Mahou ♥ Mission - IC

[Asuras]

---

To a Realm Forgotten​

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Party Status:

Health: 4/4| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%

Health: 4/4| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%	Health: 5/5| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%	Health: 4/4| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%	Health: 3/3| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%
		Arina Samala
Health: 3/3| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%	Health: 5/5| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%	Health: 4/4| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%	Health: 5/5| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%
Health: 5/5| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%

---

City of Banot, Northernmost Gate​

The day had come. The final preparations had been made, having spoken happily with sellers and groaned sluggishly with bureaucracy, allowing the College of Naeos to finally set its members on their way to discovery. The city, widespread as it was, had become rife with gossip and energy, as countless took to the rural skirts of the city-state limits to see these brave women on their way. Wholly stunned by the sudden turnout of city-folk, farmers had taken the opportunity to turn their homes into temporary inns and to sell their foodstuffs at slightly higher prices. The spectacle had practically become a festival.

Sitting underneath the stone arches of Banot's northernmost gate, a tall structure of pristine cobble and cut stone, was a particular carriage. Our journeyers' carriage. Two horses spearheaded the vehicle, at the time idle with nibbling at the green grass poking out from underneath the paved walkway. The carriage was particularly long, held aloft by three sets of wheels with only a hint of shocks seemingly built in.

A number of structures were built into its side, likely meant to server as some sort of surface or shelter whilst outside. The top was crammed to the edges with tied-down materials; barrels, fabrics, crates, chests. Little room was left for whatever the other journeyers thought to bring. Still, the sheer mass of stuff there was sure to dismiss fears of leaving unprepared.

A number of commonfolk had gathered round the scene, though they were held back a ways away by the vigilant guards present. Banot city law dictated that none could leave or enter the land's outer walls without a decree signed by the king or queen themselves. The College of Naeos was one of the few in recent months to receive such a thing, and so they were the only ones allowed to even near the gate. Banot walls encircled the peninsula nation to its West, North, and East, and was a relatively thin section of land, allowing for far greater patrol of the border.

This particular expedition was the second to leave Naeos in the week, following the prior venture by five days. It was unsure if they would encounter one another, but follow-ups were sent regardless to increase the presence of Banot individuals in the unexplored region.

While carriage would be taken into the unknown, travel to the carriage itself was left up to the journeyers, whether by foot or by another form of transportation. The supervisor of the 2nd North Expedition, Sochi Nimel, awaited patiently as the first to arrive at the carriage, which had been set up but hours before by collegiates staying behind.

Sochi had found a small folding chair stashed away within the carriage and situated herself on it, using the nearby wall to lean back. Head lowered, she diligently peeled an apple, likely the last one she'd find for a long while. Few food items carried were perishable, leaving little to variety. She took the chance to enjoy something sweet while she could.

With a wet crunch, she bit into the fruit and stared around the corner, looking out into the sparsely forested fields beyond the walls. The normally well-kept path quickly degraded into an overgrown grassland within a couple dozen feet, testament to the stringent rules of keeping within city limits. The grass eventually lifted upwards into a set of hills at which she could no longer look past. The skies were a light blue and the winds were gentle. She had little fear of leaving.[/tr]

 

[Zombehs]

Foxy eyes knelt down to meet two pairs filled with emotion as Minte pulled her siblings into a tight hug. "Be good you two, listen to mother and father." Unsurprisingly, she didn't get any verbal response and only felt their nods against her shoulder. One of which dampened the cloth and she couldn't help but smile fondly when she saw Markus holding back tears when the three separated from one another. Before she could say anything though, Rose bopped their younger brother over the head before she turned to face Minte. Her face was brave and her posture proud as she nodded and said, "I'll watch over him. And them." To that Minte could only step forward and ruffle their hair, her fond smile unshakable. "I'll bring back souvenirs," she promised before she pulled away from her two siblings. When the two nodded once more, she finally turned to face her parents.

Their exchange was much briefer, but no less in feeling. "Look out for yourself, but keep an eye on the others too. You're all in this together," were the words her mother said as the two embraced. Her father seemed reluctant to hug her at first, but he didn't have much choice after she darted in and wrapped her arms around his chest. With a sigh and to the sound of his wife's quiet laughter, he dropped his arms around her and whispered, "Please keep yourself safe. You might be a Mahou, but you're still by little girl." He planted a kiss on her forehead before he held her out at arms' length. "You're strong Minte, without a doubt, but be careful. The wilds have always been a mystery and for good reason I'd like to think." While it wasn't anything Minte didn't already know, she nodded nonetheless and slapped her old man on the shoulder. "Don't you worry. Just help mom keep the rascals in line once in a while," she remarked with a grin before she took another step back. With a wide smile and a bow, she slipped her mask into place before she rose up. Red irises met the four she called family and then the world changed as she disappeared.

---

While travel to the carriage would have taken the family quite some time, part of the reason they'd said farewells at home, thanks to Minte's abilities she essentially bypassed many of the time-consuming obstacles. Buildings blurred as she fell past the rising layers, only for her to wink out of existence mere meters from the ground. The moment of stillness lasted only long enough for her to completely rematerialize and then she was on the move once more. The light tap of her footsteps was essentially inaudible against the city's background noise. Once the built-up and developed city landscape was left behind for more rural areas Minte was forced to hoof it by foot. Granted her speed and stamina couldn't be compared to a regular humans, but to reach the gate was still a task in itself.

Eventually though, the carriage came into view some distance off and Minte let herself slow to a more comfortable pace though she still glided over the ground. As her destination drew closer she noted the impressive amount of supplies and equipment that'd been piled atop their ride. It was rather impressive how they'd managed to balance all that and Minte wouldn't have been surprised to hear magic had been involved. That aside, it didn't look as if any of the others had arrived just yet. There was a rather large birth given by the gathered citizens and she could only pick out the seated figure of the expedition's supervisor. 'Always so prim and proper that one,' she recalled as the Nimel piqued some recognition.

Which was the main reason why rather than simply clear the crowd and come to a halt nearby, Minte cleared the crowd before simply vanishing from sight. When she reappeared, it'd be at a crouch beside the older Mahou's chair; head tilted towards the older girl with ehr eyes closed and mouth open in expectation.

 

[Noctis the Devious]

Selene Rin

Selene slipped from her room on silent feet, letting the door close behind her with a barely audible click. She has said everything she needed to the previous night in her mother's study, neither women particularly good with putting emotions into words, much less showing emotion effectively, so the encounter was kept curt. It was her siblings she needed to worry about. She stalked the length of the corridor toward the grand staircase, the base of which fanned out and greeted guests with open arms, and instead of creeping down them, she slid her way along the polished banister using her cloak to muffle any noise.


Her feet kissed the waxed floors and she promptly dropped to a crouch, slinking back into the shadows. It wasn't yet morning, shy of any servent's early obligations, but she still remained dilligent. Late nights weren't uncommon in the Rin household after all. Well, thankfully Declan had a habit of slipping away under a cloak of stars, his best way of dealing with emotional affairs being to avoid them altogether. Shame, her brother was probably the only one save from mother dearest she could handle seeing.


She paced along the wall and toward the rear of the premises, weary of any traps she may have set out for her. She always had been the trickiest of the bunch, even for a dark arcane user. Just when Selene's hopes of making a clean escape were rising, a shadow shifted in her peripheral and -against her better judgment - she instinctively turned. She knew her mistake the moment she spoke, "Oh hello dear sister, where might you be off to on this fine morning? Have yourself a lover?" Selene pressed her lips in a thin line and faced the gloating face of Wren.


"Why must you make everything so difficult?" she resigned.

Wren snickered and threw an object her way. The light was too poor to see what it was but the moment her reflexes compensated for her lack of sight she knew she would have been better off letting it hit her in the face. "We still have time. Why not refresh your mind?"


"Is that what they call domestic disputes nowadays?" Selene quipped dryly.

Wren merely turned and slipped away, expecting her to follow. Now was her chance to sneak away, dash out the door and never look back. But Wren had a way with presenting a challenge Selene couldn't decline, so it was with great reluctance did she trail after thr older deviant.

-x-
​

"Are you even listening to me?" Raina growled, scrambling after her sister and having little trouble keeping up with her brisk stride. The pace she was used to, it was the forsaken crowds of people slowing her down and ticking her off.


"For the last time Rain, what's done is done," Selene threw back.


"How is this even fair? I should be the one going, not you!" Somehow her sister managed to keep the whine from her voice but it did little for the petulant child she was making herself out to be. If it weren't for Wren and their surprise sparing session she would have avoided ever having the conversation with her - again - but unfortunately her family had a nasty habit of doing the opposite of what was expected of them. It worked well enough in a fight, but was troublesome to deal with on a day-to-day basis.


They were nearly the the carriage when Selene spun on her sister, nearly causing her to run straight into her. "Listen Raina, you might be a talented mahou and a capable fighter, but you're only fifteen. Did you really think Mother was going to gamble away such promise in the name of science?"


"But you're going to even further ahead of me!"


Over her shoulder, Selene caught glimpses of the carriage she stole between gathered people and walls of guards and saw two present already. At least Wren didn't make her late. She dropped to one knee and placed a hand on Raina's shoulder, offering her a small smile, "Are you doing that thing again where you pretend to be more worried about yourself than the people you care for? It's a rather translucent act, don't you think?"


"Wait what? Of course not! If you get taken out by forest dwelling weirdos that's your problem!" And with that pleasant sentiment Raina spun on her heels and darted out of sight. Selene allowed herself a giggle. Why couldn't her family be more up front with their feelings? She shook her head and proceeded with meeting up with the others, feeling suddenly exposed now that she stood for all to see next to her supervisor and Minte, an academy student she only knew through reputation. She offered a polite greeting but didn't extend any further opportunities for conversation.

 

[daird]

Arina gazed at the assembled crowds. It seemed that the entire city was out there to see them off! She gave them a short bow. "I will do my best to live up to your expectations." She drew her white outfit around her to ward off the breeze. It was going to be a long, hard journey, and she had no idea when she'd come back. Or even if, for that matter.

 

[Justin]

___________________________________________________________
♥Gabriela Caroline Love♥

___________________________________________________________
Gabbi had finally said her "goodbyes", "I love yous", and her "I'll see you all laters", to her entire family members. They would truly miss the bubbly, cheery girl. Gabbi was the sunshine in the darkest nights. After getting her things together Gabbi jumped on top of her floating lanterns.

Gabbi floated to her destination, she had her head back, her very long white-blonde hair lightly touching the ground. "The sunlight is soo beautiful today." The little balls of light, were floating around Gabbi like little light butterflies. Gabbi twinkled her nose when one of the light balls touched it.

She was glad she had her floating lanterns, the trip would have been a killer on her feet. The lanterns gleamed in the light, making Gabbi looked like a beautiful Rainbow Alien, she loved it. Once she saw her supervisor Sochi and three other girls, Gabbi floated over to them.

Gabbi hopped off the lanterns, her hair cascading behind her, that now laid closer to the ground. "Hey everyone, are you girls excited...because I am!" Gabbi was always talking in an over excited voice, even when she was sad her voice was happy. She couldn't control it.

After waving at the girls, Gabbi jumped back onto her lanterns. "Hey, when the other girls arrive...can one of you lovely ladies tap me on the shoulder. So I can know when we're about to get moving. I would really appreciate it!" Gabbi smiled at the other girls, closing her eyes and relaxing in the beautiful sunlight.
___________________________________________________________​

 

[Brøken_Serenity]

Arihata Usami
Location: Carriage | Interactions: Everyone

"Then, a giant spider comes and gobbles all your teammates up!" Her younger brother had launched into an indefinite story of why Arihata couldn't leave him. "W-why do those bad things have to happen to me ru!!!" Arihata paled more than usual, honestly getting cold feet now that her brother had told her everything could go wrong. "Finally, you are forced to defend against all the monsters alone and you barely escape with your life and nearly bleed out on the doorstep but then I heroically save you." He finished up with a proud and accomplished look on his face. "R-ru!?" Arihata looked clearly terrified.

"You'll do just fine but you'll be late if you don't go now." Her mom gently tapped her back sending her off out the door. She ended up going by public transportation system. She arrived not exactly at the scene and had to walk the rest of the way. She didn't mind it however, the air was refreshing. Though when she did get a little tired a innovative use of one of her powers. Soundwaves gently carrying her whenever she didn't want to walk. The soundwaves were meant as an attack method so it took a lot of concentration not to hurt herself and ended up did getting a small cut on her leg.

"Let's all do our best right?" She greeted the people who arrived before her.
​

 

[R-9 Pilot]

It had been a long walk all the way from the city. Homura's pace was a quicker march than most people could manage, certainly not for the long, measured pace which she still maintained. Of course, she wasn't remotely like most people. She wasn't even human, although she did contain a human soul. Probably. She never did bother to ask the details on her own construction. Such things hardly mattered to her.

She didn't have much in the way of a family for farewells, although she did have her creator and master to consider. Oddly, she traveled alone today, rather than keeping close to her young master. But, she was bad with goodbyes, so she'd simply left without any fanfare. She didn't have any means of getting around faster than on foot either, so leaving early was the logical thing to do. The redhead moved through the city's streets with a purpose, carrying a large pack stuffed with whatever she thought she might need on her back. A good portion of it was just the sort of basics, like a repair kit to keep herself properly maintained, or cooking supplies to make sure nobody went hungry or had to just roast anything they caught using a stick. She'd even packed a rubber duckie, in case there was a good reason to stop and take a bath. She couldn't help but feel like she was forgetting something else important for bathing, though...

By the time she realized she'd forgotten to actually pack soap, Homura was too far along to be worth turning back for it, so she just kept going onward. She tapped hr sword idly on one shoulder as she marched along, finally out of the city proper and moving on through more rural areas of the kingdom. She noted the change in scenery, and did look around to take it in, as she rarely got this far from the more urban areas, but she didn't slow her pace.

Eventually, she arrived at a gathering crowd near the North gate. "Pardon me. I need to get through," she said, finally speaking up to get the various onlookers to make way for her to proceed. Homura slowly made her way through the crowd, with continued polite requests they make way for her, and careful management of her gear and sword, to keep from accidentally hitting anyone. She made it through, to see a large carriage loaded with all manner of supplies, and a small group of young women standing around and waiting. This would be the expedition proper, then.

Homura crossed the no-man's land between the crowd and the actual expedition carriage and members at the gate. She paused a few yards away from the other girls to dig something out of one of her bags: an official writ and passport naming her as a member of the expedition team. "Homura Kongohki," she says, raising her voice to be heard, "reporting for duty as part of the second Naseos expedition team."

 

[Astoria]

"Ahaha…"

In front of the red haired girl by the name of Nephenee was a massive knapsack. Behind the pub table it sat on was the beaming faces of her father and sister, and she couldn't help but tear up a little.

Her family had made the effort to travel all the way to the capital, by horse drawn carriage. Although her father was the mayor of a village, he was a man of little means, and Neph knew that such transportation would be difficult on him. Even so, he had brought with him his old burlap bag from his working days, filled to its seams with supplies and useful tools, many of which were familiar to the small-town girl. Magnifying glasses for botany, an antique pocket telescope, a set of penknives… It was clear that he and her sweet younger sister Marina had raided their own house simply to send her off.

They didn't have to do any of it. Overwhelmed by this burst of goodwill, Nephenee leaned across the small table, giving her family a heartfelt embrace.

"Thanks dad, Marina. You really didn't have to do all this –You know how I am," she said, with a sheepish grin on her face. "Really. You've even struck me teary-eyed."

"It's everything you've wished for," said the grey-haired man that was her father. "There was simply no way we'd send you off without at least a decent gift bag, Neph."

This was followed by an enthusiastic "yeah!" from the fourteen-year old Marina, who had gotten up and started clinging to the side of her older sister.

"Now, stay safe. There's so much we don't know… So much we haven't seen," said her father, rubbing his chin. "Remember, stay safe. The lives of you and your friends will forever take precedence no matter how extreme things become. I mean, I know I don't have to tell you that, you're a smart kid."

"Of course! Who cares about some damn rocks and monsters anyway?" laughing, Nephenee threw up her arms in a mock-block as her father made an angry face. Piggybacking on the jolly mood, she called over the waitress with a merry smile.

"Another round, and some milk for Marina. My treat~"

"Hey! I have the check!"

---


In the end, it took about ten minutes to fight over the restaurant bill. With some luck, she got her father to concede defeat and hand over the cheque. After an emotional goodbye, the young witch found herself amongst the throngs of people at the North Gate, steeling herself with a forward outlook and on the waves of goodwill. Unfortunately, at this junction, even goodwill had nothing on getting past this crowd. So of course, she improvised. If snowplows were a thing, peopleplows were, too. With the snap of a finger, and a bit of flair, she had her shield. Without remorse, she barreled through the crowds with the aid of Avalon, making it to the carriage in a record three minutes and nine seconds from start to finish, according to her trusty chronometer.

With a wave of her free hand, she greeted her expedition teammates.

"Have no fear. Neph is here!"

 

[Skyswimsky]

Family? Pah, being undeniable 666666 years old meant her parents are death since long! Unless they had, like Lyriel, eaten from the ever-young fruit that only grew once every 10.000 years, which they did not. And thanks to her maid robot summon the witch had left the orphanage since long as well. That only left her friends, which meant the entire city...and well...THAT was a lot of work, too much work for the already busy super-duper genius that was earning money by running a workshop. So in the end, she had to give exactly zero thoughts towards anyone regarding her great adventure to retake her fate. "Homura~~!" Of course, her trusty familiar couldn't just stay behind. "Hooommmuuurrraaa~" Alas, no answer, which only meant the summoning time was up! Good, Lyriel could just call her once she reached the gate or something.

Taking a look into her bag the genius shortly considering packing the entire house into it, alas, if Lyriel needed anything she could just deus-ex awesome invent it! With all set, Lyriel got onto her Broomstick, as walking was for plebs, and flew over the city towards the north gate.

It was a short flight, meaning she was definitely not too late, and if, only stylish, before landing somewhere on the plaza and announcing loud. "Lyriel Usagi, first of her name, has arrived!" All planned, all planned, whoever it was that was supposed to take care of her, not like she needed it, would surely pay attention to her now. Oh, and look! Her maid was here too...hah, she really surpassed herself with the summoning speed, no?

 

[Asuras]

Health: 4/4| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%
Health: 5/5| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%	Health: 5/5| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%	Health: 4/4| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%	Health: 3/3| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%
		Arina Samala
Health: 3/3| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%	Health: 5/5| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%	Health: 4/4| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%	Health: 5/5| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%

---

City of Banot, Northernmost Gate​

As Sochi took another bite of the apple, she stopped midway upon meeting Minte's expectant visage. The sudden appearance of her junior and her likely joking silent request had caught her off guard. Sochi stared in a sort of blank confusion before dismissing Minte by finishing her bite and continuing on unabated. She had packed this one and only fruity sweet; there was no way she was giving up a single bite of it to someone who had forgone being so prepared.

After digging away at the last bits, she tossed the core to her right and stood up after patting away at her mouth with a cloth tucked away at her side. Minte wasn't the only one filing into place, as it became clear a good majority of them had miraculously arrived within mere minutes of one another. The supervisor offered subtle nods towards those who had appeared, forgoing speaking until the entire party had arrived. Gabriela's attempt to rest failed when Sochi snapped her fingers at her ears.

The last to arrive, a certain kid inventor, earned Sochi's clear look of skepticism. How had a student so young been allowed to join the expedition? Certainly they were all fairly young themselves, but Lyriel took the prize money for most childish around. Sochi could only chalk it up to the College's hidden knowledge; they must have seen something in the girl to warrant sending her.

Standing attentively, Sochi addressed the gathered entourage of colorful personalities.

"Nine in all. We seem to be missing one...? Elena if I remember correctly," Sochi scanned the group again to make sure she wasn't making a mistake, "Her time's up anyways, as we must be getting along soon before dark gets too close." Sochi slid a hand into a small pack clipped to her belt and retrieved a leather-bound booklet. Breezing through the pages, she stopped and raised her voice further.

"A few rules I'd like to mention," she began, "I've been instructed to create an atmosphere of democracy, handing off decision-making to my juniors. While this means you all will be granted a great many chances to decide on important things, it does not mean that you will be privy to disobeying my orders. Ultimately I will be in charge here." Sochi cleared her throat pointlessly and continued,

"In all cases barring times of danger, we will not continue traveling when nighttime falls. We are instructed to rest in every case. Do not attempt to eat wildlife you encounter without first conversing with myself, do not divert from the group without first notifying at least two members, do not withhold information about wounds of any severity, do not eat from the storage unless it is approved by me, etc..." Sochi snapped the booklet shut.

"I'm sure the College has explained most other important things to you, so if we can, let's get moving," she stated. Walking over to the carriage, she pointed out a few features as she traveled along its side towards the front. "The interior of this carriage can house bedding for up to six individuals at one time. If you want to sleep down the middle, it can hold an additional two or three. That means one of us might have to set up a tent outside. We'll be on rotation for this if one of you won't take the spot."

As she reached the front, she used an inconspicuous ladder to climb up onto the driver's seat, grabbing hold of the reigns. With a nod to the backside, she shouted out to the group. "Hop on in, or on top. The upper exterior has some platform that you can drop and sit on." Sochi kept her head raised as she awaited everyone to find their place on the ride. When the group had gone either inside or on top of the carriage, she mumbled a few words and snapped the reigns, sending the horses on their way.

The chattering of the crowds behind them grew in intensity as they rode off past the wall, passing under the arch and into otherwise forbidden territory.

=====================================================================​

Fields outside Banot, headed Northeast​

The expedition was at least an hour into its voyage, traveling along a fortunately flat and empty landscape. The grass beneath the wheels maintained a relatively steady nature, with few dips or rocky bumps to disturb the occupants. Few trees dotted the area, though a thicker forest scaling up a set of larger hills could be seen to the South.

The carriage sported a few wooden shutters that opened out into the exterior, allowing for a refreshing view of the unknown territory. No animals could be seen, though it was undoubtedly crawling with unseen insects and small mammals below. It was an untouched world, devoid of roads, the remnants of dilapidated buildings, farmland... anything. It had become clearer how thorough the laws put into place were at keeping Banot citizens inside.

As the girls inside and outside were granted a long time to meet and greet, the hours ticked on, and the sun indicated that it had begun to settle, now falling instead of rising. The grassland became more and more wet, with a vague dew coating the blades. The air became colder and clear skies turned into an increasingly heavy fog.

The carriage slowed itself to compensate for the lack of vision. Sochi was careful not to run headlong into what could end up being a cliffside or river. Eventually she found the latter, and slowed the vehicle to a halt. At the river's edge, the obscured form of a bridge could be seen to the carriage's left. A structure rose over it and to the other side; an arch, reminiscent of the beginning of their journey.

Sochi hopped off the carriage from high and dropped into a shallow pool of mud. She grimaced and shook her leg before knocking on the side of the carriage, looking up to those who were outside already.

"Everyone out!" she shouted, rapping on the carriage a few more times. As the girls grouped up outside, Sochi stood before them once again closer to the river's edge, her back to the bridge. "Time for your first decision, ladies," she said, gesturing to the grimy bridge.

"I don't know how long and where this river goes, but we have some options, possibly more if you think of them. We can go across the bridge and continue on north, or we can trace the river and see where it goes, either westward or eastward." As she crossed her arms and allowed the girls to discuss, the beating of wings sounded overhead.

The sound almost certainly did not come from a small bird, as it came with a dull boom every beat. Sochi turned behind and peered towards the bridge, identifying it as the direction from which the sound came from. Her right hand grasped the compacted pole clipped at her back, worried of what it was.

From behind the wall of fog, a sinister creature burst into view, nevertheless still shaded by the white veil of water. A dragon of some sort, its body twice the size of a man, gripped the arch over the bridge and dropped its wings with enough force to disperse the fog around it. Its serpentine neck ended in a toothy maw that more than made up for its lack of eyes.

Atop the beast sat a somber and grim rider, clad in unkempt armor and shredded cloth. For a moment it remained silent, gazing down at the group with an unseen face. As it spoke out, lanterns that had gone unnoticed at the bridge's ends suddenly burst into flame, casting a dismal glow on the soggy, wooden planks.

"Yet more return to the domain. I continue to wonder why," it spoke in a gravely, strained voice.

 

[daird]

Arina was about to voice her support for going downriver, but when she heard the thump of wings on the air, she whirled. This can't possibly be any good. I think I'm about to learn why they don't let people out of the city.

As the creature came into focus, Arina started to draw up her magic, but decided to pull back when she realized what it was. She had no chance one on one against a dragon, and fighting wasn't always the smart option anyway. Better to see if she could pump the creature for information. "What do you mean, you wonder why we continue to come? We're the first magicians to come this way, at least as far as I know."

 

[Noctis the Devious]

Selene Rin

The whole way Selene was occupied by the shadows. Perched on top of the wagon, as much as being squashed in with several other occupants appealed to her, Selene took in the landscape and the way the shadows stretched. The further out they travelled, the more hostile they seemed. Tame-able, but not in the least bit use to being manipulated. Even her own shadow looked to be unhappy to be there. Maybe she would stick to using her own magic until they could be trusted...

The carriage stopped on Sochi's command and Selene carefully lowered herself to the ground, not really minding the mud caking the thick leather of her combat boots. She didn't purchase them to look pretty. Her cloak, on the other hand, she regretted dirtying, the long fabric casading down her back and enveloping her figure to her feet. She took one look at the bridge from under her oversized hood and tilted her head. Why was there a bridge in the middle of unknown territory to begin with? She blinked when her answer came in the form of a monstrous dragon being ridden by something, or rather someone, at least resembling a humanoid figure. So there were natives out here?

"It may be hard to come outside the walls, Samala-san, but not entirely impossible. For all we know travellers may have ventured out here before," she stated, trying to be polite. Or exiles. But who knows how long ago this bridge had last seen a wandering soul. The dragon and its companion looked rather old at first glance, ancient even. For them, time maybe nothing more than an endless stream of events.

"Sir, we are representatives of the city of Banot and we've come to explore our surroundings in search of a better understanding of our environment. If we are trespassing in anyway, I'm sure it won't be much trouble to find another path."

 

[Justin]

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[BCOLOR=transparent]

Gabbi was happy to be traveling with these girls. They seemed fun and energetic, like her! While they made their journey, Gabbi was floating on her lanterns, seeing the beautiful scenery. When they were halted by something, Gabbi jumped off her lanterns. She didn't expect to see a dragon of all things in front of her.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Gabbi was paralyzed in fear, she had never seen anything this gruesome and frightening before. "Can...we, we...just go by please?" Gabbi was still trying to be her charming sunshiny self, but it most likely wouldn't work. The girls were probably going to have to fight to get by.[/BCOLOR]​

[BCOLOR=transparent]♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]___________________________________________________________[/BCOLOR]​

 

[Zombehs]

It was an expected but nonetheless disappointing conclusion when Sochi practically ignored her presence. She stood up with a slight pout and muttered, "Well, so much for bonding." Her arrival seemed to have been some sort of signal to the others in the expedition as it wasn't more than a few minutes afterwards that the rest of the team had arrived. Some were subdued, others were enthusiastic, while a few were no shows if what she remembered of the briefing was correct. Nonetheless the show had to go on, and it seemed Sochi was of agreement!

As expected, the team's supervisor gave her own brief spiel before she motioned for everyone to follow along. Minte did so readily and disappeared only to reappear perched on one of the upper platforms, her feet dangling off and swinging idly. The cheers of some impressed onlookers reached her ears and with a grin she gave the gathered crowd a wave. She continued to do so even as the carriage began to move, and her hand only dropped when they passed through and under the arch. As unknown landscapes stretched out before her, she let out a quiet sigh and dropped her hand to hilt of her weapon.

---

She supposed it could be worse given it was only the first day and probably a few hours into the expedition at most. Really now, Homura was just as bad as Sochi when it came to expressing herself. Getting a bit of information had been easy enough, the girl didn't seem to mind her questions it was just… her responses were almost mechanical! Lyriel was just… odd to put politely, but hey genius and insanity were two sides of the same coin she supposed. She would have tried introducing herself to Selene, but the other girl seemed to have been preoccupied with things concerning her magic and Minte could understand the importance of such things. Gabriela had forgone the carriage for her own floating lanterns, but she seemed like a cheerful, optimistic sort and Minte hoped it'd keep as the expedition dragged on. Really, Nephenee seemed like she'd be one of the funner Mahous to be around. She had taken to Minte's head dropping in front of the window in stride, but before more than introductions had been made the carriage came to a halt.

Rather than drop to the ground, which she'd noticed was muddy given the stains on Sochi's leg, Minte had chosen to stay up on the platform. She could hear what was being said just fine from up her, but before she could give much thought to the decision, a far more concerning noise had her attention. The fog was nigh impossible to see through even with her sharp eyes, but hiding certainly wasn't this being's intent. Its wingbeats grew louder and louder as it approached and Minte winced as the being came into view, her hand grasped her weapon's hilt all the tighter. The draconic creature certainly demanded one's attention first, but the rider perched on its back was no less deserving. Combined, the pair made from a rather intimidating presence and certainly one that Minte could do without confronting.

Thankfully, the rider seemed to be open to conversation even if its voice wasn't the most pleasant to ears. Minte might have spent some time thinking on the exact meaning of its words, had she not glanced down at her fellow Mahous with a bit of disbelief. How did they not remember that they were the second expedition? Aside from the pretty big deal that had been made over the first's departure, it had been mentioned in the briefing at the College. Hell, the first expedition's members had been in the room with them. With a slight shake of her head to drive away such thoughts, she turned her attention back to the pair. Rather than chime in with her own question immediately, Minte held her tongue and waited for a response first. It'd be sort of pointless to ask if they weren't going to get a response in the first place.

 

[Brøken_Serenity]

Arihata Usami
Location: Carriage | Interactions: Everyone

Arihata, who much preferred Ari-chan, had stayed on top. Simply because it seemed like the option with the best view. When a decision was called for she could hear it loud and clear. "We should solve this, ru, by a raise of hand-" That was when she saw the giant beast. Honestly the first thought that went in her head was a couple lines from her brothers story of her teammates demise. Morbid, but that beast was huge. It seemed as if it was open to democracy too considering it had spoken and two of her teammates were speaking to it. On further inspection it wasn't the beast speaking, it was the human-appearing individual riding it. At least three people had spoken so any words from her would of been entirely useless. It would be much better to wait to see if they'd get a response. A non-hostile, accepting and maybe even friendly response if that wasn't too much to ask for. Staring at the sight, Arihata felt as if she'd traveled to a much older and harsher world. They seemed to have lived more years then everyone on this trip combined.​

 

[R-9 Pilot]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Lyriel/Homura collab[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The second in command made long story short, and just a few minutes later the group was on its way into the outside! For a moment, Lyriel considered flying besides the carriage on her super awesome flying weapon of mass-destruction but alas, she was smart enough to realize that rather sooner than later she would be way too exhausted to carry on and thus decided to be on top of the carriage, amongst a few others. "A wonderful day to all of you!" Lyriel greeted them again, just in case. Though ultimately spoke to her summon that found its place on the top too. "Homura! Long time no see. Did you prepare my tea?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Homura sat quietly next to her master, enjoying the view as the carriage got underway. "I left before you got up this morning, because it would take me longer to get there on foot. Besides, someone had to prepare the way." By now, she was quite used to her mistress's idiosyncrasies. "I haven't had time to prepare tea, and I doubt we have access to the proper facilities at this time, so you will have to make do without it this afternoon. Please bear with it, I doubt it will be the only hardship on this journey." [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Lyriel gasped at Homura's answer...no...answers, who was used to what now? "Did you hit your head somewhere? Did my quick-summon not work properly? Fiddle-faddle! And what was that about the tea? You gotta improvise Homura! Improvise! Are you really you? Or has the Secret Magical Bureau something to do with this again?!" With that, Lyriel awesome invented a magnifying glass and inspected her partner closer.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I can't simply create fire out of thin air." Homura sighed and started digging around in her pack, eventually pulling out a thermos. "You'll have to make do with this." She continued digging around and handed Lyriel a teacup from somewhere further within her pack. "Really, this isn't some simple afternoon outing." [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"You could totally burn something!...Like a Rubber Duck." If anything Lyriel should be angry with herself, having not done a proper job. Taking the teacup and taking a sip however she nodded. "I know I know, we are on a great quest to restore my glory, fame and power! Never forget that, silly. But have I never told you just HOW important tea is? Maybe taking some yourself will help you getting a clear head. Can't let you have go insane already, no?" Followed by an innocent giggle.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"No sense letting it go to waste." Homura poured herself a cup, and looked to the others sitting on the roof. "Would anyone else like to take tea with us," she offered. She doled out a cup to anyone who asked for it, before enjoying her own drink. "I forget. What sort of lost glories might we find out here, again?" [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Yes, you forget quite often...does your mind get wiped each time I summon you?" Lyriel sighed. "Well, I already told you about that ominous baddie, our great super goal and all? Of course, on our way to him I am sure we will find even more exciting things! Though I doubt any of those are on par with my battle against Darkdeath Evilman...did I ever tell you about that fight? Well..." And with that, Homura successfully moved the conversation into a direction she might regret as Lyriel kept on talking and talking about some really chuuni and edgy battle.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]____[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]As the carriage came soon to an halt the young Mahou Shoujo jumped down from the wagon, oblivious to the muddy ground below her. "If in doubt, left." Really, that was all she had to say about that, if not for that dragon thing that shortly appeared after it. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Thanks to the fog, the genius doubted anyone saw the excitement in her eyes as the mysterious being was kinda visible to all of them, her mimic quickly changing to some sort of taunt she pointed her finger towards the rider. "Hah, is that supposed to be a dragon? I have seen way bigger!"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Homura vaulted over the railing on the side of the carriage's roof, to impact the ground with a wet thump. Much like Lyriel, she had little care for the muddy ground, and simply took a few steps forward to free her feet from the small indentation she'd made with her impact. "I'd advocate at least investigating the bridge. Any such relic of the past could provide new information." [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The dragon's entrance was quite attention-getting. "I was under the impression the area around here was uninhabited. Now, I definitely think we should investigate further."[/BCOLOR]

 

[Astoria]

Unfortunately, when everybody is fashionably late, nobody is fashionably late. This was the case for Nephenee, so she was simply on time, to her mild disappointment. But if everybody was fashionably late, did that mean everybody would be interesting and cool to talk to? Sochi not included of course; she had already concluded she was Sergeant Hardass when she barely returned her greeting. In this, she immediately found solidarity with a fellow mahou, and Neph joined her in pouting at the older girl.

But with everybody save one girl present, it didn't take too long for them to move on. Within the hour, and with much celebration, the group was off in their little carriage past the grand walls of their city. She had her reservations about the carriage, of course; a true journey was undertaken on foot and backpack, not horse and buggy, although it was nice to have a comfortable seat to look at the scenes of untouched nature from.

And what beautiful landscapes they were… is what she would have said if the vistas were more interesting. As far as the eye could see was grass, grass, and more overgrown grass. Was this what they called prairies, then? Maybe she would see a prairie dog? Since everybody seemed to keep to themselves for the time being like strangers in a public carriage, she pulled out her spyglass, looking out into the distance. Before long, however, a heavy fog had set in, rendering the piece of optics useless.

Nephenee was about to put away the glass before dull grey was suddenly replaced by a glowing red, much to the amusement of the girl. It was the girl from earlier. She gave her a light upside down boop on the head with the telescope, but before she could really say anything productive, the carriage came to a stop. Poking her head out the window of the carriage, Neph could see a river in front them. Hopping out of the carriage before Sochi could begin her beatdown on the car's wooden door, she could the body was water was decently wide, and probably not something that they could just ford.

Of course, there was no need for that. An elaborate, but grimy bridge stood before them. It was the first sign of a bygone civilization since they had left their city walls. Grimy but grand, it had an awe-inspiring element to it that made her wonder if it was once part of Banot in the distant past. Her archaeological observations of the architecture quickly came to a stop, however, as the ominous sounds of wings beating in the fog became increasingly obvious. Like the others, she was unsure of what it was, and so took her precautions; Neph finished her precautionary buffs just as the winged beast and its rider came into view. She stayed her hand as the rider of the big turkey spoke; if he was talking, that was a good thing. Unfortunately, it seemed everybody was already pissing their panties, which really did not bode well for the future. Maybe it was time to lighten up the mood before somebody hurls a spear at the guy.

"Actually, I thought it was a wyvern and not a dragon on account of it looking like a giant turkey," said Neph, countering Lyriel's shittalking, before adding her own response toward the gatekeeper.

"What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?"

 

[Asuras]

Health: 4/4| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%
Health: 5/5| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%	Health: 5/5| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%	Health: 4/4| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%	Health: 3/3| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%
		Arina Samala
Health: 3/3| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%	Health: 5/5| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%	Health: 4/4| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%	Health: 5/5| Sanity: 100% | Anger: 0%

---

North of Banot, Unknown riverside​

"You are certainly not the first," the rider said to Arina with severity. He turned to Selene and nodded as if in confirmation of her suspicions. "It is not my duty to forbid you from continuing on, young lady." With a yank of the reigns, the rider turned the wyvern to the side, facing down river as he looked across the bridge.

"I am only here to warn you of the dangers beyond. As soon as you travel across this river, you will no longer enjoy the sanctity of your homeland, and it will not be so forgiving. Take care if you value your lives," he said ominously. The wyvern stretched its wings frantically and screeched briefly after Lyriel's comment, though it quickly calmed down as the rider once again turned it, this time facing the land across the river. Before taking off, the rider turned his head behind and responded to Nephenee,

"Approximately thirty-two kilometers an hour, I do believe." The wyvern beat its wings and shook the arch it grasped as it lifted into the fog, screeching as its monstrous form disappeared behind the whiteness. Sochi released her grip from her weapon and turned to the group, speaking once the beat of the creature's wings had faded. Her gaze was to the side and worrisome for a brief moment, until she sized up and crossed her arms.

"From what it sounded like, most of you are inclined to travel across," she said, "I agree as well, so let's get moving and get out of this fog. It's... unnerving." Sochi climbed up the ladder, shaking off mud from her boots as she went, and planted herself in the driver's seat once again. She waited to send the horses on their way until the group followed in tandem.

=====================================================================

North of Banot, Unknown dirt path​

Yet again, the voyage found itself on another hours-long journey, continuing on north after passing over the bridge. Though wet and questionably built, the structure carried the massive carriage over the waters without breaking, much to the group's glee. Still, the fog persisted though grew thinner with distance. Where once it was difficult to perceive anything beyond a dozen or so feet, the mahou could see well beyond a few dozen feet. The view, however, was rather uninteresting with dirt, grass, and the occasional boulder making up their environment.

The trek continued on unabated until, out of the veil, a concerning scene made itself apparent. A series of home-sized boulders blocked the dirt path, placed quite close to one another. At their feet rested a carriage much like their own, dismantled and charred in many places. Barrels and rucksacks littered the area around it, emptied of anything that might have been contained within. Not a soul was in sight, and as the carriage doors were open, she could see that within no one remained as well.

As she hopped down to approach the scene, she called out for the rest of the expedition to do the same. As they exited, Selen, Minte, Gabriela, Arina, Lyriel, and Nephenee could make out the faint sound of whispering and chattering in the distance, and should they look into the fog around them, would have also seen the vague movement of small figures in the veil.

 

[daird]

Arina nodded as the wyvern rider departed. Good to know. Not that she was inclined to be unprepared, but everyone could use a reminder now and then. When Sochi announced that they were crossing the bridge, she winced slightly. The entire reason for heading along the riverbank was to have an easy path to follow home. Oh well.

With the fog starting to lift slightly, Arina's spirits rose as well. It was amazing how much better she felt when she could see well. However, it also meant the dangers became clearer as well. "Um, girls? Whatever attacked that carriage is still here. Eyes and ears open, everyone." She then flew up about ten feet, a globe of light in hand to provide illumination.

 

[Zombehs]

All that starts well ends well, or something along those lines was applicable Minte guessed. While it would have been nice for the duo to stay for a few more questions she supposed it was rather courteous with its warning and what not. As their forms were quickly obscured by the still thick fog, she hummed in thought from above the others. As the moment turned to memory, she chimed in with her own suggestion to cross over the bridge before leaning back slightly to await Sochi's decision. Thankfully she didn't have to stare into the wall of fog for too long as it was only mere moments afterwards that the group was on the move once more.

The journey seemed to have kicked back into the uninteresting setting after that encounter as even if the fog had lessened it was only to reveal more of the same scenery. Dreary landscape to the right, left, front, and back… Who knew how many sighs she'd let loose by now because Minte certainly hadn't kept track. Her feet drummed against the carriage as she swung them back and forth, laid back to gaze up into the fog that obscured the clouds and sky above. It was only when the carriage came to a halt that Minte sat back up and took in the carnage that laid before the expedition.

"Well that's foreboding," she muttered before hopping off the carriage to the ground. It didn't seem like she'd get to stay on her comfy perch this time around, and she was morbidly curious to see if anything remained of the wrecked carriage's occupants. Her feet barely sank into the soft ground, as light footed as she was, and it was a small frown that Minte rose from her crouch. The faint noises were distinct and when it was quite easy to see the silhouettes that flitted at the fog's edge. "Someone keep an eye on my back please," she stated before she began to walk forward, sheath gripped in a hand.

Whatever manner of creatures they were didn't seem to be keen to reveal themselves though. Even as she distanced herself from the others and pushed into the fog they constantly moved back and kept themselves just noticeable. A glance back revealed that the others were slightly obscured by the fog and that was what caused her to come to a halt. The moment she did so though, her gut told her to duck and she did so, allowing something to fly over her head and slam into the earth beside her. A cursory glance revealed it was a sizable rock, easily large enough to have knocked her out or worse if it'd connected.

"That's how it is huh?" With a snappy one-liner, Minte flicked the weapon's guard to slide it out just a tad before drawing it in a swift movement. A distortion was left in the blade's path and a flick at the end of her stroke sent it flying forward, parting the fog like a knife. A bloody cry followed brief moments later and with it the silhouettes scattered as one of their own fell, the noises fading with their disappearance. The blade was sheathed slowly as she kept her eyes peeled and wits about, wondering if they'd truly scattered or had simply pulled back to prepare. "Hey! Somebody come help me with this!" Given the distance she had to speak a bit louder than she would have liked, but hopefully someone quickly came to her. She was curious as to exactly what she'd just killed, and if she'd inadvertently woken up the hornet's nest. The house sized boulders that dotted the wreckage ahead were still fairly fresh in the mind after all.