Kaiyon and Shinryu had walked in silence, neither willing to reveal to the other the thoughts of the past night. Neither said a word for some time, and neither desired to speak. It wasn't long, however, before it became a necessity. As they neared the scene of Shinryu's earlier battle, Kaiyon noticed there was blood stains coating much of the foliage nearby. Some of it appeared to be dried human blood, but there was one area in particular that stood out. The body of the sparrow was still there, cleaved in two, however, it was now little more than a skeleton, a husk of it's living form. All of the life around its body had died, as though the very life-force had been drained from it. Kaiyon looked to Shinryu and said... ------------------------ Meanwhile, Karukai had taken Athena to the location of the first trap he had laid. "It won't be long before some hapless fool wanders into my trap." He said, grinning evilly. "I wonder who it will be..." Voices could be heard coming up the path...
..."that's human blood, isn't it?" asked Kaiyon. He wasn't a demon, but he could tell the difference between the sorts of blood. Kaiyon knew that their time limit had just made their trip more dangerous, so without hesitating he said to Shinryu "...lets go". Kaiyon knew dangers were coming, and that they'd have to finish their destination before the two days, otherwise his trip was all for nothing. He began to walk to make his partner follow him without looking back. Tai Kami and Katsuke followed the team of students walking, assured that they'd reach their destination in much less time that they have been given.
Thorne had been busy trying to keep tabs on which directions all of the pairings had gone. While some had stayed in relatively the same area, a couple groups like Kaiyon and Shinryu had strayed off in the direction of Thorne's earlier diversion. <I had better check up on my lovely flower and see how she is doing with our little trap.> <If all goes well, we will be able to lure every single one of them into it.> <Karukai is going to be so dissapointed that he doesn't get to flat out kill them all.> Thorne quietly rushed through the tree tops taking extra care to remain completely consealed due to the sunlight. It was still early morning but it made things considerably harder, just like when he had been trying to sneak around campus to watch Karukai. As Thorne traveled deeper into the forrest and farther up the mountain he noticed the mountain mist growing to a thick fog. It eventually got to where he could only see a few feet in front of him. <I can no longer rely on my eyes so I'll have to use it.> Thorne remembered the special power that was granted to every Shadowist when they were accepted into the ranks. All Shadowists were given the power of the Shadow Spell. The spell itself could only be activated at night or in extreme darkness. It is different for nearly every user as it adjusts to use the powers of its caster and it usually has to do with some form of mobility. Karukai's Shadow Spell allowed him to teleport short distances in the dark while Thorne's allows him to meld his body into the very plants around him. Thorne reached his hand out to the side and muttering the shadow spell in his mind (which only worked due to the darkness created by the trees and the fog) he touched the closest tree. The side of the tree moved like when a finger dips into water and Thorne let his body sink into the tree's trunk. Suddenly all of Thorne's senses changed. He could feel the vibrations of the ground and air, see the differences in the air patterns, and sense the very presense of his fellow students from the plants that they walked near. It was then that he felt the presence of his "flower". Thorne's "body" traveled through the plantlife like it were a power cord and he was the electricity. Rushing through the plants at speeds far greater than his own he reached her position in a matter of seconds. Thorne's body melted out of the side of a large oak like someone stepping out of a pool of water that had been suspended on its side. <I'm nearly finished my lord>, came the lilting voice of Thorne's closest ally and the only person he actually cared for. She stood only but ten feet away and he couldn't resist taking in the sight of her as he did every time he saw her. Her skin was just as fair as his and her clothing was similar as well. She was nearly a foot shorter than Thorne but that didn't make her any less powerful, or enticing. Her slightly curly hair, while brown, had a slight red tint to it and reached to her shoulderblades. She too stood on the ground barefoot and her clothing gave her a very plant-like look. On her upper body was the top of a shredded green robe like Thorne's, although her's had lines of red and purple in it, and undernieth was a light tan top piece that was cut short giving her a bare midriff. On her waist was a skirt that looked as if it were made of large, pointed, flower petals of tie-dyed red and purple. The petals reached nearly to her knees. Everything about her said "flower" which is where Thorne had concocted her name. "Excellent my beautiful Bloom", he said, as he slowly walked to where she stood.
Athena paled and whispered, "Those are Shinryu's and Kaiyon's voices i hear." pause "Karukai... i still can't allow anything to happen to Kaiyon." She turned slightly praying that Kaiyon wouldn't stumble onto the trap. She knew that, from where she, Karukai, and Thorne stood that was the one weakness she had right now. Her lo... her feelings for Kaiyon would not allow her to allow any harm to befall him if she could help it. She sighed as she glanced at Karukai wondering what her next orders were to be... after all she was now Karukai's Raven and would do his bidding as long as she did not have to harm Kaiyon.
Shinryu and Kaiyon walked toward the summit. Shinryu had been mostly quiet. Not saying much, not doing much. To Kaiyon, it appeared as though he was in deep thought. ------------------ Seeing his prey enter the trap, Karukai set it off. It was a simple trap, but an effective one, usually. With a nearly noiseless *twang* an arrow shot straight toward the pair, narrowly missing Kaiyon, and embedding itself in Shinryu's side. Shocked at the arrow that suddenly sprouted from his side, Shinryu felt an intense pain spreading from the wound. "Poison..." he whispered, before falling unconcious.
Tsuki was still leading the way up the mountain with Taiyoko still following behind her. Soon, they walked into a clearing surrounded by trees, with a small pond in the middle of the clearing. "Oh, perfect! We can get some water here!" Tsuki said. She ran over to the small pond and filled up her canteen with it's contents. She took a sip of the refreshing water and filled it up more. Taiyoko, without saying a word, did the same. Suddenly, Tsuki felt a bit tensed. "Wait a sec..." she mumbled. Taiyoko sensed Tsuki becoming tense, but did nothing about it. "...something is not right." They walked further a bit and Tsuki heard rustling in the trees. She looked up and saw two shadow-like figures hide among the trees. She took a stumbling step back in discomfort. "There's no sign of any of the others, but I don't think we're alone." she said to Taiyoko with a hint of fear in her voice. Tsuki took out her Sun and Wind blades in case of an attack. Fear caused Tsuki's weights in her hands to feel heavier, especially with the added weight of the blades. She stumbled a bit and fell next to Taiyoko. She heard more rustling and cracks of branches. "Taiyoko, we are definetly not alone." she said.
Thorne had been examining the trap that he had instructed Bloom to create and was very pleased with its growth. Bloom had been working on this trap for nearly 24 hours and Thorne was eager to put his plan into action. Thorne had taken Bloom's hand in his own and stepped into the side of the tree again, pulling her through with him. The nature of Thorne's shadow spell caused his body to literally become one with the plantlife and because of pulling Bloom in with him, the two of them had essentially become one body/presence inhabiting the plants and trees. Thorne/Bloom's presence shot through the trees like a pulse, traveling through an awkward path of plantlife that kept their fused form in the heavily shadowed plants. Rushing through the plants they quickly sensed the presence of Athena and Karukai. They were both sitting in the shadows of some heavy foliage. Although Thorne/Bloom couldn't actually "see" either of them he could feel their pulses through the ground above "his" current roots and see the auras emitted by both of them. Bloom's part of the presence could see and feel everything Thorne did and also noted the approach of two more auras coming down a path. Thorne could feel a strong pulling sensation in one of the branches near him, and after a moment could sense a strangely shaped piece of dead plant...<an arrow> thought Thorne. <I wonder if it would be wise to let Karukai go ahead with this.> Bloom's presence stretched from her love and master like a drop of water that extends from a puddle, except she spread through the foliage towards a faint aura in the distance. Realizing it was two more students she returned to Thorne and together they left Karukai to His plan and sought out the identity of the two loners. As Thorne and Bloom approached what they believed to be Tsuki and Taiyoko, the sun, having not risen over the mountain yet, peaked its head out from behind the mountain. The light from the sun reflected off of a pool of water next to the two students and right into the tree that Thorne and Bloom were lingering in. There was a sound of straining wood and a surge of heat and pain like thousands of splinters that hit both Thorne and Bloom at the same time as their presence was forced from the inhabited tree. Thorne had been able to catch Bloom's stunned body as the two of them were expelled from the tree and, in his opinion, rather loudly land in the neighboring tree's branches. The young girl Tsuki heard this and Thorne knew it. Silently stroking Bloom's cheek he awoke her without making a sound and the two of them jumped from sight away from the two students" position just as Tsuki turned to look in their direction. Thorne and Bloom resorted to jumping through the trees to get back to Thorne's trap. Thorne, although happy with the positions of all the students, was irritated with himself for not noticing the reflection soon enough to move out of the tree. Thorne knew why he hadn't noticed it in time however, <I needed to find the students faster so I took Bloom with me to increase my speed through the plants, but as a result I lose some of the awareness I receive from my shadow spell.> Thorne and Bloom both arrived at the edge of the ghostly mist that had originally forced Thorne to use his shadow spell. Thorne turned to Bloom, <you have the mental connection with the trap, correct?> <Yes my lord and I can lead you to the spot you requested through this mist as the trap itself is creating it>, Bloom replied. Thorne watched as Bloom stepped forward and began to slowly walk into the mist. Her body soon became a mere silhouette and Thorne quickly followed his beloved flower through a fog that was as thick as darkness itself. After walking for nearly a half hour Bloom stopped and Thorne knelt to one knee. Thorne placed his hand on the ground and could feel the power and tendrils of his trap coursing through the very ground. "Perfect", he muttered. "Now my dear, let us lure the unknowing warriors to their demise and to our enpowerment."
Kaiyon concentrated back to his mission when he heard the noise, but it was too late already. His partner had already been injured. He heard him utter the word "Poison" and so he panicked. He knew that he could not heal a poisoned sentient so he picked him up as soon as he could and tried to carry him. Of course he wasn't used to carrying a person on his back so he had to leave his weapon behind, so that it would not harm his friend. He started rushing, and yelled Katsuke's name. His dagger would be able to take care of the poison. Katsuke heard Kaiyon, and said to Tai Kami "Well, do you think he was stupid enough to get caught by something already?" Tai Kami chuckled and said "ha! He was your student last i remember. So he probably was stupid enough to" A third voice in the shadows spoke lightly to them..."Now, now...is that really any way to treat a man as respected as Katsuke? Kami, you dissapoint me in overestimating your skills." they both turned around in surpirise of who had been speaking to them, and found it to be none other than the school's principal. Tai Kami gasped and bowed "Principal Hokkaido, what a surprise to see you here! I thought you said it was ok for the students to be here for two more days!" "That was then, and this is now" she responded "Ive been recently informed of Shadowist sightings all around Sakeido, and your students seemed to be the most promising ones" Katsuke nodded smiling and said "And why do you think that is!?" Hokkaido looked at Tai Kami and said "You informed me that you were with a Senior Graduating class. Instead you bring your old student and a bunch of demons to this place?" Unfortunately, Kaiyon had interrupted their conversation short and founf all three of them. "He widened his eyes open and said "Principal? What are you doing here?" She looked to him and said "No time, old student.First of all, your partner seems to be needing treatment. Secondly, you are as of now all stepping on restricted grounds, and you need to gather your class" "B-but why? You said we had more time!" he said. "Well, there's a problem....the Elders have requested Sakeido, along with all of its students, be quarantined at once...go, and gather your students" She looked at Tai Kami and said "You too" They looked at her and followed her orders. as they started to run she yelled to them one last time "And dont split up!" They both started running and paid careless attention as they rushed around looking for the others. Kaiyon yelled to Tai Kami.."WAAIT! I NEED TO GET MY SWORD!"......
Athena turned towards Karukai and whispered, "I sense a strong force nearby. It would seem that the winds of war have shifted... we should return to the encampment." She took Karukai's hand and whispered, "We should both return otherwise it'll look suspicious." She led him aways then, when she was sure that he was following, released his hand as they neared the camp. Seconds later they nearly ran into Tai Kami and Kaiyon as Kaiyon said that he needed his sword. Athena looked at Tai Kami and said, "Sensei... I can go back with Kaiyon if you'd like."
Thorne sensed it...a strong aura. But it wasn't like the ones he had been feeling for the past few days. This one didn't feel like brute strength; it felt wiser, older somehow. Turning to Bloom, Thorne spoke quickly and softly. "I believe some of the faculty has arrived and it would be in our best interests to avoid their general area." "I know that even they would not be able to sense our auras because of my seeds but I don't know the full extent of their other senses." Bloom nodded her head to his statement and would no doubt follow his orders to the letter. Thorne walked to the center of his trap and could feel its hunger for power and its thirst for blood. "You will have what you desire my tool, and we will reap the benefits of your thirst." "But it would seem that the time is no longer ripe for your revealing and I need to put you where we will have easy access to you." Thorne leaned down and with three soul catcher seeds clenched in his right fist he thrust his hand deep into the heart of his trap. There was a deep, reverberating, echoe and vibration that swept across the mountainside. Thorne's right hand felt as if he was holding a tiny black hole. The power and the hunger that had spread beneath the ground and up the surrounding trees was all being pulled to the spot where Thorne's fist was clenched. Several trees broke and splintered as if the insides of their trunks had suddenly disintegrated and the outer layers could not hold the weight of the branches. The very ground extending for about 100ft in all directions suddenly shook and in some areas collapsed into a network of sinkholes. It was as if pieces of the ground dissappeared out from beneath itself leaving a spiderweb of dirt that had suddenly become lower than the rest of the ground. After about 15 seconds the shaking, echoeing, and throbbing of the ordeal stopped and Thorne pulled his hand from the center of a giant pile of ash that was now left in the ground. Within his throbbing fist he held a seed the size of a baseball. It was dark brown and green with red lines that looked like blood veins running all over its outer shell. "I now hold your soul and our victory in my hand; you will quinch your thirst my tool." "I promise you nourishment, and the shadowists will relish every bit of the power you bring." Thorne willed some leaves to grow from the vine wrapped around his lower torso and in them he placed the seed. They would hold his plan tighter than any garment could. He then turned to Bloom. "Come with me, we have little time to make it back to the school and get registered in." Bloom had a look of puzzlement on her face as the two of them began leaping through the trees in ernest. "My lord, how do we get signed in as new students?" Thorne thought for only a moment before responding. "I have some connections and they will be able to provide us a means of joining the school assembly no matter what the circumstances. Rest assured Bloom, I have everything under control and our plan will not fail."
Tai Kami looked at Athena and gave her a cold look followed by a "NO". She kept following Kaiyon to get his sword and the rest of his companions out of the forest as soon as possible. They were going fast, following their instincts and already found Kaiyon's sword. Quickly they turned a different direction to follow the others. Hokkaido looked at Katsuke as he was easly healing Shinry. She spaced off and started staring only at his face and the movement of his lips as he spoke to her. "Are you listening?" he told her. She came back to reality and said "Huh!?". "I said he should be healing soon...this kid is a prodigy...just like you said. Him and the rest of this class...by the way, how come we're having a quarantine?" She closed her eyes and said "Well, here's the short story....someone broke into the ancient artifacts temple....the one that kept the Shadowists in hell from coming here..." "And?" he replied. "If all the shadowists come from hell, then The Last Shadowist will be chosen soon." "You believe in that stuff? I thought it was the Shadow King, not the Last...and even if he comes, we have the elders, and the Sakeido Sword mages graduates" "That's the problem....Elders of the north and west were killed...along with the armada to fight for our territory. So think of Sakeido as a last line of defense for the West" Katsuke stopped for a moment and though. "You mean *all* of the Sakeido Sword Mages in the west are gone?" "No....i mean that *all* of the remaining Sword Mages are gone. Someone slipped their news of their Decade Gathering, and all there's left is the remaining Elders and a few recruits." They both saw Athena arriving so they stopped talking of the subject right away, but were unaware if Shinryu had heard. It didnt matter...they were too worried to care....
Tsuki stood still for a moment and listened to her surroundings. She looked at Taiyoko which looked at her confused and alert. "Well what ever it was...it's gone somehow." she said to him. 'What could have stopped it?' she thought. She looked at Taiyoko and said, "Well, we must be going...wait...can you hear that?" They listened carefully and heard the other students yelling out for them. 'Something must of happened...' she thought. She grabbed Taiyoko's arm and guided him back into the forest. "Come on..." she said. Soon, they found themselves back at the campsite with the students all around. The principle was standing next to Tai Kami. "Perhaps the feild trip is over. What a waste of a great lesson." she whispered to Taiyoko.
Tai Kami had just returned with Kaiyon when everyone else had arrived to the camp site. Hokkaido immediatly gave the order of everyone to follow her. She lead the class in front, with Katsuke right next to him, and everyone else behind her. Tai Kami couldnt help but stare for a few seconds. After so, the class returned to Sakeido, to hide from possible shadowist members in the area. The following day.... The entire school gathered in the auditorium, where they waited to hear what Hokkaido had to say. But here, Tai Kami's class stood in front of every one else. Hokkaido appeared in the front stage and infromed everyone what she had told Katsuke. "So that's it" she finished. Silence filled the school. No other student had ever seen or faced a real shadowist. She then instructed for everyone to go about as they please, but only inside the school. After ten minutes of confusion, all of the students left, execpt again for Tai Kami's class. The other teachers circled around the class and Hokkaido spoke.. You have all shown exelent skills by surviving the forest. I cant punish your teacher, otherwise I wouldnt have found you. What I CAN do for you, and the school is give you these..." After her quick words, every other teacher walked up to a student and gave them a bracelet. "Those are bracels...tools of the Sword Mages. They arent too helpfull in terms of expanding your powers, but these allow you to cast spells with less effort and without any silly chants. Just utter one word of the spell, and remember the spell in your mind, and it will work as if you chanted it" Kaiyon put the bracel on as soon as it was handed to him. Then, a small stone in the outer side of the bracel beguan to emit a glow. Kaiyon did not look surprised, unlike everyone else. When the glow dissolved, the once red stone had turned white. "Allright everyone...outta here with you" said Tai Kami. She forced all of the students out of the auditorium. And quickly after, Hokkaido spoke to the teachers. But only after two short minutes, the place was almost empty. Hokkaido tapped Tai Kami's shoulder and said "since Katsuke's a guest here, he'll be sleeping in my room." Tai Kami turned to look at Katsuke and said "In...YOUR room?" Hokkaido nodded and Tai Kami quickly stormed out of the place. Outside the place, she bumped into Kaiyon, who was possibly wandering the halls. She looked at him and turned around and walked away. Kaiyon kept walking the opposite direction and went into his room to get reaquainted with his bracel...
Having fully recovered from the poison, unknowingly inflicted upon him by Karukai, Shinryu returned to the room he shared with Kaiyon. He wasn't totally impressed by the bracer he was given, but he didn't doubt it would come in handy. 'No more getting interrupted in the middle of a spell. That should be a very good thing.' --------------------- Karukai was mildly surprised he didn't get expelled for his actions, but that wasn't a bad thing. Looking down at the bracer he had been given, still held in his hands, he said, "I don't need such a useless little item." And he clenched his fist, crushing the wrist guard easily between his fingers. With a slight laugh, he tossed it carelessly in the nearest garbage can, and walked back to the room he shared with Taiyoko. He began to whistle that maddening tune once again.
Athena slipped the bracel into her bag. She had noted that Kaiyon's gem had changed color and she didn't want to place hers on incase hers did as well. She headed towards a secluded place in the gardens to mill over what could be done from here and how she could help to slowly take her fellow students out. A small grin began to spread across her face knowing that she would make her master proud if she did so. Kaiyon's image came into her mind and her face turned to one of sorrow yet determination... she could not allow him to come to any harm... she loved him so yet she was to be put against him. The thought tortured her body and for a moment she was as she used to be. She looked about her wildly wanting to tell anyone not to trust her but no one was near and her moment passed as the evil took hold of her once more. Knowing that she needed to talk with Karukai she headed towards his room. She saw him, whistling the tune that no longer hurt her, and quickly pulled him into an empty classroom and shut the door behind them after spelling the door so that no one could enter until they had left as well as spelling it so that no one would want to come near it. She looked up at her master and whispered, "What are we to do from here? What are our orders?"
"Was it right to give those students a Sword Mage bracer, Hokkaido-sempai?" asked Katsuke as he, and Hokkaido walked towards the Principal's Conference room. "I mean, I could accept my old student being allowed to use one already, but I dont trust those other kids" Hokkaido stopped walking and closed her eyes..."Those kids are the only ones here who deserve those bracels. Like you have yours and I have mine. It is theirs by right and I cant go against their right" she said....she started walking again and said to him "And dont call me "Hokkaido-sensei"...Chisame will do". Both of them were careless already....a Shadowist member was syping on them, and had gathered all the information he needed. He rushed to the exit, carelessly rushing through the empty lunchroom as well. As he ran, an imense glow came from Kaiyon's room and his voice was heard uttering "Ezke!" The Shadowist was trapped and Kaiyon walked up to him and smiled cheerfully. "Its a miracle to see that someone like you managed to sneak up on us". The villian was trapped, and he decided to take him to an empty room for some *serious* interrogation.
Tsuki walked out of the classroom with Taiyoko by her side. She looked at the bracel in her hand. Taiyoko just stood there watching while shoving the bracel in his pocket. She put her's on and continued to walk. "So Taiyoko, how has your day been so far?" she said without looking. She looked up and Taiyoko was no where to be found. "I wonder where he went..."she mumbled. She shruged her shoulders and walked to her dorm room.
Taiyoko had wandered off away from tsuki... he had been a little out of it for a while since they came back from the test in the forest. He had not realized that Tsuki was speaking to him when he abandoned her. "even though we are back i sense something...i sense somethings wrong, i cant place my finger on it right now but there is most definitely something evil dwelling around us, something to fear...." taiyoko was thinking to himself. "somethings wrong...i need to know" He pushed up his glasses and thought "i need to see the principle and find out what the hell id happening." Taiyoko dashed off to the Principles office... "i need to know, if i dont find out i am going to go insane!!!!!!"
Hearing his roommate utter a strange word, and seeing the flash of light from under their shared door, Shinryu put his hand on his sword, not drawing it yet, but ready to, in a moment's notice. Opening the door, he saw... -------------------- Grinning at Athena, Karukai told her the plan. "For now," he said, "we need to keep a low profile. Try to avoid doing anything in the open, but cause as much trouble as possible." The grin fading, he continued, "I know how you feel about that Kaiyon punk, so this will come as good news. We have orders not to harm him. We're to keep an eye on him, but not touch him. The master wants him intact, for some reason. His friends, though, his friends are all free game."
Athena smiled up at Karukai and whispered, "I'm glad and I will do as we're commanded. Your Raven will not fail." With that Athena waited for Karukai to dismiss her... she had a few ideas milling through her head.
