State of Mind

[Sigcutio]

(Sorry again!  )


Grant could feel Deirx tugging on him to move, but his power had left him drained and was weighing him down too heavily. This was bad. If they could not leave in time they may lose the opportunity to leave. Grant began to wonder if he would even be able to leave. He remembered what he had learned in his training in the guard. It was better to ensure someone made it out alive then to risk total failure.


"Deirx...leave!" he shouted panting heavily. "One of us needs to make it out..."


As he said this he felt gravity push him down towards the floor again. Was he going to die here? Now? Deirx was free; he could leave just fine, but was Grant really going to die? No...not yet! He had to think of something. Maybe I can still get out of this? He focused his thoughts on the first time he realized his power and tried to think about how he released his power. Something was coming to him... he almost had it... did he still have time? The pressure on his back brought him even lower and now his snout was touching the floor. There had to be something he could do!

[Cifero Windtail]

Jayce glared at him angrily, breathing hard and spinning his sword, angered thaat the man thought that he would dare hurt someone by accident....
Jayce suddenly stopped spinning the sword and charged at Chris. However, while he was ten feet away, Jayce slammed the sword into the ground hard, found what he was looking for, and activated it.
Seconds later, huge tendrils of metal wrapped around Chris's legs and arms, pinning him in place. Jayce held a blunt knife to his throat.
"Like I said," the cat whusoered, surprisingly calm. "I'm not that accurate with metal-bending... unless I become passionate. Becuase only then do I have the most focus."
Jayce waved his hand, forming the tendrils back into a sword and freeing Chris.
"By the way, you're wrong," Jayce said, motioning towards the others. "I could never hurt them. I'm not evil, and I have control over my actions."
Jayce formed the sword into a ball and rolled it to Chris, then walked back over to his satchel and sat down.

[Leiton]

((sorry guys, ive been pretty busy recently  ))

-Suzumi-

(I said nearly unnoticeable, not unbearable )
Spurney turned to her. "The south-east? Not much, just more of this forest. There's a few villages and small towns, but it's not the way to Besmir."

--- --- ---

-Sigcutio-

Deirx cursed and started to slowly drag Grant across the ground. "Get up! You're going to kill yourself if you don't stop this!"

--- --- ---

-Cifero-

Chris stood, his eyes cold, unflinching as the metal sprung up around him. The two by the computer gasped and continued to watch.
After Jayce sat back down, Chris tapped the ball with his foot. It flowed slowly, elongating and splitting. It took the form of several flowers, each intricately designed; with further inspection - even the veins on the leaves were visible.
"You... have no control. Over yourself. Over your element. Over anything. You let your emotions take control of you, and you will fall." He walked back over to the gaping pair at the electronics and grabbed the pad, starting to slide his finger across it and tap it.

[Suzumibachii]

She frowned a little trying to figure out what to do...Still feeling the urge to go there.
"I know... I know." She replied softly "theres just something i need to see....I think."

[Cifero Windtail]

Jayce glared at the man.
"We'll see," he muttered.

[Sigcutio]

As Deirx pulled Grant away from the demon, he could feel the effects of his own power diminishing on him. Relieved he found he could think clearer and his recall was more effective. Grant could recall that when his power would get too out of hand, he could just wave his arm and his power would almost instantly shut off. Being moved was the best way for Grant to regain control!


With a grunt and a wave of his arm, he felt the weight dissipate almost entirely.


"Deirx!" he shouted, "Let's go!"


They didn't have much time now that his power was cut. He could barely move, but it was just enough to help himself to his feet and make a dart for the opening.

[Leiton]

(Thanks for waiting on me for so long, guys! Here we go!  )

-Suzumi-

Clarissa looked up from her soup and smiled. "Well, we need to get going soon anyway. We need to get to Fnorgan by tonite, or else we'll be out of food again."
Spurney quickly turned to her and sighed. "Yeah, yeah... We'll, uh, get you to Fnorgan, and from there you should be able to find your way to where ever you need to go. Just... If you came from Besmir, I wouldn't recommend going back."

--- --- ---

-Sigcutio-

Deirx quickly righted himself and reached out his paw. His pack slid across the ground toward him and slid over his arm and onto his shoulder. He immediately took off after Grant, following him in this void. Grant soon emerged from the darkness and into sunlight, Deirx right behind. They were in the woods, same as before. Deirx turned around, but the darkness was gone. It was just the woods.
"What the..." Deirx whispered before turning back and turning his head back and forth, searching for Sarah and Krystal. They weren't there. "Let's go, we need to meet up with the others. Do you need some help?"

--- --- ---

-Cifero-

As Chris tapped and slid his finger across the screen, rustling came from the woods behind them, then stopped. He looked up and frowned. "Did anybody see you?"
Jasmine appeared out of thin air just beside the group sitting down and began passing out their lost weapons. Deim sort of jumped at her, but neither the bear nor the mouse flinched. "No, not that I could tell. But we still need to move from this location. The mission's over. I didn't see anybody in the city at all, but there were some buildings on fire in the marketplace. If this IS an attack from Black, I don't know who the target is. They aren't hitting anything important or dangerous."
Chris nodded and looked over the crew. "Alright, you heard her. Get everything you need, and let's get out of here." He walked over to the rabbit at the computer. "Can't you see where he is, he's taking too long..."

[Cifero Windtail]

Jayce raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Who or what is Black?"

[Sigcutio]

As Grant left the shadowy vortex, he felt reinvigorated by the sudden flash of light and loss of crushing gravity. Panting, he turned to find Deirx following right behind him. They had both made it out alive.


"Let's go, we need to meet up with the others. Do you need some help?"

Still clutching his sword tight in his paw, Grant took a deep breath and stood up straight. He could feel his energy returning to him and now that he had returned to regular gravity, he felt as light as a feather.

"I'll be fine," he replied turning back to Deirx. "By the way, thanks for the help," he added. "I don't know if I would have made it out alive otherwise."

[Suzumibachii]

Suzumi looked at Spurney quizically and asked "Why shouldnt I go back?  Fnorgan is kind of in that direction isnt it,or close to it?" She inquired as she pointed towards the direction she asked about earlier.

[Leiton]

-Suzumi-

Spurney frowned and finished her soup. "Well, if you were exiled from Besmir, you don't want to go back... They might kill you. You're better off finding a place to stay in a city or village somewhere. Fnorgan is to the east of here, and the closest village is about the same distance, to the south-east. We could take you there, if you want. I've been wanting to visit an earth village... We could make it there this afternoon if we hurry."
"More like if you ever start packing up your things..." Clarissa chimed in.
Spurney rolled his eyes and finished his soup. He set his bowl by Clarissa and started to roll up his bedding, putting all of their things back into his pack.

--- --- ---

-Sigcutio-

Deirx nodded. "No problem. Let's go, the others are waiting for us." He dashed off into the woods, heading in a generally south-western direction. <Insert time lapse here of running for ten minutes>. They suddenly emerged from the woods and into a rather large clearing. A group of people were standing at the other end, close to the woods. Deirx nodded as he saw Krystal talking with someone by a computer. He jogged up to Chris and asked, "Has Leiton made it back yet? He wasn't at his house."
Chris shook his head. "He met with us in the city, but ran off. Said he had to do something. We can't wait for him. I guarantee Black isn't the ones in charge of this attack."

--- --- ---

-Cifero-

Chris looked over at Jayce and gave him an odd look. "You really don't know? Black is a group of people that are trying to overthrow the current ruler. He obtained the crown by force years ago, and started issuing orders that everyone that used magic should be thrown out of the city in his... 'Purification'."
Across the clearing, two people broke out of the woods, Crystal and Sarah. They ran up to Chris and Crystal started babbling about Leiton not being there and this dome of darkness. Chris calmed her down after a minute and sat down. After a few minutes, Deirx and Grant emerged from the woods and made their way towards the group. Deirx and Chris began speaking as the two by the technical equipment started to pack everything back away.
Chris turned to the group and nodded. "Alright, the rest of you can follow us until we get the village. We're going to be crossing the major road as well, so be careful. We don't need to start a fight with the Guard on the open road."

[Suzumibachii]

Suzumi glared at Spurney for a few seconds before asserting herself. " I wasnt banned from the city, I dont even know how I got here.Im sure my father isnt going to be happy, especially given his position". She looked at Clarrisa "Is there anything I can help with?, And what did he mean earth village?" Her father had always avoided talking about anything magic.

[Cifero Windtail]

-Suzumi-

Spurney frowned and finished her soup. "Well, if you were exiled from Besmir, you don't want to go back... They might kill you. You're better off finding a place to stay in a city or village somewhere. Fnorgan is to the east of here, and the closest village is about the same distance, to the south-east. We could take you there, if you want. I've been wanting to visit an earth village... We could make it there this afternoon if we hurry."
"More like if you ever start packing up your things..." Clarissa chimed in.
Spurney rolled his eyes and finished his soup. He set his bowl by Clarissa and started to roll up his bedding, putting all of their things back into his pack.

--- --- ---

-Sigcutio-

Deirx nodded. "No problem. Let's go, the others are waiting for us." He dashed off into the woods, heading in a generally south-western direction. <Insert time lapse here of running for ten minutes>. They suddenly emerged from the woods and into a rather large clearing. A group of people were standing at the other end, close to the woods. Deirx nodded as he saw Krystal talking with someone by a computer. He jogged up to Chris and asked, "Has Leiton made it back yet? He wasn't at his house."
Chris shook his head. "He met with us in the city, but ran off. Said he had to do something. We can't wait for him. I guarantee Black isn't the ones in charge of this attack."

--- --- ---

-Cifero-

Chris looked over at Jayce and gave him an odd look. "You really don't know? Black is a group of people that are trying to overthrow the current ruler. He obtained the crown by force years ago, and started issuing orders that everyone that used magic should be thrown out of the city in his... 'Purification'."
Across the clearing, two people broke out of the woods, Crystal and Sarah. They ran up to Chris and Crystal started babbling about Leiton not being there and this dome of darkness. Chris calmed her down after a minute and sat down. After a few minutes, Deirx and Grant emerged from the woods and made their way towards the group. Deirx and Chris began speaking as the two by the technical equipment started to pack everything back away.
Chris turned to the group and nodded. "Alright, the rest of you can follow us until we get the village. We're going to be crossing the major road as well, so be careful. We don't need to start a fight with the Guard on the open road."

Jayce nodded his head in understanding. "I see... well, I haven't been in town for quite a while, so it would make since that I've never heard of them or seen them... until now, that is." He watched Chris and Deirx start to pack up, then stood up himself as Chris told them the plan. "I'll do as you say, sir," he said, saluting him.

[Sigcutio]

Grant was relieved to see Krystal and her family were alive. He would have hated to have found that the family that had helped him in his time of need had perished. He watched as a person was working on something on a computer, but his ears perked as Deirx began to talk to Chris. Tuning into their conversation, Grant hoped he could discover a piece of what was going on.


"Has Leiton made it back yet? He wasn't at his house."

"He met with us in the city, but ran off. Said he had to do something. We can't wait for him. I guarantee Black isn't the ones in charge of this attack."

Black had not been in charge of the attack? Grant suspected the criminal organization had something to do with the event, but this was a surprise. Who could have done it? Grant kept his ears perked and tried to look inconspicuous by staring off into the distance as he tried to glean more information.

[JoJoJoshua]

(Jo's Profile) (italics are mental thoughts)

"Hmm...it looks like the markets are closing up shop...Too bad, I could have gone for a treat after the amount of traveling I've been doing lately."

The vulpine traveler was passing through a marketplace in the city of Fnorgan, having just completed a four-day journey along the main road to the city. The sun was going down on the horizon and he looked off at the sunset with a sigh.

Just then, he was jolted from his thoughts by an explosion that rocked the stand just behind him, followed by another that sent wood flying all around him as he was surrounded by flames, scorching his shirt and sending his horse, Whiskers, into a fit. She whinnied out in surprise and stood up high, almost throwing him off before dropping back down and galloping off wildly, as the stunned fox held on to her tightly, trying to control her but knowing it was futile.

After a lot of running, she finally calmed down, and Jo was able to catch his breath, panting heavily before falling off of her, passing out, exhausted.


Jo blinked open his eyes as he came to his senses. It was the morning now, and his horse was still waiting beside him obediently.

"What the heck...happened back there? And great...now I'm outside the city. Probably best I stay out for a bit though...now where am I...?"

He looked around, noticing he was near the edge of the woods as he got up and brushed himself off, flicking the dirt out of his fur from the fall off Whiskers.