Looking Glass IC

[Thaelasan]

Ryuki's face brightened up when she returned, nodding.

"As long as it slows the flow, I can carry her without worrying about it." he said, tying it around her leg slowly and carefully. Nekomi winced, frowning.

"Can't she just shift and heal it though, Onii-chan?" Suzuki asked, concerned.

"From what I understand, she'd have the same wound in shift yes, but healing it is a waste of power right now, and... I'd rather we keep her at full strength, unless you really want to heal it, Nekomi?"

"No.. it's not that bad. Not right now anyway." she said, leaning on him. He picked her up gingerly, holding her in a fireman fashion as he turned back forward.

"Well, Suzuki, do you feel rested enough to protect us for a bit longer?" he asked, hopeful.

She held out a thumb, grinning.

"Hell yes!"

"You're not supposed to use that language, Suzu."

"Not in the HOUSE." she added curtly.

"Oh. You're right." Ryuki smiled, adjusting Nekomi's weight.

Suzuki headed to the wooden gate, checking it over.

[skwerl56767]

" As long as it slows the flow, I can carry her without worrying about it." Ryuki said confidently, taking the strap. Rachel was a bit glad that she could help in some way, though now she was painfully aware that she had to carry her sword unsheathed everywhere; what a great first impression in case they meet any natives. Hopefully Nekomi won't need the strap for long though?

With Ryuki carrying Nekomi, Suzuki was free to investigate the wooden gate. Rachel looked over it again, but didn't see anything new.

" I don't see anyone in the towers." She commented, shifting her weight to try and look inside the narrow windows. " Though if this is supposed to be some kind of barrier, wood isn't a very smart choice... " She walked over to the nearest tower and shouted up it. " HEY! Anyone up there?!"

Silence. A couple of stray pebbles knocked loose from the battle tumbled down a slope. Rachel glowered, looking around for a couple of trees.

 

Hm, nothing that could be climbed to get over the wall... the pass itself was too steep to scale. There were plenty of boulders, but she would rather not break her head open trying to climb up their slippery surfaces.

Usually we just have Shadow morph into something with wings and fly us over. Her thoughts joked. Too bad none of these guys have wings. Although...

" So I've heard a theory where if you strike a hinge just right, you can break a door open faster than attacking the handle... " She began slowly. " I don't know about you guys, but it might be worth a shot... I don't know, any better ideas rather than breaking the door down?" The corner of her mouth twitched as she took a closer look at the rough wooden surface.

Edited February 16, 2016 by skwerl56767

[Thaelasan]

(( It's sad but true. In the original character design, Ryuki and Suzuki had wings while Nekomi had natural flight but after a few remakes and a bit of misunderstanding, I had to remove the wings from both of them in order to compensate.

So sad. I'd want to bring them back but that would only be by your permission. So for now... ))

 

Suzuki turned to Ryuki.

Ryuki turned to Suzuki.

Nekomi had no say in this and she knew it. She merely covered her face to avoid seeing what happened next, exasperated.

"Oh my, what an inconvenient, large way to bar our passage." Suzuki said, in some form of British accent. "I say, quite rude to leave a wooden gate here. It's like they don't want visitors."

"That won't do at all." Ryuki shook his head, playing along. "In fact, they should be honored they have the privilege to welcome us."

"Indeed. So what do you propose?"

"Showing them the error of their ways the best way we can."

"And, what, pray tell, is that?" Suzuki asked.

"Removing the gate."

Suzuki accepted Nekomi from Ryuki as he stood before the door, baring both blades readily.

"Alright Suzuki. Time me." he said, preparing himself. He took a stance, reaching backward a bit with his left leg. Then he was gone, a spray of dust from the ground the only thing showing he had ever been there.

Whereas Suzuki's strengths were armor and piercing, and Nekomi's were buffs and debuffs, Ryuki finished the team with strength, and speed. He ran up the length of the gate, slashing each hinge with one or two swings, bringing himself further up by kicking off on the wood. After he finished one side, he jumped from the top of the gate, twisted, and ran down the length of the other side, slashing each hinge as he passed by it.

Finally, within the span of a few seconds, he landed back almost where he had begun. The gate still stood behind him. With a sigh, he kicked his foot back, hard, into the middle of it.

There was a loud, ominous creak. Reluctant wood began to bend and move as the entire gate swayed backward and then slowly began to topple. Finally, with a tumultuous slam, the humongous heap of wood crashed into the ground of the pass, revealing the city beyond.

"Don't worry Nekomi. We didn't ruin their precious gate. It's just not a gate anymore!" Ryuki promised, sheathing his swords at his side again.

She moaned, uncovering her eyes.

"Oh god I hope for your sake no one lives here. This is not a good way to show we're friendly, not at all." she said worriedly, rubbing one of her temples as Suzuki handed her back to Ryuki. "You know that, right?"

"Of course I do." Ryuki promised. "And I did it anyway."

"Ugh.." Nekomi sighed as Ryuki began to step over the remains of the gate, beckoning Rachel to follow.

[skwerl56767]

Rachel frowned at the scene as the gate and one of the attached towers came crashing toward the ground. Well, it's not any different if it was Shadow causing chaos, but... I have to agree with Nekomi; let's hope there weren't any observers.

Regardless of observation, as the four picked their way over the fallen planks of wood, things began to grow a little hairy. And the first sign was a loud call of alarm sounded from the remaining lit tower.

" AH! Gaka sin! Gaka sin! Kula monjeyo espen!"

Rachel flipped around on her heel, sword raised out in front of her, and saw a humanoid figure dash just out of view from the tower's window. She paused for a moment to process the words.

She... she knew what those words meant... It was obviously a different language, but she understood them like they were English. Did the others notice it too?

AH! Intruder! Intruder! From the Queen!

Queen? What queen?

Rachel spun back around to face the city before the group; a medieval-style collection of clustered buildings and cobblestone streets. And riding up those streets were men on horseback... or at least, they looked like men. Their armor was fashioned to resemble shrieking bird-serpent monsters with tall ears, and being covered head-to-toe wasn't helping at all; the only thing that seemed remotely organic about them were the fleshy antennae arching back from their helmets. Their horses, however, were certainly like Earth horses, except for the three-toed feet, long serpentine tails, and canines poking out from the upper lips.

Like Earth, but... weirder.

 

The horsemen quickly surrounded the group, drawing swords that were notched at the tips; their large mounts panted and pawed at the ground, not exhausted, but definitely interested in a good fight. In the thick of the closing reinforcements, it was hard to tell if there were any inhabitants within the city aside from the alarmed soldiers.

" I take back the idea of attacking the gate." Rachel said, a little too late. " Who are these guys...?" She didn't like the idea of a fight so soon, especially with Nekomi having a wounded leg, but was it too late to remove a bad impression? On that note, did these people even understand English? The writing on the sign was English... she thought...

" Drop it!" One of the horsemen came closer than the rest of the crowd, pointing his sword at Rachel's weapon. Like before, it was clearly a different language, but it was as though her brain instantly knew what to do with the sounds.

Not wanting to cause a fuss, but also not wanting to be disarmed, Rachel shoved her sword point-down into the dirt, within arm's reach but no longer in her hands.

" I'm fine! We're fine! No reason to be alarmed!" She spoke for the group, allowing the horseman to wave her away from her sword with his own. His mount fidgeted impatiently has he switched his attention to her allies.

" You! Drop your weapons and armor!" He demanded to Suzuki and Ryuki. For some reason, he didn't seem to notice Nekomi draped in Ryuki's arms. Maybe he didn't believe that she was a threat.

 

((Hm... I might allow wings in the future. And the phonetic translation will happen to all of the group members, so you don't have to work around a language barrier. I'm not mistaken about Ryuki and Suzuki still being transformed, right?))

[Thaelasan]

"If this is about the gate, then I apologize." Ryuki bowed slightly. "But after being attacked by a giant worm, I think you can understand if dropping our weapons doesn't seem the most ideal choice, especially with wounded."

He gestured to Nekomi, his voice sincere.

"However, if you won't give us a warm welcome, we'll be on our way then. We were really just passing through. We'll leave the way we came in, no harm at all." Ryuki turned, looking for a gap in the ranks of the guards. "No haaarm at all."

Suzuki frowned, confused, as Ryuki spoke. She had the urge to attack anyone who raised a weapon against them but Ryuki was being non-violent. She trusted his judgement, at least in this situation.

Edited February 27, 2016 by Thaelasan

[skwerl56767]

The horseman was not amused, the antennae from his helmet dropping down behind his head in annoyance.

" 'Apologize'?" He echoed. " You destroyed our gate! These people are vulnerable now! Your 'giant worm' is nothing compared to what we're defending against! And you destroy our gate?" Knowing that Ryuki wasn't interested in dropping his weapons, he grew even angrier. " Who are you people?! What do you want?"

" We're just travelers!" Rachel snapped, backing Ryuki up. " We would have gone through the gate normally, but-"

" Did you even ask first?" The man interrupted her.

" We tried!"

There was a snort; presumably from the horse but Rachel wasn't sure. She had a feeling though that this guy wasn't interested in negotiating.

" Drop your weapons, and you may proceed to wherever it is you're going." He demanded. " Or we will attack you."

 

" Asul." A voice rose from the crowd. The horseman turned to look over his shoulder, and the ranks broke briefly to show a woman entering the scene. Judging by the layers of green draping clothes and many gold trinkets she wore, she was someone of high status; maybe the leader of the town?

" Being hostile again?" She asked in a soft voice.

" They destroyed the gate! The Queen-!" The soldier began angrily, but the lady raised a hand to silence him.

" I don't recognize the armor; they must be foreigners." She smiled. " We needed to replace that gate anyway. Draw your men back and start constructing a new one."

" But-!" The horseman sputtered.

" No 'buts', Asul." She waved him away. " I'll tend to the foreigners."

The soldier's mount pawed and snorted impatiently, seeming just as annoyed as he was about the order. Regardless though, he sheathed his sword and rode back down into the city, the ranks around the group breaking and following him grudgingly. The woman watched them leave before turning calmly to the newcomers.

 

" I apologize for my commander's behavior. Ever since the raids began happening he has been... high strung." She said rather courteously. " You don't seem to be from here. Mind if we stroll through town?" She offered.

Rachel was dubious. This was all rather... strange. The horsemen were odd, and their mounts were odd, but this woman looked like any other human being. Fair-skinned, dark hair, knowing brown eyes. And she was being very nice, considering the three shifters and herself were strangers...

Figuring the woman wouldn't mind, she glanced over at Ryuki before retrieving her sword and giving the noble a nod.

" Uh... sure." She said, motioning for Ryuki to take the lead. Considering he just knocked down an entire gate, he would be a nice buffer should things turn ugly. Uh, not that Ryuki was a buffer or anything. She figured. The woman simply nodded in return and departed back down to the city, expecting the four to follow.

[Thaelasan]

Ryuki put his hands in his armored pockets and began to follow, his blades sheathed at his sides.

"Nii, why are you so willing to just put your weapon away?" Suzuki whispered, handing him Nekomi, who wrapped her arms around his neck, exasperated.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Ryuki replied, making sure Nekomi was comfortable.

"Didn't they just have a bunch of horse guys armed at us? Why would you be at ease?"

"Because, if this woman wanted to kill us, that would have been the best time to try." Ryuki shrugged. "Besides, I don't feel anything evil from her, you know? Just a bit of wisdom. She has that aura of 'I know what I'm doing here.'"

"Really?"

"Yeah. You just gotta look for it."

"Huh..." Suzuki said, holstering her lance. "If you say so."

"I wouldn't be following her if I didn't think you two would be safe." Ryuki swore. "And Rachel now, of course, since she's joined us."

He looked over to Rachel as he said the last bit, smiling.

"You're not going to ruin any more of their goods though, right Senpai?" Nekomi asked, frowning accusingly.

"Whaaaat..." Ryuki sighed. "Not unless we have to. Look, if they want, I'll even volunteer to fix the gate. Wasn't my intention to get a bunch of weapons aimed at us, nor to cause this much of a scene."

"Really." Nekomi stared.

"Really!" Ryuki replied, sincere. "I didn't want to make us look bad!"

"Mhm...."

Ryuki just continued to walk forward, following the path the woman was taking quietly. As far as he could see, the town looked like something out of a fairytale. Stone walls, small towers, gates and such. But it was obvious from the air in the town that this wasn't the first time something had just "broken in."

"That huge worm thing. Do your people have a name for it?" Ryuki asked, trying to start a conversation.

[skwerl56767]

Rachel caught a little bit of Suzuki and Ryuki's hushed conversation, but only responded to the grin the latter gave her, returning it with an uncomfortable twitch of the mouth. Something about the whole place unnerved her, but Ryuki knew what he was doing. No need to be worried, right?

" That huge worm thing. Do your people have a name for it?" Ryuki addressed the green lady. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled warmly.

" Oh, you encountered a worm? Must have been one of the beasts from the Queen. Some people call them rock gnashers, since they tunnel by swallowing stone, but 'rock worm' is sufficient. We try not to name the creatures for... " She paused, as if uncertain. " Certain reasons."

" Reasons?" Rachel mused, but the woman pretended not to notice.

" Don't worry about the Queen's creatures too much. They'll wander around and pick on whomever they like. The reason we put up the city gate was because they would flood in by the thousands, the prolific little buggers..." She muttered, before suddenly stopping. " Oh, pardon me! I am Lady Aneva, the noble of this town." Another friendly smile. " And you are?"

Rachel paused for a bit, thinking. Would it be wise?

Would it be wise to lie? Her thoughts countered.

" Rachel. This is Ryuki, Suzuki, and Nekomi." She introduced each person in turn.

" Ah, lovely names. Curious, but lovely." Lady Aneva kept up the guise of friendliness, but seemed to be processing the information on a deeper level. Unless Rachel was just imagining things now...

Ugh, I never knew I was so uptight when I'm not hiding behind Shadow. Her conscious grumbled.

 

Lady Aneva resumed the walk into town, her eyes darting at every building they passed as though she was inspecting each one. " So, where are you headed, if you don't mind me asking? We don't get visitors often, especially since the raids from the Queen began happening. Always disrupting outside traffic, those ruffians."

[Thaelasan]

Ryuki shrugged.

"Well our goal here is simple. Find this weird thing and use it to rectify a bad situation." he said bluntly. "But I would assume our goals interline."

Suzuki gaped as Ryuki admitted the truth, even obscurely, but Ryuki continued.

"I'm just gonna guess, with how things have gone so far, this evil Queen you're fighting against probably has some sort of ancient trinket or device? Something she seems to covet? Either way, we'll kill her."

Nekomi's eyes widened. Suzuki looked excited.

"S-SENPAI, don't sign us up for random quests!"

"Hey, if we can help them, then we can help them. We have time. Besides, why not topple a strong being, get some training done?" Ryuki asked, looking down at her.

"Tell us more about this queen of yours." he said, turning back to the Noble.

[skwerl56767]

Lady Aneva seemed genuinely surprised by Ryuki's offer.

" Confident. A trait I wish my commander had more of." She mumbled. " I don't know if the Queen has anything she covets... aside from torture." The air seemed to grow cold and grim as she explained the situation, watching the lit torches on the buildings flicker.

" Not too long ago, our Queen was our ruler. She used to be perfectly fine, although she behaved rather oddly around the Accursed Beasts; people that have been cursed and transformed into monsters. The Accursed Beasts have been around for a long time, and no one knows where they came from. The Queen would react more violently in their presence than other people, writhing and screaming like a mad person." Aneva frowned, staring into the distance. " We worried for her safety, and commissioned a royal army to escort her and keep the beasts as far as possible from her. The results were completely unexpected: she grew dark, almost crazy, and had a secret dungeon built under her castle so she could torture people for amusement." She shook her head. " We don't know what happened; only that as soon as word of the dungeon leaked out, and the amount of blood on the Queen's hands began to show, chaos ensued. Accursed Beasts, now believed to be henchmen of the Queen, went berserk and flooded seceded towns. Those who were frightened of the beasts remained under the Queen's rule, but... something about them is wrong."

 

Lady Aneva's cheerful demeanor disappeared as she recalled the past, and Rachel began to feel more comfortable around her. So there was something wrong here; even though she was unsure about Ryuki's enthusiasm to help before, she was definitely backing him up now.

" We are one of the seceded towns. For the sake of our security, I can't give you our name." Aneva continued. " The raids would only grow worse, and our supply chain from the kingdom has already been cut off. We're barely surviving as is." She looked imploringly into Ryuki's eyes. " If you are willing to help us, please, help! I am so swamped with domestic matters that I can't send my own men to fight off the Queen's forces, and they're only the Accursed Beasts too. I can reward you with hospitality and gold, if you would like."

Rachel shifted her weight, looking at Ryuki. Back in the past she would readily assume the role of leader, but she has since learned her place; right now, she was only an aid, another member of the party. It was up to the shifters if they wanted to help Aneva or not. There wasn't much of a reason to ignore the noble, but... well, it wouldn't hurt, right?

[Thaelasan]

Ryuki scoffed a moment, but then shook his head.

"Asking for a reward in return for the salvation of damned lives is not the right way to do things." he said, in a mocking hero's voice.

Suzuki giggled while Nekomi rolled her eyes.

"I'm serious." he said, his voice back to its usual level, yet... with a slightly more fervent hint to it.

"We're here, madame, for more than just the saving of your lands but even if our goals didn't align with yours, leaving people to die isn't right. If you say that your people are suffering or being mistreated then you have my hands and my apology for the gate we ruined."

He bowed as best he could with Nekomi in his arms.

"I will make a bargain with you, I guess, if it makes you feel better." he said. "I will leave Nekomi and Suzuki-"

"But Onii!" Suzuki protested.

"AND Suzuki with your people until I return. They're both tired and injured and Nekomi needs better attention to her leg. If you can provide that, then I'll handle your Queen in the meantime, with Rachel's help."

Nekomi frowned, displeased.

"Senpai, you're not running off into ANYTHING without us. Just wait for me to heal-"

"It'll be fine. The least I can do is get a better look at what we're dealing with, right? And fight off a few of them in the process." he said, kissing her gently. "Don't worry about anything. Suzuki will be here with you. I trust Avena. Get some rest and don't worry about me. Rachel has my back."

He handed Nekomi to Suzuki and then hefted his blades experimentally.

"Point me in a direction, milady.." he assured, "And you'll find no further danger from there."

[skwerl56767]

Lady Aneva's eyes lit up-almost creepily at first, like how you would expect a wild animal to smile-but the weird undertone was gone as quickly as it came.

" You will? That's wonderful! We will take care of Nekomi and Suzuki." She nodded to the two beings. " The Queen's capital city is called... well, we've been calling it Serpent's Pit, because of the Accursed Beasts that patrol its outskirts. It's back down the road you came from, through the forest and past Nimbleherd's Brook; don't mind the little village, it's nothing." She assured, smiling. " I haven't been there in a while, but the forest should thin out to reveal the city wall. Past that wall is Serpent's Pit. It's only a day's travel on horseback."

Rachel glanced over Aneva's shoulder, expecting to see one of her soldiers riding up one of the streets. So weird... she said "horseback", but she did call the creature something else.

" Could we get some gesae-I mean, horses?" She asked. Lady Aneva nodded quickly.

" Of course! We can always spare a mount or two for someone willing to face the Queen!" She said cheerfully. " I'll send Asul and a healer to make sure she's okay." She directed this at Nekomi, before turning and shouting over her shoulder.

 

" Asul!!" Aneva snapped her fingers and gestured oddly, as though she was conjuring something. And, as though she did conjure something, a familiar trotting came from up the street, the commander from before showing up still armored and mounted.

It seemed he was still grumpy too. His antennae lay flat against his head again as he recognized Ryuki and the others, halting next to them.

" Tell me you've change your mind, my Lady?" He asked.

" No." Aneva said in a sweet, almost mocking way. " I want you to escort these two ladies to the Inn and buy them a room. And then I want you to find a healer for the wounded on." She instructed. Asul may have had a mask on, but Rachel could almost feel the daggers he was glaring at her.

" They destroy our only defenses, and you offer them hospitality?" He muttered under his breath.

" Don't be difficult Asul." Aneva chided. " Off you go."

" Bah." The commander grudgingly obeyed, dismounting his... horse, or whatever it was... and gesturing for Nekomi and Suzuki to follow him, walking off toward one of the building in the distance with his mount tagging along behind him. Aneva smiled.

" Now, as for you two. This way." She said to Rachel and Ryuki, turning and traveling down a nearby street, heading for a long, low building at its end. Unlike the other buildings, which had a fair amount of wood worked into them, this building was almost nothing but stone aside from a flat, thatched roof. A weird smell like an unclean bird's cage wafted through the gates. Aneva didn't bother going in, glancing nervously at the hay-strewn floor

 

" Stableboy!" She called. There was a clambering from within, and a surprisingly young human boy showed up, his clothes splattered with something watery from working.

Well... "human". Human aside from two, translucent blue stalks rising up from his head and laying back from it. Fleshy antennae, like what the horsemen had.

" Uh..." Rachel simply pointed. Lady Aneva smiled, and directed the boy to retrieve two of the strongest "horses" available before explaining.

" I can understand your confusion. You and your friend seem to be human, like I am, but these people are called Wood Wanderers; a sort of weaker dryad that has a humanoid appearance in the dark save for the 'ears', but changes into a translucent blue form when in the light. You could call them deer-people, so to speak."

" Deer people." Rachel echoed dubiously. " We're helping blue jelly deer people, Ryuki."

" They're real darlings." Aneva laughed. " Can't harm a thing."

The deer-dryad-boy-being came back from within the stable, leashed behind him two of the not-horses that the soldiers were riding. One was a lot stockier and tougher than the other, who seemed to have a shyer demeanor and avoided eye contact. Both were already saddled and ready to ride, though they had nothing else on them; not even packs for things to be carried in.

 

" Swift and Thunder. Good choices." Aneva praised the stableboy. He just smiled, nodding vigorously. She took the leads from him, before handing them off to Rachel and Ryuki. " I recommend Thunder for you; he can bear the weight of armor." She said to Ryuki. " Do you need anything else? Food? Rest? Anything we can give you?"

Rachel took Swift's lead, looking warily at her long canines before looking at Ryuki.

" I'm ready." She said.

 

((Do you want to just say that Nekomi and Suzuki are at the Inn and resting now, or should there be interactions there too?))

Edited February 28, 2016 by skwerl56767

[Thaelasan]

(( Up to you. I can multitask quite easily. ))

 

Ryuki noted the strange eyes Avena gave them both. It was only for an instant but whatever Rachel may have thought, Ryuki saw something else -

The eyes of a starving person finally perhaps being given relief from their hunger. Or, in this case, relief from the hordes of a torturous demon queen.

Either way, it was a hunger Ryuki had seen before... but he couldn't quite place it. In another time, he assumed.

Nekomi nodded her head from Suzuki's grip, but grabbed Ryuki before he could follow Avena.

"I swear, if you get yourself hurt or worse out there, I will never forgive you - do you understand me?" she stated firmly, unwavering.

"...Uh... Of... Of course." Ryuki said, slightly surprised. He supposed he hadn't been taking this situation as seriously as her but it made sense. He always took things in stride. She always took them to heart.

As she and Suzuki left him, he hoped he wasn't wrong about Avena's people.

 

------

 

Suzuki and Nekomi wandered off with Asul as Ryuki began walking behind Avena, keeping pace with her.

Astoundingly, the scent of the stable wasn't nearly as bad as Ryuki imagined it would be as they approached it. He supposed that was because the stable boy was actually good at his job - either that, or these strange horse things didn't excrete much of ... whatever they did.

As Ryuki took the reins, he frowned a moment.

"I suppose rations, in case something happens. But other than that, we should be fine. As long as Suzuki and Nekomi are taken care of, I... WE, can handle this just fine." he said, quickly amending his statement. It was wrong to be arrogant here, or in any situation. Arrogance got you killed.

[skwerl56767]

((Hm... maybe we'll leave them alone for now. Nothing big will be happening.))

 

" I am glad to hear that." Lady Aneva said, pleased. She looked pointedly at the stableboy, who recognized the unsaid order and vanished back into the stable.

" The Wood Wanderers are vegetarians, and they only hunt meat for their horses." Aneva said. " I hope you don't mind that you will essentially be eating horse food?"

Rachel shrugged, figuring Ryuki wouldn't mind. " We're fine." She said.

" Good. I can never convince these people that humans need meat too, you know..." She looked up as the stableboy returned with a small burlap pouch. " Thank you."

" Jerky and small pasties!" The boy grinned, allowing Rachel to take the pouch. She paused for a moment, wondering what to do with it, before tying it to Swift's saddlehorn.

 

" Remember: through the woods and past a small village, and Serpent's Pit should be just up ahead. The city does have a moat, so you'll have to cross it to get in." Aneva reminded the Ryuki and Rachel. " I wish you the best of luck."

" We'll need it." Rachel said, attempting to mount Swift but finding that she was a lot taller than she seemed. It took a few tries and a couple of giggles from the stableboy before she managed to heave herself up on the saddle.

Embarrassing. I should know how to ride a horse; even an alien one. Her thoughts grumbled. She waited for Ryuki before grabbing the reins and attempting to give Swift a few commands.

" Oh! I should tell you, before you go." Lady Aneva stopped them again. " The Accursed Beasts are as dangerous as they sound, and the Queen may have replaced her soldiers on the battlements with them. Getting into the city will not be easy."

" Anything about these beasts we should know first? Like, weaknesses, or anything?" Rachel asked. Aneva nodded.

" All of the beasts seem to only harbor one sense; I have read a few books explaining how the cursed people allegedly lost almost everything about them, before developing new parts. The only things that remain untouched during the transformation is a sense, such as sight or hearing. If you can find a way to disable the one sense a beast has, it should become helpless."

" Seemed easy." Rachel commented. Aneva cocked her head, as though she was unsure.

" Almost. They are smart." She said. " But, you should leave soon; dawn is approaching, so you should arrive to Serpent's Pit at night, when you have the advantage of darkness for getting inside."

Works for me. Rachel thought, getting a firm hold on Swift's reins. After all, there's no telling how much time has passed, and Ryuki might have to shift out soon; something that might startle Aneva and the Wood Wanderers more than it should.

 

((You're free to drag Rachel along until you come across the forest.))

Edited February 29, 2016 by skwerl56767

[Thaelasan]

Ryuki shrugged and bagged a few of the foodstuffs for later, nodding with thanks to the stable boy. Turning back to Rachel, he patted the horse's side. It let out a rough sound of pleasure, shaking its head as a loud noise followed.

Ryuki uncovered his ears, grinning.

"I see why they call him Thunder, now. Definitely better than two halves of coconut." he joked, getting on quite easily. After all, how hard was it to hoist your weight over..

He miscalculated, almost falling over the other side. He hadn't considered how his armor weight was versus gravity, even if he could hold it himself. Thunder grunted a bit as it noticed the newfound burden.

"Yeah... I think it'd be better to save this." Ryuki muttered, turning to Avena.

"Ma'am, I don't wish to startle you but I also have a bit of magic of my own. Please, observe."

With that, he held up his mirror to his face, hiding it with his other hand so that the Lady could not see it. Even if he trusted her, it was better a lot of people didn't know that it was something special.

Within an instant, he was back in his casual clothes, adjusted comfortably on the back of the beast.

"Voila! Magic!" he said, holding out his hands.

After that, he began to gallop away, knowing Rachel would probably follow suit.

 

-----

 

A town, quiet and peaceful, with almost nothing to bother it. Yet, it was all an illusion, a lie manifested by powers beyond recognition and reasoning. Forged from the dreams of a dying race. And it had been his home.

Yes, his home. Their home. He remembered it. Even if now it no longer existed, or as if it never had before, he remembered the smells, the sights, the sounds... The pleasant symphony of birds outside his window in the morning - the same few birds for years on end. He remembered the sound of her knocking on his door every morning if he overslept - which was frequently. But he would sometimes surprise her by knocking on her door...

Where had she lived again? That memory evaded him. How had he even met her? The memory was there, but was it true? Was any of it true?

Moving back, his mind panned for any real grasp of what it could call reality. But in this world that he was in now, where dreams forced themselves into existence rather than waiting in the depths of a human subconscious, to be read for a fleeting moment...

What was reality but what was CURRENTLY perceived, rather than constant? Perhaps everything he knew was a lie.

But she wasn't.

 

-----

 

Ryuki shook himself from his thoughts, focusing back on his current situation. They had already left the town a ways behind, their ... horses going at a brisk pace towards their goal. They had entered the forest some minutes ago but it was as small as Avena had stated. He assumed it had once been much larger, but human construction and landscaping had turned it into a pleasant - if small - bunch of trees.

"Where are you headed, boy?"

Ryuki turned lightly on his horse. Whether Rachel heard it or not, Ryuki slowed his horse to almost a halt, finally coming to rest in front of a figure in a black cloak. It's almost as if he had suddenly appeared.

No.. he had. Ryuki knew he hadn't been there moments before. But a voice had cut through the foggy murkiness of the woods, alighting upon his ears softly but firmly. And Ryuki couldn't avoid the question. It felt as though he was compelled to give this man his attention.

"....Nowhere special, friend." Ryuki said, slightly uncomfortable.

"Ah... You lie to a poor, old man." the being said in a hushed tone. "No one passes through these woods unless they're headed to the Cursed Village... or worse..."

"Worse?"

"To the Serpent's Pit. Ah... I see it in your eyes. So that's your destination, eh? You have nothing to fear from me, boy." the old man said, grinning under his hood.

Ryuki could see the flashing of aged but white teeth under the mask, but that was all, save his chin. Wrinkles covered its surface.

"I have a question for you boy. And if you solve it, you'll find something very useful." the old man assured, holding up a single finger. "But if you don't, I'm afraid you may be in danger."

"By whom?" Ryuki asked, wanting to move. But the horse refused to obey.

"By everything. Your fair Lady Avena didn't warn you of the other things which lurk within these forests and the village ahead, did she? She made it sound so easy. And in your blind desire to end this quickly, you charged ahead into danger and possibly worse.... Ah, the impertinence of youth." the old man shook his head. "But it isn't a bad trait to have. I suppose you would call it a form of... courage."

"I see. But you can help?" Ryuki asked curiously.

"I may. I may not. It depends on how you act from here on out." the old man cackled for a moment. "It depends firstly on if you can solve my question."

"Then ask away."

"A white maiden, never to be touched by hands of man nor mother to any children, yet the most beautiful to be seen. Within her hands, a device of benevolence meant to give. But it is dry, and without life." the old man said, cocking his head. "What is this woman?"

"A statue of a virgin priestess, bearing a broken jar." Ryuki said.

"Ah hah!" the old man said, holding up a finger. "But why is the jar broken?"

"Heretics who defy the god?"

"Not necessarily."

"Men who want the gems within it." Ryuki suddenly realized.

"Ah! AHAHAH!" the old man almost danced happily. "Ah see! There you are, boy. They always forget the greed of men. The greed which turns kingdoms to ruin and heavens to hellfire. Truly, the curse of want."

"Do you need anything else?" Ryuki asked.

"No no. That's quite enough." the old man assured. "Now, in return..."

He reached into the depths of his robe, producing a small, twisted branch.

"Give this to someone with a heart as twisted as the branch, so that the cycle of want is complete." the old man instructed, handing it to Ryuki. "That is my advice to you. And now... I must go back to waiting."

"For who?"

"For the end of suffering." the old man said, as vines wrapped around him, and he disappeared into their depths. And then, within an instant, he was gone.

Thunder snorted, confused, as Ryuki turned back to Rachel. He didn't know if she had seen it.

Edited March 2, 2016 by Thaelasan

[skwerl56767]

The stableboy was also amused by Ryuki's trouble mounting the horse, though Avena became more interested in what he did next.

" Ma'am, I don't wish to startle you but I also have a bit of magic of my own. Please, observe." He said, holding up both his hands. Avena cocked her head, intrigued. The stranger could use magic, now could he?

You could imagine her surprise when, instead of coming off in pieces, the armor simply melted into Ryuki's skin. She took a step back, unsure on how to react, and the stableboy gaped.

" I wish I could do that with my clothes!" He objected aloud.

" Voila! Magic!" Ryuki said proudly.

" Indeed. It's very impressive." Avena said, smiling again. Had she known that his armor was enchanted, she would have asked more of him!

As the final goodbyes were said and Rachel followed Ryuki as he galloped off, Avena waved the stableboy back to his chores and immediately went to find Asul, waving her hand and snapping her fingers like before. And just like before, the commander appeared, though this time not on horseback.

" I am not a pet who comes and goes!" He snapped at her, his actions betraying his words.

" That's lovely." Lady Avena said, disinterested. " Are Ryuki's friends situated?"

" Yes, but-" Asul began, but was cut off.

" Has the one removed her armor?"

Asul hesitated.

" I asked you a question, Asul; answer me!"

 

The commander simply grumbled, looking away. Avena huffed. She might have to refresh that spell...

" Ryuki and that girl Rachel have left to confront the Queen. We may win this war after all." She said, her pleasant demeanor returning. " I want you to supervise the reconstruction of the gate while I prepare a few more warding spells. Let's hope that we won't be interrupted by another beast."

Asul didn't object to his instructions, instead simply turning and stomping off. Avena frowned. His grumpiness was getting worse... any longer and the spell will wear off, and the people will no longer be on her side. Well, time to break out some more books. In the meantime, she was confident that Ryuki could take care of the Queen; if he had dissolving armor, surely he could come against a ruler of Accursed Beasts?

 

----------

 

Rahcle had a firm grip on Swift's reins that was making her knuckles hurt, but she didn't let go as though relaxing would cause her to fall off. These weird not-horses had a gait similar to a horse, and snorted and breathed like horses, though their three-toed feet allowed some more movement of the shoulders and it was a bit strange to get used to. Ryuki seemed absorbed in his thoughts the whole way, which she didn't mind; it was a good excuse to observe the world and compare it to Earth, and to appreciate it more.

It was also a good excuse to think about Avena and her... deer-people. They seemed nice enough, though that Asul commander wasn't exactly the friendliest. Then again, if you're constantly in fear of being attacked by cursed monsters, one couldn't exactly blame him.

Ryuki suddenly brought Thunder to a halt, resulting in Rachel stubbornly trying to get Swift to stop too. The "horse" snorted as her rhythm was stopped, pawing at the ground in desire of moving again. Rachel turned to look at Ryuki.

He was staring at... nothing. Maybe something had just occurred to him? Oh, maybe he's having second thoughts about leaving Nekomi and Suzuki behind-

" ....Nowhere special, friend." He said, seemingly out of the blue. Rachel cocked an eyebrow and turned to see if someone had followed them up the path, but the forest was free of any other travelers.

" Worse?"

" What's worse?" Rachel asked. Swift snorted again, but fell quiet. Rachel was tempted to dismount her and walk over to Ryuki, but the thought of hauling herself back up onto the saddle wasn't a very appealing one...

" By whom?"

" Huh?" Rachel was thoroughly confused. It was as if he was in a trance... talking to something that wasn't there. Though... Shadow would do that occasionally to spirits that refused to show themselves, but was Ryuki really a medium?

Well, who's to say he isn't? Her thoughts countered. He never said he was or wasn't.

 

Ryuki continued conversing with an unknown entity-or simply nobody-and seemed oblivious to any presence other than his and Thunder's. Swift was cooperative enough to back up to him, but she didn't go any closer than arm's length between them. Rachel took advantage of the positioning to try and see what Ryuki was seeing, but all of her efforts were in vain.

Great. Either he's a medium, or he's crazy. I wouldn't be surprised if Shadow saw this coming and deliberately said nothing. Wait, why am I always blaming her? It's not like-

Ryuki suddenly looked up in confusion and turned to her, a questioning look in his eyes. Rachel just stared, straightening herself up as she was trying to see behind him.

" Uh..." Was all that came out. He thinks I'm weird, doesn't he? Because that was weird.

She didn't help the awkwardness by urging Swift to walk again, something the horse did gladly. It was only after a short while of trotting did the question just burst out of her:

" You were seeing something, right? You-we're-not just crazy?"

[Thaelasan]

Ryuki rubbed the side of his head, trying to come up with some form of good answer. He honestly believed he had hallucinated all of it... until something scratched the side of his head.

The branch...

Showing it to Rachel would probably just confuse her more, right? But if he lied now.... No, there was no use lying to those who walked with you.

"There... was this old man. I think he was part of the woods." Ryuki tried to explain but the words sounded so weak to him. "He... he gave me this weird branch."

He held it up to the light, the sun now beaming through the trees onto his hand. The weak rays which could fight their way through the canopy weren't astoundingly bright (especially not with the thin layer of fog that seemed to perpetually permeate every corner of the woods, almost as if to make sure it was as cliched as possible) but they were bright enough to make out something disturbing.

On the face of the branch was a humanoid male, carved almost perfectly, stuck in a permanent scream of agony. The end of the branch was carved into the shape of coins and gems.

"The curse of want..."

The old man's words still lingered in his brain.

"I didn't carve this!" he added, hastily. He could have TRIED to make something so elegant and elaborate but it wouldn't have been nearly as lifelike.... and the branch felt... uncomfortably warm.

As though the face was real skin.

He shook his head, dropping the branch into his pocket and trying to clear his thoughts.

"I'm.. I'm sorry to worry you. We should hurry, before night falls. I'd hate to get lost in these woods at night, even with someone to keep me company. And I'd never hear the end of it from Neko either." he half-joked, trying to clear the mood. "Let's keep moving."

But in the back of his mind, the thought of the old man still irked him.

 

(( I'll hear how Rachel responds and then I'll take us to the Pit or something. Who knows. ))

 

-----

 

Nekomi rested her head gently on the bed? she'd been provided. It wasn't really a bed so much as a comfortable mat lined with feathers and cloth. It was obvious this hospice had been erected rather quickly. She could only assume the medical area before this one had been destroyed and left the ...deer-people with very little other choice.

Currently, one of the strange people was examining her leg. It was - thankfully - a female, for a male (even if he WAS supposedly some kind of doctor) would have felt very uncomfortable in this weird world. What sort of ethics bound these people anyway?

The female deer-person clicked her tongue a few times and sighed.

"Well, you're fortunate." she finally said, turning to her medical table nearby. "There are no tiny pieces of rock from what I can see. It was a clean gash. No shrapnel, no broken fragments. I mean, it's not luck to get your leg sliced in to, but at least it's not as bad as it could have been."

She searched her table for a few tools, tapping her chin.

"Damn.. no bandages or gauze. Used the last bit of it on Asul's arm..." she sighed, rubbing the side of her head. "Look, just stay calm and don't move around too much. It could reopen."

With that, she pushed aside the cloth that was a door and headed back out into civilization.

Suzuki turned to Nekomi from her seat near the door, pleased.

"Well at least it's not really bad, right Nekonee-san?" Suzuki asked, cocking her head.

"I suppose." Nekomi replied, wincing a bit. Whether it was bad or not, it still hurt like hellfire. After the adrenaline and numbness had subsided, her leg had begun to burn steadily, especially after the leather was removed and her leg was exposed to air. But it was beginning to dull as well.

"Suzuki, could you see if you could get me something to drink? Ok... wait." Nekomi held up her hand before Suzuki could jump up. "Something WE'D ACTUALLY drink. Like water. Or... ok not milk. I don't want any milk that could have come from those freaky horse things."

"Roger roger!" Suzuki saluted, pushing aside the cloth and heading back out into the population.

Nekomi laid her head back a moment, breathing out. Her fingers instinctively went to her leg, just before the wound, as she gently touched near it.

At least it was dulling. But it still stung. God, she really hoped these weird deer-people knew what they were doing. This wasn't an ideal situation. But she had to laugh about it.

Ryuki is the one who brings them in here, all gung-ho, and she's the one who got hurt. She sighed, chiding herself mentally.

She always followed him these days. It was just always exciting. He was never boring. Always something new. And his sister was the same. Things she never would have thought of doing, they always were thinking of ways to take it to the extreme.

And this, really, was no different, no matter how weird it was.

But how was she going to explain a scab of this size to her mother? Or, GOD, a SCAR?! She cringed at the thought. She wasn't vain by any means but a scar on her thigh didn't seem very enticing. She hoped it healed cleanly.

 

------

 

Soon, the doctor returned, frowning.

"Where's the other one?" she asked, confused.

"She went to get water." Nekomi replied.

"But... there's... a container of it... right here..." the deer-woman replied, pointing at a strange urn lying near the wall.

"Oh... really?"

"Yes. And it's meant for patients." the deer-person replied, cleaning her hands. "You really aren't from around here, are you? I mean, I know the customs of the dryads are strange to your... kind, but,.."

"No, I'm not. Not by any stretch of the word." Nekomi said. "I apologize."

"Ah well. Do you still want some?"

"Yes please."

Edited March 4, 2016 by Thaelasan

[skwerl56767]

((Have a bit of time!))

 

Rachel frowned, puzzled. Ryuki never dismounted Thunder, so how did he get that branch? A man of the woods? It seemed to freak him out too. She could only see the back of the branch, but the sides were oddly shaped as though it was carved; as Ryuki's reaction affirmed.

"I'm.. I'm sorry to worry you." He stumbled. " We should hurry, before night falls. I'd hate to get lost in these woods at night, even with someone to keep me company. And I'd never hear the end of it from Neko either. Let's keep moving."

" Oh, sure." Rachel forced a smile and allowing Swift to resume her trot. " I mean, it's nothing, really. I've seen weird things before... nothing in the form of a branch, but... well... " She turned her head about, trying to decide if blabbing on about the past would reassure or just bore Ryuki. " When my friends and I first met Shadow, she was just this weirdo at the end of a curb, right next to a designated forest. She even lived in one of those old houses you try to convince everyone is haunted." She smiled at the memory. " The first weird thing we saw was this device stowed away in that house; of course, we ignored Shadow's warnings and pulled the lever like a bunch of idiots."

He smile faded. " I don't think I've ever lived a normal life after that. I mean, what kind of teenager wakes up one morning, staring at her cereal and wondering if it looked anything like an alien stew? Or looks into her mirror, wondering if she was seeing her reflection or a mimic on the other side? You know, crazy stuff that crazy people do. Like that one movie where the mental patient said his steak tasted like misery!" Rachel shook her head, realizing how insane the entire situation seemed. " Now I've walked through some magic door, into some random realm floating in limbo, or whatever... Next thing I know, we'll be inside a beast's stomach or something-" She almost choked on herself. " Forget that thought. Sign up ahead." She quickly diverted the topic.

 

Just as Lady Avena's instructions said, up ahead the thin forest trail split into two, with one path veering off sharply to the right. Right at the intersection there was a sign, in English like the first one the group encountered, but smaller in size and muddled only by rain and aging wood. It promptly declared one thing: Nimbleherd Brook.

" The village Avena mentioned." Rachel recalled, stopping Swift at the intersection. She looked down the path, which wound between the trees and prevented its end from being seen. It felt weirdly ominous in comparison to the already-shady path the two were on, although for some reason Rachel felt hesitant to move on.

" Do you think it has those beast things, and that's why Avena said to go past it? Or maybe she just wants to save time?" Rachel asked Ryuki. She glanced at him, secretly asking if they should keep going or pause for rest first.

[Thaelasan]

Ryuki kept his face forward as she spoke, only half-listening. He wanted to pay more attention, but the thought of the branch kept pushing on him.

"I don't think I've ever lived a normal life after that. I mean, .....wondering if she was seeing her reflection or a mimic on the other side? You know,....Now I've walked through some magic door, into some random....Next thing I know, we'll be inside a beast's stomach or something-"

Ryuki sat up quickly, looking around.

"Is there one around us?" he asked, concerned, but then shook his head. No. They were safe - for the moment. He frowned, aiming his head back toward the front. The aged sign that awaited his vision became closer and clearer as he got closer. The path broke here, forking into a dust road that looked like it'd seen a lot of travel and then a road that seemed less used - far less, too much for Ryuki's liking... He looked down the path, trying to see any part of the "town" Avena had mentioned.

But he couldn't see a damn thing. He sighed, shaking his head again. This couldn't be easy, could it?

"We'll... take a moment here. I'm going to take a look around, check for tracks or something. If those weird monsters came through here... well we'd be better informed." he shrugged, dismounting Thunder and walking over to a tree stump. Here, he tied Thunder's reins around a thick branch and gave him some food with the feeding bag Avena had supplied. He began munching contently.

"Very well trained creature... Either that, or just really intelligent." Ryuki smiled, patting Thunder's neck. "Makes me wish I could keep him. But I doubt taking him back to our world is a good idea."

Thunder seemed to understand and rubbed his head against Ryuki's concerned.

"Nah, my world isn't as interesting as yours anyway, Thunder." Ryuki assured, scratching Thunder softly. "Trust me. You've got it good here. Anyway.."

He turned back to Rachel, motioning.

"If you need a bathroom break or something, now's the time. I'll be over here, checking the path. We'll start moving again in about ten minutes, so handle anything now." he informed, walking off through the brush. "I'll be back."

 

[skwerl56767]

" We'll... take a moment here. I'm going to take a look around, check for tracks or something." Ryuki answered her. " If those weird monsters came through here... well we'd be better informed."

Rachel nodded, watching him dismount and hesitating before doing so as well. Swift seemed to be glad of the freedom, tossing her head and wandering off the path; Rachel quickly grabbed her reins before she could go too far.

" Screeahhhh!" Swift let out a shrill noise. Rachel grimaced at the noise.

" Art you half hawk or something?" She asked Swift. Almost as if to mess with her, the "horse" jerked backward, causing her to stumble face-first into the dust. " Ahhh!"

" Screhahahahah!" Swift began to wander again.

" No you don't!" Rachel jumped up and began tugging on the reins, leading Swift back to the intersection. The "horse" seemed to be enjoying herself a lot, prancing off in the other direction and dragging Rachel with her.

If only Jessie had come instead; she was a lot better with animals.

" All right, you!" Rachel picked herself up and dug her heels in, pulling Swift back. The creature finally obeyed, turning and baring her teeth in a grin. Rachel frowned at her.

" At least Ryuki didn't comment." She muttered in exasperation.

 

" If you need a bathroom break or something, now's the time. I'll be over here, checking the path. We'll start moving again in about ten minutes, so handle anything now." Ryuki spoke up. " I'll be back."

" Sure." Rachel shrugged, letting her grip on Swift's reins relax and allowing her to join Thunder near the sign. She watched Ryuki leave, pondering on what to do next. Bathroom break? Nah, she was good. Forage for something? How could she tell what was safe and what wasn't? Hm, maybe she could see if there was any water nearby...

She finally decided to go off the path a bit, keeping it in sight while looking through the trees and listening for running water. There didn't seem to be anything on the left side of the road, but on the right side near the forked path the thick forest dared to reveal only one thing: a dim light.

Rachel saw it at first but almost dismissed it when it disappeared from sight. Then she turned her head and caught it in her peripheral vision. Confused, she turned and swayed her body, trying to get a focus on the light.

" What the...?" She murmured, leaning forward a bit. " Looks like... a torch. Maybe it's a house in Nimbleherd?"

Swift bayed from the path, ears perked and staring in the same direction. Rachel looked at the creature over her shoulder.

You know, there's something creepy about looking a horse in the eye, when its eyes are on the front of its head. Swift cocked her head, like she was listening for something, and Rachel furrowed her brow in curiosity and turned back to the light.

It was gone.

 

A bit baffled by the strange moment, Rachel trekked back up through the underbrush, pushing away a few thorny branches and emerging up onto the path, staring at Swift.

" I feel like something is going to jump out and grab me." She joked dryly. Swift snorted and turned to Thunder, who was still resting calmly. Rachel shrugged off the occurrence and instead sat by the signpost, assuring herself that there was no reason to be freaked out, especially when you're hanging out around two large, fast carnivores. Surely Thunder and Swift could handle an Accursed Beast if one showed up, right? That, and what Lady Avena said about each one having only one sense.

Yeah, no problem. She thought, fingering the hilt of her sword which was pushed a bit awkwardly through her belt as a makeshift sheath, waiting for Ryuki to return.

 

((Ryuki is fine to discover something or not; I'm at a lack of ideas. ))

[Thaelasan]

Ryuki stepped through the trees and woods as he came upon the dirt path the sign mentioned. Frowning, he knelt down and began to trace his finger around a footprint from a trail he now could see in the dried mud.

They definitely weren't human footprints. Hooves, but also serpentine trails, and the claws of bears or large cats. Ryuki was certain they weren't actually those animals at all, but instead twisted abominations of them. His armor began to form back around him as he gazed into his mirror. He didn't like the feeling of this at all.

Suddenly, from the bushes, a large, feline figure leapt with hands and head of a human. A SPHINX?!

Ryuki rolled to the side as it landed, the best opening its mouth.

"The answer is man, you twisted wretch." Ryuki shoved his blade through its chest before it could begin to speak the riddle, then pulled downward on it so that its entire chest was cut open. It felt to the ground, bleeding out slowly and painfully. Ryuki grimaced as he turned back to the direction Rachel was in.

"This isn't safe at all. That town is probably even worse." Ryuki grunted, standing to his full height. He stepped back over through the trees, more cautious than before, as he began to head back towards Rachel.

As he approached her, he held up his bloody sword as a warning.

"This is not a safe place and we're NOT going through that town." Ryuki assured, sheathing the sword into its holster. "We're going directly to that Queen."

[skwerl56767]

Rachel jumped to her feet as Ryuki suddenly appeared-fully morphed-beside the path to Nimbleherd, a bit tussled as though he had fallen down from something. He was waving a bloody sword. " This is not a safe place and we're NOT going through that town. We're going directly to that Queen."

" Uhm..." Rachel just started to nod numbly, reaching for Swift's reins as he sheathed his sword. " Yeah okay, sure."

As she mounted the "horse" Rachel began to wonder what Ryuki had encountered, if he had to morph to fight it. Seemed odd. Then again, Shadow said these places weren't safe (speaking of Shadow, he's just like her, sheathing a dirty blade like it's nothing...), so maybe he morphed when he left and he was just playing it safe.

Swift was unnerved though, and Rachel kept glancing down the path to Nimbleherd. Maybe there really was something wrong with that town... No one else seemed to like it, that was for sure.

 

She waited for Ryuki to mount Thunder before ordering Swift to trot ahead; the mounts seemed oddly relieved to leave the place. As the two pressed deeper into the woods though and the sun passed high noon, the trees only grew thicker and more gnarly, pressing into the sides of the path as though they were desperate to block it. With Rachel in the lead, she kept an ear out for anything that they might come across, though Swift was actually the first one to suddenly stop, pawing at the ground.

" Swift?" Rachel asked her. The mount made no noise, just shakking her head and looking around as though she could see through the trees. Rachel motioned for Ryuki to halt, looking up ahead.

Nothing on the path... She noted. She looked behind the group, and still saw nothing, before giving Ryuki a quizzical glance.

" Swift, move." She ordered, tapping the creature's sides. Swift huffed, but didn't budge an inch.

Then, a crack to the right. Rachel grabbed her sword, but didn't unsheathe it yet, examining the trees. Not noticing anything, she turned to the left, and saw something whisk just out of sight.

Another glance at Ryuki. Did he notice it? Maybe it was just a Wood Wanderer or something, something that wouldn't bother them. Then again, Swift wouldn't be nervous if it was something safe, right? Would it be a good idea to call it out?

Regardless, she had her sword and Ryuki had his morph. If luck favored them, they would be left alone and could continue on.

 

As it turned out, luck did not favor them, and something large slunk into sight up ahead. It could be best described as a rat the size of a dog, with teeth sprouting over every inch of its body like it was some kind of bony porcupine. It had no eyes, or ears... though it did have a large nose. It reared up and took in several whiffs of air, and Swift took several steps back, clearly anxious to turn and run off.

" What the...?" Was all Rachel could say, as the bony "teeth" in the creature's skin began to extend into long quills and it waved its head in the duo's direction.

One think was clear: it is not friendly. At all.

 

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

 

[Deceptive Building: Nicolas and Crystal]

 

When Crystal stepped through the doorway, the sensation was expected-cold, empty, dark, a weird feeling of moving even though she was standing still-but as the duo stepped out of the door and into the new reality, they were struck by the stupidest, most unexpected scene:

A grocery store.

They were standing in a grocery store.

" Huh?" The word just tumbled out of Crystal's mouth. She didn't even think about Nicolas's reaction, instead taking a few steps forward and tapping her shoe on the floor.

Linoleum, as expected. Fluorescent lighting, as expected. It was a genuine grocery store. It was active too; there were people wandering around, buying food, pointing at merchandise... It was like they had just wandered into Walmart.

" I think Shadow made a mistake..." Crystal began to say, before turning to see the store's entrance.

Nope, not normal. The glass doors showed nothing but black emptiness. One group of people who were supposedly done with their shopping walked through the exit doors with dead expressions, and suddenly reappeared through the entrance doors with no groceries, bags, or anything; just as if they had forgotten to buy something and came back to get it. It was like... a loop. Even weirder was the stagnant atmosphere of the place; there was no wind or emotion in the entire building.

 

Crystal turned and gave Nicolas one of her classic, half-worried, half-frightened looks. She didn't know how to react; was this normal? Was this the entire reality? Could they seriously just "shop" for the unstable item they're looking for with no problems?

The longer I stayed, the more deceptive I realized it is. I don't trust anything I gathered from it... Shadow's voice echoed in her head.

" All right, so this can't be Walmart." Crystal finally began to speak. " So... act normal, but don't treat it like it's Walmart." She chewed her lip, looking around. " Um... where to start?"

Edited April 16, 2016 by skwerl56767

[Jass]

"This is... interesting." Nicolas stated as he stepped out right after her.

 

How strange for a dimension to be taking in place of a grocery store. He had expected that maybe he'd land into more... dangerous looking areas. Like a dark cave, or a haunted house.. or somewhere that's scary looking and had little to no light. Not something like this. Plus, it looked so modern looking! Everything in this place looked almost as if it was from a regular food store. It just needed some happy sounding music to go with it.

 

"I think Shadow made a mistake..." said Crystal as she turned to face the entrance of the store.

 

Nicolas was inclined to believe her, there didn't seem to be anything off from the store. That is, until he noticed the group of people that were shopping there didn't seem to be very human-like. More zombie-like, seeing as the same group of people were coming back right after they bought something. That was really off. Like, really, really off.

 

Crystal seemed to be uncomfortable with this, her face showing signs of being frightened and worried look. Something that was understandable to do in weird setting like this.

 

"All right, so this can't be Walmart. So... act normal, but don't treat it like it's Walmart. Um... where to start?"

 

Perking up, Nicolas immediately flashed a smile to Crystal. "Why don't we try the candy section?" he was feeling a need to eat some junk food. He might as well take advantage of this setting and buy some here. "I wonder how different the food will be here..."

Edited April 16, 2016 by Jass

[skwerl56767]

Crystal couldn't help but smile at Nicolas's silly suggestion.

" Candy. Sure." She said, following him. She was a little worried that he might try to snack on something before buying it, but she dismissed it as just being herself and worrying too much.

As the two traveled the guise-or at least, the supposed guise-of a grocery store became even more believable. Even though no one said anything, and each shopper's face was more static than a terracotta soldier's, it was easy to imagine some lighthearted music punctuated with the occasional laugh or snippet of conversation. Each shelf was stocked too with (probably) normal food, so finding the candy aisle was beyond easy.

Crystal let Nicolas browse while she dug around in her memories, back before she went and gave everyone the mirrors.

Um... Shadow explained that... and that... She must have told us about the items at one point, otherwise Jessie wouldn't have known - wait - ... No, that wasn't it... She frowned. She knew that everyone had to find some sort of "corrupted item" in each world, but what were they?!

Out of the corner of her eye Crystal thought she saw something run off in the next aisle, but she neither heard footsteps nor caught a good glimpse of what it was. She pushed a box of Crunch bars out of the way to look through to the other side, but saw no one.

 

Probably nothing. She dismissed the idea, putting the Crunch bars back. Absentmindedly, she grabbed a Mounds bar to look at the ingredients, and heard a thunk. Looking up, she saw that there wasn't a space on the shelf; it was as though she didn't pick up the Mounds bar. She glanced at the bar, which was clearly real in her hands, then back at the shelf, then at the bar, and the shelf again.

" Um... you saw that, right?" Crystal looked at Nicolas. " Did it just magically restock?" She bent down to look through the shelves again. " There's no one there!"

[Thaelasan]

Ryuki stopped a moment. He had been riding gently by her but it was obvious he was still feeling some form of hesitation. As they rode, he absent-mindedly fingered the idol branch in his pocket, frowning.

Then, the beast entered the road, and Ryuki immediately jumped from the back of Thunder, charging forward without any halt in his path. The creature shot quills at him and Ryuki slid below them, each one passing by him without a mark.

This was his environment. Speed. Suzuki was Strength and Defense. Nekomi was Intelligence and Healing. Ryuki was Speed and Fury. Any beast that tried to beat him in a test of dexterity would be defeated.

He slid around as it continued to fire, hissing some sort of weird noise. He was around its back now, before it could turn.

"Fang of the Wind." Ryuki muttered, before striking with his right hand, drawing one of his swords and slashing across the creature with one, clean movement.

Silence. The sound of the wind. Then every quill fell from the creature's back, severed from it. Angered, it drew more from further down its back.

"Did you think I only slashed once?" Ryuki whispered, still holding his pose.

The creature cocked its head, just as blood began to leak from a horizontal slash across its entire body, then it sprayed from the wound as it fell over in two halves. Its feet twitched as one final act of its nervous system.

Ryuki cleaned his sword on the unmarred skin of the beast's corpse and sheathed it, nonchalant.

"This Queen will not stop us with something so small." Ryuki promised, turning back to Rachel. "Save your shift for when we face her. I'll handle anything on the way. You have my word."

He jumped back on Thunder's back, galloping ahead of her.