dragonpiece

The Hourglass Order

Event: Metropolis But With A Touch Of Big Game Hunting

---

Ingrid laid hunched over on the ground from the massive draw. She had felt this so many times before, but why does she still kneel to it? Her body settled as she catapulted herself through the air. Finding her feet with Niallus, Valerian, and the one that almost ended her life yesterday, Golden Monkey. They seemed to be faced with the Gold Dragon. She knew little of it, but it was clear it was no mere dragon. And before the fight could even begin, the Oguraq made their entrance.

The Oguraq seemed happy to see Niallus and Valerian. Just how much trust did they have in Niallus, Ingrid wondered, but never questioned his loyalty to her. But the Dragon of Fortune knew. He was well aware of the supposed betrayal and made no waste to attack us.

Roots and metal melded out of the very ground and slashed as if they were his own claws. As Ingrid shattered them, slivers and shards jutted out, leaving her covered in shallow wounds. Nothing to fret over, Ingrid cracked an assured smile, the attack was of great size but with of pathetic lethality. With the Oguraq still confused, Ingrid yelled out to them like she was an ally. Her attempt to capitalize their confusion was only met with unsure grunts. Worth a shot, Ingrid thought as she knew what to do next.

She didn't miss a beat to rip out a small ornate box from her sash. The outer layer ignited from heat, and soon the lead interior went molten. A small chunk of green rock produced more power than any uranium she had used prior. Its radiation was intense, as Ingrid could feel it bombarding her energetic shield, trying to overwhelm her for even attempting its use. And with that her infinity loop was initiated, and she wasn't going to put it down.

The battle had started, and she knew that others needed to prepare themselves as well. Attacks were thrown on all sides, Ingrid was even able to still the heat of its attack to strike it on the neck. A light wound for a monster so large, but with luck they could whittle it down to nothing, ending its life. Golden Monkey jested at the group's mediocrity, and in truth, he was right. Only Ingrid had successfully empowered herself. Not that the jester followed his own advice, what made him so confident? It had been an easy exchange, the Oguraq resigned themselves to leaving us students alone, and the attacks were relatively meager for such a beast. Maybe it wanted to leave us alive? Could it have reservations on killing the young like Dragon Smirk? Ingrid would be a liar if the thought of that didn't bring some guilt to her heart, but she was no longer a child, she made this choice and she would follow her formal commitments.

That notion was wiped from her mind the instance she sensed something in its mouth. She feared it. It was dark magic. A breath of nothingness blotted all Ingrid could see. It was like a nightmare. She ran as fast as she could while making stony ice to help protect herself from what she knew to be oblivion. Barely making it out alive with the help of Niallus's sudden yank of kinetic magic, any guilt she could have felt vanished. Ingrid raged, intensifying her the atomic energy into a line of super-heated plasma. It struck through its belly scales and sliced the beast open. No blood could fall as it had been cauterized. It wretched from the pain, and Ingrid felt an unreasonable amount of satisfaction.

But then a mistake was made. Throughout the fight, Dragon Smirk had been defending the dragon from the worst of Golden Monkey's blows. Either outright stopping or severely weakening him. There was a chance to turn it in our favor, to make the dragon fall oh so faster. Monkey had faked and attack on the Golden Dragon and turned it on the annoyance. It was going to kill Dragon smirk, he was defenseless against Golden Monkey. But Valerian. Valerian intervened, preventing the attack. He tried to convince them to leave. He really did try. If only they were more cowardly.

But Valerian made a small mistake, he halfheartedly attacked the Golden Dragon of Fortune. The attack was absorbed, and it was like the world sparked to life. Thunderclouds formed overhead. Small pieces left over from its first attack began to levitate and zap each other. If it had not been for Rikard, Ingrid would have been ignorant to just what was coming for them. There was a final and eerie silence before the heaven's ripped open to deliver upon us an ungodly attack strike.

So bright that you couldn't see without magic, so intense that your muscles would randomly convulse. Protecting yourself was all you could do. No one was safe from it. Metallic shaving that stuck to her wounds and clothes had gone ignored by Ingrid. Now they served as a conduit into herself. Burnt and convulsing, Ingrid's breath had been broken, and she fell to her knees. The pain came after as her body tried to make sense of what happened. She knew, but her body never had she been it by such an attack, and there was nothing she could do to calm her nerves. She was at the mercy of it in the meantime.

By luck or mercy, Golden Monkey had made himself its main target once again. The fight was beyond her comprehension. Arcane and Gravity magic years beyond her reach, being sent with like the common Wyvern's Breath and Levitation. Chemical magic she could never grasp, thrown out by a man that makes the tallest yasoi look short. Mass demon summoning from your very flesh to do away with your foes. This was the battle Ingrid watched as she recovered. She could only look at her Staff of Ahn-Shune and infinity loop and pray that it would be enough. What Ingrid needed was time.

Then in a moment, while Ingrid planned the rest of the battle, Dragon smirk had an arm through his chest. It was quick and painless. He would remain conscious for only a moment. Dami judge his soul well. Golden Monkey seemed to care little for this fight anymore. He boasted how it was over, but everyone could tell this had taken more out of him and us then he thought. The Dragon also attempted to heal, and we struck it hard enough to interrupt what could be defeat. The Golden Dragon was done with petty attempts and struck at us individually.

It flew down at incredible speeds and with these thin blades or radiation jutting out of it. Ingrid ran the best she could, repelling them until it drew from her own infinity loop and her defense faltered. Slash burnt through her ribs and side, nearly hitting her lung. Some of her organs were damaged, and she fell to the ground, just holding things in with kinetic. Ingrid could hear the cries of other's being hit, but she couldn't say who, she was barely holding on, any strength in her was quickly dissipating. But fortune finally shined on us.

Golden Monkey called upon his gravity magic, but something was different about it this time, It warped more. Temporal, was all Ingrid could accredit it to. Whatever it was, it was focused on its greater arm. Scales ripped and teared under the force. Then the muscle. Then the bone even shattered under its intensity. He had ripped off what was a completely uninjured arm with a single go. The Golden Dragon Cried out and retreated. Ingrid felt herself wishing to end it before it could bring more harm, but her legs were faltering, she had barely survived this fight, and she wasn't sure if she could even make it.

There was a pause. Ingrid spent the time briefly describing her plan to end the next fight quickly. She stitched her body together better than she thought possible, another reason why Binding was an amazing magic. She did her best to explain that they needed to empower themselves better this time. They both had chemical, and they needed to make use of it. Enhancements were handed out in preparation and even Golden Monkey lent his aid, Maybe we've earned his help?

They joined the Black Guard Evil Eye, also known as Linlin, in battle with what looked less like a dragon but a child's dark imagination of a dragon. Multiple heads and a dark body. It made anyone instinctually weary of it. Still, it wouldn't be long for this world. Unlike the godly beings that have enough power to send hits of detonations with every attack, Ingrid bid her time and built up her power inconspicuously.

However, it seemed none of them were ready for this beas- No, monster. Its heads shook rthymically, and Ingrid prepared herself for what was happening, but she realized too late, and her response was too weak. They were brought to a forest outside Retan. Was it Temporal magic? Does it matter it was so…

Nice…

The weather was nice and sunny, it smelled of fresh flowers and the music was pleasant. All those tenuous thoughts like Maura, survival, and even the extremely…

Extremely… Extremely what, a light gust had the flowers sway so beautifully, Extremely beautiful? It is extremely beautiful! Ingrid felt immense joy and went to hold her lover's hand, "Let's go frolicking Niallus!" She went along with the guides through the forest. Skipping happily.

At least it was.

But her happy reality was crashed by a terrifying sight. Pure black pits, flames, and teeth. What nightmare is this?! Ingrid let out a peep before it was back to strawberries. Ingrid was suddenly less trusting of the surroundings. But the guides tried to reassure her. Lor did as well. What could possibly be wrong…

Things got more odd, maybe it was her experience with psychedelics, but this seemed more like a bad trip. The whale's mouth was scary, and it seems little Linlin also thought it was weird. But Niallus and Valerian called them silly, it's just a whale. They entered the mouth, it wasn't too bad.

Then pain arrived at her feet, and the illusion faded. This was no Whale mouth. It was the stomach of the dragon. Tentacles were even in here. It seemed Evil Eye and Valerian wrangled free from the deception but Niallus. He just smiled. His mind was still departed even as the tentacles latched onto him and acid scalded his boots. This was fear, Ingrid was no chemist. She had no way to help, She tried mutating it, but all it did was irritate it.

Enough to make the acid rise. Debris caught in the stomach acid melted in an instant, they rose to avoid, but Niallus didn't move. Ingrid tried to rip him away, but she wasn't strong enough. Not fast enough to keep trying. Panic set in for her, and she left him there, prioritizing herself. She ripped out the hand fan from her sash and slapped the inside of its throat, taking away its sight. Screaming in rage as she believed he was left behind.

As they exit, she was ready to rage, but Valerian was able to pull Niallus out before it was too late! He was alive! Now, the issue was that her infinity loop was unmanaged for so long. She grasped it with her own energy to keep it going. If it were to fail, then all her planning and waiting would be for nothing. The Green rock was nearly out of control, and Ingrid couldn't even tell if it would fizzle out or explode. Mixing cryomancy and Atomic, she was able to settle it down. Now all was left was to end it before it could muster another illusion such as that. But there was another screaming idiot in the mix now. A stupid Oguraq who screamed about my brother. Ingrid couldn't be sympathetic to them, this was war and they brought an unforgivable monster.

Ingrid laid back like she was preparing a large spell, a charge spell to be exact. The fighting continued and then suddenly the Staff of Ahn-Shune glowed. Ingrid released the rest of her radium, creating a powerful reaction. A burst of power far beyond her control. She just needed to release it at this monster. Her hatred was immense, the flames burned red and then pure white. She yelled, "Deyðu, skrímslið þitt!"

The flash was so blinding—so forceful—that everyone within sight of it recoiled. A gargantuan column of pure light rose three hundred feet into the air and a hundred feet through solid ground. When people blinked and staggered to their senses, they beheld an enormous canyon gouged into the earth itself, blackened and scorched for miles. Fortunately, it was not in the direction of the city. There was no sign whatsoever of the dragon that had been there.

The shockwave rag dolled a few, but overall they got lucky. The Dragon was done, and now it was time for the Oguraq girl. She stood defiantly defeated, asking for death. Ingrid was not so merciful to leave a loose end when they are capable of so much. This was a war. But Niallus was too injured for her not to attend to him. It was a loose end that she would have to accept. The battle was over, and that Oguraq left. Their fight was over at least.

Or so Ingrid thought before the world cracked open.

The Hourglass Order

Event: Metropolis But It's Dinner

---

Evil Eye was wearing a hint of a smirk as she headed out with Ingrid. The sun was not quite setting and it glowed golden through the canopy of the artificial forest. "Nothing quite like a formal dinner, huh?" She shook her head a bit as they made their way deeper. Finally, the pair came to a small clearing with a single picnic bench.

On edge wouldn't begin to describe Ingrid's nerves. They were all separated from the start, one-on-one with the blackguard. Her mind wandered as she could only guess where Niallus and Trypano were going as they left her sensing range. But she was here with Evil Eye and being rude would get them only closer to death. "I prefer more casual lunches actually, much less stress."

Ingrid slid into her seat, doing her best not to ruin the beautiful clothes she was given. It was still a gift after all, even if it was laced with poison, Ingrid acknowledged.

"Listen," the Black Guard admitted as they took seats across from each other. "I'm not going to pretend to be your friend or anything or act like have your personal best interests at deeply heart here. I've lived..." She trailed off and furrowed her brow. "six-hundred thirty-eight years and it still messes with me sometimes, but I don't regret a shred of it, to be honest." She sighed, and it lingered in the increasingly golden air. At least mosquitoes were scarce at this time of year.

"638 years… Hopefully it was well lived," Ingrid commented, unperturbed by the long life. Though not regretting it gave her some pause. Death was part of life, growing old and watching the young become old was all part of it. Could someone be happy if there was no end? Ingrid questioned before coming back to the conversation.

"You and me, now? We might look only a few years separate in age, but we're worlds apart." She shrugged. "The life experiences I've had? Crazy." She pointed to her eyepatch. "What's behind here? Ain't it something, I'll tell you." She smiled mischievously at Ingrid and drummed her fingers idly on the tabletop. "Thing is, and the reason I volunteered to talk to you, is 'cause we weren't all that different when I started out. Paragons know we weren't, or your Quentic gods, if you prefer." She smiled apologetically. "Sorry."

"No offense taken, I'm sure that both exist," Ingrid rested her arms on the table and said it as if it was the most obvious truth. It was evident Evil Eye was trying to win Ingrid over, at least to Ingrid it was.

In the distance, others had their own discussions, but this was a small bubble within the greater reality for just the two of them. "The Twins aren't perfect." Evil Eye scratched sheepishly at the back of her head. "Truth be told, I used to kinda have a bone to pick with them, but I've come to respect them." Her eye met Ingrid's for a second as she traced something along the table's aged wooden surface with a fingernail. "It's 'cause they understand how the world works." She nodded as she spoke. "People might cheer for the lofty statements and those soaring ideals but, at the end of the day, they're not what really moves things forward. The work of being in charge is difficult and dirty. It almost always involves decisions that'll cause some harm to someone, somewhere for a desired good. I know a lot of people from the Twin Continents balk at our magic policy. It... took a while to reconcile myself to it too but, overall, to be honest?" She made sure that their eyes met. "It works." She tapped the table with her pointer for emphasis. "It really works."

Ingrid listened genuinely to Evil Eye, whether she was earnest or not, she was trying to present herself that way, so Ingrid obliged and openly listen. Ingrid couldn't help but speculate that she may have lost her eye to that 'bone' she had with them or how she ended up serving them. "And I'm sure that it has, Evil Eye," Ingrid felt a slight bit of embarrassment from saying such a silly name but continued with a rebuttal, "I just think that there are better ways what is being done. Even if you can't let then use magic, why not at least train them. At least the ones that would be disposed of otherwise," Ingrid's mind went back to Yong at the dinner having no idea that he could be disposed of with one wrong move on our part.

A moth fluttered between them and both watched it for a split second. "Thing is, everyone wants to be the star of the show, the hero of the story. They can't accept their own flaws and failings. Me?" She pressed her fingertips to her chest. "Well, I'm a huge bitch, to be perfectly frank. This is the nice version you're getting. Trust me." She rolled her eye. "What it all means, though, is that they can't accept that they shouldn't be making the decisions. They can't accept that maybe others - stronger, smarter, better in judgement, or just better positioned - should be making them. So they use whatever tools they have, selfishly, to undermine, to seek advantage for themselves."

Ingrid smirked, "I think I been called a bitch more than once at this point, more 'Extra' than anything else," Ingrid found herself relating to Evil Eye. Evil Eye struck a sore spot. This mission Ingrid tried to play nice. She let boundaries be crossed for the sake of cooperation. Not once did she conspire yet there was always Maura. When was Ingrid not worried about her twisting things to her advantage? I wanted so desperately to work together. I put up with insults not only of me but of my nation. Of my lover that Maura was apparently friends with. All Maura did was use. Fuck that bitch. Ingrid took check of herself though there was no doubt that Evil Eye noticed. That's her specialty after all.

She made sure that her conversational partner was paying attention for the next bit. "So this is where it's all leading: we want you to join us. The sanguine council does. We're impressed by you. I'm impressed by you. Not everything, mind you, but overall, you're exactly the kind of person we look for and we've been scouting you for a couple of years now." She smiled. "Sorry for the intrusion, but what say you?"

All the other thoughts left as she heard the offer. It was a lot. She had studied the sanguine council in the forked tower and had seen the presumed upper members in the Zacqoria ruins. "What do I say…" Ingrid was obviously thinking. Years huh? Must have had a lot of nothing to report with me being stuck in my room for the most part. Why not then? I was a shut in and malleable. Maybe I'm still malleable. No, Manipulatable.

"I don't think I can be a sanguinaire. I have my best friend and lover to worry about here and some other concerns." Ingrid said not in a flat no but more trying to keep the dialogue open.

Evil Eye rose. "'Other concerns?' Sounds like a 'no'." She straightened her slightly rumpled clothes. "I can say I tried." She shrugged and stepped over the bench. "We're going to make Retan a better place, with or without you, Ingrid Penderson. No vengeful dragon or religious zealot or shapeshifting anarchist has the right to interfere with our country and tell us how to live, and we're strong enough to resist them." Her voice had turned just a shade bitter. Perhaps it was the sort of polite, noncommittal rejection that she'd been told to expect.

"And we're building a new army too," she added. "All those unwanted or uncared for kids you're talking about? We're raising them, teaching them magic, giving them purpose. You can fight against us, but you'll have to answer to the future you've stolen from them." This seemed... oddly personal an issue for the Black Guard. She shook her head, backing away, about to turn and be gone. "You can sell your potential short and settle for mediocrity and being stepped on by those with sly words and entangling money, but at least don't stand in our way. Us ten - us Guard and the exemplars - we're shifting the ball. We're in the Twins' ears. We're changing this place." With that, she was done, and turned fully to leave, holding back with only the slightest hitch in her step. "You can still be part of it. The last bit was - if I recall correctly - your idea anyhow. It could use you as its driving force, or you can fight against the future you want."

Ingrid believed herself to be reasonable, but she apparently was not, with Evil Eye walking away from the table. Ingrid showed no emotion other than maybe a slight guard with Evil Eye getting up.

It was then Evil Eye began to grandstand to Ingrid, and it was lame. Ingrid listened and only raised an eyebrow. "So you take what I said as a 'no' and then grandstand on my concern. Only to then offer it?"

Ingrid looked at Evil Eye in disbelief for only a second before shaking her head, "I hope who ever wins can help Retan."

Cause Paragons and the Pentad know 638 years wasn't enough education for you at least. Ingrid had nothing else to say to Evil Eye though she was left thinking that things could've been different.

"You never really cared, or you'd have made an effort, you stupid girl. 'Some other concerns'." Evil Eye laughed bitterly, pivoting on the spot and making air quotes out of it. "You might as well have said 'Oh, I can't because I have friends and, uh... you know, etcetera'!" She waved her hand in mocking dismissal and stalked forward, pounding on the table. "The Twins are literally building the world you claimed to want and offering you a part to play in it. You think they weren't listening in on almost everything all of you foreigners said? You don't think that's why they had me - someone who suffered through what that kid's suffering -" She pointed vaguely in the direction they'd come from. "- come here and make the offer you so flippantly refused before I even had the chance to spell it out!?"

She flipped her eyepatch up and there was one of those hideous powergazer eyes beneath it. As she did, the air around Ingrid turned truly freezing. Plants wilted and browned. Frost coated the ground and any lick of wind stilled. "You're only all pissy because I didn't stroke your ego and assure you that you were the star of the show and would be in charge or some shit. Yeah, those words earlier were intentional. And yeah, governments totally put random foreign teenagers with no experience in the field in charge of statewide programs. No wonder my briefing for you included an 'ego' warning."

She was backing away, but she did not disappear down the bend in the path as she had perhaps originally intended. Something here had struck a nerve, and deeply. Evil Eye's energy swelled now, to enormous proportions. "It's all a fucking front with you people. It's all a show. You don't actually wanna help people like us. You just wanna grandstand as the 'hero' or the 'goodguy' and feel good about your shitty selves. Now I'm glad I tested you and figured that out." Her face went from heated and flushed with anger to cold. The bottom half of it split in a cruel grin. "My name was given to me by someone else, you know, and I don't usually enjoy my work, but this time - I think - I really, really will." Her 'evil eye' began to glow.

Ingrid had turned to Evil Eye since it seemed she had more to say. "Refused?" Ingrid looked at her dumbfounded, "I didn't refuse anything, I wanted to talk about the little things." Then when she started to spell it out, "You just went on and on about knowing you aren't the star, I know that!" Ingrid stood up. "I knew that for awhile now. My concern was the treatment of people like Yong if you couldn't put 2 and 2 together."

As Evil Eye lifted her eyepatch, Ingrid never broke eye contact. Even as Evil Eye drew to stupendous levels and Ingrid could feel that same sickening that happens with Benny and Jocasta, Ingrid didn't draw. "I'm not scared of some powergazer eye, it's not even the worst eyes I've seen all year." Ingrid let her talk more. "I want to help. My concern was the treatment of people like Yong and the only 2 people I love here. If that's too much to talk about because you care about this as well than I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I struck something so dear to you." Even as Ingrid was being threatened she didn't back down, she didn't hesitate to stand for what she said.

At the very precipice, Evil Eye relented. "Paragons, you sure have a way of showing it." The glow faded from the eye that had lent her her moniker and she breathed. "This is..." She trailed off for a moment and flipped the patch back down. "Kinda very personal for me, so I'm sorry too, okay?" She rolled her eye. "There. I said it."

She sauntered back over to the table and plunked herself unceremoniously down on the bench. "You're worried about the others? Then talk to them. They're all intelligent, reasonable people, right?" The air still hummed with energy. "They've all received offers." She shrugged, a bit of the impish charm from earlier returning. "They refuse, then maybe they're not so bright after all, and you need to crack 'em upside the head." She shook hers. "We don't wanna hurt them. I won't give you some ironclad promise because, as you've learned, nothing in life is set in stone, but we'll go nonlethal unless our hand is forced." She smiled, and her eye darted about surreptitiously. "It's going to be alright. You'll see. There's... a plan." She added cryptically, a Cheshire grin blossoming on her face.

All at once, then, there was a great expulsion of energy, and Ingrid tensed, ready to defend against some sudden sneak attack, but it was nothing of the sort. "I've just shut out everybody who could be listening, and there are at least a few." Evil Eye spoke quickly. "Ingrid, this is a plan centuries in the making - it's the luxury we have as sanguinaires." She was leaning forward conspiratorially "I'm sworn to secrecy on this, but the silence is killing me. The Twins are not the badguys, even though they play that part onstage. Everything's about to change if we can pull this off. That's why the Progenitor's turned on them: they're breakign ranks. They're on a different side. He's here, now, for what it's worth: that mysterious handsome guy." She shook her head. "He and the school are counting on you as dupes to overthrow them. The others, like Wu Long and Ash are just opportunists with their own selfish goals. Those reforms that you want?" She grinned and... winked? It was hard to tell with her. "Ready to go in full, and they're just the tip of the iceberg. We're gonna make this world a better place! We want you in on it and, yeah, there's a bit to gain personally as well." She smirked. "Nothin' wrong with that, is there?"

Ingrid sighed in relief that she wasn't going to get destroyed by an omega blast, "I tend to piss people off with how I talk. Old habits die hard." Ingrid took a seat back at the table, before giving a small smile and a nod at the apology, resisting the urge to say sorry again.

Ingrid rolled her eyes, "I'm worried for some of them. Not all," Ingrid tried to make abundantly clear. "Though I will try. They are my schoolmates and even if I hate one of them to bring back bloodeagling. I hate for a mission to have casualties." Ingrid appreciated her trying to say that they don't want to hurt them but Ingrid was unsure about some of the Black Guard but either way, "Thank you Evil Eye-" Ingrid paused, "Do you have another name you prefer or are you fond of that name? I personally dislike names based off of my physical traits."

Ingrid leaned in to listen to the plan. She had speculated it might be a tear in the Black Guard but a tear between some of the Elders and Progenitor. Now that makes sense. Ingrid nodded along to the pretty boy being the Progenitor even though it terrified her. Ooh I hope that he doesn't know that I let his Ex out of the sleeping chamber. She sat back and contemplated. Before she was even done she looked at Evil Eye, "Well, thank you for the trust. I won't be sharing that." She went back to weighing it and she came to a conclusion. "If you would have me, I'll help. What do you need from me?"

'Evil Eye' smiled ruefully. "People used to call me Linlin." She blushed. "Always thought it sounded too cute. I ain't that cute, am I?" She laughed nervously. She shook her head and leaned back, crossing her arms.

Then, it came time for the main offer. "We need your strength. One way or another, there's going to be a fight. Everything that we have planned depends on us winning it. I know it's not fair to ask you when I hardly know you and we've spent half that time at each other's throats, but... you and the others: we need you to help us fight against the threats that surround us: the Nikanese, Brother Ash (who's still very much alive), Wu Long, and..." She swallowed. "Maybe even your fellow students if it really comes down to it. I expect none of you will try to kill each other, and you can help make sure of it." She reached out and took Ingrid by the hands across the table. "Thank you," she said. "You have no idea how much your trust means to me."

Ingrid gave a smirk when Linlin said she wasn't cute, screaming the 'Oh really to her'. But her expression soured as she brought up having to fight her fellow students. "I can't say that they won't try to kill each other. Maura is a central figure to 2 of them and I can say for certain that she hates me." Ingrid let that sit there not for Linlin but for herself. She was coming to terms that she might need to kill her fellow students. "I can only hope that she was self serving here. That all of them came around," Ingrid gave a not too optimistic smile.

Ingrid weighed the information Linlin had entrusted to her and knew that there was a chance the people that held the plushtail oil might have stayed with Wu Long. She leaned in to whisper to Linlin, "Linlin listen, since you trusted me, I'm going to trust you. We found the Plushtail oil that you guys put on our cloths. Thing is that Yalen and the others could get it off of them. They have the Plushtail oil." Ingrid didn't feel completely right sharing that but if it could secure the people she loved, fuck the other ones.

The Hourglass Order

Event: Metropolis but at the docks and a cave.

---

So many shifting feelings inside of Ingrid at the moment. The fight started and ended so quickly that adjusting was rather difficult. She rubbed her jaw where that pain was but mere moments ago. She got herself to come down from the high that a fight gives.

Seems Maura was meeting up with that Ash fellow. A Sanguinare. They're not all evil but the ones at the top? Probably. Ingrid's eyes laid on Maura, and she wasn't going to tell us anything. Not the meeting, nothing. I don't even know about the Nikanese women or who it could be. How much had she done already? Ingrid couldn't give Maura any more trust. Give an inch, she takes a mile.

But now wasn't the time for that. No, she had the ability to speak to Wu Long more openly, Maura will be dealt with later.

Ingrid just gave a simple question, "What is the harmonious order? I know of some things involving Sanguinares and I'm not a supporter, that's for sure but I know nothing of the order you seem to represent."
She followed it with a general statement to the group at large, "Can we just speak openly before what could be a deadly battle?"

Ingrid found most of Wu Long's plan agreeable. The true color of things comes out in the details though and those she had some thought about.

She nodded along to the first and second points, nothing disagreeable there but she wanted some guarantees for people like Yong and Yin, people who have already suffered and need to be compensated.

Ingrid was very aware of what a large nation had to face. Eskand was essentially a continuous fall and now even the base is split in 5, you fall to the mercy of others just like they did when Revidia discarded them. She didn't know about the Jiang Dynasty but they could be worse than the current. a day to day governance makes sense but Ingrid leans toward taking even more power away, If a family is to set to be the ruler of all time, then they should be held responsible by the government as well. "I think you should take even more power away and give it to the public servants. That is just my general thought."

Ingrid was not sure about the dragons acting as custodians. They could easily turn into the blackguard and turn corrupt but saw no immediate need to bring it up.

Now sanguinaires. That was difficult. Ingrid was aware that they can, at the higher levels, be great manipulators and terribly hard to remove. But Ingrid didn't believe for a second that all sanguinaires were exploiters any more than a slave owner or a bad businessmen who throw people onto ships only to work or die. And that Ash fellow, even if he had knocked me out, admitted the issues."Now I can't say I disagree with expelling the ones connected to the government but eliminating all feels short-sighted. I believe that some are just people trying to survive. Or like that of Ash that seems to be wanting to do good. I think it would be foolish to turn him down when you know who you are up against."

Ash did bring up an interesting concept, who were they? Thinking of the murals in Zaqoria, they presented it as 2 sides, one the sentient creature minus the Eaiko, Meerami, and now Oguraq versus a beastman known as Heart and the Sirrahi. We know the sanguinaires fought against them but the 'them' could either represent something above the sirrahi and the sanguinaires, like the all-knower that Sileen and One talked about briefly. Though Heart did have a negative reaction to it being brought up. Maybe the sides flipped? Those battles were long ago so it was possible.

Ingrid liked the idea of a strong merchant class here, if anything to act as another competing interest against the ruling class. The strength of the military was most likely needed with how they were very expansionist before and to protect themselves from such another insurrection but that was covered by Maura for the most part so she will stay silent and side with her. Feels disgusting even thinking that.

Ingrid let others speak before her because she didn't know much, she had opinions, that's for sure but she had only focused on the personal cost of these people fighting for the country and they have already lost plenty.

Finally, after listening to Maura, Abdel, and Niallus, she suddenly shot her head backward after someone entered from where they came. She sighed in relief that it was Yalen then turned to finally let her opinions know but start by making Maura more aware of what sanguinaire are.

"Maura," Ingrid tried to grab her attention, "Since you seem to be uninformed of sanguinaires, let me. They feed on people. I mean that literally, they suck blood from other people. Now let me preface that they have to do this to survive and they don't need to kill someone though they can. Their vitality is much stronger than the average person's. Though those seem traits are not the thing I believe Wu Long is worried about, No I think his worry is that they can seemingly live forever. And that they can take in the blood of others to empower them greatly over time. Ash could be centuries old and still not have aged. And from my own studies, I believe the Twin Emperors are among the oldest and strongest of them." Ingrid spilled most of what she knew on them, saving some over-specific information. "Granted I didn't know there were sanguinaires, particularly in control of this country, I'm only now aware," Ingrid added to cover herself if the wheeled lady wanted to come after her for knowing things that her peewee brain didn't.

After giving what Ingrid thought was a thorough enough breakdown of sanguinaires, she moved on to magic for the people. "Wu Long I have to agree with you that magic should be returned to the people but I have some concerns." Ingrid paused before continuing, "We have all seen the lack of magic here in common people. Yet I want to put on the table what failing that magic exam could mean for people like Abdel, Yalen, or anyone with a difficult manatype. If you are 'normal' and fail for any number of reasons like social standing, background, or even if the instructor didn't care for you in particular, you can't use magic. But for people like Yalen and Abdel, you might be taken away and stripped of your rights, even killed in some cases." Ingrid wanted to let that sit in for some. It wasn't dissimilar from the refuge she heard about here and there but here they could try and guarantee that change. Wu Long wanted, no, needed the support and they should ask for this.

"While you all were searching for information the night after the first fight, I stayed at the inn. I met with Yin and met Little Yong. Let's just say they spelled it out what it was like to be oppressed, stripped of your magic use. It was hard for them but Yin and her father could manage. But Yong. He undergoing the painful transformation to a powergazer." Ingrid looked at Yalen, "It's why I asked for the pain relievers. That child has done nothing wrong but be born yet his family worries that when the time comes he will be either taken or killed. He is sweet boy who is just as annoying and curious as any other child." Ingrid set her eyes on Wu Long, "How then Wu Long? How do you plan to not only change the system but to fix the people who have been broken by it? The people who were stopped because they didn't meet the exact standard the previous system wanted. The families that have lost children to never see them. The normal people who so desperately believe that magic users are dangerous that even when used to save the lives of multiple should receive punishment."

She let her statements stand there for a few moments, "I'm not asking for you to know everything or even be able to fix it immediately but please. Take them into account or else they will be the reason ReTan breaks for good." That was all Ingrid had to say at the moment.

Ingrid said what she wanted. It wasn't perfect nor eloquent but this was the first time she got to speak her mind with someone of actual importance to Retan as a whole. With the ogauraks safety at hand and someone named Vel Ingrid's straightened herself up, "I'm willing Wu Long."

Ingrid didn't expect Maura not to go but a part of her was relieved. One less person to watch over and one less person to watch out for. The other part though was concerned. The inn was supposed to burn down tonight. A part of Ingrid wanted to let her figure out and barely escape but that's a different level of petty, too petty. No, Maura has connections that could help Yin and her family.

"A quick moment Maura," Ingrid walked towards Maura. She tried not to be intimidating but at the end of the day Maura was tiny and Ingrid was huge. "There's more happening at the inn than you know. Just..." Ingrid paused like it was painful. "Please be kind and generous to them. They need help and I have nothing for them right now." Ingrid made her request, trying to let her guard down and be genuine. It irked her to ask, let alone have to rely on her but she was going to be there and Ingrid wasn't.

The arrival was shocking and Ingrid had been ready to fight but she adjusted quickly as Trypano took the lead. She resigned herself to be a silent background character for now as she believed that Trypano had done a stellar job. Her natural shutter at what Trypano did might have added to the realism of it. Though Ingrid was not sure if it was real or not.

They were given permission to go after them but Ingrid didn't do more than look towards where they should have headed. Just as the lowly background person. She would go when the group did. Though Ingrid can't lie and say that she was concerned for the big fuzzballs that stayed already laid there.

Just as Ingrid told herself, once she saw someone in the group go in she did as well. Especially with it being Yalen. Hell knows no fury like an angry Jocasta.

Ingrid was more than ready for a quick turn in events this time. With Yalen suppressing the watching eyes Ingrid turned to the portal with the white guards. She was originally just going to blast but she had a different, much more Benny idea.

"Backing up!", Ingrid said as she retreated further back. She applied the ghost powder to herself to try and hide herself. A wicked smile appeared as her infinity loop started to ignite. The boom came to her mind. Portal and nuke, a match made in heaven. But distraction is needed.

"Yalen, can you trick them?" Ingrid asked, hoping that he could make it seem one of theirs is charging a nuke.

Cataclysm... Let's destroy them!

Ingrid managed to stay out of the fight as she sneakily charged her spell. No one has gotten majorly injured so she just kept chugging along. Trypano offered her some special concoction and with how things were going Ingrid chugged that vial, "Is this like test 21 at this point?" Ingrid said excitedly.

The viscous liquid clung to her throat. It wasn't just alive but it was like it was moving in Ingrid. She coughed but it don't move. And - Eshi - the texture! She hated it. It was scary, to be honest. She trusted Trypano would give her something mostly safe in a life-or-death battle but she felt like it was pulling her focus. With a Cataclysm building, a moment of lost focus could mean the death of her allies, let alone herself. What the hell is this?!

She could see that Yalen was being aimed at but what could she do in the moment? She had started and committed to this.

Whatever Ingrid had drunk had done little more than make this the riskiest spell she had ever casted. Her focus seemed to wane with the slightest distraction. Not the ideal situation to be casting what is considered the strongest spell in atomic. Even with the difficulties, Ingrid prevailed.

Not that there wasn't any other option... Golden Monkey was merely toying with them. The White Guard were numerous and if it wasn't for the lack of available energy would destroy us. Ingrid could see her lover and friends getting demolished but couldn't even do anything in her state. She misjudged it.

Her hope to end the fight neatly with an atomic blast was misguided. It limited her too much and left her teammates without an ally. One that could've limited the Black Guard. She cursed her shortsightedness and it seemed her judgement came to reap.

A sudden pulse ran through her body. Her eyes dropped and her body fell. That damn Vial! It sapped the energy out of her. Like she had exerted herself too much. Ingrid and her mana strained to keep conscious and in control of her own magic and that's when she saw it. The White Guard has finally noticed her. The spell was near completion and they had noticed.

Barely able to maintain focus, consciousness, and control, Ingrid prepared for what was most likely the end of her ill-conceived plan. If the worst comes then I need to at least get away from my allies.

The tides of battle continued to crash against Ingrid and her teammates. She had grown accustomed to the curse the vial gifted her. At the same time, its strength radiated in her, an odd feeling to say the least. But the tides still shifted, her spell had still gone unnoticed by the hoard of skilled White Guard and no one laid unconscious on the floor. Yet people were at their limit.

But like a lightning bolt, Vel and Rikard joined together to strike Golden Monkey. It actually hurt him. The being that they had been only recently able to perceive was done a wound. Ingrid filled with a sudden burst of glee, Yes Rikard! We can do this! It was a bright moment in what could only be described as a slow defeat before.

But that was a façade. He had been toying with us still. Even after our strongest attempts, we were nothing more than paltry entertainment. He showed us. He showed us what true power was. A spell Ingrid had never even heard of, so far into the mastery of Arcane that it shined just as bright as Lor itself and it held more power than any Detonation she had casted before.

There was no wind-up, just pure unadulterated power. And it came at Ingrid. She had proven herself just strong enough to get the attention of another monster. The Eskandish mercenary on her first mission that slew VVysen. the Demon that rained blood on the world, and now the Black Guard, Golden Monkey, that she can only compare to Lor. She faltered.

She panicked, her composure was compromised in front of such overwhelming force. Her mana couldn't do all that she wanted. Control the nuke, defend, run, hide. They couldn't do it all so They did none. Everything or nothing. But her teammates had not missed a beat.

Kaureerah miraculously held him in place with some kind of illusion and kinetic magic. Rikard tore the air apart one more and struck like the legends of Sweyn Thunderspear. But it still wasn't enough he still had more than anything Ingrid could muster at her best.

And there they were, Niallus and Trypano. Her lover sent an Arcane blast to fend him off until Trypano conjured a wall of flesh to block his path, stopping him fully. Ingrid had failed but her teammates, the ones that matter most to her here, they lifted her up. They created the room she needed to make that initial mistake into a chance. And then when Wu Long appeared.

The opportunity to strike was now and Ingrid made haste. She hurled it to the portal as the Exemplar sent the Black Guard towards the portal. Ingrid had remembered that Lucky Dragon resided on the other side. Nor forgotten what her rumored powers were, Please Reshta, I know you love her but if you could love me just a little more. Please Penny. Ingrid launched it with all the force she could muster.

She shouted out, "Please! Slow him down even if it is a moment!" Ingrid pleaded with her battered allies to pull out the last bit of energy they had and work through the pain. "Make this worth something," Ingrid muttered a small prayer

But Reshta isn't just about luck. If you make something more likely, Reshta will favor it. Ingrid wasn't sure how exactly Lucky Dragons ability worked and honestly there were a few other abilities being used here that stumped her. Vel in either a moment of bloodlust or stupidity, put a bomb behind Golden Monkey. And he rolled off of it. The Cataclysm was going to collide inside the cave.

What would have been instant death was prolonged by some temporal, who's I'm not sure but thank Oraff for them. People rushed to the portal, Ingrid being one of them. However an unknown speed resided in her. Fast enough to get not only herself but Trypano out as well. Everyone had made it out, Skugs included.

There was no moment of relief for Ingrid as she held Niallus in her arms. He never left Ingrid's sight. Every wound she saw and gasped at, knowing she couldn't help him. Tears fell as she used her binding to try and patch him up. What composure Ingrid had shown vanished when she saw her lover injured so severely.

Niallus was of course fine after some healing, nothing permanent was done. Ingrid weakly joked about his collarbone breaking again. But underneath it all, a growing feeling had taken hold. We failed to take down one as a group, what about 10 of them? It was laughable to think we could do more. Ingrid held it in for now, this wasn't the place to talk about it.

The Hourglass Order

Event: Primitive
People: Tku

---

As Tku rode on top of the giantess Ayla, he had a strong desire to test his abilities. What better time to create than for a good purpose, Tku thought as he glanced over to Ayla. It took him only a moment to realize that they were going to have to leave Ayla, so he obviously made her some clothing, choosing some bright colors of reds, oranges, and some splashes of green. All vibrant to match with the little bit of Cazenax culture he saw. Of course, he made a secondary outfit of more tan and browns with streaks of dark red but it was obvious by complexity which one Tku cared for more.

Ah! How it feels to make beautiful cloth again. Bold is the way to go in life!

But this was all merely cosmetic, Tku had an actual thing he wanted to do for her. Sand started to trickle up to Tku, most of it was blown away as he tried, not being especially gifted with kinetic magic. Sand formed to glass, and he colored it with the minerals he had learned from glass makers up and down the continent. Some of those elements had not been present but some cleaver blood magic made up for lacking resource. He had planned to go with a heart motif, easily symbolizing what it was but why not more? He pulled from his bag his sketch pad to start designing a lion medallion comprised of stained glass and bronze for his creation. 3 or 4 sketches later he thought it was alright enough and he really put his new mastery to the test.

I… should be able to do that now, Shune-Zept's Promise. Tku was honestly nervous. If he could do this, he would have reached the level of a master. Was he ready for this? Did he deserve this out of all the hardworking binders there were. So many were more intelligent, more studied, more disciplined than he. He breathed out, seems like I will be stepping a little further ahead Esmii. He went to create the artifact with the strongest healing spell he could muster at the moment. The glass and bronze started to form together in the large medallion he planned for little miss Ayla. Programming the spell was difficult but he could do it! Now for the activation words… "Ah!" Tku let out as he thought of something. "Lionheart, Oh Lionheart, Keep Beating Little Lionheart." And with that the words were set. Maybe a bit long but eh, it sounds right for her.

Tku wrote a note with the key words and instructions on what it did and left it in Ayla's 2 sets of clothes.

The Hourglass Order

Event: Primitive
People: Tku, Ayla, Zarina, Classa, Zox, Cazenax extras that did not get hurt, some unionized demons, and the cold refreshing taste of sweetwater.

---

Tku's Salon

Tku had felt bad that all of Ayla's cloth and adornments were ruined. So when she was heading to the bath he went into his bag and handed some of the ones he has used, shifting them with blood and binding to make them more fit for someone like Ayla. "Ayla," Tku called out, "I have these hair pieces, if you like." He held out and assortment of them in his hand.

Ayla's face lit up with hope as Tku offered his help. Initially, she had planned to politely decline, but then had a sudden idea. “Tku, as a binder, could you do something about my hair?” she asked him, turning her back towards him. “Can you make it longer again, at least back to my waist?”

"Ah, of course Ayla. That much is simple," Tku reassured her with a smile. He went and placed his hands on her hair. As he worked his magic, Ayla felt her hair growing rapidly. The mousy brown colour extending and light red hair forming at the roots. It was immediately clear that Ayla had dyed her hair.

Feeling a little self-conscious, Ayla looked over her shoulder to Tku. “It's not natural, but it makes me feel more like myself,” she explained apologetically. “Don't worry, can fix myself in the bath.”

"If dyeing your hair makes one more comfortable, than I see no reason not to, I would even encourage it," Tku openly stated as he started to stand up. He thought for but a moment, "I shouldn't just tell you my beliefs like that so easily, I do not know why you dye it. But I promise I won't tell people and will be there to help again, Ipte forbid that I have to." Tku headed outside to get back to work.

An Honest Day's Work

Tku might have been more shocked by their appearances if it had not been for meeting Classa. Instead he was merely interested in them. Zox was of particular interest to him but he saved it for later.

He felt off accepting such generosity from people who don't have much to give. So when he had a chance to slip away he went to Zox, "Hello there friend, I was wondering if I can do some repairs, I'm quite handy" Tku gestures to some sand that he turns to stone.

The giant golem turned and peered down at the tiny human below. "Oh, that is impressive." He seemed to consider. "I suppose you can help." His great stony hand gestured. "If you would follow me...

With that, Zox led Tku out of the archway, ducking as he did so. "As you can see, there's a lot to clean." His big stony mouth opened in what could've been a smile and he began leading the youth about. "These, over here, are some loose tiles." Another 'smile', and he eagerly moved on, towards some outbuildings. "These eavestroughs are full of sand..." He sounded sad, and stared at them for a moment.

"Follow me, friend!" he announced after the brief pause, and he led Tku all of the way out to the stables. A couple of the paddocks had been damaged by the sheer weight of piled-up sand. "This is my home, and Classa's sometimes, when she wants to sleep outside." He leaned in as conspiratorially as an eight foot tall anthropomorphic pile of stones could. "Mr. Jascuan and Maxi let her sleep inside because she's still little and she gets scared easily, but when she comes out here, it's up to me to protect her." He puffed his chest out proudly. "I protect the whole farm... and Naxos a bit too, I guess. Anyways..." His big stony head twisted from side to side. "There's still the dewsails to go look at, and that'll probably be a lot of work." There was another might-be-smile and he prepared to rumble off. "Thank you for your help!"

As Tku was shown around, he wrote down the things to be done along with a number next to each task. The main house was functioning save that there was sand where there shouldn't be. He thought it was odd that they had eavestoughs in the desert, maybe it was for some rain collection though. "Was there a rain collector in the past?" Tku asked Zox. Zox seemed down about it so maybe there has been a long drought? Who's to say.

It was a shame that Zox's sleeping area was in disrepair, especially when it wouldn't take too much to repair. He marked the task down as a bigger number. He smiled as he drew a few things, "It is quite the honor to be trusted with an important job, I'm sure they all feel safer with you around Zox." He patted Zox on what would be his forearm. "But I'm sure you want to do other things as well, what are some of those things that you been pondering about? I may not be a philosopher but I have traveled far and have heard tales of many people." Tku offered an ear for Zox.

He started to repair the things quickly with his magic as they talked. Most are easy to be honest with even only a little bit of Kinetic and Binding magic. Tiles reset with some tricks he learned from masters much more talented than him. Fences mended as he would usually do if he saw some in disarray as he traveled. Lots of sand moved about, some just moved, some turned into sandstone bricks for potential fun in the future. Lastly was the Dewsails. Things he had never encountered before and might just be the important thing here. Tku was nervous on how to even approach them.

The task took a good while, during which Tku could simply lose himself in the act of... well... building. He had to restrain some of his more creative impulses and mostly focus on just making something functional and matching with the existing design. Occasionally, Classa wandered their way, 'helping' with chitchat and little tasks. She offered Tku sweetwater and stood there, watching to see his reaction when he drank it.

"Well, you know," said Zox, in eventual response to the human's question, "I've always thought it might be neat to be a florist: all the pretty flowers.... just bringing some beauty to the world." He paused, having accidentally broken another tile, and took a moment to be more careful placing the next one. "I like kids too," he shared, "So maybe a babysitter?" It wasn't long before he had a third idea: "I like porcelain too. It's really sophisticated and I think the juxtaposition of its extreme fragility and beauty with the harshness of its creation and its potential permanence is metaphorical for the brief and violent lives of most sapients and the everlasting memories that they leave behind." He sighed, in a... rocky way.

Then, it was time to move on to the dewsails, and Zox was eager to explain the process of how they worked, if not quite as knowledgeable as Naxos.

Withholding his wants to make this place fabulous was laborious indeed but he was here on a literal mission so it would have to wait for the next day. It seemed that the 2 women were enjoying their food inside the house, he wished to join them but work needed to be done.

The sun here was intense and if it wasn't for his layers of cloth and makeup, he would be thoroughly sunburnt. What made it all easier was the that refreshing Sweetwater. Only one sip before he went, "Ahh~ Now this is the good stuff." He took a larger gulp to parch his thirst and gave a thankful head nod to Classa, "Thank you so much Classa! It makes even soothes the wear of the sun."

Finally he got to the thing he really wanted, some conversation with Zox. The Florist idea didn't seem that bad of an idea. Some flowers can thrive in the desert and can become a true focus of an area. Ah how he remembers fields of roses when he traveled. It might be hard to grow flowers here without magic but maybe something similar to the herb houses in Eskand. Some adapting to keep moisture in and prevent damage... Yes that could work as he thought of a loose idea to grow flowers and before he could get to he heard the snap of the tile. One quick spell to fix it later, they were on to the next. Tku shared his idea about a growth house more as some food for thought than anything else.

When he said kids Tku suggested, "Maybe raising animals. They might not be able to talk to you but I think you can learn to love them and watch them grow. Kids are quite entertaining. Once when I was in Joru..." Tku would have talked on and on about the fun he has as a child in Joru, loosing topic very quickly before he was shot back to the conversation by pottery.

"That was... quite well thought." Tku's experience with porcelain was limited compared to his time with pottery but he could understand the notion. "So you like pretty things, fragile things, and seemingly the memories that others leave after they pass." Tku thought of what he could suggest, and his idea came to this. "I think you should try. I see that you struggle with the softness but so does everyone. It may be harder for you to do but that just means you have more to work on. Though I might suggest starting with basic pottery as it can be more forgiving." Tku supported Nox's artistic endeavors even if they may be difficult for someone of him size and make. Someone who so desperately want to bring things into the world should have the chance to do it. That is Oraff's and Ipte's gift.

Then Finally the Dewsail, "Alright my friend, let's take a look at those sails!" Tku started to look for areas to climb and setting up precautionary bounce pads if he were to lose his balance to a strong gust of wind. "Take as much time as you want telling me about them, you have been nothing but a pleasure to talk to."

Tku was more than okay with running but it seemed the knight had other plans. "Are you crazy?!" Tku yelled. There was Demons and raider. They could just be here for the sweetwater and cactus. Why not just run and live. What is worth throwing your life away for. But Zox was going to fight. It was his job, his role that he took pride in. His warning scared Tku, he didn't want to die. But Zarina had made her decision to fight when she donned her armor.

"Fine then," Tku knew Ayla would go with her no matter what, he had seen it earlier in the day. He was anxious and found himself in another deadly situation. It was his job right now to keep those 2 alive the best he can. His hand were shakey as he turned to the enemy. He couldn't help but think about the odd wand he had. Could it help in this situation?

There wasn't much time as gaggles of Cazenax's came at them riding strange things. Demons were summoned and they were on top of them as quick as could be. Tku's fear of death by a very fast monkey outweighed his fear of being outed as a blood mage as he morphed the outside of Zox's body to the legendary metal of Ghul.

Clouds, Sharks, and Elephants came for them and each one was immensely challenging from the novice fighter's view. Luckily no one was injured too much and instead he could focus on buffing and defending himself. That was until the Cloud demon came for Zarina. Moments flashed back to when they were separated and the mist had damaged the both of them. This time he would not hesitate to stop it before.

From the lessons he had from Marbrand he reached out as a curse connected itself to the cloud, confirming with him that it was living. He pulled from his mana and cursed it to fade away, to become energy to help his defend others. It was drained of its mass as they fought and lost whatever effectivity it had.

The fight raged on and it seemed they were doing fine but things were still up in the air so once more, Tku went to convert Zox to Ghul. Something odd happened though. Their magic unified in this beautifully powerful way, the Ghul had become part of him and his form accepted it. Whether by the blessing of Eshiran or Oraff, Zox changed into something else at the moment. Zox's body melded into an egg like structure and who doesn't trust an egg. Especially this egg, Tku put faith that Zox would return to finish this.

Thr fighting didn't stop though. The raider's had let off some strong attacks at Zox's impregnable shell but some still came for him. Glancing blows were had as it was inevitable. Tku was struck with boiling water as the finale spiteful act of the cloud demon, may it whiff away in the breeze, and nearly took his life. He laid there thinking if this would be it, to die without making any impact on the world. But his allies were there. They gave him time to heal and then the end came, Zox stirred.

The fight had went from a coin flip into demolishment of the raiders. Zox dealt with them with no issue. Their attacks didn't even scratch as their group assault merely tarnished Zox's outer façade. Tku healed and things seemed to be going even better as he through the elephant beyond the horizon. Zox was strong and beautiful. Glissening in the sun and burning as hot as his passion to protect his home Tku thought. The other's seemed hesitant about if it was him but Tku knew it was still his new friend.

Things calmed as the raider's ran but the elephant wanted more. It came looking for Zox as it wasn't long until a battle of the titans commenced. Arms were blown off, energy beams were sent and returned. It was quite frankly the most obscene thing Tku ever had the pleasure of seeing. The fight became clear with all four of us working together with Ayla surprisingly being the one to deal, no, eat the giant and became giant as well.

All was well and all was handled, all except for an angel egg and an olive tree that came out of the same darkness of the other demons. The egg was thankful and informative about the conditions of Zox and Ayla. The tree however,

In his head, Tku heard a voice.
"Step forward, child," said the mystical tree of the desert.
In the distance came the echo of hooves and, with them, a dust trail.

Tku followed the command, somewhat driven by the insane circumstances that have happened. It is calling him, and he wants to answer

A heavenly light shone down upon the great tree and its branches swayed softly in an ethereal wind.

"Eat of my fruit and you shall be nourished."
Classa could feel its words as well. "You too, young one."

Tku grasped the fruit, "Thank you for the nourishment kind tree."

Classa looked up at Zarina and leaned in. "But I don't really like olives..." she whined, scrunching up her face. "Do I gotta?"

Zarina cackled at that answer. Oh kids. “It's a special olive.” she said before tapping the centaur's back. “Only the best of us can even get a lick.”

Classa made a brave face and she nodded. "But I get ice cream later, okay?" She took a couple of steps forward, glancing back at Zarina for confirmation.

He looked at it with great appreciation and calm before eating it.

From within the great tree's branches came a mist, in the midst of the desert, and they were filled with gentle clouds and a soft light. A small serpentine dragon rested within it contentedly, eyes half-closed. Then, in Tku's mind: "What do you wish for?"
Classa trotted up and took an olive as well.

"I wish to create," Tku smiled, "I only breath on the generosity of another. I wish to do the same and create the beautiful world that I was granted to dream of."

Frightened by the horse coming up to take her prize, the girl swallowed it. She, too, heard what Tku had moments earlier. "I wish..." The girl trailed off, suddenly and perhaps for the first time, lost for words. She regarded Zox, then Tku, and then the giant Ayla. Last, she looked to Zarina. "I wish to... be free." She paused. "And the others like me: them too."

"I can give you a gift, or the means to achieve it by your own hands," said the tree to them both. "The choice is yours."

Classa took a few steps back toward the others. "So is this like a trick question or something?" she asked, "'cause I'm totally just gonna ask the tree to grant it."

"An opportunity to do so is all I would hope for."

"So it shall be," the dragon within the tree replied. With that, Tku felt a new power surge through him. His mind grew in knowledge and his hands in skill. Concepts that had seemed just beyond his grasp before became illuminated. He was... stronger, somehow.

Classa stepped forward. "Are you a tree or a dragon?" she asked with childlike curiosity.

The dragon's eyes slid open and it seemed to smile, floating languidly through the air as it descended, looping and twirling about her shoulders. "Why can I not be both?" It chuckled and the tree's leaves seemed to tremble.

Classa's face scrunched up inquisitively. "How can you be a tree and a dragon?" She pawed at the ground. "Sounds like something Mr. Jascuan would say when he's trying to sound all wise and stuff."

The dragon stilled and tilted its head. Then, there was a small surge of energy of a type that none of them had felt before and the child's eyes widened. "Ooooohhh," she exclaimed, nodding knowingly after a moment. "I get it!"

Tku's mind expanded and he felt as if the power of Oraff had entered him for the purpose of creating what he oh so desired. He was closer to being able to do the same as the one did for him. Feeling immensely grateful, "Thank you for all of this, it was quite nourishing," Tku chuckled.

She paused to consider, sticking a lock of hair in the corner of her mouth and nibbling on it. "I think I actually undewstand a lot of things now. Give us what we need and we will free ourselves." She looked up and smiled uncertainly.

Classa stamped her feet happily. Nobody was quite sure what she'd received, but she seemed to know. The little girl twisted and cracked a shit-eating grin. "Wait 'til you see what I got!" she boasted. Then, momentarily, she turned back to face the tree and bowed her head. "Thank you Mr. Dragon-Tree."

With that, the dragon settled back upon the branches and the rolling mists took it away from that place. The tree stood still and silent in the desert. Then, it crackled and bent. Its branches groaned. Its fruits withered. The ground seemed to open and it disappeared as if it had never been there in the first place.

A single millennium egg sat there in the sand. The other was in Zarina's hand

This journey has been short and it feels far from over but Tku is sure that this will be his most memorable one yet. Tku grabbed the egg, "I have been gifted enough, I believe someone else should have it,"

Classa perked up. "Oh, I want it!" she exclaimed, hurrying forward. Then, she looked up at the massive figure of Zox. "So I can save it for him, of course." She blinked, smiled, and looked up, holding her hands out towards Tku.

Tku handed it to her with no hesitation, "You were brave today but maybe don't make too much of a habit out of it," Tku said out of concern.

"And I'm gonna keep being brave!"

"Then at least arm yourself little one, I will make you something fitting what you want to do little one." Tku knew the perfect metal for such a valiant girl.

Things calmed as Jascuan came out to announce he will go to town.

Tku sent some small heals to Zarina and some to himself from the minor burns he suffered. Originally he wanted to stay at the home to heal the wounded raiders but the prospect of interrogating them was... Harsh. It was needed but he didn't wish to participate in it if he could avoid.

"Jascuan allow me to go with you. I'm a healer and could help in various way, just in case," Tku attempted to convince. He looked over at the dead and he just felt a heaviness of their actions. Even if they attacked us, he would still rather no one die.

Tku approached Zarina, "With how fast we could get there with Ayla, I can heal some of the injured before we depart." Tku offered what he could to assist Zarina in her own endeavors

Stopped, turned and flashed a bright smile at Tku. “It's fine, friend.” she chirped. “I got enough for first aid. If they're not dead already, it should be enough until you get back.” she even added a thumbs up before turning toward the wasteland. That smile quickly withered into an expressionless, one would even say soulless, gaze.

It wasn't hard to tell what she was doing, she was not this colorful from their limited interactions. Tku just smiled and nodded before he turned, "Stay strong friend." It wasn't a duty he was jealous of but he naively hoped it wouldn't be so bad. And with that he was settled to head off, tempted to try out his new skills.

The Hourglass Order

Event: Metropolis but in the Mountains

---

ngrid had naïvely thought that they would see Yin's action as good. She objectively did a good thing. She saved not only Ingrid but that boulder would have continued. It could of ran over them as well. But some don't seem to care. And to top it they wanted Ingrid to take care of Yin?

How dare they, Ingrid thought before remembering that they were Retanese. They live under the same rules and value those rules. They have no reason to change them. Now wasn't time for anger,

Ingrid spoke up, "I will not deal with her" Ingrid stepped forward, "What person would I be if I detain the person who saved my life and potentially yours as well." Ingrid looked to the crowd, "She saved me with magic and you want her punished for saving a noble's life. Would you follow the same rules if it meant letting your friend or family die. Would you just sit idly as they drag them away for healing another?" Ingrid didn't hope to convince all of them but to maybe soften them to letting this instance go. She hoped that then they could maybe pay some off.

"And I know that just asking you to let this slide wouldn't be enough, so how about some compensation from the offending party?" Ingrid in no way thought what they did was wrong, but it mattered that some of them did. She tried to acknowledge by agreeing they were the offenders and to hopefully put this situation away with compensation. Some of the group would fall into letting it go and hopefully give the swing to them.

"Noble," one woman was heard to scoff quietly to her partner, "as if that matters in Retan."

The offer of bribes, however, went over quite well. More than one answered in the affirmative, and many others nodded. Captain Zhu, meanwhile, was deep in conversation with Yin.

Then, something happened a good deal further up the slope there was... an avalanche. A moving wall of snow, ice, and rock roared down the mountainside and a disagreement about the use of magic began to seem petty and inconsequential.

The captain was back. "Ingri!" he called, "We make three lines of defense. I'll be up top and try to deflect the fall. You a bit further down: grab the people who can't get out of the way. Yin..." He glanced apologetically at her. "Anything further down that escapes us, maybe somebody could deflect it away from people. I will be up there and I won't see anything, but I hope it can happen."

There was no time for further talk. He was already moving and, before long, he was a good way up the mountainside, strategically halting boulders or blasting back snow and ice.

And then the sky tore. Based off the sound it was a massive explosion. She looked towards the higher part of the mountain. All the potential energy of the mountain had started to fall down. An Avalanche. She knew how to save herself, she was Eskandish mage after all. But these people...

Ingrid leapt into action and began to draw from her surroundings. She had to act quickly. A platform of Ice and stone formed and she looked to Yin and Zhu for support for what comes next. She moved the Commoners on the platform whether they wanted to or not, they couldn't out run the avalanche and Ingrid had a suspicion it was one of her colleagues that caused this. She pulled out her wand to start lifting the platform, She had practiced with ships in the port but it was still hard to do. She called out to Zhu and Yin to help hold it a loft and slow the avalanche for the people much further down. Even if it would only help a little, Ingrid was putting it all out there to help the way she could.

The idea Ingrid came up with to send the people onto a large floating platform had one real flaw and that was Ingrid's own ability with Kinetic. Captain Zhu took the initiative and leapt further ahead to stop or divert whatever was coming and Ingrid was responsible for keeping the platform afloat with and grabbing people as they came close enough.

Yin was hopefully meant to stay on the down low, but things started to spiral from the start.

Ingrid was unaccustomed to such an odd situation and had whiffed her pull on the man that had a boulder coming directly at him. From the start it seemed they were deemed to have fatalities. But Yin saved him and got him to the platform. Ingrid let out a sigh of relief as she redid her efforts. No one was going to die on her watch today.

There was a sudden lull in the avalanche, not many people appeared and there wasn't much to guard against. Having little to immediately do, she picks up the people not in danger and checks in on the people present. She missed on one person, but she signaled to Yin to not intervene. They had some leeway here.

Like a bad omen 4 people appeared and 4 boulders came with it. 1 heading to the place next to her and one the furthest away they could be. Ingrid strained as she moved from one side to the next, trying to save. She had to leave the one next to her to Yin as much as it pained her to put her in a worst position. Luckily Yin managed it with ease and saved Little Ling. Ingrid had focused on an old man who seemed to had used up his luck in life, shoving 2 boulders out of the way to save him and get him on the platform.

Alright, that was hectic, but I think I can see...

There was a large boulder coming. So large that it would hit the platform. Ingrid was underprepared. Zhu pulled his strength out to knock the smaller ones away but Ingrid just wasn't prepared. She picked up a pair of twins, Yang Yang and Yang Yin, and a one of a cute couple, Mr. Xu. The boulder came and she left Mrs. Xu behind. She didn't know how to deal with it. There wasn't enough Kinetic energy in the platform to dodge so she Thermally shocked the icy boulder in hopes of breaking it into many pieces.

She succeeded in reducing its direct impact, but it still struck with enough force to send 2 people off, one of them to the farthest reaches she could still impact. Of course, the children were hurt the worst. The twins were sent off, Yang Yang with Mrs. Xu and Yang Yin luckily saved by Yin before he impacted the rocky snow. Little Ling however screamed out, "I can't feel my legs! Many got hurt by the broken stone. Many panicked as they watched children.

But of course it never ends with just one disaster.

Another terrifyingly large boulder was coming and this time she now had to manage 3 duties. Ingrid tried to grab Mrs. Xu and Yang Yang but failed and left them. She felt cruel as she could hear her sister yelling out for her and Mr. Xu begging to grab his wife. She made it over to Mr. Tang and lifted him with ease as she turned her efforts to healing Ling. Another disaster like the one before will be the end of her and potentially others here.

She tried and tried but nothing. The panic of a little girl dying in front of her had stripped what mediocre skills she had. What was the point of me learning if I can't heal someone when I need to! Ingrid thought as frustration sat in from her own inabilities. Another large boulder came and there was no immediate energy in the platform for a quick maneuver. All she had left was to blow it up again but luckily it didn't come to that. Yin lifted the platform the feet it needed to prevent what could be the death of many people.

The time was hectic but there wasn't the impending doom of a giant boulder. Ingrid picked up who she could and tried to position herself well for the whatever was coming. It gave her time to heal Ling she hoped. She tried to drown out Yang Yin's cries for her sister or the man who was shoving a coin in her hand. She tried to wholly focus but she was stretched thin. All she could do was push back death; she couldn't save her. That is when Yin saved the day, this time healing the girl for and seemingly reconnecting her spine. Luckily the others conflated her actions with Ingrid's healing. Things started looking better. The mood shifted slightly. There was hope again.

And where there is hope, there is a large rock to crush it.

A lot of people appeared who were running from the avalanche and with it came a lot of boulders and another large one that could destroy the platform. But Ingrid could see it. This was the last thing they needed to do. They could do it! They could save everyone! Ingrid shifted the platform to where she needed to go, she missed Yang Yang on the first pass and saved Mrs. Hui only to turn it around to grab Yang Yang. Ingrid needed to do it this way. 3 boulders came for a man named Wei and they seemed almost drawn to him.

Ingrid spent some of the kinetic energy to blast 2 of the boulders away. It wasn't enough to save him, but he continued to run, Yin blasted the third one off without being noticed and they saved him this time. Now it was the boulder, Ingrid was ready, having saved some energy to lift the platform and Yin pulled it up with her, allowing them to dodge the larges boulder yet.

The platform was set down, and people cheered with the energy they had left, Captain Zhu came down and helped mend the people who were injured. This incident was terrifying, but everyone was going home. No one died no one was maimed for life. She handled this with help. It filled her with relief and she wiped some of the tears out of her eyes and looked at Zhu, "We still have the rest of your wards up there, I worry they may not have been so lucky."

===
In the event, there was little to fear. It wasn't long before they could see Trypano and Rikard headed down the mountain with Dai and... Wu Long? Nobody had died. Somehow, some way, nobody had died. Even the woman who had loudly claimed, some five minutes prior, that she had lost loved ones to unregulated magic use, seemed willing to look the other way. She humbly thanked Ingrid and nodded towards Yin.

Yet, the issue wasn't finished. "Yin," said Captain Zhu quietly, glancing over at Ingrid as well.

"Captain," she replied properly.

"They are happy right now - celebrating our success and their own safety - but they will not remain so. Either because they need the money they'll get from tipoffs, because they're two-faced, or simply because they will hold one of your friends up there responsible for this disaster in the first place, one of those people - and likely more - will say something." He shook his head regretfully as the trio walked. "It will not be safe."

Yin's eyes snapped his way. The snapped to her feet and the ground and she took a few calming breaths. Her fists curled and uncurled. "I..." she trailed off and glanced back down the mountain at them.

"Do not feel anger, hard though it may be." Zhu Kai shook his head. "All are grateful in the moment. Most are good people and it is not so easy to sort them."

Yin's gaze flew his way. A half-dozen emotions flickered across her face in rapid succession. She swallowed and nodded. "It is... unjust," she murmured, barely audible.

"It is," he agreed quietly, eyes finding Ingrid, who had already made her thoughts on the matter amply clear. "Every day, we are told that we must live with many small injustices in service of a greater good. Few of us bat an eyelash at that, for the most part."

"Until it affects us." Yin was shaking with anxiety. "What have I done!?" She twisted to Zhu Kai and then to Ingrid. "I've put my family in danger. Haven't I?"

The captain nodded sadly.

"I..." she cleared her throat against the panic rising in it. "I do not ask this lightly and I do not wish to impose, for this is a colossal request and the consequences of acting upon it may be dire. You may refuse it and I will bear you no grudge, truly, but... Is there... anything you can do? You are a captain of the Goldcloaks, are you not?"

The captain nodded sadly.

"I could fail to report this," he agreed. "Your actions were noble and you are..." He smiled, faintly. "Wonderful." Up ahead, their allies grew larger, nearly within sensing range. "I can buy you a couple of days. I can survive the mark upon my record. It is of no consequence." Zhu Kai was good at card games. His voice never betrayed his true feelings. The mask of his face never cracked.

"Truly!?" Yin's face lit up.

Then, however, he continued. "But that is all I can get you." He glanced away and seemed to sigh. His eyes met Ingrid's for a brief, pained second, before they found Yin's. "Your inn was not chosen randomly," he admitted. "Already, you were under dire suspicion of unauthorized magic use." Face and voice alike grew pinched. "I was sent to spy on you under the guise of being these students' escort."

She drew back, regarding him as if he might be poisonous.

"I have said nothing, Wei Yin. I promise this, but they will take my word to the counter as a sign that I am compromised. They are not wrong, and I am glad of it."

Yin's eyes darted between his and Ingrid's. Their team members were fast approaching: Trypano, Dai, and Rikard, along with... it was Wu Long!

"Tomorrow," said the captain, "You must flee, and take your brother and father with you. Burn the inn and make it look like an accident. Claim the insurance money and move somewhere far away under a new name. I will do what I can but it may not be much." He bowed his head. "Now, we play as normal. Your friends are here. I am sorry, Ingrid. I am sorry, Yin."

Ingrid still rode the high of their success, but the weight of the situation was evident. She kept quiet for the most part, believing that even if she had something to say, she could save it for a little later.

There was no surprise on Ingrid's face, only a look of worry for Yin. They had talked the night before and Ingrid was suspicious since then.

Oh what a disaster, Ingrid grimaced. It was the worst time for this to happen. Ingrid took note of her team minus her lover and couldn't help but want to believe that Wu Long might be able to help in some way for some kind of trade but that could be a long shot. "Yin," Ingrid finally spoke out, "I... Can't offer you much. I can't imagine the pain you are having but if you need help of any kind and I can do so I will, you have my word, Yin. I might be a little accident prone though," Ingrid tried to make clear that if it was an accident they needed, she could handle that, she was an expert at them. "If you ever visit the twin continents, send a letter and I will make your visit more pleasant."

She looked to the others and waved, smiling like she had done something impressive. Especially to her fellow tall girl Trypano.

The Hourglass Order

Event: Metropolis

---

The ride to the mountain was to take some time by itself and the stopping to shop just made it take even more time. Plenty of things to purchase but today Ingrid found a brilliant sash that looked wonderful on her. As she talked to the seamstress, she gestured that the price was on the sash. Reaching to look it was like her hand disappeared into it revealing a small price tag and one of the hidden pockets. Thoroughly delighted with its tricks, Ingrid bought it and gave a healthy tip to the seamstress. She should get one for all the girls though one for now is enough as she slipped in some of her own stuff into it like a true hidden operative.

The mountain looked brilliant! Maybe it was her fondness for the Dragonspine Mountains but this mountain filled her with great vigor as she climbed it. Yet, under all her excitement to be climbing Ingrid was keenly aware why they were here and intended to be effective. So spreading out was always going to be the plan for her. Until then, she collected slimes.

Ingrid was oh so curious about the dragon that Niallus, Rikard, and Abdel saw. And when she heard it could be on the north face she got an itch to go and find out. Plus there was always potential for something to be there. It being out of the way and dangerous could act as great deterrents.

Ingrid posed a question to Dai since it seemed like captain Zhu was having some fun. In her best Retaneese she could muster, "你知道西北山一路上的挑战吗?" (Do you know the challenges along the way in the Northwest Mountain?) Trying to explain where she wanted to go. Ingrid somewhat assumed that a Skyborn would definitely explore the mountains for fun, well, at least she would.

She had planned to go there with Dai since he was a Skyborn and should be familiar enough with the surroundings. When she suddenly turned to see Niallus also declaring on where he was going.

The cold air was nice, luckily the cold didn't really bother him. Looking out, he could see the tower where Rikard, Abdel and himself were last night. "Wow.." he said, his voice trailing off. While everyone was getting ready to head off in different places on the mountain. He wanted to explore, see if he can find something about that dragon. The best bet would be the Northwest part of the mountain. To him it seemed the best bet to try to find slimes, assuming that the dragon didn't blow them up.

He had a strong feeling that Ingrid would be going the same way too, after all, she could never resist the urge of adventure, then again he couldn't either. "I'm going to head up the North West face."

Ingrid wasn’t too enthusiastic about this development. She wanted someone like Niallus here to help gather information and would relay it to her and others honestly. "So Niallus," Ingrid felt awkward saying this, "I don't think we should go together. The mountain is large and if we are the both the furthest away, we can't figure out what's going on over here." Ingrid held his hand, "Think you can trust me, I'll be safe."

Niallus is confused by her request. Of course he trusts her, so why would she ask him to go a different route. "Ingrid, I do trust you." he holds her hand. "The reason why I want to head up the Northwest side was to try to get a better look at the Dragon I told you about last night, That's all." this brought the question. "If you are wanting to find it, why don't we look for it together. Or could you not take a different route?"

"Fine," Ingrid let go of his hand and gave him an irritated smile. "You go search for the dragon, I'll stay here and do my own thing," Ingrid turned to go stay with Yin.

"Ingrid, wait I...." Seems she's too annoyed to listen to him explain. "Just be careful ok, and I'll be careful too."

Ingrid just gave Rikard the thing Benny showed her and flipped him off with a ‘fuck-you’ smile and crashed in on Yin and Zhu’s time together. She felt annoyed for only a few moments before just putting it aside to try to work her way in with them. Luckily the Captain was very accommodating

Captain Zhu, however, was not part of this adventure. He had valiantly opted to remain behind with Yin and... Ingrid was there too. If he had wanted to groan at the presence of a third wheel, he was too nice of a person to do so, and so the lone Eskandr was there with them and more or less integrated into their conversations.

"Hey Ingrid!" Yin chirped. "We should sing a song!" She pondered. "You know..." she glanced over at Captain Zhu and smirked. "How about a yasoi rhyme!"

She was busy digging through the dirt for slime bits. They were a little bit removed from most of the crowd now, and if the ground was less stable, the finds were better. She stood up for a moment and her eyes darted to Ingrid. "But!" she warned, "You'll have to do it in Retanese!" She stuck her tongue out. "Good practice, right?"

Ingrid took the challenge to sing some Yasoi rhymes in stride. She had studied them last year trying to understand more about Ismette and the other Yasoi at her school. But doing it in Retanese was a challenge. She wanted to mumble it to hide her inadequacy with the language but this was a practice! She embarrassingly gave it her all to the point she almost didn't question why it was yasoi rhymes. Almost.

And so they spent the next twenty minutes bumbling through yasoi-style rhyming songs with a Retanese twist. It was cool, but the sun was out and the weather was pleasant. Here and there, a chunk of ice from above broke loose and slid down the mountain and everyone scrambled to get out of its way and then get over to it in case it contained any good slimes.

Ingrid was a bit too slow to join in the usual scramble this time but, as the others started to move, she noticed something that they had not in their haste: a slime that was not red, but... small and blue and... it seemed to have an almost crystalline shape.

A few pickers from different groups noticed it as well, and the race was one. Ingrid wanted that thing. It was blue! She wanted it for herself! Boosting her movement with kinetic magic, she bolted forward, dashing bits of shale and loose, icy dirt off of the mountainside. That was when it happened. Her footing went out from under her at just the moment that a rather large boulder came tumbling loose from only a few yards above. It was too quick and sudden for her to catch herself, and Captain Zhu was trying to secure the strange blue slime.

You know that moment when you realize that something extremely bad is about to happen and you brace for it? Ingrid had that moment, but then... the 'bad thing' didn't come. Ingrid froze in midair, long enough for her to catch herself and float gently back down to the ground, and the boulder redirected itself dramatically around her and then around a cluster of gatherers a few yards below.

Her dreams came to a sudden and spectacular end as she nearly lost her life to a boulder. But she was saved! By none other than the admittedly charming Captain!... "Yin?"

For a moment, Captain Zhu froze, just as she had, only he was holding the strange blue crystalline slime. Then, both of their eyes turned to Yin, who was panting, arm outstretched, focused on the rock. Energy swirled about her and then quickly dissipated: magic that she had used, in clear view of a captain of the goldcloaks and over a dozen onlookers.

Ingrid was quick to her feat, discarding the dirt from herself as she got closer to Yin and tried to make it seem like it was not a big deal. She looked to Captain Zhu, hoping as much as she could that he would do the same. He was the only Goldguard here. Sure some smuks were here but they could be dealt with in some way.

The Hourglass Order

Event: Primitive
People: Tku, Marci, Squatter Sandbat, Greedy Kite Tusker

---

Meanwhile, some ways away, the storm had come to Marceline and Tku, hunkering in a shelter large enough to fit everyone, but that... nobody but them had used.

"Quite a storm Marci? Are you from the desert?" Tku asked as the sandstorm finally hit the impromptu shelter.

"One could say that..."

"Maybe we can talk later, I traveled through it for a few years myself," Tku offered as he kept repairing the shelter, the storm was quite strong.

"Wunderbar. Now um... don't we have a job to do?"

Tku agreed just a hole cracked open followed by a clunky rolling sound, "Oh, I think that was a rock that just broke through."

"I always wanted a pet rock."

Tku let out a hearty laugh, "Hard to take care of I hear."

"Needy, even."

Tku had been bending the sand to repair the holes and the sand just feel odd. The sand, the storm, just small things seem off, "These seem different than normal."

"Small... and nasty."

Tku shook it off as he couldn't describe it in any actionable way, "It just feels different, I can't explain it otherwise"

"Tku! Watch out!"

A sandbat emerges from below them, hunkering inside their shelter. It hisses.

Tku dodged thinking another rock rocketed in to see a creature he never seen in Torragon, "Hmm? Ahh!!!"

"What the fuck is that thing!?"

The storm had finally passed and they were left with this odd bat creature. He looked to Marci, hoping to deal with it peacefully, "You know any chemical spells for bats?"

The sandbat hissed and Tku held his spear in case it lunged.

"Yeah, it's called killitwithfire."
Just then, however, there came a... trumpeting sound!?

"Wait hold on now, it could be entertainment," Tku took a look at it, trying to see if it picked up some injuries from the storm or them trying to build on it.

Marci and Tku emerged from the shelter, digging their way out with binding magic and, floating over the dunes on the still-strong winds was... an elephant!? A tiny....flying elephant.

"Well then," Tku tilted his head at the odd sight, "Our roommates are doubling."

The small elephant seized upon the sandbat and immediately dived in to pursue it and the chittering menace took off quickly, flapping away as the pachyderm landed and let out another snort.
Then, immediately, the tusker began digging near where the bat had been. It dug ferociously with feet and tusks, paying the two humans little mind.

Tku decided to use some binding magic to help it out, "It's the least I can do for getting rid of the squatter." He looks over at Marci to more or less let her know he didn't go insane and was just having some momentary fun with an elephant.

The little elephant flicked its ears about and let out an annoyed little trumpet, defensive over its find.
It didn't turn down the help, however, digging deeper and with increasing urgency, letting out little snuffling snorts along the way.

Then, finally, it hit pay dirt.

Digging in with its tusks, they came up covered in what looked to be blood at first, but was actually sweet melon juice.

"Oh!" Tku was surprised to find an underground melon

For the next couple of minutes, Marci and Tku would watch the Kite Tusker gorge itself on Wazingui Melon that had been buried in the storm. It it grew here, however, that must've mean that water was close by.

The rather cute, odd-looking little beast occasionally let out satisfied snuffles and grunts, glancing warily over its shoulder at them.

Finally, full to the max, it sat back and let out a long, satisfied sigh.
Plodding a little ways away, it hunkered down in the shade cast by the two humans' improvised shelter.

"Water would be nice. Shall we try to figure out where it is?" he looked at the strange pachyderm chow down.

"Would be ideal," Marci agreed, reaching out with her senses.
With the elephant having abandoned its dig, she moved over to investigate the hole, and her eyes widened.

Tku tried to peer down if any seeds or melon was left, in a pinch he could grow them.

Then, he saw it too.
Tangled among the vines was... some sort of wand.
It was not like anything they had seen before and, as Marci scanned it, she recognized those energies. They were the same ones that occasionally surrounded her brother's girlfriend, Dory.
"Sooooo...." she began, "What do we uh, do with it?"

"What in the world?" Tku went ot start freeing it with his spear. "Get it out safely for now, I'll touch it sense you can call for help better, something weird about a wand out of nowhwere."

Marci eyed the wand and eyed him. She glanced at the tusker. It seemed to be watching them idly.
"Should we?" she questioned, "on our own?"

The animal was up and moving again, and it began lumbering over to the hole it had made earlier. While it was tiny by elephant standards, it was still the size of a large dog, and its ear-wings - currently folded and resting along its back - were probably at least eight feet in span.

Tku questioned, "I mean it is odd for sure but it could just be a lost treasure of someone who failed to cross the desert." Tku was nervous with it moving over, "I should grab it before it goes back in," Tku looks at Marci like confirmation that he will do it now, giving her one last chance to say something.

Marci stepped out of the way. "Um...be careful. I think it's... a dark magic item." Better him than her, she supposed, but Tku was kind of nice. She'd rather he not die.

Tku stopped, "Dark magic?" He didn't even need to know to be worried. He attempted to lift it with some telekinesis onto a cloth instead of grabbing it now.

Then, the tusker made a final dash and grab for it.
Tku had it in his kinetic grasp.
The elephant had it in its trunk.
Its greedy little eyes glared at him.

"Oh no you don't!" Tku tried to rip it towards him, "I will make you a melon! Give it to me!! Marci can you grow these?"

The elephant pulled back obstinately, refusing to let go. It stamped and unfurled its massive ears in a threat display. They hadn't gotten a good look at the colours before. They were eyes: giant eyes, or at least mimics of those.

Then, Marci had crafted the most sickeningly sweet thing she could manage. Spratz, albeit fake spratz
a terrible knockoff of the real thing. It was enough. The tusker released the wand all at once and went charging for the fake plant. The girl happily tossed it into the air and as far as she could. Within moments, the little pest was gone, chasing after it.

That left... the wand. However, before they could do much of anything with it, Marci perked up. She pointed. "There, in the distance: it's them!"

Tku now held it in his hand, not originally wanting too but just catching it after launching it towards him, "You're a blood mage Marci?" Tku asked.

Marci nodded. The others were still a good half a kilometer away. "Don't go telling everyone though, huh?"

Indeed, there appeared to be... three or four people, two on a large horse and... was there a little juvenile horse as well?

Tku nods and remakes some of his clothes, repairing them and refills his water pouch, "Same to you," Tku smiles, "Let's great them, hopefully that means Riesco is okay."

Marci began walking. Tku began walking. They waved.

Somewhere, not too far away, the kite tusker decided to follow them.

"Do you know where the angry child went?" Tku asked remembering that Marci may not want to search for him.

The Hourglass Order

Event: Metropolis

---

Aftermath of the Fight

What a disaster, Ingrid sighed as the last of the Skugvars quills were removed. She overestimated her own ability and underestimated Abdel's skill as a tamer. Luckily they didn't do enough much harm to warrant them being put down. Either way, Ingrid's efforts bore little results. The captives were silenced, most likely temporal or a deal with some demon. The building was burned and all she had to show for this was a burnt letter confirming their intentions and giving hints that the person who fought on toe with Lu Wong was the help they asked for. Not that she could be sure. For all they know, they could have been the vanguard, making way for more.

Ingrid felt pain prick her as she gave the interview, apparently not getting rid of all the irritant. "I followed Brother Yalen's lead on this," Ingrid told Zihan, "Our companion Abdel was in there when the inn burst into flame. I rushed in to get him out of there. In the confusion his animals must have been manipulated and attacked me and Niallus." gesturing to the needles she had removed. "I attempted to freeze the things in the building to hopefully preserve the building and put a quick end to the situation, but I failed," Ingrid sighed, "My other objective was to preserve the evidence that may lay there," Ingrid offered the burnt letter she found, "It's not much but I think person who fought the Exemplar is the help they were looking for. Other than that, their might be some ties to other groups that question the government based on the what can be read."

"Some of your peers are under the impression that this was a chance find - that we'd not have known had your leader not taken action." Zihan shook her head, not bothering to look up to meet Ingrid's eyes. "I will tell you this, though: it wasn't. It was a trap, purposely set, and one that you were led into." She accepted the paper and rolled it up, shooting a glare at the translator as the mousy girl hesitated. "This is evidence." She held it up and shook her head a second time, tightly. "The only thing you could've done differently - the only count on which you failed - was getting involved in the first place."

Now, Zihan met the much taller woman's gaze, and she did not seem small in comparison. "Our enemies are trying to use you - wildcard that you newcomers are - to foul up an investigation months in the making." She clasped her hands. "There is a vast conspiracy here and we have only probed at the very edges of it. Simply put, it is incumbent upon us to use you first and use you better, before they can." The lieutenant tucked the rolled-up paper into a satchel that she carried. "The only other option is eliminate you, and that is also something they would like, so I've no intention of doing it." Her eyes narrowed, however, and she dismissed the translator now that they were finished. She turned on a heel and made to walk away, before tapping Ingrid on the shoulder. "Ze problem is zat you has the traitor in you group," she whispered. Her Avincian was passable enough for this purpose. She pulled out a signal flare from her back. "You use zis when you to find him. Hour twenty in ze night. We work togezer and stop zis bad man. You do you's job. I do my. You get much ze good sings."

Ingrid took the flare, thinking about who the traitor could be. She had a few ideas but nothing solid enough to act on. She nodded her head.

Zihan nodded in return and offered a supportive smile. "Sank you," she whispered, and there they parted.

She returned to the inn and started with cleaning herself. Of course it was a trap, how set up could it get, Ingrid shook her head as she unwound. The Exemplar, the gray guard, the location, they wanted to show us. We intervened and it caused the carefully created facade of safety to turn into pure chaos and the government didn’t even get much out of it. I’m sure the mess will be pinned fully on us. Ingrid rolled her eyes at the thought but it was whatever at this point. She knew that any mistakes were on us. And in truth we were over zealous to help and solve this.

But now there is a supposed traitor. It made her uncomfortable to think of her teammates like that so soon but it was undeniably a chance though it seemed slim to Ingrid. I trust Niallus isn’t. He’s a bleeding heart but he wouldn’t put me in danger without some warning. Yalen feels like he could be with his condition but I can’t be sure, most likely not though. Trypano is hard, we saw the gods could change form at will, and I know the traveler can. If the offer was made to advance her studies to great heights I could see her doing it though I don’t even think the gods knew what to do with her so most likely not, Ingrid chuckled even considering her. I don’t even know if the Traveler has that level of weird tolerance.

Ingrid now started to seriously consider people. Maura. She is low RAS and disabled. Though she certainly isn’t underprivileged. She seems trusted by her family, has family and personal wealth, and has land in Retan that I’m sure she wouldn’t want to lose. But above all that, she is more than willing to partake in subterfuge and there is no one here other than Abdel she would care to lose, some she may actively want gone. Ingrid felt uncomfortable because she knew that she could be on that list if it was her and with how she acted, Ingrid felt increasingly wary. Ingrid moved on, no need to keep on it, The rest don’t seem of note. Abdel is not cowardly but I don’t think he would have worked so hard to keep people alive if it was him. Rikard is suspicious for his resemblance and how the Violet Enclave reacted to him, otherwise nothing on him. Kaureerah was the most unknown to Ingrid, she seemed friendly to Ayla so there is a real chance that she may be a sympathizer like Ayla comes off as. Apparently she ran off as well so she is very suspicious but nothing akin to real evidence. Eaiko seems to really like water, at the trials some slept in a fountain so maybe it was something like that. Ingrid wasn’t fully on board with the I just wanted water idea. She isn’t even sure anybody is a traitor and this could just get people to fight against each other. She sighed as if she was done thinking about it for now.

Unsightly Revelations

Everyone had gone off, but Ingrid decided to snoop around the inn. No one is here after all. Plus there is Yin to talk to with her magical Speaktrout. There even seems to be a little one following her. Ingrid takes the action figure just in case she needs a child distractor.

As she wound her way toward the energy figure that had to be Yin, there was the unmistakable signature of Chemical Magic being used on the child who was with her. Then, there were sonic traces - quiet, whispered ones - and the small person scampering off to another room, seeming to pause and blunder a good few times along the way. Yin rushed over to guide them momentarily before rushing back, closer to Ingrid, seeming to resume her 'normal' task of dishwashing.

Seems there was a little child running around. It was odd that chemical magic was being used. Ingrid walked up to Yin, "Hello Yin," Ingrid smiled, "Child keeping you busy?"

Yin's eyes widened and she all-but recoiled from Ingrid. "I... uh..." Her eyes went to the... talking fish!? She stared at it, unbelieving before blinking a couple of times and gathering herself. "Um, child?" she asked. "Oh, yes. You mean Yong. He is my little brother. Very small, very shy."

Ingrid can't help but giggle at Yin's reaction, "It is quite the remarkable fish. Try speaking into it, it can turn your speech into any language!" Ingrid excitedly offered. A little embarrassed that she failed to determine the size of the kid. "I'm sorry, your brother. Where I come from people get big real quick. Do you want to call him over? I'm sure he would want to see the fish," Ingrid offered, ever curious why she seemed so startled. The kid seemed to enjoy running around, not exactly shy.

Yin regarded her cautiously and took her offer of the speaktrout. "I, umm... it is well past his bedtime anyhow." The magical fish translated it all after a moment. Yin's words were Retanese to herself and their closest equivalent in... Eskandish to Ingrid. The Eskandr's Avincian, in turn, became Retanese to Yin. "This is... pretty amazing, though, if I have to be honest." An almost childish sort of curiosity came over her then. "Where did you get it?" she asked. "How does it work? Magic, right?"

Meanwhile, from behind the door, there were small footsteps: stealthy, but not as stealthy as they perhaps thought they were.

Ingrid nodded in agreed excitement, "In the magic city of Ersand'Ernise, there is an auction where items from across the world are sold! You can find anything there. For how it works!" Ingrid picks it up like she was showing it off, pressing in places, "Originally I thought it was crafted by a group of master mages, ones who had learned all the languages in the world and binded it together to make it. But I don't think that's it! If you feel around when it is speaking it is like moving internally!" Ingrid gestured for her to feel it. Maybe all this exciting talk will lure in the sneaky child. Come young one, can you resist the awesome talking fish?!

Yin was... not so excited to carefully feel over the fish, in truth, preferring to simply admire its ingenuity and perhaps speak into it. "You know, I can speak some Nikanese into it," she chirped, and it worked even for this foreign tongue and with her rather thick accent. "Hey, do you know any other languages?" Yin prodded, holding a smile at bay.

Then, came the sound of small footsteps, and she froze. "勇，该睡觉了！已经过了你的就寝时间。" The fish, however, translated it all: Yong, it's time to sleep! it's past your bedtime.

"I'll be right back," Yin promised. "Yong needs to be in bed. He has school in the morning." There was a small voice from the other side of the door, however, and the fish picked that up too. "Yin, can I come see? Pleeeease? It sounds really fun."

Ingrid lured out the kid and couldn't help but enjoy the current situation. "Alright," Ingrid initially agreed but upon hearing the little ones request, "You know Yin, this may be Yong's only chance to see it, maybe a few more minutes wouldn't be that bad." Ingrid was no mother but a few missing some sleep for a new experience seemed worth it, so she merely offered it.

Before Yin could say (yes or) no, the door opened of its own volition. A boy of perhaps eight or nine years old burst through, wearing what appeared to be some sort of festival mask, only... it looked somewhat... feminine. It took Ingrid a moment to remember the small toy she'd been sold by one of the hucksters in the market today. It was the Black Guard Lucky Dragon!

"Huah! Ha! Hand over that fish, giant lady, for I am Lucky Dragon, Black Guard, and I demand to see it!"

Yin looked at the boy, looked at Ingrid, and seemed at once relieved and absolutely horrified, somehow.

How adorable, and the Lucky Dragon mask to boot. The Giant Lady comment irked her but he's just a kid, I'm sure Yin will scold him later for that. Ingrid did a respectful, if not played up, bow to Lucky Dragon. "But of course mighty Black Guard," Ingrid handed it over to him with both hands, "With this one can speak in the tongue of Yasoi to even the great Mountain Hegelans!" Ingrid kept an eye on it after handing it over, kids were notoriously clumsy and she had felt this one pumping into all sorts of things. She gave a look to Yin that she didn't mind the little one.

Yong grabbed the speaktrout with both hands and seemed to almost... be feeling it with his fingers, investigating its shape and contours. Then, he giggled. "Ugh.... eeeewww! It's slimy!" He didn't let go, however. If anything he seemed more amused.

"Yong, you should sit!" warned Yin. "I think the fish is very valuable. Think about how it makes us hear things in languages we understand." In truth, she had noticed that it was quite indiscriminate. It had translated virtually everything within hearing range. It had even reproduced a tiny fart that the boy had let out. Regardless, its little fishy lips kept flapping and it kept speaking in the voices of the people around it. "I am a hegelan and hegelans don't sit!" retorted Yong, and Yin slapped her palm against her forehead in frustration, letting out a hissed sigh. "You know you can't see anything in that mask. You're going to drop it!"

Yong stopped then, and turned vaguely in her direction. For a moment, the air prickled with warning, but nothing happened except for the boy sitting down. "Hey miss, ready to catch a fish?" he joked. Gently but rather suddenly, he lobbed it through the air in Ingrid's direction.

Ingrid spoke in the various languages she knew and some of the phrases she had picked up from the multi-lingual hub that was Ersand'Ernise. It was overall a fun time, watching a kid play with something oh so magical. She noticed that there was some tension and was ever so curious why. Then suddenly the little rebellious boy decided to lob the fish at her! "Wha-" Ingrid face was of pure terror as she threw her hands out to clutch it with telekinesis and pull it to herself.

"Yong! Why?" Ingrid asked in a raised voice, not outwardly furious but concerned about what kind of kid just throws someone's stuff like that. Something has to be going on here.

He looked at her defiantly and then at his older sister. "I can't see anything in this mask," he growled, paraphrasing her words from moments ago, and her face turned ashen. Ingrid could sense Yin's heartrate rising. He turned to Ingrid. "Sorry for throwing your fish. It's really cool." Then, suddenly, he appeared to tense up in pain, sitting on the edge of a chair, fists clenching. Yin rushed over. "Come, Yong. We need to get you to your room. I'll give you some of the medicine." She began to usher him out before rising briefly and twisting Ingrid's way. "He will not admit it," she whispered, "and just speaking of it can make him... irritable, but Yong is quite sick these days." The issue was that the fish translated, and the fish did not know how to whisper…

Ingrid's concern seemed justified, Yong seemed increasingly upset and with Yin seeming terrified Ingrid had a few suspicions. She rose from her seat, setting the fish down, to get closer to Yong. "Please Yin, let me help. The school trained me as a healer." Ingrid seemed adamant on this. If Yin would allow, she would help them to the room and sense through his body for aliments in attempt to fix them then finally asking, "Can I remove his mask?"

Why did Yin's heart increase like that? Was it just fear or was it chemical magic? Ingrid questioned as she racked her brain for the various things she had read up on.

"Maybe we give him something else to distract him?" Yin tried, bleeding anxiety out into the room, "If you have anything else we could use?"

Then, it was too late. Yong, who had heard it all and had enough - who'd had enough of being hidden and in pain and told to lie - ripped off his mask at Ingrid's words, before his siter could stop him. There was a small surge of magic from her direction, immediately tamped down upon, but it was secondary.

The boy's eyes were closed and the lids swollen. There were stains of dried blood below them, hastily wiped clean at some recent juncture in the past. Weakly, he blinked, and his eyes were bloodshot and dark. "This is what we're hiding," he announced, voice more strident than it should have been. Then, however, it went soft and frightened. "And it hurts, too."

Ingrid initially cringed at the sight, it was grotesque and to see it on a child made it even worse. But with his age and the magic that came from his sister, she had an idea of what it was. Ingrid looked at him more softly, "It's alright Yong," Ingrid tried to reassure, "Come here so I can get a better look," Ingrid getured for him to come close.

As he got closer, she could see the eyes more clearly and it was what she thought. "He's a powergazer," Ingrid stated clearly as she cleaned and healed what she could. Ingrid looked at Yin, "Did you go to a doctor?" Ingrid asked, most likely knowing the answer with how much Yin wanted to hide it.

Yin's face fell, horrified at the suggestion. She backed away, her voice at once somehow raised and quieter. "Nooo!" she wailed. "Nononono no!" She shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Ingrid, you don't understand. I don't mean it in a bad way, but you really don't!" Her hands grabbed at her dress, balling up. "This is Retan." She shook her head some more, slumping, defeated, against a wall. "This is Retan..." She began to cry, burying her face in her hands. "I am sorry, Yong. I'm sorry your big sister can't be strong. I'm sorry things can't change."

The boy was anxious now. He stumbled towards her and wrapped her up in a hug. "Don't cwy, big sis. I know you're trying. I know you help me."

She looked up, wiping some tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. "I love you, little brother." she hugged him tightly and glanced Ingrid's way, eyes red-rimmed. "Here is the truth of this place: all of us in this family have the ability to use magic, but we did not pass the state licensing test and..." Her voice sunk. "We are not the type of people they want to have magic anyhow."

"Don't worry, Yin. I'll pass it. You'll see."

She stroked the back of her little brother's head, and then down his neck and back, patting him as much for her own comfort as his, perhaps more. "I believe in you, Yong." She gave him one last squeeze. Then, she rose and regarded Ingrid. "Yong will pass because he has no other option. People like myself and..." she paused for just a bit too long. "others who have it can hide by not using it. He can't, though. His only option is to pass or..." she trailed off, closing her eyes again, and began to cry.

Ingrid gulped as she realized she had uncovered something very uncomfortable, something wrong. They were suffering for just... existing. Retan might have their own laws on magic users and that's fine. But Yong? He was just born different. He's no more menace than any other untrained mage in her eyes yet he might be disposed of by the peace keepers.

Ingrid was nauseous from the thought of it. She tried to speak but it was obvious to Yin that her words have affected her. She didn't disagree with the Traveler's broad message but she was on the side that would loose a lot. They had attacked her and her family, destroy some of their history. But so what? I'm sure that the hundreds in debt or enslaved by her own blood would say she did the same to them.

One thing is for certain, Yong doesn't deserve a fate like this. She composed herself, "Yin, I'm not sure what to say but I at least want to help Yong," Ingrid looked earnestly at her, "I know you said there was a test, maybe I can answer questions and tutor him tonight and we can talk. Yong deserves a long life." Ingrid offered. She would push the issue later but right now she wanted to earn some trust with someone who had to open up a door they did not want to.

Ingrid's resolve to handle this quickly and cleanly was shaken. Yin obviously knows more but how could she root out what could be their only chance at a safe life for her brother? She needed to discuss this with some of the other people but who to let know.

Yin dried her tears, but she still regarded Ingrid a bit warily. "I... the best thing that you can do right now is tell nobody," she replied quickly and adamantly. "If you really want to help us, you will keep this secret."

Then, there was another sound: a door opening some ways distant within the inn.

Ingrid heard Yin's words but there wasn't time for her to consider them. As the person came in, Ingrid held up a hand and scanned whoever came in. Yin had been crying and Ingrid was sure Yong needed her at the moment.

It was four people, all of them men, and moving in a tight formation towards the courtyard. "Zhu Kai," whispered Yin, "and half of his men." Quickly, she began to usher Yong towards the door and the rear rooms beyond. "I know them by their footsteps," she clarified.

Ingrid tilted her head, Oh so wonderful that our keepers have come back and I'm literally the only one here. she waved goodbye to Yong as he was escorted away. "Should we go greet them?" Ingrid asked, offering Yin a hand towel. She didn't want to come off as suspicious to them so she trusted Yin on this one.

Yin accepted it with a small mew of 'thanks' and dabbed at her face where her makeup had run. She took a little bit longer than she perhaps strictly needed to compose herself. Then, she nodded. "We should go greet them, and... don't be angry at them, please. Kai is a good man, and so are his soldiers. They're just doing their job." She began to lead Ingrid towards the courtyard and her voice sunk into a whisper. "In fact, they must know that Yong is here. They can use their magic to sense him but, as long as they don't see anything obvious, they can pretend not to know."

The speaktrout, however, did not translate particularly quietly, and her face went ashen for at least the fourth time that night. She cursed softly beneath her breath in Retanese and, thankfully the fish didn't pick that up as well.

Ingrid went to shut off the magical trout. For all its power, it was damn annoying at times. She looked over to Yin, worried if telling Yin about what happened to them would change her acting. She weighed it and went in for a whisper to Yin, using her own retanesse, "We were attacked today, they may be less friendly." Ingrid didn't say anymore and let Yin do with that information what she saw fit but from Ingrid's experiences, friendliness ends when blood is drawn. She headed over to greet them as she normally would, walking tall and confident. "Captain Zhu," she gave a wave and then a nod to the other guards.
For what it was worth, they pulled it off. The captain held himself together well, but anyone with some abilities in Chemical magic would be able to tell that he was both exhausted and a sea of boiling emotions. "Ah, Ing-ri, Yin," he greeted them, and the two Retanese exchanged a bit of fast dialogue. "看到你漂亮的脸蛋，这糟糕的一天会好一点。" (Seeing your pretty face makes this terrible day a little better.) He turned to Ingrid and smiled... conspiratorially? "你只是像你理解的那样看着我，就在刚才。" (You looked at me like you understood, just now.) In truth, Ingrid's understanding of Retanese was far from fluent, but she could get along in it as long as people spoke clearly and no advanced vocabulary was used. "Well, maybe you know what kind of day I've had," he said, consciously trying to make things easy for her to follow. Dai, Zheng, and Zhang nodded along in agreement, each looking haggard and grateful to be alive. "I think yours was probably the same." The captain shook his head, tired, suddenly. "Don't get into any trouble, okay? Keep my job easy." He exchanged a few more words with Yin that were almost... flirtatious in tone and then the four guardians headed off towards their rooms.

"Oh wait, Caprain Zhu!" called Yin. "I haven't turned up your sheets yet. Let me just do it quickly!" She scurried after him.

Ingrid spent the rest of the night waiting for Niallus, still conflicted on the revelations that she had learned. She hoped that Niallus would give her the normal comfort she finds in him but it seemed the conflict in her couldn’t be explored with Ingrid constantly worrying about being overheard. Still him being there at the end of the night brought up its own easement for her to sleep soundly.

Ingrid awoke still wanting to talk to someone about this but had a hard time thinking who she should reach out to. Maybe she would keep open and listen to other people and try to get a feel. Everyone went out last night so I’m sure there are things to share and things said if they don’t.

Lastly she went to Yalen to try and procure some topical pain medicine for supposed aches and pains. Hopefully getting some time to speak on his perspective on all of this. Ingrid found some trust in his words since he was a man of the cloth.

The Hourglass Order

---

Event: Primitive

---

“Always the fucking exceptions.”

Just as Zarina brings a shield to a fight, her opponent happens to be an intangible force that metaphorically laughs at her grand defense. Steam nearly erupts from the openings of her helm as she points the massive maw of her shield-cannon toward the murky accumulation of mist before her. From the barrel comes a wave of flames from the energy she had already drawn prior to this ambush. Nibbler finds solace in a crevice on her armor, seemingly designed for him, while Riesco was kept outside the ruins.

“Cover your mouth,” she warns to her partner, “smoked mist probably isn’t good for your bones.” given it actively drains them by contact, it is safe to assume breathing the stuff is no good. The obliteration of the mist allows for some respite, and the flames lit up details that would be hard to notice with a murderous cloud constantly attacking. “Al’ama!” Zarina swears, as the horrid, gaseous mass begins to reform already and the leftovers of previous travelers begin to hurl themselves at the two.

Tku covers his mouth with a cloth to keep the mist from his lungs though how effective it is was to be discovered. Still Tku quickly tossed her a spare cloth he had, ”Just to be sure,” not knowing if the armour she wears protects from this godforsaken mist. The mist drains on Tku and he considers reconstructing it with blood magic but as he looks towards his companion he can’t help but feel nervous to show it off. ”We should search around for a way out of here, I’m sure there is a way,” Tku tells his companion.

After a brief moment of walking, the mist sapping their life everstill, they finally spot a person. Tku sighs in relief, ”We might be out of here soon!” Tku nudges Zarina and yells out to the man. There isn’t a reaction so he yells once more and the figure begins to rush towards them at high speed. Tku readies himself and as it draws near its obvious it is a cadaver merely hurling itself towards. Tku screams out and dodges out of the way, ”What is that!”

Keen, golden eyes focus on the shape that draws near. A human silhouette ragdolled toward them as if it had been pushed by an unseen force. Then another body, and then another. Mostly skeletal remains, some big enough to resemble camels. Zarina uses her shield to let some of them slide by her rather than dodging outright, although she does leave the pile she had accumulated with a fiery explosion, “No idea.” she answers, frustrated. And that frustration only grows as the mist not only reforms but grows in toxicity with the charred remains of the corpses.

“Can you freeze or harden it?” inquired the platinum warrior as they tried to force themselves forward. She wasn’t much for chit-chat and sought out to draw anything that wasn’t the mist, although only under the condition that Tku could do anything about it consistently siphoning them.

”What twisted mind came up with this?” Tku asks as he dodges them over and over, nearly evading them each time. Destroying the undead only seemed to turn the mist deadlier and he could feel his magic lessen. He got away from the burnt remains and begrudgingly said, ”I may have something better.”

Tku reaches out with his mana and when he can sense the matter he begins to draw and transform it. Some to heal him and Zarina, others just turn to small stones that fall helplessly on the floor. For the moments Tku drew the mist, they could see the attackers and could escape from that perilous situation. Tku kept drawing from the mist to provide them some brevity from it but remained silent.

With the way once again cleared by Tku’s hand this time, the armoured warrior pushes forward with the ragdolled corpses merely shoved away by the shield rather than obliterated. “A little bit further.” utters the girl under the helm, “Where we’re being guided towards.” she scoffs, “You’d almost think it’s a trap.”

For a brief moment, she stops and crouches, “If you can’t go fast on your own,” she begins while drawing any bit of heat and kinetic magic she could find. There isn’t many, but enough for her for a single burst, “grab on quick!” she warns just a mere second before she propulses herself forward toward the arrow’s direction. Quick swerves via the wings of magic spell allows for one to dodge most obstacles, though it makes her a prime target for a sucker-punch!

Tku nervousness is high having used it in front of someone, he simply prays that she will either conflate it with binding or not mention it. The idea of the arrow being a trap didn’t cross him, “Or this could be a trial to sift out the weak, either way the arrow seems to be our best bet. I pray for our friend's safety.”

Tku grabs onto her and helps with the propulsion by leveraging his spear against the floor, ”Not as fast as you!” He clears out more of the mist and extends his spear to use it as a long pokey stick to keep the corpses away.

The two are nearing the beacon that called for them. The mist is recuperating from its disrupted state and attempts to charge right at them. It’s going to be a close one! Luckily for them, they have a little Nibbler giving a final ‘push’ for an exciting escape.