Opportunity Knocks (Lore Event)

The city was incredibly busy that day and even the sure footed kitsune had to be incredibly careful about where she was walking. There seemed to be people of every nation hanging around and although she cared very little about the politics, she knew at least enough to get by. Apparently there was something going on between Pergrande and Bellum, a treaty of sorts that was supposed to be signed after the war that took place. The white haired woman had no preference for either country and had dealt with both in the past. The people of Bellum were a lot more accommodating but Pergrande paid more although they did have a pretty poor attitude towards mages. She always kept her business dealings with them brief, in case they ever decided to turn on her and that was a precaution that would certainly not be changing any time soon. No, she reckoned they’d be even more untrustworthy now, having lost the war so readily. The quest for profit took her all over the place though and she expected that she’d deal with them again, despite the risks.

Her job for the day didn’t actually have anything to do with the treaty at all and in fact she was simply using it as a cover. There was so much going on that it was just the perfect opportunity to retrieve a few beautiful captives and she’d already had some notable success. The ship that she’d arrived on already contained about half a dozen or so and the icy eyed woman wasn’t even close to finishing just yet. She had a quota to meet and her employers were awfully keen on her being punctual. It made sense, of course. One look at the ship’s cargo by the authorities and all hell would break loose. The market for animal/human hybrids was lucrative and the group that had employed her were paying awfully handsomely, far more than her usual pay. She’d accepted the offer on the spot naturally and as she made her way through the crowd, her form undetectable due to her invisibility spell, her head was on a swivel for the next lovely target to catch her gaze.

She didn’t have to wait long either, as a lovely cat girl soon came into view, standing at the back of a crowd who seemed to be watching something going on in the centre square. The voices didn’t sound awfully friendly and from what she could pick up using her enhanced senses, it seemed that there was some kind of protest going on. There were no sounds of violence at that point but the voices were becoming angrier, as was the body language of the crowd. It didn’t take a genius to see that it was just a powder keg ready to explode and Shirayuki didn’t want to spend any more time in the area then she had to.

With that thought in mind, she stealthily approached the girl behind and took her chance, silencing and pinning the girl’s right arm behind her in one swift movement, her invisibility spell enveloping her target from the moment Shirayuki grabbed her. Manhandling the woman away, the white haired woman would easily lift the woman off of her feet and sprint off with her, heading back to her ship. Her victim was so paralysed by fear that she didn’t even try to fight, shivering and shaking, sensations that the Abyssal Fleet mage could clearly feel from her. Shirayuki didn’t even have to warn her about being quiet at all during the journey and soon enough, the large ship came into view, waiting patiently at the docks.

There were two large pirates waiting beside it too, prepared for her return and no sooner had Shirayuki reappeared with her catch, they were whisking the cat girl away into the ship, binding her quickly as they hauled her off. Not a word passed between them, each knowing their job and after a moment of rest, the kitsune turned around and stealthed once more, disappearing into nothingness, heading back towards the city and her next catch.

(686 Words)

There was a different vibe to the place as she made her return and a frown crossed the invisible kitsune’s face as she walked through the crowd again. The hostility that had been slowly building was increasing at a far quicker rate now and as she returned to the spot where she’d abducted her last victim, there was an incredibly different sight now. A full blown riot was taking place, with a few of the natives exchanging blows with the regular humans. It was a rather grizzly sight and Shirayuki was under no illusions that the best place for her to be right now was literally anywhere else. She didn’t want to get dragged into this stupidity and getting caught by the authorities and thrown into a jail cell was something that she just couldn’t be bothered to deal with. With that thought in mind, she turned to leave…

However, her gaze just happened to catch a trio of rather lovely goat/human hybrids who seemed to be doing the most damage. They all looked rather similar and were wielding some kind of grass magic by the looks of it, ensnaring and capturing those who got close to them. Shirayuki didn’t sense any real power coming from them and they appeared rather weak to her but she was sure that she could probably make some good money from them and her desire for jewels started to clash against her self preservation instincts. The fact that they were all together was rather annoying too and would require a little more thought from her or at least effort. The white haired woman didn’t truly want to unleash her magic, knowing that it’d briefly reveal her but what choice did she have? A lovely supply of jewels was sitting right in front of her and she wasn’t going to just let it get away.

Using the continuing brawl to hide the sound of her footsteps, the invisible woman would move around the center square, slipping past the enraged combatants and around the back of the three goat women who were slinging spells. They didn’t seem to notice her magical presence although she doubted they were smart enough to even know how and moved in on them from behind. However, to the surprise of both her and her targets, a massive crossbow bolt would come hurling towards them, forcing the three goats and Shirayuki to swiftly move out of the way. It was quite a potent attack too and as the bowman approached, the kitsune’s eyebrows rose. Standing before them was a large, eight foot lion, clearly a Joyan too, clad in some impressive armour.

“That is enough, you three.” The lionesque warrior roared. “You have caused enough damage for now and the Master wishes for us to regroup and move on to the next stage of the plan.”

“You could have just said something instead of firing your damned bow at us.” One of the goal girl’s replied in a huff. “You could have hit one of us.”

“It was not you three that I was aiming for.” He answered, his gaze seeming to be focusing on something behind them but as the three turned around, there didn’t appear to be anything there.

“You’re getting senile, old man. There’s nothing there.” The goat girl scoffed. “Alright. Let’s get out of here. Come on girls.”

As the four Joyans walked off, Shirayuki followed close behind after a few moments, slightly curious about just what was going but more interested in not allowing her quarry to escape. The lion had not been senile at all and had been staring straight at the stealthed kitsune. Clearly, he was a more formidable foe and the white haired pirate knew that sooner or later, she’d probably have to deal with him. It was unlikely that she could find a buyer for him, as males didn’t sell all that well anyway and her associates preferred females.

For a short period, the group just walked in silence but after that, the lion stopped walking and raised a hand to the females. “It seems that I was not wrong and that we are not alone. You three go on without me while I deal with our unexpected guest.”

The three goat girls looked at each other for a moment before shrugging and moving off, leaving the lion alone in the alley. Drawing an enormous axe from his back, he would turn around and utter to what appeared to be thin air. “I congratulate you on your ability to hide but the time has come for you to show yourself. Show yourself, Coward.”

Tilting her head, Shirayuki pondered for a moment about whether she should do so but with a slight chuckle, she’d then undo her spell, revealing herself to him. “Not bad but I’m afraid that your good senses aren’t going to be enough to save your girlfriends. They are coming with me.”

The lion flicked his ears and growled. “That is the reason why you followed us? No desire to stop us from completing our work? No interest in learning why those three were causing chaos."

“Not particularly.” Shirayuki replied simply. “I’m here to make money and that’s my only reason.”

“A mercenary, nothing more. If you do make a large sum of jewels today, I will see to it personally that you earn them.”

Taking a firm grip of his axe, he would charge forwards and unleash a mighty cleave, forcing the kitsune to dodge to her right.

Drawing her sword and taking a breath, the blue eyed woman then rolled her eyes. There was nothing worse than honourable combat.

(940 Words)
(1626 TWC)

Shirayuki didn’t even bother engaging him in blade to blade combat and simply danced around his attacks, leaping and evading him effortlessly. Her movements were so graceful that it’d seem that she was performing rather than fighting and she made him look incredibly slow and clumsy in comparison. Oh, his attacks were powerful and she certainly wouldn’t want to get his dead on but she just didn’t feel threatened enough to counter attack just yet and simply went on embarrassing him with her footwork. She reckoned that if she messed around enough, he’d give in to his rage and that was when she’d counter. For now, the white haired woman allowed him to simply swing wildly at her, with little hope of making contact. She had him right where she wanted him, whether he knew it or not.

“Were your words no more than just mere bluster?” She eventually said, ducking underneath a powerful horizontal slash, before quickly moving in and connecting with a rather strong punch of her own with her left hand. The point of contact quickly started to freeze over, resulting in a roar of frustration from the hunter as he realised what was happening. She was deathly cold to the touch and just a moment's contact was enough for her ability to take effect. Already he was giving into his anger, which would inevitably lead to his defeat. As he reeled back to survey the damage she’d caused, Shirayuki would take the offensive, her blade turning an icy blue colour as she unleashed one of Ventum Arctica’s abilities. He would try to bring down his blade to counter her strike but he was just a little too slow and her blade slashed him across the midsection, leaving a trail of ice. From the wound, his lifeforce would start to drain out, healing and replenishing Shirayuki’s stamina, much to his anger. What was more, his movement speed began to slow, more than enough for her to realise that he’d be unable to defend himself properly.

“What foul magic is this?” He bellowed, slamming his fist against the wound in order to try and get feeling back into his body. At first, it looked like an act of a panicking wildman but Shirayuki couldn’t help but notice that the wound started to heal somewhat. Some kind of healing magic perhaps? Apparently so and as he tapped into his own magic, he began to grow in height, his rage amplifying his size and she assumed his power. It was irritating but the kitsune simply sighed and engaged him once more. He swung his axe down with all of his power but just as his blade was about to strike her, the kitsune disappeared for a moment, resulting in his eyes widening in surprise.

Unfortunately for him, that was all the time that Shirayuki needed. Reappearing behind him, she would turn on a swivel and force her blade through his right leg, causing it to freeze up completely, before shattering into pieces and sending him crashing to the ground.

Roaring and howling with pain, he’d roll onto his back and grab his missing limb, staring up at the kitsune with hate filled eyes. “A cheap trick but one I expect from a pitiful coward such as you.”

“Standing still and allowing you to cut me in two would be smart?” Shirayuki replied mockingly, her blade pointed directly towards his face. “Cowardice is simply intelligence by another name so don’t waste your time spewing that garbage at me. I want to know where the goat girls are going. Tell me and I’ll make your end quick.”

“The hell with you.” He spat, his left hand reaching for the crossbow that was hanging from his waist.

Her blade came down before he could do so, freezing him solid on impact and ending his life in a moment. The hunter was dead and her mission had just become a lot more complicated. With a click of her tongue, she’d become invisible once again and continue her search, using her enhanced senses to hopefully find the lovely trio.

(684 Words)
(2310 TWC)

It wasn’t all that difficult to track them in truth and as the kitsune swiftly moved through the back alleys in search of her quarry, their scent became stronger. They didn’t even seem to be running from what she could detect and as she turned a corner and one of them came into view, she quickly understood why. Rather than run and hide, the three were instead causing a ruckus once again using their limited magical abilities. In front of them were a group of about half a dozen Joyans, ensnared in the goat womens magical traps and struggling to get free. An entertaining sight for sure and the kitsune couldn’t help but smile at what she was seeing. The trio seemed to be enjoying themselves from the sounds of it and for a moment, Shirayuki wondered if perhaps she should offer them a job working for her. In the end though, she decided against it, preferring to simply capture them and make a nice profit from her usual buyers.

Tapping into her magic briefly, she would combine her slayer elements of cloth, leather, metal and rubber together to create an orb, before launching it into the air and towards the three. The moment she cast her spell, her invisibility faded but that didn’t seem to make much difference as the three goat women were far too interested in their victims that they didn’t even see her until it was too late. Shirayuki’s orb exploded once it reached them, unleashing an immense amount of bindings that ensnared the three completely from head to toe, leaving them as little more than tightly round presents. The locals who’d been captured weren’t exactly safe either given that they’d been in range too and the kitsune now found herself with nine captives rather than just three. How on Earthland was she supposed to get all of them back to her ship without any trouble?

After a few seconds of thought, the white haired woman’s mind returned to what she’d considered before her attack and with a smile, she approached one of the bound goat women and rolled them onto their back. A moan escaped the bound figure but it didn’t seem to be a painful one. Pulling off the blindfold that was tightly tied over the girl’s eyes, Shirayuki would then lean over the woman and speak. “I’ll make you this offer once, goat girl. I get the feeling that you’re pretty fond of roping up girls and if you work with me, I’ll see to it that you get to fulfill all your fantasies. I need you to get these girls here to my ship without making a scene. If you can do that then I’ll forget about capturing you and your two girlfriends and simply take the girls you’ve caught here. Do we have a deal?”

The goat girl seemed to ponder the offer for a moment, her eyes staring directly into Shirayuki’s but after those few seconds, she nodded her head and gazed down at her bindings. Knowing what she was after, Shirayuki would click her fingers and the bindings around the three goat girls would vanish. While the other two, who’d clearly heard the deal made, started to come up with a plan, the one the kitsune had made a deal with spoke. “Since we’re going to be working together for a bit and you’re clearly strong enough to handle yourself, I’ll tell you this much. There’s a much more valuable target for you waiting down in the sewers. That’s where the lion guy was leading us too, to meet the master. From what I hear, she’s pretty tough and I’m sure you’ll make a lot of cash off her. I don’t know what she’s planning but be prepared and I expect you to keep your end of the bargain when this is all done.”

“Alright but if you fail in your task or your information is false then I’ll be taking back my offer. I can promise you that. My ship is the one with ice blue sails and you’ll find two pirates waiting beside it. Tell them I sent you and things will work out, now get going.”

With that, the leader of the trio would return to the others and start hauling off the captured girls, while Shirayuki headed in the other direction, in search of her next target.

(732 Words)
(3042 TWC)

The thought of having to traverse a disgusting sewer wasn’t the kitsune’s idea of a great time but if there was any truth to the goat girl’s claims then she’d have to put up with it. So, after about ten minutes of searching for a way in, she’d come across a manhole cover and remove it with just the slightest prodding of her powers. Once that was done, she’d take a deep breath and take the plunge, forgoing the use of the ladder and simply jumping down the hole instead. The smell was horrible and became worse the deeper she fell but after about half a minute or so she sensed the bottom coming up, resulting in her unleashing her wings in order to reduce her speed so that she could come to a relatively safe landing. Thankfully it worked well enough that she was able to avoid hurting herself and actually came to a rather graceful stop.

Not prepared to remain there for longer than she had to, the white haired ice mage quickly began to make her way through the grimy interior, her slayer senses piqued for any sign of trouble. She didn’t honestly know what she was in for and that more than anything was what caused her to stealth herself again and continue to move as quietly as possible. There wasn’t a soul to be found for quite some time and the blue eyed pirate began to wonder if perhaps she’d been lied to by the goat woman. She’d certainly make her new ally pay for it if that was the case and it was just as her mind was beginning to formulate a suitable punishment that her ears picked up on the sound of a pair of voices coming from the chamber in front of her. Male voices from the sound of them and as Shirayuki moved in for a closer look, her eyebrows rose.

There were two rat-like creatures who were working on some kind of large device. It was fairly large and humming in a rather ominous fashion. This was no mere toy and Shirayuki could hazard a guess as to what it was. An explosive of some kind, with enough power to make a hell of a mess by the looks of it. The white haired woman frowned, not particularly liking the idea of being so close to such a thing and she was actually about to leave when her eyes fell upon another figure who’d just entered from an aligned chamber.

She was a cat girl by the looks of her. A lovely creature who thrummed with magical power and Shirayuki assumed that this beautiful lady was who the goat girl had been talking about and there was no doubt that she’d sell well. A smile forming across her face once more, the kitsune would turn her gaze towards the two rat-like creatures and draw her sword. Tapping into her blades powers, she’d unleash a wave of ice from it that tore towards the duo which frozen not only froze them solid but the bomb as well, much to Shirayuki’s amusement.

(520 Words)
(3562 TWC)

The cat girl, however, was clearly not pleased and quickly started to walk towards the kitsune, her body starting to change as she tapped into her magic. “That was not a smart move, kitsune. I am the Inquisitor of this nation and you have made a grave error in interfering with my plans. I am sick and tired of my country being viewed as a laughing stock in the eyes of others. By setting off this bomb and taking control, I will show just how powerful a nation Joya truly is and I will bury anyone who tries to get in my way. The bomb will go off and you will be here to see it happen, once I have defrosted your damn ice and beaten you to a pulp.”

Shirayuki simply cocked an eyebrow and replied. “I couldn’t care less about what you’re doing, kitten. All I care about is filling my pockets with as much gold and jewels as I can get my hands on. Your fate lies with whoever wants to pay the most money for you and when word gets out about what you were planning here, I'm sure that there’ll be plenty of people who’ll pay good money to teach you a lesson or two. Fight for your life, Inquisitor, for once you lose this fight, it’ll never be the same again.”

Spitting with rage, the cat girl would charge forwards and start unleashing a powerful barrage of punches and slashes, her body parts changing due to some kind of takeover magic. She was rather swift too and the kitsune had to stay on her guard as she spun and danced her way out of trouble. The two were fairly well matched when it came to speed and the sewer was soon filled with the sounds of claw against blade, fist against body. Shirayuki was soon forced to access her ice armour form, bolstering her defence and resulting in her strikes gaining even more power. The exchanges were brutal and as the cat girl hissed and spat out vile curses towards the kitsune, Shirayuki didn’t argue back, her icy blue eyes remaining cold and emotionless.

As time wore on, there was a noticeable decline in the Inquisitor's form and that allowed Shirayuki to slowly turn the tide of the battle. She was able to deliver two powerful blows with her sword that caused ice to spread from her opponents legs and torso. The draining effect of which would soon begin to show as the cat girl began to lose health while Shirayuki replenished hers. The truth was that the white haired figure was simply too experienced, having spent centuries learning how to forge and master her style of combat.

Her foe's breathing became more laboured and as the two broke apart once again and the cat girl charged once more, Shirayuki would bring her sword up against her face and utter three simple words. “White Mist Sentence.” The attack flash froze the entire chamber, lowering the temperature of the room to absolute zero and ending the fight then and there. The cat girl immobilised and unable to continue the fight.

Returning her blade to its proper place, Shirayuki would then summon a vast amount of restraints that flew towards the frozen cat girl, binding her in every conceivable way. The girl would be unable to move, see or speak when she finally regained consciousness and as Shirayuki picked her up and began the long way back to her ship, she gave one final glance to the bomb, before continuing on her way.

Did Shirayuki keep her word to the goat girls? No, of course she didn’t. They ended up tied up and sold as did all the other captives and the kitsune ended up with a handsome reward indeed from the sales. A perfect or was that a purrfect ending?

(645 Words)
(4207 TWC)

(End of thread.)