Tania shook her head determinedly, I'm tired of using weapons of the physical realm" she said determinedly "Even this mess with Serene is because of my stupid lance....and now I'm lanceless once again...nothing to protect myself. What if all of you weren't here to protect me...I'd be back to the spirit world with my mother and Odinas." She sighed "Besides...I was born with magic and blood...I may as well use it" She walked back towards the inn not waiting for any of them to follow her, she assumed they probably wouldn't understand but she'd search for an apprentice crown. She'd be patient and fight with her lance for now but when the time came she would change in a heartbeat.

---

Anna watched the dramatic exit of the girl Tania, and she looked at the men she had left behind. Up close she realized that one of them was probably too young to be her lover and only one of the men, the paler one, seemed to be romantically interested since the other one ran away. "So much for her being fawned over by many men."she thought to herself. She smiled nervously to the boys "Well...I guess I should...umm...get going..."she said shyly.

---

Windy let the man onto her back and flapped her wings powerfully. The man was clearly chasing after his criminal lover she concluded. Though if the man was planning on going too far with her she'd throw him over, not wanting to leave Tania's side for too long. They gained altitude and she flew into the sky as directed by the man. *windy's control shifted to Eton?*

Tekun looked at Anna.

"No please. Stick around for a little bit. You did help after all. I bet we wouldn't have done twice as well against him if it wasn't for your magic. It's been a while since i've seen a light user." Tekun then turned his attention to Tania who was ranting about not wanting to use physical weapons anymore. Tekun sighed. "Tania. I'll be at your side as long as i can breathe. You may have been reborn, but your abilities remain the same. What about Windy?"

-------------------------

The pegasus took off as Eton clung for dear life. "We won't go too far, just don't throw me off. A height like this. I'll be splattered everywhere, I can't have that." He said to the pegasus. They sped along, catching up fairly quickly as Windy rushed. He could see Serene's pegasus going down, doing crazy manuver's as she hung on. He couldn't tell what was happening at that distance, but it didn't look good.

"Serene!" He shouted hoping to get her attention. Odds were she didn't hear him.
--------------------

Julius followed J along with Alice and Charisma. Charisma seemed paranoid something was going to happen, she continued to look around ,worried there was another creature around everyturn. Julius walked besides her, trying to do his best to assure her nothing more would happen.

-----------

(Other group is marching east yet.)

Serene fought with Black King to regain control, but she couldn't seem to keep a good grip on the reigns, and was beginning to slide off. "Damn you Black King! We're going down together!" she shouted at the Pegasus.

Black King heard the shout from behind him. "Great, now someone is following us..." He continued spinning, and and finally regaining control of his body. He began pulling up to where he was almost going straight up into the sky. "I have too many things to worry about at this moment..." He was faced with a decision. He could throw Serene off and give her the death she wants...no, the death she deserves, or he could just let them plummet into the water, killing both of them on impact with the surface of it.

J led the group down the beaten path. He stopped as it forked into two paths, one worn down from use, and one through a forest. "Listen closely, we're taking the path through the forest, as it is shorter than the other path. Time is of the essence here, and a long path like that won't take us anywhere fast." He finished his statement and waited to the obligatory refusal to go through a forest. He'd lead them through it either way, his experience in the wild would save them from most obstacles.

"Serene!" Eton shouted as they approached closer. He could see now she was going to either slip off or be thrown off. "Serene! Hang on!" he yelled frantically.

-------------

"The off beaten path." Julius said. "After what just happened, are you sure that's really the wisest thing." He said questioning the pirate's sanity.

Black King finished his upper climb. He made his decision, and began falling to the water below. "I'm going to die...with my mistress..." He began to spiral downward head first towards the water.

Serene saw that Black King gave in and decided to be with her. She hugged his neck and whispered into his ear what she first said to him when she met him: "You're the greatest Pegasus in all the land...and you're mine...I love you, Black King."

J stood there, smiling. He began walking towards the forest path. "Well then, let's get going!" he shouted to the group. "I've been in this forest plenty of times, there's nothing too dangerous in there!" He let out a large laugh as he said this.

Eton had to do something, he couldn't just let them both die, he urged Tania's steed to speed up, to reach them, to do something. He felt powerless to stop them. The only thing he could do was shout her name over and over and hope it had some kind of effect.

Zesper nodded in approval when the bandit agreed. Not wanting to waste anymore time, he turned on his heels and started down the staircase, his armor making loud "clanks" with every step he took. Once Zesper made it to the bottom, he arrived in the front foyer. A assistant stood behind a check-in counter, busy with what seemed to be a romance novel. The assistant was mouthing the dialog of the book passionately to himself, his fist clenched over his chest. To let the man know he was there, Zesper loudly cleared his throat. The assistant nearly jumped out of his skin when he realized that there was someone else in the room and quickly threw the book into a open drawer and slammed it shut, and grabbed for the guest book. "Err, umm... Y-you m-must be Zesper!" he shakily said "C-checking out, are we?" Zesper hesitantly nodded his head, not quite sure what to make of what he just witnessed. "All right then..." the man behind the counter said, gesturing at the doors leading out. "I hope you had a nice stay."
Zesper took the man's hint and started for the door, but stopped and turned to look at the staircase to see if the bandit had come down.

Rana met Anna's eyes and smiled awkwardly. He wrung his hands, not thinking of anything to say, then began walking slowly towards Tania. Why do you want to learn magic? He asked, hoping she didn't mind him not actually talking. He hadn't thought of that before, how he might have been intrusive, but she hadn't seemed to mind.

The cavalier had given a quick nod, then proceeded to bound down the stairs, leaving the bandit at the top. Nechis peered down the stairs, then held the handrail as he descended onto the ground floor. Upon stepping over the final step, he looked over to the counter to see that the armored man was already having a conversation with a very embarrassed concierge. The bandit stifled a chuckle as he observed the discussion. Not knowing how long it would take, he leaned back against the wall. He probably was a sight to see, with his ruined pants and heavily bandaged chest. Nechis met Zesper's eyes as he turned towards him, then nodded towards the door. He was anxious to depart. The red-faced assistant shifted his vision towards the thief, obviously hoping that he hadn't seen him. Nechis waved his hand lazily, signally that he, too, was checking out.

Tania felt a faint tickle in the back of her mind when Rana entered her mind, she wasn't able to do that before, she noted. Why do you want to learn magic? he asked.

"When I died....it was an experience I haven't been able to forget...even though I was in the ethereal realm for less than a day. I want to be able to draw on the energy the nature of this world." She shrugged off Tekun's claim of eternal aid, she didn't want to be a damsel in distress for the rest of her life. "Tekun there will be situations when I won't be the main priority of your life...You'll grow up. Just because I become a mage that doesn't mean Windy is going to leave...she'll always be at my side" She didn't want to leave the garden now that Rana was talking to her telepathically.

---

Windy watched helplessly as the pegasus and her rider committed suicide. She shook her head "Quite shameful" she said. She pulled into a dive and flew quickly and lowly over the water. "Even if they do die. Their bodies will not be lost" She neighed a loud mourning neigh.

---

Anna watched the conflict between the girl and her...brother? He looked too young to be her bodyguard. Though something about him screamed that he had been in many battles before.

The bandit arrived and Zesper was set to go. He strode over to the doors and put his hand out to push the door open when he was stopped by the man behind the counter. "W-wait!" he shouted "Please don't tell anyone about this, okay? Here, I'll even give you a copy of the book to assure your silence." Then pulling something out from underneath the counter, he produced a book identical to the other one, and tossed it to Zesper. The hardcover bounced off the cavalier's chest plate, before he caught it with his good hand. Gingerly holding up the book to eye level, careful not to damage it with his claws, Zesper examined the title, and uttered it under his breath "Lovely Day..." He shifted his gaze from the book over to the concierge who was now rubbing the back of his head, his cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "Eheheh... My wife would tan my hide if she found out I was reading her books." he sheepishly said. Zesper nodded in understanding, a ghost of a smile graced his face, but was obscured by the collar of his cape. Placing the book in a hidden compartment in his armor, he turned back to door and pushed it open, stepping outside, hoping that the others were still there.

Tania... Not everyone can use magic. It's got nothing to do with bloodlines or intelligence. Rana squinted, thinking of something to say. I... Could try to teach you... But I'm not a normal mage.


The demon watched wistfully as the pegasi flew high overhead. He could barely make them out but the energy and life radiating from such majestic creatures... He longed to devour it. This world had done a toll on his body and his power. He wasn't as strong as he had been in the endless, beautiful void. But his master had called. He mustered his strength and continued his hike, following Tania's trail.

Serene and Black King both braced for impact with the body of water. Black King began to spin faster and violently. Serene was beginning tearing up, thinking of how happy she'd be to finally see her mother after all the years she'd been apart from her. "I'm almost there...mommy..." she muttered.

Both bodies hit the water, creating a sick, cracking sound. The effect on the water showed violent ripples tearing up the calm waters.

Immedietly upon seeing such an impact, Eton leapt off the pegasus to dive in after them as it let out a mournful neigh. He couldn't sit by and let this happen. He just couldn't as he dove in head first, near where Serene and black King went down, he opened his eyes under the water, to see a limp black pegasus sinking to the bottum of the lake. Next to him, the rider who was out cold. He new there was nothing he could do for the pegasus, but for Serene, he may yet save her. He swam for her, holding his breath as long as he could as he chased after her. It wasn't long before he caught up, though he struggled to get to the surface, he managed it, dragging her to the shore.

Serene lay there, motionless, unmoving, Eton felt for a pulse to find an extremely faint one, growing fainter. He knew what he needed to do. He removed her breast plate and made an attempt to resuscitate her. He continued for a solid two minutes, praying for results. Finally, she coughed up water, and there was a pulse again. Though he was not sure she was around just yet, he could breathe easier knowing she'd live.


Tekun let out a sigh as he crossed his arms. Such a pain, this new desire was, but, he knew if she really wanted it, he couldn't stop it.

Windy flapped over to the side of the criminal and her love...which she would never understand why someone would love such a cruel person. She looked over to the dark and cold rippling waters, the cold watery grave where Black King would rest for eternity. She neighed again her head up to the sky it echoed until it became silence once again.

---

"Well my father said that there was an item that would give you the skills to take up any profession you wanted. The swiftness of a thief, the gift of magic, the strength of an axeman, the handling of a cavalier...The apprentice crown" said Tania looking off into the sky as if she could see the item floating above her at that very moment. She turned to Rana and hugged him, he understood her.

---

Anna watched with a confused expression, it appeared that Tania was talking to herself and then she suddenly went to hug the man that had been following her. She suddenly felt a growing aura of darkness and evil, it pulled at her like invisible strings she felt that she could see the strands of light magic flowing around her wanting to be freed and banish whatever evil was approaching. "Well I better go" she said quickly retreating back to the inn. "Perhaps we'll see each other later" she said with a shy smile.