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Gio accepted Rigo's helping hand, using him to help stand on his own two feet. During Animus' explanation, he felt his hand involuntarily move over his heart at the mention of the shards. Shards of the Fate Crystal... inside me? he thought incredulously, No wonder I felt such strong sensations coming from there. It was reacting to all the other Crystals.

"I thank you for your understanding, Jolyre, I promise you shall not regret it." With that, the orb of Animus began to sag in the air, drawing closer to the ground. When Rodrigo requested they calm down and have a long talk, he was forced to decline "I am afraid I can't do that," he said, sounding exhausted. "Just manifesting in any way is incredibly difficult, even more so to appear separate from the boy. I was able to borrow the form of my former Crystal Weapon, by tapping into my old power from inside the shards, but it was a limited endeavor. Especially when I already helped you fight that monster."

He slowly hovered over to Gio, and stopped just over his heart. "I told you that you were important, so don't ever forget that you can't throw your life away. But don't let that go to your head. At best your role is that of a safeguard, being the host for the Fate Crystal, but it is not your crystal. Your heart is not qualified for it. If you want to be more than just a holding place for it, then that is something that you must change from the inside, and unlock your true potential. No one will just hand that over to you."

Before merging with Gio's flesh, he added, "Bearer of Fire, you have the most experience, so be sure to inform them of the objective. The only Bearer left to find is Earth. Teach them the power of the Eidolons once they are ready, and finish what I could not."

Having held out to the last sliver of his power, Animus got out all he wanted to say and all he was willing to reveal, and slowly sank into Gio's chest. He was silently grateful that he didn't have to have a long talk with particular members of the group. His last words, heard only by Gio, were "If you can become strong, then you can at least have a chance to protect anyone you care about. Remember that."

Gio stood there silently after the orb merged with him, and he felt the presence disappear from whence it came. He looked up and suddenly realized that he was the center of countless stares. Even more people had been drawn in by the ruckus, and it was quite a circus, with their group of Bearers, the Zarenkkian woman, a man clothed in heavy gear, and a girl with fish ears.... she must have been one of the Sahagin from Iriem.

"Uuummmm..." he flushed scarlet at their stares, trying to say something, but unable to come up with the words.

Suri observed the proceedings with the silent grace of a sentinel, his golden eyes taking in every speck of detail he could, his ears and brain recording every sound uttered or made. He was trying to piece it all together, but he was missing alot of vital information, he knew this. It didn't exactly make him happy to know that, for all the knowledge he had obtained in Metrino under the tutelage of his father, that so much had been kept from him. What he knew of other lands was by what he read on his own time, and his father had made sure the standard books associated with Glorion Crystalis were nowhere to be found in his household. Suri felt cheated, but not angry, because knowledge could never be truly lost, and he was definately ready to learn. Now.

As the orb dissapeared into Gio's chest and a stunned silence pervaded the room, all eyes were on Gio. Then, Miya took control of the situation and calmly urged the group to take a seat, hopefully to hear an explanation. Suri silently responded by picking his way gingerly around the group at the center of the room, striding to the far wall, and sitting down against it. Suri felt a twinge of pain resound from his ankle when he sat, but he paid it no mind, there was information to be gained, and it directly involved him and the others. His leg could have been removed at that point and he wouldn't have cared, he desperately wanted to hear what was going to spring forth from this knot of mystery. Now, so close to all the others, Suri took a moment to actually feel what was happening. He could feel his Crystal, about the size of two fists and firmly entrenched into the core of his chest, thrumming vibrantly and radiating a soft glow. Reacting to the others in the room, and from what Suri had heard, possibly even reacting to Gio, his Crystal seemed to have a life of its own.

Realising he was among 'bretheren' of a sort, all connected by Crystals of an element, Suri let his arm fall away from his chest. Almost immediately, the right-hinged door on that side sagged a little and revealed the warm orangey-yellow glow of his Crystal from within. Suri still kept his silence, and merely waited for the proceedings to begin as everyone took their places.

Jolyre felt alone and miles away from the gathering of crystal bearers even though she was in a small enclosed room in a looming ravine with most of them.
So...that was it?
A minute long explanation. A minute long completely enigmatic explanation. And a thanks?
You're a disgrace. Your mother was a better crystal bearer. Your father's last act was of insanity. Gio did kill your father. But it wasn't his fault. Keep him alive or you'll have ended the world. That's about what she got out of Animus's visit.
The world rushed back to her and she gazed around the room feeling empty, angry, and cheated. To calm herself, she listed facts in her head. The only dependable things in the world.
You're Lady Jolyre Lythe Aegis, a Knight Commander in the ranks of the Glorion Crystalis.
You're mother's name is Alessa, your father's, Alexei.
You were born in Lamina.
Alessa is dead
The crystal was bestowed upon you when you were 17.. she whispered to herself in the recesses of her mind.
Her gaze finally landed on the one person in the room she hadn't wanted to see.
Giovanni Dragoni killed your father.
She tore her gaze away angrily.
You can never kill him.
It didn't work. She only succeeding in making herself angrier and edgier.
One of the people who entered the room was a Zarrenkian woman and she was specifically address by Animus. Wielder of the Fire Crystal. Apparently, she knew the score of things.
She ignored the woman's request to sit down and remained standing in the corner she'd been flung to by Animus, a detached and impersonal expression clouding her face and eyes.

No matter what, Rigo was there to support his little brother. It was unfortunate that this Animus couldn't stay to explain everything and left it for everyone to be confused again. The orb seemed to pass off what it should have explained to the fire woman, the one who was older than them all, or so it seemed.

Upon the woman's suggestion, the cyborg revealed his crystal and stepped deeper into the room. It seemed people would be sitting. Then, Gio spoke.

Rigo shook his head, signaling that Gio wasn't really trouble. He nodded at the rest of Gio's statements. "As my brother has suggested, it would be safer for all of us to speak behind closed doors and to follow the lady's advice to take a seat to collaborate in our situation." Assuming of course, no one had any idea what was going on.

The Nero Angeal looked at Jolyre and sighed as he stepped over to her, against his logic. He spoke in a low voice only for her ears. "Lady Jolyre, perhaps, you can take revenge on the one who .. manipulated your father." Rigo didn't know what to say, but he couldn't bear to see Jolyre so distant when there was explaining to do and listen to. He looked over at Gio and nodded.

<>

A few of the bearers introduced themselves, a few did not; Miya hadn't expected anything different. Crystal bearers were as different as stars in the sky, and for them all to get along, they must learn to trust one another. That was easier said than done. In theory each crystal bearers' strengths made up for another crystal bearers' weakness, and so they would flow together as one. Seeing the hostility in some, the innocence in others, well, Miya couldn't help but release a great sigh. How to explain, where to begin?

She turned her attention to the man who introduced himself as Orin Beleren. He had several good points. First and for most, the bar was well aware of what was going on. She wanted to scold everyone, but she was no better. She'd allowed her emotions to carry her away for several moments... In the past she'd been passionate and her emotions ran wild, but now she had put her feelings on tight reins. For the moment at least.

"You are correct, keeping secrecy has not been done well. We need to all try and be more discreet in the future if at all possible. We each have many enemies and they will be all of our enemies from this point on. Crystal bearers were destined to be drawn together, yet once all the crystals are in one place, they are a highly valuable target." Miya had not yet actually shown her crystal to anyone, and didn't plan to until needed. It wasn't that she didn't trust her new companions, it was that they were still young, inexperienced, or both. Orin had no idea how correct he was in everything he had said. She silently prayed her experience and wisdom would be enough.

"You may call me Miya," the woman told the group. She glanced at each in turn, neither smiling nor frowning. It wasn't that she was displeased, rather her mind was whirling, deciding what she needed to tell them, what they had to know. She did not want to overwhelm them so soon, yet she needed to establish that she was not to be trifled with and she had no patience for nonsense.

"I'm sure each of you have gone through quite an ordeal to get to where you are today. Let me assure you that I've gone through just as much, if not more so." There was no arrogance in her voice, nor pride. For most of these bearers, she was twice their age... She suddenly felt very old. "However, now that the crystals have drawn us together it is time to move forward, and not look behind us." She looked at no one in particular, turning her attention to each in turn. Satisfied that she had their attention, she continued.

"First and foremost, we must become worthy of the crystals we carry. Unlocking their true potential and powers is difficult, even for someone like myself. Make no mistake, I have greater control over my crystal than any of you do at the moment, but I don't begin to embarrass myself by saying I know everything about these items. Only fools are sure of themselves." Miya paused, seemingly gathering her thoughts. "If the crystals have brought us together I can only assume a great threat approaches. With each other, we must prepare for this threat."

At this, Miya turned to the young boy who had unknowingly started the wheels of fate turning. She gave him a barely noticeable smile that soon faded. "The fate crystal is our next most important goal. Having control over our own crystals is simply not enough. I don't pretend go know where to begin looking, but we must find the shards that we lack."

Miya sat down in an unoccupied chair and felt some weight lift off her shoulders, while new weights replaced them. She was worried. Worried for the boy who was to host, but not bear, a crystal, worried for these crystal bearers and the troubles that awaited them, worried that they might question her authority and she would have to reveal more about her past than she wanted. She'd given them more than enough to think about and while there was more they would need to know, now was not the time to go into it. She merely had to now see how the news sat with the group. If everything went well, they would swiftly become traveling companions and face their trials together. If not, well, she wasn't ready to think about that.

Enter- Harrier A'Cal

The moment the door shut and the many crystal guardians took their places it felt as if a weight was lifted and then replaced on Harrier's shoulders. The intense pulse from his gem ceased to give life other than the chilling feeling it always gave, but Har knew that what was about to happen was important. He leaned back against the wall, Alane beside him looking up at Miya with wide eyes- like the girl was listening to a story. Harrier, as attentive to her words as Alane, made no comment. It was true, he only now just begun his training with his Wind Crystal. And he wasn't that good with it yet. A surprise also of this 'Fate' Crystal, apparently in shards and the young Gio the holder.

The fire woman's voice was a strength in itself, capturing the attention of all the room's occupants and telling her tale amazingly as well as keeping low enough to make sure unwanted ears couldn't listen in. Harrier had long since noticed the Water and Ice bearers had made their appearance, and he evaluated their personalities and opposite bearers.

Kasumi, the Water bearer. Sweeter than most and more contained in emotion than Alane. Suri, the Thunder bearer, opposite to Kasumi. Older and more wise, he is also quite friendly...
Harrier did this with all of them, scanning and making his thoughts from their few words.

His head slumped forward from its resting position on the wall; realizing that there was a great quest in front of him. And Alane, she would refuse to be left behind without him. They would need food, water, medicine, supplies and lots of other things. But the first thing on their quest would be to get the Earth bearer, and that could take quite a while. Harrier had just noticed that he hadn't introduced himself to the newcomers. It would be what? The fourth time in one day.

He looked up to the group and cleared his throat, “Harrier A'Cal. Wind Guardian of Cicel, Tylem.”

Alane, seeing as her friend had greeted them, announced herself as well, “Alane Shoudue of Cicel. I'm not a Crystal Bearer but I plan on tagging along. Pleasure to meet you all.”

She gave a cough, having been inside so long with her sand clothes on, pulling her scarf away from herself. The sand had gotten into the fabric that was tied around her neck, and to be around the face outside, and she had accidentally inhaled some of it. Alane muttered a little curse as she unbuttoned the top notch to her dust colored cloak and swiped at the dirt, sand and dust that fell from it. While she was at it she undid the top lace to her light leather armor to let some air reach her neck. She gave a sigh of relief as she rocked back on her position on the floor and let her back touch the wall. Almost as a last minute thought she gave a late addition to her greeting, “The people in the outpost will mind their business. They're probably only interested because they finally have something interesting to tell their wives and husbands.”

Exit- Harrier A'Cal

[Ahk, slightly late post.]

((apparently listening to Pink Floyd while Rping is not a good thing))