Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Yeah, I did. But I remember me mum and dad. They died right after Joshua was born, so he never knew them."

She rested her head in the crook of her hand as she leaned on the table.

"I still have nightmares about them. Never see my dad really, just him smiling a laughing. It usually my mom. A half-rotten corpse that moves and around and still talks to me. For a while I stopped having them. I started having even worse dreams... about Chrono. But I haven't had them since I got here. Now I see mum again. It's odd."

Chrono was still as dirty as ever. He was listening to the two of them talk, and was feeling worse than ever.

"She has nightmares... about me?I didn't know that happened at all."

"I'll go get Chrono!"

Chrono, thinking fast, sped out of the hall as Rosette came around and purposely collided with her. he had to make it look convincing for everyone's sake.

"Ow! Watch it, Chrono!"

"AH, sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to! I heard Kaden say we had to get going. I'm a little on edge."He hastily explained.

"That's what we forgot to do..." Rosette said, looking amng them, "Sleep. That's just great, eh?"

"No time to regret it now. We've got somewhere to be." Chrono corrected her.

"Yeah.... well, Blaise, you got some people who want to meet you, and weve got a battle to get to..." She looked out the window, the weather outside loojing none too welcoming, "Great, even the weather's crappy. Don't we get a break here?"

"I suppose not, but let's not let that get us down."

"Man, these guys looked terrified..." Rosette said quietly," Are they okay?"

"They're as scared as we are, but they don't hide it as well." Chrono suggested, "You shouldn't worry."

"Good, I thought I was the only one who felt like I was about to loose it..." Rosette muttered,"What now?"

"Like Blaise said, we wait."

Rosette stepped up and tapped Blaise on the shoulder to speak to her.

"Hey... About how many people are actually going to be here? A lot?" She asked.

Asmudius’ thin eyes narrowed slightly and the thin lips twitched into a sneer. A low growl like a cat escaped his lips for a moment and then Asmudius spoke back at the boyish face before him, his voice slow and strangely eerie.
“Well I must admire how calmly you took that. Most people are not so understanding. But since you know, now, I’ll make this clear to your childish brain. I am called the b*****d son of the Emperor. But truth is, he isn’t my father. The Emperor infused a thousand demons into a spore in my mother. Do not…” A chuckle inturupted him.
“Cut the theatrics Asmudius.” Came Algren. “Honestly, you aren’t that terrifying. I mean, those demons in you are under my control and are of no use to you unless I deem it necessary.” Algren turned to Jacob. “But best you steer clear of angering him boy. Step too far and you’ll discover that some of those seals can be opened without need of my command. But enough of possessed minions eh?” Algren flashed a smile at Asmudius, who only brushed the white locks out of his face and ran a hand of his young chin.
“Now Jacob, how exactly do you plan to destroy this forest? I am eager to know what dark wheels have turned in you head.”

“Don’t fret,” Eitan smiled, “It was merely a suggestion . . . Blaise?”

“I’ll say something.” She said firmly as the last few people wandered into the square. The troops were murmuring amongst themselves, most looking to the platform and those who stood on it. Every face was shadowed by the dim lamplight of the square and the brighter light of the platform. Blaise stepped up to the center of the stage and looked out. As soon as he hands went out she received the silence she was looking for.

“Fellow Foresters,” her voice rang clear and nearly echoed, “I would like to say a few things before we march. Firstly, I am sorry. I’m sorry that this has to happen now – it could not have come at a worse time. I’m sorry we were not better prepared to face this. I’m sorry we must fight under such circumstances. You see, we are being called to action because our existence is being threatened – it has been endangered many a time before, but not like this. We are being called to action because we are fighting for the very essence of justice, for the salvation of what innocence is left in the world. And that is what we have preserved here – innocence. The loved ones children and we have sent on the Sojourn today, some of them maybe your own children, are who we are truly fighting for. Yes, it’s your life on the line out there, it’s the present day that is asking us to do this, but it is our future that we think of when we go out on our Runs and go out to save lives. It is the image of a secure feeling, the want of a better society. Who will bring this about if not us, who will be strong if not us?
I look into the faces that make this sea of strong men and women in front of me and see fear – I see doubt. I know that part of that doubt is in me. I am young, I understand, but age has trembling knees when it stands next to worth. That why there are several of you that stand here before me that are my age, ready to go into battle, ready to give all you’ve got, to fight it all out. And I respect you. I have great respect for all of you, no matter how young or old, big or small, because of your worth. You are all so much in the eyes of the cowering world, the quivering children – you are the hope. I? I am merely your commander. I am not the hero here today; I just plan the tactics and fight with my men. That is all. And this doubt that is in your eyes, that is in your hearts rests on me. But what I say or do cannot affect the way you wield your sword this night, it cannot be the judge of your actions, it cannot be the reaper, it cannot be the savior. Be who you are and do what you do – I cannot change this.
Predicament is the word that comes to mind in this situation, and yes, we are in a predicament. But why show it? What good would that do if we were to look craven then come out in the end finding that our worry was not worth the grief? Predicament or not, we still stand strong and we still stand in unity for what is right and what is loyal and fair. So what are we going to do? We are going to go out on that battlefield and make this the best damn predicament we’ve ever been in. Strength, unity, love, courage, all of this is in your hearts, all in your eyes. All this is your power, use it and be victorious for we fight not for our lives but for those we have yet to save. But if we fall in battle then we fall together, the strongest damn wall in the course of history. We will make the biggest thunderous crash the wind weathered earth has felt and our legacy will live on. Keep this in mind as you step to the battlefields and always remember what you are truly there for.”



((O.o sooooper long postie!))

All was silent at first, everyone looking up to the platform. Slowly a fist was raised and Blaise was surprised at its owner. It was a young boy, probably younger than everyone there, with a set look of determination on his face.

“I!” he shouted, his voiced clear for all to hear.

Many of the Foresters looked to him in astonishment, others with a gaze that a young child would give their older brother who had just defeated their worst bully. Slowly more shouts came, more fists raised into the air. Not soon after the troops were a sea of raised fists, shouts became cheers and chants.

Blaise smiled and nodded to Rosette approvingly. The wheels had been set into motion, it was time for them to roll away. Holding her arms out again for silence the crowd quieted.

“We march!”

One last cheer was let out and the mass began to move forward. Off to battle – a step tested by fate.