The Land of Apes: An Illusory Forest

The group appeared in a thick smoke, standing on a seal similar to their original location. Their surroundings, however, had completely changed. The trim grass of the park was now heightened beyond their ankles. The trees stood taller and unaffected by manual maintenance. The sun's rays peeked through the canopy of leaves up above, but was largely blocked. The temperature was cooler and the air purer. Jiro stood and faced his partner in transportation. A short chimp wearing light leather armor and random pouches greeted him. "Have a nice trip?" He stood no taller than three feet, but held a full bamboo staff. Where he got such an item was a mystery as the trees there were not made of bamboo.

Jiro laughed. "As good as instantaneous trips go, sure. Thanks Kuan-Yin. We've got a few extras here. I know we've got clearance for Ty, but what of the others?" The monkey scratched at his belly and pondered for a minute, sizing up the group.

"Meh. Should be alright. Don't expect to get in with all that armament, though. C'mon, the village's pretty close by." Kuan-Yin began to lead the way through the brush and to a path.

Leon and Ayame followed quietly. She didn't care for the idea of losing her weapon, but there was little choice in the matter. Leon didn't care, since he could make his own if need be. Ty asked Kuan-Yin as they walked, "We will get our weapons back after leaving, right? We'll definitely be needing them afterward..."

Kuan-Yin replied without looking back at them. "Oh, yeah. Jiro said you lot were headed to the Kukuri Vault. What's up with that? Got a death wish or somethin'?"

Jiro stepped in. "He has business there. A deposit, of sorts."

"Well that's crazy. The a few people of your village has direct access, not to mention the Kage. They don't have to brave that creepy forest." Kuan-Yin mused.

"The item is mine, so I should be the one to take it there." Ty said. "Besides, going home doesn't seem like the best of ideas right now."

The little monkey shrugged. "Whatever. It'd be a crime to keep your weapons knowing where you're going. You'll get 'em back, don't worry. Here we are." They found themselves before a large gate. The pillars and structures were strongly of Chinese persuasion. Within its walls were buildings mounted in trees and on the ground alike. The streets (paths of grass) bustled with city goers living their daily lives. Two guards on either side of the gates stepped forward and crossed their spears without a word. Kuan-Yin turned to face the group.

"Sorry guys, but weapons stay here. Just be glad our customs don't enforce... in-depth searches." The little monkey jested at their expense. He withdrew a scroll from his pouch and laid it out before them. It was blank on its inside, save for some small scribbles on the ends. "Place what ya got on the scroll and I'll take good care of your stuff."

Ty sighed and came forward. He placed his ninja-to and his knife pouch on the scroll. It disappeared with a small *poof* and a few symbols appeared in its place. Ayame followed in kind, reluctantly at first. Her sword disappeared in the same fashion. Leon held up his hands to show he had nothing to give.

Camila was making a mental check of the place. It was kinda what she had pictured it in her head, but at the same time different. She had thought they would be..well taller.

I wonder how they managed to do all this.. Ningal was silently observing, but she complied when the small monkey told them they had to leave their weapons. She went to set down her two blades. Camila was next; she put away her sword and her two fire arms for now. She was reluctantly to part with 'her babies' as she called them. Those things were custom built so she was leary to part ways with them.

Emanulle showed he had no weapons on his person. He didn't need them. He fought hand to hand and with his own natural powers then anything else. However, the former prince found himself slightly interested in things.

"I have to ask..what exactly are your people called?" Emanulle asked the small monkey. They obviously weren't normal monkey's(if there was a tribe of talking monkey's just hanging around earth then he'd eat his hat).

Kuan-Yin rolled up the scroll after everyone's weapons were relinquished. At the same time, the guards uncrossed their weapons, allowing passage. The monkey tossed the scroll up and deftly caught it in his pouch. "Never heard of us, huh? What you see is what you get. As for what we're called, we're currently the 'Enma Clan.' It's named after our current leader's father. Don't sweat the specifics. You're all outsiders, ya know?" He answered Emanulle concisely. Further information could be given to a contract holder, which was solely Jiro among their group.

He led them through the gates and down the main street. Small that monkeys were at play occasionally stopped to examine the strange visitors. Adults, ranging in size and taxonomy regarded the group with a bit of distance. Outsiders were welcomed, but only on specific terms. Even then, they were not wholly trusted. Toward the end of their walk, the group was led to a colossal tree. Denizens of the clan swung to and fro about its branches. The climb appeared harrowing for regular humanoids, the first branch looked to be a quarter mile climb.

"You guys might wanna... not move for a few seconds." It was then Kuan-Yin took out a whistle and blew. After a few moments, a similar call was returned. In the next instant, the group was within a large ornate assembly hall. The western feel had carried over to its wooden flooring and decorations. Through the window, the sky could be seen along with forestry way down below. They were at the massive tree's summit.



A surly monkey standing at about eight feet stood before them. Apparently, Kuan-Yin was simply short. He shifted his pipe to the side of his mouth before speaking.

"Jiro. Are these the outsiders? There are more than we were told."

Jiro bowed in apology. "My apologies, sir. They have a mission in the Kukuri Forest proceeding this. It was a matter of convenience."

"Stow the formalities. I'm sure you had good reason." The monkey examined each member of the group carefully. Having decided something, he simply huffed. "Hm."

Kuan-Yin came forward. "Where's master Enma?"

"Summoned, of course. I'll be speaking on his behalf. I am called Bao-Zhi, I answer directly to Master Enma. I know of why you are here so ask your questions, Tykae."

Ty, who was about to introduce himself, was shocked for a moment. Bao-Zhi noticed his confusion and clarified. "As I said, I know why you're here. That, and the Kage of your village has summoned me many times before. Now, speak."

"Right... I came because I was told that you had some information on my seal's origin. If that is the case, I'm wondering if you also know a way to destroy it. Whatever's entrapped by it is hostile, and a danger to others."

Bao-Zhi took a drag from his pipe and blew smoke upward. "That's what you've got to work with, hm? You're on the right path, but I don't know if you'll like where it goes. That seal has a bloodline 'lock' to it of sorts."

"That's why my father can only release it." Ty thought aloud. "Is there really no other way?"

"Not so fast there, boy. I said it has a bloodline lock. I didn't say only the user could release it. See where I'm going with this?"

"What?! So, the Kage could have released the seal any time? Wait... if she sent me here, that must mean an alternative would be a better option. Is that it?"

"Bingo. The Kurokage can very well release the seal, but it's a forbidden technique. One designed to keep something locked away. For good. If the seal breaks, that thing inside you gets free reign of your consciousness. If she releases the seal manually, you'll immediately die."

Ty felt stuck, without all hope. Was there really nothing that could be done? If that were the case, he was just a ticking time bomb that would eventually go off... Effectively killing him. No! There had to be a way! Something else they weren't seeing. "Damn it..." The defeat in his voice was palpable. Bao-Zhi motioned for him to wait a moment.

"Don't lose it just yet. There's one way to work around this issue. The main problem is what's cooped up in that seal is too strong. If it were weaker or more subdued, you could break the seal and keep your own consciousness. But there're a few big problems with this method. One, you need to hold the seal intact while the other spirit is subdued. You try interacting with that thing again and you might not come back. Two, if anyone but your mother tampers with that seal you'll find yourself in a world of hurt. If you can stand the pain they may be able to break the seal for you, but you'll be weakened afterward. Hence, why you must weaken the spirit. And three, once that seal goes you'll be in uncharted territory. You could lose your mind or meld with the spirit, who knows? No one's ever broken free from this technique."

Ty shook his head. There was so much information bombarding him he didn't know what to do. Questions swam about and surfaced. "How do you know so much about this seal if it's forbidden? And why did my father implant such a dangerous technique on me? Just what the hell is this spirit, anyway?"

Bao-Zhi took another puff from his pipe and considered his answer carefully. "Obviously, you're not the first victim of this technique. I know as far as I've told you; for the most part. As for the 'whats' and 'whys'... I can't tell you that. It's classified."

Ty was getting angry."Classified?! What the hell is that?! This is my life--" An idea struck Ty. Classified information, an authority that traversed a clan and shinobi. The village had record of this? And the information was being purposely hidden... Again, Ty shook his head. He then bowed. "Forgive me for raising my voice. I understand."

The monkey waved off the offense. "Don't worry about it, as long as you understand. You've a right to know, but if you want anything more, you'll need to head on home. It's out of my hands." He removed his pipe and regarded the group as a whole. "Right. Since that's all I've got for you, any other questions?"

Camila was more then a bit worried about everything she had heard. What if something went wrong? More importantly, it sounded incredibly dangerous without almost any silver lining. She was beginning to have thoughts of just what might be inside Ty. What if it was a alternate personality? What if..the being inside of him had been who Ty was 'before' he had gotten this seal? It sounded far fetched but at the same time not. It made more sense then randomly sealing someone's soul into another person just because.

The Dhampir shook her head. She had no questions.

"I don't elder." Ningal said respectfully.

Emanulle had no questions either. Though he was wondering if Ion, a friend of Marcus could effectively handle the problem. Or Marcus himself. If anyone could handle such a problem, it would've been Grandfather Time himself.

"Have one question. If I may, Elder?" Ayame stepped forward and almost stood at attention.

"I offered, didn't I? What is it."

"The place we are heading. Is it really so dangerous?"

"It is if you don't know what you're doing. Average mortals cannot enter; the fog would rot out their lungs without an energy to defect. There's nothing you can do about the air, the place has been rotted out from it's imbalance of chakra. The lot of you feel strong enough to avoid suffocating, but be careful. The forest preys on your life force, but only if you're knocked out. Obviously, it's not the best place to take a nap. You won't be waking up if you do. Oh, and watch out for the wildlife. They can't leave the forest, but they damn sure find anything that strolls in."

Ty took this all into account. Ayame was not moved by the danger, she simply knew what to expect now. Leon could hardly contain his excitement, as depicted by the grin he now wore. After their goodbyes, the group was teleported to the tree's base and escorted to the gate. Their belongings were returned promptly by Kuan-Yin. "You guys are good to go. We done here, Jiro?" Jiro looked down at his friend.

"Yes, and thank you friend. Good luck to you all." He wished the party well before departing. Kuan-Yin reverse summoned Jiro and he was gone.

"That's that. Follow the path and you'll find what you're looking for. You can't miss it. I mean, it's a big, black, scary, ominous-looking forest. And don't you guys worry about getting home. If you make it to the Kukuri Vault, you'll get a free lift home. If you don't, well, you won't need way back! See ya!" He climbed up the gate and dashed into the village via branches.

"Let's get to it." Ty started down the path. Leon walked a ways behind him with Ayame in tow. Ty kept his speed, but spoke to Emanulle. "Emanulle, I noticed you don't carry any weapons. How do you fight?" He knew how Leon could summon his own, but wanted to learn about the new guy nonetheless.

Emanulle thought about it for a moment. "I'm a martial artist. I simply fight with a mixture of hand to hand and my own natural abilities. I'm what's called a Arkon, it's a demon race. We're energy manipulators. We also have the ability to take 'another' form where it doubles our overall power. It doesn't look much different from now; minus bat-like wings and electricity appearing every once in a while. What about the rest of you?"

"I know two of you are Nosferatu by your scent, so I'd assume at least your natural abilities along with whatever else." He finished.

Ningal weighed in. "I'm a Elf. Most elf races don't have a lot of powers naturally but I've learned magic. Rune magic to enhance my stats and wind magic, I mostly focus on speed. I'm also teaching Camila and Ty a bit of the art as we travel but its still a work in progress."

Ayame answered after a pause. "I am of the Hessian Race, though more commonly regarded as a general angel. We rely on the manipulation of Arcana to use any sort of ability. My skills are defensive, but powerful indeed. My sword is the only offense I need."

"You can probably tell from the display just now, but I'm shinobi all the way. The chakra type, to be exact. I do best any where from close to mid range, I suppose. I'm human, but you probably knew that too." Ty chipped in.

"Not much to say. I fight in close wreck face. Good enough?"

Ty chuckled at Leon's introduction. The Nosferatu was probably the most laid back person he'd ever met. Their situation was about to change as the path suddenly stopped. The reason for this was because the grass beyond it appeared dead. As did the trees. The Forest of Black Mist stood tall before them. A white mist flowed over the ground without seeping into the normal forest. All of the trees, bushes and greenery were blackened beyond that point.

"Guess we're here. Chimp was right. It'd be pretty hard to miss."

"We should get it over with. Everyone, be on guard while we're inside." He walked into the forest. The mist quickly filled his lungs, but it smelled no different than morning fog.

Ningal didn't need to be told twice. All of her training had told her to keep alert at all times and expected the unexpected. In her old line of work, a single mistake could very easily cost you your life. While she was no longer an assassin, some habits should be kept if you were still doing dangerous work.

Hessian..I haven't heard of that race.. Emanulle mused. Then again, he was from another dimension and what's more not on earth.

"So you kind of consider yourself an all arounder?" Camila questioned Emanulle.

"If you mean about short, long distance and such then yes. I can do a bit of everything but don't excel in one area." He was powerful, but his real power didn't start to shine until he tapped into his demon form. "..Though I wonder. This place, you can tell it was obviously used to support more life on it and he said Chakra imbalance. I doubt it was always like that, so I wonder what happened. I probably should have asked."

"You could possibly ask Jiro when you see him again." Ningal answered, scanning around. Tense, yet calm if possible.

As the group continued, the mist began to rise with each step. Slowly, the mist was higher than the trees. The sun's light was blocked entirely from view; it appeared to be long after dusk. The fog was not incredibly dense. Visibility was not a factor just yet.

Ty thought about the location. "The only things I can think of are either a curse, or the abundant use of the land's chakra. In either case, this is weird. All of the plants seem dead, but they're still alive. I guess it really does run on life energy--" The deliberations were cut short by a sudden spike in the air's intensity. Something was approaching the group, FAST. Ty was sure the others felt it, too. He drew his sword in a flash. Ayame and Leon had their blades in hand simultaneously. The mist swirled about them in a white haze. Energy blew past the group and slammed into the ground beneath them. "From below!" Ty exclaimed before jumping out of the way. Ayame and Leon leaped from the spot as well.

Countless bones erupted from the ground in various areas. Each bone set into a designated place, willed by some unforeseen force, to construct a fierce dragon. Its body was decayed, indicating a forced reanimation. The skeletal beast strongly resembled a dragon, but its remains were far too large to be of natural descent. Was this the forest's effect? "What manner of beast is this?!" Ayame had never seen such a creature.

Ty was taken aback by its sheer size. "Whatever it is, don't count on outrunning it."

Leon hoisted his sword over his shoulder. "That wasn't an option to begin with, Ninja-boy!" He charged the beast. Standing next to it, Leon was about the height of its skull. A burst of blue flame spewed from the abomination's mouth toward Leon. He jumped it and landed on it's head, bringing his sword down with a large shadow impact. The beast reeled back and took flight.

"Everyone get ready, it's coming around!"

When you dealt with a complete 'unknown' it was best not to assume. Assuming was dangerous, it could get you killed in Emanulle's experience. That was why he was playing it safe. The creature had to be a dragon, but obviously undead. Necromancer? No. He doubted it. Why would one be hanging around here? It would serve no purpose he could see. If this was the effects of this tainted Chakra, he could be glad it only infected this place.

It's bones are possibly stronger and denser then what it was when it was actually alive. Healing magic typically damages undead depending on what type it is, but none of us are healers or mages.

Just have to keep hitting it until it stops moving..

Emanulle didn't transform and take into the air, he did move though ready to act at a moments notice. Camila and Ningal did too. It was the first that fired a few shots of shadow energy bullets at it, but she doubted even if they hit they would do any serious damage.

I really wish I had learned white magic.. Ningal mentally grumbled, echoing Emanulle's thoughts about. She had been more concerned with the art of hurting people then healing and such. That would have come in incredibly handy right about now. She channeled her wing magic under feet, hovering a few feet above the ground. Ningal now was incredibly agile, especially when she was moving through the air.

Ty watched the oncoming horror and tried formulating a strategy. The bullets had no visible effect. It appeared to react to larger impacts. The dragon reared its head for another fire blast. In response, Ayame generated a large barrier that staved of the heat. Leon took this chance to jump up and hook onto one of the beast's wings with a shadow tendril. He pulled himself in for a quick slice, but the marrow withstood the cut.

"Tch. Then try this!" Leon swung through the air brought himself back around, transforming his sword into a giant morning star. With a resounding crash, he cracked the dragon's right wing. An unholy roar escaped the skull's mouth as it came crashing to the ground. "You're big, but pretty damn slow!" Ty rushed forward and created a clone as the beast's bone shards suddenly levitated and pointed toward Leon. "Whoa, shit." His body was replaced by the clone just before the shards rocketed through him. Leon appeared next to Ty a split second later. The bone shards hovered about the dragon as it rose to its feet, a floating and looming weapon.

"It looks like it can control whatever falls off him, but they aren't growing back. I've got a plan. Cam, can you shoot down the shards? Ayame, cover her. Emanulle, you and Leon bust him up. Ningal and I will keep you two from being impaled or flambeed. We'll have to smash its pieces to pieces!"

"Now that's a plan!!" Leon and Ty dodged another fiery blast aimed at them both.

Ayame dashed to Camila's side and prepared to project shields against the oncoming bone shards. "I have you. Just focus and shoot!" The bones ricocheted and bounced off her shield like a horde of bees slamming against a window.

Camila didn't need to be told twice; she aimed and began firing. Her enhanced sight worked wonders in case like these, making her marksmenship close to superhuman. She was no Bullseye of course(but he was a freak) but she could hit some pretty crazy angles if she wanted too.

Emanulle said nothing, backing away a bit as he summoned forth his demonic energy within himself. It was focused and controlled, even as it began to build inside of him. In another moment, there was a bright red and he stood, or rather floated transformed. His body levitated one inch above the ground, bat-like wings sprouted from his back and red electricity sparked in and out of existence from time to time.

"All right.." He began, his voice altered.

The Arkon lifted into the air as the thing flew, summoning forth energy for a attack when it approached closer.

"Dark Void." A powerful red beam erupted, red circles around it as it came to(try) to hit the undead dragon in the head. Maybe it wouldn't be able to 'see' if it head was missing.

Ningal went to Leon, holding out a hand as she chanted something in elven. Moments later, a wind-like barrier formed around him. He would feel his speed and reflexes boost considerably. "I can only do that to one person at a time, don't waste it Leon. You can fly on it too!"

Each spike of bone Camila gunned down burst into a dust of marrow. As one large mass, the bone was too thick, but the smaller pieces were weaker; susceptible to impact. They were fast, likely quick enough to evade melee assaults. However, bullets were far faster. Ayame projected shields around the two with successive timing. Her attempts to cut down oncoming shards were in vain, so she focused on protecting Camila.

As Emanulle's transformation completed the dragon's eyes glistened eerily. It aimed its mouth toward him and gathered energy. As his beam let loose, the dragon fired an identical blast in retaliation! The beam's color was blue, matching the fire seen within its skull. The two beams collided in midair causing a large shock wave of energy. Ty linked a few hand signs and formed a clone holding torrent of water in his hand. "Time to experiment! Suiton: Hahonryu!" He took hold of his clone and threw it into the dragon's gaping mouth. It slammed shut only to be pried open by the expanding jutsu. A foul roar resonated from the skull as its head flew back. Steam billowed from its eyes and mouth; the flame within had lessened.

"SHIT, YEAH!!" At this, Leon came flying from above the beast's head and slammed all of his force into it. Shards chipped off of it aiming to strike him, but his new found speed nullified their attempts. The head was still intact, but just barely. A large crack had formed on its forehead from the strike. It looked momentarily stunned. "Give it another go, Emanulle!" Leon called. He was thoroughly enjoying flight.

"Gladly." Emanulle said, his voice making him sound far colder then it was normally compared to its normal calm and gentle. He decided to try to go for the throat so to speak while stay mobile; he didn't want to stay in one place and risk getting hammered by a bunch of bones in case it didn't work.

Putting forth more energy, the Arkon charged it a bit before launching a Howling Gail. It's shape was almost like a tornado in a sense, the attack aimed at the head and towards that general area.

Ningal was up in the air as well, sending a pressured burst of sharp air towards the beast side as she strafed it. Camila focused on her current task, it was a good thing she could use shadow bullets instead of normal ones or she would have ran out a long time ago.

Ningal's attacks rattled the bones as she flew by. Each piece shook, seemingly weakening in connection. Camila's targets were starting fall without being shot. The dragon attempted to focus energy toward its head, but failed to do so in time. The beast's head buckled and was crushed by the surmounting attack. As its head crumbled, its body disassembled link by link. Each individual bone rained down to the ground in a symphony of crashes and upturned dust. It literally rained shards of decayed dragon bones. Ty watched them fall, dodging oncoming danger as needed. Leon simply batted the falling debris away. Ayame shielded herself and Camila, confused by the recent turn of events.

"Huh. I... didn't think that would actually work." Ty observed the last of the falling bones.

"Of course! Take out the head and the body dies. That's battle 101, Ninja-boy."

"...I'm not so sure." Ayame stared intently at the remaining pieces. Very slightly, almost imperceptibly, they were vibrating. "Everyone! To me, quickly!" Ty and Leon dashed into Ayame's general vicinity. She waited until the others closed in to project a dense barrier around them. Not a moment too soon, as the remaining skeleton broke apart and swirled around them in a giant twister. The pieces bombarded the barrier with incredible force and speed. It was strenuous for Ayame to maintain its form. "This is a fierce assault... I cannot hold this barrier much longer." The strain caused her words to struggle.

"Dammit! We bash away and it just keeps coming! There's gotta be an anchor point for this thing."

Ty thought on the issue, and searched through the torrent. "And there it is!" He pointed at a lone piece still on the ground, far beyond the tornado. A low bluish glow emanated from it. He focused his chakra to his palm with a few more hand signs. It flashed then crackled with electricity. "If we shoot from here, it'll just block it with more bones. Ningal, can you give me a boost? Ayame, get ready to drop the barrier!" He focused more chakra and his palm glowed brighter with greater sparks.

Emanulle's body seemed to 'fade out' of view almost like a ghost before he teleported near Ayame and the others, still in his demon form. Ningal on the other hand not having any form of teleportation had to use her already high speed to make a dash in their general area.

Note to self, learn clerical class spells later. Ningal said to herself as she tried to hurriedly think of a way to salvage the situation. However, it seemed Ty had something in the works, so she went over to him and again concentrated chanting something under her breath.

Moments later, a slightly visible wind aura came around Ty like before.

"You got enough time to do what you need to and it adds some protection, don't waste it." She said, then turned back to the dragon monster.

Camila was a bit worried but bit it back, it was this or die. "I hope you know what you're doing Ty!"

Ty felt the elusiveness of wind flow through him. Truth be told, he had next to no idea whether this would work or not. It was an educated guess, and they were hard pressed to find other solutions at the moment. He certainly wasn't about to say this, however. "Don't worry about me! Ayame!" He signaled Ayame and dashed forward. The angel opened a hole for him to exit, and closed it immediately after.

Thanks to his granted speed, Ty saw the debris aiming for him and dodged deftly. Even as Ty rocketed forward very few shards actually reached him, much less causing high damage. He soon after burst from the tornado and brought his hand forward. "Raiton: Chidori!!" With a thunderous impact, a burst of lightning erupted as Ty connected with the targeted bone. Immediately following the explosion, a gust of wind swept through the battlefield as the tornado came to a sudden halt. After an eerily silent couple of seconds, the bones eroded into dust. The foul energy that had invaded the area was completely gone.

Ayame finally dropped the barrier and wiped a bit of sweat from her brow. She was not exhausted, she would need only a few moments before being able to project a strong shield. "That was... harrowing."

"This trip is already damn well worth the wait." Leon dispersed his sword and stretched.

"You waited for less than a day..." Ty called as he walked back to the group. "Anyway, we should keep moving before anything else shows up. Is everybody alright?" He wanted to do a quick check on everyone. He himself had a few puncture wounds from leaping through the tornado. Nothing serious.

(Because of that being a boss battle, everyone gets 10 points. Spend them on the update board)

Seeing the threat was gone, Emanulle turned back into his normal form soon after, the energy coming from vanishing back to its calm state. Everything about him returned to how it had been before.

"At least that energy is gone.." Emanulle mumbled to himself. "And I'm fine."

Camila went over to check on Ty. "Geez, you were gonna give me a stroke for a moment but glad you're okay. Nothing serious looks like."

"I don't have anything serious." Ningal said, she truthfully had hardly gotten hurt. Proxy of being a mostly speed based fighter.

Ty laughed off his injuries. "I'm fine! As long as we're all good, let's go." He turned and continued through the forest. Despite the sun's disappearance, he remembered their original directional path. Ayame and Leon trudged along without injury. Leon regenerated what small scratches he endured, and Ayame came out unscathed as she usually does.

Leon slowed his pace a bit to walk alongside Emanulle. He pat him on the back. "Man! You sure undersold yourself. That form switch back there was pretty sweet. And just what was that blast?" His curiosity was piqued during the last fight. He hadn't had the chance (or interest) to spar with Emanulle before then. Leon wondered how he'd fair against their newest ally.

Ty spoke to Camila as they walked. "You did great back there too, Cam. I knew I could count on your power. You kept us all from becoming skeleton shiskebabs." The forest appeared to be never-ending, winding onward into a black abyss that gave way to more darkened trees and grass.

Emanulle blinked slightly then mulled it over. "The switch back is pretty standard for my kind, its just a matter of practice. As for the blast, Howling Gail is basically a technique I came up with. Along with the others. Just like other fighters have special named techniques, I do too. It might seem silly to call them out loud but there's a method to the madness. In a fight, you can't 'think' but just react. Calling the name builds memory of another time to cal forth which at a moments notice."

He glanced at Ayame. "I don't think Ayame has any in that sense, but hers are more defensive oriented then mine are."

Camila smiled. "Thanks, but that was a crazy stunt you pulled. Just glad you came out in one piece."

"As am I. It seems that wind spell came in incredibly handy in this fight." Ningal said. "I'll have to teach you two it soon, when you're skilled enough."

"Can't say I could get into that. The fight itself is enough nostalgia I need. Your way probably makes more logical sense, but I'm a bit hooked on adrenaline." Leon felt his movements and such through the focus he develops during a fight. After the first blow instinct takes over, just as Emanulle said. He rather enjoyed the unpredictable tide of battle. Ayame's methods were slightly different as well.

"While it is true a few of my techniques have names, I've little need for them other than when I teach. So long as I can recall their origin and method of use, they are practical." Students at her school were required to memorize their moves and their origin as a practice of self discipline and respect for its creator. "However, your skills are commendable."

Ty patched himself up with his healing jutsu as they walked. "I'm alright. Though, if it hadn't been for that speed boost I wouldn't have made it through. Thanks, Ningal. That spell will definitely come in handy later." He reflected on the fight as of then. "But that thing was insane. If there had only been one person fighting it, I don't think victory would have been possible. It was pulling energy from the forest itself. It even had enough sentient thought to come up with contingencies for different situations..."

"...You suspect the beast was somehow being controlled?" Ayame overheard Ty's musings.

"Makes sense to me. Dead shit usually doesn't think well on its own. No brain, no thought process. Besides, the thing had that seal. That screams 'controlled minion.'"

"This could be bad. We're in someone else's territory if that's the case. If not, we could be attacked at any time..." This place was strange indeed. They had been walking for a while without a change in scenery. How large was this forest...?

That was something to think about. Emanulle knew there was such thing as intelligent undead but what Ty said had a point.

"It might be a necromancer we're dealing with." Emanulle said after a moment of thinking. "Maybe they're the reason behind the Chakra Imbalance. It would explain a lot of why the forest is the way it is. If they're defeated or driven, its possible things would return to normal."

"Maybe." Ningal conceded. "Just don't know yet. Besides that we don't know what we would be dealing with. Necromancy is just a skill, so it wouldn't take account of anything else, if at all."

Camila shrugged. "Speculating isn't gonna help us but makes sense." She wondered though, wasn't there a safer way to go about this? Eh, oh well too late for regrets.

The former prince left it alone after that, Camila did have a point but he still kept thinking to himself. Then while they walked, he addressed Ayame. "Just out of curiousity, how long have you been at it? Training with a blade that is."

Ayame did a quick calculation before answering. "Thirty-two years. No prospective students are admitted to our school without being at least ten years of age. My parents are instructors, but I was no exception. This time is insubstantial when compared to some of our more seasoned graduates. Beyond what I have accomplished, I am still learning. How long have you been learning your art?"

"Let's see. Ten years of age to begin and at least a few years for practice... That would make you--" Leon was calculating Ayame's age aloud when she shot him an angry look, albeit with a blushed face. "--one tough knight! Most commendable." He changed his answer while poking fun at Ayame's speech. She huffed and turned back to Emanulle for his answer.

Ty was focused on their path ahead. Its winding way told him they were headed in the right direction, but... "I think we're already walking on someone else's terms. This path seems alright, though. Hm." He maintained his pace and took out a kunai. He tossed it off into the forest to the path's right. A second later, he caught a kunai flying at him from his left. It was his knife. "Thought so. The forest was starting to look the same on either side. It looks like we're being led somewhere."

"Don't mean to make things worse, but I'm starting to feel something strong up ahead." Leon's nerves were on edge. He was already itching for another fight, anyway.

Emanulle had to admit, Ayame was cute when she was a bit flustered like that but he focused on what was going on now. "I'll have to say..about seven. Arkon's have a harder time using their energy until they're older so I didn't really have any practical use for it until later. Far as hand to hand goes, that's where I started."

After what Leon said, he went quite and stayed alert. Ningal doing the same as she scanned around for anything suspicious.

"All right, stay on your A's and Q's then." Camila said, keeping a bit closer to Ty as they walked.

Ayame rested her hand on her sword's handle while Leon simply remained alert. Ty was ready to move at any time. Whatever was up ahead wasn't charging them or preparing something. It was motionless; waiting for them. The trees began to decrease in number as the path opened and disappeared into a large clearing. Before them stood a large door. There was no building to speak of, and the door was devoid of handles. Stranger still, a large warding seal tag was plastered on the front of the double doors. At its base sat a cloaked figure. The ground beneath the creature was stone; an engraved seal carved below him was recognizable to Ty. It was of shinobi origin. The figure's breaths were heavy and raspy, as if simply inhaling was a taxing exercise.



You arrive... Its voice rang out from an unknown direction. It sounded as if a whisper was reaching their ears through a breeze that didn't exist. The air within the clearing stood eerily still. Speak... mortals...

Ty came forward a few steps."My name is Tykae Shugen. Did you know we were coming?"

The figure raised its head. The silhouette of a face could be seen, but no features were visible. Correct...

"Are you this forest's guardian? If so, were you the cause of that dragon's appearance?" Ayame spoke, a little peeved at being attacked but slightly understanding.

Correct... The only movement from the necromancer was from his cloak. Despite there being no wind, it flowed ever so slightly. "Passage..." Ty couldn't tell why, but he knew the creature was looking at him.

"You... aren't much for conversation, are you?" Ty wanted to ask the creature's name and what it was doing here, but the necromancer seemed all business. "I need to get inside. I was told this place was secure, so it sounded like a perfect place for a Scroll of Summoning. Ther--" Hearing the word 'summoning' set off a lightning chain reaction. In an instant the creature was gone from its resting place. In less than the blink of an eye, Ty's sentence was cut short by the ludicrous sight before him.

The creature stood a few feet from him holding a scythe. The blade had torn through his chest. There was no pain or blood. Ty couldn't move or speak; frozen in shock.

Leon and Ayame reacted to the scene with shock, then immediately drew their weapons. "What the FUCK?! I didn't even see it move!"

"Tykae!" Ayame rushed forward, along with Leon.

Trial... The voice creepily drew from the wind. Ty's body faded from sight. Leon and Ayame cut at the creature, only to strike air. It was back in its original position.

"What the hell did you do to him?!" Leon gripped his giant sword and pointed it toward the necromancer. It didn't move.

Five minutes... With that, dozens of skeletal hands burst from the ground in the clearing. Decayed soldiers climbed from the soil, grasping shields, blades and some, spell books. There were maybe fifty in total. Begin... The army loosed a chilling war cry as they descended upon the party.