Kyr and Static ran through the forest, having the information where the group was attacked.
"They said they were a good thirty minutes from here. Chances are they've gotten far." Static said as he turned into a crow and flew next to Kyr.
Kyr's pupils narrowed as he saw a ruined carriage that looked like it had its doors ripped off.
The two stopped in their tracks as the other group of spies came up behind them.
"Looks terrible." Kyr said, his tail swaying as he sniffed around the area. "Hmm..."
He hopped inside the carriage, sniffing the inside. "There were about 4 people in here. One of them assumably being the daughter, and the others being officials." He crawled out.
"Not just the princess was kidnapped; others too. I can see how they believe this was a political matter." Kyr said, Static, seeming a bit stunned by how fast he deduced things.
"Being a neko comes in handy, huh?" Static said jokingly, causing Kyr to chuckle. "Yeah."
"They went south of here." Kyr said, looking back at the spies.
The spies were fitted out in facemasks and skintight jumpsuits for maximum mobility. "That's where the Lunar Empire is!" One of them said.
Immediately they began to get a move on, running through the dense forests.
"Yep, the smell certainly carries. It smells of about seven men; one is getting stronger." Kyr ran on all fours, a sign of his feline instincts kicking in.
Static continued to fly next to him, able to keep up the pace.
"Someone's nearby." He said, flying high into the air and letting out a loud caw.
Suddenly, he could see the outline of everything, from the movement of animals to the apparent figure sitting down somewhere. He didn't see anything else, however.
The spies began to diverge, and it was just Kyr and Static. Static landed on a tree, and the view of a large, muscular man sitting down came into view.
He looked like a standard bandit. "Shit... Did those blokes leave me here?" He had a strong accent.
Kyr stood up, beginning to walk up to the man, who had gotten startled. "Hello there!" He said, giggling.
"Who are you?" The man stood up, reaching for the great sword behind his back, only to find out he couldn't move his hand.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, meow," Kyr said, using his left hand to produce threads that tie around the guy's wrist.
"We just want to ask a few questions," Static called out, landing next to Kyr.
The man narrowed his eyes, starting to laugh. "You really think I'll talk? You both look like kids anyway, so why don't you run—"
The man was cut off, being slammed into the ground and having a dagger pierce his hand, causing him to scream.
"I hope you know I'm a bit of a sadist," Kyr said, putting his hair into a bun. A vein was visible on the side of his head.
"You'd like calling me a kid, huh? Well, I made even the most loyal of men talk, one way or another. Torture is my preferred method." He grinned, his eyes glowing an ominous yellow.
"So, let's start with this." Kyr said as the man tried to move but found himself paralyzed.
"That dagger not only sends a toxin that paralyzes you, but it also hits all pressure points. Not the ones that'll make your heart go boom." Kyr took the dagger out.
"Let's begin. Where did your men go? Kyr took out the dagger, slowly inching it toward the man's left eyelid.
"As if I'll tell—" The man was immediately cut off by his own scream as Kyr slid the dagger under his eyelid, prying into his eyeball and tearing it out.
"Clocks ticking, boy." Kyr began to grin, licking the blood off his cheek.
The man, breathing heavily, coughed. "Never! AAAAAGGHHH!"
Kyr began to drag the dagger across his chest, making a mini-cross on it.
"Next up is castration if you don't tell me." He said, the man nodding. "Y-yes! "They went south of here, toward that Lunar place!"
"You're such a dear!" Kyr rubbed his head before standing up, using his tail to wrap around the dagger handle.
He then swiped the dagger across the man's throat, killing him then and there.
"Alright! Should we head back, or is more info needed?" He asked, Static and the spies looking at Kyr in shock.
"Remind me to never cross you. Let's head to the Lunar Dynasty." Static said, turning back into a crow.
Everyone continued their quick journey, sneaking past the heavily guarded borders with relative ease.
Kyr sniffed the air and stopped, rubbing the back of his head. "They split up. They each took at least one person and went separate ways. Kinda smart of them."
"I saw we split up too." Static said, spinning around his yoyo.
"Gotcha! We'll be in touch." The spies said, all splitting up.
Kyr went off, sniffing the air.
Now it was just Static. "Reyuma? What's been going on? You've been quiet."
"That bitch... She's here in this world. I'm just biding my time, kid. Don't rush." Reyuma said, his voice laced with an untamed malice.
"Why don't you just give it a rest already? You're free now, and you're using my body as a vessel. Can't you be a little more grateful?" Static said, turning into a crow.
He flew off, starting to search for a place where people might be hiding. As he flew, he saw a suspicious-looking man entering a door.
"Found 'em." He mumbled as he dove down, landing on the ground and phasing through the door itself.
"You're in a world where spirits and youkai are actually rare. You're not going to see much outer protection." Reyuma said as static descended down a spiral staircase.
"Isn't that just wonderful?" Static said as he reached the bottom of the staircase. What beheld him was a dungeon-like setting.
Jail cells on each side, seemingly empty. The air smelled sterile, and the walls had small remnants of dried blood on them. Static could feel the restless souls in this place.
"Whatever they did here, it's causing people not to move on." Static said, humming quietly to himself as he entered the door at the end of the hall.
Immediately, he was greeted by a much larger room, where a male was being tied up.
Thugs were smoking and joking about, but then when they noticed Static, they immediately drew their weapons.
"Whoa, friends! It's just me, your lovely trickster!" Static said as he clapped his hands together. When he separated them, a cane appeared.
"You guys got someone of value here, so I'll be taking them from ya!" He spun the cane around as the thugs rushed forward.
One of them swung a sword, but Static blocked it with his cane, giggling. "Careful now! You'll slip!" Static snapped his fingers, and everything went dark.
Suddenly, everyone was transported to a circus, music blaring in the background. There were about 12 thugs in total.
"What is this place?!" One of them shouted as a spotlight flashed over Static, his eyes glowing an eerie white.
There were people from the Spirit world. Youkai and civilians alike. "Welcome ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and innocents to the Circus of Fools!"
Static's voice was amplified by means of an invisible megaphone. It could be magic or an illusion. "We are thrilled to have you here tonight! Here, we have twelve BRAVE contestants who believe that kidnapping was a righteous thing!"
The crowd boos at them, Static laughing in response. "Don't worry, dear friends! The show's just getting started. Shall we make them pick from The Wheel?"
The crowd cheers! "Spin the Wheel! Spin the Wheel!" They all chanted as a wheel shot up from the ground.
"You heard them right, contestants! This is my main ability, Circus of Cheer! The masses are here from all sorts of Dead Worlds to watch you all compete!" Static grinned.
"The condition is... The people must be satisfied, and I am a man of satisfaction!" Static said, pointing at a lanky individual.
The spotlight shifted to him. "You, sir! Take your pick!" Static said, the man seemingly teleporting up onto the platform.
"Spin it! Spin it! Spin it!" The crowd chanted, the man trying to reach for a dagger, but realizing it was nowhere on him.
"Oh no, dear friend! Weapons are prohibited unless you get the Gladiator part of the wheel." Static said, the man nervously spinning.
Everyone watched with anticipation as the wheel slowed, soon coming to a stop. It landed on The Cards.
The crowd erupted into cheers. "Ooh! The Cards! This is a fan favorite!"
Static spun around, a deck of cards forming in his left hand. "Okay! Here are the rules! Pick any three cards. Of those three, you can select one! The one you select will present you with a challenge relating to the card!"
The crowd watched in silence. The man reached out, his hands shaking. He looked off to the side, his bandit friends nowhere to be seen. He was alone in this.
"What's your name? So the crowd can know?" Static tilted his head.
"K-kalis." The man responded, grabbing three cards.
"Okay! You heard 'em, folks; Kalis has selected his cards! What did ya get?" Static asked, Kalis showing him the cards in response.
"Oof! The Fool, The Devil, and Judgement!" Static said, the crowd giving off an ominous "Ooo."
"Really unlucky man! Which one do ya pick?" Static asked.
Kalis looked at his cards as his hands shook. "T-the Fool..." As he said that, the crowd erupted into cheer.
"Alrighty folks! Place your bets in, if you wish to, of course, because the challenge is about to begin!" Static said, his voice distorting a little.