The Tale of Harau

The world is based in a medieval time with a few advancements from our own. Indoor plumbing for one. Either way. The continents are divided up between kings and queens, kingdoms and dynasties. Oceans divide the continents and only the bravest can sail across the monster infested oceans. The first kingdom in this story is one ruled only by a queen. Here the Queen has started increasing her taxes and the land is starting to feel the strain, even now some are rising up to try and beat the knights of the castle and stop the queen. Sure, it's a bit drastic, but it makes for great movies.
Queen Maple will gladly appreciate more hands on deck, probably even pay some of the increased tax money.
The rebels could always use more adept fighters, but are you sure you'll win?
And of course, there's always the option of leaving and taking your adventures elsewhere. A different kingdom, or even across the ocean. If you are strong enough to brave the ocean and it's beasts.
The fables and myths of the land are yours to prove right or wrong.
I will paint the canvas around our characters, and we will be the greatest warriors of all time.
Cept the Burning Rose and the Jaw-wielders. They're pretty powerful
End-game anyone?

Vari stood on the edge of a cliff high above a town, it was nighttime so even though his long bushy tail wagged gently behind him, he still would be completely unspotable against the night sky. His kusarigama was strapped to his back and hilted in a way that the light wouldnt reflect off it. It was time. He made his way down the cliff and into the town, moving quickly now as his black clothes rippled a little in the low wind. His target was here, nestled in their bed and just waiting to be killed. He was a nobleman and Vari was hired to perform a hit. It was only a matter of time. He climbed up the side of the largest manor like home and made his way inside one of the second floor windows, creeping along what appeared to be a statue gallery. Moving silently down the floor he finally reached the master bedroom, inching open the door he slid in easily, his slim body making it easy to move anywhere, he pulled out a vial of liquid, he had to make it look like the target was intoxicated and decided to kill himself, or Vari would be the next hit out.
As he reached the bed he stopped, the nobleman had two children in the bed with him, apon closer inspection it was his own children, the man had no wife... and his kids must have been scared earlier.
Vari couldnt kill a fur and his children.
He stood there for a few seconds and turned on his heel and left, walking towards the window and climbing back down the wall. He had much to think about.
* * *
A week later, several towns over Vari was sitting in a dark cell. He had purposly gotten himself arrested for stealing food, just to give himself time to think. Now he was simply wearing a brown tunic with a pair of torn pants. He had hidden his assassin's gear before going to do anything and now he was waiting simply for any form of inspiration to hit him. Nothing mattered anymore, he didnt want to go on killing normal furs for money, there had to be a better way to do things. He put his head into his paws and thought hard, his eyes glazed over and his image unrecognizable.
(Find him, be in there with him, I dunno, he needs a purpose.)

Alisstra yawned as she stretched, three days she had been in jail now and she was getting more than a little antsy to get out. She hadnt done anything wrong, well in her eyes at least. So what if she had cut the purse off of a rich fat fur, it wasnt like he needed it anyways. So she had liberated his coin to feed herself, half demons still need to eat you know. She blinked and rubbed her eyes noticing a new inmate across in the cell across from her, he seemed sad for some reason so she sauntered up to the bars
"Hey whatcha so sad about? This town aint that bad ya know. Hell, they know me by name around here.... I consider this place like a second home nowadays...at least im guaranteed a meal a day"

"No one should ever know your name... that is the way... No one left... no one to tell... no one to care." Vari was rambling as he grabbed bits of his black hair and pulled it a little. "Only the targets... but the scars would never heal. I cant do it anymore." It was clear he was mostly out of his mind now, the only sane part of his brain left was the part that told him not to get his weapons confiscated if he ever wanted to break out of the place. If he ever had a reason to. He was horribly addled.

"ooook he's nuts...Hey ya crazy squirlie wake up!" ~she shouts and throws her empty meal tray scoring a direct hit on vari.~ "oh yes direct hit im amazing" ~she giggles to herself seemingly far too merry for one in prison. She sighs after a moment seeing he hadnt seemed to notice~ "hey crazy, seriously..this is kinda boring...listening to your crazy ramblings...come on at least get pissed or something? Whatever the hell you did, i guarantee that it isnt half as bad as some of the things i've done...hell im treated like a sack of crap simply cause im from the demon lands. well...that and um...yeah i kinda like messing with the rich around here" ~with a growl she sighs and leans against the side of the cell her back turned to the squirell~

Katsuo grunted as the guard lead him to his cell. It wasnt his first visit to it, and likely wouldnt be his last. So he cheated the guard out of his money at a hand of cards, big deal, not like he stole anything worth whiled. The guard lead him on to the cells and slammed Katsuo into the cell bars itself. " Damn, dont get mad at me. You tried to cheat me out in the first place. I just caught you to it! " he grunted. The guard snarled. " Yeah, well that little bit is handy when you work for the law around these parts boy, now...in the cell. " he growled as he shoved Katsuo into the small cold room.

" Hey you two, got yourself a new friend. " he said jokingly as he closed the cell. " Now, let me get those cuffs off you. " he ordered. Katsuo stuck his hands inbetween the bars, letting the guard uncuff him. However, the moment his cuffs were lose, Katsuo grabbed the guard by the colar and slammed his head into the cell bars with enough force that it knocked him unconcious. " Idiot..." he said as he quickly reached out and uncliped the guard's cell key, quickly hiding it before the other guards rushed in to check on the loud noise. After a few moments of bickering the guards dragged their unconcious friend out of the hall.

" You would think they would learn by now..." smirked Katsuo as he watched them leave. ^ a few hours and it should be a good time to sneak out of here...^ he thought to himself

Vari didnt register the tray until it almost hit the floor. His hand reached out and caught the tray a centemeter from the ground and chucked it back, hitting the demoness in the back of the head. "You're not even worth my time foxie. There's no reason to get angry anymore. I'm contained, and the world is safer because of it. Why should I try and make the world smaller." In an instant he had gone from almost agressive to nearly insane again. His head never moving from the same spot it was before.

~she went board stiff as the tray smacked her in the head and then was followed by his insult~ "N-Not worth your time!? Oh squirlie you just made a big mistake" ~she simply faded from existance and reapeared in his cell to give him a kick to the back of the head~ "There's a reason they never lock me in here, they know bars cant hold me"

Katsuo rolled his eyes and looked towards the two. " Will you please stop bickering. Im trying to think..." he grunted as the realization of what she just said smacked him in the face. " Wait....then why are you here? " he asked

It would take the vixen another moment to realize that Vari had caught her leg before it made contact, not even looking at her as he addressed the wall. "And you seem to think that I am in here against my will. Well I'm not, that was a clever bit of magic you just pulled, but have no doubt, the bars are not holding me in, they are holding everyone else out." He pushed her foot away and resumed his blank starring at the wall, mumbling something about knives now.
It was as if he was untouchable.

Katsuo turned to the man. " The hell is your problem? I mean really, your just sitting there moaning like a depressed little kid. Stop being so damn serious and live alittle..." argued Katsuo who turned his attention back to the girl. " So anyway, why you even in here if you dont need to be. Not much fun in this enclosed space. Its too safe..." he asked.

~alisstra again dissapeared then reapeared in front of Katsuo.~ "Ah good, ya seem like your much more fun than grumpie squirlie over there. Im in here cause i choose to be, Names Alisstra half demon and your friendly neighborhood pain in the ass. How may i assist ya?"

Vari simply humphed and closed his eyes. The world was safe from him here. "I dont see the need to leave. The world is much safer with me in here."

"Meh, i think as much as i hate to lose out on a meal if i spend another minute with crazy over there im gonna lose it. So i think im gonna leave, wanna come?" ~she asks the wolf/dragon hybrid. her pink furred tail swaying gently. It was very obvious that she was just loaded with unbridled energy, but then again she was a half-demon, and playfull at that.~ "so whaddaya say? I've heard of an interesting treasure somewhere in the Cerulean hills...Supposedly there's an ancient weapons cache...i'd take it on myself buuuuuuuut, im only one person..."

Vari's ears perked a little at the sound of the treasure and the ancient weapons. It was like feeling suddenly came back into his brain. The possibilities of his future seemed to be forming in his head. Cerulean hills she said... interesting. Perhaps there could be monsters that should be killed, not for money, but for simply the betterment of the world and maybe even prevent something from destroying a town. What if he could use his old assassination styles to try and kill those giant monsters that threaten kingdoms! Hunting down all the lore... in an instant he had a flashback to a time when he was a young squirrel, reading up on the lore of the world with his master, now was his chance to discover what was really true in the history of the world.
While this was happening in his head, the only thing that showed it was his eyes, darting around and forming a plan in his head, the other two in the prison would never know that he was busy concocting his own little escape plan and how he would make it there before them.

~He would be underestimating Alisstra if he believed she was ignorant of him. She had her suspicions about him and her positioning in Katsuo's cell allowed her peripheral on the squirrel. He would be surprised when she suddenly dissapeared again, only to appear standing on his head~ "So seems i gotcha interested.... Your a little treasure whore aintcha?"

"You think you're so smart dont you. Yes, you've gone and wetted my appetite for adventure." Vari sighed a little and stood up, taking the demoness with him as he walked over to the gate of the cell and began tinkering with it, it swung open in seconds and he walked out into the hallway. "So be it. I know a bit about the Cerulean hills myself. There's a guard tower that seems to get far too much funding there, I have a feeling that Queen Maple is trying to break into the Elddragon's Keep." He grinned a little as he rubbed his hands together. "I'll join you to see what ancient treasure she wants to get at, and get it first."

"Ok suit yourself...you do any more of that crazy stuff, dont expect me ta save ya" ~she replies~ "Ugh suppose if im gonna break out they shouldnt know its me....These people aint that bad..." ~She states with a smirk~ "I'd haaaate to have them hunt me...seems thats been happening more often of late...hell i woke up once tied up with a buncha thugs trying to yank one of my fangs out..Why? Hell if i know ya know?" ~she shrugs and yelps as he walks through the opened cell door~ (cue classic anime slide down wall and fall scene) ~face planted firmly against one of the bars she slid down the metal and fell to her rump twitching~ "Hey i was still on ya jerk!"

"Well ya should have thought about that instead of yappin like a lost puppy." Vari stuck his tongue out and smirked, walking down the hallway, his long bushy tail starting to wag again. "I'll meet you there, I have to go collect my weapons and armor. See you tomorrow at sundown." And with that, he lept up to a window and slid out of it without even having to bend the bars, he sat on the roof for a second to get his bearings, then launched off towards the lake, running on rooftops and not making a sound.

(sorry for the wait, work is a pain. My replies may be alittle slow this week)

Katsuo grinned and shrugged. " I might as well come along as well I guess. Oh, and my name is Katsuo. " he finished as he looked at the two. He eyed both of them real quick as thoughts began to run though his mind. ^ Why do I get the feeling one of them just wants to stab me in the back....meh, thats the thrill of it I suppose. ^ he thought.

~Growling Alisstra stands and rubs her rump~ "No one calls me a pup and gets away with it....but first...." ~Her immage wavers and suddenly it wasnt a pink fox standing there, it was a human female...the only clue as to who she was, was pink hair and pink eyes, that and the fangs still in her mouth~ "well that should be more than enough to get away"

Katsuo chuckled. " I suppose, of course I was just going to kill the guards on my way out. But I suppose that works too. " he grinned.

((for her human mirage form, her haircut is like ranma's in girl form cept her hair is pink, Her garb would look like ranma's as well.))

"Hey ya still gotta do something for yourself, i cant change ya as well, my mirrage magic is limited to say the least. Im only half demon. Still in this form, they wont know who i am, soooooooo, i'll be able to fight with ya" ~she replies and walks over to the cell holding Katsuo giving a quick roundhouse kick to the door cracking it off its hinges and flattening the wolf-dragon underneath.~ "uhhh...oops...shoulda warned ya probably"

Vari made his way down to the Vantas Lake, the beach was littered with rocks, a small rock shaped like a brain, he shifted it and underneath was a small bag, he dug it out and unzipped it, pulling out his usual combat gear, he looked around and put it on, pulling out his kusarigama, it glinted a little in the daylight. and he smiled, strapping it onto his back and pulled on a pair of enchanted goggles that helped him see in the deep darkness of caves. He sighed as he walked back into town and in that moment, headed for the nearest historian's house, going to dig up some more information on the Cerulean Hills and the secrets that laid in wait for him and those other jail birds.
Vari just realized that he was apart of one strange little party of adventurers.

Katsuo growled as he struggled from under the steel bars. " Yeah, you couldve warned me. Instead you...." Katsuo stopped as he heard the sound of guards rushing down the hall. " Meh, forget it. Let me just grab my things then we can be off. " he said as he ran down the corridor and vanished behind a wooden door. Sounds of yelling and fighting followed shortly, shouts of anger and pain echoed through the stone walls. Soon however the place went quiet and Katsuo emerged from the room, his gear in hand. He walked up to the half demon and nodded.

" Alright, now im rea..." he stopped again as the guard he had knocked out early stubbled behind him. " Your not going anywhere! " he growled, his face bruised up. " As he approched Katsuo he suddenly noticed the seemingly human girl standing behind him. " Who the hell are you!? " he growled.

Katsuo just looked at her with a shrug, obviously not worried.