Graded [Paizu Mountains] The Fox and The Hound

[LadyOfStars]

Seikatsu Mitsunari ​

Now that he thought about it, the other holy people who he had to shake down for Ceylan's whereabout did all dress in a similar way as the high priest. He had never noticed them before now, but now he knew what to look for in the future. What he heard next interesting him the most, excited him even. The priest explained that the church he served was no friend of the empire and while Mitsunari was not looking for a friend in the Syncretist Church, he did find some comfort in the fact that he was not alone in his disdains for the east. "I can't say that I am surprised they took such actions against your brethren. Slavery is a lucrative business." He had seen first hand how well some slavers got to live after they managed to sell off their captures.

The canine's warning was not wasted on the fox, but he did not like the idea that this journey could be a waste of his time. "Then it is good that I'm not the type to dole out threats. I'd much rather act, as I'm sure you've learnt" If it came to the point where the man would not cooperate, then he would react with violence without hesitation. "But I hope for your sake and this cardinals that he gives me what I seek. Mitsunari looked up to the mountain and imagined what they would find up there and what the cardinal would be like.

"How did you come to be part of this church?" Mitsunari asked as he and his ogres started to catch up to the slowing hound. "Why did this cardinal not offer you his help. You are brothers in faith after all."

Elvario Silent Angel

 

[Elvario]

At the Foot of the Paizu Mountains

Mentions: Mitsunari LadyOfStars | Malerie Silent Angel

Ceylan
​

Ceylan frowned at the mention of slavery being lucrative. “All the heavier is the price that slavers shall pay in turn.” He left it in the open if he desired that to be in the current life or in the afterlife. “One day, I hope our church grows powerful enough to abolish slavery through-out the continent.” The latter was probably too idealistic, but one might hope.

The topic of the cardinal was a more complex one. “Reaching certain levels of power changes someone. From what I've learned, the cardinal retreated into the mountains after obtaining the power to resurrect the dead from mere fragments of their bodies. The upper echelon of the church isn't open about the reason for it, but my own guess is that he chose the remoteness to ensure he'd be able to consider how to utilise his gift. I might need to convince him that the curse upon my legs has made me pay for my failures well enough for it to be lifted, or perhaps he'll ask something else entirely, but I'm under the impression he's chosen to use his newfound gift sparsely.”

An easier topic was the earlier question. “I was raised by them, in one of their orphanages. Most chose to leave and find other occupations, but I decided to stay and learn, so that I could eventually help others like they helped me.”

As they were talking, Ceylan was slowing down even more, every now and again gritting his teeth with a bit of a pained expression. The [maimed] condition was going strong on his legs. That said, he did wish to ask some questions to the fox in turn, so he tried to ignore it. “What lands do you hail from, if I may ask?” He hoped that was a simple enough question to get started.

 

[LadyOfStars]

Seikatsu Mitsunari​

Hearing of the cardinal's power was inspiring, and made Mitsunari feel just a little envious. He was not truly interested in healing magic, but just to know that someone was capable of such a feat was enough to get the gears turning in his mind. Now he knew why Ceylan said that threats may not work on such a person. The power of the cardinal had to be unlike anything that he'd seen before. Personally he had no interest in the church, but if it had talented individual's like this cardinal and Ceylan, then perhaps it could be valuable to him in the future. And Ceylan who was raised by the church would be the perfect way in.

"I am from Japan, a land in a different world, a different...reality." He had never spoken about his transition to this world before, but he was curious to see what Ceylan's reaction would be. He also wanted to be honest with the priest as that would most likely get him further. "It is a world without deities and magic, populated only by humans and base animals." His mind slowly drifted back to what he remembered of the old world, but he could only recall the big details and not really the minor ones like cultural differences and such.

"However, my first memories of this world are of the eastern empire." Mitsunari started to feel the sting of his condition as the bandages gently brushed against his charred skin and caused the greatest discomfort, bordering on pain. They still had quite a ways to go and he couldn't guess how long their trip would take, so he decided it was best to be proactive. "Fox's Gift." The orb around his neck chimed and the chain was shaken as magic surged around him. Instantly a green aura wrapped itself around the fox and even around Ceylan. "Here, your map." He extended out his arm, holding the parchment loosely for the canine.

Elvario Silent Angel

 

[Silent Angel]

Malerie

The doctor listened to the conversation, thinking it over. The healing of the cardinal sounded powerful, and she might be interested in learning it, but her personal pride was in being a medical doctor, not one who used magic. She might in the end learn healing magic, as it tended to be faster, but she loved healing as a science too much to rely on something outside of that. Though, she thought wryly, she became a doctor to help people, and if she needed magic to do that, then so be it.

She perked up when she heard something. "Japan? You're from Japan?" She should have felt excited meeting someone from her world, but instead she felt... almost revolted. "Unless you're from far before I was, you're from a time and place where people have gotten to a point where morality of actions is at the forefront of thought and yet you obviously aren't above using bloodthirsty monsters to do your bidding? Yet again, unless you're from a bit before me, I would hope that you would be revolted by your actions! I could tell what your friends did to Ceylan, and it had been only recently before I got there, and yet you still are willing to go further than that? Have you no shame!" She couldn't help the words poring from her mouth as her voice reached higher and higher, her eyes brimming with tears threatening to fall as she didn't even realize what she was doing was dangerous. Her revulsion was unable to be held back.​

 

[Elvario]

At the Foot of the Paizu Mountains

Mentions: Mitsunari LadyOfStars | Malerie Silent Angel

Ceylan
​

Things got confusing rapidly. “A reality without deities?” It all sounded rather strange to him. If it wasn't for the fact that Ceylan wasn't catching up on any dishonesty or mockery, he'd not believe a single world that came out of the fox's mouth.

It was only at the mention of the Eastern Empire that Ceylan knew what they were talking about again.“I'm sorry they had to be from there, of all places.”

He was surprised when the fox suddenly backed him up with some healing. Not only that, he even returned the map. “Thank you.” Ceylan replied, a bit of confusion mixed in with the gratefulness. Although his legs were as maimed as ever, he'd be able to go for a few more paces without too much pain again.

More surprising, however, was Malerie's outburst. He figured he'd best try to fix this, before it'd ruin the surprising progress he seemed to have made with Mitsunari. “It's okay, calm down a bit please.” He tried to calm her. “I'd lie if I said I liked that sort of treatment, but as Mitsunari let the girl from before go with just a scare, I'm sure we'll be able to find common ground.” He actually was, for what it was worth.

In the distance, the cabins that Ceylan mentioned finally were in sight. They were abandoned at the moment, as most shepherds had gone to the village to sheer their sheep, but they'd offer a place to rest for the night. On the topic of night, it was already getting dark, with the sun setting below the mountains. “I suggest we rest here, as the mountains are dangerous to traverse at night.”

 

[LadyOfStars]

Seikatsu Mitsunari ​

He hadn't met anyone who shared his situation, but Mitsunari always thought that it would be possible he was just one of many. How unfortunate that the first person he would meet would be some righteous woman who thought she was worthy enough to preach to him about morality. "My life prior to this world does not matter. I can't go back there and I have no interest in trying to. The person I am now is far greater than the person I once was." He didn't care about where she came from or how it compared to where he had come from. His life was his own to live. "You clearly have had an easier time in this world and for that I envy you, but morals would have me in chains still. Morals would see me and twenty others just like me, enslaved to the elite of the empire. So no, I feel no shame for my actions, I revel in them for each choice I make has brought me one step closer to my dreams." Mitsunari smirked as he watched the woman fight back her tears and anger. If this was enough to bring out such emotion in her then she hadn't seen anything of this world's true face.

For Ceylan's cooperation, Mitsunari would ignore the woman's outburst and not let her be a midnight snack for his ogres. Instead he focused on the cabins that were just ahead. A place to rest would do both of the cursed figures some good. "We camp here for the night." Mitsunari told the ogres, which they responded with heavy sighs of relief and grins upon their faces. They had eaten their fill and of course that meant it was time for a nap. "What reason did the gods give for cursing a priest?" Mitsunari asked as his eyes wandered down to Ceylan's legs.

Elvario Silent Angel

 

[Silent Angel]

Malerie

Malerie was fuming after what he said to her, and she responded with her thoughts about those words. "Oh? You think you're better? You might be stronger, but unless you were some sort of serial killer, I highly doubt you're a better person. And as for seeing this world, I've been shunned at every turn. I basically have nobody to turn to because of who I was born as. All I want to do is help, but nobody will let me help them unless it's a choice between that and death. Heck, the only time I was allowed to actually spend any amount of time with humans was when a plague was destroying an entire city, and even after spending day after day keeping as many people as I could alive, I still was treated as a pariah after the fact, still forced out of any form of human interaction, with some people even thinking I was the cause of that plague! I can tell you've had a shitty life here, but throwing away your morals makes you no better than any of the people you fight against. You're just horrible in a different way!"

Her face was filled with emotions, some distraught, others pure rage. However, in an instant, her face went purely neutral, any sign of emotion completely gone. "Oh, dearie me. What was that all about? I apologize for being so rude to you. I do hope you'll forgive me." A small, polite smile spread across her face as she gave a small bow to the kitsune before turning, walking to the edge of the road and beginning to pick herbs and mushrooms, seemingly having completely forgotten about the rant she had just been on.​

 

[Elvario]

At the Foot of the Paizu Mountains

Mentions: Mitsunari LadyOfStars | Malerie Silent Angel

Ceylan
​

Ceylan was a tad bit worried when Seikatsu and Malerie continued their argument. Not only had he no clue what it was about, he was worried it'd escalate into something violent. There was, however, one thing he didn't wish to be silent about. “For what it's worth, morals can be both chains and weapons. It all depends on how they're perceived and who wields them.” That were his two cents, as the resident priest. As clear as his church's goals were, the way to get there was far less clear and he was very familiar with moral grey zones.

As he caught Mitsunari shameless checking him out staring at his curses legs, an expected question was brought up. “They attempted to test me and in my naivety, I failed them.” That was all he wished to share on it, for now. He'd ask the same question of the fox, if it wasn't for the fact he wasn't all to eager to go into detail himself. Besides, there was something he was more intrigued by. “Is that language you speak the language of monsters? How'd you learn something like that?” Hopefully it'll tell him a little more about his dognapper.

That said, Malerie was acting very strange, which drew his attention. “Are you alright..?” He said, a combination of confusion and worry. She'd made a complete 180 of being distressed to this weird apathy and his empathy told him that it wasn't a mere act.

Either way, they'd arrived at the cabins. There were about five total and all of them were very simple, offering little more than some beds and a single chair and table. They'd all be too small for the ogres to fit into, as they were clearly meant as little more than temporary places to rest when folk were up here with their herds. Considering Ceylan wasn't sure how much freedom he should take in suggesting things, he instead just glossed over at Mitsunari, awaiting how the fox would suggest they spent the night. He knew he wouldn't get far if he tried running on his maimed legs, even with Malerie's aid, so Ceylan wasn't even really debating the idea of running.

 

[LadyOfStars]

Seikatsu Mitsunari

"Better?" Mitsunari was confused by the woman's use of the word for he had never said he was better than anyone or that he was trying to be. Listening to her whine over the loneliness she had suffered caused Mitsunari to lose interest. Their experiences in this world had not be the same, far from it actually. He much preferred isolation to slavery. But he could see now why the woman thought the way that she did; she was clearly insane. "Perhaps she is a lunatic." The fox said with a serious tone as he pointed up tot he moon that offered them a cold light.

The woman's sudden change in demeanor gave Mitsunari some time to ponder Ceylan's answer. He had been seen as unworthy of the gods' favor for whatever reason and they punished him for it. "How predictable of them." He approached one of the cabins and spared a brief glance inside to assess the sleeping situation. It was not ideal, but nothing in this life had been so far. "I learned it after I subjugated their tribe." One bandaged hand pressed against the door of a cabin and Mitsunari stepped aside as it swung open. "You'll sleep in this one." The statement was absent room for argument or debate. He slowly returned to his ogres and snapped his fingers to draw their attention to himself.

"Take turns sleeping and ensure the mutt does not flee in the night. If anyone approaches...kill them." The red giants nodded their heads in unison and four of the immediately moved to the centermost cabin, designating it as the one their master would sleep in. While the four of them made themselves comfortable by leaning against the exterior walls of the cabin, the other ogre who would be taking the first watch approached Ceylan and Malerie. He raised his sword and pointed to the cabin beside Mitsunari's where the door was ajar.

"I want to leave at a first light and make sure your friend does not have another episode or it will be her who needs medical attention." The kitsune stood outside his cabin, watching hos two hostages to see if they would continue to be cooperative. The mouthy woman was already walking a fine line so it would take very little to get Mitsunari riled up.

Elvario Silent Angel

 

[Silent Angel]

Malerie

The doctor continued picking different things and putting them into her bag. Her only response to his comment about her being a lunatic was a simple, "Depends what you mean. I would say my judgement is completely sound, and mentally there is no hampering of mental faculties." She took a teapot out of her bag before she began looking through the contents of her herbalism bag, wondering what she should make.

She saw him entering the tent, a smile plastered on her face. "And don't worry~ I won't have another one of those. By the way, would you enjoy some tea before you begin to rest? I hear I make some of the best tea around~" She seemed giddy as she began preparing for it, looking for something she could use as a fire to begin brewing it, seemingly having forgotten any animosity between her and the kitsune.​

 

[Elvario]

At the Foot of the Paizu Mountains

Mentions: Mitsunari LadyOfStars | Malerie Silent Angel

Ceylan
​

Subjugating an entire tribe of ogres? “That must have been quite the feat.” Ceylan was genuinely curious how the fox would've been able to pull that one off. Alas, he was told to go enter his kennel sleep in one of the cabins. However, as for Mitsunari's warning, Ceylan wasn't sure how to reply. “I'm afraid I don't know her well enough to have any sway over her actions.” He didn't need to lie about it, as with what Malerie was doing now, Ceylan generally couldn't make sense of it.

He was about to retreat into the cabin for the night when Malerie offered them tea. Perhaps that was her way to try playing along again, after realising she'd been risking her own safety with the fox? Ceylan surely hoped so. He smiled, hoping to forge a bit more peace and stability. “That's a great idea. Do you have camomile, per chance? It's been very long since I've had it.”

It would even give him a chance to try getting through to Mitsunari a bit more. “Perhaps you'd be willing to tell us how you subjugated an entire tribe of ogres? Or, perhaps, you'd wish to hear me tell of how I once nearly ended up being sacrificed by a gnoll?”

 

[LadyOfStars]

Seikatsu Mitsunari​

Mitsunari let out a heavy sigh as he heard the woman speaking once more in a manner that was entirely different to what she originally presented herself as. So long as she was not threatening himself or his other prisoner, what she did was of no concern to him. He watched the two as they got ready to cozy up around a fire and he was reminded of the bargain he struck with Ceylan. If the canine felt he was not upholding his end of their agreement then he might not take them where they needed to go. In which case he could make Ceylan a permanent prisoner, but that plan would take too long. "I killed their chief." Mitsunari said abruptly as he approached the fire. He stepped out of his geta and ignored the physical pain as he got down to the ground and knelt by the priest.

"Tell me of the gnoll. Should make for an amusing tale if nothing else, although I'm sure you have no shortage of stories to tell, given your legs." He laid his hands in his lap and his tails wrapped around his waist, the black fur burnt and singed. It had been a very long time since he sat down to have a civil conversation with someone. Whether or not he would enjoy himself remained to be seen. "None for me." He said, rejecting the tea.

Elvario Silent Angel

 

[Silent Angel]

Malerie

She raised an eyebrow at his refusal, but didn't say anything more, instead just busying herself with creating the tea. "Chamomile? I don't believe I've seen that in this world. No, the type of tea I make is specific to my knowledge of herbalism, so I use my expertise to excel at the creation~" She began looking through her bag a bit more, her face thoughtful. However, she suddenly paused at a point, her eyes moving around, glancing at the surrounding area before she asked, "By the way... is there any sort of stream or the like around? I need more water than I have to make tea~ I'm sure you understand~" She looked over at the other two expectantly.​

 

[Elvario]

At the Foot of the Paizu Mountains

Mentions: Mitsunari LadyOfStars | Malerie Silent Angel

Ceylan
​

“There should be a stream a bit to the east, a few paces just beyond the hill there.” Ceylan replied to Malerie, after checking his map. It was where most shepherds had their herds drink while they were up here. He wasn't sure if Mitsunari would even let Malerie go, but that wasn't his business.

Ceylan's disappointment with Mitsunari's short answer made room for some excitement when the fox at least wished to hear about his adventure's. “Well, I was on my way to a small village in he East of Ryke, along with a friend of mine, an alchemist. We had to go through the forest there, which was surprisingly dense and dark and filled with an ominous aura, like it was being cursed. We soon started to spot dead animals being cut up and hang from trees and branches, so we knew something was wrong. Neither of us were fighters though, so we hoped to sneak by, yet we failed. The gnoll had sniffed us out and managed to capture us, after which it tried to bargain with us, but it was clear it was just trying to get us to comply so it could sacrifice us. My alchemist friend managed to come up with a plan to get away from him, but we underestimated how easily the gnoll could chase us and we almost got captured by it. However, we managed to outrun just long enough to reach it's sacrifice site. It was somehow trying to resurrected a mummified baby gnoll as a demon, but by threatening to burn it, my alchemist friend was able to buy some time. We managed to free one of the gnoll's captives and with her help, we eventually managed to overpower him. It was a really close call though.” As he was talking, he'd use Empathy (D) to see which parts of the story most drew Mitsunari in to focus on them and add a bit more detail to describing the scenes. He wasn't a great storyteller, but being able to pick up on which parts connected with his audience, he'd be able to ensure it was as exciting to listen to as he could make it.

That said, there was something Ceylan himself had grown curious about. “So what's this Japan and godless other world that you were talking about like? Is it much like ours?”

 

[LadyOfStars]

Seikatsu Mitsunari ​

"You have a habit of finding yourself in dangerous situations." The canine's story was very insightful into the type of life that he lived and it was more wild than Mitsunari had anticipated. Nothing about Ceylan's personality or his appearance screamed adventurous, but his story seemed to paint him as such. Although he was far more interested in the gnoll that had the mental capacity and skill to threaten the priest and his friend as well as put together a ritual. It made him ponder what other competent outcasts might be out there. Having allies should be his goal and while the priest would be useful beyond a doubt, he was certain that the dog would not approve of his life choices.

When Ceylan inquired about japan, Mitsunari thought back to the days where he would awake in a noisy home, full of guests being entertained by geisha and a sick brother who made his life difficult. "It was nothing like this world." His words held undeniable venom and frustration. The fox rose to his feet and dusted off his kimono before he looked to the woman who was tagging along with them. "We will be leaving at sunrise, so stay up all night if you like, but I won't wait." He turned his back on the duo and Headed to his cabin. "Goodnight."

Elvario Silent Angel

 

[Elvario]

At the Foot of the Paizu Mountains

Mentions: Mitsunari LadyOfStars | Malerie Silent Angel

Ceylan
​

Ceylan wasn't sure what to do with Mitsunari's observation of getting himself in dangerous situations. Such was the life of a [Wandering Saint], after all. He may not be looking for adventure himself, but adventure sure knew how to find him. He was a bit sad when the fox wouldn't share a thing about Japan, instead giving only a vague reply that was meaningless and leaving short after. It was clear that, whatever Japan was, it was a touchy subject. With the conversation ending like that, and Malerie not even being able to offer chamomile, Ceylan sighed. He wasn't going to wait here alone, so he went to his assigned cabin to sleep for the night as well.

When Malerie returned, she'd just find the ogre's standing guard and a recently put-out fire. She did not posses to the right skills to sneak past them, where she to want or try doing so.

The next morning arrived, with Ceylan being up early. He hadn't slept too well, as he kept dreaming about his legs being chewed off. It'd left more of a mental scar than he'd let on. The fact that the perpetrators were standing just outside didn't exactly do his mind any good either. Even so, he tried making the best of it. “Good morning.” He'd greet Mitsunari, whenever the fox would awake. Ceylan had made himself some simple breakfast, boiled oats with raisins, offering Malerie and Mitsunari some as well. “From here, we'll be heading off into the mountain proper, so I'm expecting our journey will become significantly more difficult.”

Path into the Paizu Mountains

It turned out Ceylan wasn't lying. After their breakfast, they headed for the stream Malerie had been sent to for water, then followed it deeper into the mountains. In the far distance, they could see the peaks of some of the most impressive snow-covered tops. “Our destination is somewhere among those peaks.” Ceylan said, with a bit of a wry smile. The view was stunning, but with his legs already in pain again, even though he healed them on the regular just to keep walking, he was not looking forwards all that much to mountaineering. Even so, he tried to stay positive. “The mountains always have something awe-inspiring and beautiful about them, don't they?” He'd ask Malerie and Mitsunari.

 

[LadyOfStars]

Seikatsu Mitsunari ​

The night was long and Mitsunari had spent most of it awake, wandering around his cabin and even outside. He wouldn't say it, but he was exited. His face had not ben his face for some time now and that bothered him more than the pain he felt. His past life was focused around beauty and grace, neither of which he possessed at the moment. It was a good thing he lived in this world now because had he been back home, his family would have kept him locked away like some type of monster.

Alas the sun rose over the mountain peaks and he was greeted by the high priest who offered them breakfast. Mitsunari had been in his position before, his life dependent upon the happiness of the other and although it left a dark spot on his heart for Ceylan did not deserve this. He partook of the canine's simple breakfast and readied himself for their trip.

As they journeyed into the pass and moved towards the mountains, Mitsunari was taken by the splendor before him. Mount Fuji flashed in his mind and the hot springs of his home town. It had been so long since he soaked in a hot spring.

"What will you do once you are healed, Priest?" Mitsunari asked. "I won't be keeping you or your doctor hostage, so where will you go?" Mitsunari liked to think he would rest and catch up on some much needed sleep, but he knew he had work to do and ogres to feed.

Elvario Silent Angel

 

[Silent Angel]

Malerie

Malerie followed along with the other two, listening intently. Her eyes moved around with interest, catching on certain plants still and picking them, stuffing them into her bag. When the destination was pointed out, she glanced at it, giving a small whistle. "Wow. That's... quite the distance! You do know I'm not exactly the type of person to work out too much, right~? I have a good body, but I don't like it being overly muscled~ Makes it look less appealing~"

She hummed at the question. "Where to go? Well, that's a tough one! I think I'll wander around a bit more, maybe wander a bit, and if I'm feeling really daring, I might try going into a village and subsequently get chased out of it! It really is great fun~ But I might get a meal out of it first, if I'm lucky~" She giggled, the doctor pulling out some berries she had picked previously and popping them into her mouth. "And what about you, mister? I'm sure with your friends, you can't really stay in villages too much~ So where do you want to go?"​

 

[Elvario]

At the Foot of the Paizu Mountains

Mentions: Mitsunari LadyOfStars | Malerie Silent Angel

Ceylan
​

All things considered, Ceylan was caught off-guard by Mitsu's question. “I... I'm not sure. Perhaps I'll continue doing as I've always done, or perhaps I'll see if I can start working together with some paladins in the future.” The reason for why Ceylan would want the latter was pretty obvious, as no matter how much of a goody-two-shoes he was, he did not wish for his legs to be munched on all over again. “Or perhaps I'll try my luck and venture to the Dark Continent, if I can find the right company. I'd like to know if there are [monster] species capable of co-existing with others, or if there are only extremely rare individual exceptions.”

If Ceylan wasn't sure thus far, he was definitely sure now. Malerie had been hit in the head by some invisible landslide. She was acting way, way different and he had no clue why. “I'm not one to judge appearances a lot, but I don't see how being in good shape would make someone less appealing.” He raised an eye-brow at the 'meal' part. Something was ominous about the giggle that followed it.

As the walked along the mountain path, the road was becoming smaller and lesser maintained. It was clear that few people ventured this deeply into the mountains. They would, however, spot some weird claw marks along the side of the road. They were pretty large, with three clawed toes pointing forwards and one pointing backwards, likely from a two-legged animal. “We should be careful...” Ceylan said, not sure what those tracks were made by and not eager to find out. Luckily enough, they didn't seem to follow the path, although with the many rocks around here on which tracks wouldn't be left, they could never be too careful.

 

[LadyOfStars]

Seikatsu Mitsunari​

"Wander?" It seemed that the woman had no goal or purpose to guide her and while, Mitsunari was all for freedom, he was perhaps a bit envious that he could not just wander. Ceylan spoke of paladins, an answer that he should have foreseen given the canine's holy nature. He was more curious about what those paladins would do, who their righteous blades would be aimed at. But he wouldn't expect Ceylan to reveal all of his goals to a stranger.

"We can go where we please, so long as we are willing to fight for it." Mitsunari explained to the woman. After his little dungeon excursion, Mitsunari had made up his mind not to venture far from his ogres anymore. And as they reached more treacherous terrain and the footprints of a beast became more visible, "Two of you walk ahead of us and if this beast should appear, leave nothing of it." The ogres grunted at the fox's command and did not hesitate to force their way to the front of the party. They drew their blades and readied themselves for a fight.

As he watched the monsters move into their positions, Mitsunari thought about their origins. Ceylan mentioned the dark continent and it was a place that the fox had yet to go himself. If it was truly the home of the monsters then he may find some powerful creatures there to employ for his own goals.

Elvario Silent Angel

 

[Silent Angel]

Malerie

She looked straight at the dog boy, as if wondering if he was telling the truth, before going into a fit of giggles. "Coexist? No, unless you find more people like..." She stumbled in her speech before continuing, "Me, then you won't be able to find people who co-exist. My race are special because our inherent ability clashes against our race, so that makes us into an interesting mix where we can both harm and help... mostly." The last word was surprisingly bitter, but she instantly went back to her happy self, especially when faced with the dog boy's next question.

She tutted, waving Ceylan off. "Oh, don't worry your silly head over things like that~ I just prefer it like this~ If only it could be like this all the time..." She trailed off, her eyes looking out into the distance before coming back to herself, looking at the claw marks. Another giggle escaped her lips as she said, "Make sure to not get too messed up by that! I can't do miracles with my healing just yet, you know!"​

 

[Elvario]

At the Foot of the Paizu Mountains

Mentions: Mitsunari LadyOfStars | Malerie Silent Angel

Ceylan
​

Ceylan watched as Mitsunari sent out two of the ogres. He hoped it'd work out, as whilst he didn't exactly like the red creatures, he didn't like whatever might've created these tracks either. He had a growing suspicion what it might be, although he didn't have the skills to confirm it.

He was more confused, still, about Malerie. “What do you mean, mostly?” He decided to take the bait. He decided not to comment on her body-type any more, as it was awkward enough as it was.

However, any attempt to converse further was cut short, as they suddenly heard the sounds of battle up ahead, along with some clucking... It didn't take long before the perpetrator to show up.

Spoiler: Cockatrice

Its claws were dripping with blood, most of it from ogres, some of which its own blood, as whilst the ogres had parished, they'd been able to wound it. It was clearly unable to put its full weight on its left leg, as it tried to balance itself with its wings. Its beak, however, was also dripping with blood. It'd likely pecked deep into one of the ogre's chests, as there were suspiciously fleshy things hanging from it. The limping Cockatrice would still be a danger to them, if they didn't act quick, as it still had one good claw, a very sharp looking beak and a very ferocious look.

Ceylan, having no ways to defend himself, could only look around in panic. He tried withdrawing a bit, as he'd been leading the way and was up front, but his maimed legs didn't exactly let him run back. It didn't take long before he accidentally locked eyes with the cockatrice and the creature's eyes made him freeze up. (Stunning Gaze; the cockatrice's eyes can stun someone for one round upon direct eye-contact.) The creature didn't waste any time, trying to limp its way towards Ceylan to peck him to death. With no way to defend himself, the frozen-up dog would soon meet a gruesome fate if nobody came to his aid.

Luckily enough, his involuntary sacrifice had distracted the cockatrice from going after Mistunari or Malerie for now, which would give them a chance to run, counter-attack or plan. They wouldn't have long though, were they to want to help out Ceylan.

 

[LadyOfStars]

Seikatsu Mitsunari ​

Mitsunari had no interest in the current topic of conversation and found himself drifting off in thought and dreaming about how he'd feel once his body was back to what is was. He wished he did not have to wait so long to be himself again, but at least now the goal was in sight. He was awoken from his daydreaming however by the sound of fighting and bloodshed. He rised his gaze to settle upon the sight of a giant bird who had murdered his ogres. Without a word from their master, the remining monsters rushed forward, eager to avenge their kin and slay the beast. While the creature charged towards Ceylan, the ogres targeted it and raised their blades. One ogre attempted to grapple the bird's right wing while another swung his blade in the hopes of lopping the wing off. "Defend the priest!" Mitsunari commanded to the third ogre who rushed to Ceylan's rescue and swung is sword at the cockatrice's beak.

"We do not have time for this." Their journey was long enough without such inconvenient interruptions and in the interest of returning to their journey, Mitsunari would not hold back. Mana surged around the fox as he channeled the energy and manipulated it. Dark clouds formed over the bird and thunder cracked, resonating through the mountains. "Raijin's Fury." He called softly. A gust of wind rushed out from the spell, causing Mitsunari's hair and kimono to be whipped around in the shockwave, then several bolts of lightning rained down on the cockatrice.

• Raijin's Fury - Magic Affinity C, Lightning Affinity F, Magic Area Of Effect F, Spell Duration F, Magic range E - Dark clouds form over an area 10ft in diameter and rains down lightning for 60 seconds. - Grade C - 10ft Diameter, 30ft Range - 3 Post Cooldown

Elvario Silent Angel

 

[Silent Angel]

Malerie



Malerie glanced at Ceylan, blanking owlishly before waving his question off once more. "Oh, don't worry your cute little head about hat. I was just thinking about a certain someone I know." Her attention was pulled away by the sound of fighting, soon finding herself face to face with an interesting looking monster. "OH! Interesting..." She stared at it for a few moments before grumbling under her breath, moving her eyes to her bag.

She walked a short bit away, pulling out 'medicine' and beginning to put them into a syringe, mashing them up into a liquid like paste before adding some of the water from the river, She added a leaf or two before putting the plunger in, swirling it around a bit as she checked the contents, waiting for it to 'ripen'.​

 

[Elvario]

At the Foot of the Paizu Mountains

Mentions: Mitsunari LadyOfStars | Malerie Silent Angel

Ceylan
​

Spoiler: Cockatrice

One of the ogres successfully managed to grab the bird's wing. However, the creature saw the incoming danger presented by the second ogre, so the cockatrice turned its gaze from Ceylan to the ogre. The moment the creature locked eyes on the ogre, it stopped its tracks, failing to cut off the wing. Luckily enough, there was one more ogre, who proceeded to slash at the cockatrice's beak before the latter could attempt to peck at Ceylan. The beak didn't seem too damaged by it, other than some minor scratches, but it'd bought enough time.

Mitsunari's magic attack zapped the cockatrice quite a bit. However, it didn't finish it off just yet... The creature, now with blackened feathers and clearly not in the best state, would attempt to continue attacking. Sadly enough for it and luckily enough for the others, the ogres would be able to finish off what their two fallen comrades and master had started and would manage take it out. (OOC:You can describe how if you'd want, but after that magic attack, I figured not to draw out the scene too much.)

Ceylan, a little shaky, regained his movement. He slowly tested his finger movements. “Thank you...” He stammered, regaining his composure. The cockatrice wasn't too strong, this one at least, but if its gaze alone could stun people... Ceylan would imagine even the strongest opponents would struggle against it on their own. As much as he hated the ogres, their numbers had saved them here. They were able to move on a little later, but Ceylan was sure on high alter, not sure if he could expect more of these creatures.

Luckily, the next few hours of their journey went by without any more unpleasant interruptions. It allowed Ceylan to try starting up a conversation again. “That magic, did you learn it or your own, or did someone teach you?” He was still hoping to get to know a bit more about Mitsunari. “Also, that name. It doesn't sound like the monster language, but I don't know it. Raying? What does it mean?”

Malerie would need some time to do her work, but she'd eventually be able to catch up with the group, especially as Ceylan wasn't exactly going fast in his condition. That said, her behaviour had gotten too strange, so Ceylan decided he'd try to figure out just what was going on. “Why did you run off to the river earlier? Did you have some sort of plan?”