Welcome to Gaia! ::

A young man walked through the streets looking almost cocky, walking with a wolfish grace that seemed born in a fighter, and a look about him like a confident predator stalking up to a herd of unsuspecting prey.

It was an act in all simplicity, he was new here, he had this slight tingle of memory but the place he remembered was no longer where it should be, he did not remember it well, the events of late had nearly killed his memory and himself.

To most walking near him he would appear normal in most ways.


Standing slightly above average he is thin and agile. His body looking proportioned to it, his limbs seeming the right length nothing seemed out of place about him. His blue hair is cut to lay down on his scalp but a few single strands sometimes hang down into his clear blue eyes. He normally wears a loose long sleeved white shirt, It has three buttons leading down from the collar only partially buttoned the rest one solid piece, each button a pearl hue. He wears a pair of loose white pants as well, a slightly thicker material resembling silk it seems to move with the slightest breeze hinting at a very light cloth. His boots are worked brown leather, the bottoms thicker than usual with an odd tread pattern. On his right hand he wore a braclet, silver it had two silver chains running to a silver curcle pendant with a blue jewel in the center, another chain led from this to his middle finger where it connected to a silver ring.

looking much like an ancient slave bracelet it was in essance a binding, though to most it looked simple.

He continued his little jaunt trying to make him seem better than he was, some of the people here looked threatening withouht trying, something he wished he could do. He would have problems if someone decided they wanted to fight him. Too many problems to worry about.

The car slammed over the side of the road, flipping across a small park, great chunks of dirt and grass flying as people scattered away from the pin-wheeling automobile as it came to a crunching halt, two other cars zipping past it closely followed by a third.

Meryl didn't slow as she flew past it - she was on the hunt.

She'd ignored the doctors order to stay in bed. She had work to do. Her father wouldn't let a broken rib and fractured leg get in the way of the prey. She was Tribal, instinctual and primal beneath all the glitz of the gadgets and weapons.

And nobody gives her a pounding without getting some back with interest.

Narrowly avoiding a small pack of school-kids, she grit her teeth, sweat beading on her forehead as her feet moved, pumping the brake and shoving down the clutch to downshift, her jeep skidding around a clump of trees and over a small knoll to land a few meters behind the two sports cars.

Whilst the sports cars the men drove were faster and a little more manouverable then Meryl's trusty jeep, they didn't have the raw grunt and off-road capabilities it gave her. The shiney cars slipped and span on the grass, the drivers barely able to keep straight and avoid people at the same time as the jeep roared behind them like a bellowing rhino threatening to trample them.

It hadn't been hard to find her perps - the whole point of the beating was to keep her away from the compound. They hadn't expected her to come back so soon - or even at all. And this time she'd come prepared. A slew of thugs and a breif chase through a building later and she had jumped out of a two-storie window to see the lieutenants escaping in flashy sports cars. Landing in her jeep, having torn through the canopy to do so, she'd given chase immediantly, getting the upper hand in surprise once more and reducing their numbers by one car.

THe passenger door of one of the cars before her suddenly opened, allowing the torso of a man to lean out - and spray her windscreen with hot lead, the Mac-10 in his hands burping louldy as it sprayed 9mm death almost right in her face.

Twisting her wheel tightly, grimacing as her rib moved all by itself, she took the jeep around another small clump of trees and behind a hedge, the tree-line now partially obsucring her as the two sports-cars slammed on their brakes, letting her fly off away on the other side of the hedge as they slowly skidded to a stop, their wheels digging into the soft ground before they lurched to a halt.

"Back! Back!" The passenger shouted to the driver as he ripped the long clip from the Mac-10 and slammed in another one, pulling the bolt back as the driver crunched the gears into reverse and slammed his foot on the brake, the wheels spinning - before catching and taking off, moving back -

As Meryl's jeep finally erupted through the hedge near it's end-point, the side of the car taking the leafy brush down with minimal resistance, the green blaze in her eyes flaring as she slammed the car into second and pushed the accelerator to the floor, the car roaring loudly as she bore down on the second car, it's driver panicking as the passenger jumped out -

To barely miss being crushed as the jeep simply ran over the small, flat, streamline sports car, the jeep's thick treaded tyres digging into the roof and windscreen of the sports car and obliterating them completely, the automobile simply being flattened by the weight of the larger car.

As the jeep was finished grinding it's wheels against the crushed husk it took off, leaving the surviving thug sitting there, eyes wide and mouth open as it took off in a shower of dirt - before something hit him in the balls, causing him to scream out in shocked pain as he picked up the object -

Meryl's deadly grin grew wider as she heard her small grenade go off behind her with a whump and gunned the engine once more, slipping the car into fifth as she bore down on the sports car before her.

**********

Finally erupting from the park in a shower of grass, dirt and leaves, the sports car skidded across the multi-lane highway, slamming into the side of a passing car before peeling off in a cloud of smoke. Meryl's jeep was close behind it, flying from the raised edge of the park to hit the road with a crunch - and roll, the heaviness of the jeep unable to take the momentum Meryl was putting it to. Up became down, right left, the glass and blood and spare mags flying all around within the compartment as Meryl gripped the wheel tightly and kept her feet on the pedals, being jostled and tousled and shaken, rattled and rolled...

...Before, by some sheer miracle, the jeep came up on it's wheels, rocking to a smoking rest, looking like it would need the worlds best panel-beater and a paint-job from the gods to fix it better.

Meryl thanked the many gods she knew and a few she made up for the occasion for roll-cages and seatbelts before gunning the engine and taking off once more to the utter surprise of the astounded onlookers.

********

"She's gaining! ******** her up!" The driver growled to the passenger, who lifted the M203 - commonly known as the 'Thump-Gun' - and nodded.

"My pleasure." He muttered before leaning out of the window and pointing the cylinder with a trigger attached at the dirty, growling jeep as it weaved through traffic - before firing off a small, egg-like projectile off, the item flying through the air directly into the path of the careening jeep.

Meryl watched in horror as the grenade flew through the air as if watching it in slow-motion and, instead of braking or spinning the wheel, pushed the engine further, speeding up and moving underneath the grenades flight-path - to grip the steering wheel as the resulting explosion that erupted behind her blew the back-wheels of the jeep off the ground, maing the jeep rear up onto it's front-wheels for a second and giving Meryl a first-hand view of what going 140kph down a busy highway really looked like - before falling back and landing with a crunch onto it's tough wheels, the a** of the car blackened and scorched - but unharmed.

"Dammit! Let her get closer, then i'll get her..." The passenger growled as he cracked the M203 open, pulling the smoking brass shell out and feeding in another one, this one coloured a dangerously crimson red as he snapped the weapon shut and sat back, waiting for the oppertune time...

Before the front bumper of the Jeep was suddenly crushed into the back of the sports car, embedding itself into the automobile and lodging the two cars together!

Not wanting to miss such an oppertunity, the man began to lean out of the window - before gasping, watching as the girl in the beret and the bruised up face punched away the shattered glass of her front windscreen with her fist and suddenly leapt from the car, landing atop the sports car with a soft thump and looking at him - and down the barrel of the Thump-Gun.

Then she moved. So fast he could barely see it, but one second he was about to pull the trigger and the next his wrist was pointing ninety-degrees in a way it shouldn't and her hand was wrapped around the trigger - pulling it and shooting the grenade up into the air where it exploded harmlessly. Smirking down at him she ripped the gun out of his hand before smashing him in the head with it, hard enough to feel something break, before she grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him from the car, sending him tumbling into traffic.

Then the car swerved, causing Meryl to lurch - and tumble, slipping off the smooth roof of the sports car to fall over the edge at 150kph!!

THe driver laughed, watching her go over and tumble away in his side-mirror - before feeling something tug at the roof of the car and witness her sliding along the ground on the road, bouncing along as if on a tether!!

Meryl's WireDagger gripped the roof of the car stubbornly, her arm surely dislocated as she slid along the bitchumen road, screaming in pain as she tried to find a way to stop moving, skipping, bouncing - before suddenly slamming her free hand into the road. A invisible pulse exploded from beneath her palm as she did so, her Spirit power propelling her off the ground at an alarming rate - before her WireDagger yanked her out of her up-ward path and span her over the sports-car - to land in front of it, landing on the ground before the car and rolling violently, her body spinning as the sports car began to bear down on her slowing mass -

Before the brakes were suddenly applied, the car's wheels locking up and smoking pouring from all wheels as it tried desperately to stop. But the jeep, still being pulled like a trailer behind it, continued to push, and as Meryl's rolling began to slow the cars continued to move toward her, closer and closer, the bumper a mere inch away from her face as she lifted her arm and legs to halt the car...

Before it finally came to a shuddering halt, the soles of her sneakers and the palm of her hand pressed against the bumper and headlights. Letting out a slow sigh of releif, Meryl let her body go limp. Her wounds and injuries were catching up to her - she'd fought a good fight, but she didn't have much left...

...And the driver knew it. Getting out of the car and slamming the door behind him, cars slashing past the strange sight of a jeep trying to mount a luxury car and a bleeding woman lying in the road, he moved over to Meryl and grabbed her shirt, lifting her up off the ground slightly to poke his finger into her face. "We warned you, you b***h!" He screamed, his previous terror now replaced with seething rage, his face going red as spittle flew from his mouth, shaking and jabbing his finger in her face as he screamed. "We warned you, but now you're just going to have to - AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGH!!!

His screams actually overtook the sounds of the traffic as Meryl bit down on his outstretched finger, hard, hard enough to taste his salty blood, hard enough to feel enamel touch and go through bone - before she finally tore it off his hand, blood pumping out of the wound in a wide, arching pattern as she sneered up at his wide-mouthed expression of agony - before powerfully spitting the finger out, giving it just enough of a Spirit boost to put the finger straight through his mouth and blow out the back of his skull, killing him instantly.

His lifeless body falling down limply onto the floor, Meryl rolled over onto her hands and knees, coughing for a minute - before pushing herself to her feet, holding onto her dislocated arm with a grimace as she tested her fractured leg gingerly - before realising it was now fully broken. Wonderful.

Slapping her arm back into joint with a grunt, she pressed the ear-piece within her ear, letting the small microphone jut out to her blood-stained mouth. "Tomorrow here. Subjects terminated. Get a cleaning crew to the building and to a park three klicks from it - and someone call the Sheilds. They'll want some info i have for them."

Pressing the small tab again she turned and sat down on the hood of the sports car, letting out a small breath of releif - before yelping in surprise as the wheels of the car suddenly fell off their axle - followed by the axle - followed by the doors, and rear wheels, and bumper.

Meryl sighed and wondered how long it would take for the Shields to get here.

The young man had moved into an alley and slept, light a sleeper as he was he had not awaken for awhile. Curled up his shirt he looked pitiful as he slept, his hair miserably unkempt his face showing telltale signs of wear, as if he had not eaten very much for awhile, as he slept he moved slightly, constantly remembering the ravaged earth that had once been Risalas, fleeing like the coward he was while the men of his city remained to fight something they knew they couldn't stop. On he slept with the visions of his pathetic flight from battle, and his long trek to this damned town.

A few hours later:

He awoke a different man, literally

The young koshiro had lost control of the bracelet in the fitful sleep he had endured, Now rin sat up, his green hair disheveled and dirty as was the rest of him, his sword lay beside him, and his clothes had changed, he had plenty of time while the dreams held Koshiro. Standing he buckled the sword to his belt and tried to wipe off some of the dirt of the alley, though the dark soil did not show very easily on his equally dark clothing he still did not want to look off balance or weak in any way. like Koshiro he looked like he had been out of luck for awhile, his body hadn't healed, it never did. His cheeks though were sunken in, lacking the younger appearance of koshiro the little gat he had was slowly leaving his body as he went without food. He had money, he just had to find a place to eat.

Walking slowly out of the alley he began to walk, as koshiro had before he made roudns looking for a place to eat or buy food.

((Yes, I'm waiting on Kraun. Where is he, anyway?))

The pilots and some of the crew had just switched over to infrared googles as they saw the funnel of the smog/mist/whatever fly up towards one of the helicopters, engulfing it. When the rotors broke off against whatever was contained in the funnel, the inside of the chopper started screaming alarms at the pilots, who were trying to get control and figure out what happened, shutting down all systems as they started to fall

"What the ******** was that?"

"I don't know, but it looks like we're going in. Try and take that ******** out with us."

"Hope we don't hit that other person..."

Using the temperature difference between the smog stuff, the ground and the necromancer type, the pilot, being rather experienced, managed to pretty much glide the chopper, in a rather falling brick sort of fashion, towards the necromancer, trying to crash into him. It would land upright either way, probably sliding along the ground a bit, but the crew would be fine for the most part.

The other helicopter that was still flying, because there were two, having also switched to infrared googles, and the sniper on board having switched to an infrared scope, could also differentiate between the ghouls temperature and the ground and smog stuff. He fired off two shots, both aiming for their heads, the rifle he was using being a .50 caliber Barrett and all, would blow their heads apart if they hit, which they were likely to do.

After the two shots, the helicopter increased power and pulled off out of sight of anyone at the temple, only the dull thud of the rotors receeding could be heard.

Then they heard the call from the recon ground team

"Recon Alpha, this is Air 1, we have a chopper and team down at the temple, make your way there and approach with extreme caution, shoot at anything that isn't living. Over."

(( Continuing from where I left off before I moved & trying to get caught up to present day. >_<;; ... Nya~))

*After Sierra had left the old woman and her grandaughter, she ventured down to the wharves, hoping that the sailors and merchants might let something slip in their gossip that would be useful to her search for her soul-bonded. If she had any hopes of picking up Vahn's trail, this was the most likely place to start finding clues as to his location.

The salty sea air fills her lungs and lingers like a welcomed caress as the breeze trails across her alabaster flesh. The wind whips her ankle length hair about in a crimson tempest, the black gown rustling in the playful breeze as the elf maiden makes her way from stand to stand, listening to bits of conversations as she goes.

After a few hours of browsing the fish merchant's booths, Sierra heads down to the warehouses and docks.

The Marina was a bustling mass of activity and chaos... or so it would seem. What looked like disorder was actually hundreds of people to'ing and fro'ing from all the ships and sea craft in an organized but fast paced manner.

She looks around, a little overwhelmed by the commotion. Bracing herself against one of the rails along the pier, she chokes back a wave of nausea brought on by the throng of movement.

She tries to steady herself, but just when she thinks she's regained her composure, another look at the sea of moving bodies and she spins around, clutching to the rail with white knuckled desperation she coughs as her stomach casts her morning meals into the waves below.

Pale and a little unsteady, she holds a hand kerchief to her crimson lips and sighs, breathing in great lungfulls of the fresh air, waiting for the moment of sickness to pass.

Mildly concerned by the bad turn, she sets off again after a few moments, passing it off as weakness from the creation spell she had worked a few hours earlier, she had probbaly just done too much after regaining her conscious state such a short time before.

Another couple of hours passed and the sun started to dip towards the water, it's rays melding with the horrizon. It was nearing dusk and there was a chill in the air.

The elf had found out very little in the whole time she had been investigating... Or rather she had learnt much, but had little use for the knowledge she had gained.

One tidbit that had caught her attention though, was rumours of a man who matched Vahn's (or rather Kasuga's) description. He had been spotted around town and not always with 'good' company. This baffled her... Who was the mystery man? She KNEW it wasn't 'him'. She would sense him if he were so near... But maybe this other man might hold some answers.

It was worth looking into at the very least, and it was the best lead she had.

What she would do when she found him, she didn't really know... But this 'Victor'... had quite the reputation, and if the gossip was at all true, she'd have to be wary with him.*

"Might as well start by finding this 'Victor' fellow..."

*Gathering up her skirts, she heads further into the network of docks, the noise of the floating market drawing her towards the drinking stalls and makeshift taverns. This was as good a place as any to find her mystery man.

Discreetly, but persistantly, she starts querying barmates and bartenders as well as some of the drunken riff raft, hoping to be pointed in the right direction... But it seems the more she asked, the less people knew... or were willing to admit they knew... *

*The elf maiden froze as her ears twitched, and she turned slowly, her almond shaped eyes picking out a dark haired man instantly. Her jaw clenched and she sighs, her breath escaping between her teeth in a short hiss. Steeling herself she turns to face the direction of the footsteps.

There before her, only a couple yards away... stood the spitting image of her fiance, but with ebony hair. Her skin tingled as her senses brushed up against his aura ever so slightly, a questioning touch that would act as a metaphysical tap on the shoulder.

She shuddered, something about him, felt simillar to Vahn. Not the same, but close in some form of likeness, and it wasn't the identical physical features.

She supresses another shudder as she waits for the man's reaction, all her shields in place.*

Silver whiped around. Someone splintering the concrete was not hard to notice, not to mention, whether she was undead or not, her presence wasn't that hard to detect either.

Before he could accurately size her up, the rapidly approaching seismic vibrations drew his attention to the ground. Seeing the ground where she had impacted, it wasnt hard for a fighter to know what was about to happen.

An Earth wave technique! Something's coming! Gotta move!

But Silver's body wasn't as responsive as he would have liked it to have been. He threw himself backwards, managing to avoid getting skewered, but the sides of the spike hit his feet as it shot up, throwing him even further backwards off balance.

"Hrgh!"

He slammed into a wall behind him, and slowly sank to the ground. It wasn't a devistating blow at all, he should have easily been able to get up, but he just couldn't. His body was fighting him. Silver sat there panting, his vision becoming distorted a little.

"D... damn... That needle... musta... done something..."

But Silver was not helpless against the magical poison. To say that the Blood of Efreet was entirely non-magical would probably be foolish. His body had been tempered to keep foreign substances at bay, magical or not, through that, and other, unknown means. Still, that didn't mean he didn't have to fight off the invading substance. It was still a constant physical and mental battle to stay up. One that he couldn't afford to be in while in the thick of it. There were still dangerous opponents about.

Mustering all his strength, he managed to push himself up to a stand against the wall behind him. Taking hold of his bokken in one hand, and clutching his chest from the pain of breathing with the other, he turned to flee the battle amongst the burning buildings of the dock. He was in no shape to fight the song-slinging mystery woman, the liquid metal armored knight, or their legions of zombies.

Through ragged breaths, he coughed out whispered words.

"M-Mitsuyo... h... help..."