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Kasya doesn't find much information about the sword she had picked up and examined. It's a normal sword - though she can feel that it is old, and the very surface of the metal has been around magic for so long that it has seeped into the metal, strengthening it, and lending itself well to work with spells.

For a moment, nothing happened as words were yelled at the door. Then it seemed to vibrate, the noise of wood scraping against stone echoing throughout the chamber. Then, the runes etched upon the door began to glow a bright green, and they shifted until they formed a particular shape.

The shape of a face.

"Excuse me, but has no one ever told you that it is rude to yell?" The door's expression made of drawn runes looked disgruntled, and the runed eyes glanced around the room. "Haven't you left yet?" More scrutinizing, before the door continued on, the voice magical vibrations reverberating in the air. "Oh, you're not the same. You're different. Hmph, very well then. What do you want?"

Rusu nearly dropped the shield she had just picked up, so startled was she by the face that appeared and addressed the group. The dark-haired girl managed to catch her balance with one outstretched arm, her palm pressed against the stones of the ground. As she turned towards the voice, something else caught her attention amid the items scattered about. It almost called to her—was it glowing with a gentle mint aura, almost the same as the ribbons in her hair? When she stood up, Rusu sidled closer for a better look.

It was a glove of some kind, or perhaps gauntlet would be more appropriate. Rusu couldn't have specified either way; she wasn't particularly well-versed in fighting or the appropriate terminology. It seemed to be made of the same yellow-hued metal as the round shield she now carried, so similar to that of her circlet and the pendant the Hydra Senshi had provided her. It looked delicate, but extremely sturdy. Rusu had small hands and somewhat long fingers, yet it seemed as though... As she reached forward, cautiously touching the thing, she found that her hand slipped inside easily but not so much that it could not be worn. The carefully-engineered plates slid noiselessly over each other, allowing movement.

She couldn't let herself be fascinated by this too much. The lavender eyes glanced up to see the glowing green runes wandering over the assembled group, surveying them. She felt the warmth of blush on her cheeks from the words of reprimand. Rusu hadn't been yelling, but she felt guilty all the same.

"Pardon us... We didn't—I mean, um, I at least... Well, uh, I apologize that you were disturbed by, um, us," she awkwardly began. "We're here for the Rite of Legacy, sir. Or, um, madam, I mean. Or whatever you happen to be."

Isra was startled by the voice the spoke back to them but she wasn't scared..yet. She turned to the door and said, "What do WE want? What do you think..we want to be able to pass through here so that we can continue our Rite...some of us here wanna be Senshi someday...is that cool with you?" She stared at the door waiting for the response.

Latheli

Latheli almost dropped the sword when the mystical door suddenly spoke up, but the initial shock faded fast once she realized what was going on. One of the girls spoke up first, shy and timid, you could hear the nervousness in her voice. It must've taken a lot of courage to speak up first and Latheli would have backed her up to encourage her had Isra not opened her mouth. Latheli gripped her newfound sword and strode over towards the door while addressing Isra.

"Honestly, don't you know it's disrespectful to talk that way to a magical door? Especially one that we would so kindly like to open right now!" she huffed in annoyance.

Latheli turned to face the door and gave it one of her muscle memory curtsies from her servant days.

"My lord--or Lady--please would you open for us?" She emphasized the word open remembering the clue from earlier adding magical charm into the word. Charming magic had often worked in her favor, she could get the servant boys to do things for her and even some of the young Princes and Princesses were easy to charm to her will. She didn't do it often as she knew their mothers and fathers would have a fit if they found out, but sure was useful from time to time especially on the snotty spoiled ones.

Was that a door? A... talking door?

Ethon turned to stare, all other distractions forgotten for the sound of a new voice filling the chamber. He blinked. Twice. But it didn't help at all.

Fully facing the strange occurence, Ethon shifted his body instinctively into a more defensive pose, the grip on his newly acquired sword tightening. The - creature? being? - the door didn't appear to be dangerous, but in this place, how could any of them truly know? It was better to be prepared for anything, and countless hours of training helped in that regard.

He wasn't terribly surprised to see his sister get past the shock of an animated door and get right to the point - complete with her usual style. Another girl seemed to bring the conversation to a more polite tone, and for that he was grateful. Normally that was his job - it was kind of nice to have someone else take care of it.

He remained quiet, however, and simply waited and listened.

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All attempts at using magic on the door seem to have done nothing. You can't tell if it is unaffected by it, or perhaps even protected from it.

The door was about to answer Rusu but stopped itself when Isra began to talk. The runes rearranged themselves into what greatly resembled a rather disgruntled expression. It didn't say anything until Latheli finished speaking. Finally, it's runed expression seemed to settle into something a little more at ease.

"Thank you," it said in response to the first comment, before it seemed to resettled itself. "I can certainly do that. I am a door, after all."

The runes shifted again, and this time it made up an expression of concentration. With a grunt of exertion, the door wiggled, attempting to move forward. But after several tries, it stopped, and the runed face became one of concern. "I can't do it?" the door said to itself. Now that it had failed, it seemed to have forgotten about the other beings in the room. It tried again to swing itself open, but to no avail.

"I don't understand. I used to do this all the time." The voice quivered with emotion. "What good is a door if it can't even open?"

As soon as the last word was spoken by the door, its runes began to glow even more brightly. And then the magic of the password took over and opened the door on its own. The runed face looked surprised. "Oh that's how it works," it managed to get out before the light in the runes disappeared, leaving them frozen and dark in their original position.

The now opened doorway gave the group a clear view of a thin hallway. It was dark, and they could only see ahead a few feet before the light from their chamber could no longer reach. They could hear sounds, however. Soft as a whisper, with a slight rhythm. Like padded footsteps.

Spoiler:

Rusu felt a stab of pity for the door when it struggled with the task at hand, and she was relieved and thankful when it managed to perform the job after all. She wanted to thank it, but the light from the runes extinguished almost immediately. The young girl took a few steps forward and gently pressed the fingers of one hand against the rocks that formed the walls of this place. Maybe, in some way, it could still hear her.

Thank you.

She waited for a reply, even though she knew it was probably foolish to expect anything... but then she did hear something. A noise echoed softly in the darkness that stretched before them beyond this door. She had to strain to really make it out, but the rhythmic nature gradually reached her sloped ears. Rusu's pale eyes widened. Was it coming closer or moving farther away? She couldn't tell, but she didn't really like the thought either way.

"Do y-you hear, um..." she tripped over the words, her panicked heartbeat thumping in her ears as she felt herself blush yet again. "Uh, d-do you hear that?"

The door was opened by the others and Zeriel didn't participate, though his reasons for such silence could probably be strange. However, using his magical energy to try and open a door seemed like a waste to him. What if they needed what he would use in here for things more important. Let the youngests of them do the work or try. Which revealed itself to be quite shorter than he would have guessed.

Good.

As the door opened - a shame they couldn't thank it, really, as its face disappeared quickly - he swiftly tried to let his mind wander again. This room had given him nothing as it had been only the entrance, but perhaps would it work now that it was open.

Mostly because as the young girl said, there were noises ahead.

"Careful now." 

His eyes - that had started to shine brightly again - turned to Ethon. He tried to subtly attract his attention magically, pushing the suggestion that he should look at him so he could point him the direction of the corridor with his head. After all, he was the guard. And Zeriel didn't really want a child to be attacked if whatever was inside wasn't friendly.

After the whole situation with The Door, Isra sighed aloud, "Wow that was...awkward at least." She then could hear the noises from the now open door and listened to the others. "Yeah I hear that..Ruru was it? don't be scared ok...your not alone ok..I'm here...my brother is here too and these other people...ok. Anybody know any light spells or something to help us see? oh and please for heavens sake...no Magic Missiles!"

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Zeriel can sense that the hallway opens up to a larger room shortly ahead, a room currently occupied by five small beings - three of which seem to be staying still at the moment, but the other two are walking around. From these beings, he can only sense that they are smaller than an average human, the tallest would probably only reach to his own hip, and that they don't appear to have any magic within themselves. He can also sense a heat source in the room, located against the far wall.

Watching the glowing runes of the door fade away felt rather... sad. It seemed to have a full personality, a life of its own, and now it was simply gone. Its purpose fulfilled. Alone once again until the next set of hapless adventurers came to this ritual. Alone until it was needed.

A feeling Ethon felt a strange kinship towards, and a small, albeit sad, smile came to his lips.

However, something pulled at him, gently pushing his attention away from the door to turn and look ahead. The glimmer of purple stole all thoughts away, both for magical reasons and not, and Ethon had to force himself to focus now that he knew where he was needed.

With smooth and confident steps, Ethon raised his sword back into a ready position and moved towards Rusu. In what he hoped was a comforting gesture, he placed a hand on the young girl's shoulder for just a moment, before stepping in front of her.

He couldn't see past a couple of steps ahead of him, but he could hear footsteps. Tightening his grip on his sword, Ethon remained where he was, trying to get a better indication of what awaited them before moving forward. He heard his sister's call for a light spell, but he waited to cast one - he didn't want to alert the potential enemies until he had as much information possible.

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Before anything else could be done, an alarm rang throughout the small hallway, metal clanging against metal. Startled shouts followed shortly after, and then, from the darkness ahead of the group, small torches begin to advance. The creatures holding the torches were short and stout, their skin a molted green. The clothes they wore were a mishmash of different styles, most of them far too large for their small bodies - a clear sign that they were stolen off of taller prey.

The most important thing of note, however, was that these creatures wielded crude but sharply pointed spears alongside their torches. And they were advancing straight for the group of mages, their angry intent apparent upon their faces.

The gentle pressure on her shoulder from a stranger's hand instantly raised hairs on the back of Rusu's neck, deepening the flush across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. Of course, Ethon wasn't a stranger, and he was a guard, but these attempts to rationalize the unfamiliar contact didn't stop her heart from beating faster.

When the alarm blared out, shouts following, and torches illuminated the darkness, the panic rose tightly in her chest. As she stood slightly behind Ethon, watching the things approach, Rusu crossed one arm, still holding the smooth shield, defensively across her chest—the one wearing the strange gauntlet that fit so well she had nearly forgotten about it. The savage looks on their faces and the sharp blades of their spears terrified her; she wanted to turn and run, even thinking about the button on the pendant the senshi had given her.

No, no—she couldn't leave now! This turn of events frightened her, yes, but she wasn't in danger just yet. It would be too soon.

Why—why were they being attacked? Rusu focused her eyes on the approaching group, trying to swallow her fear, and concentrated on learning their true purpose, trying to sense if it involved cause and reason or simply a desire for blood.

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Rusu senses that the creatures were making themselves some dinner before the alarm went off - their hunger strong. They had resigned themselves to a meal of poorly grown vegetables and mushrooms, but their alarm has given them hope. Now their minds are full of thoughts for fresh meat to flavor their dish.

There was no longer any time to waste. The alarm sent a shot of adrenaline through his veins, and Ethon held his sword at the ready. The approaching torches helped to light up the hallway, giving way to show the small creatures and their weapons. Ethon frowned, before touching his hand to his newly acquired sword.

At first, Ethon worried the old metal wouldn't take to his magic. But then a second later, it came to life, and the blade was engulfed in pale purple flames, enhancing both its capabilities and its damage. Ethon allowed himself a small smile. His magic was nowhere near as strong as some of the others here, and it manifested best when interacting with other objects. He was glad that, even without his specially forged sword, he could still do something as habitual as this.

He took a step or two forward, placed himself in a guarding position as he presented himself as a target, and waited for an opportunity.

The silvery-lavender eyes grew hazy as Rusu felt it wash over her—the gnawing hunger, perpetually on the edge of her thoughts. She knew they had scavenged the best that they could, but none of it was appetizing even with the acute stab of famine. These vegetables and mushrooms lacked flavor, but they provided some kind of sustenance. There was no use dwelling on what could not be... until the alarm sounded, signaling something that almost made her salivate at the thought: meat. This could mean meat. It sent a shiver of excitement down her spine, coursing adrenaline through her veins—ready to fight.

She gasped and stumbled slightly as the transmission ended. The mint ribbons of her pigtails fluttered as she steadied herself, trying to regain a defensive stance, taking another look at the creatures. How sorry she felt for them... Did they live down here in isolation, forced to subsist on meager sustenance, because they had no choice?

"E-ethon," she whispered to the soldier in front of her, voice shaking. "They... they want to eat us."

Isra almost gasped when those ugly creatures came towards them but wanted to be ready. She stepped forward next to her brother Ethon, "I need to help you brother..Im not going to let these foul beasts stop us from our destiny." She stuck her arm out and was ready to try a Water spell.  She didn't want to wait for them to advance any longer.

Latheli

Rusu whispered something to Ethon as the ill-natured creatures headed towards them. Had she learned something about them with her magic?  She held her sword in front of her, in the other hand she began concentrating energy into a ball, a basic energy attack she remembered from her studies. She ignored Isra's ramblings but was glad the girl was getting ready to attack as well.

Latheli stepped up next to Ethon on his right, with Rusu behind her as well. She glanced over her shoulder at the younger girl.

"Rusu, right? If you know something, you should share it with all of us," Latheli kept her voice calm, not wanting to sound harsh or mean, unlike some other grumpy pants they had in the group.

She could tell the girl was frightened. It was something she hadn't thought much on since they started but why someone this young? She's just a child. Same age as any young servant maid or Princess she had tended to--her heart stung a little. While she had had no children of her own, she always had a soft spot for the younger servants. She looked back towards the on coming attackers, steadying herself for the fight, pushing her thoughts aside.

Well, that didn't matter much now. Clearly, Rusu had some yet unseen talent or she wouldn't be here.

She startled slightly, blushing intensely when the dark-skinned woman with great volumes of hair spoke to her. Despite the calm tone, which no one could have faulted for being harsh, Rusu felt as though she had been chastised.

"S-sorry," she replied, trying not to mumble. "Those creatures, they want..."

Recalling the thought made her shudder, but at the same time she remembered that same ache of hunger. She really didn't blame them. If only she knew more about why they didn't have access to better quality nourishment. Was that something they could help with?

"...Us. As food."

Rusu's whispered statement caught him more off guard than he would have wanted to admit. Sure, an attack by these creatures looked inevitable and he was quite ready to defend against it. But to be eaten? Not a pleasant thought, that was for sure.

He hid a grimace and shifted his position again. As his sister stepped up, Ethon felt a smile pull at his lips. As troublesome as Isra could be at times, she was never one to back down in the face of danger.

Latheli stepped up quickly after, a glowing sphere of energy held at the ready, and Ethon was glad for the extra defense. He knew that everyone here could defend themselves - they wouldn't be here if they couldn't - but the instinct to protect burned within him, and he couldn't help but to worry about every single person here.

He believed they could take these creatures. They were small and their weapons appeared to be crudely made. But the Ritual had proved to hold a lot of unexpected twists and turns so far - maybe these creatures were far more capable than they looked. It would not be a good idea to underestimate them.

The alarm silenced in unnatural abruptness, and the creatures stopped in their advance as they rose their heads up, listening keenly. Their minds were no longer on the prey directly in front of them, but on something else. Something that none of the mages could hear, until a moment later.

A low rumbling, the sound of stone crashing into stone, and the ground begins to quake beneath their feet.

With a start, the little creatures looked at one another, before scurrying away. One of them glanced back at the prey he and his brothers left behind - the loss of warm fresh meat clear on his face, an expression that was overcome with fear as the ground shuttered once more beneath them all - and he quickened his movements to catch up with the others. The creatures disappeared into the darkness before any of the mages could react.

The sounds of stone crumbling and crashing grow slowly, but steadily, louder as the tremors grow stronger.

Isra was about to attack but then the creatures just..left. Before she could say anything to anyone there was a small rumbling that got louder by the second and then the ground beneath them started moving. "What the heck is going on? Everyone..try to keep your balance...Brother..please go help Rusu, Samae and the others if they need it..I will be fine up here.." She did though move back a bit watching out for the others. "Everyone...I know I'm not the greatest person of us all but please listen..try and balance the best you can..."

That look of fear on the final creature's face as he turned and ran... Rusu didn't like it. When the ground shook below her feet, she struggled to stay upright. Her long of pale yellow-green, unsuitable for most aspects of a dungeon crawl, now proved this by tangling with her equally-insensible shoes and threatening to trip her. Her pigtails and the mint green ribbons in them fluttered helplessly with the motion of her body. She couldn't concentrate this way—couldn't try to reach out and get an impression of whatever it was that now bore down upon them.

Rusu tried to steady her grip on the shield, eyes focused down the corridor, as her heart raced with every increasing tremor.

Latheli

Well, looked like they were off the menu for now...As the creatures ran, the tremors grew strong, causing Latheli fall to her knees, dropping her sword. She managed to keep the energy ball steady in her hands.

"I don't like where this is going," she grumbled mostly to herself, but loud enough for anyone near her to hear.

Latheli looked at the concentration of magic in her and back towards the direction of the tremors. It could be dangerous but...it was worth a shot They don't know what this thing is and perhaps an attack would stun it or force it to appear.  With determination in her eyes, she concentrated harder on the energy ball, making it bigger and stronger, before hurling it in the direction of the creature.

OOC:

Kasya
Everything happened so fast; the creatures appearing after the door opened. Kasya took a fighting position, the sword she had been examining pointed at the ready, before tremors caused the creatures to flee. She scoffed at their cowardice.

"Just when I thought I was going to have a little-"

Her thought's were cut off as the tremors grew heavier, causing her to drop the blade and lean against a nearby wall for support. She saw Latheli launch a ball of light down the corridor, and it suddenly occurred to her that another, more powerful creature was the source.

Launching herself from the wall, she scrambled and positioned herself midway, in the open area of the room and the entryway of the corridor, grabbing the handle of the blade she dropped as she did so.

Guess she was going to have the combat she was looking for, after all. She couldn't help a small smirk form across her face, as she tried to peer down the hallway to get a better glance at her opponent.

OOC:

Isra looked back at the others and her brother to see if they were doing ok with the rumbling. She might not admit it but inside she was scared right now a bit. She tried to move closer to the others of the group since the more they had ready to possibly fight and were semi-close by depending on the size of the creature. She tried to summon up some courage so she didn't look like a scary-cat.

Kasya


Kasya could feel her heartbeat raise in her chest, and her stomach lurch in as she continued to try to perceive what was down the hall. The tremors continued, and while struggling to stay upright, she couldn't tell if it was the tremors that were making her knees knock, of if it was fear of the unknown beast that was creating such chaos.

It was just the rush of adrenaline Kasya had been yearning for during this test. Her smirk grew wider, as she began gripping the blade even tighter.

Whatever it was, she'd be ready for it.