[]make the caravan stop. They’re going to catch up to us anyway
[] a rest will be needed

Let's see where this will go.

[ø] make the caravan stop. They’re going to catch up to us anyway
[ø] a rest will be needed

[x]make the caravan stop. They’re going to catch up to us anyway
[x] a rest will be needed

I'm interested.
Keep the update speed steady and keep a sharp eye on typos.

>>29998
I'll try and do so, however there may be one or two typos per update. Sorry, but english is something that I'm still working on.

>>30001
running two stories at the same time eh? Good luck.

>>30003
I've been with the site for a long time. I actually used it to help myself learn english. Plus, as >>30002 pointed out, this is my second story.

[x] Make the caravan stop. They’re going to catch up to us anyway.
[x] A rest will be needed.

>>30004

Duly noted. Carry on.

I'll be calling votes in the morning after breakfast tomorrow. See you then! I live in the Eastern timezone by the way.

>>30007
>I'll be calling votes in the morning after breakfast tomorrow.

Hooray!

Writing now, update between 1-3 hours.

“We’re stopping!” I yell back towards the caravan which immediately grinds to a halt. A man yells to me as we stop.

“Why are we stopping when we still have sometime before we will need rest?” Idiot.

“Did you not here that howling just now? Desert wolfs are some of the fastest land creatures in the world. Even if we were to move as fast as we could they would catch us anyway at this point. Throw a sheet over the camels so they don’t run, and start a small fire. Then take shelter in the caravan. I’ll take care of the wolfs.” The man frowns a bit at my explanation, but gets to work none-the-less. I’ll be using the fire to bait the beasts to their massacre.

The merchants have finished their work and taken cover inside, while I’ve taken up position on a high dune nearby. I can just barely see the wolfs rapidly approaching figures on the western horizon now. We’re traveling south by the way. There look to be about 5-6 of them. They’re almost within my range as well. I steady myself for a good first shot, and let fly at the lead wolf. Sure enough the lead wolf goes down a few seconds later. The small pack splits off into two without breaking speed, one moving straight towards the fire, while the other begins to circle around behind the dunes. I’ll be having none of that though as I fire again, hitting one of the two flanking wolfs. The remaining wolf from that group turns to rejoin the larger group of which is now closing in on the caravan. Not close enough to cause me to move yet though. I take two more shots from here, felling one beast and hitting another in the leg.

The remaining two are starting to get alarmingly close however, so I sling my bow back on my back unsheathe my dagger and a throwing knife. Dashing back to the caravan I get there just before the wolfs, and as they’re coming up I chuck my knife right between the eyes of the forward wolf; killing it instantly. The final wolf charges straight at me with its mouth open obviously ready for a meal. Well, I hope it likes deadly poison for dinner.

It jumps the last thirty feet to wear I was standing when it jumped. I had quickly sidestepped the moronic attack and slashed along the side of the creature as it passed me. I watch as the poison takes its immediate effects and all the muscles in the wolf stiffen, completely halting the heart. It skids a while threw the sand before coming to a dead stop(haha). Now all that’s left to do is finish off the one I hit in the leg and gather my arrows and knife. I take my knife from the blood pool around the skull of the dead wolf, wiping the excess on the sand, and move to the place where I shot one in the leg.

As I come up on where I shot it down I notice that it has gone off leaving a blood trail behind. I decide not to follow it, because I’ve been ambushed by more wolves in this same type of scenario before. One arrow is not worth an injury out here.

I’ve finished gathering my arrows, and have returned to the caravan. I’ve told them that we will move about fifteen minutes away from here then we will rest for the night. We need to get away from the smell of blood. There are much worse things in this desert than wolfs.

We come to a stop and I lean myself against one of the wheels to sleep. But before that I quietly use what little magic power I have to cloak the area around the caravan. It won’t stop things from coming near, but it’s better than nothing. I wrap myself in my cloak and fall asleep quickly. The more rested I am the better.

*Lost 1 arrow*
*Gained trust with current caravan*

Noon the next day…

Most people would say that it’s crazy to travel at the hottest time of the day in a desert. I say they should really think about what they are saying first. If you can withstand the burning heat then you’ll learn that most of the animals around here can’t, and as such it lowers the rate at which you’ll have negative encounters greatly. Which is a very good thing for this group. Another few hours and we’ll be at the halfway point in our journey if I remember correctly.

*avoided a dangerous encounter*
*Well rested; all stats up by 5*

A few hours after nightfall…

We’re about two thirds of the way through our journey now. Today’s night is frigid. It’s making it hard for me to concentrate completely on my task. I’ve resorted to riding on one of the camels because my legs have begun to sting from the cold. Getting into any confrontations right now wouldn’t be good for anyone here’s health. We need to rest soon. There’s a rock formation up ahead that could block the wind. It looks like a good place to rest, however there’s no telling what kinds of creatures would think that as well.

[]Take the risk to get out of this wind
[]Sleep between the dunes. There’s less chance of something attacking us
[]Keep moving for a little while. We may come across a better place to rest.

**********
I am basing things off a stat system, so I’ll be making up a character sheet for you guys soon.

[ø] Sleep between the dunes. There’s less chance of something attacking us

Wolfs should be wolves, just like how the plural form of loaf and leaf are loaves and leaves.
Other mistakes such as using sometime instead of some time, wear for where, and threw for through are things that a spellchecker cannot help with.
If you're serious about wanting to get better at using English, I don't mind giving the updates a proofread, before you post them on th-p, and telling you where the lines sound a bit awkward.

[x]Sleep between the dunes. There’s less chance of something attacking us

>>30015
That would probably help out quite a bit. I noticed the wolves and the through thing after I posted that though which really bothers me.

By the way, character sheet almost finished.

Character sheet

Name: Unknown (at this point)
Gender: female
Age: 17
Height: 4’6”
Weight: 107lbs

Description: Short, but slightly muscular. Spiky silver hair, an eye patch with a moon on it, a loner who tends to shy away from those who try to get close to her. Always completes her work quickly, quietly, and efficiently.


Stats(all stats are based with 101 as the highest possible):

Strength-61
Magic-55
Perception-85
Intelligence-79
Charisma-68
Endurance-84
Speed-88
Luck-82


Status:

Well rested: All stats plus 5(not included above)


Skill levels for current weapons(101 is the highest again):

Unarmed-79
Bows-88
Throwing knifes-82
Daggers-84


Skill levels for weapons previously used:

Spears-68
Sword & Shield-77
Exotic Sword(Katana)-79
Axes-56


Magic abilities:

Cloaking-cover a small area making it unnoticeable with sight


Talents(if there is a number the highest is 5):

Poison Knowledge 3- Able to make some very deadly poisons.

Intimidate 2- You can get the more than average person to listen to you through threats.(situation dependent)

Charm 2- You can get the more than average person to listen to you through charismatic displays.(situation dependent)

Armor Craft 3- You’re able to make and alter most types of armor.

Desert Survival 4- You know the desert better than almost anyone.

Forest Survival 3- You know what’s a good idea and a bad idea in a forest of any kind.

Loner- You don’t gain bonuses from having companions nearby.

Heightened Senses 3- You could pick out and listen to a conversation in a large group of people talking from 75 yards away.

Heat Tolerant- The heat of the desert sun at its best doesn’t bother you.

Tolerant Vision- Your eyes have no problem adjusting to see in any kind of light so long as there is light.

**********
I’m not making a leveling system, but you will get more skill points to distribute whenever I see fit. You gain weapon skill as you use that weapon, the same with your talents. Your talents can change because of any number of reasons, like if you survive in the desert by yourself for three days without food or water you’ll get desert survival 5. You get new magic by learning it from books or other people. Any other questions shall be answered other than what is the characters name.

[x]Take the risk to get out of this wind

Must have been some crazy wolf if it could jump 30 feet.

Let's take the risk, the potential experience gain from encountering something could pay off.

>>30021
You can expect all of the wildlife to be slightly insane here just so you know.

>>30022
Greater experience gains. I'm all for it.

>>30020
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_jump
>Mike Powell of the United States, in a well-known show down against Carl Lewis, leapt 8.95 m (29.4 ft) at the World Championships in Tokyo, setting the current men's world record.

Presumably wolves can jump 30' without much trouble.

!ycdK2z7yVo, feel free to send the next update to the email address in the email field, and I'll see what I can do. (proofreading)

>>30025
I'll be sure to do so, and thank you very much for the help in advance.

>>30025
I have four friends over right now, all of which proofread this update for. I'll send you the next one though.

**********

I decide that a good night’s rest is not worth risking at this point. Tomorrow this journey shall be over, and I’d rather not have to pay some doctor to help me out. The merchants will have to deal with being cold for a night.

“It’s time to rest.” I call back to the merchants. I slide off the camel and sit down right where I land. The same man as before gives me a quizzical look as I do so.

“But Ma’am, wouldn’t it be better to rest by those rocks? Then we could get out of this freezing wind.” I can understand his confusion this time. Most people without much experience in the desert would think that.

“Would you rather be in a cold wind or have a bleeding gash along your back Man?” He seems to have misunderstood what I said as his whole face blanches white. Well shit.

“I didn’t say that I was going to do that to you. I’m implying that the animals around here will be trying to avoid this wind as well, so it would up our chances of surviving the night if we slept in this wind.” The color slowly comes back to him as I explain what I meant in a somewhat irritated tone. Quickly he returns to the others.

As they set up their little camp I grab some bread and water from their supply. As with last night I put up another cloaking spell. Once again wrapping myself in my cloak I sit leaning against a wheel and drift to sleep.

**********

I look down at my chest amazed. The blood continues to flow, but somehow… I can still breathe. I try to get up and sure enough I’m able to move with little trouble. Now standing, I look down disbelieving at my blood stained clothing. I unbutton my shirt to make sure. The injury that had given so much pain just a few seconds ago was still there, still bleeding.

Then how… How?

Never mind. I don’t even want to know how I’m still living. Looking around I find I’m still in the cave where my friend betrayed me. There’s only one exit so after buttoning back up my shirt I grip my friend’s sword and go to leave. When I walk out I find myself at the edge of a clearing in a dense forest. Hearing voices I slip into the trees and try to get close enough to see what they’re saying.

“S-She’s dead.” My best friend’s voice, stuttering from the heinous act she just committed.

“Good, now leave.” A man’s voice, very rugged and harsh sounding.

“B-But you said that you would pay me?”

“What are you talking about? Why should I pay you for your own crimes?” I can see them now. My friend has slumped to the ground, her face completely blank. The man looks amused at her sorrow.


They should both die for their deeds.

I hear a voice in the back of my head. It’s very silent, but I find it hard to resist its suggestion. It begins to repeat this, over and over. I feel like I’m going insane. If I don’t do something soon I think I will.

[]…and both die they will. They’re both evil.
[]…this man is the evil one. He will die.
[]… my best friend betrayed me. She will die for what she did.
[]…no. This is all my fault. I must die.

**********
The story won't have many choices like this, so just bear with me for now.

>>30035
>all of which proofread this update for
me

>>30035
>I have four friends over right now, all of which proofread this update for. I'll send you the next one though.

Amazing what proofreading can do. This update flowed much nicely than the previous one. As for why I'm willing to help out here? Well, I love this website and I'd like to contribute something, and I tried writing before, but that went quite badly.

[ø] The man will die
-[ø] and depending on her reaction, she may or may not have to die with him.
Evil or not, she "killed" us for money.

>>30039
Thanks for being around, and I'm sorry about whichever story happened to be yours. I had another story before these two, but my real life started to really get in the way and I had to drop it. I really like that write-in by the way, and because it's the weekend and I won't get many votes I think I'll start writing that.

[x] The man will die
-[x] and depending on her reaction, she may or may not have to die with him.

Changing my vote.

[x] The man will die
-[x] and depending on her reaction, she may or may not have to die with him.

[x] The man will die
-[x] and depending on her reaction, she may or may not have to die with him.

Desert Touhou? That's an interesting take on things.

Also, you really need to learn when to use commas.

>>30044
Not all of the story will be in the desert unless you guys lean that way. More importantly, do I use too many or not enough commas?

**********

I feel my posture slouch a bit as I give in to the urge to kill.

They are both to blame. Kill them both.

I should shouldn’t I. I don’t want to outright kill my friend though.

She betrayed you. Kill her.

No, she’ll only die if I think she deserves it. I stand up loudly to make my presence known to the two. The man becomes agitated almost immediately.

“Who’s there?! Come out now, and I might not kill you!” He unsheathes two broadswords from his waist and stands ready to fight. I begin to laugh at him. He thinks he can kill me.

You are immortal.

At least for now I can believe that. My laughing becomes a hysterical cackling the longer it goes on. The man seems only slightly phased by this, while my “friend” starts to panic and her face turns white. I have to give this entrance the best effect I can.

Thinking quickly I smear some of my own blood on my face. I walk out of the tree line slowly, dragging the sword along the ground behind for more effect. My friend just sits there in utter shock, her mouth gaping and her eyes wide. I stop walking about five feet from the man and bring my sword up to my mouth. I stare directly into his eyes as I run my tongue along the sharp, bloody edge of the blade. His eyes show that he is scared, and his body tenses.

“So you are the one who wanted me dead.” My voice slurs and breaks as blood flows from my mouth while I talk. He visibly starts to shake after this, but hell I would be too.

“ANSWER ME!” I bellow when he doesn’t speak; my own blood spilling out onto the ground. I let my eyes go wide and my rage be known to him. I give him ten more seconds to try and find his words before I strike. A simple horizontal slash, but executed with speed beyond my own belief. The strike gouges a long line across his reinforced steel armor. He trembles for but a second before bringing his swords up to defend himself.

Without even thinking I grab the blade end of his right sword and twist my wrist. His sword breaks cleanly into two pieces, leaving me with another wound without pain. He panics at this and swings, but I let his feeble attack hit me just because I want to see what happens. I feel the flesh on my neck tear open, but don’t feel the pain from it. I begin to laugh again.

“Let’s see what that does to you!” I scream as I slash for his throat. A second later he falls to the ground, his head half decapitated. I lick my sword again, but this time… It tastes good. I turn to my once good friend to see her staring at me still in shock.

“H-How are… W-What?” Her voice is quiet and incredulous.

“How are you still alive?! Right? I’m not sure at the moment, but I’m sure that if you don’t give me a good reason not to kill you…” I let the threat taper off for her to think about it. I approach her slowly and put the already bloodied sword to her neck.

“You have one minute.” Is all I say.

Almost immediately she breaks out with a torrential downpour of excuses. She says to many things to count, and all of them excuses. Not one apology. Not one thing reminiscent of anything that could have quelled my wrath right then and there.

“Times up.” My silent voice stops hers immediately. Her eyes grow wide with fear… and it’s well placed.

“Our friendship… is over!” With a flick of my wrist her head falls from her shoulders. Her body slumps to the ground dead. Her decapitated head locked into a perpetually unheard scream.

…

The voice in my head finally stops. Everything around me turns darker than night. I feels myself fall, but don’t feel the impact of the ground. I just keep on falling,

and falling,

and falling,

and falling…





**********

Noon the next day…

I had awoken today with a cold sweat and the chills. I must have had some kind of nightmare, but I don’t remember it at all. I had gotten everyone up and moving as soon as possible. I’ve felt on edge up until now. I’ve finally started to calm down some, because the city of at-Tnwʻ Fy al-ʻRq(at-Tnw’ for short) now stands within my sight.

At-Tnw’ is a small trading city near the edge of the desert that has been led and protected by the Hinanai clan for a very long time. It is a good place for mercenaries to get work, because many merchant convoys come through here as a checkpoint into the deeper parts of the desert.

As we near the gates I ask the merchants for my requested payment for the job. The man from all those other times takes a pouch from his belt and hands it to me. I can tell from the weight that he gave me the correct amount. I find myself ending up with one of their flasks of water completely by accident as well.

When we reach the gate we are stopped and both our inventories are inspected for chronicling. When they ask me to take off my eye patch I tell them that there isn’t anything there for them to look at anyway. They believe me thankfully and let me inside of the city.

Now, what to do?

[]Find a bar, I need to get a load off after that dream.
[]Procure some work with another caravan, then find an inn to rest at.
[]Let’s see if I can’t get some work from the Hinanai’s, I heard they pay well.
[]Find the local casino and test out my luck, I don’t have to bet that much.
[]Just wander around the city a bit, then find somewhere to stay the night.
[]write-in

*Gained 10 silver pieces and 50 copper pieces*

*Gained 2 stat points to distribute*

[]Strength-61
[]Magic-55
[]Perception-85
[]Intelligence-79
[]Charisma-68
[]Endurance-84
[]Speed-88
[]Luck-82

**********
With the stats, put the number you want to up the stat in the check box like, [2]Magic, and such.

>>30045
Forgot the picture.

[x]Let’s see if I can’t get some work from the Hinanai’s, I heard they pay well.
[2]Charisma

Interesting segment. It felt a little anti-climactic since both the man and our former best friend fell relatively easily without giving any solid info. Still, what's done is done. Maybe the flashback omitted some details and focused on the emotions our lead character felt.

As far as the desert action goes, I'm all for focusing the story there, but it'd be nice to mix it up a bit.

>It felt a little anti-climactic since both the man and our former best friend fell relatively easily without giving any solid info.

Betrayal and murder for money and other petty reasons exists. In this world, at least. The important part of the sequence is that we know we're a youkai.


[x] Let’s see if I can’t get some work from the Hinanai’s, I heard they pay well.
[2] Charisma

Tenshi means money.

Both points in Charisma so hopefully we don't get back-stabbed again.

Heh, I was hoping for a longer interaction with the "friend", but this is good too.

As for the vote, we just finished a job, so can we not relax for the day, or at least for a few hours?

[ø]Find a bar, I need to get a load off after that dream.
-and then [ø]Let’s see if I can’t get some work from the Hinanai’s, I heard they pay well.
[2]Charisma

The first two options in reverse order is fine as well.

>>30049

> we're a youkai.

Really? Because it looked more like we're undead to me. Even a Youkai would feel wounds like that. We felt nothing.

And I think we were possessed as well.

That segment isn't over yet.

Writing now for Hinanai, and +2 to charisma as I suspected would happen.

>>30057
Waiting warmly.

>>30057

Hooray!

*Gained Charm-3 for having 70 Charisma*


The first thing I should do is try to find some more work. I heard from other mercs that I’ve met that the Hinanai clan usually has one or two jobs up for those who think they can take them. I wrap my cloak around myself and pull my hood up. People tend to stare when I don’t do this, and it irritates me. The palace in which the Hinanai’s live is right in the center of the city. It’s built on top of a natural spring of water. Which is the water source for the entire city, and is strictly rationed.

As I walk down the rocky streets I come across many people going about their daily lives. An older women hanging laundry. A man moving from the market district with two large baskets. A small group of children playing together. It feels like the kind of place that it would be nice to settle down, or at least that’s what most people would think. Personally I think that there are far too many people living here, even though this is one of the smaller cities in the desert.

The closer I get to the center of the city, the larger and more grandiose the houses and stores become. Dirt roads have turned to brick, and every house has a nameplate of some sort to represent the noble family that lives there. This whole time I have not seen one beggar either, something that rarely ever occurs in any desert city.

A few minutes later I’m standing at the foot of the palace steps. There’s a long line going inside the palace full of all manner of mercenaries and other warrior types. The Hinanai’s must be holding some kind of event or something. I ask a nearby man in steel plated armor with a large axe on his back what’s going on.

“Didn’t hear yet did you? The Hinanai clan is looking for an escort for their youngest daughter, Tenshi, to the capital. That’s why the line is mostly men.” Looking up and down the line I notice that he isn’t kidding. For every 1 girl there are at least 15 men. Fucking perverts.

“Is there anything else that I should know about this job?” I ask the man.

“Yeah. The pay is 50 gold pieces, and Tenshi herself is choosing who will be going with her. Oh, and so far she hasn’t accepted any one person, and a lot of those who go in come back out with a lot of bruises.” Hmm, I may want to do this just to humiliate all these people. 50 gold is a lot for just an escort job too. Alright, sounds like a good deal to me. Except for the fact that I’m not waiting in line. Well, let’s hope that my reputation among my kind still exists.

I unwrap my cloak from around myself and bring down my hood to reveal my face. The reaction is almost immediate. The man I was talking to previously coughs loudly, and leaves the line to go somewhere else. A few people turn to see what just happen, and many more people start to follow the man out. I smirk inwardly as I begin to walk up the steps to the palace entrance. Nobody tries to block my way in despite them being before me. Inside is a large mass of people that parts to let me through to a receptionist’s desk.

Behind the desk a girl around sixteen in age, and she stands smiling as she notices me. She’s clad in the traditional garb of the Hinanai clan, a short sleeve white and blue dress that ends at halfway past the knees with a distinctive red ribbon and rainbow edging. And how could I forget the hat. Yeah, it has peaches on it. I almost want one. At her waist is a rod that seems to continually change colors. Her skin is surprisingly white for living under the hot sun, and her red eyes stare at me with a glimmer of excitement in them.

“Seeing as how everyone seems to be moving out of your way, I assume you’re here to get this job for yourself.”

“It depends. I haven’t completely decided yet.” She ‘hmphs’ at my comment and hops over the desk to stand before me. After a deep breath she draws her swordThis originally said rod here, but I’m sure you can understand why I changed that. and points it directly at me.

“Well, the qualifications for the job are to draw blood from any part of my body in a duel. Are you interested?”


[]Well this should be fun.
-[]Maybe we should find a place less crowded first though
-[]Right here, right now

[]Actually I don’t think I’m interested anymore
-[]Write-in what to do now

If first option…

[]Go all out(will be using dagger)
[]Show of force, but not deadly(don’t use dagger)
[]What, I won’t even need weapons for this(fight unarmed)
[]Close range with ranged weaponry is always fun(only bow and knifes)

**********
Got distracted by my friends, who also proofread this update. Thank you friends.

[x]Well this should be fun.
[x]Show of force, but not deadly(don’t use dagger)

[x] Well this should be fun.
-[x] Right here, right now.
[x] Close range with ranged weaponry is always fun (only bow and knives).
[x] While fighting, try to distract her with an anecdote (e.g., a similar fight, an old battle, the story behind your eye patch, etc.).

A little bloodsport with Tenshi is always fun.

She's using a sword, and if she was good enough with it that so far that she's been able to lave only bruises on her opponents, we can expect her to be pretty skilled with it. This would be enough justification to go 'all out'. However, a large part of this is also being entertaining enough to keep around. I think going after her with ranged weapons will be the most interesting for her, and we are more skilled with the bow than anything else.

The anecdote is as much for her entertainment as a distraction, and honestly I'm curious about the eye, since it has been brought to light a few times now, and it's probably the reason Tenshi is giving her such notice. If that doesn't work for narrative reasons, something else could easily substitute; it seems our protagonist is no stranger to fighting.

[ø] Well this should be fun.
[ø] This knife will do.

[x] Well this should be fun.
[x] This knife will do.

Are we female?

>>30085
Someone hasn't been paying attention.

>>30085

Read the first post again, it reveals it there.

However, if you mean the other part with our probably-a-zombie, then I have no idea what the gender is.

Vote called. I will begin writing later today if I don't get distracted by 12.8 again.

>>30092

Hooray!

Tenshi’s body is practically quivering with excitement. Well, I guess I can’t just refuse an offer like that now can I?

I sigh exaggeratedly as I unhook my dagger from my belt and take off my bow and quiver. Tenshi just watches me with a slightly confused look. When I finish I toss the pile over her head directly onto the chair she was just sitting in. She still hasn’t moved since she drew her sword. Damn, I was hoping that might distract her a bit. Oh, well.

Within a second I close the distance between us. Tenshi reacts immediately as I expected her to, and I jump right over her onto her desk. She presses the offensive immediately. I’ve been keeping my hands hidden within my cloak this whole time. I keep my grip on a knife with my right hand. If she’s going to the capital then I want to see just how fast her reflexes are.

Her attacks are quick in succession and almost never leave any kind of opening. Almost being the key word there. Whenever she goes for a more powerful horizontal swing she has a little trouble stopping the attack. That’s when I’ll strike.

After a few seconds more of dodging she tries it again, only this time instead of moving farther away I duck under her and try to slash upwards across her torso. I immediately hear a clang and jump back quickly. She’s pointing her sword at me again, but this time with the opposite hand. Now she looks angry however.

“Why is it that you people always like to fight dirty like that?”

“Actually I prefer not to fight that way, but if you’re going to the capital then you better get used to it. Now that I know that you can react quickly though, we can really start.” I undo my cloak and throw it on the chair with the rest of my stuff which is now behind me. Looking around at the crowd I notice that most of the younger mercenaries look like they’re about to start cheering, while the older ones look on very watchful. No doubt they’re trying to pick up a thing or two. I can’t say that I like all this attention. It’s starting to bother me.

I draw another knife so that I hold one in each hand and fall into an alert state. Tenshi does the same accept this time her eyes have a very serious look in them. Good.

The fight starts off exactly as before, but this time I parry her counter and swing with my free hand. She jumps back to dodge the attack, but before she can regain her balance completely I press the attack on her. Despite the lightning fast speed of almost all of my attacks she parries or dodges them one by one. The clangs and footfalls of our battle echo in the rooms’ high ceiling.

She’s starting to sweat and breath heavily, but she keeps up her defenses the best that she possibly can. Not to say that I haven’t felt anything either. When she does make it so that I actually have no choice but to take the brunt of a blow when I block I feel like my arms are about to shatter. She has twice as much strength as I do at least, but in the end I have more endurance and speed than her. She’s starting to slow down with her reactions, and her swings hold less strength and confidence. Her eyes still stare at me glimmering, and her mouth’s curled up into a smile though. It’s like she’s happy that someone is actually beating her.

Metal scraps against metal as the battle comes to a close. Tenshi falls forward onto her knees as her sword clatters along the ground a few feet away. A bleeding cut runs along her cheek, and a smile plasters her face.

“You… you’re good. That was fun.” She seems at a loss for more words. She tries to stand up and finds that she can, although she’s a bit wobbly.

“This means I’m in on the job right?” Tenshi nods eagerly.

“Of course! I’ll have a room set up for you to stay in. The trip begins in two days, so you’ll have tomorrow to do whatever you want around here.” Speaking of which what time is it? I take a look outside one of the windows and notice that the sun is starting to go down. Most of the crowd in the room is gone, and Tenshi is walking back to the desk with her sword now at her side again. It also seems that I’ve gotten hungry. I put away my knives and walk over to the desk to reclaim my equipment. As I’m putting my cloak on I turn to Tenshi.

“Is there any way that I can get something to eat?” I ask.

“Your room is being set up, so I’ll have something sent up after I show you to your room. It should be ready for you when we get to it if we leave now, so if you’ll follow me.” She beckons me with her hands, and I follow her up three flights of stairs and down a hallway to a seemingly random door. The palaces interior looks almost as if it were carved out of a mountain. It has a sort of natural feel, rather than the artificial feel of most noble houses I’ve been to. It’s almost homely to me.

“This will be your room for your stay here. If you need anything, there’s a rope in the corner that hangs from the ceiling. Ring that and a servant will come. I wish that I had more time to talk with you, but there are lots of annoying legal things that I have to take care before the trip. Have a nice stay!” She turns to leave, but I stop her before she gets anywhere. She turns back to look at me inquisitively.

“Don’t you think that you should get that cut looked at?” She takes her hand up to her cheek then looks down at the blood on her hand with surprise. She giggles to herself a little before answering.

“Thanks for reminding me about that. I have a high tolerance for pain, so when they’re just little wounds like this I tend not to notice them. It might be a good idea to do something about it before I go see my parents. I’ll see you later.” With that instead of turning she walks past me to leave. High pain tolerance? How could you not notice a gushing cut like that? Whatever, it’s not like it matters to me.

I open the door to my room to find that it is pretty much empty. On the far wall next to a window there’s a large bed with blue covers. The carpet is a light shade of red. On the wall to my right there is another door which I guess leads to a bathroom, and there’s a wardrobe in the corner on my left. That rope that Tenshi mentioned is the corner on my right. Not much in here, but still worth not paying for it.

I go over to the wardrobe and open it to reveal many sets of fancy clothing, nightgowns, and bathrobes. At the moment none of it interests me. Maybe after some food and a bath it will. I undo all my weapons except my dagger and put them in the wardrobe.

**********

3 hours later…

I lay down to go to bed satisfied. I’m wearing one of the purple silk nightgowns from the wardrobe after taking a nice, warm bath. My meal was very tasty, and cooked just right. It’s left me full all night. My weapons are all in the wardrobe now, except for one of my knives. I’m keeping one under my pillow just in case. I had a servant come up and asked him if it was possible to get my armor and cloak cleaned, and he said that it would be no problem to have it done by tomorrow morning. I focus my thoughts on the soft, warm bed and quickly drift off to sleep.

**********

Morning the next day…

I rise from bed fully rested. Looking out the window I wonder to myself where the hell I am before everything comes back to me. I slip out of bed and trudge to the bathroom to get myself ready for the day. I might as well look pretty when I can. When I finish there’s a knock at the door. I open the door to find my armor in pristine condition once again. The servant carrying it walks over to the wardrobe and hangs it inside. He states that breakfast will be up to the room shortly, and that afterwards I will have free roam of most of the palace.

I wonder what I should do after breakfast.


[]He said I had mostly free roam right, well time to roam.
[]I heard this palace had an incredible garden. I’d like to see it myself.
[]I need to go find a bar to have some fun at.
[]The casino is open at this time right?
[]Casino, hah! Why not try my luck in the palace treasury?
[]something else?

Also choose one of these.

[]I’m wearing my armor and all my weapons
[]I’m wearing my armor, but not all my weapons
-[]Specify which weapons you’re taking
[]I can just pick something out of the wardrobe I guess. I’ll seem more personable at least.
-[]Specify which weapons you’re taking if any

[x] I need to go find a bar to have some fun at.
[x] I’m wearing my armor and all my weapons.

It's never to early in the day to drink. Hearing some rumors might point us where to spend the rest of the day.

People will be less likely to pick fights or mug us if we're dressed like a badass. Also, so we're recognizable to anyone who saw the fight yesterday.

Happy thanksgiving to those who celebrate it.

[x]I heard this palace had an incredible garden. I’d like to see it myself.
[x]I’m wearing my armor, but not all my weapons

[x] I need to go find a bar to have some fun at.
[x] I’m wearing my armor and all my weapons.

MC is a confirmed badass, it's our duty to carry around way too many weapons.

The first Disgaea is a bitch compared to the other games. I never played it, but I've played the others. Sure they were tough, but I just got the first one yesterday and holy shit is all I have to say. Anyway, I'll begin writing soon after I get back from babysitting a 10 year old for four hours or more.

>>30189

Hooray!

>>30189
> I'll begin writing soon after I get back from babysitting a 10 year old for four hours or more.
> no updates eight days later

Did you mistake the ten year old for Flandre or something?

>>30235
He did say "or more."

>>30235
Maybe~

>>30239
I did, but I believe that I've taken that a bit too far now. A friend of mine asked if I could collaborate to help her write a Cirno centric story that had an unusual (at least for Cirno) concept, and Cirno's my third favorite Touhou so it was hard for me to refuse. Too bad it’s not a CYOA, otherwise I would have told him to post it here rather than keep it for close friends only.

>>30242
That him in the last line should be a her.

*throwing knife skill up to 83*

After looking over my armor one last time I take off the clothes that I’m wearing and put on a simple T-shirt and a pair of thin pants. I take time to strap on my armor to make sure that everything fits snuggly, and then throw on my cloak when I finish. Breakfast comes a few minutes afterwards. I would compliment the chef if I knew him, but I don’t and probably never will.

I decide that a trip to one of the local bars might be a good idea. It will help me relax a bit, and it may give me a way to spend the rest of my day. I strap all of my weapons on and proceed out of my new room. When I reach the room where I had the fight with Tenshi yesterday I leave a note with the women at the desk that I would be out for the day if Tenshi comes looking for me. I don’t want it to seem like I ditched.

Finding a bar is easy enough, just follow the drunk mercenaries back to their source! I step in and look around a little. Many tables cover the floor while the bar itself is located along the left wall. A few of the men at the tables seem to recognize me, but go back to their conversations quickly. There’s about to be a fight in one of the far corners. It looks to be over a woman. Whatever, it’s not my problem to deal with.

I walk over to the bar and take a seat that leaves some space between me and the others. Placing five silver coins on the bar in front of me I tell the bartender to just get me something strong and to keep it coming until I’m done. Whatever ends up in my glass I could really care less. I’ve out drank an Oni once, so no matter what he gives me it shouldn’t really matter all that much. So long as he doesn’t water it down at all, which he better hope that he doesn’t do that.

Thankfully for him he doesn’t, and whatever he got me is definitely worth the money. After a minute or so the argument in the corner becomes a brawl between three or four men. I don’t know for sure because I haven’t turned around to watch. I’ve seen enough of them that I don’t really need to see another. During the ruckus another woman sits down next to me.

“*sigh*. Anaskb.” Shit, that’s demon speak. Looking over I give this woman a more than passing glance. Long red hair, two pairs of black wings(one on her head), deep red eyes, and surprisingly light skin color. I look back to my drink before she notices that I was watching her.

“Feh, could ton veah gouphn silver.” She seems kind of pissed off about something. I feel her touch my shoulder.

“Do you have any extra silver? I could find some way to pay you back for it, but I really need a drink right now.” She looks kind of pissed off about something too. She also looks like she really could need a good drink too.

[]No way, even if she wasn’t a demon I don’t hand out money.
[]Whatever, it’s not like I don’t have a ton of cash anyway.
-[]How much do you give her.(5 gold max)

Also,

[]Speak in English
[]Speak in Demon

If you do chose to speak in demon then I’m not going to write it in it, but it will be implied.

[X]Whatever, it’s not like I don’t have a ton of cash anyway.
-[X]How much do you give her.(10 silver)
[X]Speak in Demon

>>30315
Lets not go to overbord with the money here

Five silver is apparently enough alcohol for someone who will out-drink an oni, so that should do for Koakuma. She's asking to buy her a drink or two, not put her kids through college. She's already pissed, and likely to get more so if she think you're treating her as a beggar or a prostitute.

Speaking in demonic is more to limit eavesdropping than to ingratiate yourself.

[x] Whatever, it’s not like I don’t have a ton of cash anyway.
-[x] 5 silver

Also,
[x] Speak in Demon

>>30316
Totally overlooked that, thanks.



[X]Whatever, it’s not like I don’t have a ton of cash anyway.
-[X]How much do you give her.(5 silver)
[X]Speak in Demon

[x] Whatever, it's not like I don't have a ton of cash anyway.
-[x]Give her 5 silver.
[x]Speak in Demon

Koakuma?

[ø] Whatever, it's not like I don't have a ton of cash anyway.
-[ø]Give her 5 silver.
[ø]Speak in Demon

You should just use italic to denote when one's speaking in "demon". Perhaps it's just me, but I'm not a fan of hastily made up languages.

>>30325
I was going to use italic for it after this update, because I figured out that that just looks like random, stupid writing up there.

Vote called, and since I have the day off work because of snow, update will be soon.

“Here”, I place five silver coins on the counter in front of her. “You look like you need it, and being a Demon you’ll need a lot of it.” Her eyes widen in surprise and curiosity. Probably because I’m speaking a language that no normal human would ever bother to learn.

“Well thank you very much.”, Immediately she turns to the bartender and orders pretty much the same way I did. After getting her drink and downing it quickly she turns back to me.

“So, why the hell do you know how to speak demon?” Knew that was coming up.

“I learned it so that I could write in it without the worry of something happening with the writing.”

“ Right, because there’s almost no one on this plane that speaks, and that brings up another question; how did you learn it?”

“I cross-referenced between English and Demon books in a library.”

“It took me fifteen years to learn English the same way, but you don’t look a day over twenty. How’d you manage that?” Fifteen years?! Slow retention much.

“Because it only took me a week and a half to learn almost the entire language.”

“Holy shit! That’s really fucking fast! I wish I could have done that. It would have made things so much easier when I… got… here.” She eyes go unfocussed and she seems saddened for a second before she shakes her head and hastily downs another drink. Speaking of drinks, I’ve barely even touched mine. Whelp, that’s remedied easily!

A few minutes later, and the bartender tells the both of us that if we want more we’re going to have to pay up. I already know that I’ve gotten one or two more than my monies worth so it isn’t much of a problem. Looking over at the demon I see that she is utterly smashed, and looks like she’s going to pass out right then and there. I’m about to get up and leave when she places her hand on my shoulder again.

“Hey, thanks for the good time. If we ever meet again, which I have a feeling we will, I promise to pay you back, with interest.” She smiles almost seductively, then proceeds to smash her forehead into the counter, shake herself, get up, and walk right out of the bar.

“Well that was certainly interesting.” I follow her out of the bar, but as I look up and down the street there’s no red head with bat wings to be found. She’s not up in the sky either. Oh well, I’ve never seen a demon back out of a promise, so I shouldn’t worry too much about it. Now I’ve got to figure out a way to spend the rest of my day though. Looking back up at the sky, it looks like the sun has just started it’s decent back to Earth.

[]find that casino
[]I just want to go rest at the palace for a while
[]wander the city for a while
[]wait a second, did that poster say archery contest. Hmmmm…
[]write-in

Traits gained:

*Alcohol Tolerance 4*
*Demon Speaker*

High School of the Dead is a fucking awesome anime.

[x]wait a second, did that poster say archery contest. Hmmmm…

An opportunity to show off and improve our skills at the same time? Why not.

[x]wait a second, did that poster say archery contest. Hmmm ...

>>30333
Great anime, plus the manga is great too. I'm a sucker for zombies, most of my time outside of classes this semester has been spent on Nazi Zombies and Left for Dead.

[x]wait a second, did that poster say archery contest. Hmmm ...

[spoiler]Aye, it is an awesome anime, too bad the manga hasn't had a new chapter for the past 3-4 months.[spoiler][spoiler];_;[spoiler]

[ø]wait a second, did that poster say archery contest. Hmmmm…
doho

>>30338
[/appropriatetaghere] to end the tags.

>>30336
>>30338
Hmm, now I must read the manga as well.

I'm snowed in again today, so I'll have time to write once again. Expect an update soon.

That poster most definitely says archery contest, and it starts in like ten minutes. I hope that they accept last minute entries. There are gold prizes for 1st through 5th place.

I throw myself at a wall and shift my weight just as I’m about to hit it to begin to run up it. Grabbing onto a window ledge I pull myself up and climb up the rest of the building. Most of the buildings are close enough and at the same height that I can just jump from building to building without exerting much effort. The contest is on the other side of town so I start off immediately.

I probably look like a thief right now, but I really don’t care. This thing actually looks like it might be a little fun. Eventually I see a large crowd come into view around what looks to be a makeshift arena. I jump back to the ground a few streets away and run the rest of the way there. I don’t want the audience there to see me drop in from the roof tops.

As I come up on the arena, there are four desks each with a corresponding class letter above them. C-S, so I’m going to guess that C is the lowest and S is the highest. Being that S class looks like it’s for the true masters I walk up the A desk.

“A last minutes entry eh? Whatever, here sign this and you’re in.” Taking the paper and pen from the man I sign it in demon, so that he can’t tell what it says. He looks at it skeptical, but shrugs it off and hands me another paper. It’s a schedule for the event. It also states that those who are waiting are to wait in the stands on the other side of the arena.

I pass many people who are getting ready to start. The class C people. I don’t really bother giving them much of a look, and as I walk through the stands I find a secluded corner to watch the event. Reading the hand out, there are three events for four targets at 50, 100, 250, and 500 yards. The three “events” are a standing shot, a crouching shot, and freestyle shot. The first two are graded on stance and accuracy while the third is graded on the difficulty of the shot plus accuracy.

Just before the events start a woman sits down next to me. Reminds me of the bar. Looking over at her, she looks very calm and collected and is to be watching the arena with a bored expression. Her long silver hair is in one large braid, and her blue and red outfit is covered in star constellations. Her hat is akin to what a nurse in a hospital might wear, even though it has the same pattern as her clothing. Looking down at the paper on her lap, I notice that she’s in the S class for the contest. Looking back up at her face I also notice that she’s staring right at me, her eyes filled with some kind of unreadable depth.

… shit.

[]write-in

[ø] "May I help you?"

Oh hi there, Eirin.

[X] "May I help you?"

I'd say some other things to her but I don't feel like being a bitch to other's for a time.

[X] "May I help you?"

[X] "May I help you?"

[x] Ask her if she's the lady you get to see when you shoot yourself in the foot.

Hello nurse!

Your main character feels very Mary Sue-ish.

>>30377
Oh, I get the feeling she'll be running into things that'll give her a hard time. Also she isn't perfect; just a balanced female human adventurer. Note the shock when she noticed Eirin was signed up for the S ranked events. Imagine how the other high ranking Touhous would be.

Votes called, and writing soon. I'm in a very good mood right now, because I finally beat MoF on hard mode without a continue.

>>30379
~

>>30383

Hooray!

“May I help you?” I can’t really think of anything else to say. The woman blinks once before answering.

“That would depend on if you had time in your schedule or not after this contest.” Her voice has a sort of unnatural calm attached to it. She’s definitely a doctor or nurse of some sort.

“Not really. I’m going to the capital tomorrow, and I need to finish preparing once this is over.”

“The capital? Hmm, well if you find yourself in need of a job once you get there look me up.” She holds out a business card to me before resuming her speech.

“I’m always in need of people with a wide assortment of skills at their disposal. You never know what might come up in my line of work.” I raise my eyebrow to her before turning my head to read the card she handed me. Eirin Yago-Fucking Shit! Of course I would just so happen to be sitting next to the person who runs one of the largest underground society in a capital full of underground societies!

I take a quick glance over to see Eirin once again watching the arena with a bored expression. Why the hell is she here of all places? Wait a second, calm down. If she’s here personally… then that means that she must personally want me to join up with her. I lower my voice to a whisper.

“What if I already have work after getting there?” Eirin responds without looking back at me.

“Then the invitation will always be open until I deem it unfit to keep it open.” Fuuuck.

“What happens when you deem it unfit?” This time she does turn to face me.

“Then I make sure that the invitation will never be found in your memories.” Her face never changes from the unreadable stance it’s been in since she started talking. Now however, her eyes feel like they’re boring right into the core of my being.

“I can however promise that if you come to me and tell me that you cannot help me then I won’t do anything drastic.” Well, at least that’s something. It looks like I’ll be paying a visit to the hospital while I’m in the capital.

The rest of my time spent in the stands is uneventful, if a bit tense. The first two groups were fairly boring to watch. Since I entered into the contest last it appears I’ll be going last. Everyone in class A does fairly well, but when my turn comes up I feel like I should have been in S. I hit every target dead center and got perfect scores with every shot except for my last shot.

I decided to try something a bit flashier for the last one. I rolled backwards while tossing an arrow into the air then kicked off into the air, and caught and fired the shot while still in the air. I had missed the center of the 500 yard target by 7 inches. Still came in first by a long shot though. I gathered up my prize and proceeded to the stands through the cheers of the crowd.

Sitting down in the same spot as before, I can feel quite a few glares on my back. I don’t give them even a passing glance though. I want to see what Eirin can do. There are only 12 competitors in the S class. Watching them, it seems that I actually would have placed fairly high among them. Then Eirin steps up for her first shot.

Much like me, every one of her shots is dead center. In fact, her shots are going clean through the targets and into the wall at the end of the range. She doesn’t ever even tense when she fires, but still her arrows all fly perfectly straight all the way to the end of their flight. Every single shot with the same precision and power. All that, and yet she’s just using an exceedingly simple shortbow.

Also, I can’t tell if it was to teach me or spite me, but her last shot is exactly the same as mine. Except that it was performed perfectly, and with two arrows. Fucking showoff. I sit in the stands for a while after it’s all over to let the crowd disperse some. Just as I’m about to leave though Eirin returns to her spot next to me.

“The invitation will be open for five days after you set foot into the capital. I suggest that we meet before you go off to do something out of town.”

“Anything else you want to tell me?” Her lips turn up into a slight smile when I ask this.

“I guess I could add a couple of lessons into your payment as well if you decide to help. I’ve never had a chance to teach before, but I heard that it was quite fun. Now, if you have no other questions then I will take my leave.” I say nothing as she gets up to leave. Should I even consider this offer?


[]Th-This may actually be a good idea. Remaining neutral in a constant war is taxing.
[]Maybe… I’ll decide when I get there.
[]No, I’ll just catch up to her, and refuse now.

What should I do after this? It’s about to turn dark now.

[]Damn, I’m tired. I need to go get some rest… and food.

[]No, there’s still time in the day.
-[]Gambling time. I’ve got even more spending money now.
-[]Just wander the city.
-[]Explore the palace

Sorry this took as long as it did. I had a lot of Christmas stuff to deal with.

[ø]Maybe… I’ll decide when I get there.
[ø]No, there’s still time in the day.
-[ø]Just wander the city.

So these "underground societies" seem to oppose one another. Kinda reminds me of RaAN with the Saigyouji Gang, Hakurei/Moriya/Eientei political parties and the police.

>>30461
I never got to read RaAN before it was taken off the archive, so I have no idea what you're talking about.

>>30463
Anybody have it still? Such a great story.

[x]Maybe… I’ll decide when I get there.
[x]No, there’s still time in the day.
-[x]Just wander the city.

[x]Maybe… I’ll decide when I get there.
[x]No, there’s still time in the day.
-[x]Explore the palace.

Its getting late to explore the city, plus our protagonist isn't feeling top notch.
Palace is more closer to our room, so I imagine it will take less time.

>>30463
You dont know what you are missing.
>>/gensokyo/5556

>>30472
Thank you for that. I'm looking forward to reading it. I'll call votes a few hours from now.

[x]Maybe… I’ll decide when I get there.
[x]No, there’s still time in the day.
-[x]Just wander the city.

Voting called. Also, please excuse me but,
OH MY FUCKING GOD! RaAN IS ONE OF THE MOST AWESOME THINGS I'VE EVER FUCKING READ IN MY ENTIRE LIFE! IT MAKES ME RAGE AT THE VERY THOUGHT THAT I'LL NEVER KNOW THE ENDING! ;_;

... sorry.

>>30482
you'll get over it one day.
that day has not come to me yet

This issue is pressing yes, but I can’t bring myself to decide just yet. I watch Eirin walk off out of sight before getting up on my own and strolling back into the city. It may be dark out, but for a trading city that doesn’t amount to much. The night here is tense because this is the time that the gangs and societies in the city come out. I’m glad that I decided to take all of my weapons with me when I left the palace. It should help me avoid unwanted encounters. That and the fact that I just participated in two of probably the most interesting events this city’s seen in a while. At least one person from each faction is bound to have heard of me and word to have been spread to others. It’s funny how easy it is to make a name in such a short time.

Looking around I see that sure enough people are trying to discreetly avoid any interference with me. It’s kind of nice after all that’s happened recently. It gives me time to think as I just wander around the city with no real aim at all. I close my mind off from the outside and begin to think more clearly about all that’s happened.

For now, the most pressing issue is Eirin. Tenshi and that demon girl don’t bother me that much. What with one being a random drinking partner and the being an easy job for me. Yes, Eirin’s offer is slightly disturbing.

Right now in the capital there are four underground factions that are at constant war with each other. Eirin is the leader of one of those factions. The other factions are currently being led by Ran Yakumo, Sanae Kochiya, and Remilia Scarlet. The only thing that I know about Ran Yakumo is that she’s a kitsune. Other than that though, I’ve never really heard much of anything about her. Her faction tends to be the most quiet. However, in the last large scale battle between them, Ran pulled through with the least amount of casualties and the most gain despite having the largest disadvantage. From this I gather that she must be an amazing tactician, and incredible at forming strategies.

Sanae Kochiya was previously a very powerful shrine maiden for two of the most influential gods known, Suwako Moriya and Kanako Yasaka. I’m not really sure what happened that turned her from a shrine maiden into an underground power figure. Her faction only rose to its current power quite recently. She’s very young for her power though and that makes many people skeptical of her. During the last battle, she accepted a truce with Eirin and fought on the front lines with her troops against Remilia. Apparently the very sight of her inspired her troops to fight harder than they’d ever done before. She came out in what could probably be called second place in the battle. I personally think that she’s only a figure head, and someone else is pulling the strings from the shadows.

Remilia Scarlet is if pretty much able to completely obliterate the other factions single handedly if she really wanted to from what I’ve heard. That brings up the question of why she doesn’t though. She probably thinks it’s some kind of fun game though. What I’ve gathered about her is that she’s just a spoiled brat vampire having fun with her limited immortality. In the last battle she did lose the most. I think she did it on purpose though. Three major battles ago she nearly took over the whole city just by telling her maid Sakuya to join the fray. Something or someone is definitely holding her back from just overtaking the city.

Finally there’s Eirin, the neutral faction. She won’t do anything to you if you don’t provoke her. She even runs a hospital that’s considered a neutral zone for all factions. If any fighting occurs there then the all of the aggressors from all factions involved are handed over to Eirin personally for… punishment. She proposed a truce with Sanae in the last battle to help gain the city back from Remilia. She neither gained nor lost anything from the battle though. It looks like she really is there just to be a neutral faction. However, her influence has been growing at a steady but slow rate for a very long time, and it’s only a matter of time before she tries something herself. Compared to the others, her patience knows absolutely no bounds. She’s taken over 500 years to do what the others have done in under a hundred, and in Sanae’s case just five.

All four of them are amazing in their own way and each of them is a good leader. If all four of them walked up to me and offered me a place at their side I’d definitely have an incredibly hard time deciding. And on top of that… wait what?

Coming back to the real world I see a cloaked figure running away from me quickly, and I don’t feel the familiar weight of my coins on my waist. I immediately set off after the thief.

“Get the fuck back here! If you don’t fucking turn around and give me back my money right now, I swear I’m gonna stick a knife in the back of your skull!” I really don’t like it when someone touches my money.

After a few seconds of chase down the street we were on the thief makes a turn down an alleyway. As I turn down it, I also notice that it’s a dead end. Well that was a quick end to that.

“You know, you should probably learn your territory a little better thief.” The figure turns to me and tosses my pouch back to me.

“It’s a good thing that this isn’t my territory then. I believe Eirin owns this section of the city.”

“So whose territory are you from then?” I grip my dagger under my cloak. Best to be ready.

Without hesitating the figure throws off her cloak’s hood back and shakes out her green hair a bit. Are you fucking kidding me? What else could this day possibly hold in store for me? The young woman before ma bows slightly in introduction.

“Greetings, my name is Sanae Kochiya. I’m glad to finally meet you. I’ve been watching you for a while now.” Her face and voice are cheery and young. She chuckles nervously and scratches the back of her head as she continues.

“Wait, that just sounds weird. I meant to say that I’ve been trying to get your attention ever since you entered the city, but I have next to no influence here. It’s hard to get around because of that, so I decided that this would be the best way to get to you!” Isn’t she cheery?

“Let me guess, you want me to join up with you?” Her expression turns from smiles to a very tired and weak looking in an instant.

“Y-Yes, I do. I’ve just been hit with some very large blows that I’ll probably never completely recover from. As you know, I did fairly well in the last battle, but afterwards something disastrous befell me. It hasn’t even gotten to the rest of my faction or the public yet, and it’s the reason why I’m here to see you personally. I need someone who’s smart and strong now. Otherwise, I won’t even make to the end of this year.” Is she stupid? Or is she really that desperate to tell these things to a complete stranger?

“I know that I must sound incredibly stupid to just be telling these things to a stranger, but I really don’t have any other choice at this point. I also know that you have an invitation from Eirin as well. I can only hope that you decide to help me instead. I don’t expect you to answer me now, but I left a note in your pouch saying where you can find me in the capital. If you do decide to join up though, I can’t promise you anything other than my own eternal gratitude.” She puts her cloak’s hood back over her head, and probably thinking that I couldn’t hear her whispers something under her breath.

“If only they never left.” They must be the people that I thought were working behind her.

“I’ll consider your offer, the same as Eirin’s. I can give you no guarantee on the outcome though.” She looks up at me and gives me a sad but genuine smile.

“Even if it’s a false hope, at this point I’ll take it.” She shakes her head a few times after this, and her face returns to its previous happy smile which you now know is fake. She bows her head before speaking.

“I’m sorry for taking up your time, but I really need to get going now as it’s fairly late. Please consider my offer for future times. See you in the capital!” With that she turns and jumps up to the top of the two story building behind her, grabbing onto the ledge and pulling herself up before running off.

“Haa, what the fuck is wrong with today?” First Eirin and now Sanae. I need to get to bed before I somehow run into Remilia and Ran to. I quickly make my way back to the center of the city and enter the palace. The same girl is at the desk, and she acknowledges me with a slight nod before writing something down on a piece of paper.

I pass her and go up the steps to my temporary room in the palace. Dinner is in the room when I find, and finish eating it quickly. I take off my armor and put on another one of the nightgowns from the wardrobe. Almost as soon as I lay down I fall asleep, quickly letting its reassuring peace take me. Too much has happened today.

So you decided to kill them both huh? Not that I blame you, I would have done the same thing~.

That voice, it’s back now. No, that’s not the same voice. This one is different. Less forceful, and more playful.

Now, are you wondering what’s going on?

Yes.

Understandable. I can’t say I blame you for that either. However, before I tell you there’s something that I want you do for me.

What is it?

There’s someone I want dead. The person also just so happens to be the one that wanted you dead. I’m sure you understand just from that.

Guide me to them.

Of course. Step through this little thing here and you’ll be on your way. Just remember that I’ll be watching you~. Oh, and try not to bang up your body too much more. I’m suspending you between life and death, and the closer that you get to death the more I have to work to keep you alive, and working isn’t really my thing.

Anything else I should know?

Only that I can read every one of your thoughts from now till I take you out of my power, and that I rather like you so far~.

Oh goody, my mysterious savior can read my thoughts, control my actions with threats, and she’s beginning to like me.

Ufufu~ We may even meet in person one day.

I can’t wait.

Oh, but I’m afraid you’re going to have to for a while. I rather like being anonymous~.

As disembodied voice says that my vision returns and I find myself in the same clearing as before, but the two bodies from before are missing. In front of me are four… what I can only guess are some kind of magic windows to other places.

Not a bad guess. That’s actually closer than you might think.

Why thank you anonymous voice.

Any time~.

One leads to a rooftop with a door open and leading down a stairwell. The second looks like it opens up onto a busy street, but there’s a large building in the center of it. The front door of the same building I presume. There are many guards surrounding the door. The next one leads to an entirely dark area where I can’t even see anything. The final one is gone. Hey.

Sorry, but that one wouldn’t have been any fun to watch.

Well at least you’re an honest voice.

You’re too kind~.

I honestly don’t even know which one to pick.

Which one~. Which one~.

Now you’re just being annoying.

Ufufufu~

That laugh is kind of weird.

I know~. Seriously though please pick one, I can’t keep you alive forever.


[]Front door, bash through everything.
[]Rooftop, try some stealth out.
[]Darkness, anything can happen. Why yes it can~.

Ooookay.

[X]Rooftop, try some stealth out.

Front Door is out for me, I have a feeling that there are alot of enemys to face.
The last time a "Darkness" option was picked are mind ended up breaking.
So stealth it is.

[x] Rooftop, try some stealth out.

[x]Rooftop, try some stealth out.

[x] Rooftop, try some stealth out.

Sure.