Come Hell or High Water! (The Idol [Mirrored Mask])

@Masha

Luna Fennec had met Masha through a mutual acquaintance of theirs, and had developed something of a crush on the succubus as a result. One day, while Luna was visiting, a treasure hunter came along with an odd request. She wanted the two of them to escort her through a monster infested castle, while keeping her safe, so that she could summon a spirit from a statue of some sort. Luna knew that as a representative of the Rune Knights, she was in no position to turn down a person asking for help. It was a part of her duty to Fiore, and she wasn't about to let the strangeness of the request get in the way of that, so she accepted the job, in hopes that Masha would approve. 


Luna had fought before, and she wasn't about to let a few monsters scare her off. Little did she know what sorts of terrible beasts lay in wait for her at the castle. Of course, with Masha along, the job probably wouldn't be that difficult. It took a few days to get to the castle in question, and Luna had spent them mentally preparing herself for the fight of her life. If this castle had as many monsters as the client said it did, then this would be a long, bloody and drawn out ordeal. 


Backing up to a few months prior, Luna was back behind the Rune Knights barracks, practicing her Ice magic, and trying out a few new ideas. She was trying to include her tails in the casting process when something peculiar happened. She ended up encasing herself in ice. It wasn't as if she were frozen, however, more like she was wearing a suit of armor, which made it a little more difficult for her to move, but could be very useful in extreme circumstances. Strangely enough, the helmet and armor were perfectly shaped to allow her ears and tails some freedom. 


This, however, was not entirely good, due to the fact that these parts of her would be unprotected. But, it wasn't entirely bad either, due to the fact that it allowed the armor to fit a little more tightly than the average steel suit. Another odd occurance was that her  ears had taken on a white hue, almost as if they were reflecting the light of the moon, whilst her eyes glowed through the slits in the helmet. Clapping her hands together, Luna formed a spear out of Ice, and used it to test her movement speed. It wasn't impacted all that much, compared to how badly she thought it might be. She wasn't sure why she had been able to make this armor, but she didn't see any problem with it, and found it quite useful. 


A week later, Luna was sparring with one of the guild members, and unwittingly donned her ice armor as a reflex when they surprisingly attacked her with a real weapon. The armor had saved her life, and given her the perfect opportunity to counter her sparring partner. Punching him squarely in the chest, Luna watched as he flew towards a nearby wall, and smacked against it before slumping down. Luna was justifiably upset, but she knew not to let it get the better of her, and walked out of the training room, and back to her room in the barracks. Luna had spent the rest of her time training herself to create the armor at will, as well as strengthening the spells that she already knew, just waiting for a chance to really push herself to the limit. 


Back in the modern world, as Luna stepped out of the coach, and streched her legs, she couldn't help but notice that this particular castle had a moat, and the drawbridge looked like it had seen better days. This caused Luna to climb back into the coach, while she remembered something troubling from her childhood. She buried her face in her hands, trying desperately to hide her fear, as she remembered being twelve years old, and going on a hunting trip with her instructor, and her sister. Luna had chased an elk across a frozen river, and lost her target. On the way back, the ice cracked loudly beneath her feet, when she was about halfway across the river. Not knowing what to do, Luna panicked, and stopped at that very spot. 


However, much to her surprise, and I'll fortune, her sister rushed out to her, and the ice beneath the two of them gave way. Luna and her sister were both trapped under the ice for a long time, and ended up taking in a lot of water. By the time that their instructor reached them, they had already been unconscious for a few minutes, and both had to be rushed to a nearby hospital. Luckily, neither of them died from the experience, but Luna's sister didn't fully recover, and after a while, reverted into a comatose state, leaving Luna to watch on in horror as her best friend in the world was taken from her. She didn't die, of course, but Luna felt like she had, and felt as though she were solely responsible. 


Ever since that day, she has had trouble with crossing most any body of water, because she doesn't want a repeat of what happened to her sister. She didn't want any other friends to have to go through what her sister was going through. Luna had developed into a fine young woman since then, but her sister, while having physically developed, would likely still be twelve years old, inside of an adult body. It broke Luna's heart to think about it, to think that her sister was in such a state because she had disobeyed their instructor, and chased the target too far. By the time that Luna remembered what was going on presently, a pile of crystalline tear drops had formed below her in the coach. Apparently she had been crying while reliving the experience in her own head. 


Luna often tried to hide her vulnerable side, as she felt that it made her less attractive, or felt that it made others see her as less capable than mages of the same rank. Because of this, Luna being vulnerable around another mage was a rare sight, and something that embarrassed her to no end. Realizing the state that she had allowed herself to be seen in, Luna rushed out of the coach, towards the entrance of the castle, without regard to whether the client was with her. She didn't care at this point, she just wanted to find a hole to hide in while she regained her composure. Unfortunately, she didn't get very far before she remembered the client, and begrudgingly dragged herself back to the coach after drying her face on the sleeve of her uniform. 


Seeing Luna vulnerable once was sheer luck, if it were to happen a second time, she would likely die from the embarrassment. Well, either that, or start screaming unintelligibly. Still, Luna had to focus on the task at hand. The client had given them all of the pertinent details, and they hadn't lost too much time while traveling. Now that they were at their destination, all that mattered were the job, and the safety of the client. Luna was here to represent the Rune Knights, and that was what she would do, even if it happened to get her killed, she was determined to get the job done, and it showed in her eyes, now that she had recomposed herself.

Code:

Post WC: 1265
Personal WC: 1265
Total WC: 1265/14000

Masha wasn't exactly sure why she was assigned to this mission. It wasn't a hard mission. Escort an idiot to a castle, take them into the castle and retrieve some statuette. It was a mission any competent mage could accomplish. Yet she was assigned to protect Ms. Alsarum along with another mage, Luna Fennec. Luna was a Rune Knight Masha had met a little while ago. Maybe a long time ago. The succubus couldn't remember. At one time, Luna would have been a girl Masha couldn't keep her hands off of. She'd have turned on the charm until she'd laid with the Rune Knight at least once. Now, the succubus couldn't stay far enough away from her. The coach seemed much to small. Masha struggled to breathe the entire trip to the castle.

It didn't help that Masha hadn't fed in a while. Her body screamed for the sustenance that came with sex. She'd tried everything other than sex to feed the succubus parts of herself. Nothing came close to giving her enough. It was like sipping tiny mouthfuls when a lake was just waiting to be drunk in front of you. Her body and her mind warred about approaching Luna. Given her pheromones were leaking, the succubus was sure an approach to either female in the coach would have the intended results. She curled into her corner of the coach trying to cover her skin as much as possible. Why had she decided on the miniskirt for her uniform?

Ms. Alsarum, the client, didn't comment on Masha's odd behavior. If anything the client pointedly ignored it, chattering on about something or another. Perhaps she was uncomfortable with being attracted to another woman. Masha couldn't blame her. It wasn't a natural attraction in this case. The pheromones drew out a sexual response regardless of if someone was actually attracted to her or not. The coach grounding to a halt filled Masha with a sense of relief. She let Luna exit the carriage first before bursting from it. The succubus took a deep breath. It would be okay now.

The succubus turned around to see Luna getting back into the coach. Strange. Had something about the castle frightened her? Impossible to tell. The succubus turned back. There weren't any enemies she could see. Tapping into her magic, Masha began to step upon the air. Little puffs of pink accompanied every step. The top of the castle wasn't as empty as it appeared. A few creatures appeared on the battlements. They appeared to be humanoid though their bodies were made of pure shadow. The writhing darkness that made up their bodies gathered into their hands. Masha didn't wait to see what was about to happen. She simply let herself drop. Whatever magic they threw went sailing over her head. A reactivation of magic allowed the succubus to return to the coach.

Stepping down upon the earth, Masha gave Luna a strange look as the Rune Knight returned to the carriage. Had the other mage left the client completely unsupervised? That was unwise. Masha decided not to mention that little mishap. It would only put a wrench into their teamwork. "The drawbridge is likely a deathtrap. Flying to the roof is also not the safest plan. I would suggest crossing the moat and finding an entrance at the base of the castle. Most likely the sewers but we could always get lucky." Masha regarded the castle. Its walls looked sturdy enough. Perhaps... "We could also blast a hole in the outer hall. It could take some time and..."

"You can't!" Ms. Alsarum clutched at Masha's arm. The succubus did her best not to recoil from the unexpected touch. Magic glowed upon her fist before she managed to force it back down. "You might destroy the statuette or any clues we'll have to its location! You two are powerful mages! Can't you just get rid of everything in your way?" Masha sighed. What a naive way to look at things. They couldn't solve every problem or make everything easier simply because they were mages. Well Masha could but she was the exception. A prodigy really. That didn't mean she charged headfirst into the hardest option presented though.

"It isn't that simple, Ms. Alsarum. The castle has protectors, the numbers of which, we can't predict. There is nothing to tell us whether heading in over the drawbridge will lead us to our doom. We have to enter the castle carefully..." The client wasn't even listening. She'd started toward the drawbridge with a determined look in her eye. Masha scowled fiercely. Why had she been stuck on this job again? "Ms. Fennec, protect that idiot please. I'll deal with the creatures on the battlements." The succubus didn't wait for a reply. The wind blew fiercely from the force of her take off.

Masha muttered to herself the entire way up to the battlements. "Absolute idiot...Can't follow simple orders.... wish Arty was here." The last statement nearly stopped the succubus cold. There was a part of her that was unnaturally fixated upon a mage she'd met months ago. She knew it was wrong, knew that she should find a way to fix it. Yet it was a strangely comforting fantasy, a piece of something she could hold onto. Masha wasn't sure if she really wanted to be rid of it. Not at least until she was sure nothing would become of her and Artemis. It would probably work out that way. Masha wasn't a good long term lover. She didn't know how to 'love'. What was 'love' anyways? Could someone as broken, as damaged as her ever truly find that wonderful miracle?

A bolt of dark energy brought Masha back to her senses. This was a mission. She needed to get her head back into the game. Charging her palm with power, the succubus returned fire. The battlements quickly erupted in explosions of pink. Her opponents were tossed every which way. Some fell off the battlements entirely. The remainders were stunned from the sudden blasts. The succubus didn't waste time finishing them off. With the battlements clear, Masha alighted upon the roof. "All clear up here!" She called down to the drawbridge. Hopefully Luna had been able to handle everything below.

WC: 1045
2,310/14,000

Stuff:

Luna had nearly forgotten that Masha could fly, and her breath was taken away by the grace and agility with which her idol and mentor could navigate her way through the air. It was a form of art in motion. Luna could hardly take her eyes off of the succubus until she remembered the order that she had been given. Taking note that her charge had a slight lead on her, Luna made her way into the castle to catch up to the determined woman. Upon reaching her, Luna realized that the two of them had been impeded by a rather large fiend. This was not going to be easy by any means. "Find somewhere to hide."


 After saying so, Luna swept her right hand over her body. Ice formed below each foot, in the shape of the soles of her footwear, before beginning to creep slowly up her legs. Luna was wearing pants on this occasion, which was lucky for her in the sense that she didn't have to go out and buy a new skirt once this was over. Upon reaching her tails, the ice mimicked the pants by circling around them to leave tail holes. This was also fortuitous, as Luna's tails we're extremely sensitive. 


The ice continued creeping up Luna's body, mirroring her form and clinging tightly, as it worked it's way around her ample chest, and up her neck before encasing her head, leaving holes for her ears, and mouth, and becoming completely transparent in front of her eyes. The ice also flowed down her arms, to her hands. Other than a select few places, Luna was now completely encased in a surprisingly flexible armor made from Ice. Barely avoiding being hit by a punch from her opponent, Luna smiled, and clapped her hands together. The frigid form of magical energy she used was being channeled directly to the space between her hands, which grew larger as a spear formed in that very space. Luna took hold of the spear and narrowly avoided being punched yet again. 


She retaliated quickly, slashing the cheek of her opponent before backing up in order to gain some distance. Thrusting her left hand out, Luna created bars of ice on each side of her target, which began closing in as Luna slowly closed her fist. Once the bars had finished closing in,  Sarah Luna cleched her fist, causing the bars to stick into the ground, as a solid roof formed atop them. Luna believed herself to have successfully trapped the target, and rushed forward to stab it.


However, upon coming within reach of it, she was surprisingly backhanded through a wall. This particular target surpassed Luna in many ways, and it's raw strength was more than enough to make it a threat, especially since it could so easily break through the bars of Luna's ice prison. Something was very wrong here. As Luna recovered, she couldn't help but notice a sharp pain, whenever she tried to move her left arm. She had to do something quick, otherwise her very survival was at stake.  Knowing that the job was what she needed to focus on, Luna walked back out to face the Shadow Lord. 


There was a fire in her eyes, as Luna knelt down, and placed her good hand on the floor. After channeling a little energy into it, a one inch thick sheet of ice started to expand outward from her position. Upon stepping on the ice, rather than slipping and falling, the shadow Lord broke it. A crack developed, and made it's way under Luna, and clear to the other side of the ice. Luna knew she was in trouble, and yet, she wore something of a satisfied smile on her face. Perhaps knowing that there was such a strong opponent that she could fight made her happy. However, this happiness wouldn't last long, as she got slammed through another wall, and her armor shattered. 


At this point, Luna realized just how bad her situation really was. Her armor and weapon had been broken, her cage had been broken, and her left arm was broken. It wouldn't exactly be easy for her to fight like this. Hopefully, the client would have been able to hide somewhere good. After all, it wouldn't do to lose the client, because then how would they get paid? Luna had stopped thinking about the job for a moment, as she made her way back out to the main hall. 


She smiled up at the shadow Lord, and could taste something in her mouth that she normally didn't. It was her own blood that she tasted, and it didn't bother her in the slightest. Luna knew that she was on the wrong side of a losing battle, that she was fighting up hill. However, she also knew that she had to protect the client at all costs, including her own health. 


Luna charged some of her energy into her right hand, and made a fist before punching in the direction of the shadow Lord, creating a fist roughly the size of a person right next to them, which slammed into them quite forcefully. However, this attack did nothing more than anger the shadow Lord, who punched Luna hard enough to send her flying back to the coach, knocking out the door on the other side. 


Upon regaining her senses, Luna exited the now damaged coach, grumbling a complaint about the damages coming out of their pay before charging across the drawbridge once more. She knew that she couldn't win, but she had to at least buy time. If the client could get to Masha, then the job could be finished. At this point, Luna no longer cared about her own survival. So long as the job got done, she didn't care if she got to see the end of it. Standing in the doorway, Luna raised her right hand, and sent several bursts of energy to it, which took the form of several shards of ice that launched towards the shadow Lord.

Code:

Post WC: 1,009
Personal WC: 2,274
Total WC: 3,319/14,000

Masha stood atop the battlements for a time, watching the woman fight below her. It was equal parts frightening and frustrating. Luna knew how to fight. That much was evident in the way she moved. However, the other mage was undisciplined in the way she was fighting. This was a single opponent. They had an entire castle to clear. Perhaps even stronger opponents to face. She should have been retreating. Conserving her mana pool as much as she could. Chip away a little health, get away. Engage only to find the various abilities of the opponent. Instead it appeared the other mage was going all out. Luna looked to be almost as much of a liability as the client was.

When Luna was thrown back into the coach, Masha decided she needed to step in. "Aodhfin, Caius, Dewi, Morthos, Shevarra, if all of you wouldn't mind, I need a hand." She called out to the air. Her servus could chose to summon themselves thanks to her magic. Wasting mana to summon all of them would make her a hypocrite. Without waiting for a reply, the succubus reached for her other powers. With a small burst of pink sound, Masha teleported in front of Luna. Well more to the side of in case the other mage was throwing a spell. Wouldn't want friendly fire to happen.

"You need more training." Masha said without looking over her shoulder. "A lot more training before you're ready for jobs like this." The Dies Irae representative was unable to keep the disdain out of her voice. Their opponent was gearing up for something. "Now would be a good time." She muttered, dropping into a fighting stance. A multitude of voices hit her at once in response.
"Aw but we was just abou' ta..." "We'll be there momentarily, Masha. Don't mind this idiot." Dewi yawned, loudly. "I think you can handle this without me."

A tall man in a blue suit lined with white appeared next to Masha. "I am here to serve at your whim, my lady" The succubus favored him a smile. "Take care of that, would you Caius?" She gestured imperiously at the shadow lord. The thing was nearly ready to attack. "Of course my lady" The vampire bowed blurring as he moved to attack. A great flaming bird appeared above the succubus moments later. "I apologize. Mah mothah-" "Doesn't approve of these collaborations, yes I know. Ms. Alsarum is running around here somewhere. Please find her for me, Aodhfin and keep her safe." The bird bowed his head, flying off to find the client.

Satisfied things were taken care of, Masha turned toward Luna. Caius could be seen in the background zipping about the Shadow Lord. He was tearing large chunks out of its form with his bare hands. It had turned its attention on him. The vampire was easily the bigger threat than the two ladies by the ruined coach. Masha gently placed her hand upon Luna's shoulder. "This might hurt a bit." She said before sending healing pulses through the other woman. The vibrations moved through Luna's body, restoring cells to their proper state. Once Masha was satisfied with the amount of healing, she stood back up.

"You'll protect the client with Aodhfin." Masha ordered, glancing about. Two more beings had appeared behind her. They weren't what drew her gaze, however. "Don't argue. We don't have time for that." The succubus pointed toward the drawbridge. It was what had drawn her gaze. Shadowy figures were pouring across it. They ranged in many shapes and sizes. "The forces in the castle will throw everything they've got at use until we yield now. We can't fight among ourselves. Shevarra, Morthos, slow them down." The two beings snapped to attention. Well one of them did. The other gave a small nod.

They were an odd pair to behold. The male being appeared demonic in nature, cloven hooves, prehensile tail, large horns curling back on his head and vibrant red skin. However, the aura exuding around him was that of happiness and mischief. Nothing malicious floated about him. His impeccable suit complemented the red dress of his companion. The female being beside him had beauty that rivaled Masha's. She was pale, sporting vibrant red hair and eyes. A red dress sheathed her form. The aura about her spoke of royalty but also of kindness. She was the one that nodded to Masha.

As the pair moved toward the shadowy horde, Masha turned toward the shadow lord. Caius hadn't brought it down yet. That was a testament to its strength. "Mercedes? Shall we roast our opponent?" A small red dragon laid upon the succubus' shoulders. She looked toward the shadow lord. "Of course!" Masha laughed at the little dragon's enthusiasm. Moments later, a large fireball erupted from Mercedes' mouth. Caius dodged under the fireball. It looked almost intentional or as if Caius and Mercedes had fought many battles together. The shadow lord screeched its displeasure.

"Enough of you." Masha said, her voice cold. "Go back to the shadow." Her palms began to glow pink. The shadow lord disintegrated under a barrage of pink explosions. Masha allowed a small smile to grace her lips. As one, the succubus and her summons turned toward the horde of shadows. "Shall we?" "We shall, my lady" They all began sprinting toward the wave of darkness.

Aodhfin landed next to the ruined carriage. Ms. Alsarum astride his back. "She's a sigh' ta see, ain't she? It's good ta see 'er back in good spiri's again." The phoenix commented. He scratched the ground and settled in to wait. "Ya don' need ta help me. Go on in der an' 'elp 'er out if ya wan' ta. I won' stop ya. Just don' be goin' an' gettin' yerself killed." The phoenix turned his head to look at the castle. He began muttering to himself about fine stonework. It was clear he was letting Luna join the battle if she wanted to while allowing himself plausible deniability.

WC: 1005
PWC: 2050
4,324/14,000

Luna was no stranger to the venom behind Masha's words. Not that she had experienced it from Masha before. If anything, she was the last person that Luna would expect that from. Luna was at a loss for words, as she was seemingly rendered irrelevant.


/Not again..../


The last time that Luna had heard these words was when her mother called her a monster, after the incident with her sister. Luna felt as though the entire incident had been her own fault. Her sister was in a coma, her mother hated her, and her instructor was the only one whom she could trust. Her instructor was the only one who cared more about the fact that the two of them were still alive, than about who had done what. Still, this didn't exactly make Luna any happier. She had made several attempts on her own life over this, but none were successful. It wasn't that she didn't try. Someone just happened to get in the way each time. That someone was her instructor, who offered her every reassurance that things would get better. 


/Right....better.../


They did not, but Luna had temporarily been persuaded against further pursuit of this particular course of action. And now, now her thoughts were being drawn back into that dark place.


/Why am I even here? It's not like I'm actually helping anyone./


Luna began asking herself why she had even taken this job, around the time that Masha sent one of her summons to find the client.


/She probably doesn't even like being around me. So why do I even bother to waste her time? Just because I like her, that doesn't mean that she likes me back./


Luna had fallen for Masha upon first meeting her, so her reaction towards the way Masha had spoken to her was quite strong.


/She'd probably be better off if I wasn't around. Besides, there's plenty of other people that liked her before I did, and she doesn't mind their company as much as she does mine./


Her mind had been made up, and not for the better. When the summon had returned with the client, Luna had listened to everything except for the last sentence. It wasn't that she didn't hear the words. She simply didn't have any intention of heeding them.


/If I can't even finish a simple job like this, what good am I anyway?/


She walked across the drawbridge, not bothering to cast any spells, save resummoning her spear. She may have been upset, but she still had her pride, and wouldn't go down without a fight. Luna charged into the wave without a second thought, piercing through it with her spear, as she donned her armor once more. She could feel a renewed vigor as she thrust her spear into the heads of a few shadowy beings. While not damaging to them directly, it did take them off guard just long enough for her to slash through their forms.


/Why am I still trying?/


With every action, Luna seemed to be caught between anger and grief. She had once again let down someone that she cared deeply about, and she could have easily prevented it, if she had acted in a more sensible manner.


/I'm just being stubborn, if I keep going all out like this. She already told me that I'm worthless. So, what's the point?/


Truth be told, Luna had been wondering for a while now, why it was that Masha seemed to tolerate her frequent visits, even though she clearly had no interest in Luna. Was it out of pity? That was the only rationalization that made sense to Luna in the moment.


Luna let out an audible sigh as she looked around her, while narrowly avoiding a few attacks. Masha seemed to be handling this with little to no effort, whereas Luna had to concentrate even against one enemy. Luna knew that she needed more training. She knew how irresponsible it was for her to take a job this advanced so soon in her career. However, she had wanted to make a good impression on Masha, as well as her superiors. Sadly, life has a funny way of causing people to fall short of their own expectations at times.


/Just another reason, as if I needed one./


Luna's aura was darkening quite rapidly as she continued to press forward with a bored expression on her face. After what felt like all of five minutes, Luna found herself in a hallway by herself, with a hidden wall closing behind her.


/Well, someone is certainly entertaining some entertaining thoughts. Tell me, though. What is it that you desire most?/


/I.....I need.....I need to be stronger..../


/Well, strength is definitely a requirement in your line of work, but I'm sensing something else. Why is it that you desire to be stronger?/


/I just want her to see me for who I am. Not as some weak little girl playing pretend, but as a legitimate mage, and more importantly, as a woman. I'm tired of disappointing everyone./


/Okay.... there's a lot to unpack there. But, let's cut to the chase. I can actually help you out write a bit./


/You can help me? How? I can't even help myself. How do you expect to be able to help me?/


/It's quite simple, all you have to do is ask./


Luna had no idea that she had been communicating with one of the shadow beings this entire time. The offer was quite tempting, and Luna could benefit from some newfound strength. However, something didn't seem quite right about the offer. It seemed a little too perfect. Upon realizing this, Luna stabbed the air around her until she felt something solid at the other end of her spear. She stabbed seventeen more times before watching a puff of black smoke appear, and then dissipate.


/That was close, I need to keep these things out of my head. Besides, a little extra strength won't make me suddenly useful. Well, I should probably find my way back before she sends someone to find me./


Luna eventually found her way back through the network of hallways, and continued fighting alongside everyone, still curious as to whether or not her presence made a difference other than irritating Masha.

Code:

Post WC: 1,049
Personal WC: 3,323
Total WC: 5,373/14,000

Masha didn't have a clue about the impact her words had had. For being a succubus, the redhead could be exceedingly blind to other people's crushes. Perhaps there had been many over the years that she'd grown blind. It was a fault she'd never had to correct. No one had bothered to call her out on it. Many of those crushing on the succubus had remained in the shadows. Those that hadn't received their one night of fun before Masha moved on. Not that she did that much anymore. She wanted to be a better person.

Caius was probably the only one that noticed the impact that Masha's words had on Luna. The vampire smiled victoriously. Another win for him. At least in his mind. He even went out of his way to help Luna clear a path across the bridge. It wasn't in any way overt. His manipulation of the battlefield was as subtle as could be. Those upon it were his pawns. Subtle movements ensured nothing stood in Luna's way before she vanished into the shadows of the castle. Caius was internally pleased with the progress of his plan. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said of his mistress.

Masha noticed Luna vanishing into the castle. "Luna! Luna! Stop! Gods damn it!" She tried to fight towards the castle entrance. The shadow fiends were too dense though. Every attempt she made only resulted in failure. Masha was pushed back again and again. Her attempts became increasingly panicked. Wounds opened up across her body. Her frantic attempts to break through caused everything to fly out the window. There was only the desire to reach Luna.

Suddenly the area around her was cleared. A hand was laid on her arm. "Masha, calm down. Panicking will not help her here. Luna is a big girl. She makes her own choices. If you want to help her, we need to stay focused." Masha took a moment to recognize Shevarra. Her cheeks colored. She'd gone overboard. Lost control. It only proved how far she still had to go. Masha's head lowered. "You're right. I'm sorry." Shevarra smiled kindly. With Morthos and Caius covering their retreat, the vampire queen led the succubus off the bridge.

"'ere ya 'ake care o' da lady. I'll 'elp dem out." Aodhfin said, depositing the client next to them. The phoenix took to the air. His fiery breath bathed the bridge. Masha knew he wasn't using his full potential when the bridge didn't melt. The true heat of his breath would have eliminated the bridge. "I never should have brought Luna with me..." She murmured watching the battle. Masha flinched seeing her summons - no, her friends - taking hits. The succubus hated seeing them get hurt. Ironic seeing how many people she'd hurt. Shevarra wrapped an arm around Masha's shoulders. "You're her senior, her mentor. Respect her decisions and guide her. That's all you can do."

Masha buried her face in Shevarra's chest. "I hate this." The vampire queen smiled slowly. Her hands rubbed Masha's back. "I know, Masha. Its why I made a contract with you. That's why Morthos made one with you too." Masha laughed softly. "I thought he only made a contract cause you twisted his arm." Shevarra smiled slightly, spinning Masha around. "That might have been part of it. Doesn't matter. There is Luna."

The succubus took off like a bullet. Shevarra's laughter followed her. The shadow creatures were blown away by Masha's approach. "Luuuunnnaaaaa" Masha cried out before she crashed into the other woman's back. "You worried me." She said trying to drag Luna toward the edge of the battle. Her summons moved to help them getaway. "We need to talk..."

WC: 617
PWC: 2667
5,990/14,000

Masha was shocked by the flippant disregard Luna was showing her all of a sudden. Further yet, the fox cared so little for her life. 'I wouldn't go down alone'? What was the business about being stronger to be of any use to anyone? It wasn't until Luna turned and walked back into the castle that Masha lost it. A dark pink aura surrounded the slayer. Her powers were on full display. Her summons shuddered, feeling her full magical might. "Luna Fennec! Get your furry butt back here right now!" The succubus waited about five seconds. Then she screamed.

Her summons scrambled to get out of the way. The scream was infused with her slayer magic. Everything it touched vanished. Masha kept her head angled upward. The edges of her spell wouldn't touch a hair on Luna's head. It did, however, disintegrate the entirety of the castle. Within seconds, the massive structure was gone. The little that was left standing collapsed in on itself. The client stifled her scream into Aodhfin's wing. In retrospect, destroying the castle might not have been her best move. Especially since Luna was - or had been - inside. The succubus put her palm over her face. She'd really gone and done it this time. At least, there were no more enemies, right?

Masha's summons were already moving to clear out the rubble. They worked swiftly on the areas nearest to the bridge. Aodhfin was the only one that stayed back. Masha had given him a specific order. The slayer walked toward the ruins. "Luna? Get your ass outta there already. We need to talk! Apparently more so now than ever! You can't just talk at me and then say good talk! That's not a talk!" The succubus fired off a pulse. Her echolocation spell granted the succubus a clear look at the ruins. There was Luna.

The succubus climbed up onto the ruins. Using her magic allowed Masha to rapidly making her way over to Luna. Flying let the redhead skip past most of the hindering bits of ruins. She landed beside her mentee. "Luna! Are you hurt anywhere?" If she had been injured, Masha cast another spell to heal up her mentee. Her hands popped onto her hips. "How could you think that speaking at me and walking away was a good talk? I didn't get to say anything I wanted to say! Not to mention everything you said was waaaay off the mark. I don't care about your strength. That comes in time! It's where your head is at that I care about. And right now, I couldn't have the foggiest clue as to where your head is. Talk to me, Luna. I can't help, or improve how I'm trying to teach you if you don't talk to me." Masha sighed scratching her head. Where to go from there? Maybe being honest was best.

"I'm not very good at being a mentor. You've shown me that. I should have been clear about why I wanted you to protect the client and let you tell me why that might not sit well with you. Instead, I ordered it and expected you to follow the order happily. You're not a soldier or a dog. It was wrong of me to treat you as such." Masha bowed at the waist. Her hair became a curtain around her face. "I apologize for my conduct. Please forgive me and help me to become a better mentor." The redhead waited for Luna's response. Once she had it, the succubus slowly stood back up. Scratching the back of her head, she laughed nervously.

"My little outburst may have caused us to fail our mission."

WC: 615
PWC: 3282
7,619/14,000

Masha scratched her head. This teacher thing was harder than she had thought it would be. She had a feeling this was how Ruvel had felt. Especially with her mentor's own personal issues. The redhead sat down slowly on the rubble. Where to begin? She was happy that Luna had opened up to her. Masha wanted to do the same. Her jaw locked up at the thought. Her past was a dark blotch. A stain upon everything she was trying to build. The succubus rubbed her forehead. How to start? Why was being a teacher so hard?

She decided it was best to let Luna get it all out of her system. Wait until the end to try and address the little bits that were clear. Best case scenario: They'd still be mentor and mentee at the end of it all. Worst case scenario? Luna hated her forever. The redhead took a deep breath. She could do this. Her past was needed to reach her student. To help Luna understand why Masha had been the way she'd been. Her throat was frozen though. She could feel the hands. Hands, pressing into her flesh. The voices, ever mocking, leering, laughing. The helplessness unable to move, breathe or scream. It welled up inside Masha until she wanted to scream. Yet nothing came out.

Her face twisted with the pain of her own memories. She needed to start elsewhere, to begin with. Otherwise, she'd never get anywhere. "I apologize Luna. I didn't take the time to understand you, where you were coming from, what you needed from me as a teacher. I apologize for that. And I forgive you for acting like a child. It was a result of my own ignorant actions so you can't be held accountable anyway." Masha ran a hand through her hair. Irritated with it, the succubus put it up into a ponytail. There, all out of the way. Back to the mentee.

"There's a lot to unpack here for the both of us. Thank you for opening up to me. I'll try to do the same but... it isn't easy for me. People have repeatedly hurt me in the past. It makes it hard to trust anyone. It's why I used that tone, why it might have seemed like you were bothering me. That is my shield for keeping everyone out. I've been working on breaking it down." Masha leaned back in the rubble. She understood Luna's desire to be stronger. To stand alone or stand as equals with someone without being rescued. Masha felt the same desire though for an entirely different reason. "Being strong... isn't all it's cracked up to be. You break after a while, from standing too strong for too long. We all need to be delicate princesses sometimes... even males. Otherwise, we fracture. That fracturing can do terrible things to a person."

A long breath escaped through Masha's shapely lips. There was the opening for her terrible past. [color=hotpink]"I'm sorry about your sister. About your family's troubles. However, don't blame it on yourself. Bad things happen without reason, with many a consequence. If I'd believed everything that happened to me was my fault... I wouldn't be here, talking to a gorgeous woman. I'd be dead somewhere, another victim for the cause." The redhead chuckled softly to herself. Sitting up, Masha pushed down the side of her uniform pants. Her fingers tapped against five thin scars upon her thigh. "This is the only physical mark of everything they did to me. Everything else is..." The redhead tapped her temple. "All in here. Funnily enough, it makes it sound like I found the perfect student. Someone that is able to control her desires around me and someone I can connect to..."

The Dies Irae soldier realized she was rambling and probably not making much sense. She pulled her pants back into place. "Let me explain. I was human initially. At least, I like to think I was. Then my parents gave me away - or so the scientists always told me. My body was ripped apart and put back together thousands of times. I trained until my bones broke, my muscles snapped. I was... used in other ways as well. The perfect succubus soldier. Able to seduce her way to the target or failing that, beat her way through an entire army. It was hell. I always thought 'if I was stronger'." Masha sat back down heavily. Some of her hair popped free to hang down in front of her face. "Then they broke me. Shattered my mind into hundreds of shards. Like that, I was useless to them. They handed me to an Incubus, believing he might fix me... That isn't what he wanted to do though..."

The succubus looked up at her mentee. Her hands were fisted in the fabric of her uniform. She couldn't say any more. The remaining memories were too painful. "The thing was, I was strong then. I let them break me because I focused on my perceived weakness. Just like they wanted me to. You will always fail to grow as long as you focus on only your weaknesses. Let others fight beside you and protect you. Even though you don't want to. Being strong isn't just about power. It's knowing when to step back when to let yourself be rescued."

Masha got to her feet. This pity session was over for her. Nothing good came of this kind of talk. Only dark thoughts. "Search your feelings before saying you like me. I seep a constant pheromone that attracts others to me. That might be all your feeling. Get back to me when you're sure how you feel." She smiled down at Luna. Extending a hand, Masha gestured towards the ruins. "Shall we fight whatever's coming together? I'm sure it will be a piece of cake if we work together."

WC: 983
PWC: 4265
9,607/14,000

Everything happened faster than the succubus could comprehend. One moment, Luna was opening up. Next, her mentee was flying through the air. The minotaur didn't give them any time. When Luna's eyes locked with Masha's, the succubus screamed. She couldn't put any power behind it, lest the spell hit Luna as well. It was a manifestation of her frustration and helplessness. She'd only just told her mentee to rely on others or it would get her killed. Now the redhead might watch Luna die.

The moment the Minotaur threw Luna away, Masha went into action. "Shevarra, Morthos, hit it on the right! Aodhfin, above! Caius hit it from the left!" She shouted out orders as she rushed the beast. Masha wanted to send one to help Luna. However, Luna had asked to be on the front line. She'd asked to be trusted with that responsibility. Until the fox girl asked for help, Masha needed to treat her as a warrior might. The loss of the tail probably shocked Luna but it wasn't life-threatening as far as the succubus knew. Her power lit up her palm. Time for some payback.

The first strike detonated against the minotaur's ribs. It didn't seem to even notice the attack. Its attention focused on Masha though. She grinned cheekily at it. "That's right, big boy. Mama came out to play!" A tentacle slapped against the minotaur as Masha swung with her left hand. Another detonation rocked the beast. It bellowed in rage. One massive fist raised to end the gnat who dared attack it. The redhead chuckled, flicking her wrist a few more times. The tentacle detonated with each strike. The area around the bull man's head filled with smoke.

The brief loss of sight halted the attack. Masha slipped away under the cover. That's when her summons arrived. Aodhfin destroyed the area with a large fireball. The fur of the minotaur caught the flames. As it flailed and bellowed, Caius - in the form of a wolf pack - slammed into its back. Teeth scissored through flesh. Morthos appeared next. He was a large blue-black werewolf sporting wicked claws and teeth longer than Masha's whole hand. Furrows were dug into the minotaur's right arm. Each one burned with a black flame. Masha turned away. She didn't need to see Shevarra's attack. The beast would go down.

Luna's soft cry for help reached the slayer's ears. Everything else was forgotten. Her mentee needed her. A pink cloud floated where she had stood as Masha teleported to Luna's side. "I'm here, Luna" Masha murmured touching the fox girl's shoulder. Her eyes roved over the wound. It didn't seem too bad. However, she also knew wounds could be more than simply physical. Masha looked around for Luna's tail. While she possessed a spell that could rebuild it for Luna, having the old one would be easier. Try as she might, Masha couldn't spot it. The succubus placed a hand on Luna's arm. "I'm going to fix your tail. It's going to feel unusually pleasant and intense. I'm also going to have to touch your butt and lower back. That's just me helping, don't think it's anything more, okay?" The redhead placed her hands in position. Looking back at Luna, the slayer unleashed her spell. Vibrations emanated from each hand, flowing through Luna. With each pulse, the vibrations got stronger. Masha could see Luna's tail physically being rebuilt. It would take a little time. The slayer looked up to check on her summons. They weren't looking too good.

The minotaur had punched Morthos. The werewolf clutched his ribs, stumbling around on what looked like a broken leg. Shevarra was trying to pay attention to both her husband and the minotaur. That didn't help anybody. Exerting her will, Masha forced both summons to return where they'd come from. Each vanished in a puff of white. Caius fared better than Morthos but only because of his split form. Two of the wolves were dead. The others were circling around the beast. Aodhfin tried his best to attack from above. The phoenix looked to be faring the best of all her summons. The minotaur looked only slightly hurt. Everything they'd thrown at it had only barely injured the beast.

Masha looked down at Luna. "This fight isn't over yet, Mentee. My summons have done the best they can but we have to finish it off. Caius and Aodhfin can only last so much longer. Are you ready to jump back in there and help them out?" She asked, checking on the progress of the tail. It had almost fully regrown. Thirty seconds wasn't long outside of battle. Inside it, however, thirty seconds was a lifetime. "We'll have to hit this thing with everything we've got. Then we'll retrieve the client and see if anything can be salvaged from this mission." The tail finished reforming. Masha took her hands off Luna and stood up. "Let's go, sweet cheeks. We've got a minotaur to slay."

WC: 833
PWC: 5098
11,452/14,000

Masha could sense, once Luna was up, that there was something the other mage needed to do. As the fox girl attacked the minotaur, Masha pulled back her summons. This was something Luna needed to do alone. Until she asked for help, Masha would only make sure it could be accomplished. Her summons were badly injured. Morthos limped his way around the battlefield. It appeared as if his arm had been shattered and his leg snapped in two. The wolf demon's stubbornness was the only thing keeping him walking about. She dismissed him. Shevarra nodded to Masha in thanks. The succubus smiled while dismissing Caius as well. The vampire's wolf pack form held many wounds. Only two wolves were still moving. Without blood, Caius could fall into a deep coma. Not something Masha desired. Aodhfin seemed to be fine. His flame was bright and there were few wounds that she could see.

The succubus ordered her remaining summons to scour the battlefield. If Luna was to have her revenge, nothing could interfere. Shadows oozed from the ruins. They coalesced into the shadow creatures they'd been fighting earlier. Masha sneered at them. What threat were they now? The minotaur, their lords, soon their most powerful adversaries would soon be dealt with. The shadow creatures were nothing but gnats. Her summons could deal with them for now. The redhead climbed up the rubble. Their client had been left alone. There was no telling what trouble a passionate woman could get into.

Ms. Alsarum knelt at the edges of the ruined castle. Her mouth was agape. Tears flowed freely down her face. Masha got an odd sense of satisfaction seeing the client as such. Ms. Alsarum had been the one to underestimate the threat guarding the castle. Had she been more aware, or let them scout a bit more, the destruction of the castle might have been avoided. The redhead checked over her shoulder. Luna seemed to be doing alright. The minotaur looked overwhelmed. Masha leapt over the edge of the rubble. Her feet slid, sending her sliding down the rocks to stop before the client.

"Miss Alsarum, there is a small chance the statuette survived. Perhaps, next time you request help, you will scout out your intended target. Or better yet, leave the scouting and acquisition of what you are searching for to the professionals. Had you not insisted on accompanying us, we might have accomplished the mission without all this ruckus." The redhead's scolding seemed to bring the client from her stupor. Alsarum got to her feet jabbing a finger in Masha's face. "You'll not see one iota of my jewels! You are a disgrace! Legals are ashamed to have you as part of their ranks! I should have known you were a bad apple! And you're corrupting that other young mage as well! Wait until this gets out! Dies Irae will kick you out if I have anything to say about it! Fiend! Devil!"

The client's rant brought all of Masha's insecurities back to the fore. Since she had just opened up to Luna, her usual shields weren't in place. There was no way Alsarum could have known about Masha's past. It didn't matter, unfortunately. Masha's head wallowed in a pit of self-doubt. A horror that Dies Irae might actually kick her out filled her heart. She hadn't made the greatest first impression. Then the incident with her fanfiction hadn't exactly endeared her to the other members. She couldn't think of a single friend that she had within the guild. Alsarum must have seen the terror on Masha's face. A cruel cold smile spread across her features.

Before she could rip into Masha again, an orange-haired man with tattoos and no shirt appeared beside them. "Yar gonna leave 'er alone, miss. Ya dinna know wha' tee been true. Ya'll no' be tretenin 'er again." He slung an arm around Masha's shoulders. The client withered under his gaze. She moved away from the pair. Once Alsarum was at a safe distance, the man whispered in Masha's ear. "Yar da best, Masha Dymonrel. Don' ya never le' otters tell ya different. Yar past is nuffin but dat. Ya made it out. Ya don need ta listen ta da crackpots. Ya fought fer yer freedom."

It was long moments before Masha patted the man's chest. She smiled up at him. "Thank you, Aodhfin. I'm alright now." The phoenix's lips thinned. Masha tended to forget that he'd been with her the longest. Aodhfin had been with her so long, they were nearly blood. He'd learned her little quirks. Underneath her words, her hurt was evident. He couldn't do anything though. Masha would only push him away. She'd push him so far he wouldn't manage to reach her for months. Instead, Aodhfin stretched a strained smile across his lips. "Alrigh'" The phoenix returned to his natural form and flew away.

Masha returned to the castle ruins. She wanted to check up on Luna. The climb was arduous. Masha got thoroughly irritated as she made her way up. About halfway up, the redhead lost her patience. She leaped off the rubble, using her magic to complete the rest of the climb. "Luna?" Masha called out before reaching the top. "Are you doing alright?" As she crested the top, Luna crashed into the ruins. Masha hurried over to her mentee. The fox's eyes were closed, her armor gone. The succubus put her fingers against Luna's neck. Strong pulse. She wasn't dead then. Merely unconscious from hopefully only overexertion. Either that or the pain finally caught up to her. Masha hoped she hadn't gone so far as to use up the rest of her mana. That would make getting her back to the village rather difficult.

The minotaur snorted in the background. Masha smiled viciously in response. Luna had injured it enough for a smackdown. The succubus would have to thank her later. Utilizing her innate speed, Masha stepped up to the shadow monster. It barely had time to register her presence. A snap of her fingers set off a colossal boom. The minotaur reeled from the sudden attack. Masha sucked in, gathering her power. Silently, she thanked Luna once again for her hard work. All of the power was unleashed in a swirling column of light pink magic. The minotaur was blown away, unable to stand the full might of her power. All that remained of it were two shiny black hoofs. Masha collected those for later use. They might make a fine jacket or some good boots.

With the presence of the minotaur gone, a faint pulse of magic touched Masha's awareness. Her lips thinned in displeasure. It appeared the artifact had survived. Alsarum would get what she wanted after all. Pity. The lack of success might have taught the insufferable woman something. First things first though. Masha gently lifted Luna from the rocks. Her natural strength and a little magical help managed to move Masha's mentee to the outskirts of the castle. Luna was placed gently underneath a tree. "Aodhfin. Please watch over her and keep an eye on Ms. Alsarum. We don't need any more trouble from that woman. Assure her that the statuette will be recovered, no thanks to her."

Masha turned away from her mentee. There was a job to finish now. "Shevarra! I'll need your help with this, dear." The regal vampire gave Masha a curtsey. "Of course, Ms. Dymonrel. Have I mentioned that the two of you make an absolutely wonderful looking couple? I would hope you two are growing closer. Oh, with miss Luna I mean. What a dear, acting all tough but having an innocent vulnerability inside. It gave me chills hearing you open up after so long. It's good that you found someone to help." Had Masha been the blushing type, she might have been beat red. As it was, she tittered at the vampire. "Its nothing like that, my dear. For once, this is simply a friendship. It might eventually blossom into something more but that is for the future. Right now, I don't want anything more. I have a few things I need to fix about myself first."

The two females chatted as they climbed the rubble. Shevarra was a relatively new contractee of Masha's. Things Masha took for granted that her servus knew about her were brought up by the vampire. It was a delight to spend time with someone unaffected by her looks or the pheromone she was forced to expunge. Shevarra paused at the top of the rubble heap. "Do we have to dig, dearie?" Masha raised an eyebrow at her servus. "Is that a problem?' Shevarra shook her head. "No, my lady. I had some concerns about the creatures still within the ruins. They could be hiding near the statuette." Masha laughed, hopping down. She moved over to the area where the signal was strongest. "That is why I brought you, my vampire queen."

It didn't take them long to dig through the rubble. The statuette did have a few protectors. However, Shevarra was easily able to take care of them. The two females hoisted the statuette from the ruins. Ms. Alsarum was pleased to see her investment hadn't been wasted. Masha had nearly smashed the thing in front of her. The woman was irritating beyond belief. Instead, she forced the woman to carry it back to town. She held Luna in her arms, bridal style. That small bit of revenge was another thing she'd have to thank Luna for when the fox awoke. It never would have been possible otherwise.

WC: 1601
PWC: 6,699
TWC: 14,071/14,000