The Aura Wake Series

Maya: hello~ it's a great pleasure to meet you all! *she goes down the line, shaking each of their hands. She gets to Noah.* Why do ya look so glum? Cheer up~ 

Adriee: oh god she's cheerful...

Aero: oh, she isn't that bad!

Noah: *his eyes light up a bit at Maya. why did this cheery mergirl seem to brighten him up*

Mercer: Cheery...I can tell you'll annoy me...

Ai: Nice t-to meet you, Maya-chan!

Stiletto: *she looks at Maya and puts her head to one side* How do you walk with no legs?

Calypso: Maya, take one of the mages and show them around. I will take the rest to City hall and brief them on the situation.

Maya: I'm a mermaid~ I swim instead of walking. As for who to bring... *she swims off, dragging Noah behind her.*  you're coming with me to see the city! You're gonna love it! *she laughs and looms back at him.*

Noah: *the way her eyes glint off the sunlight shining through the water makes him smile. A girl that is so bright and cheerful, it was contagious. He nods and smiles back* Okay! *he swims with Maya so he's only being half-dragged*

Mercer: Hmmmm....

Ai: Mercer-kun?

Mercer: Ai, Aero, Stiletto, you girls go with the Prime Minister. Adriee, Styx, Shuriken, with me. I've got an idea.

Shuriken: Oh no...

Styx: What harebrained scheme do you have now?

Mercer: Noah's been feeling down about what happened on Icecrown and his head's been full of stress over finding that Ignis guy a new wielder. What he needs is some down time, courtesy of some time with a girl.

Ai: Mercer-kun, don't tell me you have some scheme involving Noah!

Mercer: Oh yes! I'm going to set him up with that mermaid girl! LETS ROLL, LAMBSHANKS! DR. MERCER LOVE IS IN THE HOUSE!

Aero: you've gotta be kidding me...

Adriee: this can only end well... *her voice is dripping with scarcasm as she rolls her eyes.*

---**---

Maya: *she swims with him into the city and sits him down at a table in front of a restraunt. She flags down a waiter* so... Noah, right?

Noah: Yep. Noah Marcusson. Nice to meet you...Maya, right?

Mercer: *as Noah and Maya talk, Mercer with Shuriken, Adriee, and Styx are on top of the restaurant, watching them* Alright, we need some romantic music. Styx, use your Midas Magic to make something that can play music!

Styx: Why not just conjure a demon that can play music?

Mercer: All I got is a scamp and imp. I'm a Weapons Warlock, not a Conjurer.

Styx: I can't make any promises....

Maya: Yep! It's kinda funny how surface walkers can find ways to breathe down here. *she pushes her hair to the side, showing slits in her skin behind her finned ears.* So what do you do, Noah? *she smiles pretty warmly for someone who lives in cold water.*

Adriee: Well this can only end well! *she rolls her eyes, but watches*

Noah: *Maya's warm smile and personality was very contagious. He couldn't help but smile and forget his problems while talking with her.* I'm an apprentice at the College of Avalon, and I hope to one day become a powerful battle mage so I can protect my friends and family. We actually came here because the Arch Mage said the Naga were causing trouble and wanted us to help stop them and the Malefecarum that is working with them.

Mercer: Hit it!

Styx: *he uses his Midas Make and conjures a Beholder. However, the Beholder licks its lips and lunges at Mercer, biting him and causing him to bump into a support beam for the statue above Noah and Maya. The statue falls down towards them*

Noah: *he looks up in time to see the statue falling* LOOK OUT! *he leaps forward and tackles Maya, the two of them rolling out of the way of the large, heavy statue. When the bubbles and brine clears, Noah is holding Maya as if the two had just stopped dancing. He's looking into her eyes, genuine concern showing* Are you alright, Maya?

Maya: *her face is bright red as she looks at Noah. She looks terrified, but then she starts laughing.* I'm perfectly fine thanks to you! Wanna go to the park? It's quite beautiful despite being under the sea! *she grins, and grabs his hand*

Adriee: ARE YOU INSANE?! You could have killed them! *she knocks Mercer upside the head*

Noah: *he smiles brightly* Sure! *he runs next to her, keeping up while holding hands with her*

Mercer: *after getting smacked upside the head, he finally pries the Beholder off his face and screams, the teeth marks very evident on his head* OOOOOW! It wasn't my fault! Brainiac over here was the one that summoned a three-eyed face eater!

Styx: You wanted a being from Midas. I made you a being from Midas!

Mercer: Oh never mind....come on, we gotta follow these tidbits to the park!

Shuriken: This trip is like a train wreck....its horrible, revolting, and completely terrifying, and yet I can't look away or walk away. *he follows with everyone else*

Adriee: sometimes I wonder if Mercer has a brain... I'm sure I could synthesize one up for him...

Maya: *they head into the park and take a seat under a gazebo.* so do you play any instruments or anything?

Noah: Not really. My father tried to train me on playing the harp, but I never got good...

*as they talk, sitting there at a fountain, is a large Giant with red hair pushed back yet spiky. He was a giant, even by Erinn Giant standards, sitting at nearly 6 feet tall, meaning his actually height was closer to 12 or 14 feet tall. Around him are a group of Merfolk children, their parents, and a group of smaller Giants, all of which are dressed as if they are on vacation. The large Giant has a large lute in his hands and he is strumming it, singing in a light irish accent with a charming melody to his vocals*

???: 
Once upon a day there was a bear, a bear
All black and brown and covered in thick, dark hair
He sniffed upon the summer wind,
to see where his dinner hid,
and there he smell the honey in the summer air


Once there was a maiden in the summer air
who celebrated with honey in her long, black hair
She'd dance and sing, and run around,
to the glory of the summer sound
And that was when the two would be fated to meet...


He lifted her high in the air
He sniffed and roared, and smelled her there
But she kicked and wailed, the maid so fair
But he licked the honey from her hair!


*the giants join in singing*


From there to here, and here to there
All black and brown, and covered in hair
He smelled that girl in the summer air, 
The bear, the bear, and the maiden fair!


Oh aye, that was a right good one, eh lads?

Giant: You bet, Master Grumbel! You have always been a master at your craft!

*meanwhile, Mercer and his group are watching Noah and Maya*

Mercer: Alright, I bet I can get that Giant to attack Noah!

Shuriken: WHAT?!

Mercer: See, Noah will blast him with magic and look really cool! The Mermaid morsel will be eating out of the palm of his hand! Shuriken, when I give the signal, give him a hot foot! Blood flames should work under water.

Shuriken: I don't like this...at all...

Mercer: *he walks up to Grumbel* Hey, you!

Grumbel: Aye?

Mercer: That Celestio-Sapian boy with the mermaid thinks he's better at music than you.

Grumbel: Then he must be a right good bard! *he stands up. Mercer then uses his blood flames to burn the Giant's foot* OOOOOOOW! *he looks over at Noah, a bit annoyed* Oi! Lad!

Noah: *he looks over, confused* Yeah?

Grumbel: Did you just burn my foot with fire magic?! After claiming to be better than me at music?!

Noah: What are you-

Grumbel: *he throws Noah the lute* Play. And if you don't play well, I'll smash you like a bug.

Noah: Um...I really don't know any good songs...

Grumbel: *he cracks his knuckles*

Noah: *he gulps hard out of fear and starts to strum while singing*

Before man, before moon, before history...
in an age made of magic and mystery....
Gods and Daedra, mighty and bold, fought to possess the Kronos Stone
For he, who held the stone, held the world...
And into dark shadow was the Daedra's world...
And Deshdae smote them from his throne! He became the ruler of them all....


Come, with me, across the seas of time...
Come, with me, across the seas of time...
From their blood came monsters seen before,
The Gorgon and The Manticore...
The Gods did weep beneath the Karlan Tree,
Across the seas of time...


Deshdae descended from on high, with lightning by his side...
Love like thunder in his heart, to take a mortal bride.
And from their union came a race, half mortal, and half god
With powers dreamed by mortal men to walk where the gods tried!


Come, with me, across the seas of time...
Come, with me, across the seas of time...
When all mortals were on their knees,
And all the Gods ignored their pleas,
The names they called were Spirit and Hades!
Across the seas of time!...


*he stops playing* Its just an old Celestio-Sapian folk song...


Grumbel: *he smiles and starts clapping* Good work, Lad. Real pretty, eh boys?!


Giants: *they all cheer in agreement* AYE, GRUMBEL!


Grumbel: Sorry to interrupt you two. Excuse me while I have a word with a friend of mine...*he turns to Mercer, who was out of Noah's sight range* Oh, laaaaad!~ *he starts walking towards Mercer*


Mercer: *he swallows hard. The next thing he knew, he was flung across the park back to Adriee, Styx, and Shuriken, his body now run through a tree and multiple bruises on his face and body* Ow.... 

Maya: *she clapping and swimming in circles* that was brilliant! You are simply wonderful on the lute! I play music too! It's one of my specialties! *a bunch of bubbles swirl around her hands and a lyre forms. She begins playing* 

Mirror, tell me something.

Tell me who's the loneliest, of all?

Mirror, tell me something, 
tell me who's the loneliest of all?

Fear of whats inside of me; 
tell me can a heart be turned to stone?

Mirror mirror, what's behind you? 
Save me from the things I see.

I can keep it from the world, 
why won't you let me hide from me?

Mirror mirror,
tell me something- 
who's the loneliest of all?

I'm the loneliest of all...

Noah: *after closing his eyes and listening, he opens them when she stops her song and he claps* That was beautiful. Sad, but beautiful. *he stands up and offers his hand* So, care to show me any more of the city, Miss Maya?

Styx: *he is trying to pull Mercer out of the tree by the neck while Shuriken pushes* YOU TIDBITS ARE GONNA RIP ME IN HALF!

Shuriken: Almost....*finally, Mercer is thrown from the tree and lands on his front* There.

Mercer: Ow...

Styx: That was really stupid and you deserve the beating you got from that gaint.

Mercer: Grrr....*he gets up* I PROMISE! I WILL GET NOAH AND THAT MERMAID TOGETHER!

Maya: hmmm... *she taps her chin with a finger an chew on her guitar pick thoughtfully.* what should I show you next...?

Adriee: *she claps slowly* watching you fail like this is even better the watching Dunbarton burn! What your next plan, genius?

~Two Hours Later~

*Noah and Maya are on one of the reef's shelf that overlooks the drop into the blackness of the deep ocean.*

Noah: I read in a brochure about this place that apparently glowing jellyfish rise up from here...maybe we're early?


Mercer: *his eyes are wild and he is covered in bruises from the beating Grumbel gave him. He has set up an extremely intricate device involving a sailboat, a fan, a pool cue and balls, wax paper, and finally fireworks. He is standing at the fuse to start the contraption, a match in his hand* ENOUGH! I'M GONNA DO IT! THIS WILL DEFINITELY WORK!

Shuriken: Law, I want you to think for a second...we are under water. You aren't going to light that match. Normal fire won't work here.

Styx: This is doomed to failure.

Mercer: *he yells at the top of his lungs and strikes the match* YYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGG! *the match sparks and lights*

Shuriken: O_O.....what?

Styx: That's....impossible....

Adriee: what the actual hell... WHAT THE ACTUAL. FUCKING. HELL?! *she sits down and re thinks her life*

Maya: maybe, but it's definitely worth the wait~

Mercer: *he puts the match to the fuse and starts the device. The fuse burns to an arrow being held in place. The bow the fuse burns away and the arrow is released, which flies at a switch. When the switch flips, a fan activates and blows water into the sails on the sail boat. The boat collides with a pool cue that pushes a ball. The ball rolls and falls onto a button that activates the fireworks. Suddenly, out from behind Noah and Maya fly out hundreds of under water fireworks. The people around all stop and look out at the vast ocean lit up by fireworks and all marvel at it. And, from under the fireworks, comes the jellyfish, creating a cool glow that contrasts with the fast bursting of the fireworks, creating a beautiful effect.* YES! I HAVE DONE IT!

Styx: *he blinks* It worked...one of Mercer's plans actually worked...

Shuriken: I never thought I would live to see the day.


Noah: *as he and Maya look off at the beautiful display, he glances over and he and Maya's eyes meet. And, for the first time since Icecrown, Noah actually blushes a bit as he and Maya stare at each other, the light from the display brightening the moment* Wow...


~Calypso's office~

Calypso: There you have it.

Ai: T-These Naga seem very evil...To think that a Blood Mage is really behind all this...

Calypso: As I said, the Naga have far more soldiers and mages than us. Not only that, but we've gotten unconfirmed reports that Bounty Hunters may be here as well.

Stiletto: *she shivers* Scary...


~Great Barrier, outskirts~

*Walking down the street in the reef city is Brahgo along with a Navitaria wearing full Samurai armor without the helmet, a very large bull with huge hulking arms and small legs wearing a white wife beater, jeans, and sneakers, a human-Fortesian hybrid with tan bronze skin, metal horns, and a baseball cap on his head wearing a turtleneck sweater and casual running shorts while carrying a katana with no handle guard, and a small vampire girl wearing a victorian-era dress and large hat carrying an umbrella*

Brahgo: *his voice is quiet yet commanding* ...you all know the mission. *he addresses each member of his group in order* Kudamori, Sampson, Baku, and Valentine...

Kudamori: *he nods, a chime-like noise coming from his energy body as he moves* Indeed, Brahgo.

Sampson: *he punches his fists together and lets out steam from his nose* I'M GONNA SPEAR SOME MERFOLK ON MY HORNS!

Baku: *he grins* Got it. Not one of them is walking out of here, boss...

Valentine: *she spins her parasol absently* Fine fine...

Brahgo: Good...We are the unloved sons and daughters who will take all love from those around them...Titan's Bastards, move out. *he calmly walks towards a building. As he does, he points his finger at one of the building's walls* Nas...*hot pink energy forms on his finger* Ken! *the building explodes from the release of energy*

Adriee: ...IS EVERYTHING I KNOW A LIE?! *she grabs mercer by the shoulders and shakes him* HOW THE HELL ARE YOU DOING THIS? WHAT IS THIS!!!! WHAT IS MY LIFE?!

Maya: *she marvels at the display before them and she rests her head on Noahs shoulder.* This was definately worth the wait...

~~**~~

Aero: Looks like we gotta take them out then! *she nods confidently*

*just then, a Merman Guard runs into Calypso's office*

Guard: PRIME MINISTER! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK! ITS THE TITAN'S BASTARDS BOUNTY HUNTING CLAN!

Calypso: What?! *she looks out and sees the smoke* If that clan is here....then HE'S here as well...

Ai: Who?

Calypso: A deadly bounty hunter known only by the name Nosferatu Brahgo...

Stiletto: *she shudders more*

Calypso: Aura Wake, my men can't hold Brahgo and his clan forever. You have to go stop them at once!


Noah: *as the scene continues peacefully, he hears a large explosion coming from the other side of the city. He tuns and looks, seeing the bubbles and smoke in the distance* What?! *he looks over to Maya* The city is under attack! I have to help! *he tries to activate his fire magic, but it fizzles out under the water* My fire magic won't work under water! What did Ashcroft say...That's it! Maya, I need something called Cinder Kelp!


Mercer: *he snaps out of his deluded anger long enough to see the smoke* Great...its started!

Styx: Shuriken and I will go on ahead and see what is going on. You two go meet up with Ai, Aero, and Stiletto. Go! *he and Shuriken glide off through the water*

Shuriken: Good thing blood flames work under water...

Styx: Indeed. *the two arrive at one of the streets. Standing there are Kudamori and Sampson* Looks like we found them...

Kudamori: Mages? Here?

Sampson: MRRRRRRPH! I DON'T CARE! I'LL GORE BOTH OF THEM!

Shuriken: *he lets out blood from his Estus Flasks and makes bloody flaming claws on his hands* That's unlikely.

Styx: *he puts up his fists* I advise caution, Shuriken...

Maya: hmmm.... Oh! *she pops the largest pearl off her necklace and opens it. Inside is a ball of red kelp* Here. I always keep some with my for good luck. Come on! *she starts swimming towards the smoke, a guitar bubbling into existance in her hands as she swims*


Aero: You got it! *she swims out, ice magic forming around her one hand* Lets gooooo!!

Adriee: OK! *she too heads toward the smoke*

Noah: *he holds the kelp in his hand. When it touches his skin, it lights ablaze and the ashes absorb into his body. Suddenly, he feels a rush of heat and his fire magic activates. He smiles and turns into a flaming comet, capable of keep up with Maya's full swimming speed* Right with you!


Mercer: *he and Adriee meet up with Ai, Aero, and Stiletto halfway* Found you morsels!

Ai: Where's Noah?

Mercer: He and the Mermaid are bringing up the rear. Styx and Shuriken went ahead to find out whats up. *the group arrives to find Shuriken and Styx both beaten up and bloody. Standing there is no longer just Kudamori and Sampson, but Brahgo as well.*

Brahgo: Oh look...more of them...

Shuriken: This guy...isn't normal at all...that magic...its....

Styx: So dark...I've never felt anything that evil...

Shuriken: I have...He's using...some form...OF LIFE-TAKER MAGIC!

Maya: *she happens upon the scene and takes a deep breath. She takes the guitar pick out of her mouth and her teeth immediately become 5in. long fangs. With a small smirk, she strikes a chord and wisps swarm around Aura wake* Your maximum damage output has been increased!

Aero: Sweet! Lets take our turn now?

Ai: *she holds out her arms* Acuteness! Exceed! Mage Armor! *her spells fly out, adding to Maya's spell* G-Good thing we have two support mages now!

Mercer: *he holds out his hand and his Bound Ripper forms* Time to shred these morsels! *he leaps forward, only to be caught by a blade flash. Standing there with his katana resting on his back as he blocks Mercer's blade is Baku.*

Baku: Nope...not getting through here.

Mercer: Cocky little morsel, ain't ya?!

Noah: *he steps forward and faces Brahgo* I'll fight you.

Brahgo: Your friends could barely handle me. What makes you any different?

Noah: This. *his staff lights on fire and then his flames turn white with green, blue, red, and yellow speckles* Flames of Aganon!

Brahgo: I heard of those fires...So, you're Noah Marcusson, son of Aura Wake First Generation's Marcus Wolfenritter?

Noah: That's me. And who are you?

Brahgo: They call me Nosferatu Brahgo. And that is all you need to know.

Noah: Don't count me out yet! *his body ignites and he flies at Brahgo, his staff poised to strike*

Brahgo: Nas...*hot pink energy creates veins on his skin* BOLG! *Noah's staff hits and Brahgo stands there, not even damaged*

Noah: W-what?!

Brahgo: Nas...KEN! *he jabs his finger into Noah's shoulder, piercing it*

Noah: *his eyes widen and he coughs out blood* W-what the hell?!

Brahgo: Face it...I'm far stronger than you, Noah Marcusson. I guess the tables have turned with this generation...

Noah: What do you mean?....

Sampson: *he glares at Aero, Adriee, and Stiletto* RRRRRRRRRMMMMMMMPPPPPPHHHHHHH! GET GORED! *he charges at them*

Kudamori: *he looks over at Maya and Ai* Supports...there is no honor in killing you. But I have no choice. Curse the gods for your fate...*he starts walking towards them*

Aero: *she dives out of the way, rolling several time due to the current Sampson had created.* Crap he's fast!

Adriee: *she grabs Stiletto and swims up, getting out of the charging bull. She quickly loads a life drain crystal* We really need to exercise more caution!!!

Maya: *She stands in front of Ai, baring her fangs. Her guitar was gone, but was replaced with two flutes (one in each hand) that had bayonets on the end.* I won't let you hurt my friend.