Dragonball M, Chapter 1: Silent Menace Aproaches!

[Tami]

Eva listens and nods.

“I promise to keep an eye on Jinzi and try to find Chris. Meanwhile, I contacted Nykos and he has agreed to at least show you the Kaio-Ken base form. He says if you can master that without dying, he’ll show you the more advanced ones.”

"That's encouraging." Meagan smirked slightly, though she was happy to hear the news, "Okay, great. So, when do I leave?"

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"That's encouraging." Meagan smirked slightly, though she was happy to hear the news, "Okay, great. So, when do I leave?"

“Best to go within the next 24 to 48 hours. The training will be hard and you had best get to it. The quicker there and done the quicker back for another date, yes?” Eva asks, smirking a bit at her.

[Tami]

“Best to go within the next 24 to 48 hours. The training will be hard and you had best get to it. The quicker there and done the quicker back for another date, yes?” Eva asks, smirking a bit at her.

Blushing slightly, then with a smile and a nod, "I understand. Give me til morning to get ready, then I'll head back to Capsule Corps to make arrangements. I hope Jinzi has the coordinates for this planet."

"Oh, and thank you, for everything, Lady Eva."

With a bow, Meagan headed inside to try to decide what she need to bring with her and to pack everything up. After that, but before getting some sleep, she visited the White Room one more time. There was one more simulation she had been working on, a challenge that she hasn't yet been able to beat, that had her particularly frustrated.

While she knew she would still not be able to succeed, she wanted to use it as a base line. A way to test how well she masters her next training.

[Cyke]

The martial practice permeates the everyday, for in every facet of movement, day after day, is the opportunity for mastery. In the face of a crisis, a warrior finds their opportunity, from undoing the opponent to...lighting the stove. He took Zaofan's simple meal graciously, the craft of this humble bounty as expert as ever, in quantities generous and made quick. It was no accident, there seemed to be a zeal within him to move forward in this training.

Continuing in mastering the three foundation skills imparted to him, Ochazuke rooted himself in following through the Dragon's Endurance. Sinking in the low stance and drawing upward, slow hands began to grasp the means to part the mortal flame.

"Root your feet," he suggested to Zaofan, "spring from the earth...

He drew his arm inward, sunk low and threw two palms forward, the foundation to cast iron hands through the fire, "...and then glide forward, twist in the finish."

Zaofan obeyed Ochazuke, following through, repeating the motions as best he could, though with a minor trip. "Tch."

He tried again, though tripping in a different direction, growing more frustrated. "I can do this. Heed instruction, Zaofan," mumbling. He Then reaffirmed his footing.

He threw his palms forward again, the strikes being unbalanced and throwing off his center. "...glide. Twist."

And again. "Spring from the earth..." Though this time, he thought of fresh spring rolls, which only served to distract him more.

He exhaled softly, and closed the sequence as he took a break. "...I think. There is something still missing there in my movement."

Attempting over and over again, to the point where frustration brought haste, which in turn brought incorrectness, yielding even more frustration: "The how and why of the movements, maybe. I know every step has its purpose. But no matter how much I try to place my weight, I make a mistake."

"The history says the Sage Seiryuu was concerned with preservation, protecting that which was priceless, guarding those things which cannot be replaced," he replied, musing, "How ironic, his is the lost relic now."

Zaofan nodded, concurring with the realization, while still practicing the movements. "In a way, Battersea was the antithesis of that concern. He pillaged, went after the meek, stole irreplaceable cultural treasures, and shamelessly built fame and fortune off of all that violence."

He then took a deeper breathe and resumed more fully the exercise. "Perhaps unwittingly, Battersea also set back the world of martial arts disciplines by years, both by killing the Dragon School and corrupting Turtle Island, and turning martial arts into a spectacle. I wonder of Sage Seiryuu was inspired by fighting a Battersea of his own. And in that sense, if that means there's work to be done with the other schools, Ochazuke. Battersea was popular. Suppose his fame also corrupted the perception and purpose of martial arts in its own way?"

Since they were already talking, Zaofan spoke up between heavy breaths. "Master Balon! Have you made any progress with the locations?"

[KingofPie]

Weeks after the adventure under the seas

"****!" Sasheem sang as he lay among the sands, staring up at the sky. "It ****!" he sang once more, loud enough to scare the seagulls away from the island he had appeared to be stranded on. He had been there for says. The swing of the Mer-Kin'gs blade having been powerful enough to drive him all the way to parts unknown. Okay, not parts unknown, he could see in the distance several cruise ships, that could easily guide him back to land.

In fact, according to the map Sasheem found, this island was exactly where he needed to go to find the last stone...the blue stone. The problem came, not from the fact that he was stranded...which he truly wasn't, but that the jungle on the island was an baffling mess of vines and vegetation that seemed only to grow more unruly and mazelike when the Majin tried to cut it all down. So here he was on the beach, thinking about what to do...or rather singing about ****.

And what was the Majin's sing-song proclamation of **** referring to? His situation? Not quite. It had more to do with the fact that he'd taken a nap and had awoken to find that an animal had layed a single mound of **** nearby him. The smelly pink swirl had a strong enough stench to instantly wake the Majin up and put him in a worse mood than usual.

And so Sasheem did what anyone would do when confronted with a sudden pile of ****. He began to poke it with a stick.

"****!" Sahseem sang once more. "It ****!"

Suddenly without warning a human emerged from the forest wearing very familiar armor to Sasheem, though he couldn't quite place it just yet. That of a Red Raider. The man had dashed quickly out of the forest, stepping on the pile of **** and panting heavily. "Hah....hah..." the man sighed, leaning over and resting his hands on his knees for support. "Wait...what the...aw man!" he exclaimed, after noticing that his foot was now encrusted with poop. "Just not my day, not my month, not my year!" he complained.

The Red Raider then suddenly looked more alert and glanced to the side at Sasheem. "Uh...this wouldn't happen to be yours would it?" he asked, pointing at the turd, to which the Majin shook his head. "Hey, wait...haven't I seen you bef-...Oh....OH **** YOU WERE-!"

"Oh!" Sasheem noted, realizing where he had spotted that uniform before. "Red! Me kill!" Sasheem exclaimed.

"No, wait, wait!" the Raider held his hands up. "See this emblem?" he asked, pointing to the Red Raider emblem. "It means nothing to me, I'm a deserter!"

"Dessert?" Sasheem asked.

"Yeah! Yeah! I deserted the Raiders, I left after you and your strike team attacked us!" he stated. "I thought there'd end up being an evacuation, so as soon as I saw what was happening on the security monitors, I figured it was way too much for me, dude! I packed my bags and left!"

"...Dessert?" Sasheem asked.

"Y-yeah, I deserted, I already said that," The former Raider asked, beginning to become slightly unnerved by the creature before him. "Tell ya the truth...I really just wanted the easy life. I figured if I hung out with the raiders, I could just steal whatever I wanted. More into the raiding part than the killing part, y'know? I managed to talk my way into the more tech jobs? System repairs...mechanical upgrades, I'm good at that stuff anyway. Of course I did havce combat training, but..."

"Mech...ro-bot?" Sasheem asked.

"Yeah, I assisted in the building of some of the Raider mechs. The one you and your friends fought included. I figure it's not around anymore...?" The Raider asked.

"Go BOOM!" Sasheem exclaimed excitedly.


"Yep, I figured-,"


"BIG BOOM!"


"Right..." the Raider shook his head. "Anyway, I figured that that was it. The Raiders were over. I went into hiding, always on the move, and I brought my phone with me to try and keep tabs on the goings on. I'm no high ranking official or anything...but I'd be missed enough that people would come looking for me. And from what I can tell...Willa and Kenshiko's bodies were never found. With people like them, it means that they're probably still alive. Therefore...in hiding I remain."

"Hide..go- seek?" Sasheem inquired.

"No...not quite," the Raider sighed, baffled that whatever this childish thing was was so powerful. "But sadly it turns out...I'm not so alone on this island. And I'm not talkin' about you! So whaddya say little buddy? You're strong right! How about you use your powers to help us both escape?"

Sasheem appeared to think about it for a minute...before rasiing his hand and charging up a ki blast. "No! Me kill!" he cackled.

"Aw, come on!" the former Raider stepped back. "I ain't a Raider anymore, man! Doesn't that count for anything?!"

"No care!" Sasheem exclaimed.

"Y;know, you're the second person that's said that to me today..." the former Raider noted. It was then that more rustling could be heard from the forest as a contingent of armored men and women stepped out. Armor that seemed far less advanced than that of the Red Raiders, but at the same time clearly inspired by it.


A large man with a bushy beard and a blue helmet emerged from the bushels, the adornments on his armor, revealing he was a rank above the others. "WE FOUND YE, RAIDER bastard!" he yelled, causing the ex-Raider to breathe a heavy sigh. "Yer, once again, in the company...of the BLUE BUCCANEERS!"


"...Wha?!" Sasheem tilted his head to the side, perplexed.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Blushing slightly, then with a smile and a nod, "I understand. Give me til morning to get ready, then I'll head back to Capsule Corps to make arrangements. I hope Jinzi has the coordinates for this planet."

"Oh, and thank you, for everything, Lady Eva."

With a bow, Meagan headed inside to try to decide what she need to bring with her and to pack everything up. After that, but before getting some sleep, she visited the White Room one more time. There was one more simulation she had been working on, a challenge that she hasn't yet been able to beat, that had her particularly frustrated.

While she knew she would still not be able to succeed, she wanted to use it as a base line. A way to test how well she masters her next training.

“My pleasure. I’m always willing to help.”

[Tami]

“My pleasure. I’m always willing to help.”

Before she left, she felt the need to be blunt, "Don't always be too nice. Sometimes you have to look out for yourself, otherwise others will take advantage of you. You deserve more than just trying to help others." with a smile, "I'll see you in the morning before I leave."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

When Sarada finally responded, it was a single word.

Wow.

The bond they shared however, was yet alive with the lingering sensations, and unspoken emotion, of the hours of love-making that had lead to this point; and it expressed what a word could not. Most importantly, it told Ishtar that what had passed between them before- pain, and suffering- no longer held even a flickering presence in Sarada's mind. So in the end the Saiyan's desire had been fulfilled, and the majority of the memories stored this evening ... and morning; would be of what had come after. Almost as important, was the way that Sarada ached, a pleasurable mix of exhaustion and numbness that drifted through the connection of Aka Manah and gently tugged at Ishtar, herself. Proof at least, that what the golden-eyed Oni had been enough besides. A thing that had been- for a brief instant- a passing concern.

After all, it had been far too long since the Oni had last given in to her own carnal desires. Allowed herself to please another, and find pleasure in return; and do so in a way that not only titillated the senses and body, but also the mind, and soul. Longer still since she had offered another, anything more than an impassioned sticky-fumbling to ease the mind, and permit her body the release enough to continue on for a few decades without protesting a lack thereof. Yet this had been ... almost as if it had been the first. And perhaps in a way it was ... Sekhmet was long since gone and what had passed between them was still there ... but distant, like a far off lantern in a deep wood. The connection that had intensified and doubled the experience between the two lovers had also been newly formed; and had offered Sarada- and to a lesser degree Ishtar- a pleasure that had never been experienced before. And in the end, thanks to Asha'rah- and in large part luck, and fate and the Oni's own stupidity- her body was effectively 'new' as well, the organs, and muscles and tendons and all those intricate constructs that had been provided by the Goddess of Creation were still coming into their own. Though after what had just happened ...

I believe I am properly 'broken in'.

An amusing thought, by any measure, and one that caused the golden-eyed Oni to chuckle once more as she pulled Sarada closer and kissed her on the cheek.

"I would have you like this again .. before I leave; and as much of you as you would offer me besides." Ishtar said then, softly. Admitting both with words, and emotion that she would in fact enjoy nothing more. And a subconscious admission that despite the calling the golden-eyed Oni would attempt to stay as long as she could. "Yet for now .. perhaps rest, and then food ... and then when you are rested and fed, you can begin to make good on your promise to punch me in the face ?"

Little by little, Sarada regained coherency. The haze of post-mating bliss was fading away into the ether. The soft buzzing sensation at the tips of her toes was slowly spreading upward, meaning she would soon have feeling in her legs. Until her recovery was complete, however, she was content to remain in Ishtar's loving embrace, feeding on the feelings of contentment and loving happiness, and even reciprocating in kind.

It was a funny and strange thing, holding onto her bedmate even after mating had concluded. It was never something she had ever really felt the need or desire to do, yet here, it felt natural. Perhaps it was her emotional vulnerability that led her to believe that she needed to be held, when in reality, she was fine. Whatever the case was, it was... nice. Ishtar was warm and the smell of her skin -- a mixture of earthy sweat and sweet feminine nectar -- made her tingle with anticipation for next time.

"Mmm, yeah," she cooed softly. Ugh, how embarrassing, yet she didn't care much. "Worship me as many times as you want, because I'll be returning the favor each and every time." On cue, her tail wormed its way up Ishtar's body and slowly caressed each side of her neck. "Next time, before I'm done, I'll make sure you can't see straight." She grinned lustfully and leaned up to kiss her on the lips, then left a few on the side of her neck where her tail had gently caressed her.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

When Sarada approached Ishtar, after their training for the day had reached its end; her emotions were already a glowing beacon of intent.

The lust, and arousal that the Saiyan was keeping hidden- by wrapping her tail around her waist- filtered through the connection of Aka Manah freely, after all; and the Oni had found herself subject to much of the Sarada's ... activities in the days, and weeks, since the connection had been formed. Perhaps not enough to get used to such things- at times the golden-eyed Oni found herself suddenly wracked with phantom pleasure that completely ruined her focus- yet enough to understand that it was a part of what was now 'normal' between the Oni, and her Saiyan lover.

So when Sarada then asked after Nunlil's whereabouts, Ishtar took a moment to determine the answer; before leaning in and stealing a kiss from the woman.

"She is in the sleeping quarters. Good luck."

Sarada leaned into the kiss, and almost wished she had the nerve to ask Ishtar to join her. The intentions were clear enough, but her not verbalizing them meant she wanted to go at this alone. For now. Next time; if it wasn't too weird for the Oni, that was. They weren't technically related, even though they called each other cousin.

"Thanks," she spoke when the kiss was broken and her query answered. With a knowing smile, she turned and quickly walked into the sleeping quarters. She entered quietly, in case the red Oni was asleep.

[Tami]

Next Morning

Meagan secures the few belongings she decided to take with her in capsules, then got her self ready to leave. Saying goodby to Eva, she once again returns to Jinzi and Capsule Corps.

About four hours later, after giving Jinzi a very affectionate good by, she enters the spaceship, closes the hatch and at his green light launches herself into space.

[grampagen]

Zaofan obeyed Ochazuke, following through, repeating the motions as best he could, though with a minor trip. "Tch."

He tried again, though tripping in a different direction, growing more frustrated. "I can do this. Heed instruction, Zaofan," mumbling. He Then reaffirmed his footing.

He threw his palms forward again, the strikes being unbalanced and throwing off his center. "...glide. Twist."

And again. "Spring from the earth..." Though this time, he thought of fresh spring rolls, which only served to distract him more.


Attempting over and over again, to the point where frustration brought haste, which in turn brought incorrectness, yielding even more frustration: "The how and why of the movements, maybe. I know every step has its purpose. But no matter how much I try to place my weight, I make a mistake."

"It's a strange feeling starting from zero. That is the way all things begin, forged in the crucible of the naive mind."

The principle of Shoshin is manifest in the white of gi and belt. To truly understand something new, it must be engaged by a mind untethered to what had come before. The purity of the thing is not in its presentation, but in its understanding. Yet there were no markers here, no uniforms but the saffron robe of their host and the green of the memory-echo housed in the jade. Seasoned by battle and hardship, the three of them had their work cut out for them to recover what was lost.

"You want to do right by Balon and the history of the Dragons following in their every step with due diligence," he said, noting the snap of frustration mounting in Zaofan's movements. "The proper way, too, is a cage. Don't overthink it."

Zaofan nodded, concurring with the realization, while still practicing the movements. "In a way, Battersea was the antithesis of that concern. He pillaged, went after the meek, stole irreplaceable cultural treasures, and shamelessly built fame and fortune off of all that violence."

He then took a deeper breathe and resumed more fully the exercise. "Perhaps unwittingly, Battersea also set back the world of martial arts disciplines by years, both by killing the Dragon School and corrupting Turtle Island, and turning martial arts into a spectacle. I wonder of Sage Seiryuu was inspired by fighting a Battersea of his own. And in that sense, if that means there's work to be done with the other schools, Ochazuke. Battersea was popular. Suppose his fame also corrupted the perception and purpose of martial arts in its own way?"

Ochazuke turned at the waist, casting a three-pronged finger strike forward, sinking his weight down at his core, his arm the coiling spring of the Dragon's maw.

The crucible of the naive mind burns all things away like slag from ingots, leaving behind the pure ideal, a thing to strive toward. Hearing Zaofan speak drew a short chuckle from him, the mirth in its weight opposed to the flatness of his expression focused in his execution.

"He was a champion for those who worshiped strength and bowed to the altar of might," Ochazuke replied. "He paved the path, but those who walked in his wake saw the place he went. They were just as complicit in propping up this image."

Resplendent as Turtle Island had been, Battersea's tournament was just a symptom of a rot that consumed it from within. Violence in the name of ego, so concerned with reputation and proving the smallest truth; by might alone, the worth to exist was proven. It was a thing that was driven into his very being there, on the cedar-board planks in the Grandmaster's dojo. The only objective for much of Ochazuke's life had simply been to win, no matter the cost. Behind closed doors he'd met many who would call themselves champions and would cast them down. Locked in the moment of violence, as legacies imparted to fists smashed into the flesh of the other, they'd sort out an unspoken understanding. Only the victor was worth anything.

"Battersea sat atop the tower. He didn't build it."

Since they were already talking, Zaofan spoke up between heavy breaths. "Master Balon! Have you made any progress with the locations?"

Still possessed of these thoughts, the teaching passed from another, the empty mind of action, and the little thread raking its silent drag in that remaining portion of his action. There was a little through-line through the generations, the inherited will from master to pupil, the strong to the hopeful, the now and the future.

Silently as he continued, he did not speak, yet would be remiss to ignore what Samson might say.

[Lord Falcon]

Early Game:

Asha'rah stopped dead stillfor a heartbeat, then gave Erosa a small but slow bow.

"You words carry great wisdom, Erosa. All things strive."

She looked to the ceiling, thinking back. Monks, merchants, sweepers and mayors. They were all in motion, striving for something. Legends told of a monk who wanted to transcend earthly desires so badly, he locked himself in a box, had himself buried underground, then sat there taking in no sustenance till he died. Asha'rah didn't really like that legend, but she hoped he found he was looking for.

"Some of the monks in Kame want to want nothing. I remember them fondly, but I want...more." She said. Her gaze returned to Erosa's feasting form. "I want to understand myself. I want to understand the world. I want to feel the ocean breeze on a summer day, and meditate atop the highest peak balanced on one finger, for no more reason than I think it would be splendid. I want to pat your head and pinch your face and thank you for all you've done for me."

She sighed as she thought more deeply.

"What does Etrina want, I wonder?"

More Recently:

The Day Before Departure



The night before Sarada was to leave on her own quest, to return to Vocado and deal with the ghosts of her own past; Ishtar was stealing her last moments with the woman before leaving off to do the same. And as much as the Oni wished to travel with the girl to her home planet, both to see how much it changed, and to perhaps deal with this ... Parsley, herself. It had been understood between them for some time that they would need to deal with these lingering phantoms of years past, themselves. And they would not be alone, or separated, of course. The connection saw to it that each would be with the other in spirit, and to support the other in their time of need despite the vast distances between Vocado, and Ilargi.

Enough reason at least, for the two to separate. With of course, the promise of seeing the other again.

Yet there was one other matter that needed to be tended to, before Ishtar departed for Ilargi. The matter of an answer the Oni had perhaps put off far longer than she intended.

And so, after seeking Asha'rah out, Ishtar approached the former God of Creation, and made a decision that would determine a course of events yet to come.

"Asha'rah ... I know it has been far longer than ... 'soon'. Yet I am leaving tomorrow, for Ilargi ... and if you are not now opposed, I would enjoy your company. As would, I suspect, Anubis."

Now:

The wind had been howling just many hours prior, whirling mists obscuring all but a few feet around Asha'rah from sight. She had embraced the chilling bite, allowing snow to blanket upon her as she focused on her center, counting breaths born from her mind. 10,000, 10,001... When she emerged to take in the external world once more, she found herself buried in darkness, and so raised her arms to break the cocoon of snow surrounding her. Sunlight broke through, revealing the breathtaking vista of mountainscape around her on all sides.

Now she balanced at the cliff's edge upon a single finger, itself perched upon a smooth pebble. It had been sunset when she first started this new round of meditation, focusing this time upon the Northern Star. Mountains, inverted from her view, seemed like stalactites clawing at the night sky. It felt like she could see the whole world from here, and Asha'rah was at once connected to and beyond it. She liked that almost familiar feeling. Now it was sunrise, and still she remained perched, the subject of her gaze still glimmering faintly, fighting against the brilliance of the sun.

Asha'rah had not spent her time idly while waiting for Ishtar's answer. With the both of them having a direct line to Kami and Jinzi, it would be easy enough to track her down when the time came. So she had set off on her own, walking the Earth much as she had done before, but now with greater focus and the renewed perspective afforded her by her partially-restored memories. She eventually made her way to the highest ranges of Kame, where she occasionally wondered if she was cheating, given her robotic body. She had no need for food, and was more resistant to the elements than most. But each person walked their own journey, and Asha'rah had challenged herself to get here. Eschewing the easy levitation of feather's flight, Asha'rah had made the trek through the mountains on foot, training amidst the harsh landscape each day. At length, she had reached the foot of Olympus, the tallest mountain in the world. Climbing it had been tough work. She had brought no tools - no picks, no rope, no bolt anchors. It was simply her amidst nature, climbing up rock and ice with nothing but her body and her pants. When she lacked handholds, she dug new ones with her fingers. When she tired, she gathered her strength while completely exposed before pushing on. When she fell, she allowed her body to experience the pain of smacking onto unforgiving rock, that she would remember her mistake. Then she would heal, pick herself back up and try again. And now for the past few days, she had been enjoying the fruit of her long journey, here at the peak of the world.

It was then when Ishtar found her, and Asha'rah felt her tranquil spirits rise. It was time. Once the oni had reached the peak safely, Asha'rah hopped off to her feet with a flick of her finger, the pebble remaining still as if it had never been touched. She would have smiled if she could, but she hoped the set of her shoulders conveyed her welcome well enough.

The oni was looking good. Whatever lingering awkwardness from her near-resurrection was gone now, her new muscles having learned to work with the old. Her body seemed...satiated, looser, no doubt a result of many days in Sarada's company. But if anything her soul seemed more eager than ever. Ishtar had felt a calling to the stars, and after putting it off to satisfy her needs here on Earth, she was now ready to depart without regrets.

But Ishtar was not alone. Beside her stood a pup blacker than coal, streaked with bone white patterns across its skull and back. Its ki had the air of the supernatural about it, lending it the 'smell' of one fresh out of the underworld. Yet...

"I doubt I could compare to the company of one as cute as Anubis," she said, giving the pup a bow of acknowledgment, "but I would enjoy walking this path with you as well."

She strode forward to meet Ishtar, then directed her attention to the last vestiges of the Northern Star in the morning sky. It would be much brighter soon enough.

"The stars await us Ishtar. They promise old ghosts to face, and new beginnings to forge. Let us see how we face them together."

[MrSandman]

The discussion with Launia continued long into the night, in which Etrina slowly learned about the situation at home in her short but eventful absence.

The deaths of the Cromwallow family had struck a chord of paranoia amount the ruling houses. The manner of their demise had been left specifically vague, leading many to assume that an investigation was underway. Had it been an accident, a misfiring spell or a demonic conjuring the results would have been obvious from the start....but the lack of information pointed to a much more malicious possibility.

The idea that an entire family of mages, while not among the highest ranked, could be murdered in such a manner left the other families fearing that a similar attempt could be made on another at any time. To make matters worse the Trail of Succession had been approved, and was going ahead as scheduled at the end of the month. In a time when they should have been banding together to root out a possible threat....they seemed to be considering each other as big a threat as the killer or killers.

In the end, Etrina had consented to assisting Launia with her plan. She was her friend, among the few in the mage community who still bothered to give her the time of day. The trail itself was an interesting idea...win or lose, the gathering of accomplished mages would surely test her newly trained skills. It would be a wonderful test of her abilities.

There was also the matter of the Cromwallow murders....which would undoubtedly soon come to light. Nothing had been stolen, yet beyond that there seemed no obvious purpose. Without further information it was impossible to determine anything.

Still, they had a few more weeks before the end of the month....time to prepare and keep a watchful eye on the situation. Launia was more the happy to provide her cooking skills as repayment for her friends assistance...and Erosa was more then happy to eat it. Grav had remained mercifully quiet during her exchange beyond the occasional backhanded comment.

Over the next couple of weeks, Etrina trained in seal preparation during the mornings, met with Launia for dinner to discuss their plans and spent her evening training with her spells and what she had learned from speaking with Zurvan and his grimoire. On the weekends she'd bother Grav for his training in Vitalmancy, and generally managed his needs in the meantime. Erosa had, rather unflatteringly, drew a face with a twisty mustache on the outside of Gravs Urn while he had been out training Etrina. Upon his return the Vitalmancer made sure to express how unimpressed he was while complaining to Etrina to keep a better leash on her pet.

-----------------------

One Week before the Trail

"Well....I got Great news, good news and bad news." Launia dropped the leatherbound book upon the dining table. "Good news....Seems a good majority of the families are staying clear of the Trial this time around. Guess what happened to the Cromwallows have all but the most desperate or prideful families doing anything but shoring up their defenses for a possible mage murderer on the loose."

Opening the book to a page with a list of names, she traced her finger down it. "Bad news....that means the most desperate and arrogant ones are actually showing up. You don't end up one without the power to back it up, and the other leaves you more willing to pull out all the stops."

"Right.....so whats the great news?" Etrina asked, eyeing the book to see if she could recognize any of the names.

"They're going with the Contest of the Familiar this time....That's right up your alley!" Launia glanced over at Erosa stuffing her face with dinner. "...I mean...I've never seen her fight.....but Stoltengardes are practically known for familiar summoning. I can only imagine that shes an absolute beast."

Erosa pulled a bone from her mouth and belched loudly.

"Yeah....shes a beast alright......" Etrina sighed as she pulled the book towards her. "........Gardevour Hohenheim? I wasn't aware the Alchemy family had any familiars...Just homunculus."

"The Counsel recently lifted the bar for what counts as a familiar, naturally the Hohenheims immediately jumped on the chance." Launia nodded. "I wouldn't be surprised if he pulls out something nasty for this just to improve his image."

Etrina scanned down the list further. "....Tomas Hubbard, Surprised he has time to devote into something like this while hes.....uhh....."

"You mean the Pioneers of the Second Trans-Dimensional Union? Naww...I'm pretty sure he's just doing that for the extra money." Launia shrugged. "Kinda unethical if you ask me....but who am I to judge, if he says there's some great horrible cosmic machine monster that's coming to eat our planet...I'm not gonna tell him or his people otherwise."

"......wow.....don't even joke about that...." Etrina shook her head. Given everything that had happened on the lookout that was the last kind of thing she wanted floating around in her head. "......and finally.....Helena Blavatsky. Oh.....Ohhh!!!" Etrina pushed the book aside, an excited look in her eyes. "THAT Helena Blavatsky?! Shes coming HERE?!!"

"Don't mage geek out yet...you know you'll have to beat her just like all the others."

"But....But.....Helena Blavatsky.......You think she'd autograph my copy of esoteric Magecraft and you?" Etrina started digging through her belongings while Launia looked on with a sigh. "I've ready everything shes written...even the stuff that's just hypothetical fluff! Wow....this is getting exciting."

"You do remember there was a murder for this all to happen right?" Launia asked with a raised eyebrow, but Etrina wasn't listening, hopping to her feet she hurried out of the room to go gather some materials she wanted to study up on, a tired but clearly smitten Launia following after her.

The book remained open on the table, and a cold wind blew through an open windows....turning the page to the remaining entry.

"??? - Woman, No Given Family Affiliation. Blonde
Possible link to Stoltengarde estate."

[Hazard]

He stops walking on his fingers by the time he reaches the village. Being a seven-foot tall green man already draws enough stares. There is no need to add to those.

The town looks rather shabby. Unkempt houses, signs close to falling off, and roads that haven't been maintained in a long while. As Slak walks through its streets, he notes the town looks rather empty. The people are there. He feels their energy. He catches many cautious eyes looking at him from behind closed windows. Yes, there are people in this town. They just aren't coming out into the streets.

It is a miserable place.

He has not yet seen the whole place, but Slak feels confident in his conclusion. It is a pity. He hoped to find a happier place as his starting point. Disappointed, he starts looking for a place to eat. He has not eaten since before the tournament stated, and he could really use some water right now.

Maybe if he keeps looking, he will find something good in this town.

---

"You think you are better than me? Is that it?"

Or maybe not.

[KingofPie]

Captain Brig was the leader of the Blue Buccaneers. He fancied himself as a sworn rival to the Red Raiders...self proclaimed of course. Sasheem learned all of this through the Captain himself. Instead of a fight, they offered the Majin a place among their ranks, seeing as he had a former Raider captured.

"And so ye see, I actually formed the Blue Buccaneers BEFORE the Red Raiders..." Brig explained. "But o'course I didn't have access to any of the fancy technology Willa had, oh noooo. We were set to be the msot fearsome band of vagrants on Earth, but the Red Raiders stole our thunder! Our rivalry has lasted fer-"

"Dude, I don't think Willa or any of the Raiders actually knows who you are..." the ex-Raider commented, currently hanging upside-down, his hands and feet tied to a bushel of bamboo that two of the larger Blue Buccaneers were carrying. "And are you sure you started after the Raiders...your armor's like a bargain sale version of ours..."

"Silence, Raider!" Brig shouted, hitting the Ex-Raider with the stick Sasheem held that had poked the poop, causing Sasheem to laugh uproariously.

"I'm not a Raider! Not anymore!" the ex-Raider pleaded. "I've quit! I've deserted!"

"Oh, I won't fall fer yer tricks!" Brig continued, raising a cutlass to slice through the thick brush of leaves in the jungle. "I know yer just tryin' to trick me and my boys and girls with your fancy Raider tactics! But our day will come! In fact...it just might be today that we finally take down the Raiders!"

"Well, honestly, right now-" the former Raider began.

"He talk! Hit!" Sasheem commanded.

"Well said, little friend!" Brig nodded and slapped the prisoner once again with the stick, causing Sasheem to once more double over in laughter. "But today....we seek the Blue Stone of Life! It is a mystic gem of legend, said to be filled with POWERFUL magic. What exactly, I don't know...but only the strong may possess it! The weak...just simply disappear!"

Brig turned around, gesturing to his crew. "Only I know the path to the gem...and I started off this journey with more than twenty men and women but where are they now...I only see fifteen, not countin' myself. The gem's magic purges the unworthy. I suspect there'll only be five of us left. Me among them since I'm following the necessary steps to get to it," Brig stated as they finally freed themselves from the jungle and reached a rickety wooden bridge that stretched across a long chasm that ended in a ravine at the bottom.

"No lost?" Sasheem asked, curious.

"Aye, it's due to this, lad," Brig stated ,pulling out a compass that had a haggard looking diamond for a needle. "This is what ye need to get to the stone," the Blue Buccaneer's captain, stated, looking behind himself. "Ah...only thirteen of me crew left...ill tidings, but that's the way of the stone.

"...Uh, Captain?" the Raider stated. "I'm not sure if you've been paying attention, but I'm not sure the stone's power is what-"

"SILENCE!" Brig stated, slapping the Raider again. Sasheem, of course, laughed. "Now, we've got to be very careful...here is where the trial of death begins...Now this bridge," Brig spoke, as he began to step his foot on the bridge to test it. "It could be deadly...but I believe it's more sturdy than it looks..."

Immediately the first few planks of wood that form the bridge collapsed and fell into the Ravine. "ARR!" Brig complained. "What'll we do now?!" he exclaimed.

Sasheem pointed to the ex-Raider tied to the bamboo. "Tehl!" he offered.

"Ah, good call, friend!" Brig agreed.

"What?! What'd he say?! What are we doing?!" he asked, before the two Buccaneers holding him placed him down in the space of the missing bridge planks.

"Better stay sturdy...less ye send us all to our doom," Brig stated as he and the others gingerly bamboo, keeping balance...at least most of them did. Three Buccaneer's quickly fell towards the ravine below. The captain, who has already crossed the bridge put a hand over his heart. "Let it be known brethren that yer sacrifice was not in vain...once we get the Blue Stone, we'll earn our place in the world...and finally pay those pesky Red Raiders back!"

After Sasheem and the remaining Buccaneers crossed the makeshift bridge, two of the buccaneers lifted the Raider up and hauled him over their shoulders once more. The group, now numbering around eight including Sasheem, the Raider, and Brig. The other side of the bridge had led to a cave, in which they decided to make camp in.

"Our numbers are gettin' low," Brig sighed. "Supplies are gettin' low..." Brig turned around to look at Sasheem. "Say, friend, where'd you find that french toast?"

"Rjoo!" Sasheem responded, continuing to eat the toast.


"...Uh, Captain? I think you should know that your troops are-," the former Raider tried to speak.


"Quiet!" Brig stated. "We'll stay here fer the night and tomorrow we continue our trek. "Gotta conserve energy..."

By the time they awoke, There were only five of them left. Brig sighed a knowing sigh and dusted off his compass as they continued into the cave. "The stone's power claims another. And I don't wanna hear another word outta ye, Raider!" Brig growled, before the ex-Raider could say anything. "We move on!"

The cave eventually led into room filled with the heated red glow of lava that filled a circular pool in it's just ahead. Hovering fragments of rock forming intricate mystical sigils swayed back and forth, changing shape at three minute intervals swiftly and suddenly. And at the end of the pool lay a pillar. Resting on it, was the stone.

"Stay here, mateys...I'll be taking care of this one meself...no need to sacrifice any more of ye, once I claim the stone it's magic should be mine to control," Brig stated.

"You're just making this up as you go along, aren't you?" the ex-Raider asked. "How do you know if the stone is doing this even?" The Raiders words went ignored as Brig, with surprising grace, leaped to the nearest rock fragment. Using the compass to guide his way, he leaped from stone to stone, the changing of their patterns not deterring him so long as he got the compass. And finally, as he reached the last one...there iit was....the stone. Right there before him.

"Finally..." Brig grinned. "With this...I'll finally have the means to make the Blue Buccaneers infamous! And to finally crush the-,"

Suddenly a hand outstretched, past the Captain and simply grabbed the stone. The hand, of course, belonged to Sasheem, who quickly hid the blue stone within his skin. "What, but...you..." the Captain turned to see that none of his crew, barring one had disappeared. And of course Sasheem and the Ex-Raider remained.

"I tried to tell you..." the former Raider side. "It wasn't the stone's magic taking out your crew...it was that little psychopath over there!" he nodded to Sasheem, who was doing a dance of joy over the stone he had acquired. "Every time you had your back turned, he dispatched them in one way or another...Some of them he turned into that french toast! I tried to tell you, ya massive moron, but now it's too late!"

"Not for me! I'm still here!" the last remaining Blue Buccaneer stated happily. Sasheem promptly pushed him into the lava below.

"You rat bastard! You traitor!" Captain Brig stated, waving around his sword. "Why once I get back over there, I'll-," he began only for Sasheem to stretch his arm over once more and snatch away the compass. "Oh..."

"Oho!" Sasheem sneered as he began to turn around, intent on leaving the island.


"Wait! Come on, I know you don't care, but....you're not just gonna leave us here, are ya?!" the former Red Raider pleaded.


"..." Sasheem thought for a bit, before shooting a blast at the cave ceiling, causing the entire cave to rumble. "Heh heh heh..." the Majin chuckled, before quickly heading out of the cave, swimming through the ground as he left the last Blue Buccaneer and the former Red Raider to die.