Searching for Answers... (Schala/Augen/Cross)

[shiningdrake]

Kylie had been riding on Haku's back for some time, following Augen. After some time, they reached a large lake. Kylie thought she knew where this was... Misty Lake. While she did try to minimize her contact with people, due to her curse, she wasn't always successful, and there for ended up hearing rumors occasionally... And ended up running across places during her time wandering. Heading to a library, and then coming to this lake...

Kylie called after the man leading the way, "Augen! You said you were taking us to a library... Is the library inside Scarlet Devil Mansion?" Her voice let out that she was rather nervous. Supposedly, visitors didn't tend to be welcome there, it was the residence of a vampire and a number of her servants... Was it really a good idea to be going there?

[Augen]

Augen looked up into the sky, torwards Kylie and Haku. "Well, it's the only library I'm aware of that might be able to help," he called up, tilting his head a bit to the side. "Why, is there something wro-- Oh yeah, the danger. Don't worry, I came prepared," he said, before turning torwards the lake. "... Well, for some things at least... Dammit, I forgot that this lake was here."

[Schala]

Sailuni walked toward the lake in front of the mansion. She had heard that there were mysterious things here. Objects of power. Or at least something worth looking for.
Her nekomata senses were tingling. There were others here.
Sai's journey from Youkai Mountain all the way here had been long and hard. In fact, she had just run out of food and water when she arrived.
Determined as she was, she was very tired and decided to rest for a bit before going into the mysterious mansion. She kneeled beside the lake and filled her jug with water.
When she looked up, she noticed two people. One was a girl who seemed to be riding a dragon. The other was a boy calling up to the girl.
As Sai drank her water she listened in. This could get interesting...

[zapy]

haku smiled and set kylie down
"that was fun....it's been soooo long since i got to fly like that"
he looked at the mansion
"i thing im too big to fit in there"
he lay down and watched the two

[shiningdrake]

"Prepared?" Kylie repeated back, sounding not nearly as sure as Augen, "Prepared to face a vampire and all her servants? For all our sakes, I hope that you really are prepared..." Haku then set her down, surprising her, "Ah!" she cried as she put weight on her hurt right ankle, and then fell to the ground as she flinched from the pain.

Kylie fell on her face, but she wasn't really hurt much, just annoyed as she sat up. She started thinking again... Augen didn't know how to cross the lake huh? Hm... Maybe he could fly on Haku? She had enough of her energy back now to use her magic to fly, and she actually could probably swim across... Actually, she'd enjoy swimming across.

Kylie spoke up, "Augen... Maybe Haku could fly you across? I have enough energy to get across without help now." She then looked up at the dragon, "Assuming that's okay with you..." Suddenly, she heard a voice behind her, "So, headed to Scarlet Devil Mansion? Mind if I come along?" Kylie looked over suddenly, suspicion in her eyes. There was a woman standing there, dressed mostly in black, holding a broom. Kylie asked, sounding suspicious and even slightly cold, "And just who are you?"

---

The young magician had actually been taking a nap during a break in her training. She'd been having a rather good dream, where she had stolen a spellbook from a shop run by a strange mechanical bird-like creature, and was just about to open it, when...

BOOM!!!

Well, actually, the explosion had been distant, so it was closer to just a BOOM!!! but it was still enough to wake her up from the nice dream she'd been having. "Wha-?!" she cried as she leaped up off of the floor startled. "What was that?!" She took a few moments to recover from the shock, but then began thinking... She should go investigate. Whatever it was, it might be fun~

She grabbed her broom and made sure she had her mini-Hakkero and then walked out the door before zooming off. Eventually, she reached a clearing... No, a crater. There might have been trees there before, but if so, they'd been destroyed. The trees surrounding it that were alive... Were they really alive? Something seemed off about them. In the center of the clearing were a man, a woman, and a dragon... Wait, a dragon?!

She decided to eavesdrop, she was rather curious about what was going on. She heard the girl saying something about a curse, which made her dangerous... And then the man said something about a library. Both of those caught her attention... She liked libraries, and curses were interesting, even if she didn't bother with such things herself.

After they talked a bit more, saying nothing that much caught her attention, the man ran on ahead, and the dragon put the girl on his back before flying to follow. The witch got on her broom and flew to follow. That direction they were headed, after they talked about libraries... Oh, this would definitely be fun~ She flew at a casual pace, staying a bit behind them... She really didn't care if they saw her yet either way, she was following rather shamelessly and wouldn't mind their seeing her.

Eventually, they reached Misty Lake, and the man stopped at the edge. He didn't seem to be able to cross. Their conversation confirmed that they were headed to Scarlet Devil Mansion, though there was little doubt anyway. The dragon set the girl down... Who seemed to flinch and then fall to the ground as soon as she stood. Was she just a klutz, or was she hurt?

The magician decided that it would be a good time to introduce herself. She landed, and held her broom in her right hand as she walked forward. "So, headed to Scarlet Devil Mansion?" she asked, "Mind if I come along?" The girl looked toward her, seeming suspicious, and asked in a not very friendly tone, "And just who are you?" The self-confident magic user was unfazed, and actually grinned, her eyes sparkling as she answered.

"Why, I'm just an ordinary magician... My name is Marisa Kirisame~"

[Augen]

"If Haku doesn't mind, that might be optimal... Seeing as I cannot fly, it'd be unwise for me to swim with my equipment, and I doubt you'd want to fly across with a hundred pounds of human on your back... So that awright with you, Haku," he said, before suddenly another voice came along.

"So, headed to Scarlet Devil Mansion? Mind if I come along," it asked... And upon inquiry from Kylie, the voice answered. "Why, I'm just an ordinary magician... My name is Marisa Kirisame~"

Augen turned to face the witch, a grin on his face as he said, "Ah, yes... I've heard of this one... Very well known, but not very well liked, she is... At least, by most around here," he said, before revolving once around the magician. "So far, however, I'm liking what I see... That innocent girl demeanor is the perfect guise for a bloodthirsty killer. Yet she is known to be a thief, as well as a powerful magician... I'm all for you coming along, if you would like..."

"... So what does that make? Five of us," he asked, pointing his pistol in the direction of the cat. "Or have we already encountered some resistance?"

[Schala]

Well, Sai had not been expecting that. She put her hands up immediately, what with her quick neko reflexes and all.
"Why on Earth are you pointing that at me?"
Her surprise was evident, judging by the look on her face and her tone of voice. Really, she had only come here for the jewels.
Nevertheless, she kept her hands up. She did not know what the boy thought he was doing or who he thought he was, but she didn't move.

[zapy]

haku extended his wing between augen and the cat-girl
"please put that thing away.....i don't think she's going to hurt us"
he smiled a bit
"and i'd be happy to fly you across"
haku picked augen up and dropped the male on his back
after stretching for a moment haku took off toward the mansion

[shiningdrake]

"Marisa?" Kylie repeated back. Then, "Oh god..." She'd heard about Marisa. She was a thief who loved to pick fights... Also an extremely powerful magician. Augen had also apparently heard of her, and said that he wouldn't mind her coming along. Kylie however, felt uneasy about having someone such as Marisa along... Though realistically, she couldn't think of how it could really be negative. They could use all the help they could get if a fight came... And how likely were they to avoid being found?

...Especially with Augen appearing to be picking fights with random people. Augen had suddenly pointed what she was almost certain was a weapon at a nekomata who had been nearby. "What are you doing Augen?!" she shouted, "She wasn't attacking or anything, why are you threatening her?!" What was with this guy? Seriously... Haku then intervened, getting between Augen and the nekomata... Then picking up Augen on his back and flying off toward the mansion.

Kylie sighed, and rose into the air slightly, bringing herself upright once she had risen. She looked back at the girl in black, "Come if you want... Not like I could stop someone like you." she said, before she dived into the lake... She really wanted to swim right now. And she was a fast swimmer when she wanted to be, so she could probably keep up with Haku.

---

Ah, so they knew about her? The man seemed pleased to have her along, though the girl seemed unhappy at the idea for some reason. Not like Marisa cared what they thought. The man mentioned "Haku" and Marisa assumed that was the dragon's name. Suddenly, he pointed what appeared to be some sort of weapon at a nearby nekomata. Marisa thought it was interesting how jumpy this guy was, simply assuming that nearby strangers would attack... Even if they were obviously Youkai.

The girl seemed somewhat upset with the man, who she called Augen, for pointing that thing at the nekomata. Suddenly, the dragon picked up the strange man and flew off. Then, the girl floated off of the ground, and brought herself upright. She then made a comment to Marisa to come along if she wanted. Then, she dived into the lake. Marisa got onto her broom and began flying toward the mansion herself.

"Maybe I can borrow some more of Patchouli's books..." she said to herself. Though she was technically talking to herself, she wasn't muttering or saying it under her breath. She was saying it as if it were part of a conversation. It was likely that the dragon and Augen would hear it, though the girl swimming down in the water probably wouldn't.

[Augen]

Augen grinned as he heard the magician speak of books... They had a common destination, apparently. However, depending on how things went, he might have to intervene. "Heheh, that'd be great... However, this 'Patchouli' person. I might need her help with a few things... So I might have to ask you to wait until we get what we need, capiche'?"

Then after a few moments he turned back to the magician, a spark of curiosity filling his mind. "Oy, Marisa," he called. "Your magic operates on knowledge, right? Like the more you know about a magical domain, the more powerful your magic associated with it is, right?"

[Schala]

Relieved, Sai put her hands down.
She looked at the dragon.
"Would you mind, like, FLYING me across the lake? I can't exactly swim, being...well..."
Then she looked at the girl in the water. "Don't splash me, okay? Just...don't."

[zapy]

after racing the females that could make it across on their own haku set augen down and smiled
"now i go help the nekomata"
haku took off back to the beach and landed behind the cat girl
"if you still wanna fly across i can carry you"
he lay down and folded his wings so she could get on

[recon5]

If any of them had been paying attention they would have noticed a large black ball floating slowly over the lake. It was Rumia, Youkai of darkness, and she was just wandering around minding her own business. She didn't really like the afternoon as she had to make her surroundings really dark to cool herself, and when that happened she couldn't see where she was going. Of course, she didn't particularly need to see anything right know. All she needed to do was to fly straight ahead and she would eventually reach the other side... or so she thought.

[shiningdrake]

Kylie stopped and looked back at the nekomata "If you don't like water, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to come along anyway. Even though you're an ally, it's quite likely that you'll get at least a little wet from my water magic being nearby. But it's your choice." Kylie really didn't sound like she much cared, and she turned around and resumed swimming across the lake.

Once they reached the other side of the lake, Haku set down Augen and turned around to go get the nekomata. Kylie got out of the water and then turned around to watch as the dragon flew. Suddenly, she noticed something odd. There was a huge black ball floating over the lake. Kylie looked at it curiously, even as she got a bad feeling... Inexplicably, it was more about Marisa than that strange darkness. Strange... Wait, why had she just shouted "Master Spark!"?!

---

Augen said something about that he'd probably need some help from Patchouli, so Marisa should hold off until he was done. Marisa merely said, "Oh, I think I can do that. I'm sure that looking at the books won't be a problem until then." In fact, it might help her have some more time to determine what to borrow. Suddenly, Augen asked her another question.

Marisa said to him, "Something along those lines. It takes a lot of study to be a magician." Suddenly, she took out her Hakkero and tossed it into the air, catching it again. "Of course, this little thing helps too~ Although I hardly lack the power myself." She had a confident, carefree grin on her face as usual. Around this point, they reached their destination, and the dragon set Augen down before turning around and heading back.

Marisa hadn't landed, instead floating in the air on her broom. She suddenly noticed a floating ball of darkness floating over the lake. Ah, that must be Rumia. Marisa let out a chuckle, and then said, "This should make for some good practice before we go in~ Master Spark!" Marisa quickly muttered the spell toward her mini-Hakkero, aimed it at Rumia, and unleashed a freaking HUGE beam toward her.

[Augen]

As Augen had stepped down off of the dragon, he heard Marisa's voice yell something. "Master Spark," she had yelled. And so, Augen turned to see the large blast of light beaming torwards what appeared to be...

"... A ball of darkness?" Well, seeing as the exterminator had attacked it, it might be wise to prepare. So Augen whipped out his judge again and pointed at the black circle in the sky. "What is THAT THING? Can I shoot it?"