• Time passes, the summer days move on, with anxiety and suspicion. Within the forest clearing lays one large camp of various warriors, knights and court mages. Few peasants here and there, tending to the handful of children in their company and various other responsibilities. A few knights-errant, donning the emblem of Fiore on their armor, are shuffled to the side and talking amongst themselves.

    "I'm unsure who to be more wary of, those sand hugging Tal'li hulks or those trickster Kanesh..." one such knight says to his kin, not as quietly or with tact as he should in the tense moment. Another one shakes his head. "A little discretion with your words and tone, if you please. We need no strife among us right now." says another, scanning the variety of faces and mindful chatter. "Right now, I'm more worried over our collective circumstances within this... unsettling area." he continues, trying to ignore the foreboding, crumbling temple to his rear. A third errant looks towards the area, mesmerized. He spots a few mages of the Kanesh court heading towards a visible pedestal. "Hey... check out the scholars." he remarks with a curious tone.

    Chattering amongst themselves, the mages inspect an old, leather bound book atop the pedestal. Adorned with numerous indentations, and a flat orange stone in the center, the book lay prone. One scholar tries to simply open the tome, to no avail. As if the book itself were magically locked. Two others inspect the stone in particular, feeling a faint resonance with two similar, smaller stones in their possession. They place these stones into the indentations in a variety of patterns, to no effect. They conclude that they will need similar stones that are not within their possession, but in the hands of their reluctant neighbors and members of the warring triad.

    From a distance, a tribe leader of the nomadic Tal'li also watches and sneers in their direction. His kinsman not giving things a second thought, taking consideration only into hunting and inspecting the local flora and fauna. In an indiscernible and guttural language, the leader and three of his clan disperse to begin a hunt for food. Taking a note of this action, the knights of Fiore begin scavenging for wood and any beneficial plant life.

    Within a small tent sits the guard captains. Byu, of the Fiore flagship regards the man sitting across from him with some indifference. Adorned in an armor of silver and violet, Byu leans forward with his hands clasped. "You give me one good reason why I should believe any of you to honor this truce." he says to the other in a venomous tone. Feeling quite relaxed and sitting back, a warrior of ice blue armor adorned in a purple sash regards him coolly. He spins the scabbard of his sword almost lazily. "Because," starts Cratos, "there has been enough bloodshed over the generations for this absurd lust for power. I trust the judgement of our mages and scholars when they feel there's a bigger force at work going on. I feel we were led to this love-forsaken place for a reason."

    Cratos gets up, pouring himself a cup of tea. "And in any case, I'd be more wary of the nomads than our own civilized kind. They are understandably uneasy being amongst us." Byu lowers his head slightly, brow furrowed. "Yes... in that case, I would have to concur." he says with a begrudging agreement. "I'm quite amazed they're acting so docile now, never mind their sparse numbers still somehow equaling our combined strength. Such as it were." Cratos shrugs. "Again, I note the struggle of physical and magical power. Whatever that gem is in their possession, I noticed remarkable curative and regenerative properties. With their strength and will, left unchecked, they're a near invincible opponent. If they wanted, I'm sure they could lay claim to our lands."

    With a loud clink, Byu arises and knocks his chair over. "Over my dead body! Truce or no, my liege should rightfully govern these lands." he says defiantly. Cratos looks him over, his hand almost instinctively going for his sword. "Missing my point as usual, my overzealous friend. But I digress. I'll stand down as long as you, of that you have my word." Relaxing himself slightly, Byu lets out a sigh. "My apologies. It's unfortunate our lives lead us towards such separate directions, but loyalties are a tricky thing in these trying times." he says with a wry smile. Cratos pats his shoulder gently. "We are no longer young squirelings, just men trying to be sensible. Come, I wish to look over our stragglers."

    Elsewhere, the medical tent is abuzz with fledgling mages and various villagers from the land with magical ability tend to the sick and wounded. The maternal Anise, high cleric to the Fiore, supervises the goings on. Myst, of the Kanesh, focuses so much of her energy that the air around her shimmers. The scent of mana in the air is quite thick, smelling of peppermint and menthol. While quite beneficial to those in need of relief, that mental drain takes a visible toll on Myst. Anise shakes her of the spell binding trance, leaving her quite shaky. "That's quite enough!" Anise snaps, holding her pseudo comrade up on her feet. "The energy here... it's so unreal. I've never felt anything this rich before." Myst says weakly. Anise nods. "I agree, no land has ever felt this pure before. It's almost unnatural, in a way. Perhaps it being so secluded is a factor." In her mind's eye, Anise see's a sudden flash and a face.

    "That presence... I sense it again." Anise says tersely. Myst looks her over wearily. "You too? Something is about to happen, I can feel it." The both of them look over to a little girl, sullen and off to the side. "Melodia? Did you see it too?" Myst asks with some concern. The girl is silent. "Melodia? Is something the matter?" Anise asks. Melodia turns and walks away, thumbing a red gem in her palm. "I want my brother back." she says flatly.

    Walking out, Melodia passes by Byu and Cratos in a hurry. Not paying her much mind, the knight pair enter the medical tent. "Status report." Byu says. "The wounded will be just fine. The trainees are tending to the sick. There's an incredible, but likely impure power within this land." Anise responds. Back on her feet, Myst regards the two men before her. "That presence is showing itself again. To what end, I cannot begin to guess." she says. Cratos shakes his head. "We'll worry about that when we cross that bridge. What I'm more interested in, is all of us. It's been years since we all last met like this. War has both separated and combined us, but something still isn't right." Anise nods in agreement. "We should be fighting to control the monsters plaguing our lands, not amongst ourselves." she says with a hint of annoyance.

    "What we need is a morale boost." Cratos concludes. "Those nomads, they're hunting around for food. I say we assist, and hold a feast. Something to help maintain this otherwise shaky alliance for right now." Byu regards him with a skeptical look. "The language barrier is as big a problem as their savage ways. I can't see an easy conveyance over this idea." he says. Cratos flashes a playful smirk. "Then, we have a trade. Some of their meat for some of our homemade drinks." Byu gawks at this supposed diplomatic display. "So you want to make them drunk, too? Are you trying to get the lot of us destroyed?" he asks. "One step of good faith leads to another." Myst says, feeling inclined to agree. Anise furrows her brow. "They're a hard lot to trust. But I think we can control them if they get rowdy. Without violence." she says. Myst raises her eyebrow. "We're trying not to antagonize them, one way or another. But we won't be sanctimonious about it, either." she says curtly. In an effort to break the tension, Cratos speaks up one last time. "That's enough. If time allows for it, I would like for all of us to have a moment alone together."

    By nightfall, the fires are going. As the Tal'li tribes cook a variety of boar, elk and auroch, their leader takes center stage and engages in storytelling. Cratos and Byu enter the settlement midway, and the speech stops. With them are two barrels. "We come bearing gifts." Cratos says to the leader, who regards him with annoyance. Removing the top of one barrel, Cratos grabs a nearby bone mug and fills it with the liquid within. It leaves a spicy scent in the air. He takes a sip of the homemade alcohol, then passes it to the Tal'li leader. He regards the drink skeptically before taking one sip. Then two. Then one big gulp.

    The leader flashes a grin showing many missing teeth, but conveying a sense of joy in what he just ingested. Byu takes a moment to fill his flask before he and Cratos get to drinking themselves. After a quick toast, the two take their leave. Byu gives a sidelong glance, a mild bit curious. "What happened with this supposed exchange in goods?" he asks. Cratos chuckles softly. "Well, it's up to them to return the sentiment. As far as our own provisions go, I'm really not worried. All is well in my eyes." Byu grimaces slightly, shaking his head. "Seems too easy-going an attitude to be taking here."

    Within his private quarters, Cratos leaves himself in silence and in contemplation. Those two have changed so much... he thinks to himself with much bemusement, recalling days of childhood and training. His friendly rivalry with Byu. The closeness he and Myst shared with Byu and Anise. Has the war altered perceptions that much, he wonders. Shaking his head, he concludes he can tolerate their now extremist attitudes. And yet, all the same, he feels a familiar spark with Anise that hasn't dwindled in twelve years. Life has certainly become complicated, when it comes down to the more personal issues.

    Wanting to clear his head, Cratos steps out and makes way for the scant ships and loading docks within their company. He looks upon the bow of a small freighter and smiles. "Captain Ssima!" he calls out merrily. A slender, middle-aged woman looks down at him. Her jet black hair, now a thick braid, wrapped around her shoulders. "How fares this night, guardsman?" she responds quite playfully. Cratos boards and takes up a spot, standing next to her. "The least you can do is regard me with the same title, wench." he fires back in a similarly playful tone, as he focuses his attention on the night sky. "So far, its a peaceful night. Diplomacy has begun with the nomads, I imagine they'll want to keep the peace just as much as we do. As for those pig headed Fiorians..." he shakes his head. "Irony would shine upon me, should they be the ones to break this truce. I almost expect it of them, in all their brashness."

    Amiss gives a hearty laugh to that assessment. "Pretty much why us normal folk steer clear of anything concerning you upperclassmen. We've enough to worry about on the lower crust." She waves for Cratos to follow to the lower galley. The hall is filled with the scent of warm, sweet meats and peppers as a trio of chef's tend to their duties. The two take a seat, with a thick and syrupy drink on hand. Cratos regards the woman with some amusement. "We aren't too dissimilar, us people on the whole. Personally, I take no stock in this caste system imposed upon by the nobility. I'll fight for the honor and defense of our land, our people. But this petty power struggle? It's of no interest to me." Her face slightly obscured by her drink mug, Amiss' eyes convey a serious look. "So you take to this docile control on their behalf? It sounds to me they use your sword more than you do. And for what? Artifacts and forces beyond what we as mortals should be trifling with? There's no right answer to any of this, I don't feel." she says. Cratos raises an eyebrow, laying his mug down. "I am serving my kingdom, nothing more. I am not being control by anyone or anything." he says flatly.

    Amiss unties a leather pouch from her belt, and pulls out a ceramic pipe from inside her vest. She's silent for a moment as she fills and packs the pipe with a sweet scented tobacco, and lights the bowl up. "Are you certain of that?" she asks, letting a wisp of smoke escape her lips. Her pupils dilate slightly after a few seconds. "You say the Fiorians are stuffy, conservative and too traditional based. They feel you lot are too rambunctious for shying away from faith and nobility." she says, taking a strong pull from her pipe. "Two sides of a coin, nothing more. No sense of balance exists in the world anymore. Times have changed, surely." Cratos cringes slightly, waving wafts of smoke away from his face. "Changing times are inevitable. Like it or not." he says simply. He waves a chef over to their table.

    "Would you like something?" asks a young, male chef. Cratos looks over the boy, seemingly no more older than Melodia. "Some sweet sausage and bell peppers, please. And a warm rice ale." he says. The man nods. "Cap'n?" he asks, regarding Amiss. She waves her hand dismissively. "Nothing for me, darling. Get some rest when you're done here." she says. She turns her attention back to Cratos. "In any case, some things can't be helped. Can't help the way we feel sometimes." she says with a little sorrow, taking in a few more drags of her pipe.

    Barely audible footfalls enter the galley, Amiss peeking her head slightly behind Cratos. Looking sullen and serious, Melodia fetches herself a cup of bitter tea before taking a seat. She flashes the little one an unnoticed and sympathetic look before regarding Cratos again. "Poor thing... she seems so lost now. I almost can't blame her for isolating herself." she says. Cratos nods solemnly. "She has every right to be angry with me, I don't deserve any forgiveness. This is all the more reason this damn fool war over the gems needs to stop." he says. The chef returns with his food, and he begins picking at it. He casts a reluctant glance towards Melodia. "Would you care to join us, little miss?" he asks. Amiss watches him carefully, a trail of smoke exhuming from her nostrils.

    Silently, tea in hand, Melodia walks toward the pair. She inhales deeply, taking in the scent of the tobacco. "Mmm... that berry scent is so intoxicating." she says, almost dreamily. Smiling softly, Amiss hands her pipe over. "Care for a puff?" she asks. Cratos expression shows his mild surprise. "Isn't she young for something like this?" he asks. Amiss shrugs. "I was about her age when I first had dragon stems, I see no harm in it." Melodia takes a strong pull, and coughs violently. Amiss lets out a slight laugh. "Easy, now. Inhale slow, then exhale." Fighting through watery eyes and short coughing spurts, she shakes her head. "Urgh. Better to smell than taste, I think." says a light headed Melodia, taking a seat with Cratos.

    He lets out a soft chuckle. "It isn't for everyone, I assure you. Tobacco from the wild can be quite potent." he says. Melodia gives him a stony gaze, though not a severe one he was accustomed to in recent days. She grasps onto his sash, trying to keep her wits about her. She leans into him, and he tries to stomach the acidic scent now emanating from her. "Give. Me. Back. My brother." she says between breaths. He tenses, closing his eyes. "Little miss... I'm sorry, I truly am. Had I known what we were dealing with..." he starts, but she slams her hand on the wooden table before them. "GIVE HIM BACK!" she screams. She pounds her fist helplessly upon his armor, and starts to sob. "Give him back..."

    Amiss watches on helplessly. As she gets up, she lifts Melodia into her arms. "Come now, you need some sleep." she says, Her body shakes, wracked in renewed grief. Amiss gives Cratos a sympathetic nod. "I'll look after her right now. You just tend to yourself, you hear?" Cratos grunts slightly as they take their leave. Ignoring his food, Cratos downs his ale. Three more ales and ten minutes later, he's left a little inebriated. Stumbling, he heads back outside. Myst catches sight of him and calls for him. "Brother!" she yells. Cratos half-heartedly turns his attention to her, a weary smile on his lips. "You're still awake?" he slurs slightly, using his sheathed sword as a cane to balance himself with. "Hard to sleep with this chill... are you unwell?" she asks, concerned. He shakes his head. "Too much to drink, nothing more. Have you anything to report?" he asks. She tilts her head slightly. "Nothing significant. The wounded and sick are comfortable, and the scholars are still toying with that weird tome." she says.

    Cratos looks off into the ruins, noticing a handful of men and women studying it by torch light. "And still nothing? What of these visions you magic users keep sensing? This lingering... presence that led us here?" he asks with some severity. Myst flinches slightly. "As I say, nothing significant." he repeats. Cratos lets out a disgusted sigh. "Tell me something." he starts, choosing his words carefully. "You say the magical energies drawn here, they're strong. Absurdly strong. Could that augmentation to one's... abilities be increased to a stronger degree?" he asks. Myst blinks a few times. "Not without some risk, from what I'm feeling and sensing. What are you trying to ask, exactly?" she inquires reluctantly. Cratos looks her straight in the eye. "What I want to know, exactly, is if one could restore the dead."

    Myst raises her eyebrows in surprise. "I... don't know. Nothing is certain with these techniques, gems or no. And nothing we've ever experimented with before. Maybe if we tried new combinations of gems..." she trails off. Cratos nods slightly. "The nomads, the gem they have is their greatest advantage and asset. It does seem to extend energy and virility. If not for that, they'd have been the first to fall during this war." he says. Myst strokes her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe that and our blue gem...? But that can't possibly end well, any way to try to do it." she says. Without a word, Cratos sets off to the Tal'li tribe camp, "You stay here." he says.

    Upon trying to enter the camp, the two night watch guards cross their spears and bar his entry. Cratos regards them with some sense of civility. "I request an audience with your leader." he says. The guards give him an impassive look. He groans and rolls his eyes. "Big, powerful guy. Horned helmet. Wish to speak." he says with a hint of anger. The guards steel themselves, picking up on his tone and body language. Arms crossed, Cratos mouths a near silent invocation. A jet of fire shoots up between the wildsmen. Almost instinctively, they both swing with their spears. Cratos blocks the blunt swings with his arms and grabs the spearheads. With a sharp motion, he flips the two on their backs.

    The sound of the scuffle awakens some within the camp, all eyes on their intruder. The leader steps out from his tent and witnesses what lays before him, flashing a perplexing look towards Cratos. Cratos steps forward and bows. "I'm truly sorry... highness." he says, surprised with his own choice of words in regards to title and rank. The leader gives him a slight nod and a hand on his shoulder. He motions for him to enter his domain.

    Once inside, Cratos looks over the various decorations and adornments. Primitive items, to be sure, and yet still so charming and pure. He furrows his brow, deep in thought despite his initial reasoning for coming here. Why are we more or less antagonizing them again...? he wonders to himself. They were an isolated lot that otherwise meant no harm to modern civilization. He shakes his head, still looking around until seeing the item in question. A small, diamond shaped ingot, with a pale green gem affixed to its center. The source of the power and calamity plaguing the minds and hearts of all.

    Cratos points to the pendant hanging off a fire pit. The leader regards him curiously. "Could I borrow this?" he asks. The hulking man makes no response, unable to understand what's being said to him. Cratos gestures at it again. "Can I have this for a moment?" he inquires again. Understanding now, the leader shakes his head tersely and makes a grunting noise. He pounds his chest almost defiantly. Cratos clenches his jaw, making a motion to grab at it. The leader grabs at his wrist hard. The two lock eyes for a few minutes before the iron grip is released. With a heavy sigh, Cratos stands down and takes his leave. The leader watches him warily as he goes off.

    Back at camp, Byu notices the approaching and defeated Cratos. "You could have just taken it by force." Byu says simply, trying to sound casual. Cratos gives him a hard glance. "You lot know nothing of diplomacy and basic human decency." he spits out, storming off to his private tent. Laying on his cot, he begins contemplating on how to obtain that blasted gem while still keeping the peace. He hears a rustling as Myst enters his quarters. "No luck?" she asks. He shakes his head. "Let's just say I tried being... assertive. But, again, I'm not looking for potential bloodshed over this." he says. She sighs, pacing around. "Well, it was a good idea while it lasted. What now?" she asks. He just shrugs. "I don't know any more, I really don't. Let's just wait for something to happen and plan accordingly from there." he says flatly. Myst nods, hoisting herself to sit atop a barrel.

    Almost absently, she draws upon a harmless light spell upon her fingertips. She fires off the tiny pips of light, watching them explode into tiny dandelion-like spores. A minty scent permeates the air. Cratos takes a light whiff, smiling to himself. From a belt pouch, he pulls out a small wafer block. "Hey, you mind applying that to this?" he asks, tossing her the bit of food. Myst calls upon the spell again, her fingertips glowing again. She presses the tiny halos of light into the wafer, tossing it back. "Enjoy." she says, with a smile. Cratos now bites into a near crystallized wafer, very sweet and brittle to the touch. A peculiar, yet now familiar, shimmer whisks into the quarters. Byu's form takes shape quite suddenly, startling Myst and Cratos.

    Cratos sits up. "Is there a reason for this unusual brand of intrusion? You could just enter like a normal person..." he says with a hint of disdain. Byu snorts at him. "Thank me later." he says, and tosses a fist sized object at him. Cratos grasps it and looks with wide eyes. "You stole this from the Tal'li? Are you MAD?" he says, incredulous. Byu shrugs. "Whatever you have to do, make it fast before they notice." Darting up, Cratos begins to consider the implications of what just occurred. On one hand, he might finally atone for his biggest sin. But on the other, if the Tal'li caught whim of this act, any and all diplomacy shall be dissolved. He realizes this far too quickly. He turns his attention to Myst, handing her the ingot. "Fetch Melodia and Anise. And whomever else you need to try and make this work." He grasps a purple gem from his nightstand and affixes it to the hilt of his sword. Turning towards Byu, his expression more severe, he takes a deep breath. "Have those on guard duty assume a loose delta formation around the common folk." he says. Byu shakes his head. "I'm not of your company, I will not follow your orders. I fight for my lord and land, nothing more." Cratos glares at him, taking his leave.

    Cratos enters his soldiers quarters, more than half of which are asleep. "Everyone, fall in!" he barks. Everyone is thrown awake and manage to do so quickly and awkwardly. "My apologies for this, but we might have a battle on our hands soon enough. Get yourselves equipped, take a square two defensive formation around the common folk. The Tal'li could very well be coming our way. But if it can be helped, do not strike to kill. Disable whenever possible." "Understood, sir!" everyone says in unison with a salute.

    Doing as told, Myst and Anise fetch two of their most gifted healers. They rush to the helm of Amiss' ship, causing a racket loud enough to wake the dead. Tending to cleaning the deck, this catches her attention as the group runs to the lower holds. "Hey, HEY! What in the eleven hells do you think you're doing, stepping foot on my ship so rudely?" Myst fights to catch her breath. "Where's Leo's body?" she asks hurriedly. Amiss blinks a few times. "What are you..." she starts, before being interrupted. "Where is the corpse?! We might very well have a chance to bring him back, but we need to work quickly!" she barks out with uncharacteristic severity. Her surprise evident, Amiss can't help but gawk. "Sleeping quarters, the bedroom to the far left. Should I...?" Myst nods. "Yes, please fetch Melodia!" she says as they run towards their guided direction. Amiss hurries over to the galley area, and hesitates a moment.

    She watches Melodia tend to the dishes, while two of the deckhands tend to inventory. Amiss regards the latter two with annoyance. "What's with you blokes, having her do your job?" she spits out. One of them flinches from the statement. "She insisted, really. We have our hands full here, and we've no problem doing our job. But she really wanted to help while we focused on things here." says the other, waving a hand towards numerous barrels and parcels of perishable items. Her expression a little softened, she shakes her head. "Melodia, sweety? I need you to come with me." she says softly. Not diverting her attention, Melodia asks, "What for?" Amiss clenches her jaw and stiffens. "Look, this came suddenly, so I don't get the details myself. But your brother..." she trails off. Melodia slowly turns her gaze to the older woman. "Yes...?" she inquires, her tone reluctant and near frightened. Amiss dashes over and grabs her hand. "Just come with me." she says, and the two run off to regroup with the healers.

    Standing on either side of the bed, the two fledglings draw in a sizable portion of energy. It takes on physical manifestation, in the form of a spectral trail of green and white mist. The blue gem upon Anise's collar glows as the trail takes a thick and dense form. Moving her fingers slowly, Anise cuts through the cloud of energy, forming numerous floating strips. Dancing wildly in the air, she struggles to keep the form stable. Myst, invoking the green gem within her possession, moves her free hand in a circular motion. The trails slowly take numerous corkscrew shapes. Everyone works frantically and in perfect synergy to keep the energy maintained and the spell powering up.

    Busting on in, Amiss and Melodia witness the incredible display of magic before their eyes. Never missing a beat, concentration still maintained, the purity of the mana lingering above Leo's body is tangible enough to almost taste. The room is filled with a strong menthol smell, almost dizzying to breathe in. Amiss and Melodia cover their faces to no avail. They watch on as the trails slowly combine and grow thicker, transfixed in silence.

    Cratos looks off in the distance, his gaze transfixed on the Tal'li encampment. He stays ten minutes. Twenty. Forty. He goes to turn away. Maybe they won't notice... he thinks to himself, and begins to walk back to camp. Not three steps, and he hears a loud bellow. And a louder horn. His stomach turns at the sound. The makeshift tents and huts begin clearing out as the leader makes a loud grunt. Rank and file formed, the tribe starts moving. Drums beating hard enough to shake the earth beneath them, horns damn well nearly deafening. Cratos runs back to camp urgently.

    As he runs by, he yells for his company. "Stand your ground, the party is about to start! Cover the forward perimeter, double formation! Spearmen, flank the knights! Archers, cover the spearmen from their east!" Everyone acknowledges their orders and takes their position. Still running, Cratos steps into Byu's private quarters. "You idiot! The Tal'li are coming and they want our heads!" he yells. Byu unsheathes his sword with an impassive look. "Let them come, we can wipe those savages out here and now." he says simply. With a growl, Cratos punches Byu in the face. "You would commit genocide just simply because they aren't part of civilized society?! They never meant us harm to begin with! It was your king and your domain that started this stupid war to begin with!" he yells. Byu rubs his jaw, glaring at Cratos. "They would just as quickly slaughter us if we let their numbers proliferate! They're a dangerous lot and you damn well know it!" he fires back. Cratos raises his guard. "Subdue them. Do not kill them, or I will kill you." he says warningly. Invoking the power of his gem, Byu moves with an illusionary speed. His form retaking shape behind Cratos, he rams his elbow into the back of his skull. Cratos drops into a heap.

    Kneeling down, Byu removes the gem from Cratos' sword and affixes it to the reverse side of his sword hilt. "Consider this truce like our childhood. Over and done with." he says. The two gems augmented, his physical form disperses with even greater speed and mobility. White outlines of his shape lie in wake every few seconds as he speeds through the battlefield. With the battle started, Byu effortlessly traverses around with little detection. As all busy themselves in melee combat, Byu evokes his new power. With a few waves of his rapier, crescent shaped projectiles shoot across camp fires and fauna. Whole trees are felled, crushing some of the Tal'li. Those unfortunate enough to cross paths with the carefully fired projectiles were cleaved cleanly in half. The massacre is over within a matter of minutes, the Tal'li now completely fallen.

    Both Fiorian and Kanesh companies look on in horror as the battle came and went so quickly. As all warriors stand down at the conclusion, Byu makes his presence known physically and visually. "This was, I feel, the right decision ultimately. This lot is too savage to be kept alive. Given another two or three generations, they would rise to power and overthrow our civilization!" he says loudly and boldly. Everyone is too scared or dumbfounded to even speak in response. As both companies disperse, some begin talking to themselves. About the war and their loyalties. About the attitude this has invoked. About general human decency. Amongst the chatter came a loud crashing explosion, coming dead center from Amiss' ship. A pillar of green and white light visible in the night sky, everyone's gaze fixed upon it. Byu watches on with an uneasy fascination, before running back to camp.

    Back in his quarters, he see's Cratos' still fallen form. As much as he now abhors the man, Byu knows his honor won't allow him to bear witness to something important to him. He gets Cratos to his feet, trying to shake him awake. "Rise and shine, ale breath. Something is about to happen." Byu says snidely. With a groan, Cratos shakes his head lightly. "What in the hell...?" he begins to ask. Byu shoves him aside, now that he's come to. "Less talking, more walking. To Amiss' ship, something big just happened." he says. Cratos is silent, blinking a few times. Then recalling what was going on, he stops himself. "Wait. The Tal'li...?" he begins, Byu raises a hand and cuts him off. "To the ship! Now!" Byu yells.

    As the two men run to the ship, Cratos takes notice of the bloodshed. In the back of his mind, he apologizes for his actions and inaction. His anger and sorrow evident, he tries to shake off his current thoughts. He also clasps at his sword, and notices his gem missing. He resolves himself once more to see to it these accursed items are dispatched in the way his liege would want.

    Upon the exterior of the ship, they stand around a gaping hole where a pillar of light once stood. Looking down, they notice five coalesced balls of energy hovering above the prone body of Leo. As the forms of energy reach their peak, an unexpected occurrence starts. The gems upon Anise's and Myst's possession glow with much intensity, and let out a steady whine. Cratos' brow furrows, and he tilts his head towards Byu's blade. "Hey, look!" he shouts. Byu regards him severely before looking at the gems, and his surprise evident as these gems also react the same way. Cratos jumps down into the quarters and rushes over to Melodia. "The red gem! Do you have it?!" he shouts. Looking visibly frightened, her eyes transfixed upon Cratos, she nods. She reaches into her tunic and pulls out the gem. Also noting a similar reaction.

    As Anise and Myst continue the spell, they begin to sense a previous presence once more. With an intensity never before felt. The gems begin to vibrate with a strong resonance. In their minds eye, a face manifests itself. It shimmers and flashes within the balls of light. The five converge into one without their intervention, the face much clearer this time. The energy itself finally envelopes Leo's body with a blinding flash. The energy so tangible, the air reeks of ammonia. Energy spent, Anise and Myst crumble to the ground. Their fledglings, now passed on from trying to control and maintaining the energy, are left a smoldering wreck. Wisps of smoke permeate from burned eye sockets and nostrils. Teeth blackened and gums burnt to a crisp. Cratos nearly gags from the sight, the smell and what he just witnessed.

    Amiss stares up at Byu, with a look that could very well kill at this rate. "You! Get down here, take the girls some place to rest." Byu leaps down to comply, but not before looking over at Leo. "Is he...?" he begins. Melodia steps forward, the light within Leo steadily fading. Everyone is silent for a few heart beats, before he opens his eyes. Slowly. Painfully. Melodia looks on wide eyed, witnessing what could only be a miracle, as does everyone else. "Brother...?" she starts, grasping his hands. "Brother! Are you really back?!" she half yells, half squeals. He turns his head to her, smiling sadly. "Alas, no." he begins. "I am not your brother. I am a higher power, using his body as a vessel." Melodia stares at him for a long moment. Unable to move, to speak, or even breathe.

    Amiss steps forward and pulls Melodia to her protectively. "What did you just say?" she asks reluctantly, scarcely believing what has just transpired. The form of Leo sits up on the bed. "It is as I say, I don't feel the need to repeat myself. I have much to discuss with you mortals." he says flatly. Cratos steps ahead of Amiss and Melodia, as he gestures for Byu to do as he was requested earlier. Byu nods fearfully and does so. "Well, then." Cratos starts, "where do we begin?" he then asks. "Leo" tilts his head slightly. "You tell me your story of the gems. And I shall tell you mine. But, I wish for all your accompaniment to partake in this." he says. Cratos gives an understanding nod. This is going to be a long night...