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The press of the people, and he noise of the bustling street was too much after a time so Warren took his own path out of the city’s embrace. Striding along purposefully through the woodlands beyond the walls of steel and concrete, he began to speak with himself once more. His eyes lifted very slightly as he did so, as though he were gazing up at the branches above, or perhaps beseeching some heavenly being.

“The day is brighter here, amidst the leaves. The air is cleaner, fresher to breath. This pleases us, doesn’t it? Yes, yes it does. Those ants know nothing of the world beyond, they confine themselves to chains of others’ devising. As children they are taught to be as the sheep, not the wolf. We know better do we not?”

He paused then, his hand lifting to stroke at his chin in thought, then, with an affirmative nod, he continued on, his voice carrying through the air upon the breeze, filtering past the trees.

”Oh yes, we do know better. For we have seen what they cannot. We know of the world beyond this, and perhaps more. They know yes, they know it exists, but they seek to bind it as well. Bind it with the ropes of their teachings, their traditions. We do not use their teachings. We use our own knowledge. We can summon forth Bealthorn, the devourer of minds. We bind him to our will, direct him with our biddings, mold him as we wish, without the precious teachings.”

He let loose with a cacophony of laughter, cackling all alone in the woods, as though he found his own monologue to be incredibly humorous. After several long moments he regained control of himself once more, and stood there, trying to catch his breath.

Warren’s path led him unerringly towards he vacated clearing, his ragtag appearance made him seem like some sot of wandering vagabond. With his unkempt white hair, and clothing that had seen more wear and dirt than care and cleaning, he was the picture of homelessness. However, he strode with purpose, his head held high, and his eyes fixed brightly on the path he was forging. As he stepped into the clearing he began to speak to himself once more.

”But where should we start? Where indeed? There are so many of them, and only one of us. We must learn more of their ways, we must watch them for longer. Sneak in perhaps, and observe their comings and goings, their guards and locks. Yes.”

His eyes caught the last hint of the dissipating dark swirl, and his head turned in that direction, scanning the tree trunks and bushes at the ground level.

”What was that? Was something there, or did we imagine it? Tread carefully, yes, tread carefully, until we are sure it is safe. No more than a bird we think, running to hide, but we must be careful. Other things lurk outside don’t they? Oh yes. Other things.”

He began to move once more, his footfalls somewhat softer as he continued on his way across the clearing, his eyes moving once more to what lay before him, concerned no more with what he may have seen.

Warren hurried across the clearing, aiming to get under the cover of the trees on the far side. As he continued the first part of that short journey however, he seemed to have quite a lot to say to himself.

”Now, what would we like to see crumble first? Should we take down the organization, the school maybe? No… no too obvious. We need to start smaller, more secretive yes yes. Perhaps if we could find a way in, make ourselves one of them, a mole on the inside? No, it would not work, we could not hide ourselves for that long. We are too obvious, they would see us for what we are, they would kill us for their fear. Perhaps, perhaps…Bealthorn could find out? Yes…”

He paused then, just before entering the shadows of the far trees, and began to make his way back into the clearing again. He extended his arms, his eyes closing halfway as he concentrated, drawing upon energy from both his will, and from another much more potent but primal sort.

”Come forth fiend of darkness!”

A swirl of dark energy erupted within the air, hovering a foot away from the grasses of the clearing. It seemed to spin there for a moment, solidifying into a dark disc that floated vertically, unsupported within the air.

”I summon thee devourer of minds! I call upon thee by name! Step forth Bealthorn, step forth into this world that mortals might tremble at your passing! May the chains that bind you be broken! Come forth!”

At the last words a hulking brute of a creature squeezed through the portal. A wormlike head extended from the massive dark grey body, its skin slick with some form of otherworldly slime. Were it not for the two pairs of sharp twisted horns that sprouted from one side of its globular head, one would be hard pressed to know just which way its head was being held. As it felt the air upon its hide, the beast opened its maw, revealing the rows of blackened teeth that descended into its body, lining its throat all the way down. A bellow erupted from that throat, nearly deafening at close range as it flexed its mighty muscles, and reached its talons towards the being that dared to call it forth to this plane.

Warren wasn't the only one monologuing in the woods at dusk. After a long day going from street to street, singing and dancing and telling tales for the entertainment of others (and a bit of pcoket money for herself), Tuesday Bywater had withdrawn from the bustling streets for a bit of solitude.

She closed her eyes and centered herself, finding her inner-balance. She inhaled deeply, exhaled, and then opened her eyes and began.

"Once, long ago, there lived a boy in a desert. His mother, a widow, did what she could for him, but the older he got the more she and the villagers could tell that he had no great future. After all, he spent his day wandering in thought and playing simple melodies on a flute he carved from the reeds that grew along the river bed. At the end of the day, he would fall asleep on the river banks. His mother was sure he would fall asleep one day, too close to the water, and be carried away by the river in a flood..."

A loud "YAAAH!" derailed her train of thought. She grumbled under her breath and started to regain her place. She didn't own the woods, so she couldn't keep people from making noise there.

Not long after the noise, before she felt ready to start over, she felt that change in the air. Someone was working some powerful Archane magic. Despite the gut instinct to cut and run, curiosity pulled at Tuesday. She started to head toward the source.

((Hope you don't mind me cutting in!))

The first stars of twilight are just beginning to twinkle in the evening sky. Genji rests quietly on a larger branch of a tree near the clearing, concealed by the darkness of twilight and the shade of the branches above him. He reached into his kimono and brought out the pouch containing his rice ball dinner. Keeping an eye on the demon and the strange man, he began to eat.

Do not act quickly... you must corrupt them... turn them from... ideals, until ... tear them... apart.

The words seemed to come from all around him, as though the forest itself was speaking to him. Though instinct told him the demon was the source. As he swallowed the last bite of his dinner, Genji looked up once again at the pair in the clearing. The demon now was more sedate and sitting on the ground.

Re-energized by his meal and feeling adventurous, Genji decided to work his way down the the forest floor once again. Once there, he walked a few steps into the clearing and stood there, about sixty feet from the demon and it's master. He folded his arms across his chest and observed the two patiently, curious to see their reaction to his presence.

It did not take long for Warren and his demon to notice the presence of Genji. The demon immediately rose to its feet, its tubular eyeless head turning towards the figure. Bealthorn let loose with an ear splitting screech of a roar, causing even Warren to flinch instinctively in pain. Ponderously, the being took a step towards the swordsman, before Warren held out his hand to stop it.

"Wait, we must see whether this is friend, or foe. No? We must see what he has been listening to, and what it is he plans to do"

Drudgingly the demon paused, its mighty muscles flexing slightly as it waited, watching the figure without eyes. Warren raised his voice slightly, addressing the figure proudly, his manner assuming that of authority, despite his dishevelled appearance.

"What is it you want? What brings you here?"

Genji stood his ground in the face of the demon's bellowing. One hand touched his face, wiping away the beast's vile drool. The action nothing more than exaggeration, for there really was no drool.

"I should be asking you the very same thing," came his reply. "I was training in this clearing when you stumbled upon it. You startled me out of my meditation, as a matter of fact... But... I was curious about your presence, when I noticed you holding a conversation with yourself, so I stuck around."

Genji lowered his guard and allowed himself a slight smirk, almost tauntingly, as if he wanted the other man to question his true intent.