Para-Natra

The protagonists have arrive at the machine kingdom of Boleros. For centuries they had prepared for the threat DUSK presented, as their government had employed Armarus to create DUSK for an upcoming war. The creation turned against them and plunged the world into chaos and distorted its form before finally being slayed by the heroes of this story. The next step in re-creating the lost continent of Avarice is to settle the dispute between Boleros before things get any worse for the unfortunate planet of Scarre.


Their ship brushes against the beach head of the western coast of Boleros, and all that can be see on the horizon is a huge, wall that, due to the position of the Sun, casts an intimidating shadow over them. Misteor's small pet dragon's(Silver) shadow passes overhead, scouting the area for hostile creatures. Volunteers from Avarice exit the ship with the main characters.

Misteor:Hm. This is it...Boleros. We need to be careful, we don't wanna make things worse on this trip. We're here to right everything...so no one screw up. No picking fights, no nothing. And for anyone who wasn't paying attention earlier, we're going to the capital, Gaeron.
Silver:*lands on her shoulder* No enemies in the area. The gates have been drawn for us, so we're being welcomed. The check point is approximately 20 Kilometers away.
Misteo:Good, hopefully they aren't planning on a betrayal. *she walks up the beach and eastward, towards the wall*

Ulrich silently follows Misteor.

About 7 kilometers in, they hit an Ars Magus barrier made of clear metal.

Misteor:Hm?
Silver:I didn't run into this earlier. Something must be wrong.
Misteor:Already? Already the mission's going down the drain?
Silver:There's no reason to think that way, not yet anyway.

Behind the bulk of the group several large mechanical golems rise from the sand. Misteor cautiously gets out her staff from a wrapping on his back. Turrets on the other side of the barrier scan them. The golems reacts when the scanners burrow, grabbing several people and crushing them. The bodies however do not spill blood, but blow away like ash.

Misteor:Hm?

An automated voice speaks through one of the automatons.

:We apologize for the inconvenience. It seemed that select members of your party were not of human nature, but servants of the demon lord DUSK. You may now proceed freely.

The barrier disintegrates, and the golems sink into the ground. Slightly stunned at what had occurred, the group continues on their way.

Ulrich: Hmpf. *follows Misteor*

After many hours of walking they finally arrive to the gate.

Gatekeeper:Took y'all long enough.
Gatekeeper2:Are you sure we should let'em in? They're just Avarines, Trash.
Gatekeeper:Orders are from the higher-ups, we got no choice. Hurry up and get in here. We ain't got all night.
Gatekeeper2:Technically it's morning.
Gatekeeper:Shutup you!

The group goes through the gates and they shut as the last of everyone enters.

Gatekeeper:There's a guide up ahead, he'll tell ya what ya need ta know and then some. He'll also escort y'all to the High Council in Gaeron.
Misteor:Very well, thank you. *proceeds with the rest of the group following* You are the guide?
:Yes. The Council Head has told me who you are, I won't waste your time with petty history of our nation. Follow me. *leads the group onward, most people stare for a bit before continuing on with their business*

The city is domed and is very beautiful. It has a stream running through it from the ocean, providing water through a filtration system that spans for miles. The buildings are made of concrete an metal, and many tower up towards the top of the domed city. Various aircraft fly through the sky, performing various services to the citizens and workers. It seems most of the civilization lives at sky-level, though the markets and restaurants are on ground level.

Ulrich puts his hands in his pockets and looks around him.

Misteor sees brief shine, and noticed it was coming closer to them. It had shimmered like a line of light, and moved in an approaching fashion. Alert, she drew a knife from the base of her staff and held it in front of her, and it was as she thought. A very fine wire that was going fast enough to cut through a small group of people. Upon hitting her knife, it cut into it a bit before stopping. She sent a surge of electricity through it using magic and she heard screams in two directions, and saw shadows moving through buildings nearby.

Misteor:Be on guard, we're being targeted!

Gun shots rang out, and several people in the group were shot dead, and a few saw where the shots came from and fired back. Misteor took cover behind a pillar and sheathed her knife while shooting small jolts of energy where she saw gunfire from balconies.

Ulrich took cover next to Misteor and searched for a target that was firing at them while his shivs dropped down from his sleeves.

Another wire came down, and Misteor yelled out a warning, but half of the group were still injured or killed by it. She sent a shock through the wire a killed a few enemies. Silver flew out and began attacking the ambushers.

Ulrich dashed out from behind the pillar and jumped up into the balcony and decapitated and and halved an attacker before stabbing another one and throwing it off the balcony

Bombs detonated throughout the locale, heavily damaging or destroying the buildings and enemies within. Misteor rolled away from her cover and looked around. The guide had died and many of her soldiers were dead as well. She sighed and felt the heat of a bullet whiz by her head. Through the smoke a figure clad in a white cloak and bandages fired at her and her allies. She hid behind rubble and fired a burst of magic at it, and it deflected the attack.

Silver dove at it while it was focused on Misteor and tackled it into a concrete wall. It exploded in white flames shortly after being knocked out.

Most of the civilians had evacuated the area, and their path was obscured, but not completely blocked by the debris. Misteor continued ahead, casting a low-level shielding magic over everyone.

Misteor:Great...there better be a good explanation for this.
Soldier:Obviously we're not liked around here! Whether or not the government was behind this doesn't matter! We need to get the hell out of here!
Misteor:Nothing good will come from running away. If the government's behind it, we'll be killed. If not, we'll have wasted time. Besides, government or not, they've probably already destroyed our ship. *keeps going and Silver follows*

Ulrich materializes next to Misteor.

Ulirch: You OK?

Misteor:Yeah. Came pretty close to taking a bullet to the head, but I'm fine, thanks. Were you hurt at all?

Ulrich: No.

Misteor:Good. *climbs over the top of the debris and cautiously walks down the slope* I'm starting to think coming here was a mistake. There might've been other means of communication besides arriving in person...but our technology back home is still shot...hm...oh well, it's too late for that.
Silver:The Council Chamber is up ahead, a little less than a mile.
Misteor:Yeah, I see it.

Ulrich: We'll be fine.

Misteor:Yeah...*knocks on the door of the Council Chamber, which makes a loud echoing sound before opening*
Speakers:Leave your men outside...you and two others may enter if you are mistrusting of us. It is understandable.

Misteor motions for the Squad Leader of the volunteers and Ulrich to go in with her as she walks into the building.

Ulrich follows Misteor inside.

High Councilor:So...you are here for diplomatic purposes, correct?
Misteor:Yes.
High Councilor: Hm. A young girl representing an entire nation. What has this world come to? *shakes his head* Well, allow me to brief you on what has just happened. We are in a state of civil war here. Apparently certain groups are quite fascist about our country, and that particular group of assassins that attacked you are knows as the Chrome Crusaders. They've been a thorn in our side for many years, and the problems they have been causing are only getting worse. Now, on to our diplomatic meeting. You say DUSK has been destroyed? By you and your allied forces?
Misteor:Yes.
High Councilor:You say your land is no longer contaminated with his filth and evil?
Misteor:Yes.
High Councilor:Then why are we still under siege by his forces?
Misteor:Maybe because they don't depend on him to fuel their existences?
High Councilor:Hm. Possibly. It is clear that you are no enemy of our country, and Avarice's military is comprised of...beings, such as yourselves, you are no longer in our cross hairs. However, We will be enacting martial law on your country while you rebuild, and as your country appears to've appointed you as their Lordess, you will have to grant us this permission.
Misteor:You may enact martial law upon my nation, the continent of Avarice, and it's people. Though they will be allowed to rebel if you misuse this privilege. Know that.
High Councilor:Very well. Leave now, we will handle the rest. I suggest changing your tone when in diplomatic conversation, girl.

Misteor turns and leaves the room, and explains the situation to the squadron, who complain or agree and quarrel over their different view points. She sighs and continues down the steps.

Misteor:Well, that went well...

Ulrich: Indeed..

Misteor:Well, I guess the only issue now is how to get back home? Surely the assassins have destroyed our means of leaving this place. The rest of the continent is a barren wasteland because of DUSK...and these guys are playing it safe, so there's probably no means of travel...
Soldier:So we're stuck here?
Misteor:Yeah...looks like it.
Squad Leader:Well they were pretty fast to ask for martial law. I think its suspicious.
Misteor:Its not as if they could make things any worse. I mean rea-*gets shot and it knocks her into Ulrich* Ugh!
Squad Leader:Everyone take cover! *gets out a rifle and fires in the direction the shot came from, but after everyone's wasted some ammo, they hold their fire* Odd....nothing's shooting back? *a couple of soldiers get sniped* Dammit! Where is it?
Misteor:Shit...I got it in the arm. *casts a shockwave of energy in the general direction of the bullet and it reveals a sniper who quickly dodges the soldier's rounds and hide* It's got a cloaking device. You guys need to use EMPs if you wanna keep tack of him.
Soldier:Yes, ma'am!
Misteor:That means go after him and kill him you guys! *they go under the command of the Squad Leader into the building the sniper ran off to*

Ulrich: *puts an arm around Misteor and looks around before backing up and slowly sitting her down* Let's get the bullet out now.

Misteor:Yeah, shouldn't be too bad. *uses some healing magic to push the bullet upward as her injury slowly regens, then she pulls out the bullet before quickly dropping it due to the heat* Agh! Hm. *hears gun bullets from the building, and even a grenade explosion* Well, let's see what's up there. *shakily gets up*

Ulirch: .... *pushes Misteor back down* Stay. *gets up and goes to survey*

Misteor:K...

In the building, there's bullet holes throughout, and a a bunch of dead soldiers, though the Squad Leader and a few of his men are slouched against a wall, injured, but alive. The grenade ad caused a collapse of the floor above and created a a few sky lights that illuminated the rooms.