Colin's posts

"..." Adym was silent, horrified to hear this, and Azazel just shrugged.

"Makes sense." he said.

"Will YOU be all right?" Adym asked him.

"Oh, yeah." Azazel replied.

"I'm a demon. This kind of thing really doesn't work on the... uh... reasonable facsimile of an internal system that I have." he explained.

"In short, I can wander through this no problem." he concluded, before looking at Vanessa again.

"Still... impressive." he told her, in a rare compliment that showed he was still a demon, conscience or not.

Adym fell to his knees from what happened, as Azazel created a circle of demonic mana around them.

"This smoke is deadly." he said.

"I can feel it." he growled.

"You." he then said to Lyrei. "You control runes, yes?" he asked.

"Can you put up some on yourselves to act as a filter of sorts?" he asked her further.

"Because I have a feeling you'll need it. Or at least, THOSE two will." he went on, looking at Callie and Adym.

"I can't keep this circle up while we're moving." he then added.

"...good luck." Hal responded.

Azazel just looked at the trio.

"Brace yourselves..." he said ominously.

"Wha...?" Adym mumbled confusedly.

"Just trust me." Azazel told him.

"This will not be pleasant." he warned, before looking at Vanessa.

"Do it." he said.

"You're selling past the close." Hal told her.

"I figured that was the reasoning." he said further.

"Regardless, you 5 will be the team." he then told the group.

"Now get out there, stop Vyran, and save this world from destruction!" he ordered.

"Yes, sir!" Azazel responded with a stiff stance and a small salute. It might have been corny, but he was a demon. And in the presence of strong leadership that they respected, they would become, essentially, an army.

Hal was silent for a moment, before hanging his head slightly.

"Very well." he said.

"What!?" Azazel exclaimed.

"I don't like it, but she DOES know the ins and outs of that complex." Hal responded. "And we're still under truce, so we have no reason to not trust her right now." he added.

"..." Azazel was silent for another moment, before growling lowly.

"I can't argue that." he admitted.

Hal nodded in confirmation, before looking at Azazel.

"You are my nomination." he said.

"Me?" Azazel asked.

"As a demon, you are nigh-indestructible to anything this realm has to offer, and you resist most mana." Hal responded. "You are the perfect middle ground between Agent King and Agent LeBlanc." he reasoned.

"...well, can't fault THAT." Azazel admitted.

"All right, then I will accompany them."

Lyrei's answer probably had Callie's mind racing with even MORE questions, but before she could ask any of them, Adym knocked on the door and returned.

"You get those affairs in order?" Hal asked.

"Yes." Adym responded.

"And I am filled with more determination than ever before to get this done." he said.

Hal just smirked when he heard that.

"Excellent." he replied.

"The best way to fight a crux is with other cruxes." Hal responded. "So it would only make sense that the three of you go." he reasoned.

"That being said, it seems like three might be a little small of a group." he then said. "Or that perhaps you should take someone from our world, just in case you encounter something you don't know how to deal with." he reasoned.

"After all, while this world may be similar to the other one YOU know..." he went on, looking at Callie. "It's not exact." he said.

"And the devil's in the details, they say."

"Well... kind of?" Adym responded.

"It's... uh... well, think of it as some kind of weird conversion from Mana to Magic to Mana again." he said. "They're... the same, effectively, but..." he went on, before pausing again and placing a hand to his head.

"...but it gives me a headache to try and put it in words." he mumbled.

"Anyway, the best thing I can do is help everyone force Vyran to release the nexus energy he absorbed." he told her.

"So I'm going to go back to the planning room." he said.

"...it was very lovely to meet you, though." he added with a respectful bow.

Adym just shook his head.

"What I do, I do out of reverence to the planet. To you." he told her.

"I may not be from here. Our connection may not be a deep or complex one. But I am a wood elf. And I am the crux of nature. I do what I can for nature, no matter WHERE I am." he said with a smile.

Then, without saying another word, he stepped closer to her... and wrapped his arms around her in a hug.

As he embraced her, she could feel an invigorating surge through her. Her wilted blooms and vines returned to health, but she could feel it was temporary.

"This is until we free that nexus from Vyran." Adym told her, still holding on for a moment more.

The sensation was... amazing, if he were to try and put it into words. He felt invigorated. He felt refreshed. He felt like new life was being breathed into him. And she could see the colour in his eyes reflecting that, as it was suddenly more vibrant.

"...oh... oh, my..." he then said, once she let go of his hands.

"Thank you..." he told her.

"Now... you helped me. Let ME try and help YOU." he said further.

"I was told that Vyran has absorbed a nexus, which... to my limited knowledge, is like a beneficial schism. In this realm, anyway." he continued. "If we defeat him, and he releases that power, it SHOULD find itself being reabsorbed by you. This planet." he reasoned.

"However, for right now, I think I might be able to make you feel a little better. I can see the wilting he's already caused you. I think I can help with that." he told her kindly.

Savra looked confused and angry at the 'undead' mention of Eke's father, but it was only because he couldn't believe that someone like him would be brought back as an undead.

It was an insult.

But they shook it off for now and followed Eke to the counter, looking around as they did so.

Meanwhile, the one behind the counter smiled at them.

"Is this everything?" the woman asked.

Adym was silent again for a moment, and then nodded.

"This... is true." he said.

"Ever since I arrived here, I've felt my magic being sapped by this world." he told her. "I suspect that is just how your world reacts to ones such as myself, Callie, Lyrei, Vyran, and Sir Icesska." he mused.

He then paused slightly as she told him to give her his hands, before getting a little closer.

"...all right..." he said quietly.

He then extended his hands towards her, wondering what she intended to do.

"I... I bet not." Adym responded, finally finding his voice.

"Hello, there." he then greeted her.

"I am Adymir Farwyn." he introduced himself. "But most just call me 'Adym'." he said further.

"I can sense your immense power." he then told her. "...and I can see you've been hurt recently." he went on.

"I think I may be able to help, even if temporarily." he offered, getting closer towards her, and looking at the flora she was tending to.