[Tsukai] Spell & The Moon

[Mercy]

​

The subtle pitter-patter of rain echoed about the fog-coated Forest floor. The wind howled violently, as though foreshadowing the bloodshed to come. Goosebumps formed across the flesh of the Ronin, who walked alongside his familiar, and most trusted companion, "Wraith". The stench of food and the banter of a celebration filled the air; Such is to be expected in the territory of Futorisugi—a gluttonous, brutish people with a knack for hosting the most exquisite, lavish parties. With every step the pair took the sounds grew more intense. However, with a lack of understanding of how stealth truly worked; a crucial mistake had been made.

The Waraji beneath Wraiths' heel snapped a twig, which had been large enough to cause several birds to flee the area. The young-appearing lady did not hesitate, and in a single motion grasped the hilt of her blade with a strangulation grip. In a split-second, Wraith haphazardly freed her blade from its imprisonment. While she prepared for the onslaught to come, Mercy joined her. The howling wind continued to twist and contort around the pair. The lengthy gossamer-thin strands of Mercys' hair fluttered about among the Sakura-blossoms that filled the air.

Mercy, black-clad in a Hakama, carried nothing more than his Katana and wore a pair of Waraji beneath his heels. His choice of garment was not optimal for combat but allowed him to be more agile and flexible. Wraith stood guard as Mercy attempted to observe the surrounding area. With a closed pair of eyes, he listened closely; What was that sound? Wraith communicated to her Familiarist using telepathy.

"Footsteps"

Suddenly, the pair were surrounded by a joint task force. Both Moonflower and Futorisugi guards appeared from the shadows. "You're supposed to be dead. What are you doing here, on our soil, alive? This isn't Mercy of the Moonflower Sentinels! Kill him!" The Guard charged; Wraith and Mercy stood back-to-back prepared to defend themselves.

: Spell Reserves

If you use a spell, list the damn spell type, skill level required, and reserves.

 

[Kage]

​

Winter 30, 124 (if that's ok)

A mission. Kage hadn't sent her on one of those in… she couldn't even remember. Either her memories had been altered (likely) or she had repressed all the bad times she'd had away from home. Her mission was simple – she was to form connections with people and learn a little bit more about the political climate in this part of the world. Why? Because Kage's last trip had gotten cut short. He had a full time job to attend to back home and he couldn't be assed to cross the entire world just to do a bit of in-person espionage.

He trusted her. She was loyal to a fault and had a variety of forms she could shapeshift into, on top of a massive tiger familiar that led the way through the forests. She wasn't any particular use in a fight, despite having the ability to shapeshift. She had little to no training in combat… none that was recent enough to be useful anyways. If you don't use it, you lose it.

She sat atop the massive tiger and was asleep, with her head tilted down and a gentle snore escaping her lips. She was dressed in a simple underwear and bra that were made entirely out of flowers. There wasn't much left to the imagination. She looked to be human, but she had a fluffy fox tail.

She wasn't the only one of Kage's minions sent out this way. He had sent multiple to the area, but the others stayed in a small camp in a 'safe' area. One of them was necessary for transportation as getting here form so far away required the use of teleportation.

Fluffy heard some movement not too far away, and her ears twitched.

"Hmm?"

She whispered to the tiger and told it to, "check it out."

Before long she would come across a strange scene. There was a woman there surrounded by what looked like soldiers. The woman in the center was outnumbered, which told Fluffy that she should act… but she wasn't really supposed to intervene.

"But if I intervene I can ask that woman some questions and learn a little more about the area," she thought.

Her tiger was just itching to jump into battle and eat something, so it didn't take much coaxing to get it to pounce. This was not just some everyday tiger. It was a massive, towering tiger the size of a goddamn elephant, if not larger. The tiger's entrance was so sudden that Fluffy had to hang on for dear life lest she get thrown off of the beast.

The tiger's massive paw would smash one of the guards like a pancake as it made its entrance. It let out a roar and drew the attention of the other guards. "Up! Up!"

Fluffy was more than aware of just how dangerous it could be fighting against the unknown. The last thing she wanted was to get her ass blasted off the top of her tiger, or allow the locals to work whatever kind of magic was prominent in this area. The tiger jumped up onto a tree and clawed its way up to hide from view, allowing it to carefully observe how the guards reacted and whether they were capable of using supernatural powers.

 

[Mercy]

​

Moonflower is a royal clan, among others. They are known for fighting with eloquence, grace, and precision simultaneously. However, Mercy always differed from most of his human and or half-dragon kin. Mercy was a half-blood Cor'norai and fought with the brutality of a sea beast. His gills flared whilst water from the massive stream that bisected the forest floor of Tsukai began to writhe. He wrenched control of approximately 1.5 gallons of water from the stream, and it flung forward into the fray.

Mercy knew it was always necessary to remain subtle when using magic for combat. The water flung forward, with high pressure, and drilled straight through the foot of the first Futorisugi. Before his opponent would even have the time to react defensively. At the same time, Mercy lifted his right foot and rotated one hundred and eighty degrees in a spinning motion. Whilst the right hand clasped his blade by the tsuka. Which caused him to slash through one of his previous comrades' arms, nearly lobbing it off from the shoulder.

Wraith took advantage of the wounded Futorisugi and held her blade with two hands for additional leverage. She brought the tip of the weapon down toward the earth and angled the length of her Katanas' ha toward the opposition. In a single motion, she swung from left to right, which brought the weapon down atop the collarbone of the Futorisugi warrior. However, her efforts were futile, and it seemed as though his flesh had become impenetrable upon impact.

Wraith had been launched, and backhanded away by the warrior, before his collapse to the ground. His ankle had been compromised by the water jet that punctured his flesh and shattered his bone. Wraiths equilibrium had been thwarted, and she barreled into a Tree. A large thud echoed about the vicinity, as suddenly the guards took a moment of pause.

"What, in Xie Chuntians name.. is that?!" The wounded Moonflower guard pointed with the arm opposite of that which hung by a tendon. A massive paw had been brought down atop one of the Futorisugi and attempted to crush him flat. However, the paw had been met by a user of Rikishi. "Thousand-pound-rebuke" led to the gargantuan tiger stepping on what was practically three hundred and fifty pounds of solid steel. Though the Futorisugi Warrior sustained some damage, he certainly was not killed.

They all watched in disbelief as the tiger clawed its way to the top of one of the many Sakura trees. This provided the perfect distraction for Mercy to extend a tendril outward from his back, and use it to violently lash out toward his opponents. The tendril missed but accomplished precisely what he needed it to. Mercy wanted to create distance for Wraith, so that she could recover.

"Get away from her, Now! You fat bastard!" One could feel the fury in Mercys voice.

: Spell Reserves

One Journeyman usage of Aquari, 1.5 gallons to the foot of the Futorisugi.

 

[Kirin]

Kirin stepped through the grove, a white-pastel ghost in the dark of the Tsukai. Grass and moss depressed at her steps, but no plant was crushed as she walked from behind the guards and towards the angered Mercy. She was not there a minute prior, but she had been watching from within the tree¹ to observe the new intruder. With the fight having slowed, she walked into the fray.

As she passed the Moonflower and Futorisugi guards that had rushed to harry Mercy, she ran a hand along the shoulder of the man whose arm was nearly detached, syphoning life from the trees while she began to speed the healing process². Not enough to reattach it, but enough for it to be bandaged and saved by herself or another where it was less dangerous. For the man whose ankle bones were shattered, she invigorated him, too, the pain beginning to ease even as he limped³.

The man who had been injured and nearly killed by the large tiger was already being pulled away by his companions, and Kirin paid him no mind. As she healed, she spoke, commanding quiet from her compatriots.

"I would remember you anywhere, Sentinel Mercy." Kirin said, her voice quiet and lilting, carried on the breeze⁴ towards Mercy, Wraith, and Fluffy. Any ache, scrapes, and dislocations of joints suffered by Wraith were also healed⁵ by Kirin. The roots of the trees quickly contorted around the feet of the intruders. The tiger and rider in the cherry tree were restrained almost instantly, and it was only a second slower for Mercy and the now healed Wraith's hand and feet to be restrained. Even so, it was not they who she addressed first. The guard that had apprehended Mercy were also restrained by the roots of the trees around them.

Kirin turned to the Moonflower and Futorisugi and scolds them harshly, though her voice was still as soft as before. "A Moonflower Sentinel returns from nothing, and your first instinct is to attack? Are you stupid, or do you wish for death?" After mumbles of surprise and excuses were uttered back, Kirin looked to Mercy and Wraith.

"What brings you back from the dead?" She asks him, still the sound of her voice seeming to come from the wind than from herself.

: Spell Reserves

¹Apprentice usage of Plantmeld from Draoidh.
²Expert usage of Reinvigoration from Draoidh.
³Journeyman usage of Invigoration from Draoidh.
⁴Apprentice Aeroresonance and Novice Aeromancy from Zephyr.
⁵Journeyman usage of Invigoration from Draoidh.
⁶Expert usage of Floramancy from Draoidh, at 1/4th the normal expenditure for this level while in her grove.

1 Spell Reserves (Saol)
-0.03 Plantmeld (Apprentice)
-0.33 Reinvigoration (Expert)
-0.11 Invigoration (Journeyman)
-0.11 Invigoration (Journeyman)
-0.08 Floramancy (Expert, in Grove)
= 0.34 Spell Reserves

1 Spell Reserves (Aether)
-0.03 Aeroresonance (Apprentice)
-0.01 Aeromancy (Novice)
= 0.96 Spell Reserves

385

 

[Kage]

​

Almost as soon as they had gotten into the trees, they were inhibited by the trees themselves. This sort of thing might have been suspected back in Fluffy's home… but out here? She didn't have much time to think before she was restrained. She didn't feel the restraints tighten to the point where she hurt – which was the only reason why she didn't simply transfigure and fly away. She still had the feeling that if she stayed she might be able to get something productive done. It wasn't every day that you came across a situation like this.

She whispered to her tiger, telling it to be ready to try breaking out from the restraints at a moment's notice.

There wasn't much else to do until she was addressed, so for the time being she would stay put. Who was this newcomer? Why did she want to stop the bloodshed?

 

[Mercy]

​

A sudden change in the flow of battle occurred, a healer emerged from the depths of the forest. This presence was familiar, and one Mercy gave immediate recognition. She was one of the Dryad guards of the Getsukage. A royal among those considered highly favored in the Moonflower clan. She had an obligation to support and defend the land of Hatairu from all invaders. Kirin moved about seamlessly, and restrained each of the combatants present on the field of battle.

With so little as a gesture she had entirely ceased the combat. The fury within Mercy stirred, and although she'd only given him respect and paid homage to his former rank among the Clan. Mercy wanted nothing more than to eviscerate each, and every one of them. She, made the same mistake they made despite having healed Wraith.

With trembling lips, a ferocious, guttural, deep voice rolled from the bellows of Mercys gut
.
"Don't.. you dare, touch my Familiar, again."

Wraith wasted no time in allowing a tendril to extend from atop her spine. Which pushed against the tree and whirred about absolutely destroying the restraints placed upon herself. The tendril took the form of a blade and slashed through the restraints attached to Mercy as though they were paper. The "Ghost of Jian" took a moment of pause, and a deep breath prior to speaking again.

"Kirin.. You're lucky that you're my kin, and if I hadn't recognized you, I'd have had your head for touching Wraith, right along with them." Mercy finished his brief statement and waltzed over to Wraith; His arms coiled around her in an almost loving embrace. The tendrils that extended from both their spines retracted into their bodies. Perhaps the others did not understand, but Mercy, and Wraith were one in the same.

"Now what the.. Who are you!? Thank you for helping me, but what exactl—What is your name?" Mercy looked upward at the massive Tiger in the Tree, and it's attractive companion.

: Spell Reserves

If you use a spell, list the damn spell type, skill level required, and reserves.

 

[Kage]

​

Fluffy didn't really know what the hell was going on. It was hard to see. All she knew was that she still couldn't move, but her life didn't seem to be in immediate danger. She would be straining her senses to see if she could detect anything out of the ordinary happening.

"Hey, let me go!" she'd call, in case she'd been forgotten about. Her tiger wasn't exactly happy about being bound up. It hadn't struggled because Fluffy had told it not to… but cats had a way of getting out of binds and it wanted so very much to try… if only to pounce on whoever had done this to him.

"My name is Fluffy!" she called down when she was addressed. "I'm passing by, trying to learn about the area. I'm looking for reliable allies and contacts, on behalf of my master. I think it would be most unwise for us to fight."

 

[Kirin]

Kirin rarely kept a stoic expression. Her face was one of the few places she allowed her fae emotional outbursts to display, especially among mortal peoples. Jian was a land of spitting on each other until it escalated to violence. Amongst longer-lived races, like the AElves or other Dryads, it was more productive to unleash her temper. They thrived on conflict together. It pushed forward a life that could stall in stagnation when there was no clear death in sight.

With a human, even a mongrel Cor'norai like Mercy, it was more akin to yelling at a petulant child. A rebellious teenager but with a tendency towards destruction. Mercy was a known sea-demon, and his current attitude would mean any trigger towards a toddler style tantrum would mean the guard was dead and she would be fighting for her life. With how much Saol she used to heal the first mistake of the mixed unit of guards, she was not keen on doing it again.

"There is no directive against traveling in this region," Kirin announced to both parties as the roots that restrained both parties were released, allowing movement again. Her brow furrowed slightly, but it was relaxed by the time she had spoken again, words on the breeze. "Do as you will."

Kirin turned her attention toward the still injured members of the Futorisugi and Moonflower guards who needed more intensive assistance than she could provide. The one nearly crushed, and the one whose arm was slowly rebuilding the muscle tissue back needed more help than the man who could nearly walk normally again after her invigoration worked its magic on his ankle.

277

 

[Mercy]

"Very well then, you will come with me.. Fluffy. We will return to the village now that the fun is over. I honestly hoped that we would continue to fight." Mercy spoke aloud as he sheathed the blade, with its' Saya resting on his right hip. The Samurai had grown bored; just as swiftly as he became angry. The male extended one of the tendrils closest to his spinal cord outward; with a watchful eye on "Fluffy" and the beast. He swiftly changed the shape of the tendril into a blade-tip. Then he strategically swung and arced the tendril so as not to eviscerate those attached to the roots.

"In short, I suppose that you can join us then Fluffy.. Welcome home." He finished the brief speech as gossamer-thin strands of his hair fluttered about in the dim-breeze. The Waraji beneath his feet crushed lengthy blades of grass, and Wraith followed not far behind him. "Damn it Kirin, why hadn't you come later… I probably wasn't going to kill them." Mercy spoke aloud, and Wraith simply shook her head from left to right.

: Nah

Didn't want to waist my template[/spoil]

 

[Kage]

The tiger wasn't expecting its restraints to disappear / get cut and it floundered a little as it regained its grip on the tree. Fluffy whispered in its ear and it leapt from branch to branch to get back to the ground. The human-shaped inari stuck her tongue out at the guards then grinned at Kirin.

"Thank you," she said with a wink. Then she turned to the person she thought she'd been saving – Mercy.

It wasn't a girl like she'd initially thought. It was a boy! No, a man! She didn't know that his companion was a familiar, but that was hardly her concern for the time being. She'd just have to assume that they were all on the same 'side' even if she didn't know what side that actually was.

"Yes, let's go to this village you speak of," she said eagerly. "So they call you Mercy and Kirin. I'm Fluffy, nice to meet you!" The statement was directed at both Mercy and Kirin as they seemed to be the most significant looking people of the bunch.

If they weren't the talkative sort she would have her tiger follow along while she kept an eye out for danger. It looked like the people here could survive being pounced on by massive animals. That was good to know. She would have to figure out how they managed such incredible feats of strength. There was also Kirin, who impressed her most of all. Fluffy had not expected there to be strong druids in Jian, especially not those as strong as good as aelves. There was much she hadn't been told when she was sent off on this mission.

1111 WC

 

[Kage]

Thread Title: Spell & The Moon

Thread Summary: Kirin, Mercy, and Fluffy get engaged in a tense standoff, ending with a couple of them heading towards the moonflower clan and the other staying in the forest

Expected Rewards:
Mercy: 13 xp
Kirin: 7 xp
Kage: 11 xp

Thread Link: https://antarok.net/threads/tsukai-spell-the-moon.454/#post-2488
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