Furry Fantasy

Tai carefully looked over Momotaro. The persons from the White Mage Corp were rookies, but they knew what they were doing. Everything had been mended perfectly.

“Heh, I’m sorry I couldn’t have handled it earlier.” The feline apologized as the panda simply slung his robe back over his shoulder.

“There is no need to be so concerned.” Momotaro answered, the warm smile ever present on his muzzle. “If it was an emergency, I can heal myself using my chakra. You do not need to take all the responsibility yourself. If I recall, it was your power that defeated many of the monsters we were faced with. We each had our role to play.”

“I suppose that’s true.” He said. “That reminds me. Argus, why where you guys so late?”

Argus, who had been sitting in the opposite side of the private room, leaned back into his seat at the question.

“Well, not exactly late.” He defended. “We were dealing with multiple strikes simultaneously. It was a lot of work and that wasn’t the first Behemoth head I chopped off today. So give me some credit. “

“Ok ok, but there are bigger problems.” The red feline argued. “How did they do this? Who did this?”

Argus remained silent, but his eyes reflected a mix of fury and confusion.

“We’re not sure. Most likely Cassus, but we do not know how. We’ll be questioning Morgan…

“Morgana!” Tai’s ears shot up. “How it she? Is she alright? Have they been…”

Argus simply raised his hand. “She’s fine. Morgana has been fully cooperating with us. She has her own room, with armed guards, getting good meals three times a day, baths, fresh clothes, books, everything. The only thing is that they have her wear a ring that prevents her from using her magic. In any case, you’ll see her soon. We’re here.”

Before the transportation ship was a massive castle, almost mountainous. The castle was a beautiful combination of traditional brick and mortar and mechanical, as shiny gears could be seen working in perfect harmony within the walls. There was a large stairway leading from the town to the massive gates of the palace that were so huge they had to be only ceremonial. As the ship got closer, they could see from the windows a large hangar inside of the castle, presumably their destination.

The ship entered the Hangar and landed softly inside.

“Alright.” Argus said as he rose from his seat and headed to the door of their room. “ We need everyone out. The king is waiting for us in the throne room and he wants to see everyone. So we need to gather and move, rather than look at all the amazing ships here.”

As requested , everyone that was aboard the ship, descended down via a set of rotating automatic stairs. Once everyone was down and from the ship, all followed Argus from the hangar and soon into the main castle grounds.

Least to say, as they were lead through the castle, they, or atleast the three known felines were nothing more than visibly impressed with the interior of the castle, reminding the three of the royal palace back at home...on Panthera.


“Have to tell that this is quite the achievement. I think our own king would be quite taken by the way this castle appears to be. “Snowforest said in a soft tone, his eyes spinning around to see every possible feature he could possibly detect; from the golden figures that were etched into the walls, to the shapes and forms of various other structures, such as the spiraling shape of the pillars that were carrying the ceilings above them.

“Indeed. It is truly impressive. Looking at the beauty and of course how “clean” things are here, Snowheart would have really given a high grade for sure, and knowing her, she’s never easy to please. Isn’t that so Crossfire? “Nightstar asked. A few seconds went by, however and no answer was given. “Crossfire? “She then noticed he wasn’t around. “What the...where did he...”

Snowforest grinned a bit, “You might want to look a bit behind you, and slightly at the left. “Nightstar did so as her companion told her, and once she did, her expression turned from confusion into annoyance and slight anger, seeing Crossfire chatting with a nearby female castle maid of all people.

“Of all the...”She motioned for Snowforest to go ahead, as she went over to her so-called “husband”. Snowforest just shook his head with a smirk.

“So yeah, here I am...in the flesh. If not for my impressive gun skills, I would have definitely kicked the bullet back at that battle just now, you know what I mean? “Crossfire laughed a bit, with the castle maid smiling sheepishly at his comment, being kind of funny. “So what about it? You think you can spare some time to see me in action? I will ensure you, you won’t be disappointed. I’m the greatest gunslinger after all, hehe.”

“Umm....”The castle maid wasn’t sure what to say until she saw Nightstar coming up behind Crossfire. Seeing the female tigress’ face, she quickly fled away, much to Crossfire’s confusion.

“Hey, what did I say? Did I say something wrong?” He then yelped out in pain as Nightstar grasped at the ear. “Ouch!”

“Just what in Feralyon’s name, do you think you’re doing? “Nightstar asked with a deep, annoyed tone escaping her lips.

“Oh me? I was just talking to this pretty maid. That’s all, really. Honestly. Just chatting, trying to make new acquaintances, you know? That isn’t so bad. Right?”

“Right...as if. I can’t turn my back for a second, or you are all over another girl yet again. When will you learn?”

“What can I say hun? I just love being around girls, hehe. That’s...not a bad thing right?”

“You were talking as if you were trying to get a score with her. “Nightstar said. “I heard you talking, Mr. Casanova.”

“What? No, not at all. You know me, that is how I always talk. No way would I ever try to go with another behind you. No way. “

“Whatever, but next time you pull another stunt like that, and I will cubify you in front of everyone. Lets see how you act then. Seriously, you’re a grown man, but you act like a 12 year old that needs supervising. Now come on dear, lets go. We have other business to do than you chasing skirts all the time. “

She pulled him by the arm, like a mother pulling her child away from causing any more unneeded troubles, soon joining up with Snowforest and the rest of the people.

Felicity and her companions exited the airship and followed their guides out of the hangar. As much as she wanted to look around the rather advanced technology, now wasn't the time or place. Flynn, however, pushed his index fingers together and was found muttering to himself.

“Okay, so in case we are thrown into a dungeon, I'll just use this trick key in my sleeve to pick the lock, grab my bow from the guards, fight them off, and look for an escape window. Or in case that is blocked -”

“Will you give it a rest,” Felicity whispered as she immediately caught onto the fox's plan. “You're going to embarrass us like that!”

“More like you're being too trusting,” whispered back Flynn. “Anyone who's being THAT nice by inviting us into some fancy castle, especially since they came with an entire army, you KNOW that can't possibly be a good thing!”

“You are ridiculous and paranoid! Don't you think we'd be in tied up in chains and have our weapons taking away if that was the case?”

“Looks can be deceiving, so I'm just planning at least two or three methods of escape as precaution. I only got two arrows left, so I gotta make good use of them until I get new ones.”

“I'm telling you, Flynn, we're not back home, it's -

Exile cleared its throat to get their attention. “We should all keep quiet and see what happens. When the time comes, we'll just deal with whatever comes our way.”

Flynn snorted. “I see you're back to your usual self already.”

“We're not on that contraption,” said the dragon armored enigma. “So you need not concern yourself with me. I am fine now.”

“That's good to hear,” said Felicity. “And Flynn, keep your paranoia in check and wait until we see this 'King' they spoke off.”

Flynn snorted again, muttering, “This could all end very badly.”

Tai smiled as he heard the chatter between the groups. he had hoped he could learn more about them. After all, they had just been through a life or death battle. Still, at the same time he knew his mission would have to come first. He thought back to when he visited the Sage of the Woods and received his first vision. A world completely ravaged. It was dark, barren, and completely devoid of life. It had been the single, most horrifying scene he had ever witnessed in his life. He knew he had to visit the four temples and create contracts with the spirits within in order to find the King of Spirits, but they were no where nearer to finding out what this dark threat was.

How can I fight against something if i don't know what it is? He thought. Can i even fight it? I can barely handle one attack per summon. I need to get stronger.

They proceeded through the castle and entered the great hall. The spacious hallway opened up into a massive high roof room that seemed more fit for a cathedral than a castle. The walls were decorated with elaborate oil paintings of former kings, beautifully woven banners, and even full suits of armor. The group moved quickly along the red carpet beneath them. There was a small stairway that lead to a door equally elaborate to the massive one on the front of the castle, but far smaller. Argus opened the door into a large throne room. The room seemed rather open, devoid of much with the exception of a round table, chairs, and a large pair of thrones that seemed to be crafted out of pure diamond shined to perfection.

Sitting upon that throne was a brown bear, seemingly in his twenties. He wore a red robe over a golden chest plate and brown pants. Chains of silver draped over his neck and across his chest. On his hip was a set of daggers set in indigo colored sheaths. What was most striking was his eyes, one eye being red while the other being yellow. Around him was a air of strength and discipline, but his gaze also had hints of a curious nature.

Argus stopped before the table and bowed, then turning to the others.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. I present to you..."

"Argus. I can do it thank you." The bear said as he raised from his seat. "Great heroes, I am Cid Raza Elysius, 35th king of Elysium. I welcome you to my home."

OOC: Yes Hero, I did plan for a cameo.

Upon hearing King Cid’s welcoming tone of words,  Snowforest, Nightstar and the latter’s husband, Crossfire gave a brief bow as a form to show respect to royalty which stood in front of them.

“Thank you, your majesty. Its a honor to be here at the heart of Elysium. My name is Nightstar Selestygrant. "Nightstar then faced her two companions, "And this here is Snowforest Wynterrion, and the last is my husband Crossfire Gracerfield." Turning back her head to the king, she continued. "I hope me and my companions have done well enough to keep your kingdom and its people safe from the recent, mysterious attack. “Looking at Crossfire, the latter instantly knew what to follow up with, turning back to face the King.

“As first, once more, thank you for welcoming us to your humble abode. Sorry for the sudden surprise that we have showed up out of nowhere. You see, as you, royal king of Elysium might have guessed by now, we aren’t from around here, nor from this world, but instead from a entire different world altogether. This happened due to a accident relating to dimensional energy we’ve arrived here and eversince, we’ve  been in this world for atleast four weeks.  “

Nightstar took over once more. “During those four weeks we’ve been seeking for numerous possibilities to try and return back, but so far, we’ve had no luck whatsoever, until now. According to a source I have speaking to, prior to the monster attack, the castle’s library is said to have great books of magic that perhaps might have the answer to our problems. I’m not sure of this myself, so hopefully this is something you might be able to answer, your majesty."

“We had originally intended to come sooner for a possible audience through the help of your White Mage, Tai, but in a relatively, normal way unlike now, where we now meet due to the current circumstances. Sorry for the inconvenience if there’s any to be mentioned. “Snowforest finished.

With this, all three felines bowed again and went silent, giving their turn to the other three mysterious fighters nearby them.

OOC: How cute. I also made Flynn say our infamous phrase that transcends worlds.

Out of duty in the presence of royalty, Felicity dropped down to one knee, placed a hand on her chest, and bowed her head. In her realm, it was mandatory for both Knights and Valkyries to give any lord they come across their undying respect. To not bow would mean punishment or demotion or both.

“It's an honor to meet you, your Majesty,” said the green and silver eyed rabbit. “I go by Felicity Lexington, where me and my companions, Flynn Cambridge and Exile, are from, I am part of a female warrior group known as 'Valkyries' as an analog to Knights that protect the innocent from danger. The three of us came into Elysium not too long ago when those monsters attacked. Our only regret is that we could not have saved as many causalities as we should have.”

“Truthfully, your Highness,” said Flynn, raising his hands up slightly. “Like those other three weird guys, we aren't from this realm either. Sure, there are some similarities, but we're from a realm called 'Eurus' that's not so...technologically advanced. You're not gonna throw us into a dungeon without a fair trial, are you?”

“Flynn!” hissed Felicity, her tone sharp.

“I...must agree with Flynn on this, Felicity,” Exile placed its spear down and reached for the back of its helmet, undoing a series of locks. “We should also come clean about our arrival here. I also must come clean about my appearance as to show how truthful I am to you and the King.”

With a final click of the lock, Exile pulled the helmet off which released bits of steam from the inside. Flynn's jaw dropped and Felicity's eyes widened at the revelation. Exile was a ring-tailed lemur of white and gray fur and purple colored eyes. The fact that Exile was a lemur wasn't what surprised them, what was more shocking was that...

“You're a female!?” said Flynn, taken aback with his tail fully erect. “Seriously!? I mean, no offense, but I thought this whole time you were a guy! Heck you even sound like one in that suit!”

Exile nodded. “It is as you said back there, Flynn. Looks, and even voices, can be deceiving. I'll explain my reasons later, right now, the King needs our undivided attention.”

“Right,” Felicity recollected her thoughts and turned her attention back to the King. “Please forgive the outburst, your Majesty. Flynn is right, we are truthfully not from this realm as we were accidentally warped here by our wizard friend, Vyne, when one of his magical warp circles went awry and transported the three of us here two days ago. We mean you no harm and merely wish to find a way back home.”

“You've nothing to fear, your Highness,” said Exile. “If we have to prove ourselves to earn your trust, then we'll do whatever that is ask of us. If I may, we would like a room at the inn to stay the night as there is a possibility our gold currency is of no good here.”

“And a restocking of arrows for me,” said Flynn. “I can't exactly fight without enough arrows...or survive in dungeons.”

“Quiet, Flynn,” said both Felicity and Exile, now annoyed with the brown fox's paranoia.

OOC: Knew you would like it. And sorry for the wait guys.

Tai’s jaw was on the floor. Out of all the reactions they could have to the introduction of the king, he hadn’t expected them to say that they were from different worlds. How could there be different worlds? He pondered. The feline knew of the spirit world where the spirits he called with his summons hailed from, but anything beyond that seemed impossible to him. He didn’t know whether to believe them or not.

Momotaro seemed a bit calmer, but more skeptical than Tai. Perhaps by world, they meant they really were from a different land or something. After all, none of the scriptures at the monastery about other worlds.

Cid was far calmer than the others. He listened to their stories calmly and with great focus. Once they finished, he addressed them.

“I thank you for your actions…” he said. “However, I find that believing people from other planets suddenly appearing before me a bit skeptical. I can offer you board, a small bit of gold, and to replenish the arrows that you have used. As for a way to your homes, assuming that you are being honest with me, may take longer. I will have to consult with our librarian, Sage Shiroshika.”

Tai’s surprise turned into warmth. Shiroshika was leader of the white magic corps and taught Tai personally the magic he knew. He was quite fond of the stag.

“ In the meantime.” Cid continued. “Please sit with me. I would like to properly thank you.”

As he finished, the doors opened to show many of the castle staff carrying trays of food. To an outsider, they would look rather odd and possibly unappetizing, but Tai knew how good some of them tasted and how rare a treat it was. They had slabs of behemoth stead the size of dinner plate, perfectly seasoned to bring about the full flavor and made tender to counter the leanness of the meat. Others brought in fried Marbaro tenticles, barbequed Flying Terror Wings, an ochu flower salad, fried Zu eggs, stewed Adamantoise, fresh baked breads and fruits, as well as many elaborate and delicious looking desserts. As they set the food before them, others brought mugs of fine crystal and set them before the guests. Pitchers of stripped apple cider, wine made from rainbow grapes, beer, lemonade, and crystal clear spring water were offered in abundance.

“Please.” Cid spoke warmly. “Sit and eat. “

Before Tai could even thank him, Momotaro was already in his seat, his plate piled high with an assortment of the food. He placed his hands together, spoke a soft prayer, and proceeded to devour his food as fast as he could. Tai couldn’t help but chuckle as he took his seat. If there was one thing Momotaro could not resist, it was food. Monster food in and of itself was a delicacy. Tai soon joined his friend and carefully dished his food as lemonade was poured into his mug.

“So, Tai.” Cid said. “Argus has told me you have had quite an adventure. Would you care to regale me with it?”

Tai was taken aback by the sudden request. But it made sense, since the kind had called for him in the first place.

“Y… yes sir.”

Tai told his story, about the battle with the Cassus Empire, his fall from the cliffs, meeting Argus and Lisa and the sage, the monastery and meeting with Momotaro, him acquiring Valefor and later Ifrit, as well as their journey back. Cid listened intently, giving small nods to show he was paying attention. When Tai finished, the bear remained silent for a few minutes, then spoke.

“I see. In that case, I believe fulfilling your journey in very important.

OOC: No worries Izanagi, its cool. Anyways, in my following reply, just to make things a bit more interesting, I have added some references of my own, references refering to my own RP of GPEX.

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Nightstar gave a brief look around the majestic room of King Cid, her eyes seeing everyone enjoying the table of foods and drinks that had been brought, every participant having great delight. However, for the azure-blue tigress herself, Nightstar was staring at her plate, still empty as if her thoughts were wavering somewhere else entirely, not being in the mood for eating or drinking at all.

Crossfire who was enjoying gulping down his rainbow-colored fruit drink, the corner of his eyes noticed his wife being uneasy. He gave a slight nudge with his elbow. “Hey, everything alright there, hun?” He asked worryingly.

“Not really, sorry Crossfire. “Nightstar answered with a solemn tone. “I’m just very worried after what was just said. “

“What would that be? Oh...wait, about the part where we all told we were from different worlds? Just like that rabbit, fox and that mysterious lemur? “Crossfire noted, his eyes briefly going over to the said group before going back to his mate’s face.

“Yes, that exactly.  “the blue tigress replied. “Hearing the King’s voice saying he was skeptical of our tales, leads me to think that our intended lead might not help as much as I thought it would. “

“It doesn’t seem surprising to me actually. “Snowforest said calmly, taking a bite from a fried Malboro tentacle. Both tigers gave their friend a curious look. “If you think about it, many worlds, including this one, isn’t aware of what ‘lies beyond’, you know...the one sole foundation that drives all worlds which we’re so greatly aware of?”

“The Aethereal Sphere right? “Nightstar questioned with a soft tone, realizing what Snowforest had just meant. Snowforest simply nodded.

“Yes, that indeed, Nightstar. Unlike us, they don’t know about the actual truth about it, and thus the its existence and the numerous other worlds within. Seeing the King being skeptical about it, aims to me that they never witnessed it for themselves. So its not too surprising. In fact, it would be best to not really mention anything about it so loosely unless they want to know more. “

“Yeah, good idea, for its without a doubt they would be speechless, like every other friend that we met across the multiverse and recruited for our own, ongoing war. “Crossfire noted with a slight smirk. “Speaking about that though, how do you think the rest are doing eversince we went missing and ended up here?”

“I hope they are still doing well. Knowing them, they ‘re still looking for us. “Snowforest nodded. “You know how Lygerion is, so no worries. If for some reason we aren’t able to find our answer within the library of this castle, then our best choice would be to wait until either our ship, the Panthera Omega or one of the Aethereal Dragons manages to track us down here and bring us back where we rightfully belong.”

“Heh, knowing that, its without a doubt either way would make the inhabitants here awestruck. I mean, having seen Tai's face after we finished telling our story, says it already. Just wait until he or anyone else here would see our ship or just one of the dragon gods “Crossfire said softly with a smirk.

“Yes, indeed. Knowing that, I guess we still have some hope after all. "The blue tigress took a pause. "Now, there’s still something else that kind of bothers me. “

“And what would that be? “Crossfire asked with wonder.

“That fox, I believe he’s called Flynn...called us weird guys. First off, I’m not weird and secondly, I’m not a guy. “Nightstar said. “He could use some manners. “

Snowforest took a small, soft laugh, “No worries about that Nightstar. Like the King, he doesn’t know any better, so its best to let it go. I’m sure he didn’t mean it in a offending way. “Snowforest said. “Everything will get in the right place in due time. “Besides, from what we have seen so far, the rabbit and the lemur seem to have a good grip on him from going too far. “

“Yeah, no doubts there. “Crossfire answered with a slight grin. “Okay, enough talk. Lets enjoy the feast and worry about everything else...like later. I’m starving. “

Nightstar just gave a amusing, warm smile. Crossfire and his joyous attitude always made her happy no matter what, even if he was a goofball at times. Her worrisome thoughts gone, Nightstar went to take a few pieces of food and poured in some of the rainbow coloured drink in her glass to enjoy herself.

Felicity rose up from her position, staring at the banquet before them with a raised eyebrow. With the exceptions of the usual bread and fruit she was accustomed to, the other entrees looked rather bizarre. Foreign cooking at its finest, right?

The she-rabbit first glanced over at Exile who simply shrugged, then glanced at Flynn who's stomach could easily be heard growling with her long sensitive ears. Not wanting to pass on a meal, as strange as it appeared to her, she and her companions took their places at the table and set their weapons on the floor next to them. Felicity and Exile made sure their sword, shield, lance, and helmet were very close by as neither of the strong willed females didn't want to be completely unarmed.

While Flynn indulged on the feast to his hearts content, as he had been complaining about not eating and drinking the entire time, Felicity used this opportunity to talk to Exile for a bit while everyone else seemed to be engaged in their own private conversations.

“Why reveal your identity now?” asked the rabbit warrior.

“I had my reasons,” said the newly revealed female lemur, fiddling with a goblet filled with drink, her short gray hair barely reaching past her shoulders. Her voice was also a bit more feminine. “I suppose you can say I no longer wanted to keep myself a secret after months of traveling with you and the others back home. If we're going to be stuck here for a bit, I may as well show what I look like under this Dragon's Bane Armor.”

“Dragon's Bane Armor?”

“It's what we lancers wear in the Aerial Aces. Not only does it enhance our physical capabilities to make those gravity defying jumps, but also disguise our voices as, to us, gender is meaningless on the battlefield. It's much more demanding and secretive than the Epsilon Corps you're apart of.”

“I could see why they call it 'Dragon's Bane Armor'. It resembles the legendary god of spring and beauty, Seiryu, a dragon of azure skin like the sky.”

“You got it, long ears,” Exile took a sip from the goblet and set it down. “As for my name...that's a story for when we reunite with our friends back home. Though I probably shouldn't use the word 'friend' so loosely, you and the outfox probably still distrust me.”

Felicity paused for a moment, then said, “You are a friend of mine, Exile. Let's leave it at that since Flynn is most likely paying more attention to the food than he is...well, everything else.”

“Ain't that the truth, but that's why I like the bloke.”

“And one more thing.”

“Yes?”

“Don't call me 'long ears'. I know I'm a rabbit, but I'm not one of those pranksters you see in schools.”

A smirk crept on Exile's features, saying, “Fair enough. Can't call you the other thing without your trademark frown, remember?”

“Don't call me that in public, either,” With that Felicity decided to take the plunge, made her a plate of the spread on the table, and started eating.

“I'll find suitable nickname for you,” Exile kept her smirk and drank more from her goblet.

Flynn stopped from munching on a tentacle to glance at his two lady warriors. It was like they just became sisters of the sort, and for him, it couldn't be a good thing as far as bossing him around goes. He did what was best for a fox like him; continue eating and drinking and not say a word to neither of them unless it was something important.

Felicity set her fork down for a moment to address the King, saying, “If it helps and with your permission, your Majesty, the inscription and Eta crystal on my shield should suffice as proof that me and my two friends are not of this realm.”

Cid glanced over to Felicity. "We may have to wait until an expert arrives."

Tai was taken aback by the king’s words. He had expected Cid to ask him to remain in Elysium in order to protect it. The truth was, he probably would have said yes. Seeing the destruction caused by the sudden appearance of monsters, his home in ruins, he would have gladly stayed and used his power to defend the city.

“My King…” The feline said tentatively. “…are you sure? Wouldn’t my power serve the kingdom better if I remained?”

Cid’s expression did not change, though his eyes seemed to spark with a kind of understanding, sympathetic look.

“I am.” He answered. “Long ago, Magus of the Summoner Tribe prevented a war between Elysium and Cassus that could have swallowed the world in destruction. If it is true that this force can cause such destruction, then it must be dealt with. “

“But what if this happens again? How did they do this in the first place?”

At the end of his question, the doors to the throne room opened once more as two people entered.

“The two who may answer those questions, right on time.” Cid said

One of the two entering the room was a male stag standing at a near seven feet. Elegant white and red robes were draped across his body and in his hands was a golden staff with a crimson jewel at the top.  Brilliant blue eyes looked over the guests, gentle and thoughtful.

The other new comer was more mysterious. Opposite of the stag’s white, she was clothed in black. It covered her completely, hiding her form and matched by the black shoes she wore. Her hands were free, showing white fur dotted with spots. Piercing green eyes shone from within the black hood and looked from one to another, distrustful and cold. What was odd was that in her arms was a white moogle doll, its red pom pom bouncing as she walked.

“Welcome, Shiroshika. Welcome, Morgana.” Cid greeted.

“King Cid.” Shiroshika said, taking a low bow. Morgana mirrored his action, but did not go as low.

Tai beamed happily. While they were enemies, he was glad that Morgana had not been hurt. The two seated themselves at the table with the others while plates and silverware were placed before them. Morgana’s green eyes came upon Tai. She noted his smiling face and Tai could see her under the hood. Her dower expression had not changed.

“Now.” Cid said. “Morgana, would you kindly explained what happened today?”

The snow leopardess looked to the bear and nodded. She then began to speak, cold and analytical, as if she were reading from something rather than addressing the rest.

“For a long time, we of the Cassus Empire have been developing weaponry and military might. With our advances, we have created Magitek. Machines powered by Magicite, they offer the same power a mage would without the weakness. We have developed tanks, weapons, even warships based on your airship design my king.”

Cid flinched for a second at this.

Morgana continued. “In the higher ranks, some warriors have special gear designed into their armor. Using magicite relays, they are actually able to teleport, abet small distances between relays.”

“I have seen that before. At the Ignis Ilands!” Tai spoke up.

“Yes.” Morgana continued. “Teleportation should not be as advanced as was seen today. It seems that Cacode has found a way to teleport large numbers of people over long distances. Most likely, he used these monsters as a test run. The damage was simply a bonus.”

“And how do we stop this from happening?” Argus questioned, lifting his mask only a little to allow food into his mouth.

“It won’t.” Shiroshika answered. “ Thanks to Morgana’s help, we have learned that teleportation, even in small instances, require precise coordinates in order to occur. Thus, we have adjusted the barrier crystals around the city to confuse the transportation process. They may aim for the center of the city or castle, but will end up far outside where we may deal with them without endangering the city.”

“Very good.” Cid said. “That puts my mind at ease. Thank you Morgana.”

The snow leopardess simply nodded, retrieved her goblet, and drank some rainbow wine.

Still enjoying the food and drinks they were offered, the three felines;  Nightstar, Crossfire and Snowforest’s eyes aimed themselves onto Cid, Argus, Tai and those two unknown faces named Shiroshika and Morgana,  their ears having picked up on their talks regarding the monster invasion.

“Did you just hear that guys? You know, about the monster invasion’s possible cause?  “Crossfire said, his tone soft, yet armed with interest.

“Yes, I’ve just heard it myself. “the blue tigress replied to her mate, “It came from that unknown snow leopardess. Seeing how she’s dressed, I reckon she’s a mage, like me. She knew a awful lot. As if she herself was from....“

“That she’s from this kingdom named Cassus?  I wouldn’t be surprised if she indeed was, because she did say ‘we of the Cassus kingdom’. “Snowforest interjected softly, finishing his words with a sip of the rainbow coloured drink. “However, that is not really what I’m worried about. Rather its what they just said. Namely about the cause of the monster invasion “

“About how this enemy kingdom has magical technology enabling to teleport their forces between relays? “Crossfire said. “Yeah, that is indeed something, but they normally, from what we just heard, didn’t have the ability to teleport a entire swarm of monsters onto the city before... meaning...”

“Without a doubt, yes, this Cacode fellow of the Cassus Kingdom; he must have gained such power through the help of a external source that is capable of such feats. “Nightstar added in. Her eyes then slightly widened in fear. “Oh no...could the external source be one of them?”

“You got to be kidding me, right? What would they seek in a dimensional world like this of all places? “the orange tiger said with a questioning, serious, fearful tone,  his eyes showing the same kind of fear.

“No idea, other than the usual reason they’re up to no good. Perhaps they are seeking to destroy the Dimensional Heart. Either way,  Nightstar has a point; Its a good chance one of them is behind this scheme. If this is true, may Feralyon have mercy on us, for its without a doubt that just having one of them is easily capable of leveling this city on its own and us along with it. We barely survived in their own world to start with. “The white lion-like swordsman commented calmly with worried tones.

“No kidding, those scumbags  makes those monsters, like that Behemoth and Malboro look like target practice for juniors. “ Crossfire added in. “Question is...if one of them is here in this world, what can we do?”

“Not much, but either way, if one of those fiends are really here and is helping out the Cassus Empire, the only way we are going to survive is to work together with those three warriors, and Tai’s people, including Tai himself. Defeating one of those fiends most likely will not happen, but just thinking about the alternative option is even worse. “Nightstar added, her eyes looking down at her plate of food, as if she just had lost her appetite.

“Oh man...this is really getting bad. Really wish the others were here right now. Surely we would have a bigger chance. Especially everyone here, if any of those fiends are actually behind this dark scheme, doesn’t know what those monsters are capable of. “Crossfire noted with fact.

“We can’t lose faith Crossfire. Lets hope for the best and that whatever method was used by this Cassus Empire, hasn’t been from ’them’” Snowforest said. "For now, lets just keep this for ourselves and see what happens next. But something tells me, regardless of reasons, we won't be returning home anytime soon. "

Felicity cast her gaze to the shield positioned next to her seat on the floor. It was mostly to hide her displeasing frown at not being allowed to prove her friends honesty. It would seem there wasn't anything she can do without being distrusted.

“Figures,” the she rabbit's ears twitched upon hearing Flynn's voice. She glanced over to the brown fox who was lazily moving a finger around the ring of his goblet. “No one could be that nice and throw a banquet for 'guest' without some ulterior motive up their sleeve. We'll be thrown into a dungeon, count on it.”

Felicity let out a heavy sigh, trying not to show her frustration. She said, “Will you please give it a rest already, Flynn? You aren't helping matters at all.”

“I can see two sides, actually,” said Exile, leaning back with hands on the back of her head. “We're in a foreign land and the inhabitants are skeptical. We want to prove our innocence and not giving a chance to do so. Quite frankly, either way, we're not getting back to Eurus anytime soon.”

“For once I agree with Ex',” said Flynn, nonchalant. “I'm already prepared to spend time in their dungeon. I'm used to it, and maybe I'll finally grow nine tails after all.”

Felicity grunted, closing her eyes and folding her arms over her armored chest. “You two can do whatever you want. I am not going to give up hope until I find some.”

Flynn shrugged. “Let me know when you find it. I don't know how you can be so optimistic...or just plain stubborn.”

Exile's ears twitched at the ongoing talks of teleportation and monster sightings, a smirk crept upon her features. As far as the lemur was concerned, unlike her companions, she wouldn't be bored in the slightest.

Cid frowned. He was across from the table and could clearly hear Felicity’s complaints. He had felt he should give them the benefit of the doubt. But since they insisted, he would have to take action.

“Shiroshika" He said.

“Yes my king?”

“If you would, please scan the shield there and tell me what you find.”

“Of course.” Answered the stag as he rose up from his seat and made his way to Felicity’s side. He knelt down and picked up the shield, rather surprised with how heavy it was. The stag held the shield, took a deep breath, and chanted.

“Let all be revealed and all be known. Scan.”

The Sage’s eyes glowed an eerie yellow and his pupils moved around quickly. It was like he wasn’t looking at the shield, but reading something. The effect lasted for only a minute before his eyes returned to normal and he returned the shield where it had rested.

Cid looked at his adviser. “What have you found out?”

Shiroshika looked back to his king, his face a mixture of confusion and contemplation.

“…Nothing my king.”

This caused Cid to sit up. His face mimicked the same confusion Shiroshika’s had.

“Nothing?”

The stag lowered his head. “I suppose that is not quite true. You see sir, I found much, but nothing recognizable. The materials that comprise the shield are nothing I am able to recognize. My scan ability allows me not only to understand what I see, but remember them. Nothing within this shield showed up. It is either something from the unexplored areas of the world or something not of this world.”

Tai’s ears shot up. “So they really are aliens?”

Cid simply nodded. “It would appear so. Then…”

The king rose from his seat and addressed his sage once more.

“Shiroshika. These people have requested a way home. They believe that there may be a way in our library. Do you know of anything that we hold that would allow them to return to their dimension?”

The stag pondered this for a moment, a bit perplexed by the question.

“There...yes! I believe so.” He answered. “The arcanum tempus. The complete collection of the knowledge of the Time Mages.”

Momotaro took a moment to pause from his food when he heard this. “Time Mages? What is that?”

“Time mages studied time magic.” Tai explained. “It was completely separate from black magic and white magic. I heard that time mages were created the demi spells. They were also able to control time and dimensions.”

Shiroshika seated himself and nodded his head. “That is quite correct. It was only when their magic caused disruptions in the natural balance of the world that their magic was sealed and banned. The arcanum tempus is the only copy to remain. If may have a way to allow them to return to their world by bending space. However, it will take some time for me to translate their writing. At the earliest, three months.”

“I see.” Cid leaned back into his seat, thinking about his next step. They protected his citizens and he was in their debt. At the same time, he felt that leaving the red cat to take on this quest alone was foolish. If he failed, whatever force from his vision would be allowed to erase all life on the planet unopposed. With the battle against Cassus, he had no way of sending soldiers with him. Of course, two large a group would attract too much attention. It needed to be small, but skilled and powerful.

The bear’s eyes fell upon Argus. The masked warrior stared back at Cid, his golden eyes shining behind them. He gave a solemn nod, showing his approval.

Cid sighed and looked to the others. He rose from his seat, cleared his voice, and addressed them.

“Everyone, as king of Elysium, I cannot thank you enough for what you have done. You have risked your lives to save people you did not know in a world you do not belong to. This alone has earned my undying gratitude and our assistance. I cannot ask anymore of you. However, I have a request. Our world is at a turning point. Life my either continue or be eradicated. At this time, I cannot support Tai’s quest. We are on the losing side of the war. Therefore, I ask this of you. In the time it takes for the tome to be translated, please give him your strength. Aid him in his quest. With your strength, I would feel far more at ease. I know this is dangerous and I am selfish to present if. If you do not wish to do so, I will bear no ill will against you. The choice is yours.”

The three feline fighters, Nightstar, Crossfire and Snowforest had been quite shocked, their eyes still slightly aimed towards Cid and his companions, having continued to eavesdrop on them while continuing their eating . Was it true, to hear that this book they had, the Arcanum Tempus, would take a total of three months to decipher?

“Three whole freaking months? That long? “Crossfire questioned with a groaning tone in voice, “Oh man, can there even be more worse news? This is not hurrying up anything the slightest. “

“Well, its not as if this mission was going to be ending any time soon, hun. You should have known that. “Nightstar said. “Aside that though, I’m glad our source did guess correctly about the Kingdom’s royal family having a book capable of such power. And hearing what we just heard, its exactly what we need.”

“Except the ‘three months it takes to decipher’ part. That I can do without. We’ve been here for a load of weeks after all. Atleast we do have something now. Its better than nothing at all, I guess. “Crossfire said in return, his voice fully coated with a soft disappointing sound.

“We'll just have to make the best of it, my friend. “Snowforest replied with certainty. “As Nightstar already noted, atleast its confirmed there’s a book capable of doing this powerful function. If we have been able to be in this world for atleast a few weeks, a few more wouldn’t hurt. Its a small price to pay. “

“Wait, the King, he’s about to tell something important. “Nightstar commented, her tone hinting that the topic was to be shifted differently. Turning silent, and turning towards the bear king, the three feline warriors went to listen to Cid’s words.

Not taking much more than a minute of their time, soon the briefing was done and the three cats went back to themselves.

“Did I just hear that right? The King of this kingdom wants us to help Tai on this quest of his? That is quite something. “Crossfire said. “Question is....what for sort of quest does it partake?”

“Don’t know for sure, but I think it has to do something with Tai’s ability to summon powerful creatures. Like that bird-like creature he summoned earlier in Elysium’s ravaged plaza area. “Snowforest answered. “I could be wrong though. “

“When it comes to guessing things, you’re rarely wrong Snowforest. “Nightstar commented with a small giggle. “Aside that, I myself want to know more about these summons. Partaking in this quest will certainly kill some great amounts of time. “

“Yeah, now that you speak of this, I have a better chance to show my stuff. I was afraid that waiting three months here, would involve us staying here in the kingdom for a whole three months. Luckily, that’s not the case. My guns itch for action after all, and I’m not the type to be bored, “ Crossfire said with a smirk. “

Nightstar smirked back, “Just don’t get yourselves into unneeded troubles like last time, like that Malboro gave you. “

“As if. That thing might have caught me once, but I don’t fall for the same trick twice. “Crossfire replied with certainty.

“So, what shall we do? Take up on Cid’s offer? “Snowforest said questioning

“Anything to kill boredom and staying around for three months doing nothing, is okay in my book. “Crossfire said. “I say we do this. “

“Alright then, guess we’ve reached a agreement as this will be helpful in the long term. I will go and announce our help. “Nightstar then rose up, and followed by her two companions , proceeded towards the King and his group.

“Your Majesty, first of all, me and my friends want to thank you for all the hospitality we have been given, for it means a lot to us. Even though our tales are kind of the type that not many would want to believe, we’re still glad that you have given a chance to hear us out and have offered your help.” Nightstar said.

“Through this, its our decision we’ve decided to help out Tai in his quest. Our own King, Lygerion, follows the same code of paying off one’s debts, and not to do so, is only something that would bring shame upon us. By this decree, we shall do everything in our power to make sure Tai will succeed, safe and sound.”

Finishing their words before the King of Elysium, all three gave a bow, showing their respect and the confirmation to help Tai in his quest.

Flynn dropped his fork, clutched his head in his hands, and groaned. “Three months!? That's it...just lock me in the dungeon and throw away the key already!”

A sharp metallic spearhead poked itself against the fox's neck as Exile, now annoyed, held onto the other end with a low growl in her throat. “Want to keep breathing, foxy? Then shut up with the dungeon nonsense!”

The archer raised his hands up defensively. “Alright alright! Jeez, can't blame a guy for being jaded.”

“More like stupid paranoia,” said the she-lemur, pulling her weapon back. “Well, what says you, Felicity? Do we accept or do we reject?

“Trick question,” Felicity rose up from her suit and saluted to the king. “My friends and I humbly accept your request, your Majesty. I thank you for giving us the benefit of the doubt. Whatever the dangers this quest may present, we will aid and protect Tai at any cost. That is what I do in my realm's Epsilon Corps; to protect and serve the people, both of royalty and pheasants, no matter their species.”

Flynn snorted, his elbow on the table and resting his muzzle on his palm. “More like we don't have any other choice...you know, three months and all that.”

Exile merely smirked. “At least this way, we can get to know more of this realm. As long as Lady Luck is on our side, I say bring it on.”

Flynn sighed and thought to himself, This could all end very badly.

Cid smiled warmly at the responses of his guests. It put his mind at ease, knowing that the key to ending this war would be safe among the hands of so many strong individuals. Still, there was more that needed to be said.

“Thank you all.” The bear king said. He lowered his head in a respectful bow before bringing it back up again. “With today’s events, it is clear how crafty our enemies are. It is possible we may have spies leaking information. Furthermore, it is clear how poor our information networks have been. Therefore, I shall also be sending Morgana with you.”

Morgana looked up to the king, rather surprised at what he just said.

“Morgana, I shall honor our agreement.” Said Cid. “However, the information you carry of your people’s forces will be of greater asset to them. Furthermore, I believe this will better allow you to accomplish your goal. Agreed?”

Morgana looked down, not saying a word. Then, her hands reached up to the top of her hood and pulled it down, revealing a young and beautiful snow leopardess. She looked across the table at her now party members, studying each one. Her eyes were a brilliant green and her gaze had the sharpness of a fine blade. It was like she wasn’t looking at people, but tools.

“Very well.” She said. “If this will guarantee our agreement, I shall comply and give them as much information and assistance as is needed.”

Tai and Momotaro smiled warmly. Although they had been adversaries, all ill will had disappeared after they rescued her from the ocean.

Cid nodded once more and addressed the others once again. “Good. I’ll have everything prepared. Be prepared to set out tomorrow. In the mean time, you are all free to spend the night in the castle. Our forge masters will see that your weapons and armor are repaired and in working order. We shall also provide you with supplies and transportation.”

“You two.” Argus said, addressing Snowforest and Felicity. “You seem to be the best with blades, so I’ll be providing you with some monster hunting gear. They’ll be useful should your rations run out.”
With that, Cid rose from his seat. “ With this settled, I must leave. There is much to do. And once again, thank you all.” With that, the bear king left.

~~~ Cassus Empire capitol Atmos: Castle~~~
Barbaros walked the halls of the castle, headed to the lower chambers where the war room was. The castle was silent, except for the sound of his clinking armor. There was to be serious discussion about their recent attack on the Rosemont capital, but his mind was elsewhere. He looked down on the armor covering his chest. Once perfect and whole, it was now scarred with an ugly scratch across the chest. Had he not backed away when he did, the cut might have passed through and harmed him. All of this was done by a single combatant, a lion in a mask.

“Who is he?” The cheetah muttered to himself. “Where did he learn that style?”

It wasn’t long before he reached his destination. Barbaros opened the doors to the war room to find he was not the only one here.

“Oh? Look who finally showed up.” A teasing voice sounded from near one of the support pillars for the room. Leaning up against it was a she wolf. Normally, the knights of Cassus wore strong armor at all times, in case of attack. There was a very strict dress code. This wolf, however, hadn’t gotten the message. While her arms and legs were adorned with armor, her chests and hips were not, making due with only leather covering her ample figure and leaving nothing to the imagination. On her hip rested her weapon, a powerful whip made from the arm of a voracious monster. The she wolf stared at him, her silvery eyes accented by the blistering red hair that fell from her said to her waist.

Barbaros let out a long sigh. “Lillian, you are a knight of the black rose. Could you please dress like it?”

The she wolf laughed. “Oh? And wear stuffy suits like you and tubby? No thanks. This is much easier to move in.”

“Hey, did she just call me handsome?” Sounded a gruff voice from the table at the center of the room. There sat a boar so large that he dwarfed the others even as he sat. While Barbaros’ armor with slim and sleek, the boar’s armor was far thicker and bulkier. Across his back rested a massive great axe, one that could easily chop through the stone pillars around the room. His attention was not on the others, but on the massive amounts of food before him. His hands went from once plate to another, shoving as much food into his mouth as he could before moving onto the next.

“Oh yes, you’re a real hunk Hagith.” Lillian teased. “Nothing like having a hairy blob smother you in bed.”

“Hey! That’s not nice!”

Barbaros sighed. “Where are the others?”

“The prince and the brat are downstairs. They should be up soon.” Lillian reported. “the scientists and his assistant should be here soon.”

(OOC: TK, thanks for the early fix regarding Nightstar, but you wrote the name of my main swordsman wrong LOL: Its Snowforest, not Snowfrost )

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An hour had passed since the welcoming feast Nightstar and her companions had received as a gesture of thanks from King Cid for their efforts given in helping defending Elysium from the monster attack.

Coming to the three, 7’0” ft tall felines themselves, they were at the castle’s spacey main hall, discussing the recent events that had occurred with one another. Right now, the most important one on topic was King Cid’s request to accompany Tai on this quest of his.

Crossfire leaned against the wall, his arms resting over each other. “So, tomorrow‘s the day; we’re leaving to be to a escort party for Tai, along with the group led by that rabbit swordswoman, Felicity. “He smiled a bit. “Must say, things surely turned interesting, and quick, that’s for sure. “

Snowforest nodded, speaking, “Agreed, my gun-wielding comrade. It’s the least we could do in return for their assistance around the Arcanum Tempus of theirs. I myself wish to know more about our potential new comrades we’ll be traveling with. It’s always good to meet new faces.”

“Such as that mysterious snow-leopardess mage, Morgana, you mean?” Nightstar added in with question. “I can’t stop thinking about the way she looked at us all back in the dinning hall...it’s kind of unsettling. “

“Heh, you’ve got a point there. It was kind of creepy how she looked at us. But hey, from what I saw back there, that Tai seems to know her well, so I don’t think it’s something you should be worried about. “

“He’s right you know.” Nightstar turned to the white persian cat-lion hybrid. “I too am aware that we won’t be best friends at day’s end. At best, it will take time. After all, we are from a different world, so it’s to be expected. We just need to put focus on what really matters now. The rest will come with time.”

Nightstar smiled, “Yeah, guess you’re right there. I’m worrying myself over nothing, as usual. Aside that, I’m surprised you didn’t accept any of the hunting gear you were offered a while back. It would have been helpful, and you’re not usually the type to refuse. Why’s that?”

The white lion-like Persian cat smiled. “Its not that the gear isn’t helpful or anything; I’m just not the type for hunting beasts, and Cid’s kingdom has far more need for such gear than I do...just in case of a sudden emergency. “Snowforest’s head turned, giving a glance to his two ice-themed swords lying near him.”Besides, you two know my swords’ temperamental nature. They would be jealous if I started using other weapons than themselves.”

Crossfire chuckled, “Oh yeah. The last thing we don’t want is having a pair of angry, semi-sentient swords having a foul mood during the quest. Especially ones forged from the hardest ice imagined. “

The blue tigress smirked towards her mate. “Speaking of weapons, why didn’t you let those forge masters here take care of your guns?”

Crossfire took out his guns, spinning them around his index fingers. “No offense, but these guns are my girls and you know they never leave my hands. Sure, I appreciated the offer, but they’re not that damaged. And besides, I know, they’re too advanced for the forgers to handle even if I allowed it, since I did build them myself after all. I’m a gunsmith. I’d say...leave the fixing to me.” He gave a wink.

“Leave it to Crossfire, the gun extraordinaire to come with those exact words. “Snowforest said with a chuckle.

“You bet!” The threesome laughed. Just then, Snowforest’s swords started to vibrate a bit.

“What’s up with them? Didn’t like my cool sentence or something?” The orange tiger questioned.

“Not at all, my good friend; they’re sensing company. Familiar company that is. “

The white cat-like lion rose from his place, as he and his two tiger companions turned to face the hallway, seeing Tai and Felicity’s group in the distance.

Sometime after the banquet feast was done and all that was said, Felicity looked over the new hunting gear that was giving to her by Argus that would help on this mission. Though she was proficient enough with her trusty sword and shield, it was always a blessing to have additional equipment on hand should things go awry. Despite being thankful for the gear, however, Felicity told herself she would only use them in case she really needed it as a last resort, preferring her default weaponry.

The she-rabbit glanced at her circular shield with an old fashioned 'E' crystal embedded in the center, looking over the inscription that read: 'Ward of the Dragon's Fang'. This mirrored the inscription that was inscribed on her blade that read: 'Bite of the Dragon's Fang'. As much as she wanted a blacksmith to fine tune her weapons for upcoming battles, her whiskers twitched as she felt nervous about giving her cherished weapons to just anyone. Allowing it to be analyzed to prove her innocence was one thing, but reforging them was something else.

“These blacksmiths here aren't too shabby,” Exile's voice cut off her train of thought as the dragon armored she-lemur walked up to Felicity with her helmet attached to her waist. “I already know my lance will be ready to stab a bloke by morning. How come you didn't want your weapons forged, Felicity?

Felicity closed her eyes. “I don't feel they need to be fixed just yet. I can still fight with them.”

“Uh huh,” Exile put a hand to her hip and smirked. “You always say that whenever we run into blacksmiths. It's not like they'll steal your weapons. Though if that happens...they wouldn't get past the door.”

Felicity reopened her eyes and shook her head. “Theft is not really the problem. It's just...they are a memento from my parents. The shield was once my mother's, and the sword was once my father's. I don't feel comfortable giving them to just anyone to forge. That's all, nothing personal.”

“That's very sentimental of you. That explains why you always sleep with them close by.”

“As well as never dropping my guard even during the night. I always have to be ready to defend myself and others at all hours of the day.”

“Yep. You are, indeed, a soldier.”

Flynn also rejoined them with his tail swishing back and forth. “Looks like I'll be getting a fresh stock of arrows. Gotta be ready to survive all types of craziness tomorrow.”

“Put your stupid paranoia to rest, outfox?” asked Exile.

“What other choice do we have,” sighed the brown fox. “We're gonna be stuck here for three whole months. It's practically a dungeon, and if we ever get back home, I'm throwing Vyne into the nearest river. Plus being around all sorts of strange people is like we have cell mates and on an escort mission.”

“Better than wandering around aimlessly,” said Felicity. “Let's make the best of this and see what awaits us tomorrow. If his Majesty does indeed find a way to return us to our realm, provided we successfully completed our objective, at least we have stories to entertain Dale and Erica with.”

“Sounds fun,” said Exile. “One more thing, you two. When we set out tomorrow and I put my helmet back on, do not even once look, think, or address me as a female. Just call me Exile as always and we won't have an issue, deal?”

Felicity nodded in agreement.

Flynn just sighed once more. “This is what we call an 'identity crisis'. But whatever you say, Ex.”

Exile chuckled. “Like I told long ears, gender is meaningless to me on the battlefield. I should remind our other traveling partners about me, but I get the feeling some won't heed my advice.”

“Exile,” said Felicity, frowning. “Didn't I tell you not to call me that?”

“Force of habit,” smirked the she-lemur.

Flynn just groaned. “I should have had another goblet...just to get myself drunk.”

Tai and Momotaro had taken the time to get situated in their rooms. After a quick nap, they were already out in the halls of the castle. Tai pointed out different paintings, sculptures, artifacts, and features of the castle to the monk, who took in everything with a joyful zeal. When asked, Tai shared his history with the palace, having been selected by Shiroshika himself to train for the white mage corps since an early age.

"It sounds like Shiroshika is an important person in your life." Momotaro said with a smile.

"He is." The young white mage answered. "If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here now. Off on an adventure with people from other planets. Though, I had hoped for Lisa and Argus to be able to join us."

"Argus said they were busy coordinating with the resistance. At least we may be able to find some aid on our travels." Momotaro commented. "We'll also have Morgana with us. It might be a nice change of pace, instead of her chasing us every where."

At the mention of her name, Tai's ears went down.

"Yeah."

The monk caught his tone immediately. "What's wrong? You were concerned for her before. Has that changed?"

The feline looked up to the panda. "No. I mean I think it's great she's fine, not locked in the dungeon and will be coming with us. But.. the way she looked at the meeting. I'm not too sure she feels the same way."

"Oh? How so?'

Tai took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts. "Kind Cid talked about her goal and the way she looked at everyone, it gave me the impression that she thinks of us as only a means to an end. I mean, if you or any of these guys were in trouble, I'd do my best to help. Whose to say Morgana will do the same? If we're a means to an end, maybe in that kind of scenario she'd leave."

Momotaro stayed silent after that, but never looked away from the feline. It gave Tai a bit of concern.

"It's bad for me to think that way, isn't it?"

The massive red panda shrugged. "No. But I don't think there is a way to know until it happens. To think that way of someone, it will affect how you act towards her. Maybe not in a clear way, but she will pick up on it. I think you should give her the benefit of the doubt."

"Are you sure?"

Momotaro simply nodded. "Yes."

As they rounded the hall, the other members of their party appeared, each seemingly conversing among their own groups.

"Should we say hi?" Momotaro asked. "It might be a good idea to get to know each other more before we venture onward."

"Yeah. Sounds good."

~~~

Morgana's eyes were locked on her work as the needle passed through cloth. She gently stitched and knotted, trying to get the repairs done as quickly as possible without reducing quality. Stitch by stitch, the arm of the doll was slowly becoming reattached to the body. It had lost some of its stuffing, but she got some materials to replace it. Frankly, the leopardess was happy to have held onto the doll as tightly as she did when she was in the ocean. Had he lost his arm, she would never have forgiven herself.

"Done." She said with a sigh of relief. Morgana held up the doll. It was a small moogle doll, one you could find in about any toy store. Some time ago, Moogles were extremely popular among the children. There were moogle toys, moogle hats, moogle pom pom cakes, even story books. Lately, it seemed as if chocobo were now the "in" thing. It didn't matter to her. She had given up such trivial stuff long ago. The only thing she held onto was this doll, given to her long ago. Morgana leaned back into her seat, recalling the memory.

"Sis, I know you never got a present before. I worked really really hard and got you this. Happy birthday! Do you like it?

A small tear welled up in the corner of her eyes, but she held them back. Normally, she could push aside her feelings and do that needed to be done. But this little doll always brought back memories of a simpler time. Of a warmth and love that she shared with her sister. A warmth and love that now seemed lost.

"Cass..."

~Atmos: Castle~

The doors of the meeting room opened as three more figures entered the room.

One was a young lion, appearing to be in his early teens. Her wore a red tunic woven with gold and decorated in jewels and chains of gold. He carried himself strong and proud, almost making himself out of be more than he really was. In his presence, Barbaros, Lillian, and Hagith made a low bow in reverence.

"Welcome, Prince Wedge." Barbaros greeted. "We are glad to see you join us."

The young prince waved him off and gave them permission to stand. "Let's just get this over with. Where is father?"

"He is not yet her my lord."

"He is coming." A high pitched voice said in a sing song matter. Behind the lion stood a snow leopardess, dressed in white lace dress with bright red on the chest. "He is a floor above us. "

"Ah. I forgot you could read people in proximity Cassandra." The young prince said with a smile. "Thank you."

He then turned his head to Barbaros. "As for you, perhaps you forgot that you must know where father is at all times! This is a war! Whose to say an assassin couldn't have made it into the castle and be done with him? You waste of space!"

Barbaros bit his lip. As much as he wanted to retaliate, Wedge was right. Lately he had been preoccupied with his own thoughts and slacking in his work. That's when a bone chilling chuckle sounded through the chamber.

"Fufufu. Only a fool would attempt to harm our king. It would take far more than assassin to do him in."

The last to enter the room was the head scientist, Cocaidus. There was not much to his presence. He always wore a thick robe around his body, hiding him under its pitch black folds. His hands were always completely bound in white bandage. In the cowl of his cloak, the shadows obscured his face, leaving only his milky green eyes and a monocle to be observed.

"Ah, Cocaidus." The cheetah greeted. "good to see you out of the lab. How did the operation go?"

Cocaidus chuckled. "All in good time my friend. All in good time. My assistant should be here soon. All we need to wait for it the king and we can start."

(OOC: the actual travel part isn't actually happening now, as this takes place just after the lunch. This is just my starting attempt to strike a friendly conversation with one another and get things slowly rolling. As this is my first attempt on starting a conversation, if I do anything wrong, tell and I will try and change my reply.)
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~At Elysium Castle...~

In the castle's main hall, in which the three felines had been talking for a while, now had their heads turned to see their other, soon-to-be companions. Soon all of them, were now in the same spacey halls.

Nightstar was about to speak and address them , but before she or any of her other two feline comrades could utter a word, Snowforest's two swords floated up in front of the three felines in defense, giving off a protective aura in reaction to the presence of their new companions.

Snowforest's fatherly tone spoke up at that instant, "Hey you two, that's enough. They're not enemies, but friends. No need to cause a ruckus now. So ease up and return to your sheathes. Come on."

The protective white aura around the two ice-forged, semi-sentient swords ceased and on command, both returned and resheathed themselves back into their scabbards resting at the white lion-like cat's waist sides.

"Forgive my swords, my new friends. They have a natural response of being protective when it comes to meeting new people. They still need some time to get used to your company from so close. I hope no bad impressions were given, for that wasn’t their intent, but if so, then my apologies. Its just how they're like the first time around. "Snowforest said calmly in a friendly tone, ending with a grandfatherly smile.

Ther e was some ankward silence for a while. Finally, Crossfire acted, taking out his guns and spinning them around his fingers expertly. He voiced himself, breaking said silence in the spacey halls.

“Sooooo...tomorrow’s going to be the big day. All of us going on a quest to escort Tai. Should be something great to boot, no? “Crossfire dropped his guns into his holsters, smiling to Tai and others. He turned to his other two companions.

“Am I right, or am I right?”

“Yeah, you are, my friend. You are.”Snowforest replied calmly. Nightstar just nodded and turned to the rest of Tai and Felicity’s group.

“Sorry everyone, especially to you Tai. The way we all met together was so sudden and unexpected after all, I won’t take it personally if there’s still some distrust around us. Especially with most of us being from other worlds and all. “

Being polite as she was, the blue tigress gave a warm smile.

“I hope we can go along with one another as we do this quest together. What you do all say?”

Flynn took a few steps back and held his hands up. “I'm just going to stand over here and wish I was really drunk right now.”

“That's outfox way of saying 'hello',” said Exile, seemingly unfazed by her new traveling partners. She then held her dragon-shaped helmet up that was hanging from her waist. “Before we all set out, I just want to put this out here for everyone to know. I don't want of you to refer or address me as a female for when I have this here helmet on during battle. Just call me Exile, keep it professional, and we won't have an issue, deal?”

Felicity simply nodded. “Even though all of us are strangers to one another, let's build mutual trust with one another and have a safe, successful journey in honor of his Majesty. My only concern is that I'm hoping to count on everyone to watch each others back during battle and we all keep Tai protected. Other than that, I'm looking forward to the coming journey in this new land.”

Tai was certainly taken aback by the floating swords, but calmed down when they returned to Snowforest's side "That.. was interesting. I don't believe I've seen swords act like that before. I can see why leaving them to the blacksmiths might be a problem."

Their attention was then turned over to Exile and Felicity, who then began to speak. When Exile asked to not be referred to or addressed as a female, the red feline found it to be a rather odd request but said nothing. Momotaro, however, gave a nod in agreement.

"While I do not understand the reason" He said. "Tai and I will do as you ask, Exile."

"Yeah." Tai added in before looking to Felicity. "And don't you worry about that. Momotaro is a really strong fighter and always protects others. As for me, I trained in the White Mage Corps. My job is to watch and tend to everyone's injuries."

The red feline smiled warmly to the others.

"I suppose we should get to know each other, right?" He asked. "As you already know, my name is Tai. I'm a trained white mage, which means I'm a healer and can handle anything from a small cut to intoxicating effects like the Malboro's breath. I'm also... well... a summoner. "

Momotaro gave the group a respectful bow before rising and speaking. "I am Momotaro. I am a monk of the Skyreach Order. I met Tai when he and his companions, Argus and Lisa, came to our sanctuary. I'm traveling with his as apart of a pilgrimage given to me by head of our order, Master Chu."

Tai then looked to the others. "What about you guys? I know you come from different worlds. What are they like?"

Like Tai and Momotaro, the three felines themselves, too, heard about Exile's request. Just like Tai, they too were confused for the request, finding it weird, especially Crossfire. In fact, he wanted to ask why, but Nightstar refrained him from doing so, in which Crossfire turned silent as result.

Then, hearing Tai’s question,  Nightstar smiled and spoke. “Well, us three come from Planet Panthera. Its a tropical planet with landmasses separated and dominated by vast oceans, with its largest continent being Baihu Island on which Panthera’s capital rests. Panthera is one of the known planets located in the Feralyon System,  and is the largest of the planets found there. “

“However...”Snowforest began, “to whatever you may believe...we didn’t come straight from Panthera to this world. Rather, we’re currently explorers, part of a expansive crew that were forced away from our home planet by certain events. You see,  us and our crew, in reality, are trapped  and lost in a mystical space known as the Aethereal Sphere;  a infinitely sized, cosmic nexus that houses and connects to a endless number of worlds, which otherwise is commonly referred as ‘dimensions’. This world, in return, is just one of those many worlds."

There was silence for a moment.

“Yeah,  what he just said. “Crossfire said, breaking the silence. “Anyways, when it comes to us, we and our crew, lost in this ‘nexus’,  are currently waging a war across these numerous worlds with our enemies known as the HELLCAT. At the same time, we’ve been trying to get back to our home planetary system of Feralyon. So far, we had no results. In other words...you could say  that me and my friends here are kind of ‘double lost’. “

Nightstar resumed, “In a long story made short explaining our presence here... there was this space-time rip in the Sphere that brought us here in the first place by accident. We practically know, that even with your help, we won’t be able to head back straight to our planet, so we’re just hoping, with your help, we can either be reunited with our friends and crew, or if our hopeful methods should fail here, that they’ll eventually find this place and pick us up, so we can resume our original objective once more. “

The dark blue tigress walked to a window, her blue eyes looking up to the azure sky above. “Even now, without a doubt, I know they’re looking for us. “ She smiled and turned back to everyone. “But there’s no sense in us just waiting and doing nothing until that time comes. When it comes, it comes, and until then, me and my friends will be happy to escort you on your quest, Tai.”

“If we sounded a bit too...complex or scary, please, forgive us. It was the best way we could explain our story and reasons for why we were brought here in the first place. “Snowforest said calmly with a grandfatherly tone. “If you have any questions regarding our story, please, feel free to ask. Me and my comrades will be happy to give the best of answers. There’s a lot more to tell, but we don’t want to overwhelm you with too much information. “

Crossfire had his arms resting behind his head. “I so just don’t hope those HELLCAT bozos find this world first before our crew does, or before the translation of that mystical book is done. From what we have heard from Morgana regarding Cassus, its downright a rampage if that kingdom allied with the HELLCAT organization. “

“Crossfire!” Nightstar addressed slight harsh, “Its already bad enough we are in this position. We don’t need to think about something like the HELLCAT joining up with this world’s opposing kingdom, alright?”

“Okay, okay...its just something that crept up the back of my mind. Sorry. “Crossfire answered with a sheepish smile plastered on his face.

Nightstar turned to Tai. “Speaking of Morgana...where’s she? Wasn’t she to come with you?”

Flynn stood quiet for moment then bowed his head with a groan. “It's official. This is going to be the worst three months of my life. Maybe I'll finally grow nine tails by the end of this with or without my sanity!”

“That's outfox way of saying 'I'm just a drunk archer named Flynn',” said Exile with a shrug. “All that stuff just flew over my head, but I digress. Anyway, name's Exile, and in the realm us three is from, I'm just a lancer, or Dragoon as this world calls it, gender is completely meaningless to me on the battlefield. That's mostly why I prefer it if you don't think of me as a female during battle and address me by my name alone. That's all there is to it.”

Felicity observed her would be travelers carefully and nodded. “My name is Felicity, and in the realm of Eurus my friends and I hail from, I am known as a Valkyrie, the female equivalent of a standard Knight. My duty as part of the Epsilon Corps is to protect the innocent whether they are of royalty or a pheasant. As long as I have my sword and shield, and by the Dragon's Fang, I'll turn no blind eye on those who are in need of protection. As for our realm of Eurus, it is very similar to this one, only not as technologically advanced. Our Wizard companion, Vyne, lost control of his Rune magic in an experiment gone wrong and warped us here by accident. We have two other companions, a Guardsman named Dale and a Cleric named Erica, who are back home with Vyne. As long as us three are here, we will gladly lend you our expertise in combat. Exile and I will help with the front lines and Flynn will use his skills with a bow for long range support.”

Momotaro moved over to Flynn and placed a large hand on the fox's shoulder. "Worry not my friend. As the proverb goes, Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present. You might find something if to enjoy here if you simply look."

Tai let out a little chuckle. Momotaro sometimes would stick his nose in other's buisness and try to solve their problems, often with a proverb.

"I gotta say, your worlds sound amazing." He said. "I do find it strange though. Our scriptures never mentioned that the gods Cosmos and Chaos created any other worlds."

Tai then turned his attention to Nightstar. "Honestly, I don't know. She didn't come with us when we left. I believe they gave her a guarded room here. I'd bet that's where she is."

~~~Atmos: Castle~~~

Heavy footfalls sounded from outside the meeting room. As soon as the sounds echoed in the chamber, those who had gathered immediately rose from their seats in anticipation.

The doors of the meeting room opened to reveal a tall, regal lion. His body was covered with a silver armor with various crystals embedded in it, each one humming with power. A dark blue cape hung down from his shoulders and swept the ground behind him. His hands and feet were protected with armored gloves and boots respectively. However, he wore no helmet. The lion was old, but had a visage of strength and regality. His once golden mane was dulled and streaked with gray. His eyes, while dull in color, seemed to see right into the soul of those he looked towards. And why not? He was the strongest warrior Cassus has ever produced and its greatest ruler, King Garland of Cassus.

All those in the chamber bowed before the presence of the king, even his son Wedge. With a simple wave of his hand, they rose. The kind made his way to his seat without a word and once he sat, so did the others.

Hmm Thought Barbaros as he looked onto the king. Beside Garland, at his right sat his son as always. But at his left sat Cassandra.The young leopardess looked rather happy, almost beaming. Has his majesty's habit come about again?

Garland let out a soft sigh before he spoke. "Report."

"My lord" Barbaros spoke. "Our spies have confirmed the damage done directly upon the capital of Elysium to be extensive. Many of their home forces have been harmed and their populace is afraid. Moral is short."

Garland brought hands together and pondered. "I see. And how did the trasportation system work."

Cocaidus spoke next. "Not as well as we had hoped fufufu. We had transported quite a large number of beats. However, only ten percent were actually able to materialize in the capitol. I can only assume the others are lost or dead fufufu."

what an annoying laugh though Wedge with a cringe.

Garland did not seem all that affected by the news. "I see. And how soon may we proceed with another attack?"

"I'm afraid that is not possible now." Cocaidus answered. "The barrier system protecting the town is different. We will not be able to send creatures or soldiers directly inside."

"And how is this possible?"

"My sister told." Cassandra said in a sing song way. "I'm sure she did. Mean old Morgy. She spilled the beans."

A small smirk appeared on a corner of the noble lion's mouth before it returned to normal.

"It can't be helped. We did manage some harm. We will go on with the current plan." Garland continued. "Now Lillian, what of the ground troops?"

The she-wolf smiled. "I'm happy to say that even with the factory destroyed, we still managed to create more than the projected number of monsters. Those chirping, ugly little things finally became cute, useful mutations."

"Ha!" Hagith laughed. "Big talk for someone who let the summoner go."

Lillian stared daggers at the boar, immediately silencing him.

"I'll take care of him next time." The she-wolf finished.

"He is but a footnote." The king stated. "We have more pressing matters. Hagith, how fairs the navy?"

The boar smiled. "We are producing more and more every day. Thanks to that "snake",  we've been able to capture a large number of subjects. Many of them have started to hide now."

"Fufufu that shouldn't be an issue." Cocaidus said. "It has been there longer than anything. I'm sure it'll find all their hidey holes."

The kind then turned his attention back to Barbaros. "And the special troops."

The cheetah swallowed hard. He wasn't thilled to deliver such news.

"There have been... complications."

Garland moved his hands down. His eyes were locked with the Duke's.

"Complications? Explain."

It took everything Barbaros had not to shake in fear under the enormous pressure. "The creatures are... strange. They act in ways we cannot predict or prepare for. We have captured a few, but at the loss of many men. We shall continue to round them up, but it may take more time."

There was a dead silence for a minute while Garland assessed Barbaros' statement. For the warrior, it seemed like an eternity. This could go many ways, one of them involved his head rolling on the ground.

"I see." Garland finally spoke. "Very well. Continue your work. I expect results from you Barbaros."

Barbaros let out a mental sigh of relief. "yes sir."

The king finally looked to Cocaidus.

"And how are things progressing in the science divison?"

"Very well, fufufu" the cloaked scientist answered. "We have made many strides due to my new assistant. In fact, he should be joining us soon."

"What? He's late?" Wedge hissed. "How insolent!"

(OOC: Sorry if it took somewhat longer than usual. I'm much faster than this normally. I just had some troubles with this one, and I was occupied with my own RP. I think this is a pretty good reply. If I need to change anything, say so and I will do so.)

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~~~Atmos Castle: ~~~`

At that moment, an icy chill filled the war room as a fierce, but calm voice followed afterwards out nowhere.

“You’ve got a pretty big mouth for calling me insolent, lion cub, don’t you? Without me, this kingdom wouldn’t have gained such advances in technology and magic enough to stage that monster attack on Elysium. Something you haven’t even done. So, in respect to your lineage and my good mood, let’s keep it at that, okay?”  

Icy winds then swirled and condensed into a tall wolf-shaped icy sculpture in the war room’s center, which upon shattering, revealed a 7’3” foot tall, grayish-blue, saber-toothed wolf demon, his icy-blue slited eyes flaring with silent intimidation. His appearance was truly demonic  due to his sharp, pointy icicle-made wolf ears, his raven wings  and his swishing demon’s tail. As for clothing terms, he wore a midnight blue bodysuit covered in demonic dark blue/icy blue armor sporting a demonic facial fanged design in the front. The enity looked upon his company with a grin.

“Well, hi there all. Hope I didn’t put you off guard with my sudden appearance. Name’s Arcticerex, the Archdemon of Violence. Nice to meet ya. Your king and head-scientist already know me, so my sudden appearance isn’t a surprise to them. Must say, hearing so much about these famous warriors of Cassus...I expected something more spicier. Like that gorgeous she-wolf there. Hehehehehe. Oh well. “

Creating a ice chair, the wolf demon sat and smirked. “Now that we’re all here, lets get this boring meeting underway, shall we? As your head-scientist Codaidus mentioned; Elysium has now adapted to the monster invasion method, so a second attempt won’t work, much to my annoying dismay. In other words, things are going to be tricky. A pity to be sure as I really liked what I saw, having been there myself. If I had joined physically, things would have been much more, say,  interesting for my gain.“

Arcticerex then grinned,  “But no worries...for while hiding in their shadows observing their aftermath...I picked up some interesting information I’d think you’ll like hearing.  It covers about who were responsible in negating your first attack, what their current plans are, and tells of a possible better method for your kingdom to conquer or destroy Elysium. Interested perhaps? I know I am. ”

~~~Elysium Castle – Main Hall: ~~~

Nightstar smiled towards Tai, “It’s fine Tai. I was just curious. Guess she’s not a people person. I dealt with types such as her before. Its no biggie.“ She turned slightly towards Momotaro’s attempt to interact Flynn. She had to chuckle a bit.

“Hmm, that’s interesting Tai. “Snowforest said, hearing Tai’s statement about their scriptures involving this world’s creation myths. “Yet, its not something I’m really surprised to hear, for when it comes to mortals, the Sphere’s very existence has always pretty much stayed invisible, except for us three and the rest of our crew. That and the beings you speak of, surely only created this world, as everything outside this dimension’s borders isn’t theirs, so your scriptures would be kind of accurate in their truth telling. “

Snowforest chuckled. “In fact, its likely that the Sphere itself might have created these two deities you mentioned as the former is a living invisible presence, but this has never been covered in your world’s legends, giving more truth to your scriptures. “

“The Sphere, even while your world has no real knowledge of it, its a amazing place, a living phenomena on its own. We can stand talking about everything related to it, but by the time we’re finished, several days will have passed by. “Crossfire said jokingly.

The gunslinging tiger faced everyone present within the hall, “However, just telling about it doesn’t do our story any justice. Rather, instead of us telling stuff about it, you Tai, Momotaro, Felicity, Exile, and even Flynn, all of you should actually see it first hand and experience what we experienced. Trust me on that, once that happens, I’m sure even Flynn and Exile would be visually impressed and awe struck. Its literally something beyond anyone’s imaginations. Many of our crew, prior to our big exploration, were the same unbelievers, but eversince we entered that mystical realm...it changed our lives for both better and worse. “

Nightstar smiled, “Indeed. In fact, if we never entered the Sphere itself, we likely wouldn’t have been here in the first place. That I can be sure of. “She turned to Felicity. “Although I don’t know much about how magic works in your world, Felicity, its very possible that your friend’s Rune Magic may have been used at the same time the Sphere was having one of its “moods” . Its a term we gave to describe the Sphere’s tendency to be unstable at times, causing random dimensional rips in space-time. We’ve experienced them several times already. Your friend’s magic, may have accidentally tapped into the Sphere’s essence, thereby empowering that teleportation spell of his, warping you and your two friends here at random. “

“I have no doubt there. Its most likely the exact same occurrence that happened with us. Who knows that the Sphere will have another of its moods take place here somewhere? “Snowforest added in. He then stood up, stretching himself out. “Anyways, perhaps its best we end our tale here, and head outside to see if we can do something help out some of the townspeople outside. Perhaps put down some investigations of our own. We still have a whole day ahead of us. What do you all say?”

“I don’t mind killing some time. Sitting here and doing nothing but waiting for tomorrow’s departure is too boring and yawn inducing. “Crossfire said, having his arms over each other.  “What about you, hun?”

“You don’t need to ask me. I’m fine with it. Its like Snowforest said. We still have a entire day’s worth before leaving tomorrow. “She faced Tai and the other four companions.

“What do you all say?“