Disclaimers: Don't own them, yadda yadda yadda...
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Elaine's Story -- Chapter Six & Avara's Story - Chapter One
The Mysterious Magician, Avara!
(Location – Muse City)
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"It must be...over three years ago now, huh Flik?"
Flik walked over with some drinks for everyone. They had relocated to Leona's Bar after Flik managed to calm down the Runemistress. It had cost them some Potch to repair the door, but she threw in fixing Flik's Lightning Rune for free. Flik sat down as Elaine started on her drink. Avara, still too young for alcohol, had a glass of water. Flik looked over at the magician.
"Yeah...sounds about right."
Elaine had a bout of curiosity: "Three years ago? What happened then?"
Avara turned round to the pale-skinned assassin: "Well...Flik saved me from a horrible woman..."
Elaine looked at Flik: "Always the hero, aren't you? So where was this?"
"In a town called Lenankamp in the Toran Republic. Although it wasn't the Toran Republic when it happened..." Avara replied
Elaine scratched her forehead, looking a bit confused: "So...it happened before the whole Gate Rune War thing."
"During it, actually." Flik corrected.
Elaine looked enlightened: "You were part of that, weren't you Flik...with Viktor and the McDohl boy." Flik nodded to answer.
Avara took a sip of water before continuing: "It's actually a good story. Let's see if I can remember it all..."
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Lenankamp - Three Years Ago...
"Excuse me...I'm looking for this person. Do you recognise him?"
A young teenager with loose fitting blue robes and long brown hair shoved the portrait of the person he was looking for in front of the nearest person. He looked dismayed, as another "no" became his reply.
"Oh...thank you anyway..."
He walked of, with a concerned look in his blue eyes. However, it wasn't concern he was showing with his face - but utter spite. He brushed back his hair with his hand, except for one long strand that remained static over his face. He sat down for a minute.
"He's been here...I can sense his presence. But he's been and gone...I'm not gonna find you here."
"Oh young man."
He turned around to see a woman dressed in extravagant robes. He felt uncomfortable around her, but he wasn't scared. She just seemed...different. He remained polite anyway.
"Yes? What is it miss?"
"You have something that belongs to me boy, be good and hand it over."
He looked confused for a second...but something seemed to spring into his mind...a memory from a year past...
"You have to protect this now...you cannot let the evil witch get this, she will use it to create chaos! You must protect it with your LIFE! Take it now, and run...run far away from here..."
"You...you're that witch! You can't have this!"
"'That witch?' How dare you refer to me in such an impudent manner? I am Windy, and you WILL give me that Rune, and if you won't give it to me...I will not hesitate to TAKE it from you!"
Avara smirked: "Not if I can help it, witch."
He raised his right hand high in the air, and magical energy flowed through his body. He looked at the witch with hatred in his eyes.
"Feel the wrath of the ThunderShot Rune! Heaven's Wrath!"
The ThunderShot Rune glowed, and without warning a series of coloured lightning bolts erupted from the sky. A green bolt, representing the Earth. A red bolt, representing Fire. A glowing blue bolt, representing the Oceans. A soft pink bolt, representing the raging Wind. A yellow bolt, representing everything Holy. And finally a black bolt, representing Death itself...
Each lightning bolt was aimed right at the witch. But to Avara's dismay, she managed to avoid every single one. She looked straight at Avara, and he found himself flying through the air, crashing into a nearby building. The locals screamed in horror at the scene.
"Silence!" The witch screamed, waving her arm at the people.
They were all knocked down too. Avara tried to get back up, but he couldn't.
I'm sorry that...I cannot protect the rune any longer...
Avara managed to open an eye, and he sensed something in the air. The witch stood above him, triumphant.
"Now then, I'll just take the rune from you and..."
She never finished, as a bolt of lightning crashed into her back, sending her sprawling to the ground. Avara looked over at his rescuer, a man in a blue cape. Avara looked at where the witch had landed...
She had gone.
Avara let out a sigh of relief. The man in blue walked over and helped Avara back to his feet.
"Thank you sir."
"That's okay. What was she after you for anyway?"
"Oh...sorry, I cannot say."
"Oh well, fine. I'm Flik by the way."
"Avara."
"Sorry to rescue and run then Avara. Take care of yourself."
And with that, Flik left. Avara took a little time to recover, before he continued his search for him...
"Oh...I wonder if Sir Flik would know him...well, I guess there's only one way to find out."
Avara then went after Flik...
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Muse City - Present
Elaine clapped: "Wow! That was so amazing! Whatever happened to that witch anyway?"
Flik shrugged: "We think she died at the end of the Gate Rune War. With Emperor Barbarossa."
Elaine's eyes opened: "Oh. Well, at least she won't get that rune of yours now."
Flik took a sip of his drink: "What did you do after that anyway?"
"Well...like I said, I followed you. Thinking you might know where he was. But instead I found you fighting against the Scarlet Moon Empire with him. I watched over the whole war. Waiting for it to end so I could confront him, but when the war did end with the deaths of Barbarossa and Windy...he disappeared again. And I lost his trail."
Avara took a drink of water before continuing: "But my journey is far from over. I still have to find him."
Elaine thought back through Avara's story, before the obvious struck her hard in the face...
"Who is this guy you're after anyway?"
Avara looked at Elaine through narrowed eyes: "Well, quite frankly, that's none of your business."
Elaine pouted: "Aw...come on, I might know the guy...hell, maybe I even killed him!"
Her joke fell on deaf ears...silence erupted...Gee...tough crowd.
Avara continued, ignoring Elaine who covered her embarrassment by taking another sip of her drink: "Well, I know he's going to be here in Jowston. His master, the good Lady, has appeared somewhere in Jowston...I just don't know where. But where she goes, he follows like the lapdog he is."
Flik rubbed his chin thoughtfully: "Hey, while you're waiting for him to appear...why don't you come with us? We could really use your help against the Highland army."
Avara looked at Flik: "Don't tell me you're caught up in another war?"
Flik shrugged: "Heh, I blame Viktor...he's such a nosy bastard."
Elaine looked at Flik: "Like that's really the reason...you're only in it for the money."
Flik just stared at Elaine: "I cannot believe you just said that."
Elaine's eyes narrowed as she stared back at Flik: "I was being Sarcastic!"
Avara thought it through while Elaine and Flik argued. He came to a decision: "Well...I never did repay you for saving me back in Lenankamp...so, why not? It'll be good practice for when he shows up here in Jowston..."
Flik nodded in satisfaction: "Welcome to the group then Avara."
Elaine smiled: "Great, this should make things really interesting."
Avara also smiled, or at least it was as close to a smile as Avara was going to get: "By the power of the ThunderShot Rune, I join your cause, Sir Flik."
*AVARA JOINED THE GROUP*
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Four new characters so far, with more still to come! We'll go back to Kahri and Riou's not good situation in the next chapter!
