[IC] Artifacts of a Lost Civilisation - ( Kitsune & NuttsnBolts )

[NuttsnBolts]

"I'm not too sure how much of an explosion this will produce, however I do know that it'll be a good idea to not be anywhere near this when it does go off." Alyon chucked a little as she spoke. As much as she was trying to take this seriously nothing could really suppress the excitement of being given the ability to blow up something like a boat.

As the two reached the side of the boat Fraya began to try and break into the side wall. Alyon could see the difficulty that she was having and decided to butt in, pulling out her sword and stabbing it into the small hole that Fraya had started. There she twisted it and turned it until it punched through the side. "See if you can use that to pull off a panel now."

While Fraya was using the last of her strength to open the side of the boat, Alyon turned to where the explosive device was sitting and picked it up ready to light it and throw it into the hull of the ship. With her wet hands she held the instrument but without any foresight into what was about to happen, her grip gave way. There she watched as the stick of dynamite bounced out of her hand, hit the edge of the row boat and fell into the water with a subtle "Plop".

Alyon froze for a moment before leaning over briefly to gaze down into the water below. Her jaw hung wide open as she returned back to her sitting position. She sat there silently, breaking that silence only for a moment to to whisper the quiet words of, "Oh Shit..."

[Kitsune]

Fraya was thankful for the aid in making the hole in which they would toss the explosive, after all if she had just torn it off she was sure that the remaining people on the ship would have noticed them. However as she was holding on with all her strength the sound of a 'plop' and Alyon sitting down caused her body to relax and she started to understand what likely happened. Removing her claws from the side of the ship she went to sit down next to Alyon and looked around for a moment in a calm and collected manner, searching the bag that the stick had come in for anymore, no luck..

Giving off a sigh she sat upright before finally turning to Alyon and all at once changed to a expression of panic "What now?!" She tried to keep her voice as low as possible to avoid being spotted but this was a big problem right?

PEering up towards the railing of the ship Fraya could only think of ripping the thing apart or burning the ship down but she had no idea how to do something like that, after all her type of magic was not the flashy fireballs and the like that she had hard about. Biting her lip she once again dug her claws into the side of the ship "We have to do this now. C-climb on my back and I will take us up there..." It was clear by her inflection in her voice that she was embarrassed by the prospect of being a mount to the top of the ship but she had little choice.

[NuttsnBolts]

Alyon didn't know what to do now since she let the opportunity for success slip from her fingers, both metaphorically and physically. She sat there frozen for a moment until Fraya spoke to her about climbing on the girl's back and up onto the boat itself. Turning to her friend Alyon saw that she was already setting up her body in order to use it as a step-up, while also noticing the expression on her face. It was the look of embarrassment with cheeks that glowed a subtle pink.

Alyon smiled to herself. Throughout all this she had seen the various sides of Fraya from the violent nature back at the crypt to her clueless thoughts about some modern practices, however deep down Alyon knew that this girl held a lot more inside her than what she clearly showed. There was emotion... she just presented it in a very different way to humans.

"I'll make this quick," Alyon instructed as she carefully climbed up on Fraya's back and leaned up towards a ledge on the ship's side. Giving herself a good heave she threw her body up and grasped the lip of the deck overhead. Alyon dangled there until she was able to plant her feet onto the hull and pull herself aboard.

The deck was empty with no one about, but it didn't mean that there weren't any personnel on board. Alyon scurried over to a role of rope that was lying on the platform and threw the end overboard for Fraya to climb up.

[Kitsune]

"You better be thankful... Honestly climbing on the back of -nngnn- a ancient being is not something you should be taking lightly!"

After Alyon climbed up onto the deck she relaxed a little and let her claws to slip free of the wood of the ship, though as she did a roll of rope bonked her on the head causing a whispered "ahhhh~" of paint to escape from her lips. Looking over to the rope she soon understood what she had to do, starting to climb up the rope and to the very top to get over the railing with little effort. She glared a little playfully at Alyon about the whole rope thing still she moved low to avoid being seen.

"Ok, lets get below. We had ships back in my time so I suspect all the flammable stuff is kept at the bottom?"

She asked as she looked around for some kind of stair way below deck, at which point she could stalk over to it like some kind of beast hunting its pray. She peeked back to wait for Alyon before diving below deck, her legs softening the landing before she peered down the hallway to the next stairway, between them and it three men chatting around a candle light.. She needed Alyon to help with this one.

[NuttsnBolts]

Alyon followed Fraya down below as they came across the three men sitting around the candle light. The two of them were quiet as they snuck around like rodents, slipping in between the mountains of stock and goods until they reached a distance where they could hear the conversation they were having. It was fairly obvious that they had taken their job lightly as the words they spoke slurred with alcohol. The girl grinned as she thought up of a clever, but fun, situation on how to burn down this very ship.

Looking around at the stock and checking a few boxes, she finally came across several bottles of fresh drink. Being as careful as could be she pried off the cap and took a whiff before a sipping it to see what type of drink it was.

"Whoal!!! Damn that's strong!" she whispered before offering it to Fraya for a taste. The expression that she got in reverse was something she couldn't comprehend. "Okay... if you don't want any..." Alyon spoke, shrugging her shoulders and tipping the bottle upside down.

The contents started spilling on the floor creating a small puddle between them and as soon as the bottle was empty she repeated the same process. Grabbing a bottle, opening it up to have a sip, and offering it to Fraya before tipping the contents on the ground. Alyon repeated this several times before turning to a keg that was sitting all by it's lonesome. "I bet this one taste good as well!" she winked as she pulled out the knife and stabbed the cork in the side, popping it out.

Within seconds the floor started to slosh with a small layer of liquid that covered the whole room. The rocking of the boat helped with the movement as it pushed the alcohol from one side of the ship to the other. Alyon grinned at her work as she picked up a full bottle and handed it to Fraya, pointing towards the candle that was sitting within view. "Would you care to do the honours?"

[Kitsune]

Fraya peered back towards Alyon with a raised brow as she took the cork off one of the bottles, the smell of the alcohol reaching her sensitive nose even from where she was! "Eak, what is that?" She said as the bottle was offered, though she refused at first she soon dared herself at the next bottle that offered she would take a small sip and almost coughed at the taste! She had never had something like that before and she was sure she wouldn't want anything that strong ever again.

Watching the thin layer of booze that soon covered the floor she made sure to stay away from it as she was sure that whatever Alyon was planning that it involved this stuff and if she had it on her she would likely be effected too. Though soon she came to realise that this stuff was rather flammable!

Taking the bottle from her hands she gave a swift nod to her before tossing it to the corner of the table that held the candle, the liquor licking the flame and was set ablaze! Splattering across the wall it soon dripped down to the thin layer below which soon started to catch fire as well "I think we should leave?" She asked but was already on her way out, barely avoiding the drunken men that had at least enough sense to notice the sound of shattering glass, only to see the sea of flame that now consumed the floor and walls of their boat!

[NuttsnBolts]

The two girls ran as hard as they could, leaping over stock and ducking around boxes while the interior rooms filled with a layer of smoke and heat from the fire they had set ablaze. The were quick, but in their haste it had reduced their overall stealth factor, making it possible for the drunken crew to suspect that someone else was perhaps on-board the ship. Friend, foe, human, non-human. They couldn't tell who it was but the fact that they quickly turned in the rough direction of where the two girls came from gave them some indication that they were not alone.

"Quickly!" One of them yelled as he pulled out some heavy blankets from a nearby living quarters. "Smother that fire!"

Alyon and Fraya bounded up the stairs and stopped at the top deck. The smoke from below was beginning to seep it's way up through the timber floorboards, radiating a heat that was producing droplets of sweat on the girl's foreheads. Alyon could see in the distance people starting to run towards the boat, possibly concerned about it's cargo and those that were occupying it at the time. It meant that the pathway through the docks was too dangerous and the only way of escape was to use the row boat that they had bought along with them.

Taking a quick dash as the flames began to lick through the floor below, Alyon ran to the side of the ship and leapt off it into the water below. She landed with a heavy splash and felt the weight of her body take hold. The clothes and gear that she had on took away her buoyancy, making it difficult to stay afloat. As she thrashed about she emerged from the water to take a gasp of air, reached out to grab the edge of the row boat. The ship laid there at the dock's edge, engulfed in a wall of flames, with Alyon now watching from the waters below.

[Kitsune]

Fraya grabbed a hold of the silken scarf as they ran as fast as they could, it almost licked across the flames that were slowly consuming the ship. Dashing up the stairs onto the deck the girl could not help but smirk at the humans attempt at putting out the flames, a futile effort if what she saw was true and she was pretty sure a bunch of thugs didn't have a magic user among their ranks. With no other option she dashed towards the side with Alyon, though instead of leaping into the water Fraya's claw dug into the railing as she flung herself over and planted her feet against the side. Taking one more look at the gang she shook her head before sliding down until she was able to hop onto the row boat,

It was a wobbly landing to say the least but once stable she held out her hand to grab and help Alyon on "See? My original plan worked perfectly." she commented as she pulled her onto the boat before grabbing the oars and starting to make the boat go away from the scene of the 'crime'. "Hey Alyon? MAybe we should avoid telling this to your farther when we see him." Even she knew that it may not be the best of ideas to do so...

[NuttsnBolts]

Alyon shivered slightly from the wet clothes against her skin, but it wasn't enough to really bother her. She nodded quickly, acknowledging that this should be kept a secret from not just many people, but her father especially. Alyon wasn't really bought up to be the type of person to rebel against society... but it felt kinda fun.

"I think my father would kill me if he knew about this. He does love his alcohol so knowing that we wasted so much infuriate him, and that's without mentioning that we burnt down an entire ship containing the stuff!" Alyon bopped back and forth as she sat on the row boat, still pumping from the adrenaline. All that was left now was to go back to the Rose Garden and inform Miss Thorn.

The boat eventually reached the waters edge and skidded up onto a dirt patch. Alyon stood up and hopped over the front before grabbing the lip and dragging it further upon shore with her feet sinking into the muddy surface. They were far enough away that they could see the smoke and fire of the burning boat, but safely out of the dockland limits. The setting sun also helped with their escape, placing long shadows from all the buildings and trees for them to hide under. "You happy for us to head back to the Rose Garden?" she asked, looking down at her disgustingly messy outfit. "I do remember Miss Thorn saying something about cleaning ourselves up before travelling on back to our home, but I'm not sure if this will be clean enough to be within her presence."

[Kitsune]

The orange glow of the setting sun was only rivaled by the flickering flames of the not too far off ship that they had set alight. Stepping off the boat her eyes were drawn to their act of flaming fury while Alyon pulled the boat away, a smile coming across her face as she really did feel that they did something good... Kind of, she was sure there was nothing else on the ship that was important even if Alyon did mention her fathers disappointment at the fact that all the booze went down with the ship.

"Yeah, we need to head back and tell the kind lady we are done. You need money right?"

Straightening out her fine silk outfit she peered over to the now soaking wet Alyon "I bet she will give you some new clothes too like she did me..." As they were walking back towards the crimson lights of the 'fun district' she noticed a few odd stares sent in her direction, she didn't know that she was wearing fancy 'working girls' outfit...

Fray didn't care either way, they could stare all they wanted but they had to make their way back to the Rose Garden given that they no longer had their escort which was pretty strange but she was sure that Alyon would have mentioned if anything was wrong. "Welcome~" Miss thorn greeted them in the middle of the street, just around from the rose garden, a odd sight for the women since more than a few gasps of surprise sounded out. "I was worried dears."

[NuttsnBolts]

Alyon looked like a dirty, wet dog in front of Miss Thorn and it was a look that she wasn't completely comfortable about. Both Miss Thorn and Fraya looked so clean and tidy compared to her, and it especially stood out in the suburb they were in. As Alyon looked around she noticed the other people around glancing at her and even whispering about her appearance.

Alyon turned back to Miss Thorn and quietly asked in an embarrassing way, "I hope you don't mind if I head in and take up your offer earlier of a bath in order to clean up?"

A young girl approached Alyon and gave a light bow before speaking up, "We don't have any objections. Please, Follow me." Alyon entered the Rose Garden and followed the girl down a flight of stairs to a private bathing room. There she entered and saw a large, spacious room that contained a bath. The size of the bath itself was big enough to house several people but most importantly it was filled with hot water. The water itself flowed gently from a small man made waterfall on the wall. To the regular person outside that looked at the Rose Garden they would have never have imagined such a room filled with serenity and tranquillity.

The girl offered Alyon a towel and robe before turning away and leaving her alone to relax. This is a bit of a change, she thought to herself as she undressed and slipped into the water. Compared to the water of the docks, this felt so much nicer and pleasant. As soon as Alyon began to unwind the girl returned with a small tray of food and placed it next to the water's edge.

"Miss Fraya will be with you shortly. She is just currently talking to Miss Thorn about the matters at hand."

"Hopefully she won't be too long," Alyon replied, picking up a small piece of food and took a bite, smiling to the girl, "Tell her I don't know if there will be anything left for her to eat if she takes too long."

[Kitsune]

Fraya gave her companion a wave goodbye as she was guided away into the depths of the Rose garden, while she and Miss Thorn made their way to the VIP area to chat about what had happened down at the docks, a rather thrilling tail to say the least and she didn't spare a single detail... Not even the part where Alyon messed up a little and ended up dropping the explosive into the water. She could have sworn that Miss Thorn was trying to stop herself from laughing at that, but she didn't have time to ask as she was offered a bath!

She may have had one already today but after all they did she thought she needing one, besides she found it really enjoyable to bath in the heated waters since all they had all the way here was cold streams! Making her way down to the baths she started to strip off along the way, thankfully the only people around were the girls in the behind the scenes areas so she did not even have to try and be modest, not that she had any shame to start with. After making it to the room just outside of the reserved bath she placed her silk garments down onto the bench as she watched the one that had brought Alyon food start to leave, her taking notice of Fraya's rather unique dragonesk like look on her way out...

Looking down to her scaled clawed hand she gave off a small sigh but soon moved off into the bath, not even bothing with a towel as her body was on full display as she made her way up to the warm water. The scales seemed to be present on her sides and legs but her center was mostly smooth almost doll like skin. "Hey, hey~" She cooed out as she slowly moved into the water until her head and tail were the only things poking out of the mineral rich water. Slowly she made her way towards Alyon, or the platter of food that was right next to her anyway, her tail idly swaying back and forth as she got closer.

[NuttsnBolts]

Alyon laid calmly at the water's edge with her head resting on the lip. For the first time in a long time she was able to unwind and just let all her worries go. The time presented to her an opportunity to think about everything that Fraya and herself have done, but with the pondering thoughts it opened up many questions as to the mysteries behind these Artifacts, how an entire species has now ceased to exist and what it was that the two of them should do moving forward. With each thought that flowed through her head she slowly pulled herself out of reality and closed her eyes to simply relax.

The sound of entrance door sliding open could be heard as Fraya stepped into the room. A simple, yet cheerful greeting could be heard from the girl and Alyon opened her eyes slowly to glimpse her unique body just as it dipped into the water's edge. She had seen most of Fraya's body before due to the limited clothing that she often wore, but it was the first time that she had witnessed her fully exposed.

"Hello there Fraya. There's a bit of food here if you want it," Alyon spoke, noticing that the girl was heading straight for her, "I've been thinking a bit and I'm still not sure how we will be able to get onto a train back home after everything we've done. We still need some mon... FRAYA!!!!"

Alyon squeeled for a moment as Fraya moved over Alyon for what looked like the food plate. Her face went bright red for a moment and the relaxation that she experienced was completely upturned by the unusually rough touch in an area that she least expected.

"Fraya..." Alyon spoke extremely softly, pulling her legs up close to her chest and crossing her feet, "Could you watch where you sway that tail of yours..."

[Kitsune]

"Yeah? Hmmm. We could always do something..."

She was only half listening as she almost climbed across Alyon to get at the food plate, resting her top half on the cool tiles as she reached out to grab one of the firm peaches, though it seemed like her idly swaying tail had the same idea! She tossed the peach into the air at Alyon screaming her name, her body instinctively diving back away from the girl but also to catch the food. Snatching it out of the air she fall into the water, leaving the surface still and calm for a few moments before she slowly poked her head and tail out again, the peach latched in her mouth as she looked towards Alyon and what was wrong.

Getting closer once again she went into kneeling in front of her, removing the peach from her mouth as she looked like a told off puppy "Ah-sorry. I'm listening now." She thought she was mad about the fact she was hardly paying attention "As for the train didn't Miss Thorn tell us that she could get us the tickets? I mean that is what she promised us and all." She trusted Miss Thorn, after all she had not only allowed them to stay for free but also give them food and drink yet she didn't have to in the end, they could have been just given money and sent on their way without even thinking about what they would be doing next. "Also.. Are you shy or something?" She noted that she was holding her legs to her chest, which she didn't know the reason why, her tail wasn't sensitive enough for her to tell she touched something after all.

[NuttsnBolts]

Alyon smiled at the mention that she was a shy character. "Heh, no. You just caught me off guard with that tail of yours." She looked carefully at the tail, watching it sway in the water and generate light ripples. It was an unusual object on something that was quite human like and pondered the question as to why her race had a tail to begin with. Surely it wasn't used for balance since normal humans could walk perfectly without one, but it sure was an unusual limb to have.

The two spent a good amount of time relaxing in the water, only getting out when they felt the skin start to crinkle. Something about the water felt refreshing and Alyon had a good amount of energy for the rest of the day. Upon seeing Miss Thorn for the last time, she handed them two tickets for the next train that was to set forth from the station, and a parcel that had written on it, "Don't open til on the train".

"Holy Crap!!!" Alyon stared at the tickets. The gold trimming around them glowed under the lights, "These are luxury tickets! There's no way I could ever afford these!"

"You did a great job for us, young miss. There's a lot of trouble in this place and every little deed helps to set Gol on the right path. Now go, grab your gear and head on home."

Alyon nodded at those words and thanked Miss Thorn for her generosity. They left the Rose Garden, detouring by the inn to gather their belongings and arrived at the station ready for the next train to depart. No sooner then they arrived they could see the train was already there loading up people and goods for the trip. The girls got into line as they showed their ticket and they were ushered to their corresponding carriage by the gentlemen that saw their ticket.

"You are going to love this Fraya and understand why I was hoping to get some tickets back home. A bed to sleep in, a private study with leather seating, a bistro with beautifully cooked meals! This is going to be great!"

[Kitsune]

"Ah sorry, I didn't mean too! I'll keep it in check."

Fraya tilted her head, confused as what she had done before but she was pretty sure that it was at least something to do with her tail, did she accidentally whip her with it while she had been grabbing the food? Of course the girl was a little too innocent when it came to things of this nature so she didn't understand but maybe that was for the best as she simply started to swim around in the water while enjoying her claimed meal. As it turned out her tail could be used for swimming as well, a useful limb to be sure!

Soon the time came that they had to get out of the bath and to meet Miss Thorn, though while the pair were talking Fraya seemed somewhat dazed as she was still in slight bliss after the hot bath and food combo, so the simple girls mind was in some kind of overload right now. She didn't know what the tickets meant but given the trend she was sure that Miss thorn was being kind again!

"Thank you Miss Thorn!"

However they sadly couldn't spend much longer within the Rose Garden, and they had to be on their way! Fraya looked a little down as they left but when she heard the voice of Miss Thorn she turned around to see all the girls of the Rose Garden and even some clients waving them off with happy smiles! She waved back happily, glad to be leaving on such a note, though she did notice that Alyon seemed to be excited for a whole other reason which continued all the way until they were guided until their carriage.

"Ooo? Is it really that goooooooooo Whoa..." Staring towards the inside carriage it was first class for a reason! The entire thing was their room, and no expense was spared, which is what one would expect given that this was one of the very few trains in the world. Holding onto the parcel she moved inside after being ushered in by their guide, and right away she went to sit on the large corner sofa and bounce slightly "Soft~" After placing the parcel on the table before she, she took a look at Alyon and her reaction to their new room! "Mmm, Should we open this now?" She asked, tilting her head at the parcel.

[NuttsnBolts]

Alyon gazed at Fraya's excitement over the new room that they would be spending their time in until the girls reached Alyon's hometown. "'ey? So you like the room?" she responded, knowing full well that Fraya's reaction held no negativity towards the furnishings.

Alyon could see Fraya staring in curiosity towards the parcel, the girl's interest peaked much like a cat before asking permission to open the present. "How about I go get us a drink and when I get back we can open it!"

Alyon slid open the carriage door and wandered down the hallway towards the bar. She approached the counter where a tall, clean dressed bar tender was waiting. He had a sleek hairstyle and a face free from any blemishes and scaring. The look of the man caught Alyon a bit off guard as her own clothes and appearance were no match for the male.

"Excuse me, I'm from the VIP Room, the one organised by Miss Thorn..."

"Ah, why hello them ma'am," he enquired, giving her a subtle nod, "Were you after a drink?"

Remembering that Fraya wasn't a fan of alcohol, Alyon replied, "A glass of juice and a spirits on the rocks."

The bar tender gave a curious look, surprised by the girl's choice for going for the 'hard stuff', but acknowledged her choice and began to pour out the drinks. Alyon looked out the window and saw the trees and scenery zip by, leaving little chance for noticing the small details, while the setting sun also created a slight orange glow on everything.

"Here you go dear," the man spoke, pulling Alyon out of her slight trance. As the girl went to grab the drinks and return to the room, the tender handed her a sealed envelope, "This was also for you." Confused, Alyon placed the drinks down and tore open the edge of the paper to reveal a simple, one line message.

'The eye is forever watching'

[Kitsune]

Fraya gave a curt nod towards her traveling companion when she mentioned getting drinks for the both of them, her eyes soon traveling down to the parcel which she had to resist with all her might not to simply rip into it and open it! However the comfy sofa that she was on thankfully kept her attention as soon she shifted on all fours to stretch out along it with a relived sigh~ Her tail waved back and forth idly as she poked her head out down the carriage to try and see her companion but she could only spot a few passengers past the door that separated her from the rest of them.

She had to admit it felt REALLY good to be able to sway her tail around now that they had the place all to themselves, and even staying within her full form if she wanted but she honestly did not want to ruin her new favorite spot with her claws that could rend armor with ease. However, why did she feel uneasy all of the sudden?

Shifting from her peering place she turned around and then moved over to the window while she was still on her hands and knees on the comfy sofa. Watching the world pass by was sort of peaceful and yet why did she feel like she had been on something like this before? Even before jumping onto the cargo section of the train before she was not afraid of the huge metal machine like it was second nature... Just how much of her memory was she missing she wondered, but for the time being she had no other choice but to follow along with what Alyon wanted to do as it may one day lead her to finding out more about her people and just what happened. "Mmm, Alyon is taking so long..." She muttered to herself, her tail swaying around and soon latching onto the parcel, drawing it slightly closer to herself as if subconsciously begging her to discover what was within!

[NuttsnBolts]

Alyon looked up at the bar tender and shot him a concerned look before blurting out, "Who gave you this letter?!" Instantly her head started to fill with images of the one that Fraya killed in the Crypt, wondering if this message was somehow linked to them.

The man was struck by the sudden outburst and taken back by her change in attitude, "I only received it with our regular mail. I am sorry but I do not know who the sender was!"

Alyon could see in his expression that he was more than likely telling the truth, leaving her to simply curse under her breath and slam her fist on the table, scrunching the letter within her grasps. Carefully the man leaned over out of curiosity and gently slipped the paper from her grip to evaluate what it was that got Alyon so worked up.

"If you do not mind me asking, who would this eye be that is referenced in this letter?" His question was soft, as if trying to perform his barman magic of helping a patron resolve their deepest dilemmas.

"The only eye I know of was from a man who's eye glowed red. Tolkin, Toskin, Token? Ak... What was his name?" Alyon bought her fingers up to the bridge of her nose and pinched them gently, trying to remember who the unusual man was before taking a sip of her alcohol.

The bar tender topped up her glass before offering some advice, "From the many stories I have heard on this train, the man with the glowing eye is one of the most peculiar ones. He only seems to appear when Hunters and Artifacts are involved. Rumour has it that he already has an artifact of his own and that he is looking to obtain as many as possible."

Alyon glanced back at the bar tender offering a curious look, only to hear him reply, "That is everything I know." before turning to clean up some of the used glassware.

"Thank you," Alyon replied before grabbing her drink and turning to go back to the VIP suite. I'm gonna have to talk to Fraya about this.

[Kitsune]

Fraya gave off a small yawn as she watched the scenery pass by, from all the farms and fields that they pass by it was not a exciting sight anymore to her. Letting her arms and legs give way under her she laid down onto the chair and relaxed, waiting for Alyon to return with their drinks, though by this point she was starting to become hungry again.. "Mmm..." She groaned a little when she heard Alyon come into the room, causing her to lean up from the sofa and look around, her tail swaying back and forth happily as she welcomed the prospect of a drink.

"Mmm, hey Alyon. Whats wrong? You look like that time you first saw me in my pod."