A young ten year old girl wrapped up in a dark blue cloak stood at the edge of Koschei Forest. The dark branches of the trees curved and twisted up to the grey sky. On some of the lower branches, charms to ward off evil spirits hung gently swinging in the cool wind. A howling wind or some sort of background noise would have been appreciated by Salene. Anything would have been better than the echoing silence with only the rustling of tree leaves to disturb it. Her hand reached into her backpack to pull out a large bottle with blue liquid. Salene placed it on the ground and held out her hands in front of her.

Muttered words spilled from her mouth as bits of soft light appeared around her fingers and moved up to her eyes. The light was not bright but rather a dull glow. In a matter of seconds, Salene was done with Parvpora’s Sight spell. She dropped her hands and blinked a few times. The darkness of the forest seemed to lessen although still there. Her next spell would be a little more complicated. Salene repeated the same steps but this time the magic flowed to her ears, eyes, nose, and moth. Hunter’s Instinct. A spell that would allow all of her senses to become heightened. It had been finished.

Plucking the bottle off the ground, the young girl took a sip of the greater mana potion. Just enough to restore the magic that she had used. After she was done she jammed the cork back into the bottle and set it into her brown backpack. Salene reached for her dagger as if to check it was still there. It was still keeping her safe. There was no reason to hesitate anymore. She had a job to do. With that, she stepped closer to the haunting forest until she was practically in it. Instead of continuing onwards, she paused for a moment and reached up for one of the charms swinging on the branches of the trees. Salene inspected it then reached up to take it off it’s branch. This was a small protection charm that nobody would miss for this short amount of time. The girl placed it around her neck. She would put it back after she was done.

Her feet continued walking into the dark forest. Blue amber. That is what they had called it. Her eyes searched and scanned the forest for anything that was blue or amber like. A snap of a branch. Salene spun around with a dagger ready but there was nothing there. For now. If she was going to get through this, she would need to get over the fact that this was a dark forest. Besides, if things got really rough she had a way to get out of trouble. When Salene looked down to her feet she realized that it had been her who had snapped the branch in half. A sigh of relief escaped the girl’s lips as she continued onwards. There was no light. At the moment Salene didn’t need it. Perhaps it would have been comforting. Or perhaps the light would have emphasized how engulfing the dark was.

Drip drop drop. It wasn’t raining. Yet the sound of liquid dropping into a puddle was unmistakable. She let her hand rest upon a nearby tree so that she could take a break. Her hand touched something cold and wet. Salene snatched her hand back and wiped off the liquid as fast as she could. But it did not hurt her. The liquid was clear and seemed as though it was coming off one of the trees. After further inspection, the tree almost seemed to have a face. That was impossible. Salene assumed that she was simply imagining things. Then again, magic was real. Wasn’t it? From then one the girl decided to keep her distance from the trees. She did not want to end up like them.

Dried leaves crackled underneath her steps. The wind was soft and whispered in her ear. In the distance, a wispy light danced in the air. Salene hid behind a tree and waited for whatever that light was to pass. Anything here could turn out to be a trap. All it took was one wrong step. Although this was nothing new to her. Three years of Tyr Island, City of the Damned taught her how to survive one of these situations. The wispy light had passed. It was time to go further into the forest. Salene needed to find that blue amber. 

Celeste and Larka Nash have done so much for Akira. They took her in, ensured she had what she required. There was a warm bed and a pantry full of food waiting for her at all times. Companionship, love, understanding, even mentor-ship were in abundance for the child. While they did not comprehend her decision to rush her life as she had, Celeste had not insisted she reversed the potion.

Yet, when Celeste began to worry, the foxling could not help the growing desire to assuage her. Aunt Lirin, Celeste's twin, has not been heard from in some time. Being as close as the twins were, it was unusual for them to be so long out of contact. However, Celeste and Larka were busy with trying to start a new way of life that did not involve mercenary work, and raising their twins. The toddlers were a handful, being just as their mothers in almost every way. Akira took it upon herself to look for her vampiric relative.

Kurayo, she knew, was full of night dwellers. Vampires and wolves. She could smell them. Perhaps her aunt had decided to stay here for awhile, and got lost in her own kind that she forgot to keep in touch with her sister. However, anywhere the adolescent checked, there was no sign of Lirin. The snow-haired girl turned her attention to the dark forest of the island. Koschei Forest had seen Akira twice before, and she still found it creepy.

The trees were watching her as she picked her way through the forest, searching for any sign of inhabitants. This time, she has  yet to encounter any of the wailing banshees that she had experienced when she first met Larka and Kyu. Akira's dark kimono top and black skirt did not do much to help conceal her in the oppressive darkness of the forest. Her snowy hair and fur were in stark contrast, sometimes startling herself as she saw her tail swish in her peripheral.

Somewhere in the distance, a wolf howl could be heard, answered by a familiar wail of a spirit that sounded too close for comfort. Akira reached into her endless bag and pulled out a bottle. It was uncorked, and a willowisp was released. It's soft glow did little to comfort the young teen, but it was better than being absolutely alone. Why hadn't she brought one of her friends along? Any of them would have been reassuring for her. Out of the corner of her eye, however, Akira spotted the familiar glow of a spectral being.

It was in the shape of a small cat, a kitten if she was to judge. Big, round eyes gazed up at her before the cat rubbed against Akira's ankle, purring. Then suddenly, it darted off. "Hey, wait!" Akira darted after the ghostly kitten, suddenly oblivious to her mission, and the precautions she should be taking. Though she was rushing to catch up to the kitten, her feet moved with the grace of the fox she resembled.

Blue amber must have been rare. For there was no sign of it anywhere. As she headed deeper into the forest the little girl could feel the temperature drop. Her cloak kept her warm. Despite her attempts to hide it, she really wished that she wasn’t alone. Loneliness was like a dark cloud that dampened every step she took. Emphasized when surrounded by enemies.

A growling sound caught her off guard, until she realized that it was only her own stomach. She hadn’t eaten since coming here. Eating a piece of burnt chicken was not exactly an appealing idea. Hunger overpowered her and she took out the chicken. As expected it was burnt and tasted less than perfect. But it filled her up. Why did she have to suck at cooking so much?

Out of nowhere, a little ghostly cat popped out and surprised Salene so much that she fell onto her backside. A glowing blue stone fell out of her pocket. Reaching to grab it, she noticed that the ghostly cat hadn’t run off. In fact it was coming straight over to Salene.

The cat was too friendly. Scooting away from it, she had a better view of the creature. Definitely a cat. This ghostly cat didn’t seem to be too bothered by her standoff nature and headed straight for her lap. The little girl stood up before the cat could make it. So the ghostly cat curled around the girl’s leg instead.

“Great. Are you a stalker cat too?” She asked in a less than enthusiastic voice.

Now she had two cats to take care of. Well, maybe not take care of seeing how this one was already dead. Suddenly a fox girl appeared. Probably coming from the forest. This stranger was not a ghost. Nor did she seem to be a vampire. Perhaps a shapeshifter? Or a fey of some sort? No, the fey did not come into this part of the woods.

“Hi. Who are you?” She asked cautiously.

The cat appeared to be pleased that they both were in the same area now. 

The cat was an agile little thing, but it had one advantage Akira did not. It could go through the trees. She darted around the tree, fighting to catch up. Real cats were no where near that fast! A voice could be heard, asking about stalker cats. Akira had to dart around yet another tree, her kimono sleeve getting caught on a branch. With a yelp, she nearly fell backwards with the sudden arrest in her momentum.

As she kept her balance, the foxling realized that the cat had led her to someone else in the woods. Golden orbs gazed upon the girl before Akira turned to untangle her sleeve from the branch. When that was done, she approached two steps closer before kneeling down, a single hand outstretched toward the cat. "I Akira." Old habits were hard to break, yet even her own voice surprised her, as she was not used to the more mature sound she now held.

"Venez ici," Akira beckoned the cat, her voice soft and kind. The cat rubbed against the stranger's legs with a loud purr. She stuck her tongue out at the cat before smiling brightly and stood. "I look aunt. Have you seen Auntie Lirin? And, that cat yours?" Her common tongue was broken, yet was far more complete now than it was before. Especially considering that she wasn't concentrating on her speech. When she did, she was slow, but more precise.

It did not help that Akira did not know anyone her age, save for Dae and Lewis. But those two boys were far more mature than anyone should be this young. With this sudden thought in her head, the foxling began to shuffle her feet, unsure of what she was to do. Akira bonded quickly with adults, and most children shunned her because of her abilities. That, or desire to pull her tail and ears. Her confidence quickly sank as she realized she could not come up with a proper thing to do in a situation such as this. "…I'm from Vilpamolan City…" In her awkwardness, she was unsure if she even said that name correctly.

Salene almost laughed when the cat didn’t go to the girl but managed to hide that. It was ironic. Salene had no interest in having any more cats and yet they were drawn to her for some reason. This kiddo, which was now the nickname for the stranger, wanted the cat’s attention but didn’t get it. Cats were mean. Salene reached down to pick up the cat but her hands went through it instead.

“Oh.” Salene said out loud realizing that the cat was a ghost, “Sorry I can’t pet you to raise your spirits. I guess that’s a dead topic though.”

The cat hissed at Salene and began to run off. Seems that the cat didn’t like her puns. Good. Now she had finally found a way to scare off cats. Finally, the little girl looked at Akira.

“Hi.” Salene said, “The cat’s not mine. What does your aunt look like?”

She had the expression of somebody who was slightly annoyed. But it had been lessened since the last thing Salene wanted was to make this kid cry loudly. They didn’t need attention drawn to them. Akira was talking slow and carefully but Salene didn’t really mind. At least the girl was trying to think before she spoke. A sigh escaped Salene’s lips as she realized that she couldn’t just leave the kid alone. Apparently Akira was from Vilpamolan City. Which meant that she had a good chance of turning out to be a thief. But Salene didn’t have anything valuable to steal.

“Come on.” Salene said holding out her hand to Akira, “Let’s find your aunt. I’m looking for blue amber. If you see any let me know.”

Her natural sassy attitude had been packed up in order to make sure that Salene didn’t end up making Akira cry. The sooner that they both got moving, the better. She couldn't hear any moaning anymore. It made her anxious. She wanted to get what they needed then get out. 

The thirteen year old smiled brightly. ”Lirin is normal tall, with long black hair, pretty blue and green eyes. She has beautiful voice.” Nevermind the annoyed expression, or the ghost jokes (which she thought were pretty ingenious). Akira was just happy to not be alone in this forest. The first time, she met Larka who was searching for Celeste. Then she met her sister, a child of Xunatar. She learned that not all of her siblings were like her, and some were quite possibly the monsters one should fear. With their father being who he was, it was unsurprising.

Akira looked almost hesitant, her gaze resting on the offered hand. She had seen a pair of girls, some time ago, holding hands while they shopped. But they were close. This was a hand being offered to a stranger, as if trying to protect a child. This primarily happened with people much older than herself. Definitely not someone her own age in appearance, or maybe even younger. She wasn't a child anymore, though her true age would have something to say about that. ”This mean you'll help Akira?”

The foxling took the offered hand, not wanting to be rude. It was a nice feeling, as if this simple act made the girl her friend, even without knowing her name. Akira's bright smile returned in full effect. Blue Amber, that sounded shiny. ”Blue amber, would that be like tears of trees, frozen in time?” As the girls began their joint search, the ghostly kitten began to weave between their feet.

The little girl listened to Akira's description of her aunt. Apparently the lady was medium height, had long black hair, blue-green eyes, and a nice voice. Salene doubted that the kid's aunt was going to be singing in a forest like this. Unless she was singing to draw in and trap the monsters. That actually would be a clever idea. Akira asked if Salene would help her. 

"Obviously I'm going to help you." The ten year old said trying to hide her sarcasm as best as she could. 

Salene's hand was covered in rough calluses. Something about holding Akira's hand made the rest of the world seem more real. As though the forest had been nothing but a fantasy earlier that was real and dangerous. Perhaps it was because Salene wasn't just keeping herself safe anymore. Or maybe it was because she wasn't alone anymore. The ten year old would never admit it but being alone was difficult. She listened to Akira's description.

"Exactly. That is the blue amber we are looking for. The ones that look like tears on trees." Salene responded in a hushed voice, "My name is Salene, by the way." 

The sound of a wail in the distance put her on edge. Looking for a place to hide, Salene saw some bushes that would be enough to hide them both. And they wouldn't have to worry about any spirits smelling them seeing as the spirits didn't have the sense of smell. The ten year old attempted to drag Akira off of the path and into the bushes. Wailing came closer.  The spirit cat went into the bushes and sat down, waiting. Salene didn't bother telling Akira to be quiet. Akira seemed smart enough to figure that out on her own. Salene's breath was soft as she listened for any other potential threats. 

There was always a sense of safety when traveling with others. Especially in a dark, rather spooky forest. Akira thoroughly enjoyed the company of others, usually. At least, there had yet to be anyone she had not liked. Her ears twitched, swiveling slightly as she listened to the wail. For a moment, she was resistant to the tug at her hand, but was soon quick to follow her new friend into the bush. The first time she had heard one, Akira screamed.

But she was older now. Akira had been training as a spirit bender, and knew the best way to purify things, to set souls to rest. Besides, the wails of the forest did not compare to the high pitched screams of her baby siblings back home. At least, to her sensitive ears. As silently as possible, Akira reached into a small bag she was never without, searching for that small pouch. It did not take her long to find it, and pulled it out.

She adjusted herself a bit, for a better position, keeping an eye out for the banshee spirit. Freeing her hand from Salene's grasp, the foxling untied the pouch, reached inside, and grabbed a fistful of the course, white granules of salt. True to her animal side, Akira waited, still, calm and quiet. The spirit was coming, and Akira began to judge distance and rate of travel.

When the time was right, quick as a flash, Akira flung the salt out. The wail of agony was terrifying, blood chilling, as the spirit thrashed at the sudden assault, soon dissipating as the sound faded. Throwing caution to the wind, Akira emerged from the hiding spot, dusting her hands as she inspected the ground. With a triumphant smile, she looked at Salene. ”Easy-peasy. Come, shiny amber waits as Lirin.” She sounded childish again, as if she was confident nothing could bother her now while they work towards their goal.

Sending the wailing spirit back into the underworld and freeing it from its sorrows was good, but Salene made a mental note to not allow the girl around some of her….friends. She was not afraid when these spirits wailed. After years of being on that horrid island made moments like these seem tame. Salene had enough sense to avoid being killed by one of them but it was no longer a surprise. Following Akira, she walked through the dark forest. Annoyance popped into her mind. If this girl was so capable as a spirit fighter, then why didn't she do this earlier. Why did she seem so afraid?

After all the forest was filled mostly with spirits. There were a few werewolves and vampires around but it sounded like the child wouldn't be afraid of them either. Salene was afraid because they were out to kill her. But in Akira's position, she shouldn't be afraid of anything. So why did she seem so afraid before?

Up ahead there was a small cabin that appeared to be empty. It's walls were a mixture of gray and black. The roof was rotting away and there wasn't a door. The windows had no glass. Curiosity swarmed Salene's mind as she cautiously approached the little home. Peering inside, Selene saw a straw mat on the ground in the corner. Next to it was an empty bowl and an empty box. On the wall was a message carved in.

-水は私たちを飲み込むでしょう。 火は判断しません。 水は私たちの罪を裁きます.-

The message was hard to see and Salene was unable to read it. She didn't know that language yet. There was nothing else in the tiny cabin. Salene decided to move on.

"Lets not bother with this place. There doesn't seem to be anything useful in their. And there isn't anybody in there." Salene said.

In all honesty, she wasn’t sure how long that salt would keep the banshee away. Hopefully, long enough for her to get a large distance between them and it. As she walked with Salene, silence seemed to descend between them. The longer it lasted, the more unease that settled into her heart. Akira did not like the way it felt, the squeezing in her chest, the churning of her stomach. With the darkness that blanketed this land, the unease of finding a girl around her age and silence did little to helping her keep spirits bright.

She fidgeted her hands together, trying hard not to let herself slow down. What could she say to spark conversation? Salene had not said where she was from, but who would want to share that with a child from the haven of pirates and thieves? With little choice, she allowed the silence to continue as they approached the little cabin. As far as little cabins go, this one appeared dilapidated. It was obvious that someone had lived here at one point in time, due to the molding straw mat.

There was no protection against the elements out here. A quick survey around the outside as Salene peered in told Akira that there were no bones. No body, and hopefully no haunting spirit tied to such a sad house. The child disguised as a teen turned and began to leave the little cottage alone as suggested. ”Salene? I just want you know… I not pirate. Not thief. They no look twice at little fox girl. No one cared, except Neera.” She had bowed her head at the confession, and gazed at the other girl from beneath the corner of her lashes.