Re: Org. XIV (story)

**NebulaGregarZX** Sat Aug 16, 2014 1:53 am

"I was once ordered to teach a couple of girls how to fight. They weren't very good at picking up on things, and would first think of something insane before thinking of the obvious, like trying to create a protective barrier before walking out of the way of an attack. They both got lost in that castle before we could finish their training- hell, before we could really GET anywhere with their training! I've taught you guys stuff for about five minutes, and you're already beyond their level. It took me two days to get those guys trained up, an I was going all-out. I just gave you guys some pointers."

He sighed. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't ask me to elaborate on any of that, because that would just extend this conversation in ways I really don't want to."

**Haar_Dragon** Sun Aug 17, 2014 1:42 am

"Right," said Izanagi hesitantly. "So, then...you'll be going now, I take it?"

**NebulaGregarZX** Sat Aug 23, 2014 11:35 pm

The stranger nodded. "Yeah, I've got somewhere I have to be. Take care. Oh, and if you happen to end up in another world, and need some help getting back, just say you know me and somebody might help you out. My name is Rexial, and it might make things a little easier if you remember."

He began to walk away. "I get the feeling we'll run into each other again, so don't forget me, alright?"

**Haar_Dragon** Sun Aug 24, 2014 12:08 am

Izanagi nodded. "Yeah..."

Mi's sword vanished, and she crossed her arms. "You know he's just trying too hard to be cool, right? If you've got something to tell him, say it."

"...I can't speak for the rest of us, but I'd like to go with you. At least long enough to learn how to travel between worlds without destroying them."

**NebulaGregarZX** Sun Aug 24, 2014 1:04 am

Rexial sighed. Goddammit, I heard that. Ignoring it... "I doubt it's something you'd get as quickly as your other skills, but it's possible to make corridors that take you to other- why the hell am I telling you this? If you're coming with me, then you can ask anybody. ...And besides, I'm not the best at explaining this stuff. Listen, I can't really take you with me right now. I'm going to an event that you guys weren't really invited to, and..."

Why is it so hard to make up my mind with these people? Maybe if I just make a run for it, they won't be able to react fast enough to follow me...

He turned and bolted, looking for anywhere other than the dojo with decent cover to escape in.

**Haar_Dragon** Sun Aug 24, 2014 1:37 am

Izanagi sighed. "He could've just said no."

"Maybe he was embarrassed to have been found out!" said Ai, appearing suddenly from around a corner. "And, um...would you guys mind if I tagged along with you? It's kind of important to me that I keep this place, um...not destroyed. I kinda like it here and all."

"No objections," said Mi. "I'm in too, by the way, assuming we can actually find a way off this world."

Izanagi's response was a nod. "Right. We should ask Ayame, Haru...and Tatsu, I guess, if they want to come."

"Hey, maybe one of them knows something!" said Ai.

"Also a good point. We'll take one each, then?"

"Haru," said Mi.

"Ayame," said Ai.

"...Thought so."

**NebulaGregarZX** Sun Aug 24, 2014 2:04 am

None of them are bothering to give chase. Well, just to be safe, I'd better get out of their sight before I open a corridor to Synthisle.

He increased his pace, continuing for a full minute before stopping to look back. "...There's no way they can see me from that far."

Rexial held out his hand, summoning a dark corridor and calmly stepping through, closing it behind himself.

**Admin (HalcyonWandering)** Wed Sep 03, 2014 9:39 pm

-Meanwhile at Castle Synthisle-

The returned king was having a difficult time greeting the innumerable faces of the populace new and old as the world's citizens gathered in his main hall for a feast. Each and every one of them tried to meet the new king face to face but what surprised him most was the greetings he received from the six members of assembly. The six of them each introduced themselves to the king before rushing off as if something more important than every citizen in the world being in the castle was happening just outside.

Not one to be easily perturbed, Lance shrugged off their rushed greetings and made a mental note to talk to the royal advisor. Daidara, who still ran his Metalworks at all other times, served as the people's go between to and from the Assembly and the royalty. However, since there was only ever two members of the royal family he needed to report to, his dual jobs were simply managed by his workaholic mindset.

**khfreak358** Sat Sep 20, 2014 11:55 pm

Necro arrived in the Main Hall of the castle, and, needless to say, was rather impressed by the sheer number of patrons that had arrived. The sheer size of the kingdom of Synthisle hadn't registered with him until now. But that wasn't important right now. Turning to his young friend, he knelt down. "Maya, do you know where I can find King Willwright?"

'

**Admin (HalcyonWandering)** Fri Sep 26, 2014 1:37 am

Maya giggled and nodded, "He's the tall one with the spiky hair!" She pointed over the crowd to where Lance stood with a hand in his permanently disheveled hair as he exchanged an inaudible but highly animated string of dialogue with Daidara. Meanwhile, not far to his right, Thalia conversed with Phoenix, the young woman who had earned the title of Captain during the years past, was dressed in her finest military threads, a pocket of deep navy blue amongst a sea of reds and greens.

**NebulaGregarZX** Fri Sep 26, 2014 4:32 am

A voice spoke up from behind Wayne and Maya.

"Who are you talking about?"

**khfreak358** Sat Sep 27, 2014 12:30 am

<I'm going to assume you meant Necro and Maya.>

Necro turned around and answered. "Lance Willwright. The King of Synthisle."

**NebulaGregarZX** Sat Sep 27, 2014 6:00 am

<...I question my ability to do this, if I'm making elementary mistakes like this so much. Bit late, after this long, though.>

"Oh, Lance. I assume you've got some important business with him, so I'll wait to talk to him."

Spiky brown hair, a bit on the short side, and wearing the coat of the organization... "I don't believe we've been introduced, though. Name's Rexial. How do you and Maya know each other?"

**khfreak358** Sat Sep 27, 2014 2:42 pm

"She saved my life today, if you can believe it," Necro explained whilst extending his hand, "I'm Necro."

**NebulaGregarZX** Sat Sep 27, 2014 4:40 pm

"Oh, I believe you. Maya's not someone I'd cross, personally." He gave Necro a firm handshake. "Pleasure to meet you. Mind if I ask what business you have with Lan- with King Willright, exactly? If it's this important, I feel like I should be hearing it, too."

**khfreak358** Sun Sep 28, 2014 2:42 pm

"I just need to give him a warning, and…" Necro paused, "settle a personal matter."

**Admin (HalcyonWandering)** Sun Sep 28, 2014 3:56 pm

Maya tilted her head looking to her companion with a bit of vacant curiosity, "Personal matter? Weren't Lance and Necro friends when Lance wasn't Lance?" She tapped her skull trying to think of the word she had wanted, "When he was Xancel! A nobody!" She squeaked excitedly, rather pleased with her own discovery.

**NebulaGregarZX** Sun Sep 28, 2014 7:58 pm

This raised on of Rexial's eyebrows. "Personal, huh? And you were his friend when he was a Nobody? That's... strange. He definitely wasn't very friendly back then. ...I'll be sure not to get in your way."

**Admin (HalcyonWandering)** Wed Oct 01, 2014 6:08 pm

From across the crowd, Lance caught sight of Necro and Rexial, the king parted the sea of his subjects in order to reach them and nodded in acknowledgement once he was close enough.

"I'm glad to see that you both made it, Rexial, Necro." His voice, a low baritone compared to his past self. He looked at the pair with a small gleam to his eyes, his stance was a little lopsided, favoring his injury-free leg.

Maya bobbed up and down, bouncing in place, "Hey! Maya came too!"

Lance chuckled, still dark and throaty, "I expected you to be here, Maya. You live here."

Maya frowned, "I could have gone and played in the forest!"

Lance nodded in acknowledgment, "I'm sure you could have. You just couldn't resist the idea of a party though."

Maya beamed, "You saw right through Maya!" She cartwheeled and vanished a puff of black magic, off to cause some sort of trouble, no doubt.

"I hope she doesn't break anything." Lance pinched the bridge of his nose, hedging the irritation that was welling within.

**NebulaGregarZX** Wed Oct 01, 2014 6:39 pm

Rexial chuckled a little. "Want me to keep an eye on her? After all, I imagine this guy wants to have a conversation with you in private. Much as I'd like to catch up, he was here first."

**Admin (HalcyonWandering)** Thu Oct 02, 2014 6:05 pm

Lance nodded giving Rexial a small but earnest smile, "If its not too much of a hassle? If anyone can keep tabs on that girl, it'd be you."

Looking back at Necro, Lance addressed him more formally, "What did you want to speak to me about Necro?"

**khfreak358** Fri Oct 03, 2014 4:04 am

"I think your being targeted," Necro explained, cutting right to the chase, but keeping his voice down so he didn't alarm the partygoers. "When I arrived, I found a couple of your friends being harassed by a mercenary named Wayne Prescott. He claims he was here scoping out his competition, but I doubt that. He doesn't have enough potential clients here, and he seemed to have some level of intel and orders about dealing with Maya. I think he's working for someone. And Wayne's no pushover, he'll be back. I'd suggest you increase your security. Keep on your toes."

Stormwolfex Fri Oct 03, 2014 7:31 pm

-Interlude-

My body is made out of swords...

She was alone again, walking under a sea of fire that obscured the sky. A vast emptiness greeted her weary crimson eyes as she painstakingly limped forward, ever chasing after her elusive goal.

My blood is of iron and my heart of glass...

Blood. There was blood everywhere. Was this what he meant when he talked about going down this path? These ideals that tore him apart again and again? Once more, the silver-haired girl forged ahead.

I have survived through countless battles...

Not even once retreating...

The arid stench of dead bodies hit her next, faceless corpses that littered the ground in abundance. Were they victims? Murderers? Masterminds of wars? None of that mattered now. What mattered was...

I was always alone...

Intoxicated with victory on a hill of swords...

Her red overcoat brushed carelessly against a bloodied sword as she came to a halt, her entire frame trembling with the effort it took to just keep moving. She was so close...! Gritting her teeth, she raised her head with a heavy pant and winced faintly at the light reflecting off the field of swords.

Swords that blanketed the landscape as far as the eye could see.

Her head raised higher -

Thus, my life has no meaning...

This body was surely... made out of swords...

A lone man was kneeling atop a hill of swords... the man she had been chasing after... tried so hard to live up to... that had saved her... Her mouth opened to scream his name but all that came out was a soundless cry as her legs gave way.

No... no... NO!

Her hand reached out, grasping faintly at the figure in the distance... that forever unreachable distance... Once more, she tried to articulate the words. The words that had eluded her all this time.

His name was...

"SHIROU!"

-Unknown-

Archer woke up with a start, twin swords appearing in her hands in a fraction of a second as she leapt to her feet in a blur of motion. Breathing heavily, she looked around warily for a few seconds before letting the swords disappear with a low groan. Nothing but an open field. "That dream again," she mumbled tiredly as she dropped back down onto the grass limply.

The rising sun caught her eye as she tried to calm her breathing, her head still spinning from her dream. Letting out a shaky sigh, Archer got to her feet lazily and began to stretch instead to try and clear her head.

2 years had passed since she had come to this universe and all those connected with it. It had been an eye opener, to say the least. The things she had learnt had broadened her horizons... made certain things far more possible than they could have ever been. And yet... nothing had really changed.

She was still alone.

It had been almost a year and half since she had left Lance's castle, partially because she could not get along with all of their inhabitants and secondly...

Heh. Archer shook her head with a wry chuckle. Here she was getting sentimental again. No, it was better off this way. She knew she owed Nick but he was probably better off without her anyway. Still, she kept frequent tabs on the castle and every single one of it's inhabitants and she was glad to see that he was at least doing well.

Not to mention there were other reasons why she kept tabs on them.

Taking in a deep breath as the sun rose to prominence, Archer spared a glance down the hill where the inhabitants of the nearby village had been most grateful and hospital for her slaying of a large dragon. A simple enough job and the beast would no longer bother the villagers.

It was time to move on.

Turning, Archer disappeared into the forest and never looked back.

-Olympus Coliseum-

Darkness swirled and gathered deep within the core of the world as cracks began to appear on the surface of the realm. Little by little, black mud oozed out in the Underworld, attracted by a presence it was seeking. Hunting. The mud pulsed suddenly.

A heartbeat reverberated throughout the cavern.

And then -

*CRACK*

The entire world seemed to tremble as a hand burst through the ground forcefully, covered in the dark mud as a bloodcurdling scream reverberated throughout the world and beyond.

The time had come.

**Admin (HalcyonWandering)** Tue Oct 07, 2014 12:36 am

Lance let out a low and earthy chuckle, a sound that would be terrifying were it meant to be intimidating, "You think I should increase security? I don't think there are many threats capable of breaching this castle, friend. We've had our share of battles. And an assailant like him shouldn't prove anymore dangerous than the entities we've fought before."

Maya had made her way to the spread of food and was busying herself with drinking from the punch bowl. Now, this wouldn't have been very disruptive normally, if she had chosen to use the ladle. Instead the troublemaker had hefted the entire bowl to her lips and was taking long gulps from the large receptacle, the punch inside disappearing into a seemingly bottomless stomach.

**NebulaGregarZX** Tue Oct 07, 2014 1:46 am

Rexial slipped through the crowd and tapped Maya on the shoulder, grinning. "Don't drink too much, there. I'm sure your guests would appreciate it if there were enough left for everybody."

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