My blade carries with it the harsh frost of the wintry winds. Dancing with the rage of a blizzard, its speed matches the transience of an icy petal.
Welcome traveler. I see you've stumbled upon my profile, nice to meet ya.
About Me I'm just your average 9-5 schmuck. I do my work, pay my bills, and contribute what I can to society. I also happen to enjoy binge-watching/reading anime, manga/light novels, tv dramas, and pretty much anything that catches my interest. I'm also an avid gamer, my favorite genres tend to change with time. Right now it's probably JRPG, hack-slash, and fighting.
Favorite Anime/Manga/Light Novels - Rurouni Kenshin - Hunter x Hunter - Fate/Zero - Kyoukai no Kara - Overlord - Re:Zero - Yu Yu Hakusho - One Piece - Konosuba - Various Gundam series - Naruto - Bleach - Trigun - Cowboy Bebop
Some of my favorite games - Devil May Cry - Disgaea - Blazblue - Guilty Gear - Tekken - Persona 5 - God Eater - Tales of series - The Legend of Heroes series - 7th Dragon series
Roleplaying I originally joined this site several years back, having gotten my feet wet only recently at that point as an RPer. I was recommended this site by a pal of mine (@PaulHaynek) and joined a couple of his RPs. However, due to RL stresses I had to take a break from the world of RPing and took sometime for self-reflection. After a 2 year absence, I'm back in saddle and ready to further stretch my creative muscles. As for what roleplays I like, I enjoy anything action-oriented. I'm fine with any settings for the most part, though I'm more inclined toward the magical and sci-fi. Also, I've gained a sort of preference for RPs that allow users to play as multiple characters, but solo is fine either way. Here's a list to give a better idea of my tastes.
- Fantasy/medieval - Dystopian - Steampunk - Sci-fi - Apocalypse/Post-Apocalyptic - Generally anything anime/manga related - Adventure and Combat oriented - Romance here and there is fine too
That's all for now, reader. If you decide to post an interest check for an RP idea, you just might find me posting a character profile ready to be reviewed. Don't be afraid to give me a shout if you'd like a Co-DM to bounce ideas off of as well.
"The Sapphire Prince?" Shizuka said. He thought the name sounded overly flashy and tacky; no doubt something the Varjans would come up with. "Kaneda Castle, is it? Thank you for confirming Lord Oja is still alive and his location." He said, shaking the blood off of his sword with one swift motion and sheathing it. He was glad his gambit worked and he was able to subdue the warlock, though, he wanted to interrogate him more. It appears his Ikazuchi was a bit much for the poor dolt, and there he laid - face down in the mud. Much to the contrary of his earlier bravado.
Before anyone could act further, the rest of the patrolling soldier overheard the commotion and came running to the vicinity. Shizuka and his comrades were now surrounded on all sides; the ronin was about to give orders, but noticed the soldiers weren't prepping for an attack? Odd, perhaps they were shaken by Merneptah's defeat? Some of them did seem taken aback by the loss of their respected superior. However, their behavior soon changed as they began a ritualistic chant.
The name they kept repeating over and over again was: Na-Kratz.
Shizuka felt a chilling aura coming from the masked man. Shizuka had seen him during his visit to Kazenosuke's home, but one could tell he was an entirely different realm of guile than his braindead subordinates. He also noticed that he seemed to recognize Skarsneek, likely from the early mission in Sanjo Town.
"Don't test your luck with this one." Shizuka said to Io directly, as Skarsneek was likely already acquainted with this man's menace. "This one can't be compared to all of the other fighters we've been facing up until this point, we need to give ourselves every possible advantage we can this time. We'll follow Skarsneek's lead for now"
With his fog now dispelled, their options for cover we now limited to the inside of the damaged mansion. Shizuka decided that was their best bet for now, in order to make a distraction, Shizuka let loose a thunderbolt at the ground near Na"Kratz and his soldiers. With the blinding flash he signaled for Skarsneek and Io to follow him back into the mansion. There, they hoped to pick off at the muzzled man and the Varjan mooks steadily without losing much stride.
Atsuha silently looked on as Kikyo further explained the situation to Lord Takeshi, the latter pondered on the event for moment before he addressed rest of the party. It was decided that they'd worry about the implications of the prisoners' treatment later, and for now would simply lead them back to the temple as new allies. Takeshi then addressed the Hangai sisters and Gringor, asking if they had plans for continuing to another destination or to head back to base camp.
Hinami didn't care much for Gringor's retort to her scolding, responding by blowing the High Orc a raspberry. Apparently, he wanted to go to Komatsu port where Shizuka's group was undergoing the liberation mission. Apparently, things were expected to get pretty intense there, which just sounded like more fun to their battle freak friend...
"I do believe Shizuka-san and co will be just fine. He's the captain for a reason after all!" Atsuha said with a reassuring tone. I believe we've had enough excitement for now; Heading back to Terauchi Temple sounds like a fine idea." She said to Takeshi. Hinami nodded in agreement, but then looked at Gringor concernedly.
"I just hope that bonehead doesn't get into too much trouble..."
"Intesa, Madonna. Forgive my impertinence" Lucrecia responded to her superior, making a bow as a sign of apology. She noted the arcana azure hue that Livia's eyes emitted; They gave her a rather enchanting, supernatural portrayal. She turned to Cassandra and Polina who were ready to assist the others. "Lead the way, Signora." She said to the church official.
Arriving at their destination, Lucrecia entered the scene of Kat and Eliz fighting the demon possessed wife of Camio. Seeing her like this put into perspective what the lord was referring to. No husband would want their wife in such a state. Lucrecia supposed that she could at least understand that, and so she decided it only be right to do something to aid not only her fellow maids, but also honor Camio. After all, the only reason he attacked them and made the operation more hectic was because of Lucrecia's sharp tongue.
Lucrecia saw that the lord's spouse also manipulated fire just like she did, albeit with much more power and finesse. However, Lucrecia had been granted steel from the Church, so she decided to make another gambit. Hoping to use Polina's attack as a distraction, Lucrecia would try to use the flames that the wife had spread around the room to strengthen her own attack. Gathering fire around her holy blade, she would hopefully generate enough force to at least offset the vortex attack and deliver a powerful blow to the possessed woman.
So for a quick update: It is with a heavy heart that I must say that for personal reasons, I feel that it's best to write the Hangai sisters out of the story. They'll stay until we transition into the next act, in the meantime I'll submit my new characters here for approval.
N O R N B E N E V I E N T O
“As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; In Pandemonium, you shall find your comfort.” – Apocrypha of Pandemonium, Lilith 66:13
Greater Magic Resistance: Norn’s faith and class grant her stronger resistance to magical spells and enfeebling abilities. Her faith has also afforded her a passive healing factor, restoring her wounds at a rate based on her stamina.
Monstrous Biology: While Norn may seem like a delicate flower, her standing as a powerful mamono grants her access to physical strength that surpasses the realm of normal folk. She can create craters with her fists and shatter large trees and boulders with ease. Being smacked with them doesn’t cause her to lose much stride either.
Peerless Fencer: While The Church of the Fallen God has Paladins and Dark Valkyries that serve as their defenders and enforcers, martial training and weapon mastery are not only afforded to them. As a Cardinal, Norn was expected to have a passable mastery of faith spellcasting, invocation, and swordsmanship as part of her duties. Of course, she excels in all of them to the point where she’s feared even among the Church’s strongest warrior sect.
Saintly Charisma: Norn emits the aura of a heavenly saint, and along with her bewitching beauty it causes those around her who don’t have a resistance to it to lower their guard and be at ease around her. This makes would-be enemies easier to reason with and make compromises.
Ars Goetia Mastery: With her station as a cardinal within the Fallen Church, Norn was extensively trained in the art of summoning demonic and angelic familiars cataloged in the Church’s grimoire, which she now has an impressive mastery of. They range from tiny wisps that provide support to her allies and the innocent, to large and frightening beasts that aid her in heated battles.
Faith Magic (Fell) Purge - Minor light-based attack. Can be used on a single target or multiple foes. Smite - Major light-based attack. Can also be used on single or multiple targets, but uses more mana and has longer cooldown. Breath - Minor healing spell. Can be used on single or multiple targets. Holy Breath - Major healing spell. Can be cast on single and multiple targets, but has higher cost and cooldown. Iustitia Eternus (Eternal Justice) - a spell that allows the user to conjure chains within their vicinity. They are made of an enchanted metal that glow with a violet and golden aura. Having been made from in part demon realm silver, they naturally sap away at at human's strength and fill him with demonic mana. While these chains are mainly used to bind and subdue foes, they can also be used to latch onto and snatch other objects, and even block weak attacks. Shield - Creates a field of energy that defends against physical attacks. Defends against several minor blows, or a few major ones. Barrier - Creates a field of energy that defends against magical attacks. Defends against several minor spells, or a few major ones. Wall - Creates a barrier that defends against both physical and magical attacks. Can defend against several major blows, but has higher cost and cooldown. Cannot be used if Shield and/or Barrier are in effect. Purify - Lifts ailments and debuffs from single or multiple targets.
Ars Goetia Sorcery Invocation Mastery Summon - Lesser Demonic Spirit - Can summon multiple, cannot use magic. Summon - Greater Demonic Spirit - Can call forth some, able to use some minor attack spells. Summon - High Demonic Spirit - Can summon only one at a time, able to use powerful attack spells. Minor Spirit Possession - Can have a demonic spirit influence a minor foe for a brief period of time. Summon - Lesser Fallen Spirit - Can summon multiple, cannot use magic. Summon - Greater Fallen Spirit - Can summon some, able to use minor faith spells. Summon - High Fallen Spirit - Can summon only one at a time. Able to use major faith-based spells.
Weapon Benedictus Ultor - A sacred weapon that is given only to high level officials within the Pandemonium Church. Outwardly, it has the appearance of an ornate scepter, its handle and shaft embroidered with linings of gold and gemstones. However, the shaft is actually a sheath that houses a consecrated blade that fully exemplifies the justice of the Fallen Church. The sword is made of a special alloy consisting of Demon Realm silver and adamantine crystal; while the blade, of course, won’t injure flesh, it is sharp enough to seamlessly cut through any steel. The blade’s unique color is caused by the oversaturation of fell energy it is seeped with.
Cardinal Robes Garb given to members of the Fallen Clergy. Due to her high rank, Norn has the freedom to be more creative with her uniform, and thus chose to make it a striking white color. It comes complete with a mitre.
Fell Apocrypha, Tome of the Fallen Scriptures A copy of the consecrated text detailing the teachings of Pandemonium. All priests are required to carry a tome wherever they go.
The Lesser Key of Solomon Also known as the "Ars Theurgia Goetia", this tome is a powerful grimoire that grants it's user access to various forms of fallen magics. Most notably, it contains a compendium of 72 demonic/angelic familiars that the user is able to call forth to enact their will. It is said that this tome was originally used by an ancient western king who used the power of the summons to unite his lands and give his people the first instance of magecraft, intending that they and the summons continue to defend humanity upon his death. Many clerics and unholy warriors of the Fallen Church follow this doctrine wholeheartedly; they use the Ars Goetia to aid any and all people on their pilgrimage. All current versions of this tome in circulation are considered copies of the original text, which is believed to have been lost to time.
Asmodeus Norn's favorite summon is a large, ghastly creature known as Asmodeus, a high demonic spirit which allows her to take to the skies with its impressive wingspan; She can provide air support, perform reconnaissance, or use him as a quicker method of travel. With his hulking, scaly body, huge claws, sharp teeth, and dark flames, he makes for a fearsome ally in combat as well.
Miscellaneous Pandemonium Lockett - A trinket that serves shows the insignia of the Fallen Church, confirming one's membership to the general eye. Alchemic and healing salves Emergency Provisions
Norn is a beautiful and young-looking woman with the face of a saint. Standing around 5'7", she is an above average height for a woman, but possesses no real sensitivity on the subject.
Her long, flowing white hair ends in violet colored tips and nearly reach down to her hips. That along with her eyes that glow with a golden and fuchsia hue, give Norn both a bewitching and eerie aura to those around her. The warm smile that she often wears on her faces tends to put those around her at ease, although even that might wear off as they eventually find out that said smile rarely goes away - whether the situation calls for it or not. As she is a mamono, Norn is indeed a gorgeous individual, her formal robes do little to hide her shapely figure.
She wears standard saint garb attire, complete with elaborate embroidered designs. However, as if to contrast with the peers, Norn's uniform is almost pure white as opposed to the standard dark colors the fallen priests usually dress in. Ends of Norn's dress are lined with gold sigils and purple borders, allowing herself to often be mistaken outwardly as a member of the Holy Order's religious sect, at least to those without a careful eye or without the ability to sense demonic energy.
She is not often seen without her ornate staff. Most would think it's just a scepter that's used as a conduit for channeling fallen energy or a sacred relic symbolic of her station, and they wouldn't be necessarily wrong. However, it holds another hidden meaning that one meeting her on the battlefield should be more mindful of.
P E R S O N A L I T Y
Norn, as her station would suggest, maintains a poised and serious disposition whilst conducting herself on business. However, during interims of respite, she tends to act motherly and gentle toward common folk and allies, enjoying to partake in leisurely activities with friends to raise spirits and morale. Many would describe her as being kind-hearted to a fault, having a near bottomless amount of patience and rarely becoming overly upset or angered.
Many are drawn to her due to her natural charm and eloquent manner of speech. This, oddly, doesn’t change even while confronting enemies. Whether it be the most vile fiend or just a poor soul committing a minor offense, she will approach said criminal and inform them that she will bear the brunt of their sins and allow them to be judged by the Goddess. In her eyes, all souls deserve to be judged in a fair manner, no matter the severity of their crimes.
There are always exceptions to every rule, of course. While on the battlefield, Norn displays a guile and taciturn deadliness that befits her station as a judge of the Fallen Church. Many foes have been felled by her sacred blade, her earlier warmness vanishing and replaced by the menace of a seasoned warrior.
True to her station and nature, she never quiets in regards to educating all in the teachings of The Fallen Church. She never hesitates to lecture people she comes across with a proverb or verse from the Unholy book, speaking in a gentle yet stern tone, as if playing at being a school teacher.
B A C K G R O U N D
Norn Benviento is a Cardinal in service to the Church of Pandemonium, having attained the rank due to her exemplary service and dedicated work ethic. Her station dictates that she venture around the world to select locations and spread the good word of the Fallen Church to recruit more followers to the light. They also settle disputes among the populace and promote peace, even offering their services toward up and coming Demon Realms. If necessary, she will also lend her blade to a just cause in order to defend the innocent and supporters of the new creed that the current Demon Lord has mandated. Her prowess would eventually lead to her earning the name of Iudex (Judge).
One of the many clerks that make up the Fallen Church's legislation office had received a letter from Zipangu one day, a fact that came as a shock to the workers as followers of Pandemonium weren't exactly numerous within the eastern isles. The contents detailed the events of what would eventually lead to a full scale invasion of a small territory in that region. One that would be carried out by Varjo; Due to the nature and severity of the letter, it would eventually gain the attention of Norn herself. At the mention of Varjo’s name, even Norn couldn’t help but grit her teeth, the Fallen Church has had several instances of conflict against their barbarity.
Norn decided that she would personally honor the request of this…Lady Kyouko in Zipangu, and do what she could to quell the seeds of war in this small remote region. Who knows, perhaps she could guide their souls to the light of Pandemonium.
“The kingdom my bloodline originates from is barely a memory in the span of history. The mad armada that threatens various lands built their empire upon the destruction of that realm of old. My dream of restoration may just be that, but unlike some, I am a dreamer of the day. One that will make that dream a reality.”
Zauberheim Royal Blood: Being a descendant of the royal family of the forgotten kingdom, and thanks to her rigorous training, Inessa has been blessed with physical and magical limits that far surpass what one would expect from run-of-the-mill folk. She can easily wield weapons that are difficult to hold with two hands with just one. Despite her young age, she has more than earned her rank of hero. Her strength and agility have been pushed to terrifying extremes, allowing her to fight on par even with mamono who are in the upper echelon of power.
Superb Leadership: With her natural insight, resourcefulness, and sharp decision-making, Inessa showcased all the makings of a leader even at a young age. With her natural charisma, she has an effect of inspiring others to join her while in the fray, bolstering their fighting spirits.
Expert Rune Knight: Inessa has been trained in the art of both swords and spearmanship, wielding both weapons to deadly effect. In addition, she has been blessed with her bloodline's innate talent for magical arts. She casts powerful fire and lightning based spells that further compliment her martial prowess. Of course, she also has a talent for riding and combating while riding a mount.
Masterful Diplomat, Royal Etiquette: In her efforts to build a force that can one day retake her ancient homeland, Inessa has developed powerful skills of negotiation and building relations with other nations and peoples. In addition, while not officially a noble heir, she has been thoroughly trained in the ways of noble social obligations.
Master Rider: Inessa has attainted a mastery of mount riding and combat that far exceeds her peers. Her favorite mount is a pegasus she has affectionately named Wayu, and thus brings her on most sorties and scouting missions.
Mjolnir Strike - Wields the royal family's lightning to deadly effect. The Zauberheim lightning is stronger than its standard counterpart and is harder to counter with its weaknesses.
Blitzwulf - Inessa is able to shape her conjured lightning into the shape of a large wolf. It can act under orders or autonomously, though it becomes weaker in the case of the latter.
Lightning Cloak - Inessa can also cost her weapons and even herself with her lightning element, giving her attacks an added devastating shock.
Lightning Step - A signature technique of the Royal line, Inessa is able to cloak herself in lightning and severely increase her agility. She can, quite effectively, move at the speed of a bolt of lightning. She runs circles around her opponents, leaving them confused and dazed, and also doubles as an invaluable evasion tool.
Surtr's Flame Fire Manipulation
Ifrit's Wrath - Inessa deftly wields intense flames that burn hotter and more strongly than your standard fare.
Flammevogel - Inessa can shape her flames to conjure an avian familiar. In addition to being an aid during combat, they can also act as effective scouts.
Flame Cloak - Like with lightning, Inessa can also cloak herself and her weapons in fiery magic, giving herself a searing touch when fighting.
Luin Albiyo (Lance of the Heavens) - While much of the regalia of the Razelian Royal Family has long been lost to time, thanks to the connections the family's supporters have garnered she has gained access to a powerful polearm weapon. It is a lance consecrated from greater elements, and is able to freely channel magic through its material.
She wields it to deadly effect, using its power and range to full advantage with bludgeoning and thrusting techniques that leave her opponents skewered and broken.
She also proudly brandishes a flag on the polearm that has been decorated with the Razelian family symbol. While it may be unknown to the modern age, she will ensure that its former glory is one day restored.
Moniyos Solas (Sword of the Mountain) - A regal sword that's sharp enough to cut through diamond, thanks to its enchanted steel. Made in the same vein as her lance, she wields both in battle with grace and precision befitting a royal heir. She parries and relievers blindly fast slashes with the blade, leaving her opponents little opening to defend.
Outfit
Enchanted ArmorInessa has been outfitted with armor, not only useful for its remarkable craftsmanship, but also for the sorcery it has been imbued with. Like her weapons, it was made to be one with the elements, giving her a boosted defense against magical attacks.
The armor is strong but light, being able to properly defend against physical weapons while still allowing her to move with a nimble step.
Underneath her armor, Inessa wears a blue form-fitting dress that’s designed for ease of movement along with a white blouse top.
Mount
Wayu:
A majestic winged horse that serves as Inessa's noble steed. With her impressive wingspan, Wayu allows Inessa to sail gracefully in the skies, giving her a bird's eye view of her surroundings. She has also been outfitted with armor fare to further aid her master in combat, complete with a long horn on the helmet accessory.
As the creature itself is inherently magical, Inessa can cloak both herself and her steed in her elemental spells, making them a duo force to be feared on the battlefield.
Miscellaneous
Alchemic and healing salves
Emergency Provisions
Compass
Grail Locket - A blessed item that was given to Inessa by a powerful ally upon achieving the rank of hero. It is a rare accessory that grants her resistance to most physical, mental, and spiritual debuffs.
Inessa is a young woman with rather striking features. Her intense training has given her a well-toned and fit body. Though she only stands at around 5’5’’, this does little to put her at a disadvantage against more fearsome looking foes.
Showcasing her lineage on full display, she has notable blonde flowing hair along with deep azure pupils. Her face gives off the youthful and lady-like fare you’d expect from a girl her age, which does much to belie her prowess and standing on the field of battle. She can also be a very expressive girl, and when someone comes to know her well enough they can often find ways to make her quite flustered. People often say how her cheeks become red like tomatoes when embarrassed, much to her chagrin.
P E R S O N A L I T Y
At her core, Inessa is a bright and passionate woman. Full of kindness and virtue, she always strives to do right by others, especially those who also display good natures. Although, she can actually be quite competitive, which can perhaps be a trait that she inherited from her ancestors, who always strived to achieve the pinnacles of magic and martial prowess.
While on the battlefield, what was once a youthful and earnest young girl becomes a battle-hardened and seasoned warrior who leads the charge with a dauntless mind and calm surety. But when off, Inessa is quite approachable and sociable, and enjoys talking with new people. Razelia was a kingdom that embodied the aspect of cultural integration and furthering knowledge with new experiences, so she of course wants to fully embody those concepts.
However, on the inverse, she is still a young woman with a huge chip on her shoulder. Inessa has been raised on stories of Zauberheim’s former glory and how the throne was wrongfully taken from her lineage. Her drive to achieve justice for her family and to do right by her allies often causes her to be overly critical of herself. Quick to take penance, her actions can even be considered a form of martyrdom when looked at from an outside eye.
B A C K G R O U N D
Inessa von Zauberheim is a young heroine who was born into the formerly royal bloodline of the Zauberheim family. This family ruled the now ancient realm of Razelia, which was known as the Kingdom of Magic, before having the throne usurped by Varjan Caldeyron. This same man would eventually take over all of Razelia and thus usher in what is now known as the Varjo Empire. Before this point, the princess of the realm was Lisianthus von Zauberheim, Inessa’s ancestor. Though the throne along with the entire kingdom was lost, members of the royal family still survived and went into hiding.
A millennium later, Inessa was born as the current heir to the true successor to what Varjo was built from. After being raised on stories of her lost homeland and coming of age, she went through rigorous training to achieve the rank of hero status and gather support from any corner of the world she could find it in. With her connections, she has been keeping a close eye on the various movements of the Varjan horde. Eventually, she learned of their attack on the Zipangunese land of Shizuyama. One of her contacts told her of a mysterious Inari woman who was garnering support for a war effort to push back the impending Varjan horde at their doorstep. Upon hearing this, Inessa decided to go herself and offer her support.
However, there was also a double meaning to investigate what amounts to an old wives tale at this point. One of the stories of Razelia she was often told growing up was that a sword saint from Zipangu had been the one who led the surviving members of the royal family to safety after the fall of the kingdom. His exact name wasn’t known, but his moniker was that of the azure swordsman. Inessa hopes to find any clues that may lead to her finding a possible descendant or someone of equal standing from these lands to recruit to her cause.
Shizuka's gambit worked, albeit not quite as he intended. Skarsneek no longer had to worry about the lightning attack, as Io had siphoned enough chi from the warlock to disrupt it completely. He was still hit with the wind blade, which sent him tumbling back and, more importantly, sliced his staff in two. Shizuka gracefully hopped back over to Skarsneek with Io in tow.
"Apologies for the brusque snatch." He said, "But, these fools like to self-destruct when pressed against the wall. I was almost on the receiving end of one of their suicidal gambits." He turned to her for a moment, thinking he heard he say something, but focused on the task at hand for now. Having set her down, he starred down their foe.
"Using the last of your chi for a final assault? You Varjan bastards are always so foolish." Shizuka said, joining Skarsneek in an exchange of insults. He saw that his comrade decided to meet Merneptah in a head on clash. It seemed reckless at first, especially considering that the goblin's crude weapons were hardly a match for magical blades. But, Shizuka knew that Skarsneek was more clever than that. He guessed he was likely making an opening for them to capitalize on, one he would take full advantage of. Io snapped back to it and conjured some barriers to defend her teammates, though, the goblin and he had different plans.
"Io-san, cover Skars-san for me while I back him up. I'm trying to keep this warlock idiot alive, but the ass is making it difficult. I have questions and I want answers." He said to his lich comrade. He placed his sword back in its sheath and removed it from his side, holding it in his hand.
"For example." He started at Merneptah. "Who is Lord Serek'uar? Is he the one leading this bloody invasion of these lands? Where is he keeping Lord Oja and what are his plans? Speak, wretch, and I might let you live a bit longer!"
To further hammer home his point, Shizuka vanished from view and then appeared behind the warlock. He then prepared to strike with his [Sōnamisen: Ikazuchi] technique - a two step variable attack that took advantage of a parry opponent. Shizuka fully expected that when he slammed his sheathed sword into Merneptah he would parry the blow. That's when we would make the second strike - a lightning-infused slash that would hopefully incapacitate him enough to where the fight ended.
With her undead strength, Hinami had no issues in crushing the wardogs that were sent after her and Lady Kikyo. After that, Kikyo (with a rather rude maneuver) and Gringor had make quick work of the remaining Varjan brutes headed their way. Eventually, the fighting died down and a cheer from the freed prisoners signaled that they and the taskforce had taken the fort. Hinami went over to Gringor and made a cute victory sign with a wide smile. Her smile soon faded when she noticed Kikyo coming over to them with a grim expression.
Apparently, the prisoners they freed were actually treated as though they were actual...people? Hinami put a finger on her cheek and stared up at the sky for a moment, thinking. "I think my nee-san calls it reverse...psy-chology?" She studded out, as if saying a word she wasn't familiar with. "It's where you act the opposite of how you normally would towards a person to get them to do what you want! My nee-san always did it when clients didn't pay a good enough fee for our services!" She looked over at Gringor, a bit upset by his words.
"Hey, don't be a meanie! Just because they couldn't win doesn't make them losers! I'm sure they did their best!" She scolded him.
Meanwhile, Atsuha was tending to Takeshi's wounds. Her spell was more than enough to slay the rest of the attack hounds and assist the young lord. "Honestly, you're always so reckless. You're well being is important for the survival of these lands, plus you should respect that it's our job to look after you!" She scolded him.
"Oh, I'm perfectly fine. My body isn't like yours anymore, the carapace that covers my legs is tougher than skin and flesh." She said, answering his next question. "I believe the prisoners were more considered about staying alive than concerning themselves with little ol' me."
Decided that she had done a good enough job patching Takeshi's wounds, she got up and looked over at the others. "Though, oddly enough, the prisoners didn't seem worse for the wear. Given the Varjan's track record, you'd think they be covered in wounds and on the verge of starvation..."
With Nyla's sudden departure, Takeshi and Kirei decided that the best option was to regroup and return to the temple, aborting their current mission. Having watched Janus teleport her back to Akamagaseki, Kirei emerged from the pagoda along with the young Lord and the armored warrior. Having said his dues, the latter left to attend to business elsewhere. Kirei turned and looked at the blade Takeshi held out.
”I do wish her the best.” Kirei said, rubbing his chin. ”It's always a bitter taste, having an ally leave the company for whatever their reasons. But, rest assured, we've still have a healthy amount of fighters at the ready. Of course, it goes without saying that you have the support of my steel, Takeshi-san.” Kirei made a reassuring gesture, materializing an ornate tanto in his hand.
”Milord, I'd like for you, Ayu-chan, and Janus-san to understand that I'm quite confident in my smithy skills as well. If you ever need weapon repair, armory resupply, or general tools, simply come to me and I'll work my literal magic. The metal I generate is leagues above most of what you'll come across; You won't be disappointed in my work. Heh, although I'm more comfortable with making weapons than household tools, if I'm being honest. ” Kirei said, rubbing his head with a sweatdrop showing on his face.
He turned at the Claremont sisters, who seemed to be rather dismissive of a fellow taskforce member suddenly leaving. They said their peace, and carried on with their duties. Kirei thought that the sisters looked rather cute, and chuckled at the sight. He then appeared to think about something for a moment, or perhaps reminisce would be a better descriptor. The scene of the two siblings getting along seemed to make Kirei think about something from the past.
”Yo!” Kirei said, walking over to Umami. ”You and your sisters are the members who recently joined, yeah? I don't think I've properly introduced myself. Name's Kirei Kannazuki, our mutual benefactor Kyōko-san has named me as the acting caption of the taskforce aiding Takeshi-san. Let's get along, yeah?” He said, putting out his hand for a shake.
His greetings were quickly interrupted when he sensed a strong draconic chi quickly approaching the camp.
”Appears we've more company Milord. I can tell it's another yōkai, so she's likely an ally.” He said to Takeshi.
As for the wayward dragon Tomi, she may find it rather curious that while Kirei wasn't the man she was expecting to run into, he held a scent similar to his which would confirm a blood tie...
I C Y C R E E D : B E W I T C H I N G D A R K N E S S
Lavinia flew alone to Takamori's dojo, making good time with the speed of her flight unburdened. The dojo was situated on a cliff, overlooking a small village filled with ponds that emitted steam; The famed hot springs of Zipangu.
The Rime Hellkite landed on the training grounds. She could see a house-like abode in front of an archery range that had three painted hay targets. There was also a bamboo stand near the edge too. However, the dojo was deserted and signs of fighting were littered everywhere. The sliding doors had been destroyed, arrows were stuck on the wood walls and splatters of blood were all over the grounds.
While Lavinia was investigating one such sign, an arrow flew forth and landed just beside her foot, coming from the rooftop of the one building. The archer was a middle-aged man with glowing yellow eyes, dark blue hair and light skin. He wore a blue and white attire and wielded a finely-crafted bow with a nocked arrow ready to be loosed at Lavinia.
"Don't move, or the next one won’t miss." He warned the Rime Hellkite. "Now tell me what you're here for. This island is being invaded and I don't wanna waste my time on a yokai looking for a man to catch."
While Takamori couldn’t see it, Lavinia’s eyes were in a curious squint as she gazed up at the master. A handsome one at that.
”You are the master archer Takamori, yes?” She said. ”I mean you no harm, in fact quite the opposite. My business here lies with requesting your aid in driving out said invaders from your lands. You should know that Lord Takeshi Oja survived the skirmish in Sanjo. He and our team have currently made Terauchi Temple a base of operations so to speak. I am here on his behalf.”
Takamori raised an eyebrow at the mention of ‘Takeshi Oja’. Still, he kept his aim at Lavinia. “The young master would never enlist the aid of yokai.” He firmly declared, not believing the Rime Hellkite at all. “I don’t have time to play around, yokai. What are you really here for?” The archer iterated his question again.
”I reiterate: My associates and I are her on this island to drive away the Varjan horde and assist the locals. As for Lord Takeshi, you would be correct, he was not the one who directly requested the aid of my kind in this fight. That would be a benefactor to the Oja family and Shizuyama from the mainland. We saved him during the fight at Sanjo, and he has entered into a shaky alliance with us due to time and circumstance.”
Lavinia then looked at the arrow that intentionally missed her, then back up at Takamori. ”Lord Takeshi mentioned your skills, and I’ve seen them first hand, I’m actually something of an archer myself. The lord was curious as to why you didn’t join the fight on the beach that night? Was there an issue that arose? If said issue still plagues you, I believe I could be of help.”
“Sounds to me that you and your group have captured Lord Takeshi. Albeit from the grasp of the Varjans, but captured nonetheless. Likely extracting information from him.” Takamori replied, still completely suspicious of Lavinia. “Varjans and yokai running rampant on our island with the Oja Clan compromised. Shizuyama has truly fallen…” The master archer lamented. “Well… Any last words, yokai?”
”Yes, actually.” Lavinia said, arms folded. ”Lord Takeshi isn’t captured. The reason that he isn’t here with me is because he was still dressed up as a miko.”
She had bantered with the dojo master long enough. Hopefully that code would be enough to win Takamori over.
The master archer’s eyes widened, and slowly lowered his bow. He then shook his head. “For you to know that, the young master must have told you that willingly. Quite reluctantly, though, I‘m sure.” Takamori then released a deep sigh. “I do not know why the young master would trust a yokai, much less send one in his stead, but I shall believe in his judgment... for now.”
Takamori then slid down the roof and landed on the ground with grace expected of a samurai. "Tell me everything you know, yokai. How you know Takeshi Oja and how you got him out of Sanjo Beach. The Varjan invasion force, at least the main bulk of it, was landing there. Takeshi survived, but did others? What about his father? Lord Hideo Oja?" He shot Lavinia a lot of questions. "Don't tell me we actually won and repelled the Varjans."
”Goodness, I imagine that you’d like me to answer all of those questions in order?” Lavinia mused.
”The benefactor I mentioned before is the one who informed us of the young heir and his family. They also informed us of the situation going on here on the island, hence why we’re here to help. We got him out of the battle at Sanjo by throwing ourselves into the battle and, quite literally, fought our way out of there with him in tow. As for the boy’s father, I believe he most likely got captured by the enemy. It is possible he was slain, but I’d like to think otherwise. ”
“You'll have to forgive me if I find you and your benefactor’s motivations suspect, yokai.” Takamori narrowed his eyes at Lavinia for a moment, but then sighed and assumed a more thoughtful gaze. “...So Lord Oja may be captured, or dead in the sands of Sanjo. But his son still lives and… in command, somewhat. So there’s hope.”
“I suppose I should answer the questions you asked earlier. About why I wasn’t at the beach.” Takamori then looked at his ruined dojo. “Well, Varjans happened. I was packing up to join the battle in Sanjo Beach when out of nowhere, a band of those bloody Varjans assaulted my home. I hid my daughter under the floorboards and led the Varjans away from here before picking them off one by one. When I came back... she's nowhere to be found, and the corpses of the Varjans I killed here were also gone.”
“They've taken her, yokai. And I intend to find her.” Takamori approached Lavinia as he finished. “...I cannot join Lord Takeshi until I do.”
Under her mask, Lavinia’s eyes sharpened, as she certainly loathed the notion that Takamori’s daughter was kidnapped almost as much as he did.
”Then we’ve no time to lose, Sir Takamori. Please tell me, do you have any indication where they might have taken her, if so?” She said, sensing the immediate area of residual mana signatures. ”If you have any of her belongings, I may be able to pick up her scent.”
“No, you won’t.” Takamori shook his head. “I will not go against Lord Takeshi allying with yokai but I, myself, will not ride, much less fight, alongside them. I have my honor as a warrior of Shizuyama. Which means if I am not fighting you, I have to have as little involvement with your kind as much as possible.” He declared to Lavinia. “...Go back to the young master. Tell him you found me, but I can only offer my sword after I find my daughter.”
Takamori needed more convincing, or perhaps just a more stubborn head.
Lavinia made a light scoff at Takamori’s refusal for assistance. ”I’m afraid I can’t do that, Sir Takamori, as that would be considered a breach of the trust we’ve established with Lord Takeshi. As you have a duty to the Lord as an ally and to your daughter as a father, so too do I as his new ally and to your child as a human in need. Yokai, I may be, I won’t sit idly by and allow innocents to suffer. Even if you refuse my aid, I’ll simply find the brigands who kidnapped her and save her myself, then deliver her to you unharmed.”
Takamori was silent at Lavinia’s own declaration, before closing his eyes and releasing a deep sigh. “...Try to keep up, yokai. And no need for scents, look at those.”
-
The moist soils of the Onrai region meant that footprints from people were easily left behind. It was not difficult for Lavinia and Takamori to find a large set of footprints that led out of the dojo and into the roads.
“My daughter's name is Setsuna. She's... not actually my blood daughter, she's an orphan I adopted. I found her skulking in my dojo looking for food. When I tried to apprehend her, she fought back... and she fought back well. I decided to take her under my wing.” Takamori said as they followed the trail. “She has a lot of potential. Could grow up as a mighty warrior, capable of slaying yokai by the dozens. No offense.”
”None taken, hmhm~” Lavinia mused. She walked along the trail of footprints with the master archer, finding the tale of him and his adopted daughter to be rather interesting. ”Do you know why they would want to kidnap your daughter? Are they trying to get to you, perhaps? Or, could they be attempting to use her skills for themselves?”
Lavinia’s last sentence made Takamori pause. “...I may be famous on this island, but I have little reason to believe I am known beyond Shizuyama. And less could be said about Setsuna, not many know that I’ve adopted a daughter. I don’t think even the Oja Clan knows.” The master archer replied. “This may just be a random kidnapping by ruthless thugs. Still, what you said could be a possibility. Just one I hope isn’t true.”
The trail soon led to a small fort by a cliffside. Takamori took Lavinia behind an outcrop on a hill overlooking the fort. “...I hoped we could've caught up to them before she was taken to anything fortified. Looks like that was too much to hope for.” He remarked. “This is Fort Nakayama. It's no special fort but with the right men, this place can last weeks.”
The fort was small and its walls were made of crisscrossed wood beams. There were two watchtowers at the farther corners of the fort, a housing quarters for the defenders and a stables for the horses. Its original occupants were likely all dead in Sanjo Beach and now, Varjans occupy the fort. It was not a large contingent, maybe two dozen men at most and there were only a couple of those fully-armored Varjan Warriors. Most of them were fur-armored or unarmored Brigands.
“Fortunately for us, the Varjans aren't 'right' men.” Takamori smiled, which quickly disappeared as he continued. “I can't believe I'm doing this but... take the lead and I'll support you. You're a yokai, a creature that can match entire units of warriors. The Varjans won't stand a chance, and you'll have me to watch your back.”
Lavinia Looked over the fort that Takamori led her to. As he stated, it wasn’t awfully impressive. Moreover, the troops manning the place didn’t seem all that strong either. While reassuring, Lavinia’s less…savoury side felt a bit of disappointment at the lack of suitable “prey”. She turned to Takamori at his suggestion.
”I’ll take your statement of my kind’s strength as a compliment. I’ll follow your lead here.” She said. With that, Takamori would witness Lavinia seemingly dissipate into a veil of ebony haze, before reappearing within the grounds of the fort. She hid behind some crates to remain out of sight. She looked over a few brigands conversing amongst themselves. Chatting about the current supply stock and trouble from any rebellious locals with some fight left in them.
Taking advantage of their lack of attention, Lavinia would create a shroud of darkness around the three warriors, completely blocking not just their sight, but also anyone who was looking at the said spot. To be honest, Lavinia didn’t like killing humans any more than any other member of her kind. But, these humans were the worst of the worst, and didn’t even offer children any quarter…
Creating a dagger of ice, Lavinia was already on the blinded bandits whilst brandishing her icy weapon. It was almost like an instant: a cut across the jugular, a stab to the back of the head, and a slit across the throat. Each warrior would feel a sharp and freezing pain before being taken by death’s cold embrace. All but one. The poor chap with the jugular wound didn’t receive a fatal hit, as she decided to leave him alive for questioning.
The veil would lift, and Takamori would see two downed Varjans, one being held by her, and a bloodied ice dagger being held by the hellkite. She dispelled her shroud, and drug her captured prey into the shadows. Holding the knife to his throat, she spoke plainly and coldly to the man.
”Answer my questions truthfully, and I might think about letting you see the sun tomorrow. Do you and your buddies recall kidnapping a young girl and bringing her here? She was likely carrying a bow, if she’s here tell me where you're keeping her.”
The Brigand got a glimpse of his captor and his eyes widened. “M-Moooonsterrrrrrrr!” The captured Varjan Brigand yelled and panicked, unintentionally alerting the whole fort. The other Varjans mobilized and armed themselves before finding themselves being peppered with accurate arrows from outside the fort, forcing them to hide walls and shields.
The two Varjan Warriors, armed with round targets and axes, found Lavinia and the captured Brigand. One of the former immediately swung his axe at the hellkite, but Lavinia was quick enough to easily evade it. Unfortunately, the axe instead found the flesh of the captured Varjan. The two Warriors paid no mind to the friendly fire and gave chase to the Rime Hellkite.
Lavi gritted her teeth as the man yelled at the top of his lungs, completely blowing her cover. Soon the witch would find herself surrounded by the bulk of the Varjans garrisoned at the fort. However, true to his word, a good chunk of them found themselves snuffed out by Takamori's bolts. This softened the onslaught coming Lavinia's way, as some brigands hid behind crates and other cover to avoid being struck.
However, Takamori's sniping wouldn't be enough to scare off all of her attackers, as two warriors came to charge her. Lavinia clicked her tongue as she attempted to evade a swing from one of them; The warrior had instead cut down his own former teammate. They didn't seem bothered about killing one of their own, a fact that didn't seem to surprise Lavinia.
She froze the hands of the attacker who swung first, sticking his hands to his weapon. She then kicked him into the other brigand, and finished them off with an icy arrow of her own.
After dispatching the two Varjan Warriors, the remaining Varjans had a good look as to who exactly was attacking them.
“Damn it, we're not here to fight! Much less fight a monster with backup! We gotta get out of here!”
The Varjans who were still standing up and breathing quickly made their way out of the fort, trying to avoid Lavinia as much as possible. Some of the routed Varjans had arrows planted on their backs as they fled, increasing the body count. Soon the fort only had Lavinia within who was then joined by Takamori. “These Varjans fight like drunk Gyoubu Danukis.” He remarked before surveying the area. “Alright, yokai. Let's look for Setsuna, or any clues as to where she could be.”
The Hellkite and the samurai split up during the search to cover more ground. Lavinia's flight allowed her to see from the air, and she found a peculiar sight. Behind the living quarters was a bamboo cage full of still-living Shizuyaman villagers. Approaching the cramped cage, she saw that there were probably six or seven prisoners inside a cell fit only for four. Of course, the imprisoned villagers immediately took notice of Lavinia.
“Waaah! A yokai!”
“...That's it, we're dead. But at least we'll have a pretty sight before we croak.”
“Yeah, I heard yokai kill you with sex. Much better than being hacked to death by Varjans.”
”My goodness! I can see that Lord Takeshi was not being hyperbolic when he described your archery skills, and I’m wearing an eye bandage!” Lavinia said, making a corny joke. One that Takamori likely wouldn’t find all that amusing. Indeed the dojo master made quick work of any further attackers that attempted to come Lavi’s way, and even took out some unlucky ones who couldn’t flee fast enough.
Taking heed to his instruction, Lavi surveyed the rest of the fort, eventually making her way to a holding area of sorts. She immediately felt pity for the captured souls; It was nothing short of inhumane the way the Varjans threw these natives into these cramped and hastily made cages like animals. Not to her surprise, they cowarded at Lavi’s approached.
”Fret not, my fine men.” Lavi said. ”While I say again you are all fine men, I’m not here to mate. In addition, killing you is something I would never do. My only wish is to aid your people and drive away the Varjan menace plaguing your lands.” With her monstrous strength, she easily swatted away the flimsy bamboo bars that blocked the Shizuyamas from escaping.
”You are free now, gentlemen. Ah, however, I would humbly wish for but a moment of your time. My associate and I are looking for a young girl named Setsuna, she was captured by the enemy and likely imprisoned somewhere if not here. She was probably carrying a bow before being captured, do any of you recall seeing anyone matching that description?” She asked in a gentle tone, making sure not to scare or upset the already weary natives.
“Setsuna? You mean, Lord Takamori’s adopted daughter? Are you with Lord Takamori?”
“Lord Takamori would never involve himself with yokai.”
But the master archer himself joined the conversation as the villagers walked out of their cage. “Never mind about that. Answer her question, where's my daughter. Where's Setsuna?” The question elicited gulps and side glances from the villagers. “What's wrong? What happened to her?”
“My lord, I cannot be too sure if it was her since I don't know her face but…” One of the villagers began. “There was a girl, imprisoned like us. But then she told the Varjans that she was a great warrior, told them that she was your daughter and student. She offered her skills and knowledge to them in exchange for freedom.” Takamori's eyes widened in disbelief. “As a test of her loyalty, she was asked to kill a couple. Tobio and Hachi. She slaughtered them without hesitation. The Varjans gave her a room in the barracks.”
“No... no…” Takamori bolted towards the living quarters with Lavinia likely following him inside. Checking each of the rooms, he found one that differed from all the others. Within that room were articles that was Shizuyaman rather than Varjan. Takamori surveyed the room before his eyes focused on a clothing rack containing a kimono, yellow in color.
“This is Setsuna's kimono…” Takamori muttered. Looking over at the table with scrolls, he picked one up. “Setsuna's writing... telling the Varjans about strategic points in Shizuyama.” Finding a quiver full of arrows, Takamori grabbed one and observed it. “When I make arrows, I make them like this. Something I taught to Setsuna.”
Finally convinced with the evidence, Takamori walked outside with his mind elsewhere. “Damn it… I should've known…”
Lavinia made a cute pout as it seemed that the villagers weren’t going to be cooperative in helping with their search. That was, however, until Takamori himself appeared before them, asking for information in a more solemn tone.
The story they told was quite shocking, even to the Umbra Witch…
Setsuna, Takamori’s daughter and promising Shizuyaman warrior, turned betrayer?! Takamori’s initial response was an expected one: why would he believe that his adopted daughter would kill her own people for the enemy? Lavi quickly followed him into the fort’s living quarters, where they happened upon a room that had a unique interior. As he investigated the left belongings, his demeanour and expression became grimmer.
Looking at an arrow she apparently left, this apparently the final piece of evidence that confirmed Takamori’s suspicions. Walking back outside, he was beside himself in disbelief as he muttered to himself. Lavinia gritted her teeth, as there was likely nothing she could say to the man right now…
She quickly turned back to the freed villagers. ”Please, do any of you know where the remaining soldiers could’ve fled to?! Are they any nearby villages or forts that you’ve heard them setting up shop at?” The remaining villagers shook their heads. “Varjans probably have occupied the nearby villages and forts, madam yokai, but Setsuna could be in any of them.” One of the villagers replied. “It has been a while since she left with a detachment.”
“Looks like it’s going to take some time to find her again.” Takamori remarked, emerging from behind Lavinia. “We’re finished for today, yokai. I’m going to need some time to rest, and think.”
“Tell Lord Takeshi that he only needs to call for me if he needs me. In the meantime, I’m going to search for clues as to where my ‘daugther’ could be. I need to stop her before she hurts any more people.” Takamori concluded. “I’ll also report to Terauchi Temple once I’m done here.”
”I...I see. I suppose I’ll have to trace her scent using that arrow then.” She said, before Takamori came from behind her.
The samurai agreed to assist the Taskforce and Lord Takeshi, but he would first continue to sort things out in regards to his missing daughter and her involvement with the invaders. Takeshi would likely be understanding once informed about Master Takamori’s situation
”I understand Master Takamori. Please let us know right away when you make any headway in your search. I pray that you find your daughter safe and sound, and that this whole mess is completely settled. I bid you and the other villagers farewell for now. ”
Those were Lavinia’s last words to the master archer before disappearing in a ebony flash, leaving behind a bit of white feathers. She would return to the temple and inform Ayu of the news. Takamori’s tale was a tragic one, but at least they had a new ally. One’s whose tale would end as a happy one…
--
A veil of darkness had appeared in the center of the temple grounds, and emerging from it was Lavinia. She had completed her mission, although for personal reasons Takamori could not make his way to Terauchi currently. She witnessed Kirei and Lord Takeshi emerged from a pagoda, along with Janus. After Janus left, she walked over to the both of them.
”Lord Takeshi, I've returned and bring...somewhat good news.” She said. ”You'll be happy to know that Takamori is alive and well, and I was successful in recruiting him to our cause!” She said, cheerfully. ”Err, however, it seems that he couldn't come back with me currently as through less than good news - we've found evidence that his daughter has apparently betrayed her people by siding with the Varjans. He's further investigating the matter, but he'd assured me that you could call on his bow at anytime.”
She made a polite curtesy to both men. ”Now then, if you'll excuse me, I believe I shall rest for a moment. Believe it or not, manipulating darkness to travel is rather taxing!”
Walking within the temple grounds, Lavinia happened upon Ripcord, who she witnessed materialize a miner's hat along with a pickaxe. While a bit winded from her previous outing, Lavinia's curiosity got the better of her. She sensed a strange aura about the girl.
”My goodness, I didn't know we had spelunkers as part of our merry little group. We could you possibly be off to, dressed like that.” Lavinia said, standing over Ripcord.
Vară was beside herself with ire, her feelings from the last mission still lingering on her mind along with Kazenosuke’s insufferable attitude weren’t helping in the slightest. The fiery mamono had even ignored their new cohort Zeka, who had been watching the group from the shadows up until this point. Kazenosuke didn’t seem as though he was too shaken up by his homeland and countrymen being slaughtered by the barbarous Varjan horde, and even cracked jokes at Takeshi’s situation. However, it’s what he said afterward that really set her off.
Are you even worth helping?
”You…asshole vagabond!” She exclaimed. ”All we’ve done is bleed and struggle to ensure your country is saved, and you question if it’s even worth it?! You disgrace Lord Takeshi and your people! BUT! If all you want now is to fight, I’ll give you one more than you bargained for!”
Vară, her anger now boiled to its peak, had immediately transformed into her full demon mode and summoned her bulky familiar Camael to her side. She opted to have him take the form of her fiery battle axe, which shone with a brilliant vermillion hue around its edges.
”Camael and I alone will crush you! The others won’t even need to get involved, they can sit back and watch you whimper as my flames cook you! If you fight as badly as you tell jokes, this won’t take long. Prepare yourself, vagabond!”
Without any planning or regard for her teammates, the demoness charged straight at Kazenosuke and attempted to slam Camael into him via a downward swing. Aside from the strike itself which may have been easy to dodge, Kazenosuke would also have to worry about the embers that would no doubt erupt from the impact as well.
“Greetings and Salutations! My name is Imre Dorothea Molnar, a local noble in The Republic. I’m contacting the Eon Tower to request an escort for a business trip I’m going on today. My destination is a large trading village that’s not too far from town. However, due to the increasing reports of monster attacks that seem to be springing up as of late, I’d feel safer about traveling if I had an escort to see that my trek there goes safely. I’ve heard you recently defeated a powerful abomination and purified the area, so I’m feel confident that you’re the right people for the job. I do hope to hear from you all soon! ”
Rana’s Notes
"Ah. Well, it seems that the previous mission I was involved with you on had garnered the Tower with some recognition. It’s probably good that someone affluent like this had taken notice, as they usually pay well for requests answered. If you’re wanting more funds, I’d definitely suggest taking this one. Of course, I can think of other reasons as to why Lanus perhaps would love to take this mission. "
_______________________________________________
Difficulty: ⭐ Reward: 1000G
Assigned Reavers
-- NPC(s):
Inventory: None
Description
The west back alleyways of The Republic are known to the locals and law enforcement as being the stomping grounds of a certain group of renegade Belua gang. They usually engage in common thievery, strong-arming the locals into their hair-brained schemes, and being general nuisances to the public. The local authorities would usually have no trouble in dealing with them, but because they’re so many of them it’s hard to stamp out their presence entirely. The local authorities have asked for assistance from Eon specifically to deal with them. Of note, the Belua that make up this gang all have characteristics similar to those of wild boars.
Brun hovered a bit over Rana, as she read and showed the report. ”Ms. Rana, in this part of the report, you as the organizer would leave your personal notes in this section. These can be helpful little tips given from your personal pool of knowledge or experience. Sometimes, this is also filled in by other members of the staff, but it would fall to you by default.”
”Oh? I see. I understand…”
Rana’s Notes
"I’ve heard of this gang of cronies a few times. I’ve never paid any attention to them, only seeing them as a bunch of idiots with too much freetime on their hands. I personally feel that they should just take up jobs as construction workers or delivery men, just something that would make use of their brawny qualities as a means of contributing to society. Also, it’s obvious that the local authorities have more interests in other cases and are just dumping this on us so that they don’t have to deal with it. Hmph! After all, it’s not like the Association would entertain such nonsense! "
_______________________________________________
Difficulty: ⭐⭐ Reward: 2000G
Assigned Reavers
-- NPC(s):
Inventory: None
Description
A couple of the local folk are reporting that their children have gone missing in the underground waterways below Morgenröte. Enough time hasn’t actually passed for the police to conduct a missing person search, but due to the concern of strange creatures being known to appear the parents are insisting that something be done to find the kids as soon as possible. The police state that the creatures that have appeared usually aren’t that dangerous to the populace, attempting to calm the concerns of the folk, but it hasn’t done much to persuade them. Hence, Eon has been requested. A photo of the kids has been provided.
Rana’s Notes
"I admit, I myself have also played in that old waterway back when I was little. You’d think they take better care in placing prohibitions from allowing youngsters to play there in the first place. I’ve never run into anything too dangerous down there that I can recall. Then again, I could still use magic even back then, and I presume these kids can’t since it wasn’t mentioned in the report. So, I’d say we should attend to this one as soon as possible if we’ve the manpower to spare. Especially since the so-called authorities don’t wish to be of help…"
As he predicted, Shizuka's mist was the perfect cloak to mask the party's presence. Even with their lanterns, they could do little to penetrate the sorcerous fog. Although, while on the way, Io had accidently bumped in to Skarsneek. Io had apparently been staring at Shizuka to the point where she wasn't focused on her surroundings, which earned her a bit of teasing from the goblin. "Try to stay focused you two." He said. "We've avoided detection so far, but getting sidetracked in this situation would be lethal." They were able to make their way to the estate up the hill with no issues. Shizuka and the others saw there were multiple people currently within the mansion, upon closer inspection, two individuals seemed to be conversing about something.
It seemed that one of the men speaking was Lord Merneptah, and the sinister chi emanating from him marked him as another Varjan Warlock. During their conversation, Shizuka heard a name drop that he remembered from Kazenosuke's exchange with them: Lord Serek'uar. Could that person really be the one spearheading the whole invasion of Shizuyama? Regardless, it seemed that this Serek'uar didn't see Kyouko-sama's fleet as a threat. Merneptah saw things differently, and apparently was planning to initiate a raid on their forces, preventing them from moving. Shizuka had alot of questions he wanted to ask this man, but it seemed that with his superior senses he was able to sniff them out through the fog.
Io decided to take the initiative and make the first strike, with her ice strikes she was able to fell all of the Varjans in the mansion except Merneptah himself, who only seemed to be annoyed by the attack. After a declaration, his brandished his staff and prepped for a counterattack. Skarsneek rushed at him, but the warlock teleported out of the way, and appeared in front of Io. He knocked her aside before she could mount another offense. Thankfully, her resilience allowed her to quickly recover, and she didn't seem too worse for the wear.
Merneptah then began channeling a powerful lightning bolt, aiming it straight at Skarsneek. Just as Shizuka was about to make a move, Io had suddenly jumped on the warlock and began draining his mana. At that moment, the ronin thought back to all the times he got too close to a Warlock who was pressed on the defensive.
"Io-san, no! Get away from him!" He exclaimed. Despite her monstrous biology, even she may not withstand the suicidal gambit popularized among Varjan spellcasters. With his [Godstep], Shizuka would unsheathe his blade and using [Gale's Fang] to attack Merneptah. With the wind generated his plan was to disrupt the lightning spell, cause massive damage with a powerful blow, and grab Io to get her away from him in one fell swoop.
He would ensure his blow was not fatal, however, as he needed to keep him alive for now. He wanted more answers.
Hinami's attack was successful, as her supernatural strength alone was more than enough to topple the watchtower and send its occupants tumbling to their doom. Gringor, with a bit of help from Lord Takeshi and Lady Kikyo, was able to topple the other one. With the archers now dealt with, the prisoners were now able to continue making their advance. They quickly ran out of Atsuha's barrier and with powerful war cries marched toward their Varjan jailers.
However, to further suppress the attack, the Varjan unleashed a pack of vicious wardogs on the Shizuyaman force. Sound steel clashed against fang as the snarling beasts bolted toward the fighers. One would even pounce on Hinami, although her dead flesh barely felt the fangs digging in. Thankfully being a reanimated corpse gave her a higher pain tolerance than most. Before she attempted to stab at the beast to get it off of her, Takeshi fell the hound with a well-placed slash. "Oh, thank you Takeshi-sama!" Hinami said. She bowed at Takeshi's directive and went over to Lady Kiyko to support her. "Please keep my sister safe, My Lord!" She said to him before he departed. Looking at Lady Kikyo, they sized up their incoming enemies: two Varjan axe warriors and their pets. Hinami brandished her three-sectioned staff and quickly closed the distance between them. The wind raged with Hinami's strikes; She knew that the dogs may be somewhat of a problem for Kikyo so she aimed at them first. Her attacks would shatter the bones of the hounds and send them flying ever which way, and in addition she would be ready to assist Lady Kikyo against the other fighters if need be.
On the other hand, while Astuha was supporting the prisoners against the other canines, she would suddenly find herself surrounded by four of them. Being caught off guard, she recoiled a bit as they bit into the carapace that coated her legs. One of them was taken out by a stray kunai, which was then revealed to have came from Lord Takeshi. "T-Takeshi-san!" She said, relieved to see him here, only for him to be attacked by another one of the war hounds. With the remaining two still circling her, she quickly began to develop a hatred of dogs.
"I've had enough you filthy mutts!!" She snapped. She made a handsign that caused the tree on her back to glow a sinister fuchsia. Immediately after, large tree branches began jutting out of the ground and impaled the hounds attacking her, including the one that had tackled Takeshi. She then ran over to him and began to inspect his wounds. "Are you alright? Let me inspect your skin, you might get infected!" She said, getting oddly flustered over his potential wounds.
“Never forget that you are of the Tower. Remember your training, and you just might make it out alive.”
Arteus Navarre Irvin
The Magus Headmaster and Chief of Staff of the Eon Tower. A handsome man in his prime, he is the youngest member of the organization to obtain the rank of Grandmaster in several generations. In his younger days, he earned fame as a Reaver by racking up countless accolades and was often given express permission to act as a lone Reaver. Truthfully, he was seen by some as a ruthless and callous sorcerer, and crushed any foe that stood in his way without remorse. His infamy had earned him the moniker “Void Serpent.”
He eventually decided that he grew tired of taking orders under the jurisdiction of the Association, and he decided to use the influence and resources he had accumulated in order to establish his own sect. He, along with some trusted colleagues and people of special expertise, founded what is now known as the Eon Tower. He envisioned it as a private sector in the Association that can act on it's own in various cases and not have to bother with the frustrating bureaucracy of the higher ups. Although, this has made the Holy Church keep an even closer eye on them, must to Arteus's chagrin...
Still, he presents himself as being a poised and cordial man who is polite and professional to everyone he meets. He is entrusted with the most skilled Magus under his leadership, and competition to join his unit is the fiercest in the Tower. However, even seasoned mages who are accepted under his wing often complain that he is something of a taskmaster. Often setting unreasonable goals for his squads and sending them out on what could be best described as suicide missions. It doesn’t help that the high council of the Magus Association is silently up in arms about giving what amounts to an upstart humbug such a high ranking position and responsibilities. Still, even they can’t deny that his methods have produced results that have contributed largely to the organization’s sterling reputation, in addition to producing a generation of expert Reavers.
Arteus has shown proficient mastery in all forms of magic known to the tower, favoring Elementalism, Galdr, and Void magic. There are some peculiar rumors that he’s mastered some forbidden spells, but this has not been confirmed.
"...I'll keep going down this path no matter what. For their sake."
Rozemyne Levina
A recruit to the Tower who was only brought on a few months before the recent batch of new members and a powerful elementalist from a small residential district in the Republic. She commands high proficiency in manipulating the elements of Fire, Water (Ice), and Wind. In addition, she can summon familiars using invocation in order to further augment her spells.
A stoic and somewhat somber person, she rarely speaks about her past and seems to grow uncomfortable when it becomes the subject of conversation, leading some to believe it may be riddled with tragedy. Still, her renown had reached the ears of the Headmaster, who promptly offered an invitation of recruitment into Eon. While it doesn’t show, her loyalty to the organization is unwavering, and values her allies on the field.
She wields her sorcery using a powerful magictech staff named Gungnir. It has a large catalyst crystal in the top of the scepter that changes color depending on the summon she invokes. She also make use of 3 summons to strengthen her attacks: Caienne - a bat like creature with fiery fur, Devion - a sinister eel-like spirit with sharp fins going down it’s spine, and Icarus - a large hawk covered in an emerald down and brandishes huge talons.
Some better know Roze as the Witch of the Triad.
"The sheer thrill of the hunt is all a Reaver needs. What say you, greenhorn?"
Xashan Vhastia
A veteran Reaver who's been at Eon since it's inception. Back when he was a solo freelancer, he was a magus of some renown. He had the opportunity to fight alongside Arteus on a few missions and was notably impressed with the man's mastery over the six principles. Eventually, Arteus told him of how he had the idea to establish his own personal sect at the Magus HQ, and invited him to join it when it he got it running. He felt a natural kinship and intrigue with the man and his proposal, also being someone who likes to do things his own way. He's consider him a brother in arms ever since.
A bestial Belua, he has the looks and the disposition of a proud lion, and has the power of one to boot. While in battle, he puts his proficiency of Elementalism and Alchemy to full use. The wields the power of Earth, mainly using it in the form of sand. His impressive alchemic knowledge allows him to transmute it into countless tiny strands of a golden alloy that he uses to supplement his combat, both close and mid range. These skills have earn him the moniker 'Beast of the Golden Sands'.
He's quite jovial and enjoys joining friends in a good laugh, but he can also be very snide and domineering. It's put him at odds with others more than a few times.
Brunhyldia Amelia Selini
"The Void contains vast knowledge, and the Light shall be the guide."
An immensely powerful sorceress whose expertise in both Thaumaturgy and Void theory is known far and wide. Both she and Arteus served under the same regimen during their time before founding Eon. Both were regarded as prodigies by even the High Council of the Association. Many people find themselves off put by Irvin, but she trust and understands his intentions more than anyone, having fought with him for so long. She assists him in overseeing the daily goings of the Tower and providing support for new recruits.
Much like Irvin, she has fully mastered all six principles of sorcery. In particular, Brunhyldia is able to freely combine the energies of both Thaumaturgy and Void to create the sinister magic known as Chaos. It is a rare and primordial ability that allows her to influence phenomena around her in various degrees.
For other magical abilities, she gathers around her alchemic crystals that grant her a high level of control of void energy not usually seen, transmuted from an unknown substance that seems to resonate with black magic. Along with this, she generates purifying light in various forms. From weapons to shockwaves, she can also make chains that even bind miasma abominations.
Her power has caused her to the earn the moniker, "Witch of Chaos", throughout the magus world.
"I'd advise you to take your training and studies seriously. Otherwise, I might just decide to cast you away into the watery depths."
Ruecian Valeniquen
A serpentine Belua with the appearance of a handsome young man. He serves as a combat instructor of sorts, drilling newcomers to the Tower on their specific field strategies and battle tactics. He is a man of few words, and when he does speak he expects those he's instructing to listen as if there lives depend on it (which it rather does...).
While appearing cold and rough, his has a soft spot for those close to him, particularly his little sister.
A powerful Elementalist and Inovker, he calls forth a mighty Ryujin spirit to drastically increase the power of his water and ice abilities. Naturally, the Tower quickly sought him out for his skills and battle insight.
--
Administrative Staff
"I'm a man of simple pleasures. Booze, guns, and the sweet smell of reconstruction at work!"
Johannes Childes
A senior Reaver whose led a sterling 40 year career in the field of monster hunting before the Tower was created. A gritty old timer who underneath the roughneck bravado offers a profound insight into the world of magitech theory and battle tactics. It's no surprise that shortly after conceiving Eon, Arteus personally sought him out and insisted that he join their fold. The Tower's robust system of magitech weapons are an attribute of his creative mind. He's retired now, and mainly serves as the Tower's blacksmith/mechanic and as an advisor for aspiring alchemists and budding magitech researchers.
Even at his old age, though, he's still willing to volunteer for the most dangerous missions with a childish smile on his face, eager to test out whatever new firearm or tech suit he's toiled away at. You'd be hard press to find a better gunslinger, using a self-transforming alchemic gun with bullets to boot. He also imbues the bullets with various elemental effects to further bolster his attack power, though he sometimes uses too much power and becomes more of a danger to his allies along with enemies.
While not on the job one can usually find him in either his personal atelier, which serves as more of an arms factory and alchemy laboratory for the Tower, or drinking the night away at any local bar in town. Be prepared for his shop to reek of rusted metal, chemical fumes, and cheap liquor.
"Hmm, let's see: This one is usually native to the Bethlahelm region in the southwest, we've also seen an increase of this species in the Novak Marsh in the Northern swamp area. This particular beast has been nomadic in most observations, but as of late has been behav- ACK!!! Where did you come from?! Don't sneak up on me while I'm in the middle of research!"
Naomi Schuller
An avian Belua and recent graduate from a research institution dedicated to the studies of various magical beasts that appear around the world. Being at the top of her class, one would think her accolades would've have net her a lucrative role at a Triple A firm. However, due to having no real work experience and no chances to prove her scientific theories, she found it to be a nearly impossible task to find any work. Thankfully, through a chance meeting, Arteus took quick notice of her knowledge and offered her a place as a magical beast advisor at the Tower in exchange for funding her research. Of course she hastily accepted the proposition.
Not being particularly social, she often goes through the motions of causal conversation as quickly as possible, getting back to her studies and tirelessly working to reach new breakthroughs in the fields of magical beast research. Though whenever the subject is something that interests her or if it can related back to her research in some way, she won't stop talking any time soon. While a bookworm through and through, she has taken strides to improve her stoutness as she knows going out to the field is the best way for her studies to bear fruit. Though she would rather not if she could help it...
Her main means of defense are utilizing sharp talons afforded to her by her species and a bit of mid level wind magic.
"By combing alchemic reactions along with invocation, you'll then achieve perfect harmony as a synergist. What is a synergist, you say? Well, I'm so happy you asked!"
Nadia Whitsett
A interesting alchemic scholar born to a family of invokers in the republic. She often goes on about wanting to usher in a new sorcerous principle that she calls 'synergy'. Based on what she says, it's based on strengthening the power of a invoked spirit and the amount of time it's summoner can maintain it in the Material World by utilizing alchemic reactions to continuously transmute nearby energy as fuel. As one would guess, she hadn't gotten much ground with her theory as of yet.
Still, it shouldn't be ignored that her alchemic and galdr knowledge is superb for one in her field. So much so that even Arteus decided that she be fit for the tower as an invocation adviser.
Being from a family of such, Nadia can summon various sprites around her, she supplements their abilities by utilizing various potions and transmuting magical energy from a grimoire she carries with her.
"Feel free to take what you need from the library. Just make my life easier, and return everything on time. I also would appreciate a generous donation every now and again~"
Kiff Luther
A magus who spent his days in the past exploring ancient ruins. He'd tell you that he was a respectable archeologist, but other will say that he was a treasure hunter with questionable morals. Still, he was able to collect countless grimoires and magical artifacts during his escapades. Wanting a quieter life, he decided to quit the seeker gig and open a bazaar. Many were impressed with the items and texts he had for sale, but didn't appreciate the outlandish prices he sold them for.
He eventually gained the eye of Arteus, who convinced him that he knowledge and wares would be more appreciated at his private sect. He now serves as a librarian for Eon, which houses countless grimoires and magic items.
"Goodness, so reckless aren't we? Let's fix you up."
Elaine Gardner
A seemingly mischievous, but kind apothecary in service to Eon. She was once a magus who acted as a medic out on the field, assisting in purifying areas and people of miasma that haven't fully succumb to it's effects. She actually close friends with Brunhyldia and agree to join the Tower at her request.
She earned her name by the impressive way she imbues her potions and medication with Thaumaturgic effects, being able to cure those afflicted with the early stages of miasma corruption.
"Ah, I've discovered a new recipe!"
Bellum Hawke
Another senior member of the staff who specializes in Elementalism and Alchemy. Her practices have led to massive strides in the fields of agriculture and forestation. She imbues her cooking with Alchemy to give it some extra flare, combing it with flora and fire to expand upon it's effects. Most of the time the result rivals five star cuisine, but only the Gods know what happens when she gets to excited with experimentation.
She and Johannes were a part of the same regimen back in the day and often banter with one another.
”I guess there's a place where even someone like me can belong.”
Rana Schuellen
A youthful woman who was once a researcher working for the Association. Despite her lack of actual combat experience, she was selected to lead an expedition of magus to survey and area that was attack by a greater abomination. All but her and a few others survived the encounter, which left her scarred.
After speaking with Brunhyldia, she was selected as the Tower's operations servicer and administrative secretary. In addition, she can also act as an advisory for Thaumaturgic studies under the other staff members. She is grateful that she was given a second chance to sustain herself and further her pursuits in the field of magic in a new perspective, but she is still recovering from her past ordeal.
--
Other New Recruits
"Such is to be expected of a genius like me~"
Evelyn Grace
A young magus who recently received her license from the Association. Standing out amongst her peers, her application to the Tower was accepted and she hopes use Eon as a foothold to establish a career as a world famous witch. She's mostly motivated by delusions of grandeur, due to hearing of the accomplishments of the more senior members. Her heart's in the right place at the end of the day though.
She has high proficiency in Element manipulation and Void usage. In particular, she can combine the elements of fire and lightning to create a plasma-like element she calls 'star'. Using the essence of Void, she can lessen gravity's hold on her - allowing her to fly around on her staff. She can also use this ability on her surroundings, levitating objects and other people as she sees fit. She's also currently perfecting a technique that fully combines her elemental techniques with her usage of void, something she refers to as a "Nebula Field".
"The voice of the gentle streams have been troubled as of late..."
Lapis Valeniquen
Another recent addition to the Eon team of Espers, she is Ruecian's younger sister. He objected at first to her joining the field, but seeing the promise she held and feeling it'd be easy to keep an eye on her, he placed his faith in Arteus and his team to keep her safe.
Like her brother, she can freely conjure and manipulate water. She is usually seen with her familiar, Hachigan, a spirit resembling a tiny octopus. She also has a unique esper ability that allows her to communicate with sea-faring creatures, calling it the 'voice of the stream'.
She's a bit more forth-coming and friendly than her older sibling.
All of the Reavers had completed their respective quests and had settled back in the Tower, some of them doing other things to wind down the evening hours like eat or socialize. After retiring to their rooms, night seemed to quickly pass as the morning sun soon rose back into the air.
–
The morning sun shone through the glass stained windows that adorned Eon Tower. The members within had all awakened at the crack of dawn, having made their way to the mess they were all instructed to eat a light breakfast and quickly to boot. The reason for this was stated by Arteus at an earlier date: The inquisitors were arriving this morning. Notably, The one heading the inspection was Grisha Pensworth, a notable inquisitor of some renown who hailed from the district of Grimvine in Flugell. Along with having a reputation of being impatient and formidable, he was clearly not to be trifled with. Accompanying him was an up and coming knight of the Church, Alexandra Haschwalth Vander. Rather young for being a Church official, Alex had a habit of being overtly meticulous and regimented in order to compensate for her lack of experience. Not to say that she herself wasn't naturally gifted, Alex was a bright young warrior with a promising future. Despite her personal circumstances, she carried a sharp mind and a keen eye for detail when it counted.
Alexandra accompanying Grisha here on the inspection was no surprise, as most inquisitors brought an assistant or two with them during the process. Indeed, it was someone else's presence here that was cause for concern: Tethys Aria Zaerado - A high priest who was well known within all circles of the Holy Church, also called The Holy Seer, her power as a psychic held equals part fame and infamy. One had to wonder why such a high ranking official volunteered to be a part of something as routine as an inspection.
The young Fae Leon had already long sensed her arrival as far back as a few days ago, due in part from forging a pack with that cursed grimoire that used to be in her very possession. Damian may hold some apprehension at the arrival of the Church officials, due to various reasons. In addition, Einer and especially Hectorwould have no doubt heard of these folk. Currently, the three Church reps were riding through the streets of Morgenröte on an elaborate and ornate magitech vehicle. Being easily identifiable as being of the Holy Sect, it got various looks from the citizens of the Magus capital that didn’t follow or even care for the faith. Eventually, the vehicle arrived in front of Eon Tower. The chauffeur had been the first to exit the carriage, and had promptly opened the doors for all the occupants. First was Alexandra, then Grisha, then the last was Tethys. Grisha thanked the man, and bade him wait by the carriage while they conducted business.
The three individuals stood directly facing the Tower; They were silent for a moment, as if taking in the site.
”This is Irvin’s base of operations?” Alex said, rather puzzled and unimpressed. ”I was expecting something more…modern… This tower appears to be utterly archaic and simple in design. Though, I imagine we’ll much more once inside, yes?” She said, turning to Grisha.
”Indeed, you’d be correct Vander” Grisha replied, sighing with a bitter reluctance. He wore a distinct scowl on his face as he slowly took a few steps toward the entrance. ”Irvin has always had taste that can only be described as ‘esoteric’, for lack of a better word.” He stared up at the tower, as if curious about its actual height. ”I don’t understand why he needs such a large structure; his ‘staff’ could fit into a moderate conference room. Let’s just get this over with…” He then turned to their third, Tethys. ”Anything we should look out for in particular. Aside from what was previously discussed?”
”Mainly, all I can say is that something is…off within the walls of Eon.” She responded coldly. ”I sense a faint echo that’s attempting to mask its presence, something in one of the upper rooms. Perhaps a magus that Arteus had entered into their ranks off record? Aside from that I’m mainly concerned about the Fae boy with that old tome, and that Florestas fellow. We also have those local police reports detailing two potentially malfested magus that are members of Eon to consider.”
”Quite right, with all on our plate, you can perhaps understand my gripes Lady Zaerado.” Grisha said, with a powerful grimace. ”Enough chatter, if it’s all the same to you. Let’s begin.”
Instead of knocking, the trio had let themselves in, with Grisha being the one who opened the doors. Upon entering, Alex was somewhat impressed by the architecture that contrasted the rather antiquated outside. Grisha walked through the halls as if he was already familiar with the layout of the building. They seemed to be heading for the conference room.
–
The reaver team and the tower staff had quickly finished breakfast and were making their way toward the conference as instructed by the Tower’s headmaster, both he and Brun were absent from the group for the time being. Perhaps making last minute preparations? Regardless, the staff were leading the recruits to their destination. Nadia was oddly silent, a cold expression on her face. Childes and Bellum were bickering among themselves, Kiff was helping Naomi carry some documents and notebooks with the former cracking morbid jokes in order to lighten the mood, and of course Naomi was none too amused. Elaine was acting as the de facto leader of sorts for the group, trying to let everyone towards the conference area as orderly as she could. Sweat beads rolled down her face as she tried to hide her panic at the situation at hand. ”Why in the Six's name is the Church’s Holy Seer here?!” She said frantically, shooting a nasty glance at Kiff and a worried one at Leon, as she had a guess to the answer of her question.
”Oh wow, my first inspection!” Eve said, who’s excitement made it seem like she saw this as some odd rite of passage. ”We just gotta play nice for some Church mooks, right? They got nothing on the Star Plasma Witch!”
”Is that what you’re calling yourself now?” Lapis said with a bit of gall. ”You know, a witch must earn her title officially from the Association board, not to mention the Church officials aren’t gonna take you seriously if you use a corny name like that.”
”Aw, whadda you know??” Eve quickly snapped back.
”Both of you hush!” Elaine exclaimed at both of the bickering girls. The usual gentleness and warmth in her voice had vanished like it was never there to begin with. The sudden snap caused the two of them to make scared yelps, immediately clamming up and remaining dead silent. The scene caused Ruecian and Xashan to snicker a bit, but a quick glare from Elaine put an end to that. Roze looked at them, and could only shake her head, having enough insight to remain silent.
Eventually, the group that was composed of the whole of Eon’s members, minus two, had made their way to the doors to the conference room. The recruits already felt the signatures of the three individuals all the way down the hall, but being here in front of it was something else entirely. Elaine breathed in heavily, opening the doors to the room within. The group would see the three inquisitors sitting at the center table, Grisha was seated to the left and Alexandra was seated to the right with Tethys.
”Ah, Ms. Elaine, it’s been a little while.” Grisha said, apparently already acquainted with the woman. ”I trust you’ve been well?”
”Yes, Inquisitor Pensworth.” Elaine said plainly, albeit with a bit of anxiety in her voice.
”Come now, there’s no need to act so formal, Grisha will suffice. This is, after all, a routine inspection. Well, mostly.” He said, glancing at Tethys for a moment, who was quietly sipping tea. She did eye Leon, along with the cursed tome he was always carrying on his person since making a pact with it.
Grisha began turning his attention to the others in the group, first taking notice of the other staff members. Childes, Bellum, Nadia, Kiff, Naomi, and Rana. They all stood side by side, each of them reacting to the gaze of the Inquisitors in different ways. Old Man Childes picked some wax out of his ears and flicked it off to the side, and made no gesture of greeting or showing of respect. Bellum looked at him with disgust, but quickly turned and waved at the officials. Nadia made a polite bow, her face oddly neutral but her eyes denoted a bit of rancor. Kiff, unprofessional as always, had his shirt untucked and held a hand in his pocket. He waved with the other. Naomi attempted to bow as well, struggling to keep her books and documents from falling on the floor. Rana stood straight at attention, her hands clasped and held to her waist, making a professional bow at the inquisitors. Grisha looked at them all, raising a brow as he gave them all the once over. Alexandra also adopted a puzzled look at the staff members present before them, honestly looking a bit underwhelmed.
”You all must make up the administrative office for the Tower.” Grisha said. ”My name is Grisha Pensworth of Grimvine, state official of the Royal Flugell court and will be the one conducting the inspection of your base of operations today. The two ladies I have with me are here serving as my assistant and as an advisor, respectively, for this process.” He said, gesturing at Alexandra then Tethys.
”Good Morning, my name is Alexandra Haschwalth Vander, knight of the Holy Church also from the Grimvine district. It’s nice to meet you all.” Alex said.
Compared to her compatriots, Tethys held a serene and perhaps even lax air around her. Setting down her tea, she finally gazed at the Eon staff, making note of each of their appearances. ”Greetings. My name is Tethys Aria Zaerado, High Priestess of the Holy Church and the acting Seer for the Royal Court. I will mainly be acting as an observer here, so don’t pay me too much mind” She said, eyeing Leon with a peculiar gaze. As the seer looked upon the Fae boy, a thick tension began to fill the room. Grisha adjusted his throat, noticing that things were about to be derailed.
”You there, I don’t recognize you, are you a new member of the staff?” Grisha said, addressing Rana. She maintained a professional poise and responded formally to him.
”You are correct, Inquisitor Pensworth” Rana responded. ”My name is Rana Schuellen, I recently joined the Tower as its Administrative Secretary and Operations Scheduler. It’s a pleasure to meet such esteemed guests.” She was used to such regimented proceedings. Grisha nodded to her introduction, but didn’t say anything to her after that. Instead he addressed the group as a whole.
”In addition to most of the staff members, I’m also already acquainted with the members of your veteran reavers. Xashan Vhastia, Rozemyne Levina, and although his sister is actually a newcomer, I’m also acquainted with both of the Valeniquen siblings.”
Eve turned to her two friends with a look of surprise on her face, wondering why an esteemed official from an entity who was effectively the political enemy of the Magus Society. Ruecian and Lapis winced somewhat, but said nothing in response.
”That aside, why do we start having the Tower’s new recruits introduce themselves.” Grisha said, now addressing all of the new members of Eon’s reaver team currently present. ”Although with that latest arrival coming down the hall.”
Grisha was referring to Asterope, the Thunder Witch, who mana he was able to feel even while sitting in this room. She had to leave the Tower for her own personal reasons, but she has now returned. As she made her way to the conference room, the large double doors began to gently swing open as she joined her companions for the inspection.
A dangerous beast cloaked in flame walks amongst land, wielding its giant flaming sword, and leads an army of renegades who blindly worship him as if he was their savior. Its massive blade burns with hellfire equal to its fangs. Its scales forged in the depths of a volcano.
Its heat is so intense it can melt even the thickest icy terrains and boils down the entire sea, leaving it completely dry like the desert.
This creature is the embodiment of the sun. A ball of flame hovering above everything, devouring everything under its light, claiming what's his. A walking calamity. A kin murderer. An unquenchable flame that burns everything it touches to cinders.
I've never met anyone who has outsmarted the Sun itself. Let alone escape its reach.
A premonition suddenly flashes before Leon, looking at the blue-haired girl while munching on his meal.
What does this even mean? Does it have to do with Lapis being the sea and her brother, Ruecian being the ice?
”Damn, I hate having these visions. It leaves more questions than actual answers, really.
Still, I can't just keep this grim prophecy all to myself. Not what happened to my clan who ignored the seer's warning.
If there's a chance to save other people by telling them about their future. maybe just maybe I could change the course of this event.
"How very noble for a cutthroat. Involving yourself with other people's undoing even if it costs you your life. Heh, So foolish, just like my previous creator." The grimoire mockingly said in his head.
"Tread lightly my little fae harbinger, or I might find a new host from the path you're choosing"
"...."
~~
As they feasted on the Kitchen wiz's gourmet, The fae rogue couldn't help but to stop and stare at Evelyn and Lapis and started to mumble about the prophecy as if he was in a trance. Leon was so engrossed in what this riddle meant.
"The sun will dry up the sea and thaw the freezing snow," Leon audibly said after finishing his drink. Rapidly blinking his tired eyes to his surprise as if he shouldn't say what he was thinking in front of the others.
"Sorry, slip of the tongue, you must think I'm weird but I have the strangest vision about you and your brother." Leon said in a bashful manner to the girls. Embarrassed to spout out such enigmatic jargon.
"In any case have you considered having me as your secret bodyguard Mrs. Lapis? I'm not saying that you're not capable of defending yourself but I feel there is something out there to get you" Leon warned Lapis.
"Now, I'm not trying to scare you but my clairvoyance told me you will be hunted down by a malicious yet cunning fiery creature wielding a giant blade, whose scales is like the molten flame. Of course, I could be wrong but from what I've seen, it's far worse than I'm telling you." The fae said with a dire look on his face.
"Ugghh.. Wayyy to ruin our appetite fae boy, you and your weird jokes. I told you he's weird Laps. I swear you have the worst comedic timing." Evelyn slams the table with an annoyed look on her face, comically pointing and waving a piece of a drumstick at Leon's face as if she was threatening him.
"I wish it was, but the vision of what I saw was incredibly vivid even for me.” Leon remains serious even with the star witch’s childish outburst.
“Do you recall anyone who fits the descriptions of what I've just said?" Leon straightforwardly asked the Azure esper while chugging down another drink.
Lapis stared at Leon with wide eyes for a moment, remaining eerily silent for a moment. ”Lapis? Everything OK?” Eve asked, growing concerned for her friend.
”You…you’re talking about him…” Lapis finally said, breaking her earlier silence. ”No…I don’t want to remember! Why, why would you know about…” Her eyes had become bloodshot at that moment.
”You’re an Esper like me, aren’t you? You should understand the importance of a person’s inner thoughts! I don’t want to remember him! I don’t want to remember Kinnich!!” At this point, Lapis had tears dripping down her eyes. Eve, stunned by her friend’s bewilderment, couldn’t muster up the gall to speak.
”"What have you done you insensitive jerk!?" Eve turned her attention and scolded Leon. She and her familiar started comforting her while Leon just sat there, questions unanswered, and was like a deer in headlights. Still processing what just happened.
"HAHAHA.. this is quite the show, you truly bring absolute misery to those people around you. bringing her traumatic past and her unavoidable future. Well done my little harbinger." The grimoire mocks the Fae in his head.
"Not helping, grimy..." Leon muttered under his breath.
Maybe the direct approach isn't the best course for telling her fate, after all, she is still young and emotionally fragile. Perhaps I should delve into her mind and her familiar to shed some light on who this 'Kinnich' is. I never communed with the spirits before let alone diving into one's core memories. Leon deeply sighed, preparing to use the grimoire's powers once again.
Leon's eyes started to glow and began to telepathically link Lapis and her tiny octopus friend, Hachigan together. Diving deep into the thoughts of the blue-haired witch.
He enters Lapis's mind and into the rabbit hole of memories. He finds himself teleported and swimming in the middle of a vast beautiful underwater utopia. Her inner thoughts are represented as this lively and colorful sea filled with marine life inhabiting it.
The knife ear fae can see an abundance of memories playing in the background like movies playing on repeat. From Lapis's childhood until her time as a reaver.
From there, Leon swam and followed the tiny octopi which led him into the deepest part of the ocean.
The turmoil began to brew as Leon noticed the temperature suddenly rose drastically. It must be close.
"So this is where you store the memories of this so-called, Kinnich." Leon sees a dark cave with a barrier prohibiting anyone from entering.
"Unravel and Unlock the mind. Dissolve the mysteries of the earth: Elucidation!" Leon reaches out his arm and casts an advanced esper technique that lets its user infiltrate the inner thoughts of others, no matter how restricted it is.
"Sorry for trespassing into your past trauma, Ms. Lapis. But this is for your own good. You gotta face your fears eventually." Leon and Lapis's sea-fearing octopi traverse into the underwater cavern hoping to find answers about the sun beast.
Hachigan chirped with severity as both he and Leon delved deeper in the recesses of Lapis’s mental space. The cave that stored her most repressed memories resembled more so a volcano than anything, riddled with large cracks that spewed eruptions of vermillion molten rock. With his psionic abilities, it wasn’t too difficult for Leon to cut through the barrier that blocked the entrance to the cavern. Hachigan hugged Leon’s arm tightly as they made their way deeper into the cave; Their trek was made more and more uncomfortable due to the steadily increasing temperature.
Eventually, Leon would hear a baleful voice ring out. ”Lassie, what’re ya waiting for? He’s got no fight left in ‘em.” Leon would look to where the voice came from, and gaze upon a scene of Kinnich standing with an apparently younger Lapis. More alarmingly, he would see a beaten and battered man limping on the ground in front of them.
”B-but, Uncle Kinni…” The younger Lapis whimpered, tears starting to roll down her eyes.
”But what?” He boomed. ”Get this over with, kiddo.”
”He, he didn’t do anything wrong…” While standing over the beaten man, Lapis held an ice dagger in her hand, which she was reluctantly brandishing over him.
”P-please, don’t hurt me!” Pleaded the man. Both the man and Lapis were filled with dread and fear. A past version of Hachigan was in the vision as well, floating at Lapis’s side while he tried to comfort her.
Taking advantage of Lapis’s hesitation, the man attempted to make a break for it. He quickly got up and tried to run as fast as his damaged body would carry him. He didn’t get very far though…
Lapis’s face lit up with vivid horror as the vicinity with a bright scarlett hue, which was accompanied by the agonized screams of the man. His body was immediately ignited, and Lapis watched as his charred corpse plopped to the ground. The smell of his cooked flesh made her sick to her stomach.
”Uncle Kinni…y-you, you killed th-” Lapis was cut short, as she received a violent strike from Kinnich, sending her tumbling to the ground.
”I told you to kill that hairless monkey.” He said with irritation in his voice. ”Ya ain’t gonna get far acting all soft-like, lassie!”
Lapis attempted to get up, still whimpering.
"Uncle!? So this cruel monster is related to the Reaver siblings?" Leon gritted his teeth after this inhumane execution and the Sun beast’s cruelty against young Lapis. If this wasn’t just a memory, Leon would brandish his dagger, strike from the shadows and intervene without any hesitation.
If Leon recalls correctly, some Beluas have a notorious reputation for being the most violent race of them all due to their primal tie-ins with their animalistic nature. The esper fae have first-hand witnessed how vicious they are in this scenario. A monster teaching a child how to be a killer. I have no words. That's just messed up.
"This is just the tip of the iceberg. let's get going, eights (Hachigan). The flames from my foresight are more refined than what Kinnich displayed in his early years." Leon nodded and began to swim deeper into the mental space of the azure esper's miserable childhood past.
The wayward Fae would happen upon another vision as he ventured further into Lapis’s unpleasant memories. It was another sight of Kinnich with his niece. This time, though, they were sitting on some rocks and no human victims were present.
”Lapis.” Kinnich said. ”Do ya know why it is I often send yar brother out apart from ya?”
”B-because I’m…weak and would just get in the way?” Said the younger Lapis.
”You’d be right, lassie.” He responded. ”That, and I’m trying to wean ya off of always thinking someone’s gonna save yer arse when death decides to play. If I were to kill Ruecian, that’d put you between a rock and a shitty place, wouldn’t ya concur lassie?”
Lapis’s face lit up in fright at her uncle’s statement.
”Y-you would kill Big Brother, Uncle?!”
”That’s not the point, nitwit!!” He boomed.
Well, this is kind of a tender moment. Teaching your kin to be reliable and able stand up on their own two feet. Perhaps there are some redeemable qualities to him just yet.
Of course, Being the skeptic that he is, The fae esper can see and sense the utter horseshit Kinnich is spewing under his molten tongue.
I doubt this monster is capable of affection in his family. Underneath this life lesson teaching lies a vile ulterior motive.
From my observation, He's a manipulative bastard who likes to keep the Belua siblings under his thumb.
He wasn't raising his nephew and niece to be dependable. He was training them as his weapon. This cunning beast saw some potential in them. That's why he hasn't offed or disowned them just yet.
"Eh, I'm not buying it. let's go deeper." Leon dismissively went past this vision and continues to trek down memory lane. Finding the root of why Lapis doesn't want to remember this monster despite their bond together.
Effectively swimming through the murky sea of Lapis’s thoughts, Leon would bear witness to yet another unsavory scene: this time it depicted Kinnich along with the siblings together. Before the scene fully materialized, he would hear a distinct sounding of impact - the kind that a fist made when it struck flesh. With the memory now in full view, the Fae would bear witness to the source of the disquieting pounding: Kinnich was punching a young Ruecian, the former being more than twice the young Belua’s size, with a savage fury that surpassed what he had displayed while he trained Lapis. She herself was writhed with fear and concern for her brother.
Kinnich would call this simple training, but most individuals with any shred of humanity could immediately tell that this was simply an act of cruelty. The ground was littered with bits and small splatters of Ruecian’s blood; his breathing was labored and his face and torso were covered with bruises. Despite this, Ruecian did not back down, he made every attempt to meet Kinnich’s blows with his own. All of which were easily parried, and the young man received a painful counter for each in turn. Eventually, Kinnich sent Ruecian flying with a sudden kick, causing him to crash into a rock face near where Lapis was watching. The impact caused a large crater, where Ruecian layed gasping for breath with blood dripping from his face.
This didn’t seem to deter Kinnich in the slightest, as he quickly began to advance to his nephew, but not before Lapis stood in front her brother with her arms spread out.
”Uncle Kinni, that’s enough!” She shouted, tears rolling down her eyes. Kinnich did indeed stop for a moment, but his menacing expression did not change. ”You’re gonna kill him!”
”If the brat succumbs to this, he’ll die sooner or later anyway.” Kinnich said coldly. ”Yer fleeting tears won’t save him either. Now move aside, lassie.”
Lapis ignored her uncle’s directive, and stood firm. ”No!”
Not even a second after, Lapis left a bludgeoning pain hit her ribs, and she was sent flying off to the side, tumbling several times before she finally stopped. Not even bothering to look in her direction, Kinnich then continued back to Ruecian, until he noticed that the boy had vanished. That actually got him to change the expression on his face for a moment, as he honestly didn’t expect the boy to have anything left in him. In the next instant, Ruecian was at his uncle’s face, who barely had time to parry the icy blow that was aimed for his face. A dagger made out of frost had ran through his hand and scratched a bit of his scaly cheek,
”Don’t you…hurt…my sister, you bastard!” He snapped.
”Got a second wind in ya, boyo?” Kinnich said. He was about to say something else, until Lapis had suddenly appeared and mimicked the same attack her brother did, but aimed for his ribs. Perhaps returning the favor? Regardless, Kinnich used his other arm to block the attack, not caring that the weapon had impaled his hand.
”Y-you…you really DID mean it, didn’t you? You were serious when you said you’d kill Rue!” She exclaimed.
”Apparently that’s what it took to get ya little gits to start puttin’ up a fight.” He said unremorsefully. Kinnich began to gather heat around his body, the icy weapons the siblings generated began to quickly melt. However, just before it built up too much, the sibling pair unleashed a large torrent of rime, blasting him square in the face. This act caused him to recoil with a horrible hiss, the grip he had on them loosened.
”Lapis, run!!” He yelled.
The brother/sister pair then ran off for the hills, with Kinnich hissing in great anger, melting the onslaught of ice around him.
”Fucking little shits! As if you have anywhere else to go!”
The sun beast's intimidating roar rang true and violently echoed through the vermillion cavern. Hachigan shudders and clings to Leon's cloak for dear life, shaken by the vivid past of his master's suffering at the mercy of their uncle.
"..." Leon's throat dried up. His eyes widened. His body refuses to move from the horrific memory he has seen. Is this the feeling of dread I sense?
His fear and uncertainty slowly turned to rage and disgust at this display of injustice.
He clenched his fist so hard that it started to turn red. His cursed mark around his body became more visible. His thirst for vengeance seems to react to his emotions. The very thin line between Leon's sanity and insanity is cracking. A line an Esper shouldn't cross.
"You'd be doing the world a favor by severing the sun beast's fate. Although this mountainous obstacle won't be toppled that easy. The question now is how much are you willing to pay the price to change the course of the Belua sibling's grim future?"
With one final deep breath, The esper fae has seen enough.
"This is why I hate delving into one's thoughts. You get to relive both of their dreams and nightmares." Leon said solemnly and snapped his fingers, Both he and Hachigan are engulfed in a bright light. Shattering the aquatic scenery around them like a mirror cracking and breaking into pieces.
They return to the present time, back at the mess hall, escaping Lapis's inner head space.
"My apologies for prying into your deep thoughts Lapis, but you seem to be irrational and preoccupied by fear by the very mention of his name." The esper rogue said as his eyes lost their glow and disconnected the link between them.
"I just need some answers." He continued.
" For what it's worth, your uncle is wrong about you. You're not weak nor helpless." Leon nonchalantly said.
"My offer still stands if that fateful day comes. If your brother Ruecian is your sword and shield. Lemme be your cloak and dagger. The vorpal blade that will strike through the heart of hellfire itself by any means necessary." Leon swore an oath to the Azure Esper.
His unexpected voyage through the reaches of Lapis’s most repressed memories having come to an end, he and the tormented Belua girl regained consciousness in the outside world. For Leon and Lapis, it seemed like his trek lasted for hours. However, only a few moments actually passed. Eve was slightly shaking her friend, attempting to get a response.
”Laps, are you ok? Why weren’t you saying anything?”
”....Huh?” Lapis shook her head for a moment before turning to Evelyn. ”What happened…?” She looked at Leon, a bit of anger growing on her face. ”Y-you peered into my mind, didn’t you?! Moral Espers follow a code, y’know? They don’t just peer into a person’s mind without their consent!”
”Eww, you perv! Getting fresh just ‘cause you helped me out on that mission?! I’ll fry you for messing with Laps!” Eve snapped, a bit of lighting crackling in her hand. That was before Lapis placed a hand on her shoulder, getting her to stop.
”Going further from that, it is because we’re Espers that I could sense that his intentions were pure. So, you saw a premonition that Kinnich would soon wreak havoc on us. My…uncle…” Her face grimaced, writhe with a slew of horrible emotions.
”Your uncle…? I mean, what’s his deal?” Eve said, still rather confused.
”Since you only recently graduated, Eve, you probably wouldn’t have heard of him. The academies don’t usually try to speak of S-grade criminals to students. The staff members have all probably heard of him a few times. And, Master Arteus has met him personally.” Lapis answered.
Eve’s face lit up in shock. ”Your uncle’s a S-rank criminal?!”
”That’s right. And apparently, you wish to…protect me from him, Leon?” She said, looking at the tattooed Fae. ”I mean, you can understand that your offer is a little awkward, we’ve only just met! But, Master Arteus and Mistress Brun are always saying that members of the Tower should treat each other like family…” Lapis was clearly conflicted at Leon’s proposition.
”Laps, don’t listen to this perv! I’ll protect you from your uncle; I’ll blow him into sticky little charred pieces. Not to mention your brother has our backs too! Uh, it sounds weird to talk about your uncle like this, and this is the first time I’ve ever heard about it. What’s his name - Kinnis or something? Why is he a psycho exactly?”
”It’s…hard to talk about. He’s also caused my brother a great deal of pain as well…” Lapis said, eyes staring down at her glass. ”But, I suppose Leon already knows the gist of the matter. Since he would naturally pose a threat to everyone at the Tower, it only makes sense that we should help each other out. I don’t know if I trust you, yet, but I welcome you as a fellow teammate all the same.”
While the two lovebirds were washing up from their earlier mission in the waterways, they would hear a sudden knock on the door. With it, came a familiar voice.
”Um, hello? It's me, Rana. Is this a good time?”
Renee gasped, her cheeks reddening in an instant. Her fae ears were sharp enough to notice Rana's muffled voice through the door. She was indeed having fun with Lanus as they took a bath together — the latter currently scrubbing and washing the former, which was naturally accompanied by loads of groping as well.
It would seem that the couple forgot to lock the door after they went into their room. After not receiving an answer, Rana had inadvertently opened the door. ”Oh! My apologies, I didn’t realize that the door was unlocked. I had heard that you all were successful in saving those children lost in the waterways and -” She cut her sentence short when she noticed that neither of the Fae lovers were in the immediate area of the room, but she could hear movement and the sound of water coming from the bathroom.
”Um…is this a bad time?” She said, her nervousness building up.
"N-no! Not at all!" Renee shouted as she quickly separated herself from Lanus, grabbing the nearby towel to dry herself.
Lanus smirked. Unlike her, he wasn't shy at all by the sudden appearance of Rana. Hell, he wouldn't mind her seeing them having fun in the showers. He might even ask her to join in as well…
"Ahn! Cut it out! Rana's here!" Renee hissed. Lanus had just given her a pinch in her bottom.
He just could not resist.
Meanwhile, inside the room, Lana would be able to see a pile of clothes spread messily on the floor.
They were Renee and Lanus' clothes. Including their undergarments. ᅠ The couple soon finished putting on their towels. Lanus was the first to leave. With a confident smile, even though he was barely dressed at all, he greeted the woman.
"Good evening! Is something the matter, Miss Rana?"
Renee exited afterwards, her cheeks still maintaining their red shade. It only reddened further once she noticed that her panties were perfectly displayed on the floor right beside where Rana stood.
At the sight of seeing the couple’s clothes sprawled all over the floor, including their undergarments, Rana’s face lit up redder than Renee’s was currently.
”O-oh my goodness! Forgive me, I should’ve waited until you were decent and answered the door!” Rana stuttered out, practically flailing. She tried to look away from Lanus’s barely clothed body.
”Um, I wanted to congratulate you on accomplishing your mission, and to say that I’m glad you could rescue those children. Oh! I was wondering if you wanted to grab some dinner in the mess hall with me…”
Lanus, being the Casanova that he was, wasn't bothered in the slightest that he was showing his shirtless form to the woman. In fact, he found her reaction to be quite cute.
"Oh, don't you worry!" He proclaimed with a grin. "I don't mind showing my body to a beautiful woman such as—ouch!"
Renee stomped her right foot onto his left. "Y-yes, thank you!" The female fae replied to Rana. "And we'll take you up on your offer! Now please leave the room so we can change!"
Renee wouldn't want any other women to see Lanus's body after all.
Five minutes later, the Fae couple opened the door. They were now back to their decent self, fully dressed from top to bottom.
"Well, let's go, shall we?" Renee forced a smile.
Rana politely bowed and promptly left the room at Renee’s request. She held her hands together downward, staring at the floor awkwardly. She blushed as she tried to compose herself. I’m such an idiot… She thought to herself. I…should’ve just stayed outside and waited longer…
”Is…everything alright?” A voice suddenly called out to Rana, causing her to jump a bit and look every which way. ”Um, here.” Looking in front of her, Rana would be face-to-face with the Fae archer Giselle, the emissary of the Queen.
”I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” Giselle said in a soft tone, attempting to calm the flustered Rana.
”Oh! No, that’s quite alright, I was just a little distracted at the moment.” She replied.
”Are you perchance another member of this Tower?” Giselle asked.
”Ah, yes, that’s correct. My name is Rana Schuellen, operational services and administrative secretary for Eon. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Who might you be?”
”Giselle Kostovii, emissary of the Fae Queen of Ithaca. I’m mainly here to perform a ‘survey’ of sorts for the Tower.
While the two ladies were busy with introductions, The Fae couple had come out of their room, fully clothed. Renee let them know they were ready to head to the mess hall. Giselle immediately shot Lanus another look, albeit it was less menacing this time.
”Oh, was I interrupting something?” Giselle said, looking at Renee.
Renee's gaze hardened when she realized that Giselle was there as well. She quickly hugged her arms around Lanus's, replying with, "Yes, you did, actually. We were having fun in the showers just now."
”Having fun in the showers…?” Giselle responded with an exasperated expression. ”Is…that right…?”
"Yep," Renee replied with a slight victorious smirk, hugging Lanus's arm even tighter. "We're a perfectly healthy couple after all."
”Um, we were all actually going to grab some lunch in the mess. Would…you like to join us, Ms. Giselle?”
”I originally came to check on Renee to see if she was still doing well from the last outing. But, it seems my worries were…misplaced. I suppose that would be fine, as long as these two don’t object.” She responded.
"That's fine by me as well," Renee replied. "After all, I'm not the kind of woman who would be threatened by any woman who gets close to her lover."
Lanus smiled, his expression practically saying, "Yep, I'm hers now. And I can't really wiggle my way out from her grasp!"
Giselle was rather taken aback by Renee's sudden change of character, to say the least. It was almost as if she was establishing territory. Did Lanus perhaps…no! She shot a glare at the white-haired fae; That scoundrel must’ve told her about the past between them! She’d keep silent for now, so as to not ruin the mood, but she’d have some words when the time was right.
”Oh…well, that’s great then! Let’s be off then. It is to my understanding that Ms. Bellum’s cooking rivals that of any five star restaurant!” Rana said, noticing the tension building up, thus trying to change the subject.
It didn’t take long for the group to reach the mess hall. They would see Lapis, Evelyn, and Leon conversing about something, but they ultimately decided it’d be best to leave them undisturbed. Bellum greeted the group and made some fresh plates full of freshly roasted meat and mixed vegetables. Sitting down, Rana and Giselle sat next to each other, facing Lanus and Renee.
”So, Renee…” Rana said. ”I heard that you encountered a malfested Fae while on the mission, I hope things didn’t get too dire!” ”If anything did, I would take responsibility.” Giselle interjected into the conversation. ”He was an elusive fellow I had been tasked with hunting, perhaps he inherited some of the tendencies of the arachnids he kept as company, abilities that allowed him to be so evasive of my bolts.”
"We did," Renee replied. "And I…" She paused, looking down at her food. "I froze up."
After a short pause, she continued. "He… he was malfested, yes. And he reminded me of my father and mother. My family. They were… malfested as well… And that's why I.. I…"
Lanus, realizing what was going on, reacted in a flash, taking her left hand and gripping it with his own under the table.
"I'm fine." She gave a wry smile towards Lanus. "If just talking about it like this, I'm fine. It's only when you see one in the flesh that I… that my mind can't bear it…"
Turning to the others, she then said, "I'm sorry. It's… it was the first time I saw a malfested fae… after that day… I shouldn't have frozen like that…" She gave an apologetic look towards Giselle.
Rana and Giselle looked at Renee with concerned looks: both of them certainly weren’t stangeres of the horrors presented by the malfested.
”Renee…” Giselle said.
Rana reached over and touched Renee’s free hand. ”Losing loved ones, watching them turn into monsters, sometimes the pain never goes away. We can only thank the Scions that you were spared that fate.” She then turned to Lanus, giving him a look of gratitude. ”In addition to this gentleman, as well. I’m sure you had a hand in saving Ms. Renee as well.”
”I should be the one apologizing.” Giselle said with guilt in her voice. ”You were put in that situation because I let him get away. I made an oversight in a task I was assigned. The disgrace lies with me alone.”
Renee shook her head. "No. As a Reaver, it is inexcusable for me to freeze up in a mission like that. I swear, by my honor as a fae, I will never do that again." She looked firmly towards Rana and Giselle.
Silence fell onto the group, each person having difficulty deciding on what to say next.
Until Lanus abruptly lifted Renee out of her seat, placing her right on top of his lap.
"Eep! W-what are you doing, Lanus?! Put me down at once!"
Lanus gently hugged her from behind, placing his hands on top of her stomach.
"Shh. Stop being so serious, my cute little Renee. Don't forget, I'm always here to help you," he whispered with a smirk.
And then, shamelessly, he moved his right hand upwards, resting it right on top of her breast.
"S-stop it!" Renee blushed. "Y-you can't do this kind of thing in public, you know!"
"Oh, who cares?! Everyone already knows we're a couple!" Lanus grinned as he groped her. All the while giving a glance at Giselle, provoking her for a response.
Rana and Giselle looked at Renee with surprised expressions, which quickly turned into happy ones. Their main concern was whether Renee was feeling better, which she seemed to be. Rana was about to say something in response, until Lanus decided to be the one to break that silence by pulling his lover closer and groping her at the dinner table. A scene that caused both Rana and Giselle to shoot him exasperated glances.
”I swear, even after all these years you’re still the same scoundrel you were from before! Just because she’s your wife doesn’t mean you get to act like a hog whenever you want!”
"W-wife?! W-we're not at that stage yet…" Renee replied, stuttering with a blush.
"Why bother with marriage anyway?" Lanus chuckled, giving Renee's left nipple a pinch, earning a yelp from the female fae. "We're not settling down anytime soon. Raising kids is just not for me."
"Alright, cut it out, you shameless lecher!" Renee yelled before elbowing the man.
"Gah!"
She stepped off his lap, glancing down at his crotch.
"Can you believe this pervert?" She looked at Giselle. "He got a boner just from that! You were right, Giselle. He's completely unsalvageable!"
With a huff, she sat back down on her chair.
Rana looked at Giselle, then back at Lanus. ”Um, do you two…know each other personally?”
”Unfortunately…” Giselle responded coldly. ”It’s a long and unpleasant story. Very unpleasant, I should say…” She took a swig of her drink, before slamming the mug back down on the table. The impact made Rana recoil a bit.
”So, I’ll change the subject. May I ask what made you both decide to join Eon Tower in the first place? I know you two probably haven’t been here long, but what do you make of the staff here so far?”
"Well…" Renee was the first to answer. "I think Miss Roze is a nice person to work with. She didn't scold me for, you know, freezing up in our last mission."
"And she's quite the beauty, if I do say so myself." Lanus added nonchalantly, earning a glare from Renee.
"As for Sir Ruecian," Renee continued. "Despite his youthful appearance, he's really strong. I aspire to be as strong as him one day."
"What? You don't aspire to be like me instead?" Lanus gave the performance of an offended boyfriend.
"You're too much of a lecher for that!" Renee returned.
”Of that, we are in agreement.” Giselle said plainly, cosigning Renee's reprimand.
”I must admit, he even leered at me during our first meeting…” Rana added, taking a sip of her drink. ”That being said, I also agree that Ms. Roze and Sir Ruecian certainly are impressive combatants. But, you two are also powerful Reavers! Renee, I know what it's like to watch your friends and loved ones be killed in front you, to watch them…turn into monsters. When out in the field, just know that you won't be alone, all of us will be here to support you in any way we can!”
”I concur." Giselle said. ”Not to mention this lout as well. He may be a scoundrel, lecher, and an utter git, but he is no less a superb fighter. Even Her Majesty can attest to that."
"Thank you, you two." Renee smiled, a rarity for the normally reserved fae.
"Why, thank you for the praise, Miss Giselle!" Lanus smirked, before taking a gulp of his hot coffee.
After another brief, more lighthearted chat, the group had finished their dinner. Giselle and Rana had wished a good night to the Fae couple as they retired back to their rooms for the night. The other two ladies said their farewells to one another, and went their separate ways as well.
"Oh. Uh, sure, that's fine I suppose. Come to think of it, you haven't had a chance to tour the Tower, have you?" Roze said, looking back at the squid-like Belua. "Pretty sure we don't have any public washrooms though…"
Being led down the halls, Haaselle would be shown the ornate designs of the Tower's inner workings. One room they passed had its door open, and they would immediately be pelted with the smell of cheap booze and cigarette ash. To the side of the door was a plaque that said "Alchemy Lab/Arms Shop".
"The old man should know that not every person will be able to put up with that smell." Roze said. "This is Old Man Childes's workshop. Since you're an Alchemist, you may find yourself coming here often"
Walking her further down the halls, they eventually made their way to the private quarters. There, they stood in front of a door with an empty plaque. "This will be your room." Roze said with a smile. Opening the door, she led Haaselle inside. She would find the room was fully furnished and was nearly decorated.
"You'll find that you even have your own bathroom. You probably wanna wash up, since we just left a sewer." She said, chuckling a bit. "Think you'll be needing anything else for right now? After you're done, I can show you around a little more, maybe grab a bite to eat?"
An alchemy shop? She’d definitely need to give that a look at later, but for now she was dragged off to her own room in the tower. Strange, really. As she’d step into the room she couldn’t help but to think about…how boring it all was.
“Ah yes, the sweet water of cleansing. I suppose I do need a bath, but alas a bath can only clean the physical.” Haaselle responded with a grin. “I wouldn’t mind some food later, but i do have a question. Are we allowed to decorate our rooms? I think…its missing something. Perhaps a Piano, or organ. Maybe a music box? An art gallery definitely is needed.”
"My, I see you’re a fan of the fine arts!" Roze said. "While, yes, you’re indeed well within your right to decorate your room, uh, I’m afraid that we don’t have any spare instruments to accommodate…"
"There should be plenty of shops in town that sell them at a decent rate, though a piano or organ would be expensive regardless I imagine. Well, I guess since you’re an alchemist, you could just transmute your own instruments. I’m not too familiar with art galleries, perhaps Ms. Elaine or Mistress Brun could better help with that?"
“I see I see, as long as I have permission, then I shall renovate until I am comfortable.” Haase smiled. “Hmm…though I suppose…money is an issue. Alas, such a pointless object. How does one measure value in small coins? I do not understand. T’would be better to barter objects actual value for others of actual value…haaa.” A shake of her head. “Ah well. I’ll just buy some art supplies to make do for now. Thank you Miss~Roze~” The end of her sentence was inflected with a slight sing-songy childlike tone almost as Haase giggled. “I shall take the offer of bathing now. My robe is starting to smell a little, I think. I’ll be done in a mere trifling minute or so.”
"Sounds good, then. I guess I’ll just have a seat and keep myself company, if you don’t mind." Roze said, taking a seat on one of the chairs. "Oh, of course if you're more comfortable with me waiting out in the hall, I certainly wouldn’t mind!"
”No no, I don’t mind. I’d make some tea, but alas, out of fresh spirits.” She’d chuckle, stepping into the washroom.
And so, Roze would have thus been subjected to a lively performance of a shower orchestra. Haaselle’s voice echoing in the bathroom as she’d sing and what was presumably the sounds of dancing meeting Roze’s ears as she’d take a full fifteen minutes to get herself scrubbed, washed, and all prettied up…at least, it could be assumed she did as once she was done, Haaselle would step out of the shower, a little tooting trumpet horn sound announcing her arrival.
She was still wearing the robe though, but it did at least somehow look cleaner despite not being washed itself…
”Ah, there we go Roze, sorry for the wait I’m all pretty and proper now~”
"You look chipper and refreshed." Roze said. "Oh! I should probably clean up as well. Hold on"
Haaselle would observe Roze as she surrounded herself in streams of water, seemingly controlling it like a conductor as it cleaned away any grime or sewage odors that lingered on her clothes. Within a few moments, Haaselle would see that Roze seemed to be completely refreshed, along with her clothes that sheemed as if they were brand new.
"There we go." Roze said, with a satisfied smile. "Water magic can be quite useful, and it’s certainly quicker to use than having to walk down a room to take a shower!"
She then turned back to her magus junior. "That was quite the singing Haaselle, truly. Uh, I think I may have even heard some instruments in there, but that can’t be right. Were you a performer before coming here to Eon? At any rate, where would you like to go? Did you want some food, or to continue the tour of the Tower?"
”Ooh, lovely.” Haaselle clapped at Roze’s show. ”And actually yes, I was a performer of sorts. You see, my Esper abilities allow more than just for physical affects on things. I’m something of a minor illusionist, you see. I can,” A trumpet appeared in Haaselle’s hand, that would begin trumpeting without any input from her. “Make little tiny illusions, hehe. Well, as far as you are concerned it is. Until it isn’t. Then it becomes quite real, but for now don’t worry the trumpet doesn’t exist.”
The trumpet though, was completely still in her hand though even if she was now ignoring it.
“Shall we continue the tour of the tower? I’m not all that hungry right now truth be told.”
"Sure, no problem. I’ll just show you more of the staff members then." Roze said, motioning for Haas to follow her.
Leading her out of the room, they left the private rooms hall and made their way back toward the administrative wing of the Tower. After a few minutes of walking, they eventually made their way in front of a door that had a plague that read: “Elaine Gardner”.
"This is the infirmary." Roze said. "Hopefully, you won’t have a need to go here too much. But, if you do, just know that you’ll be in good hands." She then knocked on the door.
”Come in.” Said a gentle voice.
Opening the door, Haas would see a young-looking woman with some striking features sitting at a desk. She appeared to be reading a book as the pair entered her office; Taking a sip of tea, she sat down her cup as they approached.
”Ah, good evening you two. Roze, I imagine this is one of the new recruits?” She asked the Triad Witch.
"That’d be right.” She answered. "She came to us at a bad time, so I’m making it up by giving an impromptu tour.”
”I see.” Elaine said. ”Well then, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Elaine Gardner, the chief medical officer and apothecary of Eon Tower. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Hopefully I don’t end up seeing you here too much. Oh! Not that I mean that in a bad way, just that if I see you in here, it’s usually because something’s ailing you. And your name is?”
"“Haaselle. No surname. Had one, but I wrote a song about it once then forgot it. Do tell me if you see the sheets anywhere, hm?” She’d respond with a good natured smile to Elaine. "“Don’t worry, I have a habit of sending others to medical facilities instead of myself.” Honestly meeting people was an odd experience for Haaselle. On one hand, she liked meeting new people. On the other hand, new people mildly…concerned her. It was difficult enough deciding to come to the tower in the first place, really. "A pleasure, though, absolutely~"
Elaine giggled a bit at Haaselle’s “antics”, one could call them. ”I’ll be sure to keep an eye out.” She responded. ”I suppose the confidence you have in your skill is reassuring. I don’t really care for violence, but I understand what is sometimes necessary. Just don’t overdo it, okay? Sometimes taking a less aggressive path benefits you as well.” She took another sip of tea to clear her throat.
”Well, I should tell you that I also study various herbs along with Ms. Bellum, our resident botanist, fellow apothecary, and chef. I’m always in the habit of making new potions and concoctions to assist you all in any way I can, so if you happen upon any strange solutions or herbs while in the field, please do reach out. Ahem. Although, I would…much rather you reach out to Bellum if you need any poisons or bioweapons made. That’s more her forte.”
"Haaselle is an Alchemist like the both of you, so I’m sure you’ll have much common ground to work with." Roze said.
”Is that so?” Elaine responded, turning to Haas curiously.
”I’ve been known to dabble.” Haase responded with a toothy grin. “Granted I am entirely self-taught. I was not afforded the usual education or study most others have.” The squid woman sighed, a mildly bemused, pouty expression overcoming her features. “Really, I suppose that is why people tend to not trust anything I make. Make one person grow wings on his head once and everyone acts like you’re a terrible person. Tangents aside though,” One of Haase tentacles moved aside a strand of her out of place hair. ”Don’t worry, any poisons I make i’ll do it myself. Wouldn’t be the first time I had to get creative to remove an…obstacle. If you don’t mind though, perhaps I could come by and we could compare notes? Or maybe I could pester you for some pointers?”
”I see. Well, hopefully no one here ends up with head wings or any other strange appendages as a side effect of your concoctions.” Elaine said. ”Recently, I’ve had to deal with a lot of craziness in a short amount of time. As for comparing notes, as I’ve stated, I don’t really enjoy dabbling in poisons and toxins. I insist that Ms. Bellum would be a much better source of knowledge to pull from. Now then Ms. Haaselle, is there any other tidbit you need to know about me?”
`”Aw, I’m starting to think you don’t like me. Most of my stuff isn’t directly malicious! I make sure of it!” Haase responded with a playful grin, thinly veiling her mild frustration as she’d continue. ”Weeeelll, can’t fault you for that, no ma’am. I’d make a bad student anyways according to everyone that raised me…anyways. It was a pleasure to meet you. Perhaps I could paint your portrait sometime?”
”Oh no, my dear, you’re perfectly fine, teehee.” Elaine said, gently waving her hand to further illustrate her point. As for being a bad student, sometimes, it’s the teacher that needs to be held accountable. But, as long as you’re willing to learn, I’d be more than happy to teach you~” She mused.
Elaine was a bit roused by Haas’s offer of becoming a centerpiece. ”Oh my, you’re also an artist. We certainly don’t have a shortage of interesting recruits in the Tower. I just might take you up on that offer!” She said, giggling a bit.
"Apparently she is." Roze said. "She’s also an aspiring musician; I even found her outside blowing a trumpet until I called out to her. Perhaps she’ll put on a song for us one day. But, I think we should be done here, I want to show her the other areas of the Tower before it gets too late. Hopefully the other staff members are available. "
”I see, so you’re leaving then?” Elaine said.
"’Fraid so.” Roze responded. She began leading Haaselle out of the room.
”Have a good evening you two. Here’s to you becoming a wonderful artisan, Ms. Haaselle, teehee.” Elaine said, waving goodbye to the pair.
"You as well, Ms. Elaine. Now then…” Roze turned back to Haaselle, the both of them back in the hallway. "There’s Ms. Naomi, a magical beast and environmental researcher, although she’s not exactly very sociable. I thought I saw a sign on her door saying that she was out anyway.” She paused for a moment, thinking.
"There’s also the librarian Kiff. He’s the head of our repository of grimoires and magical artifacts. He’s honestly kind of a sketchy guy, but he’s pretty knowledgeable about a myriad of different subjects. There’s Old Man Childes, who mans the alchemy and magitech lab for Eon. He’s the one who designed and maintains my staff, so I often count on him. I can’t be too flattering of him, though, as he is somewhat of an old fart and doesn’t keep the lab very clean… Ms. Bellum, as Elaine already mentioned, is a botanist and environment magus like Ms. Naomi. She’s probably in the mess hall right now, being the Tower’s chef and all. There’s also Ms. Nadia: She’s an upcoming alchemic and invocation researcher, attempting to make a breakthrough in said fields that hopes to take off one day. She’s a bit eccentric, to let you know now, but you’re quite the character yourself, so you might get along. We could visit one of them as part of the tour. You’re probably already acquainted with Master Arteus, and perhaps Mistress Brun as well, I take it?”
"Atreus, yes." Haaselle paused for a moment. "Bruns, no. Afraid not." A small tentacle protruded under from Haaselle’s robe, holding her chin much like someone might a hand in thought. "Sir Kiff is knowledgeable in mysticism, hm? Or more esoteric things? Sketchy…hmhm~” She hummed an upbeat tune to herself. “Well he sounds like my kind of chap, ehehe. I have a question I think he could help with…could we meet him, then?" A mildly hopeful and interested look.
"Allow me to lead the way then." Roze said, again motioning for the Belua girl to follow her.
They eventually found themselves in front of the library’s double doors. "Here we are." Roze said. Stepping forward, she opened one of the doors, and Haas would see the sprawling line of shelves that filled the large room. Each of said shelves were stacked full of countless tomes and magical items. At the center of the room, sat a long haired man wearing a snazzy suit with an untucked shirt. He seemed to be fiddling with an artifact of some sort, making an uncouth yawn as he did. He had a bored look on his face until he saw that the two ladies had entered the room.
”Why Good Evening!” He said, now sitting straight in his chair. ”Rozemyne! It’s nice to see you! I also see that you’ve brought a friend with you, another edition to the Tower, I presume?”
"Your presumption would be correct, Mr. Kiff." She replied.
”Roze, there’s no need for such formality between us, just Kiff is fine.” He said cheerfully. Roze responded with a neutral expression, causing Kiff to make a cute frown.
He then turned to Haaselle. ”Evening. Name’s Kiff Luther, the proprietor of this library of grimoires and artifacts. There were actually some other new recruits who came in recently and already made use of the facility. Guess I shouldn’t say that like it’s a surprise, magus are usually bookworms. When you hang around meatheads like Xashan and Ruecian, it affects your perception haha!” Apparently, Roze didn’t think Kiff’s little jab at her friends was very funny. She squinted at him with her arms folded.
Taking the hint, Kiff cleared his throat. ”And, your name would be…?” He asked, addressing Haas once again.
“Haaselle! A pleasure to meet you, Kiff!” Haase replied with a friendly grin like she was addressing an old friend and extending a hand to shake, though if he’d take it he’d instead be met with one of her tentacles shaking his hand in place of her hand. “Rozie here has been telling me all about how wonderful you are and how she very much thinks you're an upstanding gentleman with no shadiness about you at all.” Haase flashed Roze a grin. “And tells me you’re something of an expert on the matter of more unknown and esoteric subjects.”
Kiff chuckled, clearly pleased with Haaselle's flattery. ”While I doubt those words came from Roze specifically, they're nonetheless true. The countless travels in my earlier days have allowed me to see things most don't in a whole lifetime. Were you needing information in a specific subject?”
”An unblinking yellow moon and a song that wrote itself.” Haaselle responded rather quickly, barely even waiting for Kiff to finish speaking. “Ever heard of either of these things?”
”Hmm. If I had to guess, you're referring to the Emperor in Arylide, no?” Kiff said, his interest piqued. ”You must be a fan~”
Leaning forward in his chair, Kiff's mood seemed to have improved considerably. His earlier boredom had all but vanished.
”I can't tell you how refreshing it is to meet another literature enthusiast among the new recruits. To answer your second question, I may have heard a tale or two of such lyrics. What about them has gotten your interest?”
”A fan? Oh certainly, I’m a fan alright.” Haaselle replied. ”In the same way someone might be a fan of the flu, or a termite, or a gremlin that steals your lunch while you’re not looking! Absolute fools, imbeciles, crass, coarse, unimaginative neanderthals!” Haaselle hissed, her usual grin replaced with a look of unbridled hatred, her demeanor practically doing a complete 180 in a matter of moments. “Can’t get it out of my head! They put it in there and it always follows me, dreams, night wherever I go-”
Haaselle stopped, frowning, pulling her hood further down over her head.
“...you know nothing useful, if all you know are stories. Stories are everywhere. Common. I could make one up on the spot better than that one.” Her frown was still present, but she’d give a rather theatrical, comical bow. ”Apologies, Kiff. It seems I’ve been put in a foul mood. I’ll…come back later.”
"Haaselle? Is everything alright?" Roze said, turning to the tentacled Belua with concerned eyes.
Kiff also looked at Haas with a bit of perplexity on his face. ”My goodness, looks like something’s really weighing you down! I thought you were discussing literature, but it appears that you may have been referring to something else entirely.” He said, rubbing his chin. ”Well, I won’t twist your hand, but, if you ever need anything you’re always welcome here.”
With Roze and Haaselle now back in the hall, Roze thought it’d be worth it to at least pry a little further.
"Haaselle, what’s wrong? You were very troubled just now…"
”Troubled, Rozie?” Haaselle responded with perhaps, unusual levity considering her small outburst. ”Oh who doesn’t have troubles? The pauper begging in the street…? Tch, no, no good. The dam, burst. Dark, yellow and crimson colored. Bah, I need a drink. Or a muse. Rozie, shall you be that for now?” The yellow clad woman frowned at Rozie. “...I suppose you don’t know why I’m here, do you? I guess that old man just took pity on me...”
"Haaselle, you certainly speak in a rather strange way, no offense…” Roze said, scratching her cheek. "I guess you can draw a picture of me sometime, if that’s what you want… As for why you’re here, that’s something you’d have to ask Master Arteus. He probably knows a bit about your past, and sees that you have talent and potential to make something of yourself. Also, Haaselle, whatever’s bothering you, just know that it’s a burden that you don’t have to shoulder by yourself. You have us as well, since we’re a rather small unit, it’s pretty important that we look out for one another.” She said with a reassuring smile.
”What may be strange to one, is but a commonality to another.” Haaselle responded. “No no, no painting for now, but rather a story. Boring, one, but if you want to listen…I suppose I can give you the abridged version.” Haaselle glanced to the side, one of her tentacles removing the hood from her face, revealing a messy head of dark colored hair. “There was a girl once, you see. Out at night. She saw something she shouldn’t have. Was…invited to a play house. She never came back. Those there did things to the girl. Little more than torture really, to see if they could get something out of her. And those there you see, have some belief that the book, play, whatever I asked Sir Kiff about are in fact, real.”
Roze listened intently as Haas gave her rather enigmatic tale. "Haaselle, was that girl you?" She asked.
”Oh come on, you’re smarter than that! You don’t need to ask me that.” Haaselle chuckled. “But…thanks for…looking like you care at least, hm? Maybe I will paint a portrait of you at some point…I forget if I’ve already said I would, oh well.”
Roze scoffed at Haaselle’s observation. "Haaselle, I said that we look out for each other at Eon, and I meant it!" She said with a tone that was solemn, but kind. When she thought about it, Elaine was the one Haas said she would like to paint a picture of. Having misunderstood what Haaselle had meant, and having not been chosen at first as a centerpiece made Roze feel oddly depressed.
"...So, were you wanting to visit some of the other facilities of the Tower right now?"
”You’ll forgive me if I’m not in the mood any more, Rozie.” Haase replied, pulling her hood back up. “I should go…focus on the music. A painting. Something really before these crimson colored words end up getting out, hm? But…thanks. For listening…” A small pause, and a small bit of hesitation as Haaselle would turn to leave but stop short. “...I don’t know…if more of those people are out there. I’m looking for them. That’s why I asked, but whenever I start looking I get so…feels like my head is being ripped open.” Haaselle quietly would speak before starting to walk again. “Perhaps you can help, if I do find more? Ta-ta, Rozie. Don’t trip on the way out, hm?”
"I’m sorry that you went through such an experience. It sounds like these people aren’t exactly well known, but I’ll be sure to let you know the moment any leads pop up." Roze said, as Haaselle walked off, presumably back to her room. The Triad Witch didn’t really know what to think of Haaselle at first, but now she felt empathy towards the Belua esper. Given what she’s said, she may very well have been a perfectly normal girl before…whatever happened to her.
When and if she does confront those who wronged her, hopefully she wouldn’t have to do it alone.
Much to the relief of the Taskforce, the plan worked. The Gatekeepers were none the wiser to the spiel given by Ayu's brother, and allowed him along with the cart to pass through into the shipyard. It was unfortunate that Ayu couldn't join the team, and it was clear that she also thought so. But, it was for the best in this case.
Having bade good luck to Lili, Shizuka and co made their way to the rooftops of the surrounding buildings. Surveying the area, he noticed that the amount of Varjan troops serving as lookout weren't too numerous - for now. The lower part part of the bay held the bulk of the establishments, that's where Lili was headed. Instead, they were eyeing the higher part of the bay, looking at the more regal houses and the large estate where the former leader of the town lived. Shizuka looked a Io as she addressed him.
"For now, I think it's best we stick together Io-san." He responded, then turned to Skarsneek. "I was thinking we could sneak around for a bit and inspect some of the houses, looking for Varjan elites or other people of interest. Given our talents, I don't think it'll be that hard for us to stay out of sight."
Shizuka wasn't bothered by the rain droplets that began falling on him. In fact, he welcomed it; The swordsman's strength increased in this type of weather. He thought to himself for a moment. "Given the time of night, proximity to the sea, and the current weather, I don't think a fog would be too out of place." The ronin then motioned for the group to follow him, as they would carefully jump from roof-to-roof until nearing the higher half of Komatsu. Confirming there were no guards around, he would the generate his mist on the ground. With a hand, the beckoned them to follow.
"This fog will go where we go, masking our presence. This should help us remain undetected, but don't worry. We, or at least I, can still see fine within the fog."
With some of the prisoners now free, they quickly took to arms and enacted their revenge on their Varjan captors. Atsuha didn't care much for all the violence, but she was relived that the mission was going as planned so far. She looked back at her team near the entrance, glad that they were able to join the fray as well. She also noticed that Lord Takeshi had finally arrived via horseback, happy to see him here as well.
A furry of arrows had suddenly rained down on the freed Shizuyaman fighters, preventing them from advancing further and giving the Varjans more time to mount a counterattack. Kikyo quickly pointed out the source of the bolt storm: two watchtowers stationed at the entrance of the fort. They would need to take them out before things a turn for the worst. Gringor had damaged one of the towers, and began swiftly climbing up one of them. Hinami had summoned a a three-sectioned bo staff, and with great force began destroying the support beams to the second tower, hoping to cause it to completely topple it over completely.
Atsuha looked at the poor animal that was trapped during all the chaos. She had a mind to free it, but she doubted a scared animal could tell the difference between friend and foe. She'd free it later, for now she had to focus on providing supporting the Shizuyamans. Promptly scurrying over to them, she began healing any injured warriors and then used a talisman in order to summon a barrier that'd protect them from the deadly rain.
"Yes, I'm a yokai, brilliant deduction! Worry about that later, for now, if you want to live stay inside my barrier for now."
[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/ovCeYH7.jpg[/img][/center]
[center][h3][color=0072bc][i]My blade carries with it the harsh frost of the wintry winds. Dancing with the rage of a blizzard, its speed matches the transience of an icy petal.[/i][/color][/h3][/center]
[center][url=https://youtu.be/9NaCaPuyyYY][img]https://i.imgur.com/tLaQ2wh.png[/img][/url][/center]
Welcome traveler. I see you've stumbled upon my profile, nice to meet ya.
[b][u][color=0072bc]About Me[/color][/u][/b]
I'm just your average 9-5 schmuck. I do my work, pay my bills, and contribute what I can to society. I also happen to enjoy binge-watching/reading anime, manga/light novels, tv dramas, and pretty much anything that catches my interest. I'm also an avid gamer, my favorite genres tend to change with time. Right now it's probably JRPG, hack-slash, and fighting.
[b][u][color=0072bc]Favorite Anime/Manga/Light Novels[/color][/u][/b]
- Rurouni Kenshin
- Hunter x Hunter
- Fate/Zero
- Kyoukai no Kara
- Overlord
- Re:Zero
- Yu Yu Hakusho
- One Piece
- Konosuba
- Various Gundam series
- Naruto
- Bleach
- Trigun
- Cowboy Bebop
[b][u][color=0072bc]Some of my favorite games[/color][/u][/b]
- Devil May Cry
- Disgaea
- Blazblue
- Guilty Gear
- Tekken
- Persona 5
- God Eater
- Tales of series
- The Legend of Heroes series
- 7th Dragon series
[b][u][color=0072bc]Roleplaying[/color][/u][/b]
I originally joined this site several years back, having gotten my feet wet only recently at that point as an RPer. I was recommended this site by a pal of mine ([@PaulHaynek]) and joined a couple of his RPs. However, due to RL stresses I had to take a break from the world of RPing and took sometime for self-reflection. After a 2 year absence, I'm back in saddle and ready to further stretch my creative muscles. As for what roleplays I like, I enjoy anything action-oriented. I'm fine with any settings for the most part, though I'm more inclined toward the magical and sci-fi. Also, I've gained a sort of preference for RPs that allow users to play as multiple characters, but solo is fine either way. Here's a list to give a better idea of my tastes.
- Fantasy/medieval
- Dystopian
- Steampunk
- Sci-fi
- Apocalypse/Post-Apocalyptic
- Generally anything anime/manga related
- Adventure and Combat oriented
- Romance here and there is fine too
That's all for now, reader. If you decide to post an interest check for an RP idea, you just might find me posting a character profile ready to be reviewed. Don't be afraid to give me a shout if you'd like a Co-DM to bounce ideas off of as well.
Until then.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/0ZMj3jv.gif[/img]
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><div class="bb-center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/ovCeYH7.jpg" /></div><br><br><div class="bb-center"><div class="bb-h3"><font color="#0072bc"><span class="bb-i">My blade carries with it the harsh frost of the wintry winds. Dancing with the rage of a blizzard, its speed matches the transience of an icy petal.</span></font></div></div><br><br><div class="bb-center"><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://youtu.be/9NaCaPuyyYY"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/tLaQ2wh.png" /></a></div><br><br>Welcome traveler. I see you've stumbled upon my profile, nice to meet ya. <br> <br><br><span class="bb-b"><span class="bb-u"><font color="#0072bc">About Me</font></span></span><br>I'm just your average 9-5 schmuck. I do my work, pay my bills, and contribute what I can to society. I also happen to enjoy binge-watching/reading anime, manga/light novels, tv dramas, and pretty much anything that catches my interest. I'm also an avid gamer, my favorite genres tend to change with time. Right now it's probably JRPG, hack-slash, and fighting. <br><br><span class="bb-b"><span class="bb-u"><font color="#0072bc">Favorite Anime/Manga/Light Novels</font></span></span><br>- Rurouni Kenshin<br>- Hunter x Hunter<br>- Fate/Zero<br>- Kyoukai no Kara<br>- Overlord<br>- Re:Zero<br>- Yu Yu Hakusho<br>- One Piece<br>- Konosuba <br>- Various Gundam series<br>- Naruto<br>- Bleach<br>- Trigun<br>- Cowboy Bebop<br><br><span class="bb-b"><span class="bb-u"><font color="#0072bc">Some of my favorite games</font></span></span><br>- Devil May Cry<br>- Disgaea<br>- Blazblue<br>- Guilty Gear<br>- Tekken<br>- Persona 5<br>- God Eater<br>- Tales of series<br>- The Legend of Heroes series<br>- 7th Dragon series<br><br><span class="bb-b"><span class="bb-u"><font color="#0072bc">Roleplaying</font></span></span><br>I originally joined this site several years back, having gotten my feet wet only recently at that point as an RPer. I was recommended this site by a pal of mine (<a class="bb-mention" href="/users/paulhaynek">@PaulHaynek</a>) and joined a couple of his RPs. However, due to RL stresses I had to take a break from the world of RPing and took sometime for self-reflection. After a 2 year absence, I'm back in saddle and ready to further stretch my creative muscles. As for what roleplays I like, I enjoy anything action-oriented. I'm fine with any settings for the most part, though I'm more inclined toward the magical and sci-fi. Also, I've gained a sort of preference for RPs that allow users to play as multiple characters, but solo is fine either way. Here's a list to give a better idea of my tastes. <br><br>- Fantasy/medieval <br>- Dystopian<br>- Steampunk<br>- Sci-fi<br>- Apocalypse/Post-Apocalyptic <br>- Generally anything anime/manga related<br>- Adventure and Combat oriented<br>- Romance here and there is fine too<br><br> <br><br>That's all for now, reader. If you decide to post an interest check for an RP idea, you just might find me posting a character profile ready to be reviewed. Don't be afraid to give me a shout if you'd like a Co-DM to bounce ideas off of as well. <br><br>Until then. <br><img src="https://i.imgur.com/0ZMj3jv.gif" /></div>
The Irish Tree
PaulHaynek
Rezod92
Fetzen
Frozen0Titan
FroggRFlowR
Izurich
AThousandCurses
