Acotali's Emerald City [Testing the Dungeon Changes - Deshitana, Puck, Safi]

To Jason, the dregs of natural degradation was at work here. Everything seemed abandoned and lonely. Yes, there were obvious signs of life lingering about in this place. But it ultimately lacked humans in the area. It was almost as if it were a silent sign that they should not be here and that they should leave this place as soon as possible. Yet, they were here for something and that something was to be dealt with the edge of his blade sticking through her. He could feel Asuramaru was thirsty for blood and so was he, but he practiced necessary professionalism and caution.

After all, he was trusted with a Shadow Weapon. The boy clasped his left hand tighter around the base of the sheathed blade. His thumb was resting against the tsuba guard, ready to flick it open for faster and efficient draw. They were approaching unfriendly territory and it wouldn't hurt to be prepared after all. He looked back at his fellow companions. They seemed to be competent, at least he hoped it was the case. But, for now, he would put his life into their hands as they would to him. This was an operation like any other. And like any other operation, Jason didn't plan to fail it.


He gestured at his fellow party members to start moving in. Their target was here somewhere, but where? It would take a while to search for her and a number of motionless bodies in the process. But that was the job. Risk your life and finish the task. He knew what he signed up for and would not dare to regret it. It was his choice, after all to get into this kind of work. And on top of that, he liked to have an opportunity to practice his swordplay and this was the best one yet.

Just as he turned left on the corner, there was something that caused him to stop. Asuramaru was being drawn as its viridescent edge glowed in anticipation. Shadows were up ahead. They were in the way and his blade hungered for their destruction. He smirked and looked back to his comrades.


And he charged towards them with blade ready. To the Shadows, he must've looked like some kind of spectre with is dark attire and glowing blade. At this point, he might as well be.

Movement:

The light click of heels and then a calm as they halted. All around them, the sounds, sights, and smell of nature. Grass, birds, trickling water…all soothing and unfamiliar sounds to the girl that had always heard the sounds of the city. She had heard there were places like this in the world and had even began adventuring and joining groups that traveled outside of the city just see these supposed paradises with her own eyes. However, up until now she had only seen closed in spaces with the minimum amount of nature to spare, so it was no wonder the girl now stood in awe at the majestic place she saw right before her.

Her pet cat demon, Alexis, sat quietly at his master’s side swishing his tail as his strange head tilted one way and then the other as it seemed to observe the world with unseen eyes. Unbothered by the cat that was always with her, the female demon would continue to look about the area.  

So this is Acotali's Emerald City. What a breath taking sight, the girl thought as crimson eyes shifted about the area to take every detail in.

With such beauty all around she find it hard to get wound up or tense like she usually did before a battle or mission. Instead, she remained relaxed as she let her mind wander, thinking what it would be like to live in such a place.

Perhaps she would’ve continued to let her mind drift along in her imagination; however, reality had a rude way of intervening and quickly reminding her of why she was actually in this seemingly wonderful place.
The interruption came in the form of a voice that sound in her head and shattered all happy thoughts from before.

“Yeah, yeah. I gotcha honey,” she would respond back to their support member as she was reminded what they were here to do. Maybe at some later point she could find this place again…if of course nothing happened to destroy it…Man! Why everything she fell in love with have the potential to burst so easily?

Shaking her head to stop those train of thoughts, Aria would refocus on what was happening about her, her crimson eyes automatically shifting to the guy that had decided to take the lead. Heh. He sure didn’t waste any time did he? And what was with that attitude? Could he at least give a name? No?

Aria sighed inwardly at this. She supposed this is what happens when one signs up to go along with people one didn’t know. Not really a bad thing considering they were all here for the same thing, right? The girl would look up towards the sky at that one before tilting her head at the other that had come.

“I guess we should follow,” she would state before gesturing for the last member to go on ahead. She would bring up the rear if the other complied and if not she’d be right behind the leader.

She would travel along at a good pace, Alexis right at her side as they moved. As she moved she speak to the second member since the leader was up ahead.

"Say what's your name, hun? Mine name is Aria and this is Alexis," she would address the guy that was hopefully somewhere near her. The last thing she needed was another one to go rushing off into the wind. Honestly did guys not respect females and their ways these days? Anyway...

When the leader halted and his sword began to act odd, the girl found herself pausing a few steps behind as she watched his behavior. A few moments later when the guy spoke up and gave that smirk, Aria had little time to make a comment as the guy decided to rush into battle.

“H-Hey!” she would shout at him unable to believe that he had just gone into this without introductions or a plan for that matter. Did he expect everyone just to follow at his command or something? And if so, wouldn’t that get them in trouble along the line? She wasn’t exactly a mind reader even if she was a pure breed demon...she had kind of ignored that class to specialize in smashing things...

She would let out a low growl of frustration.

“Man, why do I always get stuck with the quick hoppers?” she would complain with a frown and light stomp of her left foot. The impact amazingly not destroying her heels. Looking back at the other she would continue. “Come on before he gets himself killed.”

From there the girl would run forward with her cat at her side to help their “leader” with whatever trouble he had gotten them into from his rash actions.
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Aria and Alexis:

“Depends on if you like to gamble or not. Honestly, I like the gambling side,” the she said giving the guy a smirk of amusement. Oh yes. She loved watching the quick ones just to see how long they’d last on their own. If he was strong enough, Mr. Quick Feet could clear the place out for them without her having to lift a finger or damage her new nail polish. Let him do all the work and still get the reward. Sound like a sweet deal to her.  

“But we can’t gamble very well if we can’t see what he is doing now can we?” she finish as she gave the guy a light wink before moving to take the path the other was had gone down.

As she traveled with the other behind her, she managed to get his name and even discovered that this one had some form of manners. Or at least a really smooth way of speaking. And look at that! He was even acknowledging Alexis. Cute.

To the wave, the cat would turn its strange head slightly to look at the boy as a small meow was let out in greeting. Apparently, it appreciated the acknowledgement.

“The pleasure is all mine,” Aria said as she continued to move forward quite relaxed…until Mr. Quick Feet ran into battle that is. That was not going to do at all.

Still steaming a bit, she would hear the boy’s words as she moved.

“Fate can kiss my ass! I am gonna make him pay if he screws this job up for me,” she would say back to the other as she kept moving forward; however, frowns would turn into an amused grin as she heard the rest of what he said.

“Good point. That would make things so much better now wouldn’t it?” she would respond back in a playful manner. Yes she was on a job; however, she never could pass up playfulness and always appreciated t when someone wasn’t being a stick in the mud and could play back.

She just might be able to like this Noah, if he could keep amusing her so; however, what would happen from there was yet to be seen as battle took its place in the form of plants. Heh. Plants. Go figure.

Well, Mr. Quick Feet didn’t seem to hesitate about what he wanted to do. He had no issues setting fire to creatures. A logical move, considering what they were. Still she had to wonder just how resilent these creatures were. Would they resist fire? Or magic in general? Hmmm...Let us see.

Deciding to observe what would happen for now she would take a few steps back as Alexis jumped forward and open his mouth. From the void where his mouth should've been a gust of wind would go out towards the enemy to attempt take it down.
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Information Box:

49 Slash Damage (98) to Aira.

He noticed his fellow teammates finally caught up with him, which was good. At the least his back would be covered. Jason nodded at them in acknowledgement. But it looked like one of them was staggered by the counterattack that their enemies dealt out.

"I'll cover you," he called out to Aria as he would move once more to swing a fiery wave of flames as a form of suppression fire.

Action:

Stats:

SP should be 101 now due to Invigorate 2.

“It really is too bad this is a job then. Might've gone differnetly if it wasn't,” she would respond with an amused chuckle to the other before she was on the move to follow their third member. As they moved, Noah and Alexis seemed to be getting along well enough with their exchange and Aria herself was quite relaxed around the guy. When it came to their other party member, Aria would glance over at Noah with a raised eyebrow her agitation from earlier melting thanks to how chilled this guy seemed to be.

“Well, aren’t you an impressive guy? I like the way you think,” she said to him quite amused by his attitude and ways. When they reach the battle field, the amusement didn’t cease as the guy easily played off her words. “A salad would be a nice start,” she would begin, but then seeing the fire attack the Mr. Quick Feet did she would smirk even more.

“Of course, having something cooked is nice too. Try not to burn them too badly, okay chef?” she would say poking lightly at their third member just see what sort of personality this one had outside of being quick to move and act.

From there, the battle would begin as Noah took on a dragon form before attacking. Now that was a nice touch to things. She could always appreciate creatures of destruction and power and as tempting as it was to hug the dragon boy just for being so darn cute (yes she loves inhuman things. The more not human you look the more she loves ya), she kept herself focus on battle. The good thing was, all attacks seemed to hit in some fashion washing havoc over the battlefield and at least knocking down one of the foes. It was satisfying to see. Well now, she could stomp out that little flower and the big bad wolf with a jaw made of rocks. Both of them seem to be in bad sha—What? Eh?

Aria saw the rock jawed creature eye her before coming at her. As it neared it would unleashed its attack. On instinct, she raised her arms to take the blow on her gauntlets; however, the brute was more powerful than she assumed and with amazing force, it smacked her right to the ground.

“Gah!” would be her small cry as she hit the ground butt first in a painful fashion. Not only did her arms hurt from the blow, but now her behind hurt too. To make matters worse, it seemed the force of the blow had jarred her so much she couldn’t hope back up. Honestly, could this get any worse for her? Everyone else seemed more or less safe. So why the hell was she picked on, hm? That thing had to be male. That was it. It was picking on her because she was female. Uh-huh. She saw how it was.

Glaring daggers at the creature, Aria was thinking of all the ways she could tear the creature apart, but was knocked out of revenge alley when their third member spoke up.

He was going to keep her covered? Well that was unexpected to hear considering he seemed more like one to do things on his own. Still..

“Yeah you do that,” she would respond back with a sigh as she did her best to get back on her feet. She wasn't being ungrateful or anything, but she wasn't the type of girl to go all mushy over a guy protecting her. She was a warrior not a princess. Besides, how can on be happy when their ass and arms hurt?

Damn dog thing…she would think as her eyes went to Alexis. While the blow may not have hit him directly, he was laying on the ground trying to shake off the attack too. A sight that always made Aria sad; however, that was the price one paid when they were bond to another.
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Information: