In this world, Magic is Everything. All people, all races, are granted with the power to perform mystical and magical feats via grimories, mystical tomes granted to each and every child on their 15th birthday. Those blessed by the mana can have their names written down in legend.
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An old broom-maker is residing on the outskirts of Kikka and needs your help finding magically blessed wood in the forest. He is too old to carry it back, so he needs a skilled youngling to track down and bring back 4 pieces of blessed magical wood with which he can craft brooms for his customers. As a reward, he will give you a broom!
[attr="class","shadowsSub"]Details
Minimum Number of Players: 1 [break]Minimum Word Count: 1,000 [break]Location: Kikka [break]Special Requirements: N/A
[attr="class","shadowsSub"]NPC Information
What NPCs are in this mission? Please fill out the template for any notable NPCs. While those you have to socially interact with during the mission are not required any enemy that is presented in the mission must be listed in here. [break][break] Up to Player [break]
Two silhouetted figures can be seen flying across the open skies, heading towards a certain town in the Common Region. Thankfully, it was not far from the forests of Hapshass, and traveling on a broom certainly cut down the transportation time. "...all I had to do last time was to bring back a few pieces of blessed woods from the forest." Suna was explaining. Since her new friend had seemed up to the idea, the elf had decided to bring her to a certain broom maker in Kikka.
There was actually more than one reason why Suna was coming here. First, it was to check up on the mentioned old man that lived on the outskirts of town. Second, was to hopefully help Shizu procure a broom for herself, provided that the broom maker was still there. And lastly, she also wanted to see for herself what Kikka has really become, and to see if the rumors that have been going around were true, that the entire town had been shrouded in daemonic shadows.
As they neared the town, Suna gradually trailed off from whatever conversation she might have been having. "Goodness..." She could not help but gape at the castle town. Well, what she could see of it, anyways. Just like the tidbits of news she has heard from certain individuals, it was indeed covered in a sphere of darkness. Even looking at it sent shivers up and down her spine. "Oh no, all those poor people trapped in there..." She murmured. "So the rumors were right..."
A bit more abrupt than she intended to, the elf steered her broom downwards and had it dive towards the house she had once gone before. Hopefully her passenger did not fall off from the sudden movement. Yes, the little house was still there. But was he still living there? She could only hope. Not only for the sake of getting a broom, but also for the old man’s sake.
Landing it softly in the front yard, Suna nodded at Shizu. "Here we are. I hope he’s still around." She walked right up to the door and knocked. Once, twice. Silence. She tried again. "Hello? Sir? Are you there?" Like the first time, the sound mage used some of her magic to help her voice penetrate through the thick wooden door and hopefully to the owner inside. She pressed her elven ears to the door, and strained to hear. "I hear movements." she murmured.
Then the door opened a crack, and she nearly lost her balance at the unexpected movement. "Eh? Who dere? Go away! I’m not—oh. ‘Tis you, lassie." The door opened a little bit more, and if her witch friend was looking, she would be able to see the faint outline of a very short man peering out at them. A dwarf.
"Yes, it’s me!" Suna said warmly, and held out her palms in a non-threatening gesture. "How have you been?"
"Wha do ya think? Terrible!" He grumbled, then launched into an explosive line. "Those daemons have tak’n o’er e’erything, and I has no business, and nuthin’ to do except sit on me butt all day! Nuthin’! Those blasted things! They can go back to hell fer all I care!"
Suna looked back at Shizu, a little apologetically. "He wasn’t like this last time," she would mouth at her, then turned back forward to the broom maker. "I understand, these current events have affected all of us." Her tone was soothing, as if she was trying to calm the frustrated man. "Would...would it help if you have something to do? Perhaps," she smiled a little, "make a broom for my friend here?"
"Hrm?" It was like he finally saw Shizu, and carefully studied her up and down. "Yer friend?"
"Yes." Suna lowered her voice, as if divulging in a secret. "She’s also a witch."
That seemed to be the magic word, as a light came into the wizened man’s eyes. "A witch, aye?" Now he pushed the door aside and trotted right up to the other female. Standing next to her, the dwarf would barely stand up to her waist, and had to look up at her. However, that did not seem to deter him, as he only pulled at his grey beard thoughtfully. "A tall lassie, ye are." He would walk in a circle around her, making various little grunts of approval.
Suna quietly watched on, letting him do his thing. "So is it still four pieces of wood that’s needed? Or five?"
The dwarf seemed to be offended. "Five? What would I need with five pieces? Ar’ ye doubting me ability to make a broom with five pieces of wood?"
"No, no," Suna waved her hands in an apologetic manner. "You know best."
"What’s yer name, lass?" The dwarf was now addressing Shizu, head cocked in a comical manner. "A witch’s name is powerful, aye, and it’d help me when I’m making yer broom."
Notes & Stuff
- Used Magic Broom, -8 mana - Quick Charger & IC Regen, +30 mana
Rank & Element: Junior | N/A Class & Type: Magical Trinket | Imbued Magic Specializations: Supplementary Creation Appearance & Lore: This appears to be a basic broom. The broom was payment in exchange for services rendered for Kikka's once famed broom maker. Abilities: Flight
Type & Uses: Flow | 3 Active 2 Overheat Rank & Specialization: Junior | N/A Mana Cost: 8 | 4 Range & Speed: N/A | 10 m/s Stats Affected: N/A Description: This broom allows one to fly on it from one place to another. While doing so they may carry up to one other person with them. The broom may be up to 5 meters away from the wielder and still be able to remain in the air.
Shizuyoru was a little intrigued by her new friend. Truth be told, the woman seemed a bit .....bland? At least when she'd first met them. Of all things, the girl was.....sweet...helpful. All the makings of a good housewife, but honestly something she was a bit surprised to see in a Magic Knight. Even so the woman had a sort of viciousness in her magic. How was it that the woman had become so....muted? However her answer had come rather soon. The woman was a witch, and a secretive one at that. As they flew, Shizu's mind had been on the look she'd seen on the woman's face, and the almost panicked manner she'd responded when she'd mentioned the subject. Well, maybe not panic. She wasn't QUITE on key on reading the woman's emotions. But whatever it had been, it had been an intense one. And this whole Marry Poppins thing was starting to come a little into focus. The girl was afraid of persecution, perhaps terrified, and as such they had more or less seemed to have molded themselves into this gentle, timid little thing, one that even had followed her into adulthood. But now the woman was confronted with that concealed past, in the form of.....well herself. She was....curious to see what effects her presence might have on the once-witch.
But well, as it seemed regular to be, the Clover kingdom was not in the best of states. The sight of that dark sphere was intriguing to say the least. But even her own curiosity had it's limits. A demon's influence was not something she was particularly keen on infringing upon. She was honestly surprised that the broom maker, whom they soon arrived to visit, was even still in the area. She watched with keen silence as the two exchanged words, and the rather ruffled little man expressed his agitation at the nearby events. One that seemed to quell almost immediately when the woman brought up Shizu's witchood, causing her a brow to perk. "Ah yes, that would be me." She noted with her own warm smile, glancing down at the little man as he seemed to size her up, an act which she hardly flinched from. "Shizuyoru Nara. You can just call me Shizu, however." She noted with a smile and a polite nod, before her eyes darted over to Suna with a raised brow. Wondering vaguely if the man was also aware of HER heritage.
"I do hope you don't mind the work. I had no idea that your situation was so ...entangled with recent catastrophies. I certainly hope you're safe living here?" She ventured with concern laced deep in her voice. Concern that was, however minimally, sincere. But this was also an intentional dialog. One that, thanks to that concern, would invoke, hopefully, assurance from the small man as to how he was managing to keep himself in such a dangerous area, or even give information about what sort of thing was even happening so close to a Daemon zone of influence. All relevent data, not just for her research, but well......to assess any potential threats that might hamper their collecting wood....
"Shizuyoru Nara..." The dwarf nodded a couple times, and seemed to be pleased. "An’ none o’ those nicknames, not when yer a witch!" He now shook a finger at the blue-haired woman. "Don’t e’er be ashamed o’ yer heritage, ‘specially you, lass!"
Suna laughed a little and shrugged. "Yes, yes. Still working on that, I’m afraid."
"I do hope you don't mind the work. I had no idea that your situation was so...entangled with recent catastrophies. I certainly hope you're safe living here?"
"Nay, nay, don’t mind if me brooms ar’ for ye witches!" As for the latter part of her question, he rubbed his stout nose. "Wellll...the daemons ‘ave closed off the main town, but I live jus’ right outside o’ their shadow dome, so I’m not affected. Tho’ these last few months ‘ave been completely terrible with no customers." Here his frustration flared up again, then dropped. "I ‘aven’t stepped foot into town since they’ve come, but recently," here his voice dropped down a notch, as if he feared being overheard. "They’ve been expanding their reach. The forest here is also...different now."
He furrowed his bushy white eyebrows, but had nothing more to add on that. "Be careful in there, lassies," he said with a note of concern, waving a hand at the forests. "I ‘aven’t seen anything, but it doesn’t mean they’re not there. As long as ye keep yer eyes peeled, should all be fine and dandy." Now the dwarf was waving them off. "And don’t forget to grab tha’ hatchet o’er there. Can’t do nothin’ if ye don’t have somethin’ to cut wood!"
Suna would grab the mentioned hatchet, and with a parting wave to the wizened old man, start down on the path towards the woods. Assuming Shizu was following along, the elf would wait until they were well out of earshot before remarking, "He’s quite the character. The only reason why he would willingly make a broom for either one of us is because of our witch connection."
Shifting the hatchet to her other shoulder, she continued on. "I’ve only heard of some bits and pieces of news here and there, but seeing...and feeling...it for myself makes it all the more real. I’ve heard that Magic Knights are called to fight the daemons soon, but I’m not quite sure of all the details." She shook her head slowly. She was no Magic Knight, just a regular citizen; but if there was the opportunity, she would jump at the chance to fight the daemons herself. "Anyways, I remember the place with the blessed wood is in the deepest part of this forest. We should hurry, lest we stumble across some unpleasant visitors."
The duo would soon find themselves entering the canopies. All seemed normal, and it would naturally grow darker the deeper the two females travelled. The path they were on would gradually narrow until it was only wide enough for one person to walk through. Now, there was an unsettling hush in the air. Here, where the leaves grew thick and abundantly, lacked the natural sounds of birds or other woodland critters. The trees grew so closely together, any wind or breeze that tried to flow through the area would find itself hampered on every turn until it lost force altogether.
Suna tread lightly, with haste, but only as fast as caution would allow. She could feel a presence somewhere, but was not quite sure if that was a mana signature...or a spirit. "Say," she said softly, barely above a whisper, "would you happen to be able to use that map spell like you did back in Hapshass?"
The woman blinked, her head tilting just a little in response to the rather.....opinionated little man. Ashamed of her heritage? She glanced at Suna, as though to inquire as to what he meant about that. All the same, she listened closely as he explained the situation going on with the daemons as well as the surrounding area. And she found her eyes drawn to that dark and corrupted dome not so far away from them, her mind abuzz with curiosities before she turned, noticed Suna heading out, and followed along with Suna in possession of the hatchet they would be using. Though truth be told, her mind remained planted in the notion of what was behind that dark barrier.
They soon were outside the range of the house and Suna spoke bup about the small man that would be making her broom. Something which made her nod quietly in thoughtful silence. And of course, she perked up at the explanation about how the Magic Knights were planning an assault on the daemons, but had not been inclined to do so just yet. "Interesting. Oh how tempting it is to be so close to such a mysterious use of magic." She murmured softly, rubbing her hands together thoughtfully as she then glanced at Suna and the hatchet they'd been given. A small instrument thankfully. But all the same, she wondered. "Would you be so displeased at the opportunity to run into something this close to the daemon's influence? Hmmm, I do wonder. so little we know about demons and their little pets. And yet, even their little playthings present such an obstacle to us. However, Daemons and Demons are not one and the same. Spirits are beings of this world, not the Demon's world. So clearly they can influence others. And you say they plan on sending strong mages to fight them. I admit, my experience is somewhat limited but well. Surely you have more than I. You've lived among humans. Do you think they can be trusted to delve into territory corrupted by the Demons? Do you think there is any danger of our noble protectors becoming the next Demon pets?" She inquired calmly enough. Showing sure, REAL curiosity as she watched the woman closely enough. This was, of course, not just an assessment of the Magic Knights and humans, but it would serve her that as she herself came to find out about humans herself, to see what sort of judge of character Suna was.
All the same, they would progress deeper and deeper into the forest proper, humming quietly as they went through. Of course, Shizu used her own magic, gently wrapping her upper body in a little cape made of thin, glass-like vines. In apparance only of course, but it was something to keep her from being roughed up by sliding against the vegetation. Nothing all that thick, it would hardly eat an attack ir anything, but at the very least it would keep her outfit from being ruined by the forest. Suna's question of course caused her to tilt her head. "I can indeed. That would probably be rather useful now that I think about it. The wood is magically infused so it shoudl have it's own mana signature. Good thinking~" She smiled fondly to the other woman before opening her palm, that smooth, glassy bell forming just above her palm. That soft, faint little peal sounded through the forest, and Shizuyoru closed her eyes as she promptly got a sortof mental map written through her head, making her blink a few times as she processed the information. And promptly she allowed that bell to shine, projecting a map of the forest for Suna to see as well as she paused.
There was a large numb er of signatures ahead, entirely immobile and very faint at that. Probably the trees they were looking for. And of course, they would see the paths and passages all throughout the area around them. As well as two signatures a good ways away, moving tangent to their own location, heading south from the direction of the blocked-off town. They didn't seem like they would be running into either of them. But they certainly were moving with purpose, heading in a very straight line rather than a meander that might be more akin to something an animal would do. shizu raised her brows, and then glanced at Suna. "It would seem we're not the only ones in this wood. Are there any Magic Knights stationed around this thing?" She asked, more curious than optimistic that perhaps they were picking up magic knights coming back from a scout. It behooved her to eliminate possibilities more than trying to hold out for some sort of hope as to what these things were.
There was a lot that the old broom maker had said, and even Suna was unsure as to what his true intentions were. At the very least, however, she could tell that he was loyal to his hometown, and was one to shy away or leave his house just because of some otherworldly attack. Perhaps he thought that they have not lost yet. True, Kikka may be preoccupied by its new owners, but it was temporary. That was the hope, of course, but whether they would ever be freed was to be seen.
At Shizu’s comment of being close to the daemonic powers, the blue-eyed maiden nodded. "Mhmm. It does make one curious, yes? Almost makes one want to take a peek at what’s going on in there... But I’ve heard stories from those who have been there, and they’ve all reported loss of sight and physical and mental damages, among other things. The two that I know told me to stay away from the town, but..." here she threw a glance back at the direction of Kikka. "It makes the place all the more mysterious when told not to go there...I’ve been in Kikka before. Is it really that bad now?" She was wondering aloud, and the last part was said in a tone of self-inquiry.
The elf knew that the two male mages meant the best for her, and would not want her to experience what they have gone through. However, after the mentioned friends came back, she could not help but feel disconnected from them. It was like being left out of something she would never be able to understand, and she could not help but loathe the new barrier between those relationships. She would not betray their trust by striding into town—who knew if she would be able to make it out in one piece, if their stories were true—but she could at least observe from the outside. In addition, she would not be alone, if the other female mage decided to come with her after this little job...if there was an afterwards.
Upon hearing the observations of daemons, demons, and spirits, Suna pursed her lips in thought. "Our lack of knowledge does give them an upper hand," she agreed. "As for humans...well, this is their territory. Clover Kingdom, I mean. I think it is only natural that they would want to protect their own land from invaders." She was a little piqued as to why the witch was asking her about this. After knowing they had similar origins, it had made her more at ease. If only she had such a positive influence and mindset when she first arrived in the human territory.
"Whether we trust them or not, I think they will still go in to fight the daemons. There is also a sense of honor in that, not only duty. It’s like back in the Forest. If there was even a small fire, everyone goes to fight it and make sure the fire doesn’t spread." She shrugged lightly, not sure as to where this was going but she would give an honest answer regardless. "There is the risk that those Magic Knights might fail and become the demon’s pets, like you’ve mentioned. But then again, there are always risks and dangers in fighting an enemy, especially an unknown one. Though I suppose failure in this situation would mean more losses than just territory. But what do you think? Do you think the humans will fail against these daemons? They do, after all, run on a different system compared to the Witches’ Forest."
Here she would listen attentively to what Shizu’s response was. It was not everyday she got to converse with a fellow witch. Granted, her first response upon learning of the other girl’s background was of shock and wariness, but as she spent more time in her company, it felt almost like...a relief. It was indeed a relief that she did not have to hide her witch past, and could speak freely without fear of judgment by one not of her own kind.
As they journeyed deeper into the forest, it had grown darker, and the shadows felt almost...alive. And stifling. Unnaturally so. Shizu had cast her tracking spell, and a floating bell now projected a map, one that laid bare all the mana signatures that were detected within its range. It was a really useful spell, one that should not be undermined. Suna should have learned something in that area, as she was never good at directions in general. "Mmm normal trees do not have mana signature, so those must be the ones we are looking for." She pointed at the spot where there was an especially concentrated area of faint mana signatures.
"But...what are those?" Her finger had shifted to the two moving dots on the map. "Magic Knights do not venture in here...not unless they are also collecting the blessed wood. Those things are also moving in such a straight line...the trees here grow too closely together for an animal or human to walk straight like that." Her voice dropped down an octave, and her grip on the hatchet tightened. "I don’t know what they—or those things—are, but I do know that we’ll be safe once we enter in the blessed grove. There, no shadow can overcome its light."
Assuming Shizu would follow somewhere behind her, Suna pressed on, towards the direction of those faint stationary dots, though now her heart was beating quickly. They may not be running into those two moving mana signatures seen on the map, but there were other dangers in store. As the forest elf reached a small clearing, she sensed movement on the other side. Abruptly, she stopped in her tracks, mouth gaping open. "V-Vera?" She gasped, and her whole body tensing up in fear and shock. It was an illusion, but to Suna, there stood a beautiful witch with a leering smirk on her face...and that necklace around her neck.
To an onlooker, it was a shadowy form that floated at the other side of the clearing. An illusion, taking the form of whatever bad memories the individual experienced in the past. Here, the shadows brought one’s nightmares and wounds back to life, taunting the living with fears and pains of old.
Suna’s knuckles were white as she gripped onto the hatchet. "W-What are you doing h-here?" Silence. "Didn’t we defeat you back in Aries Garse? Why are you here?" More silence. "W-Why do you still have Sapphire Heart?" Her fingers flew up to touch the necklace around her throat. Yes, she could feel the cool stone. "I-I have it here..." She was confused. If she had it, why was she seeing it on that evil seductress…?!
Notes & Stuff
OOC: Suna is being tricked right now under an illusion that takes form of a bad witch from her past. You can choose to have Shizu experience being under her own illusion, or she could try to shake Suna out of it. Up to you! ^^
It became abundantly clear that Suna seemed to be quite the optimist at that. However, she did pause a bit at that and hummed to herself as she closed her eyes and considered it all. "No, that's not what I meant. I'ts not a matter of them falling and being corrupted. I mean those that would allow themselves to be corrupted if given the chance." She noted calmly enough, turning and looking at the girl directly. "I've not seen much of the magic knights, but I've already gotten a fairly big impression of them. They don't work together, not in any meaningful way. They compete, and most of their upper ranks seem to be nobles more interested in their own fame or that of their family's than actually doing their job. The entire Magic Knight system goes counter to any notion of working together. Squads compete with one another, and they're ranked by how many little stars they can conjure up in spite of one another. As such, they're discouraged from working together, because doing so would earn their competitors an equal amount of stars. Several I'e run into spit at each other, metaphorically speaking, based on what swuad they've been assigned to. The entire system is made to utilize how greedy and self-interested these humans are in order to squeeze as much potential out of them as it can." She pointed out, folding her arms as she eyed that holographic display.
"What I'm saying, is that I don't even think defeat would even be necessary. Given how self-interested some of these knights are, all it would take would be a promise of power and they might sell themselves to the Daemons if given the chance. In fact, I'd be willing to say that many of them would be willing to put a demon in their own body if i meant they would get stronger." Shizu noted dryly, looking at the camera, before returning her attention to the path before them.
Of course, as they went deeper into the woods, she felt something.......wrong. HEr skin felt a little cold for just a moment, and she found her throat tight when she started to swallow, her attention flicking back up to the woman infront of her when she realized that Suna had suddenly stopped moving, and Shizu almost ran right into her! She stopped abruptly and furrowed her brows. "IS something the matter?" She asked calmly and quietly, before glancing up and over the girl's shoulder. Her jaw locked for just a moment as she suddenly went very still. Her uscles freezing for just an instant as she saw something that .....wasn't right. Her mother. A calm, warm, smiling face, standing before her in their path. Everything from that black hooded jumper her mother had always worn, to the deep red eyes that had always lulled her to sleep. She was about to call out when Sunas cry suddenly jostled her. She paused. Aries Garse? Who on earth was she talking about? Her eyes flicked back in the direction of the sight of her mother, and her stoamch twisted into a knot. No....Suna was clearly seeing something different. And Shizu had to dig her nails into her own palm to stop herself just shoving Suna aside and running straight for her mother. No....this was..... an illussion? No, illussions were predesigned sensory inputs. This was taking information directly from her in order to form itself. Some sort of hypnosis? She gritted her teeth and glanced at her map. Nothing. the space infront of them didn't have the mana signature of a living thing, let alone a witch. She felt her teeth starting to chatter in her mouth and she clenched her jaw to make it stop.
Whatever this was....she had to fight it. She stepped forward behind Suna, and firmly grasped the girl's shoulder as she leaned in, speaking lowly. "Suna. Focus. This has to be a trick..." She murmured, even as her eyes locked onto the sight of her own mother, and she had to fight to believe her own words. So many questions, so many things she wanted to say. "Look at the map Suna. There's nothing there. Something's wrong. A .... trap...or a long range spell or something." She murmured, afraid of speaking too loudly lest whatever was controling these visions decide to take a more violent approach. She cursed her own lack of offensive spells.
wc: 744 twc: 1333 -> 2077
Last Edit: Nov 18, 2020 12:07:11 GMT -5 by Shizuyoru
The sound mage nodded slowly and ‘hmm’d on certain parts of Shizu’s explanation on her thoughts. The other female did have a point, though it seemed quite particular and critical. However, she could understand her perspective if all the knights she had met were of the types that Shizu mentioned. But in Suna’s case, all the Magic Knights she has met and gotten to know all made good impressions on her. There were the two rowdy Green Mantis knights who had their own unique tempers, but truly cared about the welfare of the kingdom. The Black Bulls youth used to proclaim himself as the laziest knight in his squad, but have been slowly shaping up into a real man after the event in Kikka. There was also a Coral Peacock and a Golden Dawn whom she had met, though their interactions were too brief for her to really get to know them. And of course, she could not forget the Crimson Lion captain and vice captain, the latter whom she was training under. Sure, those two had such fiery tempers, but their values were solid, and she admired them for their faithfulness to Clover.
"I agree that it’s easy to fall into corruption, especially when one climbs higher in the ranks," she said slowly, "though most of my Magic Knight friends come from humble and common beginnings, so I do not see that type of behavior from them." She was a little miffed that the entirety of the knight system was being generalized, when all the knights she personally knew were all ones that she looked up to. But she would still keep an open mind. Perhaps she still has not met enough of those knights to form an accurate opinion of them as a whole.
"But are we all not humans, though?" She wondered aloud, and waved a hand towards herself. "We’re both witches, but that’s because of our upbringing and birthplace. Even my elvish blood is not pure, and there has not been a pure elf in ages. Are we really that different from them, races aside?" She pursed her lips in thought. "Even we witches had our own system that only acknowledged the powerful and greedy, and that is based heavily on the grimoires each witch received. At least in the Clover Kingdom, there is a chance for the lowly commoner with a low rank grimoire to fight aside a more naturally blessed fellow brother in arms.
"As for corruption, it is everywhere, whether here in Clover or in Diamond or even back in the Forest. I don’t know if you knew Vera, an aroma user who lived in the Inner Forest, but she was one of the witches I knew that did everything she could to gain power, breaking families and killing others. But, what do I know? Maybe those sent to Kikka will fall to the daemons and Clover as we know it will come to an end...and we will have another Shattering." She shrugged lightly and offered a strange smile. "I was a recluse in the Forest, and in a way, still am. So what do I know of the world?" And she would leave it at that. Shizu had brought up enough food for thought for a good while, at least for her.
As they went along their way, Suna could feel a scattering of goosebumps. Was it just her, or everything was feeling more...heavy and oppressive? Then she saw the image of the very witch she had been talking about. She heard Shizu saying something behind her, but it barely registered. Just barely.
A trick? Suna blinked furiously. Vera was still standing there, as beautiful and haughty as she remembered. It looked so real...but it felt off. The Vera she knew loved to hear herself talk, but this one...it has yet to speak. What was this dark power, bringing her nightmares into reality?
"Look at the map Suna. There's nothing there. Something's wrong. A...trap...or a long range spell or something."
So, no mana signature. A trap? The beautiful woman was walking towards them. Did traps move? Suna did not know, but she was not about to stand still and let that witch get anywhere near her. Never again. Not at the cost of her voice. Her hand gripped onto the hatchet, and with a cry, she leapt towards the illusion. She swung the weapon at the image, and it passed right through like it was just air.
However, the projection of ‘Vera’ had a look of pain and agony on her face, as if Suna really did just chop her in half. It was all so realistic and gruesome, even to the detail of blood spurting out of her body. The sound mage had jumped back to avoid the supposed blood, only to look down and find herself untouched. Then the illusion faded into the dark recess of the forest, leaving nothing but a thoroughly shaken elf in its wake.
"A-Are you..." She turned around to face her companion and fought to keep her voice from trembling too much. "A-Are you all r-right, Shizu?" Of course it would not be an easy trip to and back like her first visit here. But who knew the exact extent of the daemons’ powers? Not her, that was a fact. This opened her eyes to just one of the things their enemy was capable of, and it shook her to know that they also knew how to play with their prey before coming in for the kill...or just left their victims to eventually destroy themselves in their own hell.
If her companion was all right, Suna would let out a sigh of relief. She would ask her what she had seen in the illusion earlier, but now was no time to talk. "Let’s get to the blessed clearing quickly. Your map said that way, I remember." She murmured, casting nervous glances all around her. "I have a few spells I can use if needed, but I doubt it would be any good if they were to find us..." Presuming Shizu would follow somewhere behind her, the blue-haired femme would take off, pressing deeper and closer into the deep forest.
It felt like hours, though it was likely only a few minutes, but the elf finally spied a spark of light. "There it is!" She cried, then realized that there was a horde of shadowy figures standing next to their path. "Oh no..." Her mind whirled. If this was like before, she was not ready to see multiple people from her past come alive again to torment her. Her soft soul would not be able to handle it all over again.
"Shizu, I’m going to run right through them." She said determinedly, eyes focused on only that light. "Unless you have a better idea?" Then she would hold out a hand, which the girl was free to accept or not. Either way, she was going to run straight through those illusions. Or at least attempt it.
She took a deep breath, and ran.
Almost blindly, with the hatchet held out in front of her, as if it would clear out any physical obstacle in her way.
Right towards those illusions...
Right through them...
And broke into that blessed clearing filled with light...
Shizu was not particularly surprised. The girl had been.... well her demeanor and general flowery disposition had more or less led her to believe that Suna was not a particularly critical woman. And very likely, that strange....sheltered way about her was no doubt also indicative of her experience within the Magic Knights. Her head shifted to the side just a little before she spoke up. "Isn't it a little presumptuous to base your knowledge of a system purely on your friends? Surely you've met other Magic Knights you've not come to be so close to?" She ventured. But honestly didn't pry too much. She could hear that glimmer of prickly defensiveness in the way that the woman spoke. From her assertion, then followed by a rather dramatic and sarcastic recession that regardless of the girl's tone, really did get across how irritated the woman was. And admittedly, it was a bit ....disappointing, but she supposed she had only herself to blame. She had hoped that a purely academic conversation could be hard about the system as a whole, one that wasn't necessarily specific to any individuals, but the.....emotional roots in the subject seemed deep in her companion. It seemed that whatever sort of opinion Suna had, it was deeply rooted in the friends she'd made there. Which of course, apparently seemed to make discussion a dangerous way to go about things. She sighed, and then stared ahead. But.... she did make a mental note.
What on earth was Suna talking about in regards to the Witch's Forest? A ranking system based on one's grimoires? Her face visibly furrowed slightly as she tried to recall any such system. By and large Witches had all been particularly gifted, and becoming a sage in one's arts was.......almost universal. What purpose would differentiation matter? Sure humans seemed to have strange penchants, but the actual fact of the matter was that ACTUAL power differences based on Grimoire were purely growth based. The end result of most mages was.....negligable. And generally a matter of the effort put in. Race had a much more profound effect at that. But with the issue of their.....sudden encounter, all of this had to be pushed to the back of her mind.
The woman's.....response was.... startling. "S-suna it's not rea-..." She felt her words catch in her throat as her eyes narrowed. That slight delay between when the axe slipped through. It was....wrong. Despite the illussion of her mother seemingly being cleaved into. There was ... no impact. No loss of momentum. The action physics of Suna's body passing through the woman were all wrong. Solidifying her theory. A pure illusion. She fell silent....thinking hard. What could possibly be producing this effect? There were no mana signatures nearby. Was it.....the forest itself? Was the wood being corrupted by the presence od the Daemons? "Yes it's.....just up ahead." She noted softly, following the other woman forward with...concern in her eyes. What had Suna seen that had driven her such? She was normally such a calm and placid girl, but to charge with a hatchet of all things? It was an unsettling prospect, and she was already concerned for the girl's mental state. And as they stopped up ahead....she frowned. Of course, unlike Suna, there was no crowd. Just her mother yet again. This time in her lab coat, smiling calmly in her direction. Of course... She shifted anxiously from foot to foot.
However, when Suna spoke up, she was once again confused. Them? Just how many people was she seeing? "Suna no, you might-" But she was cut off as the girl suddenly broke and ran for it. Causing Shizu to hiss under her breath and promptly move quickly after her, though at a slightly slower pace. They were almost at the wood, but she couldn't rule out soem sort of snags in the way. The last thing they needed was to slam into a tree or something with the illusions blocking their vision! She felt her spine tense as she was almost there, and she saw the expression on her mother's face shift from a smile, to a slow frown in those last few seconds. Time seeming to slow down as her mind focused and she felt a sinking feeling in her chest.
She didn't want to be doing this task. She didn't want this...moment. This sliver of her past.... to be something she had to skip by. How long had it been since she'd seen her mother? And here she had to rush past. It was an illusion. She knew that. But as she passed through that veil of make believe. She wished she could have stopped. She wished she could have looked at her. And however....inane and meaningless talking to a falsehood may have been. Deep down... a small part of her wanted to say goodbye. But just as quickly as it had slowed down, the world sped back up as she passed through the vision, and then waltzed into the grove of enchanted wood itself, panting just a little at having to keep up with Suna and the both of them finally were out in cleaner air.
She...looked around, her brows furrowing as she took a moment to take things in. The place was.....gorgeous. Soft blue glowing wood, at least....on the inside. Now that they were within the constraints of the grove she could see that some of the outter trees were discolored. Were those illusions really the result of the corrupted magical wood? Whatever it was, it seemed that the contamination was gradual. However long the daemons had set up, onyl a few outter trees showed signs of contamination, and once inside, the visions were gone. As though the inner trees of the grove were protecting itself with it's own wall of magic. She sighed when she spotted Suna, hopefully unharmed as she walked over and then looked around. "It seems the grove is alright.....for the time being. That said....we should probably take some trees from the center. If we break the outter ring on the outside, it may allow the contamination to ingrain in the grove more quickly. Whatever it is..." She murmured softly and sighed just a little. She had a good number of questions for the woman, but as it were, since Suna was still possibly a bit frazzled.....and holding the hatchet, she decided to push that off to some other time. They were where they needed to go. All they needed now was to collect the wood.
If only Shizu knew just how sensitive and emotional the blue-haired elf could be...not that it would make much of a difference. Suna had not always been that way, but after coming to Clover and meeting several key people, she has opened up to them and swung onto the other side of her personality pendulum. She had not noticed it, but she has become more and more dependent on certain individuals day by day. Whether that was a good or bad thing was to be seen, but her silent independence from her past witch life rarely reared its head now. It was true that her assumptions on the Cloverian system were heavily, if not solely, based on her personal interactions. This naturally leads to very biased views, and she could not help but feel miffed at the other witch’s objective reasonings.
That probably was part of the reason why she chose to charge at the illusion...that, and the growing fear that threatened to overwhelm her. The image of that individual was too fresh, too real, too unbelievable. Yet, there it was, and spurred Suna to act so rashly. Was that out of character? Perhaps, but fear triggers different responses in people, and especially when she has never faced such a living nightmare before. Illusions that can mimic people from one’s past? Or were they just shifting shadows that took the form of whatever the beholder projected on them?
Whatever they were, she had ‘hacked’ her way through the first one, cutting through nothing but air. Perhaps she had read one too many horror books, and recalling the stories that her Kikka survivor friends had told her—her imagination was running wild, unfortunately bringing them all to life and spawning more personal demons then perhaps in comparison to her companion. She had never been more on edge in her life, not even when she was battling mana beasts in dungeons.
Regardless, she had made a break for it, bursting through the ‘crowd’ of illusions and into that blessed clearing. Suna was bent over panting, one hand on her knees and the other hand still holding onto the hatchet but with the blade down on the ground. For a few moments, she just stayed there, catching her breath and letting the light wash away her fears. It was a relief to know that Shizu had made it safely through as well. Now that she had her mind clear again, she remembered how she acted back there and was overcome with embarrassment.
"M-My apologies," she stammered. "I don’t know what came over me. I...I..." Words failed her. Instead, she only nodded at Shizu’s comment and started to swing the hatchet at one of the trees on the inner side of the circle. Chop! Chop! One swing at a time. It helped to keep her mind off of what she had just experienced, as well as work off some of the edge she had gathered. With each swish and chop, she could slowly feel her nerves loosening up. Physical work really did help release some of that mental tension.
The blessed trees were not difficult to shop through, and Suna soon had two pieces by her feet. "Do you want to give it a go?" She asked, giving the hatchet to the witch handle first. If she accepted, Suna would sit down and study the glowing trees, attempting to test and prod its mana signature and try to find out more about it. If Shizu declined, she would just go back to chopping, thinking of the first time she was here, chopping wood for her own magical broom...
Notes & Stuff
OOC: Thinking we can probably wrap it up in the next round?
The girl seemed to come out of it....if only a little bit. She watched as the girl seemed to recover from....whatever it was that she'd seen, and Shizu couldn't help but put on a sympathetic expression as she saw just how roughed up the girl was. She had to admit, that she was a bit on the lucky side. Suna's own kneejerk response to the illusion had been strong enough to draw her own attention from what she had been seeing, and therefor determine that they were somehow being tricked. So on some level, Suna had really taken the brunt of the encounter by giving Shizuyoko the proper perspective to mitigate any mental and emotional duress from the phenomena. That said, she didn't worry too much about the ......state in which Suna now seemed to be as she had hacked her way through the visions and now shakily went about cutting down the wood that would be needed in order to get their brooms made.
"There's no need to apologize dear. I'm a little worn out from all that running I admit. Do you mind doing the cutting?" She asked with a soft, sheepish smile to go with the lie. She had all the energy in the world, but one look at the girl doggedly staring at the trees as she swung the hatchet let her know that ....perhaps a bit of physical busy work to keep the girl's mind grounded was a good thing. She was .....fine, so she allowed Suna to finish up the work of keeping the hatchet and producing the wood for their brooms. Shizu in the meantime went about inspecting the trees and such in the area. She took out a few glass vials and took the time to collect some samples. One vial containing the inner uncorrupted trees that were deepest inside of the grove. One vial contained bark from the trees on the outter-most rim, that seemed to have been somewhat corrupted by the darkness coming off of the nearby city. And of course, two more samples taking a bit of the deeper wood trunk beneath the bark. This would give her data not only on the effects of the daemon influence, but also to see if that darkness was permeating through the bark and into the tree itself. She also collected leaves from some of the trees as well, but those she stored in a small pouch.
Once she had finished taking her samples, she returned to Suna with something of a concerned look, sighing just a little before she smiled and gently reached out to pat the woman on the shoulder. "Here, let me carry that on the way out. Why don't you hold my hand? You can close your eyes on our way out and I'll lead us back to the man's home. That way you won't have to worry about the visions. You can even cover your ears if you like dear." She assured the young woman. On one hand, she was comforting her, and on the other, well she wasn't sure about how well the girl would take another charge through whatever it was that the woods had shown her.
The blue-haired elf only nodded when Shizu said she was tired. The other woman did not look winded from running, but Suna did not think too much of it, as she just continued her chopping. Swing by swing, chip by chip...her mind was in a flurry. Where did those illusions come from? Who or what controlled them? The Deep Forests were definitely within the daemons’ reaches, but what did they plan to do with the forest?
She finished chopping and splitting the wood, and gathered up the pieces of wood in her arms. She had noticed that the witch was collecting samples from the tree bark on various locations. Was she some sort of scientist or researcher? That would explain why she seemed to be so prepared, as most people do not carry empty vials around with them. She raised an eyebrow in question, but did not question why.
"Here, let me carry that on the way out."
"Oh, sure." Suna handed her over a few pieces of the wood. As for the gracious offer of holding her hand, the blue-haired elf blinked a few times. "But you have your hands full," she pointed out, then gave a small laugh. "Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. I know it’s just illusions now. I’ll even plug my ears this time." She let out a bit of her sound magic, and blue mana swirled around her ears, effectively blocking out any noises. If Shizu was ready to go, Suna would give her a slight nod, and hefting the hatchet over her shoulder, stepped tentatively outside the protective ring of light.
Immediately, darkness tried to close in on them...but it did not. Not when the pieces of wood they held were still glowing faintly with its blessed light. For a moment, Suna stared at it in wonder. It was faint, but its aura was enough to keep any illusions or harm at bay...for the moment. She threw a glance over at the other witch, and assuming Shizu would also be making her way out of the Deep Forest, Suna broke out into a light jog.
The trek back was less eventful, though she was still a bundle of nerves until they finally stepped out of the forest and into the sunshine. Suna now dispelled the sound magic from her ear, and tilted her head back slightly, briefly enjoying the warm sunshine on her face. It was like she was letting the golden rays purify and relax her from her earlier experiences. "You’re doing all right?" She asked, though it was likely that it was not necessary. The other female seemed to be a lot stronger than she was, at least in terms of mental strength. Suna had too soft and tender of a soul, and was easily unsettled by things she is not used to. That would have to change, however, if she was to get stronger.
If Shizu was all right, they would make their way back towards the old broom maker’s house. "We’re back!" She called out, and this time, the door was readily swung open, and the man came out with a tray, a pitcher, and two cups.
"Let me see..." The dwarf put down the tray at the porch and inspected the pieces of wood carefully, then nodded in approval. "Good, good. Now sit down an’ ‘ave some iced tea. I’ll be done in a jiffy." With that, he took the wood pieces and disappeared back into the house. Suna would sit down and pour out tea for the two of them, though whether Shizu wanted to drink it or not was up to her. The blue-haired elf sat down on the porch, sipping on her tea and listening to the various noises that were coming from inside the little house. She admired the old man for being so dedicated to his craft, even with darkness camping near his door.
In a short while, the front door was flung open and the broom maker came striding out, a magical broom in hand. "Here you go, Shizuyoru Nara. Your very own magical broom!" He would present it to her with a flourish, chest puffed out proudly at his handiwork.
"It’ll be very useful." Suna nodded, and brought out her own broom as well, preparing to leave. "Thanks for the help!"
"Of course." The dwarf waved at the two witches. "Come visit anytime, lassies!"
Suna now turned to the tall woman. "I’ll be heading to Raque now. Where are you headed?" She would listen to whatever response she was given and nod. "Have you heard about the Spirit Ball? I’ll be attending, so maybe I’ll see you there!" With a cheery wave, Suna would then take her leave, not knowing that she would indeed see the other sound mage at the ball soon...
- fine -
Notes & Stuff
OOC: Thanks for the fun thread! ^^
- Used Magic Broom, -8 mana - Quick Charger & IC Regen, +30 mana
Rank & Element: Junior | N/A Class & Type: Magical Trinket | Imbued Magic Specializations: Supplementary Creation Appearance & Lore: This appears to be a basic broom. The broom was payment in exchange for services rendered for Kikka's once famed broom maker. Abilities: Flight
Type & Uses: Flow | 3 Active 2 Overheat Rank & Specialization: Junior | N/A Mana Cost: 8 | 4 Range & Speed: N/A | 10 m/s Stats Affected: N/A Description: This broom allows one to fly on it from one place to another. While doing so they may carry up to one other person with them. The broom may be up to 5 meters away from the wielder and still be able to remain in the air.
Shizu ......paused when the woman handed over the wood instead of the hatchet. And she couldn't help but be a little concerned, but she didn't allow it to show as the girl seemed to compose herself after the episode. Shizu herself fell silent for the time being. Thinking. And as they began to walk back the way they came, it seemed that the wood they collected held residual protection. As that darkness attempted to seep back in, it failed to effect them as it had before. Not only that but it seemed Suna experienced a bit of a boost in her confidence as well. All of it was...... strange. To think that the darkness would manifest in such a seemingly deliberate way despite just being runoff. Was it always operating like this? She wasn't sure, but she kept it in mind as they made their way back to the broom-maker's little cottage.
She was a little surprised when she heard the question directed at her. She quirked a brow, glancing over in Suna's direction before she offered a warm smile in their direction. "I'm quite alright dear. I'm just glad to see that you're doing okay now. That was a bit of a surprise earlier. " She noted, her attention briefly drifting to the hatchet. Admittedly, she was still a bit wary, but not so much as to make anything of it. Suna seemed stable for now at least.
When they finally arrived, she smiled as she handed over the wood and watched as the man offered some tea to the pair of them and then headed inside to work with the wood. She settled herself down and accepted the offering of the warm tea, alowing it to settle just a little as she began to ....think about why the man was staying here. To see visions of the past like this, surely he was effected as well? Who did the man see when he went out to the forest. And why didn't he want to leave? She looked off in the direction of those corrupted woods and remained very quiet and she felt almost a bit forlorn as she imagined what it might be like. A lonely old man out here..... was it someone he deeply cared about that he saw in those woods? Was that what was keeping him from leaving? It COULD just be the man refusing to leave his work, but all the same, as he emerged and presented her broom to her, she offered a sof smile and accepted it. "Thank you very much sir, and I'll be sure to make a point to visit now and then." She assured him. Some small part of her was curious, and wanted to ask the man again why he was out here.
But she couldn't quite bring herself to. For one it was the man's own business, and honestly, what would she do with such information? The man wasn't trapped, he was staying here by choice, and she supposed....if nothing else...it was something to respect. As they finished their tea and set out to leave, Shizu took a moment to pause as Suna spoke to her about some sort of festival. She hadn't really planned on attending any such thing.... but she smiled. "I wasn't intending to. But if its something you're interested in, I may give it a look when I have the chance." She chimed. The two of them finished their pleasantries, and then they both went their separate ways.
