Reasons and Motives (Graceful and Altamira)

“You know how dangerous time travel is from experience, humans are not fit to have that kind of power yet. The portal should be located in the courtyard of the ruins, check for a small pool with any type of stone near it.” Valion spoke, his voice slightly distorted as it passed through the speakers next to the miniature screen.

“Is that ‘humans are not fit’ thing aimed at me?” Nyle replied, using Glamrin to cut a path through the thick vines that covered the path.

“Well, after the temple incident, yes, even now you’re using an artifact that can destroy all of creation to cut a path. And you say I’m the cautious one.” The angel said casually. Mumbling under his breath, the soldier shoved the screen back into his pocket and concentrated on cutting through the vines.

Why is it that since the temple he’s never let me do anything that takes skill… Nyle thought to himself, not concentrating on where he was going, and accidentally hacking into a tree. Pulling the sword out with a swift movement, the soldier noticed that he had neared the ruins of an ancient city. Sheathing Glamrin, Nyle started looking round, nearly tripping as his feet brushed pieces of fallen wall.

“Wonder what happened here?” Nyle muttered to himself. Clambering onto a nearby building, the soldier looked around for any sign of the time portal, and saw a white light emitting from the center of the ruins. Deciding that staying on the rooftops would be easier, he began to jump from ruin to ruin, slipping several times despite the easy grip boots he wore. After a few minutes, Nyle came upon the courtyard, and was amazed to see that it was the only place that wasn’t in ruin. The walls were clean and unmarked, the small pool that lay underneath the portal was crystal clear, and the floor was incredibly white. Scanning the walls, the soldier saw that there was no way into the courtyard except by an aerial decent. Smiling at his luck, Nyle jumped into the closed off courtyard, landing squarely in front of the portal, his feet soaked by the water. Drawing the screen once more, he flicked on the switch, watching as once more the angel appeared on the screen.

“I found it, how do I destroy it?” Nyle said.

“Since you carry so many weapons it should be easy. Find the main power source and destroy it, if its self sustained destroy everything in sight, the portal should disappear after that. But be careful when it’s destroyed, a time explosion can sometimes destroy more than the place it’s situated in. I should have done this myself, instead of sending you.” The angel replied, shaking his head at the last part. Mumbling again, the soldier drew Glamrin from its sheath once more and began hunting about the pool for anything that looked like it would sustain the portal.

Ooc: okay remember that your characters want the portal to stay there until they can use it, but you can’t hurt Nyle since this is a Crossroad thread! Have fun.

The midday sun beat down upon Cila as she flew over the thick jungle. Traveling in the sun wasn’t her preferred time of day but she wasn’t sure if she could find the ruins in the dark. Besides, the dragoon had just happened to reach the area at this time. She observed the myriad of life moving through the rainforest, a few eyes of curious creatures peered up at her. The mercenary wished once more that it was night so she could use her Shadow spell and all but completely hide herself. However, she wouldn’t turn around, not until she knew whether this time portal she heard of was real or not. If it was real, perhaps she could use it to right the wrong that ruined her life. Perhaps she could stop her father from stealing her away from her mother and unborn sibling. It if could, the repercussions mattered little. The dark dragoon realized those were selfish thoughts but she would do anything to be home again.

Lost in her trail of wishes, Cila almost didn’t notice the ruins of a once-great city rapidly approach. It sprawled out several miles with decayed streets forming complex web of travel. Even though she knew it would be easier to locate the portal by staying aloft, the dragoon folded her wings and landed gently in the midst of the city. The stones were colored yellow, either through time or the original inhabitants of the ruins. The streets felt smooth on her bare feet despite several vines and other plants disconnecting them from one another. She ran a hand along the crumbled wall, noting that those building blocks were just as soft and no mortar had been used to bind them. The people that built this place must have either been masters or extremely gifted with magic to craft like this. It must have been an elegant place in its prime but now was little more than an area for flora and fauna to reclaim.

“Yes, reclaim...” the dragoon murmured as she once more drifted back to thoughts of her sad childhood. Filled with resolve, Cila spread her scaley wings and launched into the sky, trying to spy anything that would serve as a portal. She noted how somewhat ironic it was that she had no idea was what she was even looking for. However, a faint, white glow that came from the center of the ruin caught her attention immediately. The female glided in that direction until she came upon a courtyard that didn’t seem ravaged by time like the rest of the city. The walls were even smoother, white, and clear of any blemish. The grass was green and neatly trimmed, not overflowing such as the rest of the ruins. It seemed time had stopped for this place, and for good reason. In the center was a pure pool of the water that reflexed like a mirror. But what hovered above was amazing. The portal floated in the air, a swirling mass of off-white energy. Cila couldn’t believe that she had actually found it. Now, maybe, she could right some of the wrongs that had been done.

However, before she hurtled down into the courtyard, the mercenary spied a man slowing walking around the pool. His keen eyes were attentive, looking for something important. What really worried Cila was that he carried around a large, light blue sword in his hand. She didn’t know what he was doing there and she didn’t like. What if he is here to use the portal as well? she wondered. The dragoon wouldn’t be surprised if other people had come here for this gift. Then again, he may be a being that doesn’t want anyone using the portal. The female landed quietly on the top of one of the walls and observed him. She would wait for the man to notice her. And she kept her hand on the grip of her whip incase she had to fight for the right to use the portal.

OoC: This probably will not make sense unless you read my last two old training posts, especially the first, as they explain things about Avello. Here are the links to them: first, last.

BiC:
A young dragon struggled to stay aloft in the sky. Hanging from his talons was the silhouette of a petite woman, overcast by the shadows of the trees. The duo swept through the forest, bobbing down with each flap of the flying creature’s wings.

“Put me down here,” Cadenza commanded finally, once the toe of her slipper grazed the aged cobblestones. Her companion, Avello, released the woman from his claws with a whine, and landed gently beside her. He waited patiently for her to turn around, possibly give him directions, but the gypsy kept her back to the dragon. She knew he wished to follow her. She couldn’t have that. “Go back,” Cadenza ordered.

Her voice was stern, her tone inflexible… Avello had learned what that meant. Still, he had grown attached to his master, and wasn’t about to leave her on her own in a strange, abandoned city. He stamped a foot down, indicating that he wasn’t about to budge. He was resolute, and he continued to stare at his master in challenge.

…There was a tense silence.

“…You know I’m more stubborn than you are,” Cadenza said, face impassive. Her eyes were fixated to a single point in the distance. She wouldn’t even smirk as she often did. The dragon had never seen her this serious. He cried again, having lost the little battle, and then took to the air.

Once the flapping of wings had gone out of earshot, the gypsy cast one last glance over her shoulder to the cold skies. …Goodbye, Avello. If I am to succeed in this undertaking of mine… I will not be there to protect you on the mountain where you were born. Please… forgive me.

She heaved a sigh of guilt, and then quickly proceeded further into the city, searching for the courtyard the portal was rumored to be in. While there was still time to ponder the ramifications of time travel once more, action was more Cadenza’s speed. She had grown to care for Avello, and even empathize with the orphan, but she had to admit to herself that her reason for searching for the portal meant far more to her. When weighing the consequences with the possible rewards, the answer was clear. After all, time travel would bring him back. And along with him... it would bring the old, content Cadenza back.

ooc: sorry it took so long.

Bic:

What would something that can sustain a rip into the very seams of creation look like? Nyle thought to himself. After twenty minutes of searching around, the ex-soldier finally gave up, sitting down next to the pool. Closing his eyes, Nyle visualized what Valion’s face would be like when he reported back without being able to destroy the thing. But as he resigned himself to defeat, the cyber angel’s words rang in his mind.

If its self-sustained destroy everything in sight…

Smiling to himself, the hunter snapped open his eyelids. Taking care not to get too close to the portal, Nyle rooted about in his pocket and pulled out a small purple missile, which was meant to be loaded into the V.M.H.P.S on his back. Pulling a small pen like object from another pocket, the ex-soldier aimed the tip at the center of the missile.

“I’ll just slice this thing open and blow the entire ruin to… ruin.” Nyle chuckled. Pressing a button on the pen, the small object emitted a burst of golden light that slowly cut into the rocket. Once he had cut a perfect circle, part of the casing fell away, revealing an intricate mess filled with wires and a small tube filled with purple liquid. Careful not to touch the vial, Nyle pulled a small grey square from under it, sweat running down his face from the pressure.

“Careful, careful.” Nyle mumbled. He knew if he dropped the square he would be dead, for the cube was a block of concentrated explosive, and it could blow his hand off easily. Looking for a good place to start the explosion, the ex-soldier saw the perfect place, a small hole where the water from the pool was emerging. Smiling to himself, Nyle stashed the block in the hole, along with a sixty second fuse that wouldn’t be put out by the water. Taking a match from his pocket, the ex-soldier prepared to light the fuse, but as he moved the lit piece of wood something caught his eye. Dropping the match into the water with a hiss, Nyle studied the object. It was a person, but from its outline it wasn’t human.

“Come down from your perch, I don’t bite.” Nyle shouted casually. The thing didn’t move at first, but after a few moments it lifted its head, revealing itself to be a female.

“I said come down.” Nyle shouted, more firmly this time. Putting a hand to his temple, the bounty hunter turned round and walked over to the pool and took a seat on its edge.

At the human’s command, Cila lightly jumped off the wall and landed on the soft grass. “Who are you?” the dragoon asked first.

“That’s depends,” the man replied, “What are you doing here?”

The mercenary looked over the mysterious person before answering. He didn’t look like anyone she had ever seen before. Though carrying a sword was fairly normal, his other metal weapons weren’t. The dragoon didn’t know what he had planted near the water basin but had a bad feeling about it. “Are you from another time period?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” he answered with a smile.

Cila, though she had suspected that, was none the less surprised. It seems this portal does work. Or time travel is possible, at least. “Then, you traveled through this portal?”

“That would be pretty stupid seeing as how this portal isn’t going to be here much longer.”

The dragoon narrowed her eyes, “What do you mean? Are you planning to destroy it?”

“It seems ‘humans are not fit’ to use the portal,” he shrugged.

“But I’m not human.”

He eyed her form, “Close enough. Look, my orders were to destroy this thing before anyone comes, uses it, and messes things up. Sorry but you’ll have to find somewhere else.”

“I have to use that portal,” Cila stated and laid a hand on her whip.

Likewise, the man put a hand on one of his metal weapons, “Lady, you don’t want to do that. You wouldn’t stand a chance against me.” Then, he turned a little apprehensive. “You wouldn’t happen to be good with magic, would you?”

The female was a little taken aback from the question, “I know a few spells. Why? Can’t handle magic?” She wasn’t interested in fighting with his person. Cila only wanted to use the portal. But seeing as how he was about to destroy it, maybe she would have to fight.

“A few spells, huh. Well, as long as you aren’t a mage, I don’t think you’ll be much of a problem. I don’t want to fight but this portal’s going down one way or another,” he announced.

OoC: Sorry for the shortness of this post, I've been experiencing terrible Writer's Block lately.

BiC:
When she reached the courtyard, she could see there were two of them, and they were revolving around each other warily. The shadowy figures she had seen earlier where now born anew with the light, one clad in silver with a sword seemingly crafted of diamond, and the other with far less clothing, and scarred all over, with black wings protruding from her back, and a whip clenched in her hand.

Quite the unique bunch, Cadenza thought to herself. Both appeared to be rather unorthodox, yet skilled fighters. She couldn’t deal with both of those attributes in one foe, let alone two. Thusly, she kept her bow on its hooks, and approached the portal cautiously, keeping her hand poised to draw her dagger if worse came to worse. She stopped a few meters before the pool, and took cover behind the stone fence, praying the two fighters wouldn’t spot her there.

From her vantage point on the elevated terrain, the gypsy gazed up into the portal, spellbound. All times, all eras were interwoven by this single vortex of what Cadenza assumed was pure energy. This wormhole, that defied logic, and any science Cadenza had ever been educated in, was the possibly the answer to all her hopes. It seemed so simple.

The conversation between the two fighters stopped abruptly. In her state of awe, Cadenza did not realize she had gasped when she first viewed the portal. Now both battlers were glaring at her peacock feathers that were barely visible above the ridge.

The man took a step closer to the fence. Cadenza couldn't help but feel he exuded some strange sense of authority, and she didn’t like how that made her felt. It was almost… intimidating. “Come out,” he commanded.

The gypsy grumbled silently to herself. Curses.

Ooc: sorry about the wait, but I hate writing like this while my computer is in a dodgy angle.

Bic:

“Come out,” Nyle shouted, his gaze fixed on what he assumed was another person. The figure didn’t move at first, but after a few moments it stood up, revealing that it was another woman. She wore a white shirt and a dark purple skirt, which all in all made her look quite attractive. Shrugging the feelings off, the soldier pointed the tip of Glamrin at her.

“People have been shot by me for less than what you have done, I suggest you join this other woman before something bad happens to you.” Nyle said calmly. It took a few moments for the woman to realize that he was threatening, and it seemed she didn’t like it. But after glancing at the holsters on his legs, and the irregular shaped thing hidden in his coat, she jumped over the wall, landing smoothly next to the dragoon.

Why is it that as soon as I want to destroy or kill something, people turn up?Nyle thought, rubbing his head with his free hand.

“Why won’t you allow us to use this portal?” the dragoon asked, her hand still grasping her whip.

“Because… it’s too difficult to explain, I’m blowing this portal up and you can’t stop me.” The soldier retorted, drawing another match from his pocket.

“If you can’t give us a decent reason, then why should we let you blow us the portal?” the newcomer said coolly. Groaning inwardly, Nyle watched as the two stood shoulder to shoulder, blocking his path to the portal, and the fuse that lay behind it. His face becoming grim, Nyle put the match back into his pocket.

“If you think this will stop me then your wrong.” The soldier muttered, his hands slowly reaching for his guns.

“There’s no need for confrontation, if you just let us use this, then you can blow it up. Everybody wins.” The newcomer said calmly, seeing where his hands were straying to. Cursing under his breath, Nyle leant against a nearby wall, knowing that he was going to have to give the time theory speech that Valion always preached to him.

“You just don’t understand, do you? Time travel is a very dangerous thing. Do any of you two know how to navigate your body through a time-stream?” the hunter asked casually. The two shook their heads.

“So how do you know what to do? For all you know when you get in there, you could just end up five thousand years in the past!” Nyle laughed. The two looked a little worried, they had probably just thought that once they got into the portal that was it, they would be in the exact place and time they wanted to be.

“Also, even if you did get back into the correct time, you probably wouldn’t get the right location. Time portals will only open in places where others have created rips into the time stream, so you could end up in the middle of the ocean. And if you somehow managed, on blind luck, to get the right time and place, what would you do? If you alter anything big in the time stream, such as stopping a person from dying, the time stream would have to find another course. The person would still die on the same day, but just in a different way. Time cannot be changed, only altered to have the same results. And after you try and fail to change something, how would you get back? The time portal would self seal on your end, so you would be stuck anyway.” Nyle continued, and watched the effect of his speech. The two now had some serious looks on their faces, both deep in thought.

“How, how do you know all this?” the dragoon stuttered. In reply, Nyle swung Glamrin round, and with a quick thrust, cut into the air, opening a portal that was similar to the one over the pool.

“Personal experience.” The soldier replied wearily. The two looked at the new portal, which after a few moments disappeared.

“So… do you still want to use the portal?” Nyle said after a few moments of silence.

Ooc: I had a very cool idea while writing this, your characters could if they wanted, try to persuade Nyle to take them to the time and places they want.

He can make his own portals, Cila noted as the sword’s portal slowly shrank into nothing. But the dragoon still need to use that portal. Even if she didn’t end up where she wanted to be, there really wasn’t anything for her in this time, either. “You say time cannot be changed but what if someone didn’t want to change time, only to see an event?” she queried.

“Then look it up in a history book,” he answered.

The female narrowed her eyes, “I’m not interested in quarreling with you. I simply want to know something, nothing more. Unless you can find a book with dragoon history in it, I am going to use that portal.” Her home, Grydon, never interacted with the outside world anymore. Going through time would be the only way to see if her mother or sibling survived.

“Hey,” the gypsy suddenly stated, “Why don’t you take us where we want to go?”

The man shook his head, “Why should I?”

“You can create portals with that sword. You can still destroy this portal and take us through one you made yourself.” she ended.

The dragoon nodded, “Yes, you would still be completing your mission.” She then glanced over at the other woman, thankful she was there as well. Cila didn’t know why she was as intent to use the portal but it must be a good reason. Then again, it is not my place to try and delve into another’s past. I must figure out my own first. Mother...

Even if I can’t save him, I don’t care. Anything’s better than languishing here, lamenting the fact that I never got to say goodbye. If I could even change how he died, grant him a peaceful send-off in his sleep, I would do anything.

Cadenza stepped forth. “We understand we cannot alter anything, and still wish to go. I believe that merits your aid enough. Despite the risks, it seems both of us are still willing; that resolve speaks volumes for our reasons.” Reasons I’d rather not have to tell to some stranger. Some of us value our privacy greatly, the gypsy added, in thought.

The dragoon beside her nodded in agreement with each of her statements, and Cadenza found herself appreciating the back-up. Judging from the scars on the other female, she thought she mind find the dragoon’s past very interesting, if the creature were ever to share it with her. In a different situation Cadenza may have asked, but satisfying curiosity didn’t rank very high on her current list of concerns. She returned her gaze to the man before them, awaiting his response with a decidedly cool air.

“You still don’t understand. If you go through and don’t return, then the time flow will be ruptured. Without staying in your own time, events are affected. For example, say if one of you was destined to lead an army into war in the future and you didn’t, there would be disastrous results. And another thing, if you interfere with your own history, such as altering the outcome of something major in your life, your current body would disappear, and whatever you altered will change back. So no, I will not take you anywhere, and the portal returns to whence it came, oblivion. I will not be responsible for letting someone destroy the fabric of existence, and I will not be stuck at a desk job again for letting you go.” Nyle murmured. Without waiting for a reply, the ex-soldier moved forward before the two could stop him, pushing them both into the pool.

If interference is encountered, incapacitate anyone who obstructs achievement of the primary objective…

Leaning backwards with little effort, the mercenary flipped over, removing one of his NCMG’s as he did. Using the cross-hair centered in the middle of his eye, Nyle shot once. A 9mm bullet sped past the two women, clipping the very bottom of the fuse, setting it alight in the middle of the water. Landing on his feet once more, the ex-soldier watched as the girls looked in horror at the fuse, which was burning incredibly fast.

“You have two choices before you, jump into the portal without a guide and wipe yourself from existence, or leave this place with your life. Choose your fate, and choose it fast, for when that fuse finishes burning, you won’t get any.” Nyle laughed. Bringing out Glamrin, the ex-soldier swung it deftly in front of him, obviously enjoying the drama. Of course he wouldn’t let anyone die, but he wouldn’t let them go into the portal either.

Either way, you will end up disappointed… the mercenary thought, walking backwards. When the portal exploded, he would have to be long gone, which was why he had drawn Glamrin. Hopefully the time freeze would provide him and the others enough time to leave.

It seems the man has no intention but to destroy the portal, Cila decided as the fire burned the fuse rapidly, He even seems to be enjoying this conflict. The dragoon looked at the fuse, the man, the other woman, and the portal. I thought perhaps I could see if my mother and baby sibling were still alive. That I might have some family left. I’m not really interested in changing the past, just knowing about it. Then she looked directly at Nyle, “What if we are suppose to go through the portal? What if not going damages time?”

“Lady, going through time is never what’s suppose to happen,” he replied, rolling his eyes.

“Then, are you not damaging time yourself by being here? You apparently travel through time and yet proclaim it is damaging. What if what are you doing is the damage?” she questioned, challenging his authority of the subject. She turned back to the portal, It does not matter if I have a guide or not. I will not lose anything by going, I have nothing here. Her thought turned to the image of her father’s limp body, his neck broken by her own whip. Yes, there is nothing here for me. With that thought, the dark dragoon started walking towards the portal.

I’m disposable, according to Vivace.

Cadenza looked from the portal to the fuse, weighing her options. She knew her worth.

…What of my parents and other sisters?

The fire near her feet grew brighter. The tension in the air was rising exponentially.

The gypsy bit her lower lip, hating the indecisive stance she had taken. Do I have time for my Premonition spell? Or Enchantment, dare I freeze this man and take my chances? Those incantations took minutes. They had mere seconds.

Finally, the dragoon beside her stepped forward towards the portal. As she did so, a sinister thought crossed the gypsy’s mind, and a wry smile lit her face: Let the man focus on her. See what he does. If he does indeed kill her I must… she sighed inwardly, flee.

“Lady, I have no future, anything I do cannot affect the time stream, simply because my thread of time has been removed. Without a thread, you cannot damage time, because you are not supposed to exist in time, but since my thread still exists, I still exist.” The mercenary said causally.

“What do you mean?” the dragoon asked. Still wary that the fuse was still burning, Nyle compressed the data into a simple form.

“Let’s say time is a tapestry, and the patterns are things that have happened. If you remove a thread from the tapestry, it can ruin one of these patterns. My thread exists on the outside of the tapestry, and it can lay on any pattern, but still not effect it since it is not part of the overall tapestry. Do you get it now?” Nyle shouted back. The dragoon just shrugged her head, and continued walking towards the portal.

Why do I have to do everything the hard way? Nyle thought, sighing inwardly. Sticking Glamrin into the ground, the ex-soldier watched as the silver ripples of energy emanated from the sword, stopping all time around him. But when the ripples came into contact with the pool, they bounced off, leaving the two women un-phased by the attack.

“How is that possible?” Nyle muttered in disbelief. The fuse had only seven seconds left to burn, and by the time it had finished, the dragoon would be long gone, lost in time. The gypsy surveyed the area around her, her eyes glued on a hummingbird stuck in time.

“Stop!” Nyle yelled, making the two women look at him. Groaning again, the mercenary drew his NCMG again and fired off another round, this one clipping the fuse near the top, making it drop off.

“I will take you where you want to go, just don’t use the portal.” The ex-soldier grunted.

“Are you telling the truth, for all we know you could just say that and then blow up the portal.” The gypsy asked skeptically. Watching as the time flow returned to normal, Nyle dreaded that he now had to go against the angel’s orders.

Ooc: Okay, Nyle will rip you portals, all you have to do is tell him what date, year, where, what exact time and minute, and what event. But… since Nyle still wants to keep his non-desk job, he will just rip you a hole into a prison, but it will be in the exact time that your characters wanted it to be.

I'd rather the dragoon go first, but... Cadenza eyed the dragoon ahead of her. Trying to recall dates and times, she figured. The gypsy herself knew exactly where and when she desired to be.

...Why spend another minute here?

"You have yet to deceive us, and you are our only hope of going where we wish. I suppose, on second thought, I will have to trust you." Perhaps not wholly, yet still... Cadenza didn't like the idea of placing her fate in another's hands, but the fact that the man could rip a portal to the correct time and place was somewhat comforting.

The gypsy stepped forward. "Take me to August second, two years ago, to the Blancwood army's briefing prior to the battle of Città. I wish to be in the Blancwood bunker in Valemort, Cernilia, at precisely 4:00 in the morning."

The dragoon beside her looked at her askance, no doubt suspicious as to what sort of business a gypsy would have at a war site. Looting, perhaps? Cadenza found herself scowling slightly at the thought.

OoC: Apparently there was an order, but I wasn't aware because generally I just waited for both of you to post after I did because I usually had nothing in mind to write before then. Sorry Graceful, hope you don't mind that I posted before you.

OoC: Naw, I don't mind. Just as long as you guys don't leave me in the dust. ^_^

BiC:

Time, place, and event? the dragoon asked herself, Well, if my mother and sibling are still alive, they are probably still living in Grydon. Though, I really don’t need an exact moment to see. Maybe I’ll wait for an example... Cila listened to the gypsy’s request with interest. A battlefield? War causes many deaths. It is most likely that the reason she wants to go through time is something happened to someone during this war. The female was slightly touched by the woman’s devotion to a person which caused Cila to wish she had someone close to her. Maybe I will after this. She then turned to the mercenary who was impatiently waiting for her request. “Take me to the edge of the Yana Forest 13 years ago on October 24th at midnight.” If she remembered correctly, that was the date that dragoons had their annual festival on. Even if the date was wrong, it didn’t matter too much and the nighttime would be perfect for her to sneak around in. This time, the human was eyeing her with curiosity. Perhaps she can know after I’ve found out the truth myself, the dragoon decided.

“Okay, okay,” Nyle replied after some mumbling, “I’ll get your portals all set up. Just don’t do anything to wreck the time threads.” He unsheathed his sword and cut the air, causing a time portal to appear suddenly. “This is your,” he stated while pointing to the gypsy. Then he slashed another one open and pointed at the dragoon, “And this is the one you take.”

Without a second thought, the assassin walked up to the portal and entered it. At first, she seemed to be compressed under a great weight. Thankfully, that ended after only a few seconds. Cila felt as though she were moving though wherever she was it was completely blank white. There was no indiction that she moving at all. I wonder if someone can get lost between times, she questioned then quickly dismissed the thought. Since the mercenary seemed so intent on them not getting lost or ruining anything, she doubt that he would purposefully trap her between times. Finally, a dull light began to show itself and the end of the white time tunnel. Her body speed towards it and suddenly she was standing on solid ground.

The dark dragoon appeared to be in a room of sorts. It was composed of a dark brown brick that was slick with water and moss. A small window was near the ceiling and, between the iron bars, one could see a moon hanging high in the sky and surrounded by twinkling stars. However, the room had only three walls. The fourth was a wall of iron bars and a locked door. She had ended up in a prison. “Humans,” she sighed, knowing Nyle had sent her here.

Ooc: October 24th? That’s my birthday!

Bic:

A smile crossed the ex-soldiers face as he watched, from a safe distance, the portal explode, sending out a silver shockwave that turned everything in the surrounding area to rubble. Of course, Nyle wouldn’t have let the women go freely to wherever they wanted in time, it would have cost him a lot more than his job. The mercenary was an expert at creating portals, and he had actually followed what the women had said to the letter, except they were now both in nearby prisons, under maximum security lock and key.

Maybe someday I’ll go back and fetch them, but till then I’ll let them rot until enough sense has accumulated in their brains.

A sudden chirping sound filled the air, and Nyle fished the small screen out of his pocket. Pushing the button, the ex-soldier saw Valion sat in the middle of the screen, a smile on his face.

“Well done Nyle, it seems you aren’t as incompetent as I once thought.” The angel said happily.

“Thanks… I think. So, was this enough to convince you that I don’t need to stay at the office?” Nyle asked, crossing his finger.

“Well, okay, but if you make anymore screw ups, its back at the building until the end of the year.” Valion muttered.

“Great! So, what’s next on the agenda?” the ex-soldier shouted.

“A man in the city of Cielo needs to be assassinated, come back for briefing and to pick up Cani, he’s been incredibly irritating since you left him alone.”

Cielo, where have I heard that name before?

“I’ll be back in a while, I need to pick up some supplies.” Nyle mumbled. Switching the screen off, he pocketed it once more and began walking away.

Ooc: Not a bad battle, you can each do one more post if you want, where your character either somehow returns to the ruins, or try and fail to alter time.

It was an all too familiar sight. A Blancwood prison. Or rather, this time it was the holding area for the Blancwood army’s prisoners of war.

The warden seated at the oaken desk beside the door had seemingly nodded off hours ago. The loud thud that echoed throughout the jail when Cadenza struck the cold hard floor awoke the middle-aged man. He trotted over to the cell she had appeared in, and looked her over with an unreadable expression in his eyes. The gypsy thought it might have been pity, of all things.

“A gal P.O.W.? Now that doesn’t seem right.” He flipped through the spiral pad in his stubby-fingered hand, and stroked his sienna-colored mustache with the other. “I don’t see a dame on this here list. Someone must’ve made a doozie of a mistake.”

Cadenza smiled innocently at the man and batted her eyelashes. Under her breath, she was cursing the man who had sent her here. This is why I don’t trust anyone but a Madrigal.

“Well, little lady, I suppose there’d be no harm in lettin’ you go free.” He rummaged through his pockets for the key, and when he found it, unlocked the cell door without a second thought. “Why don’t ya go on down to the mess hall and get your pretty little self some grub?”

Cadenza nodded and stood. Before she walked out, the warden smacked her on her rear and whistled in pleasure.

After much wandering, the gypsy found the area of the bunker in which the briefing was being conducted. She congratulated herself on having the foresight to request being sent here earlier than said briefing was scheduled to start.

The room was the most fortified of all those she had seen in the complex. Scores of infantry men stood at attention, listening intently to the General. General Harving, Cadenza realized. The man who had notified her of Paris’ death after this battle.

Gasps sounded throughout the room as the gypsy entered. Paris froze up in shock, unsure of whether he was more happy or startled. Or worried, with his beloved wife so close to the dangers of war.

Cadenza felt utterly elated to see her husband’s face again, but she maintained some measure of self-control. “Paris, dear,” she began, in a calm tone. “Please, before you say anything, allow me to explain.”

Paris continued to gawp, but nodded.

“If you would, please come walk with me for a bit, sweetheart.”

The man looked at his General for permission, and when it was granted, saluted him and followed Cadenza out into the hall.

When they had turned the corner and were out of sight, Paris took his wife into his arms and kissed her deeply. The gypsy was awash with joy, a joy she had not felt in ages. After a few moments she regrettably had to break off the kiss, before what she had prepared to say became lost in the pleasure.

“Honey, this… is hard to explain. No degree of eloquence is going to make what I have to say any more believable, but I hope you will accept it as truth.”

In this situation, most people would tell her that anything she says is true, he thought. Paris had more than enough respect for his wife than to patronize her with those kinds of statements.

“With the aid of a powerful fighter, I was… sent back in time two years. I am not the Cadenza you know now. I am a thief. A puppet of my sisters. A… a widow. I came here in hopes that I could change my future, but the fighter that sent me here has told me that is impossible. Still… I refuse to allow events to occur in the way they have in my time. You, my sweet, will not survive this day… but I can only wish you will not perish in the way you did originally.” The gypsy looked down, and a single tear splattered the olive green stones underfoot. A solitary stream of mascara ran down her flushed cheek to accompany it. “And… I… I wanted to say goodbye to you before that dreaded time arrives.”

The soldier stood still, completely dumbfounded. His wife did indeed look somewhat different than he remembered her. Older in a way, and genuinely troubled, more so than one could be over the course of two normal years. He embraced her tightly, and kissed her gently on the head. After much thought, he broke the silence, “My death will be a soldier’s death. An honorable death, and in the name of Blancwood, my home. I would not have it any other way.”

Cadenza’s heavy, labored breathing was the only noise that followed. Her chest jerked with sobs.

“But… I would never protest a farewell with my heart’s fondest angel.” Paris gently nudged his wife’s chin up, so that her dark blue eyes met his of gray-blue. He kissed her once more, just as gently, and whispered in her ear, “Goodbye, my love. Do not forget me.”

"G-goodbye..." Cadenza managed, trembling.

The dutiful soldier then marched to reunite with his comrades, and into the storm of battle.

Not long after, his wife was unceremoniously swallowed up by a portal of silvery white light. The gypsy was thrashed about in the tumultuous tunnel, her tired body lacking the power to fight the current of pure energy as she was violently whisked away to where the wormhole would lead her. The vortex spat her out on a burgundy carpeted floor somewhere where the air was laden with particles of sand.

Her sister Algretta stood before her, tinkering with a strange machine that belched a series of beeps as the portal closed above Cadenza. “We couldn’t very well lose you, sister,” she said, studying her younger sibling from behind blue-tinted goggles. “With my magic and a great deal of support from this apparatus, I was able to trace you and summon you back here. Vivace suggests you never attempt that again, however. It severely drained my…”

Algretta’s legs wobbled. “Energy,” she rasped, and then she blacked out.

Cadenza heaved a sigh of long-suffering and reached into her quiver. Her hand grazed paper. General Harving’s letter, she thought. Paris… is still dead.

OoC: And that's all for me. I enjoyed this, and I'm excited to see what Graceful posts.

Cila was pondering what could be done about this new situation when a guard started his rounds in the jail. He jumped a bit when he looked into the newly occupied cell. “What the hell are you doing in there?” he demanded.

“I sent here by someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing,” she replied curtly. Nyle’s little trick had irked her.

He looked her up and down, “Well, if you were put in there, you must’ve done something. Best you stay.” He seemed a little apprehensive about talking to her. Most people were, thinking she was a demon or something similar because of her dragon wings. The dragoon simply sighed and gathered dark magic in her hand.

“Hey,” she called out, causing him to look at her. When he did, she launched the orb of darkness in his eyes, temporarily blinding him. Afterwards, the female took her whip and lashed it around him, dragging the guard to her cell. She then knocked him out and took his keys. “It would’ve been simpler if you had just let me out,” she stated as she unlocked her door. Using the keys again, Cila left out of the back entrance for guards and other helpers around the jail, seeing as she would probably have a fight on her hands if she left through the front. This must Kunia, the village closest to the Yana Forest. It seems that man isn’t completely untrustworthy. Making sure no one was around, the dragoon quickly cast her Shadow spell, rendering invisible in the darkness, and took to the sky. I’ll have to be careful in the forest, she reminded herself as the ground whizzed by, No one is allowed in or out of Grydon. If I’m caught... well, it wouldn’t be good.

Upon reaching the forest, the assassin quickly landed. Flying through the forest would be too dangerous. Not only could she, embarrassingly, run into a tree but she could also accidently fly into light which would dispel her cloaking spell. She darted into the forest, trying to go as fast as she could without completely wearing herself out. At some point she would make short glides to conserve energy and cover more ground. After what seemed to be an hour or two, lights appeared in Cila’s field of vision. She ground to a halt and make her way slowly to the edge of the light. Thankfully, her memory seemed to have held. A great bonfire was causing the light and several hundred dragoons were nestled around it. A group of them were dancing around the fire while the others were simply enjoying themselves. Around the outer edge, the dark dragoon spied a group of three dragoons, a man, woman, and child, sitting comfortably by a great tree. The female’s breath caught as she recognized one of the dragoons. “Mother,” she whispered quietly. It took all of her strength not to rush over and just be with the woman. Her wings were brilliantly purple with brown in the same style as Cila. The warrior silently lamented that she took more after her father than mother, hopefully not in all thing. The man sitting next to her was an earth dragoon with muscular, brown wings. He himself was average by earth dragoon standards, large by all other, and was sitting protectively by the two. I’m not surprised. My mother would want someone to be with after my father stole me away. She held no grudge against this replacement husband, rather, she felt glad for her mother. Cila then turned to the small child between them, Then that must be by baby sibling. My baby sister... The child, no more than four, had lustrous purple wings and brown hair like her mother.

Suddenly, the mother turned her eyes to the child. “Look,” she said softly, the dark dragoon could barely hear her, “Kai’s fallen asleep.”

“But the festival isn’t over yet,” the earth dragoon reminded her and as she gathered the child in her hands.

She stood up, “Oh, but she deserves to sleep in her own bed. I’ll put her to rest and then be right back.” The male nodded in confirmation and Cila’s mother walked off.

At that point, the assassin dropped to her knees and almost lost it. Tears started streaming down her face, My family... they’re-they’re still alive. For the first time in a long time, she smiled, Maybe my future isn’t as bleak as I thought it was. Maybe... maybe I still have a place there, she sniffed quietly. The dragoon tried to be as quiet as possible, though it wasn’t easy. Being caught now wouldn’t do her any good. Even if her mother did see her, she wouldn’t recognize the grown up version of her first daughter. Sniffing again, Cila stood up and wiped the tears from her face. I know what I’ve come to see. I suppose I can go back to the present. Staying here wouldn’t do me any more good. The female slipped away from the forest like she had never been there and made her way back to the jail. When she entered through the back, she saw that the guard was still unconscious by the cell she had occupied. Isn’t anyone interested in where he is? she questioned worriedly. However, more importantly, a swirling time portal had appeared in the cell, an unavoidable signal that she was suppose to go. Returning the keys to the guard, Cila entered the portal and twisted through the fabric of time. I wonder where I will end up. I suppose it doesn’t matter... she suddenly ended that thought. No, now it did matter what happened to her, she had a family. Now it did matter.