BoZV - Arc 5

[Arashi]

Silver would reply quietly to Rion as she walked, slowly.

"...I'm not dead. Does that count?" Her response was a bit playful, though still her fatigue was evident in her voice.

She would smile a bit and give him a thumbs up, her arms still a bit shakey.

~

Upon getting to the cafeteria, Silver was a bit...overwhelmed, to say the least. There was a lot going on around her, and now Alriik left too so that was one less person she could trust around. She only took a moment to glance at the menu; honestly, she couldn't make much sense of what was on there. She still stuck close to Rion for the time being as they went deeper in to this uncharted territory. At least, that's what it was to her.

The dragon couldn't help but laugh a small bit as Aqua's presence seemed to cause a small bit of a commotion. Perhaps that wasn't the right word though, because the people seemed quite pleased to see her. It only added to her admiration of the elf. The chef then brought out...a huge amount of food, arranged in a fancy manner. Silver had never really seen anything like this before and did not really know how to react. It was almost too nice looking to even eat...but it sure did smell good.

[Bloodbane]

Rion simply nodded at Aqua's reply. He had no reason not to trust her judgement, but with how enthusiastic these folks seemed to be about their work, he couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy. It became clear he was not the only one sharing this unease as Alriik took his leave, causing Rion to simply give a faint wave. "U-uh... sure, see ya." he replied before Alriik headed out to the barn. From there, he remained quiet as Aqua led the way, looking back to Silver when she responded and giving a chuckle. "... Sometimes that's as best you can hope for." he replied, giving her a smile before following the others.

~

As Rion and the others made their way to the building that housed the cafeteria, a few scientists looked around at the crystals in mild intrigue as their sensors picked up a brief but noticeable fluctuation in their readings, but went back to their work as the sensory "hiccup" passed as mysteriously as it appeared...

~

Once inside the cafeteria and seated, Rion looked over the menu and ordered what he figured was a reasonably simple order of soup and bread, agreeing with Aqua's sentiment that they did not necessarily need to have the best the place had to offer. Alas, the chef clearly had other plans once it was apparent that Aqua was heading the group, and though he did indeed get his soup and bread, he saw little reason not to partake in the wondrous feast that was laid out before the group. "W-wow... this is, uh... mighty generous, thanks Flambe!" he said, making a small plate of food to go with his soup. For the moment he would enjoy his food quietly, at least until anyone else had a conversation to work into.

[Sorrum]

The party dined. The food was excellent, much better than the meals they'd had on their travels and a notch above what the Eulene Festival provided. Aqua would notice people looking at her through the kitchen doors, she gave a wave to them. Some would come out, greet her, and make small talk with the elf girl in mild awe. Some asked for autographs of photos they had taken of the famous statue, or signatures on their own bills with Frida on the front. She obliged happily, if to repay the efforts they had gone to to prepare this meal for them. The elven attendants made such stand out remarks like, "You look just like the Queen," or "I would have never thought I'd see you so young," since as far as elves were concerned, a mere 23 years of age was quite a young age.

Aqua and her group would finish dining, before thanking the chef and crew for the meal. She had set aside a plate in a metal dome that was full of different foods that she hoped Alriik would enjoy, since he was unable to attend the meal. As the group gathered outside the cafe, Aqua would explain more about the compound, but in truth she did not know much. "It would be best to ask Dr. Harkins about the different buildings and such here. I'm sure you're interested in knowing more about the forest? He's certainly the one to tell all, then. I believe he said to come find him later? If my memory serves right, the most active testing site is on the west end of the forest, left of where we entered the grounds.. does anyone want to volunteer to fetch Alriik? I think he might be happy with the food here, at least." She said with a playful smile.

[Swim]

“I got it,” Terra volunteered, grabbing Alriik’s lunch and heading out to the barn. She wanted to check in on him anyway after noticing his earlier discomfort, and Frida probably needed another minute to untangle herself from her swarm of admirers.

Terra stepping into the barn, tray of food in her hands and found Alriik in a corner with the animals. “Hey it’s me,” she called to him, “Just wanted to come and check on you, make sure you and the goats aren’t getting into too much trouble together. Oh wow, wasn’t expecting them to be made of crystal. I wonder if the wool or milk have any special properties." She set Alriik’s lunch down in front of him. “Compliments of the kitchen staff, our Frida is such a celebrity the kitchen staff insisted on outdoing themselves and putting together a feast fit for a princess. It’s all really good, hopefully it hasn’t cooled off too much.”

“Oh!” she suddenly recalled as Alriik got ready to eat, “That reminds me. After feeding us we got to tour the back of the kitchens, and they let us see the Ice Closet that Harkins had mentioned. The thing is amazing! Keeps food from spoiling so they can store leftovers. They can even make a meal ahead of time and keep it in the Closet until they’re ready to heat it up and eat it. Saves loads of time! And the best part! If the kitchen is getting a little too hot and you need to take a quick break, you can just go over and stick your head in the Ice Closet for a minute and you come out feeling nice and refreshed! And that’s only the most incredible thing we’ve seen so far- after I get back Harkins is going to show us the other sorts of things they’ve been working on. I know we’ll get to see magitek weapons like Frida’s Sharksbane and I’m really excited for that, but I’m sure they’ll have a bunch of other inventions that I can’t even begin to imagine right now like the Ice Closet, stuff that will really improve quality of life for regular people!”

Terra took a minute to read Alriik’s reaction to all of this, hoping that some of her enthusiasm might change his mind. When he didn’t respond immediately she adopted a more serious tone and spoke quietly to him, “Listen, I think I get why this place would make you uncomfortable. But these aren’t bad people, they’re not going to kidnap you or Rion or Silver and make you into their science experiments. Even if that were the case, wouldn’t it better to stick with the group so we can all protect each other?”

She gave him a moment to swallow a mouthful of food and respond. Hopefully he’d decide to return with her. She didn’t want him to miss out on all of the cutting edge things Harkins’ team was developing, but more than that she just didn’t want Alriik to be alone.

[Vic Alriikerson]

“Don't worry, I get the feeling.” He'd lightly jab the man in the side with his elbow with a grin. “We all like being the expert sometime. But no, this is all very cool. Crystal animals...” He'd take a moment to really look at the beasts again. “Always wanted to spend more time here to see what was here.” He'd turn back to his new friend, smirk still on his face. “Feels vindicating. But, uh...” He'd look at the farmhand with a look that was only half-joking. “... We meaning 'kooky' weird or 'shoots snakes from his eyes' weird? Just so I'm prepared.”

As a half-century old memory of Eye-Snake Earp and the Rattler Gang flashed into Alriik's mind, Terra would approach, and the half-elf would of course greet her with a wave and a smile. “Aww, you don't gotta worry too much, animals I get along fine with.” He'd chuckle. “Amazing, though, aren't they?” Terra would place the tray down, and Alriik would hungrily eye the plate. “Yeah, no, you see the Liberator's daughter in front of you, you pay respects.” He'd take a big bite, his eyes opening wide. “Yep, the gourmand did right. Glad to see people around here remember at least some of their history. Gotta pass on my compliments...”

He'd munch away, listening to tales of weapons and cold boxes. He was... Less than impressed. Between gulps he'd mutter “... Sounds useful. And at least we can get Sharksbane fixed.” He still sounded less than impressed. He was moments away from telling her that he was going nowhere when she gave off her final plea. He'd sigh. She was right. Even if these big brains mean no harm, messing with the forces was prone to backfiring. And if his pessimism was proven right, well... Better him than Silver or Rion. “... You know, lady... one of these times you're not gonna be right...” He'd finish his plate, and look to Terra. “Lead the way.”

[Swim]

Terra broke into a big smile as Alriik climbed to his feet. “... You know, lady... one of these times you're not gonna be right… Lead the way.” She could tell it wasn’t her enthusiasm that had convinced the elf, he still seemed reluctant, but some part of what she’d said had at least gotten through.

“I like to think good advice is my superpower,” Terra said, looking at Alriik over her shoulder. “You know, aside from earth and fire magic, obviously. Goodbye sheepies and goat friends!”

As she walked back to the cafeteria with Alriik Terra shared with him some of her ideas for improving on her gauntlets. “I was thinking of putting some spikes around the knuckles, but now I’m wondering about putting in retractable crystal shards that I could change the shape of the way Frida does with Sharksbane. It occurred to me that I’m the only one without a bladed weapon and sometimes blunt force just doesn’t cut it, I think crystal claws would come in handy, especially if they were capable of channeling my fire and earth magics... And then I could reform them into a digging tool the next time I need to tunnel through the side of a mountain...”

[Vic Alriikerson]

Alriik would wave to the farmhands as he walked off with Terra. "Later guys!" He'd walk with her, expecting some pep-talk on going in, but then she began explaining het plans and his eyes lit up."Oh, so forming some form of katar around your fist for a bladed punch? Or some sort of Earth mover when we need to get past a wall fast? Not a bad idea at all..." His eyes would drift upward and his hand would gently stroke his stubbled chin. "Hey, uh... So, a long time ago I saw these machines. They were pretty much metal rods connected to handled electrical boxes that they beat into the ground to break it."

He'd turn a bit towards her and raise a hand in a motion that read 'hold on'. "I'm going somewhere, I promise. What if you had a way to extend the reach of your knuckles using the concept they used? Like..." He'd groan, and try to find the words. "So, like, imagine if there was a way to extend the knuckle-part from your hand when you punched, and it could quickly go back and forth from extended to retracted. Could be good for breaking rocks and faces, could extend your reach a bit, makes any magic casted through the knuckle a little further out, thus a little safer..." He'd eventually shrug. "Dunno if it'd work or not, but that's really all I can add. I'm more into the classics when it comes to weapons, as you can see."

He'd think for a moment. "And uh... Sorry you had to come drag me out of the barn. It's not that this stuff isn't fascinating or I hate new technology or anything, but... Well, you know. Between my clan and my preferred profession... I've seen a lot of people hurt in the search for knowledge." He'd let out a sigh. "But I promise... I will at least try to be nice and behave myself."

[Sorrum]

The simple farmhand waved farewell to the duo as they headed out of the barn. They seemed to have carelessly left the serving dish behind them, though. The farmhand, sensing opportunity, crept toward the defenseless tray only to find it was picked clean. He sighed, "Not even a crumb.." he would take a small sniff of the tray though. "Agh, they always go wild on meals for those big shots.. wait.. big shots? Huh, I wonder whose here now." The man shrugged, before wandering back to his work. "Probably nobody special."

~

Aqua patiently waited for the return of her allies. As they did, she couldn't help but overhear Terra's words about her gear. She greeted the two of them warmly, then addressed Terra. "Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear what you said Terra. If you're looking for a weapon like mine, we're definitely in the right place. We still have time before Harkins is ready, so let's go check out the R&D Lab in the south west sector. They'll likely have a replacement for my missing crystal as well.[/font]"

~

The building was unlike the others they'd seen. Large windows lined the red brick walls, which stretched high above the trees. The amount of researchers in lab coats and other staff here seemed concentrated; this must have been where the majority of work was done. A pair of glass doors opened and closed as individuals came in and out, underneath a large black and white sign that simply read "Research and Development Center of The Frontier - Crystal Forest Branch."

"This is obviously the place," said Aqua. Inside, the brick building opened up into a wide lobby that was cool inside just as the cafeteria was. Several women, and humans, sat at a wide desk not far from the entrance. One pair of eyes looked up at them, then the rest. Surely, a repeat of what had happened in the cafeteria was about to repeat itself, so Aqua quickly approached the desk.

"Hey, aren't you-"
"We're looking for two men, Peter Gray and Edward Hood. I need them to fix my weapon, it was damaged in combat." The women exchanged looks and whispered among themselves about the celebrity in front of them but were reluctant to say anything else about it given her tone.

"Uh, of course, Captain." The elf receptionist spoke. "The Ranged Magitek Weaponry division is on the second floor, on the north side of the building. You'll go down this corridor here.. take a left.. up the stairs.. and the sign should read "RMW" You'll know you're there when you see it.."

Aqua quickly thanked the girls and parted with them. "Come, let's go."

~

Within the hallways, the party would pass several other divisions of magitek research. Most useful to them would likely be the Close Range Magitek Weaponry division, which seemed to also be a hub itself in the facility with the amount of staff they'd pass going by it particularly. Other such sectors included research centers. Some elves and humans could be seen piecing together machinery with the magic crystals, though they'd struggle to find time to look at anything for long; Aqua seemed to have doubled her pace inside the facility to limit exposure and conversation to any would-be admirers. Whispers could be heard from passerbys similar to the receptionists about the captain, though she made little or no statement about it. Before they had ever come to The Frontier, Aqua would frequently have to avoid people just to be able to walk from place to place uninterrupted.

Before long they would find and enter the division. Through a pair of grey swinging doors the party would enter a spacious room with a high ceiling. The walls were covered with large white squares that made a column of rows. Low to the ground, human shaped dummies sat at the end of long aisles of red tape, that had white and red targets on various sections of the body. Immediately forward, a shooting range was in front of them, with several types of magitek bows, harpoons, and other machinations at the separate aisles and booths.To the parties immediate left and right, small buildings made of wood with glass doors built inside the RMW center acted as offices for the heads of the division. One read Peter Gray, Arms Specialist, while the other read Edward Hood, Arms Specialist. Behind them were other offices, likely other inventors and researchers desks that were under the direction of the two managers. They seemed to be having a meeting however, as the door for Peter Gray's office was open and both men were inside. Aqua simply walked over, and knocked on the open door.

Both men stopped whatever it was they were on about and looked over, quickly shouting in surprise. "Heeeey! It's Frida!" Edward shouted.

"Peter, Edward, it's good to see you both again after so long!"

Peter Gray was a tall and skinny human male with ashy black hair he kept tied in a ponytail. He had brown eyes behind a pair of thick rimmed glasses, and his face was clean shaven. His face was a bit round, and had some visible wrinkles around his eyes. On his standard lab coat, his sleeves were painted with blue stripes from the shoulders down. One of his hands was a prosthetic, metal pincher, but fortunately the other was normal. Edward Hood was a short human male, with a round face and scraggly brown beard under a shiny bald head and blue eyes. His coat had a green stripe around the waist line, and he had a blue and red tie. Both wore blue smocks, black slacks, and brown boots. They were both somewhere in their middle age.

"How long has it been!? God I can't eve-Wait what happened to the bane." Peter said, jumping from his chair and snatching the spear from Aqua's holster.

"Hey!" Aqua shouted. Peter waved his hand at her however, dismissing her.

"You broke it!" He said, waving the spear haphazardly.

"That was a masterpiece though!" Edward cried, joining in Peter's disappointment. Aqua sighed.

"..I suddenly remember why I don't visit here." Aqua grumbled. Peter and Edward exchanged looks before they laughed at Aqua.

"No problem, all you need is a replacement right? We can manage that fine. But uh, who are your friends there?" Peter asked, looking around Aqua and pointing at the party.

"These are my friends. I'll let them introduce themselves. They've also got an interest in magitek weapons." With that said, the two specialists exchanged looks.

"Well duh! Everyone is! But anyway, who are you people?" Edward asked.

[Swim]

Terra noted the change in Alriik's behavior. For whatever reason inventions such as the Ice Closet didn't interest him, even though they would enhance the lives of regular people. But as she spoke about plans for upgrading her own weapons he suddenly became more engaged. "So kind of like a battering ram for breaking rocks?" she asked as Alriik described his idea. "I was thinking of some mechanism which would spin the blades around really fast and chip away at the stone. But that's a good idea too, if I'm able to change the shape of the blade like Sharksbane can then the only limits will be my own notion for how to use it."

After rejoining the rest of their group Frida led the way to the Research and Development building. Terra would have liked to spend hours there looking in on the scientists and marveling over what they'd created, but they were on a mission. Their first priority was getting Sharksbane fixed, then seeing about getting other weapons upgraded. There probably wouldn't be time for much else. Frida took the lead and entered the Arms Specialists office where a pair of men looked over her spear before turning their attention toward the group behind her.

"Hello!" Terra greeted the two men warmly. "I'm Terra, I come from a small mining town called Delbray that's a good ways away from here. I'm a fire and earth mage, have been traveling with Frida for awhile now. My armor and weapons are all homemade, built by my uncle and me, but after seeing what Sharksbane can do I thought I'd see if an upgrade was possible." She withdrew the crystal from her bag that she'd collected earlier in the forest. "I've been told that only nature mages should harvest these, but it was knocked over while we were fighting some monsters in the forest and it caught my eye, thought it couldn't hurt to bring along with me. I was wondering if you might be able to use this to enhance my gauntlets? I had ideas for a retractable blade among other things..."

[Bloodbane]

Rion followed along quietly, smiling briefly at the ideas Terra and Alriik appeared to be going over as they arrived with the rest of the group. It seemed the discussion made the next stop clear, as Aqua led the group to the R&D building. From there, Aqua wasted no time asking her questions, clearly set on doing whatever she could to not be further distracted by the apparent fans. Without a word, Rion followed along with the group, checking back to make sure Silver was still keeping along as Aqua ushered the crew toward the Ranged Magitek Weapons division.

~

After getting a bit of a chuckle out of the reaction to Sharksbane's damage, Rion waited until after Terra spoke up to introduce himself. He was a little bit surprised when she first introduced herself to the scientists, however; he wasn't sure if he had yet heard the mining town that Terra had been from specifically. 'Delbray, huh...' he thought, recalling that he had heard of the town once before, most likely one of the places he had talked with Logan about going off to in order to learn the trade, though that was before the Shining Swordsmen became part of his life. When the scientists finished responding to Terra, Rion smiled and waved his right hand.

"My name's Rion, I'm from Eulene myself, but for the most part when it comes to weapons I just, well... make my own." he said before forming a small dagger out of light in his hand, flipping it a few times before the light dispersed. "I can't say I've heard much about Magitek though, this is very interesting work..." he looked back toward the facilities that stretched out behind the group, though after a few seconds a peculiar noise caught his attention, seeming to grow louder in its pinging as if coming closer. "What in the-- U-uhh can I help you, Miss?!"

Rion would then stare in confusion as a bespectacled elven woman stopped, seeming to pay no attention to the fact that she nearly bumped into other members of the group as she stared at the sensory device in her hand, looking up and blinking a few times when she saw Rion. She would then turn slightly, seeming to focus the device across other members of the group, stopping once again when the frequency reached its highest signal in front of Rion once more, at which time she smiled widely and practically squealed in excitement. "There really is another one!"

"Rinita!"

An older human man caught up seconds later, taking a second after noticeably hurrying across the lab floor. "Now you know better than to go bothering travelers, especially when they're with the Captain!" the man sighed, giving a brief bow in apology to Aqua. "Please excuse my assistant, Captain. She's been... more excitable than usual; ever since a peculiar arrival passed through here last week, she's been watching like a hawk for any other abnormalities in our daily readings on the off chance it would happen again..."

"Well why shouldn't someone be, Mr. Mayers, the guy even said someone else like him was bound to pass through here before long!" Rinita looked to Peter and Edward. "Surely you two remember him, he nearly ruined one of the dummies with that fire bullet you couldn't put out!"

The older scientist sighed. "Look, Rinita, isn't it more likely that the sensor's just picking up the crystal that young lady brought in?" he said, extending a hand in a guiding motion toward Terra.

"Hmmm..." Rinita placed a hand on her chin, seeming to ponder the idea for a moment. "I guess it could be possible..." she said quietly, though it seemed by her tone the idea that it was just some crystal from the forest causing the weird readings was disappointing to her. "It would've been so cool to meet someone else with crystal-skin though..."

Rion would then put a hand to the back of his neck, looking over to Aqua with uncertainty. While he was currently covering up the damaged part of his armor with a travel cloak, it was hard not to be curious about what the scientist was talking about. He had to try a little harder not to react at the mention of 'crystal-skin', however...

"Erm... how about we leave the Captain and her friends to their work, I'm sure they're here for a reason. And we've got our own work to get back to, yes?" Mr. Mayers looked to the others. "Jeremy Mayers, Energy Research Division; we study ways that the crystals can be used as sources of fuel for various devices and magitek equipment. And you've met my lead assistant Rinita Sylnan, she's as clever as they come but still gets her head in the clouds sometimes."

"Okay, okay, I've already embarrassed myself enough, boss!" Rinita's face turned a shade of pink before she lowered her head in a bow to the group. "S-sorry about that, Captain." she spoke in a slightly deflated tone, but did not seem to maintain a downcast expression for long as she brought herself back up and smiled. "Give the lab a look before you go, you hear? Bye~!" She waved before turning on her heel and making her way toward the Ranged lab's exit.

"Getting harder to keep these youngsters grounded in the practical these days... But judging by the look of you folks I'm sure any talk of settling down would fall on deaf ears." Jeremy laughed before bowing once more. "Good day!" he said before walking away.

[Vic Alriikerson]

As the others spoke, he'd prepare his usual tirade… But as Rion spoke and the intern inspected him, he thought better of it. Still too close to Bleakwoods, he shouldn't even be out of disguise. But… He didn’t look like an 'Alan Laurey' at the moment. And the others seemed comfortable enough… As soon as Rion's admirer and her boss stepped away, Alriik would simply think 'screw it'. After recent days he deserved it. “Howdy. My name is Alriik of Altiim, Sellsword Spellsword and Blight Hunter. I am a proud member of the Port Town Blight Hunter's Guild, and of-“ He'd notably stop for a beat, having only barely caught himself.

“-of Captain Nyharllothor's entourage.” Better. “I am the son of The Bloody Angel, Seras Laurey and the student of the Blinding Blade, Danshiro of the East. I have been given the titles The Bleeding Heart of the Port Town Blight Hunters, The Silver Blaze, and Metalblood. Pleased to meet you. Now, uh… as for weapons…” His swords would lightly jingle on his back. “I'm good with what I got, actually. But thank you for helping my friends.”

[Tony]

After finally getting something to eat the group was off to another building... "research and development"... probably where they create these strange magical contraptions that Arne really doesn't seem to fully get the grasp of. Though, he wouldn't mind speaking to some of the people there about the ideas he had for his halberd... but, it seemed like that was gonna have to wait until after Aqua got Sharksbane fixed up.

After a brief examination of the busted weapon, the two scientists Aqua spoke with turned their attention to the group... wanting them to introduce themselves. "Hey. I'm Arne." Hien lets out a few chirps. "And this here is Hien. The two of us are traveling adventurers and monster hunters. I'm also a mage, but... truth be told, my magic is a bit... lacking. Kinda curious to see what you have going on around here... and hope some of it might able to beef up my gear to make up for my missing magical talents."

[Sorrum]

Peter and Edward maintained professional attitude as the party members introduced themselves. They didn't exactly know where Delbray or Eulene was, but they were interested in what they had to say regarding themselves. "Quite the group you have here, Princess." Peter said, amid introductions.

Edward tilted his head at Terra's question. He took a metal scanner device from off Peter's desk and held it to the crystal. He hummed to himself as he took the reading and referred it to a sheet on the wall behind the party, then did some more calculations in his head. "I believe that crystal may be right on the line of readiness. It's power may not be at the level of Sharksbane, however. The Captain here was outfitted with a particular ice crystal harvest that we consider Jack level. If you refer to this chart here.." Edward said, pointing to a top down list of crystals with different rankings.

"We rank our crystals by strength, size, and durability by playing card nomenclature to keep things simple. For instance, Sharksbane was outfitted with two ice crystals at Jack level strength," he said, pointing to the fifth highest ranking on the paper. "Royal strength crystals are defined as superior to their numbered brothers or sisters. Output of power, in the hands of a skilled mage, exceed normal levels of crystal output. Lifespans are similar to that of Dragons. That is to say they can be in use for 100s of years without going dark. They aren't easily destroyed by opposing elements, in this case Fire, are large in size, roughly the size of a pineapple or a human head. There are larger ones, but those typically always classify as higher ranking such as Queen, King, Ace, Joker, and the theoretical Mother." He invited Terra and the others over to look at the crystal ranking more closely, and left it to Terra to determine which rank her crystal fell under. "As for your weapon idea, I think that sounds like quite the project. Sharksbane was commissioned by The Queen and completed by top minds here, some of which are retired now. Nevertheless, it sounds like a Melee department project. Just tell them what your looking for, and perhaps they can work something out, that being said, Frida.."

The two turned to Aqua, a bit downcast. "I don't think we can repair this weapon, not with our current resources. It wouldn't be the level of power you're used too. Royal crystals are a bit harder to come by, and we haven't found many lately that are near maturity. If you were capable of water magic we might be able to equip you with one as the Crystal River Bed is plentiful, though an Ice crystal is, at this time, unavailable." Aqua sighed and her shoulders slumped forward.

"That's fine.. I'll find a way to manage. One crystal will be enough, though I'll have to adjust my fighting style accordingly." Aqua said.

Peter was also impressed when Rion formed a weapon of light energy. "It takes particular concentration to make weapons out of the more formless magics, such as fire or light. Light magic is already quite rare, you must be an awfully skilled mage." He said.When the Energy techs showed up and began examining Rion, the scientist pair looked to Aqua for a reaction. Aqua was concerned about the crystal spreading over Rion's skin like everyone else was, but she wasn't sure what they could do about it. Rion seemed to take the moment in stride however, so she didn't mind the energy techs for their interruption. The techs, in turn, did not forget the man.

"Yes, I remember him. Strange fellow. Wouldn't let us do much in the way of examining his strange crystal skin condition, but let us get a glimpse of some odd bio-crystal power. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he's just like a creature from the woods, but there was something off about that man. Burned our dummies too hell though, even the fire resistant one." Edward mulled.

"Perhaps this fire crystal individual is someone with a similar condition to yours," Aqua said. "I think you should ask them more about him before we leave Rion."

"Sorry about those two, Captain. The energy techs are always coming to and from every department, so you won't be getting away from them anytime soon." Peter said. Aqua simply shrugged.

When Alriik introduced himself, the two looked at each other again. "Uh, my name's Peter. I was born in Meribia, found out I had sensitivity to mana swells and realized I had an undiscovered power in nature magic in my late teens. I quit my job at the company I worked at and started out as a assistant researcher here at the site 25 years ago. Since then I've helped make quite a few different weapons, and co-designed the water crystal navy vessel that would be used by Captain Iceberg. I've got a wife and one kid back home in Meribia, where they live in the West Corridor near the edge of town. My hobbies include hunting and fishing."

Edward spoke up after. "Pretty much the same story here, though I'm originally from Sandora. I designed the Dragon Killers types F and L, which got me an early promotion from assistant. I like wind surfing on Sandora Beach as well, designed a fan to increase my sail speed.. it's pretty cool." He said. They were both a little surprised at the man's accolades. They also studied him a little more closely, since his skin was a flush different than what they'd seen of typical elves. "..Might you be a tribal? Sorry if that's a weird thing to say, but I have an interest in our isolationist kinsmen and get really excited whenever they come across the center here. We've ran into those who don't care for our inventions before, but you seem well adjusted to your surroundings. Might you share your thoughts on what you've seen here?"

While Edward spoke to Alriik, Peter now turned to Arne. "You want a conductor? That's easy enough to come across. Bit time consuming and, not gonna lie, kinda basic, but we can apply that to your weapon even here in the ranged lab. Let me see your weapon and I can get started on it right away."

[Vic Alriikerson]

Alriik would listen for a bit. The men seemed passionate about their work, and the one man's affinity for surfing actually put him at ease for a moment. Reminded him of a friend. But then… “Might you be a tribal?” Alriik felt the eyes on him, the ease vanishing instantly. “…An interest in our isolationist kinsmen…” Of course. Here it goes. He should have stayed in the barn. “… Well adjusted to your surroundings.” Did he hear a tinge of superiority there, or was it in his head? “Might you share your thoughts on what you've seen here?” Gladly.

Alriik take a deep breath, and put his arms behind his back. Be nice. They are Aqua's friends. “Well…” Don't do it. “First off, yes, I am a ‘tribal'. But, uh, a hint for in the future: maybe listen to what people say when they introduce themselves? I specifically mentioned Port Town. Maybe I've spent a lot of time in civilization? Maybe, because I’ve gotten that elven blood in me, longer than you two? So that well-adjusted comment? Kinda coming off as a little demeaning.” Well, that was a failure. Might as well lean in. “Also, you don't wanna take any interest in my ‘kinsmen'. They stay isolated for a reason, and honestly, it'd be better for the world if that entire f*cking forest burned down.”

“Finally, what do I think of this place? I see a temple to the folly of controlling the world to fit your whims. Your ice box only benefits people who are too lazy to get their own food. Your weapons mean that you don't have to train as hard to fight. Even at your best intentions, your devices breed weakness by taking the hard work out of life. That's why your bodies are softer than blacksmith I've seen. Because you have never hard to work that hard to bend metal or feed yourself.” He'd point to Peter. “This one says his ‘hobbies' are hunting and fishing! Like it's a game! You kill for fun, at range I bet, and probably with some magitek weapon!”

“And finally, the world does not like being controlled, and all of this is going to end in your death by something you created. It's an inevitability. But give my compliments to the chef.” He'd stand there, stoic. He wouldn’t dare look to his teammates. Their looks would break his heart. But at least he didn't lie.

[Swim]

It hadn't occurred to Terra that the various crystals would vary so wildly in power level. She had assumed that once one was put into a weapon that it would simply serve as a focusing conduit, maybe an amplifier, but the power fueling it would be all her own. Regardless, something had compelled her to pick up this particular crystal out of all the others that had been scattered across the forest floor, and she wanted to use it if she were able. She wanted to head over to the melee department to see whether anything could be done, but she'd wait until the others were ready to leave. Sharksbane and Arne's halberd were both melee weapons after all, they'd likely be headed in the same direction.

Terra looked up from the crystal chart as they were joined by two newcomers, one of whom was fussing over Rion and said something about crystallized skin... Terra froze, subtly glancing over at Rion for his reaction to this news. Someone else with his condition had just come through? But according to the tale he'd shared last night all of the other Shining Swordsmen were dead. As far as Terra knew Rion's condition was unique to him, she wasn't even sure if the Rion from the other world had shared the same affliction. Regardless, Rion had opted not to ask the lady any probing questions about this stranger and so Terra felt it better that she not speak up.

Someone who wasn't shy at all about calling attention to himself however was Alriik. Terra had been surprised that he would be so open about giving his name freely, this being so close to Altiim territory. Terra herself had even considered identifying herself as Dyna again for the purpose of anonymity, for Alriik to go on at length about all his various titles was downright shocking to her. Though not more shocking than what would come next. The tech asked Alriik for his thoughts and the elf complied brazenly, letting it all come spilling out to Terra's abject horror. I should have left him in the barn.

"Listen, we'll meet you guys over by Melee department," Terra told Frida before grabbing Alriik's arm and pulling him into the hallway with her. Once they were out of sight she turned and got right up in Alriik's face. "That was completely uncalled for, what's going on with you? What makes you feel compelled to antagonize people like that when these guys are doing us favors? These are Frida's friends. They've fed us, they're going to fix our weapons, give us transport so we can go and rescue her father! Listen, even if the wording of his question was insensitive he clearly meant no offense by it. And if you're so concerned about demeaning comments then why did you have to go and turn it into a dick measuring contest? Who are you trying to impress with all of your many titles? What are you proving by calling him out for being soft and lazy? I've seen you fight, I know what you can do, but that display of bravado back there? That was stupid. You're better than this Alriik."

Terra sighed and took a step back, closing her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again they no longer blazed with anger now showing only concern. "Not all of us can be warriors Alriik. Is that what you want, how you really feel? I know it's not, you know better than everyone what that world looks like. Look at me- I am a blacksmith, and my body is harder than stone for gods sake. You really think I'm weak for wanting a device that will save time, reduce waste and make life easier? I really don't care. Isn't that the goal that all warriors fight for? So that one day the world becomes safe enough that they can finally lay down their weapons? I would love for my life to be filled with soft things like games, good food and friends, and I'll fight for the day that becomes possible. I've already had my fill of hardship and struggle for one lifetime. I'm truly sorry that after all you've been through that you don't feel the same."