[RP]Obake Blade

[Rexraptor2000]

((So sorry for missing this and ignoring you.))

 

"Okay then," Hoshiko replied, flipping her hair back as she turned and started leading the way to the inn. "I'd love the company," she said over her shoulder." And for once, the statement was true. She didn't usually enjoy being around people, but Toa and some of the other people from the group were different. Especially Toa though.

 

((That's all right.))

 

Toa's smile turned into a grin as he went into step besides her. Both to be social and to get their minds off the cold, he pulled out two Volcano 'Smores that he'd saved from that night in the woods and heated them, giving both to her. Then he asked "So, what brings you east? I mean, I know this is Aeromacer territory, but you said that you've never been here before. I'm here because I'm basically looking for a job, though it's because of a promise that I already haven't gotten one back in the west."

[Jason Skywalker]

As Akira finished his meal, he cleaned his mouth with the napkin (sp?) and took a last sip from that water.

 

He excused himself from the table as he noticed Tellis was spying on Kyo and Aya. She seemed to take a great interest on them...

 

"I should keep my eye on this."

[JasraLantill]

After coming inside with Kyo, Aya decided that there was no point in sitting back down at the table to eat her dinner. It was cold, but more to the point her appetite was gone after her chat with Kyo about her coin. She plopped herself down on one of the barstools and set down her empty flagon on the bar.

 

"I could do with a refill, please, Renn," she said to the codgery bartender.

 

"No, you could do with some sleep," Renn replied, taking her empty and then washing and drying it and putting it back on the shelf. "You've had enough ale, young lady."

 

Aya gave him a blank stare, then rested her arms on the bar. "You're not my father," she said to him flatly, although her tone of voice wasn't snippy.

 

"I know," he said to her. "But you know as well as I do that he'd tell you exactly the same thing if he were here. It's last call time anyway."

 

With that said, he went over to the bell that hung behind the bar, and rang it loudly. "Last call!" he shouted to his patrons.

 

He returned to Aya. "It's late. It's market day tomorrow." He patted her hand and gave her a gentle smile. "Go to bed, Aya."

 

Aya nodded, then headed off to her room down the hall. It was only when she opened the door and saw Carwyn lying sleeping in the bed, that she realised that she didn't exactly have a place to sleep herself. She tiptoed over to the side of the bed, and stared at Carwyn for a moment, watching him sleep. He looked so peaceful. She didn't want to disturb him.

 

She turned over her shoulder and looked over to the chair by the dying fire as an alternative, but then decided it really wasn't going to be that comfortable.

 

She sighed, looked back at Carwyn, tucked his covers around his neck, then left the room as quietly as she had entered.

 

She made it a point not to be noticed as she slipped out of the inn and around the back to the stables.

 

"Well, Bob," she said to the pony as she entered his stall. "Move over. Looks like we're roomies again." She piled an armful of clean straw next to Bob, then curled up next to him. "G'night."

[ForceFightWMe12]

"You really shouldn't be sleeping out here."

 

The voice was Kyo's, and he stood at the entrance to the stables, leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded over his chest as he looked at her, his head tilted slightly.

 

"The guard presence in this area of the city is strangely absent tonight. It's not safe out here."

[JasraLantill]

Aya rose her head, squinting at the faint silhouette of Kyo's figure in the doorway of the stall. Then she sighed.

 

"It's safe enough for Bob, and safe enough for my goods...it's safe enough for me," she said tiredly, as she shifted into a more comfortable position against Bob's back and cuddled the blanket around her neck. ((OOC: Bob sleeps lying down, not standing up as some horses do. Just in case you were wondering.))

 

Eyes closed, Aya listened for Kyo leaving. She heard nothing.

 

"You just don't give up, do you, Kyo? I told you that I would give you a decision about my coin in the morning. Can't you just leave me alone for a little while?" she pleaded drowsily. "Bob will protect me," she added, through a yawn. "He always has." She shifted position again. "Strange, though, that he's taken such a liking to you and Carwyn so quickly," she commented softly. "He's normally rather aloof when it comes to strangers."

[ForceFightWMe12]

"Strange that the horse trusts us..." he said. Though his voice was soft, it carried another strange underlying tone to it. "But you can't."

[Jason Skywalker]

Akira got out, to get some fresh breath as he saw Aya, Bob and Kyo. He decided to ignore it, probably not being something special. He decided to explore a little bit the town. So, he then took off.

 

A foolish act as he only took his daggers. While he was swift, cunning and strong, not even those two little blades would protect him for the dangers that could haunt him. That could be following him right now.

[Darth_Velrogh]

Istergard noticed that everybody had finished they're meals and got up. He finished his quickly and took the last sips of his ale.

 

He turned back to the common room where he had left his book and put it in his brown rough leather bag that he tied to his belt.

 

Now let's go take advantage of this moonless night and go for a... walk he thought with a big smile.

 

Istergard left the inn into the cold wind and reached for his hood. In the complete darkness, he could see the heat that glowed off every person's bodies. He could see them soundly sleeping through the walls and he could see the horses in the stables, along with Aya and Kyo. And a little ahead he could see Akira, Istergard got closer and saw didn't carry any decent weapons in such a night.

 

"Not very smart to walk around outside ina moonless night without weapons." he said revealing his presence and getting side-by-side with him "Unless you can use magic."

 

He raised his hand to his chest and whispered a few words, a few moments later a white shadowy ball was glowing in his palm, then Istergard closed his hard andthe white ball vanished like dust.

[Jason Skywalker]

"Not very smart to walk around outside ina moonless night without weapons." he said revealing his presence and getting side-by-side with him "Unless you can use magic."

 

"What Ister?" Akira asked, checking up on his waist. He had no sword. And now arrows or bow. He had forgotten them all.

 

"AH HELL!" He shouted out before Istergard doing some sort of magic.

 

"Hey, what was that?" He asked, curious about it. Although, he could feel he was getting followed.

[Darth_Velrogh]

"That? That was just a small energy ball, it couldn't hurt anything but it could serve as a great lantern." Istergard said. Noticing that there was something wrong with Akira, he started having this creepy feeling they were being followed.

 

"Bat time to forget your weapons, Akira..." he whispered to him, almost sure somebody was behind them.

[Jason Skywalker]

Akira nodded and grabbed hold of his daggers. The two turned around, Istergard with his sword drawn and Akira with his daggers drawn as well only to find it to be a little mouse.

 

"This isn't right, i'm pretty sure we where..." He said before he felt a crippling sensation on his shoulder, getting knocked out.

[JasraLantill]

"Strange that the horse trusts us..." he said. Though his voice was soft, it carried another strange underlying tone to it. "But you can't."

Kyo's words stung Aya's heart like a hot knife, as it reminded her of something her father had once said to her.

 

Aya and her father had been travelling on the narrow trail through Rock Snake Canyon, on their way up to his favorite lookout spot on Dovetail Peak. From there, it was easy to spot the secret pass that would lead them to the North.

 

Suddenly, for no apparent reason, Bob had stopped dead in his tracks.

 

Aya tried to nudge Bob forward, but he wouldn't budge. "Father? What's the matter with him?" the twelve-year old Aya had asked. "Is he lame?"

 

Aya's father's horse, Given, had stopped as well. Sam S’Ornaku held up a cautionary hand for Aya to be silent. "Listen."

 

Aya did, but she didn't hear anything. Moments passed, but then there was sudden and terrible thundering sound that echoed against the narrow canyon walls. It lasted for less than a minute, but it had seemed much longer to Aya at the time.

 

"What was that!?" she asked, somewhat panicked.

 

"Landslide," her father had replied, pointing to a rising cloud of dust just ahead. "Had we kept going, we'd have been right in it's path." He patted Given's neck. "Good boy," he said. Then he had turned to Bob. "You, too, Bob. Good boy."

 

Aya's father gave her a serious look, as he guided his horse closer to Aya's. "Let this be a lesson to you, Aya. Animals can sense things that people have forgotten how to." He reached out and patted Bob's neck. "And that goes for people as well. Animals know who can be trusted and who cannot. If an animal doesn't like someone, there's usually a good reason why. And that works the other way 'round as well. Remember that. Trust Bob's instincts. He won't lead you astray. He'll keep you safe."

 

Aya felt a tear slide down her cheek, and she hurriedly wiped it away. "I'm sorry," she said to Kyo in a very small voice. "I should trust you, I know, but... You don't understand how much that coin means to me. I know it's silly, but it's all I've got left to remember my father by." She paused, as the memory of his death caused more tears while the alcohol from the ales she'd had earlier fuelled their flow. "He fought bravely, but... there was nothing I could do, Kyo! They took everything! And if it weren't for the soldiers arriving...," She paused a beat, clutching the coin close to her chest. "They would have taken more.

 

"I'm... I'm just tired, Kyo. Please, just.... " She couldn't finish her sentence. She buried her head into Bob, sobbing.

[ForceFightWMe12]

Kyo stood straight as he heard her broken breathing, any annoyance he had felt draining instantly. She was crying...and it was his fault. The sinking feeling in his chest was strange to him, being something he didn't normally feel. He moved slowly into the stable, coming to crouch before her. He moved his hand as if to touch her, but seemed to think better of it, and instead sat down, his legs folded beneath him, and hung his head.

 

"I'm sorry." he whispered.

[JasraLantill]

Bob lifted his head and looked at Kyo, sitting so close to Aya now. As if to say, "Well, comfort her, you big dolt!" Bob nudged Kyo's back with his nose, actually causing him to bump into Aya.

[ForceFightWMe12]

Kyo looked at Bob questioningly as the horse nudged him. He nudged the swordsman again - gentler this time, as to not disturb Aya - and then Bob's dark eyes darted between Kyo and the trader. Understanding dawned on him, but...what was he supposed to do?

 

Lifting his arm, he hesitantly slipped it around her shoulders to try and comfort her. He didn't know what to say. "Aya..."

[JasraLantill]

Aya felt the comforting warmth of Kyo's arm around her shoulder, yet Bob didn't even twitch a muscle at the swordsman's actions. He obviously trusted him completely, Aya thought.

 

With her judgment impaired by drink, but trusting Bob's judgment of Kyo's character implicitly, Aya immediately, (and probably to Kyo's shock,) turned her head into Kyo's shoulder. Still sobbing and with irratic breaths, she sniffled a muffled apology for getting his shirt wet with tears, then snuggled into him.

[Darth_Velrogh]

"Akira!" Istergard screemed as he saw Akira fall into the ground bleeding from the shoulder.

 

He spinned around with his sword and got one with a straight blow to the head, the enemy he had struck down was wearing a leather armor and so were the others that were starting to appear behind him, all had either small knifes or some sort of club.

 

The ones with knifes started "distracting" Istergard who tried ferouciously to hit them and didn't noticethat he had been encercled by the ones with clubs and got it twice in shoulder and chest, with light fading from his eyes he fell quickly to the ground.

[Rogue Nine]

Tellis had observed the two warriors get up from the table, then head outside. Kyo had moved from the bar into the back of the inn and Renn had rung the last call bell. Tellis knew that she'd not find any more things of interest at this time. Leaving a small pile of coins on the table, she quietly stole out into the cold night, heading for the other inn just across the way.

 

She was a regular at the Wavering Wind, so much so that she knew her way around quite well. Rounding the corner, she slipped into a small side door hidden by shadow. Making her way up the well-worn staircase, she came to a door at the top. She turned the knob and entered the small room. It was dark, illuminated only by the moonlight that filtered through the slats in the window shutters. Tellis did not need light to know her way around, however. She had been in this room many times.

 

Moving to the window, she pulled one shutter aside, then stopped short. Her sharp grey eyes peered into the dark across the street. She recognized Akira and Istergard from the Smoking Dragon. They were walking together down the dark street, when a pack of dark figures descended upon them. After putting up a valiant, but brief and ultimately futile struggle, the pair were subdued by the shadowy figures. Tellis blinked once, then her jaw dropped as she saw the deserted street. They had disappeared.

 

Shutting her window quickly, she stood for several moments, reflecting on what she'd just witnessed. Strange things were happening in the town of Ryuu-Tokai, and she hated not knowing why or how they were happening.

[JasraLantill]

It didn't take long for Aya to fall asleep in Kyo's arms. Her breaths came heavy and regular, the effect of the alcohol she had consumed.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

"Well, well, well... what've we got here?" Mr. Wolfgang-Bria, otherwise known as 'the Wolf' thoughtfully tugged at his bearded chin as he looked at the two unconscious men that his associates were tying up in the basement of his warehouse. "Mercenaries?"

 

"Erm... dunno, boss," said one of his more intelligent thugs. "Found 'em near the Smokin' Dragon when we went lookin' for the girl."

 

One of Wolf's bushy brows arched. "And where is the girl?"

 

"Erm...." The brutish red-haired thug scratched his head stupidly. "Dunno. She weren't inside when we peeked through the windys."

 

Wolf sighed with disappointment. "So, these are 'friends' of hers?"

 

"Well, they were eatin' at the same table when you told us to go and spy on her before."

 

Wolf shook his head, wondering why he had hired these idiots. "Well, I suppose we'll just have to ask them when they wake up, won't we?"

 

The thug nodded, then pointed down to one of the captured men. "Look! One of 'ems movin'!" He raised his club to thump the man back into unconsciousness, but Wolf caught his arm in mid-swing.

 

"I'll thump you if you fail me again, you idiot!" he snarled. He nodded down to his prisoners. "They could be valuable to me later. Just keep them tied up and let me know when they wake." He headed towards his office, leaving his thugs to guard his prisoners.

[ForceFightWMe12]

Kyo stiffened in surprise as Aya turned into his shoulder, relaxing slowly as her sobs began to die. By the time she was falling asleep, he had hesitantly put his other arm around her.

 

It was forever since the last time he had touched someone like this...he had forgotten the warmth of human skin.

 

After a while - when he was sure she was deeply asleep - he began to shift himself from beneath her.

[JasraLantill]

Bob snorted directly and forcefully on Kyo's neck, then shook his head and shaggy mane--gently, but enough to catch Kyo's attention. It was as if he was telling Kyo not to leave.

 

Aya shifted in her sleep, her fingers of one hand closing around her coin pendant, the fingers of her other clinging to Kyo's shirt more tightly. She murmured something unintelligible, but then her breathing became deep and regular once more.

 

Bob let out a soft, quiet whicker, and very gently nudged Kyo with his velvety nose, as if inviting him to cozy in as well and go to sleep.

[ForceFightWMe12]

"Er..." Kyo murmured, looking between the two of them, then down to where Aya's fingers were clentched in his shirt. After a moment, he sighed. Shifting back beneath Aya, he changed position against Bob. "You don't mind do you?" he asked softly with a faint smile. Bob snorted quietly. He rested his head back against the horse's soft, warm body, and closed his eyes.

[Grace]

"I'll be right here if you wish to talk," he said softly as he stood like a sentry, infront of the door, just incase anyone attempted to come in, he would be there to caution them away. It's all he knew to do at the moment, until Takara wished to talk, then he'd talk to her, and try as best he could to comfort her.

 

 

Takara stood motionless, staring out the window. Even when Xan entered and positioned himself by the door, she neither did nor said anything. Finally, she turned, drying her tears and sat on one of the two beds in the room. Still not looking at Xan, she sighed.

 

"I was being selfish," she said softly. "Not wanting him to leave, I mean. Really, I do want him to be happy..."

 

She sighed again. "I just..." For the first time since Xan entered the room, Takara looked up at him. "It'll be different," she admitted quietly. "Not to have him within a short trip's distance all the time."

[Dark_Lady]

((That's all right.))

 

Toa's smile turned into a grin as he went into step besides her. Both to be social and to get their minds off the cold, he pulled out two Volcano 'Smores that he'd saved from that night in the woods and heated them, giving both to her. Then he asked "So, what brings you east? I mean, I know this is Aeromacer territory, but you said that you've never been here before. I'm here because I'm basically looking for a job, though it's because of a promise that I already haven't gotten one back in the west."

"Thanks," Hoshiko said, taking the s'mores. "But don't you want one too?" she asked, holding one of them out to him.

 

"Well, I came east for the same reason, really," she said. "I'm looking for a job, too." He promised he wouldn't get a job in the West? Why? she wondered.

[Rexraptor2000]

"Thanks," Hoshiko said, taking the s'mores. "But don't you want one too?" she asked, holding one of them out to him.

 

"Well, I came east for the same reason, really," she said. "I'm looking for a job, too." He promised he wouldn't get a job in the West? Why? she wondered.

 

He nodded his head, pushing the 'smore back to her saying "I can make volcano 'smores anytime. The fact is, I can do it without the actual volcano. The volcano's just for show. As for jobs out here, the only ones that I've heard for Aeromacers out here are moving ships along, though it doesn't look like you have your sea legs yet from what I saw."

 

Then his face turned into smile with a dash of homesickness in it and said "I'm just want to get scouting the east and north over with so I can go back home for a job. Not that I don't like meeting new people like you." Especially like you, Toa thought unconsciously.