Fall From Grace [Epic Quest - Garret]

Adamus listened to the words with interest, the pang of hurt that traveled across his chest ignored in favor of giving Garret his full attention. When the magician mentioned having done something he regretted, he admired Garret’s ability to say so. Admitting you did something you weren’t proud of was difficult. When he mentioned Azix holding the power of resurrection, he smiled gently before arching a brow at the scribbled words, barking out a soft laugh.

“So that old dog survived. Good. What you are asking… it is by no means easy and is not a widely accepted practice.”

He reached out to snag the tied parchments, placing them between the two men and waving a hand.

“The runes on the front of these notes… ‘heal’, ‘guide’, ‘defy’, and ‘death’. Simple commands for the rukh, very difficult to make sure it comes out right. It is fairly simple to take someone on the brink of death and pull them away from it. It is an entirely different story to find the rukh of one already dead.”

He nodded to the crumpled paper, touching the tip of his wand to it and watching it ignite.

“It was one of her research partners. I remember her being equally in awe and horrified that it had been managed. Evelyn felt it went against the flow of Fate to bring someone back once deceased. Not everyone feels that way. To our knowledge, the stubborn old man was the first to be retrieved from death, not just rescued from the clutches as they were being pulled away. And from what I hear, they did it incompletely. To pull someone back out of death’s jaws and not also repair the damage to their body… well, to put it frankly, I am surprised he survived.”

If Garret gave a confused look on how Adamus knew, he would grin.

“I have friends that keep me informed, let us just say that our King got his big mouth from his family. What her research partner did was impressive, but cruel. Evelyn found a way to correct that cruelty, but she never took the opportunity to test it out. Like I said, she was not a fan of her own research. She knew someone would do it, and she wanted to be a part of that, so she would be able to warn people against doing it.”

Adamus frowned for a moment before giving Garret a searching look.

“How much do you regret what you have done? And why? If I am satisfied with your answer, I will not only let you examine the research, I will help you decipher it. She was fond of writing in riddles, you could say. We all have our ways of protecting our work, I exclude key items, she simply jumbles things in way that makes it nearly impossible to tell what she did, unless you know how she did it.”

Adamus would wait for him to answer, truly interested in why he wanted the research. He did not have his wife’s reservations about resurrection. He respected the direction of Fate but he also knew that sometimes Fate was not the only thing influencing a person’s life.

Garret listened to Adamus' words, keeping his attention on the man's explanation of the commands to the rukh. He was surprised by the knowledge easily provided, and knew that it meant that Evelyn had in fact researched the subject. There was little other explanation as to why the man would be readily familiar with it otherwise. As Adamus continued to talk, he implied that the individual who had risen Octavius from death was a research partner to his late wife. The discussion took a turn towards the flow of fate, a subject Garret never truly immersed himself into. Even so, he could see how the revival of a dead person could potentially go against the flow of fate.

He thought hard on the revival of Octavius; a research partner to a Magnostadt magician was likely another Magnostadt magician. But who? And for what ends? It didn't seem as if there was any true purpose behind it, considering those who were told did not even believe that the Fanalis warrior would survive the experience. Was it just to test and see if he could? Garret shelved those thoughts, focusing back on Adamus as he spoke about his own information network followed by Evelyn completing her own research. Garret's jaw nearly dropped; he had not expected to come across a completed thesis on how to perform the magic. He only managed to suppress enough surprise to keep the visage on his face from looking comical, but it was at this point that Adamus frowned and looked towards Garret.

He asked a very to-the-point question. One which required Garret to bare open a part of himself that he had not done for anyone. Looking at the floor, he struggled with that question for a moment before realizing this very struggle was an extension of what Adamus had asked; how much did he truly regret what he had done? Was it enough to get him to speak about it? Garret grit his teeth and furrowed his brow as he recalled the woman dying beneath his hands. He took a deep breath, looking back up to Adamus having made his decision. "I will need to give you some context. I heard, shortly after we came back from the Imuchakk lands, that Azix had begun fighting in the Coliseum. I knew that there were sometimes deaths there, so I took it upon myself to investigate the place and determine if there would be any opponents that would pose a threat to the man..."

Garret paused, recalling his first entrance to the Coliseum. Signing up to check on the level of the opponents, and how they fought. "The best way to do so, of course, was to participate. I don't know if you follow much with the Coliseum, but I went under the fake name of 'Crim'." Garret watched and listened to whatever reaction Adamus would have to this, using that as a determination for how much the man already knew. "During my investigation, I had determined to keep my skills hidden. Looking back, I'm not sure why I placed such a high priority upon it; it seems silly, in a way. My first opponent was a woman from my homeland who had an incredible fighting spirit. One that refused to back down in the face of opposition. She was young. I slew her." A pained look crossed Garret's face as he recalled the feeling of life slipping from beneath his hands. "In my.. previous line of work.. I was no stranger to death. I knew what the weight of their lives were when I took them. But then it was a matter of war and combat. Some part of me understood the Coliseum for what it is now meant to be; a place one goes to show off and hone their skills. I suppose some go there for the money and fame, as well."

Garret idly fiddled with the staff, getting used to the weight of it in his hands while his unfocused eyes stared forward and he explained the situation to Adamus. "She had a family, of course. I learned of this in my next match; her brother had come to avenge her. I do not blame him, but he was weak. His sister was by far the stronger of the two. Remembering having seen Azix bring a person back from the dead, I believed there was a way to do so. I told her brother as much, having regretted slaying his sister for what I now believe to be petty reasons. I would not be taking his life as well. Instead, I made a promise that I would do everything in my capabilities to correct that action." As Garret spoke, he recalled the promise to Jin. He realized at that point that it was a promise he would keep, regardless of the outcome of this conversation.

With a look of resolve, Garret conveyed these sentiments. "To be truthful, even if I am unable to examine the research, I am honor bound to fulfill that promise. All it means is that I would have to research into it separately, on my own." That was his answer to the red magician. The tone of voice he used was not haughty nor arrogant. It had the feel of sincerity backing it.

Adius let the other magician tell his story, humming and nodding in places. He was interested in how Azix could resurrect a person but would not interrupt Garret’s tale. By the time Garret finish, Adamus held no doubts about the man’s reason for wanting the research. Satisfied that his intention was not to go and raise an undead army or horrors, Adamus gave Garret a small smile.

“It is an honorable reason, and one I can appreciate. I will allow you to study Evelyn’s notes, on the condition that they never leave my room. The incantations she came up with… they are simply too powerful to risk them becoming largely known. Evelyn was very particular about her work, especially this project. She loved the complexity, but she hated the eventual result. She felt that if Fate reclaimed a person to the Great Flow, then that is where they belonged. It is why I have not opened her research since she died, I might find myself tempted to reverse her death, and she would not like that. I will help you to decipher her coding and chicken scratches.”

He moved the manuscripts to a table and nodded Garret over, untying the twine carefully, it was almost like a monument to him and it hurt to be reminded of her, but it was time to move on and share her research with at least one other person. The top page showed why Garret would need Adamus’ help, the words nonsensical in their organization. Adamus would then begin explaining how to unscramble the words, though the runes he would have to examine separately to determine which ones were correct and which ones were jumbled.

“You have a great deal of reading ahead of you. If you get confused, just let me know, I will be working on my own papers.”

He thanked Adamus for his offer. "I think I'll take you up on that offer, but there's a matter of the war going on right now... I might have to put it on a short hold. But I'll be back." Garret nodded to Adamus, walking towards the door before stopping. "Thanks again. For the staff. I'll make sure to put it to good use." With those final words, Garret headed out towards Azix's place; there was some sort of meeting for a rehearsal dinner of some sort that he wanted to discuss with Garret.

---

The magician returned, knocking on Adamus' door and requesting entry. "Hey. I'm sure you've heard, but the Emperor has been slain. If you don't mind, would it be okay for me to work on those magical documents?" The magician would answer small talk questions and conversations, explaining details of the fights that he took part of in order to help Azix and Ariella. Occasionally he was focused so hard on the documents that he would miss something Adamus had said, and it would have to be repeated for him to reply.

Garret spent the next few days reading through the papers that were left behind by Evelyn. Just as Adamus had mentioned, the scrambling of the documents were a pain in the ass. When those occasions happened, he requested Adamus' help if he were available. If not, he re-read the prior details of the documents themselves. Though he had neither official nor traditional training in the arts, he had read three of the more common books that Magnostadt had to offer in regards to spells and their creation. A novice book, an intermediate's book, and a theorist book that dealt with spells of the highest complexity. As such, he was not completely lost when reading Evelyn's information.

Even so, the headway made on the research was slow. The woman frustrated Garret on a multitude of levels. He continued to forge onward while writing out the magic circle and commands, defining, refining, and even changing them according to the notes he was following, all the while trying to understand Evelyn's thought process. He understood, by Adamus' admission, that she was interested in completing the spell in a manner that healed a person completely. This was a level of dedication that suggested she was thorough in her work, which gave Garret a good baseline to start from.

Garret continued his work, compiling the information and analyzing it while re-reading everything as he went along whenever he got stuck. Translate, understand the why, understand the how. It was a long process, and he had no other choice but to rely on Adamus' help. At the very least, Garret did not have to worry as much about the Kou war anymore, now that the prior Emperor was dead. Thinking back on Azix, the man wondered how the light magician was faring. Stretching out, Garret turned to Adamus. "I'll be taking a break. We're close to the end, but I think a day or two to refresh myself will make things go smoother. I'm going to go visit Azix."


After saying his farewell to the veteran magician, Garret headed out towards Azix's place. Though not fully equipped, Garret never went anywhere without the new advanced staff and his blade. The magician knocked on the door to the man's house when he arrived, awaiting an answer from the light magician.

Since the war was over, Azix had spent the morning at Opportunity Hall. With reports pouring into the capital of various towns and villages in need of repair, Azix had volunteered the workforce program to assist where they could. After all, one of the reasons for proposing the program was to have a group that could help wherever needed during an emergency. The organization was a daunting task, but with Gilda and Kylar's help, they had managed to finish a draft of the schedule.

The next task would be organizing the move back to Kios for the villagers and the repairs that would be needed. During Azix's last visit to Kios after the evacuation, a few homes had been burned down, but that had been before Kaito pillaged the countryside. He could only imagine what the state of the village was currently. With this in mind, Azix decided to head to his house and enlist his Kios Council to getting the villagers ready.

He turned down his street when he noticed a familiar figure approaching his house. Azix continued walking up to his house and soon heard the sound of knuckles rapping against the wooden door. "Garret! How have you been?" The orange magician smiled at his friend and moved around him to open the door. "What have you been up to?"

Azix led Garret inside, listening to the man's response as he called out for Viri. To his surprise there was no response, a bit odd, but he assumed that the others had went out on errands. Azix gestured for Garret to take a seat at the table in the dining room while he started some tea. As he went to join Garret at the table, Azix looked out a window that overlooked the backyard and noticed a man planting some flowers in the backyard. 'I told Jarl he didn't need to make me a garden. I'll never be home enough to tend it...'

After watching for a few moments, Azix joined Garret in the dining room and took a seat. "So, did you need help with something?"

Sato planted another flower, he had been biding his time as he waited for the Marquis to return home. The Emperor may have been killed, but Azix was too much of a distraction to his plans. As long as the Marquis was alive, Iatsu would continue to be distracted from his destined role. His disguise was impeccable, he had watched Azix’ home for long enough that he was confident in his recreation of the man named Jarl. He planted another flower, this one a rare bloom normally found in Kou, a silent testament to his presence. Like a calling card, almost, the purple bloom was placed in the freshly turned soil. When he heard a knock at the front door, he ignored it until he could hear a voice call out, recognizing it as Azix. He cursed when he heard who the Marquis greeted, though, it was an unexpected turn. Never mind, he would carry out his mission, regardless. Perhaps then Iatsu would understand the gravity of the situation and how dedicated he was to the boy’s destiny.

Garret had knocked on the door to Azix's home, but there was no immediate answer from within. Instead, Garret heard an answer from elsewhere. Turning around he saw Azix having asked how he had been, and what he had been doing. The blue magician moved out of the way, giving ground to Azix in order to open the door to his home. "I've been studying some magic under Adamus, actually. The research he has me do... The books are all encrypted with scrambled code. But enough of that. I'm sure you've been busy as well." He followed Azix into the house, listening to the man's response.

When Azix called out for an individual named Viri, but nobody came, Garret raised an eyebrow to the man. Azix promptly left to make tea, and Garret waited patiently for his return. When Azix came back, Garret looked up at him from his seated position. Asked whether he needed assistance or not, Garret chuckled. "I don't only come when I need help, do I?" He paused, giving the man a chance to say something before smiling wryly and shaking his head once more. "I actually came to see if you needed any help. I'm sure you've been busy."

Azix arched a brow when Garret explained that he had been furthering his magical studies under Ariella's father. Azix hadn't realized that the blue magician had built a relationship with Adamus. He hummed in thought as he considered that Ari's father likely had a wealth of knowledge in regards to the magical arts. Azix shook his head, yet again he found himself trailing behind Garret, as if the man was always in a state of constant growth. He made a note to speak to Adamus at some point, after all, Azix was dating his daughter. It would be strange if the man knew Garret better than the orange magician.

"Actually, I would be interested to talk more about your research. Those books you lent me a long time ago were very helpful. The book on magic theory was a bit dense, but it certainly helped me when I began to construct combination magic."

Azix smirked at Iatsu's response, "Sometimes. Other times you come to help me out." The orange magician gave a hearty laugh when the latter proved true. "I ask cause I was hoping to help you out. The last favor I asked of you was a big one." His gaze drifted off as he recalled the night of Lagi's wedding rehearsal.

Azix shook his head, "I have been busy coordinating the workforce program to help communities rebuild and transport supplies. I haven't had a chance to visit Kios to see how bad it was hit. That should be looked at soon, I'm sure the villagers would like to move back soon."

He brought his cup to his lips and took a sip of the warm liquid, testing the heat. A fiery sensation gripped his tongue and plunged down his esophagus. Azix leaned forward, coughing into a fist with his free hand, his head tilted to the side, while he quickly set his cup down. "Ahem! Too soon."

Sato slipped through the back door, his steps silent as he moved. He peeked around the door to the kitchen, quickly assessing what in the room would make the best weapon. Before Viri had left, she had left a knife out to dry after being cleaned and it was easily accessible on the counter. It seemed to be the most ideal weapon at the moment. When Azix began coughing, he moved fluidly around the door frame, taking only half a breath to snag the knife from the counter and spinning, stabbing towards Azix’ back as Azix spoke about it being too soon. It might be too soon for the tea, but Sato would ensure it was too late for the magician.

Garret shook his head as Azix mentioned a prior favor. "I, uh, don't recall doing a prior favor that was any kind of a big deal." It was the truth, in his mind; the rehearsal never once crossed Garret's mind as being a favor with the expectations of payback being owed one way or another. His mind snapped to attention when Azix mentioned that he was planning on looking into Kios, the village they had went to a long while back. He looked back towards the door they had entered, not hearing or seeing 'Jarl' enter, and briefly wondered if there was something that he could actually work on for that.

I.. I know a bit of engineering... But I'm not quite familiar with construction. Maybe I should look into that, though. A job other than intelligence work might be a nice change of pace... He looked back up towards Azix in order to say as much, catching sight of one of Azix's acquaintances walking up behind him. Thinking nothing of it for the moment, he opened his mouth to speak just as Azix took a drink of his tea. It was at this moment that Garret realized something was off; the way the man moved, without noise, did not seem normal.

It was at the same time he drew his arm backwards. Garret jumped up and aimed the staff he had received from Adamus towards Azix and, behind the man, Jarl. "YOU'RE BEING STABBED IN THE BACK!" Garret shouted, preparing a spell and hoping Azix would get out of the way in time. A pair of ice spheres, Blade Burst, formed and flew forward while looking to pierce Jarl's body...


OOC:

Magoi/Stamina: 180/300

Abilities Used:

When Azix looked over to Garret after his coughing fit, he was surprised to find the magician in the standing position with his wand raised. The orange magician's mind stared blackly at his traitorous friend, who announced his intention to commit a treasonous act. Meanwhile, Azix's body used Sakeru to jump out of his chair, away from the rapidly forming spheres of ice.

He dodged the spheres of ice in time, however his Borg still flared up and shattered from some unseen strike. Azix jerked his head around to see Jarl standing behind his chair with a knife in his hand. The man had parted both sphere's of ice from Iatsu with two quick swipes of his knife. Azix arched a brow at Jarl, "Oh my sweet baby lanta, what is going on, Jarl?"

Azix retrieved his wand and flicked it in Jarl's direction, conjuring a Shadow Right Hand. He didn't understand why Jarl had started attacking him, but he cared enough for the man to avoid hurting him and instead opted for immobilization. The shadow-construct was sent forward to bind both of Jarl's arms.

[240/300]

Spoiler:

Sato flipped out of the way of the Shadow Right Hand, or tried to. One of his legs still become bound and he used the knife to slash at the construct. There were not a wealth of other items he could use for a weapon but his eyes scanned frantically to be sure he had not missed something.

---

Marinus had followed the Marquis home, keeping a distance, in hopes that the orange magician would lead him to Iatsu. News of their betrayal of the Emperor had spread and Marinus was upset with himself for having misjudged Iatsu, thinking the man loyal after Sato had ordered the blue magician followed. To know the man had been involved with the slaughter at the Palace was disquieting, he prided himself on being a good judge of character. But now there was a new Emperor on the throne, and with Yoshiro taking up his father’s crown, Marinus had been forced to either continue his work under Yoshiro’s direction or go rogue. Marinus had not yet made the decision, but he still needed to speak with Iatsu, if nothing else.

When he had seen Iatsu and Azix speaking, he had held back from approaching, deeming it an inappropriate time to speak to the former intelligence officer. He had remained outside, keeping an eye through the windows as he waited for Iatsu to leave when he spotted a most unusual occurrence. From nowhere, a man that he assumed worked for Azix attempted to attack the orange magician. Iatsu moved to defend his friend but his attack had been struck down by lightning fast reflexes and a sharp knife.

Marinus frowned, getting a better view of the conflict. Not many people were capable of moving as fast as the gardener was and it made Marinus suspicious. When the odd man slashed at the Marquis’ attacks as well, Marinus took note of small inconsistencies. While the man’s hair had initially looked to be brown, in the light, Marinus detected the black strands being hidden. When the man struck out with his blade, his facial expression changed ever so slightly. Marinus muddled through this information in the blink of an eye, knowing only one man that would seek to harm the Marquis with the types of skills the gardener was displaying.

He wasted no time kicking the front door open, moving swiftly to the doorway to the kitchen, a small tube raising to his lips as he blew a dart at the man he suspected to be Sato. It would do no good to kill an innocent man, but if his suspicions were correct, then he needed to finish what he started.

Sato noticed the dart coming in to strike him, his reflexes allowing him to bring the knife up in time to defend against the attack brought upon him by Marinus Nerva. The blade expertly deflected the dart, sliding it to the side as Sato burst backwards and flipped over the dinning room table. He burst open a drawer and noticed there were several fine dishes located within. Smiling, he grabbed a stack while placing the knife in his teeth and used them as discuss weapons, throwing two of them at Azix's head and chest, copying the targets over towards Marinus, while sending two towards Garret's legs.

The sudden addition of Marinus Nerva to the combat surprised and confused Garret; he was under the assumption that the man had been after him. Yet it seemed as if there was something going on between Azix's servant and the Troubleshooter. Garret briefly wondered if the man was on their side, acting on behalf of the new Emperor; that much would make sense, especially if he had sniffed out some sort of plot to take out a Marquis of Kou. The few moments of time Garret spent to comprehend the sudden change in situation was enough time for the plates to strike his borg, shattering both the dinning plates and Garret's borg. The force of the blow brought Garret's mind back to center, and he rose his staff once more, sustaining his Blade Burst spell to assist Marinus' assault.

The two spheres of ice aimed to strike their individual blows upon Jarl's upper right shoulder and lower left hip. Unfortunately, Jarl was able to repel that spell fairly easily; his attack came at two points, and any two points could create a line, which could be slashed through. Jarl's knife-work was skillful enough to strike down both ice spheres, but it left him open to Marinus who was in the process of throwing a senbon needle. Jarl turned his shoulder to face the man, a natural follow up due to the downward diagonal strike he had just performed, and jumped forward to shoulder-tackle the veteran Troubleshooter and knocking him to the floor. Shortly before this exchange occurred, Jarl passed his knife from his left hand to his right while Marinus' needle simultaneously paralyzed his left arm...


OOC:

Magoi/Stamina: 165/300
Omega-Tier ability training: 383/2000

Abilities Used:

'Why is it always my house that gets wrecked?!' The question struck Azix after Jarl flipped the dining room table over and proceeded to start throwing fine china at the other men in the room. Two ornate clay plates hurtled towards the orange magician, shattering into pieces as they collided into Force Cubes. The remaining three cubes were aimed for Jarl, however the man moved to dodge Garret's spell, resulting in a broken window and two sizable holes in the wall.

At this point Azix realized two things, there was another person in the room he didn't recognize, the troubleshooter, and that Jarl's reflexes were abnormal. His assumption was proved a moment later when he heard shouts coming from the front door.

---

Miss Viri approached the front of Xenos' house and juggled the baskets of fruit she was carrying to retreive the key. Janus huffed as she watched the elderly women struggle, walking over to assist her. She rolled her eyes when she noticed a twinkle in Viri's eyes, realizing the Housekeeper had feigned her struggle to grate on Janus' nerves. Lately, Viri had been pushing for the icy woman to loosen up and kept leaving subtle hints. Janus wasn't sure why the old hag wanted her to be more "lady-like", but she had a feeling that it had to do with Gillus.

Jarl chuckled as Janus handed Viri the key with a growl and stormed off. He turned to Viri with a knowing look and shook his head. "Quit picking on her, Vi." He chuckled, adjusting the cloth bags, full of meats and vegetables, that he carried.

"Guys! The door has been kicked in!" Janus shouted back to the group, setting her bags on the ground while unsheathing her sword. She entered the house, her stance low with her blade raised in a defensive position as she began to search for the intruders. Gillus quickly came up from behind with his spear in hand.

Viri looked at the damage done to the door, "Oh my! Who would do such a thing?" Her face twisted in anger and she started to barge in the house. "I have a mind to beat whoever did this with a wooden spoon!"

Jarl dropped his bags and grabbed the elderly woman by the shoulders, holding her back. "Dammit, Vi! Wait here and let the kids search the house first!"

---

Azix's ears perked as he heard the sound of everyone returning home and cursed softly. "Stay out! Don't come inside!" Noting Jarl's voice outside, Azix glared down at the man disguised as the old farmer, wondering who was underneath.

Meanwhile, Sato raised his knife and slammed it downward at Marinus' throat. However, the troubleshooter brought his arm up to block the attack. The two men struggled as Sato pressed his weight down, inching the blade closer to Marinus' throat. A crash and flash of silver from his peripheral vision made him roll quickly to the right as a spear pierced through the wall towards his head.

Sato looked up and noticed a woman with an icy blue gaze staring at him. Performing a flip in the air, he leaped over her head to land behind her. Before she could move, he immobilized both of her arms and used her as a human shield. He quickly scanned the room to see the closet threats to gauge his next action.

From the doorway, Gillus watched as Janus was seized by a man who looked like Jarl. Panic flooded his features and he pulled his spear from the wall. He noticed a stern look on Janus' face as she gave a subtle nod. 'Do it,' she mouthed to him. Gillus' jaw gaped and he shook his head, refusing to do what she asked. She sent him a chilly glare and he set his jaw. Gillus thrust his spear at Sato, aiming to pierce through Janus' stomach to get to him.

Sato noticed Janus shift her head and looked to the door, noticing the emotions playing on the man's face. As the spear thrust his way, Sato positioned her to block the attack, wondering if the man would really sacrifice the woman. When he noticed that Gillus didn't hesitate, Sato threw Janus into the blade and leaped away.

Azix gasped when the Jarl impersonator used Janus as a human shield. He had been in the process of casting a spell when the man did so, however he stopped not wanting to injure her. Apparently, Gillus had no problems doing so and neither did Sato. In fact, he heartlessly tossed her into harm's way. As Sato leaped out of the way, Azix snarled at the man and went Swiggity Swooty on that Spymaster booty.

[200/300]

Spoiler:

The events before him passed by quickly. Garret watched as the small brawl turned into a full-scale melee in a matter of seconds. He leveled his staff towards Jarl just as the man dodged a spear thrust. The reflexes were impressive, and Garret had to make sure to follow the man's movements carefully. Before he could get the "servant" back in scope of his spell, the man who was masquerading as Jarl took a hostage of one of Azix's other people. The blue magician immediately began to move in order to get a better angle on the target.

While he did so, Marinus Nerva got his footing once more; the push off from the Jarl impersonator had removed his balance, and the intrusion of the new players in this battle made it difficult for him to get a clear shot. Marinus made his move at the same time Gillus had, jumping after the Jarl impersonator and stabbing him right in the back. The blade Marinus used went through his opponent's ribs on the left side of the man's body, straight into the heart. Smiling thinly, Marinus pulled the blade from the impersonator's back only to be surprised as Jarl turned on one foot and slashed his knife across the other man's throat.

Truth be told, Jarl's Impersonator, Sato, had situs inversus. A rare medical condition that got him through most close situations. But Marinus' blade was poisoned, and it was due to this that the resulting Ice Blade and Blade Burst spells moved too fast for Sato to defend against. The three spheres of Ice all aimed towards the false Jarl's neck from 3 different points, transforming into translucent blades of ice and decapitating the impersonator, ending his life once and for all while Marinus bled out and fell to the ground, lifeless.

Garret quickly looked around, assessing the damage done...

OOC:
Magoi/Stamina: 120/300
Omega-Tier ability training: 383+315 = 698/2000

Spoiler:

A flurry of combat made it impossible for Azix to use his body manipulation technique. Both Garret and the troubleshooter attacked the Jarl impersonator, so instead of attacking himself, Azix rushed over to Janus' side. Gillus cradled the woman in his arms as blood gushed from where his spear had pierced her stomach. When she saw Azix, Janus struggled to give him a small smile through the pain.

Gillus looked down at the woman with a worry evident on his features. "Why did you make me do that?"

Janus titled her head to stare up at the man who protected Kios with her. "I wasn't worried, Xenos can heal me." Her icy blue eyes met Azix's, "Did it work? Is he dead?" She turned her head to the side and coughed up blood, shivering as she winced in pain.

Azix looked to the limp forms of "Jarl" and Marinus, still clueless of who they really were. He gave Janus a nod as he pulled out his God's Necklace. He coated the pendant in magoi and cast Blessing of the Gods, forming a healing light around the woman. Azix made sure that the magic did not touch the bodies of the two fallen men, not wanting to restart the fight. "Yes, they are dead. Don't sacrifice yourself needlessly next time. I told you guys to stay outside." Azix was unhappy they had disobeyed him, especially with their actions resulting in an injury, but his tone wasn't harsh. Their actions spoke of the loyalty they had towards him, so he couldn't be mad.

With Janus' wounds healed, Azix looked over to Garret and sighed. "Well, this wasn't what I expected to do today. You alright?"

[190/330]

Spoiler:

Garret looked at the corpses, frowning as the death of the man named Jarl replayed in his mind. There was a look of shock on the man's face. That haunted look, as well as something else that was hard to place, pierced Garret's thoughts... It was a look of familiarity. Though he had never seen this man before, there was a nostalgia that struck the blue magician. As if those eyes were eyes Garret had seen a lot of. Replaying the scene in his mind, the blue magician knew it to be evident that the man was after Azix... But why... Has Azix done anything recently to obtain such notice... Perhaps loyalists from the late Emperor... He wondered how many such individuals there would be. Simple strikes against Azix's life was not something to worry about, but that level of skill and ability was not something that could be overlooked.

The fight between Marinus Nerva, the troubleshooter, and this man who attempted to assassinate Azix was a clear indicator of strength. Garret could only shake his head in amazement. Marinus Nerva was skilled, with his combat capabilities being nothing short of first class. Yet this man, 'Jarl', had managed to kill him. Though he had lost his own life in the process, that was only due to Garret's intervention, and the displayed performance from the would-be assassin was indeed incredible. While Azix spoke to those who interrupted the fight, Garret approached the bodies and checked for a pulse on Marinus Nerva. He is, in fact, dead... He moved over to 'Jarl', and pressed his fingers to the man's 'face'. Nothing happened, at first, but Garret felt something off. He moved his fingers and noticed a tear occur on the face that showed more skin beneath that. Frowning, he pealed at it, removing an incredibly elaborate mask that had perfectly disguised the man.

Beneath it was a face he did not recognize, but was most certainly Kou in origin. It was at this point that Azix had asked if the blue magician was okay. Garret searched the dead man's face one last time before standing up. Grunting, Garret nodded. "Yea. No problems here. Any idea why this man attacked you?" He gestured vaguely at the corpse of the man at his feet, awaiting Azix's answer with curiosity.

OOC:
Magoi/Stamina: 120/300
Omega-Tier ability training: 698+391 1089/2000

Gillus grabbed Janus' arm and helped her up, looking her over to make sure her wounds were completely healed before gripping her in a tight hug. He held her close for a few moments before he realized what he was doing and pushed her away. A rosy tint filled his cheeks, "Err...let's go get Jarl and Viri." Janus gave him an odd look, but nodded.

Jarl and Viri entered the room to see the Jarl-impersonator dead, the sight unsettling the caretaker of the Negri estate. "What's this all about?" He watched as Garret peeled the dead man's face off, revealing an entirely different person underneath. His eyes lingered on the would-be assassin for a moment before meeting Azix's gaze. Jarl couldn't imagine what had gone through Azix's mind when he had thought the attacker to be Jarl.

Azix flashed a disarming smile at Jarl, "Apparently, someone thought you were quite a handsome man to impersonate you." He gestured to Gillus to move Viri and Jarl to the next room so they could finish here. The orange magician turned back to Garret as the others left the room. Azix stared down at the Kouen features of the impersonator, not recognizing the man at all. "No idea. He doesn't seem familiar at all. Most likely a hired assassin from someone high up."

The orange magician pointed to the other fallen man, the troubleshooter. "What about this man? I don't recognize him either. It seems strange that he appeared in the middle of the attack and assisted us." Azix shook his head and began to pace, "This is a troubling situation. What if Viri and the others had been home before we arrived and gotten killed? This proves that I need to move everyone back to Kios soon."

Azix's gaze settled on Garret, "I also need to finish my magical studies. Do you think Adamus would be able to help me too?"

Garret noted the real Jarl enterring the room, and looked towards the others who were also there. He massaged his temple as the others left the room and Azix answered his question, with a comment of the assassin being unknown to the light magician. When he pointed towards the other dead man, Garret was able to confirm his identity. "Zheng Jing Zhou. I figured the man was aimed towards my life, after Yua and I had made our 'escape' from the villa. He is the intelligence agency's 'Troubleshooter', and takes care of loose ends..." Garret shook his head, moving the dead body over on its side and searching it for any papers. None were found.

He turned back to Azix. "I don't think Adamus would mind another person's company. A lot of the time he is studying, however... Either way, it doesn't hurt to ask. I do have a question about Kios, though. You mentioned something about checking the damage. If it did sustain damage, I'm assuming there is a construction group you would go to for work on it? Care to introduce me to the group? I'm looking for work." He cracked a grin on his face; what an unlikely job for a person such as he. He had very little experience with working construction, but he had a good base in engineering to understand a thing or two with how things worked.

Once they worked out the details, Garret explaining that he would be happy to go through the normal Opportunity Hall process if that would be the right thing to do, the man would stay the night before setting off in the morning. "I'll ask Adamus for you, when I meet him today, and we can talk it over while going to check on Kios tomorrow, if that sounds good with you?"

Once the discussion with setting Azix up for some time with the older magician was all completed, he would make way to the man's Inn for another round of studying those texts. Knocking on the door, Garret announced himself and waited for the Magician to answer. As usual, he began working on the texts right away.

Though the time spent away from them was short, it was refreshing. He cleared the wall he had come up against, and made some headway while asking Adamus some questions here and there. During one such session, Garret dropped a question given by Azix. "Azix sought my council, yesterday. He was wondering if you might have the time and inclination to assist him in his studies of the Rukh, as well..?"


OOC:

Magoi/Stamina: 120/300
Omega-Tier ability training: 1089+436 1525/2000

Adamus helped Iatsu work through the pages Evelyn had scribbled on while working on his own research. When Iatsu brought up Azix wishing to further his studies as well, Adamus raised a brow. He wondered how Ariella would feel about him bonding with her lover, but he was never one to deny magical knowledge to anyone.

“I would be happy to assist him, just have him stop by sometime, or bring him with you. I always appreciate teaching those with a thirst for knowledge.”

He leaned over to point out a small mistake in translation on one of the papers, suggesting a better was it could be interpreted, based on Evelyn’s personal preferences. He was impressed with how much headway the blue magician had made into Evie’s life magic study on resurrection. Perhaps if he had been able to work with her, they would have perfected the spell already. He remembered her horror at hearing about the attempt to resurrect Octavius from her friend and how they had successfully dragged him out of the Great Flow but had not been able to heal the damage to his body. Something in their spell had been off, a mistaken command or simply not enough effort and he knew the General had to have suffered greatly from the experiment. While Evie was against the entire idea of resurrection, feeling it spit in the face of Fate, she knew someone would do it one day and she would rather it be done correctly, if someone was going to attempt it.

He returned to his own tome of runes, half paying attention to the questions Iatsu was asking and answering them off-hand. Part of his mind wondered what Azix was wanting assistance on while another part was wondering where Ariella had disappeared to. She had left for Magnostadt but she should have already been on her way back. Sighing, he flipped the page, looking over another rune combination.

There it was; another wall he had stumbled upon. The theory was fine, but there seemed to have been a missing component. He bit his lip, knowing that he wouldn't have time to look into the rest of it that day. Though he thirsted for the answer, he had promised Azix that they could look into the matter at Kios that day. What if... What if I could view a successful spell being used? Perhaps that would allow me to understand the use of the spell that much faster... Sighing, he closed the reference materials and notes, informing Adamus that he would be gone for the next few days and thanking him once more for all of his time.

Garret went back to his Inn, the room he shared with Yua, and slept without eating. When he awoke, he found his stomach aching with hunger. Yua was still gone, likely checking up on the ice in the cave to the north. After heading downstairs, Garret quickly broke his fast. His hunger sated, Garret worked his way towards the agreed upon meeting place for Azix; Opportunity Hall. When he arrived, he awaited Azix's presence. I don't want to impose... But maybe it would be best. I should have asked him long ago, either way. Garret steeled himself to changing the direction of their venture today.

OOC:

[120/300]
Omega-Tier ability training: 1753/2000

Azix frowned as he filed away the identity of the troubleshooter, watching the blue magician search the man's body, finding the situation vexing. His gaze turned back to the Jarl impersonator, wondering who the man had been for Zheng Jing Zhou to switch targets, if Garret's assumption that Zheng was after him was correct. Either way, the information still didn't answer why the enigmatic corpse was after Azix.

Azix was drawn from his contemplation when Garret mentioned Adamus, going on to explain that he was looking for employment in construction. The orange magician arched a brow at the grin on the former spy's face, but had to admit he was amused at the thought as well. Azix remembered seeing a couple of engineering books lying around at the old safehouse, so he assumed that the blue magician had some knowledge in the field.

Azix nodded, "I could certainly use the help, even if there isn't much damage. I was going to explain before we got interrupted. There's a village to the north called Trylor that is currently vacant. I hope to purchase it to expand Kios' operations a bit." The orange magician went on the explain how a beast tamer named Diego had watched over Kios for a bit, in search of a man named Jagang. Apparently, Jagang had used magic, Azix suspected plague magic with his knowledge now, to kill Trylor's villagers and turned them into undead abominations. Given it's proximity, Azix wanted to turn the vacant town into a training site for Opportunity Hall and donate whatever it produced to the schools. He had considered talking with Artemis Callum, the head of the Education Reform initiative, to propose serving meals for the schoolchildren. Of course, he also needed to see if the farmers from Kios would be willing to assist in training and helping maintain Trylor.

After discussing his goals, they made plans to visit Kios together to survey the damage. Garret even stayed the night, which Miss Viri found very exciting, bringing them snacks and cups of milk for their "slumber party". The next morning, the blue magician left to study with Adamus, mentioning that he would ask the elder magician about helping train Azix and meeting the next morning to survey Kios' damage.

---

Azix got up bright and early to head to Opportunity Hall where he would meet Garret. The Ambassador was eager to get the Kios villagers moved back, feeling guilty that he hadn't been able to get out sooner. When the blue magician had arrived Azix was chatting idly with Gilda. The Ambassador greeted Garret with a warm smile, "Good morning. Ready to go?" If the blue magician informed Azix of the change in plans, he would agree to them and follow the former spymaster to the new destination.

Garret nodded towards Azix, still silent. As they made their way beyond the city walls, he continued to brood on whether or not to broach the subject. "So I spoke to Adamus, yesterday. He said he would be willing to help in your studies..." He trailed off, looking at the surrounding environment as they continued to ride. The image of Hana flashed across his mind, followed by Jin. Closing his eyes, he shook his head and sighed. "I hate to ask this, and this may sound sudden, but there is actually something I would like to ask for your assistance with... Would you overly mind a detour?"

He was surprised when Azix had readily agreed, and so they made haste to the mountains in the north. When they arrived at the destination, a cave hidden from the distance due to the decline in the ground level, Garret motioned a stop. "I should tell you something. In my time in the Coliseum, I..." He glanced away from Azix, not wanting to embarrass himself by explaining his regret at having killed an opponent. "I made a deal with one of my opponents. He comes from a General's family from Kou. It seemed as if I had killed the man's sister in my first match..." Garret began to spin a tale of half-truths, doing his best to keep his true reasoning hidden. "Well, wanting to avoid military backlash, I agreed to do everything in my power to revive her. That is what my research under Adamus has been about; life magic. You see... You're quite busy, and I found it extremely difficult up to this point to bother you about a personal issue."

Most of it was true. Garret did not actually fear military retribution from the Cho family, however. Evading such a thing, or simply defeating those who came after him, was not something he would simply shy away from if that were the situation he found himself in. Even so, Garret continued with the string of half-truths. "I have the woman here, ready to bring back to life... But I've stumbled into a wall between theory and practice. I remember that time, at Lagi's Coronation Ball, where you revived a person from the brink of death... Could you try it once more?"

Garret spoke in a quiet whisper as he lead Azix through the cavern system. It was fairly dark, but not too dark to see. As they entered a more open cave, a man to his right immediately attacked Garret. Caught by surprise, Garret's only warning was the movement at the corner of his eyes. Within the following second, a variety of actions took place; first, a strike to Garret's Borg, which flared into existence. Another strike was made, but deflected with River Styx Style: Fish Swims Upstream, but before he had the chance to grab the man's collar another blow came close to landing upon him. Garret jumped backwards to avoid it with River Styx Style: Water Falls in Reverse. While he was able to avoid the slash, the jump did not seem to give him much distance, as the man stuck to him like glue. Before another slash would come down upon him, Garret struck the man with River Styx Style: Pressurized Strike. It paused the man's advance, which gave Garret the opportunity to get a better look at him. Quickly holding a hand up to Azix in order to keep him from hostile movements, Garret spoke. "...Jin Cho..? Calm yourself. We're here to perform the spell that should bring your sister back to life. This man here is going to assist in this." Garret pointed towards Azix, explaining that his part was integral in the revival of his sister.

Approaching the slab of ice, Garret saw Yua tending to it and nodded towards her. "That's enough, Yua. The ice will be no more, shortly." He took the short staff from his back and pointed it towards the ice, using State Transmutation to revert the ice to water. "Yua, I trust you to get the extra clothes." Garret had prepared for the revival weeks prior, understanding at the very beginning that if they were to do it here, in these conditions, they would need a source of heat in order to keep her from dying once more due to the cold. He turned to Azix and Jin. "If you're ready, please begin." He felt the fatigue from the past few weeks catching up to him, but shrugged it off as he leaned on his staff.



OOC:
Magoi/Stamina: 50/300
Omega-Tier Ability Training: 2525/3000

Abilities Used:

While the two magicians rode atop Azix's flying carpet Garret mentioned that he had conversed with Adamus. The orange magician was relieved to hear that Ariella's father wasn't opposed to letting him pick apart the older man's brain. Azix's smile faded as he realized that he should have asked Adamus instead of Garret, since he was dating the red magician's daughter.

Azix looked over to Iatsu, his train of thought interrupted by the blue magician's requested. There was a moment of hesitation from the orange magician before he agreed to assisting his friend. While he wanted to help the people of Kios, Iatsu had been a pillar of support and Azix felt compelled to return the favor. ""Where to?"

They traveled some time before Garret instructed the orange magician to lower the carpet near a cave hidden by a depression in the earth. Before they entered the cave, Garret signaled for them to wait before he explained why they were there. Azix arched a brow at the subtle changes in Iatsu, the hesitant pauses and the shifting of his body, but didn't mention it. If Garret was uncomfortable about the topic, then the orange magician would wait for him to speak about it in his own time. However, there was something that bothered Azix.

"I appreciate that you don't wish to add your problems to my plate, but you are my friend. We've fought together countless times, relying on each other to make it out alive." Azix placed his hand on the blue magician's shoulder speaking in a soft tone. "I've always been able to count on you to help me when I'm in need, so don't wait so long to ask next time. Give me the chance to return the favor, Garret. That's what friends are for."

Azix paused for a moment to make sure Garret understood what he had said before letting out a small sigh. What Garret was asking was theoretically possible, however, Azix had never performed a resurrection on someone who was deceased longer than a few minutes. "I did pull that Balbadd diplomat back from death, but I don't know the limitations of the power."

Removing the God's Necklace from around his neck, Azix wrapped the chain around his hand, holding it up so Garret could see. The blue magician would most likely recognize the magical tool, as it had been the medium used to heal his wounds before. "This was a gift from the Grumptoes, a simple trinket in their eyes, but one that I greatly appreciate. The magic of this necklace is what allows me to do what you ask. Yes, I can try, but I don't hold any special knowledge that would be able to assist you in your studies."

As soon as he had finished speaking, Azix felt the urge to smack the palm of his hand against his forehead. Garret had probably asked the orange magician to attempt the resurrection not only for the assistance, but to observe the spell in action in hopes of noticing a small detail that would tear down the wall that hindered his studies. With a silent curse, Azix followed Garret into the cave, trying to memorize the path they took among the dimly lit passages.

They came to a section where the tunnel widened into an open area when suddenly a flurry of movement surprised Azix. It appeared to catch Garret off guard as well, since his Borg reacted in time to prevent a strike from reaching the magician underneath. The orange magician wasted no time finding his wand as a few attacks were traded between Iatsu and his assailant. Before the Marquis could react, however, the blue magician held up a hand to stop him. Garret recognized the man who had assaulted him and Azix gathered that it was the brother that was spoken of previously.

Azix hadn't expected to see Yua, but hid his surprise behind a smile as he gave her a small bow in greeting. Turning from the woman, he watched as Garret melted the slab of ice to reveal the corpse that had been contained within it. At the blue magician's command, Azix stepped forward, wrapping a weave of magoi around the cross-shaped pendant in his hand to activate the magic of the God's Necklace. A burst of light would wrap around the slain woman's corpse as the holy magic attempted to draw her soul back from the Great Flow. An unsuccessful attempt as they would soon learn when the light faded to reveal that she was still deceased.

The orange magician turned to Garret with a disheartened look on his face, "I'm sorry. I tried, but it seems too much time has passed. I hope you were able to learn something from my attempt." Azix took a step away from the corpse, feeling Jin Cho's eyes boring into the back of his head. The only hope for the man's sister rested in her killer. Would Garret let Jin Cho down as well?

[170/300]

Abilities:

Garret watched intently, focusing on the voice of the Rukh and upon their movements. The spell that was used was not purely life magic, which put Garret off for a brief moment before he redoubled his observational efforts. Though the magic was different, he sensed many of the principles remained the same. The magic infused the woman named Hana as Yua returned with several blankets and a towel, placing them to the side.

As he watched the practical application of the magic, Garret took note of small differences that the life magic was displaying. As the spell began to reach its apex, each step forward clicked the final parts of his study together. Things that had been jumbled, that he had been unable to decipher, became clear when he saw a visual of it in front of him. Garret could feel the power begin to coalesce, building up to its greatest degree... Before dying out, and fading away. He frowned, looking towards Azix. While he hadn't too high of hopes for the success, there was still a hidden expectation that he held. He wondered, briefly, if it would even be possible to bring her back, even with all of their research.

Jin was about to say something, taking a breath to begin, but Garret cut him off. "Thank you, Azix. I will complete the spell, now." It was not a simple spell to repeat off-the-cuff, but the spell itself was something he had been studying for some time now. The only problem he had, up to this point, was the last bits of information that completed it. He took into account the differences between the combination magic that the amulet contained, and pure life magic which he would be using. A deep breath predated a raising of the Exuro Staff as the magician began his own preparations. Carefully selecting the words, Garret bespoke the commands to the Rukh and began to feed Magoi into the spell.

A great deal of power left Garret. The man struggled to stay standing, as the strength rapidly left his body. An aura of energy filled the room, surrounding the group. The power resonated with Hana's dead body, and Garret's eyes began to blur. Though his vision was impeded, he continued on. As she was perfectly frozen decay was not an issue, but there was the matter of brain damage that had occurred during her suffocation. Though he had no ability to know of the damage, nor the ability to know what was actually happening inside her body, the wounds began to repair themselves. Garret's breathing grew ragged and he felt close to losing consciousness, but bit his lip until he drew blood to keep himself awake.

The cool air of the icy cavern did not seem to touch the blue magician at all; his body was fiery hot as more energy was poured into the spell. The blood began to flow within Yua's body, her heart beating healthily. Jin took a step forward, but Garret was not quite finished casting his spell. Yua stopped the man, shaking her head even as Hana's eyes opened. There was a blank stare of nothingness in those eyes. One which could cause a chill to crawl up the spine of an onlooker.

Just as it had with Azix's amulet, the power began to reside within Hana's body and swell. The difference between the two spells was the level of energy that was fed to them. Garret fell to his knees, and though his mouth felt dry he did not stop. All that kept him from the ground was his right hand pressing and propping him up as his staff was held firmly in his left. The Rukh flowed through the great stream; a sight that could not truly be 'seen' or 'followed', as the great stream was so vast it would take a collection of magicians, or perhaps an incredibly powerful magician beyond his ken, to follow it in its entirety. Little by little the woman's Rukh returned to her body.

As the last bits of her Rukh returned, the power did a final surge as it reintroduced the woman to the world as if she had been reincarnated with all of her memories up to the point of her death. Subsequently, Garret fell to the floor, his body unmoving.

The exhaustion had claimed his conscious.


Hana rubbed her head. Her body felt... Strange. Cold. She quickly wrapped her body in her arms, shivering until a Kou woman came to her to help her dry off. Confused, she looked around the room and saw three strangers and a familiar face. Groaning, she slumped her shoulders. "Brother... What are you doing here? No... What am I doing here?" Hana's confusion was evident, and the woman didn't recognize Garret at all, as she had never seen his face before.

Jin rushed towards her, grabbing one of the large blankets and helping wrap her in it. An incredibly stern look was plastered upon his face as he held back the emotions of joy and sadness that threatened to cause his eyes to rain his suppressed grief. Yet the strength of those emotions were not completely hidden; the elder brother, who had thought he had lost his only sister, hugged Hana tightly, refusing to let go as he rocked her slightly. "I... Never thought I would see you again. I never believed..." He closed his eyes, and remained quiet.

Yua had immediately approached Garret as he fell to the ground. Checking his vitals, she looked to Azix. "He'll be fine. He's just... Used all he had." Clearing her throat, she grabbed the Exuro Staff and placed it in a loop while slinging an arm over her shoulder. "Now, you came in on a carpet, right? He was planning on using the riches you two brought from the Imuchakk lands in order to help Kios. We might as well load it up now, right?" The question was pointed towards Azix.

"What... What do you mean? You're acting as if..." Hana recalled her final moments, and realized that there was a large gap in her memory nearing the end of her duel with the masked man in the Coliseum. Understanding that something incredible had happened to her, but still confused on the details, she pulled away slightly from Jin to search his expression. "Brother. You will tell me what happened, yes?"

Clearing his throat, the man stepped away from her and looked over towards the group who were discussing something separately. He looked at Garret's unconscious form, narrowing his eyes briefly before sighing. He spoke to Yua, with his voice being just as stern as it was when Garret had fought him in the Coliseum. "Tell your boss... His debt is forgiven." Turning back to Hana, he frowned. "Yes, I will tell you what occurred during our trip back home. Father has been worried about you."


Yua would guide Azix towards the treasure and money, which had only piled up after having claimed the dungeon.


OOC:
[exit]
Magoi/Stamina: 0/300
Omega-Tier Ability Training: 3712/3000

Ability Trained: