Ollie barely mustered enough strength to grab onto his swords, He placed them back in their proper locations. His body felt decimated, he didn't want to move at all. He tried to stand himself up, he started using his hands to push himself up a little. However it wasn't working. He just collapsed under his own weight. He waited for a few minutes and tried again. Same procedure he pushed himself up with his arms. He managed this time, but his feet gave out. Regaining balance he managed to stand up however.

In a lethargic, limp strut he walked towards Ella. Smiling towards her, he stopped right next to her. He could feel his legs shaking, and so he balanced himself out on her with one arm over her shoulder, he shifted some weight onto her but nothing she couldn't handle. Finally, he leaned his head closer to her ear and whispered.

"I won our little game, How unfortunate for you. I get an answer." Ollie sighed in pain, his body ached, his head was pounding, if he didn't stop that chandelier he probably would have been able to not need help walking. "On a side note. You wont be able to walk anywhere without carrying me for a while."

The armor faded off of Hew, and he got up.
Blearily, he staggered a little, then shook himself free of any fugue.
"We won. Huzzah!"
Then he walked as firmly as he could over to Izabel, who was the nearest "damsel" in the loosest sense of the word.
"Are you quite alright, madam?"

izabel looked over at hew
"im fine thanks, you dont look to well, are you going to be ok?"

Hew's response was cheery.
"I'm not dead, and not going to be in the immediate future, in this dimension, timeline, reality and universe. Whence I hail from, my fairest lady, I herald that as a glorious day!"
That said he promptly gave Izabel a full on passionate kiss, smiled at her, then strode back to the others without even waiting for her reaction.
"SEIZE THE DAY, KISS THE MAIDENS! HUZZAH!"
He stood triumphant, grinding the dust into the floor.
"Victory is ours! The demon is dead! The day is saved! Buuuut..."
He turned, and pointed at the man sitting at the bar.
"Who by Satan's gargantuan rear are you?"

before izabel could react hew was already walking away. her face was completely red she couldnt believe she let her guard down enough for him to get close, enough to kiss her. at this point she was angry, angry at him for kissing her and angry at herself for letting her guard down. she looked around and found a pebble on the ground. she quickly picked it up and chucked it at hew hitting him in the back of the head
"do that again and your dead understand?"

Hew turned around, picked up the pebble, and studied it.
Then he walked back to Izabel, and the look on his face was a mixture of concern, daring, and devilish mischief.
"You know, it's important to celebrate after a battle, good for morale. It also teaches you to not let the past claim your enjoyment of the present. That said..."
He took off his cape, and flourished it in front of Izabel before securing it around her like a robe. Before she could react, he had slipped his hands beneath the cape, twiddled with this, fiddled with that - and when he stepped away, he held her entire outfit in one hand.
"You, my dear, really must lighten up."
Then he stepped backwards out of her reach, and examined it.
"Ooh... for someone that doesn't like fun you are fond of revealing outfits..."

izabel face was now even redder then before
"why you?"
she jumped at him grabbing at her clothes, but she miscalculated her footing and ran directly into hew causing them both to tumble

"Easy, princess, easy!"
Hew instantly took the fall, causing her to land on top of him.
Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her to shield her from any potential damage, only to have his left hand clamp firmly onto her rear and his right hand to link with hers to stop her momentum.
"...You're going to kill me for this, aren't you...?" he said softly. Very determinedly keeping his hand on her rear.
"Well, why not?"
Squeeze.

izabels blade slid out from her arm guard of her free hand, she pressed the blade firmly against his neck
"remove your hand from there ..right....now"
she remained as calm as she could when she really just wanted to slit his throat right then and there for violating her

Hew then looked Izabel straight in the eyes and for a moment she could see that he was concerned about her - but then the childish and perverted glee came back.
"Tell me, Izabel, have you heard of something called a dead man's grip?"
As he spoke, his hand moved off where it was touching, up her body then off, though she felt quite an odd tugging sensation.
"I've seen it, in battle. Men don't let go of their swords, and can't be made to, even in death. Also, if you believe I am a rapscallion as well as a villainous pervert, trust me..."
He moved his left hand in front of her face, and in them, dangling lightly, were frilly black panties.
"If you kill me, you had best be prepared to, as they say, "go commando" for a while..." he teased.

upon seeing the panties izabel quickly moved off him sitting on the floor she used the cloak to keep her covered, her face was as red as it could get, she was in shock, and frantically looking around to see if anyone was watching. she looked down at the ground in shame
"n-no one has ever violated me in such a way, i have left my guard down far to much, i must train even harder"
she quietly sat there holding the cloak closed to keep from revealing herself

Brian took the finishing sips of his ale as he stepped outside of the bar, He walked over too the brothel. And examined the glass. He was amused and shocked finally, he stepped up from the ground and into the brothel. His posture nearly perfect, his expression was stoic. In fact he was nearly impossible to read. As he saw the group scattered around yet gathered together he smiled. He noticed Ella and waved towards her.

"Ladies, Gentlemen, Hybrids, and Cyborgs. It is a pleasure to meet all of you. A suggestion must have led you here, by choice you came. Now that is out of the way, I am here to guide you through the many obstacles that will present themselves throughout your journey. You will need to be prepared, or you will die. Moving onward, Your next destination is through the forest in the north, and to the village in the north east. You will know you've arrived when you see the sign saying 'Welcome to Kryll" there will be a boat. Your tickets are already paid for. You have a week to get there and claim them."

Brian pointed his fingers over towards Ella and Izabel. Motioning to a separate side telling them to follow him into privacy, if they couldn't read that he also spoke out and said. "I wish to speak to Izabel and Ella in private. Oh and Izabel, before you exit the brothel, I suggest you put some clothes on, It otherwise you'll look like you work here."walking back outside he went to the centre of town. And sat on a bench, Waiting for them to come over.

Ollie sighed than smiled. She was annoyed he could tell but he explained why he chose her.

"For one, You're the only one with some sort of experience with battling these kinds of monsters, you would have attacked the areas I directed you to regardless if I told you too. Second, You're interesting and I have a sort of suspicion around you."

When he saw The wave and then signaling of Ella he was more-so curious. He could have just been drawing attention over to her. Or he knew he from past experiences. Either way he whispered his question.

"So, My question is. How old are you, I do not care for anything other you could tell me. Just your age."

Hew knelt next to Izabel and laid her clothes back on her lap before helping her up.
"Come with me."
He led her behind the building where he turned around and kept guard so she could get changed.
"You don't need to train harder. You don't need to constantly have your guard up."
He sighed.
"Something happened to you, in your past. That much I can tell most effortlessly. But you cannot let your past command your future or else you are simply not alive. You are a living ghost, a walking memory. And it is a shame to see one such as yourself become such a thing."
He wasn't looking at her, as she was getting changed, and although he was a tease he did have a fierce sense of honor.
"I don't ask that you lose that what made you who you are. I ask that you become something stronger than what has happened to you. There is no honor in this kind of living death."
He waited for her to finish and wait for her response.

ella looked at ollie
"you know, its not nice to ask a girl her age."
she sighed
"but if you must know im 37"
she got up and walked over to brian as she walked paste him she spoke
"its been a while hasnt it?"
she smiled
"so how well have they been treating you?"


izabel took her clothes and slipped them on listening to him as he spoke, when she was finished she walked past him stopped for just a moment
"i was born to be an assassin, it is who i am, we are to keep our guard up at all times, i have failed and left mine down, as an assassin we are trained in ways you wouldn't understand, im only here to revenge my clan, and thus far i have failed"
she looked over at brian
"it seems im being called upon"
she walked away tightening up her corset not making eye contact with anyone as she passed them until she was standing next to ella

Ignoring the chatter for the time being, Mike approached Vector, a little sheepishly. "I'm sorry about your injury. I would've stopped the sword myself, but-" Mike waved his lifeless right arm like that of a rag doll, clearly driving the point home. He was only just beginning to regain some sensation in his fingertips. After a pause, he added, "that thing was a real monster, huh?"

Thinking that the newcomer's appearance was rather timely and his behaviour equally suspect, he turned once more to Vector, and asked "I don't suppose you fancy a little spywork? I don't know about you, but I'd like to hear what this guy has to say to the ladies, and I think your lizard form would be perfect for the job. I'd owe you one- well, two I suppose..." At this point, he shot his most charming, toothy grin, hoping it would improve the odds of earning a favour.

Brian saw the two walking towards him, and he began to stand up so by the time they approached them, the didn't have to tell them to move he signaled for them to stop, and they did. Brian reached into his pocket and from it were 2 pieces of paper. They were an invite to a ballroom dance it would be required to get past the door guards. He reached into his pocket again and grabbed a flask. He took a quick sip of what was in it. And finally began to speak.

"Ella, I have been well. How about you?" taking a quick breathe he moved onward to business. "Ella, Izabel. Someone of high importance wishes for you to participate in a Ballroom party. The Hosts would be honored if you were to show up. It would be important to keep this a secret, oh and if you do. Dress in your finest clothes. there will also be a dinner. If you would wish to stay for such. All I know was my masters were insistent on you being there. Almost demanding it."

Brian began to walk away from the 2 girls and most certaintly had a swagger to his step. He started by walking on the street east of him and than down an alley only to disappear. Upon doing so. He began to skip back to his manor to await new orders.

Ollie, Was still in an extrme amount of pain but he was able to stand now just not walk without a limp. And so he began to limp towards the shattered window of the brothel. But before he stepped out, there was a rather bright light emitting from the center of the room, and a gem almost suspended perfectly in the center shone there Ollie was amazed by this. And Wouldn't step outside.

"Hew, Izabel, Ella! You might wanna come in here. There is something in the center of the room it is just levitating, You all need to see this it is quite amazing honestly. I dont know how or what is happening. Just hurry up in!"

Ollie's own curiousity peaked to an extreme attraction to the gem. He began to walk towards it, and it seemed to get brighter. His mind was perplexed at what was happening but the gem threw off nothing but positive energy.

ella answered back to brian
"ive been well"
when she was given the paper she looked at it then quickly tucked it away in her cloak
"i guess ill have to make a trip home then, didnt inspect to be invited to a ballroom dance"
she looked up at izabel
"consider yourself lucky"
she gave her a wink then walked over to ollie noticing the gem
"what do you think it is?"


izabel took the paper without saying a word and tucked it down the front of her corset, she then looked down at the clothing she was wearing, she had never been invited to a ball before and didnt know the first thing about dressing her finest, to her that was her finest
"why me?"
she thought to herself as she walked over to the group, she looked up at the gem
"i wonder if its safe to touch?"

Vector turned to Mike "yeah I guess she was. And the wound is nothing to even worry about" that was a lie it was painful and he knew it would impair his fighting. "I guess I could listen in a bit" He transformed back to his lizard form and crawled close enough to hear a little bit of the end of the conversation. He went back to the brothel and transformed back to his human form. "Something about a a party, I could not make the rest out" he told Mike. He turned his attention to the gem "I think someone should poke it" he said jokingly.

A party? Interesting... "Thanks Vector." The gem caught Mike's eye easily. Initially he was cautious, but he cast aside his misgivings after seeing Ollie's reaction, and slowly approached the gem, reaching out a hand as he went.

Malic dropped to his knees exhausted "that lightening played havoc with my scars and my glowing weapon power thing didn't help" looks over to Celia and says "are you ok miss ?"

Hew looked at Izabel one more time.
Then he walked towards the gem and tapped it with his finger.
It seemed to hum under his touch.
"What exactly is this marvelous rock?"

The rocks hum began to grow higher in pitch. It slowly started to rotate violently, and sent Hew and anyone else touching it an inch or two back. While it was spinning in the air it shattered. It was a beautiful shattering. The gem was a color of sapphire. And felt smooth to the touch. The light never seemed to die down after it's implosion, it just became smaller and slowly drifted to everyone around the room, it would stop at the peoples faces for mere seconds and lower itself to their weapons. Once it landed on their weapons it fortified. They became sharper, stronger, more durable, heavier, and lighter. If the holder of the weapon wanted it to shift shapes it was able to do so.

however, The gems never landed on Ollie's sword. They enshrouded him Normally something like that would freak a person out. Ollie just closed his eyes, and all his anxiety evaporated. He was elated. As the gem began to dissolve inside of him, A jolt of energy had shot through his body, rejuvenating him. He also felt as though he was now able to use magic. Unfortunately he didn't know any spells. It created a whole new perspective for him.

When he opened his eyes again, he looked over at the process going on around him with Izabel, Celia, Hew, Mike, and the likes. It was something absolutely marvelous to see. Once the process finished he decided it would be best to go outside. But before he did he spoke.

"I'll get a head start from here to Kryll, it is a long journey, So I hope you're all prepared! Don't worry I will be sure to wait for you all and not travel too far."

Ollie smiled as he stepped outside, he went around the brothel and up the long dirt path slowly, waiting for the group to catch up after their growing strength is earned.

ella watched as the glow driftedin front of her then landed on her bow, she lifted it up and studied it for a few moments, she had that bow for a very long time, she could feel the difference, it was lighter and seemed almost as good as new
"well this should be easier to carry from here on"
she looked over at ollie as he spoke of traveling to kryll
"well if its a far journey then we better get a move on"
she looked over at celia
"well if your gonna do this we better go and not fall behind"
with that said she walked out of the brothel (or whats left of it) and started following ollie, tho he was already far ahead of her

celia watched the glow land on her sword, she gave it a few swings in the air and it seemed more balanced, she was able to swing it with more force
"this should do much more damage in a fight"
she looked over at ella as ella spoke to her about starting their journey and decided to follow pursuit of her mother, catching up with her
"you know you dont have to go, i can go by myself"

when the glow landed on the blades to her wrist guards the leather seemed to fit snug on her, she had had her blades for quite sometime she was always having to adjust the straps, but this time they seem to fit perfectly. she allowed the blades to slide out and they slid out a lot smoother, they also seemed a lot lighter
"well this is gonna take some getting used to"
she said to herself, she then noticed ollie leaving and heard him mention kryll, she decided to get a head start as well but decided to take her own path one that would keep her from the group but close enough to them since she preferred to travel alone