Welcome to Gaia! ::

Despite his reputation as one more interested in reading a good book than clashing two pieces of steel together; there was always something to be said about Cruxis's ability to tell a story about these battles that made many question if he indeed were a swordfighter himself. A notion that would normally cause Cruxis to scoff and return to whatever book he had been preoccupied with at the time.
It wasn't his fault that he was talented in his speech-craft; although having parents as street performers had never hurt his training in the art; neither did his slight-of-hand abilities, and his excellent chakra control; the latter of which had come very much in handy to perform stunts of 'death defying flight' when his parents and he toured the towns. Of course, it wasn't really flight, more of a very advanced chakra control that allowed him to exert the pressure of his chakra underneath him. Nevertheless, it was valued for three purposes; it conveniently eliminated the need to focus into mediocre techniques such as water walking; it was impressive when he needed to assert himself as most people took the flight to be the mark of a demon-possessed in the more rural villages [a feat that had conned many in the past], and perhaps most importantly, it gave him a bird's eye view of the great city Hidden Cloud.
His parents had told many tales of it, of course, but all stories seemed like pain words on a page compared to what he actually saw with his own eyes... Of course, his abilities to relay a story had never really diminished, it was simply the manner of seeing things with his own eyes that allowed him to relate to his own tales; thus the wildly spinning adventures he told were perspectives and alterations of real locations...
There was still an hour to go before graduation; and a sudden prod to his side caught his attention as he glanced sideways at a pretty red-headed girl; one of his weaknesses.
"Pst, Bard;", she spoke, using Cruxis's nickname amongst those who enjoyed his tales; "Tell a story while we wait?"
Cruxis placed a bookmark in the tome he had been reading; a book containing several genjutsu he had been interested in learning; one of which he'd already worked out how to use - called Reality Destruction, in which he could temporarily expand the victim's mental capacity to its maximum before suddenly withdrawing it back to the normal ten-percent of the brain the human mind normally used. The result left a ton of mental stress, and it was comedic to see victims who didn't handle it as well reduce to babbling idiots for a few hours.
Still, he had a weakness for a pretty redhead, and couldn't well say no to her; and as he put the book aside, and responded; "Of course." as the golden glint of his Ryuugan Eyes met with hers. And with a small smile, Cruxis began to speak in what some had nicknamed his 'Bard Mode', a tone of voice deeper in resonance than how he normally spoke. It was as if the slight cynicism he kept to the world vanished as he escaped to a world of his own creation, where everything could be dictated by his own will. Perhaps it was a tiny bit of ambition, or simply a love of creating a world with only words and imagery; but whatever it was, the redheaded girl's eyes remained locked with his as he told his tale.

DireSect Itarillé, a court magician of the royal palace, lay sleeping. Just as he’d been taught by his master years ago, he had cleared his mind and released his stress of the day. Without these binding restraints, his mind was free to cross planes into a new world, where he could be everywhere without ever leaving his bedside.
Crossing over to the plane of existence between the Mortal and Spirit realms had taken much dedication and training, but once mastered DireSect found himself unable to sleep unless he did so. The freedom from his body rested his soul, letting him wander the plane of dreams. He could sense the dreams of others, and the hundreds of spirits around him, some who had mastered the art, most who were without success and unable to truly let go of their earthly ties.
DireSect caught sight of himself in the mirror of someone’s dream and looked away. His mortal body was of medium height, lightly tanned and layered with a fair amount of muscle. His hair was dark brown, flecked with blonde highlights, considered unusual among the people of his kingdom. But he didn’t care since he had not been born on the island kingdom. At the age of seven his family had boarded a merchant ship out of the desert village where he’d grown up. It had been because of this move that DireSect had discovered his talent for magic.
DireSect made a small smile at his reflection. Dark grey eyes, reflecting nothing gazed back at him and he was forced to look away again. Though he had grown used to seeing his spirit form, it still came as a surprise to him. A chill ran through his body, something called to him.
“DireSect…”
The voice pierced through the barriers he’d set around his mind, examining his soul. This presence was from the World of Spirits! DireSect fought to contain his excitement. He had spent many years searching for a spirit being, though he’d been told they rarely crossed into the Realm of Dreams, the dividing barrier between worlds.
“I am here.” he responded, bowing in respect though he could not see the spirit.
“There is no need for courtesy, I seek your aid. Within your kingdom is a young cleric gifted with foresight. This morning she will seek an audience with your Queen… She will try to warn her of what she has seen, only to be dragged away and executed. You must rescue and protect her until she can escape this island. Though you may deny it, I know you seek the truth about your past. Aid in her rescue and I will point you in the direction you should go.”
DireSect stood in awe, a spirit asking him for help. True enough, he had no love of his kingdom, the island nation of Aquoriou. Exchanging his mediocre guard duties to obtain lost answers excited him. He’d often planned to leave in search of what had caused his parents to leave. The bargain excited him.
“I’ll help you; tell me her name…”
“Aurélie…”

Admittedly, it had been very very tempting to use her name instead; and he'd managed to quickly avert himself from doing so, although he'd paused only a moment to see her reaction; to see if she'd been hoping he'd use her name... She seemed too caught in the story to react though; to Cruxis's disappointment. The brief second of a pause left little room for the 'spell' to break though, as the bard began to resume his tale...

DireSect felt his mind pulled back down to earth with a sudden jolt. Something or someone had disturbed his sleep. On instinct he whipped out a dagger he kept hidden in his wrist guard. Nothing stood in the empty room, the memory of his dream hung over him. The small room contained a bed, mirror, window, and a basin with a spout connected to a well below. Focusing his magic on the aquamarine gemstone embedded in the wooden basin, water flowed from the spout.
Looking in the mirror DireSect saw his own face again. Two orange-brown eyes looked back at him from the mirror, his own mortal eyes. Carefully he tucked his dagger away inside his wrist guard and went to dress himself. As a Magician of the Royal Court of Aquoriou he was restricted to wearing robes, along with the traditional shark-tooth necklace that signified all who worked in the castle. Deciding upon a dark blue colored robe, DireSect quickly dressed himself. Opening his drawer DireSect withdrew a single diamond stud earring, one of several gems he kept on hand to aid in his spellcasting.
Finally he returned to the corner of the small room and retrieved his staff. Made of oak, and crafted with great care, the staff stood up to his shoulder. The staff’s top was decorated with a dragon’s head made of silver. Within the dragon’s eye sockets were two red jewels, a garnet and a ruby, cut identically and resembling the eyes of a real dragon. A gift from his father, DireSect treasured it dearly. These gemstones embedded in his staff, along with his diamond earring and a small sapphire hidden within his necklace, allowed him a moderate range of spells, as magicians must channel their energy through gemstones to cast their magic.
“You had best hurry if you intend to reach the castle in time…”
The distant voice rang in DireSect’s head, and he nodded in understanding. Exiting the small wooden house, he looked out into the city’s streets and felt the warm morning sun touch him. The island kingdom was always bustling with merchants, sailors, and the people who lived there. Along the coast, he saw ships docked in the harbor. Palm trees dotted the beach, thickening at parts further from the coast. Along the cobblestone roads, DireSect’s house faced out towards the sea and shops selling items from around the world. The smell of fish and fresh fruit, mixed with salt from the sea, lingered in the air. Further in from the beach, upon a large hill stood the castle of Aquoriou.
Walking up the old cobblestone road, DireSect couldn’t help but notice the loss of many merchants he’d once known. Along with several ships of sailors, they left east in search of new lands. They’d been branded as traitors, and the city had been told to immediately report any sighting of them. Several rumors had circulated about their new kingdom. Once he was free of the island, he would have to see it for himself.
The loud squawk of a bird roused him from his daydreams, and Castle Aquoriou rose to meet him. Long ago, the ancient magic users had brought fine-grained brown sand to the hilltop and fused it together with powerful magic. Many of these ancient texts had been sealed away within the castle, restricted to only the highest ranked magic users.
Not being born of Aquoriou, DireSect would never rise to any rank higher than the local Court Magicians, a simple group of weak magic users assigned to assist the palace guards. As if to insult them further, the only magic they’d been taught to use were basic defensive spells, forcing him to study stronger magic in secret.
Frustrated, DireSect took his post among the guards and scanned the area. A lone figure now traveled along the path he had taken. From his vantage point, DireSect could only see pale blue hooded robes lined with golden runes, though he was too far away to read what they said. The figure held a simple wooden stave in hand and carried a white cloth pouch designed to transport healing herbs. A cleric had come today; the spirit had told him the truth!
True masters of healing magic were rare. To cast a spell properly, magicians must channel their own power through a gem. Without the proper gemstone, a magician cannot cast magic. Only one gem, apart from their sacred treasure the Orb of Water, had the power to cast healing spells. This rare blue-green gem, known as Indicolite, could channel a magician’s magic for true healing spells. Very few possessed the rare gem though, as they could only be found within the Dracor Mountain Range to the northwest. Though rumors spoke of the dragons’ extinction, there were few who could brave the craggy cliffs, frigid snows, and rockslides that plagued the higher parts of the mountain where the gems could be found. Thus, the clerics of Aquoriou relied mostly on herbs and other remedies.
A gentle breeze brushed across his face as DireSect took a breath and fought to remain calm. He would have to stay at peace, within a quiet state of serenity. Panic and rage were a Magician’s greatest weakness, should he succumb to either he risked losing control of the delicate magic. To keep this cleric safe, he would have to maintain a cool head and not act rashly.
Risking another look out onto the path, he saw that the cleric was a girl, as the spirit had told him. Her skin was tanned bronze and her hair was slightly streaked with brown, common of the islanders. She was tall and thin; her hips had a light curve that he took notice of under her pale blue robes. As she came into sight, DireSect could see her hazel eyes that reflected the morning sunlight. Goosebumps flecked her neck, and looking within her eyes he could sense fear. This cleric knew something terrible. Her gentle steps made no sound as she looked to the soldier DireSect had been paired with.
“I seek an audience this morning. I have documents, signed and sealed.” She spoke simply, but DireSect could hear the lower pitches in her voice. Her cheerful tone was a mask, a facade to hide her fear. The soldier silently waved her on, letting her pass. DireSect knew this was the cleric the spirit had spoken of, the one who now walked into her doom.
DireSect quickly excused himself and began to walk from his post down the path. Once out of sight, he called upon the sapphire hidden in his shark tooth necklace, focusing the radiant energies of his magic through it. His spell, channeled through the sapphire, turned his body transparent, in essence a spell of invisibility. He took care not to let his heavy steps make noise, a difficult task for him. Turning right, he arrived just as the cleric was announced into the audience chamber.
“The cleric, Aurélie, healer and scribe in training, here to see her royal highness with tidings of ill doom.”
Upon her throne, the queen gazed out uninterested as she reached towards a glass of wine. Adorned in a dark purple dress lined with gold, the queen was strict and as most tyrants are, mistook people’s intentions as attempts to seize power from her. She wore no crown, instead letting her whitening blonde hair flow down behind her. Aurélie looked up and took a deep breath, fighting against her fears. DireSect took the opportunity to hide behind a pillar and remove his enchantment to save his energy.
“Your revered highness, I have come because of a vision I recently received. As the higher members of the order of clerics may have told you, I’ve been gifted with the ability of foresight. Three nights ago a vision came to me. Fire, cannons, and clashing swords surround our fair kingdom. Magic fails in the chaos and in its wake…only destruction. Our sacred treasure, the Orb of Water, stolen… I know not when or how, but I cannot deny the importance of this vision! We must flee Aquoriou, for this doom cannot be prevented so long as we remain, that much I can see clearly”
DireSect felt his throat tighten; she described these events not as a premonition, but as destiny revealing its secrets to those who would listen. The queen was neither wise nor believing of what she considered fairytales designed to usurp her rule. With a raging voice, she called forth her soldiers to arrest Aurélie. He saw them coming, clad in bronze chain mail, each armed with a long spear. The young cleric was a healer, not a fighter. Taking a risk, DireSect peeked from behind his cover and saw no magicians paired with these soldiers. The arrogant fools had gone up against a potential magic user without any defense. He had a chance to rescue her, but he would have to act quickly and think of a spell to defend them both.
Focusing upon the ruby within his staff, DireSect ran into the fray and pulled the cleric close to him as he spun the staff and pounded it to the ground. A barrier of red light raised around them as the spearmen poised to strike.
“Stay close to me,” DireSect spoke quickly in a low voice to Aurélie, “I’ll get you out of this place.”
Switching his energy to the ruby that the other dragon’s eye was made of, the spell changed from defensive to offensive. A bolt of fire flared out in front of them, clearing the path. Without hesitation, DireSect pulled the young cleric’s arm as they ran down the hall. Focusing again on his hidden sapphire, he cast his magic to turn them both transparent. Keeping close to the shadowed walls, he looked towards his post. The soldier remained on guard, probably more comfortable without a magic user lurking behind him. Slipping out of the castle through the gate, DireSect led Aurélie partially down the path until he turned abruptly into the forest of palm trees.
“I think we lost them, they won't think to look for us here…at least not for a while. I'm sorry for grabbing you earlier, but if I hadn't you would now be awaiting execution. The queen is insane, taking many things done with pure intentions as attempts to usurp Aquoriou from her.”
“I can't leave them to their doom!”
“And if you go back they will not listen, you will be doomed with them…”
“If that is my fate, so be it…I will not abandon our people.”
“They're all fools who ignore the warning signs, and not just your visions. Merchants and sailors are leaving this kingdom to form their own, trade is decreasing, and anyone with half a brain can tell something is wrong! It’s only because of a corrupt monarch that no defense has been raised. Your ‘most revered ruler’ is a tyrant who-”
“She has guided our people for nearly forty years! I will make her listen and get our people to safety!”
Aurélie bolted out of the forest and back up the path towards the castle. DireSect sensed her stubbornness, knew he should probably go after her. He took a breath and burst out of the forest, a blunt force struck him from behind the head. As his vision blurred he saw two figures robed in night blue cloaks swoop over him…

The supply closet door slammed shut just before the haphazardly stacked supplies fell out into the hall. Musica leaned heavily on the door for a few seconds, just to make sure, and then let out a sigh of relief. "That was close," he muttered as he started to walk down the empty hallway. "Stupid teachers. One little fire and they all go batshit crazy." The boy casually slid his hands into his pockets and blew a lock of blond hair out of his face. "And it wasn't even my fault, either. Because I accidentally set fire to that one kid's desk mean that every fire is my-" A sudden pain shot through Musica's upper right arm. Sliced would be a better way to put it, actually. 'Not again. . . .' Musica turned his head to get a good look at his arm. 'Energy build-up. . . . Hope these stupid teachers release me soon.'

As she sat there on her perch based within a tree close to the academy grounds, Asherah eventually simply slid off of the branch. Landing down safely on the ground onto her clawed feet; she slipped back into bushes that lay within the trees. She wasn't sure as to what to do at this point. Her copper eyes scanned the scene of the school yard. She wasn't quite sure what to make of the place. Teachers, students, studying, school, such concepts were completely foreign to her.

For a while she simply stood there, watching what all was going on, but she didn't really seem to be absorbing any of what was going on. After a long while, and after the bush was void of all insects, Ashie decided to creep a little closer. It was at that point when she was finally spotted. One of the larger people had noticed her and was now coming in her direction. At first she simply froze in place, however, when it was obvious she wasn't blending she turned to run for it. Her attempts were for not when the the person managed to grab a hold of the back of her cloak. This hand upon her garment caused her to freeze in place. This was to avoid accidental removal of the only thing hiding her appearance from this world.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going? Think you could sneak away? C'mon, back to running course." It seemed due to her small stature she had been mistaken for one of the smaller people that she had seen running in a wide circle. Being pulled over by the scruff of her concealing cloak, the larger person was soon met by one of the other larger people. Though they seemed to be discussing something about her she wasn't aware of it. In fact she didn't seem to comprehend why he had even brought her over here in the first place.

The second larger person pushed past the first and knelt down in front of her. Ashie titled her head down putting her hood to his face. "Hey, what's your name?" Asherah did not respond. The idea of a name was a concept she understood, but she was not sure of what to do with it. Did she tell people, or keep it for herself? When she didn't answer this larger person knew that something was up. He lunged for her hood, but she managed to jump back quick and took off for the trees and bushes again. The second started to go after her, but the first stopped him, shaking his head. "Uhg, what was that all about?" "Who knows? But, should we report this to Tsuchikage?" "No. He's at the Chunin Exams. It's best we just pretend this never happened."

Having managed to get away somehow Asherah found herself to be somewhat tired. She quickly found a gap in the trees where the sun was shining down. Curling up in the center of the sun beam she drifted off into a shallow slumber.

((50/100lines completed))