[Event] Will-o'-the-Wisp (Aura/Itori)

Event Details:

It was a beautiful day as Itori approached the town of Oshibana, where she would be enjoying the harvest festival together with her beloved. Of course when she called it a beautiful day she was using her own standards: a day where you could hear the wind rustling through the leaves, a day where you could smell the results of a good harvest, a day where the last of the summer's warmth was finally dwindling away to give way for the chill of winter that would slowly build up in the weeks and months to come. A day where you could hear children scream in enjoyment and adults chatter away as everyone, regardless of age or occupation, enjoyed the festival.

It was a scene that Itori had observed many times throughout her life, but it was still one that she appreciated a lot. She found it one of the best times to observe the beauty of life. There might be festivals which were more lively or more sacred, but it was during the harvest festival that you got to see something as simple as humans living their lives and going through the yearly cycle of preparing for the winter so they might see the next spring.

Of course aside from all that sweet goodness there was also something to be more wary of. During the time when summer finally disappeared and winter began to take shape the barriers that separated the realm of men from the realm of spirits weakened, and those spirits with more nefarious intentions liked to use the opportunity of the encroaching darkness to wreak some havoc before returning to their home.

Not that Itori was expecting that to be a major issue this time around, but it was something to keep in mind as she listened to the sound of life and joy and enjoyed the time spent with Kenna.

"It appears that the festivities have already picked up quite some momentum." She said this as she looked at Kenna, her expression as almost always a gentle smile. "Do you have any suggestions for which activity you would wish to partake in first? There are many options." Indeed, as the people celebrated a good harvest there were many stalls with food and games, and other more elaborate activities.

WC: 382
TWC: 382/1,500

There was a pleasant smile adorning the demoness' face as she walked alongside her lover towards Oshibana. Sure they had more than enough ways of transportation to get them there earlier, faster and far easier than going on foot was, but there was something about those last few kilometers that had a charm of its own. Oshibana during the transition of summer into autumn; basking in a setting sun, still warm for this time of year, and even time of day. If she had to guess there would be about an hour or two worth of sunlight before the night fully covered the sky in darkness. Maybe three hours, if they were lucky. But to the demoness that was plenty. Night or day mattered not if she was alongside her favorite kitsune. That and, she was no longer truly alone with Itori at this point; there was the egg now too.

The egg; a dragon egg. But not just any kind of dragon egg, she was told, as it was a gift she received from Foros, a world dragon. Foros was a being so ancient and illusive that even the oldest of relics did not document his existence, neither in myths nor actual history, written or drawn. They were said to be the purest of beings among their kin, above dragons and not even belonging to their race, despite their physical traits resembling them so much. It happened as such that Foros' son was a Celestial dragon that had befriended her father during his time as a celestial, and formed an inseperable link with him, yet both were not linked through the bond of Riyenas. Foros had to watch as his son forsook the chance to become a world dragon so he could keep on supporting a now demonized Caradhras, so when word reached him that both had perished he forsook the planet as well to roam in space. Kenna's awakening was a recall for Foros, who returned to find Caradhras' signature within her, and surprisingly, a spark of his son's blessing upon her. So Foros took the risk of granting her the egg; if she were to be worthy the egg would hatch for her and become a guardian. And Foros would allow her to become his Riyenas, his eyes and ears upon this planet and the realms she treaded. But it meant she couldn't part with the egg at any given time. He hadn't told her that, but Kenna had figured that out on her own, feeling that she couldn't leave the egg unattended. The very reason she was bringing it along with her and Itori during the festival. Perhaps not her best idea, but she didn't want to miss out on an extra day to spend with her beloved. It had been a while, after all.

So now she had the egg tucked within her arms like a fluffy little pet, although it was smooth and adorned with a curious circular pattern on its shell, and leant a bit closer into Itori, linking her arm with hers. When asked what to do, Kenna grinned. "I've heard they're having a giant bonfire near the maze, and I'd really like to see that one… totally not because of a rumour that Oshinabana's firework is Fiore's greatest spectacle or anything!" Kenna nearly exclaimed in a very-much faked denial, her eyes casually glancing to the side. Well, it was no secret the fire slayer was fond of fireworks. Especially not if she could join them by making some herself.



[589 of 1500]

Itori was aware of the egg of course, although she didn't know too much about it. Kenna had said that it was a dragon's egg and that it was very important that she would take it with her wherever she went, and the kitsune hadn't seen any reason to pressure the issue. Throughout her long life she'd become very familiar with the signs that there were things she might be better off not prying too much into, either because the information itself was problematic or because the one possessing the information didn't want to feel pushed into sharing it. Not that she thought Kenna was deliberately hiding something from her, but some subjects were easier to talk about than others.

Although what little the demoness had told her already was cause for deep thought. It wasn't uncommon for Itori to be ignorant about something, because even if she was old enough to have seen nations and empires rise and fall she was still only one entity, and could not learn everything. However what was uncommon was for her to know little about a subject because it was so dated that even with her many years it could still be considered before her time. That category was almost exclusively occupied by subjects which trascended both the plane of flesh and the plane of spirit. World dragons happened to fall into that category.

World dragons... the fox woman's frow furrowed ever so slightly as she thought about those words once again. They were supposed to be... more than just dragons. The name implied that they either were big enough to be considered worlds of their own, or their existence was tied to worlds somehow. But whatever the truth was, world dragons were such an ancient existence that even eight millennia of experience didn't let her know than mere rumour and myth regarding them, and she was pretty sure even that already put her miles ahead of nearly every other sentient creature on this planet.

If this was the egg of a world dragon... Itori could only guess at what that could mean. What would happen once it hatched? There were scientists and researchers who would offer their souls to the foulest devils to know. Itori was also curious, although her curiosity worked alongside a certain worry. She didn't think herself paranodi, but something as grand as world dragons simply didn't exist without posing some amount of risk in any form of interaction.

However for now they were supposed to enjoy the festival. She smiled as she felt Kenna's arm interlink with her own, one of her nine beautiful tails gently curling around the demoness's narrow waist as if a furry and fashionable belt. "I have not heard such rumours myself, but I must admit to being curious just what they might have prepared for this festival." Was Itori's gentle response to Kenna's more passionate proclamation that she wanted to go to the bonfire and the fireworks. The kitsune then glanced up towards the skies before turning her gaze back towards Kenna. "However both the fireworks and the bonfire will show their fullest beauty in the dark, where their light will stand out amidst the night sky. I propose that if there is a maze in the vicinity we explore that first, as we have some time to spend before night falls." Truth be told Itori was also quite looking forward to the flashy display, but she was entirely truthful when she expressed the belief that it would look better at night. And what kind of tricky fox wouldn't take the opportunity to outwit a maze?

WC: 603
PWC: 985/1,500

The scent that lingered around Itori was a calming one, and most of the time the demoness found herself soothed by it. Whether this was a perfume or just an aura kitsune's could create was beyond her, but it had become part of the many things Kenna had taken a liking to. And although they'd spent quite some time together recently, the demoness couldn't help but want more of the same. In the end having tried to distance herself from everyone for so long had taken its toll on the demonic heir, as beyond the façade she'd always kept on lingering for the warmth she'd come to lose so many times. And now the warmth had returned, she wasn't planning on making the same mistakes again.

Swapping the egg to her entwined arm for a moment, the egg wasn't all too big in size which actually made it far easier to carry around all the time, Kenna ran her now freed hand through Itori's tail. Her fingers parting the soft fur along the elegant tail almost instinctively, trying to find those weak spots yet at the same time she was doing so almost absent-mindedly, enjoying the softness of her partner. She contained herself to subtle teasing if her touch was true. If anything, she'd gladly show her undying love and passion in a more private setting later tonight… if she could wait that long. A sly smile played upon her lips as she entertained the thought, and hummed softly as she guided the kitsune towards the maze's location. Even if she hadn't made the effort to learn most of the attractions and festivites by heart, which she had, the people at the festival itself would've been more than kind enough to guide them into the right direction.

The entrance of the maze however was all but what she had imagined. No gigantic, rectangular giant bushes forming their impenetrable mess of hallways and corridors, but instead they were greeted by a far-stretching field of corn. It left little to the imagination of the fire mage, and for a moment a rather disappointed expression flashed upon her face. "Well, uh… this isn't quite what I expected…" she mumbled, looking at the craftily-braided wheat arc serving as makeshift entrance to the maze. She felt a magic signature emitting from it, but it felt almost insignificant to continuously take note of. In her hands the egg started radiating a faint heat from its core, to which she rubbed the shell with her thumb as a silent caress. The heat faded again, as if it had been told it was alright. Funny, how this egg had been trying to communicate with Kenna through this way without actually hatching. It felt like it was mimicing and even borrowing her own energy to use it as its own to do so. She chuckled. "It looks like the egg is worrying for no reason again." she said with a smile as she looked at her lover. "What do you say, still worth venturing in, my dear?"




[509 || 1098 of 1500]

Itori's smile widened a bit when she felt Kenna's hand move through the fur of her tail. It was quite a pleasant sensation to have someone brushing her tail even casually, especially when that someone was her beloved demoness who knew how to move her soft fingers so skilfully towards the best spots. Of course she was aware that it also felt nice for others to touch her tails, but the unspoken truth was that the kitsune could spend hours on end doing nothing other than letting her tails be brushed by Kenna.

But today was not the day for that, at least not right now. Maybe later at night after the fireworks had finished? Possibly, although not something she'd discuss beforehand. It might occur naturally or it might not. For now she'd just take Kenna's gentle hand stroking her tail and mildly teasing her and be grateful for it. Any sign of affection from her beloved royal demon was one she'd accept happily. Given that Kenna was moving with purpose Itori silently followed along, assuming that her partner knew the way and wasn't just faking the confidence in her steps, a soft song that only the kitsune's supernatural hearing could pick up on.

The maze wasn't entirely what she'd been expecting, but a second thought made her admit that it was actually quite suitable for the occasion. Rather than growing some complicated hedge pattern they might as well carve a maze out of a giant field of corn. It'd probably be just as confusing to navigate through, or even more so since the walls wouldn't look distinctly structured, and the corn was there anyway. Of course a minor downside was that the maze would have to be cut down before the end of the celebrations but the same would eventually have to happen with any hedge-grown maze. "A bit unusual, but nevertheless rather fitting for the occasion. It is the harvest festival, after all." She actually liked this better than the standard idea of growing a hedge in the right shape. It might lack a certain flair but on the other hand she would call it stylish in its own way.

She turned her head to look at the egg when Kenna stroked it to calm it down, hearing the tune of warmth coming from the little object that the demoness was taking care of so protectively. Turning her attention back to the maze ahead she tilted her head when Kenna noted that the egg appeared to be concerned about what lay ahead of them, one ear twitching as she listened to the song the world was singing. "...Perhaps not entirely surprising the maze consists of more than just twisting passages to lead those within astray. There are signs of magic being used to deliberately confuse those within, although I'd wonder if those were put in place to deal with mages attempting to cheat the maze, or if there were mages around who felt like contributing." Or possibly both. The kitsune gave a light chuckle as she looked towards Kenna. "While we should stay together while inside the maze I am confident I can guide us through it. There are few tricks that can befuddle a curious fox."

With that said unless Kenna had stronger objections to voice the kitsune would guide the demoness into the maze, her ears standing sharp as she listened to the world around her even as she could feel the magic net that lay upon the maze becoming active now that a new challenger had entered its domain.

WC: 594
PWC: 1,579/1,500

The maze itself was dyed orange in the setting sun as they entered, Kenna gladly letting Itori lead her into the maze. Like her, she too could feel how the magic in the maze came alive as they walked underneath the arc, but unlike any other time, this magic wasn't hostile in the least. If it had, things wouldn't have ended cleanly for whomever thought it a good idea to hide within it with hostile intent. Neither she nor Itori were forgiving of such things when push came to shove. But regardless, the demoness had her eyes glancing sideways, taking in Itori's expression and ears with a smile. Seeing her so keen was a joy for the demoness, and she more than gladly complied to the kitsune taking the reins for this part of the festival. After all, she'd be having her moment du grâce soon enough, during the bonfire. A little surprise, as well.

Unsuspectingly they walked on when the walls started to change around them once they were about a dozen meters into the maze. The crops grew thicker and more dense, layered with magic as to make it impossible to see through it whatsoever, after which they grew in size to form a more autumn-like variant of the mazes most people knew to become lost in. Although she would've expected something in all honesty, that wasn't quite what she had been bargaining for. The small yelp that had escaped her might've been proof of that, but the demoness kept a perfect poker face afterwards. Her grip around Itori's arm tightened ever so slightly, but she was quite certain her beloved would've noticed regardless. Heh. Maybe she was growing soft after all this time? The foulest of demons couldn't scare her, but oversizedly growing shrubbery? The horror! "That was, uh, unbecoming of me, sorry." Kenna apologised somewhat sheepishly, embarrassed by her sudden scare.

But apparently those working the maze had taken note of her reactions as well, for a magic signature appeared from their right, traveling through the crop-made walls towards them. Then, a flash, and a tingling feeling running through the white-haired maiden's body, all the way across her skin as light enveloped her. Her arm had become unlinked during it all, the egg pushed into Itori's hands almost instinctively. The egg itself had begun brimming with heat once more, as if it was throwing a tiny egg-tantrum once it was released from her grip. Kenna just didn't want to risk it if the light was anything dubious instead. A fool's mistake to let down her guard so much, even with Itori around… Much to her surprise however, the demoness found herself perfectly fine and in an entirely new wardrobe once the light died down. A black crop top with long sleeves in an intricate design and golden trimming woven into it, a black skirt with similar golden trimming and to top it off a red overcoat covering her back and sides. Somehow her loose hair had been redone and fit into a single, long braid, using jeweled hair ties to keep it all together. In her hands, a small business card with the name of a local tailor, and from behind them, a voice calling out to them. "My compliments from the boss, misses!" The man disappeared before they could turn around properly. Kenna was left fetching for words she couldn't quite find, and turned to Itori. "Well, uh… that was quite the twist. A strange one too, at that. Not quite what I was expecting from a maze's festival… but, I gotta give it to the man, this outfit fits like a glove." The princess said, giving herself a gander. Not bad at all. "What do you think? Does it suit me?" She asked Itori carefully.



[631 || 1729 of 1500]

While there was no reason to worry for any hostility here Itori was still paying careful attention to her surroundings. She'd accepted the challenge of the magical maze, so she would do her best to navigate herself and Kenna through it without a single hitch. As a kitsune she did have a certain amount of pride both in her ability to deceive others and her ability to see through attempts of deception by others. It'd be rather embarrassing if the one who tricked others got tricked herself, after all.

When the magic that was woven throughout the maze woke up in response to their entrance Itori raised her eyebrows as she watched what first looked like a perfectly normal field of corn turn into a jungle of tall stalks. The rustling in her ears told her that it wasn't just their direct surroundings which had been affected either, so they were in the middle of a giant mass of corn. She could see how this kind of trick would quickly leave most people unable to figure out which way to go, or even to remember which direction they came from.

Speaking of sounds in her ears, she turned her head to stare at Kenna with mild surprise when the demoness was apparently rather taken aback by the challenge before them. When her beloved apologized for the outburst Itori chuckled again, a bit louder this time as she stroked Kenna's side with her soft tail. "What would you apologize for? Your surprise is praise for those who prepared this challenge for us."

Her ears perked up when suddenly a person approached them, using magic both to move quickly and to remain obscured for as long as it took to reach Kenna and dress her up. Itori in the meantime suddenly found herself holding onto a rather hot egg, which clearly showed its displeasure at being separated from its mother. The nine-tailed fox smiled as she stroked the egg gently, her fingertips coated with weak flames. From what she'd seen so far the egg responded favourably to heat, so offering it the warmth of Itori's flames should help it stay calm for as long as this development took.

At the end of Kenna's wardrobe change one of Itori's ears was turned towards the man who'd changed the demon heiress's attire, but made no move to address him to interfere with his departure. Instead she looked at Kenna's new appearance, once her beloved asked for her opinion smiling. "It looks wonderful on you Kenna." Her praise was genuine, although of course given her affection for the fiery mage she'd have a rather positive opinion for most outfits Kenna possessed. She gave her partner another handful of seconds to inspect herself (enjoying the sight as well) before holding up the egg and offering it back to Kenna. "But I believe the little one wants to return to your embrace. And we still have to navigate our way through this maze."

Once Kenna had received the egg and once again put it in a comfortable spot the kitsune would lead the three of them through the maze. While the mass of stalks made it futile to navigate by sight Itori's ears were still working perfectly, which meant that with every step she refreshed the map in her head formed by the echoes, no matter how soft those were. The fact that the walls weren't completely solid limited her range, but at the same time they were significantly denser than before so overall she still had little issue finding her way through the maze.

It didn't take very long before the exit on the other end of the maze entered their view, the fox giving the demon a smile which was perhaps just a tad smug. "They did a good job setting this maze up. I imagine that if they were not limited by the fact that the average villager also has to be capable of navigating it they could create a true labyrinth." No matter how amazing the magic that covered the maze was it was hindered by the fact that this was supposed to be a challenge for villagers, people with little magic ability and no special skills. Compared to those the abilities of entities such as Kenna and herself could turn nearly any challenge insignificant.

"And I believe we have arrived in time for the bonfire as well." Before them there was a large gathering of townsfolk, and more were still arriving. The centre of attention was, of course, the large heap of firewood and other forms of fuel which had neatly been arranged to fill a circle of small stones. It was nearly time to ignite it, as the sun was now low enough that soon the orange sky would begin to turn dark blue and the bonfire would become the brightest thing in the area.

WC: 814

Trophies: 3/3