h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

*Remembers his brother and the alchemical disaster that changed him so much... a little guiltily (at the time, Ecg did not know what the full implications were and Arc was assisting him...)*
<If this is starting to sound a little familiar... (hint),- FMA. <-promise this'll be my last anime ref. for a long while. Honest! />

*Avatar grins*

Careful boy, I may be 110 but I could still beat you in a duel if need arose.

"I wouldn't mess with Avatar. His skill is far beyond most of us here." I say, walking up to the gate and back, getting bored.

[Ecg Unagi]: *puts on an "ah, well... excuse me then." sort of air*
"Oh, that must've been one of the boon s they had granted you..."
~The elves, I mean, yes?~

*Looks at Avatar strangely for a moment or two.*
*Yet, he doesn't look that very much older than I am...*
<... but then, he is too. />

[Ecg]: "Well, my brother Arc had lost his physical body in an alchemical accident... they had to put his quintessence into a metal frame,- so assuming he hasn't rusted... he might outlive just about all of us (where ever he went off to)."

[Ecg Unagi]: "Poor Arc, he had to read just his life a great deal, as you can well imagine. He did get over the horror of the strangeness to it, and gave up alchemy to go into warrior magic. Yep, that's my older brother, the empty suit-of-armor."
*sighs dismissively*

"When we would squabble, I'd call him tin can."
*Still feels somewhat guilty.*

"Can we go on to Kalsho, Ye-et???"

Sorry about your brother. As for me, the elves gave me the gift of slow aging. Basically, I age one year for every ten that pass. Let me see, that makes me look as I would have at 33 years old or so, had I aged normally.

[Ecg Unagi]: "I still feel guilty about that... He would be about twenty-five now, I think... but if he has not a flesh-and-blood body... would that mean he has no age?"

*Counts on his fingers for a moment (partially to be ).*

"I guess that makes me about, somewhere between 19 and 22... I don't know quite when I was born... except that he and I are about 5 or 6 years apart."

[Ecg Unagi]: *Then in seriousness*
"Slow aging... ,- do decades get kind of boring (after awhile)?"
*Just wondering...*

Jake takes out his swords, clears a blade-circle around him, and begins practicing.

I know what it's like to lose someone. My parents were killed by drow and my wife died of old age some years ago. I came here to the Guild for a change of pace and to make things right. You know, a sort of evening of the karmic scales, so to speak.

Life can get boring, after a while. I've just done my best to keep busy and not think about it. It is, in all honesty, somewhat depressing.

[Ecg]: (to Avatar) : "That malchalite metal, that Jake (Kylen? 2 names... is always fun) has his sword made out of... Steely ironwood, like my halberd here,"
*holds it up*

"...Doesn't do anything really special like that. It's just a metal that behaves alot like wood... or perhaps a wood that behaves quite a bit like metal. The stuff is thick and tough, the "trees" for it here are much less common than they are,- in Hell."

[Ecg]: "I'm sorry Avatar, had no idea... Kind of wish I hadn't brought it up now. Except,- now that it's out of my mouth and from between mine 2 ears, it is rathe too late."

<: Typos all around... . I meant "rather."/>

Whislt practicing with his swords, Kylen pips up. "The stone...they are made of....is...a..family secret. I am...the...soul...inheriter of the location. I had a brother, but he....well, lets just say it isn't proper to speak of him."

* to Ecg.* Don't worry about it, lad.

*to all the mages*

Instead of just standing around and waiting to depart, I'd suggest that you magicians practice for a while and hone your skills for the battle ahead. Orcs don't die just because you wish for them to, you'll have to use your magic and your weapons to kill them and for that you'll need to be at the top of your game. Alright?

*Avatar then matches action to word and begins practicing with his katana and staff.*

[Ecg Unagi]: (To Jake) : ~I'll show you where to get Steely Ironwood from... all we've got to do is make friends with somebody like a necromancer... who could get us to the border of Hell.~

*walks over to Avatar* "Could you spar with me? I need a good fighting partner."