Escaping the Dungeon (Where Is My Car & Kissa)

[Where Is My Car]

A deafening roar came from somewhere behind Adan as he ran for his life. Beads of sweat covered his skin, and his breath had become somewhat raspy. He wasn't exhausted, not yet, but the explorer was becoming tired. This chase had already lasted at least ten minutes. It was wearing him down. His light bobbed up and down in front of him with each fall of a foot, his boots making muffled slapping noises against the stone floor underneath of him. This light was both his lifeline, and his death sentence. Without it, he could not possibly see where he was going. There were not any other sources of light in this dark place. Yet, whatever monstrous entity was chasing him could surely see it as easily as anything with eyes could see the sun. In fact, he assumed it was this light that gave him away in the first place. This was far from the first time delving into ancient ruins, and it wasn't the first time he had to combat some beast in the process of his exploration. Never before has Adan had to make such a long-lasting mad dash for survival. Frustration accumulated in the back of his mind upon his self-reflection. How could he have gotten himself into this?

It was supposed to be a standard exploratory dive into a particular ruined temple that had been carved out of the face of a cliff. A well-known ruin, and one that had a relatively famous story among his community of researchers and adventurers. The name assigned to it was overflowing with creativity. With its true name lost to time, it was deemed 'The Cliff Dungeon'. It was supposed to be a prison for a demon. One who was sealed away thousands of years ago. This story had been proved false no less than a hundred times already. The temple was scraped clean by those who explored it, every square inch inspected multiple times over. It was practically a tourist destination at this point, or what could be considered a training ground for rookies. Hell, it wasn't even Adan's first time here! The only reason he decided to visit it was because it was on the way to the neighboring town of Escana, and he wanted to roam around for old-times sake. The Cliff Dungeon was supposed to be bordering on boring.

And yet, somehow, he had made a miraculous discovery.

Adan had no idea how he did it... All he remembered was cutting his finger on a knife as he was slicing an apple to pieces, flicking his hand in around in response to the sudden pain, and a portion of the wall in front of him lurched out of place. A doorway so perfectly hidden within the stone wall that there wasn't a visible seam to be seen. It simply slid backwards, grinding stone on stone, and slid once more to the side. The law of the guild he worked for was pretty clear on matters like this. The first person to discover any sort of location had first dibs on everything within it. The inconvenience of the matter came from the location. By the time he would have returned from reporting this to his superiors and legally claiming it, somebody else could easily be right around the corner and beat him inside. That was a risk he was simply not willing to take. Regardless of how reasonable that thought process may have been, Adan was also way too excited about it to turn around. So he broke protocol, following what his heart wanted him to do, and entered this new doorway.

Oh how badly he regretted that decision...

The door slid shut behind him almost as soon as he entered. And not long after that, he took a tumble down a vent in the floor, which tore his sword from his back and left it behind him as he fell into the unknown. Adan was lost and under-equipped. The situation had gone from exhilarating, to extremely deadly, all within the matter of minutes. That assessment was made before he was caught by some unknown predator that was prowling around in the darkness. Now? The situation was incredibly dire. His only real option was to find somewhere he could hide from it for just long enough to shake it off of his trail. Unless...

Adan skid to a halt and deftly drew two throwing knives from his belt, holding one in each hand by the blade. He narrowed his eyes in an attempt to see further than his light could reach, which was simply not possible. The light was a little thing. A small lantern mounted on his coat. But whatever was chasing him was obviously straight behind him down this dark hallway. Even if he couldn't quite see it, there was only one place it could be. So he launched the twin knives- Two sounds of meaty 'thwacks' would confirm that both of them struck flesh. Unfortunately, but predictably, another mighty roar erupted from that direction. The noise made his ears hurt, a ringing noise soon following. It didn't deafen him so much that he couldn't hear the heavy-sounding tramping. "Figured..." He sarcastically mumbled to himself as he turn around to continue running away, his crimson ponytail flapping in the wind behind him.

Several more minutes of his mad dash lead him into a large, empty room. The only decorations were mounts on the walls where he assumed torches once must have been, and some rotted, broken wooden furniture seemingly scattered around at random. There were eight doorways in this room. Four on each side. And only one of them was open. The rest appeared to have been sealed using a similar technology that the hidden door had used, with the only difference being obvious and decorative doorways resting on what appeared to just be a wall. With no other options left, he ran into the one open door. To his dismay... That one sealed behind him too...

At least he was safe... For now. "Well Adan, you may have made a mistake this time," he mumbled to himself through heavy-winded panting. He inspected the room he was trapped in. Only two things truly stood out to him. The first of which was a lack of any discernible features. None at all. It was simply an empty, hollow, stone box. The one exception to the emptiness was also the one point of interest. A rather wicked-looking sword protruded from the ground, as if the tip had been stabbed into it. Adan wondered it this was some sort of storage facility. If that was true, then this sword could be something amazing-

He could still hear the beast on the other side of the sealed entrance. It was making a mess of things, roaring, and slamming something around. It was much quieter now that there was a thick stone wall between them. But he also didn't hear it going anywhere. If he could find a way out of this room, or get the door to open once more, he would need to fight it. To do that, he would need a weapon. Perhaps there was still a little luck left in him after all... Adan approached the sword and wrapped his hand around the hilt, intent on claiming his new weapon.

[Kissa]

As soon as Adan’s fingers touched the hilt of the sword a strange sensation ran through his body. It wasn’t painful, not hot or cold. It was an electrifying feeling, like a tingle of unknown origin that became milder as if his body was becoming adjusted to it. If he was sensitive to magical auras, he might feel another presence in the room. Yet he couldn’t see anyone. 

“All alone in this old, dusty place…” A female voice noted the obvious like it was something dull and mildly disappointing. No matter how sharp-sighted he was, he couldn’t find another person or a being in the room. The voice was inside his head, whether he wanted it there or not. 

“Did you lock yourself in here? Or did someone lock you here? No. You don’t look like a prisoner or a sacrifice. I take it you are the clumsy kind. If that’s the case, I guess you will be keeping me company for some days before…” She left the end lingering up in the air.

“Or… Could it be that creature outside chased you here? Oh, entertain me! What is it? A wolpertinger with an unusually deep voice? A bear cub whose head is stuck in a jar? A night hag after her alimony?” He could hear it in her mischievous voice and held back laughter. Whatever the voice was, she was having fun at his expense.   

[Where Is My Car]

The man jumped as an odd sensation jolted through his body. It was similar to a shock, but it wasn’t electric in nature. He would know. One of his friends back at the guild specialized in lightning magic and liked to prank others by gently shocking them. This was different… But before he could think on it any longer- A voice suddenly spoke to him.

He didn’t immediately reply. Instead, he started to re-inspect the room. It all looked the same in comparison to his initial observations. Nothing had changed. This left him profoundly confused.

He listened to the voice speak again. Several things it said gave him certain hints to the situation. The voice was locked inside… It mentioned sacrifices… And implied that he would be spending some time here… 

Could it be? The stories about this mundane temple were true?

 “I’m sure it’s just a very large, and very hungry rat,”  he replied in a winded, but casual tone. A small grin appeared after the words left his lips. If Adan was truly conversing with a demon, then that would make him very excited. Somewhat anxious, but excited nonetheless. 

“I can’t imagine there’s too much to eat down here, so it probably just wants me to give it a snack or something.” An amused tone accented his voice. One perhaps not very fitting to the situation. “I wasn’t expecting any company. Would you mind telling me who, or what you are?” He asked the darkness. Adan was assuming there was only one real explanation as to the source of the voice, but he still wanted some confirmation if it could’ve offered.

[Kissa]

“So that’s why it’s so frustrated. You are that snack it’s after. The poor thing thought it’s going to have a proper feast tonight and then you slipped here to hide.” The voice had her doubts about it truly being a giant rat, but it couldn’t be anything too dangerous as the door was enough to keep it on the other side. Although, the creature on that side of the door sounded as eager to murder the human stuck in the room as a hungry giant rat would be.

 

“Shouldn’t you introduce yourself before asking someone’s name? But fine… My name is Aure.” Her name didn’t match with the name of the rumored demon. “How about you tell me why you are here? I’m supposing you aren’t here to function as a rat bait. Could it be something as simple and boring as looting everything that shines?”

 

The mysterious voice answered at least one of his questions and sounded mildly annoyed by his lack of manners. She hadn’t had any company in what felt like eternity, so any company would do at this point. Actually… How long have I been here? “Do tell me Mister Ratbait, what year it is now?”

[Where Is My Car]

The man's eyebrows perked upwards upon hearing the mysterious voice's response him. The personality of this voice was amusing to him. At least it was so far. Adan would have greatly enjoyed messing around and talking to the voice without form, if not for the horrendously lethal situation he found himself in. Truth be told- Adan was barely holding himself together at this point. He was grateful to have a distraction in the form of a demon's company. "You should consider yourself lucky since you don't have a body for it to eat," he replied with a forced tone of sarcasm. He pulled the sword free from the floor and maneuvered it in between his belt and his body. It wasn’t as convenient as a proper sheath, but it would do for now.

The name did not match the one of legend, but Adan wasn't particularly sure he was buying it. If this was a truly a demon, he couldn't just simply take it for its word. He wasn't going to press that point yet though. There were bigger issues at hand, and he did not want to risk antagonizing this voice. He already had a 'rat' to deal with. "I'm the normal one. I'm just a guy who wandered in. You're the mysterious voice that's coming from the walls. It's only natural for you to introduce yourself first," he explained while taking his ponytail out. He continued to speak as he began to retie it in a tighter knot, "I'm Adan. I'd say it's a pleasure... But unfortunately, I need to worry about either starving to death, or being eaten."

Adan wandered over to the wall and placed his hand against it. Of course, he could feel nothing other than smooth stone. He started to walk along the wall while dragging his hand across it, feeling for any seams, cracks, or buttons. "It's more interesting than you make it out to be. These places have history. Forgotten lore, powerful magic, lost technologies, and mysteries to be unraveled- Such as yourself. That asshole outside is usually the only downside to this job," he said while traversing around the room. Eventually he made a full loop. Nothing stood out. "Well not him specifically. Just those like him. The ones with big teeth and bigger appetites." He sighed and scratched the back of his head. Faint signs of his nerves were shining through his casual demeanor. Something did unnerve him however- When he walked past the sealed doorway, he could hear the sound of scratching from the other side. This thing knew he was in here, and it wasn't going away...

He stopped walking around and crossed his arms, glancing up to the ceiling when the voice asked him about the year. It was as if he was attempting to speak directly to it, and was simply assuming the source was somewhere above him. "491 of the Second Cycle. When were you... Put in here?" He asked, unsure of the phrasing. Adan couldn't know if the voice was 'put in here' or if it was stuck through some other means. The system of dating his land used was centered around the idea of 'Cycles' where every ten thousand years, they would reset the year to zero. This meant it had been 491 years since the last reset, which happened to be the first ten thousand years that had any sort of documented history.

Edited January 25 by Where Is My Car

[Kissa]

“That's a false assumption. Just because you can’t see me, it doesn’t mean I don’t have a body. Even with a physical body, I wouldn’t worry about your hungry furry friend.” She said it with such ease because as long as she didn’t have a body, no one could harm it or because she believed the being behind the door wasn’t dangerous enough to be a real threat to her existence. Naturally she could be overestimating herself by far too. 

 

“I have nothing to do with the walls. I’m talking to you telepathically. Are you familiar with the term? If you don’t know what it means, let’s just say it means a magical voice inside your head.” In her opinion that was close enough description. “To be more precise, I’m inside the sword you took. The most unfortunate fate, don’t you think? And unfair one. Talking about unfortunate fates… I’m curious to see which one you choose. Being eaten alive or starving. Putting that aside, it is pleasure to meet me.” The voice stated with great confidence.

 

The talk about being inside the sword made sense, as Aidan might notice if he let go of the weapon. As long as he had physical contact to the sword, he could hear her voice but if he put the sword so it wasn’t touching him anymore, the voice went mute. A layer or two of clothing didn’t interfere with the connection. 

 

“Ah. Interpreting ancient overly flowery texts that reveal to be diaries of someone who enjoys wasting his days by observing squirrels, crawling in dust and mud to dig out a piece of some broken flower vase. That’s definitely thrilling.” He could hear it in her voice how she would have rolled her eyes if it was physically possible. “What great discoveries have you made, Adan? What were you hoping to find here? Treasures of Valereen?” Aure revealed knowing the name of the demon.

 

“How time flies…” The voice sighed and was quiet for a moment. “It was sometime in the First Era. The exact year or time doesn’t matter anymore. Since you are walking freely here, it must mean Valereen is gone. Is she dead?”

[Where Is My Car]

Adan snorted with amusement. The more he heard the voice speak, the more arrogant it seemed. After a while, it would most likely get on his nerves. But right now? It was mildly comical. "I was checking the walls for another way out. I figured I'd check. I doubt you would know, you don't have legs." He patted the sword on his side with a certain gentleness. It was a weapon, but apparently, this weapon had a soul. He wondered how long it had been sitting here... That's certainly quite an unfortunate fate. "Y'know what? It certainly isn't unpleasant to meet you... The circumstances around our meeting could be better, but at the same time, it's very interesting to meet a sword that can talk. Consider me enchanted by you, Aure the Blade," he said, his words followed by a heavy exhale. The banter was helping him calm down, but not by much.

"Well... I'd say two. The first was the tomb of some dead emperor that I can't pronounce the name of. Some old ruler over Shanki. It's a country to the Southwest of us. Bunch of mountains that surround a bunch of farmland, with a system of rivers going all through it. Sound familiar?" He asked, although the question was rhetorical in nature. Adan merely wanted to include some details in case the nation's name was different during her time. "And I would like to think that you would be my second. Not only are you a sword that can speak, but you seem to have a decent sense of humor too." The man would have offered the blade a smirk, if he could conveniently look at it. Somehow it wasn't as much fun to tease a being that didn't have a face. Although, there were several other obvious factors cutting into his ability to enjoy the conversation as well.

A deep sigh left through his nostrils as he came to an unfortunate conclusion. He would have to scan every single little inch of this room, just in case there was a hint or means of escape. Adan strode to a far corner of the room, planted his eyes downwards, and started to walk back and forth between the walls both behind and ahead of him. "Are you saying you're not Valareen?" he idly asked with a mild amount of confusion. He roamed the floor, heavily inspecting as much of the barren plain of stone as much as he could.

[Kissa]

“I’m not a blade. Well… I guess technically I am at the moment, but this isn’t how I was born.” The thought of her being born as a small baby dagger and growing up to be a proper sword was both stupid and amusing at the same time. 

 

“Emperor whose name you can’t pronounce, some ruler of Shanki and bunch of mountains surrounded by bunch of farmland.” That was said with her deadpan tone. “You are just a simple looter who likes to imagine himself as a scholar. It sounds more honorable to be a scholar, but if you are one, there are teachers out there crying blood. You made a discovery and learnt nothing of it. There is nothing wrong in being some kind of ruin looter, but one should have enough pride to admit it.”

 

“I’m not Valereen and I’m not a sword either. I’m a spirit. Valereen trapped me inside this blade. Since I’m still here, I guess that means she isn’t dead yet. Now we are both trapped here, in slightly different ways. But this isn’t the end of everything. On the contrary, this is a new beginning. I can help you get out of here and deal with the local pest problem.”

 

Aure paused to let Adan think about what she was hinting. He didn’t have much choice in the situation. He could wait and hope someone would wander here, take his chances with the monster or starve. Finally fortune was smiling at her. “What languages you know Adan?”

[Where Is My Car]

Adan did indeed have the thought of a baby dagger growing into a larger, 'adult' sword. It certainly amused him. Although it was interesting to him nonetheless to hear the weapon's admittance of not actually being a weapon. "While I was being optimistic earlier, I never identified myself as a looter. It's a hard job. Most of the ruins on our planet have already been discovered, and the same goes for anything in them. The enjoyment comes from the exploration itself. Although- By meeting you, I might get a some recognition." He explained, trying to get the sentient weapon to understand more of what he did. Adan wasn't a looter... Perhaps an opportunistic one. But he considered himself an explorer before any other terms.

"See- This place is famous. It's been explored a million times. It's even turned into a joke about how relatively boring it is. So when I get back with news of this new chamber, I'm sure I'll get something for it... Other than a talking sword that likes to give me sass," he added, a small chuckle escaping him afterwards.

The next words certainly caught his interest. Adan was in no position to be picky... As things stood- Adan was on a crash course with either a violent or torturous end. This spirit may be lying, and it may be a demon, but at this point Adan wasn't sure how his situation could get any worse. "Well I'm in short supply of friends at the moment... Consider me interested in your assistance." Adan pulled the intricate blade from its belt and held it out in front of him, as if to talk to the sword directly... In a way, that's exactly what he was doing.

"Common, elvish, and I've dabbled a little in ancient draconian. Why?"

[Kissa]

If Adan thought she would be prancing around like some kind of prize pony, he couldn’t be more wrong. Just the thought disgusted Aure. From the sound of it, this human truly was a simple looter. He wanted to find objects lost in the time, but he didn’t know what they were. Real scholars must hate the thought of a simpleton like him rumbling through fragile ruins and destroying possible great discoveries in his search for shinies. Well, idiot was better for her plans and she didn’t care about dusty ruins and their ancient secrets. 

 

“Just idle curiosity.” Aure answered carelessly his question about the languages. 

 

“Don’t let the detail of me being stuck in this cursed slab of metal fool you. I’m not weak just because of my situation. I’m powerful enough to lend my power to a mortal like you. Without giving you too much for your body to contain it. If you bursted on the walls I would be back into the same predicament I was in the beginning of our meeting. I can give you more than enough power to slay whatever is on the other side of that door, but I must get out of this sword to do that.”

 

Aure knew that sounded exactly like a deal with a devil, but there was no helping of it. The more she thought about it, the luckier she felt about Aidan being someone who lacked the knowledge of these things. The sword was quiet, giving the human male time to progress what she suggested. He didn’t need every little detail, they would come later. Once he made his decision, those details wouldn’t be enough to change it. It’s not like she would be asking him to start sacrificing virgins for her. 

[Where Is My Car]

A heavy sigh left him. This one the heaviest so far. The sword had offered him something interesting, but highly suspicious. Any contract with any talking sword would have been enough to raise eyebrows, but this could very well be a demon. One that would have been understandably desperate to escape the confines of this prison. Adan didn't reply right away. The moment of silence stretched into several longer moments of even more silence.

"I can't believe I have to actually consider this... You're lucky I'm in such a shitty situation Aure," he said flatly. Most of the bravado and casualness from his voice had disappeared, to be replaced with a more serious tone. Adan hoisted the blade onto his shoulder and used his free hand to scratch the side of his head as more contemplative thoughts crossed his mind. Thoughts of what a demon would want... Ideas for how to protect himself... He was no demonologist, nor an expert in the art of writing contracts, but the attempt will be made regardless. All he had to go off of were old stories passed around the guild about such things.

The sword was lucky indeed, but Adan was not going to agree to this blindly. He had questions, and he would simply hope that the sword was incapable of lying. "I'm not giving you my soul, you do not have permission to possess me, and you are not allowed to take my life. Those are my conditions. Agree to them, and I'm sure we can help each other leave this place in one piece." His words were confident. A similar tone to his uncaring one from earlier, but with less bravado and more backbone. Adan believed that this should sufficiently protect him from being enslaved by whatever entity resided in the sword.

[Kissa]

“Chivalry has truly died. I'm the definition of a damsel in distress. You should jump at the chance to save me from my predicament and not act like I’m an evil dragon.” Aure sighed overly dramatically. She wasn’t surprised by his caution, not the slightest. “Oh! How you injure me with your suspicions! I’m not a devil trying to steal souls of mortals. I told you. I’m a spirit. A benevolent soul, if I may add. But… if it soothes your mind, I will accept your terms. They are fair after all.”

 

Aure made her promise lightly. There were many possibilities to why she didn’t hesitate for a moment. She could actually be a spirit that had no ill intentions or she didn’t need to obey such promises. A contract with a devil was to be feared for a reason. When it came to promises, twisting words and using loopholes in the made contracts, the demons made even the most rotten politicians and lawyers look like innocently gurgling babies. 

 

“I’m not the type to possess bodies of others. I’m quite comfortable in my own body… when I can manifest it.” She added. 

 

“Let’s create this contract and go kill that thing waiting for you! Now, bleed your blood on the blade and repeat after me: Ig mir sangis ire gerr dul…” Aure had asked what language Adan knew so she would use language he wasn’t familiar with. The words the voice spoke were ancient abyssal that differed so much from the modern abyssal that not even those who were fluent in modern abyssal could understand it.

[Where Is My Car]

The man huffed, amused once again by the sword's choice of words. This demon, spirit, whatever it was- It really did lift his spirits. Just a little. It seemed like it had a personality that would be fun to tease. In fact- He was going to do exactly that. Just... Later... Now was the time to be serious. He very well could be making a deal with a demon. This required his full attention.

The stories of such contracts often include the demon finding a way around them... But Adan honestly couldn't see any way around his three requirements. If this demon couldn't kill him, possess him, or enslave him, then what else could it do? Plenty of things surely, but what else could be as important other than those three concepts? A loud roar on the other side of the sealed door interrupted his thoughts. Adan gave the empty room yet another long and drawn-out sigh. The man was impulsive. He would have to assume that this would work out for the best. Otherwise- He would be dying a slow and torturous death with his only company being a remarkably sassy sword.

"I'll just have to take your word for it then. You caught me at a good time indeed- I would strongly prefer not to starve to death in here. You're probably my only way out," he said towards the blade, still holding it up in front of him as if it had a face he could converse with.

The risks were great, and the outcome uncertain. Yet that sort of situation appealed to him. The danger of the unknown was a driving factor behind why he chose this life in the first place. A grin appeared across his face as his heart started to race. Adan allowed optimism to take root. Not only could this lead to his survival, but it would also lead to an unknown end involving some spirit or demon that he had stumbled across. Not to mention the reward waiting for him at the guild for discovering this hidden section of the temple in the first place.

He took a deep breath before he spoke the words she had indicated. "Well... Under the conditions I set, I'll agree as well," he stated to the blade before whispering mostly to himself- "Don't fuck me..." Adan took his thumb and ran it across the sharp edge of the sword. It drew blood almost immediately. The droplets ran down the length of the sword, slowly, leaving red trails behind them.

"Ig mir sangis ire gerr dul..."

[Kissa]

Silly little human, Aure thought. Her promises meant nothing as what he spoke now in the language he didn’t know was the true oath that bound her. Unlucky Adan didn’t understand what he said and there was nothing that forced her to interpret it to him, or have him announce the oath in a language he could actually understand. The empty promises made him believe he was safe and as soon as he continued believing so, things would be easier between them. Aure had no interest in serving anyone, so her first mission would be finding out how she could break this curse between her and the stupid blade.

 

There were no flashing lights or sparkles. Instead thick, grey smoke wormed out of the sword, swirling in the air like forming a thick pillar and in the cover of the smoky mist the spirit of the sword manifested. As the smoke began dissolving there stood a curvy figure on the floor. She was little over 170 centimeters tall, without counting her pointy black fox ears and heels into the height. The being looked just as much woman as she had sounded. Her body veiled by a dark dress that had indecently short hem and even more indecently generous cleavage. Soft black fur trim embraced the smooth skin of her round breasts. The most fabric of her dress was in the unusually long sleeves. Around her slim waist was tied a wide purple sash, its ends on a large bow on the front side. Behind her was a fluffy mass that was her tail. 

 

Aure smiled mischievously at the human. She hadn’t even said a word yet, but he could see it in her golden eyes; she would be trouble. Peacefully the fox lady stretched her arms and finger, like she was checking they were formed like they were supposed. Then she moved her long legs and ah! It felt good to have a real body again!

 

“See? No demon horns or bat wings.” Aure looked at the door that was trapping them both in this little room. “It’s persistent… Now then… Can you do any magic, Adan?”

[Where Is My Car]

The empty promises did indeed make him feel safe. He believed that the method of which they agreed to the contract was fully functioning as he would have wanted it to. Now that the deal had been struck, he pushed it to the back of his mind. There were more pressing matters at hand. Particularly just one- Survival.

Adan was not sure of what to expect from this process. Would this being even look human? Maybe it would be a squirrel, or a wolf, perhaps even a troll. It was utterly unknown to him. That's one of the reasons he found himself actually excited upon the sudden appearance of the smoke. To see an ancient spirit or demon with his own two eyes... Who could have guessed this would happen? Certainly not Adan. Regardless of his expectations however, or rather, the lack thereof- He was still quite surprised to see an utterly gorgeous woman appear from nowhere. She had caught his attention completely. Not only was the man surprised to see her take such a familiar shape... But the shock came from just how attractive she was... "Huh... Would you look at that..." he said quietly to himself, but she could have probably heard him.

His eyes danced across her body, inspecting one trait after the other. There was a curious pair of pointed ears on top of her head, along with a fluffy tail that swayed behind her. Cute features for sure, as well as ones that marked her as obviously something not human. But his inspection didn't stop there. He drank in her beauty, gazing upon her long legs, her thin waist, long black hair. And predictably... His eyes lingered on the pair of fleshy mountains that rested on her chest. To say they were impressive would have been quite an understatement. Adan honestly couldn't tell which factor he appreciated more- Their size, their shape, or just how much of them was showing. Of course, the combination of all three left the man simply staring at her for several long moments.

"Well you do have some interesting parts to you. No wings, but a tail and ears to match." he mused while raising his eyes towards hers, meeting them just before she looked at the door. Adan shrugged at her question, even though she couldn't see it. "Yes... But none of it is suited to combat. Consider me a trickster of sorts," he explained while hoisting the blade back onto his shoulder.

"I'm no rookie when it comes to handling a blade. Hope you don't mind me hanging onto this-" A couple of faint rings came from the sword as he gently banged the clip from his bracer onto it, indicating it to her so she would know what he was referring to even if she wasn't looking.

A few more moments of silence followed his words as his eyes instinctively returned to her beautiful form. "Are you part fox? Or wolf?" he asked as if he was oblivious to the horrid scratching noises that indicated their imminent danger.

[Kissa]

“You are staring.” Ogling was closer to the truth, but Aure let it slide for now. When one didn’t have basic manners or verbal aptitudes to show their admiration in a way that would make her feel more than a piece of meat, this was what they did. It was such simple behavior. Adan didn’t look like an ordinary drunkard wasting his life away by drinking in a bar money of his own and his family’s to the point his head was like a soggy sponge incapable of forming even a simple word without stuttering and drooling, but he sure had some similar manners. Perhaps his father was the simpleminded drunk type and he had inherited it from there.

 

“A trickster…” It fit to everything he had told her before. “You better hold to the sword because it’s what connects us. Don’t go losing it somewhere or you can’t summon me back to your side. Now that I’m here, you don’t need to actually hold it all the time to keep me here. Just, don’t go forgetting it somewhere. If someone else finds it and takes hold of it, it’s going to be a problem for you.” Aure shared sparsely information of how this pact worked in practice.   

 

“I’m a full spirit. There is no mixed blood in me.” The way she said that made it sound like being mixed blood was somehow degrading. “If you are looking for a race name, it’s vulpi. I guess it’s confusing, assuming there are still fox beastmen existing in this world. Impossible to tell the difference between the two based on looks alone.”

 

While she spoke the woman looked at the door and tilted her head lightly. It sure was determined… Would it really wait behind the door for days if necessary? It couldn’t be that huge, because it got there somehow and Aure doubted the corridors and doorways on the outside were that impressive when it came to size. 

 

“It saves a lot of effort and time since you know the fundamentals of using magic. I can lend you my power and you can use it for more straightforward destructive magic. Sounds simple enough?” Aure glanced at the man as she walked to a different position, behind Adan on his left hand side. From there she had a good view at what the human was doing and what was happening with the door so she could interfere if it became necessary. After all, she would be stuck in the blade once again if this man died. A corpse next to the sword would be counterproductive in encouraging a new owner of the sword to pick it up. 

 

“So… Draw the magical power, concentrate it and release it when you swing at that door. Go ahead. Give it a try.” The fox nodded towards the door.