[Middy]

(Both in pet form for now)

"You said you wanted to trek in this strange cavern? For what? Nothing could possibly help us in here," Amdusias stopped and turned to his companion, who seemed more than willing to want to be here. Why he did was beyond him. Ziegler had his skull trained to the ground, as if he was in deep thought. "Well? Are you going to ignore me again? Is that it?"

The Kasuga raised his head to look at the Nyghtmare, swishing his twin tails back and forth, "For the last time, quit accusing me of ignoring you! You know I have a very scientific mind, I am simply... studying our new surroundings," Ziegler took this opportunity to walk ahead of his unwilling companion, turning back to look at him, "I'm also concerned about our medic, so this is an excuse to get away from him and ruminate on my thoughts."

"Cedric again? There is no need to worry about him until he actually does something. Besides, if my master can trust him, then we can too," The Nyghtmare shook his head,
"So quit your fretting."

The two began walking deeper into the cavern, the chill air cooling their hides the deeper they went. Ziegler refused to speak on the matter of Cedric any further, while Amdusias kept questioning why they were even in there to begin with.

[Thunder]

(Human form)

It had been a while since Ryuu left the cavern. Craiss was an excellent spot for hiding from pursuers, as few dared to venture into its dark depths. The scientists from Zukunftstechnologie were not likely to find him here. However, he couldn't stay forever. He had a mission- to find his lost sister, Tori- so really, he was only buying himself time to plan his next move. He wasn't sure of her exact location, but he had narrowed the list of places down and had to think hard about the best area to search next.

As he sat against a cave wall, ruminating to himself in the shadows, he suddenly picked up on what sounded like voices. Immediately, the dragon-winged man tensed. Could it be that the scientists had found him? There was only one way to find out for sure, and that was to track down the source of the noise. He rose from his spot on the ground and proceeded with caution.

Having lived in the cave for a few days, Ryuu's eyes were accustomed to the darkness, and he moved with relative ease. He had also become familiar with the cavern's layout fairly quickly, for the cruel scientists had given him a sharp mind- one of the few good things they did. It was only a matter of minutes for him to reach a chamber closer to the entrance of the caves. In this chamber was a row of thick, tall stalagmites, which he decided to hide behind. Holding his breath, he waited in utter silence for the owners of the voices to come by.

[Middy]

"Are you sure you needed something in here Ziegler, or is this just your way of 'getting out'," Amdusias made a glance at his companion, who was again just staring at the ground while he walked. The Nyghtmare groaned, then sighed, "'Just observing' again are we? I asked you a question you know...." he was growing impatient with him already, it was like this guy was tone deaf or something.

"No, I heard you... I just thought I heard something else in here," Ziegler stopped abruptly almost having Amdu slam into him, ignoring the complaints of the other he continued, "It came from this direction, come on, let's check it out."

'Let's check it out?' Amdusias gave another annoyed groan, "So ignoring anything your gut is telling you right now... what if it's something dangerous? Is your brain still so scientific that you can't realize a potential threat? How are you going to be when it comes to being on the battlefield!"

"I sense no danger from whatever is in here, and of course I will think differently on the battlefield. Does it look like we are on a battlefield to you? Trust me on this one..." without second thought, Ziegler moved onward. He was determined to see what or who was in this cave, even if he had to deal with his companion's complaints.

"Fine, I'll bite, but if we run into serious trouble I'm blaming you.... besides I guess it would be a perfect time to hone our skills."

2/2

[Thunder]

As the voices grew ever closer, Ryuu could make out the entire conversation. Aside from the fact that they had apparently detected him, the other thing that stood out in the two's discussion was the talk about a battlefield. Was there some kind of conflict going on in the world right now? Prior to stealing away in the caverns, Ryuu had picked up some tidbits on tensions between two factions while hiding around, but at that time, things had not yet boiled into physical conflict. If fighting really was going to begin, that changed his plans entirely.

Since the two creatures were apparently approaching him and didn't seem to be related to Zukunftstechnologie, Ryuu saw no reason to continue hiding. He rose from behind the stalagmites and faced the newcomers. They were both hoofed creatures; one was a Kasuga and the other wasn't any species he really recognized, though it looked like some type of devilish Nyghtmare. The flames on their bodies lit up the cavern and made Ryuu's own features entirely visible.

Standing at around six feet tall and boasting metal dragon wings as well as eeriely glowing, orange lizard eyes, Ryuu was certainly intimidating when it came to appearances. He hoped that this wouldn't encourage them to attack him, or else he would have to fight back. To make sure his lack of threat was clear, he spoke up in a low, hoarse voice. "Indeed, I mean you no harm... Who are you?"

[Middy]

Amdusias was the first one to notice the strange man who was in the cavern with him, his appearance sure was an odd one; if not a tad threatening. He gave a short snort at him, stomping a fore-hoof into the ground. Even though he said he was of no threat, it wasn't going to make the Nyghtmare drop his guard so suddenly. "So you are the one my companion sensed. Very well, I will take your word for meaning us no harm," the equine gestured towards the cursed Kasuga, who was busy looking the strange man over, "This is Ziegler, he is tone deaf and quite difficult to put up with."

The Kasuga in question nodded, giving another quick look-over, "You are quite the interesting looking sort. I don't think I have seen anything quite like you before..." why would a man be in such a place like this? Was he hiding out until the war had come and passed? Ah, perfect questions to be asking him then. "What is your name? Are you hiding here until the upcoming war is over?"

The Nyghtmare looked towards his soon to be war partner with a tilt of his head. He had never thought that this man could be seeking refuge from the conflict, or heck, if he was going to be a part of it then what side was he on?

3/3

[Thunder]

Judging by his reactions, the Nyghtmare did seem to be a bit wary of Ryuu, which was a reasonable feeling to have. But as long as they didn't become threatening, Ryuu would accept this attitude towards him. He gazed at each of them and nodded his acknowledgement of their introductions.

"...my name is Ryuu," he replied to Ziegler. As for the second question, he had not known there was a war about to begin, so obviously his answer was a negative. "I am hiding here, but not from war... I did not hear of any wars before I came here... I suppose it only began recently?"

He had no intentions of telling them what he was hiding from, just in case there was any chance of them reporting to Zukunftstechnologie later. The scientists of that underground organization were utterly brilliant- they couldn't have joined it otherwise- and would definitely find ways to take advantage of this war. Ryuu was their own creation, but he was on their wanted list since he burned down one of their major laboratories in the mountains. The reason was not one he particularly wanted to remember.

Still, these two could be vital sources of information about the war for Ryuu, so he planned on talking with them for a while. Though there was always the chance that they'd be biased towards their own side, biased information would be better than none in this situation. He'd have to gather as much knowledge as possible in order to make any further decisions.

[Middy]

"So, you have no association with the war that is about to take place? I see..." Amdusias thought for a moment, if this man was still on a neutral standing, then perhaps he could coax him onto their side- the Imperials. This Ryuu looked strong, that was obvious; and they were always looking for more numbers for war.

Ziegler had the same thing on his mind, but was far more interested in asking non-war related questions. Ryuu had mentioned that he was in hiding, but from whom; and why? "If you are not hiding due to the war, then what are you hiding from?" the Kasuga motioned towards him, giving another glance at Ryuu from head to toe. His eyes were mostly drawn on the mechanical wings that protruded from the man's back, wondering if they were capable of letting him fly or not. So many questions he wanted to ask him, but deep down he knew Amdusias wouldn't stand for that.

"Enough gawking at him Ziegler, keep your scientific research to yourself for a change. We have more important things to ask about..." Amdusias stepped forward, pushing the Kasuga away, "Have you given any thought about choosing a side? Or are you one to remain neutral? it was forward, but that is the kind of person Amdu was. He liked to cut to the chase and ignore petty details, Ziegler on the other hand, was all talk. He seemed more interested in studying someone rather than recruiting, was he really worth having on their side?

4/4

[Thunder]

The glow of Ryuu's eyes grew slightly stronger at Ziegler's question, as if to warn the Kasuga, but otherwise his expression remained neutral. He was about to remark that he wasn't going to answer such questions when the Nyghtmare shoved his companion to the side. He had different questions to respond to now, however. While it seemed that Ziegler was mostly just curious about him, Amdu was probably going to convince him to join their side...whatever that was. Advertising was how armies got lots of their recruits, after all.

"...it would depend," Ryuu simply said. "I know nothing of this conflict, and so I cannot make a decision yet... What is this war about?"

There were advantages and disadvantages to joining the war. The major disadvantage was, obviously, that being in an army would make Ryuu more visible. If the scientists wanted to track him down, it would be much easier for them to do that. Although joining a faction could give him protection from that side, things might change in an instant with some bribery, and even a bionic being designed for battle like him could be dispensable to an army. The major advantage was related to his sister, Tori. Although Ryuu wasn't exactly certain on her whereabouts, he had narrowed her location down enough to conclude that she was somewhere on Lambastia. If he joined the side that defended Lambastia, he could have a greater chance of finding her, and furthermore,he could protect her estimated location from enemy forces.

Weighing these two options in his mind, he felt that joining a side could be the better option, for he valued his sister's life far more than his own. But of course, there was still the choice of neutrality; he could do whatever he wanted in that case. The only issue with going neutral was that he could be considered an enemy by both sides. That, combined with the scientists already pursuing him, was a lot to be cautious of.

[Middy]

Amdusias was glad that he got Ryuu's attention, and got him to ignore Ziegler's mad babbling about science and what not. Really, the man could learn to keep his mind focused on the task at hand. The more he acted this way, the more Amdu was beginning to re-think having him on the side of the Imperials-- and fighting nonetheless. Hopefully his skills in battle were just as top notch as his intelligence.

"My companion and I are on the side of the Imperials, and for what the war is about; I believe it to be a reenactment of the first. It may concern the Tear, and it may not. All I know is that there has been civil unrest," it was odd telling him that he wasn't sure what the war was really about, the leaders had been a bit hush hush on the whole subject-- but what the Imperials stood for was his selling point.

Ziegler stepped up, now standing to Amdusias' side. " We are the seekers of order, the listeners of truth, and the judges to bring wrath down upon those who would threaten the Imperial mission..." he recited, remembering the pitch that got their attention in the first place. He had remembered the whole thing easily. His memory was one of his strong points after-all.

"The Purines stand for balance, and truth.... but I don't think they can be completely trusted. They want peace, but is that really a realistic goal? Also, how do we know what they are saying holds up? What if they are playing us? I just can't see them as being trusted," sure he was biased, but he was also giving his honest opinion on the opposing side. They just seemed.... too nice at times, and that was fishy.

5/5

[Thunder]

Ryuu had gotten information out of them, and that was good. Now he had to think over everything. He had not been involved in the first war when it happened five years ago, for at that time he was still living in Zukunftstechnologie's laboratory, so he was not too sure of the details for that conflict. But he wasn't totally ignorant. He had heard snippets about the Maiden's Tear. It was supposedly a tear cried by the goddess Yepha long ago, and the Imperialists had wanted it for its great power, invading Barakka to get to its supposed location. The Imperialists, of course, had been defeated, so it would be reasonable to believe that this new war was going to be a second attempt for the Tear.

Ryuu, though, cared not for the Tear or the politics of Lambastia and Barakka. He was focused on survival and finding Tori. If participating in the war would help him reach those goals, then he would do so regardless of the beliefs and practices of either side. He would only refuse to fight if someone tried to force him to. That would never happen again, not after the tragedy that happened years ago.

He decided not to tell these two that he didn't really care for the reasoning behind the factions' actions. That could raise suspicion, and in the case that he joined their side, he didn't want to make unnecessary enemies.

"You Imperialists...you protect Lambastia, correct?" he asked, blinking at them. "I assume you are the attacking party and not on the defensive..." Although fighting was guaranteed to happen on both continents, there would probably be fewer battles in the invader's homeland. The Purines would be better off repelling attacks on their own territory since they had the advantage of knowing the land better, and so they were less likely to go and start attacks on foreign ground, where they would lose that advantage.

[Middy]

Amdusias was glad he earned some more interest from Ryuu, now he just needed to reel him in over to the side of the Imperials. "You are correct, we are the protectors of Lambastia. We are also the attacking party," he swished his tail from side to side and tilted his head at the metal winged man, "Even if we are the attacking party, we are the ones that are to be trusted. We know about what sort of power the Tear holds, so really; we don't want it to fall in the wrong hands."

Ziegler sighed, Amdusias was giving this boy the run-down of the Imperials and what they stood for. His approach to recruiting Ryuu would be a tad different. Sure, he would give him the basics of the Imperial army, but he would also approach him on a more personal level. People always joined the war for moral or personal reasons, or even just so they could fight for their country. "Might I add something? There will be other perks to being with the Imperials. Protection from harm, access to information not available to the public, even a place to stay. You will be taken care of there."

Amdusias would smile if he could at Ziegler's approach, he could tell what he was trying to do-- and he liked it. There was indeed a reason why Ryuu was hiding in here. If it wasn't due to the war, then maybe it was because someone was hunting him down. Yes, perhaps they could drag him over to their side.

6/6

[Thunder]

As far as Ryuu knew, the Purines hadn't been interested in using the Tear in the previous war, so there was a clear bias to Amdusias's words. But still, the fact remained that Ryuu cared not for motives and only wanted the best choice for protecting Tori. If Lambastia was going to see less fighting than Barakka, then his sister would be in less danger that way. However, even if he joined the Imperialists, there was no way of knowing which continent he would get stationed at. He might as well get sent to Barakka the whole time and end up nowhere near Tori's estimated location. The only certainty would be that he could strike down those who might invade Lambastia and threaten his sister.

Ziegler's words sounded appealing, but then again... "...couldn't the Purines do the same?" Ryuu asked, giving the Kasuga a questioning look. When it came to talk about war, the dragon winged man was not going to be an easy one to convince, especially with the scientists lurking about. These two would really have to prove their words to him.

[Middy]

Ryuu was starting to annoy Amdusias a bit, but that was due to him having limited patience. He was wondering if this man was really worth trying to get on their side or not-- but then again the Imperials were short on numbers. Sure, those numbers were steadily rising, but from what he had been hearing the Purine army was still had an upper hand recruit wise. So far, it seemed like Ziegler had some coaxing skills so he would let him speak alone for awhile longer. He would intervene if he saw the two's conversation going around in circles.

"True, the Purines may give you the same; but I assure you the Imperials work much more efficiently. We also treat our members like family, fighting towards the same goal. If any outside forces are say... after you, then we will be there to back you up. Without fail," Ziegler tilted his head again, the glowing embers for eyes burning brighter. Unlike Amdusias, Ziegler had all the patience in the world and was very determined on bringing Ryuu to their side.

"So they found someone to recruit? Here in a cave hm? .... Interesting" Cedric stood near-by, his back tight against the wall. Unlike his companions, he took on his human form; since it was what he was most comfortable with. Cedric ran a few fingers through his black slicked back hair and adjusted his glasses, still intent on just listening in. For now, he would not interfere, and if they noticed him then perhaps introductions were in order.

((Hope you don't mind me bringing in Cedric XD He is very easy to RP for me =3))
7/7/1

[Thunder]

Words were only words, and Ryuu had to keep reminding himself of that as he listened to Ziegler. He wasn't sure if he would be able to get any more useful information out of the two for now, and he knew he wouldn't be able to see what the Imperialists were truly like unless he decided to join them. Something flickered in his eyes and he lowered his head slightly. "...I'll consider it," he said noncommittally.

No sooner than he spoke up, he saw something shift in the darkness out of the corner of his eye. Ryuu immediately tensed and turned to the direction of the movement. The glow of his eyes blazed menacingly, and a growl rose in his throat. "Who's there?" he rumbled. "Show yourself."

Had Amdusias and Ziegler brought in someone to nab him in the case that he didn't join the Imperialists? It was possible, but he didn't want to act too quickly; if there was no threat to be found, aggression could possibly just get Ryuu into trouble. Still, he kept his guard up and didn't take his eyes off of the shadows.

[Middy]

Amdusias and Ziegler already had an idea of who was with them in the cave. Ziegler already felt iffy about being around the man in question, and him showing his face here only made it worse for him. Amdusias on the other hand knew he could rely on the doctor, "Cedric, come on out."

The doctor came into view, "No need to be alarmed young sir," he said smiling at Ryuu. It was true, he had no intentions on harming the man here, he saw no reason to. He was merely here to check out where his comrades went.

"This is Cedric Giles... our medic," as soon as Ziegler said that, he turned his attention away from said medic and back to Ryuu. He was a bit pleased that he was getting the man to consider their offer of joining the Imperials after-all.

"A pleasure to meet you," Cedric said with a graceful bow. He knew he had to be the least intimidating person here, and that was fine. If he were in his monster form then he could see why people would be intimidated or afraid of him. Really, it wasn't a flattering form of his, and rather stuck to his normal, human form.

21/14