Arcturus

[agentaaa]

Sona woke up in a small chamber, seeming to be on a warm bed with nice pillows. Looking around, he noticed Aaron checking a small clip-board, while looking at him with some concern. "You're awake. Just in time, if you didn't wake up soon, I was planning to do this mission by myself." Aaron noted. "how are you feeling?" Aaron asked, this said with more concern in his voice.
"Like I got stepped on by a cerberus - but, hey, I've actually had that happen, and it hurt less, so..." Sona grumbled.
"YOu're lucky to be alive, ya know. Doc's said you might not pull through." Aaron told him.
"Ya, well, lucky me, I survived." Sona replied.
"Oh! How is Arina! where is she!' Sona asked.
"She's been given free run of the place, after I pulled some strings. Aeon wants to have a chat with her, though - and with you, too. He's pretty interested in the mission details." Aaron told him.
Arina, having free run of the place, would see that this is mostly a medical facility, though a training grounds that was made to allow patients to vent was also available.

[Wynn]

Arina walked into the room shortly after. As always, she was still wearing her armor, aside from her helmet. However, her armor was a tad asymmetrical now. However, she had left her sword, shield, and crossbow elsewhere. One of the shoulders was missing almost all of its armor plating and only chain mail stood between her shoulder and outer elements. She smiled at Sona when they made eye-contact.

[agentaaa]

Sona smiled back, an honest and broad smile that Aaron couldn't recall seeing from him for a long time.
"Are you okay? I don't know what happened after I fainted. Guess luck only gets you so far, before some pile of rocks knocks you out..." Sona said, his voice coming in weaker at the end. It would be obvious that he still wasn't fully recovered. "Sorry I wasn't more help..."
"Hey, stop it. You were a big reason for why we got out of there in the first place. quit selling yourself short before I slap you one." Aaron remarked curtly. "You're just as big a part of our escape as anyone was."

"Oh, that reminds me, how is Argus doing?" Sona asked.

Aaron looked away at that, unable to face Sona. "He..."
Aaron didn't finish the sentence, but the grim and guilty expression on his face finished it for him.

[Wynn]

Sona smiled back, an honest and broad smile that Aaron couldn't recall seeing from him for a long time.
"Are you okay? I don't know what happened after I fainted. Guess luck only gets you so far, before some pile of rocks knocks you out..." Sona said, his voice coming in weaker at the end. It would be obvious that he still wasn't fully recovered. "Sorry I wasn't more help..."
"Hey, stop it. You were a big reason for why we got out of there in the first place. quit selling yourself short before I slap you one." Aaron remarked curtly. "You're just as big a part of our escape as anyone was."

"Oh, that reminds me, how is Argus doing?" Sona asked.

Aaron looked away at that, unable to face Sona. "He..."
Aaron didn't finish the sentence, but the grim and guilty expression on his face finished it for him.

Arina strode across the room as he spoke and put her hand on his shoulder, and continued to smile. She gave him an approving nod to push away any doubts about himself. However, when he brought up Argus, she closed her eyes and faced downward.

[agentaaa]

"...oh." Sona replied, downcast again. Though he would not say as much, it would be obvious from his face that he felt guilty for that, too... "I see."
"...Look, there's two hours before Aeon will be meeting us. Rest till then, you need it." Aaron told him. "speaking of, Arina, I'd like to talk to you about something, in the meantime."

[Wynn]

"...oh." Sona replied, downcast again. Though he would not say as much, it would be obvious from his face that he felt guilty for that, too... "I see."
"...Look, there's two hours before Aeon will be meeting us. Rest till then, you need it." Aaron told him. "speaking of, Arina, I'd like to talk to you about something, in the meantime."

Arina turned and met Aaron's gaze. "What is it?" She inquired. Her expression would be relatively vacant, but she would make direct eye contact with genuine curiosity.

[agentaaa]

"Walk with me, if you would." Aaron said, leaving Sona to rest. He truly didn't want to disturb his sleep, but on the other hand...
"I just got the medical report from the team tending to Sona's health. There seems to be a problem regarding the disease he has. The disease itself eats away at life energy, and is in fact a type of metaphysical parasite. the parasites eat away life energy and hide in vital areas - making it about impossible to get rid of them without severely harming the person in the process. anytime such was attempted, it ended up wounding the person mortally - and moreover, doing irreparable damage to their soul. It was an exitium disease made to cause us to allow a person to die - if they die of such a disease, they would then pass on to the afterlife, but if we interfered, they would fade to nothingness Sona was infected with it four years ago, by one of the most powerful of Exitius's minions." Aaron explained. "He's lasted one of the longest of any afflicted with it - in fact, he IS the longest lasting - but it's eaten away his power to just a small fraction of what it was."

[Wynn]

"Walk with me, if you would." Aaron said, leaving Sona to rest. He truly didn't want to disturb his sleep, but on the other hand...
"I just got the medical report from the team tending to Sona's health. There seems to be a problem regarding the disease he has. The disease itself eats away at life energy, and is in fact a type of metaphysical parasite. the parasites eat away life energy and hide in vital areas - making it about impossible to get rid of them without severely harming the person in the process. anytime such was attempted, it ended up wounding the person mortally - and moreover, doing irreparable damage to their soul. It was an exitium disease made to cause us to allow a person to die - if they die of such a disease, they would then pass on to the afterlife, but if we interfered, they would fade to nothingness Sona was infected with it four years ago, by one of the most powerful of Exitius's minions." Aaron explained. "He's lasted one of the longest of any afflicted with it - in fact, he IS the longest lasting - but it's eaten away his power to just a small fraction of what it was."

Arina would walk with Aaron, and listen to what he had to say. When he brought up the disease and what it did, she would try not to act surprised, but her eyes widened slightly and her mouth opened part way. She remained silent.

[agentaaa]

"The problem is, Sona's Chakra, according to our healers, Has gone up ten percent. This could mean two different things." Aaron told her.
"The first, and most hopeful thing, is that Sona's training and battle, to say nothing of his mental state - as that affects chakra too - has increased and that the bugs have either weakened or couldn't keep up with the development." Aaron said, a faint smile appearing on his face as he said so, before it faded. It was obvious that this is the preferred result. "However, the second possibility is that this is the surge associated with stage two of the virus. if that's the case... well, we wouldn't know how much time he has left, given he's the longest-lived case, but a couple years would be the most
optimistic estimate." Aaron told her. "The only way we'd be able to tell the difference is if Sona gets under extreme stress - hence why Aeon's sending him on a mission. Depending on what we find out... well, either way, Sona's already told us he wants to be on active duty until the moment this..." Aaron trailed off, and the grief on his face was genuine and clear. He genuinely could not bear to think of it. "The point is, we need to keep a really close eye on Sona in the next mission. if his strength levels have improved, that means he's not in stage two. If they stay the same, or get weaker..." Aaron trailed off again. "Anyways, sorry for bothering you. I'll be back in a few - grabbing some extra equipment from the armory, before we leave."

[Wynn]

Arina would stand there silently, still taking in the bombshell Aaron had just dropped. She would remain perfectly still for a relatively short time before putting her helmet on and quickly going to get her gear.
She would grab her sword, shield, and crossbow and head to the building's entrance to wait for the others.

[agentaaa]

Sona, Arina, and Aaron would all meet at the same place. Sona was wearing the uniform of the hidden leaf village, as he usually did, while Aaron was in black and white robes, denoting him as a shinigami. His blade, the balance of light and darkness, was in a sheath on his shoulder, a sheath to the side being impractical given the size of the sword itself. opening the door, they would see none other than Aeon waiting for them, seeming to be sitting rather orderly in a chair. it almost seemed like he was adjusting his seat so that he would be sitting perfectly between the two rests, but the high seat he held was reminiscent of a judge's chair. "Ahhh, I see you three have came here at last. How are all of you doing?"

[Wynn]

Sona, Arina, and Aaron would all meet at the same place. Sona was wearing the uniform of the hidden leaf village, as he usually did, while Aaron was in black and white robes, denoting him as a shinigami. His blade, the balance of light and darkness, was in a sheath on his shoulder, a sheath to the side being impractical given the size of the sword itself. opening the door, they would see none other than Aeon waiting for them, seeming to be sitting rather orderly in a chair. it almost seemed like he was adjusting his seat so that he would be sitting perfectly between the two rests, but the high seat he held was reminiscent of a judge's chair. "Ahhh, I see you three have came here at last. How are all of you doing?"

Arina would remain silent and keep relatively neutral body language and a blank expression, however Aeon would likely sense the apprehension in her. She would just make unblinking eye-contact with Aeon.

[agentaaa]

"Arina... This isn't the first time we've spoken together, has it? it's been a while since you left here." Aeon said. He said it without coldness, but there was no truly friendly tone either. The statement seemed entirely neutral.

[Wynn]

Arina would remain silent and maintain eye contact. Despite her almost statuesque demeanor, she shook her head to say that this was not the first time, in fact.

[agentaaa]

"Hmmm... It is true you saved two of my best men. I am thankful for that, and for the information we've obtained as a result, and yet, I know not what role you played, nor what your intentions are. If I were to let you go, now, I don't know if my armies would see you coming to attack at the forefront of an Exitium legion, killing many good men, as has previously occurred." Aeon noted. "Some men here knew those good men, and have grumbled of your return here, and in terms of tenets of law, even where it comes to war crimes, they do have good reasoning. They would have me kill you, and while I would not do that, in order to make sure my own forces are safe from you, imprisoning you has been considered.
"There's no need! Arina's saved my life a few times already! She won't turn traitor, I know it!" Sona yelled suddenly, as Aeon turned to focus on him.

[Wynn]

Arina would put her hand on Sona's shoulder and simply nodded when he would turn to meet her gaze. She then stood forward closer to Aeon. She still remained silent.
"I will not return to Exitium... ever..." She said perhaps a bit shyly. "I was a drifter without purpose..." She turned her head slightly to the others. "But now..." She would trail off, waiting to see what Aeon would say in response.

[agentaaa]

"Hmmmmm... Still, I'd at least wish to test this. That is, in fact, what this mission is. Whether it succeeds or fails, I wish to see some of your loyalty on this venture." Aeon told Arina. "Unfortunately, I cannot afford to be so forgiving in the future, if this last chance ends up being spurned. I hope you understand?" Aeon said, though the last wasn't really a question.
Aaron stood up at that. "But what is this mission?" he asked.

[Wynn]

"Hmmmmm... Still, I'd at least wish to test this. That is, in fact, what this mission is. Whether it succeeds or fails, I wish to see some of your loyalty on this venture." Aeon told Arina. "Unfortunately, I cannot afford to be so forgiving in the future, if this last chance ends up being spurned. I hope you understand?" Aeon said, though the last wasn't really a question.
Aaron stood up at that. "But what is this mission?" he asked.

Arina nodded in response when Aeon asked if she understood, then she would simply listen to hear what the mission is.

[agentaaa]

"there is a new planet we discovered, deemed Novam Initium by the inhabitants. The inhabitants are actually several billion Orcs - and convincing them to join us is a secondary objective. Such an increase in forces of any of the gods will affect the power balance, and these are powerful beings." no one had ever heard of orcs in such a large clustering before, and several billion, even by the gods' incredibly large standards, was indeed a large number. "But primarily, you'll be going after a single being. Aaron can read Reishi, so I'll say that to your senses, he will feel much like a wisp of smoke. Beyond that, due to the instability of his own power, little can be told." Aeon told them. "he might feel utterly powerless, like a great Ki master, or as a priest, or any other combination." He said. "He is a potential asset I need to secure, and could very well decide the fate of the war."

[Wynn]

"there is a new planet we discovered, deemed Novam Initium by the inhabitants. The inhabitants are actually several billion Orcs - and convincing them to join us is a secondary objective. Such an increase in forces of any of the gods will affect the power balance, and these are powerful beings." no one had ever heard of orcs in such a large clustering before, and several billion, even by the gods' incredibly large standards, was indeed a large number. "But primarily, you'll be going after a single being. Aaron can read Reishi, so I'll say that to your senses, he will feel much like a wisp of smoke. Beyond that, due to the instability of his own power, little can be told." Aeon told them. "he might feel utterly powerless, like a great Ki master, or as a priest, or any other combination." He said. "He is a potential asset I need to secure, and could very well decide the fate of the war."

Arina nodded when Aeon finished speaking. She then turned to walk away to head immediately on the mission, and then stopped a short distance away for the others to do the same.

[agentaaa]

"One more thing, Arina." Aeon stated just before they left. "When you go anywhere, please go with misters Sona or Aaron. There will be those who disagree with my choices here, and - well, I'm not foolish enough to believe no-one here acts without my consent on occasion."

[Wynn]

Arina sighed. "I'll be fine..." She muttered somberly without turning to face him. When Aeon had mentioned that, he would sense a mix of dread and fear well up within her. Not toward him, Sona, or Aaron, but at something intangible. She would then walk with the others.

[agentaaa]

---Several hours later---

The three would grab supplies, Sona taking the longest while evaluating the smaller blades (and accidentally cutting his finger, but Aeon's healing magic, while not Anima's, was surprisingly effective for such a light wound) before getting ready to go.
Met by several mages before the portal, the head mage said "Sirs - and Ma'ams -" He said, regarding Arina. "we've detected emissions beyond the portal that suggest other Avalonians have recently arrived there. Whether they belong to other factions or not is unknown, but either way, we wished you to know."
"That's quite alright then." Aaron told him.
"Let's go." Sona said. "I know we arrived on time, but I keep getting this nagging feeling we're getting there much later than we were supposed to..."

[Wynn]

---Several hours later---

The three would grab supplies, Sona taking the longest while evaluating the smaller blades (and accidentally cutting his finger, but Aeon's healing magic, while not Anima's, was surprisingly effective for such a light wound) before getting ready to go.
Met by several mages before the portal, the head mage said "Sirs - and Ma'ams -" He said, regarding Arina. "we've detected emissions beyond the portal that suggest other Avalonians have recently arrived there. Whether they belong to other factions or not is unknown, but either way, we wished you to know."
"That's quite alright then." Aaron told him.
"Let's go." Sona said. "I know we arrived on time, but I keep getting this nagging feeling we're getting there much later than we were supposed to..."

Arina turned and looked at Sona, giving him a look that was almost confirming what he had just said about being late. Although, there was not even a hint of surprise in her face. She would not bother grabbing any other gear and walked through the portal, placing her helmet on her head just before passing through.

[agentaaa]

Sona would rush into the portal, nearly tripping as he got to the pair of stairs near the portal, but Aaron would lag behind, stepping slowly. Unnoticed by seemingly anyone, a young boy would appear behind Aaron, grinning.
"Didja see that? She's totally into him!" the boy jeered in a voice picked up only by Aaron. the kid in question had well-tanned skin, together with blue eyes, blond hair, and an impish expression. He wore a blue jacket over a white shirt, and brown shorts that showed up to his knees, along with small blue sneakers. His eyes seemed youthful, and he was grinning ear to ear.
"Look, just because a girl shows concern doesn't mean she automatically has a crush on a guy. Don't be an idiot." another voice said, this coming from a tall, elegantly dressed woman. she had long, black hair, and was slightly taller than Aaron himself, only in part due to the heels she wore with her dress.
Aaron just smirked. His zanpakuto regularly bickered like this, so he wasn't too surprised. just the fact he could feel that they were with him, though... everything seemed just a little less impossible to him in that moment.

[Sponsored content]