The Search For Mana

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

Lazaryos was  pained as he continued on with Ember and Nitrous behind him. His joints ached, and his heart raced from time to time like a heart attack. Dammit. I know I should have rested more, but I will NOT delay the journey for being stupid. I need this to time perfectly if I am to survive Crimson Blue and get my hands on the Mana. However, it is strange how the monsters have been acting lately. It's almost like something is affecting them to become more violent and proactive in doing so.

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

Ember could tell that Lazaryos was feeling some discomfort as she followed behind him. She shook her head in disappointment. "Yeah, I should have been dragging you." She said with a slight chuckle. "You obviously didn't rest enough. I can tell." Other than mentioning that she noticed his discomfort, she didn't say or do anything further. If he wanted to move on when he was in pain, it was no business of her's.

[White Wolf Guardian]

*As Nitrous was walking he was watching the tiger and Ember and trying to see what she was doing* "Hmm... I wonder if those two are secretly working together, she seems to be close to him. Interesting... or perhaps it's a love story." *He laughed at his own dry humor* "That would be pretty funny, I wonder what the children would look like." *He kept his distance and continued to humor himself making sure he didn't get to close to Ember*

[Chrono Blackwyng]

Chrono couldn't help but steal a few peeks at the camp of his clan's magical school. What he saw there was as interesting as it was dangerous. They had beasts tied down to the ground, and had them tormented until they were practically berserk, then had a student perform transformation magic on them, turning the beast into an all-out monster. When the student had finished, he was responsible for taking over the mind of the target to move it far away from the camp before relenquishing control of it. The closest thing one would compare these camps to were the ones rumored to be on the Second Continent's Arenas, where professional mages created beasts for the gladiators to kill or be killed by. "Dang, and I was banished from this lifestyle..."

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

Lazaryos pushed himself as he continued on, ignoring Ember's words. I'd rather die than have my (censored) dragged around by you, not that it looks like you had the strength.[/i] Thoughts of her pulling him along entered his mind alongside many immoral thoughts that could be associated with such a situation. Lazaryos shook it out of his head again, this time using a bit of Majicka to shock himself. He let out a low growl as the lightning ran through his body and he walked more upright and brisker as he felt energized by it, not even wanting to look back at Ember. Honestly, why is this happening to me? This is ridiculous.

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

Ember just smirked as she watched him. "Something strange is happening with this guy. Part of me wants to know what's going through his head..." She thought to herself as she saw him suddenly start standing up straighter and walking faster after a low growl. "Another part, not so much." She shook her head slightly as she continued to walk behind him, also noticing that Nitrous was making sure he didn't get too close to her. A chuckle escaped her lips at that.

[White Wolf Guardian]

*Nitrous grumbled as he noticed Ember acknowledge his presence as he continued* "Grr... well at least she'll lead me to those floaty boats, I hope to get off of this crap land mass and start getting the mana that is rightfully mine!" I wonder if the prospect of getting it or trying to get there is making me feel miserable though, like as if it were an evil in itself to possess such a lost power..." *He pondered as he lost track of time following the gargoyle bat*

[Chrono Blackwyng]

While Chrono had been avoiding their magical eyes and ears, the mage guild was stockpiling monsters for an ambush it planned to have occour the instant it detected mages that were not of the guild.

One mage was having a visible breakdown as he finished moving his 'creation' to the pen, and was immedeatly brought in front of his instructor. "Is there a problem youngling?" he asked with fake compassion. "W-what if we annihilate another village, how are we going to st-" the instructor apparently heard enough as he raised his staff and struck down the mage. "The concerns of small towns do not involve our own, avert your eyes to the destruction and turn them towards the rise of the Tri'malis Guild!" the remaining mages responded with 'All hail the Tri'malis!!' before returning to their work.

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

The next 2 days were pretty much quiet treks as Lazaryos recovered more and more. His body was still not used to having its Majicka spent at that rate so despite his Majicka having recovered the first night, Lazaryos was still sore all over. Each night, he fought himself to keep his newfound lust for Ember and tried to occupy his mind by concentrating harder on his meditations.

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

Ember hadn't really said anything the past couple days. All she had done was look at her surroundings as she walked. She had no idea what kind of an effect her presence was having on Lazaryos. She did realize that she was the only one who had her name floating out there. She had no clue what these guys' names were. The thought of asking them outright seemed weird to her though and totally random, so she didn't bother to mention it.

[White Wolf Guardian]

*Nitrous felt like he had been following the girl in front of him for days and all he began to notice at this point were the littlest unimportant details about her back having long studied her tail and hair, it swaying back in for almost gave him the illusion of a horizontal pendulum making his head spin after getting caught up in the movement too much, it was driving him crazy so he finally spoke to not think about it as much anymore* "My name is Nitrous if you must know." *He said loud enough so she could hear and looked away from her back so that he at least appeared to be uninterested*

[Chrono Blackwyng]

The base Chrono passed by had long since noticed the mages following not too far behind him, and sent word as well as a few of thier monsters to the next camp, which was about a three day travel if you were traveling by foot. The messenger and his 'caravan' kept their distance while quickly moving past the group and reaching the next camp in about a day, so the day before Chrono would come across the camp, they were preparing for the ambush.

Of course, the only thing Chrono noticed going on was some really big objects moving in sight, and then moving out of it just as quickly. I've been alone for too long, I must've seen a shadow or something...

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

Lazaryos broke from his mediation as he felt something weird in the air. He opened his eyes and saw a small fire in the distance with shadows that seemed to be in all shapes and sizes, eyes seemingly to stare at him, and the others that were near him. Aside from Ember and Nitrous, a few others were camped out not too far behind. Lazaryos stood up began tapping his staff against a rock to get everyone's attention. "Get ready for a fight, if you want to live."

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

Ember had been sitting down staring up at the sky when Nitrous spoke up, mentioning his name. "'Kay." She responded nonchalantly. She looked in Lazaryos' direction when he started tapping the rock. "I'm all for change in pace, but a fight is not what I had in mind." She said as she got up off of the ground. Holding her staff securely in her right hand, she looked at the surroundings, watching and waiting.

[White Wolf Guardian]

*Nitrous looked up with his left eye twitching* "Do these fatherless sons ever quit?" *He growled intensely and his muscles tensed as got his staff ready for action, holding it with one arm outstretched and the other whipping out the book he had recently purchased* "I hope you can fight as well as you did last time Ember." *He said in a sinister manner, almost poking a certain doubt hidden underneath his words* "The worst problem about these fights is you never know when your last day is going to be, could have already been 5 minutes ago, but I still think I'm alive." *He distastefully spat upon the ground before him*