"If you wish to know..." interrupted Kaiyon as his classmate walked away "...all will be revealed in due time, and when we stand, and we have finished this assigment, there will be at least one less unknown..." Kaiyon looked at him, and chuckled. He stopped and said "try not to alarm the others of the arts I know...this I ask of you" Katsuke heard and scoffed, while Tai kami watche over the entire class.
Tsuki had a taste of her dinner. "Wow Athena!!! This is delicious!!! My cooking skills have never been that great." she said with a smile. She looked at Taiyoko and then looked at Kaiyon. "What's wrong?" she asked Taiyoko, "did you and Kaiyon have an argument?" She finished up her dinner and waited till Taiyoko is done with his. She and Athena cleaned up everything and soon it was very dark. Tsuki stretched and yawned at the same time. "I think it would be a good idea if we all got some shut eye for tomorrow, what do you guys say?" she said to the group. She stretched and yawned again. "Good night everyone!"she called out. "Good night Taiyoko...hope you sleep well...." she said to him warmly with a smile. Then she walked over to the girls side of the camp, set up, and fell asleep.
ooc: Forgive me if i'm speeding this up to fast but i do think we should move on to the third day by now. AIC: Athena slept through most of the night only awakening every now and then to see if anything had changed at all and if she needed to leave the encampment for any reason. Soon she awoke to the dawning of the sun. She watched the sunrise aware that Kaiyon was also watching it. Even though they were across the camp from each other she still felt very close to him. Soon she would go back over to where she had cooked dinner the night before to begin breakfast but for now she just wanted to enjoy a little alone time before she needed to start the day. After others began to stir Athena moved towards what she had deemed the cooking area and began to get things together to cook an early morning breakfast. Hopefully they would reach the mountain top before the sunset.
Shinryu slept uneasily. He hadn't slept well since he left his village. Since that horrible day when everything came undone. But that was not all that caused him unease. There was something... wrong. Something evil. Something was causing problems for the class, and he couldn't tell what it was. He awoke with a start, in a cold sweat. "What's going to happen?" He asked of the cool morning air. Wiping away the sweat on his brow, he looked around. The rest of the camp was still asleep. It was early morning. It couldn't have been much later than 5:30 or 6. He noticed Athena was awake, and preparing breakfast. None of the other students had awakened yet. Even Karukai hadn't moved from where he last stood, against that tree. Getting up, he walked over to Athena's side, and asked her, "Do you feel it?" He had slept in his clothes, in case something had happened, and he presented a rather disheveled sight, his hair matted and limp, his clothing twisted and creased, but he didn't care. "Can you feel what is about to happen?" ooc: I know that Kaiyon is awake, but Shinryu doesn't realize it.
Thorne's eyes opened so slowly it was as if he was creating his own sunrise with his eyelids. The moss surrounding him had provided ample cover while he rested and using this cover he stretched his arms and legs to their fullest. Glancing down he noted that only Athena and Shinryu were awake thus far. <She is cooking again.> Thorne grew another fruit from the branch above him and quietly ate his one course breakfast. No one had left the camp and now he noticed the two students who no doubt had arrived while he slept. Thorne watched the mighty half-demon Taiyoko sleep soundly and couldn't help but ponder on this warrior. <Another student who believes they can take on the world.> <Arrogance seems to be a recurring theme at this school.> <I'm beginning to wonder if I'm actually going to be able to keep my cool here.> Thorne then spied the young Tsuki laying on the ground in a deep sleep. <She looks as if she is the least experienced of the lot and it's possible she will be the easiest to deal with in the future.> Standing up on his branch and willing the moss up into the tree, Thorne waited until Athena and Shinryu were looking in the opposite direction before he jumped to the camp's neighboring tree line and disappeared from all sight. <Perhaps it would be best if I waited to hear their plans and then went out to set for them their gifts.> Thorne had earlier that night scoffed at the idea set forth by Karukai to harm some of the students, but now he had convinced himself that the best way of revealing their strengths and weaknesses was to set obstacles in their path to the shrine. Thorne sat like a frog in the dark branches of the surrounding tree line watching and waiting as he always did. <Once I have pinpointed the weakness of every one of my opponents they wont have a chance against me or my Shadowists.> Thorne's eyes drifted to lay on Athena. <If you still consider us your masters, work your manipulative magic and reveal to us their weaknesses.> Thorne let a dark laugh echo through his throat without opening his mouth. <Pull her strings Karukai, and command your beautiful pawn.> "Heh...heh...heh...heh..."
"Can you feel what is about to happen?" Shinryu asked her. Athena looked up and couldn't help but laugh slightly at his dishelved appearance and finally said, sombered, "Yes, I feel a tension in the air. A foreshadowing sense of trials and troubles. We'll be lucky if we complete our mission by nightfall.... we may have to spend another night up here. Although it would be much faster if the group split up into pairs... we could reach the top a little more easily."
Taiyoko woke up suddenly as if shooken by a wretched nightmare. He noticed a few people wandering about, but was really bothering him was the feeling in the air,a feeling so tense that he could almost taste it. <I feel something horrible coming... something i think will filter out some of the weaker of the group... I must protect Tsuki as best as i can and as well the others. I feel the darkness... maybe demons or am i just feeling the evil sitting in the air? I cant be sure but i definitely feel it... i need to prepare myself fo this task.> after he thought this he pushed up his sunglasses that he apparently slept with and went over to the others who he heard talking about the tension... "I feel it too and its not going to be good. I feel it in he air... the evil... its making it hard to breathe...."
Tsuki stirred in her sleeping bag. She decided to sleep by the fire since she really didn't like the dark to well...but she slept somewhere near the girls side. She woke up to see Taiyoko walking over. "Good morning Taiyoko! Did you sleep well?" she said sleepily. She smiled at him warmly. She got out of her sleeping bag and stretched while yawning.
Katsuke had awoken from the sleep he put himself in last night, and slowly opened his eyes to see the flow of the daylight sun. "well....this seems familiar" he thought. He groaned as he got up, and walked to where Tai-Kami was sleeping and said in a loud voice "Wake up...the lot of you!" Tai Kami awoke easily and said "I dont remember asking you to teach or command my class" "I dont remember you asking me to leave either" responded Katsuke. " *hmph*....but....HE'S RIGHT! ALL OF YOU! AWAKE!" yelled Tai Kami loud enough for the anyone to hear. "You got two days to get up this mountain anyways" The entire camp shook as the students questioned the why they only had two more days to complete the assigment. "Heh..complete!? We have to get back to school in excactly two days...idiots". "WHAAAT!?" yelled the students as Tai Kami chuckled. "Hey, its the principal's orders. And if she doesent get what she wants, Im fired...and if im fired, you'll all be looking for a new place to study as well because so help me..." spoke Tai Kami in an angry tone as Katsuke came and massaged her shoulders and said "Dont worry! I've seen what this crazy little bunch of kids can do. They'll handle it!" Kaiyon stayed back and pretended to be asleep, only because he didn't want the other students to question the arts he had used.
Athena had finished making breakfast and nodded her head. She picked up a plate and had a quick breakfast. She packed her pack up and made sure her crystal sword was in it's sheath and said, "Very well Sensei. Then I will not fail you." Athena then turned and began to head for the path, at a deliberate pace.
At the first sign of others awakening, Shinryu cut off his conversation with Athena. Casting a quick spell to erase all signs of a poor night from his visage, he returned looking as well-kept and clean as when they departed. He quickly packed up his kit, and got ready to go without saying another word. ----------------- Karukai 'awoke,' if indeed he had even been sleeping, and calmly walked over to Athena. "Well, my sweet, it looks like we're together today. But why just today? We could be together forever." Winking at her, with a lecherous grin, he waited for Athena to respond.
Athena glared at Karukai then stormed off of the path knowing that he would follow her. After awhile she calmly regarded Karukai out of the corner of her eyes and after she was positive that they were out of hearing range and eyesight of the others. (ooc: This means no one can hear or see them and i mean it) Then she smiled at Karukai as he casted the spell of silence over them so that none could overhear them. She smiled and said, "But of course, you are my master and I shall do as you command." She gazed ahead and asked, "So where is the first trap that I am to lead the others to? Or am i not to have a hand in it? And what are our plans?"
As everyone got ready for their next to last day in the place where so many things happened, Kaiyon decided it was best for him and her. This time, he could not reveal any more of himself. He slapped himself with both hands, the closed his eyes tight and thought in a more childish manner "I HAVE A GIRLFIREND NOW! MESSING UP WILL BE THE END OF IT FOR ME!" Tai-Kami looked around and said "Hurry! Or Ill flunk you all into basic Magic school!". She scratched her head and thought for a moment. She looked up and said "Allright...this is how it goes. Im not repeating this so listen up! Kurakai, you and Athena will go together. Tanizaki Tokimune (Shinryu) and Kaiyon will go together. Tsuki and Taioko, you're a team. And Ill be watching this guy over here...and so help you all that if i find out that you cheat, you will not only fail, but i will demand enforced summer school and severe punishment for the weak". She looked at everyone to see their surprised faces. "Did I ask for opinions? Move it!" she yelled. All the students got quickly ready and were about to leave....
"I've already prepared everything. Just keep acting as you have, and sooner or later, something will happen. This time, they won't know it was me. They won't even see it coming." Grinning viciously, he said, "Good luck, pet." ---------------- In what seemed to be a much more somber mood from yesterday, Shinryu looked toward Kaiyon, his partner, and said, "Come on. Let's get going. I don't want to stand around here any longer than I have to." Shouldering his pack, which nobody remembered him having before, he started walking toward the summit.
After Tsuki and Taiyoko finished up with everything they packed their bags and started to leave. "Today is such a beautiful day, I hope that we won't run into much trouble." she looked at Taiyoko and smiled at him warmly. Taiyoko smiled back but he was thinking about something else, "Is something bothering you Taiyoko-san?"
"we need to be very cautious on this trail b/c i sense an abounding evil in this place..." Taiyoko pushed up his glasses "but dont worry i will protect you and we will stop anything in our way and make it up to the shrine and back in no time..." Taiyoko started walking up the trail... "lets go...dont worry we will be fine...." <i just hope we will>
Athena smiled at Karukai and asked, "Should we return to the path?" She could hear the other students on the path. Even though no one would be able to see them, or hear them, she wanted to continue on... otherwise her charade could end sooner than they wanted it to, if the others realized they were missing.
Kaiyon heard Shinryu and got up and quickly followed him. He didn't talk to him to ignore any questioning. Tai Kami looked as her students as they rushed at the knowledge of their time limit. "That's some good news in a while, at least" she thought. She looked as each student prepared and then looked at their destination. "It's burried there, and its almost found. Lets just hope those two idiots dont mess this up for me" she kept thinking.
Tetsumiro grumbled something as he was jostled out of his meditative state by all the yelling. He got up, silently following the rest of the group, rubbing his temple as his head pounded. He hadn't realized that he'd never fallen asleep that night, and he hadn't eaten anything yet, either. Not that it would effect him much, but he knew better than to skip meals. The boy fished through his pockets as he walked, pulling out a strip of dried meat and began to chew on it slightly.
Tsuki smiled warmly at Taiyoko at the fact of knowing that he will protect her. "Ok...I just hope we won't run into too much trouble...." she whispered to Taiyoko. She wondered about earlier...she saw Athena glance at Kaiyon in such a manner....could it be? "Hey...Taiyoko, not to be rude, but do you think it's possible that Athena and Kaiyon have something for each other?" she asked quietly. She didn't want to be rude, she was just wondering. She kept walking along side Taiyoko when she heard something up in the trees. She looked up and thought that she must of saw some sort of shadowing figure following them. "What the..." she started to say. Taiyoko noticed this and asked what was wrong. "I don't know...my mind must be playing tricks on me, that's all." she said with a puzzled look. She pulled his arm and started to walk faster. "Come on!!! We want to get there before the others, don't we?" she said to him while giggling. She smiled at him warmly while pulling him along the way.
