Note: The first part is not an ad for veganism, I swear.

And believe it or not, there IS a definition of the word "Mana"; it's just not something from the English language.

This is taken from Encyclopedia Britannica-Mana, among Melanesian and Polynesian peoples, a supernatural force or power that may be ascribed to persons, spirits, or inanimate objects. Mana may be either good or evil, beneficial or dangerous. The term was first used in the 19th century in the West during debates concerning the origin of religion. It was first used to describe what was interpreted to be an impersonal, amoral, supernatural power that manifested itself in extraordinary phenomena and abilities. Anything distinguished from the ordinary (e.g., an uncommonly shaped stone) is so because of the Mana it possesses.

This is just a severely abridged version of the whole article, yet surprisingly, this fits in with what Mana is in the series and how I want to portray it in the story.

Also, though it's quite a ways away, references to other titles in the Mana series and elements from those games put into here, a la the Mana Maidens, the rebirthing of the Goddess, and the past uses of the Mana Sword (even if technically, unless mentioned before, that each game takes place in its continuity). Yet this is fanfiction, so as long as it remains true to the same spirit, I think a bit of playing around can be allowed.

Also, the full flashback of Faerie's will be given in increments later on, as well as some extra material relating to that.

Angela here will still be having difficulty utilizing her abilities, but that'll come into play later too. Plus, it serves as fuel for ship material with a particular hot-headed soldier.

Also been on a bit of a Final Fantasy kick lately, so while this will mainly be a Mana story with implied references to other games in the series, I don't think I can help but put some FF stuff in here, seeing as the series did begin as a side story to it.

Escape from Jadd

The Pure Land

The Holy Land

The Sanctuary

This land had been called many things by the worldly, mortal creatures that dwelt outside of its borders, but they all meant the same thing. A place untouched by the outside, by corruption, by any tainting influence. Pure, green, flowering flora was everywhere, covering up every portion of the land, from the enormous ferns to the smallest blades of grass. Plants of all kinds could be found here, from every region of the world, all in their proper places and all sharing the same nutrients as their other floral siblings, yet they were all able to live together in complete harmony.

This land wasn't just a place for those of the wooded kind. Several fauna specimens also resided here, specifically a large colony of long-legged birds whose feathers were a brilliant red. With long necks and large bills, they gently strained the numerous freshwater rivers that held several particles and small, microscopic things for them to feed on. Though these were plant-based, they came from a single source along with the rivers, the nutrients in the ground, and the very foundation of this vast land.

The mighty, thick trunked, vibrant Mana Tree.

The pinnacle of majesty and longevity. The world's keeper provides nutrients and energy to all through its mighty roots. Said roots reached far and wide, despite the tree's separation from the rest of the world. From this tree emitted the source of all energy, all life, as the tree itself was the alternate form of the very creator of the world itself. The Mana Goddess Herself was this tree, having gone and taken to slumbering since the world was created. And in her great roots rested a weapon unsurpassed and immaculate weapon, whose blade shimmered in the sun's rays.

The Mana Sword.

Few held it in their hands, and even fewer had come upon the land it resided in. Yet, in the legends and tales of mortals, the one that shall hold the Mana Sword shall hold the world in their hands and be granted whatever their heart desires. As well as have the key to either release the world from or plague it with terrible evil.

Yet now, in the holiest of lands, something was amiss.

"I knew it!" a feminine voice cried out. "I KNEW that something was up!" a fluttering, winged woman with a blue, floral dress and long, flowing, periwinkle hair tied into two long, loose, low pigtails.

"What's up?" another asked, bearing a flower of pink with green hair fashioned into tight buns with loose ringlets trailing down from them.

"The Tree!" the Faerie from before said. "The Tree is getting worse!" several others gathered to view it, surveying and studying it. "No new leaves are being produced, and those that are there are turning brown." the Faerie that had initially issued the complaint said grimly.

"You're right! Look at the branches!" another faerie, the pink-dressed one, stated. "They're looking so brittle!"

"And the bark…" another fairy, with red hair tied in a long ponytail and a 'dress' crafted from green leaves, was observed, flying over to touch it. "The bark feels like it could break off with just the smallest amount of pressure!"

"And that's not all." the periwinkle-haired Faerie stated, gesturing to the Sword embedded in the roots. "The hilt is becoming rusted, and the blade looks cracked!"

Concerned chattering fell over the whole collection of faeries, one amongst them, blonde and bearing a 'dress' of blue, only looking on at the tree with shocked, pleading eyes. "Goddess...what is happening to you?"

Jadd

The texture beneath him steadily grew to be known, and he quickly identified that it wasn't that of a mattress. "Ugh…" he groaned, lifting himself, only to find that his whole body had aches and pains. And when his sight returned to him, he saw that he was in a small, confined space with iron bars keeping him from leaving. "How...what the…" he began to moan, yet it came back to him.

Imprisoned. He was imprisoned. And suffice to say, he didn't care much for that. And, to his horror, his sword was removed from its scabbard.

"Y-You…" Duran began, still groggy, yet determined to get to his feet. And when he did so, he gave the cell door a firm shake, even if it did little. "Hey! Who did this?!" he received no answer, mentally kicking himself, as, of COURSE, it was apparent who had done this. "Let us out!"

"Would you shut up?" a low moan emitted from the right of him, Angela lifting herself and massaging the underside of her jaw. "As if my head wasn't hurting enough already."

"Oh, you guys up?" they both heard Hawkeye say, looking to see that he and Riesz were in the adjacent cell. He then suddenly winced, rubbing the back of his neck. "Geez...those guys can pack a punch." Riesz said nothing, only giving a light moan as she held her stomach, yet still tried to stand on her feet. She was halfway successful, managing to get up, yet had to lean against a wall for support. "Hey, hey, whoa. Easy," he said, but she only huffed.

"I'll be fine," she said firmly.

The thief only sighed. "Still don't trust me, eh?"

"Forgive me if caution is a foreign thing to you." Riesz sighed, having allowed herself to sink to the floor. She WOULD stand eventually, yet for now, even she wouldn't deny that her body needed rest.

"Nobody would happen to know where this is, would they?" Angela questioned, still massaging her jaw.

"It's just a hunch, but I believe it's somewhere in Jadd," Riesz answered; then again, it was just a hunch.

"Well, whatever the case," Duran shook the door. "We've gotta get out of here!" He looked around. "Hey! Let us out of here!"

"That won't do you any good." Faerie sighed, emerging from the young man. "And considering that you already got yourself banged up, maybe picking fights isn't the best idea."

"Then do YOU have any suggestions?" Duran questioned, still giving the door continuous shakes.

"Well, little mister," Lumina suddenly emerged, giving a start to everyone there. "One, you don't exactly have anything to fend off those hairy meanies. Two, has anyone told you that you need to chill a bit? So relax! Things'll work out!"

"Work out? We're stuck in a cage! How is that supposed to work out?!"

"Well, that brings us to three." the Light Elemental said. "Faerie and I can take it from here."

Everyone was puzzled. "How?" Angela questioned. "Like...unlock the doors or something?"

"Uh...no," Lumina said sheepishly.

"Why not?" Angela asked again. "Aren't you some all-powerful spirit or something?"

"Well, not really, but kinda. Thanks for the compliment, sweetie. But…"

"But what?"

In response, the wisp seemed to shrug. "I've got no hands." then everyone looked to Faerie.

"Um...I can try?" slipping through the bars, the winged woman looked towards the lock. Hesitantly reaching in, she fiddled and fumbled, wincing as her hand was contorted in painful positions as she tried to find the mechanism, only to feel around for a while before drawing out her hand, which was red and swollen. "I can't get it. I'm sorry." she sighed. Well, now what was there to do?

"Well...we can try looking for where your stuff might be," Lumina suggested.

"Ah, yes! Of course!" Faerie stated. "We can search this place and see if they're here!"

"That's a little convenient, isn't it?" Riesz mentioned.

"There's nothing to lose from trying, right?" Hawkeye then said with everyone else in agreement.

"Oh, but…" Faerie remembered. "We might only be able to go so far."

Angela was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it relates to my and Duran's bond." the winged woman explained. "As well as Lumina's bond with you all."

"Wait, what?" they all asked in unison.

"Oh yeah. That...little...thing." Lumina said sheepishly. "Me and my memory…"

"Something ELSE you didn't mention?" Angela asked, looking at Faerie, Duran raising a brow. What was she complaining about? He was the one who had her resting in his head!

"Uh...sorta," Faerie admitted. "See, seeing as now you and I are one," she said, gesturing to Duran. "The Elemental Spirits will now be drawn to you too, as we are directly linked to Mana."

"Yep!" Lumina answered. "We Elementals NEED Mana even to stay tied to this world. So seeing as you're the one that'll be getting the Sword eventually, we need to hang around you guys."

"I told you, I get it's important, but none of us is going to be-"

"But with that, we can't be away from you for too long. Or, at least I can't be." Faerie explained. "So I can only go so far before I need to go back and charge up, in a way."

"Plus, while you guys can summon me and my powers, as, of course, who wouldn't want to summon me," Lumina explained. "As Mana is slowly being depleted from the world, each summon takes a little bit out of us. Like Faerie, we'll also need to take a break to 'recharge' if you will."

"Ok, thanks for the tutorial and all, but what does that have to do with anything?" Angela questioned.

Both Lumina and Faerie looked at each other. "Let's just say we both think that it'll be important for later." the winged woman said, her blue eyes centering on her host. Indeed, they would both know well when her limit was reached.

On a Higher Floor

The violet-haired beastman folded his arms, sighing as he patrolled the empty halls of the manor. Seriously, guard duty again? Surely Ludgar could give him something OTHER than this every single day! Even back in Ferolia, all Ludgar ordered him to do was watch over things; he is known as the designated watchman. Though here, what was there to watch? It wasn't as if anyone could stand against them, and even if there were, they had confiscated everything from the people, robbing them of their means of defense, and not to mention essentially had the entirety of Jadd under their control.

Furthermore, Astoria was overturned in a very night, and once Wendel was taken care of, nothing could stand against them in their conquest. So why was Ludgar so uptight anyway? So far, everything was going great! Significant enough that he could at least take guard duty once in a while…

"Fureddie?"

Fureddie looked to his side, a green-haired beastman coming up to him. "Molar?" he began. "What's up?"

"Status report." Molar answered. "Ludgar's orders: get one every hour."

From behind a wall, Faerie and Lumina peeked around, seeing the two. Of course, they had to do this right. They wouldn't be able to bring the weapons to them physically (Faerie had nowhere near the amount of strength, and Lumina, well...no hands), but at least they could locate them. Assuming that they didn't get caught first.

"Nothing to report." Fureddie sighed. "As usual." he then lifted his arms, placed his hands on the back of his head, and crossed his legs. "Seriously, what's the commander so uptight about? It's not like anything's gone wrong so far."

Molar shrugged. "I guess he's just antsy since the King allied with that 'Master' of that creepy jester's."

While they were on the job, both of them couldn't deny that this conversation might've been worth listening to. So, seeing an opening in a nearby door, both of them snuck in. "Look out for anyone, and warn me if they're coming," Faerie asked Lumina, the Elemental nodding as she searched. From what she saw, this appeared to be a bedroom of sorts, adorned in indigo and gold with darkened walls and black marble floors. Who lived here before? Some King? She hated thinking about what might have happened to the one who lived here before.

"Oh, that guy." Fureddie sighed. "Yeah, I won't lie. He gives me a REAL bad vibe. He was looking at me funny, even before we got here. Like he wanted me for something…."

Molar grimaced. Being 'wanted' by that guy was a fate he didn't wish on anyone. "For what?"

"I don't know, and I don't WANT to know." the violet-haired beastman shuddered. "Creep."

Faerie looked around, her eyes surveying the room. She was thankful for her small size as she could slip in and check various corners, under the nightstand, desk, over and in the unlit fireplace, all where she could think of. Yet still, she couldn't find any sign of the gear. While she looked, Lumina continued to listen in.

"Isn't it weird, though, that the King suddenly accepted this Master's help?" Molar asked.

"And who is this 'Master' anyway?" Fureddie replied. "Creep never says anything about him other than him being the Master, but whoever he is, he must be just as crazy as that clown even to hire someone like him." he then thought. "Has Ludgar said anything about him?"

Molar shook his head. "Not from what I'm aware. He just said that we are to obey the King's orders, and I suppose that means, by extension, the Master's, though," he leaned forward. "This is just between us, ok?" Fureddie nodded, eager to hear more. "I saw Ludgar trying to pry answers out of the King, seeing as how this whole thing is just bizarre, and though no one's saying anything, everyone thinks it's all off. All he got was a punch to the face and a warning not to question his King's decision, as the operation was too vital for questions to come in now. But as he was leaving, he noticed somebody was there. Guess who?"

"The jester?"

"Yep." Molar confirmed. "And Ludgar just so happened to see then yet ANOTHER individual come out from some sort of portal that just opened up in the wall." Fureddie's eyes widened in shock, Lumina too taking in all he was hearing. "Didn't get that good of a look at him, at least from what I know, but the King and he were having quite an extensive dialogue. Mentioned something about a 'sword' and 'holy land. Now tell me, does that sound like anything that has to do with what we're doing? Between you and me, I think this whole thing is a farce. The King had no interest in the Mana Stones BEFORE that jester showed up. But, unfortunately, I think that he and his 'Master' might be the ones that want them. And for some reason, they have to do with this 'sword' and 'holy land too."

Lumina turned to Faerie. "Anything yet?" as much as he wished to listen more, perhaps it was time they made themselves scarce.

"I'm looking." the winged woman responded, her search still unsuccessful. But, then again, what luck would they have searched just the first room they came upon?

"Speaking of, when did Ludgar say he was coming back?" Molar asked.

"Oh, he and the rest of the troops are in Wendel, probably laying waste to the place. And get this, they found these four kids in the cave with some fly and a ball of light." Both Lumina and Faerie stiffened. Fly?! Ball?! Oh, how dare they! "Course, the way up to the Light Stone was blocked off from what I heard. Something about a bunch of quakes happening recently. So that needs to be cleared out."

"Yet another thing to do." Molar sighed. "Those kids got anything on them?"

"Yeah, just a few things like a sword and spear. Though one of them was carrying some old walking stick." Fureddie scoffed. "Like they could do anything with them, even if they got them back."

"Ok, so, where are they? You put in the storage with the rest of the town's weapons?"

"I'm gonna do that."

Both Lumina and Faerie stopped.

"So...where are they now?"

"Oh, they're in the room right there. Under the bed."

Well, they didn't have to look that hard after all. Under the best rested the four's weapons.

"What? You can't just make the trip to the weapon's shop?" Molar asked, Lumina and Faerie slipping by. Still, how were they going to get the four downstairs out of their prison?

"What for? It's not like they're going anywhere. And there's how many of us versus just four of them. It'll be fine." Fureddie let out a long sigh, clearly comfortable in his position and not planning on moving anytime soon. Seizing the opportunity, the winged woman and wisp maneuvered their way out of the room.

"Wait a minute." Lumina then said. "I've got an idea."

Faerie tilted her head. "Like what?" though before she could ask any more, the wisp turned to face the beastmen. "Wait, what are you-"

"Hey, you!"

Holding Cells

"Shake it all you want; it's not gonna open." Angela sighed, having taken to reclining against the wall as the soldier tried to force his way out of the cell.

"Then how about YOU do something?" Duran answered. "Unlock the door or something!"

"Uh, hello?" the young woman raised her arms, palms open. "Wand's missing. Just like your Sword." Duran only gave a gruff sigh and continued to struggle against the bars.

"Um, I don't mean to insinuate anything," Riesz suddenly said. "Yet...what exactly is your skill as a magician?"

"What's that mean?" Angela asked, clearly getting defensive. "I'm a magician!" she stood up. "And a compelling one! I...I…" she began to stammer. "I've just been having trouble with my wand! That's all! That's...that's why I came to Wendel! To have the Priest tell me where to get a better one!"

'Then why didn't you ask that when we were there?' Riesz kept the question to herself, though it seemed Angela knew what she was thinking, as she looked away. "I meant no offense-"

"Look, just...just drop it." Angela just slumped over again, pouting and looking away from the blonde, who was feeling quite guilty for even bringing the subject up. Hawkeye said nothing; he seemed particularly interested in the cell's lock.

"Hm? Who's there?" a voice suddenly said, all four of them jumping at the sudden emergence of the voice, yet it continued to speak. "Someone else down here?" the voice was male and, from the sound of it, middle-aged. But where was it coming from? "Here!" the voice said, noticing they had been noticed. "Over here! One cell ahead and to the right!" Looking in that direction, Duran and Angela, while Hawkeye and Riesz looked to the side, saw a stout man with a red beard and a pair of boxers with red hearts. "Ah, it's good to have someone to talk to finally!" he said. "I was getting tired of being hounded by those hairy brutes!"

"Who are you, sir?" Riesz questioned, adjusting her position to see Hawkeye in turn only giving a passing glance before he went back to surveying the lock.

"Arnoldus, of course!" the man stated, dusting himself off as he stood. "Mayor of Jadd!" he proclaimed.

"How long have you been in here?" The amazon asked, Arnoldus in turn huffing.

"Since those louts first stepped in town!" he answered. "They completely tore through security and stuck me down here! They said something about me being potential 'leverage.' They made me tell them about the passageway to Wendel and everything." he then rubbed his cheek; the swelling had gone down, but the ache was still there. "And when they found the passageway was sealed, they demanded that I open it up! Like I would know how to do that!" he folded his arms angrily. "Kept me down here for weeks, haven't been able to get any clothes or shave...they probably went through my wardrobe, the fiends! I wouldn't be surprised if they took all the furniture and dumped it in the sea!" Perhaps it was too soon to say, but everyone sort of pondered whether or not Angela and this guy would have something of a kinship with each other. "But anyway, you've gotta get me outta here!" the nearly naked man pleaded. "I can't stand it in here anymore! Do you know what it's like to have those guys come in and punch you every time you sneeze or cough? I think they do it just because they need something to take their frustrations on!"

"Sorry, but we're not exactly in any position to be leaving either." Angela sighed, gesturing to Duran, who was still struggling with the door. "Though if you wanna count how many minutes he keeps this up for, then, by all means, join in."

"At least I'm doing something!" Duran growled. Damn it; this put a wrench in everything! He and everyone else were regretting even having the idea to come to Wendel in the first place! What good had it gotten them?! Possession for one, some jargon about a tree and sword for all, and now, imprisonment! Honestly! Was there ANYTHING else that saw fit to throw themselves at them?!

"Get back here!" Everyone's thoughts and actions were put to halt at the sound of the voices and pounding feet that were drawing closer and closer. Faerie and Lumina zipped around the corner, Fureddie and Molar following behind.

"Get ready! They're coming this way!" Faerie warned, slipping back into Duran, Lumina disappearing, the two beastmen coming downstairs.

"Where'd they…." Fureddie began, looking around before centering his eyes on Duran. "You!" reaching through the bars, he seized the young man by the hem of his top and dragged him forward, the bars being the only barrier between them. "Where'd that annoying fly go?!"

"Uh, what?" the young man asked, though this only got him pulled closer, his cheek pressed against the bars, and he was lifted off his feet.

"That stupid faerie or whatever the hell she is!" the beastman snarled. "She's got quite a mouth on her! Called me some slobbering animal!"

"Technically, her 'friend' was the one that called you that." Molar answered. "She just said that your nails were dirty."

"Yeah, that's not all." Duran grimaced. "I thought it was you that was coming down. Please don't tell me that's just how you guys naturally smell."

"Ok, that's it!" the muscled figure roared, bringing out the keys to unlock the door and promptly opening it. "Come on in, Molar! Time to teach this punk a lesson!"

"Fureddie!? What are you doing?! Don't go in-"

"Now!" Faerie had shouted, resulting in Duran and Angela getting the idea. Running around the beastman, Fureddie found himself disoriented when a white, hot light materialized in front of his face, making him stumble over himself; he only became aware when he heard the door slam and the keys being used to lock the door.

"Hey!" Molar shouted, rushing up, only to find a cell door slamming in his face, knocking him to the ground.

"Ta-da!" Hawkeye proclaimed, stepping out as if to a cheering crowd.

"What the…" Duran answered; he, Angela, Riesz, Arnoduls, and even Fureddie, were surprised. "When'd you do that?!"

"Well, it was supposed to be a surprise, but you sprung your escape before I could," he answered, looking back to the cell door. "Did they think a door like that could hold a master thief?"

"Well, 'master thief,'" Riesz interjected. "Perhaps we can bask in your glory sometime later." she then looked down the hall. "The sooner we get out of here, the better."

"Hey, guys!" all four of them looked behind to see the semi-naked man in the cell near them. "You wouldn't just leave a guy hanging, would you?"

Molar shook his head, the world coming back to him. Ugh, his head was throbbing. Massaging his temple, he rose from the stone floor and felt around. Only to have his hands touch a row of iron bars. "The hell?!" the beastman suddenly cried out, looking to see Fureddie in the cell opposite of him. Molar couldn't even gather the energy to lecture him. Instead, he could only release an exasperated sigh. Yeah, sure. It'll be fine.

Upstairs

"Ok, which way?" Duran asked; the balding, bearded man suddenly, yet unintentionally, got close to him, the young man grimacing due to the invasion of personal space.

"The door's west of here," Arnoldus said. "But...you mind if we stop by and get me some clothes first?"

Grrrr…

Everyone stopped, looking in front of them. Around the corner, a golden furred hound stood in the hallway. "Uh...hey boy." Hawkeye greeted the hound, and the creature responded by giving a low but loud howl that echoed throughout the manor.

No disagreement now would be an opportune time to run for it.

The hound lunged for them, presenting jaws full of teeth meant to rip and tear, the group of five (technically seven) leaping out of the way and running down the darkly colored, sparsely lit hallway. "So, it's west?" Riesz asked; the middle-aged man nodded.

"Yeah, but we need to go to my bedroom first to-GAH!" Arnoldus shrieked, they saw a group of hounds before them, and from the sound of it, more were coming in from behind.

"Screw the clothes; we've gotta go!" Angela shouted; everyone was about to make a break for it, but then,

"Wait!" Faerie suddenly said, emerging from Duran.

"WHOA! What IS that thing?!" the mayor asked, clearly frazzled.

"Listen to him!" the winged woman told the others. "His room is where your weapons are!" Everyone then turned to the man, who pointed down a nearby corridor. No one argued, following him, and in turn, Faerie as they went, passing several doors until finally reaching the end, they all practically charged through the door. "Under the bed!" the four youths dashed towards it. While Faerie said "under," they had essentially tipped it over and grabbed the items that were stored underneath, Arnoldus only watching in horror as they wrecked one of his most expensive pieces of furniture. Some of the few pieces of furniture the beastman probably DIDN'T tear through.

He didn't get much of a chance to complain, for just as soon as they entered, they made their exit, going down the way they came, only to come across a congregation of large, voracious canines ready to tear them limb from limb. Only now, they were prepared.

Charging forward, Duran blocked an incoming hound with his shield and slashed down with his sword, sending it and several of its furred comrades back, along with a kick that sent one of them crashing into a stand holding a flower pot. Hawkeye leaped over one charging towards them, using it as a platform to flip over and deliver a kick to the underside of another hound's jaw. Then, taking out his reacquired daggers, he spun around with the blades, sending several of them back and taking a good portion off their feet. Riesz made use of both the bladed and staff pieces of her weapon, spinning it around, taking several of the hounds off their feet, and slashing at any that got too close. She even spun her lance to launch some of them into the rest of the pack, flattening several under the incoming hound that was converted into a projectile.

On the other hand, Angela found herself struggling; the most she could do was smack any incoming creature on the head and swing her wand to keep the wolves away from her. "Ah!" she yelped, one managing to jump up and pin her down, several others piling onto her, biting and seizing whatever piece of flesh they could get with their claws and teeth.

"Angela!" Riesz cried out, though, to the other young lady's misfortune, she was too preoccupied with her assailants to assist the so-called sorceress. Duran and Hawkeye also attempted to make a move to help her but found themselves in the same situation that the others did. Arnodulus did little more than cowering in the corner, for after all, what good could a guy in his underwear do?

Angela found herself powerless against the continuous assault, crying out as the hounds continued to bite and claw at her skin; she could only curl up in a ball in a futile attempt to protect herself. "Use me!" she suddenly saw a light-colored wisp amidst the swarm of hounds in the corner of her eye. "Hurry, hun! Unless you want to be dog food, you've got to use my power!"

"Wh-What?!" Angela coughed out, fighting between trying to get back on her feet and listening to whatever Lumina was saying to her. "I...I don't know! I can't-" she was cut off by a hound lunging at her. "NOOOO!" she hollered, able to reach her wand and hold it out in front of her to try and protect herself. Suddenly, she felt the rod grow warm in her grasp, lines of light traveling up the wooden spiral carved into it. Then, to her and everyone else's surprise, a large blast of light akin to the one the Full Metal Hugger had previously displayed shot from the tip of the carved stick, firing the dog halfway across the hallway and sending the other hounds back in a wave, knocking them back into the wall and into a few different rooms should a door be close. Once the light died, several of the hounds locked their eyes with Angela and the others, some cowering while others still wished to continue the fight and take them down. Yet still, even if they were outnumbered, the hounds couldn't deny that they were dealing with some powerful opponents.

BOOM!

What the?! The sound had come from down below, yet it was unmistakably something being slammed. All five individuals looked in the direction the sound had come from, then heard a couple of familiar voices.

"YOU'RE DEAD! ALL OF YOU ARE DEAD!"

Jadd Harbor

The white-haired, bearded Skipper was puzzled about what the commotion was about. For a few days now, he had seen fire and smoke from Jadd for a good few miles. But when he told the bar's regular folks that he would be taking a quick stop there, everyone seemed to go quiet and advise him to steer clear of it. Apparently, the beastmen of Ferolia had up and decided to try and take Wendel and had already succeeded in taking Jadd. From the rumors he heard, Astoria likely would be toppled within a day without the protection of either. He wouldn't lie that such news chilled him, and he had intended to pass the area by and make his way directly to Maia, yet just as he was drawing close to the place, he saw what he believed to be several fires from the city. And as he drew even closer, he saw that the fires didn't appear to be going wild or consuming the city. No, these seemed to be far smaller in size and, not to mention, were under control. From the rooftops, he could see several fires that were contained, as if people had set campfires atop their homes burning, and as he drew even closer, he could hear several shouts and calls for him to stop.

Help. They were calling for help.

Yet he had heard about Jadd from Palo, and if it were terrible there, then it wouldn't be much better in Jadd either. At least the Nevarlian guild seemed to be interested in little more than hanging out in the recently acquired Laurent Citadel and finding wherever the rest of the siege survivors had gone. He wished he could do something, yet ultimately, he was left in quite a vulnerable situation. After all, it wasn't as if he knew how to use a weapon, let alone have an army backing him aside from a bunch of rag-tag youths he wouldn't dare place in any danger. But seeing all those fires and hearing all those voices, he found that he couldn't control himself. All he could see was his town of Palo, its protectors forced to go into hiding. In contrast, the invaders saw fit to oversee and control all they did in their businesses and homes, coming in and invading their spaces, all in the service of their newfound "kingdom."

He was going to get in so much trouble for this, but ultimately, he found that he couldn't stop himself. So he had a stop to make before he reached Maia.

Mayor's Manor

"Hurry! The entrance hall's just up ahead!" Arnoldus shouted, the hounds and further back, the recently escaped beastmen still out of view, on his and everyone else's heels. And indeed, it was there, along with a slew of hounds guarding the door.

The dogs leaped up and rushed at the group. Duran blocked several and slashed at just as many, as did Hawkeye and Riesz, Angela finding that, to her dismay, the energy coursed through her wand before wasn't showing up; thus, she had to rely on smacking the ones that came her way. Yet throughout the struggle, the boxers wearing mayor looked back to hear the two escapees drawing closer and closer, shouts and threats seeming to devolve into animalistic snarls and roars. "Um, guys?"

"A little busy here!" Duran shouted, kicking back an incoming wolf.

"No! They're coming!" Arnoldus panicked, the four then also hearing Molar and Fureddie's voices.

"You...you're all dead!" that was Fureddie.

"Your meat...will be sweet!" That was Molar, yet there was something different about them. They sounded more bestial. Unhinged, perhaps. Despite the blood pumping through them all, they couldn't deny that a chill ran through them. Even the hounds seemed to detect that something was up; they looked in the direction the voices were coming from and slinked back as if they were afraid. Or rather, showing their subservience.

From above, the moon shone down from a single, large, circular window, its pale light allowing everyone to see better, yet the calming hue now bore a sense of dread. "I...believe that we should make ourselves scarce." Riesz suggested. "This might become unfavorable for us."

"What?" Duran answered. "And just abandon the fight?"

"Is that ALL you can think about?" Angela groaned. "The door's RIGHT there! We listen to the old fart and get out of here!"

"Yeah, you should listen to…." Arnoldus began but then realized. "Hey!"

"Not exactly the way I'd put it...but I'm not arguing with the dear lady's proposal," Hawkeye answered, Riesz only rolling her eyes.

"Your attempts to gain my favor remain unimpressive," she responded.

"Can't knock me for trying, right?" he replied; she only rolled her eyes again.

Banter aside, they heard the two drawing closer, the hounds' reaction only serving as motivation to move forward. Duran didn't even get to protest as he found the other four rushing from behind, forcing him out with them; they finally reached the outside world, only to see a rather peculiar sight. Atop the rooftops, what appeared to be fire was burning, and several people were clamoring, all seemingly heading for one destination. And once they looked over the wall, they saw why.

"A ship!" they all shouted, wasting no time in going down the stone stairs and in the direction of the harbor, the shouting and threats behind them turning into howls and roars that belonged to nothing human. The temptation to look back was near unbearable, yet none of them dared to. On they went, their instincts and fear of potentially being left behind by their only means of escape from this place.

The only roadblock they met now was a swarm of people blocking the path. Duran and Angela saw fit to push by while Hawkeye made himself a little gentler but firm in his intentions. Riesz found herself staying behind, Arnoldus attempting to follow the other three. "Wait!" she urged. "There are too many! These people need to escape first!"

"Hell with that!" the mayor answered. "The ship will be long gone by half of these guys board!"

"But they're YOUR people, aren't they?" the Princess questioned, shocked at what she heard.

"Every man for himself now!" he shouted, leaping over and about to dive-bomb in the crowd, only for a furred hand to snatch him and pull him back, everyone else calling in shock and fear as a transformed Fureddie seized the mayor and threw him back, flipping him over and letting him land painfully on the ground. Riesz leaped forward to defend him, yet found herself accosted by the transformed Molar; he beat her back with a sucker punch to her gut, sending her against several people that were now scrambling to get to the ship, they being only a few of the brave (or foolish) souls that dared to try and leave this place.

"C'mon! Almost there!" Duran shouted as he and Angela made their way through the crowd, Hawkeye following suit. Yet then, he heard something. Looking behind, while he couldn't see, he listened to a struggle, along with the grunts of a young woman.

"What the?" Angela said, seeing the tan-skinned thief disappear back into the crowd. "Where's he going?" she didn't get any more as she felt a hand seize her by the wrist, both Duran and Angela boarding the ship. At the same time, it was more than enough to house them; the influx of people made trying to spot the other two difficult. And to their horror, they saw no one in sight.

"Gah!" Riesz choked out, the staff of her lance forced against her throat as Molar pressed her up against the wall, bringing her up off her feet. The staff became a means to keep his sharpened teeth from her, but it was pressed so tight against her that it was beginning to cut off her air. Fureddie simply held Arnoldus in place, deciding what to do with him while watching what his comrade was doing to the one who had humiliated him. It was with that realization, however, that Molar was pushed out of the way, allowing Riesz to roll away and get on her feet, yet Fureddie now had his golden eyes centered on her.

This wasn't good. The beastmen were already strong, but such strength was beyond human. She wasn't even sure that any harpy was capable of such power save their leader. And even then, she had experience with her. Yet still, she steeled herself. She had to take them on, if not for the sake of the fleeing people and their mayor (as much as she disliked him at the moment), yet she couldn't deny that the battles before, as well as the beating that led to her and the others being imprisoned in the first place still weighed on her. But what else could she do? She couldn't just leave him. Sighing, she tightened her grip on her lance, awaiting to see which one of the two would make the first move. Only to see that the two Werewolves had relaxed their shoulders as if unprepared for a fight. Instead, it seemed that a smile of sorts came to their lips.

When she heard the growling behind her, she figured out why.

"Hiya!" a cry sounded out; Molar felt a weight press itself onto his shoulders, then leaping to Riesz's, delivering a swift kick to the underside of the Werewolf's jaw behind her, causing it to stumble over from the blow. It was far from majorly hurt, but its suddenness left it completely unprepared.

Riesz had little time to process what happened, she felt Hawkeye seize her by the wrist and run, but then she stopped him, reaching and taking the mayor's as well. They ran through the entrance to the harbor, only to see the ship taking off. "No!" she cried, the three stopping at the edge of the dock, hearing the shouts of Angela and Duran from afar. One notable one was,

"Look out!"

And indeed, from behind, they heard the three Werewolves coming, ready to deliver a world of pain to all of them. There was nowhere to go; the entry to the city was blocked off, as well as the entryway to the forest. Yet Hawkeye looked back, seeing the clear, blue water beneath them. "Hope your colors don't run off."

"What-" Riesz got out no more as she was pushed back, swallowed up by the limitless depths of the ocean, three more splashes following.

The three Werewolves eventually arrived at the dock, seeing the ship long out of their reach and the water beneath still and lapping at the pillars of wood that held it up.

Note: Next couple of chapters will be a bit of a catch-up to everyone else in the respective areas, as well as on our three evils, as they all have things going on. Thank you all for reading and reviewing!