The End of Fire

Saint Akagi · Aug 26, 2019

Ranked from Highest Value to Lowest
==================
??? (???), ?? (??), SS+, SS, S+, S, A+, A, B+, B, C+, C, D+, D, E+, E, F+, F
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??? (???) [locked]
?? (??) [locked]
SS+ - The peak of mastery and strength, unparalleled
(0/3655 XP)
+15 Stat
+36 Skill
==================
SS - Passing the known limits, realm of legends
(0/2940 XP)
+13 Stat
+29 Skill
==================
S+ - Considered an absolute mastery or strength
(0/2400 XP)
+10 Stat
+24 Skill
==================
S - Powerful mastery, realm of heroes
(0/2000 XP)
+8 Stat
+20 Skill
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A+ - Broaching the beginnings of mastery, highest level reachable by those without talent
(0/1578 XP)
+6 Stat
+16 Skill
==================
A - Highly Skilled, first class
(0/1250 XP)
+6 Stat
+13 Skill
==================
B+ - Skilled, highest level achievable for those without significant training or talent
(0/980 XP)
+5 Stat
+10 Skill
==================
B - Significantly above average
(0/675 XP)
+5 Stat
+7 Skill
==================
C+ - Moderately above average
(0/450 XP)
+3 Stat
+5 Skill
==================
C - An average level of learned skill or competency
(0/200 XP)
+3 Stat
+4 Skill
==================
D+ - Moderately below average
(0/150 XP)
+2 Stat
+3 Skill
==================
D - Significantly below average
(0/125 XP)
+2 Stat
+2 Skill
==================
E+ - Some very basic knowledge or training
(0/100 XP)
+1 Stat
+1 Skill
Unlocks Techniques and Abilities
==================
E - Slightly Deficient, the average starting level for untrained/skilled stats
(0/75 XP)
+1 Stat
+1 Skill
Cannot Crit
==================
F+ -Moderately Deficient
(0/50 XP)
+2 Hard dice
Cannot Crit
==================
F -Significantly Deficient
(0/25 XP)
+1 Hard dice
Cannot Crit

Stats Explained In Depth:

Strength (STR): The total physical strength the character has, how much weight they can lift or move,-how hard their melee physical attacks hit, and how much inherent strength the body has.
A high strength based character can strike with incredible physical force, breaking through even the toughest defenses.

Endurance (END): The total health and natural resistance the character has, along with how much the character can endure.
A high endurance character tires less, pushes through even the gravest of injuries, and can strain their bodies their normal limitations.

Agility (AGI): The total speed, quickness, and dexterity of a character. Affects how adaptable they are along with how easily they can escape being hit. Affects the accuracy and damage of thrown weapons.
A character with high agility would be able to dodge even the surest of attacks, speedily crossing large expanses, and traverse through difficult terrain with practiced grace.

Mana (MANA): The total innate magical strength, following more traditional based magic. Affects how much base strength and control you can apply to magic systems.
Also functions as the characters supply of mana, how much they have and how quickly it replenishes. All techniques and magic use some amount of mana, either through developing the bodies mana circuits or by manifesting their innate reserves into reality.
A high mana character is able to master any spell, cleaving the landscape and force their magical will into reality.

Faith (FTH): The characters ability to connect with the gods or spirits and call their miracles into existence. Affects the strength and potency of miracles.
A high faith character can call upon their gods or spirits to impart their will onto the world, casting powerful miracles that alter the landscape or do the impossible.

Charisma (CHR): The characters innate ability to sway others with speech or actions. A moving musical performance or perhaps a convincing lie, these are the types of things that are determined by CHR.
A character with high charisma will find themselves swaying others easily, making powerful friends, manipulate, and sway even the most guarded minds.

Instinct (INS): How in tune the character is with their Intuition and perceptiveness. This determines sensory awareness and alertness. Instinct lets you notice things that are hidden, along with follow and process what your sensory state discovers towards various conclusions. This is sometimes used to break illusions and see through mind altering effects.

Noble Phantasm (NP) [Hidden]: The relative power of the characters Noble Phantasm. A Noble Phantasm is a powerful unique character specific art, technique, spell, miracle, or skill that's developed and improved upon over time. These are usually themed around the characters Archetype. They are exceptionally hard to obtain, and come with a high cost equal to the power expended. NP ranks remain marked as ??? until developed.

Luck (LUC)[Hidden]: The inherent amount of luck a character has, affects some aspects of chance along with acting as a saving grace for certain attacks or defenses.
A high luck character will find matters of chance going their way, more often. In addition, than not, their odds of surviving the impossible increases and in an equal clash they will gain the edge.

Professor (PROF)[Unlocked]: Your professor level determines how many actions you can do per week, along with a few other more hidden aspects.

Character Name:
Age:
Gender:
Nation:
House/Clan Alignment:

STR: ?
END: ?
AGI: ?
MANA:?
FTH:?
CHR:?

Hidden Stats:
LUC: ?
NP:?

Health (HP): xx/xx(base [10] + 4x?END + ?mods)
Strain (STRA): xx/xx (base [20] + 2x?END + 2xINS+ ?mods)
Mana Reserve (MANA-R) xx/xx (base [10] + 3x?MANA + ?mods)

Skills:

Abilities:

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Character Name: Yuuko (優子)

Age: 19
Gender: Female
Nation: None
House/Clan Alignment: None

Health (HP): 18/18(base [10] + 4x?END [8] + ?mods)
Strain (STRA): 28/28 (base [20] + 2x?END [4] + 2xINS [4] + ?mods)
Mana Reserve (MANA-R): 13/13 (base [10] + 3x?MANA [3] + ?mods)

(>) STR: C (100/200 XP)
END: D+ (100/150 XP)
(>>)AGI: C+ (125/450 XP)
(<?)MANA: E (50/75 XP)
(>) CHR: D+ (100/150 XP)
(>) INS: D+ (100/150 XP)
FTH: E (0/75 XP)

Hidden Stats:
LUC: ???
NP:???
(>>)PROF: E (0/75 XP)

Skills:

-Martial-
(>>)Spear: C+ (150/450 XP)
Sword: D (30/125 XP)
(>>)Tactics: C+ (75/450 XP)
Survey: E+ (50/100 XP)
Fitness: D+ (125/150 XP)
(>>)Runic Magic: E+ (25/100 XP)
(>) Mana Circuits (strengthening): E+ (0/100 XP)

-Social-
Order: E (0/75 XP)
(>) Charm: E+ (50/75 XP)
Performance: E (0/75 XP)
Politics: E (20/75 XP)
Gambling: E+ (0/100 XP)

-Scholar-
Culture: E (0/75 XP)
Medicine: E+ (0/100 XP)
Theology: E (0/75 XP)
(>) Sentiment: D (75/125 XP)

-Trade-
Labor: E+ (0/100 XP)
Naval: F+ (0/50 XP)
Subtlety: E+ (35/100 XP)
Survival: D (0/125 XP)

-Artisan-
Aesthetics: F+ (0/50 XP)
Composition: F+ (0/50 XP)
Design: F+ (0/50 XP)
(>) Smithing: E (0/75 XP)

Advantages:

Gifted Professor:
Types: Interpersonal
Effects:
-You are uniquely gifted at the arts of teaching and command, people under you will find themselves more easily accepting your commands and more likely to understand when you teach them.
-When performing a check for which you need to use your teaching or command abilities such as a CHR [Tactics] to determine if you can sway or inspire your troops in battle, you may reroll up to your Grade Limit for each pool.

Keen Smell:
Types: Physical, Mental
Effects:
-You always remember scents you have experienced before, and you can identify by smell things that others would certainly overlook.
-When performing a check for which you need to use your sense of smell (such as a INS [Labor] check to experiment with a new recipe or a INS [Survey] check to determine if you can smell an ambush ahead, you may reroll up to your Grade Limit for each pool.

Keen Hearing:
Types: Physical, Mental
Effects:
-You can hear noises that others do not detect, and you can assess your environment by sound alone. Even in darkness, you can accurately pinpoint the location of people and other moving objects in your immediate vicinity.
-When performing a check for which you need to hear soft, distant, or subtle noises (such as a INS [Survey] check to eavesdrop at a distance
where you are not noticed you may reroll up to your Grade Limit for each pool.

+- Mixed -+:
Foreign Appearance:
Type: Physical Appearance
With eye's similar to those in the east and a face close to those in the west, Kaede find's that she doesn't quite fit in seamlessly on either side. Coupled with her striking looks and Arcanic wolf ears and tail, she finds herself standing out more than she would like.

Arcanic Appearance:
Type: Physical Appearance
Ears and a tail of a wolf, the mark of the Arcanic race is very visible on Kaede. This is garner a number of different reactions from the people in the world, from curiosity and acceptance to outright disdain and disgust.

Disadvantages:
Haunted:
Types: Interpersonal, Spiritual
Effects:
- Kaede is haunted by a spirit with its own agenda, the spirit may provide help or harm depending on the situation. GM will generally roll for this, if the audience chooses to pursue some avenues of this the odds may change.

Naturally Distrustful:
Type: Interpersonal
-Due to Kaede's experiences and wolf like nature, she is naturally distrustful of others who haven't proved themselves to be allies.
-It take's Kaede twice as long to form initial bonds with others.

Techniques:

Map of Yoru

Character Profiles

Students

Matsu Kaguya Matsu Chiyo Prince Sumai Ishum Yanzu Saga Princess Galatea Stormbright Theed Everhunt Serena of Eternity Agasha Oboro Bayushi Akira

Teachers and Church Members

Archbishop Maya Unnamed Knight

Other

Gareus Sigmur Thorandur

You awake to the sensation of cold dirt beneath you, kneeling unsteadily on the ever shifting ground. Your head pounds as you fight to make sense of the broken labyrinth that is your memories, unsure of which ones are yours. You reach your hand to your aching head, blood seeping from an open wound onto your hand. You panic, shaking and straining to organize your chaotic thoughts.

Let's just start with my name

A name jumps out at you as you methodically begin to place every detail in your mind, it feels familiar to your lips as you whisper it. Your name begins to shape your scattered thoughts:

Gender: Female (set by gm)
You hail from the:
[]West
[]East
Your name is:
[]Your first and last name

Names from the West lean towards western fantasy or history. Most names are close to those seen in the fire emblem games
Celtic, Nordic, Medieval, and western fate/stay grand order names are also fair game
Example West names: (first-last)

-Edelgard von Hresvelg
-Skadi Thérou
-Altera Alexandre
-Jeanne Delacroix
-Scáthach Skadi
-Semiramis

Names from the East lean towards traditional eastern fantasy or history. Primarily Japanese
Example East names: (last-first)

-Lee Yang
-Busujima Saeko
-Hayabusa Chiyo
-Kamado Nezuko
-Minamoto no Raiko
-Ryōgi Shiki

Don't worry too much about whether your picked name doesn't match the picked side, (eastern name while character is from the west and vise versa) it will be worked into the story.
GM reserves the right to veto names that don't fit (fartlord88, Yeetus Cletus and so on)

I'll be using the name vote as "suggestions" rather than whichever is voted the most. Given the way I want the names and lore to look in the world I'll be trying to pick something that fits. Names for higher profile status are less relaxed than those of lower, since imperial and noble lineages tend to fit the ideal naming conventions.

The world around you is blurred, your eyes burn as you strain to make out the obscured details. As your senses slowly restore you hear the characteristic sounds of battle, shouting and the clash of metal on metal. A great screeching roar bursts through the air around you, filling your heart with a feeling of uneasy dread. You instinctively reach for your:

The initial weapon selection will decide the starting Archetype for the character, each one offering a boost into different abilities and skills. These boosts are permanent and provide a progression at a higher rate. You can treat these boosts as the character being talented in said stat or ability.

Pick ONE Archetype Weapon Start:
Final selection will be made on the Archetype with the most votes. This only determines the start and talents. It does not lock out side-progression into other archetypes or mixing and matching.

(Archetype Saber)
[]Single Sword/Katana
[]Greatsword/Odachi
—Masters of the Sword. A jack-of-all-trades warrior. Agile and powerful in close quarters; extremely adept at swordsmanship—
>>Major Talent in: Strength, Swords
>Minor Talent in: Agility

(Archetype Lancer)
[]Spear/Glaive
[]Dual Spears
—Masters of the Lance. Gifted with extreme agility and proficient in hit-and-run tactics as well as ranged melee weapons such as spears and lances.—
>>Major Talent in: Agility, Spears
>Minor Talent in: Strength

(Archetype Archer)
[]Bow/Yumi
[]Greatbow/Daikyū
—Masters of the Bow. Excellent scouts that excel in possessing powerful Noble Phantasms. Masters of long ranged warfare.—
>>Major Talent in: Agility, Bows
>Minor Talent in: Noble Phantasms

(Archetype Caster)
[]Runic Staff
[]Jeweled Bracelets
—Masters of Spells and Sorcery. Adept in magecraft, being one of the few able to use sorceries of the highest caliber.—
>>Major Talent in: Mana, Noble Phantasms
>Minor Talent in: Charisma

(Archetype Assassin)
[]Assassin's Blade/Ninja's Katana
[]Poisoned Daggers/Poisoned Kunai
—Silent Killer and Masters of Assassinations. Extremely skilled at covert, stealthy, and silent operations.—
>>Major Talent in: Agility, Stealth
>Minor Talent in: Charisma

(Archetype Berserker)
[]Armored Gauntlets/Kung-fu grips
[]Any great weapon [greatbow, greatsword, greataxe, greatspear, greatglaive]
—Mad Warrior and Masters of Berserker Rage. Crazed warriors that trade their sanity in exchange for great power.—
>>Major Talent in: Endurance, Strength, Agility
<<Major Negative Talent in: Charisma

(Archetype Ruler)
[]Rulers Sword/Leaders Katana
[]Any great weapon [greatbow, greatsword, greataxe, greatspear, greatglaive]
—Holy Warriors and masters of Command. Those who follow the path of leadership and faith.—
>>Major Talent in: Faith, Charisma
>Minor Talent in: Strength, Noble Phantasms

Gripping your weapon, you rise to your feet, the recollection of the days events start to come back to you. You were in the small city of Rhogia, bordering the base of the Skywind mountains and the start of the mountain path leading you to the Church of Lumere's Officer Academy. As you struggle to make sense of things, you begin to recall your purpose in seeking the Academy, you are a:

MC's appearance and origin will be decided based on the choices, each origin comes with a single special advantages and disadvantages. These are defining traits about the character and will determine some aspect of how the world reacts to them, and how the character reacts to the world. These are not concrete, they can be lost or gained throughout the story. Some come with dice bonuses, mostly bonuses to re-rolling on certain actions.

GM has locked in (Foreign Appearance) as an advantage/disadvantage. The MC's appearance is mixed between that of the Eastern Asian faces and the Western Caucasian faces. She doesn't quite fit into either with Asian eyes and a Caucasian countenance. This also has the side effect of being able to fit in either side, or bridge the gap between with significant effort.
The Pictures posted here are possible appearances for our MC, as well as being example of each races appearance. These appearances are not locked in but you can expect something similar once votes are collected.

Pick ONE race: (there are significantly more races in the world, but the GM has locked them to the ones suited for the story)

================================================================================
[]Human
Humans are by far the most common race in the world, conquering and incredibly ambitious. A true jack of all trades race with a shorter lifespan. This race has no special advantage or disadvantage other than the inherent adaptability.

Relative Status: Very high with humans, mixed with other races
Rarity: Most Common
Lifespan: 100+ years

Appearance based on overall choices

================================================================================
ELVES:
[]Light Elf
Populating primarily the western nations, elves are creatures of peerless grace and beauty. Naturally distrustful of outsiders, light elves make their homes in deep forests or hidden cities away from the prying eyes of the less elf inclined races. Elves tend towards speed and mana inclinations, with heavy focus on mana. Historically at odds with dark elves, the light elves often use their positions of power to discriminate against them. Light Elves are haughty creatures, possessing both arrogance and the ability to back it up. Light elves start with innate greater talent in Mana, but reduced endurance. A frequent target, they often drawing positive and negative attention in equal measures.

Relative Status: High
Rarity: Rare outside of their convenes
Lifespan: 1000+ years
Gain special Advantage: Dangerous Allure, Mana Conduit
Gain Special Disadvantage: Endurance Curse

================================================================================
[]Dark Elf
Populating primarily the eastern nations, dark elves are creatures of the golden plains and skytouched mountains. Maintaining the beauty of the light elves, but with larger and sturdier frames. What they lack in grace they make up with strength and ruggedness. The Dark Elves are nomadic in nature, and by many courtly standards will seem utterly barbaric. Historically persecuted against by the light elves along with other nations, a hardy people who have gone through significant hardship and suffering. Often employed as mercenaries and assassins, dark elves have a reputation of distrust among most courts and people.

Relative Status: Low
Rarity: Uncommon
Lifespan: 350+ years
Gain special Advantage: Dangerous Allure, Bishamon's Blessing
Gain Special Disadvantage: Whispers of Treachery

Appearance same as light, with tanned skin and white hair

================================================================================
Arcanics:
Arcanics make up a minority of the east and west respectively. The half human half animal race has only recently been given rights as equals in society, people tend to look upon you with suspicion and find excuses to distrust your words. You are more likely to be blamed or accused of misdeeds simply because of your appearance. Some nations on each side still practice arcanic slavery

All Arcanics gain the -Arcanic Appearance- disadvantage
Relative Status: Very Low
Rarity: Uncommon
Lifespan: 150+ years
================================================================================
[]Wulf/Ōkamijin
Ears and tails of a wolf, these arcanics are the descendants of those True Arcanics that aided the Kami. Ōkamijin are generally considered to be loyal and honest, amiable and kind, cautious and prudent.
Gain special Advantage: Keen Hearing, Keen Smell
Gain Special Disadvantage: Naturally Distrustful

================================================================================
Demons:
Demons are Yokai that rejected the tyranny of the ancient gods and instead chose to side with heaven. A cross between Kami and Yokai, they were given entrance into Celestial Heavens by the Goddess Lumere herself. Demons appear much like humans except for the black Sclera in their eyes, as well as a faint glow from the pupils. Demons in general are more prone to contracting shadowlands taint, but the progression of such is much slower than of that in humans or Arcanics. Unlike Arcanics, Demons are randomly born into families regardless of heritage, this is considered a blessing from heaven in the East, or a mark of the goddess in the West. (or a curse depending on the house). When born to a clan or family that does not want them, they are often given up to the nation, church or hidden away in shame. Outright killing them is believed to bring misfortune upon a house due to their lineage. Demons make up around 5% of the continents population. Most commonly demons are born into families who can trace their lineage back to ruling families. Despite being seen as a blessing from heaven, demons are still considered by most to be cruel and violet.

Relative Status: High (Mixed depending on nation/house)
Rarity: Very rare
Lifespan: Immortal
Gain special Advantage: Demon Lineage
Gain Special Disadvantage: Whispers of Cruelty
================================================================================
[]Demon (human Appearance, black eyes)

================================================================================
[]Kitsune (fox based)
Kitsune, Nine tails, or Demon foxes are a subspecies of the demon race, with 9 tails of a fox and fox like ears they are considered to be the most holy and dangerous of the demons. With an extensive history of bloodshed and cruelty these demons have toyed with humans for thousands of years. Making up the rarest of the demon race, Kitsune are perhaps the most responsible for the demons race image of cruelty and calamity. You'll either find Kitsune at the heart of a court, toying with others and manipulating them. Or you'll find them on the battlefield in the bloodiest conflicts.

================================================================================
[]OniJura
While true Oni are still creatures of incredible darkness and power, there exists those with mixed blood living within Rokugan. OniJura possess incredible physical strength and abilities, and often have tempers to match. Unlike other demons, what sets them apart are their characteristic red pupils. An OniJura's horns only manifest when using their immense strength or experiencing emotional turmoil. When manifesting extreme levels of their heritage, the eyes also shift completely to red.

Pick either ONE Student or ONE Professor/Sensei Origin:

Student: (age 16)

[]Problematic Princess
--You are the daughter of one of the nations great rulers, eleventh in the line of succession. You're sent to the Academy in order to train you to manage armies and matters of state. You're expected to build your own court, forge bonds and act as one befitting of your station. Somewhat of a problem child, the academy becoming the last resort to straighten out the Princesses more questionable tendencies.
+Large resources, knowledge of political landscape, large active family, political power
-Expectations, under surveillance, mistakes have lasting political implications
+Special advantage (blessed lineage)
-Special Disadvantage (Whispers of Cruelty)

[]High Nobility
--You are third in line to a high noble house, sent to the Lumere Academy to forge bonds and gain military experience. While your older sibling is set to inherit, you are expected to enlist and bring glory to your house upon graduation.
+Ample resources, Knowledge of political landscape, active family, political clout
-Responsibilities, mistakes reflect on your house, treacherous political landscape
+Special advantage (Support of House)
-Special Disadvantage (Sworn Enemy)

[]Vassal Family
--You are the daughter of a vassal family, in service to one of the great clans or houses. You're expected to protect and accompany the heir of the main family, as their protector and companion throughout your time at the academy. Your fate is tied to that of the heir.
+Some resources, support of a great house,
-Responsibilities, must protect and support the heir, less freedom
+Special advantage (Famously Reliable)
-Special Disadvantage (Sworn to Serve)

[]Merchant
--You are the daughter of a once great merchant family, sent to the academy to forge bonds and connections for a potential mercantile empire. At the moment your family is down on its luck and reaching the brink of collapse, lacking resources and funds along with the corresponding connections. With some ground work and a little luck, you feel like you can get your families finances back where they should be.
+little resources, some mercantile connections, an eye for value and money
-must make money or potentially lose your houses status, lower status than natural born nobility
+Special advantage (Market Master)
-Special Disadvantage (Whispers of Poverty)

[]Warrior
--You are the daughter of a warrior clan, while you are not nobility you are also not commoners. You are sent to the academy in order to eventually enlist and bring your empire great glory in battle.
+minimal resources, higher starting martial skills
- Must enlist, very low political and social power
+Special advantage (Large Stature)
-Special Disadvantage (Bluntness)

[]War Orphan
--You are an orphan, brought in off the streets by the church and sent to the academy after you showed significant promise. You have no status or resources to call on, you are completely out of your element in the realm of nobles and power. Any mistake or gain will be your own, gaining status and power will start from the bottom.
+streetwise, affiliated with some members of the church, relative freedom
-Must enlist in the church army upon graduation, no status or resources
+Special advantage (Indomitable Will)
-Special Disadvantage (Whispers of Doom)

Professor/Sensei: (age 19)
[]Former Mercenary
--You are a former mercenary, raised by your father and forged on the battlefield. You managed to save someone important from the church in your work, garnering the notice of a powerful individual within the organization. Against all odds you were quickly shipped off with your father to work there as a professor. You'll spend your time improving your own skills and those of the students, preparing them for the world ahead while dealing with your own uncertain future. The former mercenary has managed to pick up a ghost at some point, haunting her and tagging along for the ride.
+highest starting martial stats of all origins, you are inherently excellent at teaching, support of the church, your own office.
-future unknown, eyes of powerful church members are on you, teaching responsibilities, lack of knowledge about politics and things outside of warfare, political landscape to navigate
+Special advantage (Natural Leader)
-Special Disadvantage (Haunted)

[]Saint of Lumere
--You are a named Saint of Lumere, born with the blessing of the goddess and raised within the confines of the church. You've never left the church grounds in your entire life, remaining and learning from the teachers there until you became skilled in what the academy has to offer. The position of teaching was thrust upon you, a test and an opportunity. Perhaps this is your chance to learn of the rest of the world, from those who live in it.
+highest faith starting stat, church resources, heavily protected
-No freedom, lack of knowledge of the outside world, church duties and obligations
+Special advantage (Saint of Lumere)
-Special Disadvantage (Enemy of [Group])

Your vision begins to clear slowly; looking around you spot the somewhat familiar buildings on the narrow road, now darkened and twisted. Smoke spires slowly drifting and swaying as they ascend into the ash-burnt sky, blood-red streaks moving above in the dark clouds.

While others have only heard of this location in tales, this bizarre version of Rhogia is recognized by you as Yomi, the realm of Demons, Yokai, and the dead.
A place that exists parallel to reality, a twisted version of the waking world. You were here as a child once before, nightmares and restless dreams that have since pulled you back to this miserable place, it's grip on your mind never quite leaving you.

When you scan your environment quickly, you discover you're completely alone in the street. The sounds of battle are still ever present, coming from the street ahead. Barriers of darkness and fire fade in around the area. You acknowledge this as a Yokai seal. A cursed magic that can be removed only by powerful rites of purification or removing the existence of the creatures in the area. You weigh your options:

Pick ONE:
[]I should be heading towards the sounds of fighting, maybe I can get in touch with others and help them. Safety in numbers after all

[]I can't trust what I'm going to find here, and the sounds of fighting are intense. I'm better off finding my own way out, I'm going to head in the other direction away from the fighting.

==================================================================
This Quest will be following the life and actions of a certain individual in their time at the Church of Lumere's Officer academy and the years following. The Church of Lumere is a neutral party between East and West, along with the countries and nations that make up each side. The academy serves as a special school for learning and training, preparing young men and women to function as officers for their nation or simply preparing them for the political landscape upon their graduation. Bonds and rivalries will be formed, knowledge gained and adapted to eventually be put to use. Whatever choices and actions the individual takes will have lasting implications in the world to come.

This is my first quest, please go easy on me! I am fairly new to the whole thing and will be figuring out a decent bit as I go along. My goal in creating this is to practice my creative writing and get some of my thoughts and creations into words. For those who recognize parts, the system is based on some parts of my own devising and some inspired by various works. The West in the West is closely inspired by Fire emblem, the East in the East is heavily influenced by Legend of the five rings. Throwing in some bits and pieces and a fair share of fate/stay night concepts and you've got a (hopefully) glorious mess. Feel free to point out grammar or spelling issues, or issues with flow.

What I hope to achieve with this Quest:
Long term character progression, a living and changing world, lasting rewards and consequences from choices, multiple routes of progression, mature themes, grey and morally complex choices.
No choice will lead to a dead end, although some will carry significantly different results than others.

As we go along if anyone gets the insane wish to make an Omake or art, feel free to do so!
Depending if you want it to be considered canon or not let me know beforehand or afterwards so I can guide/alter in the right direction. Regardless if I consider it canon or not extra XP will be rewarded towards the creators choice, with slightly more for canon.

Given that I've somewhat put an information overload to give people the best idea of what their picking, I am going to include a summarized version for the voting below. Stat sheets and dice system will be posted on the next update as I am still working out the kinks.
==================================================================

You hail from the:
[]West
[]East

Your name is:
[]Your first and last name

Your Archetype weapon start is:
(Archetype Saber)
[]Single Sword/Katana
[]Greatsword/Odachi

(Archetype Lancer)
[]Spear/Glaive
[]Dual Spears

(Archetype Archer)
[]Bow/Yumi
[]Greatbow/Daikyū

(Archetype Caster)
[]Runic Staff
[]Jeweled Bracelets

(Archetype Assassin)
[]Assassin's Blade/Ninja's Katana
[]Poisoned Daggers/Poisoned Kunai

(Archetype Berserker)
[]Armored Gauntlets/Kung fu grips
[]Any great weapon [greatbow, greatsword, greataxe, greatspear, greatglaive]

(Archetype Ruler)
[]Rulers Sword/Leaders Katana
[]Any great weapon [greatbow, greatsword, greataxe, greatspear, greatglaive]

Your Race is:
[]Human
[]Light Elf
[]Dark Elf
[]Wulfkin/Ōkamijin (Human with Wolf tail and ears)
Demons:
[]Demon (human appearance black eyes )
[]Kitsune (Demon Fox)
[]OniJura (Oni)

Your Origin is:

Student:
[]Problematic Princess
[]High Nobility
[]Vassal Family
[]Warrior
[]War Orphan

Teacher:
[]Former Mercenary
[]Saint of Lumere

Considering your options:
[]I should be heading towards the sounds of fighting, maybe I can get in touch with others and help them. Safety in numbers after all

[]I can't trust what I'm going to find here, and the sounds of fighting are intense. I'm better off finding my own way out, I'm going to head in the other direction away from fighting.

A correct vote will look like:

[X]East/West
[X]Name
[X]WeaponChoice
[X]Race
[X]Origin
[X] I should be.../I can't trust….

Any votes not in this format will not be accepted!
You can change your vote at any time, either by editing your post and marking it as an edit or simply making another post. If certain advantages or disadvantages double up, the GM will supply a different one in its place. I'll announce when I've locked the votes in to progress to the next chapter. These choices set the basis for the character and how the world is going to react to her.

EDIT (ON VOTE TALLYING AND NAMES)

I realized after that I neglected to mention the way the votes will be tallied.
Name votes will be considered suggestions, with heavier weight towards more voted but ultimately I am going to pick what I think fits the world and lore I have set up best.
Every other vote will be by most popular. In the case of a tie i'll flip for the result between the tied choices.

Apologies for any confusion this edit causes

Reserved for Future World Info and Lore

Saint Akagi · Aug 30, 2019

Yuuko gripped onto her spear tightly, using it to brace herself from toppling onto to her knees again. She bravely forced herself to take deep breaths to calm her pounding heart, to still her clouded mind. Just like Father taught me, she thought.

But she should not be here, that much she knew... Every instinct in her body told her so. Her nerves were on fire. Strength began to return to her legs, her harried breaths and panicked glances around growing less and less insistent. It took her only a brief moment to recover her senses, separating her past nightmares from the reality before her.

Rhogia was bathed in an unnatural pale blue light, peeking through the ash-filled skies. The lanterns remained lit throughout the city streets, their crimson flames flickering and casting forms of half-imagined twisted entities creeping within. What powered those lanterns? Not oil.

Within the shadowed windows and rooms lay an all consuming darkness. Light that should have hit the darkened spaces did not, as if swallowed by whatever lurks inside.

It's as if this place had never seen the sun, she thought.

Street stalls once bustling with people remained empty, the owners vanished leaving their precious wares behind. Yuuko tilts her head and listened to the sounds around her for any signs of danger. A child's laugh echoed out behind her, making her skin crawl with discomfort. Twisting in a flash she flourished her spear to find…nothing. The laughter now a distantly echoed somewhere in the distance. How irritating, she thought. Daemon children that tricked her senses was not something she expected to deal with today. Or any day really, she mused.

The Skytouched Mountains' familiar and overwhelming sight rose above the city, shadowy peaks hidden above the ashen mists. The winding steep mountain road now wrapped in dark, foreboding mists. A twisted reflection of the waking world, Yomi, the realm of the dead sprawled out before her. How many times has she been to this place in her nightmares? Too many to remember, she shivered.

Yuuko's exposed Arcanic wolf ears twitched as more sounds of battle were heard nearby. Her human ears worked in unison beneath her long dark brown hair. The scent of blood drifted near her, a scent she had long known from her time as a mercenary. She steeled herself, easily falling into cold and calculated combative state.

I should find my father, she thought, but I can't catch his scent. She blinked, feeling warm blood as it seeped down from somewhere on her head. She reached up and tenderly found the source with practiced hands, I don't remember getting hit. She wasn't bleeding heavily, enough to make her annoyed. The small amount of blood that dripped into her vision was an inconvenience easily ignored. She had more pressing concerns ahead.

Still though it had caused her long hair to clump in an uncomfortable way as the blood dried and clotted. She was going to hear another earful from her father about long hair and battle again when she saw him.

If she conceded on that point, he'd definitely try to make her wear that uncomfortable stifling helmet too! That damn thing isn't exactly built for wolf ears like hers. Although she's willing to admit that the old man, at the very least, had a valid point about her hair being too long, but there was no way in hell she'd wear that helmet! It'd flatten her side-swept bangs against her forehead and absolutely ruin her treasured decorative white hair ribbon. A treasured delicate thing... And she loves showing it off in a simple knot behind her ear. After all, it's how her mother used to wear her hair. Yuuko doesn't have many memories of her, but the few remaining, she cherished deeply.

Wearing her hair like her mother made Yuuko feel a sense of connection.

Always show them your truth, Yuuko(優子), Her mother's voice spoke proudly in her head

You are Superior. (優)
You are Strength. (力)
You are Ōkami. (狼)
Yuuko smiled, a predatory and confident gaze. Her narrowed eye's laughing at any challenger that might approach.

For all her musings, the thought of her father's safety wasn't first and foremost on her mind. She had thought he was nearly indestructible when she was a child, a paragon of matchless strength.

Children tend to think this way of their parents.When compared to a child's wiles and ability, they may seem nearly omnipotent beings. Most would grow out of it, children would grow stronger, and the old would grow weaker. The young would realize that their parents are not the living gods they seem to be.

She had expected the day to come. Always pushing herself to measure up to the towering image of her father. Her ideal strength. Yet she felt that the gap had only widened for all that had passed. No she didn't think her father had gotten stronger, nor did she think he was pushing his skills even further. The understanding she had of the gap between their skill and strength had flourished as he trained her. Experience and observation had brought her to a conclusion.

The man is a monster, in his prime for the entirety of her life and before it. Unchanging, unflinching, she thought. She had seen him hurt of course, even wounded near death on a few occasions. The only cracks in the towering example he had set.

Superior, her mothers words never leaving her. Her drive to measure up to him was entirely her own. Being recognized in his eyes as an equal drives her forward; to have her father look on her with equal and astonished pride.

My idea of strength is probably warped at this point, she admitted.

So she found her thoughts thinking of her own path through the land of the dead, and that of others. She wasn't as altruistic as her father was, and found herself more distrusting than most. Why stick out her tail for the weak?
The benefits of the group, the pack, were undeniable. Safety in numbers after all. She tried to convince herself, It's necessary. Survival above all, there is no strength in death.

In an eyeblink, Yuuko took off in the direction of the fighting. Following her enhanced senses through the streets, predatory and confident purpose pressed her forward. Jumping an overturned wagon blocking the road, her eyes narrowing at the sight beyond.

Slaughter, she thought as she easily stepped over one of the slain carriage horses, well half of it anyways.

Yuuko was old friends with death.

In her youth she traveled with her father and the Black Song mercenary company. Meeting with blood and death had become a common occurrence to her. Enough to say that she's become used to it's presence.

What a mess, she thought, more inconvenience than alarm.

The sight of men and women sprawled lifelessly on the streets and torn to shreds didn't bother her much. The carriage's horses were evenly torn in half, as if some great mana beast had pulled the poor animals apart with massive sharp claws. Taking a moment to lean down she examined one of the bodies, a young man with tanned skin. The crushed head, leaking its fluids onto the blood stained cobblestone was simply another dead soldier on the battlefield to her.

But this young man isn't a soldier, she thought with a hint of sorrow, and this isn't a battlefield.

Lifting his mottled and torn shirt revealed something else to her about what happened here. Hundreds of shallow stab wounds, and almost as many lacerations dying the mans skin with dried and flecked blood. Following her instinct she moved to another mostly intact body. Same wounds, she thought, curious.

Her friendship with death had given her some disturbing insight into the causes. Her instincts told her that these people were killed in separate ways. Violent and haphazard butchery, some great beast or daemon. The stab wounds gave her pause however; each expertly placed and given to keep victim alive as long as possible.

It sickened her, to see such needless suffering and thoughtless cruelty. The cruelty displayed stirred something within her. A deep yearning to return the favor in kind.

Always maintain superiority, she thought to herself. A silent mantra. Pushing her instincts back, she imagined her face might have looked somewhat frightening to anyone observing in that moment. She felt deep shame at her own inability to keep her darker instincts locked within. What would her father think if he saw her with that twisted expression?

For all the carnage around her, Yuuko spared little attention as she navigated through the bodies of the dead. No whispered cries for help or gasping breath had reached her Arcanic ears. Her battle senses and experience told her all these people were dead. Better to focus on those who still draw breath, she concluded.

She stepped her heeled dark purple boots through the blood and gore without much care. I'm going to have to clean them again, sparing an errant irritated thought for her boots. Yuuko never cared much for anyone outside of her family and the Black Song anyways. Sanctity of the dead was meaningless to her, what's dead is dead in the end. No one comes back as themselves, only broken shells that acted as casing for darker forces.

Hopping over the corpse of an older woman and into a pool of shallow blood she raised her tail, careful to not get any blood on it staining the fur. Through empty archways and gore swept streets she eventually came upon the entrance to a large courtyard. The yells of battle strangely fading in and out as she approached. She strained her ears trying to listen to it, aching at the sudden massive changes in volume. Listening carefully, she managed to catch a few choked sobs from somewhere inside when the screams of war ran quiet. Focused and alert, she crept to the entrance and gazed within.

Ghostly warriors danced across the stone in grim cadence, long dead knights and soldiers locked in an eternal battle to the death. Ethereal combatants faded in and out of view as they fought for some long sought victory. Yuuko watched with alarmed fascination from the edge of the clearing as the dead warriors cut through each other. Shallow strikes over and over relentlessly till one would fall.

And another would rise in it's place, she thought as another ghostly warrior appeared above the fallen.

She observed the eternal fight for a moment longer before she caught the sound of the sobbing again, along with…music? Somewhere to her right, she could hear quiet and choked sobs between the shifting ghosts. I need a better view, she thought.

Bringing her spear to her back she started to climb the archway, using it as a ladder to move to a nearby wooden roof with ease. She could see even more from this small height than she had expected, much to her surprise. The courtyard slanted down slightly giving her a far better view. Following her senses she once again searched for the quiet sobs, and found herself looking at a statue of the goddess Lumere. Or rather what's left of it.

A young human woman, she surmised as she narrowed her eyes trying to make out the details. No, a Kitsune. The tails really give it away.

Atop the shattered plinth lay a weeping Kitsune with Magenta hair and tails, curled into a huddled ball. The young woman wept quietly as the warriors danced around her, leaving her untouched. Perhaps the ghostly combatants could not reach her there?

Pathetic, she thought, Yuuko felt disdain and contempt at the woman's weakness. At least she has the sense to stay put.

She shifted her eyes across the the left side of the courtyard. Easily Yuuko determined the source source of its haunting rhythm. A deathly pale monk sat cross-legged with grim determination. In his hands a black flute played soft and haunting sounds that looked as if to give life and movement to the ghostly soldiers. Black and purple dark magics shifted around him as it flowed inwards, as if being absorbed.

The source of the seal, she considered. If I can kill him the gateway should be dispelled and we'll be shifted back to waking Yoru.

She twirls her spear in practiced grace as she thinks though her best course of action. Her eyes shifting back and forth between the young woman and the intoner.

That Kitsune might not make it until then though, she adds as the ghostly spirits seem to shift closer and closer to the distraught young woman. Each note of the flute echoed in the air as the ghostly soldiers increased in intensity. The pale monk worked through each note as his speed increased. A defiled composition had formed.

Yuuko narrows her eyes and judges the distance while spinning her spear. It's risky, and will be incredibly difficult but…She entertains the thought of infusing her spear with charged mana and taking out the intoner from here. Her skill with mana manipulation isn't anything exceptional to say the least, but she has full confidence in her skills with her spear.

Her gaze shifted back to the Kitsune, upon closer inspection she noticed her white and silver robes. That complicates things…She thought with a flash of frustration. The defining colors of the Church of Lumere. She thought seriously about trying to rescue the girl, more out of consideration for her fathers position than her own indifferent feelings. The ghostly figures shift closer again. Blades and spears slashing within feet of the young woman. Whatever her plan of action is, she needs to make it now.

[]Yuuko decides her best course of action is to focus on the Intoner. It's likely that if she defeats him the whole area will shift back to waking Yoru saving both her and the Kitsune. The fox girl can wait, she seems safe enough where she is. (pick one sub option)
->[] Approaching the Intoner for a close attack, using her speed to dodge and dash her way through the ghostly soldiers. Stealth just isn't an option with how many ghostly soldiers there are.
->[] Taking a questionable risk on a difficult throw, Yuuko tosses her mana infused spear a great distance at the intoner. Hoping to eliminate him early or near kill him outright. If she misses, she still has her short sword to defend herself. However the intoner will almost definitely be aware of her presence.

[] She should at least attempt to save the Kitsune first, despite her indifference towards her. If she's a member of the church it complicates the situation. Her death would reflect badly on Yuuko and her father.

```Well that took a while, this chapter didn't come out quite as I had anticipated. Through some hard edits and careful use of carbonated @elpha (thank you) I was able to finish it. I've updated the stat sheet with Yuuko's stat's along with any extended information that's been changed. A number of small things have been tweaked and altered. I also spent a little bit too long making a map of the world for those interested in that sort of thing. In the coming days I'll be posting more lore along with info about races, nations and politics to flesh out the world for you lore nerds. Open question's in the thread, feel free to ask about the game or world. If it's story related and not related to the chapter itself I probably won't answer it to avoid spoiling the slow reveals. Updates should be at least once a week, but no promises on that given my schedule.

On LUCK (LCK): Luck is increased by taking risky actions with strong payoffs and succeeding. These actions will often be clear in their risk, but not always. Failing high risk actions usually results in dangerous situations or a significant disadvantage. There are other ways in the game to increase luck (like omake/art), but most of them are hidden for now.

On Noble Phantasm (NP): Noble Phantasms are rare defining world altering magics or techniques that are unique to each person. There's no straight way to train or develop Yuuko's NP until she unlocks it. Well how do I unlock Yuuko's NP? She must accomplish heroic or difficult feats. The actions done this way work to shape her NP into something unique to her. Even on a failure, you still get XP although significantly less than you would on a success. These actions will sometimes be taken by Yuuko automatically as her personality and character dictates.

Side note for whoever reads this far: If someones feeling lucky roll a d20 and forever curse the results for as long as this quest runs. (higher = better)

INS + Survey
2 Stat, 1 Skill
2 Successes
Bare pass

INS + Survey
2 Stat, 1 Skill
2 Successes
Fail, Keen hearing and Keen sight reroll...
3 Successes (critical level 1)
Pass with critical bonus (this is what unlocked the option to throw from significant distance)

AGI + Fitness
3 stat, 3 skill
6 Successes, pass with bonus dice to next agility based roll

XP gained for all skills and stats used will be shown after the next chapter

Vote Results:
[X] West

[7] Spear
[7] Bracelet
D20 deliberation (15 vs 12)
[X] Spear wins!

[8] Light Elf
[8] Wulf/Okamijin
D20 deliberation (9 vs 17)
[X] Wulf wins!

[X] Former Mercenary

[X]I should be heading towards the sounds of fighting, maybe I can get in touch with others and help them. Safety in numbers after all

Thanks to everyone who voted.

Saint Akagi · Sep 6, 2019

Chapter 1.2

"It was not the blade, hubris, famine or sickness, or even cosmic tragedy that killed the gods. In the end, they fell prey to the same folly that all men do, time"
—From "The fall of Heaven" by Sumai, line 86.

Yuuko tested the strength of the stone roof with her boots. Putting her full weight down with each step, she carefully walked the distance, testing her foothold. She caught sight of her breath in the air, as a building chill had begun to overtake the courtyard.

Ten steps give or take, she thought, slightly uneven. She locked her eyes on the intoner, moving to the back edge of the roof. Taking quick strides forward, she practiced the motions of her approach, making sure to memorize each uneven stone in her path.

Twirling her spear, she moved to the edge again. Yuuko closed her eyes as she flooded her magic circuits. She had never been much of a caster, and her father's education on the subject had often consisted of vaguely frustrating statements. "You just feel it Yuuko", was somewhat lacking to say the least. Therefore forcibly pooling her limited mana pool into her muscles caused some mental and physical strain.

Newly formed mana circuits, like hers, could only be filled so quickly, and so much-- without risk. Taking her time to slowly fill each mana line while she had the opportunity was a luxury in her line of work. Of course the pathways are capable of being flooded in haste if needed, but the chances of feedback or burnout increased dramatically. The mana sickness that came after improper or hasty use of her circuits was something she would try to avoid, as long as she could afford to do so.

Yuuko wished she remembered more of her mother's teachings on the ancient Northun runes, but those memories evaded her. As did many others after her mother's death. She barely understood the basic meaning behind the runes engraved into her armor--her mother's armor--let alone utilize them in any meaningful way. Her remembrance solely consisted of several incomplete teachings in the end. She just couldn't remember the vast majority of them. Unlike the rest of mother's harsher lessons, she thought.

The dark blue light armor she wore was wrought with ancient runes engraved beneath. Her matching two-shade purple bodysuit was similar, with hidden runic markings sewn on the inside. The sheer but pleasantly soft fabric clung to her skin tightly, leaving far less to the imagination than she would have liked. Her armor was tied to her mother's Northun heritage, at least according to her father. He had given it to her on her eighteenth birthday, as her mother had intended.

A year of wearing it and I'm no closer to understanding, she thought, sighing. Her inheritance from her mother was given with cryptic statements, and her father's recounting of the instructions left her frustrated. Wanting and wishing for more. Maybe her mother had planned to teach Yuuko herself when the time came. But never got the chance to…

There were rumors of the warriors there, whispered legends told at the fireside by members of the Black song. She was skeptical to believe them of course. Mercenaries, while a mixed group, weren't generally known for accurate and well counted tales. However, she found herself wanting to believe in the legends. She had come to understand that a hint of truth was always at the core of each story.

Mercenaries idolized strength after all. The Northun warriors she encountered on the battlefield had earned her respect. They didn't quite live up to the cult of personality surrounding them, but her experience could be counted on one hand. Too limited to make any real conclusions. The rumor about many of them fighting without clothes--or with very few--had turned out to be true, surprisingly enough. It had stopped the majority of her complaints about the tight revealing fabric she now wore. If it was this or the alternative...I'll take this. She concluded to herself, eternally thankful that her mother's armor at least covered the important parts.

Lightweight and sparse in places, the armor was remarkably much more protective than expected given the stories about Northun. Golden trimming was weaved over itself, adorning her upper arms from the shoulder guards, as well as the outside of her thighs just above her garters. The dark blue metal breastplate covered less than most conventional armor would, leaving her stomach protected by the bodysuit beneath. Which wasn't as much of a problem as one might expect, given that the sheer purple fabric had the strength of hardened leather. Shoulder guards were attached loosely to the chestpiece, complete with a gold trimmed half cloak that ran from her neck to her waist. The hood which had small red gems strewn throughout matched the cloak, as well as the open half skirt on the waist piece. The dextrous armored gauntlets and high heeled greaves were likewise separated from the other parts. Each a separate distinct piece without the protective interlocking plates seen in most armors.

She had expected this to cause her problems, at least around the waist where the pieces ran close. But she found that the armor never grated or fell out of place. The metals never rusted either, a quick cleaning would always return it to a dull indigo sheen. Any scratch, imperfection, or damage she found in the outfit mended in a matter of days. A testament to the powerful hidden Northun runes that had been imparted on both.

Mother's legacy aside, she felt well protected and comfortable in the outfit. Even the curious, less than devout gazes that she attracted no longer bothered her.

It's not anything new, She admitted, but I'm not sure the outfit helps.

The attention was always there for her, not all of it positive or lustful in intent. Arcanic's didn't exactly stand very highly among those in the west, as she had discovered very early in her life. She was usually indifferent to it now, having grown up around rougher types on the battlefield. And mostly men. She thought, remembering the first time some of the Black Song members had taught her to swear. They answered her curious questions honestly, even when she had asked why the men headed straight to the brothels when the group reached a city. They were on latrine duty after that, for eight months. She didn't know her father had it in him to be angry that long, much to her amusement. Something clicked in her mind and she was pulled back to the present.

Yuuko opened her eyes and found her vision hazy. Faint lines of mana clung to the air in the courtyard. Ghostly marionette strings that ran back to the master of the flute. At most, ten seconds had passed, her meditative state speeding her thoughts along. Mana was present in all things, described as the weave that held the world together. Knowing how to control and take advantage of those lines allowed one to alter the world around them to their favor. At its core, magic and mana use was centered around forcing your will onto reality.

Her hair had started to stick stubbornly to her face from the blood as a howling wind started to work its way between the buildings.

Wait 'till Father hears about this. She mused, untying her ribbon, But strategic advantage or not, I'll never wear that damn helmet.

She gathered her hair into a high ponytail with the ribbon, leaving her bangs, which were too short. Her eyes wandered over to the Kitsune, having noticed the sobbing had stopped. The young woman was looking right at her, but whatever words she spoke, they were lost to the howls of the thrashing wind. She looked back to the intoner, focused with intent.

Yuuko took an aggressive stance. Her excess mana—gold and red lashes of energy— cracked with power against the stone roof beneath her. Her muscles strained as her veins pulsed with excess mana. The world was sharper, clearer, her enemy more visible to her than ever. The city stood still as she began her powerful sprint - spear tight in hand. Each lengthened stride carried the strength of ten, and in a flash she was there, and she threw.

A resounding boom shook the surrounding buildings, ghostly warriors turning towards her in perfect unison as her spear--a golden blur with streaks of crimson--soared through the air. Please allow me to introduce myself, Yuuko thought, predatory smile on her face.

The intoner's pitch black eyes had locked onto her as soon as the spear left her hand. But he was too late. Whatever haunting note of retaliation he had, was cut short, as her spear brought him to his knees with a massive crack. Straight through his neck, the spear had impaled him to the burnished stone beneath. His flute, now split, hung loosely in the Daemons swaying hand.

Yuuko moved forward as soon as the spear had left her hand. She jumped from the roof into the courtyard, landing on the cobblestone with a practiced roll. The strength in her mana circuits was rapidly leaving her, their power spent on her all out throw.

Cut the strings and the marionette's fall, she thought, satisfied. So it was tied to the flute after all…

The lost spirits had fallen in unison, as if the music alone had been what kept them sustained. She dashed past scores of them, the freezing wind on her face. When she reached the first courtyard wall she bounded over it, leaving the warriors there in her wake. To her surprise, a second layer of faded soldiers appeared ahead. They hadn't been visible from the stone roof.

The flute sang out once more, it's haunting tune now a fragment of it's former self. Broken raspy notes began to fill the courtyard, the music silenced no more. The soldiers rose as if flung, erratic movements of the puppet master's final desperate stand.

If you cut it and it gets back up, keep cutting, and then cut it some more. She repeats her father's questionable wisdom in her mind as she dodges a hastily swung blade.

Each note brings more soldiers upon her, spears and blades nearly striking true as she dodges her way towards the music. Yuuko leaped into the air and sprinted along the top of the inner stone wall, her feet hitting hard. Spears and blades shot out as she blew past several spasming warriors. She was very nearly cut multiple times, it left her wondering when her luck would run out. There's too many, she thought, I need to silence that flute!

Two ghostly warriors stood at the end of the path, blocking her advance. She pushed herself even harder, building up as much speed as possible while her legs strained and begged for relief. Yuuko jumped, twisting in the air over the warriors. She landed in a crouch, using her momentum to roll forward and bring her blade around. She hadn't cleared enough distance! She brought her blade up to counter the incoming slash, deftly positioning it to parry.

Heat. Searing heat lashed across her abdomen as the ghostly blade passed right through her own undeterred.

Gritting her teeth in pain, she tried to draw back as the second cut sliced into her left shoulder. Blood seeped from the wounds, staining her dark purple bodysuit underneath her midnight blue light armor. Trembling, she forcibly quelled her screaming instincts and turned her back on the spectral warriors.

It hurts!

Focus.

If I don't stop the bleeding soon…

No time for blood.

No time for pain.

There is only the Hunt.

The intoner was in close sight, he tirelessly played his broken flute with one claw like hand. Breathless wispy notes somehow still escaped from his spear pierced throat. Using his other, the monk tore the tip of the spear free from the stone. The black and grey bloodstained robes were on full display as he stood to his full height—a towering eight feet—her spear still impaled into his neck.

Yuuko felt a rush of deep fear as she approached, shivering at the monks pitch black gaze locked to her own. The corners of his mouth twitched violently across his face, having widened well past what she thought possible. And it grew even wider, his head engorged to double the size to fit the depraved grin. How can someone survive that long with a crushed throat? Let alone draw enough breath to continue his deranged orchestra of the dead.

Can I even kill such a thing? she asked herself, dread taking a creeping hold of her mind.

She slowed her pace but for a moment before she felt comforting and familiar coldness wash over her mind. Her mother's mocking pride. Her father's dauntless strength.

Taunting confidence once again masked her face, golden eyes staring back with confidence into the monk's formless gaze. He was already dead, and she was going to remind him. Any possibility of failure had vanished from her thoughts. Only the hunt remained. His death was certain. But how?

Keep. Cutting. She thought as she dashed towards the grinning monk, short sword gripped in hand.

Ghostly soldiers pursued her, a few steps behind her bloodied trail. The pale man's limbs had begun to stretch even further as he lashed out with one clawed hand towards her. She parried his blow with a quick flourish, this time feeling the blade hit bone between his spidery fingers. The monk hissed and stumbled back with a wild slash at her eyes. He almost struck true as Yuuko twisted under the blow, his claws sparking off her already blood stained breastplate.

She bounded with alacrity, slashing out with explosive strength as he brought his flute up to play another note. A loud crack rang out as her sword slashed through his fingers into the broken flute, shattering it for good. Whatever unholy magic from within the monks talisman had been dispelled, exploding outwards in a solid wall of air towards her. Her vision blurred, a black shroud fading in.

Yuuko gasped in agony, blade knocked violently away from her, and into something behind her. The stone wall. Burning pain spread across her back and head, her sensitive Arcanic ears ringing from the blast. She trembled, stumbling to her feet with difficulty.

She shut her eyes, blinking experimentally while the world darkened. Where was she? The Courtyard. No, Yomi. Something was approaching her, his bloodied split arm bouncing limply with each heavy step. An enemy? The monk!

She steadied herself, any noise around her drowned out by the constant screaming pitch in her ears. Blood dripped down her face again, cutting her already faded vision in half. Cold fury reared forth from somewhere within her, shocking her senses back together.

How dare he! She thought furiously, a primal sadism taking hold. She would stop at nothing to see him undone. To leave him in bloodied pieces at her feet.

With that, Yuuko willed the last of her mana into her muscles and veins, flooding them with raw power. Her mana circuits began to overflow with power; putting her at risk of burning them out. Then, she pushed ahead and kicked off the wall behind her with a crack of crimson-gold energy.

As soon as she reached him he slashed downwards at her in a frenzy. His hand impacted the stone with enough force to leave a spiderweb of cracks in its wake. Yuuko was forced to dodge each powerful attack in succession. A single hit here would likely mean death. Unfortunately, it was as much as she could do without a weapon.

No, I still have a weapon, she thought as she deftly gripped her spear between the attacks, pulling it free with vicious purpose. It tore right through his neck in a splash of dark blood. Tendons and sinew severed apart as the steel forged tip blazed past. The monk's head weakly hung upside down, barely attached by the remaining muscle on his neck. He did not fall.

His assault wavered in strength, but continued with reckless abandon. To Yuuko's disgust, the monk's vile smile had opened; revealing a thousand bloody teeth blanketing every corner of his engorged head.

Yuuko was undeterred, her spear restless in its pursuit of death. She spun between his attacks, and retaliated in kind for each slight against her. He clawed at her shoulder. She pierced through his collarbone with a sickening snap. He tried to smash her legs. So she cut his tendons, leaving him weakened as he crawled towards her.

Where you belong trash, she thought, her mother's sadistic side on full display.

The intoner pounced at her, his lopsided mouth stretched open with endless hunger. She took a calculated step back, swinging her spear in an arc with a flourish. His head spun through the air, the remaining muscle severed. The Daemon's body spasmed on the bloodstained stone, it rolled and scratched the stone with desperate thrashing. Searching for what was lost.

I'm not done with you yet, she thought coldly as she sprinted after the head. It had come to a rolling stop near the edge of the cracked wall. Yuuko barely reacted when the head began to sprout something akin to spider legs. Anything else at this point, was unsurprising. So, she pierced it through the forehead, pulling her spear free before she did it again. Keep. Cutting. She slashed it's head, bringing her spear back.

Keep. Cutting. Keep. Cutting. Keep. Cutting.

By the time she had stopped, what remained was a bloody pulp of black viscera. An unintelligible stain of mashed pale skin and teeth on the burnished stone courtyard. As she stumbled back, she leaned on her spear to stay standing, a vague understanding blossoming from deep within her soul. Mountains of knowledge and power called to her, but she grasped scarcely a whisper of the true intent. She kneeled down, laying her spear across her lap. Bringing her hand forward, she drew a rune on the stone with sudden understanding.

Kenaz ( ᚲ ), she thought as her mind provided the somehow familiar name. The beacon, the torch. It felt as if she had remembered the name of an old friend, long forgotten.

The rune ignited in response, flames engulfing the monk's mangled remains before spreading in a fiery line to the body. Her wolf's tail gave a brief tired wag behind, she had finally learned something of her mother's runes! Mother did always say that the strength of her ancestors would become clear to her one day. Face the impossible, and overcome it. It hadn't made much sense to her as a child. It doesn't make sense to me now either, she thought inwardly with an exhausted laugh, she did love her cryptic statements.

Yuuko let out a long sigh between her panting breaths. Her back twinged in pain each time she exhaled, the pain from her deep wounds intensified in the momentary peace. The forms of the ghostly soldiers faded where they fell, as their white souls dissolved slowly into the pale light.

He looks relieved, she thought dreamily, as she watched one of the warriors slowly fall apart. She blinked, and tried to wipe the blood out of her eyes. The soldier was already gone, passing on to whatever lay beyond. Had she imagined it? Hallucinating from blood loss, she thought, It wouldn't be the first time.

The runes beneath her armor had already started to passively mend over the breaks and cuts, slowing her blood loss. However, even with the latent power, the runes were not entirely autonomous. Her knowledge lacked in too many ways to draw out their true potential. And without her field kit or a healer, she had to settle for staunching the bleeding with her gauntlets. With risky use of Kenaz ( ᚲ ), burning them shut was an option, but she quickly dashed that idea as she watched how intensely the flames burned before her.

Better to be bleeding, she thought, than bleeding and on fire.

Light footsteps were heard on the burnished stone behind, coming closer and closer with each step. Yuuko's ears twitched in response to the broken silence. She turned as quickly as she could, pulling herself to her feet with significant effort.

Right, she thought, that crying woman was here too.

Her mind was swimming, she had nearly entirely forgotten about the young woman's existence. The woman's light footstep and carefree body language was a total contrast from her previous… appearance.

Magenta fox ears sat above her hair, much like Yuuko's, but with a distinctly fox like shape. The church robes she wore were surprisingly pristine, with no sign of any injury or damage. The young woman's fox tails bounced behind her almost playfully, to the point that Yuuko wondered if she was doing it on purpose. A shy smile formed on the Kitsune's face as she approached, her hands clasped leisurely together behind her.

"It looks like you're in pain," the Kitsune said sweetly, stopping just short of Yuuko, with her ears laid flat against her head. The fox girl was still smiling, a warm smile any common person would find comforting in this time of need. But to the careful Yuuko, it felt insincere.

Her smile doesn't each her eyes, Yuuko thought as she studied the young woman, her mother's teasing smile forming on her lips. How annoying. Also, Yuuko wasn't entirely sure if she had imagined it from the blood loss, but for a moment the fox girl's vocal tone had sounded off to her. As if she was trying to hide her excitement.

"Oh my, how observant you are" Yuuko said as she struggled to keep the disdain from her voice, and her pain in check.

The young woman bowed, a meticulously clean bow, in the way commonly seen in the East, "Shiori, and you, my blessed savior?"

"Yuuko," She answered flatly. Tilting her head, she gave the briefest of greetings as she tried not to agitate her wounds.

"Blessed be the Goddess Lumere for us to have found each other in this weary times. Please, do allow me the honor of tending to your wounds. As a resident of the Church, we are bound by duty to learn the ways of healing."

"I don't mind," she replied. Survival instincts demanded that she take any help she could get at this point. Even if the girl's attitude was tiresome. Yuuko was still guarded with her, and watched closely as Shiori fumbled around in her robes.

"Oh no! I must have misplaced my medical kit. How embarrassing! Please forgive me, my saviour!" Shiori gasped, clasping her hands around her mouth. Her ears laid flat again against her head as she looked worryingly at Yuuko. Her tail bounced slightly.

Then why even offer? Yuuko thought, irritated. She let the silence hang, and turned her attention towards the land of Yomi around her. The Shrouded buildings had begun to fade and dissolve, just as the soldiers had. Light, actual sunlight, to Yuuko's relief, was breaking through the black skies and onto the city. Where the sunlight hit the ground, it blasted the darkness away with brilliant radiance. The seal in the area had been undone, and the Yomi around her was swallowed into the building corona of blinding light. She shut her tired eyes, shielding them from the intense glare.

She felt heat on her. The warm embrace of the sun caressed her for what felt like the first time in ages. Chill mountain air had replaced the near freezing atmosphere of Yomi. The cold of that place had been unnatural, as if it had crept into her very bones. When she opened her eyes, she nearly collapsed from relief.

I made it back, she thought with genuine happiness. The mountain city of Rhogia once again spanned out around her, except now in the living world. She no longer found herself in the large courtyard. Instead, the two of them were standing in a narrow side street.

"Are we back?", Shiori asked, a hint of her fear from before showing through her façade.

As she tried to respond, a massive roar shook the ground around them, interrupting her. Dust and dirt had been kicked up near the end of the side street, creating a hazy smoke screen. Yuuko realized then that she could not see any people around, and all the doors on the street were worryingly shut tight. A sense of primal dread as something massive crashed around beyond the smoke. She turned towards Shiori to tell her to run, and found that the aggravating fox woman was had already started sprinting down the street.

Too weak to retreat, she thought with determination, I'll stand my ground. She didn't want to turn her back on whatever was coming, and in her state she doubted outrunning it was an option anyways. Yuuko held her spear out in front of her, taking a defensive stance as best she could. And not a moment too soon.

A great bull like beast exploded from within the smoke as it charged down the alleyway, burning red eyes mad with fury. She knew that she had made the right choice, as the beast was incredibly fast. In her condition, the side street was too long, and the walls too high to escape that way.

I can't blame her, she thought, dread settling into her heart as almost certain death came galloping towards her. Shiori would likely be trampled behind her anyways if she didn't stop the raging beast. Not that it really bothered her, as she felt indifferent about most people. Survival almost always won out in the end for her.

Yuuko stared down the charging beast, studying it as she planned her response. The creature looked much as a bull did, except with with mottled and rotting cracked grey skin. It's size was enormous, barely able to fit in the narrow street. Each side of the bull's body scraped against the doors and walls as it picked up momentum, thrashing through the street. It's haste was so great that it spared little care for the bloody streaks of skin and fur it left on the walls. The bull was fully ignoring the shallow wounds on it's body, none seemed deep enough to have done much damage.

No mana beast is without weakness, she thought desperately, a thousand plans offered and then struck down. Her eyes burned, the world started to fade into darkness. She blinked, the beast was nearly upon her now. When had it gotten so close?

The sound of the thundering footfalls grew muted, the world around her becoming distant. There! A deep wound on the beasts belly. Maybe it's skin is weaker there? It's my only chance, she thought.

She struggled to stay conscious as her spear lowered in to place, wobbling on her feet. The mana beast drew close to her, raging eyes maddened with frenzy. And then her eyes shut, as she drifted out of consciousness.

Death.

No. She needed to wake up, she needed to keep fighting. This was not her place to die.

Yuuko opened her eyes, expecting to see the worst in her clouded vision. The beast had stopped, and she had been pushed some distance back. The tip of her spear embedded in it's belly, shattered at the haft. Her final stand had not been enough, and yet the beast had been stopped. But how?

A man was in front of her, holding onto the great beasts horns as it fought for freedom. Two long trails from his metal boots had been dug into the cobblestone, displacing it. Evidence of how difficult it had been to stop the beasts advance. It took her a moment before she realized, as she had seen that man's back countless times.

"Father…" she whispered, unable to muster any strength in her voice.

With the slightest turn of his head, she caught a glance of his worried but kind eyes before he looked back. His attention focused on stopping the beast's rampage.

I have to help him, she thought, swaying unsteadily forward. Her protective instincts for her family spurned her towards him, one uneasy step at a time.

"Jii-san, take care of her. I'll handle this." Her father spoke with certainty, strain in his voice.

Yuuko was suddenly lifted up, someone was cradling her gently in their massive arms. She tried to weakly struggle away on instinct, to no avail. It was like trying to move with a tree root wrapped around her, and it made her doubt if they even noticed her efforts.

A skull, she thought, gazing up at him. The man was wearing a horned skull on his head, the veil beneath shrouding his face and neck. The armored breastplate she was pressed against was bone-chillingly cold, and yet somehow she was enveloped with a feeling of warmness. She caught the scent of blood from him, and something else she couldn't quite place.

Ancient, almost like old books, she thought, I must be losing it. And then the darkness swallowed her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 1.3

The path is the way of true enlightenment. When you desire only the destination, you lose sight of the road you travel. Eventually, you lose sight of yourself as well.

Yuuko awoke to a feeling of unease and dread. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, as the time she spent as a mercenary had taught her how vulnerable someone is when waking up. A familiar, if unwelcome, feeling. Waking up in unfamiliar places and unfamiliar beds like this however, wasn't something she was used to.

The bed beneath her felt unbelievably soft, making her feel as though she might sink through the sheets at any moment. It was enough to make her mind wander to almost supernatural explanations of the softness. Or perhaps not, she didn't exactly have the most quality Inn experience while growing up. A warm sleeping bag in a small tent that didn't leak seemed the height of luxury to her. The bed had always been just a place to sleep, and not this heavenly cloud she had woken up on.

I don't want to get up, she thought begrudgingly as she looked around the small stone room around her. The room was sparse, a small nightstand with a glass of what looked like water, and an empty wicker chair sat near the bed. She immediately took the water and downed it, the feeling of dryness in her mouth was enough to forgo any possible caution. A large linen bag had been left on seat, with something stacked inside of it.

It smells like father, she thought, noting the faint scent in the room. Centered around the chair and linens, the comforting scent had made her relax visibly. It meant that her father had most likely been here while she slept. On the other side of the room was a large barred window, sparse mid day sunlight glared in and blocked her view of whatever lay outside. Finally, a large wooden door with metal fixings was inset directly ahead of her.

One way out, she thought as she struggled to break free of the beds comforting black magics. She didn't feel as though she was in danger, whoever had placed her here had treated her wounds at least. And while there was just a single door to this room, it was left slightly ajar so she hadn't been locked in. As far as she could tell this was possibly a small hospital room in an old castle, or something built like one. The stone bricks that made up the walls were of such size and thickness, she was forced to assume that this place was built with defense in mind. Or built for giants, she mused.

Yuuko winced as she pushed herself to her feet, her wounds not entirely healed. Inspecting the bandages—which were stained with little blood—made her come to the conclusion that she had been mostly healed, or the bandages freshly changed.

Magical and mana based healing was often slow and methodical when compared to that of faith and miracles. But the benefit was inherent for staving off further complications. You could heal the same wounds with both, but the long term results often differed. Faith was flashy and powerful, closing a massive wound or reattaching an arm in a flash. It could even bring people back from the brink of death. However, it lacked precision in it's use. Clean cuts and wounds were easy, but what happened when you used a miracle on a shattered bone? Or an embedded arrowhead? The wounds would be healed, fusing together and causing debilitating damage down the line.

As a rule, most would employ magical healing for surgery or long term treatments. While faith was used for immediate need, or against sickness. A slow careful burn versus an explosive flash, each had their place in treatment. So Yuuko gleaned from her experience that she had been healed with magical precision, the presence of the wounds themselves was evidence enough.

Before moving to the door, she checked the linen bag on the nightstand next to her. Carefully opening it, her wolf's tail gave a small wag when she saw her armor neatly wrapped within. She pulled the linen gown she had woken up in off without much care, and put on her bodysuit. The lack of weapons and armor had made her feel almost naked, so changing into something more protective went a long way to easing her discomfort.

She was fastening her gauntlets into place when she heard footsteps approaching in the hallway. Her ears picking up the sound despite the thick walls. She quickly finished putting on the rest of her armor and grabbed the empty glass, hiding it behind her back as she moved away from the door. It was a makeshift weapon, or a distraction at the very least in case of an attack. The footsteps stopped outside, and she caught a familiar scent as the door shifted open.

"Yuuko?" Her father said as he entered, worried smile on his face.

Her tail swished with happiness, seeing her father alive and well after everything that happened had tugged on her emotions more than she would like to admit.

Her father looked the same as ever, his once dark brown hair now showing its age, his wind-beaten cheeks, bushy eyebrows, and the various old scars strewn across his face. Yet it was his eyes that were the most notable, kind and gentle. Despite his obvious Eastern looks, her father's armor was mostly western in design. A common leather breastplate accompanied underneath by his long sleeve dark green tunic. His silver spear was displayed on his back along with a scarlet short sword on his waist.

Damn this honest tail, she thought as she smiled, dropping the glass onto the bed behind her.

"Yes fath- mmmf?" she mumbled, her response cut off. Her father had suddenly taken her into a hug, surprising her. After a moment, she brought her arms around somewhat awkwardly, hugging him back.

I must have really worried him, she thought. Her father had never enjoyed much close contact, preferring to pat her head and ears instead. Which, if anyone else had done would of likely resulted in her spear being brought out in retaliation. But she didn't mind when he did it, it meant that he cared for her in his own way. Her issues with closeness didn't matter to her when it came to family, or those she was intimate with. However, it was still somewhat shocking to see her normally standoffish father rush in to hug her.

He pulled away and she saw his hand start to reach up to her head. There it is…she thought with resignation, accepting her fate.

"it's good that you made it Yuuko, I thought I'd lost you." He said seriously, his usual nonchalant attitude nowhere to be seen. "Your mother would never forgive me if—…" he finished, leaving the rest unsaid. It unnerved her to see him like this, and caused a stab of guilt in her heart.

"I'm fine now father, I apologize for worrying you." She said honestly. Losing her would devastate him, and she couldn't bear to see him back in the state he had been in long before, after her mother's death.

Her father stopped petting her ears and moved back to the door, waving her along. "I don't have much time to talk, are you well enough to move?"

"Of course" She responded, moving next to him as he lead her into the stone hallways.

He kept an easy pace as they walked, the worry he had for his daughter still clear on his face. "I'm sure you have questions, and then more questions, and then probably even more questions. So I'll try to explain as much as I can." he said as he opened a wooden door, leading her to ascend a set of stairs.

She nodded, deciding to let him explain as she followed.

"First off, welcome to Lumere Academy." He waved his hand in a lazy way at nowhere in particular as they climbed.

"The grand Lumere Academy...stairwell" she quickly said, teasing him. The best way to get her father back to his usual self was to simply be herself.

He frowned, well used to her usual teasing. "What happened in Rhogia, happened everywhere. Yomi leeched onto the plane of the living, bringing the Yokai and Daemons with it. A fair number of people were pulled in as well, just like you were." He sighed, some of his usual demeanor returning. The look of a man who just had a pile of work dumped into his lap.

"Other cities?" she asked.

"Reports are still pouring in, Nhilous, Altera, Shora, Jor Anor. Almost every capital, and some smaller cities like Rhogia. Same shit in the East. The common folk are calling it the goddesses' punishment, and other nonsense."

Helios, Galia, Northun and Valkyria, each capital getting hit was alarming to say the least. "And what do you think father?"

Her father lead her out of the stairs and into an open area with large tables and expensive looking ornate chairs. Young men and women, probably students, were scattered in small groups. They lounged and chatted, predominately near either of the two massive fireplaces in the room.

"Same as you" he answered, clearly expecting his daughter to have come to the same conclusion.

She ignored the various looks she was getting from the students as she walked and responded. "I think it's an attack, someone, likely a group, trying to send a message." Most of the glances she got were curious in nature, but some with a predatory edge. As if she was being sized up. She kept her expression controlled with a confident, teasing smile. Even within her father's relaxing presence, it wouldn't do her any favors to show how vulnerable she felt in this unknown place.

He nodded. "That's my girl. The Academy wasn't subject to this, as you can see from the lazy students around. Though some of them are trying to contact their families or clans. The majority of the destruction and death was from what was summoned. Almost nobody was actually pulled into Yomi, and of those that did, most didn't make it out."

"How many?" she said, masking her discomposure at how close she had come to death.

"The death toll is less than you'd think, given the defenses of the major cities. A few thousand overall, mostly those who were pulled in." he said, admonishing her playful response, "You and the fox girl were the only two in Rhogia to make it out."

"That annoying woman." She clicked her tongue, remembering the Kitsune's back and bouncing tails as she fled.

"I know our trip here wasn't the easiest, and I still haven't told you why. It'll become clear after we reach where were headed." He led her up yet another flight of stone stairs and into an area with multiple hallways and rooms.

"And that is?" she asked. The various nuns and priests of Lumere they passed made her think this might be the church dormitories. Or something similar. She found the furnishings and designs alien, a mixture of both Western and Eastern architecture with hints of something very old mixed in. I still haven't seen the outside, she thought, this place must be massive.

"To meet the Archbishop" he responded flatly.

As if he's discussing the weather, she thought, and not meeting the archbishop of the entire Lumere faith. Yuuko had to stifle herself, his lack of urgency and care for severity always amused her. His refusal to explain to her the nature of their journey however, was something that ate away at her. Every time she had asked him, the response was always frustratingly lacking. Eventually, she decided to just let it be. She loved her father but he was incredibly stubborn about certain things and fighting him on it was just a waste of time and energy.

Instead, she teased him in retaliation. "Oh my! The Archbishop? You couldn't have told your poor daughter before? So cruel my father is."

He sighed, knowing well enough to not play into game at this point. The two of them went through a massive arch and into what looked like an inner cathedral. Yuuko looked around with wonder at the various statues within, blanketing each wall from side to side. Former heroes, leaders, and legendary members of the church were immortalized here in shining white stone. Grand tapestries hung from the high arched ceiling above, the nations of those who followed and supported the church on full display. A subtle nod to which countries carried the Church's favor.

I've never seen anything like this before, she thought with amazement, the amount of craftsmanship and work that went into this place must be astronomical. Yuuko knew little about the church, other than than the basics just about everyone knows. She could remember her father praying often to the goddess Lumere when she was young, but that stopped after her mother passed. Her mother had practiced her own faith, one of great spirits and ancestors that hailed from her homeland of Northun. With her sparse memories of her mother, and her fathers purposeful indifference; she had grown up without much religious influence. So she found it very curious that her father seemed to be connected with the Archbishop of the most powerful religion on the continent.

I knew that he's kept things from me, she thought, but this is so much more than I expected. Her father was always good to her, and she had little to complain about when countless others had seen far worse. But she couldn't help but feel a twinge of hurt for him to have kept so much from her. Perhaps it was for my own good, she thought, trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.

They reached an ornate wooden door of black wood and her father stopped in front. He gave Yuuko a pointed look before knocking lightly three times.

"Come in," a woman's voice said through the door. There was a shuffling of metal footsteps on stone, and then the door opened. In front of them was a huge man in dark grey full plate armor that covered him completely from head to toe. A lightly glowing red line denoted where the visor was, but the gap was too small to see whatever was shrouded beneath. The grey knight paused for a moment, before moving back and unblocking the door. Her father entered, leading Yuuko inside.

The lightly furnished room beyond was cramped when compared to the massive rooms she had seen on her way here, but still far beyond what she was used to. It held a single desk of dark brown wood, along with matching bookshelves completely full to bursting with tomes and other such things. A huge map of Yoru was mounted on the wall, spanning the entire continent.

It's enchanted, she thought, as she noticed the markings on the map shifting slowly. And it tracks the movement of armies. Her mind was focused on the unlimited potential a map like that would have in battle. If the Church of Lumere had treasures like this, it was no wonder to her how the faith had reigned supreme on the continent for a thousand years.

Yuuko had to tear her gaze from the map to focus on the beautiful middle aged woman who was seated behind the desk. She rose from the desk as they entered, bowing with her hands clasped in front of her waist. The traditional greeting for a sister of the church. She had a timeless, ethereal like quality to her, as if age had worked with her beauty, rather than against.

"Gareus" she said, her voice carrying a lovely musical tone. "And this must be Yuuko."

Her long blond hair ran to her waist, unbound by trinkets or ribbons. The silver and white robes she wore clung lightly to her body, showing what Yuuko through was a scandalous hint of the curves beneath. Not that I'm one to talk, she thought.

The Archbishop's powerful gaze was focused on her father, before it shifted to Yuuko. Each golden eye had the pupils overwritten, in their place were large burning silver crosses that felt as though they pierced right through her. The moment of judgment ended, and the Archbishop's gaze became almost motherly. It frightened Yuuko, for someone to have such a perfect benevolent presence.

Her father saluted, bringing one hand across his chest to his shoulder. "Lady Maya," he responded formally. Yuuko decided to mimic his action, "My Lady." She wasn't about to insult one of the most powerful leaders in Yoru.

Lady Maya laughed, a warm and inviting sound. "Please Gareus, how many times have I told you to just say Maya. The same goes for you young lady."

Gareus, her father, was scratching his head with a difficult expression on his face. A clear dismissal. Lady Maya was undeterred, clearly used to her father's personality.

They have some history together, she thought with a inward sigh, more secrets.

The Archbishop continued, "So Gareus, has she decided?" her voice carrying a hint of eagerness.

He looked away, as if the question had nothing to do with him. A guilty look plastered on his face.

"You didn't tell her?" Lady Maya said, her golden eyes narrowed. Gareus waved his hands defensively in response, a shrug.

He just shrugged at her, she thought, incredulous. The Archbishop of the entire religion. He shrugged?!

Maya sighed and looked back to Yuuko, they shared a look of knowing resignation before she continued. "I take it your difficult father hasn't told you anything of his purpose here?"

"No Lad—no Maya, he has not," she responded, changing her speech to informal when she saw Maya's dominating look.

Lady Maya continued, "I called Gareus to serve as the Knight Commander of the Knights of Lumere. Unfortunately the previous Commander was slain in battle, Lumere guide his soul."

Gareus interjected, "Just until you find a suitable replacement." He didn't look happy about any of this, if anything his expression showed that he thought it was one big hassle.

"Of course, just until we find a replacement," Maya said, with a perfectly pure smile.

I wonder where that leaves me in all this, she thought, seems like I'll be joining the knights with the rest of the Black Song. "Will I be following you then father?" she asked.

He shook his head, "I had hoped you would accept Lady Maya's offer."

Yuuko tilted her head curiously, her tail swished in confusion and anticipation.

"Dear Yuuko, I would like for you to work here as a professor," Maya said, "One of the year one teachers has chosen to retire, and you've shown your capability. Saving our wayward Shiori hasn't gone unnoticed. "

"I'm not sure I'm qualified…" Yuuko said, feeling extremely hesitant. She had never expected for Maya to offer her a job as a teacher. I'm almost the same age as the students! she thought.

"You sell yourself short, your father vouches for you and your actions in Rhogia are evidence enough," Maya explained, "The student's here often lack practical experience, something that you have plenty of from what Gareus had told me."

Yuuko shot her father an accusing look. Maybe this would be an opportunity for her? She felt indifferent about teaching, but the knowledge and training she could receive here was more than she could ask for. But the thought of teaching mostly noble children bothered her, as her experiences with the higher classes had often been centered on her Arcanic race.

I could try it out, she thought, and at least see how it goes.

Maya seemed to have noticed her inner deliberation and smiled warmly at her, "I owe your mother a great deal and I would not see you treated badly here. Trust that you would have the backing of the Church behind you."

"You knew my mother?" Yuuko asked, failing to hide her curiosity.

"Indeed my dear Yuuko," she said, "she was my best friend. Her passing was a tragedy that tore me apart. Lumere bless her radiant soul"

She looks genuinely sad, she thought, I don't think she's lying. That changes things, if I stay here I can at least ask Maya about my mother. At least until I get some answers. In the end, she had always gone where her father did, so leaving wasn't an option she wanted to really consider.

"I'll do it," she said, her conviction slightly wavered in her voice.

"How joyous! Tis truly a blessed day. The Goddess smile upon us from above" Maya said, clearly excited.

There was a knock on the door, interrupting Maya's celebration. The grey knight opened it once again to a woman clad in silver armor, her face shrouded by the crusaders helm. She saluted the Archbishop, and then her father before speaking. "Commander, it's time."

Gareus sighed, moving to Yuuko and patted her ears with a look a resignation. "I'll be gone for a few days on a mission Yuuko, they're going to work me to the bone here. Lady Maya will take care of anything you might need. Stay safe kiddo."

She nodded, "I will father, I'm sure we'll have a lot to talk about when you return," her veiled threat implicit.

It's a little embarassing when he pets my ears in front of everyone, she thought. Lady Maya was staring intently at the exchange, and Yuuko thought she caught a wanting expression from her. As if she wanted to pet her fluffy ears too.

Oh my, she thought, the Archbishop of Lumere wants to pet my ears? She almost burst out laughing, but manged to hold it in. With that, Gareus left the room with the church knight and then it was just her, Lady Maya, and the silent grey suit of armor.

"I'm sure you feel thoroughly lost here," Maya said, "but we can discuss the details tomorrow. I know you're still recovering and it wouldn't do to overtax you. I'll send someone to you when your room is finished being prepared. But in the meantime, why don't you explore the Academy? Or speak to the year one students. It may be the one time to see their true faces before they find out that you'll be teaching them. Don't forget that classes start late in the day tomorrow, so you have some time to make yourself at home."

"I see, thank you La—Maya," she replied, outright overwhelmed. There was a lot she could do here, but only so many things could be done in one day. Meeting the students to see how they treat her before and after was a good idea, but she also wanted to get her bearings around the academy. Talking to the other instructors might also be beneficial, any tips about what she's getting into would go a long way. Yuuko was very curious about Maya as well, and the nature of her relationship with her mother and father.

She mulled over her options for her first day at the Lumere Academy:

Professor Grade: E (0/75 XP)

PICK (THREE):

[]Meeting the students before they knew she's going to be their professor was important. It would give her insight into their personalities, and how they would treat her before she teaches them.

[]Yuuko decided she should meet with some of the other professors, any help or tips she could glean from them would be immensely beneficial for her first days.

[]Getting used to the academy grounds would help ease how lost she feels here. She should spend some time checking things out. (New location unlocked + random event)

[]If her father was here, then there is a good chance the Black Song is probably along as well. Maybe she could seek them out, familiar faces and allies would be easier to deal with than the unknown. She also needed to get another spear as hers was shattered, the company quartermaster would be able to help her with that.

[]Maya's relationship with her parents had made her curious, she should spent some talking to the Archbishop before leaving.

Rewards and unlocks (this chapter and the last):

(>) STR: C (100/200 XP) [0 -> 80]
END: D+ (100/150 XP) [0 -> 100]
(>>)AGI: C+ (125/450 XP) [0-> 125]
(<?)MANA: E (50/75 XP) [0 -> 50]
(>) CHR: D+ (50/150 XP) [0-> 50]
(>) INS: D+ (100/150 XP) [0 -> 100]

Hidden Stats:
LUC: ??? [??? -> ???]
NP:??? [??? -> ???]

(>>)PROF: E (0/75 XP)
(>>)Spear: C+ (150/450 XP) [0-> 150]
Sword: D (30/125 XP) [0-> 30]
(>>)Tactics: C+ (75/450 XP) [0 -> 75]
Survey: E+ (50/100 XP) [0 -> 50]
(>>)Fitness: D+ (125/150 XP)[0 -> 100]
Politics: E (20/75 XP) [0 -> 20]
(>) Sentiment: D (75/125 XP) [0 -> 75]
(>) Subtlety: E+ (35/100 XP) [0 -> 35]

Gained:
Yuuko has unlocked her major talent in Runic Magic.
(>>)Runic Magic: E+ (25/100 XP)[0 -> 75, E ->E+, 0 -> 25]
Learned Rune: Kenaz ( ᚲ ): (K: Beacon or torch.) Vision, revelation, knowledge, creativity, inspiration, technical ability. Vital fire of life, harnessed power, fire of transformation and regeneration. Power to create your own reality, the power of light. Open to new strength, energy, and power now. Passion, sexual love. Kenaz Reversed or Merkstave: Disease, breakup, instability, lack of creativity. Nakedness, exposure, loss of illusion and false hope.
(>) Mana Circuits (strengthening): E+ (0/100 XP)[0 -> 75, E ->E+]

Yuuko's Armor:
Runic armor of Northun design that belonged to Yuuko's mother. It will upgrade and progress as Yuuko learns more Runic magic. Stats will be displayed on the main page soon.

Detriments:
Yuuko's spear was shattered
Lightly wounded (1Day)

Yuuko's Armor:

Yuuko's Hair when tied:

Things ended up going into a double chapter, they shouldn't run this long in the future.

XP and stats are still in a bit of a flux state, as is the dice log. For now though, everything here should be considered correct.

The Dice log will be added later today or tomorrow, I'm still messing around with the format to find something a little less tedious to type out.

Special thanks to everyone who helped me with the chapter!

Saint Akagi · Sep 24, 2019

Chapter 1.4

"The storm of chaos binds us all. Like a rogue wave in the Everseas, you're simply along for the ride."

—A recovered memoir of a Northun Skyseer, found within the remains of a Skori ship burial.

"Do the other instructors know about my…circumstances?" Yuuko said. Trying to convince them of her position probably wouldn't go over smoothly. She could barely believe it herself.

"Many have been notified, so you shouldn't have any trouble moving through the academy," Maya said. "You can recognize the instructors by a certain marking engraved into their coats or clothes, the character's for teacher in the language of the East," she gestured to the grey suited knight, and he turned his back towards them without question. The letters (先生) was displayed predominately in vibrant silver paint and behind it was the burning golden sun of the Church. A dull unsheathed greatsword hung from his back, nearly obscured by the man's large frame.

The walking armor is a teacher? she thought. She could only imagine what the man might teach—Beginners Brooding, an introduction to being ominous.

"I'll be on my way then." Yuuko bowed lightly to the archbishop as she spoke.

Lady Maya bowed back with her hands clasped, smiling brightly, "Lumere ana karābu, Goddess watch your path my dear Yuuko."

Unsure of the correct response Yuuko nodded lightly and hoped that it would suffice as she moved to the door. She stopped before leaving and turned to the ever-beaming Archbishop.

"I would like to ask you about my mother sometime after I settle in," she said. "If that's alright."

Maya nodded, a knowing smile on her face. "Of course, I hope to have many such long talks in the future."

With that said, Yuuko nodded once again and left the Archbishop. A sense of uneasiness had taken hold of her as the position of teaching had been pushed onto her without much warning. It was uncomfortable for her to be at such a disadvantage, and without preparation for something like this. Although the sudden change in occupation had left her feeling like this, she was eager to get started. There were too many unanswered questions that burned in her mind; It pained her, but her wishes to know more about her mother and father needed to wait. She had more pressing concerns like getting some fragment of an idea of what she was expected to do here. They really sprung this on me, she thought as she made a mental note about getting some small revenge on her father.

First things first—she needed a weapon. Without her spear, she felt more vulnerable than she would like to admit. She thought of the grey knight and his massive dull blade. The man seemed a guard to her, so she had dismissed the weapon when she had first seen it before as unremarkable. But a teacher with a weapon meant that she probably had some leeway in carrying her own. On her way here, she remembered seeing a woman with the same teaching characters on her back armed with a greatbow. Even a few of the supposed students had been carrying weapons of their own.

What an interesting place this is, she thought. It didn't bother her at all to have so many armed individuals around her—if anything, it made her feel more comfortable with the atmosphere. There had hardly been a time when the members of the Black Song were without any weapons and if they were it generally hadn't been voluntary. She knew it was a matter of status for many as well. Being separated from a weapon was socially unacceptable for some, although she wasn't exactly sure why.

If father's here, she thought, the Black Song is probably along too.

Yuuko approached one of the many nearby clergy members, a woman in the silver robes of the ordained. Asking about the Black Song was surprisingly met with an answer—the Mercenary group was within the Church's barracks. The woman seemed to take her as a lost member of the group, eyeing her suspiciously as she provided the directions to the barracks.

It took some effort and a few wrong turns for Yuuko to reach the outside of the staging area. Large military-style tents were standing in an open field with men and women bustling about in-between. Campfires were being doused, tents were being dismantled, and supplies are being loaded onto various sized carts. Having witnessed this a hundred times before, she knew that the soldiers were preparing to break camp. Moving out within the hour, she concluded, I should quickly find Sigmur.

Surprisingly she hadn't been stopped along the way; even if she got more than a few strange looks directed towards her from those she passed.

It's because of the armor isn't it? she thought, or maybe my ears…

Northun armor was seldom seen these days, especially outside of the motherland. She doubted many here would even recognize it for what it was.

They probably think I have a risque sense of fashion, she thought, wondering how many noble sensibilities she was offending.

Her ears twitched as she heard the cry of a hawk somewhere above. Using her hand to block the sun, she gazed upward and caught a glimpse of wings diving beyond the mountain peak.

Definitely the ears, she thought, somehow it's always the ears. She could count the amount of Arcanic's she spotted on her way here with one hand. Mostly humans, a few dwarves, elves, even a few demons. It didn't bother her to stand out, but she was weary of the kind of treatment she might receive because of it. Arcanic's didn't exactly have the best standing compared to the other races in the West. Still, she had heard that the Easterners treated Arcanic's differently than most she had known. It intrigued her to imagine what that might be like. In the end, armor or not, her wolf-like ears and tail were going to make her stand out.

Nonetheless, it soon became clear to her as to why she was able to move so freely. The students here wore a mixture of gold and silver uniforms along with a wide array of cultural wear belonging to their homelands. Is it based on status? she thought. Wondering why only some wore the academies uniform and others didn't. She hadn't spotted any teachers on her way here, the only examples she had were the grey knight and the greatbow wielding woman. But from what she could tell, there was no dress code among the teachers. At least I'll be able to wear my armor, she thought with satisfaction. It was of great comfort to her and helped ease her feelings of uneasiness for her new home.

As she moved past the sentries and into the staging area, she managed to spot a familiar figure. A short and burly dwarf by the name of Sigmur and it appears to be straining to hold a crate twice his size and load it onto a cart. Yuuko found herself smiling as she headed towards him, taking the other end of the box despite the man's whirlwind of colorful words spouting out of his mouth. The two of them managed to slide the crate inside, putting her face to face with the bearded man.

Standing at a stalwart 4'11, Sigmur was tall for his race. Although middle-aged for a dwarf—at just over one hundred years old—the lines and wrinkles of age and hard living were clearly shown on his face. His long dark red beard had just begun to show the faintest grey hairs on the edges.

Half as tall, twice as wide, she mused, and three times as stubborn.

"Oh thank yah lass, bloody things loaded with shet to the brims." Sigmur said as he huffed to catch his breath, "Whoever packed the damn thing is doaty cracked in is' head I tell yah."

"Good to see you too Sigmur," she said. Failing to stifle her laugh at the Dwarf's crude manner. It was like a breath of fresh air when compared to the tense meeting before.

He takes a closer look at her and responds, "You bes' be packin up like the res' lass, were settin' out again near quick 'ere."

She shook her head. "Looks like I'm going to be staying a while…"

"Yer father finally put yer unruly butt in school then aye?" He said with a great booming laugh, "Bout time yah learned yer manners."

"...as the newest professor," she finished. Unable to keep a teasing smile from her face. To anyone listening in it may have looked as if she was being scolded, but Sigmur was something like a doting uncle to her. The back and forth game they played had become well known within the Black Song, and neither of them seemed to mind it.

He threw his hands up in the air and yelled, "Ain't that the daftest thing I ever heard, yer jus a pup!" Sigmur dusted his hands off and shook his head, "Yer father and I are gon av' words I tell yah. Tossin is' only daughter to the winds"

"A coincidence," she added with barely contained malice. "I too was going to have words with him."

"Ooo now that there is' scary, reminds me of yer mother," he said. "So professor pup what can I do ye for then? I'm sure yah didn't come to jus' say yer goodbyes to this sorry lot. Seems we'll be back 'ere within the month anyways."

"I need a spear and another short sword, if you would be so kind quartermaster," She said.

"Ye hav' a spear lass," he said with a sigh.

"It broke."

"It broke?" He said, exasperated. "Again?"

"Again…" she admitted, maintaining her smile.

"How many times are yah gonna break 'em lass!"

"As many as it takes," she said with conviction, thinking back on the battle with the intoner and what followed.

He scratched his head and sighed again, giving in to her demands.

"Aye I can do that for ye," Sigmur replied as he waved her over to one of the nearby boxes and cracked open the lid. Inside was a multitude of standard spears stacked neatly between loose straw. He undid the bindings around the stack and moved back, gesturing to her.

She remained where she was, smiling widely as she stared at him. A standard spear wasn't what she was after.

"Well?" He said, voice wavering, "Take yer pick."

She narrowed her eyes and upped the pressure. You know what I want, she thought, letting her expression speak for her.

Sigmur coughed, "I-I see, I suppose it wouldn't hurt you give ye something a wee more sturdy. Keep ye from breakin more of me spears." He moved away from the crate to another, and pulled a curious looking spear wrapped in onyx black spiraling cloth. Only the abnormally long bladed tip was visible. Its dull blood red metal barely caught the sunlight peeking in between the mountains. He tossed it to her without much ceremony, true to his style.

Yuuko deftly caught it, taking a step back from the surprising weight. Is the shaft steel as well? she thought as she tried to tug at the cloth wrapping. Even with some effort, it wouldn't give.

Enchanted? No. It's sealed, she thought as she took a closer look. Along the length of the onyx cloth were various golden characters printed in a language unfamiliar to her. She tested the spear with a flourish, and then twirled into a slash to finish her Kata.

It's heavy, but balanced perfectly, she thought as she smashed the tip into the dirt with a crack of dust. And durable too. Sigmur was eyeing her with a wry look as she slammed the end down in the dirt, finishing her test. The spear's bladed tip jutted above her head from the fluted hilt, extending a few feet into the air. She gazed back at Sigmur expectantly.

He spoke in a voice among the best fireside storytellers, "Been in my family fer generations that spear has, saved many a dwarf from the clutches of danger. Or angry wives. The cloth ye see there is an ancient dwarfish litany, fer it's strength was too great to let run free. Fer the hearts of men and dwarves hold untold greed and lust for power. I had wanted to giv it to ye when you were older lass, but it seems the ancestors have willed it otherwise. Truly the spear of—"

His grand tale was cut short as Yuuko cut him off, "You won it in dice didn't you," she said dryly. It's more than double his size, she thought, hardly a spear for a dwarf. Closer to a lance at that point.

"Aye," he replied sourly as he stamped his foot in frustration. "And I cannot get the fecking seal off it! Six months o fiddlin' and the damn thing won't budge, I'm convinced the man who bet it just did it to drive me mad."

"It's not cursed right?" She questioned.

"Beards breath no, but it ain't anything particularly special either. Sturdy though and holds a good edge. Smidge on the heavy side for a lass," he added.

She fixed him a confident look. "I can handle it. It's perfect."

A spear should cut, pierce, and withstand force. There wasn't much else she needed. She let the spear sit in the dirt and kneeled down in front of Sigmur, bringing her arms around to hug him.

"Yer embarassin' an old dwarf! Makin' me feel young again," he said. Fidgeting before lightly hugging her back.

Yuuko pulled back and stood up to respond, "Thanks Sigmur."

A bashful dwarven maiden, she thought, noting his rosy cheeks and furtive looks. It made for an amusing sight given his age.

"Spare an old dwarf yer smug looks," he huffed. "Now be off with ye, I've still work to do."

She only smiled wider as she turned and unrooted the spear. Running it through the loop on her half cloak, she secured it on her back. Teasing aside, she had known Sigmur for nearly her entire life. So a heartfelt thank you didn't feel out of place for her, teasing him was just a bonus that came along with it.

Yuuko waved over her shoulder lazily as she left. "Seeya when I see yah."

"Aye," he responded. "Till the great anvil see us past."

It didn't take Yuuko long to leave the staging area, following the way she came lead her back into an open pavilion between the massive buildings. She figured she was somewhere near the center of the academy, given the architecture around her.

There was a clear distinction whether she looked west or east. The buildings to the west were mostly styled in the way she was familiar with. Brutalist stone castle like structures spanned from the flatter ground to the the edge of the rising mountains. The eastern approach spanned out in the same way as the ones in the west, but in an entirely different style. For one, most of the buildings seemed to be using a large amount of wood in place of stone. Each level of the castle was pulled in and built upon for the next, leaving the hardened clay roof to cover the level below. Unlike the western side, the eastern buildings ran well into the mountains above.

Shrines within the mountains, she thought, I wonder what else could be hidden within those peaks. She gazed curiously, half imagining what marvels and oddities might hide within. The only similarity she could pin between each side was how large everything was; fit for a grand city rather than an Academy deep within the peaks.

The sounds of booted footsteps reached her ears, drawing her out of her thoughts and into the present. A slim young woman was approaching her from just outside the pavilion.

Yuuko instantly recognized her as an Easterner, with a white-pink kimono and a half curiass ontop being the main indicator. The woman's eyes were dead set on her as she approached. Her black glaive made a pleasant jingle from the rings with each step, along with the prayer beads on her left right arm. Her long dark purple hair was set into a high ponytail with a long decorative ornament. An inviting but minimal scent of lavender accompanied her, barely noted by Yuuko's enhanced sense of smell.

Serious aren't we? Yuuko thought, from the young woman's intense gaze she was almost expecting a fight.

"My lady," the woman said, her voice stern and unyielding. The faintest hints of melody within the lightly accented Lumerean."Pardon my intrusion. It looks as though you are unsure of your path."

"It seems that way," Yuuko replied, managing to smile through. My lady? she thought with surprise. The only time she'd been called that is in jest by members of the Black Song.

"Pardon my rudeness, this one bears the name Kaguya Matsu," she introduced herself while delivering a perfect military bow. "It is presumptuous to assume, but might you be looking for the year one class? Many new students lose their way within the stone walls."

She hesitated for a moment before responding, "Something like that…and please, call me Yuuko."

Yuuko wasn't comfortable with lying, but letting Kaguya assume was something else entirely. She was wary around those she didn't know, regardless of any good intent they may have. It was unlikely that the stern girl would believe that she was her teacher anyways.

"Lady Yuuko, this one will show you the path," Kaguya said, turning and setting off to lead her without another word.

"Thank you Kaguya," Yuuko quickly added as she fell into line next to her.

Kaguya blushed and looked at her incredulously before she forced her expression back to neutral. "It is of no great effort, this one was elected as the class lieutenant."

Did I say something wrong? she thought as she studied the girls response.

"Captain Kaguya," Yuuko said, testing her budding theory.

She blushed again, stammering her words out in response, "T-th-that I... no.... Th-that one should not address a stranger with intimacy. For friends, or l-l-lovers."

Ah, her first name, she thought. She vaguely recalled her father explaining something about that. Easterners tend to use the last name to address each other—or a combination of the two.

"Aren't we friends?" she pressed on, unable to resist the temptation to tease the stern and earnest young woman.

"I...we...just-," Kaguya stammered.

"Then let's be friends," she quickly said, not letting her regain her composure.

Kaguya turned her head forward and stole a glance at Yuuko, "That...is permissible, Lady Yuuko."

She could see the young woman's purple eye's swimming, her thoughts almost certainly in a state of disarray.

How cute, she thought, I shouldn't bully her too much.

Yuuko decided not to press her any further and remained silent for the rest of the short walk to their destination. They passed another open area that lead to a large set of connected buildings with various students going in and out of each. A barracks? she guessed.

Before long they reached the doors of the easternmost building. "The year one classroom for our class," Kaguya said, as she turned to address Yuuko. "We currently lack a Sensei and we also lack a class name."

"A class name?" Yuuko questioned, peering into archway and listening intently to the varied voices within.

"The Sensei of each homeroom class generally chooses the name," she continued, "to imitate that of an elite squad I believe, and forge a sense of camaraderie. The other two year one classes have taken to calling us the nameless. A disrespectful jest."

Yuuko noted the pride in Kaguya's voice, a class name clearly carried some deeper sense of meaning. She could understand the sentiment as members of the Black Song and other mercenary groups wore the names as badges of honor. A representation of the strength and hard fought glory. She herself took some pride in the Black Song, feeling a sense of fellowship with a few of the more well known members.

I would probably be attached to the name too, she thought, If I didn't know it's origin. The Black Song sounds menacing enough for a mercenary company. Enough that their exploits had started all manner of fearsome rumors. A powerful intoner who could call death itself into battle. Music so haunting that it caused men and women to turn to stone, never to move again. In truth, none of the many rumors were true. The origin of the name depressingly fell short of their fearsome reputation.

A certain member of the Black Song had sung on the eve of battle. A giant by the name of Rolf had bellowed his lungs out during the ambush of an enemy position. His tone was so shattering and his pitch so broken that the enemy had laughed to the point of carelessness. Which, in the end, gave the perfect opportunity to attack. The last thing many of those men and women heard was Rolf's personal crusade against any sort of melody. The soldiers had jokingly called it "The Black Song," and somehow the name stuck. When she had asked her father about his reasoning, his response left her demoralized. "Because it sounds cool," he said.

Kaguya continued. "We were told we would be receiving a replacement Sensei soon. I wonder if that's truly the case. It would be most unfortunate to start behind the other classes."

Sooner than you think, she thought, and definitely not what you expect.

"Thank you for the guidance Kaguya," Yuuko replied sincerely with only a hint of teasing. "I haven't been given much information and my entrance to the academy was something of a shock."

"We each have our own burdens to carry," she said lightly. A slight flush still on her cheeks.

There was a commotion inside of the room, raised voices accompanied the crashing of a heavy oak desk. Kaguya turned towards her and bowed quickly. "You must excuse me. This is of my responsibility," and then headed inside.

Yuuko followed, more curious than concerned. She supposed if she was going to be a professor here, she should at least try to act like it.

Through the archway lay a large classroom with desks of lacquered rosewood spread on each side. A bigger desk of black oak stood at the front, near the two slatted porthole windows behind. Next to it was a something akin to a drawing board, which had faded magical characters shifting along the black charcoal sheet. Around the room the students were scattered, with the source of the commotion coming from two students in the center.

A tall golden haired man wore a red-gold imperial overcoat that bore the mark of the sun over his bare chest. The various gold and red jewelry necklaces sparkled as he stared down—or rather up—at an even taller raven haired eastern woman in charcoal grey yukata. A reddish orange overcoat hung over her shoulders along with a sheathed katana at her waist.

Red eyes, a demon, she noted, and an Onijura at that. Yuuko could see the woman's black horns jutting out from her head, burning a fiery red at the tips. She knew from experience that when an angry Onijura lost control—it meant blood.

"What?" The man spoke with barely concealed mirth, "I merely spoke the truth. For your master to employ a demon like yourself is clearly the height of charity."

The Onijura woman growled back, "You speak thoughtlessly, to invite insult on my master invites blood, Prince Sumai." Her hand tensing as she struggled to maintain control.

Kaguya reached the two at that moment, causing the Onijura to bow hurriedly towards her.

"What is the meaning of this Chiyo?" Kaguya demanded, looking back and forth between the two.

"Kaguya-sama, my deepest apologies." Chiyo said through gritted teeth, "Prince Sumai insulted your honor, and I saw it fit to defend it."

A massive man with dark tanned skin stood behind the prince and spoke up, his voice a deep baritone, "Threatening my lord's life with steel will be met with equal measure." He moved to place himself next to his lord, hand nearing the hilt of the greataxe mounted on his back.

Yuuko's ears picked up a faint clicking of a tongue from near one of the desks and spotted a long dark brown haired elven woman. She caught a look of pure annoyance towards the two in the middle before it faded into indifference. Her black dress was inlaid with golden metal accents and was far more extravagant than any Yuuko had ever seen. It looks heavy, she thought, I wonder how she moves in that thing. The elf's eyes softened for a moment upon meeting her own, then their eyes shifted back to the main event.

A young woman with medium length blonde hair and silver-blue armor approached the group now. A black eyepatch covered one of her emerald green eyes. Black fur creased the edges of her heavy white winter cloak, flowing easily as she moved. She drew and placed the tip of her pale azure greatsword down in front of her, gripping the hilt with both hands. A small young man trailed behind her, his spotted snow leopard ears showing clearly from his short cropped white hair.

A prince, a princess, an oni, and an arcanic all walk into a tavern... she thought. Too many new faces. I'm having trouble keeping track.

The silver knight sighed, as if having dealt with this very situation many times before, "Everyone knows you're just trying to provoke her, must you always act the child Sumai?"

The Prince sneered, "Stay out of this Galatea, you're no better; Queen of mongrels and all."

Galatea fixed him a look with her piercing green eye that would freeze over even the hottest deserts. "You disappoint me Sumai—oh how I wonder how that's even possible at this point.

A tattooed tengu man sitting in the back on a desk chimed in, "The son of a frog is a frog..." he trailed off. With his light blonde hair and his legs crossed, he created the perfect image of a dedicated monk. His black wings were furled inwards behind him.

I'm going to have to tell him to not sit on the desk aren't I? she sighed inwardly, probably a lot…

Sumai turned towards the monk. "Wonderful... the overgrown bird is here too. Speak clearly for once, or is that too much for you."

A woman wearing a black form-fitting kimono spoke up from behind a dark ornamental fan, "I believe he is calling you a fool." She coughed lightly afterward, a sickly sound.

Yuuko's nose picked up a familiar smell. Sickness, she thought, and blood.

Kaguya slammed the end of her spear onto the floor, creating a momentary reprieve from the discourse. She looked as if she was preparing to address everyone.

Yuuko stood near the entrance of the classroom and considered trying to mediate. She was woefully out of her element here, and it's unlikely they would believe she was the new professor even if she explained. Politics, especially between nobles, wasn't something she was even remotely comfortable with. She had skillfully mediated fights between members of the Black Song, but she was unsure if those skills transferred over perfectly. Dealing with young angry lords and ladies was a deeper game than pissed off mercenaries. She was more interested to see how this played out, and Kaguya seemed to be on the right track.

If any of them get hurt, she countered, they'll probably blame me. Yuuko wasn't sure how the rules worked around here, or what her responsibilities were. But it was safe to assume that keeping the students from killing each other was one of them.

With all that in mind, Yuuko decided to:

[]Use the reprieve to mediate. If she fails, as a ditch effort she could try to convince them of her authority. It would also allow her an opportunity to gauge reactions to her in a charged situation.
[]Mediate only if violence comes into play. Kaguya is on the right track here, and she can probably handle this on her own. Yuuko knew that part of being a teacher was letting students resolve things for themselves, rather than being forced to.
[]Remain an observer. Many of the other students in the class seem to be wisely sitting this one out, she should probably do the same. Most of them are at least seventeen, that's old enough to manage the consequences of their own decisions.

In addition, Yuuko found herself wanting to speak with:
(Picking a student includes their followers/confidants)
(PICK THREE)

[]Matsu Kaguya
[]Prince Sumai
[]The dark-haired elven woman
[]Galatea
[]The tengujin monk on the desk
[]The sickly young woman in the black Kimono.

Class name (optional):
[]write in
Examples:
The other two year one classes are:
-Red Thunder
-Dragon Soul

Naming convention is usually two words
-Breaking Dawn
-Golden Phoenix
-Rising Sun

Very late update, I apologize for that. Some rough days and lack of sleep caused some real mental blocks and loss of enthusiasm. I'll be trying to do shorter more frequent updates for a bit. Until I get back into the swing of things. The character profile art is up for those who want to see that sort of thing. The main page will be updated as well.

Notes:
I forgot to include the description for Yuuko's father last chapter, so I've gone back and edited it in. I'll include it here as well along with the description.

Excerpt from 1.3
"Yuuko?" Her father said as he entered, a worried smile on his face.

Her tail swished with happiness, seeing her father alive and well after everything that happened had tugged on her emotions more than she would like to admit.

Her father looked the same as ever, his once dark brown hair now showing its age, his wind-beaten cheeks, bushy eyebrows, and the various old scars strewn across his face. Yet it was his eyes that were the most notable, kind and gentle. Despite his obvious Eastern looks, her father's armor was mostly western in design. A common leather breastplate accompanied underneath by his long sleeve dark green tunic. His silver spear was displayed on his back along with a scarlet short sword on his waist.

Damn this honest tail, she thought as she smiled, dropping the glass onto the bed behind her.

Dice Log:

CHR + CHARM
(D+ + E+)
(2 stat + 1 skill)
4, 18, 20
2 Succeses, pass (dialogue with sigmur)

CHR + CHARM
(D+ + E+)
(2 stat + 1 skill)
20, 15, 11,
3 Successes, pass (dialogue with Kaguya)

XP gains:
(>) CHR: D+ (100/150 XP) [50->100]
(>) Charm: E+ (50/75 XP) [0->50]

Winning Vote:
[X]Yuuko decided she should meet with some of the other professors, any help or tips she could glean from them would be immensely beneficial for her first days.

[X]Meeting the students before they knew she's going to be their professor was important. It would give her insight into their personalities, and how they would treat her before she teaches them.

[X]If her father was here, then there is a good chance the Black Song is probably along as well. Maybe she could seek them out, familiar faces and allies would be easier to deal with than the unknown. She also needed to get another spear as hers was shattered, the company quartermaster would be able to help her with that.

Character Profiles

Students

Matsu Kaguya Matsu Chiyo Prince Sumai Ishum Yanzu Saga Princess Galatea Stormbright Theed Everhunt Serena of Eternity Agasha Oboro Bayushi Akira

Teachers and Church Members

Archbishop Maya Unnamed Knight

Other

Gareus Sigmur Thorandur

Saint Akagi · Oct 7, 2019

Chapter 1.5

The beginning and end of the Path are one and the same. It is not the world that changes along the way, it's the traveler.

—The first two lines in the Chronicler's Saga, 5th edition revised.

Yuuko moved further into the classroom stopping just short of the arguing students near the front. She wanted to be close enough to react if things truly went violent, but just far enough to be another bystander.

Let's see how this plays out, she thought with a barely concealed annoyance. For the students to nearly come to blows at the beginning of the semester, it meant that her work was already cut out for her.

Kaguya silenced her Onijura retainer with an icy glare of her own.

Chiyo's words of protest faltered under the intensity of her lord, opting to remain quiet instead of continuing to contest. The fiery horns on her head had dimmed immediately and simultaneously began to slowly shrink in size.

Admonishing her subordinate silently, she observed, saving her retainer's pride. Capable, but how are you going to deal with this royal asshat, Sumai? Yuuko watched intently, slightly ashamed at her own colorful thoughts towards one of her students. Hanging around mercenaries for as long as she did had shaped how she saw others. It feels strange thinking of them as my students, almost unreal.

After that, the serious class lieutenant shifted her glare between Sumai and Galatea. The other two matched the intensity of her glare between each other, creating a brief standoff.

Like three apex predators sizing each other up, she thought, not so different from the battlefield.

"Prince Sumai." Kaguya's gaze settled on Sumai, then continued to speak, "If you have a problem with our family's choice of retainer..." Her voice was stern and unyielding as she stepped forward and finished, "then this one will handle your concerns."

Prince Sumai replied evenly, "I'm just looking out for you, in a way. After all, it's only a matter of time before they snap," he shot another glance at Galatea, "Mongrels included."

Our young prince has a nasty outlook, she thought. It wasn't a surprise to her, she had seen plenty of racism towards demons and arcanics. Someone should probably fix that attitude of his—oh…that's right. She hadn't entirely processed that she was going to be a teacher here, catching her own indifference in her thoughts.

Galatea brought her arm to her chest, her gauntlet forming an angry fist. Yuuko had already taken half a step forward when Kaguya's hand shot up between the two.

She narrowed her eyes and spoke towards Sumai, "This one understands that our words are not reaching each other's ears. In my honored mother's words, combat is a language of its own. In the Dojo, this one will speak to you in a way you will be able to understand."

Sumai had a complicated look on his face as he looked around the room, perhaps expecting a rally of support. Besides those in the center of the room, it seemed the remainder of the class were content to stay out of things.

"This is tiresome." He threw his hand up in the air dismissively. "If you refuse to accept the truth then there's nothing I can do." He added a final jab towards them, "I'm woefully unequipped to change the minds of the common masses." And with that said, he turned and left the classroom.

Yuuko smiled at him as he went by her, Prince Sumai giving a scornful look in response.

The dark skinned student, who seemed to be the Prince's retainer, bowed once towards Kaguya and Galatea, looking utterly indifferent—or just used to—the Prince's actions. He turned quickly and followed. His footsteps stopping somewhere outside in the courtyard.

You have it tough too, mister guard, Yuuko thought as she watched him leave. With all these important students gathered in one room she could only assume it was intentional. Wouldn't it make more sense to split them up? Or at least give them to an actually experienced teacher? She was beginning to think the ever smiling Maya was a tad dented for setting up something like this.

The tense atmosphere vanished soon after, leaving the two young women without an opponent.

Kaguya sighed and spoke to Galatea, "His words are like air. This one believes it is better to treat it as so."

"His talent for being an infuriating child is truly unmatched." Galatea replied as she unclenched her fist.

"Shoulda decked em boss, he had it comin." The young leopard arcanic playfully chimed in next to Galatea. Unlike the rest of the students he almost looked pleased with how the situation unfolded.

"No violence in the classroom." Kaguya firmly stated again, missing the arcanic's amused tone.

He tossed his hands up, "Whoa whoa whoa, I'm innocent here lieutenant."

"Don't tease her Theed," Galatea frowned. "It's as you said. Sometimes it is better to communicate our words through the dojo. "

Kaguya turned to Chiyo who had remained silent throughout the rest of the exchange. Her red-orange oni horns had almost completely faded and a look of vexation was plastered on her face.

"If you will excuse us Princess Galatea," Kaguya said, her tone solemn. "I must speak with my cousin."

Galatea narrowed her one eye and then saluted with her hand crossed over her chest. "So be it."

"Coulda taken him though," Theed muttered as Kaguya and Chiyo moved out of the classroom. Prompting Galatea to smack her palm to her forehead.

Yuuko smiled genuinely at Kaguya and Chiyo as they passed, hoping it came off that way. Her smile often got her into trouble even when she was being genuine, a bad habit from practicing her mother's prideful displays. Kaguya gave her a slight smile in response, but Chiyo kept her eyes locked ahead.

Frustrated at losing her temper, she thought, must be tough. Onijura were well renowned for their tempers and pissing one off equated to practically kicking a hornet's nest. Yuuko felt some sympathy for her. The young woman didn't choose to be born that way and she was clearly trying her best to control it. As a Wolf arcanic, Yuuko also had trouble sometimes controlling her more animalistic instincts. Even harder for demons, fighting against their nature.

Yuuko could faintly pick up the voices of both Sumai and Kaguya outside which meant they were probably still in the courtyard. Although likely far from each other. The other students had remained inside the classroom with Galatea and Theed returning to their original corners.

There's probably going to be some lasting grudges, she thought, but at least they didn't start killing each other. Yuuko had been focused on how she was actually going to teach and was sorely unprepared for the reality she faced when she entered the classroom. On the bright side, watching things unfold had prepared her for future similar altercations. Although, solving them altogether would be a separate thing entirely.

However, she has a few names now of her students and could match them to their faces fairly well. Her class lieutenant seemed competent enough, but a single event like that wasn't enough to confidently say so. How well the students interacted with each other would come in due time and, more importantly, she's going to only get one chance to get first impressions—before she introduces herself as their teacher.

Yuuko took a moment to look around and consider who she would approach first. She noted that the Tengujin had seemingly zoned out completely while he sat on the desk. His black and red eyes were shut as if meditating. The elven woman was swirling some sort of dark purple magic in her hands and had a look that she clearly didn't want to be spoken to. Various magical formulas and formations flashed and faded too fast for Yuuko to decipher. The Tengujin is out, she thought, and she looks difficult to say the least. I'll save them for last. Galatea has an arcanic with her and her armor tells me she's from Galia. Galians were allied with the arcanic nation of Nier so it likely meant Galatea was a safe first approach to talk to.

With her resolve set Yuuko started to head towards Galatea with the intention of introducing herself. Before she could do that a young looking leopard arcanic bounded towards her. He stood directly in front of her, blocking her path. Standing a little under five feet, the young leopard eared man observed her physique, his eyes starting from the top and going down. Mostly down, she thought with a grimace.

"Hiya gorgeous," He said, with a flirtatious smirk. "What brings you to this part of the jungl—" Before he could finish that sentence he was picked up by the scruff of his collar and dragged backwards. Galatea had lifted him with one arm and easily hefted him behind her with little care.

"Theed I would appreciate if you didn't alienate all of our female classmates." Galatea stated as she placed her hands on her hips.

"You just don't understand boss," He retorted as he dusted himself off, "It's like, if a bear see's honey he's gonna go for it. Even if he gets stung." Returning to ogle at Yuuko again, "And such a fine honey she is."

Before Yuuko could respond, Galatea sternly admonished him, "First off, women aren't honey. Secondly, stop equating women to bees. Or hives, or whatever it is that you're trying to say."

"I wasn't equating women to bees, I was equating you to bees. I'm the bear, she's the hone—," Galatea smacked him on the arm, not letting him finish his explanation. "Ouch! Okay! Okay! Point taken boss lady."

He doesn't look repentant in the least, she thought as she ignored the conspiratorial wink he sent her way. She smiled back, her predatory gaze causing him to wink again.

"I apologize, Miss…?" Galatea let the silence hang, offering her a chance to speak.

"Yuuko," she said as she gave a short bow, "And no worries, I'm used to that sort of thing." Regardless of Theed's intent it only amounted to light banter to her. Growing up around the members of the Black Song wasn't exactly full of courtesy and courtly nuance, so she got used to it.

"Galatea," the princess introduced herself and picked up the young leopard man next, as if lifting a child. "And this is Theed. I should wonder what kind of company you've been keeping to be used to this sort of thing."

"Mercenaries mostly," Yuuko replied honestly. She's normally more reserved around strangers, but the students are going to find out one way or another. Better to tell them herself. "I'm unsure of the proper courtesy here…" She thought back to how Kaguya had reacted.

Theed didn't try to break Galatea's grip instead he waited with a complacent look on his face until she put him down.

He's like an overgrown cat getting scolded by his owner. She felt a little bad for him, but she found herself struggling to keep a straight face more than anything. Doesn't seem like he minds too much. Or maybe he's just resigned to his fate?

Galatea waved her hand. "Courtesy has its place, but in the classroom, we are all peers." She sighed, "Or at least I would like to think so. Not all the students see it that way."

"Like Sumai?" Yuuko asked.

Galatea nodded. "You saw all that huh? The impression you got of him is probably deserved. He's not a terrible person and he's well liked among the people of Helios. But he has a very…Helios point of view."

Theed leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. "Should steer clear of him if you can help it. Guy's bad news for arcanics like me and you."

"Unfortunately, I'm not sure I'll have the choice," Yuuko said. She had done some mercenary work in Helios, and knew what to expect from the majority of citizens and nobility by now. Doing her best to steer clear of it wasn't going to work this time around. As a professor, she was going to have to either correct it or force herself to tolerate it.

"It seems that way doesn't it?" Galatea said. "We're supposed to get along as a class, or at least try to. Whoever decided the roster for this class either had something in mind or is completely ignorant of the firerock powder keg they created."

"That bad huh?" Yuuko's smile becoming strained.

"You missed the assembly days this week, so I wouldn't imagine a late join like yourself to know. You don't seem the courtly type either, given your choice of Northun armor and the lack of recognition for the other students." Galatea stated, as a matter of fact. There was no admonishment or derision to Yuuko's lack of knowledge, if anything she sounded a bit excited to not have to take noble courtesy into account with her.

Yuuko nodded, her eyes being subconsciously drawn towards the other unfamiliar students.

Galatea continued, "You unfortunately already met Sumai Ishum, 5th in line to the Helios Empire, so I'll work my way down the list. The serious dark skinned Iskari man next to him is Yanzu Saga, his friend and retainer. The large dark haired oni woman who keeps getting into fights with him is Matsu Chiyo and her master is our class lieutenant, Matsu Kaguya, heir to the Lion clan's Matsu family."

"Siblings?" Yuuko asked, curious of the two.

"Cousins as far as I know, possibly a branch family. You never know with demons since it's common for families to give them up for adoption." Galatea shrugged and looked towards the Tengujin, "Speaking of demons, the annoyingly cryptic tengujin on the desk there is Agashi Oboro, hailing from the dragon clan."

Theed spoke up, "Can't understand what he's sayin' half the time boss, thinking he's got more bird than brain if you ask me."

Galatea sighed but let his comment stand, it seems she felt something similar to Theed's opinion.

Yuuko tilted her head thinking about each student. Rare to see a single demon, let alone two in the same class. It also seems like a recipe for disaster to have three clan heirs in a single classroom. "And the others?" she said, hesitantly, not looking forward to the answer. She was feeling further and further out of her element.

Galatea pointed to the elven woman, "Serena of Eternity, she's about as aristocratic as they get."

"Totally stuck up. Terrible. Awful." Theed crossed his arms and pouted.

"You're just upset at how strongly she rejected you Theed," Galatea commented.

"She called me an overgrown house cat!" he pleaded. "I'm way cuter than a house cat boss! And way stronger!"

Galatea made a disgusted face and ignored him, "The woman in the black kimono doing calligraphy is Bayushi Akira, former heir to the scorpion clan's Bayushi family. She mostly keeps to herself."

Bayushi Akira had a set of brushes and ink spread out evenly on her desk and was working intently on her painting.

"She smells like death," Theed added, already moving on from being ignored. "You can smell it too right? You've probably got an even better nose than I do."

Yuuko tilted her head and replied, "Maybe…" She didn't want to share to the other students if the woman's sickness wasn't known. "Is that everyone then?"

"Mostly." Galatea said, scanning the room one more time. "It's likely we'll have a few late joiners like yourself to fill a full roster. Or else, we'll be at a disadvantage against the other classes in terms of numbers."

It's going to take me some time to remember them all, she thought, wishing she had more time to prepare.

Yuuko gave a light bow. "Thanks Galatea, I feel a little less lost now."

"No problem Yuuko, it's refreshing to drop all the aristocratic rules in favor of honest dialogue. I can only hope our professor sees it the same way."

"You might be surprised," Yuuko said with a smile.

"Maybe. Too many of my tutors were stuffy old men. Far removed from the common man and the battlefield." Galatea recalls her experience with professors.

"You'd prefer someone with practical recent experience then?"

"Most definitely, I came here for combat experience and to learn from those who live that life. I've had enough of castles and courts."

Yuuko nodded with some understanding. She had never looked at the nobility as a heavenly wonderland like many of the other's of the Black Song had. It allowed power and security, but also responsibility in kind. Being locked in a castle all day long would drive her mad in the end. Maybe I'll be able to hold some classes outdoors? Or in the Dojo. Her mind raced with the possibilities for the days to come.

A massive ringing bell was heard in the distance, echoing throughout the academy buildings and finding its way into the classroom. Its deep sound repeated four times in succession. Yuuko tilted her head in curiosity, her ears twitched with each powerful reverberation. That's going to take some getting used to.

"The monkey bell," Galatea explained, "You should take some to time to meet the others if you wish. It won't be long before each class is called to assembly."

Yuuko nodded and bowed again in thanks, "I'll do that then. Thanks Galatea."

Galatea waved her off with a wry smile before turning back to Theed, picking up where they left off in their conversation about Serena.

She moved away to give them some privacy, although she could still hear each word with her enhanced hearing. They seem to argue a lot, but get along well at the same time. She moved towards the woman in the black kimono who was in the middle of painting.

Bayushi Akira held her brush up in front of her as Yuuko approached, tilting her head and shutting one eye as if studying her. "The armor is…difficult," she said quietly. "Would you please...spin?"

Yuuko decided to oblige the strange woman. She spun on the spot in front of the desk then stopped after a single turn. Yuuko then peered over to see exactly what Akira was working on by looking down at her desk. To her surprise, she found herself staring at her own likeness in great detail. Akira had just finished outlining Yuuko's armor and was starting to ink in the dark blue color. Her hand moved quickly, each stroke laid with a concentrated precision.

"You're painting me?" Yuuko asked, feeling intensely curious.

With a flourish Akira filled in another part of the armor and looked up at her, "Easier for me to…remember." Stopping briefly to look at Yuuko. "Is it a problem?"

"Not a problem, I'm just surprised. I've never had someone paint me with such detail before," Yuuko said. It's a little unnerving how accurate it is. Mirrors were a luxury for most people, especially the clear ones that reflected her accurately. When she was a child, her father had given her a small mirror that had belonged to her mother, just so she could at least recognize herself in a painting.

She then continued with a nod, introducing herself, "Yuuko."

"Yuu—Ko," Akira said, as if testing the name on her tongue. "I had thought of you as a Westerner, but I can see a touch of the East in your eyes. Do you know how to write it?" She held out her hand offering the brush.

Yuuko nodded and took the brush, writing the eastern characters as her father taught her on one of the blank sheets (優子).

"Superior child," Akira managed to say before she stifled a cough into the long sleeve of her black kimono.

"That's how my mother wrote it," Yuuko said. "But my father writes it like this." She wrote two more characters on the sheet (侑子) then she held the brush out for Akira afterwards.

"Leading child." Akira smiled faintly, "It is...fitting." Taking the brush back and dipped it into the black inkwell next to her. Using both styles, she painted Yuuko's name on each side in beautiful calligraphy. "A daughter of east and west, and yet... a daughter of neither."

Yuuko wasn't sure she understood Akira's statement. "Neither?"

"Your appearance will always mark you as mixed," Akira slowly said, clarifying with a twinge of sadness in her voice, "You will never truly be one with either side."

Yuuko crossed her arms and tilted her head as if in deep thought. "Hmm, you make a good point Akira. But I guess I'd counter with, so what?"

"So what?" Akira gave a confused look, as if surprised by her answer.

She smiled at her, coming to an easy conclusion. "So what if I'll never really fit in to either side. I've been between places my entire life, doesn't bother me much. Besides, if people can't truly accept me because of this," she pointed to her eyes, "And this," she motioned to her ears and tail. "Then I don't really care about their opinion anyways."

Akira sat silent for a few moments, clasping her hands in front of her. "The concept is somewhat strange to me."

"People don't accept each other for any number of reasons," Yuuko continued, "And you'll never fit perfectly into each individual ideal anyways, so why not set your own?"

"What if you wish to belong, but those around you think otherwise?" Akira questioned, her voice carrying more passion than before.

Yuuko raised two of her fingers. "Two options. One: You can rise above, become someone they can't afford to ignore." She continued, "Or, Two: you find people who accept you regardless of what you are. Who you are."

She looked up at Yuuko and covered her mouth as she laughed, a sweet and faint sound. It didn't take long before the young woman started to cough again, cutting her short. "How brazen, I had not thought of it like that."

Akira methodically wiped the remaining ink on her brush with a piece of cloth before laying the brush down on the desk. "Where I come from, in the east, Duty and Loyalty are prized above all else." She said while placing the brush inside an expensive looking ornamental case adorned with scorpion sigils. "Fulfilling one's duty is an inevitability, so what you said would be considered the height of scandal among the families. And yet, I don't think you're wrong for thinking that way."

"Loyalty I can understand, but duty... can be troublesome…" Yuuko trailed off, unsure of how to explain. She felt loyal to her father, and many members of the Black Song—she felt it's a duty to protect them. But outside of that? The concept didn't really apply for her.

"Truly." Akira agreed, letting the conversation ease into a lasting lull as she began to pack up her papers.

Father never had very many good things to say about honor and duty. A mercenary's loyalty only goes as far as the coin does in the end. He never did tell me why he felt that way…

She felt as though Akira had a much different understanding of duty and loyalty. The near reverence and total respect in her voice giving it away, not unlike many of the nobles and knights Yuuko had encountered. Yuuko didn't think Akira's way of thinking was wrong either, but she could sense some inner turmoil within her measured words. Maybe her sickness has something to do with it? Either way I don't know her well enough to guess. It was something she could ask later once she knew the students better.

"May I?" Yuuko said, motioning to the drying painting of her, breaking the silence.

Akira nodded, tilting her head curiously. "Please use the edges, it's still drying."

Yuuko picked it up and held it in the light, examining her likeness with a teasing smile. "We should display it, add some feeling to the room." She took the painting near the wall behind the professor's desk—her desk—and held it up on the wall. "Hmm, perfect."

Yuuko had no real understanding of fine art, but she could at least recognize the talent and work that went into Akira's paintings.

"I am not against it but-" Akira gently raised her hands in protest.

"You'll need to ask the professor right?" Yuuko said as she returned to Akira's desk, laying the painting back down carefully.

"Yes...we should get Sensei's permission."

"I don't think it'll be a problem" Yuuko said, looking at the painting a little longer. "Have you done a painting for everyone in the class?"

"Almost...yes," She coughed into her sleeve.

Yuuko smiled. "I'm looking forward to seeing the others."

A faint hint of a smile had crept onto Akira's face as she wrapped the rest of her materials in a black cloth, tying a bow of gold twine around it. She slid it under her arm with a tired look. "I have some matters to attend to before the assembly, and it is regrettable to cut our conversation short."

"Don't let me keep you then."

"I should like... if we talk again, Miss Yuuko…" She paused, "It was most enjoyable."

"Of course," Yuuko saw her off with a wave.

I wonder if any of the other students have approached her, she thought, probably not. The young woman seemed the height of dark omen in appearance with how much black she wore. Her almost ghostly white skin seemed to add to the gloomy effect and she had no doubt that the woman would make for a convincing ghost if encountered late at night. Yuuko got the feeling that the poor girl had found herself isolated to some extent. She felt a little satisfaction to have brightened her day, and was flattered that she was painted in the first place. Maybe I'm weak to that sort of thing? Her mother's more narcissistic side no doubt.

Once again, on her own, Yuuko decided to meet up with Kaguya and Chiyo. She could just barely pick up Kaguya's voice somewhere outside the classroom. Following the lavender scent she caught from before she was able to quickly find the pair outside in the courtyard. On the other side of the courtyard was Prince Sumai flanked by Yanzu, and each side was clearly making a point of ignoring the other.

Probably better that way, she thought, for now.

With a wave and a smile Yuuko approached Kaguya and Chiyo. "Captain Kaguya," she said, as a greeting.

Kaguya bowed formally as she approached, Chiyo warily mimicking her bow a few seconds after. "Lady Yuuko," Kaguya said, "This one apologizes for the disturbance in the classroom."

Chiyo's red eyes flashed with an eerie glow for a brief moment while she stared intently at Yuuko.

Anger? She thought, or maybe shame. Yuuko couldn't read the Oni woman's expression, but could easily tell that she was wary of her presence.

"Wasn't your fault," Yuuko shrugged, "Seemed more to do with cultural differences than anything else." She was fairly sure Kaguya was the type to take the blame regardless. Either as a failure of her position as class lieutenant, or her subordinate's involvement.

"This one must strive to do better. It is a poor reflection of our classroom."

Yuuko crossed her arms, meeting Chiyo's intense gaze for a moment before looking back to Kaguya. "I don't think so, it's more lively than anything else. Nothing exists in a state of total harmony anyways." Except maybe the Tengujin and his desk, I think he fell asleep when I left.

While infighting was met with punishment in the Black Song, it was also expected to some degree; Mostly when alcohol was involved. Two members might come to blows or blades might even be drawn in the most dire cases. However, the damage done was almost always limited to those two individuals. When it came to the Commanders or those with power, it was quite different. Either side could be, or is powerful in their own right, and they most likely have the resources to back up any of their intended actions. Much like the case between Prince Sumai and Princess Galatea.

Kaguya looked like she was about to respond but Chiyo spoke instead, "Who is this rude woman Kaguya? Why does she address you so informally?"

Protective aren't we? Yuuko thought.

A look of frustration flashed on Kaguya's face. "She means no harm Chiyo, she is ignorant of our customs. Please do not judge our classmate so." She back to Yuuko, "My cousin is simply...wary."

Yuuko just smiled in response.

Chiyo pressed further, "I did not see a Lady Yuuko on the class roster. Are you even sure this is one of our classmates?"

Kaguya frowned, "This one believes a late enrollment is not uncommon."

Yuuko held up her hands to placate them, "Caution is an admirable trait. I am a part of this class, but I don't have any evidence to prove it."

A cautious soldier is a living soldier. Her father's teachings echoed in her mind.

"I could be a student, or maybe the professor? Who knows~" Yuuko said teasingly. She considered telling them the whole truth right then and there, but she was certain that they wouldn't believe her. Especially now with Chiyo's suspicious red gaze locked on to her.

Chiyo narrowed her eyes and spoke plainly, "I don't like you."

Kaguya spoke with frustration, "Chiyo!"

Yuuko was beginning to like the abrasive Oni, despite Chiyo's clear dislike of her. "Oh my, how honest." She said in mocking indignation as she matched her glare with an evasive smile.

Before anyone could continue, the echoes of another bell bounced throughout the courtyard. This time it sounded like a set of cascading notes chiming into a tune. A few of the students in the courtyard looked up at the noise with mixed reactions. Before long many of them began to move away from the classrooms and the courtyard for some... purpose.

Yuuko looked at Kaguya and decided to guess, "The assembly?"

The class captain shot her cousin a frustrated look of admonishment before turning to address Yuuko. "Yes, this one will show you the way if needed."

"I'm sure I'll figure it out," she said, "Thanks Kaguya."

Kaguya nodded solemnly and left, a guilty looking Chiyo in tow behind her. Yuuko watched as the classrooms filtered out the students and those in the courtyard began moving to the north. Her eyes caught sight of a familiar sigil on the clothing of two individuals who stood out among the rest. They were older than the students around them and each bore the teaching sigil that Maya had told her about.

In front of the first class was a woman with dark brown hair, with armor clad in brown leathers. Yuuko noted the lightly glowing teaching sigil on the woman's skirt, a stark contrast to the rest of her clothing. She walked with her gauntleted hands clasped behind her back, inspecting the students of her class. Each of the students had formed up into an orderly line without much direction. A mixture of excitement and fear on their faces as she slowly paced past them. She noted clear relief on many of the students' faces as their professor passed onto the next in line.

Like a military inspection of new recruits, Yuuko thought, she must have done a number on them if they're this scared of her already.

The professor stopped suddenly, stiffly turning to face a young man with long silver hair who was smiling widely despite the intense woman staring him down. She reached up and dusted off the shoulder of his cloak, before turning to move to the next in line.

Lucky, Yuuko thought, or unlucky. The professor spun back and reached for his cloak, pulling it roughly up and exposing the young man's half buttoned shirt beneath and revealing his muscled chest.

"Against Regulation, twenty." The professors commanding voice barked out.

The young man whined. "Professor Beatrix, it's in style right now you can't expec-"

"Forty," she cut him off.

"Yes, Professor Beatrix," he gave in and dropped to the ground, beginning his forty pushups.

The strict professor clasped her hands behind her and slowly continued down the line again.

Yuuko looked to the other classroom and found that the professor she spotted there had a different approach. A massive bald man sat with his back to one of the pillars, legs crossed and hands clasped in meditation. While Professor Beatrix was nearly covered head to toe. The heavily muscled man was barely wearing anything beyond thin silken orange robes. His students seemed to be scattered haphazardly, and without direction.

One young woman sporting shining blond hair tied in braids approached him and spoke, "Um...Okabe Sensei, shouldn't we be lining up for the assembly?"

His stroked his short-cropped beard as he replied. "The destination we desire has many paths that lead to it. There is no right or wrong way to reach what we seek."

As long as you show up, Yuuko thought, any way is fine.

He continued, "Tell me Valeera, is it chaos or order that rules our lives?
"It's both?" she said, sounding unsure.

"Indeed, for each has its merit. For order to thrive, chaos must run rampant. For chaos to grow, order must be in place." A single blue butterfly had landed on his head as he spoke. "A good answer Valeera, I was right to pick you for the leading path."

Valeera sighed, "Yes sensei, thank you." She began to round up the rest of the class and started to direct them towards the north end of the courtyard. Yuuko noticed that she didn't line them up, but instead had them form into loose groups.

He's a real sink or swim type, Yuuko thought, guiding his students to figure things out on their own.

She looked between the two professors and thought, like fire and ice.

Both classes had mostly filtered out by now, leaving the two Professors behind. Yuuko saw an opportunity to approach one of them as she was still lacking any sort of teaching experience. Any help she could get would go a long way to helping her do her job properly.

Yuuko decided to try and talk to:

[]Professor Beatrix. Although she was far stricter than Yuuko was comfortable with, she could probably count on her to provide the help she needed. The professor would likely provide a good structure, with rules and regulations strictly in-between. However, Yuuko is most likely going to get lectured and lectures are unpleasant, but it wasn't exactly the worst thing in the world.

[]Okabe Sensei. A sink or swim Sensei was more Yuuko's style, and it felt more familiar to her and the experiences she had in the Black Song. Her father wasn't as cryptic, but he often had left her to figure out things for herself while under his guidance. Yuuko wasn't sure if the man's relaxing approach on teaching would tell her everything she needed to know. But she could probably just figure out the rest on her own anyways.

Late chapter, it's hard to write when pretty sick. Special thanks to the editor for all the help. I considered moving this to another format because of my slow update speed, but as long as people enjoy reading/playing it I'll keep writing it. We'll be getting into the meat of the story pretty soon, like class plans and teaching. What students we focus on and things like that.

The End of Fire

The End of Fire ||

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Saint Akagi

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