Fox Hounded

Hunting, at least that of common creatures, was far from anything Daiyu really cared for.

But with the other Palace Land Officers busy solidfying their occupation of Shibuya, it fell to her to deal with another important matter. Sailing an assault force this far and not having starving warriors on arrival diminished much of the foodstuffs they had left home with. Fortunately for them, it turned out they did not need to go far, or go out and risk the savage fiends of Eastal's wilderness, when the New World had established their own hunting preserve near the settlements. So the hunters could hunt, the herbalists could gather, and Daiyu... well, she was overseeing, she didn't -have- to do anything. Being one of the people in charge did have it's perks.

Instead the chinese lady sat atop one of the fences, leaning against the support post slightly. An open parasol rested against her shoulder, braced in the crook of her elbow as she held one of the books she had collected from the library established in the town in her lab, turning pages with the opposite fingers on occasion.

Despite being in her human form, most of the creatures on the Reserve could sense the true Were Fang within and, as many of those would see a fox-like creature as either a predator or competition, were keeping their distance.

    Miyako had *tried* to evacuate with the other Yamato adventurers, but a patrol had cut her off before she could get out of Shibuya, and she'd made for a bolthole to take cover, slipping out of sight just in time to be missed cleanly. Deciding to take the most of the opportunity, she'd slipped out at night to get to the building over the catacomb entrances, making sure they were closed securely to prevent any access by the invaders. She was very uncomfortable with the idea of them tramping over the places she'd explored so carefully.

    Eventually, of course, the time comes when one has to move on. She certainly can't simply sit around forever. (Well, there was the possibility of surrendering, but the possible unpleasant consequences meant she was opposed to doing so without -much- more information about the Palacelanders than she currently had.)

    And so the young Spriggan, covered in illusion, ghosts her way along the streets to the outskirts of the city, planning to make her way through the game preserve's wilderness and on from there.

    Of course, spotting what seems at first glance to be a sentry seated atop a fence brings her to a temporary halt as she surveys the situation, asessing the foe and mulling the decision to act or evade.

Kotono also failed to evacuate in time, and she was stuck in Shibuya... with Miyako no less. She had briefly separated in order to keep the patrols from noticing them before regrouping. Upon arriving, Kotono had said nothing, just gave a slight nod as if to say, "Let's do this." It was time to get out of there now.

Sneaking around the city and avoiding patrols, it was almost like Kotono was a real ninja this time around. After all, a true ninja knew the importance of stealth and things like that. Unlike a true ninja, though, Kotono was not planning on assassinating anyone if she could help it.

Kotono also spots the sentry and she frowns a little. On one hand, they could possibly take out the sentry, but what's to say others might not be alerted? Which is why stealth might be the best option here.

"What do you think?" Kotono says quietly to Miyako. "Should we sneak past?"

For all the world it looks like the lady on the fence is paying more attention to her book.

But looks are often deceiving. Even in human form a Were Fang's senses were sharp. Not that the casual observer would be able to tell, and the raised collar of her qipao concealed the indicative tattoo on her neck from a distance.

It would look like she wouldn't be hard to sneak by, even as she flicks open a fan in one hand and uses it to air herself lightly, muttering about the summer weather getting warm more quickly than she'd like.

    Miyako purses her lips as she considers it. There's only a single sentry watching their way out. If they can get past her, they've got a pretty clean run to get out of Shibuya and on the road to friendly territory. And with the sentry so apparently inattentive, it seems much more likely that they can simply sneak by rather than directly engage her in combat.

    Besides, even if they did kill her, she'd just respawn *somewhere*, and could then warn her compatriots.

    Or something.

    "Yeah," she hisses, nodding to Kotono. There's more than enough chance, she figures, especially with their illusions to cover them.

    She turns to hand-signs then, gesturing for Kotono to go around the sentry in one direction while she takes the other.

Seems that Miyako has the right idea in mind. Even if she isn't focused on stealth like Kotono is, odds are she could still get the job done right with the right focus. After all, if you know what you're doing and can keep a steady focus on your steps, you can easily step lightly enough to avoid being seen.

But what's to say that the sentry hasn't already noticed them?

Only one way to find out...

"Alright," Kotono whispers back before carefully stepping in the direction indicated by Miyako. The Spriggan steps lightly with each step, keeping her body lowered a little as she attempts to keep a low profile about everything. At the same time her gaze occasionally wanders to the sentry in case she happens to turn in their direction.

A page turns. The parasol is adjusted. Another page turns.

And then a split-second motion is followed by the *CHNK* of the curve of the handfan inbedding itself in the side of the fence post not far from where Kotono is approaching the fence.

"Tch tch tch." The book is thumped shut, the woman's demeanor ominously casual as she lifts her head from her reading. Meaning she threw that fan without actually looking. "I will admit your illusions are rather effective... but they hide you from -sight-. Not other senses." The parasol is closed as she lowers her legs to unseat from the fence, and left to rest against the post, to free her hand to draw a second fan. This one with the edge serrated in hooked points, obviously meant to be a proper weapon. "And as you are sneaking about I can assume you are delinquient escapees? Or maybe even spies." Pause. Gleam from her glasses. "Though experienced spies would of considered more than visual concealment, I should think."

    Miyako is an *explorer*, not a spy. She'd insist on that. She's certainly never barged into the territory of a foreign nation like some sort of... no, no, off that track of thought.

    She covers one hand with the other to hide the glow, as she inscribes a quick series of runes to cast her voice to appear to come from a point several yards beyond her current position. "Oh dear," the voice calls out, with the smoothness of a practiced Bard. "Well, I'm not much of a spy, but if you want a partner for a game of 'Bond Girl'..." She trails off, suppressing a chuckle, before speaking again. "I don't suppose we could just ask you nicely to collect all your friends and go home, could we?"

    As quietly as she can, while she speaks, she reaches back to retrieve one of her daggers. It's possibly a good thing she doesn't have her old naginata, here. It would be far too unwieldy for any kind of stealth.

The kunoichi stops almost immediately as soon as the fan hits the ground. She jumps back a little but doesn't say anything, instead looking in the direction where the fan was believed to have come from. Upon spotting who threw the fan, Kotono scowls a little. It seems her fear about being sensed was right.

"What we're here for is irrelevant," Kotono says. "But we don't want any trouble." She gulps a little, wondering if her words will be believed or not.

Rather than retrieve the fan she threw Daiyu produces a second one with her other hand. They're probably hidden up those long sleeves of hers when not in use. And very clearly weapons, unlike the first just having a sharp edge because... well, she herself is oft employed as a spy. Even seemingly innocent items tend to be weaponized for one's use.

"You ask that... but I think you know the answer already." There is for a moment a mischevious smirk across the woman's expression. One fan is swept towards Miyako, conjuring several dagger-like shards of ice and hurtling them at her.

As she turns with the motion the woman transforms, revealing her 'true' form as the four tails sweeping behind her kick up a gust of wind towards Kotono.

Two different directions, two different elements. Clearly she's intending to try and keep the two of them apart from supporting each other.

Well, and Were Fang explains how she was able to pick them out despite their illusions. She probably heard or scented them.

    Well, perhaps she -should- know the answer, but it's only proper to at least -ask-, or so Miyako believes. So she had to. (Besides, she'd never forgive herself if she later found out that something so simple could have resolved such a problematic situation.)

    She had, however, been expecting attack from the moment the sentry had announced herself, and was prepared to dodge away. She's not quite quick enough, the blast of ice tearing away her illusion and leaving slender red lines along her arm before she can get out from under it.

    "Cute," she announces as she gets to her feet, dagger in one hand, the other scribing runes upon the air itself. The runes coalesce into a sphere of non-light that she then grasps in her hand as she takes off running, lobbing it towards Daiyu just before she hops to the top of the fence with a flick of her wings. "We're not the ones who crashed into someone else's home uninvited, though. /Rude/." The sphere of darkness explodes as it hits the ground near the werefang, shadows blasting out from it to ensnare and crush whatever they might find.

Despite her best efforts to be anticipating any type of attack, the gust of wind comes a bit too suddenly for her, and the girl finds herself flying through the air unable to control herself at first.

Then she somehow breaks free and manages to drop to the ground and perform a forwards roll. "Well, I won't get fooled again hopefully," Kotono comments sarcastically before going for her daggers. She twirls them a couple times like it's some kind of signature trait of hers.

"Look, you're the one who's coming in here causing trouble, and we were just keeping to ourselves." Kotono says as she takes a couple of running steps. "But you had to cut us off." She picks up speed. "So now it looks like we're going to have to teach you a lesson!" With that, the girl suddenly drops onto her hands and performs a double spinning kick swiftly with her legs out to opposing sides as she does so.

"That there would be stragglers from the siege is not surprising, though my being at this spot is merely convenience."

A curious headtilt is briefly given towards the runic gesture being used to cast. Then shadows erupt around the hulijing, while the other comes bounding in for a spinning handstand kick. The tenebrous grasp keeps her from deftly moving away, but she still brings up her fans crossed over to partially intercept the dervish of kicks, though still shaken by the blows impacting against them.

"You tread upon our land first." Then she manages to break free of the shadows. Enchanted script glimmers to life on the tessen as she holds them out, one igniting in flames while the other swirls with watery ribbons. Then she whips around in a spin of her own, slashing with both warfans in a wide arc.

But the real threat comes from the cascade of flames and water that erupt as she does, winding together like an elemental cyclone of opposing forces to bombard either of the pair that linger too close to her. "Elements unbound; turn your world upside down!"

    "Convenient for us, as well, or we would have left without the pleasure of having met you," Miyako offers, smiling. Although they would at least have been able to leave without a fight. She's already scribing her next spell, the runes following her as she hops down from the fence and closes in on the foe. "As for treading upon land, we came in peace, as visitors, not as conquerors. Bit of a vast difference there."

    She watches as Daiyu's fans spin, almost fascinated, as she slips ever closer. There's something about that grace, that elegance, that pulls her in, despite - or perhaps because of - its deadly nature.

    Her own spell is unleashed only moments before the blasts of fire and water reach her, leaving her little time to avoid the blow. This time it is a simpler blast, but more direct, a lance of shadow seeking its prey - the hand that holds one of those fans. While its caster stumbles back under the force of the blow, her teeth gritted as she hits the ground once again. She's a bit slower to rise, this time, but just as determined.

    "Upside down? My life did that last year, neighbor, when we all wound up here." She presses forward once again, already preparing another spell, perhaps with a better choice of tactic?

This time, Kotono is prepared and she jumps back quickly before doing a backwards somersault. "I spend plenty of time upside down so I don't need more than that!" Kotono comments as she lands in a crouched position. She pulls out her runes and begins to prepare a spell. "I'd ask why we can't all just get along, but in this day and age that seems to be a bit of a moot point."

Preparing the runes, Kotono sends forth a blast of water at Daiyu. "So I'm gonna have to wash you away!"

The yelp Daiyu makes as the shadow spike strikes her wrist is very much the sound one might expect from a startled dog. Followed by the light clatter of the tessen fan falling to the ground from her grasp. "Attempting to disarm an opponent? Moderately clever." Though, goddesses above, how many of those does she -have-? Rather than retrieve the one on the ground she just pulls another out of her sleeve. Clearly she's been prepared for disarming attempts.

Daiyu steps forward, practically into Kotono's spell. As she does so the enchantment on one fan turns from rivlets of water to mists of frost, which she uses with a sweeping motion to intercept the water blast, striking it like one would with a ping pong paddle, causing it to freeze over and flinging it back towards it's source!

    "If you ever want to have a civilized discussion about the subject," Miyako says as her new spell takes effect, "Look us up. We'll be happy to chat over a cup of tea and some snacks."

    Called by the spriggan's spell, a vine rises from the earth where the fan was dropped, tossing it into the air and away from its wielder. "We should never have had to fight like this." 'Moderately clever', eh? Well, it didn't exactly do all that much good, although if she kept it up... no, that would just give more time for reinforcements to arrive. For the other side.

    Another vine plucks the flying fan from the air, dropping it gently into her hand, as Kotono keeps the enemy's attention. "Make for the treeline!" she calls as she releases her final spell, a sphere of green light that is tossed towards Daiyu just as the orb of darkness was. Like it, this one does not directly strike her, but lands on the ground nearby, calling up dozens more grasping vines to harass and delay the foe, keep her from pursuing for vital moments.

    Fitting words to action, she takes to the Shoe-Leather Express, sprinting along an irregular, zig-zag course towards the woods.

Kotono dodges the icy blast heading at her just in the nick of time. "Sorry, but I think we're going to have to break off for now. It seems our relationship is a bit too cold for each other." With that, Kotono quickly invokes a spell of light that she throws towards Daiyu. It's not intended to strike her but rather provide a flash of light that will obscure Kotono from Daiyu for a moment or two, giving her a chance to take off running.

Running in a zig-zag pattern, albeit slightly different to Miyako's, Kotono makes for the treeline as well. "That didn't go how I hoped it would," She says to herself. "But at least we're still in one piece..."

A tail snags the parasol from it's resting spot and flicks it up for Daiyu to grab after tucking one tessen back into her sleeve. As soon as it hits her hand she opens it, using it to shield herself from the flash of light for the most part.

Still, it's enough time for the two make a bolt into the thicker woods of the Reserve. And while an annoying interruption she really has no reason to give chase. Instead Daiyu rests the parasol on her shoulder, and glances towards where the one fan was knocked from her hand. But it is gone, the remains of the vines retreating back into the ground the primary clue what happened to it. "Huh." A shrug. "No matter." She's clearly got plenty more.