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At the outskirts of a settlement that had been known to travelers as Aisenfield, it seemed as if it had not changed one bit over the years. Perhaps it was because hardly any outsiders would come to seek out such a place without a particular purpose in mind. What was most known about the place was its tale of legendary heroes who had slain a mighty dragon within the lands of Mysidia. A chance to see the mythical creatures in their splendor or perhaps tame them to be of use had to be the biggest draw of the settlement hidden between mountains and forests. Those type of stories could easily draw in adventurers looking to claim just a bit of that glory that those heroes of old had done so long ago. Yet, considering how peaceful the area seemed presently, it appeared that those days had almost long been forgotten.
The people who made up the village were rumored to be individuals who weren't your typical humans either, although their appearance would say otherwise. Rumors like that all had to do with folklore of old, past down stories that were slightly altered from generation to generation. However, all stories had some part of truth to them, no matter how small or large they may be. Due to little interest being found in the town of Aisenfield by the more dominating powers of Gaia, it was left to its own simplistic ways over the years. That was all to evident to one young man who found himself hesitant to approach his birthplace any further.
The pale blue skies overhead that were adorned with drifting white wisps of clouds brought a sense of calm to the area. A calm that the man found himself puzzled by as he found his back resting against one of the larger trees in the forest. He was taking in the fresh air as his gaze looked down at the floor of the woods, occasionally catching a glimpse of normal creatures scurrying around without care as he looked up from time to time. He wondered why he felt so uneasy as he stood there, why he just couldn't continue his journey forward to meet his fellow villagers...his clansmen.
In the back of his mind, he almost felt a sense that although he was apart of that community, he wasn't quite welcome there. When he was younger, those that taught him and instilled a sense of what his role was to be in this world even seemed to distance themselves from the other villagers. Perhaps it was because the villagers were wary of the dark scales that adorned his chest and back and what they stood for. Those same scales and teachings he had come to embrace over the years just to survive in the harshness that Gaia had to offer. He cherished the fact that the blood that ran through his veins had given him strength, a sense of pride and a strong will to continue on as his forefathers had.
Although he was certain that he had returned to his homeworld of Gaia, it was not the same world he once recognized, the one he remembered before leaving it to finish his business with that demon. It was different somehow, although he just couldn't quite place at the moment what it was. He was out of touch with the world events, although he had to be honest with himself in the fact that he didn't really care. After all, he was a mercenary that had been christened the name 'Sword of Chaos', which could explain why he felt indifferent from venturing forth into Aisenfield to see his brethren.
Crouching down in the shade of the large tree, the warrior could hear a faint voice in the back of his head. A voice that was not of his subconscious, but that of the soul that had merged with his own mind and body. The seraphic spirit was a blessing in its own unique way, although on occasion it seemed to be a curse to the wishes of the mercenary who had his own agenda. He simply addressed her as 'Ultima', the former guardian of the angelic world that ran parallel with Gaia. She would sometimes guide him with her extensive knowledge if he wished to prompt her for such information, but more often than not he'd rather discover things out on his own. It was a time like this in his hesitation that she would creep upon his thoughts to share some advice, but the youth simply looked to his right and clenched his teeth.
He was not in the mood to move anytime soon by an inspirational speech involving principles that were the exact opposite of his own. He would live and die by the teachings he and the village knew as the principles of Balgus. Considering he knew himself to be the latest descendant of the dark dragon, who's scales he had on his body, he had to uphold his own right to think on his own on the situation. The Gaia he may have grown used to growing up as a child may have been gone or perhaps it hadn't left, but his mission in life would stay a constant regardless. However, he just couldn't shake that sweet angelic voice calling out his name in small broken murmurs at first, until it became clear as his own voice in his head.
With his back already comfortably against the tree, Loki rose his head and looked up as he knew it was inevitable at this point that the seraph was going to have her say. He could envision her form slowly materializing before his eyes out into the open for all to see. Despite the fact that she was centuries older than the being she inhabited, maybe even a few millenia in human years, she maintained a youthful appearance that would make her seem around the same age as Loki.
Her hair was long with a luxurious golden luster about it that framed her petite face. Even her eyes had a warm azure color to them that offset the colder blue eyes of the mercenary she inhabited, with sun-kissed colored skin that still seem to exude the vibrancy of magic she once commanded as the former guardian of her home world. However, in merging with Loki her power had been limited immensely due to being cut off from her main source of energy in that parallel world. However, she was not helpless even in this temporary form she took in front of Loki, but certainly a far cry from the being who had nearly taken his life when they had first met and fought one another.
She adorned herself in celestial robes fit for a higher being such as herself, mostly as a reminder to Loki how fortunate he was to gain her strength on his journey through life. In fact, the current long black coat that Loki wore over his body was also apart of Ultima. The jet black color was actually from the wings of the angel after they had merged with one another, although Loki preferred for them to maintain hidden in this form as a coat to not bring attention to himself. It was part of the reason he had stayed in Elenglynn for so long instead of returning to Gaia. His body had been transformed and he felt it was necessary to get a better handle of it before he was to return back, however he couldn't keep the seraph from doing what she was doing now unfortunately.
Leaning forward with her arms crossed over her chest, she smiled down to him on the ground as he stared back up at her and bared his fangs. One of the key traits that his bloodline held for being a descendant dragoon of one of the ancient dragon gods. Although it was a wasted attempt at Ultima who simply straightened up and giggled at his frustration.
" Honestly...are you going to stay out here in this forest all afternoon or are we finally going to continue onwards to where we originally planned to go?"
She asked with a sly smile curling on her lips as Loki simply grunted and slowly rose to his feet once again. Turning away from her to the direction of Aisenfield as they still stood out on the outskirts, he knew deep down what she was getting at really, although she didn't openly say it. The fact that their thoughts crossed over each others almost all the time, there was nothing they could really keep secret from one another, but perhaps it was for his or her own sanity that she'd talk to him on the outside like a separate person.
" It's been years since I've even been on this continent, and even now I feel as if there's some type of invisible wall that separates me from the others. Maybe that's the fate of all of us 'special' descendants..."
Spoke the dragoon with narrowed eyes as he looked off in the distance. He shifted his body off of the tree and began to face it as he too crossed his arms. Underneath his coat, he could feel his trusted blade resting against his hip on his right. It was a unique blade that he had especially made for more stealth purposes over the much large double murasame blade he used to have. He felt that his days of chasing demons was behind him now, but perhaps that was also just another influence the seraph set on him for being slightly optimistic on things.
" If you must accompany me like that instead of being hidden, try not to drag too much attention to yourself. They can probably feel my presence already as I can sense them, but with you there it will only complicate things I'm sure."
The mercenary was thinking ahead to how he knew most of his forefathers traveled. If they ever had companions that worked alongside with them, they were usually those who shared the same passion for Balgus' teachings and were quite unsavory characters to say the least. If the villagers indeed recognized him and could sense the blood of the dark dragon running through him, then they would be alarmed. Loki didn't wish for panic to strike the village, nor did he wish to be questioned a whole lot as the two of them had philosophies on the other side of the spectrum of each other. Again, his mind began to feel conflicted with feeling excited about the fact that something terrible could befall what seemed to be a calm area.
Eventually a devilish smirk began to trace his lips though as he turned to face Ultima for a few moments. It wouldn't be his intention to openly start trouble, but he certainly wanted to learn how his birthplace had been all these years, if it even had the same individuals he used to remember living in it. It was always exciting to be near people he considered family, as he along with the other special descendants were a rare breed. Only a few select people every ten years were blessed with the scales of a dragon, so naturally he'd always be and feel different.
" My first home...how will you embrace my return after all of these years that have gone by..?"
Putting his hands down by his side, he began to walk forward through the forest until he found the dirt path he had originally been walking on before he stopped to readjust the emotions that were overtaking him before. Walking or more correctly gliding along right behind him was the high seraph, curious to learn about the place the dragoon had always called his home, regardless how little time he actually had spent within its boundaries.
The closer the blue-haired warrior came to Aisenfield, the more his heart seemed to pump faster. He wasn't the type to be easily excited unless he was in the middle of battle or perhaps something or someone had tempted him to an elevated state. To say the least, he wasn't enjoying this feeling of nostalgia he was having for a place he hardly ever stepped foot in. He had always been on the outskirts of town, only having a chance to peer in every once in awhile on special occasions due to his training. When his superiors that taught him the ways of Balgus would venture into the village to gain supplies for an extended period of time, explaining to him all the while the reasons why he shouldn't go inside to see his fellow dragoons.
Reasons that all tied into to his own emotional state at the time, or lack of it. It made sense for them to keep him isolated as a youth, to grow without having any deep connections with people. Perhaps if he had formed some bonds in Aisenfield it would've affected his ability to survive as he did in Gaia on his own. Loki thought back to how awkward he felt when he stumbled into Midgar to join the Turks and actually gaining a partner to work alongside. Yet, that opened the door for him later on to become more sociable to work alongside others. Meeting such an interesting cast of people when Gaia was in peril, Loki found himself belonging with them the most.
It seemed to him that being one of those unofficial saviors of this planet brought about an unspoken bond. The thrill of seeing how worthy of the task he was of representing not only his ancestors, but his own people as well for being one of their top warriors.
His gaze was steady as he could see the gates of the village, for the most part wide and inviting to say the least. There were two men on either side acting as patrolmen, but Loki could sense they wouldn't really be a match for a serious attack. This sleepy little village was only capable of handling a gathering of weak fiends that may have been looking for food inside. Aside from that, the siege or destruction of this village could be easily done from either a strategic side or a simple rampage throughout the settlement. The dragoon was conflicted as a sinister smile still remained on his face as he continued to think back to his times as a teenager.
If almost on cue, he felt a slender arm reach under his left arm and halt his somewhat fastening pace towards the village. As he turned his head, he could see the seraph lean closer to his frame and gently rest her head on his shoulder with a joyful expression of her own. To the patrolmen who could definitely see them off in the distance, it seemed as if it were just harmless flirting by a cute young couple on their way to Aisenfield for some touristic purposes. However, they couldn't have been more wrong as the young warrior began to glare at his 'companion' with murderous intent.
" Why are you riling yourself up like that? You're going to make a scene if you don't loosen up and stop thinking about all those fond memories of your youth."
" I'm the one who's going to make a scene!? What did I tell you back at the--"
Loki tried to respond back with a loud whispering tone, taking slight glances ahead to the guards at the gate to see their reaction. When he tried to explain, he was cut off by two fingers being placed on his lips as Ultima began pushing them along further down the dirt path road. Straightening up to appear as normal as possible to the two men ahead, the native had to go along with the way things were. Fortunately as the two of them came to the gates, they were greeted with a warm unsuspecting welcome as Loki simply nodded his head. As soon as they passed through the wide open gate, a sigh of relief had escaped his lips, but he was still quite furious with his angelic companion for putting him through that stressful chance.
" We were lucky they didn't recognize me, so don't let that little incident go to your head. Nothing's changed from what I told you before we got here. You still have a lot to learn about my culture and Gaia..."
All the swordsman was able to get out of the seraph was a simple pout, to know that she had at least acknowledged that he had said anything at all. Closing his eyes for a few moments, he could almost envision those words going in one ear and right out the other. When he opened them again, he finally took a look around the village as they were heading for the center of it. The people seemed to be a fair mix of humans and natives alike, just as he remembered it. Even though he was looking for a reaction from any of the locals, he never really got a look that would make him feel as if he had been remembered here.
None of the older faces looked particularly recognizable either, but that still didn't change anything for the dragoon. He was still going to remain alert as long as he stayed in this village, but perhaps he could pick up some information while he was here. Finding the local tavern or inn seemed to be the best route for an outsider to pick up any information on what was going on in this place.
" Something just doesn't feel quite right about this..."
The local tavern was someways south. However even as you walked you couldn't shake the feeling that there was soemthing wrong with this place. Whilst passing you would hear the guards talking. " So have you heard about what went down in Midgar?....they say the Galbadians just overwealmed them....I didn't think anyone could beat Soldier...let alone Sephiroth".
The other guard shook his head and made a dismissive gesture. " Nah...they didn't overwealm them....and they certainly didn't beat Sephiroth....I heard that Galbadia got back up from the Al Bhed and the Empire". The other guard seemed to think about this for a moment.
" The Al Bhed?...you mean those weird guys from Spira that are obsessed with machines?"
His comrade nodded. " Yeah those are the ones....said they just appeared at the back of the Midgar forces and started blowing everything to hell....Shinra had to retreat after that...they just wern't prepared....but if you ask me....they arn't going to make the same mistake twice...". They both nodded....
OOC: Since Kahri is....disposed...I'll be covering for now
Walking slowly along with his angelic companion, Loki couldn't help but overhear some interesting news as he was keeping an eye out for where the nearby tavern could be. The keyword that piqued his curiosity was the fact that Midgar was mentioned. A place he hadn't been in quite awhile and almost considered a second home of sorts. After all, the fun he had of joining Shinra's ranks as a Turk and then going off to join a demonic war in the shadows had all began in that one place. Perhaps turning his tide of luck towards the greater good in his ambition to spread Balgus' will onto Gaia.
Ultima watched the dragoon's expression with a solemn look as she too listened to what was being said by the guards they had passed. It sounded as if some type of big battle had gone on while he was away, and even though it wasn't much of the swordsman's concern he appeared a bit disappointed to miss out on such a battle. After all he remembered the aftermath of what happened once Alpha Weapon and Dante decided to use the industrial city as a battleground before. It was a bit surprising to hear at first though that they had been overwhelmed by Galbadian forces. Loki had seen and been within the presence of the man named Sephiroth for the first time back in Nibelheim before the fated battle that led afterwards. He was the type of warrior that could be more than a match for most and was hardly one to be bested.
He wasn't sure how far advanced he was to other people within the same SOLDIER program, but he could assume the rest of the ranks within that Shinra division were no pushovers. However, listening on it seemed as if it was a joint attack that had been done, similar to the way Dante and his demon allies had made their move when Alpha Weapon was also going on a rampage. That made more sense for why the forces of Midgar were a little more unprepared to deal with multiple forces attacking. Loki had encountered the Al Bhed before in his journey...in fact he had even stolen one of their airships right before he had headed to Nibelheim back then. It was his best way of transportation in order to follow Dante's movements, but he doubted that was the reason they had decided to attack.
" Loki...why don't we go relax at the tavern. We've been traveling for a while and this is the first time you've actually had time to visit your birth place.."
Ultima spoke those words, slightly pulling on the dragoon's arm with a more concerned visage now. As his thoughts raced through his head, she could see clearly where he wanted to go right now and having a drink and rest was the last thing he had on his mind. It took awhile before she actually got eye contact from the native swordsman, who looked down to her with his usual unsmiling glare.
" This town doesn't look like it gets much visitors, let alone should there be a lot of news like that easily passing through. Maybe it's just that I have been out of the loop for that long?"
He was clearly ignoring what the seraph was trying to do, even though he understood that she was just trying to be helpful. There were a lot of things he wanted to confirm in his hometown of Aisenfield, but he had a higher obligation on the behalf of his ancestor to head back to that bleak city of Midgar. It had been awhile since he had a chat with his old boss Tseng, who was probably a little low on manpower as usual. Especially if this attack was rather recent that made Shinra forces retreat....
" You and I both know my principles thrive most in time of battle or better yet this might even be a war we have on our hands. I don't have the luxury for being here just yet, maybe in a more peaceful time...."
" That's foolishness! I've observed you Gaians and you're always going after each others throats for one thing or another! Why do you think it took you so long to come here now? It's because of that unrealistic statement you just made. Your principles will always lead you to more bloodshed as they always had."
" I wonder..are you more concerned for the well-being of this village or do you fear what may happen to me? I would think the more reasonable would be the former considering the blood that does run through my veins. You must think I've lost my edge upon returning to this world, but I'm not as out of tune with my strength as you may think. We're going to Midgar right away, just after I ask these men more about what they know about that incident..."
The seraph had clenched her fists after letting go of the dragoon's arm and glared at him for his choice. Although she could also understand where his thoughts and what he said was coming from, she disapproved of the way he wanted to live. It seemed the normal idea of enjoying a peaceful lull in one's hometown was more of a chore than going in headstrong to a battle he really had no idea about. It wasn't as if he even wanted to protect his 'second home', it was more of him remembering how fun it was raging war against overwhelming odds against a swarm of enemies. Testing his capabilities as the latest descendant of a dragon god that promoted death, chaos and negativity. Looking into his eyes she could see those flashbacks of Loki during that time of crisis. In his mind, that was his own way of being at peace with himself.
It was their clash of personalities of sharing the same body that made her feel so angered by such a notion. She wanted him to be safe and content, to enjoy simple trips like this, but it appeared he would never be content living out his days in this village. When she began to calm herself coming to that conclusion, she got a devilish smile out of the native who extended his hand out to her. With a sigh, she decided to follow his lead by putting out one of her hands to his as they moved back to the entrance of the village where the guards were still chatting.
" Excuse me. Do you two know if that battle you mentioned is still going on or how recent was it? She has..family over there and she's a bit concerned for their well-being."
Loki wasn't keen about lying, but he didn't want them to focus on him as the one who may want to go over there if the battle was still going on. However, if they recognized him at all his cover would be compromised either way, but he was willing to take the risk to get just a little more information about the situation. He felt even if they caught wind of his identity, it didn't matter too much if he was leaving right after anyways. Looking between the two men, the strange pair both played along with one another, having actually concerned expressions for the fake family of the seraph.
In their own world, the two men continued on their conversation, assuming they were not the once being addressed. But as one, a burly sort of make with about 4 inches of hair on his head, turned and realized they were being spoken to. He frowned. Arms crossed over massive chest, he nudged his friend alert with a sharp shoulder, then he too mimicked the pose, eyes boring into the intruder. Looking to the female grasping his hand their expressions softened almost instantly...though were still tense.
"Uh...well the battle's been over for about a week now," one guard said.
The other followed. "Yea. And good luck finding anyone. It was just a mess when the Al-Bhed came out of nowhere. The battle was horrible to begin with, but it was made so much worse. Damn shame really." Both men looked at each other, sharing the same discontented look. "If you wanted to find anyone, probably best to go to the battle site. I know Midgar was in retreat, but the Galbadians might still be there. Strange lot they are..."
Both men shrugged in unison having spoken their peace, then turned fully to each other. "Hey man...you remember that broad I found last night...." Already ignoring the pair again, they fell into their own conversation.
Actions: 1] Pry for Details 2] Set off for Midgar with what you know.
