The scene opens up with Loki and Shura walking towards the edge of town. Shura was on the right and Loki floated just above Shura’s shoulder. Shura had several questions about his new pet but he had to think about how to word it. How could he ask something questions with the language barrier present. He had no real way of simplifying the questions that required answers. There was a silence between the two, not awkward kind however. It was the kind of silence that showed both were in deep thought while keeping an eye on the surrounding area. They knew they were in dangerous territory. Loki was new to the area but he had animal instincts. Shura was a warrior so he kept himself on edge to make sure he did not get lazy. Dahlia was a place shrouded in a veil of the unknown. Not to mention Shura knew the Red Queen could people up at any given moment.

For those not knowing who the Red Queen is. She is a unknown species to Shura. He was pretty sure she was not human. No human could move the way she did. Or maybe he just had not see someone normal do such a thing. Then again the concept of evolution weighed in. She was what the end looked like. A clear goal of what the mountain peak was like. Geno and Berial held back against Shura in their training sessions. That was a sort of hindrance in the long run. They set the bar but the Red Queen lifted it higher. That day he knew what true despair and fear tasted like. To face the terror of death was something he never wanted to feel again. This was how he lost his arm and in return he gained experience. On top of that he was able to overcome the wall he sat behind. It only took being caressed by death itself to do so. ‘The darkest hour is always before the dawn.’ He had the choice to stay in the darkness and fade away. Never reaching out and grabbing the wheel of fate. Or he could stand tall and take the wheel and speed down the highway of life. The dawn came and it was wonderful. Since that day Shura has grown considerably in strength in a short amount of time. The time had come to shine and be the light in the darkness.

This is when a Ranzu is most dangerous. A force that drives them to soar into the heavens and become something more. What that something is unknown, only time could tell what Shura was going to do with himself. The one thing that was sure was that the path he was walking now was perilous.

512/1000

It only gets harder the stronger he gets. Obstacles will pop up along the way. As long as there's a hole, it is a man’s job to thrust into it. He could no longer hide behind a mask. It was unfitting for someone trying to become a symbol of leadership for the world he needed to stand on the grand stage for all to see. He was excited to finally make himself known to the world. He knew his ambitions were going to invite stronger challengers. For the first time in a while Shura felt alive.

There was one order of business that needed to be taken care of first. He needed to make sure it was clear who the Guild Master was. He was going to solidify his position as the Guild master of Phantom Lord. For now he had to use the iron fist tactic and establish dominance early. The strong only recognize the strong. He did not have a speech prepared, sometimes the greatest lines came in the heat of the moment. He just mentally prepared for what was to come. Loki nudged Shura a bit as they were standing at the beginning of the road leading out of town.

“Gastly?” Loki’s tone conveyed a sense of worry. He wasn’t used to the idea of Shura being so quiet. One thing Loki noticed right off the back was Shura talked...a lot. So being silent like this was uncharacteristic.

“Don’t worry Loki, I am just lost in my thought, I apologize. We are going to oak. I must ask something of you.”

Shura stopped and turned to Loki liking his companion in the eyes. “The path I must walk is dangerous and perilous. It is a lot to ask of someone to face death with me. So I won’t, I am informing you of what could happen. We are going to face impossible odds and unstoppable foes.  If you choose to walk away now, I will not hate you for it. If not, we are in this together till the end.”

Loki had a cocky grin on his face with a look of determination on his face. He did not need to say anything. That face was more than enough. “Let’s go change the world then.”

Loki nodded and responded confidently “Gastly.”

Shura looked down and pulled his cloak up, “I definitely need some new clothes.”

Loki agreed again, “Gastly.”

They both laughed and set off in the direction of oak. It was a few days trip but it would be good for them. Some more time to bond and grow with each other. Shura appreciated little moments like that. Because he knew there could possibly be a time they will not be able to do this. Little did Shura know, there was a power in Gastly like him. A dormant one waiting to be awoken, and only overcoming trials will that power become unlocked. They needed to head out west so pretty much the other side of Fiore. Dahlia was on the far east of Fiore so it was going to be a long trip.

This was the team Shura needed to mentally prepare himself for what was to come at the end of this trip. But first he needed to get refitted for a more suitable outfit. Due to all of the training and such he was actually starting to gain a bit of muscle. His clothes were a wee bit too tight for him. 'Hopefully there is a tailor in town.'

[Exit]