[YGG] Ardaxia Arc - Sky Elf Kingdom, Nifellgard

After walking down to the creek that Einst had mentioned earlier, in order to splash some cool water over her face, Chloe made her way back to the pile of equipment that Crim had managed to pull out of nowhere. And by some sort of idiotic miracle, the pile of random crap actually contained some useful stuff for her. Including: a one-handed, Runically-enhanced short sword, apparently called Lumenrir, a small arm-mounted light buckler known simply as Mana Buckler, and a reasonably strong recurve bow with the name Sunray Bow. More importantly, however, there were actually some clothes. She had no idea why Crim had women's clothes in his vault though. But, to be fair, there was also a random smattering of men's clothes strewn about as well. It was likely that he just chucked whatever he came across into the vault regardless, as long as he figured it was valuable somehow. And sure enough, the clothing was high-end. Not only that, but it was all imbued with magical enhancements, offering increased protections against basic elemental attacks and offering various buffs for the casting of spells. The only downside was that they didn't seem to quite be in her size. The top, which was a midriff-bearing thing that showed off a lot of cleavage, made of some sort of sturdy leather, colored white and red, was pretty snug but ultimately manageable. It was actually the sort of thing she'd normally wear. It was the bottoms that gave her some real trouble. Short shorts, also white and red, with black drawstrings. It was a real struggle to get them all the way on, but she eventually managed it. Actually, it's not like it was much different from what she usually went through. That was just the way it was with revealing outfits. A small price to pay for looking damn good! She knew it all too well, and didn't complain about it...well, not too much anyway. She finished the ensemble with a pair of knee-high, stiletto-heeled red boots with black laces, and then grabbed a half-length red leather jacket for good measure. She wished she had a mirror, but she was confident that she looked pretty good in spite of the shorts being maybe half a size too small.

When she was satisfied, she walked out to where Crim and Einst were waiting and greeted them casually.

"Okay boys, we can get going now."

{BGM: "The Young Sorceress' Foul Mood"}

"Oh, hey, that's the outfit I got you for your birthday a couple years ago! Haha, man, I totally forgot to give it to you though," Crim laughed.

"Seriously?" Chloe frowned. "Idiot. It doesn't even fit, you know."

"What? I got it in your size. I know I did, I made sure. Maybe you're just getting fa-"

The half-Elf blushed a bit as she cut him off. "W-well, you probably fucked up then! Like always! Just shut up! We have more important things to worry about, don't we!?" She stomped past Crim, heading down the path towards the edge of the woods.

Crim just looked bewildered, and eventually shrugged. "Huh, yeah, I reckon so. I guess we just need to pick a direction and go. Might as well head this way." He stood up and started off after Chloe, nodding at Einst to follow.

He didn't seem nearly as concerned about the situation as he ought to have been. But that was just Crim being Crim. To him stuff like this was just business as usual. Truth be told, he didn't really have much of a reason to be upset about the mysterious force that was seemingly restricting their abilities. He was used to it, after all. He restricted himself by default all the time. He almost never relied on anything beyond his most basic abilities. Even his little skirmish earlier with the ogre-thing hadn't been much of a chore. Sure, it had managed to get closer to him than most creatures ever could. Actually, in most circumstances, monsters just flat-out avoided him. It seemed that the monsters around this place weren't so smart. Either that, or his usual 'aura' just wasn't as intimidating to them as it normally would be. He'd already had plenty of time to think about it and feel it all out though. He'd been able to deduce that, if he really wanted to, he could shatter whatever force was exerting its influence over him. He suspected that Einst could as well. But, in doing so, it was entirely likely that they would disrupt the delicate balance of nature itself here, which would probably cause some sort of awful cataclysm. There was no way to know how bad it could potentially get. If they forced their way, the magic that was holding Ardaxia aloft could be sheared away, and the continent itself could come crashing to the surface, which would be a planetary-scale disaster. So basically, they were stuck, at least for the time being.

{BGM: "Comfortable Journey"}

The Captain raised his hands up behind his head as he strutted along, looking ahead at nothing in particular. The trees slowly dispersed as they left the woods and emerged out into the rolling green meadows of these unfamiliar lands. The path that they were on connected to a road not too far away. A well-traveled road from the looks of it. Which meant there was definitely civilization around, somewhere. The question was...where? Once they reached the road, he looked left and right. No clear sign as to which direction would be best, and he couldn't sense as far as usual due to the interference.

He crouched and examined the grooves in the dirt. Wagon tracks. They went in both directions, so evidently they'd be likely to reach a town or settlement regardless of which direction they chose. He stood up and breathed in deeply, taking in that fresh vibrant air.

"Ahhh," he exhaled. Just then, a light breeze blew from his left. He didn't know if it was north, south, east or west. Didn't really care. He decided to follow the wind.

"Why are you going that way?" Chloe asked as he started down the right hand path.

"Wind's goin' this way."

"What? Are you kidding me??"

"Nope. C'mon, let's see where it takes us!"

Einst had already followed suit, leaving Chloe to stand behind, visibly frustrated with the two seemingly careless men.

"H-hey...wait up!" She called after them, realizing that it would be pointless to try and protest. Besides that, it's not like she had any idea which way was better. Following the wind seemed as good a plan as any...

Elves? Crim looked the apparent 'bandits' over, then glanced back to Chloe, as if she'd somehow know the answer.

"They hell are you lookin' at me for? Just because I'm a half-Elf doesn't mean I know shit!"

"Yeesh, you really are useless sometimes!" Crim replied as he turned his attention back to the bandit-lookin' jerks.

"Halt -esse i esse -o His Majestime i Tar-! !" ["Halt in the name of His Majesty the King!"]

"Ehh?" Crim raised his eyebrow. "Tar-? Mana Tar-?" ["King? What King?"]

"I Er Sanda Tar-, Varan Velusius II!" ["The One True King, Varan Velusius II!"]

Crim crossed his arms and proceeded to think hard on it, as though trying to remember something... a few scant moments later, however, he laughed and shrugged, seemingly drawing a blank.

"Ni her- lala nólë -o sina Tar-!" ["Nope, never heard of this King!"]

"Fárea -o your blasphemime, ethnórer! Fírima!" ["Enough of your blasphemy, outlander! Die!"]

"Whoa, hey now! Relax! Ah, shit!" Crim turned to his comrades. "I don't think they're too impressed with my Elvish, haha!

{BGM: "Furnace of War"}

The group of Elves, evidently no mere road bandits - likely some sort of Royal Vanguard by Crim's estimation - fell into an attack formation and closed in on the three wayward space pirates. They were quick and agile, as one would expect from Elves, but they were all seemingly trained in the same manner, or "class", if you will. A rogue/assassin type focus, primarily concerned with speed and precision over power and durability, possibly with some supplemental magic abilities to inflict light to moderate damage from a distance or in a pinch. Even without full access to his vast Ether powers, Crim wouldn't have much trouble dealing with the likes of these guys, although he'd have to make sure not to bust them up too badly. Wouldn't want to accidentally kill anyone. Besides, this was surely just a misunderstanding!

He broke off from the others, dashing off to the right at a high rate of speed, matching that of their adversaries (plus a slight bit extra). Sure enough, this seemed to shock them momentarily. As expected, it didn't appear as though they were prepared for the possibility of any of them being able to move so quickly. Two of the four Elven Assassins followed after Crim, their nasty curved daggers poised and ready to make with the stabby-stabby. Fortunately, that was just what Crim had been hoping for! Divide and conquer!

He slid to a stop and leaped into the air, flipping up and over the heads of his incoming assailants. Again, much to their apparent surprise. Upon landing on the other side of his opponents, he lashed out with both of his arms, flicking his wrists ever so slightly, at which point two identical lines of wiry blue energy whipped out from the Weasel devices mounted on each of his bracers. They coiled around the ankles of his attackers, and he yanked them hard, pulling them off their feet and causing them to whack their heads against the ground. He didn't stop there, though. He then proceeded to swing them off the ground and into the thick trunk of the nearest tree with perhaps just a little more force than he had initially planned. One of them cried out in agony as there was a loud *crack*, likely the result of a bone being snapped in half. Ouch! The other one didn't suffer quite as much, largely due to his impact being dampened by the body of his ally. The less-injured Elf Assassin managed to get up to his feet relatively quickly, facing Crim down, his silver-blue eyes full of murderous intent as Crim retracted his light-whips.

[speaking Elvish] "So, tell me more about this King of yours." Crim clenched his fists and slammed them together, generating a small crackling of gold-colored energy. He met his opponent's gaze with his own azure green eyes, burning with furious charisma as he offered up his trademark smirk.

"Y-you...!" The Elf stammered, seemingly at a loss.

But just then, a swirling breeze of bluish wind kicked up around him, seemingly invigorating him. Crim's eyes fell upon the other Elf, the one with the broken arm, who was in the midst of casting some sort of spell upon his comrade.

"Crosswind Veil!" The injured Elf proclaimed in Elvish as he finished his spell, which was apparently some kind of buff.

Crim observed his opponent, who now appeared to be moving both more quickly and more slowly all at once. Some kind of illusion spell? Mixed with a speed and agility boost! Not bad!

"All right then!" Crim goaded him. "Come at me!"

"With pleasure!"

The Elf took off, leaving a small shockwave in his wake as he rushed towards the Captain. Crim, for his part, stood his ground, not taking his eyes off the rapidly approaching Elf. The spell had increased the bastard's speed by at least double, which allowed him to cover the distance between the two of them in a blink. He was right in Crim's face, attacking with lethal precision, trying to stab the Captain straight through the heart. It almost looked like the attack hit home for a brief instant too, but alas, even with the speed boost, the Elf still wasn't quite up to par in the speed department. Even without his Ether to bolster his physical stats, Crim possessed raw physical capabilities that were well above any average human. Or Elf for that matter. He leaned to one side at the last possible moment, narrowly avoiding being skewered. In the same motion, he drove his right fist powerfully into the unguarded rib cage of the Elf, resulting in a bone-crunching blow that unleashed a medium-force physical shockwave that was also accompanied by more crackling gold-colored energy. The Elf's face contorted in pain as he was flung aside like a silver-haired ragdoll, spinning through the air to land roughly on the ground near to his fallen comrade.

Crim let out a sigh, the result of minimal exertion on his part, his fist still crackling with that peculiar gold-colored energy.

"Hmph...guess this'll have to do for now," he said to himself as he looked up to see how Einst and Chloe were faring.

{BGM: "Distorted Sword Light"}

While Crim and Einst seemed to have no trouble taking on their opponents, the same could not quite be said for Chloe. Initially, she seemed to be on a relatively even footing with her assailant, but it wasn't long before the masked Elven rogue had her securely on the defensive. Normally, she'd be able to deal with something like this pretty easily by way of her spectacularly overpowered Elf magic (fire makes big boom!), but with her magical abilities more or less completely sealed off, she was left to rely on her physical skills...which were, well, sorely lacking. She had the skill to wield her weapons competently, even though she was out of practice. No, the real issue was that she was just plain out of shape. Months of doing little more than binge-drinking and lazing about had taken more of a toll than she'd realized, and now it had caught up to her in the worst way.

She managed to bring her Mana Buckler up to deflect another quick strike just in the nick of time, but it threw her off balance, causing her to stumble backward. Her breaths came in short and shallow as she hunched over, her eyes fierce, full of frustration and anger, not just at her attacker, but at herself as well.

Her reprieve was all too brief as the Elven warrior leaped into the air, unleashing a blinding flash of magical light from his dagger as he reached the apex of his jump. Chloe shut her eyes and assumed a haphazard guard stance, extending her Lumenrir blade out in desperation, assuming that her opponent would descend upon her. However, instead of the anticipated close-in assault, Chloe was greeted with a rapid series of small bursts of magical energy which pierced through her arms and legs, inflicting a small amount of damage. But it quickly dawned on her that damage wasn't the aim, rather, it was pain debilitation...

"U-ugh...shit! C-can't...move..."

{BGM: "A Tragic Decision"}

In one fell swoop, the cunning Elven fighter had inflicted Chloe with Blind and Paralysis, along with a mean-spirited side of Poison for good measure. She collapsed to her knees, unable to move or see, her body wracked with pain from the bleeding poison-infested wounds that covered her arms and legs. She tried to speak, to cry out for Crim to save her... but she couldn't form the words. All she could do was scream inwardly as panic and fear unlike anything she'd ever felt before overtook her. She could feel the icy breath of Death upon her...

"No...please...not here...not...not like this..." She spoke in her mind as a single teardrop escaped from the corner of her blinded eye...

And in that moment, a surge of power erupted from her body in the form of a white-silver flame that sent the Elven warrior careening backward, spinning up into the air as residual flames latched onto his body, not burning him, per se, but sapping away at his spirit, draining his magic and siphoning it back into Chloe somehow. All at once, she felt re-invigorated, and the nasty ailments were purged from her as well. She stood up in time to watch the Elf assassin fall to the ground in a heap, unconscious. She blinked, unsure what to make of what had just happened. Her eyes darted around, eventually looking to Crim across the distance, assuming that he'd just done something with one of his Runes or used one of his other crazy hidden tricks to save her at the last second. But he seemed to be just as surprised as she was, which actually scared her, because Crim was never surprised by anything. Even Einst seemed puzzled by it all.

"What...what just happened?" She asked out loud, not to anyone in particular.

"That's just what I was gonna say!" Crim blurted out as he rushed over. "The fuck was that? Some kinda new spell?"

"I... I don't know." She looked at her hands, where a small amount of the mysterious white-silver flame lingered before dissipating completely.

Crim stood by, scratching his head as he turned to Einst. "Well, you're the expert on magic. What was that?"

Einst crossed his arms, casting his gaze aside as he pondered on it for a moment before answering.

"I can't really say. This place is...interfering with things. It seems like it may have been some sort of innate ability though. Like it was activated by instinct."

"Huh. Like my Tenken, maybe?"

Einst nodded. "Maybe. Hard to say for sure though."

"Well...whatever it was, it saved Chloe's bacon this time, eh?" Crim beamed a wide grin. "So we'll count it as a win!"

Einst shook his head. "I dunno. Strange, uncontrollable powers are dangero...-oof!"

He was interrupted by Crim leaping up and putting him in a headlock. "A WIN, DAMMIT! PLAY THE VICTORY MUSIC!"

Crim and Einst wrestled comically in the background as Chloe retreated into her thoughts. She felt perfectly fine, not even tired or sore or anything. But the anxiety remained. That chilling feeling of being on Death's door...it was so terrifying. Had that been the catalyst for unleashing...whatever that power was? Or was there more to it than that? She looked up into the sky, squinting in the sunlight, shielding her gaze with one raised arm. Something about this land was...so strange.

Her revelry was of course rudely interrupted by Crim rolling past her, kicking up a huge cloud of dirt and dust. He sprung to his feet, pointing angrily at Einst, who was just casually dusting himself off.

"Hey, ya bastard! What'd ya do that for!?"

"Haha, serves you right, dumbass," Einst chuckled.

Switching gears, Crim started cackling madly, obviously having himself a grand ol' time. Of course, all these antics had left the unconscious Elf guys ample time to rise and shine...but Crim was onto their little game of sneak and sneak!

{BGM: "Strain"}

"Aha!" He appeared in their path in the blink of an eye. "Tryin' to escape, eh!? Not on my watch!" He stomped his foot, which generated a noticeable shockwave, and a tangible threat that sent chills down all four of the Elves' spines. "You chuckleheads are gonna answer some questions now, dammit! Question the first! Uhhh...what the hell is up with this place!?"

The Elves glanced at one another, then at Crim, then back towards Einst and Chloe. They were injured and in no shape for continued battle...especially against this odd group of ne'er-do-wells.

They whispered among themselves in Elvish, and Crim leaned in to listen in. Damn, they were good at whispering. He could barely make out anything they were saying. Something about their king and... a jar of dijon? The fuck did gourmet mustard have to do with anything? Were they just out grocery shopping or what? Stupid fucks!

However...it would seem that these slippery punks had at least one more trump card up their sleeves. Turns out they were just stalling for time while they readied some sort of glowy orb thing that erupted in a bright wave of magic energy that enveloped them completely. When it faded, they were gone.

"Bah. Teleported." Crim kicked a small stone away. "Figures." He looked back to his friends, smiling in spite of the situation. "Ah well, easy come, easy go! Ha ha...speaking of go...let's do that now!" He turned on his heel and resumed walking in the direction they'd been headed in. He had a good feeling about that direction.

{BGM: "The Daily Routine of a Selfish Young Man"}

Crim walked ahead of the group, front and center as usual. They made their way along the main thoroughfare into the partially walled-in, semi-fortified city, passing though some rather run-down looking structures - old ruins of some kind - along the way to what appeared to be the main gates. Upon entering, it became apparent that the city was much bigger from the inside than it appeared to be on approach. The Captain figured it probably had at least ten-thousand residents at any given time, give or take. Seemed like a pretty hustling and bustling place in any event. Some kind of merchant hub, with a significant military presence as well, although he was only guessing at the military part.

He hadn't seen a single soldier yet, but that really didn't mean much, especially where Elves were concerned. Crafty bastards, they tended to be. Was it unfairly prejudicial of him to think this way about Elves? He laughed inwardly at the thought. No, not it was not. He'd encountered more than his fair share of Elven variant races over the years, and they were almost always a bunch of self-righteous upstarts. It'd be stupid for him to let his guard down just for the sake of being nice and giving them the benefit of the doubt. Especially after they'd already been attacked by these assholes once already.

He led his friends further in, taking note of various things here and there as he went along, putting on the outward appearance of being largely oblivious. He was keeping a particularly watchful eye on Chloe, being that she was the weakest among them and all...

...Or was she? That power she'd unleashed earlier was definitely something else. Something new. He was beginning to suspect that it had a connection to this land, although what exactly said connection might be was still a big question mark. But already he had a few working theories, and chief among them...

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a blur of motion in his periphery. Up on a ledge to his right. His eyes fixed upon it instantly, though he didn't move his head. No need to arouse suspicion. His altered perceptions kicked in, slowing the world around him to a snail's pace as he observed the movement above. A dark cloaked figure, moving quickly, most likely aided by some sort of fleet-foot spell. Not fast enough to evade his vision, but evidently a step above anything he'd seen thus far. The figure vanished into a large window, leaving a shadowy trail of Ether that evaporated into nothingness.
He relaxed, and the world returned to normal. Just then, Chloe approached.

"Um, Crim? What do you think of this?" Chloe asked as she held her wrist towards him, sporting an intricate silver bangle.

"Looks expensive."

"I want it."

"We don't even have any money, idiot."

"We're pirates!"

*ahem!* Einst cleared his throat as he approached. "We should probably try to keep a low profile for now. Which means no stealing."

"Pfft...fine..." Chloe pouted as she removed the bangle and set it back down at the shop stall where she'd found it.

"So, whaddaya think?" Crim asked Einst, crossing his arms as his eyes lingered over the ledge where the mystery figure had been.

"Most likely we've been reported by now. They're probably watching us from afar. Not sure what to make of us." Einst replied thoughtfully, looking off in the opposite direction.

"Sounds about right."

"What should we do?"

Crim shut his eyes and looked downward, tapping his foot as he thought on it for a brief moment.

"Well, I doubt they'll attack us here in broad daylight in the middle of the street. But ya never know. Might just be better for us to seek them out ourselves. Get some answers, one way or another."

"Ha. You really think that'll work?" Einst chuckled.

"Worth a shot." Crim shrugged.

Several Hours Later...

The trio had spent the entire day wandering through the city, exploring its various shops and many nooks and crannies. And they made no effort to be inconspicuous. Not that Crim was even really capable of that to begin with. You don't get as many cool titles and nicknames as he has by being unremarkable, right? Right! You gotta be...bold and...dynamic! Knocking on doors is for chumps! You kick that door off its hinges and stroll in like you own the place. Even when you do in fact own the place (Crim's door bill on the Ygg is legendary).

So yeah, it was definitely weird as hell that they still hadn't managed to come across any soldiers yet. Or...it was just as planned. Crim had sensed that they were being watched throughout the day, and not just by the regular citizenry either. Yes, the normal folks were for sure gawking at them. A couple of noisy humans and a slutty half-Elf? Damn straight the locals were going to be curious. That was to be expected, and easily filtered out. Neither Crim nor Einst paid it any mind. What they did pay some mind to was the more intense scrutiny that seemed to, every so often, cut through the droves of people and focus in on them like some sort of homing laser. Trouble was, while they could sense its general presence, getting a proper bead on its origin had proven to be less than simple. Damn near impossible, actually.

It was partly due to the...whatever-the-fuck it was that had been hindering their abilities. But more so, it was that the sneaky bastards were excessively skilled at keeping themselves concealed. Which wasn't entirely too surprising, given the circumstances. Still, it was kind of a problem.

{BGM: "Cryptic Mood"}

The daylight was vanishing into dusk by the time the three pirates wandered into an open plaza-like area. It was filled with trees and other well-tended plants, along with some intricate statues made of a smooth white stonelike material. The centerpiece of the area was a great fountain with an impressive winged figure looming above it. Some kind of angel? Or maybe...

"EEEEEEEK!!!"

A shrill scream pierced the air. It was coming from what appeared to be a chapel of some kind on the far side of the grand central fountain. Crim and Einst exchanged quick glances before springing to action, both leaping over the fountain entirely in a blink, leaving Chloe behind to look on in bewilderment.

"H-hey! Wait you guys!!" She yelled as she took off after them.

{BGM: "Tension"}

Crim and Einst burst into the chapel (or shrine or whatever it was), sending the doors flying several feet and smashing into a white stone statue atop some manner of altar, which caused the heavy wooden doors to splinter and basically explode due to the sheer force. A bit much? Maybe. But there was a damsel in distress, so what choice did they have? It was the pirate code...or something.

"Hey! The fuck is all this shit!?" Crim demanded as he pointed an accusatory finger at...

Wait, what the hell was it, even?

Looked like a goddamn winged demon-bat. Eight feet tall, or thereabouts. Grotesque dark wings, bony, grey and black with bits of scraggly hair. Long lanky limbs with oversized clawed hands and feet. It turned to face them, and yuck, what an ugly mug it had too. Huge fangs, elongated but vaguely human-like features, deep-set glowing red eyes, enormous pointy ears. It stood over an unconscious Elven woman with long platinum hair, clad in a long flowing white gown. She was bleeding from a puncture wound in her neck, but he still sensed life from her, though it was fading fast.

"Aha! I knew it!" Crim blurted out, still pointing at the now shrieking demon-looking creature.

"Knew what?" Einst questioned as he gripped his blade.

"I dunno yet! I just knew though! I swear to dog!"

"Don't you mean god?

"I know what I said. I said it!"

Just then, Chloe caught up, huffing and puffing out of breath.

"Wh-what are...you two...doing!?"

"Check it out, Clo. They got demons." Crim smirked.

As he pointed out the obvious, several dark clouds of Ether coalesced throughout the chapel/shrine, each one conjuring a lesser demon. These ones were grey and wingless, looked to be about five and a half feet tall, give or take. Kind muscular with bony protrusions jutting out of their shoulders, elbows and knees. A bit goblin-esque in overall appearance, wielding crude-looking jagged axes made of some kind of deep obsidian metal.

The demon-bat unleashed another shrill cry, sending powerful shockwaves throughout the entire space as it seemingly commanded the lesser creatures to attack.

"Heads up! Here they come!" Crim assumed a more serious-than-usual martial stance as he prepared to face off against this new and, for once, unexpected threat. A devilish smile crept upon his face as his hands crackled with frenzied sparks of golden energy.

The situation seemed dire, and he couldn't be happier.

{BGM: "Anxiety"}

Crim surveyed his opponents, drawing upon his vast wealth of experience with various types of monsters and demons in order to provide himself with a rapid visual threat assessment. Being that his extrasensory abilities were being interfered with at present, this was the best option available. Was it ideal? Not really. Did he care? Not a damn bit. After all, he had developed numerous strategies for occasions just like this. He'd long known that it was foolish to rely solely on specialized skills and Ether abilities. Hell, he'd learned that lesson the hard way ages ago. Multiple times, even. And thanks to these hard-learned lessons, he had grown accustomed to fighting while under extreme handicaps, his powers restrained, his senses stripped away. This was pretty well business as usual for him, so it really wasn't any great shock or even particularly worrisome. All he had to do was proceed as he normally would. Of course, he wouldn't be able to kick things up too many notches...at least not at present. He was still getting a feel for how things worked in this place. It was complex, to say the least. An intricate system with several key points spread across the land. He couldn't pinpoint them though. It was as though they were being shrouded somehow. Was this by design? Or was there some other force in play?

Well, now wasn't the time to be trying to solve this puzzle. Too many angry goblins getting up in his face. Yeah, that's right. Goblins. Or at least Goblin-esque. Some sort of subspecies from the looks of them. Stronger than your average type. Crim estimated they were at least in the one-ton range, which meant they'd be able to do some real damage to normal humans. Chloe would need to keep her distance for sure, especially since she couldn't rely on her higher level spells. Although...if she could access that strange power from earlier again, she'd likely be just fine. Too bad she had no control over it. Whatever it was.

Physically, these nasty buggers were no match for him one-on-one. That much Crim knew with near certainty simply from his visual assessment. He could tell by the way they held their weapons, the sounds they made, how limber they appeared to be. But in these numbers, while also having to look out for Chloe? Hmm...that'd be a little more tricky. Perhaps.

"Chloe, stay back and cast a barrier or something, if you can," Crim ordered calmly without taking his eyes off the encircling monsters. "This is probably going to get a bit messy."

The Goblins snarled as they moved to surround the duo, gnashing their teeth and aggressively brandishing their ominous weapons. They seemed to be a fair bit more coordinated than most of their kind. Cautious? It was possible that they possessed keen senses. If that were true, they might be aware of how much of a threat he was to them. That would explain why they hadn't attacked with the usual reckless abandon that is typical of Goblins and their brethren.

"R-right...!" Chloe stepped back and began to cast a simple defensive spell.

{BGM: "Up for the Challenge"}

This startled the Goblins, which caused them to momentarily focus primarily on Chloe. This was the split-second Crim was waiting for. He sprung into action, launching himself forward with enough force that his foot cracked the floor. In the blink of an eye, he collided with the nearest Goblin in his path, his left knee landing a bone-crushing strike to its face. Black blood spewed forth from the monster's shattered head as it practically exploded from the impact as Crim continued forward through the air. He lashed out with his right arm, sending an iridescent blue tendril out from the 'Weasel' light-whip emitter mounted on the underside of his Kaiten Bracer. It connected with a stone support pillar and coiled around it, allowing him to swing around back the way he came. Along the way, he delivered a punishing kick to the neck of another one of the Goblins in passing, snapping it on contact and sending the monster spinning through the air to collide with another Goblin, taking it out of the fight if only momentarily.

On his way back around the pillar, he gave his light-whip a good yank in order to pick up speed, building on his already high momentum, in order to finish his trip with a mighty sonic-speed strike with both feet directly into the chest of one more Goblin. The impact generated a sonic boom that blew out the windows and sent debris flying off every which way. Crim sneered derisively as his green-eyes met the soulless gaze of the Goblin just before its eyes turned stark white as they rolled back in its head as a result of the heavy strike. It was only a fraction of a second later that the Goblin's already dead body (turns out, Crim's swing-kick broke its spine and liquefied its innards) was sent careening backward to be splattered (literally, just fucking tar-black goo) all over the wall next to the entrance.

Crim then retracted his light-whip and came to a sliding halt right next to Chloe, pretty well right back where he started. He held out his right hand as if expecting to receive something, and sure enough, the most recently deceased Goblin's axe fell straight into it, having spun off into the air upon initial contact earlier. He gripped the weapon, gave it a couple of cursory test swings, and then proceeded to spin around, swinging it in a wide arc that cleaved through the arm and head of the cheeky little sneaky-sneak Goblin who had taken it upon itself to try and attack him from the side! What nerve! Black tar blood sprayed in a gory geyser up and out from the still-standing corpse as the remaining few bastards tried to muster a counterattack. Coming full circle from his spinning slash, Crim released the axe from his grip, flinging it through the air directly into the face of the leading Goblin, killing it instantly. Ah, but what a twist! Just prior to doing so, Crim's hand had crackled with that mysterious golden energy, which had infused the axe. Upon burying itself into the Goblin's thick skull, the energy reacted by causing a decently-sized explosion. Golden arcs of what could be described as 'lightning-esque' energy ripped outward from the epicenter, sending fragments of Gobling skull and, more lethally, jagged axe smithereens out like a makeshift grenade explosion. Three more Goblins met a mangled, messy end as a result of this, their bodies scorched by the energy and torn to shreds by the high-speed shrapnel.

It was right around this time that Crim noticed the air was really starting to get cold. He looked ahead and noticed that Einst was duking it the fuck out with the big batlike bad, which the Captain surmised to be some sort of lesser Vampire spawn.

"Hmm, the heck is he doin'?" Crim scratched his head, his breath now visible due to the temperature drop.

It was also right around this time that Chloe had finally managed to finish casting her spell. A mid-strength physical barrier manifested itself around her, but not around Crim or Einst.

"Hey, what gives? Where's my magic shield? Selfish!"

"Fuck you, this is all I can do right now... ahh! L-look out!"

"Ehh...?"

Oh, right. There was still one more Goblin. The idiot that he'd bowled over earlier. Looks like it survived. Well, didn't that just beat all? It was rushing them. Pretty fast, but not anything out of the ordinary...

"!!" Crim's eyes went wide as he sensed a sudden spike in the creature's power.

"Crim?"

"Shit! Move!" He shoved Chloe aside, sending her tumbling over a pile of rubble that used to be a pew. Her barrier protected her from any real damage, and hopefully would be enough to mitigate what was coming.

The Goblin let out a high-pitched noise, like audible death as it leaped through the air towards Crim. It didn't even raise its weapon. It didn't need to at this point. The Goblin was the weapon. It began to emit an extremely sinister glow, deep blood red mixed with black specks. Crim didn't have much time. He surged towards it and slid under at the last second, springing off his hands and twisting upward to deliver a fierce kick into the creature's abdomen. This sent it hurling up into the ceiling, putting a decent amount of distance between them. It would have to do.

As it collided with the ceiling, the energy reached its apex and the Goblin exploded. Crim crouched and assumed a guarded stance as the edge of the explosion reached him, hitting him harder than anything the miserable creature would have been able to muster in life. The power enveloped him briefly, inflicting painful damage. Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of it, as the blast also caused the ceiling to collapse above. Tons of massive slags of stone debris fell upon Crim's location, kicking up a huge cloud of dust that obscured him from view.

Chloe stood up and looked on, horrified.

"Criiim!!"

The dust settled, and Crim was nowhere to be seen. She rushed in towards the pile of rubble and immediately tried to move it, but even the smallest pieces were too heavy for her.

"Oh my god!"

She panicked, unsure what to do... and that was when the rubble began to rumble.

She stepped back, not knowing what to expect.

And then, the rubble was pulverized into dust. The dust blew up and outward through the new gaping hole above, and on the ground, Crim stood, his right fist raised skyward, eyes downcast. And he looked like... well, he looked like someone who'd just had a couple of tons or so of building dropped on his head. He looked up at Chloe, his gaze fierce. Blood trickled down between his eyes from some unseen wound above his hairline. His right sleeve was torn away, blood seeping from a nasty gash on his bicep. Various other superficial cuts, scrapes and marks could be seen on him, but all things considered, he seemed to be more-or-less intact.

He lowered his fist and his expression softened, looking more jovial than he probably ought to have been, given what he'd just been through and all.

"Ha ha ha..." He laughed as he brought his left hand up to scratch the back of his head. "Damn, that hurt...I shoulda known those sons-of-bitches would have something tricky like that up their sleeves. Ah well...huh?" He looked at Chloe, his expression confused. "The hell is your problem?"

Chloe stood there, tears forming at the corners of here eyes.

"You... you JERK! I thought you were..."

"Pssh. As if! C'mon Clo, you know me better than that. A weakling bastard like that could never bring me down. Stop being such a baby!"

"What!? You asshole! I was worried about you!"

"Yeah, worried about your meal-ticket, more like..."

"How dare you!?"

He just laughed it off. "Look, we can argue about it later. Right now I think Einst could use a hand, don'tcha think?"

He nodded in the direction of Einst, who was valiantly fending off the Vampire...

{BGM: "To A World Becoming Impure"}

Much as the Captain may have wanted to spend a little more time trying to figure all this shit out - wonky new powers, weird vampires, unknowns far and wide - there was the pressing matter of a young lady on the verge of death to consider. Crim made his way to her side and gave her a quick assessment. Sure enough, she was under the thralls of a vampiric curse, likely on the verge of being turned. He had to act fast. Without wasting any more precious time, he held his right hand out over her body, hovering it a few inches above her chest, and activated the Rune of Heaven. He wasn't entirely certain how its powers would be affected in this place, but he was sure that its ability to expel demonic essences would remain potent enough to heal this girl.

The Rune's symbol, that of a stylized cross (the very same crest of the Nisan Sect), began to emit its trademark soft white-green glow, which steadily grew in brightness until it was of such intensity that both Chloe and Einst had little choice but to avert their eyes. Crim's gaze remained fixed, unflinching as the divine healing power spilled forth from the Rune of Heaven, washing over the ailing girl, cleansing her of the darkness that plagued her frail body. As the Rune's power reached its apex, the symbol appeared in the air above Crim, flashing like an iridescent holy star before vanishing as the healing light dissipated.

The trio all leaned in over the girl as they waited for some sign of life...

"She's not...is she?" Chloe spoke in a near whisper as she moved her head in closer to the girl.

{BGM: "Waltz for the Moon"}

Crim was about to tell Chloe to shut her damn mouth when the girl quite suddenly opened her eyes and sat up a bit too fast, which caused her to crack her forehead directly into Chloe's. This sent Chloe reeling backward, howling in pain as she fell flat on her ass with her head in her hands. The girl, too, clutched her head, but was considerably more quiet about it than Chloe, almost as if she were making an effort to be somehow dignified about it.

"Ow ow ow...ouch..." the girl repeated in a hushed voice as she rubbed her forehead.

"Dang, that looked like it must've smarted! Haha!" Crim laughed as he addressed the girl, speaking Elvish again as he waved his left arm and cast a quick Cure spell on her, courtesy of the Master Magic Materia slotted within his Tenkai Bracer. The spell did the trick, repairing the minor injury and alleviating the young lady's pain.

"Oh, um... th-thank you very much," the girl spoke in Elvish as she got up and bowed politely. She seemed surprised when she looked up and saw that both Crim and Einst were not Elves. "Oh! You're not Sky Elves? Nor do you appear to be any of the other races of Ardaxia...perchance might you be Humans?"

Chloe, meanwhile, cried bloody murder in the background, cursing and yelling like a child.

"Crim! You bastard!"

"Shut it, idiot!" Crim barked back at Chloe in English. "I'm tryin' to talk to a lady!" He turned his attention back to the platinum haired girl, switching back to Elvish again. "Sorry about that uncouth ruffian. Aye, my pal here and I are Humans...more or less. The noisy one is a beast of burden that somehow learned how to talk... oof!" Crim winced as Chloe came up next to him and elbowed him in the rib cage.

"Don't listen to this scumbag," Chloe said, also speaking Elvish now, still rubbing her head. "I'm actually a half-Elf. My name is Chloe Kleine. Blondie over there," she indicated a thumb in Einst's direction, "...is called Einst. And this dumbass red-haired jerk is our ever-stupid Captain, Crim."

"That's CAPTAIN Crim El Furaga, Lord of All Pirates!" Crim declared proudly as he assumed a dashing pose, pointing out to some unseen horizon.

"Good grief..." Chloe muttered.

Naturally, this was all rather a bizarre display for the girl, who couldn't even get a word in edgewise.

"O-oh my...you're all so lively, ha ha..." She said as she observed the antics, partially nervous but also seemingly quite delighted by it.

"Anyway..." Crim said, his tone suddenly more serious (but not by much). "What's your name, missy? And also, what the hell is up with this crazy place?"

"Oh, yes, forgive me. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Phacia. Phacia Valusius. It's a pleasure to meet you." She made sure to bow and make eye contact with all three of them. Though she seemed to blush a little when she looked at Einst.

"Valusius? Hmm, why does that sound familiar...?" Crim scratched thoughtfully at his chin. He was about to inquire further, only to be interrupted by some rude ass bastard shouting at him from the entrance.

"Cursed fiends! Unhand the princess at ONCE!!!"

"Ehhhh??" Crim crossed his arms and, like a proper hooligan, tilted a sinister sideways look-see in the general direction of the smashed up doorway. What he saw was basically what appeared to be some sort of gathering of Elvish knights or something. Right, right...the guys they'd wasted hours trying to lure out...

About time!

{BGM: "Loyal to the Sword and Armor"}

At the head of the group was a pair of... yeah sure, we'll say 'important-looking' guys. A big one - really big for an Elf, actually, towering over the others at well over six feet tall, maybe even closer to seven feet, and built like a tank - with silver-lavender hair, slicked back to feature a prominent widow's peak, at an overall length reaching about the middle of his back. He wore thick dark armor with gold trim and brandished a giant heavy halberd type weapon. His golden eyes gleamed with menace and he had a strong-featured face that would be best described as brutish, altogether extremely atypical for an Elf. Standing next to him was a much leaner and rather evil-looking Elf, his long light blond hair done back in a single ponytail, with a couple of thin strands hanging forward in front of his face. He wore light silver armor with black trim, along with a pair of short Gladius-style swords on his back. His features were sharp and attractive, much closer to what one would expect of an Elf. But his purple eyes were quite unsettling, like they hid some sort of deep malice, made all the more disquieting by his insincere smile.

"Whaddaya mean 'princess', huh?" Crim looked at them cockeyed, as if to invite their ire. "You mean Missy here?"

The larger 'important' Elf pointed his huge halberd at Crim. "You dare to insult her majesty!? Such impudence shall not go unanswered, villain!" His burly voice boomed, practically shaking the foundation of the chapel.

"Now, now, Sir Belzac," the other 'important' Elf chimed in, his voice snake-like, just oozing with contempt for all things. "These riff-raff are hardly worth losing your temper over, kyahaha..."

"Sir Berva, you may be willing to overlook their transgressions, but I shall not be so forgiving!" He assumed a combative stance, poised to strike. "Prepare yourselves, knaves!"

Crim was more than happy to throw down with these chuckleheads, and assumed his typical loose martial stance in preparation to meet the big lug head-on. A quick glance over to Einst confirmed that he, too, was ready to clash. Chloe, meanwhile, sidled up near to Phacia, surprisingly ready to roll as well. But before things got turned up to eleven, Phacia stepped forward and addressed the knightly duo directly.

"Sir Belzac! Sir Berva! Stand down at once! I am in no danger from these people. They saved me, in fact! You will treat them with respect, understand!?"

Crim cast a wary glance towards the little miss. She was pretty flustered, but seemed to be confident enough in her authority. Maybe she really was a princess. He turned his attention back to the knights, and noticed that the rank-and-file ones had all backed off, bending the knee and bowing in subservience. The two head honchos eased up, but didn't fully back off...not yet at least.

"But...but Princess, I..." Sir Belzac stammered, seemingly at a loss.

"You dare question me?" Phacia placed her hands on her hips, leaning in, doing her apparent best to seem authoritative.

Crim chuckled.

"N-no, of course not, your highness!" Belzac quickly capitulated and took to a knee as well, bowing eagerly.

The other one, Sir Berva, offered a slight shrug, still smiling that empty smile, and also took a knee, offering a lazy bow.

"That's better! Hmph!" Phacia, or rather Princess Phacia, turned around and smiled apologetically at Crim and Einst. "Sorry about that...they...they mean well. It's just..."

"Eh, don't worry about it, Missy," Crim said with a smirk. "They're just doin' their jobs, after all. I know how it goes. Anyway...what now?"

"Oh...umm...well... I..." Phacia seemed to be unsure of how to proceed.

"Well, at any rate, I reckon we should get the hell outta this place. I assume you got someplace you're stayin', right? Maybe we oughta head there? It's pretty late and I could use some food and a bed," Crim said as he looked to Einst and Chloe. "Sounds good, right guys?"

Chloe and Einst both nodded in agreement.

"Right. So lead the way, Princess!"

She seemed a bit perplexed at first, but quickly recovered and offered a genuine smile. "Yes, of course! It'd be my pleasure, it's the least I could do after you risked your lives to save me after all." She turned back to her knights. "Sir Belzac! Sir Berva! Return to the Manor and prepare to receive our guests. You may leave your men with us as an escort."

The two knights stood up and bowed, each holding a clenched fist over their hearts. They replied in unison. "As you wish, your highness!"

They turned and left, their men opening a path for them. The princess walked forward between the rows of Elven soldiers.

"Worry not, they know their orders," the princess said. "You will be treated as honored guests, rest assured."

"Good enough for me," Crim replied as he put his hands up behind his head and started heading towards the door after the princess. "C'mon you two, time to take a load off!"

He wasn't too sure what to expect, but he figured that at least for now, things were looking up. Although he wasn't too keen on those two upstart bastards. The overzealous big galoot seemed like he wanted nothing more than to tear him and Einst limb from limb (good luck with that, bud!). And the other one was just bad news all around. No way that guy was on the straight and narrow. But it seemed like they were bound to follow their orders, so as long as he and his crewmates stayed on the little princess's good side, everything ought to work out juuuuust fine.

Hopefully they'd finally be able to get some answers. And maybe something strong to drink. Elven booze? Sure, why not!

{BGM: "Royal Castle"}

Crim did his best not to appear bored outta his mind as the princess gave them the ol' Grand Tour through the admittedly swanky manor. Or palace. Whatever it was. Chloe was, of course, highly impressed, which was hardly surprising considering how materialistic she was. She was probably thinking about stealing anything that wasn't nailed down, the covetous brat... Einst, meanwhile, followed along, but was clearly at at least somewhat of a loss, being that he didn't understand a lick of Elvish. Funny. Crim coulda sworn that Einst was fluent. Must've been some other bullshit language. Orcish, maybe. Or Hebrew. Ah, whatever. Didn't matter.

Finally, they stopped, having circled around back to the main foyer, at which point the princess seemed to get herself lost in a certain White Swordman's eyes. At this point, Crim could only offer up an audible chuckle. And that's when Einst spoke up, informing the princess that he didn't understand anything she's been saying this entire time. The girl seemed a bit perplexed, tilting her head with a quizzical look on her face. Finally, Crim had to speak up to clarify things.

"Yeah, missy. Einst here doesn't actually speak a damn bit of Elvish. Ha ha ha."

"O-oh my...really?" She looked to Einst and blushed a little. "I... I'm so sorry!" She bowed, now quite flustered. "I had no idea, u-umm... I just assumed. Please forgive me!"

Of course, being that Einst still didn't speak Elvish, he didn't understand any of what she was yammering on about...though he'd likely get the gist of it just based on her actions alone.

"Ah, yes, wait just one moment!" She smiled as something apparently occurred to her. She scurried off into a nearby room, only to emerge about thirty seconds later, holding an ornate-looking charm-like thing in her delicate hands. "H-here, Sir Einst, try this on..."

She handed him the charm. It was a small, smooth, shiny blue gem in the shape of an oval, set in a silver frame, attached to a sturdy, somewhat pliable, dark leather-like woven bracelet.

"It's an accessory known as a Language Debarrier..." She went on to explain. "They're rather commonplace, actually...they use mana to instantly translate different tongues. If you wear it long enough, it eventually assists one in becoming completely versed in the most prevalent language being spoken in any given place." She bowed once more. "Please...accept this gift with my gratitude."

Crim whistled. "Dang, man, lookit you, gettin' gifts and everything! Ha ha!"

Chloe, meanwhile, eyeballed the trinket, trying her best to not look jealous. "Lucky..."

"Yes, umm...well, a-anyway...most honored guests... I bid you welcome." Once again, the princess bowed, quite formally this time. "Now please, if you would follow me..."

She once more led the way, this time taking them into a dining hall. It was quite extravagant, just as one would expect for a place of royalty. And this wasn't even their main castle. Just a manor in what was apparently a relatively small city. These were definitely some swanky royals, all right.

They took their seats at the long dining table, with the princess at the head of it, and upon doing so, a number of servants appeared carrying a multitude of dishes, which they proceeded to set out quickly and efficiently without so much as a word to anyone. Oddly enough, it didn't seem to consist of the typical light vegetarian fare that is commonly associated with most Elven types. Which Crim was more than pleased to see. From the looks of it, Chloe and Einst were also pretty happy at the sight of ample amounts of meat.

"Please, help yourselves. I apologize for the limited options, but we weren't expecting guests... do forgive us." The princess seemed to be genuinely apologetic.

"Eh? The hell're ya talkin' about?" Crim said as he bit into the leg of some kind of bird...tasted a heck of a lot like chicken. Probably was chicken. "This is pretty damn great! Thanks, missy!"

Chloe nodded in agreement as well, her mouth full of bread and some kind of potato. Naturally, their collective ill-manners seemed to make the servants uncomfortable as can be, but they said nothing, as it appeared that the princess was perfectly okay with it, if not somewhat enamored by it all. Wouldn't be surprising, especially if she turned out to be one of those spunky sheltered princesses who barely ever got to really go out to see and experience what the world truly has to offer. And Crim had a pretty strong feeling that that was pretty much a spot-on assessment.

The princess could only look on in wonder at the group of outsiders as they ate and drank with nary a care in the world. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen, really. She had so many questions... but then, she was certain they, too, had many questions of their own. For now, she would wait and allow them to replenish themselves and enjoy what meager hospitality she could offer.

Meanwhile, in the officer's quarters...

{BGM: "Exposed Plot"}

After being dismissed by the princess in such a disgraceful manner, Sir Belzac was understandably upset. Rather hot-blooded for an elf, prone to outbursts of violence and wrath, not all unlike what one might expect from one of those brutish Dusk Orcs. In fact, it was something of a running-gag among the less disciplined soldiers that Sir Belzac had Orcish blood in him. It was a thought that Sir Berva found to be both humorous and revolting in equal measures.

The tall, blond-haired Sky Elf looked on with restrained amusement straining his handsome features as he watched Sir Belzac fly into a fit of rage, pulverizing various inanimate objects with his mighty gauntlet-clad fists in a display of raw power that would have been better saved for a battlefield.

"Oh, such a waste..." Berva chuckled as Belzac hurled an expensive-looking vase into the wall, shattering it.

"Those filthy brutish humans!" Belzac roared.

Berva yawned, apparently already bored by the spectacle of his comrade's temper tantrum.

"The princess is being deceived by their devilry!" The massive lavender-haired Sky Elf faced his comrade. "Do you not agree, Sir Berva!?"

"Yes, well, whether that's the case or not, there's hardly anything we can do about it, now is there?"

"But...!"

"Calm yourself and think, Sir Belzac," Berva approached Belzac and placed a hand upon his armored shoulder. " Rest assured, I despise those interlopers just as much as you. Especially that disgusting half-breed wench...filthy abominations need to be exterminated. And so they shall be... in due course."

The lithe Sky Elf smiled slyly, as though to convey to his ally, without words, that he had a plan in mind. Such things needed to be kept close to the vest, of course. One never could be too careful these days.

"Forgive my outburst," Belzac took in a deep breath. "Yes, it is imperative that we see to the well-being of her highness at all costs. Even if it means defying her order. I am prepared to suffer any consequences so long as she is saved."

Berva chuckled. "Yes, I stand in awe of your loyalty...however, I believe this matter calls for a more...delicate approach. Leave it in my hands, Sir Belzac. No need to sully your good name."

Belzac stared into Berva's eyes and saw his steely resolve. Or at least what he perceived to be such. In reality, Berva was filled with malicious intent, and saw this as a prime opportunity to kill multiple birds with one stone. And this fool Belzac would prove to be a most useful pawn towards those ends...


{BGM: "Under the Moonlight"}

After a delicious meal and some hearty conversation, the wayward pirates were led to their accommodations to retire for the night. They were each given their own luxurious room, complete with a balcony overlooking the courtyard. This was where Crim stood, basking in the cool night air as he dragged on one of his last cigarettes, his green-eyed gaze set upon the starry skies above.

"Strange sky, this place has," he said as the door to his room creaked open.

"Yeah..." Chloe replied as she stepped out onto the balcony to join Crim.

"Figured you'd have been passed out with how much you ate and drank," Crim laughed.

Chloe blushed a little. "Shut up..." She moved up next to him and he offered his smoke to her. She took it and inhaled a fairly deep drag before handing it back.

"So...whaddaya think, Clo?"

"You're askin' me? Ha...since when d'you care what I think?"

"I dunno. These're your people, aren't they?"

"Just cuz I'm a half-Elf doesn't mean I know fuck all about every kind of Elf culture, you racist dipshit." She elbowed him in the ribs.

"Ow! Jeez!"

"Although..." She leaned forward on her elbows, looking out over the courtyard. "I do kind of feel oddly at ease here. It seems familiar somehow. I can't explain it."

"...Izzat so?" Crim answered as he rubbed the back of his head and looked aimlessly up into the sky again, grey-blue smoke trailing up from the bent cigarette that hung loosely from his lips.

Their conversation seemed to hit a dead end. Normally, this would be considered an awkward pause, but these two were well past that point already. A few minutes of silence passed before Chloe spoke up again.

"You think the others are okay?"

Crim scoffed. "Tch, yeah, 'course they are. Dumbass."

"I guess..." She sighed. "Well... I'm gonna go to bed." She turned to leave, offering a casual wave. "G'night."

"Yeah, 'nite," Crim replied without looking at her, his eyes remaining fixated on the sky.

"Damn strange sky..."

"Heh..."

??? Location in Nifellgardian Highlands...

{BGM: "Castle of the Saint"}

A mysterious trio, partially cloaked in shadow, stood before a majestic green glowing pillar that stood tall within a cavernous space, which opened to the night sky above. The mana in the air was palpable, albeit distorted somehow. It seemed the source was the pillar, which was shaped somewhat like a colossal blade pointing skyward, its crystalline surface shining and shimmering with nigh boundless energy. One of the trio reached out towards the base of the pillar, his arm, somehow bathed in flames that gave off no light or heat, leaving the shadows.

"So, this is the Wind Pillar, huh?" The figure's red-tinted hand touched the base of the pillar, causing a surge of energy to erupt and envelop his arm.

"Yes, Lord," Replied one of the other figures, a female clad in robes. "Normal beings would, of course, be consumed by its power. It's no surprise that it has no effect on you."

"Oh, quite the contrary, I certainly feel its effect. Simply being here is a battle in and of itself. There is indeed a great power residing in this land." He removed his hand, and the pillar settled. "And there are five other pillars, yes?"

"Yeah, seems so," the other figure spoke up, a male, his voice young and energetic. "There's one for each of the elementals of Earth, Water, Wind, Fire, Light, and Darkness. Seems each race controls one of the pillars. Well, except for the Darkness Pillar. Looks like that one was sealed off eons ago."

"Haha, yes, of course..." The 'Lord' chuckled. "Well, then. We mustn't dilly-dally here. Our pirate friends are already making headway.

"Shall we begin, then, Lord?" The female asked.

"Yes. See to it."

"You're the boss!" The male replied.

Both of the shadowy figures bowed lightly before vanishing in their own unique teleportation methods, leaving the 'Lord' alone. He gazed up at the Wind Pillar and stepped forward, the top half of his face still obscured by shadows as his mouth curled into a fang-filled smile.

"It begins..."


{BGM: "Refreshing Morning"}

The trio woke up bright an early to a pleasant new day. The morning sun blazed bright in the cloudless sky, basking everything in its warmth, which served as a welcome sensation to accompany the somewhat chilly air that lingered over from the previous night. They met the princess in the courtyard, but were a little bit taken aback by the plucky young royal's appearance this time around...

"So, uh...what's with that getup, princess?" Crim asked, his eyebrow raised.

"Why, whatever do you mean? These are my traveler's clothes," she replied calmly.

"You plannin' a trip somewhere?" Chloe prodded, also raising an eyebrow.

"Of course, I am coming along with you all!" The princess smiled as she hoisted a large traveling pack upon her shoulder. "You plan to travel to the capital, yes? To meet my father? I must also return. Therefore, I shall escort you personally."

The pirates all exchanged glances.

"Is there a problem?" Phacia inquired with genuine innocence.

"Ah...nope. Nope, no problem at all." Crim said with a shrug as he looked to Einst, who just offered his own shrug in return. It seems they'd unwittingly taken on a new charge.

Not like this was the first time some pushy broad has forced her way into their business, anyway. Probably wouldn't be the last, either. No point in fretting over it now. Besides, babysitting a pampered royal brat was a small price to pay for an express-ticket to the front of the audience line once they reached the capital. Plus, the experience would do the kid some good too. Or maybe it would just traumatize her. Either way.

"Right! Well, then, shall we be off?"

The princess stepped past Crim and the others and began walking towards palace gates. With little other choice, the pirates followed after her.

Yep. This was surely going to go entirely as planned.


{BGM: "Land of Blue Skies"}

The road to the capital would take the group through the Nifellgard Highlands. It was a long journey, and as such, the princess saw fit to outfit them with horses in order to expedite the trek. Even on horseback, it would take at least a couple of days before they would reach their destination, and that was assuming they didn't make any detours along the way. Which was definitely wishful-ass thinking when it came to this group, especially Crim. They were barely an hour into the trip before he was veering off the path, galloping his horse (a white stallion of all bloody things) hither and thither to investigate every curious looking thing he spotted. There was certainly a lot to be seen, though, that much was true. It was a breathtakingly beautiful landscape on its own, a vast windswept plain with scattered trees among jagged rock formations that gradually built up into towering mountains, replete with majestic waterfalls that cascaded down into deep canyons and crevasses.

There were also many man, or rather, Elf-made points of interest. Mostly old ruined statues and monuments, some of which were quite grand. It seemed that this kingdom had an extremely long and rich history, and Princess Phacia was more than happy to talk their ears off about it as they went. Crim only heard bits and pieces, being that he was busy taking off to look for loot at every marginally intriguing point of interest. He actually did manage to dig up a few halfway decent items, though. Some artifacts that could probably sell for a good price. And he also found a big, mean-looking double-bladed battle axe made of some sort of obsidian metal. According to Phacia, it was a Dusk Orc weapon, probably left over from the last war. Crim decided to hold onto it and strapped it to his back. Other than that, he found some healing items and basic materials, which he put into the traveling satchel for later, should the need ever arise.

By the time noon rolled around, the group had somehow managed to make fairly good time in spite of Crim's propensity to take the scenic route at every opportunity.

As good a time as any to stop for a break and a meal.

{BGM: "Dinner Time"}

The group ate and bantered in peace for a time. It really was a breathtaking landscape to behold, which wasn't something that Crim generally even noticed or gave a flying fuck about. But even he had to acknowledge it sometimes, and this was definitely one of those times. The perfect backdrop for an adventurous journey! That could have been one of the main reasons he was feeling so appreciative over the scenery. A good adventure always lifted his spirits. After all, it was pretty well the best way to keep his mind off everything else going to shit, what with U-TIC and the Dimensional Federation closing in on them, wreaking havoc, and generally being total fucking assholes across time and space. Gah! Those annoying bastards, interrupting his thoughts with their bullshit again! He frowned as he bit into some kind of crumbly biscuit thing. Hmm, not bad. For Elf cuisine, anyway. Elves usually ate the blandest crap - if they even ate at all. Half the time it seemed all they did was drink water and eat cabbage or whatever. He looked over to Chloe, who was chowing down like a freaking pig as usual. Yeah, but she was a half-Elf, and a terrible example because she'd spent the majority of her life living among Humans and other non-Elf types. Fully corrupted, she was. These Sky Elves seemed altogether a bit less stuck up than your typical Elves, though, which was a real breath of fresh air. Could be due to their proximity and interactions with the other races of this land. Maybe it helped them to loosen up a bit. Or forced them to. Their wings might have had something to do with it as well. The class-divide between the nobility and the 'common' folk. Ha. Common Elves. That was a new one.

He looked over to Phacia, who was eating more like a bird. Should have expected as much. She seemed to be getting more and more comfortable though, which was nice to see. It seemed to him that she was pretty open-minded and curious. Not overly unusual traits for a spoiled little rich girl though. He had a strong suspicion that her father, King...whatever the fuck his name was, would be considerably more of a hard ass bastard to deal with. Not exactly a thrilling prospect, but he'd dealt with stubborn royals plenty of times. He knew how to deal with their crap.

As he finished off a bottle of some manner of fruit juice, Crim's attention was suddenly drawn to the northeast. Some kind of Ether fluctuation. Pulsating. It was faint, but unmistakably familiar: signs of battle. Normally, he'd be able to sense it all with pristine clarity, but given that this land seemed bound and determined to put a damper on his senses (for now, anyway), he couldn't exactly pinpoint who or what was involved in the fight. Just that it was happening. He looked to Einst.

"You feel that?"

"Yeah. Fighting, nearby."

"Huh? What?" Chloe spoke up between mouthfuls, seemingly confused. "The heck are you guys talking about?"

Crim stood up. "I'm gonna go on ahead! Gather our gear up and come after me!"

Without giving anyone a chance to respond, Crim grabbed that menacing Dusk Orc Axe that he'd found earlier, and took off at a blur in the direction of the Ether waves.


{BGM: "Duel Sign"}

Backed up against a high cliff wall, a stunningly beautiful purple-haired woman, human by the looks of it, dressed like a mage (albeit a rather scantily-clad one) did her best to fend off multiple assailants. Surrounded, and visibly exhausted, sporting several fresh cuts and bruises, the curvaceous female aimed a crossbow with one hand, firing off what appeared to be magic-bolts, while maintaining a barrier spell of some sort with the other hand. The shots from her crossbow struck several of the vicious, snarling, bipedal bat-like creatures, sending them reeling back in pain, as the others slammed against her magic shield. Beads of sweat trickled down her brow as the effort took its toll on her, little by little draining her stamina and Mana.

"D-dammit...I can't...this can't be the end! Come on!" The woman gritted her teeth as she struggled.

"Comin' iiiiiinnnn!!!"

A shout from...above? She looked up and saw a shadow silhouetted against the midday sun, descending rapidly into the fray. There was a sizable physical shockwave as the figure slammed into the ground, accompanied by what sounded like flesh being cleaved and a howl of agony. The creatures all turned their attention to the newcomer, and as the dust settled, it revealed a lanky blue-suited man with wild red hair, wielding an oversized dark-metal axe with one hand, like it was nothing, standing over the freshly cleaved-in-half corpse of one of the monsters, its black blood and guts spilled all over the lush green ground. She breathed a sigh of relief, but didn't let up on her shield, knowing full-well that this didn't automatically mean she was safe. Far from it, in fact. For all she knew, this guy was no more friendly than these awful hellspawn. But she knew an opportunity like this couldn't go to waste, either. She'd use him to make her escape...or...

"Ha! Take that, ya ugly mother..." He swung his axe and it sailed through the legs of the nearest monster, causing it to topple to the ground as it attempted to rush him. He hoisted the axe up and rested it over his shoulder, a bit of a smug look on his sharp-featured yet rather attractive face. For a moment, his bright azure-green eyes met her deep violet ones. "Hey, missy! You all right? Just hang in there!"

"I...I'm fine!" She fired off a couple more shots from her crossbow, striking two of the monsters at the bases of their skulls, seemingly paralyzing them, if only temporarily.

The red-haired man took this opportunity to throw his axe in a wide sidearmed arc. It hurtled through the air and sliced clean through one of the monsters, but now the guy was seemingly defenseless, having thrown his weapon away.

"You imbecile! Why would you...?" She began to scold him, but trailed off shortly as she witnessed something quite unexpected.

Laughing like a maniac, the man lashed out with his right arm, which produced some sort of whip-like tendril that caught up to the axe in mid air and latched onto the handle. He gave it a good yank, and it came back around to lop the head off of the other paralyzed monster. In addition, on its return trip, the axe also soared through one more creature, cutting it in half at the abdomen, spraying its black guts and bile every which way in a most brutal fashion.

In a matter of seconds, this guy had managed to slaughter half of the monsters. She'd only been able to take out one of them earlier, before they'd overwhelmed and cornered her. She looked on with a mixture of wonderment and annoyance as the man continued to battle them fiercely yet...jovially was the only term she could attach to it. He seemed to be having the time of his life. She was fairly certain by this point that he meant her no harm, but still, she wasn't about to let her guard down. The fight wasn't over yet...

{BGM: "Condition Green!"}

By the time Einst and the others caught up, Crim had already managed to dispatch the remaining bipedal batlike monsters with his new trusty axe, which he'd come to refer to as Dark Maul. The bloody, dismembered, and all-around mangled carcasses of the vile creatures were strewn and scattered all over the place in a spiral of freshly delivered death, with Crim standing at the epicenter as the proverbial eye of the storm. With his weapon hoisted upon his shoulder, resting comfortably, his attention was focused on the voluptuous violet-haired beauty that stood before him. She sure as hell wasn't a native to these lands, that much he knew just by checking her out. Ears were a dead giveaway on that front. Plus, her aura was distinctly Human, albeit with a goodly sum of good ol' fashioned mage energy. Brimming with it. Probably a natural born prodigy. Still, in this place, with all of its wonky fuckery messing with Ether and interfering with senses across the board, she could be the most powerful mage of all time and still end up as mincemeat. And she damn near ended up that way, too. Crim reckoned she likely relied even more heavily on raw magical ability than Chloe did. It probably served her perfectly well under normal conditions. Quick-casting offensive spells, multi-casting buffs and barriers, targeting multiple assailants all at once. Child's play for elite mages, for sure. But when those abilities were inexplicably nerfed for reasons beyond their control, mages - at least those who didn't train up to an adequate degree in physical combat - had a strong tendency to exemplify the whole 'glass cannon' trope.

Yep, she sure was lucky that he'd happened along when he did!

So why was she glaring at him and firing magic crossbow bolts at his friends?

"Ah, Einst, glad you could make it. Yeah, yeah, sorry 'bout that. But you know how it is."

The woman continued to remain on her guard, but she seemed to relax ever so slightly upon noticing the two women accompanying Crim and Einst. Perhaps seeing them placated some of the lingering doubts in her mind as to any possible ill-intent that the two men may have had. Or perhaps she was just playing possum now. Some sort of clever ploy, pretend to let her guard down and then...ZAP! Lightning bolt to the face!

Crim took a cautious step forward, doing his best to seem as friendly as possible. Not really too hard for him, although even when he was being genuinely friendly, he still had that criminal swagger about him, which could either help or hurt a situation, depending on who he was dealing with. Something about this chick screamed 'nefarious' to him, though. He was damn certain that she was intimately familiar with the underworld. Yeah, she lived there too, just like he did. Kindred, they were, most definitely.

"Relax, sweet cheeks. I wouldn't have saved your ass if I wanted to hurt ya. I'd have just let those mutant freaks do it. So you can go ahead and put that nasty thing away."

She pondered for a moment before apparently deciding that Crim wasn't lying. Lowering her crossbow and her guard, she let out a sigh of relief and stumbled a bit as she brought a hand up to her battle-weary head.

"Ugh...that was...really close." A light white glow emanated from her palm. A healing spell of some sort. Suddenly she became noticeably more alert, lucid. "I guess I owe you my thanks..."

"Crim. Crim El Furaga." The Captain offered a faux-fancy bow. "And these are my compatriots! Ludwig von Einst, Chloe Kleine, and...Princess Phacia!" He motioned to each member of his retinue in turn.

Crim didn't notice the twitch of her left eye upon introducing himself.

("Crim El Furaga!? Captain of the Yggdrasil Pirates! What the hell is he even doing here?") Her thoughts raced as she fought to keep herself composed.

{BGM: "Arc-En-Ciel"}

*ahem* "Err...yes. Nice to meet you all. I'm Viola. Viola Le Donnadieu," she said as she finally relaxed her guard.

She knew of Crim El Furaga by reputation, of course. You'd have to be living under a pretty big rock to have never heard of him, at least within the reaches of the Dimensional Federation and its incomparably vast territories. Hell, Crim and his pirate band were exceedingly well-known even beyond the scope of the Federation. Looking him briefly up and down, she mentally bopped herself on the head for not recognizing him. She'd seen plenty of wanted posters and vids depicting him, as well as a number of his cohorts. She really should have known. She turned her attention towards the others nearby. Blondie was one of Yggdrasil's heavy hitters, actually, with numerous bounties on his head to match. Viola recognized the pink-haired half-Elf woman too, but also recognized that she wasn't among the truly monstrous members of the infamous Yggdrasil Space Pirates. But even the lesser members of that particular crew were known to be exceptionally strong. So why wasn't she more worried? That was easy. In spite of their reputation, one thing that they were truly famous for was their altruism. Certainly a strange thing for a space pirate crew to be known for, but her sources didn't lie. The Yggdrasil Pirates were not bloodthirsty rapists and pillagers. Far from it. They were, first and foremost, dire enemies of the U-TIC Organization, which was the puppet master of the entire Dimensional Federation. That alone was nearly enough to earn her trust, and definitely enough to gain her respect. But even so, she would need to tread carefully...just because they were enemies of her enemy, didn't automatically make them her friends. And she really didn't need to be getting entangled in whatever fucked up business they had with U-TIC. Or here in this place, for that matter. Although...

A devilish spark lit up in her mind.

What she needed was a way out of this. Out of this situation, out of this awful place. Weighing the pros and cons, she decided that her best bet would be to throw her lot in with Captain Crim and his merry little band of misfits. For now. She'd use them to get her way, and then ditch them when the time was right.

She stepped towards Crim, smiling in a decidedly flirtatious manner.

"Hmmm, I'm certainly a lucky girl to have been rescued by such a heroic man. I was sure I was going to die back there."

"Haha, ya think so, huh?" Crim eyed her up.

"Definitely..."

"OOOOKAAAY! ENOUGH OF THIS!" Chloe suddenly popped up between them, completely disrupting Viola's flow.

The violet-haired mage stepped back a bit. "Excuse me? How terribly rude...!"

Chloe scoffed. "Hah! Don't even! I know your type! Floozy!"

Viola seemed taken aback. "Floozy? How dare you? I don't need to hear that from a half-Elf strumpet!"

"S-strumpet!? You're one to talk!"

Crim just stood there looking back and forth between the two women as they hurled insults and barbs back and forth. He should have expected this.

He looked to Einst, who just looked back at him with a shrug. Meanwhile, Phacia seemed to be rather fascinated by the spectacle. She probably wasn't used to this kind of thing, given her station and all. Plus, Elven races tended to not be quite so...heated, anyway.

Finally, Crim had enough and stepped in between the two, pushing them both apart.

"All right, goddammit!" He shouted, his voice echoing across the highlands.

Both women clammed up and looked at him. He glanced at Chloe and then at Viola.

"Just fucking relax...this isn't the time or the place for ten rounds of foxy boxing."

"But she...!" Chloe started to speak up again, only to be cut off when Crim shot her a sharp look.

"I know, Clo. I know. It's fine."

Crim turned his attention back to Viola.

"All right, missy, here's the deal. You don't need to waste time trying to seduce me. You can come with us. And you can ditch whenever you like. I don't care why you're here or what you're up to, either. You can tell us or you can keep it to yourself." His eyes narrowed, momentarily conveying a powerful menace within. "Just don't get in our way. How's that grab you?"

Viola felt anger welling up within her for some reason. Frustration. Who was this vile ruffian to speak to her like this? To see through her so easily? And that nasty half-Elf hussy...no, she needed to remain calm. After all, she'd still be getting what she wanted here. And with a free pass to do so. If anything, it had all gone swimmingly. Perfectly, even. Yes, no need to get upset.

She smiled sweetly at Crim, but it was laced with a bit of venom. "I find your terms acceptable. I shall assist you for the time being, and in exchange, I only ask that you allow me to accompany your group until I reach my destination."

Crim looked back to Einst and the others. "That sound all right to you guys?"

Einst offered a noncommittal nod, like he didn't care much one way or the other. Phacia was considerably more enthusiastic, appearing to be rather excited at the prospect of a new friend. Chloe, on the other hand...well...

"Tch...do whatever you want, idiot," she replied to Crim before turning her attention back to Viola. "Just stay the hell out of MY way, you hear!?"

And with that, Chloe stormed off towards her horse, muttering curses and expletives along the way.

"...Okay, then," Crim said in a nonchalant tone before turning to Phacia. "So, Princess, we're close to some village, right?"

"Umm...yes. A place called Aigelfern. Well, it's really more of a town than a simple village. It's still a bit of a ways from here. Maybe another hour."

"Sounds good." Crim looked back at Viola. "Reckon you can ride with Phacia."

"Yes, I believe that would be best," Viola replied.

Phacia smiled, obviously pleased with this decision.

And so the group set off once more, now with an extra member along for the ride...for now. Their destination: The Highland Town of Aigelfern.

{BGM: "A Town of Wind and Ruins"}

As the others chit-chatted and marveled at the sights along their way into town, Viola was careful with her words, only speaking up occasionally, offering innocuous commentary and limited insights. She didn't want to give away her advantage here, and part of that meant downplaying her own knowledge and capabilities. Which was a relatively simple thing in this god forsaken land. Ever since she'd arrived here (which was itself something of a long story - likely to be divulged soon enough, as she was pretty sure her newfound 'friends' were curious about it), it has been one pitfall, struggle and debacle after another, all because of the whatever-the-fuck-it-was that interfered so strongly with Ether. Some sort of powerful resonance waves that just made it frightfully difficult to access ones own power in an efficient manner. But she'd been working on it the entire time, trying to figure it out. Crack the code, as it were. She felt like she was getting a handle on it, but it would still take time before she was anywhere near her normal ability level.

She wondered if Crim El Furaga and Ludwig von Einst were having similar difficulties. The way that red-haired maniac fought those lesser vampires (they looked and behaved an awful lot like Ekimmaras, but...something was off about them) made her think that maybe they weren't having too many difficulties with it. Then again, it didn't really seem as though the space pirate captain had really employed much in the way of his famous Ether powers during that battle. It was all raw physical strength and skill. Granted, he was also famous for that as well. She decided to assume that they were also feeling some effects, but also assumed that it wasn't as severe as what she was feeling. Better to overestimate them than to underestimate them.

This talk of these... Vega's, though, was of some interest. If nothing else, it could provide a quick fix for her current predicament. And if she played her cards right, there could be some money in it as well. Rare and powerful magical enhancements from a unique culture? Collectors ate that shit up! And so did arms dealers and warlords for that matter. She could make a killing!

"Um...are you okay, Miss Viola?" Phacia asked as their horse clip-clopped at a leisurely pace along the cobblestone-like path leading through the town.

"Oh, yes, child, I'm perfectly fine, just taking in this lovely town," she replied, offering a sweet smile as visions of fat stacks of cash floated around in her mind.

They followed the others up towards a large building made mostly of some kind of smooth grey stone. A sign hung above the door, written in Elvish (of course) read: "The Zephyr Inn and Tavern". Crim stopped and hopped off his horse.

"Reckon we ought to stop here for now, yeah?"

("Thank god!") Viola thought, an expression of relief upon her gorgeous face. Horseback riding always made her ass ache something awful. She never understood how anyone could tolerate it.

She hopped off and glared menacingly at the horse, looking it straight in the eye, as if to say 'filthy beast'. This actually made the horse rear back a little, bumping into Chloe on the other side as she was hitching her own steed up.

"H-hey! Jeez! Stupid...ugh. Calm down..." Chloe patted the horse on the neck, calming it. "What's got you all worked up?"

By that point, Viola had already disappeared, following Crim into the inn, where the others would surely join them shortly, at which point they would be able to rest up a bit, perhaps share a meal, and discuss how to proceed. There was also the promise from Phacia to explain these Vega's, as well...

{BGM: "Warm Supper"}

Crim stayed mostly silent during Phacia's mid-meal explanation of the Vega's. He picked a couple of them up, examined them closely, and noted that they did indeed seem to contain some interesting ethereal properties. In fact, they reminded him a fair bit of Materia. Not exactly the same, but in principle, there were definite similarities. Another thing he noticed had less to do with the Vega's directly, and more to do with their new friend, Viola, who seemed to be particularly enamored with the vibrant jewel-like magical artifacts. She was trying to contain her excitement, but her efforts were only skin-deep. Crim was able to feel the sudden spike in her emotions. Felt like a mixture of optimism and...greed. Not malicious, per se, but it was quite powerful. When the first reaction is such a decidedly negative empotion, and so strong at that, well, it tended to be rather telling of a person's overall demeanor and, in all likelihood, their broader intentions.

He looked over at her, and she noticed his expression straight away. Almost immediately, she reigned herself in, and the Captain was no longer able to sense much of anything from her. She smiled back at him, innocently, sweetly, and he offered a kind grin in return. But he knew what she was all about, now. Not that he hadn't suspected something like this from the beginning. He had figured that she was some sort of treasure-hunter or ruin-raider -  why else would a human come to this place all by their lonesome? Sure, maybe her half-assed story about 'magical research' made a certain amount of sense, too. But that was such a common excuse. She probably thought they were a bunch of rubes who would fall for something so basic. Still, he didn't see any real harm in allowing her to tag along, and even now, after getting a spiritual whiff of her greedy underlying nature, he still saw her presence as being more beneficial than not. A shrewd woman like her wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth, after all. She almost certainly viewed him and his friends as an efficient means to an end. Cheap protection from the nasty beasts and monsters that roamed these lands. And if her journey was aimless, or had hit a dead-end, simply tagging along with them could really net her some breakthroughs in the treasure department. Or, if things went terribly south, she could just cut and run.

Crim was pretty sure that's exactly what she'd do, too. Which meant they couldn't rely on her in a real pinch. But for the time being, she'd make for a useful enough ally...

...as long as she and Chloe didn't claw each other's eyes out.

{BGM: "The Great Sorceress"}

It seems yet another argument had broken out between the two of them while he'd been mulling things over. He took a big chomp out of some kind of bird-meat leg and watched the spectacle with a blank look on his face.

"...WHAT did you say to me!?" Chloe shrieked, her face beet red as she stood up and slammed her hands on the table, rattling everything on it in the process.

Viola seemed indifferent as she sat back, one sultry leg crossed over the other, looking at her finely-polished purple nails.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I offend you? I thought you were a Half-Elf, though? You said so yourself, earlier..."

"I AM!"

"Then what's the problem?" Viola replied, seemingly bored.

"YOU SAID MY OTHER HALF IS PIG, YOU BITCH!"

"Oh ho ho ho...yes, well, you have to admit that it's an easy conclusion to come to, yes? I've never seen such a chubby Elf in my life."

"I'M GONNA KICK YOUR SMUG STUPID FACE IN...!"

Chloe attempted to lunge across the table at Viola, only to be held back by Crim, who quickly got up and moved in behind her. Chloe thrashed around wildly, but couldn't escape from Crim's grasp. Viola, of course, chuckled, finding it all too amusing. Crim had to admit that he thought it was pretty funny, too. Pestering Chloe was one of his favorite pastimes, and he couldn't help be respect Viola for being able to get under her skin so easily. Still, it was getting to be a bit much.

"All right...settle down. Come on, Chloe, you know she's just trying to get a rise out of you here," Crim said as the Half-Elf continued to rant and rave like a coked up lunatic who just got kicked out of her favorite nightclub. Sputtering off expletives and making really graphic and oddly-specific threats.

Meanwhile, Phacia just looked on in wonder, apparently fascinated by the entire ordeal. He swore she'd be jotting down notes if she had a notepad or something. Einst, for his part, just sort of chuckled, shaking his head.

After a few minutes, Crim finally managed to calm Chloe down by dragging her outside to get some air. She complained incessantly for a while, but as usual, once out of the immediate situation, she came to her senses.

The two of them came back in and sat down, though Chloe still seemed somewhat miffed, refusing to even look at Viola, who meanwhile didn't even so much as offer up an apology.

"Yeesh..." Crim sighed, and looked to Phacia. "...Well, anyway, about those Vega's. Is there a place where we can get some? I wouldn't mind trying a few out. Sounds like they might really come in handy."

{BGM: "Street Corner"}

The Vega Shop was a curious place, all right. Full of all kinds of trinkets and accessories and such, with each one containing some measure of innate power, courtesy of the mysterious Vega's. He browsed the place on his own, looking over various different pieces as he contemplated an ideal setup for himself. After a while of not finding anything particularly to his liking, however, he began to grow bored. What use would a guy like him even have for any of this crap, anyway? He was plenty powerful enough already, and heck, it's not like any of the monsters around here had proven to be all that strong, in spite of the land itself apparently being bound and determined to work against them (although he was gradually coming to 'understand' the complexities of this phenomenon, little by little).

He was just about to give up and head back to the inn on his own when the old shopkeep came up to him.

"Not finding anything to your liking, I assume?" The old-timer spoke in Elvish, his voice a bit raspy, yet dignified as one might expect of such an elder. He had to be well over a thousand years of age, maybe even two.

"Nah. I don't think this stuff's for me," Crim replied in his Xenogaian-accented Elvish.

"Hmph, you speak well, for a Human," scoffed the shopkeep.

"You meet a lot of Humans, old man?" Crim asked with a slight smirk.

"Nay, not many. But some. Your kind are most prolific throughout all creation, it seems."

"For good or ill, right?"

"Hmph. Come, boy. I may have something that will suit a man of your skill."

"Eh?"

The old shopkeep hobbled off towards the back, apparently expecting Crim to follow. With a shrug to nobody, the Captain obliged and followed after him. The elderly Sky Elf moved around his counter and began to rummage below, just out of view. Crim waited, only somewhat impatiently, as the shopkeep dug around for a minute, occasionally placing the odd Vega upon the countertop without poking his head back up. Finally, he stood up, cracking his back and letting out a sigh of relief before looking at Crim.

"Well? What do you think, lad?" He asked curtly.

Crim leaned in for a closer look. Thanks to his highly-attuned Ether senses and overall capabilities, he was able to intuitively discern the powers that any given Vega would bestow. He examined them closely, and as he did, a smile crept upon his face.

"Hey, not bad, old man. Not bad at all. I think you've just made yourself a sale. Well...as long as you can do your cutty-thing with these."

Crim rolled up his right sleeve and removed his Kaiten Bracer, placing it upon the counter. Then he took the big ol' Dark Maul axe from his back and put it there too.

"Think you can work with these? The bracer in particular is..."

The old Sky Elf had already picked it up, looking it over closely.

"Hmm...interesting. Never seen the like, but I believe I can work with it, yes, yes...give me some time." He snapped his fingers and Crim's axe was surrounded by a strange misty blue aura...apparently some sort of Vega. Made sense that the old guy would be able to use them himself, of course.

Crim waited while the shopkeep worked on his stuff. He had no idea what kind of process it was, but it struck him as being at least somewhat similar to various other methods that he was familiar with, such as that employed by Rune Sages and Rune Blacksmiths.

Much to his surprise, it didn't take long at all before the shopkeep was back, presenting Crim with his newly Vega'd up equipment. He put his bracer back on, and then took the axe in hand, looking it over as he felt the newly-acquired abilities contained within.
"Huh...whaddaya know. I think this'll actually come in handy." He gave his axe a deft twirl before returning it to the sling on his back. Then, clenching his right fist, he sent a small jolt of Ether through his arm, just to test the proverbial waters a bit. "Thanks, old man. You're all right."

"Bah. I need not your praise, boy. Only your coin."

"Haha...yeah uh...the little missy is gonna take care of that part."

"You mean her highness, lad?" It was the old Elf's turn to smirk.

"Hah, figured an old codger like you would realize."

"Hmph, it matters not to me. Royal affairs make little difference to us low-borns. Coin is coin, regardless, and if nothing else, the royals have coin in spades."

"Yeah, I reckon they do."

It was a little while longer before everyone was looked after. Chloe and Viola took a fair bit of time to figure out what they wanted, but they eventually settled on various Vega's that would allow them to access some of their higher-level spells with greater speed and ease, in addition to some basic Ether and Elemental augmentation (with Chloe favoring Fire/Wind/Healing and Viola favoring a more broad spectrum of elements focusing primarily on offense alone).

Finally, it came time to leave, after Phacia paid what Crim could only assume to be a pretty penny. They all appreciated her generosity, but at the same time, took it without any shame. After all, they were helping her out too. A fair trade, all told...not that they were expecting a reward, per se. Not expecting, expecting. Ha ha ha.

Anyway, they returned to the inn, but along the way, Crim happened to stop at a vendor when a pair of short Elven Gladius-style swords caught his eye. They were already outfitted with a couple of Vega's. Phacia graciously purchased the blades on his behalf, as they were apparently on sale. Twin Zephyrs, they were called, and were equipped with weapon-specific Vega's known as Arc Wind C - Common Utility types that generated mid-range Wind Elemental blades whenever the weapons were swung. Not too shabby!

Back in his room, Crim took his axe and new swords and set them aside. That bed was looking real nice and comfy...

He fell face-first upon it and within seconds he was snoring away.

Meanwhile, in the mountains beyond the town...

An excessively pale-skinned Sky Elf with long flowing dark purple hair and red eyes hovered above what could only be described as a demon horde - a whole host of snarling creatures ranging from goblins to hellhounds to lesser vampires. The Sky Elf was clad in the dignified raiment of a noble, along with a dark cape that fluttered in the icy wind as his form silhouetted against the bloody red-tinted crescent moon.

"Heed the words of your master, my horde," the Sky Elf spoke, his voice ominous, seething with ill-intent. "Go forth and sow destruction. Feed upon the blood and flesh of the living. Leave none alive. So sayeth I, your master, Lord Aigenleif."

Lord Aigenleif smiled, revealing telltale vampiric fangs, as his horde obediently turned and descended upon the unsuspecting town of Aigelfern, where Crim and his allies rested peacefully...

{BGM: "Atrocious Raid"}

Crim practically leaped out of his bed as he felt a sudden spike in danger. This occurred several seconds prior to his ears picking up on the first anguished screams from townsfolk. He rushed to his window and shoved it open, sticking his head out, only to quickly pull it back in so as to avoid a swarm of vicious bat monsters as they flew by with a mangled torso already being torn apart by their ravenous bloodthirsty fangs and claws.

"For fuck's sake!" Crim exclaimed as he grabbed his gear and jumped headlong out the open window, somersaulting forward once before landing in a crouching position in the middle of the street. There were already fires blazing nearby, courtesy of a group of what appeared to be hellhounds spewing flames and barking up a storm on the heels of fleeing citizens. Wasting no time, rushed forth, slide-tackling the nearest hound and sending it reeling and yelping in pain into the side of a parked wagon, smashing it to pieces on impact. This took the other hellhounds by surprise, but they were quick to react all the same. Enraged, they descended upon Crim, only to be met by a flurry of deadly green-tinted blades that sliced and diced through them, sending their ethereal essence splattering outward in black and red geysers that evaporated mere seconds after being exposed to the air. The evil canines vanished, banished in a single fell swoop, though one yet remained - the one that Crim had sent careening into the cart earlier.

It growled at him as he stood up, sheathing his Twin Zephyrs. The creature seemed to be sizing him up. Cautious for a low-level demonic beast. Most likely they were being influenced somehow by a master of some sort.

"Figures," Crim muttered. "Welp, might as well test the other thing, then."

Cautious, the monster was, sure. But still not smart. It started sprinting full-bore towards him, recklessly bearing its gnarled teeth, aiming to tear his throat out, probably. Too bad it'd never get the chance to even get within a dozen feet of actual striking distance though, as it was met suddenly by the business end of a fiercely glowing chain-whip. The impact hit the hellhound dead-center between the eyes, which caused it to stop in its tracks and stumble like it was suddenly paralyzed. It writhed on the ground for a short time, obviously experiencing tremendous pain as its body began to become bloated and disfigured by Holy energy erupting from within itself, before finally bursting in a rather spectacular display of gore.

Crim retracted the chain partway, spinning and allowing its momentum to partially coil the glowing weapon around his arm.

"Ha! Nice! I like it!"

There were no more demons in the immediate vicinity, but he could sense them literally everywhere. The whole place was fucking infested.

He knew the others would be roused by now, and they'd all know what to do. No need to wait around. So off he went, dashing on ahead as usual, directly into the thickest part of the fray...

{BGM: "Stand Your Ground"}

Crim swung from a streetlamp using his Sacred Chain Vega, whipping himself up overhead of a group of the bipedal bat-like monsters. He had since confirmed these creatures to be lesser vampires highly similar in nature to Ekimmaras, which are themselves a fairly generic breed of vampire found all throughout the cosmos. They attempted to lash out at him as he soared above them, swiping with their long, thin, dagger-like claws, only for their efforts to be rewarded by swift, nearly invisible blades slicing and dicing their outstretched arms to ribbons. The Captain landed several meters up the road, spinning to face them as his forward momentum caused him to slide for a short distance. He returned one of his Twin Zephyr swords to its sheath, and leveled his gaze upon the injured vampires. Crippled though they were, their primitive rage prevented them from acting in anything other than a reckless manner as they charged towards him, shrieking with unbridled fury.

Short on patience for any more of this nonsense, Crim simply raised his right hand, at which point the symbol for the Rune of Heaven appeared in the air above him. It then exploded with a holy brilliance that saturated the entire area, enveloping everything in a pale green and blinding white radiance. When the light faded, the creatures were gone, reduced to charred piles of smoldering ash. Crim didn't even bother to stick around to see the result, having already fled the scene. His objective was further on, towards the center of the city. That was where he was sensing the strongest power. As he drew closer, he was able to differentiate between three distinct entities: two of significant strength, and one that was stronger still. He was willing to bet that the strongest of the three was probably the one in charge of this fiasco.

He raced past a group of small goblin-type monsters who were about to descend upon a lone Sky-Elf woman. As he did, a powerful gust of wind kicked up and knocked the creatures off their feet, sending them spiraling and sprawling through the air. As Crim continued on his path, the goblins were torn apart all at once, their mangled bodies falling in pieces as their dark blood rained down upon the street. The woman, now covered in goblin blood, sat up, eyes wide with shock as she wondered what had even just happened, unable to fully process any of it.

All in all, Crim had cleaned out dozens of monsters along his path already, but they just kept on coming. Fortunately, the local guardsmen had mobilized rather quickly, and seemed to be generally well-equipped and well-trained. He witnessed several groups of them along the way, fighting off the monsters and saving civilians. Thus, he was confident that his decision to go directly for the head honcho was the correct one. Also, he knew that Einst was on the way as well. The only question would be whether his comrade would catch up in time to take part in the main event!

Speaking of...

He came to a halt on the edge of a circular plaza of some kind. It was lined with a variety of what appeared to be merchant stalls, with a tall obelisk-looking monument in the center. Beyond that, a large building with a bell tower. Maybe a church or something? Or a city hall kind of deal? He wasn't sure. Didn't matter, anyway. He took a few steps forward, keeping his eyes peeled and his senses tuned up.

{BGM: "Cryptic Mood"} 

Place was oddly quiet and devoid of any riff-raff. He could smell fresh blood, though. And the whole place was thick with a dark power...those three he sensed earlier. But they were somehow concealing their precise locations. They were close, though, that much he knew. Typical vampire trickery. Normally he'd be able to pinpoint them easily. This fucking place with its ethereal shenanigans!

"Fine, whatever...we'll do this the ol' fashioned way..." He muttered to himself as he walked forward slowly. "Oh, no, I seem to have gotten separated from my unit!" Crim spoke loudly in his accented Elvish. "Whatever shall I do!? I sure hope no monsters jump out and GET me!"

The shadows stirred. Crim smirked.

"Heh..."

He lashed out to his right with his Sacred Chain, severing the darkness with its white-blue tinted holy light. Just then, a pair of shadowy entities split apart from the affected area, moving at a blur to normal vision as they hopped along multiple stall roofs until they both came to a halt several meters in front of Crim. At first, their forms were vague, appearing like beings of flickering dark flames with blood red, menacing eyes glaring forward from an eternal abyss. But they soon took on a more corporeal appearance. Their true physical forms.

Both were large, beast-like, covered in gnarled fur, save for their faces and torsos, which remained bare. Their skin was pale, grey, like that of a corpse, but they certainly weren't dead. Though not exactly 'alive', either. They had long ears, akin to those of the Sky Elves, but their faces were entirely different. Lacking proper noses, as though they'd rotted partially off, with deep sunken eyes, and freakishly large mouths filled with jagged fangs. They looked like hideous, dried-out husks of horribly mutated man-beast chimeras.

There were obvious differences between the two though. The one on Crim's right was taller, but more lean and lank, with dark grey-ish fur. The Captain estimated that one was about ten feet tall. The other one was a couple feet shorter, but much more muscular, and had dark brown fur.

Crim retracted his Sacred Chain, wrapping it partially around his forearm. He rested his other hand casually on the hilt of one of his swords as he stared down the beastly duo.

"So, you must be the two lapdogs. I'm here for your boss," Crim said, his tone coming through as a mix of bored and cocky.

The two creatures looked at him, then at each other. Then they began to converse. Not particularly surprising to Crim, as he'd already known that some of these fiends had to be intelligent. They spoke in Elvish, which was...interesting.

"What say you, Straeglmir? Is this one of the interlopers we were informed of?" The taller one spoke first, his voice raspy.

"Hmph. You jest, Haestlmir. This one is but a mere insect." The shorter one replied in a deep growling voice.

"And yet..." Haestlmir, the tall one, turned his head as if to inspect Crim. "He appears to possess great power..."

Straeglmir, the short one, sighed. "Hmmm, well, my friend, you are not wrong..." He too turned and set his eyes upon Crim. "And Lord Aigenleif instructed us to dispose of the interlopers, after all."

Meanwhile, Crim stood there, looking bored as hell as he picked his nose with his pinky.

"Eh?" He seemed to notice the two of them staring at him all of a sudden. "Oh, you guys're done now? Great, now you can take me to see...whoa!"

Crim sidestepped a huge freakin' rock the size of a cart being hurled at him. It careened through the air and crashed into the far wall surrounding the plaza, destroying a portion of it with a loud crash and an explosive impact that sent debris flying all around.

{BGM: "Beast and Brute, Monster's Claws"} 

"Ha! You missed!" Crim laughed, only for the wind to be knocked out of him by a swift kick to the gut, courtesy of the taller beast man known as Haestlmir, who apparently was able to move quite fast.

The kick was hard, and Crim was sent hurtling into the air as a result. But he recovered quickly, righting himself in mid-flight. Normally, he'd have immediately launched into some sort of counterattack, but he was kept on the defensive due to the other one, Straeglmir, appearing in the air directly in front of him, already poised to attack. The hulking beast offered a smug, toothy smile as he brought both of his massive interlaced fists down upon Crim in a mighty downward hammerblow. It was all Crim could do to just raise his arms to block in the nick of time. The impact, of course, was thunderous, and sent the Captain crashing back into the ground with enough force that it actually cratered the cobblestoned street and kicked up a huge cloud of dust.

Straeglmir and Haestlmir reconvened some distance away, looking on as they waited for the dust to settle.

"Hah. And we were led to believe this one would be trouble," Straeglmir scoffed.

"Indeed...perhaps we've been misled?" Haestlmir replied, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"What of his companions? We were told there were others, were we not?" Straeglmir inquired.

"Aye. But only one other was said to be a threat. Just the two male humans. The females are inconsequential. But we must remember to acquire the young princess unharmed..." Haestlmir trailed off at the end. "Hmm?"

"What is it, Haestlmmmpphk!!"

Straeglmir was cut off in the mid-speech as he was abruptly struck in the face by an incredibly fast-moving object. Turns out, that object was Crim's knee. It wasn't until just after the impact that the dust cloud from which he had emerged suddenly dispersed due to a blast of raw physical energy - the energy unleashed due to his sudden acceleration. The sonic boom came hot on the heels of it all as well, rattling all of the nearby stalls, knocking several of them over, sending odds and ends flying and scattering every which way. And now it was poor ol' Straeglmir's turn to be sent flying! Tumbling and rolling through the air, his big dumb head smacking into the roof of stall, shattering the structure to pieces as his momentum carried him all the way to the other side of the plaza, where he was finally brought to an abrupt and likely unpleasant stop by the surrounding wall, not unlike the big ass rock he'd tried to long-range brain Crim with earlier.

Haestlmir's eyes widened as he only caught a brief glimpse of Crim before the red-haired space pirate seemingly vanished. He didn't go far, though. Just a quick little spinning maneuver to get in behind the lanky bastard. He could have easily delivered a lethal strike in that instant, but instead chose to simply deliver an extremely punishing elbow strike directly to the back of Haestlmir's skull. The angle of the blow, coupled with its sheer power, caused the tall beast man to plunge face-first into the ground. He hit it so hard that cracks splintered out from the epicenter where his face met the surface. Crim stood over the fallen Haestlmir's twitching body for a brief moment, before rather gracefully leaping up and away, performing a backflip for extra style points before landing soundlessly next to a partially trashed fruit cart, at which point he grabbed an apple-like fruit, polished it on his sleeve, and took a hefty bite...

...only to end up spitting it out in disgust with the sourest possible look on his face.

"Blech! Dear god, what the FUCK! Bleagh! Ptooey!" He cursed in plain Xenogaian English as he chucked the disgusting not-apple into the sky, beaning a weird bird with it.

"KAW!!"

"Ah, shaddap!" Crim snapped as he rubbed his sleeve across his mouth and spat again. "Why don't you come down here, huh, four-eyes? I'll smash your glasses!" He yelled up at the bird as it flew off.

"Fuckin' unbelievable...huh?" He returned his attention to the beast man duo. "Ah, right. I was beating the hell outta you two, wasn't I?"

Crim took the time to dust himself off a bit. He had a cut on his forehead, just above his right eye, seeping a small amount of blood. His clothes were covered in dust and dirt, giving him an even more disheveled appearance than usual. But aside from that, he seemed to be perfectly fine.

The beast men began to stir as they recovered, and Crim started talking again.

"I gotta hand it to ya, I wasn't expecting you to be able to attack that effectively. Everything else up till this point has been pathetic. So I'll give ya that, shame on me! Ha ha ha!" He cracked his neck from side to side as he narrowed his sharp, green-eyed gaze upon his adversaries. "However...don't expect any more freebies."

A wave of 'killing intent' emanated from Crim to punctuate his words, which, if nothing else, signified to anyone present that he was starting to get serious. As to just how serious...well, that would depend entirely on what the enemy was capable of bringing to the table. Crim knew these two were clever. Maybe not as clever as they thought themselves to be, but certainly a cut above the bottom-feeding riff-raff he'd encountered thus far. And there was no denying that they possessed considerable power as well. It was almost a certainty that they were holding back, too. The question was...how much? He doubted they were holding back enough to overcome his own capabilities. Well, at least under normal circumstances. But these weren't exactly normal circumstances, so he had to be a bit more cautious than usual.

But only a bit. He was quite sure that, individually, neither was sufficiently powerful enough to take him on, even while he was being forced to hold back the majority of his strength (particularly his Ether power). Physically...they were probably about even. The bulky one might have a slight edge. Although that was just as a baseline. Crim had already deduced that he could safely utilize a portion of his Ether Flow techniques in order to bolster his physical abilities, which would in all likelihood push him well beyond what both of these chuckleheads were capable of, combined. But he couldn't know that for absolutely certain...not without pushing them a bit more. This was familiar ground, but still semi-uncharted as well, after all.

"Hnngh...ghh!" Straeglmir stumbled to his knee as he picked himself up from the rubble. "H-Haestlmir...!"

"Mmmpphf..." Haestlmir mumbled, his face embedded in the ground.

The two of them managed to stand up, unsteadily. Straeglmir was covered in marks and cuts, seeping black blood, and one of his eyes was bulging out awkwardly. He was also bleeding quite profusely from his nose holes. Haestlmir's face looked even worse, though, which was a real feat in and of itself, considering how fuckin' ugly he was already. Most of his teeth were chipped or outright shattered, and his whole face was cut up and smashed to hell. There was also a caved-in spot on the back of his head where Crim had driven his elbow.

"Blugh...gghmph...S-Stregggle...mmerrr..." Haestlmir slurred his words, seeming pretty out-of-sorts as he stood, his body somewhat limp, swaying.

Crim laughed.

"Are you all right there, pal? It looks like you're trying to speak! But you just took a HELL of a hit! Ha ha ha! You wanna sit this one out?"

"Rrrragh! You insolent CHILD!" Straeglmir roared as he rushed to the side of his ally.

"Hoo...man. Ya know what? I think ya boy there might have a touch of the ol' brain damage, haha!" Crim mocked them, as if he didn't even care about the situation. In truth, he absolutely did care, but his plan involved getting a proper rise out of them. To infuriate them. Make them throw caution to the wind.

Seems like it was working like a charm, so far.

And it was right about that time that he noticed that the two of them was actually a 90-foot-tall sea monster from the paleolithic era...

No, actually, that was a different episode.

What actually happened, and it was subtle, which was why Crim hadn't noticed it straight away, was that both of them were exhibiting traces of dark energy, specifically concentrated around their injuries. Semi-passive accelerated healing factors. Not entirely unexpected, but irritating all the same.

He heard some sick cracking sounds as Haestlmir's skull gradually reformed itself, taking pressure off his brain. All at once, he seemed more alert, more upright and steady on his feet.

"Hmph. How cheap. Healing. And after all my hard work, too," Crim assumed his usual 'relaxed' combat readiness stance.

"We are superior, especially to the likes of mere human trash such as you and your ilk!" Straeglmir shot back, his words coated with malice.

"Yeah, that was a superior nose dive you took straight into yonder wall, I must say. Same goes for Hissleschmidt or whatever your name was. Superior face plant there, bud." Crim gave the 'okay' hand signal, smirking all the while.

"Your crude gestures only hasten your doom, human!" Haestlmir hissed through his still busted up teeth.

"Show me!" Crim replied as he motioned for them to 'bring it', while sporting an expression that screamed 'battle crazed'.

Finally, it looked like he'd be able to have some goddamned fun!