The Chimera (Raid: XVII, Val Noria)

A monstrous footprint was embedded in the dry cracked mud, something not easily missed in the vast canyon. Fingers tracing the sharp claws, Faye wondered what manner of beast could have made this mark. Was it native to the Enchanted Dominion or a Heartless? At this point, it was difficult to tell, but the sorceress was leaning towards the latter. The only thing she had seen comparable to its size was a true dragon, and a young one at that. The shape was entirely different, more cat like than lizard. Faye had never seen anything like it before, another reason why she suspected that its owner was of the darkness.

A few miles away, sitting upon the horizon, was a village. The fairy maiden had been there before, marketing her gowns to the townsfolk, though it had been some time since she had made the trip. Mostly because it was out of her way, and the roads were barely fit for wagon travel. It lay at least a mile away from the gorge, and that was worrisome. If there was a large Heartless lurking around, it was possible that it would head straight for the town, and Faye had been around long enough to know if it could happen, it probably would.  

The sorceress sighed, waking her pseudodragon companion that lay wrapped around her shoulders. The coral drake yawned before shutting her eyes once more, not seeming too concerned. And here she had only returned home to grab a few things to continue her quest, only to run into these footprints. Oh sure, she could leave and just hope for the best, but she wouldn’t. Not with a monster stalking the grounds. A part of her wondered if Malazon had intended this, an attempt to lure her back and steal her heart. If she lingered too long, he would realize she was here. Already, she could feel a dull ache as if his hands were there, wrapping around her heart as he had once before. The woman had come so close to losing everything that night. A trap or not, she couldn’t leave this to fate. Besides, it would be nice to have a challenge.

It's really strange when a world opens up its possibilities by simply existing. If a region of existence was an empty void, that may not be so try, but one might argue a blank canvas is the perfect place to craft a masterpiece. What if not the canvas was blank? Would you rewrite what was written? Would you erase it and stub it out from possibly being remembered? Would you add to it? There's no one approach, no one correct approach, no single incorrect approach, but there is something definitive: an action can be taken.

The best thing about a blank canvas is that it has no destiny. It is only a tool to shape into whomever defines it. The definition itself is left up to its designer's imagination and capabilities. Someone with ill-intents can create something horrifying to even themself, as well as someone with righteous intents being able to create something that would one day haunt them forever. What ever may be a result, its creator should hope to be certain in everything they do, perhaps to minimize regrets, but otherwise nothing will be actually accomplished.

Worst of all, when one takes ownership of a blank slate and then they are interrupted constantly by a stream of someone's conscious, that canvas is tainted and can never become what anyone would desire. Not fully or truly. The Heartless serve to destroy these things that can never be fully defined again, but are also controlled by them. It would seem there is no winning; the struggle is endless. Darkness cannot be removed, not unless everything is removed. There was someone who had that capability once, but only in an empty void that he could not shape. It wasn't his canvas. It was interrupted, tainted, and lost.

All that remains is a drifter who chose the wrong path.

JeY turned his head to appear to be looking over the trees, not really sure where he landed, but immediately sure that something was abhorrently wrong. There was a gigantic unbalance of the elements here, particularly a massive overflow of darkness. He didn't disagree with its presence but it warranted his investigation. Sitting cross-legged on the grassy floor, he lowered his head and mentally scouted the area for all traces of energy. He could see all the life that was present, and all the darkness that grew. Whatever decision he made, he should probably not make it alone while in such a weakened state. Surely some lawfully driven heroes would be present eventually... having far more distinct auras that light up like fireworks in the grid of darkness he drew in his mind of this world.

Yet another strange world that felt all too familiar. It was a little strange to keep finding herself in a brand new area, only to get the feeling of deja vu. This place, just like the towns of Traverse and Twilight seemed to ring a bell in her mind for unknown reasons. After reading a particular book she found in her rented room in an inn, possibly left by the previous patron, she had began adopting the thought of past lives. It made sense in a way. How else could she subconsciously feel like she had been in a certain place before, when in actuality she had just gotten there? Of course, there was also the possibility of amnesia...

The long-haired girl stopped her pace when she came upon a cliff. Behind her were some thick trees that would have rendered her lost if there wasn't a path worn on by frequent trampling of, she guessed, people. Unlike her previous adventures, she hadn't found herself in this world through a ship, rather, a portal just literally opened right in front of her. It didn't belong to her, yet she felt a rather chilling power coming from it. A little bit of curiosity made her walk through the portal and she found herself in the forest. The portal closed so she took the dirt road to where she was currently standing.

From her vantage point, she saw a settlement. That place being the only thing having the slightest bit of interest, she decided to visit. She picked a point just in front of the entrance and opened a void portal there and right in front of her. She casually walked through and closed the gateways she created. One foot gracefully placed after another, she walked in. She'd just wander aimlessly for a while, as she had done for most of her time in the previous worlds, and would probably only stop to sit when her feet became unbearably pained.

Imtahas etutu darisum, etutu adi la basi alaku bitzu durani. Ni zazu nise matati kisitti qatiya, ina la umisu emuq. Me àm kad ma annitu etutu, àm dug zall alme, talamu nuru ul immaru. Summa Nura. Ezerung, igisung, nandanuzu.

He wasn't quite sure how he got here. He really wasn't even sure where here was, to be honest. Sebu's very last memories before this moment were of an island, a green thing with its beast, and a few of its inhabitants. He remembered that he did not recognize them, and before that he remembered nothing. Then, he found himself here, and who could say where that was?

He didn't start too far away from signs of civilization. Rather, the platinum-haired man started on a path that had seen much travel. The path was one of dirty earth with small stones and strands of short grass interspersed throughout, either side laden with long grass in an extended meadow and sparsely placed small, thin trees throughout. He lay towards the leftward edge of this path on his side, eyes staring blankly forward as they opened and focused on the world around him. The air was cool, the ground cold, but the sun bright and the plant-life vibrant.

He rolled over onto his stomach to gain leverage with his arms, raising to his feet. He swayed lightly with the breeze as it caught him on wobbly legs, the limbs themselves as uncertain of why and what they were as he was of who and where he could possibly be. With a strange sense of familiarity washing over him, he looked towards the village whose building tops peeked over the visible hills of the road. His legs were still amnesiac of their owner, and began to carry him that direction. Sebu allowed the limbs to move with no resistance, his own curiosity providing him with a reason to seek others. Perhaps this familiarity was not coincidental or imagined.

He muttered under his breath as the morning embraced him from all sides, breathing in the refreshingly cool air. "Alu mare ali, Ni resussunzu."

There was no trace as to where the owner of the footprint was. The trail ended here, dead and cold; at least a day or two old judging by the form of the dried mud. As much as the sorceress wanted to look on the bright side (though that was seldom) and continue with her agenda, until the clue was followed up on, this would eat away at her, regardless if it did turn out to be nothing.  

Faye turned back to the village. observing the tiny billows of smoke that rose from the chimneys, vanishing into the air as it was claimed by the afternoon sky. That was enough to tell her they were hard at work, perhaps even more so since the culling of nobles. There did not appear to be anyone working the fields, which was strange, now that she noticed it. Another indication that something was not right. Did it have anything to do with the footprint? The best way to find out would be to ask. Standing around was not going to answer any questions. However, it was a distance she did not wish to travel--on foot at least. Luckily, there was a certain friend that could provide such assistance.

Focusing on her magic, the fairy maiden channeled the spell, allowing every aspect to flood through her veins, reaching down into her limbs and filling her with warmth. There was no better feeling, such euphoria. Possessing the forces of life and destruction, to have the choice and control to direct your own fate. True, at times it was more of a curse than a blessing, but Faye did not mind carrying the burden with all its charm. With more power, came more choices, and change for better or worse--a heavy responsibility to bear. It was one she would only trust herself to hold. More power, that's what she desired. Too many times in her life she had been left helpless, unable to aid herself or others. No more. Malazon was the last--and she promised herself he would be the last--to make her feel so weak and vulnerable. His day was coming.

"Noir! To me!" casting the spell, a bright light encompassed the area, causing the woman to shield her eyes. As the light began to fade, a black horse was revealed, standing among the white barked trees. At first, he seemed confused, turning about in circles as he realized that he was not in the same meadow. However, the stallion quickly forgot about that when he spotted his master. Noir let out a high pitched whinny, galloping over to the sorceress and rubbing his head against her hand. After patting his neck, and giving him a kiss on his velvet nose; Faye grabbed a fist full of mane, heaving herself up onto his back, both legs resting on his left side. "That's my good boy." she said, before clicking her tongue. Recognizing the command, Noir picked up his gait, his long powerful legs almost gliding across the weather road.

On her way there, she did spot a snowy haired man traveling the roads, and even slowed Noir down to a trot to get a better look at him. The stranger was no local farmer. His skin gave that away right off the bat. A worker that pale was either a noble (no a worker at all), or sick. This one wasn't dressed the part of a noble from what she could tell, and nor did he appear ill... he was a little too clean to be just any commoner. Maybe he was from another world. There were more and more people coming to her homeland these days. A pity they were visiting during such a dark age. The golden years had died with the royalty. Noir came to a halt a few paces from the young man as a shudder was felt throughout the land. The quake could be felt for miles around, but more prominently in the small town, shaking the very foundation of the old stone buildings and alarming its citizens. Something was stirring.

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Noir has been summoned: - 2 DP
Posts remaining 10

[OOC: didn't realize the post order was locked in this soon! Sorry, new to raids - if everyone is waiting on me, go ahead and skip me; I don't have anything reasonable to contribute at this time.

Apologies once again ^_^; ]

[[Alright, if you say so. And no worries ^^ ]]

Val continued to walk down the streets, paying no heed to the populace, and instead focused on not bumping into anyone. In turn, the denizens let her be, but were understandably cautious at the sight of her sword. However, looking especially approachable was not on her mind. And if it were, she wouldn't know where to start. She didn't know what made anyone approachable or not. Only that a drawn sword often didn't look all that inviting compared to a sheathed one.

The Nobody found a fountain to sit at and decided to rest a little before her feet began to hurt from walking. She sat elegantly, one foot tucked behind the other and legs slightly leaning to the left. Her hands clasped gently on her lap as she looked straight ahead at the entrance of the town. There weren't that many people compared to the other places she'd been to, and began to wonder if that was a good thing or not. After a while though, something made the population seem uneasy. Val herself held on to the hilt of her sword when the ground quaked.

Was there something happening other than a simple quake? The people were more on edge than she should be. An orb of pure obsidian appeared beside her for protection in case something came up.

Sebu could hear the sound of something coming up beside him, and turned to look over his should just in time to make out a young woman on a horse. She came to a stop not far away from him, at the exact moment the ground beneath his feet started to shake. He managed to keep his balance as the earth beneath his feet shook and rolled, the quake ending almost as suddenly as it began. Under his breath came a haggard, "Sa?" His eyes darted around the environment as quickly as they could, trying to figure out the source of where the quake had come from.

Yet the only thing he could deduce was that the young woman behind him on her black horse may not have been so innocuous as first assumed. That didn't mean that he thought she was responsible, but she was the only person around that he could get answers from. Somewhat funnily, Sebu hadn't met enough people to grasp that his language was more than a little uncommon. "Kiae rabum! Mudu petae sumsu mimma?" His eyes seemed to challenge her, but not threaten. However, his defensive posture may convey otherwise despite himself.

It was a consequence of being foriegn. Out of touch with their culture and their language, Sebu projected his own even if he lacked a frame of reference to understand why his mannerisms were the way they were. For his people, perhaps this apparent confrontational stance was more acceptable, but he did not realize that this would be the case. Little did he know how much his demand for answers was directed at the wrong party.

There it was. That look, the tight lips, the narrowed eyes, she knew that look. Hell, it was there to greet her nearly every time she visited the castle village miles away. The sorceress took it as the accusing judgmental expression she had grown so used to seeing. However, any defensive remarks she had prepared were briefly forgotten when he spoke, and she was thrown for a loop. Ancient words of an unknown tongue met her ears, causing the maiden to quirk a brow. What did he say? She had no clue. Judging by his posture, however, the woman had a certain feeling that he was threatening her. At least, that's the way she took it. Whether or not that was the case, she kept her guard up. Not only because of the young man, but the sound of shuffling she had suddenly heard through the brush nearby. Wysteria sniffed the air and growled. That was enough to tell her that something more than the local fauna was scurrying around them.

Looking the young man up and down, she heaved a sigh. "By the light." she said calmly. "If you are to snap at me, please do so in the king's English." she suddenly shook her head. Was this really the time to bicker with a foreign adventurer? No, she needed to find out what had caused the earth to quake as it did. The town had to know something. Suddenly, another shake wracked the earth, more violent than the last. Faye had nearly lost her balance and tumbled off the horse, just barely catching herself. Before she could even begin to register the second quake, the clanking of metal and leaves was heard. Spinning wildly from the trees towards the strangers were several soldier Heartless, their dented filthy armor glaring in the afternoon sun. Their sharp strikes barely missed the sorceress and her party, the ghost of the attack kissing her cheek. It was too close. Snorting wildly, the stallion quickly reacted to the invaders, rearing up on his hind legs before landing with a powerful stomp. The enemies were pushed away from him and his mistress, and dazed for a split second, but hardly injured. "Hmph." the crystal ball in her hand began to flare with violet energy. "Little pests. I do hope you can handle yourself." she said, wondering if the young man could even understand her language.

Meanwhile, the town would be experiencing its own troubles. With the next tremor, Heartless began to appear and terrorize the streets. It was only the beginning for the fiend that lurked below. .

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Noir the Stallion - posts remaining 9
Stomp – Noir rears up on his hind legs before striking the ground. The force of his strong body and hooves creates a small shockwave that pushes the target backwards. This ability does little damage.

Val caught herself when a quake forced her to the ground. The people panicked and ran out of the buildings, however, the open space of the outside streets weren't any safer. A large horde of heartless appeared and began attacking the people. A few charged at Val, but were quickly dispatched by her sword. Her left-handed style of fighting gave her a bit of an edge in combat, just because it wasn't as common as the counterpart style. When one Neoshadow jumped at her from behind, the sphere of obsidian rammed into it and shattered, ending that one. She then used the shards to stitch through a couple more.

There were a few able-bodied men and soldiers who came to dispatch some of them, and they held out well. But there was just too many of them, and Val was getting surrounded. She created a thin layer of obsidian around her to keep herself from being seen. The heartless immediately attacked her cocoon, but Val was already gone.

In the blink of an eye, she relocated herself to the top of the highest point, and from there, she shot her arrows. Lyra, her bow, sang a sweet tune every time it sent an obsidian arrow sailing through the air. The nobody was a beginning to feel exhausted already. Maybe she should have rested a little earlier.

[OOC: Sorry 'bout the wait, got back from out of town recently ^_^; ]

The fireworks continued to grow and become more apparent to the lost and sorely troubled man. They even began converging at points. A black smudge appeared on his grid, and began to grow faster than the appearance of fireworks. The whole ground shook but his concentration was unwavered as there were not threats in his vicinity. All of the threat was pretty far away... And should he choose to get involved, could be there in an instant.

It was fascinating how the state of his eyes never seemed to change from when he sat down to now when he stood back up, surveying the immediate area. He drew a steel blade from the sheath on his back, flicked it across both sides of his wrist and slammed it into the ground. He took a step back and held his arm back into a strange position; slightly bend with his palm open and facing away from him and his fingers curled in an angular fashion. It wasn't practical for anything, but after a few seconds began to shake. Then shake more intensely. Then he let it fall.

Useless. He was unable to do what he truly wanted, and the inferior steel laid before him would have to suffice as he picked it up and held it tight in his left hand. He still couldn't use his power to the degree he would consider normal, not by a long shot. He would have to conserve it. He would have to make his trek on foot, but he could run very fast. He could make it to the others in no time. He could escape if he wanted to, and that made this journey nearly no risk at all.

Considering how JeY was blindfolded, he was doing pretty well to avoid hazards such as rocks or trees or brambles in his path. He was used to being a wanderer, and he was used to not having human eyes. It would probably take him just a minute to catch up with a young man and young woman just outside of the town, as the Heartless began pouring in.

The shockwave was impressive, good thing the chaotic man was just out of range when it happened. He didn't bother with any introductions, and figured everyone would learn his stance by pointing his sword at the nearest common enemy. He would hit it, but it needed to get back up and charge at him first.

The woman's response didn't satisfy Sebu, primarily because he couldn't understand what she was saying. Regardless, her voice was eerily calm for what had just happened. Her composure cast doubt, in his mind, on her lack of involvement in what had just happened, presumptuous though that may be. What was he to think though? His focus on her took him out of the environment around him, which would prove to be a dangerous err on his part. He meant to reply to her, for all the good he had deduced it wouldn't do, when the earth shook yet again beneath his feet and Sebu lost his balance, falling to a knee while struggling to keep himself upright.

"Ezeru!" He exclaimed this, taken by surprise and left with no other means to express himself. A hand pressed against the ground to hold him steady, his eyes darting from the young woman as she struggled to stay atop her horse to the rest the environment as he searched for something, anything else that could give him a proper clue. He didn't suspect her any less, but certainly she could not be the only suspect for such a massive thing, especially if it were occurring by her hand when she was present right in front of him. While fear compelled him to suspicion, it did not totally erase his common sense.

But, he couldn't process these thoughts immediately. Something struck his back- hard. He felt a sharp pang as the force knocked him fully to the ground, the black things of different shapes shuffling towards and around him. Sebu shot up and darted forward as one grabbed his leg and tripped him to the ground again. He turned his eyes back towards them, not wielding an expression of fear but anger, plain and simple. They had caught him off-guard, not frightened him. The soldier heartless crept up his leg, raising a claw to strike. "Batiltu!" The soldier immediately froze, trapped in time while Sebu shook free and put some distance between himself and the the others that shifted eagerly behind their incapacitated ally.

If the woman had spoken to Sebu, he didn't address it. Instead he brandished a Keyblade, the weapon appearing in his hand and he clenched his teeth and widened his eyes. He took a stance not unlike a savage warrior of long-forgotten days, his arms splayed and chest puffed out like he was attempting to intimidate a wild beast into backing down. Yet he seemed to be chanting something too despite his now ferocious composure. "La Magirisu, kanasuzu samsum, enu melammu shuhadaku." He pointed the weapon at the black beasts as they drew near. "Libbi ubla anpa."

When the mythical weapon she had been searching so long for came into view, the sorceress lost her focus. No, it couldn't be, could it? After all this time of trudging through unknown worlds for that legendary hero, he just pops up in her homeland? The nerve of him! Of course, not all appears as it may seem, but that was the last thing her excited adrenaline rich mind could think about. It looked like a keyblade, therefore it had to be a keyblade! The reserved woman may have even flipped out of character and tackled the man in glee had it not been for the Heartless that so rudely interrupted her thoughts. Metallic razor claws dug into her left shoulder, causing the fairy maiden to cry out in agony. Wreathing her hand in fire, she reached back, grabbing the dark pest by the head, and used all her strength to rip the monster off of her. Noir began to spin around in a circle, hoping to help his mistress pry the bugger off with some momentum. The soldier fought, trying to hang on, but the fire persuaded it to release its grip, tumbling and bouncing to the ground where it promptly began to run around like a chicken with its head cut off, lashing out at anyone who got too close.

Hissing through her teeth, she placed a protective hand over the wound, cursing herself for letting her guard down. Another had even come onto the scene, a blindfolded man wielding a sword, without her knowledge while she had gaped like a village idiot at the foreign adventurer. There was no excuse for her to be making rookie mistakes. She'd fought these creatures enough to know the consequences of making even the smallest of errors.

Raising her Wisp Sphere, she imbued the magical weapon with the power of wind. These Heartless alone couldn't be causing the tremors ripping through the land. Something much bigger was behind this, and perhaps it was linked to the footprint she had discovered earlier. Standing here outside the town wasn't helping. The source had to stem from there. After all, the tiny village was probably seen as a delicious prize. It's inhabitants were farmers, not warriors, and sure they could fight back with what guards they had, but it wouldn't be too effective against the darkness. There was no time to waste here. If there was another grand tremor, it very well could be the last for the village. Faye would do everything in her power to prevent that. Looking towards the keybearer with a grim desperate expression, she hoped that maybe that would be enough to convey her wishes since words did not suffice--if he was even paying attention. There was always that chance. Regardless, with the keyblade in tow or not, she had to move.

"Charge through them." she commanded her horse, and the beast replied with a whinny, rearing back on his hind legs before barreling forward, sending a mass of black bodies hurling through the forest. With her destination close in sight, she felt the gradual quakes seize through the ground, softer and easier than before, almost as if what lay beneath was calculating its next steps. Arriving at the head of the town, the sorceress could see a beautiful, white haired, warrioress in the distance, batting back the heartless with earth magic and steel. An ounce of relief swept over her. At least there was one potential protector here.

With the onset of more screams and another quake, Faye caught the view of red leathery wings over the stone huts and wood buildings. Too close for comfort, however, it was not within the village, yet. A few of the armed guards were rushing by in an absolute panic, and one was outraged to find the black horse blocking his path.

"Move! Move!" he demanded in a coarse voice, bracing his hand's against the stallion's broad shiny chest to push him back. The beast threatened to bite the man with a grunt and a flash of teeth.

"Have you no honor? You are a defender of this village." the woman scoffed, leveling a glare at the man, moving Noir over for the man to get through. Her words obviously wounded him, seen clearly from the crease in his brow, but he did not turn around and brandish his sword as she had hoped, and continued his escape. "Come, Noir." she clicked her tongue, and the stallion galloped by the Nobody and towards the terror ahead. Faye wanted to see just how frightening and large this Heartless opponent was going to be.

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Noir the stallion - 8 posts remaining

Noir used Trample - Noir charges forward, crushing over anyone in his path and can potentially knock someone off their feet.

Elemental augment - Faye imbues the Wisp Sphere with one primal element, causing moderate elemental damage each time she attacks. It takes a 2 post cool down before she can reapply another element.

((Kinda short, sorry ^ ^; ))

A Shadow had jumped on her, forcing her to jump from her perch. As she neared the ground, fragments of obsidian formed under her falling form to cushion her fall. It might not have looked like the best way to land, but the Nobody got out unscathed, quickly standing up within moments of her less-than-graceful landing. The bed of obsidian was actually quite fluffy. Her attacker had jumped to follow her, and she proceeded to shoot an arrow through its head in midair.

Hearing the gallops of a steed, she spun around, readying a Sentinel. Her bow disappeared in a snap and she quickly redrew her sword, ready to retaliate against the potential enemy. Val eyed the woman and her steed. When they slowed down and didn't attack, she went into a more passive pose with her arms falling to the side, and the Nobody herself slowly turning to what appears to be a bigger heartless. Or at least that was what it seemed like.

Val took another glance at the woman and her steed. She noticed how the mystery woman's attire seemed to contrast with hers. Although both of their attires were elegant in their own right, the woman's was more formal. Without saying a word, Val turned back to the disturbance and summoned five obsidian arrows above her, all pointing straight ahead. Throughout all this, she kept a stoic face, with just a trace of fatigue.

[OOC: Sorry about the wait everyone ^_^; I've been working like crazy lately... But! so you know, no matter how long I may take, I'm not going to give up! Like ever ._. but skip me if I take too long next time and I'll fill in the gaps. It's fine.]

Despite the close vicinity the fighters were in, everyone fought a contained battle. Just as well, JeY was hardly the type to interfere with strangers more than capable of handling themselves, and any attempts of the others to interfere with his scene would be seen as nothing but condescending. Maybe people are legitimately interested in helping, but that's never the interpretation the chaotic man would make. It seemed it wasn't one he had to make either. Not to mention he rather ignored the others minus keeping track of their presence. He was keeping track of a lot of presences actually... especially the gigantic shadow that loomed on his internal grid of entities.

The soldier made its move, rushing the man with a blindfold while a few others began to crowd and observe. It was never smart to make the first move, but who would he be saying that to in this scenario? A practically mindless animated dummy. He swung up to bring the Heartless airborne with a swift strike and gave it a few stabs before sending it crashing down with a spin-strike from upper right to lower left. It dissipated once it hit the ground. 'This sword isn't so worthless after all... It would be nice to kill these in one strike though' JeY thought to himself.

He barely got any playtime at all before there was another tremor and the girl on the steed took off. The enemies that began to fester were knocked over once again. Seems she was off toward what JeY could only assume was a village, from how many bodies he could count in the area based on his aura sense alone. While his eyes were bandaged, his head was still faced in that direction when yet another tremor hit and something more solid than a shadow manifested in the distance. It appeared as an outline to the man but he could still clearly tell what was going on.

That girl was never going to survive that fight by herself. He could count how many stronger souls, more capable fighters, that happened to be close by and they all joined her they wouldn't even need his help. Normally JeY only considers entering a fight that's already more than in capable hands when he has something to gain, so what was different about this time?

Well, nothing really. He needed their respect so he could dig some information from them. He would reveal what he needed when appropriate, proving to be of assistance to an enemy this massive was a shortcut to getting his needs heard by those who could probably fight. He just had to hope they weren't as difficult as the last one he dealt with.

These small fry could wait. There was definitely some sustenance to be desired with the emerging prey. JeY took off toward the village, following the presence that mounted her steed in hopes that her goal was to run straight for it and fight it. He skipped every opportunity to possibly help this town due to his lack of interest, and honestly looked quite silly while just running really fast on the ground. Without his normally reliable access to teleportation and not being tapped into his own Chaos energy enough to allow basic flight, it was his only choice really. He wouldn't quite catch up to the girl on the steed, but instead kept his distance on purpose though it wasn't like he was hiding; he merely wanted to remain out of conversational earshot.

Sebu raised his blade in a vicious stance, ready to slice through the Heartless as best he could. Yet, something tingled inside of his brain- a sense of recognition that he couldn't reconcile with his current knowledge. He could have sworn he knew what these things were... or maybe, if he had been in a position to think more deeply, he would have actually brushed it off. Their dark forms, unnatural eyes, jittery movements... familiar, but unfamiliar. And maybe that was what gave him the sense of 'I know them'- all things are capable of recognizing what they do not.

He felt that anxiety. It bubbled in his stomach, clouded his head, carried itself through his loins and chest. It was something that only a warrior could recognize. The anticipation and the desire to experience a truly remarkable fight was unlike anything he had otherwise experienced, and while this was the first time it had appeared in his being he still felt the kinship and connection with it. It was interrupted though. He hadn't caught her expression, but the movement of her horse as it beat its hoofs against the ground alerted him that he was left to the dark creatures on his own.

Instinct overwhelmed him- that was clearly a bad idea. He turned on his heel and ran in her direction, the path cleared after she had her steed bolt through it. Yet, as he entered the empty road the dark creatures in the forest began to surge out. Some remained farther back, but the faster of their number barred his escape. The slower ones were edging in behind him. He weighed his options, and the only clear advantages he had was the fact that they didn't (so far, at least) seem to have much higher thought and more coordination (primarily because he was only a single being).

He resumed rushing forward, and hurled himself through the line of heartless, putting them to his back as they clawed at him. He rolled and turned to face them, his back now to the town and the people within it. The horde from the path seemed to have enlarged, and once more he found himself weighing his options. If he ran, they would certainly follow. If he stayed to fight, they would definitely overwhelm him on his own. He stepped back, keeping his Keyblade between them and himself. The first one lunged and he batted it away, knocking the thing back into the mass just as another lept forward. It landed on his Keyblade, and he pressed it back. The thing stumbled into the rest of them, and a few of the ones it bumped into were knocked back.

But, it was clear this wasn't enough. He inched back, refusing to put himself in a dangerously vulnerable position. He was trying to strategy- how in the heck was he meant to get to the village without getting slaughtered by these beasts?

Just as soon as she came within what would have been a clear view of the monster, the sorceress was with met with only the sight of distant farmland. Confused, she glanced back, noting the familiar face of the blindfolded man not far behind. Curious she was of his presence and intent--although hopefully not so different from her own-- she brushed it aside. The present moment called for her full attention and she could not waver. If he was there to help, great. If not, she wasn't going to go out of her way to convince him. That choice were their right.

What she saw was clearly a battlefield, of that there was no doubt. Bits of armor, discarded and broken weapons, lay strewn about the thick mud that had once been worked by a farmer's hand, now tromped and ruined for the harvest season. Had the monster finished its business so quickly, leaving not even a single soldier to bare witness to its terrible feat?

"Wysteria." she barely manged to whisper the words, still stunned by the discouraging scene before her. The fairy dragon responded, crawling down from her shoulder to perch on her arm. "Scout above. Find the fiend's location and return to me." in the back of her mind, she questioned why she didn't do this in the first place, but then how hard was a supposedly giant Heartless to spot? Difficult evidently.

Clicking her heels gently into Noir's sides,  she surveyed the ground more closely. There was something wrong here that she had not noticed earlier. The way the ground lay was all wrong. The claw marks and the footprints had not deterred in the least from this location. How was that possible? In fact, why didn't she see anymore glimpses over the village, or even more concerning, the thunder of footsteps?

She had no time to contemplate this for the moment she did, Noir's hooves gave way out from under him, almost sending them both into a narrow sloped tunnel below. Noir fought against dirt and rock and the weight of his own body, as he began to slide down into the opening, his high pitched squeals ringing out clearly over the air. Faye spoke softly, trying desperately to calm the anxious beast, for panic could prove more deadly in this situation than the Heartless itself. Muttering a spell, the force of wind manifested under the horse's hooves, aiding him backwards until he once again found even ground.

"Good boy." Faye said, out of breath as she patted the horse's sleek neck.

Wysteria returned not long after, but the sorceress already had her answer for why the beast remained cleverly out of sight.

The arrows floated as she stepped towards whatever it was disturbing the ground. As she did so, another ball of obsidian appeared and revolved around her. Her pace was an easy one, like she was just taking an evening stroll. The heartless that attacked her were cut down with a few quick swipes of her sword. Or rather, swords, as she created a variety of them with the dark glass-like material she was so fond of using. They were mostly throwaway weapons that easily broke after the second strike, but the shards were reformed into other swords, though she only had three of them out at a time.

There was no need for more as there wasn't a lot of them. She kept an eye out for whatever monster started this whole attack and kept herself from using her abilities, saving them for later.

[OOC: So, I'm going to just say that if it goes longer than a week without my post, you can skip me - there has been a variety of circumstances affecting my availability and I'm not sure when it's getting better ^_^; I'm resourceful, I'll always be able to catch up! And I'm certainly not going to give up on this any time soon =) thanks everyone for being so patient~]

While certainly glad the woman on the steed paid him no particular mind, he was a little confused as to why she suddenly stopped. Maybe she couldn't feel the beast's presence as JeY could, or perhaps she was strategizing before running into the soon-to-be fray. He couldn't see her face therefore couldn't make out her confusion, but instead turned slightly and walked slowly at a diagonal relative to the path they took. Still moving forward, but also moving in a way where he wouldn't cross her path.

The ground giving out beneath the girl was slightly startling, but it centralized to her leaving the man nearby unaffected. It revealed a tunnel though, which explained a lot. While his human eyes can't make out the texture or colors of the ground, he could interpret that light was bouncing deeper into the hole than only what the hole revealed. Tunnels would easily explain why the girl was confused - she couldn't see it. Briefly contemplating moving over to help, he quickly say she didn't need any.

It was a pleasure to see the girl recover herself and her steed without too much trouble, and rather unscathed as well. It was a simple, but sudden, collapse and who knows what dice could've rolled in that situation. JeY remained out of contact, even though he could probably lead the girl to the beast's precise location. Well, if he wanted their respect, now was as good as a time to start than any.

didn't take more than a simple aversion in his previous path and a slightly more effective spring in his step to carry him over in voice's reach of the woman. "I take it we're both after the same demonic presence looming in the distance." It was a simple start, but the way JeY spoke was a stoic monotone so he always had to give people a wind up to get used to it before going all out with whatever was on his mind. He had more to say, but he would wait to make sure the woman was paying attention, or at least interested in doing so.