Illuminated 4

[20:06] {NARRATION} For all believers and adherents of Luminism on Sheng, Kunlun Mountain marks the final destination for all those who wish to become one with Jiuweihu's divine light. The eternally consecrated place of her imprisonment and freedom, an everlasting border between the normal world and the spirit world, is the most holy place upon Sheng.

...But that is Sheng, and this is war-torn Agartha. Still, as the Agarthan Illuminated discovered in the early days, that to be close to the Sun is to still be close to the Divine Spirit. The sun shines in even the most bleak parts of the world - a permanent reminder that no matter what, Jiuweihu is always there. Though Agartha's snowy mountain range is a far cry from blessed Kunlun, it has proven to be the location of several successful Illuminated rituals. After all, where else is someone to go to attune with the Sun, if not the highest point of the continent, where its rays are strongest?

Though no grand wars of angels and spirits took place upon this mountain, it has faced its own trials and weathered its own storms; from a quiet Shengese mountain town to a hub for the Illuminated, to the last bastion of hope for refugees as Ardent Cliff burned, to the domain of an occult-mad Feleran ice queen and her subjects, to a den of vampires and finally Nethradin, nobody could deny that the mountains the Shengese still call Tongyishan had been through a lot - and yet the Sun still shines.

These are the thoughts that bring Rindou Sakamoto, Reito Shimasu, and Caira Vindict to the base of the mountain. It's still a long way to the top, though, and the path is rife with dangerous passes, narrow cliffs, and miles upon miles of dense forest. The path Reito Shimasu took many years ago is likely no longer there, and even if it was it would prove difficult to find. Though she came as a guide, she would find herself just as lost as the rest of them!

And, of course, the ever-present blizzard and the general unforgiving cold isn't helping matters.

But just as the immense difficulty of the journey still before them sets in, a warm - if not slightly odd - voice cuts through the chill:

"Helloooohohoho! Could you be - travelers? And strong ones at that! Yes, ohhh yes, I can smell the magic on you!"

Despite his immediate oddness, there's nothing outwardly alarming about the man exiting the woods before them, marching through the snow like it's his job as he, without a hint of fear, closes the distance between himself and Huangzhou's finest - unarmed, gloved hands held aloft as if to show he's not up to any funny business. He stands at an average height - not menacing - and wears a heavy purple cloak, face concealed by a hood - but only because it was cold, and a man's got to keep warm.

"What brings you here, travelers? Oh, how exciting!"
[20:13] Alas, she had been hoping to scale the mountain the same way she had all those years ago, confident it would be less perilous given the work they had done to purify the land... And what she had done to mend the lifestream atop the mountain years later. But it wasn't meant to be, and for a while, the Chancellor looked befuddled and confused; until that voice.

Ears twitching, her head snapped towards the treeline where the man came towards them. A natural smile brightens the Kitsune as she nodded several times,

"Yes, my apology if we disturbed you!" She said cheerfully despite the cold. Natural fire magic kept her warm, even in the frigid temperatures. "We're seeking to scale to the summit, for the Ritual of Rays. The last ritual for my student here to become truly Illuminated," She explained, offering a small gesture to Rindou.

"My name is Reito, and this is Rindou and Caira. Who might you be?" She asked now, pink eyes peering curiously at the man. He held no hostility towards them, that much was true; so perhaps he'd be able to guide them to a proper path.
(Reito Shimasu)
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[20:14] There's always a thousand things on her mind. Various friendships she had to tend to, people she had to chat with, one particular person in Levengard she had to always be in tune with, and of course- The hundreds of tasks a warchief must undertake. Briar Locke's advances, and even her own honor duel. She agreed to come up to these mountains to help Rindou realize her dream and the acquisition of the final hurdle to become in tune with..

JeeWooHoo? Even now, the Gehennan's accent and tone really wasn't going to let her say that name. A hand comes down to the icy cold hilt of Masamune and she can't say that the ever looming frost of Tongyishan was getting to her. She wielded a blade that radiated permafrost every time she drew it. She could handle a blizzard or two. Likely not three.. Caira takes in a deep breath and lets the chill hit her lungs, but thankfully she's up near the front of the hiking group of three they'd formed.

Bold, defensive, and brave - Her eyes cut through the forests now and gaze up to the peaks of the mountain - This was about to get a lot more difficult, wasn't it? A voice calls out and she's in a defensive stance once more, hand gripping onto her hilt in defense. "Who goes there?" But when he hobbles out with his hands upright and showing off his rather peaceful approach, Caira's shielded stance fades and Masamune is no longer quite so close to her hand.

".. Hello, there." She brings a hand to rub some snow from her hair. ".. I'm Caira Vindict, Warchief of Cruxati. Reito Shimasu," a gesture, "And this is Rindou Sakamoto - We're here to scale the peaks."
(Caira Vindict)
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[20:14] A far cry from the legendary mountains where Jiuweihu is said to reside. The woman who had brought forth kitsune and their wit was far, far away from where they were, yet the sun could always see, could always watch all over them. Territories that had history beyond Rindou's lifespan stretched far and wide before them as they climbed up the range step by step.

When she had decided to go on that third and last ritual required to ascend to a true illuminated the young woman had never thought that things could get this cold. The sharp, freezing winds of the Agarthan mountain range cut right through her being, prompting forth a fickle flame to embrace her body and make her feel just a tad better.

She should have packed for a colder trip.

Following closely behind Reito who was acting as a guide, the young noblewoman barely managed to make out the figure that stood before them all, almost readying her blade before Reito spoke first. It seemed the Shimasu trusted that man, and so, Rindou would follow that lead.

She wasn't too sure what to say beyond mere introductions.

"I am Rindou of house Sakamoto."
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[20:19] {NARRATION} Ah- right! He hadn't introduced himself! He clapped his hands together at once. "Oh! How rude of me! Hohoho, yes, yes, my name- my name is Bram!" He had the sort of voice one might expect a clown to have, in his more ecited moments - and he had a lot of excited moments. Still, nothing about him seemed outwardly threatening - and he seemed very careful not to come across as threatening. Being approached by loud people in robes at night typically wasn't a pleasant occasion.

The man nods along eagerly, gloved hands rubbing together as he senses a business opportunity. Though his face is very concealed, one could almost sense the massive smirk playing across his lips. Despite being bundled up by a cloak, though, he shudders as a stiff breeze blows through the mountains. It is horrendously cold today!

"Aha, I see!" he exclaims. "A pilgrimage, to the peak no less! My, my my my, you should have dressed far warmer!" He flashed a hidden smile toward Rindou - once again, friendly. Joking, like a friendly uncle might. Not the sinister sort.

"I will guide you through the mountains, if you wish - it's a dangerous path, you know!" he exclaimed far too loudly and far too cheerfully, "For a... PRICE! of course!"

He said "PRICE!" way too excitedly, almost like a bark. He also shudders again - not because of the cold this time, but because he knew this would be a fine payday.

"I'm sure you could all pool your gold together, right? You can't really put a price on a safe trip, right?"

He tries and fails, at this point, to snap his fingers. Three- four times.

"How does 30,000 sound? Coins!"
[20:23] Caira's seen this one before. She's literally a businesswoman. Every day she spent toiling away in the caves, coming back home to make a price. Taking her coins and bargaining with Eshmun for discounts and barters. A brow raises as he commented on Rindou's warmth, the trip itself, and well- The peaks. He seemed to live around here, no? Caira crosses her arms and huffs.

".. Thirty-thousand is quite the price for helping three people not get hurt. Have you no shame in helping three ladies reach the summit safely?" She frowns now, looking distressed. It's likely an act. ".. To think that safety comes at such a price.. I only have a little on me.. If we pooled together, it'd likely only be.. Oh I don't know.."

She stares and makes a soft expression, "Only ten-thousand?" A look is given to Reito and Rindou alike. And so- She steps forward.
(Caira Vindict)
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[20:24] Rindou's eyes had trouble keeping up with Bram, partly due to the way he seemed to jitter and move around far too excitedly, partly because he was cloaked in a bright, horrendous purple. Still, she listened - covering herself up a bit as a comment and a smile was made towards her. The amount he was asking for was far, far above the normal price one would have to pay to get a guide literally anywhere. Was that man insane or were these mountains that treacherous.

Half-upset and half-confused, Rindou looked towards the Kitsune who lead them. She was the one who knew best what the solution was, wasn't she? A breath that brought forth a small cloud of condensation escaped her lips as she rose the heat up again, hoping to keeping herself warm even at a standstill.

.. Oh, Caira. She dealt with money far too much to shy away from haggling, didn't she? This was far from the more noble way of acting, but she was in no position to argue against her team.
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[20:25] Oh, Isaac would be so cross with her for paying that sum; but one could not deny the merits of a safe pilgrimage, after all, could they? She could easily make the sum up with her own enchanting at least.

The Kitsune paused only for a moment, to withdraw a bag of coins as she held them aloft,

"Thirty thousand then," She said simply with a bright smile. Caira perhaps knew better but the Kitsune? She was no merchant, and no business woman. Sure, she had run Huangzhou well as Regent and ensured the books were kept neat and organized and above all, that money was well spent... But personal finances?

Not. A. Close.

Even as Caira attempted to haggle, she held the coin purse easily,

"Please do escort us the best way, Mister Bram. Jiuweihu is watching, you know," She comments with that same smile.
(Reito Shimasu)
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[20:25] Caira Vindict says, "..."
[20:26] Caira deflates.
(Caira Vindict)
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[20:26] Bram says, "WHAT"
[20:29] {NARRATION} "Nethradins, demons, bandits, snow leopards - 30,000 seems like a fair price!" the tour guide exclaims, unwavering. He really must have had no shame - anybody normal would have recognized that was downright abhorrent. But Caira stepping forward to talk business brings a clear bounce to his step.

Bram wasn't an unreasonable salesman. The excitement behind his words betrays what seemed to be an initially rigid stance - he was open for negotiation, and indeed the entire haggling process was fun to him. The initially unreasonable offer, then, made a whole lot of sense now.

But just as he opens his mouth to fire back, Reito produces the full sum he asked for - and his jaw drops for a moment before his mouth closes again.

...But only for a moment.

"WOW! You know - Jiuweihu IS watching, she is!" Bram exclaims cheerily, pocketing Reito's coin purse without a second thought, "But I think even SHE would hesitate, ohohoho, I'm sure! Honestly, I didn't even think you'd- well, never mind!"

True to his word, Bram beckons the party to follow him! He looks behind him once or twice too, to confirm that they're following as he disappears into the forest - but there's a certain excitement to his gait that simply wasn't there before. Maybe he was excited to make so much money for one short trip. Maybe there was some other reason for his eagerness. Either way, though, he was making certain the group was following.

...Assuming they are?

He has all of Reito's money, after all.
[20:30] Caira Vindict says, "..."
[20:33] Watching Reito produce forth that amount of money without any hesitation was teaching her even in these moments. Perhaps it was teaching her the completely wrong thing and that kindness sometimes lead to stupidity, but that was besides the point. A small smile was cast in the kitsune's way after she gave up on such a sum for nothing but guidance.

The young woman followed behind the odd guide, entering the forest at last.
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[20:33] When I said Caira deflated, I actually meant it. Her hand was in the air to do gestures and sort out the money left and right. To convey her meaning as she sought to lower him to something like five-thousand. Nethradins? Demons? Those are worth the price, but bandits and snow leopards? Well.. Masamune didn't discriminate versus threats.

Regardless, watching -thirty-thousand- disappear like that causes Caira to cough a little bit and hang her head. She'd flop over if not for getting frostbite if she did so. She wished she had that much money to throw away thirty-grand.

And so she's silent- Almost bitterly so- Because in the end, talent shall be washed away by a fat honking wallet. She's grumbling while tailing closely behind.
(Caira Vindict)
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[20:34] She smiled lightly as she responded right back,

"It's just money," She said, "I can always make more."

That was how she viewed it, at least as she made her way after Bram calmly. But even then, she speaks up again to make idle conversation,

"Do you live up here...? What do you do for a living, precisely?" The Kitsune asked, moving through the trees and the forest after him at a pleasant pace. The cold wasn't too bad, but it did nip at her when a particularly strong wind blew and she wasn't expecting it. Her ears were chilly. Maybe she should have worn a hat, or something.

Oh well!
(Reito Shimasu)
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[20:40] {NARRATION} There's nothing immediately shady about Bram's path through the woods. He seems to be an excellent navigator, even, well worth the money - to the tune of even 30,000 coins, if such a thing were possible. He made markings on trees on the way down, as he knew finding his way back up that specific path in the dark, in a blizzard that only got heavier and heavier, wouldn't be easy.

And now Rindou, Caira, and Reito are able to benefit from that foresight. Bram says very little; he occasionally warns the ladies of a pitfall in the snow, or some fallen branches they might trip over. Despite his jitters, shudders, and initial chattiness, he seems keen to remain quiet for the duration of the trip - until Reito attempts to strike up conversation. "Oooohohoho, YES! I'm GLAD you asked!" their tour guide responds. "I live in a village not too far from here! With my..." He pauses for a moment, clearing his throat. "Family! As for what I do- well, guide people through the woods, mostly. I am also a carpenter!"

But with the sum Reito paid today, he could probably retire and afford a damn fine house on the Agartha Keys, if he so wished - wherever those were.

"Careful, careful!" he calls back to them, "I wouldn't want the ladies INJURED, after all!" He barked "INJURED!" much like he shouted out "PRICE!" earlier, and this time the emphasis made even less sense than the last time. All in all, Bram seems like an alright guy - a bit greedy, maybe, and definitely shady, but probably decent.

...Until it becomes obvious that the peak is a long way off, still - and instead of taking them to the summit to catch the sunrise, he has instead led them directly to a quaint little village somewhere else on the mountain entirely.

Bram's home village, most likely - surrounded with a worn but still distinctly red-and-gold wall, with a tall snow-covered pagoda visible within the town limits. It's definitely a Shengese village, and judging by the state everything is in it's probably been here since the original colonization.

He doesn't say anything - he's still walking toward the village, right through the gates.
[20:46] Rindou was far too busy following the right path and practically looking at her feet while doing so to notice that they had gone in the wrong direction. The story the man was telling was nothing if not typical of most mountain guides, she thought. Of course what was less typical was the way the trees seem to split further and further from their path, eventually bringing Rindou's gaze to rise up and quickly realize they were not at the peak of of the mountain.

Not at all.

In an attempt not to be rude towards their guide, the young woman moved closer to Reito, asking a hushed question.

"Is this normal?"

She was the one with expertise here, after all. Perhaps they'd enter a secret passage or be given some kind of ceremony before they ascended further. Maybe this was Jiuweihu speaking through others, too. She would not want to offend her, even if this was incredibly suspicious.

A gaze is spared towards Caira. She knew the girl to be more vocal.
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[20:46] Everything was fine for the time being, being led through the woods. The Kitsune watched him make those marks upon the trees to lead him back and she noted it for the future, taking mind to carefully step over the branches, or around the snowfalls. It was only once she realized they weren't heading up, and instead were heading towards a village did she pause.

Her ears lowered just a bit as she stood up a bit straighter,

"Mister Bram. This is not the summit," She said once. "Where are you taking us...?" Whereas before Reito had been nothing but kind, and perhaps even got bamboozled out of money, now she was more weary. Pink eyes scanned the village in silence, understanding precisely that this was not a newer settlement, but it was Shengese in origin.

Something seemed off and not right and it didn't feel good at all to her.
(Reito Shimasu)
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[20:50] Caira is, still extremely quiet when she's following them. As they move through brush and other obstacles, she's getting a little bored. Rindou had advertised it like some massive scaling, hiking trip where they'd get to purge actual Nethradin and help Agartha one step at a time. She's got her hands in her pockets.

".. This doesn't look like the summit or a cliff." She says dryly, looking around and seeing the pagoda in the back. It's quite pretty, actually. Though she's leaving the 'Shengese' matters to the two from Huangzhou.

The Gehennan just watches, a hand getting.. A little close to Masamune's hilt all he while.
(Caira Vindict)
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[20:53] {NARRATION} His reply to the three of them is downright sheepish, almost apologetic. "Yes, right, er-" he begins, still in that affable voice he had employed up to this point but a lot less eager now. "I- apologize for the deception. When I- saw you at the base of the mountain, I recognized how strong you-" he cuts himself off, shaking his head back and forth frantically. One could swear they heard a small sniffle hidden behind the hood and the theatrics.

All the while, the townsfolk gather - it's a fairly homogenous bunch, primarily of Shengese descent. Here and there one could spot people of obvious Gehennan and Valmasian heritage, all dressed in warm winter clothing with Shengese patterns and colors. With the age and seclusion of the village, it was likely everyone here could trace their heritage back to the original settlements - mostly Ardent Cliff, but a smattering of refugees from Avalon and the original tribes of Gehenna.

None of them were armed, and a quick assessment would reveal that all of them - including their purple-clad tour guide - had little to no magical talent whatsoever.

...The most curious thing was that, looking at the crowd, not a single one of them seemed to be in a "family." The body language, positioning, and facial features suggested that very few of these people in this crowd could claim to be related to anyone else in it.

It was, just like Bram, downright odd.

"This is... obviously not the summit, no!" Bram exclaims, confirming a point that didn't need to be confirmed and trying to collect himself from his earlier break. "In fact, we are... FARTHER! Farther away from it than you would be if you tried to navigate on your own!" He takes a few deep breaths, looking behind him at the townsfolk, then turning to face the three magi again - but instead of an explanation, he raises his hands defensively and takes a quick step back.

Seems he spotted Caira's hand going to the Masamune.
[20:58] The Chancellor stepped forward now, as less hostile as she had been when they had initiall met Bram. Eyes glance to the gathering townsfolk, taking stock of them all; the fact they were not magi, they were not armed. Then her eyes shift back to Bram as she offered a polite smile,

"I am not one to enjoy being lied to," She explained simply, folding her hands in front of her. "However why have you strayed us from the course for which Rindou will be able to become the next Illuminated? I will assume it's a good reason, so... What is it?" She asked.

The way she treated the entire thing was how Reito had treated her entire life; trying to understand others. Even those who hurt her, like Sors. Even those who would try to take advantage of her, so to speak. She was patient, head inclining softly.
(Reito Shimasu)
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[21:01] That revelation came out without a shock; it was obvious that they were not near the summit anymore and had simply gone the wrong way. This was the worst kind of guide she had ever come across, really. To trick them like that and be dishonest was... despicable.

On one side Caira had reached for her weapon. On the other, Reito was trying to quell things down. This felt like a challenge of its own - a test of sorts. Perhaps these really had been sent by Jiuweihu herself to see if Rindou was worthy.

Regardless, with none of them looking threatening the Sakamoto stepped closer to her Gehennan friend, reaching a hand to hers in an attempt to stop her from drawing her blade. She still showed some emotion towards the group; the guide would, at last, be given back the kind of hostility he deserved.

"You could have been honest. Most magi would not give you the time to explain yourself."
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[21:02] She's got narrowed eyes at the plight of all of these people. Caira was a bit on the brazen side, perhaps all too eager to jump into the heat of a moment despite what injuries it might deliver to her all to ensure that the rest of the group would be protected. It was by those desires and impulses she'd grown herself to become the Bulwark. Someone who, even when being as selfless as one could possibly be, could walk away with little to no injuries.

She prided herself on that ideology - Staring back at him and the others all around. She's got a not so kind expression after having been lied to. She's seconds from sliding the powerful blade from its sheath when a hand comes to stop it. Caira doesn't look back to Rindou, but the sword hasn't been drawn in any capacity just yet.

"Explain yourself." She says blunt as ever, eyes looking around the Shengese place for any signs of a set up. Ambush, people hiding in the snow. A faint flicker of holy magic spreads across her frame.
(Caira Vindict)
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[21:12] {NARRATION} As Caira takes a look around, she can't seem to find anything - there are definitely piles of snow from shoveled paths and many places for a potential ambush, but she can't find any proof of that. The overall level of mana in this village is unquestionably low - as far as any of them can tell.

But as for Bram, another step back causes him to trip over the back of his cloak, tumbling into the snow. Some of the townsfolk tense up as if they're about to move forward to help him to his feet, but Caira preparing for battle seems to have frozen them in their tracks, too. Bram was obviously looking for powerful magi, and though the other two exercised some restraint there was little to be found in Caira Vindict. Rindou was right - and this was more than Bram bargained for.

Rindou moving forward to stop Caira from actually striking, however, seems to calm him down slightly - and he nods vigorously in the young woman's direction. "Yes, yes- you're- you're right, I'm... I'm sorry, I-" He inhales deeply then, turning his attention to Reito.

"I just- you were... all on a mission, you had a goal- I didn't think I could... you know- pull you away from that. I've tried with other magi before, and none of them helped. So I... I had the idea to lure you here as a guide-" Another pause. With a clearing of his throat, he moves to finally, properly explain.

"Once upon a time!" he begins, "This town was quiet, and peaceful - people that couldn't handle the constant wars and dangers retreated to the mountain - Tongyishan at first, then they split away from that too. Over time, it got new blood from Avalon - people who abandoned Azraelism, or... people who never truly believed in it to begin with," he tells them, "And the troubles in Gehenna, hohoho, they brought a LOT of people - Xomac Tepin's Atl in particular."

He speaks like a museum guide might, clearly avoiding the issue for awhile; it doesn't seem like he's deliberately hiding it, necessarily, so much so that it's difficult for him to actually spit it out.

"My family traces its routes back to Valmasia, but- you know, I don't feel out of place here anyway, uh..." Right, right - there was actually a point to get to, a story to tell.

"A few months ago," he says, beginning his story anew, "A Nethradin came down from the mountain and moved into-" A gloved hand rises, pointing to the east. There, on a slightly higher point of the mountain through a forest as dense as the one they traveled through to get to this point, sat a small, dark castle of Shengese design - concealed by a multicolored blizzard that would be beautiful if it wasn't so blatantly deadly.

"...That castle. His name is Soromath, and he came from that vampire Malentine's portal years ago. The phoenix that used to protect us went out to fight him off, but... she never came back."

The excitement, obviously, was gone.

"Soromath calls himself the Lord of the castle - and every week, he rings the bell in the belltower there. And every week, we have to- have to..."

"...Send three 'tributes' from the village to him - or else he'll kill us all, he says. His lackeys come to collect... people-"

He inhales again - deep breaths, Bram. Deep breaths. "The bell tolls again tonight- he already took my daughter, I... I don't know what to do. I- I'm sorry. I'll give you your money back, you... you don't have to help, I just- I'm sorry."
[21:15] Caira Vindict says, "Reito. Rindou. Scan the area. Look for anything people-shaped. Anything that isn't with these villagers here."
[21:15] Caira Vindict says, "This smells like danger."
[21:18] Caira doesn't smile and her expression is jury-rigged to look like she just walked out of a war's field at almost any time given the circumstances of the lure, the people- and now? The story. She's taking in a deep breath and turning to the right as he points to a small dark castle, though it was likely expansive and massive the closer they'd get to it. She turns to the guide and frons some.

".. Keep your money and buy something massive to help all of these people retreat from these frozen wastes. Protect them and keep them well. That's your job, and your idiot tax for lying to us." Caira turned to the mountain's nearest cliff and gets ready to channel bits of earth magic to erect them a staircase. ".. Give me directions to go there, and I'll slaughter the Nethradin myself. If your daughter is still alive, I'll return her here as fast as I possibly can."

Caira takes in a deep breath and waits for Reito and Rindou to give their own individual scan of the area around them - Ensure they aren't followed, or spied on, or ambushed - And if things were clear?

Marble pillars start to raise up and up and up into the air, making a rather worthwhile staircase to get closer to that castle.
(Caira Vindict)
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[21:20] Reito was quiet, allowing Bram to explain everything... And oh, was it a lot. It was a lot to take in, and every inch in his story that he goes, her smile disappears, and a frown takes it's place... and it grows and grows. Eyes shift towards the castle that Bram gestured to, squinting a little through the blizzard to make it out.

She heard Caira's warning and naturally - her own magic flares up, a mixture of fire, cosmic and illusion all in one flurry, but included in that was a part of her that was as natural as she was. The pink gaze of the Kitsune brightens, practically glowing. Mercy. Bram, and all of the villagers would feel a soothing presence wash over them as that natural pinkish hue glow lit up the area around her.

She allowed a few moments of searching for potential danger before she began walking towards a cliff, speaking up to the two that accompanied,

"We have a task, given to us by Jiuweihu," She said calmly. A phoenix. It was in danger - or perhaps, worse. Rebirth hummed naturally, a song that spoke as one with the Lifestream itself. "We will return those who we can safely, and I'll try to ensure the Phoenix that once protected you all returns safely as well. Keep the money - you all need it more than I."

Finally, she turned to Rindou specifically and smiled,

"Jiuweihu's light, and the mountaintop itself will always be there, Rindou. People and those they care about, will not."
(Reito Shimasu)
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[21:21] With all three of them there it was almost a guarantee that the old man's sob story would hook them in and get them to help out. A small huff left the young noblewoman's lips after he delievered a piece of his heart from between his lips, leaving her to critique him for such.

"You could have said that right away. We would have accepted it. Our walk up to the summit and the ritual itself can wait for tomorrow."

Rindou's eyes shifted from one side to the other, looking for a while towards the odd castle and the way it was risen up before she looked back towards Bram.

"We will make sure to return those who are alive and the phoenix that protected you." She said, looking towards Reito after having followed the same line of thought as her, almost at the same time.
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[21:21] {NARRATION} Reito - d20
Rindou - d20 if looking side to side was also checking for danger
[21:30] {NARRATION} Even in the face of the man's sob story, Caira remains vigilant and cautious - a wise trait for magi, to be sure, and one that just might save them from a trap! Rindou and Reito diligently scan the area - Rindou finds nothing.

Reito finds a slightly more abundant amount of nothing.

As far as anyone in the group can tell, this isn't danger - no matter how much it smells like danger. It really is just a collection of townsfolk with nowhere else to turn. Their protector has presumably been beaten and may not even be alive anymore. There are no magi to protect them, and all the magi that Bram tried to recruit told him to shove off.

They were all at their wit's end - and although the words and aura of the Virtue of Mercy soothe them, there's still some underlying panic. These were people that lost their families - of course there would be panic.

Higher up now on her pillars of marble, Caira can see the castle in slightly better detail. She's right that it would be larger up close, because that's how perspective works - but all in all, it doesn't seem that large in the grand scheme of things. It's a palace fit for a noble, but still not particularly grandiose. It even seems like it might be easy to get there, too - but that colorful diamond blizzard is probably something to be wary of.

And, while Caira scouts things out, Bram outright throws himself at Reito and Rindou, looking to kiss whatever boots he could manage to kiss. It was such a vulnerable position that it simply couldn't have been a trap - everything he presented to them was completely genuine.

They even could have left, if they wanted to.

"You... CAN go on your own - I can't get close to it, not with the blizzard he's surrounded the castle with, I'd... die immediately. But you three... or-"

An idea, perhaps.

"That fancy blizzard stops when he sends his monsters down to collect the townspeople. Maybe- look- he takes three people every week, and... there are three of you-"

It wasn't hard to see where he was going with this.

"There's a palanquin right out the east gate that the... the tributes- they have to sit in, and these two Cyclops - brothers, I think - come to... to take them to- well. That would be a safe trip to the castle, at least- but... you're the experts here... right?"

Before he could ramble on further, the bell in the old castle tolls three times. The repomen will be coming to collect, if what Bram said is true.
[21:35] Her senses were still as finely tuned as they were when she was younger and she shook her head towards the Gehennan,

"There is nothing to fear here, directly," She said, gesturing towards the castle itself. With the words of Bram, however, Reito's ideas for how to get around the blizzard were solved near immediately. A smile curls at her lips and she nods several times,

"We will go in the easy way, you two. Let's head to the east gate now, yes?" No sooner had she said that, then the bell tolled and she nodded once more. Without even waiting, the Chancellor was already making her way there! Her magics softened, that glow about her diminishing as much as possible.

Illusion magic itself was called upon, attempting to make the Kitsune just that... A simple, non-magi. Would it work? She had never tried, but it was worth a shot at the very least.
(Reito Shimasu)
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[21:37] A blizzard, hail and disgustingly dangerous ice warps around the castle like a barrier. It isn't as large a castle as she might've thought, and perhaps the stories of glory and courage wouldn't become a dream come true like she wanted.

But! There are people to help, and a scourge to put down. Painfully. She nods her head and forces down the pillars as they retreat and are promptly covered in snow. No evidence, right? The bell tolls, and perhaps Caira could've literally seen it rock back and forth atop the castle before she leaped down. But now her arms are crossed. ".. Collection time." The woman missed the beginning of the introduction - Though she hears the word palanquin and tributes. Were they meant to be..

The tributes? She frowns now and extends Masamune to Reito. ".. They won't let a simple tribute have a katana. Can you disguise Masamune as a newspaper or turn it invisible? I don't know how your magic works, Reito."
(Caira Vindict)
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[21:38] Rindou stepped away a bit when the man threw himself at her feet. She wasn't going to let him do something like that, partly because it was wildly inappropriate, partly because she was wearing traditional sandals rather than boots. Great insight, noble girl.

The Sakamoto agreed with Reito's idea, it most likely was the best way to go about it; braving the blizzard wasn't necessary if they went about it that way. She shuffled after the Kitsune, giving one last glance to the castle before heading east.

Her own blade was extended to the fox, following Caira's own line of thought. The long, heavy weapon was not something that anyone would be able to lift; no normal human could carry a hundred pounds stick in battle like that.
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[21:41] The Kitsune nodded at the offerings of the blades, and with a single touch - and with runes helping her illusionary magics as well, she wills them into something else entirely.

Folding fans!

It seemed appropriate, at the very least. Rebirth was given the same treatment, becoming a folding fan in it's own right. Of course, should the trio need use of their weapons, they had only need to call upon them.
(Reito Shimasu)
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[21:46] {NARRATION} "It's up to you what you do!" Bram calls out, more excited now that the group actually agreed to help. "They'll probably take you straight to the dungeon if you stay in there," he says, "But I wouldn't blame you if you want to cut them down right here, when they show up! Jiuweihu knows I wouldn't be able to hold back. But then Soromath might sniff out trouble and-" But he cuts himself off. It's in their hands now.

"And wear boots next time, girl! We are in a BLIZZARD! There is SNOW! What are you THINKING?!"

True to his word, there is indeed a Shengese-styled palanquin sitting in the snow, directly outside of the east gate in the middle of a clearing. It's a downright massive thing, looking more like a tent than a palanquin. But, as Bram said, it was made to be carried by two creatures typically known for overwhelming strength. It probably wouldn't be an issue.

Heavy red fabric covers it, and if it wasn't used for such a morbid purpose it would have been a lovely sight to see: the surface of it is covered in long, golden dragons, and the split that marks the entrance is adorned with the symbol of the Illuminated itself.

It's quiet, terribly so, other than the sound of the wind. Caira and Reito, with the superior hearing afforded by their race, might also note what sounds like a dissonant symphony of jingling chimes, and the sound of crystals clinking against one another - the awful sound of the diamond blizzard in the distance.

And that, soon, stops - just like Bram said it would. A sure sign that the Cyclops brothers were coming.

The palanquin awaits, if that's their plan.
[21:49] The Chancellor wasted no time, climbing onto the palanquin carefully and seating herself down upon it, holding her own fan tightly. She was tense, as she should be - and perhaps even acting the part just a bit. She gestured to both Caira and Rindou to hop aboard as well, before the Cyclops came.

Her fan tapped in her hands impatiently.
(Reito Shimasu)
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[21:49] Rindou looked at Caira, then at Reito. Was it wiser to sneak in as they were and slay the guards once they arrived or should they take care of them right away? On one end they could definitely afford a more elegant method of transport and ensure that they Nethradin wouldn't be warned beforehand.

On the other trusting their gut could be dangerous. The young woman fanned herself, despite the cold, and moved to sit inside their transporting vessel, admiring the decor.
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[21:56] She takes in a deep breath and gets inside of the palanquin without saying much more. She keeps her 'fan' in her lap now. Eyes close and she tries her best to huddle herself at the back. She didn't want to take room. "..."

An idle stare is given to Reito and Rindou- Before her expression changes and she takes that of a terrified young woman. Someone taken from her family far, far too young. Caira could be pretty good at playing an act when she put her mind to it.

A sniffle follows.
(Caira Vindict)
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[21:59] {NARRATION} Man, Caira, that's some damn fine acting.

Three people file into the massive palanquin. Looking outside of it reveals that, indeed, the multicolored storm enveloping Soromath's castle has stopped. And, before long, his lackeys came into view. They were two hulking, giant brutes, as Cyclops typically were, in garbs that barely passed as proper winter clothing. They chattered amongst themselves as any two ordinary people might, laughing boisterously at jokes only they could understand. They don't seem too bright, either - they've likely grown complacent with their prey being defenseless non-magi.

But as they drew nearer, it was immediately apparent that there was something decidedly off about one of them: the shorter of the two, likely the younger brother, had what looked like a ruby embedded into his sole eye, taking the place of what should have been a pupil. It was obviously shoved in there by hand - his own hand, not a surgeon's - but it didn't seem to hamper his vision any.

The shorter one, with that awful ruby-red pupil, pulled one end of the tent door aside and peered in, taking way too long to count heads. He doesn't say anything, though his gaze does linger on Caira slightly longer than the other two. His expression doesn't change, so it's hard to tell what's going through his mind, if anything at all. Maybe it's sympathy toward her terror.

More likely, it's amusement.

"Ya ready?" he asks, in a gruff and unaffected voice.
[22:02] She was silent, tensing even more so when the two Cylcops appear. Was it a natural hesitation, or perhaps simply an act the Kitsune was putting on? Regardless, her eyes bat and she immediately snapped her fan open, covering the bottom portion of her face. She was silent for a long while, slouching just a bit before she responded in a trembling voice,

"Just please get it over with..." She said, practically shaking at this point.
(Reito Shimasu)
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[22:03] Rindou offers no more than a scowl and a frown at that beast of a creature. There was no need for acting; this one was in her blood. When asked if she was ready a storm of words came out of her.

"Leave us alone you disgusting beast! Ugly, ugly, ugly one-eyed freak! How about you go and take our place?!"

She showed just how little tolerant of the lower caste she could be. Quite impressive.
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[22:04] "Please don't take us!" She sniffles again, leaning against the palanquin and faking tears as they came through. Though Rindou and Reito could likely answer that question in a better manner. She's just trying to get them through in an easy fashion. Bringing both of her wrists up to wipe away the tears coming down her cheeks, she trembles from the cold outside.

In reality she's likely trembling with anger. It's hard to tell the difference, you know. Here they are - A one way ticket, first row seats, into the Nethradin's palace.

If she's thankful for one thing? It's Braum not coming along and getting redshirted. Nuo probably knew what that meant.
(Caira Vindict)
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[22:04] Redon says, "Heheh. Alright. Good to go."
[22:15] {NARRATION} The feigned terror, the pleading, the anquish - it all falls on deaf ears, and the ruby-eyed cyclops flashes a downright disgusting grin, full of rotted and missing teeth. He doesn't respond to Rindou's taunting or Caira's begging, though - he just basks in the fear that he's witnessed every week the two of them visited the village.

If there was any hope that they might be hapless employees of an evil Nethradin lord who were fine when they were off the clock - those hopes would be dashed by now.

With a chuckle and a few words uttered to his older brother, the red-eyed cyclops lets go of the fold and steps toward the front of the palanquin. He lowers himself to take the front bars, and his brother takes the back - and with all the skill of two professionals who had done this many, many times before, they began the slow journey to the eastern castle. The palanquin rocked, but only slightly, and the heavy fabric made it fairly warm on the inside. As terrible as the two of them were, morally speaking, they were admittedly pretty good at their jobs.

Bram is nowhere to be found. He knows his place, and the color of his cloak - he's surviving this adventure.

Were any of them to look outside during the journey, they'd be met with an expected, boring expanse of trees and snow, trees and snow, trees and - ooh, an elk - snow. Trees and snow. Eventually they came to a long wooden bridge of proper Shengese design, and the palanquin paused as they came to the castle gate.

The one in front, with the ruby eye, muttered something in a foreign language. The massive gates swung open, and that odd chime noise began to sound again - the colorful blizzard that served as the castle's forcefield was starting up once more.

The palanquin touched the ground, right outside. Beyond the gates was a large room with no immediate exits, other than a folding screen door on the far side. The floor was made up of tatami mats, and the walls were covered in scrolls depicting dragons, birds, foxes, and some unknown and known figures of Shengese history - though Soromath called this his home, he obviously didn't belong here.

"C'mon out. We'll get to the dungeon on foot."

The location of the dungeon - where everyone is presumably being kept - isn't immediately obvious. The Cyclops, meanwhile, seem to suspect nothing so far.
[22:19] The rocking does little to steel herself. She was taking these two headlong into a Nethradin's territory... But she had faced Nethradin before, and this time wouldn't be any different. She trusted both Caira and Rindou's skills, and their instincts. For the time being, Reito was alert, watching out of the palanquin as they travel and once it's set down? She moves to vacate it, still pretending that she was merely a helpless Kitsune.

They had to know where the dungeon was, in order to free people first and foremost. She shook her head,

"Is that where everyone goes?! Is it dark?! I hate the dark, I can't see two feet in front of me, and I'm just so clumsy!" She declared, in a mock depressing little voice. She waved her fan lightly.
(Reito Shimasu)
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[22:23] The long travel was nigh unbearable, mainly due to the rocking and the smell, the stench of these two pierced through the cold in a way that was horrid. Rindou's eyes narrowed when their transportation device was lowered. A knowing gaze was offered to Reito first, then towards Caira. As much as she wanted to go right ahead and swing they... needed to find the people, first. To ensure they could free them before bringing forth justice to these frozen lands.

Rindou played her part, complaining.

"Ugh. So incompetent, you can't even take us to the dungeons properly. It's a wonder you're even kept to do the physical work - you can't do it the right way."
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[22:27] {NARRATION} "Very dark."

That's all the ruby-eyed Cyclops says, nudging his brother with his elbow like it was a funny joke. He beckons them further into the castle with a cant of his head...

...And the floor beneath all five of them gives out like one massive trap door. It would have been comical if it wasn't inside of a Nethradin's murder-castle. The Cyclops, of course, are familiar with this and are more than prepared to land on their feet.

The rest of the group...?

d20.
[22:34] {NARRATION} It isn't that long of a drop at all, actually! Such a fall would doubtlessly injure an unprepared non-magi, but for a group of magi this sort of thing would barely even stun. The two Cyclops land on their feet as suspected. Rindou and Caira maintain enough control to land either on their feet or in whatever manner they see fit to keep up the ruse.

Poor Reito, however, has fallen and she can't get up.

...But only for a few seconds. It was only the drop of a few staircases or so.

And once the trap door closes again, the party notices they are in a dungeon: stone floors, torches on the walls, the works. On one side of this hallway is the one, single cell a number of villagers are crammed into like a pig pen. Perfectly normal iron bars cage them in, and the older of the two Cyclops brothers rakes his keys across the bar to taunt the already-terrified captives.

The dungeon is VERY cramped, and it's hardly fit to hold all the people currently here. The hallway is just barely big enough for the Brothers, and the cell itself is beyond packed - it would be hard to fight, and hard to use magic too.

The good news: a whole lot of people are still alive here.

The bad news: the older Cyclops opens the door to usher the party inside.
[22:41] There it was. The right time. The right opportunity. The moment Rindou noticed they were in the dungeons in the midst of her fall was the moment she'd act. Her 'fan' was drawn forth and a descending slash would reflect crimison glimmers all around her, undoing the illusion brought onto her blade. She aimed to strike the younger cyclops right away before they could ready themselves for anything.

Sure, the place was cramped and it may have been a bit pre-emptive, but... Both Caira and Rindou were the kind that fought up-close. Being cramped was the best kind of condition for them.

Perhaps she should have warned the others of her intent, first. Caira's similar temper may just allow her to pick up the tempo before the elder brother would realize what was going on.

A crazy move, but how else was she supposed to protect those prisonners if she didn't strike first?
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[22:44] She fell and landed on her back, staring up at the ceiling for a few seconds before she forced herself back standing. That could have hurt! Regardless, she's patient, and takes stock of the surroundings carefully; the cramped dungeon, the cell full of people. If they fought here? It'd be hard.

But she didn't have much time to reflect upon that; for Rindou was already making a move, and honestly it brought a small smile to her face. As Rindou made her strike against the younger Cyclops, Reito worked her own magic against the older - forcing him to not even notice Rindou's strike, and perhaps Caira's own strike until it was too late. She moved closer to the open cell door as well; putting herself between the fight and those most at risk.
(Reito Shimasu)
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[22:48] Brought all the way here, Caira's eyes had been closed for a while. Her 'fan' of doom is taken into her hand and she immediately flies forward. Masamune sings a beautiful song of azure before the younger cyclops - And all of her force is pushed into making sure he no longer had one spine, but two. With Reito's illusion she hoped the attack would go through.

Because as far as power went? This one went beyond lethal.
(Caira Vindict)
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[22:49] {NARRATION} Rindou and Caira - roll for SURPRISE ATTACK
Reito - roll for successful illusory deception
[22:49] {NARRATION} d20 whoops
[22:59] {NARRATION} It was, by all measures, an absolutely terrible idea to engage the Cyclops here. Though it being cramped worked very well for two swordswoman, the Brothers were an unknown factor; high-powered magical combat would likely result in a lot of casualties of Reito couldn't protect the captive townsfolk, and even the slightest mistake would result in a whole lot of death.

But the elder Cyclops was successfully distracted, and with Reito in the way it was likely the two could carry out their surprise attack successfully.

...Except neither of them are particularly successful. The ruby eye of the Cyclops lands on Rindou immediately, and he successfully manages to GRAB Rindou's blade mid-swing - stopping it from actually meeting its mark. His hand is so gruff and calloused too that she likely wouldn't be able to do much damage there.

Caira's strike, however, is much more true - not quite to the astounding results she expected, but Masamune slices right through the Cyclops' clothing and manages to cut his chest.

He looks to his brother - and immediately notices he's lost in illusions, and both he and Reito are in the way of retaliating against the prisoners, at least in any reasonable amount of time.

It falls on him to fight, then - so the ruby eye glows a violent red, and he stomps forward.
[23:04] Caira Vindict whispers: I'll marble first)
[23:12] {NARRATION} oh god
/roll for me
[23:20] {NARRATION} The surprise attack doesn't go nearly as well as expected. The younger Cyclops brother storms forward, tugging Rindou's sword - by the blade itself! - right out of her hand, and with one quick motion he smacked her right over the head with the hilt - all in all, she gets off pretty easy. Before Caira can take advantage of him being distracted with the Luminate, however, Redon turns his gaze onto Caira.

Her blood simply... stops flowing, and as the strength leaves her body she's forced to the ground. With one swift motion he swings his hand toward the cell. Part of the stone wall breaks away, violently shoving the two swordswomen into the cell.

Reito, who had put herself between the captives and the Cyclops, was already exactly where he wanted them.

He kicked the cell shut and it locked automatically, and with a bestial roar the young Cyclops took hold of his entranced brother and dragged him urgently up the hallway - to a staircase, obviously the way out.

He wasn't expecting magi, and he didn't know how to deal with it - and though he had bested them, it drove him into enough of a panic to force him AND his brother to flee the scene.

...Leaving all three of them locked behind perfectly ordinary iron bars, with a whole load of scared captives.

They- they really didn't think this one through.
[23:20] {NARRATION} Rindou - nothing! good job
Caira - 12 day temp
[23:27] Oh. She had not expected that at all - but, it was a teaching lesson regardless. Moving over towards Caira's position, the Kitsune knelt down working to tend to her injuries already; looking her over swiftly. If they were going to battle a Nethradin, it was probably best to make sure they were all in decent fighting shape after all, no?

"You must learn when it's the ideal time to strike, Rindou," She explained patiently with a calm smile despite what had happened. "If things got out of hand, the villagers could have been injured..." As she spoke, a hand was placed upon Caira's form calmly, seeing precisely what had caused the Warchief to freeze up like that in the middle of battle.

It seemed to be a residual effect of the Cyclops' mana itself, and honestly given all of the injuries she had seen over theyears? It was relatively simple to fix. Cosmic mana was pulsed forth in slow batches, working to round up the lingering traces of Redon's mana, allowing Caira's own blood to flow freely, and eventually, completely naturally.

Reito stood up now to speak to the load of scared captives as she held up her hands,

"Don't panic! We're here to... Save you," She said, with a brief chuckle, "We aim to take care of the Nethradin and have you all home soon enough, so please stay here for the time being where it's most likely the safest, and once it's safe we will lead you all home."

(Reito Shimasu)
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[23:29] Perhaps she could've thought that one out better. The violent outburst coming from the cyclops was something she hadn't expected, forcing her to be put into a cell with no escape (aside from through the hole in the wall or the very normal iron bars). Rindou tended to her own scratches and bruises before her eyes shifted to Caira, wanting to make sure that she was doing fine in her current state.

Before she could react to that Reito was already on the case, leaving the young noblewoman with the task of busting them out of jail. Her blade was brought forth again and a few slashes were sent towards the iron bars in an attempt to melt them down with a magma-coated blade.

"It was the right time. We just... didn't do good enough. Now it'll be more difficult." She answered, sheathing her blade once the deed was done.
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[23:38] She thought she had it. For the life of her, she felt the blade hit the muscle and bone and Caira thought she was going to slay it on the spot. That isn't the case at all. Her blood shifted and stopped and just locked down to the point she's immobile. Now with all three of them in the cell she has her eyes closed and she's practically shaking with anger.

A cosmic influx of force leaves her slowly coming to, and she's the first to scream; "Damn it!" If there weren't civilians in here, she'd have swung the blade as hard as she could against the stone wall. ".. Ape! Monkey! Scum!" She also went to slice all of the bars down as soon as she was back in fighting condition. The woman is furious, she's livid even.

"I'll kill both of them!" Her anger was showing in droves - The same anger that had her attack Issac Shimasu. She storms right out of that cell.
(Caira Vindict)
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[23:39] {NARRATION} The panicked villagers - having almost been caught in the crossfire of a dungeon brawl - can only nod at Reito and pray that any of the three magi have any idea what they're talking about or what they're doing. One of the prisoners, an older man, points toward the staircase the Cyclops retreated to, muttering the words: "th-the phoenix."

It should be noted that nobody here matches the description of Bram's daughter - that is, there are no young girls and none of the women here seem quite young enough to be the missing girl.

The bars are simple iron, enough to hold non-magi. But for Rindou and Caira, it may as well have just been paper - they melt and slice through them easily, creating a path out of here. There's nothing in the way between them and the staircase - at the top of which is a slightly open doorway to what's likely the exit of the dungeon.

The Cyclops probably thought those bars would hold them.
[23:41] Dumb Cyclops.

As Rindou and perhaps even Caira if she manages to, slice through the bars, she offers a small nod towards the villagers,

"The Phoenix too," She said, "We'll try our best." She said calmly. Now, she motioned to the girls, smiling all the while, "Keep control of your anger, Caira. It will serve you in battle, but not before."

She'd head towards the stairs now, wandering up them towards the top before she'd peek through the slightly open door to see if there were any other guards, or even those Cyclops.
(Reito Shimasu)
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[23:41] Caira Vindict says, "..."
[23:41] She's gritting her teeth but not screaming obscenities. Regardless, she goes for the staircase door.
(Caira Vindict)
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[23:42] {NARRATION} Peeking through reveals no surprises, and no further guards. The two cycloptic wardens await beyond the door, sitting in what looks like an ordinary guardsman's room as found in any dungeon; a wooden table covered in booze and playing cards and plates with leftover food, a few chairs strong enough to support the weight of a Cyclops, a broken clock, and...

In the corner, in a cage that was far too small for it, a heavily wounded, bleeding phoenix. The ruby-eyed Cyclops, sitting in a chair at the opposite end of the room, grumpily tosses a dart at it, and misses.

Cyclops are not known for their depth perception.
[23:43] Reito Shimasu says, "............................"
[23:50] And well, that did it. As soon as the dart goes flying; Reito barreled through the door, ears flattened against her head. Rebirth was already switching from that folding fan to something more akin to it's status as a weapon that held the feather of a Phoenix.

"You dare..." She began, fire manifesting around the Kitsune's form already in an unrelenting storm. She was fifty, but that didn't make her any less of a potent Magi. That firestorm of mana was released all at once, intermingling with a cosmic power that was far above the understanding of the two cyclops; pure, scalding hot white light infuses itself through her form, blinding both of the Cyclops perhaps at the same time.

There was no stopping her. Rindou had been fascinated by that subtle glow that exuded from the Kitsune's small form at all times, but now it was like Reito was awalking avatar for the Sun itself - because she practically was. Her power came directly from the Sun, strengthened by her tethering her very soul to it.

The advice she had given Caira seemed far away now, as she immediately dashed upon one of the Cyclops, and bashed him over the head with a well timed kick. It was unexpected, and as she did that, Rebirth itself lit up, the foci glowing, working to mend the lifestream automatically as Reito worked. It was time to take care of the Cyclops along with Caira and Rindou, wasn't it?
(Reito Shimasu)
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[23:54] What an insane amount of mana and might coming from Reito all at once. This was nothing like the Chancellor who was too kind and allowed people to call her a bitch. Crazy. It isn't long before Rindou joins the fray with full force, brandishing her blade alongside the woman she admired so, so much.

This time they wouldn't lose.
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[23:55] Caira aimed specifically to free the phoenix.
(Caira Vindict)
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[23:55] {NARRATION} Reito - d20
[23:57] {NARRATION} Redon is already slightly weakened from the previous fight, but Reito's surprise attack is so horrendously telegraphed that he still manages to see it coming - and swiftly rises to his feet.

"What in the godsdamn- ya were locked in that cell!"

They don't get the element of surprise, but at least they've got a fair fight on their hands now. Other than the phoenix, off in the far corner of the room where it was as safe as it could ever be, there was NOTHING in the way now.

[00:17] {NARRATION} No longer in the confines of the prison, and without any nonmagi who might get caught in the crossfire, the fight against the brothers goes MUCH differently this time. The ruby-eyed cyclops fails to catch blades like he did in the dungeon, and Reito's flames and illusions complicate things further.

The older brother goes down first. He's powerful in his own right, but there's something about the gem that Redon shoved into his eye that makes him that much stronger.

...That, and a good amount of magic typically not seen in his race. Either way, though, the brothers are slain - and the ruby dislodges itself from Redon's eye in his final moments.

The phoenix is safe in its cage, though it seems...

Dead?

[00:23] The Cyclops weren't even on her radar after the fight. They were all still standing, and Reito rushed to the Phoenix's cage, only to pause briefly. Her eyes widen, and she felt her heart sink immediately.

"No..." She breathed out, "No no no," She repeated, nearing. The cage was opened, and the bird, made of the Lifestream itself was withdrawn ever so gently, as if one was handling a baby. She wanted to cry, truly. She had to do something, anything... Rebirth was pulled forth, and now Reito tried something that was out of left field.

Rebirth's foci glowed, a hum originating from the staff itself as the weapon sang the song of the Lifestream itself, and of Phoenixes. The notes that came from within were beautiful and melodic, and she waited with baited breath for the Phoenix to stir.

"Please. You have to. That's what you do."
(Reito Shimasu)
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[00:27] Rindou stumbled a bit around the room after the fight. It had been a much rougher one on her end. She barely could feel her legs supporting her own weight when she leaned up against one of the walls, just now noticing the state of the young bird. Grit teeth were all she could express, although... She never would have expected to hear something so melodic amidst a horrible, horrifying situation. It was as if Jiuweihu herself was speaking to them. Where was it coming from?

The young noblewoman quietly watched, hoping this divine intervention would suffice.
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[00:33] ** Nuo has inflicted an injury upon Rindou Sakamoto. ("Lost in Nightmares", "Out of the corner of your eye, you can occasionally see the phantom of Rip the Blood coming for you - and in your sleep, you're haunted by the repeating nightmare of shrinking to the size of a mouse while a brutish, ugly Cyclops who can't even speak properly chases you through the corridors of your mind.", "Temporary", "Duration: Medium (4 days)") **
[00:34] With a sharp dart sticking out of her hand, likely having gone through the muscles the help pull her fingers to grip and shift on the hilt, she's irritated. Irritated that after the fight she's going to be the one to put them down. As the other two go to the phoenix, Caira steps forward and takes in a deep breath. "I'd give you last words, but this is by far one of the worst days ever." She'd lean in and take Masamune right across both of their heads once they were downed - And now? Now she's tired.

Her hand is leaking blood and she's wobbling and limping. "... I'm going to go free the prisoners now. I imagine with our fight against the Nethradin.. It's going to bring the entire place down." Caira- Coincidentally- Didn't care that much about Phoenixes. People meant more to her.

She goes down the stairs to do just that. Freedom and evacuation.
(Caira Vindict)
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[00:38] {NARRATION} Though Reito manages to pull the phoenix back into the world of the living, it's obvious that the guardian Bram so believed in is wounded beyond repair - and for whatever reason, she isn't regenerating or even making an attempt to. The creature is made of the lifestream itself, and yet somehow... it doesn't seem fully attached to it anymore. She speaks - weakly, as if every word might be her last. "Soromath... broke me somehow," she said, a bit inelegant for a phoenix; a dying bird couldn't spare too many words. "Can't heal, can't immolate, can't... rise. He severed it somehow- my regeneration, my resurrection."

Saromath had achieved a feat so few in the world ever did - death magic, and his first experiment was utterly ruining his captured phoenix. It was, for all intents and purposes, a normal bird - and a fatally wounded one, at that.

The weakened, dying creature looked up at Reito. Each second to keep its eyes open was a struggle. "...Mercy," she muttered, and one could swear its nonexistent avian lips curled into a smile. "And blessed by Jiuweihu. It is... not a bad last sight."

The Cyclops brothers were the only guards posted - and though Soromath still lurked within the castle, there was nothing in the way of Caira setting the prisoners free.

"I used to love the sound of the bell," the phoenix whispered. "All the marriages in the village used to happen here. But-"

Her attention turned back to Reito.

"I... do not think I will ever be the same- but you have already saved me. That... is enough."

"You'll protect them- won't you? Where I failed. It is... just the Nethradin now. No one else left here."
[00:45] Rindou could feel them in the back of her mind. Those thoughts. Those nightmares, those illusions that haunted the corner of her eyes where shadow loomed. It was disturbing, but it wasn't nearly as important as the freedom of those prisonners or the immortal beast perishing before their eyes.

This wasn't going to happen - not like this. Not within Reito's arms. Rindou practically rushed to the Chancellor, sliding on her knees and messing up her silken robes quite badly to reach the bird in time. Both her hands stretched out as she shook her head.

"Then I'll heal you." She stated. An intense holy light seeped out of her fingertips in her last attempts to keep the phoenix alive - to ensure it wouldn't just... die. If it couldn't heal itself, then Rindou would keep it alive through means that were less connected to the world and far, far more traditional.

She could only hope it would give it more time. Just a few seconds.
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[00:52] No. No. No. NO!

A multitude of emotions cascaded across Reito's face all at once as the Phoenix spoke. There was no mending it; bringing it back had been possible, thanks to the staff but she could not fully fix a Phoenix who had become detatched from the Lifestream. Tears were immediate, falling down her cheeks as she shook her head,

"No... I- … I can fix you. I can fix you,"/font> She repeated, her voice cracking. "I-... I can fix anything."/font> It was words she had told Magdalen, when the Demiangel had been at her lowest. It had been the words Magdalen had told her, when she had been suffering from seeing and hearing thousands of voices all suffering at once, overwhelming her.

Right as Rindou came sliding onto her knees in order to heal the bird, the Kitsune only nodded as well. Cosmic mana - the holy mana from the stars itself, flows through the bird's frame as well, mingling with Rindou's own.

"I'll protect them, but you're going to be okay. Please don't speak like that. Please. It'll be fine... I can find a way."/font>

But her voice was growing weaker. Could she even do it? She believed she could, she believed Rindou could.
(Reito Shimasu)
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[00:56] By this point, every last person in the cells has been informed of their status. Free prisoners, no longer doomed here at the fate of whatever was going on. She noticed the lack of women earlier - The question is provided to every singe cell. "Where are the others?"

"Where is Baum's daughter? What can any of you tell me about the horrors in this place?" And finally?

".. You're free to go home, return to your normal lives. Please, get as far away from here as you can."

Well. What kinds of things would she learn? Did they struggle in heading towards the doors? Then again.. If the Nethradin was still alive, the barrier was likely still up. Caira has them wait in the massive lobby they arrived in for now.

Holy magic and healing is applied to all of them that looked like they needed it. Medics were a wonderful thing.
(Caira Vindict)
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[00:59] {NARRATION} On Caira's end, the extraction efforts go swimmingly. They file up the staircase, through the guard's room, and up the next staircase - and though there's some initial panic regarding the room they find themselves in once they're up those stairs, there's a massive collective sigh of relief as they find the door leading back to the main room.

Gods only know what Caira, Rindou, and Reito will find when they go up that staircase.

On Reito and Rindou's end...
[01:00] {NARRATION} Also, the captive townsfolk indicate that they do not know a Baum, but if you mean Bram, his daughter is apparently deeper in the castle - very close to Lord Soromath's throne room.

But back to the phoenix-
[01:04] {NARRATION} It should be noted that the villagers were very friendly in informing Caira that the man she is referring to is named Bram. There was no judgment. We are all friends here.
[01:04] {NARRATION} "Spare your healing and help each other instead," the dying phoenix mutters, struggling to lift its wing as if to shrug off Rindou and Reito's attempts to heal her - though she obviously doesn't have the strength to actually do that. "This... can hardly be called a life. Soromath took away all that I was - all that I... have to be. But you- what you just did-" she goes on, focusing on Reito again. The Kitsune who could fix anything had finally met something she couldn't fix; this was no longer a matter of just kidnapping villagers, either. The Nethradin Lord of the castle had now done something truly, utterly unspeakable. "...There IS something I can do for you. I will... invest in you- place my trust in you."

Though her powers were gone by her own admission, the edges of the phoenix's wings began to burn, just slightly - but instead of ash from which to rise from, the creature simply seemed to burn into nothing.

"I... do not know exactly what Soromath has done - but I... leave a piece of my broken spirit... to you, child of Jiuweihu - in the hopes that what is left of me can be of use."

And so the phoenix burned out one last time - leaving behind a single, solitary feather. It was likely the most pathetic phoenix feather anyone would ever lay eyes upon.

But at least it still existed.

Nowhere to go but up the staircase now.
[01:08] Everyone is gathered together - The commotion is likely overheard by the other two. Caira takes in a deep breath and brings her free hand down to the wounded sword hand and holds down on it. She's growling now, aggressive that she was in this much pain. A quick break is taken inwards and she looks through her things. She did have a spare lax essence, but was it needed? No. Not particularly.

"..." Caira is silent while watching the last moments of the bird - And she presses forward to that staircase at the far end. She made a promise she'd purge the Nethradin. It was a shame the lifesteam's guardian perished, but-

.. Perhaps, in her mind, people meant more than the majestic beasts far and beyond their world. Was that wrong? Or was it acceptable? She doesn't voice these things for a reason.
(Caira Vindict)
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[01:09] Rindou had trouble accepting it, though she was certain it would be worse for Reito at this point. She may have been seeking Illumination on her way up the mountains and this was nothing short of a bad omen, but the kitsune was one to be obsessed with phoenixes and their existence more than anything else.

Hands removed themselves from the dying beast as it turned into nothing but a memento. Before she could utter any other words Rindou found herself slashing at the air in her blindside, thinking she had seen something - feeling like a presence was looming behind her.

She remained on her knees, silent, breathing heavily.

The Ritual of Rays was more than a challenge.
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[01:11] She was quiet, as the Phoenix burned out one. Last. Time. The single feather that was left behind was clutched to the Kitsune's chest for a time as she said her own goodbyes. A silent prayer. With a shaking breath, she stood up. Now, she moved, towards where the Nethradin should have been.

He'd pay.

This was going to be a day of reckoning for him, for disturbing the Lifestream to the point of severing a Phoenix's link to it. She was shaking with anger, and yet with determination. Much like Caira, Reito presses forward, oddly silent now.
(Reito Shimasu)
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[01:13] {NARRATION} The staircase out of the guards' room comes out to one of the brightest rooms any of the three had ever seen; looking anywhere in the room was akin to staring straight into the sun. Bright crystals affixed to the ceiling shine, and artificially created rays heat the room up to disgusting degrees. The false sun is strong. The heat is even worse, like the hottest morning in a desert - and it's a long way to the door on the opposite end.

For some reason, it evokes memories of the Ritual of Light, and days long past of meditating beneath the harsh light of the sun.

There don't seem to be any obstacles, other than the room's climate. Just like the phoenix said, it is a lonely castle: nothing but Soromath and his Cyclops lackeys.

There's also a door very close to the staircase, where the townsfolk have gathered in the entrance hall until Soromath's crystalline blizzard is gone - but that room had no other exits.
[01:17] Caira takes this moment to get a breather. She stops for a time and closes her eyes, letting herself focus intently while she snaps her fingers. It's less loud and kind of pathetic because it wasn't as strong as her sword hand, but in the end those obelisks do rise up out of the ground surrounding Rindou as the woman limped around.

".. Stand still." Caira placed her not-injured hand onto the obelisk and started to floor holy magic into all six of the placed, marble pillars. They begin to buzz and light up with force, holy magic protrudes as if a barrier and all at once - The obelisks donate all of their force back to Caira as he moved a hand simply oozing exorcist's force towards Rindou's chest.

Like getting hit with a powerful punch, the woman would find her circuits all slammed with internal healing and cleansing force as she had been successful exorcised. Caira takes a deep breath, coughing now and cursing her wounds. She'd beeninjured twice now.

It was disgusting. She opts to follow the leader in this case, Reito, as she was lacking on energy and enthusiasm. That'd change the moment they found the Nethradin, though.
(Caira Vindict)
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[01:19] The ascension up the stairs was a difficult one for Rindou. She felt weaker than she had ever been before. Her mind was playing games on her and her eyes were shifting from one side to the next with each step she took. Part of her wished they had just gone up the mountains following their own path without a guide. That they'd be done and wouldn't have to deal with this, but...

... This was the better thing to do - the right thing to do, wasn't it? The young woman suddenly felt her movements restricted as Caira held her in place, forcing holy magic to buzz and resonate through the ground before a blast of healing magic hit her circuits like a truck. Rindou wobbled a bit, shaking her head before she looked at Caira, nodding approvingly.

There it was. The end.
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[01:20] Rindou Sakamoto asks, "... Are you alright, Caira?"
[01:20] As they traveled up the staircase, Reito was morose. Though she clung to the feather the dead bird had gifted her, she didn't feel much better over it. As they come to the overly blinding room, Reito speaks up,

"Caira, you're injured," She spoke softly, trying to take a best guess as to how to deal with the room they came across, "Come here."

If she couldn't heal a damn bird, she'd heal Caira instead.
(Reito Shimasu)
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[01:20] Rindou Sakamoto says, "You look.. less good than usual."
[01:20] Caira Vindict says, "... Dart went through my sword hand."
[01:20] Caira Vindict says, "Look, I'll be fine.."
[01:21] Rindou shook her head a bit, moving up closer to Caira and taking the sword hand that had been wounded with hers, holding it tightly. Holy influence coursed through the wound the Gehennan took while her friend whispered to her, holding on to that hand.
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[01:22] Rindou Sakamoto whispers: .. You don't have to act tough. I already know you are.
[01:22] {NARRATION} The room is still bright and hot, but at least everyone feels better now.

Proceed?
[01:22] {NARRATION} d20 from everyone
[01:23] Rindou Sakamoto whispers: We'll get through this together and... you're coming to the shrine's opening, right?
[01:24] {NARRATION} The pseudo-desert is insufferable and uncomfortable, but not insurmountable, and the three get through it with little difficulty. They had bested a pair of Cyclops; a little bit of heat was nothing!

Besides hot, of course.

The next room is almost the complete opposite of the previous one; it is lit pleasantly like a room should be, with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The center of the room holds a long table covered in a white sheet, lined with bowls of various fruits. Bottles of wine are posted within reach of every chair, and an ornate ice sculpture of a familiar-looking phoenix with its wings spread rests in the center of the table. It... seems blatantly mocking, though inspecting the base of it reveals an inscription reading "GENMEI."

At the far end is a lit fireplace, and beside that is the door out of here.
[01:27] The sights were far too rich for how horrifying everything else in that castle had been. From the lights, to the table, to the food, to the sculptures. The immense warmth washing over them was in complete contrast with the cold outside, leaving the young noblewoman feeling far more comfortable, yet angry.

How could a Nethradin go and hurt people - phoenixes so badly and still live in luxury like that? Insane. Inhumane. The Luminite looked around, trying to find the culprit of all of this mess.
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[01:28] The room was hot, but she was a naturally attuned Fire Magi - she could handle heat. The next room gives her pause, however and she surveys it carefully. The base of the ice sculpture was noted by the Kitsune, before she wandered further into the room seemingly,

"Soromath," She called out, ears flattened against the top of her skull now. "Your three tributes are here. Where are you?" She asked, closing her eyes briefly before she reopened them. Her own mana reached out, searching every single nook and cranny for the creature before she moved closer to the door close to the fireplace. Perhaps he was behind it.

She'd aim to open it just a crack and peek through, unless her own magical search through the room found anything else.
(Reito Shimasu)
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[01:31] {NARRATION} This room is completely empty other than the food, but the next room is far from it! Just from peeking in, Reito is able to see three things inside a stone, dungeon-like room: a door that looks like it'll be a pain to open, a hole in the wall beside it that something is meant to go into, and...

A cage- and a girl?

It's hard to tell from just peeking in.
[01:32] She would motion to the others, indicating the door. She would only open it once they all were ready; for a Nethradin might just pop out of no where from them opening it. Who knew?
(Reito Shimasu)
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[01:33] Caira doesn't seem to be very fond of the whole stealth operations take on today. She's still livid from earlier, and perhaps even more so now that her hair had frizzed up from the sweltering room. Even with Masamune acting like an air conditioner at times, she's frowning from the looks of it. Still hot, sweaty even. Why did it feel worse than the jungle?

Without much more hassle, she reaches for the door and pushes it wide open. If nothing attacked her or no one stopped her, Caira's eyes go wide at the girl in the cage and she quickly closes the distance to try and get closer.

.. Shit, sorry Reito.
(Caira Vindict)
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[01:35] With Caira barging in Rindou has no choice but to follow up! There was no time left to loiter and try to wonder how a Nethradin or Cyclops would manage to get such luxuries brought in if not by the townspeople who never left the town. Just how did that happen? And an ice sculpture?

Maybe the older brother with no stone in his eye was talented in other ways.

Regardless, Rindou dashed in right after her Gehennan friend.
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[01:36] {NARRATION} No Nethradin popped out at all!

The next room is styled exactly like the dungeon the party had just climbed out of; the floor and walls are drab, gray cobblestone, and dim torches line the walls. Before them is a massive door that - should they try to open it - simply will not open. Beside it is a hand-sized crevice, so supernaturally dark inside that light just can't seem to pierce it.

Also in this room is a young girl in a solitary cage, easy enough to open for a magi - and once again too small for her, as is the running theme in the Nethradin's castle. She looks up at the group with wide eyes.

"He's past this door- did- did my father send you?"

Before anyone can answer that, a deep, oddly smooth voice rings out from behind the sealed door:

"The way can only be opened via sacrifice.
You all understand that - a Gehennan warchief and two children of Jiuweihu.
Think of it as another one of your pointless rituals, or appeasing your spirits.
Or- why not offer up the child? She is a stranger. Meaningless."

[01:37] Caira Vindict says, ".. I volunteer."
[01:37] Rindou Sakamoto says, "-"
[01:37] Rindou Sakamoto says, "Caira-"
[01:37] Caira narrows her eyes at the hand sized crevice. A trail of sacrifice. Every day she spoke talk of giving her all, one hundred percent of the way to her people and her friends. She's looking at it with a grin when she sees it and stares back at the door for a while.

Before she can walk right up to it and offer herself to the flame like she always did - Selfless to the death - She stops by Rindou's voice.

".. Yes, Rin?" She's about to put her hand into the wall.
(Caira Vindict)
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[01:43] "I'm the one who took you along. You said we'd do things together, right? That we'd go and get those blades to create miracles."

Her hand reached out as she stepped up, too, matching Caira's own motion and offering a rare smile towards her as she aims to catch her hand. It had been a long, long time since she last gave something genuine like that.

"I can't create miracles on my own. You're a warchief. You have responsabilities. I'm not letting you do this just for me. What good's a bulwark with a missing piece?"
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[01:47] She moved towards the cage, releasing Bram's daughter as she nodded,

"Yes," She said firmly, before she gesturing out the door, offering the girl instructions on how to join the rest of the villagers. Away from the danger of the Nethradin. As for that voice that ran out from behind the door, she snarled.

Yes, she snarled.

"You have some nerve speaking of meaningless."

Whilst Rindou and Caira hashed out their differences? Reito moved to the hole herself, shaking her head. Sometimes, one had to show kids how it was done, huh?

She withdrew something from her Kimono. It had been a gift from Isaac, something she held very near and dear to her heart. It was something she could withdraw and hug when she felt particularly emotional. She even offered it one last, lingering hug, shutting her eyes. Too much had been lost here tonight, before she slipped the Nyphadora plushie into the hole.
(Reito Shimasu)
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[01:49] {NARRATION} ...Nothing happens. The door rumbles, like it's confused - but Soromath says nothing. Bram's daughter comments that it's a PRETTY cute plushie, though.
[01:52] Caira stares at Reito trying to circumvent the door's calling - And she points to the shape of the hole. "It's for your hand, Reito. He wants us to give up part of us. I imagine the hole will server the limb immediately after." She closes her eyes as Rindou comes forth and makes her point. She frowns some and then crosses her arms.

If she would be held back from throwing herself to the flame, so be it. ".. Are you saying you'll take that burden, Rindou?" Caira doesn't seem happy about this at all. For one reason or another, she only saw herself (because of how selfless she prided herself on) or Reito going through with the actual sacrifice of the door's calling.

Giving up something to protect the newest generation? It's.. A pickle. An absolute pickle. "... This Nethradin has to die. Soon."
(Caira Vindict)
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[01:53] Rindou Sakamoto asks, "For you?"
[01:53] Rindou Sakamoto says, "Anytime."
[01:53] She pulled the Plushie back out, dusting it off. She hid it back within her Kimono again, sighing.

"Then I'll do it." She said, looking to the other two. "You have your entire lives ahead of you, and well, it's a good sacrifice to be able to destroy a Nethradin, no?"
(Reito Shimasu)
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[01:54] Caira Vindict says, ". . ."
[01:54] Caira slowly turns to Reito and smiles softly. ".. I can't let you do it either then, Rindou. Swords aren't great when they have chips in them."
(Caira Vindict)
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[01:54] Caira Vindict says, ".. I'm going to murder this Nethradin for even thinking we'd try the kid."
[01:55] Reito Shimasu says, "We're going to destroy it for all the right reasons."
[01:56] Rindou's smile soon turned into a grin. She finally felt it all leave her shoulder. That pressure, that weight, that immense amount of jealousy, regret, and pain that had plague her in the past year was just... gone. It was an eerie moment, the kind that almost called for more words than those that had been uttered. An explanation at the very least.

When Reito volunteered herself and Caira made that comment it only turned things into a more complicated situation.

Just which of those idiots was going to give up themselves for the sake of destroying that monster?

"I couldn't ask you to do this, Lady Reito. We came here for my ritual."

Though Caira had a point, Rindou decided to pretend like she didn't hear it in an all-too-heroic and very Caira-esque way.
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[01:58] Reito stuck her hand into the hole.
Unless one of the others stopped her.

She braced herself for pain, or worse.
(Reito Shimasu)
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[01:58] Reito Shimasu says, "You aren't asking me to do it."
[01:58] Reito Shimasu says, "I'm just doing it. "
[01:58] Reito Shimasu says, "I'm fifty, I can do what I want."
[01:58] Caira Vindict says, "..."
[01:58] Caira Vindict says, "Hahaha.."
[01:59] She's text messaging with her other hand.
(Reito Shimasu)
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[01:59] Caira Vindict says, "We'll perform the best medical operation known to Agartha for you, Reito."
[02:00] {NARRATION} Reito sticks her hand into the hole while the rest of them bicker, expecting the worst. It obviously asked for a hand. The plushie wouldn't do. It demanded flesh.

What, exactly, would happen?

...

Absolutely nothing.

Another test of faith is rewarded. The door swings open, revealing an architectural impossibility - a small balcony, with a long staircase leading to the top of a pagoda that didn't seem to be there when the party was outside of the castle. The belltower that the villagers have come to fear is visible from here too, though there's no obvious point of entry - the staircase leads only to the top of that pagoda, framed by a full moon.

The diamond blizzard whirls aggressively around the perimeter of the castle and the wind howls, but none of it threatens the staircase - it seems pretty safe to travel.
[02:00] Reito Shimasu says, ".........."
[02:00] Reito Shimasu says, "I'm getting so tired of this Nethradin."
[02:05] She withdrew her hand, inspecting it closely as she dusted it off. She said nothing else, moving forward into the outdoors. The blizzard whirled around her, but she didn't care and she expected the others to follow right behind her. Flame was at her fingertips, as well as a whirl of cosmic mana, threatening to rip to shreds the very being from Hel who had caused this amount of suffering.

That separated villagers from their friends and families.
That had destroyed the link between a Phoenix and the Lifestream.

Rebirth howled at her back, seemingly just as angry.

They still had to ascend the mountain after this too. Gods.
(Reito Shimasu)
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[02:06] Caira's heart calms down after the door swung right open. She'd turn around and give Bram's daughter a pat on the head. "Go downstairs and meet with the others in the main lobby. Tell them you're all safe and sound. We'll be right back down after we finish."

Caira offers the little girl a smile before turning back to that pagoda - And stairs and all.

It's time to send someone back to Hel. MOUNTAIN. OH NO. "Wait.. Aren't we supposed to be-" She looks across the blizzard and tries her hardest to find the ridges and cliffs. "... Scaling the mount?"
(Caira Vindict)
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[02:08] Fear reigned in her heart when Reito put her hand in the hole without waiting for them to debate upon it. For a moment the young woman really thought she was going to have her mentor lose a hand over her own ritual. Her hand was already retrieving a small box to treat the injury when....

... everything turned out to be fine. Phew. A long exhale left the young woman's lips before she looked at the road ahead of her. The snow. The cold. That blizzard. The possible ice up the stairs. All of that was taken in stride as the noble's feet warmed up; boots of scorching earth formed themselves under her. Her hand grabbed onto Caira's as a pull was made, leading the way up the pagoda.

"Let's find that bi— bad guy!"
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[02:11] {NARRATION} The girl complies, and leaves to join the rest of the freed captives. They're all still stuck here as long as the crystal blizzard still exists, but at least they'll be safe.

Meanwhile, the top of the staircase reveals another architectural impossibility: what should have been an open-air pagoda is instead an enclosed throne room, in what seems to be Valmasian style instead of Shengese - and the transition from staircase to this enclosed room isn't immediately obvious. It's almost as if the party stepped through a portal, even. White marble makes up the floor of this new room, and stained glass windows line the walls - each one heretical, each one terrible.

A phoenix, cut down by a sword.

A dragon, pierced by a lance.

A fox bound to a rock, with a masked executioner holding an axe high.

Malentine Invidia, the father of the rift that spawned the Lord of the Castle.

And, at the very back of the room, a massive stained glass window that depicts the scene of a burning village and a hilltop castle cloaked in a colorful diamond blizzard.

A red carpet led to the black throne in the center of it all - and atop it was a pale, almost vampiric-looking humanoid in black garb, decaying skin held together by crystals. He was obviously the source of the colorful storm around the castle. He was the creator of the ruby stone the Cyclops embedded in his eye. He was the monster terrorizing the villagers, and the death magi who destroyed a phoenix.

He was Lord Soromath, sitting comfortably on his throne with his legs crossed, sipping a glass of what was likely blood.


"Such a beautiful evening. The moon is full. Welcome... 'tributes.' I was actually hoping you would offer up the child - how disappointing. Now - I would normally urge you that it is not too late to kneel before me - but we both know it is not meant to happen."


He takes one last sip of his glass and tosses it aside; it shatters against the floor.


"...So what will happen instead?"

[02:16] Striking first and breaking their blade. That's how I'll protect people.

The heresy that was depicted all around her and the room itself was briefly taken in before the young woman's eyes fell upon the man they had searched for long. He did not seem too Nethradin-like, far from it, even. It was more like a vampire of sorts, surrounded by crystals and drinking living ichor from his glass.

Before he could even get through his monologue Rindou had leapt in, both hands on her blade and an assault ready to go. There could have a been a thousand things she could have replied to him if she let him go on, but unfortunately this was not the kind of girl she was. Her blade radiated with holy magics as she sent forth a descending slash.

She always struck first.
Always.
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[02:18] The changes of the atmosphere as they ascend the staircase wasn't lost upon the Priestess. She could tell that things were as they should not have been, a glance being paid to each stained glass window. Each of them upset her more and more. Eyes trace up through the fanciful throne room, past the red carpet and towards the blackened throne.

Her jaw was set, and for a moment, she withdrew a single, ragged feather twirling it between her fingers thoughtfully before it was tucked away again. Reito inhaled sharply and then exhaled, speaking up,

"Mercy. But not for you. It's for the innocent villagers you have terrorized. It's for the Phoenix you slaughtered. It's for the natural order, and for the Lifestream itself.

"Not for you."

Rindou was not alone in her assault; Reito's magic not far behind with the Kitsune trailing her.
(Reito Shimasu)
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[02:18] They'd scaled what should've been a mountain today. It all started at the bottom of the summit, meeting the oddball that was Bram and getting to the village where he pleaded - Begged them to help. He was so terrified at the thought of Caira grabbing her blade. She thinks back on it, and maybe she could've played it easier with them. In the back of her head though, maybe the villages could forgive her being a crass bitch by returning the people and more specifically his daughter?

.. She closes her eyes when they enter this room of impossibility and find the stained glass. Every last depiction was a sin. Slaying of a Phoenix, a dragon, or perhaps cruelty at the face of the executioner? At first Caira thought it may have to do something with the beasts of divinity but she hardly knew anything that attuned with the phoenixes. And so here she is, staring back at the death magi.

"I think you know what happens next, Nethradin." Refusing to address him by his name, she bounds forward as holy aura overloads into her circuits. A massive golden shield morphs and forms in the sky above him. Any moment, it'd slam down and ruin him.

Taking every last attack and never bending the knee. That's how I'll protect people.

She always took the hits.
Always.
(Caira Vindict)
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[02:21] {NARRATION} The initial charge was repelled by a veritable explosion of magic, shaking the room and cracking the marble flooring - it was in many ways like the aura seen in occultists, but... far worse. Far more potent.

Far more evil.

Soromath was a creature that reveled in monologues. He'd not be interrupted.

"In Hel it was my job to torment lost and wayward spirits," he tells them. "...And even though I am no longer in Hel, it makes sense to continue my work - does it not? Just as you pursue your faith in Jiuweihu, just as you honor your spirits..."

He grinned - it was a hollow, empty thing.

"You have your roles, your tasks - you are guided by the puppet strings of fate just as I am. And it is fate that brought us together tonight, as well! But do not be angry that I play my part - just as I can hardly be angry at you for playing yours."

"So cast away your anger - come, so I can return to my work."
[02:23] Reito Shimasu says, "Fate is NOT set in stone."
[02:23] Reito Shimasu says, "Every action one takes changes the course."
[02:42] {NARRATION} As the figt rages on and the tides turn against the Nethradin lord of the castle, Soromath staggers back. His control over fire and crystals - not to mention death magic - is impressive to be sure, but he can do little in the face of two swordswomen without peer and the Chancellor, who age hasn't slowed down all. He was someone who preyed exclusively upon non-magi, after all, perhaps out of fear of actual retaliation - and for all of his talk of fate and embracing evil, he could hardly back up his words in the end.

An exposed black heart beats rapidly beneath a crystalline chest - an obvious weak point, ripe for destroying to end this menace once and for all.

One by one, each of those wretched stained glass windows shatter. The sun begins to rise, vanquishing the horrible night; comforting rays of sunlight stream into the room, promising that the nightmare has come to an end.

The last window to shatter is the massive one that depicts the burning village - and once it's gone, a balcony facing the east is revealed. They're just in time to catch the rising sun.

It's not the peak of the mountain, but it seems like an excellent place to meditate.

...After the group takes an assessment of their injuries. Roll once more, with feeling.
[02:43] {Item} You picked up Pitch-Black Crystal. Dropped by Nuo. .
[02:51] The fight wore on and on, Reito showing her worth within battle besides the two swordswomen. Age was sneaking up on her, yes, but this was a good last hurrah, wasn't it? The Nethradin was a being who had bullied a population of people who could not fight back, and when their protector tried to save them, he utilized the vilest magic possible upon the bird.

It was unforgiveable.
Reito had already learned that Nethradin could not be purified. It could only be slain, or simply sent back to Helheim. None of them were Wayfinders, and even Phil would not be able to create a portal to send the thing back. Not that they'd want to be sent back. So destruction was the only answer in the end.

The pitch black heart was exposed, and utilizing not just her own magic, but as well as expertly timed slashes from both Caira and Rin? It was destroyed, sentencing the Nethradin to death.

For it did not deserve Mercy.

As the windows shatter, one by one, Reito's form seems to relax only for a small time, standing up straighter now that the creature was dead and gone. Closing her eyes, she made her way closer to the balcony that had been revealed. This was, ultimately, a test from Jiuweihu. Who else would be able to time things so perfectly?

She gestured to the balcony, where the sun's rays shined the brightest,

"It's time, Rindou."
(Reito Shimasu)
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[02:52] Caira is running sidelong with Rindou as the two of them danced and darted across the field in a flash of blue and red. Two different katanas, while not the blades of absolute legend, were on display here today. Two rivals who'd fought to the bitter end to one up each other. They're keeping up and able to keep the tempo going, because each time Caira had made an opening- The dork from Huangzhou was there to match it.

And every time Rindou kicked him backwards, Caira was able to get behind him and cut his flesh. It's a race to the finish as flames and crystals dance all around them - But it isn't a race Soromath can win. One by one, the glass shatters - Little by little, their meeting their end. Caira is covered in blood by this point, her own injuries and the brutality she fought Soromath with is on display in full as she's gritting her teeth.

.. Pushing - So her friend could become an Illuminated. So now as the deed had been done and Masamune's chilling power had finally hummed to a standstill.. Does that sword go right back into the sheathe..

Complete with Caira moving to lay on the ground for a time. "... I'm... So tired..." She starts to laugh, almost hysterically so. "I'll just.. Lay here for a second.."
(Caira Vindict)
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[02:57] Vile magic that bore the mark of destruction would meet and clash right against Rindou's holy might. Each slash she sent out had a purpose of its own. Each blow was brought to make this monster's legs wobble and fail him. Each cut carved deeper and deeper into his body, leaving the Nethradin to fall before the trio.

Glass shattering. Ground shaking. The world around that felt like it was being warped and distorted as each piece of heretic display cracked and crumbled before their eyes. The final piece, the centerpiece of it all broke down to reveal the morning sun.

It rose before Rindou's tired eyes, hitting her right into her very soul. All that pain, all the suffering, how much she was tired and how little her body had left to give didn't seem to matter anymore. She could feel the warmth. The light. Jiuweihu's presence and might. She could feel the sun speaking to her.

After all this was not her home, but merely the place closest toher. Right now...

... this felt the closest.

A breath escaped the young woman's lips as her eyes fell shut. Her heart filled itself with courage and... then it opened up.

She opened herself to Jiuweihu. She allowed the light to pierce through her and read of her deeds. Of her past. Of her trouble transition. Of how she was brought up.

Rindou Sakamoto had admired the Shogun and the Regent so much she joined both their ranks. A soldier and a luminite at once. Though those paths quickly took their own direction and split off the young woman had never wanted to betray Huangzhou, even though she had grown to hate its ultimate leader. It's under Reito's tutelage that she learned to open up and allow others into her heart. It would not take long before the noblewoman found friendship, infatuation, adoration, protection, comraderie, victory, acceptance, duty, responsabilities, a tinge of love, jealousy, humiliation, defeat, more jealousy, envy, pain, depression, breakdown.

Her life in the past year had been one difficult to handle on an emotional level, but she wished to open the chapter to something new. Dedicating her life to this new shrine she pushed to be built and inaugurated. The lessons she learned. The understand, respect, and kindness that all came from her teachings despite having been far from that for her whole life.

She was far from the best, but compared to how she was four years prior? This was a major improvement.

Though Jiuweihu's light saw everything.
She... would be the judge.
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[03:03] {NARRATION} Rindou and her life are laid bare before the divine rays of Jiuweihu's light - in particular, the Celestial Fox pays attention to the things that truly matter. Not the rituals Rindou performed up to this point, not how she treated her fellow residents of Huangzhou or the Illuminated - but her actual deeds and actions.

A reasonable approach to Bram - and no arguing over Reito paying the full fee for his guide services.

Preventing Caira from drawing the Masamune when the purple-cloaked man deceived them and lured him to his village.

The timing with which she attacked the Cyclops brothers was somewhat concerning, but all's well that ends well - it was quick thinking in the end, and none of the captive villagers were injured.

Attempting to heal Genmei, the phoenix.

A willingness to offer her own hand to the locked door.

No mercy for Soromath.

Those were the things that truly mattered - the journey of this night, how Rindou acted under pressure and in life-or-death situations, and how she treated those she didn't know. Even bad people treated their own friends and associates well; Rindou Sakamoto's adventure tonight, however, was a true test of character.

Evidently, Jiuweihu approved - and starting from the inside and flowing out, Rindou Sakamoto began to glow just as Reito did. On this morning, Rindou Sakamoto became the newest proper member of the Illuminated.

The sun has risen, shining on the mountain - and the diamond blizzard and the Nethradin Lord that conjured it were no more. It was time to go home.
[03:10] Rindou was just as nervous as she had been when first realizing she would have to be judged by the very goddess who had instructed the first Kitsune. The being that brought heat and warmth into their lives and who ensured that a better tomorrow may rise up in times of darkness.

That's... when she felt her light. When she felt it rising, burning, glowing from within her and spreading outwards in a manner that surpassed even Caira's own holy convictions. A warmth and glow reminiscing of Reito's own came from Rindou as the sun shone brighter and brighter, as if matching her new ascension to a true, real Illuminated.

The rituals were... done with, weren't they?

She couldn't help but smile, rising up to her feet to bask in the warmth provided by the sun, stretching out and saluting it...

... before she promptly fell backwards, exhausted. Tired. Hurt.

But happy.

A gaze was spared to Reito. They'd take care ofthe shrine later.
Another given to Caira. She'd tell her that later.

For now some rest was needed.
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[03:14] Much as when Satsuki had stepped into the light when Emiri and herself had ascended the mountain, she too drew ever closer to it. She looked upwards, not directly at the sun no, but just up. Her body hurt, and it screamed at her but...

It was needed.

"I tried," She said, "I hope I made you proud. I hope I keep making you proud, day in and out. So... Thank you."

Why was she thanking Jiuweihu for? She hadn't a clue, perhaps it was because no matter how dark things got, she knew she could count upon the Divine. Jiuweihu was always watching, of course. In everything. But she had tried to lead the Illuminated well, recruiting, teaching. Showing her own devotion in all things. She only hoped it had been enough. She stepped back a little, turning to the others,

"We can head on home now..." She said solemnly.
(Reito Shimasu)
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[03:17] {NARRATION} --But also.

"Helloooohohoho! I knew I was right about you!"

On the way out of the castle, a twitchy and excitable Bram draws near, carrying a bag likely full of goodies!

"The second, the SECOND! I saw all three of you, I just KNEW! Ohhohohoho, you have NO IDEA how glad I am about this- you've saved us, you found my daughter, you-"

Without another word, he dropped the bag onto the ground. A small but not inconsiderable amount of arcanium poured out.

"BEHOLD! I have put the money you told me to keep to good use!"

A reward for good karma and a job well done, it'd seem! And, all the while, he twitched and shuddered excitedly.