Sabertooth in: Dead men tell no tales.

Details:

Sand blew hard, stinging the eyes of both Mashyuu and Itsu as they stalked towards the Ace of Spades after another job well done. Mashyuu lifted his arms and shielded his eyes, the sand not really bothering him but clearly harming Itsu more than she should have been dealing with. Mashyuu grabbed Itsu by the hand darted left, letting the ground roll them into a near by cave just as the sun started to set. Together the pair slid down a steep ramp and came to a rest at a landing of solid stone. Itsu wasn't as durable as Mashyuu and started to whimper the moment the pair landed. Mashyuu reached out and grabbed the hammer he had dropped and used it to pull himself up then lifted Itsu to her feet. "You okay? I know it was kind of a rough landing, sorry about that." Mashyuu apologized to the girl. Itsu sucked it up and gave Mashyuu a warm smile while hugging him. "No worries, I'm tougher than I look. But where are we. I don't remember ever passing this place up before." Itsu motioned to the hall of the cave that went down to what looked like a fire pit.

Mashyuu pulled his white and orange vest over his shoulders and left his hammer at Itsu's side while making a gesture to keep her back. He let his palms lift up and the ground silently slid him down the hall about ten meters and then stopped moving. Two men stood on guard in front of a fire pit, their forest green attire would have been great in the woods but seemed out of place here. However the bows in their hands looked strong as did the arrows strapped to their backs. Mashyuu slowly crept back to Itsu and shrugged. "Two archers up ahead. It looks like they are guarding something, and the door behind them has a painting of some guy named Gold Rodger... He sounds familiar but ya know... no memories." Mashyuu tapped his head. Itsu slapped him across the jaw and placed her hands on her hips. "Mashyuu, Gold Rodger was said to have robbed the gods and gave man magic. He's the greatest pirate the world has ever known. This must be his tomb!"

WC: 383

4 dice rolled for the next few encounters.

The member 'Mashyuu Kumonosu' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

---

'Normal Dice' :

Kenna ushered something incomprehensible as she gasped and swallowed a bite of sand the brewing sandstorm had thrown her way, coughing viciously as she turned her back towards the South-East, where the winds were coming from. The sand within her mouth made her teeth feel crunchy and it bothered her greatly… as did the sand that steadily invaded her clothing. She was certain that by now she’d have sand in places that were never supposed to meet with it in the first place. Seeking shelter seemed the best solution, but she had no idea where she was, even without the sudden sandstorm to make things worse she didn't know. The only thing Kenna was certain of was the fact that her guts had lead her there, and that she was planning on finding out why exactly she’d followed this path… if she’d survive this violent excuse for a skin-scrub. Shadows seemed to rise before her, eerily showing off against the beige background, and thankfully the raven-haired maiden drew closer upon noticing the ferocity of the winds lessened as she did. The little step-up that announced the entrance of the cave in front of her however she had not, and with a swift trip Kenna found herself going down a rather steep slope, painfully coming to a halt in what could’ve been the most unlady-like manner ever.

“Good thing no-one’s here to see-” Kenna started, but her voice died down to a silent sigh when gazing upon the back of an azure-haired woman in white, ghastly attire and a brown-haired man with spiky hair and a brawler’s outfit. ”You gotta be fucking kidding me... “ her inner dialogue commenced, while the outside remained silent and held her stereotypical pokerface at the ready. “Nevermind that.” She whispered nearly cheerfully to herself before returning to her stoic self, pushing herself back up her feet and ridding her red dress off the dust it had collected in the storm and her downfall. The red dress seemed unlike proper traveling gear, but the fact it was left open at the side and had shorts underneath made it a great combat dress, with its nature for being unable to tear or burn giving it an extra advantage on other clothing.

Kenna opted out on what to do next, and more importantly, how the people before her would react if she’d caught their attention. As by wonder however she’d not, which might have been due to her most silent descend into the cave, and the sand having covered most of the loose pebbles in a loose ground layer, muting her fall even further. Kenna decided on doing things the way she should do them, which was the safest for herself, and summoned Antares to her side, be it sheeted and demanded to remain silent until pulled out for combat. The raven-haired maiden’s gaze wandered further ahead when she noticed the twosome giving whatever was behind those rocks more attention than herself, and in all curiosity crept closer, randomly popping up between the twosome as she too now gazed upon the two guards present at the make-shift campfire. Akhator’s voice resonated briefly in her mind, telling her to watch the vicinity more closely, and Kenna did as she was told by the God’s voice, slowly sneaking closer to a nearby rock by randomly pushing the azure-haired lady and brown-haired man she’d used as make-shift peeping walls aside to get towards her chosen spot. From it she spotted two more archers, curled up in sleeping bags just outside the reach of the campfire’s light.

The probability of her actions alarming the archers and the people she’d just completely ignored when indulging in the curiosity of this world was the last thing on her mind. Instead her eyes darted from the archers standing guard to the walls that depicted an imagery of long-lost tales she did not recognise, yet for some reason still felt familiar to. It enthralled her so much she wouldn't notice anything that happened behind her, nor react to it if something were to happen.



678

The two Sabertooth Wizards watched, silently looking at the two archers when suddenly Mashyuu's nose flared up and his ears twitched softly. Gently he whispered to Itsu to remain calm no matter what. A few moments later the raven haired woman in red appeared between the two and pushed her way forward, using larger boulders as cover while she got closer to the archers. It was as if she couldn't tell that Mashyuu was from her guild and that she didn't care about anyone who was on guard. He watched her look at the men, then the markings on the grey stone walls. Off in the distance, the two archers managed to spot the young woman who had come up to close to the men. They drew arrows and took a firing stance while shouting at their friends to get up.

Mashyuu dropped his hammer while shouting at Itsu and the other Wizard. "Itsu lets go. You get down!" In a violent explosion Mashyuu changed to sand, and appeared between the two archers. His arms slammed down on the bows, causing the arrows to get knocked down and bounce off the hard ground harmlessly sliding past the woman behind the rock. Mashyuu flipped both his fingers up and muttered softly. "Earth Gods Combo: Part One." He muttered as three stone pillars came up, one hitting both of the archers into one another before the last one slammed up into the spine of the men, knocking them into the fire. Their screams muffled by the stone floor until the fire went out.

Itsu focused her phantom power inward and vanished into the depths of the cave where the two sleeping men were scrambling to get up and grab their bows. As she appeared before the archers her leg snapped out and kicked the face of each man, knocking them out cold before they could lift their weapons to take a shot at anyone. "Lady, you got a name? Why are you snooping around here in such an obvious way?"

WC: 341

This Kenna was being rude, no two ways about it. Mashyuu started to step with her as the woman walked past him and started to touch the door. He wanted to reach out to stop her just in case it was trapped but no such luck. The woman had already gotten a finger on it. He winced for a moment but started to laugh, her weapon seemed to cause her some sort of minor harm, making Kenna jump and turn to bow at Mashyuu. The way her hands clasped and her body bent gave Mashyuu a beautiful view down her dress but the taller man didn't say a word about the look he stole while she started to apologize to the man.

"It's fine. You seem like you have something on your mind... Oh I wasn't forced into the cave but Itsu here was and that. That is a depiction of Gold Rodger, the man who is rumored to have brought magic to the world after robbing the gods." Mashyuu explained. His blue eyes wandered over to the men who were out cold. "It looks like these guys are grave robbers. Maybe guards?" Mashyuu reasoned while walking over to a man and dropped down to check the mans gear. "Mashyuu, maybe we should get going, if these guys are trying to rob Gold Rodgers Tomb then as Sabertooth Wizards we should stop them!" Itsu expressed while she walked over to the door and glanced back at the two Wizards.

Taking a lazy stance, Mashyuu ran his hand through his brown, shaggy hair while sighing in annoyance. "Yeah, I guess you're right. It wouldn't do us any good to let some punks take whatever is in the tomb. But if it's already out I want to claim something as my own. It looked like I kept trophies from jobs and I plan on keeping that tradition up." With a snap of his fingers the ground rose up far behind Mashyuu, carrying the hammer he had fond in his home to Mashyuu's side. Itsu pushed the heavy door open while Mashyuu walked past the woman and looked over his shoulder. "Kenna, are you coming?" Mashyuu questioned. He gripped the hammer in his hand and slung it over his shoulder while Itsu started to follow behind, just out of Mashyuu's hammer swinging distance.

The trio wandered down a long series of halls, round on the sides with jagged stones hanging from above them. Foot prints went in every direction that the tunnels allowed passage. "It looks like nobody could figure out where they were going. It's not use trying to follow the prints. But I would suggest we hang to the left, that's how you get out of mazes." Mashyuu reasoned while looking over his shoulder to the others.

WC: 472

A wide smile cracked over Mashyuu's face while he looked at both Itsu and Kenna. It seemed the woman was actually a lot smarter than Mashyuu gave her credit for. Mashyuu nodded and rubbed his chin while shifting his hammer to his free hand. "Mmhm, you might be right..." Mashyuu stopped as Kenna stood up and drew her bow while slamming into a wall. Something was coming. "Itsu, cover fire." Mashyuu ordered. Itsu did as she was told and jumped back, hiding behind a rock and took aim at where Mashyuu was looking.

In no time Kenna had changed tactics from shooting a walking skeleton to smashing it with a blunt bow, knocking it's head clean off. Mashyuu looked past the monster and saw two more in a hall, rounding the corner and charging the Wizards. He took a few steps back then ran as fast as he could. Whipping his hammer around in a circle he jumped up, letting air rush past him as he moved, billowing out his loose clothes. "Earth Gods..." He muttered while releasing his hammer, tossing it past the headless skeleton. "Sand leap!" Just before Mashyuu smashed into the headless monster he exploded into a pile of sand and moved through the body of the monster. He reformed behind the monster and reached out, grabbing his hammer by the end of the handle at the very moment the head smashed into the rib cage of one of the skeletons. Using the momentum of the swing Mashyuu whipped his arm around and hit the leg of the skeleton behind him, pushing the monster closer to Kenna and Itsu.

"Earth.. Rumble." Mashyuu commanded, causing the hammer to vibrate just before he dropped the hammer on the foot of the monster before him, shattering the skeleton and causing the ground to tremble under Mashyuu's weapons power. The tunnel itself started to shake, causing the skeleton behind the one Mashyuu was fighting to rattle and fall to the floor in pieces, once again dead on impact with the ground. "Bandits and the undead? What a drag..." Mashyuu complained. "Well come on, there are more of em up ahead. Feels like they are fighting those archers." "MASH THAT WAS AMAZING!!!" Itsu cheered and jumped out from behind the rocks to join the wizards. "But I wanted to do something too." Mashyuu chuckled while picking up his hammer and making his way around the corner to the next area. "Well I'll sit back and relax and you can do the work with the next batch."

WC: 434

She watched as Mashyuu almost instantly took care of the skeletons, hers included, in a most admirable way. She might've felt as ecstatic at Itsu did upon seeing the display of power, but her instincts wouldn't allow her to react as euphoric as the blue-haired woman did. Instead Kenna merely nodded in agreement as she collected the arrow and bow that'd fallen to the ground during her dodging somersault and followed the happily chuckling Mashyuu around the corner. "What do you mean, sit back and relax? Leave everything to Itsu?" Kenna turned at Itsu for a brief moment. "Not that I doubt your skill or anything, by far, but-" The young maiden turned back at Mashyuu and grinned. "However impressive your use of that hammer of yours is, I doubt you'd just sit by and watch while we do all the fun stuff. You even 'stole' my bones for brains opponent when you passed me by!" Kenna made sure to add the much-known gesture of the figurative apostrophes when saying stolen and continued by shrugging.

As they turned the corner the group walked into a new room, far larger than the one they'd previously came from, and heard the clamoring and sounds of battle clearly now. In the back of the round room, which had a ceiling that which was at least 15 times Mashyuu's height and seemed like a dome than anything else, five graves had been uncovered and busted open. A bunch of bandits fought the probable inhabitants of said five iron coffins that functioned as graves, skeletons with that slightly bit more dried flesh hanging on their bones. Kenna figured that her current strength wouldn't be enough to handle the dead wanderers of this tomb and instead readied her bow, pulling back the string until it was completely tensed and let the arrow fly. With a single, dull sound the arrow struck the man in the back of his neck, leaving the undead with one opponent less to deal with as the bandit's lifeless body slumped to the floor. "I figure we might better take each pair down one by one? Or do we race each other to see who gets the most kills?" Kenna's face seemed eerily calm and collected as she took another arrow from the quiver and readied it on the bow, swiftly taking another one out with two well-aimed shots. "I'm down for both."



401

The member 'Aura' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

---

'Normal Dice' :

"I mean compared to the two of you I have expended some serious magical power here and need to take a break. While you two fight I'll be eating some large rocks and restoring my power so when we run into a real issue I'll be able to help out. You will forgive me if I don't engage in the next battle." Mashyuu winked at Kenna as they rounded the corner. He picked up a large rock and took a bite out of it, not bothering to chew and instead swallowed the lump and went along his way.

When the trio came to the next room Mashyuu whistled and nodded his head up and down. "Okay so..." Kenna didn't waste a second and fired an arrow into the back of a bandits neck, killing him and making Mashyuu glanced at her and shook his head. "We don't kill. Sabertooth guild rules. So lets call that..." He stopped when she fired two more arrows. "Okay I'm gonna go destroy those skeletons. You two get along while I'm gone." Itsu chimed in and ran into the room to start her fight.

"Look, you are really pretty but we can't kill these guys. We might be turning them into zombies or something in this room. Lets please.... please keep the death to a minimum here." Mashyuu took another bite of his rock and looked at her, his eyes trailing up and down her body. "Have we met before? I feel like I know you from somewhere." Mashyuu had some serious memory issues and so did Kenna but slowly things were coming back to him.

Kenna jumped up between a skeleton and an archer. "Ghost Touch!" The beauty said and slammed her fist into a skeleton, shattering it and blowing the archer back at the same time. The spell damaged her but she didn't let it bug her. Instead she spun around and compressed energy in her body, giving herself the ability to teleport. Again she appeared next to a skeleton and slammed a flurry of closed fisted strikes into her foes body, knocking the bones around until the skeleton shattered and fell to the floor.

Mashyuu looked over to a skeleton and rolled his eyes deciding to end the battle. He walked into the middle of the room and pointed at the ground under the few remaining fighters. "Earth Gods Combo: Part One." Three pillars struck into the skeletal soldiers, knocking them apart and leaving a few of the archers left.

When the battle was over Mashyuu looked around the room and walked to a large stone door. "Give me a minute and we can move on." His mouth opened and clamped down on the door, chewing the stone work quickly. While he ate Itsu walked up to Kennna and nudged her. "He likes you. If he didn't he wouldn't care how you dealt with those guys." Itsu kissed her cheek and skipped off to open one of the doors where a massive dog was waiting and tackled her to the ground!

WC: 519

Kenna’s eyes nearly squinted and flicked back at Mashyuu after the two arrows had taken the second bandit down, radiating coldness as her face contorted in an icy, relentless mask. Her voice was cold and calm as she stared back at the brown-haired individual spoke her words with utmost precision, perhaps even the tiniest bit of hate, while her eyes reflected something red and unknown within them. “Blasphemers like these grave robbers deserve no mercy. And no guild rule nor law on this planet can change that… not as long as this child governs the souls of the fallen.”This latter part however was not spoken in her own voice, yet sounded deeper, nearly possessed even.

Kenna blinked and averted her gaze when Itsu jumped past, mentioning she would take care of the skeletons as long as they would bother with the other bandits still fighting for their lives. The young raven-head knew what Mashyuu said was right, and that she should probably heed by it, but something deep inside of her couldn't stand the fact that these bandits were so eager on desecrating this Golden Rodger’s final resting place. It was something beyond her that even strengthened this feeling, and when Akhator’s voice gently whispering into her ear she knew, a deep and soothing voice that managed to call her heart whenever it spoke. Only she could hear him, unless he allowed others to hear him, which had yet to happen. “It’s fine Kenna, my dear… I think so too. Humans still don't respect their old gods, so why would they respect their own kind? Their dead… only those who have connections with them seem to show proper respect. Just like you… this kid reeks of gods and death.” Akhator said as he gestured at Mashyuu, and glanced at Itsu further down the room, who seemed happy on kicking some skeletal ass. "That one too. But something’s off about that one. It doesn't belong here.” The Fire God snorted. “Well whatever. Let us focus at the task at hand… because that rock-eating human’s been looking at you pretty closely, my dear.”

Akhator’s presence disappeared back into the background of her mind and Kenna nodded more to herself when Mashyuu talked and looked up on her, his trailing eyes feeling piercing, yet not uneasy for some reason. When he asked her whether they’d met before, Kenna tilted her head a bit to the side and frowned as he said she seemed familiar. She remembered nothing from her past, no faces, no names, no nothing, and hadn't it been for Akhator, she might not have even made it through that first week after awakening within Raging Volcano. It was still a tough cookie to swallow that nothing returned to her. Even her appearance, her own body seemed like that of a stranger, and the fact she felt vaguely familiar with places without actually remembering them had pissed her off more than once. She wanted answers, and she couldn’t get them. “I… don't know. You might have… I… I don't remember anything. Hopefully you do if we did, because I’d like to know who I was before… this.” She sighed, a hint of sadness in her voice before she turned away and tried to gain her composure again. She sniffed and walked past Mashyuu. “But we have other things to bother with than things we cannot remember anyway, so let’s focus on you.”


The young maiden watched as Itsu fought on with the skeletons and archers with great finesse, her attacks strong and certain of hitting. Kenna liked watching Itsu’s way of fighting, but heard something that could’ve been a sigh escaping Mashyuu’s lips as he decided to end the battle and walked to the middle of the room. Kenna only watched as he pointed at the ground and evoked his magic again, sending three earthen pillars into the few opponents that remained, who instantly took the skeletons and archers out without further ado. The male Sabertooth mage excused himself to go and munch on some more stone doors, leaving her and Itsu, who had just approached her again, a few moments for themselves. Itsu’s elbow nudged her thin frame, and Kenna glanced at her in utmost surprise when the azure-haired beauty spilled her a little secret and kissed her cheek rather cheekily. “H-he what? What do you mean with that? I mean-” Kenna uttered confused as she stared at the grinning Itsu who walked away. She wanted to give it more thought, but as Itsu got pummeled by a massive hound when she opened a door, Kenna’s voice shot out loudly, her body already moving before she could even think about it, hand clasped around Antares’s hilt.

The hound growled deeply and tried biting the struggling Itsu with vicious teeth, its roars alerting the other hounds who's barking alerted the party of their presence. Kenna ran swiftly, unsheathed Antares and heard it crackling within her hand as she closed in on the beast. She could kill it with one blow, but the chances of hitting Itsu were to present to overlook, so instead the young raven-head opted for a more physical approach and kicked the beast in its side at full strength, feeling something break with a sickening sound as her foot connected and sent the hound flying off her downed ally. “You’ll keep your paws off my friends, you fucking beast!” The young girl roared angrily, eyeing both the whimpering beast meters before her, as well as the second hound that stepped up at from the door she’d opened and bared it fangs at her. Growling in reply Kenna stepped in front of the downed Itsu, giving her the time to get up while the memoryless maiden bravely shielded her. She had no magic to use, as she remembered none, but Antares would gladly make up for that. A surge of power invaded her body through the contact of skin and magical steel, all at the same tile as the hound came into motion and lunged at her. Kenna just stared at the beast until its flight brought it close enough to her to strike. “I condemn you to die! Now sever!” Her wrist strengthened together with the grip around her sword as it soared down diagonally, a surge of magical energy generated by the sword leaving a trace of it in its wake as it cut clean through the body of the charging beast. It severed the threat before her, and both halves of the now dead body dropped unto the floor behind her. Alert eyes turned back towards the other hound, which limped back in search for what she figured would be its pack, and stepped in closer to the wounded creature, again cutting its head clean off with the same technique she’d used before, showing no mercy whatsoever. ”Itsu,” Kenna turned and gazed at the girl for a short moment. ”Are you okay? Did that beast hurt you in any way?”


1164

Itsu dropped when a hell hound rushed through the door, tackling her to the ground and snapping at her neck. With the little strength she could muster she managed to keep herself from being bitten. Before Mashyuu could even act Kenna was attacking the beast. Her blade finishing one while she kicked a second off Itsu. Mashyuu pulled the second door open and jumped into the room. As he landed four arrows came sailing at him. The Wizard smirked and lifted his hands up to chest level. "Earth Gods Stone Armor!" He shouted, massive slabs of stone slammed to his body and molded, deflecting the arrows before they could dent his armor. "Ohhh you guys just fucked up." Mashyuu laughed and started to walk towards the men.

Slowly Itsu got up and rubbed her arm while looking at Kenna. "Thanks beautiful, I'm fine aside from my own spell hurting me earlier. I owe you." Itsu stood up but hung back, knowing Mashyuu wouldn't let any harm come to her or Kenna since she saved Itsu. Mashyuu ran at the archers and jumped up. As he landed on one knee his fists slammed into the ground. "Earth Gods Molten Blast!" He shouted. Lava and molten stone broke through the ground and sprayed all four archers, not killing them but leaving them so burned that they would never fire an arrow again.

He turned in time to see two hell hounds coming at him. One opened its mouth and unleashed a torrent of flames. Mashyuu raised his hand and created a wall of stone, protecting himself from the fire, at the same time the other hound rushed in and bit Mashyuu's leg. The armor kept him safe from the bite but annoyed him to no end. Lazily he kicked the head of his hammer while holding the bottom of the hilt. It flipped around and smashed into the Hounds skull. "Down boy." He demanded and lifted the hammer over its spine, knowing none could lift it aside from a god slayer. He dropped the hammer atop the hound and watched it struggle to free itself but to no avail.

Mashyuu stepped out from behind the wall and walked to the other hound while it barred its fangs and jumped at the man. Without missing a beat he backhanded the monster mid air and sent it sailing across the room. It rolled through a fire pit and got on its legs again, in the same amount of time Mashyuu was standing above it. His arms locked around its neck and squeezed hard until everyone could hear bone snap. He dropped it in the fire pit and looked at the ladies. "Everyone's okay?" He questioned while walking to the hound stuck under his hammer. He waited till it had passed then lifted the hammer up and headed for the next door, similar to the one that hey had dealt with when they entered the tomb.

WC: 497

The member 'Mashyuu Kumonosu' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

---

'Normal Dice' :

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine. But whomever dares raise a finger on you guys won't be so lucky...." Kenna said plainly as she followed Mashyuu to the next door, speeding up a little and grabbing him by the arm before he could actually push it open, and pulled him back with more force than she thought she could muster. ”Don't. We’ve made too much ruckus to go by unnoticed, and you’re probably tapping into your magical reserves already. If anything, or anyone, is behind that door they’ll be bound to attack you on sight and we need you if we get in trouble.” The raven-haired maiden said as she in the meanwhile stepped inbetween the Earth God Slayer and the iron door, gently guiding him slightly behind her. Her face showed an expression that didn't tolerate anyone to speak up against her statement, yet her golden eyes stood calm and collected amidst the paleness of her face, her body-language protective in its most elegant way. ”Sit this one out for real and let me take care of this… Oh, and Itsu?” She said without averting her gaze from the Earth slayer’s face. “I’ll be counting on you to keep him from actually stepping in, okay?” After which she placed her palm stretched on top of Mashyuu’s chest, nails gently pressing through the skin-tight clothes he was wearing, and pushed him back a few inches while already averting her gaze. A 180 degree turn on the back of her heels allowed for the young maiden to face the door again and open it nearly without a sound, which even surprised her considering how heavy and old this iron door was. The scent of charcoal and embers filled her nostrils the very millisecond the door opened, too familiar for her not to know after spending so much time in a fire-tainted landscape like Raging Volcano, and walked through the door, leaving it half-opened behind her. She walked towards the fire that flickered further in the back, and made sure to move as calm and elegantly as possible when noticing the two archers sitting around the campfire. They noticed her presence clearly through the rhythmic tapping of her heels on the stone floor, accompanied by the subtle jingling of the glass trinket around her ankle, and both men instantly grabbed their bows and kept her under aim. They did not fire upon watching how the colors of the fire played with the voluptuous roundings of her body however, and got nearly enthralled by her beauty as she stepped closer without showing an inch of emotion upon her face, aside from a playful smile that her eyes did not share. Antares dangled from her raised hands, which she’d held up in a simple gesture of amnesty towards the men to show them she had no ill intent. Kenna was truly a wonderful actress at this point, because she’d gotten close enough to deal lethal damage at this distance, and the men too noticed that, be it too late. They aimed again and ordered her to stop, which the enticing beauty also did. She even threw away her arm when brutally demanded to do so, though neither of the foolish humans knew this was all according to plan. ”Antares.” Her voice echoed shortly throughout the room, followed by a symphony of joint screams as both men were felled by the nerve-taunting ability Antares possessed. Their screams silent one by one, and in the reflection of the flames upon the walls Kenna’s shadow could’ve been seen closing in on the archers scrambling on their knees, followed by a swift gesture as their bodies contorted in an unnatural pose and slumped to the floor.

By the time her companions had truly and well joined her again, Kenna had dragged her opponents away from the campfire and was busy binding their unconscious bodies to keep them from escaping once they came too. She left them be in a far-off corner of the room and instead joined the fire again, opting to stay standing, and stared off into the fire that danced within her eyes. “I suggest we rest up here for a while. This place seems safe, and those bastards over there won't do us much for the next couple of hours…. They’re not dead, but not exactly alive either. Crimes done will be punished, but since you wouldn't want them dead, I figured I’d do you this favor, Mashyuu….now you could genuinely replenish your magic without anyone interfering. Itsu, try to rest up for a bit as well. You mentioned getting some damage from your own spell, so better take this opportunity and benefit from it as much as you can. I’ll take first watch.

790

Reaching for the door, Mashyuu felt a hand grab his shoulder and pulled him back. Kenna dragged her hand down to his chest slowly while moving him behind her. At that moment Mashyuu felt his heart skip a beat and a lump swell up in his throat. He wanted to reach out and touch her but the being inside him stopped from caving into the woman's sudden charms. Somehow she showed that she cared for him with the one simple gesture. Choosing to respect her wishes Mashyuu nodded his head up and down, slow to speak. "Y- hmm. Yeah. I'll stand back and let you handle things this time." Mashyuu muttered while blushing until she removed her soft hand from his strong chest.

Mashyuu looked past the door, watching Kenna walk, the way her body swayed and seemed to dance in the firelight. His mouth started to hang open, slack jawed while he and the goddess inside him started to fall in love with the woman and god before them. Mashyuu licked his dry lips and swallowed a lump in his throat. "What a woman..." He whispered and felt Itsu punch him hard in the arm. He looked away only for a moment and by the time he looked back at her, Itsu had disabled the guards and Mashyuu found himself walking into the room while Kenna explained they should rest.

Slowly he sat down on a make shift seat, mostly made of flat stone. He looked at Kenna while Itsu started to drag the bodies out of the room and closed the door behind her. "That was really impressive. Thank you for not killing them too. I didn't think you cared what others thought of you. So this is sort of a shock to me. Then the way you just handled yourself... I heh... Haven't seen anything like that before." Mashyuu spilled, almost tripping over his words. He looked down at the ground and thought about recovering while Itsu walked past the pair. "I'm already feeling better but you two should kiss. The tension could be cut with a knife." Itsu said while walking around the room, looking at everything sitting on shelves and painted on the walls.

Mashyuu leaned back in his seat and looked at Kenna carefully, his heart fluttered for a moment before he fell asleep. He woke up startled an hour or so later, Itsu grinning down at him and patting his shoulder. "Come on sleeping beauty it's time to take out these bandits."

Carefully Mashyuu stood up and smiled at the ladies. "Okay, if its time to go its time to go." The Wizard lifted his hammer and walked to the next door. He smiled back at Kenna and nodded for her to come closer. Already he could hear battle going on in the next room. He pushed the door open to reveal a massive circular room. Coffins lined the walls while skeletons battled archers like a few rooms back, however this time on either side of the room two gates slid open and more skeletons flooded into the room. "Itsu, the Skeletons on the sides, I'll handle the ones in the center, Kenna take the archers." Mashyuu shouted out battle orders and rushed the room.

Springing up, Mashyuu flipped through the air and landed at the side of the Skeleton, placing his hand to the floor. "Earth God's Combo: Part Two!" The ground opened up under the monsters, dropping them into a massive pit and smashed around their bones, crushing them and leaving nothing left of the monsters aside from their heads. He spun around on his heels and placed both hands to the ground, molten lava came up out of the ground and dissolved the bones of the Skeletons leaving only Itsu's group.

Itsu darted forward, rushed to the right side of the battle Mashyuu and Kenna was engaged in and opened her mouth. She looked up at the spiked gate the two skeletal soldiers were standing under and opened her mouth. The blast that rippled through her mouth hit the gate, dropping it on the monsters and crushed them under its weight, leaving only one path for the team to take. "Easy enough." Itsu patted her hands together and placed them on her shapely hips with a grin on her face.

WC: 729
Total: 3375

encounter roll because I forgot)

The member 'Mashyuu Kumonosu' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

---

'Normal Dice' :

The moments the three Sabertooth mages had to recover were filled with a rather deep talk before they were laid to rest, and she had not expected Mashyuu’s first question to be so honest. It hadn't truly been a question per se, but still. What he said had made her heart throb in pain, though be it shortly, at the first thing. So people thought like that about her… she had no idea she came off like such a heartless person at all. ”So people think I don't care ... it’s to protect myself...and well, it’s no lie that what others think of me doesn't truly bother me, but to say I wouldn't care… I do care. Somewhere. Somehow. I just don't know how to, you know… after I-” Kenna sighed rather helplessly and stopped staring at the fire, instead sitting down on the flat stone next to Mashyuu, speaking softly as if she was spilling an embarrassing secret. ”I lost everything, Mashyuu. Everything. I didn't even know how to act either. Akhator had to teach me right from wrong again, what was what… hell, I barely even recall how to read!” Her voice shot out a bit at the spilling of her weakness, a tear of frustration lingering in the corner of her eye, not willing to show in any other way than a glistering within her eye. Kenna silenced for a bit, unknowing of what to say, but Mashyuu resumed with a totally different topic, one which made her mind wander from her display of weakness and even but an embarrassed smile on her face. She was about to reply when Itsu casually stopped by with the message that the two of them should rather kiss instead.

The young maiden flushed red almost instantly and words of surprised protest tried to rush out of her mouth. “Kiss?! Itsu!!! Why? What? I mean-... geez!” Kenna turned away with her fiercely glowing face and shot glare after glare at the azure-haired sidekick of the slayer, who on her turn innocently watched everything on the shelves and walls. Her heart thumped like crazy for some reason, and the time she’d sent averting her gaze had been enough for Mashyuu to have fallen asleep in the seat next to hers. Now he wasn't watching she allowed her eyes to drift back to the subject at hand, while still casting the usual glare at Itsu in case she wanted to say something that’d bring the raven-haired into a state of embarrassment. His peaceful face and the consistent rise and descent of his chest made her smile gently, and she leant on her elbow leg to support her head as she continued watching for as long as the slayer was asleep. It was funny, that despite everything these two had managed to open her up this much. She’d promised herself to not make any friends, to never let anyone in again in fear of getting hurt. In fear of forgetting yet again those dear to her. She couldn’t handle a life of emptiness if she didn't chose for it herself, but these people made her doubt herself and her beliefs regarding that matter. Maybe she could allow herself to love again… one step at a time. Perhaps letting these people inside her heart wouldn't prove to be so bad, after all, it already seemed like she’d known them for years.  ”Maybe I can allow them to see…” Kenna thought with a pleased smiles, while her eyes warmly gazed upon the slayer’s body. The clothing he was wearing was broad and sturdy, seemingly made for fighting close quarters, yet his muscular body was only visible now he’d laid down. Even when she’d touched his chest earlier on had she felt the sturdiness underneath her palm, and the powerful heartbeat within had surely left her widely impressed. The maiden blushed briefly upon catching herself thinking of her companion in such a way and shook her head in attempt to clear it of those thoughts. Now was not the time to gawk at desirable pectorals. Especially when they belonged to strong men with friends like Itsu, who wouldn't shun a not-so-subtle hint to hook them up, so after an hour Kenna left Itsu to do the wake-up calls while she had awkwardly stayed put a few meters further ahead.

Mashyuu smiled as he woke up, having first been startled by the youthful azure-haired Itsu. He mentioned to everyone it was time to go and upon getting his hammer and walking to the next door, he smiled at Kenna and gestured her to come closer. She did get closer, but felt hopelessly awkward for doing so, with the reason of being awkward only known to herself. He said nothing, but as she gazed into his clear blue eyes Kenna could see how alert they were, and she too finally heard the ruckus and clamor of battle present behind the door. She nodded at the slayer in understanding and drew Antares, who showed its master it had been fully charged once more and ready to fight. She flicked her wrist and made the sword draw circles in mid-air, the exact moment before Mashyuu opened the door and the three-headed party charged into a room much like the other one where they’d faced both the living and the dead. Only this time the dead enjoyed the fact they got reinforcements right off the bat, with two gates clattering open and allowing 6 more skeletons to join the fray, to the raven-head’s greatest dismay. Tasked with taking care of the archers at hand, Kenna approached them with a zigzag pattern, sword outstretched and struck once one looked away as Itsu slammed the gates down on her opponents. The archer’s shoulder got pierced through both muscle and bone alike, leaving Kenna with no other choice but to kick the man in the back in order to get her sword back out. She might have kicked a bit harder than necessary, seeing as when the man faceplanted into the stones his nose twisted in a rather ugly way, but that was to be his punishment for desecrating this tomb. A light punishment it was for sure.

An arrow whistled past her head and made her long dark hair cover her face as it did, having Kenna on highest alert as she turned 90 degrees and readied herself to face the other archer. The sword was still drawn and tingled within her fingers, yet she fought the urge to use one of her abilities yet again, instead waited patiently for the next arrow to be shot and closed in once deflecting it, a downward slash cut through the bent bow and dug deep into the archer’s shoulder, getting a powerful smack from the back of the hilt against his temples in the seconds that followed. The guy slumped to the floor and Kenna heartlessly crushed his collarbone underneath her foot, while shrugging semi-apologetic at whomever was watching. She wanted Mashyuu to praise her again for some reason, but couldn't surpress the urge to have those bandits pay for their actions. Alas for the bandits, the urge had been more powerful than the praise. For now.

Kenna straightened her back and was about to look after her teammates when she noticed the new predicament she’d gotten herself into. During her little fight the gate before her had opened up, allowing three more skeletons to have joined the fray. The walking bags of bones had however chosen to take the closest one around as their new target, which on second thoughts would’ve been the exact thing she would've done too, were she a walking bag of bones. But she was not, and with that thus in big trouble. The skeletons had closed in on the magicless mage, and although she’d done her best to dodge, got caught by one of the skeletons lashing out, getting her a cut on her right cheek. The blood trickled down steadily, but Kenna ignored it and growled in between her teeth. She’d been reminded by some adventurer a while back that blunt weapons were heaven if you fought these things, but that trouble would come your way if you dared slash or hack at a skeleton; Kenna had no choice however. Antares could only do that, but had a source of powers the usual hack and slash swords didn't have. If she played it well she could take them all out in one go, but it’d be tricky to do, let alone risky.

So with not much choice left Kenna backed away, playing the scaredy-cat to lure them with her. She didn’t have to bother moving so they’d surround her however, that they seemed able to pull off on their own, and thus Kenna soon enough found herself backing up against a figurative and physical wall with three skeletons ready to attack. This was right where she wanted them. Her hand gripped the hilt tightly and Kenna already felt the surge of Antares’s magic coursing through her veins as she readied her stance. The fight would be decided in a single move-- and she had to plan it well. Not moving until the very last second, the young raven-haired mage back-stepped against the wall and bent down underneath the swords that tried to jab at her chest, bending down deep enough to crouch underneath them while her hands pulled forth the most powerful Sever ability she’d pulled off yet. The wall behind her showed a deep trench as she initiated, and the first skeleton’s hip shattered into a brittle cloud of ash and bones. By the time the first skeleton started slumping down the second too had already been cut clean through; three ribs and the spinal cord shattered before it could even grunt. And by the time she had cut through the last skeleton, swords had already clattered unto the floor… aside from that one she had not expected to have attacked later, and if that hadn't been all, also lower than the rest had initially attacked. It was a miscalculation that cost her dearly. The rusty sword had torn up her side quite well, having cut clean through her sturdy, by thread-magic reinforced dress and slid past her fifth rib. Warm blood seemed to quickly cover her left side and Kenna cursed audibly as she stood back up, Antares in one hand and the other pressed closely upon the wound at her side. It was but a flesh wound, as she felt no ulterior pain that could indicated fractures or torn muscles, but the blood loss did bother her a bit. ”Don't worry, it looks worse than it is! Just a flesh wou-” Kenna’s word fells short as she slumped for a second and nearly fell sidewards, managing to keep herself upright but barely as the adrenaline faded and made her feel a bit weak. ”Shit…”

1819

Mashyuu took a deep breath, glanced over his shoulder and screamed when he saw Kenna get cut deeply by a skeletal soldiers blade. His body tensed up and a golden light flared off his body in a flash for just a second before it faded, seeing Kenna defeat the monster made him feel at ease for a long moment. Still he rushed to the woman's side while Itsu picked up a shield and ripped one of the downed archers shirts to shreds of effective rope. Mashyuu slid to Kenn'as side and caught her as she stumbled to the side. "Okay, okay... Don't freak out I'm gonna keep you safe." Mashyuu assured her. He laid her down and started to grab at the shield Itsu had brought over. Swiftly he tied the metal around her back and winced. "Okay this is bad.... I need a place that won't come under any more attack. Just hang on till I get there." Mashyuu instructed the woman and hoisted her up to lean against his back with her head on his shoulder. "Itsu, take point." Mashyuu commanded and Itsu very swiftly took charge.

From above the trio, ten more skeletons dropped down atop the Wizards and brandished weapons. Mashyuu scowled and put Kenna down while Itsu charged, using a discarded sword to block attacks and keep the monsters at bay. "Earth Gods Sand Skin." He called out while pointing at Kenna, wrapping her body in protective sand that would harm anyone who managed to destroy it. Mashyuu turned his back to look at the ten monsters fighting against Itsu. She ducked down, dodging a slash and using the flat of the blade into the face of a skeleton, not doing much to it but knocking it backwards. Mashyuu took the chance to toss his hammer into the face of the monster, killing it and giving Itsu a little more space.

The broad shouldered man rushed in on the Skeletons and drove his elbow into the chest of a monster, swiftly his hand grabbed a rib and yanked hard, snapping bone and making the monster groan. Before Mashyuu could finish the strike A skeleton dragged its blade down Mashyuu's right arm, drawing a long line of blood. He grimaced with pain but managed to twist around and throw his arm up, launching three pillars up into the monster that slashed its blade down his arm. The monster hit by Mashyuu exploded into a pile of bones and rattled to the ground. Itsu rolled to the ground and picked up a shield, strapped it to her arm and used it to batter skeletons around. Mashyuu grinned at Itsu's sudden show of force and jumped back while commanding the earth to throw Mashyuu back his hammer. He swung in a wide arc while Itsu jumped backwards, the hammer smashing into the first Skeleton as Mashyuu called out "Earth Rumble!!!" The strikes turned the skeletons into dust, knocking them apart and leaving everyone okay and safe.

As fast as he could Mashyuu ran to Kenna and scooped her up into his arms. He ran down a series of halls until the group came to a warm and inviting camp site. He placed her down on a soft cot near the fire and blushed. "Okay, Itsu stay here and keep Kenna safe. That door there.." Mashyuu pointed to a staircase that led up to the doors of Gold Rodgers Tomb. "That is where the Bandit leader will be. I'll take care of him and be back." Mashyuu smiled at his friends and drew energy from the earth itself, healing his wound on his arm, then walked up the staircase and pushed the doors open, closing the doors behind him.

Forty meters away from the doors of Gold Rodgers near empty tomb was a massive gold coffin. In front of it was a man who was pushing the lid open but stopped when Mashyuu closed the door behind him. The man gripped his pole arm and spun around, rushing Mashyuu and jabbing with his weapon. The faster Earth Wizard stepped to the left, narrowly avoiding the strike but went wide eyed when two hell hounds jumped atop Mashyuu from behind, dragging him to the ground and started to bite at his arms and back.

WC: 721
Total: 4102

As she was about to slump down again something strong wrapped around her sides and kept her upright, while a whole lot of feelings came tumbling down together with the adrenaline that was no more. Mashyuu’s voice sounded worried at first, and then panicked once he saw the actual damage the sword had inflicted. The warmth had slowly made way for a stabbing pain and made the young maiden grunt shortly, yet bit her lip when cloth was wrapped around her waist and a cold shield bumped into her back to keep her upright and shielded at the same time. The slayer tried to say comforting words to her as he commanded Itsu, but they seemed contradicting to the way he was acting, and it made her chuckle softly, the smile remaining in her lips as she was hoisted unto his broad back and laid her face down against his shoulder, with one hand softly gripping his brown gi as he walked on. ”I’m fine, Mashyuu, truly, just calm down for a bit and take a deep breath…” Kenna smiled against his shoulder, until another grunt filled her lungs and made her side sting like hell. She heard Mashyuu scowl and back away, then silently put her back down and readied himself to fight. Itsu was already busy keeping the many skeletons that had appeared at bay, and Mashyuu soon joined her side, but only after having cast a spell to engulf the young raven-haired maiden inside a protective shell of sand. The last thing she saw before the light was shrouded by the sand was the slayer’s back as he charged into the fray.

Kenna didn’t notice much more of the fighting, having both sight and sound brought back to a minimum. The ruckus and clamoring resonated from afar, while the maiden trapped within the sandy cocoon felt her consciousness fading as she lost more and more blood, the decreased focus now her senses were deprived within the protective case of sand soothing her into closing her eyes and taking a rest. By the time she’d been taken out of the protective barrier and scooped into the slayer’s strong arms she was more gone than present, and drifted in a status of being awake and asleep, while her blood had soaked the left side of her clothing entirely. Within this silence and darkness of her unconsciousness, a mental meeting between the god and his vessel was bound to be repeated again.

“You’re doing it again, my child…. Always jumping into things with such reckless abandon.” Akhator’s voice boomed throughout the darkness of her mind, gentle yet firm. Kenna could not see where he was, but did not seem creeped out by that fact either, and only stared off into the distance as she heard the ancient Fire God sigh deeply. Beside her a single spectral flame appeared, glowing brighter with every passing second until it hung about at eye-height, a 3 foot flare with faded edges, and the face of what seemed a demonic presence. “Last time you were here was because of fire… and now, steel. The irony befalls you, to be struck down by that what you represent.” Akhator said softly. “But at least now you aren't as freaked out as you were then; you’ve matured a bit, my child.” Kenna, who’d only remained silent now frowned and glanced at the flaring spectral entity beside her. ”What do you mean, before…? Do you know something I don't? About my past?” He did not meet her gaze, nor bothered replying right away and instead forced a deafening silence upon their conversation. He started fading, and spoke only seconds before she was pulled back into the light. "Even if I know, a God should not bother with lost causes, such as is your memory. Now wake up!”

The scent of fire filled her nostrils yet again, and Kenna shook her head as she tried to clear it of the veil of emptiness that shrouded her mind. She accidently bumped her head into something hard, and when getting a closer look at whatever it was, gazed upon the earth-colored gi that wrapped around Mashyuu’s broad torso. At the moment she wanted to move her legs the Earth God Slayer put her down beside the fire, and her legs gladly took in the warmth radiating from it while she glanced up into the blue eyes that were signature to this man’s visage. Both seemed to share a moment of silence and blush before Mashyuu announced he would take care of the bandit chief by himself, and the maiden was about to protest if it wasn't for Itsu joining her side and putting a strong hand on her shoulder. She bit her lip as she tried to suppress the pain in her side and nodded in response to the untold fact the azure-haired beauty had so simply conveyed to her. This wound had to be dealt with first if she wanted to be of any use. Thus when Mashyuu closed the iron door behind him, Kenna asked Itsu to bring her something thick to bite on. She carefully reached out for the sword that had been left in the fire by the previous owners of the camp and took a deep breath as she readied herself for this suicidal deed. It would scar badly, but she had already gone through the scorching pain of metal before, so rather feel that again than to bleed to death. Hypothermia be damned, nor the probable infections she’d get if she didn't. Itsu brought back a piece of wood and frowned as she saw Kenna poking at the sword before taking it out of the fire, but helped her bite down on it after having been given the right instructions to help out. The metallic heat felt pleasant as it came closer to her skin, but the sizzling and searing pain that followed after made her cry out in agony, even through her make-shift gag. After a few minutes the hot red steel was removed from her skin, showing how nicely the deep cut had been scorched closed. Crawling a bit further away Kenna spit out the gag and laid on her good side, panting heavily with sweat trickling down her forehead as she stared at the great iron gates behind her. A loud bang echoed as something hit the iron doors, startling the two women and leaving them with a scared heart for the fighting slayer behind said door. She struggled badly, but Kenna defied the warnings Itsu gave her as she tried to scramble to her feet and even lashed out at the loyal right hand with Antares’s scabbard. ”I won't sit by and watch as he fights alone Itsu! I can't. I don't want to, and you won't stop me!” Kenna nearly threatened, shakily keeping Antares at the height of her own chest. A hand pressed against the throbbing closed wound in a futile gesture to try and ignore it, but she couldn’t. Her body was yet too weak to do so, and thus she hunched forth, softly sliding her leg as she moved against the iron door and slowly pushed it open with her back. ”I know you want and can help. He said to keep me safe, so come and keep me safe then while you fight alongside Mashyuu.” Kenna grinned as she slipped in between the doors, only to stumble upon Mashyuu being downed and attacked by two hellhounds yet again. Their growling and the snapping of their teeth at and in his flesh seemed to put the young raven-head on the edge, as adrenaline flowed through her veins once more, allowing her the power to kick and act instead of stare and stumble.

Itsu plowed into the beast on top of Mashyuu and back-kicked the one messing up his arm at the same time, leaving it yelping as it was sent flying towards Kenna. The wounded maiden gladly drove her sword’s edge into the beast’s throat and twisted the blade around, killing whatever arteries nearby for a more certain death. She had however not noticed how the bandit leader had aimed for her at that point, but was lucky to see Itsu interfere after getting the Earth God Slayer back on his feet. For her own safety Kenna moved away from the threesome engaged in battle, and watched closely as they kept their own against the strong and swift lunges the bandit leader thrust their way. A sweep was dodged skillfully, and the win was about certain, be it not for the hellhound that did not just wished to perish so easily. It growled and jumped at Itsu’s neck with bared fangs. Kenna wanted to open her mouth and shout a warning but fell short of breath as her side jolted in pain, but felt her heart skip in relief as the slayer easily intercepted the beast and smacked it down. His heroic actions however left his back uncovered, and the bandit leader saw this at the right time, charging in with a look pinned on destroying his opponents. She wished to scream but couldn't, and without a thought moved forward and bit through the pain that surged through her body, unknowing that this pain was not her wound acting up, but rather the blood in her very veins that opened up to the lineage of her ancestors. She blurred and appeared again inbetween Mashyuu’s unsuspecting back and the lance’s edge in the blink of an eye, with both her and the bandit’s surprised eyes meeting in the fray. A sharp pain flung itself upon her and forced a soundless scream from her body as the lance tore through skin, muscle and bone in one fell swoop, leaving Kenna dangling at its speartip while the blade protruded from her chest’s left side. She gasped weakly as a hand clasped around the wooden shaft of the polearm, spitting up a decent amount of blood as she did. Antares felt the grip of its owner falter and sent a small jolt through her fingers to keep her mind present for those few more seconds before they disconnected from the steel. The blade dropped down, its tip getting stuck between two pieces of rubble and allowing it to stay upright as it did, while Kenna’s lips moved to speak his name without a sound. As the blade unleashed its anger through a fierce series of jolts, throwing the bandit leader’s nerves into such disarray that he couldn't even properly hold the lance anymore, Kenna smiled weakly as she felt the ground underneath her feet, sturdy at first but shifting rather quickly. Her head turned to face Itsu and Mashyuu for a few seconds, with her smile still lingering as she uttered a soft apology. ”Heh… s-sorry...for watching your ba--” She never got any further than that, as her consciousness staggered and her eyes rolled back, the darkness overtaking her as she fell backwards and crashed into the ground, still impaled by the bandit leader’s spear.

1844

Itsu watched Kenna struggle to get up and crawl to the door, after seeing her burn her wound shut the odd haired woman found a tear rolling down her face. Itsu stood up and picked up the hot blade that Kenna had left behind and started to follow the raven haired beauty. Already Itsu could see why Mashyuu was crushing on her, Kenna had the same resolve that Mashyuu did. Kenna was the first one in the room, but her injuries had her watching as Mashyuu was being mauled. He had a plan but never got the chance to follow through since Itsu smashed into one of the dogs and hurled the other one towards Kenna.

With the help of Itsu, Mashyuu managed to pull himself up and the pair rushed the Bandit king again. "Why are you two in here? I had a plan!" Mashyuu growled at the woman while the trio of fighters engaged one another. A heavy hit to the jaw from Mashyuu sent the bandit back a pace but his weapon kept the duo at a good distance away. Mashyuu jumped back to cast a spell when he saw the last remaining Hell Hound jumping at Itsu from behind. He twisted at the hip, caught the beast in the air and grabbed its maw. He yanked as hard as he could and let his body bulge and rip the monsters jaw off of its head, spraying the room in blood but in that moment he left himself wide open. The Bandit whipped his weapon around and batted Itsu against a wall, knocking her out from the force of the blow. In that moment the bandit moved to kill Mashyuu but instead Kenna unleashed a burst of speed that ended with her absorbing a heavy spear attack.

Mashyuu could hear the weapon ripping through flesh. He twisted around to see Kenna bleeding out and looking like she would die at any moment. Mashyuu roared with anger and concern, his body lit up and started to glow golden. He extended both arms and let the magic from his fathers lacrima flow. The golden aura that flowed from him worked to heal Kenna while golden beams of light smashed into both Kenna and the man with the spear. While the beams that smashed into Kenna healed her body, the man with the spear was thrown backwards from the impact.

"Earth Gods Extension!" He shouted, bringing large stones to float before his arms. He stood above Kenna and let his bodies aura heal his friend. The man pulled both his arms back and then flung them forward, smashing the telekenetic stones into the chest of the spear user, sending him flying through the air and over the coffin.

WC: 460

The darkness that befell her was one she wasn't familiar with, more potent and heavy than any other she'd ever felt. She didn’t feel comfortable with it at all; it felt cold and empty, and Akhator wasn't here to speak to her either... was this what being in death's door felt like? It was true that this particular turn of events wasn't her best work yet, she had to admit that, since she'd not only jeopardised her own life twice, but also made her the only one dragging down the team. She shuddered when the thought of getting both of them in trouble, or worse, pain, crept up on her. Not now. Now was not the time for that. She had to survive. Get out if this place. At said thought, that exact same moment, when panick slithered around her heart, did the darkness light up around her, so bright that she had to cover her eyes completely. Something roared in the distance, creating a shockwave that blew her off her feet once it clashed with a fire hazard that flared up out of nowhere, and she recognized Akhator’s human forme before blacking out again.

Kenna moaned softly as she came to, recognizing the burial chamber where they'd faced off the bandit leader, and wanted to jump up. It happened faster than expected, and her body had ceased acheing all of the sudden too. She gazed around, her eyes shifting left and right to search for familiar faces, yet only noticed how light the area had gotten. It was then she noticed this was not the real world, but only a dimension within a realm, alike but not theirs... and the living weren't supposed to enter it. Kenna startled as a hand appeared within view and drew closer to her, still extended and waiting for her to take it. The maiden stared at the hand, and followed the slowly appearing spectral being behind it, up until his voice resonated through her mind. "Don't be afraid, young girl, I won't bite." The voice said gently, it was deep like Akhator's, but not as cold and uncaring. It was warm and fatherly, yet tough and strong. The face that accompanied it, adorned by mustache and a long spectral pirate coat hanging loosely around his shoulders, smiled and gestured at the hand to take it. So Kenna did, carefully pulling herself upright, and was surprised about the force behind the hand of the ghost. "Good, I'm glad you're not afraid. Some would freak out when meeting this tomb's true inhabitants, but you don't seem to be bothered at all... how come? The raven-head stared at the man in pirate garments and gently bowed before the captain once she realised who he truly once. "Akhator taught me to always respect the gods and the dead...  I just never thought to join them so soon. But I'm honored that you came to welcome me, Gol D. Rodger."

Rodger laughed heartily, and Kenna followed him as he walked towards his actual tomb stead, which had been clearly opened, with the lid pushed sidewards unto the ground as to access the contents of the stone coffin better. ”Whatever do you mean, ’welcoming you’, lass, you’re not dead yet! Thank that bulky guy devouring my doors for that, since it's his magical aura that’s healing your body as we speak…. But the fact you can walk the plains of the dead without actually being one of us is a rare thing indeed, must admit that. It's a rare honor to meet an Etherborn in the flesh, especially one with an affinity for the Soul Realm….” The raven-head frowned at the man as she took in all this unknown information, hoping to ask Akhator for more details on the matter once she had the chance to join her again. ”That’s, uh… a lot to take in, actually. But guessing by the fact this is actually happening as it is, I doubt this is just some blatant lie, don't mind me saying so, sir.” Rodger waved the opinion away and in the meanwhile kept searching for something, then gestured for her to get closer and spoke again. ”Since I overheard you talking with your companion, and you were so kindly as to protect my tomb and punish those nutjobs calling themselves bandits, I’d like for you to take these with you.” The spectral pirate captain said as he gestured at whatever was left in the tomb; a bright red coat with golden trimmings laid draped over the side of the stone coffin, while in a corner underneath the lid a round object laid about. The captain pointed at the orb. ”I would definitely not forget to take that thing along. Never got the time to check out what secrets it held, but the stories tell this is the key to something that surpasses even your wildest dreams. Let your benefactor have it, lass… because I’d like you to take my robe instead. I wanna see you carry that one with your head held high in the future when you summon me.”

”Summon you? What do you mean? Why would I-?” Kenna asked the spirit in surprise, but only got a broad grin in reply. ”Cuz I damn well said so, lassie! Ain't gonna keep me here if I can taste the seas again by joining an Etherborn’s Soul Realm!” She didn't understand a thing about whatever the spectral pirate was talking about, but figured it wouldn't hurt to have him tag along. Perhaps he would appear in her head like Akhator did, in which case she could ask him more details about this Etherborn thing he was talking about. Her hand slid through the pirate coat as she tried to touch it, and felt a strong pulling sensation pushing her away from the tombstone, and back towards where her body laid. Rodger saluted at her with a broad grin and watched as she got sucked back into her body.





A blueish glow appeared around the fallen maiden’s body moments after the last of Mashyuu’s healing magic and aura had stirred her wounds in attempt to heal it closely. While the Earth God Slayer had dealt with the bandit leader in a flare of pure rage, driving pillar after pillar of both light and earth alike into the frail human body, leaving it broken on the ground and barely breathing, the mysterious glowing aura around Kenna had taken the matter of removing the spear that still protruded from her chest into its own hands. Wisp after wisp of blue energy seemed to pop up around her body, joining with the cluster that formed around the shaft of the spear and fueled the force that now pulled the spear out millimeter at a time, all until the spear clattered unto the ground beside her. The cluster of blue aura dispersed back into individual souls, that each at their respective turn invaded her skin to join her own soul force. A single wisp lingered timingly and after a while deflected its trajectory and instead booped her forehead, disappearing there instead. As soon as the event had taken place, blood started pumping through her veins instead, while her lungs desperately roared for oxygen and forced her chest to heave in a rushed effort, making the young maiden fling her eyes open so wide and abruptly that the dim light within the cave blinded her still.

The bandit leader, now a lost cause with all his bones broken in his awfully painful descent, was disregarded as a possible threat and Mashyuu soon enough knelt down next to the flustered Kenna, who still tried to figure out where all the pain she was expecting to feel had gone to. Her eyes seemed confused, yet the sturdy hand that carefully pulled her back on her feet did its own supporting, and after a few minutes of awkward silence and glances holding both worry and agitation, Kenna finally found her footing again. The slayer let go of her, but still followed her closely as she muttered something and carefully made her way towards the unsealed grave, pinpointing the orb and a short explanation regarding having seen Gol D. Rodger in her moments of unconsciousness. Kenna was about to leave the pirate coat be, but noticed the flickering of a wisp that had appeared out of nowhere and seemingly gestured at it with the intent of being stubborn if she didn't. The raven-haired maiden smiled shortly at the soul wisp and grabbed hold of the coat, dusting it off before loosely throwing it around her shoulders. It covered the gaping cut showing the bare skin of where her wounds used to be, and unwillingly blushed as she realised how exposed the cuts had left her body, quickly crossing her arms over her chest as they walked onward. She didn’t know where to go, nor what to say, but gratefully followed when Itsu noticed a staircase behind the tomb leading to a shortcut to the outside. With Itsu leading and Mashyuu closely behind her, in case anything would happen, Kenna felt both safe and awkward at the same time. She’d been a fool for rushing in so often and nearly getting herself killed, but for some reason she couldn’t help it. This was who she truly was, underneath the failing stoic apparel she just wanted for more in her life, yet was afraid to actually grasp it, in fear of losing it all again to the darkness that she called her amnesia.

Lost in thoughts the young maiden only realised they were near an exit when the wind blew past, flicking the hair out of her eyes and revealing the scars on her forehead and chest that were otherwise hidden. The burns on her arm was still covered by her sleeve, but the shackle that rattled on left arm was like a herald for what her past hid. Now, with seeing the orange sky enlightened by the setting sun, did she only notice how the shackle had not even bothered her once. Its presence had even gone by unnoticed up until now, and as she stared at it hadn't thought the absence of her thoughts had slowed down her pace to such an extent that she just halted at the top of the slope, engulfed by the last rays of warmth the sun cast upon the earth.

Something warm tickled her side, but soon spread unto a larger area, and as she glanced down noticed it to be a large hand sneaking up around her. Her heart skipped a beat, short and chipper, until she got pulled closer against the Earth God Slayer’s strong body and felt how fickle it started beating. Both her breathing and heartbeat increased, and although she didn’t wanted him to notice, knew that his large hands on her side weren't senseless to the sudden change of pace. Kenna blushed shyly but allowed herself to lean closer against his tall body, gladly taking in the warmth that radiated from his being as she did. Even with Rodger’s sturdy coat wrapped around her could she feel Mashyuu’s heart beat through the fabric, and was surprised to feel a heartbeat like her own responding in kind to the sudden moment of silence. A shy sideward glance at his face made her blush even more and avert her gaze, not having imagined his deep blue eyes staring back at her so intently. A few seconds passed in lingering agony of whether to look up again or not, and when Kenna did hadn't expected for Mashyuu’s face to be but a few inches away from her. In those three seconds of silence she took in all she could about him; how close his hands and body were to hers, how beautiful and crafted his youthful face was, and how mesmerising his deep blue eyes truly were… they looked back at her golden eyes, reflecting the setting sun in them. She could feel his hot breath spreading over her neck by just breathing and noticed how her own breathing became shallow in response, until it was cut off completely as he pressed his lips unto hers and closed his eyes after searching for that short spark of confirmation in her eyes. He had found it. Kenna was dumbfound for a split second, yet felt her surprised expression soften as time crept by in slow motion. She imagined Itsu out there, probably smiling contently somewhere further ahead as she were to see this unfold. Kenna smiled, closed her eyes and pulled the powerful slayer closer against her instead, her hands gripping at his gi as the young maiden gave herself to the moment and kissed him back passionately, being carried away by the moment as the lingering sunset augmented the sealing of their lips.

For this one time, she felt no regrets at casting aside her doubts so quickly. And she knew for certain that this man too wouldn't mind at all too.


2185