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 Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 2:12 pm
"How far off is that? Or is that under 'Classified'? "She asked, then another thought came to her,"That's the first time you've said His name..And you didn't even flinch."
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 9:12 pm
"I'm on my home turf," Mephisto said. "I can say whatever I God damn please here. It's only up there that I have trouble. Well... arch Seven. Everyone about ready?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 5:10 am
Netsubo took a deep breath and let it out,"As ready as I'll ever be..."
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 7:41 am
"Good. So. I'll go first, and the three of you, follow. Understood?" Faust and Yuki nodded. "First, we'll come to the River Phlegethon. It's composed entirely of boiling blood." Yuki looked sick, and Faust merely continued to nod. "Smothered in the river are those who were violent against their neighbors. Centaurs forever pierce them with spears if they attempt to rise out of the Phlegethon. I'll get us across the river, but I'm not allowed to help you find Faust once we're in the Woods of the ones who were violent against themselves."
"What about me?" Faust asked softly. "Am I allowed to help them?"
"Yes.... but you aren't able to," Mephisto said. "You wouldn't know your own soul if it was dangling by the neck in front of you. Which will actually be the case, pretty soon..."
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 11:52 am
Netsubo was pale and shaking, but nodded,"Alright then. Let's go. The sooner we start, the sooner we can get out of here.."
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 12:42 pm
"OK... just don't lose sight of the trees, for the forest," Mephisto warned.
"It's the 'forest for the trees,' " Yuki corrected him.
"No. You're looking at individual trees." he pointed to the gnarled, twisted trees surrounding them, each with a body hanging from a branch. Some were skeletons, others were barely beginning to decompose. Some looked like they had just died. "Those are just husks, remember. The souls are the trees. The only way to talk to them is to pull bark off of the trees."
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 12:49 pm
"And then they scream in pain..."She whispered, remembering the story of the harpies. She shivered and began looking at all the different trees.
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 12:53 pm
"Sometimes," Mephisto said, waving his arms to frighten off a flock of harpies. "It really depends on the soul. But they always bleed." he pointed out a tree that was, indeed, bleeding from a patch of torn bark."
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 12:57 pm
"This place really is bad,"She murmured. So far, she couldn't tell which tree belonged to Faust.
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 6:51 pm
Yuki walked up to a random tree and ripped a chunk of bark off of its trunk. Blood dripped from what appeared to be a wound rather than a mere tear, and the tree cried out in pain. It was a woman's voice.
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 6:53 pm
"Well, that's not it..."She sighed. Walking to another one, she hesitated then ripped the bark. she flinched as it screamed. It was male, but not Faust's voice.
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 6:59 pm
"Just a hint," Faust said quietly, "But you might look at the bodies hanging from the branches."
Mephisto couldn't say anything to help them, but he gave Faust an enthusiastic thumbs up.
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 7:03 pm
Netsubo gave him a smile, then turned her gaze up to the trees. So far, none of the bodies looked familiar. She started to wander deeper into the forest.
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 7:39 pm
"Careful," Faust said. "There are still harpies. I think they attack the trees because there's nothing else."
Yuki followed Netsubo trepidatiously.
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 7:41 pm
"Right..."She murmured, slipping a kunai into her hand just in case. The trees held no familiar bodies till one. It was basically all skeleton, but the clothes were still distinguishable,"Rinkou...."She said softly,"So this is where you ended up..."
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