Dancing with the Dead
//A bit of storytelling Tetsuro shared at a bustling night during Bounty Call hours!
Gather close, n' heed this tale,
Of Namai bound, by void's dark veil.
In moonlit stillness, courage drew,
We faced a threat, vile and new.
For some time, our operations consist of trackin’ a cultist group who are rather excited on wieldin’ the void against yokai, makin’ them both their pawns n’ tools.. Instruments. NightRaid advocates for yokai, thus a party formed with those of the network; myself, Azure, Faern, Momo, Kaede, n’ Chifuyu.
Reports spoke of a white-cloaked figure that was more than suspected to be part of this cult, the objective to capture his ass n’ reign him into our cells here at HQ. That and.. Well, the sick n’ twisted have gone to the extent of somethin’ like necromancy. Not the first time I’ve danced with it..
As we stepped from the teleportation circle, my fur bristled at the eerie quiet that met us. Namai was a ghost town, void of its usual warmth n’ bustling spirits, replaced by an unsettlin’ emptiness. Adjusting my exorcist’s spectacles, enchanted lenses caught glimmers of restless aether, I felt unease crawl through my fur.. The shadows seemed alive, whisperin’ threats in voices too quiet to fully hear.
Somethin’ felt familiar, even though this tension. Some.. presence. But unseen. Then came the laughter from above, cold n’ arrogant. The figure clad in white robes stood tall atop the roofs, flanked by two hooded acolytes in black. They mocked us, confident we had already lost by merely arrivin’. Spitting empty threats of walkin’ into a trap.
"Yanxia ain't your playground. Yokai aren't your pawns. Two of you are meetin' your graves, one of you.. I'll personally walk you to your tomb outta the kindness of my heart." I said with my whole chest. The hunt’s gained a rarity of havin’ me rely on my grimoire n’ exorcism techniques… this time.
Without missin’ a beat, Faern responded swiftly, conjuring tendrils of void with practiced ease. Shadows surged violently, reaching up like graspin' claws, pulling the black-robed cultists from their perch, sending 'em crashin' harshly onto the ground below. The leader, though, was different—defiant n’ steady, he swiftly regained his footing, the dark energy gatherin’ around him, preparin' for retaliation.
Wasted no time snatchin’ my grimoire from my side. The pages fluttered to life in response to my command. With a deep, resonant chant, scarlet runes lifted from parchment, gatherin' swiftly into a BLAZING spear of spiritual energy. It streaked forward, piercin' the air and slammin' hard into one cultist, leavin' him gaspin’ for breath, I aimed to bind him from the inside out.
Momo sprang forth, graceful n’ cunning, summonin' floral aether that twisted into vines, bindin' and immobilizing our foes. Azure, ever playful yet deadly precise, lashed out with his.. unusual magics, I think it was a frog tongue? Draggin' the white-robed fiend closer to us, disrupting his attempts to regain control. Chifuyu engaged fiercely, her broadsword clashin' in swift, brutal exchanges, even as blood flowed freely from fresh wounds.
Kaede, calm amidst chaos, wove ice with deadly precision, shards slicin' through void-tainted flesh, disruptin' our enemies' footing and focus. Every move was deliberate, every spell coordinated, and the rhythm of our team was strong even alongside our newest faces, but our foes matched us in our flow.
Their counterattack was fierce. Void tendrils surged from the leader, whippin' down violently, smackin' into us with brutal force. I hit the ground, grittin' my teeth against the pain. Tappin’ into Yanxia's rich earth beneath me, I reached deep into the Chi that thrived beneath our feet. Warmth flowed through me, extendin' outward to close the wounds of my comrades through its roots.
Chaos surged anew as laughter, mad, distorted, and familiar—cut through the fray. A twisted figure joined the fight, corrupted by void energies, wieldin’ a sinister scythe with abandon. She laughed maniacally as she swung at friend n’ foe alike, her movements chaotic and unpredictable. Her presence deepened the void’s darkness around us. She looked a little TOO familiar.
Fae, quick and fierce, vanished briefly into shadow only to reappear moments later in a fierce downward strike, staggerin' our enemy further. I felt my pulse quicken, urgency drivin' my chants as I repeatedly called upon Yanxia’s deep earth, mendin' wounds that opened almost faster than I could heal 'em, tossing my talisman to work.
Our enemy's assaults intensified now that another foe joined the field, blades and dark tendrils dancin' in deadly harmony. Azure darted in, launchin’ precise kicks, knockin’ foes off balance. Chifuyu’s sword sung through the air, relentless despite her injuries, each strike pushin' through pain and fatigue.
Kaede unleashed a flurry of icy shards, catchin' foes unaware, drivin’ deep into their corrupted forms, slowin' and wearin’ them down piece by piece. Momo’s agile movements and swift conjurations continued to restrain n’ disorient, her strategic positioning keepin' the cultists controlled. I think at some point I got a fuckin’ dead body THROWN at me by that SMALL BASTARD?
Our enemy’s ranks began to crumble, the leader growin’ fickle, throwing tendrils wildly in desperation. Chifuyu managed to absolutely knock that little shit out with a parting gift or three from Fae, whilst our other target attempted to flee, to which I shouted “DON’T LET THAT BASTARD ESCAPE!” and all acted quickly. Thankfully, Kaede blocked his path with a wall of flame whilst Momo managed to entangle his ass in vines and drag him down.
With our captive now bound, I took the opportunity, my claws sinkin’ deep into the Yanxian soil, chantin’ deeply. Earth responded to my call, chains of divine Chi burstin’ forth, ensnarin' the white-robed figure, lockin' him firmly in place for his impending sentence to our cells, and thus he vanished with my call. Sent the little void minion duplicate along with him, too.
Victory was ours. Namai’s oppressive silence began to fade, the spirits slowly returnin’ to peace. Thanks to the grand efforts of our party… I will say, for allying with new faces, our fighting rhythm held the same familiarity as long-term comrades.
Thus ends our battle, dark and deep, With Namai safe, its peace to keep.Yet stay alert, n' heed the call, For once again, the void may fall..
