[ closed ]

[witchual]

WHO: Magilou and Artoria
WHERE: Deep within the forest
WHEN: Mid-June, pre-event
WHAT: Magilou and Artoria go in the forest for hunting. They get more than they bargained for.
WARNINGS: Monsters and the usual spooky forest shenanigans

[ When Magilou suggested that she and Saber take a trip through the forest for hunting, it's not as though she was expecting a welcome party. This is the barrier that keeps them enclosed in their fairytale prison; to call it foreboding would be an understatement. An endless expanse of colorless trees leading only to darkness, the mysterious quests for slaying monsters deep within - it's almost sinister in its simplicity, but this isn't the first abyss that Magilou has stared down.

After they've walked past the edges and into the deep thickets of gray beyond, Magilou looks behind her, only to see an unfamiliar maze of trees. It's impossible to see if the thought affects her at all, with her usual carefree mask plastered on. If it weren't for her efforts to keep her footfalls light and her voice low - and the fact that she'd triple-checked her Guardians and strung the journal she arrived with around her waist - she'd seem almost completely unprepared for what they might face. ]

I was hoping there'd be something exciting for the main course... but it's been so silent so far. If this is meant to be a trap, they could have made it more subtle.

[ It's silent. Silent, when there were animals to hunt at the fringes before, as if it was meant to drag them deeper in. It's... strange, unnatural, and even though that means everything bad and nothing good, Magilou doesn't stop walking. They've already come this far. ]

Comments

[artorian]

[ Accompanying Magilou's careful footfalls is, as always, Saber's ubiquitous clanking, the rythmic chiming of metal almost like a melody. She walks alongside Magilou at the same steady pace with the same steady expression as if they were walking through town, keeping her mind open and flexible in preparation for any eventuality.

Belted at her side is a waterskin and a little pouch of snacks, just in case.

She's wandered into the depths of the forest only a handful of times, no one experience like the others except in the sense that each visit played out in a series of ultimately fortunate events. When she joins Magilou in glancing behind them to find their return path blocked, she isn't overly surprised. They'll find their way back to town when the time is right.

The vague whispering that begins to permeate the forest from everywhere and nowhere seems almost to come in protest of Magilou's comment, though Saber can't make out any words. A vague sense of something up ahead halts her in her tracks, and she'll raise a hand to stop Magilou as well if she hasn't already done so. ]

It seems the forest is almost as fond of theatrics as you are.

[witchual]

Keyword being almost. No one can best the great Magilou in matters of the stage!

[ She says as such, but once she catches wind of the chattering that seems to come from all around her, her voice sounds much more faraway and careful than it should. It reminds her of what the voices of spirits must have sounded like to those with the tiniest bit of resonance - without the ability to see the owners of the voices, it's no wonder some people ended up succumbing to malevolence. High resonance normally comes in handy in situations like these, but it's a useless talent in an unknown land. She can't make out anything they might be saying.

Apparently, the forest isn't content with letting them advance without some sort of catch. Typical.

Magilou almost walks into the hand that Saber puts up in front of her, but she stops before she can take a tumble or trip over her own adventuring partner. There's certainly a sense of wrongness permeating the atmosphere; underneath the din of the voices, there's something that sounds suspiciously like leaves rustling. ]

You think that's an animal? I wonder if we're lucky enough to find something that's not bloodthirsty.

[ She's pretty confident they could take on whatever might be in their way, but... it would be a lot easier if the first thing they see here isn't something coming for their heads. The noise is traveling far; it doesn't sound like something small. ]

[artorian]

[ Before Saber can answer, there's a delicate rustle in the foliage, and then a rabbit darts across the path. This would be unremarkable if there wasn't something immediately off about it, even with the quickness of its exit. It had an extra pair of legs, Saber is quite certain, but before she can stop to ponder that further, there's a second, more violent rustle from the direction of the rabbit's entrance.

A single wolf bursts onto the path, evidently in pursuit of the rabbit. When it notices Magilou and Saber, it stops and turns its head toward them in alarm, making plain the three pairs of eyes set into its head, one on top of the other on top of the other. For her part, Saber doesn't move to attack it; either way, seeing that it's outnumbered, the wolf quickly shoots into the brush after the rabbit. ]

[witchual]

[ That's... a little freaky...

Neither the rabbit nor the wolf have any trace of the malevolence that Magilou is used to, making their extra features all the more unsettling. They're not daemons, and they didn't seem like regular forest creatures, so whatever they were is a mystery that dies with the sight of them rushing into the bushes. Even Magilou knows that pursuing them would be stupid, and attacking docile creatures even more so.

Magilou blinks, directing her attention to the bushes and then at Saber. With the animals - or whatever they are - in the wilds near them, she doesn't speak for once, assuming that wherever the creatures came from is likely to house more of them.

It's a good thing she doesn't, because it's only the relative silence that makes it possible to hear the heavy, lumbering sound of something bigger than the wolf. She gestures to grab Saber's attention, pointing toward the direction of the noise. It's just ahead of them, along the same path that they're on, almost like it's waiting to welcome them into its trap. ]

[artorian]

[ When even Magilou is holding back on the cheerful quips, things must be getting serious. Saber follows Magilou's finger and listens to the ponderous thumping up the path. Unless there's an elephant lazing down the way, it probably won't be anything friendly. Making a decision, she puts up a hand to indicate that Magilou should stay put.

She doesn't wait for a response from Magilou before jogging up the path, making no effort to soften the clamor of her armor. She doesn't make it six steps before the distant lumbering speeds up into a thundering stampede. A massive bull appears down the path... no -- he's half bull, half man, charging in on all fours.

Saber comes to a halt and settles into a defensive stance. ]

Minotaur!

[ She calls his name more for Magilou's benefit, but it seems impossible that this could actually be the fabled Minotaur from Daedalus's Labyrinth. But there's no time to wonder. Here he is already, close enough for Saber to make out the wicked shape of his horns, the folds of his snout, the massive muscles of his arms. The Minotaur bellows a roar that trembles the forest before lowering his head to skewer the small human in his path.

His horns are longer than her sword, so she decides against materializing it. Instead, she drives one of her feet into the ground, then the other, so that she's literally dug into the earth. Just so, she receives the Minotaur's charge: she catches the horns in her hands before they can pierce her and bears down, down, even as her small body is driven back to where Magilou is standing, drawing twin tracks in the earth with her feet. Saber forces the Minotaur's horns to the ground and his advance finally stalls. Without turning her eyes away from her labor, arms shaking with effort, she takes the opportunity to address Magilou. ]

Magilou, can you strike him down?

[witchual]

[ There it is, then - the first hostile monster in this forest, and it has to be something much bigger than either of them combined. Somehow, everything happens before the sound waves reach her: the sight of a gigantic, looming beast bellowing in the distance, its chest vibrating with unbridled fury; the feel of the frigid forest air rushing at her bare arms as the beast charges forward; the smell of the earth that Saber's iron-heavy feet drag up, and then, finally, the crashing, earth-shuddering clash between Saber's reinforced frame and the gigantic half-bull, half-man creature.

The moment that Saber and the Minotaur come rushing beside her, locked in a stalemate, Magilou has her Guardian doll at the ready, rematerialized in a shower of light particles and spinning above her fingertips. Without some sort of intervention, one of them is going to fall, and they've only just started walking in the forest. It would be a shame to have their expedition end early, but more importantly - if it came to a choice between Magilou or Saber catching the ire of the Minotaur, Magilou would rather it be her. ]

You got it! Ready, aim...

[ Speed is absolutely key here, because from the way Saber's arms are shaking, Magilou doesn't have much time to take her action. In lieu of spending most of her finite time casting a spell, Magilou decides to use a familiar trick she keeps up her sleeve. With a flick of her wrist and a quick misdirection of her Guardian doll, a sparkling meteor of water appears above and behind her. ]

...aaaaand - fire!

[ She throws her arm out, index finger pointing to her target: the Minotaur's head. The water rushes from above her and to the Minotaur, striking the monster in the side of its head with enough force to throw it away from its grip on Saber and down. ]

[artorian]

[ Saber's hands are suddenly free as the Minotaur is forcibly ejected aside. He crashes into the base of a tree with a fleshy thump, the leaves shuddering overhead, but he wastes no time recuperating. He stumbles to his cloven feet, clearly discombobulated but no less dangerous; his rage, unfocused, spills out in all directions like a flood. He bellows once more, a deep, pure call for battle like a war horn, close enough now that it penetrates Saber from her head to her toes. This time, she materializes her sword, invisible except for a faint shimmer of air, and raises it readily.

The Minotaur begins to stomp toward Magilou, the evident source of his pain. Blood runs from a wound in his head, one eye squinted shut, and Saber takes advantage of that blind spot to rush at him unseen. Her blade bites his arm nearly to the bone.

Freshly enraged, the Minotaur roars and swivels to face Saber. He thrashes more than punches, fists like boulders raining as he tries to crush her underhand. For her part, she nimbly backsteps away from one blow after the other, slowly leading him further down the forest path. More importantly, she leaves the Minotaur's back exposed to Magilou. He's a single-minded beast, so it's a simple matter for Saber to keep him occupied by dodging or parrying his fists; she only hopes Magilou will be able to take advantage of the situation from her own position. ]

[witchual]

[ As the Minotaur flails about, nervous and lashing out at whatever is the most immediate threat, its own strikes are too uncoordinated to make speed of the essence this time. Still, Magilou wastes none in preparing a spell; eventually, the Minotaur and Saber are going to be too far away for her to hit any longer, and she certainly doesn't want to be kept out of the action.

From the sounds of it, the Minotaur is quite unhappy with its every strike parried, its full-bodied angered punches dodged; he's unsteady on his feet, and coordination is beyond a beast that simple. Magilou spins, channeling her magic thrumming through her into the talisman that still hovers above her fingers. He seemed to hate the water spell, so surely, a bit of ice never hurt anyone, right? The spell takes a bit to cast - chaining her weaker magic into her stronger spells would be ideal, yet even she can admit that hitting her distant target with a bullet of water amidst the trees seems a fool's errand - but Saber's confident evasions give her enough time to work.

With all her magic gathered at her Guardian, Magilou raises her arm as the Guardian twirls in midair, sending her attack coursing through the atmosphere to converge at the beast. A chrysalis of ice appears at the Minotaur's feet, the sound of crackling ice beneath it enough to catch its attention for the split second her trap requires. The ice blooms like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, growing into sharp edges from its epicenter and trapping the Minotaur in its wake, damaging it and leaving it frozen, immobile. Her prison of ice begins to shatter as the beast thrashes about, but not without one last surprise: the splinters slash at the Minotaur's prone form, leaving it howling with every piece that disappears into ethereal light. ]

[artorian]

[ Saber watches as the ice consumes the beast, effectively stopping him in his tracks. In the back of her mind, she appreciates it for the potent magic it is, though she has no doubt that Magilou is capable of much greater.

This isn't the time to idly admire the beauty of the ice, however. She readies her blade and coils from head to toe like a lion poised to strike. Before the last of Magilou's prison can dissipate, Saber takes advantage of the immobility of their foe: she explodes forward, her blade extended to land like a bolt in the Minotaur's heart.

All at once, his thrashing comes to an end. The howling dies down to a moan, and he falls solidly to his knees. When Saber withdraws her sword, he collapses entirely to the dirt. He is undoubtedly dead.

She looks across the Minotaur's body to find Magilou down the path, and she gives her a nod. ]

Well done.

[witchual]

[ Saber picks up silent cues better than Magilou expected. The precision with which she strikes at the beast's heart once the flower of ice has bloomed is impressive; she can honestly say there aren't many who would pick up that quickly. She lets out a low whistle watching the display: the sound of the Minotaur falling and the crash of its body succumbing to gravity, the efficiency of the trained warrior in front of her. It's an awe-inspiring show.

Regardless, the beast is dead. Magilou hasn't broken a sweat yet, so she knows there are still tribulations to come; there's no way they'd be let off that easily. She waves to Saber from across the way with a cheery grin and a wink and trots over, eventually lunging over the Minotaur's still form. ]

Twas but a moment's effort! [ Have a cheesy bow while she's at it. ] I mean, you weren't half bad yourself. Can't deny the effectiveness of brute strength.

[ As innocent and carefree as she sounds, Magilou spares a glance to the Minotaur, scrutinizing it with a far more serious eye than she normally seems capable of. She kneels down to inspect the poor, defeated creature. ]

These monsters are different from what I'm used to. No trace of malevolence that I can tell. [ She inclines her head toward Saber, curious. ] Hey, do you have malevolence where you're from? It's kinda like the building blocks of monsters for us.

[artorian]

[ And like an uncorked bottle of champagne, Magilou is back with a pop and sizzle. It isn't something Saber minds, and though she doesn't smile, ease loosens her shoulders as she rests the tip of her blade on the earth and plays audience to Magilou's whims. ]

I have heard of others here speaking of evil energy, but not so in my own world. Phantasmal beasts as I knew them were variable products of longetivity, human perception, and the will of the planet itself. A simple animal could become a beast over time if it was overtaken by a strong grudge or curse, but never were they born as irredeemable entities solely on the basis of their spiritual makeup.

[ Her gaze lowers to the fallen beast. ]

In my world, anyone would have recognized this as the Minotaur, whose true name was Asterios, born from the union between a human queen and a bull. He was not a born a monster, but was regarded as one by humanity due to the events of his life. Perhaps that is why you do not sense malevolence from him.

[witchual]

Hmm.

[ For a moment, that's the only sound that passes Magilou's lips. A creature that wasn't truly a monster, but humanity regarded him as one. It's a sad tale, but not a surprising one - people hate what they don't understand, what they can't see.

Magilou stands up, sparing one last look at the beast at the ground. Tragic, then, that they may have been attacked by a monster who never wanted to be a monster, or at least the beast's counterpart from another world. ]

That's familiar, too. Regular rampaging monsters can exist, but often malevolence infects and spreads. And then, even normal humans can be caught under its influence, and turn into mindless beasts. The only recourse is to give them the dignity of a quick death.

[ Regular people, of course, couldn't even see humans becoming daemons until recently - their skepticism of the concept was understandable, perhaps, but no less tragic. ]

Malevolence or no, we're certainly not dealing with any ordinary monsters. They're not the daemons I'm used to, but why is a beast that you're familiar with in a place such as this? Just to torment us with the familiarity? Intriguing... and something we'll only see if we continue on, I suppose.

[artorian]

A contagious evil... How fearsome. I can only imagine the chaos such a thing would sow.

[ But she agrees that a quick death would be the best solution for it. Whether it be one person infected or one thousand, swiftly eradicating the poison to save the rest of the population would be the only wise choice.

Saber is a simple being. If something fights her, she fights back, and if her opponent dies in the process, she won't let herself feel too bad about it, whatever that opponent's life circumstances may be. She takes hold of her sword and turns to start herself and Magilou back down the path without a second glance at the Minotaur.

There's only time for a bit more chatter before the next trial comes down the path: a large troll with an equally large club bent on bludgeoning Saber and Magilou very much into meat puddles. Luckily, the dense forest makes handy cover against wide swings as tend to come from oversized clubs, so after a bit of ducking and weaving followed by another sword-and-sorcery high five of death, the troll falls as neatly as the Minotaur.

Next comes a chimera. Many things happen, and then it also dies. The intrepid pair carries on.

Though they've been able to emerge from their encounters unscathed, it's been a fair amount of exertion, so Saber gives Magilou a critical eye for any signs of exhaustion as they march along. ]

How are you faring? I have plenty of water and provisions if you are in need of a break.

[witchual]

[ For all that Magilou complains about exercise and physical activity, her constitution isn't as bad as she makes it seem. (She has trotted the globe of her own world before - most of it in a boat, but still, it takes some sort of skill.) But their escapades have taken their toll, because while she's not exactly gasping for breath as they walk on, fighting another chimera or troll is going to take a lot out of her.

And though she's not sure Saber even gets exhausted, her critical look is returned with a subtle, though not cold, glance to check for wear and tear. ]

As much fun as fighting is, a witch needs a little downtime every once in a while, you know? Stopping here would be mad, though. Let's find a good place first.

[ If they stopped along the small path they've been traveling on, there's no guarantee that they won't be immediately accosted by some other heavy, lumbering monster. Until they know they might be in a safe place, Magilou refuses to show any honest sign of exhaustion, for Saber's sake if nothing else.

Eventually, in the distance, there's what looks to be a small clearing, surrounded by trees on either side, that feels paradoxically like a void - enclosed, crushingly empty, and cold. There's something that just feels wrong about it. ]

...Maybe we won't find a good place for quite a while, huh. [ She doesn't stop, really - but she does turn to Saber quietly. ] You have water? Maybe we should prepare before we go in here.

[artorian]

[ Magilou's inspection will find Saber in perfect condition. The small bumps and scrapes she incurred during battle healed themselves in short order; even her armor, as crude in design as it is, gleams in the pockets of sunlight that reach them, restored as perfectly as if it were part of her skin.

Satisfied with Magilou's logic and endurance, Saber is content to continue along until they come upon the clearing. Immediately, a feeling of foreboding grips her. It emanates directly from the clearing, though it appears to contain only a thick, gnarled copse. Nevertheless, Saber tenses as if glimpsing a fist about to strike her and halts, reaching out to touch Magilou's shoulder and stop her as well. Some people pay passing heed to their gut feelings, but Saber has learned to obey hers absolutely. ]

Yes, let us go no further until we are completely prepared. I do not like the feeling of what lies ahead.

[ She unties the waterskin at her side and offers it to Magilou. Hydration is important! ]

When you feel ready, allow me to go first.

[witchual]

Yeah, you're not the only one. Whatever's up ahead... won't be pretty, that's for sure.

[ There's always something sinister afoot in this town, but this is something else. If Magilou didn't know better - didn't firmly believe that their kidnappers wouldn't make the source of this town's evil so easy to find, didn't believe that a battle with three successively strong monsters would be the least of their worries if they were truly heading toward the source of the malevolent infection here - she'd think that this would be where everything originates from. But as it is, she's certain they're coming across some pocket of evil not unlike the ones they've faced before, much more intense and focused.

She stops at Saber's insistence and reaches out for the waterskin, taking a light swig of it before handing it back. ]

There's enough left for you in there, if you need it. [ Do spirits even need water... ] But you think I'm just gonna fall back and let you waltz in there like a knight in shining armor? No way! You're not gonna hog all the glory. We're goin' in together.

[ A selfish front, but... whatever they're facing might be best faced with both of them at their best. ]

[artorian]

[ Spirits don't need water... or even food... Saber just likes to eat a lot. So she stows the water away in case they need it later before turning her full attention to Magilou, her expression a collection of flat lines.

She knows Magilou means the best, however she attempts to shroud her concern in bravado. If Saber were just Artoria, a normal person still susceptible to the tumult of death, she would find Magilou's spirit and camaraderie heartening. Even now, Saber admires her -- a woman who can dedicate herself to spreading joy in times of peace while bolstering herself with mettle when danger looms. Saber has nothing but the highest respect for Magilou. But still she hardens, her will becoming her voice and body. ]

Magilou, I hoped you would understand as a vessel to spirits. It is only logical for me to go first. If I am injured, I can recover quickly without fear of permanent damage. If a trap lies ahead, it is better that one of us has space to recover and react.

Frankly, I do not think we will emerge from what awaits us entirely unscathed, but that is why it is even more imperative that we act with your safety in mind.

[witchual]

[ "Act with your safety in mind"... Truthfully, Magilou doesn't care one whit about that. Certainly not right now, when she has barely anything to lose, but those feelings (or lack thereof) are hard to articulate. Instead, her eyes dull for just a moment while she thinks over their plans, and then she goes back to normal. Deflection is the name of the game. ]

Spirits can still be susceptible to mortal wounds. I know you're trying to whip me into shape and all, but my current muscle is tragically not enough to pull you out of the forest on my own.

[ It's true, though. It would be better if one person stayed back and the other inspected. She doesn't necessarily want Saber to take the fall for her but she has a feeling that this is going to be something that Saber fights her tooth and nail on. So she sighs, shrugs, and takes a step back, close enough to observe whatever might happen in the copse and its gnarled trees. ]

It's your funeral. [ She's about to say try not to die, but that wouldn't really fit. Instead, her voice goes softer: ] But I mean, try not to get too injured, you hear me? I don't want you looking all battle-worn and stealing my thunder!

1/2

[artorian]

[ Phew. Saber relaxes, if only slightly, her shoulders loosening as if taking a long exhale. She indeed would have -- and has -- fought tooth and nail on the subject, so Magilou's acquiescence is a tangible relief. She nods solemnly to Magilou's unreasonably framed demand, her tone calming in turn. ]

If I do happen to get injured, I will be certain to heal so completely that anyone would think you conquered our foes singlehandedly.

[ Without further ado, Saber takes up her sword and makes her way toward the copse. The pressure of foreboding squeezes in on her as one might feel when slowly walking into a knife, but she carries on with focused calm. Her Instinct is sharp enough to near prediction, and if she were truly wise, she would heed that intuition and turn back, dragging Magilou back to town with her.

But Saber has never been quite wise enough. There has always been a seed of audacity buried at her core, arrogant enough to defy fate and reason. If one tries hard enough -- if one tries long enough -- if one has done everything within their power to achieve their goal, then surely they will reach it. Even if her ever-faithful Instinct tells her that misfortune lies ahead, she must believe that she'll be able to emerge from the other end of it intact, if only she struggles well enough. It's hubris, plain and simple, but it's too close to her essence for her to grow out of. ]

2/2

[artorian]

[ And to her credit, when the copse erupts into motion, she doesn't go lightly.

The trees and their branches burst at her all at once, like shotgun pellets attached to gnarled arms. Saber's reaction is immediate. The air wrapped around her sword, so dense as to warp the vision of all who lay eyes on it, releases in a shockwave in front of her that crashes against the onslaught of branches. For a moment, it's like a whirling, whistling, invisible wall is formed in front of her, the wind ripping at bark and splitting the straining branches that roar in wooden cracks to reach her.

And her sword, released from its sheathe of wind, suddenly illuminates the clearing. Its blade shines brilliant gold, as pure in light as the sun and nearly as searing. This she raises steadily, and when her shield of air inevitably runs out, it cuts through the branches that lash out at her as easily as if they were leaves.

But it is only one sword, and the branches are endless. The tree -- and the "copse" does seem to be only one great tree -- betrays no pain and slows for nothing. The wooden fingers break against the arc of the sword, but their arms reach underneath -- and they snare one of Saber's feet, lifting her high upside-down.

Her sword falls from her grip, the blade embedding itself straight into the ground. The whorls of the tree's trunk crease and bend until a fierce face becomes apparent, and a hole in its side widens into a gaping maw. Then, almost nonchalantly, a mere seven seconds after bursting into life, the tree swings Saber into its mouth and promptly closes it.

If there's no other interference, the tree will slowly settle back into the earth frayed and chopped, half its branches on the ground, content. ]

[witchual]

[ For a while, Magilou stands back, reasonably assured that Saber's investigation will go smoothly. There's merit in standing back and observing - an advantageous position to survey the situation, and the ability to provide backup if it's needed. Perhaps Saber has misplaced her trust, and perhaps Magilou doesn't deserve that sort of innate honesty and genuine companionship, but there's also a chance that she has it now. So... maybe it isn't so bad that Saber rushes ahead, trusting Magilou to have her back.

The trees are hacked down in one smooth motion, but in the end, the forest's relentless advance on the town is no different in the thick of it. The gray, oppressive atmosphere continues its movement, and just as it seems that Saber will be overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of trees, Magilou pulls her Guardian out again, the familiar chants of her spells preparing to trill from her tongue.

But then the tree grabs Saber by her foot, and the sheer surprise of a large tree overwhelming someone normally so self-assured in battle is shocking enough to snap Magilou's eyes open. ]

Artoria -

[ And that strangled cry of her True Name is all Magilou can get out before the tree summarily swallows Saber whole, and the entire forest seems to settle down, satisfied with its hunger for hunting satiated. The din dies away, and Magilou is left standing in front of the giant tree (when had she run over?), with an almost inhuman grin on its face. She's far enough away from it that the tree can't swallow her immediately, but close enough for it to grab her if she tried to inch any further. ]

Hey, are you...

[ Her voice is quiet, strained; almost in disbelief, but wanting to trust in the small glimmer of hope she has left, knowing that Saber is as capable as she is. Magilou doesn't let herself hope often, and her unending pessimism buried deep down is the only thing standing in the way of believing the tree will reach for her as well. It would simply be too easy. ]

...You in there? Or do I have to kick this tree's gnarled butt for two?

[ Truthfully, she doesn't have the strength to. It's a paralyzing feeling: to know that the small, flittering bits of happiness she's had hanging out with Saber are as fragile as everything else.

Saber is a spirit, she said. And that means she can't die here... right? ]

[artorian]

[ Well. This is awkward.

Saber has never been eaten before, but she's fairly sure this particular experience is out of the ordinary: the inner walls of the tree are predictably hard and harsh, almost like being crammed into a warped closet if the closet were also lined with thick, oozing sap. Where the sap touches her, she feels herself losing control until she's swiftly immobilized from head to toe. Curiously, her throat doesn't seem to want to work either, and she finds herself unable to raise her voice or even grunt. If she had a need to breathe, she would be panicking -- and even without, it's an unpleasant sensation, like a very prolonged suffocation.

But worse is still being able to hear. Magilou's voice comes muffled through the tree, but the quiet shock and loss in it is so unlike her that it pierces Saber to her core. Just as Saber was supposed to be able to stand her ground, Magilou was supposed to be able to handle the aftermath with aplomb -- so none of this is going as planned, really. I am fine, she wants to shout, but her body may as well not be her own.

The only evidence of her continued well-being is her dropped sword, still sheathed in the ground and glowing bright. Saber wills Magilou to notice it and take heart. It's a part of her spirit; it wouldn't be able to stay materialized without her to sustain it with magical energy. ]

1/2

[witchual]

[ There's no answer. No indication that she's been heard; no indication that anyone or anything is even alive anywhere in this forest. That's... not good.

Magilou's hair falls in front of her eyes as she inspects the ground where Saber last stood, hoping there's something that will prove to her that Saber isn't gone for good. Something she might have to come back for. Something she could break out of the tree for. Maybe if she still had her sword, some way to slash out of there, there might still be hope.

Her inspection turns up only one indication that Saber even stood there, wasn't just a figment of her imagination or a reflection of happiness she was once haunted by in ever-familiar illusions: her sword, gleaming in its own ethereal glow, the brightest thing in the forest. Magilou stares at it transfixed, hoping that it tells her something. If Saber is a spirit, and her weapon is also spiritual - hence her ability to manifest it - would that mean it would disappear if she were dead?

Hope isn't something she's familiar with. Numbness is her forte, despair her ally against harsh realities and uncertain truths, and needing faith to believe Saber is still with her somewhere is hard for her. But it's all she has to cling to.

Standing next to Saber's sword, Magilou looks at the offending tree looming up above her, and speaks. ]

2/2

[witchual]

Hey, Sir Eats-A-Lot. Can I call you that? I'm gonna. If you're ready to listen for a bit, I'm going to talk your bark off as punishment. That girl you just ate... You mind giving her back? Because if not...

[ Magilou spins, takes her Guardian out; her voice is back to its normal brightness, but the cheer is entirely gone. If Saber is in there somewhere, she's hoping that she can hear that she's bluffing. Magilou is weighing her options, but hurting Saber isn't one of them. It's a calculation between her chance of succeeding if it works; if it backfires, how much damage it might cause. ]

We can do this the easy way or the hard way. The easy way would be blowing you to smithereens, but I don't think you'll like that. The hard way... I'm assuming you want me to give you something. That's what all of you want for returning what you took, right? An offering. It's how these stories go.

[ If it has to be a good offering...

Well. There's a few things that she can give. One, her journal that she arrived here with. Two, she might be able to find something in the forest. Or three... A trade, between someone who has something to move on for, and a witch who doesn't.

But if it doesn't come to that, she's keeping it buried. ]

[artorian]

[ In response to Magilou's posturing, a slow creaking begins to fill the silence of the clearing. The whorls and gnarls that comprise the tree's face shift, the eyes warping until they seem to fall on the slight woman before them. The tree does not otherwise move, dispassionate in its regard for Magilou, but at least it seems to be listening. If something of enough interest is put before it, it will consider an exchange.

Inside, a frustrated Saber continues to strain for movement to no avail. With a Command Spell, there would be a simple solution, but now she can only listen. Perhaps Magilou is bluffing about blowing the tree up, but Saber hopes she'll do it. Burn it, electrocute it, freeze it -- Saber is confident in her ability to survive any magical blow, even if her confidence is what got her in this situation in the first place.

An offering also seems like a feasible choice, though Saber doesn't know what Magilou has to offer. Magilou is fully capable of hunting, so perhaps wild game...? But with all the powerful beasts they encountered along the way, Saber doesn't like the idea of Magilou getting caught alone.

Whatever her choice, Saber trusts her to be wise. Wiser than Saber's been, at any rate. ]