Welcome to Gaia! ::

((Have Clem ask questions, too! I can't possibly remember them all, and I'm too lazy to do it over a series of posts that will take days.

He uses RPG Maker, I think. He doesn't claim any extravagant skills, but showed me some Youtube links to ... I think OTHER people's work. And I liked what I saw. RPG Maker seems to be much better at making what I myself would like to make, than Game Maker. And Game Maker is SO easy--its infuriatingly envious!))

((I'm very curious about it, now. I might download it eventually and show you all how a true programmer works! *diabolical laughter--hacking coughs*))

Ephlas raised a slender hand to stroke his chin. "So you are the last... what are you doing now? Just surviving?"

((After a few more questions, I think he'll just mention his friend who is quite interested in the Horde- would that serve as an appropriate method to advance with the plot and just move on?))

Ephlas found that he, too, was thirsty--come to think of it. So, with a step back, Ephlas spread his arms out wide, concentrating, and barely moving.

"Lenetra," he whispered, and suddenly a great deal of moisture from the air was pulled and condensed into a rippling, floating sphere of water, in between the Nesk and the humans. The clarity of the light was remarkable, shining through it, and rainbow arcs were projected from the sunlight and water interacting. The rainbows were flawed, though, and a prism-shape might better reflect true rainbows.

This did not matter, however. There was water.

"I have an, uh, acquaintance," Ephlas said as the water floated in front of the Nesk, "that would absolutely revere the chance to speak with you. If you come with us for a time, you'll have access to food and water, provided you aren't afraid of being in danger often. Unfortunately," he added with a chuckle, "nowhere is truly safe any longer."

"We are ussed to dangerss... the Horde wantss the oness that esscape." Ne'galash longingly stared at the water, "If we can have a drink, then we would follow..."

(waiting for Kaye on Valthere. and I don't command Elmire...)

Ne'galesh let out a happy chirp and consumed his sphere. Clem pulled out a small tube and siphoned water into a small pouch. "I'm not thirsty now... I'll save it for later."

---

Leonard was indeed speaking of Elysia's blood when Ephlas ignited the furnace. He burst into a room with a small girl, playing with a small lizard-like creature.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine... why? Is something wrong, Mr. Leonard?" the girl asked curiously.

"no, no... you're safe and that's what matters... Are you practicing?"

"Yes Mr. Leonard! my teacher says I have a knack for spells."

"That's good" The archmagus smiled, "I need to be going now... important business, you know."

"Bye Mr. leonard!" the girl called.

"Goodbye, Elysia." Leonard replied, softly closing the door.

Tanessa strolled curiously through Utopia, taking in the sights. Typical Cedric, beside her, was ignoring everything, embroiled in his own thoughts. Tanessa was typically annoyed by this.

"Why don't you ever look around, take in the sights--be normal?" Tanessa asked quietly, without looking away from the people she was half-grinning to. Needed some pretense of normalcy.

Cedric did not answer. They both knew that they'd never be normal again. Their country was gone--and they were the last refugee Magi, too. The last to escape. Any others would have been killed or left in Baelta, where they wouldn't last an entire day, if that. Unless they had strong magic....

"Now, the first thing we should to, Cedric--" Tanessa began to say, only to see he wasn't listening to her. She sighed, then took a closer look once she realized that this was different.

Cedric was in one of his 'trances' again. She followed him, right to the base of an enormous... floating building.

"...Cedric? Come on... we shouldn't be here," Tanessa whispered quietly. It was not within her power to restrain him when he was in one of those modes. He repelled her, with magic, she assumed.

~

Ephlas' own sphere of water just fell to the ground. Then Ephlas began to assume his position on the beetle, when-- "Uh... how will it... he keep up with us?" To Ne'galash. "Hey, are you male or female?"

An innocent enough question, when appearances did not divulge.

Tanessa turned, surprised. "Oh, Irwin. I didn't realize you were following us...."

After getting into Eopia alive, it kind of dissolved their little group. Tanessa and Cedric were grateful, and they had expressed that many times over to Irwin (well, Tanessa had), but they were interested in survival at the highest percentage, which, traveling with a stranger no longer benefited.

This wasn't explained exactly to Irwin, though they had thanked him in the tone and manner that would normally say they were going their separate ways. But apparently Tanessa had already forgotten all that.

"THE Academy, as in, the continental authority on magic and science?" Tanessa asked slowly. Then she had to turn and run to the nearest lift, which Cedric was already approaching at a steady speed.

"Cedric, you will not go in there! ...Without me," Tanessa grumbled finally, as she was unable to even touch the young boy at the moment with her hands. And she wouldn't be leaving him, either, in any circumstances.

"Well, since we're already going through hell as soon as we arrive... you want to come, Irwin?" Tanessa asked. Admittedly, she was curious to pick his brain for what he knew--which had already been proven to be greater than Tanessa's own knowledge.

~

Ephlas shrugged. "Fine."

Turning to Clem, he opened a map he had filched. "The southeastern tip, we need to head toward, first of all. It's desolate, unpopulated, and Horde-infested, worse than any other area above the surface, but that's where I seek to be. Once we're closer, I'll be able to give more specific directions."

Ephlas had still not explained exactly why they were out there, other than 'exploration,' but it wasn't like he was intentionally keeping Clem in the dark. He was a bit preoccupied, understandably.