Organization XIII cloaks search for the shadow cloak

[Anonymous]

Niasti sat in the bar hoping someone would take his ad.  He looked all around just waiting and watching.  Watching the people shift in their seats and making sure no one pick pocketed them.  "Who are you waiting for," the bar tender asked
"I'm waiting for someone who wants to come with me on a little hunt in the catacombs," and he said no more then that.

[Anonymous]

"And what kind of hunt would that be if i may ask?" Ric growled in an aggressive manner. Having overheard something about hunt and catacomb to her right, she could not help but want to ruin someone else's treasure hunt. Nothing personal, just very frustrated about how her own had turned out and who knows.

If the treasure was magical it might be worth looking into. Dressed in a dark tunic and halfway trough a mug of watered down swill it was high time someone said anything interesting near her at all.

Hunched over the counter in a rather defeated mannerism. Silently listening, brooding and smelling the air for sign's, waiting for the answer.

[Anonymous]

Niasti looked her up and down seeing that she had an air of adventure to her.  He thought to himself that she would do.  "Well I need someone to come with me to the catacombs.  So you want to come with me it's gonna be a hard journey plus I can't pay you but you could have the other mystic item that works with its twin.  So you in."  Niasti took another swig of his drink waiting for her answer.

[Anonymous]

"I don't care for payment in gold or silver." Her voice darkened, as her back straightened upwards again, like a puppet with its strings reattached. "As long as you bring rations for two and tell me what the cloaks do." Ric knew her dark hair was a mess.

Only thing that made her look presentable was the green leathery coat. Underneath it, shielded from inspection, lay a brown simply tunic full of holes, and her boot's where rather dirty and singing their last verse. "Or wait, forget the latter, id rather not know of your motivations nor the power of the cloak. Id rather we waited for that sort of information."

"Lead the way, I shall follow." Stretching out a hand to help the man out of his chair.

[Anonymous]

Niasti nodded and thought he would like this girl.  He got up and said, "Follow me into the alley and if you try to take my money I won't hesitate to cut of your hand."  Then Niasti pushed open the door curved around the corner and went to a sewer drain.  Then he punched the grate which knocked it into the sewers then he looked at Ric and said in a mocking tone, "Come down if you dare."  Then Niasti jumped into the sewers feet first.

[Anonymous]

Following the guy outside quite suprised to think of him as someone to prepare beforehand. Did he even bother to bring anything with him? aw well if they starved she would simply have to eat what was avaible. Darkness enveloped the dead end they arrived at, aside from some green tinted gas pervading the air. Looking at Niasti as if he had just invited her down to a place she would rather they left to the rat's before hearing his mocking invitation.

Huffing and sniffing the fresh, oh well the freshness here was questionable. BUT CERTAINLY not worse than what lay down there. "Oh god's." Ric muttered just imagineing what the scent's would do to her nose. But she had accepted so might aswell.

Mustering the curage to jump down was easy, all she had to do was imagine that it was a bottomless pit of death or something. Death would certainly be an improvement from her current situation. The landing was one of her softer one's, as the flight of fancy had been preplanned by her dark passenger, taking steps to ensure that she would arrive down relativly unharmed.

The smell was expectantly worse down here but not as unbearable as she had thought. "Why would anyone bother to hide their magical enhanced items down here?"

[Anonymous]

Niasti heard her questions and answered, "Why not would you enjoy to journey the sewers aimlessly,"  then he just continued to walk on till he heard foot steps in the distance and smelled something unusual something that smelt of dark elf and spider.  "Quiet young one for we are not alone I smell an unusual mix of dark elf and spider.  So be prepared to take them down I hope you can use some form of long range combat."  And Niasti unsheathed his weapon readying for the battle ahead.

[Anonymous]

"Same reason that anything with a decent nose avoids the place." Shuddering silently but avoiding to breathe trough the nose as much as possible. It would take time to get used to the stench, Allot of time. And she dared not invoke the dark passenger just for any obstacle.

Following closely behind the kid as he walked in a seemingly determined fashion. Leaving her just enough time to start admiring both the pleasant dark slightly tainted view. and hearing the wincing of fleeing cautious rats. Rather large rat's. "Weapon? Wait wait wait, just because some dark elf wanders about the sewer does not mean they have malice in their hearts and dark intentions festering within their brains."

A slight grin as Ric thought up her own special joke. Maintaining a state of alertness, a shy kind of alertness. One that could easily shatter into a mindless barrage of spells in any direction she would feel threatened from.

"Though i must admit, a few weeks down here and id just about anyone for a way out."

[Anonymous]

"I just say have a weapon close cause the closer we get to the catacombs from the sewer the more likely whatever nightmarish beasts or anything appear the more likely they are evil.  So lets say we find a little girl which we probably might draw your sword fast or pull up your bow or whatever you call a weapon ok?"  Then Niasti went around the corner sword drawn only to see a dark elf with a scimitar pointed to his throat and a dirk at his hip. "Prepare to die wolf beast,"the dark elf said struggling with the common tongue.  "And this is why you always have a weapon drawn."

[Anonymous]

"And what is Evil if not just a label you put on enemies, either we will meet someone smart or something stupid id rather say. Makes it a question about wits rather than mindless." Slightly annoyed Ric looked at the wall as Nasti whent around the corner.

Then the kid she followed halted his advance, as insults and witty retort was exchanged although aimed at different people. She had been prepared for it but had hoped that anyone intelligent would steer off. The fact that it was a female elf just made it aquard.

"Former partner or a girlfriend huuh? No regular person with killing intent would be so obvious, direct and stupid." Having kept up her stride, now positioned  behind Nasti, unbalancing the delicate equilibrium set up by this mutual standoff. Yellow eyes ablaze with a beastly rage, as the only thing visible within the darkness behind her newfound partner.

Her hand placed at the wall and a magically prepared screw bolt ready to fire past Nasti, her confidence in victory was not unresonable.

 "Take your toothpicks and scram before I decide whether your prey or not."

[Anonymous]

Niasti turned to Ric and thought 'Hec in this darkness she doesn't look to bad maybe even slightly cute in a deadly sort of fashion' Niasti turned back to his enemy and winked at the elf which caught her off guard.  Then in blinding speed he ducked under her blade then got to her side and gave her a kick into the sewer water.  "I thank you for holding the blade to my throat dear girl.  Now Ric if you don't mind I say we run cause I trust my instict that their are more of her kind coming for us."  Then Niasti took her hand and ran with her making lefts and rights for about an hour till they came to a rusted gate covered in dirt and smoke.  "Let us set up camp here and we can talk about morals more ok?"

[Anonymous]

As Niasti proved he could hold his own and Ric decided to hang back and relax. No need to waste energy like some showoff. Her partner had quick feet, and a powerful kick with it.

The elf splashed into the sewer water, and a creepy stench rose as a result. Grimacing as she followed Niasti around but not uttering a single word, it would wait. Now was not the right time. Instead she chewed on his words, thinking and following. Eventually reaching what looked like a rusted down gate. Whistling in approval as they stopped to observe.

"Ah, sure." She answered lightly, not really careing where they'd set up camp. Pulling out a blanket and putting it on the ground. Still standing tall, looking at the man she would spend days down here with. "Why set up camp already? we could easily move further. Its not like daylight is vanishing down here."

[Anonymous]

"True we could go further.  It's just that if you let yourself just send out your mind in a way to scan the area you might sense the other things here.  But this could just be my own worry.  Now anyways the reason we set up camp here is because right past this gate we will enter the catacombs.  Home to unholy beasts you might have never seen.  So I say we get some rest and work out the drinks we swigged at the bar." Then Niasti put out a blanket with a pillow and set out another for himself and Ric.

[Anonymous]

"Alcohol kind of puts my mind at a better state for casting magic but i see your point." What had she gotten herself into, probably something better than loitering around as she had been doing most of her time within this universe.

The dark passenger always watched her now, ever since her unfortunate encounter with a pack of ghouls in the Niahi woods it had changed to a more guardian like nature. The amount of silence from that terrible lump of malicious intent at the back of her skull was worse than all of its usual banther and mocking statement. It meant something but she didn't know what.

Eyes closed she ignored the offer for a more comfortable sleeping position, she had not joined this adventure to sleep on blankets instead burying her head within her knees like a turtle in its shell. With her green cloak it made her look partly like a rock. Exellent disguise from a distance, rather stupid if her partner was going to keep watch.

[Anonymous]

'Ring, Ring,' Niasti heard it sounded like music ringing then singing was it opera.  Yes it was opera and it rung to his very core.  Then Niasti rose to his feet and looked at the gate.  He looked at the intricate design pulling him in begging him to open the gate.  Urging him, screaming into his mind. "Stop it get out of my head,"  and Niasti pulled away suddenly looking at the gate then turning to Ric wondering why he brought her here. Niasti was not one to doubt a women's skills but was one to feel sad if his randomly chosen partner died.  Niasti knelt down to her level thinking it genuis for her act at a disguise.  "I hope you don't die.  I don't want to be alone again.

[Anonymous]

Ric was floating in a motionless pit of darkness, the closest she had been to sleep for days now. Her mind wandered fast in the darkness. Shapeing it into abominations and horrors with every flick of its beating wings. Carrying her away and up towards the sky. The moon shone down on her with a green light shaped like a giant strangely formed crystal.

She had seen the crystal before but the vivid image flushed her back to reality. The sound of her partner kneeling down besides her. with a wierd expression on his face.

"What? are we moving out yet?" Ric moaned sheepishly, Staring back at Niasti as if annoyed by his very presence with sleepy eyes, yet already prepared to rid herself of every bit of that with anger and fury.

Her mind reluctant to waken more than the half sleep zombie state. She was likely to go back to sleep if her partner did not say anything. "This had better not be some sick and twisted plot to kidnap me and use me as sacrifice to a bunch of old, useless gods."

[Anonymous]

Niasti smiled at his partners comment.  "Trust me I won't now we have to go down into what might be the most macabre moment of our lives. I won't open the gate with the key because it might release the guardians of this gate who are pretty evil.  So we have to break it down.  So can you cast magic?"  and Niasti looked towards the gate trying to think of a way to break it down.

[Anonymous]

"Can i? really?" the girl pried her eyes open with a slight giggle. "Aye, although the results do vary greatly, as for macabre moments." Rising with a shoulder shrug. Taking deep breaths while jumping as if trying to waken her mind further than it already was.

"So how do you suggest we break this gate down, i can rubble it by tearing down the fundaments with several material shattering spells, vaporise it with time itself, implode it on itself attempt to demolish it manually with more crude methods, just cant think straight at the moment."

Ric had her share of pride and arrogance, all mages of her kind do. The kind that lets magic control their lives and not opposite. Without it she would loose a lot of backbone, confidence and pride but with it a terrible force to be reconed with.

Expectantly awaiting a reply while letting threads of magic wrap themselves around the gate in an attempt to feast upon anything magical present, visible shadows that slithered around in search for runes, enhancements or even residue souls, ghosts from the past lingering on. Anything unnatural to feast upon. The shadows spread out towards other already exisiting shadows, red eyes always watching, eventually lashing out at the bugs and critters.

SLightly confused Ric let them stay out, looking at Niasti. "Well at least they dont want to eat, so either its powerful stuff, too old for their taste or not something they desire to eat instantly."

"So erm do we pry a hole or smash the entire thing? Can you sense protective barriers or something? I lack that kind of keen sense for things at the moment."

[Anonymous]

Niasti had to show some respect because this girl had some fighting skills.  Then as he looked at the gate in drifted into a sight to see any magic he saw dark shadows coming from Ric which made him worry because in this place having some dark skills could truly corrupt you and besides giving this girl the cloak of darkness which gives someone some pretty amazing skills over darkness would make this women a dangerous foe.  As he awoke from his thoughts he returned to looking at the gate and saw that the guardians of the gate would awaken if anyone used magic that came from the side of light in teh magical spectrum.  
"Well it seems any of those ways you have listed would awaken the guardians embedded in the gate.  But if we used shadow spells or anything from the shadow side of the magic spectrum would not destroy it.  So it looks like once we break this gate we will have to fight some kind of guardian.  But I would rather see the gate shatter in a million of tiny pieces."  Niasti then drew his katana and prepared a fire spell to add to his claws.

[Anonymous]

"Just a million huh?" Ric shrugged while the shadow wurms she had summoned fanned outwards, apparently chasing something worth eating.

Severing the link with her pets, releasing them from the bond shared between summoner and pet so their constant drain to her spiritpool would not affect her next spells.

"Guardian eh? haven't met any guardian worth their name yet." the heat from her palm lashed back and hated her, the basic fireball started to shimmer and fade in the presence of her vast darkness and then it started to corrode from within. "Tchh bloody enhancements. They take away aspects of yourself to strengthen others."

She let it fade and instead slapped her hand at the gate itself with the residue of her corrupted fireball. Letting the energy become a sort of living acid creeping and searing, melting its parth starting its attempt at devouring the entire gate. Growing and slurping, whoosing and hizzing with every slither while Ric stepped back to both admire her work and observe Niasti's attempt to tear the gate down.