[b][h1][center]Martial in the Marshes, feat: Twilight and the Reshut[/center][/h1][/b]

Twilight had had to conjure forth a second bag for all the red masks he had been collecting off of those pesky bandits. Seeing as they had pounced on him every time, he had never gotten the opportunity to brandish his shield properly - it was cumbersome to pull off his back, and unsheathing his sword went much faster when he had one hand to stabilise the sheath. He was starting to develop a proper technique, too, for fracturing skulls or breaking necks whenever his blade was uselessly dull - which was pretty much whenever. A groan escaped him as he ran his eyes fixed on the grip on his hips - it was so beautifully crafted! If only it wasn’t linked to the most useless weapon on planet Galbar!

A presence kicked at his brain. [colour=lightblue]”You’re the absolute worst, do you know that?!”[/colour]

Twilight groaned and shuffled the bags of mask into a more comfortable position on his back. [colour=lightpink]”What do you want, Blue?”[/colour]

[colour=lightblue]”How could you do such a thing? Openly calling me useless and, and, and whiney! In front of [i]her[/i]?[/colour] The snorting sound of a blowing nose burned at his ear drums. 

[colour=lightpink]”She was being helpful and respectful towards me. You should give it a try, y’know.”[/colour]

[colour=lightblue]”Twilight, by my power as a goddess--”[/colour]

[colour=lightpink]”Sorry, what’s that? Connection’s breaking up.”[/colour]

[colour=lightblue]”H-hey, don’t ignore me!”[/colour]

[colour=lightpink]”Oh nooooo, I’m losing yooouuu. Boop.”[/colour] The avatar shut his mouth and kept walking. From the other side, he heard:

[colour=lightblue]”Twilight? Twilight?! You can’t shut me out! I am your goddess! Your -only- goddess! Do you hear me?! THE ONLY ONE!”[/colour] There was a pause. [colour=lightblue]”Why are you ignoring me?”[/colour] Another pause. [colour=lightblue]”Heeeey… Heeeeeeeeeeeeeey?”[/colour] A sniff. [colour=lightblue]”The mind link is still active - how are you not responding? Don’t tell me--! Did Neiya give you something to shut me out?!”[/colour] Twilight, meanwhile, came across something he had not expected: A road, next to which hung a yellow banner with a grand sigil. [colour=lightblue]”Answer me! Why are you like this? What did I ever do to deserve this kind of treatment, huh? Are you -still- going on about those two thousand years of sleep? Is that it? Are you really so callous and cold that you’d choose Neiya over me for something like that?[/colour] Twilight eyed some lights in the distance - a settlement of sorts. [colour=lightblue]”I’m sorry, okay? Is that what you wanna hear? Have I not said that already? Fine, I’ll say it again either way: I’m sorry I kidnapped you from your home and put you to sleep for two thousand years. I -only- made you immortal and part god for your troubles, but uh-nuuuh, Gibbie made you sleep forever! You know what, fine! Run away with Neiya if you want!”[/colour] Another pause. [colour=lightblue]”What do you see in her anyway? Is she -anything- else but nice hair, a pretty face and a pair of big… I mean, do you even know her? You know she’s crazy, right? Off her bloody rocker mental, you know that? You know what they say - don’t stick your, uh--... I mean, did I even tell you what she did to me? Do you wanna hear that, huh? Oh, you better prepare the waterworks, son, ‘cuz this story’s not for the faint of heart. You ready? Here goes! I’m gonna tell it!”[/colour] There was a pause, longer than the ones before. Twilight was standing in front of a large gate, flanked by palisade walls. The silence was interrupted by a series of sniffs and sobs. [colour=lightblue]”H-hey, Twilight? Don’t leave meee… I’m sorry for what I said, it’s just--... I don’t wanna lose you, and--”[/colour]

[colour=lightpink]”Blue, would you shut up for a second? I think I heard something,”[/colour] replied Twilight and looked around.

[colour=lightblue]”SO YOU WERE IGNORING ME!”[/colour]

[colour=lightpink]”Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever - can it for a bit, would you?”[/colour]

Silence lingered on the area, the sounds of insects buzzing and various frog croaks. Twilight kept still, eyeing the area. With a sudden flash, a figure had emerged from the brush, and a blade right on his neck, threatening to cut him in ways he really didn’t want to be cut. 

“Who are you? What do you want?” The figure spoke, moving his eyes, Twilight could see 3 other masked figures emerged, their masks weren’t red like the bandits, instead they all had various designs of yellow, much the banner he had seen before and each one wielded a spear or sword of somet type. 

[colour=lightpink]”Woah, woah, woah, heeeeey! Hey, I’m not here for trouble! Just your average human passing through - wait, shoot, right, you don’t know what humans are, do you?”[/colour] He had raised his hands in the air, and was thumbing one of them down at the two sacks swung over his back. [colour=lightpink]”If you’d let me reach into my bags, I could find my, uh, mask!”[/colour]

The figure pressed his blade further into Twilight’s skin, “You are an outsider that we know, you have no mask, now answer me, what do you want?” The figure gestured for the three others to draw closer, their weapons at the ready. 

[colour=lightpink]”As I said - just passing through. Now, if you’d just lower your weapons and-- HAH!”[/colour] With lightning quick reflexes worthy of a godspawn, Twilight ducked down and, with a movement smoother than warm butter, he affixed his shield to his arm and brought it upwards. [colour=lightpink]”LET’S SEE YOU FIGHT THIS - THE WORK OF A GOD!”[/colour]

The shield immediately shattered upon touching the warrior’s blade, its pieces trickling down on the ground. Twilight eyed it in a bepuzzled manner. [colour=lightpink]”Wah?”[/colour] On the other side of the mind link, he heard a mocking laughter.

The figure only looked down at the now shattered shield, then back to Twilight. Before just socking him in the face, sending him falling onto the floor. “Grab his weapons items,” He ordered the other three, “Bring him to the Daimyo, he’ll be interested in them.” The three Reshut quickly grabbed the bags and blade off of Twilight, before roughly forcing him upwards and dragging him past the gates into the city. 

Being dragged through swampy roads was not really the best of times and the guards didn’t really seem to care about their now prisoner. While the muck accumulated itself on his legs and lower half, Twilight could see Reshut staring at him from their wooden houses or from the sides of the street, always looking away when he tried to make eye contact, or even shooing their non-masked children inside.

Eventually, after what felt like ages of being dragged through the roads, they finally came upon a fairly large building situated near the center of the city, it was a far larger building then the rest, built with an intricate design and sloped triangle like roofs. The Reshut dragged him up the steps and into the large building. 

What Twilight saw was rather impressive, they had entered a large room with a beautiful array of art lining its walls, a large carpet laid upon the ground, and at the far edge stood a slightly raised pedestal, upon which a finally dressed Reshut with an intricate yellow mask sat kneeling. 

The guards bowed, and one spoke “Lord Hashimoto, this outsider was found outside the gates and attempted to attack us.” They roughly tossed Twilight to the ground in front of the Lord, who stared at him with piercing green eyes. 

“And what is your name interloper?” The lord asked.  

Twilight was tossed onto his knees and cast a stinky-eyed look at his captors. [colour=lightpink]”... Nice to see some people haven’t changed… I’m no interloper, man! I’m--!”[/colour]

One of the guards punched him upside the head once more, “Silence outsider! you will answer the Lord’s question without delay!” The lord raised one hand, calming the guard and allowing Twilight to speak once more. The avatar took a moment to snort up the line of blood running down over his lip and nodded.

[colour=lightpink]”I’m, uh… Twilight, sir.”[/colour]

The lord nodded, taking in the name “And tell me Twilight, why are you here in our lands? you have surely come a long way from your home.” 

Twilight took a moment to survey the room. The lord’s guard was large and jumpy. Not a good sign. [colour=lightpink]”I, uh… I swam - from the west. I’m heading east in search of a lady.”[/colour]

The lord uttered a hearty laugh “A lady huh? She must be a pretty find if you’re willing to swim across the entire ocean to find her, so what brought you to our city then?” 

Twilight made narrow eyes and cast a sideways glance at his guard. [colour=lightpink]”Well, uh, it, it was on the way… I’m pretty much just looking for the eastern shore at this point.”[/colour]

“I see,” The lord sat there, thinking for a brief moment “And why, did you attack my guards then?”

The avatar’s eyes focused on the floor mats. [colour=lightpink]”I, uh… I’m in a bit of a hurry, see. I was afraid this, uh, this exact thing would happen.”[/colour] He suddenly looked as though a bright idea had kicked him up the nose and relieved him of a few teeth. [colour=lightpink]”Hey, sir!”[/colour] He eyed the guard’s sharp glare. [colour=lightpink]”My lord, I mean - how would you like a boon for you and your people?”[/colour]

“A boon you say?” The lord leaned forward, bringing himself closer to the avatar “And how would someone like you be able to give my people a boon?”

Twilight put on a smirk. [colour=lightpink]”Huhuhuhuh. I wasn’t expecting to reveal myself this soon; however, it seems that it can’t be helped.”[/colour] He paused for dramatic effect. [colour=lightpink]”For you see! While you may have thought you captured a simple human, it was actually me - Twilight - the Vagabond of the Moon, and avatar of Gibbou!”[/colour] He tried his best to pose heroically with his hands bound behind his back.

The lord tilted his head in a confused manner “And who is Gibbou? We have heard of no such being before.”

Twilight scoffed. [colour=lightpink]”G-Gibbou? The moon goddess? The blue girl who sits on the shiny thing in the night sky?”[/colour]

[colour=lightblue]”Hihihihi. Having issues, Twi? Need some help, Twi?”[/colour] Gibbou’s snickers carved at the insides of his skull.

[colour=lightpink]”Shut up, you stupid blueberry!”[/colour]

Suddenly the wind was knocked out of him from a swift kick from one of the guards. The lord swiftly raised his hand, ordering the guard back. “We have no knowledge of a goddess like that,” the lord spoke “The god of the moon is Kalaru, lord of the depths.”

The avatar gave a harsh cough as he regained his posture. [colour=lightpink]”S-so… That’s how you know her, huh…”[/colour] He pointed a finger at the lord. [colour=lightpink]”Well, you can forget about that interpretation! The moon goddess is the whiniest, bitchiest, sappiest piece of--!”[/colour]

Another kick came towards his chest, sending him doubling over, the lord this didn’t wave his guard back, only leaning forward towards the avatar “I would choose your words incredibly carefully interloper, you are beginning to grow on thin foundation.”

[colour=lightblue]”No, no, kick him again! Kick him again!”[/colour] There came a crunch of biscuits across the mind link. Twilight felt his nose sting with despair in addition to the fractured cartilage. 

[colour=lightpink]”Okay… I see I have no choice. Please, my lord! Allow me to prove my divinity!”[/colour] shouted Twilight, his bloody and beaten face surprisingly determined in its expression.

The lord leaned back, eyeing the avatar, “and how exactly do you plan on doing that?” the guard next to the avatar readied himself for another kick, just in case. 

[colour=lightpink]”Name one wish, and by Tekret, I swear I will grant it.”[/colour] Twilight furrowed his brows with even greater determination.

The lord paused, musing over the idea, “Very well Twilight, i shall name a wish, and, if it is not granted, we shall offer you up as a sacrifice for Kalaru, tying you to a stone and sending you to the depths.” he leaned forward, mere inches away from the avatar “Deal?”

Twilight nodded firmly.[colour=lightpink]”Deal! Deal!”[/colour]

“Very well, I wish for…” The lord paused, obviously thinking “A blade that can not wear down, no matter how often it is used, it shall stay as sharp as it was in its first battle, centuries after, can you do that?”

The avatar froze. Inside his skull, he heard an explosion of laughter thunder like a chorus of hyenas. He let his eyes scan the room for any exits as he said, [colour=lightpink]”O-of cooouuurse. As the great lord commands. Would it just be possible if you loosened the rope about my hands first? I need them for the spell, you see.”[/colour]

The lord eyed the avatar, sizing him up and down, he nodded to the guards, one going behind him to loosen the ropes, the other pointing his weapon towards him, at the ready. “I will note,” the lord spoke “Running will only make your punishment worse.”

[colour=lightpink]”Understood, my lord, understood.”[/colour] A sweaty, furrowed brow hung over shivering eyes as he held his hands out in front of him. He sucked in a breath through pursed lips. [colour=lightpink]”Alright… Here, we, go.”[/colour] With the snap of his fingers, the entire town was enshrouded in darkness like that of the darkest, most starless night. Not even a bonfire could produce more than a simple flicker akin to that of a very distant star. 

“He’s trying to escape!” The lord loudly proclaimed “Find him!” the guards stumbled about, unable to find the avatar in such encomposing blackness. In the back of the hall, one of the guards went, “Oomph!” as a powerful fist slammed into his leather harness. There sounded a metallic clatter and a voice followed, [colour=lightpink]”Right! Sword!”[/colour]

“There he is!” The lord shouted “After him!” The guards rushed towards the back of the hall, some falter and falling due to the pitch blackness. 

There was a metallic singe as the blade left its scabbard, followed by a few hard-packed hits and “oofs!” as guards fell over as though slammed in the abdomen by a club. A deafening crack sounded as a hole appeared in the wall. [colour=lightpink]”Hah! Let this be known, people of Hashimoto, as the day that you almost caught -ME!-, Twilight, Vagabond of the Moon! Farewell!”[/colour] With that, his laughter disappeared out the hole.

As Twilight vanished through the hole, he could hear the roar of the Daimyo ordering his guards to follow, to various degrees of success. He ran through the swamps, splashing into deep water before long. He quickly charged into a swim and didn’t stop until he reached land again. He washed ashore, coughing and sniffling.

[colour=lightblue]”Well, that went well,”[/colour] taunted the voice in his head with a snicker.

[colour=lightpink]”Not a word, Blue.”[/colour]

[colour=lightblue]”So how many people have you pissed off now, hmm? The Hashimoto sure didn’t sound happy, after all. Oh! And you prooobably just angered that crazy woman, too. Y’know, the one who was so helpful and gave you that shield…”[/colour]

Twilight felt his heart stop and patted his back madly. [colour=lightpink]”No, no, no, no, NO! The shield!”[/colour]

[colour=lightblue]”Oh yeah! And you also swore on Tekret’s name that you would grant whatever that lord wished for, which you didn’t. Expect visions of an angry, naked man (or woman) in the near future.”[/colour]

Twilight sat himself down in the sand again, face in his hands. The crunch of biscuits was still evident from the other side. [colour=lightblue]”If we had a god of hindsight, I would contact them for ya.”[/colour]

[colour=lightpink]”Take me back?”[/colour] came a whimper. The chewing sounds stopped. 

[colour=lightblue]”Huuuuuuh?! After what you said and did earlier?! Pffft! Don’t give me that! Nope! You gotta work for it now, Twi. You’ve pissed off three gods and a town of mortals - I think you need some good, old-fashioned repentance.”[/colour]

[colour=lightpink]”Tell me, Blue-- I mean, Gibbou! Tell me how to repent!”[/colour]

[colour=lightblue]”Hmm… Start by calling me… Lady Gibbou.”[/colour]

Twilight flinched. [colour=lightpink]”As, as you wish, Lady Gibbou…”[/colour]

There came a hesitant hum. [colour=lightblue]”... Actually, that’s really weird and gross. Just Gibs is fine. You, uh… Start by finishing up that thing you were doing. Swimming east, right?”[/colour]

[colour=lightpink]”O-okay… Then what?”[/colour]

[colour=lightblue]”W-we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, dumby! For now, get swimming! And, and if any of the gods give you trouble, tell me. I’ll talk to them.”[/colour]

Twilight blinked. [colour=lightpink]”Y-you’d do that for me? Even though I did and said all those things?”[/colour]

[colour=lightblue]”W-well, it, it can’t be helped! You’re my avatar after, all - I’ve gotta take care of you. Y-yeah, that’s right! It’s my duty as a goddess, and not because I like you or anything!”[/colour]

Twilight sighed and formed a small smirk. [colour=lightpink]”Understood… Gibs.”[/colour]

[hider=what's this? a summary?]
Yo, its ya boi twilight, he’s once more travelling through the Kylsar swamps and hoo boy Gibbou is super angry that he cheated on her with Neiya and starts to yell at him about various things and she really starts to get super depressed and sad. But surprise! Twilight has come across the lands of the Hashimoto, one of the great clans of the Reshut and he’s accosted by Hashimoto guards nearby their capital, he tries to get out of the situation with the shield but it shatters(sorry Neiya) and he’s forcibly brought to the Daimyo who is, rather upset with Twi. Twi continues to be an idiot and gets himself in super trouble, and he swears on Tekret(sup buddy) that he’ll grant the Daimyo his wish, this obviously, doesn’t happen but Twi manages to escape...but he forgot the shield(sorry Neiya), broke a promise made in Tekret’s name, and has seriously pissed off a great Reshut clan, so Twi falls right back into Gibs hands. What an idiot.
[/hider]

[hider=EMPEE!]
Twilight 0MP/5DP
-1DP: Perform godly feat - Temporarily black out the town of Okumaki, making the whole town so impossibly dark that only good night vision works.
Twilight endo 0MP/4DP
[/hider]