Welcome to Gaia! ::

And Maximos accepted the book just as graciously.

His first move was to flip his teacup to the reverse. Instead of its hand pointing out and the mug proper in, the mug faced out with the handle in, this left the fingers of his left hand free to support the book while the right examined.

His eye ignited again, a gentle flare of luminescence pulsed from the white of his right.

Yes, it was leather. But it felt as if it was not bovine. Perhaps something else. Perhaps something he had never encountered, yet still something old enough that it he could find nothing of its past life lingering in its flesh. The title was indeed Elven, Maximos caught that almost immediately, he spoke Elven. 23 dialects of it, but didnt bother to translate just yet instead he opened the book. Long a believer in the idea that old things are given essence by the things that possess them and can at times learn to "speak" in their own way. Or in the case of a few ancient volumes in Walter's Library. Shout. Attack. Sing...

Either way. The fact the book opened to a particular page seemed important and he placed his finger in the book, scanning the page lightly. Translating what he did know, unless he found it written in common. At which point he would immediately wonder why anyone would write a book in the common tongue and its cover it one old or lost. Regardless.

"It was good...but I don't remember seeing anything from my dream in it....Though there is something in there I wanna talk to you about."

Hmmm....Indeed we shall. But first...

Was all the shadow said before turning the pages back. Saving the opening page but looking back to what lie before. Creatures. A predatory dragon? Monsters really. This smacked of a Bestiary. With a sort of resistance Maximos pulled his head up from the book and said.

No, perhaps not anything direct. But this book seems filled with creatures of the ravenous and predatory sort. Were there any in your dream?

Before Damion could finish, Maximos rose his head as the mage trotted jovially down the stairs. He didnt recognize then man, everything in his first waking moments was a blur. But he would note him with nod, then shift his gaze back to Damion.

"Where are they? I can't possibly be the only survivor."

He heard the voice. He felt the eyes on him. And slid the book, shut on his finger. Dragon Shaman's a saved point, as he lifted his left hand, holding up one finger to Damion. A very gentlemanly. "One second please". And then turned to Rain, taking a sip from the mug. And stealing a moment to quiet his mind and digest what was being directly placed inside of it.

Excellent my dear, I'll see what I can gather from the others. We'll be ready. You be safe. On a side note, Mr. Hedley here seems to have stumbled upon a very old edition of some sort of Beastiary, you might be interested in.

Amazingly, Rain man wasnt swinging. He was not carrying through the desire for a death match that ended their last encounter. Maximos smiled weakly. Though warmly. His eye pulsed brightly, like a dull torch inside his skull. He would even go so far as to place a hand on Rain's shoulder, if the man would let him. And then say, in a solemn, consoling, almost saddened, and yet coldly and definitely real tone.

There are no survivors.

He'd meet Rain's gaze dead off if the man allowed when he said it. Just to add a sort of impact to. And he'd pause, a second or two to let the words sink in.

Every hour wounds Mr. Yupa. The last one kills.

At which point the smile broke into something wider, stretching from cheek to cheek and Maximos patted the mans shoulder with something of a smile on his voice. This immediately followed by a laugh. Honestly, with an employ like his how could Maximos not have a morbid streak in his sense of humor? A joke should lighten the mood right? Break the ice? Even the tension? Maybe?....No? Either way he'd continue with...

Lucind is outside on her way in, bringing one of Victor's minions by the name of Malice. Rage, and Ichigo are off scouting our destination in advance and....those were all that were here when I arrived, though when I reviewed the events of in forest I dont recall seeing any fatalities.

But his memory was foggy, so he would turn to Damion, as he remembered him being the circle when Maximos made his replay and say.

Did you?

[Edited for Lulu.]

["Return. John, this is Quinn. Uh, buddy, best I can tell you is to hold tight and trust that the woman will get you through this. I do suggest spooling up the copter and being ready to hitch out of there. Feel free to RTB, too, if you think it's getting too hot or you think the risk in escort is too high. I'm going to be sparse in conversation, if you couldn't tell. I owe you a lot for doing this mission for me. Quinn, over and out." ]

John was still outside of the helicopter, watching the two walk off. Hearing the beep from the cockpit, he got back in and played the message.

"You son of a b***h. God..." sitting back in the seat, he took out the Beretta 92, loaded it, and looked around the cockpit as he sat in thought. This was the last time he helped Quinn out.

Shaking his head, he started turning on the Chinook, still debating whether to leave or not.

Hono was on her feet this time, showing that when she wasn't ticked off she could follow instructions as well as the next 5 year old, smiling at Rei she just shrugged a bit as she looked for others to get out of the way, seeing if she could do this with as little energy expended as possible. "You heard him, time to go!" Touch was all that was needed to bounce, and bouncing was a hell of a lot faster than panicked running any day of the week!


Rae, well Rae was unreliable at best when it came to following orders, although she did look to the other men in the hall upstairs to see if they were willing to get out on their own or if some tears and pleading were in order...

Scarker's magesight extended more than far enough to tell that a woman that had been in the bar before, and was using sound to distort the air, was now being followed by someone that looked bad for the environment. That said, he wasn't entirely confused when Sunstrike told them to

"Get out?"

His expression suddenly drooped from care-free to mildly depressed. The mage would hop over the bar and grab something for the road, a half-loaf of sourdough bread, some jerky and a wrapped block of cheese, most likely. They were stuffed into his trenchcoat pockets so that he'd have something when they weren't evacuating.

"Some meal... At least it's something..."

On the way to the back door, he'd untie his weapons so that he could properly adorn himself with the black leather trenchcoat. The sword stayed loosely griped in his left hand as he pushed the door out of his way, leaving with the same air of a student evacuating the school during a fire drill. Sunglasses come out to cover his pupil-less, white, blind eyes while energy directs a very long blue silk ribbon to tie back his waist-length white hair and weave through it.

"Where are we going? I get that we're going 'out," that was clear, but if I'm madly dashing away, I want to know where it is that I'm madly dashing to."

"Actually..." the young mage spoke up, sitting up and almost smiling knowing he can be a bit useful.

"That military-esque fellow, Quinn, said there would be a helicopter nearby. And, this Ms. Lucind should be arriving in a hummer, she said. So, we can just reconvene at one of those!"

Helpful mage is helpful.

Sunstrike wasn't impressed, nor was he patient. If the undead creature thought anyone would wait, and listen to all that, doing nothing, he was fooling himself.

Anger boiled, and Malice's threats would find a swift end as Sun moved in to meet the interrupted attack with no thoughts to distractions or turning away. He wasn't anything but brutal, fist impacting with what was left of the side of Malice's face.

Not satisfied with simply hitting the creature, however, Malice would find the chunky muscles of his face and the torn ends of his skin grabbed, and used as a wet, sloppy hold as Sunstrike literally dug his nails in and used the other beings face to wip it around and drag it to it's knees.

Maximos looked at Rain, even as his hand was brushed away and shared nothing but a smile. Sure, he saw the fist, but it didnt show. No he didnt really flinch. Instead he simply said.

You werent that old two weeks ago. And you've got no one to blame but yourself.

And then, his smile evened out. His eyes dropped to the balled fist, and then looked back at Rain with a sort of disgust. His tone was firm, yet direct. As if what was to follow was not a joke, but born of pure annoyance. Rain seemed to have hit a hot spot. Maximos added.

Is that why you came? Revenge? Is that what your here for? Or to save the world?

He left a half second where one might thing a reply would fit, if he didnt not immediately interrupt before Rain could speak.

And at the cost of how many innocent little girls? All I wanted was peace for my family. Dont you remember what its like to have family? To hold your daughter in your arms? To feel safe?

Again, half a pause before he bit back. Oh, Rain could swing, but one of these two men was quite young and quite healthy and the other was not.

I dont think you do, or you wouldnt have risked it all so carelessly, and made yourself into...into...

A whipping sort of hand motion was made at Rain's general area, symbolising his current form.

This. And if you dont, what are you fighting for!? I did what I did to protect my loved ones, as I have always done. As I will always do. As I do now, to save her, you, all of this, from a fight have nothing to do with! And all while your daughter sits safely at home relaxing! You brought poison into my life, when you acted without thought, without even a simple question! And yet you threaten me for responding?!

His free fist slammed into the bar, the wood splintering under it, as small flairs of black swirled up under his fist. A very uncharacteristic outburst. Maximos was simply not in a happy place. Stephen's note burned in his pocket and his mind. And his stress was coming to a head. And yet not once did he shout.

I am what I am Rain! Someone has to be! Now get your priorities straight, or get out of my sight!

A disgusted sort of sigh as he dragged his hands back, his nails making streaks in the wood, a wispy sort of black miasma seeping around his right arm, which he brisky began shaking off in an even more disgusted fashion.

I dont have time for this fleebing petty revenge non-sense. Act liked the damned Captain of the Rose, or whatever your supposed to be.

And then he turned away. There really wasnt anything more to say. Rain may want to respond back. But Maximos wasnt listening, just that easy he'd found his anger cooled. It wasnt anger truly, though there was indignation, it was frustration. And in the desire to see something foolish, end. Or Rain may want to be shocked by the sudden outburst and stay silent. He possibly may even want to infact snap out of it and back into reality. Sure, he hadnt mentioned their mixed past but it was obvious it drove his hostility.

A number of senses kept note of Yupa. But as a side thought. What was more important were all the people leaving. Maximos with a book under one arm holding tea, used his free hand to slip two fingers into his mouth and let out a loud sharp whistle, making sure it reverberated through more than a few shadows. This followed by...

No!

He said, shaking his head before calling out.

He means the innocents, customers, bystanders! Not those of you here to fight! If your here to fight, or defend, get them out and get ready to hold your ground!

And he'd make his way for the nearest table and began pulling weapons out of it en masse. Swords, daggers, polearms, shields, helms, pieces of plate of various sizes, the first creations he could think of. Was there a secret weapons cash under the table? No. There was shadow, and from that Maximos molded weapons of average quality but great variety. Needless to say, even though Maximos did it quickly, this was arduous work. These weapons were not featherweight, but it need be done. And he did it.

Arm yourselves!

He called out as he made a small pile of armaments about the hieght of the bar and made his way for the door. It was not an order, Maximos was not a general of any sort of army. It was truly an offer. Some may not wish to, and Maximos held nothing against them. But for those that needed armaments, here they were. There were at least half a dozen people inside, the innocents would be saved. Back up would be available. And it would be prepared as best he could make it. As he walked by a hand rested on Rae's shoulder in passing as he said.

Later...

Reminding her of their agreement. And made it for the front door. Two people great meaning to him were standing on the front lines. True to what he had said to Rain, he meant to protect them. The the beaded bracelet around his left wrist took on a slight glow in three beads, as it attuned with the presence of Lucind's necklace. Similarly, a sort of smokey began to rise from his twitching right hand as a sunset orange sunburst mark on the back of his right hand reacted to Sun's anger. He was ready, and willing.

Though it appeared Sunstrike had a handle on the situation...literally.

Damion stopped at Maximos's voice, pausing and ticking his ear to the side as he listened in. Clarification....ok, he could dig it. " Well, you heard the man folks, get on out." He was already halfway there, why not play hall monitor? He would usher those who hadn't made it past him, or Hono hadn't gotten, on out the back. " S'best if you guys scatter." funny how his anger kind of dissolved at the drop of a hat.

That task completed, He'd start walking around the outside of the bar, whistling softly. He was best outside, where his element was, and to hell with the consequences. He'd make it around just in time to see Sunstrike beating the living(Unliving?) s**t out of Malice, pausing to watch with a look of sincere admiration on his face.