Stage 1: Introductions! "Where did I end up now?" was the hum of her sweet voice. But this saucy vixen was anything but sweet. Long legs, pristine white armor accented by golden trim. A long curved blade sheathed at her hip in an ornate casting. The hilt was elegant as she shifted her hand just above the pummel. Her busty chest gave way to a sigh as she looked around the city but honestly had no idea how she ended up here from there. Tossing her long purple hair off her shoulder, Vivian moved with the grace of a model along the catwalk as she moved through the city. Those long legs gave her ample room for quick movements as her hips swayed like a hypnotic pendulum. Those azure eyes looked upon the people as if they were nothing but dawdling idiots. However, upon eavesdropping on some conversations she had figured out where she was and this was very good news indeed. "Finweald..." she echoed to herself repeating the name of the city. Here was something interesting of note. There was a landmark here known as the Old Pool. Of course it was no pool at all, but a decrepit shadow of its former glory but there was rumors of something dark and mysterious in the chambers underground. Vivian was a freak when it came to old ruins and of course dark magic. Rumors abound had lead her here and she wanted to get her hands on such things. So she moved looking for the place of interest. She could see it but she would not dare venture the depths alone. A simple minded person to act as her meat shield would do. Perhaps one of these rugged men would aid her? Or perhaps... tap, tap A mostly inconspicuous player stuck out to her like a sore thumb in the crowd of people. He seemed to be walking slowly with no direction of his own, but he was hooded and cloaked perhaps one of them rogue players. That was good! If they were to venture deep underground, his disarming traps ability might come in handy. The woman smiled, her full red lips showing as she shuffled around to meet him in the face. Immediately the woman almost leapt from her skin as she backed away as if seeing a ghost from the past. "Oh shit! I-I-I'm sorry. Ahh, you have this familiar aura about you that made you feel like an old...friend of mine of some time ago. I didn't mean to startle you if I did when I jumped like that. Anyways, my name is Vivian!~" back to her old usual self, she indulged him on her name. "It is your pleasure to make my acquaintance. I was wondering if you had sometime for me? Would you be interested in going deep inside?" her eyes squinted with that heavy seductive glare before she laughed and shook her head. The long tresses of purple coming off her shoulder as she batted the thought away in midair. "I actually would like for you to accompany me to the Old Pool. There is said to be some ruins down there I would love to see. Might be fun? You look like a rogue type, so I figured you abilities would come in handy. What do you say?" @Jomei
After conversing with some of more experienced hunters in the bolstering city of Stokbon, Jomei knew that his best bet for getting more experience with his skills would be to pay a visit to Brissal's neighboring state, Astorea. The others told tales of the dangerous game that the dense forests of the region held, and what Jomei may face heading out into the area. One of the hunters, a fellow Yladian, warned Jomei of the tensions between the country's main town, Finweald, and Yladia. Hiding his elven features while in Astorea may be best for Jomei's safe keeping. Paying a quick trip to Stokbon's merchant district, the crimson haired man stocked up on provisions for the journey, mostly food and water, as well as a hooded cloak to help hide his racial identity. With his bow and quiver secured to his back over the long cloth that now hung from his shoulders, the archer began the long journey to Astorea. The trip was long, and uneventful, but when his hazel gaze laid upon tall trees that differed from those in Brissal, he knew that he had made it to the neighboring region. The man felt now his life could be in danger by some of Astorea's patriots, so he pulled the hood up over his head, making sure his pointed ears were well hidden to the common eye. His right hand extended forward to clear itself of the falling green cloth, his fingers curling and opening again to reveal the small palm menu. All of his needs seemed sufficient, being he had just eaten not too long ago. However, he noticed the bar at the ending, claiming he needed sleep, was running a little under half. Sucking his teeth, the man looked around where he stood, if the hunters were right, and the monsters in this forest were not like those around Stockbon, then setting up camp in the wilds would not be the smartest idea. He needed to find civilization, and it seemed Finweald, wherever it was, was the only place he knew of by name. The large city was not hard to find, the bright colored houses shining through the dense forest. Making sure the hood sat firmly on his head, his unruly crimson hair pouring our in front of him, Jomei entered the city and began to walk the streets, looking for an off-the-grid inn where he could rest his head. Unexpected to him, a tall, purple haired woman stepped in his path, looking under his hood and smiling with her ruby-red lips. After taking notice of the man, she stepped backwards in shock, immediately apologizing, believing that Jomei was a familiar face to her. Jomei himself was slightly shocked, though from the woman's own leap back, rather than similar reasoning to hers. His hands went up in front of him, almost apologetically. "I-its okay." he looked into the woman's eyes for a moment, a brow slightly raising. It was strange, something seemed slightly familiar about her as well. He would have remembered a pretty face such as hers in this world.. was the aura familiar from a past game? Possibly the real world? After introducing herself to the man, Vivian asked for a moment of his time, asking if he would be interested in going deep inside. The reserved man's cheeks grew red as he sweat accumulate on the back of his neck from the head, "W-What?" With a red, seductive smirk and a laugh, she disregarded her jest and revealed her true intentions for approaching the hooded man. Vivian was simply asking for company to join her in exploring a part of the area known as the Old Pool, which Jomei had never heard of. From his look, she was able to judge his Rogue mastery, which she believed could prove useful for the possibly treacherous journey as well. After taking a moment to think it over, the archer nodded. "Alright, I'm in. Sounds like it could be fun." he said with a warm smirk. "Oh, and I'm Jomei, it's a pleasure to meet you, Vivian."
"Oh that's good. Yes, a pleasure Jomei." She smiled wickedly after her innuendo had caused him to seem flustered for the moment. After the pass, the woman folded her arms over her chest and looked upwards towards the sky. She hummed a bit and looked back down at her new companion. "Well, I guess we'll have to wait till nightfall. It would be a good idea to get some things ready for our adventure. More than likely we'll need a torch light, I have only ever been so many feet inside the tunnels only to see what I was getting myself into." The female malefimancer gestured for the boy to follow her. They could hit up some market places and gather the needed equipment that would make their journey less stressful. She figured a torch light or two would come in handy as well as a pack of food just in case they ended up going so far deep that it was liable they needed to rest and recuperate. Vivian moved her hips like that hypnotic sway as Jomei and herself moved through the crowd of players. She wasn't sure if he was staring at her backside, but for the most part, it was pretty common for any male not to notice her strutting walk. Long purple hair bounced off her back with each stride as they came up to one particular market stahl. Fit enough for any adventurer in need of the basic items. The woman bent over and was looking at the wares on the lower rack of stacked items and she hummed lightly as she tapped her finger against her lips. The saucy woman then bent down to one knee to pick up a small stack of torch lights that could be used for their illuminated necessities. Holding the items under one arm, the woman got back up and leaned over to the player in his hood, "You need anything while we are here? I hope you have some skills in lock picking and disarming traps or this might just become a real shit show disaster." The woman whipped around, her long hair colliding with the wind as it was picked up and bounced off her shoulder. She moved to make the purchases needed for the two torches. She made small chit-chat with the NPC and mentioned where they would be going. This had caused the merchant to light up, he spoke of a woman in town who could use their help if they were venturing deep into the Old Pool. Vivian nodded to the merchant and thanked him for the information. "How about we go see this woman? Since we are already going down, might as well get another reward for our explorative expedition." The torches were snug in her inventory now and she had full access to her arms once more, using them to graze the pillowy fabric of Jomei's cloak. A small wink as she passed by him to make any needed purchases before shuttling off to find this NPC woman.
A hooded head cocked slightly to the side, hazel eyes draped in a small shadow looking out at Vivian with a curios expression. "Is there a reason we need to wait until nightfall? This is the first time I've heard of this.. Old Pool.. let alone my first visit to Finweald" Jomei took a quick glance at the attire that Vivian wore, hoping that she was a bit more experienced than Jomei was with all of this. The clothes themselves did not seem like much more than typical cloth clothing, however her weapon seemed to be in better shape, and the way she carried herself emanated confidence. He would have to put faith in this new companion for this mission, though trusting her at this moment was not something he could commit to yet. The purple-haired woman took the lead, beckoning for Jomei to follow her into the merchant district, where stalls and kiosks were set up with various wears for the aspiring adventurer. As the two strolled through the town, Jomei following closely behind Vivian, he the faces of various passer bys looking in their direction. Was his hood not enough to hide his Yladian descent? The crimson haired man lowered his head slightly, yet kept his eyes forward, hoping to take some of the attention off of him. However, as he watched those they passed, especially the men, he noticed that they were, in fact, not looking at him, but Vivian. He saw as they walked passed man after man, the various eyes would scan from the bobbing locks of purple on her head, down to her hypnotic swaying hips. His own hazel gaze found its way to a similar spot, soon realizing just why the men had been watching her as she stepped past them. The respectful man's eyes widened as his head shot back up, flushed cheeks and all. Vivian had picked out a certain general store that sold various types of equipment needed for any occasion. From generic equipment, like bedrolls and torches, to more job specific wares, like lock picks, traps and nets, this stall seemed to have it all. As Vivian bent forward, taking a look at a pile of torches that laid at the bottom of the stall, Jomei's eyes were locked to a lock pick set on the opposite side. He took the small kit, which consisted of small picks for various locks, and brought it over to the man who stood watching them to confirm the transaction. "Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing. I'm going to grab this just in case." he held the box in his hand, showing it to Vivian before placing it into his inventory. "I'm not the most skilled when it comes to the Rogue mastery.. but the little skill I have in it should not be a problem, as long as you give me the time to take care of the deed." he said with a determined nod. After mentioning the Old Pool to the cashier, the man behind the register mentioned to the two adventurers that there was a woman that needed help with something in that area. Vivian believed that it could prove fruitful for the two, completing another task while down there to increase their payload. Jomei nodded to the woman, "We might as well. I'd hate to make it a wasted trip." he said with a chuckle before following beside Vivian to the house of the woman.
To Grandma's House We Go! Vivian stood there for a moment with her full red lips smiling at the young man. Her hand at her hip before nodding that he was ready to continue. Once more they filed themselves through the moving crowd of people. Vivian had no trouble making a clear path as she walked, either there were eyes on her or moving away from her from the unknown aura she seemed to leak from her confidence. Sometimes people just knew, just because a woman was pretty, it also meant there was something inside that shell which caused chaos and mayhem. Her long slender hands helped push the feathered hair off her shoulder as she moved with grace and precision. Each step she made was as careful as it could be as they drew close to a home that seemed modest and homey looking. Vivian stayed in lead as they strolled up to the front door. "Well this is the place it seems. It was a pretty lucky find to get that information from the merchant. But then again, when you are as sexy as I am...information is not hard to get out of a man." She had turned, those full red lips in full bloom of a smile on her face. She tilted her head to the side and placed a gentle finger upon her lips before her eyes gave off that seductive, bedroom gaze. "I wonder what sort of things you would tell me if I had you alone in my bedroom, hm?" Her voice cut like a sharp sword, but it was so sultry that the air had been dripping with her honey aroma. The sweet voice that only a true Seductress could carry out, and then a succubus when needed to drain what she needed from men. But she was a harsh tease, and laughed at the man placing her hand on his shoulder and giving a small wink to him. "Don't worry. I tease all my boyfriends." Before Jomei could even speak with retaliation to her comment, her hand moved and knocked on the door several times enthusiastically. The door opened wide with a creak as an elderly woman with a hunch came up to the door. She fixated on the two and smiled politely. "Hello old lady," Vivian chimed in as the door opened not caring if her tone sounded rude, "We have heard you are looking for a few adventurers to look for something at the Old Pool. We just so happen to be making our way there this evening. Perhaps we can help?" "Oh yes! I am in fact. Why don't you both come in and I'll fix you both a spot of tea. Come and make yourselves comfortable. I have been trying to find someone courageous enough to find my old wedding ring. You see..." The woman gestured for them to come into the home as she spoke at length, "I am widowed, but my wedding ring was stolen from me! The guards had tried to stop the man but he escaped into the tunnels of the Old Pool and along with my wedding ring. If you can get it back, I would greatly appreciate it. Please sit, I'll get you both that tea." The old woman disappeared into her kitchen leaving Jomei and Vivian in the main living room. The woman folded her arms and took a seat on the couch gesturing the man to sit. "Don't worry, I won't bite...too much." She said with that playful tone, those eyes again on him to lure him into her irresistible trap.
The hooded man nodded and followed aside Vivian in the direction the shopkeeper told them this old woman's house was. Similar to their walk to the Merchant's sector before, men, and some women, seemed to look in their direction before steering clear of their path. Jomei knew that they were not moving away from his inconspicuous figure, yet out of the violet haired woman's way as her hips swayed side to side in that hypnotic manner with each step. They seemed to clear the way in a manner of peasants moving from the path of their queen.. but was this out of respect, or fear? The two had finally arrived to a small building on the opposite side of the town. It seemed to match most of the other houses in the area, yet this one had a much cozier atmosphere about it. Were it the clouds of smoke that bellowed from the brick chimney atop its roof, or the friendlier people who surrounded the area, holding their own conversations. It definitely did seem like an area that an old lady would reside in. Before knocking on the door, Vivian thanked her looks and demeanor for getting them the information from the merchant, being he was a man dealing with a sexy woman of course. He closed his eyes and chuckled with a small shake of his head, "Guess that is a pretty good trait you got going for you eh?" his hazel eyes opened back up, looking over to the woman, quickly taking notice of the seductive smile she wore on her face, and those eyes that seemed to try and pull Jomei in like magnets. The man swallowed hard, feeling the strange tension that arose between the the attractive woman and himself. Her alluring voice, wondering just what secrets she could pry out of Jomei's mind, reminded him of a siren of the ocean.. Trying to pull him in closer and closer, before pulling him underneath the waves. The reserved man was at a loss of words, his cheeks taking on the color of his hair as he tried to break eye contact from the woman. He felt on of Vivian's slender hands lay upon Jomei's cloaked shoulder, flashing him a teasing wink before turning back to the door and knocking. Moments later, a small, elderly woman answered the door, looking up to the two with a welcoming smile on her face. Vivian took to talking, greeting the woman and explaining their reasoning for showing up. Happy that someone was willing to help her with her dilemma, she invited the two inside to explain more in detail what she needed, while also going off to fetch the two a cup of tea for their troubles. As Jomei watched the old woman retreat into the kitchen, his eyes wandered back to Vivian, who was inviting Jomei to sit upon the couch next to her, a malicious grin on her lips. With a small chuckle, the hooded man stepped forward and turned around before taking a seat next to the violet haired woman.
A soft smile graced her red lips as Jomei had sat down next to her. The woman got super close to the male hunter, even despite all warning from other people about boundaries. Her long slender leg lifted upwards and she brought it down over his while squeezing her arm through the space between his so it would overlap. She leaned in as if to kiss his ear, but her voice came out as a whisper as she spoke, "Just play along for now..." With her Vivian so close to her new friend, the old lady came out with the small tea set and smiled broadly at the couple. "Ahh! Young Love, must be nice to have. You two remind me so much of me and my husband when we were younger. A couple of adventurers seeking out opportunities to make a name for ourselves." The old lady hunched over bringing the items down on the table and pouring each of them a cup of hot tea. Vivian then grazed Jomei's hand, giving it a small rake of her finger nail before sliding off his leg and handing him a cup of the tea. Vivian chose not to drink any though instead she inquired more about this ring, "So, we are to look for a wedding ring then?" She asked, the most important piece of this little adventure, "And can you tell us anything about this bandit?" The old woman sat back in her plush seat, rocking back and forth with a nod. "Yes, he was a grizzly looking man. Long sharp black beard, thick mustache. He was certainly dressed to look like a rogue. Dark clothing and a hood. But he also had a sort of odd pattern on the back of the clothing. A symbol of a broken staff. I am not sure if he is part of an occult lore, nonetheless, the ring is very much worth having back. It has great sentimental value." She got up from her rocking chair and then moved towards another section of the house. She had disappeared only for a few moments only to bring back a map, "There had been others who had ventured out to look for my ring and each of them had made a map but could not find anything or were too scared to go further. You may have this. It is not complete of course but it might help." Vivian stood and took the map, "Yes. This will do. Jomei, Honey. It is time for us to look for that ring. Thank you, we will be going now." Vivian's soft hair bounced with a gesture of her head towards the door. She moved with grace, but quickly as she could outside the house. Thanking for the tea the two were now several feet outside before Vivian shuddered, "Fuck...I hate old people and the way they smell. Alright, change of plans. We are keeping the ring if we find it." The woman said with a glint in her eyes, "She gave us a map and extra information because she thought we were a couple. This is how we play the game of Terrasphere to get these stupid NPCs to open up more info on quests. Now then, we should head to the Old Pool. It'll be reasonably dark by the time we get there and that's when the fun begins. Come on, Lover."
A small sigh passed Jomei's lips as his rear fit into the uncomfortable indent made into the cushion of the couch, as if many people had sat in this seat before him. In the same moment that Jomei had sat down, the purple haired woman next to him quickly moved closer to him, the side of her thigh pressing into Jomei's. His hazel eyes shot down to where their bodies touched, her arm like a serpent, sliding through the space between his hip and forearm. "Wh-.." Jomei began to question in a whisper, as Vivian's full red lips closed in on the side of his head. He could feel the heat of her breath on his neck as she whispered for him to play along. Judging by the close proximity and hooked arms of the two, he already had an idea of the scene she was trying to set for when the old woman returned. As the elderly NPC returned, with a tea tray in hands, she smiled at the two, stating how much their 'young love' reminded her of her life with her husband. Jomei reached his free hand up to his hood, gently pulling at the fabric to reveal his full head of unruly ginger hair, two pointed ears sticking out from the sides. He returned the warm smile to the woman, bowing his head politely. "What can I say, beautiful and adventurous? I couldn't resist." , he said, glancing at Vivian out of the corner of his eyes, "I'm sure your husband saw the same in you." he said with a friendly chuckle. Vivian pulled her hand from Jomei's arm, scratching at the back of his gloved hand with one of her long fingernails, before taking a cup of the steaming liquid and handing it to her 'lover.' Trying to cool the hot liquid with a couple of breaths through his puckered lips, Jomei took a sip of the.. unusually bitter tea, trying to hide his distaste and show that he enjoyed it with a smile. He was always more of a coffee person anyway. Vivian took the lead in asking about the quest the two would be going on, more specifically, the man who stole it. For a woman higher in age that the others, her memory seemed on par, remembering the description of the bandit almost perfectly, down to the design on the back of his clothes. Jomei took note to remember the description she had given them. After explaining how the man who stole her ring looked, she retreated into another part of her house again. Jomei took the time to look at Vivian, curious to find out exactly what pretending to be a couple would get out of this. Before long, the old woman returned, an unfinished map in her hands. She explained that others tried to retrieve the ring, only to fail their mission. Each time, however, they returned with some sort of map, showing off more and more of the Old Pool. Vivian stood, taking the map in her hands and thanking the elderly woman for her information, before beckoning Jomei to follow her. Jomei bowed his own head with a smile, "Thank you, ma'am." he said, before following his purple haired friend out the door. After the door had fully closed behind them Vivian's cheerful expression had disappeared, expressing distaste for the elderly. Jomei chuckled and shook his head, "Oh come on.. She was kind... though her tea tasted like shit." She then revealed her reasons for pretending to be together; seeing her old relationship in the two made her want to help more. Jomei raised his eyebrows in surprise, impressed with Vivian's quick thinking on the situation, but also shocked that the NPCs in this world were so in depth.. rather than just set to do and say the same things over and over. "You're quite the interesting one, Vivian." Jomei said with a smirk. "Alright, lead the way, 'dear'."
Stage 2: Open Wide the Gates of Midian Vivian squinted her eyes and scrunched her nose when he said 'dear,' it was a playful look but she didn't respond. Night was quickly falling upon the two, only a tad bit of orange streaked the sky over the horizon until it would fully come in command of the night and the stars. The female malefimancer had lead the way the majority of the time, only to stop once in awhile and complain about the humidity and the trek they had to do to get to the Old Pool. Sure enough though, with a little more complaining and a little less walking, they had arrived at their destination. It was not what Vivian was expecting, she had seriously thought it was just a pool with a tunnel or something. She stood at the base of the mouth and scratched her cheek, "Not exactly what I was expecting." The woman said leaning over to see all but a single tunnel with stairs just leading down. "You had asked why we are going at night, I don't know if I explained. But..." the woman said revealing the two torches she had bought earlier and handing one of them to Jomei, "From what I gathered, the tunnel is different during the night than it is during the day. Like some kind of weird shift thingy. Anyways, we got a map so...we will be going where there are sections not added. We'll be avoided the areas that have already been marked. Sounds like fun, right?" The woman bundled the map and set it underneath her arm as she turned and jumped down into depths of the hallowed ground. It was stable enough and two other adventurers has passed on by, "You lot sure are brave going into the Old Pool at night. Best of luck to you both." The friendly party seemed to wave to the two of them as they passed on by. Vivian gave a sort of glare as they walked by, keeping an eye on the two individuals. She twisted her mouth into a sort of expression where she looked displeased and waited till they disappeared into the night before speaking up. "How odd. Anyways, time to strike these torches." Vivian got her flame lit easily enough and allowed the fire to travel to Jomei's so he didn't have to struggle starting his. There was a singular pair of winding stone steps that just lead deep into the darkness which meant they had to go one after the other. "I'll go first." The woman said raising her torch up and started to proceed down into the depths of the Old Pool. The night was humid, but as she started to walk down the staircase, the temperature became exceedingly more frigid. It almost felt like a warning to not come down any more or else bad things would happen. Vivian cared little for such warnings and she pressed on anyways. "You ok back there? I don't have to hold your hand do I?" she asked simply and it was more of a joke than anything else. Despite the cold air, Vivian continued at a steady pace until they reached the bottom of the staircase. She popped open the map to take a look at it and narrowed her eyes in the darkness. She could barely see the hand in front of her face even with the torch light. Exhaling and watching her step she started down the path less walked. The only thing keeping her relatively warm now were the light from the torches. And the deeper the tunnel went, the colder it had become almost as if ice would kiss any tender part of exposed flesh. The woman's breath was apparent in the cold air as she squinted her eyes and the stopped. A sudden cold rush of wind blew by her just as a loud shriek followed by several loud bangs of metal on metal crashed down the corridor. Vivian was not one to be scared, "But holy shit...what have we got ourselves into? Alright. Just a video game...just a video game..." she said to herself. She would raise one hand upwards as if calling upon powers of a unknown origin to fill her grasp. Soon a violet ball began to form bobbing up and down her hand as she readied for whatever may come towards them if anything at all. Of course the rush of cold wind crossed them once again, followed by a loud shriek and three massively loud metal on metal banging sounds. Vivian gulped dryly unsure what the hell was making that noise.
The journey to the Old Pool was long, or at least, would have been shorter.. if Vivian had not stopped to complain about the hot, dense atmosphere that made them both feel gross and sticky. Jomei had already removed his cloak and placed it back into his inventory, hoping the now absent weight of the thick fabric would help to cool him down. Then again, he did not think it was too bad, for he was used to hot summers in the real world. The man chuckled to himself, wondering if it was simply a matter of Vivian being high-maintenance or not. As the sun fell, the air began to cool slightly, though not enough to stop Vivian's complaining. The orange sky gradually turned dark as the sun set, the stars shining in the sky above them. The two approached a large stone ruin, which had curved pillars that created an open dome, a dark pit in the center. "I mean.. It kinda looks like a pool.. without the water." Jomei said with a chuckle, rubbing the nape of his neck when Vivian stated that this was not what she expected. As the two looked over the pitch black tunnel that seemed to go deep into the earth, Vivian explained to Jomei just why they needed to venture into the Old Pool at nightfall. According to what she had heard, the layout of this 'dungeon' changed as the sun set, and her idea was to explore the parts of the area that had not been mapped out by previous players. The crimson haired Yladian nodded in understanding, "Right. Would make sense, given those that failed to find this bandit didn't find him in any of those rooms." After handing him a torch from her inventory, as well as taking one out on her own and lighting both of theirs, the woman lead the descent down into the darkness. Even with the torches, what waited ahead for the two was unknown, just how far down did these stairs go, he wondered as he closely followed behind the purple haired vixen. Jomei chuckled when Vivian asked if he needed his hand held during their journey into the dark tunnels. "As much as I would love that.." he returned the sarcastic tone in his own voice, "I think I'll be alright." The farther down the two traveled, the colder the air got around them. Guess there was no complaining about the humidity anymore. The stairs soon leveled out, leading to a tunnel that was just as dark as the stairs they traveled down. With his free hand, Jomei reached to his back and removed his bow, holding the weapon in his hand, the lit torch in the other. Despite the fact that he would not be able to correctly fire an arrow while holding a torch, he thought it may be for the best to have the weapon at the ready. From deep down the hall, hidden in the darkness, a shriek of some sort could be heard, accompanied by a cold wind that tousled the two's hair and caused the flames atop the torches to whip and flicker. The echoing sound was followed by the loud sounds of metal crashing against metal, which seemed to cause Vivian to stiffen as she prepared a spell of some sort. Jomei, on the other hand took a couple of steps forward, standing in front of Vivian before dropping to a knee and placing the torch on the ground beside him. The man then reached behind his back and pulled out an arrow, readying it and aiming it down the dark hallway. He took in a slow, cold breath through his nostrils, holding it there as he pulled the string back on his bow.
Vivian placed a hand on his shoulder and in a hushed tone told him to wait. She knelt down beside him, her fingers curled as a white spell circle started to form beneath them. Blue azure eyes gave way to purple as her hand turned and twisted upwards, a faint dark aura began to pulsate through her body as the mist spread from her arm to Jomei's bow. There was a low sound coming from her voice, a sort of chanting that clawed its way towards the pain. His arrow began to manifest a dark black tip as the wooden seemed to gnarl and splinter from his hands, "Just a small curse spell. I'm gonna ignite the tip of your arrow with the flame. Do me a solid, and fire to the best of your ability six flaming arrows. I'll have to keep my hand on you so the curse spell is empowered into the arrows. Fire two at each side of the hall. Two towards the ground and two towards the ceiling as far as they can go. It'll light our path, but it will also create a curse field thanks to my magic imbued." The woman said softly, her voice was maintained with a sense of seriousness as she as not going to be taking any chances in this hell hole. She had waited for the player to do his Hunter thing, keeping one light above his line of sight. "Just relax, I ain't no novice when it comes to this stuff." She assured her as she continued to rest her hand on his shoulder to make sure her magic seeped into his hand and then into his arrows. When the arrows had been fired in the directions Vivian had asked for, there seemed to be a sort of eerie quietness. There was another rush of wind followed by a loud blood curdling shriek. But there was no loud noise of a metal. The woman stood up and smiled with her full red lips. "Bingo. Are you familiar with setting traps? I need you to set one right below us. You remember those players from earlier before we got in. I have a sneaky suspicion they might be stalking this place to see if anyone is brave or stupid enough to enter. Then ambush us to steal the quest items or whatever loot we find down here. I'm gonna make them pay by imbuing your traps with curses. That'll show those nasty little bastards."
Hazel eyes scanned the pitch black corridor, waiting for any sign of danger to him and the violet haired woman who stood behind him. After a moment of complete silence, Jomei felt the woman's hand slide onto his shoulder, giving him a gently squeeze as she whispered to him to hold his fire and wait. Still keeping his gaze forward, he saw her figure in the light of the torch take a knee beside him, a strange aura circulating around her fingertips as she murmured some words that Jomei would not be able to understand even if she had spoken them aloud. The tip of Jomei's arrow seemed to crack and fracture, being replaced with a sharp, dark point that emanated pure energy. Vivian spoke in a hushed tone, telling Jomei that she had enhanced his arrows with a curse, and that she was going to light the now cursed arrow on fire. The woman's slender fingers pointed out vague targets for Jomei to hit so that it could illuminate their path, but also create a sort of magical field. Still not sure how any of the magic in this game worked, let alone why they would need this 'forcefield', he nodded his head, and waited for Vivian's torch to find Jomei's arrow. With no words and a simple nod, Jomei took aim straight ahead, launching the arrow as far as he could, following suit soon after with a second. The two landed in close proximity, the cursed tip piercing into the ground like javelins. satisfied with where they had landed, Jomei readied another arrow, the tip one again being replaced with the dark curse, which Vivian also set ablaze. Jomei continued to fire off the arrows, all meeting their marks far down the hallway, in the general areas that Vivian had asked him. The hallway was now lit, at least more than it was previously. Letting out the breath he was holding, Jomei rose to his feet and turned to face Vivian, the way ahead of them now seemingly quiet. However, another gust of wind caused his crimson bangs to whip around, the loud shriek piercing through his pointed ears. "I don't know it I want to know what the hell that is.." he said, feeling a cold chill run down his spine. This all seemed to be according to Vivian's plan though, causing the curious Yladian to raise an eyebrow as he looked at his companion. Vivian shared her suspicions with Jomei about being lured into a trap by other players. His curious expression turned into a one of seriousness as his brow lowered. She believed that the players from before would wait until they had found the quest items before launching their attack and stealing them for themselves. Jomei's teeth ground together behind his lips before looking down at the ground when she had asked him to set up a trap. The devious archer looked up at Vivian, a smirk pulling at the corner of his lips. "Mother fuckers won't know what hit them." Though his words sounded confident, Jomei's realization of his hunter level knocked him down a few levels, replacing his confidence with nerves. The man looked around the dimly lit room, trying to think of just how he could set a trap. Reaching back to his quiver, Jomei grabbed a handful of his arrows and stared at them for a moment before getting to work. With some rope the man had, he created a makeshift morning star attached to another long rope. Taking that extra bit of rope, he tied it to another arrow that he had grabbed and shot it right above him leaving the weapon dangling from the ceiling. With another couple of arrows and thin twine. Jomei managed to create a simple tripwire that ran from the trap, which now barely suspended from the ceiling, down to the floor. "And to make sure they actually get hit by it.." Jomei said as he went into his inventory, pulled out a simple bear trap and some sharp caltrops. He set up the bear trap right where the morning star would fall, and set the caltrops down in the surrounding area. The man stood up, biting his lip and trying to admire his work. "Its... not much.. but hopefully it'll help. And it should create enough noise for us to know they're coming. Sorry if you hoped for some grand, elaborate trap."
"That'll do, Jomei. That'll do." The woman said patting him on the shoulder once more. She was not about to let some random players come by and steal her loot. If she was going grave robbin' then it will not be hers for others to rob. Certainly not! The woman looked the trap over and nodded her head. It would do, even for a beginner, it seemed he had enough knowledge to set something up. If she had some illusory magic, it would have been camouflaged better, but she would work with what she had. The female flicked the fine violet hair off her shoulder and started to walk down the dark corridor where the Hunger had lit their way. The small fires were barely pinpricks as she squinted to see where they had landed. When they drew close to the tunnel and its fire, the woman smiled and looked around above her. "You can't see it, but the curses are all over the place. We won't be harmed by those, but I am pretty sure whatever of value is down here, others don't want us to find. So you'll need to stay in Observation Mode and watch out for traps. We'll go nice and slow. You just warn me when you see something off." The woman's words were almost a whisper as she spoke, she did not want to alarm anything at the moment and would try to reserve all her magical energies the best she could. This tunnel, dungeon, whatever, it felt massive. She once again took a look at the map. There would be a fork in the road soon, one leading to a traveled passage and the other had yet to be filled out. That would be the path they would go to. And as soon as Vivian stepped into the darkness of the unknown, her foot made a small little splash. The splash had caused a stench in the air that made her expression contort. "Oh. Well, isn't that lovely? I just stepped into what is presumably piss and shit. Great. Just great. When I wanted to get down and dirty, I didn't mean knee deep in shit!" Her cloth and pristine armor now had the wonderful taint of a foul odor that stunk of feces. No wonder no one came down this way. She groaned and complained to herself as she trudged through the mess as they would come up to the next path and hopefully something more clean. "You ok, back there? Any traps I should be aware of? Not like you helped with exposing the shit I just stepped in." She said bitterly, then again, she wasn't exactly letting him speak his mind. He could have very well have said something, but she was not the listening kind. Speaking of not listening. Vivian had trudged through more of this filth, only to come upon some diseased looking rats in the tunnel. Red piercing eyes looked back at them as she lifted her arm up, a swirl of dark energy encompassing it as she squinted her eyes. "Alright. Looks like we got some rats in our way. Should not be too difficult."
"Observation mode?" Jomei questioned the woman for a moment, not entirely sure what she was speaking about. After a moment of thinking, he nodded his head when he remembered the Investigation Mode he had read about. "Right, got it." Jomei said in a hushed tone as he closed his eyes for a moment, his eyelids casting darkness over his eyes for a moment. With his left hand, the man extended his index and middle fingers only, raising the gestured hand up to his temple. His gloved fingers gently placed into his head, as if pressing some sort of button that rested under his skin. As his eyes reopened, the hazel color was replaced by a bright gold. His shining eyes first went to Vivian, noticing a small tag with her name now displayed next to her name. He continued to scan the area, his field of vision pointing out where the closest arrows that he had shot off were located. He realized how much this mechanic would come in handy with his skill traits. His violet haired companion took off walking down the hall ahead of Jomei, the crimson haired tracker following closely behind, looking around for any traps that would seem invisible to the naked eye. After hitting a fork in the tunnel, Vivian decided to take the road less traveled, the path which also had yet to be marked on the map the old woman had graciously given them. After only a few steps down the hall, Jomei's heightened vision picked up something just ahead. Not a trap of sorts, but more so a change in terrain, so to speak. "Watch ou-" Jomei began to say, before his words were cut off by the sound of a splash. The man sighed as the disgusting stench reached his nostrils, causing the lump in his throat to travel upwards, a hard swallow keeping it down. "Honestly, I would have thought if I was looking for traps.. that I would lead. But everything seems fine so far." Jomei said with a chuckle, before following behind Vivian, his own boots trudging through the thick piles of watered down feces and God knows what else. Ahead of them, he soon saw the outline of a couple of rodent like creatures, before their names were highlighted due to the Investigation Mode. It did not take the mechanic to spot them soon however, as Vivian prepared to fight off the rats. Jomei took his fingers off of his temple, releasing the heightened vision and switching his bow over to his dominant hand "Right behind you." Jomei said with a confident nod.
"I weaken, you snipe'em." Vivian said in a more commanding voice. But the female was all commanding most of the time. Rarely did she find herself in a follower's role, but if needed she could cooperate with others. However most of those times she found herself NOT listening to others and just doing what she wanted to do. Which was of course the right way. Her way. Her magic came alive with almost a snap of her fingers. A sudden spell circle forming before her feet as her hair was lifted from the power. Azure blue gave way to byzantium purple as her fingers crackled with a vivid and wild power. Words she had spoken seemed to low to hear to human ears, perhaps Jomei's perky ears would hear her words, but otherwise it would difficult to decypher. A cloud or mist of fog seemed to root itself from the standing water as the rats moved with hesitation towards her. Through the billow of darkness around them, she seemed like a predator casting an evil eye down upon these disease ridden rodents. They squeaked at each other attempting to formulate a plan. However her spell was already brewing and taking effect upon their eyes. The gnarled fur and the muck upon their bodies seemed to inch back as they had seen something horribly vicious. They scattered at the sight of her, her curse spell was more than simple. A fear curse upon their beady eyes and brains. What they saw was not Vivian, but a predator who would easily grab at their tails and devour them whole should they get closer. Vivian's words were cold as ice as she continued to speak in a low tone. Once more, Jomei's arrows would engulf in a purple light adding a complimentary dark aura over the steel tips for a little extra damage. A volley of mental attacks ensued as Vivian hurled a spell towards her targets. They would weaken and rot in place as their flesh would melt and throb with puss and boils. She only needed to speak one more word, and their heads would just rupture and explode from the sound of her deathly spell.
