[RP]Obake Blade

[Rexraptor2000]

As the stew was passed out, Toa pulled a small bag full of spice and handed it to Aya saying "This stuff is hot, just to let you know. Not the wimpy hot stuff they have out here, but the real hot stuff from the West. Hot as in running faster than a lighting bolt to the nearest ocean and draining half of it if you've never had the spice before. Just a pinch will do you enough."

 

Then Toa looked at everyone else and asked "Anyone else want to try Dave's Insanity Spice?"

[Master_Archon]

Xan remained away from the camp, he stood staring half-conciously into the fire that had the men burning within it. They were scum to most of the groups eyes, but did they truely deserve to be burned, Xan didn't think so, no, they were only following the one true scum that had been on the battlefield, Wolf.

 

Many of the men were people, convinced by the conivings of Wolf that the destruction of Ryuu-Tokai was there fault, they had believed a lie, and died for it, such a sad thing.

 

But Xan would keep his thoughts, and the others would keep their thoughts, if they thought the men were scum, filth, and fitzroy's, then let them have their thoughts, they would get what was coming to them in the end, everyone did.

 

Xan sighed, shifting himself slightly, to be in a more comfortable standing position.

 

He would keep himself away from the group during the travels, he had decided on that, the events with the ranger had only proven his point about casting a self imposed exile upon himself, the others would only need him for as long as he would travel with them, and only in battle situations.

 

He would remain hungry most of the journey because of this too, just like during the caravan, but it was a sacrifice he would take. He looked over at the pile of weapons off to the side of the fire, then looked back down at his flail, which he had retrieved from the field, then back up at the fire.

[JasraLantill]

Then Toa looked at everyone else and asked "Anyone else want to try Dave's Insanity Spice?"

Aya sprinkled the pinch of spice over her stew, sniffed it, then took a tenative taste.

 

It was spicy, that was for sure, but it was soul-warming, too, and it started to make her feel much better--more like her old self again. Lifting up another tiny spoonful of stew, she looked over at Xan. He was sitting by himself again, just as he had done for part of the caravan trip. Aya wasn't sure if he wanted to be alone, or if he just felt too uncomfortable around everyone else, but whatever his reasons, he looked a bit sad and sulky and obviously he needed cheering up. Aya looked down at her food, and then at Toa. "I think that Xan could use some of your spice, Toa. He looks pretty lonely."

 

Aya looked at the others. "You think he wants to be by himself, or that he's just upset about something?"

[ForceFightWMe12]

"He had a bit of a...disagreement with Carwyn earlier today." Kyo said, watching the guard from the corner of his eye, "I'm guessing that he's standing away because it is his nature. If he comes into contact with someone that is less than friendly, he decides to keep himself away from that person and whoever that person might know."

 

Kyo smirked faintly, his eyes faraway as he looked back into the crackling fire. Xan was a bit like himself - though he had a few more requirements before he avoided people. For Kyo, staying away from other human beings was an instinct - it was natural to him. If someone had told him days ago that he would one day be travelling with this group of people - a group that he himself had gathered - he would have laughed in the person's face and told them that that would never happen. To even be speaking to people was something out of character for him.

 

"Say, what happened with Wolf?"

 

Kyo turned to Akira, observing the warrior for a moment. There was still a bandage over his shoulder, but he seemed to be doing quite a bit better.

 

"What always happens when you fight a coward who finds that he's in over his head?" Kyo asked with a smirk, "The fight was...difficult, to say the least. Wolf had more men than we could've imagined - not only ex-soldiers of the king, but the real deal. His Protectors. If it hadn't been for Miss Aya..." the swordsman paused for a moment. Akira was out by that point in the fight - he might not have been aware of what had happened. "Miss Aya - regardless of whether or not she meant to - was able to use her spirit powers to create a sort of...shield around us as we fought. Arrows and blades would come our way, but they couldn't seem to touch us. We were invincible. So, when Kai offered 'payment' to Wolf, the coward happily took it and ran off with the rest of his men, leaving the dead behind." Kyo chuckled, "He didn't know, of course, that his payment was a bunch of rocks."

[JasraLantill]

Aya nearly choked on her stew, she was laughing so hard. Finally, she said, "Kai?" She looked at the odd warrior. "You gave Wolf a bag full of rocks?" She laughed again. "Wish I could be a fly on the wall when he finds out that he's been tricked!"

 

Then gradually her smile faded and she frowned, dropping her spoon in her stew bowl. "Hey... what if Wolf and the King send more men to find us?" she wondered outloud. "I mean, Wolf is definitely not going to be happy when he finds out that he got rocks instead of coin, and the King is the one who sent the soldiers after us in the first place...." She looked at Kyo. "We're fugitives in Ryuu-Tokai now. Well, until we can tell our side of the story to someone that has the ear of the King, that is." She bit her lip, slightly hesitant to voice her next thought. "Perhaps we should stay off the main road, Kyo. Take the canyon trails instead."

 

Actually, Aya thought, taking the canyon trail would suit her better anyway. She still had her promise to keep to her father, whose ashes were safely in the urn packed on Bob.

[ForceFightWMe12]

Kyo seemed to ponder this for a moment, but after a short deliberation, he shook his head.

 

"No," he said, "We'll need to chance the road. If more soldiers come, then we'll have to handle them." he looked over at the canyon, looking at it thoughtfully, "We don't know that there isn't a geomancer still out there somewhere. If there is, and he or she is still after us, then going into the canyon will be suicide."

 

((Sorry for the craptasticness >.<))

[Jason Skywalker]

Akira chuckled, "Way to go Kai. Say, what about the dagger i threw at him?" Akira asked the fellow swordsman.

[ForceFightWMe12]

Kyo made a slicing motion past the side of his head. "Cut his ear clean off."

[JasraLantill]

Aya wrinkled her nose. "Cut his ear off? Eew...." She thought about how angry Wolf must be. And what lengths he would go to exact his revenge. "I think even with the geomancer out there," she said sheepishly, "the canyon would be still be safer than the road. I know the way," she offered. "The trail is narrow, but..."

[ForceFightWMe12]

Kyo shook his head again, interrupting her. "I don't like it." he said, "All it would take is a subtle nudge from the geomancer and we could all be dead. Those walls are massive and high - if he were to make them collapse or a few stones to roll off from high enough up, we'd be finished. There would be no escape. If there was to be an attack on us while on the road, it's always easy enough to fend them off or run. Not so much when you're fighting rocks."

 

He looked up at her. "It's not that I doubt you, Miss Aya. I'm sure you would be able to navigate the canyon quite easily. But I do not want to chance it."

[JasraLantill]

Aya nodded. "Okay, if you think that's best..." Aya really had no choice but to agree with Kyo. After all, he was the leader of this expedition--and it didn't bode well for someone to rock the boat and divide the group. She looked over at Xan, still sitting on his own. Enough arguing had occurred already. She wasn't about to be the cause of anymore. "...then, okay."

 

But she still had her father's ashes to scatter at the top of Dove Tail Peak. In the moonlight, she could see the outline of it. It wasn't that far away. Perhaps she could....

 

She sighed. It would take her a couple of hours at a good pace to reach it in the daytime, nevermind in the dark. And no doubt Kyo would want an early start in the morning. Aya's task would just have to wait until they came back this way. She only hoped that she could keep her father's ashes safe until then.

 

"So... tents...." She looked over at the two tents that had been put up. "I take it one is for Takara and Katsuro, and the other for me and Tellis?"

[ForceFightWMe12]

Kyo nodded. "The rest of us can take turns taking watch; make sure we don't get ambushed during the night."

 

The swordsman stretched his sore shoulder, wincing a big as he did so. So that brought his aches up to two - his shoulder, and now his chest. Aya's spirit shield had protected him from the sword's edge, most likely saving his life, but there was guarenteed to be a nice bruise across his chest from the force of the blow. He couldn't complain, though. It could have easily been worse.

 

Speaking of Aya's powers...

 

"I actually have a question, Miss Aya." he murmured, looking up at her again, smirking faintly, "Now do you believe you're a miko?"

[Jason Skywalker]

Akira's face first grew confused but then it slowly became a smile as he then laughed histerically, "Oh god, too bad i blacked out before i managed to witness it. He must have been pretty mad by that," He then took a deep breath, "Just happy to be alive though."

[JasraLantill]

Aya took a moment to consider. "Well...," she started, "I believe that I must have some sort of... connection to the gods. But...a miko...." She paused, her brow wrinkled with doubt. "Aren't they supposed to be warriors, too? I mean, the glowy thing I can do when I pray, that's neat an' all, but no way am I a warrior. I didn't do too bad batting arrows away with the frying pan, but I don't think I've ever heard of any stories with warriors who do battle with cooking utensils." She raised her brows. "Still... wonder what I could have done with a spatula...."

[ForceFightWMe12]

Kyo's smirked turned into a smile, his normally emotionless green eyes shining with laughter.

 

"You're right, I don't think that any of the legends tell of spatula-weilding warriors. But you don't necissarily have to be in combat to be a warrior.

 

"You were technically fighting in the battle today. Through us. You gave us protection, so that we were able to fight - giving us an advantage that the enemy couldn't counter. It was a defensive measure, but it was fighting nonetheless."

[Rexraptor2000]

The thought of a spatula-wielding miko was too much for Toa, causing him to burst out in laughter for a moment before calming himself to hear the rest of what Aya and Kyo said.

 

"Well, from what I've seen, warriors do go into battle with swords and such instead of spatulas," Toa chuckled and continued speaking with "So that would probably stick you in the mage category. Or animal tamer, since Hedri hasn't left you're side since the battle."

 

It was true: Hedri was still watching over her like a hawk.

 

Then Toa added with a laugh "This is also the longest I've ever seen him awake. You all have just witnessed one of the strangest moments in history without realizing it."

[Master_Archon]

She looked over at Xan, still sitting on his own.

 

(( BTW - He was standing a distance away from the group, staring into the fire with the burning men. ))

 

Xan had eventually moved away from the fire, sitting a short distance from the group and their fire, speaking to eachother, having their fun.

 

He neither faced away, nor did he face them directly, he just sat, staring off into darkness, his thoughts wandering. But just because his mind was occupied, it did not mean he couldn't hear them.

 

One phrase caught his ear, from the merchant, Aya, "...but no way am I a warrior. I didn't do too bad batting arrows away with the frying pan, but I don't think I've ever heard of any stories with warriors who do battle with cooking utinsels. Still... wonder what I could have done with a spatula...."

 

Xan smiled to himself, laughing lightly to himself, he shook his head, oh he had heard some stories of that nature, old stories often told around the campfire when you're in the military, ones he used to hear. But he figured they wouldn't want to hear them, no, he supposed no one wanted to even talk to him at the moment.

 

He brought his knees up closer to his chest, rapping his arms around them, he rested his helmeted head upon them. He sat there for an unknown amount of time in this position, until he looked up, way up, at the stars, though they were obscure and blurry dots to him, he still enjoyed staring at them.

[Rogue Nine]

"Protection isn't all you gave us," Tellis said quietly. She eyed Toa, then Akira. "Your powers also have healing properties, if I'm not mistaken." She placed her bowl on the ground, then drew her legs close to her chest. "As I was mending Akira's wound, it was as if it was healing itself. I could feel the flesh come together readily. It was so easy, I didn't even use a healing spell."

 

Aya could only stare at the grey-eyed healer. "I did that too?"

 

Tellis ran her tongue over her lower lip and smiled. "I believe so." She chuckled softly. "It would seem, that with Aya's powers, that my healing skills may not be required on this excursion."

 

At this, Aya raised her hands defensively. "Ah, Tellis, I don't think we should be leaving the welfare of the group to me. Not at all. After all, I barely know what I'm doing most of the time!"

 

"I was being facetious." The healer grinned at her. "Though," she started thoughtfully, "I wouldn't mind observing your powers again firsthand, to take note of how precisely they work, and whether or not they are similar to my own."

 

****

 

Carwyn uncurled himself from the rock he was perched on, then slowly made his way back to the campsite. The night was getting colder and his stomach was grumbling.

[Grace]

A low puff of wind twisted around Xan as he sat, looking up at the stars. A moment later, Takara sat next to him. "You're so distant," she said softly. "The others will not learn to trust you if you do not make an effort to trust them."

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Back in the tent he and his mother had been assigned, Katsuro was far from sleep. He was stretched out on his stomach, chin on hands, watching as the camp slowly drifted away to sleep. But sleep would not come easy to Katsuro... not tonight. War had a way of causing dreams. Katsuro hated dreams, for dreams were what denied him his sleep.

 

"Wretched battles," he muttered. For no matter how many fights he'd seen, he was still only eleven years old. Nightmares were still nightmares. And nightmares were easy things to come upon at so young an age. No, there would be no sleep for a mind-reader this night. Or if there was, a sleep lacking in that which sleep ought to bring. A sleep lacking rest.

[Master_Archon]

Xan looked over at Takara, then back up at the stars, sighing he spoke in a reverent, and quiet tone, "I trust them more than they know...they can only find out about that trust the same way you and your son did, by talking to me, approaching me, not the other way around. I'm not anti-social, I'm just an oustcast." At this he shifted, staring over at the merchant who was having her fun chatting to the two swordsmen and the healer.

 

"You see Miss Aya, a kind lady, humble and honest, but she keeps secrets, she knows I'm nearly blind, just like you know, but she hasn't told a soul, because of that, I trust her, more than she probably thinks, more than she'll ever know, if she doesn't talk to me," he told Takara.

 

"If I went to her, if it were the other way around, then it would only end up with some issue in the group, some unintentional turmoil. This is why I don't approach her, or any of them, problems can arise from upsetting the internal balance of a click, or a group of friends, no, I will remain as I am, alone, unless approached...." Xan's voice trailed off as his mind was occupied with thoughts.

 

His head shifted over to view Takara, he smiled softly under his helmet. "I thank you Takara, I trust you, and you are a good companion, because you approached me, not the other way around...and you know, it worked out, just like I said....just like I know," he told her kindly. "I'll be fine under the stars Takara, so go and be with the others, I am distant, as you said, so leave me to be so; but still I thank you for the company, I needed it, though I need my thoughts too. Go or stay, it is your choice, but the stars will be my companions tonight...even if I can hardly see them..." He spoke softly, his last sentence wavering, and as distant as his gaze.

 

He leaned back, laying on his back as he looked up at the stars, his gear and weapons to the side, and Takara on the other, whether she stayed or went, it was up to her.

******

A fairly old, horny toad lizard scampered into the tent that Katsuro lay in, it cralling past him until it reached where his head lay. It chirped at him, it's green eyes sparkling, and what could be considered a warm smile spreading across it's reptilian features, if lizards could smile that was.

[Grace]

Takara did not stir from Xan's side, eventually closing her eyes. As they sat there together, light winds began to circulate around them, warming the area and keeping them warm where they sat.

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Katsuro smiled back at the lizard. "Hello, there," he said to it, having a slight guess as to why he was being confronted by a smiling lizard. "Nice... er... coloring, I guess..."

[Jason Skywalker]

"No offense, but i wouldn't rely much on Aya's powers for mere healing purposes. Maybe she gets tired or other things. I believe we should only use it for critical moments. But that's just probably my headache speaking," Akira said to the group, giving a slight smile.

[Rogue Nine]

Carwyn rubbed his eyes as he took a seat at the campfire. Looking up at Kyo, he jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "You're up, slugger," he said. "I'll eat something, get a few hours of shuteye, then relieve you again if you need later."

 

The swordsman nodded, stood up and moved off away from the campfire. "We leave early tomorrow, so everyone get a good night's sleep," he ordered as he turned and left.

 

"Some of us will probably sleep better than others," Carwyn remarked idly as he stretched his arms over his head, tendons popping satisfyingly.

 

"No doubt," Tellis said as she offered him a bowl of stew.

 

Carwyn accepted it gratefully. "Thanks, Tel." He spooned up a mouthful and swallowed with a sigh of satisfaction. As he opened his eyes, he spotted the pair of tents set up a few meters off. He gestured toward them with his spoon. "For our women and families, correct?" he asked.

 

"Yup," Aya replied cheerily.

 

Carwyn shook his head. "Could never sleep in those," he remarked, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of stew meat. "I like letting the stars put me to sleep at night."

 

Aya nodded, looking up. "They are beautiful tonight..." she said softly, staring at the tiny pinpricks of sparkling light in the night sky.

 

"They are," Carwyn agreed. Truth be told, he would have liked to reply with something along the lines of "Not as beautiful as you are...", but that would have been incredibly, incredibly cheesy and he didn't really feel like embarassing himself or Aya any more than was possible, since they both did seem to have a knack for putting their feet in their respective mouths around each other. Regardless of whether he'd said it or not, however, the fact was that Aya did seem extraordinarily radiant. Carwyn wasn't sure if it was because of the awakening of her new powers or just the way the was tonight, but he couldn't help indulging himself in gazing at her, just for a little while.

[JasraLantill]

As Aya looked back down, she caught Carwyn's gaze. She, too, stared at him for a moment, then turned away with a bashful smile. Her heart was pounding as she stirred what little remained of her stew in the bowl. She wanted to move closer to him, to feel the warmth of his body take away the chill of the night, and to tell him that she....

 

"I think I'll hit the hay, so to speak," she said instead. It just wasn't the right moment for such a conversation. She set down her bowl, and rose. "G'night, everyone." She looked at Carwyn and grinned. "G'night, Carwyn."

 

She headed off to her tent. Once inside, she set out her bedroll and laid down. She had been feeling rather tired before dinner, but the spice that Toa had given her did indeed seem to be working its magic. With every passing moment, she felt better--stronger and more energetic. She made a mental note to ask if she could purchase some of it, diluted of course, so she could add it to her inventory. She reckoned it would go down a treat with to the espresso-craving, exotic-loving, art-collecting, more-money-than-sense nobility down South.

[Rogue Nine]

Tellis rose and moved about the campsite, collecting bowls and utensils and placing them in an empty bin to the side of the fire. "Everyone should tuck in for the night, like Kyo said," she told them in her most motherly tone. Pulling out a number of blankets from a pack, she tossed one to each group member. "It can get pretty cold out here, so make sure you wrap yourselves up tight."

 

As everyone got settled down, Tellis moved back to the bin by the fire. Kneeling down, she closed her eyes and murmured a small incantation. When she opened them again, the bowls were bobbing in water. Wiping her brow, she set to work washing them, placing each by the fire to dry. She finished up quickly and dumped the excess water in a small patch of grass to the side. She rose and smoothed out the wrinkles in her skirt, then looked over the campsite one last time before padding her way quietly to the tent she and Aya were sharing. Lifting the flap, she crawled in and let her body sag down onto the soft padding.

 

Aya was laying next to her, still awake. "Putting in for the night too, Tellis?" she asked, turning to gaze at the healer.

 

"Yes," Tellis replied, her grey eyes already closed. "After today, I think I need the rest."

 

The merchant raised an eyebrow at how tired Tellis' voice seemed to be. "Yeah, you do sound like you need it," she agreed. "We've all had a long day."

 

"Indeed," Tellis agreed, then opened her eyes again and looked at Aya. "Since you're on your way to accepting that you are, in fact, a miko, there are some things you'll need to know."

 

"Oh?" Aya's other brow raised to mirror its twin on her forehead. "Like what?"

 

"Whenever a magic-wielder uses their power, they expend much more of their energy reserves than they would doing normal, everyday things, like walking or talking," Tellis replied, leaning her head back on her bedroll. "As you become more proficient at using your powers, you can learn to utilize your energy much more efficiently."

 

Aya nodded in agreement. "Since I've only just learned of my... powers..." The concept was still very foreign to her. "It would make sense that I exhausted myself when I used them earlier to protect everyone."

 

"Exactly," Tellis said. "It takes much practice, but will definitely come in time, since energy management is key to any 'mancer's existence." She shifted slightly. "I myself have only been practicing hydromancy for a relatively short time, which is why I find myself so tired..."

 

****

 

Carwyn took the blanket Tellis had given him and wrapped himself up in it. Leaning up against a large boulder, he let himself slide down into a sitting position. From his spot, he could see the entirety of the campsite, the fire in the middle and his comrades settling down for the night. He cast one last glance at Kyo's figure in the distance, then huddled up into his blanket and closed his eyes, Aya's brilliant smile already dancing its way back into his mind.