About a day has passed since the aether extraction and the construction of The Buzzard inhibiting device is nearly complete. Ohss is putting the finishing touches on it as the camp waits restlessly and thoughts began to stir
Mainly in the expeditionary force’s makeshift kitchen, where Ba-Bayost is being irresponsible with several culinary elements
Tranjoh: You can’t eat raw eggs!!
Ba-Bayost: Uh, yeah I can
Larkin: He totally can
Tranjoh: But why?
Ba-Bayost: They’re delicious
Tranjoh: …
Uruo: Are we sure you are a human?
Ba-Bayost: Yes
Uruo: Ok then
Larkin: Listen I can’t even eat raw eggs and I’m made of regenerative soup
Aiden: Are you yummy?
Larkin: I’m not made of literal soup
Iehn: You’re a little lukewarm
Larkin: Not relevant
Iehn: It literally is
Boone: The instrument of my revenge is nearly complete and you want to think about these trivialities?
Aiden: Lighten up Boone
Uruo: Ain’t no harm in enjoying yourself
Boone thinks back to lighter days before snapping out of it as quickly as they began.
Boone: Sorry I can’t at the moment, it’s imperative that I focus on the task ahead. Can’t lose focus
Uruo: I understand
Aiden: Yeah, I get it, but don’t get mad at others for having some lighthearted fun
Boone continues sitting with their thoughts alone as Uruo and Aiden continue to walk past the kitchen scene being made
Iehn: Ba-Bayost? Say you eat those raw eggs, what happens to your body afterwards?
Ba-Bayost: I get a little fever before violently sh-
Iehn: Ok ok I think I understand
Larkin: Dude just appears to be immune to salmonella
Ba-Bayost: Is this “salmonella” you speak of a demon? If so I wish to face it, I will slaughter it and spread it’s ashes to the wind
Larkin: Salmonella is a disease
Ba-Bayost: All demons are, ok where can we fight it?
Iehn: No it’s an actual disease, you get it from eating raw eggs and meats
Ba-Bayost: Raw meat? All meat is good regardless of color
Iehn: Ok well that explains his resistance
Ba-Bayost: Yes eating tons of meat increased my muscle mass to incredible proportions allowing me to fight demons easier
Larkin: You don’t look that large in stature
Ba-Bayost: This armor hides my incredible athleticism and imposing stature
Iehn: Let me see your medical documents real quick
Iehn reaches into her back pocket, pulling out a file of various medical documents
Larkin: Why do you have that?
Iehn: Makes being a team player easier, your weight should be recorded on here Ba-Bayost
Ba-Bayost: What do you see?
Iehn: Wow those are incredible proportions, you are three hundred fifty pounds, natural bodyweight
Larkin: How does he move in that armor?
Ba-Bayost: Like I said I’m very athletic, I can move at very fast speeds despite my weight, although three-fifty seems on the lower side, I had a compatriot who once weighed six hundred pounds
Iehn: Dudes were built different
Larkin: Like me
Iehn: Well not in the literal sense
Suddenly, a meeting is called, the time to deploy the mission to inhibit The Buzzard is upon them
Larkin: Well we must go now, we have a mission to attend to
Everyone makes their way to the center of the camp, where Lilac and Ohss stand with Nest, displaying The Buzzard inhibition device
Ohss: Well it took a lot of work, and testing, but the device is now complete. Activating it should weaken The Buzzard’s darkness powers temporarily so we can subdue the beast and obtain the Dark Mirror shard
Lilac: Thanks for that analysis Ohss
Ohss: Your welcome
Acantha: Reminds me of a machine I saw some plans for in Loren’s old folders?
Lilac: Was that one of your co-conspirators?
Acantha: Well, he was a member of the old guild
Lilac: Ok, yeah
Yerod: Alright guys, let’s try to get this show on the road
Nest: Yeah that sounds like a good idea
Olivia: Remember, retrieval of the shard is the utmost priority, elimination of the Buzzard is not a current priority as recovery of the shard should aid in that goal.
Boone: …Fine…I’ll settle it later
Larkin: Well, let’s go looking for a shard
Oiyrr: Well, where do we go?
Lilac: What do you mean?
Oiyrr: Where are we luring out The Buzzard?
Ohss: Oh right, the soul energy is baked into the lure
Oiyrr: So what, he’s just going to chase us?
Nest: That might be the case
Suddenly, the sky darkens overhead, as Hollows descend into the camp
Lilac: Well crap
Acantha: You think you would have a better plan?
Lilac: NOT NOW
A familiar figure appears in the skyline
The Buzzard: Yummy yummy soul energy and it’s being delivered to me by my favorite guild, you are too kind
Larkin: We should hit the ground running
Nest: Ok, yeah, I think-
The Soul Falcon leaves Nest’s side as it begins flying overhead
The Buzzard: Get back here you slimy little bird…
Nest: Ok follow my friend
Begin Mission: Friend In Flight
Stolen story; please report.
Select your party and unit reserve
Follow the Soul Falcon’s flight path
When you are 10% through the flight path
The Buzzard: Let me eat it, let me eat it!!
Hadane: I don’t think so
Hadane sends a blast of fire at the The Buzzard, temporarily burning him
The Buzzard: Oh fun flaming trick, I see it lacks the fire of a true soul
Hadane: It’s a will of my own
The Buzzard: Hehe, whatever you say
Nest: You mind leaving her alone?
The Buzzard: Oh…now you have the gall to tell me what to do??
Nest: …
The Buzzard: That’s what I thought
Resume following The Soul Falcon
When you are 20% through the Soul Falcon’s flight path
Lilac: Nest, do you know where it’s going!!
Nest: I have no idea, but I trust it’s judgment
Lilac: You’re gonna trust the strange soul creature?
Nest: Yeah trusting strange souls seemed to end up pretty well in your case so I think it’s gonna work out now
Lilac: …
Acantha: Youch
Lilac: Just shut up
Acantha: I haven’t even done anything to earn this today?
Lilac: …
Yerod: Lilac?
Lilac: We can talk about it later
Resume following The Soul Falcon
When you are 30% through the flight path
The Buzzard: I’m still behind you, it’s still ahead of you, aren’t you just asking to get caught in the middle??
Boone: Listen here monster, what you think you are going to get out of this is not what you believe
The Buzzard: Uhm yeah, I’ll get my favorite flying snack?
Oiyrr: Why do you want to eat the falcon so much?
The Buzzard: High in nutrients
Aiden: That can’t be the only reason
The Buzzard: Uh yeah it is
Oseci: Alright flying death menace, we believe you
The Buzzard: Thank you
Resume following the Soul Falcon’s flight path
When you are 40% through the flight path
Yoni: How many hollows are in this guy’s arsenal
The Buzzard: Well that’s a loaded question gilded warrior, It has to do with the amount of souls of the innocent I consume combined with the amount of crests I steal and also has to do with my dark energy and-
Yoni: It was a rhetorical you dope I don’t actually want to know the number
The Buzzard: Here’s the thing, I don’t know the actual number of them
Yoni: Keep track of your evil minions
The Buzzard: No, I love it when I’m flying and causing death and I see that my hollows have burnt down a village of the innocent thus fueling my army of darkness
Resume following the Soul Falcon’s flight path
When you are 50% through the flight path
Centus: Mygin
Mygin: Centus
Centus: You seem to know more about this valley then anyone else, mind telling us what you know about the falcon?
Mygin: Well we’re under significant duress, but I can assure you that I know precious little about the Soul Falcon
The Buzzard: I know about it
Centus: Ok and you wouldn’t just reveal its secrets
The Buzzard: Yeah…..
Mygin: Looks like we’re staring at a blank slate
Centus: Well you tried
Mygin: I did
Resume following the Soul Falcon’s flight path
When you are 60% through the flight path
Kutok: Wait, why are we letting a fickle bird lead us instead of uh, the team navigator?
Nest: Are you being chased by the giant death man?
Kutok: Yes?
Nest: Ok well were you a priority target of his before this moment?
Kutok: No…
Nest: Ok, so we’re following the falcon
Kutok: My identity feels robbed
The Buzzard: That’s what I do to the souls that become hollows
Kutok: Yikes
Nest: Just ignore him
The Buzzard: You wish you could
Resume following the Soul Falcon’s flight path
When you are 70% through the flight path
Acantha: This reminds me of the Nightlanders
Olivia: In what way?
Acantha: Well, it’s primordial darkness energy I can kind of sense
Olivia: Well this seems different
The Buzzard: Astute observation lightling
Acantha: Right, you are part of my enemy
Olivia: FORMERLY, part of your enemy
Lilac: Acantha stop starting fights
Acantha: How about you finish one?
Yerod: Break it up you two
Resume following the Soul Falcon’s flight path
When you are 80% through the flight path
Mygin: I’m consulting all data I might have on The Buzzard
Centus: Find anything?
Mygin: It’s a subject that seems to avoid the pages
The Buzzard: You fester in the shadows long enough, no one remembers your name
Centus: Seems like you love hiding in the dark
The Buzzard: It’s not cowardice if you survive
Resume following the Soul Falcon’s flight path
When you are 90% through the flight path
Nest: I think we’re almost there
Kutok: Oh yeah I feel something
Ohss: I still have the device
The Buzzard: That breakfast basket?
Ohss: It does something really cool
The Buzzard: Oh would you mind telling me?
Ohss: Just wait and see
Olivia: Alright, let’s get ready to claim the objective
Resume following the Soul Falcon’s path
When you are done following the flight path, the Soul Falcon sits perched in a ruined village
The Buzzard: Oh look at the bird, sitting perched in a bed of corpses I made
Olivia: Alright hit it Ohss
Ohss: You got it boss
Ohss slides the device across the floor, drawing The Buzzard’s attention to it
The Buzzard: Oooh what’s th-
The Buzzard touching it activates a large aether shock that paralyzes him temporarily
Olivia: Alright seize the shard
Oseci, Centus and Yoni all rush to attack The Buzzard and free the shard from his grasp but he ends up holding onto the shard despite the triple hit
The Buzzard: You’re gonna have to hit a lot harder than that to get this shard out of my grasp
Olivia: Alright, I’ll just have to full send it
As The Buzzard gets up, Olivia fires a massive beam of light at The Buzzard , trying to dissolve his dark grip but he pulls out the Dark Mirror Shard, the impact of the beam against the shard creates a small crack in the shard that opens a small rift between worlds, revealing part of the White World
The Buzzard: Intriguing young witch
Acantha: I KNEW IT
Olivia: Knew what??
Acantha: Oh you want to play dumb?
Olivia: Listen I had no idea that attack was going to cause that…
Acantha: Lilac we’re killing that witch
The Buzzard: You go and do that, kill each other, make my escape easy
The Buzzard gets up and tries to fly away but Boone and Ba-Bayost begin firing ranged attacks at him
The Buzzard: You must make this so damn difficult!!
Lilac: Acantha!! You are out of your mind
Acantha: The goddess manipulated me, now she is in a new form to trick us, she must die
Olivia: I’m my own person now, I am outside of her shadow
Acantha: No…you’re not
Acantha tries to possess Lilac’s body to attack Olivia but Lilac doesn’t let her in
Lilac: Your irrationality is beyond me, stop letting your paranoia drive the train!!
Acantha: It’s not paranoia when I have a good reason!!
Nest: Break it up you two
The Buzzard: I’m going to get away
Boone: Uh, no you won’t!!
The Buzzard: My special is on the way
Nest: TAKE COVER NOW
The Buzzard releases the impact of all the attacks leveled against him and sends out a shockwave that knocks everyone to the ground and levels the already desecrated village
The Buzzard: I almost forgot to grab my snack
The Buzzard tries moving towards the Soul Falcon but it dives to Nest and once again hides in her armor
The Buzzard: Oh well, you will never get this shard!!
The Buzzard moves to fly away as more stray attacks fly his way
Acantha: See, that white witch is in cahoots with that creature of malice
Olivia: Coming here was MY idea
Acantha: Yeah, so you could pool your dark forces!!
Lilac: Acantha, THAT IS ENOUGH
Acantha: Well-
Lilac: You keep doing things for no other reason than your own paranoia, if you had just had a sense to stay where you were, than
Yerod: Alright, we get it Lilac, Acantha has no place to keep making irrational decisions
Acantha: You too?
Yerod: Yeah
Olivia: Thank you Yerod and Lilac, for trusting me
The Buzzard: Alright it’s officially time to make my leave
Hadane: No it’s not
The Buzzard: What do you mean it’s not?
Oiyrr: We need the shard
The Buzzard: Oh you are fools
Fight against The Buzzard
When he is at 80%
The Buzzard: Watching you struggle gives me life
Boone: We’re taking you down this time!
Olivia: You’re going down
The Buzzard: I seriously doubt it
Resume against The Buzzard
When he is at 60%
The Buzzard: You are fools
Boone: This is foolish I don’t want to be sensible
Ohss: I think I can activate the device again if we can continue taking up his time
Nest: We’ll try
Resume against The Buzzard
When he is at 50%
The Buzzard: Chipping away, chipping away, all your life spent at an impossible goal
Lilac: What would that be?
The Buzzard: The peace you seek will never come
Centus: And how would you know?
The Buzzard: As long as people have the capacity to hate, there will never be peace because I will always be around
Resume against The Buzzard
When he is at 40%
Ohss: Ready
Ohss moves to activate the device
The Buzzard: Hahahaha, see you later chumps
Nest: No get back her-
As the device goes off, The Buzzard flees into the sky with the shard still in his possession
Olivia: Well that didn’t go to plan
Lilac: I believe we need to formulate a new plan to obtain the shard
Uruo: Anyone got any ideas?
Nest: None right now
Boone: I swear…
Uruo: Well, I believe we probably shouldn’t store soul energy at our camp, or we’ll have stuff like this happen again
Olivia: Let’s table this for when we get back to the base
The Century Corps collects themselves and heads back to the base
Mission End
Back at the Century Corps camp, Olivia is sitting down, looking at her mirror of reflection.
Olivia: I wonder why the White World opened in that location?
As Olivia ponders her mirror, Hadane slumps down next to her, sweating profusely
Olivia: Are you alright Hadane?
Hadane: I should be asking you that Olivia, one of our own, just tried to attack you…
Olivia: I’m just wondering what caused that rift, it must be something to do with the magic energy of mirrors. It’s possible the actual dark mirror itself originated in the White World…
Hadane: Well, that might be a theory worth exploring, I just wanted to let you know about the plan for tomorrow?
Olivia: Oh really, there’s already a new plan?
Hadane: Well sort of, Uruo wants us to infiltrate his father’s coliseum to find devices that can help us as he stores them in a treasure chamber under the coliseum.
Olivia: Oh and thus tracking down the devices might allow us to…what do we get from this exactly?
Hadane: Uruo says that Rahihi might have a mirror similar to yours and the dark one in his stash
Olivia: Alright well that’s a good lead
Hadane: Yeah, it is
Hadane’s sweat begins pooling on the floor
Olivia: Do you have a fever
Hadane: No…I’m fine
Olivia: You don’t look the part
Hadane: I swear…I’m fine
Olivia: Are you sure, are you really sure?
Hadane: I SW-
Hadane calms down and looks at Olivia
Hadane: Fine, I’ll tell you what’s up but you have to PROMISE not to tell anyone else
Olivia: I won’t tell a soul
Hadane: So you know how I was born without a soul and how I now have a soul because Iseri dueled Death?
Olivia: I’m familiar with that story, what does that have to do with your current condition
Hadane: Well I also have the mark of flames within me, as I am a fire sorcerer, I think that I may have been given the soul of a Phoenix…
Olivia: Oh, and if that was the case, why is this only happening now
Hadane: I think it’s the Soul Tree, it’s calling out to me, wanting me to go inside and reach my true form…
Olivia: Hadane, I wish you told me sooner
Hadane: Well I only found out a few days ago…
Olivia: I mean you should have told me as soon as this started happening
Hadane: Fair enough…
Olivia: So what’s next…
Hadane: No clue, but I promise to stand by the Century Corps’s side no matter what
After Hadane’s declaration of loyalty, she passed out and Olivia carried her back to bed.
