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RP: 5th Fleet [Chapter Eight] Castles and Catgirls

The frown turned into a surprised blush with her hands covering her mouth. How lewd! He even admitted to it! Tahariel could feel the blood rising to her face as all of her worst fears came true. If only she had her trusty wrench with her... that would show him!

The Elysian scooted a little away from him to the other side of Yuukito in an attempt to put some distance between her and the lecherous Yamataian. Doing so inadvertently gave the Drider a better view of her in general, including the old-looking shawl wrapped around her shoulders that hid her little winglets.
 
Market

As they all bickered and fought, the Drider simply smiled, her fingers clicking as she brought her black chitin covered hands together.

*****

City Gates

"It's finally time," Titus sighed. With all their gear purchased, their food supplies gathered, horses mounted, and open carriage ready, the group of oddballs was finally going to leave the marble city. "From here, it's half a day's ride to the next human town - you should all reach there by nightfall," the young man informed them. "Though, I do remind you all - keep lady Adelaide and her charge safe. Though the Consul would wish to take it under his protection, he cannot do so should the guardian herself choose to wander beyond our boundaries," he reminded them all. Sitting in a trunk was a dark artifact of ages long gone, and it was calling for its master.

"Though our journey together has been most...interesting, we'll part the next town - with my royal seal, they will help me to a major city where I am safe," Adelaide began, adjusting her glasses. "I do admit however, I have become fond of you Ostlandi and your most peculiar habits," she admitted. Realizing what she just said, the young woman blushed, and quickly made her way up into the carriage to take a seat.

"Ok, so we gets to start practicing magics once we're out, right?" Coco asked, tugging at the legionnaire's red tunic. He could only nod at that thought, sending the little girl happily bouncing away. "Yes! Magic times!" she cheerily leaped, her feet deftly landing on the carriage's frame. "Who's up first?" the little girl gleefully rubbed her hands together.

"Once the gates are open, we're leaving," Sif spoke. As the Mini-Neko sat at the forefront of the carriage, she was a sight to behold as she held the reins of the two horses in her hands. A sight to behold indeed. Behind them, several other carriages and wagons of elvish make, laden with goods for trade, were leaving as well, and they'd do so together it seemed. "If there's any final business to wrap up, do so now," she remarked.
 
City Gates

Yuukito was clad in a fine, almost glowing white silk dress that she had purchased from the drider, along with a tough under-vest that she wore for protection. The almost regal outfit, combined with the simple metal cudgel she had bought for self-defence, were both comically out of place on the mousy, bespectacled Minkan. Her constant squirming in the exceptionally soft dress only made her look more ill at ease, as Yuukito found the soft silk almost too pleasant to wear as it brushed across her skin. Even after she had climbed up onto the carriage as well, she looked rather perturbed, wearing a poker-face that ironically only hinted at her discomfort. "Taha!" she called to her Elysian friend, patting the spot next to her on the carriage and giving her a smile. "Wanna sit with me?"
 
City Gates

Tahariel fidgeted with her new staff as they waited to get going. Her overall appearance hadn't changed much besides a new, and slightly too big, thicker version of the padded spider silk jacket that now covered her worn traveler's clothing almost to her knees. Her winglets were poking out of the jacket thanks to a few crafty cuts by Yuukito, but they were also covered by her shawl still. Somehow, her friend had also convinced her to by a lacy pair of spider silk panties... and the Elysian thought she would have died of embarrassment after simply putting them on.

Besides her staff, she had feel weapons available. The crossbow was indeed still too heavy for her to lug around, so Tahariel had opted to just take the staff and some mana crystals to perhaps make herself somewhat useful after learning magic. Her long, ash-blonde hair was actually tied into a ponytail now, which tickled the back of her neck before ending around the center of her shoulders and wings. Speaking of learning magic...

"O-oh, Miss Coco! I would like to learn some magic... if you don't mind." If the boisterous little one had actually heard the soft spoken Plebeian, who could tell? Oh well... they had plenty of time during the trip, after all! At her Minkan friend's beckoning, Tahariel sat her small behind down on the carriage seat with a smile. "Thanks, Yuu..." she whispered sheepishly, secretly wondering why it felt much safer around Yuukito than around the other Yamataians in their little group.
 
City Gates

Tomiko wore a similar dress to Yuukito except her dress was the color of emerald. The edges were embroidered with patterns of gold. She wore a light spider silk vest underneath as well as spider silk underwear. Her hands were protected by leather bracers with overlapping scales of steel. She wore a leather belt with a belt frog to hold the flanged mace she bought. A few pouches holding mana crystals were also attached to the belt.

In her hands, she currently carried a magic amplifying staff. It was made of some extremely hard wood that resembled mahogany and had a big green crystal set into it. It was carved to look like the crystal was gripped by the roots of a tree. She looked like an elven princess wielding a mystical staff. The flowers in her hair added to the image.

She climbed into a seat behind the Elysian. "This is exciting!" Tomiko said, leaning in closer to the two girls in front of her. "I can't wait to learn some magic!"
 
City Gates

Surprisingly enough, the crimson red silk jack was exceptionally comfy even when it was being brought down by the chain mail. In fact, Werner was pretty sure that he could sleep with his current attire. Though, Werner suddenly regretted carrying so much gear with him, and he thought back what the Kitsune said about dropping his equipment all over the place. That prospect seemed exceptionally real now that Werner struggled to carry everything without having it drop everywhere. Luckily Werner had gotten a belt and enough leather straps to tie both his sword and Parma awkwardly to his waist. The crossbow was a tricky beast, and in the end Werner simply tied the base of the Crossbow with leather and strapped it around his shoulder. Werner could not help be notice that he looked a little bit like the fully armored Human Auxiliary, what a strange coincidence.

While everyone was making a fuss about magic, their new clothes, and whether or not that still had anything left to do at the city. Werner himself wondered where he would sit, and suddenly his Soldier's instincts kicked in. Sitting inside the carriage seemed like a terrible idea, what if they were ambushed? Werner would have gather his gear and push his way through both Yuukito, Tomiko, and Tahariel. Not only that, but with the amount of stuff he had, space would be a little bit limited, and his reputation with the girls seemed a little.... tainted. The other option was... sitting next to Sif. Unfortunately, there seemed to be enough room for Werner, his gear, and Sif to sit considering how small Sif was. There was also the fact that if the group was attacked, Werner could quickly jump out without much hassle, and already have a solid understanding of the terrain. Werner couldn't also ignore the fact that such a small creature would hold the reins of two massive beasts in comparison to it. It was simply unnatural, and thus Werner may his way his superior officer with a bag full of disappointment.

"Hey, you, Sif... uh... would it be alright if I sat next to you?" Werner asked scratching the back of his head while he looked away at the cast's walls.

"Don't get the wrong idea! I don't want to sit next to you because I like you or anything!" Werner spouted spitefully " It's simply a tactical, and a logical decision, after all... wouldn't it be kinda weird for you to hold the reins? Wouldn't we stand out too much? I mean, I could do it, or Moishi can hold on to the reins..." Werner mellowed out. The more he talked, the more Werner felt stupid. If he kept going like this, he was going to get hounded as soon as all of the natives are no longer present. Or even worse, Werner would find out why Sif gave the impression that Coco was some sort of loli god of punishment.
 
Mioshi walked along beside the cart without actually wanting to ride in it. As daring and wonderful as her adventure had been so far, the flutist couldn’t bring herself to actually ride the thing. Although the horses felt like real animals, acted like them properly, and smelled like one, somehow It still felt like ruining something precious and rare just to touch the mare, the reins, or their charge. She had already walked all over this realm chasing after the first group of her countrymen, and it felt to her like she should just continue on as a pedestrian. Instead, Mioshi had loaded the cart down with her gear.

She had purchased two changes of clothing, one of silk and one of more practical style and linen fabric. Two extra traveling cloaks, one of them the gleeman’s multicolored cloak of traveling performance and the other a more close-fitting, darker hue, that she had bound up in a bundle beneath the saddle to keep it out of sight. Ultimately, Mioshi was a liar, and she assumed that sooner or later she would have to have something that could blend into midnight. Right now she wore the traveling minstrel’s cloak, along with a hat she had fancied, which she had purchased from a stall. It was broad-rimmed, turned up on the side, and bore a feather.

Mioshi was beautiful, white, and pure, and the clothing she had chosen was that of a colorful traveling performer - which blended in well, she thought, with the hodgepodged cacophony espoused by her traveling companions. They could pass themselves off as nothing but a traveling troupe. Mioshi, for one, felt like embracing it. She had even tied a little strip of argent-colored ribbon to the very end of her tail to complete the picture, and she felt wholly in character.

She hadn’t bought any other weapons, and had not needed to. Her ironshod stave and the hidden daggers she carried in her leather girdle and the bracers she had tucked her sleeves into were more than enough for a nekovalkyrja, even a disguised one. But, to whittle her curiousity about this world’s magic, she had actually spent a fair amount of her personal share on books of several subjects, a pack of cards that someone had told her had been meant to discern the future, dice, and several days’ worth of ink, parchment, and quills.

She didn’t need any of this, of course, because she, Mioshi, had a perfect and photographic memory - but she didn’t need her tutor to know that.

When Coco started in, Mioshi was there in such a flash that she had to hold her wide-brimmed hat on her head. When looking up was difficult, she doffed it and held it against her chest.

“I’m ready as well. Is it time? Where shall we begin?”
 
City Gates

As the great gates opened, the team saw the road ahead, a sunlit tunnel formed by the trees.

"Uh huh," the Mini-Neko replied plainly. When Werner went on however, she just gave him a smile. "If you're worried, go ahead and take the reins then," Sif smugly smiled. "Just don't touch my hands by accident or anything - it's not like you like me or anything," she snarkingly taunted him. The carriage then suddenly bounced.

"Ohmygosh, so many people want to know magic!~" Coco's eyes practically sparkled with happiness. Hopping about on the lip of the open carriage, the little girl spun around and launched herself right into one of the cushioned seats. "Once I unlock all your magic, we'll start practicing, and casting spells and bending the laws of reality so we can have cake and eat it too!" Feet merrily kicking as she added, "It'll be great! Just like last - " It was then that she completely fell silent as the Star Army soldiers watched all joy and innocence drain from her face.

"C-Coco?" Adelaide nervously asked her handmaid. "Coco?"

"If you all don't mind, I shall accompany you all to the edge of Wyrd's Wald," Titus came over, straitening out his armor for a moment. Having taken one of the large, rectangular scutum from a guard-rack, he looked like he was ready for a field battle. As though on cue, one of the guards called the all clear, and the wagons and carriages began their way out. It wasn't anything fast, but behind them, they could see several familiar shop owners waving them goodbye.

They had made quite the impression.
 
City Gates

Yuukito leaned forward to peek as the gates opened to reveal the forests beyond, watching with a bright, approving smile on her face. It looked real pretty out there! The scientist jumped a little as Coco zoomed onto one of the seats near her and Tahariel, blinking at her with wide eyes before relaxing a little. She listened in silence as Coco spoke to Tahariel, smiling a little, though this quickly turned into a concerned frown when Coco seemed to remember some bad memory.

Well, that got awkward really fast. Her pale cheeks blushed and she turned her eyes back out towards the road beyond as their wagons began to move out, keeping one ear on the conversation. Her hands idly fiddled with the metal club in her hands, still not too sure she'd picked the right sort of weapon. Still, how hard could it be to crack a skull?
 
"Tch, shut up!" Werner growled, face red and all, "I'm just here because I don' have anywhere else to go BAKAaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh......"
Still red as a beet, Werner held his tongue.

He caught himself wide-eyed and at the edge of danger. Werner was about to say something stupid again, but he thanked himself for catching it. Sif was right next to him, and who knows what she might do if he had kept going. At the same time, Werner hoped that Coco didn't pay attention to a word he said since she had the ability to speak the same language they could as well. He sheepishly turned his head towards the carriage to see if she had noticed anything. Instead he Coco act all gloom and doom, but she wouldn't fool him. Werner decided for himself that Coco was a demon child, and he would not let such an innocent facade foo him. With that personal reminder, Werner focused his attention back to his own situation.

"Err... I, i'm sorry that slipped out.. I guess..." Werner took the reigns from Sif's tiny fingers. Actually, this was the first time Werner could see her fingers, and they were so strange compared to his. How could anyone like her fight? How could anyone fight agaisn't such a small target? Werner couldn't even fathom on how he would go about..."playing" with her like he did with other unfortunate souls. Could Werner even use a finger!?! He looked at Sif with a calculating gaze from head to toe. "He he he..." It would bean interesting question to ponder during the trip!
 
CITY GATES
She sat....waiting and waiting on the carriage, peering at the gates as they left. It was a relief to her to finally get out of that hell whole- despite her loving being in character, it was hard knowing nothing about who you were playing. Now all she had to worry about were there two native inhabitants, which shouldn't be a problem at least. On her belt hang two human daggers, while a wooden bow with a quiver of silver-tipped arrows sat beside her. As they rode, she looked towards the group, deciding to stay silent.
 
Wooded Path

As the moments passed, they rode on in silence, but only for a short while.

"You know," Sif began, her tone bland and her face expressionless, "I might be small, but I know that kind of look when I see it," the Mini-Neko remarked. He might as well have been trying to mentally undress the miniature woman really, and though she poked fun at Werner and shot him with a sly, smug grin before, something was different this time. The words, deadpan and plain, almost felt uncomfortable or disturbing considering how sharp a change it was from earlier. Something was on her mind, and she wasn't giving so much as a hint of what it may have been.

As the white marble walls slowly became smaller and smaller behind them, the glory of nature only became stronger and stronger. All around these well cared for woods, the squad could hear birds singing through the branches that arched over their path, the limbs on the edge of weaving together into a roof, yet refraining from doing so. Rays of sun shined through these gaps, and of course, sparkled off the Legionnaire's armor.

"As much as I respectfully fear magic - " Titus began, pausing ever so briefly. She looked too young to be a witch, so... " - I must express concern in regards to the magical girl of your group." He was, of course, referring to Coco. Earlier, Adelaide offered to hug the little girl, who instead buried her face in the princess' bosom before eventually resting her head on the maiden's lap, eyes closed. As shafts of glittering gold shined down from above, the shadow that the princess cast let her lay there in peace. "She must have a storied past."

"I suppose she does, though I know so little of it," Adelaide replied, her voice soft and gentle as she looked upon her handmaid. With a hand, she gently brushed back stray strands of brown hair, thoughtful of this.

"Tch. You all missed your opportunity," Sif suddenly remarked from her spot on the front seat, her small, green eyes narrowing as she turned to look at them all. "Not even any words of comfort to her from the lot of you? Hmph." She turned away from them again. A flame came to life in the Mini-Neko's palm as she practiced her own magic. The princess however, perked up, embarrassed.

"T-that may not be entirely true," the noble beauty modestly began, careful not to disturb Coco. "I may be no teacher, the concepts and ideas of healing too complex for me to explain to average folk, but, I can still tap your mana and expand your consciousness," Adelaide offered.
 
For now, it was the clack of the wheels on the cobbled road that filled the silence caused by Coco’s awkward revelation, along with the click of Mioshi’s iron shod fighting staff. She kept pace with the cart as it rolled along, taking long and easy strides in her loose breeches as she went about puzzling Coco and Adelaide out.

Mioshi weighed Sif’s words and decided that she disagreed with them. If Coco did not want to teach, she would not teach, and it would have been unfair to press her with false sympathy. As eager as Mioshi was to get started, magic wasn’t necessary to live in this world, and the reserved Vicky-neko had been quite successful already without it. So, though disappointing, she remembered the sage wisdom she had heard before cautioning her against speaking too much too freely, especially as a traveler, and she remained silent on that particular matter. After all, Coco would be with the caravan for a while. The day was young, yet.

Still, the missed opportunity frustrated Mioshi. She found herself staring at the countryside around them, at the green boughs and golden fingers of sunlight dappling their path. Though it was not spring, there seemed to be little bits of plant in the air to catch the light, or maybe it was the road that sent up motes of dust. Either way, when Mioshi looked up again, she had naturally fallen back a bit. Well, that was fine. She found the rucksack she had tied around the tomes and novels that she had bought in town and picked out one little book to flip through. The sight had reminded her of a song she had glimpsed in it.

She leafed until she found the verses she wanted, staff under her arm.

“I asked the wind once, whatever was its name?
As a child I played the asking game,
And asked it, what is yours?

It whispered back and whistled, oh,
Hey-o, whistle-oh, whistling far away.
Whistle is the name of the wind.”

Perhaps to cheer up Coco, or perhaps just to distract herself while she went, Mioshi whistled the tune that went along with it, waiting her turn to be ‘woke’ with the others.
 
Staring at the few embers that appeared within Sif's grasp, Werner returned her stern voice as Sif snapped Werner back into reality. In fact, this the opportunity that Werner had been looking for this entire time, and he brought his face closer to Sif's with only a gap of space spanning a few inches

"Okay, stop it, all of this cryptic nonsense is driving me insane." Werner whispered. "Be straight with me, I need to know what we're up against. Things like what that little girl really is an important piece of information you should give to your soldiers isn't it, Heisho? What did you think I was thinking about?" Werner paused for a second, realizing he was speaking to a superior, and informally at that. "Look, sorry for being a jerk and yadayadaya. I don't like being thrown into the unknown is all... " He sat back up and looked at the road in front of them while Mioshi sang in the background, and for the first time in a while, Werner felt... light.

Werner sighed, he needed and wanted to make peace with everyone, especially the person who he had to follow. It would be nice to have a friendly face. "Can we uh... start over?" Werner said while holding out his pinky before Sif.

His face turned red because Werner secretly feared that Sif was going to do something to his poor and innocent finger. He liked giving the pain, not receiving it.
 
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Wooded Path

The silence from her neighbor was beginning to worry her. She looked at the dark-skinned girl sitting beside her. Everyone seemed to be content to mostly keep to themselves. As much as her job as medic concerned keeping the group physically healthy, making sure they were mentally sound also fell within her purview. They would not be likely to complete this mission without becoming more cohesive. She resolved to help the crew grow closer, starting with the "Drow".

"Nymeria, why are you being so quiet?" Tomiko asked with concern. She looked up to meet the other woman's eyes. At the same time, she sent her a telepathic message. ~"We should talk. Get to know each other, you know? This current attitude of everyone looking out for their self isn't going to keep us alive down here. We can either talk out loud or like this, but we do need to talk to each other."~

"Could it be... Were you jealous of me giving the kitsune so much attention?" She said with a mischievous grin. "Or maybe you're admiring the handsome knight, hmm?"

Adelaide's offer drew her attention back to the front. "I would be in your debt, my lady, if you would open my mind. Perhaps I can return the favor and open yours as well someday," she said, her sultry tone making it clear exactly what she meant.
 
Tahariel couldn't help but roll her eyes at the sultry exchanges in front of her. What could a woman possibly do to another woman? Just the thought made her blush a little. The small Elysian kept quiet while Coco slept, but she was still interested I'm unlocking her potential with to others. The little girl's mysterious past was also on her mind, and the trip would be rather long as well.
 
Yuukito gave Sif a petulant, annoyed pout at her words. What exactly was there to say to comfort a tormented demon child? Huffing to herself, the minkan instead turned her attention to her Elysian friend, wrapping an arm around Tahariel's shoulders and hugging her with a smile.
 
Her blush grew a little, but Tahariel noticeably released some tension in her shoulders as the two friends semi-cuddled in the coach. After her earlier thoughts, maybe it was a bit weird to be so close to someone? However, she felt safe now, and this would likely be one of the last times of peace and quiet they would likely have for a while.

Tahariel let out a little sigh as she thought about th conflict to come. Hopefully, any magic she would learn from Coco would aid them better than any sword or shield would. The Plebeian would need to use what little strength she had to protect Yuukito and the others. That she vowed silently to the Lord above all devout Elysians.
 
Wooded Path

"Mmmm."

Staring up at Werner, the bored yet almost cute sound was the only reply that the plain faced Sif could give the young man. When he offered out his pinkie in a 'truce' however. As his superior of course, she did the honest thing and reached out to him; the sensation of a tiny little hand resting on his digit was almost impossibly light. Being herself of course, Sif smiled too, even going so far as to glance at Yuukito in response. Werner could feel her adorably smol hand starting to feel warm. Very, very warm in fact. As the Mini-Neko had her fun tormenting the young man however, both Titus and Adelaide found their peace of mind very disturbed.

"If you were a man, I'd geld you," Titus sighed in resignation, blushing as he did so. Despite his harsh words, the young legionnaire was slowly getting used to the group it seemed.

"I-I-It doesn't work that way!" the princess stuttered, furiously blushing. Burying her face in her hands, their worst fears came to fruition as their path to magic was now surely lost, and all thanks to Tomiko. At least until the brunette managed to recover. Somewhat anyways. "S-so. So, in order for this to uh, work. First manifesting your magic I mean, you need to channel your first magic into something. Something with form in this world, yet simple," she began, slowly regaining her confidence and shaking off the deleterious effects of wonton Neko affection. "The elements are easiest - creating flame, a spark, or moving either earth or water will do." As though to emphasize this, electricity arced in between her index finger and thumb. "From this, all else will come forth. When you've decided," Adelaide instructed them, "Join your hands with mine, and we'll begin."

As the carriage continued on through the wooded path, the forest around them slowly began to lose that almost magical feeling to it, the tree branches ceasing to almost joint together into a roof. Plants no longer had that special luster, and the various birds and animals slowly dropped off, their calls becoming less friendly and open. As though noticing this himself, Titus removed the leather covering of his crimson shield and placed a hand on his sword's pommel.

They were truly leaving the realm of the elves.
 
Wooded Path


Mioshi leafed through a few more pages before shutting the book’s cover over her finger. She looked up to the brace of the rustic carriage and listened with perky interest to the conversation therein, her white ears swiveling out of her broad-brimmed hat’s vents, cut specific for her. She stopped whistling.

Then, with inhuman, even catlike dexterity, she took two swift steps and hopped up onto the wheel of the rolling carriage. Like a log rider, she paced there, backpedaling for a moment before cutting a turn onto the roughly two-inch plank’s edge that formed the wagon's side, putting her right beside the princess.

Upon her precarious perch, she crouched staff in lap, book in the other hand, and smiled whimsically at the group’s fair, buxom princess. She spared a smile too for her smaller charge and the dark-elf seeming woman who had flirted with her, nearly ruining, again, their chance at magic. With a mind to her stage-crafted persona, she curled her tail out from beneath her multicolored cloak with satisfied lethargy, knowing that Titus, male that he was, unattached that he was, would both be impressed by her display and perhaps drawn to the movement, to her rear end, and ultimately to her.

“Come now, fair one. My companions are strange, as you see, and hard to understand at times. But, they do mean well, as you know.”

Rather than rapping the lecherous nekovalkyrja with her ironshod staff, as she might have done, or continuing to flirt with her own object of interest, as she could have, Mioshi instead opened the songbook and displayed the song and the music she had deciphered, and that she had been singing to the princess.

“How would this do?” she asked in her softest, gentling tone, “I am a flutist, a singer, and I have studied dancing along with a fair number of other things. Could this be turned to magic?”
 
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