Violet's Story

Violet was sick of hearing that name. Day and night, in school or at home, it was always the same routine. Have you paid your respects for Leon today? Have you kept Leon’s room clean? Have you prayed for Leon’s spirit in heaven? Leon this, Leon that. The moment she was suspected of putting up any kind of lip, she’d be accused of being callous and insensitive, of never having loved her own brother at all. They were so preoccupied over his death that it’s like they forgot she even existed. What was she to them?
She threw another stone. It skipped a good five or six times before vanishing below the river’s surface, slight ripples in its wake. Another pebble launched forward from somewhere behind her, hitting the water at least nine times before sinking. That was pretty good. Instead of turning around to face the mysterious challenger, she picked out another rock on the ground and flung it. Four times. Letting out a sigh that sounded more relieved than exhausted, she turned around to a boy squatting some two or three feet behind her. He seemed to be wearing a school uniform, but she wasn’t aware of any schools nearby that enforced a dress code. Maybe it was a new policy?
“I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen a student in uniform,” she started, briefly making eye contact. A wave of uneasiness washed over her, but the sensation quickly faded as he returned her statement with a gentle smile. “Is your school from around here?”
“I’m not attending school,” the boy responded flatly, his smile from earlier now replaced with a slight frown. He rested his arms over his knees and cocked his head to the side. “What about you?”
“I’ve already dropped out,” she gave a noncommittal shrug, perhaps trying a little too hard to come off as nonchalant. “I don’t give a damn about what my parents say anymore. They’ve never cared from the beginning either way.” It was always Leon. That’s how it was back then and that’s how it still is even now, years later. They just couldn’t give it a rest, no matter what they had to sacrifice in the process. It’s almost as though they believed they were being watched and judged by him above. Heaven doesn’t even fucking exist.
“It exists,” the boy suddenly said, interrupting—or perhaps reading?—her thoughts. “It exists,” he repeated, his eyes narrowed and his voice more distanced. “Heaven…” He paused a moment in hesitation, a soft twinkle in his eyes that seemed to carry an unfathomable sadness in them. “…and Hell.”
His words—no, the way he said them—put her at a loss for words. She could feel the chills running down her spine. What did he mean by that? How did he know what she was thinking? Was she just thinking too much into it?
“How did you…?”
“I think it’s about time for me to start heading home,” the boy yawned, simultaneously standing up and stretching. His arms spread, extending above his head as he let out another yawn. His hair caught the glow of the setting sun, radiating a brilliant sheen of gold. The flowers swayed and danced with each breath of wind, the cool breeze melding seamlessly with the tranquil ambiance. The scene was breathtaking and she found herself staring longer than she should have. She’d been graced with the presence of an angel.
And with a blink of an eye, he simply vanished. Gone. Out of thin air. She blinked again, half-expecting him to come back. Of course, no such thing happened, but she was content. That feeling of warmth still lingered in the air and it blew a new breath of life into her. She was beyond questioning the nature of this sequence of events, satisfied with things as they were. The need to question had all but left her.

To be honest, she really didn’t believe it. Portals that lead into another dimension? That didn’t make any sense. There wasn’t any proof and all video evidence could be passed off as cheap visual effects. That kind of thing could easily be duplicated nowadays by any kid with a program you can snag off the shelf for a couple dozen bucks. Yet there she was standing, in front of one of the supposed altars that lead into the Aether. The locations of these things were certainly no secret—in fact, they were quite publicized. But honestly, who really believed any of that? It was large marble obelisk that rose about fifteen meters tall in a needle. Surrounding it in a circle was an array of similar but smaller stone posts.
She laid her palm flat against the stone surface. Was something supposed to happen? Was that all there really was to it? She sighed and backed up a few steps. She was an idiot for even trying. Why was she even here? It’s not like the entire thing didn’t smell of horseshit in the first place. As she turned around, she felt a subtle rumble underneath her feet. Slowly turning around, the smaller stones began sinking into the ground while the large one in the center split into four parts. She instinctively side-stepped so that she didn’t get laid flat when it came down. In the middle, there was a wide hole that was just wide enough for her to fit through. It looked more like a deathtrap than a portal to another dimension. To be honest, she was kind of expecting a ring of glowing light but she supposed that didn’t make much sense either. Though with everything she’s seen so far, she was starting to believe that maybe—just maybe there really was a world on the other side. All that was needed was this one last step.

Violet couldn’t tell how long it’s been since she’d hit the ground. There didn’t seem any way to reach the surface world again. It wasn’t that the entrance wasn’t possible to get to; it was that it just didn’t seem to exist anymore. Nor did sunlight. It was always dark—or at least musky—meaning all light had to be artificially created. The deep forest was a terrifying place to be in with nothing to light the way. The calls of animals that were common in forests on the surface were entirely absent here and that was perhaps the most unnerving thing. All she could hear was her own breathing and footsteps as she aimlessly wandered through the forest. At the very least, she wasn’t feeling hungry or thirsty despite having gone so long without anything to eat or drink, something she’d dismissed as a side effect of being in the Aether.
And it was no wonder why she was so startled when there was a sudden shuffling in the shrubberies somewhere behind her. She spun around, nearly tripping over her own feet as she walked backwards, watching her six with fearful eyes. She paused with bated breath, all sound having gone dead in the dark.
A small gray creature shot out from the bushes and leaped straight toward her, jaws wide open and its claws ready at its side. It must have been several meters away, but it was clearly going to land directly on her from the trajectory of its powerful jump. Violet’s eyes opened wide, knowing that there was nothing she could do. Fleeting thoughts entered her mind and then…
…it happened.
Something sharp and painful squirmed inside of her chest and burst out, feeling warm blood splash across her shirt. She could barely see what it was, but the thing snagged the creature out of midflight in its maw, splitting the monster in half between its razor teeth. The black, eyeless worm-like demon continued to coil out of her chest and dove toward the forest floor, hastily devouring the remnants of the creature it had just killed. Violet stared down at the thing in shock, touching it with shaking hands.
What…the fuck…is this?
Blood continued to spill from the hole it emerged from, its body scraping against the sides of the fissure in her chest. The pain was almost too much to bear, but for some strange reason she didn’t feel as though her life was in danger, but it didn’t end there. She felt the same sensation her back, only this time it was more static. Blades ripped out from her spine and extended outward in a spider-like formation around her sides. A massive eyeball appeared on her hand, staring unblinkingly back at her. Screaming, Violet stumbled back and landed on her rear, taken aback by this insane series of events. Somebody must’ve heard it because a new, unfamiliar figure made its way into the clearing, this one definitely human.
“Don’t look at me,” Violet whispered hoarsely with tears in her eyes, curled up as various appendages from her body thrashed and snapped around. The demon snarled and swung its head around and the blades sliced through the air and the dirt indiscriminately, kicking up dust and shredded leaves. “Please…don’t look…”

The stranger who went by the name of David had offered her clothes to replace her ripped ones, bringing her to some kind of settlement near the border of the forest. The room was lit by several candles, forcing away the darkness in every corner. Violet sipped a cup of water, looking warily up at the man. She'd calmed down for now, but she never wanted to experience that ever again.
“Thank you,” she said quietly, setting the cup back down.
“Don’t mention it,” he smiled. “You headed anywhere?”
“I…don’t really know where I’m going,” she shook her head. “I’m looking for somebody.”
“Everyone’s looking for somebody,” he laughed. “Sorry, I can’t help you there. The only way out of the forest is through the ravine, but the only problem is that it’s swarming with monsters. This settlement’s been holding a discussion on banding together to clear it out so everyone can move on. Of course, you can always go back the other way, but that’s arguably much more dangerous, especially if you plan on traveling on your own.”
“When’s the next meeting?” she asked.
“Right now,” David shrugged. “It’s happening in the next room. Want to listen in?”
“S-Sure,” she nodded hesitantly. It wasn’t like her to be so timid and uncertain of herself, but she’d never been so frightened in her life so she couldn’t really say that she could help it. She followed the man into the next room where the meeting was taking place. There were quite a few people there, only all of these people seemed to be different or have something on them. Violet was the only one in the room that wasn’t visibly different from a normal human being.
“You bring a ghost in here David?” one masked man asked.
“No, she’s one of us,” he said, seating Violet down in an empty chair. “Go on with the discussion.”
Violet glanced around nervously at the faces around her, fidgeting anxiously with her hands. What was going to happen from now on? She took a small breath and listened.

"Another one!? Dang, she's a bit young." Patraeko called out from behind the two, his voice was spoken in a very cocky tone. It seemed crazy how Patraeko had first made his appearance behind the two, but he had already made it next to Violet, crouching down to get to her level. "You sure you ain't stumbled upon the entrance here? Accidental discovery eh?" His tone seemed more insane as he rested his hand on Violet's shoulder, his cybernetic eye seemed to be scanning her body all over, the small red line moved side to side as if it were a pupil.

"Don't kill it" A high pitched voice sounded from behind Violet, the source of the voice appeared in the form of a red and green parrot which flew down and perched on Patraeko's shoulder. "One more til big One-Zero, don't kill it, kill that, not that" The bird continued on repeating the sentence until Patraeko stood and raised his robotic arm to silence the bird.

"Shush, Jeremy." Patraeko ordered in a very serious voice. "Anyway, sorry for being late guys! I was caught up fighting a rogue seeker, he made number 9!" Patraeko moved around the room as he spoke, jumping and spinning as if he was trying to dance. The parrot flew after Patraeko, trying to perch on his shoulder. As soon as Patraeko reached the seat a couple seats down from where Violet sat. He jumped and performed a front flip, only to land on the chair, sitting down. The parrot joined him by perching on his shoulder.

"Continue"

There was voice from behind her as Violet seated herself. This wasn't so much a cause for concern as the fact that he suddenly laid a hand on her. A myriad of switches went off in her head and she found herself swinging her arm at him.

"Don't touch me!" Violet shrieked, bucking in her chair. A single blade ripped out of her skin and extended outward, nearly within range to slash him. The room suddenly went silent, blood dripping from her hand. Her fingers curled and her breathing became labored, her vision a haze. "Who the fuck do you think you are?" she said hoarsely, grasping her shoulder as though a great deal of harm had been done to it. "I'll wring your fucking neck if you touch me again," she hissed, the blade retracting back underneath the flesh of her arm. Sitting beside her, David raised a brow, surveying the faces of the others at the meeting.

"What's everyone stopping for?" he said, ignoring the outburst. "Carry on."

Violet lowered her arm, her arm shaking as she rested her hands in her lap. "Don't fucking touch me," she whispered to herself, an empty glint her eyes. Her breathing had slowed down a little but she had trouble containing herself. No matter how furious she became, this was one place where she needed to maintain self control. Unlike the surface world, if she lost it here, she might really kill somebody. Violet closed her eyes and flushed all thoughts from her mind.

"Don't worry about it," David said. "Just be more careful next time."

"He mentioned something about a seeker," Violet said quietly as not to disturb the discussion. "What is that?"

"That's what we all are," he answered. "People who come down into the Aether."

"Why would they fight each other?"

"It's a bit of a handful to explain right now," he sighed. "I'll explain it to you after the meeting's over."

"I still think we need Ezekiel for this," one woman said on the opposite side of the room. "He knows the Aether better than any of us and he can probably handle himself in any situation no matter how rough things get. He can keep us safe."

"Yeah, but who's gonna go look for him?" a second man said. "He left, but he never mentioned if he was coming back or not. If we lost people out there looking for someone who isn't even around anymore, we won't have enough people to push through the ravine once we come back."

"It's a risk we have to take," a third one said. "We don't know if we can make it as it is."

"I don't think so," he shook his head. "We don't know for sure."

Patraeko said or did nothing while he sat. Instead, he stared over at Violet. Recalling the images in his head, touching her only for her to lash out at him. Bit mean. At least he managed to keep his cool by dodging back and dancing around the room. He giggled to himself as he thought about dancing around the room. Damn he must've looked like an idiot.

"Hmm... What do you think, Jeremy?" Patraeko spoke quietly towards the parrot, trying not to interrupt the meeting.
"One-Zero! No. Good. Don't kill it." The parrot repeated yet again to Patraeko.
"Stop acting as if that's all you can say, just be quiet and wait til later."

Patraeko leant forward and rested his head on his hands, still glaring over to Violet. Jeremy jumped off of his shoulder and stood on the table, also staring over at Violet.

As the magma colossus continued walking away from the gorge from which it had risen out of, a girl suddenly landed upon its hand, directly next to its new master. What she wanted wasn't clear, but the giant's other hand began to rise when she approached the boy, as if to attack her. When she didn't try to harm him, it also did not strike, though its hand still remained in position.

No one could really tell what the titan was thinking at any given time, but it was clear it was ready to protect its master from anything that it deemed a threat.

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

A rhythmatic series of jabs to the face caused Michael to finally awaken from his nightmare...or whatever he had experienced in the gorge. Rubbing his face, he started to rise, feeling his entire body had been soaked from the cold sweat he had broken into...that apparently hadn't stopped even when he was sleeping. Was his heart beating faster, still? This was really bothersome...but terrifying, of course. If he met that giant again, what would happen? Would he have a mental breakdown again?

There was no point in worrying about all this, so he looked around to see who had been poking him in the cheek. It seemed to be a girl with black hair, barely older than he was. "O-oh...hello," he greeted awkwardly, giving his best smile that he could after the trauma episode. "Well...I'm awake now. You were sayi-"

But his words froze midsentence, for as he was looking up to her, he noticed that the magma colossus from before was also there...and holding them in its hand, even. Once again, his mind blanked out, and he suddenly fell back down in the giant's hand, his eyes wide and his entire body tense. His vision blurred with a crazed combination of whatever he was seeing now, and the events that the magma colossus reminded him of...

It seemed the boy was awake. And given his sudden self-interruption, perhaps he was completely new to this whole aether thing. Though... there wasn't much of a reason for such a fearful reaction? In her current form, she was utterly inconspicuous. And the monster wasn't even that bad. Just a giant magma lump, or whatever. While she knew that there must have been some kind of symbolic reason as for why the boy's reflection spawned a guardian, it didn't really matter all too much to her. She focused her gaze on the boy, rearranging her hood slightly.

"I'll explain all this shit later." She said flippantly, gesturing at the guardian. "Just answer me this first, boy. I was thinking. You look kinda girly." She paused, chuckling a little. "...You kinda act girly too. So maybe your fear reaction was cuz of this rapist I heard goin' around. You seen him? Know where he went?" She sighed, still sneering at the boy. "I was hunting him for the past few weeks. Scum. Y'know. But yeah. Any idea where he mighta gone, boy?"

Though he could tell even in his nightmare...actually, he had no idea what he was supposed to call it, since he was still awake...that the girl was talking to him, Michael could barely hear her over his memories. He couldn't respond at all for a few minutes, before the hallucination ended abruptly. Gasping for breath, Michael put a hand on his heart, just to make sure it was still there. When he felt as though he had calmed down enough, he started trying to respond, but it all came out in a quiet, raspy voice that was completely different.

"...I...I haven't seen any...rapist at all...or anything here...really," he replied, trying not to look at her, for if he looked in her direction, he'd be looking at the magma giant directly. "...I...just entered...the Aether...some time ago. Fainted...when I came in."

Of course, he could divulge into the reasons why he had fainted, but he was trying his absolute best not to go into it.

If the girl really cared at all about the boy or whatever, she'd have thought more about what kind of thing would make the boy faint so suddenly. She took a cursory glance at the scenery - there really wasn't anything special around, unless the Guardian counted. So... magma-based trauma? In any case, it didn't matter. What did matter was that this boy had no lead whatsoever on her hunt. She prepared to unleash her wings again, when she remembered that she said she'd explain the whole deal to the newcomer. So, perhaps grudgingly, the girl sat down again, almost uncomfortably.

"...Whatever." She said, with a lazy frown. "Guess I gotta get you up to speed..." She poked the boy again. "What do I even call you? Just boy all the time ain't really gonna cut it." She then gestured at herself. "I'm Luna, by the way. Been here much longer than you."

It was only after the girl had moved herself right next to him that Michael finally started looking in her direction...well, she didn't seem very friendly, but at least she was bothering to give him a hand. At first, Michael was about to stand up, but his legs were too weak from the trauma, and he ended up clumsily falling back down. "Ah...I am Michael Aefenleoht," he replied, keeping his voice as steady as he could as he nodded in her direction. Wasn't exactly a bow, but it would work. "Pleased to make your acquaintance. Um...just call me whatever you want, I suppose?"

Michael whatevertheshit. The last name was too confusing, and it didn't really seem worth it to bother. And Michael sounded kind of silly. Mike would have to do. Mike the boy that wasn't really very manl- anyways. That didn't matter. The girl relaxed on the hand, figuring she might as well take the time to rest a little before ditching the runt and hunting again.

"So, Mike." She started. "I ain't gonna ask why you're here. That's personal shit. But you do gotta know that... there're demon things. They wanna kill ya. That means combat. Relyin' on your Guardian - the magma dude - who, by the way, is a lot bigger than most Guardians I seen. So I s'pose you got lucky there." She stretched her arms. "Anyways. Yeah. Demon things. Combat. Gotta get over whatever's got you afraid if you wanna survive in here. This magma dude's your only ally. Understood?"

Well, "Mike" would work, he supposed...but when Luna said he had to rely on his guardian, which was the magma colossus of all things, Michael stared at her with disbelief and dismay. He started to protest the idea, before he realized that there was really no point in protesting--she knew the land better than he did, so she probably was more aware of what was going on. "...some luck I have," he sighed, eyes focused unusally closely upon his hands...no wait, he couldn't look at them, either, not with the new green marking that had appeared. "Um...I'd like to ask more, but...I think I'm a, um, bit of a special case, so never mind. Well...is there anywhere we can go, then...like, where the demons won't attack us, or something?"

Looking the boy over... who really did seem utterly terrified of pretty much everything, Luna figured that it really was a shame. If he was stronger mentally, he'd be an amazingly powerful fighter, what with the Guardian. Of course, Guardian Reflections leave the seeker themself to be vulnerable, doesn't it? So... in any case, the boy would have to learn some basic self defense. Or... just go to some settlement and stay there, where he'd be surrounded by others. That's the coward's route though - but perhaps it suited him just fine. He wouldn't have to really fight - but then, he wouldn't be able to find whatever it is he's looking for, either.

It really did suck. Luna'd probably have a better time finding Olivia if she had a strong companion to sic on whatever's too strong for herself to handle.

"There's some place with people up ahead." Luna pointed in the direction. "Though, y'know. Demons can still get in. But there's safety in numbers." A sigh. "...Though it's kinda stupid. Can't look for what ya came here for, ya know?"

Well, as good a time as any to describe the whole Reflections shindig.

"Anyways. Y'got three different types of reflections. You're a Guardian type." She grabbed his face and aimed it at the magma dude. "In which y'got that guy, for example, protecting your ass." She then quickly shimmered lavender, emerging in her magical girl outfit after whispering her catch phrase and looking away briefly (conveniently at the point in which Mike started to laugh, but barely managed to suppress it before any sound could come out or when she turned back.). "...Y'got Aegis. That's me. Enchanted equipment and stuff. Like my sword." She quickly changed back. "Then y'got self reflection. Like, body mods, or super powers. Y'could have better reflexes, maybe. Or shoot lighnting outta your nipples. Shit like that." She poked the b- Mike again. "Ya gettin' it so far?"

Michael shot an annoyed glance in her direction. "Would you mind not poking me so much?" he asked, before his expression changed back to its normal smile...which wasn't necessarily genuine, but let us ignore that for now. "But, yes, I think I get it."

"You're helpless." Luna said smugly. "Kinda like someone I kn- anyways. Yeah. And helpless people're fun to poke." She then conjured up a small dull rapier, and tossed it at Mike, hilt first. "Swing that 'round a bit. You're gonna have to fight yourself too, at least a little bit. Just in case. Magma dude don't look like a fast type."

As he caught the unsheathed weapon (it was best not to ask where it had come from), Michael sighed. Helpless, she had called him. It wasn't exactly the most encouraging thing to hear after a trauma attack...Ugh, I shouldn't be thinking of that now! Carefully propping himself up with the thin blade, he tested his legs to see if they were actually capable of working now. To his relief, they were. "So...I guess I'll need to use this weapon, then." He tried stabbing through the air with it, but of course his arm was shaky, and he was sure he looked silly. Hell, Thomas would be laughing at him ri-

Shouldn't. Think. About. Thomas.

Michael was about to sheath the rapier, but he remembered there was no sheath, and he was just making himself look even more idiotic. With a sigh, he put it back down. "Well...thank you for telling me about this place, Luna."

....This really was hopeless. Mike just didn't really seem good or whatever, with a sword. Perhaps it'd take time. Luna more or less ignored the thanks - she's a knight of goddamn justice, didn't need no thanks - and brandished her left hand. Her mark glowed, and yet another sword popped out. She did this a few more times until there was a small, yet worthy selection. A greatsword, a claymore, a cavalry sword, an estoc, a zweihander, even a shortsword and an epee. There was also a katana, but she had a feeling Mike wouldn't go for that one. She gestured at the selection with a grin.

"So maybe a rapier ain't your style." She said. "Pick whatever feels right t'you, I guess. Then we can ask some smithy in the settlement t'make you a sheath for it, after you try it out." She looked fondly at the weapons. "A sword's gotta feel like an extension of your own arm, y'know. Gotta feel natural. If it's awkward, y'won't be able to use it in a pinch."

Though Michael was actually tempted to pick up the katana just to see what it was like, he figured it was the worst possible choice. He looked among the other weapons, already knowing he wouldn't be able to weild something too heavy, so the zweihander was out of the question, too...after going through the other swords, he picked up the claymore and started swinging it around. This one felt a little more right, but he needed two hands to wield it. Oh well, better than nothing...hopefully he could find someone to teach him how to use it.

"Then, I guess I'll go with this one," he declared, holdng it up. "Is it really okay, though, for you to just be handing me your swords?"

"I got plenty of spares." Luna shrugged, before conjuring her own favorite, a curved cavalry sword. "Wanna have a go?"

"W-wait, now?!" Michael stared at her with disbelief. "Um...I don't know if I'd like to do that...you know, we might..." How was he supposed to word this without feeling silly? Somehow, though, it didn't feel like the palm of the magma colossus...or rather, his cruel joke of a Guardian...was the best place for a duel. "Um...maybe when we get to the settlement," he sighed.

That reminded him, he needed to tell his Guardian to head to the settlement. Would it listen to him, though...? "H-hey. Guardian," he called up, without looking at its face himself. "We, uh, need to go in that direction, okay?" His hand pointed in the direction that Luna said the settlement was in.

To his surprise, the Guardian immediately turned and began to move in that direction without any questions or delays. Perhaps it wouldnt' be that much trouble after all...maybe. All he needed to do was get over his fear of it...

Luna waved a hand and dispelled the extra swords, before putting herself back into a relaxed position.

"Seeing as you're all weak right now..." She laughed. "Guess I'll stick 'round for a bit. Maybe use you as bait to draw the rapist out once we're there. Sure are girly enough." Oddly enough, she didn't really mind the kid too much. Maybe it was because he was similar to Olivia in some ways - but perhaps not, and he was just too sympathetic for her Knight of Justice self to ignore. In any case, it seemed she was going to accompany him for at least a little bit. Maybe she'd eve enjoy it. Poking him sure made her day, after all.

Eying her with a rather annoyed...and maybe nervous...look, Michael hoped she was joking about the part about bait, even if he was mostly sure she was. "Well...thank you," he replied awkwardly. Well, it was nice to not have to travel alone, he supposed...

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

Meanwhile, if the people in the same room as Violet looked out the window, they would see a certain magma colossus far away, but advancing towards the settlement...

Jeremy whistled as he looked out of the window. "Mr. Payemyndii, look!" Jeremy called to Patraeko as he jumped back onto his shoulder while looking out of the window.
"I told you, there is no need to be formal." Patraeko spoke while he turned around to look out of the window at the massive magma titan walking towards the settlement. "Wow... That is not something you see every day. Hm.. I wonder how many days have passed..."

Patraeko stood up and wondered over to the door. "Hey guys, I'm gonna go say hi to our visitor." He spoke with an insane tone, he seemed happy to go into action. "Hey, One-Zero, care to join me?" Patraeko directed his offer towards Violet, giving her that name due to what his parrot was saying and because he did not know her name.

The people in the room did not object to Patraeko's decision, he was too unpredictable to deal with. The guy strikes fear into their hearts and they all would love to get rid of him, but his skills in fighting and the way he deals with things is irreplaceable. No matter if he was insane or not.

This is a stupid idea, Ambar.

Despite that one insistent thought flitting about in her head, the young woman kept moving forward one foot in front of the other. The Altar loomed ominously overhead in a shocking parody of some manmade structure she could not recall the name of. Ambar knew from what little research she could find on the Altars that each one had a unique appearance, but the geometric anomaly before her was something else entirely. The altar in Dubland was vaguely pyramid shaped with runes that looked so much like waves and crests. The one in Hawaii was a group of obsidian shards pulsing red. For all intents and purposes, they were beautiful in an eerie sort of way.

The tourists already saw you pass the yellow line, it'd be embarassing to go back now. Damnit. You stupid idiot.

Why was it, Ambar thought sullenly, that the Altar closest to her home was this thing. The Altar looked like nothing more than a jagged, twisting mass of silver that somehow formed perfect angles and an obelisk shape despite the gaps in its design. The odd designs around the base constantly writhed with a life of their own, their meaning just barely out of understanding but not so alien that one could not try to decipher their meaning. It was disconcerting.

This is the point of no return.

It had not been her best idea. Doing this in broad daylight, in the middle of New York City on a Friday afternoon with four-dozen tourists crowded around the gleaming altar was the kind of poorly constructed plan that riddled Ambar's life, now that she thought about it. It was too late for those kinds of thoughts though. The Altar felt cool and smooth against her palm in defiance of the afternoon sun blazing down against it. The hushed whispers of the crowd were making Ambar's stomach turn.

With a cry of anguish Ambar tore her hand away from the altar and fell to her knees. She was on all fours and vomiting her guts out in moments. Damnit. I knew I'd chicken out, fuck, fuck. Wiping a bit of saliva from the corner of her mouth and choking back a sob, Ambar took a moment to regain her footing. She nearly lost it again when she stared out over a commanding view of a heavily wooded area.

It was so poorly lit by some sort of ambient light that it was hard to discern at first, but Ambar slowly came to the realization that she was not in Kansas anymore. The smell hit her first. A mix of earthy loam and a charnel house. A sudden tightness against the three longest fingers of her left hand was the second thing that came to her attention.

In the wan light, Ambar made out three bands against her skin. They would be the only reason she survived the next few days.

---

Twelve Days Later, the Meeting

It was hard to blame Violet. That freak, Patraeko, was startling enough as it was without him actually touching you. Ambar shuddered as she settled in to her seat. It was not that he had cybernetic implants–Ambar was hardly as judgemental as all that to dislike someone based on some body modifications–that unnerved her about that man. It was everything else.

Petraeko was unabashedly unhinged. He made no attempt to hide his imbalance. His modifications were hardly legal, on that note. The parrot that acted as his constant company was icing on the nutcake that was Petraeko. Just as he was doing with Violet, David had given Ambar the courtesy of explaining some basics about the realm in which they now dwelled. The knowledge that Seekers grew in power by slaying other Seekers was hardly comforting with people like the cyborg around.

Turning her attention back to the discussion at hand, Ambar nodded in consideration. From what she had learned of Ezekiel, this dude was a total badass. In the time she had joined the small settlement, three people had died in some gruesome fashion or another. It was painfully obvious that they were not equipped to endure their surroundings without protectors like this Ezekiel.

Without thinking Ambar raised her hand to call for attention.

“I volunteer to go search for him!” keenly aware of the sudden attention, Ambar ran a hand through her hair and began twiddling with the rings on her left hand. “I mean, my Aegis is sort of perfect for running and getting out of trouble. With enough supplies and a lead, I could probably keep safe for a while as I search for this Ezekial guy...”

Ambar adjusted her glasses and meekly scanned the room for any sort of support. The gesture was hardly altruistic. She just figured that the more useful she made herself to these people, the less likely they were to outright slaughter her to increase their own power.

Finding Ezekiel would just be a bonus.

"I have a name and it's not 'one-zero,'" came the curt reply. "My name is Violet." The woman was still a little heated from earlier but she'd managed to keep herself under control for the moment. This was not the time for outbursts. Someone else that seemed to be around her own age suggested going out to search; Violet didn't know enough about this world to make a judgment call here, but it did lead to some more questions. "What's with all this jargon everyone's throwing around?" she whispered to David. "What's an Aegis?"

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions," he answered, "but like I said earlier, I'll answer anything that I can once we're outside." He cleared his throat and threw in his own opinion on the matter at hand. "I concur," he said, nodding to Ambar. "If we try to force our way through, we'll lose too many people. Even if we don't end up finding him out there, the least we can do is turn back. It'll be much safer than plowing through the infested ravine, even if it's a long stretch of land to move through. If it does come to that, it'll still be manageable as long as we stay as a group."

"Go fuck yourself!" a man by the door shouted. "Do you have any idea how long it took for me just to get here? Maybe you should take your heads out of your asses and realize that some of us need to go this way." His eyes were slightly bloodshot and his breathing had grown heavier. "I know my daughter's out there somewhere beyond that crossing and I'm not turning back, not even if I have to push through it myself." He stood up and clenched his hands into fists, brilliant white sparks crackling across his hands. "We're crossing the ravine."

"Sit down," David said calmly, gesturing for him to settle down. "Nobody's certain of anything right now, but we need a solution that works for everybody-"

"Well it doesn't work for me!" he snapped. "How about the rest of you?" He said, raising his voice as he addressed the others present at the meeting. "Are you all okay with this? Gonna let these two assholes waste all of the progress we've made to come this far?" A sudden rumbling interrupted the flow of the conversation and their gazes were drawn outside as something incredibly massive could be seen making its way to the settlement from afar.

"The hell is that?" someone whispered.

"Everyone out," David said, a hint of command in his voice as he rose to his feet and made a sweeping motion with his arms. "This could be dangerous. Even if it's not a monster, nobody heads straight for a settlement with a massive guardian like that at their back unless they're planning a total wipeout. We need to move, now."

Violet hesitantly stood out of her seat, surveying their faces with an anxious expression. Guardians? Monsters? A wipeout? What the hell was going on?

---

Lilliana sat propped against the wall of a strange building, in a strange new place. So it existed, The Aether, it wasn't as bad as people said it was, she just felt so...tired, and dizzy. She raised a paw to her head and groaned slightly, a groan accompanied by an unfamiliar growl, her vision was fuzzy as were the rest of her senses but finally as the fog in her brain began to dissipate and her vision cleared. The fuzzy paw appendage remained, the feeling of brushed fur and heated body a constant along with a keen flood of information from her other senses. For a moment, she panicked, patting down her body with wide eyes and trembling paws, her new tail only serving to madden her more with its nervous twitching and frantic flickering as she searched her body for any signs of humanity.

With a deep calming breath and a shudder, she pulled a note pad from her left pocket along with a pencil and began to frantically sketch on the open page. Light details, dark shadows, fine and accurate presses and strokes eventually left her with what could possibly be one of her most precious assets. A fine sketch of herself, of who she really was before she entered this place, a human. With a shaking hand she flicked the notebook to a new page and pocketed it with the pencil in tow, another deep calming breath and she was ready to try and stand, and whilst it first her strange padded feet discomforted her and left her stumbling and falling due to their strange angling with her legs. She eventually began to walk with small effort, her constant swerving ears and swaying tail however would take far longer to get used to, as well as the claws and constant flood of information she wasn't sure her brain could process.

Luckily that seemed to have adapted too, she should have expected such a reflection, at least her clothes hadn't been lost in transition, even with all the fur she could not imagine feeling very comfortable so exposed. Besides it would make her suit much more difficult to use, not to mention all the dirt and pieces of bark that she knew would get tangled within the strange mass of ha-. Her Suit!, Her tail began flickering and twitching again, only making her more nervous as her stumbling legs tried to run around the area she had entered, eventually finding the piece of machinery at the back of the building she had lain against. With another not so relaxed shuddering breath, she checked the various packs for the supplies she'd placed in them and found everything in correct order, climbing in through the back as per her own preference, her new limbs found themselves ill suited and uncomfortable for the machine. It was useable however, and that would suit well enough for now.

That is until she discovered another problem, with a final wrench and a crack that left her hunched over in pain and whimpering, she discovered a pair of wings that had lodged themselves in between some of the back plating, why did she have to get such a troublesome form? A gentle paw slowly and carefully folded them out of the plating, her control of the muscles within them less then novice. She managed to keep them folded to her back with difficulty and eventually sealed the suit completely, finding the space much smaller then she remembered, especially with twitching ears that flattened to her head in defeat, gracing what seemed to be pointed ivory horns. She was no longer surprised, only submissive that she was to live with this form until she retrieved what she had come for, it came in handy sooner then she ever thought possible as she hefted her large gun up into proper defensive position.

She heard the thumping before she booted up the hardware in her suit, the sensors finally kicking in and alerting her to somethings presence. "Little late you piece of junk" She grumbled, tightening her hold on the back and front grip of her gun, feeling the familiar weight calming her significantly as she trudged awkwardly to the front of the place she found herself stranded in. Her training had kicked in and she ignored all but what could be an enemy, her sensitive ears picking up scraps of the inside conversation, apparently they were leaving. If that was the case she would provide covering fire, she was completely oblivious to the lava monster or its companions, in fact anything that her instincts told her were friendly, instead getting down on one knee and bending the other, bracing herself and the suit. Locking a few plates together and holding the gun down by her hip, sweeping it back and forth as she scanned the horizon and flipping a lever back and forth with a whir and click as bullets rolled down in position to refill the weapons ammo box.

Locked and loaded, all she needed now was a target. Hoping that her new body wouldn't get too badly bruised and jarred by recoil and any damage the suit sustained, but she doubted it. "Just my luck." She joked with a determined grin. Waiting outside the strange building like a living statue.

"Ah, Violet. Eh, One-Zero sounds better. Mind if I call you that?" Patraeko was going to call Violet One-Zero anyway, he was just being polite.

After listening to the volunteering people made, Patraeko couldn't resist. "If you guys are volunteering then I'll go too! Shit sounds fun, and my reflection will be a lot of help. How else do you think I can move with such speed and agility?" Patraeko moved around the room to demonstrate his speed. It was something you would expect from a cartoon, he moved from one area to another area amazingly quick, stopping in different positions which were quite comical as well.

As people began leaving the room, Patraeko noticed Violet was standing still. She seemed confused with what was happening, what a newbie. Patraeko had to do something if that big guy was dangerous. He quickly moved towards Violet and picked her up, holding her like a princess in his arms. "Come, One-Zero. The settlement needs us!"

"Ahahaha! You always wanted to say that Mr Payemyndii" Jeremy commented on Patraeko's words through his high pitched laughter.
"Got a problem? Anyway, lets go!"

"Do whatever the hell you want," Violet hissed, still upset about earlier. "Just don't expect me to respond to that."

"Yeah you can move a little fast, good job," the man from earlier said sarcastically. "So can just about every other fucker down here, most of 'em with half the mind to rip us all to pieces. You want to think of this like some kind of fucking game, you take your candy-ass somewhere else."

"We don't have time for fighting," David said, staring at them. But clearly they did, since Patraeko quickly moved in and picked up Violet despite showing her agitation about being touched earlier.

The room was suddenly splattered in blood as blades and claws extended from Violet's body, stretching out from nearly every part of her. She spun out of his grasp in a twisting whirlwind of splashing blood and razor sharp edges. A demon-like worm burst out from her back and hovered over her shoulder, baring glistening teeth. A single metallic wing extended from her shoulder and eyes began appearing where they shouldn't be.

"I've had it with you," Violet said quietly, glaring at the man who'd touched her. "And here, I was trying hard enough to keep myself in check, but even after I clearly said not to touch me-" The room shook violently as she stomped on the floor in rage, her arms shaking and her eyes glowing a crimson red to match her blood-soaked body. "I'll fucking murder you," she snarled. David reached out for her but quickly withdrew his hand when a blade whipped toward him. "Don't make me repeat myself," she said with cold eyes.

"This is not the time," David warned Violet. "We need to go. Now."

"Then go," she said. "I won't be satisfied until I rip this pompous asshole in half." It was happening again. Only this time, it felt so much more natural. This guy was purposefully trying to get on her nerves unlike most of the cases where she snapped, which was usually some little misunderstanding or accident. This was different. "You," she continued, locking her eyes with Patraeko. "What did I just fucking say a minute ago?" The demon seemed to swell inside, gradually starting to fill up the space of the room. "Don't." A new set of blades appeared on her back, folding around her like spider legs. "Fucking." Metal arms tore through her skin and emerged from her shoulders, bent forward in claws. "Touch me." She lunged forward, aimed straight for his chest with an array of blades extended from her arm.

"Are we just leaving them here?" one whispered to David.

"We don't have a choice," he shook his head. "We have to get moving before that thing reaches us. If anybody thinks they can split them up, be my guest, but it's gotta be fast."

After watching the amazing transformation the little girl showed Patraeko, he couldn't help but smile. But his smile was filled with insanity, bearing his teeth, his eye widened and his pupil changed to the shape of a black ring. "Now THIS isn't something you see everyday!" He smirked, then giggled then gave off a massive laugh of insanity. As the event unfolds, Jeremy had already left the scene to wait in a tree for his owner. "Now. You guys get to see what I can REALLY do!"

As the bladed arm flew towards Patraeko, he doesn't move, instead he stands and welcomes the blades. Suddenly, the blades are blocked and the forward velocity is instant cancelled out. Causing Violet to come to a sudden halt. The source of the stop comes from the tips of the blades. Small circles of liquid shadow had formed in front of each tip, - About 2 feet away from Patraeko's chest- blocking the blades from reaching any closer to Patraeko's body. The main source of the shadows lies at Patraeko's feet. His Shadow. Even though the shadows had liquid properties, they defied physics as they flowed up his legs and around his body. Only to slowly drip upwards off of his shoulders into two large balls of the liquid which began circling around his body, smaller balls began forming as the larger ones reached their maximum size. (About the size of his head). Along with the balls of shadow, the main shadows from his body also dripped outwards from his chest into the circles of shadow in front of him, constantly strengthening them and replacing damaged parts.

"You see, this is why I call you One-Zero." Patraeko spoke out to Violet, his voice had completely changed into a deeper, more evil yet insane tone. "Your actions have begun placing you on my list. Now what you have done, it won't be long until you join the list and number One-Zero!" Patraeko raised his arms and removed his backpack from his back, he dropped it onto the floor, causing a rattling noise to be given off due to the large amount of ammunition held inside.

"However, this isn't even my final form!" Patraeko speaks as he lowers his arms to his sides. The backpack was covering the two perfectly cut holes in Patraeko's clothing. The shown skin begins to lump until it splits open, allowing two massive bone structures to emerge. Stretching about 12 feet each the two structures each have an extra 3 smaller bones unfold to form the skeleton of wings. Dark, Blood red skin forms from his back up the wings, causing them to somehow glow in the light. The wings are perfect, no holes or rips. It was obvious Patraeko didn't use them much.

"Now we can both show off our Reflections!" Patraeko laughed yet again but suddenly stopped to speak;
"I like your reflection though, it's pretty cool! Wanna make a pact and work together? That sounds nice, we should!" He seemed to be talking to himself, his personality constantly changed along with his voice. Showing that he had spent a lot of his life alone, hence the fact he has no idea how to act in certain situations.

"Thanks, David." Ambar said, sighing her relief. The assumption that she would not be required to venture out alone was clear in his voice, and Ambar was visibly thankful for that. The man by the door though, Julio, was a different matter entirely. He seemed broken, unstable. Ambar frowned slightly. Things like that made her wonder; what were the circumstances of the death of his daughter? To be that adamant about her rescue, it would not be so far fetched to assume that she was his last remaining relative, or only child or something like that. Maybe a car accident and survivor's guilt?

Her ruminations were cut short as that sociopath Patraeko demonstrated his own ability to move quickly via his reflection. Ambar visibly shuddered at the greasy shadows that poured from the cyborg's body as he zipped across the room, making a show of stopping abruptly in different positions. This time, Ambar just could not resist. "Patraeko, what is your damage?" her words were more inquisitive than patronizing, more soft than annoyed. "You're armed to the teeth, sport illegal body mods and have a Reflection that does nothing but amplify your destructive potential," she waved a hand across the room, making sure to indicate all those within, "You could be a paragon of the Seekers, but you choose to act like some thirteen year old white boy on XBox Live who has way too much time on his hands and just must be a troll at every opportunity."

David's gaze suddenly hardened as he focused on something outside of the room. Whirling around to the window, the cause of his concern became immediately apparent. A huge, shambling mound of a creature was ambling its way towards the settlement. Its course was not deviating in the slightest, and when David said to run, Ambar was already leaping out of her chair. Her limbs felt like fire as the energies of her ring, Fear, flooded her system. A single step brought her to the door. The alacrity the item imparted was still quite jarring to Ambar, and she nearly crashed in to Julio, who was still ordering others out alongside David.

A sound not unlike the rush of water, a lot of water, roared from somewhere close. Somewhere close behind her. Ambar stopped dead in her tracks at the door, allowing the rest of the occupants of the room to empty out as Violet's Reflection tore from her body in a tidal deluge of inky blood and viscera.

"Oh god." the word was barely more than a whisper as she took in the beast that was Violet's...Guardian? Self? Ambar could not know. What she could determine though, was that it was absolutely breathtaking. Terrifying and awe-inspiring in equal measure. It took a visible effort to focus her thoughts on the present.

David was giving up on separating the pair. A spark of panic ignited in Ambar's chest. If Violet was anything like most people that came down here, she would not exactly have the best grasp of how to use her reflection at first. Patraeko, on the other hand, not only knew how to use his, but had a god damned assault rifle. A quiet, insistent thought nagged at her:

You can't lose her.

"I'm sorry, Violet!"

Before either of them knew what was happening Ambar had a hand wrapped around Violet's wrist and was hauling her through the door and out into the settlement towards David with all due haste. Technically meeting the parameters of her Aegis, Fear, by running in the opposite direction as Violet, Ambar's feet barely touched the ground as she sprinted across the square with supernatural agility.

The entire time, Violet's bloody Self was bearing down on Ambar's small form with reckless abandon. The creature sought to hack off limbs and stab deep, but found that task to be easier said than done. Thanks to Ambar's tertiary Aegis, Weakness, each attack left little more than a red line across her flesh.

Ambar let go when they were several hundred feet from the house. She doubled over, hands on knees, heart hammering and covered in dozens of bloody cuts. "I'm sorry." she repeated through ragged gasps. "Sorry." it took a little bit, but she finally managed to catch her breath again, looking at Violet with clearly apologetic eyes.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to invade your personal space, but I needed to get you away from...him." she managed a weak smile. "It won't happen again."

She did not notice the left-side lens of her glasses missing a large chunk of glass.

Michael nodded to both the man with the elk and Luna. "I thank both of you for helping me," he replied. "Then, I suppose I can go on the expedition as well. We might find some interesting bit of his...wait, never mind." Abashed, he reminded himself that the Aether probably had no recorded history, aside from what the other Seekers would have seen.

They were getting closer and closer to the settlement by now. Luna was already walking into town with a confident look, and Michael was ready to follow...but abruptly, he heard a hissing noise from above, and realized it was coming from his Guardian. Looking up, he was worried he would experience another trauma attack...but instead, he saw it grasping one of its lava tentacles in its hand, as though it was a whip. It drew its arm back, ready to slash...

"H-hey! Stop! Guardian, stand down! Now!" Michael ordered, but the magma titan simply remained motionless in that same position, like it was ready to attack at any time. Trying to find the source of it all, Michael turned and noticed a robotic suit holding a gigantic gun...where was the user aiming it at? Was that what was bothering his Guardian?

Leaving the claymore with the man on the elk, Michael moved towards the suit as close as he dared to, raising his hands to show he was unarmed. "Please, put the gun down!" he pleaded, hoping the user wouldn't open fire on him. "I'm not here to attack you!" Although, with the Guardian in position to strike, his words probably weren't too convincing.

Suddenly, he saw something else--a black girl was getting attacked by another girl...was "girl" even the right term for the second one?! Monstrous appendages soaked with the girl's own blood were bursting out of her body, with blades at the ends, and they were hacking away at the black girl. Eyes wide with horror, Michael began to run towards the two, forgetting about the robotic sentry, but they were gone long before he could get close. "What is...going on in this place?" he wondered as he gasped for breath.

Meanwhile, the colossal magma titan continued to loom above the city, whip in hand, still poised to lay waste to anything it believed would threaten its young master.

Jeremy flew down to hover near Ambar's head. The parrot spoke in a high pitched yet calm and caring voice. "Mr Payemyndii mentally unstable. Insane. He strong. Yet simple. They fear him. Personality changes scary. He my master. Be nice to him. He nice to you." The parrot spoke in short sentences, ready to fly away if attacked.

A silent explosion occurred at the front of the building where Patraeko was in. The black shadows threw the shattered pieces in all directions, originating from one of the small balls of shadow orbiting Patraeko's body. He flew out of the building after the two. "Hey, you're stealing my number! We were in the middle of something. Get back here, I won't kill unless provoked!" Patraeko called out in between his giggles. He laughed as he was having fun while flying. Once the two stopped he allowed himself to fall and land perfectly on his cybernetic leg, the hydraulics cushioned his fall.

With his sword drawn and more balls of shadow forming around his body he spoke to the two. "Why would you interrupt me? We could be friends!" His voice changed again to how it was before, his laughing had stopped and the tone of insanity began to fade away.

"Meanie"

Violet found herself being suddenly yanked away; her issues with personal space conflicted with shock at what the woman was trying to do, dragging her along even has her reflection whizzed out of control and indiscriminately slashed around. It was hard to be mad at her strongly apologetic tone as she explained what she was doing. It didn't do much to help since he followed straight after her regardless.

"I don't think friend means what you think it means," she said, taking a step back from him. "Why the hell are you following me?" Her attention was drawn by others who intruded on the scene, perhaps more specifically the enormous lava-flowing structure that seemed to have gotten much closer than before. She'd calmed down a little and parts of her reflections had retracted, but it wasn't doing a lot to improve the situation. A sword soared in out of nowhere, aimed straight for the parrot. Violet stumbled back on instinct, noticing that a younger girl had thrown it for some unexplainable reason.

Everyone here is crazy.

"Sorry, but we don't take those kinds of chances here," David shook his head. "When you see something that large and menacing coming toward you, the general reaction is not to wait and see if it's friendly. But if you say that he is, then it might be just what we need to make it through." He turned his head toward Violet and Patraeko. "...but we do have some internal problems that still need to be resolved."

Michael smiled in response to the compliment that the man on the elk--or rather, shapeshifting Guardian--gave him. "Well...I hope I don't have to explain why I chose that name, though," he laughed, although he really did hope that. "Although...I suppose your Guardian is also pretty amazing...shapeshifting is a very convenient ability, isn't it? It's like you can practically do anything."

The two were starting to near a group of people, the leader of which was talking with Luna. After the man with the shapeshifting Guardian finished saying something about Luna being scary, Michael almost laughed, but he quickly silenced himself, for fear she'd hear him. "It's sound advice, sir. I'll remember to be careful," he nodded, taking his claymore back. Oh dear, he probably wouldn't have time to get a scabbard crafted after all.

But as they got closer to the group, Michael quickly realized they were talking about him and Atlanthal. A little bit worried by this, he cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Ah, yes, um. I am the master of the magma titan whom you all...seem to have been a little bit unsettled by," he declared, trying to keep his voice calm. Public speaking...ugh.

"Well, I believe I heard something about an expedition into a ravine? If that's the case, I might not be qualified to go into such a dangerous place right away, but I would like to accompany you." And with these words finished, Michael waited for a response.

As he waited for the leader to say something, he noticed the two girls that he had tried to chase after earlier. It seemed they were starting to calm down...not very much, though. While Michael wanted to go over to them and ask what had happened, he figured it was probably best not to do so...the woman standing near them, who was speaking rather harshly to some kind of cyborg abomination, was proof enough that whatever went on with those girls was too intense for him to approach them now.

Jeremy moves away from the flying sword at the same speed Patraeko does. Leaving shadows in his path, it seems the reflection also covers the bird. He flies over to Patraeko and sits on his shoulder, causing the shadows which were dripping up from his shoulders to swerve around his body.

Ignoring what the girls were saying he heard the speech of someone who obviously had some speech impediment or something, after hearing the insults he slowly turned around. Slight pieces of anger flowed through his body, the balls of shadow orbiting him reacted by becoming slightly spiked as they were being pulled apart in all directions.

"I don't recall claiming any of that. You obviously do not understand the systems of my substitute limbs. And as for the fuckers who threw me into a generator, they were thugs. Gangmembers. Of course they are retarded." Patraeko spoke in a normal tone, it was rare to hear him speak normally, but he normally does when someone presses the wrong buttons.

"That girl. That girl. Meanie. Swords. Attack me!" Jeremy called out facing Luna while flapping his wings.

That was when Patraeko lost his temper, yeah people could insult him or attack him. He just finds it fun most of the time. But attacking Jeremy is asking for shit to hit the fan. As he faced the little girl, he said nothing but walked up to her. The shadow balls simply broke up and molded together and circled closely around his body, covering most of his body.

"What are you doing attacking Jeremy!?" Patraeko spoke through gritted teeth, grabbing his rifle. He also drew his sword and held the rifle in one and and the sword in another. Firing the rifle would make no difference, the recoil would be cancelled out by his arm.

Patraeko stopped when he was so close to Luna that he could elbow her in the head without moving any closer. He didn't point his weapons he just stood and waited for an excuse. The guy is simple enough to accept any excuse anyway.

Suddenly, the crazy cyborg was standing right in front of Luna, demanding something about attacking some person called Jeremy. Though Michael wasn't sure who this Jeremy person was, he was aware that he was holding a gun and a sword, as though he was going to attack Luna at any moment. And regardless of whoever she attacked, alarm bells were going off in his mind. "Atlanthal! Come here, now!" he shouted, as if to open air.

The magma titan did not disappoint, and the familiar rumble of it moving resounded through the air. Meanwhile, Michael, gripping the claymore with both hands, rushed between the cyborg and the girl who had given him the sword. Shoving the cyborg backwards with his shoulder, and pushing Luna away with his free hand, he raised the claymore in the best defensive posture he could manage at his level of skill and strength. The worst thing he hoped Luna would do to him after this was poke him (as usual), but he was more frightened of what that monstrosity of metal and flesh would try.

"Stop right there!" he commanded, voice unusually steady despite the sweat dripping down the back of his neck. "I don't know what my friend may have done, and I apologize for it. But you are acting equally out of order! Please, put down your weapons, and talk this out!"

But even someone like Michael was prepared to go to more violent measures in this sort of circumstance. For Atlanthal's hands were both upon its lava whips, and it was raising them in the air, poised to swing. And this time, should this crazed more-machine-than-man try and attack Luna, the colossal guardian already had Michael's approval to smite him.

The mere touch of the shadows enveloping Patraeko brings a burning sensation to Michael. The anger of Patraeko causing the shadows to burn through Michael's clothes and his skin upon touch.

"No need to act all hostile. Newbie. But if your only friend had a sword thrown at him, you would react in the same way. Like you are now. You are acting more out of order than you should do, it's obvious by the sweat and the poor usage of your blade." Patraeko spoke in a deep, evil-like voice. The anger within him reached a steady level, stalling him and talking to him about random stuff was the best thing to do back on earth. It calmed him and allowed him to return to his happy, hyperactive state.

"That guardian of yours... I like it. I have no quarrel with you, but if you are wishing for a fight then you should make it a fair sword fight. After all, you pulled the sword out at me, not your guardian." He smiled, bearing his teeth which were covered in blood. He was gritting his teeth so much that his gums began bleeding, his insanity really has removed the natural 'Limiter' from his brain.

Even though Patraeko was claiming his peaceful nature towards the newbie, the shadows showed differently. Above his head, a new ball of shadow began falling. It did not have the liquid properties of the rest of the shadows, instead it was so dense that it became a solid. The shadows surrounding his body even began to fade and thin as they were transferred to the ball which was already soo tightly packed that it could explode with great energy at the slightest touch.