Without letting Cloud answer, Tifa followed the two men. She mounted her Black Chocobo, Nimbus, and tracked the men. I need a good advenure.

Tifa followed the men before Cloud could answer. She quickly mounted her Black Chocobo, Nimbus, and followed the men. I need a good adventure.

Edgar's eyes were focused upon the strange lights emanating from the hills. If he was right, that was about where the bridge and his team would be.

Flicking Blinx's sides with his boots, he spurred it to move faster. Kel hadn't mentioned any strange lights. Only Blare's instruments had detected the problem, he had said, the scientist's agitation had been his first awareness that something was wrong.

Staring at the lights, trying to discern what could have happened, he didn't even notice Kel move in closer.

"Your Majesty, There's someone following us."

Bringing Blinx to a stop he looked back. He didn't see anything, just the wide expanse of grassland that made up the most part of this continent. Kel, noticing his king didn't see it, leaned in and pointed, "There, sir."

And there it was. Pulling out his binoculars from the saddle, he couldn't help but smirk, "Good eyes, Kel."

Maybe he'd been more successful than he'd thought. Or she was an agent of their government checking out his strange behavior. Damn... there was no helping it. He'd have to wait and bring her along. She certainly hadn't missed the lights, she could bring quite a lot of unwanted attention.

So they waited....

Tifa pulled up to the men. She put her hands on her hips, "Hey, there. You didn't bother to say good bye after all that flirting?" She turned and motioned for Cloud to move in, she knew he would follow her.

Well, of course her 'significant other' would come as well... Edgar shook himself. There was no time for such games. "Greetings...m'lady..." He nodded to the spikey lad as well.

"I am Gerad and this is Kel. We have little time for talk. My friend here has warned me of something happening at our camp to the east. You can't have missed those eery lights."

"Since you seem to be heading the same way... maybe we should travel together...in the interests of safety... us travelers should stick together..."

"sure, why not. My name is Tifa and," She turns to Cloud, "is my friend Cloud." She turns back to Gerad, "So what new adventure awaits?"

The doors opened, a young man stepping inside. His robes were red, trimmed in black...a marked change from his former, more childish gear, and his brown hair was somewhat disheveled. He was of medium height, lithe, having shed his baby fat years ago, with a clever face and a dangerous look in his eyes that made him appear bigger than he actually was...a witty strength that belied his average frame. A cape hung from his shoulders, of the same hue as his robes.

Palom's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the crowd inside the tavern, wondering what the hell so many strangely-dressed strangers were doing here. Still, he needed food, and food required money. He also sought greater and greater magical powers, and his own experiences had taught him that adventuring was an easy way to gain both.

His sharp eyes drifted over the weapons carried by some of the people sitting together, chatting, and he realized that he had just found exactly what he was looking for...much as he disliked it.

"Well, hopefully no adventure, m'lady. But fate has little care for the hopes of mortals."

With that he turned and Blinx loped towards their destination once more.

As they drew closer and evening fell, the strange lights became… even stranger. They seemed to have the consistency of smoke… brightly colored, moving in slow curling patterns along the sky. Every so often little flashes of white light would streak straight away in seemingly random directions.

What the hell had happened? Some type of explosion… some release of whatever energies made up the bridge? Damn, he shouldn’t have rushed things. If his people were hurt or… dead because of his haste…Edgar grimaced, he didn’t know anything yet. Worrying about it wouldn’t help.

It happened too fast for him to react. Just a brightly colored blur from the tall grass ahead of him. The impact knocked him from Blinx and he rolled with his attacker. White hot pain seared through his face and stomach. All that saved Edgar was that the creature seemed intent on focusing it’s attack on his diamond breast plate. Through the fog of shock and pain, he grasped for his dagger but he wasn't going to make it...



Hey, Dragonsbane. If you want to join our little adventure quicker...I think your character probably couldn't have missed the strange lights to the east....