As Impenetrable as the Mist

[Wolven Samurai]

Drake emerged from the trees and stared off into the mist. His hair hung over his eye, which was now a dark blue-gray. He put his hands in his jacket pockets and strode forward leisurely. He wore a dark red shirt and black pants. His combat boots thunked along at he stepped upon the shipyard's wooden dock. His katana was strapped to his side, edge up, as is proper.

He squinted but could not see a thing in the mist that wasn't a few feet away from him. He sighed and, as he could not find a place to sit in the ghastly mist, sat down. He threw his pack beside him and laced his fingers together in front of his chin, his elbows using his legs for support. He gazed forward thoughtfully, his indifferent expression as impenetrable as the mist.

He drew his katana and inspected the Tsuba. He stared for a long time at the design, and suddenly felt sorrow creep up on his heart. He replaced his katana and hid his face in his hands, such sorrow he had to dismiss, for he needed to be ready for anything, but once in a while, he wished he could allow himself to cry. He took a deep breath and suddenly his face became just as unreadable as before, as if nothing had occurred.

[Señor Sunday Friday]

"There are many kinds of illusions..." a woman's voice sounded in the shipyards as a small creature's footsteps shuffled about in the mist, still yet unseen. The voice was of one who was very confident, and who posessed smooth vocal chords that produced a voice that was dark like tinted glass. The footsteps drew closer quietly without a form of a person coming into view, rather, instead there stood a small black fox that gazed up at the lycan with patient blue green eyes that blazed with an inner passion of flames that could not be contained inside the sleek, iridescently black body of the creature. The animal chuckled, in the same woman's voice, it's small paws resting on the wooden planks. "I would assume that you are Drake, would I be correct?" she asked, her maw parting in a wide yawn, revealing small sharp, white teeth. Her white tippted tail rested patiently on the boards as she inclined her head to hear the expected response of 'yes' while she, should have proffered her name in respect to popular fashion seeing as she already knew this young man's name.

Her name was Akira, despite her never saying it, and yes, it was properly and more normally a boy's name though she felt that it suited herself just fine. She had taken this student, rather than her husband who was expected to arrive here, but the ancient one was very, very busy at present and therefore unable to take up any new students. She felt somewhat guilty for that, but lingering on guilt was never the best thing for one's constitution and so she slipped over it with ease.

Nonetheless, the lithe creature with the apparent smile lingering over her features looked towards the samurai, awaiting confirmation on who he was.

She was an odd little thing, the voice of a woman, definately a woman, but with the form and movement of an animal, though that was possibly subject to change if one considered the possibilities of what she could be, if she were a fox spirit then she would very easily have another form, a more human form that she simply wasn't opting for- though this fox only had one tail, but if there were werewolves and werecats, a werefox wouldn't be too much of a stretch, then again; there were many types of illusions and kitsunes being such masters at such could easily hide excess tails in order to appear normal. It was anyone's guess what she was, though from the start we could assume that this fox was Drake's teacher and guide to Twilight Moon Academy.

[Wolven Samurai]

Drake's nuetral face darted around as he heard the voice, followed by the footsteps. He calmed himself and rested his left hand on the kashiri of his katana. As the black fox revealed itself, Drake let a small smile pierce the seemingly impenetrable expression that he had worn just a few seconds ago, like the smallest ray of the sun peaking through an overcast sky of the grayest clouds. As the fox spoke again, a few thoughts ran through his head. Who exactly is this? And what is she? Is she an enemy or friend? He could only figure out two of the three.

"You are correct." he answered the fox's question in a very polite tone. He didn't react any different, mostly because of what he's heard of the academy he was to go to. If what he heard was true, then this is completely normal, he wasn't one to pry with questions, not unless it's important, so he decided not to ask exactly what she was. If this fox knew his name, she could be a friend, and the one to bring him to the academy, or she could be an enemy pretending to be the one to bring him. Either way, he needs to let things work themselves out.

"I assume you're the one to bring me to the academy, correct?" he asked in the same tone with a slight inclination of his head. His eyes grew dull and plain in color as he masked his thoughts, although if this creature was someone from the academy, he wouldn't be surprised if she knew what he was thinking anyway. He took in a scent, of course without making it obvious, he never was one to act so animal like when he didn't need to, just because he's a Lycan doesn't mean he can't act proper and respectful. He couldn't tell much from the scent, only that she was a fox, but something different. It confused him, so he stored the thoughts away and waited for a response to his own question.

[Señor Sunday Friday]

"Indeed, I'll be your master teacher, training you how to controll your own special abilities and talents." the small fox seemed pleased that her now student was so capable of putting one and one together and getting the sought after two. She looked through the mist quietly, contemplating the best means to get to Twilight Moon Academy from here. She could always get her mate to take the two, though he never seemed fond of such requests... she frowned, there was the walkway, but last student she took that way lost his footing and fell into the waters, that was the end of that poor child. She shook her head, the water here was a nasty, serious business, what with the souls swimming about and looking for flesh.

"Well...? What are you waiting for, come on." she leaped into the mist, a spark of light forming in the mist, burning brilliantly in a flame identical in hue to the fox's eyes. It was foxfire, sure enough- able to lead people through mists and commonly known to lead people to their deaths... but she was a friend, right? Of course she was, what else would she be?

It was apparent that she was a fox demon by this point, the taste of her magic swirling in a wake behind her, ripples of where she cut through space. It was well aparent that she wasn't a one-tailed fox either, something much older than that- likely a full fledged spirit of nine tails. There was the sound of painful cracking and ripping, and slowly the sillouhette of the fox was no longer visible- rather a woman walked beside the flame, turning to look towards Drake and there were shimmers where her eyes would be. "We'll need to work on your schedule along the way, of course." her speech much smoother now, softer and more eloquent as she had her human vocals and they were placed in a proper mouth for talking rather than the awkward arrangement of a fox.

She appeared entirely human, her black hair cut in a short bob and her skin the color of moonlight, the bright blue green eyes sharp spears that peirced through the milky fog. Her body was clad in a dress consisting of a deep, rich red color. This fox spirit- or demon, depending on how you looked upon it, was very much just how one would imagine her kind to be. She had the slender waist, firm buttocks and generous bosom of a race known for their escapades in and about human affairs, though she did a fair job of covering such features, seeing as she was a teacher- and married.

Her bare feet walked on the planks with all the dainty, near silence as her vulpine feet had used and she nearly glided in a ghostly fashion, carrying herself confidently through the ghost shipyards.

If one had bothered to look at such things as the posters and signs plastered and nailed and stapled to the sides of buildings you would see several different wanted posters placed to call attention, one carried the image of a similar woman as this, only her hair was much, much longer and there were ever so many differences in the face, overall it looked like it could have been the sister of this fox spirit, if her sister also happened to be named 'Akira,' that is.

The list of crimes was lengthy and involving such things as murder, treason, arson, high treason, theft, breaking and entering, impersonating a soldier, impersonating an officer, impersonating an official, impersonating a religious figure, impersonating a monarch, kidnapping, forgery, bribery, robbery, piracy, herecy, conspiracy against the throne of Virisea, conspiracy against the throne of Bettel, war crimes, conspiracy against Licentia, and many, many more. Catching sight of such a poster made it seem much, much more likely that this kitsune was more of an enemy than a friend.

((Note: The above crimes are all from actual RPs, not just be sitting down and BS-ing a bunch of things, she's actually done all of that.))

[Wolven Samurai]

Drake stood from his spot and watched the fox as she did what she did. He could almost smile at just how interesting it all seemed. He strode two long, yet cautious steps. "If I may say, I'm not waiting for much, only to know exactly how we're getting to the academy." he said, and as the form of the words may have seemed rather disrespectful, every word of this sentence was said with graceful politeness, and his face made no further expression than his indifferent and blank gaze, his eyes seemed even to still be masked with a dull light.

As he closed his eyes, or rather, closed them halfway, he could almost feel something different about this one whom he had met. He ran the clues, as few as they may be, through his head. As he thought, his eyelids never closed more than halfway. It had something to do with foxes, 'You idiot, that quite obvious, isn't it?' a voice in his mind scolded him, it was his own voice, in his own mind, scolding himself. The light, the transformation, the almost spiritual feel he could detect, definitely some sort of fox spirit as he could figure out, but of course that is as likely to him as anything else, for all he knew this person, whom he just couldn't figure out, could be something totally different. He put away the thoughts and opened his eyes entirely.

He stepped forward, not as long as the two previous ones, but every bit as cautious. "If I may ask, what is the academy like, if you could sum it up a bit. I know it could be difficult, might it?" he asked, his eyebrows raising ever the slightest. He needed to know more, not all at once of course, but just more information. That was his way of working with things, always know the whole situation.

Drake noticed that his eyes grew somewhat accustomed to seeing through mist, he couldn't tell how, but he could. 'Maybe a Lycan thing.' he thought. Although he had lived for over 300 years, he could never figure out what being a Lycan is, except for the turning and the obvious little facts, but he knew so little, he knew only things that a fool might look up in a horror book. He could only manage to control his Lycan side, meaning he could turn when he wanted to, but he let everyone believe that he can't, it decreases the amount of suspicious glares. Hopefully, this person, or someone else, might be able to help him. As his eyes had grown to pierce the mist slightly, he noticed only now the similarity, how ever little or large, this person had with a piece of paper lying a little bit away, posted on a building's side. He read the words "Wanted" and the name below it but didn't read more he didn't have to read more, and he shouldn't read more. If this person is an enemy, he couldn't allow himself to give off his suspicion, he could just be being paranoid, but god such ignorance was unbearable. His mind calmed and he took a relaxing breath. He had hoped this person had not noticed him spot the poster, or posters, although it was very likely. He decided to let things unfold, who knew what would happen.

He stuck his right hand in his pocket and strode forward towards the person, if he was correct in his suspicions, then he already knew her name, but if he was wrong then he doesn't, and if he asked and she knew he had noticed the poster, then she could become offended or if she was an enemy, she could most likely kill him then and there. Again, he should let that unfold itself as well, and he remained silent and not ask the questions he was dying to ask.

[Señor Sunday Friday]

"Twilight Moon?" she asked, looking back towards the student with a curious glance, "Well... I was thinking of asking for a bit of help from my husband." she explained, attempting to gaze through the fog for any signs of whoever it was that she happened to be looking for, any common sense would prompt that she was searching for her husband. Her slender hands placed on her hips as her earrings glinted in the murk.

Then there was a man present, not with the woman of course, but standing next to Drake, a smile on his face with eerie brown eyes with cat-like slits peering through hair the color of freshly spilled blood. He looked to be quite the intimidating fellow in formal hakama and monstuiki kimono, at his side an elegent katana, and from the way he walked he knew a thing or two about combat. It was apparent enough that nobody at this Academy was a normal being, nobody at all would likely be human. It was going to be a rough time.

"Maka-" the woman jumped, whirling around, a frown on her face, "Makashi!" she spoke in dismay, "Don't sneak up on me like that! It's not fair!" she quickly adopted a pout while looking towards the 'man' in formal wear who oddly enough, did not wear shoes either.

"If you listened for more than your pendant, youd be more aware." he laughed, throwing his arms around the woman, a laugh in his voice that carried calmly, on the soothing tones. He nonetheless seemed to be a wild thing despite how 'controlled' he acted at current, "And this is Drake, is it? The young student?" he smiled towards the child, revealing dangerous teeth. This man was of deep, old magics that swelled down in the earth so far that most had forgotten them, so dangerous and ancient- he would have to be any number of years older than the eldest of elves to contain such knowledge in his brain, but there were other things about him that were even more unsettling. He smelled like a top predator, something massive and dangerous.

[Wolven Samurai]

Drake's head jolted around as he realized that the man was there, it seemed that would be as surprised as anyone would see him in a life-time. He scolded himself in his mind once more for not being very aware. Then another part of his mind reassured him that the man was probably far more skilled than himself and that it made sense. Drake dismissed both the thoughts as the man looked at him.

Drake could smell something dangerous around the man, but since it was apparent that he was the trusted husband of his "Master Teacher" as she said, then he should be a nice guy, hopefully.

Drake inclined his head respectfully at the sound of his own name, "It's nice to meet you." he said, polite as ever. His left hand, which had been resting upon the kashiri of his katana the whole time, left it as he figured that he should be in the presence of friendly company. He just remembered his pack and strode back a bit, but keeping an open ear, nose, and mind for anything that might happen. He picked up his pack and threw it over one shoulder once more. He made his way back to the two and remained silent, awaiting for what should happen next.

[Señor Sunday Friday]

The ‘man’ nodded to Drake, “And you as well.” He smiled, seeming to be a rather happy kind of man, though that façade dropped as he came to a realization, turning to his wife with a frown on his face, “Woman! Why have you not a boat?” he asked, his tone dancing that thin line behind understandable annoyance and anger. He seemed prone to change, constant change- though Akira seemed relatively unworried about this, her eyes simply looking towards him quietly for the opportunity to speak.

“Well, I was hoping you could help us get to Twilight Moon, since you’re well and capable.” She tried to sound reasonable, “You owe it to me anyways, you wouldn’t want me walking around unattended, especially in my current condition. I need caring for.” She spoke, obviously not intending for Drake to be part of the conversation at all. She simply stood there obstinately, her blue green eyes narrowed as she glowered.

“Your ‘condition’ is partially your fault, in case your memory is rusty from such old age.” He didn’t seem to find a problem with calling his wife old, which was a worrisome thing and you could figure that perhaps they didn’t have the happiest of marriages. “But despite that, I’m sure you’re well capable of caring for yourself, until the years get later of course. I’ll take your student to Twilight Moon and you can stay here and find your own means of passage. His schedule will be all taken care of and there’s no need for you to worry over it until you have class with him tomorrow.”

Akira simply stood there, her eyes looking darkly towards the intimidating man and for a moment she seemed to be even more fearsome than he. “You’re going to leave your pregnant wife alone in the Ghost Shipyards?” she fumed, not changing her expression as the man’s body slipped into a new form, his body and features skewing until it was elongated and silver scaled. A wolfish head perched on a long body of condensed moonlight, the brown eyes looking towards Akira with unmasked annoyance, his clawed feet shuffling on the boards that creaked under the immense weight of the beast.

“Do you wish to go to Twilight Moon, now?” he asked, calmly to Drake, his voice unaffected by the taking of a new form, unlike his wife had been though something about it was likely that he didn’t seem to need his mouth to talk, instead the voice nearly manifested itself into existence to raise the idea of perhaps telepathy. This man was a dragon of some sort and then presumably truly was a holder of old magics, being as long lived as such creatures could be.

[Wolven Samurai]

Drake held his hands behind his back and gazed around patiently as the debate occured, perhaps he was a little to hasty in deeming the two "friendly" company, although he did his best to hide his thoughts. He certainly didn't think annoying, angering, or generally irritating the two was such a good idea.

These thoughts drifted around as he occupied himself. The debate that went on obviously wasn't much any of his businesss anyway. He stared around through the mist, it's thickness had been somewhat impressive, or maybe that wasn't the word for it? Either way, it made Drake think. Is this shipyard always draped in such a mist? Did night and day have no effect upon it's gloomy feeling, the very feeling which had creeped up and around Drake's heart the moment he set foot upon the docks. It was strange.

As this man, Makashi, as best as Drake could remember, took the new form, even his mask of dullness and unfeeling over his eyes could not contain a brief glint of slight wonder. 'Interesting...' he thought as he observed. He assumed that he would witness a great many things such as this from now on. He nodded in response to Makashi's question, Drake was as ready to get to Twilight Moon as he ever would be.

((OOC: Sorry it took so long to reply, computer problems))

[Señor Sunday Friday]

Makashi wasn't too happy at all to be transporting students here and about, not at all. "Well, let's go then." he said, not at all enthused but doing what he must, "To inform you, you're automatically put into Magic, Weaponry, Beastry, Master Class, and one free period after that- no exceptions, and while you are capable of skipping-" there was a pause, "I would highly suggest that you not. The first of your options for your classes you, yourself choose is either Music, History, or Potionry." he spoke the words with a familiarity that read as this being standard procedure, the asking of student scheduling on the journey to Twilight Moon Academy. "Oh, and you might wish to hold on tightly." he didn't intend to put forth the excess effort of going slowly for the student's comfort, if he was selected for Twilight Moon, odds were that he'd be able to stay on by his own.