Luciphor followed the hooded girl and her Summon to the group surrounding the Divine Summoners. While the bartender's eyes were elsewhere, Skoteinomystiko picked up the empty tokkuri and placed an illusion over it, disguising it as a small gold ingot he judged to be about the price of the drinks. Hopefully, the bartender wouldn't notice the missing tokkuri. It was a small illusion, and the Divine Summoners certainly had their attention focused elsewhere; if they even noticed Skote, they would only be able to tell that he was more than a typical human. They might think elves could just do stuff like that. They might even think Skote a Summoner himself.

The Lunar Guardian was easy to pick out of the crowd. Luciphor walked up to her and tugged at her dress, as a child would when trying to get his mother's attention. As he tugged, a disgruntled man, a few years younger than Luciphor was in reality, with a scarf and the mark of the Water Guardian on his shoulder, sat down halfheartedly across from where the Lunar Guardian stood.

"Ruscave are power-mad sociopaths who wield the power of dark for their own selfish purposes," the Water Summoner said. Luciphor stopped tugging and poked his head over the top of the table, resting it on his arms. "The dark creatures they command are even worse as they control their masters without them knowing it," the man in the scarf continued, getting angrier. "You know this, we know this, you're asking us to give up our lives for your supposed cause. Why should we--why should I--have to forfeit our lives?!"

Before Luciphor could piece something together, the man in white robes spoke. "I am not keeping you here against your will," he said. "I only wanted everyone to hear what I had to say. If you do not wish to help us, then you are free to leave."

"However," the armored woman standing beside him said, in a tone that, despite its stoicism, carried an air of distaste, "If you leave, in my eyes and in the eyes of all Guardians, you will look like a coward, who cherished his own safety over the safety of this world. I suppose it doesn't matter. We wouldn't need someone as cowardly as you anyway. You would just get in our way."

Luciphor held back a grin and resumed his tugging. If he was going to be an innocent little kid, he would need to hold back his schadenfreudianism.

Sieg listened with great interest. He'd heard of the ruscave before but had never had the chance to fight one before. He saw that now he would get his chance. His grin widened." I certainly am no coward...then again I don't know what fear is. You can certainly count me in on any battle " he shook with anticipation, when was the last time he'd had a good battle. He truthfully couldnt recollect " Saving innocent people is all fine, well, and good. But I desire to see the limits of my power, something Neither I nor Infernus has glimpsed before "

Nagare could only sit their with a dumb look on his face as the Divine Summon of the Sun and her summoner moved upstairs. He made himself look like some kind of know it all, tried to show them that no one could control him. But then he had his words thrown back in his face like a wet glove, as he was just basically called a coward. Aquar tried to talk to him, see if he was all right. But Nagare didn't say anything. He could only just sit there. Thinking. '

'Aquar...what do you think?' This question caught his guardian off guard.

A-about what young rogue?

'Be honest...am I being irrational right now?'

Aquar heard the question and was silent. Nagare knew full well, as a guardian, what his response was supposed to be. You...want to protect yourself. It's natural. Self preservation is a very powerful thing.

Nagare pondered this as even the fire summoner got up to go follow the divine summoner. He sighed heavily. Nagare knew that this went against his instincts, but the thought of this being stuck in his conscience for the rest of his life bothered him. He got up and followed the divine summoner up the stairs. Aquar smiled. No use having a guilty conscience now rogue. 'Quiet you...' was all Nagare could say. Aquar thought to himself. Self-preservation is indeed a powerful thing...however so is the power of humanity. I'm very curious as to where this path shall lead us...

Sarina staggered up. Even though she was drunk she did what she would have done if she was sober. She got up. "Well I know what I'm doing." she said slurring her words alittle. She started to follow the Solar gaurdian ,but fell over. "Owwe. Raven? Please help me follow them." Raven helped her master up and proceeded to follow them.

As Diane got up to follow Arith, she broke Selene's hypnotism of Nagare and noticed a small boy tugging at her dress.
"Oh... hello there, young one. Can I help-" She was cut short by a hiss from Selene. "Selene! Be nice to strangers!"
Selene gave her an incredulous look, the way only a cat could. Ahem. I believe my instincts about people are fairly trustworthy... this boy is not what he seems. There is an illusion about him, and a dark one. She gave Luciphor a glare. He would do well to mind his own business.

"I wouldn't call him a coward," Zeke said, still sitting at the table, as the Water Summoner strode across the tavern to the stairs and ascended them. "Although, if there's some sense to all this 'balance of elements' mumbo jumbo, he's not going to be too happy if they win, whether or not he fights."

He turned to the Lunar Summoner, and raised his eyebrows at Luciphor. Sighing, he stood and walked over to the Summoner and Guardian, and began to rub the back of his neck.

"You're not actually seriously considering fighting, are you?" he said to Luciphor. "I mean, you're... you know..."

"A child?" Luciphor said, giving him a look.

The Lunar Guardian was glaring pointedly at the boy. Avoiding her eyes, Zeke extended a hand to the Lunar Summoner. "I'm Zeke," he said, "I'm a, erm, Wind Summoner, you know." He made a vague gesture with his left hand, knowing the Lunar Summoner probably knew everything he was saying already. "This is, uh, Louie."

"It's short for Luciphor," the small blonde boy said, smiling in a manner that might have looked innocent to anyone other than Zeke. Before Zeke could ask Luciphor what the hell he was doing, the boy pushed on, "It means 'light bearer.'" He sounded for all the world like a child who enjoyed showing off.

"We," Zeke began, "Or, at least, I, am ready to join you guys in fighting. I don't know about Lou, but, I guess...?" He trailed off, giving Luciphor a you-figure-this-one-out expression.

Diane smiled at Zeke. "Then I am glad you will be joining us. We will be glad to have anyone help on this quest." She gave Selene a look, indicating her acceptance of the two.
Fine then. The wind fellow seems nice, but I'll be keeping an eye on that boy. Personally, I think you're mad to let him join.
"Selene, go ahead and introduce yourself. Stop being so... antisocial."
Selene turned to the two and spoke aloud again.
"I suppose. I am Selene, Divine Guardian of the Moon, Lady of Twilight, and Mistress of the Shadows. You would do well to behave yourselves whilst in my Summoner's service." She resumed glaring at Luciphor, as if to make him reveal his true form.

Luciphor was only a little scared. Looking innocent in the face of fear was a habit he had developed, however, and he hoped the way he averted his eyes from Selene's looked like a gesture of respectful awe, rather than one of a dishonest nature.

"I'll behave," he muttered, with the air of a child whose mother was disappointed in him.

Zeke was torn between formulating a plan to save Luciphor's butt and telling the Lunar Guardian and Summoner all he knew about the little blonde boy. Luciphor wasn't really Zeke's friend, but he probably wasn't going to do any harm to the group at large. If he wanted to fight for his own race, he would probably have done something even before now; cooked up some lie to get the less wholesome Summoners who showed up on his side and attempted to take down the Divine Summoners already. Knowing him, he might have even tried pitting the Solar and Lunar Guardians against each other. Zeke wondered if all Ruscave were like that.

He decided to just keep quiet, act as if Luciphor's disguise was common knowledge, and not make any mention of it or the lack thereof.

"My Guardian is called Mazzicks," Zeke said to Diane. "I would Summon her here, but she wouldn't fit in the building," he added, glancing at the low ceiling of the tavern. He expected Luciphor to say something about Skote, but the boy was silent, listening to Zeke with a polite air that said quite plainly that he had no interest whatsoever in what Zeke was saying. It occurred to Zeke that the boy had never mentioned that he was a Summoner. He sighed. Whatever Luciphor had in mind, Zeke wanted no part in it.

Meanwhile, back at the bar, Skoteinomystiko picked up another Summoner, one of Wind, somewhere in the inn. They had nearly all the elements now; Lunar, with Wind, Water and Dark, and Solar, with Fire and Earth. All but his own Summoner, his friend, and the Lunar Summoner had followed Solaris up to some room, and Skote wondered what the Divine Summoners would make of Luciphor. He lacked the ability to mask the illusion he had put around the boy, but he could make up a good reason for why it was there. Words like "deformed" and "transgender" swam through Skote's head.

Get back in here, penetrated Skote's musings. But don't make a scene about it.

The elf exited the tavern, acting as if he did not know nor care about the Summoners. Under the mid-evening moon, passers-by may have noticed the elf stride into an alleyway, but none noticed him vanish.

Sieg chuckled to himself as he sensed something occuring on the staircase, he turned his gaze to Negare who seemed was forced to come here. " So we meet again " he smiles politely " As I said we would. Fate is something that has been prediturmined, but I sense we are entering a phase of the archive that no one can read " his eyes gleamed like miniture suns. " The low cannot stand against the the high " he spoke cripticaly " Now then what are to do with ourselves exactly? "

Nagare reached the top of the stairs and who else would he bump into except Sieg. " So we meet again. As I said we would. Fate is something that has been predetermined, but I sense we are entering a phase of the archive that no one can read." Nagare begins to scowl in annoyance with this talk of fate.

"Don't dare mistake me you. I'm here to listen. Nothing more. Whatever happens after will be my decision, and my decision alone." He looks over the railing back downstairs. At the woman who forced him here. 'My decision...' He turns his attention back towards the fire summoner. "More importantly what do you make of our 'friends' downstairs? Because I'm actually concerned there is someone suspicious in our midst, but me nor my guardian can tell who."

Sieg looked over the railing. Nagare was correct there was indeed. " Your pretty sharp. Yes there is someone of a suspicious nature but we needent worry about it at the moment. They don't seem to be interested in making a scene " his eyes flashed with amusement. Someone needs to work on there illusions, they leave much to be desired. " Arent the rest of you going to join us? " he called out. He kept an amused eye on the wind summoner.

Raven's ears pricked as she heard the Lunar Gaurdian voice. She had almost forgotten to introduce herself and Sarina. "Sarina, I'm going to introduce us." Her master mumbled something so quietly, that Ravens catlike ears almost missed it. "I'll set you down right here." Raven said and helped Sarina into a chair. Raven walked over, the chain from her neck clinging against the floor, and bowed to the Gaurdian. "It is a pleasure to be fighting by your side, I am Raven." Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Zeke. "Oh....I'm sorry, did I interupt you? I'm so sorry." she apoligize turning red and bowed quickly to him.

Uragano looked on from his spot in the hallway as he continually heard the other summoners mingle between each other.
You know, maybe you should go talk to one of them? We'd be better off if all this waiting was to get information. Scio spoke up in Uragano's head.
"You're probably right..." he said with a shrug "All I've heard is about their power. Their elements. It's nice to see so many of our kind here. But remember their purpose."
Their attempt to keep the balance.
"Yes, I could care less really about how much control they have, or what their Guardians can do. It's more of a means that I'm looking for. And who in this little inn could have spoken to you. Apparently they have more of an understanding about Summoners and their Guardians then we do. Wouldn't it be nice to see what we could learn from them?"
Uragano felt, if there were a word for it, Scio shrug this time. Then I suppose we wait.
Uragano smiled this time, "Good man."

Diane nodded to the Guardian addressing her, then turned to Arith. "Now that we have all introduced ourselves, I think it is time we get to business. Clearly this gathering is not all your doing, there are outside forces pushing us toward some mission. Perhaps you could enlighten us all as to what that mission may be."