Reborn

Katsuo looked at the woman and then at Meago. "I wouldn't let my guard down." He said, perfectly clearly so the woman could hear. She looked him over and smiled slightly.
"I see you didn't follow the paths now did you? The forest is a dangerous place at night." She said before motioning them forward. "Look, trust me or not, you all look like you could use some rest. We have enough space in our doctors space for you all to rest and get some real food." She said, then turned heading towards a large building ahead of them. "coming?" She asked and Misuke took in a breath using his eye trick. Nothing around them seemed to be dangerous, no tainted souls lying in wait or anything. "It's better than starving out here." He muttered before following after the woman.

'mmm food' she thought and walked after misuke "fine... but i doubt ill get any sleep" she grumbled looking at all the trees suspiciously

when she finally sat down she looked at the food with a blank stare. non of it was familiar

she looked at katsuo with an awkward look before looking back at the large spread of food "have you ever seen this stuff before?" she said picking an odd shaped fried leg of some weird beast and examining it

Katsuo was baffled at the ammounts of food, but then again he didn't know if it was edible. "Uh, I think this looks like chicken?" He said, poitning to a white meat covered in a bright green leaves. Misuke blinked, his child like curiousity not telling him anything was wrong with this. Food was food, and he was hungry. He picked up a piece of bread with flecks of yellow in it and took a bite from it. He chewed for a bit before smiling. "Delicious!" Katsuo noticed the kid didn't fall over dead so he picked up up the weird meat and tried it. "Not bad." He said though it tasted really bitter.

she took a bite too and felt her nose wrinkle at the strong spice. she set it down and took a drink from the cup sitting next to her. she picked another fish looking thing up and took a bite. it was better but was an awkward taste. she chewed slowly and looked at misuke "how can you eat this weird stuff" she whispered watching him stuff his face

"I don't know. I don't think I've ever eaten this before...I guess this host body likes this kind of stuff." Misuke said with a shrug, as he took a bite from a purple vegitable that looked like a tomato but with blue veins running through it in a spiderweb like pattern. Katsuo looked at the drinks sitting off to the side and breathed a sigh of relief at a sign of alcohol within reach to help stomach the food. He picked up the bottle and popped the cork but instantly turned his nose up at the smell of the alcohol. "That stuffs potent enough to kill Death herself." He coughed just as the woman came back in the room.
"I see you guys are enjoying just a few of this forests gifts." She said, ruffling Misuke's hair.
"By the way. My name is Evelyn. I'm the current woman inchanrge of this lovely village. Everything done here is my responsibility so if you need anything just ask." She sat down in one of the chairs and looked them over. "Now tell me travellers. What brings you so far into my knick of the woods?"

"eh... defidentally not the food" she said low enough so that evelyn couldnt hear her

"um... just trying to get to the other side" she said to evelyn before grabbing a flaming orange piece of meat and bitting into it. it actually wasnt as bad as the other stuff. she felt her nose wrinkle at the smell coming from katsuo's drink and looked at him with a face that looked like she was just sprayed with a skunk "figures we find food and its near inedible" she whispered to him

"Figure's we'd get attacked by trees and driven into a village full of them." Katsuo said back just as Evelyn laughed.
"It's an acquired taste." She said and got to her feet. "Like the type of people that show up here." She said cryptically. She moved around the table pacing.
"Well if its a quick route out I can see to it that you get it come morning. The day has grown long and these roads are still dangerous at night." She said as she ran a hand along the table side. Katsuo watched her a moment, his eyes following hers. When their eyes met, something about Evelyn's eyes seemed so....dead? Was that the word he was looking for? It was like the lights were on but no one was home. He, Katsuo, actually felt uncomfortable under her stare.
Evelyn dropped his eyes and looked to Akiko and Meago who sat across from each other. "You girls are free to use the bath houses if you wish. The women that work there are very sweet and they enjoy the guests." She said just as a muscular man walked in with a rather large blade at his waist. Misuke noticed something about the man, a sense that he got that made him hide his face as he glanced at him. The man's dark grey hair seemed so soft, almost fur like. But when he saw Evelyn's sweet smile, he relaxed. There was no way such a nice woman could do anything wrong.
"Ah, there you are Loah. Everyone I believe your rooms are ready." Evelyn said gesturing to the door. "If you're all done here of course. We have three more courses if you wish to stay here."

"uuuum i think im good. i would like to take a bath though..." she said and stood up "still have dirt in my hair." she said and looked at misuke "just stay close to katsuo until i get back ok?" she said and walked passed the man raising an eyebrow at him and walked towards the bath house

she hmmed softly as she dropped her clothes and pulled her jewlery off. it had been so long since she had a proper bath! after putting a towel on she walked as instructed into a steamy room. she smiled at the large hot water tub and took a deep breath of the nice hot steam slipping in up to her chin "ahhhh how nice!" she murmured sinking in to her nose "i could get used to this" she thought then let her mind wander to misuke and katsuo "i hope the boys are doing fine without me... and akiko... she has been so lost since that girl died" she thought dunking under the water rubbing the dirt out of her hair. soon it was as soft as silk and shiny clean. she let her hair hang out of the bath and on the floor while she rested her head on the edge of the tub "im so... tired..." she thought not understand why she was suddenly so out of it. 'maybe that meal... and the warmness of the room... i could...*yawn* just take a quick nap" she thought "no am i nuts i cant sleep in a bath! ill drown!" she said shaking her head splashing her face with water 'its kinda creepy in here all by myself...' she thought looking around the large empty room 'what kind of place is this?' she thought

Katsuo walked along the hallway his hand continuously on his blade as they followed Evelyn to their rooms. Everything was so quiet though people walked down the halls. He kept his eyes on the surrounding area, especially the man with the blade who turned down the oppiste hall as they neared the rooms. "I have four rooms for you all, no need to force you together after all." She said and Katsuo looked to akiko and Misuke. "We'll then I'll leave yall to your resting. Have fun kiddies." She said before walking off.
Katsuo waited till she left and looked to them. "Lock your doors tonight. Don't open it unless you're sure its one of us."
Misuke frowned at him. "Why? What's going on?"
"Just trust me..I'm getting a bad feeling about this place."
"Well I'm not." Muske said and huffed. "You guys worry too much." He said walking into his room and shutting the door behind him. Katsuo frowned and looked to Akiko. "Did you sense the wrongness just then...I say before mornings light, we leave. before Evelyn misses us."
~~
A snap came from outside of the bath house, loud enough to frighten anyone inside. When Meago was to look away a root lay in wait by her weapons to snatch them away.

"m...misuke? katsuo?" she called nervously when the sound rang through the bathhouse

she stood up her towel clinging to her as she stepped around the corner. "kat-" she said and felt something thud on the back of her head and instantly she was out.

Akiko felt very numb. Everything around her happened as if she were in another plane of existence, watching time pass. She did occasionally nod or shake her head in response to questions, but said very little. She did feel something wrong about the town. She turned to Katsuo and nodded her head, but continued to say nothing.

Katsuo noticed she was off and sighed. "Come on I don't trust you alone." He said and dragged her into his room. He sat her down on the bed while he took the chair. "Now, I'm a Blade, your a Sealer. We have to work TOGETHER. Meaning you need to quit the sulking." He said though he felt like an ass saying it. "She was a good kid. She died. But your job is to dispell the dead before they can turn into those monsters got it?" He said and sighed, leaning back. "Just promise me, you'll help me out. I tried doing something on my own and got someone I cared about killed. I can't let that happen again."
~~~
Misuke sat there in his room, looking out the window at the afternoon sun lit tree city. So many people were moving around outside, packing up before night fell. A little girl on the groud noticed him and tried to wave, but the mother caught her hand quickly and dragged her away. He sighed and moved away from the window. For some reason he felt so tired, like a heavy weight was placed on his eyelids and it was getting harder and harder to keep them open.
'Maybe it's stress.' He thought but when he tried to walk to the door his feet fell out from underneath him. "Wha-what?" He whispered as the room spun around him.
He took in a deep breath and got to his feet unsteadily, hurrying to Meago's room to see if she was back yet. He didn't want to go to any of Death's people, he still didn't trust them.
"Meago?" He said as he opened the door but no one answered. She wasn't there. "The bath house." He mumbled in thought and moved down the halls. After a while of wandering he knew he was lost and already the room around him was begining to pitch and turn funny colors.
He heard footsteps up ahead and went to call out to them till he saw it was the man with the grey hair. Misuke hid behind the corner peeking around as he went into a room behind a door that was shrouded in shadow. Misuke moved a little forward and cracked the door to peer inside.
All he could see was darkness and points of light illuminating the floor in a large circle. In the center was someone and on the floor infront of her was Meago. She was tied down to the floor, by roots that coverd her body except for her head.
"Now to finally get the soul energy from these kids. Thought they were so tough beating one of my tainted souls, hmph!" She hissed as the man bowed to her. Misuke wa shorrified to find him handing her a Fates book and a pair of fuzzy wolf ears that appeared on his head.
"Yes m'lady. But what about the others?" He asked in a baratone voice.
"Bring the boy next. Another Fates power should do me just nicely if I wish to stay this powerful and young forever." She said and turned her face to the light. Misuke was horrified to see it was Evelyn, but an older looking version of her with greying hair.
"One problem. The boy has gone missing."
"What?! Go find him you moron! Damn Creaotrs can't do anything by themselves!" She hissed and the man nodded getting to his feet and dashing out the door stealthly.
"Ah she's waking up." Evelyn giggled and Misuke saw Meago's head flop lazily to the side. "Wake up sleepy head. I need you fully awake to finish the spell."

"5 more minutes sensei" she muttered before coughing and shaking her head "wait... where... " she mumbled looking up at evelyn

"what the hell have you done to me your wtich!" she growled shaking her head left to right

Akiko looked at Katsuo. She winced at his abrasiveness, but she understood his point. They did need to work together since their survival were now in each other's hands. "I'm sorry about your friend," she said, wanting to ask more about what happened, but deciding not to,"...I promise that I'll help."

(Sorry my internet hates me)
Katsuo actually felt something like a smile come to his lips even though mentioning Takehiko normally would have made him withdraw. It still hurt like hell, but he didn't want to feel like a hypocrite and sink into depression himself. "Hey, I meant to ask. I never heard much about you, besides being out in the forest on your own...come from anywhere?"
~~~
Evelyn smiled, her grin spidery and wicked. "Ah not a witch beautiful but a follower of 'our god'." She said the word god coming out like it was venom. "I've got all this power and yet still I don't have enough, but you, your firends and all the other idiot travelers that enter this village are mine to take from. Just think when I have a Creators life energy flowing through me! Ah, I'lll be young forever!" She giggled as she finished drawing the inscription on the floor.
"Now just the incantation and its all over honey." She said before reading aloud from her book. When flashed the cover, un like Misukes this one had a red hand symbol bleed into the front. Suddenly before the last word could leave her mouth she was thrown backwards into a table of different spices and poisons. Misuke ran through the door way and came to rest by Meago.
"Meago, I'm sorry." Was the first thing out of his mouth as he tried to free her. Touching the roots however only made them absorb energy from him. He backed away from them just as a fire ball of pure red skimmed over the vines on Meago's arm and missed Misuke by an inch.
"Damn twerp! I'll teach you to mess with me!" Evelyn hissed aiming a much larger on at him that would be harder to dodge. Little did she know the restraints on Meago were weak due to the heat of her flames.

meago flexed and felt the roots crack she pushed upward and charged forward pinning evelyn. she sat with evelyns shoulders pinned under meago's knees and she started to punch repeatedly into evelyns face. she felt herself get yanked off and gripped her towel whirling around and kicking evelyn in the jaw. meago looked frantically for her weapons seeing one of her blades under the roots she yanked it upward pulling one of her blades out swinging it freely "come get some bitch" she said huffing her eye sight still blurry from whatever she did to make meago groggy in the first place

Akiko frowned and held her knees to her chest. "I...I come from a small farm town. I used to live with my parents, but they never really liked me. I thought they would accept my powers and see them as a helpful gift....they only saw it as an annoying curse....I left home soon afterwards...." Akiko told Katsuo, feeling a mixed sense of relief....and sorrow.

"that happens..." Katsuo said looking at her for a moment before his eyes found the floor. "My parents called me a demon child. They tossed me on the streets. The worst part is I believed them...but instead of allowing me to die some fate wound me up in the royal palace...and that's how I got here..." He said and shook his head. "God the world is so damn morbid." He said with a slight smile. "But when it gets this morbid, Takehiko used to play this stupid game. You say what you like and then what you dislike...somehow it always made him feel better..." He said then closed his eyes.
"I dislike loud people but I like those that speak their mind...your turn..." He said, though it sounded silly he did feel a little better despite the memories that came with the words.
~~~
Evelyn held her face her spell disipating before it hit Misuke. "Loah take care of her!" She hissed and the massive Creator landed infront of Meago, bringing his heavy blade down on her dagger. Despite his massive size he could move quickly, though he wasn't as lithe. He took another swing at her head, the blade catching so much momentum Misuke could feel the wind from the swing hit him a few feet away.
"You're mine kid." Evelyn snatched Misuke by his arm. Instantly, the moment she touched him her hand caught in a blue fire and she staggered back, waving it away. "Neat trick but weak, as expected." She hissed and Misuke felt his hand tremble slightly from effort. He focused the energy in his hands and sent a force of energy in her direction, knocking her back. She caught the wall before hit it and Evelyn landed infront of him, the force of her more experienced energy throwing him to the floor.
"Such a weakling. Can't even protect his Creator. Let me spell something out for you kid, you don't get strong by playing with the rules." She said as she pulled from his shirt his book. "To get strong you need to give up everything, even your silly god. Us warriors, their creations have to real power, something they can't touch!" She flicked her finger and a flame started burning the corner of the book. His eyes widdened and instantly felt the pull of something familiar. He was beinging to lose control of this body, without that book the spell would disappear. "No!" He growled and with a force of energy he knocked the book from her and came at her with another wave of fire. She took his blows easily and eventually had him pinned to a wall, her hand squeezing his throat. "Stupid." She laughed and sent a bone crushing amount of energy into him. Instantly he shouted in pain and writhed under her grip. He would die if this kept up, but he could focus enough to fight her off.

Akiko frowned, sad that Katsuo had a similar experience, but soon smiled when he mentioned the boy and the game. "Alright....I like animals but spiders are icky," she stated, making a grimace on her face as if she tasted something disgusting in her mouth.

meago bolted past the massive guy grabbing the book from the girl holding. she was trying to hold her blade his book and her towel all at the same time

"THIS HAS TO BE A FREAKIN JOKE!" she growled chucking the book to the side while using her blade to block a blow from the big guy. she was sent crashing to the floor the tiles breaking under the pressure.

she growled and moved her blade rolling and slicing into the brutes arm making him roar


she ran towards the book and kicked it towards misuke trying to bring a blow down on evelyn but failed because she had to block an attack by loah

MISUKE! COME ON GET UP!" she yelled her feetl sliding across the floow as he pushed against her. finally sending her flying into the wall. she huffed but staggered forward

Katsuo nodded almost agreeing with her, "I like the sun but dislike the summer. Weird right?" He said and pointed to the clock.
"I dislike clocks but knowing how much time you have is nice..." He said running a hand through his hair with a small sigh. "Again I'm being morbid. Guess this game doesn't work for everyone..."
~~~
Misuke blinked though his head felt like it was swimming. "Meago?" He saw her go flying backwards and instantly something in him clicked. With the book in close proximity, he felt his power tap back in and he closed one eye. Instantly he saw Evelyn in a pallete of colors that sent her into a blaze of blues and reds. He focused on the red center within her center and forced energy into her. Evelyn suddenly froze like a statue with vacant doe eyes. He shifted his arm and realeased his clenched fist. She dropped him instantly, her wide eyes showing her anger and terror.
"Let me go you little bastard!" She hissed, able to see the visible tendrils of energy that had hold of her core. It was a very powerful spell that not many Fates knew because of the price it held. This was possession that trapped the owners original soul. Keeping them perfectly conscious while they were killed and destroyed the soul when done instead of simply expelling it.
Misuke didn't seem to be in his right mind at the moment, unable to speak. At this point the power took all his focus, leaving no room for sympathy for Evelyn. She struggled against his grip as he tightened it, actually managing to raise her hand shakily. She looked like she was going to aim a spell at Misuke but instead the red flame shot at Meago. "No, Meago move!" Misuke called out to her, his control slipping ever so slightly on her. The flame spiraled and hit the wall above her head bringing down a rain of rock down on her as to throw her off while Loah took her out.

meago looked up as the rocks came down on her head. she put her arms up to try and protect her head and face but they did a number tearing up her arms

"ahhh" she yelled blood dripping off her arms loah bringing his blade down on her. the blade hit her shoulder and meago did the only thing she could. she pushed into the blade and rammed hers through loah's neck. a move no one would have guessed. loah fell blood spurting from his neck. meago's arm hung from her shoulder limpy. the cut had completely pulled it from the socket, her arm was only hanging on by a few bits of muscle sticking together. she felt pain hit her and she gritted her teeth. she couldnt move that arm and her entire left side was being bathed in blood. she held her blade tightly and walked towards evelyn

"hang on...misu" she fell to her knees in mid sentence hitting the floor in a thud

Akiko smiled, "No, it's alright. It's like I'm finally getting to know you. Anyways, I like enjoying long days, but dislike having to spend most of it doing things besides sleeping." Akiko laughs at how lazy she sounds.

Katsuo nodded. "Can't get away with that now can you?" He said with a raise of his eyebrow. He then blinked rubbing his chin in thought. "I like chicken and I dislike pork with a passion. Something about pigs creep me out." He said just thinking of the slimmy meat making him feel a bit sick. "I like being called Kat by certain people but I dislike it when people that I'm not familiar with it use it." He said and thought a little more. "I guess you qualify as familiar...but the second you try to call me Kitty Kat I'll kick your ass got it?" He said though he know he'd never be able to raise a hand to Akiko.
~~~
Misuke caught sight of the exchange iwth Meago and Loah, his eyes widdening to the size of moons. Evelyn focused her energy then on Misuke in his time of weakness, ready to kill him as he watched Meago make her way over to them. When she dropped into a pool of her own blood, he turned his attention back to Evelyn glared with tear brimmed eyes holding his open flamed hand out to her in warning though she focused another flame on him.
"You don't have the guts to kill me. Not with the damage it will cause you...if you want enough energy to save her..." She snickered, and Misuke stared at her for moment. He suddenly remembered that dream from that night in the forest, something that tore at him from the inside for some reason, and instantly raised his hand. She followed his motion in her shock and held the flamed hand at her temple like a gun.
"Oh but I do Evelyn. I'm not the scared little kid you think I am." He snarled, as her eyes widdened at him. He pulled the fake trigger and there was a loud shreik before Evelyn fell silent.
Misuke felt the full force of her death hit him, knocking him to the floor, slding him near Meago. Though his body ached like hell and his right eye was a bloody red he crawled over to her and instantly placed his hands on her arm.
"No, come on Meago." He said, closing his eyes and focusing all the energy he had left into her. The force of the flame starting on his hands was enough to instantly make him slump a little as his energy dwindled. Her arm slowly stitched its way back together, guided to muscle and tissue and tendons, stinging the bone back to the socket. It couldn't however replenish blood and he only got part way in the healing before the flames started dwindling. Instead of completely healing over with no trace there was a jagged scar on he shoulder that was now discollered from the exstensive magic used on the skin. He breathed heavily and waited for her to move with a tear streaked face. He suddenly felt the feeling of being drained and fell forward, resting on on the floor next to her. "Please...please....wake up....don't leave me....." He panted, taking her limp hand, before he blacked out.
A dark dream came to Misuke. He felt like he was floating somewhere between darkness and light. Something was calling him to the sarkness but he couldn't quiet tell what it was. A voice that said "hang on....misu." It clicked and for a moment he saw a face of a beautiful woman with blond curly hair. He smiled slightly as she looked down on him with a bright smile of her own, the wing like ears on her head ruffling in her joy. But suddenly the image faded and a new one took the other girls face. This one was of Meago with her ears raised as she complained to him about being an annoying kid. Something inside of him drew itself from his control and he instantly reached for her just as the arkness swallowed him again.
"Meago!" He shouted as he sat up suddenly, but the dizziness sent him back down. He blinked when he felt the silkiness of sheets beneath him and looked up to see a man standing there looking down at him rather surprised.
"oops for a moment there I thought you were dead kid." He laughed, but Misuke didn't find it very funny. He was more worried about Meago.
"Where is she?" He demanded and instantly the man looked a little uneasy. A woman came in, hearing the exchange and crossed her hand over her throat as a sign to the man to shut his mouth.
"Wh-who, son are you looking for?" He stammered and Misuke's eyes burned with furry.
"Listen here, you're going to tell me where she is or I will burn this place to the ground got it?!" He hissed as he snatched the man up by his shirt who looked positively terrified.
"Kid look.....she's not in the best of conditions...she's not even responding to any of the treatments the nurses have tried...hell we thought you were dead...we think she's obliterated....But she died saving us from that witch! And you-you're also another kind of witch...we think a good with-but-she's..." Misuke dropped the man's shirt and let his hands fall back to his lap.
"I want to see her. Take me to her now." He demanded and the woman looked a little hesitant. "Now!" he barked and they instantly complied out of fear. He climbed out of the bed and with the nurses help made his way to another dark room in this wooden fortress and found Meago lying on the bed with her arm bandaged.
Misuke was silent as he walked over to her and knelt beside her bed. His hand brushed her's, it felt cold. He couldn't help himself any longer. He leapt at her, crying harder. He blamed it on his hosts young mind but really and truly Misuke felt shaken up about this. Meago was his Creator, they were suposed to be a team.....and he let her down. How could he live with himself after this....?

Akiko raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Kat? Alright. I'll call you that from now on." She smiles at the fact that Katsuo considered her familiar enough to let her use the nickname. "I like rain, but hate getting soaked by it if it's cold."