Quest for the Spice

[Ziare]

Ziare thought about how she could possibly prove to the girl they really were from the Arcane Academy.

"Well would it help if I could show you my magic?" Ziare asked hopeful. Really it was the only proof she had.

She summoned Noxanna the Fairy of Light. She flew around Ziare like a small bee her wings humming.

"This is Noxanna my summon." She said making it seem that this was her only summon. "I am a summoner-mage student from the Arcane Academy. My name is Ziare and we are here looking for a spice."

She looked at the girl trying her best.

"I know, a spice? It was exactly what I thought when asked by my friends here to come along. You see my sister loves to cook in fact it's her passion. And my love for my sister is great, surely you can relate." she said trying to get the girl to understand more. "The man with the needle at his throat is a good friend of mine who is rather smitten with my sister. And as a favor to my friend and to do something nice for my sister we are here looking for a spice especially for her. A gift if you will."

Ziare stood quietly letting her words sink in.

["The Priest"]

The Priest removed his hand from his weapon, but brought forth Loki. He finished the incantation, and the figure shone white, then black for a split second.

The Lich King sprung forth from a small tear in existance where he lived. He let out a strong hissing noise.

We are but summoners.

[Midnight]

Joseph chuckled nervously as the girl somehow managed to produce a second needle at the other side of his neck. "Well technically I'm a gunmage, but, heh, yeah I like this girl see...and she agreed to make me dinner if I could find her an extremely rare spice. Ok that's it. Don't know anything about the Yakuza alright. Just here to learn about cooking spice." he explained quickly to the girl. Once again there was a pause in the girl. Most likely assessing the situation. Two summoned creatures, a large man, and a girl...if she killed this one she'd still have plenty of trouble.

Rei, put your needles away. Came a voice in all of their heads. Looking around Joseph spotted a figure standing on the edge of the veranda. It was a fox man clad in a leathur tunic. He had nine tails flowing behind him. He was leanly build but something just suggested that he could handle himself just fine. When had he gotton there? "How do we know th-" the ninja girl began again until she was interrrupted. My kind are truthsayers remember?

[Ziare]

Ziare watched as the girls arms slacked and pulled away from Joseph and she exhaled a breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

She looked over at the new arrival and really didn't know what to say. If he was indeed a truthsayer then he knew there story was true and they didn't need to convince or tell him thier story.

She dismissed Noxanna with a thought and smiled.

"Thank you, both of you for sparing my friends life." she said honestly.

["The Priest"]

*Great... These guys... are slick* The Priest hated being the more exposed of the three individuals. He had, of course, travelled all over the world, and it was indeed not his first time coming across a fox being.

With the word *EXUNT* Escaping quitely from his mouth, Loki's body dashed into 10 fragments, all of them escaping in different directions, as a final hiss of skeletal breathe escaped.

The Priest stood straighter, returned the figurine to his pocket, and proceeded to rearrange his shoulders as his Club suddenly got heavy.

[Midnight]

Joseph rubbed his neck where the needles had been pressed. "Thanks." he said to the fox with a nod. The creature stepped down from its perch and strolled over to them, Don't mention it. The creature spoke without moving its mouth at all, instead its eyes glowed white whenever it 'spoke'. Turning around Joseph finally got tp see his attacker. The girl was tall with purple hair wraped back by her headband. She wore an entirely blue sleveless outfit similare to the swordsman from outside, well wrapped, but baggy.

The girl bowed, "I'm sorry for that. It's just that the school has been recieving a lot of intruders lately. Most of them sent by the Yakuza. The Abbot even has student partners like me and Kinchi out on patrol." The ninja named Rei then removed the cloth covering her face. She was cute...but not who Joseph was after. The foxman laid a hand on the gunmage's shoulder. So you wish to learn of spices do you? Follow me, I think I know just the person. Rei you stay here, I'll be back shortly. With that Kinchi lead the way down a path to a well hidden flight of stairs. Come along.

[Ziare]

Ziare nodded.

"Yes, we seek the spice. Can you help us?" she asked as she moved closer to Joseph. "As we've said it is a gift for a friend."

She looked around at her companions and smiled sweetly at the ninja giving a slight bow.

["The Priest"]

The Priest looked around cautiously. These here were Asian's, known for covering the truth in their clever lies. He kept his weapons safeties off, and the restraints undone. His club would only be used if need be.

He walked after them...

[Midnight]

Kinichi led the group of Academy students down an incredibly long flight of stairs that hugged a huge wall on which the veranda sat. The stairs had no guard rails so the students had to take extra care to remain away from the ledge. the foxman didn't seem to notice. As they descended lower they passed some windows through which they could hear the sounds of training. Swordsmanship class. Soon the students will begin acrobatic battling exercises and duel along the wall we are inching down. the fox explained.

Once they finally reached the ground their guide led them into a low building which resembled a temple. Upon entering the three sudents were hit with a wave of delectable smells. An array of utterly tantalyzing food scents. Though there was no such food in sight in the deep hall they entered, the walls were decorated with tapestries with a different woven dish on each one. The hall was huge in contrast to the building's exterior. They had to descend yet another flight of stairs to reach the marble floor. The chamber was lit by quaintly torches located between each tapestry.

Joseph shook his head silently. Was there any place in this school that would not fill him with awe. Looking around the chamber, finally pully his attention from the smells, the gunmage saw that say for the four of them, the hall was empty say for one man dressed in loose orange robes of a monk. He sat crosslegged at the far end of the court. To each side a boweled candle was lit, eminating even more enticing smells. Behind the man was a gigantic tiled murel of what appeared to be a desert with warriors of all cultures and time battling across it. At the murel's center was a single bowel and in that bowel a purple material which cause a haloing efect of light around it.

This my friends, is the headmaster of culinary magics. I shall leave you in his charge. Kinchi said simply. Joseph nodded a thanks towards their guide, but the fox had disappeared. Strange place, strange people. "Please, sit with me and tell me why you have come." the bald man said opening his eyes. He gave them a benevolent smile which suggested enlightenment.

[Ziare]

Ziare sat down and folded her hands in her lap. She looked around the room. It was dark and herbs hung from the ceiling drying out for later use. On shelves that adorned the deep red colored walls small bottles and jars stood out labeled in different languages and many things she had never heard of before.

A wooden table that was made of a soft wood worn smooth by age and use was in use by the bald man. He was using a small razor to slice through the herbs that he was using to make some kind of tincture. To the left of the man stood more shelves and baskets. This time full of spices such as rosemary and thyme. Jars and small clear tubes were filled with the various spices and roots lay in a basket on the floor.

"We are looking for a legendary spice. It is a gift for my sister and best friend." she told him in a soft voice.

She looked over at Joseph and gave him a nod as to say anything else?

["The Priest"]

The Priest didn't sit. He was sure he'd smash the chair he was offered, that, and sitting with the totem on his back was nigh impossible. Instead, he stood next to Zaire, his hands crossed, secretly resting on the handles of his weapon. He awaited any treachery, as he didn't trust these warriors...

Or chefs...

[Midnight]

Joseph looked at his companions, giving them a nod, then at the monk. "She's right, headmaster. There's this girl I rather care for and-" the gunmage began before he was interrupted by the bald monk's laughter. "It's always about a woman. Forgive me. Go on son." he said trhough an amused smile. Midnight chuckled nervously but nodded. "Anyway, she's an avid cook, but refuses to make food for anyone 'willy nilly'. So, I made a deal with her. If I could track down and an extremely rare cooking spice as a gift for her. She'd cook us dinner. That may not sound like much, sir, but it's a large step with her." he explained, talking with his hands as was his habit.

The old man paused for a few silent moment's his smiled never falling. Finally speaking just before the others felt it was necessary to speak once more. "On the contrary. A meal is no small matter my boy. The fate of the world can be decided over the course of a dinner." he said in a serious though friendly voice. "Still, if the dinner is for you, why have you two come? Would it have not been worth more if this young man retrieved such a prize on his own?"

[Ziare]

Ziare looked at her companions and then at the bald man. Ziare cleared her throat and began.

"I am here because Talbot, the girl, is as close to a sister as I have at the academy. We've grown close and she means a lot to me." she began smiling.

"I am here because my good friend.." she motioned to Joseph. "Asked me to come help him. He is interested in Tal and I would like to see them get together. Not only because they are both my friends but because I care about Tal more than most. She deserves to find love and if this spice will open the door to that then I am willing to do what it takes so that both my sister and Joseph can find that."

The monk leaned back in thought. His eyes staring at her as if he was judging her seeing if she was sincere. After a moment he dropped his eyes he seemed to be waiting for Priest's answer.

["The Priest"]

Without moving, or breaking eye contact with the Monk, who couldn't see his eyes, the Priest spoke.

Do these two look like they could last long against the Yakuza? No. I'm suprised our Helicopter wasn't blown out of the sky...

[Midnight]

The monk looked to each one of the students in deep speculation. Finally he nodded and smiled to the boy. "You have just cause enough to hear my tale." he said simply. Joseph half bowed (it felt appropriate), "Thank you, headmaster." The man simply turned where he sat and waved a hand towards the murel behind him. "What you see here is the depiction of the Astrarian. A spice born from the ashes of a god. Before man had even leanred the means to record his history, bestial creatures walked these lands. Just as humans were uncivilized, so were gods. There were a great many gods just as bestial as the rest of the world. One such diety was a feral seductress. She would lure males of all species into her den and make love, sucking them dry of all their energy."

"Most fell to her powers, while the more resisted discovered that no club, no rock, and no spear could harm her. However, one day a man of great courage and intelligence entered her lair of his own will. This seductress worked her magics over him, but he resisted. He'd heard the stories of other attempts to slay her, only he brought the one thing none before had thought to use. Fire. Up until this point the wonderful tool had only been used for cooking and warmth, but now it set the creature aflame. The Seductress was reduced to ashes, but the energy she had drained from so many creatures over the years let lose at her death. Killing the man and transforming the ash into spice. "

"This spice was so delicious that once discovered all of humanity craved it. Fortunately a single god had been intelligent enough to save a bowel full. Many years later he would place this bowel on a pedastel in an underground chamber filled with a desert of other spices. As you can see illustrated thousands of warriors have attempted to retirve the bowel, only to have their ashes turned into spice like the feral goddess. I believe this is the spice in which you seek, for the god who had placed this bowel there had also seen to it that only the one who comes for the spice, but refuses the bowel may take it."