The Mana Wars

[Maha1930]

As they hid behind a stone pillar surrounding the main hall, a beeping sound went off in Urie's hands. It was the Sky-Bike monitor, which alarmed twice (rather loud I might add), and then sparked, shorting out.

"Oh great," Urie replied as he peeked his head around the pillar. "Not only did our means of escape break, but two guards are now running our way!" The guards ran past the pillar and as they did so, Urie withdrew his gun, firing two shots one right after another between the eyes of the guards. They fell, armor clattering to the ground. "It's night time," Urie said holstering his weapon. "Those would be the only guards on duty in the main hall this time. We just narrowly escaped being captured. Thankfully to me."

Vex blinked, utterly shocked at what he had just witnessed. He barely even noticed Urie taking out his gun, let alone the two consecutive shots fired after. Instantly killing his predators. "Wow," was all vex could muster up to say.

Urie laughed. "What can I say? I'm fast and efficient." And the group hurried up the staircase off to their left. The layout was almost entirely the same as the last palace.

"I guess they're not people for change," Vex said as they made their way past the balcony overlooking the hall, which they got captured the last time. Once they passed the hall, they ventured up another staircase reaching a long hallway, lined with crimson, velvet carpet.

"The passageway to the emperor's quarter's one would presume," Urie said. Laying his hand on his gun, ready to strike at a moment's notice.  

[Ashley_Winston]

Jessie looked around as they walked down halls. "Wow. Why are the palaces identical twins?" She asked. She stopped next to Urie. "You know, that might not be the best idea. They know we're here, they know what we wanna do. It might as well be yet ANOTHER trap." She looked at Urie offering.

"We should lay low and hide somewhere outside the palace, but not the gates. Or we can hide inside. Either way, before we attack and get ourselves into trouble and possibly get caught again, we need to brainstorm a plan." Jessie sat and leaned against a wall.

She looked at the boys, while petting Lucius, "It's your two's call."  

[Maha1930]

Vex nodded, "I agree with Jessie, as much as I want to kill this slimy bugger, we can't afford to be captured again. We should lay low and gather up some supplies."

Urie groaned. "Well, I'm not waiting." He started to walk briskly down the hallway until he stifled a yelp as Lucius bit into his calf, stopping him dead in his tracks. "Damn mutt." He said trying to shake him off, but he wouldn't let go. "Fine dog, have it your way." Lucius let go and he pushed the others aside and walked back down the hallway. "Well you guys coming?"

After the group escape through a nearby window, they overlooked the surrounding rooftops and buildings. This planet was certainty different from where Vex was accustomed too.

"Is this Magisterum?" Vex asked looking over at Jessie. "Isn't this where you're from?"  

[Ashley_Winston]

Jessie gasped and looked around. "Why are we back here? He's already done his business here. And it looks different." She walked down a few alley ways and met up with a some guy in a cloak. Jessie talked with him for a few quick minutes.

"Well there's definately something that the Emperor is after that's still on Magesterium." She said walking back over to the other two. "I want to find out what it is and get it before he deoes. You guys in, or ya gonna just layback?"  

[Maha1930]

"I'm in!" Vex replied with a mischievous grin. Lucius barked a response of approval.

"Curious," Urie said trailing a few steps after the man in the cloak. "It appears our girl Jessie here knows the Trickster's Brigade. How does she know them I wonder?" Jessie seemed reluctant to answered Urie's question so Vex piped up very curious.

"What's the Trickster's Brigade?" He asked now extremely intrigued.

"They're a band of assassins working in the slums of Magisterum," Urie replied.

"Is that a good thing?" Vex replied.

"They've got loads of weapons, and want the emperor stone dead. Use your imagination." Urie said walking after the man.

"Where are you going?!" Vex called after him.

"I'd like to pay a visit myself to the Trickster Brigade, there's a special someone who I'd love to catch up with."

"Special someone?" Vex said curious but Urie continued on his way down the same path that the man had taken a short while ago. Jessie seemed distant as they followed Urie, avoiding eye contact with Vex at all costs.

"What's up with her?" Vex thought to himself. "And who's this speical someone Urie wants to see?" Those thoughts began appearing in Vex's head again. "No, stop it." He said to himself. The group finally reached a small hole in a nearby alleway. When they approached it a gun jutted out, barring their path.

"Password." A voice gargled out of the hole.

"Fiddlesticks," Urie responded and the gun withdrew, replacing it with a head of a man.

"Urie?!" The man cried out.

"That's my name," Urie replied flashing his teeth. The man practically leaped out of the hole and onto Urie in enjoyment.

"I thought you were dead for sure!" He cried out finally relasing Urie from his grasp and standing up. The man almost the same height as Urie, but with a more slender figure. He wore a tattered vest hugging his muscles beneath it. Greasy, short, black hair clung to his face as if he hadn't seen a shower in years. The one really peculiar feature of the man that Vex noticed was that he had bright yellow eyes, exactly like a cats.

"Your eyes...." Vex said aloud in amazement.

"What about them?" The man replied walking to Vex and peering into his own eyes. "Do they freak you out?"

"Oh...uh...no!" Vex gulped. "Of course not!"

"Good," he replied releasing his gaze upon Vex. "I take it that you've never seen a Transmogripher before?"

"A what?" Vex responded, totally lost as usual.

"Say, that's a nice dog you got there," he said walking over to Lucius who growled at him. "Calm down buddy, I just wanna pet you." Lucius eased up and let his guard down, letting the man pet him on the head. "Thanks boy." He turned back to Vex, who jumped back one he looked into his eyes again. They were exactly the same as Lucius's.

"How did you-?!"

"Like I said," he said as his eyes changed back to their cat-like state. "I'm a Transmogripher. Any animal that I have come in physical contact with I can steal the traits and attributes of."

"Wait," Vex said choosing his words carefully. "So, can you become an animal?"

"Not exactly," he replied. "But I won't bore you with the semantics now, come inside!"  

[Ashley_Winston]

Jessie nodded and was already inside. She turns around to Urie.

"I wanna know." She said. Urie gave her a confused look.

Jessie rolled her eyes, "I said I wanna know. I won't get bored. I find it rather interesting." She said, sitting down with the two boys and putting her elbows on the table then resting her head on her hands.

Urie didn't say anything for a few minutes.

Both Vex and Jessie looked at each other then Urie.

"Well....?" They both asked.

"We might not have time for me to explain." Urie said blankly.

Jessie sighed. "Seriously? The Trickster's Brigade has nothing BUT time." She fired back.

Urie glared at her.

"Ya, I went there." Jessie said laughing, "So just get on with it."

Urie begins his explination...  

[Maha1930]

"Nothing but time, eh?" The cat-eyed man stole a seat next to Vex making Vex slightly uneasy after what he had previously witnessed. "Somehow I doubt that, we have limited time indeed. We know Emperor Vercutio is on the move, what he's looking for...is well..." he said rubbing the back of his head in frustration, "The Diamond vial."

The room fell silent until Vex spoke up. "Sorry but, isn't the Diamond vial a myth? I remember my mom...I mean...I remember her telling me bed time stories about the old King and his clerics and how the Diamond Vial won the ancient wars."

"Quite right," the man replied. "But the myth aspect is suspect in itself. The Diamond Vial is a simgle vial of pure magic carried down from before time itself. It is said a single drop could last civilation millenia. But in the wrong hands, it can be used as a tool for ultimate and unstoppable destruction."

"Which is what Emperor Vercutio has been searching for," Urie finished. "The no good rotten swine!" His fist hit the table causing Jessie and Vex to jump in their seats.

"Flu, stop antagonizing Urie, we don't need any more bloodshed in our camp, don't you remember the fight Clari and Tru got in just a fortnight ago?"

"True," the cat man replied. "I guess I should have waites until everyone was in the room."

"So your name is Tru?" Vex asked in response to the other man that had joined them.

"That's me!" He replied flashing his teeth which also looked exactly like the mouth of one of the alley cats roaming about.

"I am Trombo," the bigger man spoke, sitting next to Jessie. "Pleased to meet your acquaintances. Any friend of Urie...is well...a friend of ours I guess." Trombo looked over at Jessie, tilting his head to examine her more closely. "Your the one who knows Tru right?"

Jessie nodded.

"I thought I saw you once before," Trombo said.

"Who's Tru?" Vex asked as another slender looking man walked into the room.

"That would be me," the man answered sitting down next to Flu. His face and most of his body was enshrouded by a purple cloak. There was only just enough light in the room for Vex to make out the man's mouth alone.

"Tch, creep. I keep telling you to take off that cloak when we have visitors," Flu said crossing his arms and looking away from his brother.

"I've told you Flu, I don't remove my cloak in front of guests, you know that."

"Why?" Vex said, clasping his hand over his mouth realizing he had spoken out of turn.

Tru chuckled. "Simply boy, because you would go mad."

Vex gulped, smiling weakly. "What does that even mean?!" Vex thought. "But I sort-of don't wanna know, this guy gives me the willies."

Lucius sensed Vex's discomfort and rubbed his nuzzle along his knee trying his to comfort him.

"Is this everyone?" Trombo asked once everyone seemed to be seated and comfortable.

"No," Tru let out with a sigh. "Clari's not here."

"Oh, right you are!" Trombo bellowed. His voice dominated the room and so did his burly figure and mustache. A cat-man, a masked man, and a big man. This was certainly the cast of characters.

"And you stay away from me you filthy b*****d!" A voice shouted from outside followed by a blonde haired woman, flipping her illustrious golden hair as she sat down with the rest of the gang. "Hello everyone...and Tru."

Tru seemed to muster what seemed to sound like a growl form under his cloak before Trombo cleared his throat and began.

"Now, our mission is to track down the diamond vial from Emperor Vercutio correct?" Everyone nodded in accordance. "Good. From the intel Clari has so graciously gathered we know that the good Emperor is headed to the Tomb of Worship in the Bone Meadows."

"The Bone Meadows?! Flu cried out. "No! No no no no no NO! We are NOT going to the Bone Meadows!"

"And why not?" Tru asked, undermining his brother.

"Tru! You know why! That place is...cursed."

"Oh please," Clari piped in. "Flu you'll be fine. You have this big strong man here to protect you." She said winking at Vex who smiled uncomfortably back.

"Once we reach The Bone Meadows the tomb is about a three days journey by Quantam Bike." Trombo continued, ignoring Clari's aside.

"About that bike you lent me.." Urie interrupted laughing nervoulsy.

"It's not my problem," Trombo replied. "Just don't expect to get another freebie from me. Now, We will split up into three teams, that way we will cover more ground within the meadows themselves. I have no map of the location of the tomb so we're basically flying blind on this one. The Emperor leaves in four days, so if we don't lag behind we should arrive at the tomb way before he does and be in and out in no time."

"I hate this plan!" Flu cried out. "Why do we have to split up?!"

"To cover more ground Flu," Trombo sighed. "Flu, you'll be paired with Vex, his dog, and Tru. Myself will be with Urie, and Jessie you will be paired with Clari."

"But but but!" Flu protested but Trombo gave him a look of absolute rage which made Flu quiet down at once.

"Now, we leave before sunset. Get some sleep you guys we have spare cots in the back Urie, for you and your comrades."

"Much obliged," Urie said and the gang went to bed, Lucius curling up next to Vex.

Just before the littlest piece of sunlight streaked across the horizon, the group took rose out of the slums, Quantam bikes whirring and sped off to the Bone Meadows. The meadows were as gray as stone, with trees that seemed to emanate the stench of death amidst all of their still growing leaves. The group landed in a clearing and immediately parted ways. Trombo instructed everyone to leave their bikes in the nearby shrubbery. The forest seemed to interfere with the main controls redering them useless if they were travel further into the forest. They had to go on foot, and the three-day adventure began...

"I hate this..I hate this!" Flu kept saying repeadtdley under his breath, rubbing his arms as if it were below freezing.

"Shut up," Tru replied. "You're going to make a scene."

"Don't tell me to shut up!" Flu screamed causing some birds to fly away in their tiny nests within the trees and Lucius started growling.

"What is it boy?" Vex said stroking the mane of his dog.

"Everyone quiet," Tru said holding out his hand.

"What?" Flu asked.

"Somethings here." Flu replied.  

[Ashley_Winston]

Jessie and Clari walked in silence for awhile, but it started bugging Jessie. "So... What is this vial supposed to do?" Jessie asked.

Clari looked at Jessie, not knowing how much she should confide in her. "Well... What I will say is that if the emperer gets this vial, we're in for complete domination and total destruction." Clarie then said no more.

Jessie accepted the little bit of info she got. But also thought that it was strange how Clari knows more about all this, and yet Jessie is the one that's been part of the Trickster's Brigade since she was a young girl...

The silence continued as they kept walking to the tomb. The further they got, the more they felt they weren't alone and are being followed. Then they hear something snap and they turn to see what made the noise. A hufe shadow figure stood before them.

"Ummmm Clari...." Jessie whispered. Clari whispers back, " Don't move. It can only see you if you move." Jessie nodded and stayed still. It eventually whisped away. But as they were bout to turn round, another demon shaped in front of them.

"And this one???" Jessie paniced. Clari yelled, " Run! Definitely run!!! Find something to hide under quickly!" They took off running.....  

[Maha1930]

The trees were silent, the men nor dog did not move, but there was no mistaking the fact that there was something else in their presence. Lucius started to advance until Tru brandished a cloaked hand. Tru started lifting his hood away from his head, dropping it upon the back of his cloak. What the rest of the group saw in place of a man's head however was empty space. There was nothing there.

"He's a Night-Walker," Flu whispered in a shaky voice to Vex before he had time to ask. "Only at night can his body retain the form which we humans cannot see." He snickered despite his nerves, continuing to say "Except these bad boys." He said pointing to his cat-like eyes.

The rest of Tru's cloak fell to the ground in silence. The only thing any of them could hear were the snapping of twigs in front of them. Then, the image of a creature stumbled into the clearing.

"What?" Shouted Flu as the creature's body was illuminated by the moon. What stood before them was...Flu.

"Thats not possible..." Vex stammered looking at the Flu standing next to him and the one before them.

"Nice trick." Spoke a nearby voice. Vex recognized it as Tru's.

"So he must be close," Vex said to himself. "Who are you?" Vex mustered up the courage to ask the Flu duplicate.

"I'm Flu Vex, how could you even ask me that?" The duplicate spoke making the Flu standing next to Vex jump.

"It speaks?!" Flu shreiked.

"Don't believe a word it says," spoke Tru. "It is an imposter."

"But how could it know my name?" Vex asked staring at both Flu's. Both of them looked exactly alike, down to the cat-like eyes.

"Because I am Flu!" The duplicate shreiked. "He's the imposter!" He said pointing at the Flu standing next to Vex.

"Wait," Vex interrupted. "Flu just told me something extremely important not a moment ago, the Flu standing next to me I mean."

"What's that?" Both Flu's asked in unison scowling at each other as they did so.

"I want to see if either of you can tell me the exact location of your brother." Vex smirked.

"That's easy," the Flu duplicate said. "He's-"

"there!" Both of them shouted pointing in opposite directions. The Flu standing next to Vex pointed to a spot behind Lucius, while the other pointed at a spot next to himself.

"Now, Tru would you be so kind enough as to show yourself?"

The clearing was silent. No one moved.

"Tru?" Vex spoke aloud after awhile, but there was no reply. The two Flu's started to snicker.

"Fool!" They said in unison lunging at Vex, this made Lucius lunge at the closest Flu, protecting his master while the other Flu seemed to stop advancing all together. In fact, the other Flu who stopped was grasping his neck as if someone was choking it.

"No one can see me, not even my brother," Tru's voice spoke from the same spot as the Flu that was being choked. "Both of these things are imposters. Vex, be rid of the other one." As soon as he said this, the Flu that he was holding let out a blood curdling scream and his skin seemed to be boiling. After a few moments his body melted into a pool of nothing against the cold, forest floor.

Vex, still shocked at what he had just witnessed powered up his left glove, the flame engulfed his hand and makimg a fist, he swung it at the face of the other Flu. Flu'a body erupted into a swarm of tiny bugs on impact, showering onto the floor...dead.

"Would you mind telling me what happened?" Vex said addressing the surroundig area, not sure where Tru was standing now.

"They were both imposters, wasn't it obvious?" Tru replied retrieving his cloak from the forest floor so his body retained its shape again. "Flu has been kidnapped. I can't believe I was so thick as to think my brother was that frightened before. He must have gotten taken as soon as we landed. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!" He hollered stamping his foot on the ground.

"Don't worry, Tru," Vex said trying to console him, "we'll find him!"

"We have too." Tru replied sounding grim. "This forest is filled with the deadliest of creatures. I fear my brother may not survive on his own."

"Then lets move!" Vex said granting a bark of approval from Lucius.