Of Deals and Deeds to Come

Of Deals and Deeds to Come
Date of Scene:	05 December 2013
Location:	Baron - City
Synopsis:	Raine meets with Lumeria to discuss a possible deal and partnership. Some things are explained, and preparations must now be made.
Cast of Characters:	Lumeria, Raine Arland
Tinyplot:	The Five Apostles

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Raine Arland has posed:
It was a while since Raine had seen Lumeria. It probably would have stayed that way too if it weren't for the fact that he had business with her currently. Having had one of his 'markers' tripped and then subsequently destroyed, he finally found a clue that would take him one step closer to actually moving forward with his journey.

...The only problem now was that his ability to scan the traces in magical items sat at a comfortable level of near zero. Great.

That in mind, he decided to make use of one of his contacts. By way of MaBelle device, Raine had contacted Lumeria, asking her to come to Baron, if she could spare the time. He said that it was for important business, but knowing him and his antics, maybe it was a prank? Nah, it couldn't be.

And so, here Raine sat in a humble little cafe, in the outdoor section. Seated at a table with a slice of cake in front of him, he boredly looked out at the streets, waiting for whether his company should show or not.

"...Surely she doesn't hate me /that/ much, right?"

And there was no one there to answer.

Lumeria has posed:
It took some for Lumeria to arrive, she really needs to find a faster way to get about. She finally does show up, clearly a bit exhausted from her journey. She takes a seat and takes a moment to catch her breath before responded to him. "This better be important to drag me all the way out here." If it was just to tease her again, she wouldn't hold back this time.

Raine Arland has posed:
Raine's eyes eventually did catch sight of the Lumeria as she approached, passed the cafe gate, and then sat as his table. Seeing her usual look caused him to smirk a little. It was the kind of look that just begged to be messed with. "Aw, you wound me. That's your first thought? That I called you all the way out here to tease you?"

A chuckle followed that statement as the young man reached into his jacket for something. "Come ooooon, I can tease you any time I want. But right now? Right now we've got business to attend to." That said, he shrugged nonchalantly and gestured to the menu. "But before we get to that, you look all tuckered out! Tough journey?" Grinning as if he was just holding back from teasing, Raine went on.

"Why don't you order something and regain your composure before we get to it, huh?" Well, it was a valid concern. Mostly.

Lumeria has posed:
"Yes, it has been a long journey." Lumeria nods at that. She sounds a bit frustrated wanting to be taken seriously. Of course, it's been a bit difficult when you look like a teenager. She notices the piece of cake on the table and is instantly tempted by it. The girl was a bit hungry and the food wasn't helping, "Can I get a piece of that too?" She asks the waitress before continuing.

"Not all of us can travel through the darkness." She notes his method of departure before. "Since, it'll be a bit before the food arrives. Why don't you tell me why you had me come all the way out here?"

Raine Arland has posed:
Raine just leaned back in his seat and took up his fork, sinking it into the cake and lifting the cut piece. "Hmm..." He held it in front of his face rather tantalizingly, observing the texture and the aroma for a moment before taking the bite. ...He was teasing her again. "Yeah, traveling through the darkness is convenient. But it does have it's catches."

Wagging a finger like some sort of school professor, he spoke on. "You see, I need to have been somewhere before I can just waltz on through the darkness to it. I can just go in blind. Otherwise, I might end up portaling into the middle of the ocean of something! That'd be a tragedy!" That was topped off by another bite of his cake.

"Ah this is heavenly."

Setting his fork down, Raine reached into his jacket and pulled out a sizable black stone, setting it onto the table and towards her. It was slightly cracked and there was a faint aura of magic energy emanating from it. Weak, and likely getting weaker.

"I had you come all the way out here because, it's nearby where I had placed this" He explained, gesturing to the stone. "Do you know what this is?" It was a paltry magic item to a mage of Lumeria's level, but he asked anyway. To make sure.

Lumeria has posed:
"That would really be a huge loss, I might even shed a tear or two." He wasn't the only one who could be mocking. "Anyways, it tracks those who have magical powers. Or at least it would, if it worked properly." Lumeria looks at the stone a moment before revealling to him what it was. "Where did you find it?" It might be worth looking into. As she waits for his response her own piece of cake arrives.

Raine Arland has posed:
"Oh, you would? I feel so loved now." Raine exclaimed dramatically, wiping away a fake tear from the corner of his eye. His laughed a bit after, taking a few moments to calm down. "Phew! Okay, okay...about the stone. I...sort of had it made for me." He admitted, scratching his cheek with a finger sheepishly. He didn't say who though.

"But that's not the important thing, what matters here is that it's broken!" Ah, so that was it. "I have a bunch more of these set up in other continents and locations, but this is the first one that's been deliberately broken..." Nodding his point, Raine watched as Lumeria's cake had arrived. "...What I want to ask is..." He trailed off, grinning in what could only be some sort of grand mischief.

Then he suddenly reached over the table, attempting to sink his fork into her slice.

"Think fast!"

Even during business, it was still a game.

Lumeria has posed:
"I see, so someone discovered they were being spied on." Lumeria would likely have broke the stone herself if that were the case. "I still don't see what the big deal is, if you placed a lot of them, it was bound to happen sooner or later."

Her patience was already wearing thin for him as she sees him go for her cake. She picks up the stone off the table and hurls it him. There's not much force behind it, she's a squishy mage after all but it should get his attention at least.

Raine Arland has posed:
"Bwah!" The stone bounced off of his forehead and landed back onto the table, stalling his mischief and saving her caking from the invading fork of another. Fortunate. For her anyway. "Heh heh, not bad! The passion of defending one's slice of cake runs through your veins!" Despite the bruise forming on his forehead, Raine grinned and sat back down properly.

"Okay, you can keep your cake for now. But watch out!" Chuckling at that, he went back to the point. "Hmn...you would be correct normally, but this stone was specifically engineered to search out a certain kind of magical signature." He explained, resting his elbows onto the table. "All others are ignored. So really, no one has any reason to destroy any of these...unless it's the being whose signature was detected."

Looking a fair bit more serious than he usually did, Raine went on. "Which is exactly why I called you out here. "I need your help, Lumeria." Having said that rather frankly, Raine took a moment to let it sink in.

"My magical expertise is limited, but with you, I just might be able to find what I'm looking for. I need you to come with me to the place where this was broken and use your magic to figure out where they could have gone." His cake went ignored as he looked seriously into the elf's eyes expectantly. "Can I count on you?"

Lumeria has posed:
Lumeria's fork is stuck into her cake to keep him from trying to claim it further. He has own to eat after all. She decides to try a bit of it before responding to him. It certainly was good. "So, someone you're after realized they were being tracked and destroyed the stone?" This did sound a bit interesting to her.

"You must really be desperate if you're coming to me of all people." Considering how he's treated her in the past. Though if there's powerful magic involved she might humor him a bit. "Well, at least you're aware of my talent." She smiles a bit at that. "I guess it's worth looking into, I might find something of interest after all. Where are you planning on having me go?" It wouldn't hurt to know.

Raine Arland has posed:
Yes, stroke the ego. It always worked. Mostly. Usually. ...At least she was actually skilled to accompany it. Raine smirked a little at her and nodded. "Yes. Someone I'm searching for must have tripped the stone and destroyed it. But the damage has already been done." His smirk widened a bit at that. "If I can get a lock on their magical signature, I can follow it and go right to wherever they might be hiding."

As he said this, his left eye began to take on a red glow. That wasn't good. He needed to calm down before the power in him escalated. Looking away then, the young man took a deep breath to calm himself. "Well, I wouldn't say I'm desperate." He said afterward, glancing back at Lumeria. "After all, isn't it normal to go to the people in your circle first before outsourcing?" That was an incredibly mercenary-like way of putting it though.

Finally losing his serious aura, Raine took another bite from his cake, chewing thoughtfully for a bit before answering her last question. "Don't worry, I'll be coming with you." He pointed to the stone on the table as he spoke. "We're going to go to the Dias Plains with this stone. I need you to whip up some magic, or whatever you mages do, and figure out where that magic signature went. And if it's also possible, reverse engineer this stone to detect it?"

It sounded like quite a bit of work.

"I know it sounds a bit much, but I can pay if necessary!"

Lumeria has posed:
"That stone is powered by darkness isn't?" Lumeria figures that's likely the case given the aura it's giving off. If that's the case, it might be a problem. She wouldn't likely be able to recharge it. "The signature might be gone by the time we get there. It's barely noticable."

Her eyes light up at the mention of payment. "I'll give it an attempt at least though." It sounded like it might be worth the trouble of putting up with him.

Raine Arland has posed:
Grinning in a rather evasive way, Raine averted his eyes, tilting his head a bit as he responded. "Yeaaaaaah, I guess you could say that it is." He sighed at her initial verdict and shook his head. "Really? Well, still I'd like to try anyway. If we portal there now, we might be able to pick up /something/, right?"

He was so close. This was the closest lead he's ever gotten to. He couldn't have it slip away without a fight! "I know you must be tired and everything, but if we go now, I promise, I'll pay for room and board for the night! ...In addition to paying you for your services." Well, the deal just got better. He must have money to spare if he can afford to make offers like that.

Demolishing the rest of his cake, Raine stood up, stretching his arms a bit before glancing at his company. "So, what do you say? Ready to go?"

Lumeria has posed:
"Darkness magic isn't my speciality." Lumeria puts it lightly. In fact she could barely use it. She finishes up her piece of cake as well before she continues speaking. "I don't think I can repair the stone." She might be able to track the other signature but who knows how far it is by now. "Is it safe for other people to step through your portals?" She wonders about that as well.

Raine Arland has posed:
Raine waved a hand dismissively at Lumeria's question, opening up a portal in the same moment. "Oh it's fine! Nothing's going to happen to you. It's just a portal!" ...Though truthfully, he's never taken anyone with him through a portal before. Maybe some precaution was needed. "...Though I guess we should be careful."

Holding out a hand, he offered for the elf to take it. "Keep hold of my hand. That way, we won't get separated going through on our own. Just to make sure, yeah?" And with that said, the young man smiled a tad, mostly in amusement. "Is that okay with you now?"

Lumeria has posed:
Lumeria takes ahold of his hand clutching tightly. If he tries to ditch her inside, she would make sure she takes his arm with her. "Well, if I do learn teleportation magic I suppose I'll have to do this sooner or later." It was one way to study what takes place after all.

Raine Arland has posed:
Like he would joke around about this sort of thing. Even Raine had his limit. Still, he held onto her hand tightly in response before leading her into the portal. It closed behind him and what followed next was a feeling akin to rushing water, or was it wind? Either way, it felt like a sort of high speed movement was taking place.

Yet, there was nothing to be seen in the pitch black darkness. Soon enough, a glimmer of light appeared ahead, and then expanded rapidly, revealing the Dias Plains. "Here we are." Raine announced, stepping through and leading Lumeria out of the portal. "See, was that so bad?" He asked, grinning slightly as he looked back at her.

"Did you learn anything? Or were you too scared stiff to take any notes?" He went on to ask, unable to resist teasing her as well. He kept hold of her hand despite the fact that it wasn't necessary any longer. Must've forgotten. Or not.

Who knows.

Lumeria has posed:
Lumeria feels a bit uneasy, even airships didn't travel that fast, "It feels like the darkness was trying to pull me in..." No doubt the powerful white magic she possessed made her a tempting target. There's no telling what might have happened if she had tried to enter on her own.

It takes her a moment to get her bearings. She certainly hasn't been here before. She then realizes they're still holding hands and promptly releases her grip. "I can feel something very faint."

Raine Arland has posed:
"True...it's worse if you're especially well versed in white magic or what have you." Raine spoke casually, chuckling and rubbing the back of his head with the hand that was freed from hers. "Anyway we're all here now, so...let's have a look."

He turned away then and ventured on ahead. "Come on, the place where I put the stone was a little further up. So if you can feel something now, then it should be stronger ahead!" A pause then. "...Hopefully."

Lumeria has posed:
That would explains why Lumeria felt that way. She might have to learn a different method of teleportation if that's the case. She looks up a bit, hopefully this wouldn't involve too much climbing. She's already a bit fatigued as it is. She lets him lead the way since he knows where to go. "So is it awkward being around me at all?" She's kind of curious now.

Raine Arland has posed:
Thankfully there wasn't much climbing, just a few steps over some rocks and one short climb up a low hanging cliff. The rest was straight walking. As they walked, Raine glanced back at Lumeria and arched a brow. "Awkward? Being around you? Why would it be?" He then grinned, getting a stupid idea.

"Is there something you're not telling me? Like, you're really a guy? Or maybe this form you're taking is a ruse and you're really an old lady? Is that it?" Laughing to himself, the young mand looked back on ahead and shrugged.

"But really, what's there to be awkward about? You're fine to me. Cute, easy to make fun of, incredibly entertaining reactions." ...None of that sounded good. Well, except the first part. "Don't worry too hard about it, okay?" If anything, he thought it might have been awkward for her to be around him, but that went unsaid. Eventually, he slowed down as they reached the top of a certain hill, kneeling down to inspect the ground.

"Here we are."

Lumeria has posed:
"You said that I reminded you of someone before." Lumeria recalls that as they reach the top of the hill. "In human years, I would be an old lady. Of course that doesn't really apply now, does it?" It might be bit less awkward around humans though.

"This wouldn't have to do with the Apostles, now would it?" She still somewhat remembers their first meeting. It would explain why he dragged her all the way out here.

Raine Arland has posed:
Guh.

He had hoped that she'd have forgotten about that. Looking at her face and and seeing her reactions was enough to kill him, figuratively. But he had found a way to cope with it all. At least, he had. "...Yeah, someone from a long while ago. Don't worry about it." Raine mumbled, shaking his head a little.

The response regarding his old lady jab drew a chuckle from him and he grinned in a way to try to shuffle the subject off to the side. "I guess it doesn't. Should I call you grandma? Heh heh..." Chuckling at Lumeria's expense, Raine remained knelt down as he stared out across the hill and down at the landscape below.

"...You remember that. I'm touched." His mocking smirk dialed back a tad into something a bit more genuine then. "Yeah, it's the Apostles. Or at least, what I suspect to be one."

Lumeria has posed:
"Maybe in another five hundred years or so...I can understand that feeling." Lumeria can sympthize with him on a bit on that. Still, she doesn't like to think about the subjects too much. "I don't think you ever tell me why you were looking for them in the first place." She wonders why he's going through all this trouble to begin with.

Raine Arland has posed:
"Wow, another five hundred years? Does that imply that you're already at or over that?" Rained asked, arching a brow as he stood to face the elf next to him. "I feel like I should treat you with a bit more respect now, but..." He brought a hand to his chin, looking her up and down before grinning mischievously. "Nope! Sorry, can't do it! Ahahaha!"

And then he laughed for a bit, turning away as he did so.

It took a bit for him to sober up and he considered her question. "...I'm looking for them because their deaths are the key to a new possibility." Well that was both vague, yet informative. Funny.

Lumeria has posed:
"I'm 75, it implies I can live that long." Lumeria frowns a bit at that. "And I doubt you'll still be around, so it's pretty much a null point." At least there's something she can shove in his face. "So, you're trying to kill them then?" If that were the case, then she's doesn't feel quite right about going through this.

Raine Arland has posed:
"Oh. Well that's just a bit underwhelming." Raine replied upon learning of her actual age. "Oh well!" He chuckled and let the subject drop. Yeah, he probably wouldn't be around by then. Maybe. Who knew?

Settling down at that, the swordsman just crossed his arms and turned to face Lumeria again. "Well, it's more complicated than killing them." He brought a hand to his chin, thinking for a bit. "...How to explain this better..." He fell quiet then, trying to think of a way to tell the elf exactly what he planned to do.

"......"

He couldn't figure one out. At least nothing beyond 'tell the truth'.

Lumeria has posed:
Lumeria's clearly a bit uneasy about this. If not kill them them what exactly was he planning to do? Plus would it really worth to be dragged into this mess. "What exactly are you try to accomplish by doing this?" Maybe that would explaing things better.

Raine Arland has posed:
"......"

A sigh as Raine rubbed the side of his head. Now she was getting suspicious. Not that it surprised him. Suppose the only way around this was to just say it straight. "Alright then. I'll explain." As he said that, his left eye pulsed a deep red as a voice in his head spoke.

'Kid, what are you-'

He ignored it however and went on. "Sit down. This is going to take a while." He added, sinking down to sit in a cross-legged position, patting the grass after with a wry smirk on his face.

Lumeria has posed:
Lumeria takes a seat on the grass next to him wondering what exactly was going on here. It wouldn't hurt to know before she committed to anything. Despite her attitude at times, she really wasn't the killing type. She was trying to avoid doing so if possible.

Raine Arland has posed:
Once Lumeria had herself a seat, Raine nodded and began to speak. "Well, you see in the world where I came from, the people were ruled by a group of entities known as 'The Five Apostles'." This was old territory, but he had to reiterate for perspective. "They ruled over all mortal beings, set laws, and watched over the world. Sounds nice, huh? Having 'gods' keeping their eyes on you."

He shrugged at that though, not looking too pleased. "Well, something happened, and eventually the Apostles changed their ways, they issued all sorts of demanding decrees to the people. Naturally, the people submitted at first." He rest his elbows into his lap and his chin in his hands.

"...But eventually, the people grew fed up. They took up their swords and waged war against the Apostles." Raine paused for a bit to let it all sink in. Then he spoke up again. "After years of hard battle, the people managed to seal the Apostles away. Some years later, my world fell into darkness" ...By Raine's own hand, but he decided not to repeat that. He'd always said it before anyway.

"But now, I'm searching for the Apostles because I know that they escaped their seals when the world was falling. I need to defeat them and seal them away again. If I do that..." He brought a hand to his left eye, thinking for a moment.

"...My wish will be granted."

Lumeria has posed:
"I see, are you asking for my help in doing so? Or do you just need them to track them down?" Lumeria's curious now to what he has in mind for her. Of course these Apostles could cause problems for others as well. Though there might be something she can learn as well from all of this.

"What's your wish?" It would explain why he's going through all this trouble to begin with.

Raine Arland has posed:
Raine paused a bit and thought about that. "...I hadn't thought that far ahead. I really just needed someone well versed in magic to leng a hand just tracking them down to start." He admitted sheepishly, smiling an idiotic smile in the process. "I mean, I've tried for so long with no dice whatsoever. So just walking around and looking with my eyes hasn't gotten me anywhere."

He took out the broken tracking stone at that moment, indicating it as he spoke. "But with the help of a skilled mage, I might be able to lock onto their magic signatures and find them that way." He set the stone down onto the grass then and nodded again. "...As for how to actually /beat/ them...that's a good question. I'm not sure, really...haha. All I know is that I need to pull them back into a sealing vessel. Actually getting them to do it is another thing entirely."

How promising.

Lumeria has posed:
Lumeria puts a hand to forehead with that. "You hadn't even thought this through?! Did you just expect them to submit?! Do you have the sealing vessels at least?" She wonders how he plans to defeat beings that likely have the power level of a deity.

"How did I let myself getting dragged into this?" Sure, she's powerful but even she has her limits. "And were you planning on to doing this alone?" She can't help but to add.

Raine Arland has posed:
"Whoa, hey, hey, hey!" Raine started, hands held up defensively, her outburst caused him to lean back a tad as well. "I have a sealing vessel! It's okay, it's okay!" No it's not. "And yeah, I was going to go it alone...I mean, I figure I could handle it." Handle forcing beings on the level of gods to submit to sealing? Yeah right.

"It would have worked out! And it'll still work out! C'mon!"

Not that much better.

Lumeria has posed:
"Ugh...I'm a talented mage but there's no way the two of us can pull this off." If Lumeria couldn't even defeat Rue what chance did she have against a deity? "We'll likely end up dead, or worse enslaved for all of eternity." There certainly were things she still wanted to do. "Do you even know what these Apostles are capable of? Have you done any research at all?"

Raine Arland has posed:
"Oh come on! I came from their world! I know all there is to know about them!" A pause. And then he grinned sheepishly. "I mean, I know hearsay about their power and general abilities based off of old texts written by their former followers and all." He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head at that.

Only a bit better than no research.

"Have a little faith! If the people of my world were capable of sealing them away, then we can totally do the same! Where's your confidence! Stick out your chest and go 'I CAN DO IT!'" And to illustrate his point, he did just that. Puffing up his chest and taking a deep breath before...

"I CAN DO IT!"

Lumeria has posed:
"How many of them did take to seal them away?" Lumeria can't help but to wonder now. She's pretty sure that the number is higher than two. "I have plenty of confidence but we shouldn't just blindly jump into this. Besides you mock me and then turn around and expect me to take on a deity?" She doesn't understand him at all.

Raine Arland has posed:
"Ah, ah, ah" Raine chided, wagging a finger in an admonishing way. "I don't want you to take on any deities. I just need help finding them. I'll do all the taking on!" Well, that was something. Stupid, yes. But it was something. Interestingly, her question of the number of people it took to seal the Apostles away went unanswered.

Probably to keep her from balking even more at the whole thing.

"Now that we've established that; what do you think?" He asked, fixing his sitting posture. "Can you help me find them? No fighting in it for you at all?"

Lumeria has posed:
"If you get killed, who's going to pay me?" Lumeria tries to hide the guilt she's feeling. She's been backed into a corner here. "Besides, I doubt they'll just let me run away." They didn't sound like the merciful type. "Looks like I have no choice but to help." Well, it would be one way to test what's she capable of and there's always the chance she could learn something whlle doing so.

Raine Arland has posed:
"Should I leave the pay in a will then?" Raine asked, smirking mockingly at Lumeria. He stood up then and nodded at her answers to his question. "Oh, you have a choice. But I'm glad you chose to help me." His smirk turned into a bit more genuine of a smile as he offered her a hand to stand up with.

"Trust me, I'll make this work. You're not going to end up six feet under or anything." Famous last words, Raine. Famous last words.

Lumeria has posed:
Lumeria takes his hand with that, "So why do you trust me of all people with this? You know I'm not exactly the selfless type." They don't even really know each other that well. It was quite a bit of faith to place in her, "You don't see me as a threat?"

Raine Arland has posed:
The question gave him pause. "....." He didn't answer initially, instead just looking off into the distance. Once she had stood, Raine released the grasp and crossed his arms. "...I don't know." He answered honestly then.

"Maybe it's because you remind me of someone..." He ventured to guess a moment after. He thought for a bit more before adding a bit jokingly. "Or maybe I'm an idiot who had too much faith in people still."

A shrug.

"Who knows?"

Lumeria has posed:
"I guess, it's best if we don't get distracted by this. Don't want to get overly attached or anything." Lumeria figures it would be best not to think about this too much. That and she has an image to uphold. "The magic does feel a bit stronger up here." She figures it might be a good idea to get back to things before the trail goes cold completely.

Raine Arland has posed:
"Yeah, of course." Raine nodded his agreement and kept his eyes on the landscape. "So, before we lose this trail completely, is there anything you can discern? The direction of it would be the most important thing I guess." He added at the end, scratching the side of his head with a finger.

That said, he held the stone over to Lumeria to use as reference as she needed and stood off to the side to get out of her way. If there was even a way to get out of to begin with. Maybe there was!

Lumeria has posed:
Lumeria holds the stone up examining it a bit. It was a bit difficult for her to match the direction the magic was coming from with the darkness present. "It seems to be to the north, but there's large amount of magic coming from that direction to begin with."

Raine Arland has posed:
Raine watched as Lumeria did her thing with the stone, hand resting on a hip, and the other hanging low. Once she finally discerned where it was coming from, he nodded and looked off in that direction. "...That's Mysidia, isn't it?" He commented calmly.

"I've never been in that direction." He glanced Lumeria then and off towards Baron's general direction. "This could be big. We'll need to prepare I think. Want to return to Baron and rest for the day?"

Lumeria has posed:
"Yes, that would be a good idea." All this physical activity was starting to take it's toll on Lumeria. For all her magical power she was a bit frail. The journey here had been fairly long as well. Still she was doing her best to try and keep up with him.

Raine Arland has posed:
He figured, which was why he offered. Opening up a dark portal, Raine offered her a hand before they went through and back to Baron to rest. It would be pertinent for them to rest before they took on whatever was waiting for them tomorrow.

To be honest, he was a bit worried, but there was no time for that. All he needed to do was what needed to be done; seal away the Apostle and move on to the next one.