[RP]Obake Blade

[3yks]

Kai stared off into the distance, something was going on. He could see two people, fighting it looked like. He frowned, they were flying all around. He moved rapidly, running silently across the ground, until he was closer. He peered up, and frowned, he recognized Takara, but not the other woman. He was about to pull up his eye patch and leap in to help, when he saw the boy. He frowned, Katsuro didn't seem worried, infact he was grinning as he ran after his mother and grandmother. So Kai just moved toward him.

 

"Kai wonders why they fight?" He asked as he ran up to Katsuro.

[Quist]

Akira didn't seem to be answering her, and Brother Hanzo was already bustling about, so she left the young warrior at the foot of the stairs and moved up to the second floor. Brother Hanzo was on a step ladder in between bookshelves, searching for a specific scroll. Maggie made no move to help him as he liked to find things on his own and only grew irritable when he was helped.

 

She glanced over where Kyo was sitting, poring over a rather large collection of works, his brow furrowed in thought. She didn't want to disturb him either...

 

Just then, the wind outside blew hard against the shutters and stirred up a loud noise. Maggie frowned and made her way to the window overlooking the courtyard and pushed it open. She opened it just in time to witness Lady Haruka flying overhead, her clothes soaked. Raising an eyebrow, she turned to look down at the reflection pool to see Carwyn and Aya step out of it, the both of them also soaked. They made their way out of the courtyard and back into the monastery.

 

Closing the window, she shook her head, unsure if what she just saw really happened. Moving over to Kyo, she stood next to the table and asked quietly, "Did you see that?"

[ForceFightWMe12]

Kyo was looking outside now, his elbow resting on the chair's arm, his hand against his chin and one finger placed lightly across his lips. He couldn't fight the smile of amusement that came to his face when he watched Aya and Carwyn climb, sopping wet, from the reflecting pool.

 

He noted that a small flicker of pleasure rested in his chest at the thought of their ruined moment. The last thing he needed was the two of them making babies on this mission.

 

The swordsman didn't look at Maggie as she spoke, but rather watched the two wind mages as the soared over the walls of the monestary, high in the air and paying no attention to anything but their battle. Mother and daughter were completely oblivious to the chaos they had caused below.

 

"I did," he said, looking to her now and motioning to the seat across from him, inviting her to sit, "Takara does indeed to have rather...exciting encounters with her family members. They seem to be on good terms at heart, but..." he shrugged, "So is life."

[Quist]

Maggie nodded, taking the seat across from Kyo and frowning as she sank into it. The library chairs really were some of the more extravagant things the monastery owned and this one was no exception. It was plush and very soft, to the point where even her slight frame made her sink. Extracting herself, she sat at the end of the cushion, planting her feet firmly on the ground.

 

"Lady Haruka almost never came out of her room the first few months she was here," Maggie told Kyo. "It's quite a surprise to see her so...animated." She smoothed out a few stray wrinkles in her dress, then looked out the window again. "And poor Aya and Carwyn, getting drenched by the aeromancer fight. I hope they're all right."

[ForceFightWMe12]

He smirked. "They'll be fine - they've been through worse."

 

In all truthfullness, he had been glad that the aeromacers came when they did. He didn't want to watch the ranger and merchant together - it felt like such a scoundrelish thing to do, and he couldn't bear to spy on them. But at the same time, he kept finding his gaze diverted out the window...

 

"I figure that once you've dealt with a rock snake," he looked to Maggie, smiling, "You can handle almost anything."

[Quist]

"Yeah, rock snakes are nasty things," Maggie agreed, shivering a little. She'd only ever seen one in her life, and that had been more than enough for her. She leaned forward, peering over the tomes that Kyo had littered all over the table. "How's your research coming along?" she asked, curious as to why someone like him would need to study such archaic histories.

[ForceFightWMe12]

"Well enough." he said, shrugging a bit as he traded the book in his hands for a different one, looking first at the front pages and then flipping through the old, dusty parchment, "I've only just started - so for the moment, I've found nothing all that interesting."

 

Looking up from what he was doing, he looked at the woman. "You've lived with the monks for most of your life..." he said, "Do you know anything about the Obake Blade?"

[Grace]

Kai stared off into the distance, something was going on. He could see two people, fighting it looked like. He frowned, they were flying all around. He moved rapidly, running silently across the ground, until he was closer. He peered up, and frowned, he recognized Takara, but not the other woman. He was about to pull up his eye patch and leap in to help, when he saw the boy. He frowned, Katsuro didn't seem worried, infact he was grinning as he ran after his mother and grandmother. So Kai just moved toward him.

 

"Kai wonders why they fight?" He asked as he ran up to Katsuro.

 

 

"Mmm?" Katsuro mumbled. "Oh... just a friendly mother-daughter competition," he said cheerfully. "See who's best. Mom's winning... and she's still got a few tricks she hasn't played yet!"

[Quist]

"Not a whole lot, really," Maggie replied, shaking her head. "I know of it, since it's kind of hard not to with Brother Hanzo around." She tilted her head towards the elderly monk, who was still rooting through the shelves. "It's been one of his little projects," she told him. "One of many, mind. He may be old and rickety, but his brain's still as sharp as ever." She grinned, feeling proud of her mentor. "So if you have questions or need pointing in the right direction pertaining to the Obake Blade, I'd just ask him some pointed questions, really."

[JasraLantill]

Aya and Carwyn sat by the fire, watching the flames dance as they sipped their tea and let the penetrating heat warm and dry them. Aya's hair hung around her shoulders in damp, loose waves, her having to undo her plaits to allow her hair to dry. Neither one spoke for a long time, each just content to be near each other.

 

"You know," Aya said to Carwyn after a while, "I thought getting drenched like we did was sort of a bad thing, but now...." She grinned at him as he wiggled his toes in the glow of the firelight. "It's kind of nice drying off." She took a sip of the hot tea that Brother Kitanga had brought them, then scooted closer to Carwyn. "So," she whispered, "about this kissing you were planning to do more of...."

 

Behind them, someone cleared their throat. Loudly.

 

Aya's head whipped around over her shoulder. "Father Abbot!" she gasped, and she immediately moved away from Carwyn and straightened her posture. "I... I... I didn't hear you come into the hall."

 

"I know," said the Abbot, giving Aya a stern look. "I take it that you and Master Stormchild are adequately drying off after your encounter at the reflection pool?"

 

"Erm... you saw that, did you?" Aya asked, sounding a bit concerned.

 

"The window for my chambers has a lovely view of the gardens. I like to watch the golden light of the sunset illuminate the bonzais around the reflection pool, and contemplate on the teachings of Xanthiel the Wise." He paused. "You remember who Xanthiel was, don't you, Aya?"

 

Aya nodded. "Yes, Father." She gave Carwyn a quick glance, then swallowed hard. "He was the first Northern monk to renounce the pleasures of the flesh."

 

The Abbot stared at her, then nodded. "I'm very glad to see that you haven't forgotten the lessons taught to you during your stays here, child. I'm sure your father, gods rest his soul, would be very proud of you."

 

Aya shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah," she said in a voice barely above a whisper.

 

The Abbot grinned. "Well, since Brother Kitanga has managed to get you both sorted with warm drinks and dry clothing, I'll leave you and Master Stormchild to... contemplate."

 

The Abbot exited the hall then, just as quietly as he had entered.

[Rogue Nine]

Carwyn couldn't help but grin at the exchange between the Abbott and Aya. When Abbott Carlisle departed, Aya had a mortified look on her face. She looked so concerned that he reached out and pulled her over to him again in a comforting hug. "I guess we've been caught, huh?"

 

She looked up at him apprehensively and nodded, still a little too taken aback to speak.

 

He laughed and kissed the top of her wet hair. "Oh, don't worry about it so much," he said. "He's just watching out for you, like any good guardian would. He doesn't know me from Adam, so he probably thinks I'm up to no good. Can't fault him for that."

 

Carwyn rubbed her arm and looked down at her, as she still hadn't responded. "Hey, you okay?" he asked.

[Rexraptor2000]

Toa had never seen so many books and scrolls in one place. That being said, it was a bit surprising to him that he already knew much of the information in most of these pieces of literature. Well, in the macery and Demonic Wars literature. He hadn’t bothered with any other type of literature in quite some time, but he could try something different this time. Then as he was about to move to put the books and scrolls back, a warm feeling came over him that stunned him for a few moments before he recognized it.

 

Okay, it’s probably just Aya or something. I knew I shouldn’t have teased her, Toa thought to himself with a chuckle, beginning to set the books and scrolls he had out back into their proper places. Then he noticed a very abnormal scroll, hidden mostly by the shadows as the sun was setting.

 

It was jet black, with an equally black handle and looked very old. Older than any of these scrolls, as Toa took notice when he pulled it out, also taking notice that the shadows seemed to cling to it as he pulled it away from them. A part of him told Toa to put it down and walk away, but another part egged him on, and on he did. And when he pulled the scroll open, every inch of his body and soul screamed.

 

________________________________________

 

He stood on top of a burning building, and yet he wasn’t there. He saw through helmeted eyes that weren’t his, and held a demented scythe with an armored right hand that wasn’t his own. Before him was a horrific ground of death and torture which had once been a peaceful northern village. The snow was crimson and cries of terror and agony echoed across the village as demonic creatures did all manner of barbarism to those left alive.

 

A group of children were brought before him, and he raised his left hand, letting out an inferno from his fingertips that engulf them alive. He did not cry out in shock or mourning for the children, for he could not. He was an observer through the eyes of the creature that did this. And so all he could do is watch in anger and sorrow as more were claimed.

 

Then, as quickly as he had become the observer, he was standing besides the creature on the roof. Toa immediately cried out and took an offensive stance as the creature turned towards him, taking off its helmet as it did. What Toa saw made him freeze in stark horror.

 

The creature was him, with the major differences being black hair, eyes, and pale skin. It wore armor similar to Xan’s, although the armor, like the creatures overall facial appearance, had a dark and similar undead feel to it. Just looking at it, the armor screamed death and destruction.

 

“You-" Toa began, but was cut off by the creature.

 

“Thou canst not deny thy heritage, and neither can thee denyth thy self. Thou shalt not bring but death on thee and thy companions, son of Fire and Darkness,” The creature spoke with a voice that had never felt the joys of happiness or love, but was none other than Toa's. Then it raised its scythe and continued with, “Thou shareth a bond with the daughter of spirit, and thou shalt both pay the price.”

 

Then the world turned black.

 

________________________________________

 

Anyone who was watching Toa would have seen that he froze after opening the black scroll, only to collapse a few moments later with wide eyes, pale white skin, and barely a breath left in his body. The scroll itself turned back into a normal scrollish color, with the writing being "Death to all who seek the Obake Blade!"

 

((Aya might more or less feel this, since they are spirit partners. I don't think she'd black out though, since technically she's supporting Toa's soul. Also, the scroll wasn't there before they arrived.))

[ForceFightWMe12]

"Not a whole lot, really," Maggie replied, shaking her head. "I know of it, since it's kind of hard not to with Brother Hanzo around." She tilted her head towards the elderly monk, who was still rooting through the shelves. "It's been one of his little projects," she told him. "One of many, mind. He may be old and rickety, but his brain's still as sharp as ever." She grinned, feeling proud of her mentor. "So if you have questions or need pointing in the right direction pertaining to the Obake Blade, I'd just ask him some pointed questions, really."

 

"I can tell he's an avid enthusiast." Kyo said, grinning as he tapped the cover of the brother's notes with a finger, "He has quite the journal on it."

 

Glancing outside again and noting that the garden was no empty, the aeromacers simply dots off to the right hand side of the horizon, Kyo was satisfied that the comming-night would soon be calm. Returning his attention back inside, he flipped a page in the book again. "I'll be sure to ask him some questions later on, then."

 

((I don't mean to entirely ignore you, Rexxy, but Toa is quite far out of Kyo's sight If Brother Hanzo were to notice our knocked-out pyromacer friend...))

[JasraLantill]

"He's just watching out for you, like any good guardian would. He doesn't know me from Adam, so he probably thinks I'm up to no good. Can't fault him for that." Carwyn rubbed Aya's arm and looked down at her, as she still hadn't responded. "Hey, you okay?" he asked.

 

Slowly, Aya nodded. "I...." She frowned a bit, then shook her head. "I've got to go up to the library. Toa's fainted." She sighed then reluctantly rose to stand. "Derned spirit bond," she grumbled as she headed for the door, holding up the oversized, shapeless tunic she wore so she wouldn't trip on it. "Why can't I have lightning powers or flying powers or earthquake powers? Something fun...."

 

At the doorway, she paused and turned around to give Carwyn a strange look. "Are you up to no good?"

[Rogue Nine]

Carwyn placed his mug on the rug and rose to his feet. He was a fair bit taller than Aya, so the shift he wore stopped at his knees. It looked a bit ridiculous on him, so he grabbed a pair of cords off a table to the side and tied one 'round his waist. He approached Aya with the other one in his hand.

 

"Better tie this round your waist," he said, offering the cord to her. "No telling when or where Takara and her mother will whip up again." He looked at her curiously. "What do you mean 'am I up to no good'?" he asked as he held open the door for them to pass through.

[JasraLantill]

"Nevermind. I suppose I'm just feeling... weird. All this spirit stuff and all." Aya took the cord from him and wrapped it twice around her waist before tying it off. "Thanks," she said, grinning. "Not quite a fashion statement, but at least I won't trip up the stairs."

 

She paused in the open doorway. "You know, the Abbot got me thinking. We just met each other a few days ago. And in that short period of time, we... well, we've gotten pretty close pretty fast. And with all this magic surrounding us of late...." She frowned a bit, seeming unsure. "Do you think we might be under some kind of spell or something?"

[Rogue Nine]

Carwyn cocked an eyebrow at Aya as they made their way out into the hall. "A spell, eh?" he echoed. "Well, you're the spirit priestess summoner whatever, so you'd be the one to know about spells and stuff."

 

Aya gave him a mock glare. "You know what I mean, Carwyn."

 

Carwyn put his hands behind his head. "Yeah, sorry." He tilted his head in thought. "Well, I don't know anything about spells or magic or what, that's just not my area of expertise. All I know is that these past couple of days have been a whirlwind of crazy happenings, both good and bad. And yes, we've gotten close pretty fast, but I like to think that's more a result of trusting and getting to know each other rather than some spell."

 

He slowed down, turning to look at Aya full on. "I can understand if this is all overwhelming for you and you may be unsure of quite a few things. I can only tell you what I know."

 

She turned to face him as well. "And what do you know?"

 

Carwyn felt his face redden. "All I know is that I like you, Aya. A lot. And I'm pretty darn sure that that's not because of some spell." He paused, a thought crossing his mind. "Unless..."

 

"Unless..."

 

He grinned at her. "Maybe I have fallen under a spell." At her surprised look, he felt his cheeks flush again. "I've fallen under yours."

 

"Under mine?" Aya asked incredulously. "I haven't cast any spell of any sort! I don't even know any!"

 

Carwyn smirked at her.

 

"Oh," Aya said, realizing the meaning behind his words and reddening up herself. "That was really cheesy, Carwyn."

 

He laughed. "I know, I know." He pulled her close. "But tell me something."

 

She looked up into his eyes. "What's that?"

 

"Would you rather believe that our liking each other is the result of some weird arcane spell, or..." He stepped towards her and put his hand behind her waist as he leaned in. "...this," he finished as he kissed her again.

[Quist]

Brother Hanzo hadn't found the notes he was looking for upstairs and he was getting slightly irritable. Hopping down from the step ladder, he padded his way over to the stairs and descended down to the first floor. At the foot of the stairs stood the younger warrior Akira, looking off, seemingly lost. If he hadn't been looking for something, Brother Hanzo would have stopped to help Akira, but as it was, he merely nodded at the silent warrior and headed off towards the eastern wing.

 

Glancing down the aisles, he stopped short when he saw someone lying on the floor. Arching a craggy eyebrow, he approached, noticing that it was the pyromancer who had come in with them, Toa was his name. Toa seemed to be asleep, his eyes shut and his body splayed out. Brother Hanzo tut-tutted. "This is no place for a nap, boy," he said as he knelt down next to Toa. "You've got rooms for that." He patted the pyromancer's cheek lightly. "Wake up, boy," he said, a bit louder now. When this didn't stir Toa, Brother Hanzo took hold of his shoulder and shook it. This didn't work either. "Hm, heavy sleeper, are ye?" Brother Hanzo muttered as he sat back on his haunches.

 

It was then he noticed the scroll lying next to Toa's prone body. Frowning, he reached over, picked it up and examined it. It wasn't a scroll he had seen before, which was puzzling, since he knew each and every scroll in this library. He pulled the parchment down and squinted to read the words. "Death to all who seek the Obake Blade," he murmurred, reading the archaic script. "Huh, well that's a fine message to deface a scroll with!" he huffed, rolling it back up and tucking it under his arm. He prodded Toa with his foot. "Hey you, get up!" he said loudly. The pyromancer showed no signs of recognition or awakening. Brother Hanzo sighed, somewhat exasperated. "I swear, kids these days."

 

He turned and made his way back into the library proper. "Maggie!" he called upstairs.

 

Maggie looked up from a piece of parchment she was studying. "Excuse me," she said to Kyo quietly as she rose and strode to the stairs. "Yes, Brother Hanzo?" she called down.

 

"Can you let Mr. Ruroni know that one of his friends has decided to take a nap on the floor? That pyromancer, from the looks of him."

 

Maggie arched an eyebrow. "A nap?" she repeated to herself. "Surely," she answered and walked back to where Kyo was sitting. "Your fire mage friend is apparently availing himself to our floor, Mr. Ruroni," she told the studious warrior.

 

Brother Hanzo stood at the foot of the stairs, where Akira was still standing, staring blankly. "Ah, dear boy," the monk said to him. "Could you check up on your friend? He seems to have fallen asleep down that corridor there."

[ForceFightWMe12]

Kyo looked up as Maggie announced that Toa was apparently inviting himself to...the library floor?

 

Frowning in utter confusion, the warrior flipped the book shut and set it down on the table, jogging down to where Toa lay prone, splayed across the ground.

 

"Toa?" he asked, moving to nudge him in the side with a fist. When the pyromacer didn't flinch or even react, he knelt down beside him and tried it again. Still no response. If Kyo didn't know better, he'd say that Toa had gone comatose on them all.

 

Pulling off a glove, he pressed to fingers to the side of the pyromacer's neck to check his pulse. Once he had found the spot, he hissed an oath from between clentched teeth.

 

"He has a pulse," he said, "But it's faint. I have no clue what happened - but he needs help."

 

((Sorry for teh lame-ness))

[Rogue Nine]

Tellis had been reading a lovely book on flowers and herbs when she heard Brother Hanzo mention something about a pyromancer. As she knew of only one pyromancer in the general vicinity, she knew it had to be Toa. Sighing, she picked up an old, worn leather bookmark and placed in the book, then stood up and found her way to where Kyo was kneeling next to Kyo.

 

"What happened, Kyo?" Tellis asked, looking at the unconscious Toa. "Please don't tell me he fainted again."

 

The swordsman looked up and gave Carwyn a deadpan stare. "He needs help; his pulse is faint."

 

Tellis sighed. "Seems he can't go a day without fainting at least once," she muttered as she knelt next to the comatose pyromancer. She checked is vitals; they were as Kyo had said, faint and shallow. "Did you find him like this?" she asked Kyo.

 

He shook his head. "No, Brother Hanzo did."

 

Tellis looked over her shoulder and called out, "Brother Hanzo? Can you come here for a moment please?"

[Quist]

Brother Hanzo approached, the strange scroll still under his arm. Maggie also approached, having come down the stairs to see what the commotion was all about. The monk knelt down next to Tellis. "I found him there, unconcious as he is. He had this strange scroll next to him," he said, handing it to Kyo.

 

Turning, Brother Hanzo looked at Maggie. "Magdelena, please fetch Brother Kitanga." Glancing back at Toa, he continued, "We may require his services." As the obedient girl sprinted away, Brother Hanzo frowned down at the pyromancer. "Brother Kitanga is our resident priest of the light," he explained. "Now that I look closely, your pyromancer friend is not the first one that I have seen in such a condition. It is not a malady that can be cured by the healing arts," he said, looking apologetically at Tellis, "but only by a servant of the light, as I believe his soul is what has been damaged." He sighed. "I am but a simple scholar and supernatural workings are quite beyond my area of expertise but fortunately, Brother Kitanga is far more in tune with dealings of the spirit realm. He is quite an asset. Hopefully, he will be able to help your friend out."

 

===== ===== ===== ===== =====

 

Maggie flew out the door and swerved left, her experienced legs leading her towards the common room, where she knew Brother Kitanga to be finishing up his load of laundry. As she rounded the corner, she saw something that made her stop short, nearly twisting her knee in the process. Obscuring herself by the corner, she peered down the hall, watching as Carwyn and Aya kissed. "Oh, my..." she breathed, her task momentarily forgotten.

[JasraLantill]

“Carwyn, please….,” Aya whispered into Carwyn’s ear as she came up for air from Carwyn’s passionate kiss. Breathing heavily, she rested her head on his chest, her arms holding him as tightly as he was holding her. Her lips were burning, her heart racing, and all thoughts of the Abbot’s disapproval pushed to the back of her mind. She didn’t want the moment to end, but she felt an internal ‘tug’ to go find Toa. “I’ve… I’ve got to go. Toa… he needs me.”

 

Reluctantly, she broke her embrace with him, and giving him a sad sort of smile and one last light kiss on his lips, she backed down the corridor in the direction of the stairs that led up to the library. But just as she turned around to negotiate around the corner, she bumped into someone.

 

Aya’s cheeks immediately flushed bright red. “Maggie!”

[Quist]

"Aya!" Maggie exclaimed, taken aback. For some reason, she'd frozen in place when Aya started moving towards her. She'd just gotten her legs to move when Aya rounded the corner and bumped bodily into her. Aya's face was red as a beet and Maggie would have wagered that her own was probably only a few shades removed. "Sorry, I didn't see you there! Um, or Carwyn!" Realizing what she'd said, she clamped a hand over her mouth. "Er, not that I was spying on you or anything!"

 

Nothing would have satisfied Maggie more than to dig a hole in the ground and bury herself at that point.

[JasraLantill]

"No, no," Aya stammered in agreement with Maggie's statement. "Of course not." A moment of uncomfortable silence passed between them. Aya quickly glanced over her shoulder at Carwyn, but when she turned back to face Maggie, she was grinning. "I've got so much to tell you!" she whispered excitedly to her friend. "But not here. Later."

 

She cleared her throat. "I... erm, rather we...,"Aya continued in a normal tone of voice as she looked at Carwyn askance. "We were just on our way up to the library. I've got a strange feeling that Toa might need my...."

 

She paused then. She had known Maggie for a number of years, and felt uncomfortable at admitting that she now had some weird kind of 'spirit' power dwelling within her.

 

"...my, erm... advice on... something that we were, erm, talking about on the Great Northern Road." Aya cringed, making a mental note that one day soon she must find someone to teach her how to lie a bit better.

[Quist]

"Ah, your friend Toa collapsed on the floor just a few minutes ago," Maggie said breathlessly. "He's not looking too good. I was actually off to fetch Brother Kitanga from the common room; Brother Hanzo said that he'll be able to help Toa."

 

As if on cue, the dark-skinned monk came around the corner and approached the three of them. "I thought I heard my name," he said. "Is something the matter?"

 

"Yes, Brother," Maggie responded. "One of our visitors has collapsed in the library. Brother Hanzo said it is the malady of the spirit and that we may need your expertise."

 

"I did not know that Brother Hanzo was capable of such diagnoses," Brother Kitanga said, already moving in the direction of the library, Maggie falling in step behind him. "But I will go."