An Unexpected Turn of Events [O]

A jovial smile played at Setsuna’s lip as he leisurely made his way downthe bustling streets of Orario City; his destination was the Tower of Babel. His dusky jade eyes systematically darted back and forth as he briefly examined the surrounding adventurers. He made mental note of the plethora of weapons that were brandished, the innumerable styles of armor being worn. In truth, his own gear seemed simple in comparison to some of the heavy plate mail or intricately woven leather garments favored by some. He’d taken to wearing simple leather sandals, which were held on by a series of straps that buckled just below his kneecap. This was all hidden from view by crimson hakuma he wore. His weapon, Ameryuu, a wazikashi that had belonged to belonged to his father hung from his left side. He’d painstakingly woven it through a handful of his belt loops to create a make-shift holster that didn’t impede his movement. His top was covered by an onyx haori that loosely clung to his torso; frequently threatening to slide from his narrow shoulders.

While he waited amongst a crowd of adventures, he took a moment to bind up his fiery crimson hair using his mother’s favorite black satin ribbon. Setsuna spoke to no one except a female Guild representative as he’d waited for his turn to enter the Dungeon. He descended down the massive stairwell that lead one into the dungeon’s depths below. He’d truthfully expected it to be much darker than it was, not privy to the fact that it was illuminated by teal bioluminescent moss. Setsuna’s eyes had widened marginally at the sight, his curiosity ushering him to inspect it a bit closer. He tentatively reached out towards a low-lying patch of moss, smiling to himself as he savored its plush texture. A more seasoned adventure would have chastised him for his blatant ignorance. He’d dared to travel into the dungeon alone, while knowing only what his father’s journal had told him.

He inhaled deeply through his nostrils, attempting to calm his nerves before he made his way from the entrance. His right hand went to his blade at his left side, clumsily unsheathing it; nearly dropping it in the process. It didn’t take Setsuna long to stumble upon his first monster, an unsuspecting Goblin Rock Slinger. The grotesque creature kept turning his head too and for as if it were searching for something. He didn’t even hesitate to rush forward, his blade creating a shallow cut as he raked it across the Goblin’s back. He wasn’t prepared for the unholy banshee like wailed that escaped its mouth; that was likely going to attract some unwanted attention. He didn’t have much time to ponder it as the Goblin spun around, his wooden sling solidly connecting with his arm. The force behind the blow was enough to stagger Setsuna and send him toppling to the ground.

Setsuna bit his lower lip to prevent himself from crying out. The arm that the goblin had struck had gone numb, the only sensation was of pins and needles stabbing at the appendage. Setsuna’s grip on his weapon tightened as the golbin began to walk closer. It seemed to chortle to itself as it prepared to strike again.

 

Setsuna’s burgundy vulpine ears perked up when Shigure began to hiss, his dusky jade eyes widened in fear. His vulpine ears twitched sporadically as he pivoted them about, actively attempting to locate the origin of the sound. He’d nearly located it before two shuriken emerged from the darkness and sunk deep into the goblin’s orbital cavities. Its head craned back as it let out an anguished cry as it collapsed to the ground. Its’ discolored hands began to feel up its face, its yellowing nails digging into its skin as it tried to remove the shuriken. It’d never get the chance thought as Setsuna quickly rose to his feet. He didn’t hesitate to run forward as he clenched his blade with both hands and buried it deep into the crock of the goblin’s neck. The goblin’s back arched as he twisted it savagely before wrenching it free. He stumbled backwards as his blade came free and the beast collapsed to the ground.

An arc of crimson splashed against the ground and saturated his blade. It struggled feebly for a couple more seconds. Its nails digging desperately into the ground before it’s’ body went fully limp. Setsuna’s stomach lurched uneasily, the bitter taste of bile and stomach acid flooding the back of his throat. He forced himself to swallow it down visibly blanching at the acrid taste. The beast’s corpse quickly began to break down, reduced to black nothingness that merely faded away. It left nothing behind aside from Shigure’s two shuriken. Setsuna picked up the two shuriken, briefly inspecting them before he glanced up and noticed a cloud of smoke a few feet away. He knew for a fact that it hadn’t been there when he’d attacked the goblin, perhaps it could lead him towards his savior. He wanted to thank them and return their weapons to them; he didn’t possessed the aptitude to wield them properly.

Plus, truth be told, he didn’t want to be standing here when the goblin cavalry arrived. He slid his index left index finger through the hole in the middle of the shuriken; he was trying to carry it without cutting himself. He swung his right arm in a wide arc to get the last bit of anchor from his blade before he sheathed it. He jogged towards the remnants of the smoke cloud and rounded the corner only to be unsure which way its creator had gone. It was like she’d merely disappeared altogether; the reality was she was likely in one of the conjoining paths. Unsure of which way his savior had gone, he merely chose one of the paths at random. His ears remained perked up as he listened for the sound of another living creature; friendly or otherwise. He also took smaller steps, cautiously inching his way to the end of the corridor.

He swore that he could hear something moving around up ahead. His hand instinctively drifted towards his blade one again, firmly encasing the hilt with his sweaty palm. He inched closer and closer until he could peek around the corner. However, when he did so he came face to face with yet another unknown adventurer. In his initial shock, he’d let Shigure’s shuriken fall to the ground as he tried to take a step back. When he did so, his feet got caught on one another and resulted on him falling to the ground. Today just simply wasn’t his day.