The Search For Mana

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

Ember hadn't been walking for very long. She had looked around at the buildings and the other people who had started up their journey again. She knew that the next couple of days were going to be pretty boring but she would try to enjoy her time because she knew the journey after that would feel like forever. It wasn't long at all before she felt eyes on her. Turning her head, she saw Lazaryos walking behind her looking at her. She turned her head forward again and just shrugged as she continued to walk.

[Chrono Blackwyng]

After swaying around a bit, his vision started clearing up. He turned around and saw the two mages he knew going the opposite direction, and he followed. He soon caught up to them, but he had trouble slowing down since he was half-asleep just a few moments ago. He brushed past Lazaryos, and spun past Ember before slowing down to a walking pace with his breath somewhat ragged.

[Srgntcuddles]

Alistair walked a slight distance behind the three, a little angry his early start was hindered by a bafoon. He put his scythe onto his back and took out his book and began to read through it. Unknown to him there were a group of three dark mages following close behind him. A panther and two rabbits, the rabbits female and the panther male. They wore hooded cloaks similar to Alistair's. They noticed the book he was reading and planned to steal it from him, so they can learn a plethora of more spells. But even then there was another one of their group hidden in the shadows, like an assassin waiting for her comrades to create the perfect moment to strike.

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

The day's hike was rather annoying. There were multiple assailants that surrounded all the travelers, stalking them all. I guess it's ok for now. After we pass the Arena, it's all desert, so there'll be nowhere to hide. They slept that night in peace, though Lazaryos was more paranoid than anyone else, unable to meditate, slept more out of exhaustion. and sleeplessness. They all reached the Arena late the next morning, stocking up on supplies and pretty much getting mentally prepared for the rest of the trip. However, Lazaryos felt uneasy about being there. There was something amiss, and it felt like trouble was brewing right below their feet.

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

Ember had walked the whole time in silence. Her eyes had been focused on the horizon. She sensed the ones lurking in the shadows but paid them no mind. If they struck, she'd be ready. If they didn't, she wouldn't have wasted any energy on them unnecessarily. She fell asleep quickly that night and slept peacefully. When they arrived at the Arena the next day, she stocked up on all of her supplies. She had sort of an odd feeling running through her but just ignored it.

[Chrono Blackwyng]

Chrono arrived at the Arena with the other two, and was almost as paranoid as Lazaryos because he knew his own family would have a strong presence in the place they go to sell their beasts. He also felt the attention of several others, but he felt their gazes trained mostly on Lazyros. He didn't want to defend the one that tried to kill him, but they might get over-confident if they kill him, and attack him and Ember.

That was something he had to prevent from occouring...

[Srgntcuddles]

The night everyone had rested he noticed the three following him, but neither party said a word. They litterally stared at eachother the whole night, in shifts so they could get some sleep. It was like a childish eye staring contest, in which Alistair had won with his unblinking or changing face. The next morning they arrived at the arena, he felt he should keep moving but resisted the urge. Alistair hung around, walking around the arena, with the three following shortly behind him. He stopped and turned to them, scythe in hand. "You three have been following me for quite some time now...What intrest am I to you..." The three stopped, lined up infront of Alistair. The panther spoke up. "We are just admiring your book, it's quite nice." "Can we take a look, friend?" said one of the rabbits, with black fur. "Surely you can spare it for but a moment." Said the other rabbit, with grey fur. Both the women stepped forward and swooned over Alistair, trying to seduce him. "Your attempts at seducing me are not amusing...You will not be able to take this book with such...Feeble attempts..." With that Alistair turned and began to walk off. The two women huffed at their failed attempt and the panther stepped forward and grabbed him by the shoulder. "We'll just take it then." Alistair turned around, looking right into the panther's eyes. He took a step back to his female companions and readied their weapons. "Let's hurry up and kill this guy, he's weirdin' me out!"

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

Lazaryos walked around, trying to shake off the feeling, but it got worse and worse. He spotted the armoured dragon from before and Ember not even an arm's length away from Chrono. Their backs were to each other, as Chrono was looking around, and Lazaryos walked between them. He spoke in a tone low enough for only the two of them to hear. "I know you both know who this is. I know we have our differences and I know what this war entails. However, I'd like to form a temporary alliance until we get to the Mana itself. The way I figure, if we stick together, we'll get past both Crimson Blue and the wild dragons guarding the Mana. Dragon, I despise your family, but I have yet to see a swordsman of your caliber on this Pilgrimage. And miss, I have yet to see as powerful a wandering Mage aside from myself. I propose we stay together to be the last 3 to survive this and make it to the Mana. I-" Lazaryos was cut short as floors all over the Arena began bursting open, monsters similar to the crazy horde and armoured horde swarming or flying out of the openings.

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

Ember listened to Lazaryos speaking to her and Chrono but didn't turn her head to give any indication that she was being spoken to. She started to smirk as he talked but when the monsters sprang up from the ground everywhere her face turned to a more serious expression. "I accept." She answered in a hurried, hushed tone without really thinking about it as her stance changed to a battle-ready one.

[Chrono Blackwyng]

Chrono drew out both blades and cut down one of the medium sized beasts while it ran past him, using its momentum to lop off its own legs. "Usually I would be with the minority decision, but I accept as well..." He put his second blade back as he met another of the wolf-like beasts head-on, letting it ram itself right into his blade. He pulled his sword back out and chopped off the head before getting ready to face more of them. "I guess without their riders, these things really can't tell what is actually a threat to them..." he mused while cleaning his blade off in the dirt.

[Srgntcuddles]

Just as the mages began to attack the monsters appeared forcing them to take a step back as a few of the beasts stood inbetween them. Alistair stood his ground, using this chance to slip into a more open area. He stood in the center of the arena, a big open area with those beasts all over. They quickly surrounded Alistair and just glared at him, trying to instil their fear into him. His expression did not change, the only emotion in him at the time was joy. One of the beasts lunged at him but he cut it down in the blink of an eye, soon it was his own and started attacking others while he just stood there, killing the beasts as they made their attacks. One by one turning them to his will.

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

Lazaryos growled as he found more and more of them coming out of the ground. He slammed his staff into the ground and created a lightning barrier around him just before a couple small, dog-like beasts lunged at him. They bounced off the barrier, charred into black masses. Some other monsters (since they're not controlled) rushed in and quickly came to devour the carcasses. Just then, a grand explosion came from the middle of the Colosseum part of the Areana blew open, taking out the whole fighting grounds. A grand, wild dragon came out, taller than the Arena, and (with its tail curled) as wide as the Colosseum floor. It blew fire and roared with a piercing sound that drove away all the wild creatures that were smaller than an elephant, leaving all the medium ones up to the dragon itself. DAMMIT! I....I.....aiyaiyai, I must have that. Between one of the scales at the dragon's front-right ankle, was a shiny, clear and white gem that might just be the size of Lazaryos' forearm. He broke his barrier and ran straight for the dragon. "Cover me if that dragon notices me!"

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

Ember had fought against a few smaller beasts before the dragon appeared and scared the rest of the small ones away. She nodded in acknowledgment to Lazaryos saying to cover him if the dragon saw him. She set the ground on fire underneath a group of beasts coming towards her and watched as they tried to get out of the fire but burned to death. As she fought, she would glance over randomly towards Lazaryos running at the dragon to see if he needed assistance.

[Chrono Blackwyng]

Chrono also noticed the dragon appearing, and his grin went from his jaws, to his ear frills as he took the point against the dragon. He stuck both blades into the ground and vaulted over the fire Ember had set. "Lets see if I can kill my feral kin!!" he yelled as he, though not thinking about the danger of fighting something so massive, lept and sunk his blades into the knee of the feral, using the ice-climbing method to make his way up the beast before getting up to the shoulder. By then the dragon had finally given notice and tried to shake him off, with Chrono being too close to the neck to risk the dragon biting itself.

[Srgntcuddles]

Alistair began to notice the beasts he had under his control weren't lasting long. They didn't get defeated, but rather collapse and stay dead. "This is unexpected..." As he was surrounded by the horde of the smaller ones the dragon burst in scaring them off. He looked to the dragon and how three others attacked it, unblinking or change of expression. Just then he saw the three dark mages from before run through a door, they quickly decided against going any further after seeing the dragon. The dragon was clearly angered at Chrono for using it as a mountain and flicked it's tail smacking the two rabbit dark mages through the air. They happened to slide across the ground and stop at Alistair's feet. One of them jumped up but was quickly cut back down before she could attack. The other one was weaponless so she crawled backwards away from Alistair while he walked towards her resting his scythe on his shoulder. "P-Please! Spare me! I'll give you whatever you want! Please! I'm worth more to you alive!" The mage bumped into a wall, it was the end of the line. Alistair looked at her, his expressionless gaze having a much more sinister look. "I beg to differ..." He brought the scythe down, killing her. He turned back to the dragon, his two newly enlisted minions rising to their feet and standing behind him. He felt his majicka restored to a level in which he could use some spells at last.