The Dark Ages [Dark Data]

[Madotsuki]

Nebula confirmed that I could do this-- don't worry.

Screaming. Someone was in trouble. Madotsuki snapped her head around to stare in the direction of the troubled person like an owl. Her heart pounding in her chest, the others preparing to run, they gave chase.

Her eyes flickered from tree to tree, trying to locate anything of note. But then she sensed someone. ...Sensed? The dreamer suddenly became aware of everything she could feel, not with her five senses, but rather it was something she couldn't quite describe-- she could almost form a mental image of her surroundings, even when she had her eyes closed. The sudden addition of a sixth sense nearly caused her to stumble in shock, but she remembered that they were on a time crunch and pulled herself together.

Anyway, she glanced at a nearby tree; someone short was behind it, but was blocked from view via another tree. Over there. Someone was there. As she adjusted her view to see the stranger, a blast of dark energy was launched from that location and flew into the distance, electing an inhuman roar from some monster.

Worried that the person was aggressive, the half-baku readied her knife and started to sneak. She took a moment to glance back at her friends; they had already split up, however. Now that no one was watching her, she vanished into the air and lurked closer.

The newcomer was far shorter than she had expected, only topping about two feet tall. Their face was obscured by a red hood with a pair of thin horns-- never a good sign. They waved a staff (which suspiciously resembled a spine decorated with rubies) in the air, muttering incomprehensible nonsense as she fired off another blast. The caster mumbled another phrase, summoning what could be best described as emaciated dogs with massive claws, visible jawbones and dreadlocks. The creatures carried tiny imps on their backs as they ran into the horizon. They died almost as soon as they were out of sight, if the loud whimpering noises that followed had belonged to them.

If it weren't for the fact that this stranger lacked the black chip the Darklings apparently had, then the dreamer would've probably just slit her neck and disposed of an enemy early on. There was also the fact that they seemed to be fighting some evil creature, so that was enough to sow doubt into her mind. Instead, she turned visible, tapped the short person's shoulder, and phased out to avoid any reflexive attack aimed her way. Which had paid off as the stranger swung their bony weapon and missed the incorporeal dreamer. 'What are you doing here?'

The newcomer pulled their hood down, revealing that they were a girl with short, white hair, green eyes, and a young, yet mature face. Said face was scrunched up in an attempt to display anger... or fear... or both. "Trying not to die!" she huffed, her voice that of a full-grown woman. "What are you doing here?"

Madotsuki allowed her body to return to the mortal plane. 'We detected some dark energy over here.'

"We? Who's we?"

'They're over there' was the reply as the half-baku pointed in the general direction of her friends. 'We thought we'd find Darklings here, but--'

"That's why I'm here! I was investigating an energy imbalance when these weird monsters ambushed us. They stuck something inside Azzathec--"

'Azzathec?'

"He's my demon minion-- that Doomguard and I have been through thick and thin, but when that thing got inserted, I lost control of him."

'You can't summon another one?'

"Not while I'm under fire!" As if to punctuate that sentence, a bolt of dark energy wooshed past and crashed against the tree behind them, splitting it in half and launching it into the air. "Think you and your friends can help me?"

'The enemy of my enemy is my friend,' Madotsuki replied, retooling her telepathy so she could shout at her partners from far away. 'GUYS! I FOUND AN ALLY!'