Two | [Action]

[leviathanclaw]

[The forest was an old one from times long ago. The branches were bunched together so thickly that no light filtered through. If it was day or night was anyone's guess. Sounds of the creatures in the distant were foreign. Not birds or insects, but growls, light laughter of hushed tones, or even silence

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[servidude]

[Guy's no stranger to dangerous and monster-infested forests with tangled roots and no visible way out. Really, compared to being hit on by zombies and kidnapped by lady pirates, today's world is practically like home.]

[That doesn't mean he takes his hand off his sword as he walks towards the road--it reminds him too much of home. And back home monsters are prone to popping up at the least convenient times.]

[Like... Right now! When a beautiful white horse with an elegant horn trots from the bushes and tosses it's mane and generally startles Guy because he should have heard an animal that big coming.]

[leviathanclaw]

[The beast paws at the ground testing it rather than preparing for a charge. It kneels his head to look at Guy in the eyes while its own gleam with an intelligence far beyond normal horses.

The heart to heart is broken when the mythical beast lifts his head at a sharp cracking of ... wood? There is a heavy thud as something hits the ground and the creaking of branches swaying as if under a heavy wind from a tree farther into the woods.]

[servidude]

[It doesn't seem hostile, but Guy starts when the unicorn does, turning at the same time to look in the same direction. He glances back at the big horse, not sure what to make of it. It looks... intelligent but can it talk?]

[Regardless, he looks back towards the noise of cracking wood. And because he hasn't seen enough horror movies (or any at all) or because he is just a hero type he veers away from the visible road to head towards the noise. Investigating is always the intelligent decision. After all, from a scientific perspective, he'll never know what the sound is if he doesn't go find out himself.]

[leviathanclaw]

[The unicorn will trot on after him hooves making no sound even as it crunches on fine leaves over the forest floor. If Guy isn't looking down he may trip over a weapon that looks like the mix between a shotgun and a scythe. It lays haphazardly among the twigs as if it was dropped.

However, if Guy doesn't look up, he will miss Yeager caught by an ankle in a rope trap tied to a tree. There is a metal click as he shoots at the rope with a crossbow, the weapon he hadn't dropped when the surprise went off, but trying to hit a small, thin target while swaying upside down was harder than first anticipated.]

[servidude]

[Guy is too busy giving his pure companion a confused look as it silently follows him, he doesn't notice the scythegun until he stumbles over it, which is unusually clumsy of him, but it does make him stop and look up at the noise. Well. Hello there.]

...Need some help?

[There are other noises in the trees beyond, far off still, and not of immediate concern, but still somewhat eerie. A howl that isn't from any animal Yeager or Guy know, what sounds like a tree crashing down.]

[leviathanclaw]

[Yeager looks up, well down really, to see Guy on the forest floor. He gives a short wave before returning his attention back to the matter at hand.]

Oh, no, no, no. [He fires two shots from his crossbow. One goes wide and hits a tree. The second nicks the rope.]

I will be with you in ze second. [Shots three and four plus gravity seem to do the trick, and he even manages to land on his feet.]

You have found a little friend, ja. Zis forest is full of surprises. I met a teller of fortunes not a moment before. All zis hopping to and back with dinosaurs, zombies, and ze open sea is almost dizzying.

[The howls get closer and closer, but the tree crashing seems further off. A pack, perhaps. The calls seem wolf-like, but not quite. Still nothing of familiarity. On the road just past the trees there is a clambering of hooves. A horse running on the road perhaps. Or another horned beast? And why did the forest all of the sudden decide to be so lively?]

[servidude]

I'm impressed. [Guy crosses his arms and steps back, bumping into the Unicorn as he does, when Yeager lands. That was pretty fancy for a guy in a stuffy suit.]

This is definitely the most lively I've seen the place. [Guy stoops to pick up the scythebowgun thing, holding it out to Yeager but not without giving it a very interested turn in his hands. He'd love to take it apart and see how it works...]

I get the feeling maybe we shouldn't stick around.

[The howls have a high, eerie tone, like nails on the blackboard, and they are starting to circle the clearing the men are in.]

[leviathanclaw]

[It helps that Yeager put most of his ranks in escape artist. The Unicorn whinnies and flicks his tail when Guy bumps into him.

Yeager reloads and belts the crossbow before taking back the much larger weapon. He notes the interest in it. He might bring it up later when the situation doesn't dictate he require it at the moment. The unicorn nudges Guy in the shoulder agreeing also with his statement. The creature is trying to nudge them back toward the road.]

It looks like your little friend agrees with you. Our welcome may already be worn, ja, indeed.

[The circling still continues and the cries get louder even as they arrive on the dirt road patch. There are fresh tracks as it looks like a horse and rider just went through. Then a voice hisses out from the darkness in that skin crawling tone.]

You are not the ones we seek.

[servidude]

[Guy can't help it that his fingers itch around anything mechanical. He's a geek at heart. He raises a hand to touch the unicorn tentatively, looking rather confused as to what it wants.]

Well, you two seem to know where we're going.

[He smiles amiably and lets the unicorn herd them towards the road, though he keeps on hand on his sword as they walk.]

[The amiable expression melts the minute that voice hisses at them from the darkness, and low, slinking shapes emerge hissing from the shadows. On automatic, Guy turns to put his back to Yeager, taking stock of the fact that they're thoroughly surrounded.]

If you don't want us, then kindly leave us alone.

[leviathanclaw]

Ja, ja, zis is quite the welcome.

[A wolf half of Guy's height while stooping comes out of the foliage onto the path. While it still is walking on all fours it bears an intelligence similar to a human if not greater.]

Your aide cannot be given to them. The time of the rightful has come again. Either help in the ascension that has been long in coming or begone from this place.

[Yeager finds the defensive position an agreeable place to be. He flips his weapon around to use the shotgun half but keeps it pointed at the ground. He looks back at the unicorn through the corner of his eye. What a menagerie.]

[servidude]

Sure, if you'll let us go, we'll be on our way.

[Guy keeps an eye on the giant wolf, his voice calm. No need to look for a fight when they don't need to, right? The unicorn, tosses it's mane, pawing again at the ground, and Guy shifts subtly back so that he and Yeager can't easily be separated.]

[Low growling from the surrounding shadows on all sides is not comforting.]

[leviathanclaw]

[The beast gives a nod of his head with no verbal answer to Guy's request.]

Be seeing you, zen. Bye bye.

[Yeager backs away first putting the unicorn of all things between him and the huge wolf. He was lacking smoke bombs or lackeys to leave behind, but since the creature was being generous he wasn't going to push the opportunity. He waits for Guy to do the same before bolting.

If the unicorn comes or not, well, that is its decision. As for the wolves... are such talking beasts honorable or not?]

[servidude]

[Guy tries to keep in step with Yeager. He's a melee fighter, where Yeager's weapon is clearly built for range as well. Guy's used to taking the front lines, so if things do go south, and he's assuming Yeager will have his back, he intends to be the one taking most of the heat. He's hoping it's pointless planning, however.]

[And it does look like they're going to get away, the large wolf watches them, not moving, and they get a ways down the road before creatures erupt from the shadows on all sides, shrieking in attack.]

[They aren't canine, these things, more like rabbits--if rabbits were prone to wielding axes and emitting inhuman shrieks. And being about knee-high.]

[Guy reacts swiftly, sword drawn and a sweeping area arte Void Tempest clearing the immediate surroundings of the things, for a few seconds. They don't seem too strong.]

[leviathanclaw]

[Yeager hops back next to Guy when he draws his sword. Giant wolves that could talk were quite the new sight, but monsters roaming the world not so much. Okay, they usually didn't wield weapons, but anyway. He sights down the barrel of the gun and fires on a few of the creatures just emerging from the trees.

While their size was small, there were still about half a dozen left. The remaining alive ones went to their fallen companions and picked up the discarded axes to bear one in each hand before jumping into the fray. Two of them charge forward to attack Guy while the other four keep back taking stock of their weapons. They are unable to flank him, however, as Yeager is one side and the unicorn had just show up on his other.]

[servidude]

[Yeager hits everything he aims for, and Guy is incredibly swift. Faster than Yuri, though his attacks are also lighter, he simply hits more. The unicorn, surprisingly, is pretty handy with those hooves and horn--Guy's not sure why he's joined them but he's glad!]

[And between they three they manage to drive the things into keeping some distance.]

Come on, I think we should hurry.

[The road is clear for now, there's a mansion up ahead, just visible through the trees. It has all the hallmarks of a spooky haunted ghost mansion (just like home, for Yeager), but it's a building.]

[leviathanclaw]

I must admit, you are very good.

[Yeager lets the unicorn go after Guy second as he empties a clip of crossbow bolts into the fray before joining the evasive maneuvers.

Doors are wide open as well. While this hardly seems the best place for lost travelers to ask for directions, why not? Upon entering, they'll find the walls decorated with weapons of various types: swords, shields, maces, bows along with portraits. Though the images change every time it is given a glance. A young man with red hair. An older one with a beard and wicked eyebrows. And a princess who has left the City.

As they enter deeper into the room a figure in a small red cloak rushes up to Guy to grab his leg. Scratch that, the cloak has no form inside but it giggles like a delighted girl whose favorite family member had just returned home. Yeager just gives it a curious glance.]

First ze wild animals and now ze spooks, ja.