Yuuki leaned against the rock his katana leaning against his left shoulder as he pulled a canteen of water and some ration bars out of his pack. Yuuki took a bit of the bar and a swig of the water as he tried to relax and steel himself for the more difficult part of Salem and Yuuki's journey up the mountain since they had now arrived at the castle Yuuki got an eerie feeling being this close to it, a feeling that made his skin crawl, which caused him to shiver a bit as he took another bite of the ration bar  before taking another drink from his canteen, before finishing up the ration bar and draining the canteen putting the canteen and ration bar wrapper back his in his pack his fished out some weapon maintenance materials and went to work looking over his katana, first cleaning it before he sharpened and polished it and finally adding a thin coating of oil to the blade of the weapon. Yuuki finished his weapon maintenance and packed away all the things he had used for weapon maintenance away in his pack before standing and shouldering his pack and attaching his Katana back to his belt.

Yuuki looked over at Salem and seen the man was also finished with his break "You ready to do this? Something tells me this is the point of no return." Yuuki said in a somber tone "Like once we cross through the gates it's get to the bottom of this or we may not return." Yuuki said in a serious but somber tone in attempt to show Salem he knew the gravity of the situation and did not plan on taking their situation lightly at all. Yuuki took point and head for the castle's main gate and pushed them open only to be hit with a black cloud which he could feel almost immediately began to sap his strength causing him to jump back slightly as he watched the black mist swirl with in the gates but did not proceed outside the gate. "Well this is certainly a very unexpected predicament." Yuuki said matter-of-factly as he looked back at Salem.

"How do you think we should proceed?" Yuuki questioned as trying to pick Salem's brain for ideas "The only way to get to the bottom of this entire thing, is through that foreboding black mist." Yuuki stated even though it was a obvious statement "The moment the mist touched me it felt as if I lost some of my strength and faculties ." Yuuki explained to Salem trying to give as much detail to the healer as he could to see if the man perhaps had a solution to navigate the mist with out being effected by it but either way their only path from this point onwards was forward as Yuuki had never been one to quit on something with out sufficiently good reason to do so. Yuuki wondered if Yumi had made it back to the village again and if at the base of the mountain may have been the last time he would ever see her again since the situation was shaping up to be more dangerous than Yuuki had anticipated as he doubted it was just black mist housed with in the castles walls surely there were more nefarious things awaiting them within.

Post Word Count:560

Salem took some premade snacks from his inventory, the information he discovered he deemed useless to tell. He believed him and Yuuki would be able to deal with it anyway. It was easier to just enjoy his snacks and regain his stamina, which was why he came back to take his break. The stupid mana interference made it impossible for him to regain his mana, so he did not bother to even try. Instead he filled up and mumbled to himself about how much of an annoyance dark magic could be, not that light magic was any better. Still he munched away on his stack. Salem enjoyed the octopus balls and chocolate milk. It was so tasty to him and made his mouth look unnecessarily thirsty.

Standing up after seeing Yuuki was ready Salem was able to give a response. “Yep. I am all set and ready to go.” Salem saw the serious expression on Yuuki’s face and tried to match it. Being serious was not a thing he needed to do, it was not in his nature to be serious. On Salem it looked like he was more constipated, or even chilly. If this was the same place he had been to before. Salem would expect Yuuki may get momentarily weak after touching the door, so when it actually happened he was not surprised. This was always one of the earliest ways he had managed to lure people into his

This time Salem had a naturally carefree look on his face. That was because he was a bit more carefree since he knew some things. “We should proceed carefully. We can ignore the black mist to an extent with me here. I will make us unable to get mana but we can survive it.” When Salem would get permission he would cast a full body defensive on them both. It was insurance in case that got touched by the black mist. “Just try to walk towards any light you can find, if you can.” This was not his first rodeo in dealing with a hostile environment. At least the mist sapped strength and did not leave you in a coma, or got you knocked up by your sister's ex-mailman over a trip in Boscoe. Salem shook his head to remember he is not about that life.

The interior of the place looked pretty much like the outside. It was a very old place with a ton of bad taste. Salem would not be shocked if the place had more traps than a Joyan bathhouse, Salem could not help but notice the pull on his strength from the place. “Yep, we really have to hurry. This place is sucking me so much faster than I thought it would, if I am not careful I will not last and it will end with both of us getting wiped out.” Salem putting more pep into his step then letting them fall into despair. Salem would have healed away some of the fatigue before but he did not have the time.

[508]

Yuuki nodded at Salem as he rested against the wall still quite winded from simply opening the gate as Yuuki had never had any experienced anything like this before as this was new to him, he had never been up against a dark being of such power before mostly just mercenaries and common monsters found throughout Fiore and Earthland, however Yuuki was warry of things he did not fully understand just like anyone would be when placed in a unfamiliar situation. Yuuki managed to regain enough of his strength not to need the support of the wall to stand up straight anymore as Salem seemed to speak on his question of how they should proceed seeming to say we should tread carefully but no so lightly that they were tiptoeing around as they really didn't need to worry to much about the black mist with him there "Alright, let's get a move on." Yuuki said as he stepped into the courtyard of the castle with a renewed vigor.

Yuuki still felt uneasy with all this black mist rolling around all over the place even if Salem said they would be ok so long as he was around however Yuuki was still apprehensive as he had his head on a swivel with his katana drawn but as if Salem could read minds he informed Yuuki that they needed to hurry as this miasma was more potent then he had previously judged and if they didn't hurry they would both end up getting wiped out "Alright, alright, I will pick up the pace." Yuuki said as he started walking faster but still keeping a look out for things as he made his way deeper into the complex of the castle the uneasy feeling only seemed to get worse and the mist seemed to be getting and it seemed to be getting darker and colder the farther they made it into the castle.

Yuuki heard something off to his left around a bed in the tunnel causing Yuuki to pause as he tried to signal with elven hand signals to hold though he was sure Salem likely wouldn't understand what he meant as he creeped up to the corner to peer around it he spotted a few Yoki aimlessly wandering around the corner. Yuuki made more elven hand signals indicating there were three enemies around corner, though once again he was sure Salem likely wouldn't understand what the signals meant so Yuuki assumed their best course of action was to use the element of surprise with his half elven ability to move somewhat silently so Yuuki quietly snuck around the corner moving while crouched and slowly sneaking up behind the first one to shove the tip of his katana into the brain stem of the one he was behind feeling it go limp against him, but one of the other ones was starting to look his away so Yuuki threw caution to the wind and lunged at the second one quickly removing its head in one fell swoop while also alerting the other yoki to his presence as he brought his sword up in a defensive posture up in front of him while hoping Salem heard the sound of combat and made his way around the corner to help.

Post Word Count:546
Thread Word Count:1,106

Going through the castle was a discomforting time. Salem was pretty annoyed by the miasma in the death. Being an elemental fae made him more attuned to natural mana. Mana that could be prevalent in most environments. The death based mana of the winter court was like being in a room full of smokers. The only thing that could have made it worse was if no natural mana was present. The only reason he could tell was because he made sure to throw a bolt quickly and silently at a ghost, taking it out. Those things could be bad but they had a tendency of being around natural mana.

The moment Yuuki started to throw up gang signs. Salem was lost in confusion. He had never seen elvish signs before, let alone could he remember actually meeting an actual tree person. So what he was seeing was pure nonsense as far as he was concerned. At least till he looked closer. Salem had not used the fae language in forever. It was considered the root of the elven race. So when he looked again he could make out some words. Why Yuuki was asking him to deliver a baby to three passages was beyond him. So he simply held his thumb up as if he understood.

Salem was happy to see that Yuuki was taking the initiative. He was simply saddened that Yuuki did not ask him to be a distraction. If he did this would have been smoother. Salem ran and made a dash. Thrusting his staff forward as if it was a spear. He managed to stab the Yokai through the body. Then he lifted and swung the staff into a circle. Bring the yokai down and onto the ground, finishing it off. It was not a silent kill by most standards but it got the job done.

“Next time just use me as a distraction. You should have an easier time getting the hits in if you do. The element of surprise was a nice touch.” Salem gave the man a way he considered great feedback and a compliment. He could semi see what sleeping calamity saw in the young rookie. The only thing Salem believed he needed to grow was a metric ton more of practice. “Come on, the throne room should not be too much further from here.”

What Salem had said was true. He had been to the castle before and the throne room was not far. However, what he did not believe and failed too much was the fact that the forces had been replenished since the last time he was here. It was a mistake on his part. That would mean they would have to fight more small fry before getting to the big boss. When they would reach the corner to peak around the final bend. Salem would count twenty of them alone.

“Welp. I’ll be the distraction. You can go and take them out while they focus on me.”

Salem dashed into the hallway and started to scream bloody murder. The yokai spirits looked at him bewildered. “Horror! Death and despair to all! The humans have gotten something ghastly! They call it peppermint schnapps. Run you spirits of death! Run!” Salem incoherently started screaming and rolling on the floor. It did grab the attention as some of them even got closer to check Salem out. Not even looking at the hallway in which he had come from. Leaving backs and other things open for an ambush.


[586][1,104]

Yuuki watched Salem come rushing around the corner and past Yuuki to thrust his staff into the unsuspecting Yoki which was currently focused on Yuuki. Salem had not been silent with his method of dispatching the yoki which was likely going to draw attention in this general direction which Yuuki thought was unfortunate since they did not know who or what made this castle it's home and what other creatures they had under their control or command. So far they had only fought low level common yoki but Yuuki did not really relish the idea of fighting something stronger with current conditions being as they were especially in the darkness and depth of this castle as lighting was not the greatest and Yuuki had little to no experience fighting in low light conditions as all his combat experience up to this point had been against opponents who were not trying to conceal themselves since they were openly trying to kill him.

Yuuki turned to Salem about to question the man if he understood the signals he had be using to try and remain quiet, but Salem spoke first seeming to chide him for not using him as a distraction stating that he would likely have a easier timer dealing with the yoki if their focus was on Salem, something Yuuki was not entirely sure about but was willing to give it a try if not for simple amusement; however Salem did end his little rant by complimenting Yuuki saying the element of surprise was a nice touch to which Yuuki agreed considering neither of them actually knew who or what they were potentially dealing with and it was a better idea to use stealth and the element of surprise to their advantage should the situation allow it obviously there were gonna instances or situations where open combat was going to be unavoidable "I shall keep that in mind the next time we encounter a situation where a distraction would be useful, however such a small number it appeared stealth was the better option at the time." Yuuki said in a understanding but confident tone seeming to highlight that he felt he made the right choice for that situation.

Yuuki cleaned the blood of the foul creatures from his blade with a single swing through the air as if he did not want the foul beast's blood to taint the blood any further. Yuuki was about to say something when Salem spoke first stating they should get a move on as they were close to the throne room which made Yuuki wonder if Salem knew the layout which was curious since he did not remember the village elder providing a map or layout of this old abandoned castle "How do you know that?" Yuuki asked curiously trying to keep his voice low as if not to attract attention to them while he was asking for clarification on how Salem knew they were close to the throne room which Yuuki thought odd but maybe Salem had a spell or some ability that allowed him to see through walls or something similar.

Yuuki followed Salem to the edge of the corridor and watched him peek around the corner and seeing his features sink a bit Yuuki also took a peek around the corner as well seeing twenty or more yoki milling about the corridor seemingly uninterested in anything at the moment which was a good thing, cause Yuuki knew he would have a problem taking on ten to one in such cramped and low light conditions it would definitely be easy to get overwhelmed. Salem seemed to offer to be the bait stating he would be the distraction and that Yuuki should probably try and take out as many as he possibly could while their attention was on Salem "Alright." Yuuki said in a hushed voice not trying to pre-emptively give away their position before Salem was ready.

Yuuki gripped his sword ready for what ever antics Salem had in mind for being a distraction as he watched Salem disappear around the corner in a dash screaming at the top of his lungs about some nonsense Yuuki did not quite understand as he had limited interactions with people in fiore and almost forgot about his role in this ruse while trying to figure out what peppermint schnapps was as Yuuki had never heard anything of the sort mentioned, but that was neither here nor there at the moment as Yuuki peered around the corner yet again to see a lot of backs turned to him which would make this easy and he quickly and sneakily started eliminating them one at a time with a quick stab to their brain stem. Yuuki had dispatched at least eight of them while their attention was on Salem and killed a further three before their attention had turned to Yuuki. Four of the remaining nine charged Yuuki attempting to grab and bite him as he dodged and countered taking them down one by one as he lead them away from Salem figuring Salem could easily handle the five remaining yoki by himself as Yuuki suspected the man was stronger than Yuuki was.

Yuuki panted after dispatching the four he had drawn away as he watched Salem dispatch the final yoki as he caught his breath and made a final check of his equipment noticing the large Omnious throne room doors not too far ahead "You ready to do this?" Yuuki questioned putting a hand on the door and giving it a push.

Post Word Count:907
Thread Word Count: 2,016

Salem was feeling amused about the fact that his ploy was working. He rolled on the floor guiding that attention to himself. His eyes started up the glow of what he could see, the standard use of when he transferred mana to them. He was glad that the yokai were weaker than the last time he fought them. Salem understood that they were not able to really regain all their power. This meant that they stood a really big fighting chance. I mean the castle was even more dilapidated than it was before. The only thing that was really the same was how bleak it was. Not in the desolate manner. Just dark and smelly. Salem would not have been surprised if the place still had not seen a feather duster. A common trait among his people, due to their ability to perceive time differently, it made it so that the little moments to them, were years to other people.

It was funny seeing Yuuki do the sneaky sneak from his angle. It was even going successfully, Salem was able to see the man dispatch the yokai with ease. Salem got so distracted that he momentarily forgot to keep up his act. He did not know that slight blip in his acting and the fact that Yuuki was killing Yokai left and right, was the reason that they were able to sense something was up. These were not just senseless monsters that were acting like stress relieving dolls. It would not even be weird for some of these Yokai to have a family to get back to. It was then some of the remaining ones noticed and started to attack. Salem had to leap into action to defend himself. How he did it was by putting up a small area healing field. It was about causing minimal damage, which it did. He only wanted to hurt them enough with a spell to make sure their attention stayed on him. Salem did not want a mistake to happen that would lead to Yuuki being overwhelmed. Then he got to work, his staff work that is.

Salem launched out with a roll and a thrust. He firmly planted his staff in the solar plexus of one Yokai, before turning on his heel. He used the Sinese martial arts he learned to deliver a roundhouse. He hit the poor thing in the neck. Breaking it and sending it down. The other one he swept outward with a hand to redirect the attack, and attacked himself, by grabbing it by the neck with the other hand, and tripped it over his feet. Planting the face of the creature into the ground. Then Salem ducked backwards, he then made a quick roll to get his staff back in his hand. Salem was lucky that he paid attention to his Sinese martial arts lesson, and that his previous long term lover was a close quarters combat fan. Then again his lover had the sharp claws that made getting hit by them hurt in a good way. The scratch of some claws almost sent Salem down a pleasant memory lane of degeneracy.

Only one was left to go. Salem shot a beam at it to finish it off instead. He could have moved to dash at it and take it out. Except he did not want to waste the energy it took to do so. By the time he had finished he did not realize how efficient he was. Yuuki was still in the midst of taking out his portion of enemies. Salem did not want to distract him so he decided to wait and see how long it would take the man to finish. It was not long whatsoever. In total the amount of time it took them to clear all the Youkai was pretty much none at all. Salem had never used that amount of drama in a battle before, he could honestly say he did enjoy himself. That was until he was attacked again. This time it took him longer to take out the Yokai, as it was trying to engage the made in hit and run tactics. When he had finished this last one. It was actually Yuuki who was waiting for him.

Yuuki looked like he was ready to go and get the show on the road. Salem wanted to suggest a break but with the way the miasma was. He understood that it would not be a great idea to do. Even if he wanted to give Yuuki a warning about what was going on. He just did not think he had the time. So it would be the moment that really showed if the samurai had some skills he could be proud of, and not just another stuck up kid in his book. He gave a nod of affirmation allowing Yuuki to lead the way.

“Remember. I will run point and be a distraction. Stay behind me and stay safe. She will try to kill you first if she notices you.” It was the last bit of advice that he wanted to give before what happened next. Since he would still feel a bit bad if the kid died because of him, without giving him a fun present or something he can enjoy with a night on the town. This time Salem was feeling less merciful when it came to taking her down.



[903[2,007]

[Exit]