"Hm... more discrepancies," Meissa commented aloud after Yokogara's description of his world. A land without magic, Fades, and monsters sounded both too good to be true and like a boring hellhole. She racked her brains for any places that might fit that bill, but came up blank. Had she heard of anyone who had found themselves in this world without being in a statue? She felt like she had, but couldn't place who it was. "Fades weren't a part of the world I knew either. Our equivalent to magic behaved differently and was called something else. Monsters were extant, but rare and consequently dangerous."
Time again for a rotation of the rabbits. Patient as she was, Meissa was beginning to contemplate using magic to block the breeze. It wouldn't be too difficult, but she was on the fence mostly because of how much of a commotion such a thing might cause. If she needed to leave quickly or hide, leaving up a stone wall would be a good indicator of where she had been. She shook her head. Survival was the most important part here, and attracting attention unnecessarily was generally a bad plan, even if it had gone alright with Yokogara.
"So you arrived in your sleep? My case is more typical from what I've seen and heard in Ikeinasu. For all I know, we could have experienced two completely separate phenomena." She looked thoughtful for a moment, then retrieved a journal and pen from her backpack. "I'd be willing to show you the way back to Ikeinasu if you need supplies or want to investigate further," she offered as she jotted down a few notes. Her handwriting was clean and precise, almost mechanical. Her pen was made from some kind of dark wood and brass; there was an inscription engraved on the side, but it had long since been worn down to the point of illegibility. "No need to decide now. The offer stands until we part ways. How's your ankle, by the way? If you still need the pressure from the compress, I can make you a brace."
Thrall of Life: Creates a mote that floats between allies, increasing the healing rate of allies within [5] meters of it by two [2] steps. Is destroyed if hit with a physical or magical attack. Can summon one [1] per experience rank.
Shikigami:
Canto (Steel, C, love): Inhabiting a rough wooden bird totem. Appears as a palm-sized bird with very angular features and feathers that have a distinct metallic sheen.
Clothing: Reinforced Clothing (D-Rank, Scale 5/5), Weather Clothing (includes a white cloak) Weaponry: Senbon x30 (in a bundle on her belt, below her backpack) Backpack:
Bedroll (tied to the bottom of the backpack, blocking sight of the senbon from behind) Spool of steel wire (28 meters; clipped to the side of the backpack) Loop of steel wire (2 meters; wrapped around one wrist)
Majestic Sugar
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2022 1:33 pm
ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀɴʏ:Meissaxxxxxxᴍᴏᴏᴅ:Curiousxxxxxxsᴛᴀᴛᴜs:Healthyxxxxxxʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ:South-West Branch of Tsukihara Forest | Camping under a large tree
Yokogara was a little taken aback when he listened to Meissa. So things were different after all. She said that Fades weren't part of her world, but they did have magic that was called something else and monsters were around, but rarely ran into. He wondered what exactly had happened that had caused them all to come here. Why them specifically? Or was it just by random that it occurred? He hadn't thought of it much for awhile, at least after a few months of walking around without direction. Survival had become his top priority, and thinking about how to get back was lost on him. He didn't know what else to really do other than to keep surviving. He wondered how Meissa had taken appearing in this world, above all from within a giant crystal. If being in a crystal had been how she arrived, and seemingly many others, he wondered if maybe he came from this same planet, just a different time? But if Fables had always been around, then that wouldn't explain why he had never seen or even heard of them before. Why there was no magic until a certain point. The world had to have had magic from the start. Unless it was something beyond what they could currently comprehend. He just didn't know how else to take the information.
Yokogara watched her tend to the rabbits she had, and in the meanwhile, he put the rest of the smaller fish in the sack he made, then turned to the larger fish. He started to cut it up, filleting it for easier storage. Once he was satisfied with the cuts, he fit as much as he could in it, excluding the head, tail, and bones that were left behind. He wouldn't need use for that at any point. Once he got everything in the sack, albeit a little messily, he pulled the twine he used taught, causing the sack to close. Now he had something to carry the left over fish. He wished he had something less handmade, or at least with better materials, but he did what he could with what he had. All he could do was hope for the best.
As he put the sack to the side and started contemplating a better way to carry it around, he listened to her, asking if he arrived in his sleep. He nodded. Her case was more typical from what she was hearing in Ikeinasu, and from what was told, they had possibly experienced two completely different phenomena. If that was the case, then they had to have been pulled to this world by different circumstances, and then possibly two different beings. And that means that there was possibly someone who would return them, and one who didn't want to. Otherwise, why would they be here? Were they chosen for some higher purpose? He didn't know. Yokogara didn't really wanna give it much thought. He made a small humming sound, as if taking into consideration what she was saying and heard her out as she stated that she was willing to show him the way back to Ikeinasu if he needed supplies or wanted to investigate. He thought about the choice, unsure if he was ready to interact with other people yet. He remembered his last time interacting with someone, and he nearly died. However, he would need supplies. But he also didn't have any money. He hadn't been apart of civilization long enough to sell and barter. That was something he lacked knowledge in, with no proper abilities to speak to people to boot. Before he could offer up the 'I don't know' answer, she offered him a chance to not think about it right away, and said that the offer still stood until they parted ways. He sighed, nodding in understanding. He'd have to give it a little more thought.
Yokogara turned his gaze to her again when she asked how his ankle was doing. If he still needed the pressure from the compress, she was willing to make a brace for him. He looked down to his ankle and gave it a test swirl. He hadn't been paying much attention to it, but with sitting next to the fire that had the weird red orb floating over it, he was healed at this point. It wasn't swollen anymore and didn't even hurt. He gave her a nonchalant shake of his head. "It's not needed. Your healing orb helped enough, so I won't need the brace. T-thanks..." He said nervously, then sighed, looking at the fishes he had been cooking. They looked about done. After rubbing the skinning knife off in the grass, he placed it back in his bag before pulling the two fish he had been cooking near the fire out from the ground. He stuck one into the ground before taking a bite of the other, and sighed softly as his stomach gave a noticeable gurgle, pleased at being fed. He continued to munch on the fish, looking over at Meissa as a question started to form in his head. "So... what has been your plan for your research? Haven't run into anyone who was focused on this land outside of wanting to survive." He asked, wondering if the research she was doing was all based off of her own curiosity, or her trying to gain something out of it. Either way, it was commendable.
• A Katana that has seen some wear and tear. [Durability 20//30] • A small dagger [Durability 30] • An old composite bow [Durability 21//30] • [20] Arrows • Hidden Pockets Clothing
Yokogara's Backpack
• One Person Tent • Bedroll • Flint and Steel • Skinning Knife • Blanket • Sketchbook (For marking and recognizing locations) • Pencil x6 • Rope, 20 meters • Twine, 40 Meters • Fishing Hook
There was hesitation in Yokogara's response. It seemed Meissa had been correct to offer postponing a decision. Ambiguity sure was a useful tool.
After rotating her rabbits again, she reached over to Yokogara and plucked her waterskin off of his ankle. Without missing a beat, she popped it open and took a long swig. The water within was exquisitely cold, to the point where she was surprised he had endured it for so long. She chalked it up to his being acclimated to the wilderness, or perhaps to numbness, or perhaps the healing mote had mitigated some of it, or maybe he was just naturally hardy.
As soon as the water was down, she snatched up one of the rabbits and took a bite from its flank. The meat was gamey, but better than nothing. She gestured for Yokogara to take the other one, keeping quiet as she ate. She wouldn't respond to his question until after she had about halfway devoured the creature and the dark of night was encroaching on the camp.
"Well, I'm looking into why the Fades steer clear of this region on behalf of Ikeinasu," she began, holding her rabbit toward the flame to cook some of the deeper meat more thoroughly. "My plan is to head toward those pillars first thing in the morning tomorrow. Depending on how that goes, I'll expand my search either outward or downward. I've been taking data on plants, too, but I have doubts they're what I'm looking for." She took another swig of water. It was regrettably not as tasty as the tea she'd used to drink. "Ideally I'll be able to find a likely culprit or two and demonstrate their effectiveness by driving off some Fades, but I'm hesitant to charge into battle alone."
As she spoke, the wind began to pick up, filling the evening with the loud roar of swaying trees. The fire sputtered a bit, so she threw another piece of wood on to keep it going. Stars twinkled faintly through the thin sheet of clouds overhead. Meissa took in all the movements and sounds around her, felt the cold p***k her skin, and pulled her cloak shut. She decided to keep the healing mote going throughout the night. Combined with the heat of the fire, it would hopefully do a good job of staving off frostbite.
"If you have nothing better to do, I could always use another pair of eyes."
Thrall of Life: Creates a mote that floats between allies, increasing the healing rate of allies within [5] meters of it by two [2] steps. Is destroyed if hit with a physical or magical attack. Can summon one [1] per experience rank.
Shikigami:
Canto (Steel, C, love): Inhabiting a rough wooden bird totem. Appears as a palm-sized bird with very angular features and feathers that have a distinct metallic sheen.
Clothing: Reinforced Clothing (D-Rank, Scale 5/5), Weather Clothing (includes a white cloak) Weaponry: Senbon x30 (in a bundle on her belt, below her backpack) Backpack:
Bedroll (tied to the bottom of the backpack, blocking sight of the senbon from behind) Spool of steel wire (28 meters; clipped to the side of the backpack) Loop of steel wire (2 meters; wrapped around one wrist)
Majestic Sugar
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2022 8:48 pm
ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀɴʏ:Meissaxxxxxxᴍᴏᴏᴅ:Curiousxxxxxxsᴛᴀᴛᴜs:Healthyxxxxxxʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ:South-West Branch of Tsukihara Forest | Camping under a large tree
Yokogara allowed for her to pull the waterskin off his ankle, watching as she took a swig of it the moment it was fully in her grasp. It was very cold, to say the least, but it hadn't bothered him before. Even now, as the winds grew colder as the sun fell, he didn't feel too bothered by it. The nights where he had nothing but the ground to sleep on had been harsh in and of itself. He guessed after so long of living out in the wilderness, it had made it easier to deal with the different temperatures that came with the turbulent weathers. Around here, it seemed to be quite nice, despite the cold wind cascading over them. He just hoped the fire would keep up. He ate at his fish, enjoying the naturally refreshing taste of the fish from it taking in the minerals from the waters it swam in. It was quite bland, but good enough where he was satisfied with it. He looked up from the ground as he ate, watching Meissa motion to the other rabbit she had cooked up. A feeling of surprise overwhelmed him, but it was hard to see from his hair hiding his eyes. He wasn't expecting her to do so, but he nodded softly at her in thanks. He offered the other fish he had cooked to her, picking it up by the stick and softly jabbing it into the ground closer to where she was sitting, so it was easier for her to grab it. He then took the rabbit she was offering him and brought it closer to himself. That was also oddly nice. He wondered if there really were people as nice as her around.
They sat in silence for a bit, quietly devouring their catches for today, and as he was at the halfway point of properly eating the fish in hand, he listened as she started speaking about her plan. She was apparently just seeing why the Fades usually stayed away from this area on behalf of Ikeinasu. So she was sent out here? He kept quiet as she kept speaking, and she stated that her plan was to head over to the pillars in the distance first thing in the morning, and depending on how well it went, her search could expand past the environment. She was also studying the plants, but she wasn't sure if that was what she was looking for. He hummed in thought, looking around and spotting one of the large crystal like growths in the far distance between the trees. He didn't see any plants that had any specific features pertaining to them, so he also doubted it. But who knows. Maybe they'd run into a plant that could make some sort of repellent, but he doubted they would be growing out and about so openly. He was sure it had long been found, and by another group of wandering individuals. If it existed, of course. He munched on the rest of the fish he had as she took another swig of water. She then continued by stating that she would take a few samples for herself to try it out and test their effectiveness, but she was hesitant to charge into battle alone. He thought about that, and made a low thoughtful sound. "Well, it's always best to travel with someone who could help. But, if it's possible to test any samples for effectiveness, I'd say to go for it. You'd never know until you try." He said, thinking about the possibility of tagging along. Now that they had a conversation that brought out more questions than answers, Yokogara himself was curious. However, he'd leave the more complicated thinking to Meissa. He'd try his best to figure out theories, if she was willing to have him tag along.
Just after he mentioned so, the wind picked up, and it was chillier than he had thought it could become. He rose his hood over his head, the hood large enough to cover over his thick shaggy hair. As the night came approaching, the stars started to take up residence in the darkening sky, decorating it with their own individual brilliance. He always enjoyed looking up at the stars. At least a lot more back then, back where he had came from. He watched the fire sputter and Meissa was quick to grab a piece of wood to add to the fire, so it could stay stable. Thinking randomly, he moved himself so that he was positioned where the wind was blowing from, aiding in keeping the fire from going out, and hopefully helping Meissa stay warm. He never truly felt bothered by the cold, so he would be fine in sitting in the path of the wind. Granted, he was human, so he probably would catch frostbite if he wasn't careful, but he was sure they'd be okay if they kept closer to the fire and possibly each other. He wondered if he should move his tent closer to the fire, but he felt that wouldn't exactly be fair to Meissa. Her makeshift one was a little too far from the fire for the warmth from it to be useful. After changing his placement, which wasn't really too far from where he was before, and a little closer to where Meissa was, she suggested that if he wasn't doing anything better, she could always use another pair of eyes. So she actually was going to ask him to tag along. Well, he definitely wanted to. He was curious to what end her research would come to. He felt a small smirk come across his features and he chuckled, the first time he had done so in awhile. However, just as fast as the smirk came, it disappeared. Mostly because he was embarrassed that it even slipped out. "Sure. I didn't exactly have a specific purpose until now. I wouldn't mind tagging along." He said, wondering what this would be like. He had only known Meissa for the day, but she had already shown that she was much nicer, and much more negotiable than many others he had ran into in the past. He just hoped this would last for as long as they were in company of each other. It would be rather disheartening to know that this was all a facade of some sort, but he had a bit of faith in her to see past it.
• A Katana that has seen some wear and tear. [Durability 20//30] • A small dagger [Durability 30] • An old composite bow [Durability 21//30] • [20] Arrows • Hidden Pockets Clothing • Makeshift bag full of [6] small fish, and [1] large fish.
Yokogara's Backpack
• One Person Tent • Bedroll • Flint and Steel • Skinning Knife • Blanket • Sketchbook (For marking and recognizing locations) • Pencil x6 • Rope, 20 meters • Twine, 40 Meters • Fishing Hook
Meissa observed Yokogara's actions carefully and almost felt like laughing when she realized they were basically trading food with each other. She nodded in thanks and daintily plucked the fish skewer out of the ground before, in but a few moments, reducing the hapless creature to bones in less than a minute. She followed that up with several long draws from her waterskin.
"Thank you for the food,"she said as soon as her airways were clear. Truthfully, she absolutely hated fish, which was why she had eaten it so quickly. No sense in dwelling on something awful. That thought lasted until she started smelling it on her breath, at which point she started gnawing on her rabbit again. She was slowing down a lot, though; her stomach wasn't big enough to support this glut regularly.
The fire sputtered again and Yokogara moved to put himself between it and the wind. That would help, for sure, but was little more than a stopgap measure. She grumbled internally about how cold the night was turning out to be, then realized that the best course of action for two people on a cold night was to huddle up together for warmth. The thought (and maybe also the aftertaste of the fish) was repulsive. She had nothing against Yokogara, but she wasn't about to snuggle up to someone else for warmth. That was when he agreed to join her for her research, which gave her the perfect excuse to do something about the situation.
"Well, in celebration of this new alliance, I'll do something about this damnable wind," she stated matter-of-factly. She stood straight up, walked a short distance past Yokogara, then crouched down and dug her fingers into the earth. When she lifted up, a large slab of rock came with, rising up until it was taller than she was. She repeated this act a couple more times, slowly erecting an earthen barrier around their campsite. When it was encircled about three quarters of the way around by earthen walls, she returned to her spot and plopped down. The wind was mostly blocked, and the heat from the fire was starting to actually warm the area.
"That feels better," she muttered, mostly to herself. She tossed one of the smaller pieces of wood on the fire and laid down on her side a short way away. After taking in the warmth for a few moments, she turned her head toward Yokogara. "I wouldn't sleep up against those, they'll probably only last part of the night. I'm going to get some shut-eye. That reminds me..."
She dug through her backpack for a few moments and pulled out a small metal lunchbox. She opened it up to reveal some utensils and a cup, which she promptly removed so she could put the remaining bits of meet from her rabbit into the box. The box wound up on the ground next to her backpack, the utensils in her backpack. Satisfied, she laid back down. Canto--the metallic bird spirit that had been lurking somewhere in her things--made its way out and perched atop her shoulder, its glimmering eyes scanning the area. Morning--and the warmth of the sun--couldn't come soon enough.
Thrall of Life: Creates a mote that floats between allies, increasing the healing rate of allies within [5] meters of it by two [2] steps. Is destroyed if hit with a physical or magical attack. Can summon one [1] per experience rank. Rock Shield (D) x(Several): In the spell, the user lifts up a giant piece of earth and uses it as a shield. For every rank, the shield grows [2] meters by [2] meters, and thickens by [3] inches. All it takes to activate this technique is to grab the ground. Only blocks in the direction the wall is created, and the user is still vulnerable from other angles. X is equivalent to the user's current rank, and any ranks below it.
Shikigami:
Canto (Steel, C, love): Inhabiting a rough wooden bird totem. Appears as a palm-sized bird with very angular features and feathers that have a distinct metallic sheen.
Clothing: Reinforced Clothing (D-Rank, Scale 5/5), Weather Clothing (includes a white cloak) Weaponry: Senbon x30 (in a bundle on her belt, below her backpack) Backpack:
Bedroll (tied to the bottom of the backpack, blocking sight of the senbon from behind) Spool of steel wire (28 meters; clipped to the side of the backpack) Loop of steel wire (2 meters; wrapped around one wrist)
Majestic Sugar
Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2022 9:26 pm
ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀɴʏ:Meissaxxxxxxᴍᴏᴏᴅ:Calmxxxxxxsᴛᴀᴛᴜs:Healthyxxxxxxʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ:South-West Branch of Tsukihara Forest | Camping under a large tree
Trading food had been… rather interesting. Yokogara watched Meissa accept the fish he offered, and eyed the rabbit he was given previously. Having nearly finished his fish, minus the in-betweens of the bone, he turned his attention to the rabbit offered to him. He took a bite of it and was met with a nicely cooked piece of meat. Tender mostly, and a bit gamey, but nothing he couldn't stomach. It was surprisingly good. As he took his time, he watched her hurriedly and he couldn’t help but stare at how fast she chowed down on it. If she could see past the mess of hair hiding half of his face, his eyes would have been wide with a raised eyebrow. She was either really that hungry, loved fish, or absolutely hated it. Well, at least it was an extra nutrient source in her body. After the small amount of time the fish had before it was reduced to nothing but bones, she thanked him for the food, which he nodded slowly at. “You’re… welcome.” He slowly replied, deciding against going down that rabbit hole, all puns intended. He was sure there was a reason she did that, but it wasn’t anything he cared to know at the moment. He was sure it’d be fine if he actually didn't know. He continued devouring the rest of his fish before completely moving onto the rabbit, consuming the rabbit in a calm fervor.
Yokogara had finished rather soon, making sure both the bones from the fish and the rabbit were picked clean before throwing them into the fire to burn away, adding to the fuel they needed for the night. He then decided to move to make it easier to block the wind, but not too long after he agreed to go with her on her research, she decided to offer another alternative. He tilted his head curiously, watching her quietly as he let her do as she’d like. She walked past him and then started to erect large rectangular pieces of the ground up. She did it enough times that it barricaded their campsite from the direction of the wind, also saving their fire from going out. He was surprised she could do that, and wondered what other types of magic she knew. He didn’t know anything too crazy, but he was sure with time and effort, he’d be able to learn something cool. If he survived that long. When she was satisfied with the work, she sat back down where she was before, plopping down to better gain some warmth. He hummed in intrigue, but said nothing. He heard her mumble to herself, and took that as a cue that it was time to sleep. As he was just wondering if he should just lean against the walls she had mounted for the two, well, three of them, she coincidentally advised him against it, since they’d probably only last for a part of the night. Otherwise, he was going to get some sleep.“Oh, right. Sleep well.” He said calmly, staying close to the fire and laying down with his back to the ground. He stared up into the sky while listening to the sounds of her rustling around in her backpack. He allowed his mind to drift as he did so, staring up into the starry sky. One thing he enjoyed while camping out on the go. Just seeing the stars like this was always worth it. A quiet sight left him before he drifted into an uneasy sleep, a light one and waiting for the morning to arise.
M O R N I N G
The sun was the first thing to breach his consciousness. It was just after the break of dawn. With a quick movement, he sat up, and as Meissa had warned, the wall had gone down by now. He hummed in thought on that and then turned his head to Meissa. Sometime later into the night, the fire had dwindled into nothing, and at the moment, it seemed as if she was still sleeping, while her little bird thing was perched on her shoulder, it seemed to be keeping watch. He grumbled softly about the strangeness of his situation and eventually stood up. He had somewhat expected her to slit his throat during the night, but then again, they were in a rather newly formed alliance. He guessed it would have been counterproductive for her research to kill him after she offered for him to come along. He decided to let her sleep a little longer, and got started on getting his belongings together. He took down his tent, keeping an eye out for any uneasy movements through the bushes. Once he broke down his tent and got it secured to his backpack, he moved to the sack of leaves he had made before. He was able to, thankfully, place the makeshift sack in his bag. It was going to smell like fish on the inside for a while, but it was better than it’s pheromones seeping into the air and leaving whatever invisible trail scents left. Nothing a good wash couldn't fix. He secured his weapons and everything else he was sure they’d need on the road. Once he was sure he had everything, he walked over to Meissa and crouched down, making sure not to be too close. He softly spoke, so as not to spook her. He also wasn’t going to shake her awake. He was also very cautious about being touched himself, so he was sure if he did, she’d kill him. No doubt. “Oi.” He simply said, calling out to her to wake her up.
• A Katana that has seen some wear and tear. [Durability 20//30] • A small dagger [Durability 30] • An old composite bow [Durability 21//30] • [20] Arrows • Hidden Pockets Clothing • Makeshift bag full of [6] small fish, and [1] large fish.
Yokogara's Backpack
• One Person Tent • Bedroll • Flint and Steel • Skinning Knife • Blanket • Sketchbook (For marking and recognizing locations) • Pencil x6 • Rope, 20 meters • Twine, 40 Meters • Fishing Hook
Meissa slept... not exactly fitfully, but certainly not as well as she would have liked. Eating as much as she had the night before had left her feeling bloated, and by the time morning rolled around she could taste fish in the back of her throat. That, combined with Canto's sensory feedback lurking at the edge of her mind at all times, had meant her rest was not as deep as she would have liked.
Any abnormalities? she thought at Canto, who was still perched on her shoulder. One of its eyes was trained on Yokogara as he tore down his tent, the other scanned the area.
No problems! Bunnies here. Birdies also. Canto hopped around on her shoulder, its wings tinkling like windchimes.
You're acting strange. Let me know if you need anything.
Canto ruffled its feathers and hopped over to the fire, where it snuggled up against some embers. Feeling a gentle warmth spreading throughout the spirit's body made Meissa acutely aware of how cold she felt. She sat up as Yokogara called out to her, rubbed her eyes under her blindfold, ran her fingers through her hair so she could tuck it away inside her cloak, then more fully took in her surroundings. It was early morning. The wind had died down compared to the previous night. Her walls had fallen just as predicted. The forest around them wasn't quiet, but it wasn't concerningly loud. There weren't any issues that needed to be dealt with immediately.
"Good morning, Yokogara. You're an early riser," she greeted him. After taking a few moments to rearrange the contents of her backpack, she donned it and stood up. "Right, let's head to the nearest pillar. Let me know if you notice anything peculiar or need a break. If your ankle starts hurting again, I'll make a brace for it."
Without another word, she started walking along the river banks. Behind her, Canto dove further into the fire pit, eventually emerging on the other side with a still-warm coal in its mouth. Its mouth stretched open wide until it was able to swallow the coal, at which point it flew after Meissa, trailing ash behind it. The red orb that had been in place above the fire faded away.
After stalking along the riverside for a while, Meissa came to a spot where a few rocks made crossing the river theoretically easier. She knew better though. Sturdy as they looked, there was no guarantee the ground wouldn't shift under the rocks, and that was ignoring balance issues. She muttered something under her breath as she sent mana to her feet. She took a run-up, jumped to the first rock, and felt it shift. She sighed and let the mana under her feet spread out. She caught herself before she fell, now standing on the water as though it were solid. Since she was walking on the water anyway, she figured she might as well make sure the other rocks were sturdy enough, and they seemed to be. She returned to the first one and put one foot on its edge to stabilize it, then held out a hand toward Yokogara.
"The rest are fine," she said, assuming no further explanation was necessary.
Canto (Steel, C, love): Inhabiting a rough wooden bird totem. Appears as a palm-sized bird with very angular features and feathers that have a distinct metallic sheen.
Clothing: Reinforced Clothing (D-Rank, Scale 5/5), Weather Clothing (includes a white cloak) Weaponry: Senbon x30 (in a bundle on her belt, below her backpack) Backpack:
Bedroll (tied to the bottom of the backpack, blocking sight of the senbon from behind) Spool of steel wire (28 meters; clipped to the side of the backpack) Loop of steel wire (2 meters; wrapped around one wrist)
Majestic Sugar
Royal Taorito
Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2022 4:15 pm
ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀɴʏ:Meissaxxxxxxᴍᴏᴏᴅ:Uncertainxxxxxxsᴛᴀᴛᴜs:Healthyxxxxxxʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ:South-West Branch of Tsukihara Forest | Traveling with Companion
Yokogara watched as she sat up, rubbing at her blindfolded eyes, and he was low-key glad he didn't have to wait too long for her to arouse from her slumber. Who knows if anyone else was around that could potentially take advantage of their more smaller group. However, if they had the upper hand in numbers, that would work just fine. As she got up from her slumber, he stood up straight, and listened as she told him good morning. He simply nodded back, his eyes quietly landing on Canto. At her comment of him being an early riser, he shrugged, glancing around through thick strands of hair. "I suppose. Don't want to lose daylight." He simply stated, a neutral frown constantly plastered on his face. He allowed for her to get her things ready, and as she did, he took a last look around to make sure he didn't leave anything behind. The fire had long died, so he didn't have to worry too much about putting it out. It seems he had gathered everything he could need.
Yokogara returned his attention to Meissa as she took the lead, stating they would head to the nearest pillar, and that if he noticed anything out of place or needed a break, to let her know. He nodded curtly in understanding. He had a pretty decent amount of stamina. And if they were going to stand around staring at rocks for awhile, he wouldn't be too bothered by their 'research'. When she reminded him of making a brace for his ankle, he looked down at it, giving it another twist around to test its flexibility. At the moment, it felt perfectly fine. It was thankfully not broken, and he didn't have to worry about it hurting any time soon, unless he ended up miscalculating a step. "I should be fine. Let's just go." He shook his head, denying the need for a brace. However, if it started to hurt again, he'd probably let her know. The sooner they could get a move on, though, the better.
Silence fell upon them as she started to walk along the river, her strange bird joining her after digging around in the fire pit for pieces of charcoal left behind. He found his gaze plastered on the clear stream beside them, which flowed strongly down it's narrow path. They walked for awhile, but soon, they eventually made it to a part of the river where rocks protruded slightly out from the water, allowing for a better access across to the other side. Some of the rocks looked slippery, possibly from the constant motion of the river hitting and smoothing out it's surface. He glanced along the rest of the river to see if there was a better way to head across before he saw movement from Meissa. He watched her run up and jump onto one of the rocks, and as she did, it shifted slightly. However, she didn't fall as Yokogara was expecting her to. Instead, it just seemed as if she was walking on the surface of the water. His eyes underneath his bangs widened slightly in surprise, before they calmed down. Wow. Magic sure was something.
Yoko quietly allowed for her to survey the other rocks, making sure none of the other ones were unstable like the first. She seemed to be satisfied and returned to him, offering him a hand while using one of her feet to stabilize the rock, so that he didn't slip and have a much more unfortunate fall than she did. He stared at her hand, unsure of how to feel. However, it was probably his safest best on getting across the river, at least for now. He sighed, grumbling softly about it being embarrassing before he reached over and grabbed her hand, surprisingly gentle. Her small form of reassurance was... comforting in a way, and he stepped onto the first rock. With her help, it didn't shift, and he was able to carefully walk along the rest of the rocks until they got to the other side of the river. Once they successfully made it across, he let her hand go, shoving his hands in his pockets. He grunted a light "Thanks...," through his mouth, but otherwise waited for her to continue on their journey.
• A Katana that has seen some wear and tear. [Durability 20//30] • A small dagger [Durability 30] • An old composite bow [Durability 21//30] • [20] Arrows • Hidden Pockets Clothing • Makeshift bag full of [6] small fish, and [1] large fish.
Yokogara's Backpack:
• One Person Tent • Bedroll • Flint and Steel • Skinning Knife • Blanket • Sketchbook (For marking and recognizing locations) • Pencil x6 • Rope, 20 meters • Twine, 40 Meters • Fishing Hook
Meissa followed Yokogara across the river as soon as he was past the first rock. She flexed the hand he had grabbed as she went, once again feeling the weight of the years of physical training she had lost. He hadn't grabbed her hard, but there had been more given to her hands than she'd expected. She almost asked what sorts of exercise he did, but given his circumstances, the answer probably wouldn't have been that helpful.
She opted to walk next to him for the remainder of the slog to the ice pillars. As they walked, she sent her mana beads out to interact with various parts of the environment. Trees, flowers, grass, rocks, dirt, water, she made sure to get anything she could so nothing was overlooked. She even managed to get the drop on a bird. All were more or less normal.
--- Narration ---
As the two approached the nearest ice pillar and the chill coming off it grew more palpable, the air would grow heavier and heavier. Though the wildlife here seemed to be more or less the same as elsewhere in the forest, the air was suffused with enough mana for it to be visible in spots. The shafts of light bouncing off the pillar twisted and spiraled through the area, occasionally reflecting the visitors at odd angles.
The pillar seemed to be solid ice, not a single drop of water running down its surface. It towered over the rest of the forest more than it had appeared to from a distance. Judging by the state of the rocks around it, it looked as though it had pierced upward through the ground. As Yokogara and Meissa drew closer, the pillar's hum merged with the droning wail of insects. In the distance several more pillars were visible, and in the clearing between all of them stood a pedestal at about waist-height, nearly overgrown with weeds.
--- ---
Meissa felt a fog close in on her mind. It felt like a great pressure was pushing in on her, or more specifically on the fountain of mana that gushed from her. It was tolerable at first, but as she kept walking, she started to slow. Her mana beads also slowed and eventually just started to drift around her in lazy orbits.
"Yokogara," she mumbled as the pressure in her head mounted. "I need to sit a moment." Without further comment, she took a seat on a fallen tree and pulled out her waterskin. She slowed her breathing, took a drink, and started to meditate. Quelling her own mana was simple enough on most days, but it seemed to be reacting poorly to these surroundings. After a few moments, she opened her senses to the outside world again and turned toward her companion. "How are you doing, Yokogara? Hanging in there?"
She raised a hand toward the pillar and directed a few of her mana beads toward it. She would get data on this strange structure, even if she couldn't fully understand it right now.
Canto (Steel, C, love): Inhabiting a rough wooden bird totem. Appears as a palm-sized bird with very angular features and feathers that have a distinct metallic sheen.
Clothing: Reinforced Clothing (D-Rank, Scale 5/5), Weather Clothing (includes a white cloak) Weaponry: Senbon x30 (in a bundle on her belt, below her backpack) Backpack:
Bedroll (tied to the bottom of the backpack, blocking sight of the senbon from behind) Spool of steel wire (28 meters; clipped to the side of the backpack) Loop of steel wire (2 meters; wrapped around one wrist)
Majestic Sugar
Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2022 9:46 pm
ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀɴʏ:Meissaxxxxxxᴍᴏᴏᴅ:Tensexxxxxxsᴛᴀᴛᴜs:Healthy | Cold | Winded (Having a hard time breathing)xxxxxxʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ:South-West Branch of Tsukihara Forest | Near a Large Ice Pillar
Crossing the river happened in relative silence, and Yokogara was happy for that. The tanned male stuffed his hands into his pockets once they had passed the river. The warmth from her hand felt weird on his skin, but then again, he hadn’t made any sort of physical contact with other people for months since the last incident he had been through. It was bound to feel weird now that he decided to change up his norm, mostly for the betterment of survival. If she hadn’t come around at that time, he would have still been at his little campsite, with an ankle that was probably much worse off than it was now. For that, at least, he was grateful.
For the rest of the time they had until they reached the destination she was seeking, Yoko and Meissa walked side by side in silence. Yoko opted to survey the area they walked, picking up any unique traits of their path just in case they had to make their way back. Frequently, he would see her prominent red beads floating around foliage and the like, probably her way of gathering data while she traveled. It was definitely handy, especially in a new environment. He wondered what types of things she had learned over the course of her travels. Maybe she wouldn’t mind sharing some data, and he would give some in return. But that would have to be later on, if they decide to stick together.
Yoko looked ahead of them and saw that they were slowly coming up to an ice pillar that wasn’t too far away. As they got closer to it, the young male noticed a few things that had happened at once upon their approach. The chill in the air seemed to get more intense, causing a tingle to run up his spine. The air seemed to get thicker, heavier. It caused his breath to lag slightly, having to heave in air to keep a normal heart beat. As they got closer to the pillar, small rods of light bounced off the pillar and throughout the surrounding area, possibly a visible representation of the mana these pillars possessed. A hum that he had heard earlier as he entered the premises seemed even more noticeable now that they were so close to the source, it’s solid ice towering over them and past the treetops. The pedestal that sat in the middle of the large pillars caught his eye, causing him to stare at it for a little while as he paused for a second. He wanted to take it all in. There had to be a reason for the pedestal, but he wasn’t sure what. Yokogara didn’t know too much about how mana initially worked, but the density of the air was definitely getting to him, since he knew he too had a somewhat sufficient amount of mana himself. All living beings did. But it wasn’t draining him as much, unlike Meissa.
His mind seemed to come back to his senses as he heard his name mumbled from behind him from a strained voice. He turned around and he eyed Meissa in slight surprise, since she didn’t seem to be doing too well. He hadn’t realized she slowed down as they were getting closer, so he walked back to her, slight concern fueling his movements. When she stated she needed to sit for a moment, he nodded, not minding if she did. Was it that bad for her that she couldn’t move forward? Granted, he was also feeling quite heavy, and it was a little hard for him to breathe with how dense the air felt, but it was worrying to see her doing worse off than he was. “Sure, go ahead.” He said calmly, allowing her to rest as she saw fit. He watched her sit beside a tree that looked like it had long fallen, before taking a sip of water, slowing her breath, and starting to meditate. He watched her for a second before looking back at the pillars, a sense of curiosity coursing through him. Why was getting so close to that thing so draining? Was it somehow sucking up their mana? As he stared at the pillars for a second, he turned his attention back to Meissa as she asked him how he was doing. As she did, she sent some of her orbs to investigate the closest pillar from a distance. Possibly better for her if that was the case. “I’m okay… but I’m also feeling quite drained. Like it’s hard to breathe…” He said, looking over to the pillars once more. “I wonder what’s causing this heaviness…” He said, and found himself drawn to go investigate himself. "Hold on. I'll go check it out for a bit.” He told his companion before walking over to the pillar, wanting to see if there was at least anything visual upon the pillars that would be worth noting down. Yokogara could feel the air grow more and more tense the closer he got. His breath came in puffs, and he soon started to feel what Meissa happened to be feeling. He was slowing down as he got closer, to the point where his breathing was starting to come out in large gasps of air. He paused for a second to catch his breath, crouched over slightly with his hands on his knees to take in as much air as he could muster. However, he pushed forward. The hum in his ears seemed to be the only thing he heard at that point, and he wasn’t sure what to make of it. Yokogara got within arm's length of the massive pillar and stopped, no longer able to get closer. If he reached out, he could touch it, but something was telling him to not do that. It was immensely cold just being this close. If being this close was affecting them so badly, then he definitely didn’t want to touch it and see what else it would do. He would leave the analyzing to the beads Meissa sent before he got over here. However, with the proximity, and holding his arms to preserve what body heat he had still lingering in his body, he looked over the pillar, wondering what else it had to offer in terms of information.
• A Katana that has seen some wear and tear. [Durability 20//30] • A small dagger [Durability 30] • An old composite bow [Durability 21//30] • [20] Arrows • Hidden Pockets Clothing • Makeshift bag full of [6] small fish, and [1] large fish.
Yokogara's Backpack:
• One Person Tent • Bedroll • Flint and Steel • Skinning Knife • Blanket • Sketchbook (For marking and recognizing locations) • Pencil x6 • Rope, 20 meters • Twine, 40 Meters • Fishing Hook
As Yokogara approached the pillar, he would begin to make out symbols on its surface. They were slightly depressed into the pillar, as if they had been etched by some ancient hand. However, time had taken its toll and now most of the characters were worn to the point where they were hardly distinguishable from their surroundings. They appeared in patches all around the pillar, with some only partly visible due to the ground cover. Elsewhere, thick layers of frost had settled on the pillar like an icy moss.
The mana around the pillar was not that different from the mana Yokogara and Meissa had already been walking in. There was a large amount of it trapped in the pillar itself, but it didn't seem to be leaking into the environment very quickly. If anything, the mana seemed to be slowly seeping up out of the land beneath their feet. The cold, on the other hand, was definitely due to the pillar.
One of the visual distortions in the air showed a bird in flight. Moments later, an identical bird passed over the clearing where the pedestal sat. The distortion shifted focus as soon as the bird had passed, showing instead the river the duo had come from.
--- ---
Meissa took a few deep breaths. She felt her lungs fill with this unknown mana, felt it interact with her own internal mana, and then flow out again when she exhaled. It didn't seem to be immediately harmful at least, but she had to force herself to breathe normally. In, out, in again. Slowly, so slowly, she mastered her breathing and felt some of the tension leave her chest. It was as she did this that her attention turned downward, below the ground. There was something down there that had an amazing amount of power, enough that it had a palpable presence even now. She had a hard time believing that something powerful enough to freely emit this amount of mana would willingly stay in one spot long enough for it to become part of the landscape. That left two options: either it was dead or it had been sealed. The former made more sense if it was covered in--or had become--dirt, but she'd seen burrowing monsters before that tended to stay still for long stretches of time.
That brought her back to the pillars. Their presence had remained in her mind--grown more prominent, even--while she was meditating. They felt somehow separate from the mana, but she couldn't quite place how. They didn't seem to be living, at least as far as she could tell. They also didn't seem to be reacting to Yokogara's presence. She recalled the beads she had embedded into the pillar and felt all sorts of information come flowing into her mind. There was the cold, their enormous size, the strange... letters? That was a point in favor of this whole area being part of a seal.
"Find anything interesting?" she called over to Yokogara. Her voice was a lot steadier than it had been earlier. She stood and stretched, then turned to face the young man. She was still feeling weary, but she'd gotten her breathing and mana flow under control. The mana beads she'd recalled from the pillar took up an orbit around her head, glinting like two small, blue stars in the twisted light. She walked a short ways around the pillar, her head turning toward some of the others in the area, lingering briefly on the pedestal. "I'm not sure what's more intriguing right now: the other pillars or that thing in the field." Pressure had started to build in her head again, and it showed in how she swayed like a ship in a storm. She caught herself before she lost her balance. A couple deep breaths later, she was back to normal. That trick wouldn't work forever, though.
Canto (Steel, C, love): Inhabiting a rough wooden bird totem. Appears as a palm-sized bird with very angular features and feathers that have a distinct metallic sheen.
Clothing: Reinforced Clothing (D-Rank, Scale 5/5), Weather Clothing (includes a white cloak) Weaponry: Senbon x30 (in a bundle on her belt, below her backpack) Backpack:
Bedroll (tied to the bottom of the backpack, blocking sight of the senbon from behind) Spool of steel wire (28 meters; clipped to the side of the backpack) Loop of steel wire (2 meters; wrapped around one wrist)
Majestic Sugar
Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2022 3:10 pm
ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀɴʏ:Meissaxxxxxxᴍᴏᴏᴅ:Tensexxxxxxsᴛᴀᴛᴜs:Healthy | Coldxxxxxxʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ:South-West Branch of Tsukihara Forest | Near a Large Ice Pillar
Approaching the pillar yielded at least some information that Yokogara could take away from his observation. Symbols he had never seen before littered the pillar, only being slight depressions in it's surface. The years have made the illegibility of certain symbols hard to discern, so even if he knew how to read the scripture, he wouldn't be able to decipher it without any gaps. Covered by remnants of thick ice made it even harder to see, but he could only hope that if there was some story these symbols were stating, someone would be able to tell it someday. Maybe Meissa, but even then, he wasn't sure if she'd know much about what was being said. As he kept observing the pillar, he spotted a ripple in the air, seemingly a distortion that showed a bird. Soon after seeing that, the same bird flew overhead, and once it was out of range, the distortion changed what it was showing, now revealing the same river they had passed over, evident by the small path of stones he remembered them hopping over. He was perplexed about the purpose behind it and what exactly the distortion was trying to show and what for. Was it just for random things in the area? Or was it a portal of some kind? Either way, it wasn't anything Yokogara understood right now. He'd leave that to the more magically adept person.
Yokogara was able to catch his breathe a bit better, standing up straight after slouching ever so slightly from the strange feeling overcoming him. They possibly had to just get used to the atmosphere these anomalies were exuding. He walked closer to the pillar, trying to see if he could somehow see some sort of pattern in the symbols. As he did, he heard Meissa calling over to him and asked if he had found anything interesting. He backed up just a bit to look her way, since it sounded like she was doing much better. He watched her stand up and stretch, before turning his gaze back to the pillar and then the distortion that was in the air. "A few things. There's symbols etched into the pillar, and I can only guess the other pillars in the area are the same. There's also this strange... ripple in the air. Like a distortion." He called back, turning his head to her as she grew closer. He was still quite cold, but now that he had been standing here for a bit, it was easier to ignore. At least for now.
Yoko saw that Meissa still seemed unsteady, on and off like a random strong gust of wind was passing through and pushing her over, but she seemed to stabilize right after, possibly after calming down her breathing. He hoped she was okay. If she needed another break, he was willing to wait again. Wasn't like he had other plans. When he listened to her comment on the two most prominent things, he turned his gaze to the pillar, then to the pedestal that stood at the center and walked over to it. He looked the pedestal over, then the surrounding area. The other pillars had to be important too, he just didn't know what for. "Well, I'm sure there had to be some old civilization that could have used this. Maybe they put something here?" He asked her, looking in her direction and wondered what she thought. That's what pedestals were usually for, right? Sacrifices and what not. Yoko wouldn't be too keen on learning 'what' type of things were put on the pedestal, and hoped it had nothing to do with limbs or organs.
• A Katana that has seen some wear and tear. [Durability 20//30] • A small dagger [Durability 30] • An old composite bow [Durability 21//30] • [20] Arrows • Hidden Pockets Clothing • Makeshift bag full of [6] small fish, and [1] large fish.
Yokogara's Backpack:
• One Person Tent • Bedroll • Flint and Steel • Skinning Knife • Blanket • Sketchbook (For marking and recognizing locations) • Pencil x6 • Rope, 20 meters • Twine, 40 Meters • Fishing Hook
Meissa nodded in agreement with Yokogara's assessment of the symbols on the pillar. She made a mental note that he didn't recognize the symbols either. The library was the next place she'd have to stop if she wanted to find out more, she figured. Interviewing natives to see if they recognized the characters would have been more useful, but there didn't seem to be many people around and she wasn't about to try and bag an oni just to satisfy her linguistic curiosity. Although, now that she thought about it, she could try showing them to Servus if he was lucid. If nothing else, just seeing how he was faring would be interesting.
She cocked an eyebrow when Yokogara mentioned a distortion. She'd felt plenty of mana clouds in the area, but she hadn't noticed anything like that. Double-checking her surroundings yielded nothing of the sort. Was he lying? Or was the distortion something she couldn't perceive for some reason? Did he have some special ocular ability that... Meissa sighed silently and slid her blindfold down. Squinting at the light of day, she looked around the area until she spotted the strange reflection overhead. Light, projected through a cloud of mana like some elaborate illusion. There were stories of areas where ghosts were said to appear, and no shortage of sites that claimed to allow one to see distant lands. Perhaps this operated on the same principle, albeit unfocused? She watched it shift through various scenes for a few seconds, then took out a notebook and jotted some of her thoughts down. There was no telling if this sort of thing always happened when large enough quantities of mana were around or if it was a property of this area specifically. Perhaps different creatures interacted with that cloud of mana differently, and that was why Fades stayed away? Seemed a bit far-fetched.
"I see," was all she said as she covered her eyes once more.
When Yoko approached the pedestal, she elected to do so as well. He was probably right about something being placed on it at some point in the past. She was about to argue that the civilization couldn't have been very old, but stopped herself when she remembered just how far in the future she supposedly was compared to the world she knew. Enough time for civilizations to rise and fall, that was for sure.
"I'd wager you're right," she said, circling around to the other side of the pedestal. "Nobody makes something like this without intending to put something on it. That just begs the question: what was on here and where did it go?" The girl sent a couple of her mana beads into the mystery object, thinking perhaps there was a hidden mechanism or some traces of a seal. The plants certainly didn't seem to mind whatever it was. She reached down and started clearing off some of the natural debris that had accumulated on it, hoping to get a clearer picture of what the thing was. As she pulled away the branches of a small bush, she felt a sudden rush as her head started squeezing again. Her balance left her, and where before she'd been consciously avoiding touching the pedestal directly, now her hand had flown out and was gripping it for stability.
Canto (Steel, C, love): Inhabiting a rough wooden bird totem. Appears as a palm-sized bird with very angular features and feathers that have a distinct metallic sheen.
Clothing: Reinforced Clothing (D-Rank, Scale 5/5), Weather Clothing (includes a white cloak) Weaponry: Senbon x30 (in a bundle on her belt, below her backpack) Backpack:
Bedroll (tied to the bottom of the backpack, blocking sight of the senbon from behind) Spool of steel wire (28 meters; clipped to the side of the backpack) Loop of steel wire (2 meters; wrapped around one wrist)
Majestic Sugar
Royal Taorito
Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2022 11:39 am
ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀɴʏ:Meissaxxxxxxᴍᴏᴏᴅ:Concernedxxxxxxsᴛᴀᴛᴜs:Healthy | Coldxxxxxxʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ:South-West Branch of Tsukihara Forest | Near a Large Ice Pillar and a pedestal
Yokogara curiously eyed the pillar, wondering if anyone of the current era even knew what it said. In his 2 years here, he hadn't seen these symbols before, or at least paid enough attention to his surroundings to think they were of any importance. Maybe they were runes that gave the pillars their chilling power? Or maybe they told a story of a forgotten time many moons ago. Either way, it seemed neither of them knew anything about it. After informing Meissa of the distortion he saw, he watched her look around, perplexed at first. For a second, he was going to assume that he was possibly seeing things, or just something she couldn't see. However, it seemed the only thing keeping her from viewing it was the cloth wrapped around her eyes. He watched with a curious glance in her direction as she pulled off the blindfold, revealing her silvery eyes underneath. He didn't say anything upon seeing them, and wondered if maybe she kept them blindfolded for a reason. Maybe the light was too harsh for her? After she observed what he had seen, she blindfolded herself once more, and he nodded at her simply reply. He didn't know much about the distortion they saw, or what it was for. It seemed too high to be a simple portal, so he could only wonder if maybe it was just something that just belonged within this circle of energy. Maybe the mana in the air was causing it? If Meissa didn't have an explanation for it either, then they'd have to just leave it be.
Yoko approached the pedestal, taking care not to get too close to it. He walked close enough to observe it's surface, and on top of it's mantle to see if there was any residue left behind or even an engraving upon it to satisfy the questions that popped up in his head. Meissa joined him at the pedestal and stated that she'd assume he was right, since nobody made such a thing to not put something on it. The question was just what was supposed to be placed there and where did it go. That was a good question. He watched Meissa's mana beads observe the pedestal, and he looked around, wondering if he could find something that looked out of place. Maybe it hadn't gone too far? But it wouldn't make sense for it to be here. He was sure that whatever was placed there had to be really important, therefore it was probably carried around back and forth between this area and wherever the people who built this thing went off to. As he contemplated just placing any random item on top of the pedestal to test his theory, he looked back to see that Meissa was slouched over once more, gripping the pedestal as if she was going to lose her balance again. A spark of concern watched over Yokogara, and though he was prone to not feeling this way about someone so soon into their travels toether, it had been a long while since anyone had shown him kindness in any form. If she really didn't need a companion, she wouldn't have invited him along. So his concern for her well being were within reasonable bounds, he was sure. He could only handle physical injuries, not spiritual ones.
Yokogara walked over to her, crouching down with a frown over his face, the rest of his expression hidden behind thick hair. He reached over, softly placing his hand on her shoulder to see if she was at least responsive and not about to go unconscious. That would only worry him further. "Hey, everything okay? Need to rest again?" He asked, looking between her and the pedestal. It seemed as if it was bothering her just like when they both entered the area, but this time, he wasn't sure what had caused it, since she seemed okay moments ago. Maybe it was the pedestal itself? Maybe it had it's own mana it inhibited, but why it caused her so much problems, he wasn't sure. If she needed to rest again, he'd let her. Would be better than having to carry around an unconscious person.
• A Katana that has seen some wear and tear. [Durability 20//30] • A small dagger [Durability 30] • An old composite bow [Durability 21//30] • [20] Arrows • Hidden Pockets Clothing • Makeshift bag full of [6] small fish, and [1] large fish.
Yokogara's Backpack:
• One Person Tent • Bedroll • Flint and Steel • Skinning Knife • Blanket • Sketchbook (For marking and recognizing locations) • Pencil x6 • Rope, 20 meters • Twine, 40 Meters • Fishing Hook
No sooner had the words left Yokogara's mouth that golden light exploded out from the pedestal. Blinding though it might have been it was not harmful. In fact it left a small sense of warmth behind as it gathered and coalesced into actual shapes, creating glittering, faceless forms that peered cautiously albeit curiously from the nearby pillars. Past the pedestal a great mound of light gathered, towering above the pair. A breathy growl emitted from it but it did not otherwise move.
