[CLOSED]

[ritsu_kouyou]

Characters: Akiha Tohno and Sion Eltnam Atlasia
Location: Black Forest, Germany
Rating: PG-13
Time: Sept 2 - late night
Description: Mission 233a

As Akiha came to a stop in a patch of moonlight, using a hand to brace herself against a tree, she wiped a hand across her face and rubbed her eyes for a moment. Maybe it hadn't been the best of ideas to continue on with this mission with the events of Costa Rica having happened no more than twelve hours earlier. She was tired and ached, especially her shoulders and back.

"Any sign of the kishin egg? I'm not picking up any Madness..."

Comments

[computations]

"They would not send us out here for no reason." But Sion refused to let go of her caution. Back home, this area of the forest would have been exceedingly dangerous. While they weren't at home anymore, Sion wasn't willing to let things be different for her. Who knows what kind of horror this place would have as a joke instead.

"Please do not rest against any tree. Back home, in this area, a Dead Apostle lived. The Dead Apostle was the entire forest."

[ritsu_kouyou]

"...how is an entire forest a Dead Apostle? And this isn't back home, Sion," Akiha replied, but she did move away from the tree which is more than she would have done for anyone else.

[computations]

"It hardly matters if this is home or not. This place would do something of the sort." But she took a deep breath to explain.

"Our friend, the True Ancestor, killed a Dead Apostle. Carelessly, she left his body under a tree, which absorbed his blood. As such, the entire forest became a flesh eating Dead Apostle which appears every fifty years. However, it is rumored that at the center of a forest rests a fruit that contains the essence of all the blood it has consumed over its many centuries of existence. If a vampire of any sort would consume the fruit, they would never need to drink blood again or it grant immortality to a normal human."

Despite being in danger, leave it to Sion to ramble.

[ritsu_kouyou]

Of course, it would be Arcueid's fault. Akiha was willing to blame just about anything on the True Ancestor. Easy target...

"Are you ever tempted by that tale?" Akiha wasn't. The idea of immortality was terrifying to her knowing what she would eventually degenerate into. The last thing needed was an immortal Crimson Red Vermillion.

[computations]

"Hardly. To get to the center would require two or more people on the level of a Dead Apostle Ancestor. I would not stand a chance, even with the entirety of Atlas Academy on my side. Even the Church has labeled it a lost cause, choosing to send expendable Executioners after it every fifty years to die."

Now she pondered to think about it.

"To kill the forest in its entirety, much less steal the fruit, it would require someone such as Shiki to get to the center and destroy its point of death. Anything else would be an entirely worthless effort. And his skill and durability would not allow him to even get that far."

[ritsu_kouyou]

"Good." Akiha turned her eyes fully on Sion, forgetting to pay attention to their current situation due to the one person Sion just brought up. "Because I won't allow Nii-san to do anything so reckless again, nor would I approve of you coercing him."

[computations]

"You know perfectly well that I do not enter situations that I cannot leave victoriously. That and Shiki is a friend who I would not casually sacrifice."

She peered through the mist and trees, hoping to spot something. But it was difficult. Sion could see why Varus was easily ambushed in the Teutoburg Forest if it was anything like the Black Forest.

[ritsu_kouyou]

"I would think my rage would be deterrent enough." Because nothing would make her go red any faster than Shiki in danger.

Akiha moved a few feet away from Sion, turning her attention back to it. This kishin egg supposedly was drawn to essence of life. It should be drawn to them considering they were the only people around for miles.

"I wonder if it's underground..."

[computations]

Sion chose to skip over that topic.

"If it were underground, that would be useful. We would be warned of its approach by the movement of the soil it displaces."

[ritsu_kouyou]

"Unless there's a cave system underneath the forest. I don't recall there being any German tales that had underground cave systems in them," Akiha replied.

"How large is this forest anyways?"

[computations]

"Again, doubtful. Forests cannot grow over a cave system without serious issues. The caves would have to be extremely deep." Deep enough to mean they could still see the creature coming.

[ritsu_kouyou]

Akiha hummed a little in thought, pulling out a half-empty bottle of water for a drink. She offered the bottle to Sion once she was done.

"I'll let you decide at what time we head back to the hotel if we don't come across it soon."

[computations]

Sion took a sip, limiting her intake so she didn't get sick from it.

"If it were up to me, I would stay out until the sun rises. I doubt you have that kind of patience."

[ritsu_kouyou]

Nor the stamina right then. They had come straight from Costa Rica and that hadn't been an easy battle. Sometimes Akiha really did think the Weapons had it easier than Meisters when it came to the individual battles.

Akiha glanced at her watch. "That's in another four hours. I may be willing to last that long. I'd rather we find it sooner than later."

She put the water away and started off in a new direction. Again.

[computations]

"Wait...."

Sion held up her hand to stop Akiha.

"There is no sense in wandering around. We may as well stop here and start a fire. If anything, we can both relax and it will attract our target to us. In a forest like this, a campfire is unmistakable and will often lure predators in hopes of easy prey."

[ritsu_kouyou]

Coming to a stop, Akiha rubbed her arms as she listened to the proposed plan. She wouldn't object to staying with a fire and luring their prey to them. She was just worried about getting stiff.

"Very well. Build a fire then." Because Akiha had no idea how to make one herself.

[computations]

"Gather some sticks. Ones that are small and dry, and we can start." While Akiha would hopefully start that task, Sion worked on clearing out an area so they didn't light the entire place on fire and gather some dry grass and leaves.

[ritsu_kouyou]

There was a long pause before Akiha decided to actually do what Sion wanted. She mostly did it because it kept her moving which meant she could keep her muscles from tightening up.

Soon enough, she had a small pile of sticks. "Are these alright?"

[computations]

"Those are perfectly fine."

And Sion isn't a barbarian. She packed a lighter in her backpack, ready for all kind of situations. All she did was light the dry grasses and leaves and let the sticks catch on fire with them.

[ritsu_kouyou]

And here Akiha was half-expecting Sion to rub sticks together to start a fire. It might have actually been more impressive than using a lighter. Even with a lighter, Akiha wouldn't have been able to put a proper fire together.

After a few minutes, Akiha looked over. "I want to go to Japan."

[computations]

Sion doesn't make it a big one. Just one large enough to cause some smoke and warm up the immediate area a little.

"I do not see an issue with that. This mission should be one of the last we require."

[ritsu_kouyou]

"I'm going to give you Hachi's soul. No other witch will do to make you a deathscythe." Akiha closed her eyes briefly. "I just want some peace with just you before we go on the hunt for her."

[computations]

"If that is your wish, we will accomplish it. However, I would be satisfied with whatever will work." She didn't carry the same grudge Akiha did. Personalizing a fight could be dangerous, according to calculations.

[ritsu_kouyou]

Many times, Akiha wasn't a rational person. She felt the need to get Hachi because of what the witch had done to them. The half-demon wouldn't forget what was done and would make Hachi pay for even temporarily releasing the monster Akiha knew she was.

"That is my choice. I won't accept anything less."

[computations]

Sion nodded in reply. There wasn't a need for words, something surprising coming from the alchemist. But she did want to keep an ear out for any incoming trouble. It was, after all, what they were here for.

[ritsu_kouyou]

Akiha also fell silent, though she didn't sit by the fire. She stayed up on her feet, moving around it, with an occasional stop to stretch. If she wasn't so set on doing the things she'd said she would do, they would be back in their apartment right then, curled up in bed together, instead of freezing their butts off in the Black Forest waiting for something to come rip their hearts out of their chests.

And then Akiha suddenly froze, her head cocking to the side as if she heard something. She didn't hear anything, though. She felt something. That little buzzing in the back of her mind telling her to feed...

[computations]

"...I feel it too. But don't move. Wait until we're in striking range so we can surprise it."

That was all in hopes that the creature itself didn't sport a ranged attack.

[ritsu_kouyou]

"Fair warning I'm not going to have as easy a time resisting the Madness this time," Akiha murmured as she moved over next to Sion so she would be able to reach her when the kishin egg arrived.

[computations]

"I have faith that you can do it." Words that the egg probably didn't understand. If it were anything else, it could listen in and tell it was a trap.