World: Sicoria
Region: Arnst (Reggie's Homeland)
Location: Cave lair, a few miles outside the town of Greer
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"Ronwe! You still alive?" Percival shouted between exasperated huffs. He's barely clothed and trapped in an iron bar cell. The rest of the walls and the floor and ceiling were nothing but rough natural cave. He's been sweating from the intense heat that's been building in the caves for the past few days. The glow in his eyes have dulled substantially sense they were captured after Reggie's disappearance.
The only noise he heard was an affirmative hum from an effeminate voice somewhere else in the dungeon.
"Good, good." Percival stood up from the small puddle of sweat that had formed underneath him. He pressed an arm against the wall to prop himself standing. He pointed his other hand towards the puddle and began a quiet prayer.
"Oh great Solaris, radiant and beautiful. Hear my plea and give me the strength to bend the elements to my will." A faded white rune formed in his hand. It flickered in and out of existence as he could barely hold it together. The puddle of sweat rose from the ground and formed into a sharpened spear.
Percival made a grunt of effort attempting to shatter the lock on his cell with the spear, but he lost concentration and it splashed against the door and through the bars. He slumped down in defeat. "Dammit."
"Damn cult and their damn cave dungeon at the base of a damn volcano." He muttered to himself.
"Ronwe... have you gotten literally any word from Reggie. I don't want you to suffer mana drain, but please keep sending out message spells."
"Hm-hmm!"
"Is that a yes on hearing from Reggie, or a yes on you'll keep searching?"
Percival heard the loud clank of metal followed by approaching footsteps. He quickly laid down and feigned unconsciousness.
"Psst. Perci." A young girl's voice rang out. He looked up and got an excited smile. Medium length blueish-black hair that hid away a pair of horns that matches the color of her dull yellow skin. She's just about as dressed as Percival with the exception of something to cover her chest.
"Ronwe! How did you get out?"
She held up a bent piece of metal the used to resemble her hair clip.
"Oh you sweet, marvelous girl! Come on, let me out and we can get our stuff, find Reggie, and get out of this blasted volcano."
XXXXX
World: Sicoria
Region: Feylarun (Dian's Homeland)
Location: Anderson Manor, The City of Vigil
XXXXX
An elderly woman woke up shivering in her bed. She moved her hand towards her partner, but he was vacant from her side. She sat up with her heavy blanket falling down and uncovering the chest of her nightgown. "Honey?" She quietly questioned in the darkness of her room.
"On the balcony, Ester." She heard through the sliding wood door at the far end of her room. It was slightly ajar, letting in the cold night wind and flakes of snow. She stood up and opened the door further to peer on her husband that was leaning against the stone with a sad grimace on his face. The dull lights of the city covered by snow and fog lay infront of him.
"Honey, come to bed. It's cold."
"I can't sleep." He replied with an exhausted tone.
"...Still thinking about her?"
"Yes... I am." He choked slightly, before slamming his hand against the railing. "The Underground, The Council, even Judy... No one can find her!"
"Because she's gone, Derrick..."
He stepped away from the balcony and stormed past his wife, which she in turn closed the sliding door behind him. He stood in the center of the room clenching his fists, trying to hold back tears.
"She's not dead, Ester! Lady Dian doesn't die! She wouldn't die! Not to something so simple as some oversized cockroaches!"
"Derrick, ...you don't know that." She grabbed onto his arm to help comfort him, which was contradictory to her words. At which he pulled away.
"Is that how little you think of her? She and her family has taken care of the Andersons for generations! You haven't had to work a day in your life since we got married 35 years ago. And this is how you thank her? She vanishes without leaving a trace, not even a drop of blood, and you jump to her dying!"
"Derrick I didn't mean it like that. I understand --"
"No you don't understand! Lady Dian helped raise me, and I returned the favor. She was like a second mother, and when I was serving her she reminded me of our own daughters..." Derrick paused for the moment to calm his escalating emotions. He wiped away his misty eyes before leaning down and hugging his wife. "I'm sorry... but Lady Dian is my dearest friend. I know what she is capable of. I know she isn't dead."
"It's okay dear." Ester hugged back. "I'm sorry for being cold about the situation. I don't have the same relationship with Lady Dian as you do. I just don't want you to have too high of expectations. I don't want my husband to die of a broken heart before I do." Ester jested to try and lighten the mood.
"Broken heart..." Derrick whispered to himself in sudden realization. He pulled away from his wife.
"What's wrong?" She questioned.
"Why didn't I think of it sooner!? I know just the man I need to ask!" Derrick got a purposeful glow about him as he grabbed his coat and made for the door.
"Derrick, where are you going?"
"I'm going to find Lady Dian myself."
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World: Nairdonis
Region: Talvadi Kingdom (Formally Queendom, Vanity & Mordeki's Homeland)
Capital Throne Room
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A finely dress man knelt down infront of the steps to the throne of the reclaimed king, Thace Talvadi. "Report, Calos." Thace commanded from his lax, yet authoritative position on the throne.
"Still no sign of Vanity or her magical pet, my liege."
"Dammit!" Thace shouted slamming his fist against the cushioned armrest. "Anything else?"
"Yes, my liege. It seems we didn't have as much support as we assumed when we started. There's resistance in the streets, and many of the old Rose Guard are fighting along side them."
"Then arrest or execute them! I will not have dissonance in MY kingdom!"
"As you wish, my liege, but there's still more. Delegates from Ostain have been seen traveling here. No doubt discussion previous trade deals they had with your sister."
"The dwarves?"
"Yes, as well as the Order of the Eternal Flame from the Wuth Empire. They've sent Phoenix Knights to ensure justice."
"Deny them entry! Capture or kill them if you have to."
"Are you sure my liege? This could initiate a purge."
"As if I'm scared of a few fire tossing lizards."
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World: Aghe
Region: Stoneclock (Gala's "Homeland")
Temple of Hagin, Pontifex Tifa's private quarters
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A fair skinned young woman lies scantily clad in white lingerie that matches the sheets of her bed that she sleeps on top of. Draped around her, glinting the morning sun of it's pure white scales, is a large quadrupedal beast four times her size. A hybrid animal of a lion's body with the tail, neck, and head of a hooded snake. Though it was a peaceful scene, it was contrasted by the running gold eyeliner that streaked across the woman's cheeks. She was crying the night before.
A knock came at the door, which awoke the beast. A mixed noise came from it's mouth as a cat's and snake's hisses could be heard together. "It's me, Ezume. Can you please let me in?" Came a soft male voice.
The beast, Ezume, quickly got excited as it's previous protective hostility turned to a dog-like energy; as if had been asked if he wants to go on a walk. He quickly got of the bed in a hurry that ended up jostling the woman awake from her slumber. She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, nearly scratching herself on the two cute little horns protruding from her forehead.
Ezume did his best with undoing the lock on the bedroom door. After enough scratching he finally got the lock turned, at which the man on the other side gently opened the door careful not to hit the large lion-snake.
"Thank you Ezume." He quietly said to the large beast. He looked to the center of the room and immediately averted his gaze. "Woah, sorry Tifa! Did I catch you at a bad time?"
Tifa got a surprised look on her face until she realized who just walked into her room. His short, angelic blonde hair, the warm glow behind his eyes, his nearly flawless complexion. It was her favorite Angelkin, Mortis.
"Mortis!" She cheered. "Thank Hagin you're here!"
"Yeah, I just got back from Tidewind--" He was cut off by a deep hug from Tifa. Her horns digging into his chest.
"Horns, girl! Horns!" He cried out. Tifa pulled her head away but kept her arms around his waist.
"Everything's gone wrong Mortis, and I don't know what to do!" She yelled out. Waterfalls already streaming down her face painting her cheeks even more golden than before.
"Woah, woah. Calm down. Tell me what happened." Mortis eased Tifa back onto her bed.
"Gala..." Tifa sniffled. "...She-- she vanished. Just disappeared... and no one knows where she went. I tried to pray to Hagin for some answer, but he never responded."
"When did this happen?"
"A few days after you left for Tidewind. We-- we went to bed together... and-- and she was having a nightmare. I tried to wake her up and comfort her but-- but I-I-I blinked and she wasn't there!" Tifa was trying to hold herself together, but it was a lossing battle. "Please tell me you can ask Hagin as his Avatar what happened to her."
"Yeah. Yeah, I can try." Mortis sat and focused for a moment. He opened his eyes with a scared expression. "He's quiet..."
Tifa let out a gasp. "He's never quiet... You don't think something happened to him to?"
"Actually now that you mention it. I can't remember actually hearing him say anything during my travel. I even spoke to the Avatar of Graila and even he was quiet..."
"Graila's always quiet though." Tifa smirked.
"Yes, but now he's SILENT..." Mortis stood up with a horrified expression. "I don't think just Gala vanished... I think our gods have vanished too."