~To infinity and unknown~ [Satsumaru/Dungeon]

[Kitana]

[OOC: Check here for worn significant jewelry.  Closed.]

.::Numa Castle. The whispers carried far and wide about this abandoned, if not forbidden castle of past daimyo's. The marsh of the land needed to be tread lightly as she was on Kage and was not keen on getting him stuck. Horus's constant screeching ahead helped to maneuver a bit more easier as he flew ahead to see the path. The fog was decently thick even for his eyes true but flying ahead and back occasionally was the option she directed him to take and he did it well. As they trekked through the swamp there was an ominous chill that arose drawing nearer to this place of dead spirits. The place certainly reeked of death, but still the exotic brunette pressed onward. Her attire was an interesting choice but she had just emerged from a job where the chatter had been heard. Dawned as the decently known assassin Cheshire she finally reached the entrance way. Dismounting Kage she rubbed his mane gently and then tickled under Horus's chin::.

"Well done boys, but this is where you stay. Don't worry I will be back."

.::With a neigh and a small screech Kitana turned her back on pair and looked up at the castle doors. She tilted her up, and tipping the mask to sit upon her head. With a deep breath she let out a little whistle as the talks of the screams at night came sounding in. Chilling indeed but she wasn't going to allow herself to fear such a thing. She would faced this head on. Besides she liked a good challenge and loved adventure. Though now might not have been the time for such things but for so long talks about Saburo were silent. She needed a distraction this was a good one and the treasure, well couldn't hurt right? She actually needed to get her supplies and equipment up again. Maybe she secretly wanted an adrenaline rush. Something to get her blood pumping. She twirled her sais a little as her alluring haunting blue hues continued to look up::.

"I wonder what you hold in those old walls."

[Yoshiyuki Satsumaru]

"You, as well?" a somber voice called out.

The form of Yoshiyuki Satsumaru emerged, making itself known. A tall, lean man, the red-eyed ronin was a sight to behold. Despite his handsome face, he looked more like something out of a ghost story; his eyes red and odd-looking and his body wrapped in black armor. Most had trouble discerning whether or not his soothing and polite voice was genuine or simply a trap to lure victims into his web.

With a sigh, Satsumaru approached the woman. He had come for whatever mysteries the ruins held, not expecting anyone else to seek the same. Normally, he was a solitary man who preferred his privacy, but it seemed fate decided otherwise.

"If you don't mind, it seems that we're both here to find what treasures this corpse of a place still hides. Perhaps we should work together and split the findings fairly," the man suggested.

The long-haired warrior's calm demeanor seemed to hint that he was more at home in this eerie atmosphere than one would expect from a normal human being, for better or worse. Though there was an almost assured prize at the end of this little expedition, Satsumaru was more interested in the experience than the reward. He hoped this woman would provide more excitement than he might find going it alone...

[Kitana]

.::Horus let out a caw just as the individual spoke. Her sais stopped spinning as Kitana swiftly turned around to face him, weapons ready at her sides. Blue hues gazed over his form catching his red tinted eyes and black armor. Well it wasn't something one saw everyday but it didn't shock her or frighten her either. She wasn't expecting anyone to be there at the same time as her, she figured she'd already at least be inside before someone else came along. Alas that wasn't meant to be was it. He approached and she remained silently guarded while on the outside her body loosened and her face remained calm. His proposition made her perk a brow::.

~Work together?~

.::Trust was not something she gave lightly and in truth she wasn't going to by any means. But then again if they were both going in she was going to have to deal with him either way yes? She didn't have to trust him, just deal with him. Glancing back at Kage and Horus, Kage let out a huff and turned his head almost like his interpretation of a shrug. Horus flew towards the face of the man like he was eyeing him and went back to perch on Kage's saddle with a caw::.

"Oh why thank you, only one of you was helpful."

.::Sarcasm rolled off her tongue so naturally. Her eyes rolled with a sigh as she stared back at the guy. She actually did care more about the experience and the profit she might find that was just a bonus. Maybe for a moment she wanted that thrill she used to seek as a kid::.

"So long as you don't slow me down."

.::She hooked the sais onto the holsters on the sides of her belt and walked towards the doors finally opening them and heading inside::.

"I rather not say hey you, so?"

[Yoshiyuki Satsumaru]

"Yoshiyuki Satsumaru," the man replied, "No one of importance, I assure you."

True, mostly. Despite his few accomplishments and modest notoriety, he was far from famous, and in cases like these, he preferred it that way. It made things easier. Of course, he could have just given her a fake name, but he didn't want to alienate her in the long run if she proved to be someone he would have a lasting companionship with. People usually didn't respond too well to being lied to...

Giving a polite bow, the red-eyed mercenary asked in turn, "And what might your name be?"

A part of him expected her to give some false name to cover her identity. She seemed like the guarded sort...

[OOC: Sorry for the meh post. I'm posting from my phone.]

[Kitana]

[OOC: The fact you can even post from your phone and put the coding in I commend you ^^. Don't even worry about it.]

.::At his name she just simply nodded as she paused within the walls of the castle as there seemed to be a three way split a little ways ahead of the pair. He was a modest and polite one admittedly. That didn't help in forming a trust or bond with Satsumaru. Indeed it would be a true assessment to say she was a guarded individual, though an understatement at the same time. Not only was her guard up but it was clad in heavy armor, surrounded by a thick seemingly endless wall and numerous guards posted. Her agreeing to this was because he was already there and if he was going in then she rather keep an eye on him. Speaking of which she wasn't planning on walking ahead with him behind her the whole time::.

.::For him to say no one of importance made her feel maybe he possibly was, or at least maybe not of importance but known in some matter or another. With his surname given if she really wanted to know she could do some digging. But for her to bother would be merely cause of boredom and a bit of curiosity. She had a truly important person that she was waiting for to reappear so she could repay him with the arrow that was presently wrapped and strapped upon her back. It must've looked strange this lonely wrapped arrow she dawned with no bow to match. She pondered for a moment on the name she would give. Indeed she could provide a false or even one of her aliases as she was dawning one of them currently::.

"Kitana."

.::She really didn't care for him to have her name, but she reserved him having it in its entirety. Her appearance didn't scream Japanese despite being half as her looks came mainly from her mother. She waved a hand to indicate the three paths head. She wasn't was so particular to which they should take though her own orbs were bouncing a little between the left and center ways::.

"Pick your poison."

[Yoshiyuki Satsumaru]

[OOC: Practice. A lot of practice >.>][/b]

The long-haired ronin pondered a moment, considering their options. There were three paths to take: the left wing, center hall, and the right wing. Any of them would be a blind decision, as - for all he knew - neither of them knew anything about any of the options. They were all gambles.

"Well, then, Kitana..." Satsumaru began, gesturing leftward, "To the left, we go. We'll need to address each of them at some point, so we might as well take them in an order. Left, to center, to right...if that's alright with you."

While the pleasantries of decision-making between strangers continued, his mind continued to process everything around him. The obvious questions still floated within his puzzle of a brain, such as 'who is this woman?', 'is Kitana her real name?', and 'where is she from?'

However, this was a typical case of the goal coming first, details later. When, or if, they succeeded in discovering what the ruins had to offer, there would be time to attempt to decipher the mystery of the strange woman he now held as ally once the current mystery at hand was complete.

[Kitana]

[OOC: So sad my first post apparently didn't go through T__T]

.::Being observant and perceptive as she was the foreign looking beauty gazed about the area they were still in. She was the one that would usually survey a the new area she visited in great depth especially if she planned to either stay or she had a job. This was not exactly the area she would need to give her utmost attention to. That would fall upon each of the paths they decided to take. She was certainly going to have to keeps her wits about her not just for what laid beyond those paths but for who walked beside her. At any given point he could try to make an attempt upon her life and if he did he was in for a rude awakening. As he gestured her blue gems fell back on him as she adjusted the Cheshire cat mask that sat upon her head::.

"We drinking from the same vile."

.::Her words were possibly strange to say the least. Her meaning was simple that she didn't quite care of the order. That which ever poison they choose they were sharing the contents either way. Honestly did she want to work with a stranger? Not no particularly but she settled on the fact he was already there. She rather keep her eyes on this one. Who he was wasn't much of a interest to her so long as he didn't try anything. Any inquiry he would have towards her would possibly go unanswered or met with a lie that sounded so truthful. The woman always a mysterious air about her. Still looking at Satsumaru she gestured for him to start the way as she would follow. Even if he offered her to go forward as a polite gesture she would insist silently with a perk of the brow for him to move on::.

.::And off to the left they would go. What it may hold, they soon would know::.

[Yoshiyuki Satsumaru]

Seeing Kitana subtly insist he go first, Satsumaru took the lead. She didn't trust him, obviously, but that was pretty realistic. She had no reason to. Most armed men in the middle of nowhere with an attractive woman probably weren't gentleman, in any sense of the word.

Wasting no time, the ronin moved off toward the left wing. Needless to say, it was just as dank and dead as the rest of the castle so far. This section seemed more open and foreboding, however. Where the entrance was empty and quiet, there was something about this section that made him feel uneasy. How many other treasure seekers had entered this place, and why had no one succeeded in taking a massive haul from it? There were no defenders, after all, that he could see.

Ah, but that was it, wasn't it? That he could see.

"We might want to tread lightly. I wouldn't be surprised if there were traps littered around the castle. It wouldn't take much to turn this castle into a coffin, if one were so inclined," the young man warned.

And though she was merely a stranger, and of no particular necessity in relation to himself, he wasn't too fond of the idea of seeing her impaled on a spike or poisoned and dying...

[OOC: Do we request a staff member to run the challenge/test? >.>]

[Takeda Shingen]

[OOC: Nope, GM just shows up =P

Stats LOCKED. Participants LOCKED. Items LOCKED. Put your stats in your next post. Left Wing begun.

Objectives:

1) Pass through all of the traps without losing a single member.
2) Obtain the Daimyo's treasure and bring it back to the start.
3) You must make it back to the entrance to be successful.

Good luck.)

As Satsumaru approached the left wing, the door would rip open, pulling the both of them inside with a wave of dark energy, and the door would quickly seal off behind them. If they looked, it would be covered with a dark void of energy that they could not bypass, and it seemed they were now in a large, empty hall, with a treasure chest across the room!

[Kitana]

[OOC: Stats: Strength: 11(16) // Constitution: 11(17) // Dexterity: 11(12) // Wisdom: 11(13) // Spirit: 7(9)]

.::Even unarmed men have proven to be not very gentleman like. There was certainly a story there that she would not tell to anyone. Two people new and one she still held trust for the other was just biding his time with her from giving him his just dues. Though a man being so nice to her, so polite also raised questions. Raised an alarm. Kitana was certainly no pushover and wouldn't hesitate to take his life if he so gave her a reason to. Yes, she was already silently constructing some sort of plan in that case. But of course it was the way she was taught. Have a plan to kill everyone you meet. Though so long as he proved to be of use and didn't betray her in this endeavor she had no reason to go through with whatever thought she might have. But of course she knew nothing of what he was capable of so whatever plan she could've mustered up was more of a very small guideline. No matter as Kitana thrived thinking on the fly::.

.::She trailed at an even distance behind him, give or take about 4 paces to be exact. She made a note of that weapon he dawned it was certainly an interesting choice. She had messed with smaller bladed fans before but never anything on that scale. Glancing about the path they took held a more eerie nature than the part of the castle they formerly stood in. The shadows always held so many secrets and so she made them her friend years ago. Yet still the shadows were betraying in their ways. Everything was far too silent. There was nothing so obviously seen as far as danger and that alone was the issue. That gave way to a wariness about it all. Did it create a bit of nervous? Sure. But it also started to pump her blood::.

"It's no fun without a little brush with death no?"

.::Well now first time she actually made a little joke instead of being catty. At those words they seemed immediately sucked through the doors which this caused the beauty to stumble forward. Normally she had impeccable balance but that sudden rush had her literally falling into Satsumaru's back. Just as she did she would quickly push off without hesitation and turn to towards the door which was known shrodded within some kind of dark energy::.

"Well."

.::She didn't bother to finish the statement as she turned back to him with a sigh and a shrug before her eyes gazed passed him and down the seemingly empty all at the prize at the end. Again it was too hush. Too ominous. Again nothing was visible which made it all the more obvious that it wasn't going to be easy to get there. There were obviously hidden dangers that laid before them. Tread lightly was an understatement now::.

"It's obvious there's unseen threats ahead. Hope you have a sharp eye Satsumaru."

.::Kitana wasn't one for honorifics never used them a day in her life. Not that she needed to place one on him now but just to say. With that she gazed and only barely creeped just a little forward into the hall. Oddly deciding, 'screw it' she'd take the first step this time. Going against her initial thought process of letting him before her, but she wanted to test as she pulled out one of her sais and outstretched it so the sai more or less went first truly as she stood in one spot and remained alert::.

[Yoshiyuki Satsumaru]

Stats
Strength: 12 (13)
Dexterity: 10 (11)
Constitution: 10 (16)
Wisdom: 15 (16)
Spirit: 8 (13)

As they approached, the doors were ripped open and a dark force pulled the two inside. It was jarring, half due to the sheer force of being yanking inside and half from the strangeness of it all. Unseen threats, indeed...

Satsumaru was disoriented from the force, having intentionally dropped to a knee as soon as they were brought to a halt in order to stabilize himself. Once it was clear they were set, he stood back up and brushed his long hair back with a hand, taking the moment to look around.

The treasure chest at the end of the room was obviously bait. Not to say there wasn't any actual treasure in it, but for such an ominous place to pull them in and dangle a prize out in the open was a bit of a simple one. His eyes watched the room for any movement, trying to catch anything before it had to chance to make a move. As far as he could see, however, there was nothing in motion.

"I've got two of them, actually," the strategist quipped with a grin, "I'm trying to find anything about this place that sticks out, but nothing yet. If there is anything in here with us, it's pretty well hidden."

Gesturing toward the end of the room, he went on to add, "And I don't even need to tell you that the treasure is bait. We weren't pulled into a bath house, after all, we were pulled into a wing of a ruined castle. Not quite as fun, I would assume."

He wasn't great at making jokes, but sometimes even the worst joke helped prevent any tension in a crisis. Kitana seemed calm enough, but he didn't know her well enough to ignore the possibility that she might be a little shaken up.

---

[Active Effects: Enhanced Perception (The wearer can perfectly perceive all actions within two yards (six feet) of him/her, regardless of whether or not the action occurs in front of or behind him/her).]

[Takeda Shingen]

Kitana would find nothing would happen when she stuck her sai out! Nor would Satsumaru discover ANYTHING around him. They would have to do more than just that to get anywhere.uT92n_wN

[Kitana]

~Hmm, nothing huh? That's somewhat good and bad to know. That means to look out for maybe pressure traps then.~

.::As she pondered her little thought and nothing occurred her head slowly ticked towards his direction. His little quip didn't go unnoticed as she sarcastic smirk about it. But it was the comment about not ending up in a bath house that had really caused the initial turn::.

"Are you seriously picking now to attempt to flirt?"

.::She shook her head with a roll of her eyes and a small snicker::.

"I'm sure if you're careful enough you'll get out of here and able to lay up in some poor girls bed as a celebration from your exhausting endeavor."

.::Kitana promptly quipped back. Yes indeed she could be quick and even sharp with that tongue of hers. But they had to move forward there was no choice on that::.

"Nothing happened so I'd say to watch out for pressure traps. Standing here is getting boring."

.::She released her other side from it's hilt and glanced at him giving him a nod to move on forward and she'd follow. Fun times::.

[Yoshiyuki Satsumaru]

With a shrug, Satsumaru replied, "It lightened the mood in here, at least. A little less tension might make this whole situation a little easier to approach."

Not that she wasn't attractive, of course. Satsumaru was human, after all, but flirting wasn't something he did often. Or...ever, actually. In fact, he had been so focused on keeping on the move and finding his next battle that the idea of women hadn't really had much time to creep up on him. Now was no different, it seemed.

Then she mentioned pressure plates. That one seemed incredibly likely. A wide open room, treasure sitting there for the taking, no visible threats? Probably pressure plates.

"Well, just to be sure..." the long-haired man muttered, gripping his war fan and giving a focused swipe. His fan was not only the tool of a Japanese commander, but it also had the ability to throw a focused gust of wind. Satsumaru was hoping that by throwing a strong burst of air at the ground in front of them, it might either trigger any traps while they were still at a safer distance, or blow enough dust away to reveal any sort of telling markings that might help find a path if there were floor-based traps.

[Action: Satsumaru uses his fan to hit the area of the floor in front of them with a burst of wind.]

[Takeda Shingen]

Satsumaru's gust of wind would give results! It would reveal spike traps located along the sides of the hallway, as well as get rid of nearby weak tiles. The only downside was, it narrowed the path they could take safely by a bit. They'd have to tread carefully to get through the hallway and to the chest.

[Kitana]

.::Apparently it seemed this ronin had missed her little joke in it's entirety. Of course the joke had no implication of herself obviously. The concept of men wasn't something that found it's way into her thoughts. She had plenty of reason to wipe such thinking not that she had thought of it prior to Saburo, but the events of a year ago certainly made her disconnected to it::.

"For someone trying to lighten mood you sure are stiff when a joke is pushed back."

.::Though maybe deep inside she was still the young girl that used to play pranks on the other kids. Cause a little trouble. Be so full of life. But her youth was stolen at one point. Innocence lost to a cruel world. Another time for that tale if it was to ever be told again. She watched as he used his war fan against the floor, holding the sides of her attire from flying up from any back drift, as the spikes on the sides appear but also seemed to blow away some tiles off their path. She lightly tapped against his armored shoulder at the display careful not to poke him with the blade of her sai::.

"Well..you huffed and puffed and blew a path away from us."

.::She wasn't complaining just being sarcastic. Despite the misfortune of the path narrowing out at least some nearby weak tiles were eliminated from them falling through but that only meant that there were more to worry about. The sides were out of the question. Honestly she was trying to play nice. Trying to be a team player with this stranger. Not that she placed her life within his hands but that fan did come in handy::.

"So what else you got to lighten the mood? Cause I think it just got a bit more tense no?"

.::She gaze a little glance from the corner of her eyes as her hand slid off his shoulder. One thing she was starting to often do was move ahead without a word to him. Habit of doing things on one's own. Not that she wasn't capable of team play but only to those she trusted. That would soon need to change if they were going to get far.  He may notice the momentary pause she took to rub at the beaded bracelet on her right wrist. Stepping forward carefully unless he stopped her for some reason she'd carefully step onto the path starting just a little off from the missing tiles. She quickly alternated looking at her steps and about the room as she would creep forward. When her eyes glanced at the floor they were also searching for any particular pattern that might assist in figuring a path. Like markings of some kind?::.

[Yoshiyuki Satsumaru]

Satsumaru wasn't sure what to make of his success. It narrowed their potential path, but it also took care of a great deal of traps and hazards that were otherwise lying in wait. All things considered, it was well worth the loss of a little legroom. They could manage.

"Well, that worked out," he noted, taking a long look at the room's new post-remodel layout.

Following in her footsteps, the long-haired ronin sighed inwardly about what he was about to say...

"Before I suggest this, I have to reiterate that I'm not here to flirt or harass you..." he prefaced, "But I think we should stick very close to one another. If we stay close, we can help each other avoid any traps. For example...if you step on a tile that turns out to be some sort of pitfall, I can grab you before you fall. Or if I step on a trap, you can pull me away before any harm is done..."

It wasn't foolproof, of course. If a trap was set in place with no possibility of avoiding it, that's just how it would be. But at least by staying within arm's reach, they might be able to prevent any avoidable injuries...

[Actions: Following Kitana, stepping carefully and staying within arm's reach.]

[Takeda Shingen]

PyneuH7N

[Takeda Shingen]

Kitana would find her alternating of steps did the trick! She would not set off any traps, and neither would Satsumaru. They would reach the end of the hallway, and the chest was in sight!

[Kitana]

.::Listening she found herself mentally shaking her head. The fact he felt the need to reiterate such a statement clearly felt he was certainly a stiff. Most men probably would've played along with her joke so clearly he wasn't most men. She had to agree that it was for the best. Not like she hadn't thought about it. Kitana just figured she didn't have to say it that maybe he'd just follow suit. But if she pushed every other thought aside he was just being cautious with her. He didn't know what could set her off and that was understandable to say the least. He was really bad at trying to lighten the mood. Maybe she'd take a shot at it again. It was her old self emerging in a time of potential excitement::.

"Well if you're going to grab for me make sure you're aiming around the middle and not lower or higher if I'm facing you."

.::She tongue quipped again almost in a dry humor as a hand reached back for a quick tap on his armored chest::.

"Maybe you're the one needing lightening up."

.::She normally wasn't the one to initiate a full conversation at least not anymore, but for the sake of being stuck in such a place she was certainly trying hard not to completely ignore him. To tune and shut him out. He already proved a little useful though ignored her joking with him. She was here for the experience. The thrill and sadly he was starting to take that away from her. Hopefully that would change soon enough. Seemed like nothing occurred as they actually reached the chest without a hitch. Pausing just before it Kitana's eyes glanced around to see if there was anything visible while she spoke to mister serious::.

"That was far too simple.. Guess the real fun starts once we pick this up and try to head back no? If it's remotely a counterweight I don't have anything to balance it."

.::Recalling her attire that was clear. Kitana decided to go for another cute remark with a glance from her peripherals to him::.

"Then again you could sit on it and I'll take the chest. You can be the treasure for the next woman that comes in here."

[Yoshiyuki Satsumaru]

Frowning, Satsumaru replied, "I...think not. Though, it's flattering that you consider me a treasure."

He looked around, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. This one was a bit puzzling. But...did they really need the chest itself?

"Perhaps we don't need to take the whole chest. Let's check to see if we can open it, first. There may not even be a counterweight, but if there is, it might not be set to the exact weight of the chest," he suggested.

It was worth a look, at least. And maybe, it might allow them a chance to determine if there were any traps around it or not.

Pointing to her weapons, the red-eyed ronin remarked, "You might want to give your sai a shot. Use those to try to open the chest, just in case there's some sort of spike or something waiting to impale your hand."

That...sounded pretty grim, after he said it, but at least he was trying to avoid getting her hand impaled.

[Takeda Shingen]

UHnI|Kch

[Takeda Shingen]

(OOC: Just a note, this dungeon goes in rounds, which means Kitana goes first, then Satsumaru, then GM, etc. Please do NOT post out of order.)

Before Kitana or Satsumaru could advance towards the chest, they would hear the sound of gears clinking together, as behind them, they would notice above that ten small rings would begin to lower from the roof, and it appeared they were linked to a chain! Once they were fully extended, each of the rings would open up a hatch that unleashed five large birds manifested of complete darkness! The group of birds charged at Kitana and Satsumaru!

Dark Crows: 50
Str: 10
Dex: 20
Con: 5
Wis: 20
Spr: 5

[Kitana]

.::Oh there was a smirk on those lips!::.

"Don't flatter yourself too much now. I don't plan on carrying you out if you faint from yourself."

.::Now here's something about Kitana. Suggestions she didn't mind but once certain things started sounding just a little like a order to her is when she started to have a problem. She didn't like people telling her what to do. She ran away from that sort of life many years ago and didn't plan on going back to it in any shape. Logically he wasn't ordering her but to Kitana it slightly felt like it. It was something she was going to have to shake off cause this momentary partnership was about to turn sour if she didn't hold herself back. Before she could even make an attempt she heard gears clicking. No hesitation she turned around to see the rings descend and suddenly hatch five birds each of them. These birds weren't normal that were seemingly made of darkness and they were charging right at them. Now not that she didn't want to fight these personally it was part of the experience. 50 against 2, personally secretly she liked the odds. But he did have that huge war fan.

"How about a breeze?"

.::She'd figured she didn't need to spell it out as she quickly made a small spin motion to get behind him to be out of his way and give him room to swipe it. She didn't want to get smacked in the face with it now::.