Death Moss Danger (Job w/ RyoKnetegawa)

Gaia takes a deep breath as she flips her cards between her fingers. She hadn't done a reading for anyone in a while, especially since she had decided to take on a few jobs. She wanted to gain some more jewels, and had hoped that doing jobs would unlock her magic, but it only served to give her a bit of an adrenaline rush from the fear of almost being harmed. She was close though. The magic was there, boiling under her skin in her blood. She was close to unlocking it. She knew it. Closing her eyes for a moment, she walked into the Guild to look around. Maybe one more job should do the trick? She looks to the back of her dragon themed cards, then slip them away into her bag before adjusting her cloak.

She goes up to the job request board, and observe the jobs there. Noya rested on her shoulders, looking bored like usual as she ignored the little white ferret for a moment. Her hand gingerly runs over a paper asking for a request to investigate some caves people keep on disappearing in. Honestly, she didn't care much for the pay, just that it was concerning to her that there were many people disappearing after going into a cave to explore it, and no one returned.

She pulls it off of the board and bites her bottom lip. Could this be the job that unlocks her magic? She glances to Noya. She would flourish in that setting. Snow. She needed to spoil her pet every now and then and take her to someplace cold. She glances down to her grey sweater, and smiles to herself. "As long as I have my cloak... I should be fine since I'm covered..." She knew she shouldn't go on this alone. She needed someone to come with her, even if it would be for her selfish need of having extra protection. She grits her teeth as she was quietly cursing herself. She had no doubt that she might look like a flake to someone on the outside since she hadn't gotten her magic yet and kept on saying she did unlock it once. All talk and no evidence to back it up? Doesn't look good on someone still.

The little snow ferret quickly lifted her head and rubbed it on her masters cheek, making her smile quietly to her as she stood there. "Yeah... I don't need to worry about trivial thoughts like that... I'm a mage... I'll unlock my magic. Can't rush perfection... right?" She kisses the top of her ferrets head and looks around the guild. She really needed to try to make friends here. She then paused and thought back to when she met Masha. They had become decent friends. Besides Masha, there was the other guild master of Sabertooth. She should get herself more acquainted with him, right? Maybe if anything, let him know she was still capable of doing things while she struggled to unlock her magic.

Taking a deep breath the tarot ready resolved herself and decided to go in search of the man whom she wished to take this job on. When she finally spotted him, she gave herself a small smile, feeling accomplished for doing so, and goes up to him. "Excuse me, Mr. Knetegawa?" She heard her own timidness in her voice, and clears her throat while holding out the paper with the information. Her other hand held her staff she had been given by her cards to fight with on her own. "Would you care to join me on a job? I would like to figure out why people keep on disappearing after going into this cave in the Silent Glaciers." She bites her bottom lip and glances down to her feet a bit before she yells at herself mentally to stop that and look at least a bit more professional in front of him. She had stood just a little bit straighter as she eagerly awaited the others response.

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Ryo sat in his usual corner of the room, with his little table, and chair his legs resting on the table itself. He absently shuffled cards in his hand, before shooting the deck from one hand into the other. He was sitting there resting and enjoying the atmosphere that was around him. It was always good for him to remember just what he did for the guild, and how much the guild needed him. Not to mention he enjoyed the company of those he viewed as his family.

As he sat there Gora was at his feet as usual in his typical form and resting his head upon his front paws. He didn’t feel the need to protect Ryo from the guild. After all, they were family, and anyone who was stupid enough to attack one of the guild masters in the guild hall clearly didn’t care about their life in the slightest. While he lay there however, he let his eyes wander around the room to make sure and see everything that was coming as well as going. True he didn’t need to protect Ryo, but he was still alert as always.

Meanwhile, on top of Ryo’s hat in what was quickly becoming her ‘usual’ perch Hekate sat there drinking from a thimble filled with pumpkin spice whiskey. She sighed and looked down noticing that Ryo was simply going through the motions of playing with his cards, shuffling, performing slight of hand tricks, and various other things that was clearly just to amuse himself. She then looked to see someone she recognized. It was Gaia, and she had her own tarot card in hand playing with much like Ryo was want to do. She looked like she was selecting something from the mission board, and that would hopefully mean that they could do something fun.

As Gaia approached them Gora’s head snapped up to watch her approach and Hekate even turned her gaze onto the new comer with a small smile. Ryo however, left his broad brimmed hat tilted in front of his face, and kept shuffling the cards in his hands with the skill and ease of his many, many years of training. When she spoke at first he slowly lifted his head and sent the cards flying into his left hand while he held out his right hand to take the paper carefully from her “No need for the Mister my dear. Just call me Ryo.” He said reassuringly. As he took the paper and read over the information he frowned.

Hekate read it over as well and she shook her head “I’m not going to go into the cold. You’re on your own.” With that she flew off heading away to enjoy herself.

He sighed and shook his head gently “Forgive her. She is a brat.” He then handed the paper back to Gaia and stood up smiling “I would be happy to take this mission with you. I will be bringing Gora with us. This kind of terrain is his home territory, and he will be a great asset to the pair of us. Please make sure that you are prepared for the cold.” He said very simply and then flicked his left hand to make the deck of playing cards that he was playing with vanish. Of course, the slight of hand was fairly simple to be sure, but it was fast enough that unless Gaia had been looking for it she never would’ve noticed. As he stood up and adjusted his coat and hat he shoed that he was clearly ready to go “Seeing as you are accepting this mission, then I shall let you lead.”

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When she had be reassured she didn't need to be so formal, the little tarot reader smiles quietly to him with a nod. It made her feel a bit at ease while he read over the letter. "Sorry, I'm used to having to be formal with people, still trying to break the habit." She murmurs a little. As the little sprite read over the job paper, and refused to go with, Gaia couldn't help but giggle quietly to herself. She didn't blame the little thing as Ryo told her to forgive her. "I have my fair share of a brat." She jabs her thumb at Noya on her shoulders before she grabbed the paper back. Noya grumbles a bit as the white ferret seemed annoyed at her masters words, but didn't do anything besides turning her head away from the two of them. Gaia had smiled to Ryo for accepting the mission, and nods her head to him again. "I'm already prepared already for the cold. And Noya flourishes in the cold as well." She had motioned to her sweater and her cloak she usually wore. Noya glanced over to the two, seeming to smirk as Gaia told the other about her being comfortable in the cold along with Gora. She had blinked a little from the disappearance of his cards, but her attention was back on the GM after he told her she was leading. She seemed rather excited hearing that, her mouth curling into a huge grin as she nodded. "Alright, lets be on our way then, hm?" She muses before she started to make her way out of the guild.

As Ace of Spades wasn't too terribly far from the location of the job, Gaia felt they could take a carriage as far as they could to the Silent Glaciers. When they got there, Gaia was looking around the area. She had pulled up her cloaks hood to cover her head a little while looking around the icy area. For a moment, Gaia didn't seem to entirely know what to do, but she glanced over to Ryo before she reminded herself that she was leading on this, and takes a deep breath. "I suppose we should get to that cave now." She nods to herself aloud. There were a few people who were seeming rather excited at the base of a path towards the cave that was marked by nothing but small flags by other explorers. Once they saw Gaia and Ryo though, they started to think something was up and let them pass by them. Gaia pulls the front of her sweater up a bit more as she starts to walk on towards the cave. She adjusts her glasses as she tugged on her gloves on both of her hands, making sure they stayed on her hands right. She followed the flags, while glancing out over the delta that came up next to them. "That seems like a cold dip..." She muttered quietly to herself.

Noya was chittering rather excitedly as she scrambled from one side of Gaia's shoulders, to the other. She kept on shaking her body to fluff up her fur as she was enjoying the cold. She constantly looked back at Ryo and Gora, wondering how they were faring in this terrain, but the creature wasn't worried for the wolf too much. Noya randomly decided she wanted to be off of Gaia's shoulders and jumped onto the back of the furrier beast, and curled herself up all nice and comfy. "Noya... please...? Could you not?" Gaia sighs as she puts her hand to her face. She apologetically looks at Ryo, hoping him or Gora was fine with Noya's antics. Noya chirps at her master again, getting her to look forward and notice a cave that was next to the delta. It was facing towards the ocean, and Gaia had to stop for a moment to take in the sight before her. "Wow..." She couldn't help but breath out. The snowy ferret chittered again, and the tarot reader looked to her before at the cave. She had pulled out the job request, and read it over before she motioned to this cave. "This is the cave apparently..." She pulls her cloak closer to her as she mentally prepares herself to go within the cave with Ryo. She didn't let herself prepare for long, as she let her short legs lead her on into the cave that seemed to go on forever from her current vantage point.

Words: 752
Total: 1425

He waved away her apology smiling “There is no need for that. Manners are of course important, but we of Sabertooth are family. There is no need for such a formality among us. At least, not in the bar where drink and tales can be told. Do not worry my dear card wizard, besides you and I share a special bond. Both of us wizards who dabble with the magic of cards or, so I believe.” He said as he ‘magically’ made the tarot card known as the ‘Magician’ appear in his hand. Letting her see it he then magically made it vanish up his sleeve before he looked at Gora who slowly rose to his feet with a great yawn and a stretch that knocked over the table and chairs that they had been occupying. Ryo sighed in irritation as he moved and easily righted both chairs and table before thumping Gora’s head once “You damned great oaf, you should know better than that by now. You are not the size that you were all those years ago. You are full grown now and need to handle things better.” He said scolding his great dire wolf companion. When they walk out of the guild Ryo’s hands are in his pockets. The silver blade that was his he kept inside of a tarot card, and the Ace of Spades was on his right hip all alone in its holster.

Ryo rode with her in the carriage, and he simply let Gora lope behind them. The great dire wolf was capable of this feat and it cost him nothing. By the time they arrived, he was not even panting all that heavily, and he looked like he was ready for another longer or harder run. The only thing that Ryo himself did to adjust for the cold that he could not feel was simply pull the brim of his hat down lower and adjust the collar of his coat up, so it covered the bottom of his cheeks. Of course, being undead he didn’t feel the cold like Gaia did, but this was not something that he wanted to advertise in such a fashion. As they walked through the Silent Glaciers heading towards the cave Gora was at his side and he looked to the great dire wolf smiling as he thought he should welcome the beast home. When they reached the cave, As Ryo and Gaia walked along following flags he shrugged his shoulders “If you feel cold like that.” He said yawning slightly despite not needing to do so for the sake of air.

Watching the little ferret, or weasel creature move about was rather interesting. She was an adorable little thing. When she jumped onto Gora’s back however he gave a soft snarl of protest. When he felt that she wasn’t biting him or doing anything painful to him however he settled down again. Ryo chuckled and shook his head patting Gora’s in turn “You need not worry. His patience is that of a rock’s, he doesn’t cause any trouble to anyone, and he will not attack anyone, of the guild unless given an express command. This includes pets of the members of the guild. Though he will defend himself.” He said as a warning. Gora, for the most part, didn’t seem to really mind it, and just kept walking hardly noticing the little creature unless she moved. He looked at the cave and whistled in approval at the beauty of it all. Clearing his throat, he said “I think it wise if Gora guards this entrance. It would be unwise to allow anyone to follow us in. Someone could get hurt, and it could be serious. For now, I think stopping up this entrance would be the best to keep any other victims from happening upon this place.” He said as he looked to Gora and Noya “My dear little Ferret, I would advise you leave Gora, the transformation he will make is not one that would be anything less than deadly to those touching him.” He said in his warning tone of voice.

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Total: 1,294

Gaia had begun nodding nervously to Ryo as he told her that Sabertooth was family. Him talking about sharing a special bond with her, made her giggle though as she slightly shrugged her shoulders. Her burnt sienna eyes glancing over to the card in her hand, making her bring a hand up to hide her giggle. "I am one who works with cards, yes. Though right now my cards are choosing to be silent and not work for me for whatever reasons." She pouts as she softly crosses her arms over her chest. The wolf knocking over the table and chairs, made her softly chuckle before looking at Noya. She was glad her ferret couldn't do that at least. She had kept Noya on her shoulders in the carriage, as she slightly watched Gora stride behind them.

When she commented on the delta being a cold dip, she snickered to Ryo's comment. "What's that supposed to mean? Most people would freeze in there, unless they've built up their tolerance or have magic that can block the cold, or armor of sorts for it." She chuckles a little. As Ryo assured her that Gora wouldn't hurt Noya for chilling on his back, Gaia had nodded with a small smile. In front of the cave, the tarot reader couldn't help but nod to the other at the suggestion of Gora guiding the entrance and stop others from going in. Noya had perked her head up as she was spoken to, but stands up and waits for Gaia to put her arm down and let her crawl up it and onto her shoulders. Gaia looks to Ryo with a small smile. "I didn't plan on leaving her on Gora's back. We may need her." She chuckles as she rubs the ferrets head with her finger. When she was sure they were ready, Gaia started to walk into the cave carefully, making sure she wouldn't slip on the ice that covered the path that seemed to lead deep within the mountain. There weren't any pathways that lead off to the side. She glances up slightly, and her eyes grow a little wide at the icicles that hung up above the three of them. "We should be careful..." She murmurs just as she hears a crack above them.

She pales a little, and looks up slowly at the ceiling before she jumps back a couple steps as three icicles fell in the general area they had been at. Gaia had a hand on her chest, and was breathing heavily as a couple would have hit her if she didn't move. Gaia looks over to Ryo, and nervously smiles. "That's great... gotta watch for falling debris." She chuckles nervously as she holds up her staff. She was getting prepared to use it as she felt there might be more to it. She was feeling her nose start to get cold, and pulls the top of her turtle neck sweater up to keep her face relatively warm. While they walked, Gaia spotted something fuzzy up ahead of them. She couldn't tell what it was, but it had disappeared behind a rock, and she glanced over to Ryo, wondering if he saw that too. "Is it just me, or does this place give off a slightly dangerous aura or feeling or whatever?" She asks as she nearly slipped. Noya had squeaked to get her attention and get her footing right. Gaia takes a deep breath While Noya seemed to curl around Gaia a bit, covering her neck more and keeping her nice and warm.

Words: 596
Total: 2,021

Hearing that Gaia had been having trouble with her cards Ryo wondered if there was something that he could do to help her. Nothing really came to mind. True he could teach her his brand of card magic, and perhaps that would help, but he wasn’t sure that anything short of that would do. He also didn’t know if she would be able to learn it. He had heard his mistress say that she had tried to teach several different students her particular brand of card magic, but there was only a few of them who were capable of learning, and only he had grown to be a master of it. He didn’t know what to say, so he decided that he would say nothing at all.

He smiled widely at her “You also forgot that there are many a creature that cannot feel the cold at all. Nor would cold affect them in any great manner. Also, you can’t freeze to death if you are no longer alive.” He said as a simple way of explanation. When Noya was off of Gora Ryo looked to the great Dire wolf and nodded his head. In an explosion of ice, magic, fur, and snow Gora took on his true form. His snowy white fur was replaced with fur made of shards of ice, and magic. He towered over the both of them and he took up his place in front of the entrance so that no one could or would get passed him. He was fairly impressive, and powerful looking. He sat down in the path not allowing anyone to enter. This would be his charge until his master returned to him, and he would chase away anyone foolish enough to not run from the sight of him, or the snarling growls that he could and would offer. With Gora in the path Ryo looked to his companion and smiled at her “Shall we be going then?” he asked gesturing for her to take the lead. He was used to seeing the transformation of Gora into his battle ready form, so this was nothing new nor interesting to him. Still, he was also woefully ignorant to how another might see the transformation.

Ryo himself walks behind her and looks up as she does. When he sees the icicles on the roof of the cave he frowns. They would be a problem of that he was certain He just didn’t know how big of a problem they would really be or if they would be a deadly one. Still, he pulled out his pistol and shot several cards into the ceiling to shatter many and more of the icicles before they could fall and become a threat “Of course, caves have always been dangerous due to such things. Ice caves are just even more so. Still, we’ll be safer now that I have gone ahead and shattered many of those ice shards.” He said matter of factly. As she asked her question he saw that she was about to slip, and he grabbed her right arm holding her in place as she got her footing again. Nodding his head in agreement he whispered, “Yes indeed.” He was focusing on a spot further ahead of them down the path. He had seen the fuzzy thing that was ahead of them. Frowning deeply, he held onto Gaia’s arm and pointed his gun ahead. Pulling the trigger another three times he shot the three cards towards the little thing and it came flying off of the wall. It was some kind of hairy crab, but it was not alone and soon another six came crawling out of the crack ahead and Ryo heard scuttling coming up behind him. He turned and shot the trio that was sneaking up behind him frowning “Don’t let these things touch you. That’s just good advice.”

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Total: 1,940

Gaia looks over at Ryo quizzically as he mentions not being able to freeze to death if one wasn't alive anymore. That wasn't something she thought she'd hear before. And she didn't know how to take that if she were to be honest, but she was a bit curious. She watched Gora transform before her, and let her head lean back as she watched how big he was. If she didn't feel short before, she sure does now. Her expression showed she was in awe at the appearance of the creature. It had been quite spectacular to her. She had nodded to Ryo as he questioned if they should go, and quickly goes on ahead.

When he takes care of the ice shards, Gaia smile nervously. "Sorry I'm not much help at the moment... And thank you." She murmurs. She was grateful he took care of them, as well as for the fact he had grabbed her arm to help keep her balanced. She was blushing though as he seemed to keep on holding onto her arm. Gaia was feeling a bit uncomfortable about it, but wasn't saying anything as she wasn't sure what to say without sounding rude. When she heard the trigger being pulled on his gun, Gaia looks up and sees the crab flying off the wall. She didn't know how to process that. As soon as she saw the others, she lightly tugged on her arm. "C-could you let go of me, please?" She lightly panics as she didn't want to be rude and completely rip her arm out of his grasp. She watches him shoot the three behind them, and then looks to Ryo. "Well... it'd be slightly easier to avoid letting them touch me if I had my other arm." She tugs on her arm to get it free of his grip and holds onto her staff while Noya was growling rather loudly at the oncoming crabs. As one started to come up to her, Gaia scowls and quickly flips her staff around, using the bladed side quite like a hockey stick and smacked the creature away from her and launching it into a wall. It had taken a couple with it, but they didn't seem as hurt at the one she originally hit.

Noya had gotten herself tucked into Gaia's shirt and her cloak to not fall off while she swung her staff. Noya then hissed as she seemed to notice something up ahead, passed the crabs. Gaia glances up, and groans as she sees something of color peeking out from a corner in this whiteish/bluish cave, as well heard water somewhere near it. "What is that?" She grumbles before Noya seemed to act a little funny before she buried herself in Gaia's shirt, making her let up a quiet shriek from how squirmy her pet was being. "N-Noya!" Gaia felt a pinch on her leg, her leggings being cut as the pincher from one of the crabs got her. She hisses as she looks down to her now bleeding leg, and the crab getting ready to go at her again before she pulls her leg back before she kicks it away from her as hard as she smacked with her staff. She felt the stinging on her leg after she did that. The tarot reader wasn't able to reach for the ferret, but she needed to quickly ignore the movement on her back as she swung her staff again to smack at the crabs, letting the blade rake over three more of them before she smacked the last one into a wall like the first one. She makes sure the top of her sweater covered her face rather well, and wasn't going to fall down, before she glanced over to Ryo.

"With how Noya's reacting to whatever's that way I think there's-" She pauses as he noticed a few bodies on the ground by the wall, close to the corner where she saw the greenish plants peeking out. They were rather frozen, and she could see a couple of them were trying to cover their mouths. Gaia's gloved hand instinctively went up to her own mouth over the sweater, and covered it. Noya's squirming stopped, before she waited and scurried slightly up and squeaked from under the mages shirt. Gaia glances to the corner again, keeping her hand on her mouth as she goes over hesitantly to investigate what it was exactly that she saw. She tried to keep her eyes off of the frozen bodies, but she made sure she didn't step on them too. When she rounded the makeshift corner, Gaia noticed a hot spring, as well as some greenish moss on the walls at the far corner of the cave, where it seemed to end. "Well... I think this might of been it..." She heard herself mutter aloud. "How much do you bet this might have something to do with it?" She looked to her other gloved hand, as Noya was squirming again, and she had some difficulty trying to not wriggle from the feeling of the pets fur on her back. She wasn't sure if these plants here were the cause of the peoples death, or if they were just poorly dressed for this cave.

Words: 877
Total: 2898

HP: 270

The moment that she tugged her arm, Ryo let go of her. He was happy that she was stable enough to handle things, and his hand was only to be a steadying presence. Now that she was stable he had no desire to keep her from protecting herself. Now that he had both of his hands however he would be able to deal out death at a much faster pace. He didn’t need both of his hands to shoot his pistol, but with his hands free he could pull out playing cards or element cards to throw at the oncoming creatures. He pointed his gun at the crabs that were still behind them and shot them again several times littering them with more cards. He wouldn’t kill all of the foes for Gaia, after all, she was in need of the experience. Still, he had no qualms about helping her handle the foes that outnumber her in such a margin like this. He would keep the enemies off her back to make sure she had a fair chance at the fight in front of her. Of course, he also was there to make sure that she didn’t suffer a life-threatening injury. This was one of his tasks as a guild master, and he wouldn’t allow one of his sabers to die on his watch.

Ryo didn’t have long until he suddenly had to turn and look at something. He quickly whipped around to look at Gaia trying to figure out what happened to make her cry out so loudly. He saw her deal with the crabs and he turned his pistol on the ones that she had already slapped away, and he shot them several more times so that they would stay down. Finally, he put his pistol away with a nod “Well, these damned crabs seem to be quite the most irritating of problems. Yet, it seems that all of them in the immediate area have been taken care of.” He said looking at her, then down at her leg. His eyes seem to grow darker for a moment before he looked up into her eyes again while his seemed to return to normal “Well, you should wrap that leg in something. We don’t know if blood will cause more crabs to come.”

Ryo looked to the bodies on the ground, and then to the moss that she was pointing at. He nodded his head with a smirk “I would bet a fair sum of money. That this moss is deadly. It is the only thing out of place here, and I didn’t think that moss would be able to grow in this kind of climate.” He looked at the bodies kneeling over them frowning as he gave them an inspection “Well,” he began as he carefully moved the bodies using his tarot card the ace of clubs to make a stick and move them over. “It seems like these poor souls are covered in moss, and ice. I wouldn’t touch the moss with your hands, or anything at all. I am sure that this stuff will kill you. If our friends here are any indication.” He said gesturing to the bodies with his club made of cards. Standing up he looked to the moss on the walls and took a few steps back “How would you like to remove the moss? Would you like to burn it or do you think we should remove it some other way? Also, I would like you to not engage in the removal effort. At least not directly. I’ll do whatever you say, but please don’t come near the moss. You are far more vulnerable to it than I am.” He said standing up as he spun his club until it became the tarot card once again.

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Total: 2574

Ryo watched with great interest and a slight bit of jealously that Noya could heal wounds with such ease. He could imagine what he could do with such a power from his pets. Still, there wasn’t much hope in wishing for what could never be. Presently, he nodded his head once “Very interesting. I am very glad that you have something like that. It must be very useful to have a healing ability on hand. Sadly, mine is not anywhere near as useful. I have to do a lot more to get such healing.”

He nodded his head as he gave a shrug of his shoulders. He didn’t know much about moss, or any other kind of plant life. So, he was perfectly happy to allow Gaia to tell him how to act. Presently, she suggested they get a sample and take it to someone. Ryo gave a shrug of his shoulders and pulled out some playing cards. He was able to mold them and shape them until he had a small container. He moved towards a patch of moss opening the top of the little box-like container. Once he made the container he gestured for Gaia to take several steps back before he pointed his gun at the moss. With several pulls of the trigger he shot cards into the patch forcing a good chunk of the stuff to fall off of the wall. As he did so he saw that there were spores entering the air and this made him turn around tucking his pistol away and pulling out a pair of cards that he manipulated with his magic to form a mask “Put this on and get back. Don’t breathe in these spores.” He said hurriedly. As soon as he was sure that Gaia was out of harm’s way he made his way to the moss that was now on the floor of the cave. He held his breath mostly just because he forgot to breathe, and he took a sample locking it into the container. Using his magic, he fused the two pieces of the container together making it airtight so that it wouldn’t contaminate anything or hurt anyone. He wasn’t sure what it was going to do, or what it could do so he thought it best to play it safe. With the sample in hand, he stood up and took several steps back. Finally, he turned around and handed the sample to Gaia with a soft smile “I think that you should be the one to deliver the sample to whomever you need to. After all, this was your show, so you should get all the credit. I am just happy that I was of assistance.” He said with as much honesty as he could muster.

He looked to the corpses again and shook his head “However, I don’t recommend we stay. It seems that this cave is very dangerous. I also don’t like the fact that the moss seems to eject spores whenever someone touches it or tries to remove it. I would be willing to bet that the spores are what killed these poor souls.” He gently guided Gaia towards the exit where they came in from. “Let’s get going. The longer we stay the more likely you are to be infected with those spores.” He said guiding her towards the exit “I think we have accomplished what we were asked to.”

WC: 3,144

Ryo nods his head lightly “I haven’t been able to find many of Gora’s kind either. He is a rarity even among the world of magic. This is why I value him so deeply. That, and the chance of our meeting along with the bond we have developed. It’s nice to have such a partner isn’t it?” he said looking fondly towards the path where they had originally come down.

He nods his head lightly. With a soft smile that was wide enough to show his teeth elongated and gleaming in the light of the cave. “I am not human. Yet, I resent it as much as I revel in it. I am a vampire. It was the only way to save my life at the time. Frederick and I went to exterminate a nest of them. Yet, I was weakened, I was drained of much of my magic. So, when the surprise attack came, I was unprepared for it. The employer himself turned out to be a vampire and so he turned me as my payment. It was either become this or die. I am glad I chose this. I was here for the guild, I was able to save it from the elders. Yet, at the same time, I resent it. I am a squalling child whining that the rules of the game are stacked against me. I am sorry for droning on in such a boring fashion. I usually don’t discuss it whenever I can help it.” He gave a deep bow removing his hat to place it over his heart. After a moment he stood up straight and returned his hat upon his head “As for you, yes just you. As a Vampire, I need not breathe, and it seems these spores are only able to kill when they enter your lungs.” He gently guided her back along the path they had originally taken “The bodies have moss growing on them now, but it is new growth. Also, a lot more of the moss is growing from inside of their bodies out, the throat, eyes, nose, and their ears. I would guess that it means the spores grow from the inside out. I can’t even smell the blood of these beings. Even in rotting and dead I can smell their blood if it was still in their veins. I can only assume that these spores eat the bodies from the inside out. After all, a body is a warm dark place perfect for moss and mold I would think. At any rate, we need to be away. I don’t need to breathe, but you do.”

As they left Ryo looked to Gora “Give Gaia a proper return home. I…I must go.” He said his eyes slowly becoming two pools of blackest night. He gave Gaia a bow and then fled into the forest. He had gone too long without drinking, he needed to feast now, and he wouldn’t do so in front of Gaia, or take from his beloved Gora.

WC: 3,648