The odd date? Maddy/Sya

[cadenza]

SPOILER: Click to show

Name: Nagging Hags
Rank: C
Post Limit:: 3
Objective: Recently, people traveling through the Sleeping Forest near Onibas have been lured off the trails and subsequently attacked by hags, the witches of the wilds that live there. Most of these people have gone missing, but the few that have escaped seem to believe that they will not be found. Proceed with caution, and deal with these hags, with a variety of magical powers, by any means necessary.
Reward: 300
Exp: 30

As Syana arrived at the foot of the village, she was greeted by some grieving woman and the mayor herself.
"You've come to save us, right?" Asked the Mayor as she gazed at Syana.
The half asleep girl just nodded before shifting her gaze around. Maddox would be arriving soon, surely?

"We want you to get it down as soon as possible... Got it?" The woman asked cautiously, lifting a finger to express the importance. Syana just hid behind her pink scarf, the stars illuminating the sky showing signs of breaking into dawn. She nodded slightly towards the woman after and looked around. "Not now though, it's too dark. You can do it tomorrow, come." She took Syana's wrist and lead her into the inn before gesturing towards a bedroom. "Free of charge, on the house. No pets though, that bunny-thing will have to stay outside."

Syana looked towards Mokona, she knew that it was cold out there and Mokona wouldn't forgive her, but she had no other choice. As Mokona realized that Syana would have to say so, he turned and sulked outside before plonking down against the wall. "It's too cold out here though..." He objected, before closing his eyes and kicking out his legs. "Stupid rules. I'm not a pet, I'm a companion!"

Syana walked towards her window and unlatched them before pushing them open and leaning out. "Mokona... I'm sorry, here!" She took her pink scarf off and leaned over the window to chuck it, watching it flow slowly down to Mokona. As he caught it and wrapped himself up in it, he nodded gratefully towards her before looking onward. Listening to the windows shut, he heard the eerie wind blow through the trees and lights turn off. Dawn was afoot and he felt scared, really scared.
"Maddox better come soon... I feel like I'm going to get eaten by a pack of wolves if I close my eyes..." He looked around before frowning. "And soon..."

[Maddox Aquila]

The trains just had to be running late today, of all days, Maddox thought, as he gave the flick of the reigns in his hands. The train had been so utterly late that he had been forced to rent a horse and had rode it all of the way to Onibas (which, while not that far away from where he had been, was far enough, all things considered). His long hair, tied back as usual, flew behind him -as did a large, snowy owl.

With relative ease he tracked down the inn that they had discussed meeting up at, only to spot Mokona sitting outside, by himself. The horse skidded to a stop, though Maddox did not appear disheveled by this sudden halt, as he simply continued to guide the beast, before hopping off of it's back and landing alongside the rabbit, whom looked a bit cold, as he crouched down to one knee, "Mokona, what are you doing out here?" He asked, voice sounding a bit urgent, worried, "and where is Syana? Did she make it here alright?"

The horse trotted along anxiously behind Maddox, until a stable hand approached, shooting Maddox a look before going to tie the horse up with the others. The large, snowy owl that had been following him, about twice the size of Riley's owl, fluttered to rest on a nearby post, eyeing Mokona with interest, though he did not make a sound, nor did he move, his yellow eyes simply fixated on the chubby rabbit like creature.

[cadenza]

Mokona couldn't help but smile at the sight of his dear "friend" before shifting his gaze towards the entrance of the inn. "This lady took her arm and pulled her in without giving her a chance to say much and then the mean lady said that pets weren't allowed. I'm not a pet, I'm a companion! I talk! I don't beg for food and ask for attention..." He scoffed, clearly insulted by being referred to as a pet. "She gave me her scarf though-" his eyes widened. "Don't leave me out here! There is wolves and who-knows-what-else is out there! Those witch people could take me off and skin my beautiful coat for their wall! I don't want to end up like a moose head on the wall or a bear rug on the floor!" He pushed his paws to his cheeks, eyes widened.

Meanwhile, in the room, Syana was sat on the bed with a worried expression on her face. Her hands were placed against her legs and she hoped that Maddox had arrived. When she heard Mokona's vague voice speaking with anguish, she pushed her way through the dark room to the windows and peered through them to see Maddox standing outside. Eyes widening with happiness, despite the small sleepy expression on them; Syana turned and moved to the door, pushing it open and running down the hallway and stairs before pushing open the doors and allowing her arms to meet Maddox's neck. "Maddox!" She trilled, a smile on her face and her head pressed against Maddox's neck.
"How are you? Did you arrive okay? When did you arrive?" She couldn't hide her excitement and happiness. Their first mission together, how she hoped everything would be fine.

[Maddox Aquila]

Maddox exhaled a bit in relief as Mokona confirmed that Syana was alright, though the rabbit himself seemed to be a whole other matter. He was very distraught over the fact that he was called a pet, and forced to stay outside, "what a kind innkeeper, we ventured all the way out here to help and they make you sleep outside," he shook his head a bit, closing his eyes for a moment, though it slid open as Mokona became increasingly distressed. He felt a little bad for the rabbit, to be entirely honest, though he would not likely to admit to it, he seemed to be avidly formulating a plan in his head.

"Perhaps I could climb into whichever room we are staying in and sneak you in that way," he mused, eyes raising to the lines of windows as he wondered which room they were supposed to be staying in.

When he heard the door open, as well as his name, he pushed himself to stand at his full height, easily catching Syana and wrapping his muscular arms gently, though protectively, around her much smaller body, "I am a bit tired, but I am fine," he assured her, smiling a little at her excitement, which he found to be rather endearing, "I had just arrived, actually. The trains were all running terribly behind schedule so my only option was to rent a horse and ride all of the way here. I apologize for keeping you waiting," he loosened his grip on her in order to peer down at her, his green eyes dancing a bit.

"You seem tired, my dear, have you been awake all this time?"

[cadenza]

Syana closed her eyes and just smiled before opening them and revealing the emerald green eyes that were hidden underneath her eyelids. "I was worried something bad had happened to you, Maddox. You were late..." She admitted, before shifting her gaze towards the distressed fat speaking rabbit. "I didn't want you to stay outside, Mokona." She picked up her friend when Maddox released his group on her.

"Mokona, you're my best friend. It's normal that you would feel upset about being kept outside, but it's the rules and I can't break them." She glanced awkwardly to the side before looking towards Maddox. "It's a little cold out here, but we should really get going to see those witches off..." She closed her eyes and sighed before flickering open her green eyes and looking onward. "Or maybe stay here a few days and see what happens? Follow anybody who goes missing?" As she said that, the door to one of the houses burst open and caused Syana to close her eyes tightly and flinch before she looked in the direction of the door to see a man slowly walking onward with a entranced expression on his face.

Syana put Mokona down and watched before blinking her green eyes. "Maybe?" She pointed in his direction, a concerned expression on her face.

[Maddox Aquila]

Maddox shook his head a little, "You need not worry about me, I can take care of myself, he assured, patting her lightly on the head, before letting her move towards the rabbit-like creature. He listened to the exchange between the two, remaining a sort of impassive viewer until he was addressed. "Perhaps we should wait until you have som sleep," he suggested, as Syana did seem a bit tired.

His attention was drawn away as a door bust open, and a hypnotized looking man emerged, ambling off down the street and heading for the forest. Giving a bit of a huff at the timing, he removed his jacket, placing it around Syana's shoulders, as she had said that she found it to be cold. This left him in the skin tight shirt that he always wore, but he seemed more or less unaffected by the cold, though each of his exhales created a cloud of warm breath.

"Well, we cannot let this opportunity pass us by." He began to say, his green eye following the man, "we will follow him from a bit of a distance to see where he is going. with any luck he will lead us right to these so called hags," he pointed out, and with this gently ushered Syana forwards. "We must be very quiet and careful, though, the timing is so perfect that this might just be a trap," he whispered, his words sounding a little distant as he was obviously focusing very hard on their surroundings and such.

[cadenza]

Syana seemed entirely unsure about this when the man had burst out from the home seeming enticed as if he was a cat on catnip. When she felt Maddox's coat around her, her green gaze whipped towards him and she afterward moved her gaze towards the male who was moving away. She felt Maddox usher her forward, causing her to suddenly move by herself and move by his side.

Brushing her fingers over Maddox's arm, she went to follow after the man with her hand in Maddox's suddenly - a clear implication she was scared before she suddenly halted and moved her gaze to Maddox. Mokona instantly fought the urge to say no, but climbed onto Maddox's shoulder and peered over at the man as he disappeared into the jungle.
"Maddox!" Mokona exclaimed, seemingly a little unsure and his eyes wide. "Be careful, there is a lot of mist unseen to human eye and I can smell a special toxin." He inhaled it. "Luckily you have that mask because it's quite a toxic smell, it's... A sort of wooing scent, very charming." His voice changed after he trailed off. seem to jump down in front of the two people and walk.

Syana's gaze moved towards Maddox before she leaned over and grabbed Mokona, taking the scarf and wrapping it around his nose, causing Mokona's eyes to widen and he made a sort of "KYA!" sound.
Syana covered her nose with her dress sleeve straight afterward and made sure to breathe slowly.

[Maddox Aquila]

Maddox was more than a little surprised when he suddenly felt Mokona jump onto his shoulder. It was something that he never expected to happen (at least not without some form of violence following the leap, but Mokona simply perched there). The rabbit made a point to explain that there was some sort of 'mist' lingering over the land. One hand rose to his face, adjusting the material of his shirt so that it securely covered his nose in the manner that it usually did while he was on a mission, noting that Syana did the same for Mokona and herself without hesitation - luckily enough, since even the bunny like creature began to sound a little entranced by it.

"Thank you, Mokona," he remarked, sounding genuinely, he was admitedly surprised that the rabbit had been helpful, but it was a pleasant feeling, he supposed, as he began to make his way forwards once more, his green eye dancing energetically. "I wonder, is this a form of magic?" He mused, his brows furrowing a bit as he did so, "or is it a chemical... I sort of prefer the former," he murmured, more so to himself, as he walked with Syana, following after the male, albeit at a distance, while trying to determine where he was going.

It was entirely possible that they were knowingly being led into a trap, so he didn't let his guard down, and he made sure to stay next to the girl that was walking beside him, as protective as ever, possibly a bit overbearing at times, but it was obvious that he cared about her.

[cadenza]

Syana glanced towards Maddox, her green eyes flashed with happiness and she then closed her eyes, running onward beside Maddox before pushing through some bushes.

As the sound of laughter appeared, the fog seemed thicker that even Syana could see a thin trace around it. Her green eyes followed the trail, seeing it get thicker else where and she nodded.
"It's a sort of miasma." she whispered, loud enough for Maddox and Mokona to hear.

"They're using herbs for the cauldron, the smell is what entices the male, they use that to form into his preferences." Explained Mokona somewhat intellectually.
Syana listened before shifting her gaze towards Mokona and holding her arm out, hand open. As the Jewel on Mokona's forehead began to glow, a staff appeared in Syana's hands and she looked towards Maddox. "What should we do?" She whispered, her sleeve still covering her nose and her green eyes filled with concern.

[Maddox Aquila]

Maddox narrowed his eye at the laughter, which caused his head to snap around, peering in the direction that it seemed to be coming from. As he noted that he could see nothing that looked particularly alarming (aside the appearance of the fog), he ground his teeth a bit before huffing. A man such as himself knew that he would accomplish nothing by allowing something such as 'emotions' to get the better of him.

Mokona gave an explanation, and Maddox nodded his head a bit slowly (a little surprised by it, though it did make sense, all things considered), a hand rose to his face, making sure the mask was secure before he took a step forward, his green eye dancing furiously as he thought.

"Our first plan of action should be to find the cauldron and put an end to this fog that is lingering about," he pointed out, looking at the trail of fog as he did so, "if we follow the trail, it will likely lead to these so called hags," he added, looking to the other two before beginning to walk forwards, looking alert as he did so.

[cadenza]

Syana didn't fully understand what Mokona had said, but she did get what Maddox had initiated.
Taking a step forward with her staff in hand, she realized the male had disappeared from sight.

"Maddox, that person has disappeared." she looked towards Maddox once again, the worry in her eyes returned before she took a step forward. Carefully, she made sure to not make a sound as she walked forward. Her green eyes moved to the ground, thankful that the ground was able to be seen in this fog. She was tempted to move her arm from her nose, but if she did so she would possibly end up facing the consequences.

In the distance, she could hear chattering and laughing and she smiled before moving the staff in front of her and taking another step and looking towards Mokona.

Mokona had a look in his eyes that clearly revealed he was indeed very concerned, but suddenly they widened and he pointed.
"I see them! Over there." He could see the outline of the hags before they became much clearer as the miasma began to become smaller and trail from a pot before spreading out in a mushroom like formation and surround the area.

Syana covered her nose more, despite the fact the smell became stronger and looked in the direction of the witches before pushing forward and picking her pace up, her staff ringing softly and she burst into a small run just to stop near some trees and lean around towards the clearing.
"Maddox..." She looked around, whispering his name. "I don't know what to do..." she admitted. She began to feel scared and worried, all the braveness she had; vanished.

She moved her wrist closer to her, the wrist that had the bracelet that Maddox had given her a while back, closing her eyes tightly and lowering both her arms. Taking a slow deep breath, her eyes widened and she felt woozy; instantly she covered her face with her sleeves and fought off any thought that loomed through her mind that would hypnotize her.

[Maddox Aquila]

Maddox nodded to Syana's words, "aye, it probably means that we are getting close," he quietly pointed out, casting a glance to Syana to make sure she was nearby and safe, before continuing to move forwards. Naturally, he had no trouble masking his footsteps or walking without making a sound. His whole life he had trained to do this, so it was more or less just a walk in the park for him, so to speak.

The fog didn't really hinder him, and he was sure that if he was alone he could use it to his advantage, to hide himself entirely from the hags, but abandoning Syana was obviously not an option to him. He too, heard the laughter, confirming that they were growing near. At Mokona's announcement that he spotted them, Maddox's head snapped in that direction, easily spying the witches as well. He was a bit surprised that she took the initiative to lead, but followed her irregardless, only to discover that she did not think it through any more than that.

Maddox's eye narrowed a bit, as he noticed that she seemed to be fighting the effects of the spell, nevertheless he did not want to take over. She needed experience in battle, even if her magic was more supportive in nature, she still had the staff. "Using a bolt from your staff, try to knock the cauldron over. It will probably cause a cloud of the fog to appear all at once, but it should fade and hopefully disappear quickly," he suggested, noticing that she looked uncertain of herself, he pet her lightly atop the head, "I will likely sneak into the cloud, to try and take out one or two f them, and you can stay here, to try and zap anyone that might escape from the fog," he went on to say, once more securing the cloth over his face, to ensure that it would not fall away or anything of that nature.

[cadenza]

Syana glanced towards the cauldron. Good, so she and Maddox had thought the same idea. As she aimed the staff carefully, she took a slow deep breath and let the staff begin to glow.
The strain caused her to hesitate, but she knew she'd have to be quick. Both sleeves were away from her face, closing her eyes she muttered something and a beautiful bright bream exploded from her staff and bashed into the cauldron, knocking it over and sending water everywhere.

The hags turned to gaze in the direction of the beam, pointing and muttering to each other before the fog became clearer. Syana and Maddox became visible and so did the woman. The taller one pointed towards Syana, causing her to levitate and land in front of the three.
They discussed between the three before attempting to take the staff of of Syana.

Mokona instantly took action and leaped off Maddox, dashing towards the female and leaping onto her face causing her to stagger backwards.

The woman staring at Syana seemed to close her eyes and took hold of Mokona, softly placing him on the ground and catching Syana as she fell lifeless, resting her against a tree before looking towards Maddox.
"I mean no harm." She said calmly, a small smile on her face. "Surprise, I learned it. I'm Syana!"

Mokona looked towards Maddox, his eyes gesturing towards the two hags who were getting ready to cast a spell together just to snap towards the third and question her on why she wasn't joining in.

SPOILER: Click to show

Spell Name: Alternate universe
Type: Light
Level: Greenhorn
Range: 2 feet
Description: Links her with the target, making her see through their eyes and able to feel their pain. Her real body will go rigid and her eyes will go to a very bleak green with no glint of life in them for several seconds. She uses her staff to do so.
Drawback: If they get hurt or killed, she will feel the pain they feel but not get killed. She'll also become an easy target for everybody if doing so. Duration = lasts 2 posts unless cancelled.


Spell Name: Bolt
Type: Light
Level: Greenhorn
Range: 3 feet
Description: Shoots a bolt of light out of her staff, hitting them and causing damage. Depending on how strong the opponent is the damage will alter, same for the pain.
Drawback: It's not always effective, it can miss. It's not powerful, however. Duration = 1 post.