Disclaimer: *dream fox gives deer in the headlights look*
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Okay here's the plan" Koranu began abruptly. The morning air was crisp and cool in the shadows of the overhanging trees, and dew clung to every tree branch like a baby clings to its mother.
"For starters, we've got to get information on the leaders, and anyone else important. We want to find someone who's on the outs with the Claw, preferably someone inside the organization. They may be the best in the business as far as the wrong side of the law goes, but they're just as subjected to bribery as any other person, perhaps even more so, considering they're demons, thus more greedy, and they're thieves, used to disobeying the rules. It won't be easy to find a demon who really has so little loyalty to the organization. They're generally a tight knit little group, who have a lot of faith from pulling each other out of scrapes. They'd have to be like that, or they wouldn't last ten years. "
"So how do we get at them?" Kurama asked, frowning thoughtfully.
"Well, normally I'd say we should go undercover, but in it won't work with as tightly knit as they are. We'd never be able to learn enough information to pull it off soon."
"So what does that leave us with?"
Koranu grinned viciously, baring all her straight, pearly teeth. "Torture."
Kurama looked at her for a moment in shock, before he saw the slight glint behind her eyes. "You're joking, aren't you?" he asked, just to be sure.
She smiled at him, eyes softening. "Yes. I suppose it wasn't that funny, though, was it?"
Kurama shook his head. It wasn't funny. He had seen it done, he'd done it to others, and he had had it done to him. Torture jokes weren't funny anymore.
"Seriously," he asked her. "What are we going to do?"
She sighed slowly, letting out a deep breath. "That's the million dollar question, isn't it?"
"You mean you have know idea?"
Koranu grinned. "Not a clue. But don't worry, we'll figure out something. If worse comes to worse, we'll call in the cavalry."
"Cavalry?"
"Back-up. I'll call in the favors, see if anyone knows anybody in the Beast, is part of it, or can do anything that'll help us."
"Fine," Kurama agreed, "but we have to take action first. What do we do?"
"First thing is to set up some kind of listening device in part of the cavern. You know, something to just hear what they're saying, know what they're going to do. This would be a lot more important if they knew about us or if it was an all out war, but it'll help us know their positioning anyway."
"Sounds good."
"Next we'll have to figure out the layout of their underground caverns and caves and memorize them. If for some reason we have to go down there, or one of us gets taken, we'll want to know the quickest and safest way out."
"How are we going to do that?"
"The safest way is to find someone who knows it already, but I can't imagine that anyone will willingly be handing that information out. They probably kill anyone who leaves them, and even if they didn't, if the word got out they told, they'd be killed then anyway."
"So, what's the other, less safe way?"
"There are two of those, and neither are very safe, but they're the best options we have."
"And those are.?"
"We could hire a spirit of some sort who specializes in this kind of stuff, like exploring cursed tombs and stuff. It'd cost a pretty penny, but we'd know it'd be accurate. The other downside of it is if the spirit gets caught and tortured, well, lets just say there are very few people who wouldn't give away that kind of information under that much pressure."
The fox nodded agreeably, knowing much better then Koranu believed. "And the last option?"
"We create an energy ball that can wonder the corridors of the caverns and imprint in our minds what the lay out is. The advantage is it'd be pretty fast and we wouldn't have to memorize the layout since it'd already be in our heads. The disadvantages are people with strong abilities could see the energy ball, and it'd also take a good deal of both of our power to create it."
"So what's better?" Kurama asked.
"You tell me," Koranu grinned at him.
The fox cocked his head to the side and thought for a moment. "Probably the energy ball."
"Just what I would've chosen," she said, almost triumphant.
"So when are we going to summon this energy ball?" he asked, turning back to the more serious points of the conversation.
"Well, anytime you want, really," she shrugged.
"Right now?"
"If you're up to it, that'd be fine. The faster we make it, the quicker we know what we're up against."
Moving his aching feet to a different position, Kurama diligently waited for instructions while Koranu pondered the situation.
"Alright, I think I know the best way to do this," she told him, eyes glancing towards him.
"Shoot," he told her.
"You don't have to do anything, really. Just take my hand and don't struggle if I pull your energy."
"I can do that," he told her, lifting his pale hand into her own.
"I always knew you were incredible," she teased. "Now hold on just one moment, this may hurt a little."
Suddenly, the world turned bright. It was the most incredible feeling, as though getting back from eye surgery and being able to see once again. All the colors had turned into bright neons, and the trees and the sky and themselves all appeared to be the brightest colors possible, so crystal and sparkling like everything was drawn in the brightest highlighter pens.
And just for a second, everything seemed more alive then it had ever been. And then it was gone, and there was nothing, nothing at all, but black and death.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Hello everyone! I finally, after much hard work, have written another chapter! Thank you thank you! I know you're all so thrilled to have me back and working like a pack horse once again.
Unfortunately, however, I'm still not completely over my writers block yet, and will not be back to updating twice a week. It'll probably be more like once every two weeks, but this week I can probably have another chapter up by Sunday, since I have time off for thanks giving.
I've also been working on a comic for school, and between that, writing fanfiction, reading books, doing schoolwork, writing my novel, drawing, reading manga, watching anime, and everything else I love (or in the case of schoolwork, hate) to do.
Talk soon and hope you all review!
Dream Fox
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Okay here's the plan" Koranu began abruptly. The morning air was crisp and cool in the shadows of the overhanging trees, and dew clung to every tree branch like a baby clings to its mother.
"For starters, we've got to get information on the leaders, and anyone else important. We want to find someone who's on the outs with the Claw, preferably someone inside the organization. They may be the best in the business as far as the wrong side of the law goes, but they're just as subjected to bribery as any other person, perhaps even more so, considering they're demons, thus more greedy, and they're thieves, used to disobeying the rules. It won't be easy to find a demon who really has so little loyalty to the organization. They're generally a tight knit little group, who have a lot of faith from pulling each other out of scrapes. They'd have to be like that, or they wouldn't last ten years. "
"So how do we get at them?" Kurama asked, frowning thoughtfully.
"Well, normally I'd say we should go undercover, but in it won't work with as tightly knit as they are. We'd never be able to learn enough information to pull it off soon."
"So what does that leave us with?"
Koranu grinned viciously, baring all her straight, pearly teeth. "Torture."
Kurama looked at her for a moment in shock, before he saw the slight glint behind her eyes. "You're joking, aren't you?" he asked, just to be sure.
She smiled at him, eyes softening. "Yes. I suppose it wasn't that funny, though, was it?"
Kurama shook his head. It wasn't funny. He had seen it done, he'd done it to others, and he had had it done to him. Torture jokes weren't funny anymore.
"Seriously," he asked her. "What are we going to do?"
She sighed slowly, letting out a deep breath. "That's the million dollar question, isn't it?"
"You mean you have know idea?"
Koranu grinned. "Not a clue. But don't worry, we'll figure out something. If worse comes to worse, we'll call in the cavalry."
"Cavalry?"
"Back-up. I'll call in the favors, see if anyone knows anybody in the Beast, is part of it, or can do anything that'll help us."
"Fine," Kurama agreed, "but we have to take action first. What do we do?"
"First thing is to set up some kind of listening device in part of the cavern. You know, something to just hear what they're saying, know what they're going to do. This would be a lot more important if they knew about us or if it was an all out war, but it'll help us know their positioning anyway."
"Sounds good."
"Next we'll have to figure out the layout of their underground caverns and caves and memorize them. If for some reason we have to go down there, or one of us gets taken, we'll want to know the quickest and safest way out."
"How are we going to do that?"
"The safest way is to find someone who knows it already, but I can't imagine that anyone will willingly be handing that information out. They probably kill anyone who leaves them, and even if they didn't, if the word got out they told, they'd be killed then anyway."
"So, what's the other, less safe way?"
"There are two of those, and neither are very safe, but they're the best options we have."
"And those are.?"
"We could hire a spirit of some sort who specializes in this kind of stuff, like exploring cursed tombs and stuff. It'd cost a pretty penny, but we'd know it'd be accurate. The other downside of it is if the spirit gets caught and tortured, well, lets just say there are very few people who wouldn't give away that kind of information under that much pressure."
The fox nodded agreeably, knowing much better then Koranu believed. "And the last option?"
"We create an energy ball that can wonder the corridors of the caverns and imprint in our minds what the lay out is. The advantage is it'd be pretty fast and we wouldn't have to memorize the layout since it'd already be in our heads. The disadvantages are people with strong abilities could see the energy ball, and it'd also take a good deal of both of our power to create it."
"So what's better?" Kurama asked.
"You tell me," Koranu grinned at him.
The fox cocked his head to the side and thought for a moment. "Probably the energy ball."
"Just what I would've chosen," she said, almost triumphant.
"So when are we going to summon this energy ball?" he asked, turning back to the more serious points of the conversation.
"Well, anytime you want, really," she shrugged.
"Right now?"
"If you're up to it, that'd be fine. The faster we make it, the quicker we know what we're up against."
Moving his aching feet to a different position, Kurama diligently waited for instructions while Koranu pondered the situation.
"Alright, I think I know the best way to do this," she told him, eyes glancing towards him.
"Shoot," he told her.
"You don't have to do anything, really. Just take my hand and don't struggle if I pull your energy."
"I can do that," he told her, lifting his pale hand into her own.
"I always knew you were incredible," she teased. "Now hold on just one moment, this may hurt a little."
Suddenly, the world turned bright. It was the most incredible feeling, as though getting back from eye surgery and being able to see once again. All the colors had turned into bright neons, and the trees and the sky and themselves all appeared to be the brightest colors possible, so crystal and sparkling like everything was drawn in the brightest highlighter pens.
And just for a second, everything seemed more alive then it had ever been. And then it was gone, and there was nothing, nothing at all, but black and death.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Hello everyone! I finally, after much hard work, have written another chapter! Thank you thank you! I know you're all so thrilled to have me back and working like a pack horse once again.
Unfortunately, however, I'm still not completely over my writers block yet, and will not be back to updating twice a week. It'll probably be more like once every two weeks, but this week I can probably have another chapter up by Sunday, since I have time off for thanks giving.
I've also been working on a comic for school, and between that, writing fanfiction, reading books, doing schoolwork, writing my novel, drawing, reading manga, watching anime, and everything else I love (or in the case of schoolwork, hate) to do.
Talk soon and hope you all review!
Dream Fox