The Mana-Verse

[Sakura Leic]

(Okay so I was right, the Prof has to go back into the hole to get to the tail to get it to stop hunching over.)

"Maybe next time it would be better to get to the harder to reach ones first?" Sakura remarked as she continued her Icy assault.

(I think I'll just have Calien show up after the fact wondering what the hell just happened.)

[Quickman]

Casting a glance at the hole, the Professor saw the twitching tail.  He lacked weapons, but his brace was quite heavy.  Deciding to climb back into the hole, he made it a few feet before losing his grip and tumbling back inside.  Landing flat on his back, the wind knocked out of him, he gazed up at the chasm's opening in a complete daze.

Taking a few moments to recover, the Professor pulled himself to his feet and made his way to the tip of the daemon's tail.

He brought the full weight of his braced heel down onto the tail.

[Sapphire Knight]

As the professor struck the unarmored tip of the daemon's tail, it reared back and screeched in pain, fully exposing the seal on it's throat.

"Strike now!"

[Blue Valkyrie]

Aya nodded "Right!" she jumped high into the air and using her wings to glide down towards the seal she brought the goddess blade down on top of the seal and the demon's neck.

[Sapphire Knight]

As the daemon's seal was stabbed, it let out one last roar before crumbling away into nothingness, an angry-looking ball of purple light floating where it's head had been before floating off and vanishing.

The armored man let out a sigh before simply flopping onto his back. "Thanks for the assist, and, again, I'm sorry for leading it here."

[Sakura Leic]

"Hey Sakura why are you taking so long on-" Calien hollered before he saw the group finishing off a giant Rat before it turned into energy and disappearing ".....The heck did I miss this time."

"Some demon rat showed up eating this man before we helped him kill it." Sakura stated.

".....Demon rat?" Calien said as he face palmed, even though the situation was not very surprising.

"Yeah I don't get it either, but at least it's gone." Sakura sighed "It was very pesky."

[Phi]

"Ms. Sakura, are you hurt?" Pema walked towards the group, most of her focus on Sakura. She was a bit hesitant to approach them, due to leaving them abruptly.

[Sakura Leic]

"Since I was keeping my distance I wasn't hurt too bad, I'm more concerned about the Prof, Fxeni, and that guy over there but they seem okay for the most part too." Sakura replied "But more importantly are you okay?"

[Blue Valkyrie]

Aya stands, her wings folding back her blade vanishes in a ball of light. "Lead it--explain now sir." Aya approaches the stranger looking rather serious. "One does not simply lead a demon around without good reason."

[Phi]

Pema rubbed the back of her neck, glancing down, "Yeah... I'm fine," She spoke in a low tone, making an attempt to smile.

[Quickman]

After a considerable struggle, the Professor clawed his way out of the hole once more.  His hands were a mess as he made his way to the group. "I, I, I apologize, I apologize as I wasn't, wasn't much help..."

He kept a marked distance away from Riagan and had gone around the long way just to avoid the Dwarven Prince and keep out of his line of sight.

[Sakura Leic]

Pema rubbed the back of her neck, glancing down, "Yeah... I'm fine," She spoke in a low tone, making an attempt to smile.

"Pema...you don't sound 'fine'." Sakura said as she knelled to her level "We were all worried about you..."

[Phi]

Pema nodded slowly, "I know, I shouldn't have left like that. I just... didn't know what to do, at that moment. I guess I was a little scared..."

[Sakura Leic]

"What are you scare of, it had to do with the mana absorbing thing right?" Sakura continued gently.

[Sapphire Knight]

Aya stands, her wings folding back her blade vanishes in a ball of light. "Lead it--explain now sir." Aya approaches the stranger looking rather serious. "One does not simply lead a demon around without good reason."

The armored man sighed and sat up. "Short version, I was in some caves deep under ground to try to find more of the blue metal my armor is made of, in case it needs to be repaired or adjusted." He started, taking off his helmet to reveal himself as a young man with brown hair and a short beard. "I encountered that daemon, and one of my daemons decided it would be a good idea to provoke him by destroying all but one of his seals, and then not help finish it off, leaving me to try to flee."

[Sakura Leic]

"I would say that would probably be the dumbest idea I've ever heard, but it might have been for the best in the long run since that Deamon mostly would have eventually encountered the Dwarves who most likely have no idea how to face such a thing.  Thus this action most likely prevented would be casualties." Calien stated.

[Phi]

"What are you scare of, it had to do with the mana absorbing thing right?" Sakura continued gently.

Pema sighed as she shrunk in her clothes, "Yes... it all started a long time ago. Before I could even remember..."

She opened her hands, staring at them, "This ability to absorb mana is really dangerous and honestly... it's scary... I-I could end up... end up..."

Pema's face contorted into grief and she looked away, struggling to disclose further details about her odd ability.

(I don't think now would be an ideal time for backstory, what with Sapph showing up.)

[Sakura Leic]

(I guess I'll just hug her.)

Sakura hugged Pema as tightly as she could.

"It's okay Pema." Sakura whispered as she stroked her hair "You don't have to say anything right now.  We'll wait until you're ready to talk about it okay?"

[Phi]

Pema embraced Sakura, "Yeah, that sounds good... Thank you. For everything."

She peered around at the party, a genuine smile on her face as she wiped a tear from her eye, "I couldn't ask for better friends."

[Fxeni]

Fxeni slowly got up and dusted himself off, as he had landed hard on the ground after the daemon had vanished.

"Would've been nice if I got a warning about that..." Fxeni said as he rubbed the side he had landed on.

[Mr. Haxwell]

(Why?)

(It just popped into my head when I introduced Riyalie and Grifter. Then I thought; what if Toshi was actually half pokémon {Azumarill}, and half elven; which was when this silly idea came up.

Oh, and a hundred pages already!?)

[Quickman]

((I can't make the Azumarill tail work.  It looked ridiculous with those thong-chaps.  I don't even know what the back of Toshi's not-pants even look like!))

The Professor just watched the goings-on in silence and then went to retrieve his weapon and make his way back to the party's temporary quarters.  If introductions were in order, he'd rather not be present, particularly when Riagan was there.  He didn't want to incur the Dwarven Prince's wrath once more.

[Phi]

(Oh, and a hundred pages already!?)

(I wanted the eating contest to last for a quarter of them! )

[Sakura Leic]

(It just popped into my head when I introduced Riyalie and Grifter. Then I thought; what if Toshi was actually half pokémon {Azumarill}, and half elven; which was when this silly idea came up.

Oh, and a hundred pages already!?)

(No.....just no.  Half Elf and Half Rabbit is just fine, just stick to that for the love of god.  I don't want to think of Elves sexing up a Toy Aquatic Blue Bunny instead of a Rabbit person.  And no I don't care if the Azumarill is a Gijinka/Furry, I don't want to think about that.  It will not add anything to the story, I'm sorry the idea just squicks me out.

I was fine with Riyalie and Grifter since they are kind of like ghosts so they have different freedoms to Pokemon, but this idea is not one I am comfortable with.)

((I can't make the Azumarill tail work.  It looked ridiculous with those thong-chaps.  I don't even know what the back of Toshi's not-pants even look like!))

The Professor just watched the goings-on in silence and then went to retrieve his weapon and make his way back to the party's temporary quarters.  If introductions were in order, he'd rather not be present, particularly when Riagan was there.  He didn't want to incur the Dwarven Prince's wrath once more.

"Hey Prof where you going?" Sakura asked as she let go of Pema for a bit "Don't you want to talk to the weird man in blue?  It's kind of rude to leave before introducing yourself."

(I mean the little dude is going to have to deal with Riagan no matter what anyway.)

[Blue Valkyrie]

Aya sighs "I suppose after the empire fell there was no one around to keep their numbers in check. What is your name sir?" Aya relaxes slightly.