Hason

Something about the room we entered was off. The man was even floating, and his cloak was... Odd, to say the least. I noticed multiple machines, and there were vials in a line. However, the most intriguing part of all of this, had to be the tables that only said 'Experiment 003 004'. As he began to speak, I felt my blood run cold, however... I don't think I could have predicted what came next. When he spoke... When he spoke to me, I felt myself begin to tense up... 'Does he know? No... He can't. He can't know. He can't know. He can't know...'

As he moved on, I began to just... Stand there, staring off into a seemingly vast nothingness. When the floor began to crumble underneath me, it reflected how I felt, and I thought it to be my head. as if the world was crumbling underneath me. I wanted to believe he didn't know. I wanted to believe I was still safe... But that was a feeling I wouldn't feel again, for quite some time. I was no longer safe the moment I stepped into this room... When we hit the ground however, something made it self very apparent; I had more pressing matters to worry about. 'I... Need to calm down. I need to focus. I need... To live.'

As I began to look around, I didn't even notice that my legs hadn't sustained any damage from the fall; I just moved on, my legs unharmed. Steven had landed a few feet away, farther than when we had been standing there. I noticed his eye's began to change very quickly, as if fear had overtaken him, and he had realized something. He quickly ran towards me, sprinting even before jumping, and turning into weapon form midair. I reached out my arm, and grabbed Steven's hilt out of the air, watching as one of the other's was forced into a weapon form... 'He just... Forced her into weapon form... I didn't even know that was possible...'

When he drew an arrow, I notice one more thing... Earlier, I must have turned off, or even forgotten to activate my Soul Protection, but I could... Feel it.  The electricity, everywhere as he fired... I could sense each individual shot, and feel  their movements... I could feel that overwhelming sense of dread as the shots hurtled towards me... I was going to stand still, I was going to hide, but... A voice rang out, and reminded me of something. "Hason! One of the other's isn't moving. We can't let her get shot here. He reminded me... Reminded me that I wasn't the only one who would be shot by these bolts. That I wasn't the only one who had to live through this. I moved in front of the girl, the one who's partner had just been taken from her... And I did something I didn't even know possible. I began to swing the chain and chakram in front of me and the girl, a translucent shield in the image of a chakram blocking the electric shots. 'I... How did I... You know what, let's not question it... Let's just play defense for now.'

Steven

The Weapon felt uneasy, and it only worsened as the other said not to fear... However, what might have been eating at him further, was what he said about Hason... What did he mean by that? What was he saying she was? She was a Meister, wasn't she? She was his partner... So what was he talking about when he said that she was 'scared of her potential'...? He would have thought on it longer, had the ground not opened up under them, swallowing them...

Upon landing, he noticed the heat almost immediately, and the landscape wasn't a sight that instilled him with confidence.. He only felt more, and more uneasy by every second, and the fact that Hason was visibly bothered by what he had said, wasn't helping... However, when the cloaked figure spoke again, he thought that he knew why he was uneasy... This guy really was shady, and the notion that they were going to become Kishin food wasn't too helpful.

When the figure took hold of one of the weapons, and forced her into a transformation, he felt fear begin to spark up to new levels... However, he also felt anger. He didn't care for the feeling of Transforming in the first place, so he could only imagine what a forced change would feel like... So he did something. He ran. He ran towards Hason, and transformed, allowing himself to be caught out of the air by Hason... He could feel it. She was tense, scared. He could tell that something was getting to her, but to be honest, he didn't care about that for now. Instead, he had noticed that the girl, the one who's partner had been taken from her, was just... Standing there, even as the figure let out a bolt at her, she just stood there. And they had to help. He did something he normally wouldn't do, but he thought needed; He told Hason what to do. "Hason! One of the other's isn't moving. We can't let her get shot here.

To his surprise, Hason moved. She had placed herself in between the bolts, and the girl... And then she did something that also surprised him. She began to swing him, faster, and faster, until a translucent shield in the shape of a chakram appeared, and he felt as each shot slammed into the shield, being blocked... And more importantly, keeping both of them safe.

Hason

As I watched my partner leave, I turned to the others. 'I mean, come on! If we were having maintenance together, we might as well know each other first. Right?' Anyways, upon approaching the group, I began to examine what I could from them. I began with the two girls, the ones with long blonde and brown hair. 'Not much to see here. Most I can guess, is that the way they're standing and talking though, I'd assumed they're close, possibly more like siblings than friends... Not much else to see here, other than the fact that one of them isn't wearing too much when it comes to a top.'

The next one I looked over was the girl standing near another, if I remember correctly, she turned into a scythe during the fights. 'Hm... She looks a bit more upbeat than some of the others here, her smile shows that. She seems to argue with her Meister, even describing her meister as a 'lazy bum'... I would probably say the same about Steven actually, but I'm just as bad as he is...'

I then looked to the last one, the only present male, and the one who had been wielding Silene as a scythe during the fights. 'He looks a good bit taller than the rest of us, I wonder if he could use Steven's head as a armrest..? And... What's that smell?' As I looked him over, my eyes began to water... There was the distinct smell of wintergreen coming off of this guy, and he was offering me a piece of gum. Reluctantly, I took a stick of gum, a smile growing on my face. I began to speak,  "Ah, thank you! My name's Hason, and my weapon who decided to be a jackass and leave, is named Steven."

Well then... Gonna have to play this a little differently, aren't I? As he pulled on Steven's chain, I felt myself get pulled towards the Iron Fist... Heh, this'll be interesting. As the gap was quickly closed, I felt a power rise up in me... I guess I gave in. I threw all caution to the wind, and disabled Soul Protection. It was time to go fish. I reared back my right fist, what seemed to be the maw of a shark opened up around my fist. I swung my fist towards the iron fist, attempting to meet his fire with my water... Damn, if this doesn't work, it's gonna suck.

Hason

I had been staring my schedule, when I heard a loud voice echo out. I looked up just in time to see a door fly off its hinges, hit the ceiling, and even slam through it. I even heard an audible 'OW' from the room above me... This would be interesting, or so, I thought. Sure I was right, It was interesting, however not in the way I had wanted. I had watched two people walk in; A shorter man, and a taller man, however, the mannerisms, look, and even... No, especially the speech patterns of the shorter, thin man who walked in made me uneasy. He immediately asked who locked the door, to which we pointed at a kid in the corner, who thought it would be funny to do so.  I felt my heart skip a beat when the instructor slammed the child's face through the desk... Did he kill the kid?

Not really wanting to find out for myself, I simply sat there, silent as he explained what we would be doing. It seemed we would be getting our first Kishin egg, and I noticed that Steven, who was beside me, was noticeably tense. It was only natural for him, wasn't it? After all he's shown me time after time that he's a bit of a coward, and I would be throwing him at our enemy for half of this. I couldn't help but grow a somewhat soft smile. Sure, this was going to be terrifying, it would hurt, and I could even possibly die here... But, it would quite interesting, would it not?

When the instructor gave us the signal to go ahead, I arose from my seat, nudging Steven as to get him to follow, which he did, though, I have wonder if it was willingness or fear that drove him to follow? After all, I'm sure he wasn't too keen on this situation. As we took a key, I motioned towards the field, speaking as so. "Go pick a box, and then transform when I get there. Alright?"

His response wasn't verbal, which I found rather odd for him. He was really tense, wasn't he? I mean, I guess he did follow my instructions, but it's unlike him not to comment with sarcasm. As he picked a box,  I began to carefully select a key. Sure, he said they were all the same, and would open any box, but I at least had to check and make sure they were similar in nature. I picked up the key in my left hand, before walking towards the field, to the box Steven was standing in front of.

When I got there, like I had instructed him to do, he transformed without a word, the hilt of the weapon appearing in my hand. The chain was limp, and the large chakram was laying upon the ground, waiting for me to sling it into the air, and at my opponent. I stuck the key into the slot, but, before I could turn it, I heard an audible voice from my weapon. "Hey, be careful when swinging me at them, alright?

My response was quick, and had a hint of sarcasm in my voice. He knew I would take as much care as I could, but hey! I should have fun with this. "I wont." And with that, I turned the key, quickly stepping back and dragging the chakram back as I began to await the box's inevitable burst.

Steven

He felt... Tense. The teacher hadn't even walked in yet, and he was already tense. The door flying off of it's hinges and going through the ceiling didn't help either. He watched the instructor intently, pointing at the kid who had locked the door when it was questioned, however, he couldn't expect what would happen next. He tensed up as the other, around the same age as him, was thrust through his desk, breaking the wood into thousands of pieces. He couldn't help but wonder if the kid was alive but... He wasn't going to say anything and risk the same fate.

Steven tried to fake a smile, however it quickly left his face as he realized what the instructor was... Well, instructing them to do. He knew it was going to happen when they signed up for it, but he still wasn't sure if he and Hason would be able to do it... But hey, he couldn't really run right now, so what could he do but obey? As his Meister nudged him, he quickly got up, following her over to the table with the keys, where she began to speak, a monotone voice coming from her. Ah, she was back to normal now, wasn't she? "Go pick a box, and transform when I get there. Alright?"

He simply nodded, following her orders and going towards a box. He felt his heart begin to pound, nearly bursting from his chest as he stood in front of one of the boxes. He wanted to run... He needed to run, but he couldn't very well do that, could he? So he simply waited. When Hason neared him, he quietly transformed in a flash of light, turning into his weapon form, having the hilt appear in her free hand. Before she could even open the cage, he spoke, a bit of a cautious tone to his voice. "Hey, be careful when swinging me at them, alright?

However, her reply didn't exactly reassure him. As she turned the key and quickly stepped a few feet back, awaiting the contents of the box to make themselves known, she spoke in a sarcastic tone that made even him uneasy. "I wont."

Hason

...Welcome to hell. That's the only thought that persevered through my mind as I walked through here. Guess it's not too far off, huh? The only solace is I'm assured food and 'safe' refuge, but... I don't know. I know it's fear talking, that much is obvious. It's just, I guess I'm not too keen knowing that if I slip up once... Well, I'm gone. Dead. My story's over. I know have Soul Protection, it just... Feels off. It doesn't hurt. But it's almost like a numbing sensation. I know what it's doing; It's suppressing my magic, both causing my soul to appear normal, and locking my abilities down. It even disabled my sense of electricity, though, I have to say, that's actually nice here in the city.

Why... Why are we gathered here, just... Waiting? This is an Academy, shouldn't he be finishing his speech so we can get to 'witch and kishin killing classes' or something? I mean, I don't really want to go to a class about my kin being killed, but if I'm here I want to learn damn it... Guess I'll go find my partner, see what he's up to, huh?



Steven

Steven was near the back of the crowd, a bit ironic since he had shown up fairly early. That was... Out of character for him, he was never one to get places early, but, circumstances can change when you can't sleep. It wasn't the atmosphere, it wasn't the lack of warmth from cats, no, that had already worn off, after all, they had been there for about a week at this point. What had gotten to him, and was causing him to cease sleeping, was that he was genuinely nervous, unsure as to if he would be able to make it here, that, is what kept him awake at night, and was currently eating away at him.

However, I wouldn't say he really looked nervous. No, I'd say quite the opposite, as he looked rather excited, like he couldn't wait for it to get started. This was exactly like him, wasn't it? To never show the fact that he was terrified, or that something was bothering him. Hell, if it got too bad, he'd just run away, like he always did. Either way, he would soon lose any opportunity to run, as his partner had approached him, speaking shockingly calm, and laying out her thoughts and points with ease... Jeez, how was she not nervous?!  "Hey, Steven. I figure since we're partners, maybe we should travel together, don't want you running away after all. Also. Heard anything about the guys who run this place? I've not heard much, but you're bound to have heard something."

Shit, she had him. He had his chance, and didn't take it, and was sure to pay for it now. "Yeah, I've heard some stuff. A little bird told me one of them was pretty chill, possibly even as relaxed as I am. The other... Not sure on him. Word is, he's strict as hell, not really looking forward to meeting him, to be honest."

The girl merely smirked at the first, however she didn't refrain from voicing her opinion on the second, her voice having a hint of... Actually, he wasn't sure what it was a hint of. It was like... Anger? No, that wasn't it... It was like, Sarcasm, detest, and disappointment all had a baby. That was her tone, at least from his point of view, though, he wasn't sure he understood why her tone was that. "Ah... I hope he's not too bad, or else I'll have to be right there with you in not wanting to meet him."

As the others spoke, several thoughts began to run through Duriel's mind, flowing through and leading him to begin collecting his thoughts. 'It seems I need to cut back on the forced accent, seems he didn't appreciate that. Though, I am tryin' my best.' As the second dwarf spoke however, his thoughts were... Different. The thoughts were somewhat happy, at least knowing he wouldn't have to think too hard as the lost guard. 'So that's what 'The Lost Guard' title meant, that's... A good thing, I think. I don't know much about this world anyways, so a title that means I shouldn't know much is a good one, eh?'

When he had finally collected his thoughts, he turned to the first dwarf, the one he had offended earlier, and began to speak, with a bit of an apologetic tone to his voice. "Aye, I'm sorry if I've come and offended ya'." Then, he rather quickly turned to the other, where he continued speaking. "And aye... I see yer' point, and I honestly agree with it. I guess I might be the lost guard after all."

A look of curiosity overtook Duriel's face, one of his eyebrows arching as he took in the information the other dwarves had given him. Something seemed strange, why would they set off without a fourth representative? Who was this 'lost guard'? Was it him? If so, he was certainly unaware of it. "Ai'd be willin' ta' go in t ha' fourth man's place, sure, but ai've gotta' know... Who's this lost guard fella?"

Day in... Day out. It was always the same. Go to the bar. Serve customers. Break up four to five fights. Call the dwarven police. Leave. Go home. Sleep. It was always. The same. He had been doing this for what, a year now? He hadn't truly thought about it until now, but... Was this what he wanted to do? To go to work, go home, go to sleep, wake up, go to work again? Did he really want to toil away for his entire life...? He wanted to stop thinking about it, he wanted to go back to his job, he wanted to think about normal things, but... He couldn't after having a taste of a different life, after even just thoughts of it... He couldn't stop thinking about it... And he didn't know what he would do if it was just a dream...

The dwarf slumped down in his bed as he attempted to go to sleep, hoping... No, pleading that the world of magic, and adventure wasn't a dream... And he wasn't disappointed. When he came to, he was no longer in his home, but within the world of magic, under that tree he had slept under... Originally, his first order of business was going to be the tavern, to listen for information... But that would wait for breakfast. He opened his sack, and began to take out a piece of bread, and some water in a canteen, eating just a bit, and drinking a small amount, as if to conserve it. It wasn't until he was putting his food and drink back into the sack, that he noticed the wagon beside him. He also noticed a few other dwarven men around the tree, just sort of lounging about as if resting. Some were whittling, some were reading, one was even knitting. The dwarf laughed, and began to try to speak to them, a tone of jest to his voice. "Oi, I didn't know this was a common resting spot."