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Open Grimoire of Dragons

Sylph

Take me to Wonderland

In a small quiet village nestled in the forest of Targ Wood, the light of the rising sun batches it, waking few birds from their nests with it's warming glow. A few house holds in the village start to wake, business opening their doors for the day and looking over their merchandise. At the village's Inn and Pub, the Pub owner unlocks his doors for the weary travellers that came at the morning to serve them drinks, listen to stories, and hand out jobs. Upstairs from the bar area are the rooms some clans would take for the night to rest, if they have the gill to do so.

Sitting in the window of one of the rooms is the figure of a dark furred Viera looks out the window, a long pipe in her hand with white smoke wisping out. Her long ears hanging at her sides and a half intrigued look on her face. She closes her eyes and blow some smoke from her mouth and sighs softly as the sun's light creped up the wall of the Inn.

"Looks like a good morning..."

She glances over at the others of her clan, noting that some of them had started to wake. She chuckles and shifts in the window, her back to the outside world. She leans onto one of her legs and grins at her Clan.

"Ok all of you, it's time to wake up and meet the new arrivals next door. We don't have much time to waste if we're to find the meaning of this book before those morons get a hold of our trail."

A brown furred Nu Mou yawns and eyes his eyes, slipping out of his bed and walking over to her seat, looking out at the world with quiet awe at the sight.

"This place is pretty Ming....I wish we could stay longer."

"Aye...but We can't stay long. I'll go get the others, you wake these dolts up for me."

Ming then slipped off the window and strolls outside the door while Al uses this chance to practice a bit of his black mage ability blizzard move to freeze the others awake. She chuckles under her breath as she hears curses on the cold and muffled screams of shock. She walks to the room next to hers and slides it open, walking into the dorm where the recent additions slept. She passes the beds filled with the sleeping forms of the new members and sits in the window, facing them. She clears her throat and and crosses her legs, leaning onto her top knee.

"Wake up."
 
"Hrrnng..."

The light of the morning sun trickled through the window as the world slowly came back to life outside the small dormitory. Inside, however, the occupants of the room were still sleeping. In particular, a green-skinned Bangaa slept, his chin and arms draped over a pillow which barely concealed beneath it what looked to be a crimson Dromaeo cannon. The Bangaa slept in his work clothes, which looked like they had been slept in for quite a while. An olive helmet and goggles had been hung on the bedpost, and a pair of blue and green shoes with spiked soles lay discarded on the floor.

The Bangaa's four drooping ears flinched, detecting the sound of an opening door. He grunted and stirred beneath the covers, blinking his tiny eyes open against the sun shining down on them. The sun was obscured, however, by a lithe shape sitting in the windowsill. This he did not expect.

"Wake up."

"hrnnn... Oh!" He quickly recognized this as the voice of one of his new commanding officers. That's right, he had finally gotten himself into a clan yesterday. "Yes'm," he slurred, sitting himself up and sliding into his shoes. He snapped his goggles onto his face and fastened his helmet over them, then turned to the figure sitting in the window. Now able to identify the Viera with his goggles on, he straightened his posture. "Lodrick, at your service."

((I've figured it out. The secret behind how a species that wears blindfolds as a fashion statement because their eyes are so functionally useless can aim firearms. Their goggles are really glasses.))
 
Gradivus let out a growl deep from his chest as the door opened, raising at the slight noise and looking up and around the room he was in. After the blinding sunlight hit his face, he gave an aggravated shake of his face and rubbed his eyes vigorously, before seeing a Viera walk in. He gave an impressed huff, before grabbing the warm blanket he was under and throwing it aside to get up.

Quickly putting on his pants so he wasn't in just his loincloth, he reached down under the bed to put on his shoulder and arm guard, and grabbed his sword leaning against the bedpost.

Rising up to his full 7 foot 1 inch height, he gives a loud, deep yawn, now smashing his fists together and attaching his holster to his waist, giving him a chance to stretch his tail, he turned toward the Viera and thumping his chest once.

"Gradivusss Gordon, enemy of magesss."
 
Thalia woke at the sound of voices and sat up under the blankets, letting them fall down around her waist. She yawned and rubbed her eyes with bandaged hands, her long floppy Nu Mou ears handing down the sides of her head. She brushed a few locks of brown hair from her eyes, and shuffled out of the bed, her long, thick tail trailing behind her and her grey under-robe just barely not touching the floor. She reached around, bleary-eyed, for her robe and bag, eyes squinted shut.

This turned out to be a rather bad move on the little Nu Mou's part, since she was going in the quite opposite direction that her things were. She shuffled around the room harmlessly for a moment or two, managing to have located a book off the floor, and then promptly ran smack into a very, very tall Bangaa who was standing in the room covered in armour.

She let out a squeak at the impact and dropped the book, peering up at what she had just ran into.
 
"Enemy of Mages...That's not promising since you'll be working along side magic users in this clan, Gradivus."

She smiles a bit and glances at the other Bangaa, clicking her tongue a bit.

"Good to know Lodrick."

She leans back a bit, shoulder resting against the side of the window frame. She glances at the room and those that spoke after waking up a bit from their dream world. She notes at one or two were still asleep, her sight wandering back to the two Bangaa before her.

"I expect everyone of you to cooperate with my clan. I will not be leading a clan with internal battles and backstabbers. We're not Duelhorn nor Khamja, we are Clan Virtue and we have a mission to complete."

She then notes that the young Nu Mou girl she recently rescued was walking along the room, eyes closed and holding a book. She begins to speak to tell her that someone was in front of her when the poor girl walked right into the so called 'enemy of Mages'. Ming rolled her eyes and shifts in her seat.

That can't end well. She's already scared brainless of Bangaa and Seeq...

Ming lifts one of her legs and places her foot on the still of the window, arm draped over it and her fingers lightly tapping the side of her boot. She waited for the Bangaa's response before intervening.
 
'The things I go through, kupo...' A petite figure occupying the last bed within the small dormitory mumbled. She was leaning against the headboard, arms and legs crossed and eyes closed, just as easily seen as sleeping.. or missed all together. She wore an entirely oversized dark grey sweater and was tapping her fingers lightly, yet impatiently. She was already a light sleeper, and Bangaa weren't quite ideal roommates, especially with this enemy of mages fellow - a proclamation she couldn't help but let out an amused snort at - snoring like an airship engine.
Rubbing her eyes and rolling to the edge of the bed, she was just in time to catch the light grunt of the adamant lizard as the small Nu Mou girl taking up the last bed tumbled into him.
'Oh this is just bloody magickal, Kupo.' She groaned with a tone of irony, rolling her eyes and shaking her head out, ruffling her hair and ears to fix them up as best she could. She reached to the foot of her bed, pulling over her bag and rifling through it. She spoke without looking up,
'So fill us in, Kupo'
 
Gradivus looked down at Thalia for a second, wondering what to do when a delicious idea came into his eyes. Reaching over to the end of his bed where his helmet was, he quickly pulled it on to make him look slightly more intimidating. Drawing himself to full height again, he gave a very, very deep grunt and sharply faked a charge at the Nu Mou with a hand on the hilt of his sword, before slowly drawing back and chuckling to himself, turning back to Ming with an amused look on his face.

"I'm not a backssstaber, but I'll live asss long asss I get to do that every once in a while. But I will asssk that you pleassse try to fit me in with sssomeone unafraid to go to the front linesss."
 
Lodrick gulped when the little Nu Mou bumped into the Bangaa that was at least twice her size, and he hoped dearly that the brute didn't try something, right in front of everyone. He glanced from Gradivus to Ming and back again, and settled for watching the situation unfold.

There was a split second in which, when he saw Gradivus reach for his sword, Lodrick weighed in his head the consequences of stepping out of the line of authority in front of his new boss. He decided to hell with it and made a motion to grab the other Bangaa, but before he could properly do anything, Gradivus stopped. It had been a ruse.

Lodrick contented himself by turning back to Ming, but keeping his eyes on Gradivus coupled with a sneering expression, and a quiet "humph." Lodrick was no softie. He'd feint at a person like that, too. But only someone who knew him well enough to realize he was joking, lest he give them a heart attack. He couldn't be so cruel.
 
Thalia had barely managed to blink her eyes into focus and found herself staring into a large and intimidating Bangaa's face when he put on a helm and mock-charged her. The small girl let out a loud squeal and made a move to take a step back, but...ended up stepping on her robe and falling onto her rear with an audible thud. She sat there for a moment, whimpering and big red eyes watering as she stared up at Gradivus. She finally spoke, in a halting shaky voice.

"Why...why'd you do that...?" She sniffled, shuffling her hind paws and scooping up the dropped book.

Meanwhile, another head poked around the door to the room; delicate features, brown fur, and long ears poking out of a sheet of black. This Viera looked a bit softer-featured than Ming did, and was much less...dressed, wearing only a small skirt and a strip of cloth around her chest. The Viera clicked her tongue softly and strode into the room, kneeling next to Thalia and wrapping an arm around her.

"Don't worry sweetie, I'm sure he was just playing with you, okay...?" She cooed, petting the girl's fur softly and glancing up at Gradivus. "How about I let you feed Choco some bread?" she added, looking back at Thalia. Then she stood up again and walked over to Ming.

"Maes said to hurry up and get these guys moving; it's almost time to head out." She said, waving a hand airily.

Thalia got shakily to her feet, clutching the book.

((blurg why do I suck at RPing so much right now.))
 
Ming chuckles softly under her breath at the display Gradivus had created, her eyes showing a hint of insight on what his actions were. She notes the sudden jerk of Lodrick's form, guessing was about to leap to the Girl's rescue before anything bad could happen.

A skill and manner of this like would be appreciated...I give him a week tops before my boys and girls strip him of that and make him act like the crazy loons they are.

She shifts her gaze to the young Moogle, first noticing her presence with the sight of a pom-pom bobbing toward her. She lifts a hand and hides a smile as she continued to watch the silly little puff ball on the end of a antenna of sorts.

"We will be traveling for a long while in search of information on a very special book that has come into our care. But it seems that there are others that wish to take this book and use it's unknown power for their gain. We have to protect this book and the only one that can open this book until we find the secret of it's power and how to use it for the betterment of this world. If there is no way to use it for that means, then -"

Ming cut her sentense when her sister walked into the room, watching her silently as she tended to the poor girl on the floor, seeing that Thalia was shaking and confused on why the Bangaa mock-charged her. She listened to her sister's word, then leans back a bit when she crossed over to her.

"Maes said to hurry up and get these guys moving; it's almost time to head out."

"Aye. It is about that time it seems. Thanks Kate."

She looks out at the recruits, then slips off of the window, placing a hand on her hip.

"Alright. We are moving out now. Gradivus, if you must do that, then do so with someone that could handle it. Do not go after this Nu Mou girl here. We all fight as a team, but if a partner is needed in battle, one will come to your aid to fight alongside you...it may end up being out magic reflecting Ge-...geek of a Bangaa, Greed."

Ming gives Kate a slight smile, aware of her almost slip of tongue there. She may be able to get away with calling Greed a oversized iguana, but that didn't mean she may be able to get away with it in the presence of other Bangaas. She leans forward and whispers to her sister, asking her to keep an eye on Thalia while she got the others ready. She then slips away from the room and returned back to the dorm where her old clan mates reside. To her surprise, there were quite a number of them at rod point of Al the Magic Wielding Nu Mou.

"Back away! I was only doing as Ming told me to do."

A tall dark haired Hume growls a bit, frost still clinging to his hair and shivering a bit. The knuckles on his hand turn white as he grips the Fire-aligned rod.

"She told you to try to flash freeze us in out sleeps?!"

Ming leans in the doorway, hip resting against the door frame and starts to laugh, running her hand through her hair.

"I told him to wake you all up any way possible. Count your blessings that he didn't use Alchemy on you, Roy."

"It was still cold, kupo! My Pom-Pom could have frozen off!"

"Winry winry winry, didn't you just hear me? He could have used Alchemy. Now can we please get our asses in gear and leave before we shorten the distance we made from those bounty hunters, hired goons, and the baby Khamja that was born?"

The Hume man and small Moogle girl both fold their arms and pout, walking back to their beds to finish packing their gear. Ming shakes her head and mutters something along the lines of feeling like a mother of twenty before crossing to the bed she used and gathering her gear. She slips on her long cloak, clasped together with a silver broth of folded wings, slide her bow and quiver over shoulder and chest and slips her Rapier in her belt.

She then notices that there was still a lump in one of the beds. She rolls her eyes and slips her Rapier out, walking over to the sleeping idiot of a Hume and pokes his bottom sharply.

"Wake up."

"Now...that wasn't nice."

Ming sighs and looks over her shoulder at the tall Revgaji.

"Get off my back Cid."

She shakes her head and returns to her own bed, studying Cid at a distance. He was a new addition to the clan when Roy first joined, both of them traveling together until they came across her and her starting clan. After Roy joined, Cid left for a while to do his own thing, later to only show up again and joined them on their adventures.

Ming always though he looked like a Cowboy.
 
Gradivus gave another throaty guffaw, giving the Nu Mou one last glance as he adjusted his helmet a bit. "Watch out ssshorty, if that wasss any other Bangaa who had lessss control or an intent to properly hurt you, that little move you jussst pulled would make you a ssskewer."

Making sure he had all his armor and weapons on, Gradivus grabbed a pastry he hadn't felt like eating last night and wrapped it up in a cloth, stashing it in his pocket. As he started to walk over to the commotion, he added under his breath, "Then again, sssstanding upright wouldn't do much good if your defenssse is ssso pitifully low from ssstanding in the back all day."
 
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When Ming began to speak once again, Lodrick redirected his attention to the Viera once more. A very special book, eh? Power, eh? Perhaps he had gotten himself too deep in a situation that went way over his head. He pondered for a moment who this 'only one who can open the book' person was, idly looking over to Thalia as the gears in his head turned. It was then he noticed the book she was carrying. It looked mighty fancy to him, given its thickness of pages and highly decorated bindings. His helmet shifted as his eyebrows raised beneath it. Could this little Nu Mou that Gradivus was picking on be that very person Ming was talking about? Either way, seeing the poor creature sniveling there on the floor like that, clutching that large book for dear life, Lodrick could only feel inclined to protect her.

Taking in the instructions, he nodded his head and said again, more clearly this time, "Yes'm." The green Bangaa watched as Ming stepped back to whence she came, and took it as an opportunity. She was out of the room now, and the conversation was now free game. " 'Any other Bangaa' woulnn't think to hurt their clanmates 'n the first place," he said to Gradivus sourly. "That kinda attitude won't get you far in this line 'a business." Though earlier Lodrick was considering the consequences of berating this fellow in the presence of the boss, he never considered the consequences of doing so while being out-sized by the other Bangaa by at least a foot. He had to turn his head up to look at Gradivus.
 
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Gradivus paused for a second, turning around to look at Lodrick. "Mossst Bangaa wouldn't think to ussse cannonsss from a dissstance either. And if I have to sssuck up to the bossss like you every sssecond, I'd rather not get far in thisss line of busssiness. Besssides, asss long asss I have my sssword, I'll get asss far asss I need."

Satisfied with what he said, Gradivus strode out the door and watched his frost covered clanmates, before giving another chuckle. "Interesssting alarm you have here."
 
The Moogle girl only looked up for a moment as the clanleader had cut herself off mid sentence, she seemed rather preoccupied. It was no matter, though, she dug back into her bag mumbling to herself again, if not with a slightly more optimistic tone.
'Rare artifacts.. Chosen ones.. It's like an old fairie tale, Kupo... As long as it pays as good as it sounds... This sounds like the right gig to be in, kupopo..'
She looks up again as she pulls some well folded black and purple gear up and out of her bag, glaring at the Bangaa in the room. It looked as if they were already ready to rip eachothers throats out... but then again, she didn't quite expect any less. So long as the tall one got to bash a few heads in occasionally and she was far away enough that it wasn't hers, it should be fine.
'Almost worse than Humes' she quipped under her breath as she rolled to the other side and off behind her bed, quickly undressing from her nightwear and getting her proper gear equipped while the others were distracted. As she finished up fastening her belt, she strolled out from behind the bed, snatching up her bag and slinging it over her shoulder, she started to rifle through it again - this time pulling various objects and gadgets out it seemed and slipping them into the various spaces and pockets throughout her uniform and slipping her blaster into the holster onto her belt, meandered out the door to meet with the others. She chose to stay mostly quiet for now.. they already proved to be a rowdy enough bunch.
 
Thalia shuffled back to her bed as fast as she could, clutching the large and heavy book to her chest, and placed it on the bed before gathering her things up and pulling on her heavy blue robe. She swung her bang over her shoulder and carefully pulled the ear that had gotten trapped under in out. She seemed a little shaken up still, her big red eyes still wide, as she pulled on her boots and made her way to go out the door like the others. She was hugging the book to her chest as she walked, front cover out, and a large eye-like gemstone stared lazily out at the room.

Then something small and fuzzy caught her eye; a Moogle. The young girl shuffled over to Sonja and smiled at her, hoping to make a new friend and someone to talk to. She liked Moogles; they were so smart and good with their hands. She had seen Winry, the Moogle Gunner in the clan, dismantle and reassemble an Aiot Gun in under a half hour; it had been rather amazing. She wondered if this Moogle could do that too.

"Hi," She said, voice soft. "My name is Thalia, what's yours...?"

Out in the other room, the lump-in-the bed shifted and sat up, grumbling, his blond hair sticking out in funny places. He yawned and got out of bed, starting to pull on his armour. Two swords, identical except for the colour - one red, one blue - leaned against his bedside table.

"'M up, 'm up..." He said, yawning. "Slaverdriver Ming..."

A soft churring sound, like that a pair of Chocobo would make, could be heard outside, and a soft breeze drifted though an open window. Kate, the Viera who had comforted Thalia, was leaning in the window and smiling.

"Choco is awake. He's gunna be aching to get on the road again soon, hurry up you guys." She said, a tone of laughter in her voice.
 
Lodrick's only reply was a tightening of his frown. He had to admit, this is where it ended in a stalemate. There was no convincing people like Gradivus once they got an idea of how to behave into their head. When Gradivus turned around to leave the green Bangaa waved his hand dismissively. The jab at his cannon struck a sensitive chord, though, and he turned back to his bed. He pushed the pillow off of the Dromaeo laying on his bed and he stroked it comfortingly. Pausing one last moment to appreciate its beauty, Lodrick slung it over his shoulder. He patted his ammunition sash and pockets, confirming that his shells were still inside, passed a glance at the Nu Mou and Moogle still chatting, and stepped outside.

--

There was a great commotion over the horizion and many "Hurrahs!" to be heard- but they were all the same voice. Hurtling through the streets towards the members of Clan Virtue was a shimmering white Chocobo, mounted by a small Moogle dressed in a yellow Chocobo costume. "Virtue, O Virtue!" he called, waving his sword in the air. "Abelat has returned!"

The white Chocobo finally skidded to a halt, dangerously close to crashing into someone. "I am back from my dispatch quest," the Moogle said with satisfaction. He held out a paper, seemingly related to this dispatch quest, for Ming to take. "You will be pleased to know that it was a smashing success." The white Chocobo rolled her eyes while her rider was not looking; he was so ceremonial about everything and took himself way too seriously.
 
As she left the dorm, the small Moogle girl propped herself up against the wall, crossing her arms and staying out of the way. It seemed everyone was getting ready to head out, but the way they did so suggested their pom-poms were not hanging quite straight, as she noted the frost covered members of the other dorm and hollering Moogle outside the window atop a silvery Chocobo, who looked just as exasperated as most of the crowd.
She noticed one approaching her though.. That Nu Mou girl who had nearly made herself into Bangaa Chow, still looking scared witless. She held a rather intricately decorated book clutched against her chest tightly. It was a bit entrancing even..
'Oh, uhm, kupo....' She stuttered a bit as she was addressed, not quite used to it, not to mention the rest of the clan wasn't seeming particularly eager to follow suit. She liked Nu Mou, though, in contrast to the raw attitude of Bangaa, and the... everything, attitudes of Humes, they always seemed respectful and soft-spoken.
'Hi there, Kupo' she spoke up, gathering her wits about her again. 'I'm Sonja, Kupo.... Thalia, is it?..' She smiled and reached a hand out with a friendly tone. She normally didn't communicate quite like this, but the poor girl looked so out of her environment with this crew. 'What might you be doing out here with brutes like that lizardbreath, Kupo?'
 
Ming rolled her eyes and walked to the window to pet the yellow bird.

"Oh ed. You are so hard done by in this clan. How ever do you put up with my constant nagging and slave driving, i don't know."

She then steps into the window and slides out of it, landing on the ground under the window gracefully. She turns when the sound of clawed chicken feet followed by a dust cloud came thundering up toward her. She muffles a chuckle as the young Moogle came to produce a piece of paper that he received from his solo mission. She takes the sheet and nods her head, turning toward the doorway of the Inn.

"I'll go cash this is then. Good work Abelat."

She slips into the building and leans up to the counter where the Pub owner cleaned a few glasses and humming a cheerful tune of sorts. She beckons him and has a few quick words with the man, placing the paper on the counter and receiving the money from the job. She then looks over the other missions at hand and considers them a bit.

"You travel a lot miss. May as well catch a few outlaws on the way out. With all this Khj-what-its causing trouble, you never know who you may run into."

"Aye aye. I'll take a few of these wanted posters and keep an eye out for them. A good score isn't a bad thing...bring money to the clan and helps us out in the weapon shopping. Plus, may help me pay a few of my new members to keep them happy long enough to help me and the others."

The man chuckles, glancing at the stairs where the rest of her clan came downstairs to wait outside for everyone. He then lowers his voice and leans forward on the counter, a sly smile on his face.

"Now...about what you asked me yesterday. I heard a few things about some guy that was looking for a small Nu Mou girl with a odd looking book. Exactly, how much trouble are you guys in right now?"

Ming lowers her voice, a slight smirk on her face.

"We're not in trouble, but there are others that are looking for it if they want to hunt us down that badly. Think you and those cousins of yours can continue to give them the run around for me?"

The Man laughs a bit, giving the Bunny a wink before shooing her out of his building. She shakes her head and hops outside, looking up at the window and cupping her hands.

"Hurry up. We're leaving now."
 
Gradivus gave one last yawn, making sure his sword was still in place, and flipped over the windowsill and onto the ground below. He gave a loud yawn and cracked his knuckles.

"Where are we going?" he asked with another yawn, before looking at Abelat's chocobo with an impressed nod. "Nice ride."
 
Abelat removed his hat and held it over his chest, then made an extravagant bow. "Why, thank you, good sir." The Chocobo seemed flattered as well, batting her eyes and giving a friendly wark.

"But you must excuse us, kupo. We must make our final preparations." The Moogle swung his cap back onto his head and picked up the reins, patting his Chocobo gently. "Looks like we got in here just in time to get going again, Luroa! Isn't that exciting, kupo!?" The Chocobo's expression dropped instantly, and she snorted as if to say 'Oh, rats'. Abelat tugged Luroa's reins impatiently to get her moving, and she trotted over to stand next to Choco.

Abelat lifted his cap and greeted the yellow bird. "Good morning, Choco!"

---

Lodrick was at first shocked by the white Chocobo crashing through the crowds, but he found the Moogle's youthful exuberance amusing. He kept himself out of the exchange between Abelat and Gradivus, but followed the white bird after she had made her way over to the other, yellow bird. "'ello," the Bangaa greeted.

"Greetings, kupo!" replied Abelat. "You must be a new recruit to Clan Virtue, kupo. I'm sorry to say I don't recognize you."

"'at's right. Today's m'first day. Name's Lodrick. So... you been 'ere a while?"

"Oh, yes, kupo! And what a fantastic clan to be a part of. My name is Abelat." The Moogle repeated his hat-removal-bow as he introduced himself. "And this is my fine Chocobo, Luroa," after which the white bird ruffled her feathers and warked.

"Nice to meet you. So, fantastic, huh? That's your impression 'a these folks?" Lodrick hadn't met them all just yet, but he figured he could learn what to expect from this Moogle.

Abelat nodded. "Kupo. They are quite eccentric, and that makes adventuring a new and refreshing experience, always, kupo!" Luroa rolled her eyes.

Eccentric? The green Bangaa blinked and looked around at the other clan members. "Well... can't wait t' get started."
 
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