Endarian Empire
Pozye Province, Struyetsk Region
6th Era, Year 591, 14th day of Julve
1400 Hours
The sun beat down on the small band's backs and necks as they rode along the path. The intense sun, free of cloud cover, was brutal, and the heat was only exacerbated by the humidity. The hiss of golden blades of grass in the wind was the only other sound that distinguished itself from the soft trudging of leather boots on the dirt path. There was four people in the group, each one distinctly different from each other, as they each came from a different region of the Empire. The one in the front, a tall man of around six and a half feet with blue eyes and blond hair, wheezes tiredly. "Damn it all. I hate the spring here more than the summer. At least the summer is dry." He speaks up, his voice carried a mix of the Capital accent mixed with Konig region woodlander. "Yeah, well I suggested you wear something lighter and cooler than full scale and plate, but nooo. Strong ol' Leonhard is a toughie. A Schuller son would never be brought down by the weather." The man behind him mocks, teasingly. He was shorter, about six foot exact. What distinguished him the most was his storm grey eyes and silver hair, even though he was remarkably young, he looked no older than 24 at most. Leonhard, was in full scale mail and plate armor, and bore a large bastard sword on his back, engraved it pictures of a Stag hunt along the guard. In contrast, the man behind him was wearing a brown vest over a white silk shirt with its sleeves rolled up. A rapier hung at his side. "Yeah? Well, piss off Graham. The Ashcrofts fart around with money all day. You would probably be unable to even wear full plate." Leonhard retorts, humorously. Graham merely chuckles. He looks back at their other two companions. "Would be nice if we had some other conversationalists on the team." Graham says, trying to elicit a response. The one directly behind him didn't seem to notice. He had dirty blond hair with fiery gold eyes. His hair was tied back in a tail, and his face was unkempt with the whispers of a beard that was just beginning to grow in. He wore clothes similar to Graham, albeit more unkempt. He was poring over papers and schematics. The one behind him seemed to acknowledge that Graham had said something, but ignored him.
"This is what happens when you haul along the great inventor Matrellus Barenzian and a government assassin. Not the biggest talkers." Leonhard says. Matrellus, the one behind Graham, seems to look up briefly at his name being mentioned. The other one remained resolute in his apathy of the entire situation. Graham chuckles. "Y'know, your name… Matou Takeda, it is absolutely a name from the Sugari Boshi Commonwealth." Graham says. Matou, the one in the back looks at Graham, now that he is being talked to. His eyes, an icey blue seemed to pierce Graham. "Hmm? What about it?" Matou asks. "Well… aside from black hair, you don't look Boshinese. You lack the olive skin, short stocky stature, and tattoos… oh, and the eyes. No Boshinese has light blue eyes." Graham says. "Well, I'm from the Commonwealth, that is true. But, my family is not. We are originally from Struyetsk. But, the Boshinese like conformity, so my parents changed our names to conform. Takicz became Takeda." Matou explains plainly. Graham nods. "You didn't want to change it back later? Takicz sounds more fitting to you." Graham states. Matou shrugs nonchalantly. "Just a name. I really don't give a damn." Matou replies. Graham seems puzzled. He came from a prestigious family, the Ashcrofts, and as such, found it kind of odd that someone hardly cared about their name. "Besides, I'm operating under an alias most times anyways." Matou says. Graham nods and decided to leave things at that. He begins to turn his head forward again and bumps right into Leonhard, who had stopped. Matrellus bumps into him. Matou gracefully sidesteps.
"What the…" Leonhard mumbles as he looks ahead. Everyone else had quickly found the subject of the mystery. There seemed to be a shimmer in the air ahead. It was perhaps 20 feet tall, and was like someone had taken a great big sword and slashed the air, leaving the shimmering fissure in its wake. "Erm… Mirage?" Graham speaks up. Leonhard shakes his head. "Mirages aren't that tall and thin. Also, it is not THAT hot." Leonhard responds. Matou and Matrellus look on, the former with a cautious look and the latter with a scholarly, curious look. Matou finally picks up a rock and throws it at the shimmer. It passes through fine. "Going with mirage." Matrellus says upon seeing that. Leonhard shrugs. "Whatever. We all are durable enough if it is some trap."
So, the group pressed on. When they got to the shimmer, it didn't disappear. Leonhard tried to go around it, but some invisible force seemed to latch onto him. "Shit, something's got me." Leonhard says gruffly. Graham and Matou rush over to help out. The force began tugging on Leonhard, pulling him toward the shimmer. "I do not want my gravestone to say I got eaten by Roger the man-eating mirage!" Leonhard shouts, mildly worried now. "Damn is it a strong pull." Graham curses as he and Matou were only able to slow down Leonhard being tugged towards the shimmer. Matrellus lends his muscle to no avail. Leonhard spews out a number of curses as he is dragged closer. When they get close enough, Graham is tugged off his feet by an invisible force grabbing his ankles. "Gah! I'm down!" Graham shouts as he is tugged towards the shimmer as well. Matou decides to save himself, but just as he is releasing Leonhard, something grabs his arm. Already shifting in the other direction, the sudden tug causes an audible pop as Matou's shoulder goes out of socket. He grunts and is tugged towards the shimmed, trying but failing to fight it. He soon gives up and resigns himself to his fate. Matrellus was next. Something grabs him from his feet and drags him to the shimmer as well. He puts up the least resistance, instead trying to figure out what is up with the shimmer. Soon, the shimmering thing is upon them. It suddenly expands, widening and Leonhard is pulled through, disappearing with a curse cut short. Then goes Graham and Matou. Graham goes with one last lunge for freedom. Matou seems resigned to whatever fate awaits him. Matrellus seems more mystified by his companions disappearing, and then he two is gone. Then, the shimmer disappears completely.