[RP]Obake Blade

[JasraLantill]

"It just got better," Aya agreed, her eyes lighting up at Carwyn's arrival. "Is Bob okay?"

 

Carwyn nodded.

 

Aya then glanced at the urn. "Erm, Carwyn... you mind holding my seat... erm, I mean, keeping my chair for me?" She cringed slightly, again aware that she was in danger of lodging her foot in her mouth once again. "I just wanted to say goodnight to Bob. I'll be right back."

 

Taking the urn with her, she left the table and headed in the direction of the stables. In a few minutes, she had returned, the urn no longer in her possession.

 

She took her seat once again and took a long drink of her ale. The party at the inn was in full swing now and Aya found herself tapping her foot to the lively music.

[Grace]

Xan sat at the ede of the bed, he was tired, but he had some responsability before he colapsed.

 

Getting up, he slowly moved towards the old rucsac he owned, picking it up, he headed for the bed, sitting on the edge once more. He opened the rucsac, the little white dog popping it's head out, it's face in a happy grin.

 

"Hello Akkan, little rascal, how're you?" He asked the dog, the dog replying with a wimper.

 

Xan frowned, "I know you're hungry, but I can't get you anything right now." Xan pulled the dog out of the rucsac, laying down, the dog moved up to his face, licking his chin.

 

"Alright, alright, I missed you too, but I need some sleep, so I'll set you down, and you can expend that energy that's been storing up from being couped in that rucsac," Xan told the dog, picking him up, and putting the dog on the floor, the little fellow began scampering around happily.

 

Xan smiled, "hey, maybe you could cheer Takara up." Xan said to the dog with a smile, the dog just staring at him, his tongue lolling from it's mouth.

 

Xan laid back down, only to go to sleep moments later. Akkan on the otherhand, just scampered around the room, sniffing here, there, and everywhere; until he came upon Takara, who he took some time to study with his one good eye, then he panted at the kneeling figure, yipping at her, circling her, wondering if she'd feed him, or play with him.

 

 

Takara opened one eye. Then, slowly, she reached out her right hand toward Akkan, allowing him to sniff at the gloved fingers. With a little whine, he put his paws up on her legs. Taking a shallow breath, Takara reached down and lifted the pup up into her arms.

 

"Want something to eat, do you?" she murmured. Getting to her feet, she took Akkan out of the room. As soon as she was gone, Katsuro's breathing returned to normal and he sat up.

 

"She's so easy to fool," he told the resting Xan. "I know what she listens for..." He shook his head. "But that doesn't matter... not now."

 

He stared at the door. "She's never happy." Glancing at Xan, he added, "My mother, I mean. Oh, she tries to act like it, but..." He shook his head and shrugged, grinning a little. "She gets a little nervous when I start talking like this... like an adult."

 

"We have grown far too good at acting, my mother and I," he went on, shaking his head. Then, he began singing to himself. Only a few lines into the song, he paused and said, "I ask my mother to sing, for when she sings, it is the nearest she comes to being happy since..."

 

His words trailed off and he sang a few more lines. Then, crawling into bed, he resumed the deep breathing his mother had associated with his sleep. Xan, on the other hand, if he were paying attention, would catch faint humming coming from the boy, buried in the breaths.

[Master_Archon]

"We have grown far too good at acting, my mother and I," Katsuro said, then soon after, began singing. "I ask my mother to sing, for when she sings, it is the nearest she comes to being happy since..." The boy stopped talking and layed back down, humming inbetween breaths.

 

Xan was out of it, or so someone could assume. The whole time Katsuro spoke, he had been facing away from the boy, seeming to be perfectly knocked out.

 

But what he didn't see was the smirk that spread across the guard's face. 'You and your mom aren't the only actors,' Xan thought to himself, as he lay there, listening to the boy hum.

 

But the smirk faded, and Xan thought to himself on what Katsuro had said, then he concentrated on getting some actual rest.

[3yks]

Kai was still waiting for Kyo's responce to his pledge, but he wasn't going to push it. He nodded to Carewyn as he sat, he had placed him self languidly i his chair, almost like a cat would sit if a cat was the shape of a human. He eyed the strange druid for a few moments. "If that was all this ... man needed from, Aya, i do think that Kai and these men would like to talk with Aya about something, would this man mind giving us some privacy?" Kai nodded to the druid, staring at him as he waited for him to leave.

[Master_Archon]

Yuri looked over at the very rude, and disrespectful semi-sane looking person, sitting like a monkey in a tree.

 

"No, I don't think my business with Aya is over," the old man told him sternly. "Because I haven't answered her questions, and I will. But seeing as you have more pressing matters, I'll leave as requested," he said with a hint of indignance towards the one known as Kai.

 

Old Yuri got up, before he left he looked over at the ranger, who he could tell didn't like him by the looks he gave him. "Fine company you keep Ms. S'Ornaku...fine company indeed," he said sarcastically, and disdainfully to Aya, heading off towards some tall shrubbery in the courtyard.

 

Little to their knowledge, soon after he was out of sight, a harmless bat came fluttering overhead, landing nearby on a lamp post in the back courtyard.

[Jason Skywalker]

Akira yawned, it was getting very late. He found himself more confortable with those regular clothes. His black boots, dark grey pants and shirt with a black vest over it.

 

"Well, time to get back," He murmured. Walking thowards the table, he sat down.

 

"Thank you for saving my seat Aya," He whispered.

 

"Missed me?"

[Rogue Nine]

Carwyn watched the old man skulk off, obviously indignant at the frosty reception he was getting. When his back was turned, Carwyn stuck his tongue out at him. "Nanny nanny poo poo, I hope a bird craps on you," the ranger said under his breath.

 

He then turned his attention back to the table, where everyone seemed just a bit more relaxed. I wonder why, Carwyn thought to himself sarcastically as he reached for another flagon of ale.

[Dark_Lady]

The Fire Dragon roared again and barreled recklessly towards the wind dragon, intent on using its own body as a cannonball while spewing out a stream of fire at it as well. It's skull had three spikes sprouting from it, along with two small tusks at each side of its mouth. It had long spikes trailing down its back also and had blood red eyes. Well, flame eyes to be more specific.

 

((I know we're supposed to be pretty much done, sorry I've been gone so long.))

 

The Wind Dragon moved lightly to the side, avoiding the attack and slashing towards the other dragon's side as it passed. It was lithe and slender, built for speed, with its agility clearly shown in every move. Ice blue eyes glowed in its face, and its head and upper neck were crested by a row of four horns. Thousands of semi-iridiscent scales covered its body, flashes of light rippling across them every so often as if the creature were electrified.

[JasraLantill]

As the old man walked off in a huff, Aya shivered. "What's wrong with him?" she quietly asked the others. "I mean, he seems nice enough, but there's something distinctly 'odd' about him. I can't quite put my finger on it, but... it's something to do with his eyes. It's like... like he looks 'through' you, not 'at' you." She paused. "And he still never said where and when he had met my father."

 

Before she could say anything more on the subject, Akira appeared and sat down on the chair Aya had reserved by draping his cloak over it.

"Thank you for saving my seat Aya," Akira whispered.

 

"Missed me?"

"Of course," Aya said, smiling at the young warrior. "Even got you an ale." She nodded at the several pints of ale sitting on the table. She winked at him. "Or two."

 

Just then, an electrified dragon swooshed overhead, diving towards the crowd in the inn's courtyard and nearly skimming the roof of the stable as it soared back up into the night sky. Aya looked skyward, watching it soar higher and higher until it finally began diving again on its 'mancer opponent.

 

"Brilliant display! Hoshiko and Toa must be having a right old laugh!" Aya observed. "Think they'll make an appearance in here tonight?"

 

"They might," said a silky voice behind her. Aya whipped her head around to see Tellis standing directly behind her.

 

Aya frowned slightly, as she hadn't even noticed Tellis arrive, let alone knew how long she'd been standing there, but then quickly shook off her confusion and greeted the healer. "You want an ale, Te.... Oh." Aya noticed Tellis' glass of water in hand. "You've got a drink already. Nevermind."

 

Tellis' lips curled into a fluid grin. "Yes, but thank you for the offer all the same."

 

"You're welcome," Aya said. She pushed one of the pints towards Kai, and another one towards Kyo. And then she noticed Jonas, the old archer, just exiting the main room of the inn and coming out into the courtyard, and Bora-Cho, the monk, looking for either ale or company or both. She whistled at them both, held up an ale, and then motioned him over. There was plenty of ale for everyone.

 

Aya's foot was still tapping to the music. "Great band tonight," she commented to the group. "Very lively music." She looked at Akira, then Kyo, then Carwyn, then gently bit her lip. "Erm... anyone want to dance?"

[Rogue Nine]

Carwyn brightened at Aya's offer, then remembered sadly that he had two left feet and really couldn't dance worth a lick. Still, it wasn't going to stop him from trying.

 

"I'd not mind," he told her. "'Course, you're goin' to be in for a lot of smushed toes, since I dance like a drugged-up stooge." He cast her a lopsided grin. "Still up for it?"

[JasraLantill]

Aya beamed. "Of course!" she said, hopping up from her chair. She looked down at Carwyn's feet. "And don't worry about my toes," she said to him. "I can move pretty fast if I have to. Remember, I travel with Bob. I'm used to dodging heavy feet."

 

She grabbed him by the arm and dragged him towards where the band was playing.

[Rexraptor2000]

((I know we're supposed to be pretty much done, sorry I've been gone so long.))

 

The Wind Dragon moved lightly to the side, avoiding the attack and slashing towards the other dragon's side as it passed. It was lithe and slender, built for speed, with its agility clearly shown in every move. Ice blue eyes glowed in its face, and its head and upper neck were crested by a row of four horns. Thousands of semi-iridiscent scales covered its body, flashes of light rippling across them every so often as if the creature were electrified.

 

((That's okay. Take your time.))

 

The Fire Dragon let out a roar of both pain and fury as the slash grazed its side, creating a trail of smoke that escaped from the wound. After its pass, it flew within firing rang and let loose a torrent of color-changing fire at the Wind Dragon. Toa down below smiled, the temperature around him beginning to increase and the grounding starting to become hot to the point were people were cooking things using his heat. He didn't mind though, as his gaze fell on Hoshiko, admiring her electrical beauty for a moment before returning to the fight.

_________________________________________________

 

Deep in the waters surrounding the island, there was demented scythe made of skulls and twisted metal that glowed with a dark aura. All life that came near it whithered away until bones were all that were left, and it laid there undisturbed. Then it began to pulse brightly, and bones began to break through the ocean floor, forming together. The scythe was at the center of the creature-in-progress, tainting each bone with its demented power.

[ForceFightWMe12]

"Pushy pushy..." Kyo murmured, smiling faintly as he watched Aya drag Carwyn away. Meanwhile, he pushed the mug of alcohol back to the center of the table so it could be guzzled by some other willing soul, bringing his own drink to his lips. Cool, crisp water was far more refreshing than ale anyway.

 

The warrior looked over the rim of his mug at Tellis, who had now joined them at the table. Setting the water down again, he nodded to her own drink.

 

"No ale for you either?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

[Grace]

Takara slipped into the common room just as the others were beginning to speak of dancing. Almost immediately, she was approached with an offered drink, which she first turned down. Even after it was made clear to her that the drink was free, she declined politely, at which point the young server shoved the drink into her hand and said, "If not for you, then for the pup."

 

Akkan sniffed at the glass and stretched, trying to get a taste. Takara stretched her arm away, well out of his reach. "Oh, no you don't!" she scolded. "I don't know what he'd think if I brought you back drunk..."

 

With a little whine, the pup settled back under Takara's arm and she approached the bar. "I think the pup is hungry," she said to Renn. From behind the counter, he grinned.

 

"Quite the mismatched pair, you seem," he said cheerfully as he reached for something Akkan could eat. "Where'd you find him?"

 

"Oh, no," Takara corrected quickly. "I'm just looking after him for a friend..."

 

Renn laughed. "I seen you come in a few times. Only with the boy... and the armored fighter, Xan..."

 

"So?" Takara bristled. "Who says my friend is here?"

 

Holding his hands up, as if in defense, Renn backed down. "Alright, alright. Your kind always did love secrets..."

 

Takara stared at him in silence while Akkan reached his head down to the bar where Renn had placed his food. "What is that supposed to mean? My kind?"

 

"Ma'am, you can't own a bar and not learn to read people," Renn answered, lowering his voice and leaning across the bar. "You have a son and no father in sight. Your expression... your eyes go distant sometimes. You lost someone and haven't been happy since. How long has it been?"

 

"I am not speaking of this to a complete stranger," Takara growled, retrieving the plate for Akkan, who pulled back with a startled whine. She retreated to a table in a shady corner and sat, glaring out at nothing.

[3yks]

Kai didn't seem to be much for alchohol either, lightly pushing the two drinks back into the center of the table. "Ale, and other spirit's make Kai less than Kai, but thank you for the offer." He had said when Aya had offered them. He glanced around the roo, he didn't really have anything to talk about, he'd simply not liked the crazy old man, and had wanted to get rid of him.

 

His eye drifted around the room, nodding and offering Tellis a smile when she approached. His eye came to rest up in the rafters a moment and he frowned. "Bats, always hated bats." He shrugged though, as long as it stayed up there he'd leave it be. He rubbed at his stomach wounds faintly, they itched pretty bad.

[Jason Skywalker]

"Two ales, nice..." Akira murmured.

 

"Anybody up for a drinking contest?" He grinned at everyone around him. The place was surely a place to be. Drinks, fire dragons, wind dragons, etc.

[Rogue Nine]

Tellis raised her grey eyes to match Kyo's gaze. She swirled the water in her glass, then took a sip from it. "I'm much more in my element with water," she replied softly. A small smile creased her lips. "Though I will admit the usefulness of alcohol in certain situations." Her eyes flicked over to where Aya and Carwyn were.

 

****

 

Carwyn was having a devil of time trying not to fall over from trying not to step on Aya's toes. For all his agility, the ranger really couldn't dance to save his life. Aya was taking it all in stride though, keeping a firm grip on Carwyn's shoulder and hand and leading him in the proper movements.

 

"You need to relax more," the merchant chided lightly.

 

"I'm trying, really," Carwyn said as they twirled about.

[ForceFightWMe12]

Kyo shrugged a bit, allowing that. Alcohol, as Aya had pointed out to him three days ago - had it only been that long? - since the caravan had began.

 

"It can be useful." he admitted, following her glance to the dancing couple, as he took another drink. "There is none for me, however. To purposefully get someone drunk seems a bit underhanded to me, but...if it is absolutely needed, then it must absolutely need to be done."

[Rogue Nine]

Tellis smiled wryly. "Ah, then what would be a situation in which is is 'absolutely needed', then?" she asked, her voice amused. "And would you partake in the drinking itself if it was 'required'?"

[ForceFightWMe12]

"Required..." he murmured, "Well...say there's some information that you need, and there's only one person that you can get it from. This person, however, is rather reluctant to give the information to you. I think that everyone on the Continent knows how effective alcohol can be when it comes to loosening up one's lips.

 

"I, however," he continued, "Probably would not. There are several ways that you can fake a drink."

[JasraLantill]

((Ok, sorry for a bit of charry control with our mages and Takara, but after a chat on AIM with FFWM12, we figured we needed everyone back at the inn so that Kyo can assemble his ‘team’ for his quest. So far, he’s got Akira, Carywn, Aya, and Kai (I think). He’ll need the two mages (‘Fire’ and ‘Air’ as was mentioned in the old witch’s prophesy to Kyo), and probably Tellis as she’s a healer, and Takara might be good at… tracking perhaps? (Not exactly sure, but I’m sure Grace will think of a reason why she might want to go with Kyo. ) As Katsuro and Xan are asleep at the moment, they’ll have to join up with Kyo in the morning. Not sure what Yoshi’s plans are, but I’m sure Master_Archon will find a way to integrate him into the story.))

 

~~~~~~~

 

Aya was having a great time. It had been a long while since she had danced, and even though Carwyn was far from being what she would deem a good dancer, she was enjoying herself nonetheless. But it wasn’t long before her toes were getting a bit sore from Carwyn’s blundering footwork, and that gave her an idea.

 

With a few quiet comments in the right ears of those people dancing near her, it wasn’t long before the tempo of the music changed and a conga line began to form.

 

“No chance of you stepping on my toes in this dance!” Aya said cheerily as she took hold of Carwyn’s hands, placing them snugly around her waist as she joyfully joined in behind one of the conga dancers.

 

As the line began to gather more people and momentum, it began to spiral out from the dance area and into the main room of the inn. Eventually, as more people were coerced into joining, including an unsuspecting Takara, the line spilled out into the street where it encountered the two mages, who were just winding down their dragon battle. Neither Hoshiko or Toa, wise ‘mancers as they were, could have been prepared for the sudden onslaught of happy-go-lucky dancers chugging their way through the square, and the two mages were soon swallowed up in the festive line as wound its way back to the Smoking Dragon Inn.

 

Finally, the line ended up back inside the inn and as the musicians took a much needed break, so the line dissolved into a buzzing mass of people--all chatting, drinking, laughing, and socialising in earnest.

 

Aya wiped the small beads of sweat on her brow. “I need a drink, and a rest, after all that dancing,” she said to Carwyn, and with him in tow, she started to negotiate through the crowd to the table where Kyo, Akira, Kai and Tellis had last been seated. On the way there, they bumped into Takara. Aya took her hand then motioned for the young mother to follow them, as Takara seemed to be either irritated or overwhelmed at being in the midst of the drunken and boisterous crowd of party goers.

 

As they weaved through the people, Aya thought she smelled the scent of smoke, strange as the Smoking Dragon didn’t allow smoking inside, and then she felt a cooling gust of wind rush past her. Looking around, she spotted the two mages up ahead.

 

“Hey,” she said over her shoulder to Carwyn. “Isn’t that Hoshiko over there? And Toa?” She waved her hand in the air to attract the mages attention. “Hoshiko! Toa! We’ve got a table outside in the courtyard,” she called out to them. “You’re welcome to join us and get out of this crowd!”

 

She turned over her shoulder to Carwyn. “It’s always prudent to be nice to ‘mancers,” she said. “Besides that, I wanted to thank them for their truly wonderful firework display. Best I’ve seen… ever!”

 

In a few moments, Aya, Carwyn, Takara, and the two mages had made it through to the outdoor courtyard and the table. Aya pulled up extra chairs for their new guests.

 

“Great fireworks, by the way!” she said to the two mages. “Sorry that you got cut short in your performance though. Crowds are so unpredictable. But, at least it’s not as crowded and stuffy out here. And,” she added, grinning, “the drinks are all free tonight.”

 

She then sat down in her own chair in between Carwyn and Akira. “So,” she said to Akira. “What did we miss?” She picked up her flagon of ale and took a long, refreshing drink. “Anything exciting?” She frowned a bit as she noticed Kyo looking rather pensive. “And why does Kyo look all… serious?”

 

She gave Kyo a disparaging look. "Please tell me you haven't been talking about that mythical Blade all this time."

[Jason Skywalker]

"Actually, i suggested a drinking contest, and Kyo and Tellis here started to talk about "the evils of alcohol"," He said in a mocking tone.

[JasraLantill]

Aya looked at her cup, then back at Akira. She grinned. "The 'evils' of... Oh, really?" She winked at him, clinked her cup against his, then took another sip. "I find Renn's ale more refreshing than innoxitating. It hardly has any alchollol in it." She took pause, then grinned. "That didn't come out quite right, did it?"

 

She drained what was left in her cup. "Akira, I think I might need a second ale. Any left?" She srraightened herself in her chair, craning her neck to see if any of the tall ceramic flagons sitting in the middle of the table still contained ale in them.

[Rogue Nine]

"Actually Akira, Kyo and I were discussing the potential usefulness of alcohol in certain situations," Tellis said, her voice silky.

 

Carwyn teetered over to the table and slumped himself back into his chair. "I never knew dancing could be so strenuous," he exhaled as he rubbed his feet. "Dodging giant boulders thrown by stinky mountain trolls was easier than that." He looked over at Aya, not wanting to be misunderstood. "Hopefully I didn't squash your feet too much there."

 

Tellis' expression was still one of amusement as she slid a fresh flagon of ale to Aya's waiting hands. "Wouldn't be the first time I've had to tend to dancing related injuries," she commented. "They usually get more... interesting the more alcohol one has imbibed." She ran her tongue over her lower lip.

 

Carwyn sighed, then plopped his hand on the table. "Send one my way too, Tel. I'm parched." He smirked, then added as an afterthought, "Alcohol related whatevers be damned."

[ForceFightWMe12]

"Actually..." Kyo murmured, "I was just thinking about what the old woman had said to me earlier."

 

Three things she had told him - he was the one who would find the blade, he would need the help of others, including four other 'halves', and that he would die because of poisoning by a friend. The last thing the others didn't need to know - he had only been worrying about the third part.

 

"I'm planning on leaving tomorrow to start looking for the Obake blade." he said, running a hand through his hair as he leaned forward, elbow on the table. "But I'm not going to be leaving alone. Kai, you said that you would join me? What about you, Akira?"