Zack was confused by the fox's behavior. He had never seen anything like it. He didn't know what to say or do. He nodded. He continued following the scent trail. He didn't know where it was leading but he would follow it. He hoped that the fox would be alright. He stopped in front of a bookcase. He frowned. The trail stopped here. It didn't make any sense. He check to the right and to the left.

The state of the fox-boy scared Mocha. He looked like he was in so much pain. Just the scent of blood was enough to do this? Even though she was still a bit hesitant to be near the likely carnivorous being, she was about to reach out her hand to help when Jade stepped in and told her to stay with Zack. She nodded back to the other girl as she seemed to be getting things under control already before running off to catch up with Zack. When she caught up, the rabbit-eared girl quickly noticed that the boy had stopped to look around. "Is something wrong? Did you find anything, maybe?"

Okori took Jade's hand as they made their way towards the first floor. He began to thank Jade for her kindness. "Thank you.. Most people perceive me as a threat, but you helped me. I owe you one, Kitsune never forget an act of kindness.." Okori said. He was being honest, he began to look for a way to repay her.

When she caught up, the rabbit-eared girl quickly noticed that the boy had stopped to look around. "Is something wrong? Did you find anything, maybe?"

"Maybe." Zack agreed absentmindedly. He studied the bookcase in front of him. "the scent trail stops her. Which doesn't make any semnse. Unless its a secret passage way. So I am trying to decide if any of these books look out of place. I don't see anything yet. So I might just have to start pulling books off the shelves."

Jade glanced at Okori out of the corner of her eye, raising a brow. "Gargoyles don't scare all that easy, it's what allows us to maintain our neutrality." She turned her gaze to the stairs beneath their feet, keeping a watchful eye out for anything that could be 'evidence'. "The Kitsune are a beautiful species, I'd very much like to study their culture someday..." She didn't know a whole lot about Okori's kind, but she knew enough that tradition meant everything to them and that it would be difficult as an outsider to learn the workings of their daily life. "I didn't think your kind were easily spooked either... What has you so freaked out you can barely stand?" She glanced at him but then quickly looked away, realizing her mistake. "I'm sorry, you don't have to answer that. Just curious, that's all."

Mocha nodded in understanding before taking a look at the bookcase herself. Maybe she could find something useful. "Maybe it's not even a book. We should probably check the bookends as well. Perhaps there could even be some sort of mechanism hidden in the panels..." She looked over the bound rectangles carefully, taking a little extra time to register titles along with the cover designs visible from where she was. Bending over a bit, she searched the lower shelves, since the higher ones would likely be a bit more difficult for her to reach without jumping. She didn't want to knock over any of the books if she could avoid it, and Zack probably could get the higher shelves a little more easily. "Do you see anything yet? I'm a little suspicious of the group of red ones over there, myself."

"Do you see anything yet? I'm a little suspicious of the group of red ones over there, myself."

Zack looked at the red ones. "We have to start somewhere." He told the others. He pulled the middle red book. It was slightly smaller than the others. As he tipped the book towards him there was a loud creak. The bookcase began to move. "I kind of thought that might happen. Found a secret passage." He called over his shoulder.

"No no, it's okay, I'll tell you a little story from some millenniums ago. I was still a small fox. My parents worked as guards protecting what we call the mirror of Yata-No-Kagami." Okori breathed in a small amount of air. 'Here We go...' "One fateful day, I was bored, there was nothing to do In my house except watch TV or sleep. I didn't consider that fun so, I went to the shrine." Okori breathed in another short amount of air. 'Good keep going Okori..' "Nobody was at the front of the shrine so I just waltzed in there not realizing the mistake I was about to commit. Once I walked in, on the pedestal there it was. The Mirror of Yata-No-Kagami..." Okori began to shed some tears. 'Why am I crying??' Okori thought to himself as he brushed the tears aside.

The rabbit-girl stared in awe as the bookcase began to move. "That's it! We can get through now." Poking her head in, she took a look around in an attempt to see where they would be going before stepping into the passageway. "Hold on...it's darker in here...ah, there we go." As her eyes adjusted, she could see the short pathway lead to a normal wooden door. About halfway to the door, she stopped and turned back to Zack. "Can you see at all? I can light one of the candles if you need it."

Feeling bad for the fox creature Jade let her hand rest on his shoulder comfortingly. "You touched the mirror didn't you?" She guessed, recognizing the name almost immediately. Jade had heard about the mirror from old books and legends passed down through the generations, but she couldn't remember what was so special about the mirror that it was locked away under such strict guard.

The rabbit-girl stared in awe as the bookcase began to move. "That's it! We can get through now." Poking her head in, she took a look around in an attempt to see where they would be going before stepping into the passageway. "Hold on...it's darker in here...ah, there we go." As her eyes adjusted, she could see the short pathway lead to a normal wooden door. About halfway to the door, she stopped and turned back to Zack. "Can you see at all? I can light one of the candles if you need it."

"I'll need a candle. I can see some but not enough to make heads or tails of anything in front of them." Zack told her honestly. He looked around her the girl. The passage was narrow so they would have to go one at a time. He didn't like that. But there was not choice in the matter. They would just have to hope there weren't any other surprises ahead of them.

Feeling bad for the fox creature Jade let her hand rest on his shoulder comfortingly. "You touched the mirror didn't you?" She guessed, recognizing the name almost immediately. Jade had heard about the mirror from old books and legends passed down through the generations, but she couldn't remember what was so special about the mirror that it was locked away under such strict guard.

"Yes I did... it was this very mirror." Okori said as he reached for his backpack. He took out the mirror. Of course, there was a small cloth on the front of the mirror so you couldn't look at your reflection. "I barely take it out anymore, I don't even look at it, since the rampage, I'm scared I might see the same thing I saw before, and go on a rampage, destroying the place..." Okori said as he passed the mirror unto Jade so that she could see it. But gave her a warning of not taking off the cloth.

Jack pondered in front of the mansion for some time before making the decision to go inside. Why out of all the potatoes was he the one uprooted and cleaned with a biscuit? Jack shrugged and entered mansion. He opened the door that creaked, as he saw a mouse who squeaked. Jack raised an eyebrow at the sight, wondering if he should fly a kite. These rhymes making no sense, Jack decided to go forth hence. He looked around his eyes darting back and forth, then the smell hit him. A delicious meal. He raced to the dinner table, seeing that his plate was there. He frowned looking at the sight before him. It was so horrifying, so despicable that he almost screamed. It wasn't the decor, nor the talking pickle in the corner of the room that seemed to be having a panic attack in the corner. No, it was what was in this bowl. Jack almost retched in disgust. It was a bowl of tomato soup. In a mansion, dinner is a bowl of tomato soup. Jack couldn't imagine why a mansion owner would be serving its guests bowls of tomato soup. They have to be rich! They must of made this at the last second. However, Jack just slumped into the chair, sighing, and drank the soup. Jack almost forgot about the others...His nose perked up, and licked his lips at a new thought.."you know what would go good with this soup....Fox...and...Rabbit...Mmm" He whispered realizing there were others here.

<Snipped quote by YamiCuoreLaroux> "I'll need a candle. I can see some but not enough to make heads or tails of anything in front of them." Zack told her honestly. He looked around her the girl. The passage was narrow so they would have to go one at a time. He didn't like that. But there was not choice in the matter. They would just have to hope there weren't any other surprises ahead of them.

Mocha nodded before realizing that the gesture probably couldn't be seen. To remedy that, she turned around and pulled one of the matchboxes out of her pocket. "Do you still have your candle? Or do you need to borrow one?" Even as she asked, she was already fishing around in another pocket for one of the candles to light, not particularly wanting to waste time in the narrow space. "Oh! I forgot to give one of the matchboxes to Jade... I'll have to be more careful about that next time we see her. I hope she'll be alright for the time being..."

"Oh! I forgot to give one of the matchboxes to Jade... I'll have to be more careful about that next time we see her. I hope she'll be alright for the time being..."

"I will need a match. Or better yet. Light yours and than we can use it to light mine. Than we only have to use one match. We should try to save as many as possible. Who knows where else we are going to need them." Zack suggested. "I will remind you to give Jade some matches. We should make sure that the fox gets atleast one of the candles."

<Snipped quote by WeepingLiberty> "Yes I did... it was this very mirror." Okori said as he reached for his backpack. He took out the mirror. Of course, there was a small cloth on the front of the mirror so you couldn't look at your reflection. "I barely take it out anymore, I don't even look at it, since the rampage, I'm scared I might see the same thing I saw before, and go on a rampage, destroying the place..." Okori said as he passed the mirror unto Jade so that she could see it. But gave her a warning of not taking off the cloth.

Jade's eyes sparkled with wonder as the mirror's weight passed from Okori's hands to her own, fingers wrapping around the object gingerly. "It's so beautiful." She fought every impulse telling her to remove the cloth, to experience first-hand what it was like to gaze into the mirror. Taking a deep breath to calm her excited heartbeat, Jade rose her eyes to meet Okori's. "I have to commend your kind for a job well done... Even our archives are starved of information. What exactly is the mirror supposed to show y-?" Jade stopped speaking, pulling the mirror closer to her chest as if it were a child she wanted to protect. "Do you feel that too?" She asked, eyes darting in the direction of the dining room. "That can't be, I thought they were all extinct."

<Snipped quote by YamiCuoreLaroux> "I will need a match. Or better yet. Light yours and than we can use it to light mine. Than we only have to use one match. We should try to save as many as possible. Who knows where else we are going to need them." Zack suggested. "I will remind you to give Jade some matches. We should make sure that the fox gets at least one of the candles."

"Ah, yes...only one match makes sense... I think I'll be fine, though, so let's just light yours for now and we can light mine if it's not enough." The girl lit a match and held it out to light the candle, before letting out a slight shiver. "I-I...I just got a bad feeling...I don't know why... maybe we should light both candles after all..."

<Snipped quote by KatherinWinter>

"Ah, yes...only one match makes sense... I think I'll be fine, though, so let's just light yours for now and we can light mine if it's not enough." The girl lit a match and held it out to light the candle, before letting out a slight shiver.

"I-I...I just got a bad feeling...I don't know why... maybe we should light both candles after all..."

"Light yours as well. We mihhteed the light." Zack encouraged her. "Stay close I don't want us to get even more separated." He held his candle out to her so tst she could us it to light her candle.

<Snipped quote by BranchOfSin>

Jade's eyes sparkled with wonder as the mirror's weight passed from Okori's hands to her own, fingers wrapping around the object gingerly. "It's so beautiful." She fought every impulse telling her to remove the cloth, to experience first-hand what it was like to gaze into the mirror. Taking a deep breath to calm her excited heartbeat, Jade rose her eyes to meet Okori's. "I have to commend your kind for a job well done... Even our archives are starved of information. What exactly is the mirror supposed to show y-?" Jade stopped speaking, pulling the mirror closer to her chest as if it were a child she wanted to protect.

"Do you feel that too?" She asked, eyes darting in the direction of the dining room. "That can't be, I thought they were all extinct."

Okori's eyes were quickly directed at the odor in the Dining Room. He had felt this presence before, he had fought against one before but it's presence was different than that one. Okori's hand began to shake not of fear but of excitement. "It's Presence is different than the others, there's a bit of Human presence within him too....A half huh? This could get exciting!" Okori said. He signaled Jade that he would be walking to the Dining Room to meet this Half Dragon person. He walked in the Dining Room, finding a person there. 'This should become exciting' He tapped on the person's shoulder.

(Weeping Liberty, your the rabbit right? I hope so, im hungry :P)
Jack felt a tap on his shoulder, and swung around, wondering why he could not sense someone sneaking up on him. His snake like eyes fired up when he realized it was the fox boy. He could not tell by his appearance now, but he could smell the fox in him. "I never had my food delivered to me before" he growled. He grabbed the fox boy by the arm holding him, gripping it tight. "How would you like to be eaten, fried or boiled? I prefer fried, but since this will be your last words, I will graciously give you a choice" He hissed. Jack, loosened his grip, shaking his head fast. His eyes dilated back and forth, and he let go of the boys arm. Jack did not know what just happened. He did realize that this fox looked tasty and that devouring it would be enjoyable, but forgot about why he was here. He turned toward the fox boy. "My apologies, I sometimes get ahead of myself." He gasped, exhausted from a meal of just tomato soup. "I should start with a greeting. My name is Jack, and I am, as you can see, half human, half dragon." He said jamming a thumb toward his wings, that for now were under his clothing. "My instincts sometimes kick in. You see, unlike you, I cannot transform from human to dragon. I am perpetually stuck in this state. I am having a mental war in my head, but seemed to have subsided my more animal instincts." He explained. "Now I am confused, one, by the fact that all we had is tomato soup in a mansion, and two, why we are here. You have any ideas?" He asked, taking in breath. His eyes dilated once again to the smell of rabbit. He shook his head and came back to focus, putting his attention toward the boy.