[RP]Obake Blade

[Quist]

"There will be plenty of opportunities for me to even the score along the way, Mr. Ruroni," Maggie replied, wiping her brow with the bottom of her undershirt. Stretching her arms up over her head, she started towards the door. "Shall we go?"

[Grace]

For a brief moment, Takara caught the bard's sharp green eyes flicked in her direction and she met them with a blank stare from her own ice-blue ones. But then, it was as if he had never seen her back here in the shadows, for he continued on with his story. Takara rolled her eyes as she leaned against the wall, wondering how much of the tale was exaggerated.

[Jae Onasi]

"Now, this is the truth:" Takumi continued, hands tracing flamboyant gestures in the air, "I was soon forced into mortal combat with this creature that snarled and bit his way into my tent. The very weave of the fabric was rent by his fearsome presence. And his sharp, pointy teeth. First the snout appeared, with a malevolent grin. Then his beady little eyes darted about the inside of the tent, looking as if they wanted to kill something. Finally, his whole steel-gray head pushed its way into my tent, as if he would eat the tent to get to me."

 

Carwyn slowly grinned as he realized just what the creature was. "Our brave bard wouldn't happen to have been locked in combat with a raccoon, now would he?"

 

Returning the grin, Takumi spread his arms wide. "He would, but he was HUGE!"

 

Carwyn just tilted his head, giving Takumi an amused look of disbelief.

 

Takumi shrunk the space between his hands.

 

And shrunk them again.

 

And again.

 

And again.

 

"Well, he was the size of either a very large cat or a rather small dog," Takumi finally admitted. "The growling was terrifying, and I feared for my life, or at least feared the possible treatment if he decided to bite me. So I did the only thing I could do at that point."

 

"And what was that?" Aya asked, laughter dancing in her eyes.

 

"I threw my only bag of marshmallows at him to try to scare him off. However, he'd smelled that very bag of marshmallows, which was why he tried to press himself through the tent fabric. He grabbed the bag mid-air with his teeth and paws, and scampered off into the evening with his prize. I was left with a torn tent, rainwater pouring down on me, and tragically, no more marshmallows." Takumi made a little mock pout before he broke into a smile again. "And that is what sent me to this monastery on a cold, wet night."

[Grace]

Takara smiled at the conclusion of the bard's story and strode forward to join the group, saying, "For the want of a marshmallow, a bard visits a monastery." With a quiet laugh, she amended, "Well, I suppose there was a greater need than that." By then, she had reached the group and extended a hand to the bard. "Fascinating story. My son would have loved it. I'm Takara."

 

 

 

((Aaand, I'm just realizing I never gave Takara a last name ))

[JasraLantill]

Carwyn and Takara might not have been impressed by the bard's harrowing story of a ferocious, furry, four-legged marshmallow thief in the night, but Aya had been. Eyes wide, she had been riveted to her chair during the tale right up until the very moment Carwyn guessed the creature to be not a hungry wolf as Aya had suspected, but a ravenous raccoon instead.

 

She had relaxed a bit then, snuggling in closer to Carwyn, and then smiling and giggling as the bard reluctantly relinquished his estimate of the size of the beast.

 

"Excellent tale, Master Nightsinger!" she complimented when he had finished, clapping her hands in appreciation. "A harrowing tale indeed, and so tragic to lose one's marshmallows in such an abrupt manner." As Takara approached to introduce herself to the bard, Aya whispered hurriedly into Carwyn's ear, "I'll be right back."

 

She rose and left, but shortly returned with a small sack she had retrieved from the pantry. She was just in time to hear Takara.

 

"Fascinating story. My son would have loved it. I'm Takara."

 

Aya frowned slightly. "By the way, where is Katsuro?" she asked the wind mage. "Is he still out 'camping' with Tellis and Kai?"

 

"Speaking of camping, is that what I think it is?" Carwyn asked, nodding his head toward the bag in Aya's hand.

 

Aya grinned broadly. "Well, since Master Nightsinger lost his in such a tragic way, and he told such a wonderful tale, I thought he at least deserved some sort of compensation. And perhaps, this will tempt young Katsuro inside." She opened up the bag to reveal marshmallows, graham crackers and a small bar of chocolate. "S'mores anyone?"

[Rogue Nine]

Carwyn couldn't help but smile at the bard's story. He could tell Takumi had a sense of humor quite similar to his own, and that was quite refreshing. As Aya returned with a bag of marshmallows, he rose from his seat and stretched his legs. "I'd like one yes," he said in response to her offer of s'mores. "But you'll have to save it for me when I get back."

 

"Oh?" Aya asked, her eyes widening in surprise. "Where are you going?"

 

"To find Tellis, Kai and Katsuro," Carwyn answered. He cast an arm towards one of the windows, indicating the sheeting rain outside. "This is no night to be outside."

 

"Well, then I suppose it's a good thing that we are not outside," a familiar female voice came from the doorway. Carwyn whipped his head around to see Tellis standing there, Katsuro at her side.

 

"Tellis!" he exclaimed. "Where've you been?"

 

The willowy healer offered him an enigmatic smile as she glided over to the hearth. "Just checking on Kai," she replied. "He's quite all right, but he still prefers to remain outside of the monastery, for reasons known only to himself."

 

"In this weather?" Carwyn asked incredulously. "He should be soaked to the bone!"

 

"His tent is quite sturdy," Tellis said, taking a seat on the rug in front of the fire. It was then Carwyn noticed that neither she nor Katsuro were wet.

 

"Shouldn't you be soaked too?" the ranger asked, although he was pretty sure of her response.

 

Tellis's eyes twinkled. "Not if I chose not to be."

 

Carwyn sighed. "Right, 'mancery and all that good stuff," he reasoned. Turning to Takumi, he said, "Master Takumi, if I might introduce Miss Tellis Llyr, healer extraordinaire."

[Jae Onasi]

Takumi clapped his hands when Aya asked if anyone wanted s'mores. "Oh, yes, yes!! My very favorite! Chocolate is the food of the gods, and marshmallows are their little sugar angels. I love it when they are toasted to a perfect golden brown on the outside, with a hint of a crunch, yet just slightly melted on the inside. And melted chocolate and graham crackers...ooohhh!!" He rolled his eyes both in appreciation and anticipation.

 

His eyes flicked to the back of the room when he caught a glimpse of the dark-haired slender woman and a boy dressed all in black walking in. Odd that they're not wet, he thought as he regarded the two.

 

The answer to his unspoken question came when Carwyn explained, "Right, 'mancery and all that good stuff." Then the ranger turned to Takumi. "Master Takumi, if I might introduce Miss Tellis Llyr, healer extraordinaire."

 

Takumi put on his brightest smile and bowed. He was captivated by her grey eyes that he was sure could see into the very soul. "Miss Llyr, it is an honor to be in the presence of a learned and lovely healer. I have no doubt the moons yearn to emulate the light of your eyes." He turned to the boy. "If Kai is still outside and the beauty of Miss Tellis Llyr and Aya has not so astonished us that we've all taken complete leave of our senses, then this must be the handsome young Katsuro. It is a pleasure to meet both of you."

[Grace]

Katsuro grinned and executed a quick bow before moving to stand with his mother.

 

"There you are," Takara said, smiling down at him. "How was the rain?"

 

"Far more fascinating if it doesn't hit you," Katsuro answered cheerfully. He grinned up at Tellis. "Thanks."

[ForceFightWMe12]

((Ar'ight, ya'll, we takin' this show back on the road! I'm going to skip to the next morning, seeing as no one has posted for...well ever. So yeah. Sorry if you wanted to finish your scenes or whatever. Now, moving right along...))

 

The sun hadn't even risen, yet the restless warrior was up. Kyo paced back and forth across the flagstones of his dorm, his eyes watching the purple tinge on the horizon grow lighter and lighter as the minutes passed. He had already taken advantage of his early rise to take a bath before they left, and he was currently dragging a thin towel that he had borrowed from the monks through his wet hair and across his bare chest. If everything worked out well and as it should, they would be leaving within the next hour or two.

 

Now fully dry, the swordsman discarded the towel on the already made bed, and pulled on his shirt. Flipping open his bag, he looked over leather armor that he had stored in there. Pulling it out, he systematically began to dress in it, strapping it on piece by piece. It was a process that took a good ten minutes, and as he lifted the last piece of armor, he stopped.

 

It was the gauntlet that had been pierced by the rock snake's fang. And now that he looked at it, there as a pretty large dent in the curiass as well - a long, diagonal line that had been inflicted by the King's soldiers. He dragged a finger down the dent as he looked at the singed hole on his gauntlet. He would have to remember to fix that...

 

He pulled on the gauntlet and strode to the corner, picking up his sword. With a flick of his finger, he loosened the sword in the sheath and gripped it with his other hand. With a flourish, he drew it and held it before him. His eyes looked over the blade with a keen, practiced eye. The blade could use a bit of polishing and sharpening - fighting against a rock snake and an army of soldiers wasn't exactly the best thing for a sword's blade. But regardless, that could be repaired later.

 

Sheathing the blade again, he strapped it over his back and tossed the pack's shoulder strap over his shoulder. Glancing out the window, he noted the tint of orange that was joining the purple on the horizon. The others would be awakening soon.

[Rexraptor2000]

It was night-time and Toa sat lying on a volcano overlooking the West. In the distance a beautiful meteor shower brightened the sky while the volcano mouth continued to spit out lava in massive bursts. The heat was immense, probably enough to make a non-western have a heatstroke. Toa loved it. Then came the thundering roar of doom.

 

Toa jerk up immediately and snapped his head around trying to find the source. It was a pretty flat and empty area on the volcano, so it'd be hard to miss anything with a roar that big. Then came the haunting steps. They seemed to come from everywhere at once, and with each passing moment they grew louder, shaking the ground as well. He tried to get up, but for some reason his limbs suddenly decided to stop working. Now you could hear breathing, the heavy breathing of a large predator. The smell reeked that of dead carcasses and other disgusting combinations that Toa did not want to guess at. It grew more and more intolerable with each passing moment, till it got to the point of Toa wanting to give up last week's dinner.

 

He was still struggling when the final roar exploded right next to his left ear. All the sources suddenly seemed to come from that direction. Slowly, he turned his head to find-

 

"You have to be friggin' kidding me!" Toa suddenly shouted in a bit of anger and mostly humor.

 

Before him stood a pygmy Hydra. Not just any pygmy Hydra though, but an albino one that one would call Hedri. Before Toa could whip out another comment, the dream ended.

 

Toa woke up to find that he was face to face with Hedri on the floor. Somehow, he had rolled off the bed in his dream-panic. With a smile he let out a laugh as he got up and said "My friend, you are very anti-climatic, you know that?"

 

The Hydra titled it's three heads in a questioning manner and then leap into Toa's pack as he got dressed and ready for the day to come, still a smile on his face. This trip had made him a bit jumpier in a way, but then you don't get sliced by a dragon, stabbed by an arrow, and then smacked by a rock snake in the same week without some effect. Once dressed, Toa grabbed his pack filled mainly with scrolls, plus one Hydra, and then headed for the breakfast area.

[JasraLantill]

As the soft dawn light came through the window, Aya opened her eyes then yawned and grinned. She had had a good night's sleep with innocuous dreams about a troupes of singing racoons eating marshmallow s'mores with her and Carwyn.

 

Stretching her arms above her head, she rose from the cozy little bed and glanced over at the pillow she had been hugging in the night. Carwyn had gently refused her drunken invitation to stay with her last night, and now that it was morning and she was sober, she was very glad he had. She liked Carwyn a lot, but she had only known him for less than two weeks. Things between them had seemed to be move so fast of late, and Aya was glad that Carwyn had had the sense last night to know it was better to start a long, and possibly perilous, journey full of happiness and hope, rather than with any shame or regret.

 

She dressed quickly in her travelling clothes--a simple green dress over a chemise and a pair of trousers--pulled on her boots, braided her hair, and then shouldered her pack. Taking one last look at the room to check if she'd left anything behind, she left, taking the back staircase that led down to the enclosed garden as it was quicker to get to the stables that way.

 

It didn't take her long to finish loading up Bob, and she patted him on the nose and then gave him some grain and hay to eat for his breakfast before heading off to the common room for her own.

 

Passing the kitchen on the way to the common room, she caught a whiff of something in the air and she inhaled deeply.

 

"Mmmm... cinnamon toast, ground coffee, and hot porridge with golden syrup," she said appreciatively to herself. "The Holy Brothers certainly know how to give someone a sendoff."

[Jae Onasi]

Mmmmm....cinnamon.... Takumi sat up with a start. It took him a moment to remember he was in a little room in a monastery. Dry. Without raccoons for company, thank goodness. The kitchen scents made his stomach growl in anticipation. He opened up his bag.

"Red? No, too bright. Everyone else is likely to have a hangover from that incredible ale. Paisley? Too busy. Green, to play up the eyes in the morning light, and not too hard on anyone else's. Yes, perfect."

He slipped into dark green trousers and pulled on a leaf-green tunic with elegant stitching. The dark green boots were just worn enough to be perfectly comfortable. The emerald green belt was a little loose, though. He looked at his reflection in the mirror. "Hmmm--I need to find work soon, or there'll be too much belt and too little me. I also need to go find the source of that phenomenally delicious smell before it's all gone." He walked quickly to the common room.

[Rogue Nine]

Ugly splotches of bright light assaulted Carwyn's vision as he awoke, squinting his eyes. Light streamed from the open window into his room, splashing right across his bed. As per usual, he was splayed across it, legs and arms all akimbo. Grunting softly, he pulled himself out of bed and stood up, stretching his newly rested muscles. As he gathered up his things, his mind wandered back to the events of the previous night...

 

Last night had gotten interesting, as situations tended to do when ale was involved. The bard, Takumi, had continued to regale them with tales of comedy, intrigue and drama long into the night. Carwyn and Aya had listened along with the rest of the crowd, some of the monks even joining in listening to the loquacious storyteller. A good time was had by all, especially Aya, who had drunk a copious amount of alcohol and was quite inebriated by the time Carwyn had helped her up the stairs to her room.

 

--------

 

They had stopped in front of her door, holding hands. She had swayed a little and he had reached out and steadied her, placing both hands firmly on her shoulders. "Easy there," Carwyn said. "You're kinda shaky."

 

Aya looked at him blissfully. "Am I?" she asked, her voice slightly slurred. "Well then..." She moved quickly, especially for a drunk person. Before Carwyn could react, she had enveloped him in a hug, clutching him tight. "Maybe you should stay with me tonight?" she whispered huskily into his ear.

 

Carwyn froze momentarily, Aya's sudden closeness taking him by surprise. As she breathed her invitation into his ear, he became aware of her clutching for the door handle behind them. Sighing softly, he expertly extracted himself from her grip just as she pushed the door open. "Aya, not tonight," he said gently, grasping one of her hands. "Not like this."

 

She had looked at him confusedly as he guided her into her room and onto her bed. Kneeling in front of her, he said, "You've had quite a bit to drink tonight and we've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Best to get some sleep, all right?" Before she could respond, he had swiftly laid a light kiss on her lips, then had backed away towards the door. As he swung it closed, he locked eyes with her. "Good night, Aya."

 

--------

 

Sighing, Carwyn slung his rucksack over his shoulder and exited the room. He didn't need to bathe; he had taken a very cold bath the night before. Making his way to the common room, he came upon the wonderful smells of breakfast being made. His stomach grumbled at him, and he quickened his step.

[ForceFightWMe12]

Kyo sat at the table in the dinning hall, his eyes tracing the grain of the wood as he planned out their route mentally. After everyone had gone to bed, he had spent hours afterwards looking at an atlas that he had taken from the library. He had planned out their route and memorized it to the point that the image of the map was ingrained in his head. He thought it over now, knowing that he wasn't exactly used to traveling in the North - it wasn't the most traveled area in his repertoire.

 

Glancing up, he looked up at the door of hall as it creaked open. Toa stepped in, quickly followed by the bard, Aya, and Carwyn. He nodded to each in turn as they entered.

 

"Good morning, everyone."

[JasraLantill]

Aya flashed a cheery smile. "G'mornin, Kyo!" she said as she walked towards the long table, put her pack down, then took a seat across the table from him. She patted the chair beside her, inviting Carwyn to sit next to her, just as one of the brothers was bringing a trayful of cinnamon toast out from the kitchen.

 

Grinning at Toa, who was struggling to keep Hedri inside his pack while he took a seat at the table, Aya said, "Toa, you're fairly chipper this morning. The s'mores and ale last night must have done you good, even though they weren't roasted over a mini-volcano," she added with a wink.

 

"And Master Takumi," she said, her gaze flicking over his attire, "you're looking rather dapper today," her sharp eye not missing the high-quality stitching on his tunic. "Green is the best colour for traveling. Perfect camouflauge if the need arises. Although," she said, lowering her voice, "with all these warrior types around us, we shouldn't have to worry about that."

 

She turned back to Kyo then. "So, are we heading back the way we came, to Ryuu-Tokai, or have you plotted another route for us?"

[ForceFightWMe12]

Kyo watched with a faint smile as the others made greetings all around, noting already that everyone seemed to be in very high spirits this morning. Good feelings meant easier traveling, and with the breakfast that the monks had prepared for them, the warrior had no doubt that they would all be sent off with very full stomachs.

 

"To head back to Ryuu-Tokai would be...unintelligent." he said, careful in his choice of words. He didn't recall telling the monks that the king of the city-state had sent his personal warriors after them, believing them to be thieves... "It would take us at least a day or perhaps even a day and a half to reach the city by circumnavigating Rock Snake canyon - and I would much rather not chance us meeting another rock snake." his eyes glinted at Aya, though more in amusement than scolding.

 

"So, instead we'll be heading west. The island is fairly small, so it should take us only a few hours' worth of traveling to reach a small fishing village on the western shore, called Darvat. We should be able to find transport from there back to the mainland."

[Rogue Nine]

"So, instead we'll be heading west."

 

Carwyn looked up at Kyo, an entire slice of toast in his mouth. "Weez goouang thu tha wesh?"

 

Kyo stared at the ranger, then put a hand over his face. He could hear Aya giggling to his side and chuckles from all around the table.

 

"Oh," Carwyn muffled out, realizing what he was doing. Forcing down the rest of his toast, he swallowed, then took a swig of water. "So, we're going west eh?" he asked sheepishly, his question unhindered by food. "Just how far?"

[ForceFightWMe12]

"Straight through to the mountains." Kyo said, his eyes closed as he massaged a temple with his knuckle. "We'll be returning to your home territory, Carwyn. Often times, one wonders how you managed to get out of there before you grew up..."

 

The warrior opened his eyes to look at the ranger, his gaze displaying his joking demeanor. "But I do hope that you and Toa will be able to assist us once we reach the mountains. I personally tend to avoid the west unless it's absolutely necessary."

[Quist]

Maggie combed her hand through her still-wet hair as she hurried down the stairs to the common room. She'd gone to bed far later than she was used to last night and as a result, ended up sleeping in. She idly hoped that Kyo and the rest of them hadn't left yet. Maggie didn't think Kyo was the type of person to do that, but she could never be too sure...

 

Her fears were allayed the moment she rounded the corner and saw everyone gathered at the table having breakfast. She smiled and darted into a seat. "Sorry I'm so late," she said brightly as she reached for a plate of toast. "How was everyone's night?"

[Jae Onasi]

"And Master Takumi," Aya said, her gaze flicking over his attire, "you're looking rather dapper today. Green is the best colour for traveling. Perfect camouflauge if the need arises. Although," she said, lowering her voice, "with all these warrior types around us, we shouldn't have to worry about that."

 

Takumi was relieved to be included with the travelers. While the monastery promised a safe existence if he so chose, it was too...quiet. He preferred high adventure, marshmallow-stealing raccoons notwithstanding. "Why thank you, my dear Aya. It is always a pleasure to share an appreciation of the finer things of life with someone."

 

He sat down with the group, eating the hearty breakfast and listening to Kyo describe the route. Takumi stopped chewing at the mention of Darvat. "Darvat has its share of...privateers who look for easy coin with no intention of completing their share of the bargain. Still, you should be able to find a reasonably honest sailor there. Darvat has been known to produce a few honor--" Something was crawling down his back. Takumi reached back. It was a big something. He looked over his shoulder and saw a three-headed white creature blinking at him.

 

"Ahh!!!! Get it off me!! Get it off me!!" Takumi jumped up, knocking over his chair. He tried to grab the creature off his back, but it jumped off of him and into his bowl of cereal, splashing the hot food all over the place. It hopped out of the hot food and onto the end of the spoon, squawking when the spoon flipped up in the air, sending food flying across the table. Takumi caught the spoon in the air and ran around the table, panicked, trying to whack the creature.

 

Aya and Carwyn ducked the flailing bard, and Carwyn grabbed one arm. Aya caught the other.

 

"Stop it! Stop the creature! Save us!" Takumi howled.

 

"Master Takumi! Calm down! It's OK!" Aya had to shout into the bard's ear to get his attention.

 

Hedri hopped and scampered across the table, knocking over the syrup, stepping in the butter, and jumping through the toast. He leaped onto Toa and dove down into his backpack, huddling in the very bottom, squeaking.

 

"He's not a monster. He's my friend!" Toa exclaimed.

 

Takumi shook from the adrenaline surge. Aya let go of one arm when she was sure he wasn't going to take a knife to Toa's backpack, too. Takumi put a hand over his heart and closed his eyes, trying to calm his panic.

 

"Why, you're shaking, Master Takumi! What's wrong?" Aya said, trying to soothe him.

 

"I have..." Takumi swallowed and took deep breaths. "I have hydra-phobia!"

[Rexraptor2000]

"...You're afraid of pygmy Hydra's? I can understand a regular Hydra since those things can get bigger than dragons of legend and can be just as vicious, but even a pygmy Hydra sets you off?" Toa asked confused as he tried to fetch Hedri from his backpack. Part of Toa wanted to laugh at the bard's hysterics over a simple pygmy Hydra, while another part wanted to burn the bard alive for trying to hurt his best friend.

[Rogue Nine]

"How was everyone's night?"

 

"Well Mags, we..."

 

Carwyn had been set to respond to Maggie's question when near-chaos erupted at the table, with Takumi trying to whack little Hedri with a spoon. After grabbing hold of the frantic bard, Carwyn waited until he'd calmed down enough to speak coherently, then gently released his grip.

 

"I have... "I have hydra-phobia!" Takumi exclaimed.

 

Carwyn had been ready to take a quick swig of milk, raising the glass to his lips, but quickly set it down again, a fit of the giggles wracking his body. "Hydra-phobia, eh?" he managed, grinning crookedly at Takumi. "That was really quite awful, Master Bard." He laughed again, then returned his gaze to Maggie. "I'm thinking everyone's night was good, except that some of us might've done well to sleep in a little later," he told her jovially.

[Grace]

Takara and Katsuro arrived just in time to hear the bard complain of 'hydra-phobia'. The boy laughed out loud at the bard's fright and his mother smiled faintly. The duo came to join the others at the table without speaking. As things began to settle back into a slightly more standard breakfast routine, Katsuro relaxed even further.

 

Takara was a different story. Though she was polite to any who spoke to her, it seemed as if her mind was elsewhere and she looked as if she hadn't slept in days.

[Rogue Nine]

"But I do hope that you and Toa will be able to assist us once we reach the mountains. I personally tend to avoid the west unless it's absolutely necessary."

 

Carwyn chewed thoughtfully, remembering to swallow his food before he responded. "Mmm, the mountains weren't my favorite place about home, but I did spend my fair share of time there. Never did venture too much around the volcanoes, though. Pyromancer territory. Once we get there, we'll probably have to rely on ol' Toa here," he said, jerking a thumb at the white-haired mage.

 

"Even so," Tellis's lilting voice came from the direction of the doorway, "it should still take us quite a while to get there if we're going that far west, I imagine."

 

"Yeah," Carwyn agreed, not bothering to cast a glance at the healer. He'd become accustomed to her appearing out of nowhere. "Too bad we can't take this wonderful monastery with us. I'm really starting to like it here..."

[Jae Onasi]

"My deepest apologies, Master Toa," Takumi said after his heart and breathing settled back down into a normal rhythm. "You see, when I was traveling with my previous companions, we encountered a rather vicious and large hydra," the bard waved his hands above his head to trace the great height in the air. "I was about ready to become its dinner when our party's swords finally found their mark and the hydra collapsed on top of me, dead. It took all of them to roll the body off of me before I suffocated. Might I add that the breath of a giant hydra leaves a lot to be desired. They really need to floss more often."

 

After wiping up the mess he'd created, he sat down to finish what was left of his breakfast, glancing warily at Hedri now and then as he ate the hearty cereal and nibbled on the cinnamon toast.