Fandom Bravely Null IC

[InsaneAsylum]

"You don't need to understand girl. Just take your little family of weirdos and find a different way to where you're going." The man said, starting to get a little angry. His brows furrowed and his hand shook ever so slightly.

The other man, who had been quiet all this time spoke up. He was bald, and had a nasty burn mark on the top of his head. "They don't seem the type to listen. You understand?" They nodded to each other, and the bald man sighed. They started to slowly back up, staring right at Rin and Hiroaki as they did so. One with a keen eye might notice the glint of an arrow peeking from the branches above the two men. It was pointed at the cart, and had some sort of paper wrapped around it.

Two large glass orbs filled with black liquid crashed into the cart between those still seated. The glass broke, sending loads of black liquid across the wooden wagon and people on it. the liquid had an odd stench to it, enough to make you want to cover your nose. The arrow from the tree fired a moment later, landing right in the center of the liquid. There was a slip of paper wrapped around the arrow, with some sort of symbol inscribed on it. A paper tag. The symbol glowed red for another moment before igniting into a burst of flame. The spell from the paper itself wasn't very powerful, but it was more than enough to ignite the extremely flammable liquid. Orange flames engulfed those still in the cart, as well as blasting them with a wave of heat enough to leave nasty burns on the skin.

The bald man cackled and drew his katana, pointing at Rin. "We'll be sure to burn your corpses when we're done with you!"

The other man however, took off running back towards the light in the distance. He didn't seem worried about leaving his comrades behind.

Entity.Eclypse Misuteeku FoldedPages

 

[InsaneAsylum]

A soldier burst into the tent, nearly losing their balance as they did so. They adjusted their helmet and stood up straight. "Princess! We've captured a man spying on our ca-" Their eyes locked onto the scene in the sleeping bag, and their face turned beet red. "S-sorry I'll just leave..."

"No-no, it's too late. You already ruined it," Sarah sighed as she crawled out of the sleeping bag. The solider let out an audible gasp and looked up at the roof of the tent. As Sarah dressed herself, she looked down at Lanthane still in the bag. "Hurry up now, we have a spy to question. No doubt one of those bandits trying to get revenge!" Sarah said with annoyance. "I suppose we will have to finish up another time, mmk?" Sarah gave Lan a wink and turned to the soldier again, half dressed. "Where is he being held right now?"

"We've got him tied up on one of the wagons. He isn't resisting very much, and has peculiar tattoos on his legs. They're similar to that of the prisoner."

Sarah's eyebrows rose. "We'll be there right away!"

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After getting dressed properly and fixing her hair, Sarah and Lanthane headed out to see the 'spy'. When they came upon him, they found him on his behind with his arms tied up behind him on the wheel of one of the wagons. An arrow was stuck in his shoulder, causing him visible pain. Sarah approached him and knelt down in front of him, pushing a few strand of hair from in front of her face. She looked him in the eyes as she spoke. "You know, you interrupted something very important by coming here. I'm willing to forgive that and fix up your shoulder if you tell us where you're from and what you were trying to do here."

The 'spy' was a black haired man with small downcast eyes. He was thin but lean, but his skin looked sickly, and his lips were incredibly dry. He wore ragged brown garments, and had dark green tattoos trailing down his legs like a serpent. He looked up at Sarah briefly, before letting his head droop back down.

The soldiers nearby spoke up before he could answer. "It's no use Princess, unless you want to torture the man he seems intent on not saying a word."

Sarah shrugged, then patted her tome. "That's fine. I've a couple little spells I've been yearning to put to use on someone. I haven't had the chance to test my organ boiling spell on anyone yet!"

The man's eyes went wide for a moment, but once again returned to normal, as if accepting his fate. The only emotion obvious from his expression was sadness.

Sarah stood up and motioned Lanthane to the man. "Why don't you try to get some answers out of him before I go to work on him. If he complies, maybe I'll wake up Vivian to fix him up."

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"A sage? There ain't no sages out here! Whatever, I'm gonna go finish up. Have fun with the Church's slave," the eldest son said rudely. He swiftly changed into a better pair of boots, and headed back out into the night. It would normally be odd for someone to be doing any kind of work this late at night especially with the supposed threat of monsters coming from the North.

Despite the boy not caring for Mason's personal matter. A cute little voice seemed to.

"Hey! Hey priest kid! You wanna meet the sage do ya? I can help you meet him! Just come outside an I'll take you right to him!" The voice didn't seem to come from any one in the room, simply radiating from within Mason's head. The voice sounded like that of a child, but even higher pitched. It wanted Mason to come outside if he wanted to meet the sage, but should he really trust a random voice in his head?

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The old man sat in wait in the tavern. Surely someone would bring him another cup of ale soon! As he waited, he began tracing his finger on the table he sat at drawing something only he could see with his imagination. He hummed to himself quietly as he did so, a warm smile on his lips.

 

[The Black Knight]

Was that a threat?

Locke stepped toward the counter and gazed across it at Gerran with an impish smirk. “It depends if you want to make it one.”

When Gerran decided to back down, Locke had actually felt a wave of relief. Thank goodness. He did not feel like brawling on an empty stomach. Locke returned his sword to its sheath and walked out from behind the counter to return to his seat at the table he and Hiro had originally sat at. After serving the old man, Hiro joined Locke. “Did you have to knock him out?” the monk asked.

“He was annoying, and he would only get in my way,” Locke replied.

“Do you really intend on taking the girl? She would be putting her life at risk coming with us.”

Locke sat back in his chair with his arms crossed before his chest and his eyes closed. He didn’t answer Hiro and the monk inquired, “Locke?”

“Shh…I’m trynna’ meditate to take my mind off my empty stomach.”

Hiro didn’t believe it. Locke had always lacked the discipline for meditation. The monk sighed and also rested his hands in his lap and descended into meditation as they waited. The silence between them was soon interrupted by soft snores. Hiro cracked open his eyes and stared across the table at Locke who was asleep! A sweat bead descended down the side of the kitsune’s head. Just as he thought, no discipline.

The food preparation exceeded an hour by a few minutes. It was a good thing that Locke was asleep for Hiro figured he would have thrown a tantrum. Melody abruptly burst through the swinging kitchen door pushing a cart.

“I’m sorry! Everything took a little longer than I anticipated,” she exclaimed.

Locke’s eyes snapped open in startle as he took a moment to glance around at his surroundings. Oh shit, I’m still here? he thought. He sat up in his chair as he rubbed at his eyes.

Melody started serving the dishes upon the table. “I may have gone a little overboard, but I couldn’t decide on one specific dish so I made a few that I really liked. I hope it’s not too much food.”

Locke lowered his hand from his eyes and a large, dripping grin spread across his face. “There’s no such thing as too much food,” he declared. As soon as Melody finished setting the table, both Locke and Hiro were admiring each dish she prepared. “Somebody pinch me. I must still be dreaming.”

A harsh kick then struck Locke’s shin, making the warrior jump in pain. “Agh! You-”

He made grabby hands for Hiro across the table, and then paused. Sitting back in his seat, Locke sighed in defeat. “I’m too hungry to be angry.” He then looked over at Melody. “Thank you. No one has ever done this for us before.”

Melody blushed and then smiled gratefully. Her hands folded behind her back and she encouraged, “Wow, really? I’m glad that I was able to do this for you two. Please, go ahead and try it. These are my mother’s recipes.”

Locke and Hiro both picked up their eating utensils. Locke took a sample of the Cornish hen and was surprised how easily tore apart. He placed the crispy, golden-brown sample on his plate and smiled. “I hope this tastes as good as it looks.” He cut a bite-sized piece and brought it to his mouth as the skin audibly emitted a crunch. As the bouillon and chicken dissolved in his mouth, it was as if…he was transported somewhere...somewhere happy.

Hiro’s eyes opened wider than they ever had as he stared down at his meal. “Amazing. I don’t think I have ever had food like this before.” The fox glanced across the table and saw Locke still had his fork in his mouth. There was an odd smile of delight on his face. “Locke?”

Locke slid his fork free of his lips as he returned to reality and muttered, “I think I found my wife…”

Melody blinked and blushed. “…what?”

The sellsword then sternly gazed across the table at Hiro. “Hiro, get the wheel barrel. There won’t be any leftovers.”

The kitsune’s eyes vanished behind straight lids as he stared at Locke. He sighed in exasperation and stated, “I’m just going to enjoy my meal first. Melody will you be joining us?”

Melody smiled and said, “I would-”

She watched Locke abandon his eating utensils and raise the chicken leg to his mouth. His teeth bit down on it and ripped all the meat off the bone with a growl and turn of his head. The sellsword went on autopilot. No one existed outside of his tunnel vision. Everything was muted as his hands snagged a hot potato that he crammed into his mouth, and then a roll to dunk into a vat of gravy before also filling whatever space was left in his gob.

Melody’s eyes were large in disgust as she sheepishly replied to Hiro, “I…um….you two go ahead. I’m just going to…you know. Clean the kitchen, heh.”

As the chef retreated, Hiro frowned at Locke. “Your repulsive table manners scared her away.” Locke didn’t seem to notice the monk was even there. Shaking his head, the monk resumed calmly enjoying his meal. Melody was such a good cook, and if he had never tried her cooking, then he probably would have never agreed with Locke that she should come with them. A cook this good was like finding treasure and their whole party could benefit from it.

 

[Misuteeku]

Sheridan Sasaki​

Everything happened at once. "Ugh?!" All of a sudden a black liquid covered the cart and all of its contents. Sheridan jerked back out of surprise when the black liquid also splashed onto her. Backing away from the cart, she saw an arrow with a spell tag attached to it. 'Fire,' It read. In an instant, Sheridan realized what the black liquid was. Oil. The nauseous smell that it exuded fill her nose. The arrow bursted into small flames, igniting the oil that was splashed onto the cart. Sheridan jumped back, while holding her puppet dog, before any of the flames could lick her. Yells resounded in the air, but Sheridan only had eyes on the fire that was burning their supplies. She needed to save the supplies before the flames would consume the entirety of the cart.

Giving a command to her puppet dog and bird, Sheridan withdrew a seal, that was splattered in oil, and started to channel through it. While she was not proficient in water magic, she could extinguish the flames with dark magic as well. Throwing the seal out, it pulsated with dark energy. The sparks of the fire couldn't ignite the oiled talisman as it floated within the air. Calmly, she chanted her spell. "Oh son of light, progenitor of life, be extinguished and be welcomed back into darkness's womb." The tag was ripped into shreds as the dark magic consumed it. The fire started to have this dark purplish glow consuming the fire. "Become nothing along with the wind, water, and earth... Diminished Flames!" Darkness started to tear into the flames. Just like how a lion would consume its prey, taking huge chunks of the flames a time.

Sweat dripped from the side of her hear and her eyes furrowed as she focused on the flames. Her spell would eventually extinguish the flames, but she had to focus completely on the fire. The oil had already bolstered the fire enough to where it would take her more than a few minutes to extinguish the flames. Furthermore, she was left defenseless to other attacks while focusing on the flames. Her dog was guarding her, but that provided only a little bit of protection against those who would attack her and her bird was still coming back from its scouting mission and had a new command to find the archer amongst the woods. The others would have to deal with the enemies by themselves.

Her darkness wrestled the flames for its submission. As long as she didn't get shot at by an arrow, she would be able to extinguish the flames in no time.

 

[Entity.Eclypse]

Inari, Dierdre, Thana, and Kaldr
Interactions/Mentions: Misuteeku FoldedPages InsaneAsylum The sudden flinging of black sludge into the cart caused an immediate reaction in Kaldr, the scent irritating her nose. Rearing her head back she released a howl before jumping through the rear of the cart. Dierde and Thana were still taken aback from the situation when the elder sibling noticed what was occurring. "Get out of the cart!" She cried to those within, Thana obliged almost immediately as the paper-wrapped arrow impacted with the black sludge. The flames shot up, merely licking the back of Thana, Dierde hadn't gotten off so lucky. A bit of the black material had splattered itself against her arm, and immediately the flames charged to take hold of it. Her face contorted into an expression of pain, teeth-gritting in attempts to hide her outburst of pain as the heat threatened to tear her arm down to the bone. Thankfully she managed to get out of the cart before it got much worse. "What the hell was tha-! Your arm's on fire!" Thana freaked out and set to immediately pouring the water within her canteen onto the arm. This was followed almost immediately by a healing spell, it may not cure the wound entirely- but it would serve to pull out the deepest harmful effect.

Inari, on the other hand, had remained still within the branches, his eyes caught the gleam of the arrow earlier. He had looked as far ahead as he could, but couldn't make much more out of the flaming village than the fact it existed. In the time of their exchange, he'd come up behind the rear of whatever individual had shot the arrow. In a flash, his body would fire forward, an unnatural burst of speed to some extent. With that, there were two pathways this could go down. The first, along with the one he had been pursuing, would be to catch this mystery archer off-guard and plunge his blade into their back. He'd pinpointed their location, the trajectory of the arrow- along with their capability to hear the two-guards mutterings led to him honing in on the opponent. Upon running his blade through the opponent he would use his momentum to fling them both down towards the ground. From there he would hope that the others may have already begun to engage the bald individual. Then again- being hopeful had never granted him any value in the past.

The latter of the two plans could work equally as efficient, he would use the momentum to swing around the tree and fling himself, blade extended, at the remaining individual. For now, he was banking on the fact that this mysterious arrow-firing individual hadn't expected him. Down on the road, Dierdre had drawn her blade and prepared to combat her opponent. Drawing a talisman from her pocket, she pressed it against her sword. "Hastened maiden of the wind, tear forth and rend my enemies asunder. Release the tempest of raging wind, let them know your wrath... Zephyr's Edge." Upon finishing her chant the talisman would seem to tear apart, the wind began wrapping around her form. The gale seeming to localize upon her blade, honing the edge as her body felt lighter. "Coward. Never turn your back to your opponent!" She called after the running man. Moving around the side of the party she swung her blade in the direction of the running guard, a crescent of slashing wind soared towards the man with unprecedented speed. After which she trained her blade upon the remaining guard, she hadn't known many of the individuals in the cart for long- but they were stuck in this together.

In the midst of all this, Kaldr had taken her post trying to move Thana back to a safer location. But the girl seemed far too focused on what she was doing. The task she'd put herself to was rather- stupid, for lack of better wording. Her eyes had been welling with tears as she looked into the cart, all of the items they hadn't been able to grab were going up in slowly reducing flames. "T-Those bastards." She sniffled, reaching a hand up she wiped her eyes clean of tears. "I'll kill them for burning my snacks!" Of course, that would be what she was worried about because the remaining supplies surely didn't matter. Kaldr tugged at the hem of the girls dress, while Thana stood there- glaring vengefully towards the guards.​

 

[HeyItsBanana]

Mason Arembur
Mentions: Sarah & Voice in Mason's Head ( InsaneAsylum )​

"Boy!" Orlic started to chase after his eldest, face reddening with anger, but his wife quickly reached out and held him back. "He's just upset, hes been listening to some of the other villagers, even you have shared your," Tina paused for a moment, as if searching for the right words to avoid hurting Mason's feelings further, "disagreements with Rivienne. Quite vocally at that." It was then that Orlic's red face shifted from anger to embarrassment, for it was undoubtedly true that he had quite a few problems with the city that was supposed to be ruling and protecting them, but this man was different. Mason had offered them free aid, they only had to offer him dinner for his trouble and even that was only because his stomach had given him away. He was struggling to find the words to break the odd silence that had come over the three of them, but he could not.

The silence nor the son's reaction bothered him too much, he had been called worse by those who disagreed with the church, it didn't matter to Mason though, he would continue to spend his energy doing what he felt was necessary, helping everyone he could. As the air between them continued to be filled only with the sounds of the children and their shenanigans, Mason nearly fell out of his seat as a small voice, that was not his own nor any he had ever heard, came from inside his own head. "Hey! Hey priest kid! You wanna meet the sage do ya?" The shock of the voice made him choke on the water Tina had so kindly got for him, as he sat sputtering, Orlic reaching over to pat him on the back, quite hard, to make sure that he was alright, the voice continued, "I can help you meet him! Just come outside an I'll take you right to him!" As Mason finally stopped his coughing his eyes widened, drawing curious looks from Orlic and Tina, both expressing their concern in the white mage.

It took a moment for him to fully collect himself, and reassure the couple that he was indeed fine, all the while his mind was racing as nothing even remotely close to this event had happened to him, for a moment he thought he was going crazy, only the mentally ill would have a voice other than their own talking to them. The possibilities careened through Mason, every nerve in him told him to ignore the voice and hope it went away, every nerve except one, and that was his worry over the orders they had been given to 'find' the Sage. Mason may be new to his noble status, but even he was not blind to the darker side of what happened to those that were deemed unworthy or a threat by anyone with power in Rivienne.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp tug, nothing physical but tangible nonetheless. He stood up, "Thank you for your wonderful hospitality Orlic," he said as he made his way to the door, "Tina your meal was wonderful and you have such a beautiful family, but I've really got to get going." The two exchanged questioned looks but bid their farewells to Mason, "Take it a bit easier in the mushroom fields Orlic! I'll stop back in for a check-up when I'm back in town!" As he turned to wave, a wide smile on his face, he was greeted to the sight of being sent off by all the family, even the littlest ones were waving with equal visages of happiness on their faces. He would definitely make it back to them someday, but he could not miss this opportunity to find the sage before the others.

He walked aimlessly down the dirt path, waiting for the voice to once again call out to him, he was tense, prepared to face whatever he need to.

 

[Arcanist]

♕ Lanthane/Gerran ♕
Mentions: Sarah/'Spy' ( InsaneAsylum ), Locke/Hiro ( The Black Knight )​

He wasn’t sure if the sudden entrance of the soldier was a curse or a blessing in disguise. Perhaps Lanthane should have thanked them for ‘ruining’ things as Sarah so elegantly put. He had only been struggling for only a moment, and as soon as Lan noticed the flaps of the tent flying forward and the presence of a soldier, he froze. Struggling more would only make what already was a sordid scene even worse. Not that it wasn’t an already terrible position to be found in, especially having met the eyes of the soldier who had witnessed the whole affair.

Lanthane found himself adopting a similar approach as the poor soldier; averting his eyes from the woman’s current form. He tried pinning his eyes on the corners of the tent, the nearby bench, but it became difficult to know where to set his gaze. And as he did so, his mind turned to questions surrounding what he had found himself in. What was she…and why did she…?

Lan hadn’t the time to ponder over such questions, what with Sarah herself throwing commandments his way. It was then he remembered he wasn’t quite decent himself, even with a sleeping bag to hide in. He shuffled awkwardly under the coverings as he fixed that. As he did so, he heard the woman’s insistence that this would continue another time, and he felt several bumps arise on the surface of his arms. Gods, I hope not… Somehow, uneasy at such a thought, he predicted this wouldn’t be the last time something like this would arise. Lanthane opted not to answer Sarah, and instead, focused on making himself look presentable, and listening to the soldier’s recollection of important details surrounding the spy. He couldn’t seem to paint a picture of what their prisoner looked like; he knew who she was, her name, and he probably got a glimpse of her before he had retired to his tent. But Lan supposed it didn’t matter. He’d be face-to-face with the spy soon enough.


Arriving at the scene of the spy detained and surrounded by a few of the soldiers that apprehended him, he knew he should have felt so many things. Suspicion. Anger. Disgust. Spies weren’t uncommon in treacherous times like these. Lanthane had heard the stories of moles infiltrating Rivienne ranks or the common spy sticking his nose in crevices his nose would easily be chopped off. You’d think the patriotism of your own kingdom would prevail in judging a man accused of such crimes. Yet, the pitifulness of this man seemed to dull any such feeling.

Even with the offering of aid, the threats that came after, the man hadn’t budged in the way of either. It seemed as if he would be a difficult case to crack. So, of course, Lanthane’s help would be enlisted, as if he could suddenly extract anything out of the man. Perhaps he was being too pessimistic; there was hope yet, surely. Lan raised his brows at Sarah, before he responded firmly, “If he complies, you will get his shoulder seen to. No need to be unreasonable about it...” He eventually rested his gaze on the man, studying him. He had a not so unusual bout of deja-vu looking at the arrow that had nestled itself into the spy’s shoulder. He had forgotten about it, in amongst everything else that had happened. Thinking about it though, the dull sting of it seemed to return.

Eventually, Lanthane approached the newest captee. “You know...a few hours ago, I had an arrow lodged in my shoulder too. I can imagine how painful it must be. I don’t think I’ve ever been as uncomfortable.” He seemed rather conversational for someone who was supposed to be eliciting answers from a man, yet, he continued on, squatting down in front of him, making sure their faces were at least the same level. Almost as the young man remembered, his hands moved to the buttons of his waistcoat, removing them before he got to his shirt, and managed to maneuver the sleeve of his left shoulder enough to reveal the wound underneath. It was much cleaner, and certainly a lot less bloodier than it had been earlier, though, the red line, shaped like half of a missing ‘x’ marking the spot, was still present. Lan hummed to himself when he got a better look at it himself, musing, “Huh. Could make a nice scar…” He looked back at the spy. Whether he cared for the wound or not, at least the proof of Lan’s own claims were there. He continued.

“Moral of the story here is that I let myself be treated, and I was lucky to be treated. The White Mage we have is very good, you know.” Lan paused for a moment, listening to the silence surrounding them. He was thoughtful for a moment, as he met the man’s eyes one or two times - those pitiful eyes. Even as Lan continued, he noticed a sadness that never seemed to leave them. “If it isn’t seen to soon, that pain will get worse, I know that. Maybe you don’t care for that, or whoever sent you here feels the same way.” He refused to take his eyes off the man, especially when he spoke next, waiting to see if there was even a hint of reaction in those eyes of his. “But I know that whoever you’re looking for here would be beside themselves that someone suffered for their sake. It’d be a waste of a life.” It was true, in Lan’s eyes. Killing the spy would be a waste of a life, making it to their camp, only to be caught and to suffer a gruesome death. Rivienne’s forces certainly didn’t benefit from it. But neither did whoever sent the man.

“Your compliance will make things easier for yourself. If you tell us who sent you, what you’re looking for here, then you have my word your shoulder is seen to much quicker.”


Gerran was glad not to have acted on Locke's words or behaviour. The two had gone their seperate ways from that point - Locke leaving the counter he had found himself commanding, and Gerran finally going and grabbing himself a cup to sate his thirst. A quiet evening was all he wished for after an early start and an eventful day. Though, he found it strange why he brought himself to a tavern for something like that.

He eventually seated himself comfortably at a table - not completely out of the way of the others that had been in the tavern before him. From one of his glances over to the others, he noticed Locke to be...sleeping? Before the food he had been so demanding of arriving? The day no doubt had caught up on him, as it did with so many others. Or perhaps he had just grown tired with waiting. Regardless, he brought his attention away from the other table and to his own dealings. Retrieving the pen and the paper he had stashed on his person, he laid the parchment out on the table and began to write.

The burling man had been hunched over the table as he related back to the past week's events, only pausing the odd time to take a sip of his ale or to ponder. As much as he wanted to pour the events in great detail, there was so much he had to hold back. Gerran had become rather factual when it came to discussing anything of the sort - the risk of letters being intercepted or not delivered at all was not an uncommon feat. So, he could only make mention of a mission, and only that it was one that found difficulties and hardships. It wasn't as if Sela or his father needed the gruesome details.

It was only until he was coming to the end of his letter, that Gerran's nostrils flared at a mixture of aromas that passed him by. He had forgotten about the food that was being prepared for Locke. He had glanced back over at the table Locke had been sleeping soundly at, only to do a double-take at the immense spread of food being served. Gerran was under the illusion it was a simple meal or two, but this was something that rivalled, if not surpassed, the table of food that nobles pigged themselves out on so often.

Gerran eventually peeled his eyes away from the spread of food, finishing off the letter, and lifting the cup...only to find it rather lighter than it had been in the past hour. He sniffed at that, and had a dangerous thought. Another one, perhaps? After all, he never allowed himself to drink, what with being on duty. But he wasn't on duty now, at least for the time being. One more wouldn't tipple him over the edge. And so he rose from his seat, allowing himself to grab another ale. He soon returned, finally seeming to loosen up.

 

[FoldedPages]

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[div class=Heading][div class=header]Rin, Hiroaki, & Kaiyo[/div][/div]

[div class=Container][div class=Textbox][div class=Text]
Too fascinated in the small being amidst the group, Kaiyo had failed to notice the arrow plunging into their caravan. The smell singed her nostrils, eliciting her nose to crease in disgust while clumps of oil clung to her front side. The elder twin had demanded everyone out of the cart, and Kaiyo obliged. Thankful she was near a window, the ninja began to crawl out the small space, but the oil erupted into flames before she was able to make it out entirely.

Flames licked at her backside, igniting her clothes on fire. The distinct odor of charring flesh oozed off Kaiyo, and she bit her lower lip in agony. Thinking quickly, she dropped to the ground, rolling in the dirt to extinguish the inferno. When she stood again, most of her clothing on her backside was incinerated, and her back was raw, littered with second-degree burns. Soil clung to the exposed injuries and to the oil on her front side, and Kaiyo's expression was anything but amused.

"My back," she began, "My beautiful back. You bastards will pay for this!"

But first, she needed to get out of sight; a ninja was useless on the frontlines. Using her speed and cat-like reflexes, Kaiyo wasted no time hiding in the canopy of the trees. Quietly, and swiftly, she darted along the branches to change her position so the bald man wouldn't be able to track her.

The commotion had caused Rin and Hiroaki to turn their sights on the caravan just in time to see Kaiyo escaping from it. The two followed her lead, distancing themselves enough to avoid any of the crossfire.

"I'll kill them for burning my snacks!"

"Did she say they burned our snacks?" Rin snarled, finally wielding her lance properly. Hiroaki quickly drew his blades as well.

"Yeah, they may be weirdos," Rin stated, pointing her lance at the man, "But they're my weirdos."

Then, of course, she wasted no time in charging at the man who pointed his katana at her. Gripping her lance, she appeared as if she would thrust it towards him, but she was quick on her feet, shifting positions. With a flurry of soil behind her heels, she was suddenly back to back with the bald man.

"You'll pay for burning those snacks, bastard," As Rin spoke to him from behind, the blunt end of her lance connected with his spine.

And then, she was off running into the forest, passing Dierdre and the other man who had tried to forsake the other earlier.

"You got this, guys! I'll go take care of that village!"

Hiroaki gritted his teeth, his jaw tightening. "Dammit, Rin, get your ass back-"

But he couldn't finish because the man remaining had been ushered in his direction with Rin's lance. He took an offensive stance with his blades, hoping Rin had caught him off guard enough for his incoming attack to render him defenseless. He aimed for his dominant hand, thrusting upward with one blade to disarm him. In perfect unison, Hiroaki twisted his body so he would be able to shove his other sword directly into the man's stomach.

With Hiroaki on the man below and it too late to stop her idiot sister from running off on her own, Kaiyo concentrated her senses on finding whoever threw the oil into their cart. Using two fingers, she wiped some of the oil off her clothing and sniffed it carefully. Then, she closed her eyes, centering on finding a match to the scent as she maneuvered towards the direction the orbs were thrown from. Of course, if she were able to track the person, she would stop short of their whereabouts. This would give her enough space to use the poison darts she had crafted.

Rin placed her lance conveniently on her shoulder and continued to move towards the distant flares. Her body moved with fluid-like tendencies, easily evading any branches or roots that threatened to hinder her progress. She breathed in through her nose and out her mouth, striving to preserve as much energy as she could. Given the circumstance, she would not be able to use her magical abilities, lest she burns the village more.

Interations: InsaneAsylum | Mentions: Misuteeku Entity.Eclypse
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[InsaneAsylum]

The Burning Village​

Sheridan's bird returned from it's scouting mission with very important information. Sheridan would see visions of numerous armed men in the village ahead. At least half of the village was already on fire. People ran in the streets, desperate for a chance to escape, but were either shot down by flaming arrows, or cut down in the roads. Standing in the center of the village was an individual clad fully in samurai armor. Not a single patch of skin was visible, but from the brief view the bird had on the samurai, one could tell their armor was heavily worn by the old scorch marks and battle scars. The samurai's gaze turned up just in time to see the bird disappear from view on its way back to Sheridan. Sheridan would now know that there were at least four men by each of the village's three entrances. The front entrance was where Rin was headed, and had a lack of cover around the front gate. The West entrance was opened up towards the mountains, and had many trees nearby to cover ones approach. The back entrance on the far side of the village lacked trees to conceal anyone, but appeared to have the least amount of men there. The last thing Sheridan would see before the vision ended would be one of a woman leaping through a window onto one of the mysterious men. With great strength the woman held the man down and took a swift chomp right into the man's jugular. Her head craned upwards towards the sky as she swallowed the raw flesh, and her glowing red eyes emanated with unknown power. Several arrows lodged themselves into the woman, sending her toppling to the ground, limp.

Inari's swift strike caught the archer in the tree off guard, taking him down with nothing more than a brief cry. At the same time, the bald man stumbled forwards due to Rin's jab, and was quickly met by Hiro's blade sinking deep into him. The man coughed up and spout of blood, and grabbed onto Hiro's forearm. He dropped his own blade, and reached into a back pocket. He produced a tag and stuck it to his chest before letting out a maniacal laugh. "You don't know who you're dealing with! HAHAHA! You'll all be killed for your foolishness!" The tag read: "Self-Immolate"

Kaiyo would easily find a man a short distance a way hiding behind a tree. He had yet to notice Kaiyo, but he rolled out from his hiding spot, and prepared to throw another orb at the cart. If another batch of the fluid was added to the flames, Sheridan's spell would likely be unable to save the majority of their supplies.

As Rin approached the village she'd find the amount of tree beginning to dwindle. Once the front gate was in sight, she'd have nothing to cover her from any archers awaiting her. If she stopped at the edge of the treeline, she'd have time to observe two archers with their backs turned to her. They were more interested on what was going on inside the village rather than what might be trying to come in. The smell of burnt flesh and smoke was stronger now, and would only get worse once she got past the gates. Inside she'd find several soldiers throwing torches into whatever buildings had yet to be lit up. She'd no doubt be set upon instantly if she was seen. Fortunately, thanks to Dierdre incapacitating the fleeing man, the village had yet to realize anyone was inbound. Rin had the element of surprise, for now.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twistix​

The 'spy' began to chuckle as Lanthane finished his little talk. He spit on the ground in front of Lan, before staring up at him with a new found intensity.
"You ignorant pup! I can tell it by your stench. A noble of Rivienne, you can the girl there. You know nothing of your people's sins. Your silence only makes them stronger, while you obediently scurry around to their every whim. Peace was never an option for us! You desert dwellers wanted it all! You do not even know who's orders you obe-"

An orange flash soared by Lanthane, and through the man's other shoulder leaving a gaping hole the size of a silver coin. The spy let out a roar of agony, echoing across the encampment. His head fell limp again as she returned his gaze to the ground.

"Ah, so that's what that spell does!" Sarah said happily. "It would do you well not to speak to my brother that way, it seems he only wants to help you. Me, on the other hand. I will kill you." Sarah walked up beside Lanthane, and patted his head, letting her fingers gently brush his cheek. "Those are interesting markings on your legs. They remind me of our prisoner. We were going to just kill her soon since we don't know what to do with her."

Upon hearing this, the spy's eyes went wide and his muscles tensed. "N-no..."

-----

"Your name is Mason right? That's a dumb name, but you look like you'll do what I say!" A small purple ball of light fluttered up in front of Mason's face. At such a close distance, he could see the form of a tiny woman with white hair. She waved at him and smiled brightly. "You look kinda gross too! Anyway, I bet the sage will like you just fine, I know where he lives ya know! Follow me!" The fairy began fluttering down the path towards the far end of town. "What're you waiting for, a magic user like you should be ecstatic to meet someone like this! Maybe he'll even teach you something coooool!" The fairy was absolutely ecstatic at the moment, and was fluttering away just a little too fast for Mason to keep up just by walking. The lack of an explanation of anything may have been suspicious, but surely he could trust this cute little fairy... right?

-----

In the tavern, the old man suddenly realized another drink had been on his table for some time now. He smiled brightly before lifting it to his lips. In record time, the cup was empty once again. Droplets of the ale were left on his beard. He raised the cup into the air, signaling for another. On the table before him, an odd little symbol resembling a crescent moon had been drawn. The old man didn't appear to have any ink with him, and the symbol looked brand new.

 

[InsaneAsylum]

Saishoa, Daini, and San-Bana​

Only two of the triplets had successfully escaped the cart unharmed. Saishoa and Daini were kneeled before their sister San-bana, who had not been so quick to escape the flames. Liquid had splashed all over the girl, and the flames were still peel away at her skin as her sisters desperately patted her down to try and suppress to fire. San-Bana could only cry out in pain as her nerves sent inferno like sensations throughout her body. Tears streamed from Daini's face as she struggled to put out the flames, the sight of her sister in such agaonizing pain was too much for her to bear. Saishoa on the other hand was completely focused on putting out the flames, and was making progress as well. Tuning out the cries, Saishoa was able to finish up in only about twenty seconds. Of course, the end product was still quite terrible. San-Bana's body from her stomach to the entire right side of her body was covered in terrible third and second degree burns.

"I-it's ok now Sanny! The fire is all gone now. You're safe!" Daini said, trying to comfort her hurting sibling. San-Bana appeared not to have heard a word though, for she simply stayed curled up on the ground in pain. Saishoa glanced down at her and winced. "The shrine keeper we have with us will heal your wounds. Daini will stay with you until then. I'll be going on ahead with the rest of the group." Saishoa stated with her usual stoic tone. Daini nodded, and watched as Saishoa hurried in the direction Rin had went. Daini then looked to Thana. "Can you heal my sister? P-please?"

 

[Misuteeku]

Sheridan Sasaki​

The fire had grown weaker. Her darkness had beaten the fire into submission and left one thing to do. With a loud clap of her hands, the darkness devoured the remaining flames. The shadows slowly rose up into the air and converged into a single point, becoming a sphere of darkness. It dissipated, becoming fading specks of darkness. With their supplies no longer threatened by the flames, Sheridan gritted her teeth. Her puppet had scouted what was happening in the village. Villagers were being slaughtered left and right by storms of arrows and flames. There was also a samurai that stood out from all the rest. Was it because of his armor or stature didn't matter to Sheridan as of right now. What she was worried about was that the Glutton was being idiot. While she was confident in her strength, she didn't know about the condition about the villagers. Some of them were turned into rabid animals and if she wasn't careful enough, she was going to be killed. It was going to be such a hassle if she were to die now.

Turning around to see the man about to take Hiro along with him, Sheridan withdrew another seal. "Be sated by your own gluttony! Shadow Cannibal!" Acting quickly, Sheridan casted the spell. The talisman burned into dark embers, and out of the man's own shadow emerged two shadow like jaws. They had pointed teeth and was similar to that of a shark and reached up to the man's torso.. The jaws closed down onto the man's torso, ripping into his flesh until the reached each other, and disappeared back into his own shadow. What was left were two halves that used to be a whole of a body. Looking over to Hiro she shouted, "Go with the glutton and take her to the western gate of the village! It's much safer than going straight in through the front gate!" Glutton head was as thick as her gut. She'd probably refuse to back away from the village. With a quick look to her puppet dog, she sent out a command. It wagged its tail and sped towards Hiro. It'll be their guide to the western gate and meat shield incase of emergencies. While Sheridan would like to help, her magic would be weakened by the intensity of the fires.

She would be more useful here, defending the caravan. Sending out a command to her bird, her bird flew off. With one last look, she shouted one last thing to Hiro. "Be careful of the villagers! They've been turned into rabid animals!" Turning her attention back to her surroundings, she withdrew several more seals. Throwing them all out, they gathered in a circle and started to revolve around. With the seemingly upcoming battle within the burning village, she had to rely on one of her more unsavory spells. Dark Magic had many uses. Curses, nature defying spells, darkness, and demonic demon seals. Dark Magic was the defilement of the natural order. Conversion of race, defilement of nature, and the womb of darkness. All three were what made dark magic, dark magic.

What she was doing now was summoning a demon from the womb of darkness. A demon child of Amikiri, a crab like demon that dwelled within the ocean. Amikiri often reproduced quite a lot during its time in the womb of darkness. Summoning and controlling one of its children was easy enough to do. All she needed now was time. Shifting back into an inhuman language, she began the summoning ritual.

 

[Arcanist]

♕ Lanthane ♕
Mentions: Sarah/'Spy' ( InsaneAsylum )​

Lan's gaze upon the man shifted into a curious raise of his brow, until the spy made his opinion of the noble frankly clear by aiming his spit on the ground. He found it difficult to hold a sigh back. Of course, what prisoner with their own views could so easily fall into a web set by their own captors? Genuinely, he thought to make the man's plight easier if he complied. Unfortunately, it was never quite as easy as that, as he had found out. The venom in the man's tone was clear as the night sky above them. He detested them, probably praying for a gruesome masscare of Rivienne. Lan could understand, for he too, had wished such horrible things upon Ventin and Feurey, soldiers and nobles alike, over the years. Lanthane felt a burning in his stomach as the 'spy' continued to bark at him, the flames of a lust for vengeance being fanned. Perhaps deep down, he still felt a desire to see those suffer for what the damage they had caused many. And their own mother.

Sarah took matters into her own hands, and created a burning hole you could practically peer into in the man's shoulder. The sudden burst of orange flames zipping past his eyes threw Lanthane off guard, and he landed on his arse with the sand as a cushy pillow. His heart pounded against his chest, unable to fathom the quick event that had unfolded in front of his eyes. He had to take a moment to process what had happened, even as Sarah happily chirped about testing out her new spell. Lan should have known how to feel after the man roared in pain, his shoulder bearing the mark of a man unwilling to cooperate. Yet, why didn't he feel the sense of glee at the sight of an enemy suffering? And what he said, about the nobles scurrying around them, making them stronger...he didn't mean the Church, right?

Lan flinched, his thoughts turning to the feeling of the uncomfortably familiar touch of Sarah's hand upon head. Why now, like this? Her touch seemed to linger, eventually moving to brush against his cheek. He felt himself naturally pull away as he finally decided to get his backside off the sand. Returning to the matter at hand, it seemed it was Sarah's turn to interrogate, or rather, threaten the man with the taking of another life. Lanthane attempted not to look so uncomfortable at that statement. Resorting to dirty tactics such as lying wasn't unusual in interrogation, but a heavy lie as that hung heavily over his head. He disliked it, but perhaps using the threat of the prisoner's life was the only way to squeeze any information out of him.

"My sister's right. She's baggage at this point," Lanthane told him, the words leaving a terrible aftertaste in his mouth. But regardless, he masked his disgust, and he continued. "But you can convince us otherwise. You just have to say the right things. If you do, we'll reconsider the prisoner's death."

 

[Takumi98]

Rafa didn't verbally respond when Hiro spoke to her, simply give a simple hum and nod of her head as she met his eyes before sizing him up. Deciding it wasn't worth her time potentially getting into a fight with the man she let her hand fall to her side but couldn't find the will to completely relax just yet. Glancing to the brief stand off of sorts between Gerran and Locke, she frowned in distaste before things settled down. Going to make her own cup of ale, the Thief sighed as she sat at a table and sipped her drink, simply watching those around her.

The smell of the food coming from the kitchen was mouth watering, and practically made her own stomach growl rather loudly. She couldn't remember the last time she had a good meal, and Ashe wasn't the best cook between the trio she found herself apart of, she'd rate his food as decent at best at the very least...when it came to him cooking for her on a good day anyway. Finishing off hee drink in the following minutes she stood to make herself another glass and to serve the rather odd and messy old man Hiro served earlier as well. Something about him interested her.

That, or the old man was just senile and she simply wished to have some form of company. Perhaps Vivian and her grouch of a retainer rubbed off on her too much?

---

Despite the commotion in camp, Vivian had slept through it, being far too tired and in such a deep sleep that she was much like a log. Ashe on the other hand, was awake in a matter of minutes, and with an annoyed grumble standing outside the tent fully dressed and alert while he let his charge continue to sleep.

Unfortunately, the cause of the commotion that woke him-now a captive it seemed-let out an agonized scream that caused rustling from inside the tent the redhead stood near. Vivian popped out of the tent moments later, hair a mess of bedhead and eyes drooping tiredly despite being awake and for the most part alert. Her clothes remained rumpled from her falling asleep in them, but she cared little for it. The young noble was frowning as she rubbed away sleep from one eye, her other hand clutching her tome tightly to her chest as she tried to gather what was going on around her.

She wasn't sure how she should feel about the sight in front of her, but it bothered her that something seemed to have happened and she wasn't woken up to at least be informed about it immediately, as if she were forgotten or an afterthought. Heavens forbid if they thought she should get her rest due to being so young, not when she was asked to helo in any way she could. She glanced up to the redhead beside her for a moment, but at his simple yet tense shrug in reaponse, her gaze returned to lock onto two familiar figures, her siblings.

After a moment of mentally debating if it was wise to make herself apart of whatever was going on, she soon found herself beside her brother, glancing up at him with a questioning look, before her gaze landed on the man innthe peocess of being interrogated. Her brow furrowed at the sight of his shoulder, but her gaze went back to Lanthane, then briefly to Sarah.

"What's going on?" She asked simply then, just a bit more awake now as Ashe stood nearby.

Interactions: Arcanist (Lan) InsaneAsylum (Sarah/Spy)

Mentions: InsaneAsylum (Old Man), The Black Knight (Hiro/Locke) Arcanist (Gerran)

 

[HeyItsBanana]

Interactions: Just the Fairy who's name escapes me as a person, but Mason doesnt know of anyway. ( InsaneAsylum )

"Wait," Mason was confused as he spoke, turning in all directions but not fully being able to discern the direction of the extremely small, and very rude if he was being honest, voice, "that's not very nice, Father Bartholomew gave me that name." It was at this moment a small ball of purple hued light fluttered in front of his face, it took a moment for Mason to realize that this small glowing ball was the source of the voice, but when it spoke again he nearly jumped out of his own skin. It was a woman, his jaw dropped, the voice was coming from a tiny, very tiny, woman. He sheepishly returned the wave after she offered her own paired with a smile, though when she mentioned bringing him to the sage the cleric snapped back into the present. Before Mason could even reply the fairy had taken off, still talking to him as she sped along, he was extremely lucky that she was luminescent or he would have lost sight of her for sure.

"I'm not looking for the Sage to learn anything about magic," Mason thought to himself as he started his chase, "I just want to hear his side of the story before Sarah gets her hands on him." It wasnt long before Mason was breathing heavily, he really should do some more physical training. He would berate himself later however, there was a small purple fairy that needed chasing, and he would do whatever it took to not lose sight of her now. The hair on the back of his neck stood up as he pondered the fairys comment on magic however, maybe the sage could teach him some trick to light magic, the only white magic that had forever eluded Mason. He shook his head, trying to free those thoughts from taking root, this was not the time to be selfish, however they did not leave easy, the thoughts lingering more than he liked.

 

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[div class=Heading][div class=header]Rin, Hiroaki, & Kaiyo[/div][/div]

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For a ninja of Kaiyo's caliber, finding the caravan's assailant proved easy. With expert agility, she enclosed on the man from above. As he emerged from the safety of the trees, Kaiyo seized the opportunity to leap into the tree he had cowardly lurked behind. On her tip-toes, she silently reached the edge of a branch pointing conveniently in the man's direction. Before he could hurl his contraptions towards the group once more, she leaped from overhead and landed on his shoulders, her thighs cradling his head. "What a shame, having a man such as yourself between my legs only for it to end like this."

And, before he could react, Kaiyo placed a hand on his forehead and the other on the back of his skull, snapping his neck with ease. As his body slumped to the ground, she straightened her legs and settled securely on the woodland soil. The biting sting in her back proceeded to have a moment of exasperation, but she bit her lip and focused on the task at hand. Upon regrouping with Sheridan and Hiroaki, she witnessed a shadow being (?) devour one of the enemies. As life escaped the man, his grip on Hiroaki slackened, and the samurai distanced himself from his enemy's imminent death.

"Go with the glutton and take her to the western gate of the village! It's much safer than going straight in through the front gate!"

Hiro looked to the spellcaster, and with a straight face, nodded to acknowledge her words. He wasted no time trailing Rin, Sheridan's puppet dog following closely behind. Luckily, he was faster than his companion so maybe - just maybe - he would be able to reach her in time.

"Be careful of the villagers! They've been turned into rabid animals!"

"Hmph," He thought to himself. "What the hell is going on around here?"

Kaiyo ultimately decided to stay behind. Though the young girl could easily protect herself, she would need time to produce her spells. The ninja swiftly placed herself close enough to Sheridan in a protective stance.

Rin, with stubborn tunnel-vision, ascended towards the infernal village steadfastly. As her coverage began to wane with the trees, she slackened her speed until she came to walk. Instantly, she gripped her lance properly and prepared herself for anything that may arise. However, as much as she prepped herself, the noxious stench of burnt flesh mingling with soot was something she was not anticipating. Her forearm instantly shielded her nose from the odor, and she took a crouching position as she approached the treeline.

Though Rin was an idiot, she was far from stupid. Well, for the most part. From the thickest bush she could find, she observed her surroundings. Aside from the apparent village on fire, two archers had their backs turned to her. "If there's two of them out here, I'm sure there's more," She mused to herself, playing scenarios in her mind. To continue undetected, she'd have to take them out simultaneously.

Taking a deep breath, she readied her lance and sprinted from the confines of the bush. Despite not being a ninja, her attire allowed for optimal and light movements, and she reached the first archer. Without saying a word, she plunged her weapon into the side of his neck, instantly retracting it. And, if everything went according to plan, Rin would imitate her actions to the second archer, plunging her lance into his neck as well. This would hopefully render the two speechless, unable to warn any of their comrades of her arrival, as blood spluttered from their severed thorax and esophagus onto the ground.

If all went as planned, with the two still caught off guard from her first attacks, she would dive her spear into their chest cavity to pierce their hearts, skewering the vital organ as her weapon egressed from their backs.

Interations: InsaneAsylum Misuteeku
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[The Black Knight]

Hiro looked over his shoulder from his meal remembering the others from their illegitimate band. Gerran and Rafa may not have been in his and Locke’s immediate party, but they were all comrades hired for the same mission. He announced to them, “Please, come join us. There is enough to go around.”

He then noticed the old man who even Rafa seemed to be serving ale now. “Sir, if you would please join us. This food must be shared.”

Hiro overheard a sudden choke and cough from Locke. He watched the sellsword lean to his right to cough upon the floor rather than all over the food. Once Locke was able to clear his windpipe, he straightened in his chair and exhaled a relieved sigh. After two seconds, Locke sent the toe of his boot slamming into Hiro’s shin. The fox jumped in his chair. His teeth clenched together as he bore his fangs in pain.

“Have you lost your mind?! Givin’ away our free food!” Locke angrily exclaimed.

Hiro growled, “Our comrades could benefit from the energy. There’s enough here to feed a small camp.”

Locke glanced down at the table as though mentally calculating the amount of food. Hiro frowned as he wondered, Is he actually calculating that?

Locke narrowed his eyes and grumbled, “I don’t know…I think I could eat all of this myself.”

“Your eyes are bigger than your stomach.”

Locke glared at Hiro and said, “Watch me. Invite them if you want. There probably won’t be much to go around once I’m done with this spread.”

 

[Arcanist]

Gerran
Mentions: Locke/Hiro ( The Black Knight ), Sarah/'Spy' ( InsaneAsylum ), Rafa/Vivian ( Takumi98 )​

Gerran had been quietly enjoying his ale, regarding the comfortable buzz that had rose once more inside the tavern, until he heard Hiro's call to him, and Rafa and the Sage, to join them. Judging by the mercenary's choking fit, it seemed Locke hadn't been expecting the offer of food to those around him. Regardless, Gerran rose from his chair without a moment's thought on the matter, and responded with, "Certainly. Thank you." Though the offer of food seemed shaky at best, what with Locke's monster appetite, the company was fulfilling enough for him.

He pulled up a chair as Locke made his bold claims to Hiro. Gerran soon made himself comfortable, ale in hand, and commented, "I appreciate the offer, but it's wiser not to stand between a man and his food." It may have sounded like he attempted his hand at a wisecrack, but it would have been difficult to discover underneath the serious look in his eyes. Gerran, for the time being, hadn't developed much of an appetite after the bloody battle, and he had been used to going without food or salvaging scraps as a child.

The knight took a sip of his ale, pondering over what to break the silence with. Perhaps getting to know those he rubbed shoulders with would benefit him. Sure, they were mercenaries, and perhaps they would move on from Rivienne's forces if the pay wasn't substantial, but such conversation would pass the time among them. Gerran turned to Hiro, asking, "So, how did you and Locke cross paths?"

Lanthane
​

Lan's attention had been torn away from the man to the appearance of his younger sister beside him. He felt his shoulders tense, trying to hide the grimace that threatened to play on his lips. He had hoped she didn't hear the agonising screams of the man, or the interrogations of his and Sarah's. In fact, he had hoped she wouldn't appear at all. It wasn't something she should have awakened to.

But alas, she was involved now, and Lanthane couldn't leave Vivian in the dark about their doings. He looked to her, explaining, "The soldiers found this man snooping around the camp. We're trying to glean his reasons for doing so," the noble turned his gaze back to the man, before he continued, "but he hasn't been cooperating with us. Sarah had to take some...unfortunate measures. Ones I hope she won't have to take again..." His last remark was something of a warning. But it was also a genuine hope that he wouldn't have to witness another use of a torture method.

 

[Entity.Eclypse]

Inari, Dierdre, Thana, and Kaldr
Interactions/Mentions: InsaneAsylum FoldedPages Misuteeku Kaldr released Thana's dress as the frantic girl had approached the two of them. The individual in question seemed to have a face soaked in tears, her cheeks still glistening from those tears. Thana knew the expression, the look of desperation in her eyes. This was the look of someone on the verge of loss, someone who was holding desperately to a thread of hope. She was that hope. All signs that pointed towards vengeance drained from her body, the loss of the snacks still eating away at her heart. Kaldr looked at her in concern for a moment before leaving her side, Thana had to handle whatever was going on by herself. A nod signified her response, "I'll do my best."

The shorter pink-haired girl rushed towards the figure writhing on the floor, it seemed that the fire had claimed another victim. With that Thana dropped to her knees and began to examine the girl before her, a fairly large area had been scorched... roughly the same amount as her sibling. Dierdre emerged from the side with Kaldr in tow, the two stopping a little bit down the path from Thana. "Make sure you get her in tip-top shape! She's been driving the cart this entire time, we both know you can't drive!"

Thana's cheeks puffed up, her eyebrows knitting together as the teasing from her sibling riled her up. With that, she closed her eyes, an expression of confidence claiming her facial structure. "Oh Feurey, the embodiment of the raging flame. With your destruction, you bring forth a new life-" Reaching forward, Thana produced a talisman and placed it against the recently burned area of San-Bana's body. "With your heat, let this one be healed!"

Her prayer reached out to the heavens, the talisman seeming to dissipate away into embers as the magic would begin to seep into the woman. Glowing energy pulsing from her burns as the body would begin to heal. Kaldr stood nearby, sniffing the air in attempts to get a sign of any dangers that may be approaching- her howl would carry enough of a distance to provide a warning. Dierdre had taken the advice from their 'youngest' companion and began moving down the pathway a short distance from the samurai. She was lacking in extra speed, but still managed to match pace with Hiro.

Within the treeline was one of the two ninjas accompanying the Feurian gang, none other than Inari. His blade had been replaced to it's sheathed, not even a speck of blood remaining upon the steel. The body of the archer would remain dropped over the tree branch, the occasional droplet of blood splattering to the earth below. In spite of the scene, the ninja had remained unsullied by his victim's ichor. Instead, he began moving forward at an unfathomable pace, his unnatural dexterity allowing the boy to leap from branch to branch with ease. One hand remained trained upon his blade, any hidden humanoids would be struck down out of nowhere. As he continued forward he managing to keep near his traveling companions, lacking every so slightly behind due to his means of movement.
​

 

[Arcanist]

Umeko Shiratori
Mentions: Sheridan's Bird ( Misuteeku ), Rin ( FoldedPages )​

"N-no, please! Please, spare me! I--"

The man could not finish his plea. He trembled at the sound of piercing flesh, casting his gaze down to the blade slotted through his stomach. His lips quivered as he parted them, attempting to speak, only for blood to trickle over his lips, down his chin. He felt the blade retract from his body, and his legs didn't even take him far backwards, as he stumbled, and fell face first into the dirt.

The murderer lingered over his body for a moment, pushing it over with her foot. She regarded the blank, bloody expression that remained on the dead man's face for a moment, before she cast her gaze ahead. She stepped over the body, her blade only freshly stained, before reaching the middle of the village. The Samurai's figure was as akin to a shadow against the orange light of the fires cast upon the village. She stood unmoving, her gaze fixed on the flames; a figure of authority, devotion, duty. No scream could faze her, no plea could distract her, no gory end to a human's life could convince her to give up her goals. The flames had changed that long before for her.

"This...this is fire's true power..." Umeko spoke with a strange, calm tone in her voice. Yet, there was something eratic about the way she spoke, unstable... No one would have seen it for the helmet of her former master masked it, but her eyes twinkled at the sight of the flames licking up everything around them. "To rid...to cleanse...yes, cleanse..." She muttered to herself, the pride eminent in amongst the strange sound of her. Their work here was almost complete. Another village cleansed once again, another beacon of the Everlasting Flame lit across Feurey for all the Clans to witness.

Yet, it was strange. For something felt off to Umeko, despite such glorious and victorious moments. The Samurai's head rose to search above her, witnessing the tail end of a bird disappear from her line of sight. No bird would willingly fly overhead. All of them had fled from the nearby trees they roosted in once they gifted their fire fuel. "We are not alone..." She mused. Umeko turned, her grip tightening on her katana as she inspected the fiery surroundings. Left, right, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary...only, at the entrance of the village, she noticed that two of her archers had been felled. She cocked her head, staring at the shapely figure of a woman wielding a lance, who had pierced a hole in one archer's neck, then the other's, before the poor followers had been skewered with it. Again, Umeko didn't flinch, didn't think to move. She simply stared ahead at the young woman, the two archers on the ground. She would have been impressed, had the intruder chosen not to meddle.


Holding up her fist to any archer who may have been witnessing such an attack, she signalled for them to stand down for the moment. Then, she began moving towards the front gate, her katana scraping a bloody line across the ground. The closer look she got at the woman informed Umeko that this wasn't a villager who escaped her grasp. A competent fighter. No doubt a disgusting Clansmen. She wondered if she hailed from her place of training, though, the thought of the Tiger Clan boiled her blood, made her lust to spill her blood across the ground soar. But she gripped the katana hilt tighter, refusing to let it take over her. Yet.

Umeko stopped some feet away from the gate, with Rin only being a few feet away on the other side. She stared, not making a move, not rushing to sate her bloodlust. Instead, she began to speak, in a loud, clear voice, making sure the woman would hear of the oppurtunity she should avail of. "You are a warrior of great skill. But you are too late. This village has been cleansed by those of the Everlasting Flame. You cannot hope to achieve anything here by fighting us." She paused, the tip of her blade still poised behind her, the blood still fresh. "Turn back, and we will spare you your lives. To die here would be meaningless."

 

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[div class=Heading][div class=header]Rin, Hiroaki, & Kaiyo[/div][/div]

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Well, there went Rin's element of surprise.

Using her foot as leverage, she withdrew her spear from the unsuspecting archer's chest cavity, a sickening crunch sound indicating more ribs shattered with the degression . His body slumped to the ground, and a pool of blood began to form. Rin paid no mind to this, however. Her attention was thoroughly captivated by the imposing woman in front of her. Straightening her posture, Rin whirled her lance behind her, offering the stranger a feigned smile. "Awe, you think I'm a skilled warrior?" She was practically beaming, but her face relaxed into a more stoic expression almost instantly.

Rin's body remained poised, unwavering, with only her crimson eyes darting to the sides quickly to survey the situation. Archers meant attacking head-on was out of the question. Had it been a fair fight between only the lancer and samurai, she may have stood a chance. After taking note of the surroundings, Rin's gaze finally locked onto the samurai again. "I must say, I'm impressed with your work," She mused, the grip on her lance tightening. While the girl bought some time with chatter, the unprotected knees of the samurai called out to her.

Rushing head-on for her knees and handicapping her? No, there were still archers. Rin's lips pressed into a thin line. "But who said anything about fighting? While traveling, I ran into a few of your men who said you were doing what's best, and I just had to come to see for myself," Rin paused, gesturing to the burning city behind her with one hand, the other still firmly gripping her lance behind her. "And lo and behold, they were right! As a mage who specializes in fire magic, I must admit I am impressed," She whistled with amazement to punctuate her sentence. "Unfortunately, I had to dispose of a few of your archers because they thought I was a threat, but hey, I'm like two for the price of one, and I would love to - uhm - how did you describe it? Oh! Yes! "Cleanse" those who need to. So whatcha say?"

Rin's element of surprise had been incinerated like the village behind her, but the other Feurey nobles still held the upper hand in that regard. If she could distract this hulking beast of a woman long enough, maybe they could spare other villages the same fate by killing the bitch.

Meanwhile, Hiroaki's jaw remained tightly clenched as he watched Rin from the protection of the trees. Of course, he knew what she was attempting. He jumped down soundlessly from the branch and kneeled down to the dog puppet. In truth, he had no idea how the thing worked, but he would give it a go. "I need you to cause a distraction for the archers the opposite way I am going to remove their aim from that dumb girl out there. I'll be heading to the west entrance."

Hiroaki felt out of place, talking to a wooden puppet. Would it work? He supposed he'd have to find out. Once the instructions were given, Hiroaki looked to the others who had followed him to the village. "Sheridan had advised we go to the west entrance. That is what I will do. I believe it is best we take advantage of what Rin is doing for us and launch a surprise attack altogether from every angle, taking care of the archers as best we can. What do you say?"


Interations: Arcanist Misuteeku Entity.Eclypse
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[The Black Knight]

While Locke was engrossed in stuffing his face, Hiro was patiently cutting into a leg of chicken as he received Gerran’s inquiry. He knew that he was violating his clan’s laws once more, being deceptive with the knight, but he did so to preserve his life along with Locke’s if Rivienne deem him guilty by association.

“Happenstance. We are mercenaries,” Hiro replied.

Locke pointed a chicken leg across the table at Hiro. Meat and skin were hanging off the bone, while one of the sellsword’s cheeks was as round as a softball. He grunted between bites, “We got into a fight and he kicked my ass!”

Hiro frowned a little. He didn’t like how Locke made it sound. He made it sound as though he had just outright assaulted him. The fox clarified, “He persistently tried to fight me, and so I put him in his place.”

Locke grinned. “That’s because you thought you were hot shit. You don’t need to act innocent.”

Hiro’s nose wrinkled some as he ignored Locke and spoke to Gerran, “I sometimes don’t know why I follow him. He’s lousy with a sword; his manners are appalling; and he’s too ignorant and blind to see it.”

Locke didn’t seem at all fazed by Hiro’s jabs. He brought the leg to his mouth and tore free some more meat as he answered, “He follows me because he knows I get the gold; and I’m awesome!”

“The former claim possibly. Definitely not the latter.”

Locke proudly grinned once more.

 

[Takumi98]

"Say old timer, pardon little ol' me if it's rude to ask, but did you draw that there?" She questioned curiously to the odd crescent moon shape on the table. It seemed more like something Vivian would be interested in, really. Bringing her ale to her lips, she take a swig.

"Don't have to answer me none of you don't want either. Though ask for more drink and I'll be nice and get it, yeah?" She hummed. Though with Hiro approaching, she placed her free hand on her hip, a playful air about her for a moment.

"Hmm? Come to give a lady some more company?" She teased with a chuckle, and took the invitation to sit with the others with a smile, then taking a moment to give the odd old man a brief nod and a 'the more the merrier, yeah?' before going to pull up a chair to sit next to Gerran. Plucking a roll from a plate she listened to Hiro and Locke bicker for a moment, snorting lightly in amusement.

"You two bicker like newlyweds. It's rather nice if you ask me." She spoke up, finishing her roll in three bites and taking a swig of her drink afterwards. While it was mostly a teasing jest, she was truthful in her words.

---

Vivian frowned at Lanthane's answer, glancing down at her feet for a.moment as all that escaped her for a moment was a soft "Oh". Taking a quick look at the caught spy, Vivian's gaze landed on his shoulder, and a small wince made her nose scrunch, her eyes narrowing as a result and for a brief second an unreadable expression passed through them.

She took a moment to think, before glancing up at her brother, thoughtful still. Her gaze flickered to the man in question, as well as her sister briefly, before returning back to Lanthane once more. "What all have you tried to get him to talk...before he started screaming?" She asked, fingers running along the ridge of her tome in contemplation. She knew there had to be a way to get answers without anymore injury to the one in question. How to go about it depended on the sad sight of a man before them.

Ashe, personally, thought Vivian's eyes were too bright in that moment, a quiet determination about her that made her feel older than she was.

"Lady Vivi-" he started, only to grunt when her hand shot out to smack his chest with a slightly hollow thwack.

"You can just call me Vivian, you know." She pouted, before giving him an apologetic look. "Perhaps we should hold off on torture for now?" She suggested, glancing to her siblings then as her retainer rubbed at his chest for a moment.

Interactions: Arcanist (Lan/Gerran), InsaneAsylum (Sarah/Spy/Old man), The Black Knight (Locke/Hiro)

 

[Arcanist]

Gerran
Mentions: Locke/Hiro ( The Black Knight ), Sarah/'Spy' ( InsaneAsylum ), Rafa/Vivian ( Takumi98 )​

Gerran awaited Hiro’s answer, and he was more than willing to accept the brief answer from him. Then, Locke, expanded on the answer. Gerran listened and watched as spit rained from his lips. He noted how he could stuff one cheek as full as a Paopoto could when taking their feed, though, put the thought to the back of his head. It was not the right time nor was it mannerly to conjure such an image in the middle of an answer to his own enquiry.

Gerran raised his brows as a sign of intrigue, though, lowered again into that pensive stoicness once more. “I see,” he nodded in understanding to Hiro, though, Locke seemed insistent of putting his own two gold pieces into the conversation. An interesting way for the two to meet. The jabs and Locke’s ability to try and get a reaction out of Hiro signified a close friendship, that was for sure.

“Perhaps you see something in him that others don’t see so easily,” Gerran suggested, taking another sip of his ale as he paused. “Or maybe it is the gold…” He mused. It was by no means judgemental; one had to do whatever they could to make a living. Gerran knew that from experience.

Gerran, once again, raised an eyebrow at Rafa, before he turned his glance back to the two mercenaries. “Rafa makes a good point. The two of you must have known each other for quite some time to be so comfortable around one another.”

Lanthane​

Seeing Vivian’s reaction to the treatment of the prisoner made a feeling of shame swell up in Lanthane’s chest. Perhaps it was his desire to shield her from such nefarious methods and means. He knew she was a gentle and kind soul; it was how he had known and possibly always would see her as. He didn’t want war and its crimes to ruin that. Then again, she was no stranger to tragedy, suffering the same loss of her own mother. But at least she could carry herself onward from that.


He feared if tragedy struck again, that might not be the case.

Lanthane glanced to her once more as she enquired as to what methods they had already used to attempt to gather information from the man. “I’ve already warned him about the consequences that would come from his injuries. Negotiated with him too,” he explained, glancing back to the hole Sarah had etched into the prisoner’s shoulder. He had no intention of responding to either the noble or his sister, no matter how much mercy Lan showed or how harsh Sarah could be.

He hadn’t expected the smack from Vivian towards her follower, insisting not to be addressed by her title. It reminded him of himself and Gerran...who was probably sinking ales by now. Oh, how Lanthane wished he was at that tavern, sampling their drinks, revelling in the atmosphere, trying his hand at stealing the hearts of local women! Instead, here he was, navigating his way around a prisoner, after unmentionable events involving a rather large sleeping bag.

Lanthane sighed, before he answered Vivian’s suggestion. “That depends on whether he wishes to cooperate with us. I could sit here patiently and wait for his answers all night.” He glanced from Vivian and then to Sarah. He knew for sure Sarah hadn’t such patience.

 

[InsaneAsylum]

The Burning Village​

"I-I-I..." Daini tried to speak but only managed to sputter. She tried to stand up, but stumbled back down to her knees before just kneeling down next to San-Bana once again. "I know who we are dealing with you guys... I've heard stories about them," Daini said looking toward Thana. "The Eternal Flame. They are the only ones who would try to ignite themselves like that man did. Why did they have to be here... Umeko is going to kill us all! I... I gotta save Saishoa! She needs my help!" Daini rose to her feet once again, this time not falling. "Thank you for healing San-Bana. I very much appreciate you for it but now I gotta go. There are probably some enemies still lurking in the trees near here..." Daini gave a long look to San-Bana, who's breathing was less ragged now. "I'll be back with Saishoa, ok?" With that said, Daini took off towards the village, her two blades at her side.

San-Bana managed to prop herself up on her elbows just as Daini left. She looked up at Thana, but there was no thankfulness in her eyes. The healing had done nothing to remove the burned tissue, and she was still as marred as before. Her pain may have been lessened, but her looks were permanently diminished. "Thanks but can you fuck off now. Those idiots need to stop running off. Let's get this damn cart to the village before more of these flame psychos get here." San-Bana grunted as she slowly stood up. Once standing, she took slow heavy steps towards the cart, pain flaring with each step. She heaved herself up onto it, sitting on the edge of it with her sheathed nodachi in hand.

The white light suddenly reappeared next to Thana. "You're a healer huh? Cool! My name is Nio. I know when things are dangerous and this is super dangerous! Y'all should've listened and turned around! Now more people are going to die! Hmmmm... well I you gotta make the best of it now though!" Nio then floated away from Thana towards Sheridan, stopped a short distance from her. "Hey hey! Why're you so short? You kinda remind me of my girlfriend! Hahaha."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Twistix​

The old man smiled warmly at Rafa as she spoke to him, but he didn't respond in any way. It was like he was just kind of muting her out, but at the very least he nodded happily when he was bestowed with more booze. He once again took to rapidly draining his cup. He sighed with satisfaction as he placed the cup back down onto the table. His eyes suddenly widened for a moment before he brought a finger to his ear. He looked as if he was listening very intently for almost an entire minute, and he nodded the entire time. He even let out an occasional affirmation like, "Mmhmm, yes, and of course." He sighed and slowly rose to his feet. He grabbed his walking stick and stepped away from his table. The old man wiped off his beard and cleared his throat. "Who wants to see a magic trick before I go?!"

---------

The purple fairy floated back to Mason, stopping close in front of his face for a moment. "Names are very important. It is good you are proud of yours. My name is Fia. We're friends now, ok?" Fia patted Mason on the head, before heading back down the path, albeit a little slower now so Mason could keep up easier. Fia seemed plenty comfortable around Mason now, despite only just meeting him. It seemed more like she was just dragging him along for something rather than leading him to the Sage to help. Whatever the case was, as they made their way down the path, it got uncomfortably dark. The only light was Fia bouncing through the air down the path. She twirled and spun as she floated, occasionally turning to wave at Mason with her little fairy arms.

After several minutes of agonizing silence, Fia stopped abruptly. "Uh-oh! Someone's coming!" Fia floated back to Mason and slipped under the collar of his robe. A voice called out from the darkness ahead. "Where are you going out here and this hour?" Was all they asked. It was a feminine voice, but it was rough, and hardened. It was the voice of a warrior.

----------

Sarah rubbed her temples in annoyance. The guy obviously wasn't going to give up anything. However she couldn't just kill him right in front of everyone. She looked to Vivian and thought of an idea, smiling a little as she did. "Ok, I'll let you two handle the interrogation of this man for the next ten minutes. When I return, I'm going to interrogate him my way, whether you two like it or not. I'm sorry Viv, but I can't risk the camp's safety." Sarah then turned her attention to the soldiers nearby. "Secure the perimeter better. We'll be losing some sleep tonight." With that said, Sarah and the nearby soldiers headed off, leaving Lanthane, Vivian, and Ashe alone with the prisoner. The only other nearby individual was the prisoner a short distance away, watching dully from their caged cart.

 

[Misuteeku]

Sheridan Sasaki​

The seals started to glimmer and be encased in dark orbs. A gate filled with shadow and void emerged from the encircling seals. With a few hand signals, she threw out her arm and a being erupted out of the gate. It was a blur as it flew out into the forest. A cry of any kind would most likely be heard as the beast found its target and started to viciously pierce it with its mandibles. With the demon currently distracted, she had to address the weird fairy that was talking to her. It had called her short. She categorized this as an 'insult' and debated on what to do. Some people would ignore the insult and move on, others would insult them back. The latter seemed like a good option. Kaiyo often insulted the glutton and the glutton same to her, if she remembered correctly. Maybe it was a way to establish good relationships. Deciding to insult the fairy, she said-

"Why're you so fat?" In the most disinterested, monotone voice that she had mustered.

The creature emerged out of the bushes and started to fly its way at Kaiyo, its freshly bloodied mandible were not enough to sate it. With a single raised hand, the orbs glowed and shot out shadowy chains that prevented the creature from getting an inch closer to Kaiyo. It struggled against its binds, wanting to sic its mandibles into more flesh. The chains the other hand didn't seem to budge despite the creature's resistance. She turned to Kaiyo. "We should go assist them now," She said. The glutton had most likely engaged the enemy and Hiro was most likely right behind her tail. Fox boy and his friend would most likely be behind them as well.

Turning towards the direction of the village, Sheridan began to dash as fast as a child could run. Her body wasn't suited for this kind of labor, considering that her body was that of a child. Hopefully they would be able to make it in time before the glutton did something stupid and get herself killed. It also made her worry a little after what one of the triplets said. Something about an infamous figure of fire. The information the bird has provided her before leaving was a samurai staring at it. That must of been the samurai the triplet had been talking about.

On the side of the dog, it nodded to Hiro said. Sheridan had given permission for Hiro to give commands to the dog for the time being. It dashed its way towards the area of the archers. Mimicking the barking of a dog, it found a collection of rocks and started to chuck them at the archers. A few of the rocks sailed above the archer's head as the dog attempted to distract the archers.