss to reach whatever remote dimension his objectives were located in. In fact, his life was threatened on more than a few occasions while on these treks, either by the alien wildlife, inclement weather, or the ever present possibility of getting hopelessly lost on a faraway world, alone and forgotten, but none of that compared to what he was about to do: meet the Grand Ambassador of Nexulai himself.

Aiden smoothly kept his left hand in his trouser's pocket as he walked, and tried to maintain a tall, confident posture, but his expression betrayed the image he was trying to convey. His youthful blue eyes flitted around in their sockets, never staying locked on a single point for too long, and he gritted his teeth behind his tightened lips. It was almost like he was desperately trying to find something to help take his mind off of the impending meeting, at least for a short time. Who could blame him? Aiden was about to meet the most powerful man in Nexulai, and possibly all of Akreaus, as well, and he hadn't even taken on a single official assignment yet! He may have grown up in an upper-class family, but nothing could have prepared him for such a momentous occasion. Thoughts raced through Aiden's head as he struggled to make sense of the situation. What was he going to say? How was he going to respond to the Ambassador's inquiries? He knew that this was for a mission, but what kind of mission required a meeting with the Grand Ambassador, of all people?

His chaotic thoughts immediately cleared up as soon as his escort opened the door to the Ambassador's office. Aiden briefly froze in place, his eyes widened and his mouth cracking open slightly. One could compare such an expression to that of game staring a predator in the face as they lined up a shot. Seeing the ambassador did a number to his state of mind already, but then he laid his eyes on the two strange individuals alongside him. The man looked very much like an assassin of some sort, what with his dark clothing, light armor and mask. This set him on edge, but before he could do anything rash, he noticed the woman and completely seized up. She had radiant, downy wings that reflected the many colored lights shining in through the window behind her. This physical oddity did not damage her appearance in any way. Rather, Aiden found her to be mind-numbingly gorgeous, to the point where her beauty just seemed downright unnatural to him. Aiden felt like he was completely out of his element here. It took Sokolniki's voice to snap him out of his daze and regain a portion of his composure.

"I would like to introduce you to Aiden, the man who was selected to carry out this mission," Sokolniki stated. He then turned, then addressed the young explorer, "Now, why don't you be a gentleman and introduce yourself?"

"O-oh! Yes, er, of course, Grand Ambassador..." Aiden replied quickly, his voice quivering ever so slightly. He readjusted his posture, clearing his throat and stepping forward before bowing deeply before Sokolniki and his two guests. "Aiden Toft, certified explorer of Nexulai, at your service. I-it is a great honor to be in the presence of such auspicious individuals such as yourselves, Ms. and Mr...." He trailed off, giving them the opportunity to introduce themselves, but when he turned to the Blind Seer again, he paused. Something about her appearance, her wings in particular, seemed familiar. Aiden narrowed his eyes slightly in concentration as he struggled to figure out where he'd seen them before.

A few moments later, it hit him; "Are you...a Caelistine, by any chance?" His eyes then widened in recognition. "You are, aren't you? And you're..." For the first time since he received word of the meeting at the Grand Ambassador's Spire, his mouth curled up into a grin. "You're ascended, as well! Brilliant! Or was it awakened? Ah, no matter! I tried to learn all I could about your kind and realm during my studies, but the books only covered so much! I have so many questions!"
Then his smile suddenly disappeared as he realized what he was doing. "Ah...s-sorry." He took a step back, rubbing the back of his neck and chuckling lightly in embarrassment. "Was I too forward? I do apologize..." Well, if there was one thing the Blind Seer could gather from this initial meeting, it was that Aiden was very enthusiastic.

Novaus crossed his arms and shook his head in dismay as the Blind Seer giggled softly. She then started walking around the explorer, her head moving as though she was looking directly at the explorer, even though her eyes were completely covered up. "I suppose it is to be expected. You are certainly excited." As she circled Aiden, her head shifted as though she was actually inspecting him. "Curious... I mean, you are. You are possessed of an unquenchable thirst for knowledge."
As she finished circling the young man, she then leveled with his eyes, her wings fluttering slightly, and she said in almost song like voice, "But to answer your question... I am indeed a Caelestine angel. I am known to my people as the Blind Seer. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Aiden."

For the briefest moment, Aiden realized that he had his little outburst in front of the Grand Ambassador. He would've started kicking himself mentally for it in his mind, but the Blind Seer's positive reaction gave him pause. He turned his head to follow her as she circled him, examining his form. That was when he noticed the white cloth draped over her eyes. He raised a quizzical eyebrow at that. It seemed to him as though she was rendered blind in the past. Why else would she cover her eyes? Her introduction a few seconds later confirmed that, and yet, the angel seemed to recognize his presence perfectly. She even looked him over like she could see him perfectly. If she really was blind, then why did she act like she could really see him?

That question would have to come later, though. Aiden nodded to the Blind Seer politely after she introduced herself. "Indeed, and your claim is not inaccurate. I have dedicated much of my life to the study of the rifts and the worlds beyond them. It has been my dream to see them first-hand."
He then faced the shady-looking fellow, who had remained silent this whole time. The explorer gave him a once-over, intrigued. "And may I ask who your companion might be? He certainly looks like he's prepared for anything."

The angel smiled gently. "He is my friend and my protector; Novaus."
The man uncrossed his arms and spoke in a rough and damaged voice, "Officially, I am but a sword for hire, but the young woman standing before you is someone I've protected ever since she lost her parents."
"Yes, I believe it was in Kanas, correct?" The Grand Ambassador inquired from near his desk.
"Indeed," replied the mercenary, "I lost one eye and much of my voice in the attack... she lost all but her life."

Glancing over at her companion, the Seer spoke to reassure him of her safety, "This one is no danger to me, Noveaus, you can relax. You are probably making him nervous."
"I'll trust your judgement," he replied.

Aiden frowned slightly through this new line of conversation, his stark blue eyes softening. Things got dark very quickly. Both of them were grievously wounded in the past, and the Seer lost just about everything she cared about. When Sokolniki mentioned Kanas, it didn't take long for him to recognize the name. "Kanas..." He muttered, his frown deepening, "Oh dear. You're both survivors of the sacking of Kanas? I heard it was..." A massacre, but he couldn't bring himself to describe it as such. No doubt, it would only cause more painful memories to resurface.
"I, I'm sorry."

"You need not worry," she said, her smile pained. "All that is needed for hope to survive is life itself." For a moment, she stood in silence, but then her smile turned genuine.
"Besides, though I was robbed of traditional vision, it was replaced with the capacity to see souls and spirits... and that is the reason why I am here in Nexulai, and more importantly, standing here before you."
Novaus uncrossed his arms, "I take it you've come to a decision then milady?" Sokolniki then looked towards the angel with a sense of anticipation.
"Indeed I have," she replied. She quickly turned aside to face the Averian, unfolding one of her wings to almost wrap around Aiden's back. "Young Aiden is worthy of observing the Pilgrimage as per your request."
Sokolniki clapped his taloned hands together in an expression of joy. "Marvelous! I shall prepare the necessary documents for his passage as soon as possible then."

Souls and spirits? That answered Aiden's previous questions, but many new ones rose in its place. So, if what she said was true, the Blind Seer could see his life force, as if it were a shining beacon in the dark? Could she see into his very nature, possibly understanding him better than he understood himself? Perhaps it was both? These possibilities fascinated the explorer. He would have to investigate the subject further in the future. Before he could get a chance to respond, however, Novaus asked the Seer if she had come to a decision. When the angel turned to face him, Aiden felt a strangely soft and warm sensation over his shoulders. He turned to see one of the Seer's wings wrapping around him. Needless to say, he was taken by surprise.

"Ah-, um..." He didn't even get a chance to recover before the Caelistine informed Sokolniki and Novaus that Aiden was worthy of observing the Pilgrimage. The explorer just stopped. The Pilgrimage...he'd learned about the cultural phenomenon during his extensive studies on Ceciderunt Dea. According to the natives, some Caelistine embarked on a long, arduous journey to find a being called the Featherkeeper, otherwise known as the Right Hand of the Goddess. Apparently, if a Caelestine successfully reached the Featherkeeper, he or she would proceed grow angelic wings and ascend to a higher state of existence. This information was acquired via interviews with members of the general populace and the Caelistine government, of course; Nexulai had never actually witnessed such a grand event... and Aiden was chosen as the first. He would be the first Akreausean to document an actual Pilgrimage and bear witness to a Caelestine's ascension.

"You...you want me to...that's what this was about?!" Aiden couldn't help but raise his voice slightly in surprise. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, he took a step away from the Blind Seer, and bowed deeply before her.
"Blind Seer. I am truly honored to receive such an offer, and I humbly accept. I will document the Pilgrimage to the best of my ability."
A few seconds of silence passed before he looked back up at her somewhat sheepishly. "But...who would I be traveling with? You have already ascended."

"A close friend of mine is about to begin her pilgrimage," she replied.
Sokolniki strode to the back of his desk, speaking in his rich voice, "Yes, you came here with a special request a month ago at Featherkeeper's behest." He opened the drawer to search for something. "A spear was to be crafted from one of the trees your people hold sacred... remarkable piece of lumber, that was."

At last, the mercenary stepped away from the window, and he proceeded to provide further explanation on the subject. "I wouldn't call the trees sacred to the Caelestine themselves, but the Featherkeeper holds them in very high regard for some reason. From the day the Caelestine ancestors first gazed upon their Great Lady of Light, the Featherkeeper has not once permitted the felling of one of her trees. To hear that she has felled one by her own hands so that strangers from another world could craft with them caused quite a stir among the Assembly."

Aiden listened intently to the conversation between the Grand Ambassador and the mercenary. A spear crafted in Nexulai, formed from the finest lumber Ceciderunt Dea had to offer? This was news to him. He wasn't even aware that the Featherkeeper's trees were so valuable. He figured that he would surely get the chance to investigate this further once he accomplished his objective. Perhaps he could ask the Featherkeeper herself, provided that she was willing to divulge such information.

Sokolniki chuckled to himself, grasping and pulling out what it was he had been looking for: a slip of paper that was formatted in a manner one would expect to see in a receipt for commissioned work. "Strangers from another land, I think not. She was very specific that it was to be done by a certain individual... ah yes, Conrose. Quite the peculiar individual, that one. So young, yet he matches the skill of craftsmen three times his age... though his temper and lack of patience are always getting him into trouble. In the past year alone he's gotten into seven severe brawls, committed two acts of vigilantism, and received three accounts of assaulting an officer of the law."

When the conversation's topic shifted to this spear's creator and Aiden heard his name, his mood darkened slightly. He'd ran into Conrose a few times before, though never for too long. He mostly just visited him to inquire about the occasional artifact he managed to find during his field tests, and on one occasion, he found the man while he was locked in a violent confrontation with a burly Raptorial. These encounters tended to end on a sour note, mostly due to Conrose's bitterness and seemingly endless well of sarcasm.

"You can add trespassing on government property to my list of offenses, if you'd like," came a bold voice from the door, prompting the Grand Ambassador to look towards the door. Standing there was a man with dark hair and silver eyes. His pants and shirt were both black, and over his shirt he wore a white leather vest. Over his shoulder, he carried a long thin sack that was easily over 6 feet in length. Novaus immediately placed himself between the newcomer and the Blind Seer.
Behind Conrose stood the secretary, sheepishly looking towards the ground. "Sorry sir... but you know how he is."

Upon hearing a familiar voice, Aiden he swiveled on his feet to find the source. It was none other than Conrose E. Lanturz himself. "Oh dear." The explorer winced; he'd waited upwards to an hour for his meeting with the Ambassador to start, but the artiface just waltzed in here like nobody's business. Novaus was already on edge, and there was no telling how Sokolniki would react to this. All Aiden could do was stand there and watch the situation unfold, hoping that this wouldn't end too badly.

Sokolniki took a deep breath and let out a deep sigh. Gesturing towards the new arrival, he introduced in dismay, "Speak of the devil... might I introduce you two to Conrose, then?"
"We've had a run in to each other a few months ago," she responded. "It is, however, a pleasure to be formally introduced at last."
Swinging the spear off of his shoulder, he held it out to her. "You will get this spear on one condition."
The mercenary's brow furled in anger. "You've been granted a great honor just to work with such fine lumber, and you were paid well in advance. What makes you think-"

The jingling of metal could be heard as Conrose tossed a second bag from his waist to the mercenary, who caught it without missing a beat. The way he had to step back as he did so suggested there was a great deal of weight in it. "The money is of no concern to me; I require a much more valuable payment for this particular case."
The angel smiled, "I see... but first, let me inspect it."
Nodding, the artificer pulled the object from the satchel. It was a long spear with a reddish brown wooden shaft, with the grain seemingly filled in with alternating gold and silver. The Spear head as a bronze finely polished to a mirror sheen with silver runes inscribed into it, and a diamond cut and polished to a size 2 inches wide, 4 inches long extending from the end of the wooden shaft towards the spear tip. Runes glowed within the diamond as though they had been suspended inside the entire time.

"...Whoa," Aiden breathed as Conrose pulled the newly crafted spear out of the satchel. He knew that the man was good, but the weapon looked absolutely majestic. It had to have been more valuable than anything on the Nexulaian market. He quickly discovered that the Seer shared his sentiment as he heard her struggling to find the right words to say through her shock. What she was able to see of the weapon nearly left her speechless.

"This... this is... it had been my intent to have Novaus inspect the weapon for me, but... this had no spiritual energy left in it when we originally delivered the lumber!"
Novaus stepped closer and grasped the weapon, but when he attempted to pull it from Conrose, the Artificer held on tightly, his expression unchanging. "The payment I require is that I be permitted to visit the Featherkeeper myself."
Insulted, Novaus grabbed the spear with his other hand and glared into the young man's eyes. "You insolent..."

Aiden tensed up as Novaus moved to take the spear from him, and as the two started to argue, he began to fear that another violent altercation would occur, in the Grand Ambassador's very own office, of all places. Such an incident would be all over the news within the hour. Fortunately, the fight never came to pass, but Conrose's terms for handing over the spear may have surprised Aiden more than he would've been if a fight had actually started.

"Stand down Novaus," came a calming voice from behind him. Letting out a sigh, the mercenary regained his composure. "This one is filled with much anger, but there is, for whatever reason, a spark of hope set deep inside." She then stood to the side of her bodyguard and addressed the artificer directly, "You may see the Featherkeeper, if my friend makes it there safely, as well."
Conrose bared his teeth momentarily, displeased with the condition, before relenting and releasing the spear. "Very well, then."
The Grand Ambassador let out a sigh of relief. "Well... that may be the first time I've ever seen him agree to something he didn't like."
Conrose let out a short, bitter chuckle. "Ordinarily, the person with which I'm arguing isn't holding all the cards... or if they do, they don't quite know it yet. This little girl does. I'll catch you all later." He turned on his heels and hastily left the room, barely giving the secretary time to step out of the way.

Aiden remained silent until the craftsman left after a few enigmatic words were shared between him and the Seer. The explorer was left standing there, wondering what just happened. "...Hold on. He wants to see the Featherkeeper... that doesn't mean he's coming with me, is he?" Aiden asked, suddenly looking very worried, his gaze shifting between the Seer, her bodyguard and Sokolniki, "Ah, are you sure that's a good idea? I mean..."

"You need not worry, though your concerns are justified," came an assuring tone from the angel. "He's angry, and inherently violent, but he cares enough to have put his heart and soul into making something that he knew would be for someone else. It's clear that this whole affair has genuinely caught his interest."
"Are you sure?" Her bodyguard inquired.
From behind his desk, the Grand Ambassador gave his own thoughts, wiping sweat from the feathers of his forehead, "Eh... to be completely honest, I'm not in favor of this, either."
"Noted, but you must understand, this development was anticipated," replied the Blind Seer, "by the Featherkeeper herself."

Aiden couldn't disagree with the Seer's description of Conrose. He always wore his heart on his sleeve, despite such displays often backfiring on him magnificently, and he genuinely seemed to care about his craft. However, he still couldn't figure out why he, of all people, wanted to see the Featherkeeper. He was no explorer, nor was he a Caelist. In fact, Aiden just couldn't figure out what he really was. Conrose never honored his questions with proper responses. The Seer then confirmed that she was aware of the whole situation before was even made apparent to him. He probably wouldn't get anything out of Conrose, so he did what he thought was the next best thing.

"Um, excuse me, er...Ms. Seer?" He seemed to wince slightly. Not the best way to alleviate the awkward mood. "You say that the Featherkeeper is expecting him, but... do you know why would he ever need to visit her? What would he gain from it? I can't imagine why he would take such an interest in her."
The Seer leaned torwards Aiden, tilting her head and smiling slightly. "Perhaps you shall find out when at least the two of them meet in your presence."
Aiden blinked twice, confused, before he realized that the Seer was teasing him. He smirked, amused and cheering up slightly. "Heh... alright. I suppose that's fair. Wouldn't be as much fun if I found the truth before I even had the chance to start looking."

"Good. Now, I must be going. I'll see you when all the appropriate preparations are taken care of," she continued. "Take care, Aiden Toft." She turned away and stepped out the door.
"I will. Farewell, Blind Seer!" He bowed once more to the angel before she left, before seeing something from Novaus he didn't expect to see; he was laughing. It was a harsh laugh, no doubt due to his damaged vocal cords, but still, it was a surprisingly open display of emotion.
"Yeah, she knows which buttons to push," he muttered. There Aiden was, starting to think he was one of those dark, mysterious men who knew or cared nothing for positive emotion. Perhaps he was such a man in the past, but the Seer was starting to rub off on him. Aiden was hard pressed to think of a better influence.

Shortly afterwards, Novaus vanished through the door. The secretary followed suit, shutting the door behind her, leaving the explorer alone with the Grand Ambassador, who slunk down into his seat as he let out a sigh. "I must confess, Aiden... I'm not used to this room being filled by a more dominating presence than my own."
It suddenly hit the explorer; he was alone with Grand Ambassador Sokolniki in his office. Gulping silently, he turned back to face the leader of his nation. He spent a few moments forming a coherent response to the Averian's statement. He certainly couldn't disagree with him; the Blind Seer had one of the gentlest souls he'd ever known, and yet, she had this subtle aura about her that seemed to command respect. "I'd be hard pressed to disagree with you, sir. I remember seeing her name mentioned on a few occasions during my studies. She's considered a great oracle of sorts by her people," He explained.Remembering that he was in front of one of the top political figures in Akreaus, he rushed to correct himself.
"O-of course, your presence is not to be underestimated, sir," He spoke quickly, "You're a fine leader in your own right, and I'm honored to have had the opportunity to meet you in the flesh!"

Sokolniki laughed from his desk. "Well, war hasn't broken out between our species yet, so I must be doing something right. But when people like the Blind Seer show up... or Conrose; dear lord, he's a handful." He straightened up in his seat, and raised his eyebrows to the explorer. "Speaking of which, are you comforta-... nah, I guess it's better to ask; do you think you'll be able to tolerate that man's presence over the course of your journey?"

Sokolniki's relaxed attitude helped to calm Aiden's nerves. The young explorer knew that the Grand Ambassador was a fair and just leader, but nobody truly understood another person's nature until they met them directly, face to face. Aiden let out a small sigh. He could stand to be a little more casual. "That's... a very good question, Ambassador," He replied somewhat hesitantly, being unsure himself. Sokolniki was right, Conrose was a handful to deal with. However, as grating as he could be, there was one potentially good thing he could see in him, it was his determination. His demand to go see the Featherkeeper, coupled with the Seer's observations of him, helped cement that as a fact.
"To be honest, I'm... not entirely sure myself. I have spoken with him in the past, but those meetings were always brief. Never really got to know him. I know about his belligerent nature, but at the same time...he seems driven. He knows what he wants, and he'll stop at nothing to achieve it. The Seer saw that in him, so... I believe I should give him the benefit of the doubt, at least. I'm certain that we will end up at odds at some point during this journey, but I don't think he'll do anything that will endanger his chances of reaching the Featherkeeper, so..." He nodded once. "Yes. I think I can tolerate him."

Sokolniki's cheeks widened, "Glad to hear it." Grabbing a file he had under his desk, he rose up from his seat and walked over to Aiden, handing him the file before leading him to the door. "That file contains the usual information for follow-up expeditions; maps, profiles regarding regional leaders as well as edible or useful flora and fauna."
He then stopped for a moment, "Also, as an extra assignment relating to this, I'd like you to observe Conrose as well. He's one of Nexulai's more... mysterious inhabitants, and I'm certain he is hiding many valuable secrets." His hands then went to the bottom of his beak, rubbing the underside as though he were possessed of an intriguing thought, "Not many people know this, but when he first came here, he did not speak one word of the so called 'Standard' language that is spread across the vast majority of the societies we have encountered."

Aiden took the file from Sokolniki's hands, nodding in affirmation and holding it at his side. He'd definitely set some time aside later to study its contents. The explorer then tilted his head curiously when the Ambassador's switched the subject back to Conrose. He found it odd how the Averian put so much emphasis on keeping an eye on him. The reason why became clear when he mentioned that Conrose didn't speak a word of Standard when he first arrived.
"...I'm sorry?" Aiden was baffled by this revelation. Sure, when the rifts were discovered, people found it odd how all these different civilizations spoke the same language, but now that this was widely accepted, Conrose showing up with no prior knowledge of the language stood out even more.
"Er, Ambassador?" Aiden asked again after processing this new information, "If that's the case, then... where did he come from? What is he?"

He looked up slightly with an almost nostalgic expression. "He entered Nexulai through one of the portals about 12 years ago, roughed up a few of our guards and vanished for a week. We had people trying to track him down the entire time." Though it was a violent period in his life, it was clear that the Ambassador missed some of the action he once witnessed as a city guard captain. "After we captured him, we had to keep him locked up for a year, just so we could teach him a language we could understand without him escaping and wreaking more havoc."

He then looked at Aiden. "And let me tell you something, he has much more restraint than you give him credit for. That night, when he first arrived here, somehow... he was wielding six blades, all at once. We've not run into a single race that can reproduce such a feat ever since we discovered the rifts. I hate to disappoint you, Aiden, but we have no idea what he is, either."
Putting his hands on the young humans shoulders, he spoke with a tone of certainty, "But in light of what we saw from that man just now, I think we can finally find some answers through this Featherkeeper."

Aiden listened closely to Sokolniki's story, fascinated by the events following Conrose's first appearance. He wondered if the Ambassador ever told this story to anyone else. There was one thing about the tale that really stumped him, probably as much as it stumped Sokolniki; the fact that Conrose wielded six blades at once. Somehow. It sounded absolutely ludicrous, and the explorer had no doubt in his mind that the Ambassador felt the same way, but it was the truth, nonetheless. Unfortunately, the truth did nothing to help him understand Conrose any better. Sokolniki was right; their best bet at finding any solid info on him was through the Featherkeeper.

When the Averian grasped his shoulders, the human took that as a sign that there was no reason to continue the meeting. He'd learned everything he needed to know about the mission, gained the materials he needed to prepare for it, and became acquainted with the people that would undoubtedly be important to his quest in some form or another. "I understand, sir. I don't know how the Featherkeeper will react to my presence, but... I will try to gather information about Conrose through her. Barring that, I can observe her interactions with him, at the very least."
Sokolniki chuckled. "With Conrose around, I hardly think you'll be a concern to her."
Aiden had to chuckle a bit at that, as well. "Too true. When do I leave, sir?"

"I should have your visas ready shortly," he answered, "but go ahead and take the rest of the day to gather supplies and tie up any loose ends. I'm certain your parents will be eager to hear about your first official assignment... and I'm sure that they'll be incredibly proud of you once they hear the details." He looked at a clock set into the wall opposite of the Secretary's desk. "Report to the Ceciderunt Quarter at the end of Libere Avenue tomorrow morning at eight. I shall have the last of your papers prepared before then."

"Of course, sir. My parents...heh, I can't wait to see the look on their faces once I inform them." He took a few steps back before bowing one last time before Sokolniki.
"Thank you so much for granting me this opportunity, Grand Ambassador. You will not regret your decision, I swear it. Farewell!"

With that, Aiden Toft took his leave, an ecstatic grin affixed to his face. This was the chance of a lifetime, and he couldn't have been happier. However, at the same time, he still felt a hint of trepidation. Going on the Pilgrimage and witnessing a Caelestine's ascension would be huge, but he would also have to find the truth about Conrose. Who was he, really, and what strange, uncharted world did he originate from? There was one other thing that bothered him, too; who was the Caelestine he would be travelling with? He mentally cursed himself as he realized that he completely forgot to ask for the pilgrim's identity. There was no need to panic, though. Her identity was probably listed in the file somewhere, and if it wasn't, well...he could always go to Conrose. He wanted to avoid that if possible, but life didn't always give him a choice. Even so, the uncertainty only served to strengthen Aiden's resolve. No matter what happened on the journey, he would overcome any challenge he and his companions would encounter and see this through to the end. The allurement of discovery was far too great for him to falter.

Crystal Keep, The Royal Citadel
The Aviary, Ceciderunt Dea

---

In the midst of halls carved from a single mass of diamond, lined with statues of the many Seraphim that have lived and some who are still among the living kneels a young woman, her skin as white as alabaster, and her hair the blue of tempered steel, upon a carpet of red that led from the inner-sanctuary and to the gateways of the Royal Citadel. Her enchanted bronze armor reflected magnificently in its brownish color in stark contrast to the prevailing white light that flowed through the gem structure. Before her stood an aging man in golden robes, from his back extended 4 feathered wings of golden luster. "Please young Seraphina, I am not deserving of such a gesture from you."

She shook her head, but her eyes remained averted. "My lord, you are my king and deserve a formal greeting."

The Archangel strode towards the statuesque youth. "Your father was as a brother to me. He remained at my side in even the darkest times, gave to me his strength when I had exhausted my own." He pulled her chin up to bid her to stand. "I am a man who owes a great debt, and the only chance I can ever repay it would be through you."

Shaking her head, she remained as adamant as the walls about her. "I must go through this in the manner prescribed, if I am to prove myself in full to the Lady of the Light and receive her blessings through the Featherkeeper," she said sternly. "Just as my father before!" A tear started to well up in her eye.

The old man shut his eyes. "You have not changed one bit in all the time I have known you." A smile crept across his face, "You obsess over proving yourself to the people of this nation... to me. But you do not need to. We all know the kindness in your heart." He looked up towards the vaulted ceiling high above. "You retain that stubborn devotion to tradition... and law." He turned towards one statue in particular. His six wings unfurled, and holding a scale before him in his right hand, and a book, its pages torn in his off hand. "I suppose it is an opportunity for you to learn the difference between what is law... and what is 'right.'"

He then turned around and faced the young woman. "Very well then, you do what your heart dictates, but please promise me this much; that you will continue to listen to your heart in even the darkest times."

She straightened up an smiled at the fatherly figure, "I will my lord." She turned around and marched out the door leaving the King alone to his thoughts.

He turned back to the statue from before. "She's stubborn like you were old friend. The Lady knows I want to protect that child with all my heart, but I could not in good conscience deny her what she has dreamed to do for all her life." He stood there silently hoping in vain for the statue to agree with him, to assure him that his decision was the correct one. He let out a sigh when no answer came. "I just hope she does not have to carry the weight of regret you once did." He turned back towards the gate as Seraphina vanished from sight. "Because no amount of healing power could ever heal such grief."

---

Seraphina stepped out from the Citadel gates and was immediately basked in the pure morning sun. The wind whipped her hair off to the side as she looked down upon the golden maple planked bridge built upon an enormous steel chain. Several such chains hooked to loops carefully carved into the diamond structure and lead to the ground, anchoring it solidly to the countryside far below. In the distance another diamond floated effortlessly in the sky, and was anchored to the ground in similar fashion. Far below, a city constructed predominantly of marble flourished, stretching for miles in all directions. This was the capital of the Caelestine, the center of the universe for all she knew. And soon, she would find herself leaving this wondrous city to become greater than she is now. As a pair of angels swooped by the gateway, she found herself imagining what it must feel like to have such freedom. She then began to make her way down the bridge and to the surface far below. "Soon" she thought quietly to her self, "I too shall become an angel."

A small settlement to the east of The Aviary, Ceciderunt Dea

---

Despite the mid-afternoon sun hanging high above the rolling countryside the Tavern still bustled with activity. Various people of differing occupations and species all mingling together on the road that lead from The Aviary and along the Pilgrim's Path, each hoping to be hired by a Caelistine that was making the long pilgrimage to the Featherkeeper. Because of the near constant activity, the tavern was quite well off, and the drinks consistently flowed, leaving none wanting for a mug of ale. Near the back of the tavern a group of mercenaries huddled together and conversed of their past missions and hopes for the next job. The younger men talked animatedly about their prowess, while a couple of the older mercs simply sat back and puffed on imported cigars or stared silently into their ale. "Sir Elric!" one of the younger men, a shorter lad with light blonde hair and intricate facial tattoos had chose to try and get the older merc to talk about his past again. Elric Aradryan sat back with his mug of ale in one hand, and the other on his mace, a sly grin forming around the cigar in his mouth, "Boy, I already told ye, I ain't fer talking much o' me past." Some of the other vets smirked at the light disarming comment, while a couple of the younger lads only felt compelled to ask more.

"Come on, you're a veteran, teach us a few things." The lad was persistent, and to a degree, Elric admired the younger man's spirit. Yet, sometimes spirit could hinder a man's fighting ability and had to be broken. He took out the cigar and stared for a moment at the smoldering tip, the hand-pressed leaves of tobacco dark in the light of the mid-day sun and the glow of the charred tip a deep red. He let out a breath of smoke, the aroma of the cigar drifting lightly across the table. "I could teach you things" the older man began, "but the problem with doing so is that you will never forget the lessons." The younger mercenaries shared a look of confusion for a moment, though some of the more seasoned veterans let the smiles fall from their faces and looked grimly into their drinks, not willing to interfere. "Tell me youngster, have you ever faced a feral Cruentai? Perhaps a Dalimos of one of the rogue tribes?"

The younger man laughed and waved his hand, "Come on Elric, we've all faced the dangers of the Cruentai/Dalimos border-" He was about to continue when Elric flicked a bit of ash towards the upstart. "Be silent." he growled, a hint of danger crawling into his voice as he silenced the younger man. "When you have seen a man broken in half, and hung from the walls of the village he grew up in by his intestines, you will have faced the dangers of the border. When you have seen innocents violated in broad daylight, in front of all that they loved, you will have faced dangers. When you have seen a man fall from the height of what any could hope to achieve.... You will have faced the truth." He took a long draw on the cigar, taking in the stunned faces of the younger mercs, glad to see that they now understood the real dangers of their profession. "Do not think that you are safe because you have a blade. Do not feel protected by that plate of steel. You will die, and it will be painful, but if you call yourself a true man, you will continue to think nothing of your own suffering. You will take up that blade, and don your armor for those who cannot. You will walk into the dangers of the borders, and die with a smile on your face."

Another of the veterans spoke up, raising his glass as he gave the old creed of the mercenary "We are all dead, but have simply not found our grave." A solid round of cheers arose from the veterans and the clink of glass sounded from the clash of their mugs. The younger men were a little more subdued by the veterans and their attitude, but now the vets spoke among themselves of their old days, how things used to be and how things changed since Kanas. Elric stared out the window, The Aviary taking up most of the view with myriad shapes flitting between the floating structures. For a moment he thought of the old days, where he was one of those Caelistine who had taken to the skies above The Aviary, of how he once stood for something greater than just being a mercenary for hire. An old pain flared up in his back as he remembered his past, of his fall from the Aviary, and how he had vowed to regain his place among his people. That was why he was here, in this tavern along the Pilgrim's Path, so that he could ensure that the daughter of an old friend would safely earn her wings, and so that maybe, just maybe, he could redeem himself in the process.

For Konsa it had been a very long day. He already felt like he was going to pass out from his exhaustion and lack of food. All his thievery attempts today were too risky or he was nearly caught in the act. Konsa was desperate for some coin, for at least one meal. Konsa also looked the part, dark circles under his eyes that would sometimes glaze over and his cheeks seemed to sink in a little bit. He obviously wasn’t at his best, but he hadn’t been for a while. He wasn’t even sure what his best was at this point.
Konsa had been in this city for about a week; he wasn’t even sure what part of Nexulai he was in. He traveled aimlessly, only concerned with distancing himself from the consequences he left back at home. Konsa would occasionally eavesdrop on other travelers, following them to the next city he would stay at a while. He wasn’t confident to go out into the wild all alone and prefer sneaking onto a caravan and other similar things. He had more luck here in Nexulai then back at his home world, mostly because other demons were extremely suspicious of each other, especially where he came from. Although he stuck out more and Konsa had to take more care to cover up his face. He hadn’t figured out at to hide his horns since they have grown a lot bigger and Konsa merely relied on blending into crowds.

As of now Konsa had been leaning against an alley wall, watching the sidewalk from it. He snapped out of his daydream, seeing another foreigner who appeared to be lost. By the way he dressed he was obviously well-off. He was tall and had lightly-colored hair; he kept glancing around himself and at his watch. Konsa immediately started trailing him, trying to figure where he kept his wallet. If someone else was watching it was apparent Konsa was following this man. His eyes were intent on him and he was almost on his heels.

The tall man patted his pockets, wary that he might have been pick-pocketed already. Konsa was still watching intently and was pretty sure the wallet was in his front coat pocket. He let a sigh slip out; this was going to be tricky. Especially since he was barely awake; hunger was what keeping him awake right now. Konsa had to think on his feet, he was his window of opportunity would close soon and he couldn’t let this slip away. He reached up, taking a razor out of his backpack, eyes still on his target. Konsa pushed the razor open, a tight grip as he got ready to pass him by. He kept his head low, and went to the right side of him. Konsa purposefully bumped into him; skillfully cutting the bottom of the pocket open. Konsa caught it silently and continued on his way.

Konsa’s heart was pumping; although he wouldn’t admit it to anyone else he always got a rush of excitement. He took a sharp turn down an alley way; going behind a pile of empty carboard boxes. They had an overwhelming smell of fish; Konsa gagged in disgust and distanced himself from the grungy boxes. He squatted, going through the wallet and finding more than enough money for himself. As he stood back up he heard a yell of anger.
“Uh-oh,” He murmured to himself and turned the opposite direction of the yelling. Konsa was sure the tall man would be looking for him. Konsa slipped the wallet into a side pocket of his backpack and took off jogging. He pulled his mask over the bottom half of his face, hoping this alley wouldn’t be a dead-end. Konsa started to run faster as he heard the shouts get louder; he was stopped by a chain-linked fence. He looked up it and sighed heavily before starting to climb. He fumbled over and jumped down; glancing back to see the tall man running towards. Konsa turned around and darted away; although no one could see it he had a small smile of exhilaration on his lips.

On a path, a few miles from Keranlus
Near the Eastern Boarder, Lumminalux Province

---

Fresh air filled Vaernya's lungs, the smell of blooming Neora flowers drifting over the low hills from the north, lifting her mood with each new breath. A frayed string flitted around in the calm breeze, tickling her brow in an irritating manner. The slim Cruentai lifted a gloved hand and gave a firm tug on the string, pulling it from its source and then held it up for inspection. Blue eyes observed the tiny thread dangling before them, thoughts dancing behind their gaze.
"This cloak shows its age at last. It seems there is an endless amount of loose thread appearing from any and every seam. Perhaps it's time to replace this too, like so much else I have refreshed in my life." Her brow furrowed, as she released the black thread into the beckoning breeze, she watched as it drifted away and eventually out of site. "Lost in the breeze, taken to far away places far from home. Like me..."

She stopped walking, her body lingering in the decision to turn around, to look back. Though she knew she would see nothing but land and horizon she struggled to come to terms with what was behind her. "One deep breath, that's all you need to keep going." So she filled her lungs again, savouring the scent the enveloped the area, and she turned her body to face the north-east horizon. Releasing the air from her lungs she lifted her gaze from the dirt path and met the scene before her.

"Beyond those low hills, beyond all the plains and forests, is my past. Beyond what I see is who I once was, who I left behind. So why am I looking back? Do I miss it already; my sub par life of seclusion, devoid of companionship and joy? The nightmares that haunt me every night? The ghostly echo of my own bones breaking and the stains left by my blood and tears? What a meagre existence I led... No. I led no life, I died that night. And I walked dead for 7 years until I gathered the courage to start a new life. There is nothing to look back at, I have all I need here. My true friend is by my side, my mind still holds sanity if even a little, and my skills will not fail me."

Vaernya opened her right hand that dangled at her side, previously clenched into a fist. A high pitched whistle floated eerily from her pale lips. She waited a moment, her hand grasping slightly for something that was not there. No more than a minute later the soft sound of paws hitting earth came up from behind her and a thick, bristly coat of fur filled the empty space in the palm of her gloved hand. "Dear Bane, my dearest friend. You seem to be enjoying the air as much as I am." She scratched the massive canine's head, gazing down into golden yellow eyes. "We've almost made it, Keranlus should be just a few hours away. I haven't the slightest clue as to what we'll do when we arrive. What I do know is that it's a change; something fresh and new filled with sights and people we've never seen before."

She turned again to face the direction she was originally headed, glimpsing at her shadow before doing so. "The sun should be setting right around the time we arrive, what a lovely coincidence." She itched at a spot on her neck being irritated by what appeared to be another loose thread. "I can't wait to get this damn cloak off, let's go." Bane let out a low huff as the dark female picked up to a brisk walk and collected his place at her side, matching her pace.

There were a million haunting and confusing thoughts in Vaernya's mind as she continued her trek towards the great city of Keranlus. What was she seeking really? A change, yes. A fresh start, yes. Fresh blood? What?

"Argh, no! No!" She grumbled, feeling the creeping grip of her primitive urge slither into her mind. It had been almost a week since she last tasted the blood of a man. To make matters worse, she had used up the last of her cattle blood supply a few hours back on the road. Though she was not hungry per say, she could feel the crave for fresh blood swelling up inside her. The longer she ignored it the more she noticed her throat was beginning to dry, her head beginning to pound. "I'm stronger than this... this is of my past." She continued to walk, humming an old Cruentain lullaby aloud, trying to concentrate only on her voice and the steady pace of her stride. Her heart beat seemed to grow louder and louder, the sound stimulating memories of pulsing, gushing blood pouring from a freshly opened vein. Her mouth began to water, her pupils dilating. She could feel her body tensing and the ancient instinct of her kind ripped at her willpower.

"NO! Ah! Enough already!" She took off at a run, her speed noticeably above average. She closed her eyes, peaking them open only to ensure she stayed on the trail. The thudding feeling of her feet connecting with the earth became rhythmic, adding to the steady pant of her ebony companion. Slowly the overwhelming urge began to subside, though she did not let up on her pace. She needed to get to the city, she needed to get away from the monster inside of her. Perhaps doubling up on cow's blood servings would help keep away the blood thirsty inhabitant that haunted her reflection.

The Blind Seer strode through the streets with the towering figure of her bodyguard walking astride her. Many people would turn and look at her out of curiosity or in amazement.
Konsa burst out of the small alley, glancing in several directions. He knew the tall man would be after him soon.

The angel's unseen gaze latched onto someone. She could see the outpouring of emotion from the people around them. Most were filled with a sense of wonder as they looked upon her, others were with a sense of impatience, likely hoping for the crowd that had gathered around her to disperse so that they may themselves continue going about their business. But someone had bursted out from a nearby ally filled with a sense of fear and urgency.

He slowed to a light jog, not wanting to gather too much attention from the other people. Konsa breathed a sigh of relief as he saw a big crowd. It was easy for him to disappear into crowds because of his short height and stealth skills. He pushed through most, wanting to further himself from the oncoming danger and just blend in at the moment. When he reached towards the center he tensed. A small gasp of surprise as he realized why the big crowd was there in the first place. "B-blind Seer?" He murmured to himself, not expecting to see anyone like her here.

The woman's gaze was locked on the fearful presence before her. She took a step forward, concerned about this person. Her voice, sweet and with a hint of panic, filled the air, "Is everything alright?" As she did so, the crowd parted around whoever it was she was addressing.

Konsa practically wilted under her invisible gaze, especially since a lot of others who looking upon him. He was speechless for a second, terrified of all the attention and the angry voice that was getting louder every second. At this rate he wasn't going to get a clean get away. He would have to leave this place and possible take another portal. Konsa shuddered at the thought, wanting to avoid that outcome. "U-um, Yes!" He stuttered out, already moving to push through the crowd; out of the spotlight. He was afraid of how far the Blind Seer could see of inside; Konsa could barely stand the thought.

Novaus stepped out from behind the angel and made his way towards the frightened demon. The silver winged beauty turned towards him, seeing only the growing dread in the demon. "Novaus, stop it! Your frightening the poor thing."

His own gaze has become fixed on the demon before him. "Except that until now, he never even spared me a glance. It's you who is scaring him." His every step with purpose, he made his way closer. "And I intend to find out why." With his armored hand, he grasped the stunned Konsa by the horn and forced him to look him in the eye. "What mischief has a little imp like you gotten himself into?"

Konsa yelped mainly out of surprise but also the uncomfortable feeling of having his horn grasped so harshly. He struggled, trying to twist or wiggle his way out of this whole thing. "I-I'm sorry! I wasn't doing anything!" He lied immediately, Konsa had no dignity if he thought it would mean he would survive. Although his heart dropped when he heard that outraged voice right behind him. "He's the one who took my wallet!" Konsa knew the jig was up.

Novaus looked towards his blind companion, her usually pleasant face was twisted into a frown. It was all the proof he needed. He turned back to the struggling demon. "You were afraid of her earlier. You know who she is and most likely know what she can do." He chuckled a little to himself now. "I actually find it a little bit amusing that you still tried to lie so blatantly." He laughed a little bit more, then purposely halted it suddenly and narrowed his gaze on the demon that struggled weakly in his grasp.

Well since the man he pickpocketed him was right there and he was caught my the Blind Seer and her companion of all people Konsa decided he had slim to no chances of escaping. He growled like a cornered an animal; despising that laugh. Konsa bucked against his grip on his horn, at the same time kicking out behind him at the one whom he stole from. Konsa heard a pained grunt, knowing he landing one on the shin with his sudden kick.

With a swing of his arm and a flick of his wrist, the mercenary tossed the young demon towards the center of the clearing. Already, the Blind Seer was backing up, and pleading to her bodyguard. "Novaus, cease this at once."

By now he had one hand on the handle of his rapier, and his other hand now grasped the dagger sheathed in his gauntlet. "Looks to me this one is itching for a fight, I just want to indulge him." He swept his right leg outward, and settled it behind him and bent his forward knee. His blades remaned in their scabbards, but he was more than ready.

Konsa landed with a pained grunt, snarling in rage. He breathed heavily, mind racing for any chances out of this situation. Konsa had difficulty calming himself down to clear his head, especially with this bodyguard hovering over him. "L-let me go!" He yelled, claws digging into the ground.

A flash of silver streaked between the pair, the Angel had before Novaus. Her brows were now furled angrily just above the cloth covering her eyes. "Cease this at once, and hear me out!"

The towering man paused for a moment, and then released his hold on the rapier. His hands remained on his gauntlet dagger. "Hmph... very well then milady."

Konsa held back another growl of anger, shooting a glare at the Blind Seer's bodyguard as he climbd to his feet. He glanced out of the corner of his eyes, debating whether or not to make another break for it. He was quite fast, but he was pretty sure Blind Seer had already anticipated this possiblity.

She bowed deeply to her companion before turning around to the thief behind her with pleading eyes, "I can see you are filled with desperation, even as you were fleeing into this crowd... but there is no need for thievery if you had but to ask the right people for help."

He couldn't bring himself to respond, instead just tried to appear as vicious as possible. Although Konsa wasn't quite giving off that impression. His hands were shaking before he had gripped the hand of his cloak tightly, twisting the cloth in an anxious gesture. His head was dipped towards the ground, managing to at least give a glare towards Blind Seer as a response.

"If you are too nervous to ask, then are you willing to accept a hand that offers to help?" she said in a reassuring voice, reach out to him with one hand open with the palm up. "Please do, being caught by the Nexulai Elven Trackers would be the least of your problems." In the distance sporadic whistling could be heard coming ever closer, and behind the angel, Novaus could be see tensing up and narrowing his gaze on the demon. "They don't call him the 'Black Bolt from Kanas' for nothing."

He gulped, taking a shaking deep breath as he shifted from foot to foot. Konsa decided it would be okay to take this risk, it was definitely less risky then just running for it right now. Besides Blind Seer offered kindness Konsa constantly craved for. So he gave in, hesitantly taking her hand. "O-okay..." He murmured under his breath, barely audible; his gaze dropped to the ground.

"You aren't serious about this are you" came the raspy voice from behind her.

She smiled, "I'm very serious... but first, I do believe you have something that doesn't belong to you... and also you do owe that man back there an apology."

Konsa growled again, but still complied with Blind Seer's wishes. He slowly grabbed the stolen wallet from his sidepocket turning to face the one whom he stole it from. Konsa held it, taking one last longing look at the money before it was snatch away. It's owner stomped away in a huff, still angry but satisfied to have his property back.

The sound of whistles were now upon them and the Nexulai City Guards were now pushing through the crowd. The Captain seemed a seasoned veteran. A pale face, his hair pulled back in a short pony tail and his ears pointed sharply to the back. His armor consisted of metal shoulder guards and gauntles, and heavy steel plated shin guards. These were worn over a blue overcoat made from a heavy material. The Nexulai Enforcement Badge was a very reflective blue and red vortex like symbol. "Alright, what is going on here?"

Konsa frowned deeply, once again twisting the hand of his cloak. He glanced back at Blind Seer for reassurance, she wouldn't turn him in right? Konsa fretted, fidgetting as he kept an eye out for possible escape routes if needed.

The mercenary stepped up behind the young demon, taking his hand of the gauntlet dagger and put his hands on Konsa's shoulder. The Blind Seer turned to the guard as her companion did so and proclaimed to the guard Captain, "This here is a citizen of Ceciderunt Dea. His actions this day were in clear violation of the terms of being permitted through the portal. As such, his privileges in regards to portal travel have been revoked and he shall be taken back to his home immediately."

The mercenary tightened his grip in a protective and reassuring manner. "In other words, this one is under our protection and his disciplining shall be at our discretion.
"

The captain demanded to see papers regarding the angels apparent authority. Having walked up and handed a few pieces of paper for the man to look through, he nodded and gave her a salute. "Keep your people under control better next time... and screen them better before letting them cross over."

She smiled politely and nodded. "The Dalimos citizens can be a little more troublesome than we'd like, and for that I do apolgize."

Soon the Captain had his men set to disperse the crowd before leading them away, likely to take up there assigned posts once more. Some could be seen talking amongst themselves as they glanced back for another peek at the silver winged angel.

Konsa was startled by the sudden physical touching and gritted his teeth, not sure how he felt about it. He flinched at the thought of returning, breath quickening in panic. Konsa managed to keep his cool as the Captain and the crowd turned their attention elsewhere. Taking another shaky breath, struggling to calm himself down. He would figure this all out, it was too early to jump to conclusions.

Konsa slipped from the mercernary's hands, turning to face and Blind Seer. "I suppose I should thank you." He mumbled, avoiding eye contact that was longer then a second. Although he couldn't escape Blind Seer's gaze, it still unnerved him now and he shifted from foot to foot.

The tall man released the little demon and took a few steps back as the Blind Seer turned to regard the thief.

"Now then, on to the matter of you," stated the angel as she turned. "I don't want to turn you over to Captain Elise. She'd ship you to Hellrise in a heart beat."

Novaus nodded in agreement, "Well, after she's had her own fun with you first. I hear she's fond of skinning the has as punishment for thievery.

Konsa cringed, "Like hell I'm turning myself in." He murmured to himself, his words harsh but his voice very quiet. He was still murmuring to himself, almost forgeting those two wore there before snapping his attention back to them.

Her brows then raised, as though curious. "The northern territories of Dalimos between the Cruentai and Blades Rim Borders... how familiar with it are you?"

Konsa narrowed his eyes, "Well, uh, I've been a lot of parts of the Dalimos territory. I traveled frequently since a young age." He scratched the back of his head, "I think I know it all right... Why?"

Novaus immediately protested, "You don't mean to... my lady, I must disagree!"

"Your own knowledge is limited my old friend. It is the most dangerous leg of the journey and I'd rather Seraphina have a guide that knows the way to be with her." She then tilted her head. Her hand came up to her chin, as though trying to conjure a specific thought. "Three months, wasn't it.

The mercenary crossed his arms and shut his eyes. "You know there are other guides available. But at the same time it seems that for whatever reason, you are going to insist on it being this one. I'm guessing you can't figure another way to keep this poor sap from ending up in the Elder Unbrek's clutches.

He then turned towards the subject of the conversation. "So then, what say you. Have any means of getting out of the ensnaring web the Blind Seer has cast upon you."

"When you say it like that, you make me seem like a manipulative witch!?" she exclaimed angrily.

Konsa fidgetted, this did seem like an okay deal for now at least. "Um, okay..." He was hesitant in his response, he was still unsure why Blind Seer was even making this offer for him. He wasn't very reliable, and who said he wasn't go to take off when he was sure he had a fair chance? Konsa wouldn't admit it to anyone, not even himself but he had been suffering from a suffocating loneliness ever since he left the academy of magics and the professor. Konsa swallowed and managed a shaky smile. "What could go wrong?"

There were two mountains sitting on the flanks of the grand city of Nexulai, both known to the city's inhabitants as Sort'Vol and Wek'Vol. Wek'Vol overlooked the metropolis from the west. It was sparsely populated, to the point where some didn't even consider it to be part of the city proper. To the northeast was Sort'Vol, which had a much higher population, and for good reason; Sort'Vol was unique in that it gave researchers an excellent vantage point from which researchers could identify the potential locations of new rifts via high altitude triangulation and detectable energy flows. It also helped that both sides of the mountain provided incredible views, with one side overlooking the Crater Citadel, along with the rest of the city, while the other side faced off into the distant horizon, where the sun could be seen sinking below the earth late in the day. Because of these factors, Sort'Vol was very popular with scientists, entrepeneurs and various other upper-class members of Nexulaian society.

It just so happened that Aiden Toft was born into such a family. He strolled along the path leading to his estate. It was a three-story manor, the rich red brickwork contrasting well against the serene shades of greens belonging to the grass, trees and other foliage surrounding it. Several mullioned windows were crafted into the walls of the building, spread out evenly on both floors. A pair of Gothic pinnacles were planted on the ogee roofs on each side of the building. The manor was reasonably large, but not ludicrously so. The average citizen would certainly be impressed with it, but Aiden had definitely seen fancier residences in this neighborhood. Not that he desired such an extravagant, conspicuous mansion for a home. This manor served his family well enough over the past several years, and he couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

Speaking of which, that was why Aiden had traveled back here, not just to retrieve his gear and prepare for the journey, but also to inform his parents, Stefan and Morgan Toft, of his new assignment. They were both among Nexulai's top scientific officials on the rifts. In fact, their past studies were vital in improving Nexulai's ability to control the portals' stability. As a result, they had a large influence on Aiden's interests as he grew up.

The explorer stepped up to the manor's large wooden entrance, taking the house key out of his pocket and unlocking it before slipping inside. One would expect to find a grand lobby, complete with dual staircases leading to the upper floor, but that was not the case here; instead, the entrance led to a rather narrow corridor with several doors on the side walls leading to other rooms on the ground floor. The stairs were a bit further down a hall leading towards the right end of the building from an T-shaped intersection at the end of the entrance corridor.

"Mom, dad?" Aiden called out as he shut the door behind him, "I'm home! Got some news to share, so..." He trailed off as he waited for a muffled reply from one of the other rooms, only to hear none. "Hm." They had to be home; Aiden made sure to come back after the end of their shifts, which left him with two possibilities; either they were held up by an unexpected occurence, or they were on a higher floor. Placing his bet on the latter possibility, he traveled to the stairs, but before he ascended to the second floor, he noticed that the door leading to the parlour was slightly ajar. Pushing the door open, Aiden discovered that his guess was correct.

Sitting around a marble-topped pedestal table were Stefan and Morgan Toft. Aiden took after his father in many ways; both had similar facial structures, physical builds and tan skin tones. However, there were a few notable differences, an example being that Stefan was slightly taller than his son at 6'1". His grey hair was neatly combed, and his face was mostly clean shaven, leaving a thin, simple goatee that encircled his thin lips. He appeared to be in his fifties. His mother had a lighter pigmentation and looked to be in her late forties. Her wavy brown hair reached down to her shoulders. Both of them were dressed in buttoned long sleeve shirts, with Stefan's being of a dark grey color and Morgan's a clean white, along with trousers and loafers.

"Thought I'd find you here," Aiden said with a smirk, which prompted his parents to look up at him in surprise. They were busy discussing the contents on a file Stefan held in his hands when the explorer interrupted them. It seemed that they'd just got off of work, and it was still fresh on their minds. Both of them smiled, glad to push such thoughts to the side in favor of their son.

"Aiden," Exclaimed Morgan, leaning forward in her seat with an keen look in her eyes, "We were just wondering when you would be coming home!"

"Indeed! It's been a long day for us both, as you can probably tell," Stefan cut in as Aiden pulled out a chair across from the couple to sit in, "Of course, no doubt you've had quite the eventful day yourself. Please, tell us how the meeting went!"

Aiden chuckled nervously. He remembered telling his parents about his scheduled meeting with the Grand Ambassador shortly after receiving the news. To say that they were surprised was quite the understatement; rather, they were struck speechless for almost a minute. They didn't know how to feel about it. They knew that their son had talent, but to attract the eye of Sokolniki himself? It didn't help that none of them knew anything of the meeting's subject matter, so they didn't know what to expect. Eventually, they settled on an odd mix of pride and apprehension. Now, with their son back home safe and sound, they were eager to learn the truth.

How would he go about it? Aiden had been bestowed with a great honor. He would be considered a genuine pioneer among his peers for being the first man to record such an important Caelestine ritual in person. He wanted some time to think his approach through, but his parents' stares prevented him from doing so. There was no other way around it; he just hoped it wouldn't give them a heart attack.

"Well..." Aiden started with a sigh, "it went well. Great, actually...the Ambassador personally gave me my first assignment."

"...Are you serious?" Stefan asked, intrigued, "That's...wow. Executive orders are a rare thing to see from the Grand Ambassador... so, what kind of assignment is it?" He smirked. "What, did he set aside an unknown realm just for you?"

"Heh, no, no, but it is a big one. Huge, really...I'm going to be heading to Ceciderunt Dea."

His parents turned to each other briefly, unsure of what to make of what they had heard so far. The lands of Ceciderunt Dea had been covered extensively by other explorers in the past, and both the Caelestine and Dalimos did much to help inform Akreaus of their world. There were still many secrets to find in that world, especially those concerning magic, but neither Stefan or Morgan could guess at what Aiden's assignment could possibly be, if it was as huge as he described.

"Really now? Fascinating. You know, we've been meaning to set some time aside for us to visit The Aviary at some point when work starts to let up, but I suppose you'll be beating us to the punch," Morgan ruminated, chuckling a bit at the end.

"Well... I wouldn't say I've beaten you there. I highly doubt I'll even set foot in the Aviary. I'm actually heading to the Blade Rim Caldera."

That wiped Morgan's smile off of her face. Now she looked confused, and a bit worried. "What for? That's a long trek, and it's through-"

"Dalimos territory, I know," Aiden interrupted, "But I won't be alone. I'm going to be traveling with a Caelestine and some others. We'll be acting as her guardian as she travels on her Pilgrimage...my job is to observe her ascension, record my findings." He leaned towards his parents with a wide smile on his face. "I'm going to be the first Akreausian ever to witness such an event...pretty wild, wouldn't you say?"

For a long time, Stefan and Morgan sat there in silence, staring at Aiden. He worried that it would be a repeat of last time, but he was quickly proven wrong when his mother suddenly rose out of her seat. "Oh god," She breathed, quickly circling the table towards her son, who rose up to meet her as she took him into a tight embrace. Stefan quickly followed suit. Aiden awkwardly returned the hug. Once he was finally released, he noticed his mother's tearful grin. His father's reaction wasn't as strong, but his joyful grin was more than enough.

"Aiden...after you finished your training... god," Stefan spoke softly, struggling to find the right words to say, "We thought you would be sent to... to follow up and add onto the findings of a previous expedition or some such. We would've been perfectly happy with that, but this...this goes beyond all my expectations. Er, not to insinuate that you, you aren't-"

"No, no dad, it's fine," Aiden replied with a hearty laugh, "I didn't expect much more than that either. I am a greenhorn, after all..." That actually made him start to doubt himself a little.

"Yeah...this is so much better than that, Aiden," Morgan cut in, wiping her tears, "This path you're about to take, it won't be anyone's but yours! Years from now, all our knowledge gathered on the Pilgrimage, no matter how much it's expanded upon, it will all be based on the source: you."

"This is a major undertaking, son. Sokolniki's asking you to be a true pioneer. Do you believe that you can handle this responsibility?" Stefan asked, his expression turned serious. Aiden paused for a few seconds, mulling over the implications of this task. It would be unknown territory, and it could potentially result in a very messy death for him if things went south, but really, all explorers faced such a risk. It helped that he would have a party to rely on along the way, ensuring that, whatever he would face in Ceciderunt Dea, he wouldn't face it alone.

"...Yes. I can handle it. I know it."

---

Aiden spent the rest of the day gathering the supplies necessary for his survival on the journey and studying the geography, history, races and cultures of Ceciderunt Dea as much as he possibly could within a single day. It was all truly fascinating to him, and he couldn't wait to encounter it first-hand. The next morning, he bade his family farewell and left Sort'Vol for the last time before beginning his quest. It did hurt to leave his parents behind like this, but regardless, Aiden proudly walked towards Libere District, a confident smile on his face the entire time.

He would never forget his father's parting words:

"For the past twenty years, we've had the pleasure of watching you grow up to be an incredibly bright, driven young man. We've always supported you and your dreams...and nothing pleases us more than to see them realized. From this day forward, you will be one of the few who will guide our people into the great unknown, paving the way to a better future for us all. We are so proud of you. Go on, son... infinity lies within your grasp."

Seraphina had been traveling on foot a few hours. The sun had risen higher into the sky, but still a few hours off from noon. At some point, she had started to skip as opposed to walking, and she didn't much care to figure out precisely when that happened. All that mattered to her was what lay ahead. Growing up in Triluna, and later the Aviary, she met and knew many angels and always marveled at their majesty. Her own father was also an angel, a Seraphim at that, and many an hour was spent softly patting the feathers on his six wings in envy.

But now she has started her own Pilgrimage to see the Featherkeeper. She pondered on who all she'd meet along the way. Her own father first met the King and many of his own friends in this manner.

Who would she meet along this journey, could they be friends... could any of them live for as long as she will if the Featherkeeper decides to grant her the wings she has longed for the whole of her childhood? She stopped a moment and pondered on that last thought. It was something that struck deeply at many angels, the loss of shorter lived friends as the centuries pass by. Her race was a passionate and emotional one, but there are still those who find themselves scarred by loss and time. Perhaps that is why the Ageless Seraphim reside in the Featherkeeper's Citadel, so as to avoid making friends they would surely lose to the ravages of time, even the younger Seraphim would wither away by comparison to them. She pitied them to a degree even. And then there was the Featherkeeper as well, who was senior even to her esteemed goddess.

"Perhaps I could spare a small conversation with them all?" The said meekly to herself. Then her faced brightened as she proclaimed "but first thing's first, I have to make it there!"

Ahead on the cobbled path was a settlement set beyond the outskirts of the Aviary. A common hang out for mercenaries of various types, including those Dalimos whose licenses were accepted by the Caelestine, though their services are rarely ever used, a few still dream to serve escort for an angel. More common are the humans, unawakened Caelest and the Cruentai blades for hire. She heard as well at the occasional foreigner from beyond the portal in Keranlus have begun to show up there as well. She was particularly fascinated with the idea of meeting an elf, she had heard the elves in Nexulai, while every bit as rigid, were at least friendly enough not to put an arrow through your eye at 400 yards like the Sylvashians. There were also the Averians... muscular, tall, walking and talking bird people. She was curious to hear one sing, she always enjoyed the singing of the birds that flutted about the Aviary, and though the Averians apparently forsake the ability to fly in ages past, surely they'd never surrender their ability to sing, right?

Then her mind was set back to the task at hand as she resumed her skipping along the road again. She needed to hire a mercenary to guide her through to the Blades Rim Caldera. A scent wafted into the air about her, a succulent roast was being prepared somewhere and her stomach rumbled to accentuate what the mind had already been thinking. Her legs went back to a proper walk, and slowly gained paced. She was hungry, and so she decided to take care of eating first, then she'd seek out prospective guides. The humble stone buildings in the distance quickly grew nearer.

In a settlement just east of The Aviary...

---

Elric sat in the shadows of The Aviary, the setting sun sinking behind the floating spires of the home of the Caelist, a new cigar in hand and his equipment at his feet. The mercs from before had dispersed as typical this time of day, with many of them getting their journeys underway, and those unsuccessful finding a bed for the night. Around him the settlement was still slightly busy, with the day-guard finishing their patrols, and the night-guard just now starting their shift. A cloaked Cruentai passed by him, a nod affirming that he was just checking to make sure no trouble was underway. Even this far into Caelist there could still be an incident, and crime made a habit of doing things that most would find unacceptable. Elric leaned back against the stone of the bench, its smooth surface warmed through the day by the rays of the sun and just now beginning to cool with the more temperate night.

A series of soft footsteps alerted him to another approaching, the weight of the steps and the slight jingle of metal telling him all he needed to know of the person walking towards him. The younger mercenary from before came up beside him, standing facing The Aviary until bid to sit on the bench. "Sir Elric," he began, the hesitation in his voice showing that he was slightly unsure if he was making another wrong move. "About earlier, I'd like to apologize for pressing the matter as I did." Elric waved away the statement casually, "It's fine boy, you're still learning the trade." The two sat watching the setting sun for a long moment before Elric stuck the cigar in his mouth and cupped one hand around the tip to shield it from the wind. Realizing he was minus a match, he looked over at the younger merc and gave a sly wink, igniting the cigar with a small burst of flame from his free hand.

"So then, tell me your name new-blood." The attitude of the younger merc seemed to brighten significantly as Elric asked him his name. "My name is Kal'Talarn, I took the job to follow in the footsteps of my father. He walked the borders of the Cruentai to help the human settlers defend themselves against the elves of the wood." Kal'Talarn seemed slightly downcast as he spoke of his father, the change in mood enough to tell of what happened. Elric nodded slowly, the cigar smoldering in his hand as he removed it to speak more clearly, "Such is our way. It's noble in its own right, but once you take those first steps, you are only walking into your own grave. Never lose sight of your goal though, for that is when everything you strive for is nothing." In the distance Elric sighted a traveler on the way to the settlement from The Aviary, too soon to tell who they were and what business they were about. With the growing darkness surrounding it, The Aviary shone as a beacon with its arcane lights, even in darkness it represented the good of its people. The image of the diamond spires shining despite the night swiftly falling reminded him of his past, and how suitable the imagery was.

Kal'Talarn seemed confused by Elric's last statement, clearly under the same impression all the other new-bloods were defined by. "But aren't we just sell-swords? I thought all we did was fight for whoever pays us?" Elric let out a slight chuckle, all at once amused by the naivety of the younger man, and disappointed with him. "No, we are not simple sell-swords. We may be mercenaries, but we have our code of honor, and we have our principles. I knew of your father, though when we fought you were just a name and an intention. Your father was a great man, but in the end he was betrayed by one of our own. We never saw it coming, never thought that we could be sold out." He looked up from his introspection, the traveler now much closer than before. Above the city the shapes of airborne Caelistine could be seen just barely in the distance, Elric lowering his voice to a whisper, "Even Angels fall, and when they do, they have the farthest to go."

"And then you have the ones like Novaus," came a strong feminine voice approaching from the darkness of lands opposite from the Aviary. If her voice were not indication enough, her figure would have been. The black buckskin coat, tied off at her waist, clung to her slim and curvy body. Her pants a navy blue, and her boots, though up to her thighs, were thick with portions formed of hardened leather. Her hair black as jet and her eye blood red. But her most recognizable feature however were her bat-like wings. A mercenary born of the Dalimos, her polished silver arm band with the Caelestine Sun Symbol inlaid with diamonds indicated her status as a Dalimos given permission to operate in Caelestine lands. She let out a short sigh and sat on the ground behind the pair, "That man protected the Children of Kanas in spite of being one of the most severely injured people to come out from that, and then spends the money he makes on charities for the sick, the poor, and the families of mercs who have met their end."

Elric looked up to regard the Dalimos woman with obvious distaste, his years of fighting the more rogue elements of their kind tainting his view of their entire people. "Novaus is a true hero indeed, but let's remember who started the tragedy of Kanas, Eraslyn. There would still be a port city there if it weren't for the actions of supposed rogue Dalimos elements." He spit in derision as he finished the statement.

Her brows furled angrily, "May I remind you that it was the more disciplined of my Dalimos brothers who arrived to save who could survive their injuries that day." Getting back to her feet, absently brushing the dust from the back of her coat, she continued, almost yelling, "That it was one of feathers who did that... that it was an angel that killed my family and my friends!" Tears became visible in her eyes, her pain apparent as the city consumed in dark flames reflected in her memory.

His scowl diminished slightly as she was obviously pained by the events, and for a moment he felt as though perhaps he had mis-stepped here. "Apologies, I have spent too many years on the Cruentai borders patrolling against renegades of the Dalimos"

Wiping the tears from her eyes, "Everyone suffered that day... including demons." Finishing a last sniffle, she then steeled herself. "Regardless, I've come here at the Blind Seer's request."

Elric was slightly intrigued by her statement, as he himself was here to ensure the safety of another, though for differing reasons. "The Blind Seer? You have come to assist lady Seraphina on her journey?"

Her eyes widened at this inquiry, "What... a demon escorting an angel to be?" She then let out a hearty laugh, even throwing her head back. "I don't think there is one instance in recorded history of that happening." She chuckled a little bit more before pulling out a small scroll. "But you are correct in that my business here pertains to the Lady Lunasdiei."

He turned more fully to regard her, a slight smile forming, "Well then, daemon, I suppose that I should introduce myself, since I also intend to ensure the safe passage of Lady Seraphina. I am Elric Aradryan, mercenary for hire, and patrolman of the Cruentai borders."

She nodded briefly and bowed in introduction, "Eraslyn Miera, Supercian Merc and bounty hunter, and presently delivery girl for the 'Blind Beauty', I was to catch Seraphina as she began her journey on her friend's behalf, and deliver this missive."

"A message from the Blind Seer for me?" Called out a voice excitedly from the darkness. The traveler from the distance was now running towards the gathered crowd outside the tavern. Her statuesque features becoming apparent in the low light shining through from the windows.

The arrival of Seraphina brought Elric to his feet immediately, the older mercenary taking a slight bow towards her as she joined the group. "My lady, greetings on this first day of your pilgrimage. I am Elric Aradryan, and I am here to humbly offer my services to you on your long journey to the Citadel." Kal'Talarn also stood hurriedly, though he made himself out to more of a bumbling fool in his rush to make himself look professional. "And I am Kal'Talarn, Sir Elric's apprentice." Elric had half a mind to swing around and knock the kid senseless for putting him in the fire like this, but knew that he couldn't make himself look a fool for putting the kid down. It would not do well to create tension at this first meeting between him and Seraphina, and it was imperative that he saw to her safety across the Pilgrim's Path. Kal'Talarn would simply have to make himself useful and not die on the way.

She bowed hastily before the duo, as the demon chuckled behind the two. "Many thanks you two." She then looked over the trio as a whole, taking their varied features. One seemed an aged veteran of combat, the one who proclaimed himself the elder's apprentice certainly looked the part of someone who was fresh from training. Beyond the two stood the menacing outline of a winged daemoness, and though her figure suggested possibly being a succubus, her clothing told the story of adventure. Her own father having told her stories of working alongside members of Dalimos, and knowing the Blind Seer counted a few among them as her own friends, she was not frightened in the least. She then smiled cheerfully, introduced herself formally, "I am Seraphina Lunasdiei, daughter of the late Seraphim Galric, and acting Patron Guardian of the town of Triluna..." She then paused, mulling over that last thought for a moment, "Oh, rather I will be once I have returned from my Pilgrimage"

Eraslyn smiled warmly, having herself a few fond memories of the Seraphim that frequented her home town.

Elric spared a glance towards Kal'Talarn, a short and swift glare telling the boy all he needed to know before returning his attention to Seraphina and the daemon. "Have confidence, for my mace will be in hand for this journey, and I know the lands of the Cruentai/Dalimos borders well. We will see you safely across the continent and back, you have my oath as a mercenary." Kal'Talarn nodded in agreement, the realization of what he had jumped into slowly dawning on him. "If you don't mind" Elric continued, "It would be best to get underway as soon as possible, for word travels fast that the daughter of Honoured Galric is traveling beyond the protecting of Caelist." As if to emphasize the point, he collected his equipment from the ground at his feet, strapping the heavy pack to his back and looping the handle of his mace into his belt.

"Oh... yes, I suppose it would be a good idea to head on out soon," she responded hastily.

"Whoa there kiddo," came a sassy voice from behind the two men. The Daemoness held the scroll out to the young Caelist, "Your message, express from the Blind Seer herself... penned by Novaus mind you, but I confirmed the message was to the young lady's liking."

As if to give Eraslyn greater leverage over the pacing of the pilgrimage's start, Seraphina's stomach began to growl.

Letting out a chuckle, the winged woman suggested they step into the tavern for a bite to eat while discussing the contents of the letter. She took the lead and held the door open for the rest of the group, looking the rookie in the eye and sarcastically stating "Ladies first."

Kal'Talarn looked confused for a moment, and then slightly downcast as he caught on to the joke, but began to move towards the door anyways. A hand grabbed hold of his collar and nearly put him flat on his back, the younger man looking back to find Elric at the other end of the arm. "If you two would like to proceed, me and my 'Apprentice' need to discuss a few things regarding the journey." Despite the worried look that Kal'Talarn gave, Elric nodded reassuringly, "Tell the barkeep to put everything on my tab, he'll know me by name."

The two girls stepped into the tavern, many of the older patrons conversing cheerfully looked towards the door, one of the shouted out excitedly to the newcomers, "Hey Eraslyn! What are you doing this far into Lumminalux?"

Another followed on, "And whose your friend... don't tell me you'll be the first Daemon to accompany an angel to be?"

Laughter broke out around the table. Leading the statuesque girl towards the bar by the hand, she glanced over at the small gathering, "I'm afraid to disappoint boys, but she and I only just met to discuss urgent business. But when we're done, I'll go a round or two with you geezers!"

"Cheers!"

The Caelist looked on in confusion. Often tales were told of young dashing mercenaries, but she saw gathered here a cheerful bunch of old men, obviously geared out for dangerous work, some looking the age most humans would choose to retire. And oddly enough the younger of the group simply looked on in silence, as if they had seen a ghost earlier and it had drained the energy from them. "An interesting bunch in here."

"Don't mind them, most of them are silly... I think hit in the head a few times, but still good men." The Daemon then turned to the barkeep; "Got any potato and beef stew, Elric said to put it on his tab."

One of the men yelled out, "Boy was that a mistake!" Laughter broke out once again among the group.

The Daemon then handed the young woman the scroll, "Enchanted so that only you can open it, so don't wait on me."

Taking the scroll, Seraphina searched for the seal, then unrolled it and read through the message.

"To my good friend, there has been so much you have done for me in the years since Kanas, but there has been so few opportunities for me to repay the debt. And so I send this message in haste, I've heard that you have committed yourself to follow in the footsteps of your father and become and ascend. That you intend to travel to the Featherkeeper's Citadel. I ask only that you take a few steps out of the way and meet me at Keranlus so that I may begin to repay the debt owed for so long."

Sincerely..."

And then in the final line, an illegible signature. "Hehe, that silly girl... she still insists on signing her own letters." She turned to her demonic companion, an empty bottle already before her and waving the bartender over, presumably to ask for another one. "Um... are you sure he won't mind you buy so much in drink?"

Eraslyn spared her a glance, "If he doesn't know, he'll have to learn." She then turned her fact fully while smiling closed eye.

The barkeep arrived with another bottle for the daemoness, and put a bowl of soup in front of Seraphina.

Outside the tavern Elric stared down Kal'Talarn, who was by now starting to regret shoehorning himself into the group. "I kinda fucked up, didn't I?" He said sheepishly, trying not to look Elric in the eyes, but the glare drawing him back anyways. "Yeah, kid. You did." He stated rather bluntly, "Now look here, if you're going to pretend to be my apprentice, you're going to have to act like one. When I say to do something, do it. Also, you aren't allowed to die. That's an order." Though the ridiculousness of the statement was without question, Kal'Talarn got the impression that Elric was dead serious, a slow nod giving Elric the affirmation that he was looking for.

"Good, now your first task." With a single movement, he slid the pack off his shoulders and tossed it to the younger merc, who was not at all prepared for the heavy pack. "Carry my equipment. Don't drop it either, my armor is in there." He was about to head into the tavern himself when he noticed that the boy was struggling with the pack, a look of impatience on his face as he waited for him. Finally, the pack secure, the two started towards the tavern again, but stopped short of the door.

"Let me make something else very clear." Elric said, his voice low so as not to travel between the two of them. "This is a very important mission, understand? We're escorting Lady Seraphina to the Citadel at the request of a very close friend, his last request of me before we parted ways. If you endanger this mission, there will be no end to what lengths I will go to make you pay for it. Her life is more important than your own, swear to me that you will do your best to see this mission succeed."

Kal'Talarn nodded hurriedly, almost making the warrior's salute, but unable to due to the heavy pack, "I swear to the Mercenary's Code that I will see the mission through."

The two men walked into the tavern, a quick salute from Elric to the table of veterans returned by a cheer and raised mugs, and the younger mercs staring at Kal'Talarn with a mixture of jealousy and awe. Elric took his seat next to Seraphina, while Kal'Talarn set the equipment down at his feet on the other side near Eraslyn. The barkeep had seen Elric enter and brought him a drink, Elric passing a couple of gold coins to the barkeep as thanks and partial payment towards his tab. "So then, we are set to head out soon?" He asked of Seraphina.

Seraphina took a swallow of the soup and wiped her lips before turning to the Elric, "Yes, I wish to get started out as soon as possible... but we're going to have to take something of a detour if it is no problem to you?"

"To KERANLUS!!!" Shouted Eraslyn excitedly, 3 bottles emptied before her already.

"Uh... yes, the city that has the portal in it," responded the Caelist, embarrassed of the daemon's cheer.

Elric eyed the daemon warily as she burst out with the destination, inadvertently knocking Kal'Talarn off balance in her excitement. "Yes, It is on the way anyways. Should be of no consequence to the journey at hand, and prove excellent for stocking up supplies. If we are done here, then let us be on our way." He snapped his fingers at Kal'Talarn and gave him a quick disapproving glance "Apprentice, gather the equipment, let's be off."

The marble bricks of the street pavement glowed radiantly in the morning such as it cast its light down the length of Libere street. The streets were filled with activity as merchants advertised their wares to passersby. Heavily dressed men whom seemed scrawny in stature in spite of their clothing bid prospective buyers into their basic silken tents. Angels stood aside, marveling more at the artistic works around the marketplace as various horned entities moved about brutishly from stall to stall. At the end of the street stood two large alabaster statues of angelic women reach to each other to form an elegant arch. From beyond these works of art came a golden glow radiating from a vortex to beyond.

Aiden Toft had visited Libere District many times over the course of his life. It was one of Nexulai's largest marketplaces, containing many valuable goods originating from the realm beyond the green portal known as Ceciderunt Dea. He'd come here often with his parents ever since he was a child, and even now, two decades into his life, he still frequented the marketplace, which contained many tools and supplies that came in handy during his training. Occasionally, he would also find a merchant who was selling souvenirs, which he would gladly purchase and add to his collection back at the Toft estate. There were always Caelestine and Dalimos in the area, since, of course, this was the portal leading to Ceciderunt Dea, but Aiden never really had the chance to get to know any of them very well.

Aiden strolled down the street towards the marketplace, smiling gently and glancing around at the brilliant marble streets and walls, which were heavily based off of Caelestine architetcture. His clothing wasn't much different from what he wore on the previous day; a black morning coat, along with a grey double-breasted vest underneath with white sleeves. His trousers and boots shared the color of his coat. However, this time, unlike his visit to the Grand Ambassador's Spire, he was armed. Slung over his shoulder was a large recurve crossbow, and on his left hip was a metallic scabbard containing a finely crafted steel saber, its lustrous copper hilt barely poking out from under his coat as he walked. The weapons were necessary; Aiden was about to embark on a critical mission, escorting a Caelestine pilgrim through unknown territory, possibly braving many dangers along the way. He was her charge, so he had to be prepared to face down any possible threats during their journey.

The explorer stopped halfway to the portal, gazing up at the angelic statues. He let out a deep sigh, placing his hands upon his hips as he examined the sculptures. For the first time in his life, he would be entering another realm inhabited by sentient beings. This world would be vastly different from the one he'd been born and raised in. Excited as he was, he was also rather nervous. This would be a truly unique experience for him, and he briefly wondered if he was truly ready to face it before wiping such doubts from his mind. Aiden had spent years preparing for this day. Whether this mission would end in success or failure didn't matter to him; he had to take the next step.

Of course, that next step involved purchasing important supplies, so the explorer began to browse the marketplace for wares that would assist him on his journey. Eventually, he came across a merchant who looked like he had the supplies he'd need to survive this journey.

"Excuse me," Aiden spoke as he approached the stand, leaning on the counter. "Aiden Toft, certified state explorer. I, um, I'm about to head into the portal. Gonna need some rations, lantern fuel, crossbow ammunition... really, anything that can help me survive out on the field." He reached into his trouser's back pocket, retrieving his wallet. "So. Got what I need?" He asked, smiling.

The light rolled off the merchants ebony skin, and with a dispossed raise of an eyebrow at the mans apparent authority, his eyes fell down below his stand. "Alright, sir, y'came to the right place. Don't go no where else, you're my favourite, best customer." His tone wasn't exactly convincing, but the effort he put into getting three containers might show otherwise.
"Now I got just right what you need,"

With the merchants hoarse voice, he authoritively proclaimed, "You said you need rations? Well I don't carry things that go bad within a few days. I carry things that'll keep you going forever. So this here is a high quality fishin' set, bound to keep you goin', great for lakes and seas-- yer' gonna need it whether you think it or not." He opened the case and began presenting its contents,

"It's got five hooks an' each has a line to match, as well as some little jerky that'll probably act as good start bait. Otherwise y'can find bait anywhere else. Wouldn't recommend chewin' on it myself, though."

Moving on to the next case, he didn't give Aiden a moment to speak or protest, "Now, what's gonna happen when yer' clothes rip or yer wallets got a hole in it, for some reason or another? Ain't gonna use no fishing hook to fix that. That's why I got you here a premium sewing kit."

He began pulling some of the contents out, "Now, this set'll do for those who have no idea how to use 'em an' for those who are professional tailors, y'hear? An' I throw in surgical wires fer' you, just in case you need to stitch up a wound 'er something. Now, lets say, though, if you REALLY screw yer'self up, huh? What're you gonna do? Well, I'll tell ya' what I got for you when that happens. . ."

"This is the best medical kit that'll get you running-- better than that Akhmed quack who'll up charge you for fancy stuff like camphor or quinine. You don't need any of the hodonk he has to offer, this is all you need. Some pain-away sauce and gauze to keep yer' bits in. Now, listen sir, listen real quick. . ." He was closing the deal, pushing all the 'sets' together and towards him,

"I can give you all three of these sets for a discounted price-- even if you only like two, this deal is too good to pass up. Five thousand two-hundred Incrims sound fair to you?"

Aiden didn't give the merchant an immediate answer. For a few seconds, he just stood there, mouth shut tightly, blinking twice at him. When he came to this stand, he didn't expect all that much from it. He thought he'd just walk away with the supplies he requested and maybe something extra, nothing more. This merchant offered him a lot more than just that, and it toook Aiden off guard. He soon recovered, looking over the tools offered to him closely, rubbing a hand over his beard. A fishing set, a sewing kit and even a medical kit stocked up with morphine and gauze... all that, offered to him for just for 5200 Incrims? That was pretty damn impressive, but a part of him felt that he could do a little more about it.

"We-heh-hell," Aiden began, awkwardly half-chuckling as he spoke, "I... I must admit, I didn't see this coming. You have a very impressive inventory." The explorer grinned, opening his wallet and retrieving the required cash. He had about 10000 Incrims to spend here. The rest of the money he had with him was converted to Ceciderunt Dea's standard currency.

He paused before retrieving the money from his wallet. "You know...I'm gonna be in Ceciderunt Dea for a while," He said, looking back up at the merchant, "Hell, I'm expected to be going through Dalimos territory at some point. It ain't gonna be easy, and I'll need a lot of good gear if I expect to survive." He leans further in, looking at the merchant expectantly. "How 'bout...forty eight hundred? No less than that."

"Hm, well I'll strike you a deal with your words of honor on it. Four thousand eight hundred and when you come back from the portal, you and all your friends buy from me what you can from other merchants. Deal?"

A sharp cackling came from the next stall over. "Still can't secure return business I take it?" came the shrill voice. A short creature red of skin and pointed ears peaked around the side of the planked barrier separating the two businesses. "Did you not notice he sold you everything but what it was you asked for?"

"Go away! This is my customer, not yours!"

The little demon smiled mischieviously. "Why would I need to steal customers from you? As a matter of fact, how would I?" He held out a golden earring with an ruby set inside it. Across the surface of the gem were sylized grooves filled with silver as a means of writing names across them. "When this alone is worth more than your whole shop, I doubt anyone visiting you has the money to afford anything of mine." Tilting his head and putting out his lips as though pouting, he continued his taunting, "I just want to see this fine young man come back alive."

Aiden remained silent throughout the confrontation, just looking between the feuding shopkeepers. He struggled not to smirk; the sight of these two rival merchants, vastly different in height, insulting each others' skills (well, actually, it was more one-sided, with the small Dalimos doing most of the insulting), was nothing short of amusing to the explorer. He would not laugh, of course, lest he ended up on the receiving end of the taller one's wrath.

"So...I take it you two have a history?" He asked cautiously with a shrug.

The merchant pretended to ignore the demon, "History with who? Oh, the little thing next to me? Don't mind him, he's just upset that he has to stand on a stool all day. So, four thousand eight hundred?"

The rival scowled at the taller gentleman. He gritted his teeth a moment before vanishing back around, mumbling to himself "At least my seat is made of gold."

Right, of course. Back to business. Aiden now found himself in a bit of a conundrum. It wasn't like this merchant had a bad selection, but to restrict his purchases to him alone...it just wasn't realistic. This was what he got for trying to haggle a bit, and he was spouting endless curses at himself in his mind for it. He didn't want to lose this deal. In fact, if he turned it down, the merchant would probably become mighty crossed and bump up the price, or even refuse to sell him his goods altogether.

"Would this be a permanent condition?" The explorer asked, hesitant to give him an answer.

"Why would you go anywhere else? No one else would give you the deal I'm giving you. Imagine what discount I'd give you next time you come with your friends." The merchant looked a bit perplexed, "I'm just talking about the survival gear, bub. I'm the best around."

"..." The human found himself at a loss. He didn't doubt that this merchant was a decent guy, if rather greedy, but he just couldn't abide by his request. Especially since he knew that camphor and quinine were a hell of a lot more useful in medical applications than the ebony-skinned man claimed. Aiden started to feel disappointed with himself. He'd shown such arrogance; he was literally about to take on his first job, and he'd already gotten himself into a trap. Such incompetence was ill-befitting of an Explorer.

Then it hit him; this whole situation was silly. Aiden was a state-certified Explorer, purchasing supplies required for a mission given to him by the Grand Ambassador himself. He was pretty sure that there was no actual law in Akreaus that allowed merchants to restrict customers from purchasing from them alone. If there was, he'd never heard of it. In any case, Aiden was sure that he was perfectly free to disregard the merchant's demands. However, he did want that gear, and he didn't doubt that the merchant would have some valuable wares for him to purchase in the future. Aiden didn't feel comfortable with the idea of shutting him down because of his position, so he decided to compromise.

"Alright. You have a deal." The human planted the money required for the purchase onto the counter with a cheerful smile. It was a lie. Well, maybe not a complete lie. More like a half-lie; if Aiden came back from his mission to find that the merchant had a whole batch of handy tools for him to use, he would stay true to his word. If he was outclassed by the other merchants in the marketplace, well, he would disregard the deal. It was harsh, and it pained Aiden to do it, but it was the most practical decision he could make in this situation. He knew he shouldn't have gotten into such a situation in the first place, but what was done was done. He took a little risk, and things got a little out of control as a result, but as long as the merchant didn't make him sign a contract or anything, he'd be fine. He just hoped he wouldn't make more rash decisions in the future much like this when the stakes were higher.

The merchant took the cash and then moved the kits from his counter and pulled out all three new set for his customer, although they looked a little older then the ones he displayed.
"There you go, it's all yours."

"Excellent." Taking the newly purchased supplies, he began to stuff them into his rucksack when he paused, looking back up at the merchant. "By the way, I never caught your name."

"My name is Kadir; come back anytime."

"Thanks, Kadir. I'll see you around!" He backed away from the stand, waving at the merchant before turning around and heading deeper into the marketplace. As he spent the rest of his Incrims at other stands, including the one owned by "that Akhmed quack", he kept thinking back to his encounter with Kadir.

"What a whimsical fellow," Aiden said, chuckling to himself as he left the marketplace and approached the portal, ready to carry out his mission.

The dome of the embassy seemed to radiate light down into the lobby far below, the painting of the Caelestine Goddess looking on as though a benevolent presence from above. The Pillars holding the decorative ceiling were carved masterfully from marble stone into the shape of angels of varying degrees of ascension, the standard angels at the bottom with the Seraphim at the top, arms held outward as though to hold the heavens aloft.

The floor was also formed of marble, polished to an almost glassy sheen. Gold and marble benches line the lobby's walls as angels and demons strutted to an from the entrance of the Embassy and its back offices.

The short demon was still taking in such a sight. It was very overwhelming at first, but now it was a bit easier to appreciate. Although most of the statues made him uneasy, he still took his time looking them over. Konsa was often distracting by the embassy and would zone out for a few minutes just to take it all in. He was much more used to grungier places, so this was a very new experience for him. Konsa was staring up at the Caelestine Goddess painting, eyes slightly narrowed at it.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" came a harsh voice behind. The mercenary stepped forward from behind the demon. "She hasn't been seen in nearly 9,000 years, and yet they still remember the way she looked."

Konsa jumped, spinning around; he was still skittish around Novaus. But then again, he was like that with everyone. "Yes... I suppose she's pretty." He said as he glanced back at the painting. It really was a breathtaking sight, "Must have been a pretty interesting person to leave such an impression." Konsa mumbled as he looked back at Novaus.

"Indeed, she must have been... but just as intriguing is your own Demon Lord, Drakling," pondered the mercenary. "Legend has it, she denies the Caelist her presence to keep him imprisoned, and has done so for the past 9,000 years."

"I can assure that both reside in the center of the Blade's Rim to this day," came a small voice from behind. Novaus turned around and gave the silver winged angel a courteous bow.

Konsa nodded silently as he returned his gaze to the painting once more. He didn't really care about his own kind's history, or anyones at that. Most things were not interesting to him, almost his whole life was focused on survival.

When Konsa turned to face Blind Seer he surpressed a smile. He had taken a small liking to her although he refused to show it. He clusmily bowed when he saw Novaus do it.

The Blind Seer smiled reassuringly to them, "It is good to see that I at least have a degree of your trust, young one." She then spun on her heels towards an approaching figure, his silver gaze going over the demon in detail.

Dressed much as he was at the time of his meeting with the Grand Ambassador the day before, what was different was the presence of his satchel and its bandolier strap, and the sheathes for his six swords, the two longest of his scimitar like blades hung from his waist, while the 4 remaining blades rested in scabbards hanging at the sides of his hips.

The Blind Seer gestured towards the newcomer in introduction. "May I present to you the master artificer Conrose."

The newcomer let out a gruff breath, "There is no need for flattery. So, who is this runt?"

Konsa hid his reddening cheeks from them, not noticing the newcomer who had approached them. He didn't really like the look of this guy, his instincts were telling him that he was very dangerous. Maybe it was because he had so many swords and the way he eyed Konsa.

At first Konsa merely avoided his gaze, trying to appear uninterested in this man. Although he glared at him when Konsa was referred to as a runt. Although technically, he was basically a runt. The demon tried not to growl and instead focused his attention to the glassy floor.

"Always trying to start a fight I see," came the voice of someone following Conrose. The eagle headed Grand Ambassador came in from the other direction, carrying a few folders with various official papers and other documents in one hand, and a spear with a wood, gold and silver shafted bronze and diamond head over his shoulder with his other hand.

"I take it, this little guy is going to be accompanying your explorer and I on this Pilgrimage," inquired the six bladed warrior with a tone of dismay.

Konsa took a quick glance at the Grand Ambassador before quickly returning his gaze to the floor. He listened to them silently, frowning slightly at Conrose's tone. It wasn't like he really wanted to be here. Konsa crossed his arms over his chest, just wanting to get this over with.

"Speaking of whom, where is he?" Conrose demanded.

Sokolniki shook his head. "He has a few minutes yet before the agreed upon..."

The Blind Seer chuckled, "It's no use esteemed Ambassador. Your artificer hasn't an ounce of patience to his credit."

Conrose's eyes narrowed on the young woman. "I suppose you understand better than anyone."

"Then he'll be happy to know that he won't have to wait any longer," A deep, confident voice spoke up from behind Conrose. Standing around a dozen feet away from the group was Aiden Toft, smiling proudly with a hand resting on his sheathed saber's hilt at his left hip. He didn't look very different at all from his appearance at the Grand Ambassador's office. The human clearly had a preference for neat, fancy clothing, even when doing field work.

Once he grabbed everyone's attention, Aiden approached the group, his cheerful smile remaining constant. He was clearly eager to get this underway. "Really, I make it a point to arrive at scheduled appointments early. Leaves a good impression, I think," The explorer explained, looking between everyone gathered around him, "Seer, Novaus, Conrose, Ambassador. Good to see you all again. I'm ready to-"

He paused as he noticed an unfamiliar figure among the group. Once he got a good look at him, his eyes widened slightly in surprise; it was a male Dalimos, a young one, at that. The horns and his skin's pigmentation were a dead giveaway. Aiden's smile soon reappeared, wider than before. "My... I see you've picked up a Dalimos." He chuckled a bit. "Unexpected, but no less pleasant. Your race has been a subject of fascination for me during my studies."

He extended an open hand out to Konsa. "Aiden Toft, certified explorer of Nexulai. I assume you'll be traveling with us, Mr...?"

Konsa watched Aiden with a suspicious look in his eyes, but did try to smile at him. It looked more like a grimace though. The Dalimos hesitated, uncrossing his arms from his chest. "Konsa." He muttered, glancing away as he accepted the handshake. He pulled away fairly quickly, prefering to keep physical contact to a minimum.

Aiden tilted his head at the small demon, intrigued. He didn't expect Konsa to be so shy around others. Reading about the Dalimos' tribal culture and admittedly unstable history gave him the sense that many of them were haughty, bold individuals, perhaps even to the point where they could be considered arrogant and impulsive. Konsa subverted his expectations, which only served to heighten his curiosity.

"Man, er, demon of few words, aren't you?" He asked before continuing on immediately afterwards, not waiting for an answer, "I wonder what tribe you hail from. The Avaritans, I imagine? Or perhaps you're an Invidian?" Truth be told, he couldn't quite figure it out. He wanted to hear more, and it became clear to the others that Aiden was starting to forget why he came here in the first place...

"It's of little consequence," declared the man with the silver gaze as he pushed past the group and towards the portal. "Lets get going then."

The Averian let out a deep sigh. "Would it really hurt you to wait any amount of time, Conrose?"

The swordsman stopped and replied with but a glare.

"You still need documentation confirming that the officiation at the Embassy here in Nexulai has granted you passage," stated the eagle confidently. "Afterall, do you really want a repeat of 12 years ago?" The Grand Ambassador met the young man's glare as he held out the folder.

"And besides, you may have to wait a few days for the pilgrim to arrive at Keranlus, so your haste now would achieve little," came the hoarse voice of the Blind Seer's bodyguard as he walked up to the Ambassador.

Conrose bared his teeth, filled with a sense of urgency. He didn't like the thought of having to wait, but nothing could be done for it. He bared his teeth momentarily before storming out of the Embassy. His posture prompted some of the Embassy guards shifted and started towards the man, but a gesture from the Blind Seer haulted them.

"Are you certain it is wise for him to accompany Lady Seraphina," questioned the mercenary.

"I myself ponder on the wisdom of this, but the Featherkeeper has been eager to learn more of him since we first encountered him several months ago." She then turned towards Aiden expectantly, "I do not question her reason, but at the same time, I think it wise to share whatever you may know of that man with the others."

Aiden turned to Conrose upon hearing his interruption. He struggled to reply to the blunt statement, but Sokolniki stepped in, scolding the artificer. Naturally, he didn't take it well and stormed out shortly afterwards. The explorer just watched him go, bewildered. Would he have to deal with this kind of attitude throughout the entire pilgrimage? That would be... challenging, to say the least.

"I don't know anything the Grand Ambassador doesn't already know," He replied to the Seer, keeping his eyes on Conrose for a few more seconds before facing her. He opened his mouth, but paused, saying nothing as he turned over to the Ambassador, waiting for his approval to share the info the Averian shared with him in the office. Unless, of course, the Seer already knew the information, but Aiden didn't know if she did, and would need confirmation.

Sokolniki met the explorer's gaze and nodded to him. "Not much could be said... short on patience, ill tempered and dedicated to his craft" stated the Ambassador as he took one last gaze at the spear he held before handing it over to Novaus. "He came through one of the portals about 12 years ago... caused quite a mess and couldn't speak Standard."

The Blind Seer tilted her head curiously as she took in the information.

"Where he hails from, we don't know... but he's remarkably knowledgable about how magic flows through objects, made earning a living for him here quite easy," he then turned to Aiden. "I do believe you paid a few visits to him between your off world tests, correct?"

"Yes sir, but only occasionally. Sometimes, I'd come across an artifact on some of the fringe realms I explored during my training. I'd bring them to Conrose for identification, since that seemed to be one of his specialties. Of course, they didn't turn out to be very, well, valuable or practical," Aiden stated matter-of-factly, complete with a shrug, "And he was always quick to point that out. After my first visit, I never stayed longer than I had to."

He then looked concerned. "Ambassador, Blind Seer... I don't doubt that he's determined to complete whatever his mission is, but... I'm having some serious reservations about letting him get involved. His temper could potentially jeopardize our safety, if we ever get into a particularly sticky situation."

The Blind Seer turned to the young Aiden. "As I said before, your concern does have its merits." She then looked towards the door that the man in question had stormed out through a few minutes earlier. "But he is driven by a need somewhere deep in his heart. He feels that he needs to speak with the Featherkeeper... and what is that she reciprocates this sentiment. I cannot tell you why, as I was told the truth spoken in the wrong place could be dangerous." Turning to face the young Aiden fully, she paused a moment, deep in thought. "But you are not without a tool to restrain him by. The condition that Seraphina make it to the Featherkeeper should be incentive enough to keep him pacified, though I imagine he may need reminding of it."

Novaus nodded, "Regardless, if things get out of hand, I can handle him forcefully."

The Caelestine woman sighed deeply in dismay, "please don't resort to that as a first option."

The mercenary chuckled beneathe the wraps; "I'll try not to. But if he asks for it."

The Averian sighed, "And he probably will out of pride."

"SILENCE!" shouted the Blind Seer, causing all within the lobby of the Embassy to still. Reaching up to her forehead as though it ached, she took a few deep breaths to regain her composure... then proceeded in her calm voice, "What you do not see, that I do, is that it is not pride that drives him to violence and anger." She then looked up as if to pray to the Goddess upon the ceiling for guidance. "There is much more to it that that. He is frustrated and desperate for something, and reaches out to a lifeline for hope."

She then faced her bodyguard squarely, as if to meet his gaze had she still had eyes. "It is the reason he asked to see her before we could tell him that she wished to see him." She then looked over the rest of the group that had assembled. "Have faith in him... I'm certain he has more principle in him than you give him credit for."

She then made her way to the doorway, when Novaus motioned to follow, she waved him off before reaching forward to feel her way around the corner of the entrance; being able to see the souls of people did little to help her to negotiate around most other inanimate objects.

Konsa had returned his attention to the painting and the other works of art, only watching the scene out of the corner of his eye. His lips were slightly pursed as the events unfolded and he flinched when the Blind Seer yelled. She was right about Conrose, but Konsa was still very nervous around someone like him.

The dark-eyed boy glanced at the others, not sure how to proceed next. Although he was glad to put off going through the portal. He still hadn't shaken off the close encounter with the Abyss. Thinking about having a situation like that again made his hands clench into fists and his posture to go rigid. Konsa watched Novaus, waiting for his instructions on what to do next.

If Aiden had planned to add anything onto Sokolniki and Novaus' statements, it was swiftly interrupted by the Seer's sudden outburst. He stared at her, taken aback by the brief display of anger and frustration. He was starting to believe that nothing could faze this angelic being, but that clearly wasn't the case here. It seemed that even the Blind Seer had her limits.

He watched her leave the hall, the woman's words replaying in his head. She truly had absolute faith in Conrose, despite his flaws. He told her back in the offer that he believed her words, but his doubt seeped through once again. No doubt, that must've had a major part in irritating her. The explorer sighed, feeling guilty.

"Damn it." He then turned to Sokolniki. "Sir... is there anything else I should know?" He hoped he wouldn't be kept around for much longer; he wanted to apologize to the Seer before she left the area.

The Grand Ambassador shook his head, "Nothing that I know I'm afraid." His own eyes tracked the Blind Seer as she vanished around the corner after Conrose. "What else you will need to know must come from the man himself."

"Understood... if I may? I wish to speak to the Seer one last time before we depart."

Novaus put his hand on Aiden's shoulder. "I'd give her a minute... I think she went to speak with our ill tempered friend."

The explorer turned to Novaus, hearing him out. He paused before nodding hesitantly. "Right... that's fair. I'll give them time." Aiden didn't know how to feel about this whole situation. He was looking forward to seeing Ceciderunt Dea, but Conrose would be a wildcard on this journey. He didn't know what to expect from him, and that made him nervous. He preferred to take a cautious, methodical to situations, and the artificer seemed to be anything but that. There was nothing he could do about it, of course. He'd just have to make do with what was given to him.

"Follow me
into the desert."

The black sun rolled into the background, its heat castrating the soil, scorching it.

Eyelashes batted up at the dead sky, black eyeliner to keep the sun from burning her retina.

It was the only place in the world where the dead wasn't cold; their skin boiled and caught on fire.

She's seen it before.

While wasting away in her burnt up, peeling skin,

She was alive, and thankful, but always in pain

That's how it worked. . .It wouldn't kill you, but it'd put you close.

She is a child on an infinite plane, a sea of sand. . .

Drifting between desperate dunes

nodding and melting and

fading away

for ever
and ever

Kandy woke up with her head glued to the bar, a drink still fitted between her calloused fingers. The glass was full of swill and soot, but she wouldn't have it any other way. Trying to support her tired eyes, she pressed the edge of the glass against her coarse, parched lips and let the liquid drain down her esophogus slowly, as if it had a supreme thickness to it. Intrigued about the texture and absolute shittiness of the glass' contents, she opened her jaw and let the rest of the mixture down her throat, placing the cup on the table rather roughly.

She didn't bother looking around and judging the characters of the other patrons; her mind was muddy. Her forehead glistened in sweat, tears formed just barely beads at the corner of her eyes from downing the drink and bits of crust formed at the edges of her lip. Primally and almost aggressively she breathed through her nose, rattling two intertangled rings.

Her chin was apprehended and forced to face to her right; it was a large, bulky man with a handlebar mustache. His fur vest was left open, a tattoo of a dragon strewn across his chest, his other hand where it ought not be.
"Girl, yer' mouth looks like it wer' made t'suck my kiss--"
Lips engaged, Kandy reacted instinctively and shot her fist into his gut, which, given the reactive force, would've been enough to knock him back. He didn't fall back because her teeth clenched around his bottom lip; she could taste his blood rolling into her own mouth.

Removing her teeth from the flap of skin, she threw her right arm to collide
her fist into his cranium, smashing his skull into the bar; his eyes rolled back
Then a sharp pain recinded against Kandy, forcing her off between the stools; she looked up and saw the back end of a chair and the man controlling it continued to try to bash at her, but couldn't get through the stools. It was a dark Cruentai; she grabbed a chair leg
and forced it into his teeth,
and he instantly spat back, holding his mouth, blood crawling through his fingers

Kandy scrambled from between the stools and found her original assailer was awake and angry; he grabbed her and pinned her torso against the bar, his mouth moving uselessly. She thought fast and grabbed at his ears and angrily tore his earings out. In an instant flash of pain, he reeled into a numbing, almost petrified state of pain; taking advantage of his disorientation, she forced her shin between his legs. The man collapsed within moments, eyes scrunched.

Another rugged fellow came from behind and grappled her arms to her side. He tried to wrangle her around, using eachothers momentum
back
and forth
and
until she slammed his fingers against the bar
he fumbled on his grip and she picked up her glass, smacked him in the face with it, and then smashed the pint glass against the bar; it cracked into a million pieces and her hand scrunched up the broken shards,
she could feel it cut into her
and she forced the bits into his face and eyes and began rigorously rubbing it in.

He screamed violently in pain, grabbing at his eyes, tossing and turning until he fell onto his back, writhing and squirming.

She twisted around and was met with the tips of metal blades from Mister Mouthbleed and a few of his friends. Not wanting to cause much more of an incident, Kandy raised her arms. The bartender yelled at them and they slowly put away their weapons. She figured they knew better, they sheathed their daggers and went to the aid of their apparently couragous friend.

Swishing blood in her mouth, she sat back down in her place. The wooden stool felt nice, and she brushed away from of the broken glass from the counter and signaled for another glass. She began to pick out tiny shards from her palm and fingers while idly waiting for her beer.

Vaer's mind calmed eventually; it always did but, this was not without burden. Her race was inclined to feed on the blood of man, though they had long ago made a pact to feast only on the blood of slaughtered animals, she was one of the few who still held the crave of her ancestors. Normally she indulged in her dark delight every 2 or 3 days, feeding only a little at a time and being as discrete as possible. She would never openly admit to another soul what she did in the darkened hours of the night... there was no question to what kind of response she would get.

The low, grassy hills and leafy groves began to fade from view as the landscape changed, the majestic skyline of Keranlus spouting from the horizon.

"Wow Bane." She said, her hand reaching down to caress the black fur of the canine's head, "It's beautiful. So much different from the cities of the north. I can't image looking for something that can't be found in Keranlus. This might be the fresh start we're looking for dear friend." She lifted her gaze to the painted skies, splashed with the colors of sunset. Soon she could remove these old robes and move freely without fear of sun damage setting on her fair skin. "Maybe I'll be able to find some Solstine Lotion in one of the great markets. It's been years since I last strolled through the sunlight. And I brought more than enough gems to pay for the hefty cost I know it'll carry." Her spirits lifted at the idea.

She made her way towards the city, excited about the setting sun and the nearing architectural masterpiece. It wasn't more than an hour later that she found herself transitioning from the smooth, dirt paths of the the country side to the pale, marble stonework of the great city of Keranlus. As she moved along the well kept streets and quieting blocks of shop fronts and housing alike, she removed her left glove slowly, testing the waters of the darkening skies. She was relieved when she found that her skin did not strike fever and confidently removed both her gloves and then slid the thick robe from her body, shaking her dreadlocked hair out as she did so.

"Ah, the feel so nice," she leaned up again the cool stone wall of what seemed to be a sheik clothing store, taking in the cool air as it caressed her pale skin. "I need to find a vendor that sells Solstine Lotion ASAP, Bane. But first, a blood vendor." She could feel hunger welling up inside of her, and in the distance she sensed the heartbeat of what felt like a perfectly aged young man. She wet her lips, thinking about the quality of the blood that flowed through his veins. "Perhaps... No. I can't, I won't... I don't know this city well enough to conceal my actions..." She toyed with the capped syring in her satchel, ever aware of its position, prepared to removed and deploy it at a moments notice and slide the limp body of her prey into a secluded room or area.

Feeling her pupils dilate, and her breathing picking up she realised she needed to get moving and find a blood vendor immediately, lest she release her dark companion into the streets of this new world.

Turning away from the heartbeat from beyond the walls, began to stroll through the streets, seeking out the classic blood donor/vendor sign of a red blood drop with a peace sign within it, symbolizing the treaty kept by the Cruentai's. Her pale, flawless skin illuminated by the light of the rising moon, her leather corset lifting gently with the movement of her breath, the blood red tunic beneath flitting gently in the breeze wafting through the streets. She shivered, though not from a chill. Her excitement towards the unknown was consuming her, her sense of adventure rearing. She longed to interact with the miscellaneous strangers about, but her blood lust was priority.

"Where is the damn blood vendor?"

Conrose sat at the base of the steps to the Embassy, staring into the swirling energies of the portal towards the center of the plaza. Around the edges of the disc was a steel ring with golden plating. Silver runes were set into the gold in a language that was foreign to the young man... but he understood the purpose of the device. "By feeding mana flow into the portal more efficiently, it stabilizes the Aether Tube against disturbances within the Abyss," he explained out loud to no one in particular.

"I heard that magical items and artifacts are something of a specialty of yours," came a small voice from the top of the stair case.

He shut his eyes, blocking out the images around him and focusing instead on memories. "Specialty," he questioned, pondering on the meaning of that word. "More that it was one of the few things I could actually learn." He turned back towards the unseen gaze he has come to expect of the Blind Seer. "Tell me, is nostalgia one of the emotions your vision allows you to see?"

The young woman nodded affirmatively. "I know that you feel lost, if not trapped."

Getting onto his feet, he winced in frustration. This girl could read him like an open book, but there wasn't anything to be done of it. He simply looked onto her, his eyes looking with almost a plea. "You would tell me if I was wasting my time wouldn't you."

"If I knew for certain, then yes; but even I am not entirely sure." She then carefully stepped down from the top of the flight, carefully feeling for each step with her feet while grasping the rails. But each step was with purpose, "But even as I am not entirely sure that each step is there, I have faith enough in them to take each one."

The young man let out a deep sigh, "So you are telling me to have faith that this is the right direction."

The angel shook her head; "No, just that you should have faith that you are grasping at more than straws with this."

"So then tell me why I have to escort your friend, instead of going directly to the Featherkeeper on my own?" the silver eyed man demanded angrily. "I could get my answers swiftly, and yet you chain a stone to my feet."

She answered with but a smile.

Shortly after the Seer stepped down the staircase to meet with Conrose, Aiden left the embassy. He'd hoped to share a few final words with the angel before they stepped through the portal, but upon reaching the top of the staircase and looking down to see the two locked in a discussion, he stopped in his tracks. Pressing his lips tightly, he started to take a few steps back, willing to let the two of them finish before cutting in.

Konsa shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, anxious already. Although he tried to distract himself with looking at the art, it wasn't really working now. He glanced over at Novaus who didn't seem to be doing anything and Aiden had gone after Blind Seer. There wasn't much for him to do at the moment. Konsa sighed lightly "Will things be OK?" He muttered to Novaus, not really expecting an answer.

"She can see things in others that often they themselves don't," he replied. "If nothing else, she'll disarm him for a time." He then turned his own sight on the spear that Conrose had crafted. "But the man does have his merits to be certain. I am actually curious to see what can be done with this in Seraphina's hands." He felt the around the knot, noting how perfectly smooth it felt.

Konsa followed Novaus's gaze to the staff, it looked very well-made. The thief acknowledged it would fetch a high price on the market, but quickly snapped himself out of that train of thought. After living his life that way so long it was almost instinctive. "Seraphina is the angel-to-be, right?" Konsa asked, just making sure; he was a little nervous to meet her though.

"Yes; Seraphina Lunasdiei, an old friend of the Blind Seer's, and the daughter of the Seraphim Galric." Novaus looked past the small demon as he recalled his own memories. "Unfortunately, their fathers perished together in defense of Kanas." The mercenary turned a pained gaze upon his right arm, knowing the scars that lay concealed beneath. "If not for the sacrifice of those two, I would not be standing here... and thus why I have served as the protector of their daughters."

The demon was a little uncomfortable by this talk, especially by the pain in Novaus's voice. He swallowed before opening his mouth to say anything. But no words of use really came to mind. "Oh..." Was all that he managed out, turning his face away from Novaus.

Aiden, who was standing near the entrance of the embassy, managed to overhear the conversation. Well, part of it, more like; he caught Seraphina and her father's name and something about the Blind Seer's father, at least. Seraphina... quite the name, really. It was elegant, befitting of a Caelestine, and yet, it sounded... powerful, in a way. Authoritative was probably a better way to put it. She must've been the pilgrim he was assigned to escort. Aiden wanted to know more about this Seraphina, and his best bet was the Seer.

Heading back over to the top of the staircase, he began to descend, hoping that the Blind Seer was finished with Conrose. Hopefully, she was alone as well; he had an apology to make, but he didn't want to say it around Conrose. Her outburst was due to everyone distrusting the artificer, after all.

Conrose looked up at the young man descending the stairs, and narrowed his eyes on him. "What do you want there kid?"

The Blind seer turned around to acknowledge the newcomer's presence with a courteous nod.

Damn.

Of course Conrose hadn't left. Why would he? He would be leaving through the portal with them after all. "Conrose," the human responded to Conrose with a neutral nod, before turning to the Seer and giving her a slight, respectful bow.

"I, um. I came down here to talk to the Seer... I wanted to apologize for what happened in the lobby," Aiden stated, frowing a bit. Well, there was no way around saying it in front of Conrose. He'd just have to speak his mind and prepare for whatever response the artificer had. Still, even if he reacted poorly, the Blind Seer was here to stop him. He hoped she would, anyway.

"I had no intention of angering you. I just..." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I was just concerned. I want to keep our VIP safe as we travel, and I needed to know that no one will put her at unnecessary risk. Really, I believe your words wholeheartedly, Blind Seer. I shouldn't have doubted you, especially after I agreed with you in the office..."

Conrose narrowed his gaze on the explorer, then started laughing to himself as the Blind Seer let out a sigh. "I'm impressed kid, I was begining to think her a perfect saint, but you managed to bring a little bit of anger to boil to surface I guess." He then turned and excused himself, chuckling a little bit to himself.

The Blind Seer glanced back as the laughter faded, before turning back to Aiden. "Your apology is accepted, though I imagine you just made your travels more difficult in regards to dealing with that man." She then smiled at him. "But I sense there is more on your mind than guilt.

The explorer sighed. The last thing he wanted was to make things more difficult between him and Conrose. Oh well, couldn't be helped now. Besides, he wasn't the villain here; if Conrose wanted to make an issue out of this, Aiden would be perfectly willing to defend himself.

"Maybe I did, but I had to get that off my chest. If he wants to cause a problem over that, well, he'd better not expect to just walk all over me. Anyway... aside from that, I wanted to ask you about the Pilgrim. Her name's, eh... Seraphina, right? I overheard your bodyguard talking to the Dalimos about her. Can you tell me more about her? What's she like?"

He paused for a moment to consider what he just said, and winced a bit. "I mean, I'd just like to know a bit more about the person I've been assigned to protect. Helps with the job, is all."

She smiled widely, "Seraphina, the daughter of a Seraphim and the truest friend one could hope to find in a lifetime." The Blind Seer, then slowly made her way back up the stairs, feeling with her feet for each step. "She is filled with benevolence and seeks always to do what is right to prove herself to all." She then stopped short of Aiden, "And though she was quite pretty when last I saw her with my true eyes, I am told she has grown to be quite breath taking with her beauty." She tilted her head slightly, "as though the goddess herself chiseled her from a stone of perfection."

Aiden couldn't help but smile as the Seer described Seraphina. She clearly had a great amount of respect for her. However, he was a bit perplexed when she proceeded to describe her appearance. He certainly didn't doubt that Seraphina was beautiful, but the Seer was oddly fine with depicting her best friend as being unbelievably gorgeous to a man she had just met the day before. Maybe she felt that she could trust Aiden enough to do that, since she could obviously see into his inner nature. Or maybe the Seer was trying to tease him again. The explorer couldn't tell; it was really hard to read her sometimes. Well, he wouldn't allow himself to be flustered by her. Either way, he was now even more interested in learning about Seraphina. Of course, that would come once he finally saw her face to face.

"I see. She does sound like a wonderful person. I can't wait to meet her," He said, sharing the Seer's widened smile, "I'll enjoy accompanying her to the Featherkeeper with the others, and I swear to you that I will protect her from whatever threats we may come across, even if it means my life."

"I certainly hope it doesn't come to that," she said reassuringly. "I'm certain she will do her part to prevent such a thing... she is quite adept at healing and protective barrier magics."

"Ah, excellent," Aiden exclaimed with a short laugh, "Perhaps I shall record instances her magic usage for future study by my people. Er, if that's acceptable, anyway." Taking a moment to glance at the nearby rift, he sighed. "Alright. I'm prepared to carry out my task. Is there anything else I should know?"

She smiled, "It would be no issue... as long as she's fine with it." She then looked beyond the two and called out to her bodyguard. A few moments later, Novaus showed up in the doorway. After an exchange of nods, he called to Konsas back in the lobby.

The demon quickly scurried after them when he heard he was called. He seemed hesitant to approach the portal and stood on the other side of the room of it. Konsa glanced behind him, the thought of ditching them has crossed his mind more then once. But he surpressed that urge and merely shifted from foot to foot nervously, unable to keep still.

With everything settled in the embassy, Aiden took a few moments to make sure he had everything he needed for the mission on him, and headed for the rift. His gaze remained fixed on the green tear in reality as he approached it. Beyond that portal was a world filled with wonders beyond his wildest dreams. No doubt, it would also be filled with countless new dangers, but with a full party traveling with him, he felt more secure about his chances of survival. Traveling through customs didn't take much time, as the team was cleared by Sokolniki for immediate passage. Soon enough, he stood right before the rift, taking a deep, shaky breath. Turning to his companions, he asked a simple question, "Is everyone ready?"

Konsa glanced the others and nodded briefly, crossing his arms over his chest. He was as ready as he could be at this point. The Dalimos was frowning and staring straight ahead.

Novaus waved his arm in confirmation as Seraphina fluttered her wings with a smile.

Conrose looked towards the Embassy as Sokolniki stepped out hurredly. "You may want these before you try passing through or that witch of a guard on the other side will have her fun with you."

The Mercenary nodded as he took the folder from the Grand Ambassador before following the angel down the steps.

The younger swordsman stood by the portal, tapping his foot impatiently, eager to get underway.

"Alright then." The human faced straight ahead, gathering the courage to step through his universe's metaphysical border. "Let's go." He stepped forward, leaving the physical world and entering the beyond.

Before him stretched a hallway, circular in shape. The walls seemed almost as glass, though speckles of light flowed through it. Eight solidly colored streams of energy swirled about the tube. Looking back revealed the glow of the portal's entrance obscuring the world beyond. Looking out, other similar structures could be seen radiating from roughly a single central point and shot off in different directions and onto eternity until a dark mist between obscured it the further away it got. The ground at the bottom of the tube had been filled with dirt and pebbles, allowing for travel on a flat surface rather than the round surface of the tube.

Aiden smiled, turning to the others and motioning for them to follow. He always enjoyed traveling through this mysterious realm of almost pure energy. In a way, it was calming to him. As the group walked through the tunnel, he suddenly began to speak.

"You know, in a weird way, I find riftwalking to be rather... calming. It gets me thinking about the nature of reality. I often wonder to myself, who created these rifts? What was their purpose? Or perhaps they were always there, as a natural formation in all our universes, cleverly hidden away by nature. I have endless questions pertaining to the subject, and while I may not find the answer to them in my lifetime, the possibility of finding them are what drives me, what fuels my desire to explore and discover."

He chuckled to himself, shrugging as he walked. "That's why I became a state-certified explorer... heh, I realize that I've gone off on a bit of a tangent. I do apologize."

"You like mysteries don't you," Conrose stated with an inquiring look on his face. "I'll provide you with several possibilities on the purpose if somebody did indeed create the rifts; and you tell me how each one sounds to you." He held up his hand to count down the possibilities before something caught his eye. "Well, count me impressed, 8 spirals on this portal, 4 clockwise and 4 counterclockwise... this one is pretty stable." He then more closely inspected one of the spirals, before turning his eye back towards the Aiden. "But back to the discussion on the purpose of these, one possibility is as Ashremalk use it for, the spreading of the Empire."

Conrose's response caught Aiden by surprise. He stared at the artificer as he spoke, unsure of what to make of it. He knew that the man came from another realm, he knew that he was capable of things that other beings weren't, but his comment on the spirals indicated that he was quite knowledgeable about the rifts. Spirals were what kept a portal stable, much like the cables of a suspension bridge. Many rifts had different amounts of spirals supporting them; the more there were, the less likely it was to break down due to stress, and vice versa. Conrose was correct in his observation that the Akreaus-Ceciderunt Dea portal was stable; eight spirals would require a significant explosive magical force to breach. Really, anything above four was relatively stable. Few common folk could really tell the amount of spirals a portal have just by sight; Conrose clearly had extensive riftwalking experience.

Part of Aiden wanted to address that, but he felt that pressing the artificer on the subject wouldn't end well, so he focused on the question instead. "The Ashremalk using the network for expansion... well, it's an unsettling possibility, if it's true. It's certainly ambitious, that's for sure. I... think they're capable of trying it. Whether they can support such an endeavor, on the other hand, I'm not so sure about that. I think they'd spread themselves too thin to keep it up."

"Not exactly what I was asking, but you do have the right idea," stated the artificer as he stepped nearer to the Explorer. "Then how does the idea that it was to spread the trade of goods and ideas strike you?"

Aiden paused to think on that. "Hm. Could be. I mean, all these different worlds, with unique resources, cultures and technologies... it's a merchant's dream, to be honest." He tilted his head curiously. "Why are you asking me this, Conrose? What's your angle?"

He smiled, then reached into his satchel and withdrew from it a book that was bound in a strange metal and a unique seal to lock it shut. A thumb sized hole where one would expect a keyhole where the book was latched shut, a strange glow emanating from within. "If I told you that this book holds the answers to these questions, would you believe me?"

At that moment, the explorer just stopped, his eyes locked on the tome. "... What is that?" He looked up at Conrose, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "How do you know this? Where did you get that book?"

Conrose smiled, then laughed for a moment. After collecting himself, he put his finger into the glowing locking, and after a wooshing sound came from it, the lock disengaged and opened up. The Artificer flipped through a few pages before showing it to Aiden. "I'm certain you recognize that from my workshop... the mana lathe you saw me carving inside a ruby on your first visit to my shop." In the pages was the diagram of a contraption that had gems set at two locations and a beam of light converging on a stone set in a series of clamps. "You are gullible... this book is nothing so impressive as the history of the portals."

At the back of the group entering the portal, the Blind Seer's gaze intensified momentarily as if to focus on the Artificer, then she raised her eyebrows, expressing a sense of curiosity. "But you do have some insight into the subject regardless."

"Indeed I do... and a little bit of logic does go a long ways."

Aiden looked closely at the tome. It did look familiar... of course. He did see that book during that one visit. He just kept memories of those visits in the back of his mind. They weren't pleasant experiences. He bristled upon realizing that he had been played for a fool. Scoffing, the human proceeded to retort, "You know, Conrose, I never really stuck around long enough to care, so it's no surprise that I couldn't remember it."

He then walked ahead of him, his mood having darkened a bit. "Don't even bother with the third question, let's just go."

Conrose smiled as the young Aiden walked away, visibly flustered. "Then the third is one for you to ponder on but need not answer, that lay in plain sight, but doubtful you ever asked yourself... why was but a single ruined building found at any of the portals rather than the extensive remnants of any civilization." The Artificer flipped through a few pages of the book, as if to remind himself of something important. He then whispered lowly to himself, "Erinshke fe Zalph herendia... we as a people did what was necessary." A low pulse shot through the spirals of the portal as the words were spoken, and he brought his eyes towards Aiden.

Once again, Aiden slowed to a stop. That... was actually a very good question, one that he couldn't find the answer for. However, he didn't bother responding to Conrose, and prepared to walk forward again, but then he heard the whispers. He couldn't quite make out the words, but it was enough to make him turn back to the Artificer, confused. He opened his mouth to ask him what he was doing.

A pulse shot out through the spirals. Aiden froze up, gazing up at them in shock. "What..." He breathed. No way. There was no way he just affected the spirals just then. The explorer lowered his head to stare directly at Conrose. Whatever happened just proved that he was far more than a mere artificer.

"Who are you...?"

Novaus stepped between the artificer and the Blind Seer instinctively as Conrose approached Aiden, though the Blind Seer gently pushed the bodyguard aside. "He is someone with knowledge, that much is apparent; and he did that to force you to believe that he has more answers than you believed him to be in possession of."

As the mysterious man reached the young explorer, he gestured further down the tunnel. "And if who I suspect may be around this part of the Abyss, one of the portal's creators may bless us with her presence... are you familiar with the Shadow Dancer?"

"Well. Count me convinced," Aiden said, shaken by the sudden turn of events. He struggled to remember something in his studies that could possibly help him identify just what Conrose was, only for his mind to come up blank. He needed answers, and he needed them now.

Aiden recognized the title 'Shadow Dancer'; the Shadow Dancer was an enigma to Akreaus. Only a few explorers ever encountered her during their travels, and she rarely stuck around for long. She always moved through a dance through the Abyss and the Aether tubes, her wings enshrouded in a dark mist. That was the extent of their findings. "I am... but I'm afraid the only thing I truly know about her is her name. We don't know a thing about the Dancer, only that... well, only that she is." He blinked. "Hold on... you're not saying that you just... summoned her right now did you?" He then laughed briefly out of disbelief and nervousness. "Okay, Conrose, I may have just seen you mess with the tubes in some form, but you're seriously stretching my suspension of disbelief here."

Conrose smiled, "To say I summoned her is a stretch... I merely sent out a call." He then pointed up.

Aiden raised a brow at that, and then proceeded to look upwards...

Pressed against the roof of the tube, a feminine face peered in from the Abyss with curiosity as a darkness increasingly obscured the background light of other tubes around her, roughly forming a human like silhouette and stared down at Aiden, then briefly over Conrose and then to the rest of the pack by the Blind Seer who held the creatures gaze longer than anyone else.

Novaus and the Blind Seer may have kept their composure upon seeing the face above the tube. Aiden, however, reacted with pure, unadultered terror.

"OH MY GOD!" The human felt his legs give out under him, causing him to fall onto his rear and scramble back a short distance before managing to stop himself. "Holy shit," he whimpered, looking upon the strange being in fear, nearly hyperventilating, his heart pounding in his chest as he tried to regain his composure. "Wh...wh-wh-what is that?! Is it..."

Konsa had been watching Conrose and Aiden, observing them and trying to figure them out better if ever needed. He was deep in thought, only half paying attention to the events although when Aiden cried out Konsa followed everyone's gazes. He yelped, another reason for him to fear portals. He had never seen anything quite like this and trembled at something so unknown.

The Blind Seer stepped forward, looking at the strange face and smiled, waving up at it as she cheerfully greeted it as it returned the smile in kind. Novaus walked until he stood over the frightened young man. "That's the ever elusive Shadow Dancer... our world sees her at Triluna every ten years for the Festival of the Third Moon... she shows up and simply dances until the third moon fades, and vanishes." He looked up as the creature waved before pushing off from the tube's surface and back into the darkness. "Nothing to be afraid of, but the more important question is..." Looking back down, the mercenary saw Conrose already moving far ahead of the rest of the group. "How did he know how to draw her here?"

Aiden's quick, deep breaths steadily leveled out, until he finally ended with a long, relieved sigh. He'd just seen the Shadow Dancer, a being that defied all logic and boggled even Nexulai's finest minds, a being he never expected to see on this journey. To think that all this could've been a simple trip to Ceciderunt Dea... Aiden didn't know what to think anymore.

"God..." Now that he was able to think clearly again, he realized that the Dancer's appearance really wasn't all that frightening. It was just that he never saw it coming. That's when he realized something incredible; in all previous accounts, the Shadow Dancer simply danced on by, ignoring the explorers that saw her outright, but here, it actually reacted to the group's presence. Not only that, but it showed a degree of sentience by waving back at the Blind Seer! The human was at a loss for words. This was a significant discovery, one that would warrant further research into the Dancer by Nexulai's scientific community, and Aiden hadn't even properly begun the mission yet.

"Yeah... no shit!" He frantically pushed himself onto his feet, pushing past Novaus and stepping up to Conrose, looking none too pleased. "I'm tired of these constant tricks and deflections, Conrose! I want some answers! Just what the hell are you?!" Aiden was yelling quite loudly at this point, pointing aggressively at the artificer.

The Artificer turned towards him in the distance, crossing his arms. "I could tell you what I am, and it would mean nothing. I could tell you the truth, and you would listen but never believe your ears, I could show you, but you would not trust your eyes." He then turned to face towards Ceciderunt once more, a light at the end of the tunnel. "But if I am right on my suspicions, then you will know the absolute truth." He then broke out into a full sprint towards the portal.

There he went again, deflecting his demands with enigmatic bullshit. Aiden gritted his teeth, curling his right hand into a fist. He was sorely tempted to knock this man out, even if the Seer didn't approve of it.

Then Conrose inexplicably took off towards the other end of the tube at full speed. "Wha-, hey! CONROSE! Son of a BITCH," Aiden growled, sprinting after the artificer. That settled it; he didn't care what the Seer said at this point, he was going to kick Conrose's ass. In fact, he was pretty sure that Novaus would join in, since he had a bone to pick with the man, too.

The Artificer laughed far ahead as he made it to the other end of the portal and vanished behind the veil of light at the end.

The Blind Seer shook her head in dismay and waved Novaus to give chase after the other two. She had walked the path numerous times and still had Konsa to assist her if she needed any. The Mercenary obliged and gave chase after the two younger men.

By now the thief had leveled his breathing and managed to calm himself down, which was difficult with Aiden and Conrose fighting over pointless things. He watched Novaus follow them and Konsa approached the Blind Seer. He stood by her, glancing at her beautiful silver wings. He knew she sensed the fear of his to go through that portal, and he knew it was a little ridiculous but it was still going to be hard for him to go through it. Konsa glanced at her, fidgeting.

The angel turned around and stared him in the eyes with her blindfold, her eyebrows raised in sympathy, "You've grown increasingly scared since my first mentioning returning to our home world... just take my hand and it'll all be alright," she spoke reassuringly as she held out her hand.

The demon bit his lip and forced himself to still his fidgetty movements. He hesitated, just like the last time she offered before taking her hand. Although this time it wasn't nearly as long as a pause. Konsa squeezed it tightly, glancing back over the portal as he tried to calm himself down and tell himself he was just being paranoid. It was hard for him though because he had been paranoid for most of his life. And that was what kept him alive for the most part. Konsa dearly hoped no one would recognize his face back in his homeworld.

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Looking back, their angry shadows painted the walls.

Her head was against the counter, her lungs inhaling one long, last audible time before she looked up with musty eyes. She didn't know why, but she knew like as by instinct.

"YOU'RE ASS IS MINE, YOU STUPID BLOODY CUNT!"

She caught his throbbing, veiny hand holding a blackjack; his friends sort of looked confused at what just happened, but it was clear that wasn’t going to be the case for very long. Jerking her fingers into his eyes he retreated like a wounded dog with his tail between his legs. Shooting up from the stool, she swerved off out of the pub; she spared no time to look at the hurricane of anger chasing right behind.

Steel toed boots clapped against the cobblestone road, away and anywhere

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Looking back, their angry shadows painted the walls.

She took a hard right and decided to run between the alley ways of two buildings on her right side; when her boots scraped against the gravel in a near-slide, she found she was flanked, already occupying the space.

Fight or flight?

The sound of Bane's paws striking the ground corroded the silence that filled the dark alley she found herself in. Vaer had stopped to refocus herself, her bloodlust lingering in the back of her mind like a shady stranger sulking in the darkened corners of a tavern. She didn't know where she was going, she knew she needed to feed, and soon. A painful pulsating feeling rose up behind her eyes, blurring her vision. "Breathe through this, Vaernya, breathe." She was leaned up again a cool, stone wall attempting to soothe the crave that ate at her every essence.

After a few moments she felt she could function again and took advantage of her clear mind. The dark haired woman stepped forward, away from the wall and beckoned her canine companion to follow, stroking his thick head to soothe away the look of distress at his master's pain.

"Come on Bane, we'll head to the city center, surely there will be a vendor there." And they continued on through the evening, weaving in and out of the beautiful streets of the majestic city.

Not 20 minutes later a old stone fortress rose from the distance and pressed skyward as the Cruentai woman approached, "This must be the place," she thought, glancing around for a way in. A moment later she noticed an archway in the wall, accessable from a street just a short ways away. Pressing forward, drawn by an seeping hunger, she entered the ancient outpost she had read about in textbooks back in her schooling days. It was truly magnificent to stroll through the streets of a city long spoken of but never seen.

Vaernya was surpised at the few pedestrians she saw on the walkways of the city, she had been highly concerned about the high concentration of fresh, unopened veins roaming the streets. The fates must be in her favor this evening.

Eventually Vaer found her way to a large stone structure with intricate carvings of warriors branishing blades and bows. The arched doorway was riddled with ancient script she could not read and dared not try. Across from it was the refuge she had been seeking; the blood vendor.

"Thank the gods," she exclaimed and ran over to the wooden doors. Her excitement was cut short by the solid feeling she received when she attempted to push them open. "No... No, no, no, no! This can't be happening! No!" She broke down at that point, falling to the ground in defeat. "Why? Why..." her words were lost in tears of frustration. She could already feel her dark crave begining to surge through her again.

"It is a cruel joke," came the elegant voice of a woman from behind. Her dark garb and light steel armoring along with the simple staff in hand were typical of Cruentai in the service of the Night Watch. "A service for us walkers of the night... and it's open only during the day."

Her sobs ceased almost immediately, her gaze lifting from the cold stone beneath her to meet the eyes of another Cruentai woman standing before her. She wiped the tears from her face, recollecting her composure and stood up, wiping the dust from her attire. "I apologize, none should have to witness a break down such as that." She glanced back at the locked doors that had betrayed her. "I've been traveling for a long time, my blood supply was used up earlier today and I thought I had at last found an escape from my thirst. Apparently not."

The patrol woman smiled sympathetically. "Unfortunately, the thirst is here to stay. Here, I know a place open at night that keeps a stock of beef blood." The woman turned around and began walking down the marble road around one of the larger structures within the fortress walls. "So where you travel in from?

Vaernya whistled for her black wolf-like companion to return to her side from his place off to the side of the blood vendor's doorway. She met the pace of the kind stranger, conversing as they walked. "I've travelled here from Ferrocor, it's been a long journey, one that I didn't expect to lead me here, thirsting for blood at the doors of a closed vendor. Has it always been this way? A blood vendor closed at night?"

The Nightstalker glanced over her shoulder momentarily, "The shops of this city are primarily run by the Caelestine and the humans that fall within their realm... odd a concept though it may seem, they spend the night time resting for the most part. So you travelled all the way from the capital? An awfully long ways to go. Where you heading?"

"Odd indeed," Vaer struggled to keep her thirst under control, it had been too long since she fed on either man or beast. "It is a long ways, isn't it? To be truthful, Keranlus was the final stop on my journey, though I don't plan to return home any time soon. I've become a bit of a wanderer, you see, seeking the unknown.It's as if I feel drive pushing me towards something, though I do not know what." She decided it best to keep her secrets to herself, sister of the night or not, this woman was a stranger.

"Sounds like a sense of destiny to me," stated the other woman. "I didn't know where I wanted to be even as I joined with the Night Stalkers, it simply felt like the right decision. And to be honest, after a few years working as one, I can say it was." She looked off towards the right as the entrance to the building they were rounding came into view, a low violet light shining through, illuminating the street nearby. "Perhaps your destiny lay beyond the portal inside there. Whether you need to go through it or perhaps wait on something to come through; who knows."

A lump formed in Vaernya's throat as the words 'Night Stalker' came from the mouth of the stranger. There was no way she could have known that just a few weeks ago Vaer was drawing the smooth, creamy blood from the veins of a man in Ferrocor... yet her paranoia seemed to remain in place. She decided it was best to depart from the company of the Night Stalker as soon as possible, but would do so in a casual and polite manner for regardless of her standing, the kind stranger had led her to a place to feed.

"Perhaps you are right, the portals have always been a mystery to me, the impossibilty of knowing what might arrive or depart."

She desperately hoped they would reach the tavern soon as she could feel another horrible headache forming and she didn't want the good samaritan to sense what type of craving she was really having.

As they continued forward, the swirling vortex within the walls came into view. The woman standing ahead stopped for a moment to admire it. A pair of guards flanked the portal, one angelic, the other clearly demonic by their horns and red skin. Another similarly configured pair of guards manned stations adjacent to the entryway the two Cruentai stood before. "It's strange... the light helps to suppress the thirst a little if you stand in it for a while."

The idea seemed unusual to Vaernya; light repressing thirst? It sounded like a practical joke, but as she looked over at the Cruentai woman she saw only sincerity. "Well..." She was afraid, she couldn't lie to herself about that. She'd never been this close to a portal and between the guards and the Night Stalker beside her she was stressed beyond belief over her dark craving. "Okay, I'll give it a try."

She hoped deeply that this wasn't a sick practical joke and that she wouldn't end up on a different planet or with burnt skin. Slowly the brunette made her way towards the bright mass before her, mesmerized by the swirling tones of color. The guards' eyes fell on her, no doubt suspicious of the silently, awkwardly approaching Cruentai, but they did not speak. As she inched closer to the soft glow of the portal she could feel a strange sensation slither across her skin, both soothing and disturbing in its strangeness.

Finally, she was engulfed in the glow and she paused, holding her breath as the tingling sensation surrounded her body. "Wow," she breathed, "this is.... something all its own." She turned around, speaking to her slender guide, "What causes this?"

"It's not understood, even the people from the other side who have been working with these things for nearly a century can't explain it," said the angelic guard from near the entrance nearby.

The sounds of shouting came from beyond the building across the road from the portal complex. The Night Stalker and the two nearest guards turned their attention that way. "Hold on a moment," the Cruentai guard warned as she readied her staff. She turned towards the two guards, "I'll check it out, but I'd rather not be alone... think your friends by the portal would be okay with the civie hanging out by them for a bit?"

The Dalimos guard looked back to the pair nearest the portal, making a few gestures with his hand, pointing to Vaernya first before crossing his arms and pointing back to the guards.

"What's going on?" The shouting pulled her from her ever calming state bestowed by the light of the portal. She was starting to realise coming into the city unprepared was a horrible idea, she was struggling with a dire thirst but could not, out of pride and concern for herself, make a big deal out of it, though her mind screamed for her to. "Let me help, I'm no child." Perhaps a bit of action would get her mind off her hunger.

Bane made his way from Vaernya's side and strode to a position between his master and the direction the sound had come from. His eyes scanned the alleys, his ears twitched in concentration.

"If it's elves or humans, it's no problem; but if it's a rampaging Dalimos, its too dangerous," warned the Caelestine guardsman as he ran past to investigate. "Just stick by the portal with the other two."

The Dalimosian went down the street a little to approach the disturbance from the other side and the Cruentai guard pulled out a grappling hook. "Besides, it'll help with that hunger of yours until I can show you to the tavern." She threw the hook onto the building that the disturbance was occuring behind. After a few tugs to make sure it was secure, she hastily climbed up it. The Caelestine guard from the portal came up and put her hands on shoulders of the woman who was left behind. "Come on, I'm sure they can handle it."

The Dalimos guard laughed darkly. "And even if they can't take care of it themselves, Elise will surely descend on the area soon."

The Caelestine gave a quick chuckle. "May the goddess have mercy on their souls... because the Skyward Nightmare sure won't."

Accepting that she was not going with the Night Stalker and the guards she allowed the Caelestine woman to lead her back to the light of the portal. Vaernya couldn't help think what sort of events may be occuring beyond the buildings before her, she couldn't stand being left behind but what could she do? She was a prisoner to her own bloodlust and a stranger in these walls. She heard the Dalimos guard speak up, joking about an Elise.

"At the risk of sounding ignorant, who is Elise?"

The Dalimos let out a huff of frustration; the angel then quickly clarified the gesture, "It's not that he thinks you ignorant... it's that he works under that insufferable woman. She's the commander of the Dalimos garrison here."

"And that witch of a woman likes to treat the rest of us like prisoners to be interrogated!" exclaimed the demon. He then took in a deep breath with his mouth shut.

"Would you look at that, a demon taking anger management," joked the angel.

Vaer chuckled under her breath but made a mental note to avoid any of the name Elise, for she did not sound like the type of company any would long for. From the hidden area behind the buildings before her another shout came ringing across the cool night air, Bane snarled at the sound, backing closer to Vaer.

An unsettled look crept onto her brow, "I hope things are all right... Are you sure they can handle, whatever that was?"

The portal gave out a short burst of light as someone stepped through, slowing down as though he had been running before he passed through the portal. The Dalimos immediately raised his weapon and called out angrily, "Halt!"

The newcomer, after coming to a full stop turned towards the demon and took a step back and out from in front of the portal as he raised his hands up, "It's okay, I'm a visitor here from Nexulai on business from your Blind Seer." From this angle, the light from the portal reflected off his eyes strangely, as though his irises were made of silver. "Got a few friends following behind, they'll be through here shortly with our documents."

"Alright, just stand off to the side, we'll have someone down here to confirm your arrival and process you," commanded the Angel.

The sudden burst of light startled Vaernya, she spun around to lay eyes on a handsome man with eyes of the most unusual color. At her side the large wolflike creature snarled at the newcomer, set on edge by the mass of turns in event since their arrival in Keranlus.

She couldn't help but wonder what distant world this man had come from, where he had been, where he was going, and why.

Conrose nodded affirmatively to the angel's command. "I think I can do that, but to warn you so you aren't surprised, one of my compatriots will be popping through that portal in a moment... and he may be a little angry at me right now," he stated with a mischievious smile. "Not on good terms right now, but I'd rather he not be impaled or anything serious."

As if on cue, another figure came dashing out of the portal. Aiden was still in full sprint as he ran through the portal from the other side, and the sudden change in his surroundings disoriented him, causing him to lose his balance. The human let out a brief yelp as he fell forward onto the hard granite floor, knocking the air out of his lungs. His face was scrunched up with pain as he slowly pushed himself up onto all fours, panting heavily as he tried to regain his breath.

"Ow... damn it," He muttered to himself. Everyone around the portal could see that Aiden clearly wasn't from this realm. His clothing was completely unlike any worn by a native of Ceciderunt Dea. Aiden rose up, brushing himself off before finally looking up. He froze upon noticing his new surroundings. This architecture, these people surrounding him... yep, he was definitely in Keranlus now. The human spent several seconds gazing around at the courtyard in awe, but it soon stopped on Conrose. Aiden narrowed his eyes and took a step forward, but stopped once he realized that he was surrounded by guards. Not wishing to get in trouble with the law, especially just after arriving in this new realm for the first time, the explorer just glared at the man, making it clear that while he wasn't going to do anything rash now, he definitely wouldn't forget about this.

He took a deep breath to settle down after being worked up into a brief rage before speaking up. "Right... sorry about that."

The first man smiled. "Come on over here, we'll just have to wait here before we get to do anything until cyclops gets here" stated the man with the silver gaze as he offered his hand to pull up Aiden... then offered a single word, "Zalphyrene."

Aiden blinked at that, confused. Zalphyrine... he didn't recognize that word. Whatever it was, he sure as hell wasn't one. "Um... I'm sorry, what did you just call me?"

The brunette Cruentai didn't know what to think of the situation, strange men entering into this world from god knows where, shouting and screaming from an unseen area, Dalimos and Caelestine guards all around. This was most definitely the adventure she had been seeking.

Regardless of her curiosity though, she needed to feed. It was becoming too much to handle, especially with this human so near her. She had never tasted a human's blood... it was said that it was the most unique, silky blend. She licked her lips, eyes trained on the artery she knew his throat held.

"I told you... I could tell you what I am... and it would mean nothing," he corrected the fallen man in an arrogant tone. "There is much to learn, and most of it will mean little until you have learned other things first."

"... Oh." That made more sense, but only slightly. Conrose's answer only raised many more questions. What was a Zalphyrine? Was Conrose the only one? If not where was the rest of his race? Why didn't he ever hear of such a race before, and most importantly, what was their connection to the rifts? Aiden ended up looking even more confused than before. However, Conrose's statement wasn't completely correct; it was true that Aiden didn't know a thing about the Zalphyrine, but that didn't mean that it meant nothing. Instead, he found his curiosity piqued. Now, he was determined to discover the truth about this unknown race.

"Yeah? Well, I'm a quick learner," Aiden responded, taking the hand offered to him and allowing Conrose to pull him up, "So don't expect to shake me off that easily." He was about to say something else, but then he felt like he was being watched. Sure, just about everyone in the room was looking at him at this point, but this felt different... unsettling, even. He turned to the right to see a pale brunette woman staring him right in the face. He could've sworn he just saw her lick her lips, too.

"Er... can I help you?" Aiden asked, unsettled.

"Huh? Oh!" She looked down, over at the nearby buildings, at Bane, anywhere to hide her embarrassed expression. "You're so stupid! If people weren't noticing your hunger before they sure will be soon if you don't watch your actions more closely." She calmed her breathing and looked back up at the man.

"No, I'm sorry. I just, I- I've had a long day, I've been travelled a great distance and there's been alot of... excitement since I've arrived in Keranlus. My apologies, I didn't mean to stare. These portals a new to me." She felt her cheeks burn and her hand found Bane's head and began to rhythmically massage it, calming her nerves as she did so.

"Ah. Well, that's fine. A lot of people tend to be quite awestruck when they gaze upon a rift for the first time," He said with a light smile, but he still felt guarded around her. Was she really telling him the truth? She was staring pretty intently, not at the portal, but at him. She looked kind of odd, too, and that was saying something, considering the people he saw around him. Dark clothing, extremely pale skin tone... it unnerved him a bit. He didn't know what to think of this woman.

The presence of a very large black-furred wolf at her side only served to unsettle him even further. He chuckled nervously at the canine. "Wow, that's... that's quite the companion you've got there... he doesn't bite, does he?"

"Who? Bane? Oh god no," she said, relieved that the conversation had lightened. She could easily talk about her dark furred companion for hours, though she made a note to avoid doing so at this time. "He's friendly as can be, just trained to be defensive and protective. He's had a stressful day as well. I apologize for his snarling."

Directing her words now to the canine she spoke softly, "Calmly now dear friend, the winds speak of friend not foe tonight." And the beast immediately relaxed, acting more dog like than wolf like now.

Conrose laughed at the nervous explorer, "Hehe, not here ten minutes and you've already made yourself a friend," he teased.

"Wow." Aiden's nervous smile widened into a more genuine one. He found himself impressed by this woman, and he wondered what she had to do to tame such a large, threatening creature. Bane was quite the specimen. Perhaps he'd warm up to him, given time. Assuming that the woman would stick around of course.

Then Conrose cut in with his sardonic comment. The human sighed, turning to the Zalphyrine. "I always prefer to start things off on the right foot, Conrose, unlike you." Shaking his head, he turned back to the Cruentai, smiling once more. "Well, I believe you. You've trained him well. It's not easy to tame a beast like Bane... er, no offense." He shrugged sheepishly.

"Very impressive... ah, forgive me. I should introduce myself." Aiden proceeded to bow respectfully. "My name is Aiden Toft. I'm a certified explorer of Nexulai. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, miss..."

"Alakara, Vaernya Alakara. Uh, you can just call me Vaer." She looked down at her furry companion, she often forgot how threatening he looked to others, Since he was a newborn pup she had been very close to him so to think of him in an aggressive or vicious light was nearly impossible. "We've been together a long time, I didn't do so much taming as... getting to know and understand. We respect eachother. I don't believe in chains or leads, he follows if he chooses too...I think everything and everyone desreves to go where they want in this world..."

Though Aiden may not have known it she was more speaking of herself than of Bane in the last words of her response. "It's a pleasure, Aiden, and Conrose? Was it?" The whole while she tried to keep her gaze off of Aiden; she didn't enjoy the urges she felt surfacing when she let her eyes and other senses fall to the man's profile.

The man with the silver gaze nodded in affirmation. He then pointed towards the portal with a thumb. "And this here is..." The portal flared up momentarily as the Blind Seer's bodyguard dashed through the portal. Wisps of energy momentarily clinging to the folds of his clothing. Conrose reached out with a single hand and snatched the folder from the newcomer. "Our papers."

He presented them to the Dalimos guard standing nearby and walked towards the edge of the courtyard. "I'm gonna take a nap while you get that sorted out." He spared a glance to Bane, and then Vaernya. "By the way, nice to meet you."

Novaus stood there with a confused look in his one visible eye, "I feel like I walked in at the tail end of a conversation... what happened just now?"

Aiden crossed his arms as he listened to Vaernya's introduction. Quite the exotic name, it was. It rolled off the tongue well. His gaze shifted back to Bane as she proceeded to explain how she let him follow by choice, rather than leading him on by a leash. It intrigued him; she spoke of the wolf as though he were an equal, perhaps even capable of intelligent thought... was it? It would've sounded farfetched to Aiden, were he not in a strange new realm with properties that were very much unlike Akreaus.

"That is a good philosophy to follow. One that I happen to follow myself," He replied, "It's why I became an explorer, after all. I don't believe in boundaries." The human then turned back once he heard another being dash through the portal. To his surprise, it was Novaus, who he'd expected to stay by the Blind Seer's side. Konsa wasn't there, though, which probably meant that he was back with the Seer, leading her to the exit.

In the span of a few seconds, Conrose settled the visa issue with the guards. The explorer blinked, his confused gaze following the artificer as he walked off afterwards. Turning back to Novaus, he merely shrugged at him in response. "Um... getting our bearings, I suppose?" He sighed. "Forget about him, we've got bigger things to worry about." He then looked back at Vaernya to see how she'd react to this new arrival.

"How much longer will I have to wait?" She thought to herself. There was so much going on in this city, so much excitement right before her eyes, and though it was most certainly the type of thing she was hoping to see upon her arrival she did not expect to have to sit through it while her hunger sifted through her like razorblades running down her throat each time she inhaled the scent of the man. She clenched her fists as a gentle breeze picked up and wafted the siren scent towards her in a wave of ecstasy and agony. She longed to know what his blood tasted like.

"Uh, I was uhm, I was actually just being led to the local tavern by a night stalker woman but she had more important matters to tend to beyond those buildings. There was a commotion a short while ago," She looked over her shoulder, hoping she would see her guide return but to no avail. "I can't take this much longer. I need to eat.... even just some horrible cow's blood. Anything. I need to feed"

She remained calm and collected on the outside, she would never let this man know of her struggles from within. Then, to her embarrassment, she noticed another man had come through the portal. Vaernya had been so consumed by her thoughts and cravings she had hardly noticed the exchange. "Oh, I'm sorry. How rude of me," She said to the second man, beckoning to herself then to her companion. "I am Vaernya, this is my dearest friend Bane."

She bit her lip, thinking hard about whether to continue on with her next question or not, eventually deciding it was necessary. "Would any of you happen to know where the tavern is?" She said to one of the guards. "I've been on the road for a long time and I could really use a good meal." She always felt uncomfortable speaking of any type of hunger, her paranoia led her to believe others would assume she was speaking of man's blood rather than cattle blood. However this was rarely the case.

The mercenary bowed courteously before the young lady. The nearby Angel stood at attention. "Does that mean the Blind Seer shall be here soon, sir?"

"Indeed she will be here shortly. In the mean time, could you show them to the Tavern, this young lady looks parched," he said gesturing towards the Cruentai woman. The angelic guard nodded, and then stepped towards the end of the courtyard. "Follow me and I'll show you the way."

Vaer felt her spirits lift at the words; she would finally rid herself of this disgusting thirst. Dark beast at her side, the cruentai made her way towards the guard who would lead her to the tavern that would supposedly supply her with cattle blood.

Vaer was very warm and friendly, but something about her seemed off to Aiden. She seemed to be... on edge. She tried to hide it, but hints of her discomfort were starting to seep through. She also seemed to be struggling to avoid looking directly at him. Something was definitely bothering her, but he couldn't tell what. However, before he could ask, Novaus summoned a guard to lead Vaer to the nearby tavern. Aiden's eyebrows were slightly scrunched up in befuddlement.

"Right... well, I suppose this is where we part ways, then! Perhaps we'll come across each other again sometime in the future. I'm glad to have met you, Vaer." He put on a smile and nodded once.

She looked back at the man as she walked away, taking in his farewell. A part of her didn't want to walk away from him, he was interesting to her, though she could not tell why. Curiosity drew her mind to wonder of the whereabouts of the one named Conrose. He had slipped away to rest from what she had gathered. Nonetheless, her hunger was stronger than her curiosity and so she continued on after the guard.

"Yeah," she said with a bit of disappointment in her voice. She stopped walking, taking a deep breath for she was not one to be forward in social ways but she felt this was necessary. "But if, you'd like, or I suppose if you're not taken by prior arrangements or tasks, you're more than welcome to join me? I understand if you're all too busy, that's just fine. It's always nice to have company, especially as a stranger in a strange place."

"Vaer.... slow down. You don't know this man or his companions... what if they pick up on your true bloodlust? What if they sense you longing for your tongue to taste their blood?" She furrowed her brow, it was a difficult decision; she longed for new connections and new company but her past and her secrets deterred her from wanting to let anyone in. "Well, the offer was already extended, it would be rude for me to withdraw it now..." She felt a level of anxiety pour over her.

"Join you? Hmm." It was a tempting offer. He certainly needed a drink, after what happened in the portal. Plus, he was curious about whatever Vaer was uncomfortable with. Was she hiding something? He didn't want to impose, but perhaps he could pick up a hint of what that secret was.

Of course, he didn't just want to leave Novaus, Konsa and the Blind Seer alone. Conrose didn't count. The human turned back tot the bodyguard, looking unsure. "Say, Novaus...when is Seraphina expected to arrive? If it'll be some time, well, we'll have to make do with whatever time we have to spend waiting." He smirked. "Would you be up for a drink or two?"

Novaus nodded, "I'd imagine they'd be here tonight or at least some time tomorrow morning. The messenger that was sent makes it a point to be punctual." He then stop to think a moment, "Come to think of it, I've never made it to a meeting point before that one in my life, and I've had to work with her dozens of times."

He then waved the human and Cruentai off, jokingly teasing them "Now go on ahead and get something to drink before she thinks to make a meal of you."

A lump formed in the cruentai's throat. "Ugh.... the irony." This situation was already getting uncomfortable. "Laugh it off! Don't raise any suspicion." If there was one thing Vaer had gotten good at over the years it was dealing with and brushing off jokes like these.

A smile crept onto Vaer's pale lips. "Perfect, that's really great. Uhm, well, shall we?" She beckoned towards the direction the guard was heading. Though she was nervous about being in such close quarters with strangers, especially a human with a scent from either heaven or hell, she did not know but, she was glad to have some company. A familiar face was a familiar face, fresh or not.

"Right, ri-... wait, make a what? out of me?" Aiden stared at Novaus, the implications of the statement flying completely over his head. Was that supposed to be some kind of joke? If it was, then Novaus had a pretty terrible sense of humor.

"... Okay then." He backed away from the bodyguard, half-heartedly waving goodbye before turning to step up to Vaer's side. Aiden cleared his throat and straightened his posture, smiling at the Cruentai. "Of course. Let's be off, then." So he went, following the guard's lead.

As the dark haired man collected himself and joined the group as they made their way to the tavern she leaned in and quietly spoke to him, "Don't worry, I don't bite." Then, in her thoughts, "But I'd like to..."

She continued on to make small talk with Aiden. "It seems you're not familiar with the races of this world are you? Where did you come from?"

"Er." Aiden did not expect to suddenly hear Vaer whispering into his ear. Not knowing what to expect from this woman, he started to feel a bit nervous. Fortunately, she continued with small talk, which helped to take some of the edge off.

"Oh, um, yes. I have studied the main races of Ceciderunt Dea, but this is the first time I've actually been here. I'm from Akreas, more specifically, the city of Nexulai. Wonderful place, really. It's the culmination of the combined efforts of humanity and the Averians, a city that thrives on innovation!"

He stopped to get a good look at his surroundings. "Keranlus looks and feels so different, though not in an unpleasant way. I've always wanted to visit this realm." He sighed contentedly. "And here I am. Really, it's a dream come true for me."

"Wow, that sounds spectacular. I can't even imagine... I spent my entire life in basically the same neck of the woods. I'm from Ferrocor, born, raised and then stayed. I just recently decided it was... time for a change. And so I left, ended up here." She couldnt' even imagine what this Nexulai would be like, to go to a different world entirely seemed like an impossible idea though it was quite common.

"Ferrocor?" That name sounded familiar. "Ferrocor..." Aiden muttered again, trying to remember where he'd heard that name before. It was somewhere in... oh dear.

"Ferrocor, that's in Cruentai, isn't it?" He thought back to Novaus' joke and Vaer's hushed comment. It clicked.

"... You're a Cruentai." He thinned his lips, eyes widened at the vampire. "Okay. It all makes sense now... you're not actually going to, uh... bite. Are you?" He winced at that, fearing that it would offend Vaer. "Sorry."

She chuckled as he finally connected the dots. "No, no. I won't bite, as I said. I will however need a drink when we get to the tavern. As strange as it sounds, the blood vendor is closed at night in this city." She noticed he was still a little uncomfortable over his recent realization. "Does it, uh, bother you? That I'm a Cruentai?" There was no casual way to ask the question, she really hoped his human fears of her race wouldn't become the dominant part of him.

The blood vendor for Cruentai, closed at night? That sounded ridiculous, how did they expect them to live in this city? That was a problem that would only grow over time. Hopefully, such mismanagement would be corrected in the future. Before he could comment, she asked if he was uncomfortable with her race. The explorer shook his head vigorously.

"Oh, nonono, certainly not! Your race fascinates me, really. I studied up on your kind extensively during my training. Beings of the night, feeding on the blood of other creatures for survival... truly remarkable." The human briefly turned away, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"This is just... well, it's the first time I've actually spoken to one before. It surprised me, I knew your race looked very human-like, but I couldn't even tell! Maybe it's something I will notice over time as I speak to more Cruentai."

She was releived at his answer and further so at his interest in her kind for what they were. Though the Cruentai were not specifically a rare race, nor shunned or feared by the other races, there were many who still viewed the vampires as being dark and shady, untrustworthy even of their instincts and ancesteral habits. "I am the reason there is still suspicions cast on my people... I and others like me." She thought, disgusted in lust for the blood of man.

"Is that so? Well, at the risk of sounding... unusual, you can ask me anything you'd like. I mean, I'm not an expert on history per say, but I think I know myself fairly well at least." A light chuckle escaped her lips. Smiling, she decided she liked this Aiden. His curiosity resembled hers and he seemed to be a very neutral body. Of course she could never tell him what she really was... a monster... but perhaps they could one day be friends on some shallow level.

Then reality struck, "I'll probably never see him again after tonight. I know not of where he is going or what his intentions are. What's to say he'll stick around? What's to say I will?" She felt saddened by the idea but, accepted it as just another part of her journey to nowhere; friends made and friends lost.

---

The Blind Seer continued on down the Aethertube, somehow able to see it, or simply having travelled them often enough to have memorized its dimensions. Regardless, she strode through it with an air of confidence still leading the demon by the hand. When she spun around and continued walking in reverse, it gave greater credence to the idea of having memorized the way. "You see, there is nothing to be afraid of here," she reassured her companion.

Konsa had been very tense and jumpy all the way up to that point, a little amazed by how familiar Blind Seer was with the portal. Konsa still clung to her hand, eyes always glancing around for any sign of danger. But at the sound oof her reassurance Konsa managed to loose up a little bit and focus on her. "I guess it seems that way..." He murmured, still a little unsure but nothing had happened yet. Konsa still kept close to Blind Seer, glancing behind him. When he returned his gaze to her he finally realized she was walking backwards. "How are you doing that?"

Continuing her backward walk, her face seemed to glow, "for the past 3 years, I've served as the Caelestine representative to Nexulai... it has required of me many travels through this pathway." Her eyebrows did raise with a thought at this point as she admitted,"Though the first time was almost terrifying for me."

She then tilted her head curiously at Konsa, "But this isn't your first time going through one is it?"

"Ah... No..." He trailed off, glancing away from her again. "I wanted to avoid them after almost falling into the Abyss." The demon muttered, "It was a very frightening experience for me, it's why I stayed in Nexulai." Konsa said as he looked around the Blind Seer, seeing how closer they were to the end. Konsa hoped she wouldn't push for details, he was certainly not ready to talk about things like that. He was also afraid of how she react to that, he felt as if he would be hated for it or considered disgusting. Konsa wasn't exactly a person who had self-confidence or self-esteem and this was one of the reasons he shyed away from most relationships.

"Very well then," she relented. "And just like that, we're here," she stated as she backed through the shining end of the portal, vanishing behind the luminous veil as she pulled Konsa through.

Just on the other side, the mercenary could be heard welcoming her back to Ceciderunt Dea.

Konsa breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped out of the portal, glancing around at the new settings. He actually started to consider that maybe his fear of portals was a little unreasonable. Konsa was a little happy to be back in his home world, but also a little afraid he would be recognized or meet someone he was familiar with. Although the chances of that are very low, it still gnawed at the back of his mind. Konsa shook off those negative thoughts and focused on the others. He finally let go of Blind Seer's hand, giving a little squeeze before he did. "Where did Aiden go?" He asked as he noticed the man missing from the group.

Novaus glanced over the young demon briefly, then inspected the Blind Seer... clearly looking for signs of any harm, when he was satisfied, he answered, "Went to the nearby tavern, we can head there now if the guards are satisfied with the documentation."

The nearby Dalimos guard looked down at the paper in the folder he had been handed earlier, then looked up at the smaller demon. "Well, everything checks out."

The mercenary nodded, taking the lead ahead of the Blind Seer and Konsa, "then lets be on our way... I may yet beat Eraslyn somewhere for once." His last statement triggered a chuckle from the Blind Seer.

Konsa nodded and glanced over at the Dalimos guard who had been looking at him, smiling nervously before moving a little closer to Blind Seer. He was excited to get to a tavern, it's been a while since he had visited one. He didn't pay much attention to Novaus and Blind Seer's exchange, only concerned with getting to the warm tavern at the moment. The demon started strolling, surveying the city.

The four people had been on the road for several days, having taken a carriage some portions. The 'Apprentice' was made to carry most of the party's supplies. The graceful looking demon was only too happy to throw all her equipment on the young man, including a long thin blade four feet in length with a widened tip that made the weapon swing more like a hammer with a sharpened head than a sword, and a small buckler. According to the demon merc, the rest of her armor had been left at home in the northern territories of Dalimos, she had seen little need for it while running "Errands," and wanted it near where she'd be doing the annual purge of the Pilgrim's passages for rogue demons and feral Cruentai, as well as the other hazards of the Cruentai/Dalimos border. Seraphina was loathe to burdening Kal'Talarn with her own equipment and carried most of it herself. He still got to carry her food stuffs, water skin and her short sword at the older merc's insistence.

However, she clung to her shield in an embrace more than she really 'wielded' it. It's long, reversed teardrop shape stretched a little over three feet long of the enchanted bronze of the Caelestine, polished to a mirror finish. Across its surface, silver filled in thin etchings in ornate designs and symbols that were significant to her people. At the center, the images of mirroring crescent moons stood opposite each other from a large diamond set in the center of the shield's thicker top half. The symbol of her family name, going back to the first days of the Caelestine settlement into a strange new world at the end of the war that brought both her people and the Dalimos to Ceciderunt Dea.

Despite the relative safety of the paths across Caelist territories, Elric had insisted to remain at Seraphina's side, one hand at the ready by his mace and adorned in full-battle armor. For not the first time, he looked over at the shield that Seraphina carried, taking in the details that adorned its surface and thinking back to the last time he had seen that shield carried into battle. He had once had a shield just like it, just as many of his fellows had, each individualized to show that every soldier was important to the greater good. The shield brought bad memories though, memories of a long fall into darkness and the whispered words of a priest on the edge.

Almost to himself he muttered the words that were inscribed on the shield, an ancient oath that he had taken alongside a dear friend more than once before serving to protect those who could not defend themselves. "It is in the midst of Darkness that shines the truest Light" His hand flexed reflexively on the pommel of the mace, and he slowed pace for a moment falling slightly behind Seraphina as he reflected back on memories that he typically kept reserved.

The young Caelist looked back instinctively to the man who had usually kept a perfect pace. "Is something the matter," she asked, concerned about the older man.

The demon woman barely spared him a glance, "Meh, he's probably just thinking back on the good old days."

Elric scowled at Eraslyn, though kept his intolerance of her kind in check, "I am fine, just got a little caught up in the moment, I suppose. We should be getting near the city soon, so we should be thinking of what supplies we'll need for the longer journey ahead. Carriages may not be as freely available between Keralanus and Ferrocor, and less so after Ferrocor." At the mention of more supplies the rather burdened apprentice groaned in a rather defeated tone, knowing that it would of course fall to him to carry these items. "Is there any way..." he began, shifting the weight of the packs so as to speak a little more clearly, "We could perhaps acquire a pack animal?"

Seraphina looked on with sympathy as the Daemoness stalked towards the young man, "Awe... is the mule afraid to be mistaken for food by the Cruentai?" She then searched her bag briefly and pulled out a small feeding bag. "Here you go, I hear they dislike the blood of an Ass, this should surely make you pass for one.."

Elric let out a hearty laugh, patting the apprentice on the back, "Careful there daemon, if you keep that up, I may actually start to like you." Kal'Talarn kept a scowl as Elric encourage Eraslyn's taunts, looking over to Seraphina with a sympathetic pout.

The young woman then gave Kal'Talarn a reassuring look, "I am certain we can find something to take much of the burden off you. I have much money still and I think it better if one of my escorts isn't constantly exhausted." She then shot a sharp glance over to the other two mercenaries. Eraslyn let out a short chuckle. "At the very least, that one will be gone along with her equipment, at least until we make it to Dalimos territory... so you have at least that to look forward to."

At Seraphina's sharp glance Elric held his hands up, "Whoah there, stow your arrows Lunasdei, this one's friendly." Though he said it with a smile on his face, he suddenly realized what he said and found an excuse to look away from Seraphina and mess with Kal'Talarn's pack, muttering something about lessening some of the Apprentice's burden. He reacted instinctively, but forgot that this was not the same day and age he was used to, that he no longer wore that armor and bore that shield. The thoughts of the old days must have had something to do with this, he was forgetting himself in the middle of remembering what he used to be, and that way lay danger for not only himself, but everyone around him.

It was odd, this man who thought of his apprentice as more a pack mule just moments ago suddenly showed concern, at least in Seraphina's mind. She looked on curiously for a moment at the pair, a little bit proud of Elric for at last showing an ounce of concern when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked over it to meet the demon woman's gaze.

"Come on," Eraslyn said, "Keranlus is a short ways away... should be able to make it a little after dark, and I'm sure the Blind Seer will be there waiting for her old friend."

Seraphina's face brightened up at the thought of seeing her closest friend. She was curious to hear about what she had seen and learned from the other world.

Elric paused a moment, his own pack of traveling supplies in hand "The Blind Seer is who we are meeting?" There was a brief moment of panic crossing his mind, for the stories of her abilities traveled far and varied just as much. She could take one look at him and know what he was, and with his remembrances of old coming more to the surface as he traveled with Seraphina, it would be all to easy to see past the barriers against his past he had put up in his mind. Though he tried not to show it, he was clearly concerned at the mention of the Blind Seer, though for what reason was not so clear.

"Yes, I'm quite excited to get to see her again... she and I have been friends ever since we were both moved to the Aviary after both our fathers..." She then paused as she felt that familiar stabbing pain deep inside. She couldn't help but feel a terrible sadness any time she thought about her father. She missed his kindness that he radiated as though he was the light of hope itself. The stories he often told of heroism back in darker days, of the friends he once shared the skies with and fought alongside of. Most notably she remembered the stories of the Blind Seer's father, the Rogue of Angels who fought hard to protect peace; and the Seraphim who had martyred his very soul to protect the innocent. "She couldn't play very many games with the other children, because she couldn't see things as most others do. So I often sat down with her and told her stories my father once shared with me."

Elric said nothing, but darker thoughts crossed his mind with this revelation. Galric and him had been close once, and he knew that many of those stories would be of the battles they fought together. He had to make some excuse to stay away from the Blind Seer, but it would be impossible if she was to accompany them to the Citadel, and Seraphina was bound to bring them together at some point. Silently he cursed himself for taking foolish risks, and cursed his old friend for playing one last joke on him. "You must ask of her to not look into my soul." He said, the seriousness of his tone cutting through the lighter mood that Seraphina seemed to be trying to restore.

Eraslyn's ears perked as Seraphina turned towards Elric with confusion etched across her face. The demon opened her mouth, then paused a moment, apparently she had a second thought before she spoke, "Nah, I wouldn't want to ruin a blossoming friendship so soon."

"I understand that it can be disconcerting, but it's not something she can exactly control... the Hellfires took from her the sight you and I have, and gave her the ability to see souls instead, it's as natural to her as light and color are to us." She then paused a moment, the older merc seemed concerned from the moment the Blind Seer was mentioned, but only voiced his concern after she mentioned that she had shared stories, her father's stories. "Are you... pray chance, afraid you may have been mentioned in my father's stories?"

Elric waved away the thought, "Me? Mentioned in tales of honor and glory alongside a mighty Seraphim? I am but a simple merc of decent skill, what would the great Galric Lunasdei have to say of an aging mercenary?" As the two went on, Kal'Talarn was beginning to feel that something was off about Elric, everything did seem just fine until mention of the Blind Seer and the connection between her and Seraphina. He thought back to when Elric had cornered him outside the tavern, when Elric had forced him to swear on his life Seraphina's safety.

"Well, he was quite kind, but I suppose I never did hear mention of your name... pardon me for my prying," she bowed in apology.

Eraslyn crossed her arms, "Come on, lets keep going before you finish killing the good mood." She then pointed towards the top of the hill cheerfully, "We should be able to see the city walls once we get to the top." Then, possessed by a thought, she put her hand to her chin and her eyes went skyward. "I wonder if they have those wonderful oranges in again," she pondered to herself.

Elric was too focused on his own introspection to give the rather odd comment any thought, though the apprentice gained a rather puzzled look as Eraslyn mused. "Is not Orange always the same? I was also unaware that there were those who could sell a color. Why would anyone buy something that they cannot physically possess?"

The Demon looked at him puzzled for moment, the was struck with the realization of his unfamiliarity with the Keranlus markets. "Oh, no... you see, there's a portal in Keranlus leads to a whole nother world, and people come and go through it and goods are exchanged." Then her look of perplexion changed to one of excitement as the pitch of her voice raised and her pace of talking quickened, "One of those things are these fruits that are orange in color... and so the people on the other side call them oranges, and they are sweet and delicious and absolutely amazing!" The excitement almost had her hopping in place. She turned and started dashing ahead, "So come on and hurry up already" she demanded of the rest of the group.

Kal'Talarn stood confused for a moment, starting forward as the over-excited dalimos surged forward. He looked back momentarily, seeing if Elric was following, but the older merc gave a short nod as way of telling him to go ahead. Equipment swaying back and forth as he struggled to catch up, the apprentice attempted to run up the hill as well, yelling for Eraslyn to wait on him.

Turning towards Seraphina with a serious look, Elric once more tried to press upon her the importance of his secrets. "My lady, I ask of you but this one thing, even if your friend the Blind Seer cannot prevent herself from looking into my soul, she must not reveal what she sees. Not to anyone, my own safety rests on this, as does that of the group." Despite the absurdity of his statement, it was quite clear that he firmly believed this. He knew what happened when his secrets were left in the open, and to a degree, he was still serving to restore the damage done in the long years since. To allow such a small slip up at such a critical time would be unacceptable, and if who he really was was to be revealed, then he would be forced to break a promise to a dear friend.

The statuesque woman blinked with uncertainty about the man for a moment. It was becoming disconcerting that he would be so adamant about keeping a secret and she could only get off a nervous nod. She took a few shaky steps away from the man before turning around and chasing after the demon far ahead, feeling more comfortable around the demon than this mercenary.

Seraphina looked back briefly for a moment, lingering on the man's statement, until Eraslyn interrupted her thinking, "Come on, let's get going... I'm aching to check the shops!" The demoness led the younger woman by the hand as she dashed for the top of the hill. At the hilltop the village of Keranlus could be seen at the crest of the next hill. The buildings along the valley between were modest, but certainly no shanties. Deeper into the city, the stone walls of the original sentry outpost rose from among the shops. "Just a little ways further," whispered the demon to the Caelestine, "and then the true adventure begins."

Elric followed behind the group, still thinking of how to avoid the inevitable revelations of the Blind Seer. Though Seraphina had seemed to agree to speak to her friend of his request, he knew that she would be told the truth of what the Blind Seer saw. Kal'Talarn occasionally looked back to see if he was still following, though Elric didn't pay him much mind, too focused on his inner thoughts. His thoughts were troubled, and it wouldn't do to travel like this for much longer, he had to seek out the temple in Keralanus and speak with the priest. Perhaps Seraphina would understand if he needed to move away from the group momentarily, and not think it odd. Though, there was always the chance that she and the Blind Seer would also seek to pray to the goddess before setting out, which could become very awkward, very fast.

"My lady, Seraphina." Elric called out, catching up to the rest of the group "I have something that must be taken care of, a private business. I feel that since we are here, and Eraslyn seems eager to peruse the shops, Kal'Talarn can prove adequate guard for you while I handle this affair. Is this alright with you?"

Seraphina nodded, "It is quite alright by me."

Eraslyn cupped her hands around her mouth, perhaps needlessly, as she shouted back to him, "We'll be at the Vortician Tavern... you do know where to find it, right!" She then turned to the young Caelestine... "Can't let us get all split up without a rendezvous set up, right?"

The younger woman smiled, in spite of the fact her companion was a demon, she made for pleasant company and was not at all like what the Prince often said of them. She then looked back down to Kal'Talarn still making his way up the last few feet of the hill.

As Seraphina made her way towards the rest of the group, Elric followed behind slightly, watching as they moved further into the city. He made a detour once he crested the hill, moving away from the path to the markets, and deeper into the city towards the Caelistine controlled areas. The paths became less winding and more ordered, the cobblestone of the main thoroughfares making way to stone brick and lantern-posts. Fewer sentries patrolled here, though to say it was less guarded would be foolish. Not far into the Caelistine half of Keralanus, Elric was stopped and asked for his heading. "Halt there traveler, what is your business here?" the Caelistine man was an ascended Angel, his wings tucked close to his back and his armor polished in the dimming light. Though the man spoke in common, it seemed as he had not much practice with it, and his stance spoke of one who had recently acquired their wings.

Switching from the common tongue, Elric spoke to the man in perfect Caelistine, putting him off-guard "I seek the temple to our goddess, so that I may make an offer of prayer before my long journey." Elric smiled slightly and made the sign of the goddess with one hand, showing that he knew more of the faith than simple common knowledge and ability to speak Caelistine. The guard swallowed slowly, on one hand he was very wary of the old mercenary, but on the other he knew that it would be unwise to prevent a traveler to pray at the altar of the goddess. "Well, sir" he began, uncertainty clear in his voice, "The main temple for non-Caelistine is closed for the night, the priests having gone home to their families. If you like, I can escort you to the nearest inn and there you can wait till morning?" Elric shook his head slowly removed an old medallion from his front pocket. In the light of the street-lanterns, the crest of the Caelistine nation was revealed on the pock-marked and travel-worn medallion.

Though the crest was outdated by several generations, it was still instantly recognizable, and the meaning was clear to any ascended angel, "I seek a shelter of light from the growing darkness..." Elric began, allowing the younger guard to finish with "So that I can unfurl my wings in the morning light to do battle with the demons from beyond." Now more so at ease, the guard motioned for Elric to follow him as they began to walk towards the Caelistine barracks and the old temple. "Tell me traveler, where does your journey take you?" It took him a moment to answer, feeling that while he could trust the younger guard to a degree, he didn't want to have everyone know who traveled the city at this very moment. "I journey to the Featherkeeper's Citadel, in order to see a young Caelistine gain her wings. With few temples to the goddess between here an the Citadel, I felt it best to say a prayer before we get moving again. The rest of my party is already at one of the inner-city taverns, so this may be the only time I get to make my own personal dedications."

The guard nodded, admiring the faithfulness of the older mercenary "It is good to have faith in such dark times, not many of the mortal races share the beliefs of the goddess." The rest of the journey to the old temple without much further conversation on the subject, the two men walking in relative silence as the pathways began to become less ornate and more winding. Elric looked down each of the alleys, noting how the streets were becoming more structured to resist invasion, the rooftops notched with a battlement style and the winding patterns providing arcs of cover for those coming from the barracks, but denied it to those heading towards it. Anything could be behind every turn, but with the relative safety of Keralanus these days, the likelihood of danger was minimal.

They had nearly passed the temple, the facade of the small fortification blending with the nearby buildings and almost indistinguishable from the barracks facilities of the Caelistine. Cracks crept up the walls from where it had sustained siege damage in the past, likely before the outer walls had been built, and the stained glass within the larger windows was a patchwork of differing shades of similar colors, the individual pieces replaced as they fell out or faded. The only thing other than the stained glass that would have let him know where he was, was a statue of the goddess beside the door, its polished surface speaking of the reverence the staff held for their faith above that of the building they worshiped in. Nodding his thanks to the guard, Elric moved towards the entrance, raising his hand to knock upon the door. The knock echoed throughout the nearby area, he hadn't really meant to knock that loud, but the door's solid construction made each strike sound as if a miniature thunderclap had just went off.

Opening the door, a shorter ascended Caelistine began to wave him away, but stopped as the balding man adjusted the bifocals on his face. "Hmmmm... You're a tad late." he mumbled, the soft voice nearly lost to the sounds of the night, his eyes inspecting Elric for anything suspicious, but skipping over the armaments he carried. "Stow your weapons Isaaic, or whatever you choose to be called these days, and follow me." The man shuffled inside with Elric following close behind, only stopping to allow the mercenary a moment to place his equipment on the dusty racks in the armory by the door. Together they walked into the main hall, the few remaining pews scooted up close to the altar that rightly glowed as the focus of the room. Kneeling before the altar, Elric began a short prayer to the goddess, thanking her for the gift of life and for guiding him along his path thus far. The old priest looked down on Elric with interest in his dull-green eyes, the man genuinely interested in what brought such a mercenary as this to his temple this time.

Unsure of himself, Elric sat at the base of the altar facing the priest "I've been troubled of late, and I'm fairly sure that it's something that has troubled me for far longer than it should have." The priest nodded, a warm smile bidding Elric to continue, understanding clear in his eyes. "I've hidden behind a barrier to my soul for so long, that sometimes, I forget why such a barrier was created. I dedicate myself to protecting those who are otherwise defenseless, yet the very fact of who and what I am would endanger them if they were ever to know. The more I think of this, the more I struggle with who I am, and why it is that I have been given this journey by our beloved goddess." Placing a hand on Elric's shoulder, the priest leaned forward a bit, though Elric felt that the steadying hand was perhaps just as reassuring to the priest as it was meant to be for him. It was clear that the man was nearing the end of his lifetime, and perhaps had already passed that mark, but if he was discomforted by his age, he made every effort to show only his unflinching faith in the goddess. "Sometimes Isaaic, our Goddess gives us a task that she knows we cannot complete. While the mortal races see this as cruel, we know that she does this to force us to grow, to adapt, to become more than we are. It is not the task itself that must be completed, but the journey to undertake the task."

"When a man journeys across the world he will learn much of the people that live in it, and regardless the outcome of his mission, he will have become better for the lessons he learned along the way. This is the way of our Goddess, to show us that there is always another way, and that every lesson learned is but one more step to ascension." Elric thought on this for a moment, for though he was as devoted to the goddess as any, he had never really put thought into the why, only the end result. His every journey had served a purpose, bringing him closer to this point, and until now, he thought of his experiences as something additional, never thinking that the journey itself was his goal. "What of who I am? My companions will not know what to think at first, and I'm sure that knowledge of my past will rightfully bias one against me." The priest chuckled a bit, attempting to pat Elric on the shoulder, but losing his balance. Elric steadied the priest, moving him back into a sitting position on the pew, and taking a seat himself. "You have done terrible things in your past, yes, but what defines you is how you set those wrongs right. This journey is just as much your own journey as theirs, for why else would you be traveling with them, and not another mercenary?"

Though Elric knew the priest was correct in his statement, he still felt odd about it and the priest could see this. "Do what you think is best, though they will eventually know who you really are, and the longer a secret is kept, the more it hurts those you hold close to your heart. Tell me though, who is it you travel with this time? I hope you're not going on another vengeance raid into Dalimos territory." Smiling, Elric shook his head, "No, I am merely fulfilling a promise to an old friend, and perhaps finding the end to my own journey." The two sat for some time, going over the catechisms of their goddess and sharing of stories since they last met. Elric knew that he should be getting to the tavern soon, but matters of faith were more important to him, and he knew that Seraphina and the Blind Seer would understand this point more so than the others.

The sounds of struggle had gone silent as a neary by alley was filled with uniformed Dalimos and Caelestine soldiers, some hoisting up the limp body's of civilians whom appeared to have been in a significant struggle, their breathing pained. The only noise that was not the guards mumbling among themselves was a Cruentai male bearing his fangs and spouting out expletives towards a Night Stalker on the roof above, having apparently ensnared him and rendered him helpless for the rest of the night's struggle. The way he was nursing one of his hands suggested he suffered some form of injury, and was perhaps the reason he was so trite towards the woman high above. Her response was merely to roll her eyes.

The angel leading Vaer and Aiden sighed, "I never get to be a part of any of the excitement... and it looks like the fun started at the tavern." Glancing ahead, some men were righting tables that were set outside a large and lively building as an elderly man swept up broken glass from the street in front of it.

Vaer's heart seemed to skip a beat as she realised they had finally made it to their destination. Without noticing she picked up her pace, her mouth watering at the thought of blood, any blood. A moment later she realized how desparate she must have looked, briskly walking ahead of the group, and stopped in her tracks. She felt her cheeks warm as she turned back around to the Caelestine and Aiden.

"I apologize for that, I'm just... parched, is all." Then, to the guard specifically, "I thank you deeply and sincerely for leading us to the tavern. I would ask your pardon now though, with regret as your company has been lovely, for I direly need to eat something. My journey has been a long one and with too little nutrition."

She glanced over at Aiden, for some reason she was concerned as to what he thought of her hunger. She didn't understand her own emotions for the Cruentai were not a foreign or unusual race in these lands and were rarely judged on their consumption of animals' blood. Perhaps it was knowing that he had never actually met one of her kind, or perhaps it was her own self consciousness around a new man. Whatever the cause of her discomfort she wished it would go away.

Well, this was unexpected. Aiden strolled alongside Vaer, slightly lagging behind the guard leading them to the tavern. He peered around at the carnage uncomfortably, grimacing at the sight of some of the more roughed up civilians. He knew that pubs were often sites of altercation between patrons, but judging from the aftermath, this one was particularly brutal. He didn't think he'd bear witness to such a sight in Ceciderunt Dea so soon, especially while he was still in Caelestine territory. Then again, the Caelestine did have to share this city with the Dalimos, and not all of them were on good terms with each other. Still, he wondered what could've caused this mess...

As Aiden glanced around the area, he noticed Vaer's gaze. It... wasn't all that flattering, and she seemed to realize this too, for she briskly walked ahead of her companions and apologized. He simply watched her silently, concerned; she truly was starving. How long had she been on the road with Bane?

"Er..." He uttered quietly once he saw the Cruentai's gaze lingering on him. She seemed to be quite embarassed, as though she feared that he would reject her for her quirks. Well, he couldn't have that, could he? "Well, what are we waiting for?" He asked, his mouth curling up in a wide smile. The human nodded in thanks to the guard, walked up to Vaer and patted her lightly on the shoulder. "We came here for drinks, and by God, we'll have some drinks."

Awe leaked onto the Cruentai's expression as the man portrayed the exact opposite behaviour she had so previously been fearing. As she walked up to her, nodding in gratitude to the guard, she could feel her heart beat a little faster. This was amplified further by his gentle touch on her shoulder. From a few feet away in the shadow of a shop doorway a low growl from Bane struck the air, reminding the man that his eyes and jaws were still around for the vampiric woman.

Vaer sighed happily, finally knowing where he stood in the blood red waters of her culture. "Yes, a drink sounds perfect. Shall we?" She said, beckoning to the tavern just ahead.

"Oh, my." She had failed to notice just how much damage had been left in the wake of whatever previous tussel that had occured here. "Must have been one hell of an evening." As the two made their way towards the welcoming, wooden doors of the old tavern she looked back at the dark, fourlegged shadow that had quietly followed them the whole way. She paused before leaving Aiden's side and walking over to her dear friend. Kneeling down she retireved a dried pig's ear, a special treat she had been saving, and offered it to the massive animal who graciously accepted. "We'll be nearby my dear, just in there, understand? Keep to yourself and enjoy your treat. You've handled this journey well."

Standing again she strode back to meet Aiden again and together they made their way to the tavern doors.

The tavern's floor had already been cleaned of any mess that was sent to the floor while burly men were in the midst of bringing in some fresh tables from a room in the back while another pair was in the midst of dismantling another whose top had been splintered rather badly during whatever trouble had occured in here. It seemed the stools at the bar counter had escaped any damage... or had already been replaced if they had.

The barkeep stood behind the counter, still serving whatever patrons had remained throughout the tussle whilst baking out orders to the other workers who were cleaning up the mess. Behind him sat a selection of wines, most being imports from around Ceciderunt, and a few had labels that some fron Nexulai may be familiar with. The man finished commanding his workers and turned towards the newcomers at the door, and then calling out to them in a clear, deep voice "Only a small disagreement, won't make me shutter my doors to business."

Vaernya chuckled lightly, "Small eh? I'd hate to see a serious one." She felt herself calming as she approached the dark wood bar and claimed one of the few untouched seats, brushing a bit of dust off of it before seating herself. She looked up at the cheery bartender, smiling as she waited for Aiden to take his seat.

"You wouldn't happen to have any cattle blood rations in stock would you? Anything will do but if you have it I'm keen on long horn." She felt a little odd expressing her preference of cow's blood in front of Aiden, though he had already made it clear that he didn't mind.

Vaernya echoed Aiden's sentiments exactly. This certainly did not seem anything like a small brawl. Fortunately, the chaos had subsided, so the two were free to drink in peace. He took a seat next to the vampire, settling in and letting out a small sigh of contentment. Once she ordered cattle blood, the explorere glanced over at her briefly with a raised brow and a slight smirk. It sounded so silly to him, but things were different here. He'd have to get used to the fact that there were those who survived on the blood of other creatures.

"How does that taste?" He asked, curious about the Cruentai. "The cattle blood, I mean. Does the taste differ per creature?"

The slender woman was a bit shocked at this question; she didn't think he'd care to know the actual details of her life source. "Uh, well, it tastes like blood... I guess." She grinned, realising it wans't much of a description. "I don't really know how to explain it, it's very rich, and creamy and the flavor varies more in the way of an aftertaste than anything. Cattleblood is not as-" She stopped, choking on her own words as she realised she had almost openly compare cattle's blood to the blood of a man.

"Argh! How stupid can I be?" Regaining her composure she played it off like she had choked on a bit of her drink instead. "Uh, cattle's blood is not as good as predator's blood."

She looked over at him to guage his expression. "Uh, sometimes we'll have hunters save the blood of their kills for us. A mountain lion has a high protein diet and so their blood tastes alot better than a cow's, which lives off of vegetation, a far stretch from our diets."

Aiden leaned a bit over the counter, resting his head in his hand as he listened closely to Vaer's explanation. He nodded slowly as he took the information in. Cruentai looked so much like humans, but their underlying physiology was so radically different. They didn't seem to require any form of sustenance other than blood, which made him wonder...

Then she stopped herself, choking on her words and looking panicked for a second. He straightened up, alarmed at the interruption. She probably choked on her drink, but the way she watched him gave him the sense that she was still hiding something. It disturbed him; what could she be hiding from him? If he prodded for information, though, he'd only alienate Vaer. Obviously, it was very sensitive information, but maybe she would tell him in time...

"I see... remarkable. So it's not much different from the way we humans describe our food, then, textures, flavors and all. You don't require solid food, though, correct?"

His expression told her that he had caught on to her little lapse of verbal control, though he didn't look like he knew what she had stopped herself from saying, he knew she was hiding something. She brushed a dark dreadlock from her face and took a long drink from her glass, emptying it before politely asking for another. The cheerful bartended answered her plea and supplied her with another glass of longhorn blood.

"I don't need solid food. I can eat it, but it doesn't do much for my body nutritionally. Though once in a while I do enjoy a rare steak, for variety's sake." As the blood began to work its way through her system she felt her stress melt away and her body relaxed. She was feeling like herself again, the paranoia slipped away for the most part and her mind cleared. "Ah," she said happily, leaning back in her chair. "This was much needed."

"So, what brings you here Aiden? Surely it can't be to sit and listen to a Cruentai woman's dietary explanation. Are you on a vacation? An adventure?" She hoped by changing the topic he would forget about the glimpse of the skeletons in her closet he had recieved.

His gaze flitted downwards and he thinned his lips as Vaer took a long swig from the glass. She was aware that he knew that she was hiding something, and it was clearly making her feel quite uncomfortable. Not good, Aiden didn't want to make her feel like he was prying for details that could potentially condemn her. Fortunately, after her drink, the Cruentai seemed a bit more relaxed. He smirked; she truly must have been famished.

"Heh, well, yes... I guess you can say I'm on an adventure." The human smiled proudly. "A very important one, at that; I'm here to document a Caelestine's pilgrimage for my people. I will be the first Akreausian to witness such an event. The VIP hasn't arrived yet, but I'm ready to leave as soon as she shows up..." His smile faltered a bit, making him look sheepish. "Of course, I, uh... don't really know what she looks like yet. My companions do, but we've split up for the time being. Oh well, I'm sure they'll inform me once the time is right."

"How intriguing... a Caelestine eh? She must be very beautiful, I think they're genetically destined to be so." She shook her head; the Caelestine's were by far the fairest race of the lands, their grace and beauty near impossible to equal and their history was proud and majestic. Though she would never admit it, she had often wished she was born under a different race. The Cruentai were so easy to look down on.

"So you'll be departing soon then?" She realised she was disappointed at the idea of him leaving so soon, and at all. Her pale cheeks flushed at the realisation and she looked down, taking another drink. Aiden was so easy to talk to, despite her insecurities, and though she was out on a destinationless journey of her own she wasn't keen on departing his company so soon. "I'm sure your journey will be filled with excitement and adventures of all sorts."

"Heh... I'm sure she is," He said somewhat quietly as he looked away, embarassed, remembering the Seer's description of her. "Evolution certainly treated them well." He then looked upon her again to find that her expression had fallen. He would've asked what was wrong, but then he noticed the flushed cheeks. The human blinked.

"Um." She tried to hide it with another long swig while Aiden wondered just what she was thinking at the moment. Her next statement forced him to brush it aside and focus on the subject at hand. He frowned, understanding that she had nowhere to go after this. "So... what about you? Where will you go after this?"

The woman's blue eyes lifted to meet the human's gaze. "Well," she said as she sat up in her chair. "I don't really know yet. I don't exactly have a destination. I just woke up one day feeling like my life had become idle and decided that I needed to find a new path in life. It's been a long journey so far and I can't say I've learned much except to pack extra rations, but I figured making it to Keranlus would be a good place to start."

"Ugh, I can't believe no one had oranges!" came a frustrated shout from outside the door. Shortly afterwards, a winged and horned woman of fair complexion stormed into the tavern. Just behind her, a young man with enough equipment on his back to be mistaken for a pack mule struggled inside with a woman white as alabaster helping him along.

"I know you were looking forward to it," said the statuesque beauty. "But Tal here could use a rest for a moment." She then bade the young man to offload the packs and rest on the nearby chair before turning back to the frustrated Dalimos woman, "Perhaps they have some of it here?"

"This place doesn't serve fruits! They serve things like...steaks and pot roasts, and stuff like that... but not standalone fruits," Eraslyn cried out.

The barkeep then informed the woman, "We actually do carry orange juice... if you'd like?"

The woman's pointed ears perked at the sound of this and turned her attention to the man behind the counter. "They make juice from it?" She then dashed for the counter and immediately ordered some and waited with an excited expression across her face.

"Ah-" Then came the shout, and the door swung open. Aiden spun around to see a group of strange individuals entering the pub; a loud, irritated horned woman, a young man carrying far more gear than it looked like his back could hold, and...

And...

"Whoa." Aiden's eyes stopped over the third member of the group; a young woman with steel blue hair and skin as white as marble. She was gorgeous... maybe too gorgeous. She almost looked like a marble statue... a living, breathing one at that. Her unnatural, radiant beauty ended up unnerving the explorer almost as much as it amazed him. She had to have been a Caelestine, and the horned woman, a Dalimos.

Said Dalimos proceeded to sprint for the bar, stopping right beside him and nearly causing the explorer to to fall off of his stool in shock. "Guh-!" He ended up tilting and falling back into Vaernya, unable to stop himself.

After turning to see what the shouting was about, Vaer felt her pale skin shift to an unnatural white as she saw a remarkably beautiful Caelestine woman enter the tavern with a dalimos and a man carrying their luggage, as if summoned by their very words. Aiden's jaw practically hit the floor boards and she felt a bit of jealousy rising up from within her.

"Oh? I'm jealous now? How does that make sense?' She shrugged off the feeling and returned her gaze the the Caelestine woman but was ripped away from the sight as Aiden came toppling over on to her. The two crashed to the ground, drinks and blood spilling all over. The fall itself wasn't enough to knock the wind out of her; it was the weight of Aiden's body landing on hers that did it.

"Ugh," she choked out. Trying to take in what had just happened.

The demoness glanced to the side as the young man fell over onto the Cruentai, then chuckled. "Were you too busy admiring that young woman over there" inquired the Dalimos woman.

"Eraslyn, stop teasing everyone you come across," pleaded the Caelestine woman near the door.

"Ow..." Aiden groaned in reply, shifting off of Vaernya's body and pushing himself up. He shut his eyes tightly, rubbing the back of his head, before opening them and looking down at Vaernya. "... Oh shit! Vaer, I'm so sorry, I didn't..."

Her breath returned to her lungs as the man pulled his body off of hers. She looked up at him and blushed as she realised how awkward he must have felt being pressed up against her after learning so much about her diet. An apology sputtered from his mouth and she chuckled lightly at the situation, "It's alright, I'm okay. I know that wasn't your fault, I was staring at her too." She teased and winked at him knowingly, laughing again she propped herself up on her elbows and assessed the situation. Here she was, in a completely foreign place, in a room filled with strangers, a man recently on top her, and her clothes spattered with her drink. This was indeed an adventure.

A sigh of relief. "Okay, good... if I'd injured you, I don't think I-" He stopped once he realized that there was something... wet splattered onto his face. Wiping it, he looked down at his hand and saw sticky crimson fluid... blood. His eyes widened in horror.

Oh god, oh man, oh GOD- wait a second, this is silly. The drink. Of course. Aiden let out a hearty chuckle at that. He'd have to get used to the sight of blood in bars very quickly. In any case, it was time to address the demoness and her friends. Vaer's staring comment flew completely over his head. Eraslyn's didn't. He opened his mouth to say something to the horned woman, but paused, struggling to come up with a decent answer... really, there was none. The whole situation was rather awkward.

"No," He lied somewhat nervously, before narrowing his eyes in irritation, "What's your deal? You knocked us over and spilled our drinks. Very impolite, you know."

"I'm a Dalimos... manners aren't a popular thing among us unless it's a Supercian." She looked over the pair, "awefully fancy clothing you got there. Shame you got it all bloody kid."

"The least you could do is apologize," demanded the Caelestine as she walked up to the counter. She then turned her attention to the young man and the Cruentai seated next to her companion. She bowed and spoke humbly, "I'm terribly sorry for the troubles Eraslyn has caused you."

The demoness rolled her eyes before turning her gaze towards the oranged colored drink the barkeep put on the counter before her.

"No, no, it was an accident. These things do happen, but thank you for your apology nonetheless." Pulling herself up she brushed the dust from her clothes and flipped her dreadlocks back over her shoulders, fastening them again by tying two around the bulk. "My name is Vaernya, I'm a traveller, this city seems to be filled with excitement tonight." She offered a modest bow in the direction of the Caelestine and her companions.

"It's fine, it's fine..." Aiden breathed as he stood up, examining his clothing. Indeed, some of the blood splattered onto his coat. It was dark, which helped mask it somewhat, but still. He cringed. "Damn. Hope this doesn't stain," He muttered, before turning back to the Caelestine and putting on a smile. Her stunning appearance still baffled him.

"Not a problem." He looked between the young woman and her companions. "You all look like you've had a long journey. Can't blame Eraslyn for her, er, strong reaction." He shrugged and smirked. Once Vaernya introduced herself, the explorer followed suit, starting with a deep, respectful bow. "And my name is Aiden, Aiden Toft. I'm a certified state explorer of Nexulai. That's in Akreaus, by the way... I jumped through the portal very recently."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she said, bowing courteously, "My name is Seraphina Lunasdiei," she then said, introducing herself.

No way. No way in hell. This was far, far too coincidental for it to be true. "... Hold on." Aiden's smile immediately disappeared, replaced by one of growing awe. "You... you're telling me you're Seraphina Lunasdiei."He then winced. That was a fine way to start things off. He had to identify her by something more specific. "I mean, er... you're the one about to embark on her pilgrimage?" This wasn't working. He was certain that there were quite a few Caelestine who embarked on their pilgrimages very recently.

Eraslyn raised her eyebrows as Seraphina's face became filled with confusion. "Yes she is... don't tell me she's already got admirers in Nexulai?" Seraphina blushed a little at the thought. It was bad enough the prince constantly attempted to impress her.

So it really was her. Aiden's mouth slowly curled up into an ecstatic grin. He'd finally met the woman at the center of this entire mission. "No... no, of course not! Oh, this is brilliant!" He straightened himself up, clearing his throat. "Mm, apologies. I know this is sudden, but I have been tasked with accompanying Lady Lunasdiei on her pilgrimage, along with a few others, by Grand Ambassador Sokolniki. I am to record the events of the Pilgrimage and bring my findings to my people... in fact, I will be the first Akreausian to do so!" The human brought his hands up to clasp them together. He certainly was enthusiastic.

"Ah, we must find the others-... wait." His smile disappeared, replaced by a look of uncertainty. "Lady Lunasdiei... the Blind Seer did inform you of this, right? If she hasn't, well, she came back to Keranlus with us. I can bring you to her."

Seraphina shook her head, as Eraslyn smiled. "I was wondering what that message was all about," said the Caelestine.

Eraslyn spun on her stool as she sipped on the orange juice. "Well, if you are here at the behest of the Blind Seer," the demoness began to speculate, "then we'll wait here for her." She looked over the pair, "But I don't put it past her to try to find some escorts for her old friend... she has been itching to pay her back for her kindness for the longest time." She then focused on the young human, "So I beat Novaus here once again have I?"

He crossed his arms, tilting his head curiously. "If you mean beating him to your destination, then yes. He left me and my friend Vaernya here to have a few drinks at the pub... we were lucky. A brawl had just ended by the time we arrived." He snorted in amusement.
"And I just realized, I haven't actually had a proper drink yet. I should rectify that... in any case, it's good to finally meet you and your companions, Lady Lunasdiei. I look forward to our future travels together."

Vaer quietly beckoned for the bartended to bring her another drink, hoping this one would stay either in the glass or in her stomach and sat down a bit away from the group. She found it to be rude for her to barge in on a pre arranged meeting. She sighed quietly as she realised that the only person she knew slightly in this city was going to depart soon with quite possibly the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Vaer closed her eyes for a moment, savoring the taste of her beverage, trying to think of what she'd do next.

Eraslyn's gaze now turned to the Cruentai woman who seemed to shrin into her seat. "And what about you," she asked. "So then, what's your story? What's a Cruentai civie doing on this side of the Caelestine border anyways? You don't look like a Night Stalker."

Her attention was taken by the Dalimos woman's question, she wasn't sure she was still on the radar for the group. Dabbing at her lips with a napkin she spoke with a level of respect for the members of this new party seemed to be of some importance. "No, no I'm most certainly not a Night Stalker. As I said, I am a traveller; I have no real destination yet I seek adventure and a shift from the normalities of my daily life. My mind was set on Keranlus simply because I had never had the pleasure of travelling this way."

Aiden turned back to face the Cruentai, and he felt a tinge of guilt as she shared her story with Eraslyn. The woman had nowhere to go, and after having such a nice conversation with her, she seemed depressed, knowing that he was going to leave in the very near future. It didn't feel right to abandon her to her previous life like this.

"... Say, Vaer. How well can you fight?"

To say the least, she was extremely taken aback by this question. "Well, I can't say I've ever really been in a situation where I've had to fight. So I'd have to have say I have little to no expereince in the matter. I was a jeweller back home in Ferrocor, hardly a dangerous profession. Though I could cut the finest gem you'd ever see." She smiled, trying to calm herself with a bit of humor. How well can you fight? such an interesting question.

"Though... I do have a fair bit of experience with Ice Magick and a little with Fire Magicks. I've never used it for fighting though, it's purely self developed. Why do you ask?"

Aiden knew that the question was rather forward, but he had to know. The road ahead of the group would undoubtedly be fraught with danger, and they'd need to support each other as best they could. Her experience as a jeweller was nice, but probably not very useful on the field, unless they were able to collect a sizable amount of gems, somehow. His hope was renewed, though, when she mentioned ice magic.

"Ice magic... heh. I ask, because we don't know what to expect on this journey. We'll face many situations that require unique solutions, and even though you are not experienced with combat, I can think of a few ways ice magic would come in handy in certain scenarios."

Aiden turned back to the Caelestine, watching her expectantly. "What do you think, Miss Lunasdiei? Could her skills come in handy on our quest?"

Seraphina looked with confusion as she considered this. Eraslyn chimed in before she could come with an answer, "Well, I'm gonna be splitting off after everything is settled here, so she could probably use someone who knows the Cruentai territories a little better than Novaus does."

The Caelestine nodded, "Yes, I suppose so... wait... does that mean..."

The Demoness knew the question before it was even asked, "No, the Blind Seer will not be accompanying us, she will remain here in Keranlus and Nexulai while Novaus guides you to the Featherkeeper."

With a grin, Aiden clapped the Cruentai on the shoulder. "That means you're with us. Bane too. We'll be glad to bring you along, Vaer."

She couldn't believe the words that reached her ears. She was going with them? On the pilgrimage of a Caelestine? It was and unthinkable honor she could have never imagined in her days as a simple jeweller. It seems her instincts for adventure carried her to the right place.

"I am honored," she said, dipping into a low bow with her hands pressed firmly before her chest, a sign of gratitude and respect. "This is most unexpected, but I could not ask for more from what started out as a journey to nowhere. I can't imagine the experiences I'll gain whilst travelling with you. Miss Lunasdiei, is this alright with you? I can swear on my ancestors I won't be a burden, nor will my canine friend Bane."

She looked at the beautiful woman with a new light in her eyes; this was quite the opportunity.

Seraphina smiled earnestly, "It is fine by me."

Eraslyn let out a huff, "You're trust in strangers knows no bounds doesn't it." She then turned towards the other two. "Well before we go running off, we'll have to wait on Belial, Novaus and the Blind Seer to get here and get everything settled."

She then turned her attention to Aiden, "but while we wait, got any more surprises for us per chance?"

Aiden shook his head. "None that I know of. We just need to link up with the others, and then we'll be ready to go, but I'm sure they'll find us, sooner or later. So!" He leans back against the counter. "Who's up for some drinks? This is cause for celebration!"

---

(Konsa/Novaus/Blind Seer)

It was a short walk to the tavern from the Portal, most signs of the earlier struggle had been removed from the alley along the way, just a little bit of cleaning up left to do. most of the guards having returned to their barracks for the night, or transporting suspects to the local brig.

"Looks like we missed out on some fun here earlier," stated the mercenary.

The Blind Seer took a few sniffs at the air, "Likely a drunken dispute judging by the smells."

Novaus continued to lead the other two past the scene. Judging by the state of the Tavern ahead, the Blind Seer had been correct.

Konsa tagged behind the pair a bit, still taking in the new surroundings. He was glad they had missed the brawl, he's not very fond of being close to that kind of excitement.

The Blind Seer tugged on the coat of Novaus, prompting him to turn his ear towards her, "I am listening milady."

"It has been some time since last I was able to properly pray to the goddess. May we visit the shrine."

He nodded softly, then turned to Konsa. "Go on in and join the others. Tell them that this will be but a few minutes. We will be joining them shortly."

Konsa nodded, a little nervous to be around the others without Novaus and Blind Seer.

The pair then turned and walked back the other way along the dimly lit streets, Novaus guiding the young angel from ahead, her wings still sparkling magnificent from the light of the twin moons high above.

Konsa watched them walk away, puzzlement of Blind Seer's need to pray. He sighed and turned towards the tavern, brushing hair out of his face as he pushed the doors open. A small wave of nostalgia as he walked in, he had spent much time in taverns. Not that he drank a lot but it was a prime place to cheat some coin out of the drunken people. Although alchohol was certainly not unknown to the short demon.

Konsa observed the scene, it seemed there was company. Konsa cleared his throat to get their attention. He was especially nervous by the newest comers and avoided eye contact and only glanced in their direction for half a second. "Blind Seer and Novaus are going to a shine to pray. They said they'll be back soon." Konsa said as he made his way to an empty stool, keeping his distance from the others. He wasn't sure what was going on and he felt in inclined to ask. But he kept silent for now, waiting for their reactions.

Eraslyn looked back at the newly arrived demon and raised an eyebrow, turned back to Aiden and inquired quizzically, "Friend of yours?"

"Hm?" The human turned to the entrance to see the small, demure demon shuffle inside the bar. He immediately smiled. "Ah, Konsa! I was wondering where you were. You're just in time, too." He proceeded to point towards Eraslyn and Seraphina. "Konsa, this is Seraphina, the woman we'll be escorting to the Blade Rim Caldera, and that's Eraslyn, her... bodyguard, I'm guessing?" He chuckled. "I'm not exactly privy to all the details. Anyway, Seraphina, Eraslyn, this is Konsa. He was with the Blind Seer when we entered Ceciderunt Dea. He doesn't talk much, but the Seer trusts him, and that is enough for me!"

Eraslyn shook her head, "I brought her here, but I'll not be escorting her to the Featherkeeper, already had other plans, this was just a short little contract to pass some time." He then glanced towards the door, "But there was another accompanying us. Whenever he's done with what he ran off to, he'll be helping you guys out as well I suppose." She then turned back towards Konsa, "So the Blind Beauty trusts you then... she isn't careless with her trust, so you better make good on it."

Konsa was tense around the newcomers, like most people, but they didn't seem to mean any harm. He stared at Serpahina for a moment, a little awed by her beauty and her destiny. The demon then focused his attention on the Dalimos woman. "I... don't plan to." He said in a quiet voice, turning around on the stool to face the bar.

Aiden chuckled a bit awkwardly at the brief exchange between Eraslyn and Konsa. The female Dalimos certainly didn't mince words, and Konsa clearly didn't feel too comfortable right now. "Hey, no pressure, right? We're all going to be watching each others' backs out there, and I trust him, too. He may be quiet, but he's good-natured, I can tell."

He slipped back onto his stool, tilting his head curiously at Eraslyn. "I see. Well, even so, your assistance is appreciated. We'll keep her safe... but wait, who was the man accompanying you, and why are you so sure that he'll be traveling with us?"

"It seemed he was seeking her out as well." She then pondered a little before turning to Seraphina, "I'd be willing to wager that Elric owed your father his life to have come all that way out to the Aviary to seek you out."

The young Caelestine looked down, "So you suppose he's attempting to repay it with this?"

Eraslyn let out a sigh, "There really is no other way how. Even I'm trying to repay a similar debt... just in a different way." She then turned to Aiden, "So I heard that the Blind Seer was getting something in Nexulai so that Seraphina could take it with her to show the Featherkeeper.

She then leaned close to him, "Care to tell a curious girl what it might be?"

Elric? He knew no such man, though something told Aiden that he would make his presence known later. According to what Eraslyn said to Seraphina, he was connected to her father too, which only made him more intrigued. He made a mental note to set aside some time to speak to this Elric fellow sometime later.

Then Eraslyn turned her attention back to him. Her question was perfectly reasonable, but then she leaned in close... real close. Aiden blinked, instinctively leaning away a bit, with a tinge of redness coloring his cheeks. He wasn't used to women getting that close to him, especially attractive women...

No, Aiden. The question. Answer the question. "Um... i-it was a spear, I believe. An artificer from our world constructed it out of wood from one of the Featherkeeper's sacred trees. His name is Conrose, Conrose Lanturz, I believe..." He then shrunk a bit and grimaced. "Could you, um..." He trailed off awkwardly.

The demoness reeled back in disbelief, her jaw just about fallen from her face as Seraphina's own reaction being a sudden gasp. "You mean... someone from your world was allowed to work with the Silver and Gold trees?"

Seraphina shook her head a moment, "Are you certain of that? Not one of them has been felled in all our time here... and the Featherkeeper herself had asked for this?"

Aiden blinked once again in surprise. Then again, their reaction wasn't completely unexpected. Conrose was probably the first person ever to work with such material. He nodded to Seraphina. "I'm certain... though saying that he's from our world is a little, er... inaccurate." He crossed his arms and shrugged. "The truth is, Conrose isn't actually native to our world. We don't know where he came from, really, and he's been tight-lipped about it... though often prone to imparting frustratingly vague hints." He scowled as he remembered the confrontation in the portal.

Konsa listened with interested, although he only watched them from the corner of his eyes.

Eraslyn thought on it for a bit, "Seems like he can be more trouble than he's worth." She then smiled wryly, "But I suppose it's a good thing he's just a craftsman on another world, so I can avoid that sort of a pain in the neck."

The Caelestine next to her looked at the demoness with a look of disagreement. "I don't know, I think I'd like to meet someone that the Featherkeeper herself expresses interest in... especially if it's to craft something for her."

"Ehhh..." His smile was pained. They had no idea what they were in for. "Conrose is an... interesting one... not the easiest person to deal with. Kind of arrogant, really, but he has the skills to back up his claims."

The Daemoness smiled, "So you're saying he's good at his craft? Arrogance means little to me unless they make claims on being good with a blade or good ol' fashioned fists."

"Good?" He chuckled at that. "The Blind Seer was stunned by the quality of his creation, so I'd say that's more than just good."

Eraslyn began to start, but then paused a moment, as if their minds were in perfect sync, Seraphina inquired, "How'd she inspect it... she can't see things in the traditional sense."

Aiden's gaze turned upwards as he remembered the details of the meeting. The Seer was blind to physical details, but she could see energy... that was it. "She can see spiritual energy, right? Peoples souls and such? Well, the energy coming out of that spear must have been incredibly strong, almost overwhelmingly so. I'm serious, she was shocked."

"Strong energy is one thing," explained Eraslyn. "She can't see magic, or energy... it's specifically the souls and spirits that she can view." She looks down at her hand, as if inspecting it closely. "She sees what lies beneath the skin, not the blood and flesh and bone, but what binds it to our will... or perhaps it is the will itself that she perceives?"

Aiden had to raise an eyebrow at her postulation. "So... what, are you saying that the spear Conrose made was imbued with spirits or willpower of some sort? I'm having trouble following you here."

"What she's saying, I suppose," the Caelestine on the other side said, explaining her own thoughts, "is that it is now living, in a way. Whether it be by imbuing it with a soul, or perhaps..."

"Inspiring what was already there" came a voice familiar in its arrogance to Aiden. Conrose walked in, putting away a bag that jingled... he had apparently already converted some of Nexulai's currency to the Caelestine's traditional bronze and iron coinage. "Trees are alive, some moreso than others. The real trick for artificing is bringing that out even after the tree itself has long since been felled."

Eraslyn looked over to Aiden in dismay after first glancing at the newcomer. "Please don't tell me that he's..."

Just when the topic was getting good. Well, it still was good, but Aiden could've done without Conrose's input. Really, he could've done without Conrose altogether. Aiden sighed, rubbing his forehead with his right thumb, index and middle fingers. "I'm afraid he is. I swear to god, Conrose, you have the most impeccable sense of timing known to mankind."

He then turned to face him, looking none too eager to speak to him once again. "So let me get this straight, Conrose... you made a spear out of a living tree." He blinked. "Er. Not that trees weren't living already. A sentient tree, then... is it? I don't even know at this point, this is all flying straight over my head."

Conrose raised an eyebrow to Aiden's comment on timing. It's not that he tries, it just seems to happen that way weerily often. All he could do was shrug it off. As Aiden continued on the spear, and the tree from which it came, the Artificer realized it could have been explained a little better. "Not so much a sentient tree. Everything that lives has a spirit or a soul, and even somethings that never was quite so alive." He then pondered on some examples he's had personal encounters, but on further thought, realized those all were from other worlds that the young explorer was unfamiliar with. "I suppose I'll have to point out an example if we ever see a good one. But I wouldn't say that it's so much sentient, but simply that it's aware of things around them... I suppose."

On further thought, he concluded that it was an excessively complicated issue for those who aren't already familiar with the subject and decided to drop it. "Anyways, I got a couple of rooms at the inn across the street."

"A tree that isn't sentient... yet it's aware of things around it. Sounds animalistic to me." He shrugged. "I'll have to study it further, when I get the chance. I look forward to seeing another example during our travels."

Upon hearing of the rented rooms in the inn, Aiden narrowed his eyes a bit. "Rooms, eh? How many are we talking here?"

Conrose glanced around, looking at the assembled party, and sighed. "Clearly... not enough of them." His head sunk as he held out three fingers.

Upon seeing this, Eraslyn immediately clung to the Caelestine next to her with her left arm while her right reached to the sky with a mug in hand. "DIBS!!!"

Aiden blinked, his expression remaining neutral as he tried to figure out what this would mean for him. Obviously, the two girls would share a room, which left him with either Novaus or Conrose. Neither of them were all that friendly, but he'd vastly prefer the Seer's bodyguard over the artificer. "Okay... where's Novaus at? I, eh, think I'll room with him," The human said nervously.

Eraslyn let out a chuckle, "Yeah, sharing a room with the Blind Seer as well?" She then lightly brushed her leathery wing against the young explorer's back. "Hoping to get a little closer to the blind beauty?" She then abruptly pulled her wing back, quickly enough to draw a little bit of wind around Aiden. "Yeah... I've heard he left the last guy who sought to sneak a peak blinder than the girl herself."

"... Uh." Well, this got awkward fast. He completely failed to account for the Blind Seer. As if that wasn't bad enough, he also felt Eraslyn's wing gently touching his back. The explorer froze up at that, blushing quite heavily. It was like a repeat of what happened in the Grand Ambassador's office. The wings always seemed to get to him, for some reason. Once the wing was pulled back, his longcoat flapped and his hair rustled a bit in the wind.

"N-no! Th-that wasn't my intention! I had forgotten that the Seer would... would also be spending the night," He stammered, panicked, "Fine, fine, I'll share a room with Conrose! God..."

The Artificer didn't seem to happy with the arrangement either. "You'll not be asking me questions all night will you?"

"Mm... maybe one or two." He crossed his arms, looking none too pleased. "Nothing too sensitive, of course. That comes later."

Konsa had been very quiet, zoning in and out of their conversation. He turned towards them, not surprised he had been forgotten about the sleeping arrangement. It did sting a little bit, but Konsa shook off the feeling and cleared his throat awkwardly. He better speak up now to avoid any other awkward conversation. "What about me?" He asked quietly, turning towards the group.

"... Ah, yes, that's right," Aiden spoke as he turned to Konsa. "We do need to find a room for you... hm." He shrugged. "Well, I don't mind you staying with us. I don't know how the others feel."

Konsa focused his attention on Aiden, shrugging lightly. "I'm okay with anybody, really." He said, Konsa only wanted a warm bed to sleep in.

Conrose nodded, "Sure, you've been quiet enough, I'll mind you less than Aiden at least... maybe he can ask you things about your people while I get some sleep."

Eraslyn raised her eyebrow at this, "You really need to lighten up there kiddo."

"I'm 35 actually," corrected the artificer, the statement surprising the Daemoness who could have swore he wasn't a day over 20.

The barkeep shouted out to the gathered company, "No soliciting, alright? You order something or I kick you all out. Only ones here whose bought anything so far has been the loud one and the vampire."

"In my defense, I just got here," replied Conrose in irritation. He then glanced over the selection of spirits arranged behind the counter and pointed to a lavender bottle, "I'll take the Averian Reshkan Vineyard."

Aiden flinched upon hearing the barkeep's sudden shout. He was right; they'd spent all this time blathering to each other, and they hadn't even had a single sip of alcohol. It was time to rectify that. Sliding onto one of the stools, he proceeded to order his own drink. "And I'll have a Trilunan Sunn Vinum." He could've had something from home, but Aiden had always wanted to have a good Caelestine brew. Now was as good a time as any.

Seraphina's ears perked up upon hearing mention of a brew from her hometown. She then squinted at the bottles as the barkeep pulled on several of the bottles, "The 8986 was a good year, do you have that per chance?"

The man behind the counter gave a hearty chuckle. "Indeed it was... how about that, I do still have one." He turned to the explorer, "So how about it, care to take the lass' suggestion?"

Aiden looked between Seraphina and the barkeep, confused. Did Seraphina... just offer to buy him a drink? He smiled at that, feeling flattered. It probably had something to do with the drink he ordered. The Caelestine seemed to have taken interest in it. "Well... how could I refuse? I'll take it." He then turned to her. "Much appreciated, Ms. Lunasdiei... I noticed that you seemed to recognize the drink I ordered."

"Of course she does," Eraslyn said before taking a sip of her juice. "She was raised in Triluna... practically their patron deity."

"Uhm.. uh..." fumbled the young Caelestine as red came to her alabaster cheeks. "I'm not that big a deal."

"Oh come on, you're a Lunasdiei," proclaimed the daemoness with enthusiasm. "Your family line's been settled there since Drakling was sealed at the bottom of the Bladesrim Caldera."

"Ah, that explains it." He nodded in understanding, though he got the sense that Eraslyn was exaggerating just a bit. Seraphina's reaction told him that she felt the same way, but wow, that was one hell of a blush. He'd never seen such red cheeks before. The price of having almost pure white skin, he guessed. Really, the human found it to be rather adorable.

"Well then, in that case..." He turned back to the bartender with a smirk. "One Sunn Vinum for the lady here." Aiden then gave Seraphina a smirk. "We're gonna be out there for a long time. Figured you might as well have something from home before we take off."

She smiled softly as Eraslyn sitting between the two glanced from one to the other. "Oooh..." She then wrapped her arm around Aiden and pulled him towards her as she grabbed Seraphina in a similar manner, "OH you two are so cute!!!"

The artificer laughed in amusement at the sight.

"Gah, what the-?!" Aiden thrashed a bit in Eraslyn's grip as she suddenly wrapped her arm around him and pulled him over. Once he regained his bearings, the thrashing gave way to squirming as he tried to break out of the Dalimos' grip to no avail. Once again, his cheeks were colored with a tinge of redness.

"Ungh, Eraslyn... i-is this really necessary...?" He grunted in embarassment.

"Still can't keep your hands to yourself," came a muffled voice from the door. Novaus stood by the door, the Blind Seer by his side giggling a little to herself, apparently as amused by the scene as Conrose was.

The daemoness released the two and waved at the new arrivals enthusiastically. "Hey there! I beat you again, and I had to travel half the continent!"

The tall mercenary let out a sigh. "You bribed her didn't you?" He said as he turned to the silver winged angel beside him.

The little angel smiled mischieviously, "She did not need to, I couldn't let such a perfect record be ruined."

"Mmph!" Aiden straightened himself up once he was let go, readjusting his longcoat. Once he saw the Seer and Novaus, his blush deepened. It was embarassing, being caught like this, but... not unpleasant. He was actually starting to like Eraslyn's warm, enthusiastic attitude. The human waved to the two newcomers, and shrugged at Seraphina with an amused smile. "Quite a colorful group you got here, Seraphina. I'll admit, I didn't expect everyone to be so... lax around each other."

Seraphina smiled nervously, quite aware of the fact that her cheeks still did not match the rest of her face. "I think she's always this way, and she seems to be one of the Blind Seer's friends."

"You're right about that!," proclaimed the Daemoness above them. "I'd say she's the best friend I've made in Luminalux," prompting a cheerful smile from the angel. She then stared at her arm, the runes on the gloves she wore matching those on the mercenary's facewrap and the angel's blindfold. "I guess you could say we're like a family."

The Blind Seer smiled, as Novaus stepped up to the bar, "In truth, Eraslyn has had that energy and attitude since she first put her two feet beneath her."

The barkeep looked at the merc, "So you think this gathering be justification for that brew?"

Novaus shook his head, "No, but when we return from the Featherkeeper, I'll be up for it."

The man at the counter nodded as he turned around and searched his bottles, pulling out the Trilunan bottle that Seraphina had requested earlier and then moved on to seek another out, "So then, will it be the usual for you?"

"Sure" came the reply from behind the wraps.

The Blind Seer took a seat to the left of her friends, Seraphina helping her taking a seat. "I take it Erazzy hasn't been playing nicely."

The Daemoness chuckled a little, thinking of the fun she's had thus far with the new arrivals.

Aiden listened closely as the others shared a bit of story behind Eraslyn. He leaned on the bar and nodded slowly as he followed along, only to suddenly snort in amusement at the Blind Seer's last comment. "Erazzy? Really?" He had to snicker at such a goofy nickname, though it did have its charm.

"Well, I hope she never loses that attitude. I'd go so far to say that it's downright infectious," Aiden complimented the demoness with a cheerful grin.

She then shot him a glare, "I'm also known as 'The Eraser' " she said menacingly.

The Blind Seer leaned forward in her seat, "that's because they never find the bodies," she said in her sweet voice... a sharp contrast to Eraslyn's own voice, causing the Daemoness to snort as she tried her damnedest to keep a straight face.

"... Uh-huh." Aiden could've been convinced, if not for Eraslyn breaking her act with a snort. Of course, the sheer silliness of the title didn't help much with that. He let out a small chuckle. The Seer had a good, and somewhat twisted, sense of humor, which made for quite a humorous contrast against her sweet, patient nature. "Heh, you know, I can't tell who's the corrupting influence here, you or the Seer."

The two smiled mischievously as the barkeep delivered the drinks in fine stemmed wineglasses, putting a white wine before Aiden and Seraphina, and a dark purple one in front of Novaus. As he raised his glass, he answered flatly, "it's the Seer," turning the Blind Seer's cheerful smile into a nervous one.

"Heh... I suspected as much." He grinned mischievously as he took his glass in hand. "I may never look at you the same way again." Seeing that the drinks had been distributed, Aiden decided to take the logical next step. He raised his glass into the air.

"To our health and success on this critical journey!"

Konsa relaxed a bit more, his mood had lightened considerably as Blind Seer and Novaus entered the tavern. Konsa waved over the bartender, putting in an order for his own alcohol too. "Excuse me, could I have a glass of corruptive spirits?" He asked, leaning on the bar.

The barkeep smiled, "Like the strong stuff there" he inquired as he made his way to the other side of the bar.

Konsa nodded, leaning his chin on the palm of his hand as he waited.

"Corruptive spirits?" Aiden snorted in amusement, looking between Eraslyn and Konsa. "Boy, you Dalimos are a cheerful bunch, aren't ya?"

Konsa chuckled, shrugging as he glanced over at Aiden. "I think we're just creative."

Eraslyn chuckled, "Yeah, I much prefer Umbran Moon... I prefer my throat not feeling like I've been drinking molten steel after the third bottle."

The barkeep yelled out from the end as he pulled out a clear bottle at the end, "All out of that sweetheart."

Eraslyn stood up in alarm, "What!!! You can't be out of it!"

"The Unbrek sisters cleaned me out of it a few hours ago."

The Daemoness slumped back down into her chair as she lay her head on the counter. "Awe... now I'm sad."

Konsa glanced over at the Dalimos woman, head slightly tilted. Her presence made him a little uneasy, but she didnt seem to mean in harm. "I'm sure it'll be fine." Konsa said as he turned back towards the bar.

Aiden placed a hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing at Eraslyn's outburst. He patted her on the shoulder after she slumped back down on the counter. "Come on, now, surely, you must have a second favorite. How about... Noctem Villum? Hell, I'll buy you a round, too."

Eraslyn shrugged in her slump state, "Guess I'd try anything if it were free."

He sighed, still smirking. He knew that she was depressed, but she just seemed so cute in this state. Of course, he quickly purged the thought from his mind. "Okay, well, how about this? Next time we cross paths, I'll buy you some Umbran Moon. Least I can do."

She shot up straight, turned towards the explorer and gave him a bear hug, "THANK YOU!!!" she shouted in glee as she did so. She then turned towards the barkeep, "A bottle of Noctem Villum please! It's on the normal looking one!"

"I could have sworn he said A round" the barkeeper shouted back as he slipped a bottle out. When se began to slump again, he let out a hearty laugh, "No worries, I'll give you the bottle at the cost of a glass, I'm pretty sure you'll like it enough to get more of it yourself on future stops here."

"Hurk-!" The sudden bear hug took Aiden completely off guard, and when she released him, he barely managed to level himself out on his seat. Confusion quickly gave way to amusement as he saw that Eraslyn's cheery demeanour had been restored. This Dalimos truly was something else. It was a shame she wouldn't be accompanying them on their travels. He wanted to learn more about her.

That would come at another time, though. He wasn't about to forget what they were all here for. "Alright... so we're all happy, then?" Aiden asked, smiling at each of his companions before starting to raise his glass to his lips. "Then let's start drinking. Enjoy the calm before the storm and such!"

Conrose shrugged, "Shouldn't be THAT much trouble, heard the Dalimos will be purging the northern territories of rogues and bandits in the coming months, so... not much of a storm if you ask me."

Eraslyn chuckled nervously, "You'd be surprised... the Zeknif Incident occurred shortly after one such purge, and that was a pretty big mess."

Aiden lowered his glass after taking a sip, looking over at Eraslyn with renewed interest. "The Zeknif Incident?"

"Yeah, about two hundred years ago, our present King who was then the crown prince went on his own pilgrimage," recounted Seraphina. "He was kidnapped by a group of rogue Dalimos as he passed through the Dalimos Northern Territories... when they found out who he was, they prepared to sacrifice them for their old gold. If not for the interference of a Wingborn Angel named Zeknif whom the Caelestine had no idea even existed, he'd have been killed and a new war likely would have begun."

"That's my father for you," continued the Blind Seer. As sad as she was that her father had long since passed away, she always was cheered up by the fact that he never failed to do the right thing. "But he wasn't alone in that endeavor, your own father played a pretty big part in it as well."

"Really now? Well, you two have quite the family history..." Aiden placed his elbows on the counter, entwining his fingers and sliding them under his chin, as though they were holding it up. "Tell me more about your father's involvement in this event, Seraphina."

The Caelestine smiled as she glanced down at the glass before her. "My father, the High Seraphim of the Holy Guard, Galric... upon getting word that the prince had been taken captive and held for ransom immediately took to the skies above Dalimos to search for him, taken 30 of his men along with him. He was flagged down by an angel he did not recognize who was already in the area, and told that the demons had spotted him and his men. Apparently the violation of an old treaty tipped the band of rogues off that they had a VIP and may have endangered the individual they sought out, and that they wouldn't find the hide out from high above like that since they had found a cave."

Eraslyn defended Galric's actions, "It was only a crown prince... so you can understand his haste really."

Seraphina nodded, "And so he had to signal the remainder of his men in a more subtle fashion with a mirror as Zeknif continued scouting out the situation. After they got about half his men to join him, including a dozen known Dalimos Emperial Security to join with him, he distracted the rogue group's leader by flying above them, low enough to be in range for their attacks and willingly taking an arrow to one of his wings to bait them out into an ambush."

"Whilst my own father slipped into the cave held by several of the Dalimos after they had changed into more roguish clothing... posing as an Angel captured by the guards they sent to retrieve the wounded angel. They realized too late that it had been a ruse."

"... Wow." Aiden blinked, his eyes widened and his mouth slightly widened. "Your father put himself at so much risk for that... now that's courage. Heh... honestly, I wish I could've met him myself, he sounds like a remarkable man."

"It's that same bravery that got him killed at Kanas... to save the only group of survivors, he plunged into a pillar of Hellfires to stem its flow," continued Seraphina with a sigh. She missed her father dearly.

Eraslyn looked at her with sympathetic eyes. Then slapped her on the shoulder, "Come on, cheer up... if not for him, you wouldn't have met Zeknif's daughter... or more importantly, ME!" she stated boldly as she pointed to herself with her thumb with her gloved hand.

"Ah..." Well, that put a damper on the mood. Fortunately, Eraslyn was there to salvage the situation. Aiden's smile returned. "She's right. Your father did great things for you and your people. None of us would be here if it wasn't for him."

The Blind Seer gave her own reassuring smile to her friend.

Conrose scoffed, and headed back towards the door, "Well, I'll be waiting at the hotel if you need me, I'm gonna go ahead and rest."

As he vanished through the door, Eraslyn couldn't help but ask, "He's a really cheerful person isn't he."

"Oh, you have no idea." He sighed, waving the Zalphyrene off half-heartedly. "Forget about him. Let's enjoy this night while we still can!" He raised his glass slightly, a warm smile on his face, before taking another sip.

The Blindseer ordered some apple juice as she turned towards her companions. "Indeed, you need not worry too much about him. I'm certain that by the end, all the answers you'll need will lie before you."

She then focused on Seraphina, "But it will be a shame that you'll be missing the Festival of the Third Moon in Triluna this year, you'll be missed back home."

"Mm... that would've been nice to see." He placed his glass down on the bar. "Ah well. There's always next year, right? Besides, I think what we'll see on the road will make up for the absence."

Seraphina giggled a little. "The Third Moon shows once very ten years actually," she corrected him. "Though it should still be visible from the northern territories of Dalimos."

"... Right. I tend to forget such details on occasion." He chuckled. "Some explorer I am, huh."

The Blind Seer smiled, "There is a reason that Sokolniki asked you first. You don't see it yet, but it will become apparent in time," she said in her reassuring voice.

"... Er." That came out of nowhere. Aiden turned to the Blind Seer, looking completely lost. "I see...? I don't really see why I'm so special, nor why I will be."

She continued smiling, "Just get some mileage under your feet. Everyone improves with time and experience, and you will be no different." She took her drink cheerfully when the bartender dropped it onto the counter before her.

Novaus nodded, "No one is born exceptional, no matter how important their family is. They must work to achieve greatness or be damned to be forgotten, or remembered in such a way that it leaves a bad taste in the mouths of those who speak of them."

Aiden remained silent for a few seconds after Novaus' statement. It rang true in his mind. It was how he got to where he was, after all. "Well, I'm not going to squander any opportunity that comes my way," he replied, "Whatever my true potential may be, I will strive to attain it."

The explorer then took a long sip from his glass of Sunn Vinum. In that time, he continued to ponder on the Seer's words. She never failed to raise these odd, yet undoubtably intriguing questions for him. If what she said really was true, he'd find the answers soon enough. Aiden lowered his glass, swallowing the brew and letting out a deep, content sigh. He couldn't wait to get started.

---

Candlelight filled the simple room from a chandelier just elegant enough to seem out of place in the simple building. To the left of the door sat a young man of fair skin and blue hair, patiently awaiting visitors as he had been told earlier that guests would soon arrive. He began to tap his finger upon the desk... but caught himself in the act and sat up straight and recited something to himself in his head, reminding himself of the lessons of his people. The Caelestine glanced over to the far side of the room, looking for imperfections in the decoration. The woven rug decorated with a Sun-like symbol with a ring running from the foreground of the image and vanishing behind it was not uplifted on a corner this time. The various paintings of famed Seraphim and Archangels of his family line were perfectly straightened along the ascent to the upper floor. He let out a sigh, he had not the courage to make the pilgrimage himself... he had not the courage because he did not have the strength to endure such a trek. Still, he could serve those who did by giving rest to those feet taking their first steps.

The door swung open and in the doorway stood the strangest sight... a very attractive young daemoness hanging form the shoulder of a young girl... an angel with silver wings... walking into the lobby. The Deamoness clearly quite inebriated... and judging by the bottle she still clutched in her hands, she was not quite finished yet.

"Come on Erazzy, just a little further," stated the Angel as she struggled to carry the taller woman's weight as a tall man who concealed his face came in after the pair.

"Whay want you help ta kurry me anways," asked the daemoness... at least the young man at the counter thought she was asking a question.

"Because the little lady has to take responsibility for her actions... in this case, daring you to put down a whole crate of Allui'an South Ale," answered the man in a disciplining tone.

"Well... I didn't... Uff" she started as young woman shifted the weight of her unholy companion... "expect she'd follow through!?"

The man let out a deep sigh, "I do suppose you weren't there when I made the mistake of letting her put her stuff on my tab... damn near drank everything at the Ferrocor Cave of Spirits"

The girl raised her eyebrows as though impressed, "Really? I heard they have thousands of bottles of the finest brews across Ceciderunt!"

The young man suddenly realised that he could not see the angel's eyes, and could only see one of the mysterious man's eyes as well. Then he was struck with the realization of who these people were, "I'm sorry," he cried out as he bowed his head deeply. "Please forgive me Blind Seer... had I known I would be in your company, I'd have waited at the door to open it my..."

"I can open the door for milady just fine," Novaus interrupted before looking back briefly, gesturing with his head to unseen people beyond the threshold.

A fair-skinned hand clumsily clasped at the door frame, and the rest of Aiden's body quickly fell suit. He barely stopped himself from losing his balance altogether and tipping over onto the floor. Judging from the way he seemed to hold onto the frame for dear life, one would think the door frame was the only thing between him and certain death. Perhaps that would be the case if he struck his head hard enough against the floor, but more likely than not, he'd probably suffer from a concussion, at the very most.

Aiden winced, slowly blinking his eyes as he tried to make sense of the blurry, unstable world before him. He was drunk, oh so very drunk, and he knew it. It wasn't that he had a low tolerance for alcohol. Rather, he got a bit carried away after accepting Eraslyn's challenge to a drinking contest. He couldn't remember the number of glasses he downed in that time. In fact, he had hard time remembering much of anything at all, unless he really put his mind to it.

"Nngh... this was... a missstake," He slurred as he stumbled into the lobby reaching out for something to grab onto. He felt like his legs would give out from under him at any second. Soon, he found something nice and sturdy. It was definitely humanoid in shape, so he wrapped his arm around its shoulder, holding on tightly. "You... whoever you are. You'd make a good pillar," He muttered as he tried to move forward. Unfortunately, he didn't realize right away that the person he'd grabbed onto was the one person who couldn't stand him.

Conrose had made his way to the lobby when he heard the racket below... and now he's being compared to structural support. His left arm remained free and he placed his hand over Aiden's face and gripped it firmly, then manipulated the man's face to look at his own. "Aiden... I'm pretty sure that as drunk as you are.... upon realizing whom this face belongs to, you'll sober up very damn fast," he stated with a menacing glare in his eyes. "Now then.... what is it that you'd think I'd be good as?"

"Mmrph!" Aiden's cheeks were suddenly squeezed by firm fingers, causing his lips to pucker. His senses still weren't clear enough to recognize Conrose. "Mmmah dunno... a valet?" He said, snickering with a heavy, somewhat exaggerated shrug, "Man, just do me a favor and treat me like luggage, k? Jusss... just for a bit... everything aches right now, and...and." He blinked slowly, his eyes squinting at Conrose, before widening in recognition a few seconds later. "...Oh. Well, shit." True to form, he was starting to sober up.

"Ah... there we go," stated the artificer, only mildly amused as he released the explorer's face.

Eraslyn looked on in amusement as she glanced over her shoulder. "He is right about the pillar thing... YOU'RE A TOTAL STIFF!"

The Zalphyrene's eyebrow twitched in irritation as he continued to glare at Aiden as Eraslyn broke out into laughter behind him.

Aiden stumbled back a bit as he was released, rubbing his cheeks with a hand and wincing. His smile returned in full once he heard Eraslyn's uncontrolled, drunken laughter. He may have been wasted, but he took comfort in the fact that the Dalimos was in even worse shape than he was.

"Hah, too true, Erazzy... ya know, I'm still on my feet after all that, heh... I'd say I came out on top here." He then let out a long, deep yawn. "Though I doubt I'll stay on my feet for much longer... can we get our rooms set up? My poor achin' feet can't take much more abuse..." He then turned back to take a look at Seraphina, wondering what condition she was in.

Seraphina strode into the lobby, she had not taken nearly as much as the Daemoness, and the young man she challenged. At best, it kept her cheeks slightly red... but because of her skin, it really stood out as an exaggeration of her condition. Her steps, not straight, but remained graceful as she sought ought the wall to support herself on. "I don't think I'll be drinking that much again," she exclaimed to the rest.

Conrose let out a sigh, then looked at the man at the desk. "I present to you my party," he explained in dismay.

"You could lighten up some," the statuesque beauty retorted. "Don't you do anything for fun, or at least have a sense of humor?"

Conrose walked around Aiden, and narrowed his eyes at Seraphina.

The young Dalimos stumbled into the doorframe, only now just making it to the room. He murmured under his breath, giggling occasionaly. Konsa rubbed his head that had collided with the wall, as he made his way into the lobby. After a moment of staring at the others, hiccuping he took a seat on the floor. Konsa sprawled out, face down as he tried to make the room stop spinning. "I am...... very tired..." He managed out, his throat burning from the strong liquor.

"Come ooon, Sera, we all know the answer to that." Aiden smirked, his eyes half-lidded. "The word fun's alien to the guy. If I were to describe his general attitude, I'd say it's akin to sandpaper." Rough, unpleasant, even downright painful. Conrose did nothing to contradict those descriptions, and the explorer doubted he ever would. With a deep sigh, he turned towards the staircase and started to walk off. "Rooms'r set up, right? I'll be on my way... standing's overrated, anyway."

"You did ask a favor of me did you not?" Conrose reached over his shoulder and grabbed the explorer firmly by the collars of his coat, then forcefully lifted the drunken man as he would a bag of luggage.

"Wha-ooooh!" Aiden was helpless to stop Conrose from lifting him up into the air. For a moment, he stared at him, mouth open in shock, but after a few seconds, he shook his head a bit and gazed at him with a neutral, half-lidded expression. "Conrose... is now the best time?"

Conrose carried the man along to the stairs. "We're headed to our room. The rest of the arrangements are up to you."

Eraslyn stared for a moment, confused... then shouted out "Oh RIGHT!!! I get it!" Novaus rubbed his forehead in dismay at the latest outburst.

---

Conrose opened the door to the room, four beds occupied the space with a foot locker at the base of each bed. Along the walls sat several sets of magically illuminated clear quartz letting off a soft white light, enough to let people entering the room in the dark to see most of the room clearly. Upon the wall sat a painting depicting some sort of creature with a human head and a cat like body and a set of wings... likely a creature the Caelestine were once familiar with.

The beds had a simply pale blue blanket setting at top, and each had a pair of pillows. The window pushed out of the building a litte with two pans of glass angled and the third in the center running parallel with the walls to either side of the cove they made. A desk was provided with a feather pen for anyone who had any literary matters they may still need to attend to at the end of the night.

Conrose's own equipment and satchel already rested on the far bed in the room. He walked up to the nearest bed and nonchalantly tossed Aiden onto it before making his way to his own.

"Umph!" Aiden bounced a bit as he was unceremoniously dropped onto the bed. Groaning, he rolled onto his back, holding his forehead. "God damn it, Conrose, do you really have to be so rough..." He grunted. He didn't want to get up. He couldn't get up, but at least this bed was soft and... rather comfortable. He then looked towards the entrace. "Hey... hey, where's the little guy?"

Konsa blundered in, hiccuping as he glared at Aiden. "I am not little." He growled as he made his way to an empty bed. He flopped upon it, burrowing under the blanket. "You're just giagantic."

Aiden grinned, chuckling as pulled the blanket over himself yawning. "Alright, my mistake... hey, how many rounds did ya have, anyway? You're about as pissed as I am!"

Konsa rolled over, his back to Aiden. "Your FACE makes me pissed." He snarled, eyes drooping as he struggled to stay awake for a bit longer.

"Pfffft!" Aiden had to laugh at that. Were he sober, he probably would've been more concerned, but he wasn't thinking straight right now. "Da-hamn, pal, what's gotten you so uptight? It's like you're emulating Conrose himself!"

Conrose glanced over his shoulder as he began digging through his satchel. "Speaking of sobriety... or rather the lack thereof, how'd you two end up getting so drunk?"

"Blame Eraslyn," He mumbled through another yawn, rubbing his eyes. "Heh... she challenged me to a drinking contest, and how could I refuse her? I never back down from a good challenge, and she was no disappointment!" He giggled. "Thoooough I may have gone a bit overboard, but hey, she's in even worse shape than I am, so it's alright!"

"I just really like getting drunk." Konsa said bluntly, putting the pillow over his head to block out the light.

The Zalphyrene shrugged, "Please tell me you at least read up on the alcohol tolerance ranges of a Demon before you accepted the challenge." Then sorted through the various books in his satchel, looking for one in particular.

"I sure did, but I'll admit, I fell prey to her charms for a bit there!" He said cheerfully, laughing some more. Yeah, he really was wasted to say something like that. "I got so caught up in it all that I threw caution to the wind, and here I am, but hey, it's all good! I beat her, man! I beat her at her own game! Ha ha!"

Conrose found what he was looking for and pulled out a very basic looking leather bound book from the satchel. "So was it her good looks, or her personality that you are talking about as 'charm' there kiddo." He walked over to the desk and pulled out the chair that was provided and started dragging it towards the window.

"Why, both, of course," Aiden said, as though it were the most obvious thing, "She's something else, man. She looks great, but, I mean... it's her energy. Her drive. It just seems... unquenchable. Reminds me of myself, especially in my younger days."

"You seem quite smitten with her already," he stated matter of factly as hes he opened the window and looked out at the night sky.

"Hah... well, I dunno about that..." He fell silent as he thought it over. Attracted to Eraslyn, so soon after meeting her? The drink must've had a large part in that, and what little common sense remained in his mind told him that it just didn't feel right. Not yet. "I just... I think she's a pretty awesome person. Definitely think we could be good friends... I mean, I don't think it'd be right, especially since she won't be sticking around..." He frowned slightly at that. "Oh well... we'll see her again when all this is done, I bet."

He then yawned deeply and curled up in his bed. "Mmm... I'm starting to drift, Conrose. Think I might just crash for the night... hey, Konsa, you conked out yet?" He looked over at the small demon's bed.

Konsa replied with a snarl, "It's hard to sleep with you yapping your trap." He glanced over at Aiden, brow furrowed and eyes barely open.

He chuckled softly. "Alright, alright, I get the picture." He nestled into his pillow, shutting his eyes. "Night, you two..." It didn't take long before he dozed off. He slept silently on his side, his cheeks flushed and his mouth slightly ajar as he breathed steadily in his slumber. He wouldn't be waking up anytime soon.

Conrose put the other two out of his mind as he scanned the stars and compared them to the drawings of constellations he had compiled as he travelled other worlds. He smiled to himself as he said softly to himself, "I'm at least a step closer then."

Konsa laid his head on his pillow, his angrily mumbled words trailing off as he slipped into a deep sleep. He snored quietly, tangled in the blanket.

---

Novaus held the door open as the Blind Seer struggled with trying to get Eraslyn in. It was not so much the weight as it was trying to negotiate the doorway whilst being unable to see it... as well as trying to get her own wings through the passage along with the Daemoness'. Still, she couldn't help but tell her old friend, "You should probably cut back on the food Erazzy."

The Daemoness looked at the angel irritatedly. "If you were a guy, I'd kick your ass pretty lady."

"I'm sure you would," replied the Blind Seer. Seraphina appeared at the door as the angel lowered the drunken Eraslyn onto the nearest bed.

"You really care for her like a sister don't you," the young Caelestine asked of the angel, prompting a smile from her.

"We go way back as children," she began as Eraslyn grasped the edge of the sheets instinctively and rolled over, wrapping it around herself, wings and all. "Everyone else treated me as a celebrity in Kanas for being the daughter of their Patron Angel... but she treated me like she did everyone else... which in her case meant that she liked to play pranks on me." She then glanced back towards Seraphina, "But you know how that's like... it feels nice to be treated like we're normal every once in a while."

"Eeeenough with the sooob stoorr......" mumbled the Daemoness in the blankets, trailing off in a slur.

"We'll be in the next room over," stated Novaus as the Blind Seer left Eraslyn's side.

"Don't fowget to right me," the Daemoness exclaimed as she waved with a hand barely peaking out from the top of her blanket wrap, upon seeing this Seraphina couldn't help but giggle a little. Soon the Blind Seer and her bodyguard vanished through the doorway, and the door clicked shut.

She then wandered over to the next bed over and unbuckled the enchanted bronze armor and let it clunk down onto the bed behind her and the floor before her. After setting the backing to the ground next to the breatplate, she unbuckled her boots and plopped down onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"So what you sink," came a voice from the other bed. "Other world as some cute guys don't it."

Seraphina's face was flushed and she was glad no one was there to see it. "Well... I suppose so." she answered nervously.

"And thas Aid'n kid is quate considrt... I'm almote jealous you get to travl wit him." The Caelestine reached for a pillow and put it over her face just as Eraslyn rolled over to look at her. Giggling, she stated once again, "you are jut so adohable!"

---

Novaus led the Seer into the room, this one with only two large beds, the owner having reassigned rooms after realizing who the two were. The angel sat at the edge of the far bed as Novaus started unbuckling various straps that held his armor and gear upon his person, starting with the Tri-Sheathe for his various swords.

"Are you certain about this," he inquired. "You'll be without me for many months if I do this."

"Acutan can perform the role of my protector and guide in your absence," she stated reassuringly. "Regardless, a visit to the Featherkeeper could do you some good as well, don't you think."

Novaus shrugged, "I've no need for my wings back yet... but I do suppose I have questions in regards to this Conrose person. Speaking of which, are you certain it would be okay for Seraphina to handle the spear he crafted? I am not certain she is trained for the use of such weapons yet, her training had focused on the shield and sword."

She smiled, "The spear is actually much better adapted to her talents than you'd think. Let us grant it to her in the morning."

"Very well," came the mercenary's reply as the lights began to dim.

As she laid down in bed, she shared a thought, "Do you suppose we should warn her about mornings with Erazzy."

A damaged chuckle came from the darkness, "That's a lesson she'll only have to learn once."

"...Ooooogh." Aiden groaned, cringing as he returned to consciousness. His head was just about exploding with the constant, almost overwhelming pain of a hangover. It hurt to move, to think, to do anything. "Fucking hell... why did I do that," He hissed to himself. The human continued to lay there for several minutes until the pain started to die down, slowly but surely. Eventually, the painful pressure on his senses had dulled enough for him to push himself up into a sitting position and open his eyes. Initially, his vision was blurred, but it started to clear up over the next minute. His hearing was clearer, though, but what he heard next puzzled him.

There was this... odd noise coming from behind one of the walls separating this room from the next. It was loud enough to be heard through them, and they seemed to have been built pretty thick. The noise was harsh and rythymic, and he figured that it sounded akin to a beast's mighty roar. "... What the hell is that," He asked himself as he slipped out of the bed and onto his feet. He flinched, nearly stumbling forward as his sense of balance recalibrated itself. It still hurt to move, but it wasn't enough to stop him. He then proceeded to look over at Konsa's bed to see if the small demon was still resting under the covers.

Konsa was completely covered by the blankets, he had woken a while ago and had been hiding from the sun ever since he first tried to get up. He listened to Aiden stirring, wincing a little as he heard his pained voice. After a moment Konsa's head popped out from under the covers, eyes squinted in pain as he took in his enviroment. His expression was one of puzzlement, also hearing the foreign noise.

"Oh, you're up. Good," He stated, taking a moment to rub at his half-lidded eyes. "God damn... drinking 'till late last night was fun, but it was also the stupidest thing I've ever done." He sighed. "Not doing that again... hey, you hear that, right?" He looked towards the wall. "You, uh, wanna go find out what it is?"

Konsa groaned, laying back down again. He was silent for a moment but he pushed himself up, untangling himself from the blankets as he struggled to find his footing. "I guess we should..." The short demon growled, still feeling grumpy. He pushed his messy hair from his face, noticing Conrose was no where to be seen.

Aiden nodded, taking a few steps toward Konsa. "Alright... you were kinda grumpy last night, man." He smirked, though it faltered a bit under the pain. "You alright now? One of the few things I distinctly remember was you insulting my face."

Konsa thought of a snappy retort, but being sober now he kept his mouth shut. "I'm doing okay I guess." He said, looking away as he shuffled a few steps back from Aiden.

"Hm. Okay." He thinned his lips and nodded once. The demon still wasn't too comfortable around him. He only hoped that would change as time progressed. In any case, it was time to move out. He motioned for the Dalimos to follow and headed for the door, twisting the handle and pulling it open. Stepping outside, he glanced down both sides of the hall to see if anyone else was out there.

Konsa turned and followed him to the door, "Do you think they're up already?" He murmured as he stepped out of their room.

The rythmic noise from the next room ceased. The hall remained empty, though a light snickering could be heard from behind the door the noise had earlier come out from. Talking could be heard coming from below in the tone that could be distinguished as belonging to Novaus. "Well, it's about that time isn't it... I doubt she got up before Eraslyn... we'll be hearing about it shortly.

"... What the." Looking towards the door the noises were coming from, he slowly approached it, his expression one of confusion. Reaching it, he reached up and knocked lightly, waiting for a response, all while giving Konsa a baffled expression. "... Do you think it's over?"

Konsa stayed in one place, frowning and slightly afraid out the unknown noise. "Errr, I hope so." He murmured, brushing his hair from his eyes as he focused on the door.

The door cracked open, Eraslyn's face peering through the crack. "Ssshhh... you'll wake her," she warned in a whisper. "I'll be out in just a moment boys." Then she carefully shut the door once more.

Konsa was startled by her sudden appearance but relaxed once more when she explained. The Dalimos stared for a moment, still confused about exactly what was happening in there. "I guess we better... go downstairs?" He said as he turned to Aiden.

Aiden blinked, unable to figure out what the hell just happened. "Wha... but... what was... I was starting to think that... what? What is going on?"

Konsa sighed, too tired to care at this point, no one seemed to be in immediate danger. "Let's just go downstairs." He yawned, rubbing his eyes as he headed for the stairs.

Novaus was seated in a chair reading a printed paper from Nexulai as the Blind Seer sat next to him, staring up at the ceiling. "What do you suppose it will be this time" she inquired of her bodyguard.

"You know... I've stopped guessing at her antics, she's pretty good at mixing things up," he replied as he flipped the page. "I wonder how they can make so many of these papers every day."

Konsa took a seat next to Blind Seer, glancing over at the newspaper. "Good morning," He greeted, laying his head on the armrest to doze off once more.

Aiden watched Konsa go, but he didn't follow. He was completely unable to figure out just what was going on here. What was Eraslyn doing, and what was that damned noise? His mind was at a blank when he tried to think of a possible answer. He did hear Novaus' voice from downstairs. It carried pretty well, and Aiden knew what he was talking about. He had to smirk at that; of course, Ceciderunt Dea had never even come up the concept of a printing press.

A scream came from behind the door, but it seemed more distant than it ought to be somehow, as though it came in through a window. But Eraslyn's laughter clearly came from within.

"What." Okay, that was it. Something was going on here, and whatever Seraphina was going through, it wasn't pleasant. He opened the door and stepped inside. "What the HELL is going on here?"

Eraslyn stood at the far end of the room, bucket in hand, dripping slightly as though it had held water just moments ago. The window was not open... rather it wasn't even there, but instead a great big hole in the wall, saw dust laying on the ground before it and a saw on the bed nearby. The portion of the wall that was there wasn't entirely missing... it was leaning against the wall adjacent to the massive hole, the window still intact. The room seemed oddly empty... in fact, the second bed was missing entirely.

"... Eraslyn, what..." Aiden just stared at her, his jaw dropped and his eyelids opened as wide as they could be. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" He stepped inside, briskly approaching the Dalimos. "Where's..." He then looked at the hole in the wall for several seconds. "... Oh my god. YOU DIDN'T."

"I think the more appropriate question by this point is... what have I done," retorted the daemoness with a chuckle.

Blinded with panic, he dashed for the hole, shoving Eraslyn aside and leaping out of the building through the hole. "SERAPHINA, HOLD ON!"

Seraphina lay in her bed, her blankets wrapped around her in the street below as she screamed, part of it in panic, part of it in anger, but still quite ear shattering. "I SWEAR I'LL GET YOU BACK FOR THIS!!!" Eraslyn simply laughed harder from her spot in the building, doubling over as she did so.

Fortunately, it wasn't a long fall. However, Aiden still wasn't awake enough to be as deft as he could've been. Instead of landing on open ground, he fell into some bushes lining the side of the inn. "Oof! God... DAMN IT!" Aiden let out a yell of irritation as he freed himself from the bushes. He immediately sprinted over to Seraphina's bed and slid to a stop at its side. From there, he grasped the Caelestine's shoulders with a panic-stricken expression.

"Seraphina," He said through his rapid pants, "Are you okay?!"

"I'm alright," she huffed. A small crowd gathering around and Novaus and the Blind Seer stepped out. Seraphina sat up, keeping her blankets tightly wrapped about her.

"She never fails to surprise does she," asked the angel.

Novaus focused instead at the large hole in the wall, "She must have had a big contract if she isn't afraid to cause property damage like that for her little pranks."

Seraphina then glanced at Aiden's hand stil on her shoulder, and her cheeks turned red once again.

"Okay... okay, good, I was-" He noticed the blush, and that was when he realized that he was still gripping her shoulders. "Oh." He immediately withdrew his hands and blushed back. "S-sorry, I just... I was worried that you were hurt!"

She nodded nervously, then got up cautiously and made her way to the inn's door as Novause moved to disperse the gathered crowd. A gust of wind blew past Aiden and Seraphina as Eraslyn's laughter ended abruptly. A large bat winged shadow cast over them by the morning sun.

"Wha-" Aiden froze up as he felt something zip right by him, its shadow being cast over him. What the hell was that? He tried to get a good look at whatever had just arrived.

A Dalimos woman stood over the two, her leathery wings still stretched still from her flight. She wore a polished steel plated breastplate and armored skirt, and the armor on her shins and feet seemed particularly thick. Her skin was dark, and her eyes a cold ice blue. Her gauntlets an ornate combination of Steel with gold trimming with a few inlaid rubies along the knuckles. The fingers were open to allow what were less nails and more like claws extending from her fingers. Her face was sharply defined and her glare was piercing, as if staring directly into Aiden's soul.

"... Oh." Aiden blanched, completely surprised by this woman's sudden arrival. He stared at her much like a deer would stare into approaching headlights. He took an instinctive step back as he tried to regain his composure. "Who... what do you want?"

"Could someone explain what exactly is going on here," she inquired authoritatively, her voice carrying an almost regal tone to it. Seraphina shook a little to the words.

A mouse like "eep" came from the hole above, prompting the woman to place her palm over her face. "Please tell me that isn't Eraslyn."

Fear slowly gave way to understanding. This woman must have been a member of Keranlus' town guard. Sighing in relief, he looked back up at her with a tired expression. "I'm afraid so... you two have a history?"

She let out a sigh, "Indeed we have..." she began, then turned towards the wall with a fierce expression as she began to shout, "AND I STILL HAVEN'T FORGIVEN YOU!" Shortly following this, the sound of a door slamming came from the hole in the inn... Eraslyn has fled somewhere deeper into the building.

The Blind Seer began to walk towards the woman, "You know it's all in harmless fun though, Elise Unbrek... and you know she's good for paying for any damages her little pranks have incurred."

Seraphina turned sharply towards the angel with an exasperated expression, "You call this little!"

"Yeah... yeah, I'd hardly call this little!" Aiden was none too pleased with Eraslyn's prank either. He stepped forward. "She threw her out of a window. She could've died! What kind of friend does that?!"

Novaus pointed to the bed, perfectly intact, "it is more likely she floated it down with one of her spells seeing as that would be a pile of timber if it had been thrown out."

"I'm surprised you of all people are defending her," stated Elise. "She's played some pretty big ones on you if memory serves."

"And never once was I ever actually injured. She's mischeivous, but she isn't dangerous is all I'm saying," responded the mercenary.

"But it's quite embarrassing," called out the Caelestine still wrapped tightly in her covers.

"Floated? How did... oh, right. Magic." He rolled his eyes. "I still can't quite wrap my head around it... well, I believe you, Novaus. You've known her longer than I have." He was about to continue when something clicked in his mind.

"... Wait." He turned back to Seraphina with a single eyebrow raised. "Let me get this straight, Seraphina. She sawed a hole open in the wall, picked up your bed, set you down on the street... and you slept through it all?"

"Well... uh... I don't know" replied Seraphina, a confused look on her face.

"Don't be surprised," started Novaus. "Eraslyn specializes in infiltration and stealth, among the spells she's learned are a few related to sleep," explained the Mercenary.

"Really, now," Aiden replied, "Heh... and here I was starting to think that she naturally slept like the dead. Man... magic that can make you sleep deeper? Magic scares me sometimes." He then looked back up at the taller Dalimos. "And you, er... Elise, correct? What did Eraslyn do to you?"

"I don't speak of such childish antics," she declared as she turned her fierce expression towards the human.

"She took all her clothes, the sheets and blankets to the beds and even stripped the carpet from the floor at an inn in Ferrocor on her way here," revealed the Blind Seer.

"You know... I swear at times that your worse than that little demon," declared Elise.

"...What." Aiden immediately broke into hysterical laughter, doubling over a bit and taking a step back towards Seraphina. "Good lord... ha ha! That's good...hooo. Man. Seriously, though, what is that woman's problem? What compels her to do that?!"

"She never quite grew up," answered Novaus. "She's been this way since her days at the orphanage at Kanas. Still, she's responsible to pay for any damage she causes to the properties she tears up."

"She truly is a free spirit," He said as he laid eyes on the hole once more, "Though maybe a bit too free at times, heh..." He then turned back to Elise, "And I imagine you're gonna go kick her ass right now, aren't you?"

"Knowing her, she's probably well on her way out of here," replied Elise. "She's quite good at getting away as well, otherwise I'd have had her locked up some time ago to teach her a lesson... between her illusions and her ability to summon favorable tailwinds, it's virtually impossible to catch when when she simply wants to disappear." The tall woman then brushed past Aiden and towards Seraphina, still a little intimidated by Elise's presence. "Come then, lets get you back inside... at least you have something to wrap about yourself... I had to wrap a mattress around myself when I was the victim of one of Eraslyn's pranks," she said, partially wrapping Seraphina with one of her wings.

"I see... to be able to confuse the mind so easily, that's remarkable... so she's long gone, huh? Shame, I never got to say goodbye." He nodded slowly, eyes flicking downward for a moment. Elise's short recounting of her own prank brought an amused grin to his face, though, and he tilted his head curiously once she wrapped a wing around Seraphina.

"The way you wrap your wing around her... is that a common gesture in Ceciderunt Dea? I've had it happen to me before by both the Seer and Eraslyn. I'm sure it was in my studies, but the details escape me..."

As the pair vanished into the door, Novaus stepped up to Aiden, "Among winged Caelestine and Demons, whilst not in active use, the wings will sometimes mimic the gestures of the arms," he began to explain. Additionally, it is sometimes used as a sign of respect or endearment."

The Blind Seer then cut in, "in this case however, it is to minimize the dangers of the wind blowing on the sheets that the daughter of Galric has as the only means to remain decent at this time. Has the thought really not occurred to you?"

"Ahhh. I understand." He nodded sagely, only to stop after hearing the Seer's statement. "... Wait... she sleeps in the nu-..." Aiden's cheeks immediately turned beet red. His mouth moved, but no sound came out. Seraphina slept in the nude... and there was the very real possibility of him accidentally pulling away part of the sheet when he rushed to check on her. "Uh..."

"Is one dressed as a noble of Akreaus and fancies himself a gentleman having impure thoughts," inquired the angel.

"That's enough," stated her bodyguard as he placed a hand gently on the angel's head. "I do thank you for rushing to her aid young Aiden."

"What's all this commotion," shouted the Artificer as he stepped out from the tavern, carrying a plate with him as he continued to shovel scrambled eggs into his mouth.

Konsa followed shortly after him, obviously still only half-awake. He shielded his eyes from the sunlight, stopping by Novaus. "I assume this what you would call a shenanigan?" He grunted, crossing his arms over his chest as he fully took in the scene.

"Nothing!" Aiden said a bit quickly, "Nothing at all, Conrose. Don't you worry, the situation's under control..." Really, he was surprised that he didn't come out earlier. Did Conrose really miss everything that had just happened?

The man raised his eyebrow, swallowed his food and pointed a foork at the explorer, "You know... you should stay an honest man, because you are quite lousy at lying," he said in a demeaning tone. "I'm going to take a guess, something happened in Eraslyn and Seraphin'a room because there is a hole in the inn's wall at about the area their's would have been, and there is a bed sitting in the middle of the street. I don't see Seraphina being the type to cause trouble, so I'm willing to wager that the Daemoness is responsible."

"... Yes." He sighed in defeat. The human really didn't want Conrose to get involved in this, but there was no way to avoid it, was there? "It was a mess, but ultimately, a harmless one." He rubbed his eyes. "This is not how I expected to wake up in the morning. Oh well..." He started to head back into the tavern, walking past Conrose. "I need some water."

The Zalphyrene shrugged, then followed Aiden back into the Tavern, the Blind Seer following the two, using their souls as a guide as Novaus went back into the inn.