Event Horizon - Tale of the Lost Spirit - Private

Samira's gaze went to the floor the moment the dark Kaori said the true version would have to be faced eventually. More worry made its way through her body and impacted her nerves. It was cowardly to fear such a conversation, and she hated being put in such a state. However, the dark version was correct. It was a topic that would come up now that it had been revealed Kaori knew everything. How was it supposed to be handled though when she nearly lost it just by the fake Amaterasu mentioning it? "I know..." Her voice was quiet, and by that point she was mainly talking to herself since she was now alone in the room.

Once the White Mermaid had transferred its passengers to the Arc of Destiny, Samira made her way to a part of the ship she had never been to before; the research labs. Although admittedly she hadn't seen all that much of it aside from Kaori's room and...that...evil room. Upon entering she saw the small unit of five that had accompanied them while in the research facility already there and going about their business. The woman of the team had called her over, to which she complied and blinked her eyes as she stared at the laptop screen. Ignorant of fancy tech aside, she at least recognized the red portal that had been displayed on the screen. Zhong, the scientist that had been allowed to leave the place before it was destroyed, further explained what it was. Considering the feeling she felt when she was around the portal, as well as that of her spirits, it made sense. That didn't explain why they were cloning her spirits though. Well, at least it was destroyed and nothing else would come of it. That was the most logical assumption, wasn't it?

Her name had been called again and grabbed her attention. Her head turned to face him and once she noticed the held out hand, she turned fully in order to perform her own part of the handshake. Her right hand reached out to meet his, while the other kept the journal she had recently obtained clutched to her chest. His grip was strong and firm, which heavily contrasted against her gentle hold. Regardless, she kept eye contact and smiled. "It is nice to meet you properly," she replied, indicating that meeting by entering a building full of crazy and guns blazing lacked a certain charm for adequate introductions. She allowed a small laugh to leave her as the group interacted humorously, allowing her to forget her own worries for that moment. They all seemed quite close. "Thank you, Ghost," she said with a slight bow of her head before making her exit from the lab. All of that tech stuff she doubted she could make sense of. Eagle would have been available to help so far it wasn't necessary. First thing was to go through the obtained notes and hope the information lacked riddles or some sort of hidden message nonsense. For an entire week she was on board the large ship. For an entire week Kaori had been kept at a distance. More stability issues that Samira had to respect, especially since she wasn't entirely ready to face her either. That seemed to be a common problem between them now.

Another week went by while she remained in Hargeon. More of the notes had been translated and put together, and she was sure she had figured out the location of where her grandfather left off on. The spirit incarnation of Anhur would soon be found. She had informed Bastet of the knowledge, who also did her own reading of the notes and confirmed that the notes stated some sort of barrier was around the location, making the civilization within completely hidden from the outside world. Also during that time Susano and Samira had made up, although the relationship he had with Amaterasu had gotten a little sour in the most humorous way. Amaterasu was no longer allowed to be around the dark Kaori since he had gotten the idea that she had filled his sister's head with a ton of...dirty things she should not have known about. Plus he totally supported the Samira and Kaori ship, and dreamed of the day he could celebrate his summoner dropping her feelings for Ikuchi for good. No bias at all behind that. None. At. All. There was even time for more bow practice and training in general. Another letter appeared on her desk in her room while she was out shopping for a more adventure type outfit. She had planned on leaving that day to check out the coordinates and see what she could find. Once the envelope was ripped and opened, the summoner held it up in front of her eyes and began to skim across the words. Another meeting at Hibiscus. She had thought it would of been from Professor Foxwell again, but the handwriting was different. There wasn't exactly anytime to change either before the meeting time. Oh well. Samira left her room with the things she planned to take with her, bow and quiver included, and headed for the restaurant. She had no worries about going there since she had thought Kaori would have been on the Arc of Destiny.

Samira was led to a reserved table upon arriving and across from her at the same table sat a blonde haired, brown eyed, twenty something pretty boy that looked as if he hadn't done a single day of hard work in his life. Rich looking clothes? Check. Smug attitude? Check. Obviously trying to hold back any remarks about her own outfit? Double check...triple after she saw him start to laugh but managed to hold it in. "I do not think I know you..." Samira said as she remained standing and narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "You don't. However, you know my grandfather. He's a bit busy so he had me come in his stead. Although why he insisted it be here I do not know." The man sighed hopelessly and in self pity at having to be in such a place with a woman that apparently did not know formal fashion even if she was hit by the latest magazine. "You may as well have a seat, Ms. Nassar." Before Samira could take a seat of her own accord, she was pretty much shoved into it by one of the man's lingering servants. "That is quite rude," the woman stated, calmly despite what had transpired. Without Kaori or Ikuchi present it was rather easy to control her emotions, and so it was back to the doll-like emotionless pit she often gave strangers.

"And I am quite annoyed. You do know you weren't actually supposed to destroy that facility, right?"

"I had been led to believe it was abandoned. There were experiments being conducted revolving spirits. I suppose it was just a coincidence that I was sent to a place where clones of my own spirits were being created? Also, how do you know it was even destroyed to begin with?"

"We have our resources. As for the experiments, consider that as an eye opener. My grandfather did tell you there were people after your keys and their power. The unfortunate thing is even if they had your keys they couldn't use them. You're pretty much the only one in the world who can right now. I suspect they went with an alternate plan of creating their own versions. Although, I doubt they could have accomplished their goal with created spirits."

"What are you talking about?"

"Did you by chance find the location of Anhur?"

"No."

"Hmm? That is very troubling. My grandfather only sent you there so you could get that information. It's hard to believe you leveled the place without first getting that much. How unfortunate."

"I am sorry, but I have to go now. I have business elsewhere." The creepy smile on the man's face had told her he knew she was lying. There was some agenda concerning Foxwell, but she couldn't place it. Was he helping whoever was behind the experiments? He had seemed concerned and wanted to help the last time she saw him. Was she sent there because he knew about what was going on and wanted her to destroy the clones? She didn't know, but she sure as hell knew the spoiled rich boy was not helping his case. As she stood up, he grabbed onto her wrist and jerked her back towards the table slightly. "You really have no idea what they plan for you, do you? I would drop the task of locating Anhur if I were you. Aside from making sure your power levels do not increase further that is the only way to halt their plans until the next generation."

By then Kaori had shown up, her ruby eyes indicating which version of her was active. The young man let go of Samira's wrist as the white haired woman approached. He was quite skeptical with the words the woman said, knowing full well Samira had no connections with any sort of business. Still, he allowed Samira to leave with the owner without a fuss. An iLac was pulled out once the two had left. "She has the coordinates. With the data that was transferred before the place was destroyed it's concluded that she is strong where natural magic power is concerned. It's still a long way off though for what is required. Hm? Hard to say. I assume it will be enough to tame the mortal spirit. It's not like there's any information about him laying around. I really don't care. Just follow her if she tries to sneak out, and try not to be too obvious with it."

Samira was slightly surprised to see Kaori in the restaurant. In her defense all the other times she had been there she had never seen her, so even though she owned it she didn't expect the ninja to be working there. Nevertheless, the random excuse allowed her to leave the table and escape that man. She silently followed Kaori to a room upstairs, all the while her anxiety building up slowly. Was now the time to talk about things? Would Kaori even bring it up? She didn't before, but was it best to continue to ignore the topic entirely? She watched as Kaori took a seat on the bed, and then felt her hand being grabbed as she too was forced to take a seat on the mattress. Her eyes softened with concern as she noticed the troubled look on Kaori's face and the fact she could not get any words out. It was back to that again. The ninja seemed to only be able to speak directly to her when there was no eye contact. As further proof to that, Kaori leaned over, placing her head against Samira's chest while also grabbing onto her clothing. The question that came was in a timid volume, causing the green haired woman to sigh. Both for the fact Kaori was still acting awkwardly and for the question presented. It was somewhat relieving since it was not about that other topic, but at the same time it put more pressure on herself. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to bring it up at all. Her arms wrapped the clinging ninja in a tightly held hug. "Of course you can, Kay," Samira said in a quiet and gentle tone. "But," she began and instantly felt her nerves lose confidence. Her own will power had to be used to fight off the cowardly thoughts that coursed through her mind. The heart, mind, and body were terrified of the results. "Is there nothing else you want to say? I know you know what happened. How much of it I am uncertain, but the fact remains you know enough. I am sorry you found out from a different source rather than being explained by myself." Samira's voice was calm and gentle as she spoke, but did have a slight hesitance to it. With each word spoken she wished she could have recalled it back.

(Word Count: 2034)

[quote="○Kaori"]

There were no words given in reply to her question or the statements that followed. Instead Kaori had turned so that Samira's green eyes met the ruby ones. She saw fear in the eyes of Kaori and had focused on them rather than the hands that were placed on her shoulders. Before she could say anything more the lips of Kaori had pressed against her own, creating what would have counted as their second kiss. There wasn't even any surprise or embarrassment like the first. No large crowd to be a witness, no iLacs to take snapshots, no first time reaction. That combined with the fact she did not feel any of the heart racing, anxiety, or mixed emotions in general that had been felt when around Ikuchi left Samira to feel practically nothing. The kiss did nothing for her in the way Kaori likely wanted it to. All she felt was a bit of sadness for her friend since she could not return such feelings. She couldn't even cry, and if she did it would have been over the fact she only seemed to bring more and more pain and suffering for Kaori, not for the fact she did not love her romantically. Samira was unaware of the link that Kaori had formed between them, but she could guess from the action itself that she was testing her reaction to it; seeing if it would be different than the first one. It wasn't. No movement was made to push Kaori away nor was any effort made to return the kiss. Samira just sat there, allowing it to happen. The lips disconnected and Kaori buried her head against her chest. The cries were slow and quiet at first, but grew louder shortly after Kaori's arms had wrapped her arms around her. 'So, it was a test. One that I have failed,' Samira thought to herself as she closed her eyes and listened to the cries. There really was not much she could do. No amount of comfort was going to make everything all better or repair their relationship to where it was before. Samira had experienced that sort of pain back when it came to Ikuchi and how he despised her. Her own denial and strong mind was what got her through that, as well as time. Kaori was not the type to have a case of denial with her feelings, nor was her mind at a point to force herself to ignore such feelings. The only option left was time. "I am sorry, Kay," Samira said softly as she allowed her friend to cry as much as she wanted until she fell asleep. Even while sleeping Samira remained unmoving, aside from gliding her hand along the top and back of Kaori's head in a comforting manner. There really was not much else she could do aside from being used as a living pillow to cry on. If that brought Kaori some form of comfort then she would submit and allow it.

Within the next hour the spirit known as Charlotte had appeared. Samira lifted her gaze from the sleeping Kaori in her arms and focused on the spirit that was carrying a glass of water and some sort of prescription bottle. "Good morning," she replied, although out of common courtesy than actually wanting to say it. So far, it really was not a good morning. Charlotte woke up the sleeping Kaori, who then took some sort of medication. She was not aware of Kaori needing to take medication. For someone that was usually in a battlefield it seemed unlikely medication times would be something that was remembered or prioritized. Then again, it had been quite some time since Kaori did anything remotely similar to what she did in the past. Had recent passing events really made her so weak and fragile even after her recovery? "I never knew you took medicine. What is it prescribed for?" Samira almost wished she had not been curious enough to ask. The look she was given reminded her all too much of when she saw Kaori for the first time since their fight. There was no true life in those eyes. The voice from the answer was also robotic and lacked any sort of emotion. On its own it was not too terrible, but with it coming from Kaori that was another matter entirely. It added on more worry and concern for Samira. "Tear you apart?" Her tone was one of confusion. Kaori's magic had been known to take its toll but it never literally tore her apart. The explanation was listened to, although it caused the summoner's already frowned face to be even more so. None of that sounded good at all. Surely there had to be a way to ease in the magic take in process so the drugs would not have to be used. Their side effects were absolutely dreadful to witness for someone that already knew Kaori.

"Thank you," Samira said in a tone that lacked any sort of happiness. It was depressing to hear that robotic voice. Still, she forced a smile on her face as she took the crystal and held onto it. "Yes, I suppose we should," she agreed with a nod of her head, still forcing that small smile. Kaori had wanted to come along so at the very least she could appear happy to have the company, no matter how depressing her current zombie/robot state was to witness. "Although there are not very many details. I have the coordinates for our destination from the notes I obtained from the research facility so I guess we can start there. The ruins are hidden underneath some sort of barrier, which I guess we can figure out how to deactivate when we get there. As for why we are even going there, I think your other self gave you a brief description before. A spirit I need to fulfill one of my contracts is there, or should be. It is hard to say when he has been hidden for centuries. Due to the vague nature of this mission, I do not know what we will find, if anything. I apologize for the lack of details. I will understand if you change your mind. I do not wish for you to force yourself to come to ensure my safety."

With that said, Samira had already been prepared to leave town before coming to Hibiscus. Her things were gathered where she had left them; overly packed knapsack, a quiver, a bow, and anything else an adventurer cosplayer would need. Her words may have seemed she expected Kaori to change her mind, but they were mostly said out of consideration of the possibility. Samira doubted the ninja would refuse to come after having asked to join in the process. Then again, there was no telling what kind of other side effects the medication had. The summoner headed over towards where Kaori kept her ships.

Assuming a ship was taken, it would have been a short flight to the Forgotten Deserts. Last time the duo ventured into the desert it was by motorbike. Thankfully, with the ship, they could skip over all that desert pirate nonsense they experienced before. As soon as the coordinates were reached, there indeed looked to be as if nothing was there but a whole lot of sand as far as the eye could see. If the ship landed, Samira would make her exit and take a look around while adjusting her explorer hat to keep the bright sun and swirling sand out of her eyes. "This should have been the correct place," Samira said, feeling slightly embarrassed that there was pretty much nothing there.

"You were told there was some sort of barrier here. Did you expect it to pop because you were looking for it?" The black cat that had appeared in the facility appeared beside Samira and twitched her ears in slight annoyance.

"Yes, actually. That would have been most beneficial." Samira's hands grabbed hold of the straps on her shoulders and began to walk further across the sand. Shortly she disappeared entirely, causing Bastet's eyes to widen. The cat walked over to where Samira had gone but she remained in the empty sand world. She took a seat and swished her tail. "Strange. See if you can enter, Ninja Woman." Bastet would order if Kaori was near, although not in a tone that was meant to be offensive. If she had done so the cat spirit would let out a sigh at the failure. Apparently only Samira could enter.

Samira's head poked out of where she had gone and her gaze went from Kaori to cat and back to Kaori. "I think I found it. Are you not coming?" Upon being told that they could not enter, Samira would making a humming sound as her gaze lowered in thought. Then a light bulb appeared above her head as she got a rather simple, rather cliche idea. "Hold my hand. Perhaps whatever is allowing me to travel through will link onto you." The summoner's pale hands then reached out for Kaori first. If taken, she would be pulled right into another dimension of a lost civilization. The cat was then dragged in next. The "ruins" were hardly ruins at all. A thriving civilization existed within, although none of the residents were human. They were similar to centaur but a large predatory cat version. The point of entry for the trio was behind some large bushes and trees so they were kept well hidden from the creatures that may prove to be hostile. "Well this was unexpected," Samira stated as she spread the leaves of a bush she hid behind apart so she could get a better look. "If I had to guess, I would assume what we are looking for is in that large temple over there." Way on the other side of the city was, in fact, a large pyramid shaped structure that was likely a temple of sorts.

In the center of the weird city stood one of the feline creatures, although large and covered in armor. He was shouting at the citizens in some strange language. Samira couldn't really understand the words, but from what she could tell from the movements and harsh tone, it was commanding the others to leave. The normal ones did so, although others covered in armor and wielding weapons began to take small group formations and started to patrol. Perhaps they were looking for some intruder. It couldn't have been them since they were unseen as far as Samira knew. "We should probably avoid making too much of a scene, or we will have the whole city looking for us. They already appear to be on high alert."

Outdoor Appearance:

Indoor Appearance:

(Word Count: 1802
Total So Far: 3836)

So much for the plan of quietly sneaking around until they made it to the temple. A shout was heard from the patrol group and from the looks of it their sights were set on the temporary hiding place of the infiltrators. Samira stepped away from the bush she was spying through and was about to ready herself for a fight when Kaori took the initiative to approach the incoming wave of cat...people...things. Her mind had told her body to stop, although for what reason she was unsure of. There was a bad feeling coursing through her, and the tone of Kaori's voice only amplified it. Of course, it figured that as she stood idle and cautious from some unknown feeling that Kaori would get injured in some way. "Kaori!" As the call of the ninja's name left her mouth, Samira realized fully that something was way more off than she had imagined. Kaori was not exactly an easy target to hit. Hell, she didn't even try to dodge that attack. A massive explosion of blood erupted from the first enemy, and after her friend had taken a second attack without even attempting to evade it, the scene became even more horrible to watch. The second cat enemy had been pinned by the throat against a tree before having its limbs cut off one by one before getting the release of death from decapitation. A merciful death compared to the last three. Legs were cut off, throats were stabbed with kunai to prevent screaming, and then for fifteen long seconds they were turned into practice dummies for telekinetic khopesh attacks. Blood and bits of flesh were everywhere, making more of a mess than even Kali would ever do.

If Samira had not been frozen in place she likely would have left the city altogether by going out the way she came. It would have been a simple and easy thing to do in order to not watch Kaori kill in such a way. Her eyes were wide and filled with terror, but not for the enemies that had approached them, but of Kaori. Well, no. That was not Kaori. It wasn't even the dark version. What stood there was something else entirely. She wasn't even sure if she could trust the woman while in that state. By the time the short, but really long, murder was over Samira felt sick and had to lean against a tree to keep herself from falling over while keeping her gaze at her own feet. She couldn't force herself to look at the end result of the attacks. Being queasy when it came to blood and dead bodies she never thought would have been a thing to consider. It wasn't the first time she had seen it nor would it be the last. One of her spirits was Kali after all, and it was doubtful she was the only spirit she would have that would enjoy bloodshed and violence. But that...that was a result of Kaori having to take some medication in order to keep her emotions in check. Emotions that did not run wild until the shrine incidents. Had she really unintentionally made Kaori fall so far from what she was before? Samira had wanted her friend to go back to the way she was before all of that. How that was possible she did not know, but the medication could not be the answer. She wasn't sure she could stand to be around Kaori that way.

Upon hearing it was safe, Samira couldn't help but look up instinctively before her mind stopped the action. The second she saw the blood on Kaori, her hand raised to cover her own mouth while she forced her stomach to keep its contents remaining inside. "Sorry...I need a moment," she forced herself to say after a few seconds of standing there in that position. Her feet took her away from the tree she had been against and she entered a smaller building right next to them that had a large single room within. That part of the city was evacuated from what she could tell so there was little worry of running into anything. If Kaori had attempted to follow her in any way, Samira would simply say "I feel slightly ill. I just need to rest for a moment alone if you do not mind." Whether or not the ninja left her alone, Samira would go to a corner of the room, lean against the wall, and then slide down so that she was sitting with her back against the solid surface. A deep breath was taken, and aside from her nerves going haywire, she was starting to feel somewhat better now that she was unable to see the mess outside. If Kaori had followed anyway, Samira's conversation with her spirits would be mentally because it would have been strange to talk about Kaori right in front of Kaori.

Agni: 'Well now that we have absolutely nothing to watch I guess this is a good time to ask: WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!'

Athena: 'You are surprised by what you saw, Agni?'

Skadi: 'I surprised too. That not sweet ninja girl.'

Athena: 'That is where you are wrong, my friend. It was mentioned the medication somehow affects her emotions. What you saw is what she is without them. There isn't anything there to tell her to stop or show mercy.'

Samira: "So my suspicion was correct then. The medication she has to take makes her that way..." The summoner raised her knees and hugged them to her chest as she continued conversing with her spirits.

Serqet: 'Hmm, so basically we should be glad she's on our side, right?'

Skadi: 'Already have heartless killer on team. Need no more.'

Kali: 'Do not compare my style with that! Even I felt disgust while watching that display.'

Agni: 'It's not because she lacks the emotion to actually enjoy it, is it?'

Kali: 'Even I show enough mercy to make quick kills, you fool! What she did was barbaric!'

Janus: 'Pardon me, but should we be worried? I have the utmost respect for Kaori, but if she is like this can we trust her not to harm Samira? Where is Amaterasu?'

Athena: 'Ra has returned from wherever he was. She is speaking with him.'

Agni: 'Isn't that great, Samira? Your two most powerful spirits are off chit chatting!'

Athena: 'I am present and on the same levels of power...'

Agni: 'You're a defensive spirit. You don't count. Everyone knows damaging spirits are where it's at. Hey, Susano! You're normally the lead guy when in the mind space since Ra hates it here. What's your take on this?'

Susano: '...'

Samira: "He is quiet..." The summoner's eyes blinked in disbelief. Had the scene disturbed him to a point of even him being speechless?

Agni: 'Serqet! Go poke him!'

Serqet: 'What?! Why me?'

Agni: 'Because I am afraid to...plus if he finds out about something else I did it'd just add more fuel to the fire.'

Serqet: 'Oh! What'd you do?'

Kali: 'You idiots take too long.' Even though Samira couldn't see it, she could hear the hit Kali gave the wind spirit.

Susano: '...'

All spirits: '...'

Agni: 'Well, I guess now we should be very afraid.'

Susano: 'I am leaving.'

Serqet: 'He speaks! Wait, you're leaving? Why?'

Susano: 'Athena, you're in charge. If you end up on the field, Skadi is next in line, then Janus. I don't really trust the rest of you. Samira, I won't come if you summon me, so if you need my powers just use them with that skill or whatever it is.'

Samira: "Wait, what are-" His presence from her mind space disappeared.

Athena: 'It is best not to worry about him for now, my summoner. You still have a task to complete. As for your friend, I do not believe she is dangerous to you or to us. She will just be a nightmare for your enemies.'

By then the black cat known as Mau/Bastet had entered the room and took a seat in front of Samira, looking grumpy. "Yes, a nightmare we need when dealing with these obsessed things. They were once human, you know. They took worshipping a god to an annoying level. I can't believe my brother has hidden himself away in this wretched place. Now, come along." Without waiting for a reply or reaction, the cat stood up on all four paws and began to leave the small building.

Samira's eyes narrowed in slight anger at how Bastet could act as if nothing serious had happened. Then again, the spirit barely even knew Kaori or cared about anything really. She was a very selfish spirit and resembled many actual cats in attitude. "Being a nightmare is the issue," she said with a roll of her eyes as she placed her hand on the wall used it to help her stand. "Hm?" Her movement towards the exit stopped when she heard a noise. Samira turned her head to see that a large vase was moving until it toppled over on its side and began to roll. There was a sort of squeak sound, much like the sound a cowardly human would make. Now that she thought about it, it reminded her of the man at the sub shop during the time travel mission. Curious as she usually was, Samira walked over to the far corner where the large vase had been and walked around another set of vases where some man was cowering behind them. He looked up once he had been spotted and shrieked. "Please! Don't tell that woman out there to kill me!"

Samira sighed. At least he didn't refer to Kaori as some demon like some would have. She put a hand on her hip as she looked at the rather cowardly young man. "So you are the one they were originally looking for. I was wondering why they were already on high alert when we had just entered." The man just nodded over and over in rapid motions while whimpering in fear. "How did you even get inside? My friend could not enter when I could." There was no answer and it caused Samira to worry. She didn't know him, but he didn't seem to be a threat. Unfortunately, Kaori operated differently. While on the medication she wasn't all too sure what she would do. "I advise you to be useful. There is no intent for me to do you harm, but I cannot say the same for my friend. Be useful and you may yet live."

"So you won't kill me if I am of use?"

"I cannot say," Samira's voice was blunt, factual, and had absolutely no sugar coating added onto it. Then her head tilted as she put on a warm smile. "It could not hurt to be so just to see if it would increase your chances though, now could it?"

The man sweatdropped, not really liking that answer but there was a point to it. He supposed. "I was able to get in due to this," he went for his pocket and brought out an old key. "It supposedly belongs to an old desert spirit. I don't really dabble in magic so I can't say for sure. Using it as a way to enter was just a theory but it looks like it worked. I guess to get in you just need to own a key belonging to a spirit of the desert. Not too many of those around that even know of this place. I didn't expect to actually run into someone else here...or a city full of cat monsters trying to kill me. I had almost made it through the temple when I accidentally may have triggered a trap that activated several statues. I've been on the run since. I was almost out and then I saw that murder go down. Obviously I hid at that point."

The conversation went on with the man saying he could be of further use by providing information about the traps ahead as well as routes throughout the city that would lead to less messy...results.

If Kaori had stayed outside as Samira requested she would see a normal woman walking through the streets, not a cat monster thing. She appeared to be harmless and moving slowly until she stopped right before stepping into the blood and corpse pile. "The first visitors we have had in centuries and there is already a mess before a proper greeting. I suppose normal patrol groups will not be enough to convince you to depart. Will me asking you to leave be enough?" If Kaori had followed Samira inside the building, this encounter would be missed.

(Word Count: 2129
Total So Far: 5965)

NPC Pictures Because I Am Too Lazy To Describe Them:

The strange woman watched as another patrol group was eliminated before they could do much of anything. Her face was emotionless and showed little care for the fate of the cat beings, or that some of the blood splatter had splashed upon her as well. She had expected to be next, but the intruder only stated in other terms that leaving was not going to happen and turned away to join the other unwelcomed guests. "So be it then." The woman's body then turned to sand and fell apart to join the bloody mess on the ground. The one controlling the woman no longer needed her.

When Kaori entered the small dwelling with deadly kunai spinning in the air, the man let out a scream and hid behind Samira with his hands on her shoulders. "No! Not an enemy! Nope, nope, nope!" Nervous sweat began to form on his face as he shook Samira's shoulders, whimpering in fear as he did so. "Teeeelll her! Don't let her kill me!"

Samira could almost laugh and mock the man for how cowardly he was. Almost. If she had been in a slightly better mood and not overly concerned about other things she would have. Unfortunately, things were the way they were, and so she could only frown. At least Kaori had asked before attacking. Plus, she was no longer covered in blood. A very welcoming change that was probably not going to last for long with the rate they were going. "No. I sincerely doubt he is even capable of doing any harm."

The man grinned, thankful that there was no order to have him turned into a kunai pin cushion. He wasn't even offended by the words that pretty much labeled him as weak and lacked the nerve to attack. "That's right! No danger to you whatsoever!"

"He also says he can help us get through the city and temple more efficiently. I would like to avoid traps and patrols as much as possible," Samira stated, purposely not mentioning the main reason for that was due to how the first one had been handled, as well as the second group, but she was quite unaware of that.

Then there was a turn of events as another patrol group had shown up, searching the area around the mess outside for the city intruders. They had stayed in that location for too long. The man had started to breath deeply and almost looked as if he were going into a panic attack. He did not have to be told twice to hide. His hiding spot? One of the large vases at the corner. The man hopped right on in and remained there until the danger had passed. The enemies outside began banging on the door and it was only a matter of time before they broke in. Samira had begun to go over her options. With all of her spirits she had plenty. Attack, defense, escape portals, and even different methods of making an enemy cease their movements entirely. There were plenty of options with her spiritual army, and not all had to end in a slaughter. Her eyes went down to where her keychain was hooked and her hands worked to release it. The keys were raised to her chest level and she began to go through them all in search of the one belonging to Cernunnos. With his power the patrol outside would immediately be put to sleep, as well as any other more incoming groups. It should have bought enough time until they got away from that sector and made their new location unknown to the city residents. "Artio, Cupid, Nox, ugh where is his key? Has it really been that long since I have sum-wha?!" Samira had been in the process of flipping through the keys when her clothes had been grabbed onto and she pulled forward. Any more exclamations were cut off by being forced into yet another kiss with Kaori. Third time was not the charm. Samira still felt nothing from the kiss itself, but what was different was that Kaori seemed to not feel anything either. There was no emotion to be felt from it. No signs of embarrassment like the first. No sadness like the second. It was just dead. The medication even took that away.

Samira's eyes kept blinking as she wondered if that was really the time to be doing that, and for so long. The pace of her heartbeat increased as the larger patrol group entered, but instead of attacking them they simply went around, as if they didn't see the two women standing there. As soon as she realized the kiss had been done as some form of spell, Samira allowed herself to relax. If she pushed Kaori or pulled herself away then the spell likely would have broken prematurely. The group then left, seeming satisfied that the people they were looking for was not hiding within it. The kiss disconnected and some consumable items called "Mountain Dew" and "Doritos" appeared. This caused Samira to go into a what the hell state with it being amplified when being offered some of the chips within the bag of. An eyebrow arched at the question, and she felt her curiosity levels rise as she began to reach for the bag opening. Then she stopped herself and gently pushed the bag away. "No, thank you," she said calmly as she turned her head away. As curious as she was, she wasn't that curious. It was probably best to save tasting odd magical snacks when they weren't in the middle of hostile territory. "I'd like one!" The man said as he popped his head out of the vase he was hiding in. "No," Samira told him in such a tone that said for him to not argue with her. "This is no time for snacking. You said you could get us through the city and to the temple, correct?" The man pouted at being denied snack deliciousness, but otherwise complied. As soon as he was out of the vase, he exited the building and nearly tripped over the black cat that was standing at the doorway. "GAH!"

"Do not wet your trousers, mortal," Mau stated in between licking her right paw. She then raised it and rubbed it against the top of her head in a grooming manner. The cat-like beings had ignored her completely when they came and went. Once Kaori and Samira had exited the cat ceased her grooming and stood up. "Are we ready to move on yet? Or should I convince more patrols to come and waste our time?"

Samira hooked her keys back to their usual place and then turned to the man, who still had not even been introduced. "Where do we go now?" Introductions were not necessary at that moment. The small group would be taking a route that passed by the marketplace. An odd choice, but the majority of the city had been evacuated to some other sector. All had been going fine for a while. No patrol groups, all traps that could have been triggered were avoided, nothing unexpected. Then there were the all to familiar shouts of that strange unknown language. A group of six of the cat beings were behind them and pointing at the trio plus cat. Samira turned and stared for a second or two longer than she should have, pondering what seemed different about some of them. She couldn't quite place it with them being that far. No matter, they were starting to head in their direction so all she needed to do was put a stop to them. There had been enough bloodshed for her to handle for one day. “Open, gate of the Avatar, Cernunnos, The Horned God!” She had found the key during the uneventful walk and had it prepared just in case. The spirit that resembled a goat on two legs appeared, as did the effect his portal often left. Plantlife began to take form around the area, generating a mist that put three of the cat beings to sleep mid-run. Her green eyes widened at the fact the remaining three were unphased.

"Oh, I guess I should have mentioned some of them are made of stone. Soooo...I don't think they can sleep really. Heh heh...sorry!"

Samira thought about slapping the man for his inability to be as useful as he was supposed to be, but she had to suppress it for now. Another key was quickly drawn. “Open, gate of the Avatar, Goddess of Bears! Artio!” The portal appeared in front of Samira, but the spirit itself appeared right in front of the stone cat beings. They skidded to a stop as they nearly ran right into her. She was sitting cross legged with a staff horizontally spread across her legs. Her eyes were closed, and her hands rested on her knees with her palms facing her as if she were meditating. A stone cat began to demand something in his language but was quickly interrupted with a "Shhh." They were not amused and started to speak again, but in a more threatening tone. This resulted in Artio whacking one of them with her staff so quickly one could have blinked and missed it. "Shhh." Then one went for the attack with a weapon. The result was the weapon barely even leaving a scratch. Artio was a defensive spirit normally and was perfect for stalling while a certain other spirit was charging an attack. Artio's closed eyes twitched when she felt the impact of the weapon. More strange language speak. "I SAID SHHHH!" The spirit went from a calm orange haired woman to a giant angry bear in a second. She was much larger than the stone beings and in that form her strength increased greatly, making her an offensive tank spirit. All three stone cats went flying with a single swipe of her paw, her claws leaving deep scratches upon their stone-like body. Naturally they each flew into the amplified beam that Cernunnos unleashed. Their bodies crumbled and broke apart, leaving nothing but stone fragments. Not even blood. "It would seem they have decided to bring their more stronger warriors against us." Honestly that theory made Samira feel relieved. The earlier groups were weak and did not deserve the type of deaths they had been given. It was easier to justify killing stone creatures that were stronger and did not bleed. Cernunnos returned to the spirit realm, but not before taking a few items he saw on a small shop stand that looked interesting. What? He left a couple of dead sticks and dried leaves as payment. Artio remained for the time being in bear form.

The temple was not too far away. Once past the marketplace they would find the entrance to a labyrinth. Oh, joy! Not only would they find that but a tall dark skinned man would also be standing in front of the entrance. His dark eyes would stare at the group, but they contained no disdain or hatred. "Entrance to the temple is what you seek, is it? There is nothing there of interest. Turn back."

Samira stepped forward with no hesitation or concern for her safety. The man didn't appear to be dangerous and seemed to be more focused on convincing them to leave than by force. Although his ties to the patrol groups was debatable. "We seek a spirit named Anhur within the temple. Is he there?"

The man just continued staring with a stoic expression, not even blinking the entire time. A few seconds of silence passed and then he motioned towards the entrance of the labyrinth. "If an audience with the one called Anhur is what you seek then you may find it. But first, you must make your way through the labyrinth. Be warned, this is only the first of the challenges that lie ahead." With that said, the man's body turned into sand and crumbled into pieces.

"Let us press on then. We have a guide, correct?" Samira turned to the cowardly man that had joined them earlier and gave him a quizzical look, as if she needed some reassurance of his claim of being useful.

"Uh, yeah. I made it through there before so it should be about retracing my steps."

What they didn't know was that the labyrinth had changed since the time the glasses wearing man had gone through it. The walls constantly shifted and new traps and enemies lied within.

(Word Count: 2090
Total So Far: 8055)

As with pretty much everything that stood in Kaori's way, it was bye bye to the labyrinth. Samira didn't even bother trying to stop her. She couldn't stop Kaori from doing anything it would seem. She covered her ears when it was advised and during the destruction she just stood there, staring at it blankly. Her mind didn't allow her eyes to gather the details necessary for it to process what they saw. Nor did the loud noise from the...solution to the labyrinth issue reach her ears. There was only an annoying ringing sound playing while her mind went into flashbacks of the deaths Kaori had caused. The first group was awful to watch, but they did attack first. Samira did not know about the second thankfully, and even though their corpses were in plain sight she didn't look that way on purpose. Killing the sleeping survivors of group she had dealt with was not required. They were put into that state for a reason. If Samira had wanted them dead she would have summoned a spirit capable of doing it or had Artio finish them off.

In her mind Samira had seen herself turn towards the three she had left alive upon hearing the sounds of weapon slicing flesh. Her eyes could only widen in horror as they saw the decapitated corpses. She wasn't dumb. There was no one else in the vicinity that could have done such a thing. "Kaori!" Samira quickly spun to face the murdering ninja and glared angrily at her. The voice tone in which she called the name indicated that the summoner was very displeased and angry. "What have you done?! I did not put them in that state just so they could die!" Enemies they were, but they were not evil. Maybe. That part hadn't exactly been clarified. The main point was that this was their city and Samira and Kaori were the ones invading it. For all they knew the cat people things had thought the pair of women were some type of monstrous villains, which, with Kaori's actions, they may as well have been right. The reply she got in return took her by surprise more than it should of had. The scenario had been seen before back in the Ancient Ruins when Kaori had killed all but one of the mercenaries. The very same mercenaries Samira had gone through the trouble of knocking out only to be woken up and killed moments later. Her disapproval of the act had been shown then, and it seemed history was repeating itself only it was worse than before. The medicated Kaori was starting to make Samira wonder what would happen if she became too much of a burden or a "loose end." Would she too be on the decapitation list? There weren't exactly any emotions there to say otherwise. By that point Kaori may as well have been soulless. She didn't want to be around this version of Kaori. She didn't want to be around the dark one. She didn't even want to be around the one that was too afraid and sad. Samira did not want pieces of Kaori or ones so damaged that they were hardly recognizable. It was starting to be too much to handle, and she had no way of fixing or controlling Kaori in either state.

With the labyrinth nothing but rubble, Samira should have been disappointed and crying at the loss of such an ancient part of the city, but she was still overflowing from anger that she couldn't even process correctly that it was gone. That would hit later. "We often work together," Samira said in a calm tone despite the negative emotions running wildly inside. She could have said they were friends, but she did not want to consider the medicated Kaori as such. Granted her current mood may have been influential with that thought process. The drugged version still had Kaori's thoughts and logic, but it was too robotic for Samira's liking. "Yes, and I am still not used to it."

As they got to the pillar Samira stood off to the side and watched. The man had gone up to it to examine it, which was something she normally would have done herself. There was no excitement there though or a willingness to make completing their objective take longer by partaking in what she could at that moment describe as nonsense. It hurt the little person within her that loved ancient stuff, but sacrifices had to be made. Her hand was taken by Kaori soon after and she was led away from the pillar. Samira jerked her hand back, but by that point Kaori was already pulling out her iLac to cause some more destruction. Boom went the pillar. Another glare was shot at the other woman since she had not even warned the man that was following them around beforehand. Rightfully so, he had confronted Kaori about it. The reply given was cause for even more concern. Samira had seen Kaori heal enemies before so to say that the life of an innocent bystander was worthless was out of character. Another reason to like that version of Kaori less. As Kaori went up the ladder at the end, Samira turned towards the man that nearly got blown up. "I apologize for her actions. I should have seen that coming. Just stay by me until we are through this place." She then turned and grabbed a hold of the ladder before stepping on the first step and going up to join Kaori. The man followed. Mau, who the author forgot to add in with the rest of this post and is too lazy to make actions for, formed a pair of golden wings and flew up. Artio was in bear form...poof she went back to the celestial realm.

Samira and the man both blinked when Kaori mentioned the challenge man was Anhur. Both looked him up and down and went "Huh?" Anhur was supposed to be a lion humanoid; not look completely human. "Do not think too much on it. He is able to make creatures of sand to act as his eyes and ears away from the main temple room where his true form dwells. I thought it would be obvious." Mau blinked as the man turned to sand. "Typical. I wanted to demand he remove these challenges."

Challenge number two would begin. The four large statues that lied in front of them began to move, making loud rumbles and shaking the ground. "I will take the ones on the right," Samira told Kaori, figuring that it was best to split them up. They were quite colossal, and the summoner could feel magic radiate off of them. She turned to the man. "You should go hide until we are through, and for your sake stay out of her way," Samira told him, implying he should stay away from Kaori's side of the battle if he wanted to avoid friendly fire. The summoner then ran to face her pair. One was in the shape of a woman and had acted first. Beams of light shot forth from her eyes, barely missing Samira on first impact but the beam continued to follow her. The second one had summoned some sort of shadow creatures that looked to take the shape of a being with a torso, arms, and eyes. They were dark purple in color with white glowing eyes that did not look to be friendly. The summoner did what she did best and summoned a spirit. “Open, gate of the Avatar, God of Love! Cupid!” When the portal appeared, a small boy no bigger than an exceed fly from it. The wings he had himself generated a second set for Samira. The new feathery accessory was used to get away from the ground and as a result avoid the beam and shadow creatures. The statues attempted to whack at her with their rather large stone staves but they were slow and easy to dodge.

'You...don't have any clue what to do now, do you?'

"I am working on it." Her outfit then changed as she took on the powers of Susano. The wind barrier prevented a shadow orb from harming her. She looked below to see that the creatures below were charging up even more shadow orbs. "Cupid, stop them with your arrows. I will be quite busy with the statues."

The small chibi-like boy shouted in surprise and whined frightfully. "M-me? C-can't I just g-go back home?" Shadow creatures were scary! Still, it was an order and Samira did not stay around to edit it. He readied an arrow with a soft looking heart at the end where the arrowhead should have been and fired towards the ground. The arrow split and soon an assault of cute fluffy hearts landed on the shadow creatures. They all stopped moving and blinked. They were not hurt but all of their violent thoughts had been removed. The creatures then began to move around happily with hearts over their heads and ignoring the rest of the fight. A truly ridiculous sight to behold...but it worked.

As for the statues, Samira used their own power against them. While flying through the air she would purposely lure one to attack the other with the staff swings as well as the attacks. Large chunks of rock fell to the ground, crushing any shadow creatures that had been below. With some time doing this the statues were at a point that Samira felt she could finish it once and for all. A large gust of wind to match the most chaotic of storms was unleashed from her and towards the statues, hitting the first one and causing it to lose its balance. It fell onto the second, both taking even more damage from the collision before falling apart completely upon hitting the ground. Her side was done.

Inside the temple the third challenge awaited. Follow the arrows. Anhur found it pointless to even bother with anymore challenges. His poor labyrinth had been blown to pieces and no doubt his guardian statues met the same fate. Plus, he didn't exactly have a third challenge ready. Procrastination at its finest. The arrows would lead to a room where there would be a large door past a bridge with large talking heads on the walls. They would talk about the group, make fun, and crack jokes but were otherwise harmless. Once at the door, the group would find that it was locked and could not be moved. It was also immune to magic so Janus' portals were out. Blowing it up could work, or one can just go down into the snake pit below the bridge and flip the two switches on either side.

(Word Count: 1800
Total So Far: 9855)

The group had entered the temple to find arrows leading the way to what was hopefully the correct destination and now a trap. Samira took the lead and walked the empty halls with any amount of caution she may of had going to waste. The place was empty and surprisingly safe. Soon a large door blocked their path and the heads upon it began to speak. The Lesbian had to of been Kaori, who was mentally placed in that category in a mini chart in Samira's mind. Next they mentioned the cowardly one, who had to of been the man that was playing a tag along since neither of the women had shown any cowardice towards their enemies. A chibi image of the man's head was placed in the mental chart under the category that fit him. That left... "The useless one?!" Her words were muttered quietly to herself as her eyes closed and her eyebrows twitched. Just what did she have to do to be considered useful? She had dealt with one of the patrols as well as taken on two of the ridiculously large statues! Sure she may have cheated her way with the statues by making them hit each other, and technically it was her spirits that took care of the patrols, but she was a summoner! That was how it was supposed to work! It wasn't like using an ordinary bow was going to do anything against stone, and she was pretty sure her chakrams would have been useless as well. She also wasn't ridiculously overpowered physically so trying to smack the statues would have little effect as well. Standing next to Kaori in a fight really shadowed over anything she did, and the same thing had occurred whenever she was with Ikuchi as well. Once again she felt like a burden after hearing that comment even though she thought she had improved. She couldn't even control Kaori and keep enemies living. The stab of being labeled as useless had done its damage.

Samira had gone into a blank momentary depressed state and self pity while Kaori handled the door problem. Her eyes looked at the floor and she remained silent. If the talking heads were blown to bits then oh well. She was too useless to prevent it, after all. The doors opened as Kaori seemed to have taken operating the switch method rather than massive destruction. The summoner forced her feet to move on, taking the lead but walking slowly. Her gaze was still on the ground mostly, although it would look up every now and then to look for more arrow signs or to turn a corner. It was quiet aside from the echoes of their own footsteps. No enemies, no more talking heads, even her spirits were quiet. They were likely gloomy while feeling the weight of her negativity though.

"We are close. I am beginning to sense the presence of his true body," Mau told the group as she ran forward to take the lead from Samira. A spiral staircase was reached with an arrow pointed up to indicate they should take them. Mau hopped along each step with Samira following behind, her gaze now raised and looking ahead. The summoner heard her name being called and while her mind acknowledged it she ignored it completely. Her slight depression on being called useless aside, she was still mad at Kaori. It really wasn't the ninja's fault entirely for her actions since she was on the medication, but at the same time they just couldn't be overlooked. Her name was called a second time with the same result. Then Kaori appeared in front of her, and if Samira had not already been walking slowly she may have run directly into her. "What is it?" The summoner inquired as she paused her movement to get whatever needed to be discussed out of the way. For Kaori to be that persistent while in her current state maybe it was important enough to justify paying some sort of attention and overlook her dislike for interacting with the medicated Kaori.

The next set of words were actually surprising. Her eyes widened slightly from hearing them, and even though they were said in the most weird robotic and emotionless way possible, they still left an impact. Those words had to be something the current Kaori really thought. It was impossible for that version to tell a white lie to make her feel better since she lacked the emotional capacity to even consider that option. Granted, Kaori could have sensed how it affected her and made some logical reasoning that being semi depressed over the term useless would make the summoner even more so, leading to telling a lie so the group would not be brought down even further. However, that also would not have been necessary since technically Kaori could have leveled the place if she wanted to. Samira also didn't really feel like being too suspicious on the nature behind the words. They were said to her, and she wanted to believe they were true and that's what Kaori really thought. Her eyes did shift to stare at the wall off to the side though when being called "wonderful." That part she didn't quite agree on, but she would not argue. There would have been no point. Fact of the matter was the words were appreciated. "Thank you, Kaori," Samira said, her tone being warmer and more friendly than it had been a moment ago. "Your opinion means a great deal to me." There was no smile to back up the tone though since she was still mad from earlier. Although her cheeks were slightly pinker from hearing the words.

"Will you mortals hurry up?! I do not want to give my brother more time to think of some other obstacle to stall us!" The black cat's yell echoed through the staircase hall from where she was near the top. Even the man had passed the pair of women.

"We should continue. I believe we have talked enough about this." Samira began to walk up the stairs once more to join the other two that were waiting near the top. She also would have mentioned there was no need to worry about her anymore, but she wasn't all too sure if there was much worry to begin with. The medicated Kaori saying as much as she did seemed odd as it was. Yep, best not to think about it further. Once joining the other two, the group pressed on towards the very top, which led to a small room with a circular elevator. Interesting. A platform came down and once on it the platform magically began to take them further up. If such a thing existed why was there a staircase to begin with? Whatever. The elevator ride consisted of five minutes of the man whistling his own elevator music unless being told to stop at some point. Both Samira and Mau ignored it, although the cat's ears were twitching from annoyance.

The elevator platform rose all the way to the top and came to a stop in a very large room. The platform locked in to the surrounding floor. There was no going back down. At the front of the room stood a smaller staircase that led to some sort of throne that connected to a brightly lit and decorated wall. No one sat on it, but instead an armored and tall two legged creature with lion features stood at the bottom of the staircase. His arms were crossed over his chest and even his lion facial features were emotionless as he stared at the trio of humans. Then his eyes glanced at the cat, shifting his stare into a hardened glare before focusing on the humans again. "You have found the audience you have come for. I am the one called Anhur. Now explain what brings you here after I have had centuries of solitude."

"Do not play ignorant, Anhur!" Mau shouted angrily. "If I am here then you know full well that a summoner is present. You are required to complete the set and for me to fully regain my power!"

"I don't care about your power. Continue your existence as a weak spirit, Bastet. I also don't care about a summoner. Do I look like a spirit to you? No. I haven't been for a long time. It couldn't have been easy to find this place. Did you really come all of this way for something so trivial?"

"The seal is breaking! As one of the spirits that helped complete it you are required to be present!"

"Seal?" Samira had been silent at first while the two felines interacted. That was the first she had heard of such a thing. She thought she just needed him as a spirit to unlock like the others before as part of the collection. There was a moment of silence from the larger feline as he seemed to be contemplating those words. He uncrossed his arms and pointed at Kaori. "I assume that one is the summoner you speak of then?" He had seen her power and her...unique solutions. Surely she was the one that had enough experience and power to have been able to reach the point of contracting with Bastet. The cat goddess incarnation may have been weak in terms of power currently, but with his return she would reclaim the power she lost. Therefore, she only formed contracts with powerful summoners. "No," Mau said simply, ignoring Samira's facepalm at being overlooked again. She nearly fell over dead when Anhur pointed to the cowardly man, who let out a squeak from now gaining unwanted attention. "Him then?" The coward could be trained to be brave. Mau's eyes narrowed into slits, wondering if he was joking and wanting to waste actual time. "Warmer." His pointing claw went towards Samira since she was the last one, and he stared in disbelief. "You cannot be serious." He had witnessed her summoning spirits so he knew she was a summoner. Although, there was a difference between being a summoner and being a summoner capable of...spoilers. "Of course I am serious! Now pack up your things and lets leave this place!"

"No. If I am going to leave then it has to be worth my time. I must fight this summoner to ensure there was not some type of mistake."

"What?!" Samira's eyes widened as she took a step back. Now she had to fight Anhur to prove she wasn't an accident? It was starting to remind her of her first interactions with Susano. He too thought there was some mistake in the paperwork by the time she reached the point of power to summon him. Honestly! Were all of her spirits going to have that reaction? Before anything more could be said, Samira was teleported closer to the throne and a barrier formed around the perimeter, keeping anyone else out. Anhur did not even make a move and simply stood there. "Summon your spirits. It would be too easy to kill you if I actually attacked before you had a chance to do so." She didn't need to be told twice. The opportunity was taken and Kali as well as Skadi were summoned.

"Hmmm," Anhur just looked at the two spirits summoned. He didn't exactly know them but they seemed powerful enough. She could even have them both out at the same time without suffering any consequences. He was about to demand they attack but the four armed spirit dashed forward before he had a chance to do so. The attacks hit a barrier of sand that materialized the moment the attacks attempted to make impact. The icy blue looking spirit's attacks and wolves met the same obstruction. Powerful, but needed work. They both were then impaled by a set of spears that appeared from the ground, sending them back to the celestial realm. "Next." The next several minutes were spent with Samira summoning spirit after spirit with little success. Even with her aiding in the attacks herself with her own weapons or distractions did not help. Her magic energy was beginning to get low and she was starting to run out of ideas on how she was supposed to be impressing Anhur. Granted, even if he remained expressionless he was somewhat intrigued by her ability to be able to summon so many spirits. Samira was resilient and he got a sense that she would still be able to call upon spirits even when severely low on power.

"Shit, how is she supposed to be able to beat him? He's barely even putting any effort into it!" The cowardly man cringed as he saw each spirit poof out of existence.

"The version of Anhur before you is the incarnation of a god of war. Of course none of them would be able to defeat him like that." Mau had taken a seat on the ground and watched with her tail swishing in slow movements. Anhur was testing, not really fighting.

"This has gone on long enough." Ra then materialized in a puff of flames, opening up his own portal. His talk with Amaterasu wasn't exactly complete, but he had grown tired of dealing with her. Plus, it appeared things were getting out of hand with the once lost spirit. "Anhur, you are to accompany our summoner until such a time comes that you can rejoin your spirit brethren." The falcon headed spirit's tone was commanding, as if he actually expected Anhur to do as he said. "You finally show yourself. I was wondering how far up the chain you were. You're weaker than you used to be." Ra ignored the insult that was actually a fact. He had seen better days and there was no use arguing. "Do not disobey me." Anhur let out a growl as a response before roaring angrily. "You are partly to blame for my current status to begin with! You have no right to command me. The stories may say the true Ra is the father of the true Anhur, but that does not apply to us copies. Do not act as if you have any authority over me." The statement was met with Ra firing a blast of sun fire at the two legged lion, who roared once more before transforming into a four legged creature that resembled the cat people they had ran into before, only it was larger, made of magically hardened obsidian, and decorative wings. The sun spirit and creature turned the room into a shaking, collapsing, and mini sun and spear covered battlefield as they clashed.

The cowardly man lost his balance from all the shaking and fell over. As he did so, the old key he had used to get inside the city fell out of his pockets and landed on the floor next to Mau. Her head turned towards it and her green eyes widened. "Where in the realm did you manage to get this?! And why did you not say anything?!" When he explained it was a key belonging to an old desert spirit and he had assumed owning one was the way to get into the city, she scoffed. "Do you know how many desert spirits there are?! That theory is outrageous! Your entry was a fluke and I can now see that due to that key! It belongs to Anhur. Deactivated but his still. Give me that!" The black cat bit down onto the key with her teeth as the man picked it up from the ground. She then ran forward towards the barrier, dropped it, and pushed it inside with a swipe of her paws. Since it was something connected to Anhur, it actually went through the barrier. The key began to glow due to being to close to Anhur despite being deactivated. Samira! This technically belongs to you. Make use of it!"

They key had slid over to Samira, who had fallen over onto her butt during one of the attacks. She turned her head to Bastet before looking over and down at the key beside her. Her hand picked it up gently and she raised it to her eyes that observed it curiously. "What am I supposed to do with it?" Samira could guess it was likely Anhur's key, but he wasn't a spirit. It wasn't as if she could close a portal.

"He may not be a spirit but his lifeline and soul is still tied to that key! You can command him so long as you have it in your possession!"

"Wait...I could have used that the whole time?" The man let his shoulders sag and head hang as he went into a mini depression at missing the opportunity to take command of a strong creature.

Samira put on a serious and determined expression. It wasn't exactly defeating him, but it did put her in a position of authority. Once she stood up, she held the key out as if she were opening a portal and calling upon a spirit. "Anhur! Stop!" The stone version of Anhur ceased his movements, although there was an obvious struggle as he continued attempts at moving. His will overpowered the command and he turned to look at Samira before charging past Ra and towards her. He had spotted that rather annoying key he thought was lost long ago or he would have held onto it. "STOP!" He stopped just as he reached her. There was more struggling, but it had already taken great effort to disobey the first command. Any movements he made were slow which allowed Samira to easily move away. "I...guess...this counts." He had to admit her current dominance over him.

Samira sighed with relief, assuming that meant she had done enough. Then she looked towards Ra. "You need to expla- and of course he leaves," she said with a frustrated wave of her hand as he disappeared in a puff of flames. If that was his weakened version she was afraid to know how little she could control him if he was at his full power. "Do you...think...you could...release me...now?" Anhur asked, now stuck completely still and unable to move. Samira showed some hesitance since if she allowed him to move again he could have attacked or swiped the key away, but she couldn't exactly keep him there either. Upon releasing him, he turned back into his normal form and made no efforts to attack or otherwise take possession of the key that commanded him. He would allow himself to journey with her so she could further prove herself. Leaving later on was always an option. "I will accompany you for a short while to further observe you. You have done enough to at least catch some of my interest. Not a full satisfactory amount, but enough. Barely." The barrier blocking Kaori, the man, and Mau disappeared. "There is one minor problem. The moment I leave the creatures of this hidden city will be free to leave as well. I felt it necessary to warn you about the possibility of them being a danger. Also," Anhur turned and pointed towards the throne where a chest rested beside it. "There are some small tablets within that chest. You are free to take them before we depart. They will further increase the power you have." aka that S rank spell slot reward

(Word Count: 3241
Total So Far: 13096)

Edit 3-8-20
Posts above complete the S rank 16,000 WC for Original Turn In 9855 + 7201
WC: 3241
1500 for C Rank Freeform
1500 for C Rank Freeform