Mages not Exterminators

Job Info:

The job Yona had pulled down yesterday didn't look appealing at all: handling spider nests off in the more remote reaches of Tolgalen meant they were expecting some sort of exterminator, which to Yona's strong belief, she was not. Still, it paid a decent amount and looked fairly easy to do. She had even managed to get Key to go along with her on another job. It was going to be interesting for sure, the first time he would see her with her short hair and the first time they had really interacted after their last job. She looked forward to spending time with him, even brought along the book he lent her so that she could return it. The travel also wouldn't be so bad, a day or two if they took horses, maybe two still if they walked and kept a decent pace up. She supposed they could take one of the air ships but Yona had never been in one before and had made no mention of it to Kyran.

So she waited out on the steps in front of the guild, letting the early morning light hit her face as the sunrise hues of lavender and peach faded into a more grey blue. It was going to be a cloudy and cool day, she thought to herself. Yona wore all white again but dressed more comfortably considering the travel. She wore her long white trench coat open to the wind, a small brown bag on her back, and a white halter top with a sort of sheen in the light. Her pants were pearly white too of course, but made of tight and soft material, giving her the flexibility she would need. On her feet were a pair of new ankle boots but without a heel. She tilted them back and forth in the sun, letting the ribbons of light bounce of the silver buckle and cast tiny temporary rainbows over the steps.

It amused her to play with the light as she waited patiently for Key to arrive. She was early and had already eaten her breakfast. Yona smiled to herself looking forward to the sound of his voice and the stories she had to tell him since last they spoke. The book he had let her borrow rested on the step beside her and her right hand tapped on the cover slowly as she hummed to herself.

WC: 404

Kyran probably shouldn't have been practicing controlling his demons this early. In fact, he wasn't supposed to practice with them at all this close to the guild. Yet he hadn't been able to help himself. It was all he could do to pass the time and prevent anyone from recognizing him. Gruen had laid down his ultimatum. Kyran had found a loophole. If he sent old reports due to constantly being out of Tolgalen, Gruen couldn't reasonably execute his family. However, at best that was a stalling tactic that would only last so long. Therefore Erebus shown through in Kyran's eyes and body. He was covered by a heavy green cloak, under which he wore his light navy WFTC uniform coat. Calamity was strapped to his back and his dagger was strapped to its customary spot at the small of his back. A large bag hung at his side.

Calamity came off his back and Kyran fired without thinking when he spotted Yona. He was coming up the stairs and she was playing with something. His energy arrow went past her head, ruffling her hair. Kyran raised his bow in the air. "Yo! Slowpoke! Let's get going already!" He couldn't stay here long. Gruen's spy could spot him at any time. That wouldn't bode well for him. Without waiting for Yona to respond, Kyran turned and headed back down the stairs. He knew she would catch up. Whether she would be in a good mood or not remained to be seen. Erebus urged him to play another prank. Kyran was tempted. He truly was. His pranking skills were getting rusty. Yet he stopped himself from doing so. A prank would take time. Time Kyran didn't have.

Take brother out. Neck to teeth, blood spurt. No problem. Cub safe. Ahriman grumbled. Kyran had had enough of the demon wolf's complaints. The wolf seemed to think violence could solve everything. That there weren't... Kyran shook his head. The wolf only saw the world as predator and prey. He didn't understand consequences for actions. But I do. And I agree with the wolf. Your brother has issued a challenge. Meet him head on or take him out stealthily, I don't care. Just take him out. Medea said yowling the last four words. Kyran winced, his eyes nearly returning to normal. The demons didn't get his reluctance. They didn't understand family. Kyran looked straight ahead, hoping Yona hadn't noticed anything strange. It was time to get on with this job.

WC: 420

Yona, still enthralled with the light rainbows bouncing off her shiny white boots, didn't see Kyran approaching from below. The energy arrow which he shot ran right past her and she lifted her head to see him calling out to her. She laughed at him, "Slow? I have been waiting here for you!" Yona slipped the book into her own back quickly. She got to her feet and bounded down the stairs and asked, "You eat breakfast and go out for shopping or something this morning? It's practically dawn!" It was weird of him to not come out of the guild, but the weird part was how early it was. Yona would happily refer to it as sleep o'clock on a weekend. She got to the bottom of the stairs and Kyran looked quite odd.

She checked his eyes subtly, seeing they were normal, and brushed it off as Kyran just being Kyran. She pretended to punch towards him, obviously aiming to miss, and said, "Are you ready to beat up some spiders? You want to walk or take some horses? I have Doll ready to go if you are actually." Yona stood beside him, feeling his nervousness and concern, and she frowned, assuming it was not the guild but their job he was so worried about. "Don't tell me you're afraid of spiders, otherwise we're really going to regret this one.." Her voice was genuinely apologetic, her demeanor pleasant. Yona enjoyed spending time with Key, thinking they made a pretty good team on a job. As long as neither of their emotions got in the way. It was something they were working on and Yona was okay with that.

Around them this morning, there was a fair amount of activity. A couple of guild members heading out of the guild, likely to a job. She heard the sound on the upwind of the usual fishermen on the docks, shouting back and forth to each other as they worked. The smell of salt was in the air, but also fresh baked pastries and bread. Yona's stomach rumbled even though she had already eaten, but whose stomach wouldn't given the delectable odor? She ran a hand through her green hair, suddenly recalling this was the first job she had been out with short hair on. She kind of hoped nobody would ask why she had kept all of her beautiful long locks off because the truth was that Johann had burned them off in their fight. As she waited for Kyran's response, her own mind continued down this path, wondering if he would mention her change of look.

WC: 843

Kyran shrugged in response to Yona's question. He couldn't answer the insatiably curious mage without getting into why he was in a hurry to leave. He had arrived mere minutes ago and he wanted to be off Tolgalen before Gruen's spies saw anything. Whether Gruen had spies on Tolgalen or not, Kyran didn't much care. It paid to be careful when his siblings and daughter's lives were on the line. He felt more nervous that the entire job would be taking place on Tolgalen than anything. Would that mean Gruen would require him to steal the information? Or would his brother let this one slide since he would be busy with a job the entire time? He was so preoccupied that when Yona punched at him, his body simply reacted. The hand closest to her fist closed around her wrist while the other slammed into her stomach. Kyran regained his senses in time to stop himself from tossing his guild mate down the stairs in a shoulder throw. He quickly released her, stepping back."I'm sorry. I..." Kyran cut himself off. This wasn't the time to get into this. They needed to leave. Now. Every minute in this town put his family in more danger. Kyran strode off, answering Yona's questions over his shoulder. "Lets take horses, no idea who Doll is, and I don't like spiders but I can deal with them."

His mind was so preoccupied, he didn't notice the beauty of the docks. He moved quickly through them tried to run almost. The demons were uncharacteristically quiet. Maybe because they were more the direct attack type. Gruen was slyly manipulating Kyran. At least that was what he liked to believe. Kyran swung up onto a rental horse and tossed the man a few jewels to cover it. He kicked the horse into a gallop without even checking to see if Yona was keeping up with him. All he wanted was to be outta that town, off this continent. The sooner they reached their destination the better. The sooner he was off of Tolgalen, the happier he would be.

WC: 351
Total: 771

Yona's smile faded when he grabbed her by the wrist, just as her hand had slid past him in jest. She wasn't even aiming to hit him! Before she knew it his hand had tensed and his other punched into her stomach. She fell back slightly, caught off balance. He let her go instantly apologizing, but Yona was too stunned to immediately react. She grabbed her stomach and groaned a little, wishing she had seen it coming and had tensed up her muscles. Yona looked up after him as he was moving down the stairs already. She blinked, what in the hell was her friend doing? This wasn't like him, hell even the demons wouldn't just stride off and away. The woman considered the night that she had gotten drunk and felt guilty. She had apologized a ton, but maybe he was still upset with her for that. Maybe he wasn't up for her games, but in a gesture to keep their friendship he had chosen to go on a job with her. She shook her head as she got to her feet, he was being far too antsy for it to be just her. He was twitchy inside before she had even looked up from the stairs.

Yona plodded after him, ignoring the tenderness where he had hit, and pulled out a change purse. It was better to handle this on the road maybe, where her riding skills would surely best his. The plant mage paid for a bag of food to go, quickly stuffing it into her own over the shoulder sack. When she looked up, Kyran had boarded a horse and started galloping out of town. Her eyes raised up at him as he passed her by without even looking and then she darted for the stables. Yona had already prepared Doll so upon seeing the grey mare, it was easy to swing her leg up, and let her take to the streets. Nobody should be galloping through the main town, that was homicidal! Even she knew that and she took all kinds of risks! She moved quickly though, in a hurried trot, people had moved out of the way for Kyran with anger and surprise so it was easy to follow where he had gone off to.

If this is the pace that he wanted to go, it would take little more than half a day's ride to get to where they needed to go. But it was a hard push and a hard speed to keep up for very long. She wondered if he spent much time with horses because the horse he had chosen, a dark stallion with stubborn yet dependable tendencies, was going to tire out at that pace. The woman followed his path until they got to the woods and then she rode by instinct and natural tracking skills: broken twigs and branches, he was moving ahead of her still, depth of the prints, he was still going at a damned gallop. She clicked her tongue and said, "Come on, Doll, before he hurts himself or something." Something was seriously wrong, far more serious than spiders.

It would take maybe fifteen or twenty minutes, but soon Yona would catch up to Kyran, riding well and riding steady behind him. "Key, slow down this instant! I need to talk to you!" She called up to him. Yona was starting to get worried. It wasn't a demon, unless it was one she hadn't seen evidence of before, but Key couldn't go on like this. A job with him like this meant she could be basically on her own if not careful.

WC: 1449

Kyran looked around at Yona's call. He hadn't realized he was out of the town. He gently pulled back on the reins. The stallion slowed though a toss of his head told Kyran this one might be tough to control. He didn't know much about horses and knew the bare minimum about riding. He turned toward Yona. "I don't want to talk, Yona. I want to get this job done quickly and move on to the next one. There is no need for talk unless we're talking strategy." His words were harsh, his voice cold. It had been a while since he had seen or spoken to Yona and he was not getting off on the right foot. The worst part was Malinda's constant whispering in his ear to bed Yona. Yet despite his want to be friends with the green haired mage, he couldn't bring himself to care how he sounded or how she might feel about it. His family was in danger every second he stayed on this island continent and he couldn't tell a soul about it. Not until he could keep his family safe. Until then, Kyran had to push everyone away. Well everyone but Gaia. She didn't come to Tolgalen and... he liked her. He didn't want to hurt her so badly that their budding relationship died.

Kyran turned back to the road and kicked his horse into a healthy trot. This would get them to their destination in no time. Then he could get paid, come back and get out of Tolgalen. "Don't try to pry this outta me either, Yona. I can't talk about it. Even if I could..." Kyran closed his mouth before he said something he couldn't take back. "Forget it. I don't want to talk" He hoped his partner would drop it. There was nothing he wanted to talk about. The more she tried to pry it out, the tighter lipped he'd become. That might end up getting them killed. This job hadn't even started and Kyran couldn't wait for it to be over already.

WC: 346
Total: 1,117

Yona pulled her horse up to move besides Kyran's with a scowl on her face. She did not like the way he was talking to her. As if she had done something wrong or as if she deserved to get punched in the stomach. He went from calling her a slowpoke and calling out her name to punching her and riding off into the forest, speeding through town on a stubborn stallion. She gave him a serious look and then exhaled keeping her voice level as she could. She was working on her temper and she didn't think that with Kyran of all people it would be tested. They simply had to go clean out three homes of spider nests and deal with possible advocates along the way. It was easy and there was no reason to be a jerk about it. Her patience was running a mite thin with him already and she was disappointed that their happy reunion would be met with such a harsh cold end.

"I don't much give a damn if you want to talk or not," She said being frank. "We are partners on this job and partners communicate. Partners work together. I don't know what's wrong with you but you don't get to punch me in the stomach, nearly trample people in the market, and then shut me out. You need to pull yourself together, Key," She was speaking seriously. It was obvious she cared about him and about their job together. Her voice wasn't accusatory, harsh, or even angry, it was deeply concerned, almost imploring in tone. Friends sometimes had to push friends a little. Friends didn't let friends go off the deep end alone. "You don't want to say anything, you can't say anything, then fine. But you better listen because you know I have your back and I need to be sure that you still have mine."

As he moved his horse into a trot she calmed a little, but her worry was etched into her face and her tone. It wasn't anger that Kyran would hear, but a deep concern in the way that she spoke to him. How was she supposed to be with him? "You're not mad at me already are you?" Yona asked, curiously, "Are you embarrassed by being with me in public after I got drunk? 'Cause I'm sorry about all that... I.." Yona didn't much know what to say. The last time she had seen him they had seemed to leave off on a good, albeit strange foot. She had awoken in his bed while the night before had been blurry. Did she say or do something back then that she could not remember? Yona was horrible at making and keeping friends but Key was in her guild. She had strong reason to try harder than usual.

Her horse moved the same speed as his, Doll keeping good pace. It wasn't what Yona wanted to talk about. She wanted to tell him the name of his horse, and she wanted to tell him that the way he held the reins was giving his horse the idea that he was in charge instead of Key. She wanted to ask him what he thought of her new hair and if he had heard about what happened with her and Johann. She wanted to talk and plan out strategy for dealing with these nuisance spiders and the likely annoying advocates that would get in the way. However, Kyran's attitude and coldness made her prioritize him, given that he could easily swing the job into a dangerous place for her and she had no intentions of being left alone in a house of spiders. What if they decided to eat her!? She made a face at the thought, her skin crawling. She glanced at Kyran, carefully keeping pace with him, knowing his horse behaved better with another horse nearby. She just wanted her friend back, if he was her friend still.


WC: 2114

Kyran wasn't sure what to make of Yona's tone. It was almost as if she was concerned for him. That couldn't be right. Nobody was concerned about him. He was the freak, the monster, taking damage for his magic and healing that damage over time. He did feel bad about suddenly hitting her. As much as the desire to apologize properly settled into his stomach, his head was too twisted around his family being in danger. He took a deep breath. Yona was right that he needed to listen. The demons moved restlessly inside his mind. However much Key might dislike them, they always were silent when he needed the silence in his mind. "Yona, I have your back. I will always have your back after what you told me. I wouldn't be here if I didn't have your back." Kyran turned to look at his fellow mage. He searched her face for some clue as to what he needed to say. "All I can tell you is I don't like being on Tolgalen. I want to leave as soon as we're paid." Understatement of the year. You're wishing you could teleppppurt your ass off of this rock. Medea hissed in his ear. Malinda spoke up as well. If you have her back... Kyran lost it, growling loudly. "Shut up Malinda!" A few birds that were startled by his voice took to the air. Kyran angrily blew off steam by impaling one with his magic. Ahriman crowed at the random act of violence. The approval of the demon wolf did not improve Kyran's mood.

When Yona asked about the night they had spent together, a deep blush covered Kyran's cheeks. He turned to her so quickly that he nearly twisted out of the saddle. "No, no, no. Not at all! I'm just glad you didn't take things the wrong way when we woke up. Most women would have freaked not remembering the night before and waking up next to a naked male. Especially when that male woke up, asked if they wanted to shower." That had not been his brightest move. His defense was that he had never had to take care of a drunk person before and he hadn't thought of their compromising situation first. "We can't... we can't do anything like that again though. I have a girlfriend now and I'm not sure she would take kindly to learning about us sleeping in the same bed, cuddled up together, me naked, you half naked." Kyran shuddered. That would be a relationship ender there. Maybe we should tell your bookworm that. Get rid of the ball and chain. Then we can explore that hot piece of ass over there. Kyran couldn't yell at Malinda except for the last bit. He should tell Gaia but he was worried that she would take it the wrong way and end things with him. Kyran shook his head to silence the snake. "I'd like you to meet Gaia, when you have the time. Maybe you can tell me if I'm jumping into things too quickly. I've never had a clear view on women." Kyran hoped that having another set of eyes on the relationship would clear out his doubts. Either the other person would affirm that it was good or they would say get out quick. The only person Kyran trusted enough for that was Yona at the moment.

Kyran rode on, trying to figure out how to continue the conversation. His anxiety from being on the island had retreating a little but not entirely. He doubted it would ever entirely fade for the rest of his life. Gruen had tainted Tolgalen, made being on it synonymous with danger to Kyran's family. Kyran kept looking over at Yona, opening his mouth, then turning back to the road and closing his mouth again. He couldn't focus enough to start a new conversation. There was a hope that Yona wouldn't hold it against him.

WC: 660
Total: 1,777

The plant mage rose beside him as he assured her that he had her back. His tone seemed to let up, even if he was still on edge and she was placed a bit more at ease. He clearly wouldn't talk about the issue, but Yona was sure it was a serious one. He wasn't even this tight lipped about his past, and when he was angry with her he had felt no reason to not speak with a nasty language and tone. This was different than all the times before, underlined by the fact that she saw a bird falling from the sky. Poor thing, she thought, wrong place and wrong time. Yona wasn't going to concern herself with a single bird when she knew it would be a pointless argument.

At first, Yona lifted a hand to ready to stabilize Kyran as he nearly fell out of his saddle. She noted the blush on his cheeks and as he went on about the morning after, the shower, and his girlfriend, the woman chuckled without inhibition. She wasn't sure if it was the time to joke, but she had to pass the time to get to the village somehow. They still had half a day's ride ahead of them despite the strong pace they were setting. In reference to the shower, she answered, "Why would it have been awkward? You woke me in the middle of the night for a great time... don't tell me you don't remember it? I still have scratches on my back," She said looking at him sweetly. "You do remember right?" The green hair of the female blew into her face and she had to lift up a hand to pull it out of the way again. Yona would give him time to respond, to freak out, to blush. She wanted to see him squirm for a minute or two. She would reassure him, winking, "Oh don't worry I won't tell Gaia. One time thing." And after a little bit, Yona would finally tell him the truth.

"I am kidding. We're just friends, but I had to get you back for punching me and nearly ditching me. I'd like to meet Gaia, it sounds like whether or not its fast, she is important to you. I'll even be nice," Yona smiled brightly. "Tell me more about her. Is she pretty? Is she a mage?" Yona asked, leaning forward in her saddle. She reached to lift an overhead branch upwards so that both of the mages could pass under it without a face full of leaves. She held the reins in a relaxed manner by the front of her saddle,her body moving with the horse in such a way that it was obvious that she had a bond with the grey mare, Doll. Doll moved her head to grab some tall grass for an on-the-go snack and this time Yona let her. Her attention was on her friend.

As Key would hopefully answer her many questions, Yona would get a better grasp on Gaia and their relationship. At one point she stopped to correct how Key was sitting in his saddle, giving him a couple riding pointers, and letting him know that his stallion's name was Baron. Yona wouldn't let many dull moments go by, using the half day to converse, relax, teach riding skills, and share the food she had bought with her partner. Hopefully Kyran didn't mind and let her lead their pace on the journey and the conversations. Yona was hoping she could distract him from the bad and keep him focused on the good. She could see the path before them hardening and knew the small village they had needed to get to was just ahead.

WC: 2740

Kyran wasn't sure if his jaw dropped or if his eyes rolled back when Yona said they had had sex. That was not something he would forget. The pain, the terror that followed the act was impossible to forget. Plus there was the fact that he was completely whole though his regeneration might account for that. Not to mention, Kyran was positive Yona would never hurt him in that way. Maybe stab him in the front but never tie him down and castrate him. He was about to call her on her bluff or ask questions when Yona said she wouldn't tell Gaia. That tipped him off immediately. Sex wasn't a casual thing. It was similar to a praying mantis mating. The male lost something vital after the female was done with him. "Sex isn't a joking matter for me, Yona." Kyran growled at his partner. His eyes flashed red as he looked over. His teeth sharpened as Ahriman tried to push his way into control. Kyran did his best to push the demon back. He didn't want to lose control here and not with Yona around.

When Yona said she was only kidding, Kyran scowled at her. "You may find it funny to tease about sex but I don't. Don't do it again." You could get a little revenge right now. Just pull her down and- Kyran roared, the sound reverberating from his chest into the surrounding forest. Sex was one of the few things he didn't joke about and he didn't want the sex demon thinking it was okay to butt in whenever. When he was certain the demon wouldn't speak again, he apologized to Yona. "I'm sorry. My demons decided to make a joke I can't tolerate." He offered an apologetic smile. "I would rather you be yourself when you meet her. Don't be nice just because she is important to me. That'll provide a false front which..." Something dark passed over Kyran's expression. He struggled with the memory causing even the demons to step back as his darkness rose. "It wouldn't make me very happy." He took a moment to collect himself. "Gaia is a wonderful mage... I think. I haven't actually seen her do magic but she is in Sabertooth. She loves books, got really excited when I handed her the one I gave you plus its companions. Oh... uh you guys didn't get the same copy just the same book." Kyran rubbed the back of his head. "How did you like the book, by the way?"

Kyran took the rest of the journey in stride. He enjoyed learning how to properly ride from Yona. It was a new bit of knowledge that he could tuck away for later use. Yona's constant chatter helped him to relax as they rode. He bantered with her, subtly to see if she would notice. He denied her politely when she offered food, preferring not to eat before a mission. There were other reasons he didn't want to eat but Yona didn't need to know those reasons. Hopefully clearing out whatever the issue was would be simple. As they rode up on the area they had been called to, Kyran noticed giant spiderwebs strung up between many of the trees. it was a bit disconcerting. The sooner they finished this the better.

WC: 554
Total: 2,331

Yona listened to Kyran's growling about her joke. She was tempted to growl right back but when he literally roared into the air, Yona kept her comments to herself. If Kyran said to not do it, she was just going to have to try not to do it. She cleared her throat and carried on a conversation with him as if nothing had happened, discussing Gaia. She was apparently in another guild, a legal guild. Pretty, kind, smart, Yona supposed she couldn't ask for better for Kyran himself but she hoped the woman was at least entertaining. Some people could be so two dimensional and have no sense of humor. The plant mage nodded excitedly when Key brought up the book.

"I am going to need the next few from you by the way, I wanted to tell you that I loved it. It was an interesting story for sure, though the main character is kind of odd. I find him likable." Yona followed Key's gaze upwards towards the canopy of the overlapping branches. Sure enough, thick webs like cotton strung out in strands over the entrance to the little village. "Well that bodes well don't you think? How much you want to bet after this job they try to get us to handle the bigger issue out here? There's no way it's just these three nests with an entryway out of a horror book." Yona herself cringed and ducked her head and shoulders as they passed beneath the threads. A few feet past that, Yona climbed off her horse with ease, swinging her right leg up and over and then taking the reins gently in her hands. "Let's just get these two some food and some rest while we work." Yona looked around and began leading Doll inside.

The village wasn't very active by the looks of it, small population, however a group of about five adults of varying heights and appearances stood in front of the big manor. The manor had a sign out front listing it as condemned for the time being. Yona caught sight of a little stable area and set Doll up inside, gesturing for Kyran to follow in. As she got her mare set up, Yona whispered to him. "I know you're feeling the pressure of time and I don't know what's up with those people by the manor, but my guess is that is the biggest building in town. Why don't we handle that one together and then split up to save time and get the last two? I bet those people can't bother us as much if we divide and conquer." If Key was amenable to her suggestion, Yona would begin to stride up with him towards the big manor. It was a shame it was infested with a spider nest somewhere inside because the outside was looking quite nice: painted white wooden slats and dark blue shutters, a wrap around porch with some unoccupied chairs besides the door out front. She had to restrain herself from shuddering at the idea of what might be within the abode.

WC: 2740+516 = 3256

Kyran chuckled when Yona said she liked the main character of Dark Flame . "Did you really like Vulcan? Most people think he's too uptight for his own good and that Ember gave him a bit of a shake up. He is a little quirky which tends to throw people off. Most prefer Ember over Vulcan in that first book." He ruffled around in his bags for the books. He had brought them along just in case Yona asked for them. "Here's the last two of that trilogy, Darker Passion and Darkest Combustion . They'll complete Ember and Vulcan's stories." Kyran was glad someone else liked his books. It was nice being able to discuss them with people he knew. Trying to discuss them with hardcore fans who didn't know he was the author was... difficult. They always tried to push their theories as truth on him. It didn't matter how often he tried to tell them he knew the author.

He looked over at Yona with no small amount of disgust in his gaze. "Of course they'll try that. I can't stick around. You'll have to do some scouting to see whats what before calling me back to finish the job. I don't wanna leave it unfinished but at the same time, I can't stay." This issue with Gruen was becoming more and more of a pain. He needed to deal with it as soon as he could. Otherwise there was no telling what kind of trouble it could get him into. Kyran did not want to be booted out of the WFTC. He hopped off Baron and led the horse behind Doll. Following Yona's lead with the horse seemed to be the best way to make Baron behave. He stabled Baron next to Doll. Better move them in together. That mare is in heat and the stallion is gonna kick down anything in his way to get to her. Malinda hissed in his ear. Key turned red at the snake's next words. Kinda sounds like you and Gaia. You just haven't mounted that ass yet. Kyran turned to Yona, his cheeks the shade of a tomato. "We should put Baron with Doll. She's in heat and he'll destroy the stables to get to her." He didn't explain how he knew, simply walking from the stable and leaving Yona to deal with it. She was a horse expert after all.

There wasn't any time to waste. Kyran marched straight up to the door of the mansion and kicked it in. A chorus of hisses met the sudden intrusion of light into the spider's dark domain. The color drained from Kyran's cheeks when he saw the full extent of the problem. That is a lot of spiders. Medea said in a hushed tone. Kyran agreed with her. There were so many spiders they created a living, moving wave on the floor, ceiling and walls. The wave skittered away from the light, thousands of angry beady eyes looking on the intruder. SMASH! Ahriman yelled trying to push against Kyran's skin. For once, he agreed with the wolf. These things needed to be exterminated. He had a few new spells that he wanted to try but they might bring the house down. He did not want to have to stay around any longer than need be. Pulling Calamity off his back, Kyran began firing into the horde of spiders.

WC: 568
Total: 2,899

The green haired female hastily took the books and stored them inside of her bag. She looked at Kyran with a small grin, "Uptight maybe on the surface, but I bet Vulcan breaks down to something sweeter eventually. I prefer a character with depth and personality, not just charisma." She listened to him talk about how he needed to get out of the country again and she just stayed quiet about it. Yona had no say if he would be staying or going, plus if he would not tell her why, then she didn't want to waste time asking or prying. He made his strange comments about the horses and Yona didn't need to ask him how he knew. The truth was that she had noticed already and was upset she hadn't noticed sooner. Baron for sure wanted Doll but mating in a stable this small was also a risky idea. In compromise, Yona placed the horses in opposite sides of the stable and loaded them up on food and water before following after Kyran.

Yona saw Kyran up ahead kicking the door of the mansion in and thought to herself, great now we have to fix a door, Key. The crowd of activists got close and started yelling at Yona. She climbed the stairs and stood on the porch, resting a furtive hand on the banister. As Kyran proceeded to fire into the building, Yona tried to handle the crowd for a moment. She tried being calm, giving them the truth. When that failed, Yona tried being rude and assertive, giving the 'just doing our job' speech. Still they shouted and chanted things like 'These spiders are a rarity', 'Save the Oni Spiders' and 'Spiders are better than people'. When a thrown rock clipped her right arm and second rock slid past her head, her green eyes narrowed and she lost her cool. "You all better back off before I make you back off," She threatened. They didn't seem impressed at first but when Yona slid her hand over the railing and withdrew her scimitar, the Blade of Thorns, the crowd quieted a bit. Turned out threatening them had some decent effect. "If any of you enter this manor behind me, I might accidentally cut you to ribbons instead of the spiders. Any of you willing to lay your lives down? No? Going to let me do my job? Good."

With adequate pausing, grumbling and finally standing there without motioning for more trouble, Yona felt assured that the crowd would let her be. Yona walked up behind Kyran and her mouth dropped, seeing all of the spiders within. "This is insanity," She breathed. As Kyran shot spiders off here and there, the crowd of spiders seemed to start retreating in haste. She could tell after a few minutes by the shouting outside that the spiders seemed to just be leaving altogether. Yona released her chemical hormones and induced a large group of the spiders to attack another group of spiders, a miniature war zone where her arachnids were clearly the winning kind. Then she stepped inside, ducking her head nervously, looking around the room until she saw the large nest at the back of the room. The webbing took up most of the ceiling and the nest itself was the size of a large dog. Yona swallowed hard, striding up to the webbing and used her blade upon it. She hacked at it several times, loosening and destroying half of the nest with no resistance. Spiders and loose web strands stuck to her blade and she shook it off hard, feeling a bit jittery. She wasn't afraid of spiders, but she didn't really want them on her either.

"Key, Key... get the nest. Once it's gone the spiders have no reason to stay and it'll be easy to get them to leave. We can't possibly kill all of ---ouch!" She yelped looking down at her hand. A small eight legged spider had crawled upwards and had taken a serious bite on the back of her blade wielding hand. "Little jerk," Yona growled flicking him off and checking her blade for any other stragglers.

WC: 694+3256= 3950

Kyran grinned at Yona's assumption about Vulcan. Vulcan got worse before he got better. His need to control the situation went out of control in the second book where he tried to lock down the free spirited Ember. That was where most readers tended to pick up a dislike of Vulcan. They didn't see Ember's subtle manipulation to push Vulcan to that point. Yet Vulcan never hurt Ember despite his rampant need for control. "You'll have to wait and see, Yona. Vulcan could become a monster before your very eyes." Kyran said his smile turning mysterious. He wanted to let Yona discover the series on her own. It was tempting to let slip a few spoilers. Tell her. Spoil it. Let her wallow over not discovering that for herself Erebos murmured, his silky darkness moving about the confines of Kyran's mind. That was a surprise. The shadow demon rarely spoke but when he did it was always for mischief. This seemed to be just cruel. It was hard to figure Erebos out sometimes.

It was easy to see that Calamity wasn't doing much damage to the spiders. Kyran had to stomp on a few that braved the light. His skin was crawling from just looking at the horde in front of him. When rocks hit the house, Kyran nearly lost control. Ahriman rose to the surface. Kyran's hair lengthened. Red fur covered his arms. His pupils disappeared as his irises reddened and took over. Claws punched through the ends of his fingers. "Enough!" Kyran roared, without realizing Yona had already dealt with the issue. Calamity clattered against the porch. Kyran marched to the line of protesters. They looked terrified. When one of them tried to hit him with their sign, Kyran's lips pulled back over his pointed teeth. His hands closed upon the man's shirt and hoisted him into the air without effort. "Endangered species? Save the Oni Spiders?!" He yelled spraying the man's face with spit. The protestor proceeded to piss himself. The scent was offensive to Kyran's heightened senses. The other protesters watched in horror as Kyran carried the man over to the open doorway. "DOES THIS LOOK LIKE AN ENDANGERED SPECIES??!!!" Kyran bellowed shoving the man inside and dropping him. The protester began to gibber, whimpering at the mere sight of the living mass of spiders that greeted him.

Kyran tossed the protester back onto the porch after the spiders retreated. He took a moment to grab his bow. Squish, squash, stamp and stomp, the spiders all sprint. They don't know where, but they all scare, the people they did sprint. So we squish, squash, stamp and stomp until the spiders are all gone. The people they come running back and celebrate in song. Ahriman sang as Kyran followed after Yona. The wolf demon sounded like a small child singing some demented nursery rhythm. He had no way of knowing what had set that off. Kyran flicked his claws at spiders, slicing them into pieces whenever they got close. A few were able to bite him but they didn't live to run away. When Yona called him to destroy the rest of the nest, Kyran let Ahriman loose. The wolf tore into the nest with a vigor, killing spiders and ripping anything they could use to resurface to shreds. Kyran took control when Ahriman turned toward Yona. He stood amidst the remains of the nest. "That's one house down. Two to go" Kyran growled. This job would be over soon. Then he could haul ass off of Tolgalen.

WC: 591
Total: 3,490

As Yona Hisamori drew out her Blade of Thorns and worked to deal with the largest nest of spiders she had ever even heard about, Kyran had made his way out around her. The plant mage heard him as he started shouting. She was a little preoccupied, but when she heard the shaking of a protester as he was forced inside and then back outside onto the porch, Yona rose her brows and turned to look at her partner. "Key, we don't have time for this! Leave them be, I handled it!" She spoke in a low hiss, not wanting to alert the protesters to them being on possibly different pages. She trusted him of course, but Key was not acting like himself. She also wasn't against scaring the petty protesters, but the people were fairly harmless and his might have been an overreaction, even compared with her threats to them earlier. She couldn't help but even feel bemused by the scare tactic, yet Yona felt uneasy with it being Key. Key was the one helping to hold her back, not the other way around.

When he stepped back into the shadows of the inside of the manor, Yona lowered her blade and got out of his way. She felt the difference in the way he moved, the way he attacked, even before noticing the claws. It was the demon who had turned on her back in the archaeological dig with Guy Stratus, and one that was not too friendly. In short time, the nest of the manor appeared obliterated and Yona let out a sigh. She relaxed a bit, hearing it was Kyran's voice that growled about there only being two left. "Key, hey, Key," She whispered. Yona took a step towards him and placed her free and unbitten hand on his shoulder, "Relax, Bear. This won't take a very long time. Don't lose yourself over whatever is plaguing you, people still need you." She licked her lips, "Just think of Gaia, think of your partner, me, and anyone else who matters to you. Besides, if you act out worse than me you might get more than a haircut from the VPs back home." She pulled her hand off his shoulder and started for the door.

It was a small joke, but she hadn't told Key about Johann, about Cirven, or about Ruvel. She hadn't told anyone about what she had endured for her mistakes and behaviors. Yona wanted to tell Key, the way a friend would, even hoped to tell him what happened today. But he made no comment and was in far too sour of a mood for her to choose to open up to him right now. Her hair comment was as close as she got to confessing. "I'm the bad kid in the guild, so don't go stealing my rep. I'll meet you by the horses in a half hour at most. I'll go find the house in the western part of the village, you should go east." And then the green haired mage moved on, climbing down the porch stairs to discover all of the protesters had apparently left. She made her way to the western side of the village and saw the signs and boards on one house in particular. It was a short one bedroom looking house with a broken window and a dark black door. Yona hoped nobody thought she broke the window since she definitely didn't want to try to fix that mess. In fact, she was tempted to tell Key to fix the door he broke on his own, yet never said so.

The front door was locked and boarded up tight and Yona had to climb through an overgrown garden around the home to reach the back door. By back door, it was more like a cellar door, rising up out of the ground and covered with a combination of light web and heavy vines. She cut through them exhaustively with her blade and whined to herself as she pulled open the large heavy doors that would surely lead into a horrible infested basement. "Why me..?" She whimpered, letting her hormones control parts of the spiders inside, calling them out in neat orderly rows through the sides and cracks in the foundation. Maybe she wouldn't have to go in after all, she smiled to herself.

WC: 3950+727= 4677

Kyran took a shuddering breath the red fading from his sight. Yona's soothing voice and her words began to reach past the stress, the anger. He covered her hand with his own. "B-bear?" He managed to say past his sharpened teeth. The points nicked his lip, causing blood to run freely down his chin. The pupils that had only just begun to emerge from his red eyes shrank rapidly once again. His hand tightened upon Yona's hand. His claws pressed into her skin. The redhead snarled, his mind trying to grab hold of his fraying sanity. Yona's words. Yona's words. Focus on those words. "Yona... Gaia.... Ada... Tristan... Evelyn..." With every name, Kyran pulled himself further and further from the red mass. He patted Yona's hand before she pulled it away. "Nobody needs me, Yona. That's a fairy tale. A nice one. But still a fairy tale." Kyran leaned back against the wall for a moment of rest. When Yona spoke again, his lips curled upward. A few steps took him within arms reach of Yona. His hand swatted her butt with enough force to make it sting. "Let the rest of us have some fun, Yona. Some of us want to be bad too." He smirked at her as he passed by and started for the house to the east.

The protesters were waiting to ambush Kyran as he neared the house. These ones were terrified out of their minds and didn't try shouting at him. They went straight for the kill. Pipes hit his legs, chains slapped against his back, fists hammered into his stomach. Kyran stood and took it waiting for them to finish. There was a scary calm about him. Even as blood ran down his arms, legs and face, Kyran stayed calm. The protesters stood around him, panting. "Done? Good. Let me show you who you fucked with." Kyran said coldly. His lips pulled back over his sharpened teeth. His fist slammed into a face, his elbow into a rib. He whirled slamming the heel of his hand into a chin. His foot lashed out to crack against a knee. Like that, Kyran had three of his attackers on the ground. Four were backing away with another holding his ribs. Kyran slammed his fist into the back of that man's neck, flooring him. Ahriman was nearly catatonic with happiness. The other demons were wisely staying at the back of Kyran's mind. "Get on the ground. Now!" Kyran roared. Three of his attackers dropped. The last spit in Kyran's direction. That was the last straw.

Kyran launched himself across the distance between them. His fists slammed into the man's torso. Ribs fractured under his blows. For a moment, he entirely lost consciously. When he regained it, the man was at his feet quivering violently. When Kyran moved toward him, the man screamed and tried to crawl away. It looked like his pelvis had been broken. Still, Kyran wasn't gentle as he yanked his arms behind his back and used his magic to form blood cuffs around the man's wrist. The process was repeated for the rest of his attackers. "You are under arrest for the unlawful attack upon an official representative of the West Fiore Trading Company." Kyran said as he stood up from the last culprit. Without a backwards glance, Kyran continued on to the house to complete the job. It was time to end this before he lost control any more. He could only imagine what would happen to this quaint town if he fully lost control. Kyran shuddered as he entered the infested house. "Come at me, spiders. It's time. Throw everything you've got at me. Kyran murmured as he pulled his dagger from its sheathe. He wanted this to be nice and personal. That would let him work out any excess aggression. His lips spread in a bloody grin. This would be fun.

WC: 652
Total: 4,142

"I suppose you don't mind it if he slaps your ass in public, an unusual trait for a professional guild mage." Yona looked in surprise at the rows of spiders exiting the house in orderly fashion. She wouldn't admit it but at first, she thought that one of the spiders had talked to her. Yona frowned, staring at the little creatures and then gazing into the darkness of the basement of the home. "All said and done, I wouldn't mind a grab if I had the time either. But look at you, babe. All beauty and no brains." The green haired woman felt fiercely annoyed and looked deeper into the basement. The voice was smooth, silky but with a dangerous edge to it. It partially reminded her of the sadistic glee that she had heard from Johann's demon. Yona bent forward and frowned, "You better not be talking to me, you bilge-rat!" Yona retorted. The woman had no light and no inclination to go down the old stone steps and into the basement, dark and spidery as it was. The whole place looked in obvious disrepair, not counting the infestation.

After a moment a dim light appeared within the basement, it appeared that there were a couple of rooms beneath the house and in the room out of direct view there was a light. Perhaps from a lantern or perhaps from a large candle, the female judged based on the way the shadow seemed to dance over the walls. A dark shadowy form stood there, without significant form for identification. Yona could see the fragile steps, weeds bursting through cracks in the stone, leading down into the house and she could see many spiders crawling over the walls and moving out of the home as her chemical signals had directed them to. The nest remained to be seen from her point of view and that was a drag for sure, since the job required her to destroy the nest.

"Prove you're more than looks then and come in, or remain cowering outside. It makes no real difference to me." The sound of movement inside caught her attention, as if something could be bound or something large was restrained within. She didn't know what made her think that, but the sound gave her that impression. Yona crossed her arms. She didn't like this one bit. It was far too strange, and what kind of a person wanted to be in a dark basement filled with spiders anyway? How had such a person been able to spy on her minutes before and get down here without showing any trace? Was it one of those damned protesters? She sighed and said, "Well fine, you just... stay down there. I'll wait until my partner joins me. Maybe then you won't be so inclined to make foolish remarks." Yona looked around and saw the forest all around her, the main village a five minute walk down the dirt path from which she had come. Yona muttered to herself, "As if I would go in there alone? I'm not stupid." "You think he will help you?" The silken voice burst into an eerie laugh that made her skin crawl. "Well, if you aren't interested in a little chat, then I'll just go about my own business." The voice paused and in the silence Yona could hear the crawling arachnids as they continued to depart. The sound of a dull scuffle sounded out... was that the sound of a muted groan?

Yona gave partial pause again, taking a half step forward, she then turned her blade over in her hands. Whoever this stranger was he deserved a good lesson, for his dirty comments and for the way he threatened Kyran. The way he had spied on them and gotten to this basement. Yona didn't trust the situation for a second but for once, her anger didn't take over and she did not rush down into the dirty basement without a plan. I have to be smart about this, Yona told herself in her head. The fact was this: that man could be nobody, or he could be a real danger to Kyran. Maybe there was a person down there, maybe there were multiple. Maybe the sound of that groan was real and an innocent was at risk here. She had no reason to fight him without any knowledge of the situation still, but to be ready to fight in case things went badly. Yona had learned powerful lessons on controlling her temper and thinking before she dove blade-first into situations. However, this seemed like one of those times that she wasn't really being given a choice. But would she not be the stupid girl who ruined a chance at protecting Kyran, possibly an innocent, or maybe her guild overall if she did nothing?. Her long silence drew the voice of the male from within again, "We don't have much time. Either you come in, or his life is forfeit."

Still the female stayed her course, standing on the top step of the basement looking in. Yona hated this more and more every second that passed by. She didn't believe a word that he said, but the implications were important enough to learn exactly what was being meant. As she stood there, she whacked her blade on the door of the basement, denting it with the dull side and letting out some of her pent up frustration. "Damn it," She whispered to herself. Did this voice mean anything? Why wouldn't he show his face? Why was he so interested in Kyran and why was he spying on them in this tiny village in the middle of nowhere! There were too many questions and too many things that didn't add up. "Tick, tock, babe." And that was when she heard it... a muffled voice, the sound of a struggle from within the basement. Yona took two steps down, her whole body tensing up. Again, she heard him: the sound of a different male voice, soft, younger though barely audible, and then the slow metallic sound of a blade sliding out of its sheath. Yona could hear the younger voice, no longer suppressed but extremely familiar.

It came once more now clearly, as he screamed, "Yona! Yona, run!" Her heart raced and she sharply took in a breath of air: the voice she recognized warning her with haste was Kyran's. The muddled light on the wall wavered as the shadowy form seemed to lift up a sword. There was no more time for hesitation! The plant mage dashed inside of the basement, her scimitar before her, following the stairs and then the light from around the corner. "I'm coming, Key, hold on!"

WC: 4677+1117= 5794

Kyran couldn't hear past Ahriman's howling. He couldn't see past the red in his eyes. There was only rage and violence. He swept through the house like a cold storm, destroying every spider he came across. And Ahriman was delighted. Kyran always had a barely restrained desire fof violence lurking within him. While he constantly let the other demons out to play, at least for short stints, Ahriman was always held back. Kyran was too afraid of the damage he could do, seeing as the various things he had done in his home town. Here, surrounded by animals, Kyran could unleash that violent tendency. Spiders perished before his blade. They exploded before his claws. When the house was cleared of enemies, Kyran moved like a lethal predator, sniffing the air for more. Finding none, the redhead pushed the wolf back into his box. Ahriman snarled trying to stay longer. He wanted to destroy the house, then claw the faces off those that had dared attack them earlier. Kyran struggled to lock the wolf away. When he was finished, a lather covered his skin as he kneeled before the destroyed spider nest. Kyran grimaced at the blood splashed over the walls and covering himself. He hadn't held anything back whatsoever.

Getting out of the house was a struggle. It was difficult to place one foot in front of the other. When he exited finally, a collective gasp came from those surrounding the place. "Still think these spiders aren't an issue?" He growled. Yona didn't seem to be back yet. A memory tickled his mind though. Perhaps he should fix the door he had kicked in. It would be a temporary fix but Kyran didn't care much. He had the blood to use. With great difficulty, Kyran made his way to the first house. Desperate neighing came from the stables. Kyran peeked inside. Baron was bashing against the doors of his stall trying to reach Doll. "Hold on. I'll be right back" He promised the horse. Fixing the door shouldn't take that long. Kyran struggled up to the door. It took longer than expected to fix the door. The sluggish feeling was spreading through Kyran rapidly. He felt disoriented and he was constantly shaking his head trying to clear it. When he was finished, Kyran carefully released the horses and brought them outside. Baron promptly mounted Doll, leaving Kyran standing there awkwardly. He went and sat on the porch, pointedly looking away from the mating horses. There was no need to encourage Malinda. Hopefully Yona would hurry with finishing her house.

WC: 430
Total: 4,572

Yona rounded the corner and burst into the room, holding the scimitar up in confusion. More puzzled than ever by the sight of the empty room in the basement, she just stood there for a minute. There was a lantern resting on the table, a large spider nest settled in the left corner of the room and a carefully organized trail of arachnids still making their way out of the house and back to the forest. "Hello?" She called out, but there was no answer. Frowning, Yona turned her gaze about. She had heard his voice, taunting her. She had heard muffled sounds, the sound of a blade being drawn, and the cry of her friend Kyran. Yona had seen the shadows on the wall and rapped her free hand on her head. None of this made any sense to her at all. The room was utterly empty except for the small table, a chair, and a lantern and the someone had to have lit the lantern. Yona let out a sigh, her heart racing and her mind stressed. "Guess I've got to destroy the nest. Something is seriously wrong with my head, I suppose," Yona mumbled to herself.

The plant mage made her way to the nest and sliced at it a few times with her Blade of Thorns. There weren't many spiders left and those that were hastily made their way away from the woman exuding hormones. Yona turned back towards the door and jumped, startled to see a tall thin man standing there. In his hand seemed to be some sort of wooden top and he turned it over and back, spinning it between his fingers, watching the painted symbols turn as he moved it. She pointed her weapon at him and swallowed hard, squinting at him, "Who the hell are you?" Yona kept her other questions to herself, on the off chance she was hallucinating, but she was not about to trust this stranger. How had he gotten in without making a sound?

"I'm glad you chose to come down, babe," The man replied, ignoring her question. Yona pursed her lips angrily, "I heard Kyran's voice, you made threats, where is he?" "Well drastic times do call for drastic measures," He answered, "I apologize for tricking you but I required privacy for our conversation." He looked to the chair then and gestured with the wooden top in his hand, "Have a seat." Yona felt the magic then, unsure why she had not felt it before. The man had to have been suppressing it, only now allowing her to feel his great power. It reminded her of Johann when she had first met him, and though she had grown herself, it was clear to her that this man was no joke. He had set all of this up, whatever it was. Yona hated this more and more, feeling trapped in this back room in a basement full of spiders- nobody was going to be looking for her for a while. She took a breath and narrowed her eyes.

"Nobody worth talking to hides out in basements and tricks pretty women to come in too," Yona retorted haughtily. He gave a shrug and went back to his top for a moment and then pointed over his shoulder with it, "You're free to go whenever you like, but consequences will ensue. Your flirty friend isn't as lucky as you are, he won't get the choice to just leave, babe." Yona growled, "Where's Key? I swear I'll kill you if you don't explain yourself." "I need you to do me a favor, just a small one." He laughed and straightened himself meeting her eyes dead on, an intense blue stare. "I want you to watch your red-headed friend." Yona took a step forward and pointed her blade higher at him, aiming towards his chest, "I'm not doing anything for you. Now you tell me what's going--" A sudden tightening in her chest, a fearful pounding in her heart. She could tell it was magic based, but when she looked up at his face and saw the frightful shadow man of her nightmares, the one who set the fire, it took her breath away.

The blue-eyed man had taken his form somehow, using her fear to control and manipulate her. How had he even known about her past? Or was he just in her head, using her own fears and emotions to play out his dark schemes. "I said, sit down." The voice was commanding, and her body started to tremble. She made her way over to the chair, her blade tightly gripped in her hand, her knuckles turning white. "I want to know everything. I want to know about every job he takes, every friend he confides in, I want to know where he sleeps at night, what he eats, when he eats. I want to know who holds his heart, unless that's you, babe." He chuckled, but it was an uneasy sound, deeply baritone and sadistic. Yona breathed harder and she closed her eyes, trying to take control back inside her own head. Somehow, she could feel the heat of a fire, the scars on her legs beginning to itch as if reverting back to before they had fully healed. "He-he's just a friend!" She shouted, "W-why do you think I would do that? I'm not helping you with anything. Is he even here?"

The man took a step forward and she opened her eyes, hearing his footsteps come closer. She lifted her blade and felt it strike flesh. It sank into his side, blood dripping down the blade. Her eyes widened and for a moment she thought the nightmare was over. Then the blade vanished and he let out a second laugh, the sensation of fire and the visage of the shadow-man from her past all slipping away. She sat there shaken, looking at her empty hand and then back to him. Illusions? All of it? That explained the voices, the sounds, the shadow on the wall. Yona was starting to panic, she hated being in an enclosed room, but right now she had no idea what was real or not real and worse, she had no idea how to figure a way out of the situation she was in. "You seem close to him, babe. Close enough that he's allowed to slap your ass, close enough that he lets you touch him back. Close enough that I'm sure you wouldn't want anything to happen to him. And let's be honest, babe," He shook his head and smirked. "You don't even know if I am real anymore do you. How well do you think he would do against me? Or worse, when my illusions trigger the monsters inside him, how well do you think the people in WFTC will do? How about the innocents in the village? Maybe.. maybe he's already killed them. Maybe I've already gotten in his head." Yona's chest clenched painfully again and she touched it, grimacing.

She hated him for it, but he did make a good point. If she refused, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't slip away on the wind somehow. He was powerful like Johann was, but without a demon, still a formidable force. This man was nothing to underestimate and after her encounter with Ruvel, Sato, and the big fight with Johann... Yona knew better than to be stupid and let her emotions drive her into battle. If this stranger threatened the guild, threatened Kyran, there was no reason why she shouldn't believe that he could follow through. Yona didn't know enough about him to feel in control of this situation. Perhaps she could even discuss things with Johann, he was smart enough to know what to do in this situation. She would have to do as he ordered and betray her closest friend, at least until she could figure things out. She swallowed hard again, lifting up a hand, thinking to herself that all she had to do was flick her wrist and bamboo would shoot from the floors and through this man's body. Yona craved that sight. "If you try to hurt me again, I won't be so generous. Though I do appreciate your passionate fire, I prefer you to use your skills to get me what I want. This is your only opportunity to protect him and your guild. Choose wisely."

Yona dropped her hand, letting her murderous imagination trickle away from her. She looked up at the man and scowled, "What will you do with my information? Who are you? And how will I even find you?" The man spun his wooden top on the table, the spinning object giving off a faint blue glow. As it spun around, he spoke again. "What I do with it is my business. You haven't yet earned my name, but you can call me oh... I don't know.... something fun," He watched the swirling top and then grasped it from the top, stabbing it into his finger tip. Oddly enough, the drop of blood seemed to suck up into the top and then he handed it to her. "How about The MindReaver!?" With a nod he added, "When you have something for me, let the top have a taste of your blood. I'll find you within 12 hours of the call and feel free to call me for only two things." He leaned in, and Yona could smell an aged cologne, not the sort of thing a reputable person might wear, but she kept that judgment to herself. She thought his code name was stupid too, but once more said nothing about it.

"Either you message me because you have information, or you message me because if I don't hear from you at least once every three days, everything you care about will be destroyed. And if it's the latter," He shook his head and touched his hand to her cheek in a caress both gentle and repulsing. "You better have something to stop me from going after him." "Screw you," Yona snarled, jumping to her feet. She held the top in her hand and her hands turned into fists, ready to punch his face in. She had to remind herself of his warning and when she hesitated the MindReaver laughed again. He turned around and started walking out of the room, "Don't even think of telling anyone, by the way. You've got a good start. You made the right choice, so don't muck it up." He lifted his left hand into the air, wiggling his index finger side to side like the hand of a clock, "Tick, tock, babe." And with that he was gone, the lantern still glowing in the room but his entire form fading into thin air. His threats it seemed were very real if his real self was not within the room.

Yona got to her feet and was pleased to see at least the nest was still destroyed. She gathered herself, walking out of the basement, climbing the mossy stairs with shaky steps. She made her way back to the village and the stable, finding the horses out and prepared for riding. She wavered on her feet, her mind elsewhere, and then nearly tripped with her very next step. What the hell was she going to do, she thought to herself, even as she attempted an awkward wave towards Kyran. "Hey, let's uh.. let's go."

WC: 5794+1909= 7703