The mystery of the Norway Explosion [OPEN]

"Norway.", the emissary said again as he watched the young Magus, Zunza Lowelen, as he scanned over at least three different books on varying subject matters. It was early morning in the Western Kingdom when the emissary has arrived at Lowelen manor, a small estate on the edge of a rather large town near the capital of the Western Kingdom. Upon his arrival he had been greeted by the only servant of house Lowelen and told to meet his master in the study, the study being the largest room in the entire manor. Upon entering into the study the emissary had saw Zunza, much like he was now. Nose deep in a book and studying varying subject matters within those books. He had tried to talk to Zunza about what needed to be done and point the young man toward a mission that the king had allocated to him, but Zunza had been either too busy or had been not paying attention to him at all. Hence the need to repeat the name of the location that King Johan wished to send the young man to.

"So I am to put on hold my research on psionically enhanced agriculture for some explosion in some distant place in the outside world called Norway? Does Johan not see the value of my research! I could help solve hunger issues in the slums and high populated areas, but he is concerned about an explosion that has nothing to do with the West in the slightest?", the young Magus spoke irately, not even lifting his head to look at the emissary, or even acknowledge his presence in the slightest.

The emissary was beginning to become quite a bit frustrated with the man that had been labeled by the West as a pariah. Sure, Johan vouched for his abilities, and believed him to be a staunch all of the West, but the emissary did not like his attitude. He was being given orders by the Western Kingdoms king! His orders were absolute and to question them was treasonous, but what else could he expect from a pariah? A man who's father had turned his back on the West to join the North as rumors had spoke. It was almost to be expected. Still the emissary swallowed his pride and continued to speak to the brat, hoping Zunza could be persuaded into doing what was asked of him.

"Orders from King Johan are absolute, Zunza. This isn't up for debate! Besides discovering what caused the explosion may help further the goals of the West. Surely you know the importance of insuring the strength of the West moving forward, correct?", the emissary spoke coolly, knowing all too well the sort of key phrases that would drive a person like Zunza to act. After all, if he was a traitor to further act out against these orders after this statement would be grounds for treason, and thus execution would be on the table.

There was a long pause as Zunza stopped scanning the books and looked up from his studies. The lights of the flickering candles on his desk illuminated the face of a man who was resigned to his fate. Zunza knew that to restore his family's name he would have to work harder than most, even if it meant sacrificing his research for it. He closed his books, standing up from his desk to place them back on the shelves where they belonged, and all the while there was a thick silence in the study, the only sound being Zunza sliding books back into place and his footsteps. The emissary watched him in silence, awaiting whatever the young Magus would do with baited breath. Zunza returned to the desk he had been sitting at, taking a seat diligently in his leather chair, and looking the emissary in the face for the first time since his arrival at the manor. For a moment, Zunza sized up the emissary, and then folded his hands diligently on top of the desk.

"I will need to know more about this Norway...and I will need a picture of where I will need to go so that I can open a doorway to that place., Zunza said calmly as he continued to evaluate the man in front of him as the emissary grinned from cheek to cheek.


-A Few Hours Later, Norway-

It had been as simple as gathering a bit of information on Norway before his arrival. Norway, a cold and northern country in Europe, had seen better days upon Zunza's arrival there through his pocket dimension. A country that belonged to an organization of evil beings, had gone even further down the toilet as for some reason, or another an explosion had occurred there. Displacing families, disturbing the local wild life, and even attracting sinister creatures known as Hollows to the crater. Needless to say, border security was tight, but they were more interested in keeping people out then looking inside for people who were already there. Though, for Zunza, getting there had been quite the issue as for some reason a dense cloud of energy had interfered with his ability to open a doorway directly to the location of the explosion, instead Zunza had to take the long route. Opting to create a linking door between his pocket dimension and known tourist attraction that was near the impact zone.

Upon arrival, it didn't take a rocket scientist to see that the air was over-saturated with some kind of weird and perverse energy that seemed to taint the air. The tourist attraction, a ski resort of sort, was left abandoned, many people rushing to the border as to avoid being assaulted by the creatures known as Hollows. Zunza, had never met a Hollow before, and really didn't see why they could be considered a threat as the only image he had of them was of was a beast with a goofy grinning mask and bright yellow eyes. To him they looked more comedic then intimidating, but he had been wrong before, and he was more than sure he would be wrong again. Still, Zunza didn't have time to hypothesize anything about Hollows, his mission was to investigate the impact zone, and he intended to do so as it had some form of significance the Johan, and that made it significant to him by default. Much to his dismay of course. He tightened up his pure white cloak and began to take his first steps, following an old game trail that had long since been abandoned, all the while his senses were on high alert.

Due to the nature of the mission, Zunza wished to be in, and out. Not wanting to test the strength of the creatures called Hollows, Zunza had equipped his specialty item which reduced his energy signature down to a level that would make him appear to be nothing more than a common man, and more than likely this would deter them from attacking them. As the information he had gained on Hollows from his light reading before his arrival had told him that they were attracted to larger energy sources. Which of course might be the reason that the beasts were stomping around in the woods, attracted by this perverse energy signature that the explosion had left behind. Zunza thought of removing his glasses, perhaps his Mystic Eye would be good for figuring out the nature of this foul energy that he could feel as he walked around, but he decided he would not risk the headache at the moment. No, he would save the Mystic Eye for when he arrived at the crater, knowing that to see the source with those eyes, would help him better understand the nature of the explosion. His eyes were, after all, the only reason Johan had sent him instead of a stealth operative. This had been something he had deduced during his short walk through the woods.

He leaned on his sacred weapon, a staff that also doubled as a walking stick, as he went through a particularly dense set of underbrush. It was at that moment that he could sense them. Them being a cluster of Hollows feasting on the remains of what looked like a group of charred ski enthusiasts that had been too close to the impact zone when the explosion had gone off. He looked away a tad, not wishing to see the act of barbarity in front of him, and silently wishing he could kill the beasts with a well placed spell. But to cast magic would be a dangerous game, especially with how many Hollows he knew awaited in the woods, and instead he knew he would just have to go around. He said a silent prayer in the language of the Sugiuran people for the dead, not that he believed in the central religion of his species, but because it may give him some comfort. He continued on his way, moving as far away from the sounds of sickening munching, and disgusting slurps as he possibly could until finally he came across another path.

The path had many barren trees and overturned debris, making Zunza believe that whatever had caused this had been fired in some way. As there seemed to be some kind of trajectory and pathing heading deeper into the woods, but what kind of powerful ability had left this strong residual energy in the air, and why did it make Zunza feel uneasy. That is when he saw her, a woman of some kind nearing his path. He paused, not knowing whether to engage the young lady, or to deter her in some fashion or another. Instead he decided to hide behind a nearby tree and watch her, maybe he would be able to deduce her reason for being there, and be able to figure out if she were friend or foe if he observed her long enough. After all, to assume that this person wasn't behind the attack would be idiotic, and to wait and see just what this person was doing here would be more useful than running in blind. So he waited, hunched behind a tree, and with his cloak pulled tight to his body to avoid the effects of the cold wind that seemed to howl like some kind of wild animal.