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"Af lagarrth... Dalth," muttered Akari to himself as he was awakened by Anayu's prodding. (Could be translated as "Too early... by far") After a few minutes of convincing himself to get up, he did. He remembered what was ahead of him, and that he needed his strength to help out Rusty and the others follow through with their plan to catch up to the muggers and get Rusty's arrowhead back. Of course, speaking of Rusty, after Akari managed to roll himself over, he saw him standing right over him! He gasped and almost reached for his throwing knife, but, knowing it was Rusty, he stopped.

He pushed himself up off the ground, laughing with Rusty, as they both cracked up at how much Akari had gotten scared, and then looked towards the scent of food that partly got him to get up at such an early hour. There, not too far in front of him, was Anayu with a blanket rolled out in front of her, with food placed upon it. Cyrus and Sissmuth were sitting down next to her, eating. Ah, breakfast, he thought, we're sure gonna need it.

Akari eventually managed to get himself standing up, and stretch out. After finishing up with stretching his arms behind his head, he headed over to the blanket with all the breakfast items on it. "I like the setup," he commented, taking a piece of sausage and tossing it into his mouth. After he finished with it, and swallowed, he nodded in satisfaction. "Great stuff, Anayu," he added, picking up an apple and tossing it into the air, clearly far more awake than he was a few minutes ago. Good-tasting food, particularly meats and eggs, usually woke him up like energy drinks and other caffeinated drinks affected others.

He sat down next to Anayu and took a bite of the apple. The water in it gave him a sugary rush that further woke him up. Sissmuth, clearly, wasn't sharing his mood, or the mood of anyone else. By far, he was the most grumpy one of the group at that time. Upon Anayu's urging, Akari devoured another piece of sausage and tossed Sissmuth an apple. "Here," he said, "you'll feel a bit better after you eat this."

Sissmuth looked down as the apple fell on his lap, then shot a look of poison at Akari. He thought to say something, but was fortunately able to recognize the wolf's sincere gesture in time, and he lowered his gaze and grunted. Placing his staff across his lap, he curled his tail around his body and began nibbling down at the apple.

His attention was stolen as he picked up more tremors rumbling down beneath the earth's surface. Sometimes, the ability was a nuisance, and he didn't want to think too much about them. Still much too early in the day.

He looked up again and and made no effort to hurry the pace of his eating at Anayu's urging. First off, he could catch up with the group with almost an entire day's walk ahead of him. Secondly, he'd only met this stranger last night and had no intention of abiding by such direct orders. Last time he took orders, he'd been stuck in a strange group of strange people to go to some strange place... which was the original reason why he left Valter, but this was not what he expected.

Sissmuth thought he didn't know what he wanted; the thought upon which he dwelled upon for many minutes, silently chewing on bits of apple. He thought too much, he knew as well. Perhaps he should just go with the way things are... and if it meant following this Anayu and the others to Desdon, at least that's where they were all headed anyway.

Upon finishing her breakfast, Anayu leaned a little back, staring up at the sky. It was slowly becoming brighter, but right now it had a very relaxing hue to it.
She closed her eyes.

"You know..." she began. "I'm curious."
She looked at Akari - again, eyeing him for a brief moment longer than she had intended.
"I mean... I left Desdon many years ago and never looked back. Things happened there - I'm not really certain how. But I went on a pilgrimage, if you will."
She looked skywards again.

"How come I am suddenly here with you and your group, I wonder? What did those thieves steal that is so valuable that you must chase them? Because, if I can have my say, Desdon is not that much of a wonderful place. A lot of people there are rather... unkind."
She took a long pause before choosing the last word, remembering how she was chased around the city because of her practising magic.

Yet another rumble. And a mental sigh followed and before anyone could respond to her, she spoke again.
"In any case, I really think we should hurry. The route we are taking will be two hours longer than going to Desdon directly and we do want to reach the city at least before next dawn, right?"


(( Really sorry about the stupid post >.< I really don't have any muse today! ))

Akari eyed Sissmuth as his venomous stare met Akari's eyes, but when Sissmuth looked away, maybe not fully meaning it, he turned his attention back to Anayu and her queries towards him. Her eyes met his, as she talked about her life with Desdon and how she went on a pilgrimage from Desdon.

To her question about what was stolen, he cleared his throat. "They mugged my friend, Rusty, back in Asper. They stole his Tiger's Eye arrowhead necklace, and attempted to do the same thing to my mother, and possibly many others in our town, despite the armed patrols of the Asper Militia. He was unconscious when I found him, and not too long after he came to, we caught them again dealing their ill-gotten goods in the streets. We, without thinking a whole lot about it, burst in on them, causing a small fight, where I was held at gunpoint," Akari paused, and scratched the spot on his head where he could almost still feel the metal against his head, "And when we saw that they a soldier in the Militia killed one of them, and was wounded himself, we knew this was big. We were sent by Rusty's guardian to help Rusty retrieve it. And to be perfectly honest, I think these guys aren't just thugs on the streets... It's something bigger, I'm sure. Enough for our guardian to send all of us, most of whom just met last night, after them."

Akari took a breath, but before he could continue, Anayu again urged everyone on. "Yes," he concurred, "we'd better get going. I think we'd want to get there soon... we'll have a better chance of finding those guys the sooner we get there."

Rusty didn’t say anything while Akari replayed the events of last night. It might have made him appear weak and pathetic, unable to take care of himself and relying on others for support, but it didn’t matter to Rusty. He just sat there, leaning on the same feeling he had before going to bed last night.

The fire’s ready.

As if they were tied, Rusty shook the feelings off as soon as Akari concluded the replay. He sat down and reached for some breakfast, grabbing a slice of pork and an apple. Not the most complete meal, but it worked for a scavenger.

------------

The night before:

Remus and Jollanel walked the catwalks of the second floor of the apartment. The night seemed to have been clouded by a faint mist from the events that transpired. The feeling of celebration had been long destroyed by the ASRH’s reckless attack. Remus stopped at the room they were looking for, unlocked it and waited for Jollanel before entering himself.

As they entered, a darkness swallowed them and the door was closed behind them, sealing them inside. The room, however, seemed to glow a faint blue color. There was light seeping through the bottom crack of the first door on the right. Assuming his partner had fallen asleep with the TV on, Remus crept to the door and placed a hand on the handle, carefully twisting it to avoid making any sort of noise that could wake a snoozing being. Standing by, Jollanel could only mentally poke fun at Remus for fearing to wake up his partner suddenly.

Remus managed to crack the door open. He began pushing to open it further, but stopped. Something was blocking it. Remus leaned his shoulder against the door in attempt to move the obstruction. He shoved. As soon as he did, a whispering voice coming from inside the room tickled Remus' ear, the one closest to the open crack.
Suddenly the door slammed shut and Remus stumbled back.

The voice came out again, this time audible by Jollanel as well, “Don’t you know to knock before entering a lady’s room!” Now Jollanel understood Remus' fears; the person who owned this familiar voice had been known to unleashed relentless fury upon the unlucky soul who disturbs her sleep. Lucky for the two of them, it didn't sound like she had being sleeping.

Recovered, Remus answered in his usual stiff tone. “Anthia, we have work to do.”

“Uhh… Are you kidding me?!" came the reply, wining. Then her words flipped, sounding harsh. "What sort of 'important' work can you dig out from a night trials celebration? NO way, Remus?”

“Sorry, Anthia. A surprising turn of events took place-“

“That I'm sure can wait ‘til morning, Remus. Gooood night, tiger.” That last part sounded taunting, yet flirty.

Despite the amusement that could be squeezed out of this encounter, the situation was grave and Jollanel butted-in. “Enough of this! Anthia, you can have your way with Remus later. We need you assistance."
A pause. He couldn't help but feel a bolt of pride swell up within him as he heard Anthia, bound in wonder and sounding hallow, say his name.
He continued: "The ASRH are on the move and we don't want them getting a jump start ahead of us. Not this time."

Anthia gave a low growl in response, still reluctant to sacrifice her sleep. But she caved: "Alright. Sorry, Jollanel. Let me get dresses.”

“Please hurry, Anthia.”

After a period of waiting that seemed forever, the bedroom door finally opened. A long slender figure stood in the door frame and stepped out. The moon light entering from the window of the room revealed the features of an otter. This was definitely the Anthia Jollanel remembered. She wore a long, silky blue and silver dress that hung down from a silver belt and a matching tube top. Just past her shoulders and down to her elbows she had two bands that had cloth tails hanging down, mimicking the dress. Twin sapphire earrings glimmered in the moonlight and completed her outfit as they hang under her layered, medium length, brown hair. Fastened to her belt hanged the scabbard of her silver saber sword. “Alright, what’s the job?”

Jollanel stood up from the stool at the kitchen bar, trying his might to ignore how gorgeous Anthia looked from the combination of her stylish wear and youth in her eyes; just as he had remembered. “We give chase. A group of ASRH pawns attacked Asper and fled out of the south gate towards Desdon. I hope I don’t have to explain what that means.”

“Crystal, this almost confirms our suspicions of what’s in Desdon from what we have managed to collect in the non conclusive reports.”

“Excellent. Supplies have already been packed. Despite the distance, our best mode of transportation is to foot it on the main path.”

With a nod from Anthia, she and Jollanel made for the door. Reums, however, still had bones to share with his superior. “Ma’am, I’d like you to be aware that Jollanel has put the lives of the innocent in harm’s way to proceed with actions of the Council.”

“Remus,” Jollanel spoke, “you know very well why I did.” But knowing the duties Reums had to carry out, Jollanel confronted Anthia. “This is true. It’s Rusty, a direct victim of the attacks, and his friend Akari as well as two others that got involved. They are a forward group that is already on their way to Desdon.”

Anthia crossed her arms. Despite her age, she held more responsibilities than the older Remus. Responsibilities that go beyond Jollanel's would-have-had position. “That’s a bit disappointing to hear about you Jollanel. But I trust your judgment. Besides, that, coupled with the fact you’re not part of The Council, you’re off the hook, but only if this ends favorably. If not, pray the spirits’ wraths are gentle.”

“Understood. The four youths are on the main path to Desdon. We should be able to meet up with them before any sort of trouble does.”

“Then, it’s settled. Let’s get going.”

A small yip escaped Sissmuth as he realized that in his ponderations, he'd nommed right through the apple and had unknowingly started nibbling at his fingers. While Akari recalled the events of last night, Sissmuth took advantage of the opportunity to steal a few more glances at this Anayu. His breath puffed out through his nostrils and the end of his tail started jittering as if with a life of its own. He nodded as the recollection was concluded and finished off his apple by slowly picking out the seeds and chomping down on the remains -- core, stem, and all. As if it were some sort of crime, Sissmuth surreptitiously pushed the seeds down into the soft earth with his thumb and got back to his feet with another wide yawn.

It was fortunate that Anayu was headed the same direction they were. He didn't know why, but he always thought this little excursion would only be between him, Cyrus, Rusty, and Akari. Any more bodies, and the otherwise timid lizard would begin to feel anxious. Already he felt the primeval sense of competition kindling within him at the sight of another geokinetic.

The small tremors continued. Sissmuth turned back to the group. "On foot, it'll take at least another day to get to Desdon. We should start as early as we can to get there by noon tomorrow, if conditions permit."

(( The following takes place a little during the later parts of the day ))

*boom*
Parts of the city wall collapsed and as the dust settled afterwards, a woman hurried through the hole. She checked her equipment on the fly - and to her great grief, she had not managed to bring enough grenades to last a fight if she should get caught. She really had to be quick now; if her escape would be discovered before she could get out of sight, the police would be sure to come after her.
The woman began sprinting away from the city, not far away from the main path. She wouldn't be able to get far without a break, but she knew very well that she could at least get out of sight's range.

After about a minute, she slowed down and hid herself behind a tree, allowing herself to catch her breath a little, brushing some of her red hair away from her face.

She had to reach the base in Asper, and quickly as well.

After about three-four minutes' worth of rest, she began moving again - this time slower, keeping herself hidden behind trees as much as possible.


(( Mostly because I wanted to get a post in, since we got to wait for Sirus ^^ ))

(I'm back and active again lol thanks for waiting guys)

As he thankfully helped pack up Anayu's cooking supplies Cyrus considered the possibilities of the day. Though anxious, as he had no idea what might happen when he reached Desdon, he took comfort in the fact he wasn't alone. He usually relished in solitude, but in this current endeavor he felt much safer in the company of other capable, well, "adventurers". Desdon's hostile streets were best travelled in groups.

As the others readied themselves for the upcoming trek, Cyrus took advantage of the chance to watch their interactions and get a feel for everyone's mood. He found himself doing this fairly often- the natural introvert's mind hard at work. He didn't feel secure without knowing where he stood in relation to others at all times, and how to best address each person to best fit their circumstance and state of mind. This was difficult to do while maintaining the appearance of someone social, though he had became better at it over the years.

Most everyone seemed excited, even those who were tired from the night before, save for for his lizard friend.

Cyrus couldn't push away his concern for Sissmuth's emotional disarray. If anyone understood what it was like to feel lost, tired and frustrated, it was him, and he could read it all over the lizard's keen face.

He approached the base of the tree and smiled down at Sissmuth, extending his hand. "Want a boost?" he offered, despite knowing he would probably make a fool of himself trying to pull up his powerful bulk. "I know you're perfectly capable of standing yourself but if you're like me you'll need every bit of energy to make it through this trip." he joked laughingly. "What do you say we let these hyperactive people lead the way? We can watch the back, you know? Admire the scenery, discuss life's mysteries, maybe throw a couple rocks at their heads to the blame of a squirrel... C'mon it'll be fun!"

[Sissmuth was already standing, but that's okay. XD]

Sissmuth looked up at Cyrus and regarded him for a moment, whether he was genuinely inviting him to walk with him, or was just attempting to lighten the air of others by mocking his lost persona. He found sincerity in his eyes and titled his head a little to the side in order to hide the smirk that curled a corner of his lip. Turning back to Cyrus, he gave a brief nod and took his hand to haul him back to his feet. While he didn't quite share the raccoon's level of optimism, he was sure many others would agree that it was nice to be included in another person's thoughts.

His tail curled around his staff lying on the ground and tossed it up to his hand. Around Cyrus, he could already feel his groggy mood lifting, and though a few good miles may do well to lighten his mood, they still had a way to go before they were to reach Desdon.

Of course, he couldn't blame the others for the state he was in now. Since leaving Valter, he'd hoped to find a little adventure; it was apparent to even the young teenagers he traveled with that he was in search of something... something more. But then again, the real reason why he left Valter was something too personal for him to disclose as lightly. He didn't know if he could trust anyone in the group with such personal information. And yet, he felt a need to tell someone nonetheless. It felt like a burden he wanted to get off his shoulders, but knew that it was HIS weight to carry around by himself. And as the others started to pack up and head down the direction that would take them to Desdon, he wondered; was Cyrus trustworthy enough?

[Sorry for the double post, but I've been meaning to get a collection of characters that will be making their appearance in this RP; it's debated that the group will split up and that Rites of Passage may carry over in a third installment -- yes, I mean a sequel. Thusly, it's going to get a little complicated to be able to keep track of so many characters, so I've developed a finalized character sketch that I request everyone fill out as best they can; one for each character you control (obviously, the more character you control, the more bios you have to fill out). You may copy and paste information from your previous bios, but I'd appreciate it if you be as thorough as you can. If any more prompts come into mind that we may need to add, we'll just copy and paste it on this one. I've given an outline and an example below.]

Code: Select all

Name:
Gender/Age:
Species:
Birthplace:
Appearances:

Physical Description:
Style of Dress:
Personality:
Background:

Weapon of Choice:
Method of Attack:
Gemstone(s):
Genotype:
Abilities (Low Level):
Abilities (Medium Level):
Abilities (High Level):
Abilities (Elemental Overdrive):
~~~ AIR:
~~~ EARTH:
~~~ FIRE:
~~~ WATER:

Notes:
* When selecting a birthplace, always keep in mind your anthro's species! Refer to the map of Eklron if needbe.
* Appearances detail the story/stories that this particular character appears in. Refer to the example of needbe.
* When writing your character's Method of Attack, relay not only your character's strengths, but also their weaknesses. Remember, all characters have flaws!!

Example:
Character Sheet

Name: Sissmuth Lissingr
Gender/Age: Male, 21
Species: Anthro – Lacerta Sand Lizard
Birthplace: Valter
Appearances: Defense of a Crippled City (Epilogue), Rites of Passage

Physical Description: Sissmuth is broad and well-defined. His sturdy countenance is mirrored by a hard gaze and tall stature. He has a forest-green coat of scales on his back, arms, and tail with a tanish, cream-colored shade of underbelly scales extending from his lower jaw down his chest. A crest of frills extends down from the back of his neck to the bottom of his shoulder blades, and when threatened or while assuming his battle stance, they will fan out and appear (somewhat) threatening.
Style of Dress: Baggy, brown pants ripped and torn at the ankle from walking so much. He wears no shirt, but covers himself with a dark umber cloak with a cowl. He also wears two wristbands on each arm, both containing his gemstones.
Personality: Anyone who sees Sissmuth at first glance may be mislead by his stern countenance and unwavering expression. Although he can be quite stubborn and dogmatic in some cases, he can also be classified as the curious type who likes to analyze ideas and situations far more than is necessary. He also has a weakness for drinking and can sometimes loose himself in the moment if allowed to. Fluent in Dragonese, the most complex language in Ekleron, he has a short attention span and is easily irritated when bored. Though he can be calm and controlled in the face of danger, his que-cera-cera personality sometimes leads him to be lazy and lackadaisical at times. However, when provoked, he can quickly change his mood to fit the circumstance. As lizards are generally shy by nature, Sissmuth tends to feel anxious among large crowds and doesn’t like to travel in large groups. He can be rude and snap at those he’d only met, but as he grows to become more familiar with them, he can show another side to himself – one that can be respectful, caring, and philosophical.
Background: For the longest time, Sissmuth was excited about Trials and practiced vigorously in his earth elements to train for them. However, when the time came, he was gravely disappointed with the difficulty and passed them without breaking much of a sweat. Returning home to Valter, he felt letdown and forlorn. Worst of all, Sissmuth had never planned what he was going to do after Trials. His whole life had been spent preparing for a moment that seemed to have just passed him by. From when Sissmuth was 17, a time of unrest plagued him and he felt unhappy and bored.
It wasn’t until his younger brother, Dex, reached the age of 17 and left Valter for his own Trials did Sissmuth finally get fed up with staying in one place and decided to travel abroad. He never admits it, but he envies his younger brother, who was a little more aspiratious than him. After Trials, he went to live in Tyran, although the details of his work, abode, and supposed family, Sissmuth never got a chance to follow due to the long distance between them (Lizardfolk villages of Valter are primitive in nature and lacks any significant means of technology). After four years since finishing Trials, Sissmuth decided to leave Valter and search the world of Ekleron for a little adventure, maybe even find his younger brother. It had been years since he’s heard any word from him.

Weapon of Choice: Bo Staff
Method of Attack: Although Sissmuth is a purebred geokinetic, his abilities are generally configured to suit his position as a tank. Rather than use magic to engage a foe, Sissmuth prefers to use physical close-range attacks and a variety of moves paired with his staff paired with his agile swiftness. From a distance, Sissmuth will use magic to defend against ranged attacks as he approaches, then switch to strength-enhancing moves to deal critical blows to an enemy. He utilizes all parts of his body and surroundings as a potential weapon or means to gain the upper hand and is quick to withdraw if he’s running low on energy. But generally, Sissmuth will stand his ground and fight until he is unable to, or until his foe is defeated.
Like most lizards of his kind, Sissmuth’s energy comes in quick bursts that allow for quick and powerful attacks, but leave him vulnerable for a few seconds afterwards to recuperate. As he is a strong advocate of physical attacks rather than magical, he is only as good as however long his earthen defenses can hold out. Ranged attacks are his weak spot, and Sissmuth knows it, so he’ll do all he can to get as close to an enemy as possible.
Gemstone(s): 1 topaz on wristband on each of the two wristbands on his arms (2 total)
Genotype: mEARTH mEARTH
Abilities (Low Level):
• Earth Feel – Sissmuth can pick up vibrations traveling across the ground and interpret them to detect the far-off movements of distant objects or people.
• Stalagmite – Sharpened pillars of rock needle up from the ground, potentially impaling foes or trapping them.
• Rock Wall – A wall of solid stone juts up in front of Sissmuth and moves forward with him to allow him a safe approach to an enemy.
Abilities (Medium Level):
• Geokinesis – Sissmuth can manipulate small chunks of earth to his will
• Magnetize – Utilizing the earth’s electromagnetic field, Sissmuth can polarize himself and stones will immediately begin latching onto his body, creating a kind of rock armor. As more focus is put into this ability, the electromagnetic shield manifested around Sissmuth’s body can distort and block radio waves [employed by humans in precision/communication devices] and gamma waves [employed by anthros to discharge magic; as long as Sissmuth can hold up the shield, he is invulnerable to most kinds of magical attacks].
• Rock Wrecker – Enhances physical attacks with earth-based energy, dramatically increasing damage, but can sometimes slow down the user
• Stand Your Ground – Sissmuth draws power from the earth to maximize friction between him and the ground, dramatically increasing his defense and helps to keep his feet planted. Speed-based moves are nearly impossible with this ability activated.
Abilities (High Level):
• Bury Alive – As opposed to an ability, this technique is more of a Draconic spell, which requires the use of focus and recital of ancient Dragonese words; the particles beneath a target break into fine dust and hover to dramatically increase fluidity, creating a kind of quicksand; the particles then reconnect to effectively immobilize the target by solidifying them into the ground or completely burying them.
Abilities (Elemental Overdrive):
• FIRE: Volcanic Fallout – A miniature volcano sprouts up from the ground and causes widespread damage to surrounding foes. Magma sprays and dust clouds deal heavy injury while lowering visibility
• AIR: Lightning Storm – Heavy rain clouds induce lightning strikes that can act like a temporary EMP. Although targets can only be hit one at a time, the dealt damage is always critical, fast, can chain from enemy to enemy, and has deadly accuracy.
• WATER: Landslide – Mud and debris rain down on enemies, potentially burying them or trapping them. The resulting swampy terrain can then be hardened to its original state.
• EARTH: Fissure – Although some anthros have this as an ability, using it in Elemental Overdrive significantly increases range and damage. The fissures then close up, crushing foes in between

(I almost always knew there'd be a sequel! ^^ I'm assuming that you want us to PM these to you, in which case mine should be showing up in your PM inbox shortly. But, if you'd rather I post it here, I'll do that, too. Anyway, on to my post.)

Akari watched Cyrus help up Sissmuth after what seemed, from Akari's distance, to be a friendly, reassuring exchange of words. Akari only watched from the corner of his eyes as he stretched out his legs a bit to get the blood flowing through them more. After finishing with his stretching, he retrieved his two swords lying on the ground and fixed them to his back in the trademark X-shape, pocketed his throwing knife, and double-checked his other pocket for spare cash, which amounted to around 1,800 drops ($18).

That's about right... 2,000 yesterday morning minus the 200 I left at the bar... he thought to himself. He then looked to Anayu, who was finishing up with the packing, and then Rusty, who seemed slightly antsy to get moving. Akari walked over to him. "Hey," he said, making a final adjustment to his swords' straps, "ready to go?"

(Gah, sorry for the short post. ><)

Sorry to interrupt but are you guys serious about a sequel

(It's more than likely. Although, given the fact that we're still in the beginning stages of this RP at the moment, we're not sure about how it will end, or where any sequel will begin. It's only a thought right now.)

(sorry Suka, I missed the standing detail lol. Long post, got through some important stuff.)

Cyrus wasn't surprised at Sissmuth's lack of response. The fact that the Valterian let himself be helped up was enough to signify his acceptance of Cyrus's banter. - In other words, he wasn't annoying him. So, Cyrus felt justified enough to stay alongside as they began the day's trek over the fields.

They started walking seconds after the group started moving along, trailing behind about twenty yards. "Hey, Akari! We're gonna watch the back alright?" Cyrus called out ahead. The readily equipped wolf turned his head back and nodded, then returning to his trail-tracking at the front.

Cyrus intentionally didn't say anything for a minute, keeping an easy calmness about him. He didn't like immediately pushing people into unnecessary small talk just to avoid an awkward silence, as he found it sometimes made things more ill-at-ease by mutually struggling to fix something that is in reality, mostly imagined. Plus, people generally don’t like to be pushed when in a bad mood anyway.

He reached inside his robe pocket and pulled out the sealed envelope his father had given him when he left home the day before. The front read: “From Mom. Don’t open until at Desdon.” Though his curiosity was intense, Cyrus remembered what his father told him. – It was vital that he didn’t read it until the time he reached Desdon, or events wouldn’t turn out the way they needed to.

Such a concept of fate was not a strange notion to a son of a Great Wind Sage. However, having not heard from or seen that Wind Sage since he was twelve was a difficult factor to deal with in his resistance to open the letter. He looked to his right at Sissmuth, whom was examining the envelope, then back forward.

“You know, I haven’t heard from my mom for five years now…” he explained. “Her writing is right here in my hands and I can’t read it until I get to the city.” he said, shaking his head with a laugh. Smiling at the thought, he looked at Sissmuth again, his trusting blue eyes clear inside his contradicting, bandit-like mask of black fur. “That’s why I’m so anxious to get there. You seem to know a good deal about fate, so you’ll understand this.” he continued as he looked ahead, quickly checking to make sure nothing new had come up in the front of the group, or in the rear for that matter.

“I’m on a sort of quest, if you will, that I’ve been waiting to begin for years now. My mother was a famous Wind Sage in Asper, known for reading the winds of the future and helping people with their lives and such.” he began, “She was part of a guild of some sort, some organization of great mages that I’ve only heard bits and pieces about. The thing is, she left my father and I to follow a vision she had. I was never told much; just that she had to go help with something far away, and wouldn’t be back for a long time. Given my training and my understanding of magic as a balance to the world, I accepted this. However, it’s been five long years, and I’ve heard nothing from her whatsoever."

Suddenly there was a sharp buzzing near Cyrus's ear. He jerked his head back in reflex, swatting at his head. Spotting the menacing fly in front of him, he held up his hands and shot a wide burst of air at its annoying mass, sending it out of sight. He laughed at his own reaction. "Sorry, I hate bugs." He tried to remember what he was saying, finding success after a few seconds and beginning again.

"Anyway, the only reason I haven’t been worried for her life is this crystal I have.” he explained, picking up the shining wings from his necklace. “She has one as well, and as long as both of us are alive, the crystal would shine with our magical connection. The weird thing is, two nights ago I heard it whisper to me. I was lying in bed unable to sleep, and I suddenly heard my mother’s voice say, “Go to Desdon. You will find what you are searching for only if you begin there. Depart as soon as possible.”

Cyrus looked at Sissmuth and laughed. “It’s crazy, I know. I tried talking back for an hour but there was no response.” He gave a sigh. “Anyway, I told my dad about it and he agreed it was my mom sending the message, and that I needed to go. I just fear something could have happened to her, you know?... I’ve always wanted to follow in her footsteps as an aeromancer, and I can’t help but think this is the beginning of something bigger and far more threatening than a simple initiation of sorts. I don’t believe it is coincidence that we are all here right now walking the same path, or that the delays that occurred set us off track, but rather it’s all part of something destined, and we’re about to become mixed up in something larger and more dangerous than we can imagine. Call me crazy, Sissmuth, but as someone who is a bit inclined to sense the future I can’t shake this feeling.” he said, looking at his face to assess his reaction to his radical “I can sense the future” statement. To Cyrus’s pleasant surprise, Sissmuth didn’t seem to disbelieve him. He continued, returning to his original intention. “My point in all this is, if you’re feeling as lost as I am, don’t worry, because I think we’re actually where we’re supposed to be.”

Sissmuth heaved out a long breath and nodded, but stalled for an answer as long as he could. Although he was never one for conversation, he felt honored that Cyrus trusted him enough to confide such a personal matter to him. Finally, he turned his head forward and spoke. "The elements do work in mysterious ways," he said. "Every one of them is unique and encompasses a broad range of abilities. Yours and your mother's, I must admit, is something I've never heard of before, but despite it all, I believe we've both taken the first steps correctly by pursuing what we've always presumed to be lost, even though we're not all convinced that we'll find what we're looking for."

Another slight tremor rippled from underneath his feet, slightly greater in magnitude, but at this time now, he was ignoring them. Instead of arousing suspicion, they were more of a bother to him.

"Fate, as it seems, works through all of us. I'm no one to say how it connects us together, but all I know is that it does. And that's what furthers our lives and the lives we appear to touch." Again, he took a long breath and grunted up at the sky. "I suppose, in a sense, we are all here because we're looking for something. Rusty is pursuing his gemstone, you're searching for your mother, and I'm..." he stopped and lowered his gaze to the ground. "I'm looking for my little brother. He had his own Trials a few years ago, as did I, but when I returned back to live in Valtar, he went to go live in Tyran." He chuckled a cheap laugh. "I always told him that place was bad, but he was more determined... more go-getting than I ever was, I guess you can say. And now, I haven't heard from him since."

He paused a brief moment before continuing. "I wasn't as fixed to find him, as you are about your mother; he and I didn't exactly go our separate ways on the best of terms. But now I see that you and I aren't very different in a sense. Like I said, we're all here because we seek something. Or someone. Despite you not being as close to your mother as you might've liked, you're an extremely fortunate person to have her, as well as her understanding of this world and the roles we play in it. Of course, I'm no mind reader myself, but I don't have to be to know that your connection with her is strong -- even without that necklace of yours that alerts one another of the other's condition."

Sissmuth didn't know where he was getting his words. Normally, he was the quiet one who just sat in the back at watched everything from a distance. But he found it natural around Cyrus. And just talking with him, getting the burden of keeping his history all to himself, was already lifting the cloud that was hovering over him this morning.

"You're right," he finally concluded. "Maybe sometimes, we have to be lost in order to understand where we're going."