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A horse-drawn wagon makes its way along an abandoned route.

The wagon hits a bump in the road, and Law feels herself bump a touch into her white-haired sister, Oda. Though the two command an imposing height in the three foot range as Naimians, the two struggle to remain upright in the bumbling wagon they must ride to reach their destination. The vehicle itself is able to carry more than just a few passengers, but it's been fitted with more supplies than people on this particular day. It had been coded as a mere transport for materials rather than of souls.

"Sister," Oda says calmly, readjusting her staff in her lap. "Please keep your balance a bit better. I'd be devastated if my staff were to be damaged on accident." To a human, the staff’s short length is nearly laughable, being as tall as Oda was. It was perhaps a bit shorter when it came down to the red-embezzled tip, a gem held within an intricately carved top piece, and perhaps without it it would serve as a decent yardstick. For a Naimian, however, it's just the right size to allow for powerful spells.

"A-ah," Law timidly replies almost immediately, scrambling off her sister and finding a new sitting position that she hopes will lead to her balance being restored. Beside her, she keeps her axe secured. Though the more lighthearted of the duo, she has a melancholy look of seriousness reflecting in her expression, and it shows when she goes to look at her sister in earnest. "Sorry, Oda..."

Behind them, a silent body of armor sits politely atop a wooden box, unphased by the bump in the road the two Niamian girls were challenged with. They sit with their hands in their lap, unspeaking.

"Perling," A lax voice hums, and the sisters turn to look in the direction of such unbothered peace. The suit of armor does not move their head, but it’s clear they’re listening after being addressed. Laying atop a massive pile of bags of grain, a black cat beastman lazily swishes his tail in impatience. "How much further until we reach our quarry?"

"It will not be long, Lord Juventas," the suit of armor says, their voice echoing from within the armor as though there was much more room within. Their voice is indistinct, neither discernible as male or female. "Lisenby is only a mile away by now."

"Mm," Juventas answers in simulated thought, yawning. His cat ears are lowered casually. The wagon continues along its path. "Here's to the hope that we can make our arrival before it grows dark. I'd rather not babysit you lot in a dark battlefield."

"Who are you calling a baby?" Oda shoots Juventas' way, but the unconcerned cat simply waves off her ire. Naimians were the sensitive sort when it came to their whimsical childlike stature.

"It's not likely that we'll get our hands dirty today," Perling replies from within their metal chambers. "Lisenby may not be what it once was, but the possibility of anything but welcome for warriors of the Aetherum Ascendance Guild is quite slim. If there is crime, we can surely establish order with the mere announcement of our presence."

"That so," Juventas murmurs from the grain sacks, rolling onto his back and pillowing his head on crossed arms. "Can't wait to look all cool in front of the ladies."

"Oh, act serious," Oda groans.

Law shrinks a touch at the abrasion in Oda's words. She pats her sister's shoulder and looks back to Juventas. "Do you promise to straighten up when we get there?"

"Always do," Juventas mumbles, shutting his eyes. Within moments, soft snores emanate from him.

"How does he go to sleep so quickly?" Law whispers in awe.

"Must be a beastman thing," muses Oda.

The Naimian sisters go quiet again, watching their sleeping compatriot solemnly before they return to themselves. Seated as before in the back of the wagon, feet dangling over the ledge, they look to each other, one with nervousness while the other with conviction.

"Will we truly be able to vanquish the evil in this land with a team such as this?" Law whispers, her anxiety growing too monstrous to keep to herself.

"Have faith, sister," Oda simply replies, reaching forth to grasp her sibling's hand. Law’s hand is rough and calloused unlike her own soft digits, and the contrast makes the two of them smile for their shared reasons. To be so unlike but still related by blood; they'd always be there for each other. "Perling is of mysterious origin, but their power cannot be ignored. And Juventas' assassination skills will prove useful, even if he makes himself look like a sorry wielder of the dagger."

"And then there's us," Law says, seemingly a little more encouraged. "Or, at least, you. Your aetheric power is unrivaled."

"There is indeed us," Oda reverberates, "Your skill with the axe leaves even the giants in awe. Do not lose hope over something as small as a sharp tongue."

"As you say, sister," Law says, and her gaze turns to the landscape before them. "I just want us all to work together."

Silence falls upon the group as it often did, but that did not mean anything negative. If anything, the team granted themselves the chance to enjoy the peace they would not so often taste in the coming days within this peaceful quiet. The emergence of the chirping of birds and rustling of leaves within the trees gave way to this notion.

Law and Oda were a sibling mage and axewielder pair, years of battle side-by-side under their belt despite their young appearance. Law's long hair contrasted Oda's short bob haircut, and the former wore an armored red dress while the latter was clad in a blue armored clerical robe. Law cleared her sister's height by only a few inches, but in terms of twins she had been the youngest, coming out of her mother's womb last.

Perling’s features were indistinct, hidden by the metal that encased them. Their armor, however, was intricate and thick; perhaps the densest those within the band of warriors had ever seen. Carvings in the metal were of intricately woven runes, made in such a way that it was impossible for an amateur's eye to tell that the entire suit of armor was enchanted, but so it was. Sheathed on their back was a great sword with just as many intricate runic patterns.

Juventas, an esteemed assassin hailing from Jungpui, land of the caves. His outfit was a simple black dress shirt and slacks, a myriad of necklaces with an unquantifiable number of valuable gemstones around his neck, no doubt enchanted in their own right to provide him with extra strength, quieter steps and silent breath. He was dark skinned, his hair unkept and black, blending in with his black cat ears, a midnight colored tail on his rear poking from a sewn hole in his slacks.

In the whole world of Lumina, they were of the strongest and most qualified for the job they were given. Well… They weren't formally given a job by the Aetherum Asendance Guild, per se, but this was a task nonetheless. One that would save the world and avenge the souls wrongfully lost in the would-have-been war.

The task in question was to defeat the great dark mage that brought ruin to the world -- dubbed the Evil One.

"We have arrived," Perling announces, breaking the stillness. With that, there comes a lurch in the wagon's motion, coming to a stop only after Perling's timely announcement. Law and Oda, both warned to the incoming stop, braced themselves in time to not be toppled over by the inertia of the stopping wagon. Juventas, on the other hand, needed to be roused. With almost mechanical movements, Perling rises from their box seat and pushes Juventas off the pile of grain sacks, waking him suddenly. He comes to with a shout as he plummets to the wooden floor of the wagon, producing a loud thud that vibrates the wagon floor from behind the grains. A flurry of muttered curses trails from behind the grain sacks while the beastman picks himself up, rubbing his head groggily.

"This is Lisenby," Perling said, gesturing stiffly to the city before them. At least, they gestured to what remained of the city. Nary a soul in sight, with buildings half-torn down or burned to ash. A tragedy occurred here. A grey mist hung over the once-bustling streets. There were few bodies, but when there was one, it had been long gone and far past the revival window. ‘Revival,’ a skill that, rather exclusively, Oda possessed in her arsenal. While a forbidden art, she had been given permission by the AAG and most local governments to use it when she saw fit. "This city was destroyed in search of the Evil One," Perling continued, taking a step onto the city's charred cobblestone roads. "I detect signs of life."

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"So there are still some survivors?" Oda said, priming her magic with a small glow in her staff's gem.

"Perhaps survivors," Perling says, "One is nearby within a building, though they seem of sound mind and body."

"Let's go check on them anyway," Law says, "If not to rescue them, then to extract information on our quarry."

"I'll be on standby if they need... persuasion," Juventas adds. He flips a dagger in his hand rather idly, but his ears are up and alert despite his usual carefree air.

"I'm sure we won't need to go that far," says Law, scrunching her nose lightly at the crass nature of Juventas. Oda sets a hand on his sister's shoulder and that sour look fades. The two take the lead, Law in front, Oda close behind, and Juventas milling behind her and Perling rather stiffly trodding behind him, the slowest of the bunch with their heavy footsteps.

Buildings were still actively crumbling as they made their entrance, the toll of the revolt still fresh. Smoke rose from the remnants of fire, yet none remained burning, only smouldering. Despite the stench of burnt carnage and wood alike, the four were seasoned enough to keep their wits about them. If anything, the scene steeled them over, making them ready for anything.

Perling pointed to the building they detected a soul within earlier. The team made their way inside. The entryway had been blasted open by explosive magic, singed splinters of a once warm entrance forming what looked like the maw of a massive beast, barely held up by the sure architecture that composed the still-standing building.

Within, it was dark.

Oda and Law's eyes were able to adjust fast enough to the darkness on their own, but it took a few blinks to get it just right. Juventas' catlike eyes had an instant adjustment with ease, and Perling was, well, Perling, able to apparently sense anything regardless of light's presence. Once adjusted, the room became apparent as empty. That didn't evade Perling's gaze, however, as they turned slowly and rose a finger to a wardrobe, still closed despite the clear pillaging in the room.

"There," they reported.

Oda and Law approached the wardrobe without fear and swung it open, weapons drawn. A plume of black miasma spilled from the wardrobe's open innards almost immediately, and the team threw themselves into alarm. Oda raised her staff and tamped it on the ground, casting a fine light that dissipated the miasma before it had the chance to cause any real damage. She'd seen this spell before and knew exactly how to counter something so simple.

"Shit!" Came a voice from within the wardrobe, a failed-absconded Naimian of similar stature to Law and Oda frozen in place. His dark magic had been countered so easily. He'd never been an expert on the craft despite his Seed's alignment, though that was probably from inattention, in his hindsight. An axe's blade poises itself millimeters from his throat, allowing him little area to move.

"Stop right there," Oda says evenly. Law keeps her posture, holding up the foe Naimian with her axe.

"You got me, don't lop my head off!" He pleads, thoroughly cornered.

"I won't, as long as you answer my questions," Oda assures, her staff still emitting a fine light to illuminate the room and weaken the foe's magic. "Who do you answer to?"

"Oh, come on, that's-- Eek!" The cold metal of Law's axe kisses his neck gently, causing their foe to squeal lightly in fear. "I'm with T... Tenebres!"

"Tenebres -- the group of dark mages siding with the Evil One?"

"Please don't kill me, you have no idea what I've been through in order to--"

"I don't care," Oda cuts in, falsely sensing what the Naimian was about to say, though without consequence. "You've committed treason to the AAG and have thrown the balance of the world into disarray. I'll only spare you if you tell me if there are others here or not."

"There aren't, i-it's just me," He insists rather nervously.

Oda glances at Perling. With the grind of metal, they shake their armored head.

"There are approximately five individuals nearby in various buildings at the least. He is lying."

"Ooh, too bad~," jeers Juventas.

"Typical dark mage," Oda clicks her tongue, then taps her staff on the floor, making a strong decree; "Pay with your life for what your people have done!"

With that, Law deftly slices the Naimian's neck before he can scream, a spurt of blood splashing her red dress harmlessly. She finds no joy in taking lives, but it is part of her duty to avenge her comrades and save the world from tragedy. Her eyes lose their light for a moment, and her lips form a thin line as the Naimian buckles to the ground, grasping at their severed neck in the last moments of their life.

The four stand in silence for a moment, taking in what had just transpired. After some time, Law looks to the exit. "If there are more, we must find them."

"And do what? Kill them too?" Juventas inquires. He's not so sure killing dark mages is the key, but if it's what Law and Oda decide then it shall be. They both outrank him.

"Eventually," Oda says, dispelling the light from her staff with a small pulse. "Before that, we get them to talk. Perling, lead us to another. We may be dealing with a hideout for the Tenebres group. They're dangerous individuals; most of them are defectors from the Aetherum Ascendance Guild during the war."

"As you wish, Lady Oda," Perling replies to her wishes, turning mechanically due north. "I detect two hiding in a building to the north. We can likely capture them and derive information if Juventas takes to the shadows."

"Perfect. Let us make haste."

It had not been long since their plan had been loosely made; before the four, two bound-up human dark mages were neutralized by Oda's magic, sitting on the charred ground at their knees. They were at the mercy of the band of adventurers that captured them; one trembled, while the other simply glared, but neither dared to speak a word.

"Well?" Juventas prods, looming over them with a devious smile, his knife glinting. "Think you two can talk?"

The first dark mage shakes their head, and the second one takes their cue, shaking their head as well.

"Ohh, what a waste. We were going to spare you if you let us know what the deal is here. This village is abandoned, isn't it? It's supposed to be, so what brings members of Tenebres here?"

"We..." The trembling one tries to speak. They trail off in fear. After a moment, they pick their voice back up, throat dry with anxiety; "We wanted somewhere to live peacefully."

"Don't lie to us, dark mage."

"It's the truth!" The mage shouts with a desperate warble, and her companion looks on with an angry gaze. "We came here seeking refuge. Nobody will look at a dark seeded person without thinking we're some villain now! Our chances at surviving in a normal city is slim to none with how people perceive us now. We just want to live!"

Uncertain how much was sob story and how much was real, the band of adventurers exchanged glances. Before the war, there was certainly a stigma of doubt towards dark users. Often outsiders and of ill mind, no historically recorded dark user made themselves known for their kindness, save for perhaps the Evil One the crew had sought to hunt.

Juventas especially had his doubts, but kept them under lock and chain.

"So you're saying 'we' -- does that mean that more from Tenebres are here?" He grins. "That dark mages are treating this place like a sanctuary?"

The trembling captive freezes like ice. "I-I never said that!" She cries.

"Perling~," Juventas sings their name, and Perling is silent in thought.

"Due north," they report, pointing northward with their right index. "There are many souls due north."

"No..." Whispers the trembling dark mage. "No...!"

"We cannot take on a mass of dark mages," Perling reports. "If this is home to a Tenebres hideout, we may be ambushed. Law, Oda, do you wish to proceed?"

"..." Oda is deep in thought. "... No. We will leave them for now."

The dark mage captives are unable to hide their relief.

"But we will take one hostage for information. One survivor -- you, girl. Run back to your little rat hole and tell your people Lannan's Justice will see their due punishment in time. Your idol's head is ours."

"Wh--... D-don't do this," she says, her voice trembling with ice cold breaths of despair. "Don't take him. Spare us both. We'll report as you wish, please don't take my beloved hus--!"

"Do you think you can afford such comforts when your kind allowed Ruak to overtake the Ascendance in the war?" Oda snaps. "You two, I know your faces from the ranks within the AAG. I know you're deserters like the rest of Tenebres. Your cowardice cost thousands of lives, and you think I'll let you two stay together because of something you think is 'love'?"

"He's all I have..." Breathes the woman, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Cut the act," Oda commands, and the woman flinches. Perling approaches the man, kneeling down and tossing the bound fellow over their shoulder. "We all know how easily you dark types lie."

Law has her eyes downcast. Juventas fidgets with his dagger, unable to look the woman in the eye. Oda, though it pains her in some hidden regard, remains hard on the woman.

"We will free you. Don't think about any counter attacks; we can just kill you and have your 'beloved' report for you in your place if you try anything."

"Yes, madam..." She dryly croaks, weakened by despair. Her head hangs, and tears drip to the charred flooring. Law nears her and tips her axe over her bound hands, cutting the rope accurately enough to let the woman sustain only a minor cut from her trembling. She clumsily picks herself up and runs away without thought.

"I-idiot..." The male dark mage mutters weakly, hanging over Perling's shoulder.

Oda simply smiles.

"Do you have a good visual on where she's headed, Perling?"

"I do."

"Let us make haste."