Solace City (CVNU LOCATION)

@azure_son: Hesitant since birth, Jack looked at the hand given to him with a sense of curiosity. Studying it as a scientist would he looked at him, and with a big smile he burst forward moving at almost the speed of light. He wasn't going to stop running for just anyone, no matter if they were hero or villain. They wanted his time, they would have to keep up. As he ran forward he looked back and hollered "KeepupforsixteentripsaroundtheworldwithoutstoppingandIwillstoptotalk."After he spoke he laughed and as he did it shattered nearby windows as he moved past, the sound of his laughter amplified by his speed he shrugged and laughed even harder to the windows shattering.

@jack_henzy:

Remaining calm yet allowing a sportive smile to overtake his visage, Leonel murmured, "Hehe, alright. Sixteen trips". With nearly every type of energy, solar, electrical, electromagnetic, kinetic, thermal etc. he's ever encountered stored into a personal quantum dimensional state to be used for a variety of purposes ranging from functioning as a virtually limitless source of stamina to being a means of augmenting his own powers, Leonel experienced no doubt that his endurance would not disappoint him. Readying himself with a quiet exhale, he quickly burst forward, accelerating and accelerating as a cone of superheated plasma encased his speeding person and a thundering shock-wave from the air's rapid thermal expansion erupted behind him.

Running at 99% the speed of light, his natural limit without employing magnetic fields to move in higher dimensional space for potential superluminal velocities, the Modern Man gradually caught up with the frantic speedster, joining him as they traversed the globe sixteen times as demanded. If it was what was necessary to finally a hold a conversation with him, Leonel would do so.

@azure_son: The speed of light, so many could only wish to reach that level of speed and yet two bright red blurs screech to a halt as there bet had been met. Jack smiled wide like a child as he spoke "OMGyourawesomehowcanyoumovesofastlikeme,canwebefriends...whatwasyourfirstquestionagain?"

@jack_henzy:

As their ebullient race continued with no decline in the sheer pace and velocity of their speedy movements, Leonel answered the speedster's question. "Thanks", he smiled genuinely, "You're really cool as well. And of course we can be friends", he assured. "My first question was about a collective or team of superheroes I'm forming. I wanted to ask you if you wanted to join, as a member".

@azure_son: Jacks eyes get wide and he almost cant help himself from leaping with joy, the water displaces into waves as his fast moving body jumps and lands in one spot. Smiling wide he nods his head almost too fast and answers even faster "Ohmygodyeeeeeeslikeasuperheroteam?!!!" Moving at breakneck speeds he returns with a comic he points to the cover it read something in Brazilian and he dances with glee "Ill be a superhero?!!!!"

@jack_henzy:

Somewhat entertained at the speedster's expressed elation, Leonel subtly shook his head, a sincere smile curling upon his gentle features, the type of smile that graces one's visage after gifting a child with their favorite toy and being touched by their infantile happiness. "Yeah, you'll be a hero", Leonel reassured, "So is that a yes?".

@azure_son: Literally vibrating with excitement Jack moved the duo to Solace City in a flash of light. They were in the middle of the city and he couldn't stop for a moment to take a breath so his speech was racing "Areyoukiddinghellyeahthatsayes..."
but as he spoke he fell to the ground and then bounced back up with a smile and shrugging his shoulders taking in a deep and slow breath. "Sometimes my body...needs to randomly nap. That was one of those moments....happens every few days. Whats your name..." he didnt feel the need to explain why he could now be discernible to others around him instead of a racing speech.

@jack_henzy:

Following the frantic speedster to the heart of Solace City, Leonel decelerated, making for a controlled halt come their ingress in the island city. Visibly astonished at the metahuman's abrupt abandonment of his rapid speech, Leonel's cerulean eyes widened for a succinct moment. He had been under the impression that the speedster was capable of speech only at an unnatural conversational pace. "I... you can talk normally?", he inquired, somewhat curious. "Oh and my name's Leonel. But I go by Azure Son as my public identity", he smiled. "And yourself?".

Mother f&cker swear I posted something today. Well tomorrow night

@azure_son: Chuckling at how his facial expressions changed once he started speaking clearly, he moved around the Azure one in sporadic motions finally getting a look at him he raced around like a child high on sugar. Finally coming down from the slight high of meeting a real superhero he squeed "Hell yeah!!! My name is Jack, well its really Jackie my mom must of hated me. But yes my name is Jack Henzy, where do we go from here?"

@jack_henzy:

Jack's frantic behavior and abrupt movement was entertaining, and even somewhat adorable regarding just how infantile he seemed during those bursts of hyper social activity. Smiling benignly, Leonel responded, "Jack. Nice name", he paused, reaching into his right pocket before emerging with a cellphone-sized communicator in his hand. "Here", he insisted politely, extending the device towards the speedster, "This is a communicator I'm distributing to everyone I've recruited. It's like a cellphone. I have one, and the others who joined and will join have and will have one as well. I'll use it to reach you once I've gathered everyone I have in mind".

@azure_son: He begins to toss the small device in the air and catch it back and forth between his hands, he is so excited his voice returns to the speedy tone "OmgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgoooooooommmmmgggggIhaveacommunicatornowaaaaaaaahhhhh" Bolting off like a child and spinning in circles so fast and hard he creates a small tornado he cannot control his excitement.

As night fell somberly on the island city, business tycoon Ronald Falmer, retired to his private yacht on the fringe of SC. The silver aged entrepreneur was winded from work, aching from hours of selling, and tipsy from the usual post-meeting celebration(s). After throwing himself into the living quarters of the boat, toasting his umbrella and coat aside and turning on the lights; he was surprised to find an uninvited guest to his not-so-humble abode.

The sleek clad assassin strolled calmly to Flamer with blades in his hands embodying the allure of a seasoned menace.The moment between predator and prey transpired as per usual.

All throughout this scene, Falmer proclaimed the usual threats and attempts at escape as expected, but he was consistently trumped by the assassin. None of what was said or done was of any importance up until the moment where the assassin had his blade to Falmer's jugular and he explained dryly "Pleasure to meet you Mr. Falmer-- I'm Mirage, maybe you've heard of me, maybe you haven't-- Hardly matters now." following the introduction, Mirage slid his blade across the tycoon's throat and sent him sprawling to the floor.

As Falmer knelled on all fours and his blood painted the frieze carpet, Mirage placed his boot on his victims head and concluded "For all it's worth Falmer, I'm a big fan of all you do for mutantkind and because of that, this is in no way personal. It's just that money talks and I think it would be a shame for so many words to hit deaf ears."

The wealthy philanthropist could be helped, but of course not if left in the sole care of the hired saboteur.

@valken

@austri: The blanket of darkness concealed him from any onlookers, his special suit rendering any sound completely silent that his movements might create - his scent also masked indefinitely. He crept along the edge of the dock, noticing the lone guard at the helm of the yacht. From the underside of the hunters wrist, a bone javelin became protruded, which he gripped in his other hand. With Olympic-like style, he perched up and threw the javelin at the guard. At this distance, such a precise shot would be next to impossible for any human - especially at night.

The slight whistle of the organic javelin caught the attention of the guard, but at that point it was to late. It struck him dead centre in the chest, throwing him back against the side of the yacht. The javelin had went straight through his entire chest cavity, and pinned his now lifeless body against the side of the yacht.

Meanwhile, the deadly hunter had already begun moving towards the yacht; he had started at a quick sprint while the javelin was in mid flight. He reached the side of the yacht and hopped up to the main deck with minimal effort; here he stalled for a moment as a scent ran across his nose. His highly attuned nose knew the scent of his target, but there was another scent present where his target was located - but yet, he could only detect one heartbeat. Had somebody else made the kill before himself?

@valken: The deep thump that sung through the room as the watch guard's body was forced onto the exterior caught Mirage's attention like the sound of car screening to a halt. At that moment, the assassin was just waiting for the bang. Someone else was on the scene and Mirage was subtly anxious for them to make their next move.

For a split second, Mirage had even considered the possibility of he himself just being a little paranoid in his latter age, but that suspicion ended when he caught a glimpse of the bloodied end of the bone javelin that pierced the hull.

His following actions consisted of him drawing a Walther pistol, hiding the body behind the kitchen counter in the yacht, and finding cover to prepare for the confrontation that could soon transpire.

"I was beginning to think this gig would be boring ya'know--" Mirage taunts before shooting the few lights in the room and continuing "-- But luckily for me, I might actually get a chance to burn a few calories tonight."

There was a slight delay, but eventually the marauder's eyes adjusted to the low light atmosphere and he concluded with stiletto and gun ready "So, before this gets ugly, and I mean really ugly, I just want to thank you for showing up tonight because I skipped Zumba class earlier today and I really needed the exercise."

Bumped for future use

@pyrrhushawkins

Simon was getting sick of this case, considering that he had been on two planes without his meds or his booze, and he had gotten the shit beaten out of him in Glade City. But the woman's agreement had included plane fares. So Simon was still at it. His investigation in Glade had yielded that a compulsive kidnapper had been hired out of DC through a friend that had lived in Glade, who was hired by someone in Solace. It all made his head hurt, really.

Simon left his hotel room more than a little drunk, with only a single name to go on.

"Meadow Street."

Of course, he had to make it across the street first. And there was that price on his head.

@zerthcenobite:

It's one of those days that you realize that the earth you knew was not the same. He spent most of his life on this planet, but after he been away from it, and now returning for the second time he noticed the difference much more. Coming to Solace from his starship was the easy part, but he had to figure out an away to hid. After picking a roof to park on and making sure that the camo was operating to hundred percent. Now came the hard part: finding his away from this city.

At frist, he planned to use his helmet to make a map around the city, but that could make things harder, or so he thought. Now he was walking down a street that he didn't know the name of. Pyrrhus, looking around to find any sign of location, but only found a street sign. It said Meadow Street. He knew he was somewhere, but had this feeling that something was going to happen. That something, he hoped, was a good thing and not another thing he would regret doing, but ending up doing it because it was the right thing to do. His red leather coat hid his high-tech weaponry just in case something went down.

@pyrrhushawkins:

Simon managed to make it across the street, though he wasn't sure if they were honking because they liked him or if he was jaywalking.

Using an (upside down) map, he found Meadow Street, a hi-tech area of town with a cutting-edge research lab located in the center. Simon, using a special (read: drunken) kind of logic, singled it out, and stumbled forward, popping a painkiller and swinging the doors open, falling flat on his face in front of a few lab coats.

@zerthcenobite:

Just as he was about to leave, he heard horns honking. Looking around to see what was going on. What he noticed was a strange man wearing something from an old detective show when he was growing up. He kept his eye out for this man just in case something bad was going to happen. The more he thought about it, the more he knew this was going to be bad for him, but also, he would figure out this city a bit more.

He saw the man took something out and ate something but didn't know what. Drugs were his first thought, but as soon he walked through doors he fell flat on his face. As soon he saw this, he went straight to the build. Looking both sides of the street before crossing and headed to what he thinks is a lab. But why was this man going to it? This made him thought at a lot of things as he open the door and saw the man and some people in lab coats there. "I think you need to call 991," He said in calm voice, but also with a hint of sass.. This was something weird going here, but it could be nothing. He looked down and attempt to flip the man over on his back to see his face and made sure he was okay.

@pyrrhushawkins:

Simon rolled over limply, protesting. "Hey, £%$& you, man! I'm looking for a kidnapped kid an' I think h's in there. I'm a det- dect- defective! I'm a defective, yeah!"

@zerthcenobite:

The look on his face when he heard those words was surprising. This man is drunk by how he was speaking and his horrid breath, "Well, need some help then?" Quietly sad to the drunk private eye before standing up and looking around. This is not going to end well, he thought in his cybernetic mind.

@pyrrhushawkins:

"Ok, fine. Try not to get in my way." Simon promptly spun around and smacked into the door twice before getting inside. "Hey, anyone seen this kid?" Simon waved around a picture of the kid, hoping for a response.

@zerthcenobite:

He looked around the room to see the reactions to this question. Most were confused and others didn't care. But he noticed one that looked nervous. The man looked around his late 20's maybe early 30's at most. He wore red glasses and was looking around the room for something or someone."Red glasses near the door is looking nervous," He whisper to the detective in front of him while keeping his eye on the man with red glasses.

@pyrrhushawkins: Simon nodded, the effects of the alcohol finally beginning to flush from his system. "You, glasses. Explain." The sweaty nerd began gesticulating wildly. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about, but I'll call the cops--"

Simon hit him twice. "Fess up or throw up. Painfully."

"I-It was just... I just wanted the cash... it's downstairs. Please don't hit me again." As the lab tech walked towards the elevators, one of the other scientists looked up from his project. His eyes glowed an ominous red.

@zerthcenobite:

At this point, he was slowly moving to his anti-proton pistols. Those red eyes are not a good sign, but he knew where was the location of the kid, or at least, a floor. "What's with your eyes, glasses?" Questioning the man near the elevator. He didn't like what this is heading, but if this was going to be a fight, it had to be a quick one. If they were going to get to the child, they had to do it fast and without any major damage or incident.

@pyrrhushawkins: "Nuh-nuthin'. Just get in the elevator." As the trio entered, albeit cautiously, the scientist explained. "They're all bots. This whole place is a front. The real operation is downstairs. Just... get me out of here and I won't say anything." He hit a precise pattern of buttons, and the elevator moved lower than the building, opening on a stainless steel facility lacking any noise.

(Have to log off for the night sorry)

@zerthcenobite: (Aright then. I will post to tonight.)

"The name is Pyrrhus," He said in a calm matter. What made him nervous was what they were going to meet when the doors open. He made sure that he had both guns on him and thought about activating his helmet just in case something goes wrong. If the man in glasses was right about the bots here, then he needs to be ready for the worst. Taking deep breaths and exhaling to calm down and not make any big mistakes that would cost them the kid and their lives, but if it came down to it, he would give his life to get this kid out of here.

@pyrrhushawkins:

Simon exited the elevator, with the lab coated tech following nervously. Simon reached out and decked him, quickly dragging the body out of sight. "Let's go. The kid's down here somewhere." He drew his weapon, this time hoping it would be somewhat effective against whatever awaited him. That assassin had been tough...

Suddenly, Simon heard footsteps. Pulling the Hero of 500 Worlds behind a corner with him, he observed some special-forces-esque guards carting large tubes. Inside were several children, including the one that Simon had been hired to find. Simon raised his phone, but the screen was static. "Damn," he whispered. "What now?"

@zerthcenobite: (Sorry if I'm late, I came from college classes.)

He looked at the scene that was before him in both shocked, but at the same time relief. These were kids in those tubes, maybe one they were looking for. Quickly pressing the hidden button behind his ear and his Alpha-12 helmet. The helmet materializes in a light blue light, around his head in a second. This allowed him to a better visual of the whole area and make a plan in the process. He counted, at least, three guards near the tubes. There could be more he thought when looking at the other entrances or exits. The HUD in the Alpha-12 shown a lot more than what the human eye could do. It scan and told him the basic height and weight of the guards, he knew what these guys had on them, but there may be more surprises here.

"We need to act quick if we are going to get those kids out of here," He spoke to Simon in a quiet voice. It was enough to make sure he didn't alert anyone. "Do you have transportation to get these kids out of here?" Questioning Simon about an exit plan that he needed to know. His starship would have worked, but it would lead too much attention to them.

@pyrrhushawkins: (Nah, it's cool.)

"Uh... I have a car, but it's not big... Let's concentrate on taking those guards out and finding out what the hell this place is." Simon dove out of the corridor, firing three shots at the guards and ducking behind another corner. The bullets made impact, but none of the masked men went down. "Shit. You got anything that packs a punch, space-mask dude?"

@zerthcenobite:

"You bet I do!" Pyrrhus yelled to Simon. Pulling out both anti-proton pistols out of their holsters and in both hands. Taking a deep breath and exhaling before shooting a burst of red and black beams at the guards. Using the Alpha-12 as a sight to find a spot to hit the guards were easy since he scanned them from before.

One of the burst hit one of the guards hit in the chest, but was a bit higher than what he aimed, but the other guard barely got out of the way but got it in the right arm. "Get to the tubes, I got you covered," He ordered Simon before firing at the guards again to get them in cover and hope they stayed that way.

@pyrrhushawkins:

Simon's eyes widened at the display of futuristic technology, but he tried not to show his amazement, maintaining his nonchalance. "Got it." He dashed around the corner, flipping the gun in his hand and smashing the butt of it against the glass, jolting the kids out of their sleep. He looked at the console, trying to figure out how to release them, but the capsules only locked from the outside, and they easily stepped out. Most were confused, but one was lucid enough to lead the others to the elevator, and Simon tossed his phone to the brave child, along with a brief instruction to summon the police. The guards went down soon after. "OK, what now?"

@zerthcenobite:

"Get them back to the elevator," He answered back. Firing more burst of energy out of his hi-tech weaponry to keep them at bay. He made sure he aimed around the guards but close enough to make sure the guards were trapped in cover. "Come on," He ordered and signal the kids over while maintaining a cover firing. A couple of the kids realise what he meant and started to move to where he was at. It was this moment is when he heard some more noises come from afar. Was it more guards coming? He hoped not. "We are running out of time. Get to the elevator, now." He was planning to be the last one to the elevator while covering everyone else.

@pyrrhushawkins:

"Alright, let's get out of here." Simon quickly moved back into the elevator, but he and the kids couldn't fit. "Go, get them out of here." Reaching in, he punched the button to close the door and yanked his hand out. As the guards rounded a corner, weapons raised, the doors slid shut and simon drew his weapon. "C'mon, you #%&ers!"

@zerthcenobite:

He saw more men coming around the corner, but this time, they had better weapons than just pistols and batons. These guards had to be special forces of some kind, especially with a lab like this. This made Pyrrhus think about what kind of stuff goes on here. Just as he was about to open fire again, he heard a sound coming from behind him. No. It was a voice.

"C'mon, you #%&ers!"

That had to be Simon. Pyrrhus turned his head and saw Simon raising his weapon aginst the guards. "I thought you were gone?" He questioned. Instead of waiting for an answer, he opened fire on the incoming guards. The laser beams were able to hit a couple of the guards that were about to fire, but some of the others returned fire on him. This made him get behind some cover while the wall was getting hammered with bullets. "So, you have a plan to get us out of here, or are we waiting for the cops to show up?" He asked the second question to Simon while the gunshots were the sound to be heard.

@pyrrhushawkins: Shame on me for making you wait. SHAME!

Simon ducked behind a corner before answering. "I was going to try to find out what else is down here, but if you want to leave, we can go back in later. I doubt they'd let us see, though."

And it's so short. Shame on me!

@zerthcenobite: (Now it's my turn to apologize.)

He thought about this offer a lot. The idea that he doesn't know what twisted things that are going on here made the man from space thought about the options more thoroughly. "Alright," Pyrrhus said after a few seconds of thought. "Let's find out what else is going on here and fast, because I have a feeling that things are getting crazier here." This is when he notice where the tubes were going to. "Let's frist check out where the tubes were going to." Pyrrhus spoke while pointing at the door in front of the tubes. Where the last of the guards were about to fire, but intervene by having a quicker shot, thanks to his enhancements in his body. These enhancements allow him having a quicker mind that increases his reflexes.

@sky_carmichael

The Jagged Isle

Near the coast of Solace City, the Jagged Isle wavered in and out of nonexistence. It was a frozen wasteland where sheets of ice stretched for eternity, and mounts of ice climbed high into the clouds. And it was here that Jörð had guided him. She'd whispered into his hear and led his heart to the heart of the Jagged Isle. Snow crunching beneath his feet, a fur-covered cloak draping his torso, Alduin strode through a violent blizzard. Frost clung to his golden hair, the air blew so cold that even his thick flesh was stung, and chunks of ice were flung all about. Trekking across the wasteland and guided by the voice of Jörð, the Storm-Caller was given some measure of warmth by his cloak. But it was cold.

Cold enough that his teeth chattered and his breath misted in the air. And in the distance, he saw it, the entrance to a cavern, the one Jörð told him housed the mythical guardians he'd have to face to recover the fragments needed to reforge his hammer. Though as he drew closer, his eyes squinted, the silhouette of a distant of woman becoming clearer as he escaped the heart of the blizzard. "Who is that?", he wondered in thought. Was she the first of the guardians he'd been tasked with facing? Was she a native of the Jagged Isle? A place where knowledge of the arcane was lost to the ruins of extinct civilizations and guarded by lich-like sorcerers, chosen warriors and fantastical beasts in underground ruins. And so finally, as he drew close enough, his pale blue eyes finally caught sight of her. She was beautiful. Skin of bronze, dark brown hair, and piercing eyes that seemed design to hypnotize.

Pausing his steps, his feet sinking into the snow, he glanced at the cavern's entrance, scowling at it's menacing and spiky mouth before glancing back at the woman and softening his features. "Are you the one I must speak to to gain entrance to this cavern?".

Oooh, like this city

@alduin:

The Zeal, an ancient race of "gods" that were blessed with the knowledge of the magic arts; that was her lineage. The birth of man saw the decline in the people of Zeal; along with their rivals in the Kingdom of Kush.

Those that live in the modern world struggled for answers. They weren't mutants, they weren't metas, they weren't magicians; as many would like to call them. They were living gods, blessed with the ability to harness the powers of the land at will.

Many of them accept these gift no questions asked, but Sky was different she needed to know what exactly she was. Falling in line with the illustrious Liafador Family; she was blessed with beauty, stature and a modest fortune; but unlike her family Sky was blessed by the Gods of Zeal, whereas the Liafadors were blessed by the Gods of Kush.

Her boat docked at the base of the frigid mountain, she'd previously scaled the tundra to the height that causes the vibrant lights of nearby Solace City to appear as mere fire flies. This island was mentioned in archaic Zeal manuscripts, deciphering them was nearly impossible; however, she'd sought companionship from a former member of the Mazoi army that knew the Mazoi language that BOTH the people of Zeal and people of Kush both spoke.

Sky's ear's flicker at the sound of snow crunching under the weight of boots. Slightly turning in the direction of the noise; her jaw nearly drop at the sight of the man's shadow. How had he managed to scale this mountain?

It was only when this man's feature entered her line of sight that the answer became clear. He stood easily over 6ft, with a divine body. Freezing in the allure of his arctic blue eyes, and golden locks, Sky's companion had to force a sentence from her lips.

"Um...I-I-I don't know what you're talking about," Her head turned toward the cavern...what cavern...there was nothing there.

"There is no cavern here, unfortunately," She replied, a bit disappointed. Glancing in the direction of her companion, the Amazon pointed towards Sky's necklace, a relic dangling from her neck that matches a sigil buried in the snow.

"Wait...maybe this is what we're looking for," She said moving away from the man toward the indention in the ground. Removing her necklace, the lost Liafador added the relic to the ground, and the hidden entrance to the cavern opened.

"Go figure, I guess I am the one you need to speak to. What brings you up here anyways" She asked positioning herself to halt any perceived entrance into the cavern. Since she opened it, she'd like to know why he was looking for it.

@sky_carmichael:

Upon his arrival, Alduin glanced at the two women. First at the Amazon who was muscled to the proportions of a war goddess, then at the second woman whose singular beauty made his features softened and his eyes hold hers in a brief gaze. "No cavern?", the Snow Prince repeated, subtle skepticism worn by his raised brow. Though as he glanced at what he thought to be the cavern's entrance - he saw nothing. Sighing, his breath misting in the cold air, Alduin shut his eyes and scowled in frustration. He'd traveled this long, trekked through a blizzard, and climbed the cruelest of mountains... for nothing. "It seems I have made a mistake then", he lamented.

Turning round to begin his descent from the mountain, the Snow Prince's ears soon perked, "Wait", he heard. Turning back, Alduin strode forward, his curiosity drawing him closer as the woman called upon the power of her necklace to unveil a hidden entrance to the mountain-side cavern. His heart flooded with hope, Alduin wore a warrior's smile, a smile of fiery certainty. "Praise Jörð", he murmured to himself, pleased even as the woman stood between him and the cavern's entrance. Once more, the Ice Dragon held her gaze, his arctic blue eyes like two mesmeric tunnels of azure ice for her to get lost in. For a moment, his smile faded and his face welcomed a determination rarely seen. "My name is Alduin", he began, introducing himself, never breaking his eyes from hers.

"In days not long past, something of importance to me was destroyed. Something that I will need if this world is to survive the horror that threatens it", he continued, his words echoing with passion and conviction. "I have been guided to this mountain and told that in that cavern lies what I need to reforge what I have lost. And in order to do so, I must first defeat the guardians that roam in there", Alduin paused, gesturing at the cavern's entrance. "And I will", he declared with impenetrable confidence and ironclad self-belief. Allowing his words to echo for a moment, the snow falling harder and the frost clinger quicker to his cloak and hair, the Ice Dragon subtly tilted his head to the side as he wore a cheeky smile.

"Are you not going to let me pass?", he teased, somewhat playfully, somewhat flirtatiously.

@alduin:

Her eyebrows to a curious curl as he explained the nature of his visit. The threats and horrors bit left her dumbfounded, but the reforging of the hammer made sense. "I don't know about these...guardians or horrors that you speak of. But what would you do if I didn't. Hit me with your hammer?" She replied, her lips curling with curiosity.

"My ledger please" The Mazoi companion move forward handing Sky the notebook full of ancient Zeal teachings, she managed to make some sense of. "My name is Sky, I am a descendant of the Kingdom of Zeal" She knew the basic history of her people, but most of it was too much for a simple swimwear model to understand, which was my the Mazoi bodyguard was present. "My people spoke of a great power deep in the cave. I am inclined to believe it could restore your hammer" She said with a light chuckle much to the chagrin of the silent Mazoi bodyguard.

Despite the nearly arctic temperatures of the mountain, Sky shed her jacket. The cold didn't bother her, much like the water didn't. "I am in search of that power only to see the effect it has on me. It is stated that I am able to use it as I see fit. I can help you" She offered, placing her hair in a bun.

"I opened the cave with my trinket. Therefore it belongs to me. I'll let you in my cave. You just have to protect us from those guardians you mentioned before"

@sky_carmichael:

At the woman's playful retort, the Snow Prince smiled, his eyes and posture casting a magnetic air of fearless daring. "Heh, it seems that you know what I am going to do before even I know", he chuckled, folding his strong arms before his chest, his fur-covered cloak fluttering in the snowy air. "So then, now that you have me figured out, what are you going to do with me?", Alduin taunted, cocking his left eyebrow in subtle flirtation. Soon however, the Snow Prince felt his eyes break away from Sky and glance at the sky, his worry momentarily eased. "Good", he thought, "The hole hasn't grown so large to be seen from here. Yet". Returning his gaze to Sky, he smiled once more.

"Then it seems we've become a team, Sky", he paused, briefly glancing at the mute Amazon. "Though I do wonder if you truly need protection", Alduin said, striding into the cavern and gesturing that Sky and her companion follow behind, "I was born in the cold, and Jörð's blessing has made me resistant to the extremes of hot and cold. Yet in a place like this, even those like I need something of warmth", he paused, wrapping himself in his fur-covered cloak, the light from the cavern's entrance dimming as they ventured deeper inside. "Yet you have removed your jacket. This is not cold for you. So I wonder, if you are superior to me in this regard.. do you truly need protection, or are you toying me?", he teased, glancing back at her with a thin smile. Venturing deeper into the cavern, Alduin, Sky and the Amazon were gradually swallowed in darkness.

The sun's light was dim, and he could barely see. Though where his eyesight failed him, sheer instinct saved him. "Follow the sound of my footsteps", he advised, keeping his voice low, not knowing what awaited them. Soon however, light crept back into their line of sight as the flickering flames of torches lining the cavern's icy walls illuminated their surroundings. To his left, there lied the bones of fallen warriors, some on the floor, and some poking through the walls of ice. And to Alduin's right, he saw weapons, some shattered, but all of them encased in solid ice. "Something did this to them", the Snow Prince murmured before striding into a grand chamber of dried stone and cracked. It was empty, featuring only two large gates on each side of the hall, and an altar at the center. "Do you know anything about which gate to choose?".

"I assume choosing the wrong one will put us in danger", he continued, striding towards the altar to cast his gaze upon words scarred into the ground. It was a language he did not recognize, ancient and nonsensical in his mind. "Can any of you know this language?", he asked, glancing back at Sky and her companion. For all Alduin knew, it was ancient Zeal tongue. And it undoubtedly held the secret to unlocking the gates that kept them from the cavern's deeper layers.

@alduin:

Sky released a playful chuckle, again to the chagrin of the Mazoi guardian. Before following the man into the caverns. Though this cave was supposed to have some sort of significance to the people of Zeal; she couldn't help but wonder if all the arts had roots here.

"I am completely immune to the effects of the cold. Or at least I can be. I am able to regulate my own body temperature. It's one of the MANY gifts I have" She said cutting him a flirtatious gaze. "The jacket is just fashion"

Not long after their trek into the caverns, they came upon the remains belonging to warriors of old. The gruesome sight was enough to rattle the Liafador Descendant, but her willingness to know what she was; surmounted the fear swelling within her. "Let's hope whatever did this is long gone now"

For some time now Sky was under the impression that she too would one day be blessed by the same divine architects that empowered the rest of her family--The Kingdom of Kush. This was not to be, she learned that the people of Kush and the people of Zeal were once enemies. The Zeal would kidnap members of Kush' belonging families and turn them into Zeal; such was the case with Sky's distinct bloodline.

She spent her off-time searching the Earth for residual evidence of the people of Zeal. She'd soon start looking for people like her, to educate them on her findings.

The Mazoi Guardian folded her arms at Alduin's rest, prompting another chuckle to escape skies lips. "She can talk you know, she just doesn't like you. I think she's jealous" The bodyguard huffed before opening the ledger again, before pointing to the only gate with the distinct emblem embedded within it. "It's that one. That's the gate."

"So Alduin. This Joro is she like your mother? Your god? you mention her a lot? What's her story?"

@sky_carmichael:

Turning round, Alduin's ice blue gaze fell upon Sky's Amazonian enforcer, his smile fading and his golden features growing more earnest. "Hmph", the Snow Prince smiled, roguish and playful, "What's not to like?", he taunted, his eyes only breaking from Sky's bodyguard once she pointed out the only gate with a key emblem etched on it's surface. Turning away, the Ice Dragon made his way to the gate, his fingers coiling round it's metal bars and immediately he felt the air from the other side blow frost onto the edges of his flesh, hair and garments. "It's colder in there", Alduin pointed, scowling, "I believe the deeper we venture into this cavern, the colder it gets. And I sense that the source of this cold is not natural". Tightening his grip around the gate's metal bars, Alduin's muscle fibers twitched and he called upon strength that could collapse mountains with a single blow.

Slowly, the ground began to lumber and shake, the floor of ice cracking as veins ran across the surface of his skin. Gritting his teeth and doing his damnest to yank the gate from the wall of ice, Alduin left the entire chamber trembling and quaking from his physical power. "GNNNHHH!", it was no use. He would succeed only in collapsing the chamber upon itself - and killing he, Sky, and her bodyguard. Breaking his grip, he glanced at the imprints of the gate's bars on his palms, "It's protected by magic", he murmured. "Jörð? My mother?", the Ice Dragon smiled, a soft chuckle escaping him, "No.. well... she is all our mother in some way. She is known by different names across many cultures. Gaea to the Ancient Greeks, and Jörð to mine. She is Mother Earth, it's divine personification. And I am her champion", he answered, pressing his palm against the gate's emblem.

And just then, the emblem glowed a faint blue and hummed low. Stepping back, Alduin felt the ground tremble once more and soon - the ground and the entire chamber shifted. The gate sank into the floor of ice and as the chamber shifted, a monstrous whirlwind of frost and air hurled walls and chunks of ice all about, threatening to crush any and all who stood in the chamber. "SKY!", Alduin shouted, darted towards her to grab her by the wrist and yank her away from danger. Again and again the room shifted amidst the chaos. Though finally, as it slowed and the chamber had changed, Sky and Alduin would find themselves separated from the mute bodyguard, barricaded by a thick wall of ice protected by ancient forces of the arcane. THOOM! The room shook, Alduin smashing his fist into the wall - and accomplishing nothing.

There was no dent, no crack, nothing. "If this tells us anything it is that no matter how great my strength, this cavern is prepared for a demigod's might", he quipped. Stepping back, Alduin gazed all about them, their surroundings had indeed changed. They now stood in a hallway, one whose icy wall were lined with burning torches. And yet the illumination was poor. At the hallway's end, lied another gate. And on the wall next to it, words in Ancient Norse. Squinting, Alduin read it and sighed, "We will be in here for a while", he conceded, glancing at a tattered tent and a fur-covered bed roll on the ground. "The wall's text speaks of patience as a virtue and that only those who are willing to wait will be allowed to pass through the gate to face the first guardian on the other side. We must wait for four hours here".

"And if we lose control and try to open the gate prematurely... this hallway will close in on itself and crush us to death". Meeting Sky's eyes once more, his face softened, "I suppose we had best get comfortable. And I believe your bodyguard is in a similar hallway under similar circumstances. Will she be fine on her own for the time being?", he asked, glancing at the gate once more. Allowing silence to fall between them for a moment, Alduin shrugged, "Well, I can think of nothing else. This, I suppose, is a time for us to get to know one another better. Tell me about yourself, Sky", the Ice Dragon smiled, seating himself by the tent, his back braced against the icy wall under a burning torch. "Conversation is said to best help pass the time".

@alduin:

The series of events that lead to them being partitioned from her Mazoi bodyguard was unfortunate, but it was good that she was here with him; and not with her. "Aria is a pretty patient person. She's had a turbulent life, meditating is her niche. Besides, between the two of us. She's the only one that can actually read what this stuff says." She explained, heading toward the edge of the frigid pond submerging her feet disturbing the ice particles floating atop the underground pond.

"Well, I was born in Colombia, I'm part Liafador, and I make my money in modeling swimwear" She spoke as if her life was no big deal, that's because to her it wasn't, not anymore.

"A couple of months ago, I learned of the people of Zeal, through a bunch of old books my mother had in the house. Apparently, I'm one of them. It's why I always felt different than the rest of my family" She said, stirring her feet around the icy water.

"Long ago, before humans walked the Earth, there were two thriving societies. The People of Kush, and The People of Zeal. The people of Kush were land-fairing people blessed with many abilities not native to humans.

Then there were the people of Zeal, an entire civilization in the blessed with magic and other abilities. The Kingdom of Zeal was blessed with enlightened thinking, art, culture, technology, and magic. Unlike the people of Kush, the people of Zeal were impervious to Magic. Though they believed themselves to be better, the people of Zeal couldn't reproduce without the Kingdom of Kush, frequently the two nations would speak on the intermingling so that Zeal could produce, but ultimately the King of Kush banished any form of interaction. Eventually, the People of Zeal begin to die out, the Queen of Zeal used her magic to kill the King of Kush, allowing his evil wife to rule Kush.

Once the Queen of Kush began her reign, Kush begins to sell slaves to the Zeal to be used in experiments and other reproductive uses. After the kingdom of Kush eventually fell into ruin, Zeal begins to abduct humans to use as reproductive specimens.

With humans, The people of Zeal realize that they could actually morph humans into magical beings. Because of this, these 'New Zeal' citizens developed abilities and powers that weren't native to the people of Zeal.

As humans on the land begin to advance in technology, they realize this kingdom in the heavens were the reason for many of its missing people. One batch of new slaves got kidnapped purposely and ultimately ended burning the three cities of Zeal seemingly dooming the entire population to extinction."

"Which brings me to today. If I am a member of Zeal. It is my duty to reforge my heritage. But first I gotta learn how to hone my powers. What about you Mr. Muscles." She said, moving from the pond near his location under the torch.

"How did you break your hammer, and why is it so important that you have one weapon of many?"

@sky_carmichael:

Basking in the heat of the torch that hung above him, Alduin rubbed his hands together for warmth, his eyes never breaking from Sky. The air blew far colder than before - and yet Sky still dipped her toes in the hallway's freezing pond. "Hmph", the Ice Dragon smiled, his laugh echoing with subtle amusement at the sight, "I have to say, Sky", Alduin paused, "In all my years as Lord-Protector of Jörð's realm, or Earth to everyone else, I have never quite seen something like you", he chuckled, slightly tilting his head to the side in subtle flirtation before pride resonated in his words, "I was born in a very cold and rugged land dominated by icy peaks and a harsh climate. It was where the hardiest of men and women were from. Our winters were cruel, freezing people to the bone and striking fear in the hearts of many foreigners".

"But to those of us who were born there... the Scandinavia of old was a place of proving with crystal blue rivers and great wolves. And none of us would even dare dip our feet in that little pond", he confessed with a shameless smile, "You may not know how to fight, but you are hardier and tougher than a Viking". Alduin was the Ice Dragon, the Snow Prince - though even his resistance to cold had it's limits. Sky however, was unlike any woman he'd ever seen, thriving in the cold like an eagle in the sky. It was a breathtaking sight, she was. And it was all owed to her Zeal heritage, one which she spoke of with great passion. "Ah, so for you venturing into this cavern is a journey of self-discovery then?", Alduin asked, "It is a way for you to become more in touch with your ancestry. That is admirable, Sky. To want to know who you truly are. Many of us are to fearful to venture that deep into our past. We do not know what we will find".

At Sky's "Mr. Muscles" comment, the Ice Dragon cocked his left brow, "Do I have an admirer?", he teased, his smile witty and his confidence impenetrable. "I have actually broken it before", Alduin confessed, his eyes welcoming her as she sat closer to him, "Though this time it was completely destroyed, reduced to ash and not simply broken", he clarified, turning to face his body to hers. "I am the Champion of Jörð, the Lord-Protector of Earth. It is my duty to do what I can to protect this world. At times that means beheading an arcane tyrant. This time however, it meant closing a dimensional tear in the barrier separating this world from the Black Hallows", he explained, his features growing grim, "No one truly knows how the Black Hallows came to be, if it has always existed or was somehow created. We only know that it is a place where nightmares are given form and the worst things imaginable dwell there".

"But it has always been kept separate from this world - until now. A Cosmic Cube, high in the skies of the Kwazulu Alcazar has torn open a rift, a tear to the Black Hallows, and one that grows larger as the days go by. I do not know who put the Cosmic Cube there but it now hovers in the heart of the tear. A tear through which the horrors from the Black Hallows and even the realm itself now threaten to spill over into this world", Alduin paused, allowing the gravity of his words to weigh in Sky's mind. "I had traveled to the Black Hallows and tried to close the rift by destroying what caused it, only... I failed", he scowled and sighed, "And my hammer was destroyed in the process. The Cosmic Cube was too powerful. The hammer, World-Breaker", he said, unveiling it's name, "Is important to me. It is thee symbol of the Lord-Protector".

"Without it, I am little more than a pretender playing the role of hero. The hammer is what bestowed these powers upon me. And while I can still hear her whispers, her voice is fading... Jörð speaks to me through the hammer. Even without the hammer, I will have the power of a demigod... but", he paused, "I will no longer be Lord-Protector of this world. Jörð will no longer speak to me and she will choose another to fulfill my role. I have spent many years doing this, being the Lord-Protector. My family has passed long ago, as have my comrades", his face softened, the grief and vulnerability subtly creeping into his eyes as he held Sky's gaze. "I no longer have anyone. The only thing I have left is being Lord-Protector. It is all I know how to do anymore. That is why I must reforge my hammer. I have cried and bled for my role. I have pride in this".

"I have everything in this". And just as Sky had spoken of her heritage with passion, Alduin spoke of his life's work with the same. Though something else hung at the edges of his mind; depression.

@alduin:

"Hey..." she whispered, nudging him with her shoulder just a bit. "You're the protector of the Earth, and I know that's gotta be a stressful ass job, but the Earth still stands." She said, trying to reassure him that everything would be fine.

"We're still here, and here you are on this mountain doing your due diligence to fix your hammer so you can charge back into whatever it is Joro has for you" Sky stood to full form stretching her muscles just a bit before shooting hypnotic eyes back in his direction. "It's because of that, that I admire you"

"I used to always wanna belong with the rest of my family. I wanted to be famous, I wanted to be a warrior. I wanted to be a Liafador. But...I've learned that's not my role. My role is to be Sky Carmichael. So that's what I'm doing. You're the protector of the Earth...that's what you do. You won't fail, otherwise, you wouldn't be here"

Sky's hand extended toward the ground, from her finger tips cerulean blue water flowed, before finally twisting into a make-shift ICE Staff.

"This is the reason I'm unaffected by the ICE, I can control it. Regulate my body temperature to inhuman temperatures and survive. I could give someone frost bite for touching me at times." She explained retracting the Ice from the floor.

"Before, I couldn't even hug my mother because I was just too cold. But Aria out there has been instructing me on how to hone my skills, and learn how to live with them. I say all that to say this" She said sensing the symptoms of depression, a feeling she became all too familiar with.

"Once you become really good at something. Learn something else"

@sky_carmichael:

There was a brief silence between them, one that saw Alduin, for a fleeting second, unable to meet Sky's entrancing eyes. Instead, the Lord-Protector of Earth's gaze fell to the ground, to the icy floor, to his distorted reflection on it. Then, as though something had pulled him back into her gaze, his icy blue eyes met hers once more. "Sometimes I wonder if I am as strong as I once was. If I am still as good at what I do as I once was. Most of the time, I am alone so I have a lot of time to think and have conversations with myself", he confessed. And though his eyes never left hers, the Ice Dragon was looking deep into himself. "When my family was still alive and I stayed true to my duties, spending little time with them because I was protecting the world, I didn't think of them".

"Now I sometimes wonder what they thought at the time. If they wondered where I was and if I was in good health. And then I wondered, is this is what I was paying for?", he asked though knowing the answer all too well. "Every day I think of who I am and who I will be, with and without this role. I think of what will be written on my grave. Will they know of me? Of who I was before everything, that I was a husband, a son, a prince? Or will they only know of the Lord-Protector? It would be fitting", he paused, sighing, leaning his head back, "Because I am no longer any of those things. My family has long since passed, and the kingdom of my ancestors is no more, nothing but frozen ruins. I do not have any of those things. This is why being Lord-Protector means everything to me. All that I have left is this world to protect and being Lord-Protector".

Meeting her eyes once more, Alduin wore a soft smile, "I suppose it sometimes frightens me when I realize that this is all I have", he confessed, briefly glancing at his palms as though he were holding his war hammer in one of them. That she admired him, that touched him deeply. It had been hundreds of years since the Ice Dragon had last heard anyone express anything similar to gratitude or admiration for him. His role had become largely unseen. His was a life of solitude. And so, his smile, once soft, grew warm as he watched Sky weave the pond's arctic waters into a staff of solid ice. Her powers were similar to those granted by his hammer. And it was that reality that saw him feel closer to her than before, it drew him to her. "Sky", he paused, "Thank you. Your words, they mean a lot. It feels good to speak to someone".

"And it helps to be speaking to someone who isn't hard on the eyes", he teased, a soft laugh escaping him, his eyes briefly glancing at her pouty lips before returning to her eyes. "So had I met you before, that nudge you gave my shoulder would have frozen me?", Alduin asked, his demeanor playful once more. "I would not have been able to establish physical contact with you?", he paused, "What about now?", he flirted, his smile daring, his mind nearly forgetting about the hours they were to spend in the hallway before it's gate would finally open the path to the cavern's first guardian.