Colin's posts

Azari only thought for but a second, before rushing towards her.

He did what he could, and she was freed within a matter of a few seconds.

"Yes, of course." he said as he did so.

He then looked towards the downed man, before looking back at her.

"...do I even want to know?" he asked her.

"Actually, never mind. I don't think we have the time." he reasoned.

"Let's get out of here."

"Never." he growled.

"You elves are all the same." he said. "And you dark elves are the worst." he spat. "You think you're so high and mighty, when you're the filthiest among the filth!" he spat at her.

"YOU!" he then commanded Azari. "Whatever's happening, stop this!" he ordered.

"..." Azari was silent for a moment, before he shook his head slightly.

"Ngh... huh?" he mumbled.

"Wait, what the hell!?" he then exclaimed, as his mind became clearer once more.

"WHAT!?" the man exclaimed, as the 'smoke' started to fill the complex, and the room as well.

"Damn it!" he cursed, as he brought a hand up to his mouth and nose, and started to cough violently. The smoke was rising a little, so he fell to his front onto the floor, but that didn't save him.

He continued to cough and gag, getting worse by the second.

She knew what she was doing was working.

"You... accursed... dark elf..." the man growled.

"I underestimated you..."

As soon as she smirked and had that thought, the man grabbed her by her throat, and she could feel her mana being painfully drained from her body. Her very life force leaving her.

However, he'd only been doing so for about 3 seconds, before Azari stepped in, his expression blank and lifeless.

"...what do you want." the man said in a pointed tone, releasing his hold on the dark elf.

"My liege." Azari responded in a monotone voice. "The spies have told me that a man matching Icesska's description has been staying in San Diego in their branch of The Unit." he reported.

"....excellent." the man said, his face turning into an unnerving grin.

"Things are starting to look up." he said further.

"All in good time." he responded.

"I may be on a timer, but it's far from strict." he said. "Thanks to YOU, anyway..." he smirked.

"And even when you run out, I've discovered that you have a bloodline." he then said. "I'll find THEM and drain them as well." he reasoned.

"And from what I've seen, they're not as competent and strong as far as the magic of your race is concerned, so it will be mere child's play to get them under MY control." he then reasoned.

"But as far as getting a nexus to be compatible with me... I'll find a way. I always have." he then said casually.

"And even if it takes pooling together all the magic this world has to offer, I WILL reach home again." he added confidently. "My new network of connections and technology should make it a little easier." he went on, smirking at her again.

"Thank you for preparing it all." he thanked her mockingly.

"Hmph." was the response he gave to her.

"I DO realise that this world is sapping me of my essence. My magic." he said. "Or, rather, it is not made to allow an even flow of in and out." he then clarified. "I do realise I am dying. As is Icesska, most likely." he went on.

"And he's probably realised it by now." he continued.

"However... after doing some research on this world... I find your version of a schism... or a nexus as you call it... to be quite fascinating." he admitted, getting closer to her as he spoke.

"I think I may be able to tap into their power and take it in for myself." he continued.

"If I can find a way to use these nexuses, then I will grow stronger than ever before... and return home where I can use my newfound strength to fulfill my goal." he explained.

"...and leave this realm to wither and rot."

He walked down the well-lit corridor of the complex that he had found himself in. He looked around, peering through several doors along the way, seeing people working on various different things. Some were mixing chemicals, others were stacking various boxes, others were monitoring panels and screens... and none of them seemed to care that he didn't belong there.

Which was unsurprising to him.

"Hmmm." he mumbled. "So THIS is the world you escaped to..." he said further, seemingly talking to someone else, but there was nobody there. "A fine choice." he said with a dark chuckle.

"This world feels like a paradise." he said further. "I can feel the saturation of magic within this realm... flowing so much more freely than home. So few restrictions on it." he continued, before his small smile faded, and his looked at his hands.

"...though the price I am paying for it is steep, indeed." he growled, balling his hands into fists and clenching them tightly for a moment... before loosening them up, letting his arms fall to his sides, and sighing heavily.

"Thankfully I landed in a place that is... quite conducive to myself... complete with my own private magic flask." he added, laughing again, this time more loudly, but then quickly pausing.

"...and on that note..." he then said further, trailing off a little, and walking in a specific direction with purpose. He made his way to one of the doors that led to a dungeon-like room in the complex and opened it.

His lavender eyes gazed upon the restrained female contained within, and a cruel smirk played out across his face.

"I had expected a slightly better game of cat-and-mouse from a dark elf." he told her. "But you were caught pathetically easily."

Ryker looked at Eke in his worry, and just shook his head.

"I'll be fine, Eke. I promise." he said, waving his hand in a bit of a dismissive manner, before yawning slightly again, and then taking a large gulp of the soda he'd gotten.

"Now let's go get some clothes for Savra, yes." he agreed, standing up.

"All right." Savra agreed.

"Thank you." he said to the both of them.

Hal then rose to his feet.

"Come on then." he told them, as he grabbed the phone on his desk, dialing the R&D department. Specifically, Kiah's phone.

"I'm making my way down with Ciroc and a friend of his." he told her.

"Long story short, things became a lot more serious, and we'll explain when we get there." he finished.

Once Kiah confirmed she understood, the three of them left the office, making their way down to the R&D department, through the corridors, down the various stairs, until they reached the entrance to the department, which Hal let them all in with his card.

"If there's a way to find this Vyran, we'll do it." he told them, making not to let Hollie know of all this, ASAP.

"Let's go to our R&D department." Hal said.

"See if we can't find a way to do." he told them, while pondering something.

He wondered if there was a way that they could do it... if his own mana could hone in on the man.

"Very well." Ciroc said.

"Lyrei, we have nothing to lose by letting them help us." he then told the woman.

"Come on, the sooner we set this into motion, the better."

"...." Ciroc paused for a moment, before pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Damn it all..." he muttered.

"I shouldn't have lingered in that village. I should have left as soon as my business was done there." he grumbled.

"Well, seeing as the strategy of 'hide from my daughter while pretending to be dead so she doesn't try and seek me out and lead Vyran to me' has failed, clearly, I have no choice but to show her I'm alive." he reasoned.

"...assuming I get the chance..." he then added quietly.

"You will." Hal interjected.

"We'll make SURE of it."

"Confirmation?" Ciroc asked.

"Back to the others, huh?" he asked further.

"Yes. Yes, that is the intention for now." he told her.

"Trust me, I want him out of our world as much as you want him back there so you can be rid of him." Hal told her.

"We'll do everything in our power to make sure of it." he vowed.

"..." Ciroc was then silent, before sighing quietly.

"Does she still think me dead?" he asked Lyrei.

Hal's eyes widened a little when he felt the temporary effect of the runes.

"...wow." he said.

"That is... amazing." he told her.

"And it seems extremely handy." he said further.

"Right." Ciroc said.

"We are going to find Vyran and drag him back to Adaminia." he commented. "And we will end his desires the very instant we take him back."

Ciroc's expression changed when he heard that the ice crux had fallen victim to Vyran. And he looked... angry.

"That lowlife... irredeemable..." he hissed, venom in his tone, before Hal cleared his throat.

"Possibly." he told her.

"We have several mages that are very good sensors, as well as scrying crystals of varying strengths." he said.

"However... might I ask about nature of YOUR mana?" he asked. "Or... well, magic." he clarified.

"Because I feel a strange... aura... about you."