Welcome to Gaia! ::

"..Ahem." Nobody responded. ".....Ahem!" Again, nobody looked. Rath signaled the trumpets to play. "May I have your attention please?" Everybody finally looked over toward the crew table. "...Thank you." Rath started. "As you know, we are here today, in celebration of our grand harvest. But we are also here today to celebrate new strides toward friendship with our neighbors on the plains. With us today is Chieftain Songhua, of Adliana. Before, the main dishes are served, I would just like to give some toasts."

Rath raised a glass of nomad tea in the air. "To our harvest! May it be plentiful and well nourishing. To Adliana and its people. May their lands continue to prosper. And lastly, to Learania. May its current peace continue." He looked around the room and paused a moment. "To us all!" He ended, bringing his glass to his lips, and taking a sip. "Now, bring out the-" He was interrupted by an odd guest. Gasps were heard, and chatter began to fill the room. Rath looked around at the guards and crew, but made sure to not lose sight of this unwelcome guest, who barged in. He could not tell who it was, for the person wore a mask. But, the intruder carried a sword, and it wore blood upon it. "...You there! What business do you have?" Rath called out. He rose his hand, ready to signal the guards to make the arrest.

Roy nodded slowly, hearing his mother's words of wanting his help to get her to somewhere she could sit. He took her searching hand into his as he looked around, searching for a table. There was an empty one not too far away, but something else had caught his attention. A large crowd had begun to form around some sort of commotion. Another guest of honor or something? He was curious to see what it was, but his mother's health was always first in any situation.

He reached into his pocket when his mother had closed her eyes and pulled out Darko. He told the little imp to go see what was going on. After an affirmative chirp from the creature, it had flown off towards the crowd. Its small size and ability to fly would keep it away from the crowd. They would surely panic if they saw the little guy. So it went high above everyone else and perched itself on one of the banasters, looking down.

"Alright Mother...I got you..." he told the dancer softly.

He held her hands delicately before he pulled her gently up to her feet. He slid one arm around her waist and pulled her arm around his shoulder so she would have a support. His other hand went up to cover her eyes, easing the strain the lights were putting on her.

"I've got you Mom...I've got you..." he reassured her.

(Reply to Lance and current happenings)

Ed processed for a moment what the man had said, and then she laughed. She'd never heard people use that sort of accent before. Granted, her natural one was a little strange, but what Lance had just slipped was just funny. She didn't mind it one bit.

"I think dancing's fun," she remarked, bobbing her head and letting her gaze wander. "So I definitely enjoy it."

She glanced back to the dancers as Lance made a remark on some move she had missed. Whatever it was, she was sure it had to have been spectacular. Human bodies weren't nearly as flexible as the naga's or hgi-val's. Ed nodded in presumptuous agreement and reached for another unusual fruit. She glanced a laguz in an...interesting outfit, squinted, took a bite of the fruit, then recognized that laguz for being the raven who'd taken that transformation crest from her.

Ed considered going over to pop a simple hello, but the other person seemed busy anyway. Instead, Ed got to focus on Rath speaking.

She nodded along with the speech, taking in what there was to be said. The girl was glad to be a member of this guild even if she wasn't all that active. She took another bite, reflecting on the image that Rath presented with the speech, tempted to toast with the others but only able to raise her half-eaten fruit in agreement. Ed had gone back to her business when something stopped them.

A stillness at the entrance prompted her to turn her head. She and Lance weren't that far from the door itself, so she could see a weapon glinting in the light of the braziers, and immediately she wondered why someone was here with a weapon. Ed didn't recognize the figure with the mask on, but something about the wings and the form gave her a feeling of nostalgia...

...Bad, bad nostalgia.

The ballroom went silent. Too perfect. It would make her search that much easier. She wanted someone who wouldn't put up too much of a fight. Her head turned slowly from one side to the other, observing the room. There was a purple-robed mage she'd never seen before, a short girl in a red dress...her eyes focused on these and a few other partygoers as the ones least likely to put up a fight if she chose to take one. But...no. Her eyes found the one that to others was known as Ziaram, but to Vika he was merely a prime target. Ignoring Rath's call towards her, she quickly dashed across the room and had a rapier pointing at his throat. No, he couldn't be dead. She needed him alive.

"No problem Mother." he said softly.

They had soon reached the table. The young lord made sure that his mother was sitting down first before he took a seat next to her. Though he didn't have a danger-sensing power like his mother, he could tell the air felt...charged. Like something was going to happen.

He then heard her tell him that her head still hurt. So it wasn't the light that was bothering her. He pulled his hand away from her face before she jerked her head around. He didn't need to be told twice. Danger was approaching.

And then he heard Rath's voice call out before he saw his mother wince. He gripped her hand tightly.

"It's ok Mother. I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you." he told her.

He then looked up and around, trying to find Darko so the imp could tell him what was going on.

Charice finally pushed her way through the last of the crowd in time to see some shabbily dressed raven woman start dashing across the room. Partygoers shouted and shoved to get out of the way, but she didn't seem interested in them. No, she seemed more interested in THAT... guy... whoever he was. Taking advantage of the temporary parting of the sea of people, she followed in Vika's footsteps, arriving directly behind her, sword drawn. An assortment of guards had her surrounded. She was right behind the assailant. It'd be simple enough just to charge her and run her through--she'd never see it coming--but what about the man held at swordpoint? She motioned to the circle of guards to give the two some space. Don't get too close. Don't aggravate her. If we can get her to stand down without getting this man killed, that would be much better.

She would have said something, but it seemed more appropriate for the crew to do so rather than a commoner guard. She just stood in a fencing stance, glaring at Vika's exposed back.

...Injured with pain and sadness, the you that cannot be healed
Shoulder the burden of the past that cannot be erased; don't throw away your will to live...