The Blazing Guns Form
"I see," Halle began, "So the young boy is looking for his birth parents, the silver haired one is looking for her birth father and older brother, and the brown haired one is accompanying them to help the two out. And you, Lyla, wish to join as well. I find no problem with that. After all, the creed of the Baskar stresses to help others with their troubles. Besides, with that idiot Gallows out of the colony there is less of a need for two to defend the priesthood. Serena can protect Shane on her own until you get back."
"Thank you, Lady Halle. I will do my best to not break the trust you have placed in me," said the girl as she bowed to the ground. Out of reverence for a more spiritual woman than she, Jessica followed suit. Both Laura and Vincent were confused to no end; but they weren't raised in priestly families either.
Halle told them, "It would be wise to not go without defense. I will prepare you each a Medium. Keep in mind that these aren't the true Mediums so you will not be able to Summon or gain new strength from them. However, if you find a Summon Stone, you can unlock those powers even though they are simply constructed for the use of man. Now then, child of the Dorian people. I understand that you serve the Guardian of Life. It is only fitting that I bequeath you with a Medium of his power." As she handed the stone tablet to Jessica, Lyla began to tell the other allies what the High Priestess had meant by Dorian.
She then turned towards Laura. "You are a powerful warrior. I take it that you have lived by the battlefield for awhile now. Well, anyway, I wish of you to carry the power of the Death Guardian; Ge Ramtos. We already have Oodoryuk of Life, so it is a fitting counter." Then she gave Laura another one of the stone tablets. The girl seemed to feel strange; usually only spiritual people could use a Medium without the power of an Ark Scepter and she was as far from spiritual as any man or woman could come.
"Lost one," Halle spoke to Vincent, "You have something special inside of you. I can't quite put my finger on it but I would say that it is the soul of a warrior. This Guardian would be perfect for you. He is the Guardian of Swords; which includes everything about chivalry inside of it. Equitess will guard you well and help you to find the things you are looking for." She finally handed the final slab to the man.
"But how can we use them? I have heard that only the Baskar can call upon the magic of the Guardians. You mentioned a Summon Stone, is that going to be able to let us cast magic?" Vincent asked of Halle. He was looking at the Medium in his hands. There was something familiar about it. But he'd never seen one before. However, he realized it had less to do with sight and more with a feeling.
Halle replied, "A full Medium is only usable by an Ark Scepter. These imitations can utilize only a person's will if it is strong enough. Besides, you have something here that will be able to aid you in using magic. The very presence of the Golden Tiger is enough to connect you to the Guardians. She can give you the strength to use magic. Once you find the Summon Stone, then you may use spells without the tiger being there; as well as call the Guardians to your aid from the nether realms that they all inhabit."
Laura looked a little miffed; she needed to get to town to pick up some more booze before she ran out. "Well, where is this Summon Stone? It would be prudent to gather enough power to face the long road ahead before we go towards our only lead. Besides, the stone might hold clues towards other things. If Jessica's missing brother holds some strange power like her dream says, then it might be able to home in on him in some way. Or, worst case scenario, we can deal with any enemy we might find."
"Rumor has it that the stone is near Claiborne," Halle informed the team, "Somewhere in a cave lays the power of the Guardians. Lyla and Jessica, as representatives of the two Guardian servant tribes, are the only ones who can sense it. Once you touch the stone, the power will enter your bodies and give a wondrous gift to you all; the blessing of the Guardians. One who has made contact with this stone can Summon Guardians and use Arcana regardless of whether or not the Medium in question is real or not."
"I feel the power flowing through me. I believe I can already use my Arcana. Not that it holds a candle to my Crest Sorcery, but it could be good in a pinch. Besides, you gave me all the healing magic. I can stick to my own skills if I have to attack with magic. Also, you can rely on my powers to manipulate the elements to float over short distances, cast a barrier to absorb an attack, open locked doors in ruins, and hide us from harm with illusions," Jessica said to her friends. She loved the lock picking the best.
Lyla added, "And I too can use the magic. After all, I am not only of the Baskar, but one of the two Defenders of the Priesthood. Using Arcana comes natural. But with these imitation Mediums, neither Jessica nor I can Summon. So it would still be best to find the stone and gain new strength. Don't worry, once we gain the power of the Guardians, then we'll be able to look for Jessica's father and brother, as well as Vincent's family." As she mentioned the young man, she took one look at him. It was true that he was quite handsome. But she shook her head before she could be caught daydreaming. Falling for a guy on looks alone was a mistake. She needed to know the type of person he was before deciding to.
Halle handed a small bag of cash to Laura. "Here is the reward money for finding out about the beast in the cave. Use it to catch a train to Westwood from Midland Station. Then, head to the town of Claiborne and ask around about the cave. Once you have found its location, head there for the stone."
"Hey guys, there's another good side to this," Laura stated, "If Jessica can use some of her fancy powers to float us over the gorge near Claiborne, we can walk in the underground canal towards the area of Little Rock. From there, we can walk around the mountains towards Humphrey's Peak. If we play our cards right, then we can get some information about both Jessica and Vincent's families. Besides, the saloon in Claiborne has some of the best drinks around; even though the mistress there is a total witch."
"I hope you don't spend the entire quest either getting drunk or laid. We need to get through this fast. Something tells me that my brother needs me soon or he might be badly hurt emotionally," Jessica mentioned. It bothered her though why she thought that. He is safe with her father, wherever they are.
Teefa's Last Words...
So the team is ready to go now. I figured that they should get to know one another on a short quest before Jessica has to explain the more complex aspect of her mission. Halle only gave them the low down; she was from a Guardian Worshipping tribe known for powerful visions and magic.Yes, I made up those silly powers for a reason. It has to do with when Jessica, Virginia, and Emily were kids. Since they won't be using their magic until they find the stone, preferring to stick to fighting, I'll give the low down on that power later.