The Way Back

*Crowley makes the finger motions to start moving, and he begins making a high speed dash for the entrance.*

~Kari & Kentaro~

*They walk out into the aerodrome.*

Jade Rabbit: <The pamphlet says the palace is really nice. It also advises climbing one of the frozen mountains, but I don't really know where those are. Oh, also about White Paradise District. It's apparently a small district in the city, and it has a spa. Sounds boring. Alda has the richest library known... I guess we know that's not true after seing Sephira's secret one... Seriously, this pamphlet sucks and there's something I need to do, so I leave you two to romance around.>

*He shoots towards the floor and out of the aerodrome.*

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~Derek, Kelphy & Crowley~

Kelphy: <A letter? Oh, that must be the information I requested from your palace. Y-You have very nice researchers. Than-->

*She widens her eyes and looks down the stairs to see Crowley and Spade running into the lobby. Fat Bandit arrives shortly afterwards, panting heavily.*

=====
~Creed~

*They arrive at the mountains near the coast after a while. As they're riding through a valley, they hear gunshots and one of the horses falls wounded to the ground, causing the carriage to tumble over the horses.*

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~Lucien~

*Walking in he is in the town square, full of tents and stalls of different kinds and a large campfire circle with wooden benches at the center. A middle aged woman with red eyes, longer than usual elven ears, yellow skin with light black patterns framing her face and waist-lenght brown hair fully braided up, who is wearing black and blue robes steps in front of him. He reconizes her as being the village chief.*

???: <Lucien. You aren't welcome here.>

"Wait!"

*Kari chases after the rabbit.*

Kentaro:<Wait up!>

[What could a rabbit possibly have to do here?]

*Kentaro chases after the two.*

"I'm here on Aldanian business" he points to the crest he's now wearing on his jacket's lapel. "I'll be gone as soon as it finishes. I didn't want to break my exile ether but duty supersedes tradition."

---

Creed spills over but quickly returns to his feet and draws his sword with one hand and prepares an ice spell in the other, "Where did that come from!?"

Derek: <Intruders?>

*He draws his sword and points it at the group of oddballs.*

Crowley: <Damn, it looks like we've been found out. Well guys, we have no choice but to take it by force now.>

*Crowley reaches for his back. Strapped to it is a very strange looking sword, roughly the size of a tanto, and holds it backwards in his right hand while his left hand draws 3 throwing knives from his pocket. His eyes are now fixed on the man who had just drawn his blade as well.*

~Kari & Kentaro~

*He turns back to face them after exiting the aerodrome, glaring at them. The city is as big as Sephira's capital, but instead of its clay brick houses painted in several colors and classical stone palace, this one has stone brick houses with ebony roofs and a white and blue palace, and is covered by a thick layer of snow.*

Jade Rabbit: <Hey! Stop following me!>

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~Derek, Kelphy & Crowley~

*Spade draws two knives and hurls them towards Derek. They catch fire midair, but Kelphy holds her hands out, intercepting them with a jet of water.*

Kelphy: <W-What do you want?!>

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~Creed~

*Hidden behind the rocks and across the sides of the mountains they see several men and woman with bronze skin, most of which are wearing dark head scarfs and weilding a gun.*

Crone: <...Bandits. We're at a disadvantage for as long as they're hidden, we're surrounded.>

*He raises his hands and lowers his head.*

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~Lucien~

Chief: <We don't care about your duty. You must leave at once, or we will be forced to punish you.>

*Crowley's eyes become violent, and he quickly dashes forward towards Derek. Beforehand, however, he throws the 3 knives at Kelphy.*

Crowley: <We don't need to tell you until it's too late!>

*Crowley dashes right up to Derek and starts slashing wildly at him with his sword.*

Kentaro:<That sounds like a bad idea.>

"Punished for what? Running away from the place that shunned me? For slaughtering the people that had already turned their back on me? For leaving a place that would sell out someone who was different to a noble for a measly 100 gald? I had to leave the woman I loved behind because you cruelly decided to tear away all my options you miserable old hag! You fucked up not only my life but Lin's as well! And for what? Because I wield the power of darkness? Because you're afraid. You're afraid of my power. Instead of taking the time to make sure that my power could be used for good you sowed the seeds that would turn my power against you. Here I am. I'm fully capable of destroying you... ALL OF YOU where you stand; but I won't. I came here under orders of the Royal Aldanian family to find the Aeldi Shadow not to enact revenge on soulless husk of an old woman. I'll complete my job and be done with this part of my life. I'll go back to my friends who are waiting for me. The people who are my real family. Who don't treat me like a freak. I'm done here. It was foolish of me to think the lot of you had changed" he turns his back on the old hag and walks away.

---

"What's the plan then Crone?"

*Derek slides down the steps and readies an arte.*

Derek: <Beast!>

~Kari & Kentaro~

Jade Rabbit: <Just me let me go and do something by myself. Couple hours, tops. Pleaase.>

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~Derek, Kelphy & Crowley~

Fat Bandit: <I no feel so good...>

*Kelphy swings an arm forward and water bursts out of nowhere around the knives, stopping them in their tracks. Kelphy holds the dress up to run down the stairs, then raises her hands and creates a sphere of water she throws at Spade. He rolls forward, dodging the attack.*

Spade: <I can't fight a water wizard with fire... You handle the princess!>

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~Creed~

Crone: <(We surrender and make them approach. Mountain bandits aren't usually very bright people.)>

*Some of them start crawling down from their hideouts.*

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~Lucien~

Chief: <You don't think we were right to be afraid?!>

*The gates close behind him.*

Lucien looks up at the sky and sighs heavily as he moves on. "Going to kill Alto when I see him again. Fucking swear it" he sticks his hands in his pockets and walks back towards the cave. It was time to explore it.

---

"Isn't that a bit underhanded?" Creed whispers to Crone.

*Crowley sighs and dodges the man's attack, then turns to Spade.*

Crowley: <Alright, I'll go after her, you take care of this guy!>

*Crowley runs around the man in front of him and chases after Kelphy.*

*Kari looks uneasy while Kentaro scratches the side of his face.*

Kentaro:<Uhh... You're his guardian, so I suppose it's up to you.>

*He looks over to Kari as he says that she's the rabbits guardian.*

"I guess... Please be careful though."

*The wounds from Crowley's attacks are starting to show. Blood is dripping from Derek's arms, but he winces and fights on.*

Derek: <What the hell do you guys want?>

~Kari & Kentaro~

Jade Rabbit: <You're the best, Guardian!>

*He runs off, leaving them two standing in the middle of the snowy city, just outside the aerodrome. A young kid runs by yelling at the passersby.*

Kid: <Have you people heard?! Some suspicious people ran into the palace and now all doors are locked! No one can access it!>

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~Derek, Kelphy & Crowley~

*Spade dashes forward, swinging a knife forward in a vertical arc that expands towards Derek in flames. Kelphy holds her hands out, shooting a jet of highly pressurized water at Crowley. A blue glyph appears on the floor beneath her and she starts glowing blue.*

Kelphy: <Undine...!>

*A trident materializes in her hands and she holds it out towards Crowley.*

Kelphy: <S-Step back!>

*They hear guards rushing towards the lobby and then beating sounds start coming from every single door. The blond thiefess jumps down from the stair rail, grinning.*

Blonde Thiefess: <All locked. Missed me, guys?>

Fat Bandit: <Ow!! Belly hurts!>

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~Creed~

Crone: <(Well, I am an underhanded man. Are you prepared?)>

*He sneers at Creed as the bandits climb down and surround them.*

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~Lucien~

*As he is walking in, a blue barrier appears out of nowhere, pushing him back. Black clouds cover the sky and bring about lightning. The sea starts becoming violent, tall waves forming. He hears a strange prolonged roaring sound.*

*Derek rolls away from Spade's attack, then attempts a sweeping kick at the man's legs.*

Lucien slams his shadow hands against the barrier relentlessly.

---

"Go for it"

*Kentaro sighs and lowers his head.*

Kentaro:<I figured this wouldn't be a nice getaway.>

*Crowley sidesteps the water, and then grins at the thiefess for a few seconds, before muttering something similar to "Good job" and throwing a few daggers at Kelphy, and then, keeping up with the speed of the daggers, rushes to the right side of Kelphy with his sword aiming to cut her arm.*

~Kari & Kentaro~

*People start whispering about and some head towards the palace. A lot of other streets branch out from the one they're in. From where they're standing Kentaro and Kari can see a grocery store, a bar and an inn in the street they're in. A sign pointing north up the street reads "Royal Palace of Alda" and another one leading left down a narrower street reads "White Paradise District".*

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~Derek, Kelphy & Crowley~

*Kelphy spins the trident in a vertical whirpool, deflecting the knives. Water tentacles wrap around Crowley's limbs and face, pressing in on him. Spade backflips away from Derek and two flaming knives come flying out of no where towards the latter's belly. They hear a roaring sound coming from the fat bandit's belly. The blonde thiefess looks at Crowley and points at a blue gem necklace around Kelphy's neck.*

Blonde Thiefess: <Isn't that the one?!>

=====
~Creed~

*Crone swings an arm down and a flurry of light needles fly off towards the bandits, several of them falling to the ground. The others open fire but Crone raises a light barrier around them that deflects every single bullet.*

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~Lucien~

*The hands seem to push into the barrier somewhat but it shows to be maleable and he fails to break it. He hears the prolonged roaring sound once more echoing all around. Not too far off the coast, he sees a strange creature take shape from out of no where, soaring above a growing, incoming wave. He feels every bone in his body freeze for a second.*

"Fucking... shit..." Lucien swears as he draws his weapons for the first time in a long time.

---

Creed whistles as he swings his arm downward causing spikes of ice to jut from the ground and impale the remaining bandits.

"I think I killed more than you... do I get a cookie?" he snarks.

OOC: Grocery.

*The two look at each other then go towards the White Paradise District.*

Kentaro:<I'm sure they have knights and the like.>

*Crowley uses his sword to slash away the tentacles, and then jumps away, sighing. He then looks to the fat bandit and blonde thiefess.*

Crowley: <You guys wanna help me out here?>