"I understand Jesh. You're to be king, you can't be sacrificed this way. You are the face of hope for this nation, the last light in the abyss of sorrow and fear."

"Quit it with the theatrics Id." Jesh had just described Id's mission to him. He would be accompanied to Paradisia to find Seashi and kill him by a small group. Alotahr's mercenary general Dkar would be the first of his comrades. The mysterious officer of Atiace's army, Kadil would be the second. The third of his team would be a young girl from Jesh's and Ana's hometown who had tracked them into Outerworld. He name was Laurie. The final member of the party would be trusted to Id's choice. He already made up his mind, the beautiful and incredibly dangerous Ryah kite would take the last slot.

"You are such a child Jesh. I pray that you mature a bit before you rise to power, or else this world will be no better off than it is now." The embittered warrior had seen much in his life and nothing much affected him, with the exception of his memories. "I'm leaving now. no use in waiting."

"You are as cold as a corpse. You know that?" Id froze and shook his head.

"I am a corpse you jackass!" With that he stormed out and began collecting his team. They had all been informed except his choice and told to meet at the entrance of the city of Shivas. Meanwhile Id walked to Ryah's chamber and knocked on the door. It opened for it hadn't been locked. "Miss Kite. I'd like to have a word with you." He called in. he did not dare enter the room of a lady without her permission. He may have been a horrible assassin with hate flowing through his veins instead of blood, but he had manners.

Laurie smiled. She wore a red dress and a red hat that had a black feather decorating it. Her boots were black and dainty. She put on her black gloves, and then daintily picked up the dress so it didn't sweep the ground, picking up dirt.

She then walked over to where they were to meet. It seems she was the second one there, and she smiled to that person. "Hello." She said. "I am Laurie."

She planned on to introduce herself to everyone, for she did not know anyone really. She knew Id, and Jesh.

The other figure at the meeting place was none other then Dkar dinesty. In her long flowing black cloak of an unknown material she hid her form to prying eyes. The hood was up, her head bowed to hide her face. She had her arms crossed like a monk up alternate sleeves to hide her arms. Altogether she was in fairly good mood, and for her that was strange indeed.
"Laurie? “She purred the name smiling under the hiding hood. Her good mood however, did not lend for a need to talk. "Dkar." She stated simply.

Kedil stood shyly. The wavering thought of why he was here with them flooded his mind, but he tried to ignore it and think about other things.
He was a wanted boy, by many most likley skilled people. It was suicide to stand out in the open, so vulnerable.
He carefully held the large book in his hands. It was a possession beyond the importance of any other. For this book contained almost every technique his village and other villages had created. With careful study, Kedil could become the most skilled shinobi in all of his land, just with this very book.
He looked at the newcomer.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Kedil."

::Ryah looked up from a book.::

Id. Please come in. ::Her sister was asleep behind her, peaceful as an angel.:: What can I do for you? ::She rose, her armour currently replaced by a thin nightgown. Her hair was touseled gently. She cast her deep eyes over him. She laughed inwardly. A man in her bedchamber..::

Id stepped in shyly and looked dead into Ryah's eyes. "Well, I've been commisioned to by our lord Jesh to quest to Paradisia and find Seashi. I'd like you to accompany me and my group there to take his head. So please join me and meet everyone." Ryah quickly agreed and followed Id to the specified meeting place. "You've all met me, allow me to describe our missoin for you. We are to go to the Northern plains of the Youkai kingdom. There we will find the once great city of Paradisia. In the ruins of the city, Seashi will be waiting for us. I know not what to expect once we get there. Will you all join me?"

"I promised Princess Ana I would go." Laurie said, and then she bowed deeply, respecting Id. "I intend to keep that promise." she said, softly and she rised her self back to her full height.

I of course am going. I would not have it any other way.

Kedil sat, he was with others, but in the long run by himself. Hidden within, he became flooded in thoughts.
He went over each one as quickley as he could. Once he was the least bit satisfied, he looked up at the rest of his new comrads.
He stood, ready for an adventure.
"I will join, it's my duty."

Dkar purred. "I have been paid to do so, so I will." For her there was never a choice in the matter. Money was money, a way to gain her goal. Nothing mattered but that. Even that mattered little. Her tail swished under her cloak, the only sign of movement.

"Then it's time for us to leave. But be forewarned. I don't expect many if any of us to survive this." With that Id began walking through the open fields that surrounded Shivas. Three hours passed in silence before they reached the outermost reaches of the forested area the marked their entrance into the nothern area of the Youkai kingdom. The air chilled around them and the smell of fire caught Id's attention. He halted the company and turned to those who followed him. "I smell fire. It smells as though pine is being burned."

Kedil took a glance around him, and mumbled,
"Fire..."

He stood straightly, and looked at Id.
"I have a good technique I can use to scout ahead undetected, should I do it?

"That would be a good idea. There's a small village here as well so Laurie, that will be your first assignment. Go and evacuate the citizens. Ryah and Dkar, you two come with me and attempt to extinguish the flames of the forest." With that he unsheathed the cane blade that he always carried with him. With a few passes of the weapon he put out a nearby flame. He continued waving the blade as he walked into the fires, using the vacuum that the swinging of the sword created to smother the flames he passed.

Laurie nodded and ran into the village. "Fire!" she shreiked, not even bothering to hold her hat down as she ran. "Lord Id want you all to evacuate!" Many of the villagers began to evacuate, but some did not not. The majority of the few who didn't evacuate were children. She frown. "Lord Id orders your evcauation!"

Knowing her snide remarks wouldn't be appreciated she thought to her self.. 'Why put it out? If anything I wish it was worse' however respecting her current employers wishes she tilted her head up to show her eyes. Flames leapt into them. She moved quickly among the flames hands spread whispering words beyond comprehension. Harsh guttural words. Where she walked the flames died around her.

"Astral Projection Technique." Stated Kedil, who had suddenly collapsed to the floor.
His body was not hurt in anyway, he was simply "out-of-his-body". Flying through the air as what you could call a ghost, he scouted as far as a few miles. When he spotted an approaching group of people, who were fully armed, he flew back to his body and reinstated himself inside of it.
Getting back up, he ran to Id's location and reported.
"We have a group of men that are fully equipped with weapons. It looks like their heading in our direction. The fires seem to be the least of our problems now."

"Thank you Kedil. CHange in plans everyone. We're going for the group of men. No doubt they bear the symbol of the youkai Imperial army. They do don't they Kedil?" Id looked to his young, new companion. He reminded Id of Garai very much, no doubt thanks to the techniques. He also had a bit of the dearly departed jiro locked within. This companion would prove to be useful. he was sure of it.

::Ryah walked about dumping buckets of water and putting out the flames around her. "I don't expect many of us to survive," he said. Ha. If she were to die she'd merely keep herself as a ghost. Her own purgatory.::

"I'm sorry to admit i'm not sure. That's the downside of the techinique, astral projection creates blurriness." Kedil finished, and watched with caution as men flooded in from the shadows around them.

Dkar sighed the last of her section went out. She missed the flames, they were her best company. Well she could always remedy their absence. She held out her palm whispered a word and a blue flame ignited. She held it for a few moments pondering whether or not to use the flame. Then she closed her hand crushing it. She was bored. Turning she made her way toward where the group had last been together.

((I'm not letting this die!))


Id was satisfied. All the flames had been smothered, now their were bigger fish to fry. "The soldiers must be removed." He began yet again walking, he was always calm and serene. He came to the top of a hill and peered down. This was what Kedil had seen. approxiamatly 15 armed men marched through the area setting fires to all that they passed. "Now!" He called back to the group as he dove from the summit, down the much steeper side of the hill. He landed directly in front of the leader. It was easy to distinguish the leader in the imperial army for they were the only ones that did not wear face masks on their helms. "Draw your weapon." Id said in his soft and wise voice. The captain did just that. He removed a heavy set of hooks from his belt. He faced Id and held his hooks mid-torso position. The other soldiers rushed at Id blindly and surrounded him. Each brandished a different weapon.

::As Ryah finished smothering the flames she saw Id skulk off down the hill. She followed him, and looked down. She cursed and drew her sword. 15 armed men surrounded him and she'd be damned if she left him to fight all of them. She lept down the hill and landed gracefully on her feet then charged at the nearest man, slicing down his back with her sword. He fell. Two turned and came at her, one brandishing two shortswords, and one with a crossbow. She brought her sword down on the second one's wrist, hacking off the hand that held the crossbow. That rendered him helpless for a time. She dealt with the one with the two swords. He threw out a double blow, horizontally. She threw up her blade to block and shoved his hands away with the force. She went to stab, he dodged sideways and she missed. But she flipped her sword around, holding the blade flat, and used the handle to pull his foot out from under him. He stumbled backwards, flailing his arms. She stabbed him through the stomach and he fell to the dirt. She fought her way into the circle and shouted to Id.::

You think I'm going to let you have all the fun?

Dkar arrived just in time to witness the battle joined by Ryah. she purred and shed her cloak. It seemed she might have some fun yet. Her silver skin tight armor was a flash of light as she with inhuman speed attacked the nearest opponent. The look of surprised fear on his face was almost as delicious as the smell of his fear, and the feel of his arm as it tried to resist her blade. Before the surprise look could fade to agony she had cut the other arm from him. Then she gutted the man and as the blood flowed down his chin mixing with his tears she licked it off him. The taste of blood and tears and death. She lived for it. She wrenched her blade out of the screaming not quite dead man and was on another. He had witnessed his companions demise and so was a harder target. His long sword caught her first dagger.The man cried out "Demon!" as he took in her feline features. Flames leapt into her ice blue eyes. Her hands became engulfed with blue fire and it traveled up the mans sword in a flash. The man dropped his sword, but not before the fire reached out and consumed him. Dkar's tail twitched in satisfaction.

Kedil swung his head back and forth, inspecting his enemies. It was time to try his newest technique, which he was hoping wouldn't backfire.
"Shadow Restoration Clone!"
Suddenly, two other clones of Kedil stood next to him. One enemy with a large curved sword charged, hollering.
Kedil and his two clones ran straight towards the man, switching positions as fast as they could. Suddenly, as the two sides would clash, Kedil became a shadowy-mist substance and dicenagrated through the enemy. His clone, which had just flew through the enemy, became solid again. He spun in mid-air before he landed, kicking the enemy's back. The man flew face first into the ground, and Kedil and the other clone leapt backwards onto him, immediatly killing him.
Kedil cut off the energy flow, causing the two clones to dissapear. He was saddened to know that this was not the first time he had killed someone.

"You are my enemy." Id spoke in his calm voice and stared straight through the man before him. The crest was all too similar and it forced Id to nearly vomit. He had worn it for many a year while under Seashi's control. It seemed synonomos with atrocious acts.

"You live my pet. Return to your master!" The voice that this man spoke with was not his own. He knew the tone and the pitch, it bore into his head and haunted his nightmares.

"Petty possession. Seashi, I'm coming for you." His hands clenched around the handle of the blade he held and he ran forward with a tremendous cry. "ALL MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE!" His swing flew in an upside-down arc, aimed at his adversaries side, just below the ribs where the breastplate of imperial armor was cut. The man was nimble and Id's weapon was met by two, one foot long hooks made of tempered steel. Sparks jumped from the clash of metal. "I will release this man from your service." Id twisted the handle of his sword, causing the man with the hooks to bend his arms to the point where he was thrown off balance. Id then pulled his weapon out from the clutches of his opponent and quickly as lightning shoved it back again, piercing the plating of the armor, the man's skin, his ribcage, his heart, his spinal cord, his back, and the back of his armor in one full thrust. Still holding the handle of his magnificent weapon, Id jumped and kicked the imperial soldier's corpse in it's face, forcing it off his blade.

The moonlight shone down upon Id and the corpse like a sick irony. He had just taken a life to save a soul and now he stood in the most beautiful of all light. He breathed a heavy sigh as the wind blew around him. His cloak flew up and swirled about him and the bent with the bitter wind. It's moistness lifted into the air and floated a few moments before crashing to the earth once more. It had just rained and the smell still hung in the air. The remaining soldiers fell about them and black clouds lifted from their bodies. "They were all really dead bodies under Seashi's control. These weren't men...they were monsters." He was indicting himself, an abomination of nature. Id had died but still he walked the Earth, unable to be set free thank to the grip Seashi still held on his soul. "He fell by this blade...as will you. YOU HEAR ME YOU BASTARD?!?! YOU'RE NEXT!!!!!" He screamed with his eyes turned to the sky.

four hours later, Id had given all the soldiers proper burials, there was something ironic about that in his mind. A corpse burying those who were just speaking. He desired greatly to crawl into the ground beside them and let the worms devour his body but he couldn't, as much as he craved the sweet embrace of either heaven or hell there was no way for him to attain either unless his former master had been destroyed. "Set up camp." He spoke softly once more and looked to the others. "We're leaving Laurie at the town. She's not built for battle like the rest of us." He sat for the first time in days and closed his eyes. No longer had he shut them before visions of blood and gore from his past came flying toward him in the darkness. He opened his eyelids again and looked once more to the group. "I said set up camp."

Laurie found Id ordering set camp. "Lord Id, I know you mean well, but I have made a promise to Princess Analia. I can not stay here. I must keep my promise. And, anyway, I am gifted with Foresight. It will come in handy later on. Whether you break camp before I wake or not, I will follow you. I made a promise and a promise that can not be broken." She bowed before turning away with a swirl of red skirts.


[Oh yes, hopefully, Friday I'll have my computer fixed. I'm on my mom's laptop right now, and she uses it for homework.]

::Ryah finished helping set up camp and sat beside the fire, polishing her weapon to a sheen that reflected the firelight brilliantly. She sharpened the edges with a smooth stone. In the calm night air a gentle whizz whizz sounded each time she dragged the stone down the edges of the blade. She turned the blade. The firelight reflected and danced over the dark woods until it came to rest on a face, somewhat away from her current seated place. It rested upon the face of her commander, Id. A look of torture was upon him. She knew all too well the visions that flew in front of him. And the pains he bore. For he was a man of death. By all accounts he should not be walking among them, but his soul was brought back from unrest because of their common enemy, Seashi. That demon dangled those men's corpses like puppets and made them dance. Ryah had smelled it upon them, through the illusion. As she had fought by Id's side their dead souls screamed out to her. She delivered them from their purgatory at Seashi's hands. She only wished she could free Id.::

::The metallic whizz of the stone on her blade ceased and she inspected the weapon, stealing sidelong glances at the face of her commander. She felt all too well the aura of death on his body.. his body that should be reposed in death and entombed in clay or fire. She stood up, wiped the dirt from the point of the blade and grasped the hilt, weighing the balance on her sword. She walked a ways from the fire, feeling the cold air on the back of her neck and all along her exposed legs and face, and swung the sword up and around. A tree branch, about two inches thick and as tough as boiled leather, fell at her feet. It had been severed perfectly. She could only imagine holding Seashi's head and admiring the clean cut when she at last got her sword on his neck. Ryah wiped the blade with a cloth and sheathed it. She walked to Id and sat next to him.::

I know what you crave. I know what pains you. Can I help you attain it in some way? ::She said softly.::

Id turned from Ryah. He kenw what his gaze did to people and he no longer wanted to s hatter souls with only a look. His eyes had not changed, they still peered out from behind his weathered mask the same way that they always did. "The only way for me to achieve any type of happiness is to hold Seashi's head in my hand, strung up by it's hair. ANd to see the blank stare in what were once his eyes while his dark soul spins into eternal oblivion. Only then will my heart lift and will I be able to claim my rightful spot in heaven or hell. Truly, of all the worlds I've looked upon I desire to spend the least time here, even if it meant neverending torment I would take it in a heartbeat before wasting another day on this plane." He was dead serious in what he said. He had gone to many worlds and this was his least favorite of them all. "Deadmen need no rest. The rest of you still live and must sleep. Do so because we will not stop again for nearly a week. This is the last refuge before the vast forests that cover all of northern Youkai. There will be no resting in those woods for not even the sages themselves know what lurk in it's darkest corners." He stood slowly but without labor. "I'm going to make a round about the perimeter. I expect to see you all well into your sleep when i return."

Dkar had done her part in setting up camp for the others the retreated to a more isolated space in the forest. She didn't like sleeping near others, she far preferred her own company. In truth she missed her own pavilion and comforter, but at least from her tree she would be safe from sneak attacks. The tree she had chosen was one with no lower branches with in easy reach. Her claws allowed once such as herself to climb it. the journey so far had been very tedious and it was only the first day. She hungered for much more satisfaction. The pay was all that kept her from hunting for it on her own. Absent mindedly she licked a claw as if she had hopes to find some taste of the blood from the battle. She was disappointed to find she had already long since licked any trace of it away.

Kedil stared into his book. It was a sacred item, and the reason Kedil was seriously wanted by hundreds of fully-trained soldiers. He did not want to share this information with his group, he thought it would be too straight foward. He didn't know if he could even trust these people. So, for now he would remain silent.
Closing the napsack that held the book, he swung it over his shoulder. It saddened him, when he realized he only knew several techniques. He had a book of millions! He pondered the fact he had not shared these techniques with his group, he was still to unsure...

Let me walk with you. I do not sleep. It is better to not sleep than to see horrors in your mind. ::She stood and straightened herself out. Lightly she touched Id's hand. It was cold, but his aura was burning hot.:: Id.. ::She blushed and checked herself.:: Commander, I should say. I feel as though we need to hold Seashi's head up high together. Please, let me stay and figtht by your side.. ::She looked up at him with longing. It was longing for purpose, life, and even, a little for him::

"I see that you are a warrior. I will not stop you from fighting by my side. But believe me when I say that there is little chance for you or anyone else to live until I meet Seashi if you follow me. I am going to take you through hell to get to him, and if you should live which I pray you all do, than you are more than welcome to join me in holding his head up by it's hair." He hurried his pace a bit more, trying to see if she could keep up. His path curved in a wide cirlce with a radius of about 700 feet around the camp, then wound out a few hundred feet at a time.

*Back at Shivas..*

Garai and Elleth spoke, seperated from the others.
"Elleth, we have orders..."
"Yes, I am aware."
"A boy, Kedil. He has stolen our sacred enscriptions."
"We must ignore the fact he is a rebel. Our duty is to follow the code, and that is what we must do."
"You are positive the villages do not want us dead? Regarding our skill?"
"Do you truly find this a threat, Garai?"

Garai shook his head, still frowning over the subject.
"Then we must go, capture this boy."

The two informed the others, and departed. Following the traces of the rebel dispatch.

Then I will follow you through seven kinds of hell and I will be there holding up that head, and I will take three drops of blood from his corpse as my prize and proof that I saw him dead. ::She clenched her fist, her eyes transformed to glowing spheres of bloodcrazed fever.:: He'll pay! ::She composed herself and followed him, keeping up easily. He was trying to put her through her paces. She smiled mischeviously. He wanted to challenge her, he'd get a response.::

How about we pass the time with a little friendly combat? Like a fencing match. We'll play for points, your skill against mine. What do you say?

"I only fight to kill. I've seen far too much to regard this blade as a play thing. In the heat of the moment I'd be unable to control myself. I must decline." He was paying little attention to her actions and mroe to her words. he'd always been a man of both and he knew taht you could infer so much about a person's mannerisms just by having a casual conversation with them. "You underestimate him. I can tell already. Listen to me when I tell you that you may have seen him before but his power increases exponentially with every heartbeat. Every second he grows stronger tenfold. He's a monster, and I don't know if he even CAN die." He was a depressing guy, all those around him seemed distant and when they were close they adopted his actions and became sorrow-ridden creatures of pain. "But I will find away. Mizzion told me himself that I'm the last hope all of existence has against Seashi. The sages are powerless to stop him, Jesh is a dwarf in power compared to him. And now that the Thasalai family is inactive and Atiace is dead, no one but myself stands to face him." He jumped and bounded off a tree to the limb of another. "Get behind the tree." She did as he commanded and concealed herself. Just as she got out of sight a pack of rather large tazmanian tigers walked by. "Extinct on Earth, but the top of the food chain here. Next to dragons that is. They're headed for the camp. Shall we return or stop them now? There are maybe 15 of them."

((Just to let you know. Tazmanian tigers were a species of marsupial that was one of the major spawns of the theory that mammals and marsupials are cousins because it had the upper body of a wolf and the lower body of a tiger or a panther. They really existed and if you want pictures I can get them.))

::Ryah shook her head slowly.:: I don't underestimate him. I simply despise him. There is a difference. ::That was her only reply to his speech and she said it coldly. She walked on, listening to his voice. His words flowed over her like a river. Masterful and commanding, but saddening. Like underwater currents. He told her to get behind a tree. She did and a pack of tazmanian tigers suddenly appeared.::

We should and can stop them now. There is no sense putting the others in danger. It doesn't matter if I die, and you cannot. Let us make use of the skills we were given and destroy them. ::She very quietly unsheathed her sword, and she had spoken in a soft whisper. These predators were all equipped with excellent hearing and savage fighting instincts. They would do their best to hurt her, but she wouldn't let them. She waited a bit until they passed close by and then like a flash of lightning severed the closest one's head and then disappeared behind her tree. The stupid creatures stopped, smelling the blood and leapt on the corpse to tear it to shreds in their gluttony. The distraction served her well and she severed another's head, but they got wise to her very quickly and began to attack with claws, teeth and brute force. Any big creature is dangerous enough when you are unarmed, but the sword in her hands proved very affective. As they pounced at her they impaled themselves on her blade. If they got close enough to attack she severed their limbs and stabbed through their jaws. Keeping on her feet she whirled around every few seconds into a different spot so none of them could catch her off gaurd from behind. One of them jumped at her leg, and her blade missed as it pounced and it sunk its teeth into her leg. Ryah let out a cry of pain, but worked her blade under the soft neck and cut the throat. She fought on, leaning on her good leg for support.::

The scent hit her like a shot of lightning. competition. She smiled slowly all fangs. Many of them by the strength. A challenge. Another chance to spill blood. Maybe even this time it would be her own. She called out a challenge to the night. It was a fierce feline battle call, the call of a demon lusting for a chance to kill. Her cloak was off, her daggers in her claws. The fire burned in her. She leaped off the branch to the next swinging and leaping towards her foes.

"This woman is either a fool or a genius...I can't decide which." With that Id dove from the branch he had perched himself in and landed on the back of one of the tigers. He snapped it's neck with his hands and jumped off. Spinning in the air he unsheathed his glistening blade and with his landing he struck two more across teh throat. Suddenly another was upon him. "Damn me and my flashiness." he cursed himself as he struggled to remove the enormous beast from behind. Suddenly he had an idea. He took his blade in his right hand and just as the beast leaned enough weight onto him to force him to collapse he drove the shimmering weapon through it skull.

She landed on the back of her first opponent, and in a flash of crimson her blade shot under it's throat. Then another charged her and she leapt to meet it claw to claw. It had the advantage and knocked her back, but she grabbed it by the throat and then used her hind claws to rip open its stomach. It slashed her shoulders before she threw it off. The pain was sharp and she reveled in it. She called again, as she sprang backwards to avoid thrusting claws, then used a tree as a launching point to scissor slash the head off another beast. She paused to lap at it's flowing blood purring as if the fluid was cream.

((I'm writing in white from now on.))

Kedil leapt to his feet and scrambled over to the commotion. The fight was almost over, and either way, Kedil was too taken back to actually fight. Hiding in a small patch of bushes, he quivered, waiting for the fierce and wild battle to end.

::Meanwhile::

Garai and Elleth approached their destination. They were starting to feel the hints of the battle taking place, and the traveling marks below them. As they ran through the tree tops, they drew their weapons, ready for whatever was ahead of them.