Chapter 1: What the fuck are we doing?

[Zophiel]

While there was sources of light in hell, the trip through the dark cavern once again made the exit all the more annoying. Zo shielded his eyes from the sunlight upon exiting and took a deep breath of fresh air. It was a bittersweet moment. It was pleasant to inhale the clean crisp air, but Zo's mind was elsewhere; he was hiding away in some dark recess of the mind cursing the god of death for giving him life everlasting.

Behind him was Kore. A warrior from a cursed village who came to trade her life away in exchange for the rest of those in the village. An honorable task, it was simple as that. But now she too was in a situation she could not have foreseen. What would she do now? Or rather...

"What do we do now?" he asked himself as he erected his fold-able scythe to prop up and lean against.

He watched her for a moment to see just what she would do with her life still in tact, back up here on the surface. Surely she had a plan of some kind being the type of person she was.

"Those honorable warriors always have a plan."

His mind turned to the warriors who had ravaged his caravan and exterminated his family all because a girl had died and they were an easy scapegoat. Zo's expression was... sour.

[Kore]

Shielding her eyes as well, Kore surfaced. She could hardly believe her luck. Alive, and not Quite at the beck and call of some god. Better than her old life by far, to be honest. She looks around,scanning for danger as much as just enjoying the sights. The air smelled the same as before. Her life, leased to a god of death, was still her own. She had made it out. The dark haired warrior walked slowly into the sun, and lifted her face to feel it. "It is Good to feel the light." She thought. Good to feel the light and to breathe. And, as she'd been assured, she was still technically her own master. Better and better.

Smiling, she wonders aloud, "Where are the lovers, then? You're the traveler. Got a map?" She turns to Zo belatedly. "We should plan a route, and actions. Who are our allies- excluding-" She nods back toward the cave. "Of course."

[Zophiel]

Weary eyes stared at Kore. At least she could be depended on to follow through with his assumptions regarding her. Whether that was a good thing in the long term would be revealed later. So, Zo shook his head.

"Never had a need for a map. Kinda just went where the wind took us. We could return to your village to acquire one." he replied quietly, thinking on her words for a moment.

"Allies... hmmmm."

"We can count on Altea, though from what Somna spoke of, it sounds like there are rules regarding interfering with the conflict. Why the Gods have rules, I'll never know. Not very god like to limit yourself like that."

"Assuming she cannot help us. We might seek out the offspring of her and the other gods. As Jet and Giratina are Somna's creation, perhaps others have also attempted to reach out to their creations to foster a need to end this war. Though, it's equally likely that there are those who fueled the conflict in the same way." he finished, resting his forehead on the shaft of the weapon. "If we go looking down the wrong rabbit hole it could end badly."

[Kore]

"I see..." She says, refraining from commenting on the strangeness of following the wind. His family was dead. He didn't need a reminder of folly in happy times. "I doubt my village has anything accurate. They're small and battered." She says. "Most of them just want to hide til the war is over... As if that's an option." She shook her head, and chuckled wryly.

"Think so? How could she help? Who does she... who is- which of the gods did she create?" Finally he started speaking about conflict- something she knew about. "Rules are important. When there aren't rules you aren't the only one unlimited, and visa versa. Agreeing to play by a certain arrangement prevents things like... Well... honestly like the things done to your people." She says. "Humans have rules against that kind of thing. Gods must too. I doubt their reasons are very different from ours. They're overpowered, but they're not terribly different from us. It's why they're dangerous." She says, sorta thinking aloud."

His last words were heavy. Kore looked at him seriously, and nods. "Wise words. How do you suggest we proceed?"

[Zophiel]

Zo closed his eyes as a breeze picked up around them. "I mean, until we learn more we should seek out the gods who we believe would be safest to approach. "Altea's greatest accomplishment was Rayquaza who was sent to deal with Kyogre and Groudon when the gods were fighting between themselves. Now that they are amassing human followers, I'm not sure what the big guy is doing up there." he said looking up to the sky. "She also created Lugia those elemental birds, but if we wanted to reach someone influential, Rayquaza would be a safe bet."

Zophiel took the stress of his arms gripping the shaft and stood up straight. "Still it would be hard to find gods that fly. Apparently the only reason I was able to follow Jet was because he let me. We just don't have the ability to keep up."

The more he thought about all of this the more futile it seemed. They were pawns to the gods and the ancient woman trusted this task to them? Even the crazy bitch down in hell would probably have been better suited. Consequently, Zo shook his head and shifted his grip on his weapon and swung it wide. The sharp blade effortlessly cut through the thick grass. Almost too easy.

Zophiel tilted his head and pulled the crescent blade to take a closer look. Something didn't look quite right...

[Feel free to get... ghosty ]

[Kore]

After listening to Zo, Kore decided on a course of action. "We don't have to follow, Zo. Most gods have temples. We should go to Rayquaza's temple, and ask for assistance. If they refuse, perhaps we go to one of the elemental birds, and persuade them to help the Rayquazans change their minds."

She watches as Zophiel swung his scythe, and watched the grass fall almost before it was touched. She cocked her head, and looked at him. "Your curse comes with benefits it seems. Try that again." This time she was watching closely.

Afterwards, she touched her own sword, then drew it. Attempting to summon a similar- yet thus far unknown- power, she swung it in a wide arc- not toward Zo, but toward a tree. As she did, an eerie aura surrounded the blade, trailing a half second behind, almost like an echo. Her sword struck, and then it did too. The tree cracked, and her sword sent splinters outward. She smiled grimly. "Or perhaps we won't need assistance in persuasion."

[Zophiel]

Swinging the blade to-and-fro, Zo watched as the grass seemed to be cut by the wind itself. "I had kept it sharp, but it never performed this well." he commented rhetorically. Kore performed experiments of her own to find some aura attaching itself to her blade as well. With a smile she implied that these abilities would be useful in persuading others in joining the cause. He could think of a few ways, but so far what was presented to them seemed offensive in nature. Still, recent events pushed him to believe that these barbarians only responded to violence, so he'd relish in the ability to cut them down for their evil ways.

"Our lovely patrons didn't really tell us much regarding them." he began, thoughts turning to champions in general. "Of the stories I've heard in travel, we are to ultimately represent them in the realm of man. But... how?"

[Kore]

"Yeah." She said. "Well, they did say that our powers would surface once we got up here. I wonder how much more we should expect..."

Kore listened to Zo, her thoughts on the same line as his. Champions. Whatever it meant to be a champion, and whether that was different for both of them. She nodded as he said what he needed to say, and licked her lips. "They didn't exactly give us a guide book. Actually I'm a bit surprised Giratina didn't give me one. He seemed... rather enamored with his books. As for your patron? Kill things? Be Zaney- a bit more pep in your step, and malice in your eyes? It shouldn't be too hard... And if we do it wrong, I'm sure we'll be corrected. Do your best. If you fail, the worst he can do is kill you. Or I guess, not."