Stalkerkain

"Eep! I- I mean, -ahem, O-oh, you were there, Ian," Rosalvya said, trying to mask her surprise. "O-of course, that would be appreciated. Please be careful on your way back." Boy was the man stealthy. Was he actually following their group the entire time without anybody noticing? She shook her head and tried to refocus herself. She couldn't allow herself to lose track of her surroundings like that.

As if too burdened down by his wounds, the Mage didn't even make a move to react. Rosalvya thrusted her blade through the man's chest, his body slumping to the ground as all signs of life escaped. She withdrew the blade with a grimace, as she cleared the blade of blood. The Mage was barely alive as it was, but she knew she had to finish him off to eliminate the risks of him having the energy for one last attack on her allies. In the end, the Mage was still grasping on to his tome, even in death. The effects of its magic seemed different from the ones they had in their group. She felt bad about looting corpses, but anything to bolster the chances of their campaign would be welcome. Perhaps their monk or one of their resident mages could make use of it. "...Pass on peacefully," she said in a whisper. Wresting the tome from the man's dead body, she inspected it briefly. Some blood had accidentally gotten onto the book, but she hoped that its next owner wouldn't mind too much. As if. She stowed the book away for now, as there was no use for it at the moment. "Pardon me." Send Static (28/30) to the Convoy valor to me "DIE!!! SWORDS SUCK!" In the distance, Rosalvya could have sworn something rude was being uttered.

A trumpet blared in the background, as some beasts were starting to fuse together. Was this one of there abilities as well? She turned, to see the source of the noise coming from... a bird. Magna scratched her head, as she couldn't discern why a bird would want to fuse these already hostile creatures into something bigger and meaner. But then, it was as if a light bulb went off in her head. "If that thing dies, I could have a bigger and BETTER minion! Then I won't have to do as much!" she thought to herself. "Minion! Attack the big one!" Magna uses Reave on the Shadow Monster Shadow Beast B betrays the Shadow Monster! Conditional Move: If the Shadow Monster dies before Shadow Beast B's turn, attack Shadow Beast D If the Shadow Monster dies before Magna's turn, use Reanimate the Dead

Felis shook his head. He couldn't come up with a convincing enough argument for Rame. He simply didn't know what to say to her, as his attempts seemed like hitting a wall. He had never had to deal with problems through talking before, and the more he tried, the more frustrated he became. But... he wouldn't give up. He would think about it some more, and try and talk with Rame more. But for now, he wished to leave. He moved back towards his bunk bed and retrieved his greatsword, before moving to the window once more. "I... am going to... meditate," Felis said. He figured some time meditating would clear his head after he had lost his temper there. It would also give him some time to think things through. "You are welcome... to join me." With that being said, he leapt out the window, disregarding the need for a conventional exit. Whether Rame would actually follow him, he didn't know. Perhaps he would get some training in with his greatsword as well, it depended on how long it would take for him to finish meditating.

Rame began rummaging through her bag, until she produced a pair of restraints. That, clued Felis into the cause behind the wounds on her wrists. But to murder one's kin, is something that saddened Felis. No matter how angry, how bitter, how resentful he was of his biological caretakers or his peers, he would never go so far as to commit an act of murder. Her brothers seemed like the only good thing in her life, but then she mentioned a name: Braith. Was that the name of one of her brothers? It had to be. But why would she suddenly differentiate him now, instead of colloquially referring to her brothers as a group? Felis could feel Rame's Lumen begin to act up again, the air visibly shimmering due to the heat. Flames leapt out out of her hand, as every muscle in Felis' body tensed, screaming danger. To run away. But he forced himself out of sheer willpower to remain in the room. This didn't stop him from bolting upright, though. But unlike last time in the fight, she seemed to restrain herself this time. It seemed almost as if an invisible force had intervened, or maybe he was underestimating her sense of control, he wasn't sure. Everything steadily calmed down, daring not move until he deemed it safe. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his forehead, perhaps from the heat, or from fear; he couldn't tell at this point. A long silence followed, before he slowly made his way to the window and let all the heated air flow out. He turned to face Rame once more, as he composed his words. "It is... clearer, now," he began, his voice tinted with a hint of sadness. "Rame, I admire you... for your strength. Not the strength... of your Lumen... but the strength... of your mind. To be hated... by the world... but refusing to give up. Rame... you are strong. But I wish... you didn't hate the world... in return." Loneliness was a terrible thing. It tore away at you from the inside. It made you long for companionship, but self-doubt always made you believe otherwise. And eventually, you would just stop believing altogether. His uncle had felt the same. He had isolated himself from everything else. He locked himself away, so he wouldn't have to feel anymore. Ultimately, the decision wasn't up to him. He couldn't change his uncle's lifestyle. He couldn't change Rame's either. For the only person who could do that, was themselves.

Magna would have grinned, if it weren't for the lack of facial tissue. In her face. The beast was reanimated, that was for sure. It's eyes glowed red, much like Magna's did. But was it under her control? "Move left. Now right. Now spin in a circle," she thought, as she issued commands in her mind. "Now face the other creatures of your kind and roar hostilities at them." Hopefully the other mortals would figure out that this Shadow Beast wasn't like the others. She didn't quite want to outwardly reveal that she was in control of one of them, as it may easily lead to the implication that she was the one who summoned all of them to attack. For now, she would wait to reveal that tidbit of knowledge, and focus another enemy instead. Allowing her reanimation to attack the group of enemies nearest the opening that overlooked the castle, Magna switched to the other side, attacking the creatures blocking the exit on the opposite end. Revived Shadow Beast B cannibalizes Shadow Beast A Magna Reaves Shadow Beast F Conditional Move (Magna): If Shadow Beast F dies, use "Reanimate the Dead" on Shadow Beast F

Magna chuckled, as someone made a comment on the glow of her eyes. "The people here are far more interesting than I, with the powers to transform or levitate objects and all," she said nonchalantly. It would seem that Solomon had come to the same conclusion as she did regarding multiverses, and perhaps so did the others. "The glow from my mask is just an aesthetic." She downplayed the importance of it all, not wishing to draw attention to herself. She would keep the others guessing for as long as she needed to~

"No... I do not!" he said, as he slammed his fist into the metal bar that supported the upper bunk. His voice flared up in anger, but as soon as he realized what was happening, he immediately reigned in his anger. He had let out a little Lumen slip out by accident, causing his strike to leave a sizable dent in the metal bar. As a result, the upper bed tipped a little in response. Exile? What did that really mean? He was effectively exiled from society, his family, but that was in Medulla. He hadn't the faintest idea of what that meant or could mean, in Acquillo. And he would never know, if no one would tell him. It began to irritate him how Rame was never being direct, always referring to something or some other beyond his knowledge. "I... do not..." he said in a softer tone this time. "I have told you... I don't understand... people. I am... slow to understand things. I cannot come... to understand you... if you do not say things... straight. So... please... explain it... for me."

Magna backed off immediately, as her scythe had little to no impact. "I suppose that's what I get for being a non-combatant," she chuckled to herself. Very rarely did spirits fight back, making the need to subdue them unnecessary. The living beings she dealt with back in her universe didn't have access to arcane technologies or possessed innate magic. But even with the feisty spirits, she could just reanimate souls to do the work for her. If it really came down to it, she could fight with the basic use of her scythe. What made her curious though, were the nature of these... beings. Did conventional death apply to everything in this universe? Were her powers even useable in this situation? There really was only one way to find out. Reave Shadow Beast B Conditional Move: If Shadow Beast B dies before Magna's turn, Use "Reanimate The Dead" on Shadow Beast B's corpse instead.

Felis said nothing, as he didn't understand most of what Rame was referring to. Abuse, for the most part, but it wasn't his place to console or sympathize with her. Any attempt at doing so might only invite rebuke and further anger. Perhaps he would ask at another time. But for now, that issue was neither here nor there, and there seemed to be even a twinge of relief in her voice at being exiled. "But... why are you... here," he said, trying to place more emphasis on his question. Perhaps he wasn't clear enough. "Why... fight in Auster?"

Soon after Felis had finished his monologue, he could hear laughing. But there was no other person in the cabin other than- -Oh. Felis couldn't tell whether the laugh was a good thing or a bad thing. Failing to understand what was funny, he simply sat down on a bunk. You saw what they did when I tried to kill that brat, the bastards don't play around here." "Neither do you," he thought to himself, as the statement unnerved him. Actually hearing that she had intended to kill someone outright was still a little unsettling, no matter the context. "Heheh.. Ok then, hero..." She finally managed as the amusement wound down, "Just try not to blow the roof off the place, eh?" "That will not... be a problem," he said, as his Lumen wasn't actively destructive. Unless he ran berserk, then he shouldn't have an issue with the camp guardians. He couldn't remember the last time he lost control, but perhaps that was a good thing. "And... you?" he asked Rame. "What brings... you here?"

Rosalvya had moved into position, acutely aware of her surroundings on the battlefield. She would let the enemy approach her, instead of running head-first into the battlefield. As if on cue, the nearby mage came running towards her, tome in hand. But his moves were so telegraphed, that she had no issue moving out of the way. Next came a Mercenary with sword in hand. If he thought he could hit her with that heavy blade, then he was going to be in for a surprise. After all, she knew first-hand how heavy it was herself. She held her Slim Sword in her hands, the sword's lightness feeling a little odd in her hands. It proved to work in her favor, as the Mercenary who came charging in, was met with Rosalvya thrusting the blade through his throat. It didn't matter whether or not she used the sword for the first time or the hundredth time, but already she was able to land decisive strikes. Withdrawing the sword, the Mercenary collapsed to the ground lifeless. Rosalvya wasn't quite finished there. She dashed passed the Mercenary's corpse, and pivoted to deal a strike to the mage on the brink of death. Move to X2 and Attack Mage 1

Magna chuckled, as she watched the humans spur in action. "Mortals, always in a hurry to kill or rush into their deaths," she said to herself. She sort of envied them, as she had forgotten what it was like to truly "live". Being dead and all. Though, she let out a low whistle, as she witnessed unique abilities one after another. Many had physical capabilites that certainly surpassed the average human, others could transform, and some had abilities that weren't native to humans. Magna even began to question whether or not these people WERE humans, or magical beings that took human form. After observing everything for long enough, Magna decided to enter the battle herself. Reave Shadow Beast B

"Ah... Spiderling, can you speak? Do you understand what I'm saying?" Magna asked. She hadn't considered that being half arachnid may not have granted her the chance to learn the human language. At worst, the attempt at communication may be an attempt in futility. The spider slowly moved a little closer, and began to hum. What... was that supposed to mean? She hadn't the faintest of the behavioral patterns of spiders. Just then, she could hear the humans' voices grow louder, as they started interacting with the strange machinery, followed by portals opening up. As if on cue, strange looking beasts emerged from them, appearing hostile to their group. Magna decided to stand back and wait, to see what everything in this small confine was capable of. "I'm afraid we'll have to continue our conversation later, as we have company," she said, as she stood by with her scythe by her side. If she didn't have to act, then all the better.

Magna stood, bemused by the conversations of the others. Plenty of jargon was being thrown around, but none seemed the wiser to it. On top of that, there definitely were some unique humans here that she had never encountered before. The humans back in her world weren't advanced enough in technologies to have a mechanized battle suit, nor being able to evolve into arachnids.This only convinced her further that they all indeed were brought together from different worlds. Though the criteria for being brought here didn't seem to be very picky; to have brought a demi-human and an undead along with humans. "No matter," she thought to herself. Perhaps she could think of this as an unexpected vacation. There was no real need to be anywhere in a hurry; especially since she didn't suffer from the needs of the living. Seeing as how the other humans were already engaged and intermingling with one another, she decided to move over to the Arachnid, whom everyone seemed oblivious to. If it weren't for the fact that she could detect the living being that was separated from the rest, she probably wouldn't have noticed the Arachnid either, due to how well it was concealed. "Hello there, spiderling," she said, as she addressed the Arachnid casually. "What's your take on all of this?"

"Perhaps this is the afterlife, and we've all moved on~" she joked. It would be a little worrying and a little ironic, coming from a cloaked figure with a skeleton mask and a scythe. Of course, there was no way that they were in the afterlife. After all, she governed part of the afterlife already, if only a tiny subsection of it. On top of that, these people were still alive and hadn't passed on yet. So this couldn't be her universe, considering that these weren't souls for her to pass into the Underworld. Nor was her supervisor there to scold her for not doing her job. "If there are no objections, let's make our way out, shall we?"

Magna arose from the ground, immediately on alert. Being undead, the lack of light wasn't an issue, nor was waking up. Her eyes glowed eerily red through her mask, as she became aware of several other life forms. Despite somehow being kidnapped, she still had her scythe with her. If whoever transported her here intended harm, they wouldn't have given Magna her weapon. "Where was this?" she thought to her. "Abraham's going to be furious at me for leaving my post." She looked around the area, her surroundings being enclosed by sheer cliffs. She moved towards the light source and stood at the edge of the area. Looking down into the chasm, she couldn't see a bottom, despite not being affected by the lack of light. She still had her mask and cloak on, so she could still masquerade as a mortal for now. From her skeleton, a female voice could be heard. "It doesn't appear like there's any way down this cliff. The distance is also too far for other means as well." She pointed in the opposite direction to the other opening. "It would appear there is only one way out, and that's the path back there."

A voice came from behind him. Rame's voice. This time, without anger, or despair. "Why are you here? The fighting... what made you sign up for this?....Did you even have a choice?" A question. A moment of pause. Felis stood in place, with his back still turned. Immobile. He closed his eyes as he thought carefully. Choice. That was always a tricky question. A matter of free will, or perhaps an illusion of free will. He had a choice. He was given one. His uncle had spoke of this very camp. The risks that would entail, should he choose to come here. Felis could have also adopted the lifestyle of solitude, like his uncle. One that spoke to him as a person. But that wouldn't grant him happiness. Move back to Medulla, where society was? No. He would never fit in. So really, were there really choices, when there is only one answer? "I cannot... understand people. I cannot fit in... with society. I cannot be... happy," Felis said, as his voice wavered. But his next words were filled with strong conviction. "But I fight... out of my own volition. I fight... because I am able. I fight... because I can. I once... lost myself to anger. But I made... a promise. Not to lose... to myself." He turned around to face Rame, his confidence brimming, no longer slouching, but maintaining perfect posture. His abundant Lumen escaped freely as raw, unbridled energy. "Here... I can learn to become strong," he said, as his Lumen poured out freely. "To learn... to be in control." As Felis said that, the flow of energy in the air stopped. Much like water being poured out of a bottle, and then corked perfectly, not letting a single unnecessary drop escape. As the energy from all his talking calmed down, he turned away and immediately became self-conscious and. "Did I really say all that? I hope I wasn't being too imposing..."

Magna Sigyl enters the stage.

"After your battle... I wanted to know... if you were to be trusted. We are going to be... allies," Felis responded. He felt he couldn't very well judge Rame before getting to know her or her reasons for the way she acts. The deep-seeded mistrust that resided within Rame was something that isn't uneasily undone. Unlike him, it sounded like Rame doesn't have anyone to support her anymore. If Felis' uncle had never taken him away, where would he be? Still kicking around in Medulla, unhappy with everything as it is? There would eventually be a point where he couldn't solve everything through brute force. And his uncle was there to help him realize it. "I am... from Medulla. Because I have trouble... getting along with people...everybody chose to ostracize me. They ignored me. Avoided me. So I pushed them away... in anger. It was... lonely." he said wistfully. He knew he didn't explain very well for Rame to understand anything, but he was never very good with expressing himself anyways. He had hoped the sentiment had gotten across somehow. "You reminded me... of myself. So before I make... the same mistake... instead of just... avoiding you... I wanted to get to know you. To try... and understand. I feel that I do... a little better now. But... if you don't want me to... pry further... I will respect that." He had no intention of getting on Rame's bad side, so now was a good time as any to leave. With a slight nod, he turned away from Rame, and returned to his bunk bed.

"Then I'm glad to know that... you don't hate yourself," Felis said a softer tone this time, making his words feel like he meant it. Though what she said afterwards sent shudders down his spine. Rame was still a little too much raw emotion for him to process. The air seemed to warm at her words, as if the southern climate weren't warm enough. Subconsciously, she seemed to be using her Lumen, but thankfully it didn't seem like it would be running rampant. All the talk of implied violence made him wanted to switch topics. "Is there anything... you miss in Acquillo?" he asked impassively. "Good... things?"

Felis grunted in satisfaction, as if giving his approval."Rame," he repeated after her, making sure to remember the name. Her hand was warm, seemingly inviting almost, if he didn't know better. He nodded in approval, believing that he had carried out the correct course of action. "There... are you happy now? Let go of me..." "Hm," he grunted in approval. "Yes. I am content." She withdrew herself even further, her eyes being drawn to the floor. Did holding eye contact for too long bother her? He had found that when he did that at the airport, the flight attendants seemed to shy away. He furrowed his brow, his lack of understanding continuing to frustrate him. Though, what Rame had said earlier about only raised more questions. "Do you believe that... to be true?" Back in Medulla, the others would bully him for his outlandish nature, and eventually he began to push everything away. He had no friends there. Only those who considered him to be antisocial and violent. At the time, his anger was his defense mechanism. He would let his emotions run rampant, retaliating against those who would deny his existence. It dawned on him, that she was acting much the same. If Felis could change, then he believed that so could Rame.

Felis cocked his head slightly, not understanding the source of her anger. "What's wrong with... the way you look?" he asked inquisitively. Felis watched, as Rame withdrew her hand to her side. Was handshaking something you weren't supposed to do either? As a child, he saw so many adults do that as a greeting. "I think... it looks nice. Like... snow." he said with his neutral tone. He spent the latter half of his life in Aurora, where there was nothing but mountains and forests. But one day, it had snowed. Although the snow wasn't heavy enough to stick, he still remembered it clearly; the way it gently drifted through the air, with no impending need to be anywhere. The snow was cold and distant, much like the girl in front of him. But that didn't mean that snow was ill-natured. Perhaps the girl... was the same. With a slow motion, he gently lifted her wrist with his left hand, and shook her hand with his right. "Felis Argontyle. Your... name?"

Rosalvya watched as Serene did her best to move forward. It appeared that Serene's encounter had taken more out of her than she had expected. Without their healer around them, it was up to them to remain as healthy as possible. Their front line was only as good as their back line, and if they failed to protect even that, then Rosalvya and Meredith wouldn't stand a chance against tougher opponents. As Serene staggered past her, she couldn't help but say something. "Serene, you don't look like you're doing so good," Rosalvya said, resisting the urge to make a fire pun. "Please don't push yourself if you're not feeling too well. If you still need a moment to take a breather, Meredith and I are here at the vanguard." Move to W2, Equip Slim Sword, Activate Leaf on the Wind

Felis opened his mouth to say something, but the words got caught in his throat. This was more difficult that he would have imagined, especially with how abrasive Rame was. What was he going to say in the first place? "Hey, you almost tried to kill somebody, but let's be friends!" -like that was ever going to work. The fact that he had paused, extended the silence even further, making it even more awkward for him to say anything. Finally, he cleared his throat once more, and approached closer with his hand extended for a handshake. "Felis Argontyle," he said, in a low, rumbling voice. The lack of emotion in his voice made it difficult to discern whether he was being condescending, uninterested, or if that was just his tone of voice by default. He intently stared Rame in the eye with an unfaltering gaze, trying to read the expression on her face with no success. Even as a child, he was always bad at reading people and situations, often finding himself wanting to pummel his problems instead. Because of that, interpersonal relations were a struggle. "Are you always angry... by default?" he said with no tact. The words came out slowly and deliberately, as if he were unused to speaking.