Aqinarr City
Willow's Room
Three and Three Quarter Hours before Twilight
(as was planned in MSN)

Dinner is a plain stew along with some bread and biscuits, but Willow's thoughts likely weren't about supper, and it was hard to tell exactly what Nintarra was thinking. Afterwards, the two decide to stroll around the city, carefully making sure not to go near Casia's delivery route, especially now that she is clearly known to be a thief, albiet one that only steals for the thrill of it.

Along the trek, Nintarra shares her story with Willow. She doesn't remember her parents, being born just before the six years of turmoil, and among those who died during those years includes her parents. She made a living from performing, whether it be dancing, or orally through song, and it is mainly from her savings from that that she had saved enough to almost fully buy the cards.

Yet, even though she is a bit sad that her parents are gone, Nintarra is still a kind and compassionate person. She also discloses to Willow the reason why she bought the cards: she wants to be able to foretell danger, just to help people prepare for it to help prevent loss.

(okies... checkpoint!)

At the twilight of dusk, Tristin is beginning to rouse from his brief slumber, yet Qin is still plainly asleep. The air is calm and peaceful.

Armand, Deunan, Caduceus and Renshiir reach the Hylon city gates, their journey uneventful, for even the wild predators kept to their own. The sounds of civilization within the city are drawing to a close as people prepare for this night's sleep, if they aren't already asleep.

Manalagna has awoken from his brief slumber, finding himself alone in the arena guest quarters. There is little sound from the arena; it seems many people have gone to bed.

Dusk has reached the next stop along his unmade path, reaching the city gates of Wanqir. Unlike Hylon, Wanqir is still a buzz of activity, with late evening merchants and people still going about their business. Yet, even with this business, there is a peaceful air in the evening.

Willow and Nintarra are just meandering around the peaceful city of Aqinarr when the sun descends.

Yet, they all remain for the most part oblivious, a blissful ignorance, and one that cannot last.

The mountain of Venerro looms over the rest of the continent, solid and magnificent. It is a constant, unchanged by even the six years of brutality, those six years of unrelenting disasters. Hurricanes, tornadoes, even magma seeped out of the mountains and the ground, and at times the ground shook with such ferocity that it seemed as though the world was tearing in two. That was now over, and it has been peaceful for a year. Just short of exactly one year.

A curious and knowing girl sits near Mount Venerro's peak. The sun has begun to dip over the horizon. The girl is so close she can feel it, the pressure building along the seams of the fabric of reality. It wouldn't be safe here to watch. She retreats further down the mountain. Who knew where the world would split?

The sun descends further, nearing the halfway point. The sounds of the world slowly fade, as the world shushes its people, willing them to listen. Finally, the sun reaches the halfway mark, the True Twilight.

"They're here." The girl whispers, fear and anticipation resonating within her voice.

With a cacocophonous roar even greater than point blank thunder, the sky cracks. It isn't a single fracture either, for this crack, extending from the peak of Venerro, shatters a large portion of the sky, appearing much like a window pane after it has been hit with a marble. The sound alone is immense, spanning the width of the continent of Tiancann, and even beyond. Those who are asleep awaken, those who are not are shaken, and the girl at the pinnacle of the occurace is nearly blown away. The one main crack in the sky can be seen throughout Tiancann, and even the spiderweb cracks extending from it can be seen, although not as clearly. Even in the Forest of Hylon, the crack extends far enough forth that it can be seen through most of the foliage of the tree canopy, and from the clearing of Hylon city, it can be seen in its entirety. The cracks are an unnatural and blank white, contrasting sharply with the natural world. They even cast immense shadows on the ground under the fading sun.

The girl staggers to her feet, looking up at the peak of the mountain sadly. She quickly flees the area, leaping into the air with a burst of speed from her dragonfly wings and vanishing.

The Dead Dusk of Destruction has come to Tiancann.

Willow stretched her legs as she sat at the edge of the fountain. She peered toward the setting sun, it had just touched the horizon across the opposite end of Tiancann. To think how many times she feared that the last fleeting glimpse of the sun offered at twilight would be her last. This very spot at which she now rested her legs with Nintarra was once a pile of rubble left over from the destructive forces of nature. Today, a full year later, the stupdenous effort of rebuilding was evident.

Now the sight of the setting sun was a vision of peace and remembrance.

It also reminded Willow how late it was, and that she had guard duty early the next morning. On the other hand, the cat napping that took place on and off during the large part of that afternoon left her quite wide awake. The internal struggle between heading back and staying out for a while longer was non-existent, as she rose from the fountain side. The peace radiating through the night sky set at ease her fears of this foretold doom.

A single thought invaded her well-being, however, a thought that gave the calm night air a trecherous look. There is always a calm before the storm. Her instinct told her that she was probably - unfortunately - right. It might have felt like her stomach had just liquified, for at that moment, the pretense that the world was once again balanced with itself was struck from the mind with a horrible sound.

All of Tiancann, at that next moment, rocked under the vibrations of the cracking of the sky. Clean in half the sky was rended, with innumberable fractures spreading out, all from the massive peak Venerro. Willow and Nintarra's eyes met for a moment. Among the greatest horrors imaginable, is the dread of realizing foretold disaster, especially on such a scale. They both knew this was coming sooner or later, but neither dared dream that it would be quite so sooner.

The effect on the people was near instantaneous, panic became quickly wide-spread. Terror ran like a foul wind through the minds of simple folk, threatening to overtake the populous. And where there was terrrified masses, there would be injury and death soon to follow. In situations like this, the city guard were trained to quell dangerous emotions to protect the people as much from each other as from whatever other source of danger.

"Calm down and return indoors!" Willow's usually quiet voice rose above the growing din. The timid girl suddenly had many eyes on her all at once, though this did not intimidate her in the slightest. In the face of disaster there was no worrying about such simple things, only a will to do what was necessary. "I am a member of the city guard!" she shouted, retreiving from her pouch proof of this claim. "Do as I say and get indoors while the authorities handle things!"

Regardless whether the people listened to her or not, she dropped down from the fountain and spoke to Nintarra, "You should come with me to the barracks, you'll be safest there, I hope. I will have to get my orders from my superiors. Here is my room key."
(Response)

Casting another look at the defaced sky, she turned and began to run toward the barracks, keeping pace with Nintarra. (unless she can carry her just as quickly)

Along the way she stopped, ducking aside and fishing for her armour out of the magical bag. She put it on as quickly as possible without sacraficing protection, and continued for the barracks after strapping both her swords to her hips.

The journey through the foreboding trees o the Hylon forest had been blissfully uneventful. It would seem that even the local wildlife had decided to keep to themselves as the sun hung low in the evening sky. The thought occurred to Armand that the lack of animal presence was a little unnerving. Not even the howl of a wolf or the hoots of the owl pierced the almost unnatural calm and silence of the evening.

As Armand, Caduceus, Deunan and Renshiir cleared the forest and made headway into Hylon, it was apparent the city too had rolled up its streets for the night, as few remained out and about, the peace and quiet of the night lulling the populous to the comforts of a warm bed. Renshiir was trying to convince Armand to head over and ‘borrow’ the previously mentioned forge, and Caduceus was usual was complaining about how he was tired and how great heroes need their rest. After being together for so long, Deunan could only laugh, for the staff was obviously talking about himself more than his companions.

As Armand was just agreeing to at least ‘visit’ the proprietor of the forge, the sun dipped below the halfway point and true twilight revealed the disastrous nature of the foreboding peak of Mount Venerro, as the sky above exploded in a cacophonous roar, shattering the very sky and tearing it asunder, the webs of fracture lines cascading out across the heavens like a stone struck mirror.

As soon as the shudder roared across the land, the populous; those still out, and those once asleep nestled in the safety of their homes were torn from the tranquility of relative normalcy over the past year and plunged once more into a world of terror. A woman’s shriek and a child’s cry were only the start of what could potentially spiral into a full spread panic. Armand knew his presence would have a calming effect on those around him, and Deunan too would prove a boon to the quelling of the fear growing within the general public. Moving through town, he did the best he could to calm those around him, while making headway towards the local church or constabulary (preferably church of a matching faith.) Perhaps they would know what to do, and if not, then there was always riding into the sunset as it were and tackling the issue at the source… Mt. Venerro.

Aqinarr City
1 minute after Twilight
Chaos. When destruction rears its ugly head, that is what would come about if no one did anything to avert it. Nintarra's eyes are wide, and it appears that she too may fall to panic; she had foretold the truth, but she never knew exactly how massive this disaster would be.

"Calm down and return indoors!" Willow shouts above the rising din, "I am a member of the city guard!" she shouted, retrieving from her pouch proof of this claim. "Do as I say and get indoors while the authorities handle things!"
Everyone nearby is so stunned that they easily follow Willow's instructions, uncertain what to do otherwise.

Regardless whether the people listened to her or not, she dropped down from the fountain and spoke to Nintarra, "You should come with me to the barracks, you'll be safest there, I hope. I will have to get my orders from my superiors. Here is my room key."
Nintarra nods, "Alright, I'll... take a look at the cards again."

Nintarra begins to run back towards the barracks, but Willow, deciding that it'd be faster if she just carried her, sweeps her up, much to Nintarra's surprise, and runs.

At the barracks, Nintarra stares at the array of cards that she had presented Willow, trying to see if she could make any more sense out of it now. Knowing she would not be able to wait for Nintarra to finish, Willow gathers her gear, and follows the other startled soldiers, including Yin, to the briefing and meeting room.

"General Kamiir! What is going on?" Yin almost shouts in his anticipation upon entering the room.

The somewhat elderly man, but clearly still healthy and strong enough to carry out his own missions, "We will know shortly; our orders and hopefully an explanation of this event will come from Wanqir. I am told that one of the lead scouts has already returned from the pinnacle of the occurance, and has witnessed the entire event."

"Until then, I'll request that all of you, except for Willow and Yin, station yourselves around the city as per the defensive drill we covered. We must keep the civilians from panicking. This is easier said than done, I know, but just being there will abase a number of unsettled hearts if not minds. That is all for now."

The room swiftly empties with a brief salute, leaving only the general, Willow, Yin, and a secretary. The general sighs, and sits down at the head of the table.

Yin asks, just a bit hesitantly, "Sir, why are we to remain here? Shouldn't we be helping the others?"

"You two are still here because you two are our best soldiers. Henceforth, you two must be quickly notified of what is known from Wanqir, especially in the case when an advance party needs to meet at the capital." The general says solemnly, "You will not be waiting long; I expect it will take no longer than half an hour for our orders to arrive."

(Just breaking here just in case for initial reactions or questions, and even ones that occur after a pause, from Willow)

Hylon City
1 minute after Twilight
Almost an exact mirror of Aqinarr's reaction takes place in front of Armand. People run outside, have only to look up, at the sky, and panic brews. This is beyond anyone's understanding, and like anything unknown, it brings about fear in those that don't know what to do.

However, as Armand moves through the city, calm also spreads along his path, much like a wave spreading from a single ripple. The city guard take over, hushing and comforting civilians and allowing Armand to move more swiftly, at last finding his destination of a general yet, as he knew, well reputable church. The large double doors open into a foyer, and across from the entrance is another set of double doors, leading into the chapel. The hall leads to the sides, one of which is a set of dorms while the other is the chamber, well, study really, of the High Priest. Behind a desk near the chapel entrance is a woman dressed in a silken white gown, and she looks up warmly, almost in a comforting manner at the company.

"Ah, Armand, it has been too long." The priestess says as she walks up to Armand, "The High Priest's chamber is open, and I'm sure he would like to talk to you, Denuan, and even chat with Caduceus."

Magaleta then turns to Renshiir and says, "I don't know who you are, but please, come sit in the chapel and make yourself comfortable if you wish."

"Th-thank you." Renshiir says, slightly self-conscious since she now can actually go places without needing to hide or avoid people.

Renshiir enters the chapel, and disappears from view. In the study of the High Priest, Barrahen, he greets Armand, and offers him and Armand a seat. He even sets out an elegant stand for Caduceus. Barrahen seems slightly young for his occupation, but his eyes show a wisdom that seems older than he is.

"I'm afraid if you've come here for information, I have none to give yet. However, I am certain that news will come swiftly enough; with an event this massive, people will want and need to seek to understand it, from those who are merely curious, to those who are willing to give their lives if needed to avert it."

Barrahen keeps eyeing the ring on his desk, which is sitting upright, almost waiting for it to do something.

Armand entered the study of the High Priest Barrahen, and graciously accepts the seat offered to him. Deunan too takes a chair, while Caduceus can only bathe Barrahen with praise for the stand in which he leans, and for ‘showing proper respect where it is due.’

"I'm afraid if you've come here for information, I have none to give yet. However, I am certain that news will come swiftly enough; with an event this massive, people will want and need to seek to understand it, from those who are merely curious, to those who are willing to give their lives if needed to avert it."

Barrahen keeps eyeing the ring on his desk, which is sitting upright, almost waiting for it to do something.

Armand listened to Barrahen intently, and noticed too that his attention was focused on the ring sitting vertical upon the desk. “You’ve known me for some time Barrahen, and you know that patience is one of the lesser virtues I’ve been blessed with. With the threat of panic in the air, I find it hard to sit on my haunches and do nothing.” Barrahen’s eyes barely left the jewelry on the desk. “I don’t mean to pry” Deunan interjected. “But are you waiting for it to fly off the desk or something?”

"You two are still here because you two are our best soldiers. Henceforth, you two must be quickly notified of what is known from Wanqir, especially in the case when an advance party needs to meet at the capital." The general says solemnly, "You will not be waiting long; I expect it will take no longer than half an hour for our orders to arrive."
After the general's words, a still fell over the room. A quiet of needing to get out and help in some way, but being trapped. The atmosphere of the room was tense and the raging silence deafened the occupants. I wish this messenger would arrive already. If Willow had anything on her mind that she wished to voice, none heard it. She preferred keeping her thoughts to herself, and those few she was comfortable around. That crack in the sky - what kind of disaster causes that? I didn't know one could break the sky! Why now? One year after the end of our troubles. Maybe those years of chaos were only the first of what trouble we will have. We have only just been able to begin our lives again, to rebuild our four largest cities.
Willow looked down into her hands, her ears burning in hope that the action hadn't attracted any attention. The very idea that the others could be looking at her was enough to make her freeze. In moments though, as everything seemed to continue as it had been going for the past fifteen minutes, she relaxed to her former state of tensity. Whatever is happening, whatever will occur, whatever comes my way, I am strong enough now- old enough. It will be my turn to fight for others.

Hylon City
Barrahen's Office
10 minutes after Twilight
“I don’t mean to pry” Deunan interjected. “But are you waiting for it to fly off the desk or something?”
"Not quite." Barrahen replies, "This ring is one of the many rings that people such as I, who can inform many people, or such as authorities, who can act on the information given, possess. They are like miniature gates, and are far swifter than messengers, although they are saved for dire times, such as now. This ring's counterpart, like all the others around Tiancann, is in Wanqir, which is undoubtedly rushing to determine the events of this evening. Receiving word will be simple enough; they will simply send a scroll through their ring, and it will appear through this one."

20 minutes after Twilight
The ring suddenly glows as an inscription appears upon it.

"Ah, here we are." Barrahen murmurs.

A scroll sealed with the wax seal of Wanqir's Council comes out of the ring, and is swiftly caught by Barrahen.

Barrahen opens the scroll and reads it aloud...

((I'll cover this a bit later in Sibby's relevant post, as they'll be the same, coming from the same source))

Aqinarr City
Soldier's Barracks
20 minutes after Twilight
"Sir!" The secretary calls towards the General, "It's here."

Upon the secretary's desk, and largely unnoticed before, is a similar ring identical to the one in Barrahen's office, made of plain iron with a 3 inch diameter. It too glows, and from it, a scroll comes forth, and is caught by the secretary.

She clears her throat and reads.

As reported by the Scout,

This crack we see in the darkening sky is no simple thing. It is a crack through the world itself. That may be hard to comprehend, however, it is the truth. An unknown force has punctured its way into this world from another, with the pinnacle of its intrusion within Mt. Venerro. However, its intrusion alone is not what has caused that crack. My intuition tells me that this force desires to destroy this world, and that is why it has made the crack far more substantial than a mere transcending of the barriers between the worlds. It will continue to try to locate further weak points along the seams of this world's reality, and try to break through them. To aid it, there are strange creatures that are coming now from the top of Venerro's peak. It can likely be seen as a shimmering from the tip of the peak downwards, to about perhaps halfway, from the corners of Tiancann.

The situation, as considered by the Wanqir Council,

In light of this recent catastrophe, it is critical that guards be prepared to defend the five cities. However, provided the Scout's analysis as well as the initial insights of the Diviners is correct, this enemy will prove to be relentless, and a counter-measures will need to be taken. As such, an advance force is to be formed ASAP to reach the source of this disturbance before it becomes too difficult to do so. This is, undoubtedly, a difficult mission, and as such it will be aborted should circumstances require it. As such, the Scout will be with the advance party to provide a means of retreat. That is all for now.
The secretary looks to the General, who nods, turning to Willow and Yin.

"You two may take a small group of soldiers with you, however, please understand that most will be needed here. I can arrange for up to two other soldiers to go with each of you. See to it, Lieutenants!"

Yin's face turns to shock for just a moment, before proudly saluting, "Yes, sir!"

Yin then wanders over and begins conversing with the secretary.

((Yes, that is a promotion... but one that was probably quite belated Also... side note: the General didn't say anything regarding civilians, so, if Willow wants to bring Nintarra along, she has to decide whether or not to ask about it, although you can kind of guess what the response will be))

In what seemed like a former life now, Dusk would have been elated to see the familiar stonework of humans after having been in the wilds for so long. Now he simply gazed ahead with indifference at the open gates of Wanqir. His pace picked up a little, though. His mortal feet still longed for some reprieve from the miles he had put behind him since the afternoon’s… excitement.

The noise of people shuffling through the city slowly came within Dusk’s range of hearing, a low drone that blanketed the area within the city limits. People talking, bartering or hawking their wares; animals braying or stamping their feet mixed with the clatter of goods and children playing were all sounds of a city. Wanqir was no different than countless other centers Dusk had lived in and been to.

The guards admitted him without pause and Dusk made his way through the crowds towards an inn sign he had spotted. But halfway through the crowd the elf’s steps falter. The hairs on the back of his neck raise and quickly his senses alert Dusk to his surroundings, even though no strange sound, smell or vision has come to him. But something has changed. Hands now on his blades without even thinking, Dusk turns towards the gates through which he had just entered only to witness an event that would change his life forever.

The grasses through the gate stood still for but a moment, the gentle breeze that had ushered in the evening stayed as if a great storm of the plains was about to break. The air itself now seemed to stand still and those without as great command over their senses as the ninja had taken notice to the utter calm that permeated their world. The sound of business died as people looked at each other bewildered. The only noise came from the animals that stood tied, horses and mules braying in utter terror, the whites of their eyes showing. Dogs and cats barked and howled, cowering beneath what little shelter they could find. Dusk’s mind flitted to the lycan he had saved earlier. Would she feel this terror as they did?

Dusk scans the skies for some hint of a storm, even though there had not been one for many months. While most people stood still, Dusk walked back to where he had entered the city to stare out the gates with the guards who looked around the empty and unnaturally still plains. Then in the distance he spots what looks to be lightning far in the distance, white and unnerving.

Dusk blinks, thinking perhaps he had caught his eyes in the flash despite the bolts being so far away. But the white cracks in the sky do not fade. The elf can barely begin to question what sorcery would, or could, accomplish this when a cacophonous roar washes over them. It is all the elf can do to cover his ears against the assault. So great is the shockwave that Dusk can feel the very earth trembling and he is sure that others can, too.

People screamed in fright, many businesses closing their shops and gathering their wares quickly. Those patrons rushed home, the streets clearing quickly. The white-faced guards stared at each other in confusion, not sure if they should calm the people down, send them home or evacuate them.

Dusk looked at each before turning back towards the city, heading back for the inn. His tired feet needed rest. He would attempt to wrap his head around this as soon as he could sit down.

Wanqir City
1 minute after Twilight
When Twilight struck, it tolled hard upon even this city, the epicenter of Tiancann. Guards, even though they are among the more elite and best trained, still were at a loss after the initial impact.

It is barely seconds as Dusk is heading to the inn, with the guards still stunned, when suddenly a voice is heard throughout the city, despite sounding from the north gate.

"The Scout has come!"

The guards, before too stunned to do anything, jump into action, comforting civilians and ushering people inside. People do not get ready for the night, however, and as Dusk enters the inn ready to sleep, the innkeeper gives his own advice, even if it is unheeded or unnecessary.

"I'd suggest staying up a while; there's bound to be an announcement at the city center any moment now explaining what has happened." the man says softly.

Willow saluted as Yin, but there was much less enthusiasm. Her Lieutenancy was something of very little importance to her by comparison to her peer. She strode up behind him, as he spoke with the secretary, "I'll ready our horses, you take care of the soldiers." With not another sound she left. First she ran to her quarters, where Nintarra would be checking the prophecy again. She flew through the halls with an urge much like panic welling in her stomach. In her room, she quickly told the golden-eyed prophetess about the message.

"I ride for the capital, Wanqir, within the hour. You should stay here, where it is safe," she finished.

Willow glanced around her quarters one last time, knowing that everything she needed was already on her person. With or without Nintarra in tow, she ran next for the guard stables. She herself picked six horses bred for their speed (that is, 6 Light Warhorses) and saddled them quickly, while breifing the stable hand on supplies they would need. There wasn't much they needed, two days food each, first-aid supplies, enough for a short mission.

As Willow waited for Yin to return with the recruits, she turned her gaze to where the sun vanished some time ago. It's countenance still left a trace of glimmer against the night sky. There is time tonight to begin our ride, so we will have less distance to cover in the next two days.

Aqinarr
Soldier's Barracks
25 minutes after Twilight
"I ride for the capital, Wanqir, within the hour. You should stay here, where it is safe," she finished.
"Venerro... " The girl murmurs, her eyes distant as she thinks about something.

Coming to a decision about something, Nintarra nods, "Alright, I'll stay here then, well, I won't guarantee I'll stay here, but we'll have to see. I'll be here for a week anyway, at least." She says enigmatically.

Gathering the 6 horses is easy enough (2 per lieutenant, so that's 6 total ), and indeed, within the hour, the small group is on its way toward Wanqir. The four fellows Yin selected appear more adept than the others, possibly (and admittedly probably) ones Yin knew from previous rivalries before choosing Willow as his current.

Here's the rundown of the small group
Lieutenant Willow Hiswena
Lieutenant Yin Chang
Soldiers (only listing first names...):
-Mist (she leaves out the 'y' at the end of her name purposefully)
-Dev
-Sora
-Farah

Descriptions:
Mist appears to be extremely focused as a soldier. In some ways, it seems as though she takes the occupation far too seriously, however, that may be an asset rather than a hindrance, at least according to Yin. She primarily wields a single longsword as well as a shield, much like Yin does.

Dev consistently yawns at times, and seems to give off the impression that he is a person that bores quickly. However, in spite of this, he appears to be quite a capable warrior, more of a match for Yin than the others, as Yin mentions. He primarily wields a strange set of weapons, appearing much like punching daggers.

Sora is rather enigmatic for a soldier. He is dressed in strong leather armour, and also wears a muffler that hides the lower portion of his face. His weapons are a set of blades that extend from sheaths upon his arms, appearing similar to the punching dagger weapons Dev uses.

Farah, unlike the others, is a ranged combatant. She wields a bow, and is dressed in slightly less armour than the others to accommodate for her movement in drawing, loading and firing the bow. She seems rather light hearted, and where Mist takes her occupation too seriously, Farah may just not take it serious enough, with an optimistic attitude that, according to Yin, has gotten her into a few situations she couldn't handle.

Armand and Duenan turned to each other as Barrahen finished reading the scroll aloud, but it was Caduceus that spoke first. “It’s the end of the world as we know it, and by the look in my compatriot’s eyes, we’re heading straight to the zenith of destruction.”

Armand turned to Caduceus and simply nodded. All in the room knew of the battle-priest’s decision before it could be voiced. Deunan too had resolved herself already adjusting her armor for a long ride ahead of her there would be no rest this evening.

“Father we make haste for the Capital, may the divines bless us with swift hooves and the endurance to succeed.”

Caduceus couldn’t help but sigh once more as Armand gently picked him up and affixed him to his specially crafted sling. “Now where’s a Portal when you need one, you two are going to drive yourselves to an early grave.”

“I doubt the good Father keeps one under his desk Caduceus, and we don’t have the time to argue.” Deunan said turning to Father Barrahen. “Unless you’ve got some other little trinket that can speed our leave, I ask we be able to make haste to the Capital.” With that Deunan bowed to the Father, followed by a lowered head of Armand as well, though his bow was not was pronounced.