OOC: Well, this is that RPG I was talking about. I decided to post it in the 'Other Adventures' section because of how limited its potential would be in the Epic area. In other words, I don't think it would fit in there. Also, keep in mind that this takes place a year or so after most events. Galbatorix has been dethroned and all that good stuff.

IC:

Natsu simply lay in the grass, glancing towards the sky in boredom. Erza had flown off to hunt for the first time in the last couple of days, Galbatorix had finally met his demise, and the Allatik War was over. Things weren't just peaceful; there were more than peaceful, to the point of boring.

Natsu scoffed, disgusted with himself. Had he really grown used to all of the daily fighting? To the constant fear of having something slip through his wards? The thought that he missed it all was disconcerting, considering this peace was certainly well-deserved. He was young and had seen more than most twice his age in a normal era. Of course, one could argue that he hadn't seen near as much as many that were in the war against Galbatorix.

He sat up and went to his sword, which sat against a small rock. With a single word, he put out the campfire. He would make a new one when it got dark, and it wasn't cold enough to where he would actually need it. He held his sword in a ready position, and breathed in, then out, in an effort to set himself at ease. Then without warning, he jumped forward in a lunge, stabbing through an imaginary opponent. He then twisted around, swiping his sword through the air in a horizontal slash that would have cleaved any unarmored humanoid in two. He followed with a series of strikes, each more different than the last.

He had grown used to practicing his swordsmanship when he was honing his skills in preparation for the Allatik War. Of course, then, he had had Sephora's mother to spar with. Now all he had was the air he breathed. In the midst of a small flip, his ears perked as he heard something rush through the air. It wasn't the roaring wind a dragon would produce; it was something far more subtle, yet just as lethal in a way.

Extending his hand, he shouted, "Letta!" The projectile stopped just a few feet from his neck. It was a dart. The grip was clad in black leather and the tip of the metal blade was coated with a substance so thin, that it nearly avoided even his own sight. He recognized the liquid immediately, however. Poison! Just as the realization struck him, seven figures emerged from the trees across the plain. Natsu cursed: in his thoughts of peace, he had convinced himself to set up camp directly in the middle of a plain, in easy sight!

Their speed was surprising, and faster than any human other than a Rider could run. It bordered that of the elves. However, that wasn't all. They moved with a certain finesse, that which even rivaled that of the elves. Each one held a various weapon, but from the way at which they held it, Natsu could tell that each must have been quite skilled in their own weapon. They were clad in black leather, with cowls that obscured their faces. They must have been assassins.

And just when I was thinking about peace!

OOC: Ok, first and foremost: sorry for the long post. I had planned on this being in Epic, so. . .yeah. Anyway, feel free to join in and help Natsu fight against them. Just know that each one is warded from most spells, and they're all quite skilled in defending their mind and using a weapon. In short, don't completely beast-mode them all. This does have a set plot, but if there's something that anyone wants to do before we move the plot along, then feel free.

Sephora lounged on Javen's back as he walked slowly forward, watching the clouds drift across the azure blue sky. There was nothing to do anymore. Galbatorix was dead. The war between the Empire, Surda, and Varden was over. The Allatik War was over. Had been over for a long time now. She closed her eyes, then smiled slightly when she felt the body underneath her back vibrate with a rumble.
What are you laughing, Javen? she asked her Guardian without opening her eyes. The giant jaguar purred and turned his head to look at her over his shoulder, even though she wasn't looking at him in return.
Nothing of great importance. Just thinking of the irony of the situation. All these years wishing for peace and for revenge, and now that it's been given and done, we all wish for at least a little action. he said, and swished his tail. She snorted softly and opened her eyes.
You wish it was quite and peaceful. It might be quite and peaceful for us, the people that roam the lands, but for the people in the new Empire, there is a whole different war going on there. she commented dryly. One that I would like to avoid as much as I can. But at one time or another it will probably happen; the Allatik's are a part of Alagaësia now, so they will have to be a part of the decisions for the future. Sephora yawned and stretched a bit, though not enough to dislodge her precarious position on Javen's back. They plodded along slowly, simply enjoying each others company and in the serenity around them. Sephora's eyes had closed a few minutes ago and she dozed a bit. Everything was going well. The female Allatik abruptly sat up, her eyes wide.
You feel that aura, Javen? she asked the Guardian. The jaguar had stopped and gazed in the direction of the familiar aura. Now he nodded in acknowledgement. Sephora's eyes lit up with joy and she sprang eagerly from Javen's back. It's Natsu! she cried happily, and then she ran. She hadn't seen her mate in a while and missed him. Javen loped swiftly at her side, as eager as she was to see the male elf. Sephora slowed her pace slightly when she felt something shift; Natsu wasn't alone. Her chocolate brown eyes flared.
He's fighting. she said shortly, and then she was really running. It felt like forever, but after a minute she could finally see Natsu with her own two eyes. She growled protectively and reached for her bow, already knocking an arrow to the string and aiming. She released the arrow from her fingertips and watched as it flew, straight and lethal, directly towards the heart of one of the men, only to be stopped a good two feet away by a ward. Damn.
Sephora leaped the last few yards and stood at Natsu's back, CB already in her grasp.
"How is it that you seem to get in these situations whenever you are left alone, my dear?" she said to her mate, her eyes glittering with humor. Javen's tail was swishing back and forth over the ground, a growl rumbling in his chest.

Natsu sensed two consciousnesses approaching. Even though their minds were closed, he immediately felt the familiarity of their minds and recognized them. A rush of wind occurred, followed by an arrow. It flew fast and true. almost hitting one of the assassins. However, as it neared him, a ward stopped it in place. Well, that answers that Natsu grimaced. If they were warded from arrows, they were probably warded from most magic. However, there was one ace he had that they couldn't ward from.

Natsu concentrated on the rapidly approaching assassins, and called upon his Gravity. He felt the subtle drop of energy, yet he witnessed no results. His eyes widened at the realization. They're warded from gravity? But how? That isn't even a word in the Ancient Language! He had studied the Ancient Language excessively in his life, and he knew most, if not all words by heart. Even so, he had never come across the word 'gravity' in the Ancient Language.

When he heard Sephora's playful remark, Natsu smirked. "You sound just like Erza!" he replied, not taking his eyes off of the assassins. They were close, now. "Still, you two couldn't have arrived at a better time. I don't know who these guys are, but I think we'll find out." Two of the assassins went for Natsu. One of them was wielding a spear, while the other was wielding two daggers, both held in a reverse-grip. Natsu swung his sword in an upward slash, which was blocked. Natsu sidestepped a stab from the assassin with a dagger and kicked his arms aside. He then tried to stab his blade through the assassin's back, but the other one had already spun his spear towards Natsu's head. The elf ducked and tried to follow with a sweeping kick, hoping to send at least one to the ground.

However, the assassins were nimble on their feet and they jumped back. This is going to be harder than I thought Natsu grimaced.

Sephora chuckled as she shifted CB in her grip.
"Ah, that's good. Although, I do know that you can protect yourself, even if I do prefer that you stay out of trouble completely." she said, grinning at her mate with a twinkle in her chocolate brown eyes. She watched as Natsu, recognizing the look in his eyes when he was using his gravity ability. She was surprised to notice that nothing happened to the men. She scowled and pursed her lips. Interesting. She glanced at Javen. He glanced at her. She grinned at the huge cat.
You ready to kick some butt, partner of my soul? she asked him, her eyes twinkling even more than before. Javen's lips peeled back in a silent snarl.
Of course, kit. he purred at her. It had been a long time since he'd called her by her pet name. He turned to the men. Sephora shifted slightly, tightening her hand around CB's hilt. Javen's tail twitched; that was the only visible warning before he crouched and pounced toward the closest man, yowling loudly with defiance, his claws fully unsheathed and outstretched to rip and shred. Sephora hissed and sprang forward as well, her movements graceful and lithe like a cat.
And speaking of Erza, where is she? she asked her mate curiously as she attacked viciously with CB in one hand while sending little gusts of wind from her other hand to knock any of her opponents off balance. She was surprised that the men were, and quite well, dodging most of her attacks. She growled softly, her eyebrows meeting in a scowl. This would definitely be a challenge.

Sephora smirked at his reply.
Is that so? You know, it is possible for you to go with her while she hunts occasionally. That might make her feel better as well as myself. she said, and chuckled warmly within his mind. She hissed with shared pain as Javen received a small slash on the shoulder from the blade of a spear. She whirled on the assassin that had hurt him, death within her gaze. She brought her arms in close to her chest, before shooting first one out, then the other. In response to this, two sharp-edged lashes of air shot toward the man and slashed his arms deeply. It was not a fatal wound, but it would definitely hinder him.
Does Erza know you are being attacked right now, by the way? she asked as she blocked a sword thrust toward her abdomen. She twisted CB sharply and wrenched the sword from the hand of the assassin, sending it flying a few feet where it stuck blade first in the ground. She lunged forward, intending on taking him in the gut with her sword, but paused when she felt an icy stab in her side. She didn't look, but she felt throbbing pain there now, and something wet and warm dripping down her side. The assassin in front of her twisted to the side at her hesitation, drawing a shortsword from a hidden scabbard somewhere in his attire. She growled softly and had to duck quickly to avoid the swing he aimed at her throat. She glanced at her side and saw that a dagger had impaled her side a little above her hip. It hurt a bit, but she left the weapon where it was. If she took it out, the bleeding would increase, and she needed to stay strong for as long as possible. She backflipped and kicked with her foot, clipping the assassin on the chin while he was still at the end of his swung. She flipped easily onto her feet again and whirled, standing with her back to Natsu.

Sephora pursed her lips, but agreed, in part. Javen was sometimes like that, so she understood. Though he only ate in such a way when they were in a hurry or particularly hungry. She glanced at her mate when a dart stopped in mid-air on its way toward her arm before falling to the ground. He must have protected her with wards once he saw the dagger.
Ah, alright, then. Understandable. she murmured to Natsu, brandishing her sword. She looked up with a smile as she saw Erza, Natsu's bonded companion, and almost laughed at the expression on the grey dragoness's face. The female Allatik dipped her head to the dragoness before turning to the remaining assassins. They had already turned to run, but Erza leapt in front of them, blocking their paths. She saw Natsu's signal from the corner of her eye, and flashed forward, slaying one assassin by plunging her blade through his back and out his stomach. She withdrew the weapon, then slashing his head from his shoulders, just to make sure that he was dead. She looked over to Javen and found that the giant jaguar was tearing the man's throat to shreds with his teeth. The huge cat stepped off the corpse, licking his lips free of blood. He padded a few steps away and sat, lifting a large paw and licking it thoroughly to begin cleaning off his face. Sephora remained alert for a few moments, then wiped her blade clean on the clothes that adorned the slain man at her feet and sheathed it in the scabbard on her hip. She turned to Natsu and studied him for injury, then smiled brilliantly and flashed forward, hugging him fiercely, reveling in his aura and his scent. She winced when the dagger above her hip was jostled, but ignored it, happy to be with her mate for the moment. After a minute she pulled away and inspected the dagger that was impaled in her side. The wound was a clean cut, no torn flesh, thankfully, so it would heal easier that way. She grasped the hilt of the weapon and, wincing, she slowly pulled it out, carefully so she didn't cause more harm. Once it was free of the wound she tossed it away. Because she had waited to remove it, there was only a trickle of blood exiting the injury now.

Sephora smiled at Natsu as he healed the wound in her side. She flexed her muscles to make sure it had healed properly, then raised a hand and stroked Javen's head, tugging playfully at his left ear. She pursed her lips at Natsu and chuckled at him.
"Thank you." she murmured, her chocolate brown eyes warm with gratitude. She dipped her head to the large dragon, smiling.
And same to you, Erza. she replied, winking at the bonded companion of her mate. She turned to Erza, however, when the gray dragoness found a piece of parchment. Her pupils narrowed to cat-like slits as she read what was on it. She gingerly took the note from Erza, studying it and holding it carefully in her hands. Allatik's were creatures born of the earth, and could identify others by a special aura that surrounded them. If the other races didn't need to name them, Allatik's would probably just call each other 'brother', 'sister', 'mother', or 'father', and distinguish each individual with their aura alone, since every aura was slightly different. Sephora closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to catch the residue auras of the people that had touched the parchment recently.
If she touched three of the assassin bodies, she could identify them as ones that had touched the note within the last one hundred fifty-six hours (or six and a half days). There was another, fainter one, and another even more so. Most likely the original person that had written the note, and the person that had delivered it to the assassins.
Sephora opened her eyes and tilted her head, then looked at her mate.
"I won't be leaving your side for a while, if you don't mind. I might even call Tyleek and Theldor here." he might think it overreacting, but she would be damned if she lost him, and after the war to boot. Javen growled in his chest, the sound rumbling in the air and vibrating his body.
Do I need to point out that the note says 'need him', not 'kill him'? They might want him for ransom, or it might be a ragtag group of some sort that is going about this the wrong way. But they don't want to kill him, whoever they are. So if another assassin group comes along, we can do whatever we want to them, but they can't retaliate with deadly force, at least, to you they can't, the giant jaguar mentioned, tilting his head and flicking his tail. but I suppose they could kill me or Sephora. Possibly even Erza, if they had the inclination and the means to pull it off. But I highly doubt that. She's a dragon for crying out loud.
Javen lifted a paw and began to clean his muzzle again. Sephora pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow at her mate.
"Should we go through their clothes and see what we can find that might give more light to this situation?" she asked, securing her bow onto her back from where she had dropped it once she figured out arrows were useless in the fight.