Brink of Delusion; Crystal's Shine ((Full))

[Black Claided Cat]

Enter- Alane and Harrier

“Yes,” Alane replied somberly, “That makes sense. I'll wait to hear what Mario has to say about these bandits running a muck before heading out so I know where to go once I'm finished.”

The group chatted, throwing in and out their own comments about the tasks ahead. When Mario heard Orin and Suri he nodded, “Yes. It's about time they got taken care of, now it is just a little more motivation than the past. And I'm not to sure about not having crystals, who knows. Master Harrier is the only bearer I've ever known, but I heard that have at least a bit of magic on their side. I just hope you can take care of it quickly. I last saw them on the east border between Tylem and a small city, Zent. You should ask around and then see if you can get 'em. You can take the Chocobos now for supplies and travel, but you can keep them and the right of passage once you report in. I want to know that they're gone, no offense to your honor or anything.”

“I would think that is agreeable. Is it all right?” Harrier asked the rest.

Miya and Jolyre had already head out after the go ahead to get supplies, and the rest were just waiting around. He could see Alane bouncing her leg impatiently waiting to get a move on.

“Okay. I'm fine with it. It will only take a good chime to get over to Zent on Chocobos. And once I'm done speaking with father I'll fly over. Should I inform your family? Or will you be stopping by there again, Har?” Alane said, she had already trotted out of the barn area.

“No, they are on the path down to Renara. I'll be able to see them while we regroup supplies,” was his short reply.

Exit- Alane and Harrier  

[MadameDPomp]

Jolyre Lythe Aegis
There is no greater sorrow than to recall in misery the time when we were happy.

Jolyre watched from the corner as Miya saddled up her own chocobo. She respected the warrior woman, that was for sure.
Looked up to her? Definitely, although she'd never share that.
Respected her? Completely.
Liked her? .....well....no...not really. Jolyre was a strong advocate of first impressions.
Perhaps that was unfair of her, given the strangeness and her own emotional state when the bearers had met, but she couldn't shake that feeling of being condescended upon.
Maybe this trip would enlighten the angeal.
After her chocobo was saddled up to her liking, she swung up gracefully, placing her boots firmly in the stirrups.
Although her past experiences left her with much negativity towards the birds, sitting atop one was one of her favorite feelings.
Like something important was happening and she was heralding it into battle.
Allowing herself a moment to feel inspired and important, she gazed at Tylem from a new height and found that the land was beautiful.
"Everything is beautiful when you view it with a purpose..." she muttered to herself, quoting from her own personal holy book, Alexei Aegis.
She lived and fought faithfully by his words and only in second place did the order of the Glorion Crystalis follow.
Oh. Glorion Crystalis... she thought. They'll be expecting me back...what shall I tell them when the time comes?...
She was sure they would disapprove of this convergence of bearers.
Ever procrastinating and running away, Jolyre shoved the thought into the recesses of her mind where it brooded in the dark.
She gave the chocobo a nudge with her knees and instead of striding out nicely, like Miya's had, it raced. The momentum threw Jolyre forward, but she clung to the bird.
Only when it caught up to its fellow chocobo did it slow down to the comfortable pace Miya had set. The awkwardness of the situation hit her full force. How was she going to bring this up? Tactfully?
There was no way...she'd have to blunt about it. But...would Miya be insulted by meaningless small talk?
Jolyre thought as much. It was obvious that she hadn't tagged along because she genuinely wanted to help. Everyone knew the angeal had some ulterior motive...
They trekked on in silence.
"It's obvious, is it not, what I came along for?" Jolyre finally asked in a very even tone. It was rhetorical
"You knew my mother. Alessa Aegis. I wouldn't be surprised if you knew Alexei as well. And I think you should tell me what you know, if not for my own peace of mind then...well...then..." Jolyre's even tone faltered and gained a note of desperation as she mentally searched for what she should do it for...
It came to her in flash. The woman had an obvious protective stance over Gio that Jolyre wrote off as leaderly affection.
"If not for my own sanity, then tell me what you know...for Gio." the name stuck as a curse on her tongue "Because whatever you tell me could very possibly lead to my reluctant forgiveness of the ragdoll boy..."
She hadn't realized she was going to say this and shocked even herself. Forgiving Gio was the last thing she'd thought about even thinking about. It just kind of...slipped out. She herself, slipped into a miserable silence, and awaited either a sharp retort or wealth of knowledge..

 

[Draconia Crystalis]

((Trying out new posting formats.))

Giovanni Infinito Dragoni
I just.... I just don't want to see anyone hurt because of me. I want to be able to protect them.... protect them all.

Gio smiled as everyone agreed to his reasoning. He was feeling a little proud of himself for thinking things through so well, but in the back of his mind there still lingered doubts about whether sending Jolyre along with Miya was really such a good idea. He was hoping that they could work past the tension between them with this, but there was a chance that it could blow up in his face and things could end up all the worse because of it. He lowered himself off of the back of the Chocobo, which gave a delighted 'kweh' and sprinted over to the stable to be saddled up. While he waited for it to return, he looked to the man named Mario. He had listened to his request and for reasons he couldn't explain, he pretty much knew everyone was going to agree to help. Was it because they were all Crystal Bearers? Well, besides Alane and him, of course. Was it just that he knew they would out of duty as a Crystal Bearer? Or was he just able to see their kind natures underneath everything else. Some, like Orin, had a tough outer shell, but he thought he felt a strong kindness deep underneath the shell of icy stoicism.

Whatever his observations, it was obvious they had a job to do. Their first task as a group, besides surviving that attack from the False Bearers. The troubling thing was the rumors of magic on the side of the bandits. It was possible that there could be Neros or normal Angeals among them, since those races still retained a very limited affinity for magic even once the Great Crystals vanished those millennia ago. Still, Suri had a point, they held the true Crystals, more powerful than any artificial Crystal, as proven by their conflict just hours ago. So long as the Bearers got practice in with their powers beforehand, they should be able to handle the bandits easily, even if they had fake Crystals.

The Chocobo he was going to ride returned quickly and he saddled himself atop it, with some difficulty, but having observed Jolyre and Miya mounting their birds, he had gotten a basic grasp for it. "So let's get ready everyone! Saddle up a bird and let's get going!" he said to them all with a soft smile. His hand instinctively traveled down to the sword at his waist, which he had grabbed from the ground back at the tavern just before they had left. He wondered what he would do when they encountered the bandits. He was still no good at fighting, no matter what he had just done in the fight against Kai. That may have been his strength, but he couldn't reach it anymore. He would need someone to train him. But he still refused to kill anyone. He wouldn't stop the others from doing so if they felt it was necessary, but he never wanted another person's life in his hands ever again.  

[Kasumi the ocean]

Kasumi

Kasumi smiled as she let her chocobo get saddle up. Everyone had something to do, weather it be to go get information, supplies, or visit family. She felt a little left out and behind. Everyone had something important to them. She looked around at each of them and sighed as she saw the chocobo come back to her. She almost felt like a third wheel in the group, which was a little odd to her to think that. Kasumi still felt like she was in the way, dead weight to the group.

She looked at Gio and smiled gently as she got on top of her chocobo. She was glad that Gio was here. She didn't think she would be traveling with them if Gio hadn't approached her and talked to her. "Yeah lets go." she smiled as she watched him go get his sword. She looked at her necklace and closed her eyes. 'I can't back down. I need to help in anyway that I can.' she thought as she waited for the rest of the group to move out.  

[Black Claided Cat]

Alane Shoudu- "I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw."

“Awesomeness. I'll be leaving now,” Alane nodded enthusiastically and jerked her thumb to the direction of the outside.

“Don't miss me too bad. I know I'm awesome but you can survive without me for a few hours,” she joked with a wink before disappearing out of sight, the only other sound was of her whistle calling Maurik to fly.

Harrier shook his head at her antics, “Very well. We shall be leaving then?”

Mario nodded and told them they should be able to pick their own, since the others had. Harrier went off to get his own, soundly Chocobo and saddled it.

“It shouldn't take long to get to Zent. And Suri, I think there's a larger Chocobo in the last stall that would be easier ridden for you. I think the rest of you should be fine with normal ones.”

He led his mount out and took a look at the skies of his home. They were nice and blue as they always were and clouds of different wisps, shapes and sizes blew by with the ever wind. There wouldn't be a storm for at least a few more days, so all would be right with the towns people until then. It was a few hours past the sun's full rise, and they would still have plenty of hours of daylight to ride.

Overhead a large Pyrolisk flew around. It gave a loud piercing call, not unlike the Chocobo's own, and startled some of the creatures below. The Chocobo beside Harrier was one of the few that jumped at the sound, but calmed after realizing that it was in no danger. He pet the birds neck and looked back to see the others following with their birds.

“Ready? Let's go then. Zent is straight east after the rise up,” Harrier announced. He briefly worried about his Selkin swords while ridding, but figured the bird would be all right. A back mount and on a mount wasn't the smartest idea, so he took the straps down from the back and fasted them on the sides the longer one placed next to his scimitar. The quiver of arrows and the unstrung bow would be fine where they were, they were not as low down as the swords were. When he saw Kasumi following he remembered that she was of a more aquatic race.

“Are you alright to be traveling in the winds? Or do you think you will be all right?” He asked her.

Harrier A'Cal- "I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom."  

[Scythe de Zaran]

((I'm not joining this posting style party. sweatdrop ))

It had been set who would be going to gather supplies: Miya, Jolyre, and Alane. However, Rigo couldn't help but feel that Jolyre wasn't entirely comfortable with the situation. Why had she volunteered then? The Nero Angeal's attention left Jolyre and Miya to focus on Harrier and the rest of the crew and so, he did not see Jolyre's small "skirmish" with the Chocobo bird that she had chosen. He noticed Miya and Jolyre head out first on the Chocobos, and he merely nodded as they passed by, not waiting for Alane.

Rigo nodded in agreement to Harrier's decision that Mario's offer was reasonable. It seemed Harrier may have been trying to repress any emotions when he responded to Alane how when he would speak with his family. However, the mention of magic within the bandit ranks concerned Rigo. Gio's cheerful "call to arms" broke his thoughts, and the Nero Angeal smiled to his brother as he picked up the very same Chocobo that had rudely sneezed on him. One of Mario's hands, who did not trust in Rigo as much as they had in Miya, saddled the Chocobo for Rigo, and the Nero Angeal got on carefully. Maybe a little too carefully. The Chocobo seemed to think that Rigo didn't trust it and shifted slightly once Rigo got on, forcing Rigo to reposition himself slightly to account for the shifting.

"Well, it seems we'll be traveling companions," he said softly to the Chocobo's ears. "I'm Rodrigo Dragoni. What's your name?" The bird chirped and took a step forward, shaking his head playfully. The Nero Angeal blinked and sighed. He couldn't understand Chocobo speech. "Well, nice to meet you too," the noble muttered.

When the Pyrolisk screeched above, the Chocobo didn't jump, but it brought its head back quickly, so quickly and backwards that it hit Rigo's lowered head. The Nero Angeal let out a small gasp, but no damage had been done. He tried to calm the bird. "Do not worry. We'll look out for each other." He coaxed the Chocobo to join Harrier, Gio, and Kasumi the expert on Chocobos.  

[Denyala]

<>

Jolyre lagged a little behind, but her bird wasn’t about to let that happen. The young, fast chocobo raced forward and easily caught up to Miya’s older chocobo. They trotted along in silence for a very short period before Jolyre broke the silence. "It's obvious, is it not, what I came along for?" the younger woman asked, but it was clear she didn’t actually expect an answer. Miya shifted her eyes to glance over at the woman, but said nothing. She had figured there were ulterior motives, but she hadn’t expected Jolyre to be so up front about it. Well, all the better as far as Miya was concerned. Idle chit chat was a waste of everyone’s time when it was merely a farce before the actual matter at hand was brought up."You knew my mother. Alessa Aegis. I wouldn't be surprised if you knew Alexei as well. And I think you should tell me what you know, if not for my own peace of mind then...well...then..."

Miya tried not to show her surprise. She couldn’t remember ever revealing that she knew her parents. Had she inadvertently done so? Miya frowned slightly. Maybe her memory wasn’t as sharp as in her youth. Before she could answer, Jolyre continued. "If not for my own sanity, then tell me what you know...for Gio. Because whatever you tell me could very possibly lead to my reluctant forgiveness of the ragdoll boy..."


Miya slowly turned her head towards Jolyre. She was talking about forgiving Gio? Well, that was a surprise. Miya turned her attention back to the road before them. What did she know that could help her? How could that really help Jolyre to forgive the boy? Miya didn’t like showing her hand, but at least out here only Jolyre would hear her. She didn’t seem the type to run and gossip to strangers. The two women sat in a long silence before Miya attempted to answer. “I’m not sure how you figured out that I knew your parents, but I won’t lie. Yes, I knew them. They were fine people…” Miya trailed off. Jolyre didn’t need, nor care, about Miya’s feelings towards them. She wanted information.

“I fought with them. I am the crystal bearer from the previous generation. My crystal did not pass on, as others did,” Miya paused for a moment, looking particularly bitter. “My work is still unfinished it seems.” Again the woman paused, silent except for the soft sounds of the chocobos. Maybe Jolyre had already figured that part out, if she knew that Miya had known her parents. Miya had revealed her advanced knowledge of the crystals to the group, so it wouldn’t be too difficult for someone to connect the dots. The problem was Miya didn’t want people to know that she had fought with the previous crystal bearers, that she herself knew the famous Animus Altia. It led to too many questions, many of them painful. Plus, the other bearers might look for the easy way, for Miya to explain everything for them and leave nothing for them to learn. This was not the way of the crystals. Learning, discovering, fighting, these all shaped the bearers into someone who could face the calamity…

Putting her personal feelings aside, it was also unwise to openly talk of her past because it didn’t always attract the right crowd. On a rare occasion on her travels someone had recognized her, they were either generous and thankful for her work, or they were greedy, evil… She’d killed many of those men. They tended to underestimate her for being an older woman. Her whip taught them otherwise.

“I’m not sure how the information I have can allow you to forgive Gio, but you may ask if you wish to. But understand that I still have the right to not answer.” Miya was sure that Jolyre would not like the last stipulation, but she had to say it. She would not lie, but that doesn’t mean she would answer either. She still had a right to some privacy.  

[Jest_A_Clown]

Seeing the others preparing to ride, Suri wasted no time in heading to the stalls and finding the mount Mario had picked for him. It was a larger breed of Chocobo, and sturdier looking too, with a broad back and a stern-looking beak. But it's eyes still held the kind but wary stare of most Chocobos. Reaching out to touch the big bird, it looked at his metal hands with curiosity and gave it a little peck, producing a mild 'ting' sound. It seemed to chirp elatedly in response, as if it had done something worth commenting about, before allowing Mario to lead it out of the stall. A large saddle had been fitted to the bird as well, and Suri eagerly followed Mario out, who was leading the bird by it's reins. Taking a few moments to stroke the bird and acclimate it to Suri's presence, as he had observed the others doing, he then proceeded to mount it.

It leaned to the right when Suri put all of his weight into one stirrup, but as soon as he swung his leg over the weight was balanced and the Chocobo gave a lackadaisical chirp and stretched it's neck. Suri patted it good naturedly on the back of the head and listened to Mario's short briefing of how to ride and dismount safely. For once, Suri was glad to have human legs to feel with. Having such a great beast riding beneath him gave him a lofty sense of power, and enjoyed the boost in height greatly. Spurring it on gently, his Chocobo set off at a trot to join up with the others. His control was a bit jerky at first, but he eventually found there was a rythm to the whole thing. You rode 'with' the bounds and leaps, not sit atop the bird like a rigid pole. "...This isn't so hard, I rather enjoy it!" he said happily.

He was glad the Chocobo was able to bear him easily. Another advantage to his unique body was that he didn't require near as much the amount of supplies as a human or angeal....in fact, he required none unless he wanted spare clothes. But he was fine riding with his metal torso exposed, and his leggings were still good to wear at the moment, tattered though they were. He looked to Kasumi, who rode her Chocobo with great ease. "I didn't think one of your race would ride so well with these things, but yet again, I am surprised. Tell me, Kasumi, what's it like in the place your people live? I've never been there, obviously, and books only tell so much."  

[Vizzion]

Orin Beleren

Orin looked on at his companions as each of them mounted a chocobo with relative ease and began riding. Even Suri, whose outlandish metallic body theoretically should have made the chocobo panic and run around for hours, rode with relative ease. "Well now, I am about to become a laughing stock if I cannot ride a chocobo..." Orin muttered to himself as he looked around his area for a chocobo to ride. Immediately as he looked to his left he saw the chocobo that he previously threatened walking back towards him.

Karma..Thou art heartless... Orin thought as he sighed and forced himself to walk towards the Chocobo that was walking quite cautiously towards Orin. "Come here now, I swear I was just jesting when I said I would turn you into an icicle.." Orin said in a tone low enough for the chocobo but not high enough to spook the creature. Like Suri, Orin reached his hand out to the Chocobo to gain it's trust. The Chocobo stopped dead in its tracks at first then began to move again but more cautiously towards Orin's hand. After looking and pecking lightly at Orin's hand for a bit the chocobo gave a joyful and, to Orin's dipleasure, a loud 'kweh' and lowered it's head. "Good, I honestly expected more of a struggle in all honesty.." Orin said as he saddled the Chocobo and rode on it.

Orin caught up to the group moments after Suri complimented Kasumi on her Chocobo riding skills. "Now then, shall we discuss a plan for fighting these Bandits who are equipped with an artificial crystal?" Orin asked the group in general as he rode on his chocobo who seemed to be in a good spirit. "Oh and is everyone well enough to actually fight? That one is quite a good question to begin with" Orin added to his previous statement.

 

[Kasumi the ocean]

Kasumi

Kasumi looked at Harrier and nodded. "I should be alright. As long as I drink enough water and keep this cloak on that Gio gave me, my skin should be fine." she smiled.

She looked at Suri when he asked the question about her homeland. "Its true that we don't have fields where Chocobo's can run around in but my father use to take me to a small field and I learned how to ride a Chocobo from him." she said as she road on her Chocobo beside him.

"As for Iriem, its a wonderful place. Above the ocean, it looks more like a giant castle with towns surrounding it, but below is where most of our homes are. I guess its sorta like a glacier." she said. "There is a much bigger world underneath the water. We don't split ourselves into groups like an upper or lower class. Sure you can tell who is from a noble family sense there homes look like castles, but we all like to think of ourselves as equal. Well some of us do. Some of the noble families think there better than the rest of us." she sighed. "But our homes look kinda of like any other homes around here. Only difference is that there under water." she laughed a bit.

"Underneath the water we have our church lead by the grand Matriarch. Even though our life is ruled by a sub-theocracy within Glorion Crystalis, the grand Matriarch is like the center of our world that helps hold everything together. She is a beautiful woman of wisdom, insight and bravery. Everyone respects her and she is always kind to all of her people." she smiled.

She thought back for a while when she first saw the grand Matriarch. Her childhood dream was to be the next Matriarch and give her people hope. She snapped back to reality and looked at Suri.

"But there are three more things that we hold dear to us and are proud to have. Are God and Goddess, Leviathan and Undine, our greatest treasure, the Leviathan Pearl and our unique technology." she smiled, feeling very proud. "I can't tell you much about our technology though. I don't know a lot about it myself and also were suppose to keep it a secret from other nations." she smiled. "But I can tell you its our technology that keeps the city a float and protects our Undine Rift deep under the sea, which holds are greatest treasure, the Leviathan Pearl." she smiled. Talking about home made her feel a little homesick but she shook off the feeling.  

[MadameDPomp]

Jolyre felt the immediate shift in atmosphere. It wasn't negatively tense, but it gone from, maybe not a cheerful tone, but to something...else.
Was she surpirsed that Jolyre had pieced it together? It wasn't a difficult task. All Miya did was let slip that she was from the prior generation. Like Alessa had been.
"...I won’t lie. Yes, I knew them. They were fine people…” Miya had begun, but she stopped.
The rest of her explanation dangled,unsaid, in the air and it was if there were a tangible hole that needed filled. Jolyre's mind raced, trying to probe and fill it. Why had she stopped?
Asphyxiating silence settled upon between the two of them as Miya chose her next words carefully. Jolyre had anticipated that Miya wouldn't readily give the information, but it didn't stop her racing heart and mind. Her nerves felt like they were vibrating, buzzing inside her body. Her fingers tapped restlessly against her thigh.
The physical reaction caught her off guard. She realized just how monumental these next words would be.
“I’m not sure how the information I have can allow you to forgive Gio, but you may ask if you wish to."A pair of blue eyes lit up and she immediately forced her restless appendages to be still.
"But understand that I still have the right to not answer.” Was there always a catch?
Jolyre fought the urge to roll her eyes and insert a smart comment. She needed to hone her social and toleration skills. Why not with this warrior woman who had years of information and secrets that Jolyre would slay for?
"I thought that maybe...if you knew them...you could tell me what truly happened to my mother..." she started slowly, and a little awkwardly. "I was told she died from illness, when I was eight, but I do not believe that. It's so rare for my kind to fall ill...it had to be tied with why my father tried to..." but the words wouldn't come. They were stuck in her throat like arrows in a tree.
"tried to..." another failed attempt.
"Why he tried to kill Rigo at his presentation of the dark crystal..." Jolyre finally forced out. Her tone, usually so sure and commanding, had taken on a far more desperate, childish, and even innocent tone. She never spoke of this topic deeply with anyone but herself, and only then in whispers to the depths of the night. She knew Alexei had gone there to kill, but forced that fact to the back of her mind, to the bottom of her soul.
"If someone murdered my mother...and forced my father to commit such a horrible act..then...."
Jolyre took a deep breath and sighed it out.
"It's possible that Gio was forced as my father was. Against his will." she forced out flatly. Even uttering the words was a knife in her heart. She wanted to hate the boy. To take all of the tragedies in her life and pin them all down on him, who physically killed her father. It would be so easy, but Gio wouldn't fight her back. Wouldn't hate her back.
"You, Miya. You're so protective over him. Even more so then rest of...then the others." she amended, Pretending that she had ever been protective of the little despot would be a huge lie. "We're all strangers to each other, but you guard him as if..." she thought for a moment..."as if you've known him your whole life. Protect him further from my harsh words and hate and tell me what you know..." she finished, the firmness back in her voice, but it was only barely covering the desperation of her plight.  

[Denyala]

Miya could tell that her last statement didn’t sit well with Jolyre, but surprisingly enough, the woman said nothing. The fire bearer was appreciative that this simple statement hadn’t started an argument. She had somewhat expected Jolyre to be even harsher with her tongue with no one else around. Instead, she began.

"I thought that maybe...if you knew them...you could tell me what truly happened to my mother... I was told she died from illness, when I was eight, but I do not believe that. It's so rare for my kind to fall ill...it had to be tied with why my father tried to..."

Miya stubbornly watched the road ahead, not wanting to look over at Jolyre. If the woman was emotional, or vulnerable, Miya didn’t want to intrude on that. Emotions were tricky that way; it helped fuel someone’s passions, but at the same time, showing your emotions could make one feel very weak.

"tried to..."

So, Jolyre knew that her mother hadn’t died from a simple illness. For some children, this would be an imaginary dream, for who wanted to believe their beloved mother died from something so ordinary? Jolyre questioned those around her, despite her younger age. This could be both a hindrance and a strength.

"Why he tried to kill Rigo at his presentation of the dark crystal... If someone murdered my mother...and forced my father to commit such a horrible act..then....”

Ah, it becomes more clear. Jolyre suspected an outsiders involvement. It would be easier to deal with the death of one’s parents if you could narrow down the cause to one single person, someone to hate, someone to take revenge upon. Well, that’s what she had done with Gio. But, much to Miya’s relief, she was beginning to shift her hatred away from the boy.

“It's possible that Gio was forced as my father was. Against his will.”

Miya could tell that this simple statement, while true and logical, was difficult for her to utter aloud. The most difficult thing a person could do is to step into their enemies shoes and search for understanding. The warrior woman was no stranger to this; the person whom she held a grudge had yet to truly gain her understanding. Of course she could no longer confront this person…

"You, Miya. You're so protective over him. Even more so then rest of...then the others. We're all strangers to each other, but you guard him as if…as if you've known him your whole life. Protect him further from my harsh words and hate and tell me what you know..."

Miya frowned at these words. Yes, she’d been protective of the boy. She hadn’t thought her actions would be considered abnormal. After all, Gio contained the shards of fate crystals and might be the key to everything. Shouldn’t all the crystal bearers be so protective? Well, that wasn’t the issue at hand right now. Jolyre was waiting for answers that obviously meant quite a bit to her.

Settling back into the saddle of her chocobo, Miya could see the city in the distance. It was quite an exhausting trip, and they hadn’t even reached town yet.

“Jolyre, you are correct, and yet wrong about your mother,” Miya gazed into the distance, lost in her own thoughts, her memories of the past. “In the final battle that the crystal bearers faced, that we faced, your mother was seriously wounded. These were not wounds that could simply be healed with time or magic. She suffered a wound to her spirit, to her soul. It ate away at her, like a poison would. We did all we could, but in the end, we could not help her. Her crystal no longer recognized her, and she passed into whatever awaits us. So, it is both true and false to say she fell to illness. “ Miya grew silent, allowing Jolyre to absorb this information. She couldn’t say if this would help or hurt the girl further.

“Unfortunately, after your mother passed and the final battle was over, we all went our separate ways. I lost touch with your father. I would not know if someone was attempting to manipulate him behind the scenes. His was an honorable man, so I cannot fathom him attempting to kill a crystal bearer, considering his past. It seems likely that there was something forcing him to act against his nature. Something more important to him than honor or pride might have been at stake. I wish I could have helped him…” She trailed off. Jolyre’s parents had been fine allies, ones Miya would have given her life for. Instead, she survived. She, who had no one left to care whether she was dead or alive, still walked upon this world. Fate was cruel to all.

Miya didn’t voice her opinion about the incident aloud. How do you tell a grieving daughter than it might have been for her, that Alexei had attempted to kill Rio? Miya had no proof and no evidence to this theory, so it was easy to keep silent about it. But Alexei had loved Alessa and Jolyre, and had already lost one to the duty of a crystal bearer…No doubt he would have refused to lose another. Well, Alexei’s attack was a mystery to Miya and would probably remain so for a very long time. The answers to his actions were not hers to find.

“I do believe that Gio was not in control of his actions. I’m sure you know this and I also realize this doesn’t ease the pain or the loss.” Miya paused. How to speak about her protectiveness? Would the woman even believe anything she said?

“I am protective of Gio, yes. As a previous bearer, I know the importance of the Fate crystal. However…” Miya closed her eyes for a moment. “He reminds me of something I lost long ago. Something that I will never get back.” She lapsed back into silence, waiting for Jolyre’s response to her answers; if she even had a response.  

[Draconia Crystalis]

((Epicly long post, Miya, great job! Just to be clear, Alessa died a few years after the final battle, though. She had to be alive long enough for Jolyre to remember her, and the wound to her spirit was a very slow, but absolutely certain death. It wasn't much that she was in pain, though, more like she kept getting weaker and weaker until her soul simply left her body. It wasn't all that painful, most of the time, but she slowly lost her ability to function normally. That's the way I imagined it.))

Giovanni Infinito Dragoni
I just.... I just don't want to see anyone hurt because of me. I want to be able to protect them.... protect them all.

Gio watched as everyone who hadn't already got their Chocobos picked out and then let them get saddled. So it was finally time for them to head out. They were really going to do this. Gio's heart was pounding in his chest with excitement at the prospect of the adventure and everything they were going to see and do in the next.... who knows how long? They could be traveling together for years for all he knew, or it could be a short few months. And so much would happen in that time. He knew that regardless of what happened he planned to change himself. He didn't want to be a coward in battle like he usually was. He also didn't want to be weak anymore. He wanted to be able to fight competently and protect himself... maybe even protect them all as well. That, however, wasn't going to happen right away.

Orin brought up a very obvious issue of whether or not certain members of their group were even capable of taking on the bandits when they found them. It was plain as day who he was implying was the issue. Both he and Kasumi had displayed that they were the weakest members of the group, and they both had the least fighting experience. Still, Gio wasn't going to let himself get unnerved by Orin's harsh analysis. He stated back to the man, "I know I can't fight well yet, and I can't speak for Kasumi, but I'm going to train to become stronger as much as I can. We certainly won't be reaching the bandits on our very first day, since the nation of Tylem is quite large and our destination is quite far away, so I plan to train every night that we settle down to camp." I looked over at Rigo, a meek smile on his face as he swept his gaze over to Harrier, Suri, and Orin in turn, "I would hope that some of you could help by sparring with me. I need as much help as I can get if I want to be any use to you all."

His attention was drawn aside as Suri asked about what Kasumi's homeland was like. To be honest, he and Rigo had only seen what it looked like from a distance while passing through. They weren't allowed in the land of Iriem due to the careful nature the Sahagin had around other races. What she spoke of sounded about right. everyone knew that the Sahagin had secrets and technology that they only showed to a few trusted individuals, and he was interested but not really surprised to hear that their was more to their cities below the surface of the water. It was something he hadn't known, but it made sense since they used to be a species of aquatic monsters. They obviously still had their aquatic traits, but they were far more humanoid in these days than they had been thousands of years ago.

Gio spurred his Chocobo to trot over in the direction they would be headed and turned back to face everyone. "We should get going. We can talk along the way if we need to. No need to waste time."  

[Black Claided Cat]

“It shouldn't take too terribly long to get there. Two full days at most, late tomorrow at best. But I am willing to spar, Gio, if you are willing to battle my blade,” Harrier said from atop his mount. Seeing as everyone was ready to go, even Orin who had gotten his bird last and Suri with his own monstrous sized one, he clucked to the Chocobo.

“Yes, best be off. I'll lead the way,” he nodded and kicked the sides of the bird lightly, the large yellow head shook and squawked before taking off at a bouncy trot.

Harrier grabbed onto the reins and held tight to the saddle with his legs, no matter how many times he rode Chocobos their loppy gate was something that he had yet to get use to. It was no wonder that Alane disliked them, and it seemed that most of the others shared at least some of her feelings. But Chocobos were endearing creatures, and easy to warm up to.

The sun was still high in the sky, but it would soon sink down into a red sunset and they would have to make camp when it did. He hoped that they would be at Zent by sundown tomorrow to be able to get a good night's rest before taking out these bandits. The town wasn't as large as Cecil, but not as known; so it would be a little harder to navigate to find out information. Harrier wondered when Alane would be done and come with them, maybe she could help with the upcoming battle. Thinking about battle he remembered that he had gotten a scratch in his armor, he had already cleaned the cut but he needed the metal and leather to be repaired. No doubt the others needed something to be fixed. They would also have to visit a good blacksmith while they were there, and maybe update some weaponry.

So many things to do, so little time, Harrier sighed to himself as he steered the Chocobo right and up the steep path to get to the top of the canyon.

He also needed to talk with Alane. He knew that she knew him well enough to know what was going on, but he wanted to be reassured that all was well. And to just talk things through. The people that were around him might be Crystal Guardians, but they were still strangers. What Harrier needed was some familiarity on this long road.

The Chocobo 'Kewh'ed and shook Harrier out of his thoughts. He sighed and payed attention to the path that they were traveling on.

Harrier A'Cal- "I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom."

(( Wow, Kasumi's the only girl with us now. Haha.
And we now have tons of epic-ness-ness. Even Chuck Norris is jealous! ))  

[Scythe de Zaran]

The dark haired Nero Angeal was silent as he heard the Sahagin Water Crystal bearer speak enthusiastically about her realm of Iriem. He had never been there really, and definitely had not ever travelled underwater for long periods of time, unless swimming counted, and swimming hadn’t really been for much travelling especially if Rigo had his wings out.

Orin the cold bearer of ice was as blunt as ever when voicing his concerns. Rigo suspected who Orin was referring to since it had been pretty obvious and plain as the sun in the windy sky. When Gio responded and looked to him with a meek smile, the older brother merely smiled back and nodded. Now that Gio was out of his shell a bit, maybe the previous training would come back. Rigo would of course help his brother as well as anyone that wanted a sparring partner. It wasn’t as if everyone had the same fighting style. “If we are to be a fated team, we should learn from each other.” And build our ties so we can communicate without speaking… It was true, but he still had that inkling of uneasiness as he was sure the others had. They were, after all, a group of strangers thrown together, meeting at a fated spot…the tavern, whose visitors suffered indefinite misfortune at the hands of imitation Crystal Bearers.

Gio roused them up to go, and the windy Tylem native Harrier responded by leading the way. A two day journey was short compared to some of what he and Gio had been through in the past two years. However, their journeys had been longer because much of the travel had been by foot. They had never used Chocobos. Now that he thought of it, it was a little awkward sitting in the saddle of a Chocobo. He wasn’t used to it, and it wasn’t particularly comfortable at first, but he would adjust.

For them to leave now only meant that Alane, Jolyre, and Miya would meet up with them with supplies on the way. Rigo assumed that it meant that Alane also knew the route and would know approximately where to meet up with the rest of them. The Nero Angeal sighed and nudged his Chocobo up next to Harrier. “Sir Harrier, what are your thoughts on the road ahead and Lady Alane?” he asked softly.

((Gio, better protect Kasumi from Suri and not let Harrier get hairier. Oh, man… Rigo sure phrased that question awkwardly.))