*Laharl boards the ship* Alright, i'm here to collect the air-travel tax! I KNOW you've been avoiding it!

(Eizen looks at Laharl with a confused expression.) Air travel? We're on the seas first of all and second of all we're pirates. We don't exactly bow down to anyone elses rules. Who are you anyway?

Oh, yeah... I kinda evaporated the sea with too many Tera fires. The name's Laharl, overlord of the Nexus!

(Eizen walks over in shock to see the sea evaporated.) What the hell! Dammit, is this part of the Reaper's curse, too? (Eizen turns to looks at the Laharl.) Just what kind of daemon are you?

I just fucking told you, i'm the overlord of the Nexus!

(Eizen sits down and looks to one of the crew.) Whiskey...please... (The pirate runs into the ship and comes back with a bottle of whiskey and a glass before passing them to Eizen.) Overlord? Nexus? I didn't know we had an overlord and also I'm not too sure what this Nexus thing you're talking about is. (Eizen opens the bottles and begins pouring it into a glass. He begins drinking the whiskey quickly as he speaks.)

*Gamma walks on board from beneath the deck, stretching and yawning. Soon he notices the ocean, or lack therof, and sighs* Oh come on, what am I, cursed or something? I can't even stow away on some random boat without the world exploding around me.

(Eizen looks over to Gamma.) You again, kid. Well not like a stowaway is the biggest problem right now and you're not the one who's cursed, that would be me.

*Gamma yawns and looks around* Well Blondie, unless you've been following me around to parks and workplaces and causing explosions, I don't think your "curse" applies to me so much.

(Eizen looks up slightly annoyed.) Enough with the Blondie stuff. You can call me Eizen, I'm known more famously as the Reaper though. (Eizen takes on a serious expression.) Has misfortune been following you that much? Maybe you have the same thing I do, the Reaper's curse. If I stay anywhere too long, misfortune always follows me. The nickname "The Reaper" comes from the fact that people always seem to die around me, it's a curse I've had to bear for a long time now.

Well, how about I cure you of that curse? For a price, of course

*Gamma chuckles and glances at Eizen* So we finally get to introductions. Very well Eizen, you can call me Gamma, at least that's what I ask people to call me. *Gamma sighs and looks over the side of the ship* Well, it usually doesn't take too long for me. First day on a job, bam. Hole in the roof. Boom. Door explodes. Hard to find work with a reputation like that. Though usually no one is seriously harmed. Physically anyways.

(Eizen gets up and slips the coin again.) I've tried every cure known to man already, nothing works. Besides, I know better than to make a deal with a daemon. Not exactly the trustworthy type.

It's not like i'd be taking much. I'd just force you into eternal slavery!

(Eizen looks at Gamma with a still stern expression.) Well, doesn't sound quite as bad as my curse. Sounds more like trouble just seems to find you wherever you go. Reminds me of an ally of mine in a way though I haven't seen them since coming here. The only person I've seen that I somewhat know was that witch from before, though I don't know where she ran off to.

(Eizen scoffs at Laharl's remark.) No deal, freedom is something I value above all else and I'm not about to have that freedom taken away for any reason.

Well, that just makes you unimportant to me then! So, I guess I might as well just kill you! *Summons a meteor*

*Gamma looks up to the sky as he speaks* I've actually seen quite a few witches around here. Would be hard to tell who you mean without more detail. *Gamma shrugs* To be fair, I've brought a fair bit of the trouble on myself. But well, I've got an associate who might be able to clear things up for me soon. Then it's all smooth sailing.

*Gamma sighs and walks over to Laharl* Honestly dude, after fighting the ocean how about you take a break. Shiranui, Dormina. *Gamma's persona washes over Laharl to give him a feeling of exhaustion*

(Eizen sighs as he looks up at the impending meteor.) Guess, this is part of the Reaper's curse too then. Well, looks like I can't hold back. Soul Burst: Draconic Drive! (Black wings appear on Eizen's back as his figure becomes darker overall and his eyes light up with red flames. He begins flying up as a cluster of energy gathers in his hands before he unleashes the energy into the meteor causing a massive wave of explosive flames to engulf the meteor. Eizen lands back on the ground as the dark wings disappear and he returns to normal.) Didn't think I'd have to get so serious...

*Gamma's attack does nothing to Laharl* Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Fool! I'm way to strong for such a trick to work on me! I will take a nap, not because you told me to, but because i'm lazy! *Laharl takes a nap*

*Gamma just blinks a few times looking between Eizen and Laharl* What just..... *sigh* I just shouldn't be surprised at this point. Just accept it Gamma... Just accept it.

(Eizen goes back to leaning against a wall before he sighs.) Sorry about that, I'm not about to let this ship be destroyed though. Anyway, you can just ignore what you just saw. It's just a trick I learned to do under certain circumstances.

*Gamma chuckles before remarking* "Oh no, please pay no attention to the guy turning into a freaky dragon thing. That's not important at all" *Gamma shrugs* You don't have to tell me what the deal is, but I'm most certainly not forgetting it.

(Eizen shrugs.) Everyone's got their secrets and things that they'd rather not remember.

*Gamma glances around as though bored* You're starting to remind me of a snake I know. Not... Not a literal snake. For some reason all the actual snakes I know are quite straightforward.... *sigh* I can't even have a normal conversation at this point, can I?

(Eizen looks at Gamma and crosses his arms.) You certainly have some strange friends, but I guess I'm not one to talk. The people I had been traveling with are as strange a group as it gets.

*Gamma scratches the back of his neck before looking back at Eizen* Friend is a bit of a strong word. I've always been more of a loner really. After all, of you can't get something for yourself, you really shouldn't have it.

(Slowly but surely the water in the ocean begins filling once more.) Seems we're going to be able to set sail again. (Eizen looks over at Gamma and smirks.) Maybe, but I'm still a pirate. I take what I want and do what I want. I'll do anything to protect that freedom even if it means getting others to help me by force. I have a sense of honor but when it comes to helping my crew, I won't hesitate to resort to even the dirtiest of schemes.

*Gamma starts laughing* Man....... I've heard a lot of friendship speeches..... But that's a new one.... I still don't really get this camaraderie thing..... Especially if you keep hurting them with your "curse"..... *Gamma stands up and stops laughing* But if you're really following through with this... I guess I can tag along.

(Eizen laughs a bit and continues smirking.) Consider it less of a friendship and more of a life debt from me. I owe the captain of this crew that debt and I intend to repay it. Either way, if you want to come along with us, that's your choice. (The ship begins setting sail once more as the ocean has almost fully refilled itself at this point.) Strange place, where the ocean can be drained only to refill itself later.

*Gamma shrugs and smiles* I've got nothing better to do at the moment, so I guess I'll tag along. *Gamma looks down, pulling his hat over his eyes* As for where we are, we'll, a full explanation would probably take hours and be filled with guesswork. The gist of it is that people and places from all sorts of walks of life find themselves in this "Nexus", often against their will and without their knowledge. These worlds can often have vastly different rules. This makes things so much more confusing.

(Eizen looks up slightly before closing his eyes.) I see. It'll probably take some time for me to fully understand the situation but for the most part, we're in another world where the rules don't always apply. Well, regardless, we're a tough crew who've been through plenty of trouble in the past. Whatever this "Nexus" throws at us, we'll always find a way to over it. (An island with a dock can be seen approaching in the distance. The dock looks old and degraded but it still seems possible to use. Eizen stands up straight and begins shouting orders at the crew as they run around and make adjustments to the sail.)

*Gamma sighs and scratches the back of his neck* Yeah, that's pretty much how I've started to operate. Whatever happens, happens, and you kinda just deal with it. *Gamma looks around at the bustling crew* Well then, you need anything else from me *yawn* Or am I good to just wait for now?

(Eizen looks over at Gamma as the ship begins approaching the island.) My crew can handle the sailing. We've navigated much harsher seas after all. No offense, but you most likely would get in the way if you've never sailed before. (The Van Eltia finally arrives at the dock and is tied off. Eizen walks over to the side of the ship and jumps off landing on the dock.)

*Gamma runs after Eizen, nearly falling after he lands* So, you do this sort of thing often? I mean... I'm far from the most agile guy, but you're kinda a step above most I've seen.

(Ezien walks forward after giving Gamma some time to catch up.) Well, I'm far from human believe it or not. But even for what I am, I've been told I'm a step above the rest. Exploring new islands like this is something we do often though. Back in our world, one of our crew's goals was to map out the entire world, but I guess since we're no longer in our world we'll have to map out this one instead. Though from what you've told me about this "Nexus" that won't be an easy task.

*Gamma laughs as he walks beside Eizen, hands behind his head* Just try me. I don't think anything could surprise me anymore. Trying to map the Nexus is pretty much impossible since new things keep getting added, but I guess the effort isn't entirely wasted. After all, even if you don't succeed, at least you've got a better idea of where you've been and where you're going.

(As they walk the path begins to open up into a large plains overshadowed by a large mountain. The grass is long with a few oddly shaped flowers covering it from place to place. In the center of the plains the path leads to a large stone circle with a peculiar altar in the center.) Well, this certainly looks familiar. I wonder if this Nexus sucked this in from my own world.

Well Eizen, it brought in you, your crew, and apparently some witch. So its pretty likely some locations are here too now. *Gamma casts Eizen a sideways glance while facing the altar* But if you know this place that means getting around should be pretty easy at least.

(Eizen expression becomes serious as he hazed at the stone altar before walking up to it.) Aye, in my world this is an island that's known as a danger zone. Their places that ezorcists have driven the most dangerous of daemons to because they couldn't figure out how to kill them. These altars work as a lire of sorts, if it's triggered the daemons will be called over from wherever they are on the island. I don't exactly understand why they set these up but that's the gist of it.

*Gamma chuckles and steps closer to the altar* Let me guess, we're totally going to just walk away from the island, right? Yeah, I think everyone knows that's not happening.

(Eizen sighs at Gamma's remark.) I was going to, your free to make a different choice if you want though. Some say that defeating the summoned daemon gives you some sort of treasure but that might just be some rumor ezorcists spread to get people to do their jobs for them.

Well then, I'm personally a fan of living so I think we can pass on that. Shame though, its a pretty little island. I imagine the daemon presence is part of what keeps it that way. People are scared to approach.

(Eizen smiles at Gamma.) Yeah, probably better to not mess with the natural ord- (The altar begins glowing despite no one activating it. Eizen sighs.) Reaper's curse. (A group of werewolf-like creatures with purple fur and a shadowy aura begins popping up out of the ground.)

*Gamma shakes his head* Can't even stroll onto an island, can I? Well, no matter, sorry to ruin the pretty grass. Shiranui, Ice Age. *I think we all know how this song and dance goes. A sheet of ice begins spreading beneath Gamma, quickly covering the area around the alter, and spreading towards the creatures* You've seen this in action before, right Eizen? If nothing else, the initial layer will slow them down and provide me with something to build on later.

(Eizen gets into a fighting stance as the wolfs begin approaching Gamma and Eizen.) Aye, be careful about letting them hit you. A normal human with no exorcist abilities might get infected with the daemon's blight. (Eizen rushes forward with a burst of wind attempting to deliver a swift uppercut to one of the wolfs followed by a right hook reinforced with mana.) (The wolf in front is knocked to the side by Eizen's assault while the others approach trying to keep their balance on the ice.)

*Gamma sighs and smiles at the wolves on the ice* So, daemons carry some sort of terrible disease. No matter, I won't let them anywhere near me. Shiranui, Diamond Dust. *Shiranui bursts into life around Gamma and roars as 6 spears of ice form in the air around him. These spears arc outwards before converging on one of the frontmost wolves, crashing into each other and shattering into dozens of shards in the case of a miss*

(*The spears of ice hit a wolf approaching from behind the one Eizen knocked down. The spears impale the daemon and shatter upon impact causing shards to fly into the one behind it as well. The shards don't do much damage but cause it to recoil trying to cover its eyes while the final two daemons try to make their way around it. The impaled demon begins to disintegrate into a purplish mist. Eizen rushes towards the downs daemon and jumps into the air before crashing down on it with his fists, causing the ice underneath it to burst into a tremor. The daemon disappears into a cloud of purple mist as one of the other jumps over the blinded daemon and runs at Gamma with its claws out. It prepares to try and slash at him with a hungry look in its eyes.)

*Gamma briefly steps back from the Daemon as he summons his persona* A little too close there. Shiranui, Dormina. *Gamma brings up his staff to block the daemon's claws as his persona forms around him and rushes into the wolf, passing over it with a wave of exhaustion*

(The daemon falls asleep and stumbles to the ground as the blinded daemon finally glares over to Gamma only to be blocked by Eizen rushing in front of it with a wind step and punching it the gut followed by a brown cicle appearing around his feat.) Malak Art: Stone Edge! (A burst of rocks and ice crashes into the two daemons in front of Eizon, pushing them back and knocking them down.)

Malak.... So that's what you're called. Interesting. Might want to get out of the way Eizen. Shiranui, Ice Age. *A much larger sheet of ice begins to creep forward from beneath Gamma. It moves quickly across the pre-established ice, but is greatly slowed down by the broken ground as it expands in an attempt to cover and freeze the downed daemon*

I see where your heads at. Soul Burst: Draconic Drive! (Shadowy Reaper like wings appear on Aizen's back as he jumps upwards and over the expanding ice. The ice covers and freezes the daemon in front of Gamma as well as the ones that Eizen knocked down. Eizen begins building a cluster of fiery energy in his hands before dropping it upon the frozen daemons and causing them break into pieces from the fusion of hot and cold. The only Daemon left is the one in front of Gamma as it slowly tries to get up but struggles due to the combination of freezing and exhaustion. Eizen floats back to the ground as the wings disappear and he returns to normal.)

*Gamma sighs and summons his persona* Shiranui, finish the poor thing. Eigaon. *Tendrils of darkness appear from the ground beneath the heavily injured Daemon and attempt to crush it into the ground* Honestly, I kinda feel sorry for the monsters if there are guys like you around.

(Eizen walks back up to Gamma.) These monster's used to be people but they lost their humanity due to Demon's blight. It's a sad fate but not all daemon's end up like this. As for people like me, sure there are plenty of exorcists around but most won't even do their job. They care more about protecting the people inside the cities then the people left outside. Other than that, Malaks like me is a rarity. Most are treated like slaves by exorcists. (Eizen begins walking back to the ship.) Anyway, it's time to return to town, this was only meant to be a short expedition to see if these seas were sailable. Better hurry back to the ship if you don't want to be left behind.

*Gamma sighs and follows Eizen* Glad I didn't let one touch me then. Would suck to end up like those poor fools. You keep mentioning exorcists, so I would guess they're pretty important in your world. But the word kinda means nothing to me.

An exorcist is a human with the capability of forming a pact with a Malak. Only certain people can be exorcists from what I understand and the majority of them are part of an order of exorcists. They're kind of like law enforcement these days and they treat Malak's like their personal slaves. I've even seen Malak's who have their personalities sealed away for the sake of being obedient. It doesn't matter too much though, the exorcists don't even seem to exist here anyway. (Eizen reaches the ship and climbs back on board.)

*Gamma sighs while still off the ship* Oh boy, more jargon. I should be used to it by now. Exorcists suond like pretty much any other government though. *Gamma slowly climbs back aboard the ship* And I take it with that this little adventure's over. Thanks for the explanations. Always nice to know more about other places, you know?

Information is a powerful thing, now that I've lost all my connections by coming to this new world, I'm going to have to focus on building some new ones. Either way, this was just a small expedition to test the waters so to speak. We'll need to go back to the mainland, for now, to try to properly prepare for this fluctuating sea as well as gather more information on this place. (The ships begins to set sail for Shibuya as Eizen begins commanding the crew.)