Sour Starry Skies [Job]

Spoiler:

’This may have been a mistake,’ Shade thought dismally as she stared at the mountains. The things looked impossibly large, more so than mountains usually did if only because she knew they’d be traversing the things, passing through the range because….some people really wanted too. They didn’t want to go around or anything, they actually wanted to walk across thin pathways and through caverns, hopefully through some partially lush areas and…gods forbid it: camp out. That was the part she held great disdain for, and not because she didn’t like sleeping a little closer to the starry night sky. Shade merely hated sleeping on the ground: she preferred a comfy mattress, preferably sheets and blankets and perhaps a fair swath of pillows!

Ah yes, comfort…what the hell was wrong with these two people?!

Why couldn’t they just spend some time in a carriage going around or something? It’d been bugging her as they waited for the two travelers – figures appearing in the distance. ’I don’t care that they wanna do it for the experience…’ she thought sulkily, hugging the plump stuffed moose that was CM. Normally she’d have opted for the simpler bunny twins but with her current level of annoyance the dippier moose form comforted her better, able to hide her sour expression a bit in the back of his fat head, the round antlers jutting around her noggin and allowing her to watch the two come closer with each step…it really was an effort not to glare at them, her eyes falling back down to the black and red stuffed toy.

Honestly she’d deluded herself a bit, trying to reassure that there might be an inn or two along the way, but looking closer at the group of giant rocks she sincerely doubted it. It’d been her sheer excitement at going on a job with Magna that’d prodded her into sweeping any worries under the rug until it was too late and at this point only the knowledge in having him nearby the entire time and access to his cooking during these trials and tribulations provided any consolation. When the two finally were close enough to greet them, calling out and waving with excitement the white haired girl simply lifted one hand up from around that plump stuffed belly to half-heartedly wave.

Magna noted the sour expression upon the face of his beloved, no matter how she tried to hide it with CM the moose, and he had an idea why. He remembered her mentioning that she had a great dislike for camping outside. That was why she'd opted for the carriage back to Terra Ignis from the beach. This job would likely involve camping and there was no real way around that. He supposed if he'd been a bit stronger he could of conjured up a gingerbread house or something for her to sleep in. However, that was beyond his strength right now. Still, perhaps he could comfort her with food in other ways. Or perhaps he could make the ground more comfortable in another way. Perhaps if he softened it and then hardened it to prevent there being any sharp rocks or anything to dig into the body. Perhaps if he got the right level of softness it would be more similar to a matress. Sand afterall was more comfortable than stone or rock. Maybe he could put something inside a large cooking bag to work as a pillow or mattress. Maybe. It was going to be tricky but he would do what he could.

"No need for that look Shade." Magna said with his usual grin as he stretched out his arms. "It'll be over before you know it and besides...cooking can taste better when its done outdoors. How about another barbecue?" This was a link back to their first date where he'd gone all out with a beach side barbecue for her. Hopefully she'd enjoy today's food as much as that. That would at least distract her a bit from the camping or so he hoped.

Magna smiled at the travellers and waved at them quite happily. "Hey there. I'm Magna, this is Shade. We're mages from Black Rose. You two ready to go?" The pair nodded and introduced themselves as Jack and Jill. Instantly, an old nursery rhyme came to mind and he made a mental note to make sure that tumbling was something that would not happen. It seemed they didn't have much baggage which was fortunate as the job flyer would say they would be charged for any item lost or damaged. He wanted to get as much profit from this as possible so he could buy some more cooking equipment and a nice present for Shade. "I wonder if we'll see a phoenix. I've heard they can produce some interesting qualities."

At the thought of barbecue her expression softened, both enjoying the food and the memory now tied to it. ’No…definitely not AS bad…but I’ll just have to figure something out before bed time.’ Rather some of her plan would depend where they settled as she probably couldn’t go with the complete “camping” setup the girl usually preferred, but things could be modified at the very least. Besides she might have to account for Magna in it too, though she imagined they might have to take watch or something like that…’So guess we may not be sharing a tent then?’

It took some willpower not to snort at their names, ’I bet they hear about that rhyme all the time. Probably sick of it.’ She expected hefty mountaineer equipment and packs, but instead they seemed pretty casual aside for a packed tent. ’Well at least it won’t be a rough expedition just…a long, casual stroll of sorts,’ Shade determined.

”Oh yes I really hope we do!” the woman remarked, clasping her hands together in excitement at the sheer thought, ”That would be like the icing on the cake for this trip and something worth telling our children and grandchildren about! Right honey?” She batted her lashes at Jack who couldn’t help blushing and looking away, goofy smile in place that only caused Jill to chuckle a bit before explaining, ”We got married a couple months ago, but unfortunately couldn’t go on a honeymoon until now. We hate to bother anybody, but unfortunately we’ve heard about bandits lurking in the mountains and wanted to be cautious as there’s a specific path we need to follow to end up close to a spot special to my family as all those who’ve spent their honeymoons there have lived long and happy lives together. Thank you so much for accompanying us as I’m afraid I couldn’t help insisting on this.”

Behind CM’s fat head Shade couldn’t help pouting a bit more in a sense, her cheeks puffing as she felt the happiness radiating off the woman. It was a more begrudging acceptance that she kind of wanted to help the cute couple as the sentimentality tugged at her. ’I guess I can deal with a night or two in slight less comfort than usual…’ Though if there were bandits she couldn’t exactly guarantee their safety in attacking the small group.

So they were freshly married, unlike those in the original tale which he was pretty sure were brother and sister. He wondered if the tale had forced them together with a joint hatred of the rhyme. Perhaps they'd been friends and then the constant chanting had been enough to make more emotions blossom. "Bandits might be the least of our problems. I've travelled the mountains a few times and normally its nature itself that's the biggest threat. The vulcans like to trigger avalanches and I wouldn't but it past bandits to trigger a mudslide or something." he said calmly and matter of factly. Magna was younger than the couple but he was a lot more well travelled than most. He'd even been to Sin once or twice and that had been an eye opener. Yet it wasn't really for ingredients or equipment he wanted the phoenix. Well, in a way it was. He wanted the phoenix because it was said to be able to revive itself and if any ingredient could help him acheive his goals it would be that. Still, there was little chance they'd see one. He was pretty sure he'd heard someone had wiped out the last one for a job. Oh well, it would be a perk more than a requirement.

"Its important we keep our ears open as much as our eyes. We'll definitely want to keep someone on guard though if and when we sleep." he said with a nod and tapped the knife at his waist. "Luckily i've got that covered assuming my friend here is willing to come out when I need him." He chuckled though in truth he wasn't 100% sure Aegis would come out even if he was bound to Magna and his family. "Oh and as for food its on me. Its kind of my thing right Shade?"

With that he turned and looked towards the mountains. They still had a good few hours of daylight left. "Let's get going before it gets dark. I'd like to be in the mountains before then...I know a few safeish areas to camp. Hopefully we can get to one of those." he said and then offered his arm to Shade to take. It was up to her if she took it or not. IF she didn't within around six seconds he would begin to walk without her and just lead the way.

The two nodded at his warning, determined yet filled with a renewed sense of caution even if their desire to traverse the mountains to reach their destination hadn’t been quelled in the slightest. After all it merely reaffirmed their decision to call for help since leaving the area would be safe enough, but for some odd reason the spot couldn’t be reached without first going through the path – something they chalked up more to mythical reasons than anything.

’Vul…cans…?’ As familiar as the word sounded Shade couldn’t seem to conjure a clear mental image of the things. They sounded like something she’d run into a time or two before, perhaps in another outing…but it’d been far too long. If they caused avalanches they sounded as obnoxious as the bandits. Mentally reaffirming her determination to see a swift end to anything that touched her property – Magna included – and…well by job demands the couple’s well, her arms momentarily tightened around the plush. When he patted the knife she recalled Amarylis, who she’d originally left behind, yet summoning her would be less effort than most of her friends save Gaspard, the protector bound to her in a different way than most of the denizens. ’Hmm…if she takes a shift then maybe we can relax together for a bit? Not much generally escapes her notice…’

”Oh yes, you can practically consider his cooking as a bonus,” she reaffirmed, voice turned cheery despite her earlier downtrodden and pouting exterior. The mere thought already had her wishing it was dinner time, but alas that could wait until they’d made some actual progress first. All too happily she slipped her hand onto his arm, fingers gently holding onto the crook as they started, the other couple a few paces behind them and conversing a little. Curiosity got the better of her as she murmured, ”So what will we be having tonight then? Some kind of stew or soup? Barbecue? Kebabs? Or wait that counts as barbecue doesn’t it…What kind of things does one eat whilst camping?” Then again the question might’ve been silly considering the man could beckon just about any kitchen instrument to his hands so she doubted that any dining experience would ever be normal with him or any request impossible. So far though it’d been more entertaining to let him conjure up a tasty experience for her taste buds than bother with too many requests without a strong craving.

Food was his specialty and he knew many subtleties about it that few appreciated. For one thing atmosphere could greatly change how one enjoyed the meal. So at her question of 'what did one normally eat whilst camping' he merely smiled and winked at her whilst saying. "Don't worry my dear what I prepare will be perfectly suited for the situation. Though if any of you have any requests please let me know or any dietary requirements" He did not reveal what he would cook yet because in truth he hadn't 100% decided. However, the ideas were floating in his mind and he had a few choices that were topping the bunch. As they walked he made a gesture with his free hand and a small pouch of something appeared. What was inside was some sweets and assorted nuts and grains. Ideal for eating whilst on the move. He offered them to Shade and then something came to mind and he glanced over at the couple. "This path you plan to take...how high does it go?" he asked curiously. If it went rather high then they had the potential to suffer from altitude sickness or have to deal with air pressure and low oxygen. He didn't really have any way of countering that easily. Perhaps he had a dish that would at least alleviate the symptoms somewhat. It would not be easy travel.

Fortunately, even if they did get injured, providing it wasn't too major, he had ways to deal with it. He did have ingredients for that in his magical repertoire. He also had ways to counter avalanches and a few other things the mountains might throw at them. He wondered if today would be the day he got to see a bit more of Shade's magic. So far all he'd seen were her stuffed animals coming to life and being summoned. There had to be something more than that though. He flicked up the bag of snacks and some leaped into his mouth. They were quite tasty. He'd prepared them himself back at the guild before they left.

Despite rolling her eyes a smile stayed firmly planted on Shade’s face at the remark, ’I shouldn’t have expected anything else.’ He did like to surprise her, though a part of her started wondering if maybe it held a slight stall tactic to it as well, but considering she had yet to be disappointed the white haired mage wouldn’t hold it against her chef. When he offered first dibs at the contents of the pouch she maneuvered CM, pinning him to her side with an elbow as her now freed hand dived in to grab a small gathering of the trail mix and popped it into her mouth with a pleased hum.

”We should avoid having too much cheese as a certain someone has issues with them,” Jill teased, her sly smile aimed at her husband, ”but a little’s fine. I’m afraid I’m not partial to rosemary, but that’s more a personal taste than allergy.” They’d been in a slight bit of awe when he summoned the pouch, neither capable of magic, but intrigued by it. Part of their hushed conversation had been a slight discussion on what either of the Black Rose mages might use, excited curiosity filling them since it was also their first time posting a request. Jill again considered the question as the path remained a part of her family’s tradition, ”Nothing too extreme luckily though it does fluctuate in places, but my father reassured even a novice could clear this path with relative ease. Just have to be careful of a few edges, though I heard there’s a lovely sight off of part of an open path where you can stare at a valley below with a lake that glitters when the sun hits it! Though…it sounds like it only hits around noontime when the sun’s overhead and then diminishes over the next hour.”

A goal to strive for if only for the sight, the idea of a glittering lake appealed to Shade, though a part of her hoped they might spy with their little eyes some critters. It’d be fun to see a live deer or maybe even moose, though she couldn’t accurately say if moose lived in the mountains, but her imagination entertained the notion.

At the description of the lake an image came to mind. A beautiful place, possibly the most beautiful in all of the phoenix mountains. A lake known as Star Lake. At least he assumed that was where they were on about. "If its the lake i'm thinking of then there is another time when it is as beautiful if not more so. Though few have seen it as few would risk walking the mountains at that time." he said and then thought about the time he was on about and how long it would get to the place. "If we don't get delayed too much...we should just get there in time. Though hopefully the weather doesn't get in the way." A cloudy day would ruin it no matter whether they went at the time he was thinking of or the time they mentioned. Now that he had an idea of something on their path he had a good idea of the path they wanted to take. It wouldn't be too hard a path in terms of climbing or walking, but because of the lake it was a popular route and as such a popular place for bandits and vulcans.

They began to slowly walk up the path heading towards the mountains themselves, their altitude slowly increasing. However, it would still be an hour or so until they got into the mountains themselves. His eyes were open as were his ears, but most importantly his nose was open. It was his strongest sense and had recently been enhanced. With luck he'd smell what was coming or at least hear it. He doubted sight would be enough. Bandits tended to be smarter than that. Vulcans not so much, but it depended who they had taken over. They were again the biggest threat even if they weren't the physically strongest. The take over aspect was annoying.

"We're making good progress. We should make the mountains about half an hour before sundown." he said confidently. "Keep your eyes and ears open. Shade, any of your friends good at that? Could use the help"

This lake sounded fascinating if both Magna and Jill recommended it, though Shade wondered what the nighttime show might be like. ’Perhaps a perfect reflection of a starry night sky?’ Though as she thought about it when was the last time she’d simply star gazed? The notion of getting lost in constellations – not that she knew of any but making shapes herself often proved easy enough – and the celestial bodies as a whole sounded serene, boggling her more why it rarely occurred.

Bringing her from her thoughts, wide magenta eyes stared up into gold and then she blinked, fully awakening from her spacey thoughts. ”Oh…yeah, well no one’s especially a sensory type, but a few of them are pretty good at scouting ahead and I mostly create animals so their senses are still better than a human’s,” she waved her hand in front of her, again pinning the stuffed form of CM to her body as she conjured up a couple of the other stuffed pals. Unlike their beach escapades she settled for five of her friends: Macha, Celty, Kumei, Zero, and then there stood an odd, horned canine-esque creature amidst the stuffed animals. The other four quickly scattered ahead, becoming visually lost amidst the flora and rock formations of the area as their tiny forms would allow easier hiding.

”The others can scout ahead, but I’ll have Gaspard fall back a bit and make sure we’re good from the rear,” she explained, patting the striped beast on the head as they passed him. He stayed where he’d been summoned, also letting the other couple pass him and continued until they were out of sight before he’d begin trailing them, likely to remain a coin-sized dot visually. Unlike the other’s however Shade found keeping his true form in the mortal realm oddly easy, able to uphold it with barely a thought – often keeping him as something of a secondary companion next to Amarylis (even though she treated his words more as advice compared to the guardian’s orders most times). ”If he notices something he’ll let me know just like the others, though I'm usually pretty good at noticing 'guests' myself,” she reassured with a small smile.

Magna nodded at her words. It would be good to have scouts and rear scouts. Too often on his journeys around the world had he been ambushed due to not looking far enough ahead or back. If it hadn't been for some quick reflexes gained from the group he used to be part of and Aegis he'd probably of died years ago. Bandits didn't hesitate to attack kids especially if they looked reasonably wealthy or skilled in something they could use. There was really no way you could look at Magna, especially nowadays, and not see a skilled chef.

In his mind he pictured the path they were going to take. It wasn't the most dangerous of paths, those were generally higher up or easier to access. However, it wasn't also that safe. They would need to be on their guard and not just for bandits or natural disasters. No, any mountain path could be dangerous if you made mistakes and they had two, maybe three, inexperienced mountaineers in the group. Even Magna didn't consider himself an expert. There generally wasn't anything worthwhile in the mountains in terms of ingredients, at least compared to other, more easily accessed areas.

Still, it would be worth it to see Shade's face when she saw star lake at the right time. He was half tempted to have them wait if they got their early enough to see the noon time show before the other show.

The path they were on now was steadily climbing and they were managing to get into the mountain proper. It likely wouldn't be long before they were attacked in some way. However, up ahead should be a small cave if he recalled correctly. It would do for shelter for the night. "We;ve got a bit of daylight left so let's try and get as far as we can. I know a cave up ahead." he said quietly to the group so as not to be overheard by any observers. There was a definite smell on the air he couldn't quite identify.

The lush forest gave way to smaller flora as they truly entered the mountain range, her eyes continuing to wander about in interest more than caution. With the denizens charged with such duties Shade often let her mind toddle away – this time finding shapes and pictures in the mountainsides and rocks. At one point they neared a bush enough to scare some little bird away, the thing flapping off in case they decided to eat it as instincts dictated, leaving the girl wondering what it might be like to fly in such a manner. She enjoyed riding on Amarylis or Hallowed’s backs as well as other denizens, but what did it feel like to flap wings?

Such thoughts died as something caught her notice, Shade glaring ahead of them yet her eyes didn’t focus on anything in particular. Instead her mind focused on something beyond sight, lips pursing as she huffed through her nose. ’I guess I’ll have to deal with it…how bothersome,’ the white haired girl thought with growing annoyance. A wave of her hand would summon more than the pink lion Celty however, an odd creature coming along for the ride. The lion appeared to be wrestling with a rat creature of equal height, a thin, metal sword hanging from a loop on a belt around its waist – the only bit of clothing it bore. Light gray fur covered its body, limbs elongated in an almost human like way, it’s back remaining arched as thin fingers kept reaching for one of her topaz colored eyes, the marbles glinting in a bit of sunlight that only spurred the thing to chant, “Shiny!” over and over.

Ignoring any messages from the other denizens, CM disappeared from Shade’s hands as she marched forward after releasing Magna’s arms, and wrenched the wrestling Celty away from the vermin and kicked the rat when it leapt at her. The thing yelled, “Skritt! I’m hit!” before getting back up and pointing at the cuddled stuffed animal, “Gimme shiny! It’s my shiny! I found it!” She had half a mind to simply bond the thing to the pink lion since it wanted a part of her so badly, uncaring about Gaspard yelling about something from the rear and the nimble white cat Macha calling out something from ahead.

The member 'Cielle' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

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'Monster Dice' :

At the sound of the rumbling Magna paused not sure what to do at first. "Everyone get close to me." he said causing Jacking and Jill to come in close. He sniffed the air and listened close to get an idea of where it was coming from. As he was doing this a couple of ideas came to mind. Perhaps he could melt it with some of his fire spells. No, that wouldn't work. That would just turn the avalanche into a flash flood. That was just as bad if not worse. Either way it would sweep them away and possibly damage items the pair were carrying. He could also use cooking pit to create a temporary pit, but that would hurt them. Most of his ideas to use magic for this would end up causing the group pain. Then an idea came to mind. What if instead of melting or destroying the avalance or even hiding from it they diverted it. He had one chance at this. "Get behind me." he said forming what appeared to be an ordinary frying pan into his hand.

The pair known as Jack and Jill looked at him curiously, but no smile or smirk came to Magna's face. Merely a look of determination and focus. He held the pan in front of him and the dish part of it began to grow till it was 12ft in size. "But surely you won't be able to stop the avalanche with that?" Jack said but Magna's eyes changed to red as he focused. With luck he would be able to use the strength enhancement of his gloves to hold his own against the ensuing avalance. He stood there in a firm stance as the avalance hit. Some of the snow and rock went either side of them, but the rest hit the pan hard. Magna slid back a couple of feet. However, he remained firm his eyes seeming to glow with magical power.

"I'll send you right back where you came from." he shouted. "PANISMENT " With that the pan began to glow brightly with energy and the avalance that was hitting him was thrown back in the direction it came as a beam of ice energy. The remaining avalance froze solid into a wall of ice blocking the rest. Jack and Jill looked at him in amazement. They hadn't expected such magic power from him. He winked.

Magic:

Clutching Celty to her chest Shade dashed over towards the group, Macha and Gaspard making it just as he increased the size of his pan. Unlike the pair she hadn’t shared the moment of doubt at what he hoped to accomplish with the pan against the avalanche, instead avidly curious until he revealed that it wasn’t just dishes that could be super-sized (fondly recalling the mountain of ice cream), but apparently his cookware as well. When the landslide of snow and debris finally hit and knocked him back a few feet from the force she felt a moment’s worry, tempted to summon the real form of CM to help until Magna got things under control quickly after. ’Panishment?’ She thought quizzically, just barely managing not to giggle at the pun, only vaguely aware of the returned attack.

Busy with the avalanche and returning fire Shade’s mind drifted for a moment, eyes glazing over as the other members of their party remained fascinated with her dearest. Reaching out, she felt the very beings of the little rat people, from the one lying on the ground buried beneath a small pile of snow to the pair up top about to receive the ice beam to their tiny bodies. As it struck and started freezing their tiny bodies she summoned the trio to her hand, bodies and souls twisted into mere orbs of light. ’I suppose I should save them for later, just in case,’ she decided, closing her hand around them and letting the things vanish for the time being. Their lives belonged to her now, though she’d save them if one of her denizens required healing. In her starting days of this second life she would’ve simply offered them as a snack and let the things be absorbed with much thought for later, but Shade eventually learned the merits of waiting.

”So there’s more that you can do with a pan other than cook excellent meals? Now I’m even curious for what else you’re hiding up your sleeves~” Shade teased. Waving her hand, Gaspard bowed towards the group before falling back to ensure safety from behind, Macha wandering ahead at a more leisurely gait since some of her kin continued to scout. ”We seem to be clear up until the cave…but should probably remain cautious in case more of those little skritt happen along.”

The skillet had been sufficiently powerful enough to block the main force of the avalance and then its ability to throw back heat and cold as beams of energy was enough to freeze the remainder solid, as well as the creatures that caused it. He smiled to himself thinking about the pan. It was something he'd made based on a friend's magic and a few old legends. The thought then brought a frown to him. Jin had returned but he wasn't the same since he lost Fira. Even the usually joyful Kaya was a lot more solomn. If only Aegis was more willing to show himself, but he seemed to be even more reclusive since their return. It was the opposite of what he thought would happen.

"I don't like to use my cookware for fighting, but i'd rather fight with a frying pan than a sword." he said with a smile and eventually they got to the cave without anymore interruptions. Night had fallen just before they got there, but they'd got there safe which was good. He sat down and tapped the knife at his waist and focused on Aegis' mind. He needed his guardian. Not just for himself but for all of them. The knight emerged in a flash of light causing the knife to vanish, but he said nothing. Just stood by the cave entrance his hands resting atop his axe. Magna frowned deeply. Something was wrong with Aegis. Something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

He stood up and walked over to the knight and stood next to him. Neither said a word for a few moments and then Magna spoke. "Something else is wrong isn't it Aegis? Its not just Kaya and Jin. Not just the loss of Fira. Something else is on your mind. Something you don't want to tell me. What is it?" he asked with genuine concern in his voice. The knight said nothing causing Magna to sigh. "You don't have to tell me, but I really wish you would. I need you Aegis."

They’d made it to their intended camp ground without further interruptions, any other little vermin either too scared of Magna’s return display or unaware of what happened to their search party. Either way she hardly cared, glad that everyone else had been too wrapped up in the immediate dangers to take notice of much else – though honestly what would they expect to find of those rats after that rebound? It’d impressed her, sending an unintended chill up her spine at the mere musing of being on the opposing end of it. ’Well, not like I’ve ever had aspirations to become a popsicle…they should be happy I spared them that fate.’

Catching sight of her fiery haired chef conversing with his knightly friend Shade took it as her opportunity for a spot of alone time. Before leaving she mentioned to Jack and Jill that she’d scout around and make sure nothing dastardly lurked around corners, things like that, and they merely nodded though they appeared unsure. ’Probably cause I didn’t display anything much,’ she surmised, and promised that her little plush friends would keep on guard while she did the “rounds” – she’d always wanted to say that to someone!

Shade left them with a smile as she walked further into the cave, smoothing out into a blank expression as she summoned CM back into her arms and a certain blue wolf-dino trotted after her.

”You’re worried…?” A grunt was all the reply he received, the beast stopping for a moment in surprise before again scurrying to catch up to Shade’s brisk pace. ”Perhaps you’d like to talk about it? I know I’m not Amarylis but…”

’A tantalizing thought…’ Silence continued however, Shade wanting to voice the thoughts aloud rather through any telepathic link, but at the same time it felt odd relying on counsel from anyone other than the elder denizen, one of the ones she hadn’t formed herself. At the same time she couldn’t risk speaking aloud in case the echoes carried, negating any desire to work out the anxiety vocally. Besides the stubborn side didn’t want to admit to any budding worries. This hadn’t been something to fret about before in her life so…why did she care about it now?

They walked in silence, Gaspard offering his company as comfort and a few times she reached out to absentmindedly pat him on the head. Eventually the tunnel gave way to an expansive room, various stalagmites and stalactites decorating the room. Her eyes pulled away from one that appeared a bit like a balding man to gasp at the various pools of water as the moon shone through holes in the ceiling to not only illuminate the room, but offer a silver-blue glow to the water. It was simply too good to pass up as she walked towards one and promptly removed both shoes and socks, pulling up her leggings until they sat around her knees and she could dip her legs into the water. ”Ooooh this feels nice…maybe I’ll tell them about it…we’ll see…might not be a bad place for a bath after all.”

There was silence between the pair for a few moments and then Aegis spoke. "A long time ago I swore an oath to your ancestor the Pot Knight to protect his bloodline until its end." he said calmly though his voice seemed almost wistful or far away. "I honour that oath to this day, but over time some of your other ancestors have made me question it. They lacked the passion and the desire to help others with their skills. It grew worse with each passing generation and as their passion faded my power began to fade as did my oath. It was only when I was passed onto you that I saw the pot knight reborn or at least so I thought." Magna looked at him askance with a confused look upon his face. What had caused that change to occur? Why did he no longer thing such a thing? "And yet...I failed to protect you. Not from physical harm, but emotional harm. In a way you could say I failed your family. I was not there to protect Kaya, or Jin or Fira. Maybe if i'd had a way to have been there Fira wouldn't of died. Maybe Kaya and Jin would be happy still." Magna remained silent. He did not blame Aegis for that nor did Kaya or Jin. In truth, Magna sort of saw his point, but it also seemed irrational. There was nothing he nor Magna could of done. They had no idea what had happened until after it happened.

"At the dissapearence of Kaya and Jin your passion faded away. Even after their return the flame was still weak. My power began to fade again. Power i'd been trying to put into achieving something new so I could help you more. Coming out of the knife proved difficult. Partially due to loss of magic, but also due to my own self loathing and despair." Magna went to speak at this point but Aegis continued. "Recently though that passion has been rekindled. Not through any action of mine nor any source originally looked for. No, it is the girl who has stoked the flame of your soul. Your cooking now has much more zeal and with that passion some of my power has returned." the knight sighed deeply. It was a strange sound from one entirely made of metal. "Yet I am still not back at full strength. How can I be your guardian and hers without my full strength? When I first became the Victus guardian my power was much greater than when I was alive. Now it is weaker than then. I could not protect myself back then so how I can protect you?"

"That's the thing Aegis. I don't expect you to protect me all the time and things like what happened with Fira couldn't be helped. They took that task on alone and so we can't blame ourselves for that loss." Magna replied placing a hand upon the knight's side. "I don't want you as a guardian. I've never seen you as just that. You're my friend. Someone I can call upon when I need help or someone to talk to. You may not be as strong as you once were, but like as a single drop of vinegar can change the taste of a meal...an ounce of your strength could be what keeps us alive." The knight said nothing, but Magna noticed a slight change in his posture. It would take time yet, but it seemed Aegis was on the mend and what's more he had opened up about his feelings, something he rarely did. "Though if you wish it I can release you from your oath. I don't want you to be there for me just because you made a promise to Dominus. I want you to be there for me because you want to be." The knight shook his head.

"I need no release. As your passion grows so does my desire to help you. Perhaps it is just the oath, but I think it is more. I too see you as a friend. As I said, in you I have seen the pot knight reborn though you have a long way to go to match his soups." Magna stared at the knight his jaw dropping, but then suddenly the knight's axe was in his hand. Something was coming. Magna's pan came to hand and he prepared to defend the cave entrance with Aegis. Side by side once more. That was how it should be. A chef and his sous chef.

Magic:

The member 'Shard' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

---

'Monster Dice' :

A little tune hummed through her lips, the sound slightly echoing in the open room as Shade slowly kicked her feet. Something tickled at her senses however, belatedly realizing that that sense had been niggling at her for a bit now, but in her attempt to ignore a budding sense of anxiety she’d ignored the ones associated with danger as well. Across the pool of water her eyes raised until they locked with the monkey fellow on the other side, ’No….I suppose he’s more like an ape?’ The way the thing grinned seemed a bit lewd to her, or at least overjoyed and she disliked the thing all the more for it.

About to tell the thing to bugger off – because she really didn’t feel like dealing with it right now – her eyes widened as something suddenly hit her senses, the trigger all but screaming as it’d come on so quickly. She barely managed a gasp before the thing grabbed her arms and lifted her up, moving her thin arms into a single, large hand as the other trudged around the pool of water, smacking poor Gaspard into the pool of water before the denizen could fully stand up. Glaring Shade’s mouth opened to command CM before it cut off as she felt her dress being lifted a bit and then the ugly apes had the audacity to snort with what sounded like disappointment. Her suspicions were confirmed as the other started reaching for her leggings, inciting a massive blush even as anger welled up and burst out in a yell.

”PERVERT!”

The heel of her foot came down on the thing’s snout, lower jaw jutting out as its eyes practically ballooned from the rush of pain – though to be fair she’d caused it to bite various parts of its mouth as well. In its rush to take a step away and cradle its injury the thing forgot how close they were to the pool of water, taking a tumble in with a loud apish hoot and submerging.

Angered by the mistreatment of its brethren the other one turned her about, hooting angrily in her face before a ridiculous blush returned alongside a wicked grin. The fact that it continued to touch her without consent – never mind its hideous face – she returned the look with a twisted smirk as well, eager to see this thing smeared on the walls before being sent to “Paradise” alongside the other.

”CM…”

A red eye glowed just over its shoulder, but it was the ear-splitting roar that caught the Vulcan’s attention.

Magna stared as once more another avalanche came hurtling towards them and riding it atop a board made of ice was a vulcan wielding an ax also composed of crystalline water. Vulcan's didn't have ice magic. Their forte was takeover. Which meant this one had probably taken over an ice mage. Or more accurately a molding mage who used ice. The only way to free that man was to beat the living daylights out of the vulcan, but that wasn't the priority. The priority was stopping that avalanche. The first one he had stopped with his frying pan. He could probably block it again, but it would also likely entrap them within the cave as he couldn't divert it. Melting it would flood things. Still a flood was easier to deal with than an avalanche. He was about to act when Aegis stepped forward.

"Wrath of the wyvern." he stated and from his axe blasted forth a huge wyvern made of green energy. Its wing span was 20ft and it smashed into the avalance. Rather than melting the snow or stopping it in its path it did something else. It split into two and diverted it to each side. He then stepped forward to one of those sides and began to spin his axe rapidly. "I can only defend one side. You will need to block the other side. I could only split it to prevent it blocking the entrance."

Magna nodded and got into position on the other side his pan expanded to block the rest of the avalance. THe vulcan laughed as it leaped across into the middle of them. It went to swing its axe at Magna's unprotected back when suddenly it flew back into the air launched by a frying pan and went straight into a wall where it was dazed for a few moments. "Pan Flip."

Magic:

Bones crunched as one large, meaty fist found itself clenched amongst longer fingers, flesh giving way beneath the metallic feel of one of her favored beasts. Red designs glowed as more strength went into the hold, their fists wavering in the air before the final dregs of resistance gave way and the bones and sinew contorted and wrenched a pained howl from the apish beast. In a fit of anger it lashed out with its other hand only for the thing to slice itself against one of the large horns protruding from beneath the brilliant mane of fiery orange. A few drops fell to the floor as the thing brought the lesser injured hand to its body, the other held away out of sheer fear of causing more pain.

’Finally that awful smile’s been wiped.’ The thought caused Shade to smirk a little as the beast almost seemed frantic in trying to formulate a plan for at least escape as CM continued to advance towards it. His pace stayed slow like one stalking before the takedown, anticipation in all three rising as they waited for the inevitable pounce. Finally the Vulcan couldn’t wait for them anymore, a rune popping by its feet as it activated a spell to try and race out of there. It just wanted to escape to see another day, but in clumsy fright it didn’t catch sight of the lashing tail as CM forced its feet to flip over its head.

More pain blossomed as it landed on its hands out of instinct, more shrieks dying after a few seconds as the three spikes at the end of the tail jabbed through its back, keeping him in place as Shade approached. Blank eyes regarded the thing as it almost seemed to plead for forgiveness, though she knew not whether it was the entity or the man trapped inside as she spoke with a soft voice, ”There is no need to fear where you’re going next. Soon you won’t even remember the pain of this life: that much I promise.” Small puffs of light rose up as the body began to glow and soon two orbs presented themselves before her. Reaching out to claim them Shade forgot about the one they’d dunked not long ago, the thing having fought with Gaspard in the water, but with the ruckus of CM’s every step and the other Vulcan’s cries of pain she’d paid it little mind.

A cry ripped out of her throat in both shock and pain as something shot out of the water, colliding with one of CM’s outstretched hands in an effort to protect her. The explosive boulder however broke up, crushing the hand inwards as sharp shards raced through the air. Thanks to her loyal denizen’s efforts they rocketed mostly away, only a few slicing through fabric and skin as she braced herself. Belatedly she realized how stupid it was not to don the armor as she could’ve from summoning CM, though she refused to bother as the hulking beast at her command lunged at their attacker, forcing the takeover using ape back into the watery depths to clash anew. If she’d been more into movies she could’ve likened it to an oversized ape taking on a dinosaur as they clashed, the thing trying to beat her beloved armored beast with his earthen attacks. Fatigued though from scuffling and half-drowning it wasn’t long before CM pinned him against the pool’s edges and forced its mouth open before bellowing a blast of chaotic energy down its throat.

Struggling finally ceased as a puff of smoke escaped its open lips, eyes blank from defeat. Shade held her hand out, beckoning the other two lives to her so that four orbs now floated before her. ’Hmm…I guess they took over humans…how disappointing.’ She peered only briefly into the lives of the humans, each a mage who’d been caught unawares by the things and inhabited since then. ’I guess they won’t be causing any harm, and this human no longer has to fear his debts. Oh well.’ With a snap of her fingers the four orbs vanished as CM pulled himself from the pool, water running down his smooth surface quickly. He would undoubtedly still be damp, leaving the girl to simply send him back to Paradise’s plane rather than hug a soggy stuffed animal. ’I guess I should simply return then and let them know about the water source…though I’m not sure if more things might appear…’ Shade sighed, deciding she’d have to confer with Magna over it as she started making her way back through the tunnel. A few cuts lined her arms and legs, a thin slash marring her cheek, but she paid no mind knowing nothing would scar. Nothing had since the incident that left her in-charge of Paradise.

MP: 85%
CM on CD

The snow slowly ground to a halt as the two friends stood stalwart against the power of the elements. However, as they stood there Magna's pan began to shrink back to its normal size. The magic he had charged it with was fading and the pan couldn't take anymore for a while. It was a little bit of a flaw in it. Still it had halted the snow enough and with the pan shrunk he could face the vulcan who had recovered from being slammed into the wall. Magna prepared to fight, but Aegis moved in front of him. "Let me deal with this one Magna, go find Shade and make sure she is ok. These things rarely travel alone and they normally target women." he said calmly as he readied his axe to face the vulcan who had formed his own one out of ice.

Magna hesitated for a second, but nodded and head inside checking on the pair they were protecting. They seemed safe enough and there was no sign of vulcans. However, it was then he spotted Shade returning and saw her wounds. He walked over to her. "What happened Shade? Are you ok?" he asked with concern lacing his voice. "Do you need me to prepare some medicine?"

Aegis stood resolute observing the vulcan who was hoot and slamming his chest with his fists. Suddenly Aegis charged forward swinging his axe. The vulcan raised his own axe in defense, but ice was no match for the power of the wyvern stored within the axe. It shattered beneath the force and the vulcan's chest was cut deeply as it was launched backwards. Without even missing a step Aegis moved in and upper cutted the vulcan with such force it backflipped twice before landing on the ground. Aegis did not hesitate and grabbed the vulcan before tossing it into a wall knocking it fully unconcious. There was a bright flash of light and a man was tossed out who Aegis caught and carried into the cave. "This man was taken over by the vulcan." he said without much emotion. "I suggest we fix him up and take him with us. An extra pair of eyes would be useful." In truth, he would of rather left the man behind but knew Magna was not the type to do so. So he made this suggestion.

Magic:

Finally she’d made it back, able to spy a certain fiery haired man that caused her pace to increase a little as she hurried towards him. His worry caused the girl to recall the events, her excitement at discussing the water and the like forced to compete with it as she recalled the brutish treatment of the ape-like fiends. Indignation welled up as her face contorted a bit between sadness and anger, ”It was awful! I was just minding my business when these stupid apes showed up…and one tried to pull down my pants to check out my underwear!” Thinking about it, her fists curled around the edges of her short dress, seemingly forgetting about the cuts dotting her arms and legs, cutting holes in her jacket and leggings from the earthen attack as she fretted more about its prior actions.

”AND they beat up Gaspard, those horrible things!” Even now though the denizen was repairing, the souls and bodies of the earlier skritt used to mend the damage, but the crime had been committed and that’s what the white haired mage cared about.

As Aegis approached them she took notice of the fellow in the living armor’s arms, head cocking to the side: had they fought one too? If they had another person to now care for provisions would have to be split up a bit differently, though she belatedly realized they must’ve fought one of the obnoxious beasts. The recollection of the pools came back as she stared at him, though unlike the other two unlucky fools this fellow would make it to see another day. ”Well it wasn’t all bad, I did find some pools of water for us all to wash up in and the water’s not at a bad temp. Our new friend may even appreciate one when he wakes up.” Whether or not Magna could summon up water to refill canteens and the like, the girl couldn’t imagine them borrowing an oversized pot for people to take baths and…well a little freshening up wouldn’t be bad overall. ’Besides I think our new friend has a slight stink to him….or maybe that’s the entity that possessed him lingering…either way gross.’ Suspicion filled her eyes as she considered the unconscious fellow, not sure what to make of him since he had been possessed before…what was to stop him from letting those things take him over again? What if he was weak-willed? What if it was his fetish or something weird?!

MP: 85%
CM: 1/5

So more vulcans had shown up inside the cave and by the sounds of it their overzealous nature for women had proven accurate. That alone would be enough to annoy him. However, the fact that they had tried to sexually assault Shade was something that caused his eyes to temporarily flicker red with seriousness and for him to mutter under his breath a question about whether vulcan meat would work for a monkey stew. After saying this though a thought came to his mind. If he was now part monkey due to his descent into the dryad pool and the subsequent awakening of his animal spirit did that mean that eating monkey stew or the like would be a form of cannibalism? The same could also be said of dogs due to the cerberus lacrima now absorbed into his very bones. That potentially limited what he could eat, but did it limit what he could serve.

"I suggest that the women bathe first and Aegis keeps watch to make sure they are not attacked." Magna said taking charge of the situation as he would a kitchen. The recipe was to have the group comfortable. The first step in doing so was to prepare their bodies and that meant washing off any grime or smells accumulated over the journey. However, certain ingredients could not be prepared together and thus the females would have to be prepared first before the males. That was the correct method for bathing. Aegis would act as a sentry, due to having no physical sexual characteristics and thus being less of a threat than himself or Jack. This would prevent the preparation from being interrupted. "Its unlikely that any vulcans will get into the cave through the front, but caves can go quite far back and you never know where a twist might lead. The vulcans could even have their own way in using magic so be careful." He nodded confident this was the correct way forward at least in terms of efficiency.

"Then the males will bathe and then I will prepare some food for us. Then we can get some sleep, though we'll have to have someone on watch at all times just in case."

Magic:

’Ah, what a gentleman,’ Shade thought with a small smile, already starting to push the incident from her mind. The cuts she wouldn’t worry about, the things not likely to leave scars like other past injuries, though after a good washing she’d patch them up so Magna wouldn’t have to see them and potentially worry, cute as it was for him to offer to apply medicine. ’No point wasting it on me though. Better used in case something happens to him, or Jack n’ Jill I suppose.’

Clapping her hands, Shade cheered, ”Sounds like a plan to me! If Aegis is coming with us then I’ll leave Amarylis with you guys!” After all a kind gesture deserved one in turn as the girl snapped her fingers and the large, black fox manifested. She peered around, asking nothing before padding towards the entrance and plopping herself down without as much as a word or nod of greeting. The action caused Shade to ponder it only a moment before shrugging it off, ”Well…she’s not one for pleasantries, but you guys can count on her to sniff out incoming trouble. She wouldn’t let me down after all.” Shade didn’t require visual acknowledgement to the silent warning, her and Jill waiting for Aegis before walking down the tunnel towards the room where the cave widened dramatically and the pools of water sat before them.

With little care Shade started tossing her clothes on the ground, jacket flopping first as Jill seemed to consider Aegis. Hesitance filled her as her hand came to rest at her mouth, ”Umm….are you sure this is okay?”

”Hm…?” About to lift her dress over her head, Shade regarded the woman before following her gaze and letting out a laugh. A hand practically slapped the woman on the shoulder, causing her to elicit a yelp as all too cheerily Shade remarked, ”Yeah, it’s totally fine! He’s a knight and he’s with Magna so that’s two pluses right there! Besides I doubt he’s interested in us, at least like that.” The words somewhat confused the woman, but Shade’s peppy tone seemed to ease her worries as she eventually entered the water.

They chit-chatted as they washed up, offering to nab each other’s backs. It was as Jill scrubbed her back that she inquired how Shade and Magna met, the white-haired girl admitting to the odd “blind date” thing she’d been convinced of by someone, happily reliving the memory with the stranger – going so far as to declare the very close sand-castle contest where she’d unfortunately acquired living sand crabs rather than dead ones – and going into exquisite detail about the mound of ice cream they enjoyed after, each one shaped like one of her little friends.

”Ahh leave it to mages to have such amazing dates,” the brunette sighed dreamily as they swapped places, offering the loofah to the summoner, ”makes me a little jealous, but I wouldn’t trade Jack for anybody in the world. I think we knew we were meant to be ever since we were ten years old and despite knowing him for so long I still look forward to the life ahead of us.”

There was something in the dreamy note of her voice that piqued Shade’s interest, the girl’s rhythm slowing a little as her client’s mind wandered to pleasant thoughts. The future hadn’t been something that really crossed her mind, the short mage so used to simply existing in the “here and now” that “later” or “down the road” sounded so alien. A dazed expression hit as her thoughts considered this new concept and a fierce pressure griped her heart in a way she couldn’t recall it doing before as her cheeks flushed furiously in happy embarrassment.

”Are you okay?”

”Ah, yeah sorry! Didn’t mean to stop. Lemme just grab this spot for ya and then we should probably head back, let the guys have a chance to wash up before it gets too late.” Snapping back to reality Shade vigorously washed the rest of Jill’s back, the ladies quickly getting dressed after and return, a little curious if their new party member awakened in their absence or not.

MP: 85%
CM: 2/5