Serenus Forest: Old friend, new mission

[Mage]

Within the lush and beautiful forest we call Serenus, was a figure running after another one. But after a while he stopped.

The figure was Ike of the Greil Mercenaries, he was looking for Link in order to stop him from running into danger. But sadly, the swordsman lost track of the hero in green. "Blast it! Hes gone...he runs quite quickly for someone loaded down with all that equipment." Ike sat on a rock nearby taking a sigh. "That light from before seems to have disappeared...I suppose its alright for now."

"Never assume every things alright, Ike." Came the voice of an up coming figure.

The voice caused the mercenary to jump up putting a hand on the handle of his holy sword. "Who...wait a moment..." He let go of Ragnell when he noticed who it really was. "Its you!"

Out came a beast man with blue cat ears and a matching tail, this man was called Ranulf, right hand man to Gallia's king and Ike's most trusted friend. With a smirk, the Laguz said. "Its been too long buddy, how've you been, you eating well?" He tried to make small talk with Ike.

"...Err yes, I'm alright." It was interesting, Ranulf just appearing out of nowhere. Did he spy on Ike for a while?

[xenomina]

Meanwhile, not too far away...

"Are you sure this is the right way, furball? Looks like we're lost, to me. Maybe you should have, I don't know...NOT ENTERED THE FOREST!?!?"

Ammy ignored the whining bug, and continued walking. Ammy was pretty sure she wasn't lost, especially since she couldn't explain to her bug companion that she wasn't trying to necessarily find a way out. She had picked up a scent earlier that interested her. It was definitely a human, which was a good start. Probably male, as well, considering the testosterone. She had no clue, however, if it was friend or foe she was following, but she already knew what would happen if it was evil; she would destroy them without a moment of hesitation.

"AUUUGH. STOP IGNORING ME!"

[Mage]

"Ranulf..." Ike asked his old friend. "Why are you here? Did you know I was hiding in Serenus?"

Ike was as sharp as ever, he knew he couldn't hide anything from the mercenary. So Ranulf gave him a serious look. "Well, its about your mission."

Ike was surprised, he didn't think anyone outside of the Crimean Royal Family would know of Ike's mission. As a matter of fact, as far as Ike is concerned, he should be missing in the public eye. "...Gallia's information network is as strong as ever."

With a nod, the wild cat man agreed. "Indeed..." He was about to tell Ike about the truth.

[Vize Viper]

Meanwhile, only about twenty yards away from the speaking men, but in a position that resulted in them being between him and Amaterasu, was a man.

He was only half a head taller than Mario, in fact, and sitting in front of the remains of a campfire. He was planning on moving on soon. He would find a way home to destroy that demon that had sent him here! But he was starting to feel that he wouldn't be able to do so alone.

"What shall I do... Without help from a friendly soul, I wilt have no chance to return to mine castle... And my princess..."

His reverie was broken, however, when he heard voices, two of them to be exact. Who could be in this forest? He'd seen nothing but animals, some of them bizarre... Could there be monsters in these forests as well?

So, deciding to investigate, Arthur stood, sword in hand, and began making his way towards the voices, his armor clanking loudly, and him making no attempt to hide the sound.

[Mage]

Before he could go on, Ranulf's head turned into a certain direction. Arthur's location. "Hm..."

Ike noticed this, and asked. "What is it?"

"The smell of iron, and the sounds of clanking...they aren't friendly signs ya know." Ranulf got in a fighting stance, and was even prepared to go in his wild cat form. "..."

To back Ranulf up, Ike took out Ragnell quickly, preparing to engage the threat. "...Of course, there is no such thing as an easy road." The mercenary stated.

[Vize Viper]

Arthur, once he heard the sound of Ragnell being drawn, brought his sword, which was almost as large as Ike's legendary blade, to the ready as he strode out of the brush, his eyes on the two.

They SEEMED human, but he'd been fooled before by clever demons... And...

...

Was that a TAIL!?

Immediately, the knight turned his attention towards Ranulf, his sword held with an expert's grip as he leveled it at the cat-man.

"What manner of creature art thou? Be ye friend or foe to man?"

[xenomina]

Ammy could hear voices up ahead. Luckily for her, so did Issun. Realizing that a fight may be ahead, Issun instinctively hid in her fur as Ammy creped closer, sniffing the air once more. She was relieved when she felt no evil in the three beings standing ahead. Hoping for the best, Ammy walked towards the trio, barking to alert them of her presence. Besides, she was getting hungry, and figured that one of them would have food.... why did one of them smell similiar to a cat? Oh well...

[Mage]

When Ranulf saw the man, he seemed pretty harmless. Until he asked him about his species like he was looked down apon like some dirty monster. "Names Ranulf, im a Laguz. I guess you could say im a beast man."

Before Ike could ask who the armored man was, he noticed Ammy close by . Like Arthur, she didn't seem to have any evil intentions. Ike felt comfortable enough to withdraw his sword. "Friend of yours Ranulf?"

The cat man's eyes were diverted from Arthur to Ammy, then back to Arthur. "Nope, never seen her before in my life. Kinda cute though." He said with a smile.

"...Wait, how do you know its a she?"

"...Just a hunch Ike, just a hunch." He chuckled to himself lightly, but still taking Arthur a little seriously. "So, tin man. Who are you?"

[xenomina]

"HEY!" A little green bug started hopping on top of Ammy's nose. "This isn't some ordinary wolf you're talking too! She's the great goddess Amaterasu, you should show more respect!"

Ammy sighed, Issun and his loud mouth, at it again...

[Vize Viper]

It seemed the man with the sword was a friend of the... what did he call himself? Laguz, a beast man.

And as for the beast-man's companion, he felt that this 'Ike' was an honerable man, and wouldn't befriend an evil creature... so he sheathed his sword, the weapon almost, but not quite, touching the ground.

"Well, met, Ranulf, and you, Ike. I art called Sir Arthur. Forgive my caution, but I hath dealt with many a beast that taketh upon itself the guise of a man, with the intent of sending me on to death."

The knight's attention then fell to Amaterasu... who, if that voice was to be believed, was a goddess... And something he sensed about her left him inclided to believe it.

"And a greeting to you, as well, fair wolf." Even he, who never claimed to be an expert on wolves, could see Amaterasu was an impressive specimen of such a creature, his appraisal having a different meaning than Ranulf's.

[Mage]

"Ah, no worries. To be honest Ive had worse greetings from some certain people." Ranulf shrugged it off, and turned to Issun. "Huh?" He bent to the bug and jumped back. "Whoa, the bug can talk?!"

With a nod, Ike looked at the bug on Ammy's nose. "Hm, indeed it does...wait a moment, did you say goddess?" Ike asked, he did so because he knew the people of a kingdom believed in a goddess for quite a while. Ike was never into that stuff, but he does believe in the gods. His blessed sword is in fact the proof of them existing, but he never thought a goddess would appear in front of him, and in the guise of an animal. "Amazing, never thought Id live to see one."

After shaking off his shock, Ranulf looked at Ammy. "Well I suppose anything can happen in this world...but, theres something about her." He started to sniff the air a little. "Her scent...its a little foreign." He didn't mean foreign like from another long, he meant another WORLD.

[xenomina]

Ammy hung her head in frustrastion, she figured she's have to let Issun do the talking, as always.

"First of all, DON'T CALL ME A BUG! OR I"LL USE MY SWORD AND CUT OFF YOUR EARS! *ahem* And second of all, we're new here. We come from the land of Nippon, well, more specifically, Kimiki Village...that's reminds me. Where are we, anyway? Furball here entered the forest, and got us lost..."

Oh, how Ammy wished she could talk right then...a wolven body can be a real pain sometimes.

[Vize Viper]

The knight hung his head slightly, looking almost sheepish.

"I doth fear I am as lost as thou art..." Arthur glanced at the other two present.

"Perhaps you two doth know where we are?"

[Mage]

The wild cat man simply scratched the back of his head, what started out as finding Ike has turned into meeting newcomers. "Alright, let me guess...neither of you are from this world."

"What?!" The mercenary exclaimed, not from this world? Unbelievable!

"That brings me to my point Ike, Princess Elincia's vision of Approaching Chaos, is also known as otherworldly portals opening up."

Ike was shocked to the point where he couldn't speak, this was far greater then he imagined. "...portals..." He put his hand on his head. "...It makes sense, Approaching Chaos, the light that appeared a while ago...I suppose our world really is in danger."

[xenomina]

"That's why Ammy here came to This World, to seek out any evil that may threaten Kimiki and Nippon, right Ammy?"

Ammy barked in reply, at least her bug-friend had some brains....