Moving Forward: D-C

The Hunt For Jacob Goodnight  


Year of the Chicken  



 Break the Siege! [Dmitry, Seikatsu] 



To Earthland...and probably somewhere else too.  



  A Leisurely Stroll Through the Woods  



   Politely Returned Convict.  



That should do it. Hope to make C rank soon.

Approved,

Kihia sat on a cliff’s edge, silently meditating, his bandages visible around his neck and the ends of his sleeves. He was sitting on a small cove on the cliff wall of the area known as the Serene Cliffs, he was keeping his magic signature to a minimum, for he was in fact expecting someone whose first task would be to find him. Indeed, for word had reached Kihia’s ears that one of the newer Lamia Scale members had gotten enough fame and prestige to be considered for the next class of a mage. Kihia had left a note at the one spot Dmitry Kazakov most commonly looked in the Guild hall while he was around, it would be contained in a small envelope with a wax seal with the Wizard Saint Emblem imbroidered on it, and on the top of around the center the Lamia Scale Emblem.

It would give him instructions to find Kihia near the Serene Cliffs for his rank up exam in two days time, indeed Kihia chose the wording of this letter very carefully, for he had written Dmitry’s first part of his test into it, although this would probably be the easiest part of this entire ordeal, but time will reveal what is to come on this fatefull day.

Dmitry found himself in an odd situation. On his way to his favorite spot in the guildhall to sleep, he came upon a unusual letter. The letter was marked with guild emblem and a mark Dmitry didn't quite know but vaguely remembered seeing before. The message was short. 


           Dmitry Kazakov,

The time has come to show what you are capable of. Go to the eastern edge of town and find the path only you can follow. I'll be waiting.


There was no signature, which left Dmitry suspicious. Dmitry went to the edge as the letter instructed. What he found, completely shocked him. There wasn't anything physically amiss, but Dmitry could feel something was amiss. He focused on the world around him through his sixth sense. All at once it hit him. In front of him, the movement of spirits and spiritual entities had been slowed, almost to a halt. The young summoner had never encountered this before. It was definitely an artificial phenomenon, that much he could tell; this was done with magic. Only one mage could have possibly accomplished such a feat. 

Dmitry now walked this path left for him, which had stretched along the ocean and towards the Serene Cliffs. Soon he could see a figure meditating next to the cliff side. Dmitry grinned as he recognized his guild master.

"You've sure got an interesting taste in invitations, huh Frosty."




(OOC: Sorry about the wait. Work dragged on a bit.)

Kihia had been sitting there quietly when Dmitry arrived at the cliffside, he then commented, what Kihia could gather was is way of saying hello. Kihia then opened his eyes and bowed his head towards Dmitry, "Good day to you as Well Dmitry, I hope you are doing well" Kihia then got up and dusted off his pants, "I have heard of the numerous jobs and opportunities you have gone out and completed. You have helped captured a convict that escaped, defended a town alongside another mage that was facing an army of bandits. You even were responsible enough to acquire your own passport, catch a villainous murderer that spread terror throughout Hargeon, and managed to acquire a rare flower for medicinal shop... You have done well,"

Kihia then walked over to a bit of a stone surface that he had cleared off for what layed underneath it, "For your trial you are going to go on a... small journey..." Kihia then grabbed Icarus and pulled it out of its snap release sheath and then swung it down as a giant ice hammer formed ont the tip of Icarus and slammed into the ground revealing an entrance to a cave. "This is your task, venture into this cave until you reach its end, there you will find a mural, I wish for you to study this Mural and memorize it. Becareful though, you need to keep your wits about you as there are many paths in this cave that will put you in the ocean..."

---

Alrighty sorry for the wait but here it is in full, you are going on a trek into the cave, you need 200 words per post minamum, and at every three posts I will post once again revealing numerous choices you will need to think and decide on IC,

Dmitry reflected as Kihia listed his accomplishments. Had he really done so much? The escaped convict was simply a man trying to see his family, before returning to prison as soon as that was done. His fight in Quanny Village would have been the end of him were it not for Seikatsu. The search for the flower was actually relaxing, aside from the wolves, while the passport was more of a nuisance than a challenge. And Jacob Goodnight? He was just a confused victim of his own heightened sensitivity to the spirits; with no one to tell him what he was sensing, it was only a matter of time before he lost his mind. 

Suddenly, Dmitry's musings were interrupted by the debris from Kihia slamming Icarus into the slab of stone, revealing his test. Dmitry eyed Kihia as he walked up to the entrance. A cave and a mural? There had to be more to it than that. He knelt down and felt the edges of the freshly made hole. The stone left over from Kihia's blow felt...strange. Could this be...Zuo Cii's work, Dmitry thought to himself. The gray-haired mage smirked just a bit. How very interesting. Dmitry then hopped down the hole and into his exam.

Dmitry's feet hit the stone floor of the cave and he looked about to gain his bearings. The tunnel he landed in was about five feet in diameter. This was most certainly connected to the ocean somewhere as he could smell the salt in the air, though only faintly. There was almost no light, save for that which came from the hole he came in from. Luckily, Dmitry new how to move in little to no light and if it came down to it he could rely on his nature spirits to guide him. But what fun would that be? 

Dmitry closed his eyes and focused on his physical senses. He could hear the sound of the ocean outside coming in from the entrance and echoing in front of him. He carefully walked forward, wary of any bumps or stalagmites on the cave floor and kept his eyes shut, as they did him little good at the current moment. Dmitry would let them adjust to the darkness. He kept his arms in front of him just above his knees in a three foot radius, focusing on any sounds and smells he could pick up. The air felt cool, another sign that their was ocean water in the cave.

As he continued this snail's pace trek, Dmitry pondered his place in the guild. He hadn't been there very long. It was more than likely that most members of Lamia Scale still saw him as an outsider. It was true that he had become fond of the guild and it's members, but he couldn't say, with certainty, that he a member of this family. He still had not met his goal of finding something to protect, let alone the power to protect it which were his primary reasons for joining the guild . Yet, something seemed odd about this train of thought. For some reason, he felt strangely mistaken in his conclusion. Dmitry couldn't place the source of this disturbance in his reasoning.

It was at this point that Dmitry realized that his most talkative spirit, Hati, had been incredibly quiet today. This truly was an anomaly as the wolf spirit loved to comment on Dmitry's behavior, actions, mood, even his luck. It wasn't long before he realized the cause. Dmitry could feel an immense spiritual presence coming from deeper in the cave. This presence seemed to draw the spirit mage in, as if calling him. Using this pull as a guide, Dmitry picked up his pace a bit, opening his now adjusted eyes, before he reached a wider area of the cave.

Kihia had sat back down and begun meditating as soon as Dmitry had entered into the cave, however this time he placed his left hand on the ground so he could faintly sense Dmitry’s progress easier. He noted Dmitry’s at first slow and steady progress through the cave, when suddenly he had picked up the pace, Kihia smiled. He had heard along with the job reports on details of Dmitriy’s unique magic, the ability to call upon and convene with the very spirits of nature, something that will help Dmitry in this exam most assuredly….

Meanwhile…

The cavern Dmitry would find himself in would be rather large, seemingly empty at first, until three silhouettes slowly came into view. They were three statues, One was the form of a great owl resting on its perch of rocks staring straight at Dmitry, Another was a majestic Wolf, old in age, sitting on a stone slab, staring at him. As for the last, was a large and powerful bear, standing on its hind legs, as if it was ready for combat.

The three statues, made out of the same stone of the cave, stood in silence, when suddenly, the stone eyes of all three statues began to glow,

At first the owls glowed the brightest, at first, a brilliant blue light emanated from them, and then it spoke, in a kind and gentle feminine voice,

“Young One, What is it do you seek? Do you seek the depths of Knowledge, true wisdom that any Mage would desire? The Knowledge to traverse any scenario, any bit of history and be able to discern the appropriate answers? Am I Wisdom, Your truest desire?”

Then the owl’s eyes dimmed and the Bear’s brightened with a brilliant red glow, and it spoke in a deep and resonating masculine voice,

“Young One, What is it do you seek? Do you seek the true Might of a warrior, Such a might that gives you the power to destroy any enemy? The Might that will help you win any battle, squash any opposition that stands in your way? Am I Power, Your Truest Desire?”

Then, the Bears Eyes then dimmed just like the owls, and then The wolf’s eyes glowed brighter glow of green, it then spoke, in a Resolute and firm voice,

“Young One, What is it do you seek? Do you seek the true Resolve to face any challenge, Courage that with any task you are faced with, gives you the drive to overcome it? The Resolve that helps spread to your friends, and allies, invigorate and inspire them? Am I Courage, Your truest Desire?”

The three statues would then fall silent as they seemingly await for Dmitry’s response,

The owl's eyes lit up as it spoke of wisdom. This is a trait humans seem to value above all else. They think it puts them above all other things. But wisdom  can be a burden. Poor old Jacob was proof enough of that. Had Dmitry not known the truth, he would have likely ended up the same way. Wisdom can also make one arrogant, lording ones knowledge above others. This, ironically, causes them to ignore their own knowledge, making them as good as ignorant. Knowledge and wisdom were not the same thing, as knowledge could cause the deaths of many an unprepared individual. The most typical trait of man was to strive for wisdom, believing themselves the true herald of knowledge. Many destroyed themselves in the pursuit of such knowledge. Yet knowledge had been Dmitry's savior many times in his life. Were it not for Hati's teachings, Dmitry would have been dead before he reached nine. And it was his own connection to the spirits that allowed Hati to come to Dmitry's aid when his tribe was wiped out. It also gifted him with something akin to a family after he lost his. Had Hati himself not taken such a fascination with humankind, he would have likely left Dmitry to his fate, spiritual medium or not.

The bears eyes shown crimson as it spoke of might. Such a seemingly simple thing. Most people think might is a matter of physical strength or combat skill. However, there some realize that might makes itself known through military, political, and financial means. One can crush their opponents with the force of their armies. You can use political might to get your way in almost any dispute. And there are of course those who say that nothing isn't for sale. Humans tend to believe that their might can conquer nature itself. Dmitry knew this was a foolish notion, for all of these things could be conquered by circumstance and wit. Dmitry found his might in convening these circumstance to his advantage. 

The wolf, which reminded him of Hati, finally spoke it's peace about courage. Now that was a much simpler word. Some fools saw it as fearlessness, but that is just another form of ignorance. Courage is the ability to carry on knowing full well what you face. Dmitry knew fear well and he had lived thus far on his willpower. Without it, his magic would be useless, as it takes one's will to form a bond with a nature spirit. If that will is not powerful enough, you will be unable to win them over.

Dmitry thought about the choices laid out before him. He knew wisdom. He knew might. He knew courage. All of these things he had become familiar with in his life. Yet he knew he didn't have as much of these traits as he could. In truth he wanted them all, but there was something else he wanted more. Something that justified the existence of these virtues. It was the one thing he had never truly known. The very reason he was standing in this place to begin with. Without this, none of these strengths meant anything. Dmitry looked to the statues set before him, seemingly awaiting his answer.

"I have come to understand, in my short life, that there is merit to all these things. I may be young, but I know that these are the things that make up what we call 'power'. Power is something that all humans desire, including myself. But power alone is absolutely pointless. It serves no purpose by itself. In other words, my truest desire is none of these things. I want something more. The very reason one seeks power. I wish to find something that needs me as much as I need it. Something to protect with this power. Without that, such strengths are null and void. What I want, my truest desire, is a place of my own in this world!"

That was his answer. Let the statues be damned if they didn't like it.

The three statues remained quiet, caught off guard from the answer they were given. The glowing eyes quivered for a moment and then went dark, they then shuddered and then shattered in a plume of dust. The room was eerily quiet for a moment and then the entire cave started to shake,

The cave itself then started to shake and glow, and with a sudden flash of light the appearance of the very cave would undergo a dramatic change. No longer were the walls of dark stone, but of a roughhewn white quartz. It was now one long hallway, going deeper into the Cliffside, however this hallway would spiral around until it directed itself back towards the sea, at the end Dmitry would find a dead end. The walls of the dead end would have a strange luster to it but would be completely bare.

---

All you need to do is one post, When you do I will post the final part of your exam and will state the requirements along with it,

Dmitry took a step back when the statues exploded into dust, worried for a moment that he'd get blamed for the damages. Then the entire cave transformed in a flash of light. The white quartz hallway he was standing in left Dmitry in awe. No, that wasn't quite right. It was the sudden change that surprised him. For the entire cave to change like that... 

'Well done, boy. You broke the cave.' Hati said via their telepathic link.

'Nice of you to grace me with your presence, old man.' Dmitry shot back.

He started walking down the hallway, still sensing that presence he felt earlier. Dmitry had never been in a cave like this. It's color was kind of unnerving, like he wasn't on the same planet anymore. As he continued through the hall, he noticed that it started to curve. The mage wondered if this might have been one of the paths Kihia mentioned, the ones that lead into the ocean. That's when Dmitry noticed something: he couldn't smell the ocean any more. Despite that, the air in the cave was still cool. What could've done all this? Soon, Dmitry came to the end of the hallway. The dead end of the hallway. "Alright, Ice Man," He said out loud, not expecting an actual answer. "What now?"

The walls of the cave would glow off and on as Dmitry stood there. When he asked what was supposed to happen, the walls would dim. Showing a rough silhouette of a large man wrapped in many robes, he studied the young man before him with his eyes hidden within a slit of robes around his head. The Ghost like Figure stared straight at Dmitry for a long moment, “Young man, you gave a most interesting answer… A place of your own… a very noble goal young man, a very noble goal indeedy….” The spirit went quiet once again and the waved back and forth seemingly in thought, “Say Young man, what is it that you consider to be the definition of a place of your own, A place of solitude, a place alone with your Spirits? Or perhaps somewhere where you are always around other people?” The spirit’s voice sounded like an elder man’s, with a kind and gentle voice.

Dmitry was a little surprised. This wasn't at all the kind of spirit he was expecting. This spirit took human form, yet had the power of a nature spirit. Was that even possible? Was it the soul of a dead human, or some kind of guardian? Dmitry shook his head, realizing this wasn't important, when the ghost questioned him on his definition of a place of his own. He pondered a bit; an interesting question indeed. Dmitry didn't have much of a definition when he started. He merely had a drive to do things a bit differently.

"Well, I can say this," he said to the spirit as though he were talking to an old friend. "I know what solitude is. I spent ten years alone with my spirits. I had all the time in the world for just me and them. And I realized that it wasn't enough. On the other hand, I can't say being in a room full of strangers really tickles my fancy." Dmitry closed his eyes and thought a bit. "No, I need something in between. I need a place that I truly belong in. With people that I want to stand by, through the worst of it. That's what a place of my own is." He reopened his separate colored eyes. "A family. I'll stick with them and they'll stick with me." Dmitry gave an unusually hopeful smile.

"I want a home."

The Elder spirit looked at Dmitry, the heavily wrapped figure waving back and forth ever so slightly seemingly deep in thought, he then floated around circling the young spirit mage. He then stopped in front of Dmitry once more and then stared at him. He then bowed and said, “A search many spend their entire lives looking for… Be safe in this pursuit, let your mind and heart Guide you young one, and don’t be afraid for others to help you as well.” At this The spirit matierilized a rolled up parchment and offered it to Dmitry, “This is a special parchment, it shows a mural, reflective of the desires of your heart, and the status of…” He the nodded and said, “Go young man, Meet up with Your Guild Master again… and never forget what you learned here on this day…” After this the spirit disappeared with a bright flash of light, and when the light dimmed, the cave would have disappeared and the setting would now be one of the lower cliffs looking out to the sea.

The light blinded Dmitry and before he knew it, he was outside the cave; on one of the lower cliffs to be precise. Dmitry looked about to confirm that he was in fact still at the Serene Cliffs. It was then that he remembered the parchment in his hand. He stared at it for a moment, not sure if he should open it or not. The hetero-chromatic mage then took a deep breath and unrolled it. He wasn't quite sure what to make of what he saw. There were several images on the "mural". To the very left, there was a depiction of what appeared to be him being followed by his spirits. In the center was him again, standing side by side with a handful of people he recognized from the guild. The one on the very right showed him reaching out to a women he didn't know at all. At the bottom of the mural was the Lamia Scale emblem and next to it was a coiled up, black dragon. 

Dmitry wondered what any of it meant. Who was that women? What did the dragon represent? And what did any of it have to do with finding his place? He decided to stop that train of thought immediately. It did him no good to speculate on this. He would just have to see what happened and keep pursuing his goal. He looked up at the cliff face, realizing that the only way back up to Kihia was to climb. Ten minutes of climbing later and Dmitry was panting at the top of the cliff where Kihia was waiting. "What the Hell was that spirit?" He asked between breaths.

Kihia opened his eyes and looked at Dmitry who had came back from Climbing the edge of the cliffs. He blinked for a few seconds and then looked back at the point Dmitry had entered into. Sure enough the entrance to the cave had been resealed by the same Ancient Magic that resided within the cave, I took me months to locate that caves location now it has moved again… Kihia sighed and then looked at Dmitry again and nodded his head, “Welcome back Dmitry… as for your question… I am afraid I can’t say… even I couldn’t sense what you were going through in the deeper recesses of that cave…” Kihia then reached into his trenchcoat and pulled out a burlap sack, he then opened it up and pulled out a loaf of bread and offered it to Dmitry, “So tell me Dmitry, what did you learn?”

Dmitry thought about Kihia's question; what did he learn? He chuckled to himself. Then he began to chuckle quite loudly before bursting into laughter. "What did I learn?" He asked between laughs. "I didn't learn a damn thing..." He said, as if it was the funniest thing in the world. "And yet...I learned everything. I convinced myself that all I wanted was a use for my powers...A test. And by that test I would grow stronger." Dmitry turned to the ocean, and the soon to be setting sun. "But it was all a lie. A lie I sold myself so I wouldn't have to admit what I truly want. What I've been searching for." He closed his eyes "I'm still not sure if I really have it yet. Not acknowledging it has certainly set me back and it's been so long since I've known the feeling of it." His eyes shot open and he turned back to Kihia, a look composed of his entire will etched into the blue and gold orbs. "But I will find it. I won't deny what I want, whether it's weak of me or not. I'm going to keep moving forward, until I find my place." His expression softened a bit and he smiled. "In the meantime, I would appreciate if Lamia Scale would continue to have me."

Kihia sat there as he listened to Dmitry’s response, from the light irony of the idea of learning nothing and Everything at the same time, to which was something anyone needed, Realization through searching inwardly. When Dmitry faced Kihia for the last bit of his report, Kihia saw the sheer will that resided deep within his eyes, Kihia smiled at this and nodded, He most certainly has a determined will with him… It will be interesting to watch his growth… Kihia studied Dmitry long after he had finished and then nodded, “Of Course Dmitry… Master Zuo… had built the Guild on the premises of helping upcoming Hero’s of this world find a right path and help Guide them alongside it… I intend to follow suit… Follow your path Dmitry, be your own kind of Hero that can help people… and as you continue to do so… You shall always be welcome within Lamia Scale…” Kihia then nodded at these words and stood up, “Dmitry Kazakov, I as the Guild Master of Lamia Scale, grant you the status of a C class mage, be proud in this triumph and Continue to walk towards the thing you seek….”