[3:03 AM] Karin: After the last dragon fell, Auriel felt a surge of.... roundabout happiness. Getting caught like that was far far below her, but following Luna's directions for once led to that.
"Suppose I should stop with that."
Her first priorities as they left the hellish prison was to find out where her mount had gone. As she entered the stable, she realised something. All the mounts of the group, ready to be sold. Lined up with different prices. There must have been a sale here before they brought the place down. Yet.....
Kuro was nowhere to be found. Only one logical conclusion came to her mind. He was already gone. He was originally the horse of a noble, so perhaps they found his heritage interesting. Yet, whoever who bought him probably wouldn't be too happy. The sly kitsune's grin widened again, as she recalled the last thing she did before they were seized. A small claw mark on its left side. Nobody would have paid much attention to such a small wound. What they didn't know was the crippling poison the wound contained would probably have emerged in a couple weeks time.... if they were there that long. She didn't know anything about that. Then again, something else came to her mind.
"Luna."
[3:04 AM] Karin: The queen had been gone. Perhaps someone else finished her job for her? Was she also captured? Her lack of knowledge was infuriating.
[3:08 AM] Karin: Her mind turned to a memory from her youth. Still a small cub in the tribe, she watched as Kami locked her grip around the neck of a struggling prisoner. One of their own.
"Hangyaku, Koryu. Their kind will always be among us. Those who fail will all meet their end. Burn this within your head, and remember it whenever doubt crosses your mind."
The blue flames that danced across her slim katana illuminated the fearful man's face. Kitsune of the Shinimasu tribe feared nothing but their own. A blade in the shadows' biggest enemy will always be those who lurk in the shadows with them. And Kami was the queen of assassins. She had avoided murderers and killers, poison and rebellions wherever they surfaced. Nobody had managed to dethrone her. Her legacy would be a lasting one.
[3:13 AM] Karin: And yet, the implications of the scene was what she feared. She would never reveal it. Ever. She feared nothing but the wrath of her own mother. Her complacence had been allowed due to a whim, but she couldn't expect them to pop up again. Her grin faltered as she searched another couple cells.
[3:13 AM] Karin: "Nothing...."
[3:14 AM] Karin: =end super short scene=
[3:01 PM] Karin: =2 days after the earlier scene=
[3:11 PM] Karin: With the siege at hand, Auriel's rampant boredom and lack of interest had caught up to her mind, big time. Her cheerful disposition was completely gone, replaced with an aggressive apathy to what happened around her, leaving her in a bad case of RBF. Contacting her branches was hard too, as the chaos had left no apt people to aid in the task. Yet she had managed to get contact with the one Khlinese subordinate she had, and was waiting for him outside of the shattered remnants of the prison.
"Its about time.... Is it a tradition for our family to be this inattentive? I can clearly see why mother is tired of it."
Yet the sounds of a running man quickly met her ears, and she was as thus not too startled when a hooded figure rounded the corner, his ears quickly appearing as the illusion around them dissolved.
"Senpai! I was looking for you! First time in the area? Its not a very popular tourist location, I'll admit. A Kukorou such as yourself probably wouldn't know about it"
[3:22 PM] Karin: She lazily turned to the man, one of her lavender eyes looking at him with a piercing gaze.
"The main branch is well aware of the prison complex. It does not bode well for you to insult them."
He shrugged, pulling out a small box.
"I got your supplies. Here, take this!"
Auriel took a look inside, and a smile appeared at her lips. A yukata-like garb, fashioned after her mother. Similar to what her other relatives wore, now that Luna was gone and she wasn't forced to wear a uniform..... although said uniform was pretty comfy, she did prefer the looseness and general lighter feeling of her old day-to-day clothes. As she picked the cloth out of the box, she realised that there was more to the package. A new stone, slotted with a power unbeknownst to her...
"This? This is the Khlin-branch mist fragment.... and it's super important... and yes, I forgot to mention!"
He straightened out his back, pridefully showing the Shinimasu branch badge inside his cloak.
"My new title is Ojishi. I'll take a higher position and my money as a reward for stealing the goods. Fix that, Koryu, and we will get along juuuuust fiiiiiine."
[3:30 PM] Karin: Auriel gave him a dissaproving look, clearly not overly fond of his demanding ways.
"Tell me, Ojishi. Have you forgotten our teachings?"
He shook is head, a smug grin on his face.
"Hah. If I could, I would. Living the freewheeler life is great! Khlin was never an interest for Kami, and it paid off! The people are slaughtering themselves, I don't have to do anything."
Her answer came quickly, stabbing at him like a knife.
"Kagete umare omoe wa, suzete saishutenere kagete ni mohoridawasu. Those born of darkness will one day be claimed by it as well. You don't seem ready for it."
[3:33 PM] Karin: As she remarked back at him, he had a short laugh, still taking diplomacy as seriously as her old jolly self did.
"I am more prepared than anyone will ever be!"
As a response, Auriel quickly transformed, and lunged at him. To her suprise, he drew a sickle, and absorbed the bite with the handle, spinning it quickly to avoid her poisoned claws. She backed off, as he made a mocking gesture while spinning the sickle around his finger.
"Hmph. I will take that as a positive suprise, Ojishi"
[3:38 PM] Karin: His laugher was the only thing that came again. Auriel was already deathly tired of it.
"Nevermind that, nevermind that. You said you had one more request from me. What's up, senpai."
"The Shinta. Did anyone find anything of her?"
His grin dissapeared, much to Auriel's suprise
"Nothing. Simple. We got all the info we could regarding your imprisonment. Lunarea has dissapeared, and we have gotten no contact with any of the other cities with information."(edited)
[3:42 PM] Karin: "Hmph...."
She gave no proper answer except tossing a bag at Ojishi's feet.
"Tell them when they ask that Koryu moved you up. Your next mission is to "succeed" the current leader. With your skills, that should be no issue."
She started making her leave, as Ojishi had one last laugh, before seemingly dissapearing.
"Lunarea..... where did you go?"(edited)
[3:42 PM] Karin: =segmented story piece end=
[11:30 PM] Karin: =start something right now=
[11:43 PM] Karin: A silent wind rustles the leaves in the tree i've sat in for the past hour or so. She has taken an unusually long time today. Maybe because she expects it. I don't know. As many times as ive talked to her, she is as unpredictable as me.
Until suddenly i feel the wind change, and a familiar smell approaching me. My ears jump back to life, listening to where her steps come from. The sounds of nature make it hard, but after a while I catch it.
Finally getting back up on my feet, well at least partially. Half-Sleeping on a branch insn't too comfortable, no matter how comfortable sleep tends to be. Then again, if I had fallen asleep she probably wouldn't be too happy. Always nagging on me, that one. She has her reasons, but ugh. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth
[11:47 PM] Karin: And there she is. The same prestigous blade, shimmering in the darkness. Her kimono is as black as the night around her, contrasting with the thistle-colored hair. A lot of people found her attractive back at the mansion. Too bad they never dared try their luck with a god.
She passes beneath me, and im finally ready. One... Two.... Drop!
As i fall through the air, I unsheathe my knives, ready to stab her in the back. Im so close to making it, and getting away even.
Just as im about to rend her with them, I feel a familiar set of arms grabbing me by the waist. Not again....
I get slammed to the ground, landing next to the very tree I climbed earlier. Leaning up to it, she looks dissaprovingly at me, and so does the girl behind her. The man that had ripped me out of the air gave me a familiar smile, however.
"Try better next time, Koryu."
Easy for him to say. My concern isnt with him however. The woman I just tried to kill draws her blade, pointing at me. Her violet eyes pierce me, almost providing their own light in the darkness.
"You still try the same tactics. You make light of our intelligence, compared to the flawed beasts surrounding us. Dissapointing, my daughter."
She has no room for having fun in her life, does she?
"Sooooorry...."
I respond, dragging out the vowels again. She hates when I do it. That's enough of a reason to do it, even. But the pain in my back is making it hard to not resort to it.
"You take my visits too nonchalantly, Koryu. Im not usually as lenient as this regarding mistakes."
[11:49 PM] Karin: Im about to respond to her, before i get cut off again by the girl behind her. The mask that is completely blank apart from one eye socket gives her all the more of an imposing visage. I should have taken that design for myself when I made them.
"She shouldn't make these mistakes in the first place, Kami. You shouldn't let her."
"Silence Muiri! Don't question my judgement."
I almost feel bad for her. Trying to be clever and looking down on me like that, and then getting snapped at.
"Yes. Our mother knows best."
The male adds on to Kami's sentence. He's nice. He's also absurdly strong.
"Zankuo."
I answer him. Almost in a bit of a honorable way. I do pay my respects sometimes.
"Silence, all of you. You two, stay back. This is between me and Koryu."
They both bow, walking each of their separate ways. I pity whoever may cross them. Zankuo has a tendence for crushing them with his fists, but his hammer isnt much better. I'd also rather be ripped apart by my knives than the lance... no, sewing needle Muiri wields. Must take a fair amount of precision, but she's all precision, no fun.
Yet, Kami approaches me. My mother, here to rant on my fails again. The fact that my mission still stood as uncomplete bothers her, clearly.
"You use too much time, my daughter. Mind telling me why you have yet to kill the Shinta and her sister!?"
[11:54 PM] Karin: "I uh, haven't had the oppurtunity to. It's not a problem though, really."
My disarming smile wont be enough to dissuade her from complaining more. If I hadn't been her daughter, I would probaby be dead by now. Funny, in ways actually.
"You grow complacent. My plans have yet to be completed, because you are taking too much time. I know you like to drag your killings out, but this is bordering on unacceptable!"
"The Shinta is different this time though. She follows our way of life."
I do my best to excuse myself. Im no fan of dealing with mother when she is angry.
”Nonsense, Koryu! Do you think I am stupid!?”
….. And that’s a fail. May as well run with the lie now though.
“No! I speak the truth mother!”
I lie with sincerity. Its one of my talents, after all.
“The people elected a ruler who follows the Kinju. She hides it well, however.”
I do my best to excuse myself. Im no fan of dealing with mother when she is angry.
”Nonsense, Koryu! Do you think I am stupid!?”
….. And that’s a fail. May as well run with the lie now though.
“No! I speak the truth mother!”
I lie with sincerity. Its one of my talents, after all.
“The people elected a ruler who follows the Kinju. She hides it well, however.”
[11:56 PM] Karin: ”And how do you intend to prove that to me!?”
Here, im stuck. How could I get more time, time that could have been spent doing nothing. And stay with Kalenzo…… ugh, why do I think of him now.
“Her group has another one like us. I would like to introduce him to you. He was responsible for the murder in the Freyzenwald dungeons.”
That was a good kill. One im pretty fond of at that. I can’t imagine mom wouldn’t be aware of it.
”Hah. You expect me to believe you?”
A wicked grin spread across her face as she said it. She had a plan, I was sure of it.
So I faked my own grin, and responded.
“He is like me. He has no heart.”
She was silent for a while. Suddenly, she started laughing. Something I hadn’t seen in a while.
”Hah! So you wish to stay with him?”
Ugh. There was so much more to it. She had a plan. One I wasn’t aware of.
“Yes. There is chaos to be spread. He is a valuable ally.”
Chaos. That was all that was on her agenda wasn’t it? Boundless burning villages, cries and screams in the night. Like the world she grew up in.
”Then, my daugher….”
My train of thought stopped immediately as I heard her speak up again. She ripped a gemstone out of the hilt of her blade. A pink sapphire.
”Spread this chaos you are so insistent on spreading. I will be watching….. closely.”
She threw the gem onto the ground next to me. As I picked it up, a grin spread across my face. A real one. I knew what this was “Arega.”
The simple word for ‘thanks’ in our language. She didn’t dignify me with a response however.
”Zankuo! Muiri! We are leaving!”
I heard the bushes rustle behind me. A sharp poke in my shoulder. I need to get her back for that sometime.
Here, im stuck. How could I get more time, time that could have been spent doing nothing. And stay with Kalenzo…… ugh, why do I think of him now.
“Her group has another one like us. I would like to introduce him to you. He was responsible for the murder in the Freyzenwald dungeons.”
That was a good kill. One im pretty fond of at that. I can’t imagine mom wouldn’t be aware of it.
”Hah. You expect me to believe you?”
A wicked grin spread across her face as she said it. She had a plan, I was sure of it.
So I faked my own grin, and responded.
“He is like me. He has no heart.”
She was silent for a while. Suddenly, she started laughing. Something I hadn’t seen in a while.
”Hah! So you wish to stay with him?”
Ugh. There was so much more to it. She had a plan. One I wasn’t aware of.
“Yes. There is chaos to be spread. He is a valuable ally.”
Chaos. That was all that was on her agenda wasn’t it? Boundless burning villages, cries and screams in the night. Like the world she grew up in.
”Then, my daugher….”
My train of thought stopped immediately as I heard her speak up again. She ripped a gemstone out of the hilt of her blade. A pink sapphire.
”Spread this chaos you are so insistent on spreading. I will be watching….. closely.”
She threw the gem onto the ground next to me. As I picked it up, a grin spread across my face. A real one. I knew what this was “Arega.”
The simple word for ‘thanks’ in our language. She didn’t dignify me with a response however.
”Zankuo! Muiri! We are leaving!”
I heard the bushes rustle behind me. A sharp poke in my shoulder. I need to get her back for that sometime.
[11:57 PM] Karin: Yet all I could concentrate on was the gem in my hand. Before she dissapeared into the shadows, she said one last thing however.
”Good luck, Auriel.”
My real name. She hasn’t said that in forever… Maybe things can still change between us. Eh. I still had work to do. And my new weapon would prove…. Effective.
”Good luck, Auriel.”
My real name. She hasn’t said that in forever… Maybe things can still change between us. Eh. I still had work to do. And my new weapon would prove…. Effective.
[11:57 PM] Karin: =end thing=
