Spike and Simon leave a pub, still trying to figure out where in the multimists they are.\u00a0 Skye, stubbornly, refuses to be left behind and is struggling to simply keep up by any means.\u00a0 Skye flies directly into the back of Spike, who stopped abruptly. \u00a0\u00a0Muttering something at her in frustration,\u00a0 Spike returns his focus in front of him;\u00a0 an elegant horse-drawn carriage awaits them, door open,\u00a0 with a dapper butler gesturing them inside.<\/p>\n
Skye peeks around, and her eyes widen:\u00a0 Ooh!\u00a0 Look at all the blue upholstery!\u00a0 It’s BEEAAUUTIFUL!<\/p>\n
The butler frowns ever so slightly:\u00a0 One of yours, sir?<\/p>\n
Spike looks around, and then remembers the little Asura:\u00a0 Oh… her.\u00a0 No. We just fell in on her.\u00a0 \u00a0She’s not with us.<\/p>\n
Skye puts her hands on her hips:\u00a0 What do you mean ‘oh?’<\/p>\n
Spike ignores her:\u00a0 So who are you?<\/p>\n
The butler smiles slyly:\u00a0 Lady Neveah sends her regards.\u00a0\u00a0 If you would be so kind, sirs.<\/p>\n
Spike and Simon nod enthusiastically and move to enter the carriage,\u00a0 Skye also moves to follow.\u00a0 Simon boards, but Spike turns to address Skye.<\/p>\n
Spike, holding a hand up parallel with the ground:\u00a0 Hold on, pups.\u00a0 You must be this high to ride this ride.<\/p>\n
Spike waves his hand over Skye in a quick measurement:\u00a0 Nope.\u00a0 I’m afraid not.\u00a0 Later!<\/p>\n
Spike and the Butler quickly board the carriage and close the door in Skye’s face.\u00a0\u00a0 Not to be deterred, Skye quickly scurries to the back of the carriage and just manages to hide herself within the provisions, unnoticed, as the carriage was pulling away.<\/p>\n
Inside the carriage, the butler wasted no time addressing the matters at hand.<\/p>\n
Butler:\u00a0 It is so good to see you again, sirs, after so long.<\/p>\n
Spike and Simon glance at each other nervously and nod cautiously.<\/p>\n
Butler:\u00a0 With you sirs back,\u00a0 we can finally stop this conflict and get back into Skycoast.<\/p>\n
Spike and Simon sit erect immediately:\u00a0 Skycoast is here?!<\/p>\n
The butler looks puzzled:\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 How would you two, of all people, not know?<\/p>\n
Spike slumps back down, and pulls out some questionable substances from his pockets.\u00a0 Having mashed together a satisfactory mixture,\u00a0 Simon lights his pipe for him and he takes a few long puffs and he begins:\u00a0 Well you see, we aren’t sure where or when we are.<\/p>\n
The butler is listening intently.<\/p>\n
Spike continues, gesturing with his pipe:\u00a0 As I’m sure you know,\u00a0 We have been on the hunt to reunite with Crysania for quite some time.<\/p>\n
The butler vaguely nods.<\/p>\n
Spike:\u00a0 We woke up in a cave in Kryta some 250 years after we were last in Skycoast with everyone.<\/p>\n
The butler looks skeptical, but nods.<\/p>\n
Skye, outside bouncing around to her discomfort is trying her best to keep her ears to the wall and listen in between bumps in the road,\u00a0 mutters to herself about how she thought he looked 40-something at most.<\/p>\n
Spike:\u00a0 We’ve been trying our best to find our bearings and figure out this new world.\u00a0\u00a0 Didn’t really work out too well.\u00a0\u00a0 Then we have a chance encounter with Imperium.<\/p>\n
Simon lets out an audible painful groan.<\/p>\n
Spike:\u00a0 Next thing you know we’re fighting bandits, and getting into fights with people, and dungeon crawling, and I look like a panda and I’m jumping out of airships for fun, and turning into shadows to assassinate people, and in places where the waves of enemies were tremendously high, and more!<\/p>\n
Spike takes a long puff on his pipe and becomes visibly saddened: We kept getting pulled through the mists so much we couldn’t even keep track anymore.\u00a0 Crysania kept getting further and further away, it seemed.<\/p>\n
The butler gave a soft, practiced smile:\u00a0 And now you’ve returned, good sirs.<\/p>\n
Simon pats Spike on the shoulder and glows warmly.<\/p>\n
Spike tries to put on his best face,\u00a0 but the stubble, scars, sleep deprivation, and the various bits of old makeup make it difficult:\u00a0 I,\u00a0 we, right dood?\u00a0 Doubt this is the Tyria we left.<\/p>\n
Simon, regrettably, agrees.<\/p>\n
The butler is undeterred.\u00a0\u00a0 He unfurls a map, but then a panicked banging on the back window!\u00a0\u00a0 Skye is banging her staff on the back window and yelling help!<\/p>\n
The butler is visibly annoyed:\u00a0 It seems we have a stowaway.<\/p>\n
Spike too is annoyed:\u00a0 …puppy…<\/p>\n
Simon cracks the window:\u00a0 Yeah?<\/p>\n
Skye, more terrified than she’s ever been in her life, yells: DOGS!\u00a0 BONE!\u00a0 BONE DOGS!<\/p>\n
Simon calmly closes the window again, much to Skye’s horror,\u00a0 and sits back down.<\/p>\n
The butler, calmly:\u00a0 The Greenecks.<\/p>\n
Spike, carefully putting his pipe away in one of his myriad of pockets:\u00a0 Greenecks?<\/p>\n
Butler, sighing:\u00a0 Perhaps this whole multimists thing has merit, sirs.\u00a0\u00a0 I, implore you to elaborate further with Lord and Lady after we deal with this rabble.<\/p>\n
The butler tugs on a rope and the carriage accelerates.\u00a0 Skye, meanwhile, is clutching to the side of a barrel with her eyes closed and reciting lessons from school about the eternal alchemy as she bumps along uncomfortably.<\/p>\n
The butler:\u00a0 In order to get back to safe Metallicorps land,\u00a0 we must pass this forested area.\u00a0\u00a0 Sadly,\u00a0 this is known to be infested with Greeneckistani presences.<\/p>\n
Spike:\u00a0 I’m guessing The Metallicorps is Balreth and the Mrs.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Who are the Greenecks?<\/p>\n
Before there was a time to answer,\u00a0 the carriage was hit hard by an yet unknown force and brought to its side.\u00a0\u00a0 Skye could be heard screaming as she went tumbling with the provisions out of the back, and away from the carriage.\u00a0\u00a0 The butler quickly readied a shiny dagger from seemingly nowhere and exited out of the skyward side of the carriage.\u00a0\u00a0 Spike and Simon highfived each other, merged into one being and did the same.<\/p>\n
Spike looked around, only to see several skeletal animals of some sort and the very ugly bits of what was once the butler scattered around the carriage.\u00a0 Spike did note that either the hounds either didn’t let him make a sound, or he was so resolute he didn’t get them the privilege.\u00a0\u00a0 Spike decided the latter was a better choice in his mind.<\/p>\n
Skye, still terrified, crawled amongst the wreckage to a vantage point wherein she could see a glowing Spike surrounded by Skeletal Hounds.\u00a0 She was helpless.\u00a0 One sound, one false move, and it was her turn.\u00a0\u00a0 She was frozen in fear.\u00a0 All she could hear was the word “puppy” over and over again.\u00a0 It was true, she should have stayed home in her office and help people deal with stress.\u00a0 She’s in way over her head.<\/p>\n
A laughter broke the silence.\u00a0\u00a0 A genuine, heartfelt, purposeful,\u00a0 but offputting laughter echoed off the trees.\u00a0\u00a0 Spike stood there, the Aura of Simon flickered and pulsed, but gave no clues.\u00a0\u00a0 Directly in front of Spike,\u00a0 a figure started to emerge.\u00a0 At first, all one could see was glowing bits of green.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As this figure approached,\u00a0 she was Norn, and a busty, curvy Norn.\u00a0\u00a0 She was covered in scars and tattoos, all of which erupted in this green aura.\u00a0\u00a0 Her left hand wore this armored gauntlet with sharpened fingers but the rest of her was barely clad at all, a tattered cloak and few bits here and there save her long thick boots.\u00a0\u00a0 Her long dark hair a stark contrast to the glowing intricate patterns both purposeful and accidental along the body so many have failed to obtain.<\/p>\n
Simon could feel power:\u00a0 You command these hounds?<\/p>\n
The Norn grinned:\u00a0 Attack!<\/p>\n
The hounds immediately begun to leap, claw, and bite at Simon!\u00a0\u00a0 Simon’s Newtype Reflexes and the Aura of Simon made quick work of basic Skeletal Minions, but the Norn simply smiled at Spike.\u00a0\u00a0 She redrew one of her green scars with her sharpened gauntlet and it momentarily gave off green flame.<\/p>\n
Immediately, voices all around in unison shout: GREEN FLAME!<\/p>\n
Spike is startled at the voices, but Spike is used to voices and retains his composure.<\/p>\n
The spark of the flame makes all the Skeletal Hounds reassemble themselves again, as if nothing happened.<\/p>\n
Skye gasped loudly,\u00a0 and both Spike and The glowing Norn took momentary notice of her trying to hide in the wreckage.<\/p>\n
The Norn spoke, with dripping sarcasm:\u00a0 It looks as if The Great Anchorwind has finally returned to us,\u00a0 let us all bow in reverence.\u00a0 He even brought along his latest girlfriend.\u00a0 Isn’t that cute.<\/p>\n
Spike:\u00a0 The puppy isn’t my girlfriend, by the way.<\/p>\n
The Norn laughed:\u00a0 Oh!\u00a0 So you don’t mind if I kill her then.<\/p>\n
She gestures and the Skeletal Hounds move to attack Skye and the wreckage.<\/p>\n
Spike moves to intervene,\u00a0 sending forward the Aura of Simon to punch and kick the Hounds back into piles of bones with ease.<\/p>\n
The Norn scoffs and raises the hounds again with her green flame scar.<\/p>\n
Again, immediately a cacophony of voices in unison shout: GREEN FLAME!!!<\/p>\n
The Norn sighs:\u00a0 This grows boring.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Since you’ve returned,\u00a0 -finally-,\u00a0 let’s @#$%ing get to it shall we?<\/p>\n
Her grin widens, and her eyes light up in potential bloodlust:\u00a0\u00a0 Are you with us, or those stupid Metallicorps pricks?<\/p>\n
Spike:\u00a0 Who is us?<\/p>\n
The Norn steps forward,\u00a0 out of the shadows of just barely visible into full display.<\/p>\n
Spike gasps:\u00a0 LALANDRA?!<\/p>\n
Lalandra:\u00a0 Why are you so surprised?\u00a0 Do you miss me?<\/p>\n
Spike chuckles:\u00a0 Well, yes.\u00a0\u00a0 When did you… (making a boob gesture) did you get so big?<\/p>\n
Lalandra squeezes in her arms, emphasizing her chest:\u00a0 Aww,\u00a0 do you miss cuddling up to me?<\/p>\n
Skye is lying there, terrified, confused,\u00a0 but now somehow angry.\u00a0 She stands up and decides to enter the conversation and say something.\u00a0 Brushing herself off she stands up and tries to address Lalandra.<\/p>\n
Skye:\u00a0 Excuse me, Lalandra-<\/p>\n
Lalandra, immediately angered:\u00a0 No!\u00a0 EXCUSE ME!\u00a0 WHO THE @#$% ARE YOU?!<\/p>\n
Lalandra begins outwardly glowing even greener,\u00a0 as she walks with purpose over to a now cowering little Asura.<\/p>\n
Lalandra:\u00a0 YOU @#$%ING DARE CALL ME BY NAME?<\/p>\n
Skye,\u00a0 trembling extensively:\u00a0 we…well…he…did…<\/p>\n
Lalandra shatters the adjacent barrel into splinters with an angry kick:\u00a0 HE @#$%ING EARNED IT.\u00a0 WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, RUNT?<\/p>\n
Lalandra turns to Spike:\u00a0 Why can’t I kill her?<\/p>\n
Spike kinda shrugs:\u00a0 I’d just prefer no one get killed?<\/p>\n
Lalandra grins menacingly:\u00a0 Ah.<\/p>\n
Lalandra lifts up her sharpened gauntlet above Skye’s head and whispers:\u00a0 He really hates purple too,\u00a0 you should feel lucky.<\/p>\n
Skye’s look of confusion is only met with relief as right before she was to be impaled Lalandra was struck by Spike.<\/p>\n
Lalandra:\u00a0 YOU WANT TO HIT ME BECAUSE OF YOUR @#$%ING PET?!\u00a0 ON MY @#$%ING LAND?<\/p>\n
Lalandra grins:\u00a0 This ain’t the old days, son.<\/p>\n
Lalandra reaches towards the corpse of the butler and forms a magical greatsword from the blood and essence of his corpse.<\/p>\n
Spike:\u00a0 Oh, not good.<\/p>\n
Balreth looks up at the sky, feeling something.<\/p>\n
Lady Neveah:\u00a0 Are you ok?<\/p>\n
Balreth:\u00a0 Yeah, I just felt a disturbance…<\/p>\n
Lady Neveah:\u00a0 Do I need to dispatch someone?<\/p>\n
Balreth shakes his head:\u00a0 No, Dearheart.<\/p>\n
Lalandra cracks her neck real quick and then rushes towards Spike!\u00a0 Spike easily evades and the Bloodsword swings into the Aura of Simon.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Spiritual Flame breaks the Bloodsword!\u00a0 Spike grins with arrogance, but then the smile fades quickly as the Bloodsword reforms itself in a few moments.\u00a0 Lalandra again and again swings her massive Greatsword at Spike and misses, but every time the sword is broken and reforms itself. \u00a0Spike gradually understands he would have to counterattack in that brief window that the sword is reforming itself.<\/p>\n
Lalandra however, is no fool.\u00a0\u00a0 Lalandra re-summons all her minions and continues her full-frontal assault.\u00a0\u00a0 Spike has little time to counter attack with any meaning.\u00a0 Spike is spending all of his time dodging, parrying,\u00a0 understanding the layout of the battle he has had no time to formulate any offense.\u00a0\u00a0 Meanwhile,\u00a0 Lalandra seems to be enjoying every minute of this and appears not to be fatiguing in the slightest.\u00a0\u00a0 Obviously, minions will never tire either so how long can Spike execute this defense before making a mistake?\u00a0 Spike needs to turn the tides.<\/p>\n
Lalandra, however is an impatient person.\u00a0\u00a0 She too objectives to meet and missions to accomplish.\u00a0 Understanding one of Spike’s objectives is to keep Skye safe, she directs her minions after Skye whilst she, herself, continues the assault on Spike.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The minions are more than a match for the little puppy, and Spike has shown all he can do is defend.\u00a0 The Anchorwind pet will die.\u00a0\u00a0 In his despair,\u00a0 Lalandra will console him on to her side,\u00a0 he didn’t need anyone else to begin with.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Metallicorps is wrong in their approach.\u00a0 ‘I am right!’ thought Lalandra.<\/p>\n
Spike, however,\u00a0 is not as harmless as he appears.\u00a0\u00a0 Seeing the divide-and-conquer tactics he is forced into action.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The multimists has taught them well, and Spike sends the Aura of Simon forward into Lalandra.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Spike rejoins the Aura in a Spiritual-Leap technique and is now behind Lalandra, who is now more angered than ever.\u00a0\u00a0 “NO!” she screams and separates her Greatsword into a Great-Whipsword and propels it forward towards Skye at amazing speed.<\/p>\n
Spike is forced to do something he never hoped to do.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Summoning the Spiritual Force of The Stabbith Day, daggers appear in his hand and Spike not only deflects the Great-Whipsword but Shadow Steps around the immediate vicinity and easily dispatches the hounds.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Lalandra refuses to give up, and with a scream of blood curdling anger,\u00a0 the links binding the whip sword break and all the individual blades of the Bloodsword act independently,\u00a0 flying towards Skye at speed!\u00a0 Simon,\u00a0 daggers in hand is ready to deal with this but Lalandra grins with malicious intent.<\/p>\n
Lalandra begins to yell: HYDRODYNAM-<\/p>\n
Simon instinctively casts a Cry of Frustration on Lalandra, which isn’t hard given per propensity for anger and cursing.<\/p>\n
Spike and Stabbith Day finish blinking around and dealing with the bloodsword bits and Skye is protected.<\/p>\n
Lalandra isn’t done, she assumes Reaper form and makes one last charge.\u00a0 In her blind rage she failed to hear the cry from the forest…<\/p>\n
“Snippy Snap”<\/p>\n
The concentrated rifle blast penetrated the enraged charging reaper and brought it back to Norn form, panting with fatigue and frustration.<\/p>\n
Doubled over on one knee, cleavage on full display,\u00a0 Spike remarks on how Lalandra’s boobs are bigger than Skye is. \u00a0\u00a0Skye wasn’t amused.\u00a0 Spike shrugged, and remarked on basic facts.\u00a0\u00a0 Spike talked about thighs saving lives, hips, etc.\u00a0\u00a0 Skye became increasingly un-amused.\u00a0 Spike and Simon then became un-merged and both fell to the ground in complete exhaustion.<\/p>\n
Skye stood there wondering what just happened.<\/p>\n
Lalandra, Spike, and Simon all stood around the same time.<\/p>\n
Lalandra was defiant:\u00a0 You will help us into Skycoast.\u00a0 Things need to be restored to the way they were!<\/p>\n
Spike looks helpless:\u00a0 What do you mean?!<\/p>\n
Lalandra turns and gives a cold shoulder:\u00a0 Hmpf.<\/p>\n
Using what little energy she has left,\u00a0 she assembles her Skeletal Hounds into a larger mount.\u00a0\u00a0 She then slightly struggles to climb atop it and rides off deep into the forest,\u00a0 her now slight green glow lasting the longest beyond her feminine figure.<\/p>\n
Skye mutters: What a terrifying woman.<\/p>\n
Spike:\u00a0 …we haven’t seen the last of her.<\/p>\n
Simon, just now regaining some of his flame:\u00a0 What do we do now?<\/p>\n
Spike, looking around:\u00a0 We have to gather more information.\u00a0\u00a0 The Metallicorps.\u00a0 The Greenecks.\u00a0 The location of Skycoast.\u00a0\u00a0 All of it.<\/p>\n
Skye stands ready! :\u00a0 Me too.<\/p>\n
Spike and Simon both growl ferociously:\u00a0\u00a0 Oh Hell no!<\/p>\n
Skye pouts:\u00a0 I’m in it this far…<\/p>\n
Simon glances at his friend:\u00a0 How do we get her home?<\/p>\n
Spike:\u00a0 Right now?\u00a0 I don’t know.\u00a0\u00a0 We’ll have to figure that out too.<\/p>\n
Skye:\u00a0 Umm.\u00a0 No!\u00a0 I’m going too.<\/p>\n
Spike:\u00a0 No, pups.\u00a0 You almost got us killed.\u00a0\u00a0 You’re going home.<\/p>\n
Spike looks deeper into the forest:\u00a0\u00a0 Lalandra almost killed us.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 …Lalandra…<\/p>\n