Kazuki had recently ventured into a keep right in the middle of the desert. He had been reading a scroll, mysteriously left at his door, containing the tale of a human sorcerer that had risen in power until he became a lich. A lich that soon began endangering the ancient world via its massive armies of undead. After being undone by the mighty Ancient Lords, albeit unable to fully destroy it, the ultimate undead form was left to rot in a tomb. Although defeated, the lich vowed to get revenge somewhere in the future, once able to free itself from its earthy, underground prison. Centuries later, after a series of scuffles in the desert, the tomb would be unearthed and the lich finally free. The years imprisoned had left it weak, a condition swiftly cured as the lich absorbed the life essence of animals, plants and anything else in his path. As a Sennin and Sunagakure’s Ranger Lord, the Senju Overlord was mostly interested in making sure all threats to Sand were swiftly eliminated, if possible, before they represented a real menace. Especially because they were already at war with a force that out powered them.
Reaper ventured, alone, into the middle of the desert where he found a keep that had been constructed via ninjutsu, fact confirmed by his ability to sense chakra and the air was dense with it. The air around the structure also reeked of death, a possible indication of the presence of a lich or a dark sage that had used his powers intensively. As he entered the keep, the White Wolf found it void of life and the few undead mooks that he found were quickly dispatched. A thorough inspection gave him no further clues about the lich’s whereabouts or destination but, as he exited the stone construction, he found a trail that headed toward a small settlement that had been established near an oasis. As far as the Shadow Sword’s eyes could see, the trail was straightforward with no deviations. With nothing else to make him doubt of his decision, the Occult Sennin followed the trail, hoping to catch to whoever was creating this path before it was too late.
The Deep Court Hybrid had been walking for over two hours with no change in scenery, the trail continued endlessly, in a straight line and, all around him, there was nothing but sand and more sand. Despite Kazuki’s attunement to the natural world and his shinobi honed skill as sensor, there was little to no life around him. If something were to happen to him in that very moment and he was unable to shrug it off, he was done for. Luckily, he was a crazily prepared man in a terrific physical condition and there should be no worries. Thirty more minutes of utter boredom would pass before this quietude would be broken. The sands to the Senju Overlord’s right would suddenly explode as a massive horrific creature emerged from the desert. Made entirely of bones, animated by dark, forbidden arts and obeying to the will of a dark, sinister will, the being had one goal and one goal only. To eliminate the White Wolf. This skeletal horror was “flying” toward the Shadow Sword, its massive maw wide open, ready to either swallow him whole or trap Reaper and kill him. Fortunately, he only needed a split second to react. Wood, something so rare in the desert that almost made it a miracle in some places, would emerge from the very spot horror had moments ago. Tendrils that would envelope Kazuki’s enemy so tight it would become fully bound and at his mercy. The vines would keep compressing, the sound of bones cracking under the immense pressure they were being put through would begin echo as the skeletal horror was crushed. Dust made of bones would begin to rise and was carried away by the breeze that he began to feel.
With the hurdle conquered, Reaper continued his way unimpeded. He had been lucky, facing a skeletal horror alone was not an easy task and there were plenty of tales of those unlucky individuals that faced one and didn’t live to tell the tale. And then one had to wonder how those tales came to be recorded. Hours later, the Deep Court Hybrid saw dark forms on the horizon. He didn’t halt his pace and soon he realized the dark forms were becoming bigger, a clear indication they were moving toward him. In time, he was able to see a murder of crows flocking toward him. The red eyed, black feathered avians were flying toward him, darkening the sky, deafening Kazuki as they croaked. The first birds would bomb drop on him, although he was hit by the first, leaving a big bump on his forehead, the rest never made any damage to him. The Senju Overlord coated his skin in metal, becoming totally impervious to their attacks, though, eventually, he also became fully covered by croaking crows. Black feathers and beaks was all that he could see and their sheer numbers and weight began to slow him down till a crawl. He couldn’t let himself to be halted in such a way. ”ENOUGH.”<i></i> he would shout, now annoyed by the birds relentless insistence. Using his unnatural ability to siphon life from all around him, the White Wolf began killing the crows by the dozens. Eventually, in his wake lay a trail of dead birds.
A day later, after no more incidents in his way, the Shadow Sword reached a city. The very place he knew he would find, because the trail lead to an oasis. He would stop in the top of a dune, gazing the city, sensing the same stench of death he had felt within the keep. Deep within him, Reaper knew the Lich was down there. Where exactly and doing what was a different matter altogether. But his gut told him his target was there and only needed to find it and end this threat before it was too late. If knew liches well enough, if he wasn’t quick enough, the city would soon become a haunted place with nothing but undead crawling everywhere.
[WC - 1035]
Reaper ventured, alone, into the middle of the desert where he found a keep that had been constructed via ninjutsu, fact confirmed by his ability to sense chakra and the air was dense with it. The air around the structure also reeked of death, a possible indication of the presence of a lich or a dark sage that had used his powers intensively. As he entered the keep, the White Wolf found it void of life and the few undead mooks that he found were quickly dispatched. A thorough inspection gave him no further clues about the lich’s whereabouts or destination but, as he exited the stone construction, he found a trail that headed toward a small settlement that had been established near an oasis. As far as the Shadow Sword’s eyes could see, the trail was straightforward with no deviations. With nothing else to make him doubt of his decision, the Occult Sennin followed the trail, hoping to catch to whoever was creating this path before it was too late.
The Deep Court Hybrid had been walking for over two hours with no change in scenery, the trail continued endlessly, in a straight line and, all around him, there was nothing but sand and more sand. Despite Kazuki’s attunement to the natural world and his shinobi honed skill as sensor, there was little to no life around him. If something were to happen to him in that very moment and he was unable to shrug it off, he was done for. Luckily, he was a crazily prepared man in a terrific physical condition and there should be no worries. Thirty more minutes of utter boredom would pass before this quietude would be broken. The sands to the Senju Overlord’s right would suddenly explode as a massive horrific creature emerged from the desert. Made entirely of bones, animated by dark, forbidden arts and obeying to the will of a dark, sinister will, the being had one goal and one goal only. To eliminate the White Wolf. This skeletal horror was “flying” toward the Shadow Sword, its massive maw wide open, ready to either swallow him whole or trap Reaper and kill him. Fortunately, he only needed a split second to react. Wood, something so rare in the desert that almost made it a miracle in some places, would emerge from the very spot horror had moments ago. Tendrils that would envelope Kazuki’s enemy so tight it would become fully bound and at his mercy. The vines would keep compressing, the sound of bones cracking under the immense pressure they were being put through would begin echo as the skeletal horror was crushed. Dust made of bones would begin to rise and was carried away by the breeze that he began to feel.
With the hurdle conquered, Reaper continued his way unimpeded. He had been lucky, facing a skeletal horror alone was not an easy task and there were plenty of tales of those unlucky individuals that faced one and didn’t live to tell the tale. And then one had to wonder how those tales came to be recorded. Hours later, the Deep Court Hybrid saw dark forms on the horizon. He didn’t halt his pace and soon he realized the dark forms were becoming bigger, a clear indication they were moving toward him. In time, he was able to see a murder of crows flocking toward him. The red eyed, black feathered avians were flying toward him, darkening the sky, deafening Kazuki as they croaked. The first birds would bomb drop on him, although he was hit by the first, leaving a big bump on his forehead, the rest never made any damage to him. The Senju Overlord coated his skin in metal, becoming totally impervious to their attacks, though, eventually, he also became fully covered by croaking crows. Black feathers and beaks was all that he could see and their sheer numbers and weight began to slow him down till a crawl. He couldn’t let himself to be halted in such a way. ”ENOUGH.”<i></i> he would shout, now annoyed by the birds relentless insistence. Using his unnatural ability to siphon life from all around him, the White Wolf began killing the crows by the dozens. Eventually, in his wake lay a trail of dead birds.
A day later, after no more incidents in his way, the Shadow Sword reached a city. The very place he knew he would find, because the trail lead to an oasis. He would stop in the top of a dune, gazing the city, sensing the same stench of death he had felt within the keep. Deep within him, Reaper knew the Lich was down there. Where exactly and doing what was a different matter altogether. But his gut told him his target was there and only needed to find it and end this threat before it was too late. If knew liches well enough, if he wasn’t quick enough, the city would soon become a haunted place with nothing but undead crawling everywhere.
[WC - 1035]