A few moments after stepping through the portal, and after a few moments of watching Kasumi and Caelyn, Zaria approached the two deciding that it would be best to interact. This way she could get a feel for what they were like, although it was easy to guess that the one picking her nails with a knife was a dangerous sort of person, and she was yet to actually find out what their task was. "Greetings," she began with a nod to the two people. She glanced down at the body with a raised eyebrow. "I am assuming you know what it is we are doing, then? So far I have followed along with the hope that it will in the end prove beneficial in some form to me."

There was a certain friendliness to her tone, almost genuine. She watch them both carefully as if each motion would give her some form of information that she could use. She had a feeling that these two would be better to have as allies than enemies. Then again she could say the same for the two she had met beforehand. There were few she could not get on with, or at least put on the act that she did get on with them. She had had to work with difficult people plenty of times in the past. It was merely a case of deciding which she thought were the strongest thus the best to work with. That was always priority, and it was merely an added benefit if she managed to get on with them. Glancing between them her gaze zoned in on Kasumi. "That's quite a nice knife you have there."

Jacob was in the the shadows. He had been following the two called Kito and Amelia for awhile now. He had been interested in them. He couldn't figure out why though. He heard the voice that talked to them. He wondered why it needed a body. He knew there was no turning back now as the Zombies were back there. He was confident, but not that confident. He figured a strength in numbers thing was just what the situation called for.

As he sat there he noticed Myra, his Mythin, crawl onto his shoulder. She was bigger than when he first got her, but still enjoyed her perching on him. He heard her make a small almost bird noise as they observed. He sighed and looked at her. "I know darling, we'll get to a resting place soon." He whispered and she rubbed her head against him. He focused back on the two and waited for what they would do next. He hoped that they would not notice him. But part of him did hope they looked and spotted him. At least he wouldn't need to sneak around anymore.

After a moment of thoughtful consideration, Amelia decided it might be a good idea to go through the portal. The entity possessing Elwis seemed powerful.. but also off. Maybe it was just her imagination, after all, she had always found herself second guessing intentions. Especially after returning to Ward. People were always trying to use her, and she had had enough. However, if this being was truly wronged, how could she abandon it? She looked back at Kito then to the portal again.
"I am going." She said and stepped through.

When she emerged on the other side, she found herself in a desert. Amelia looked around at the others, some looked familiar, but she didn't know their names. Walking over, she noticed two of them had cuts on their hands. This confused her, but she decided not to ask. Looking back, she assumed she would see Kito, but saw no one.

Jacob watched as the girl went through. He and Myra tilted their heads at the same time. He wondered why they were going through it. He then heard the banging behind them. He knew he would have to leave sooner or later. He didn't want to get spotted though. He saw her partner turn away. This was his chance!

He nodded to Myra and she got up and started flying. Jacob sprinted towards the portal. He made very small sounds as he did. Him and Myra jump through the portal. He felt rather weird as he went through and Myra was right behind him. He soon found himself falling forward, onto the person he had just watch go through a few moments ago "WOAH!" He yelled as he tried to stop himself, but he landed on her anyways. MYra soon came through the portal and landed on Jacob as well. Jacob rolled off of her as Myra walked acoss him like a log. She then licked his face to make sure he was alrght and he coughed a little. "That...Felt..Weird.." He said as he rubbed his stomach from the impact.

Jacob watched as the girl went through. He and Myra tilted their heads at the same time. He wondered why they were going through it. He then heard the banging behind them. He knew he would have to leave sooner or later. He didn't want to get spotted though. He saw her partner turn away. This was his chance!

He nodded to Myra and she got up and started flying. Jacob sprinted towards the portal. He made very small sounds as he did. Him and Myra jump through the portal. He felt rather weird as he went through and Myra was right behind him. He soon found himself falling forward, onto the person he had just watch go through a few moments ago "WOAH!" He yelled as he tried to stop himself, but he landed on her anyways. MYra soon came through the portal and landed on Jacob as well. Jacob rolled off of her as Myra walked acoss him like a log. She then licked his face to make sure he was alrght and he coughed a little. "That...Felt..Weird.." He said as he rubbed his stomach from the impact.

+ 2 spooky - @everyone +

After Amelia and Jacob stepped through the portal, Kito's Elwis moved into his body, bypassing the long understood principles of Ghost Intangibility. The same aura that had once been around the Elwis was now around Kito as he too stepped through the portal a moment after. Kito's body moved towards where the body of Dr. Imin lay, kneel beside it for a moment.

"I have chosen this body as my vessel for the ritual," the body spoke with a peculiar tone, a mix of the previous voices of the Natrelmon that had led them there and a small underlay of Kito's natural voice, which given the dual vocalizations created a strange echo like effect. "In a moment, I shall explain everything too you, but we must prepare the final stage."

Kito's body waved its hand. In response the sand around the group that had moved through the portal whipped up, spiraling into the air before blasting outwards. It would be difficult for anyone to see for a moment, despite the fact the sand was obviously missing their flesh as it moved through the air. After a moment the sand would completely clear out leaving a new landmark on the desert skyline - a massive black gate. It looked to be made of an onyx like stone and stood an impressive twenty feet in height. The frame and the doors both were made of the black, stone like material and covered in ornate inscriptions, ones that had clearly been carved into them when the gate was first made. However, it was clear that there was one set of markings on the door that did not belong, written over the top of the gate in a chalk like substance that had somehow managed to persist despite being blasted by the desert winds for ages before being covered by the sand of the desert.

For a second time, Kito moved his hand, sweeping in a gesture towards Dr. Imin's body. The sand covered his body entirely before turning a violent red color. "I must apologize for the rather morbid nature of what I am doing," the voice explained, "But my judge still yet tries to prevent my freedom..."

Kito's body moved towards the gate with a grace unlike he had possessed before, the red sand that had once covered Imin's remains moving around him, "There are arts long lost to this world, deemed as taboo as I once was. If you choose the help me, I shall give you knowledge of these arts, should you so desire them. Else, I shall find a fitting reward for your assistance. However, I can only undo the restraints with the blood of the living, given willingly. If you choose to help me, let a single drop of your blood hit the sand beneath you - with how many there are, that should be enough. I shall draw it in and break the seal, then I shall be free and you shall be rewarded."

Kito smiled, waiting patiently for blood to hit the sand.

---

Meanwhile, the swarm had closed into the hospital even more. The click of Cat's guns could be heard as she ran out of ammo, jumping down next to Anastasia who had been backed up to the door with her Tibearius a bit in front of her. Shio and Violet continued to fight a bit further ahead, both beginning to slow, doing their best to keep the horde from getting to the doors of the hospital. Cat began invoking the powers of her Kazemancy. It was a bit alien to her, since she hadn't practiced magic like this in ages, always relying on channeling it through her rifle in conjunction with her rounds.

The Natrelmon coming from the mist seemed to sense their impending victory, moving faster and more frenzied. Just as a Panzer was about to leap on the Anastasia from the side, bypassing Violet and Shio who were otherwise engaged, it was knocked aside by the staff of an old woman who dropped down suddenly from the top of the hospital. She landed next to Anastasia with surprising grace for a woman who looked well into her eighties. The staff was odd itself, with two tags on small strings on each end of it. Two short protrusions of chalk were on each end as well,

Cat wasn't sure how to react, almost striking at the woman. However, a single glance from her told her that she was an ally. Anastasia seemed upset, partially because of her failure, but mostly because she was unable to incinerate the Panzer that had gone after her.

"Alllow me to help dearies," she spoke before clutching her staff strangely, a wide spread grip towards each end of the weapon, with it horizontal to the group. Winking at Anastasia and Cat, she pulled her arms apart, seemingly splitting the staff, but revealing the two blades that were housed inside of it. With each end of the staff now operating as hilts for the weapon, the woman moved towards the incoming horde with a frenzied speed of her own. Her blades moved swiftly through the air, cleaving through the undead with an efficiency that would alarm most. Occasionally she would not strike an undead with the blade, but instead the butt of her new weapons. The repeated strikes of the chalk, for those that were keen of eye, formed a pattern which would glow a moment later before igniting the entire undead in a brilliant white fire-like light.

The woman's feet were also a wonder. It was clear to Shio the woman was not moving the way she was without reason, despite the efficiency and speed she was exhibiting. Her feet, each time she pivoted or moved from area to area to engage the oncoming undead, essentially rendering Violet and herself useless, she spun the tips of her feet on the ground, occasionally utilizing small kicks on the oncoming horde. Like the strikes from the hilts of her sword, light would radiate out from these patterns before completely engulfing a target. Shio suspected it was some kind of advanced purification technique, but it was unlike any she was aware of. It was reminiscent of her Nine Spirit Seal, but the pattern was quite different and clearly more powerful.

From the mist directly in front of them, Shio could see an even bigger horde coming. Shio began flinging Kuji-kiri out at them, thinking the woman might be unable to deal with them. However, Shio was dead wrong. The woman turned after one of her Kuji-kiri flew past her, giving her a fiendish smile of appreciation before resheathing her peculiar staff blades. Clutching her hands around the staff, one end now placed on the ground, on a massive chalk line that she had drawn as she danced through the horde she had already purified, she began to chant. As the horde crossed the line a massive wall of light erupted upwards, higher than Shio could see. As they moved into it, they were not only repelled, but purified like she had already done. Once the last from the new wave had passed, the woman let the barrier down, approaching the shocked group.

"Hello dearies," she spoke, "You seemed to need the help."

That same wicked grin was on her face. Shio tried to read it, looking for some sign of exhaustion from what Rinkoo had just done, but she could see nothing. There were few things that made Shio uneasy, but the power displayed by this woman was something she had not seen before and the woman seemed to know it.

Atami - almost spooky

Atami looked at the portal and instantly turned around. The entire situation had been strange and not trustworthy what so ever, and now they were expected to jump into some dark unknown just because a talking Natrelmon told them to. This was crazy. He faced the Reishund that had guarded and shown them the way, and swung his arm back into the air, before sending it crashing down into it's skull, likely breaking the bone with sheer force -- sending bone splinters from it's skull into it's brain. It's unsure if that would even do anything -- they were undead so maybe they could keep walking after that. Nevertheless, the Reishund collapsed and the strange aura that had surrounded it at first.

Atami was just happy all the others had walked through the portal, so that none could see him deal with this 'threat' as Atami had come to see that there was something off. Likely, going through that portal would only lead to more troubles. He reared around once more, looking at the left over Natrelmon and attempting to pin-point what they'd do. It was unsuccesful, as Atami isn't so smart that he can effectively estimate what the reactions would be. But you could've bet on Atami being ready to give them the same response, his Mythari sharing the feeling and jumping off of Atami's shoulder and flying in a circle over the Natrelmon before flying back and landing nead Atami, it's tail swinging around vigorously. “I don't know about you, Aera, but I think it's time we get the hell out of this breeding place for the undead. That portal is a death trap and you know it.”

Slowly Atami would back off towards a door, and then open it and head through -- unsure of the other talking Natrelmon's response to him murdering their undead companion. After that he'd turn around and start running to the exit, his Mythari trailing behind him in the air, it's wings spread wide and it's eyes set to kill. They made a left, right, right, another left and then headed straight -- they'd simply follow the signs that lead to the exit. They found themselves at the front of the building, where they had also entered. Quickly he threw the 'barricades' to the side only to find that some genius had also pushed a very heavy object in front. But luckily Atami could just reach over and open the door, then slide past the remaining barricades. He was just in time to find some old lady kicking major, heavy ass. Atami was impressed, but found her weapon choice to be somewhat awkward, where you can simply use a sword to cut a natrelmon in half, she opted for the chalk from time to time, which seemed like a waste of time to Atami when cutting them was faster and more efficient.

He broke into the situation and hailed the two cops again, who were now also joined by some girl and the old lady it seemed. “Yoo, we found some undead, talking natrelmon which were friendly to us. They lead all of us to a portal, and everyone just jumped through.” He looked around the group to measure what they thought of this, before continueing. “After that I just smashed one of the Natrelmon's brains and went back here.”

It was the worst night Garreth ever experienced. There were weird creatures everywhere, which looked like Natrelmon but were extremely aggressive. Garreth had to escape from quite a few. Earlier, when he arrived into Toran to answer a call for able Trainers, he spotted a few natrelmon. Not suspecting anything, he went closer to them to see what kind they were, and if they were worth catching. He went closer and closer, and soon realised there was something off about this. The few Natrelmon turned as Garreth kicked a can laying on the floor, and suddenly saw what was wrong. These were dead.
Garreth gasped and backed off before turning around and sprinting away. He ran around Toran's streets, turning left and right. Then when he couldn't feel his legs anymore, he went around a corner and pushed his back against the wall, panting hard. That is when he noticed how quiet and dark it really was. He heard his heartbeat like a drum, loud and clear, and was scared that the monsters would find him.
He didn't dare move, as he caught his breath. He closed his eyes, hoping it was all a bad dream, but when he opened them again he was still in Toran, in the dark. But now there was also a person, who was walking in the light of the street lamp.
"Oh thank god." Garreth whispered to himself and immediately made its way to the figure.

"Hey, please help me, there's weird stuff on the streets and- shit!" The figure looked up, searching for the source of the voice coming from the darkness. The face was horrible, blood was dripping out of an eye socket, the cheeks were basically gone and his lower jaw was completely missing. The clothes were stained with blood around the neck because of the blood that flowed on it from the head. Garreth ran again, tonight for the second time.

Now he was on the rooftops. He figured there'd be no people or Natrelmon up there, so he used his Kazemancy to give himself a big push upwards to grab onto a balcony, and climb on the roof by standing on the railings. After a couple minutes of sitting on a roof, slightly panicking and trying to get the image of the dead stuff out of his head, he decided to head for the hospital. He let out his Omutiel, to help him scout the rooftops, just in case.

Soon enough, Garreth arrived to the hospital, jumping from roof to roof, of the lower buildings, using his Kazemancy when he needed to. "Go check the place for me would you?" Garreth asked his flying grass Natrelmon. The Omutiel soon returned, chirped dove back down to the streets. Garreth jumped down and used his magic to slow his fall. He walked on the street towards the entrance, and soon noticed a group of creatures. More undead. Or so Garreth thought until he heard them talk, and saw the bodies all along the floor outside. He decided to go meet these people as a sudden noise behind him made him look back just to see a man with no legs drag himself with his hands to get at him.
"I don't think I'll ever sleep." He thought while making his way to the hospital's entrance.

"Hey, you people over there, could someone explain me what is happening?" He shouted over the group of, hopefully, living people.

[Please Ignore]

The sight of more newcomers walking through the portal was a comforting one - it meant that Kasumi would hopefully not have to offer too much of her blood. She had read up on the nature of some of the world's more... Unpleasant magic during her youth, and she understood the most basic of premises surrounding the nature of ritualistic blood magic. It seemed fairly obvious that the more people to offer their blood, the easier it would be to break the seal, but the sheer age of the construct that had risen before them left many doubts surrounding how much of Kasumi's very basic knowledge was applicable. As she held out her hand, the blood from her recent cut dripped slowly into the lifeless sands, seemingly imbuing it with some form of sanguinary pulse. That was good - it meant that the magic was strong. It would need to be strong, she thought, as she looked upon the black gate before them.

"It is, isn't it?" Kasumi noted, turning to Zaria, before taking the knife and throwing it directly towards her. It would not stab her if she did not move, nor would it miss her - it was a throw designed specifically for her to actually catch the knife. She would need to use it in order to participate in the ritual. She figured that Caelyn would hold out his also-cut hand and join them, at the very least. The others... Would perhaps be hesitant. She could perhaps inspire them to offer up their blood willingly with the threat of them offering it unwillingly if they didn't.

"I have more knives, if anyone needs one. If you don't want to participate, well... It wouldn't be a blood orgy if I didn't cut you a little." She called out, half smirking and half deadpan. It was a confusing look, to say the least, and while it certainly had a more humourous tone, it was quite clearly not a joke. Participation in the ritual would be mandatory if any of her new-found partners wanted to escape the desert unwounded.

Kasumi welcomed the newcomers a lot less friendly then she had him, and it made him feel good. Maybe some of the flirting wasn't all an act. He grinned to himself. This girl even during an undead ritual was on his mind. He shouldn't have spanked her. Caelyn shook his head.

He placed his hand down in the sand like Kasumi and felt the magic surge into and from him at the same time. It was amazing quite a rush. He wanted to experience more of it so he squeezed his hand and let more blood flow from his hand. Faeron landed on his shoulder to bring him back to his sense. Caelyn shook his head and he felt a bit weak. He didn't realize how much blood he had lost. "There I paid my debt. I intend to collect. And you," he said looking at Kasumi. "I hope it will be a long night." He grinned widely. His head was spinning by this point but Eishund came out to support him. "Thanks girl. You are always there."

"So who is next?" Caelyn held out the dagger that was coated in his blood. If the others blood was needed to get his reward they would get it. Caelyn looked at Kasumi and matched her intensity.

Zaria's hand moved to gracefully catch the knife and though she caught it with ease, mainly due to how well it had been thrown rather than her actual skill as shown by the fact she almost dropped it as soon as it was in her hand. Well that was embarrassing. "Why thank you," she smiled her replied to Kasumi, using the knife to create a neat cut across her hand. She allowed the blood to slowly drip off so it hit the sand. Another few drops were added just for good measure. She wasn't sure if everyone would participate. Some seemed... more moral than others, you could say.

The reward certainly sounded good. Taboo arts long lost? Well, if they were taboo they must be somewhat dangerous as only such things were viewed in that way. She looked forward to finding out exactly what that meant and of course gaining the knowledge. Zaria did so like collecting information like this. After all, knowledge often was power. Moving over to Kasumi, she held out the knife towards her. She was sure she would want it back. "It will be more use to you if you see through with your threat." Which was one she fully supported and was willing to aid in getting the others, who seemed less willing, to give their blood. So far there were three of them and if it remained at that number they would undoubtedly have to give more blood. And out of those three, she seemed to be the only one who had done no such thing already. Well these events certainly had taken an interesting turn.

"Wooooooow, bloooooood! Hehehe!" The voice of a young man said. He'd found himself lost after a number of shenanigans, only to take a nap in what he'd thought was an abandoned building. When he'd woken, he was surprised to find a lot of blood. What he'd not been by this, though, was bothered. It may have been through a degree of odd luck, or simply the guidance of spirits, but he managed to wander through the halls, encountering nobody else. "Wow, this place is spooky!" He laughed as a bit of blood dripped onto his face from somewhere. "I wonder what's going on though?"

As he continued to walk, the young man saw an odd light out of the corner of his eye. "Huh?" He turned to face it, seeing the portal. It seemed hypnotic to the young man, to the point where he didn't even notice if there was anyone or anything else around. He just wanted to get a closer look at the pretty light.

Each step the young man took, he grew closer to the shining light, entranced by its glow. It wasn't long before the young man was standing with his face all but touching the portal. "Soooooo shiny..." He mumbled, taking a hand out of his pocket.

It was so close...

What was the worst that could happen...

If he just...

Touched it...

Just a little.

~~~~~

The young man found himself standing in a desert, quite to his surprise. He wasn't exactly sure what had happened, but he knew he wasn't anywhere near where he'd been before. "Awww, where'd the pretty light and blood go?" He asked out loud, looking around.

"...If you choose to help me, let a single drop of your blood hit the sand beneath you - with how many there are, that should be enough. I shall draw it in and break the seal, then I shall be free and you shall be rewarded." The young man heard from not too far off.

"Blood?" The young man asked, turning to face the spectacle. He saw red sand spiraling about a body, and several people standing nearby. "Wow, so cool!" He exclaimed, excited by the blood red grains. He approached like an excitable puppy. He saw several people cut themselves with a knife, allowing their blood to enter the vortex. "Huh! Hey, this looks fun! Can I join?" He asked. Before even waiting for a response, the young man stuck his palm into his mouth and bit down hard, breaking through his own skin. He held his hand out to the vortex with childlike glee. "Hehe! Blood, blood~!" He said with a manic grin on his face.

"Oof!"
Someone.. or something, had landed on Amelia. After a moment of struggling the mass rolled off of her and she looked to see if it was Kito. It was some stranger. She frowned. Did he not want to at least see what was going on?

Not even a moment after that thought, Amelia saw her best friend saunter over to the dead body. She realized with horror what she was witnessing. He had been possessed by whatever it was. Now she was angry, but the being was more powerful than her. The only way to get him to his normal self was to enact the ritual. It was no longer about the strange being, but her friend. She took a knife and gingerly sliced open her flesh. The blood dribbled across her palm and pooled before cascading to the sands below. She offered her hand to the vortex, but her eyes remained fixed on Kito.

2spooky - The end

The old woman listened closely to Atami. Her expression shifted to one of fear and great sorrow, "Then I have been outplayed. Likely the ritual has been completed already and soon a being I locked away thousands of years ago shall once again walk this land with powers rivaling the other beings of fable. But not all is yet lost."

With a wave, gesturing for them to follow, she ran into the hospital with incredible speed. Without any direction, she seemed to know where to go. When upon the chamber with the Yata-Garasu that had been watching the main gateway, she plunged one of the blades of her weapon into its head before it dissolved, purified by the inscriptions running along the flat of the blade. Without any hesitation, she jumped through, Shio, Cat, and Violet all following her lead. Anastasia stayed outside of the portal as a 'guard', but mostly because she knew that if she had gone through she would have been chastised by her parents for going with strangers.

---

While the group that had fought off the hospital arrived, Kito's body went to work, watching the blood from each of the willing drip to the sands with a grin.

"Now... the seal shall be broken," Kito's body spoke in the same echoing fashion. Waving his hand, the sand with the blood rose up, forming a complex shape on top of the sealed black gate. A soft chanting could be heard from Kito before a large crack as the gate began to open, straining from its massive size and its disuse for so long. Light began to creep out of the crack, but it was a cold, indifferent light that radiated with great power. Kito walked towards the light, the wind surrounding him as he did so, preventing any of the others from approaching the gate with its strength. While obscured heavily by the sand, it was clear that Kito was stepping through the gate as something was stepping out of it. As quickly as the ritual was enacted, it ended, Kito's body nowhere to be seen, obscured at the last minute by a sudden wave of rising sand in the swirling vortex of wind, which was now dying off. The new form that stood in front of them look like a woman, but it was clear it possessed powers beyond what any of the trainers did.

"You have done well and made wise choices," the 'woman' spoke, "I was once known as a Sei, thousands and thousands of years ago. Kito has taken my place in my prison for me, a gracious sacrifice to be rewarded and honored." The tone of voice indicated a mockery of Kito's use, "But you too shall be rewarded, for without your assistance, I could not have achieved my freedom and for that I am very appreciative."

A wave of light radiated out from her quickly raised palm. It was quick, instance, and bound them in place to the sand. From the tips of her fingers lances of blood red light short out, striking each of them in the head. It would do no damage, but each would be flooded with visions of ancient knowledge. Magics that rended the very flesh of their own body, as well as ravaging the bodies of others, invoking the usage of their own blood to fuel their spells.

~Your gift shall give you the knowledge of Blood magic, a gift few of you will likely have the stomach to wield,~ she laughed, communicating mentally to each of them individually, ~Should you not choose to wield it, I can end you now.~

It was at that point the group from the hospital appeared. The old woman with the staff was paler, but still filled with the fiery resolve she had shown earlier, "How dare you manipulate these children in undoing my seal. Your power was to be sealed away for eternity. But if you wish, I shall send you to Akasha instead." She pointed one of the chalk tips of her staff at the entity that had come through the gate, which laughed in response. Cat pointed her rifle at the being as well, Violet and Shio staying close.

"Oh Rinkoo, even now I dare not challenge you, not until my brothers and sisters are free. I would expect you to have listed the assistance of one of the Four or their attendants," she stared at the woman with murderous intent. "For now, I bid you adieu." With another wave of her hand, bits of sand shot out with lethal force at the still bound trainers. Rinkoo, who had begun to charge halted and quickly spread her hands, invoking a strange spell with a chant of incredible speed. The area washed with a bright light before returning them all to Toran, outside the hospital.

Rinkoo spoke quickly before anyone could interrupt, "The entity you released is a being I sealed away thousands of years ago as a threat to our world. Unfortunately she has been released and has affected each of you. I can sense the influence of her in each of you..."

Rinkoo quickly drew an ornate inscription circle on the ground with a combination of her quick moving feet, utilizing her toes as drawing tools and the strange staff she carried, "Step into the circle and you can cleanse what you wish from your minds." With another tap of her staff she disappeared, leaving for the trainers to make their own choices yet again, leaving them to their thoughts.

Shio quickly disappeared from the area, knowing she did not need the purification of the circle. What she needed was time to process on her own.

"We need to return to Lifan and report," Cat said, "Although I'm not sure what to report about." Violet seemed to nod in agreement, actually having nothing to say, which was unusual.

(( For those that completed the ritual, PM whether you want Blood Magic or 2 Rolls of your choice. Those that did not take part in the ritual in the desert you may have two rolls of your choice.))

+ Toran (Resolution & Shio) +

The people of Toran were clearly shaken by the events of the previous night. Many were forced to deal with painful memories they had wished to keep buried, the loved ones they had laid to rest strewn about the streets as the powers that controlled them vanished, leaving their purposeless form out in the cold. However, they would not be reburied alone. In cruel twists of fate, the very ones that had been lain to rest now put those who had honored them so vigilantly to rest with them.

But it was a night that could have been worse. Despite whatever intention the trainers that unlocked the power of Dark Aesni had, they had ended the ravaging of Toran quickly, likely saving many lives. Although, such information was not widely known. Most of the people, especially the more religious ones, attributed it to the divine intervention of Suzaku, swearing that the wall of light could have been from none other than him.

Shio was unsure of what to think. Despite her training, there was something about the events that made it difficult to suppress them. She had said nothing the night before, quickly vanishing from the other trainers in order to process what had happened. She had rarely felt as ineffectual as she had that night, despite her being considered one of the best exorcists currently living. Shio suspect that Cat, Violet, and Anastasia felt somewhat the same, as the four of them had been overwhelmed despite their positions in society. Anastasia was one of the Arena Masters, supposedly one of the strongest Trainers in all of Atren. Cat and Violet were incredibly famous as a crime fighting duo in Lifan, but all four of them had essentially failed. If the woman who the entity had called Rinkoo hadn't shown up, Shio would have been one of the ones in the ground.

Shio spent most of the morning assisting the people of Toran. She healed small wounds that had been caused to the people during the horde's attack, as well as preformed prayer services on the graves of those returned to the ground, as well as those newly buried. It was the only time she had felt effective in the last twenty four hours.

The town itself was abuzz with rumors of what had happened. Some theorized it as a war between the Four, or worse, a war between the Void itself and the mortal world. Few businesses had chosen to reopen that next morning, most staying closed, or opening solely to provide some kind of assistance to the recovery effort. A few restaurants were serving as makeshift check in points for families to ensure they reconnected, as many people had been separated or gone missing in the night. A few search parties had been formed to scour the city for the missing people. Most were children that had taken refuge in a cupboard or closet and were quickly found asleep, exhausted from the night.

Shio was considering returning home for a bit to discuss the events with her father, as such a tale was best left in person.

+ Old Woman - @Partisan+

An old woman stepped out of the door, walking stick and small pack in hand.

"Mom, you can't go," another woman yelled, following behind her, tugging on her robes, "You are too old to be doing things like this."

"You may not believe in some of the powers of this world," she snapped back, knocking her middle aged daughter's hand off of her clothes, "But I do. I am going to the Peak of the Gods to commune with the Four. If last night wasn't perfectly clear, our world needs their influence yet again. I may be an old woman, but maybe my plea will be heard by them and they will save us from whatever is coming."

The daughter sighed, turning back in and closing the door with anger. Two small children, one boy, one girl, looked out the window at the old woman with sadness. The girl mouthed the words 'Grandma don't go', but was completely muffled by the glass, leaving only the movement and her tears to express her feelings. The old woman smiled back, making a heart symbol to her as she began to head towards the eastern edge of Toran, towards the mountains between the desert and them. She was not alone in this journey and conversations like this could be found scattered about Toran itself.

The Peak of the Gods was a fabled place, said to draw the Four down to those with the purest of wishes. But, none of the Four had been seen in centuries. Some had said they had left this world to fend for itself, others rumored that they had been captured by trainers wishing to unleash their power to control all of Atren. However, the events of Toran were precisely the kind of thing that drew the devout to the peak in order to pray, whether or not it had any actual affect. It was an old story, so many of those travelling there were well into their later years of life. In the past, travelling to the peak at that age would be a death sentence, but advances with Natrelmon, magic, and science had made it much safer.

"Please let me make it," the old woman whispered her eyes closed as she prayed, "For my grandchildren."

---

Despite Atami's attempt to fight some privacy to punch things in the forest East of Toran, the constant passing of people leaving the city heading to the peak would be rather disruptive. While most would pass through his area with little more than a nod to him, Atami was not destined to be 'ignored' for long. 'Grandma', clearly at the top end of the large population of elderly heading to the mountains, was getting tired. When she rounded a tree in Atami's area, she began to fall into him, having been surprised as she turned the corner to find the young man there.

Kasumi and Zaria have a Blood Orgy (sans Orgy)

Taking in a deep breath, Zaria's eyes narrowed slightly. She placed a small knife against her hand, a blade not meant for dealing damage, and allowed it to neatly slice the skin. As the blood began to well out from the wound she concentrated and, using recently gained knowledge, formed it into a small ball no more than 4 inches in diameter. Well, it was a start. Tilting her head slightly she glanced around. Of course, for now, she had no target. It was a shame really because it would be nice to have someone to practice her newfound magic on. Preferably not someone who would kill her while she practised said magic. With minimal movement she shot the small projectile of blood forward and allowed it to soar through the air unobstructed. She was curious to see what happened upon contact. She hadn't had much time to play about with this, as it wasn't something she could just do anywhere. Many disapproved of such magic. A shame, really, as they were missing out. A light smile crossed her lips as it crashed into the first thing in its path, a hardy tree (she had decided a forest out with of civilisation but near enough to Toran was an apt place to practice), and burst outwards. At a best guess she would say the splatter was nine feet wide and she herself narrowly avoided being splashed with her own blood. Well, that would certainly be useful.

"It seems like you didn't relinquish your gifts either!" came the telltale tones of Kasumi from the woods near the small clearing that Zaria had placed herself in. While her body was not readily visible to those who did not possess the gift of Perfect Sight, her voice was carried throughout the small clearing by the dense nature of the trees and the echoes that they were known to provide. Perhaps Zaria would find it an unsettling experience, or perhaps she would find it amusing. Perhaps she would have another emotion entirely. It was always difficult to tell with people who did not follow the so-called "straight and narrow" path.

Kasumi had studied Zaria's magic quite intently, having seen that she was only a novice to the forbidden art, and had found it at least acceptable. It had been quite a shock to her to unlock the raw power of blood magic, as well as to get used to its somewhat unsavoury method of casting its spells, but it was hardly a difficult adjustment, and Kasumi had found it quite palatable after casting only a few select spells - it was strangely satisfying to imagine the carnage she could wreak with but a drop or two of her own essence.

"People seem to think that Blood Magic is... Well, evil. It does have a lot of... Less morally acceptable elements to it, but all offensive magic can kill. Blood Magic is simply power to be used - it simply seems like people convert to the darker side because they crave power, hmm?" The voice came out again, this time accompanied by a body. Kasumi was bleeding from several locations, including the artery on her wrist, but it did not seem like she was in any sort of pain or discomfort. In fact, she seemed to be radiating with a dark aura of energy, clearly very much enjoying her newfound magical power.

"You don't seem like the kind of person to care about morals, though." She pointed out as a small globule of blood floated above her palm, twisting and turning in the air as if controlled by her thoughts. Kasumi found it almost mesmerising to watch, understanding the kind of power that she now held in her hand. Perhaps Zaria did too - and that was why she was there.

It was slightly unnerving to hear a voice echoing from the trees that surrounded, though soon enough she managed to put a name to it. She arched an eyebrow slightly and decided against trying to find the exact location of the speaker. The surroundings didn't exactly allow for that to occur easily. She didn't particularly like being in the company of one she could not see purely because she knew this person could, quite easily, end her life. Of course there was currently no motivation for that as far she was aware. Not quite a comforting though. However, she remained relatively calm on the outside. In fact she barely reacted.

"It seemed unwise to get rid of something so... useful," Zaria eventually replied in an even tone. It was certainly an interesting school of magic. It would take a bit to get used to drawing power from her own blood, however. She was quite thankful it had never been something that caused her to be squeamish. "It certainly depends on how it is used." She turned around the face the now visible Kasumi. It didn't take much to realise that the other was more experienced in the use of the magic and had been practicing for a longer period of time than Zaria had been. Interesting. "People tend to fear, and dislike, that which they do not understand and cannot control."

Zaria tilted her head with a smile crossing her lips. "Morals are useful, to keep up appearances. People tend to trust those with good morals. Or at least the illusion of them." Which was certainly one she managed to keep up in the company of most people. However there were some where that disguise was unneeded. "They only hinder in other situations. I do not understand the people who turn down things that would aim them in the name of morality." Her gaze was fixed on the blood that Kasumi twisted above her hand as she absentmindedly dug the knife she had deeper in the wound she had already created and began to draw power from the blood that continued to seep from there.

"Any advice for a beginner?"

"Abandon your reservations at the door. They won't help you here." Kasumi offered, channelling more blood into the small orb of blood that she was presently controlling, causing it to swell to a much larger size. It was not nearly large enough to ever be considered truly menacing, but it was a good indication of the lack of restraint needed to get the most out of the ancient magic that the two were casting.

"You can't be afraid of using too much blood. The conversation rate seems to be good enough to sustain a lot of power, even as a novice." She added, suddenly turning the ball of blood into a wave of sheer force, directed straight at Zaria. While it was not meant to cause any real harm, it was certainly a wake-up call as to the strength of the magic that she was wielding. If nothing else, Kasumi dearly hoped that Zaria would realise exactly what she had gotten into - and, furthermore, that it would excite her.

Zaria felt that she should have expected the attack, after all it was the style of teaching that went with the magic itself. Not to mention the person she had asked for advice. She had little time to react as the force hit into her and she pushed her hands above her face as an automatic reaction (not that it would help her much here). As the wave hit she felt a stinging pain, only increased as her back made contact with the ground. The sudden feeling of struggling to breath and the slight pain in her stomach due to this wasn't exactly pleasant but eventually this began to disappear.

While the feeling hadn't exactly been nice there had been a certain thrill to being hit with that type of magic, to knowing it was something that she could control and would be able to use herself. It certainly got adrenaline pumping through her veins. A light cough escaped Zaria's lips as she pushed herself up so she was once again standing. "Thanks," she murmured, words sounding surprisingly genuine. She narrowed her eyes as she began to form another ball of blood and attempted to work out how Kasumi had created the force. Well, one thing was certain, she didn't have enough blood. The knife she held slipped down below her hand to her wrist and after a bit of adjustment to where she believed the artery was she dug the blade in. It took a bit of force but soon enough she had drawn the blood she needed and channeled it into the small sphere she had already created. If there was any pain, she did not notice it, only the thrill of what she was doing.

Once it had grown to a size she deemed large enough she concentrated on trying to change it into force as Kasumi had done. Suddenly, it occurred to her, and with her face visibly screwing up in concentration she let it burst outward and converted it into a strong force aimed at Kasumi.

The Unrelenting Force that Zaria had just used was weak, but for someone who had just cast the spell for the first time, it carried a decent amount of force. Kasumi knew that she could avoid the spell with her quick reflexes, but it would not have been conducive to the training to do so. Bracing herself for impact, Kasumi let the wave hit her and was knocked back into a tree, slightly cracking its bark, before falling forwards face first. It was fairly obvious that the entire ordeal had hurt considerably, but the grin on Kasumi's face as she got up and brushed herself off was unmistakable.

"Not half bad, Zaria. Not half bad." Kasumi noted, stretching herself out slightly and hearing her spine audibly crack. It wasn't a bad crack, but it did indicate that at least some damage had been dealt. It was nothing that she couldn't deal with, but she made a note to have one of the populous Restoration Mages heal her injuries up.

"Keep practicing, but give it some time. That magic takes a considerable amount of blood." Kasumi noted, before stopping dead still for a second and pointing in a direction deep within the woods. She had spotted a Mythin in the woods, and thought it best for Zaria to attempt to do something with it.

"You know, I've come across some... Rituals that involve the use of Dragon Hearts. If you kill that Mythin, I'll show you one of them." Kasumi offered, holding out a bloodied hand. If nothing else, she would keep her word about the ritual.

Though she knew the magic she had cast wasn't quite at its full potential Zaria was quite pleased with the progress she had made. If she continued like this she would certainly be able to use the magic well in combat. She was quite glad the force had been weak, anyway, as she didn't particularly want to cause any long lasting damage. Kasumi seemed like she was fine, though. At least it appeared she could deal with it. That was good.

"Thank you," Zaria nodded, eyes narrowing slightly as she forced the blood at her wrist wound to clot. With this done her gaze flickered over to where Kasumi pointed. She could just about make out what was being pointed out, taking a few moments to identify it as a Mythin. The ritual she spoke of certainly sounded... Interesting. She had heard of a few things like these, but had no knowledge of full rituals. If Kasumi did, well... Zaria certainly wanted to see one of these rituals. It could only provide some form of benefit to her. "These rituals sound like they are of an interesting sort. I will kill that Mythin," she smiled slightly, shaking the hand that Kasumi held out. "I will hold you to that promise. Oh, and if you don't mind, I'll borrow a knife." She moved forward and just took one of Kasumi's knives, assuming she would be fine with it. After all it was merely to... cut out the heart of the Mythin. Her own wasn't good enough to do so. With a slight nod she headed off into the forest, in the direction the Mythin had headed.

Now surrounded by trees Zaria walked out a reasonably quick pace, calling out her Nevetta with a murmur. One of the charms around her neck glowed and the white rabbit appeared. Zaria had decided that it would probably be easier, and quicker, to take on the Mythin with her trusty Natrelmon at her side. She narrowed her eyes as she moved, trying to remain silent and work out the direction the Mythin was most likely to have gone. Finding seemed like it was going to be the most difficult part. She doubted she would struggle to kill it; Nevetta would be especially effective in this situation and her own magic would only aid this. The dragon didn't stand a chance. She allowed herself to feel pity for a few moments but quickly banished those thoughts. Its heart would be put to better use than the Natrelmon would. It was a sacrifice that had to be made. Not exactly a big sacrifice, actually.

Movement in the corner of her eye, distinctly colourful wings darting past, notified her of the presence of the very thing she was searching for. The creature certainly wasn't making itself easy to find with the constant movement and attempts to hide. It was almost as if it knew that its death was upon it and was futilely trying to escape its cruel fate. She wasn't going to let it. It could only hide for so long. Turning slowly she tried to spot the direction the Natrelmon, similar to a gecko in appearance, had gone. Soon enough a slight movement gave it away. She had it now. "Use frostbolt." Her voice was barely above a whisper but her Nevetta heard, bounding forward and shooting a icy bolt of energy at the movement. It hit the Mythin square on before it had a chance to move, as her Nevetta was faster, almost completely coating it in ice. A smile slipped across Zaria's lips. That had been as easy as she had expected. It was a shame it hadn't been more of a challenge, but it did certainly allow for efficiency when collecting the heart. She didn't need to worry about failure. No, it would have been quite embarrassing if the creature had been stronger and her unable to kill it. Of course, there had never been a chance of that happening.

Quickly reopening the wound on her hand Zaria drew the blood that welled up and began to drip down off her hand into a small, but potent, ball of dark scarlet. She might as well practice her newfound magic on a live target. Even if said target had no chance would not offer any resistance due to being almost entirely coated in ice which did, of course, prevent any movement or retaliation. Still. It would be quite interesting to see the effects. Taking a few steps back, and having her Nevetta do the same, she shot the projectile at the Mythin. It hit with full force before splattering outwards and painting the trees in a sinister, but beautiful, red pattern. There was nothing quite like art made of blood. Zaria found that she was coming to enjoy this more each time she used the magic. Interesting.

Zaria got her Nevetta to shatter the ice before approaching the Mythin to make sure it was dead. It certainly seemed to be, or it was very good at playing dead. She would go for the former. Her blood would have done a lot of damage and the shattering of the ice that coated it would have only added to that. She took her time to work out where the heart would be, not wanting to accidentally destroy it due to an accidental slip or stabbing into the wrong place. When she was quite sure that she had worked out it she stabbed down, making a neat slice downwards and to the side. The blood of the creature did not bother her at all, it only added to the rather gory scene that was beginning to surround her. It took some careful manoeuvring to actually find the heart but soon enough she was cutting it out. It felt quite nice in her hand as she picked it up, and the carcass. She would rather keep it until she could discard it in some better manner, like burying it. It was possibly not the best idea to leave a dead dragon lying around in the forest. If someone find it who had knowledge of these rituals, especially if that someone was righteous and good morally, then there might be a problem. She returned her Nevetta as she collected the heart and body and headed back.

There was a certain amount of excitement flowing through her as she took a leisurely stroll through the woods on her way towards the clearing. She was interested to see this ritual and all it entailed, and the thrill of killing a Mythin... well, that was quite something. She hadn't expected to enjoy it quite as much as she did. She regretted not doing things like this earlier in her life, rather choosing to keep up the facade of being perfect and good. This was so much more fun.

"I've got the heart," Zaria commented, quite aware that she was stating the obvious as she approached Kasumi and held out for her to take, blood now staining her hands. "And the body, though that is not the useful part." She smiled. "It was easy enough to get... Now, I am curious to see this ritual."

"There is not enough of the heart for us both to partake, I am afraid, but the knowledge of this ritual should be payment enough. It will advance your studies... Considerably, should you desire more schools of magic to learn and command." Kasumi noted, taking the heart in her hands and closing her eyes. It seemed that knowledge of Herbalism and Blood Magic were very well suited to this one particular ritual - and by using her magic to drain the heart completely of its blood, she felt it beginning to crystallise within her hands. As the whitish pallor began to creep through the crevices and veins, not unlike the cooking of raw meat, it began to harden and soon it was almost clear, tinged only slightly with alabaster tones, and very obviously crystalline. Any mage could feel the magical energy emanating from deep within it, and Kasumi gave it to Zaria to hold as she prepared the next step of the ritual. By taking some Commoner's Grass and some Sakuran Tea Leaf, and placing it in a pestle, Kasumi began the ritual, noting to Zaria that she would have to obtain these herbs from a herbalist such as herself, or another Herbalist - it was possible she could also find them in low quantities in certain stores, but Toran did not seem to have any such stores.

"The Heart must be ground into a fine powder." Kasumi stated, taking the heart from Zaria, and placing it into the stone bowl. It was with a slight reverence that she began to press the heavy instrument in her hand into the heart, slowly grinding it down into shards. She was obviously taking great care in what she was doing, and after a few seconds she paused briefly and flashed Zaria a toothy grin, taking a blood-soaked book out of her backpack. The pages had not succumbed to the tainting influence of the blood, and the writing was still visible, but it was quite clear that she had accidentally caught the book in the splatter of one of her bloodbolts - the story of how this happened would be left mostly to Zaria's imagination - and she began to read from a passage under her breath, allowing her eyes to dance across the cursive script with an almost instinctive movement. While she had not read this particular tome a great deal, it was clear that her background had involved many long nights reading ancient tomes by candlelight. If nothing else, that added another layer of mystery to the scion of the Touhou family - thief, murderer, scholar, and now a blood mage.

"The book doesn't state anything about how gentle you should be, but the hearts are not designed to be crushed. It would be wise to be careful." She noted, almost dryly, as she focused upon grinding the heart down. Whatever Zaria's reaction, Kasumi would continue with the same precision that her eyes had followed the script of the tome with. She was a woman of many talents, apparently, though her most practiced talents were not ones that she was overly eager to expose to the big wide world. Zaria would know quite a bit about this particular feeling, Kasumi thought, as she contemplated the clandestine actions that Zaria had taken in the past, allowing her thoughts to flow with the rhythm of the grinding.

"You can't have had a happy-go-lucky past, to kill a Mythin like that. What's your story?" She asked, bluntly, but the curiosity was hopefully evident. It was not like it had been an offensive statement, given what they were doing, but some people were wont to take offence of anything that they could. As she spoke, she looked up from the mortar and pestle, and flashed another of her signature toothy grins at her newfound friend.

"Blood, that of the imbiber, must be shed and mixed with the heart. I assure you, just from looking at this, that it is not going to be pleasant." she muttered, placing her already cut wrist over the bowl and allowing the wound to flow freely. The sanguinary liquid cascaded down into the bowl like a sea of crimson ribbons, hanging in the air as if to catch the light to draw attention to the unhallowed act, and the resultant splashing sound indicated that the ritual was almost complete. After stirring the mixture briefly, Kasumi took the heavy bowl to her lips and began to drink from it.

The reaction, as one might have expected, was one of disgust - the liquid was grainy, and swallowing it felt like drinking fire - as it slid down her throat, it left a coating that continued to gnaw away at her as she consumed the contents of the entire thing, throwing the bowl to the side as she did so. For a few seconds she held her pose, before beginning to cough somewhat violently. Any of Zaria's attempts to help at this point would be quickly brushed away by Kasumi, and after what felt to the Touhou like an eternity, she stood up and stopped coughing.

While it was not as obvious to an outsider, the sheer power that was flowing through her body felt like magma roiling through her veins, like her bodily fluids were charged with immense streaks of lightning from the sky, and with a grin that bordered on the manic she looked up at Zaria. After a few seconds, she was lifted up from the ground by winds beginning to swirl and coalesce around her, until she hovered a solid seven feet off of the ground.

"I didn't know Kazemancy before." Was all she really spoke before she lowered herself to the ground, stumbling a little as she landed. The entire experience had been exhilarating enough to make even a seasoned adrenaline junkie like her feel truly alive. She couldn't help but wonder what Zaria would feel when she participated the ritual - she only wished to be there to share in the elation that she would no-doubt feel.

Giving only a nod to the first thing Kasumi said, Zaria watched carefully as she began the ritual. She was set on learning every single details so that one day she could replicate it herself. She was quite sure if she got one detail wrong then it would not work. As she held the now crystallised heart she could practically feel the power that came from it, the magic that would come from this ritual. Her eyes continued to stay fixed on Kasumi and the motions she made, as if looking away would cause her to miss something terribly important. She couldn't help but offer a smile in return to the grin as she regarded the book curiously. She was surprised it was possible to read from it considering how the entire thing seemed to be covered in blood. Blood wasn't exactly clear. She wondered how it had gotten there... Of course, there were a whole variety of scenarios that could cause such a thing especially were Kasumi was considering. It had obviously been due to a bloodbolt, but how that had occurred was not quite so clear. Zaria didn't let her mind drift too much when considering this, though, as she felt it was best to concentrate on the ritual.

"I would agree with that," Zaria spoke softly. "It would minimise the risk of destroying it." Kasumi seemed quite... talented at this, although Zaria felt she shouldn't be surprised. She was beginning to learn that anything was possible where Kasumi was concerned; she was so surrounded by mystery that she could be good at anything. Of course, she understood more than most having such hidden talents. She herself certainly didn't show many elements of her true self to the world. As a diplomat it would not be wise to come across as anything but morally good. "My story?" She let out a light laugh. "I don't think you will find there much." She was certainly not worried about speaking of the darker side with Kasumi - considering all that had happened.

"My parents were merchants. My childhood was good enough, if restricted, and I spent a lot of time learning to socialise. Of course that is all very normal," she smiled slightly at the memories. Ah, yes, it had been so easy at first. "There is nothing particularly terrible to my past. I grew up in the shadow of a more talented sister, at least in my parent's eyes. I witnessed a murder when I was still a child." She shrugged slightly at that. "That was possibly the start of that. I truthfully wasn't scared, rather intrigued. It was mostly about the murderer's motivations. My research then led me down... darker paths. And I discovered things about those close to me." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "I had a younger brother. He, rather stupidly, looked up to me. I am not ashamed to admit I used this devotion. The power was quite something, being the best for once. It was partly this that led me to being a trainer. But that is unimportant. He died, and I may have played a part in that. I can't say it affected me. I can't say that death ever affected me. But really, that is it. It is not particularly interesting... I'm sure you've got more of a story to tell." It was not really a question, but could possibly be taken as one.

The final steps were certainly interesting but the drinking certainly did not seem pleasant. Zaria pushed down the sick feeling she felt at the bottom of her stomach. If she couldn't watch it, how would she be able to do it herself? As Kasumi began to cough she moved forward only to be brushed away. Well, she was quite sure Kasumi could handle it herself. Zaria's head tilted as her curious gaze followed Kasumi moving up off of the ground. It was certainly impressive...

"You did not? Then I assume it did work," Zaria's eyes widened slightly, a grin slipping across her lips as she imagined the possibilities. To learn another spell school? That would be incredible. She was definitely replicating this ritual when possible, even if there were certain unpleasant parts to it. "What did it feel like?" she asked, trying to work it out but ultimately feeling. She doubted she would know until it occurred to her. She was quite glad Kasumi had chosen to share this ritual and moment with her. "I imagine it is incredible. To think so much power came from so small a heart." She was really quite amazed, and in awe of what had happened.

"A bad apple, then." Kasumi retorted with a chortle and a blasé shrug of her shoulders as she coughed a little after consuming the product of the ritual she'd just performed. It wasn't necessarily an offensive statement, but Kasumi's awareness of certain social protocols was perhaps underdeveloped given her familial status as well as her nature as a lone wolf. The fact that she'd participated in a war and found murder to be something that she was certainly not opposed to also contributed to the fact that she was essentially a sociopath at this point.

She'd not mastered the art of sociopathy to the extent that Zaria had, though. Kasumi seemed to have been foisted into circumstances that had put her in a position that she had no inherent control over, being a war veteran and all, but Zaria's story was simply one of exploitation in order to achieve greater goals, irrespective of the damage that that would cause to other people. Kasumi's sociopathy was less manipulative, less thoughtful, and far more impulsive. Still, Kasumi would not judge Zaria for how she was - she saw no need. If Zaria tried to betray her, she was confident that she could end her life before major damage could be dealt.

"Yes, it worked. The mixture tastes like fire and power, and it flows through your veins like raw magic. Elation is the only word I could use to describe it, and I've been chasing thrills for as long as I can remember." She replied, truthfully, but she left the initial feeling unspoken. The body language shared between the two, as well as the looks that they'd shared, spoke volumes more than whatever words the talented linguist Zaria could add. Kasumi had never been particularly good at being eloquent, but her direct style of speech coupled with her willingness to cut people had gotten things done efficiently.

"But my story... Well, I'm the scion of the Touhou family, I also happen to be the Fox-Faced Thief, I assassinated a lot of people during the war and I compulsively steal things. Like your PDA." Kasumi spoke, extremely dryly, before pulling a PDA out from her backpack and handing it to Zaria. It was, indeed, hers - stolen by her masterful self during the confusion that had happened with Dark Aesni. She had obviously been far to preoccupied to notice, but Kasumi's joy came from actually stealing items, not in keeping the items that she stole. Giving it back to Zaria had no downsides from her perspective.

"You could say that," Zaria spoke smoothly, arching an eyebrow. She certainly did not seem offended though that was mostly because she was beyond such things. She did not see the point in taking offence to words spoken to people she did not care for, and there were few whose opinion she truly valued. And she was sure Kasumi had not meant it as an offence anyway. Thinking on it, part of that was a lie. She did care about people's perceived opinions of her considering the facade she wore from day to day. After all, if she was hated she would have to find that out and change accordingly. Whatever was easiest to allow herself to use her natural skill in speech to her advantage - knowing opinions was useful there. It allowed her to gain alliances with the right people and manipulate the rest.

She tilted her head at Kasumi's description of how it felt. "I am certainly looking forward to when I manage to replicate this ritual, then. Though the consumption of the product certainly didn't seem as pleasant." She smiled slightly. The words only further contributed to what she had gotten from watching the entire thing. Truthfully she was glad she had not participated - after all, something could have gone wrong. She didn't want to be the first to try it out. This way she gained the knowledge and would get the magic she wanted without having to possibly risk her life. After all, something could have gone wrong. Some of the instructions didn't seem to be very clear. It was not that she wished for Kasumi's death, certainly not, just that she was rather it was someone else. Self preservation and all.

"Well, it is certainly a more... interesting story," Zaria replied neutrally. "I imagine being the war had an effect on you." She kept her tone as neutral as possible. The war had not particularly effected her, beyond causing some fluctuation in the market which damaged her parents' business slightly. "Oh, I didn't even notice it was gone." She took the PDA slowly, before checking to make sure she had everything. Though she was quite sure if something else had been taken Kasumi would have let her know. It seemed she had no interest in keeping the items themselves. "Thank you for returning it. You are certainly a very skilled thief... I doubt there are many with that talent." It was a surprisingly truthful compliment. Most of the time her compliments were used to merely toy with people, get them to like her. It was a good manipulation technique. "And thank you also, for showing me that ritual."

"I got to perform it. There's no need to thank me." Kasumi nodded, before handing the blood-soaked tome over to Zaria.

"You can keep it - Commoner's Grass and Sakuran Tea Leaf are the herbs needed to activate the power of the heart, as well as the blood of the imbiber. I suspect it is easier for us Blood Mages, but in truth I don't know. It's something you could certainly... Experiment with." Kasumi offered with a nod before turning around and floating into the air again. While she had only had Kazemancy very briefly, she was extremely adept at magic anyway, and picking up the very basics of flight had been easy enough.

"I added my number to your PDA. Call me if you need anything, sweetcheeks." Kasumi called as she finally dashed away from the ritual site, feeling significantly better than she had done earlier. She'd managed to fit almost all of her compulsions into one neat little package, had used an ancient ritual to acquire a new school of magic, and had gained a reasonably strong ally who could help her practice some of the more delicate parts of Blood Magic. It was fortunate that Kasumi had chosen to follow Zaria into the woods, after all.

+ Tasri @FernStone +

All the while Kasumi and Zaria had practiced their Blood magic they had been watched. It had taken Tasri's entire will to restrain herself from swooping down next to them to shield the Mythin. The heartbreaking choices visibly pained the rare Natrelmon, sensing the exact moment the Mythin's life force vanished from the world. However, it was not yet the end of this Mythin's journey. The moment Kasumi left, the purple-white fenghuang revealed itself, landing in the clearing near the body of the Mythin, filling the area with a soft, soothing light. The same beauty extended to the mental tone projected directly into Zaria's mind.

"You have assisted in committing an act of the utmost atrocity," the bird lamented, silver bits of light seeming to fall from its body, "The innocent are not to be used like you have." The glow intensified, as a singular drop fell from it's eyes, landing on the Mythin's corpse. A small white fire began to burn across its body before the Mythin rose once again from the ground, clearly terrified. It quickly flew away from the site, keeping Tasri between itself and Zaria.

"You have time to repent for what you have done," Tasri projected again, clearly holding back a powerful force, "You are not yet lost to this world. I can help you find your way back. The choices you are making are leading you down a path that could bring you and all you love to ruin, as you are not the first to make these choices."

Tasri's light seemed to beckon Zaria into it, to approach the bird of legends, towards a condensed sphere of light that floated a few feet in front of it, "Place your hand in the light and begin the steps of repentance. You must be willing to do this or it shall not work. Deception does not work on my kind, so tread carefully."

Despite the power Tasri had, it was clear that there was no intention to cause harm to Zaria, provided Zaria didn't try to harm Tasri. Tasri's pleas were out of genuine desire to help Zaria find a way back onto the path that she had just further strayed from with her actions against the Mythin. Most of her kind followed a certain set of rules governing their interactions with mortals. Restricting free will was frowned upon, although most acknowledge it became necessary at times to force people into certain choices, lest they destroy Atren itself. Sadly, since last they walked the earth in mortal body, humans had become increasingly more volatile.

Atami - in the forest.

Atami barely had any time to react as the woman fell into him, but she was old and fragile so the effects were basically nihil. He lightly shoved him back, an annoyed look on his face as he punched his knuckles into the tree next to him, unsatisfied that it was exactly an old woman to annoy him. He can't punch old ladies. That would be rude and not nice at all. Atami pulled his hand back, the spot where his knuckles were revealing the bark to have fallen off slightly. His eyes flashed across the old ladies face, inspecting her in order to make out her intentions as Atami watched her in silence waiting for what she'd say. Atami hadn't seen much action ever since the undead rose, and had gotten more and more agitated by the lack of action every second he went without. This was particularily sightable on his lips, which furled and twisted itself into an aggressive, mean-looking state with a slight bend downwards. He had heavy bags under his eyes, explained by Atami wandering the forests at night for.. no apparent reason. He just liked being out there.

He stared at the woman for some time before opening his mouth. “I've hit people for less than walking into me. What do you want, old lady, that you suddenly stumble into me for no reason.” He barked his words at her but remained somewhat calm, which was.. weird considering the way he looked at her.