Complicated Industries (Ciroton)

OoC: Here we go. ^-^;; Using Meghana. :3

BiC:

Gears and wheels turned as a worker fiddled with knobs. His gloved hands worked them over quickly, seeming to have long since memorized their positions and actions. His eyes freely roamed around the room, expecting nothing to be out of the ordinary. As it always was. Day in and day out. Such was the average day in his workplace. He worked in a factory unlike any other, it was a factory filled with what the average child would be ecstatic about.

Chocolate.

Yet, despite the fact that the aroma of cocoa beans filled the air, it mattered not to the worker. He didn't get to partake in these delicacies, yet still had to manage the machines. The monotonous work, the pathetic pay and hours... it was only natural that his thoughts strayed to merely leaving the place.

As were his thoughts for the longest time. Along with his co-workers. They spoke. They had meetings regarding this. They all felt the same. Which was what made this day special. Which was what made this worker take in the last moments of normality.

His head jerked to see the signal, a single window had been opened to let in the sun. He turned to the knobs, staring them down as if they'd been his arch nemisis for life. With a single pound of his fist on the buttons, he stormed off, along with several hundred other workers. And thus was the exodus of the factory. The factory which you happen to be standing before today.

~ ~ ~

Meghana looked at this pamphlet, smiling a bit. Interesting way to be written... but, the content is much more interesting. This factory seems like the perfect setting for something exciting to occur. Something to influence the plot. It's abandoned, all the more reason to explore it...

She tossed the paper onto the dirt road she had been walking on and called her dragon from the sky. It's majestic nature was heightened as it soared down, its great wings flapping with an unyielding strength.

With a nod from its master, the dragon landed, allowing her to board its back. "Onto the factory, Mindgleam. And on to adventure."

In the small waiting room of a garage on the edge of a humble little village sat two people opposite of each other. Not too long ago, the two had been heading to their destinations in peace. At least until they crossed paths. The man sitting opposite from a white-haired young woman, chatting on his cell phone whilst driving his spots car failed to notice the red light as he entered the intersection.

Fortunately for her, the sports car only caused minimal damage. However, the mans car had been ruined beyond all recognition. Ironically, this all happened near the town’s police station, so they found no fault in the half-demon. Although the thought of justice eased the pain a little, she could not help staying infuriated with the man who now hindered her travel plans.

Aleena sat on the hard bench in the waiting room reading the old magazines placed on the small coffee table in front of it. All the while, resisting the urge to beat the man in front of her, but her perseverance was running thin. The two had been sitting in a tense silence for what seemed like an eternity unable to leave because of the two officers standing guard at the door.

The room itself, painted in warm, pleasing colours, seemed to make light of any incident that transpired in here. Small posters scattered on the wall; some designed to keep people busy, or to keep the room from being boring. The only natural light in the room emanated from the two small windows on either side of the front door. All in all, a depressing room despite the designers best intentions.

As though rescuing her from dying of boredom, the mechanic walked into the waiting room. His blue jump suit covered in oil and various other car fluids. The man was in his mid fifties, Grey hair, bald spot, weight problem and all. “Well,” he said, addressing Aleena. “Your car has two broken headlights, a shot transmission, the front axle has snapped, a bent wheel, and a few big scrapes and dents. However, it can be fixed, not like his car,” he said pointing to the man across the coffee table.

“How much will it cost?” One of the officers guarding the door asked.

“About 7000 rupees,” stated the mechanic.

“How long will it take to fix?” Aleena inquired.

“It will take me the better part of the day to repair. I suggest you go and wander around town for a bit, there are a few interesting sights about,” said the mechanic.

“Oh, and don’t worry about the 7000 rupees,” injected the other officer. “We will make sure he pays for it,” he added, pointing towards the man that hit her.

The half-demon thanked both the policemen and the mechanic for their help, and stepped out of the garage into the afternoon sun. It took a few minutes for her eyes to adjust to the sudden burst of light, but soon she was on her way, walking around the quiet town. After nearly an hour of wandering, the lunar demon had seen the vast majority of the village; save for one large abandoned factory on its outskirts.

Aleena slowly walked up to the old, iron front gate of the complex and peered inwards. It appeared as if not a single soul had been past the stone wall in decades, offering a view into the past. Such an opportunity, perhaps a few machines remained inside, just waiting for dissection. Effortlessly, the half-breed jumped over the fence and into the complex.

Walking around the exterior, the ambient sounds of the town faded into silence, making the factory stand as though it were a cathedral. Aleena easily found a way inside; a small, solitary window remained open despite every other possible entrance sealed. She floated up towards the window and helped herself inside. She would not be disappointed in what she would find.

The inside of the factory remained as though it had only been yesterday since the mammoth-sized machines hummed and made whatever they made. Her footsteps echoed as she explored the truly vast complex, ringing throughout causing the rats to stir. All the remaining windows had been painted pitch black, making for a very depressing atmosphere. No wonder the building was abandoned. Yet, Aleena pressed on, unwilling to leave this town without thoroughly exploring this factory and determining what it was built for.

OoC: Sorry for the wait. ^^

BiC:

It wasn't long before the factory came into view. Smoke stacks loomed over the rest of the building, and the tamer and her creature flew around the building in circles, observing any place that they could enter. The illusionist saw some places she could crawl through, such as broken windows, falling bricks, but none appealed to her. She quickly noticed the salvation she was looking for: a glass roof. “I wouldn't enter without my dragon,” she said, stroking the massive being gently. Then Meghana bent down, whispering into her dragon's ear, “Let's enter with a bang.”

Mindgleam knew exactly what its master was referring to, and it roared in agreement. It did a single spin in the air before losing altitude quickly, and purposefully. It tucked its wings back, covering its master. It pulled in its legs and, right before making contact with the factory's roof, its head pressed against its own body.

Anyone seeing this from another view would have seen what looked like a giant metal ball crashing through a building, sending shards of glass flying in all directions. Well, they wouldn't be too far off.

As soon as they had penetrated the roof, Mindgleam unfolded itself, launching out its wings in time to slow their fall. They landed with a loud 'thud', but completely unscathed. The tamer looked at her creature proudly, “Now, THAT was a bang.” She hopped off of her dragon and stared it in the eye, “Alright, now to get the most of the plot, you go one way, I'll go another. We'll rendezvous back here in two hours. If the other isn't here, we go look for them, capiche?”

It lowered its head, acknowledging this fully and began to bound off, its feet booming with each step.

She waited until her dragon was around the next bend before going her own way, searching everything and anything. Chuckling a bit when she walked past all the glass everywhere, she thought to herself, I certainly hope there was no one here before us, otherwise they've gotten a startling awakening.

In a single moment, she got a serious air about her, observing every detail intently. To her, the plot was not something to be taken lightly. Especially when, when turning a corner, she saw a woman walking around. Oh, and who might that be? Another person to test my pathetic social skills on? Why not... Without a second thought, or any ounce of fear, she walked up to this stranger, “Why hello there. Would you happen to know the time?”

OoC: Okay, I'll tell you the same I tell everyone I RP with: Sorry if I messed up Meghana's personality, scold me via PM if I did. Now, on with le poste!

BiC:
The footsteps of the young woman continued to echo as she made her way around the complex, rusting steel and silence her companions. It had been a couple of hours since she had entered this factory, and she had yet to find what it made. Your losing your edge, she scolded herself. Normally, because she was such a fan of ruins and history, she could figure out stuff like this in a flash. Yet, there was something going on in the back of her mind that prevented this, and it frustrated her so.

Aleena stopped walking, her eyes had spotting an old, dust covered sign hanging on the concrete wall. She walked slowly towards it; perhaps it would knock here out of the rut she found herself in. The half-demon extended her hand and wiped the caked-on dust off reveling the word, "Storage", and a red arrow pointing to her left. Finally, a lead, she thought to herself.

Following each sign she came across, the lunar demon found herself in front of a pair of rusted, wrought iron double doors. She tried in vain to open the doors, but they still held strong. Impatience getting the better of her, she drew her sword and pointed the blade above her head. The blade slowly glowed blue as the energy and light it absorbed collected. When it was at its brightest, the youth lowered the blade and shouted into the emptiness, “Moonlight Cannon!”

The energy shot out of the blade and straight towards the door. A great bang resounded throughout the complex as it made contact with the door, blowing it off its hinges. As the dust cleared, Aleena could spy a sea of brown beans created from the doors falling on their shelves. Upon further inspection, she found them to be, “Coca beans!” That must mean that this place was a chocolate factory, concluded the half-demon.

With this important revelation, the half-breed began to put the clues together. A chocolate factory that is no longer in use and untouched for over fifty years, judging by the machines, it can only be the Richo Chocolate factory! Aleena, now elated that she was out of her rut, began to leave with the mystery solved. To think, she continued. This place sparked the workers revolution over sixty-seven years ago.

However, as she was about to exit, another boom resounded throughout the building. It was as though someone had taken a big rock and threw it at a massive window. Wondering who could have done such a thing to this place, Aleena began to make her way to where she heard the sound.

Several, softer booms came a little while after, as though something massive was walking across the cold, concrete floor. Aleena came to a crossroads in the halls of the factory, in hindsight; this became ironic that she should be there at that time. She never heard the footsteps approaching her as she tried to figure out where the burst of sound came from.

“Why hello there,” sounded a feminine voice from behind. “Would you happen to know the time?”

Aleena wheeled on the spot, instinctively reaching for the grip of her sword. However, she hesitated when she saw the unarmed woman in front of her. “Sorry,” she said, taking her hand off her weapon. “Force of habit.” The half-demon was not used to people coming unexpectedly asking her something, she figured her white hair put them off.

“That’s okay,” replied the woman. “Now, would you mind answering the question?”

“Uh, sure,” Aleena replied. She pulled back the sleeve on her right arm and looked at the small, silver watch on her arm. “Quarter to three,” the half-demon answered. “Before you go though,” she said as she saw the woman begin to walk past her, “Did you make that sound?”

“Why, of course,” responded the strange woman.

OoC: Likewise... x-x;;

BiC:

As if the answer was obvious, Meghana scoffed at the young woman, “Now, who else could it be?” But, inside, the illusionist couldn't help but get angry at herself. How many times must I remind myself, not everyone knows about the plot! Never the less she continued, as politely as she could, “Of course, not that you would know instinctively. I mean, it's not blatant to everyone.”

Giving the illusionist a long hard stare, the woman merely uttered out an, “Um...”

Once again, she scolded at herself inside, Stop being so rude! I'm trying to impress. Trying to act as though I talk to normal people everyday. She struggled to do some damage control to the hole she was digging for herself, “Erm, let me rephrase that, it could have been anyone, but it was implied that it was me... you see? Eh, I'm just terribly sorry. I find myself doing that a lot.”

“It's alright,” she replied, “I get what you mean.”

The illusionist let out a relieved sigh, knowing she would have to continue the arduous , “Oh, good... so, what brings you to... whatever this place is?”

“Oh, you have yet to find out what this place is? I don't blame you, it was rather difficult for me,” the woman continued, “it's a chocolate factory, the Richo Chocolate Factory to be exact.”

Meghana's face lit up, “Wonderful! That only leads to more adventures. Say, would you like to join me in exploring this marvelous place? My name is Meghana. Yours?”

“I'm Aleena, and how would you go about exploring the chocolate factory?” the woman, now being connected with the name “Aleena”, asked.

The illusionist beamed, “Well, after finding my dragon, we should wander around, finding whatever there is to find. What do you s-” She was interrupted, quite abruptly, by a pained roar coming from afar. “Mindgleam!? My dragon is in trouble!” Immediately, the tamer gripped her wrist and dragged her new company with her to find her dragon, in whatever trouble it could be in.

OoC: Sorry for the overall quality of this post. D:

The two women raced throughout the deserted factory, the one named Meghana dragging Aleena along with her. The half-demon could not see how a dragon would get into trouble unless confronted by a Dragon Slayer. She shook her head at the notion; there had not been a dragon anywhere in this region for two hundred years, and thus, no Dragon Slayers.

Twisting through halls and rooms alike, the two racing beings continued to go in the direction were they heard the sound just minutes before. Despite this fact, Meghana continued to lead the young woman along what seemed like a trail. The two then came to a cavernous room, the floor littered with shards of glass reflecting the sun above. From there, Aleena could see a set of massive footprints leading away from the sparkling sea of glass.

There really is a dragon here, she thought. Until that point, the half-Lunar Demon did not believe the woman leading her by the arm, but now those doubts were scattered to the wind. Meghana did not let up on both her marathon run and her grip on Aleena’s arm, which was having its circulation cut off by the pressure, not even as they ran across the glass where a single trip could mean a stay in the hospital.

“Now that we know where we’re going,” voiced Aleena over the loud footsteps. “Do you think you can let go of my arm? Your cutting off the circulation,” Meghana did not respond to the Half-demon’s question. It seemed she was so determined to rush to the aid of her dragon that Aleena’s words were lost to her.

She must really love that dragon, Aleena thought. I guess I have no choice to go along with her until we get to it. She and Meghana continued to relentlessly follow the footprints left on the clod, dusty, concrete floor. Holes and scratches on the walls confirmed that the dragon had been this way.

It seemed like the chase would never stop, at least until Meghana stopped without warning. The sudden deceleration caused Aleena to slam right into her back, causing both to fall to the ground. Lying on the dusty floor, the Half-breed had the wind knocked out of her by the collision. After a few seconds, she was able to sit up, seeing Meghana, who was already on her feet, standing in front of her. The woman extended her had to the sitting Half-demon, which she accepted, and helped her on her feet.

That was when she got her first view of the Grey dragon, known as Mindgleam

OoC: O:

BiC:

Not being an athletic person, Meghana should have been gasping for air after that long run. But, despite the redness of her face, she breathed out heavily through her nose and furrowed her brows, gazing upon her dragon with nothing but worry on her face. She yelled out, speaking to no one but her dragon, “Oi, look at the trouble you got yourself into now, Mindgleam!”

Looking upon the scene sat a majestic creature, it bore silver scales so elegant that the winged creature seemed to be coated with jewels. But, that was not the oddity of the scene they'd encountered. It wasn't so much the appearance of the dragon itself, but rather that which stood next to it, wielding a staff of magic and maintaining a glowing barrier around the behemoth. They wore naught but a cloak to conceal their identity and addressed the faerie immediately, all business, “Tsk, tsk.” The voice was instantly recognized as that of a woman, “Look at this wondrous creature. It's a beauty, really is. It's a shame it just had to interfere with our operation.”

Not caring, the tamer approached, “Let my dragon go, now, if you don't mind.” She made sure to mind her manners as she had to learn each trait of a sociable person, even when faced with people she'd much rather torment with magic.

“Um, I think not,” the hooded woman said, snickering. “And, if you get any closer, your dragon will be constricted to the point of bursting. You wouldn't want that, now would you?” While unable to see her face, Meghana could feel her sneer.

“Why, of course not. But, I warn you, threaten my dragon again and you'll wish you'd never even entered this edifice,” the illusionist smiled, trying her best to have a genuine happy air about her. She turned to Aleena, tilting her head slightly, “Sorry about this, I always get into all sorts of trouble.”

A loud cackle rang through the room, “This won't be like other sorts. You've interrupted a severely important operation and measures will be taken. After all, I can't allow anyone to see what you've seen and live.”

The tamer nodded, as though understanding, “Yes, yes, now what was it we were not supposed to have seen? If I'm going to be killed over it, I'd like to know. And, it better be damn good.” Placing a delicate hand on her hip and waltzing over, she surveyed the area, keeping her chin up in a fake pompous matter.

“... You don't know?” Sighing, the woman let down her hood and stared Meghana straight in the face. “You've walked into our renovation of the factory. And, your dragon has crushed several vital components to our machinery. At this rate, we'll never be able to have it back and running by our deadline.”

“Oh, is that all?” the faerie scoffed, “that's all nice and well, but I don't see why you're getting worked up about it. I'd just like my dragon back.”

Taking a few steps back and becoming enveloped in a thick purple film, staff wielder placed the cloak back on. “If you really want your dragon back, come and find it. But, be aware, the second you do, your punishment for breaking and entering may be more costly than your dragon was ever worth: Your lives.” With that, she disappeared, leaving the two females alone to ponder what they'd just heard.

OoC: Trying to give them something to do. Nothing like a game of hide and seek. XD

Aleena let out an exasperated sigh; again, life had thrown her a curve ball. “Well,” she said as she turned to Meghana. “It looks like I’m now involved, whether or not I want to.”

“I’m sorry,” spoke the woman. “It’s because of me that you find yourself in this mess, but I’ve got to find Mindgleam, I just have to!”

The Half-demon nodded her head; she understood where this strange was coming from. If her car were stole, she would also feel the same way, except that a car cannot die. “I’ll help you find him,” she added. “They say they are going to kill me too, so I may as well help you. After all, you may need it.”

“Thank you,” replied the strange woman. “Now, let’s go! I can tell he is feeling alone, and even a little scared now.” The half-lunar demon followed behind her wordlessly, going in every possible direction to try to find the massive, Grey dragon before anything could happen to it. They retraced their steps back to the place where Meghana and Mindgleam entered the factory, the sky above now beginning to darken.

“I think,” started Aleena. “That if we split up, we will have a better chance of finding him. You can go that way,” said the half-demon as she pointed down a hall. “And I’ll go that way,” she finished, pointing to the hall in the opposite direction.”

“Alright then,” answered Meghana. “What happens if one of us find him?”

“Simple,” said Aleena. She handed the strange woman a small, but powerful whistle. “Blow into this, no matter where I or you are in the factory, we’ll both be able to hear it.”

“Alright,” responded the woman. Without hesitation, she bolted down the corridor the half-demon suggested she run down. Her dragon seemed to be worth the same, if not more, then her very own life. She then too began to jog down her corridor, unknowing whether or not the dragon would kill her when it saw her.

What little light that remained in the factory began to fail, casting elongated shadows on the bare walls and floors of the complex. Why would anyone rebuild this place, and what purpose would it serve? These were only a few of the questions that circled in her head as she made her way around the factory. Whoever they were, if they wanted to kill people for trespassing, it would not be good.

If they do plan to use this place for evil deeds, then they will have to deal with me, though the half-demon. Using her powers over Gravity to help her run faster, she zipped through the many corridors and rooms of her side of the building. It was then that she began to wonder how Meghana’s search was going.

OoC: Sure, why not. I always loved Hide and Seek. ^_^

OoC: : D

BiC:

Images of her dragon alone and confused flooded Meghana's mind. The pain that her dragon felt only magnified within her own mind. Those fiends will pay. I'll find it, let it go, and unleash my wrath... She couldn't help but want to chuckle at her own idle threats, despite the situation. Well, I'm certainly not letting them off Scott-free.

The faerie ran through each hall, letting the colors and objects fly past her without so much as a second glance. While her breathing was irregular and stressed, she didn't care. At the moment, the only thing that she paid any mind to was the whistle that so freely trembled in her hand. This is like my life line. I can't so much as stain it for fear that it will be worthless in my time of need.

But, paying so much attention to the trinket in her palm, she completely ignored the path she walked. Of course, it was just like the rest of the factory: worn down. Scattered everywhere were broken parts and the remains of whatever animals happened to reside there in the moments after the buildings closure. It was only natural that, in her current state of diverted attention, she would not notice a piece of scrap metal, laying plainly on the floor in front of her.

At the speed and direction she was going, there was no avoiding it. Her foot, unsuspecting of its upcoming tumble, innocently intruded on the metal's location, hooking onto its limbs and coming down in a wondrous glory. Indeed, Meghana fell, knees and elbows hitting the floor hard. And, out tumbled the whistle, skidding across the floor. Her eyes grew wide and her mouth opened to yell, noticing where the device was to fall.

An air vent, quite conveniently placed, sat there, opening and waiting for the whistle to fall into. And, just as the faerie's fears had predicted, it dropped, with an echoing clatter.

“OH, CRAP!” the illusionist cried out, somewhat out of characterly. Scrambling across the rest of the way toward the vent, her hands lashed out at it, desperately. Pulling off the cover, she peered down into the hole, a sense of emptiness once again overwhelming her. After confirming that its size was big enough for her to enter and get through, there was no question about it. I have to do this for my dragon.

Carefully, she squeezed herself through, all the while wondering how far the vent went. Along with how her partner was fairing.

OoC: I couldn't really think of anything, so sorry for the shortness.

BiC:
With the help of her powers, Aleena managed to search her entire half of the factory after less then half an hour. Now, sitting on the top of the building’s main stairs, she began to wonder if her partner was having any better luck. You would think there would at least be a clue or something, reasoned the half-demon as she pondered. A broken tile or maybe even a claw print? Yet, there seems to be nothing to suggest anything!

Unwilling to accept defeat just yet, the young woman stood up. There was no way she was going to break a promise over such a silly thing as no leads. With renewed vigor, she belted down the rickety, cast-iron stairs to the factory floor to do a more thorough search. However, before she could get to the bottom, the stairs began to twist and heave with her weight. As a simple remedy, she used her powers over Gravity to make herself as light as a feather, causing the stairs to cease their violent movements.

Going over the factory layout in her mind, Aleena isolated three spots that seemed peculiar to her the first time around. After reaching the bottom of the stairs, she began to run to the first of these spots, which rested on the other side of the complex. How do I get myself into situations like this? Aleena wondered as she dashed to the first spot.

The sun in the now red sky began to sink beneath the horizon as the young Lunar Demon ran to the first spot she had in mind. Finally reaching her destination, she scoured the wall, looking for anything that might hint a switch or a lever. The Gray, stone façade of the wall in front of her gave a deceiving appearance, one of a solid and impermeable wall. However, after finding a discoloured brick, the half-demon managed to open a hidden door that led underground.

“Score!” Aleena shouted aloud. Never would she expect to find the entrance at the first location, or even on her first try. Something is up. I had better be on guard, reasoned the half-demon. Despite the danger that this was a trap, she pressed on beyond the threshold and into the passage. Unaware of what would await her on the other end.

OoC: o:

BiC:

Her breath came in hushed gasps while her arms pressed against the side of the vent desperately. It had been more slick then Meghana had first observed, and upon getting down a few feet, she dropped several feet before maintaining a steady grip. Argh... I don't want to plummet to my death. Not before rescuing my dragon.

She could feel her hand growing steadily sweatier in the cramped place. A bead of condensation inched down her face, her eyes tracing its travel on her cheek. Her already pathetic grip loosened more and she could bare it no longer. I hope the fall won't be too drastic... As her eyes shut closed, her hands folded, waiting for the rest of the drop to finish itself.

To her very much surprise, within a few seconds, her feet landed on the ground with a quiet thump. She craned her neck upward, to see the entrance, not too far away. Although no one had been watching, the illusionist's face grew red with embarrassment. Oi, I guess I was a bit mistaken about that... Shaking off her flustered demeanor, she couched low, feeling for the whistle, very tempted to break out into, “here, whistle, whistle, whistle”.

It wasn't before long that her slender fingers draped overs something cold and whistle shaped. “Aha!” She couldn't help but yell. Her hand gripped it, and she stood, triumphant, though still terribly cramped. “Now how do I get out...” she muttered to herself silently. Upon breathing that single thought, a roar penetrated her thoughts. Mindgleam? She thought to herself only to her another confirming cry from her dragon. I must be close...

Once again, the illusionist dropped to her knees, hands pressed against the wall in front of her. This way. Silently, she mumbled a spell. The phrase formed above her head, a milky lilac color. As the letters dissipated into the air, the wall before her began to melt away, almost as if imitating the words. It created a small crawl space that continued on, her magic still at work. All the access material lined the walls in a silvery substance. But, Meghana had no time to marvel at her work, she had a mission. Immediately, she lunged into the hole, palms pressed against the smooth ground and knees ready to crawl.

Needless to say, she sprung into action, limbs moving nearly lightning fast. After all, she had no idea as to where the tunnel would end. And, after a few minutes of crawling and exhaustion creeping in, she began to speculate it never ended. It would have at least taken her to the other side of the factory by now...

Just as she began to embrace these fears, a small amount of light glowed before her, illuminating the otherwise completely dark tunnel. “Eureka!” She exclaimed to herself, and her reserves kicked in. Frantially, she scrambled out of the crawlspace, head peeking out first. Of course, her intuition had been right, it couldn't have been wrong when it came to her dragon. “Mindgleam!”

The creature remained caged in a magical force field, but, now, it seemed like there were countless hooded people keeping the dragon captive, all of which had been previously walking around a large room. It was an industrial looking room, with freights in motion and crates stacked in random places. Now, with Meghana's joyous yells, all of the workers turned to face her, most likely seething underneath their disguises.

Now. She thought and brought the whistle up to her mouth. Immediately, she let loose the largest breath she could muster, the noise of the whistle ringing out throughout the entire factory at least. And, while the illusionist probably thought this to be the best course of action to make her companion aware of her finding of the dragon, it didn't do much seeing as Aleena was already at the opposite side of the huge room, looking down on the whole scenario.

Aleena quietly made her way down the dusty and deserted passage. Despite its near-dilapidated condition, the path remained relatively open. She figured it had to be the work of the people who were now using this place for a new, secret purpose. The occasional spider web and dead rat lined the walls of the underground thoroughfare, insects getting trapped in or feasting on the obstacles in front of them.

Fortunately, the half-demon did not fear any of the sights in the tunnel. “Ha!” she boasted as she walked down the corridor filled with death.

“Hey, what was that?” A voice sounded from around the nearby corner. Obviously, she was not alone in the tunnel. However, now the people were aware of her presence. Would they flee and alert their superiors, or check it out? Two beams of light jetted from around the bend as the two guards followed the latter path, to Aleena’s relief.

Two scrawny, human men bolted out from behind the corridor, resting the beams of their flashlights upon Aleena’s body. “You!” shouted one of the inept guards. “Come here, woman!” She rolled her eyes at them, and slammed the two men into the wall using her powers over Gravity. Their heads bashed against the concrete, sending some dust onto their clothing.

Walking up to their unconscious bodies, she reached into their holsters and withdrew their pistols. She crushed the two guns using Gravity, making sure they would never fire another shot. Satisfied with the state she left them in; the half-demon turned her back on them and continued on her way. “Morons,” she muttered as she walked out of sight.

The tunnel turned into a large, deep staircase when she rounded the next corner. Muffled sounds of people working seeped past the earth and solid stone that separated them and the half-demon. Following these sounds with her ear pressed against the stone, the half demon found herself on the balcony of a large room full of people creating some sort of infrastructure.

She ducked low as the door behind her closed, the sound of which caused a few people to stop working for a few seconds only to carry on. Boxes were stacked high everywhere on the shop floor, creating a maze of wooden boxes. Close to the walkway she crouched on, however, sat the silver-scaled Mindgleam.

Just as she reached into the pocket of her jeans for her whistle, she could hear the elated voice of her companion coming from a point in the room. Catching the worker’s attention, Aleena stood to her full height and looked upon the scene as Meghana crawled out of an airshaft, and out into the open. Meghana then quickly put her lips on the whistle and blew. In the blink of an eye, they all drew guns from under their cloaks and pointed them at the strange woman.

Jumping to the ground, Aleena drew her sword again, catching the attention of everyone as well. Panic and uncertainty filled them as some pointed their semi-automatics at her and the others at Meghana.

OoC: Sorry for the wait and all that jazz. :]

BiC:

A muffled 'oh, my' escaped Meghana's lips and she began to inch toward the wall, being stared down by several guns. “Should I have not done that?” she called out to Aleena, worry starting to plague her.

“Eh,” her companion began, taking another cautious step toward the mass of people that surrounded them. “I don't think it would have made much of a difference.”

Taking the very subtle lead, the illusionist took a step as well, her footstep leaving a trace on the ground. None but Aleena had taken notice of it, just as she had planned. That trace, while looking like an insignificant trail of clear substance, was what would shift everything in their favor. Meghana's sparkling blue eyes showed an unexpected glee. One that the rest of her body hid well. “What are we to do?”

Her voice came oddly. It was not sarcastic. Nor was it panicked. It was so strangely monotonous that a few people lowered their weapons, possibly just out of curiosity. And, as if the answer was obvious to her the whole time, the tamer perked up, “Oh, right. Magic.”

She blinked a few times, analyzing their reaction. So far, all they had done was exchange nervous glances and straighten their guns a tad bit more. A few even took a step back, but that wasn't enough. They were still within the radius. “Psh, this is pathetic,' she breathed out, following with a disillusioned sigh. “I was expecting more.”With a smile, she snapped her fingers.

Just as she did, the clear substance on the ground changed to a soft silver color and began to rise off the floor. Now, what was formerly only a liquid became a very prominent sentence in the air. “Trap those which have us in the said predicament.” It was a plain sentence, nothing fancy about it save for the color. A few got a chance to read the sentence and began to cock their guns.

Despite having a fear that they would shoot before the magic had worked itself, Meghana scoffed at them, “Oh, please. You don't have the guts to shoot me. And, if you did, nothing would happen. Go ahead, shoot.” More hesitated, shifting their feet around. Now.

Upon thinking that, the words in the air began to melt away, dripping onto the ground, forming a pool of silver in a matter of seconds. That very pool acted like acid upon the ground, it began to sizzle away, moving out toward those who held them at gunpoint. But, it did not entirely dissipate, rather it began to animate itself, wrapping around the legs of her enemies. In a rapid movement, it tugged at their legs, bringing them, weapons and all, down.

“Brilliant and easy,” The illusionist smiled down at her work. All of them had dropped their guns upon crashing down and Aleena had begun to pick them all up. “Now to get my dragon.”

“Cease!” called out a familiar voice. The hooded woman from before looked down upon them from atop a crate. “Who are you to cause commotion within our secret operation? We have things to build and dragons to keep away.”

Meghana narrowed her eyes at the woman, “Well, who are you to just take my dragon? I'd like to have it back now. I've had enough of this foolishness.” She took a few angered steps toward the woman and placed her hands on her hips.

All the female did was stare down at them, her eyes being the only visible thing under her hood. They shone an icy blue color, and had the form of slits. After that long hard gaze came a laugh, though it was hardly fit of being called such. It was horse, unlike her voice at all and it sent shivers down the tamer's spine. “No,” came the cold, hard answer. “We can't let any of you leave anymore. Sorry. I guess it's just how the cookie crumbles. You've seen far, far too much.”

“You call a derelict building and a bunch of crates too much!?” Aleena spat. “Then you have to be the most arrogant human being I have ever seen!” Turning her back to the mysterious lady, the half-demon caused the bars on the one side of Mindgleam’s cage to rip away from the rest of it, the metal work sounding like a wounded animal before it broke away.

With near-expert skill in maneuvering big objects this way, she sent the cage door flying towards the woman. Meanwhile, Mindgleam leisurely stepped out of the cage and Meghanan ran towards it with outstretched arms. Aleena ducked under the flying door as it came overhead, nearly knocking her to the ground.

However, the door missed its intended target, ramming into the box tower she was perched upon instead. Tons of strange devices spilled out of the box, like blood from an open wound, each more strange then the last in design and colour. In the lunar demon’s mind, now they had seen too much to just walk out of the door.

“Now you’ve really done it!” The woman shouted from beyond the veil of dust and wood chips. “I’m going to have to kill you now.” Reaching down to one of the strange weapons, she pointed it square on Aleena’s heart. “Enjoy the afterlife, you silver haired bit…” Before she could finish her sentence, Mindgleam flew out of its cage, breaking the shackles that bound it like toothpicks, and stared the woman down.

“Get on!” Meghana cried out. Not one to argue in a situation like this, the half-demon scrambled to her feet and jumped on the dragon’s back. Deprived of any seatbelt, Aleena grabbed Midgleam’s scales as hard as she dared without hurting it in the process. “Mindgleam,” continued the dragon tamer. “Let’s go out with a bang!”

Nodding in understanding, the dragon took a deep breath and spat out a tongue of flame that stretched out towards the strange woman. The entire room around them glowed red as the boxes caught on fire, along with their contents. Suddenly, a monotone voice sounded from the weapons in the crates saying, Danger. Core breach, failure imminent.

The woman, only just avoiding the flames looked at them with the greatest contempt from under her hood. “You win this round, however, next time I’ll have your heads!” With that, slivers of energy rose from the ground, slowly dissolving her body into nothingness.

“Maybe we should get out of here?” Aleena said anxiously.

“Yes, we should. Mindgleam, get us out of here!” Obeying his master’s wishes, the dragon looked to the ceiling, and jumped with all it’s might, cracking concrete, and bending steel as it forced it’s way out of the factory. They flew away from the scene just in time, for as soon as they were over the nearby village, an explosion so enormous erupted from the bowels of the factory that half of it became vaporized in an instant.

OoC: I wasn't sure how I should end it, so I went with awkward. XD

BiC:

The image of the factory exploding was so very glorious, thousands of adjectives sprang to Meghana's mind, itching to be written down in the story that was her life. Such was the feeling of elation that the illusionist let go of her dragon, placed her cupped hands on the sides of her mouth and let out an enthusiastic, “Woo!” The adrenaline was still fresh in her veins as she laughed at the victory of the moment. She looked to Aleena, so as to share the wonders of their triumph, only to find her gripped onto the dragon more tightly than necessary.

“Let go,” Meghana said over the roar of the wind. She wasn't sure if Aleena would hear her, but as the half-demon's grip lessened, she knew she had gotten the message. “Mindgleam wouldn't let you fall. Enjoy the moment!”

After receiving a half-smile, the illusionist turned to her dragon and ordered, “Land in that empty plot right there.” As the dragon began to slow, coasting gently to the ground. “Thank you for flying Mindgleam airways. We hope you enjoyed your flight,” Meghana said, laughing lightly, enjoying that the interaction came so easily. I'm getting better at this 'communication' stuff.

The illusionist waited for Aleena to agilely jump off the dragon to climb down herself, not quite able to display that much physical strength. As she walked to the other female, Meghana could feel another chapter in her life coming to a close and goodbyes were eminent. Her training in social situations hadn't come this far, and the tamer was at a loss with what to do. Think, she told herself. What have you read in books?

She took a stride forward to stand directly in front of Aleena. Her right hand was outstretched in a formal manner and her eyes were focused on the half-demon intently. Aleena's answering smirk wasn't even concealed as she put forth her own right hand and clasped the Faerie's hand tightly, shaking it just as Meghana remembered from her stories. “I guess this victory means goodbye,” Meghana said, trying to inflect her voice properly, but just sounding silly. “It was an honor to team up with you.” It sounded just like what the illusionist had based it off: bad action stories.

But, the half-demon smiled and said, “Likewise. It was... fun. Not an entirely bad way to waste a day.” She then paused, as if remembering something. “My car!”

Meghana was immediately alert. “Does it need saving? We can ride Mindgleam!”

Aleena laughed and shook her head. “No, it doesn't need to be saved, but I should go pick it up. It should be ready by now.”

The tamer nodded in understanding, alert mode off, “Well, it looks like we both got our valiant steeds back today... Thank you, and may your story fare well.” Allowing herself that one slip, she waved goodbye, climbing aboard her beast once more. As the dragon became airborne and she started to fly away, her mind had just finished penning the final sentence of the unforgettable chapter.