The Way Back

Crowley: <Ah, what the hell is it now...>

*Crowley looks back and sees the thiefess and Spade fighting off enemies to get the fat bandit, and runs back to help them out.*

Crowley: <Ugh... see, this is why I hate that stupid eating habit of his.>

*Crowley stands in front of the thiefess and the unconscious fat bandit, as if to block them from the incoming attacks as he holds his blade in front of him.*

*Derek nods and moves next to the soldier.*

Derek: <Nothing's wrong. I apologize, I got caught up with my friend here. My apologies.>

*Contary to what Taegan hopes to happen they're just sitting about watching the sake glass Kari has float about in the water.*

~Kentaro & Kari~

*They should probably decide whether they'll be staying there till they run out of time or go eat or rent a room, because they don't have that much time left.*

=====
~Derek & Kelphy~

Kelphy: <O-Oh, all right then.>

*She bows and walks up the stairs, avoiding eye contact with Derek. The soldier salutes her and walks out of the palace and towards the aerodrome.*

=====
~Crowley~

Spade: <Nice of you to stop by.>

Blonde Thiefess: <He won't wake up!>

Spade: <Try food.>

*The fat bandit groans slightly.*

Blonde Thiefess: <Yes. PIZZA.>

*His eyes snap open and he stands up.*

Fat Bandit: <Nap over. Pizza time. Where pizza?!>

=====
~Creed~

Crone: <Well... they are both very talented, but it's not quite the same. After all, your... brother, it'd be surprising if he didn't possess great power, considering everything. Tell me about the girl, I am quite certain you shouldn't be discussing things with me you haven't even told your own brother yet.>

*He sneers at Creed as they walk into a dark laboratory with several tables and gadgets down the tunnel. There is only a door, so Crone procees to open it and continue walking through hallway after hallway, room after room.*

=====
~Lucien~

*He splashes the water everywhere. It quickly slithers into the sea, and the horse jumps of out it whole, landing a ways away from the two, panting. Its body is covered in wounds from which water is flowing.*

*Derek follows the soldier.*

Derek: <So then, is everyone all ready to go?>

"We should probably get going..."

Kentaro:<I suppose.>

*Reluctantly the two climb out and go to their respective gender's changing rooms.*

"You're up again" Lucien says to the cloaked stranger.

---

"I don't know much about Allina. That isn't a lie this time. Besides Alto already knows I'm his brother. I'm sure of it" Creed follows.

~Kentaro & Kari~

*When they arrive on the first floor the lady behind the counter waves at them and motions them to step closer.*

=====
~Derek~

Soldier: <Master Crone and Master Creed left the capital on foot, so you will be travelling to Toros alone, Your Majesty. At any rate, the crew and your guards are all ready and waiting on the airship.>

*As they're walking down a street, he notices a small light yellow rabbit with a crescent-shaped red gem on its forehead staring at a pet shop's window display. A dark blue cat-like creature with long hare ears and pinkish red eyes and is lying down in a sand box, staring back at him. Derek recognizes the rabbit as Kentaro and Kari's Jade Rabbit.*

=====
~Creed~

Crone: <Oh, does he now? There is quite a lot more to your little group than I initially evaluated. I might have more to learn from you than I thought.>

*They arrive at a vault-like door.*

Crone: <We actually made it here...>

*He starts to slowly turn the wheel and water dripping in from the other side. He stops turning it, widens his eyes and steps back.*

Crone: <(No...)>

=====
~Lucien~

*The cloaked person shakes their head and holds a hand out towards the monster. A light blade bursts out of the ground and impales the horse. It widens its eyes and roars, turning into water that darts past them and starts taking shape behind them.*

Crowley: <If you really have pizza, I swear...>

*Crowley looks at the thiefess, and then back in front of himself.*

Crowley: <Get him out of here.>

Lucien takes this opportunity to attack it again while it was forming. Slashing at it vigorously.

---

"Is the chamber flooded?"

*They move closer to the lady.*

*Derek approaches the Jade Rabbit.*

Derek: <Excuse me, Mr. Rabbit? Did you get seperated from Kari and Kentaro?>

~Kentaro & Kari~

*She holds out a book to them. It has a red cover with the three crests of the three kingdoms (a sun, a snowflake and a spiral) on it. The title is "Verte: History of a world".*

Lady: <Hello. Lady Kelphy left this at the office upstairs. I understand you're her friends, so I'm hoping you can take it and return it to her.>

=====
~Derek~

*The Jade Rabbit shrieks and turns around. The creature inside gets scared and jumos into a large tube-kind of thing, hiding from them.*

Jade Rabbit: <Y-Y-Y-Y-You sca--what are you doing here?!>

*He turns around to realize the creature is gone and turns back to Derek.*

Jade Rabbit: <Great! *sigh* I didn't get lost, I was just... walking... around. What about you?>

=====
~Crowley~

Blonde Thiefess: <Okay, dude, there is no pizza.>

Fat Bandit: <No... pizza?>

*The fat bandit's face starts turning red as he winces repeatedly, almost like he's having spasms.*

Blonde Thiefess: <I mean... those guys ate it all.>

*He turns to look at the rampaging monsters and his face becomes even more red. He breathes in for several seconds, becoming even ... bigger, and lets out a war cry so loud Crowley, Spade and the thiefess feel their freaking bones shaking. He then takes a couple steps back, adopting a battle stance, and shoots through the monsters like a freaking cannonball. Or a bull. Both comparisons don't measure up well enough, but they're okay for an idea.*

=====
~Creed~

Crone: <I'm afraid so...>

[Celsius: <There is magic coming from that room...>]

Crone: <If the room is intact, he could be safe, because of my spell, but if I open this door...>

=====
~Lucien~

*The water is thrown across the ground and flows away, becoming the horse a few yards away from them, near the cave. It has a large cut across its right eye, which is now closed, as well as many other cuts on its body. It is panting heavily when it whips its head forward and boiling water spears burst from the ground towards the cloaked figure and Lucien.*

Lucien shadow hands enlarge and block the attack. "Are you protecting something?" he asks the horse suddenly.

---

"Then we'll have to be quick won't we?" Creed smiles.

Crone's magic is strong but still... I'll need to call on your power Celsius. We'll have to freeze the water long enough for Crone to get his brother out. Can you do it?

Derek: <The same.>

*He yawns, as he hasn't slept well in some time.*

Derek: <Hopefully we can depart fairly soon...>

[Seriously? Playing messenger again? I don't know if this is a sign or what, but it bugs me.]

Kentaro:<Sure. It shouldn't be a problem.>

"We can do that."

~Kentaro & Kari~

Lady: <Thank you. Now, it says here you checked in an hour and a half ago. Do you wish to visit the restaurant there or the inn floor?>

*She points at a sliding door to her right and the stairs to the left of the counter.*

=====
~Derek~

Jade Rabbit: <Depart where...? Are you taking an airship?>

*The rabbit looks down the street. A large airship can be seen beyond the aerodrome's walls.*

=====
~Creed~

*Crone looks at him and widens his eyes.*

Crone: <The pressure is likely to sink the whole structure. If we do open the door, we'll have to be fast to escape as well.>

*He puts his hands on the wheel, staring at Creed.*

=====
~Lucien~

*The horse steps aside so as to be straight in between the two and the cave entrance and charges at them. The cloaked figure holds their hands out and a wind blade flies through its torso, splashing the monster apart again. It immediately takes shape once more, opening its mouth and shooting a jet of boiling water at Lucien and the mysterious person.*

Derek: <Yes. I'm going to Toros.>

Lucien blocks again and wipes his hand against his chest. "Still wet. Good" and flings his blood outward. Each drop casting a small shadow from which extends a crescent shaped blade roughly 2 feet long. They fly at the horse.

---

"Celsius. Come forth" Creed summons.

[It's been that long?]

*Kentaro looks to Kari for a response.*

"The restaurant sounds nice."

*Crowley almost falls over in shock upon seeing the fat bandit launch forward like that.*

Crowley: <Is he even human? How the hell does he do things like that?>

~Kentaro & Kari~

Lady: <I hope you're enjoying yourselves.>

*The restaurant is a relatively small room with several low wooden tables and fuschia cushions intead of chairs. There is a small plate filled with little orange spheres covered in salt, each with a blue leaf, next to a small vase with a white orchid. The old couple gets up from a table and leaves, having finished eating. A waitress comes walking to them from behind the counter, where another one is looking at them. She holds out a menu to them.*

Waitress: <Good afternoon. Please take a seat and taste our famous salty Aldanian nuts while you choose your dish.>

=====
~Derek~

Jade Rabbit: <Really? I've never been to Toros! Hmmm...>

*He looks up and down the street and winces.*

[I don't know where they are...]

=====
~Crowley~

Blonde Thiefess: <Beats me, but I'm liking what I'm seing.>

*She points forward: the fat bandit's charge has opened a path through the crowd of monsters. Spade and the thiefess run after him.*

=====
~Creed~

*A blue snowflake glyph appears beneath Creed and Celsius materializes in front of him in a flash of light blue light. Crone nods to her in a show of respect and starts turning the wheel.*

Celsius: <What is the plan?

=====
~Lucien~

*The horse is torn apart and the water starts evaporating and dissolving into the air. Next thing they know, it appears out of nowhere, charging at the cloaked figure. As it is tackling the person, its body turns into water partially, and the cloaked figure is dragged within its body as it dives into the sea, all of this in a matter of seconds. Lucien seems to hear a muffled scream as the horse is diving. The monster materializes in front of Lucien again, whipping its head at him. There are no signs of the cloaked person.*

Derek: <I last saw them at some sort of spa, or something of the like.>

*Crowley follows them through the empty path.*

"Shit" Lucien curses as he finds himself slammed into the same tree again.

---

"We'll use Absolute to the freeze the water back. It should hold long enough for Crone to grab his brother. After that we run."