Hatate Quest Kaksi

[Hello Purvis]

>"They live underground. Sometimes get into tussles with the kappa. Great builders, too, a lot of youkai call for them to build things."

[Oldmansour]

>"They live underground. Sometimes get into tussles with the kappa. Great builders, too, a lot of youkai call for them to build things."

>"Shou mentioned them to me before." Celes says. "I understand at least one of them has been making something of a name for herself as a performer, on the surface as well as below-ground. Yamame, I believe Shou said her name was."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, I think that's the one back there, now that I think about it. Got her once, when I was starting out."

[Oldmansour]

>"Yeah, I think that's the one back there, now that I think about it. Got her once, when I was starting out."

>"Have you any idea what species the girl they were attacking belonged to?" Celes asks as she drops altitude a little. "I'm not familiar with any horned races of Gensokyo apart from the Oni, and from what we have been told, the Oni never come to the surface."
>"Except that Suika girl." Sabine adds. "Pretty sure that wasn't her, though."

[Hello Purvis]

>Do we know of any horn?d youkai she could be?

[Oldmansour]

>Do we know of any horn?d youkai she could be?

>As far as species go, the Oni are the only populous youkai you know of that have horns. You suppose she COULD have been an Oni- if Suika came to the surface, there's no reason another Oni couldn't- although her horns weren't quite the right shape for an oni. Unless of course they've changed in the years they've been underground. She could easily be some kind of beast youkai that had horns, but as to what kind exactly, you're not sure.

[Hello Purvis]

>"I thought she was a beast youkai, myself."

[Oldmansour]

>"I thought she was a beast youkai, myself."

>"My thought as well." Celes says with a nod. "But I couldn't identify the shape of her horns."
>She is interrupted by Sabine poking her in the back of the head, then pointing down towards the forest ahead. "Target ahoy."
>"Indeed."

>Celes guides her cauchemar into a slow angled descent, which gives you more time to focus on reading the winds, checking to see if you can get a sense of Ranka's presence. Given how she was talking earlier, you doubt your usual method of listening to news on the wind will yield any results, so you try to apply that sense a bit more laterally. It's an odd sensation. You get the feeling that this ability wasn't quite meant to be used in this way.
>And then you hear Ranka's giggle. It's faint, and you can't tell which direction it came from, but you definitely heard it. No mistaking that voice.

[Hello Purvis]

>Shrug. She'll show herself when she's good and ready.
>Look ahead; can we see any signs of Momiji or Patchouli?

[Oldmansour]

>Shrug. She'll show herself when she's good and ready.
>Look ahead; can we see any signs of Momiji or Patchouli?

>Well at least you know she's around here somewhere, that's something, at least.
>A scan of the airspace within your visual threshold reveals no sign of either the Wolf or the Mage. At least not that you can identify. You can see something flying towards the forest from the direction of the Scarlet Devil Manor, but at the moment, it isn't close enough for you to make out any real details.

[Hello Purvis]

>That's probably them. Let's finish the journey and try to avoid landing on a centaur.

[Oldmansour]

>That's probably them. Let's finish the journey and try to avoid landing on a centaur.

>Leaving Ranka to her own devices for the moment, you set aside your efforts to track her down and instead ensure your lead over Celes and her horse. After all, you wouldn't want to finish second behind a flaming steed.
>In short order, Marisa's house comes into view. Straight away, you spot Ranka, hovering over the top of Marisa's house (just slightly above the outer barrier), with a pleasant but slightly impish smile on her lovely face. Celia the centaur, true to her word, is still present, and she has more company besides the aforementioned wind spirit. A long haired girl in a dark blue ensemble is sitting with her on the ground, over a game board. A shogi board, if you're not mistaken. Marisa's house appears not to have been disturbed in your absence.

[Hello Purvis]

>Well of course she got ahead. We stopped to put some work in.
>Do we recognize longhair?
>"Hey Celia! Anything happen while we were gone?"

[Oldmansour]

>Well of course she got ahead. We stopped to put some work in.
>Do we recognize longhair?
>"Hey Celia! Anything happen while we were gone?"

>Work waits for no tengu, after all.
>You don't think so.
>The centaur, who had been pondering her next move, looks up at your approach. "It is good to see you again, Himekaidou-san." She gestures to the blue-haired woman sitting across from her. "As you undoubtedly noticed, I have been paid a visit by a friend of mine."
>"Name's Renzu." the woman introduces herself. She has a very intelligent face, with moderately thick glasses over her green eyes and a blue cap on her head. Well, perhaps 'nerdy' would be a more accurate term than 'intelligent', if you're honest. Her understated figure, clothed in a well-made but rather plain looking blue dress with a blue-green short tie accompanyment, does nothing to dispel this image. If she had a backpack, she'd look a proper kappa. She does have a couple of non-backpack accessories, though. To her left is a long yellow staff, probably serving as a walking stick. And she has an old-fashioned camera around her neck, not entirely unlike Aya's, though hers is blue and gold in color. The same shade of gold, you note, as the gloves lying next to her staff, the collar her tie attached to, and the belt around her wait. Fairly well coordinated, this one.
>The nerdy woman takes a closer look at you for a moment. "'Himekaidou'? As in, Hatate Himekaidou?"

[Hello Purvis]

>She's probably not nearly as smart as she wants to loo-oh this is person is great!
>"The one and only, Miss Renzu."
>Bow politely.

[Oldmansour]

>She's probably not nearly as smart as she wants to loo-oh this is person is great!
>"The one and only, Miss Renzu."
>Bow politely.

>This was certainly a pleasant surprise.
>"Now this is a happy coincidence." Renzu says with a big smile, her sentiments nearly echoing yours. "I came out this way for a few nature shots after it started snowing. Never imagined I'd meet a tengu out here, let alone a tengu reporter."
>"You know her?" Sabine asks Renzu bluntly from the back of the cauchemar.
>"Only by reputation, and through professional interest. I'm a photographer myself, in the human village. I understand you provide all the shots for your paper, Miss Hatate?" she asks you.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yep, they're all mine. What do you do with your pictures? Keep some kind of gallery?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Yep, they're all mine. What do you do with your pictures? Keep some kind of gallery?"

>Renzu nods. "I frame most, put them on display, some I sell. It doesn't make me rich, but I don't do it for the money."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Heh, tell me about it. No one gets rich doing this. I'm guessing you're here on business?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Heh, tell me about it. No one gets rich doing this. I'm guessing you're here on business?"

>"Sort of. I saw it was snowing a bit, and I like that kind of imagery a lot. Plus, Celia's a friend of mine, and it had been...." Renzu trails off as she sees Celia glowering in the direction of Celes and Sabine. "Celia?"
>"If you will excuse me." Celia says slowly as she rises to her hooves and walks towards the Keep steward.
>Renzu seems more than a bit puzzled. "Well, I didn't see that coming." she says to you. "Who are your friends there?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"They're from the Cobalt Keep. Let me guess, Celia has a blood feud with them or something, doesn't she?"

[Oldmansour]

>"They're from the Cobalt Keep. Let me guess, Celia has a blood feud with them or something, doesn't she?"

>"I wouldn't count on it, Celia's one of the gentlest people I've ever known. About the only- Oh." she breaks off, her eyes falling on the cauchemar Celes is mounted upon. "That could do it. Is that some kind of demon horse?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, something like that. This is gonna get nasty, isn't it?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Yeah, something like that. This is gonna get nasty, isn't it?"

>"I hope not." Renzu says with a wince. "Celia angry is one thing I've hoped never to capture on film."

>Celia, by this point, has crossed the field to stand directly before the cauchemar, who regards her coolly with its black eyes. The centaur still looks far less than pleased.
>"Yes?" Celes asks her politely.
>"How have you cowed this horse's spirit, human?" the centaur asks.
>Celes frowns slightly. "'Human' is not entirely accurate, but I suppose that is beside the point at the moment. I have not 'cowed' anything, or anyone. If you can somehow read this cauchemar, then you should know that."
>"I know it feels you are its master."
>"Does this offend you?" Celes asks, maintaining her politeness in the face of the glowering centaur.

>"How strong is that woman?" Renzu asks you, having stood in the meantime and pointing at Celes.

[Hello Purvis]

>"I don't know, but the people at Cobalt Keep are generally pretty capable."
>Let's see if Celes can dig herself out of this, before needing to step in to keep the peace.

[Oldmansour]

>"I don't know, but the people at Cobalt Keep are generally pretty capable."
>Let's see if Celes can dig herself out of this, before needing to step in to keep the peace.

>"So's Celia." Renzu says worriedly. She does, however, unsling her camera.

>"I have no quarrel with you, centaur." Celes says politely but firmly. "I seek no trouble."
>"Then explain yourself." Celia insists.
>You note the muscles in Sabine's arms flex at the centaur's tone of voice. That could be a problem. That one seems to look for trouble.
>Celes, however, merely nods. "I believe I can, if you will allow me. Sabine, off."
>"Bu- Yeah, allright." the martial artist says after a moment, then hops off the back of the cauchemar. Exchanging a loaded look with Celia, Celes follows suit, dismounting the cauchemar with a fair bit more grace than Sabine.
>A slight shudder seems to run through the cauchemar after it becomes unburdened, its dark eyes lighting up with a smoky purple light. Something in those eyes seems to take Celia aback, and the centaur's glower fades. The cauchemar suddenly rears back, a sharp whinney bursts forth from its sharp-toothed mouth. Something in that sound, that sight, obviously makes sense to Celia, as the centaur nods in recognition. She smiles quietly. "I understand." she says softly. Turning to Celes, she says, "You are special to him."
>"I care for all of those who bear my burden." the Steward answers humbly, bowing her head to the centaur.

[Hello Purvis]

>"I've seen where he lives, they probably keep him pretty well."

[Oldmansour]

>"I've seen where he lives, they probably keep him pretty well."

>"Got that right." Sabine confirms your statement. "Even that uppity dragon whelp doesn't complain about the lodgings."

>Celia nods slowly, reaching out to gently touch the cauchemar's muzzle. The big dark horse snorts, puffs of caustic-looking smoke jetting from its nostrils. "I am still quite curious, miss, how he came to accept your mounting in the first place."
>"That is my unique ability." Celes informs her. "I am a Rider."
>"I do not take your meaning."
>"I have the ability to assume mastery of any mount or vehicle I ride. Whether they are organic or technological." Celia frowns again at that thought. "I can understand how that might cause you some distaste, but it is my power."
>Celia pats the demon horse affectionately once more. "Personal feelings of mine aside, I have seen enough in my time to know that, one's powers and abilities in and of themselves are not evil or foul. It is what one does with them that determines the evil of the power, and the being." The centaur gives Celes another smile. "I do not believe you have misused your power."

>Renzu sighs in relief.

[Hello Purvis]

>"What about animals and stuff that don't want to be ridden? Like mad horses and stuff?"

[Oldmansour]

>"What about animals and stuff that don't want to be ridden? Like mad horses and stuff?"

>"I can't control an insane animal. Something about a damaged mind negates my ability to control it."
>"You say that like you've tried." Renzu speculates.
>Celes nods. "Only once, with a large bear, back in Bulgaria. The poor beast was rabid, it's mind all but destroyed. It almost took my leg off when I tried to get away from it."