The adventures of Mitsusawa and Manish

"Me neither," said Manish as he had his hunters slash the advancing skeletons into half. "So what do we do? If you can protect me, I can construct anything," he said, confident in his skill of alchemy. Many years of studying alchemy were behind him, after all and it would have been foolish of him if he was not sure of his skill in the craft that he practiced for so many years. Still, for some reason, he could not help but think that these two women wanted him to do something beyond his capabilities, a thought which he quickly chased out of his mind. It was a law of the world for practice to pay off, even if one had absolutely no talent in a particular subject, and he knew that he had talent. That is why he chose his profession, after all.

He could not waste more time with thinking like that, though, so he directed his hunters to a certain direction. The fierce animals snapped their huge scissors at the advancing skeletons, sometimes ending eight of them at the same time as they turned towards a certain direction to clear a path. Manish gestured towards Mitsusawa and Clare, indicating that they should follow him. With the help of the hunters and the staff in his hand, he slowly started to clear a path in front of them that lead away from the advancing skeleton swarm. Half of the hunters worked at the thick vegetation while the other two defended them, leaving Manish to fend for himself with his metal staff, not that he was afraid of mere skeletons. Those things were not even intelligent unless the necromancer was directing them personally, which was definitely not the case.

Of course, the necromancer who directed the skeletons, was not completely stupid. Through the eyes of his followers, he could see the way Manish's hunters were cutting through the foilage, and to that effect, the number of skeletons that appeared started to increase, with the ones that were taken care of coming back to life. Now Manish had really regretted that he did not learn the art of the fire mages, but there was nothing to be done against the advancing horde. He could only hope for the best and wish that the laws of the world were still as firm as they once were, and that whatever the request of Mitsusawa and Clare was, it was a weapon that could end this onslaught.
 
The rattling of the undead horde reminded Mitsusawa of the war drums of her past. The unmistakable aroma of death and decay harrowing a tale of blood and sand. A part of her life she seldom shared with others. Though unlike that battlefield, they were in control and for once were not the monsters. The determined mindless hordes of the dead were commendable for their persistence.Their resolve unwavering as countless of their kind fell.

<u1:p></u1:p>Mitsusawa knew this was in part a biproduct of their limited to nonexistent intelligence. Nonetheless this would not prevent her from admiring the positive if not partially foolish trait this bestowed on them. The arches of Clare's luscious lips would contort, forming yet another smirk as her bicolored eyes seem to become filled with life once more. Manish request guaranteed them battle, and battle was one of the few stimulants she took pleasure and stock in.

<u1:p></u1:p>Though her superior had a some what differing stance regarding the matter. For unlike her subordinate, she had her thirst for battle sedated long ago. Yet she would keep herself from rebuking or restraining Clare. Mitsusawa never took much pride in double standards; hypocrites often brought her blood to a boil. And so she felt no need to tread needlessly down a path she abhorred for most of her years.

<u1:p></u1:p>Without further delay Mitsusawa would reply to the young alchemist suggestion. Ultimately admitting the wisdom which spawned from his young mind, "We can hold back this horde while you prepare some sort of counter measure." She retorted, her mind's eye fully aware of the necromancer who like a coward gazed upon them from swarthy curtains embrace.

<u1:p></u1:p>Her lack of eye sight came with a single blessing, a near unfathomable level of perception which most humans were unable to tap into…due to the limiting processing power of their brain. Without hesitation Mitsusawa would step forward, her blade pointing earthbound as she took in a deep breath. The thick malicious aura and power of the necromancer would serve as the perfect catalyst for her unique set of skills. Two faint shimmers of crimson could befound piercing the darkness as it rested on her back. No doubt the evil entity behind these vile skeletons could sense his aura being slowly devoured.

<u1:p></u1:p>It was slowly being drawn into her body and becoming one with her own. Steadily her destructive capabilities would rise; though what tricks she had instore would remain a secret.

<u1:p></u1:p>Stepping in front of her leader; Clare would grasp her knife firmly as she assumed a combat stance. Her legs stretching as her blade began to extend, once more slithering like a serpentine as if she somehow breathed life into it. "Sir Manish…we can buy you sometime. We trust you…enough to hand you our lives." She declared the true depth of these gestures. For the moment his pets would keepthe undead at bay. But once they were dismissed both Clare and Mitsusawa would be ready to answer the call.<o:p></o:p>
 
While Manish was astonished at the level of trust these two women showed to him, his rational mind told him that this was not the time to be making observations like that. He was supposed to be thinking up something, so he released the hunters from his control, letting them rampage freely against the skeletons, and paid no further attention to them. He knew that without his support, they were going to disappear in about a minute, but even that took at least some of the burden off from the shoulders of Mitsusawa and Clare. He needed time to go over what was available to him and what he could make from it and in battle, time was the most precious thing to have.

He looked around to take in his surroundings. Around the small clearing that Clare carved into the thick undergrowth, there were only plants without an end, with the occasional tree that somehow managed to survive the onslaught of necromantic energy. Even under his legs, the ground was littered by the bodies of dead plants, so with the staff in his hand, he cleared them away to make room for a potentially huge alchemic symbol. As for the next step, he went over everything that he could access and was not in his bag: Plants, metal staff, his clothes, the two women who were fighting the skeletons even now, the skeletons, the remains of the skeletons, wood from the trees.

Unfortunately that was all. He had nothing else to work with, but as he contemplated what he could make, he realised that the plants around them were full of water. He had a thunderstone in his bag, and a metal staff that was enchanted for cutting power and suffered no scratch damage. He had flint and steel and knew a spell that could raise the flammability of materials. Therefore, he had everything that he needed to cause a forest fire so large that it will probably burn the entire mountain if allowed to spread, along with the necromancer and all of his skeletons. This particular fire, if directed right, could also take out the skeletons in front of him and create a large enough window for him and the two women to escape. In short, the plan was perfect, as long as Mitsusawa and Clare could protect him.

With a quick and practiced movement, Manish put his bag onto the ground and took out a ritualistic knife from it. He engraved some quick symbols into the metal staff in his hand, then he made swing after swing at the plants that surrounded them, creating a clearing around himself. He made a note to cut down as many plants as possible, then, he put them down into the clear ground that he created. Looking at the huge heap of plants he harvested over the course of several minutes, he nodded, then he drew an alchemic cicle around it. He then put his staff down on the ground and drew a smaller, less complex symbol around it, which made the staff split into four long, but thin poles. When he was done with that, he speared the poles into the ground around the alchemic circle, then took a strange, thin fabric out of his bag.

"Hold the line for a few more minutes," said Manish as he fixed the thin fabric on the poles. "I am almost done. When I shout anything, abandon everything, get down, then when the explosion passed, start running for your lives," said Manish as he took out the flint and steel from his bag, setting fire to the heap of plants before him. As dictated by the alchemic circle on the ground, the fire spread quickly and viciously, quickly turning the plants into nothing more but steam and ash.
 
With his minions free, Mitsusawa and Clare had to hold the line. They were his first and last line of defense. Individually these skeletons posed no threat, but as a horde they proved tedious and obnoxious. Clare would display her acrobatic skills and flexibility as she pranced about the gaps between the hordes. Her slithering blade like a piece of cloth in the wind twirled and flapped wildly about the battlefield. The kinetic force of impact more then potent enough to send their bones flying across the scenery. Out of the two sisters; she preferred the extravagant and flashy route. The extent of her endurance and energy was admirable to say the very least.
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Clare was simply serving as a distraction, thinning out their numbers just enough so that Mitsusawa had only swing occasionally at those few which slipped by. One might assume that she was lazy, though in truth she was gathering the necromantic energy around the area into her body. Something she hadbeen doing since they first stumbled into this thick and heavy aura. After watching her subordinate gracefully and rhythmically zig zagging and leaping across the scene for some time. Mitsusawa would finally see the need to intervene. Stepping forward she'd assume a combat stance. Her once long blades would become engulfed in lightning. A cloud of smoke being blown across the arena.
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The once simple teethed swords now were becoming one with her flesh, resembling that more of some sort of bladed glove. "I loathe needlessly intervening." This comment aimed toward Clare. "Shut up old hag! And use it already!" Clare retorted. Her reaction causing Mitsusawa to sigh. The energy she had been consuming and continued to devour would course through her body. Rushing toward the knuckles of her bladed glove. "Erupt…" She whispered, just as she sent her right fist forward. What could only bedescribed as crimson orbs fired from her knuckles, many in number and scattered like that of a shotgun blast.
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Like a bowling ball it hurled itself through several skeletons, shattering the bones chaotically throwing them back. Clare would dive backward and out of her line of fire just in time. "Y-You almost killedme!" She bellowed. "I had faith in you. You may be ugly…but you aren't stupid."She replied. Quickly Clare would rise to her feet. "I never knew you could disperse energy like that…normally it's a wave or a whip. I guess even in old age you have a few tricks up your sleeve?" Clare inquired into with a smirk. Ducking just in timeas a single crimson orb was hurled her way. "Next time you mock my age or refer to me as hag I will send a shattered shot of these your way."
 
Not caring if his companions heard him, Manish waited for the fire to burn out, then he started drawing an incredibly complex alchemic symbol on the ground, careful not to ruin any parts of the pattern. This was the critical part of his plan, and if he failed in making this construct, then they would likely die here by the hands of the skeletons, or they would have to face the necromancer deep inside the forest. Of course, death was not one of the things Manish would have liked to experience, nor was it a good idea to face such a powerful mage in their own domain, so he paid extra attention to what he was doing, making sure that everything was as it should be. He wasted no time with a second check-up, though, instead, he completed the symbol and hoped for the best.

Fortunately for him, the symbol worked properly and in front of him, the ground which had the symbol on itslowly turned into a metal-like substance. Then, that metal-like substance raised itself out of the ground, starting to take the shape that Manish desired. Slowly, the lumb was made thinner and longer, then a hole formed in the centre which became larger and larger as time went on. The shape's front started to expand while the back contracted, forming a large, cannon-like shape which was directed towards the skeletons. When the shape was completed, Manish took the rag that he placed on the staves, then carefully, he twisted it, expelling the water from it. A small part on the inside of the cannon was filled with water, but the amount was less than Manish had hoped.

However, he had no time for that, so he aligned the cannon a bit upward to prevent the water from flowing out, then he pulled the thunderstone out of his bag. After that, he put the bag back onto his shoulders.
"Duck and run!" shouted Manish, and hit the cannon with the thunderstone. The thunderstone, a magic stone known for its capability to store lightning spells, was filled with a massive amount of electricity, which electrolysed the water into hydrogen and oxigen. This same charge also had enough power to ignite the resulting mixture of gases, giving off a rather large and spectacular explosion, which, although not as impressive as Manish had hoped, was still quite enough to serve as a distraction.

There was just one thing he failed to take into account: The flying shrapnels. When the cannon exploded, a several pieces of metal stabbed him, and even if his clothes were reinforced, they embedded themselves into his flesh. While he did manage to remain standing, he knew that in the long run he would be a burden... But he could not take that into account now. He forced himself to ignore the pain and started running while searching for his companions with his eyes. The fire that he started would not show mercy to them, nor the skeletons.
 
The complex art of alchemy was truly a force to be reckon with. It's limitation only matched by that of the alchemist. What started out as a symbol being drawn into the earth would evolve rapidly into a wildfire. The light of the twirling flame piercing the darkness which had crept around them. Like all mammals the illumination of the dancing pyre would evoke both women to avert their eyes it's way. Even the undead horde which stood before them paused for a brief moment. "I guess he has a few tricks up his sleeve after all?" Clare stated as her lips bended, forming a devilish smirk to reside on her ravishing face. Though how her superior saw the wild fire in a different life. The void of life and soul it consumed gave it shape. As a mass of nothingness outlined by the perishing soul of everything around it.

"Indeed….be vigil Clare." Mitsusawa would reply and forewarn. Not exactly sure what Manish was planning. But one thing she knew for sure was that this was just the beginning. For though it was a form of a distraction…at the moment it was a flaccid one. "Roger that ma'am." Clare would momentarily conclude, before both women permitted their eyes to stray from the flames to the advancing skeletons. And though their sight no longer remained fixated on it like a deer in the headlights. They would still utilize their other senses to keep a wary eye on it.

Mitsusawa would retract her fist, pulling it back and close to her body while sliding her left leg forward. Kicking up a thin cloud of dust. Gathering the energy she had racing throughout her body to her knuckles. As Clare would twirl her snake like blade as if it were a piece of cloth. Keeping the undead mob at bay. But before Mitsusawa could fire a powerful blast, Manish had finished the second phase of his attack. With nostrils expanding Mitsusawa's refined sense of smell would pick up on the normally almost undetectable gas. As Clare noticed the massive cannon and stone which had now spawned and revealed itself. "Cool cannon!" Her eyes seemed to glow with life and anticipation.

Mitsusawa would gasp as she behold the magical energy coursing through the otherwise odd looking stone. "Clare! Back to back now!" She bellowed an order, as the short feathered hair beauty darted toward her. Sliding and jumping over and under the undead. She barely made it in time as Mitsusawa sent her fist flying earthbound. Dropping to one knee as they slammed against the earth. Crimson Energy would jolt across the ground, as the once solid rocks closed around them like a cam. "What the hell?" Clare whispered to herself, looking toward the heaven as the clam fully encased them.

The fire from the alchemist blast would erupt and hurl itself violently across the scene. The heat of the flames tearing through and consuming the undead. Slamming against their earthen shield, the flames would impact and chip away at their shield, however it would never fully dismantle it. The wild fire would bend to it's shape, wrapping around it before continuing it's path of consumption behind their last minute shield. Clare was ignorant of the blow their friend took, but Mitsusawa could see the pain in his stride. It was like a ripple disrupting and coursing throughout a near fathomless sea of energy.

"Clare…now." The bandaged warrior spoke, turning to face her. "About time! I hate the darkness…" Clare replied before using her snake like blade to cut the top half of their shield into countless pieces. The shards would fall towards the women, but leave no real signs of damage. Jumping forth from their shell of stone both warriors would find themselves observing their surroundings. It would seem manihes plan had worked. And while Clare and Manish fumbled about to find each other in the dark and chaos. Mitsusawa's perception granted her a 360 degree clarity. Grasping Clare's wrist her superior would drag her to the alchemist. "Hey! No reason to use your man hands to manhandle me." Her sarcasm regrettably was not consumed by the flames.

"Sir Manish!" Mitsusawa called for him as they made their approach, appearing within his line of sight seconds afterwards. "Woo! I guess you can do something other than summon pets after all! By the way nice cannon…it wasn't the size that impressed me but the way you used it!" Clare seemed filled with excitement. Mitsusawa would turn to face her, sighing as she shook her head. "Sorry that came out wrong…" She would try to redeem herself, taping her foot on the ground while permitting her arms to nest against her exposed abdomen.

"Well what now?" Clare would inquire into before closing the distance between them, chuckling and patting him on the back with a decent amount of force.
 
"Now?" asked Manish as he slowed down slightly to catch his breath. While his steps were still fast, he was starting to feel his wounds and his head was feeling lighter with every second. "Now... I have no idea," said Manish as he put down his huge bag and started rummaging through it for any medical supplies that he might have in there. As expected, he did not find anything except a few pieces of fabric, but for an alchemist like him, those were as good as anything else. Quickly, he took his alchemist's knife into his hand, then with gentle moves, he scratched some sort of a symbol into the fabric, which made the texture change visibly. Nodding at the change, he quickly took his greatcoat, then his shirt off, revealing the injuries that he suffered during the battle.

It was worse than he hoped. The pieces of shrapnel that were embedded into his body were small, but there were many of them. He did not have nearly enough of the fabric to cover all of them, and there were still the wounds on his legs and his arms.
"It looks like I die," added Manish in a sour tone as he looked over his injuries, but he did not give up just yet. There were still so many mysteries to solve in the world, so he looked at his greatcoat, then with a shrug, he took the alchemist's knife and sliced his shirt up into large strips. He then scartched on them the symbol which was on the first cloth, turning them into the same material. Now, he should have enough material to cover all of his wounds.

"Can one of you help me with tying these tightly?" asked Manish from his two companions. "Put some around my torso while I fix the others around my arms," said Manish as he grabbed a piece of cloth and started wrapping it around one of the wounds on his arm, then he tied it tightly. Of course, even now, the fire behind them was catching up to them, but his wounds required attention lest he faint on the road and be a burden on these two women.
 
It was worse than Mitsusawa had feared. His wounds were more numerous and the extent of damage more severe then she originally thought. Silently she would watch as the Alchemist began to speak like a fatalist. Something which sickened Clare more so than Mitsusawa. "Please you're not that weak! Think of something…" One might assume that Clare was insulting the man. In truth it was her odd way of lending support. Whether or not he'd be able to deduce this much would remain obscured momentarily.
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Silently they would witness the strange markings at work, as the cloth began to multiply out of thin air. Upon further inspection the blind warrior could sense these fabrics were normal and possessed inadequate healing properties to heal his injuries at an accelerated rate. And so for the first time in nearly a decade Mitsusawa would undo her bandages. Clare's eyes drifting her way, peering into her green eyes. An expression of shock resting on her face. For in all their years working together Clare had never seen her superior remove her wrappings.
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"Mitsusawa! Isn't that against your code?" She inquired into, her leader shaking her head. "Yes and no. The code states that I will not take a humans life needlessly. By not helping Manish I will be breaking my oath. The same oath also says I am to never remove my bandages. Less I cut my hair as a sign of shame." Her retort confusing her apprentice. "But you didn't do this to him?" Clare stated the obvious. "In life there are two types of sins and crimes. Those of commission…in which one does the deed. And Omission…Omission is where one permits an evil to occur. Either way I will be breaking my oath…but at least it will be of my own volition." Clare smiled due to her words.
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"Stubborn woman…you really like this human don't you? Why don't you come out and just say it?" Her observation was sound; Mitsusawa was unable to deny her claims. "It is as you say, I find him…curious." Her superior would drop to bended knee, tossing his bandages aside. "Save them for another day." A faint smile adorned her face. Those deep mysterious green eyes of hers though unable to see, seemed to emit a warm and soothing fire. With or without his consent she would begin to dress his wounds with her wrappings. The spirit cloth was warm to the touch; a tingling sensation would course throughout his body.
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These cloth helped control and limit her energy consumption. The amount of life force stored in them would not only be enough to reject the damage done to his flesh. But impart a large amount of energy into Manish. As if years of abuse and the effects of aging to his body had been reverted. He would feel reborn and empowered. His mind more focus his muscles stronger. Her hands would drift away from Manish after she tightened the wrapping around his body. Moving her blade behind her neck while her freehand grabbed and straighten her hair.
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With a single cut her once long hair which rested down to her hips fell to the ground. Her brown hair was now jaw level, as her green eyes drifted down to the earth. A heavy sigh parting form her lips as Clare placed her hand on her shoulder. Offering silent support. "Mitsusawa…" Her subordinate whispered under her breath. Shaking her head she'd rise, offering the Manish her hand to help him up. "You have a bit of my magic in you. If you wish when we get away I'll show you everything. At this point it doesn't matter what happens. For my fate is sealed…" She spoke cryptically.
 
Manish was literally frozen in place at what Mitsusawa just did. Every single nerve in his body told him that what he witnessed was out of the ordinary and the reaction of Clare seemed to confirm that. Why she was being so drastic when the cloths that he had with him would have been more than enough to stop the bleeding, Manish could only guess, but she was certainly being dramatic about it. He knew it was something that he would probably never understand, however, he could simply not contain his curiousity about why would one do such an action, not to mention that what Mitsusawa just did astonished him utterly.

"Why did you do that?" asked Manish. "My cloths would have been enough," he said as he continued working at his arm. There really was no need for the woman to remove her blindfold, but especially not to cut her hair. It might have been symbolic of something for her, but for Manish, it was absolutely incomprehensible. He never swore oaths or bound his life to someone else's and he was not one who took promises to such a deep end. Of course, he did not back out of his promises often, however, whenever such a promise became too much of a burden, he would abandon it with an 'I am sorry' and then move on. For him, even if people mattered, knowledge and facts mattered equally. He was an alchemist after all, one who dedicated himself to finding out why the world works as it does.

Suddenly, Manish paused in tying the cloth around his arm as he just realised what Mitsusawa said with her last sentence. He stopped wrapping the cloth around his arm and turned to face Mitsusawa, not that she would see.

"What do you mean your fate is sealed?" asked Manish with a slight anger to his voice. "Did you trade places with me so you die in my stead?" he asked, keeping his voice even regardless of the confusion and fury he felt. This woman... this Mitsusawa really was something he could not understand. Why would she trade her life for a complete stranger? He would have survived for the next few days, he could have pointed them towards the mage they wanted to kill, so why did she do something like that? On the other hand, if she did not trade places with him, then why would be her fate sealed? Did it have something to do with the cloth that she wrapped around him? He did not understand, but he knew that he had to discover the reasons behind her sentences regardless of the consequences.
 
Mitsusawa was more than aware that his bandages would of sufficed a sfar as stopping the bleeding was concerned. However her spirit cloths had healing properties far beyond that of his mere alchemical skills were concerned. Even now his wounds had closed, the bleeding stopped. Even the shrapnel which once could be found resting in his flesh had dissipated. Few words could accurately describe what had transpired; it was almost as if time had been turned back. As if the phenomena which caused this injury has been rejected entirely.


With eyes closed she would lend Manish her ears, pondering why he would resist what had happened. Why he would attempt to refute her generosity? This wouldn't come as a shock, neither would his confusion toward her words. Still for the moment only silence would grace him. As if she were searching for the right words to express her thoughts. "Mitsusawa why would you do that?" Clare asked, searching for answers herself. Her inquiry would be enough to merit the opening of her eye lids. Those empty green eyes of hers would peer into the nothingness. A heavy sigh parting from her lips, as her arms now nested against her bosom.


"Your bandages were incapable of healing your wounds at a sufficient enough rate. If your wounds slowed you down, and more skeletons were to appear Clare would have to summon the abyssal flames. A feat which could kill her." Mitsusawa's reasoning would ring hollow; it was self-evident that she was dancing around the truth. "Mitsusawa…that's bullshit and you know it!" Clare would bellow, becoming somewhat frustrated by her attempts to mask her true reasoning. Her superior would shake her head, raising her green eyes skyward for a moment.


"That is partly the reason…the other reason is that while you may be human sir Manish. You interest me. For too long the energy I have consumed has been used for destruction. For once I wanted my cursed powers to be used for salvation. If I helped one life than perhaps the blood which stains my soul may be purged. Is that not reason enough?" She'd ask, her eyes drifting down toward he man. Offering him her hand. Her words causing Clare's bicolored eyes to avert toward to earth. She had been fortunate enough never to have fought in the war. From what she could tell all those which have either have gone insane or forever are burdened with unimaginable guilt.


"All of our fates are sealed, we are all slowly dying. At least this way I am in control of it. When we return home I will be questioned. Most likely trialed and sent to be beheaded. But none of that concerns me now. All that matters is the assignment. Compared to that my life doesn't matter. If this creature is left uncontested it will consume and consume again. Countless innocents will suffer. This should concern you more than the fate of a sinner such as I." Her words filled Clare with anger, without hesitation she would slap her superior as hard as she could.


Her eyes filled with tears. "You stupid cunt! And what happens when you are gone? To those who care for? Why must you always be so selfish and narrow minded! Don' worry I will make sure nothing happens to you. You were there for me when I needed you most…now it is my turn to protect you! And don't you even think about turning me away!" Her words caused Mitsusawa's eyes to widen, a faint smile adorning her face as she found her words to be beautiful. "I see, if that is what you truly desire than I will not rob you of it. Manish you have pondered for some time our "magic." You have questioned what we truly are. Inside of you is a fragment of that energy, a portion of my soul and memories..and that of those which have died to preserve it. "


"When you wish you need only to meditate and focus on the foreign power coursing through you. Experiences are a biological marker, our energy and genes are forever altered by what we've endured. Do this and you will have some if not all of your answers. But consider this your warning…Not all truths should be discovered. And once seen you will never be able to avert your eyes. This is something I have learned the hard way…" She would conclude as Clare struggled to gather her composure.


"You know we could just claim he was dying? You stabbed him on accident and used your powers to undo this wrong? You broke a law to keep a law. So by doing so this should cause the council to second guess themselves. Maybe enough to earn you your freedom. I am your only witness after all?" The feathered hair woman expressed herself. Her logic somewhat sound, but not absolute. ":I suppose that will suffice. We will worry about that bridge when we cross it. For now we must get back on track…" Mitsusawa's workaholic mentality once more revealing itself.
 
"You would sacrifice yourself just for the sake of that?" asked Manish as he continued fixing the cloths on the spots where Mitsusawa's spirit cloth did not reach. "Simply beyond stupid," he just said as he continued to wrap his bandages, all the while turning his face away. Such things were not his land to tread on as he considered them to be foolish. Yes, one had to atone for the mistakes in his past, but that did not mean one had to take such drastic actions. After all, he had committed what could be called crimes as well, but he did everything in his power to make his experiments humane, not to mention to make his victims suffer the least possible amount if they died at his hands. He did not need more than that, for he knew that he was not a mass-murderer.

But these two looked like they were seriously haunted by the past, something which Manish could not understand. If they were forced to murder against their will, then it was not their fault that they have ended lives. Those lives' blood was splattered on the hand of the one who forced them to make those murders. And if they have killed willingly, then it because of their own decisions, for which they indeed needed to repent, but not in such a way that would leave them dead. That was simply unreasonable, not to mention that it went against the basic rule of self-preservation, one that Manish always seemed to obey regardless of circumstances.

For him, the world was always this simple. There were certain rules and laws to be followed which stretched across every single aspect of life, but these laws had to make sense from a logical standpoint. Whatever rules these two followed, on the other hand, seemed not to make sense for him. Why would Mitsusawa choose such a self-sacrifice over continuing to live? Even if she committed so many mistakes in her life, then the right choice was to continue living and fix them.

"Whatever," said Manish curtly as he put on the greatcoat, then his backpack. "Let's continue. The fire will catch up to us soon."
 
Both Manish and Mitsusawa operated on different wave lengths and frequencies. And so any further attempt to elaborate on her "plan" or reason for behaving the way she did would become mute. Forever doomed when paired against a deafen ear. In truth it was neither of their faults, and so she harbored no ill will or thoughts toward this alchemist. For though he was not equipped to understand, she was ill equipped herself to elaborate. But less she caused offense the officer would offer but one final thought toward the matter. For the psychological tensions between the two could potentially doom their mission.
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"To everything I do there is a reason. I am not blindly throwing my life away; so please refrain from acting as if you can comprehend my motives. I would hope by now you would have learned one truth about my person. I never act; not without a plan. Sadly elaborating on my plan will only risk others needlessly getting involved. I am sorry to have used you like a chess piece on a grand board. But sadly I needed my knight, and you were him."Undoubtedly her words and the manner in which they were posed could only sown more questions.
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Even Clare found herself somewhat confused by her superior's words. Failing to mask such inner disposition; as she scratched the back of her head. Her once sorrow ridden face dissipating as it birthed one conceived of perplexity. "Umm…I don't know what she has up her sleeve. Or even why she would act so recklessly. But trust me spider fetish man, this old hag never moves unless it has a purpose. So for now I am going to trust her. And if it ends badly I'll simply have to beak a few of her brittle aged bones." She replied, as she banged her fist together. Her words causing Mitsusawa's head to shake out of frustration.
<o:p> </o:p>
Mitsusawa had finally given up trying to correct or instill military bearing into this child. For like a mule she was far too stubborn, but unlike a mule she wouldn't respond to beatings. At this point she no longer felt the need to explain herself to Manish. Hopefully for now he would accept her act of kindness for what it was. "So be it, let us be on our way then."Mitsusawa took the lead, as Clare skipped to Manish side. Leaning a bit forward as she peered up at his face; placing her pointing finger on her chin. "I just wanted to let you know…for an Alchemist you aren't that bad. "
<o:p> </o:p>
She would run forward to catch up to her superior as soon as those words parted from her lips. Though whether or not she was referring to his person or his physical appearance would remain obscured. Mitsusawa "observed"Manish from afar. Knowing soon he would have his questions answered. However most likely not in the way he desired. For the power which healed him, now coursed through out his body via his blood stream. Sooner or later he would feel tired s it reached his brain a couple of times. And then his epiphany will come. But they had at least a couple of hours before that happened. Enough time for them to clear this damnable mountains.
 
Manish just shook his head as he attempted to figure out what was going on in the mind of the woman and what was her plan involving him, but as he discovered within the span of a few seconds, there were simply too many variables for him to make a logical conclusion. There were so many things that he did not know about his two companions that not even an eternity would be enough to count them all, every single one of which could have contributed to Mitsusawa's plan. Once again, the alchemist found himself overtaken by his curiousity, however, before he opened his mouth, he immediately reminded himself of whom he was travelling with. As human as they were, Clare and Mitsusawa were still assassins, people who would just move on after their job was completed and it was best to remain unattached to temporary companions.

Yes, that was the right reasoning. While he wanted to know more about them, Manish knew that their journey would not last long and that at its end would lie his own salvation, if the two were willing to keep their promise. If they did not, then he would still part way with them one way or another. After all, there was simply no way that he could have stood his ground against two fighters who were so competent, but then they might be willing to let him go without punishing him for his crime. Well, they did not seem to be interested in that for now, however, Manish reminded himself that the future was absolutely unpredictable. Just like Mitsusawa and Clare, too many variables went into prediction, not to mention that he was no seer to have visions about what would happen.

He joined the two women quickly enough, discarding their comments as if nothing happened and keeping to himself, knowing that the journey ahead them was a rather long one, and the journey behind them was impossible. Even if the skeletons managed to put up some resistance to the fire, it would still spread across a large area, leaving them with enough time to escape the necromancer's area of influence. Manish had made sure of that, but even if he miscalculated the mage's power who was behind this all, they still had plenty of time, not to mention that they were now on more open ground, where humans had the advantage.

As he had no intention of getting lost in the woods, he took the map and compass from his backpack again and waved to the two women to adjust their course. They went off the planned path slightly, and Manish did not like small errors as they could blossom into avalanches if given enough time. Under his lead, the trio slowly descended from the mountain, eventually treading on the small path again. He did not say a word the entire time, contemplating his actions and the actions of his companions so far, not to mention that once again, he tried to get to the bottom of the magic the two seemed to use. It was just so surreal and strange when compared to everything that he had seen.
 
The road ahead would be a long one, but at least the view was subject to change. Even now as the party made their way down the mountain, the lush array of trees in the distance proved almost awe inspiring. A reminder of the simple beauties in this world we often take for granted. Still this sight also marked the beginning of their travels. So in many regards it also proved mildly loathsome. "Fuck…" Clare whispered under her breath, whilst her leader Mitsusawa seemed more content on maintaining her bearing. Out of the two she had always been the one to bear more resolve. Perhaps this was one of the reasons she advanced so quickly up the ranks that and her raw talent for destruction of course.
<o:p> </o:p>
As they continued to traverse the long and lonesome road, Mitsusawa would watch Manish closely. Though watch perhaps wasn't a strong enough word to use. In actuality she more or less "sensed" him. The way she sawthis world was not limited like most eyes. She saw the flow and ebb of all energies and auras in a 360 angle. This is part of the reason she was so observant and never suffered from an ambush. Mitsusawa could also sense that Manish was troubled, something failed to sit well with him. Though she would chalk it up to the inner disposition he displayed earlier toward her actions.
<o:p> </o:p>
She had no way of deducing that it was his misconceptions toward their vocations which annoyed him. After traveling for some time and following his directions it would be Mitsusawa who broke the silence. As oppose to her subordinate Clare. "Something is troubling you…this much is obvious. Care to talk about it?" She inquired into, pretty much knowing that he would play the macho man card and change the subject if not ignored her completely. "I hope you trust us? After all soon you will have what you want from us…and perhaps more. In return I think it is only fair that you be honest and open with us. Unless of course it's truly a personal matter." Her words causing Clare's eye's to drift her way.
<o:p> </o:p>
"This silence is making things so booooorinnng! But I suppose most of you old people can't help it." She replied with a heavy sigh, folding and resting her arms against her abdomen. Not even Clare could sense what was soon to transpire. For with each moment that passed her genetic marker and energy was rooting itself within his own aura. The side effects wouldn't be lethal and the possibilities plagued with far too many variables. Still intently Mitsusawa watched him closely, pondering whether or not he will appreciate or loathe the gift she bestowed on him.
 
"Inquiring would not help," said Manish as he continued down the slope, following the road his compass and his map showed him. "It is not something you could answer," he added, mentally noting that it was not a question that he wanted to be answered. Even he knew that the answer he sought was probably best left buried beneath a pile of bones, in a grave deep beneath the soil, but he could not help his curiousity. It was his nature to question everything and not accept shallow explanations as reasons, but then again, it was also his nature to discover these things without help. Teamwork was never his strong point.

As they continued down the hills, a strange feeling started to overcome Manish, as if the spirit cloth on him was starting to become warmer as time went on, but he did not pay attention to it. He only focused on the road ahead, purposefully ignoring the boredom of Clare as he still tried to sort everything out on his head, however, after a long time of futile thinking, he just gave up and threw out of the window every single theory he had constructed so far. Instead, his mind wandered off towards his own designs, to be more precise, a design for an alchemic cannon that would not burst, and could automatically resupply itself with enough hydrogen to fuel its flames, or at least operate for a long time without his intervention. The idea came to him after he was finished with making that strange, inefficient cannon in the fortress, so now he wanted to work with it and see what he could improve on the design in his head, without paper and pen to help him.

However, as always, he found it incredibly hard to keep track of the details, especially considering the fact that he also had to keep track of the direction they were going in, which interrupted his chain of thought on occasion. In the end, he decided to put the idea away for later and just emptied his mind in the hope of losing himself in the scenery, but as always, the questions he wanted to ask did not leave him alone. He had to deliberately force himself to pay attention only to the map he was holding so his mind would not get boggled down again in the questions he knew would never have an answer to.

Still, he could not help but feeling that eventually, his questions would be answered, though not in a shape or form he expected them to be answered. The spirit cloth that was wrapped around him seemed to reassure him of that, which was when Manish caught himself thinking about the nature of the strange wrap that Mitsusawa gave him. He had not noticed, but the piece of cloth around his chest was feeling stranger by the second, as if it was alive, yet it was not a discomforting feeling. Somehow, it reminded him of his own past, so he quickly started focusing on the feeling to find out just what Mitsusawa had done to him. Throwing accusations would serve little purpose, after all.
 

As the party traversed down the less traveled road, a sense of progress would finally loom over them. It was true they still had some way to go, but with one foot in front of the other they had begun to close the distance between themselves and their objective. With a simple declaration the two women could sense the Alchemist position, respecting it they would pry no longer. A deathly silence had settled in as the strange lot made their way down toward the rolling hills. Manish needn't declare his loner personality for the way he walked proclaimed this much. Still for a lone wolf he handled himself quite well and got both Clare and Mitsusawa out of trouble. In fact though Mitsusawa would refrain from admitting it, he had done more than her. For a human he was resourceful, a trait she admired.
<o:p> </o:p>

Perhaps her kind was wrong to assume that such creatures were all inherently frail. Maybe the day will come when monsters such as herself and Clare would find themselves without a place in this world. A morbid thought, but one which ironically filled her up with warmth. A world void of monsters, void of demon kind and the tragedies they sow into our world. The very thought brought a chuckle to her lips, for such a thing was far too whimsical to ever happen. If only Clare could read her mind than she'd probably laugh too, only because that was something along the lines that she'd come up with. Perhaps her underling was rubbing off on her? Now that was a scary thought…
<o:p> </o:p>

Clare would scrunch her face a bit as those bicolored eyes of hers narrowed. She could sense that something wasn't right with spider boy. His aura seemed to be fluctuating…almost as the wave lengths were slowly morphing with that of someone foreign. Clare specialized in combat and sucked at the academic portions of their training. And so it took her longer than need be to connect some of the dots. More along the lines of half an hour. The entire time all she would do is blankly stare ahead of them, her thumb gently caressing her chin. Making the occasion "Hmm" or "Ahh" sound.
<o:p> </o:p>

This evoked an arch of the brow from Mitsusawa as she looked her way. Shocked that it was taking her this long to put it together. "Try not to think too hard Clare…you might kill a few brain cells." Mitsusawa jested, showing a softer more comical side of her. An act which displayed her comfort level with the two. "Hmm?" Clare would reply, her eyes drifting her way as she scratched the back of her head. That's when it dawned…Mitsusawa had a personality? Impossible in all the months she's known her never once did she make a joke. "Are you sick…wait or are you just some undead thrall who assumed the flesh of the old hag!" She'd bellow, pointing her way. "Zombie!! Go for Manish his brains are yummier." She spoke with a nod of her head. Her feathered short hair bouncing as she did so.
<o:p> </o:p>

Mitsusawa at first knew not what to say, she couldn't tell if Clare was being serious or not. "A-A-Are you ok? I'm no zombie and I am most certainly not a Hag." She'd retort, instantly Claire would reply, "It would be hard to tell…both are old and aged, and both sorta smell…I know the only difference between a zombie and the hag is…" Mitsusawa would interrupt her statement. "Is that one writes your progress report and can take away your pay." That frigid stare once more barreling down on Clare. Clare would snap her fingers and stomp her feet. "Darn it! I was so close too…" She replied with a wide goofy grin. Her superior simply shaking her head, ignoring her for now. This break served as the distraction she needed, for once Clare glanced from Mitsusawa to spider boy she noticed something. The signature of the foreign aura was close to her superiors…
<o:p> </o:p>

This was a cause for concern; the exchange of memories had never been tested on normal humans before. Even some
vipers die during the process. What was it Mitsusawa had up her sleeve…

 
The antics of his companions did not amuse Manish, for he had far greater concerns in the form of the spirit cloth that was tied around his waist. He knew that he could not take his greatcoat off to get the thing off him, and ripping it into pieces would have consequences he was not quite ready to deal with, so he was trying to find a way to take it off without his companions noticing it. Unfortunately for him, Mitsusawa was incredibly thorough when she tied the spirit cloth, so he could not find any weakspots in the fabric. Damning his own luck, Manish took a loose piece of the spirit cloth into his hand and examined it closely in an attempt to see what it was made out of. Just like he expected, the fabric was completely ordinary, so there must have been a magical component to it as well, something that he could not examine without his complete laboratory.

He attempted to focus his own magic on the one that seemed to surround the spirit cloth, but he had no success. Assembly magic rarely reacted with other kinds of magic in a way that was detectable, and it seemed that the one Mitsusawa used was no exception, so he just focued his senses in hopes of discovering something about the strange material. He tried to rely on his instincts, but as expected of his spectacular bad luck, that was exactly the extra the spirit cloth needed to wrap him up in its own world.

Out of nowhere, countless memories exploded into the mind of the alchemist, telling him of the life of Mitsusawa. Thousands of pictures flashed by before him, depicting birth, death, murder, training, mutation, assasination, monster, memory, precious, hate, fear, discipline, emotion, assignment, childhood, growth, deformation, reflection, black, sense, aura, sound, touch, smell, experience, pain, headache, overwhelming, eclipse...

The mind of Manish shut down under the strain of the memories, causing him to fall forward on his face, his mind waging a battle against the overwhelming consciousness of another person.
 

The time had finally dawned, into a state of torpor Manish would slip. Finding himself burdened by the foreign occupation of Mitsusawa's memories. A flood of emotions coursed throughout his body and soul, an experience which would prove quite undesirable. The viper knew not how he would ultimately feel about this sudden turn of events. Imposing the truth in a fashion he would not prefer. But it was already far too late for such petty concerns. Into darkness he would drift, feeling a sense of ease. Time no longer had any power over him for he had become unattached to this plane of existence and traversed between the time and reality. He had embraced the new infinity which exist beyond the bounds of fate. A notion a man of science and thought like himself undoubtedly strive to refute.


His collapse startled Clare, she had not expected him to faint so suddenly. She envisioned them having more time. But time was something they rarely had on their side. "Clare don't just stand there! Grab him and lets move!" Mitsusawa would bark, causing her subordinate to spring into action. With haste the bicolored eyed woman would pick up the alchemist, tossing him over her sholders as both apprentice and aster made their way down the windy dirt road. Making their way toward an abandon shack which would serve as a haven. "Quickly take him inside." Mitsusawa would order, Clare would let out a heavy sigh as she kicked the door open. Placing the spell caster on the dirt littered ground. Clearly by the state of the structure no one had been here for many years if not decades.


"May I ask why?' Clare would inquire into, at first only silence would greet her. As Mitsusawa lied down next to Manish. "He wanted answers, I am going to give them to him." She'd retort, though somehow Clare doubted things were that simple. Mitsusawa was far too complex when it came to her motivations for something so plain to be wholly true. Though she wouldn't doubt this was but a fragment. For her voice seemed to carry about a sense of integrity. "You do know this is highly forbidden right? if word got out you'd hang for sure!" Clare replied, her tones that of concern. Concern though sweet, seemed of little import considering the deed was already done. "Thank you...do not fret if word gets out I alone will hang." Mitsusawa replied though her words offered little comfort. Clare was no concerned for her own well being, rather that of her superior. Whom she would reluctantly admit had grown on her over the course of these many months.


"Your such a fool for an old hag." A heavy sigh parting from her luscious lips as she shook her head. "I will keep watch as you pull him into your own world. Such try not to get either yourself or him killed." She'd express her true fears. This epiphany evoking a smile on Mitsusawa's picturesque face. "Don't worry I'll make sure your crush goes unharmed." Her words causing Clare's face to redden, for she felt somewhat embarrassed and caught off guard. "I-It's nothing like that and you know it! Whatever go do your thing." She'd reply as Mitsusawa closed her eyes. Slipping into a state of serenity as both hers and Manish's waves became one. slowly becoming in sync which permitted a melding of their consciousness.


The alchemist had no knowledge regarding how much time had passed, in his minds eye everything transpired in a blink of an eye. For just as quick as he blacked out, he would awaken. But not to a world of trees, rather to that of a city. Buildings as tall as the eyes could see, yet decayed and damaged. The aura arond him was heavy with both guilt and pain. Like a burning would the pain would reverberate within his soul. Stinging constantly as the air around him seemed to thicken. A chaotic gust of wind would hurl countless grains of red sand across the scene. Pillars of black smoke adorned the sky as unquenchable fire adorned the destruction. It was a morbid world of blacken skies, meant not for many to tread.


Within the void he would hear a voice call out to him, familiar yet distant. As time passed the voice would get louder and louder, finally out of no where Mitsusawa would appear in his sight. As if she had spawned out of thin air. With arms folded against her defined abdomen she'd offer him a sly grin. Oddly she seemed unmoved by their current situation, almost as if she had been here countless times before. This would sow more questions than anything else, but here all answers did lie. "Hello Mr. Manish. Welcome to my world." Such an oddly posed introduction.


"We are now one, our consciousness a single entity for the moment. Through this medium you shall find your answers. And with it a part of me will forever lurk inside you." As soon as these words parted from her lips, a swirl of ecstasy would course throughout his body. Not one of a sexual nature solely, but also one of an intellectual nature. "Ignore this sudden flood of pleasure you feel, it is normal. The molding of our minds is equivalent to the most passionate of sexual intercourse's. And thus is rarely handed out freely." She'd conclude in a fashion as odd as their chanced meeting.

 
"Why have you done this?" cried out Manish as soon as the strange feeling washed over him. "You are aware of the dangers of this technique, are you not? I could have died!" he asked, his metaphorical spirit stepping closer to the one of Mitsusawa to let her see the anger which flowed out from him. His soul was consumed by a furious, bright red fire that told the woman of his absolute displeasure at the situation, for even if it was an opportunity to learn about her, it could have cost him his life. For him, his life and the integrity of his mind was the most important, as these were the two tools he could use to discover the world around him, these were the tools that he could use to unravel the rules that dictated how the world spun. For the scientist called Manish Joshi, losing his life or his mind, both of which were put in danger by Mitsusawa, would mean the loss of his goal in life.

"I had not asked for this," he said as he calmed down a little bit, refusing to open his metaphorical eyes to the scenery, even if the pictures flowed into him regardless of his actions. "It is not my way to learn through the memories of others. Return me to my body now," he said, crossing his metaphorical arms in front of his body, and he meant it. He did not know too much about mental unions as he had never studied the science, but he knew that they were extremely dangerous. If one of the minds involved in the union were too weak, then both of them would return with horrible scars, or not at all. They required great skill and care to be executed perfectly, so he, who had no experience with it, was sure to return with lasting mental damage.

The thought of his mind degrading would have made Manish vomit if he was still in his physical body right now, however, he knew that he had already absorbed a significant amount of knowledge from the mind of Mitsusawa. Therefore, he would likely not return unharmed even if they ended the union here, but he was not willing to risk further contamination of his soul. The faster he got out of here, the higher were the chances of his mind accepting the amount of information it had been given, lowering the chances of permanent mental damage. Of course, he would feel highly disorentiated, not to mention that he would probably not be able to use his magic for days, but it was still better than becoming a vegetable.
 

The level of distraught and concern was to be expected. It seemed that even his thirst for knowledge had its limits, something odd coming from a man whose God's were reason and logic. Most his kind often sought the truth, willing to go as far as necessary to sedate their hunger for knowledge. Perhaps Mitsusawa had misjudged this man. His cries and pleas had reached her ears; sadly it was already too late. For though this was a world of her making, another presence could be felt. A being with as much say as her with the coming and going of others. If it was any matter of comfort for Manish even the viper herself was a prisoner of sorts.
<o:p> </o:p>

His fears were sound, though void for he was far stronger than he gave himself credit for. What was happening now was a common occurrence only amplified. As sentient beings we often find ourselves picking up on the signals being emitted from ones brain. Sensing sorrow, fear, distraught, confidence, love, joy all from afar. Without even having to judge ones body language. In all honesty even as a child Mitsusawa had always been sensitive to such things.
<o:p> </o:p>

This world of destruction and decay was a manifestation of both her own condition and that of the other one. The manifestations of her shadows, the darkest aspects of our being like a temptress often sought to project itself on others as well as our world. Vipers by nature are able to draw out this inner beast, utilizing its power to impact their world. But a dance with the devil always proved a gamble. One in due time they were destined to lose, ultimately succumbing to utter madness. This was their curse…
<o:p> </o:p>

A beast only made all the stronger as a result of men like Manish. Men of logic and reason, men who thirsted for knowledge who longer to venture beyond their limitations. Alchemist and sorcerers who through dark magic and a dreadful ritual fused the energy of countless souls with that of Mitsusawa. The worst of which survived, becoming one twisted by their agony. If she as a young girl no older than her twelfth birth year; could endure the occupation of countless minds. Then surely he could endure the occupation of only one for the moment…
<o:p> </o:p>

Undoubtedly by now even Manish could sense this other presence, which with piercing eyes barreled its attention down at them from hooded shadow. "Sadly it is not that simple. I cannot let you go, for I cannot leave either. I had my reasons for bringing you here...Surely you didn't believe all this was simply to confront your ignorance and fulfill your thirst for knowledge?" She'd state, as the sound of rubble crashing onto the worn street echoed throughout this wasteland. "I cannot contain him much longer. But I am hoping the introduction of a strong mind can disrupt the flow. Humor me…you will have your answers and I will keep my life." A bold declaration one which wouldn't put his mind at ease.
<o:p> </o:p>

Turning so that her back faced Manish, Mitsusawa's gaze would peer to the distance, at a world of lament and many futures destroyed. Through the destructions of such possibilities she has been led to this point. Some of her own making, others not so much. "I will show you why you have nothing to fear. You believe you know what fear and pain is. But soon you will understand the gap between our perceptions of such things. At the same time your mind will be put at ease. For though this is a dangerous procedure…it is safer than you seem to assume." She'd retort, as a door sprung from the rubble.
<o:p> </o:p>

"Turn the knob of brass Mr.Manish. The sooner we get done this the sooner we will both go home." Though the viper failed to mention it certain precautions were taken to limit the damage and probability of damage. A failsafe which she'd keep to herself for the moment.

 
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