The Gypsy City, Saul.

[Hotaru]

Hotaru leaped as she heard the voice appear from nowhere. Realizing that it was Leo, Hotaru calmed herself down, listening to what he had to say. When he finished, she straightened herself and faced him. "From what I understood of that, the rumors that I have been hearing are true. If so, then it sounds like it would be worth to stay here for a bit, so count me in."

[Leonardo]

Leo smiled, giving off an air of confidence he didn't have before. "Glad to hear that. And you two?" Leo started twirling the pendent he was wearing now in his finger tips, the wings of the pendent barley touching his chest as it spun.

[checkmate]

"The treatment of your friend?" Carter said with a deep laugh. "I have no clue what you're talking about. If anything your friend was the one who stole from me and I just invited her back for a talk and to get my piece, she decided to add stakes to our match and lost, she then decided to go for best out of three but had nothing to offer. So what is the issue?" He said looking down at the board and starting to imagine the pieces moving in a game against themselves.

[skysu]

She sighed lightly and rested her hand that held the piece against her forhead. "Just... What do you want?" she questioned mildly exasperated.

[checkmate]

"What do I want?" Carter said actually having to lean back in his chair and think about what he wanted. "Society has issues and needs to change." he started saying closing his eyes as he imagined a giant chess board covered in tons of pieces in all different colors. "The world is to split and lacking unified direction. Everyone is out for their own goals. Pirates fight among pirates, OSDF work around OSDF, mages work for every side. But we are split by our occupations or families." He finally said as he watched the pieces fighting amongst themselves in his head. He finally opened his eyes and looked at Skye. "I know you know what i'm talking about. From what I've heard and know about you, you feel the same way and for the world to be unified they need strong leaders who accept each other." He said with a passing thought of him leading the pirates. He kept his face straight at this thought though on the off chance she was paying any attention.

[skysu]

She watched him carefully as he spoke and when he didn't she thought on his words. "So what you are saying, is that you want to work together to accomplish this world?" she questioned softly. "I find it mildly disturbing that you know so much about me... but who were you imagining in this unified world?" she questioned.

[mizcryptic]

Morrigan had been staring at the table from where she sat. She wanted to be apart of an adventure. To find a place for herself. She had made the vow to protect Skye Wulfe. Then there was the treacherous Carter, who seemingly had no interest in partnering with her.

"The chess game." She realized that Leo and Avalon were looking at her, expectantly, and that the artsy girl, Hotaru had joined them, as well.

She slammed her fist down on the table and grinned, turning to Avalon. "I came to find where I fit on the chess board." She was not a strategist, but she was the ace aerialist combatant. She was the quick-thinking, reactionist and dodger. She stood, withdrawing her bowie knife, and saluting to Leo. "You have me as your white knight, but my Queen comes first." She strolled past them and out of the inn.

Skye and Carter were still midst in conversation. "She is my queen in this game, Carter." She pointed out her knife at him. "I understand you're on a world conquest of sorts. OSDF will be your biggest opponent as a Free Trader. I will work from within the OSDF and deliver all information to you. Also, I will stand beside Skye in whatever she decides, as her pilot and your's. Either we could be friends or enemies, but I believe we'd all work better as a team." She glanced at Skye, pausing, and taking a breathe. "With Skye as our leader."

[Leonardo]

Leo, curious by the chess reference fallowed behind Morrigan and watched her conversation from the inn door. Seeing her talk to the one chess player made her comment seem less random. Her words intrigued him though, particularly the part about world conquest. He held in a strange feeling and when Morrigan stopped talking he couldn't help but laugh and approach the group. "You make it sound easy. Changing the world isn't simple and predictable like a chess match. And if you've never played intrigue I doubt you could pull it off. Relax Skye, I have no intention to interfere with this. I have my orders and what your doing has nothing to do with me. Well maybe that's not quit true sense if you could pull it off, it would be my job to kill you. But with a higher priority target and your low chance of success, I won't be able to kill you even if I wanted to. Just remember that the weight of the world is immeasurable, and it's a weight not meant to be placed on a mortal's shoulders. Trying to take it on will either lead ruin or your being crushed. Just a friendly warning." Leo laughed again and started to walk away. Only Skye knew him well enough to tell that he was acting odd. Not only does Leo not talk willingly to such a large group of strangers in a public place, but he wouldn't talk so confidently or with such an argent tone. Leo is also not the type to try and offer any wisdom, but fallows blindly. He's also the kind that doesn't wear jewelry, but keeps it locked safely to maintain its condition so the fact he is still wearing the pendent is odd.

(Note: Intrigue is a game stolen from a book that is used to train nobles in the true art of war. It's game play heavily reflects real world war, including truces being nothing more then words. In this time period it would be a very old, and rarely played game. Especially sense it's game-play is based on a time without air ships.)

[skysu]

(that was in green rider!)

She had begun to smile at Morrigan and rested her hand over the other womans hand but when she heard Leo's voice she stood and turned to face him. "I have no interests in taking over the world, thats completely ridiculous. Sure I want change but I don't know if I'm the one to make it happen..." she paused as she watched Leo walk away then clenched her fists at her side. "Wait here, this will only take a moment." she told the other two before she hurried off the platform and ran up to him. "What is Wrong with you Leo? This isn't you, and even if it was you should know me well enough by now to know that I would never try to do something stupid, all I want is a place where i belong, and I know now that the only way to achieve that is to make it for myself, either you can be happy for me to find a place where i can be happy, or we can be enemies if you try to hinder me." she told him sharply, her voice even as her gaze as she stared at him.

[Leonardo]

(Your right. XD I forgot you read that book too but just for those that haven't)


He stopped and turned to Skye as she approached him, letting her speak, but giving her a cold stare he had never given her before as she did. When she finished talking he replied "I have no interest in stopping you from doing anything. The only thing I may try to make you do is leave Saul but that's just in everyones best interest with the spirit forest awakening for the final time. I can assure you that when you leave Saul though, me and you will never cross paths again. I'm glad you don't need me to fulfill your destiny because truthfully, I can no longer help you or stay by your side sense the time has come for me to fulfill my destiny." His voice was cold but had a slightly sad undertone and he started blinking his eyes towards the end and turned around when he finished talking. Without walking he added "If you have a last request, now is the time to make it. I can't guarantee I'll be able to fulfill it though."

[skysu]

She watched her old friend with a sense of foreboding growing inside. She looked down at the ground then quickly walked over to him and hugged him around the waist. "Just... be safe with whatever you are doing, you will always be my friend." she told him softly before letting him go and turning away.

[Leonardo]

As she turned away Leo said "I'm sorry. That's a request I can't keep. I can only promise that I will rest in peace when this forest does." The sadness in his voice was clear this time and on the final word he disappeared into the shadows, now long gone.

Shortly after members of the vanguard where running through the town in a clear rush. A gathering of spirits was at the north end of town, but the vanguard didn't seem interested in them as they took up positions along the northern border.

[skysu]

Skye sighed lightly and walked back to the platform and hopped up. "Sorry about that..." she responded with a tiny smile sitting down. "If you'd be willing to follow me, I'd lead you, with honor." she said quietly to both of them.

[Leonardo]

(Well, I might as well start this event before I call it a night sense I've already moved the guards out)

A few spirits rushed from the forest and started engaging the spirits gathered at the town. Soon after the wards around the town that kept the spirits away began to buzz and glow as they built up power but they quickly became overwhelmed and exploded with magic energy as they died out, setting a few of the buildings on fire. A large dark mass also approached the town from the north side as Leo walked up to the front lines.

Leo yelled out "Keep the weaker spirits at bay and force them out. Once they have been defeated in combat they will be forced to return to their origin. I'll keep the big one away from the town. Once nightfall hits the fight is ours!" With that he whispered "Oh spirits of the forest. I call on your strengths now to fight off the dark temptations."

All the defending spirits broke off from combat, with the Vanguard moving in to take their place, and the spirits entered Leo. As they entered him he gained a pair of wings made of light, one white and the other black. A grey spear that had a small pair of wings at the base of the blade also appeared in Leo's hand, again one wing white and the other black. Leo immediately took on his first stance and declared to the big spirit "Heaven or Hell? Round one!" With that he dashed up to the spirit and dealt three lightning fast strikes. It cried out in pain and Leo disappeared deeper into the forest, the big spirit fading away as it went to pursue him.

The Gypsies near the fires where already moving to put them out and a few (no name) fighters hired by the vanguard already moved to the north side of town to help fight against the weak spirits.

(Your choice how to react but if you choose to fight, remember that attacks with magic are far more effective against the spirits and the smaller ones are weak enough to be defeated with normal weapons.)

[onlyashes]

Avalon blinked at the door that was now closed. Still confused with what just happened, she stepped outside to see what was going on. Hear the conversation that was going on she wondered if she could possibly join them.

"I could be your healer and mage if you would approve. I don't have anywhere else to go and I need a means to support myself, and every ship needs a medic. Let me join you also." Avalon extended her and to Morrigan