Legend of the Everglow Part 1: Northward Bound

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Zero Venkage
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Re: Legend of the Everglow: Northward Bound

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"I thought you'd never ask," Zero scoffed. The green haze of vegetation slowly started to give way to a dusty filter over the landscape. The smell of dew and leaves grew drier and more stale. The smog of the wastes cast its film over the thinning fauna, kicking up dust in the duo's wake. Zero took his time, letting them transition more into the rust tinged desert growing around them.

"It's actually a gift for a dear friend of mine. I told them next time we see each other, I'd have a surprise," he said, scanning the arid, cracked soil speckled with modest, hardy plants suited for the climate. The heat emanating from the ground made a sweltering biome, but the sun barely poked through the overcast skies. "You like surprises, don't you?"

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Dalazar Denkou
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Re: Legend of the Everglow: Northward Bound

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"I thought you'd never ask," Zero scoffed. The green haze of vegetation slowly started to give way to a dusty filter over the landscape. The smell of dew and leaves grew drier and more stable. The smog of the wastes cast its film over the thinning fauna, kicking up dust in the duo's wake. Zero took his time, letting them transition more into the rust-tinged desert growing around them.
The white-haired duo had been trotting the face of Vescrutia for a while now. As they dashed over the horizon the once plump, plush flora of the forest gradually transitioned into a murky almost desolate-looking expanse. With its visage came a wafting smell of waste and some kind of fume that hit Dazuma sense.

"Ack! Holy mother of Vesrcru-"

Where the hell were they now anyway? He mentioned they would be coming across the many battlefields that littered vescrutia, was this really the smell of decay? And if so, just what was doing the decaying?
"It's actually a gift for a dear friend of mine. I told them next time we see each other, I'd have a surprise," he said, scanning the arid, cracked soil speckled with modest, hardy plants suited for the climate. The heat emanating from the ground made a sweltering biome, but the sun barely poked through the overcast skies. "You like surprises, don't you?"
"Ah, No"

Dazuma said with a raised index finger and a rather somber face. It was true though, he kinda hated surprises. His overly logical brain needed to know all things at all times. his state of being right now, being a runaway from his kingdom, and being hunted put the whole concept of surprise In the trash for him.

"Not at all"

His reaction to this funk-ass place should validate that enough. Zero didn't mention it smelled like the bottom of a mulch barrel out here. He wore his nice shoes out here today to. The price one must pay for trying to be stylish in the field.

"You're a really cryptic guy ya know that?"

In the very short time he's known him that was something virtually irrefutably in his observation. He never spilled too much tea. Just enough to keep you engaged and even more so questioning and gazing about. Dazuma could only guess at what kind of secrets laid slumbering underneath all that coded personality of his.
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Zero Venkage
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Re: Legend of the Everglow: Northward Bound

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He giggled to himself knowing full well the brevity of his explanations. It was just in his nature, not letting too much out of the bag too soon. His reputation tended to precede him in the arenas he frequented. His closest comrades all found ways to make names for themselves that reached far across Vescrutia. Meeting someone who didn't recognize him put Zero at ease, or it would if they could be trusted.

"Yeah, I know. It's a bad habit of mine. My natural charm and devilish good looks tend to work in my favor anyway. Thanks for coming along though."

Zero stepped toward off the bluff and slid into the sand dunes cascading before him. The expanse of desert varied wildly in elevation, the horizon speckled with sharp juttings and odd shapes of stone, all resting on a wavy bed of cascading sand. He descended slowly enough to turn and address his new companion.

"Roundabout here I gotta do a last double check you wanna come along on this trip. It could get really, REALLY "'fun'" he squeaked making quotes in the air with his hands.

"Y'know, the kinda 'fun'", air quotes, "that' so much 'fun' that it could 'kill' you," he chuckled. "And I'll probably owe you a favor or two by the end of it." Zero turned back around and continued to skate the dune, heading toward a more solid basin to coordinate on. "If you have something to do in the next couple of days, I'd understand if we had to part ways here. But man road trips are great! Would love to take one with ya sometiiiime!"

Zero slid down easily, knowing he could keep Bo safe as long as they were together. His friend on the other side of the desert was a lovely host and an quite hospitable character as long they could reach them.

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Dalazar Denkou
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Re: Legend of the Everglow: Northward Bound

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"It's the charm for sure"

It was true. Zero had a certain air about him that made folks gravitate towards him. Whether that was a good thing through and through though remained to be seen. He was right about the devilish good looks to. Bo would bury the fact that it was in part why he approached him. His physicals traits …they mirrored the young Ri'ore prince's own features. Caramel skin, hair like a fresh blanket of snow, eyes that carried a fierce some gaze.
"Roundabout here I gotta do a last double check you wanna come along on this trip. It could get really, REALLY "'fun'" he squeaked making quotes in the air with his hands.
"I'm starting to think we have two very different definition of fun my good man"

Bo said with a slightly nervous look. The horizon became littered with dunes of varying sizes. Bo found his self for a brief moment standing there. Amidst the horrid smell the piercing flare of the sun upon his skin for just a ingle moment reminded him of home. How the sun would always peer into his room warming his face. Filling his body with love and appreciation for the way it covered his entire kingdom atop the mountain range of the Emerald Ascension.
"Y'know, the kinda 'fun'", air quotes, "that' so much 'fun' that it could 'kill' you," he chuckled. "And I'll probably owe you a favor or two by the end of it." Zero turned back around and continued to skate the dune, heading toward a more solid basin to coordinate on. "If you have something to do in the next couple of days, I'd understand if we had to part ways here. But man road trips are great! Would love to take one with ya sometiiiime!"
"Oh you definitely gonna owe me just for my shoes alone"

Bo said as he noticed Zero starting to slide down the dunes. All this damn sand was getting in his socks. In a second he was about to trek it barefoot. Besides...he couldn't turn back now. More accurately he had no where to turn back to. This was the only lead he had and even this was not a solid one concerning his mission. It was for experience. His journey was going to be a long one and he needed to start somewhere. Whatever his reservations, whatever his fears. He wasn't about to turn tail now. He followed suit making his way down the dune not to far behind Zero

"You're not getting rid of me that easily "

Bo would say with a slight wink as he was just a foot or two behind Zero trailing him to the right of him. His scarf fluttered in the winds dazzling in the sunlight. The various gem strings that comprised it echoing the sun impact on it's colors causing the sands belong to dazzle slightly as well.

"Guess you're gonna have to make sure I don't have to much "fun" then"

He was shitting bricks but something about this all made him feel like in the end it was all going to work out. This was the thrill of exploration, unpredictable outcomes, placing your life on the line for the sake of discovery…progression; evolution. Nothing was going to shake his resolve to see this shit through to the end.
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Zero Venkage
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Re: Legend of the Everglow: Northward Bound

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Zero chuckled looking down at the bowls of sand at Bo's feet. It was super fine and silky sand, the kind that gave way right when your toes settled into it. They sank and are surrounded in a silky warmth that absorbs a little more of you the longer you move in the same spot. The bedrock slab they landed on kept their ankles afloat beneath the silty waves.

"You're probably gonna have way more fun than me. You get to experience the grandeur of the Ganjun Wastes as a tourist!" Zero motioned his hands to the wide expanse of desert surrounding them. The forest was invisible now behind rocking dunes, waves of tarnished gold cascading all across the horizon. It was speckled with some rock formations and dark spots in the distance, waving wistfully in the heat soaked mirage. He turned with a wink and a wave of his hand and a gust of wind blasted the stone slab free of a speck of the dusty stuff. Zero wanted to do what he could to salvage Bo's precious little kicks and get moving a bit faster. A small dust devil whipped up between the two of them, sure to catch any more of the sand particles wedged in Bo's shoes. Zero stepped forward and up its cyclone shaft to rest comfortably inside its eye. He waved Bo into the space beside him.

"Get in loser, we're going door shopping."

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Dalazar Denkou
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Re: Legend of the Everglow: Northward Bound

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"You're probably gonna have way more fun than me. You get to experience the grandeur of the Ganjun Wastes as a tourist!"
So this was the Ganjun Waste? A vast sea of sand and death? The stench was still assaulting's his nostrils luckily his scarf blocked most of the smog. It was dank here yet held an eerier dryness. As they neared the apex of the horizon Bo was finally able to see a bit of the forest as he continued trailing the dunes. His almost were almost about to water and not just front he putrid, murky air around them. But the fact that his shoes just might survive this ordeal.

"At this point nothing seems more fun than a nice hot bath"

Oh yes, that was a beautiful idea. The thought of the last bath eh had sent a chilling since of nostalgia through his body. The heated almost molten measures of the waters that filled his gold and jade encrusted tub. The sweet scent of lilac that emanated from his soaps. The refreshing sensation of washing away all of his fears, doubts and insecurities clasping himself in love and self care. How he longed for the day he could enjoy such pleasantries again.
"You're probably gonna have way more fun than me. You get to experience the grandeur of the Ganjun Wastes as a tourist!" Zero motioned his hands to the wide expanse of desert surrounding them. The forest was invisible now behind rocking dunes, waves of tarnished gold cascading all across the horizon. It was speckled with some rock formations and dark spots in the distance, waving wistfully in the heat soaked mirage. He turned with a wink and a wave of his hand and a gust of wind blasted the stone slab free of a speck of the dusty stuff. Zero wanted to do what he could to salvage Bo's precious little kicks and get moving a bit faster. A small dust devil whipped up between the two of them, sure to catch any more of the sand particles wedged in Bo's shoes. Zero stepped forward and up its cyclone shaft to rest comfortably inside its eye. He waved Bo into the space beside him.
Bo's eyes would widened as he stood in awe of Zero's stunt. A user of wind? This was it, the air of familiarity he felt when he first met Zero. The scent of wind based naten. It reminded him of his brother. His twin brother. The gale in his storm of lightning.

"Oh?"

He said as he felt the sand being lifted from his socks. HIs cloak became a bit lighter as it flailed in the gust of Zero's conjured gales.

"Well would you look at that"

He said as he mirrored Zero's movements and found himself nestled quote comfortably actually in the eye of the "storm".

"Now this is how to travel"

He said with a smile. Bo was no stranger to naten nor magic. He had spent the brunt of his entire life with his nose in the books and his fingers charged with it's essence. Still it never ceased to amaze him the varying levels of creativity and finesse that different wielders of naten could and have aspired to express.

"It seems my assumption is correct."

He said as his eyes drifted lazily to the side.

"There is certainly more to you than meets the eye"

What else could this man do....the more he was around him to more question arose. This was going to be one hell of a journey. His eyes now fixated forward.
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Zero Venkage
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Re: Legend of the Everglow: Northward Bound

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"I have my quirks," Zero said as he relaxed into a comfortable lounge in the center of the storm.

The cyclone began creeping its way forward, cruising across the desert landscape. Slowly at first to allow Bo time to get himself situated, the tiny tornado slipped over the dunes quietly. Zero lazily surveyed the dusty scenery speckled with carrion and rock formations. It hadn't changed one bit since he last crossed. His party was a lot smaller this time, just the pair making the journey, but it bode well for the nature of the trek: low stress, low profile.

"So, this is the fun part of the trip. If you get thirsty, we can find an oasis somewhere."

The sun beating the dunes made a lovely mirage out of the whole horizon. The sea of gold undulated endlessly, small details wisping in and out of focus from the heat radiating off the ground. There were no cacti anywhere, not much in the way of flora, but stones, dust, and bones were distributed loosely. Were the darkened areas far off old battlefields? Scorched grassland? The only way to find out would be an investigation.

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Dalazar Denkou
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Re: Legend of the Everglow: Northward Bound

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Bo would nestle himself in the epicenter of the mini storm mobile quite easily. He knew his way around a breeze or two. HIs twin made sure of it. With a soft send precise sway he seated himself. The clamoring rays of heated felt like the gods were toying around with magnifying glasses trying to see who could singe the most mortals to death. It was quite unpleasant really but these pangs must build something. This journey had to be forged. He couldn't let a coupe extra degrees on the thermometer hold him back. He had prepared for numerous scenarios not know each one where his basic needs could be met for an emergency periods. The means to and experience of foraging where deeply rooted in him. The Flonne of the main kingdom were exceptional in their alchemic prowess. It was as if it were their nature to find, cater and invigorate plant life and through it breathe the stoic essence of life energy all through electro stimulation.

Esmeralda, I wonder... how are you faring these days?

Under the hazardous rule of Myos. He knew though that if anyone could keep the peace and hold their own it was she. Esmeralda is a well respected "Shaper" within the Denkou. Her arcane knowledge predates the current alliance and her experience in political warfare/reconnaissance makes her an invaluable asset to the kingdom's prosperity.

Myos, though a tyrant, is not without his own uncanny wit surrounding the art of war and perseverance and see all to vividly the value her life yet held. There were few Denkou who are not born of the Main House Hold of Ri'ore that bare power comparable to an Arch-Shaper

Still...It does not stop Bo from worrying about the ones he loves. Knowing that they serve a dragon in sheep's clothing.
"So, this is the fun part of the trip. If you get thirsty, we can find an oasis somewhere."
Exactly, He was toes deep in his first unfiltered excursion through the world. It was not the time to pine over the past...But to look valiantly towards the future. There nothing was certain, there the impossible could still happen.

"Lets get to it then! "

Bo would wrap his scarf completely around his neck as they began to move forward, loosening it so it would dangle without flying off into the distance. As they made way through the once seemingly infinite reaches of the golden sands, Bo's eyes would see some darkened areas coming past the horizon. If he strained himself enough one looked to have some mounds that looked like markers, grave sites?

"By all mean don't hold back on my account"

He said speaking to them starting off slowly.

"I assure you... I will not fall."

He was ready to see what lied beyond this place. The world that he was meant to see. The face he was meant to know...

"You said we might have to go over some...*gulp* battlefields rights?"

He said peering ever more the closer they got.

"Do you see anything like that so far... like over that way perhaps"

He said pointing to the area with the debris and mounds of objects he couldn't make out.
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Zero Venkage
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Re: Legend of the Everglow: Northward Bound

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"They're not really hard to miss. You could throw a rock and it'll land somewhere someone or something has died fighting here."

Nestled neatly in his swirling throne, Zero motioned vaguely to the surrounding landscape. The bone bleaching landscape stretched on for what seemed like forever, the forest they entered from already disappeared into the dunes behind them. Smaller dust devils danced on the horizon. The warm breezes carried the scent of rustic sand and rusted steel. He preferred his sand with a little, or a lot of water.

The battles waged across these expansive wastes sought an entry point to their destination. Many entries existed, some of them shrouded in legend and folklore, quested after by individuals and armies alike. The likelihood of a map or guide existing was high, but Zero never thought of finding one. His first trip into the Ganjun was led by a target of the Leviathan Order, if they had a map, it was long gone by now. Most of the members of that particular trip didn’t make it back with him.

“Rule of thumb out here, the more corpses, the closer we are to the entrance we’re looking for.”

Who knows how many corpses piled on top of each other to get a chance at entering the City of Uran? The gifts and treasures fabled within became the life’s work of so many adventurers. Whole nations rose and fell searching for the entrance, armies and kings seeking salvation, riches, knowledge, power. WIth the help of the Leviathan Order, Zero made it through before. And now, it was a day trip for the lucky pair.

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Dalazar Denkou
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Re: Legend of the Everglow: Northward Bound

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As the scene around them shifted from a golden dawn fizzled into a now bleached grave littered expanse Bo would find his spirit suddenly befuddled with a wave of melancholy. Why was this planet filled with so much damn death? He started to blame it on the Horseman. They had become a staple scape goat for all the messed up stuff happening around the planet. War, hunger, chaos in all shapes an forms were on the rise just simply from them existing. This wasn't even to speak of the already vast amounts of that crap happening before the bastard made themselves known. Just...just how were they gonna save this place?

"Not now...I cannot loose hope so soon"

For as long a the light of hope clung to his heart, even if but an iota of a chance. He would not allow himself to give way to despair. The voices of his family, his kin echoing in the recesses of his mind. Their cheerful speech pushing him on. He could feel them. Their will to prosper magnifying with each stride forward toward the unknowns of fate he took.The gust of winds he rode ate the leaves of the forest they went through to ribbons before his eyes began to lay a ugly truth before him. There were scattered bones and fractured armor pieces scattered to the warm winds. The rusty smell of blood stained iron wafted his nostrills. He adjusted his scarf again. The heat was feeding the smell here.

"Tell me something"

Bo said as the windmobile whipped up it's own dust clouds.

"What is Uran like anyway? Why would so many give there lives here?"

Was there some sort of power here? Some kind of priceless gem. Or was is really just the rumors of granduer that lead to so many dying out here.

"And how in Ves's good name did you make here alive where so many have failed..."

Bo's eyes narrowed. If so many folks have given their lives here. Just how strong was he? He said he traveled with some pals last time....why were they not here to accompany him"

"Zero...What happened to the people you traveled here with the last time?"

The bombardment had begun. He needed to know just what this all was about. A realm surrounded by corspes...nothing good ever came from a place like that.
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