GambolMuse

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"If we go with just twice the normal gravity, I can't imagine you'll have very much trouble. But then the point of this isn't to put you in a pinch, it's just to warm you back up... In a manner of speaking," Vegeta said, raising an eyebrow when Viral questioned him. "Nothing too terribly difficult. Really we're just going to focus on rudimentary exercises, push-ups, curls, lunges, the most basic things you can imagine. We should work on getting your body used to continuous physical activity before we begin really pushing it." The added gravity was just to make it a little more challenging, which hopefully would push Viral more in turn. It might also have the opposite effect and turn him off of the practice entirely; Vegeta hoped Viral would take to this regiment they'd come up with for him. "Now then... I'll go ahead and start it up, and it'll take a moment for the effects to sink in. Once you feel like you're ready, we can get to work." Pressing the final commands, the room felt like it almost vibrated briefly before a low drumming sound started up. Nothing happened immediately, and then one might notice that, with each passing second, one's body would begin to feel somewhat heavier. It didn't last long however as twice the gravity was an easy feat for this machine, and when it was done Vegeta couldn't feel much himself. But then they weren't gauging his take on it, now were they? "Well? How do you feel?"

Kiton was an absolute nervous wreck over this, despite her continued reassurances he would be fine. Maybe once they were out a bit and he saw he was safe then he'd calm down, she certainly hoped so as he hadn't a clue what to say to make it better. Even with him being uncertain about this he still followed her out, and it wasn't long before they were out on the street either, having left through a rarely used access gate for locals. "You're going to be fine Kiton, I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't positive on that. If anything happens to us then it'll fall on me, like I said. And I'll fight to get someone who you can trust to watch you if I do get pulled, okay? Please, I'm trying to do you a favor here, so enjoy it," Sasha answered, letting out a soft sigh as he continued to voice his doubts, "I don't know the answer to that and you know it. They're busy, but I'm sure if they weren't then they would come and talk to you. Wait until they're done training, then you can ask them yourself." Or... She could take him there to see the training for themselves, if he wanted to. That didn't sound like a half bad idea honestly, maybe they could even gain something from it. Rounding a corner on the complex she gasped when she ran into someone larger than herself, bouncing off them slightly and stumbling before glancing up, smiling sheepishly. "Oh... Leto... Hi..."

"Miss Sasha? I'm surprised to see you out here," Leto said confused, tilting his head at the woman, "What are you..." The large Yulian trailed off when he noticed Kiton was with her as well, blinking a few times as if he wasn't believing it. Hadn't Korian told her to keep him in the compound? Sure, they were only just outside the walls, but still... "Er... I don't mean to pry, but isn't he..."

"Yes, yes he's supposed to be inside, but I wanted to let him out!" Sasha said quickly, "He's a good person Leto, and he's not going to cause any problems while we're out here. He feels like he's in prison in there, and I don't want that to be his impression of this world, or of us. I'm still watching him, I'll just be doing it... Not here. If you're going to punish one of us for sneaking out though then punish me, it was my idea!" Bowing her head she closed her eyes and awaited some kind of verdict. Leto technically outranked her and could act on that, if he so chose to. Rather than be reprimanded however the only sound she got out of the Yulian was... Crying? Lifting her head confused she furrowed her brow at seeing him sniffling into one of his arms, standing back up awkwardly and exchanging a glance with Kiton.

"Oh, Miss Sasha! You're being so compassionate to our newest friend, it brings tears to my eyes and makes my heart swell with joy!" Leto announced loudly, sniffling before staring at the pair through a watery gaze. "I was shown the very same compassion when I was defeated here, and I've since devoted myself entirely to this cause! I can sympathize with your plight, my young friends, and I fully support your decision to leave!" Oh, but what if someone else saw them? They may not be nearly as sympathetic as he was, and he didn't want either Sasha or Kiton to be punished for such a glorious deed. But wait... If he were to accompany them... Reaching out quickly he grabbed hold of Sasha's shoulders, his hands covering them entirely as he leaned down to come to eye level with her. "Miss Sasha, Kiton, let me accompany you! I swear on all that is good that I will keep you from scrutiny or harm! A man will never allow such an act to go interrupted!"

Oh right, she'd forgotten what an oaf this massive man was. He had a good hear though, and it was an immense relief he wasn't going to turn them in. But to join them? It certainly would make it seem a bit less conspicuous if they had an officer tagging along, but he was hardly someone she'd ever imagined spending an afternoon with. Trying to smile despite her mouth twitching awkwardly she looked into Leto's still watering eyes, having to avert her gaze before shrugging off his massive mitts. "Fine, I can't say no to that. But please, Leto... Don't go and make a scene about this later, okay? If Korian gets wind of this and is mad then let me take the fall, not you."

Aito really had no use for Krom's tactics, yet he also had to bear in mind the Elite was supposed to be handling the training, not him. Courtesy dictated he respect Korian's decision to allow this, but the methods that Saiyans used for training were hardly ideal, especially for two questionably stable boys. Stepping back as Takeshi began going off again he was somewhat relieved it wasn't quite as irate and vocal as his outburst before, yet there was still plenty of conflict there. He supposed that was going to be a permanent factor, and could only hope it was somehow used in a positive manner. It was true that Shu's and Takeshi's cases here differed greatly, and the methods would as well, he could confirm as much. But then that was why he thought more gentle methods might suit the younger boy better, as not to agitate him and risk a transformation. Speaking of, was Krom asking him for information? Looking over and seeing the Elite's attention on him he nodded slightly, clearing his throat before speaking.

"Most people are taught how to properly express themselves growing up, albeit this varies from culture to culture. On a very basic note then, Shu was never given the proper training growing up to deal with that, and because of what he is, his power is influenced by his sometimes rampant emotions," Aito explained, looking over at the aforementioned boy before smiling sympathetically, "Through no fault of his own he struggles to maintain his calm, and he doesn't know how to regain it once its lost. Krom's suggesting he learn to do such a thing, and learn to keep his wits about him even when enraged. Now... The reason as to why he loses control when he transforms..." Just how precisely to explain that then? He knew how it worked quite well, yet how to explain it to someone like Takeshi, or Shu for that matter? It was a rude way of saying it, but he needed to 'dumb down' the explanation for their sake. "Well... Think of it this way: Shu already has trouble with his emotions, especially anger, correct? When a Saiyan's anger spirals their power can increase, sometimes even beyond what they might normally achieve. On top of that, those capable of taking on an Oozaru are susceptible to unwillingly transforming due to the surge in power. While all of this power spiking is occurring, testosterone levels spike and give rise to heightened aggression, doing away essentially with logic and reason. To put it in even simpler terms: Shu becomes angry, gets stronger, and that continues as he spirals out of control. It's a cycle that feeds into itself."

So Shu was basically stuck like that when it happened? Getting angry, gaining power, getting even angrier, that couldn't be fun. "So basically... It's kind of like he gets so mad it's all he can do, is be mad? And everything just sort of makes it worse?" Takeshi asked, frowning as Aito nodded his head. Well that would explain why Shu would get angry whenever he tried helping, or anyone for that matter. What was the best thing to do in that case then? Isolate him? Even he could see that as a problem though, it'd probably make Shu afraid, which would make him angry, and they would be no better off. Emotional stuff seemed to be more in the region of Aito and Vegeta, but Krom was saying he knew how to fix it, and Shu really did need that help. The notion of having the Elite do anything for them was off-putting, yet if he was their only choice for help... Clenching his fists as he glared up at the Saiyan for a silent moment, Takeshi finally relented and lowered his gaze, letting out a sigh as his arms hung dejectedly at his sides. "Fine... We'll do what you say. Just... Swear you can make Shu better," he said, looking over at his brother worriedly, "I'll do whatever it takes to help him, I don't want to see him suffering anymore." Reaching over he smiled sadly, giving Shu's hair a light ruffle to try and help him calm down a little. "Things are going to work out buddy, you're gonna be just fine."

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Phew, that was a close one. If Cecil had actually attacked Nymira then they might have been completely out of luck, but they managed to get her to come along after all. It was hardly going to be a relaxing trip back, as even now she was shooting him death glares, yet they'd found her and now just had to get her back. Relieved that things had worked out for the best, Ethan retrieved his sword and folded it back up, tucking it safely in his pouch just in time for Nymira to push him aside. Well she was a bundle of joy, he wondered why it was that Norman had taken someone so... Abrasive as a student. But then maybe that wasn't the truth after all, considering this whole situation had gone all topsy-turvy pretty quick; what was the real deal here then?

Nymira had seen plenty of people since coming here, yet she'd not seen anyone quite like the Ydran girl. She knew of her people, but to see a child was a rarity for her. More or less ignoring the moorcat before her, the Dimuran woman nodded her head once at learning Amuné's name. "A beautiful name for a beautiful child, you should feel proud," she spoke, her expression softening slightly. After dealing with so many shady individuals over the last few days, meeting a child whose innocence knew no bounds was extremely refreshing. She might even have reached out to hug the girl were it not for Wyth acting as a barrier between them. Glancing back at the woods when the men were brought up, Nymira laughed curtly before smirking at Amuné. "Please... Five grown, armed men were defeated by a woman, handily I might add. This isn't my blood, it's theirs. I sincerely doubt they'll try making a move any time soon." Never mind the broken noses and cuts she'd left them with, their pride was likely in tatters as well. If they were dumb enough to come back however she'd not be quite so restrained in her actions. "Before you ask, they're all alive. I don't kill unless I absolutely must, so don't you fret. I'm not fond of having someone's blood on my hands."

"Well, now that the gang's all here, how's about we get going!" Ethan interjected, pepping up again as he addressed everyone with a smile, "Norman said he'd be at the shop waiting, so we know where to go. I bet he'll be happy to see you again." Eh, another glare, just what did he do wrong? Shirking back some he let out a sigh, rubbing at the back of his neck before chuckling. "I'm sure you know the way, if you want to lead then we'll follow. No funny business that way." Thankfully she seemed to accept that much from him, either that or she was just ignoring him in favor of Amuné again. Wondering why Cecil wasn't chatting he gave their friend one look and felt awful, seeing him turned away and looking awfully down on himself. What was he upset for? They found Nymira and he could keep his battery, everything had worked out just fine. Heading over he placed an arm around the Machina's shoulders, grinning as he gave his friend a pat on the chest. "Hey, what's got you all down and gloomy? We found her, now we can head back! Isn't that good news?"

Ugh, that man's optimism was was so off-putting, why were the others not saying anything? If this was who he was then she might not stomach the walk back with him, she'd just as soon make it alone if anything. Or... Maybe she'd just walk back with Amuné and her pet, who she actually found to be rather adorable, bristling fur, fangs and all. Dimurans weren't usually the meekest of folk, and while most people may not want to tussle with something like Wyth, to her it almost seemed enjoyable. "I suppose I'll lead us back, I know Galloway better than you do most likely. It'll be best to avoid the major roads." No sense in drawing attention to herself, there were more people responsible for her kidnapping there and she'd prefer to avoid further conflict if possible. As things stood this was already a relational nightmare, and any more fighting might only worsen things.

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Gravity training: not the most mundane of methods to be certain, but would it work? Viral appeared to be handling Uuonoe's gravity just fine, and it was reportedly just a bit stronger than Earth's. So what factor should they try then? If Uuonoe was comparable to their home world, then they could accurately make conclusions about what strengths the Beastman could handle. Two times? Five times normal gravity? Given his current condition it was best not to do anything absurd, so maybe just twice the gravity for the time being. "No, rather I suggested it to dad, and he thought it was a good idea. If done correctly and in moderation this could help you rebuild strength quicker than some simple weight lifting. And no, we're not foolish enough to think that just because you slept that your body has recovered. We'll try this slowly, day by day, to see how you acclimate to it." There was still no explicit consent on Viral's behalf, but Vegeta went ahead and put in the commands for the room regardless. They wouldn't actually apply until one final prompt was given to the console, and he was holding off until the Beastman gave the okay to do so. "I've set it only to twice regular gravity. You should be capable of handling that, and we'll do some simple exercises to start with. If you feel more comfortable with it however then we can always move up in difficulty. Do you feel ready to try, or shall we do something else? I'd like to know before long, if it's all the same."

Sasha was all for going out like this, she wanted a chance to go around Uuonoe with Kiton and show him what it was like. They had taken criminals into their ranks before and reformed them, so why couldn't they do the same with him? Most people went to crime because they needed something, and if he joined them then he'd have everything he'd need, she just had to show him that. "It's only going to end badly if you keep thinking it will. At worst we'll be escorted back here and we'll be back to square one, that's it. I know those in charge around here seem stiff at times, but they're only trying to ensure everyone's safety. They won't fly off the handle if they see us out and about." At least they shouldn't, but sometimes it was hard to be certain with them. Leading through a series of hallways, the pair of them made it out to a storage room, a set of large metal doors on the far end for shipments of supplies to be shuttled in. "I won't let that happen, okay? I doubt your friends would either. They might be busy right now, but they're not the type to just abandon someone." They hadn't abandoned her and Ricken even when they had been confrontational, and they weren't going to start now, she was sure of it. Using a keypad along one of the doors she put in the passcode easily, watching as the door slid open for them before smiling and leaping out, waving Kiton on to follow.

Takeshi and Krom quite clearly were not going to get along, which was obviously a problem. Then there was the matter of Shu, the nervous little boy who seemed to be quite fraught as his brother and their instructor went at it yet again. If this was how these sessions were going to progress then they should shut them down now, before more harm might be done. They hadn't even thrown a punch and Aito found himself having to intervene, trying to calm both Takeshi and Krom down, hoping to talk some sense into them. He'd managed to shut the older of the brothers up for the moment, but it seemed like Krom wasn't quite done just yet. Giving the Elite an almost uninterested look he let out a sigh, wondering how it was so difficult for him to pick up on what was being said. "I'm a Saiyan who has a brain, but yes, I'm a Saiyan. I know plenty about my own people, I just don't resort to berating children and muscling my way through every situation. Frankly that's barbaric and far below us," the doctor responded plainly, frowning as he met Krom's gaze. "So you think that a boy who has felt rage all his life will just... Stop? Or rather, you think you can bring about that change? Instead of proposing the impossible, consider using it to your advantage. If he's angry then make him use that anger, it can be a wonderful thing for motivation when training. Instead of trying to break them down, push them to improve by giving them goals, don't belittle them and expect them to rise above it. They're children who don't know Saiyan civilization like you do, you can't expect them to conform to your ways."

"Hey, old guys? We're right here you know... We can hear what you're saying," Takeshi butted in, frowning at being spoken about so casually. Aito was at least talking some sense into Krom, or trying to, far better than he'd been able to at any rate. He didn't exactly get how anger was going to be motivation, unless it was motivation to knock Krom out, then he was all for it. The older boy did reel back his anger some if only for Shu's sake, giving his brother but a simple, apologetic glance before turning back to the adults. He had to try and do this for everyone else's sake, it was just so difficult to look past his blatant disdain for the Elite. "Krom... Go easy on Shu, okay? Treat me like one of your trainees, I already went through that crap once, it's not so bad. But don't be hard on him," Takeshi said firmly, wanting to make his stance well known here, "Until he's okay I don't want you scaring him or making him feel bad, he doesn't need that from you, or anyone." Especially him, which meant getting this anger of his under lock and key. Easier said than done, though.

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"Lift things? You mean like weights? Don't be ridiculous, that would be a waste of time," Vegeta responded, waving his hand dismissively. Well, in some manner of speaking they might be lifting weights, if one could count their own body as weight. This building they were in came with a unique feature, one that he was a little surprised Viral hadn't noticed yet. Yes, it was a fairly empty room in of itself, but then you weren't supposed to put things in a room like this. Waving the Beastman over as he headed for a panel on the wall, he input a series of commands and waited for the screen to light up, an alien language appearing on it. "I'm sure you've heard of people doing increased gravity training before, yes? Well, I figured we would give that a try. It's going to be challenging without a doubt, but if you acclimate to a stronger gravity, your body will be all the better under normal circumstances. It'll be rudimentary exercises and calisthenics, but it'll all be done with increased pressure." Mundane in some ways, yet ingenious in others. Working at a higher gravity should mean his muscles would develop for that, and ergo be even stronger when the load was lightened. "If you'd rather do something else of course you're free to, but this is the reason we came to this exact room."

Sasha was growing weary of being stuck in the base, and she was certain Kiton was as well. He had even been denied in joining the Princes for their training, so without a doubt he was feeling somewhat bitter right now. Bringing him along to train was out of the question, as there was no doubt Korian would be rather angry should they go that route. Fine, there were other things they could do anyways, namely just go out into the city. She had been told to keep Kiton here in the compound, but he wasn't a threat, and she was capable of keeping an eye on him, so why not? She was all for it, yet the Frost Demon still needed some convincing. "We won't end up in jail for it, relax. Neither of us want to sit here and waste our day doing nothing." She wasn't going to let him talk her down this time, she had tried the other day and come up empty handed, but not now. They wouldn't take the front entrance for obvious reasons, yet thankfully there were alternative, far less guarded doors to take. "You're not going to hurt anyone, are you? No? Then no one is in danger, so relax. And if I get disciplined then I get disciplined, I'll accept punishment because I know I'm going against an order," Sasha said with a shrug, turning her head to look back with a smile, "Let me worry about what happens if we get caught, okay? You're under my supervision, so anything that happens falls to me, not you."

Being trained by Krom just seemed like an awful idea, and Takeshi almost retched at the thought of showing him any semblance of respect. He was no better than his former master, and he'd love to do to the Elite what he had to that murderous psychopath, yet he was told they had to go through with this. Having Vegeta's old man here keeping an eye on everything didn't help either, it seriously felt like he was watching their every move. Making his displeasure well known, only getting further frustrated when Krom began arguing back trying to sound like he was in the right. "None of that would be a problem if it wasn't for you, you bastard! You caused all kinds of problems with our father, and now here you are, marching in thinking you can train us and just make it all better! It's bullshit!" Takeshi shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. Hearing someone clear their throat loudly he cringed when he realized it was Aito, and the man had somehow gotten awfully close to them. Turning his head slowly he met the gaze of the doctor, flinching and moving away as the doctor's face was level with his own, wearing an annoyed expression. "Hey! Ease off doc, this is none of your business!"

"It is my business though. I was asked to oversee this session, and that's what I'm doing," Aito responded calmly, standing upright and placing one hand on his hip, "Look... Takeshi. I get what you're feeling, and it's acceptable to feel it, but please look at the bigger picture. Your brother is at risk if he doesn't get this training, and your friends will need you when the real threat comes around. If you're angry, then fine, be angry. But use it as a fuel to spur your training, rather than as a roadblock to progress." If he didn't personally want to train then everyone would suffer for it, that was just how it was. If his own strength was any indication, the potential of Saiyans born on Earth was quite high, they couldn't afford not to train someone else. Turning then to Krom, Aito frowned in disapproval at him. "And you... He's a child, and a loud-mouthed one at that. Not to mention you're supposed to be their instructor here, and yet you're arguing with him despite knowing full well you're right. If you can't keep from going at each other every time some petty disagreement comes up, perhaps you're unfit for this duty. Should we just preemptively take you off now and let me handle the job?"

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Norman must have left out the part where Nymira might try killing them, because Ethan couldn't recall anything of the sort. Seriously, what was her problem? He'd said several times they were here to help and yet she kept coming at him, he was doing all he could not to fight back. Perhaps inadvertently the fighting had spilled out to the road, in plain view of Amuné and Cecil. He had really hoped to be able to calm down the Dimuran woman without them having to see this, but unfortunately it didn't quite pan out that way. After a brief but nasty struggle he now stood a bit away from Nymira, with her finding herself in between himself and the others. Why wouldn't she just relax and trust them? If he wanted to hurt her then he would have fought back, how wasn't it obvious they were friends yet? As if things weren't bad enough, Cecil turned around and more or less attacked her too, sending his gauntlet flying at her by some strange mechanism. Fearing being attacked might set her over the edge, Ethan rushed forward and raised an arm out, taking the hit and nearly toppling over, wincing as the gauntlet tightened around his limb. "Don't! She's a friend!"

Just what in the world was going on here? First this Muran wouldn't fight her, then that other boy with the strange arm attacked her, and now she was being defended? They couldn't make up their minds, and now with all these conflicted signals neither could she. Watching uncertainly as Ethan intercepted the gauntlet, she nearly opted to flee right then until the little Ydran girl shouted to her. What? They were here on Norman's behalf? That was hard to believe, and why would he have sent a child out here to fetch her? She could understand a rescue party, but this didn't make much sense. "Right... He sent a child to be my savior, that's very believable," Nymira retorted, frowning as she kept her daggers at the ready. But then sending one to attack her didn't make much sense either. Sure, children could be Magi, and in rare cases there were powerful ones, but she somehow doubted this girl fit that bill. Could they honestly be here to help her then?

"She's telling the truth! We're here for Norman's sake!" Ethan repeated, relieved when Cecil finally released him. Promptly turning back to face Nymira he dropped his sword at his feet, placing his hands together and bowing his head, almost begging her to believe them. "We had Norman do some work for us, and in turn we're trying to find you! He said you had gone missing and so we've been searching for you, and we can't go back empty handed. Just come back to town with us, we'll prove we're telling the truth." Of course if she agreed to come back then that would imply she trusted them, and thus far she had done anything but. Lifting his head after a moment of awkward silence he flinched seeing Nymira glaring at him, reeling back some and smiling nervously. "Uh... Heh... Please? Did I forget to say please...?"

So it was just this strange boy, the little girl and the machine-man then? An odd bunch, and retrospectively she wasn't completely certain why she felt threatened in the first place. After mulling it over briefly she let out a reluctant sigh, lowering her daggers before glaring at Ethan. "You're too much of a bumbling fool to be one of those men," she spoke sharply, only further annoyed as he adopted a stupid grin and laughed, "And I don't see them using a child to bring me back. So fine, I'll believe your story for the time being. But if I found out you double-crossed me, I'll make you regret it." If Norman had indeed sent these three, then she couldn't possibly turn them away. She owed so much to him and still needed his help in her mission, alienating him now by running away would cause any number of problems for them. Sheathing her daggers at her hips, Nymira pushed past Ethan and stalked over to the others, pausing briefly when she got to Amuné. "You, little one... What's your name?"

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

The trail of blood left Galloway behind, as Ethan had expected. Good thing Cecil had the sense to follow the trail to begin with, and Amuné had made the guess to check that building. One heck of a guess, but it had paid off for them big time. Now he was just worried whether or not they could catch up to Nymira in time, or if they had moved her too far too quickly. Buildings soon gave way to open road, with nothing but trees, the occasional farm and fields populating the space now. The trail continued on a ways out but there was no clear sign of Nymira, or anyone for that matter. She must have been bleeding and fighting the whole way, how hadn't anyone seen anything? This whole business was awfully confusing, she had to be somewhere nearby, no way could they have moved her much further in such a short time.

While Ethan and Amuné were no doubt concerned, Cecil appeared to be doubly so. And not for the reasons they might be, as he seemed to think he was going to lose his battery now; losing his power source would be equivalent to dying, wouldn't it? Norman didn't seem the type to do that, but then they didn't know the man all that well to begin with. Giving his friend a sympathetic look, it was Amuné who beat him to the punch, trying to console Cecil. "Yeah, I'll find a different way to pay for it, don't worry. You're keeping that battery," he added, smiling as he gave a thumbs up. "And we're going to find Nymira too, so that won't even be a problem. Just you wait and see." He could keep saying that all he wanted, but so far they had come up empty handed. Surely they were bound to find some kind of clue sooner or later.

"You think they went into the forest...? Oh man, I hope not, that'll make it even harder to find her," Ethan mumbled, sighing as he rubbed at his head. Wyth might be able to track them, if only they had some sort of scent for him to follow. Wait... That was dogs, wasn't it? Either way it didn't much matter, the moorcat didn't appear to want to leave his master's side any time soon. If Nymira was captive though why would they head into the forest? He assumed it was a group of men moving her, and she was bleeding, so what reason would they have to try and sneak through the woods? People getting arrested wasn't anything new, it wasn't like they had to hide it; then again arrested and kidnapped were two totally different things, now weren't they?

Ethan scratched at his head as he gave the area another look over, wondering just what in the world had happened. So maybe she had been hurt while captured, and now they were bringing her to whoever had asked for her capture in the first place. Okay, he'd buy that, but then why leave their place open and so obvious? Maybe they had left in a hurry, but again for what reason? Walking about a bit in the area he'd mulled that over, stopping when he noticed something strange. Just off to the side of the road he saw skid marks, or rather, marks that looked like someone had been dragged. Arching an eyebrow he walked across the grass and to the tree line, eyes widening when he saw some legs sticking out from behind a tree. Hurrying over he was shocked to find a man propped up against the tree, one eye swollen shut and nose dry with blood, but alive. Just what in the heck was this?

Something didn't really feel right, what was this guy doing out here? Kneeling down to inspect the man he double checked for a pulse, relieved to find one on him. It was then Ethan noticed a sheath on his hip, yet no blade was there. Okay, so he was out cold and his weapon missing, had he been mugged? Furrowing his brow in thought the Magi got up to go report what he'd found, instead freezing on the spot when he swore he felt eyes on his back. Then, the rustling of leaves up above told him he was in danger, and a hand shot down into his pouch. In a matter of seconds he had taken out his sword and unfolded it, catching a pair of daggers and deflecting his attacker, managing to knock them away. Giving one look at who'd come after him and his jaw dropped, his mind a mess as he tried to make sense of this. Wasn't that Nymira?!

Was he with these criminals as well? He didn't quite dress the part, but then she wasn't familiar with their customs, so he might well be. The fact he was armed was reason enough to be wary, and she assumed he had been checking on what must be his comrade. She had only just managed to break out of their custody, she had absolutely no intentions of going back. Watching the Muran man with her uniquely colored purple eyes, she immediately went back in for an attack when he tried to speak. She wasn't going to be tricked or lied to, she had business here and couldn't waste time in captivity like some novelty. Jumping up she swung her smaller frame around, slicing in a circular motion with both daggers, finding both of her attacks blocked. Immediately upon landing she tried to trip the man, doing so but watching in frustration as he caught himself on one hand and flipped himself back, easing out of the trees. No way was she letting him get away. Charging after him she made a series of stabbing motions at his torso and head, missing each time or having her strikes deflected. Why wasn't he attacking back? Just what was he playing at?

"Nymira! Please, I'm not your enemy!" Ethan said hastily, ducking and then leaning to avoid the two daggers, "I'm here to help you!" Yikes, here she came again! Trying to parry one of her daggers he gritted his teeth when she knocked his sword away, having to catch both her wrists instead to stop her from stabbing him. Hardly deterred she tried kicking him right between the legs, raising his own leg to block that before falling backwards, rolling and kicking her away as he scrambled for his sword, "I mean it, I'm your friend! Please stop!"

Friend? She didn't have a friend here, only Norman even remotely qualified as such. Nor was she here to make friends, she was here on important business and didn't have time to waste socializing. This man was just another criminal trying to deceive her, of that she was certain. Gathering herself up after he'd thrown her aside, Nymira was prepared to attack again until she realized there were more eyes on her, tensing up and turning to face Amuné and Cecil. Were they with him as well? But one of them was a child... Just what was this? If they had said anything up until now she'd missed it, totally engrossed in her duel with the Mura. Now that she realized there were three people... What should she do? Use magic? She was supposed to be forbidden from doing so, yet she was getting tired of fighting and the odds were technically against her. "Just leave... I have no problems with you..." Nymira spoke, her voice soft yet commanding as she glanced between the three strangers.

Uchiha Reborn

Huh... Was he really starting to look like a ninja? Obviously he was working towards that, as many children in Konohagakure did, so hearing that made him somewhat happy. His chest filled with a bit of pride, and a faint smile even crept to his lips. He wasn't ever in doubt of becoming a shinobi, he felt he was more or less guaranteed to succeed, but it was still nice hearing it from an adult. "My own headband..." Sasuke mumbled, touching his own forehead thoughtfully and completely missing Yura's gesture. That would be something alright, he wondered what it would be like.

Daydreaming aside, he really should get to repairing his arrows. He'd only so many of them left, and if he let them dull then he'd have even less. Hurrying off to his room for the tools, he returned shortly thereafter and placed them on the table for Yura to inspect, hoping she could show him how it was done. Did she even know how? Itachi used to handle it for him, and he'd occasionally polish one or watch, but he'd never really done it before. Watching her intently as she went about the process he drank in every movement, wanting to be absolutely certain he knew what he was doing. In no short order she had her first arrow like new again, its edges sharp and the tips almost shining from the polish.

"Oh, you want me to do one...?" Sasuke asked, blinking once before grabbing a file of his own. Well he had seen how to do it, so how hard could it be replicating the process? As it happened, quite hard, as he was finding quickly that getting the edges just right was a tricky effort. Granted if they were true arrows then it might be easier, but these makeshift ones were somewhat unwieldy when it came to shaping and carving them out. After a fair bit longer than Yura had taken he managed to pull it off, setting aside his first right next to her own. It was clear who had done which, yet his was serviceable and ought to fire just fine.

"Yeah, they do. It's not a whole lot though. Mostly just enough for a little food, and maybe some new clothes now and again," Sasuke answered mechanically, busy going about tending to his arrows, "Some villagers bring food by too, but it always goes bad. I usually try to eat when I'm at the academy then, or when I'm coming home, since I can buy food then." It meant he ate out fairly often as well, more than before for certain. Leftovers and take-out, hardly the ideal way for a child to be feeding themselves, not that he knew any better. Placing down his second arrow he snatched up a third, glancing up at Yura before he started it. "Does the hokage know you're here? Did he send you?" He wasn't sure why, but that thought just occurred to him then.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

There were so many buildings in this general area it might take weeks to search them all, and they didn't have that kind of time. Ethan was seriously concerned they might be hopelessly lost until Amuné pointed out a building for them to inspect. At first glance it didn't seem to stand out much, if only the front door appeared to be open. Since they had no other leads at this point he figured why not, venturing over and hesitantly entering, only to find it utterly devoid of other life. Well that wasn't completely true, there were probably some bugs here, and maybe a rat or two, but no people, and certainly no Nymira. There wasn't any signs of anyone having been here, at least not until they went down and inspected the basement.

Blood was never a good sign, people didn't usually bleed unless they were injured. The fact that this blood appeared to be fresh too only furthered Ethan's concerns, not even sure if Nymira was alive at this point. No, he had to think positively, she might be hurt but she had to be alive, killing her wouldn't make any sense. People usually were after something when they kidnapped a person, right? So unless they got whatever they were after she'd be alive, she had to be. Optimism was fine and all, but without any clues as to where the Dimura might have been brought they were still hopelessly lost. The only thing Ethan could think to suggest was see if there was some indication of where they had gone, maybe head out of town and see if they ran into the group. He didn't know what they'd do if they found a bunch of undoubtedly armed men, but he'd cross that bridge when they got to it.

Cecil had a more thought out plan than just stumble along and hope they find something; look for a trail of blood. The puddle and stains left behind weren't terribly big, meaning Nymira probably wasn't bleeding all that heavily, but she'd still be bleeding. If they could manage to find even just a drop or two every so often then they'd know they were on the right path. "Right, good thinking Cecil. We'll follow any trails, and head out of town if it takes us that way. Wherever it leads." Never mind paying Norman back for his help, this was about someone's life being in immediate danger, that came before anything else. Ethan had no problem in working to pay back the engineer, he did have a huge problem though with failing to save a girl from certain doom. Wasting no time then he hurried back to the stairs, racing up them and back out the door. They had come from that direction, which could only mean Nymira had been taken...

"This way!" he announced, quickly taking off down the way they had been heading earlier. Not too quickly though, he had to remember to keep an eye out for any blood, or some other signs that Nymira had been moved. The first dozen or so meters yielded no results, but after spotting a smudge on the ground Ethan slowed his pace, relieved to find it was a splotch of fresh blood. It had to be her, so they must be going the right way! Every bit of him wanted to just take off at full speed to find her, but he had to be mindful of the trail, and his companions. Glancing back to make certain he hadn't lost them he continued on, keeping his eyes low for any more spots. There was another one, and soon after another, there was no doubting they were on her trail now. Just how far had she been moved though?

Pretty soon they were reaching the edge of Galloway, and buildings began to thin out, giving way to fields and a sparse treeline. Though there was no one readily visible, Ethan managed to find a bit more blood smeared on a wooden post, meaning this was still on her trail. But where was she then? And how much further did they have to go? Panting a bit from having run out here, Ethan gave the immediate area a look over before letting out a sigh, wiping some sweat from his face on his sleeve. "She can't have gotten that far away, so where is she...?" he wondered aloud, frowning as he turned back to the group, "Should we split up a bit...? Or fan out at least, we can cover more ground then..." Immediately after suggesting that however he shook his own head, folding his arms and kicking a small pebble aside. "But if she's being held, then splitting up is dangerous... So how do we find her...?"

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

With Father having decided to oversee training, Vegeta found himself once more at the helm of Viral's recovery. Not a necessarily bad thing, and it was refreshing to see the progress had been made. Had he completely recovered? Not in the slightest but even with just a day's worth of sleep one could tell he'd improved. Less agitated, even healthier looking, it was hard to argue with the benefits of some proper rest. Not wanting the efforts to go to waste, Vegeta had planned an entire day out for the Beastman, intent on continuing his recovery to the fullest. Today in particular would include a great deal of training, but perhaps not the training he was expecting. Instead, they would be doing several workouts to rebuild muscle mass and endurance, as those would be crucial in combat training anyways. Just because it was not combat oriented persay did not mean Vegeta intended to take it easy on his brother, in fact he planned for anything but. "I'm sure you've gathered by now that we won't be sparring today," he spoke plainly, hardly wasting time with his words, "Instead, I was thinking we can do some simple exercises, to rebuild your strength. Once you've regained muscle mass and some stamina, then we can go into the sparring. This may not be what you were hoping for, but father and I decided this was the best method of approach for you, so we'll give it a try. Feel up to the task?"

When Sasha had volunteered for watching over Kiton, she hadn't quite appreciated just how dull the job might be. She had mostly taken the post to spare the alien from being with Ricken, and it was a good thing she had; Ricken wouldn't have been nearly as sympathetic as she was trying to be, making this much worse for Kiton. Still though, in having to keep him within the facility, she herself was bound to it as well. Hardly ideal, and there wasn't quite any way to get out of it either. Maybe not the duty itself, but there may be some way to perhaps liven up things a little. She had been deliberating over something for the better part of a day now, and after weighing the risks and benefits she had decided to go for it. As they were sat around Kiton's temporary housing, Sasha took one glance up at the lone window before standing up, clasping her hands together before pointing towards it. "We're going into the city today," she said firmly, "I'm sick of just staying inside here, and I know you must be too. I've been with you constantly since you showed up, I can tell you're not going to do anything. If Korian gets upset then I'll explain it to him, but we're leaving." She didn't know where, or for how long, but it was high time they got out for a little while. Opening up the door to Kiton's room she waved him on, smiling slightly as she did so. "I'll take whatever flack comes our way for this, so don't worry. Now hurry up before someone higher up sees us."

Shu having recovered quick as he did was great, as was the fact they were allowed to go out and do things again. Sure, it stunk that T'charrl wasn't quite well yet, but they'd be stopping by their friends room for daily lessons, so it wasn't as if they weren't seeing him. On top of recovery, they were even going to be trained by someone, a fact that Takeshi really looked forward to; he could fight, sure, but it was woefully apparent by now a trainer he was not, and it was only fitting that someone else take the job. That had been his mentality going into things, but upon seeing Krom waiting for them he quickly doubled back. Honestly, him of all people, HE was training them? Whatever the story about him and his father was aside, he didn't care for the Elite at all. Standing, arms crossed and sour-faced, Takeshi frowned at Krom as they waited for instructions, not at all trying to hide the fact he wasn't happy about this. "Seriously... We have to do what you say? Whose fricken idea was this...?" he grumbled, huffing before pointing at the Elite, "We've beaten you, so how the hell are you supposed to train us? Isn't a trainer supposed to be, you know, stronger than his students?" Okay, maybe that wasn't the case, both he and Shu could probably have moped the floor with Roshi. But there was a big difference between the old pervert and this jerkwad: he actually respected Roshi, and that was something Krom would never have from him.

Uchiha Reborn

Sasuke wasn't typically fond of being told what to do, at least not by a stranger, yet he was finding it nice. Having some kind of routine in his life again helped, and it certainly beat moping about. He may not be finding the usual joy he did when it came to archery, yet it was a nice enough change that he appreciated it all the same. With arrow heads dulling, it wasn't long before he had to stop his session, collecting and putting away each arrow. It'd probably take a good few minutes to get them back all up to snuff, even longer if he had to do it himself; Itachi had taught him, but Sasuke had never really sharpened the arrows himself before now. Sooner or later he'd get some with heads that were durable too, but for training purposes he had hand made, very unreliable ones.

Tired and sweaty, Sasuke figured he'd trained enough and could go back inside. His arm ached from the strain the bow placed on it, and tomorrow at the academy he'd probably still be feeling the burn. That wasn't even including the actual training he still had to do, which now was going to be even more difficult due to soreness. He could complain or get down on himself about it, yet if he did then he'd never amount to much as a shinobi. His life was probably going to be spent being largely uncomfortable, as if he wasn't already, so best to get used to it now. Their instructors always said the life of a ninja was a hard one, and the kids usually snickered or made jokes about it. People died in the line of duty though, and those who came back sometimes were injured beyond recognition, so it really was a hard life. Maybe they didn't appreciate it yet, his peers, but Sasuke knew first hand how dark a shinobi's world could be.

Lost in his own, dark little world he'd not paid much mind to Yura when he first came in, glancing at the glass of water as it was handed over. Nodding his head gratefully he took a long sip before setting his bow and quiver aside, taking a seat on a small chair. "You think... I look like a ninja...?" he asked, glancing up curiously. Weird, was all it took to look the part to be sweaty and tired? Nearly dropping his glass when he caught the towel, the young Uchiha went about wiping himself down meticulously; it wasn't quite a shower, but until he got a chance to really wash off this would have to do. When the bulk of the sweat was wiped clean he folded the towel at his side, ready to get to work on restoring his weapons.

"Um... In my room, near where I keep the bow," he explained, fetching his things and showing Yura the way. His room, despite all that had gone on as of late, was still orderly and clean as ever. The tools they needed for his arrows were in a small black box at his bedside, tucked beneath a table supporting a lamp. Grabbing said container he placed it on his bed, undoing the latch and pulling out a file, some polish and a bit of rough paper. "Nii-san... Uh... Itachi used to do this for me, so I'm not really sure what to do..." Sasuke mumbled softly as he looked between the objects, wondering which to use first. Was it the file? Or maybe the paper, then the file to refine the edges. And where did the polish come in?