False Vail

Nissa Fri Dec 06, 2013 11:11 am

Situated deep in the Amaine Forest, this small village is a pale imitation of the actual culture of the Vail Kingdom. It's layout is inspired by the capital, however it has more of a rural rustic feel befitting the hinterland villages of the real Vail. While only an echo of the true Vail, this village does overlap with Nissa's home world. As a result, it is the only place in which the other Vail Pixies can touch Galiavan. The village only appeared recently, as Vail is a migratory world, and where it touches changes every century or two. As the average Vail Pixie is over 100,000, this is the blink of an eye to the tiny creatures.

Sylica D'Lyren Sat Dec 07, 2013 1:41 am

Sylica trudges her way through the dense Amaine forest, swatting away branches and limbs which get in her way. She was on the run from her slavers, and she wanted to make sure she had enough distance from her captors as possible. However, there was one of the slavers tailing behind her. The man was heavy with muscle, and wore a kilt of leather; a long bladed whip held tightly in one hand, and a machette in the other. Poor Sylica D'Lyren only had two simple daggers. She gasped and wheezed, trying her best to squeeze through the brush and try to outrun the highly athletic man. She tripped and fell onto her chest, quickly flipping over and back crawled into a log hollow; holding her breath as the captor got closer....

He stands before the darkened log, looking about for the seemingly invisible Sylcia... wondering where that Drow ran off to.

Nissa Sat Dec 07, 2013 3:59 am

"And why would you be in these woods?" Came a soft regal voice from outside the log. The words were clearly aimed at the slaver, but equally audible to both, as if somewhat amplified. A pale silver light glowed around my tiny form as I zipped twice around the man, before flitting up to eye level with him. "You seem as if you are looking for someone, and perhaps that you have less then noble intentions. I really hope that you will not do anything to upset my forest." In actuality this village had only been here for a day or two, and I had no claim on the forest at all. But one was not to argue with the Fairy Queen. Either way, I seemed to be somewhat hostile towards him, but keeping a proper layer of royal diplomacy.

Sylica D'Lyren Sat Dec 07, 2013 4:08 am

The slaver jumped back, almost as if startled by the small creature, clearly he had never seen one before despite this magical world. "Bleh, I do as I damn as well please; I'm looking for my charge." he started almost bluntly; he wasn't too dumb after all. "She's part of our caravan, the little Drow bitch killed a man, she's dangerous. A little 'pixie' like yourself may not find what I intend to do with the young elf when I find her." he sneered.

Sylica herself held back a gasp, gulping it down as she pressed her back against the hollows trunk. "I...I need to hide. A place better than this, he can find me for sure!" she thought to herself, her fingers groping for something, anything that may help her.

Nissa Sat Dec 07, 2013 4:18 am

My look turned a little more haughty at this, not liking the man's tone in the slightest. "Be that as it may, I will not be disrespected in my own kingdom. If you apologize, perhaps I will consider helping you in your search. I really do not care what she may have done, but I can't allow a dangerous criminal to threaten the village either." I was not sure about helping him either, but I wanted to see how the slaver reacted to my proposition. Which offered help, but was also quite entitled and demanded an apology.

Sylica D'Lyren Sat Dec 07, 2013 5:19 am

The slaver frowned, almost looking puzzled. "Apologize? How the heck did I offend you? Look, I ain't looking for fuss, I just want to get my hands on the Drow so I can tear her bloody arms off; is that so much to ask?" he says almost too nonchalantly.

All the while the dark skinned Drow who was only a foot away was sweating bullets. "I cant believe he's trying to bargain with a Faerie for my capture! I have two daggers, but will they be enough to brink that hunk of muscle down?" she asked herself, reaching down and clinging onto the daggers. She wasn't sure how she could be a threat to the village, but she would do what she could in order to survive.

Nissa Sat Dec 07, 2013 5:39 am

Looking up, I narrowed my eyes somewhat. "It is when you are speaking to a queen." Blue light glowed around my large gossamer wings and as it filled the dust sparkling from them, I flew back, flapping my four butterfly wings forward to unleash a rush of Vail Dust. This was a full dosage, intended to shrink a human-sized target to such a point that they will appear to me as I previously had to them. I could sense someone nearby, though was not yet sure they were in the log. Regardless, this ruffian needed to learn a little respect.

Sylica D'Lyren Sat Dec 07, 2013 5:57 am

The Slaver was hit and coughed and sneezed, his whip and machete feeling too heavy to carry and he dropped them as he fell onto his knees wheezing. His eyes were still closed, his palms rubbing them as he complained. He coughed a bit more, slowly opening his eyes, winking them when he noticed the world around him was bigger. "What-what in blazing divines did you do to me?!" he nearly croaked. He noticed the height difference almost immediately, being nothing more than what? Two inches and she was...well bigger, that was rather obvious in many ways...

Keeping his attention 'up', he looked to the Fairy with shock and amazement yet also fear and contempt before noticing the enlarged machete and whip. He gulped. "Hey--hey...Look, I'd really appreciate it if you...bring me back to original size-" He then turns his head to the right, and with big eyes pointed towards the opening of the log. "There she is! The little bitch!!" he cried, but he was in no place to call anything 'little' currently.

Over towards the opening of the log, a wide eyed Sylica was also amazed by the Fairy Queen's feat, she couldn't help but to look out to see what was going on. She didn't know what to make of the even punier Slaver now, and felt not threatened in the slightest. "Hmm... So much for you grabbing me." she taunted, turning away. "I guess I'll take my leave then, since your... a bit preoccupied." she says with a haughty giggle, turned away from him.

Nissa Sat Dec 07, 2013 6:16 am

Grabbing the shrunken slaver in one hand unceremoniously, I flitted up to face the drow. "Oh don't leave so soon. Perhaps I can help you instead, since he was so terribly rude." Lifting up the slaver, I looked at him with distinct indifference. "Yes, I believe you will join the others inside my throne cushion. A few thousand years beneath my royal derriere may teach you some respect." As I snapped my fingers, a fairy handmaiden appeared from a ripple in a nearby tree. Taking the tiny man and returning the way that she came. "Now, you could at least tell me who you are, and why that man was after you."

Sylica D'Lyren Sat Dec 07, 2013 6:24 am

The slaver screamed, wiggling and protesting as he was carried off.

As for the Drow herself, she smiled to the small Fairy and bowed her head with a smile. "I'm Sylica D'Lyren. Well, to put it lightly, I was a slave-his boss took over my family's estate and sent me packing. It's a bit of a complicated story, I wouldn't want to bore you." she says with a slight chuckle. "He ran after me because I ran off-I managed to take advantage of one of the guards, take his weapons and get myself to freedom; which wouldn't have came so easy if not for you. Thank you so much your majesty." she said with a slight bow to the small Fairy.

(8/13/2022 Addition)

"However... if they're this great in number, I suppose I should return anyway." She sighed, packing up her blade which was among those dropped. "My father respected the fae, and I thank you for your assistance... but I must be going back now..." she smiled sadly, and made her way back, leaving the slavers to their fate within the sacred vale...

(to here)

**Zyria Bannilylth** Wed Jul 08, 2015 5:14 pm

Zyria had been travelling the world for at least six months now. Her most recent journey now lead her inside the Amain Forest. She easily leaped from tree top to tree top as custom with the Elves of Minktail. Having a good lay of the land and staying out of possible dangers of being on the forest floor, as well as keeping one's tracks from being easily seen. She leaped over to another large oak's tumorous limbs and remained there for a moment. She thought she could pick up some screaming humans with her tall elven ears, but she wasn't sure. "They sound young and uneducated about the wood... they sound pretty deep in the Amain too. Perhaps they shouldn't have strayed too far off the beaten paths..." she says. She wasn't in the Amain for any particular reason, other than to hunt deer and rabbits or even Giant Hogs. She could take some time out of her not-so-busy schedule and check it out and see if there was anyone in trouble or if it was just her imagination. Who knows? She may run into a hog or deer along the way...

She began to move from the veil, deeper into the woods to find the source of the screaming juvenile humans.

Catalina Lunamaria Wed Jan 18, 2017 2:41 am

Catalina lay against the tree, sweat rolling down her body. She was a bit lost, and tired traversing the Amaine wilds in nothing but this skimpier armor. She swears the man in Danton was cheating her, while he repaired her cuirass and other armors. Still, it was a little warmer than she thought, despite it being naught but an armored leotard. She was hunting for some extra cash for the Demon Hunters Guild so she could pay off the said chest piece.

Before she was even aware, she fell, sliding down from the treeline with a yelp of surprise, before landing upon the stony path:

False Vail 163eefa9e1693f665accf63e13f29a00_by_anastasiadfaizland-davbfg7

False Vail 163eefa9e1693f665accf63e13f29a00_by_anastasiadfaizland-davbfg7

Sprawled out in a somewhat compromising position, she was blushing red when her brown eyes met with the young man's in front of her. She lay there, silent as the afternoon sun continued to set.

**SeiferHowling** Thu Jan 19, 2017 12:46 am

Seifer found himself before the compromised young woman, whose attire didn't seem quite suited for the environment. As much as he tried to be a gentleman, it was difficult for his eyes not to stray toward the many different curves of the woman's supple body. She was blushing already, and he was wondering if he was doing so himself.

No. Seifer didn't blush. Not in front of someone he considered...well--

"Ahem," Seifer cleared his throat, as if interrupting his own thoughts, before kneeling down and lending his hand to the fallen woman. "That was a nasty fall you took there. You okay? A woman such as yourself should be more careful around these parts. Can be dangerous."

His eyes remained locked with hers as he waited for her to take his hand. It had been a while since he'd been in the presence of anyone else. He hoped she'd respond well...

...even though he couldn't help but think of his past transgressions.

Saeko Fri Dec 10, 2021 6:07 am

Previously...

Saeko wrote:Saeko nodded. "Consider her yours, then." She says, before turning to Fubuki. "...I may. Its do or die. Either I return, as the next Raiju, the next Thunder Beast... or I'll suffer the same fate as Lady Hiyori." Saeko finished, before turning to Veran once more. "Take care of her. The horse as well." she winked, getting a vibe the pair were close. She then headed over to Finn's horse, helping him with unpacking some of the supplies, before both mounted up. "The place you seek is Hara Village, a fishing village just 12 or so miles away from Beijio City. You'll be able to see the City when you get there... be weary though, its Sea Dragon nesting season... you may wanna stay clear of the beaches unless you want to try and make some extra cash selling their eggs. Just keep an eye out for long necks, and you'll be fine." She says, holding onto Finn closely. "Good luck on your journey!" She called out finally, before Finn and Saeko trotted off.

Meanwhile...

(from here)

Saeko sat behind Finn, arms wrapped around his waist to keep herself steady for the past several hours in which the pair had left the company of her cousin and that demon who looked like the Demon King Everin Faust, or at least how he was so described. That sword... that wasn't the Yamato... but it highly resembled it's depiction. The original was a cursed blade that only the Demon King Everin Faust himself was told to be able to master. The blade would consume those it deemed as too weak to handle its tsuka. Besides, the weapon purportedly was destroyed in Asrond... not too far from where we are, actually... in either case, I do not feel like chasing another mythical sword of power; its already a tall order that I'll be anywhere close to finding my ancestor's Otachi out here... the fabled blade of House Busujima... will I... be able to find it, let alone hold its tsuka in my hands...?

She paused such thoughts, looking into her open left palm, before blinking up at Finn, addressing the man finally with something else that had been on her mind:

"You know... you were awfully quiet back there, Finn." She smirked. "In fact, you've been SUSPICIOUSLY quiet since we left as well. Was it the number of pretty ladies? I recall you were on a quest searching for a potential bride, no?" She inquired with a playful grin. "My cousin there, Fubuki? She's single, but you can't have her. I think she had eyes for that handsome devil back there, pray tell I almost had to fight the urge to flirt with such... dangerous beauty~" She purred against his ear, teasing him for some light entertainment. "Well? Aren't you going to say something?"

Finn Lachdanan Fri Dec 10, 2021 6:23 am

Finn had been silent, mostly due to courtesy and due to being lost in thought. He was being honorable, as his grandfather had been to Scardia since the times of old... but admitted, that a knightly code was hard to follow. He was to provide himself as a tool to his Lord or Lady, and always have the noblest of intentions. Yet, he found himself having... romantic notions of servitude, and just plain... aches? He supposed? Aches for something he was not permitted to have or allow himself to take. He knew now, he was probably not going to ever have a wife because of such things... and to be fair... was he accepting of it? Denying himself the chance... the opportunity, for honor and duty as a knight of Scardia would had they still existed in this day and age?

Saeko wrote: "Well? Aren't you going to say something?"

Her voice whispered in his ear, and he snapped out of his pensive trance. He knew they were in the Amaine... one of the most dangerous locales on the Gailden Continent, and it was honestly his first time entering such tangled undergrowth. He had been mostly on autopilot, letting the horse guide him with instruction from Saeko and that shifty cousin of her's from back in Beijio. He glanced back to her, then looked ahead once more. "I was just enjoying the feeling of your massive melons squished against my back, Lady B. Savoring the moment and all..." he says in a listless, somewhat sarcastic tone. To be fair, they did feel nice against his lower back. Like puffy pillows from heaven.

After he gave her a moment to react, his senses sharpened a little more, and he began to scan the treeline carefully...

Saeko Fri Dec 10, 2021 6:29 am

Finn Lachdanan wrote:Finn had been silent, mostly due to courtesy and due to being lost in thought. He was being honorable, as his grandfather had been to Scardia since the times of old... but admitted, that a knightly code was hard to follow. He was to provide himself as a tool to his Lord or Lady, and always have the noblest of intentions. Yet, he found himself having... romantic notions of servitude, and just plain... aches? He supposed? Aches for something he was not permitted to have or allow himself to take. He knew now, he was probably not going to ever have a wife because of such things... and to be fair... was he accepting of it? Denying himself the chance... the opportunity, for honor and duty as a knight of Scardia would had they still existed in this day and age?

Saeko wrote: "Well? Aren't you going to say something?"

Her voice whispered in his ear, and he snapped out of his pensive trance. He knew they were in the Amaine... one of the most dangerous locales on the Gailden Continent, and it was honestly his first time entering such tangled undergrowth. He had been mostly on autopilot, letting the horse guide him with instruction from Saeko and that shifty cousin of her's from back in Beijio. He glanced back to her, then looked ahead once more. "I was just enjoying the feeling of your massive melons squished against my back, Lady B. Savoring the moment and all..." he says in a listless, somewhat sarcastic tone. To be fair, they did feel nice against his lower back. Like puffy pillows from heaven.

After he gave her a moment to react, his senses sharpened a little more, and he began to scan the treeline carefully...

Saeko looked down, to notice she had in fact been leaning against him for a while now. She blinked, then with a bored, lidded glare fixated on the back of Finn's head: "...Pervert." She sighed, relinquishing her hands and body from his, and leaned back, somewhat flustered as she glances up at the darkening skies through the cracks in the canopy of tall sequoias and ironbarks...

"We should probably find ourselves a place to camp. It's getting dark." She replied. There was no response back, and Saeko glanced back down at him, noticing he was on alert. She blinked and looked around. I don't sense anything... My Chi senses aren't acting up either... is he being overly alert? She asked herself. "Finn... what's up? You look on edge." she inquired tapping his shoulder.

Finn Lachdanan Fri Dec 10, 2021 7:19 am

Saeko wrote:
Finn Lachdanan wrote:Finn had been silent, mostly due to courtesy and due to being lost in thought. He was being honorable, as his grandfather had been to Scardia since the times of old... but admitted, that a knightly code was hard to follow. He was to provide himself as a tool to his Lord or Lady, and always have the noblest of intentions. Yet, he found himself having... romantic notions of servitude, and just plain... aches? He supposed? Aches for something he was not permitted to have or allow himself to take. He knew now, he was probably not going to ever have a wife because of such things... and to be fair... was he accepting of it? Denying himself the chance... the opportunity, for honor and duty as a knight of Scardia would had they still existed in this day and age?

Saeko wrote: "Well? Aren't you going to say something?"

Her voice whispered in his ear, and he snapped out of his pensive trance. He knew they were in the Amaine... one of the most dangerous locales on the Gailden Continent, and it was honestly his first time entering such tangled undergrowth. He had been mostly on autopilot, letting the horse guide him with instruction from Saeko and that shifty cousin of her's from back in Beijio. He glanced back to her, then looked ahead once more. "I was just enjoying the feeling of your massive melons squished against my back, Lady B. Savoring the moment and all..." he says in a listless, somewhat sarcastic tone. To be fair, they did feel nice against his lower back. Like puffy pillows from heaven.

After he gave her a moment to react, his senses sharpened a little more, and he began to scan the treeline carefully...

Saeko looked down, to notice she had in fact been leaning against him for a while now. She blinked, then with a bored, lidded glare fixated on the back of Finn's head: "...Pervert." She sighed, relinquishing her hands and body from his, and leaned back, somewhat flustered as she glances up at the darkening skies through the cracks in the canopy of tall sequoias and ironbarks...

"We should probably find ourselves a place to camp. It's getting dark." She replied. There was no response back, and Saeko glanced back down at him, noticing he was on alert. She blinked and looked around. I don't sense anything... My Chi senses aren't acting up either... is he being overly alert? She asked herself. "Finn... what's up? You look on edge." she inquired tapping his shoulder.

He could... sense something. All around him... and when he remembered Nagauta's words about them having to travel through the veil of the fairs, he recalled something much older.

"Saeko... I think... I think we're here. In that Faerie Veil your cousin spoke of..." he began, before recalling the older memory- a conversation he had with his grandfather in Scardia's Dragon's Keep Prison a while after he had slain the Scardian King.

"The Lachdanan name is of Leprechaun origin, the Leprechauns have always been... affiliated with the Faerie folk since time innumerable. Some speculate Leprechauns to be a sort of hybrid of elf and fae, a more divine species than your typical woodland spirit, at the time called an 'Otherworlder'. The Otherworlders, despite that particular name, were always here on Galiavan. They were born of the Spirits of Rolan, but their divinity ended when they divided themselves in a war with the primal of spirits- and of that I mean both alcholic and the spirit which resides in all living things- there is not much difference as when one drinks alcohol, their spirits are allowed to rise. Its why we get drunk." he explained the ramblings of his granfather.
"My grandfather before he was executed for slaying the King of Scardia, told me he was half leprechaun, and that he's been around since the days of the White Tower and Hrothor the Honored. He told me, that the Lachdanan Clan had been the Towers source of 'farsight' by coneying with the Fae and the Spirits of Rolan... it had been said our Clan had been on 'better terms' with the old Spirits and that the Primal of Spirits liked our house's humble nature, so we know a little more of the 'truth' of our peoples 'birth' so to speak." He continued to explain as he guided the horse, trying to find a safer exit point.
"Getting back on track, he told me I was unlikely to still have the Leprechaun Blood in me, with my father being quarter blood. He said he would have brought me to Rolan for the Rite of Passage had he thought otherwise; given I, like my father before, did not show much of the traits that make the Lachdanan Clan unique from other Leppys... My father died not knowing he was Leprechaun and could have survived the war had he been trained in the old, sacred arts and carried the Lachdanan Shield made from a plank from the Spirits of Rolan, which I guess acts as a universal wand for all Leprechaun worthy of its blessing and humble of their own nature to wield. Though, I'm getting off track. I guess he told me this out of regret, and to hopefully not repeat the error he made with my father; he told me in the off chance that I inherited the Clan's truth in my blood, and that if I could 'hear the singing of the Fae' I should consider getting in touch with the DCR...or even asking for a 'job' with the Spirits of Rolan, whatever that means..." He continued, and then realized the forest path they had taken... looped. SHIT! My fears are confirmed...!

He forced the horse to rear back, Saeko clasping around his waist as he made the horse stop in its place! "So now I arrive, at my point, having supplied you with my reasoning in the off chance that I am wrong- do you hear that eerie choir or is it just me?" he rhetorically asked, the horse beginning to feel spooked suddenly. A mist of unnatural means began to bellow through the woodland around them... the choir still present, but so did a number of unearthly giggling coming from all directions! The sky seemed to darken quicker, and Finn reached for the gilded blade on his back, given to him by the Mysterious Stranger:

The Mysterious Stranger wrote:

He then turned to Finn, and with a similar flourish, he produced a similarly immaculate blade in the Scardian style.

"And for you. Mr.Lachdanan, a longsword worthy of the blood of Scar'd. Infused with the elemental powers all Scardians hold most dear. The power to shape and control the Winds and Waters of Galiavan. These weapons bear no name, and hold no history. Their names and destinies begin here, for you to shape... May they light your way and guard you."

I may not have refined magical abilities, but being of Leprechaun blood means I have the innate ability to fully use this blade's magical prowess. Its untested, but I suspect the Stranger was hinting at my blood's true nature way back then and I didn't even see it... this brand goes truly unnamed for the moment, given Princess Saeko here isn't a fan of Dicks or T'nA... heh. Named or not, this blade will be given its awakening in Fae blood should they be hostile towards us... I will not let a single hair of Lady Saeko's head fall victim to these mischievous spirits...! He mentally roared, the gilded decoration of his blade's scabbard began to flow with colored light- blue and light green energy that spiraled and interlaced into intricate, Leprechaun styled knots:

False Vail A95f0b60fa31b904673afd2bf90555fa--celtic-symbols-celtic-knot

False Vail A95f0b60fa31b904673afd2bf90555fa--celtic-symbols-celtic-knot

"...We've been looping on this path for a while now. I know not how long... but its fair to assume we are not welcome here." He says in a low tone, as he drew the gilded blade from its ebony and gold scabbard, the blade's true coloration lost in its rainbowesque and now glowing mirrored surface! The blade seemed to shimmer like waves in a pool of water, an energy which surrounded it speckled like rain caught in a ferocious wind.

"I'm unsure if I can... but hold tight!" He breathes, trying to ignore the laughter and eerie choir that threatened to consume his mind, to push through the hungry laughter and eager hymns of unseen, hidden threats all around them!

I gotta... cut through this barrier, to get us back onto the proper path! He told himself. "Hyah!" he drove his spurs into the beast's sides, forcing the horse forward as he raises his longblade high with his right hand, his blade providing an unearthly glow!

Saeko Fri Dec 10, 2021 7:46 am

Finn Lachdanan wrote:
Saeko wrote:
Finn Lachdanan wrote:Finn had been silent, mostly due to courtesy and due to being lost in thought. He was being honorable, as his grandfather had been to Scardia since the times of old... but admitted, that a knightly code was hard to follow. He was to provide himself as a tool to his Lord or Lady, and always have the noblest of intentions. Yet, he found himself having... romantic notions of servitude, and just plain... aches? He supposed? Aches for something he was not permitted to have or allow himself to take. He knew now, he was probably not going to ever have a wife because of such things... and to be fair... was he accepting of it? Denying himself the chance... the opportunity, for honor and duty as a knight of Scardia would had they still existed in this day and age?

Saeko wrote: "Well? Aren't you going to say something?"

Her voice whispered in his ear, and he snapped out of his pensive trance. He knew they were in the Amaine... one of the most dangerous locales on the Gailden Continent, and it was honestly his first time entering such tangled undergrowth. He had been mostly on autopilot, letting the horse guide him with instruction from Saeko and that shifty cousin of her's from back in Beijio. He glanced back to her, then looked ahead once more. "I was just enjoying the feeling of your massive melons squished against my back, Lady B. Savoring the moment and all..." he says in a listless, somewhat sarcastic tone. To be fair, they did feel nice against his lower back. Like puffy pillows from heaven.

After he gave her a moment to react, his senses sharpened a little more, and he began to scan the treeline carefully...

Saeko looked down, to notice she had in fact been leaning against him for a while now. She blinked, then with a bored, lidded glare fixated on the back of Finn's head: "...Pervert." She sighed, relinquishing her hands and body from his, and leaned back, somewhat flustered as she glances up at the darkening skies through the cracks in the canopy of tall sequoias and ironbarks...

"We should probably find ourselves a place to camp. It's getting dark." She replied. There was no response back, and Saeko glanced back down at him, noticing he was on alert. She blinked and looked around. I don't sense anything... My Chi senses aren't acting up either... is he being overly alert? She asked herself. "Finn... what's up? You look on edge." she inquired tapping his shoulder.

He could... sense something. All around him... and when he remembered Nagauta's words about them having to travel through the veil of the fairs, he recalled something much older.

"Saeko... I think... I think we're here. In that Faerie Veil your cousin spoke of..." he began, before recalling the older memory- a conversation he had with his grandfather in Scardia's Dragon's Keep Prison a while after he had slain the Scardian King.

"The Lachdanan name is of Leprechaun origin, the Leprechauns have always been... affiliated with the Faerie folk since time innumerable. Some speculate Leprechauns to be a sort of hybrid of elf and fae, a more divine species than your typical woodland spirit, at the time called an 'Otherworlder'. The Otherworlders, despite that particular name, were always here on Galiavan. They were born of the Spirits of Rolan, but their divinity ended when they divided themselves in a war with the primal of spirits- and of that I mean both alcholic and the spirit which resides in all living things- there is not much difference as when one drinks alcohol, their spirits are allowed to rise. Its why we get drunk." he explained the ramblings of his granfather.
"My grandfather before he was executed for slaying the King of Scardia, told me he was half leprechaun, and that he's been around since the days of the White Tower and Hrothor the Honored. He told me, that the Lachdanan Clan had been the Towers source of 'farsight' by coneying with the Fae and the Spirits of Rolan... it had been said our Clan had been on 'better terms' with the old Spirits and that the Primal of Spirits liked our house's humble nature, so we know a little more of the 'truth' of our peoples 'birth' so to speak." He continued to explain as he guided the horse, trying to find a safer exit point.
"Getting back on track, he told me I was unlikely to still have the Leprechaun Blood in me, with my father being quarter blood. He said he would have brought me to Rolan for the Rite of Passage had he thought otherwise; given I, like my father before, did not show much of the traits that make the Lachdanan Clan unique from other Leppys... My father died not knowing he was Leprechaun and could have survived the war had he been trained in the old, sacred arts and carried the Lachdanan Shield made from a plank from the Spirits of Rolan, which I guess acts as a universal wand for all Leprechaun worthy of its blessing and humble of their own nature to wield. Though, I'm getting off track. I guess he told me this out of regret, and to hopefully not repeat the error he made with my father; he told me in the off chance that I inherited the Clan's truth in my blood, and that if I could 'hear the singing of the Fae' I should consider getting in touch with the DCR...or even asking for a 'job' with the Spirits of Rolan, whatever that means..." He continued, and then realized the forest path they had taken... looped. SHIT! My fears are confirmed...!

He forced the horse to rear back, Saeko clasping around his waist as he made the horse stop in its place! "So now I arrive, at my point, having supplied you with my reasoning in the off chance that I am wrong- do you hear that eerie choir or is it just me?" he rhetorically asked, the horse beginning to feel spooked suddenly. A mist of unnatural means began to bellow through the woodland around them... the choir still present, but so did a number of unearthly giggling coming from all directions! The sky seemed to darken quicker, and Finn reached for the gilded blade on his back, given to him by the Mysterious Stranger:

The Mysterious Stranger wrote:

He then turned to Finn, and with a similar flourish, he produced a similarly immaculate blade in the Scardian style.

"And for you. Mr.Lachdanan, a longsword worthy of the blood of Scar'd. Infused with the elemental powers all Scardians hold most dear. The power to shape and control the Winds and Waters of Galiavan. These weapons bear no name, and hold no history. Their names and destinies begin here, for you to shape... May they light your way and guard you."

I may not have refined magical abilities, but being of Leprechaun blood means I have the innate ability to fully use this blade's magical prowess. Its untested, but I suspect the Stranger was hinting at my blood's true nature way back then and I didn't even see it... this brand goes truly unnamed for the moment, given Princess Saeko here isn't a fan of Dicks or T'nA... heh. Named or not, this blade will be given its awakening in Fae blood should they be hostile towards us... I will not let a single hair of Lady Saeko's head fall victim to these mischievous spirits...! He mentally roared, the gilded decoration of his blade's scabbard began to flow with colored light- blue and light green energy that spiraled and interlaced into intricate, Leprechaun styled knots:

"...We've been looping on this path for a while now. I know not how long... but its fair to assume we are not welcome here." He says in a low tone, as he drew the gilded blade from its ebony and gold scabbard, the blade's true coloration lost in its rainbowesque and now glowing mirrored surface! The blade seemed to shimmer like waves in a pool of water, an energy which surrounded it speckled like rain caught in a ferocious wind.

"I'm unsure if I can... but hold tight!" He breathes, trying to ignore the laughter and eerie choir that threatened to consume his mind, to push through the hungry laughter and eager hymns of unseen, hidden threats all around them!

I gotta... cut through this barrier, to get us back onto the proper path! He told himself. "Hyah!" he drove his spurs into the beast's sides, forcing the horse forward as he raises his longblade high with his right hand, his blade providing an unearthly glow!

(OOC: Great post Very Happy

)

Saeko was silent as he explained himself to her. At first, she thought his conversation was going a different direction, that he had been lost in thought for he wished to somehow connect better with her since they were on a wild goose chase of a legend that was at least 375 years in the making! She didn't realize how alike his situation was to her own, with their current situations apparently caused by regicide perpetrated by the sins of their fathers, or in his case, grandfather. She didn't even know the King of Scardia had been cut down, so this was news which must have been covered up by the previous King... and here she thought Beijio had been corrupt by Lady Sango's grief over her husband's death- the murder of the King of Scardia wasn't ever reported and the perpetrator slain. Whose to say then, that his Grandfather even drew his sword...?

This was lost on her for now, when he began to act more nervous, and the story he was told by his Grandpa came to its conclusion, when he asked her if she could hear singing. She felt her heart sink and knot up, her blue eyes got slightly smaller. "...No. I don't....." she whispered, looking all around her as Finn began to raise his voice as he spoke to her. "Finn, what's going on?" She asked, nervous of his welfare now. The skies got eerily dark, and a thick mist was rolling in from the sequoia's and ironbarks. He keeps raising his voice, as if he's trying to talk over a large crowd- he could draw in predators! She grabbed his shoulder. "Finn, you need to lower your voice...-" She blinked, and repeated: "Finn! Shit... he can't hear me...!" She gasped, realizing she was yelling in his ear, and he had only been focused on the path ahead. He drew his blade, which glowed with a mystical light that was warm and inviting. Her own blade, bequeathed to her from the same Mysterious Stranger, now began to rattle in its scabbard on her side, beside the other two blades she was carrying. What the hell is going on? Are we truly surrounded by Faeries? Is the danger this great? She asked herself, before half crawling out of her skin when the horse took speed! She wrapped her arms around Finn's waist, holding on tightly as he charged forwards! "FINN! You need to stop shouting!! FINN!!" she ironically screamed in his ear as they were now riding down a path that seemed to never end! I'm not sure what you're doing Finn... but by the Gods, I hope it works! Something IS up around here, and I can't do shit to help. Its on you. She mentally encouraged him, despite the fact he wouldn't hear those words. She held on tight and watched the mist roll in quicker. It became a wall of fog soon after... a wall that swallowed them whole.

Finn Lachdanan Mon Dec 13, 2021 4:38 am

Finn couldn't hear Saeko at all now, all he could hear was a choir of 'unseen demonic children' or at least, that is how the fae projected themselves onto them. Had he been properly trained in Leprechaun magic, or even be carrying a Shillelagh, he wouldn't be experiencing such chaos. He pressed the horse on, forcing it to charge. He didn't know where to exactly 'strike' with his magic blade, but he figured it be reasonable to try swinging the 'air' about the place the loop was recognizable, which would have been harder with the fog creeping in... but strangely, his blade's gleaming blade seemed to repel the offensive mist around the horse. All that lead to now, is the timing...

They went through the loop another round, he had to stay his blade till he discovered the appropriate time to strike. He scanned the forest, no evident signs of anything, just the 'loop' which was like replaying a segment of a video- choppy, but a seamless stream of information with a designated 'stop' and 'start'. He had two chances to 'cut' this stream, but he had no idea if it was to cut the 'start' position, or the 'end' -let alone 'cut' anything! He didn't have much options but to try and flail about if necessary. He decided he'd start with the 'end' of the 'stream' so to speak first!

"Hraaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!" Finn screamed as they neared the end of the familiar stretch of road, slicing through the air with his gleaming long blade!

Oddly enough, there appeared to be some resistance! A glowing tear in the fabric of reality formed as he cleaved through the Faerie's hazy barrier!

A large booming sound echoed around them as he forced the tear open with his blade! "Open.... UPPPPP!!!!" Finn roars, and the thunderous sound rings through their ears, the bright light engulfing both mortals, stead and then-

Finn blinks his eyes open. Shocked and alert, he finds he is on the forest floor laying flat on his chest. His brightly glowing sword remained in his right hand firmly, and the gear he had equipped such as his other blade on his hip and the handgun he had elsewhere remained. What...? Lady Saeko! He shot up from his prone state, dragging the glowing unnamed sword in his right hand, using it as a crutch to help him to his feet quicker. He swerved around himself, he was still in the woods. However...

"Lady Saeko??" He called out, sweat rolling down his face. She, nor their steed was anywhere in sight. "LADY SAEKO!" he called out for her again, his voice echoing off the empty, stretch of trees in the oversized woodland. Nothing.

The mist kept to the base of tree trunks, and rolled about like a cheap haunted house's fog machine. He couldn't see anyone or anything beyond the white-grey mist and the large sequoia and ironbarks set out in front of him.

Finn, was mysteriously alone.

Saeko Mon Dec 13, 2021 7:45 am

Finn Lachdanan wrote:Finn couldn't hear Saeko at all now, all he could hear was a choir of 'unseen demonic children' or at least, that is how the fae projected themselves onto them. Had he been properly trained in Leprechaun magic, or even be carrying a Shillelagh, he wouldn't be experiencing such chaos. He pressed the horse on, forcing it to charge. He didn't know where to exactly 'strike' with his magic blade, but he figured it be reasonable to try swinging the 'air' about the place the loop was recognizable, which would have been harder with the fog creeping in... but strangely, his blade's gleaming blade seemed to repel the offensive mist around the horse. All that lead to now, is the timing...

They went through the loop another round, he had to stay his blade till he discovered the appropriate time to strike. He scanned the forest, no evident signs of anything, just the 'loop' which was like replaying a segment of a video- choppy, but a seamless stream of information with a designated 'stop' and 'start'. He had two chances to 'cut' this stream, but he had no idea if it was to cut the 'start' position, or the 'end' -let alone 'cut' anything! He didn't have much options but to try and flail about if necessary. He decided he'd start with the 'end' of the 'stream' so to speak first!

"Hraaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!" Finn screamed as they neared the end of the familiar stretch of road, slicing through the air with his gleaming long blade!

Oddly enough, there appeared to be some resistance! A glowing tear in the fabric of reality formed as he cleaved through the Faerie's hazy barrier!

A large booming sound echoed around them as he forced the tear open with his blade! "Open.... UPPPPP!!!!" Finn roars, and the thunderous sound rings through their ears, the bright light engulfing both mortals, stead and then-

Saeko held on tight, her bright blue eyes scanning the forest for hostile threats, but saw nothing but mist. She gave up on trying to get to Finn- whatever he was hearing was apparently louder than she could scream, and having two screaming, confused idiots wasn't going to solve anything! After just shutting herself up, and observing, she noticed the fog kept its distance from them so long the blade was held. What is this... illusion magic? It's quite powerful... She thought, and then noticed the looping scenery like Finn. She didn't know how to offer any guidance or help with him screaming, their beast terrified, and she being 'deaf' and blind to whatever magic that bound them to repeat their tracks over and over again. She watched the fog 'jerk' back from the sword, with a lack of a better description to describe what she had just seen. The fog was almost alive...

What would happen if we were to be engulfed in it, without Finn's blade to chase it away? She asked herself, and Saeko didn't want to linger on the thought. She would have to wait and see what Finn was trying to do, what he was attacking and hope that whatever he did, that he was successful!

"Wha?!" Saeko gasped suddenly. The horse stopped as Finn dragged his weapon down a rippling curtain of air! She was at a loss of words, but not too surprised given the things she'd seen in the past week or so. There was a tear in the air, and it got wider the more Finn pushed his blade down into it. Saeko, at the last minute let go of Finn, reaching over him, grasping his wrists, forcing her chest down on his head as she leaned down to add her weight into his cut! It was so quick he probably didn't even realize it.

She too, screamed as if she was in the heat of battle, as the tear in the fabric of reality grew, the odd gravitational pull made her fingers slip away from his and then the intense light from the opening engulfed them whole...

Finn Lachdanan wrote:Finn blinks his eyes open. Shocked and alert, he finds he is on the forest floor laying flat on his chest. His brightly glowing sword remained in his right hand firmly, and the gear he had equipped such as his other blade on his hip and the handgun he had elsewhere remained. What...? Lady Saeko! He shot up from his prone state, dragging the glowing unnamed sword in his right hand, using it as a crutch to help him to his feet quicker. He swerved around himself, he was still in the woods. However...

"Lady Saeko??" He called out, sweat rolling down his face. She, nor their steed was anywhere in sight. "LADY SAEKO!" he called out for her again, his voice echoing off the empty, stretch of trees in the oversized woodland. Nothing.

The mist kept to the base of tree trunks, and rolled about like a cheap haunted house's fog machine. He couldn't see anyone or anything beyond the white-grey mist and the large sequoia and ironbarks set out in front of him.

Finn, was mysteriously alone.

Meanwhile...

Saeko felt the moist air around her face, stirring the unconscious warrior into alertness. She blinked, then shifted her weight, sitting up on her side, her purple hair whipping as she jerked her head side to side- scanning the misty area with her big blue eyes. "Finn? Finn??" She called out for the young man, and from leaning on her right hip she pushed herself off the ground, and slowly rose to her feet. She still carried her deadly arsenal with her so far- the knock off Tachi she used in her cousin's vault, the more battle ready katana, the kusarigama, the handgun on her thigh, and the gleaming gift yet unnamed given to her by the stranger; but her late father's sword, the Murata-tou- or specifically the Doujigiri-Yasutsuna no Murdada was missing!

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She felt the space where she had placed it on her belt, but it was no longer there! "Where is it?!" She gasped, her voice anxious and weary, momentarily forgetting about Finn and the horse... when she heard a dull ring echoing through the fog...

Saeko winces, holding her ears at the sound of the bell ringing in the distance... but then her blue eyes noticed a familiar shape in an otherwise unfamiliar environment appear from the swirling mist:

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"A Torii gate...? What the hell... is a shrine doing all the way out here?" She asked herself, as the bell in the distance rang again. She noticed, each time it rang, the mist crept back and away from the pathway beyond the gate's threshold; and for a moment, Saeko was hesitant to 'take the hint'. Here I am, separated from Finn with no explicable reason, my father's sword vanishing, AGAIN and then this... gate appears out of the white mist after the ringing of an eerie temple bell in the distance? A bell that forces the mist to reveal a path to me directly upward...? Yeah, whatever's going on, its trying to lead me. Well, I'll just spit in this things eye and turn-

Saeko's thoughts vanished as she turned around... and saw she was now at the precipice of a 'temple' compound!

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"What?!" She gasped, turning around again to find a long line of Torii leading down the misty slopes of the woodland... vanishing into the deep, swirling white.

"This ain't fair... I didn't even walk!" She gasped, and... realized she was sweating profusely, and she had mud on her boots. She felt like she had walked the great steps of Beijio- all 10,000 of them. Did... did I walk it against my will?! Or is this some sort of dream? She thought, anxiously, before the bell tolled again. Saeko turned on her heels to face the temple again, half expecting to have been 'forced' elswhere against her will again, but thankfully- well with present circumstances, she found she had not moved an inch further on the temple grounds than she had before she magically arrived.

"This doesn't bode well..." she mumbled to herself, a hand resting on the knock off tachi, and remembered its blade glowed in her cousin's mist! She drew the weapon, and it emitted a frail, yellowish glow; and it seemed fainter than it had against her cousin's mist armor's field effect! "Shit... well, at least I tested it out. Whatever, may as well continue forward before whatever I'm experiencing gets too anxious and presses 'fast forward' again..." Saeko sighed, but kept the weapon out as she pressed further.

There was a larger, ornate gate at the top of another stairwell, though shorter, and upon pushing the heavy wooden doors open, she was met with an open courtyard that resembled the outer courts of the Castle in Beijio!

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Saeko was in utter shock and amazement. "Is this some sort of illusion or trickery?! I must be asleep, there is no way I'm at the palace- I KNOW THIS!" She spat out defiantly.

"This... is no illusion, my child..." came a hauntingly familiar voice from the mist surrounding the castle. Saeko looked around, and found herself stepping into the depths of the mist. "Who goes there?!" she spat, blade raised in a high stance, the feeble knock off's glow dimming- flickering. She took note of that as she hears the sound of footsteps in the swirling, obscuring mist. "Not an illusion... but indeed, trickery. Trickery is our best trait, wouldn't you agree?" The voice asked her in a passive aggressive tone.

"Show yourself!!" She spat at the voice, her mind scrambling. I've heard this voice! But Gods, where was it?! The female warrior thought, trying to think back.

"Gods have nothing to do with... 'us'," answered the voice chillingly. Saeko's blue orbs becoming pin pricks as the voice continued and answered a developing question prematurely: "and I find it peculiar you have forgotten this voice. After all-"

The mist before her sparked purple, the silhouette of a tall man in traditional Beijionese armor was illuminated in the obscuring mist. He was all too familiar a shape for Saeko as he stepped forwards, blade in hand which sparked with living lightning.

"...how can a daughter forget the voice of her father?"

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Lightning of purple struck the air behind them, and rain began to fall quietly yet hard upon them both.

Saeko's heart sank, her eyes became nearly white, her body trembling. "You...you can't... no, you... you're not real. Y-you are a trick, an apparition! I seen your corpse! You're dead!!" Saeko cried out.

The man approached the woman without yield, despite her stance shifting from high to mid. "Oh, I am indeed very real. And indeed, I am very much dead. I am, or rather was..." The man continued, and continued his slow pace towards Sakeo who was frozen in disbelief!

"Lord..."

"No-no you're not!" She shouted at the apparition who slowly reached out for Saeko. She closed her eyes tightly gritting her teeth... then felt his gloved hand touch the left side of her face.

"...Taizo Busujima. Your father." He cooed, his fierce blue eyes glaring intently at Saeko's face. Saeko blinked, her eyes wide open now... and she slowly raised her head to meet her taller father's gaze.

Saeko shook there for a moment, the blade rattling in her hand. "No... you..." she tried, her voice trembling. Her heart leaping up into her throat.

"My... you've grown up. So many things I missed for the price of power... I sometimes wonder if it was worth it." Said the man unflinchingly. Saeko's eyes had a sudden, sad glimmer.

"...Dad?"

A tear strolled down her soft cheek. Her weapon held in a the low stance now. She looked him over carefully... and he was as she had remembered before he died.

Taizo Busujima was a man of about 5'11 height, clad in armor of the Murasame Clan, a bat-like crest on the front of his plate. He wore a blue and white haori over the black and gold armor with its red trim, and wore distinctive blue gloves. A white leather holster for that gaudy golden Domescan luger attached to the right hip. The weapon he held, was another Busujima treasure that went with Otohime's when she left their clan, the Raikiri no Busujima:
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The weapon he held looked different than it would today, however, as much of his personalizations were removed after the battle... to help forget the man who stood in front of Saeko. She blinked, noticing the missing Doujigiri-Yasutsuna no Murdada was on his hip with the Raikiri's sheath beside it... but it had a different grip she had not seen before on it:

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"Yes... I am truly here... my daughter. My... Saeko." Taizo replied, pulling her head to his chest. He looked up into the rainy sky, his long, greying, purple hair flowing down his back, his eyes shadowed heavily, obscuring them.

"Had I... realized what I would be losing... I would have never struck that fool down... abandon... you. Your sisters...our family. The Busujima Clan..." He says, holding her a little tighter.

"You did what you believed was right! Whatever it was, you were not the type to go into a battle without a plan, father!" Saeko cried, dropping her sword, embracing her dad's seemingly real body.

"I... undid... over 1000 years of Busujima history, with a single sweep of a sword..." Taizo says, his voice still stern, but he was trying not to choke on his words either. "I did not plan. I did not think. All I did was grow paranoid, jealous... I let my soul become corrupted by hate, and lust for power. I was getting old, Captain Barduwulf was getting too much recognition, and the Emperor... he was... he was going to undo...EVERYTHING we Busujima's had fought for, FOR GENERATIONS!" He shouted, shaking with anger and hate. The sky lit up with more lightning as he continued. "We had SERVED the Imperial Family FAITHFULLY for over 1000 years, even aiding the Beijiosaki house in overthrowing the Dragon Emperor in the Benzi era, our great Matriarch Nagahime no Busujima DIED for this land! This CLAN!" He shook in his armor. "And worst... I failed at being the father you girls deserved..."

"How were you supposed to know...?" Saeko asked, looking up at him. Her father looked down, his crimson eyes turning blue again at the sight of hers. His stern, angry expression softened... then he frowned, his brows tilting, his eyes... full of sadness.

"But I should have..." He says, caressing his daughter's cheek. "We Busujima have a psychic link tied to the very land of Beijio... since the days of Nagahime no Busujima... we have been connected to the land. The soul of this nation. My ears would not listen to my heart, my mind erased what I did not like to hear, and I allowed a corruption sealed for centuries within our blood crawl its way out. Take over. Consume me, entirely. Yet... this blood, this cursed, incestual blood is not all to blame... my weakness is to blame as well." He explained to his daughter, with tears flowing down his cheeks.

Saeko blinked. "Wh-what? I... I don't understand. What... what do you mean 'psychic link'? 'Cursed Blood'? Why... why are we here? Where IS here?" She asked, shakily.

If this... is a dream... why must my mind be so cruel? To bring up the memories... manifested into physical form... She asked herself. She buried her face into his hard, metal chest. ...but if this is a dream. Please... let me sleep... just a tad longer...

Taizo stabbed Raikiri between the courtyard tiles, and fully embraced his daughter. "...This is no dream. But a crossroads... of fate. Of destiny. You must listen to my tale... and then you must choose your path to take." He began... but took this moment to embrace the daughter he abandoned... five years ago. "We... do not have much time."

Finn Lachdanan Mon Dec 13, 2021 8:15 am

"SAEKO!" Finn called out for the woman again, cupping the side of his mouth with one hand, the glowing two handed blade held tightly in his right. He looked around, and glanced behind him when he heard twigs snapping. "Lady Saeko?" He asked, raising his blade like a lantern to peer into the misty darkness. Nothing. There was no sight or sound of either the horse or the Beijionese woman anywhere! "This isn't good. How the hell did we end up separating?!" He grunted, blaming himself for not being of any use currently. "Damn it!" He cursed, slamming his fist against the trunk of a nearby tree, his blade lowered. He had an agitated look on his face, gritting his clenched teeth tightly, his steel grey eyes glaring into the mist rolling ahead of his ankles. I should be doing something... stop stalling and keep searching, damn it!! He told himself, and arched his head back: "SAEEEEEKOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" he screamed through the enchanted woodland...

Saeko Mon Dec 13, 2021 12:12 pm

(continued from before)

Saeko gripped her father a little tighter at such a mention. "...isn't that always the case?" She sighed, looking up with wet eyes, sniffling.

Taizo wiped away his daughter's tears and smiled sadly. "Pragmatic..." He chuckled. "Let us begin with where we stand. This realm lies between the boarders of life and death. Of what will and what could have been. I, myself, am a response, to your mind being consumed by the magic conjured up by the Faeries of the Veil... and to act as your guide, your anchor point, and your final test." He began, his hands resting on Saeko's shoulders. "I have been called forth, from the depths of your soul to test your worthiness of the Dojikiri no Yasutsuna..."

Saeko blinked, mouth agape. "So... are you really...?" She began when she recalled:

(from here)

Saeko wrote:"The light of his spirit, the one I respected will reside within me. If it means looking for another sword to replace the Murata-Tou no Yatsusuna/Murasame it shall be the family's longsword, the Dojikiri no Yasutsuna then!"

"The light of his spirit, the one I respected will reside within me." She blinked.

"As I said... I am truly Taizo's spirit, my daughter... I am all that is left." He reassured. "The light you carried allowed me sanctuary, kept me from fading into nothingness." He further explained. "Before... I get ahead of myself, I shall regale you of our clan's past. I suppose being dead has some benefit. I was able to cool off, reflect... and rediscover our ancestral ties to Beijio. The first to call himself Busujima was Ryunoske no Busujima, a mysterious man with purple hair and blue eyes that flashed with fire when the heat of battled called him forth. He washed ashore the land which would become Benzi. In fact, the Dragon Emperor's people took him to the Lord of the Palace to determine his ultimate fate... what saved Ryu were his odd abilities. He could bring forth lightning, flames, and commune with his mind. He knew all things of the land, the land which we know as Beijio." He paused, closing his eyes.

"The Busujima Eye, our psyonic ability was passed on, and the Busujima thrived from the trickery it allowed. Many, corrupt warlords arisen from the powers we held. Then, Nagahime no Busujima, brought the ability back to the way Ryu had intended its use. To preserve this land, to protect its people, to smite injustice. It so happened, Nagahime fought against a most deadly and powerful otherworldly foe. No man before was capable of slaying this ancient beast, but so impressive was she, Nagahime reached inside and yanked one of its near indestructible bones from its body during a fierce lightning storm. The lightning bolt struck the beast and Nagahime; the friction, the power of the beast, Nagahime's will to win and protect drove Nagahime to shape the bone she yanked from the beast into the Otachi we know as Dojikiri no Yasutsuna. The blade reacted to her mind, of her psyonic abilities which became the blade's core, forever linking it to the land, and to the Busujima Clan. We... all Busujima, tap into the blades power every day. It calls to us... wants us to retrieve it and is ready to show us the way..." He explained.

"It... wants us to find it? But then, why hasn't it shown us the way? Why do we not hear its call or feel its pull?" She asked her father.

He frowned, looking to the left. He didn't seem thrilled to explain what was on his mind. "The cursed blood... prevents us." He started.

Saeko remained quiet, curious what her father had meant by it earlier, eager to understand what he meant by such.

"It began with Hiyori Busujima... her father Nobunaga Busujima forced her to bed her dying brother to continue the legacy of the Busujima clan, as she had become the Clan's Thunderbeast. She gave birth to a daughter, hid away from Hiyori... she was Kagekiyo no Busujima, a wicked woman who would take hold of the clan in the 2300s. She was raised in the demon realm to advance her training, her powers. She was more demon than mortal, and is our direct ancestral link..." He paused again, and looked Saeko in the eye. "Her corrupted spirit, her corrupted blood blocks the psyonic link between us and the blade... the land itself. We are the guardian of this land, so it dawns on us to be pure of mind, body, soul... Kagekiyo's unnatural blood also inhibits our deepest, darkest desires. It searches for weakness, and brings our desires to the forefront till its become not only our obsession, but our prison."

Saeko stood there, jaw agape, her eyes wavering. "H-how are we supposed to break free of such a prison? How can we hope to become this pure thing the blade, the land itself expects of us if we cannot undo what made us?"

Taizo smiled sadly... reaching up and patting his daughter's head like he used to. "Not everyone can. Some... are beyond saving. You were always the perceptive one... indeed. In a way, you answered yourself." He chuckled.

Saeko was confused... and he could see it, so he began to explain. Saeko knew what he was going to say from the back of her mind, and trembled as her father spoke:

"The sword does not want to be held by a corrupt being, it will not allow a wild beast turn against the people it, and we as Busujima swore to protect. Thus, those with the cursed blood must purify themselves. They must be prepared to let go of their obsession, their desire that holds them back. They must be ready to slay it, without hesitation."

Saeko felt weak, and knew what that meant deep down...

Taizo glared at her intently now. "You will need to purify the cursed blood within you by slaying the darkness which remains in your heart. Saeko... since my death, you have been holding onto my spirit like a shackle. My cursed blood is all that truly holds you back. You are... different, than most of the Busujima for some reason. You have the best chance of becoming the next Thunderbeast." He explained and Saeko butted in.

"What do you mean?! No, I-I-" She stuttered, her knees giving out.

Saeko's father grabbed his daughter's arms... and eased her to the ground, kneeling with her.

"The crossroads..." He began. "Begins... and ends here. You have a choice my daughter... you may either turn back the way you came and let the blade of the Busujima Clan and the inheritance of Ryunoske Busujima be lost forever. Or... you shall purge the final stain of corruption locked away in your soul."

Sakeo began to weep, shaking her head 'no'.

He looked at her sternly... his eyes flickered with sadness. "By defeating me, you will purify your soul, and be allowed the Doujikiri no Yasutsuna ... but in turn I will also be forgotten, and I will seize to be. In body. In mind. In spirit. Forever." He says gravely, his azure gaze glimmering.

Sakeo, sobbing, stared into her father's eyes. "...Anyone, anyone but you! Why you? Why does it have to be you!?" She cried, tears streaming down her face.

"You already know, my girl. I am holding you back... The Doujikiri no Yasutsuna will not allow corruption take up its blade. I need you to be prepared. For the task... will not be as simple as skewering me with your sword. The corruption within me, wishes to spread through you. It will defend itself tooth and nail. Shall you accept the darkness, or fall to my blade... you will yet live, but be tainted and unworthy. Please. For the sake of the nation. Of our Clan. For your own well being... cut me out of your soul. Let me fade... into oblivion, Saeko." He whispered, cupping his daughters face, pressing his forehead against hers...

Saeko sobbed, shaking her head, eyes clenched tight. "The gods... why must they be so cruel...?" She cried.

Taizo kissed her forehead. "As I said... this is nothing between us or the Gods... its is between you and your destiny."

"Destiny can suck it for all I care!" She shouted, to which Taizo grabbed her face and made her look into his eyes. "Saeko... you chose your destiny by the path you take. You cannot have it both ways, for the path spreads too far... and no longer connects. You must choose to continue forward, or retreat." Taizo says one final time.

Saeko stares at her father, the tears continuing to well up. She blinked the wetness from her eyes. "Do... do we have enough t-time..." she sobbed. "...To talk about what you've missed, what I've done... to try and uphold our Clan's h-honor?"

Taizo's eyes well up as well, and he pulls Saeko close once more. "...I want to know more about the foreigners you romanced. This Finn and Alastor-"

She blushed, and slapped his shoulder. "H-how? Ugh... heh..haha... Alastor. He's charming. Strong. Capable. Finn... th-there's nothing going on with us. He's just my stupid, vassal."

"Oh so the flirting before was nothing? Nothing gets past my gaze... A vassal, maybe... but he's a vassal who is putting his life on the line for no reward, and is even looking for you right now; putting your safety above his own. I've had men follow me to the grave based on years of loyalty, and being born to respect and lay down their lives for me. You met this young man a couple days ago, and he's sworn his blade to you, body and soul." Taizo smirked. "Foreign or not... he reminds me of how I met your mother, Ginchiyo." He chuckled.

"Seriously, nothing's going on... he's just working for his mother's amulet." Saeko says, flustered.

"Yeah, he hopes to put said locket around your neck. Heh... well, neither have my approval... but given I'm dead, I have no say. They are lucky to have you, regardless." He says, hugging her tightly.

Saeko was silent. She didn't want to lose her father a second time... and on a more permanent scale judging by the severity. She hugged him tight. "Please... just... a few more minutes."

Taizo, hugging his daughter, closed his eyes. "...just a few more."

Finn Lachdanan Sat Feb 17, 2024 10:00 am

"Saeko!!" Finn called out again, trying to force himself through the illusions of the faeries. C'mon man... you're at least 1/4 Leprechaun, you should be able to do more than just be immune to the illusions I should be able to cut through their barriers as well! He thought, before brandishing his sword again. "Okay... lets try it again... cut through the barrier..." he said to himself, the glowing blade handed to him by the Mysterious Stranger seeming to rattle in his hand. Maybe... its telling me I can...? He thought, before gripping the blade tight. "Okay... show me Saeko...!" He breathed. I'll try anything at this point! He thought, before striking the shimmering barrier ahead of him again with the sword!

Random Mobs Tue Feb 20, 2024 4:40 am

Finn Lachdanan wrote:"Saeko!!" Finn called out again, trying to force himself through the illusions of the faeries. C'mon man... you're at least 1/4 Leprechaun, you should be able to do more than just be immune to the illusions I should be able to cut through their barriers as well! He thought, before brandishing his sword again. "Okay... lets try it again... cut through the barrier..." he said to himself, the glowing blade handed to him by the Mysterious Stranger seeming to rattle in his hand. Maybe... its telling me I can...? He thought, before gripping the blade tight. "Okay... show me Saeko...!" He breathed. I'll try anything at this point! He thought, before striking the shimmering barrier ahead of him again with the sword!

For a brief moment, Finn's Fae blood resonated with his blade, pouring into it his desires and his wishes. He managed to tear through the powerful Fae Barrier just enough to see and feel a window into another part of the world. Cold air nipped at his face and exposed skin, a frigid breeze of ice and snow flowing out from the tear into the fabric of reality created by the faerie magic and Finn's blood born abilities passed down from his mother's Leprechaun line. He didn't see Saeko, not at first, but a vast ocean of white. Ice. Snow. It was in the negatives, wherever it was. He could see a sad, lonely figure covered in fur and seal pelts. A rifle leaning against one shoulder as he put his reddened hands by the paltry fire before him. This, sad and lonely individual slowly picked up his gaze towards Finn's direction. His gold eyes shone through a curtain of black hair that flapped against his reddened face. "What?! Someone's trying to reach me...?" the man said, sounding a bit unhinged. However, the barrier began to shift, and the man reached out... only to look confused. "I can't... stop time? What?! HEY! WHERE THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOI-!" The voice cut off as the barrier shifted, and this time showed Saeko as Finn had wished.

Saeko Busujima was kneeling before a toppled over Beijionese Shrine that was entangled in thick overgrowth and heavy moss. She seemed to be in a trance, as calling out to her had no effect. The window he opened was barely enough for him to squeeze through as well, and it seemed the Faeries responsible for holding this test for Saeko were not at all pleased with Finn's actions.

"Hehehe... the quarterling interfered with our work? Shame... we suppose then, a time limit must be made! The girl shall be devoured then~"

Giggled the sound of many voices, almost childlike and demonic in tone as it echoes off the trees and around the forest like it was the forest itself speaking! Thus, the sprites of the forest began to lead a hostile, hungry and lost being towards the meditating Saeko as punishment...! The primeval barriers fading for the creature, allowing it some semblance of sanity again as all its paths would lead to the kneeling, defenseless young woman!

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The Adventure Continues...

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...and now we fight!

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TWIST

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