Preparations for War

Enkidu froze, holding his staff pointing at the place where the apparition had been.
The voice in his head stopped at the same time and he could feel it's discomfort matching his own.

*Lunsai scans the surrounding area for a dry spot of land while still running*

Cursed Jungle, Northern Leudella

Olympe: <(May I speak with you in private when we get the chance? There's something I'd like to ask you.)>

Aera: <What was that?>

Crone: <...Something's not right.>

*Crone's theory is almost immediately confirmed. They hear loud whistling gusts as shapeless figures of white mist dart around and through the group, multiplying every few seconds until there are down of them flying everywhere.*

=====
Overflying Black Swamp

Allina: <Words can't describe how confused I am right now.>

=====
Black Swamp, Northern Leudella

*The tigers give chase as the three reach an area where a lifeless giant gorilla monster lies on the ground, burning intensely like many surrounding trees.*

"I was an agent of another world, much like how you are for this one, though the world I come from has the same power that allows the army to traverse the multi-verse. I was of on another world when the Helzol army invaded it. My specialty is infiltration. I'm more or less a ninja of sorts though I always preferred the way of the samurai. On my world these shards I use allow me to adopt a new personality in order to better fall into my new roll. Things... didn't go as planned and after the world I was on was captured they went straight to my own world. However my world was not taken over by Helzol. The world I came from, the one I truly came from... triggered a powerful magi-tech bomb. Instead of being assimilated and enslaved into the army they erased their world, their technology, their everything from existence. I am the sole survivor of that world."

---

Back at the armory Alto has finished arming himself and putting his armor on.

Lunsai:< Wow. Wonder if the Generals had anything to do with that.>

*Lunsai turns back to face the tigers*

Lumyr: <(Sure.)>

*He turns over to see the figures.*

Lumyr: <Not good.>

=====

Kasa: <I wanna be strong like that some day.>

*He looks back at the tigers.*

Kasa: <But I guess it isn't the time to worry about stuff like that.>

Enkidu took a defensive stance and surrounded himself in a thin shield of fire.

Cursed Jungle, Northern Leudella

Aera: <No kidding.>

*One of the figures darts down towards Enkidu, morphing into a ghostly hooded person that blasts a beam of black energy at him from under the hood. Many of the other figures do the same, several towards each of them.*

=====
Overflying Black Swamp

Allina: <Seems like there's a lot more to you people than meets the eye... Where are you taking me?>

=====
Black Swamp, Northern Leudella

*The five or six tigers are fast approaching. Ace holds his hands out, blasting wind through the flames. Though this makes the flames around larger, it still blows a very temporary path through them. Ace runs forward, continuously shooting more wind forward to keep it open.*

=====
Royal Palace, Nymphe

Keika: <Did you memorize where to go?>

*She walks out of the palace, playfully juggling two small juggling clubs.*

"Don't worry, I got it memorized" he taps the side of his head. He then whistles and, almost out of thin air, a whole knight brigade appears behind him.

"At your command Sir. Aengale"

He turns to Reika, "My special detachment of the knights. The Hawk Brigade." On their helms, for those that wore them, or on their hair like Alto were two feathers. It suddenly made a whole lot of sense know why Alto wore those feathers in his hair.

"We're heading for Johanna Falls, into the Black Swamp. If possible I'd like to warp in as close as possible to the swamp without needing to march."

---

"To Nymphe. Ryzell is there. He's a powerful general of the army, or he use to be. It seems Legel doesn't have as tight knit a group as he thought he did" he chuckles softly. The dragon lets out a bellowing roar in agreement.

"What do you think of this view? Nice huh? Soaring through the sky on dragon back. I missed doing this."

*Lunsai runs after him, using psy to help clear a path*

Enkidu realized that his thin shield could not completely stop the oncoming attack, so he thrust his staff forward like a spear and blasted a counter-strike back at the ghostly figure.

Cursed Jungle, Northern Leudella

*The phantom Enkidu blasts disappears, only to be succeeded by hundreds of others flying down towards them.*

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Overflying Black Swamp

Allina: <Nymphe... Yeah, it's pretty. Are you sure this thing isn't going to crash, sending us into the pink pits of hell?>

=====
Black Swamp, Northern Leudella

*Through the flames, they stand at the entrance to a dark, cursed jungle.*

Ace: <They must've gone in there...>

=====
Royal Palace, Nymphe

*She widens her eyes in surprise before glaring at him.*

Keika: <What are you babbling on about? Didn't the Regent tell you to bring one person?>

"I don't want to walk. Its gating magic. You worry far too much."

---

"Positive"

*Lumyr summons soldiers, matching the figures in numbers. They charge forward, towards them. Winston releases a wave of energy from his cannon, shooting in a straight line at them.*

=====

Kasa: <Well, let's go then.>

Lunsai:< Sounds like a plan. Once we meet them, let me talk. I don't want ether of you messing things up.>

*Lunsai starts off towards the forest*

Cursed Jungle, Northern Leudella

*One of the phantoms whispers into Crone's ear.*

{Who sent you?}

Crone: <L-Legel.>

{That idiot! He was never allowed to send this many... Half of you must die here...}

*Crone waves his arm and the phantom bursts into white feathers with a shriek.*

Crone: <We're splitting up in smaller groups! Find whatever we were brought here to find and return to Legel as soon as possible!>

*Olympe grabs Lumyr's arm and runs deeper into the woods. Aera gives Crone an angry look and runs off alone. Crone's eyes turn red as he runs off as well. The phantoms give chase after all of them.*

Crone: [What is it?]

[Legel: <Ranmaru has defected.>]

Crone: [Can't say I'm surprised.]

[Legel: <Matters not. I have the flames, I have you, and more importantly, I'll have the heart of this world soon enough. Victory is inevitable. Make haste.]

Crone: [Now now, don't rush me.]

[Legel: <Oh, and one more thing. There's a spy following you.]

Crone: [I know. Nothing I can't handle.]

=====
Overflying Nymphe

Allina: <I recognize this village. We'll be there soon. What do you intend to do when we get there?>

=====
Black Swamp, Northern Leudella

Ace: <W-Wait, we're going to talk to them?>

=====
Royal Palace, Nymphe

Keika: <Gating magic will get you shot down by the border barriers. You could at least have asked the Regent to bring them down. I'll see you there.>

*She runs off.*

"Good point" he sighed and followed her.

"I hate walking" he mumbles under his breath.

---

"I do not know. I'll be recognized as a member of the army right away... not sure how but the people of this world seem to be able to tell. Care shedding some light on to that?"

*Lumyr just follows her.*

=====

*Kasa looks back at him.*

Kasa: <Well, why not?>

*Lunsai turns around*

Lunsai:< No, we're just going to randomly join the mission. No questions asked. We can't really stay be ourselves ether. We'd get killed alone.>

Enkidu charged after Crone and spun his staff all around him, spitting out waves of fire that rolled and swept around him. He began to feel tired but all drowsiness was washed away by his anger and will to survive.

Cursed Jungle, Northern Leudella

*As they make their way through the jungle, the phantoms begin to become more passive and in smaller number, until they finally stop seeing any at all. They're now near a river. Crone walks to the limpid water and sees the moon's reflection, only then noticing they're in a clearing and it is only still dark because it's nighttime. He glances at Enkidu.*

Crone: <We will to have to go back. It is strange that they stopped following us. I can only assume they're stronger and more numerous within a certain range of the portal we're here to find.>

-----

*Olympe and Lumyr also eventually stop seeing the ghostly figures. Olympe stops running and looks back to make sure no remnants have followed them before turning to Lumyr.*

Olympe: <Do you think Captain Ubier, Enkidu and Aera will be safe?>

=====
Overflying Nymphe

*She pushes her index finger against his chest.*

Allina: <There's a hole where your souls used to be. I don't know how, but we immediately feel that when you are near.>

*As they approach the city, soldiers start running up to the city walls, seemingly preparing to attack them.*

Allina: <What are we going to do?!>

=====
Black Swamp, Northern Leudella

Ace: <I think you're just going to get yourselves killed.>

*He walks into the jungle.*

=====
Capital Nymphe, Nymphe

*As they approach the city gates, a guard yells from one of the towers, and several blue beams of light shoot from the towers into the palace windows, beams they know are communication magic.*

Guard: <There's a dragon in the sky, and it's carrying a Helzol soldier!>

*Several soldiers run up the stairs to the city walls, charging spells.*

"There's a barrier, their spells won't be able to pass through it even if they wanted to. Looks like it was hastily made so all the conditions couldn't be set. People can pass through it from the inside but magic spells will just bounce off" Ranmaru sighs and grabs Allina and holds her tightly in his arms.

"This going to be a rough landing hold on tight" the dragon gets close to the barrier and vanishes causing Ranmaru and Allina to fall and slam into the barrier. It ripples and allows them through even though it technically should not.

They land outside the castle and Ranmaru puts Allina down before kneeling and placing his swords on the ground to show he wasn't here for a fight.

---

"My barrier's been breached?" Ryzell says to Rhea and Kelphy who have been practicing to use Ryzell's magic flames. "I can think of only one person who has that kind of ability..."

Capital Nymphe, Nymphe

Rhea: <Helzol?>

Kelphy: <You spoke of Legel, Aera, the two other Generals and Ranmaru. Could you mean...?>

----

Allina: <What kind of asshole thought of that? If we meant to destroy the city, this would've made it easy. I hope you don't want to destroy the city.>

*Several guards run by. They wear silver armor plates over blue cloaks.*

Guard: <What is your business here, soldier of Helzol?!>

Allina: <Hi guys. So, about this guy here. I'm going to take him inside to talk to His Majesty, and you can just maybe grab us some refreshments.>

*She steps towards the palace and gets three staves pointed to her neck.*

Allina: <No?>

Guard: <His Majesty is no more, thanks to them!>

Allina: <What!?>

Lumyr: <More than sure. They'll last much longer than I would in my current state.>

=====

Kasa: <Die? No, no. I refuse to die in a place as horrid as this.>

"Ranmaru, Legel wouldn't make a move this brash and he's the only one who could enter the barrier without breaking it. So this means he's finally revealed his hand huh?" Ryzell says with a smile.

"Our chances of winning this thing just went up if Ranmaru has indeed shown his true face."

---

"I'm here to see Ryzell and bring this girl to safety. She was captured by the Helzol army. You can tell she's not one of the army can't you?" Ranmaru stated though his comment about being able to tell Allina wasn't an enemy was somewhat pointed.

"If I really wanted to cause trouble you'd all be dead by now, I can assure you of that. Ryzell may be a powerful spellcaster but in terms of raw power I'm leagues above him" it was hard to tell if he was bluffing or not.