Tetsu hated to admitt that he was jealous of Kaiyon, but he was. And now, the pup couldn't get his mind off of it, and wasn't paying much attention to what was going on around him. Even though his ears listened, he didn't pay attention to any sounds he picked up, suspisious or not. He continued to walk not too far behind Athena and to the side, deep in thought now.
Athena heard a rustling sound and without a second thought she followed it, running rather quickly. She stopped as she came face to face with Karukai and said, "You're alive.... I'm glad I guess but... what have you done to my wrist."
Karukai was a bit surprised that Athena had stumbled across him, but he hid it well. Standing up, Karukai left the creation of his trap, and said... "Your wrist should be the least of your worries, Athena-kun." Karukai's face wore a twisted, evil grin, and his voice grated on her ears. Karukai began to laugh, quietly this time, and slowly, his eyes turned jet black... ---------------------- Shinryu was continuing up the mountain, having shoved all of his sadness aside for the time being. There would be time later for that. Now, he must concentrate. Karukai may have gotten the drop on him earlier, but he wouldn't let it happen again. This time, everyone had split up, forgetting the teams that were forged at the start. "Alone, the others may be vulnerable. I'd better keep an eye on them." Extending his senses outward, Shinryu attempted to sense the auras of his classmates. He was shocked, however, when he couldn't feel a thing. The only aura he could sense was his own. A branch snapped, over to his right. Tunring, quickly, to face the source of the noise, Shinryu drew his sword. "Who is it? Show yourself!"
Thorne only smirked at the young warrior's command. <If I had wanted to sneak up on him, he never would have had a chance>. Thorne hadn't expected their to be one of the students alone and not travelling in a group out in the woods ahead of him. When he had caught sight of Shinryu he had tried to stop and succeeded except for the tiny branch he snapped when he landed in the large oak off to Shinryu's left. Thorne was not the arrogant sort but in this specific situation the facts spoke for themselves; and the facts were, in a forest setting, in the dead of night no human, demon, or hybrid had ever even caused Thorne to break a sweat, not even Karukai. Shinryu had no idea of what he would be getting himself into if a conflict started here. Despite the warrior's challenge Thorne was more concerned with what Karukai was getting ready to do but at the same time he needed a way of escaping without Shinryu spotting him. <I have the perfect distraction> thought Thorne, as he reached into a small pocket of his shredded shoulder robe. Thorne pulled from his pocket one of the Soul Catcher seeds that he had used to absorb Karukai's aura from the surrounding area. It had become black and slightly shrivelled. With the tinyest expenditure of his plant controlling powers he opened the seed a crack and several tiny tentacles began to squeeze their way out of the pod. Thorne then tossed the seed with surprising force into the side of a small bird in the neighboring tree. The bird fell out of the tree and into the bushes catching Shinryu's attention. Kurakai's evil demonic energy was mixed with the plants dark power and transferred into the nearly dead bird as it lay on the ground. As Shinryu cautiously approached the bush that the sound had come from Thorne watched patiently for his diversion to awaken. The bird's wings molted and changed into a pair of clawed bat wings while the rest of its body increased in size and took on a very dark bloodthirsty look, what with its sharp pointed beak and long red talons. The Bird/Karukai demon hopped to its feet and shook the rest of its feathers off revealing the deformed black skin and the strange Karukai seed embedded in the creature's side with its long vein-like roots spreading through the creature's body. When Shinryu reached the bush the Karukai-bird flew straight for his face screeching like a harpy. Shinryu had fallen to his back to avoid the creature's talons for it was just as deadly as a gryphon but smaller and faster. Thorne took advantage of his diversion and when Shinryu had put all his attention on the deformed bird he slipped through the trees towards Karukai once more, being extra careful to keep his eyes open for anymore loners like Shinryu. "I will not be detected again" he whispered to himself as he practically floated from tree to tree at startling speeds. He could hear Shinryu's struggle with his little monster getting somewhat intense aways behind him.
OOC: Kaiyon said i could play as Kakajo KIC: Kakajo had decided to follow Athena and Tetsu up the mountain... they were fairly ahead of them. He couldn't believe that yet another girl had chosen Kaiyon over him.... he was going to try to fix that if he could. He noticed Athena run off the path and ran past Tetsu after her. He arrived just as Karukai began to laugh evily at her. "You leave her be Karukai." Kakajo demanded.
Tetsu snapped out of his deep trance he'd gotten himself into as he thought when Athena took off, and Kakajo soon after. He followed persuit, coming to a stop behind them, his hand gripping his Katana. "Kakurai...."
"Well, the kiddies have all found me. Don't you feel proud of yourselves?" And before anyone could react, Karukai vanished in a puff of smoke. Athena's wrist began to hurt. The rot began to spread once again, and quickly. Soon it covered her whole hand and stretched to her elbow. The sound of Karukai's laughter began to ring through the forest. --------------- Staring intently into the bushes where the snapped twig had sounded from, Shinryu was sure that he wasn't alone. Then there was a *thud* off to his left. Whipping around to face the new noise, Shinryu readied his blade. It was glowing again. Not with blue fire, as it had with Karukai, but the blade seemed to emanate a blue light. His senses still extended, he felt Karukai's aura coming from the ground in front of him. "Ahh, So this is it, eh? Your little trap?" He muttered. He began to chant a spell. But before he could finish, a creature of some sort shot out of the bushes, straight at Shinryu. He was forced to interrupt his spell casting in order to fend off the beast. The spell, unrealized, lashed Shinryu's mind, leaving him unable to think clearly. And, without clear thought, he could not cast spells. He fell back on his fighter's instinct, and defended himself...
Athena screamed in pain, her scream echoing down the mountain, as she fell to her knees gripping her wrist. She didn't know how much more of it she could take or what she would do if it spread much father. It was alreading inching up her arm. "Someone.... please help me.... please stop it.... It hurts so much." Athena whispered in spite of herself, as tears began to fall.
Thorne's patience was actually being tested this night. First, Karukai blew off his advice on keeping a low profile. Second, he went and nearly got himself killed, and now he kept teleporting all over the mountain making Thorne have to chase him down. Thorne finally decided that it wasn't worth trying to catch up with Karukai. If Karukai was actually running for once it would be very difficult to catch him. <I guess that is what happens when you're half bat demon, you gain the ability to annoy your allies and either terrify or creep out your enemies>. As many things as there were about Karukai that Thorne didn't like there were a couple things that made him one of the best shadowists. First, he never backed down from an enemy. Second, he could strike fear into those around him which gave the shadowists an advantage. And third, he was incredibly powerful both in his powers and in his physical abilities. Thorne and Karukai were easily the two strongest shadowists but they were very different in terms of personality and fighting styles. Thorne sensed another ripple in Karukai's energy and arrived just in time to see Karukai teleport out from in front of a group of his fellow students. <Oh crap> Thorne thought to himself. The students looked shocked and confused but the girl Athena began crying out and appeared to be in extreme pain. <Oh no Karukai what did you do?> Thorne had to act quickly or one of his future advantages might slip away. With some strong concentration Thorne focused his power. The ground began to shake and suddenly two trees uprooted themselves and fell between Athena and the other students. A flurry of other foliage flew from their spots in the earth to spots around the two trees like pieces of metal to a magnet. Athena, now sitting on her knees, clutched her arm as the dark rot tried to spread and the once forrested spot she had been standing in pulled itself around her hiding her from view of the others and blocking out most of the moonlight. Thorne lunged into the fray he had created, hidden by the very plants that were flying through the air. When they had sucessfully separated her from the others and blocked out nearly all the light around her he made his move. With ninja-like agility he unslung his Mankiri-Gusari from his left forearm and with a quick whiplike motion put a small gash in the rotted part of Athena's arm. She cried out again but was suddenly silenced by a vine over her mouth that came from behind her and no doubt the sight of Thorne's silhouette in front of her. Thorne grabbed her arm and partially shoved the second Karukai seed into her open wound, mentally comanding it to absorb the evil energy. It did in a matter of seconds due to the fact that he had put it partially in her body. He removed the seed and jumped out of her sight and into the trees leaving her shocked but cured body within his plant made cave. He knew she couldn't have seen anything more than his silhouette, at best, in the darkness. <I can't believe he would risk killing a potential hostage>. <Karukai, you really need to start thinking ahead>. As Thorne quickly backed further into the forest he swung his Manriki-Gusari back around his left forearm and positioned himself in the top of a massive tree where he could watch conspired next without risk of being seen.
Athena gazed in shock at her now cured arm. She gazed about her and gazed at the treetops. She had seen the figure of a man... most likely a ninja given his speed and could have sworn he had made his way to the treetops. She took a few steps towards a tree, not knowing it was the one Thorne was in, and gazed up... for all Thorne knew she was gazing up at him.
Thorne could see the young Athena staring straight at him but he suspected that she couldn't actually see him so he remained absolutely motionless. His clothes and powers made him look like a mear part of the tree but if she got any closer or actually spotted him he would have to use one of his more powerful plant related powers to escape.
A voice whispered, next to Thorne's ear, it was Karukai's. "You jerk! Why did you go and heal her? You ruined my plans!" Then, with a whuff of air, the voice disappeared. Athena felt something grab her around the waist, and felt the sudden sensation of being lifted into the air at high speed. Once she was above the top of the trees, The person holding her materialized. It was Karukai. He shouted, loud enough for everyone else to hear, "Evening, kiddies!" Everyone looked up to see Athena being held, high in the air, by Karukai. Kakajo shouted "Karukai! Get your *** down here and fight like a man!" Karukai only laughed, and said, "What was that? You want me to put her down? Alrighty then, have it your way!" At that moment, he teleported away, leaving Athena with nothing to hold her up, except the air around her. --------------------- Meanwhile, Shinryu's battle against the Karukai-bird wasn't going well. He was still unable to use any magic, and the creature merely dodged his every sword stroke. "This thing is bloody fast. It can even dodge my attacks! But I will not lose. I cannot lose, so long as she is with me." He thought. Shinryu took a defensive stance, and tried to remember his spells. He was losing...
Athena did not scream as Karukai teleported away from her. She instead streamlined herself so to fall slightly faster towards the trees. She began to whisper a chant in gaelic as she fell through a cloud of black mist she had just passed through the cloud when in the next instant a vine had entangled around her waist and her free fall had stopped. She was now safe in a tree and began her climb down it.
Katsuke looked at Tai Kami and said "Aren't you pissed those two are getting your little spotlight?". Tai Kami looked at him and chuckled..."Idiot. Didn't you ever pay attention to my lessions. I guess you were sleeping more than meditating." "It was more like contemplating" responded Katsuke. He looked at the kids and glimpsed Athena in mid-air. "What the hell is it with these kids!? Two minutes and somebody is about to die". Kaiyon noticed Athena was about to fall and so he chanted a special Sword Mage spell. Words echoed and Kaiyon seemed to glow. He was able to sense Kurakai's teleportation and copy it. As soon as he teleported, Athena had saved herself. He appeared next to her with the utmost surprise. Apparently he showed many feelings in chanting a Sword Mage spell. One of his secret arts. As he slowly fell to the ground due to the spell he tensed up and blushed. "OH! HEH...HAHAHA! GOOD SAVE, EH ATHENA!?" yelled Kaiyon. Katsuke looked and said "Oh man...what a retard...". "He expressed to many feeling with that Utaki spell" said Tai Kami. Kakajo tensed up and said "How do you know?". "Oh please.....I already knew....he doesent" responded Tai Kami with arrongance.
Athena merely shrugged and turned her back to her classmates and began to walk away from them. Her energy seemed different and her demeanor darker for some reason. She walked for a short ways where she found Karukai and a smirk similiar to his own spread across her features.
<What is this>? Thorne leaned forward from the tree, practically hanging by one arm. <Why is Athena emiting a very slight darkness in her aura now>? Thorne decided to slide in closer so he would be able to hear anything that was said and, if need be, to get Karukai out of there. There was something about what Athena was doing right now that just felt wierd to Thorne. He pulled out and palmed one of his Soul Catcher seeds as he hopped and slid towards Karukai and Athena.
Just out of sight of the rest of the group, Karukai met with Athena. Grinning widely, Karukai said, "So, how do you feel, my black bird? My raven?" "Just remember, the others don't know you're one of us. Keep it secret, for now." And he cast his invisibility spell once again, slinking off to the nearby brush to watch the unfolding events.
"I am ready to serve." Athena whispered before Karukai could leave. She then turned and ran back to the group and said, "Damn, he got away. I'm sorry guys. I've let you all down." She bowed her head, her hair covering her face as she faked to be upset about it.
Kaiyon looked at Athena with surprise and said "A...Athena?" Katsuke looked at what had happened and said "Oh no......if he figures out what happened, he'll go nuts" Tai Kami chuckled and said "Yeah...he probably will!" "Well then....I guess we're about to witness an interesting sight" said Katsuke. "Hands off" said Tai Kami as Katsuke massaged her shoulder. "Freak" she muttered. Kaiyon still had question of what really was going on and was trying to talk to Athena."Athena!? ATHENA?"
<Well I'll be...> Thorne couldn't believe it. This was easily the smartest thing he had ever seen Karukai do. <I must be rubbing off on him> Thorne joked to himself. I'll just see what our newest member does next. Thorne kept the seed in his hand and proceeded to absorb as much of Karukai's aura from the surrounding area, as well as from their newest ally, as he could. <Let us see how our new actress performs>.
