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Post by Izumi, Yin on Jan 9, 2009 17:16:17 GMT -5
Quite displeased he wasn't getting anywhere with his job - Hindari decided to retreat back to the shadows. He dropped his disguise and his dark eyes shifted about as he wondered where to next. There were many levels to the castle and he had plenty to explore. So he decided to try the next floor up. Hindari made his way towards the staircase and made sure to be hidden. This meant using the shadows in the same room Azusa was now in. When he saw her he just shook his head. She was going to get herself killed. He watched her minor tricks for a few moments but all the while was deciding where to go. Where was the King? If he was an Izumi he could be watching from anywhere. Where would he be in this large castle? Hindari moved stealthily through the room as he tried to remain unnoticed within the darkness.
He stopped when he reached where he would cross over to get to the staircase. He once more shook his head in her direction. From what he could tell she was just a magnet for trouble. Hindari didn't think he should stick around in case she tried to drag him into it. He needed to complete this mission and get home. Hindari would prefer to finish it within one day since it had been going so well for him. Not so much for her. Pity.
Slipping out of the room he made his way up the staircase and looked at the torches that gave light to the area. When he got to the top of the stairs he was at a long hallway filled with many doors to the right and an opening that showed the courtyard down bellow to the left. At the very end of the hallway were two large double doors. Hindari decided it best if he looked into there first and then moved into the smaller rooms to his right.
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Post by wulfbayne on Jan 9, 2009 18:15:29 GMT -5
Azusa was slowly running out of tricks and the crowd was becoming bored with her minor routines to the point where an awkward silence filled the air - even when she had performed a trick. She knew it was over by then. The female broke out into a cold sweat and glanced around the room. Frowns were beginning to form on the faces of the diners, and many watched with their snooty noses turned up and a look in their eyes that said 'is that all?'. Yeah. It was. That was it, Azusa, who had been dangling over that boiling pot of water, was now holding on by a string.
Nervous, Azusa thought of how to get out of this - when her eyes met his. He was standing in the doorway, his arms crossed, and his face a black hole devoid of any hint of expression. It sent a sharp chill down her spine and instantly she wanted to curl up in a corner. Whoever he was, the man was bad joo-joo.
Everyone's eyes followed hers, but - upon looking at him - didn't appear to react the same was as she (maybe they didn't understand just how... terrible he seemed). "Madame Zariah?" He asked, unfolding his arms and stepped into the warm room. He approached Azusa and circled her once before stopping before her. He glanced casually back at those who sat at the table, all of them seemed to be on the edge of their seats with anticipation - especially the females. Akumu, the king of this god forsaken kingdom, simply shook his head and returned his attention to the Mizuno before him. Oh, her disguises couldn't hide her real identity, he knew exactly what she was. "I believe you shall keep my lovely guests waiting her all night without a good show. Come now, can't you perform some grand tricks without your assistant? A sorceress isn't great because of her assistant - she is great because of her skills with magic... unless... you aren't Madame Zariah?"
A chilled silence filled the air as Azusa watched the man, and the longer he kept his cold eyes locked on her, the more her desire grew to be on the other side of the world - even if it meant she was in the middle of shark-infested waters. "He has all of my... props," Azusa replied quietly, "and a... sorceress' magic must be... accented, no?" She asked quietly, taking a step away from him. "I have been in the presence of many magicians, witches, warlocks... everything has passed through my court and none of them needed something as foolish as props to amuse those who live within my walls, Madame." Akumu regained that step she had taken away from him. "There is no doubt their tricks were, grand... sir, but I assure you... when I am allowed to perform with my props, my tricks will outshine all the others you have seen." Akumu's lips twitched slightly, his version of an amused grin Azusa assumed. "I'm sure they will outshine," them all. Stepping back and crossing his arms, Akumu looked towards those which sat at the table. "Madame Zariah will perform before us and many others in the morning. If her talents are as she boasts, then I'm sure the others will appreciate it if we wait to see her talents. This way she can perform greater tricks, for we will take this up in the grand ball room tomorrow evening."
Azusa remained quiet as she looked around. The others nodded in agreement, and by some unknown gesture, those at the table stood and filed out of the room. Now I have to figure out how to get out of here, Azusa thought, looking around, but the man was back. "Come with me," he said, his tone sharp and icy. Turning on his heel, Akumu headed out of the dining room, and Azusa followed obediently.
They ended up outside in a magnificent garden that was enclosed within high stone walls. The moon was large and bright overhead, casting a serene glow upon the soft petals of the flowers. Azusa looked around at the flowers, but was very alert as to how close to the man she was - the Mizuno female made an attempts to stay at least six feet from him. Because Azusa didn't suspect Akumu of being anything but a tyrant she didn't pay attention to his scent. Besides, she was more focused on getting out of the place alive than what her senses were telling her.
Akumu, knowing exactly what was in his castle - and not enjoying it one bit - decided that it would be much easier to dispose of the pest than to set it free. But, because of the secret he carried, he had to do so without using his demonic abilities. Being a human was such a hassle. He was a bit surprised that she hadn't reacted to his scent just yet, of course it was so well disguised these days he barely had to worry about demons realizing what he was. He only had to look out for those who knew what to look for - and apparently she wasn't one of them, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
The smooth blade of a knife reflected the moonlight as it slipped from his sleeve. Grasping the hilt, he crossed his arms behind his back as he turned to look at the woman. "I know what you are," he said. "And I won't tolerate having your kind in my kingdom." Azusa, startled by what he said, looked the man in the eye. He knew? How? Had he seen her...? But he was a human, what harm could he do to her, a demon? She was most definitely faster than him. But, she was on guard none-the-less. But, as Azusa had discovered earlier, things almost always went wrong.
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Post by Izumi, Yin on Jan 9, 2009 22:00:55 GMT -5
Making his way down the hallway, something told him to stop. So he stopped and waited. For the longest time he merely waited and gazed down at the garden below. His patience ended up being rewarded. A sudden, strong wave hit him though it caused not much of a reaction on his part. But it was one of pure darkness, it seemed. Something close to what Yin's presence felt like - intimidating. Hindari stayed where he was but was now facing to the right and looking down. Someone with such a force was going into the garden down below. Was it his target?
Two people entered the large opening down below. One was a tall male and the other a female with...white hair... She seems to have just gotten in more trouble. Such a troublesome demon. Hindari observed closely and realized that yes, the one she was with was an Izumi. He must be the leader of Aku - their king. Yin had been right all along, then. There was an Izumi ruling Aku and one that Yin was not too fond of. He had been able to tell with the venom that dripped in her voice when she had mentioned the assignment. He had gotten what he needed - it was time to go now.
Hindari turned to leave quickly but he felt that the poor woman was about to have a hard time. The Izumi male wasn't going to be forgiving about a Mizuno trespassing. Did she have any sort of common sense at all? How she wasn't already dead, Hindari didn't really know. He suspected someone like her would've died a long, long time ago. Apparently not. She had to be something something right, then.
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Post by wulfbayne on Jan 9, 2009 23:14:25 GMT -5
Azusa glanced around the garden, and soon came to understand why he had chosen this spot. The garden itself was on a large balcony which was heavily supported. Beyond the walls was a long drop that would kill anyone who attempted it. Now, within the garden walls, she was trapped between the king of Aku, and the large walls surrounding the garden. If she wanted to get out of this, she'd have to get through him... or plummet to her death. This is what you would call a lose-lose situation. Something caught her attention, though, a figure in a window about a story up.
Akumu watched her eyes, and noticed something had caught her attention. He stepped closer, his eyes locked on hers, and saw faintly the image of someone in a window. Akumu then reverted into listening to his senses. Almost instantly he picked up the presence of an unwanted guest. "Ah," he said quietly, a glimmer of amusement flickering in the background of his dull eyes, "this shall be enjoyable."
Azusa's eyes shifted back to his, and for the first time she caught the glimmer of the smooth blade that he held in his hand as his body shifted a bit. Suddenly.... he was gone. Azusa looked around and tuned into her senses. She didn't sense anything, smell, hear, see... Remaining where she was, Azusa looked around.
There was a movement of air within the dark hallway, and suddenly there was the loud crack as glass shattered and the sharp tinkling as it hit the stone floor of the garden below. A mass of two bodies tumbled through the air and collided with the ground.
After a brief spell of confusion, Azusa saw that Akumu was kneeling over Hindari. He had one knee on the ground and the other pressed painfully into his stomach, and one hand to his throat and the other bearing down on his chest to keep him pinioned to the ground. "You're in dangerous territory, Izumi," Akumu said with a crooked grin. "Fortunately for you, I just might keep you around."
Shattered glass littered the gardens walk, and it glistened within the moon's light, which caught Azusa's attention. At the Mizuno's feet was a long, jagged piece of glass. Now, really, did you expect her to just stand there and watch as this happened to the man who appeared in her dreams? Gripping the fragment of glass Azusa started towards the king. But something wrapped tightly about her wrist and gave a painful squeeze and bent her wrist in an unnatural way. There was a sickening snap, followed by an intense amount of pain that shot up her arm. Azusa gasped and dropped the glass. "I'm not sure about this one, though. She could be strong, but that naivete quality... that's something that could ruin one's character." Akumu's eyes shifted back to the male which he had pinned, and he gave his neck a painful squeeze. "You'll eventually be of some use to me."
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Post by Izumi, Yin on Jan 10, 2009 10:49:07 GMT -5
He had been sensed. Hindari stepped back quickly from the open area. The Izumi could easily made him tumble down into the garden and break something if he landed wrong. That didn't seem to be the Izumi male's intentions as he was suddenly gone. Hindari prepared himself as he knew what was coming. The male was going to attack him personally. He heard glass shatter and then suddenly BAM - a male body collided into his. It knocked Hindari off his feet and the two went onto the ground. The Izumi pinned him down in a rather painful way and he could feel his claws on his neck as he gripped.
Hindari's lips curled up slightly to give a warning. He could and would fight back if the male didn't remove himself. Hindari thought back for a few moments at what his name had been theorized to be. Aku...Aku...it had been close to that name of the kingdom. Akumu! Yes, Hindari remembered it now. His name was Akumu Izumi - and he had heard all the stories about him. Akumu was much younger then Hindari now when he had used to be much older. Being turned to a human had started his age back to when he had stopped aging physically as a demon. In truth, Akumu was way up there with Yin but was still much younger then she. So Akumu had a number of years of experience on him. The possible outcomes all didn't look too good in Hindari's mind.
Yes, he was well aware he was in hot, deep boiling water. Hindari didn't need for him to point it out and had merely given him a dull stare when he grinned. But what exactly was he going to keep him around for? There was nothing much he'd do for him - if anything at all. Even if he were to be a decoy and it lead Yin here - Akumu would just be killing himself. There wasn't anything to keep him here for except to retain information. Which wasn't going to happen anyways. Hindari could still get the information to Yin.
His eyes shifted toward Azusa as he heard the snap and figured he had just broke her wrist. That wasn't any good. Hindari frowned and then closed his eyes. He concentrated on what he was planning to do. He had to test Akumu's strength and speed - which could either be greater of maybe even match his own. Hopefully it was the second choice because there was no way it could be less. Opening his eyes, Hindari's dark eyes had switched to crimson. He vanished within the shadows only to reappear above Akumu and throw a kick toward the male's skull. Then he would vanish again and reappear in many areas around Akumu - trying to hit at him but not really expecting any of them to hit. He was testing him.
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Post by wulfbayne on Jan 10, 2009 11:31:42 GMT -5
Now the fun was just beginning. Hindari's body vanished, leaving Akumu empty handed. The male stood up and shoved his hands into his pants pockets. He couldn't allow that male to let such information leak out, and he had the perfect plan to stop him. Having so many years of experience Akumu had adept skills when it came to the workings of the mind. All he had to do now was pin the damn demon again, remove the knowledge from his mind, and dump him somewhere... or leave him to rot in the dungeons beneath his castle. No one ever got out of there.
There was a movement of air as Hindari reappeared above Akumu, and with little effort on his part, Akumu twisted his body to the side in a swift and fluid movement, avoiding contact with the Izumi's foot. A swift hand shot out and knocked the male's leg, hoping it would knock him off balance for a few short moments. But he was gone again. What a waste of my time, Akumu thought, looking about as Hindari suddenly flickered in and out of Akumu's view, throwing punches and kicks all the while.
Now, this was a pretty good aerobics session for Akumu - he learned his agility was still up to par, for none of Hindari's attacks had yet to land a direct blow. There had been several skims, which annoyed Akumu. Everyone of his attacks should miss me, none of them should be close calls. He frowned at himself and closed his eyes while still avoiding. I really need to start practicing more, I've become too accustomed to those filthy humans.
Opening his eyes, which were now a deep crimson, Akumu lashed out with an arm and gripped Hindari's wrist as he came towards his face. Shifting his weight and twisting his torso, Akumu tossed Hindari in an arch over his head towards the balcony wall and sighed. "You," Akumu began, starting towards the male, "aren't as challenging as I had first hoped." He inhaled a deep breath through his teeth and shook his head. "I had hoped to continue our game for a bit longer, but quite frankly, I've grown bored."
In the blink of an eye he was before Hindari, and had the male hoisted up by his neck. "Checkmate," Akumu said with a glint of amusement. Locking his eyes with Hindari's, Akumu proceeded to seep into the male's mind, quite forcefully, and tore forcefully through his thoughts and memories before he found exactly what he needed to remove... but a sharp pain in his shoulder drug the king from the Izumi's mind. Looking down to his shoulder, Akumu saw an oddly bright spear protruding from his shoulder. The smell of his own blood touched his nose just as the shaft of light broke apart and faded. He reached towards the hole with his free hand, touched it, and held his fingers up. Blood coated the pale skin, and dripped down to pool in his palm. Akumu hadn't seen his own blood in years... and, for some reason, he had thought it would've been black. A small laugh shook the male's shoulders and he turned his head to look at the Mizuno. "Don't worry, Mizuno, your turn will come soon."
Azusa, who had been able to form a spear of light, was actually amazed it had hit... but was a bit discouraged when she discovered it hadn't done any good. Fortunately she had a back-up plan. Within Akumu's wound Azusa had let all of the shaft - except for one small ring - fade. And now was the time to put that plan into action. Focusing, Azusa forced the light to shoot spike in all directions, tearing through the sinew within the kings shoulder.
A deep, guttural grow rumbled within the king's throat as his arm was declared useless. Many of the ligaments and tendons had been severed, so his hand dropped uselessly to his side. Completely annoyed with himself, Akumu turned towards the Mizuno and bore his fangs. Never underestimate the weak ones, Akumu thought, because they always have something to make up for what they lack.
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Post by Izumi, Yin on Jan 10, 2009 11:47:20 GMT -5
Whoosh! Through the air he eventually went and landed with a thud. Yes, Akumu was very strong and very agile. But Hindari had skimmed him many times already, meaning that he could match him if he actually fought. This was pleasing to him as he sat up and rubbed his head. Akumu was before him and grabbed his throat again. Hindari was smirking, unable to hide how pleased he was at the moment. The way Akumu spoke gave off how confident he was and the confident ones were the ones who he found easy to take control of. Because they became overconfient and vulnerable.
This came into play now as he locked eyes with Hindari. Hindari's eyes shifted to where his pupils became slits and he disguised his work by giving a low growl, like he was protesting to Akumu entering his mind. But instead he was using his special ability, the one he had and no other Izumi had. Not even Yin. It was his own personal technique. Then there seemed he also got a distraction as the Mizuno female attacked. Akumu was underestimating her. Hindari had watched the skirmish with Yin. Though Yin had been merely toying with her, she had smartened up and began to use her mind to get through the attacks alive. So, she was quite smart yet she lacked common sense. That was something that could be worked on with time.
Akumu's arm hurt to where it couldn't be used, Hindari planted his feet on the male and pushed him. "You underestimate us both," he merely said as he activated his technique. Sending Akumu into a split second of utter horror. Something that would seem like it had lasted forever when it was finished. Experiencing the deaths of each Izumi and then the overwhelming feelings of all the Izumi who mourned. This attack was devastating and lucky for him the king was an Izumi, because it only worked on Izumi. But this technique allowed him to get free of his grasp with ease and he vanished, reappearing beside Azusa. "Let's go. We're not required to be here anymore." Hopefully the technique kept Akumu writhering for a few moments after it was all over.
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Post by wulfbayne on Jan 10, 2009 12:18:16 GMT -5
The sudden, horrible pain that filled Akumu stunned him - he saw, felt, heard, ached, mourned, and suffered for what seemed an endless amount of time. Everything, he saw it - death. Was the death? But how? He took a choked gasp and stumbled backwards a few feet. How? How?! It was only his shoulder! The breaths of his passed painfully through his throat, and soon the pains began to dull and his senses were returning to him. Akumu found himself on hand and knees. His left arm dangled uselessly at his side, spilling crimson blood onto the cold stone beneath his fingertips. His gasping ceased when normal airflow returned to lungs. His neck wasn't slit... but it had felt like it... just like he had felt his heart being constricted, crushed, stabbed, ripped out... his skull collapsing, his abdomen being ripped open, the femoral artery and wrists draining all the precious blood from his body. But none of it was true, he was alive and well. His body still pulsed with the memory of pain, and as he looked up he realized that the two were gone. "No!" He cried out, pounding the ground with one fist. "How did I miss that opportunity?" Standing, Akumu looked around... yes, they were gone. Placing his right hand over his left shoulder, the king got to work on fixing all the torn muscle, ligaments, and tendons. How could I have let them get away? He asked himself, suddenly growing annoyed. It was obvious his skills were lacking... he needed to pick up a strict regime from now on. He'd kill that Izumi male, and keep his head as a trophy and a warning to all Izumi. But how? How had he done it? His eyes, Akumu thought, coming to a conclusion. His eyes.
Now outside of the castle walls, and beyond the borders of the kingdom, Azusa was able to relax - but the pain in her wrist had spread throughout her arm. Everything in her right arm hurt terribly, and the wrist was swollen and red. She inhaled a shaky breath and slowly exhaled it. Azusa, as a child, had broken her wrist once after falling out of a tree, and Aimi had taught her how to set the bone and then wrap it so it could heal. But setting the bone was painful and caused a lot of pressure to be put onto the highly sensitive break. Of course, she couldn't do it herself... she needed two hands for the process, or something might be put back into place wrong. Maybe she should return to the Mizuno lands until it was healed. Azusa sighed a bit. "Thank you, Hindari," she said to the male, not really thinking about the fact he had never told her his name, "again. And... I'm sorry about the troubles I have caused you."
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Post by Izumi, Yin on Jan 10, 2009 12:37:11 GMT -5
At least they had escaped from the castle with ease. Hindari had managed to get them out unnoticed. If Akumu hadn't looked into his eyes it would've taken them a longer time to reach freedom. Hindari would've had to fight their way out and even then he could've pursued them out of the kingdom. So it was a stroke of luck that Akumu had been ignorant about his ability and Hindari had been able to use it.
Now away from the lands, Hindari decided it was time to hurry home with his information to give to Yin. But what of the Mizuno who now walked beside him? He glanced over at her and to her broken wrist. Hindari had no clue how to heal things. It was another thing Yin probably wasn't going to teach them since they had a healer. He was sure a Mizuno could help her when she got there.
She spoke his nickname and it caused him to stop for a split second. A small look of confusion crossing his features as he tried to remember if he had ever said anything about it. He had not. Then she had just decided to call him this and it was coincidence? Hindari highly doubted that. Highly. Where had she heard it, then? Obviously not from him. But he decided to just go along with it anyways. "You're welcome."
He was not sure how to respond to the second part. About how she was sorry for the troubles. Hindari thought about his saying and wondered if she'd ever follow it. He nodded in response to it so she could take it how she wanted. As an ok or whatever else her mind came up with. Hindari was never good with relationships or socializing. He was quite awkward with them...
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Post by wulfbayne on Jan 10, 2009 12:59:12 GMT -5
It was time for her to go, Azusa believed. He wasn't one for company, and she wasn't going to stick around any longer just in case she attracted some kind of bad luck (like she always did). Of course, now she was just placing all the blame on her shoulders, something she needed to stop doing - they were simple freak happenings... brought about by the author of her life. Azusa gave a small wave of her unharmed hand and started off in a random direction. I really need a map, Azusa thought while wondering if this was the correct direction towards the Mizuno lands. Of course it was, one could go in any direction and eventually wind up where they meant to go.
She felt a slight reluctance to leave his presence and that reluctance grew to an uncomfortable nagging at the back of her mind. Maybe I should marry into the Mizuno clan, Azusa thought, then I'll be able to stay in one place... and stay out of trouble. She sighed slightly and closed her eyes. That promise I made... she shook her head and laughed a bit at herself, It was stupid, and nothing bad will happen if I break it. There's no taboo on it or anything, anyways.
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