Emerald Dreams [invite only]

Anxiety.

It’d been a close friend for so long and yet it felt as though she’d only truly begun to see the true nature, the mask so firmly placed she hadn’t realized how beastly it could truly be. Tears continued to stream down her face as memories flowed back into place like lazy puzzle pieces. Flashes of those last moments before she left came back, the sorrow and love etched on her face before the green glow obscured her vision and the world faded. The blank feeling as she woke up, knowing deep down something was amiss and yet she’d wandered for a whole day before things started coming back, the confusion unwavering in its assault to fill in the blanks.

There’d been a purpose behind being in this strange world, a reason like all the others prior and all the ones she’d visit thereafter. Yet something was missing, something had gone…awry. She lacked the reasons of why or how, merely knowing not all was right in this alien world.

The woman avoided the streets, sticking to back alleys as her brain wracked through every recollection to find the missing pieces buried deep within. Animals steered clear of the distraught woman as intermittent hisses and snarls escaped in her frustration as the tears welled up. Then the dam broke and the waterfalls began as winter-cold chills cascaded through her lithe form. Wretched irony laughed at her, a bully to all and yet it finally turned its focus upon her.

’Oh gods, is this how she felt every time?’

Food escaped into a metal canister, the gut wrenching feeling too much to bear. Guilt inspired sobs shook her very core as the woman huddled against a wall, thin tail wrapping around her knees in the same way she’d witnessed her sister perform so many times before. Only a little comfort filled her however, nobody there to wrap their arms around her in this moment and offer empty reassurances as her’s had been. How she ached to pull them all back and simply apologize, intentions good and yet so wrong. She’d offered placid hope in the face of suffering, always unsure how to make the pain go away for her sister, wishing time and time again for the other creatures to cease their torment and yet, in her heart she knew: it wasn’t them so much as her people.

And herself.

’It was for her!’

An excuse told each time to soothe her personal wounds, her guilt as each time her sister became a blank slate. Each hole they dug received a blanket over it, sown into place and yet not filling a thing, she knew this and yet ignored it…for what? The hope that the woman might eventually learn to overlook it, overcome it and accept the fate their people granted her? Hands gripped pitch black locks, pulling as if another pain might distract her from the heart wrenching reality. No, this entire time she deluded herself, accepting it for herself even as her sister saw ahead and took on the traits of their shared ancestor. If only she could’ve inherited the Cheshire Cat’s freedom, its trickery, then perhaps the circumstances could be reversed. Instead she allowed her precious sibling to take on the burden herself while all she did was throw every obstacle and trap in the way. Any aid she offered staved off destruction, but offered so little salvation. She wouldn’t change everything, knowing that what little good she performed allowed this chance, any other handler likely to have tossed the woman to the trash long ago.

’Where some already believed she belonged.’

Another knife stabbed through her heart, wanting to yell and scream against them and their claims. How she desperately wanted the return of that child who looked at her with all the hope and love in the world, offering her comfort when it was she who’d come to suffer soon enough.

”It’s okay…if it’s for you, then it’s okay…I’ll accept my fate. I’ll do my best so you can be proud, so please…please stop crying?”

’Why, oh why,’ she bemoaned with another body wrenching sob, ’why couldn’t we have been born elsewhere, another time, another place?’ Envy for the people slumbering in their homes filled her, jealousy warming her for a moment as her heart screamed to lash out at them for this injustice, this unfairness. Just as quickly the flames vanished, leaving the woman cold and limp against the empty shop alley. They weren’t at fault, she simply wanted to swap places so badly it hurt all over. Why, why had the council chosen their families to combine? Why had the fountain cursed them so? Why couldn’t the fates allow her sister to be born a purebred, to be something more than a tool? Even knowing others suffered a similar fate she couldn’t care about them, not right now, not when she knew her sister currently moved closer and closer to the edge of death. The mission itself was suicidal.

’And yet it’s all for me…no…I suppose even that’s untrue now…’

Unfocused eyes stared at cobblestones as the denizens of the night offered her a wide birth. She could see their faces now in the puddle before her, the same ones she tried to erase before. This mission endangered them as well knowing that woman. Regardless of their people’s decision about this society, their questions could very well put them in harm’s way, these people more openly caring than the closest of clans back home. They didn’t require bonds forged of blood to act just as protective of her sister as the pair of sisters did for each other. Even with the loss of memories they remained close at hand, refusing to give her up so easily…they clung with a desperation she could only admire, recognizing their shared trait.

No…

’Fate does not have to get its way,’ a spark of life flickered back into empty golden eyes, ’If she refuses to bow down to it, then why should I? Why should I accept the end as I did before? She’s been fighting it for so long, and I’ve been so blind to it all because I let her take up the mantle alone. I let her blind me with the same bonds they forced upon her…heh, if only they could see the wool she forged across their eyes…no, I cannot let her do this alone. Not anymore…’ Power, determination, will: it permeated her body. It flowed through every vein, filling her with a renewed vigor she thought impossible moments ago, though her body continued to shake with the effort of standing. The realization left her drained, but her clan had always been quick to recover, quick to regain their feet and go after what they truly wanted. She’d been falling until finally she hit the ground on her feet as finally eyes cast themselves skywards to glimpse the glittering heavens. It was time to stop staring at the ground before her, to look beyond the here and now.

Pulling a handheld device from one of her pouches the woman set about locating her ex-enemies. Her jealousy towards them had been fueled by a fear of what their presence meant: death for her sister. Yet now as she gazed upon the pictures the feline woman couldn’t help viewing them as their salvation. Most would be easy to locate thanks to tracking and information gleamed from her sister’s memories, though one or two would remain tricky…but any help she could receive would be welcome.

’I don’t care if they hate me, if they cast me out. As long as they help her I don’t care about my fate…I will not let her walk alone any longer.’




So many things ached that she couldn’t walk a step further, cradled in the crook of a large tree’s roots. Instincts told the woman to head higher, but her body screamed at the very notion. Green eyes opened a sliver, watching her hand brush through the thick fur of her tail, the sensation feeling rather alien oddly enough. Sometimes she could see little wisps come off it, though Sorrow reassured her that it would subside soon enough and then it would only occur when she unleashed her true strength in combat. Each hair prickled at her skin though, Mao wincing as another full body throbbing started up. It’d been more painful that she could’ve imagined and yet so necessary for what was to come. Her body had been altered by the control gene for so long that its removal forced changes here and there, resetting the woman to how she should’ve been from what she’d become.

Her final act with the crystals had been to erase her very presence from Chesha’s mind, the green emerald still gripped firmly in her other hand. Soon she’d put it away, but for the moment it brought solace and conviction, having spurred the woman to continue traveling despite the waves of pain. She’d completed the contract to both ancestors, allowing the pair to devour the intrusive animal and force its power from her. It was a toss-up however whether or not the spell would retain its effects upon her sister, the poor woman having undergone memory shaping courtesy of Mao herself. She’d long ago found that even as emeralds recorded for her, they could be used to augment the memories of others, a neat trick she employed on a multitude of people to the point she lost count long ago. Unfortunately she’d been weak from Chesha’s control, the devices of her people strong and so couldn’t be sure how well the spell worked this time despite her increased susceptibility. It’d been a hasty retreat after all, eager to create distance and prevent the woman from recalling her too quickly by presence alone.

”Sleep now child.”

”We shall do what we can in the meanwhile.”

”But for now, sleep…”

Eyes closing and breath calming she spared her last thoughts towards them.

’If I died tomorrow…as long as I take her down then it’ll all be worth it, for her and them.’ Long ago Mao accepted the likelihood of her death against her sister. The white wolf who could control a flame so hot the mixed breed woman believed it emanated from the very sun itself. It’d scorched her many times in the past, melting crystal to her skin at Syu’s ire for her mistakes. Chesha could cover up quite well, but they couldn’t escape every time. The final removal of the last control barrier offered her further courage, but only a little certainty that she might live through the encounter. She wanted to live. Mao simply couldn’t allow herself the false hope though, having lived such an uncertain and confusing life.

As she saw the faces of her friends though the woman desperately wanted to come out the victor even more. She wanted to smile with her guild mates back at Sabertooth, to see how Kite fared on his ship, see what Haretsa was up to at her new home, to wait for when she’d next see Niyol and what odd events would ensue after…she wanted to find some of her more casual friends as well, make sure they were doing all right. She wanted to catch Dmitry slumbering on another roof top or another strange place or fighting with Hati over something.

Most of all, Mao wanted to seek out her mate’s warmth, to find Aiyana and promise that she won’t forget again. That she won’t disappear again.

A whimper escaped, her throat clenching at the myriad of thoughts and yet stopped breathing as she worried about her mate. They’d promised to spend the day together, albeit they couldn’t decide whether on a job or simply out and about town, before going to bed. Like all the times before the summons from her sister came in the dead of night, and like a good tool Mao extracted herself from the other woman’s grip carefully before leaving the Ace’s house. By now it’d already been a day since her sudden disappearance…

’Merely another reason to not falter. I want…I want to see them all again…’

”Sleep child.”

Her thoughts slipped away and blissful nothingness took over.



A message could be found by multiple parties – be it on a window sill, a mail box, or perhaps on the ground outside their front door and anywhere else that’d seemed fitting at the time - the sender unknown, recorded on a lacrima crystal. The girl in the crystal resembles Mao, yet her golden eyes resemble a feline’s and her hair pitch black hair sports a pair of cat-like ears.

”Please…you have to help my sister. You’re our only hope. I have no right to ask favors of any of you…but if you hold even the smallest care for Mao then please, please come to the coordinates I’ve supplied at the end of the message. I can explain further there and answer any questions you have along the way…but right now she is on a suicidal mission, one that she cannot hope to win. We only have a day, maybe two at best. Please…please help me save the one person I hold dear in life.”

After the message ends the coordinates for a location near Beanstalk Village appear where Chesha anxiously awaits.



How detestable that she sought this man out of her own accord. It'd be so easy to leave him be, but if her descendent could seek out help...well...she had mentioned to this obnoxious one her intentions of helping her mix blooded relative. The man refused to wait for her to vacate the child before forcing her from it...between that and his strength she supposed he might be a worthy ally to seek out. Out of all the ones Chesha wanted he was the only one not tied to a guild, though there was some speculation whether or not she'd find the homeless lad despite his bonds to one.

Finding such a source of power was hardly a feat at all, the real problem bonding the lacrima to her temporarily without a proper host. While it might've made some sense to pass the message along herself Kasmeer didn't trust the fellow personally even if some part of her begrudgingly accepted her descendent's fate would be more secured with his presence. She wouldn't stay long enough for him to attempt giga drain 2.0 as she manifested across the room from him.

"Don't worry I'm merely here to drop off a message. If you hold any true fondness for Mao you'll consider the invitation."

As she vanished a light clink sound would follow suit as the recording lacrima hit the ground where she'd once been. She had other places to be after all, not willing to leave the girl's fate purely to the canine.

Beanstalk Village

A quiet little village sporting a rather large and odd plant in it's center, this village happened to be harboring a cat like individual who was currently at the center of an enormous conspiracy, one that had long since drawn the attention of a certain gray haired mage.




[Many hours ago]

The Lamia Scale guild hall

"Mister Kazakov, a message arrived for you." Came the voice of one of the guild's staff. "There isn't an address or name, simply a lacrima addressed to you."

Dmitry Kazakov, having spent the day in the library researching a certain friend and her predicament, took the lacrima recording and hit play.

”Please…you have to help my sister. You’re our only hope. I have no right to ask favors of any of you…but if you hold even the smallest care for Mao then please, please come to the coordinates I’ve supplied at the end of the message. I can explain further there and answer any questions you have along the way…but right now she is on a suicidal mission, one that she cannot hope to win. We only have a day, maybe two at best. Please…please help me save the one person I hold dear in life.”


The medium dropped the lacrima on the ground and crushed it under his heel, a sudden surge of fury mixed with anxiety filling him as he stormed out the door, ignoring the questions of those around him.

[Present]



Dmitry was now walking through the village, keeping his spirit sense focused so that he would pick up any unusual signs of life. Surely enough, before he could even pick up such a sign, he came upon the same woman he had seen in the recording. Before she could even turn to look at him, a strange, glowing fog seemed to fill the area. Suddenly, Dmitry appeared in front of the cat like woman, as if he had been there all along. The furious mage then moved to grab the woman by the neck, which he would then proceed to slam into the wall, pupils glowing silver and irises pitch black as his rage came close to triggering his magic. 

"You're gonna tell me everything right the hell now or I'm gonna snap that neck of your's. We clear?" He said with a voice seething with the urge for violence. However, after a moment, he regained his composure, letting go of her if his hold was successful as his eyes returned to normal, the fog subsiding.


"Start talking."

NOTES TAGS. WORDS. 475 STATUS. HP-300 MP-100 Cool Down Enemies NOTES. "Word “ "Thought “

"You ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?" - Kite The ship was quiet that night just like any other night, below deck the cargo bay was empty save a few pieces of cargo strapped to the floor and walls, the doors for both the infirmary and entrance to the ship were sealed tight. Above the bending and winding catwalk on the upper level held a similar atmosphere to the lower deck it was quiet as well aside from the sound of the engine humming could be heard of someone were in the dining area and on the opposite end of the ship little beeps and boops being made by the console in the cockpit which could one could hear if they were on the foredeck connecting to the dining room across the way from where the engine room was located. Beneath the foredeck Kite slept soundly in the bed of his personal quarters, a place completely silent besides the rhythmic breathing of the captain himself. So being in a place where no noises could be heard the sound sleep of the Flame Demon Slayer would have been a certain thing but due to an eerie presence felt even in a dead sleep he awoke face down on his bed and slowly pushed himself up so he was kneeling in his bed now and looked around his room to see if there was anything to off interest to see but at first glance there was nothing but being the thorough man he was he got up out of bed and made his way to the ladder that would lead him to the foredeck above but stopped when he felt his foot knock into something that shouldn't have been there. He squatted down into a crouched position and examined the object he had discovered, round like a sphere it was obvious to any mage that it was a lacrima which was not an uncommon fixture in a domicile for a mage but this lacrima was unique and foreign ”This isn't one of mine.“ he said to himself while looking at the object not touching the crystal ball like object quite yet. He stood up and walked away from it to check the panel on the wall next to the ladder to check to see if passage door that would lead down into his room was locked and it was which was an oddity. Giving the object a steely glare he walked so he would be standing over top of it and reached down to pick it up ”This better not be a bomb.“ he said as his hands gripped the orb and lifted it to his face for closer inspection and upon doing so the purpose of the orb was made clear. After coming to life the recording began to play for him, the person who was recorded looked strongly like a certain Sabertooth Mage he had grown fond of, one who had a room next to his on the ship as it so happened, but the resemblance to his teammate was so uncanny her name escapes his lips ”Mao?“ but it wasn't her while the facial features were similar the voice, the hair color and they other physical characteristics made it clear it wasn't her but whoever it was had Kites full attention from start until it would finish. “Please…you have to help my sister. You’re our only hope. I have no right to ask favors of any of you…but if you hold even the smallest care for Mao then please, please come to the coordinates I’ve supplied at the end of the message. I can explain further there and answer any questions you have along the way…but right now she is on a suicidal mission, one that she cannot hope to win. We only have a day, maybe two at best. Please…please help me save the one person I hold dear in life.” a set of coordinates appeared at the end of the recording and immediately Kite pushed the button on the panel to unlock and open the passage to the foredeck and he climbed up using one hand while using his other to hold on to the lacrima with the coordinates still displayed and ran to the cockpit all the while thoughts running through his head but among all those thoughts and questions all he had focused on was one thing ”gotta help Mao.“ he said just as his hands touched the console that would mark the coordinates as the heading for the ship and it would look familiar ”beanstalk village…Be there soon whoever you are.“ He has spun up the engines and took off from The floating guild of Sabertooth and had the ship rocketing towards the village. With the controls locked into place Kite went to the dining area to prepare the coffee and then went to his quarters to get dressed. It only took a few minutes to get dressed and prepared for the job ahead of them and to make sure he would find who he was looking for he stored the lacrima inside Gate of Hades so he could call upon it when needed. After a quick trip Kite landed set the ship down just outside the village’s borders avoiding the crops and houses alike and descended his way down the catwalk until he was on the floor level of the cargo bay and walked over to where the ramp was still closed tight. Typically Kite would have had the ramp lowered but due to the certain uneasy feeling he had gotten since he first heard the recording he decided to keep the ship locked tight and just used the hidden panel like door that was apart of the ramp and closed pulled shut behind him sealing it from anyone but him and the one who snuck in while he slept. The demon slayer kept his wits about him and scanned the area looking for the girl who looked like Mao but a certain energy in the air made him feel uneasy and it wasn't demonic by any means that was for sure but it did come with a nice fog making it a perfect place for a scary movie or ambush. His head was on a swivel scanning back and forth until he saw the girl he was looking for, the spitting image of Mao if she had catlike features and black hair and around her throat was the hand of another, a man with silver hair who has threatened to snap her neck if he wasn't told what he wanted to know. With this girl being the only link to finding Mao Kite was ready to release his magic aura at full burn and who would know what sort of damage would have been caused to the houses if a showdown went down but thankfully he released the girl's neck upon Kites initial approach during which he had caught a familiar scent which caused a small smirk on his face to appear. However it would seem the silver haired man wasn't the only one prepared to spill blood for the sake of saving Mao for a man or rather a demon appeared from the sky with a scythe drawn and was ready for business pointed at the cat girl who was ultimately stopped by his companion who spoke up referring to the demonic being as “dad” and was being the voice of reason to the scythe wielder while Kite had finished approached as the girl in a chipper voice explained her reason for being there and asked for the cat girls help ”good choice…I would have been pretty pissed if any of you had offed the only lead we would have had to find Mao.” he said at the general audience excluding the girl but had his eyes focus on the silver haired man and the demon ”not a wise idea putting that much pressure on her throat while demanding answers either.“ he walked past the man and approached the sister getting closer to the girl who looked like Mao to look at her neck which had the outline of the hand that had grabbed her and looked back at the silver haired man as well as the demonic being behind him ”and I'd rather not have to tell Mao her sister was dead.“ he returned his red eyes to the girl ”are you alright miss?“ he asked genuinely concerned for the girl.

template by Darkee

Spells used:

It was cold, why was she so cold? Movement under the blankets of the Ace of Conviction's bed would reveal Aiyana's tails as she attempted to move around and snuggle Mao; a person that had not been there for about a day already. Ears would perk up in surprise as a panic rose over the nine tailed fox before she quickly hopped out of the bed, still not used to her being away. A clinking of something hitting the ground would draw her attention to a small lacrima crystal that seemed to have been placed with her on the bed as she slept. Activating it would reveal a message that made her move before the message even finished, the object clinking against the floor again as it continued speaking the last half of the sentence as she grabbed her things before disappearing into the Celestial Realm. Moments later, those that had arrived in beanstalk village would find they had another person joining them, Aiyana Shuer. While many would not know her, as she did not know who they were at all, a couple of the faces were familiar ones that she was glad were there.

The first face she recognized was Kite, a member of Sabertooth that had been there when she had joined and made her way up to being an Ace of that guild. It was nice to know the slayer was doing well, and that he was here to help Mao. The other she knew of from the party there was Seikatsu, though he seemed....off from what she remembered of him. Introductions would have to wait, as there were more pressing concerns at that very moment than getting to know everyone there again. "Please, everyone, let her speak. I want..no. I NEED to see Mao back safely before I can feel anything else right now..." The woman was scared, not for her own life, but for Mao's. It was her fault after all. Aiyana never really made the other girl talk about her own problems, letting the quiet one just listen and respond when she wanted to. The frostfire slayer could have helped more than she should, and look where they all were now. It was time to fix this problem for good, no matter what it took.

Fighting had never been and never would be Chesha’s forte. Technology remained her passion, her strength, and forevermore her livelihood even if after all this the woman never returned to her people. She was not a warrior bred and raised like Syu nor a brawler as Mao became over time. Catching a whiff of the oncoming presence the raven-haired woman turned in time to find a hand encompassing her throat as a harsh demand met her large, feline ears. Pain bloomed in the back of her head as he forced her into a wall with the force of the blow and lights danced in her vision. Fear crawled down her spin, the hairs on her long and thin tail rising up in natural instinct. Even as he calmed and she regained her vision the woman remained frozen as yet another ominous presence arrived.

Her plea for help was successful, though for the briefest of moments the engineer feared it might cost her life in the process. ’No…we’ll need such ferocity I fear…’ Though whether or not the traitor would make it to the fight seemed in question for the briefest of moments before other voices joined. Perhaps luck was on her side then if they chose to arrive so closely together, sparing her neck?

Though truly…her sister had made some…interesting friends to say the least…

’But at least their loyalty shows.’

Nodding to one of the calmer individuals she nodded, ”Yes…I’m fine, thank you for asking.” Eyes darted away though, nervous as she was to talk to any of these people. Chesha knew them in parts thanks to reviewing Mao’s memories, and fretted because she’d been the one to erase some of their presence from the woman. Even now she feared telling them this, though more so after that initial reaction as the final person arrived. Once again her attention darted to the first two, another quiver racing through her body before the woman steeled her nerves and gulped. Though she could try and hide it, ultimately it wouldn’t be fair and worse if they found out otherwise.

Didn’t stop her from taking a few steps away from them…to at least give her some room to duck or hide even if she appeared to do it to address them all properly. Bowing to the lot of them, her head low and pointed to the ground she offered one small thing, ”Thank you all so much for coming.”

With that out of the way she straightened up, a bit more courage built up as she started speaking, not eager to see anybody’s wrath at her “wasting time” seeing how eager the first two had been. ”As some of you are aware, Mao lacks a memory of who she properly is, unable to recall past the point when she was dropped outside of a town with little more than…slight inclinations of what to do. Even joining Sabertooth wasn’t truly her choice as much as mine for her. I am…well, I am first and foremost her sister, but our people will only ever see me as her technician as she was…bred,” she winced at these words, but they were no less true, ”to be a tool for our people. For them she merely exists to serve out their desired purposes and can…be…destroyed at their whims.” Pushing out that word had not been easy for the girl, her voice trembling as it stumbled over “destroyed” and her hands clenching.

Taking a shuddering breath she took a few seconds to regain control over herself, continuing as she tried to bury the pain back down, ”Which is why I became her technician so I could look out for her, protect her when she didn’t act in ways they’d approve, cover up mistakes even….even if it meant altering her memories as needed.” Eyes slid to the ground before this admission, her feline ears drooping down as she knew this act caused pain for multiple people here already, and Chesha found her legs frozen despite a temptation to step back further from them as she feared any of them lashing out.

”I am grateful that despite my errors…you all sought to continue your friendship with her. There is no way I can truly apologize for it, but please understand that I didn’t do it to hurt you nor her so much as protect her because she’s considered a scout for our people. Mao is meant only to observe cultures and people, take in information, and create copies for our people to review through the very abilities they molded for her. Making more than acquaintances…making friends is…considered a “malfunction” for her, and can be grounds to…” Biting her lip, Chesha couldn’t get the words out as heat assaulted her eyes. The woman refused to shed tears right now, more important things at hand, ”Unfortunately the person who heads our squad would love nothing more than to find reason to replace her so I have to be vigilant in covering these things up, having her alter even the crystals at times. Now though I realize she’s probably done it of her own volition, though I’m not sure for how long or how she’s come to manifest such a capability…heh…I can’t help wanting to attribute it to our shared ancestor. It’s said Kasmeer the Cheshire Cat was a wily one.”

A small smile flittered into place for a moment, a spot of pride before it dimmed again. It was awkward trying to explain their culture to help them understand the issues they were about to face. Perhaps this was some of the difficulty Mao faced whenever they dropped her in a new place? ” ‘Tools’ for our people are created through certain predictions in combined…I’m not entirely sure what you’d call them, houses? Clans? They divine who will create a child predicted to help bring wealth to our people amongst the clans and then, well, unfortunately they’re often unwanted or unrecognized by either family for a variety of reasons, but I suppose that just works out better for those in charge.” Disgust and guilt intertwined in her voice as Chesha recalled her original indifference to her sister bordering on dislike before the young girl wormed her way into the pure feline’s heart. ”After all if nobody cares about them…it doesn’t matter what they do with them: the families won’t protect them after all. Mao went largely ignored in our household until they took her for conditioning and preparation for her “chosen role” and she had no contact with her father’s family.” Even now she could recall how quickly the child learned to avoid their mother’s temper and stay out of the way of the others in the large household.

Her expression darkened, eyebrows knitting as she continued, ”But her other sister’s always held a great enmity for Mao’s existence, viewing it as some sort of blight and insult to her father and family. I’m still unsure if we were forced into her squad or if it was at some dark-hearted request of her’s. I’ve always feared they may come to blows someday, somehow as our people would readily side with a warrior easily over a ”broken tool,” I just…I never thought…” How she tripped over her words, mind trying to understand when and how Mao planned any of this, or what might’ve caused it. ”I never thought that Mao may have in turn begun plotting her sister, Syu’s, death. And I…I…I’m afraid…she won’t make it…” A few choked coughs escaped as she fought against the rising fear and panic, eager to finish her explanation, ”I put her in Sabertooth because it had a concentration of fire mages, because that’s her greatest weakness! It’s the same power Syu uses, so it was easy to pass the guild by her as she figured we could always manipulate them to take care of Mao if…if…she found reason to do so…I never imagined my hopes might come true that instead she’d befriend them even if I had to hide it from our leader. But she has no hope of winning so I don’t know why she’d go off to fight her…I don’t understand why she’d go on this suicide mission…”

Panting Chesha found herself exhausted from the hurricane of emotions and purging of the burden she’d bared for so long. However she couldn’t rest now as her breath calmed a little and she looked back up at the group, ”I don’t think she’ll run headlong into it, as Syu is never without her elite soldiers, though even now more of her troops camp out around the tower she temporarily calls home. There is no way she can fight Syu without interference, much less hope to win even one-on-one as she is. I’m sorry I’m…not a fighter by far, but I’ll help in any way that I can. I can’t track Mao anymore, she’s somehow removed the implants, but I don’t think she should’ve made it to the Inferno Tower yet from where we last met. Syu’s been staying there for the past few weeks with many of her soldiers camping out around it as she’s started trying to make alliances for our people.”

Looking towards the two fire slayers she cautioned, ”You two should be careful as even though it’s more towards your element there, there are measures of protection for her squad that diminish the power and heat of fire as well as fire magic. She’s…obsessed with ensuring that even the lowest of her squad aren’t felled easily, and that her elite can even give her a proper workout.” Her attention turned to everyone as another thing occurred to her and she bit her lip, ”As well…for all of you…be careful. We have, um, ‘ancestors’ in sort that we can borrow the power from and I know that various members have been blessed by their ancestor’s strength and abilities, Syu herself blessed by the Fire Wolf Xeres – one of the strongest of the Canine Clan’s ancestors. I know she’s been vying for one beyond him, but he’s not one to take lightly either.”

Eyes drifted from one to the next as she asked her final question, ”If…you don’t wish to continue I will understand, and bear no fault against you. If anything this is a family dispute boiled down to it…” And yet she knew it could become more than that…but Chesha cared little for the future in this moment.

As he waited for a response from the woman he was just holding against the wall, Dmitry felt a familiar, albeit unsettling presence approaching fast from the sky. His suspicions were confirmed as his old friend landed nearby, all tentacley and full of the usual angst.  


"You know, you might wanna listen to your daughter on this one, mopey." The spirit walker said, though he wasn't exactly pleased with this person himself. "Much as I hate to say it, we're gonna have to end this on the side of non-decapitation." Soon after he said that, Dmitry felt the presence of numerous more beings of unusual power, causing him to sigh as a crowd began to form. "So, you invite Acnologia too or was he held up?"

Ignoring most of what the cat eared woman said after he was certain he knew the gist of it already, the mage surveyed the area for anyone who might be listening in, reaching out with both his physical and spiritual senses. Unfortunately, he was bound to miss something, what with so many powerful individuals in his vicinity. 

No, that wasn't quite right. Even if it were only one or two other mages, the simple truth was that Niyol was getting worse and worse, meaning that his demonic presence took up a greater amount of Dmitry spiritual view. Still, it was worth it to have him in this fight. Even if they had to suffer a sneak attack, the man was an undeniable asset in battle, even if it was for all the wrong reasons. 

Dmitry's ears perked a bit at the sound of the ancestor spirit's name, causing his frown to deepen. Even if it was an ally of Mao's for the moment, he simply didn't trust that one. Regardless of his intentions, Dmitry worried that this spirit might end up using Mao as a tool, the same way her people did. That was something the gray-hair simply couldn't abide.


"You know, you should've just skipped to that part, lady." Dmitry said as the woman finally stated where Mao was headed, turning on his heal and holding a hand out in front of him as he closed his eyes. 


"I invoke the Lunar Horse:..." He said before snapping his eyes open, revealing his pupils to be glowing silver and his irises pitch black. "Alsvinder!" A silver Magic circle formed in front of the mage, causing the same fog like substance from earlier to converge until it too the shape of a horse. "If that's all, I'm goin'." Dmitry said as he climbed onto the back of one of his oldest friends.



"Got no reason to stick around anymore."

NOTES TAGS. WORDS. 475 STATUS. HP-300 MP-100 Cool Down Enemies NOTES. "Word “ "Thought “

"You ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?" - Kite After Kite had joined with the two mages and asked of the well being of the dark haired girl his question was answered with a nod and verbally spoke to him stating that she was fine and thanked him for asking. Kite smiled and nodded in return but he didn’t get a chance to speak to her due to the arrival of two more mages after his own arrival, the first of which was Haretsa, the dragon slayer whom he once shared a team with but she was no longer part of Sabertooth, she had left and went to the newly formed guild Infinity Hydra. Just as he spoke up about the first two mage’s methods she did as well and even went further and commented on the demonic one’s overall appearance which made Kite smirk, he was glad to see Hare hadn’t changed since the last time they had the pleasure of working together ”I had no idea you were invited to the party, should be just like old times.“ he said to her with a smirk on his face, clearly happy to see his old friend again.. The final mage to appear for the little gathering was none other than the member of his team that wasn’t missing and Mao’s mate Aiyana who once she made contact the silver haired mage spoke up making a smartass comment on if Acnologia was also invited or if he was held up. Kite rolled his eyes as he scoffed at the comment ”What’s the matter don’t you know the saying the more the merrier?“ he said but looked over at Aiyana who seemed a bit off as Mao’s mate she had every reason in the book to be violent in her approach but just as he had, she knew just how much of importance the information this girl possessed as it pertained to finding and saving Mao from whatever fate awaited her. Her voice was shaky as she pleaded with the group as a whole to let the girl speak to which Kite turned from the ace back to the person of interest who was prepared to tell the group her story. The cat girl backed away from the group by only a few steps before she bowed her head in respect and thanked them all for coming, Kite crossed his arms and waited for the girl to share her story but didn’t show any sort of animosity or anger towards the girl, there was no point in doing so if Mao was truly in danger then there was no reason for her to contact them otherwise. The story was a bit longer than he had expected it to have been but over all it wasn’t a bad thing either, Kite had been teammates with Mao and Aiyana for a little while now but he had no idea of any of this memory loss that Mao had been dealing with. The story went on further explaining the role in which this feline girl played in all of this outside of being just her sister she was her handler so to speak, going as far to reveal Mao had no true control over her life including her joining Sabertooth. Kite’s eyes grew narrow and his expression on his face faded from calm and turned to a bit more of anger but not aimed at the girl in front him, but at “her people” who only viewed Mao as a tool for their own gains and could be cast aside and destroyed if they wished it to be so. Kite wanted to speak up and say over his dead body at this point but he let a cooler head prevail here as he heard the hesitation in the girl’s voice when the word destroyed was forced out, he knew this must be a hard story for her to speak of so he just continued to listen, and soak in the entirety of the story before speaking. There was enough information being given that it would force Tailspin to do more than one trip had it been in the form of cargo ranging from ancestral history and the girl back up to the current situation regarding Mao’s other sister whom Mao had to fight and kill but the issue being that Syu was a fire mage and had an entire army at her beckon call would all prove problematic for Mao, which would make sense why the cat girl once again referred to Mao’s mission as a suicide mission. The part that of most importance was pointed in the direction of both Kite and Hare the two flame slayers in the group, evidently Syu’s forces were equipped with means to deal with fire and heat, this forced a small fire to spark in the Demon slayer’s eyes ”Sounds like fun to me.“ he said with a smirk. The story was soon finished and on cue the silver haired man spoke very rudely to the girl and summoned a horse and took off for the tower followed in suit by the man who had a demonic energy signature, but unlike the horse he used a means of teleportation much more dark, a feminine figure appeared behind them and teleported them away in a sphere of darkness which radiated the pure essence of a demonic being ”So, that’s the sort of demon that was. Hope she doesn’t mind a demon slayer being around.“ he said to himself before looking at the girl and approaching her, leaning down he looked her in the eyes ”I never got a chance to say so earlier, my name is Kite it’s nice to meet you sister of Mao.” he paused and offered his hand for a gentle handshake ” Your sister is a good friend of mine as well as my teammate so don’t you worry you can count on me.“ he said to her and backed up to face whoever was still there ”The lot of you, if you want ferry to Inferno Tower you are all welcome aboard my ship. Take off is in five so complete your business here and hurry aboard.“ but once he said that he took a step over to Aiyana and put a hand on his friend’s shoulder ”Don’t worry we will find her Aiya.“ he said before removing his hand and headed towards his ship to prep it for takeoff. ”“

template by Darkee

Spells used:

Kite made a comforting gesture, one that she appreciated but did not help with what she was hearing. The words that sprung forth from Chesha were not words Aiyana wanted to hear, not at all. While any other time she may have started something over it, right now there was the pressing concern as to why they were here in the first place. The urge to argue and yell at her slowly eased as she listened to her sister-in-law continue explaining everything that had gone on; past and present.

It all made sense; Mao's naivete, her sudden loss of memory of her and others, her magic she had. While she could forgive the woman before her, she could not forgive what happened to be another sister-in-law; the evil one she supposed. The celestial spirit listened silently to the entire speech, not responding until the final words left the other's lips and the others all scattered away to move on.

"I have every intention of getting her back safely, and even help in taking down Syu in the process. I'll go with you, you're family to me; though I wish we had met in a different way." Aiyana composed herself a little better after the words were spoken, ears flicking as she concentrated on what they were about to do. She was not afraid of fire mages, not when her magic was half fire as well. 'For Mao, I'll dive through the flames to get her back.'

More than anything it was a relief to get some of that off her chest, even if a fair chunk of the group couldn’t care less – more worried about her sister than anything. That fact also warmed her heart, knowing that somehow her dearest sibling had found a worthy family where none existed back home. A gasp escaped as the youngest of the bunch hugged her, the action alone alien to someone used to given the aloof nature of her immediate family. The reassurances helped too, a small smile as the “scary fellow” proved to be perhaps a better ally than she could’ve hoped for…even if he seemed partially keen on taking her out in the process – though the sudden proclamation of her being an aunt somewhat stunned her. Everyone’s high spirits bolstered her’s however, despite some of the quick departures by some, their determination boosting Chesha’s confidence as she shook the fellow’s hand before the fox-like woman stepped forward.

’Family?!’ First confusion followed by slight frantic panic: had she missed something?! Yet even then she remembered how Mao one-upped her recently and pondered…maybe she’d been playing with Chesha’s memories in turn or her own, somehow tricking the elder sister…No. Now wasn’t the time for such inquiries, the woman forcing her mind back onto more important matters and less…on protective-older-sister ones. For now it seemed easier to hitch a ride with the two who remained here, or at least with the pilot fellow. While possible to head to that location herself the idea proved far too daunting for someone not used to fighting without numbers. ’Even all my creations couldn’t take on half of Syu’s army…’


Life was good, but good never cut it.

Syu held aspirations after all, her father an alpha of her family and one of the heads of the overall clan. Competition ran rampant between her and most of her siblings, many vying to prove themselves worthy as inheritors come the day he finally ascended to Ancestral levels. She held very little doubt that day would come and would see to it that none other than herself replaced the decorated warrior she hailed from. Even now one or two siblings stood as subordinates, having caved to talents and efforts, accepting that she stood in superior contrast to them. Some of the others would learn in time, but she’d allow them the spotlight of putting a few others in their place before she proved how underwhelming they were by sheer comparison. After all even while a few sported the inherited powers of an ancestor they paled next to the brilliant flames of Xeres.

A renowned alpha his power stood out from the rest and she’d been honored to receive his abilities. Rarely did he bestow them and the last person who’d received his blessings eventually became an ancestor as well. There existed only one canine ancestor who didn’t bother sharing their abilities and she’d accepted this – even begrudgingly – because that meant no one else would be deemed worthy. She’d never fear such competition.

Until that blight proved her wrong.

It went largely unnoticed, and she wasn’t surprised honestly because nobody would expect to find something they weren’t looking for – not something so elusive. Hell it’d escaped her notice for a while as well, Syu willing to admit such an oversight because her confidence decreed it impossible…until that day she’d caught just the slightest whiff as the tool took its required sip of the fountain’s power. Just that peek into the thing’s being and she’d felt his presence.

The Devourer.

His true name had been lost, the beast merely going by “Sorrow,” separated itself from the other ancestors and yet his power and capabilities instilled a certain fear within the others. Of all the ones to stay clear it was him in their grand realm because the canine took to consuming the others whenever he stumbled upon one that eventually lead to his evolution into a Barghest – a “black dog of death” amongst their people. So few received the title and most never lived to appreciate it, but he wore it proudly – or so she liked to imagine – and constantly asserted his dominance over those who dared cross paths with him. How she would’ve loved such power, knowing he’d gained more here and there with the felling of other ancestors! It sent chills through her warm body, cold rarely ever piercing her skin and yet just that thought…

Thinking about him always brought about mixed emotions as the white wolf both reveled in the thought of obtaining him and yet felt extreme revulsion and confusion for the one he chose over her. Why had he chosen someone so unworthy? Someone so worthless? Someone no better than garbage?! He deserved better. He deserved someone of their clan, a pure breed, and destined for greatness. Often Syu tried to soothe herself with reassurances that this must all be some sort of test, the ancestor perhaps choosing Mao as an observational tool? That was her only purpose after all, and this would allow him better opportunities to witness her greatness and accomplishments first hand…it was perhaps the only reason she hadn’t simply offed that thing that might dare to claim relations to her. ’Once I pass my thousandth year perhaps…perhaps then I’ll be ready to inherit him? I could be one of the few to wield two ancestors at once! Imagine the power that could be the Inferno and Devourer’s power combined into one! Then there’d be no doubt amongst my family who the greatest is! After I ascend to a new level I’ll try to claim him then…this was surely his plan all along…’ It was the only explanation she could find.

Blue eyes peered out the window, surveying the milling troops of her’s as they inhabited this area. She enjoyed its name, striking up a nice rapport with the king who lived here thanks to Xeres’ title amongst her people. They’d promised him further power in return for his kindness in making this their temporary home base, careful not to infringe too much upon the small village a little bit away from the grand structure. He’d joked casually about perhaps someday expanding to own all of Fiore and without batting an eyelash she’d promised him if that was his wish they could grant it as long as he agreed to ally with her people. So far the governing council liked what Mao discovered of Fiore, finding this world advanced enough to not simply wipe it out. She figured they were still in deliberation over whether to simply enslave it or not, sure they’d stick to allies for a spell just to see how this place evolved and if it might be worthy of remaining an ally…after all they had all the time in the world to conquer it. For all she knew someday Syu might be delivering news to this man’s ruling descendent that they would either serve her people or face death, the thought merely bringing a smirk to her face.

Though she was beginning to wonder what’d become of that regrettable feline she’d been forced to accept into her company. All tools required a proper technician to monitor and operate them – something totally unbefitting a true warrior such as herself – but it seemed as if someone sought to insult her by not only having that scar upon her family join her regiment, but one of the siblings from the other involved family. She looked so much like the woman they’d forced her father to breed with that it sickened her. Syu could practically smell the concern wafting off that feline in waves whenever the thing was nearby, but she refrained from reporting on it out of sheer joy of the subsequent fear caused by it and delighted in that scent far too much to see it end so soon. Though…all good things would come to an end eventually.

Eyes narrowed down at the people milling below before a sugary voice interrupted her thoughts, ”No need to look so sour! Someday they’ll be beneath us and maybe we can hunt them for funsies!”

The statement evoked a laugh from the woman as she turned to see one of her upper rung standing there, as cheerful as ever. ”Yes Sherry, someday maybe you’ll get to hunt them to your heart’s content. I’m sure they’ll make excellent noises for you.”

”I sure hope so!”

While usually carnivorous clans held the higher spots Syu lived long enough to admit that one couldn’t underestimate some of the herbivore and omnivore ones all thanks to the woman who stood before her. Short pink hair and long, white rabbit ears with an impossibly large, cottony-tail jutting just above her rump some might view it as an unfortunate set of circumstances that prodded the bunny girl into becoming a savage beast on any battlefield – only a love of carrots remaining of any desire to eat vegetables. Some of the grunts told stories on how her hair used to be white until she’d discovered her inner predator…they never ceased to amuse. Watching one of the few she might even dare to call “friend” stare at the window Syu silently laughed to herself: those red eyes couldn’t help viewing their troops below as “prey” from this height. Though she admitted they looked tantalizing, like ants to play with as some took rounds around the large camp and others performed simplistic tasks: training, caring for weapons and armor, eating, sharing stories with hearty laughter, and so on. There was little need for bonfires when they camped so close to a nice heat source after all.


’I admit this is worse than I imagined.’

Hidden in a small room within the tower Mao peered out at the seeming sea of people. Fighting her sister remained daunting enough but knowing that in order to return to her budding family within Fiore she’d not only have to take that beast on, but all of these people as well…Shaking her head the mixed breed rid herself of such doubts, ’No, I will return! I…I want to live, and I want to be with them all, even those I haven’t met yet! ‘ She could feel the swelling of adrenaline as it desperately wanted to push to the surface yet she shoved it back down to continue hiding her presence with the aid of Kasmeer, as much as the canine side wanted nothing more than to thrash about and cause utter and complete chaos right now. The surprise would be there, but not the way she wanted it and it’d merely unleash the fury of Syu’s army upon her as well as the elder…sister.

Patting her clothes Mao reminded herself of the location of a few crystals: the final remnants of her old magic. She wanted to let Syu believe for a bit longer she completely and utterly held the upper hand, long enough that perhaps it’d lead to her death…


[Info: not going to put a number on how many troops, but it’s a large camp site with tents everywhere and plenty of people to be seen all sporting some sort of animal trait be it ears, scales, tails, claws, etc. Most are going to be purebreds, but there are probably a few crossbreeds that are considered “weapons” – basically soldiers without status. A lot of grunts deal with pretty much just enhanced physical capabilities, able to fight on a tier higher than regular human soldiers, but higher ranks will have some prowess in magic/weapons mixed in with their enhanced abilities. Feel free to make up some elite folks as you like and I’d be happy to RP any for you guys if you wish as I’ll be tossing in some others myself like Sherry. Feel free to ask me any questions or shoot any concerns my way. Apologies about the wait, I'll do my best not to take so long again >.<]

The Inferno Tower.

Currently the base of operations for Commander Syu and her troops. Currently attached to the side of this massive building was one Dmitry Kazakov, pondering his lot in life as he attempted to ignore the wafting heat from the magma pits down below.

"How the hell did I get here?"


About thirty minutes earlier...


Dmitry rode hard for Inferno Tower, intent on keeping one of his oldest friends from getting herself killed and then giving her a tongue lashing shortly after. It seemed that the cat lady had spoken true, as Dmitry could feel a great many powerful spirits in the direction he was heading, there presence similar to that of the ancestor spirit Mao possessed. Unfortunately, despite the fact that this presence was a guiding one, it was also distracting him from certain things. Important things. Dangerous things. Things like...an entire encampment of troops that would sooner spear him than look at him. That sort of thing.

Thankfully, Dmitry managed to catch sight of the tents before trampling through them like an idiot/maniac, allowing him enough time to leap off of his spiritual steed and roll across the ground. Alsvinder, on the other hand, was moving too quickly and was too caught in the command of 'run' to stop now as it gracefully leaped over the first tent it came to...shortly before being speared into oblivion.

"What the hell was that!?" "Is anyone else out there?" "Maybe it was just a diversion!"

As the questions and speculations flew through the air just like poor old Al, the gray-hair in question was concealing himself behind a rather conveniently placed oak that had long since died.

Aww shit, now what the Hell do I do? He thought as the search began. Shortly after that thought, an enormous commotion occurred deeper in, drawing most of the guards attention. Dmitry didn't know for sure what was going on, but one thing was certain.

With this level of shit-tastrophy, it's gotta be Mopey. He would have to thank the...man after this was over, deciding to make use of the distraction and sneaking over to the base of the tower. Despite what was going on, the woodsman couldn't go in the front just yet. Instead, he decided to climb the side of the building until he could find an appropriate entrance.

And thus, Dmitry found himself in the position he is now, scaling yet another miniature roof top along the pagoda-like towers height. After a while, the mage decided he was high enough and surveyed the window ahead of him.


On the other side of the window...


"I'm telling, you that new diet is sooo working for you!" One male guard with entirely too much muscle said to the guard in front of him. "You say that, but you haven't seen me binge out on the pork, I swear it goes straight to my butt..." Responded the guard with equally too much muscle as he looked back at his rear in an absurdly girlish manner. Before the too muscle-bound, yet oddly feminine guards further discuss what was possibly the most useless topic to their profession, a pair of hands burst through the paper of the sliding window shutters and grabbed them by their chest-plates before ripping them through said shutters and throwing them down the miniature roofs that the owner of said hands just scaled. Thankfully for these strange soldiers, the roofing they were hitting became gradually larger as they went down, allowing them to survive the extremely painful tumble.

Not that Dmitry cared as he stepped through the opening he just created, surveying the hallway he arrived in.

"Now if I were a crazy, conniving bitch...where would I be?" He muttered, his train of thought naturally going leading him to pursue the head of the snake. Of course, that wan't going to work out so well, seeing as how another had already set there sights on him...

So it seemed that they would be heading into battle if they were to save Mao. Aiyana had no problem with that, but she did not want to go alone. Instead she would be going on the ship with Chesha and Kite and allow the Sabertooth ship to transport them to a spot that would put them in a better position to do as planned.

"Chesha. I'll stay with you in combat, try to keep you safe. Just let me know where you need me to go and I'll do whatever is needed to get us to Mao and back out safely."

The woman was unsure as to how the other would be fighting. She did not know if she was a physical fighter, or if she had a supportive magic and just had to stay back. Either way she would let her mate's sister decide what they would be doing when they got there.