GambolMuse

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

In spite of that being a fairly gruesome dream Vegeta didn't appear to flinch at all. Keeping an indifferent expression, he remained silent for a moment before letting out a sigh, running a hand through his hair with a small nod. "I see... I suppose that's to be expected. That event on Pagonia left its mark, and it's only natural you'd have a nightmare about it. Because I know it's just a manifestation of your fears and self-doubts, not your desire, I have no reason to be worried." Well, that wasn't fair to say, but rather he knew the chances of such a thing were incredibly low. Viral had always managed to retain some semblance of control, either that or they could help him do so; with his condition bound to begin improving as well there would be even less reason to worry. Proposing to carry on with exercising, Viral changed the workout by opting for push-ups instead. "So it really did a number on your legs, hm?" Vegeta asked, crouching down and folding his arms across his knees, "Perhaps we could have the meal sooner than I suggested? Some nutrition will help your muscles recover faster. And, if you're still serious about training, then it can only be beneficial."

Leto wanted to try and help Kiton, even if he didn't know him. Since joining the rebels he was certain the majority of people were good in this war, and sometimes good people were made to do bad things. Yamate was perhaps the one exception to that rule thus far; even the likes of Krom seemed decent, they just had their hands forced. "I understand that, and... I guess I should apologize, my young friend. It's not right for me to talk about you like I know you," the Yulian admitted, "But... The little I do know makes you seem similar, that's all." In hopes that a change of scenery would help some, Leto had begun to lead Kiton towards the lake, gradually moving away from the thickly populated center. Buildings began to thin, and residential buildings gave way to store houses and commercial districts. "There's a difference between being a bad person, and doing bad things to survive," Leto added certainly, looking down at Kiton with watery eyes, "Do not confuse them my friend. You did what you needed to in order to live, no one can fault you for that. But now you have a chance to leave that life, to live comfortably and be among others. Don't you want that for yourself? I can't think of a more beautiful thing!"

Damn it! Why wasn't this working? They weren't fancy attacks or anything but he put a lot of power into them, yet Krom was blocking and dodging them like nothing! Takeshi was doing this to try and show Shu that this creep wasn't all that, but instead he was making himself look like an ass. Gritting his teeth furiously he threw a pair of quick punches, stopping promptly when both of his hands were grabbed. Damn it all, he was being toyed with wasn't he?! Growling in frustration he tried to jump up and headbutt Krom, getting nothing but air in the process. To add insult to injury he was then used as a ragdoll and thrown to the side, managing to plant the landing and get to his feet. He was bristling with anger by now, his fists trembling as Krom spoke down to him. That was how he fought, he wasn't treating it like some everyday brawl! "So what should I do then, huh?! What?!" Takeshi shouted, throwing a hand towards Krom angrily, "When I trained they didn't teach me much of anything, they said the way I fought was fine! If you're so great, then what am I supposed to do, huh? What makes you right and those other bastards wrong?" He was supposed to show up Krom and make Shu feel better, now he was just making himself furious.

"I just want to know what you think in a fight Shu. Why does leaping like that seem like the way you should attack me?" If there was some false ideas behind it, perhaps Aito could try to dispel those thoughts. Takeshi was in the same boat as Shu it seemed, both could fight and yet there was no discipline behind it. They fought, simply put, like children: throwing limbs everywhere in hopes of hurting their opponent. Plenty of strength yet no refinement, they were in essence a battering ram smashing against a reinforced door, never getting anywhere. Giving the young Saiyan another suggestion, Aito waited patiently for him to make his move. The attacks that followed seemed half-hearted at best, and didn't pack quite as much as a punch as he might have thought. "Hm... Shu? You have your legs too, don't you? And that tail of yours," he observed, blocking one of Shu's attacks before grabbing his hand gently and lowering his arm. Squatting down before Shu then he smiled, waving a hand to tell the boy to relax a little. "You know what? I think you could be really good at sticking to an opponent. You're fast, and you can hit pretty hard, maybe you should focus on staying close to the person you fight?" Did that make sense? It was a little challenging to tell with Shu, he seemed to misunderstand or misconstrue what he was told a lot. "I guess in other words... You're good at climbing, right? And moving around really quickly? Use those to your advantage. If I throw a punch at you, dodge it and try to somehow counter me. Would you like an example of what I mean?"

A Grimm War [Vena Sera & Scout]

Dragging the Death Stalker outdoors seemed to make more sense to Ulyssa: they could fight better in the open, and they would be better able to see, which was obviously a benefit. Owyn, for some possibly masochistic reason, didn't seem to agree with her however. If they weren't going to move then fine, they would just have to capitalize on an otherwise lousy situation and make the best of it. She knew full well that Huntsmen were rarely dealt an ideal hand in a battle, this was a good a test as any to see how well she and her future partner might handle adversity.

Using the faint glow of the torch, Ulyssa struck out with her blade and met its mark, the pull of flesh and cries of agony a telltale sign she'd found the Grimm. Ignoring the splatter of blood that caught her clothes, she tried to take a second leg but instead had to back off as the tail swung at her haphazardly, blocking any potential follow-ups. Were she the only person fighting this beast then that would have been annoying, but with the Death Stalker defending against her that now enabled Owyn to take a shot of his own. Again, limited visibility left her largely unaware, but the sound of flesh being torn asunder, and the roar of the Grimm, let her know he had found his target.

With the torchlight glistening off of the stinger she was able to assess the damage already done; hanging by literal threads, if they could just remove that then the Death Stalker's most lethal weapon was gone. She didn't need Owyn telling her what to do next, though she went about his instructions regardless. "Right, I got it! Keep it busy!" Turning around, Ulyssa made a leap at the wall some several feet up, extending one leg and twisting her body before springing off, shooting herself towards the Death Stalker. With her newfound height reaching the stinger was no problem, and with a spinning slash she managed to sever it completely. Her feet hitting the stone floor was drowned out by the clanging of the stinger smashing into rocks, and the howls of the Grimm served to silence her as well. "We got it! Alright!" she celebrated, beaming as she turned back to their enemy, "Now to finish it off!"

---

There was something eerily beautiful about ruins like this, overgrown with vegetation and remarkably well preserved. Soren was no stranger to seeing buildings in shambles as it was common in Vacuo, yet those ruins generally were worn down, covered in sand and often times home to any number of nasty creatures. So far these ruins seemed to be peaceful, not a single sign of a Grimm anywhere and a proverbial sanctuary in the Emerald Forest. For that reason alone Lyra bounded across the courtyard, apparently not even remotely considering there might be danger as she went directly for the chess pieces. While she mused to herself over which to grab, not that Soren thought it particularly important, he kept an ear out for anyone or anything in the area. Wild animals waited until their prey was vulnerable or relaxed to attack, and he was sure the Grimm in the forest were no different.

"It's possible, we fought Grimm on the way here," Soren muttered, frowning as he looked off towards one of the adjacent corridors. Had he just heard a roar? Or was he imagining things? Staring at the entry way for a moment he shook his head, turning his golden eyes back onto Lyra as she continued to speak. "We have our piece, I suppose we don't need to stay here..." It would be easier to meet their team, but then they could always meet later too. He didn't particularly have any intention on playing hero and try saving their peers, yet if confronted with it he'd obviously try to, as no doubt Lyra would as well. But where to even begin? Emerald Forest was expansive to say the very least, and there was no accurate way of gauging where the others might even be. "We can double back the way we came, wait for someone outside..."

There it was again, a distant roar. Only this time it was far clearer than the last, and it echoed in a strange way that suggested it was indoors somewhere. Though Soren's heart climbed to his throat his expression remained steady, glancing over at Lyra with a slight frown. "You heard that too, didn't you...? It's a Grimm..." Inside the temple? He supposed it was possible, though he'd not even considered it really up until now. With weapon in hand he began moving towards the corridor in question, beginning to get a bit of foreboding from what might lie beyond the shadows here. "Stay here Lyra, in case anyone else comes," he called back, disappearing through the darkness and breaking into a jog down the hall. He was blind without her help, but thanks to the slight glow his blade gave off he could use it as a makeshift source, only just enough to light the path before him. If someone was fighting a Grimm alone here then they may need help, and he'd be damned if another student died without a fighting chance.

Uchiha Reborn

Naruto was not someone Sasuke felt he could handle right now. Even with all the problems he faced, the blond somehow managed to smile, laugh and joke around in class. Him though? The Uchiha boy spent every day now in a somber silence, unable to so much as crack a sincere smile anymore. It was difficult to say exactly what it was what made him uneasy around Naruto. Was it envy, envy that the other boy could somehow be happy? Or maybe it was disdain at that fact, that he should be every bit as miserable as Sasuke, as both their situations were grim. He didn't know, and whether he felt any discontent or not he couldn't shake the sympathy he also felt, wondering why it was that Naruto was treated so poorly.

"Do you think we should...? I mean..." Did he really want Naruto coming over his house? When everyone looked down on him so badly, what might bringing the other boy home do to his clan and its name? He was the only surviving member save for Yura, Sasuke felt he had to preserve what honor his clan might have left. Was bringing such a despised kid over his house going to tarnish that? Yet at the same time the young Uchiha felt a desire to try and help, or at the very least reach out to Naruto; they had been almost friends before, and while they were never terribly close maybe now they could try changing that.

"I think I'll go get him... Uh... See you at the house," Sasuke mumbled, handing off his bag to Yura before turning and hurrying back to where they had been. Naruto wasn't in the same spot, no surprise, yet it only took a bit of searching to track down the blond. Spotting Naruto walking towards the downtown district, Sasuke hurried after him and reached out to grab his hand to stop him, forcing a small smile as he did so. "Wait! I uh... I wanted to ask you something..." he explained, letting go of the other boy and rubbing at his arm awkwardly. "Uh... We're going to have lunch soon... Do you... Want to join us? We have enough for one more person."

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"Either way we should try it. At worst nothing changes, at best you're able to eat again, even if in small portions. I'd say the risk of that is definitely worth it." If Viral was able to eat again then he should improve substantially, even if it was only gradual at first. "We'll get over that though, it's not going to be a permanent issue. Try going into this meal with the notion that things can improve, a little optimism may help move things along." At this point in the cycle anything would help; Viral had been ill for so long, even marginal improvements would be seen as grand by now. Taking the glass from Viral once he was done, Vegeta set it by the wall mats and gestured for the Beastman to get back to his feet, intent on continuing their exercises all the same. So he'd gotten tired from running, there was no reason to slow down just because he was tired; some lighter exercises like lunges or squats would do the trick, just to keep him active. "We can do something else first then come back to running. I figure perhaps... Squats? Unless your legs feel too worn after running, in which case we can go back to push-ups, just repeat what we did earlier."

Maybe Sasha was missing what Kiton was saying, but then the same could be said for him. You didn't have to take part in a war to be effected by it, to know loss or strife or any of the awful things that came with it. It was beyond frustrating to her, for someone who had witnessed death and loss to be told she was wrong. They were similar, her and the Frost Demon, yet the latter couldn't seem to grasp that; never mind her and Kiton, he wasn't even remotely giving rise to the idea that the young girl from before was tainted too. It was as though unless someone had it as bad as he did they couldn't be 'tainted', or grieve. That was wrong, there were obviously different ways people were effected, yet it didn't make anyone's problems any less significant. Unable to stay here without going off on Kiton, Sasha stormed off to find somewhere to calm down, not wanting to fight with him right now. What a stupid thing to argue about, loss and hardship, it was like they were competing to see who had it worse.

"If I may... I think you two are actually both very close, at least in how you feel. Your experiences were just different, and you don't know how to reconcile those differences," Leto said thoughtfully, giving a nod of his head, "I don't know what you went through, and to be honest, I don't know what Miss Sasha went through either. I'd be happy to listen if either of you wanted to talk though, it's the least I can do." Aside from the Saiyans he had a relatively good early life, certainly nowhere to the degree of difficulty that some of these people were having. He definitely never had to live as Kiton did, as a criminal, even when he was in the Empire's ranks he had been treated relatively well. "Nonsense, I promise that there are wondrous sights awaiting us! Stay positive my friend, enjoy the beauty of this world for what it is! And enjoy having a peace of mind for the first time in years."

Takeshi was certain he'd be able to hit Krom like this, there was no way there was enough space for the guy to react. So when he tried throwing a quick punch at the Elite's face and found himself blocked, he only grew more frustrated by the second. Trying to force his fist through he gritted his teeth angrily, unable to do anything as he was thrown off and away like a fly. "And you're lucky I'm not supposed to kill you! Because I'd really love to!" This jerk treating him lightly, he wasn't some pushover dammit! Slamming a foot into the ground again he pushed off and darted back at Krom, throwing a straight right jab at the man's gut, fully expecting it to be blocked. If it was blocked then he'd immediately try to hit him with his left, and should that fail he'd simply jump up, driving his head into Krom's chin seeing as he was shorter than the guy. "Don't treat me like some helpless kid! I can fight!"

From the sounds of things Krom certainly had the more difficult of the two boys. Aito was secretly grateful for as much, as unless Shu went and changed, training with him would be a cakewalk. Both boys needed work in the way they fought, yet he was optimistic they could refine their unique... Styles and salvage something from it. After brushing Shu off on his first attack, the doctor gave him a small piece of advice, wanting to see what Shu might do with it. Then, waiting for the next move he watched the young boy carefully, assuming the same relaxed stance as he began coming in for an attack. The sudden jump to the side was different, but again not wholly difficult to deal with. Instead of pushing Shu aside this time, Aito simply grabbed him by the shirt and caught him, holding him out with a slight smile on his face. "I'm curious... Why is it you feel the need to try and charge every time?" he asked, setting Shu down on his feet, "It makes your attacks to obvious, like what your brother does. Maybe try fighting me here, now that we're close enough to trade blows? I'd like to see how you fight, if you'll indulge me."

A Grimm War [Vena Sera & Scout]

"But what if we needed one? Your 'weak suit' could kill us," Ulyssa retorted, giving Owyn a cross look as she placed a hand on her hip, "I'll be sure to give you a golden sticker when we get back for effort, okay?" So maybe he was good at fighting, yet completely helpless when it came to being outdoors. That was somewhat problematic, she'd have to manage for both herself and him then, and potentially whoever else might be on their team. "And don't you think I know that? I've prepared as much as I can for this, I know what we're doing." She'd fought Grimm, studied the Initiation itself as best she could, and now was trying to take charge of the situation at hand. Owyn just didn't quite come across as the leader type, not a very good first impression to make. That could well change though depending on how things went hereon out.

They had gone some ways into the temple before finding something, yet it wasn't the relics they stumbled across. Pausing when Owyn kicked a rock along the corridor, Ulyssa listened to the sound as far as it went, just to gauge how much distance was left. It didn't seem to hit a wall, meaning they had some ways still until they got through. Just as she had begun to walk again, the sound of skittering brought her once more to a complete halt. Spotting the telltale, glowing red eyes ahead and a large golden stinger made her draw her weapon, readying herself for a fight in these cramped spaces.

"We shouldn't fight here though, it's too cramped. We'd be better off outside." They could lure it back outside, use the open space to their advantage and bring it down there. If they fought in here, with reduced visibility and space, the chances of injury were far greater. Ulyssa never even got a chance to voice her concerns though as Owyn went right on in to the fight, his blade clanging against the armor plating of the large Grimm. "Or we can fight here! Sure, I love fighting in the dark!" Ulyssa lamented, rolling her eyes and darting off to the side. Moron, trying to battle in here, things just became infinitely more difficult for them.

While Owyn acted as a distraction, Ulyssa cut around the Grimm's left flank and get a better angle on it for attack. Her shoes clattered faintly along the stone floors, yet were drowned out by the clanging of Owyn's blade against the Death Stalker's claws. Good, she had at least a moment of surprise, she had to make it count. One of the first things she'd been taught as a prospective Huntsmen was to limit a Grimm's mobility, especially the larger ones. To that end, Ulyssa struck the flat of her blade with two extended fingers, causing the metal to vibrate slightly. Then, using the sound of its limbs hitting the ground she zoned in on one, the faint light of the torch helping as well. With sword in hand she made a jump at its hindmost left leg, trying to sever it at the joint and cripple the beast.

---

So he was basically playing bodyguard in this situation, wasn't he? Sure he couldn't see in here, but then Lyra probably couldn't fight. These corridors felt rather cramped, drawing a bow then was pretty much out of the question. She did have her claws, granted, but then was it wide enough even for both of them to fight? His weapon had an awfully wide swing, it would be tricky to make attacks without potentially catching Lyra in the crossfire. So yes, he was essentially a bodyguard now, a fact he wasn't thrilled with yet wasn't going to fuss over; he'd certainly fight if he had to, he just would rather not have to expend the energy for it.

"So you can see... Great," Soren said with a sigh, relieved one of them was at least aware of their surroundings. Aside from their own sounds this place was silent, both a relief and a concern as there was no telling what might be inside here. There was every reason to expect Grimm, and the fact they hadn't encountered anything just yet hardly placated him. Maybe once they actually reached the relics they would run into some trouble, not that he was hoping for it.

As if on the same line of thinking, Lyra brought up the relics as well. Only she sounded far more anxious about it than he was, borderline outright panicking over the prospect of finding a less-than-perfect teammate. Sighing to himself, Soren continued to press on ahead as she had her fit, just trying to focus on getting to the relics for the time being. "If that happens then we work harder to make up for it. That's why it's a team of four, I guess... One or two weak links don't drag everyone down." Or it shouldn't, he couldn't imagine himself or Lyra being unable to handle themselves though. The two of them had handily dispatched a pair of Beowulves earlier, and yes while they were smaller than normal they were still dealt with. Point being? Soren was already confident in their ability, and their potential to carry weaker members of a team.

Up ahead one could see natural light seeping into the tunnel, making Soren wonder if perhaps they had gotten turned around somehow. That was one possibility, the other was maybe there was a break in the wall, or this was just another entrance and they were going to have to double back. As they drew closer it became apparent that they had actually found a courtyard, or the remains of one. A few carved pillars stood in the center, others toppled over and shattered, with benches dotting the space and long-since withered flowerbeds lined the edges. What Soren took most notice of however was the altar in the center, and in particular the small golden objects along its surface. Cutting directly across the space to the alter, his eyebrows arched slightly in surprise seeing they were indeed the chess pieces they were after, thinking it an incredible stroke of luck they had made it here. "Huh... Wonder why those other students aren't here yet..."

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"Well then... We can just cook something for you after this, something you're familiar with," Vegeta said as he shut down the gravity fields. The droning of the generators silenced within seconds, and the room was back to its regular settings. "Perhaps instead of a whole filet, I'll prepare a few ounces of steak for you, and some drink to wash it down with. The equivalent of a few bites, surely that wouldn't be a problem." Tender or well cooked? The texture and consistency of the food may well play a factor as well, perhaps he'd prepare two different, small portioned plates and see which one the Beastman took to. "There is no reason to continue with it when we can train under regular conditions. You proven to me you can do this, and you've also shown it'll be a while until you can do it without difficulty. So we'll just start at regular gravity, and ease it up." Push it now and he might injure himself, then they would be in worse position than they were now. "Do you feel up to doing a few more exercises? I want to try getting you to eat later as well, but we might as well work while we're here."

"So what is it? She's tainted because she's known war, or she's tainted because she lost someone? You're saying two things at once Kiton, is it one or the other?" She hated speaking about a child like this, it was nothing that should even involve someone as young as that girl. It was exasperating to be with someone like the Frost Demon right now, he was being shown obvious kindness and completely throwing it away. Frowning at the mention of loss, Sasha placed her hands on her hips and leaned in to get in Kiton's face testily. "I DO know what it's like to lose everyone and everything. Sure, I have Ricken, but our family? My home planet? I can return if I want, but there's nothing there for us now. I have none of my possessions, I'll never see most of my loved ones again, and returning to my home world wouldn't do me any good, it's a wasteland now." She knew the pain of loss plenty well, and while she did have more than Kiton, marginally, it had still been an awful experience. He could have a family again if he let the rebels be that family, or even the Princes and their group. Sighing at his woes over being pitied, Sasha straightened up and started walking again, with Leto standing back uncertain as what to do. "You're in a bad state, there's nothing wrong with people trying to help. Stop being so cynical and prideful, accept where you are now and make the best of it. Otherwise you sound like you'd rather be on your own than here, and I'm sure that could be arranged."

"M-Miss Sasha, you don't mean that!" Leto said quickly, gaping as he watched her continue to walk away without another word. Biting his lip briefly, the Yulian glanced down at Kiton and placed a hand on his back, giving it a pat and being mindful not to knock the small alien over. "She didn't mean that I'm sure, please don't take it to heart. She does seem to know how you feel though, and I'm sure some of those emotions must be raw for her. Why don't we let her go, and I'll show you some of the nicer places in the city?" If the two of them stayed together then they were just going to argue, they each needed some time apart to cool down and think. Clearing his throat, Leto stood upright and fixed his uniform, trying to diffuse the awkward silence with a typical over-exaggerated remark. "Come! Let's venture forth and see what wonders await us!"

"Whatever. So you're a threat to Shu, all the more reason to do it," Takeshi retorted, going right on in for the attack. As usual he went for a feign, trying to catch Krom off guard and land a hit on his blind spot. To absolutely no one's surprise it didn't work, and he tried then to follow up by grabbing the Elite and throw him off of his feet. Even though he'd gotten a hold of the guy he couldn't move him at all, finding himself tossed about as he hung on to keep the distance close. "And remember you're fighting me, not Shu!" Pulling himself closer to Krom still, Takeshi reeled his right arm back and tried to punch the Saiyan right in the face, hoping he was too close to the guy for him to react in time.

Shu was likely going to be nervous training with anyone but Takeshi. In fact he didn't seem comfortable unless he was with his brother constantly, why was that? Attachment issues? Lack of confidence? Perhaps both, it was hard to say with certainty just yet. That was a matter for later though, right now Aito wanted to see what Shu was capable of. "Yes, I'll offer suggestions, helpful tips to make you more effective. I guess saying it was bad isn't right, more... How you can get better." He didn't want Shu thinking he was inadequate, that was not the purpose of this at all. Taking a stance and preparing for their session, Aito waited patiently for the young boy to make the first move. As expected he went with a very heavily telegraphed lunge, which while fast was easily predictable and countered. Stepping somewhat to the side, the doctor used one hand to push Shu slightly as well, sending him away before spinning on his heel to face the boy. "Instead of making one big leap, why not try running at me? Or taking several shorter, quicker leaps?" he suggested, smiling as he spoke, "Putting it all into one jump makes it all or nothing, but if you take more time, there's more things you can do. Understand?"

A Grimm War [Vena Sera & Scout]

"I don't have anything to light a torch, or anything to make a torch. I suppose we could make a fire, then light a branch..." Ulyssa mumbled, thinking it over with herself. Hm, she had been taught how to make a torch before, but did she have the materials for it? Branches were a definite yes, and she could find some spare cloth somewhere, if not from her own outfit. That just left some kind of fuel to put on the cloth, no idea where she'd get that, and a means of lighting it. But where to get a fuel? What out here might burn for an extended period of time? Not knowing frustrated her, but it seemed like Owyn had them covered.

There were two perfectly good partners over by the temple, even if one did seem a bit stuffy. For whatever reason Lyra was wanting nothing to do with it, shooting down the proposal with no hesitation. Giving the Faunus a puzzled look, Soren hefted his shoulders in a shrug and gave the area another look. "They would need partners too though, I don't see why..." he began, eyes widening in slight surprise when his hand was grabbed and he was pulled away. Okay, for some reason Lyra really didn't want to partner with those two; her business was her own, he wasn't going to press her for details and ask why. He didn't see another entrance from here, chances were there wasn't one, yet that didn't deter the Faunus at all. "Okay, okay, quit pulling me," Soren replied, stumbling along to keep up with the anxious girl.

"Do I seem like I have a better idea? Why do you imagine I'm letting you do this?" She wished she could offer something, anything would be quicker than watching Owyn try to ignite a fire. Was it just her, or was he hopeless when it came to this? The look of confusion on his face would suggest as much, and part of her wondered if he'd ever done something like this in his life. Judging by his outfit too that was a very real possibility, he probably had someone to do it for him up until now. Great, a preppy moron with no idea of even the basics Ulyssa lamented, a bead of sweat dropping down her forehead as she watched him stare at the sticks, utterly lost. Hopefully I don't have to rely on him for much.

"I'll be damned... There's a rear entrance." Who would have thought? There were no other students out this way, and Soren was pretty certain there wouldn't be for some time. They had found this place completely by chance, the notion that it would be teeming with students any moment was a bit absurd then. So they found a way in, but unless they had night vision they were going to have a hard time of it. Taking the initiative, Lyra ran off and gathered supplies for a torch, returning promptly afterwards with a proud look plastered on her face. It was impressive to see her able to fashion a light source so readily, Soren had to give her that much.

"Yeah, we'll head in. I'll lead though, we don't know what's inside," Soren answered, withdrawing his weapon once more and unfolding it into its blade form. Holding it at his hip, he then began moving into the shadowed entrance, using the faint glow of Lyra's torch to guide him.

It was painfully apparent after watching Owyn that he had absolutely no idea what he was doing. Honestly, how difficult was it to start a fire? Sighing as he tried to solve it himself, Ulyssa forced a smile to her lips, though she snatched the tinder and twigs away from him impatiently. "If we were in dire straits, we'd be dead by now, I just want you to know that," she said, smiling up at her soon-to-be teammate, "But then we're not, so I guess it's okay you're useless!" She'd handle it then, so much for the man of the group doing anything. Laying out several sticks on the ground she surrounded it with some dried grass and leaves. Then, finding a small chunk of stone from the rubble, she withdrew her sword and held it in the center at an off-angle, beginning to strike the broad side with the stone. After a few swipes she managed to make sparks, and with sparks came flame.

"See, that wasn't so difficult was it?" Ulyssa taunted, grabbing a stick and bunching up grass around the tip. After using a long strip of grass to bind it to the stick, she ignited the entire thing and created a torch, thrusting it into Owyn's empty hands. "It won't last that long, but then we shouldn't be inside too long either. You lead, I'll be right behind you."

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

"Oh yeah, I guess we need a lot of stuff huh? Good thing we're getting a cart!" Ethan agreed, beaming as he thought about it, "This is going to be the first time all trip I'll have a tent, it's gonna be nice. Not getting wet when it rains..." Before he had to sleep under trees, and occasionally he'd pull a branch or two free and lace them together, trying to give himself more coverage. Drops always got through though, and really it was a miracle he wasn't sick yet from all the exposure. "You really think money's going to be such a problem? I mean sure, it's more than most people see, but we're a group. It's not like she's walking on her own with it." He could keep his sword at his hip as a deterrent if that helped any, albeit he wasn't that imposing even with his weapon. It wasn't as if they kept the coins out in the open either, Nymira had it tucked away in her clothes, and they could always hide it in the car to boot.

"So it is a lot then, hm... Strange, it all just seems like useless metal to me," Nymira remarked, frowning as she glanced down at her coin purse. Other than currency what use did these metals have? None that she could tell, meaning it was completely superficial. Yet if this was how the other peoples operated she'd have to learn their ways, and money was as important as it got. "I can try and exchange it at the stables, and if not... Maybe a shop?" Perhaps she should have asked Norman for some change, he probably had at least some money to spare. People were in and out of his shop fairly frequently, it would stand to reason he'd be able to help them out. Nymira agreed with Cecil riding along in the cart as well, seeing nothing good coming of him riding a horse. "Horses are difficult creatures if you've never ridden one. You may overwork it or scare it, and both cases you're going to get thrown off," she stated with a nod, glancing over at Cecil, "Though I don't imagine as a machine you'll be hurt by that."

Cecil probably wouldn't be hurt if thrown, yet that didn't mean they should go and chance it. Spooking a horse might make it run off, then they would have to chase it down or find it, and that could take a whole day. If they just outright lost it then that was a ton of gold down the drain and nothing to show for it, best they just not take that chance. So that was just two horses they would need then, was it? One to carry himself and Amuné, another to carry Nymira and their cart. "Figure this way we can move a lot quicker too, yeah? Even with just two horses we'll be faster than before," Ethan spoke optimistically, "Amuné and I should probably get the bigger of the two, since it'll be carrying more." That was provided the stables even had any big horses available; Ethan didn't know much about horses, but he knew enough to understand there were different breeds, and some places may not have a certain kind of breed. Certain breeds too were bigger or stronger than others, only problem was he hadn't a clue what the differences in any were.

The group caught a lucky break at the stables, as there was not only one but two large horses for sale. Evidently bred from a harem up north, these were a cross and thus sturdy and adaptable, just what they needed. Ethan seriously doubted they'd go into any extreme places like the frozen wastes, but it was comforting to know their steeds could handle it. The place even had a cart for them to take, albeit one without any cover for them to use. Not such a problem though, they could buy something later on to help with that. It was big enough to hold some supplies and even Cecil, and lightweight enough that the horses should be able to carry them. In all the entire trip ran them roughly 3 gold and 50 silvers, not really putting a dent in Nymira's modest fortune. Since horses could not be taken through Galloway proper, they were moved to the stables on the far end of town along with the cart, and extra funds were even paid before hand for the supplies they wanted to be gathered, leaving them more or less ready to get moving.

"I guess that just leaves getting back to Norman's then, huh? Get Cecil's stuff before we leave," Ethan mused aloud, watching as their horses were led off out of the gates, "Oh, and got to get Nymira's money changed over too, if we can. Then we should be all set!" Things were going to really get serious now, having horses meant they could make far better progress between towns. Not to mention they had supplies now, and with it a peace of mind should things go south. So long as they didn't have a run in with that old man from before again this trip should be plenty relaxing even. It was getting to be later in the day by now, so they probably only had a few hours of travel before night time, but with horses they could make it a good ways out before having to break for the evening. "This is gonna be great! Traveling's gonna be so easy now!"

A Grimm War [Vena Sera & Scout]

"No... But it means I don't have to accept help either. No sense in putting someone else at risk," Soren replied, hefting his shoulders up in a small shrug at her compliment. "Those were small ones, I doubt I could do it to a full grown Beowulf." He'd never really fought one before, at least not to any extreme extent. There were however a handful of nasty creatures back home, so he wasn't unaccustomed to fending off ferocious beasts. Really, what more was a Grimm than just another wild animal? Yes there were obvious differences, but if you viewed them as just another creature of the wilds then they weren't quite so intimidating. Watching the Faunus inspect his latest kill, Soren placed his weapon back and his hands in his pockets, waiting for her to come up with some kind of plan for them. He wasn't really one to initiate anything himself, he'd leave that to her.

Lyra, huh? And she was a local, or at least compared to him she was. There was some slight surprise in finding a Faunus here, given the animosity that some people still carried towards them. She'd get no such grief from him though, he was far more about live and let live. "Soren, and I'm from Vacuo," he answered simply, glancing back to his kills for a brief moment. That was right, there was likely going to be people from any number of kingdoms here. All these cultures clashing together, it was surely going to make for some interesting moments. Just between him and Lyra there were two completely different lifestyles, and he'd imagine their other teammates would be different as well. Following Lyra's lead, the pair began making their way for the temple, wherever that might be, to claim their piece and take the next step in this Initiation. "I'm sure we'll find it, eventually. Forest is pretty big..."

---

So he was planning ahead then was he? Ulyssa could appreciate that, though she wondered if he was considering the here and now as well. Planning ahead was nice, but if you only looked ahead then you weren't engrossed in the moment, and you might miss something. Smirking somewhat amused when he mentioned fighting, the young student tossed her hair over one shoulder and sheathed her blade, folding her hands behind her back as she began walking off. "I'm sure I will be absolutely enraptured by your abilities, Owyn. But let's not try finding a fight, okay? I'd rather just get to the temple and get this done with." He could show off later if he really wanted to, she might humor him and find a Grimm to fight with. It was hardly her idea of a good time, but part of her wanted to see if he lived up to his own hype.

Not having a map or even a sense of direction for that matter certainly made this journey take a while. The sun had long since passed its peak and was now beginning to set, signifying it was later in the afternoon by now. Ulyssa had worried for a while that they may have gone in the wrong direction entirely, and that they may never well come across the temple at this rate. Concerns were quelled however when they found the structure in question, albeit it was more ruins than a sound temple. Not exactly what she had expected coming into this, but then they didn't quite know what to find when they got here anyways.

"So our relics are here somewhere then...? Those chess pieces you mentioned?" Ulyssa asked, moreso confirming it with herself than anything, "Well great... Now we just have to find them." It was not immediately obvious where they might be, yet she was confident they would locate the relics after a quick look. Resting one hand casually on the hilt of her saber she began to walk about the immediate area, looking for any signs of what they were after. If this was what they needed to finish, surely they had been hidden? No way did the Headmaster or instructors make this easy on them, she expected to have to do everything short of excavate the ground to find these.

Soren had scarcely spoken for the walk, letting Lyra start and usually finish every conversation they had. He was more dedicated to keeping an ear out for any Grimm as both of them had already been attacked today; neither of them caught wind of anything however, and after some hours of walking they appeared to have found the temple. What were the chances they had taken the right route? Slim to none he'd venture, so the fact they were here now was a miracle. As they rounded about from the southern side, Soren came to a gradual halt when he spotted two others by the ruins, apparently looking around for something. Another pair then? Or were they already part of a two man team? It didn't appear that they had been noticed yet, which begged the question then of approaching them or not. "Lyra... What do you think, should we go over?" he asked, glancing back curiously, "The guy looks to be stiff, might be a pain in the neck..."

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"I know you haven't been, but what you have done have been in sporadic spurts. Some physical exertion here and there isn't going to rebuild much, it has to be a constant, steady output." They needed a schedule and some sort of regiment, which was exactly what Vegeta was trying to establish today. Perhaps they wouldn't go quite as far as he had initially planned, but at least they had something to work with now. Over time too Viral's condition would improve, and as it did he could introduce more and more exercises into their plans. The proposal of having shakes was an idiotic one, and the Beastman had no issues saying as such, though he thought the protein bars to be a decent idea. "No, they won't, but the point of the bars is to just get you to eat again. Once you do that, we can slowly move up to your regular diet," Vegeta explained, heading over to the panels to shut down the system for the day, "And the fear is not stupid, it's a perfectly normal response to a traumatic event. We can overcome that though by slowly reintroducing food however, and that's honestly easier than most of your other troubles to solve." Powering down the gravity fields, Vegeta rubbed at his head a bit in disappointment, reluctant to have to do such a thing. Who knows though, maybe Viral would be willing to continue under normal conditions, exercise was still exercise.

That girl was a sweet one, and a perfect example of how kind the Uuonians could be. So maybe it was a bit of a generalization to say they were all that nice, as there were certainly some who opposed the rebels, yet one couldn't argue the beneficial relationship they and this planet's residents had. Yet even with that display it sounded like Kiton was not convinced, going as far to completely reject what he had just seen. Hearing Leto open his mouth and inhale to speak, Sasha held up a hand to silence him, giving Kiton a stern glance. "She has been tainted by war, this whole world has. They were just recently attacked too, or did you somehow not notice all the ruined buildings?" she asked in annoyance, crossing her arms and taking a slightly aggressive stance, "The point of what she just did is that even after all they've been through, they still want to help. Sure, it's a toy, it doesn't mean much to you, but it did to her. A child giving away their toy is a big deal for them, and she did it for you without a second thought." She had given him something, however insignificant it may seem, for no reason. She didn't need to do that and yet she had, that was the whole point. "Other people would offer you food, or clothes, a place to stay even if they thought you would need it. They have no reason to since you're a stranger, but they would."

Takeshi really wanted to crush Krom right about now, but he'd settle for just wiping that look off his face. He had agreed to let Shu be trained, not be made a fool of, and he took that way more personally than perhaps Shu himself had. "I can keep my cool if I have to, you'll see. I want to be in the right mind when I knock that smug look off that face of yours," he threatened, taking a stance to get ready. As always he started off by rushing right on in, wanting to more close the gap than anything. Krom blocked his attack without hesitation, no surprise there, but then he wasn't really wanting to land that anyways. "I'll do a hell of a lot more than hit you..." Reaching out he grabbed hold of one of Krom's arms, using his Ki then to push himself forward and try pulling the man off his feet, hoping to throw him down onto the ground. If it worked, he'd attempt to bring down a leg in an axe kick afterwards, hoping to catch him in the gut with it.

"I know how to fight anyways, so I can practice with you if you'll let me," Aito answered politely, smiling as he waved a hand dismissively, "Let's not worry about whether I'm strong or not, this is about you, not me." He was interested in seeing if he could help Shu, and if he could get some insight on the boy's transformation as well. Granted, he didn't want Shu to transform, but perhaps by sparring he could get a feel for how the boy reacted during a fight; if he noticed Shu getting particularly anxious, he may try talking the boy down to keep him in a good state of mind. Helping the young Saiyan boy to his feet, the doctor shrugged to himself in reply to his question, lifting a hand to scratch at his cheek. "Well then that's your style, and that's fine. But maybe I can offer some advice while we practice?" Standing upright, Aito folded one arm behind his back, holding the other out before him at an angle, his legs bending slightly as he took a fairly casual stance. "I want you to try fighting me as you were Krom, and I'll tell you what to do if I think it helps. Does that sound okay to you, Shu?"