Re: Echo of Nothingness (EON III) Continuation

[Errant Singularity]

Slogging down the stairs, Chusin could hardly keep his brain going. The walls spun, the sky shattered, weight came down on him, and the floor repeatedly punched him in the face. His breathing was getting harder and harder to keep up, and his heart rate was going wild. The scenery in the sky wasn't helping much, in fact it seemed to be making it worse. Cold settled over him, but he was sweating everywhere. He remembered Rohans words, get everyone out and to the truck. So that's where he was headed. When he got outside, the wind hit him harder, almost knocking him over permanently.

Vision getting blurry, he could make out the outline of the truck. Looking up, he could clearly make out the storm overhead; there seemed to be something at it's center, coming right for the beach. All the fake accidents and real emergencies he'd been in were nothing like this. He didn't even know what this was. Standing back up, his heart rate stabilizing for a moment, he managed to get the last few strides to the truck, leaning on it. In his delirious state, the truck now seemed to be sinking into the ground.





Greeted by heat and sand, Chusin fell over, yarking up the past days diet all over the tire. "Wh... Wha? What happ- Oh god..." Curdling over again, he had no time to process what was going on before he passed out into the sand.

[NaroModerator]

Rohan wasn’t a fan of having spears pointed at him or the people he was with, but they were Nil guards and they could help them out a bit. He pushed away the spears away from him and stood his ground while Zach talked with them “don’t point that at me, we can’t stay in Nil. It’s too close to kagutsuchi and if that air guy is right. Then we’ll need to go higher up nort-“ He was cut off by Sahara passing out from what it seemed to be the alcohol. He quickly ran over to her and knelt down beside her. “I told you not to drink... let’s see” he gently picked her up and slowly placed her down on the back of the truck. He also check her temperature with his hand and her breathing, just making sure she was alright. That Chusin guy also passed out from being drunk even though he was a stranger Rohan went over to help him without really thinking about it. Unlike with Sahara, he just grabbed him by the shirt and placed him on the back of the truck “Alright, now that’s taken care of...” he walked over to we’re the mysterious air guy was resting and grabbed him by the shirt. Picking him up and taking over to the side away from the car, then knelt down next to him “Alright, speak. Who are you, what the f*ck is going on? And who the f*ck is trying to harm us? What’s their motive? How strong is this individual?” He looked back at the truck full of people then back to Orion “i will do anything to protect them, so tell me everything you know.” The questioning was gonna be paused since Zach and the guy in command took them in. Last time he was this deep in Nil was when he was hunting Judah... it had been a year ago, but Rohan couldn’t forget about it. “Zach I’ll let you handle the talking with uh... this guy and his guards. I’m gonna check on the rest...” he quickly ran over to check on Liss and see how she was doing “hey lissy, how are you holding up?”

[DannyGirl~Moderator]

Orion hadn’t meant to get caught up in the groups exit. His plan was to cover their escape, and then attempt to reason with his sister. Not that it had gone well the first time... But still, he didn’t want to give up on her. Nor did he want to stand by, and watch her hurt those he felt were innocent. It was a tough situation.
He was making the best of it.
There was nothing more he could do.
As the thought caused dread to wash I’ve him, his world went black. When he travelled there was a bit of a whiplash effect, but nothing to this degree. Shadow travel felt as if he’d been condensed down inside of himself, and then popped back up like a children’s toy box. It left him feeling nauseous upon resurfacing in Nil. Taking in a deep breaths as he fought his own stomach, the young man was taken off guard by Rohan’s suddenly aggressive approach. He immediately managed to pull himself together, as the boy dragged him to the side of the car by his shirt.
Honestly he wasn’t certain who this kid was, but he was a hundred percent sure Rohan wasn’t aware of who he was. Much less how strong he truly was. If this situation had been taken as hostile, he would’ve darted away in an instant. However he didn’t take it as such. If anything the boy was panicked. Desperate. After hearing him out, Orion released a low sigh. “I understand your concern, but now still isn’t the time for this discussion. Your group needs to split up. Half of you should stay here, and the other half should continue on.” Taking one more moment to fill him in out of pity, the young man kept his response short and collected.
“I understand that, really I do. But I promise you that Delilah is strong enough to kill every last one of you. You need to quickly sort your group out and move on. She has a name of each child associated with the heroes... Anyone who doesn’t fit that description should leave while they can. For their own safety, staying in Nil is the best option for then. If half the group goes somewhere else, I promise you she’ll chase them first.” Her elements didn’t exactly thrive underground, however if they all went down into the heart of the capital he feared the worst. Thea was unreasonable. He could very well see her ordering Delilah to flush them out by flooding the entire city. Something she was more than capable of doing, and would result in countless lives lost.
Relaxing slightly as Rohan left, Orion left it to the group to decide who was staying. The rest of them would have to get moving pretty quickly.
Delilah had a goddess as her informant after all.
***

Upon reappear in the middle of the desert, Lissandra fell beside the car. Smacking her head against the metal as her stomach churned, and her vision blurred. She’d never shadow traveled with more than three individuals before. Even with her brothers help, taking so many people across an entire country left her complexion a sickly green. Though she could hear voices surrounding them, she couldn’t process what they were saying. Nor make sense of who or what they were. It were as if all her senses had decided to shut down at the same time. Everything was a blur. That was until she processed a single voice kneeling beside her.
Rohan.
The young woman preceded to immediately vomit.
After taking a few moments to pull herself together, Liss managed to start making sense of what was going on around her. She eyed her brother in concern, before her gaze flickered to Zach. He seemed to be familiar with the bulky man guarding the capitals entrance. Finally falling back against Rohan’s chest, the girl slowly forced out her first thought since arriving. “D-Don’t... Call me L-Lissy.”
***

Smacking her head against the seat in front of her as they suddenly burst through the sand, Natsumi groaned. Traveling like that was not her favorite. Rubbing her head slowly as a spear pointed at her window, the girl yelped in a mix of fear and surprise. Though luckily the situation was defused pretty quickly thanks to Zach.
Zach...
Pushing her guilt aside for now, the redhead stumbled out of the truck as if she had been one of the ones drinking. Her organs felt as if they’d been rearranged. She offered Zoran a polite wave as he called out to greet her, before rushing forward as she spotted Leios. “Oh no! Are you okay?” Kneeling beside him as concern twisted her expression, Natsumi immediately began looking him over. “You aren’t hurt are you? Can I help? Please tell me I can help!” Finally taking in a deep breath as she released she’d been overreacting, Umi flung herself into his arms before hugging him tightly.
“You scared me...” She whispered softly, this time referring to he and Liss’ stunt. Granted it was the only way to get the whole group to safety, but it had still been terrifying to watch him race around the car. Especially when the coastline rose.
She was glad everything worked out in the end.

[NaroModerator]

“Delilah, Delilah, Delilah Delilah...” Rohan whispered to himself while intensely looking down at the ground while everyone felt sick from the shadow travel they just went through. Must have been extremely hard on Liss and leios though, Rohan was somehow fine after it, maybe it was the sheer thought of getting everyone to safety. Now with the information he got out of the mysterious guy he felt even more pressure. He caught Liss as she fell to lean against his chest. She must be extremely exhausted from carrying all those people in one go “You did great lissandra. I’ll take it from here, i just need to think of a plan.” He wrapped his arms around her for a tight embrace just for a few seconds then open the car and gently placed her down on the drivers seat “rest for while we have the chance, i have to talk some more with this new guy. Try not to think of me too much” he shot her a wink and cupped her cheek as he walked away and over to Orion. Glancing back to check on his sister who seemed to be more worried about leios at the moment. Rohan took a deep breathe trying to calm down and think of a plan “so what was her name? Delilah? By the wording I’m assuming she hasn’t targeted the heroes and her only target are the heroes kids.” He knelt down next to him and stared directly into his eyes. He wasn’t 100% sure that he can trust this guy, for all he knows this could a trap... but they at least had some information now “I’m going to trust you this time, but i will kill you without hesitation if you try anything.” Rohan stood up and walked back to the car counting everyone and making the groups.

“Listen everyone... There is someone after us, and by us i mean people related to the kids. If you’re not then you’re not a target, and it’s best to part ways, the targets in one group and the rest can leave.”

Iggy who was still recovering, from that weird sensation from the shadow travel, had enough strength to stand up and shake his head “no way man, if someone messes with you then they’re messing with me. It’s like a package deal you know? You can’t get one without the other... so count me... besides I’m not a fan of being alone or the desert.”

This was truly a difficult decision to make, a single mistake could get them kill. And he’s warning everyone of what’s to come yet Iggy still wants to follow. It truly was hard on him, this past year was a learning experience for Rohan. There’s was people here who he liked, some that he didn’t and some that he didn’t know, but one thing was for sure. No one was going to die on his watch. Taking a deep breath while nodding and looking down at the ground he finally spoke again “alright... if you want to come along then i won’t stop you. We could use the help, but I’ll warn you again. If you come with me... then you’ll also become a target...” he announced walking over to the front of the car and checking on Liss again.

[Sammich]

Zach was all to keenly aware if the happenings in the background. His ears dusted with a light as he heard a few of his travelling companions blow chunks onto the sand. Suddenly embarrassed for no reason at all the young man spoke tentatively to his cousin.

"Yes Cousin Zoran, they are my friends. Most of them atleast, others are friends of our other cousins, so on so on..." He muttered. Zoran peered over his shoulder at them all.

"Where did you come from Cousin Zachariah? You're not dressed for this weather." He stated plainly. The heat continued to creep across Zach's face.

"Ka- Kagastuchi." He mumbled, nervously buttoning his shirt closed with shaking hands, "We were there on the beach and then- there was a storm."

"Took a gamble eh? Plenty of storms here to," Zoran cackled and his cohorts echoed, "especially lately, just last week-" The captain of the east gate stopped himself from rambling, "Enough about the weather, you got here through..."

"Shadow Seishitsu uh Leios and Liss teleported us-" Zoran's eyes went alight.

"Another child of Danyell and Kios?" Zoran assumed correctly and Zach barely had the oppurtunity to nod before Zoran began leering more keenly over his shoulder. "Which one is she? Hello Cousin Liss! It is nice to meet you! I am your cousin Zoran!" He waved boisterously at the throng of teens.

"How are things?" Zach asked, insistent.

"Just as you left them cousin. You worry too much-"

"I worry just enough." Zach cut sharply, Zoran raised a brow. "Sorry I- on edge, we need to- we need-" Zach turned to his companions. "I'm going to go check up on my uncle, whoever wants to accompany me can." He stated

[Derekjay2000]

[Yuu]
"So, apparently, imminent death is approaching and you two are writing in the sand?" Yuu pointed out weakly, to be honest he never understood this whole rune business and it being something only they could do only made it more confusing. But, then again, confusing is probably the best way to describe the evening. "So what is about to happen exactly- WHAAAAAAAAA!?!?" The ground immediately open up into a pit of darkness as it began to swallow the truck up, Yuu yelling at the top of his lungs as they descended. The gut wrenching feeling of falling was quickly replaced as it began to feel like they were rising upwards.

After erupting from the ground, Yuu quickly found himself falling face first out of the truck. Slowly picking himself up, he looked around with a confused expression "Did we just go to a bigger beach or is that the concussion talkin' right now." Leaning against the truck for support, he sighed in relief that the earlier sensation had disappeared. "Wait..." he took a moment to grasp the situation as he listened in on conversations, "WE'RE IN NIL!?" he yelled shocked "That terrifying shadow pothole actually took us that far? That's freaking crazy!" Yuu muttered as he got his bearings, having climbed ontop of the trucks roof to scope out everything. Everyone seemed to be here, hell, the group even had +1 more than what they had. "Ya'll can't go a year without having someone hunt you all down. Last time it was just the heroes getting targeted." He hopped down from the truck to aid the others, going over to the volleyball-drunkard and proceeding to slap him a few times, "Not the place for a nap right now dude" Yuu threw him over his shoulder before dumping him back into the truck.

"little Iggy is right." Yuu said as he went over to check on Lissandra, "Doesn't matter if she can kill us, or if she'll leave some of us alone." Yuu noted moving to hop back into the truck bed, "If she's targeting sone of us, she's targeting all of us" he slammed his fist together, a grin forming "And if she's targeting all of us, that means she's our target as well!" Glancing over at Leios' friends one was unconscious and bleeding, and then Brynna seemed to try to be hiding "But, I think we outta get some rest first" frowning, he instinctively moved to be in front of Brynna, trying to hide her away.

[Takumi]
Everything was a painful buzz as Takumi found himself pulled into the truck, between the splitting headache, flashes of memories, and the panic of the present, the pink haired archer was having difficulty keeping himself together. With Kamilla fretting over him, all he could do was look over towards the ocean, electricity surging through it as it tore towards them.

In that moment, all he could recall was looking out from his home in Fuji. The unexplainable power that had rocked the country tearing towards his home. And, in the end, just like this moment, the world succumbed to darkness. Falling limply, Takumi had lost consciousness with blood trickling down his face.

[Cassidy]
Cassidy smiled at Iggy's reaction, though tilted her head in confusion at how severe his reaction was. 'Weird,' she noted as she stood, wanting to show off the gift to Sahara 'I always do that to Alex, but he never reacts this way.'

The next moments were of a stranger yelling, Iggy, Sahara, and herself running to a truck, and now she was once again under the scornful heat of Nil. "What- what's going on?" She noted with panic, she quickly climbed out of the truck to move after Sahara, "Sahara are you okay? I'm very confused right now" she said with worry as she clung onto Sahara, though she pinched her nose at the smell of alcohol "And you're still drunk aren't you?"

[Sammich]

Kamila opened her eyes hesitantly, she feared she had been transported right into the lap of her father. The sands of Nil greeted her, bathed in the pink light. She had only seen it once, and it was almost unrecognizable, defined by this rocky outcropping that made the East Gate. All the voices of her companions carried, but the voice of her cousin was the loudest, sharing words with the man he also called cousin. Was she related to everyone in Nil?

Scowling at the potential, if her father was every bit as promiscuous as her mother had described it was highly likely.

"Takumi we should-" She turned to him and a panicked exclamation escaped her when she found him slumped over. "Takumi?!" She cursed aloud. She did have some first aid knowledge but the source of his blood was a mystery to her, it wasn't like a cut or Leios' gunshot wounds.

"Which one of you is the healer again? I need your help-" She spoke to the group, "Come on Takumi, right now? Eh Leios is the a common side effect of your nonsense?"

[DannyGirl~Moderator]

“No, wait!” The sound of her own voice sent chills down her spine. Like nails shrill screech against the chalkboard. Hoarse, thick, and unmistakably horrid. Yet there was a certain duality to her tone. Almost as if a child had been abandoned by their mother. Left alone in a world they couldn’t survive in. Prey to the untold harshness surrounding them.
She was no child.
Yet there she was.
Orphaned once again.
Crumpling to the group with the forgotten fallen leaves of the forest, Delilah eyed the area her brother had disappeared. The prints in the sands that had taken him from her. Then they blurred, and swirled together. Painted over by the mist in her gaze. Before being blocked completely by the flood. She hadn’t meant to... If she could just... He left so quickly... It was just a mistake! “Orion!”
The rising ocean roared as it devoured the mansion, the forest, and everything in its path for miles. Lightening danced across the waves, leaving only her. A beautiful tragedy amidst the chaos. Screaming desperately in a world where no one could hear or see her.
She alone survived.
Just as she always had.
Beneath the weight of a world that sought to crush her.

[Errant Singularity]

Shaking a bit as he came to, Chusin looked around. The beach seemed like it had grown longer. Was the house gone? Why was his shirt wet? How long had be been drunk? Where was his flask? All these questions and more flooded his brain, but now an even more pressing one dawned on him. Barely pulling himself off the ground, his brain spinning rapidly as he looked around, he ran over to the nearest person. If he remembered correctly, she was called Liss. "What the hell did you guys give me? Do I still have all my organs? Am I gonna explode like that dude in the street..." Flopping over into the sand, he ran his hand through it. This wasn't beach sand. "...Where have you taken me?" His head hurt, but the shock had knocked the drunk out of him. And more, apparently. He felt like he'd starved for a week.

[IskiosAdmin]

Traveling by turning into a shadow was easy, Leios had done that many thousands of times over. Shadow travel, through the use of runes, was a somewhat different story. Preparing this specific "spell" with the runes allowed them do all the complicated work beforehand. Controlling the destination of the shadow travel, even the path it would take, could be handled with the runes with enough skill and practice. That frees up the user's focus to just be on outputting as much of their power is needed to fully activate the rune setup. Incidentally, sending a dozen or so people all in a truck across a country and a half required a lot of energy.

Even with both his sister and him supplying that energy, it was an arduous task. As soon as Leios confirmed by sight and the dry sting of the air that they arrived in Nil he slumped down against the car. He heard a similar slumping sound on the other side of the car and could only assume that was caused by Lissandra. "Good job, Liss," he called out to the other side of the car.

The Nilian guards pointing their weapons at them might've concerned him if he had noticed what was going on. Luckily, by the time he realized the predicament they were in Zach had already resolved it and even luckier their cousin Zoran was there. "Zoran, good to... see you!" he managed to shout out as another dizzy spell hit, one that was probably caused by speaking.

As that dizzy spell began to pass he opened his eyes to the sound of Natsumi fussing over him frantically. It was cute when she fussed over him and he couldn't help but feel a little selfish for being happy about it. It reminded him of when he first met, and fought, August and she healed him afterwords in his room. He couldn't show it at the time but he was really happy at that time too. He gladly accepted her embrace, "I'm not dying or anything, I just need some time to rest up. Hey, it's okay to be scared sometimes but what matters is that we're still here, together."

From where he sat with Natusmi he could hear and see Rohan's interrogation of air guy and he also caught the name Delilah. Leios actually agreed with the general consensus of those that had spoken up so far, that they needed to stick together. It did go against what air guy had said though, which they had to take into consideration since he had warned them about the approaching 'disaster'. Finally speaking up again he said, "We'll need a place to stay for some undefined amount of time, and we'll have to be able to sustain ourselves but luckily that can be done by a few people at a time by taking turns." He paused for a moment to look at air guy again, "But we need more information... we need to know what we're up against or we can't prepare ourselves well enough."

Kamila's concerned questioning cut in and he was reminded of Takumi's odd condition before they escaped, which seemed to have only gotten worse. He turned to Natsumi quickly, "Could you help Takumi? Something's up with him and I'll be fine for now." He then replied to Kamila again, "No, the shadow-porting wouldn't have caused this, at least I don't think. It might not have helped considering the condition he was in before though..."

[DannyGirl~Moderator]

Rohan’s arms around her helped her to relax. It was comforting, despite not actually helping her sickness. Almost as if he’d formed a protective barrier around her. Though life wasn’t that simple. Allowing him to pick her up, Lissandra’s cheeks carried a warm hue as he praised her. He was surprisingly supportive, and had been since they started talking. In training he cheered her on, and outside of it he was just as thoughtful. Even making the effort to show up to nearly every arena match she’d fought in that year. Which was quite a sum in total. She never would’ve thought he’d end up being someone so considerate. The type of guy she’d want to date.
Her past self would’ve laughed if someone had told her this was her future.
She slumped back against the car’s seat as he set her down. Only nodding slightly as he ran off, attempting to sort out their current situation. Normally she liked to think of that as her department, however she couldn’t stomach being a leader right now. Once he had a better grasp of the situation, and made his announcement, Liss firmly nodded once more. That was definitely their best option right now. It was better for those who had no reason to stay to leave while they still could. As much as they probably needed the extra help, she didn’t want their blood on her hands.
Reaching out to tightly hold the bottom of Rohan’s shirt as he returned once more, the young woman glanced away in embarrassment. “...Stay with me.” She muttered softly, before hesitantly meeting his gaze. “If things go south I’m getting us out of here... Though we need to leave soon regardless.” Covering her mouth as she stood once more, Lissandra fought back her urge to vomit. Now wasn’t the time for feeling sick. Stumbling down onto her knees, she began to write runes in the sand once more. They didn’t have much time, at least that they knew of.

[Sammich]

Zoran spoke again, "More than happy to escort all of you in if need be!" Then he cocked his head to the side, hands on his hips. "I don't think your truck can make it through the sand here, at the least not without some nifty sand seishitsu!" Zoran cackled. Zach laughed lightly but only to be polite.

"No need Zoran, I think-" He caught a glimpse of Liss already scribbling again. "-I think they going to head out soon, it's just me and-" With that incomplete thought the stone sculptures around them seemed to vibrate, a deep rumbled reverberated in the alcove of stone and the loose sand formed a dusting in the air. Zach spat the rising sand from his mouth as Zoran's troops began to fuss.

"Captain I think its a worm!" One called. They others stood to attention, looking too and fro cautiously.

"You sure this time?" Zoran hollered back teasingly.

"What else could it be!" The soldier replied sharply. "The civilians need to get out of here quickly!"

"Of course captain!" Zoran chided, snickering to himself. "Take your friends, cousin Zach, danger is coming." His cousin gave him a wink.

"It's just outside the mouth of the rocks! It's already starting to breech!" Another soldier shouted. A plume of sand had reached into the sky, obscuring the physical exit from view.

"Let's get on it!" Zoran shouted. With that he lead his troops out into the desert.

"Be safe!" Zach shouted off after his cousin. "Okay who ever is coming with me we'd better head out no-" His sentence cut to a shriek as the sand beneath him warped, grasping his feet into the ground. "What!?" He fought against it, pulling his feet up but to no avail.

The sand roiled beneath him, sifting away to reveal an outcropping of bronze no bigger than an outstretched hand. The face of a statue it seemed to be, formed into the guise of a face warped with rage and teeth like a Nilian worm. Or maybe it was-

"A mask?" Zach breathed, he saw the whites of eyes behind the narrow slits in the bronze all too late.

With an explosion of sand before him a figure emerged, shrouded in dark green and fully outfitted with carapace armor. The figure summoned a sweep of sand to knock Zach onto the hood of the truck with a harsh thunk.

Four geysers of sand erupted around the truck revealing more figures, neigh identical to Zach's assailant. They converged on the the occupants of the truck. One sank to their knees, the sand beneath the truck swelled around the wheels, pulling it into the sands. This tugged at most of those on the ground.

Two lunged in, one striking at Chusin, who was on the ground, keeled over from his drunkeness. The figure kicked him down into the sands, mask gleeming menacingly. The other converged on Sahara, attempting to grapple her.

And the final figure was the last to jump into action, staring with the unblinking eyes of the mask before launching themselves well above the truck. They descended with vigor, Brynna as their target.

[Errant Singularity]

Feeling the ground under him move, Chusin fell to his knees. As light pulsed in his eyes, the heat raining down on him, he fell to his knees. The girl he went to for answers completely ignored him, probably didn't want to admit her crimes. Watching her play in the sand a little ways away, he looked behind him as a shadow fell over him. Feeling a boot connect with his ribs, he tumbled downwards. Great, more people here to ruin his day. First his dad argued with him this morning, then his date left, then he washed up on some private beach, his volleyball game got interrupted, he passed out, someone drugged him and dragged him off in a truck, and now someone was attacking him. This was the best day ever.

Trying to stand up, he grunted under his breath at the figure. Getting into a running position for a moment, he bolted forward a foot, before colliding with the metal of the truck. Pulling himself upwards, he aimed an arm at his assailant. Might as well use this for... For something... Welling energy in his hands, he shot a trio of lightning bolts outwards at the masked individual. He prayed this would work, because he didn't know what to do otherwise. Looking around, he spotted several more masked figures attacking the rest of the group. They weren't friends?

[Derekjay2000]

[Yuu]
Patiently waiting for things to get on there way, Yuu continued to look around and stayed close to Brynna in the truck. Two of Leios' friends were in the back as well, one seemed pretty banged up but Yuu wasn't any good with healing or medicine. Liss was doing more magic writing while Zach's Nilisian friends were leaving for some other commotion. "Alright, Brynna. Looks like they're gone, your ninja stealth tactics must have kept them off your trail" he smiled patting her head playfully, "Okay so what is our next move-" The sand began to erupt around them as Yuu shakily stood up, "What now!?"

From the sand, multiple figures shot out of the sand as they fell onto the group. "These guys are-" he got a glimpse of their garbs and masks, letting out a sharp gasp "SaND NInJaS!?!?" Yuu shouted out in a mixture of awe/shock, his awe was cut short as Zach was thrown again the hood of the truck and Yuu instantly flared up into fighting mode. He was about to charge out of the truck before he felt the oncoming sensation of danger, glancing upward he spotted one of the assailants falling towards the truck, towards Brynna. Flames and cold air erupted off Yuu, his muscles tensing in response to the threat, twisting around he threw a fiery punch towards the figure. Yuu's powerful punch was followed by an eruption of ice around the truck, his other hand digging into the truck as he channeled ice Seishitsu rowards the sand. "Listen well, fiends!" Yuu snarled as he stood protectively in front of Brynna protectively, flames and cold gushing from him "You wanna hurt my friends!? They're under my protection right now; So you better be ready for the beating of a life time from the next greatest Hero: Yuu Kannagi!"

[Cassidy]
Cassidy's eyes widened in terror as the sand erupted from around them, "I thought we were out of danger!?" Cassidy yelled in a panic 'This is karma for the warlord stuff, isn't it!' She protectively held onto Sahara. Suddenly, a figure jumping towards Sahara caused Cassidy's body to glow with light. In a flash, a powerful blast of light erupted from her towards the assailant, her pale red eyes shone as light enveloped her as she grit her teeth as she hugged Sahara closer to her, "Don't underestimate me!"

[DannyGirl~Moderator]

As Leios reassured her, Natsumi’s breath began to slowly rise, and fall, once more. Allowing a calming aura to wash over her. With it, her complexion gained its usual hue. He was okay. Exhaling as she hesitantly pulled back, the young woman tucked her hair behind an ear. Her lips twitched into a wisp of a smile, as her nerves ran rampantly. There was a lot of uncertainty in this relationship, and she knew he was aware of that too. The last thing she wanted was to seem too obsessive, before they had a chance to sort things out.
His promise of a greater future for them filled her with hope, but it was hard not to factor in the circumstances. People were often more generous in terms of forgiveness in a life or death situation. Him learning of her past in full, and then deciding to overlook it in a safe setting... That bore a greater risk of rejection. Even so, she didn’t have the luxury of sorting those thoughts out right now. “I’m so... Relieved.” Smiling a bit more genuinely as he finished his thought, the girl gently placed her hand over his in reply. “Yeah, together.”
Officially reining in her insecurities for the time being, she nodded along with his prompting. That’s right. Several people in their group needed a healer. It was her responsibility to remained focused, and help them. Pursing her lips in disagreement as her brother pinned Air Guy up against the car, the redhead slowly carried her gaze to her newest companion. Fixing a battered arm wasn’t too overwhelmingly complex, especially since his wound wasn’t too deep. She could save some time by having someone else look at it. “Mina, you’re a healer right? You’re from FDR, so surely you at least know some basics... Could you help me, by patching him up?” She called out, while moving forward to crawl into the truck.
From that point on she focused on the much more intense diagnosis, Takumi. It was hard to know where to start with injuries that weren’t physical. Of course it was even so when the patient went into a state of shock, or general frenzy. “Don’t worry, it’s going to be alright.” She hushed both Kamila, and her presumed boyfriend, while gently placed her hands to his temples. Though her tone was soothing and even, she didn’t yet know that for sure. Closing her eyes to focus, Umi’s hands became lined with glowing water. However nearly immediately the water fell, as an ambush arrived.
“No!” Crying out as she watched Zach’s body fling through the air, the girl flinched as he crashed against the vehicle. After that time seemed to move in slow motion. Her heart racing painfully against her chest, as her panicked gaze shot around the ground. Was the lady back? No. No, it wasn’t her. Who were these people? What did they want? Was Zach okay?
He had to be.
She couldn’t lose him, they-!
...They hadn’t talked things out yet.
Tears began to flood her flushed cheeks. Her face appearing stark white. She wanted to move. To help.
Heal.
Fight.
Run.
As the cycle consumed her mental fortitude, her body froze in place. She attempted to move it, but to no avail. It was heavy, like lead.
Her breath caught in her throat.
She was left watching the world turn.
A victim of her own making.
Trapped with the prison of her thoughts.

[NaroModerator]

“Don’t push yourself too much, rest for a bit while we sort everything out.” Rohan knelt down next to lissandra while she placed the tunes on the ground. He’s never seen her this sick before, traveling through the shadows was pretty convenient but it must have been horrible for Liss and leios. He placed his hand on top of her to stop her and gently pulled her so that she can lean against the car “rest, we’ll make it out of here. All of us.” He reaffirmed then stood back up to talk to Orion once again. Though before he could do that, their surroundings exploded, sad everyone and new enemies had appeared. Rohan wasn’t too worried about some bandits or that it might be this ‘Delilah’ but if they had to fight he was more than ready.

Iggy looked around afraid that the person chasing them had finally caught up. Then he saw some weird looking person trying to attack Sahara along with a few others as well, but luckily Cassidy was close to Sahara and blasted the person with some light. Now it was his turn to protect them! He jump up in the air and straight into the person with a flying kick “Iggy’s Surprise Flying Kick!” He yelled out as he stuck their attacker. “There’s more from where that came from... is it me or is it getting hotter here?” He waved his hand trying to cool off, then he turn around to see Rohan engulfed in flames.

“We don’t have time to mess around with these idiots.” He slowly approached the mysterious person, raising the temperature around them to the point that the trucks tires began melting and popping.

[keya]

Mina’s stomach slowly began evoking spurts of flutters, as the events before her began to play out, incomprehensibly fast. Up until that very moment, she had been watching her peers sort out the evacuation process silently; and as soon as she had witnessed a sudden and ironic transition from safety, her previous comfort had almost dissipated completely.

Mina had never truly experienced a battle—she had read about them—but the closest she’d come to one, was verbal skirmishes between herself and her father. It was foreign to see such a willingness to leap into the arms of peril, and Mina had gazed with awe. Although, witnessing offensive magic first-hand, validated Mina’s desire to be of help from a distance.
 Before she had fully processed what she’d have to do to partake in the most healthy outcome for the battle, she’d helplessly glanced around the premises looking for signs that would signal her to be of use. And as if quite beautifully on cue, Nastumi had requested her to heal the man from before, who she’d gathered by listening, was named Orion.  

Mina was obliged to be of help, but at the same time  she couldn’t help but feel slight intimidation. She had practiced many times the healing capabilities she’d had, but she hadn’t ever really applied it to anyone outside of her home in Frost Devil’s.
What she was sure about though, was that there was no time for doubt. Like Natsumi had said, his wounds were not to the point of fatality, Mina regardless if she was confident in herself or not, had to push through.
 Anxiously, her eyes darted from the chaos behind her, to Orion. She quickly examined what she would have to do to properly heal his wounds— safely at that. In the near corner, the rocky oasis had seemed to bare a stone that stood high enough off the ground, that would allow a safe enough space to spend a couple moments. She could have easily just healed Orion then and there, but she was not skilled enough in her craft to protect herself while healing—besides, a couple of moments shouldn’t have been too out of the ordinary.

Assuming he understood the situation through Natsumi’s previous words, Mina gently grasped his arm, motioning to where she’d sought out, while being careful not to cause too much strain on his already injured arm.  
“This area should be adequate for the time being, let’s get you healed up, shall we?”
With that, Mina carefully rolled up his sleeves, eyeing to make sure it wasn’t causing discomfort. She’d then proceeded to chant in her mind a simple healing spell, its success proven by her palms emitting a dim light.
Slowly but surely, his wounds began closing, and Mina slightly perked up, satisfied that she was successfully fulfilling her duty. “Does that feel a bit better?”

[Sammich]

Feeling the ground under him move, Chusin fell to his knees. As light pulsed in his eyes, the heat raining down on him, he fell to his knees. The girl he went to for answers completely ignored him, probably didn't want to admit her crimes. Watching her play in the sand a little ways away, he looked behind him as a shadow fell over him. Feeling a boot connect with his ribs, he tumbled downwards. Great, more people here to ruin his day. First his dad argued with him this morning, then his date left, then he washed up on some private beach, his volleyball game got interrupted, he passed out, someone drugged him and dragged him off in a truck, and now someone was attacking him. This was the best day ever.

Trying to stand up, he grunted under his breath at the figure. Getting into a running position for a moment, he bolted forward a foot, before colliding with the metal of the truck. Pulling himself upwards, he aimed an arm at his assailant. Might as well use this for... For something... Welling energy in his hands, he shot a trio of lightning bolts outwards at the masked individual. He prayed this would work, because he didn't know what to do otherwise. Looking around, he spotted several more masked figures attacking the rest of the group. They weren't friends?

[Yuu]
Patiently waiting for things to get on there way, Yuu continued to look around and stayed close to Brynna in the truck. Two of Leios' friends were in the back as well, one seemed pretty banged up but Yuu wasn't any good with healing or medicine. Liss was doing more magic writing while Zach's Nilisian friends were leaving for some other commotion. "Alright, Brynna. Looks like they're gone, your ninja stealth tactics must have kept them off your trail" he smiled patting her head playfully, "Okay so what is our next move-" The sand began to erupt around them as Yuu shakily stood up, "What now!?"

From the sand, multiple figures shot out of the sand as they fell onto the group. "These guys are-" he got a glimpse of their garbs and masks, letting out a sharp gasp "SaND NInJaS!?!?" Yuu shouted out in a mixture of awe/shock, his awe was cut short as Zach was thrown again the hood of the truck and Yuu instantly flared up into fighting mode. He was about to charge out of the truck before he felt the oncoming sensation of danger, glancing upward he spotted one of the assailants falling towards the truck, towards Brynna. Flames and cold air erupted off Yuu, his muscles tensing in response to the threat, twisting around he threw a fiery punch towards the figure. Yuu's powerful punch was followed by an eruption of ice around the truck, his other hand digging into the truck as he channeled ice Seishitsu rowards the sand. "Listen well, fiends!" Yuu snarled as he stood protectively in front of Brynna protectively, flames and cold gushing from him "You wanna hurt my friends!? They're under my protection right now; So you better be ready for the beating of a life time from the next greatest Hero: Yuu Kannagi!"

[Cassidy]
Cassidy's eyes widened in terror as the sand erupted from around them, "I thought we were out of danger!?" Cassidy yelled in a panic 'This is karma for the warlord stuff, isn't it!' She protectively held onto Sahara. Suddenly, a figure jumping towards Sahara caused Cassidy's body to glow with light. In a flash, a powerful blast of light erupted from her towards the assailant, her pale red eyes shone as light enveloped her as she grit her teeth as she hugged Sahara closer to her, "Don't underestimate me!"

“Don’t push yourself too much, rest for a bit while we sort everything out.” Rohan knelt down next to lissandra while she placed the tunes on the ground. He’s never seen her this sick before, traveling through the shadows was pretty convenient but it must have been horrible for Liss and leios. He placed his hand on top of her to stop her and gently pulled her so that she can lean against the car “rest, we’ll make it out of here. All of us.” He reaffirmed then stood back up to talk to Orion once again. Though before he could do that, their surroundings exploded, sad everyone and new enemies had appeared. Rohan wasn’t too worried about some bandits or that it might be this ‘Delilah’ but if they had to fight he was more than ready.

Iggy looked around afraid that the person chasing them had finally caught up. Then he saw some weird looking person trying to attack Sahara along with a few others as well, but luckily Cassidy was close to Sahara and blasted the person with some light. Now it was his turn to protect them! He jump up in the air and straight into the person with a flying kick “Iggy’s Surprise Flying Kick!” He yelled out as he stuck their attacker. “There’s more from where that came from... is it me or is it getting hotter here?” He waved his hand trying to cool off, then he turn around to see Rohan engulfed in flames.

“We don’t have time to mess around with these idiots.” He slowly approached the mysterious person, raising the temperature around them to the point that the trucks tires began melting and popping.

Sahara's attacker let out a cry of pain as Cassidy's light flashed. They held their hands to the slits in the mask for their eyes. Another grunt escaped them and sent them flying as Iggy struck in defense of his green haired friend. They were flung back into the sands, tumbling as they fell. Alas they were quickly righted onto wobbling legs by a tendril of sand. The attacker who attempted to sink the truck abandoned their efforts to support their cohort, assisting in their onslaught.

From above Yuu's flame collided with the attacker. The flame fluxed and expanded as the attacker manipulated the sand they used to project themselves upward in their defense. Swing their arms downward the sand and the flame melded and shards of glass began plummeting to the earth. The figure landed on the roof of the truck, they delivered a sharp kick to Yuu who seemed to be the most immediate threat.

Zach grappled with the attacker on the front, cursing his state of undress as the edges of the carapace armor cut into his arms. He kicked forward a geyser of sand launching his attacker away. He whirled around, addressing Liss.

"Get them out of here boss! I'll hold them off!" A statement he found proud he could even say, but he couldn't help it to feel it fell flat as he was barely holding one attacker at bay.

A hallowed cry of pain echoes in the harbor of stone as Chusin struck true. The masked assailant gripped their arm as the stench of burning fabric and flesh wracked the air. The cultist who attempted to sink the truck was at the wounded ones side in a blink, defending them by summoning tendrils of sand to secure Chusin to the hot desert dune.

"Which one is it?" The cultist uttered, barley audible. The injured cultist tried to murmur something through pain.

"Which. One. Is. It." The cultist demanded again, louder, their voice feminine but stern. "No matter, the Lady will tell me in time. But to be safe, we must secure them all." The cultist in question began sinking the truck again.

[DannyGirl~Moderator]

Between dealing with Rohan’s irrational antics, and witnessing a sudden assault launch out of the ground, Orion was all but done helping this group. He’d never wish harm upon other’s, however he was beginning to a pattern in the group’s encounters. It was as if the symbol of death was permanently etched inside their DNA. As much as he wanted to help them, he also could fight all their battles for them. That could take his entire life span. Dealing with these bandits would’ve been a breeze, however he hadn’t the time nor willpower to do so. He was done killing whoever opposed him. That couldn’t be the best way to handle things. There had to be other ways to ensure the innocent remained safe. Such ideology was why he’d sought out the heroes children to begin with.
Blinking rapidly as the girl from earlier tugged on his arm, Orion promptly found himself behind a stray rock. “Not isn’t the time-“ He began, though fell silent as she set to work rolling up his sleeve. Gritting his teeth as it rolled over the deep lighting wound, the young man watched as Mina slowly healed it up. So that’s what she’d meant when she told him to take off his shirt. She was trying to heal him. Clenching his fist, before allowing his palm to relax, and his fingers to uncurl, his snow like complexion seemed to slowly return. A stark contrast to the blood which stained it. Much like his vibrant scarlet eyes. “Yes. You have my gratitude.” His gaze flickered to Zach as the boy called out for ‘Boss’. A nickname he remembered. Steering his eyes towards Liss, he quickly assessed her condition. She, and her brother, had just launched the group through an entire continent by themselves. There was no way they’d had enough time to recover yet. As he quickly skimmed through the rest of the group, a sharp sigh escaped him. He hadn’t planned on leaving with them, much less getting involved to this extent. However if they stayed here long enough for Delilah to catch up, she kill everyone here. Save him.
They had to spilt up, and lure her away from the Nilian’s in the group. He knew enough of their struggles to determine that only they could fix their country. An outside group stepping in would only further their confusion towards leadership.
Or at least that was his opinion, based off Thea’s quiet mumblings.
With that he made a few quick decisions.
Fierce winds pushed the attackers back, as a dome once again formed to encircle the group. “I know not whether or not it’s crueler to leave you here, or take you along.” He addressed Mina softly, before calmly scanning her over. “Perhaps it is best to take you back home.” Gently but swiftly lifting her off her feet, Orion held the girl tightly as he plucked pairs at random from the group. Within seconds his chosen group stood together on a platform of air, looking down on those he’d left.
“This is your fight. Nil is your nation. It’s time to best me firefly, fix your homeland... Before it fades away like mine.”
With that the group shot towards Frost Devil’s Reach, and the wind barrier fell.
Leaving that group to deal with the attackers once more.
***

Groggily sitting up to find Iggy, and Cassidy floating into the sky, Sahara’s expression turned to one of panic as gaze darted through her surroundings. What was going on-? Freezing in place as she met Rohan’s gaze for a split second, the young woman’s heart sank as she saw the woman beside him in the sky. Lissandra. “R-Rohan!” She cried out helplessly as the group all, but disappeared instantaneously before her eyes. Her head began to throb, as her heart raced. Seriously, what was happening?

[Derekjay2000]

[Yuu]
Letting out a grunt from the collision, shielding himself from the shards of glass. He put himself in front of Brynna "Crap, sorry, Bry-Gah!?" he tried through the glass shower before ultimately getting cut off by the cultists kick. "I'm getting real tired-" Hissing from the pain of the kick, and the various cuts from glass, Yuu quickly locked an arm around the assailants leg, an icy frost erupted from his free hand as he threw a ice coated punch straight for the mask "Of masked psychos!"

Letting the cultists leg go, Yuu broke into a coughing fit as he gripped his side glaring over at the attackers "Where did they even come from!? We literally JUST got here! Have they just been waiting around all this time!?" How could get anymore hectic, alongside escaping death on a beach, to teleportting to another country, and getting attacked again...Yuu was very confused. And as a blast of wind erupted from the 'Air Guy', it was only getting more complicated. "Can we get, like, a gods damned minute!?" Yuu roared over the wind as he watched their party members getting taken, "Hey-" Yuu watched dumbfounded as they flew off, pointing an accusing finger at their retreat "He just stole our friends!!"

[Cassidy]
Light blaring off her body Cassidy clung to Sahara as she stood alongside Rohan and Iggy. "I-I don't know what your after, but trust me; fighting these peoe isn't worth it!" She threatened. Almost as quickly as the chaos began, it was quickly getting worse as the wind barrier was erected. The attackers pushed back Cassidy turned to quickly try and escape with Sahara, "Cone on we have to GooooOOOO-AHHH!" Cassidy quicly found herself being lifted off the ground as she vainly keep trying to run for Sahara "Wait- Sahara!" Stretching out her hand just as her friend was awakening, the group was quickly flown off. Cassidy wailing incoherently all the while in sheer panic of the sudden jolt.

[Errant Singularity]

Opening his eyes to look at his opponent, Chusins first instinct was to run forward and treat their burn. Then he remembered this was some lunatic who was attacking him. About to release another zap of electricity, his shot went wildly missing as he fell over into the sand, leaning against the truck now. The member who came to his side was manipulating it, trapping him in the rapidly-moving dry sea. About to try to stand up, he began to panic as the truck was sinking.

As wind began to pick up, Chusin found himself freed from the sands clutches. As a sphere of air pressure fell around them, he pulled himself up and watched as the man flew off with several members of the group he'd found himself in. What were they going to do? With less people they'd be overwhelmed by these madmen... He had to try something. Anything.He was no fighter, but at least his power was good for fighting. That's all it was useful for though.

Turning to the pair that had been at him before, Chusin aimed a hand at each, closing his eyes as he imagined a pair of massive lightning bolts in his finger tips. As he opened his eyes, he saw electricity encircle his hand in waves, punching forward with both arms in unison to launch it at the cultists. Not as much lightning as he imagined, but, it was something.

[NaroModerator]

Everything was so chaotic and weird at the moment. They left Kagutsuchi because of some dangerous woman going after them for no reason. Once they got to Nil they were welcomed by some bandits, all this was just getting annoying and Rohan had enough. If these bandits wanted to die then so be it, killing people was something he didn’t like to do even though he has killed someone in the past. Just before Rohan could throw a counter attack everyone behind him including himself were suddenly surrounded by a dome and began flying away. He lost his footing for a second since it was kinda trippy to just be flying like. Looking down at the people they left behind, his heart ached as he heard Sahara called for him... if they were going to be safe then this was the only choice. Iggy and Cassidy didn’t deserve this but they got stuck with him. Rohan reaches out for the two and pulled them closer to him “stay by my side... I’ll keep you both safe.” Looking down at Liss who was also near him with a small smile. At least she didn’t have to force herself again with those runes, so he placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. It seemed his sister was occupied with leios... she’ll be safe as along as she’s with him. “Frost devil you said? It’s not my top choice but it’ll work. I know a place that we can stop by first... we’re still in beach clothes and even though most of us here can use fire the cold will still affects us. Head north from the capital... my grandparents would surely love a visit...”

[DannyGirl~Moderator]

After hiding herself from view, with the help of Yuu, Brynna watched the horrible scene before her play out. Within only minutes of their arrival, the group was already under attack. Trapped in another perilous situation yet again, she was beginning to fear the gravity of the threats facing Nil. That was, if the first threat was even connected to Nil. After seeing so much of the rest of the world in her travels, she’d come to realize something.
The world as a whole was in shambles.
Nil’s government had been completely assassinated, and their economic development regressed with every passing day. Fuji was no more, it’s land now barren and dead. Wu Long was already behind the other nations in terms of growth, only boasted wealth in its floating capital. Frost Devil’s Reach remained untouched only, because the though nations couldn’t withstand its harsh conditions. Finally, Kagutsuchi remained economically sound thanks to it’s industrial advancement. Largely thanks to the efforts of one Yosenju company. Yet she was beginning to learn that the presence of a hero’s family, and fame, was both a blessing and a curse. She was willing to bet most of the crimes within Kagutsuchi happened as a direct result of the heroes residing there. The mark on their back clearly bore a high bounty.
Watching helplessly as Zach and Yuu attempted to fight off the attackers, the young woman remained all but unscathed. Largely thanks to the efforts made on behalf of Yuu. Each blow he took in her stead filled her with both guilt, and gratitude. However she hadn’t the time nor means to encourage him verbally. As the opposing group was shot back by a powerful gust of wind, just as swiftly as they had appeared. Her gaze drifted to the sky as several members of their group were plucked from among them, and hoisted into the air. Words couldn’t properly express the gravity of their current circumstances. Nor the weight of the words that slowly slipped through the air senshitsu user’s lips. Reaching up slowly, she gently touched her own. For once she didn’t mourn her incapability. Even if she could speak, Brynna was at a loss for words.
He was right.
This was their fight.
It was time for Nilian’s to take a stand with pride. For their nation, kindred, and those who had already passed in the fight for the same ideals.
Despite the newfound realization, and a burning desire to finally make things right, she knew that she’d be of little use. She was in no condition to fight in a training session, much less a war. Her physical limitations left her weak and fragile, when compared to that of a healthy individual her age. For a few moments that painful truth left her with an overwhelming feeling of guilt.
Until she lifted her head to study Yuu, covered in injuries on her behalf. Her gaze then drifted to Zach. Though he also had visible cuts and bruises, he still fought on.
She couldn’t fight this war.
She knew that.
But, she also believed that this group... They could.
Perhaps Zach was the key, afterall his bloodline carried back to the very founding of Nil. With the help of his friends, maybe he could guide them to victory. He could help her restore balance to their great nation...
If his mother could survive betraying a god, then surely there was hope in him.
There had to be.

[Sammich]

Zach attacker surged at him again and he met them head on, a sweeping horizontal kick sent a crescent of sand at the attacker, knocking them farther back. There was a cry of alarm from the attacker as they fell onto the sands, unmoving for a beat. Zach took the fleeting moment to gaze behind, catching one last flash of his friends before a majority of them ascended somewhere unknown. Panic rose in his throat as he saw how many had been left behind.

"No no no no-" He muttered in a panic, he could barely count heads his mind was fluttering with such panic. One blaring thought dominated his mind.

You can't possibly protect them all.

And with that arms reached out behind him, grappling his torso. He leaned forward, trying to shake the assailant off. The cultist had their feet anchored in the sand, trying to suplex him backwards. Zach retaliated with a sharp headbutt to the cultist's nose. The assailant cried out, reeling back and releasing Zach.

Yuu's assailant struggled in his grip, trying ot kick him off. The distraction let the icy punch be a direct hit and the assailant fell back clutching their face and howling in pain. The mask was bent and frosted but still on their face. Dark blood trickled from under their mask.

Chusin's attacker still groveled next to their fellow attacker, their words hushed as Chusin prepared his next thunderbolt. Before it could strike the standing cultist summoned a wave of sand to carry them both out of the path of the strike. The only standing cultist then noised a retreat.

"Return to the sands brothers and sisters!" She called. The cultists beside her melted into the dune like water as soon as she spoke, Zach's assailant begrudgingly obeyed, melding into the dunes. Another took a step back from the fray, deteriorating seamlessly on the wind. Yuu's attacker mumbled something behind their mask before sinking into the sands. Finally only the cultist who called the retreat remained.

"We may retreat now, but we know your faces and you do not know ours." She said, a pleased inflection in her voice. She then melted into the sands, leaving the group alone.
Zach panted, unsure of what had just happened in it's entirety but unconcerned with the ominous message for the moment.

"Is everyone okay?" His eyes took in more of who had stayed, spotted Brynna among them still he felt some pressure rise from his chest. "Brynna are you okay? They're gone now, I think- we need to get to my uncles as quickly as possible."

[DannyGirl~Moderator]

Orion was used to arriving places almost instantaneously. Even cross country trips had never taken him that much time. After all, he’d been in Thea’s care since he was a child. Unlike his sister, he never knew life another way. Her training had been intensive and strict. There was never room for error.
However he’d never attempted to transport so many individuals at once. Ensuring they all arrived safely drastically slowed his trajectory speed.
Leaving his patience wearing thin once the group had finally landed.
The mansion Rohan directly him to was far grander an abode than he’d been expecting. It seemed like the wealth of their family wasn’t purely thanks to his parents heroics. The overly lavish lifestyle also somewhat explained his arrogance. Suddenly the boy’s jagged behaviors bothered him slightly less.
They were probably learned.
That being said, he wasn’t looking forward to meeting his grandparents if that was the case.
Setting the maiden in his arms down as the group landed, Orion’s gaze darted between its members. He certainly saw potential in everyone he selected... Though they still weren’t enough to stop Delilah.
Well perhaps if he fought as well, but-
He couldn’t do that to her. Not after what had just happened. Or even before that. How could he fight against the only companion, and loved one, he’d ever known?
Drawing in a deep breath, the young man decided that Rohan was right for once. The group would need new clothing. If this was where they could quickly secure proper attire, it was worth a quick stop. Even so, the visit would have to be brief. He didn’t know when Delilah would attempt to strike again, but he was fairly certain the hotheaded boy wouldn’t want his grandparents involved in the battle. They’d probably be a liability.
“You should lead the way. We need to get in and out as quickly as possible.” He finally muttered evenly, while stuffing his hands into his pockets.
Frost Devils Reach was a risky territory to settle in, especially with no supplies. Fighting Delilah in her best terrain was also a bold choice. However there was little to no choice in the matter.
Kagutsuchi may be a small island, but it carried a massive population. Bystanders would inevitably be injured in the mess. Fuji was leveled, leaving no place for the group to hide. More importantly, the few survivors who remained in the country didn’t need another conflict. Nil would have been a good shot if they stayed above ground, but that was easier said than done. Anything below the sands Delilah would simply flood. She had far more experienced in Wu Long than this group, and would undoubtedly use that to her advantage. Not to mention that the swamps required training to endure.
That only left Frost. The territory may be treacherous, but it was an area that at least a few of them had ties too. Probably more so than his sister.
There would also be plenty of place to hide, and old historic buildings to frequent. From the brief amounts of time he’d spend in this land, he’d come to know it as something of a relic. One of the few places with harsh enough conditions, and far enough out of the way, to remain relatively untouched by the rest of the world. It didn’t have the same technological advancements, or city scapes. Possibly more interestingly, the country didn’t seem to want them.
Save a few wealthy and progressive families, the majority of the population clung to the lifestyles of their forefathers.
Though a brief study session on the nation’s history, particularly the persistence and power of the original settlers, explained why rather quickly.
Frost was filled with survivors. Their military force was great, but even beyond that, the ordinary citizens were a naturally driven people. They lived completely traditional lifestyles. Young men serving mandatory military time, and the young woman practicing the house making skills to become a desirable wife. The nation still practiced arranged marriages, and placed a great weight on family names. A people of legacy. A country of unmeasurable pride.
It would be interesting to see the group adjusted to such a different culture than the one they’d known.
***

As she was plucked from the ground, and carried towards Frost, Natsumi found she was slightly relieved. Which in turn lead her to feel guilty. On one hand, she no longer had to confront her lack of ability to fight... But on the other she’d abandoned both Zach, and Yuu to do so in her stead. That wasn’t fair. She wasn’t fair. Always forcing others to carry her weight. Never being able to stand on her own.
She was completely and totally useless.
Reaching out to hold Leios hand as she realized he was with her group as well, Natsumi suddenly froze. Now far more conflicted than previously.
What did he see in her?
A hour ago on the beach all her dreams had come true. He’d asked her to be with him. That’s all she’d ever wanted for them... But they weren’t at the beach anymore.
They weren’t normal teenagers in love.
Conflict seemed to follow them. Their names bore a mark that none of them could shake. It was as if death itself had placed it there.
She was nothing more than a liability.
Her incompetence, and emotional scars, could very well get him killed.
That was a thought she couldn’t bare. Losing someone, because of her own insecurities. Especially when that person was Leios.
Her hand fell as her gaze did.
After that she remained in silence, her arms wrapped around herself, until they arrived.

Natsumi had never been to Frost before, nor met her grandparents. In fact, she had never known Rohan had. It was kind of jarring to hear. The only thing she’d ever heard about her grandparents was how awful they were. How horribly they’d treated her parents, and how much her mother despised them. They were the only subject she’d ever seen visibly upset her mother.
Her father had even attempted to mend the relationship a few times, but the mere suggestion turned her mother into a very different woman. It was a side of her no one in their family knew how to handle... So her father’s efforts were eventually out to rest. Everyone’s were.
Or so she thought.
“Are you crazy? We can’t be here!” Finally speaking up in a harsh whisper, Natsumi attempted to pull Rohan aside from the group. “I can’t believe you even know these people! Mom is going to kill you! She’s going to kill both of us if we don’t leave immediately! They’re literally the devil!” Though that last line may have been a little extreme, it was what she’d truly come to believe.
Even the suggestion of her grandparents being inside that building gave her massive anxiety.
She really should’ve paid attention to what everyone had been saying on their way here, rather than drowning in her self pity. How could she be so... Agh!
Gritting her teeth as she turned her head from her brother, Natsumi tried to focus on breathing. She had to calm down.
***

Liss watched as the other half of the group faded from view. She didn’t want to leave everyone behind, but she couldn’t argue with the logic behind the decision. That being said, it didn’t make it any easier to leave them there. Fighting for their lives no less. Sahara’s call specifically left a deep knot in the pit of her stomach. They should’ve swapped roles. Rohan would’ve preferred that.
Literally slapping herself with both hands at the thought, the young woman cursed under her breath. This wasn’t about Rohan, or who he wanted to be with. They were all in danger. The group left behind was actually better off... At least she hoped.
Meeting Rohan’s gaze as he pulled his team to him, Lissandra eventually turned away from him. She couldn’t deal with unrequited love right now. They had more important matters to deal with-.
Visibly wincing as he suggested going to his grandparents house, a slight blush brushed across her cheeks. Of course he wanted to go there. Get her all emotional, and then take her back to the beginning. Their beginning.
“I f***ing hate my life.” She groaned as they soared off, before eventually landing in front of the familiar mansion.

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