Kingdom of Bones - IC -

With the cringed faces the guards made as the small forest elf when she tried to sing a song, it was apparent that the men of this outpost were not appreciative of this pitiful show. But their face became even the more serious when the old desert king came to them with implied words of threat. And while most stood confused at the elven maestro’s words, the leader of the group frowned upon her words. One of the guards, who had taken offend at the warrior’s words, stepped up ahead, hissing between his teeth “Why you son of a-“. The impetuous guard was however held back as the guard captain rose an arm to block the man’s path, soon to have two other men seize the bold guard by the arms to bring him back in line.

“I’ll give you…-“the commander started but was quickly interrupted when one of his men at the back was knocked out unconscious on the ground by the force of a bludgeoning weapon. With one of their comrade lying face down on the ground, the guards readied swords and spears, angry looks on their faces. The commander however seemed to not bet in a similar state as his comrades, but his frown became more pronounced. Seizing shield and long sword, he rose his arm up and looked behind him, towards the outpost. When he did, a dozen of men came out from the top of the outpost’s roof, half of them armed with crossbow, the other half with bows and arrows.

“You dare threaten us with petty words, and then you attack us in our backs? You have just signed your death warrant, fools!” The captain said, lowering his sword-bearing arm as he finished speaking.

When the commander’s arm was brought down low, the guards standing on the outpost’s rooftop fired their weapon at the band of heroes. While their aim was no extraordinary, it was more meant to be shot as a hail of arrows and bolts, meant to hit a few unlucky adventurers in the area they were aiming. While these soldiers didn’t seem too well armoured, they made up for this lacking with their imperial’s training. They took a step back to not get hit by the archers, while the five spear-wielding men were up on front line with their spear readied to impale the charging adventurers and the remaining soldiers would support them behind if one got too close.

"Quick, scatter!!" Bal cried. It was rare that he ever barked an order, likely because of his compatriot's willfulness, but this wasn't the time for debate.

And with that, the archers fired off a few shots. The Gladiator himself was on the move almost immediately. A quick leap backwards, followed by a midair flip and he avoided the bolts that came at him. The first shots missed their mark, but going by the line of fire, these were experienced archers.

Likely, they had practiced shooting at smaller prey, but the heat, coupled with the distance made it more difficult. It waited to be seen if his companions were as agile.

"Return fire on those archers." He instructed to his ranged companions. "Don't give them a chance to reload." He drew both Fury and Unbound from his back.

And with that, he forced his way to the front, joining his friends as they parried the first spear attacks and striking back at the enemy line. Both sword and axe were a flurry as he attacked. His every movement was wild, but well executed.

The others joined in, adding their own fierce and impassioned attacks.

She was a fool to lower her bow when instructed. She knew that conflict was unavoidable at that point. Doing as Bal instructed had nearly made her a victim of nature’s first law: kill or be killed.

Her instincts took over the moment she realized her mistake. She had forgotten the heat that she bemoaned on the long march to the gorge. She overlooked the chance to shout I told you so, and completely blocked out any orders the others may have given. She was already behind most of her group when the doors on the roof had burst open. She peddled backwards while zigzagging left and right so anyone looking to shoot her would need to adjust their aim constantly. Having an arrow in her hand from before, Satchel was able to fire her first shot in synch with the guards on the roof. She placed priority on those wielding the longbows, knowing first hand how little time it took to nock an arrow. The elf ranger took extra time to aim for the one spot she knew to be fatal. The men above did not seem to take time to aim at all, but she was able to keep up thanks to the speed at which her short bow could be drawn. Her second arrow flew before they could return fire, and many had yet to do so even as she reached for her third arrow.

It was at this point Satchel had to fight the urge to wipe her brow. She had been walking in the sun all day instead of sitting in the shade like she was used to and as the guards surely had been before they arrived. Running around while her opponents stood in place high above her compounded this problem. Her clothing was the only advantage she had. The two thin layers she was wearing breathed much better than the guard’s heavy pads, and the gloves on her hands kept her sweat from affecting her grip. However, the heat had begun to take its toll. She could only fire one last shot before the drops running down her face partially blinded her, and even though she had not noticed herself she was beginning to slow.

"Be hidden Sprite," Tsera stated as she grabbed the Greatsword from her back and stepped forward, sneaking between two spear and, with a rther unwomanly battle cry, swung out win a wide arc, hoping to catch two of the spearment with the blade before reversing the momentum of the blade and bringing it back the other way, continueing this rhythmic pattern until she was sure the spell she desired to use would not strike one of her allies, although doing so had isolated erself and would likely cause quite the counterattack if her spell had not been boosted by enough Resonance.

"Now face the fury of the earth!" She muttered before raising her voice and leaping up, an altered grip on her Greatsword, "Magam Pillar!" Her body plunged dowards, Greatsword piercing the earth and magic coaxing up spikes around her, a sudden rush of lava following, but not enough to reach her friends before it cooled, "Coup de Jarnac!" she called, this time in elven, unleashing a spinning strike towards the closest foe still standing, before pulling the blade back sharply, the greatsowrd unleashing a weak wave of darkness in that direction. With thse spells used she was now on the defensive, moving to get herself away from the foes before switching to Francois.

Ayperos looked around quickly judging the battle field. He stepped back into the beast's shadow and drew a pair of wickedly sharp serrated daggers. He teleported into the outpost and climbed to the roof. Before he was noticed, he quickly cut the ankle of one and stabbed his other dagger into the back of a second guard's knee. By now he was noticed and the archers dropped their crossbows, drawing melee weapons instead to combat him. He raised his weapons and began edging toward the hole which led back into the outpost.

Valestia now finally cursed the shadow assassin who had brought what may have been entirely unnecessary conflict upon them. "Everyone, watch out for Lorna's tail!" the ash elf shouted as she gave the order for the kumi lizard to reverse it's tails swing -which was moving towards the sun at the time- as it raises that tail slightly. The tail formed a shape similar to a cheese wheel with a slice missing from it's form as Lorna walked forward to smash her tail into the guards standing there. Simultaneously the lady called upon two sparrows bones, sending them to heckle the archers who wished to heckle the group from the barracks.

The Sword Knight would not forget the day he first drew his sword in the name of death. It was warm, some might call it hot, and while his armor naturally was a hindrance in such weather, Auris was not most men, men who had only trained a few years at the average. The Sword Knight had been honed since he could first toddle upright, and it was with this unhindered dexterity and agility that he moved in battle. A gauntleted hand flew to his face as the archers loosed, an arrow plinking soundly into the steel and sending a reverberation up his arm that made him wince, another implanting itself into his armored forearm, the leather and chain stopping it. Grimacing, he moved to separate from the group evennas Bal shouted the order, his other hand pulling forward his coif to offer up some meagre protection from attacks on high. While Bal and Tsera'shul slammed into one side of the spear line like a hammer, he moved to the side not pressed by his allies, hand moving to the hilt of his sword as he stepped aside from a thrust.

It was done in a flash, in the space between the end of one hour and the beginning of the next. His grip tightened, and reflex took over as he performed the most basic of techniques. He drew his sword with a quarter-turn to the side, whispering "Farewell" as his weapon left the scabbard with a piercing whistle. He grimaced as felt the strike connect and score deep into the man's jugular, carrying himself forward another step and dislodging his blade before facing the rest in a ready stance, both hands at the hilt of his weapon, feet apart, knees bent, just as Grav had drilled him. "Edge's death upon the enemy!" He shouted simply, a formal Sword Knight battlecry. Then, "For the Temple!" as he fell upon the rest, flanking them with the Maestro and Gladiator.

Xugha was not surprised that the situation had quickly escalated into a fight. He took cover when the arrows began to rain, and was luckily unscathed. Xugha quickly began to prepare a spell that would weaken the melee combatants, preventing them from lasting in combat. He shouted out to his ranged allies "Keep me covered, I'm going to try something." He then began to channel the divine energy of his god, Orcuus, into his holy symbol.

Bal went about the flank of the enemy, joining the Maestro and Auris as they cut into the enemy ranks. Both sword and axe were on the move - cutting into flesh or parrying stray blows with every swing. He cared little for showmanship, only for results. And he made the most of every backhand; every strike and counter, each individual movement was carefully calculated and executed. Through it all his face was impassive. Unreadable. He cared little for their lives at this point now that they showed such hostile intent.

After downing his first guard with a sideways slash, he immediately turned to a second and impaled him through the side. A third foe slipped away, just as he covered for his comrade on the side.

Abandoning his efforts on the front, he watched only for a second before he realized this enemy's target.

There was no time to think. It was either act now, or risk losing a friend.

Bal loosened his grip on the handle of his axe and hurled it - just as the guard charged at the elf standing in the rear. Unbound went flying through the air, spinning several times before it embedded itself in the man's back.

A sharp cry came from his mouth before he fell forward - just a few feet away from Satchel, dead before he hit the ground.

Pausing only a moment longer, Bal flashed a nod in her direction. Then turned back to the battle, now armed only with his sword.

Aaron was stood near Satchel when the guard fell in front of her, he was glad to see that even though they dont know eachother too well they're still working together. He decided it was finally time to step in himself.

He reaches over to the fallen guard and pulls the axe out of his back as he starts to run towards the remaining guards. As he nears Bal he calls his name and throws the axe towards him.

When he reaches the first of the guards he sidesteps the spear jab that was aimed at him and grabs the guard by the head as he lands an elbow blow to his face, the resulting crunch of the guards nose being broken was like music to him.

Aaron turns and goes towards one of the other guards as the previous one slumps to the floor unconscious. He wasn't as lucky this time as the spear catches the side of his right arm, leaving a slightly deep cut. Like before he throws a elbow at the guard but this time he doesn't knock him unconscious, he wanted the guy to be awake when this happened.

"Well look at that, you actually manage to graze me. I guess you'll be the first one to feel my blade." He says with a hungry look. He holds his right arm out above the guy as tendrils of blood start to come out of the wound, almost as quickly as they came out they formed a curved blade. Without a moments hesitation he plunges the blade into the chest of the guard, killing him instantly.

"Guess the secret's out now. May as well make the most of it" Aaron thinks as he pulls the blade out and turns to rest of the guards.

The volley of arrows rain down on the area where the adventurers stood, but thanks to their formidable skills, equipment and warnings, most of the individuals managed to get through unscathed. Their guide, the Vampire lady in black, had her own way to deal with two threats at the same time. When she saw the few arrows that would have gotten to her, she gazed upwards. Without gesture, the strangest of things occurred as the arrows stopped in mid-air, levitating just above the hooded woman’s head. Then, as they began pointing towards the direction they came from, the arrows and bolts darted swiftly, each lodging itself in three archers’ throat. On top of two arrows shot by the Guardian of the Forests that hit true on their target, and the shadow assassin’s crippled victims, already half of the archers standing on the barracks were decimated.

With Bal attacking head-on the spearmen formation, it provided Tsera the opportunity to sneak around the soldiers to attack them. One was bitten by the large blade, for he had not realized how long two-handed swords are. The other one beside, a bit more cautious, took a step back and parried the great sword with the wooden shaft of his long spear, only to have it broken in two in his hands. The rush of lava cast from Tsera’s Magma Pillar spell managed to engulf one unwary guard that stood behind the spear line, incinerating the poor soul on the spot, but was otherwise blocked by the others. However, due to the intense heat of the spell, their metal shield molted as the magma spell ended, leaving the shield formation with almost nothing left to protect them. As such, yet another guard was struck by the wave of darkness shot from the Maestro’s big sword, but that alone wasn’t enough to kill the guard.

While the guards tried to strike down the musical wizard, who was now entrenched into the enemy’s line, she was spared by the distraction when two large wolves, one white as snow and the other black as the darkest night, leapt from seemingly nowhere and each took hold of two guards’ sword arm, ripping them off their torso with their powerful jaw. The spearmen could not retaliate as one was struck down by a lightning-fast sword slash to the neck by the Sword Knight Auris, two were squashed by the giant basilisk’s tail, and the one of the two remaining spearmen was taken out before two other swordsmen were taken out with ease by the Gladiator, making use of both his weapons with an impressive show of brawn.

The last of the soldiers were killed as the quiet mercenary, Aaron, finally decided to act and went to break the last spearman’s skull with a mighty elbow to the head. And finally, the last man standing met his end with a blade made of blood just before he thought a well-placed strike of his sword would’ve dealt with the unarmed adventurer. The only men left were five archers on top of the barracks, but after having witnessed just how easily their comrades had been dealt with, they were in no mood to continue the fight. Instead, they simply dropped their weapons and, knowing there was an assassin waiting for them downstairs, leapt off the structure to run for their life. One had badly landed and broke his legs upon hitting the ground, but none of his fellow guards looked back and helped him; they just ran for their own life.

From atop her horse, at the back of the group who were now standing among the scattered bloody remains of their foes, Khalina mentally ordered her steed to trot forward, meeting up with the rest of the group. She looked down towards the adventurers, her purple eyes peering out from the darkness of her hood.

“This… is a bloody mess. I had hoped we would’ve been able to get through here without killing the guards, for now the King will know something happened here now that he won’t receive reports from this area. But what’s done is done, and this dried earth once more tastes blood.” The Dark Elf maiden in black stated as her gaze shifted from the group to the bloodied corpses strewn about. “However, I believe we now have newcomers to greet, and ‘perhaps’ thank them for their assistance.” She said, the first part meant towards the man with fire-red hair, who was lurking in a tree not far from their location, and the emphasized “perhaps” to the assassin who was now standing in the shadows of the outpost.

Ayperos walked out of the building stumbling a bit. "That," he stated simply "was fun" But as he sat in the shadow of the building, his demeanor seemed to grim. He rubbed his head and groaned. "Gods be damned sun" He looked up. "Well I suppose I owe you lot an apology. Heat went straight to my head." He groaned again and though his legs shook a bit, he managed to stay on his feet. "Gods be DAMNED." He emphasized. He slowly walked over to the party.

The Knight apprentice frowned at seeing the death now littering the ground from their actions, kneeling to wipe the stain of red from his sword using a corpse's clothes before sheathing it in colemn silence. "Scabbard's peace upon your souls, you who wielded blades in honour. And edge's death upon they who shamed the name of their sword." He knelt down beside the man he'd struck, closing his eyes as was proper. Then, he calmly walked a few yards away from the scene, went to his hands and knees, and began to retch, his stomach violently heaving up what felt like everything he'd ever eaten, as he'd been warned might happen when he first truly killed a man. While outwardly Auris was calm, some may even say serenely stoic, his mind was presently reeling with conflicting interests of his duty as a Sword Knight and his basic human instinct to preserve others of the species, not kill them. According to Grav, it's something most soldiers went through after their first few battles, their first time watching the life wink out of a man's eyes, this violent physical rejection of their actions.

It was done after a few moments. Wiping his mouth with a handful of sand, he stood, pulling the arrow from before free of his arm and returning to the party. "If one is feeling generous," he said, "I would appreciate a drink of water to cleanse the bile from my tongue."

Bal sheathed his weapons and they formed an X shape on his back.

"Easy there, friend." He said as he walked up to Auris and placed one hand on his shoulder. With the other he reached into his robes and pulled out a canteen. In it was pure water from his homeland. "Here, drink of this." He looked over the rest of the group with a satisfied expression. "There may be hope for us yet." He muttered.

Clearly from the younger man's vomiting and his actions, this was his very first true battle. Possibly, it was the first time he had ever killed a man. The other group members were dealing with the aftermath of the battle in their own ways, but to Bal, it was a natural part of life.

"Well done everyone." He said, much more loudly and clearly. "All of you. Your honor is proven with your bravery."

Valestia sighed, she wished that she could have had such a reaction to their slaughter but alas she was all too familiar with death. Many hundreds of years ago, the lady -who was then a little elven girl even younger than Satchel- was forced to kill, it was in her kinds nature yes but for her it was self defense against those who would have her dead. Celsia of course prefers not to think about her first kills,prior to this, the only two (whom she considered) people to have died by her hands.

"What honor is there in killing. I find nothing but death in both it and bravery for that too will lead to naught but death." Valestia Sara Celsia lamented "I have of course see death before, my kinds existence depends on it. Perhaps you have heard of my people... the ash elves also known as wraiths, phoenix, wendigos and the children of Cindashelle. We can live forever but in return we must kill and trap the souls of the dead in the bird we are bonded to in a mock recreation of the grey sacrament which formed our people" The ladies voice was heavy with sorrow for the killing had unintentionally stirred the memories she had hope to forget. Small beads of water began to form on her lower eyelids.

Satchel loosed her third arrow at one of the archers as they fled from battle. Instead of lodging into the guard’s skull, this one pierced his shoulder. Satchel sought a blood trail rather than a corpse this time. She did so because of the wolves that were on her mind. She knew the two standing before her were wild animals that could pose a threat if not put in her place. She discreetly observed them in the event that they might make a move and paid little mind to them otherwise for the time being. They were not the ones she was worried about.

The wolves she thought of were nothing more than a memory. She was even smaller than present at the time and had just begun establishing dominion over the predators of the forest she was sworn to protect. Her lands spanned much further back then. She had forced her way into a territory controlled by a particularly aggressive pack of wolves. She killed off the alpha and all others fit to take the position through clever traps and expert marksmanship. It was a horribly violent endeavor, but at the time, it was the only way to ensure her survival. Thinking them broken she had let the survivors run free. While she repeated this process to spread her influence and deter other predators from moving in to fill the gap she sought for herself, the dislocated wolves integrated themselves into another nearby pack that formed a group too large for her to face. The size of the pack drove most of the local game to extinction in addition to nearly killing the young elf several times before disease and starvation reduced their numbers over the course of many seasons. Satchel would not repeat that mistake again.

“We need to go after them!” She demanded of the others. “If we don’t silence them they’ll come back with more men. But first…” Satchel stopped and knelt down by the body that had fallen by her feet. The few minutes it would take to better prepare herself would make little difference in tracking her pray successfully as long as the others didn’t slow her down. She remained silent and scrunched her face as her mind rattled trying to recall a name. The man had shouted it in front of her many times, but it still escaped her. She knew it started with a B.B.B… “Bal!” She finally exclaimed with great pride her ability to finally remember the name of the man who may have had a tiny roll in her still being alive. “Bal, come show me all the places that this will kill a man.” She rolled the shaft of an arrow back and forth between her fingers as she waited for the man to come fill her request.

"As you wish, friend-Satchel." Said Bal as he knelt beside her.

That was the first time she had ever called him by name, which pleased him.

"There are three areas on the head that can guarantee an instant kill. If you wish to blind him, you strike here and here." He gestured to the dead man's eyes. "And here..." He pointed at the throat. "If pierced, this will cut off his air and make him unable to move, or breathe."

As per the body, he pointed out to her all the vital spots that could disable a man without killing him including the wrists and forearms - and at the heart where an arrow could do the most damage. Then he described each spot in the ribcage and how that could permanently cripple a man if pierced, and finally, he told of the back of the neck - where she easily could dispatch a man from behind.

"And if you are as good a shot with a bow as I think," he said with a grin. "I believe you may be able to hit a man even when he is fleeing for his life."

Ayperos grunted at the killing lesson. "Those are but a few points that will guarantee an enemy's destruction. You can also cut at a major tendon and disable them from fighting. A cut in the back of the ankle will cut the Achilles's tendon and render them unable to walk as will a shot in the knee which will either shatter the kneecap or slice a tendon in the leg. A hot in the hand will disable a man from fighting with it, though it is a difficult shot to make. If you are on lower ground then your enemy, then a shot upward through the stomach or through the chin will pierce his lungs, heart, or brain, killing or ensuring his death instantly." he grimaced at the sun again. "And those are just if you need to quickly dispatch an enemy. There are ways to make men die that can kill instantly if you have enough time to prepare."

He looked in the direction of the fleeing archers. "I brushed one of them earlier before they left. They are almost a quarter mile away. If we are to silence their voices, I suggest we do so now."

These. People. Were. CRAZY.

When Pyxis engaged them, they seemed the grumpy, yet still sane, type. Obviously she was very, very wrong. Truly, nothing could have prepared her for the battle that was to come. One minute she was playing with the feather and the next there were loud thumps falling on the ground. The nice lady with the hat requested that Pyxis would go elsewhere. The pixie was not one to deny such a request and obliged. Soon after the first warrior fell, Pyxis was high up in the sky, out of the reach of the guard's arrows.

She watched the swarm fall upon the adventurers from a safe distance. They seemed well trained and managed to avoid any serious injury. Subconsciously, she brushed the feather against her nose. She was buried in thought, far too focused on the scene in front of her to notice the stolen item in her hand. All of these people seemed to be well worn and experienced; a good bunch of people to have on your side rather than against it. Pixies, by nature, ran away from or tricked their opponents. They hardly ever fought head on. It might have been a refreshing change to be surrounded by bigger folk who could take on anything.

Pyxis let out a loud, high pitched sneeze as the feather went a little too high in her nose. It was then that she noticed the feather was no longer in the flamboyant one's cap and was in her hand. Pyxis furrowed her brow, staring at the inanimate object accusingly. How in the world did that get there? She contemplated it for a few seconds and then shrugged. She reasoned with herself as she watched the battle below and brushed the feather against her skin. Naturally, the feather was in danger down there. She was doing the world a favor. A trophy of such high regard (such as a feather) should be protected from damage. She would return it to its owner once the fight was over.

Which didn't take long.

The pixie rubbed her eyes with her free hand. She felt like she blinked and then they were victorious! They moved like... like... well, actually, she had nothing to really compare it to. She had never stuck around danger long enough to get a good enough example. Pyxis clicked her heels in joy and flew downwards towards the adventurers.

"You guys were great!" She squeaked, speeding from one person to the next. She would hover in their faces for a couple seconds before buzzing off to the next one. Naturally, she was still safeguarding the feather.

"I mean really!" She continued excitedly, "You guys took them down like you were eating homemade pie. It was like bam, bang, boom!" She fluttered around a little more. Then, an idea struck her. She still flew from side to side, zig zagging around the different members of the party like a gnat. She invaded people's personal space and may or may not have peeked in their pockets.

"I'm sure you guys will be off fighting bad guys a lot, and I'm sure you will need a powerful assistant in your quest," She said, never staying still, "I just know you're going to have to leave your stuff around at some point. You humans," She could never tell the difference between large species, "Need someone like me," She pointed to herself with her thumbs and kicked her leg out, never letting go of that feather, "A powerful companion who will protect your things while you're gone! It's brilliant, you'd be asking to be stoled from if you refuse."

"Ash elves..." Tsera muttered before looking over the party, "That explains the pallor of your skin and melancholy beat." She told Valestia, "To my knowledge, only one of your kind is in my order. However, no matter the crims of the past, there is always the tune of respite for those who use their power to aid, Valestia. Take solace in that."

Then her attention turned to the gladiator, returning the greatsword to her back, "Bal. You fight as if you march to the beat of an erupting volcano... Untamed yet focused. It is interesting, and Satchel, Your aim is not something I initally expected on first glance at you. The wild beat within you seems.. augmentitive than hindering."

She smiled looking towards the sky, "Perhaps... the beat of the world is not as... perfect as once thought by the order?" She muttered to herself in contemplation before turning towards the feeling archers, "Alas, The archers are too far away for me to reach but their voices will only sing of fear. Few will believe them without their commander."

Upon the fairy's return to the group she watched the spritly being with a raised eyebrow. 'A feather? Where did she-?' she mentally stopped herself when she removed her had, in dowing so hair was, once again, moved away from her cheek scars. Normally one would be incensed at the realization that the creature had stolen from her in this manner but instead Tsera chuckled, "A... cute antic, sprite. Mind if I ask your name?" she asked with a soft grin.

The Vampire guide smiled softly under her hood. It seemed that despite this first encounter, none of them lost their spirit. She sympathized mentally to the Sword Knight named Auris, who seemed to have gotten battle-sick. Some must’ve assumed that this quest would not involve death, yet it was a harsh reality, a reality they would experience throughout their whole adventure. This much Khalina was aware of; she was leading them down a dangerous path that might change a few of her colleagues, for the better of for the worse. But for the sake of this land, they must carry on and surpass greater challenges, always heading forward.

“You all seem to be doing well. I am glad to know none of you are seriously injured. If you may please, we must move on.” The Dark Elf lady stated as her horse stopped in front of the group.

Khalina jumped from her black steed, landing softly on her feet with surprising silence. After acknowledging all with a look towards each individual, she walked past the group and went towards the cliff side, just beside the foundations of the old ruined bridge. It was hard to believe that the group traveled all this distance to simply stare at some destroyed stone bridge. Past however holds a lot of secrets, mysteries that the group’s guide was well-aware of. After looking down the cliff to stare at the rushing waters of the rapids streaming at the bottom of the canyon, Khalina walked towards two pillars that were still standing strong, one at each side of the bridge. She slid one hand on the surface of one of the pillar, as if she was looking for something hidden on it. After a minute of blind-feeling the surface of the eroded stone, her hand touched a small loose rock embedded inside the pillar. It enabled a mechanism inside the pillar, splitting it in two to reveal a large crystalline orb.

“If you remember the story I told earlier, you know the reason that led to the destruction of this bridge. However, King Basil was not a foolish man. He knew the importance of the south lands. After the barbarian invasion was repelled, and was made sure they would never come back, the old king worked on a project to rebuild the bridge, however in a different way.” The Dark Elf told as she made her way to the next pillar. “His project was to make a safer bridge, with the help of magic. He had assembled the kingdom’s greatest wizards to work on this project. However, the project was soon forgotten after the King disappeared, and the mages who had been working on it all died, one after the other.” She continued as she did the same thing to the second pillar, revealing a second large orb.

“Miss Mozza’tarral, Miss Celsia, would you please come closer?” Khalina asked to the two women, walking back in front of the bridge entry, between the two pillars. “Although the project wasn’t finished, it neared its end. Two mages were required to make the new bridge work, focusing their magic into these orbs here to manifest a bridge of pure solid energy. All they had left to do was to find a way to make it permanent, with the ability to suppress the bridge at any moment notice. Fortunately for us, we have fine magic users in our group to make up for this lack of permanency.” The Vampire explained, extending her arms to point at each orbs. “There is a catch, however. To make the bridge stable, the mages must focus the same amount of magical energy into the orbs. While it is difficult for most adepts to sync their magic flow with someone else they barely know, I trust it wouldn’t be an issue for an adept of harmonic magic?”

Myriad thoughts and concerns flickered through the Sword Knight's consciousness as he swept back his chain coif and took a swig from the canteen offered him, swishing the water around in his mouth before swallowing and letting out a soft "Ah", returning the drink to the gladiator with a nod and "My thanks, strong one." When the gladiator went to the younger elf, Auris turned to Valestia. "There is no glory to be found in simple killing. The glory of battle stems not from what merely is, but what is represented. Our battle here holds no glory or honour, but our fighting for this world's continued existence is glorious and honourable, moreso than any single of us could know."

He sighed, lowering himself to his knees in an obviously meditative stance. "Our mission, Death Elf, is one that will surely amend the harmonies of the world no matter our success or ultimate failure. For better or worse, we cannot know until it is done, if that. But in any case there will be countless dead for you to desecrate in the name of your own vanity."

"Thank you, lady maestro." Valestia whispered with Lorna moving so that Tsera'schul would be able to hear. "Very few will lend a simple kindess to the ash elves. I wish that Stella and her husband may bless you both in life and death."

Upon hearing the words spoken by their guide and seeing the orb, the wraith dismounted via Lorna's sizeable tail. "I will help for now." the ash elf said rather somberly "...atleast until we reach the bridges end but then I shall need some time for myself. And sir knight I do not kill for vanity and never will. I am a born ash elf, my parents killed to become pheonix. I shall consume ash to use the lives of killers to better the innocent. "

The ash elf held her hand to the light, a pained look still present on her face. "Shall we begin maestro?"

Ayperos sighed as the group talked amongst itself and ignored the mage. They really were quite chatty. He held his head between his hands. Between their voices and sun his head was starting to pound like a bad hangover. Finally he yelled, "Will you lot just shut up and do what the lady asked?" He fell to his knees and hunched over, trying to block out as much of the noise and light as possible.