[RP]Obake Blade

[ForceFightWMe12]

Kyo couldn't help but smile at Maggie's understatement. "Yes," he answered humorously, "I suppose you could say that."

 

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

 

Later that night, when the group of travelers had joined the inhabitants of the monastery for dinner, Kyo told the others of his mistake and soon after explained to Maggie all that had transpired that had ended up leading them to the Northern Monastery.

 

"Obakenare truly was a clever woman." Kyo murmured softly, almost as an afterthought as he finished explaining what had transpired in the library hours prior to their meal, "I had thought that the idea of an anagram was rather far-fetched and idiotic. Perhaps that was what the Miko had hoped that those searching for her blade would think."

[JasraLantill]

"Well, I'm supposed to be a Miko and I thought it was far-fetched and idiotic, so I guess that makes sense," Aya commented, as she reached for a piece of bread. "But then again, I seem to be crap at solving anagrams." She shook her head. "Oh well. So," she looked up at Kyo. "When do we leave? I want to make sure I get resupplied before we go. I'll need grain for Bob if we're going that far West."

[Rogue Nine]

Carwyn, who had already finished his beef stew and was digging into a plate of fresh cookies, looked up at Kyo. "Yeah, when are we leaving?" he asked, his mouth half-full of cookie. "Gotta make sure I pack enough of these bad boys for the road."

 

He heard a stifled giggle from across the table and cocked his head over at Maggie. "Oh yeah, and what about you? You coming with us?" he queried the laughing-eyed brunette.

[ForceFightWMe12]

"Early tomorrow morning." he answered the two of them, "As much as I'd love to stay, we've dwelled a bit too long here at the monastery. It would be best if we leave at once."

 

As Carwyn voiced his question, Kyo's eyes turned also to the young woman, his expression blank and unreadable. He was silent.

[Quist]

Maggie raised her eyes up from her stew. Carwyn was looking at her with merriment in his bright blue eyes, his cheek distended slightly as he chewed his cookie. She glanced over to lock eyes with Kyo, whose handsome face might as well have been carved out of stone. His green eyes held none of the amusement that Carwyn's did.

 

Gulping more in apprehension than in any attempt to swallow her food. "I think... in light of what Abbott Carlisle has said and after speaking with Brother Hanzo... that yes, I will accompany you." She searched Kyo's eyes for a reaction, but wasn't able to discern anything. "Besides," she continued, "I believe Kyo still owes me a match." She smiled slightly at him, trying to bring some levity between them.

[ForceFightWMe12]

Kyo's lips twitched slightly at Maggie's words, though his eyes were still as hard as stone, his gaze dropping back to the near-empty bowl of stew before him, his fingers lifting the spoon again.

 

"Indeed I do." he answered, though he seemed to be speaking to no one in particular as he lifted the spoon to his lips.

[Rogue Nine]

"I guess that's settled, then," Carwyn said cheerily, blissfully ignorant of Kyo's less-than-amiable look. Stuffing a few more cookies in his mouth, he chewed quickly and swallowed, then sat back in his chair and sighed contentedly. "Lordy lordy, that was a good meal," he announced.

 

Glancing over at Aya, he said to her, "Well, now that we know we're leaving tomorrow, d'you want some help in getting supplies and loading them up on Bob?"

[ForceFightWMe12]

"I think that it would be best for us all to begin getting ready." he said, "Otherwise, it'll be a long night - or an early morning, depending on how you look at it."

 

As he was speaking, the warrior gently pushed his empty bowl away and stood. Humbly thanking the monks for once again sharing their food with himself and his friends, he quickly began making his way towards the stairs to the dormitories. However, just as he was about to leave the dining hall, he stopped in the doorway and looked over his shoulder.

 

"Miss Magdalena..." he called, his green eyes finding her, "Could you join me for a few moments, please?"

[JasraLantill]

Glancing over at Aya, he said to her, "Well, now that we know we're leaving tomorrow, d'you want some help in getting supplies and loading them up on Bob?"

Aya immediately stopped chewing, slowly looked askance at Carwyn, then swallowed. "That'd be great," she replied to him. "I've still got to load up some of the artefact things Father Abbot set aside for me, but there'll be lots of other stuff to load up if we're travelling that far--food, grain, herbs and water. I could sure use a pair of strong arms."

[Jae Onasi]

Takumi Nightsinger shivered as the water ran in rivulets down his hair and into his eyes. "Rain. Why couldn't it rain _after_ I patched the tent?" He pulled the cord at the monastery door and hoped the monks would be kind enough to let him at least dry off by the fire. The deep tone of the bell resonated through the door, and he smiled.

"Ah, F sharp. Always a good choice for a bell tone. Such a welcoming note."

 

He waited.

 

And waited.

 

And waited.

 

Just as he turned, a monk opened the heavy door. "Yes?"

 

"Good monk, I was wondering if I might impose upon you with a humble request. You see, my tent is torn..." Takumi held up part of the tent with the jagged tear, "from an unfortunate mishap with a raccoon, and I find myself in desperate need of shelter from this frigid rain." Takumi shivered again. Mostly honestly.

 

The monk nodded. "Come. The others are finishing dinner, and we may have something to warm you up inside as you dry off."

 

"Others?"

 

"Travellers from the south who came north. They are leaving early in the morning to return to their homeland."

 

"Ohhhh, delightful! You see, I was inadvertently left behind by my party when they discovered that I did not have quite the fighting skill they were looking for. I _told_ them I was a bard, a mere minstrel, a wielder of words and not weapons, but perhaps that was too many words for them to understand. I believe they got 'sword' and 'words' mixed up somehow."

 

The monk tucked his arms back into his sleeves, smiled back at Takumi in understanding, and led him to the other travellers.

[Quist]

"Could you join me for a few moments, please?"

 

Maggie looked at him with a little apprehension. She dabbed her lips with her napkin, then rose smoothly from the table and excused herself. Striding over to where Kyo was, she approached him cautiously. "You called, Kyo?" she said meekly.

[ForceFightWMe12]

His lip twitched as he saw the caution in her eyes - but he did not smile. He nodded to her, his eyes moving back up towards the stairwell.

 

"Come with me." he said, and began to lead her up the stairs.

 

He said nothing as they silently ascended to the dormitories, where Kyo proceeded to grab his pack and then lead her back down the stairs and to the monastery's training room. Once they were both inside, he set the pack down against the wall, fiddling with the edge of his shirt sleeve as he turned to face the woman.

 

"So then." he said, studying her expression. "You're definitely going to be joining us on our journey?" he sighed softly, "I hope you understand exactly what you're getting into."

[Quist]

"Well, not exactly," Maggie replied truthfully as she followed Kyo into the training room. "But that's part of why I'm coming along." She stretched her arms over her head and took a look around. "I've been here in this monastery for as long as I can remember. It's been a great experience, but I'm not getting any younger. I'd like to head out into the world at some point and live life for myself." She returned his even gaze. "And what better way to break free than in the company of friends, right?"

[ForceFightWMe12]

"Hm." he murmured softly, this time forming a true grin - though the light didn't quite reach his eyes. He took a few steps towards her, his hands behind his back.

 

"Miss Magdelena...you have to understand." he said, "I'm going to protect you to the best of my ability, and I would die before anything came to harm you..." his eyes flashed, "But this journey is not going to be easy and is very far from safe. I've already seen that you can easily defend yourself - but I'm afraid that staves and fists are not going to be able to fend off the types of enemies we are likely to be facing on our travels."

[Quist]

Maggie smiled warmly at the tall blond warrior. "Thank you for thinking of me, Kyo." She took a small, tentative step closer to him. "Like you said, I'm quite capable of defending myself. But..." she said, biting her lip. "If the enemies are indeed as dangerous as you say, and my skills will not be enough to deal with them... perhaps you might be able to let me know how to better protect myself?

[ForceFightWMe12]

Kyo smiled, the expression seeming almost devilish - an expression the swordsman himself couldn't be sure that he could even achieve. Taking a few steps backwards, he grasped the stave behind him and tossed it to her, taking one for himself and squaring off across from her.

 

"The first thing I can suggest..." he said with a glint in his eye, "Is to always be ready."

[Quist]

"Another staff?" Maggie asked as she gripped the wooden stave in her hands. "We tried this last time, remember?" Despite her words, she took a few steps back and stood across from Kyo, bringing her staff to bear, tucked into the crook of her back, her right arm wrapped around the shaft. "The Abbott might be a tad miffed if the staves keep breaking," she said half-facetiously.

[ForceFightWMe12]

"Oh, I think he'll understand." Kyo said in return. The swordsman was still debating over whether or not he should fight full-force this time around. He knew that she was good, and she did need to be prepared for when an enemy was trying to hurt her...but nonetheless...

 

He fell back into the defensive position that he had used before, the staff horizontal across his chest and held in both hands, knees bent and at the ready as he watched her.

 

"Ladies first, Miss Roche."

[Rogue Nine]

Carwyn shifted the sack of grain across his shoulders into a more comfortable position as he and Aya walked down the hall towards the monastery stable. Glancing out the high windows, he observed the steady pattern of rainfall outside. "Looks a bit wet outside," he commented idly as they rounded the corner.

 

Aya looked as if she was about to respond when she glanced ahead and noticed one of the monks leading a bedraggled-looking figure away from the front doors. She arched an eyebrow and mouthed, "Oh, my,"

 

Carwyn raised an eyebrow of his own as they neared the drenched newcomer. "Lovely weather we're having, isn't it?" he called out, offering a crooked smile.

[Rexraptor2000]

The sudden departure of a portion of the group pretty much left Toa to his own thoughts as he finished his meal. Thrilled as he was at the prospect of going home and back to the smell of sulfur, there was one thing that was terrifying enough to make him consider otherwise: His mother, Zion.

 

She was a loving mother to Toa, there was no doubt about that, but she wouldn't be exactly pleased to see what he had gotten himself into over the years of his absence. She was not a person you wanted to displease. But if they were going to look for a mountain that nobody knows about, then chances are that they won't pass by his home. It probably didn't exist anymore after twelve years, as many of Toa's siblings would have moved on by now.

 

Toa shook his head to bring himself back to his finished meal, and decided that he would go join Aya and Carwyn in packing the supplies. He needed to check up on Hedri anyway, who was undoubtedly with Bob right now. Or to be more accurate, sleeping on Bob. A Rule of the Pygmy Hydra pet owner: Never wake up a hungry Hydra. You'll keep your fingers longer.

[Jae Onasi]

"Lovely weather we're having, isn't it?"

 

Takumi looked over at the blond man who'd called out and smiled broadly as he quickly sized up both him and his lovely companion. The man wore traveling clothes and had the look of many adventures dancing in his eyes. The girl, for all her youth, did not have the soft hands of the idle. They were strong hands, used to work. He wasn't sure if she was amused by his appearance or suspicious of his presence. Likely both, as any wise girl would be.

 

He wiped his soaked hair out of his eyes again, and grinned. "Indeed it is lovely weather, if one is a sea-bass or Tilean whale. Since I am neither, good sir and fine lady, I have found it to be a tad damp tonight. Fortunately, my instruments and equipment stayed dry despite my little adventure with a creature of the night."

[Quist]

"Ever the gentleman," Maggie said, smiling predatorially as she stepped forward and planted her staff into the mat and used it to lever her left leg up into a kick aimed at Kyo's head.

[ForceFightWMe12]

Kyo threw his hand up, blocking her kick with his arm and pushing her away. Spinning at the same time, he brought his staff around to angle at her.

 

"Careful when you attack." he said, the end of his weapon tapping her lightly on the shoulder while hers was stuck on the ground. "If you leave yourself entirely open, an enemy isn't going to let it 'slip by'."

[JasraLantill]

Aya eyed the curious stranger. Although soaking wet from his blond hair down to his thigh high boots, he was still quite colorful with a yellow shirt, green vest and harlequin trousers. In his hands, he carried a fashionable peacock blue hat, although its festive yellow feather hung limply to one side. His emerald green cloak had a hint of iridescence to it, and though Aya thought it was quite stylish, it had obviously not been that practical to keep off the rain and keep him dry.

 

She was thinking that he was quite an odd character to encounter in the Northern Monestary, as his appearance suggested he would be more at home in a Southern town, but at the mention of the word 'instruments', a grin spread over her lips. She guessed he was a traveling bard.

 

"An adventurous creature of the night?" she queried him, raising a curious brow and flashing a grin. Where she came from in the South, bards were notorious for getting themselves into sticky situations with women who were usually either married, betrothed, or otherwise 'attached' to someone. The 'perils of performance', her father had explained to her once, though she still didn't quite understand what that meant. "Are you talking about a four-legged creature or a two-legged creature?"

 

She stuck out her hand to the stranger. "I'm Aya S'Ornaku, by the way. And this is my friend, Carwyn Stormchild. What brings you here? I wouldn't think the Northern provinces would be the ideal place for a bard to travel. You are a bard, right? Or am I mistaken?"

[Jae Onasi]

Takumi took Aya's hand, bowing over it and lifting it to just a fraction of an inch from his lips, almost-but-not-quite kissing it, as was proper etiquette. "A pleasure, my lady Aya." He shook hands firmly with Carwyn. "And greetings to you, my good sir Carwyn. I am Takumi Nightsinger, a bard as you have indeed discerned."

 

He took off his cloak with just a small flourish to avoid dripping on his new acquaintances, and draped it over a chair by the fire.

 

"I would be delighted to share the tale of the perilous adventure with my four-legged nemesis, but I feel weak--" he splayed his hand over his chest and lolled his head with a touch of the dramatic, "from the chill of these damp clothes, and I desperately need a small bite to eat to replenish my energy and a large mug of a warm ale to warm my bones and my throat to properly tell the story."