Welcome to Gaia! ::

Walking into the team's private home whilst they stayed on the summit, Lucas was at least happy to see the fire crackling with warmth. It's been a few hours since they arrived back and even though it felt like the team was here just a few hours ago as it is, it had really been empty for three days. Once again it was dark outside the window, with stars shining brightly above them like fire flies, chewing through a dark fabric. Laxion was standing with bandages around his arm and shoulder, without a shirt, by the window staring out. He endured some injuries from the battle, mostly his arm almost coming out of its socket and some nasty bruising and cuts. Most noticeably was a bruise that curved from one hip and round diagonally to his back. The ent most certainly made a good throw when rocketing him into its fellow tree. Alexis meanwhile was sitting one one of the chairs, her body was mostly okay, with just a few bandages around the top half of her arm that was sliced by the arrow earlier. Occasionally she couldn't help but notice how physically attractive Laxion was... she hadn't thought of it before in such detail. Like a young school-girl again she found herself admiring a young man's build, Laxion was slender and toned, but the bruise made her remember the awful fight in which silence filled her mind again.

Lucas stopped a few steps in and noticed how the three of them, even Ruby weren't in the best shape. They had been with the monks only an hour or so ago to be looked after, Lucas was now back to give them the good news. Announcing himself with a small clearing of his throat he said "you're free of diseases". The atmosphere was awkward. It was like a deathly chill akin to that of the Land of Crows. And the more that Alexis thought to herself she could imagine the mellow beat of music playing in the distance from the Hypersphere... like the vision before her would blur to the performance. Laxion, the very same, staring off into the stars he could almost feel the chill of the wind as he thought back to earlier. Each of the team had their inner emotions to deal with this night. Laxion gazed as clouds slowly echoed passed the bottom of the summit, like silent ants that crawl he could imagine what onslaught they could have been in. All he could keep embedding in his mind was how he had failed to protect two people that he cared for dearly, he felt like a failure to the Asmodius Corps, and what bad status would he be bringing back to the army? Alexis was felt with guilt for what she had said earlier, and felt as if her arcane knowledge and cockiness to explore was a let down, she was going to become great, but even she was sucked into the amazement of that map. She had to become more mature...

"..." Lucas hesitated... his eyes crawled from face to face, from Ruby to Alexis to Laxion and back to the floor... then back to Ruby, and the cycle began all over again. Each of them quietly vacant in their own way. He then swallowed however, and had just one thing to say to the three of them. "....No true soul has never been faced with regret... but i've never seen any purer heart feel so strongly for others..." his voice was soft, caring... it was almost like he really cared for the three of them, it had that touch of kindness that only the inner sanctum of your soul could ever feel. And then he slowly turned around and looked to the floor... silently he wanted someone to call him back in, he didn't want to leave them like this. But... it seemed as though silence of despair would continue. So he slowly took steps out of the room, from the orange glow.

((omg i feel SO happy with this post, i've been listening to Heart By Heart from Demi Lovato whilst writing this, and other music, and, just. Yeah. my plot has changed ever so slightly since this post ^_^ ))

The floor creaked with silence, groans of lost emotions seeping from the wooden planks and drifting into a deathly hollow silence as it hit the outside path of stone bordering the room's walls. But Lucas was cut in his solemn walk by a red warning light, waging fists of war to his pale face. The warmth emanating from Ruby like a child's wild fire, begging for compassion. And Lucas Purevelion couldn't help but have a smirk tug at the corners of his lips.

"old?" he mimicked, raising a brow and questioning her choice of words. With age comes wisdom, an even better virtue than knowledge" he then added, beckoning her, waging her to fight. Only to be warned off by a glass-like wall between them. Behind it, through it he smiled, only demonstrating how he doesn't even have to move to fight. Alexis looked over her shoulder at the sudden rise of atmosphere, Laxion was soon to follow too... and they couldn't help but feel like they wanted to join. At which point they exchanged a glance, a stare that meant they both wanted to catch their own mentor out.

Laxion, with out too much concentration dropped his sorrows and remembered to enjoy life, because there are many worlds out their to experience, and what the world becomes is because of what you do to it. The door then closed shut to distract Lucas with a small breeze as Alexis tried to shock him with a small spark from behind. Like slow motion a flash only welcomed them as further glass surrounding Lucas.

"And with wisdom comes better judgement" he finally grinned without looking back, having already magically protected himself from all corners. Obviously they should know better, he was a Master of Purity, from the guild of protection itself. Thinking about it, it was almost funny.

((sorry i took ages to reply))

So, a match fair and square was what Ruby wanted, and so Ruby shall get her request. Alexis and Laxion seemed to have perked up slightly, but they couldn't help but still have the ache chained to their hearts for the time being. Laxion then leaned back against the glass window and Alexis got comfortable on the sofa again. "Very well" he finally replied, voice all mysterious and soft like velvet. He took a step back as the glass-like magic vanished, the layers of his cloth following him like angelic laces. Taking the glowing orb of light from his blade, it floated towards the ceiling. And then with silence the Purevelion blade slowly disintegrated into white magical essence that spiraled upwards and into the orb of light. And then the orb exploded, the gust of wind surpassing that of a typhoon as it blasted carefully past Lucas and Ruby, transporting them into what would seem an angelic realm. The floor was paved in silvery hexagonal tiles, the nearby distance fading into whiteness. To one side was a great staircase leading up into a bright light, near them were arch ways that seemingly gave shape to an arena like room.

Laxion and Alexis widened their eyes when the orb exploded and suddenly very quickly regathered itself into a giant orb that began what could be described as a television. They looked to each other in surprise, but then from the vision before them, the dusty orb turned into figurines of Ruby and Lucas, a 3-d experience. Within the arena, Lucas Explained to Ruby. "We're inside the Purevelion Blade, a place where anything can be altered and prepared or executed. Laxion and Alexis will be watching, but we can't see them unless they concentrate enough. This place can be shifted to how you want it... if you learn how to become one with the landscape. Is this a good enough one-on-one fight?" he teased at the end.

"I hope so"

And truth be told he was weaponless here, for he were inside the blade itself, but he wasn't a Master of Purity for no reason. "C'mon" he said "You're move"

When the girl announced it was the wrong idea, Lucas almost began to fear for what she may have in store, after all, she was a weapon... but now with personality. When she then went for a basic fist attack he was less worried as she came in for a high angle blow! He managed to move himself enough to the right to gaze upon her swinging arm passing his left side, she glided through his lengthy white hair but before she could end up behind him carefully kicked her to make sure she moved further away. It was a hard kick, but nothing too mean.

As the gap between them widened again he said "There is something you must understand" as the silvery tiles below him rippled and began reaching around him like petals. "You have all the weapons you need" and then the petals leaped into his hands creating a shining orb. He grasped it with one hand below and above to keep it steady as the ground reformed itself. "confidence, power, courage and knowledge... Now fight" And then the orb dispersed into dozens of other orbs that reached high into the sky surrounding them before one by one they would come falling down once again liking falling stars.

This perhaps was an unfair match for several reasons. One, Lucas was akin to a Caster of Ravencrest Academy, though in terms of skill the exact opposite. Two, he had an arsenal of light magic.

((i like it biggrin ))

He never thought many of the falling stars would strike her, Ruby had speed as well as power, he was just waiting for that confidence to be found, for the power to be used alongside her knowledge that he knows she gathers when fighting an opponent. Nevertheless she chose teh right thing to do when one orb was deadly close to her. Rather than running from the impossible she stood her ground like a monument, standing tall and proud to show those around it that it owns this land, this ground. And then when he least expected it silence fell as the tile hovered still and later replaced itself.

And she had it, she was learning to use her mind, this realm was where he learned to become a quick thinker and a precise fighter with his own father, and his father with his own father before him. And then she came down on him with great speed, as she did before he crossed his arms to attempt blocking the force, but unlike her Lucas was not a paladin of brute strength. Crashing downwards he submerged and vanished into the tiles below him, they solidified before he came falling from the sky above slightly further away. Hitting the ground he landed on his knee. It almost sounded like he was laughing whilst rubbing his head. "See, you can do almost anything if you put your mind to it".

Standing up he looked to the sky where an almost holographic image showed the faces of Laxion and Alexis, back in the summit they were standing over the images before them watchign eagerly. "Is this thing working?" questioned Alexis befor eLaxion cut in with "uh... um. HEY, Lucas?!"
"It's working" said Lucas Purevelion, the two other team members sighing in thanks.

"'C'mon Ruby! Show him uhm.. something. Yeah!" shouted Alexis from the skies.

With the opportunity attack, Ruby made sure she chose the right moment to attack Lucas, which was certainly the best approach. As he turned back to face Ruby he was faced by a frisbee-like object flying at him. Bring his arm over him he attempted to thrust it aside, but with doing so left what would be cuts and bruising, instead the cuts of his clothing reassembled with white dust. Though the force of the object was all true, he swung almost around to the other side as he recovered from the block. He heard from Lysandiel that there were an angel able to deflect and use any weapon or magic thrown against him on its own user.

And then she was right before him, he was the one left open and without a way to defend himself for once. And for that, he clapped his hands. "Well done" he admitted. And then suddenly the world changed as the white light around them turned into magical essence that swallowed itself between them and transformed into that white orb again, it was like they never left the room, but never moved since the realm vanished. Taking a step back from Ruby, Alexis rushed into hug her and cheer her on. Whilst Laxion was leaning as always against the nearby wall, with a smirk of his own.

"Did you let her win?" Laxion had to ask, whilst the girls were preoccupied. Lucas then replied with

"No"

Widening his eyes as the young girl pulled up his sleeve and admired his pale skin, he carefully pulled his arm back when she let go. Raising his head he then smiled and said "You did something right, besides, you're still recovering. And as the teams mentor i'm not going to push you too hard' he finished with a small smile.

((hope you don't mind, im going to time skip a little))

After just about an hour, the team eventually drifted into the late night, the darkness seemed to drag time out during winter, with short days and extended nights of shadows. Sitting on the comfortable floor between the chairs and the fireplace the four of them were exchanging conversations and stories. Alexis was almost in a ball leaning back against the chair with her knees against her chest. Laxion sat on the very edge of the fire, enjoying the warmth. Even Lucas was sat cross-legged on the floor, of coarse he was upon a comfortable, large pillow too. His robes around him caressed the floor. It was still obvious by looks alone that he was far superior to them, he was adorned by old styles, purity, and a blade. But, their friendship made them a little closer than that.

" so, Ruby" Alexis began. "What exactly do you remember now?". Between them lay a plate of cookies, it was really odd to see Lucas with them like this, it wasn't like him at all. Perhaps he felt the need to bond with his team further? Perhaps he felt like he had made them too independent and alienated to what he had brought them into.

As Ruby confessed her memories to them, however clouded it may have been, Laxion nodded and rest his chin on his clenched hands. Lucas softly spoke up with "Perhaps i could enlighten you" with a moderately helpful smile, but by now he almost shifted back into mentor mode. "Whilst you were gone, we had not only searched for the three of you, but the monks tried to figure out who you were, and whilst you were finding out about yourself... we did too. You're peculiar, you... stand out in the knowledge of the world. You're not just a normal girl, Ruby. You're the girl with no name. Alas, R.E.D... Ruby, but that's how it has shown. And that is what also makes you like us, you are unique, but very similar to us. You have emotions, you have friends, you even have a history, it's just lost. Whatever happened it was hard for us to decipher, but we only know as much as you do, with the prior knowledge of the land you come from. "

The team was sucked into his little speech, they spoke about Ruby like there was an anomaly surrounding her, the girl with no name. "How the monks work, i do not know, but they had several visions of the girl with no name... you, Ruby. And suddenly found just want you did. You indeed descend from the Land of Crows, a land that has become extremely in-tune with the Underworld. Alike Hell, as you all probably know was a part of the Jewel War, it is the seed of evil, of darkness and deceit. It has always existed unlike Hell. However Delorius'tatem has sworn to control their tainted land, as it is their own doing that caused it to suffer so. "
"But what about Ruby's sister, and friend?" asked Alexis. "Unfortunately we have no more information about them. But that's why we want to help you Ruby, you show every sign of a great person, courage, sacrifice and the eager push to prove yourself. Just because you come from a world of nightmarish monsters does not mean you are one, in fact, the land you come from is perhaps home to some of the best-willed in our world. The Conclave of Declasia uses the very powers of the Underworld to defend the world from evil. I'm one of the few from the syndicate that is gradually coming to accept them"