The Platinum Vanguard's Story

A sudden wave of static washed over the bar followed by a sudden pressure. Near the fireplace of the bar, the air began to shimmer as if the fire grew exponentially in heat. Suddenly an arch of electricity shot from the air near the fireplace to a nearby light, shattering the bulb and overloading the circuit.

A soon as the first bolt vanished several other bolts appeared from thin air, all coming from a central point, a glowing white orb of energy that had appeared from nowhere. The static and pressure in the bar grew and grew in correspondence with the white orb.

Then all the sound was pulled by from the bar as the orb imploded in on itself. Then it exploded outwards in a blast of energy, replacing the sound within the bar as well as opening a large white vortex in front of the fireplace. The wind picked up in the bar reaching large gusts in certain portions of the bar. Thevortex seemed to drown out all sounds with it's massive roar of wind, it's white bolts of electricity striking anything that came near it.

From it's center five figures could be seen walking through it. They all wore platinum armor, reminisce of medieval plate. All except two of the figures, one wearing platinum Samurai type armor, and a woman who wore a very unique set of platinum armor. As soon as they stepped through the vortex it closed behind them as if it had never been there in the first place. The Knights looked around the area, standing very awkwardly near the fire in which they appeared.

Seeing the sudden influx of people appearing at the same time, the knights suddenly took a ready stance and formation. All five of them standing with their hands on their weapons. One holding a halberd, one a large cross shaped staff, one a shield and sword, and one a katana. The woman simply stood in the center of the knights with her hands on her hips. She smirked and held out her hand, a green glowing mist flowed from it and hovered in front of her, spreading like water into a thin veil in front of her "Brothers and sisters, we come with glad tidings!" she said folding her arms "Please direct us to whomever is in charge of this planet" she said to the patrons of the bar, scanning each one of them with her silver eyes.

A sudden wave of static washed over the bar followed by a sudden pressure. Near the fireplace of the bar, the air began to shimmer as if the fire grew exponentially in heat. Suddenly an arch of electricity shot from the air near the fireplace to a nearby light, shattering the bulb and overloading the circuit.

A soon as the first bolt vanished several other bolts appeared from thin air, all coming from a central point, a glowing white orb of energy that had appeared from nowhere. The static and pressure in the bar grew and grew in correspondence with the white orb.

Then all the sound was pulled by from the bar as the orb imploded in on itself. Then it exploded outwards in a blast of energy, replacing the sound within the bar as well as opening a large white vortex in front of the fireplace. The wind picked up in the bar reaching large gusts in certain portions of the bar. Thevortex seemed to drown out all sounds with it's massive roar of wind, it's white bolts of electricity striking anything that came near it.

From it's center five figures could be seen walking through it. They all wore platinum armor, reminisce of medieval plate. All except two of the figures, one wearing platinum Samurai type armor, and a woman who wore a very unique set of platinum armor. As soon as they stepped through the vortex it closed behind them as if it had never been there in the first place. The Knights looked around the area, standing very awkwardly near the fire in which they appeared.

The Knights all looked towards the Ringmistress in silence, for now they would simply observe.

Four of the knights stepped forward at the goings on of the bar, namely the Thin Man and the Ring Mistress, each with a hand on their respective weapons.

"Oi! Vaesh!" The woman barked at the knights in front of her "Enza la mesesta" she said observing the bar with her platinum eyes. The Knights released their weapons and continued to observe the bar.

One of the knights took a step forward and drew his sword and shield. He looked back towards the woman before stepping towards the Thin Man "Uldis" he said as he walked and disappeared from where he was once standing, only to appear on the side of the Thin Man, bringing his sword down towards the creatures head

The other knights looked on at their comrade as he jumped into battle "Oi sterig! Verish Kaa!!" they called out, cheering their brother on. All except the woman who mearly smirked and shook her head

Well that was unexpected, a multitude of armed soldiers threatening to blow all who weren't human to kingdom come. That just simply wouldn't do, this was supposed to be a peaceful mission but it seemed that force had to be used to keep innocent people safe.

The Woman held her hands out towards the armed soldiers "Whoever you are I suggest you drop your weapons now! Walk away now and live to fight for your cause another day!" she called out, as she did each of the other knights drew their weapons and took a ready stance, each began to glow with a platinum aura "Should you fail to comply, we will have no choice but to eliminate your threat in the name of Anthis!" she said drawing her own Gunblade.

The Knight who attacked the thin man was impressed that his blade was stopped, hopefully this creature wasn't one of undeath, if so it would begin to feel the fires of death building around him. As for breaking the sword, Anthium is an incredible metal with various magical properties. Simply breaking it was not possible as it must be forged within a magical flame, and broken down in the same manner. The Knight scoffed under his helmet and sent his foot straight out to kick the creature in the chest, as well as swing his shield into the creatures's face after the kick.

Salazar, the knight wielding a large cross shaped staff, stepped forward and swung his staff diagonally towards the ceiling as the smoke canisters exploded, lobbing a bright green ball of energy towards the middle of the bar. When it reached the middle of the bar it burst, sending a massive gust of wind downwards, causing the smoke to part in front of the knights, giving them a clear view of the men with guns.

Lassev, wielding the Halberd, took advantage of this to leap forward towards the men, clearing a very large distance with his jump and landing behind the men with guns, sending his halberd out in a sweep in front of him. As he did a wave of flame followed behind the strike and was sent outward to hopefully incinerate a large amount of the men in one fell swoop. Lassev knew however, that things were never that simple.

Renji, the Samurai, dashed forward in the blink of an eye, closing the distance in a simple instant. He flew through the ranks of the men swinging his sword hoping his strikes rang true to stop the gunmen before innocents got hurt.

Reignhardt looked towards the Thin man and scoffed again before holding his shield in front of him and dashing forward. As he did, his shield was enveloped in a platinum light that flowed off of it and behind him. His speed picked up tremendously, making his for resemble that of a comet as he dashed towards and hopefully through the men.

Olivia stood in place as she watched her squad attempt to deal with the Gunmen.

[color=blue]Salazar threw his staff out in front of him, which stopped about a foot away from him and hovered in the air. He held out his hands and the cross began to glow platinum "Agers grengasa!" he called out as a pulse of magic energy errupted from the top of his staff. As he did, all of the knights suddenly had a sudden sphere of energy that surrounded them for ten seconds before exploding outward in a blast of magic energy. All ballistics that hit the sphere would have all of their momentum stolen from them, however any melee would be able to pierce through the energy.

Lassev continued to masterfully swing his halberd around, feeling the contact of bodies bouncing off of his Anthium weapon with a semi satisfying 'pink' sound as it contacted. When he saw the shield around him he quickly ran over to the counter, counting from one to ten. When he reached the counter he would jump it and land on the other side, his own sphere exploding the moment he landed. He was hoping to get the Ring Mistress who had retreated behind the counter before the battle had started. The that exploded outward was concussive, meant to throw back and incapacitate, not kill.

Renji danced through the group of gunmen, his Anthium blade more than enough to cut through most material due to it's craft and enchantments bestowed upon it. When he saw the shield appear around him he dashed towards the leader of the Russians, swinging his sword downwards towards the man's chest at the same time his shield exploded outward, hopefully severing the head of the dragon so to speak.

Reignhardt clashed with the russians, taking the fight straight into the heart of the group, blocking some of the gunfire with his shield and striking at the legs and necks of the gunmen in hopes to down some of the heavier hitters. When he saw the shield appear he simply stood in the center of the group fighting until he reached ten seconds, at that moment he slammed his shield into the ground, sending out a shock wav

Olivia stood behind Salazar, no shield was cast on her as she was behind the cast. She simply watched her squad as they battled.

The Knights finished their attacks seeing that the Russians we defeated. Lassev raised his halbeird into the air "Haaaaaaaaaaa!" he yelled, his comrades following suit after him.

Salazar however turned his attention to Rhogar "Fetali Velcanis!" he yelled pointing his staff towards the Draconian. A green aura would appear around him and hopefully heal the injuries he sustained I.E his shattered knee and the bullet wounds, however the blood he lost would not be replaced.

The Knights having expended most of their energy decided to retreat. Salazar held his staff up into the air, all the knights suddenly becoming covered in a platinum glow as he did. Suddenly they were all gone from the bar in a platinum flash of energy and light

The Sun was setting low on the river. No clouds blocked it's fiery glow as it descended to light the other side of the planet. Even the river itself seemed calm and ready to turn in for the night. The Nocturnal animals began stirring from their daytime slumber, ready for another night of survival in the dark. A hoot from an owl called through the dusk, causing a chorus of insect to buzz and chirp as their 'day' was starting.

Somewhere near the water, a large campfire suddenly sprouted to life. Large and healthy flames roared to life and five figures could be seen walking about around it. "Give us a Spit Roast will yer? Ah'm starvin' 'ere" Called out a deep and gruff man's voice. "You will eat when we all do Lassev. We must remember that patience is our greatest asset" Came a calm and gentle man's voice "Yea yea, spare meh all o' tha' philosophizin' Renji. Words dannae fill yer stomach"

"That's true Lassev" Came a female voice "None of us will ever get to eating as long as you keep complaining, your using up all of the air" Then there was a roar of laughter from around the fire as the figures all sat down and the smell of roasting meat filled the air. Succulent, juicy, salted pork as well as some type of bovine-esq meat. Needless to say it smelled delicious.

"Ah wish we'd see some action, 'ow long we gunna lay low cap'n?" Lassev said "Mah 'alberd is achin ter figh'"

"I've already told you, that's not our life any more" The woman said sharply "We have no palace to serve so we must make do with our lives now. Tomorrow we will go back to the city and try and find jobs."

"Captain" came a third man's voice, this one intelligent and precise "We are soldiers, it will be hard for us to do anything except for fight"

"I know Salazar!......... I know....." The woman snapped before taking a deep breath "Look we have to find way to make money or we are all going to be in serious trouble, and what happens if those Aschens find us again? Their Anti-Magic Tech is dangerous..... our only hope is that we can find Echo Balmont soon, but until then we need to find a way to survive in the city. Am I understood?"

"Ma'am" Four men chimed in unison "Good......Now lets eat" She said before tehre was a loud rabble from the party as they began to eat

Pink candyfloss hair trailed in a ponytail behind the streaking white figure of Yuki as she jogged along the riverbank. She had taken to late afternoon jogs, usually with a snack when she got home from school, to avoid being home when her dad got back from work. It really made her feel so free to be outside and going at her own pace even if she usually ended up tired and having to walk back home thanks to aching legs and empty lungs.

For Yuki, things had been a bit strange since leaving middleschool. She hadn't made many, if not any, friends in highschool and she had really been too focused on her self-improvement and training. Her grades were starting to dip but her body was really taking shape. Her slim and noodly arms and legs were forming muscles and her torso was toughening up. Overall she felt like she was making leaps and bounds.

It was when she ran completely out of energy that she came to rest against the wood of a tree and took stock of her surroundings. Trees swayed in the evening wind and the sun was getting low enough that it was starting to get dark. It was probably about time to turn around, but she noticed stirring smoke slowly wafting upwards. Concerned for a forest fire she headed on over to investigate, slipping out of the small pink backpack that hung off her back by chords so she could get out her phone in case she needed to call emergency services!

Without a hint of self preservation (as why wouldn't she trust strangers in the woods?) Yuki approached until she saw the fire and the figures gathered around it, and dumbly came to a halt, feline ears twitching and head tilting curious with her nose twitching from small sniffs. This wasn't fire-smoke, it was cooking smoke! And it smelt delicious.

The banter continued between the five figures. Stories of battle, frivolous jesting, some well mannered roasting followed by a solemn song. It would be akin to Dwarves sitting around a fire, except they were much taller and didn't have beards. Except Lassev that was.

Then, The young girl's footsteps were heard approaching, even through the song and laughter. In second everything was silent and the fire was suddenly gone. The five figures who had been sitting around the fire, were nowhere to be seen. On the Riverbank, all was silent now.

Then from behind Yuki the sound of a blade being unsheathed rung quietly, a faint silver glow came from the now free blade "So you've finally found us. Strange. You seem a bit young and........ weak to try and bring us in" The female's voice whispered as the blade would lightly find it's way to rest on Yuki's shoulder "But I know better." She hissed "Everyone around here is in league with the Aschens. Those with Magical potential are being wiped out because of some Emperor's order. I won't stand for it, not while there is still breath in my lungs"

The blade lifted away from Yuki's shoulder "Turn and face me Aschen, I would be disgraced to kill you while your back was turned" The Woman ordered

Hands went up and phone was dropped as Yuki felt the blade on her back, freezing up with her eyes filling wide and her ears folding down on her head. It had been so fast, she wasn't sure what had happened. Soldiers? Warriors? Armed men? It was a fright to her.

"Nunununu," he uttered as she kept her back towards the blade-wielding individual, "I'm not an Aschen, I live her! Terra! Wing City!" Surely they wouldn't kill her, right? She hadn't done anything wrong! And she definitely wasn't Aschen! Her head turned ever so slowly to the side so she could peek over her shoulder towards whoever might have held the blade with a small tremble in her legs.

Mr. Kanahaashi, save me, she silently hoped.

The Woman standing behind Yuki was stunning. Her golden eyes seemed to glow even in the shadows and her ivory skin was smooth and flawless except a single scar that ran along the bridge of her nose. The way she held her sword was Regal and the blade itself was beautifully made. The woman's face wore an expression of doubt as Yuki spoke "I can hear your fear girl" She whispered and looked down at the phone that was dropped.

"She doesn't look like an Aschen to me Captain" Came the voice of Salazar from the growing darkness "Just some kid who wandered a bit too close I think" He said stepping around to the front of Yuki. He was rugged and dashing. His face looked like it hadn't been shaven in about a week, forming an attractive layer of stubble. His eyes were mismatched, one of them a brilliant Silver, the other a deep Ruby. He looked Yuki up and down before holding his hand out, letting it come to rest inches from Yuki's face "She's not an Aschen Captain, no need to scare her anymore" He said after a few moments.

The woman scoffed and sheathed her sword before walking back towards the campfire site.

"Please forgive our captain" Salazar chuckled, reaching down and picking up the dropped phone. "She's lost much in the short time we've been on this planet and is hard to trust of late" He said calmly, holding the phone out to Yuki "It isn't wise to sneak up on our company, though some would call it brave. What is your name?" He asked with a kind smile

Yuki remained still until the sword was gone, only releasing her breath when the Captain had walked away. It was then that she closed her eyes and breathed in relief, only opening them when she was addressed again. Hands slowly lowered down to gratefully cup around her phone, taking it with a bob of her head and a thumb rubbing off grass and dirt. "F-f-forgiven," she stammered out, choking on her words a little until she looked up to meet the mans gaze.

"I'm Yuki," she answered with a hand reaching up to brush at hair that wasn't in her eyes, "Yuki Nikka. Who are you? I mean... all of you? I uhm, didn't mean to sneak up on you. I just jog along the river and lost track of the time. Sorry if I startled you." She knew without a doubt that she didn't scare them, so she didn't even bother using the word

Salazar chuckled again "It is nice to meet you Yuki Nikka" He said with a bow. "My name is Salazar Lanza, I am what you would call a Sorcerer. And they are......." He pause as the fire suddenly blazed brightly again "Well we are some of the few remaining of our race" He said sadly "Once we were Knights, but that was a different age" He sighed and looked back towards the other four members of is group "Our Homeland was completely destroyed by a very powerful Sorcerer named Titanus"

The group began laughing and talking loudly again as the smell of the roasting meat filled the air again. The company seemed to be pointedly joking and making fun. "A rather rowdy bunch we are " Salazar chimed up with a smile "But we know when to be hospitable" He said as he turned and started walking towards the fire "Come, eat, you must be hungry and it's a long way back to the city" He said to Yuki as he walked towards the group. "I promise no one will draw a blade on you again"