Talismans (Southan)

Misami was far enough ahead of the others that when she reached the gates to the Inner Port, she could pause to catch her breath as she waited for them to catch up. More importantly, she could wipe any trace of the tears she shed over Rajani away. It wouldn't do to let them know that this lost opportunity had bothered her. And she was so close to reaching Rajani, her first friend--her best friend. She had tried to say something before she was taken by Titania. Despite the pressure to find Miki, Misami felt a flicker of curiousity at what that statement was--mayhap it was a cry for help or a warning of impending doom. The fact that Rajani was in the hands of Master worried the tiny healer. Could that have been what had caused the fight between Mother and Rajani that fateful night?

There wasn't much of a crowd this close to the gate. Tucked away in the shadows of a nearby alley, Misami could watch the movements of the guards without drawing their attention to her. The two men were talking from their positions on either side of the door. Snatches of the conversation could be heard from Misami's spot.

"Those Maunese reelly tike things seriously, don't they, Bill? Rushin' about lek tha' with that kitteh," said the one on the left side of the large metal gate with an accent so thick it was hard to understand his words. He was a big man who probably came one of the mining communities that dotted the nearby mountainside. He had that kind of look to him. His companion, Bill, was leaner and would have passed for a native human if his skin was not a dark shade of green.

"They belong to some big wig--one of their generals," Bill answered with a tone of mild annoyance, like he had explained this too many times already. "I heard that he was highly decorated--won all kinds of honors in their war with the Meanese and Mianese. I've seen him, you know--he's a big white tiger. I'd hate to get on his bad side. Do you think that band they sent out of here killed anyone?"

"I's think that peeple shooly did," the mountain man agreed with a nod. "They looked lek they meant benzness when they left here. Tha' girl musta been allfully important for 'em to send all those warriors afta her."

As he started to form out of the nearing shadows from an alleyway, 'Where did she run off to now...'

As he slowly makes his way out entirely from the shadows and begins to smell the air around him for her scent, 'Shes around here close though.'

Watching the crowd walk around, he begins forming a single shadow wolf near him, '... i haven't seen her act like this in quite awhile, though she does have good reason to.'

~~~~~

Walking for a minute nearing the stalls around him, he spots a shop with some odd ornaments lining the windows, As he continues to watch through the window his gaze is caught by an odd silver necklace with three colored gems as the centerpiece. "I wonder how she would look in that... " as he ponders the necklace he places his hand on the glass where it was sitting.

Steping out of the shadows in the Inner Port and walking among the few citizens of the area casualy looking around, but realy searching carefully for the rest of the group he thinks to himself 'why do I always get into trouble because of some kitten.'

Sticking in the shadows, Yama thinks to himself, 'let'ssssss ssssee, where did ssssshe go?' Tounge darting around, he catches Misami's scent, and makes himself a little more "stealthy".

~~~ Yama uses Shapechange ~~~

Seeing Shiki wandering down the street, the guards quite their conversation to focus on him. They didn't appear to have any weapons, but one could never be quite certain. Just as the wolf demon was drawn in by the pretty necklace in the window of the antique shop, a figure popped in near the guard station. A wind came off of a ship that was landing at the Inner Port, one of the great ones that looked nothing like the ones made on this world. It brought with it the scent of the man in the fatigues. It was familiar to the shifters closing in on the gate.



"General Hirik would like ya to not let anyone past this gate for the next hour. We have reason to believe that hostiles will be coming here any minute," the smooth-talking cat announced to the guards. He was no longer joking around, but completely serious now.

"Now, wait here a cotton-pickin' minute," the mountainteer said in response. "We dounot take orders from your General Hirik. No sirree! We's be gettin' our orders from the City Council themselves. And they say to let them with clearence pass with naught by a wave of our hands!"

Not giving much of a care to what all was happening beside him, just watching through the glass at the necklace sitting there among the rest of the rabble strewn about in the window, as his claws started to flex out of his hand nearly tapping on the glass, which for the moment being was the only barrier between him and it.

Hearing the footsteps of people closing in on him, he motions to his shadow wolf to run around for a few to cause a small distraction while he began to focus more on the necklace, the only thing it will not do is harm anyone, but will cause a little mischief to pull the incoming people away.

'Now only if this window wasnt here...' as he looks inside the window he sees a small spot of shadows behind the displays of boxes and such directly behind the necklace, 'Heh... this might be a little easier...' As he looks into the shop from the outside he stares into the shadow making a small shadow form from the shadow to get the necklace, 'Just a little more and it'll be within my shadows grasp.'


~~~~~
Shiki Resistance vs Treasure (36)
~~ 5 Resistance + 4 Enhance Resistance + 1 Precognition - 5 Treasure + 2 Roll = 7

The member 'Shiki' has done the following action : Rolls

'd20' : 2

Recogniseing the scent of the furball that tried to pickup Misami, Kintaro stealthally follows it to its source and waits for the guy in the fatigues to leave so he can follow him. 'You'll think twice about trying to cut in where your not wanted.'

````````````````````````````````
Stealth

8 + 14 Magic + 4 Gypsy Magic = 26

Silence

18 + 14 Magic + 4 Gypsy Magic = 36

The member 'Kintaro' has done the following action : Rolls

#1 'd20' : 8

--------------------------------

#2 'd20' : 18

Yama, in snake form, finds Misami listening to someone. Yama then decides to keep some distance, still in the shadows. Last thing he needs is to be stepped on.

"Oh, there you are, Yama," Kazuko said as she came up the alleyway and spotted the slim snakeform slithering on the ground. With a quick dancer-like move, she scooped up the lone snake and held it close to her heart. Still moving to the mouth of the alley, she began cooing at the other Nyokan like she used to when she was wooing Yama, a bunch of sweet nothings that would be forgotten the moment she had a spot of temper. Loving this woman was like loving a tempest.



Misami spared Kazuko and Yama barely a glance, just long enough to have to stifle a snicker at Yama's predicament. Her eyes were watching as Remy argued with the guards. Finally, he stormed off after convincing Bill to do as the General wished for a short period of time. The gates closed behind him and a shimmer went through the air in front of it.

Misami recognized the barrier as the same one she and Shiki had to pass through on their way into the city from the Outer Port. It had taken a solid week for them to get the pass for allowance into the city even with her holy symbol of Ozain and supporting letter from her Mother. Now that they had passes, they could come and go through the Outer Port as they wished. Would it work for passage through the Inner Port?

Somehow, through her musings, she never noticed the tall wolf demon standing in the shadow of a shop gazing intently into the front window. Could he really escape her notice forever?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To Defeat Security on the Necklace, Shiki must make a Magic roll against the Security's Magic (DC 40). If he fails, he will trigger an alarm that brings the city guard in 8 cycles.

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

Watching as the small shadow form maneuvered around the tabletop and looked complacently at the necklace, Finally its there... only a moment more...'


As the shadow lifted up the necklace seeing how it was placed and draped, lifting it from the pedestal it was sitting on...

~~~~~~~
Shiki rolls vs security system
36 magic + 4 Enhance Magic + 4 Gypsy Magic + 20 Roll = 64 total
~~~~~~~

As the shadow form lifted up the necklace careful not to set off the security panel the necklace was sitting on, he stashed the necklace and began to hop back out where shiki had motioned it to. With seeing the shadow successfully get the necklace from the window he gave a short smile and lowered his hand from the glass window, and began to walk to the ally near the store where he would retrieve the necklace from his shadow.

'Well now i will be able to see how she would look with this on...' as he started to focus back to the streets and caught a short whiff of the air he got the scent of Misami nearby, '... oh crap... hopefully she wasnt nearby when i did this.' as he pauses a moment to see if he would hear her yelling at him and not hearing anything for a few he breathes a sigh of some relief. 'Well now that i know she is close it does make it kind of convenient for her to be near.'

After placing the necklace in the pouch he carried most everything tightly in, he started looking around for Misami following her scent around, trying to get her location.

The member 'Shiki' has done the following action : Rolls

'd20' : 20

After being scooped up, Yama just lays there, knowing full well that any amount of struggling will just cause it to get tighter.

Noticing the others of the group Kintaro walks over and asks "thats a big gate any way to get around it"?

After walking for a moment around the open area, he finally found Misami's location and started to move towards her, 'Should i present this to her now or should i wait for a few...' as he holds the pouch in his hand, '... i think a little later would be a good thing, seeing as how she is a little more focused on getting Miki safe and sound back.'

As he ends up nearing her, he sees the form of kazuko holding what looked like another snake rather firmly against her chest, giving a small smirk as he see's it, 'Must be lucky but kinda have to feel a little sorry for him...'

As he kneels down near Misami, "So any idea of where or who took Miki yet?"

"Well, judging on those two guards' conversation, both before that neko from earlier showed up and during," Misami started, studiously ignoring Kazuko's continued stream of endearments. 'Oh, Osayin, our Father, does she have to smother him like that?' "I think a group called the Maunese have Miki. The Maunese are really nekomimi like me...and apparently, Kintaro--that supposedly come from another world beyond this one. I don't know much about them beyond the story of them having built this city along with three other races--all from other worlds as well. Whether the story of their otherworldliness is true or not, they do seem to have more teknologee than can be found in places other than this city. Like those giant machine-people that attacked the Order House...

"As for how we get past the gate..." Here, she frowned, her honest nature at war with her need to protect her charge. Osayin teaches that one must remain honest in one's work. That must be the right course. Perhaps Shiki and her passes would get them passed this gate as well? "Does everyone have their passes for entrance to the city on them?"



"No, I leave mine in the room," Kazuko answered, finally breaking off her litany of love. "I don't need it unless I'm leaving the city."

Looking over, Yama thought, 'Do I look like I have any pocketsssss?"

Thinking it over Kintaro checks his pockets then turns to Misami and says "aperently I lost mine when I was thrown orver board".

As he sees Misami pulling theirs out of her pack, 'Well at least i know thats taken care of, if i had them i would have probably lost them a long time ago, but shes been keeping them forever and hardly ever lets them out of her sights.'

As he hears about Kintaro's story about how he lost his papers. "What the heck you mean you were thrown overboard."

'Dam i didn't mean to say that out loud.' Looking at the rest of the group and remembering the muitiny, "I don't think this is the approriate time for this conversation right now, don't you think, if you realy want to know ask me later".

As he looks over to Kintaro, "Well then i guess we have our first volunteer to go see if he is able to get through, and if not then i guess we have to see about another way through for Kintaro and yama."

As he motions for kintaro, "I guess you can try to see about getting through there either normally or someway else. "

The only thing Shiki could hear as Kintaro walked to the gate, was a low mumbling. It wasn't something you would want to hear about your parentage.

Walking up to the gate Kintaro was trying to see if he recognised one of the gaurds on duty. "Ello there, I was hopen ta git inta the harbor to see ifa ship has docked."

"Lotsa ships dock here," the former miner drawled. Try as Kintaro might, he couldn't find anything familiar about the man to whom he was speaking. The other one had a look about him that reminded the nekomimi of his mother's uncle on her father's side...except for his nose. Yes...their noses were completely different. "It's really kinda neat when you think about it--all those ships comin' and goin'. Not like the Outa Dock where ships have to wait on tides or the wind to be in the right direction. They just go when they wanna--not to Zinji or Lathia, mind you. Nowhere useful, but they go to the Heavens above! Do they've got cheese, do ya know?"

"Anyway," Bill interjected after a brief pinching of his hawkish nose, "We'll need to see your papers and know what your business is in Inner Dock today. Just procedure, you understand, sir."



"What is he doing?" Misami queried to the small group watching Kintaro's exchange with the guards. Her forehead wrinkled as confusion covered her face. "He just said that he doesn't have his pass on him. How could he hope to get passed them?"

It occurred to the petite healer then that Kintaro might be planning to attempt something that might be dishonest. She could hear the soothing voice of her Mother all over again explaining the importance of always being honest in one's doings. In all her life, she had only ever lied once. The healer just needed to think. There had to be a way to get all of them through the gates to Miki. She closed her eyes in a silent prayer as her fingers found the well-worn edges of her silver talisman marking her a Journeyman in the Order of Ozain.

'Oh, Father of Wisdom, guide my thoughts...'

Cheking his pockets for the papers that aren't there, Kintaro looks suprised to not find them. "Oh shi-oot I must have forget'n them at my place. If'n I could just step in real quick like, I could check on a friend o mine from the Serenity, I'd come right back."

Watching as Kintaro went off towards the guards, giving a small hint of a smile. "Well Misami, hes going to see if they might let him into the area for just a moment, or if they don't allow him in he said he would look for another way in... whatever that means with him."

But as he looked up watching Kintaro fussing over his pockets, 'Probably tryin to fool the guards by saying he forgot his papers... wonder how well that would work out for him.' As he continued to watch kintaro ruffle around shiki's grin grew ever slightly.

"Someone from the crew would have to escort you," Bill said as he moved from his post to the gate control room. "I'll just ring them up. The Serenity, you said? Will, process him while I take care of that."

"Copy that," the miner replied. He moved forward to meet Kintaro with more grace than a big man like him should have. His next words held less of his accent than his conversation with his partner or with the lone neko had. "Do you wish to declare anything today, sir? Magical items? Amulets of communication, protection, or healing are included in the declaration of magical items. Are you affiliated with any native organizations at this time?"

"Y'all could send the cabin boy Nil fer the esscort he knows me, and fer yur kestin I don't have none o that and no." 'I hope it's the same cabin boy who was loyal to me since he came aboard.' Smiling contenedly Kintaro waits to see what happens.

"Always good to hear, lad," Will said as he scrunched his face as if trying to remember something. "Now--"

"Are you sure that it's the Serenity that you mean, sir?" Bill interrupted, sticking his head out of the booth.



"Did he ask if he was affiliated with any organizations?" Misami asked Shiki. Her mismatched eyes snapped open, prayer halted. Something from her conversations with Mother Sera was trying to shake itself loose in her head. She just couldn't quite remember it.

"Why, yes sir I did, ain't it in? I stopped by cuse I was in the area taday." 'If it's not in I'll have to find another way.' Kintaro looked relaxed and good natured, but he was ready to move when he needed.

Trying to remember anything if he had said if he was with an organization or not, "As far as i remember i don't know anything about him saying something about his workings around here. So don't know entirely."

Looking up at Kintaro still chatting with the guards, "Though it seems they haven't given him the boot from the area yet... so he must be doing something with them, or maybe he might have found a way to get inside."

"I think I have a plan," Misami announced. Her fingers were working the knot on her holy symbol, which she normally wore tied onto her belt. It came loose easily enough. She looped the thong of it around her neck, wearing it like all the masters at the Order House did. Her hand tightened around it as she tried to summon the inner peace that shone like light from her Mother. Now was the time to put aside the warrior and be the priestess. Her eye slid shut for a brief moment before opening again, both a clear ocean blue. Shiki had never seen her eyes like that before. "Just follow me."

She gave her lover a brief grin before heading down the street to the guard station. Misami walked with an authoritative gait that usually mean that Shiki was in trouble. At least that's the only real time that the wolf demon had seen it. Seeing the little nekomimi coming, Bill exited the booth to stand beside his partner. He held up his hands in the universal wait sign.

"Hold and state your name, miss," Bill said.

"I am Misami of Lithia, Journeyman of the Order of Osayin," Misami said with a brisk tone. She gestured to Shiki. "This is Shiki Kauri of the Kauri Clan. And this is..." Her voice trailed off as she realized that Yama and Kazuko hadn't followed. She didn't pause for long. "This is Kintaro. Earlier this evening the Pathos Order House was attacked and a ward of the House taken. We believe that the ones responsible are in the Inner Port. Please allow us to pass and continue our search."

"Do you have any proof of your identity, Journeyman?"

"Yes, I have my pass to enter the city," the healer replied, handing over the pass. Then she tapped the silver coin carved with a bountiful tree that laid on her collarbone. "And the symbol of my Order."

Watching as misami signaled for him to follow, looking into the deep blue eyes that she now had, 'What happened... ive only ever seen them with one red and one blue, or if ive ever got on her bad side, both red... but both blue, thats a new one.'

As she made her way up to the guards and gave the information, looking down to kintaro as he was still holding up at the guard house, gave a slight grin his way.

Keeping the same posture and atitude Kintaro walks over to Misami, bows and says "good joureyman, y'all want me ta come wit ya now?"

"Of course, good tradesman," Misami replied formally. Not normally one to stand on formality, her Mother had ingrained in her the necessary manners too deeply to ever forget them. It stood her in good stead whenever she stayed in an Order House. The Parents always seemed to want to converse with her or assign her extra lessons with the higher ranked Masters, especially if the House had a specialty. Pushing away thoughts of the past, she continued, "May we pass, please?"

"I dunno," said Will, the brute with the native accent. Bill rolled his eyes and took the pass from Misami's hand. He then retreated to the little booth room. There was a tense few moments as they waited for the lithe man to return.

"You are registered with the Order of Ozain according to your intake record," Bill stated when he had returned, "but Pathos House doesn't have you listed as a representive. Are you sure you are on their business?"

"Yes," Misami stated calmly, certain what she spoke was the truth. 'I wonder what Daxus would do in this situation. The thought of her teacher calmed her somewhat despite him not being a Master of the Order. 'Just keep calm like he taught you, Misami.

Watching as the conversation went on, knowing how he had in the past made trouble for conversations when misami was talking with authority figures. 'I think ill just wait to find out what happens with this, im not one much with authority people...'

As he looks down at the tips of his fingers watching the red markings appear at the tip of each finger, 'Hell... i hope this doesn't end up like last time.'

Kintaro steps up to Misami and leans in to whisper in her ear "I glad you showed when you did, I was getting board of playing nice, oh yhea thanks kitten."

Misami turned towards Kintaro. She smiled, showing a bit more teeth than she normally would. The little healer placed her right hand on his stomach. Invisible to the guards, her claws extended to prick the flesh of his abdomen. Misami was careful not to create any real wounds, doing just enough damage to catch his attention.

"Please refrain from pet names," she whispered in return. Her next words implied a threat. "I would hate to see anyone lose their temper."

"Um...well, things seem to be in order, Journeyman," said Bill, breaking the tension between the two cats.

Watching as the big grin from Misami appeared, 'Oh boy... thats usually not a good thing to see, espically in close quarters with her.' As he watched for the moment after it appeared, seeing her make motions to Kintaro, 'Well now you will see what happens when you keep at it, not all the time she lets it slide by.'


As the guards made way back to where they were at, giving them the go ahead for moving through the gate, "Thanks." As he makes it over to misami, placing an arm around her, looking back to Kintaro with the same style grin misami gave him, "Shall we make way."

Pretending not to notice the stinging sencation in his abdomen Kintaro follows the couple through the gate. After a few steps into the port he realised this isn't like any port he's seen before. 'I'm an idiot, I thought this was a reagular harbor, I should've realised this is close to the center of the city. I'm glad she didn't hear anything I said.'

The Inner Port was very different from the Outer Port that all three had entered the city through. There was no water in which the ships could rest. Even assuming that the silverish pods were air ships, they had no rope to tether them to the ground. Some of the metal pods had designs on them, but the sleek lines were not like any that Misami had ever seen before.

The group of natives wandered through the dock, trying not to gawk at the things they saw. Most of it could easily be accomplished with magic, but Misami didn't sense any surrounding them except for the teleportation ward. Was this the teknologee that Mother Sera had mentioned?

There was some kind of flurry of activity going on in front of one of the pods. There was a crowd of nekomimi swarming around what hunks of metal...familiar hunks of metal. It was the giant robots that had attacked the Order House.

"There," Misami pointed out.

Watching all the floating ships holding station around the grounds, watching each one bob up and down. 'Well this is an interesting part of town, haven't seen this area before... probably a good reason too, too much authority.'

Walking around and catching glimpses of things not seen before, then hearing and seeing Misami point a direction making it clear. Looking to where she pointed to, he saw the piles of metal from the things that disturbed their evening meal from before. The things that teleported away before Daxus could find out what they were, 'So they are here... perfect.'

As he looked to Misami, with his figure fading out, "We will get them back for what they did..."

As he faded away into the shadows keeping focus on the group surrounding the piles of metal, he began to raise up the shadow forms to even out the numbers.

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

Shiki Activates Silence
36 magic + 4 Enhance Magic + 19 Roll = 59
Shiki Activates Stealth
36 magic + 4 Enhance Magic + 20 Roll = 60

Shiki Activates Animate Shadow (Shade Master) 4 shadows

The member 'Shiki' has done the following action : Rolls

'd20' : 19, 20

Trying not to look awed by what he was seeing Kintaro catches the sent of the machine things that atacked everyone at the meal. Then he hears Misami say there and sees her pionting. Noticeing Shiki's disaperence Kintaro decides to do likewise steping into the shadows.

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

Kintaro actives Silence
14 Magic + 4 Gypsy Magic + 10 = 28

Kintaro actives Stealth
14 Magic + 4 Gypsy Magic + 8 = 26

The member 'Kintaro' has done the following action : Rolls

'd20' : 10, 8

"Boys," Misami grumbled, rolling her eyes as she was left alone in the middle of the strange harbor. She approached the group, though a bit more cautiously than she would have if she had even Shiki by her side. "Excuse me, I would like a word with whoever is in charge here. Can you get him or her?"



A relaxed onlooker was the one to reply. His face split with a wide grin when he saw her. His dark eyes looked her up and down rakishly. When he spoke it was in a jovial tone.

"Ah, chere, we meet again. Decided that the brute you were with last time didn't deserve you?"

"You took my ward from the Order House," Misami bit out through clenched teeth. Her eyes were turning a murky purple as she began to lose her temper. "Against her will. If you won't return her willingly, I will be forced to take her by force."



"There will be no taking by force done here, miss," said another nekomimi as he exited the ship. Unlike the others except for the smooth talker they had met in the alleyway, he didn't wear armor. He was easily as tall as Shiki and even more broad in the shoulders. Like Kintaro, he had a sword strapped to his side. The slim sheath made it clear that the sword was a katana. He came closer to his underling, moving with a fighter's grace. "There will also be no returning her to where she doesn't belong. Miki will stay with me."

Watching from a short distance, as the words were spoken from both Misami and then the neko he remembered from before. 'Well well... i might actually get to kill you this time... give me a good reason to make it happen ya damn furball.'

As he watched for any sign of Misami having trouble, unknowing the red marks on his hands grew from the tips of his fingers to the back of his hands, and he started to feel a slight twinge to his back.

With the shadows near him, he begins to notice where everyone was moving off to... becoming more aware of his surroundings, following his natural instincts.

~~~~~~~~
Shiki activates Rage

Trying to be as quiet as posible Kintaro gets as close as he can to the group to listen in.

"I'm willing to negotiate on that point. Let me see her," Misami ordered. She was getting tired of these cats' attitude. The healer could put up Kintaro's constant flirting--that was actually kind of flattering. He just had rotten timing, doing it during a crisis like this. The smaller of these Maunese was also a smooth talker and his accent reminded her of the people who lived in the marshlands a day's journey away from Lithia. His attitude was very arrogant; It was as if he thought he was Osayin's gift to women! This newest tiger was clearly used to getting his way in everything. He was clearly the leader. It was taking a lot of her self-control not to act rashly--like Shiki--and scratch his eyes out.



"You are mistaken if you think you are ever coming near her again," declared the tiger. He shifted his stance slightly. Misami couldn't pinpoint the difference, but knew that he was now more dangerous than he was a moment ago. Kintaro recognized the instant preparation for the iajutsu strike from his own use of the three foot razor blade.