Welcome to Gaia! ::

Blaise pushed down the earthen spikes and lowered Rosette's platform to the ground. She dismissed the fire but was still standing in a large pool of water. smiling, Blaise turned to Kaden. She had a little time to tease him before they had to go back to the square.

"Now look at this, Kaden. I got wet for nothing." she smiled.

"Yeah, well it's better you than me." Kaden retorted. Blaise lifted the water from beneath her feet and held it in a great big bubble above Kaden's head. He ran around trying to avoid it but she nonchalantly made it follow him.

All the while he was shouting, "Blaise! For goodness' sake, stop that! Put it down, put it down! If you get me wet I'll -- ahh! Cut it out!"

Nayati had to admit he was enjoying their tomfoolery but had to put an end to it, "Come on you two." he called, "I swear, you're just as bad as children. Blaise, stop and put the water down."

"Alright," she smiled, dropping it over Kaden's head, "Done. Off to Center Square!"

"Blaise!" Kaden shouted. Nayati roared in laughter and Kaden scowled, dripping from head to toe, "Blaise! I'm all wet!"

"Better you than me . . ."

Blaise laughed as Kaden whined at her and Rosette recalled her little run in with Chrono. She remembered that -- it was after that did she really meet him. He was a skeptical one. She lifted the water from Kadens clothes and dropped it all on the wet ground beside him. He folded his arms and scowled at her as she came up and pulled on his arm.

"Come on. We have guests arriving and we need to go meet them. So wipe that grumpy look off your face and let's go."

Kaden rolled his eyes and nodded, "Yeah, yeah, let's go."

Turning to Rosette and Chrono she gave them a small wave to follow her, "We have people to meet."

Blaise smiled a bit and continued on to the post’s Center Square. It was empty except for the few Foresters scuttling to and fro preparing and getting things fixed. Kaden and Nayati stood silently on either side of Blaise, a serious look on their faces.

“It won’t be long now.” Blaise said, breaking the strange silence.

After about two minutes of waiting a couple far of figures appeared in the forest. They stepped from the forest and into the clearing; a group of five in a V shaped formation. Each of them was tall with long black hair and pointed ears showing from their long locks. Each one of them had distinct facial features, the only thing discerning them as different in appearance – with the exception of the person at the very front of the formation. He appeared slightly older, but not much, and had a streak of silver in his hair near the front.

Each walked in step clad in elite armor but each with a different weapon; the ones they specialized in. They were the all of the Eavshyare Elves.

The eldest stepped forward and looked to Nayati, “Lieutenant . . . it has been a long time.”

“To be corrected, Eitan.” Nayati replied, “I have been proved capably short of this position. Our new leader stands beside me – Lieutenant Blaise.”

The elf so named as Eitan looked to the young girl beside Nayati and smiled gently, “Is this the Blaise that I have heard much from you about, Nayati?”

“Without disappointment,” he said with a nod, “She is.”

“Well then, Lieutenant Blaise, eager and pleased to meet you at last.” Eitan said extending a hand.

“I return this and introduce to you others.” She replied, shaking his hand then turning to everyone else, “My trusted friend and ally, Kaden. This is Rosette, my trainee for the moment, and her friend Chrono . . .”

“My, my,” Eitan smiled looking to the two, “We do have something special here, don’t we Lieutenant? I’ve never seen such a unique paired signature.”

Eitan smiled graciously and answered, “A person’s signature is their essence of who they were, are, and will be. It is almost like a line of destiny that one can sense. I’ve never seen such unique individual patterns before. But when you look at it as your signature and his signature combined, the pair is indescribably phenomenal. A great power possesses the paired signature, though most of it is hidden – left undiscovered by your true beings. The two of you alone are different, but together as one you are simply . . . unique.”

Eitan looked to the two of them in silence for a moment then looked to Blaise.

“Trifling,” he said with a pause, “There is no better a person to train this pair, Lieutenant, than you. Teach them well . . . much greatness and change is to come of your time.”

Eitan looked to the other four with him who remained in attention, “Lieutenant Blaise, these four men are at your command, as am I. The Eavshayer presents you with our finest; we hope to serve you well.”

“I am confident you will.” Blaise replied, “I must speak with you. Have your men do what they must to prepare for battle. The time is theirs until we begin council before the march. It is in the night we strike. Use your time wisely, though I know I needn’t warn you of that.”

Eitan nodded and motioned for his men to leave the square back in the direction they came. “And is it only you who I will speak with?”

“That is to be decided.”

Eitan nodded to Rosette in wise airs and took her hand to shake it.

“Yes,” he smiled, “Proper greetings always do encourage trusting persons. Good to meet you, Rosette.”

“We should get going,” Blaise said, trying not to push, “You will find that upon preparing for battle a day is naught longer than a sigh and the combat is a lifetime.”

“Wise words, Lieutenant.” Eitan faced her, “Very wise. Would you mind if young Rosette and Crono joined us in our conversing? I’m sure it would be beneficial to them.”

“It wouldn’t be a problem. Shall we?” Blaise turned and motioned for all to follow. She led everyone from the Center Square to the Counsel Quarters near the Training Bunker. Once inside the small building she took a seat at the table there and motioned for everyone else to do the same.

“Before we begin.” Blaise said, “Rosette, I had a question about your sword.”

Blaise took the sword from the table and examined it. Pulling it halfway from the sheath she looked at either side of it then sheathed it again and placed it back on to the table for Rosette to take back in her possession. Eitan looked at it, gazing above his steepled fingers.

“Be careful with that one,” he mused, “It’s a rarity. Don’t let it out of your sight. It’s a weapon of great power . . . and one of great terror and danger in the wrong hands. As you said it aides you in wielding magics. Imagine how dangerous one who already wields magics could become with such an object in their hands. Dare I ask how you came upon it?”

“Hmm,” Eitan continued, “Its properties are opposite of what I detected. Interesting. Well, as I said before, hold onto it . . . but don’t depend on it too much. You’ve got yourself a trusty weapon. Keep it with you.”

“Especially tonight,” Blaise broke in, “Sorry to change the subject but we must discuss more pushing matters. We have made an agreement with the enemy lines but, as enemies would, we expect them to go against their word. Two battles will be fought tonight which is very taxing to our troops, a very dangerous situation. The agreed plan is that we go in and wipe out an enemy of the Dragon Slayers. After this time we expect them to launch an attack on us. We fear for the forest as well. If they were to destroy it entirely we would be sitting ducks – dead sitting sucks. I’m sure the first task will be easy enough and a couple of the Dragon Slayers can be a bit thick but the rest of them are not. They are the threat right now.”

Blaise thought for a moment then turned and went to another room. She returned with several large scrolls and laid one out on the table. The large map nearly took up the entire table space but was adequate for the situation. Pulling a pin from a bag she brought out with the scrolls she pinned the location of the Forester Post then pinned the locations of the Dragon Slayer’s camp and Mistress Blood’s camp with a different color.

“This is the area,” Blaise said, though the map was pretty self explanatory, “The Dragon Slayers are already going to be at Blood’s camp leaving theirs nearly empty knowing that they are going to use everyone they have in order to bring us down. While Chrono is right – we need troops to fend off the Slayers and troops to defend the forest – to take a number out of our defense against the Slayers is dangerous. While we have power in skill they have power in numbers. There are probably three Dragon Slayers to every one Forester right now, not to mention Blood’s defenses so that would make it four to one. It may sound impossible, but the fact that we pride skill over numbers puts us at the higher advantage when we have everyone fighting the same battle. What I want to try to do is drive the Dragon Slayers towards the mountains in the east and away from the forest, that way we won’t have to split as much. The mountains aren’t far from the forest but we still cannot push them so far that we step too far from our ‘safety net’ so to speak.”