Takaokitsu was standing outside of the Forests, waiting for someone he was told would come and help him. Apparently whatever was going on inside of that forest was dangerous enough that he didn't feel safe sending just Takao alone into that forest. That was kinda hurtful but understandable to some extent, Takao wasn't exactly the strongest and most likely would not be for awhile. With a sigh, he looked down at the paper he wrote down his instructions on. His job was to go into the forest and gather up more samples, as apparently the use of magic to remove the beanstalk might have caused a series of issues that quickly got out of hand. Takao and whoever was coming with him, were going to go into the forest and just gather up whatever seemed out of place and bring it back.

Well that seemed like a simple enough job, all he had to do now was to wait for whoever was going to come and help him do this.

WC 170

Lumikki was flying toward the Orchidia Outskirts in her raven form. Her flock would join her since the task was sounding like a search mission. At least that was what she gathered from the Rune Knight looking for her. He found her just outside the Silver Cleaver, and she's been annoyed ever since.

"It would be easy and quick work for us, no need to pout." Lonu chimed, hoping he could soothe her temperament.

"Well be sure to work fast, so that you can move on to doing other things." Trygve her other raven would add. These were but two of her usual company. Though some of her stray flock joined in for the task as well.

"Ugh I don't care. It's bad enough the Woodsee seeks me out directly through ravens. Now I have Rune Knights asking me directly for work?! It annoys me, but the sooner we finish I guess the sooner we could be gone. Do any of ya remember the person he said was joining me?"

"Takao, if I remember right." It took a moment for Lumi to put it together, but sure enough it clicked. And suddenly her mood was not as heavy. "Aye, fine by me. Let's tease the fox and get to work."

It did not take her long to find him, though she hid among the trees. "What ya doing here buddy? you lost?" She spoke in a voice not of her own. Both playful and menacingly.

Takao stood there, at this point leaning against a tree as he waited for the person he was told to wait for. This was going to take awhile at this rate, and that was when he heard a voice. He didn't recognize this voice at all, but Takao didn't panic. He slowly moved his hand to his sword, trying to make it look as natural as possible before speaking outloud to the voice. " No. I know exactly where I am. "

Takao made several logical assumptions at this point, it wasn't likely this was a bandit of any real worth. This forest had no evidence that Takao was aware of that there were bandits in the area, and this also most likely wasn't an intelligent animal. If this was an intelligent animal, it wouldn't be giving away whatever position it might have unless it was here to gloat which if it was intelligent it would know better to do at this point. Takao's mind raced as he went through the possibilities of how this could go down, and eventually just landed on he should wait and see. Gather information and see where it goes.

WC 193/363

”Ya sure about that? Don’t look like you belong here….” Lumikki was watching for his reactions and though he was playing it quite cool, she was still thorougally entertained. ”But I guess a guy like you always knows how to stay on guard. Least I don’t ever got to worry about ye, that’s nice.”

She flew to the tree just behind him and shifted out of sight, moving forward just after her form was revealed through the cluster of feathers that had surrounded and obscured her in her transformation. ”As much as I’d like to play with ye, I know ye’d just be the type to complain about me wasting yer time.” She had a cheeky smile on her face as she walked passed him to go deeper into the forest.

And so they did, to find what ever in there was worth noting. Her ravens knew to alert her if they saw anything of note too. But really, what wasn’t odd anymore. There were blue glowing vines everywhere strangling the trees. The foliage below were suffering too, most of it was whilted or dead. Lumi ran her hands along some of the vines she walked pass. Freezing them as she did so and shattering them within her hands. ”I know he mentioned this was magic gone wrong, but this is too far….” She wasn’t pleased with the sight of it nor what it would mean for her birds.

”Croak!” One of her ravens would exclaim. She would walk over, still freezing the vines as she walked pass. And that was when she noticed the massive flower. It was a deep blew compared to the vines, luminescent pollen dispersed and hovered around the bud. As beautiful as it was to see, everything else around it was dead….

”First things first, we’ll need a sample.” She pulled out vials from her void and collected some of it sap, pollen, and the vines. Placing them all in a pouch before handing it to one of her birds to pass on ahead.

But just after the raven was a way off, she felt faint for a moment out of no where. It stunned her as she could finally feel herself getting weaked. Her breathe heavying but not like much. She was still capable but she didn’t apprecait this. And though it took her a bit to realize what it could possiblly be, turning around gave her the answer.

”How fooooul…” She’d mutter as she quickly walked to the nearest vine. Shooting her frost toward the core of the flower. Letting her black frost take over, it crept around the petals blooming flowers of her own. The weird flower was dying to her magic, but she’d to it that at least this one would be gone. She shattered the flower, and watched it fall to pieces but the task too a lot out of her and she was heaving at this point.

”It’s been fun dove, but I can’t be here any longer.”

Takao was ready to fight whatever this thing was, or run if that was smarter once he saw the thing but he luckily didn't have to as the voice quickly changed to one he knew. Lumikki. So either this thing knew that Takao had worked and trusted Lumikki at this point, or it was Lumikki herself. It was far more likely that Lumikki could turn into an animal of some kind then the other option so. Takao simply smiled at Lumikki, though he didn't find the trick particularly funny or fun, but atleast he knew that she wouldn't keep up a joke if it wasn't landing.

The son of the Shogan of Joya walked through the forest with this raven women, and simply watched and observed to see how she dealt with these problems that were ahead of them. He did learn that Lumikki's magic was ice based, atleast one element of it was ice based and that she had many birds with her at all times. Takao was far enough back from whatever was happening to Lumikki at the time, but she turned around and eventually walked back and they both returned the sample.

-Exit-

195/500+ WC