Private - Consequential Rumor

Ilya stared at her inventory wondering on whether or not she had enough food and water to last her the journey to her designation. As she was checking up on the status of her bag her thoughts flashed backwards a few hours. She had been resting in Stokbon that night.

Pale white hands had banged down on the table across from where the short Felis was seated. The heads in the tavern lifted slightly to see what the ruckus was. "N-nothing to see here." The voice that matched the pale skin spoke up, speaking directly to those in the room. Once everyone resumed what they were doing, his voice turned to a whisper, "Am' telling ye, woman. I swear. Saw it wit ma own two eyes. Evr' since then itz been plaguing ma min' makin' me go insane! Heal me at once, for' ye regret it." The man seemed to be troubled. Whoever he was demanding to spoke up, "I will not attempt to heal you if you do not treat me with respect. Besides I am still unsure whether I can or not." The man seemed rather infuriated by this, "Aight. Sorry fer... er... ma behavior earlier. Do ye think ye can try?" At his unnatural plea, the other person whom Ilya who had still been unable to distinguish the gender of nodded their head. It was then that they held out their hands, "Now, tell me again. Where did you find this.. artifact ?" The person spoke even softer than they had been. "Twas' in Norforva. I swear. Bout two hours inward. Blockd' by hundrd' or so difficult stuff." "Now you said it cursed you? Do you have it with you?" At the person's next question directed at the man, Ilya was certain it was a girl. There was a small feminine charm that laced her last question. At the question however the man seemed to fumbled about. "I twas scared! Am sorry! I couldn't pocket it.." The woman cursed to herself before looking at the man, "And you swear it was a crown?" At her clarifying question the man nodded his head violently, "Well, then I truly apologize. I cannot heal you." At her statement the man let out a horrifying wail. Ilya's ears pinned to her head as she tried to block out the noise. The man stood to his feet and had then started to grab across the table. The woman simply muttered a few words that Ilya could not understand. "Al Friez Nuuf Wold!" The man froze in the air as the woman stood to her feet. She looked up and stared at Ilya. Did she know that Ilya had been listening in? The woman pulled out her dagger and as she was about to stab the man, Ilya raced forwards. "D-do not h-hurt him. What did he do? What is this crown? And why can't you heal him?" Ilya had quite a few questions for the woman all of which she voiced. The woman froze with her dagger about to stab the man in his heart. "If you value your own life you will not seek it." Ilya narrowed her eyes, "Well whatever it is, it is causing you to about to stab this man. You owe an explanation before I let you stab him. It will not hurt, right? Besides what can be so important." Ilya's soft voice seemed to deter the woman as her eyes scanned her face.

"You want to know what it is? It is an ancient magical artifact. It was cursed by an ancient evil wizard. And whoever finds it is given a curse themselves. It has killed countless people. When people hear it is worth endless amounts of money, they think only of the reward and not of the price to pay for finding such an item. It has only caused chaos and destruction. I have seen these effects far too long and it is better to kill them than have them slowly die from the curse." Ilya's eyes widened slightly, she had not expected such an in depth answer, "Well then, you better tell me where to find it, so I can stop the curse from ever happening again." The woman seemed to sigh at this, "If you were really listening you already know where to find it, and once again I advice you against looking for it. It only brings trouble." Ilya looked at the woman intently, "If it means sacrificing myself once to save people then by all means. Bring it on." With Ilya's own reply she knew where she had to go. About two hours in from the border of Norforva. She would be ready. With a nod of her head she stepped off the table and back to her own seat. She picked up her cup of beer and chugged it down. Slamming it down on the table she tossed the bartender the necessary coin and exited the building.

That all had occurred over the span of a few hours. She had ended up sleeping on a comfortable bed in an inn near the tavern before waking up the next morning. Upon finishing the quick scan of her inventory, Ilya headed out of town. The sun was only just rising on the horizon, meaning Ilya had the whole day to look for the ancient artifact thus saving everyone from the curse. You know.. I do not even know if this will work... But it is worth a shot. In worst case scenario I die.. right?

@Comet

 

An entire night of unrest made the rings underneath dull eyes stand out against milk-colored skin. Blue veins etched themselves like tattoos, prominent and bulging. Pink hair neatly pulled into a long ponytail, long legs twitching as frantically as dainty hands; a heart swelling with greed set out for the glorious crown of an ancient wizard. The thought of trading off the crown for stacks and stack of gold coated the young woman's mouth with enough saliva to have her drooling like a dog begging for a treat. Truthfully, money had much more worth here than in the outside world where she could pull out of her bank account at any time without worry. Working brought an inner frustration though Comet certainly couldn't deny that she yearned for the thrill of adventure. A strong enough yearning existed to prevent said work from being a complete burden. However, various amounts of gold earned at once pleased her greatly to the point of pure giddiness. A steady pouring-in of gold was nice; but, not as nice as rewards as large as she'd been told about.

The reason she traveled to Norforva - without a moment of hesitation taken - happened to be incredibly simple: gold. She'd eagerly visited an inn located in Stokbon the day before for it was a building she hadn't noticed yet. A curiosity tempted her to walk inside to venture its rather elegant space. A group of mages sat at a long table near the entrance (also dubbed a space for drinking and eating). The pink-haired woman found herself drawn in to the cloaked magic-users; after skimming over the layout of most of the inn she'd pulled up a seat without much care. The mages were overly welcoming and seemed to enjoy Comet's presence overall. Eventually conversation had shifted to intense gossiping. Used to this sort of talk, she stood to purchase a room for the night but one of the mages begged her to remain for a few more moment while he recalled his latest adventure. One that, he expected, would interest her. Frankly, all Comet heard was, "I heard the crown can fetch a few thousand coin at the least. Norforva is pretty scary, though. And even worse the stupid thing is locked up in some magic cave or something. I'd stay away but you seem up for all kinds of things."

His wink had obviously gone unnoticed, the rest of the group laughing at his futile attempts to get in her pants, while Comet turned to leave the inn before catching the intent of his suggestions. "A few thousand coin...." she muttered underneath her breath in a deep fascination, as if hypnotized. That night she couldn't sleep and thus spent her time heading for the isolated region known to be uninhabitable. If anything that opinion had Comet compelled even more than before. Exploring, marking, touching the "dark" lands; this final opportunity had her legs picking up pace to find the hidden cave despite her energy level finally beginning to drop. The morning sun burned her skin lacking both pigment and protection from its bright rays. Fortunately, the area began to give off a more ominous atmosphere by providing a sudden, misty fog while blocking the sunlight further with tall, mountainous areas spreading, dimming the surroundings. Clouds of dust puffing around boots scuffing the ground, the humidity that coated her with a layer of sweat, and a terrain difficult to scale that seemed to hold predators emitting the strangest of noises hardly bothered Comet. Even as the shadows began to move - mysteriously, cautiously - she carried on. Strange plants and prey moving too fast to catch distracted the ever-curious woman who had never seen a place in Terrasphere quite like Norforva. Yes, it had a scary aura but fear of the unknown wasn't something she ever really truly had. In fact the unknown appeared beautiful to her shimmering, azure eyes bewitched by the narrowing, unknown path and dangerously thorny plants and the rays of light peeking out from behind enormously formed canyons giving a sense of holiness to such a landscape tainted with dread of the masses.

 

The air was dry and obsolete... The terrain that Ilya was walking on was just as dry. The sun was beating down upon the cracked dirt, making it seem as if rain had not occurred in quite some time. Ilya felt as though she were melting as she kept searching, however she refused to give up. Her assertive nature kept her moving, as she continued forward. The rocky out climbs of the natural habitat made Ilya realize why it was uninhabited. A dark magic ran through the roots of the terrain, leaving Ilya with an even darker feeling. So this is what blood magic is... Her own breath came out in pants before she decided to take a break. Opening her inventory she took out one of the numerous vials of water she had and drank, relieving her thirst bar to full. I remember having read about blood magic, when I visited that particular magic shop the other day... Ilya recalled having learned about blood magic, the only words that had stuck out was that it tainted the land of Norforva, rendering it inhabitable. Now that I think.. Not much was written about Blood magic.. Perhaps not much is known of it? The thoughts of the young felis were interrupted as a rustle was heard nearby. Ilya's eyes narrowed as she sat up slightly, moving into a defensive crouch. She moved silently towards the noise, scanning for the "enemy". It was not until a small rustic brown mouse appeared that Ilya sat up, "Why hello there, cutie. Ilya grinned as she pulled some left over cheese out from her inventory. She held it out to the mouse, resting her hand on the warm ground. The mouse seemed to sniff forwards before attaching its mouth to the cheese, nibbling. It ate until the cheese was gone, before licking the remnants off of Ilya's hand. She giggled lightly at the feeling before watching as the mouse trotted off. She stood back up, About time to resume my search.

Ilya left the small crevice she had been resting upon, and began her trek towards the center of Norforva. It was not long until she came upon a large river that crossed her path. In the distance, a rather taller mountain loomed over the land. Ilya grinned, as she realized that the mountain was her goal. She picked up her pace and trekked faster and harder than she had been. Her feet resting at the edge of the river at last. She looked down at the water, dark maroon swirls echoed in the shallow water as it raced past. Ilya's head cocked to the side as she realized it was no normal river.. How am I to cross...? Ilya groaned internally as she looked around for something to aid her. Not finding anything, she took a few steps back, I guess I just gotta jump.. Rely on my skills and race.. She took a running start before she tensed up. Her feet dug into the ground as power surged through her, she took off the ground and "flew" towards the other side, the muscles from her own mastery and her race aiding her in the leap of faith she had just taken. As she neared the other side, she started to fall, her hands reaching forward. With some scrambling, Ilya made it to the other side. Letting out a soft pant, Ilya clasped herself on the back before continuing on the journey to the tall mountain.

It was not long before Ilya had scaled the entire mountain, making her way into a small tunnel. She had entered and had barely enough light to see the walls. With stumbling feet she made her way forward until she made it to the other side. The sight that lay in front of her, left her speechless. There were man-made bridges built into the canyon that was laid out in front of her. The canyon was not that long, and from her side she could see the faint glow of the other side as the sun began to set. She started to cross each bridge, carefully and cautiously until she made it to the other side. She was now standing in front of the cave, in awe. The walls themselves were carved with such care... This is.. Amazing.. She took a few steps before the floor beneath her opened up, causing her to fall. She grimaced with pain as the floor that had opened closed once again, leaving her in the dark. I swear I saw a small hole in this pit before the floor closed up again.. Ilya moved to the walls of the pit as she fumbled around trying to find the hole.

 

Passing the misty, dim area the young woman finally reached Norforva's enlarged landscape of seemingly endless length. An orange-red hue painted the disappointingly dull area and it's rocky mountains in the distance and even the blanket of dust constantly threatening her eyes or nose or both at once. Grateful for generally adorning little attire - that hardly left much to the viewer's imagination - Comet stepped into the bright sun that welcoming her generously. Meanwhile, she burned like a vampire who'd just emerged from their coffin. Milky white skin happened to be attractive where she lived. If not that then the exact opposite: a luxurious ebony that the young woman truly desired for it was both rare and called for low maintenance. Remaining indoors, applying layers on layers of sunscreen, and wasting away were the struggles that Comet endured (the last more so done for remaining skinny rather than maintaining skin color). However, so long as her heart continued to beat, the persistent Archer wouldn't stop until she reached her goal. That being either make a lump sum of gold or discover the mysterious crown. How lovely it would be to have some sort of item that resembled royalty. A foolish childhood dream kept Comet's interest in nobility thriving within her scarred and mostly damaged heart. The survivor of a destroyed imagination revived by the escape - and possibilities - of video games.

Painting her arrows red to match Norforva with the blood of predators was definitely an expected occurrence in strange lands. Her skills matched the mountain lion that'd been stalking her from afar for quite some time. Her heart pounded, the beat in her ears, but eyes were just as observant and careful. With quick wits she pierced it's skull before a leap could be commenced. Back during a Rescue mission bestowed upon her, and many others, by the Princess there were a similar type of foe. Green Team managed to slay the onslaught of random animals with ease while the encounter, albeit distracting, provided information on the mountain lion that'd tempted it's fate with her. Clutching an arrow and precious bow laced with immense luck Comet continued on - first braiding back her long, loose locks. There would be no further presence of danger animal-wise but an urging anxiousness warned her to keep the weapon out at all times. The terrain, however, gave a danger; splitting off in three different paths that Comet had no idea about. In fact she hardly had anything to go off of except for the little bits of guidance she'd barely picked up from the others while exiting the building back in Stokbon as well as rumors spread around the large city that were easily caught onto by the rush of excitement in one's voice or a specific word choice. Mentally face-palming while scolding her rush for gold due to materialistic values, she selected at random in hopes that the world would be in her favor even if just for the current day.

At the end of the chosen path appeared to be a direct path to the other side of the blockage. With a smile and surge of courage Comet pushed herself forward, past a small space her lithe body could manage, and expected to meet familiarly boring land once again. However, her boot never did touch ground again for the crack she slipped through lead to a steep hill full of thorny patches and rocky ledges. The sudden experience of heart-stopping fear sent Comet's body stiff in shock. Her thoughts became muddles while her senses numbed, unable to form an explanation or following solution before the young woman tumbled downwards. Pain hit spots on the body one by one rather than all at one time: something that Comet would've much preferred. To take in all the sensations of bone-deep bruising, muscles straining, nausea settling in a churning gut that gave opportunity for bile to rise, and how all of this paired with the internal sting of opening wounds that swelled with the beat of her slowing organ; frankly, Comet wouldn't wish this on her enemy or even begin to think of doing so. Twirling ungracefully, hitting the rock and bouncing off, she reached out her arms for a savior and found it. A particularly long branch jutting out from the uneven hill fit itself perfectly into her desperate hands. Catching said plant, writing in pain while grasping onto needles that dug deep into her skin, Comet's body forced herself to let go which meant ending up on her rump. Gasping from the sudden experience that ended faster than it'd started she bit her lip to prevent moaning. Bruises "stained" her skin, blue veins bulging and pulsing, brain begging for the pain to end without much response.

With a dry mouth and tongue to big for its seemingly shrunken caverns, she fell to her back and trembled; yet another savior existed within her inventory. Rather than water she'd spent her gold on a healing solvent. Surely, she'd thought only hours ago, the potion come in handy more than a thirst-quencher. A haziness due to attempting to block out the mass spreading of burning and stinging and tearing wounds had her confused as well as dizzy for a few moments. An instinct being the only thing provided to lead her to grasp the vial. Needy lips savored every drop that almost immediately got rid of her welts, cuts, bruises; you name it. Better yet the tremors ceased to exist seeing as her anxieties were alleviated with the shit taste of a healer in a bottle. How foreign it felt to continue walking as if nothing had happen. How embarrassing it was that she hadn't been more causing. And, oh, how awful the Realistic pain setting felt. Comet realized this as the recent memory embedded itself into her memories. Somehow, when recalled, the deep-felt and torturous feeling could be faintly present within her soul. The coolness of an evening sun and calming sky becoming darker by the second sent Comet's muddled thoughts into a more serene, hopeful place where the pink-haired woman could retreat - sensing the cave holding an ancient artifact to be nearby. Or perhaps the distant glow was what drew her in akin to a bug who falls in love with bright lights.

Her speed picked up and mind returned to a cautious, aware state. Though muscles asked for a break so much so that they burned, Comet ignored these pleas as she made way for the captivating glow. It lit up her blue eyes that now shimmered as they were before. Surely this was the place. Her buried treasure promises and desires held within - behind the wall. Lifting her arms the pink-haired woman attempted to make contact with the many rays of colors beckoning her; fate had different plans seeing as she'd fallen all over again as if her butt hadn't already taken enough rough contact with the ground below. With a shake of the head she quickly leaped to her feet, ignoring the suffering of her tailbone, only to spot a nearby Felis crawling through a hole ahead of them.

"Hey!" Comet yelped. A blush tainted her cheeks upon realizing how desperate she sounded. It seemed the other hadn't heard her seeing as it'd been from the back of the throat (a pathetically weak call). So, both not wanting to be alone and needing knowledge of the area, Comet climbed through the opening after the red-headed stranger. Once the two were out she decided to make her presence known. This time with a feigned confidence. "Excuse me. Did you set that trap or did you fall through it? I'm friendly I promise," she lifted both hands in the air. A risky and bold move the ensured to gain the trust of the other. But a move much needed seeing as she had a dirty, disheveled appearance and musty smell tainting her generally sweet and innocent aura. The potion could only repair her body, not appearance. "but there's a... thing I'm looking for that's supposed to be somewhere around here. If you could share anything you know or maybe even let me join you that'd make my day, really."

 

The way of escape that Ilya had decided to climb through seemed to be a rather narrow passage. Her ears brushed the top of the tunnel as her tail lashed out behind her. It was at last that she made her way through it, now able to stand in a small room with little lighting. Dusting the dirt off of her originally white dress that had turned a light brown color, a sound could be heard from behind her. Upon being confronted as if she had been the one to set the trap, Ilya turned around. Her hair whipping through the air, wrapping around the air around her. Her dress swung as well, and her tail joined in. Making her look as if she were glowing. Her red narrowed eyes befell upon a rather disheveled woman. She looked very.. very familiar.. As if someone she had passed by in the real world.

Not really able to place a name to the face, or the exact moment of where she had seen her, Ilya felt stumbled upon this manner of information she had just received. The girl wanted to gather as much information as she could. The girl's hair could clearly be seen in the dim light, it was vermilion red in color, her eyes glinting and producing a shine in their oceanic depths. They were the type of blue that any girl, much like Ilya whom loved the sea would not mind finding themselves lost in the ultimate depths. The build of the girl could easily be figured out despite the shadows being cast all over the place.

She was rather modelesque. The very appearance of the girl was dirt. There were chunks of rock and gravel that prospered throughout her hair. The smudges of dirt across the girl's face made her seem dangerous and threatening. As Ilya further studied the girl, her own thoughts kept cascading around in her brain, Where the hell have I seen her before...

Her own thoughts were interrupted as the girl continued to talk. Presenting forth a pique of interest within Ilya's own mind. "First of all, I did not set the trap up myself.. I fell through because I was stupid enough not to watch where I was going.. Thinking it would be easy to get to what I am looking for.. This thing... It does not happen to be a crown.. Does it?" Raising one eyebrow, it was now Ilya's turn to question the woman. Her tail seemed rather idle and still. Her ears flicking lightly. "Are you a treasure hunter? NPC? Player? What is your name?" Feeling somewhat suspicious and still wanting to remember where she had seen the girl from, Ilya could not help but continue to be cautious of her.. Is she just a fellow player I met on the streets? No.. It feels like I have seen her.. In my real body...

Ilya's own mind was a mess as it continued to relentlessly bother her. Deciding to just put it aside for the moment, knowing that if the girl continued to be around her, then she would understand more, she stopped being as cautious and hostile. "Sorry for the hostility earlier... I go by Ilya here. I myself am looking for the Crown. I am a player and am nineteen years old." That was enough information.. Right? Forcibely extending her right hand out for a handshake, Ilya continued to speak, "You should join me, perhaps we could find it together. What is your purpose for obtaining it?"

After having shaken the girls hand, she made a small nod that meant to walk as they talk. She turned away from the girl, in the same manner as she had turned towards the girl. She started to walk around the room, her hand running along the wall. There seemed to be dusty old books and pages lying around everywhere along the floor. Along one side there was a rather large bookshelf with red books littering every inch. Right near the bookshelf was a ancient desk with crumpled and ripped pages were spread out, making it seem as if someone had not been writing in a long time. On the wall nearest to the desk, there was a rather long bed, with a thin blanket covering a lump on the bed.. Walking over cautiously to investigate, she put a finger to her lips in Comet's direction so that she could quietly approach the lump.

Walking ever so softly on her toes as to not make any sudden noises, Ilya kept walking towards the bed.. Ever so slowly and ever so silently. She barred her hands into fists, ready to take it on if it were an enemy. Finally reaching the bed, the firm hand of Ilya reached for the blanket, pulling it off the lump in one swift movement, letting go of the blanket and letting it fly to the ground. What had formed the lump on the bed was a large surprise. Ilya's hand flew up to her face, covering her open mouth.

In front of Ilya, laying down on the bed was a skeleton.. The very skeleton had a dark red crimson cloak on. The skeleton had a facial expression of pure devotion. The exact expression that whatever it was had on when it had died.. Looking away from the skeleton for a few seconds, Ilya faced Comet. "W-what happened here..." Ilya's own voice was interrupted as the creaking of bones could be heard.

Whipping her head back around to face the bed, Ilya's eyes became wide as she stared at the skeleton. It had began moving, and a purple-red tint had began to cover around it. Hearing words being muttered into the room, Ilya recognized the words of a spell of Necromancy, a spell that would raise undead comrades to fight for an amount of time, based on that of the level of magic skill the caster had. Turning to Comet her voice admitted what she had been thinking of. "It is a spell of necromancy.. Raises undead comrades.... I studied the different mastery types.. That means the caster is close.....But this.. Skeleton will be a problem.. I myself am great with hand to hand.. If you know what I mean.. I specialize in Body Combat.." Eyeing the skeleton to assume how much time she had before it was capable of fighting she turned to Comet, "What can you do? How about it. Back me up on this one?"

 

A small part within Comet's selfish heart consisted of hoping the Felis knew nothing of the crown so she could have it all for herself. Splitting the gold never was a fun thing to do; not to mention the journey most likely had been tougher on her versus the first to succumb to the entrance's trap. Her eyes drifted from cat ears to large eyes with an odd hue that send a shiver down her spine. The fiery color proved to be generous as a choice for hair - a widespread beauty could be found among redheads - but rather ominous and off-putting otherwise. So far, however, Felis' hadn't given her any trouble whatsoever so Comet hardly felt intimidated. In fact the strange woman fit in with the majority of the race holding an outer appearance to be envious of. Whether it seeped inside or not, well, only time would tell.

"It is a trap, you know, something not meant to be seen before you end up in it," a fine blush threatened to paint her cheeks but the pink-haired woman instead focused on clearing her hair of debris, ignoring the shame of being caught. Traps were her specialty, after all. Falling for one despite being extremely observant in nature embarrassed her greatly; she expressed a defense in regard to their mistakes to prevent further shame to grow in her gut. It relentlessly tugged at her broken soul - in Terrasphere there was no need to create more torment than already present. The next comment she felt hesitant to answer. Pursed lips parted, then touched again as her dried throat struggled to push words through the sore caverns of a mouth full of money. "My name's Comet. I'm not sure we need to share details right now, but when we're out of this Hell hole I wouldn't mind getting to know such a pretty girl better," she curled her lips and winked playfully. Establishing a friendliness, much like in the way she did with everyone, would be much easier than admitting to her intentions. "Yes, I'm here....To look... to look for what you said. The crown. What do you know? I barely got here in one piece," the pink-haired woman brushed back her cleared locks, playing with loose strands of hair in futile attempts to calm the shaking of her hands that'd never quite been controllable. Her attention to surroundings would go unnoticed by outside observers. No matter how innocent or sweet or how open-armed Comet seemed, wariness never left - it kept her eyes and ears and reflexes active at all times due to a skeptical nature derived from outside influences.

The handshake hadn't been expected, but the formality soothed Comet since it had always been a reminder of someone's politeness in the real world. Her body shuffled towards Ilya's and accepted the gesture graciously. At least they were on neutral terms now, further from hostility that the Felis gave off, and could continue with the journey. An anxiousness coursed through her veins and boiled a yearning blood. "That's all I asked," she reminded Ilya before moving to brush stubborn dirt from skimpy attire. More skin than cloth had been coated and wouldn't be completely stain-free without a good scrubbing but a deep perfectionism within urged Comet to attempt to manage her appearance to the best of her ability. And even then the "best" wasn't enough, and never would be. "I heard it's worth a lot of gold, that's all. What do you know about the crown?" her brows lifted in interest towards what Ilya may know that she didn't. With little information in her hands, nothing but willpower to push her forward, she wouldn't be able to navigate the depths of the dusty, ancient chambers that held the crown deep within its twists and turns and traps.

Following behind, Comet found no need to make conversation with someone she simply aimed to use as further protection and potential informant. Her calm expression twisted into one of disgust upon discovering the fact that someone would actually live in such a mess of a place. It was clearly falling apart and provided no sunlight whatsoever, let alone a pleasant smell or atmosphere. After experiencing war at its bloodiest a skeleton hardly surprised the Archer, though that didn't mean it was a good surprise, and Ilya's signal had no effect for her senses were fairly superior due to mastery choice. Light footsteps creating little to no noise: a feature Comet nearly had mastered. While moving an arm to activate the UI, however, she found that the monster held no information whatsoever, which ultimately meant that killing the skeleton would give off valuable knowledge. In a swift action performed as smooth as butter the pink-haired woman pulled the bow sling over her torso and had it drawn with an arrow prepared to pierce the new creature. Despite being so focused she nodded to show her approval for the Felis' choice. "Body combat..." she muttered under her breath while recalling Emerath and his talents that impressed her. "I like it. You must be one tough kitty, hmm?" the seriousness of her tone clashed with the teasing words. Without waiting for a response Comet's arrow flew through the air and managed to clash with the skeleton's shoulder. Not exactly on target, but not a bad shot either and she wouldn't dare let the other woman know that thus her straight posture and "confidence" endured slight anger. "Just about anything you need me to." she boasted with a smirk, excited to retrieve knowledge for the near future. Weaknesses, skills, and more would be recorded in a place where she could easily check in order to plan effective methods of counter attacks.

 

"You look very beautiful. I just thought I should let you know." Her own mind fought off the urge to voice the fact that she recognized her from somewhere in her real life. Knowing full well of how much it would bother her until she found out the truth, Ilya tried to focus on other things at hand. The sexual, yet innocent appeal that Comet's beauty held was certainly that of someone who knew the world of beauty. Perhaps I saw her on a magazine? Yet that still does not feel right.. As if I met her in person.. Her own blunt self could hold in the urge no longer, her lips speaking her thoughts. "I feel I know you from somewhere. Not in the game, but in real life." Her expression seemed innocent as she kept level eye with Comet. Her own statement piercing through the dark.

"Well, that means we both were not paying attention. For indeed we both got caught in the trap, that was rather obvious if one had been looking for them. I was enticed by the glowing light of the cavern, which made me forget that there would be a thing such as traps here.." Making a silent vow to herself, Ilya swore she would pay more attention as to not be caught in another trap. Thinking of what she herself now knew about the crown, she glanced over. "Apparently there is a cost of the wealth it will give a person.. That very cost, I am unsure.. I could not get full details.." Ilya herself was unsure whether the man had been actually cursed, or just poisoned by the beasts that obviously lived in these ruins. "If we are both so blind, then at least we can share whatever knowledge we do know about.. And perhaps be blind together." That was her own idea of getting over hard obstacles.. Teamwork beats any bad turn of events..

Why the hell Ilya shared her age she had no idea.. She had rather only planned on saying her name, yet something had forced her to speak of her age as well.. "Yes, details can be shared later.. For now let us focus and plan to get out of here.. And fast, I do not like the feel of this cave.. or ruins." Without much thought, Ilya took note of the shape Comet was in, agreeing with the fact that much had happened before Comet had arrived in the cave. Despite the sweet behavior that Comet shared outwardly, Ilya knew that she might not be feeling that way on the inside. Ilya was a master at hiding her own true feelings. Having the ability to take on any false sense of courage or innocence she needed to appease others. It was, after all what she needed to succeed in her real world life.

The stubborn behavior of Comet peeked through as Ilya brushed her comment off. Now focusing as the skeleton stood to its feet. An arrow wizzing past, leaving a whisper in the stale air. Ilya watched as the arrow clicked against the skeleton's shoulder, the hp of the skeleton dropping drastically. The arrow, wedging itself into the bone. Now kicking into action herself, she wrapped her right hand into a fist and drew back her elbow, before shooting it towards the skeleton's head. A sickening cracking sound echoed through the room, before being muffled by the various cobwebs and dust that littered the place. The head of the skeleton rolled off. The body scrambling around to find and grasp the head, in hopes to put it back on its neck. The health of the skeleton now close to zero, Ilya backed off a bit, allowing Comet to finish it off if she wanted to. "Everything, huh? Good to know. Got any weaknesses I should know about? Perhaps you hate snakes or something? Are you good at close combat?"

 

"Oh?" she hardly cared for compliments from strangers as they held no appeal or sincerity most of the time. Meaningless words from mindless people who spat out things in the same way she did herself. A choice few could truly spark her heart, but she took it with a smile. A practiced smile able to send butterflies fluttering in a stomach or provide warmth to the coldest souls. At least, with dreaded insecurity flooding what would be arrogance for most, Comet hoped that such an impact arose within those who encountered her. It certainly was a desirous effect for someone who felt so absolutely unsure about even a taking a glance into the mirror where others could determine her beauty right on the spot. Which, of course, felt as artificial as when someone pointed it out. The kindness, however, would be appreciated considering the strange situation at hand for the both of them. "Oh..." she repeated, but with a tone far less curious and more disappointed. "We can talk about it after we get out of this place," Comet nodded towards the skeleton that indicated dangerous, potentially dark forces out for them. "So we don't get distracted."

It seemed Ilya had similar intentions, but was able to voice them unlike Comet. Falling for a trap she should've been able to easily recognize happened to be a humiliating occurrence for the trained Hunter who vowed not to let it happen again. Of course, she rebounded with a quick kill but nothing ever let the pink-haired woman rest. To stay wary, prepared, and remaining ever-critical of herself were important things that made up the lithe body, mind, and spirit of Comet. Both in Terrasphere and the real world. "We must've been hypnotized by magic or something," she suggested with a shrug in attempts to make sense of how her thoughts could've been easily distracted from the quest at hand. "So I've heard..." she mumbled in response. Part of her had been hoping that the Felis wouldn't know anything about the available money to be collect. Now that hope had to be replaced with new ones... Maybe Ilya wouldn't be interested in monetary value or could be tricked out of wanting anything for the crown?

While thinking about the possibilities, outcomes of the near future, she noticed the skeleton hadn't died and sighed. Containing this sense of dread due to failure Comet simply watched the Lioness go to work on the defenseless thing in a zombified state. The skills were admittedly impressive as emerald eyes picked up every little move that Ilya made to bring the skeleton down to its weakest state. With a nod she would accept the offer, and move to smash its skull with the sole of a high-length boot. It suggested leadership and power and gave off an aura that Comet both wanted and approved of for herself when around others. Being in control seemed to be difficult to grasp within the game. Here, stuck underground, things could be different if made that way, she believed. Hooking thumbs onto the hem of her pants the pink-haired woman smirked in Ilya's direction before making her way towards the innards of the ruins. The homeliness of it all continued to creep her out in a multitude of ways that were unexplainable. Someone... People were living inside, once, as if comfortable. Were they here for the crown? Would they be guarding it? Many ideas plagued her mind; too many to pluck out of the air and consider with company. "I have my special abilities like everyone else does. Thinking about weaknesses makes me forget them, yknow? So I'll just tell you that I can sneak, track, and hunt well. Other than punching things what do you do in here?"