Sparks of conflict (BP EXCLUSIVE EVENT)

Akryn had finally done t. After years and years of searching, Akryn had found it, the ultimate treasure. The Motomiji family vault. The Motomiji clan, his clan, were known far and wide, though less so these days, for their fine craftsmanship, and imbuement, of magical weapons and items. Some of the mightiest and best crafter of those weapons from each generation had been pulled together in a massive, hidden, family vault. A vault so well hidden that, had Thorsfell not told him of its existence, he would never have known about it. But he did know about it, and after nearly ten years of research and hunting, he had found it.


As soon as he had, he had rushed to his guild, Blue Pegasus, and begged for their help. Normally the vault would have been protected, heavily, by family spells. But with most of the family dead, as well as the Patron of the clan, those spells would be broken and the vault would be vulnerable. Fearing grave robbers and tomb raiders, Akryn had rushed to the only ones he knew he could trust. The weapons and items would be stored in the blue Pegasus vault until they could be placed in a better location, and Akryn would pay them out of the stash of jewels that was supposed to be there. A win win situation really. Even now, Akryn led the small party of mages to where the vault was, determined to get there soon, and setting a blistering pace.

Zack had been interested in the call-to-arms. It was rare that any member ever called the Blue Pegasus to arms especially when the person was not an ace nor the guildmaster. It was rather interesting. Zack had been working on repairing one of the cannons on his ship, the guild's personal airship, when he heard the commotion and decided to check it out. The one who had raised the call to arms was none other than the recent A rank mage Akryn. A mage who he had conducted the exam for. It seemed he was using his high rank to his advantage and it seemed he had an important reason for calling them to arms.

A family vault. A location where many important items of great magical power were stored. What's more it was likely that all its magical protection had failed leaving the vault open for people to raid. That wasn't good as it meant that dark mages could get ahold of some powerful weapons. That wasn't good at all. The dark guilds were ridiculously powerful at the present time. They had a large number of powerful members. His thoughts immediately drifted to the few dark mages he had truly fought. Warden of Tartarus had tossed him aside as if he was nothing when he tried to headbutt the dragon of destruction Acnologia. A true powerhouse. Then there was Yugi also of Tartarus. A powerful fire make mage. It had been a tough fight and he'd had to pretty much throw his entire self into it to stand a chance. He'd swallowed a ton of poison to save an ally and throw it back at the dark mage. Then there was his most recent opponent. Balrog. A poweful mage of a dark guild. His power had managed to fight against Zack on even ground, which was impressive in itself nowadays, even with Zack throwing out everything he had.

Little did Zack know he might be seeing Balrog and his allies again quite soon.....
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They were marching towards the vault. Strange that they hadn't taken the Saving Queen. It could of got pretty much the entire guild their instantly and without being exhausted. However, then it would put the ship at risk and announce their presence quite early. As they got closer Zack spoke to Akryn.

"If anyone is there then advancing like an army is likely to get us spotted if we haven't already. This is your missions so your commands will be followed. However, would it not be better to split up and come from several directions so they don't know our numbers?" Zack suggested.

The day was nice since Dante woke up and enjoyed his normal routine of tea and was getting ready for the day. His team was great the other two seemed to enjoy his company as well but little did he know that this day was about to get extremely busy. After he was dressed and made sure his keys were secure he would go see what the commotion was. Dante enjoyed walking around the GUild Hall and seeing the beautiful Designs of the hall as he would move around. there was talk about a vault when someone within the walls said Call-to-Arms. This was definitely something serious if there was a call to arms. < Looks like this is going to be a interesting day>.  Dante would go to see what the commotion was and why they were being called to arms.  While heading to the main area which happened to be around the corner of the quarters he spotted his team mates. he was glad to see them joining the call to arms as much as he did.

" Definitely was not going to pass this up" He was wondering how many of the guild mates he would meet this time since he joined. He had only knew of his team mates and not many of the guild itself since they were all busy doing jobs. Dante would stand next to Anastasia and Axos while he listened to the jobs request. < Hmm A vault. Could be something there that makes him worried but we will fight our best.> Even though he was nothing more then a D-Class Wizard within the guild he did seem to sense something that was very close when they were all gathered into the main room where the jobs details were being gone over.  He felt it his spirit sense kicked in but could not even try to figure out who it was coming from since he sensed a celestial spirit.


Dante would shake it off the moment that he was dismissed and went to pack up everything. He packed clothes water rations and a small bag for holding some things. Dante was not a real materialistic person but he did want something to carry things in incase he was able to gain things from either enemies or from the vault itself. Dante when ready would simply meet every one else as they headed out towards the direction of the Phoenix Mountains.

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This heat was a bitch. He hated being this hot and he was not the most physical but he did bicker under his breath on how this heat was not cool and wished he did not wear his normal clothing. It was not to long when he heard someone speak up. An Ace of the guild was within the group and he knew this had to be something of importance then. He didn't know why but he could sense a spirit but was still lost in where they were. Dante didnt know what was going on with it but he definitely knew that somewhere there was a celestial spirit somewhere near by.

The ace spoke up about splitting up to hide our numbers and as usual Axos was in a hurry. this made him smile when he heard his comment and dante had to agree but Akryn was in charge of this little party. Once Axos spoke up and saw the smile dante knew that it would be best if his team stayed together since they already have a chemistry. " Yea I agree if there are Dark Mages planning on raiding this vault then we would need solid plan for the teams and come in from all directions." with his opinion though was not much but he really did want them to split up for a more tactical advantage plus the element of surprise. Dante would feel better when his entire team was together. He would look back at Anastasia and see her sweating up a storm. " Anastasia here drink this it will help." He would easily slow down to be next to her and hand her some water from his bag.

Xierak entered into his den somewhat shaken at the sight of his friend desperately asking for help when he arrived back in the Blue Pegasus Guild hall. He had been sitting at a table at a corner of the main hall keeping to himself, he had just scarfed down a hamburger before anyone gotten a look in and had been reading a parchment on the finer details of Fiore’s Westernmost regions. That’s when Akryn burst in asking for help to access his Family’s vault and procure whatever may be in side.

Xierak walked over to his worktable, various carvings were on it, a hobby he had taken up the past few months, but none of that mattered now. He walked over and grabbed a large sack he had made to carry loot, valuables or even candy in on long adventures he was certain it would be of use on this venture. Xierak then grabbed a leather bag and tossed some salted jerky into it as well as a small canister of water he kept in case of emergencies. Xierak then nodded in satisfaction for his equipment and with a large swish of his robes he turned around and exited his cave, moving the gargantuan door back in place that served as his doorway. “Well I guess its time to go and meet up and the Rendevous…” Xierak then lifted off the ground by manipulating the gravity around himself. He then took of towards the mountains as they were instructed to meet up after getting their supplies.

A morning not much different from any other, with the sun rising up into the sky and illuminating the prosperous Clover Town. Above any other part of the town, rising up like a small mountain made by humans rather than the land itself, there was the Guild Hall of the famous guild called Blue Pegasus. Its front caught quite a large amount of sunlight, the entire building having been designed so that it would face the morning proudly. On the roof of said building somebody else was also facing the morning, although with less pride and more annoyance at the sun that was chasing away the shadows.

Akeya was glad that she had her blindfold, because as long as it covered her eyes she could actually glare at the sun without damaging her vision. She had been enjoying watching the town be covered in the shadows that always dominate the land when the night retreated and the day began to arrive, but as always the sun was too quick in actually showing its face. Well, nothing that she could do about it. Might as well see what the rest of the day had in store for her. Whistling a short tune she jumped down and flew inside the Guild Hall, her shadow following her even when the sun should have dispelled it.

Once inside the Guild Hall the winged female noticed that something was up. Somebody was gathering members of the guild for some reason, and it quickly turned out to be Akryn. Curious what the leader of her team was planning Akeya approached, Korikami jumping out of her shadow and trailing her. Ever since she had returned form her exam to become a B-Rank he had started to stay close to her a bit more. She wasn't sure why, but it wasn't like his presence was unwelcome.

Once she was close enough Akeya listened in on what the entire thing was about. Apparently there was some kind of vault that Akryn wanted help with finding and securing. Something about the defences that were in place no longer being active. The half dragon raised one eyebrow at all that, although when she heard of the location she blinked, keeping her expression carefully blank even when it was already hidden behind dark blue cloth. The Phoenix Mountains...

From the looks of it this would be an interesting thing to be part of. If Akryn was correct they would have to ensure that dark mages wouldn't be able to get their hands on some of the objects found within the vault. More importantly, there weren't really any downsides to going: Akeya considered staying behind to watch over the eggs that Zack had made her lug around during the exam, but decided against it. For one thing she had no idea where he had stored them after she had returned them to his desk. And the guild could use somebody who was familiar with the Phoenix Mountains.

While the actual call to arms was still going Akeya stepped away from the gathering of people, returning to her room to grab some stuff before leaving for the place where they were supposed to gather. She didn't believe that she would need much, but some basic stuff was always a good idea. You never knew what might happen, and Akeya believed in being prepared. If they were lucky they would just find the vault, secure what was inside, and return without any incident. But if something happened she didn't want to be the one caught flatfooted. In situations like this having Korikami as a pet also was quite useful.

In The Mountains.

Akeya looked down at the other guild members who had heeded Akryn's call. It was a decent amount, enough that if they encountered the common type of bandit they shouldn't have any trouble dealing with it. Although one or two of them, some of the newcomers, were looking like they were having a hard time. That was to be expected: the terrain here was rough, and somebody who hadn't grown up in the mountains could very easily lose a lot of stamina and energy here.

The winged ninja herself was flying, mostly because in the mountains she had no reason to pretend that walking on foot was better. She was also a bit further ahead than most of the party, scanning the area to see where it was safe to walk for the others. It would not do for them to take the wrong route and to get needlessly injured. Her blindfold and enhanced magic sense would also allow her to see any magic traps more easily than most of the other mages here. Korikami was also here, currently hidden inside her backpack. It was sunny out here, and he disliked the bright day even more than Akeya herself.

When some of the others began to discuss their next move the half dragon slowed down and lowered herself so she could more easily add her contribution to the suggestions. When the idea came along to split up she frowned and folded her arms, the slow flapping of her wings that kept her airborne causing a soft gust of wind to flow down onto the others in steady periods.

"If we want to stay hidden splitting up would indeed be best. However we would have to make sure that each team has at least one person with it that could navigate in these surroundings, and we'd have to somehow make sure that everybody knew exactly where to go. More than that, if we are forced into a fight by any dark mages looking for the vault, and they had the initiative instead of us, splitting up could weaken us. Akryn will have to decide whether the risks are worth the advantages."

"We are not splitting up. I am the only one who knows where the vault is, some of our members are already winded, and it would be nearly impossible to split the forces to evenly spread the strength. Its been twenty years since the vaults defenses fell. Its either been raided already, forgotten about, or whoever tried couldn't figure out the lock. Or yes, there is a possibility of dark mages being there already. But if they are, then I want us all together. Its doubtful a dark guild would bring aces along on a vault raid, so Zacks power would, or at least should, cover and make up for the D ranks. At the same time, us three B rank wizards could run interference and help draw fire. Besides, we scatter and some of us might miss out on the fight, and the loot." He said, turning to wink at Zack and Axos.


Akryn did raise a fist at that time however, indicating that they should stop. He had noticed that some of the newer members of the guild were falling behind, and obviously not used to such physical walks. It had been part of his decision to not take the air ship. Many of the guild could use the exercise. "You three, the new members. Axos, Anastasia, and Dante correct? When we return to the guild hall, I want you three to begin joining me for daily excercises in the main court. It will improve your stamina, strength, and team work. Work with me and next time wont be so hard. Zack, I would like you to stay with these three, Akeya, Xierak, and myself will go further ahead and scout a bit. You are correct, if there are dark wizards about, it wont do to be caught off guard. Rampage, lets go, the rest stay here and rest." Akryn said before suddenly stepping close to Axos. "I saw your condescending smile, and I do not appreciate it. You obviously have less trouble than your team mates. As a team mate you should strive to aid them, not belittle them, even with a look. It is a lesson I had to learn with my own team. Heed it." Akryn said before stepping away and heading towards an upward rise, which one could see dropped away not far from the current location.

He looked at Anastasia as she spoke. She seemed frustrated at being left behind and also seemed to be thinking it was their fault that Zack was waiting with them. Perhaps it was, but Zack didn't mind.


"Don't mind Akryn. He's a decent guy, but to him physical conditioning is one of the most important things." Zack said as he unsheathed his sword and slammed it into the ground next to a large rock before he sat down. "Get to know him though and he's a decent enough guy. Most of the guild are really. Still, he probably should try and understand that physicality isn't everything to all mages." he looked up at the sky which was where he, in a way, completely dominated. "Though, if he'd let me know before hand I would of got the airship ready. Sure, some could of seen or sensed us coming, but we'd be in better shape. Besides that, most of them could probably sense me coming anyway. Ah well, i'll remind him for next time. In fact, now that I think about I don't even know if he knows about the ship. I should probably let more people know, right?" He chuckled thinking about it. It was quite a funny thought that some people might not know about the huge airship the Blue Pegasus had in their docks with its realm shredder cannons and one way sails. It was a piece of technical ingenuity and one he spent a lot of time tweaking.

"Akryn knows his team and knows the area better than we do. Better than I do anyway. Makes sense for them to be the forward party" he said as an afterthought. "He also doesn't know what you guys are capable of so its hard for him to lead you. Probably would be a good idea to tag along on some of his training sessions in case something like this happens again." He sighed deeply. In all honesty he probably only knew what two or three people here were capable of and all of them had gone off because they were part of team Rampage. "Well, as we are waiting here why don't you guys tell me a bit about your magic and fighting style. Makes more sense then just sitting here in silence waiting for something to happen. Besides, it seems quite bad that as an ace I don't know what you are capable of." he suddenly turned and pointed at Anastasia. "It seems...you use sound of some kind. Singing perhaps? That would explain the lozenge." he didn't explain how he knew this. In reality he had pointed his gloved hand towards her and read her aura. It looked like musical notes, but seemed to be focused strongest around the throat and diaphragm. It was hard to tell though. Low ranked mages, whilst having a lot of potential, tended to have inprecise auras making readings difficult "Am I right?"

Seemed like AKryn didnt like the idea of splitting up that most of everyone suggested.Looks like that idea was shot down but i understand. He thought seeing then that Akryn continued to speak he tried to listen but that attitude in his voice was a little putting off. Dante kept glancing at Zack this entire time he just knew there was something wrong with him yet something familiar. He just was not 100% sure as to what it was. He was glad when he reminded Anastasia about drinking and though Axos did move faster he didnt mind since he was not as worn out as anastasia. The entire trip he was drinking water and making sure that his keys where always near him. " Thats good Anastasia in this heat the water will definitely help you." his attention was broken when he heard AKryn mention about two others joining him and leaving them with the ACE of the guild. Zack. " Hey we can help....." he started before seeing the three people disappear from sight.


" Zack she is right though. like her i do feel like we are a let down and it does leave a sour taste in my mouth. If he was just going to leave us here with you during this job then why did he agree to have us along?" he honestly did not know why this was happening but he didnt care. He knew that if anything happened that the strength of there team would definitely show through. Anastasia and her voice did buff and support him and Axos but it mostly did help with his spirits. His eyes would glance and star at zack this time when he mentions that he wanted to know the fighting style and magic they each wielded. And so like a true gentlemen Zack started with Anastasia and was completely and utterly shocked. " Yea her magic is song shes like our bard. supports us." he wondered what exactly was going to happen but the air around Zack felt familiar and different all at the same time. " Zack before i show mine. i need to know something. ... What are you?" he was blunt but it was driving him crazy the entire trip he knew something was off but was not able to pinpoint it till now that it was coming from Zack.


" The air around you is very familiar to me and it honestly feels like my spirits." Dante actualy forgot in that moment that he was there with his team and could not explain why he thought what he thought but it was more like he knew that something was different and it did remind him of his spirits. " I'm a Celestial Spirit Wizard. I possess one of the Golden Keys of the Zodiac" he would only say once Zack answered his question. Dante knew that no matter what he never told anyone within the team that he possessed such a key.After that statement he would look back to Axos and Anastastia with that look of i'm sorry. " I didnt tell you two this about my golden key till i knew i could trust you to." He would simply look back at Zack and await his answer. Inbetween words he would be definitely be drinking as he waited with the rest.

Xierak flew overhead and saw the group moving together down below in the mountain range, he then flew down and caught himself at the last second and landed softly next to the group, “Sorry that I am late…” Xierak then took a moment to take in what all was being said and sighed. The lumbering mage then walked over to Akryn and tried to whack him upside the head with his right hand. “What have I tried to tell you with how you are when it comes to newer members!” Xierak stood there for a second his robes fluttering due to the winds of the mountain range. Xierak then grabbed his pouch of dried jerky which he handed it to the young man dressed in eastern attire and handed his canister of water to a young woman drenched in sweat, “Here, use these supplies, and reenergize yourselves, and as Zack said, don’t mind Akryns temperament, like the rest of us, we are all rough around the edges in some ways…” Xierak then turned and walked back over to the members of his team that were present. He nodded at Akeya and then looked at Akryn and pointed at his Candy bag, “So to make this certain, I will be able to fill this up with Candy for myself later won’t I?” Although his head was covered in a hood, those in team rampage could probably guess he was smiling as he said this line to pick at Akryn. He then walked and followed Akryn up the path he had gone up ready for an easy time in the mountains.

Akeya silently listened to Akryn as he explained his decision and nodded. It seemed that he agreed with her on the disadvantages of splitting up, especially with him being the only one who could reliably find the reason why they were out here to begin with. Although the way that he gave orders to the rest of the group didn't really appear to be the best method. He was being too overbearing. Most of what he said actually made sense, but a fair amount of the people here weren't used to his command yet, or even knew him very well as a person. To immediately take the role of experienced commander of a well trained platoon could work, but it would also cause the ones not used to Akryn as their leader to become somewhat irritated.

The half dragon sighed internally before shrugging and landing on the ground, her large wings folding up neatly on her back as she looked at the others for a moment. One or two of them did indeed look like they needed the break. Having been chosen to help Akryn explore she then followed after him, her footsteps making little sound as she sped up slightly to catch up with Akryn and Xierak.

She did wonder what the newer guild members would reveal themselves to be like. One of them had already appeared confident in himself, and credit where it was due out of the newcomers he did appear to suffer the least from this road through the mountains. The other two could benefit a lot from some training. Most types of magic actually did not support training your body, but as a member of a guild as large as Blue Pegasus you'd need to be able to function in a wide variety of surroundings, because there were a lot of different jobs from all sorts of places.
Although Akeya certainly wouldn't train them herself. She wasn't really the right kind of person to act as a tutor. She just hoped Akryn would be able to help them without making them too resentful towards him in the process. He tended to be a bit too fanatic when it came to physical training. The only reason why the half dragon herself could keep up was because of the inhuman strength flowing through her body.

As Team Rampage advanced, the rest of the group staying behind for now, Akeya concentrated, leaving it up to Akryn and Xierak to inspect the area for physical threats. She herself focused on detecting all magic around them, wanting to make sure that there wouldn't be any traps for them to run into. She herself could probably evade most traps by using her wings to take alternate routes, but she landed because flying tended to attract attention, and even if she could find a path for herself, the others would still be in trouble then.

It took a couple of seconds before Akeya got a grip on what she was sensing. All mages had the ability to sense the magic presence of magical creatures and other mages. This half dragon just happened to be pretty good at it. It still took a while for something at the edge of her range to actually be spotted, but when it did Akeya immediately blinked, nearly gasping in surprise before she caught herself. She quickly spoke up, her voice as calm as normal. Well, not quite. This time there was an obvious hint of worry attached to it. The voice of somebody who had discovered something troublesome but was going to try and find a way to deal with it.

"There are three mages of strength comparable to Zack up ahead. They're still far away, but if we go much further in this direction they'll likely also detect our presence."

Akryn ignored the moans and groans as he gave his orders, having fully expected them. Akryn was an ass, though he did not intend to be. But as much of a dislikeable ass as he was, he still managed to have a fair number of loyal friends, and those who knew him knew he gave orders for a reason and with a plan. These new mages would learn as well. Strategy and combat intelligence Akryn had in spades. Personality and the ability to really connect with people? Nope, not an ounce of that.

Still, Akryn did indeed have a plan, like he always did, and this time it paid out big as Akeya stopped. What didn't pay out however was her reaction. She seemed almost.......afraid. "Three of them? I am gonna go on a limb here and say you are reading them at the edge of your ability to sense them?" He asked, spitting. He had left the starry end back at the base, so that was one less weapon in his arsenal, a big powerful one to. Nor had he brought the entire strength of the guild with him, not that they could have truly been prepared for three H ranks, not even with the guilds full might. Still, he couldn't very well turn away now, not even for his own and his guilds safety.

"Ok....change in plans then. Xierak, Akeya, suppress your magic levels down as far as you possibly can, stay low and follow me. First thing up isidentifying who we are up against here, and what they are capable of. Due to the location, with the vault dead ahead of us, we will be working from here out on the assumption that they are hostile, until such time as we have been proven other wise. If I determine that the possibility for success is high enough, then at that time I will have Xierak rush back to the others to bring them up to us. For now, lets go." he said, grabbing his sword hilt to hold it in his scabbard, bending at the waist, and suddenly taking off at impressive speed, his free arm hanging loose behind him.

Song magic. That was pretty unique. He didn't know any members of the guild or any of the guilds he'd been on a job with in the past that had such a magic. He was quite interested in seeing how it would work. However, right now the four were just sitting here. Xierak arrived and left some supplies for them to use before heading off after the rest of Team Rampage. The question that he had been asked though intrigued him.

A celestial spirit mage and one of the ones with a golden key no less. It seemed he had picked up on Zack's...otherworldly origins due to his intimate knowledge of celestials. "Well, there is a reason I seem like one of your spirits." he said with a grin an idea forming in his head to challenge this young mage and give him something to do whilst they waited. "But I won't tell you exactly what. Let's say 13 is my lucky number." It would be interesting to see if the celestial spirit mage would be able to work out exactly what that hint meant. It was one thing to know about celestial spirits and the golden keys. It was another to know about the Celestial Spirit King and the one who resided in his shadow...the 13th gate Ophiuchus.

It was this point that the song mage began to sing. It was obviously more to herself then for their benefit, but it was quite a beautiful song nevertheless and one he could enjoy whilst sitting there just able to hear it on the edge of his hearing.

Chapter One: The Waiting

Axos sighed. He was useless in this guild for now, it seems. Although the man who was leading the charge was trying so very hard to to be a leader, when it seemed to be silly that he would call everyone in the guild and only use the stronger folk. Axos looked around him. He was with his team, Dante and Ana. Ana looked incredibly sad, so Axos just sat down next to her. "You know, just because you have weaknesses in some areas, does not make you useless. In my eyes, you are perhaps the most useful one there is in this guild. Not everyone needs to be someone who does damage. Without a support in the back, I would probably die instantly. So, thanks Ana." As he told this to Ana, the other mage he hasn't met yet asked him what his magic was. He probably felt it best to tell him... some of the truth, at least. It is hard to discuss the other being inside of him without being asked too many questions. [b]"My magic is Chaos Magic. It is a form of Heavenly Body Magic, with a bit of a more neutral slash darker feel to it. It is very offensive."

OOC: SORRY

What a marvelous day for an adventure, Shuhei thought as he gazed through the open window of his office. The White Wizard sat at his desk behind numerous stacks of unfinished paperwork, that to him looked like the iron bars of a prison cell from which he could not escape. He scribbled away at the documents, writing his signature where required and skimming through all of the necessary parts and skipping most of it. He sighed, looking out the window once more. What a marvelous day. A sudden pop outside drew his attention from the documents at his desk. With curiosity he looked outside to see some of the younger mages dueling. With excitement he watched, until the doorknob suddenly began to turn. Quickly Shuhei sat back down to make believe he'd been working hard as Leon, his exceed waltzed in with another stack of papers. "Got another load for you Master!" Shuhei's face hit his desk.

"Come on, just a few more hours and you'll be done!" With his face pressed solidly against his desk he replied. "Dear god of mercy end my suffering!" Leon sprouted his wings and flew high enough to place the extra papers on top of an already tall stack. "Just be glad I filled out most of the paperwork for Akryn already. Honestly, taking half the guild on some personal quest... He better bring back some good loot from it or he'll get an earfull." Shuhei tilted his head up and looked at Leon in surprise. "Quest?" Leon paused. "...Yes, he took a party of mages including Zack Rose to the Phoenix Mountains to reclaim some family vault. Apparently his family hoarded some valuable artifacts... Or something..." A wide grin stretched across Shuhei's face. "Master, no! You have work to do!" Shuhei stood up from his chair and stepped on to the windowsill. "I'll only be gone a little while, I'll be back in a flash!" "Master!!!" Quickly Leon transformed in to his combat mode and attempted to grab Shuhei before he took off, but in a flash the White Wizard was gone! Leon sighed as he looked out the window. "God damnit, not again..."

Xierak narrowed his eyes under his hood after hearing Akeya’s report, he then lifted his nose and started to sniff the air. A strong wind blew against them from the direction they were heading and he picked up two smells coming from upwind, one smelled metallic in origin, and the other… “Akryn…” Xierak then went quiet as he started to suppress his magical power as instructed, “One of them smells like you…” Xierak then dashed up a cliff side, using his sharp claws to rapidly climb up and onto the cliff side. He then crouched down on all fours taking off his hood entirely. He scanned the surrounding cliffs, trying to see if he could spot the people Akeya had sensed and the two he had smelled. Xierak then let out a small growl and then slid back down to where Akryn and Akeya were at, “I Couldn’t see anyone suspicious in my line of site… even from the altitude I had climbed to…” Xierak then sighed looking the direction the Vault was said to be, “I have a bad feeling about this…”

Akeya quickly nodded in reaction to Akryn's question. They were indeed at the edge of her ability to sense them, which was at least a small blessing. They were all significantly less powerful than these three magic sources, so even if those three were as good at sensing magic as Akeya Team Rampage should not yet have been discovered. Of course, that wasn't completely sure: while Akeya was sharper in sensing magic than most mages that didn't mean there couldn't be still better sensors. And she could only sense those three because they were so powerful. There was no telling whether they had some specialist for detection with them that just happened to not be strong enough for Akeya to catch them at this range. And there could be enemies of similar strength as those three which she didn't notice because they were suppressing their power...

"Those three that I can sense are at the limit of what I can sense, so roughly one quarter of a mile away. If they have the same sensitivity to magic as most mages do they should not yet be able to sense us, but if they are as sensitive as I am then they already know that we're here. And I can not confirm whether there are any people around besides those three, because either they are too weak for me to sense them at that distance or they are purposefully hiding their power."

Akeya said all this without much emotion or reaction, just plainly reporting what she knew. However that feeling of knowing that there was trouble coming was still there, and she was pretty sure that she wasn't going to shake it any time soon. Three H-Ranked mages...if she was correct. And if there weren't more of them. Blue Pegasus was one of the biggest and most famous guilds in the entirety of Fiore, and yet it only had three H-Ranked mages, at least that Akeya knew of. And she knew quite a lot about the members of her guild because she was often in the guild hall, and constantly sensed them. She had no idea where these powerful mages came from, but if there turned out to be some dark guild or group of rogue mages which had that much raw power... The half dragon was pretty sure that a lot of people would have shivered at that thought. The main reason she didn't shiver was because she just wasn't that expressive. But she still had that feeling of unease.

Akryn was already giving new orders according to this new information she brought him, and they were pretty sensible ones. Except for one part, a part which Akeya found important enough not to just leave be. She personally did exactly as Akryn asked, suppressing her magic so that she would become harder to detect. She really didn't like doing it: it made her feel numb in a strange way to be suppressed like this. However she was somewhat used to it by now, quite often having to hide her presence during jobs (seeing how her main approach was to be as stealthy as possible), so she ignored that feeling and just made sure that she wouldn't be the one to give them away.

Once she was sure that she was properly hiding her magic signature Akeya headed after Akryn, who was already moving at a fast pace. Luckily she could still use the shadows to become hard to spot even without using magic, so while following Akryn she slipped from shadow to shadow as if she was one herself, although she was trying to still keep a metaphorical eye out on the magic around them. If those three began to move she'd have to immediately warn Akryn. Team Rampage by now had become strong enough not to just be pushovers, but these guys were still on a completely different level. A direct conflict could only result in utter defeat.

While the three of them headed forwards a shadow was left behind where Akeya had been before Akryn ordered her to hide her magic presence and follow him. After a couple of seconds the shadow headed the other way, back towards where the rest of the expedition was waiting.

---

The ones waiting for Team Rampage to return would eventually notice that there was something moving on the path in front of them. However the only thing they'd actually see was a shadow, moving from one dark spot to another while heading towards them. Eventually they would see that there was in fact nothing there that was casting the shadow. The shadow was what was coming towards them, as if an autonomous being.

Zack might be able to recognize that shadow as what Akeya's pet, Korikami, often looked like when he didn't want to show himself or when he was just being lazy.

Akryn frowned as he heard Xieraks description of the scents. The metal one was likely Malvis, an old foe that had nearly taken Akryns leg completely off the first time they had met. The one that really disturbed Akryn however was a description of someone that smelled a lot like him. Why on earth would Xierak be smelling so-

Akryns train of thought ended abruptly as he suddenly dropped to his knees and slid along the ground, bending backwards to duck underneath a sudden, and large, scythe that swung from behind a rock. It would have cut Akryn clean in two if he had not sensed it in time. As Akryn slid he threw his body weight to the side, rolling onto his front and grabbing at the ground to slow himself and look back at his attacker. Stepping from behind the rock was a short, thin, lean man, roughly Akryns age with long silver hair and a large black scorpion tattoo on his abs. Malvis, the metal mage. Akryns eyes suddenly widened in realization as he sensed two more wizards in the immediate area suddenly, b ranks like his team, one of them very familiar. Akryn cursed as he stood up, drawing his sword. He had rushed head first into a trap, trusting in Akeyas sensing abilities and not accounting for the enemies likely abilities and skills. If they had caught team rampage like this, then they likely knew about Zack and the D ranks as well. "Akeya Xierak, back to Zack now! The enemy was most ready for us. We need to retreat and re-" He suddenly froze, eyes widening again as he felt an extreme power suddenly appear behind him and a voice whisper. "Do you truly believe I will let any escape so easily?"


Akryn leapt forward, away from the H rank that had seemingly appeared behind him, drawing one of his daggers as well and spinning to face the man, a tall, muscular man in maroon, sporting a beard, eye tattoo on his forehead, and a metal covered right arm and left leg. Two aces. As he watched the other two mages made themselves known as well, the rose mage Akryn had faced before and an odd cloak wrapped being holding a staff and sporting a feathered headdress. Akryn swore under his breath, as even he could sense a sudden surge in power back near Zack and the D ranks. He had led the entire core group of blue Pegasus into a scorpion tail ambush! "XIERAK! AKEYA! To Zack, now! I am ordering an immediate retreat of all blue Pegasus members. We are sorely out matched. I will attempt to slow these ones, now go that is an order! Make sure the new members get out safely." Akryn said before rushing back in at Malvis.

Malvis laughed at Akryn and drew back his scythe. "You're an even bigger moron than before aint ya! As if you could do anything to stall Scorpion Tail aces!" He screamed in an irritating high pitched voice, before swinging at the charging Akryn with a short, heavy chop, leaving plenty of the haft back behind him. As he did though Akryn dropped to one hip, releasing his dagger and sliding under the strike and past Malvis, only to reach up and grab the bottom most grip of the iron mages scythe and pulling, allowing Malvis' H rank strength to work against him as with one pull Akryn shifted his momentum, into a swing along the ground, bringing up one leg just in time to catch a confused and surprised Malvis across the nose, sending him flying backwards into a nearby rock. "I am not a weak D rank this time, metal man." Akryn growled as he readied his sword.






MEANWHILE, back at Zack, a sudden surge in magical energy from the ground and behind Zack and the others would be the only warning they received before massive tree branches would begin erupting from the ground, ripping the earth apart, sending stone and dirt flying, and throwing, pummeling, and possibly even skewering any one caught unprepared or aware. An entire two mile area was suddenly covered in a tall, thickly grown forest in the blink of an eye, sending a small avalanche down the mountain, as three beings stepped seemingly from thin air, two weaker D ranks and an H rank. The H rank was tall, bald, and incredibly muscular, sporting five oclock shadow and sunglasses. He wore only a leather vest on his chest, leaveing his chest bare to show a large black scorpion tattoo. Down his right arm were six tattoos, seemingly of guilds, two of which Zack would know of, Radiance Shining and Dawn Star, guilds that had been mysteriously swallowed by the earth, all of them with a red slash through them. On his other arm was only one tattoo for now. A small blue horsehead with wings. The H rank smirked as he threw his arms wide. "Wizards of blue Pegasus! Rejoice! The map changer himself has come to claim your heads! Yours will be a quick and glorious death!" he shouted with a wicked gleam.

The battle between scorpion tail and blue Pegasus had begun.....

Zack noticed Korikami in its shadow form and raised an eyebrow. What exactly was it doing back here? Was this a message from Akeya to join the others? However, he didn't have much of a chance to think as suddenly a huge surge of magical power erupted from the area and suddenly the area was suddenly a forest. What's more a powerful mage, on par with him at least, had emerged with two that were probably on par with Anastasia and Axos.

"I'm afraid the only death around here is going to be yours baldy. You will not harm my friends" Zack said unsheathing his sword and flaring off his own magic power as a show that he was not afraid. At this moment a small green light appeared from his pocket and formed into an armored figure wielding a spear. This was Devon. Zack's 'pet' but more truthfully his companion. A powerful A rank fighter. Zack normally didn't call her out, but in this case he could not hesitate. It was time to bring out everything he could. Another sword formed in his hand. He wouldn't use his ultimate abilities yet, but he didn't hesitate and lunged forward at high speed towards the mage planning to use his speed to slice this man clean in two. He knew what those tattoo's meant. They were guilds that this man had wiped out. He also knew what the tattoo on his chest meant. This was another Scorpion Tail mage. He had fought one of them before and barely survived the fight. This time would be different. He had people to protect and if there is one thing that brought out the most of Zack's strength it was protecting his friends. "It is time for the scorpion to be trampled beneath the hooves of the Pegasus."

He just hoped this one wasn't as heavily armored with magic as Balrog had been. Even all Zack's might had barely been enough to penetrate the skin. If he could end this quickly then he would save his guildmates. His magic senses had picked up other mages as well. Near where Akryn was. More scorpion tail no doubt. He had to end this quickly.

Xierak watched as Akryn had begun to move, and not a moment later a large scythe was swung at Akryn which he had avoided by ducking down, Xierak on the other hand jumped high into the air, and watched the scene unfold underneath him, two incredibly powerful mages with two mages that were on the same rank as Team rampage, had appeared out of the blue, and whats worse, they were apart of Scorpion Tail…. Xierak then heard Akryns frantic orders from below and this made him let out a deep growl… Xierak then saw a plume of razor sharp rose pedals suddenly shoot up from underneath him and he swerved quickly to the side. Xierak then flew downward at an incredible rate of speed as he began to channel his own magical power to his fingers. He saw the Scythe wielder coming back with another swing of the scythe however, Xierak had no intention of letting that swing even come close to finishing.

Xierak then  flipped over at the last second and slammed his right foot down on the scythe bending it in half as well as driving it into the ground, “LIKE HEC WE ARE JUST GOING TO LEAVE YOU AKRYN! WE FIGHT TOGETHER!” He then pointed his fingers at the flamboyant looking mage, “Rapid Gravitons Bullet!” Xierak than let loose eight shots of condensed gravity spheres all within a second of each other. The flamboyant mage had then gestured towards Xierak “What an ugly be-“ The Scorpion tail mage then got hit in the right shoulder by one of the bullets and then a second one hit his stomach. TO which he quickly then jumped out of the way as the remaining six Graviton Bullets flew past him. He then placed his hands together and focused on the area surrounding their entire group, “Now to the Skies, I will show you how well we can stall! World of Gravitons Law!” After he said that fifteen landmasses ripped out of the ground including the ground right underneath the group, lifting them all into a floating battleground in the sky…