Recent Forum Posts

From categories:

All categories IC writings: Character Diaries IC writings: IC Discussions Misc: GM and game announcements Misc: OOC Misc: Site and content

page 1123...next »

Sea Battle

Shadow of Light 1220420536|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion IC writings / Character Diaries » Sang's Path

As the Yu vessel moved closer to the beleaguered Jin ships, Deep Ones started to emerge from the bloody surface of the sea in an attempt to scale the hull. Netting encircled the hull, projecting out just below the railing. Deep Ones trying to bypass this obstacle were easy targets for Yu ashigaru to spear. Shanro joined in with his naginata, and the situation was well in hand. The fleet was in more dire straights, seeming about evenly matched with their assailants. Sang could make out a giant Deep One, maybe ten or twelve feet tall, possessing four limbs which was engaging Maiko hand-to-hand. The Jin admiral was agile enough to avoid the majority of the blows directed at her, but something with that many arms only had to keep swinging. With the relentless blood hail and the distance it was impossible to tell which of the two had the advantage. She thought she caught a glimpse of Theosteris casting some spell or another, then diving for cover.

A tearing sound from behind distracted her from evaluating the conflict. A green scaled hand clenched around the railing, followed by another. Then a third and fourth. A Deep One similar to the creature Maiko was fighting pulled itself up to the deck, remnants of netting dangling from its claws.

It looked bigger up close.

Not as big as the oni in the Temple of the Sword.

With a grim inner smile at this thought, Sang charged with the intention of knocking it back overboard before it could properly balance itself. It took the assault on one huge shoulder and she slid back, her feet leaving skid marks on the blood-soaked deck. Then Shanro was there, the haft of his naginata sweeping the legs of the monster out from under it. The Falcon spun his weapon expertly as the Deep One fell prone, plunging the blade into its body. Sang was back a second later, the Blade blazing as it slashed into the green-scaled flesh with all the samurai’s strength. The monster tried to get up, failed when Shanro got in another telling blow, but landed with the man’s naginata beneath its bulk. As he tried to free his weapon Sang kept the guan dao moving. Another Yu, the admiral’s son Kaiu Nobutada, rushed in with a spear to join the attack, and as the Deep One finally tried to flee by crawling back towards the rail Sang dealt the killing blow.

The Yu ship was now very close to the rest of the conflict—jumping distance if one had the idiocy to attempt that while wearing full armour. Sang noted Maiko’s opponent had fallen, though to whom she hadn’t seen, and Maiko herself was visible as a dramatic blur as she swung around by a dangling rope and planted herself feet-and-blade first into an enemy. The tide seemed to have turned; the Deep Ones were not in as strong a position as before, though there were still a lot of them and the Jin were hurting.

Sang noticed a serpentine creature rearing up from the sea. Another foe? This was dispelled when it suddenly changed form, flew into the air while seizing a Deep One in its beak then sped up and away with its catch.

Kukulkan, you really do have to start wearing a flag or something so we know not to shoot—

Two angels burst from the water. Sang narrowed her eyes at them, knowing they were the ones who’d theoretically accompanied them to the Shadowlands and never shown up. But hadn’t there been three before?

Shanro ran to the rail and jumped. Looking away from the angels, Sang watched the man land on the railing of a Jin ship, catch his balance, plunge his naginata into the closest Deep One, then fall backwards into the red sea.

At least he isn’t wearing anything heavy… although that bag of his probably has enough suits of Yu armour in it to make him sink straight to the bottom, if it wasn’t magical.

Sang pulled out the silk rope Soshi Tarou had given her, secured one end and threw the other down to the flailing Falcon. The last time she’d pulled this thing out was to help Shinobu when she’d fallen overboard during the shark attack on the Silver Serpent. Perhaps this time would work out better…

“My Queen,” Nobutada said, coming to her side. “Would you like to lead the charge?”

Sang looked down towards the boarding ramps the Yu ship had extended and the bushi gathering there to sweep across the Jin decks. It would announce her presence to everyone, but there was no real point keeping her anonymity anymore. Besides, if Yoritomo had sent an unfortunately-phrased letter to Kaji about the Yu not doing their job, perhaps having the Queen show up personally would serve as a pointed, if not so verbose response.

Handing the rope to Nobutada, who secured it firmly around the railing even with one missing arm, she went to finish the battle.

Four hundred Yu streamed behind her, yelling battle cries as they all charged across the ramps. Roaring her own cry, Sang killed the first Deep One, an armoured, whip-wielding creature, with three resounding slashes, then took out a second with a powerful overhand that cut clean through it and into two more of its smaller fellows. The Yu swept around her, swarming across the deck and onto two adjoining ships in a mass of purple. The Deep Ones broke and fled, losing many in the process, but abandoning the fight.

Cheers rose from the ships. The Yu, still mostly fresh after a quick and decisive victory, laughed their triumph and chanted: “For the Yu! For the Queen of the Yu!”, accompanied by the Jin’s cries, more relieved than victorious: “For Admiral Usami Maiko! For the Jin!”

Sang endured her side of the cheering stoically, still not used to having hundred of people chant her praises and not the type of person to lap it up even if she were.

If only they knew their King was fighting here too… King, Queen, Heir-imminent, not to mention Lord Yu himself. It feels almost unreal…

A flurry of movement heralded Kukulkan’s appearance. He crowded the deck near Sang and reverted to human form. Sang had to speak swiftly to prevent the Yu assuming him a new foe.

“Where have you been?” she asked.

“Underwater, dealing with a tentacled monster.”

Thus explaining what had happened to the one she’d spotted near the Jin ships. Perhaps the angels had helped with that one too.

“You’re welcome aboard,” she said, nodding towards the gangplank, then lifted her voice to catch Yosuke’s attention. “General! Get our people back on deck!”

The Jin didn’t need Yu crowding their decks, and now that the fighting was done they’d be in the way more than anything. Plus she wasn’t sure of the etiquette involved in remaining on or reinforcing other people’s boats without invitation. Probably best not to look like they were invading or taking over. Sailors were strange like that.

She watched from the deck as the Yu returned to their floating fortification. The Jin ships were awash in blood and bodies, the surrounding waters were thick with it. Healers rushed between the wounded, skidding on slick decks. She wondered what the casualty report would be like, and how Maiko would react when receiving it. She’d been responsible for her own ship in the past, but this was bigger. More lives were on the line, according to her orders.

By virtue of not being in the thick of the conflict until the end, Sang knew she hadn’t lost nearly so many. The selfish part of her was only concerned for the life of one man amidst the hundreds on board, but she countered that particular fear by refusing to face it… and refusing to feel it.

So we’ll hold here until we hear from the Glorious Recovery Fleet Admiral. I hope she and Jin are smart enough to say they want to press our advantage…

Re: The use of Japanese/Chinese terms

Webseer 1220415714|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion Misc / Site and content » The use of Japanese/Chinese terms

Feel free. It's something that needs to be done.

Mind over Muscle

Shadow of Light 1220255503|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion IC writings / Character Diaries » Sang's Path

The next day dawned as frigidly cold as Kukulkan had predicted. Regretting that it would look rather ridiculous to stride around camp wrapped in blankets, Sang left the only marginally warmer tent to face the morning. General Yosuke (who seemed to have spent the night just outside her tent-flap) attached himself to her side as soon as she emerged, and their first stop was the infirmary pavilion.

Senji was still unconscious. There was nothing she could do for him, but Theosteris was awake and alert, even if he still went on tangents about doors and corners every so often. While still recovering his energy, he assured Sang he would do what he could for the shugenja. The messenger who’d been unlucky enough to encounter the monster that had attacked Senji and Shanro had died during the night. Sang tried to make herself believe that the man’s death had indirectly alerted the camp to the monster’s presence, but all she could think of for a moment was that she had been the one to send him to the tent.

The next stop was the tent on the beach she and Kukulkan had erected for Shanro (who, being insubstantial, would have had a hard time of it). The Falcon was pacing the length of the tent, obviously impatient to be ‘healed’ or to have something to do. Theos had said it would be at least noon before he could attempt anything that might help Shanro’s situation, and it didn’t look like Senji would be a condition to assist any time soon… so she sought out Senji’s assistants, who said the best way for someone trapped in the spirit world to return would be for a spirit to do it. Apparently the island of Wuhai had very few spirits, but it gave Sang an idea.

She searched for Maiko. After some hunting and stopping a few people for directions, she found the admiral keeping herself busy by overseeing the construction of the fortifications. She seemed to be involving herself in a lot, and while the work was of course important, Sang suspected little of it were immediate concerns. Maiko was keeping her mind on things. It didn’t take much effort to get her to leave the partially built wall to visit Shanro on the beach, where Maiko instructed him to hold her hand and then pulled.

And Shanro was back to normal.

While Shanro questioned how this had happened and how Maiko had done it, and Maiko explained Jin in a roundabout way, Sang listened but didn’t interrupt. While kami were not mentioned they were often synonymous with spirits, so the conversation made her uncomfortable. She hid it and kept her mouth shut until it was over.

But it came up indirectly an hour or so later.

After revisiting Theosteris to update him on Shanro’s improved condition, and ensuring her Yu contingent were doing their own part in patrolling the camp, she hunted down Maiko again to ask what she planned to do.

“I know you’re in charge,” she said to Maiko when they’d gone aside a bit, “but how long do you intend to hole up here?”

“Until the fortifications are stronger and I’m sure these people can hold out against an attack,” was Maiko’s reply. “Scouts will keep a lookout for any activity beyond these walls.”

“Are you sure we have that long?” Sang asked. “Between that ritual the seven want to do and the Mother’s awakening?”

Maiko paused for a moment, her expression changing as she consulted with Jin. “Jin thinks we still have time where the Mother is concerned. A few days at least.”

“And the seven? They don’t need to grab people from this camp, you realise.”

“There’s no one else anywhere on the island!”

Not on perhaps.

“We already know the Deep Ones can swim underwater. They might have already taken people.”

Maiko raised a brow. “Unless the people can breathe water, I don’t think the seven will have much use for them.”

“They only have to hold their breath long enough to reach any caverns there might be down there,” she said, trying to keep an edge of impatience from her voice. Was she the only one who didn’t think they had time to hang around here? And if the Mother’s minions could walk in and out virtually unseen, the fortifications would not be as useful as people believed them to be. Maiko knew that.

“I won’t risk going in to the temple underpowered again. What’s wrong?” Maiko added, grinning slightly. “I’d have thought you’d be used to guarding walls.”

“This is different,” Sang said, not appreciating the comparison but willing to let it pass. “Here you have the opportunity to strike and end the threat for good. And the sooner the better. On the Wall all you can do is defend it. There is no ending that threat.”

Maiko smirked at the last bit. “We used to say the kami were gods, too.”

Sang stiffened. While she knew as well as Maiko there was now a way to end the Shadowlands, mention of the kami was still raw enough to strike a nerve. She wondered for a split second how deliberate Maiko’s comment had been, how much Jin had told her.

“We will wait, until you’re ready,” the bushi said, not bothering to hide the edge of anger in her voice, and turned to leave.

“You would have discovered the truth of the kami sooner or later.” Lord Yu’s voice resonated quietly in her mind, but the unexpected mental presence, the invasion, ignited her already simmering anger and made her spine a sword blade.

“Maybe later would have been better,” she retorted aloud, ignoring Maiko as the woman said something about “Leaving the two of you to talk” and departed.

“It’s never too late to learn what’s real.”

“But it can be too soon!”

There was no reply, only a fading impression of confusion she could only guess at the source of. She ground her teeth, aware the source of her anger was another thing she was having trouble pinpointing, and she was doing no one any favours if she snapped at people or lost her temper outright.

I am angry at being deceived by my parents, my people, my ancestors—who were themselves led astray. Even if the kami didn’t start the lie, have they not perpetuated it? I want to be angry at them. I am angry at them, but I can’t very well vent my wrath at beings my people revere because then I’d have to explain my disrespect, or Kaji would on my behalf, and I don’t think the Yu are ready for a religious revolution. Not with the Emperor, a ‘god’ himself, visiting the kingdom soon.

I can’t express my anger at the kami themselves, and I can’t share the truth for fear of how it might ruin the stability of the kingdom. No matter how corrupted the system is, we don’t need civil war or an invitation for some other kingdom to purge the heretics. Perhaps I’m thinking too extremely, but Lord Yu said it: I am the Queen, and his chosen. People would listen. Taken seriously or just judged mad, Kaji would have to answer for my actions and words. He would have to support me or depose me… or execute me. And if he supported me, perhaps we’d both be removed or killed.

Our culture is rigid and powerful and built on lies. I don’t know if it will ever be ready for the truth… any more than I was.

The breath of her sigh steamed in the cold air. Realising her wandering had taken her the length of the barricade, she shook her head at herself and reached up to secure the menpo across her face.

I’m not made for this kind of thing. I’m not a courtier who knows the right words to say and when to say them. I’m about as subtle as a tetsubo. And I’m so afraid that however I end up dealing with this, I’ll cause more damage to the Empire with the truth than I would by upholding the deception. I’m afraid there will be war, and that, sadly, is what I’m made for.

I have to trust he knows what he’s doing by choosing me…

---

Around noon it began to hail blood. The crimson globes were about the size of marbles, and while Sang was moderately protected by her armour the majority of the camp ran for cover. The grisly change in weather soon had the frozen turf streaked with bloody slush, and many tents began to collapse under the weight.

Maiko ordered an evacuation to the ships. Construction of the fortifications could not continue in these conditions, and the hail was hard enough to injure the unprotected skin. The Tokai Yu rallied around Sang for their own orders, and sight of the mostly disorganised retreat to the beach and the vessels anchored at bay prompted her to call a rearguard action. As best as they could manage under the conditions, and with their numbers, they guarded against any attackers that might take advantage of the situation and charge the unfinished walls. Thankfully there was no such incident, and her people ended up on the lone Yu ship by the end. Shanro, attached to Senji, came with them. She saw nothing of Theosteris, but had seen the evacuation of the infirmary tent and was willing to guess he was safe aboard one of the Jin ships as Maiko doubtlessly was. As for Kukulkan, she never had any idea where the lizard was.

The Yu ship being a much larger draft than the smaller, fleeter Jin boats (and next to the Yu ship, they did look like little boats), was further out in the bay than the rest. It afforded a rather good view of the entire fleet, though watching the bloody hail streak down the ribbed sails was not all that pleasant, even at a distance. The Yu ship had the advantage of being roofed for most of its length.

The Kaiu admiral approached her as soon as she’d boarded, bowed and said, somewhat wryly, “Welcome aboard, your Majesty.”

“Thank you, Admiral,” she replied with a smile, accepting the honorific without even the smallest internal complaint for perhaps the first time.

“Was there a reason you didn’t want your presence known back on shore?”

“It wasn’t my idea, actually. I expected Maiko to introduce me back there and she just didn’t.” Sang grinned and shrugged. “Truth be told, I’m just as glad of it. I don’t think I could have stood the formality.”

“I can appreciate that.”

“Perhaps she avoided the issue so as to not cause a stir in the camp. I think you had enough to deal with back there.”

He soon went to see to the running of his ship, and Sang found herself at the bow with Shanro.

“What do we do now?” Shanro asked, leaning on the reinforced railing.

Sang, busy wiping the melted blood from her kabuto, shrugged and looked back to shore where the remains of the camp could be seen. Most of the tents had collapsed and been left behind. “We’re waiting until the fortifications are finished,” she said dryly.

What will she do? Personally it looks like a golden opportunity to sail south and drop anyone not suited to fighting somewhere safe. Then we wouldn’t have to worry about digging in and could concentrate on the assault.

Any possibility of pulling this off dissolved a few moments later when the water below exploded.

Shanro was snatched from the deck as a tentacle coiled around his chest and ripped him skywards. A second writhing limb struck Sang as she hurriedly readied Lord Yu’s Blade, and she was surprised to hear something sharp rake against her armour and pierce the mail on her arm. Were there teeth or claws amidst the rubbery-looking suckers?

By all the gods, real or false, I hate sea monsters!

She lashed out at the one that was tightening its grip around Shanro’s ribcage, but it swayed gently out of the weapon’s path.

All across the bow, Yu warriors were being seized by the monstrous appendages and yanked aloft. One of Yosuke’s defenders was grabbed by the throat and head, and the force of the grip was such that neither helm nor neck-guard were enough to stop his skull from being almost instantly crushed. At Sang’s side, Yosuke himself swung his weapon to intercept a tentacle lashing towards them and sheared straight through the thick limb in one powerful stroke.

Then the shipboard weapons were fired. The first volley took out the tentacle wrapping Shanro, who had the presence of mind to grab the railing as he dropped then haul himself to safety. The Falcon out of immediate danger, Sang charged a limb holding a struggling Yu only to have the defender thrown at her in retaliation. The force and weight knocked her to the deck, and when she realised the warrior atop her was dead she made the mistake of looking straight into the sightless dark eyes.

Not Kaji… praise the Fortunes, not Kaji!

The error was enough to make her know a moment of black terror. In her mind’s eye she saw the death of the other Yu warrior, his head pulped, Kaji’s face staring from behind the menpo. Sang heaved at the body pinning her down, failed, tried to banish the images from her mind and cursed herself savagely.

FOOL! You know you can’t think like that, especially not in the middle of a battle! Now GET UP.

She rolled the corpse aside and stood, the Blade sweeping down to claim the head. The roar of fire sounded from the bow; the Yu ship had let off yet another of its formidable weapons. All the tentacles in the path of it flaming breath were cooked straight through the rubbery green flesh. Warriors dropped from the charred remains to hit the deck, accompanied by the splatter of partially cooked chunks of tentacle. Seeing Shanro hurry past her to tend the wounded, Sang moved to follow and assist. Field dressings were all she could offer, but it would have to do until the shugenja could provide more permanent healing. As she tied off bandages and staunched bloody wounds, she forbade herself to look any patient in the eye and blanked her mind of thought, focussing instead on her hands and keeping them steady throughout her work.

Whatever the monster was, it had broken off the attack after being hit by the fire; the Yu ship was in a small area of calm. When she finally stopped and stood to look at the Jin fleet, she saw another of the tentacled monsters wreaking its own havoc and a horde of Deep Ones doing their best to swamp ships.

Humans and Deep Ones in the same place… chaos everywhere.

Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the distant conflict, trying to make out the struggling figures and wondering if the seven had the inclination or the means to take advantage of what this situation offered them.

Re: OMG the latest Order of the stick is like... Sang.

Shadow of Light 1219709021|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion Misc / OOC » OMG the latest Order of the stick is like... Sang.

Aaaahhhh!!

Re: OMG the latest Order of the stick is like... Sang.

Taranth 1219660133|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion Misc / OOC » OMG the latest Order of the stick is like... Sang.

Don't worry, we've got Jin for if she really goes nuts.

I'm not sure whether it's just the threat of Jin, or Jin herself, that would have the greater effect, but…

The use of Japanese/Chinese terms

Shadow of Light 1219635173|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion Misc / Site and content » The use of Japanese/Chinese terms

Does anyone think a small glossary would go amiss somewhere on the site? Something where we can put brief definitions of 'menpo' and 'tsuka' and so on. Or I can keep stealing articles from wikipedia and popping them in the item section. :p

Re: OMG the latest Order of the stick is like... Sang.

Shadow of Light 1219622814|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion Misc / OOC » OMG the latest Order of the stick is like... Sang.

Ok, she's not that bad. Yet. Which makes me wonder how bad she'll be when she DOES blow up :p

Re: In response!

Aimz 1219572389|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion Misc / OOC » Second art post

XDXDXDXD

*difficulty breathing from the laffing*

Re: OMG the latest Order of the stick is like... Sang.

Aimz 1219572332|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion Misc / OOC » OMG the latest Order of the stick is like... Sang.

XDXD I just found the angry pregnant woman hilarious on her own. Yay, hormones! XD But if that is Sang, there is much I understand about her now :P

Changes

Shadow of Light 1219563913|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion IC writings / Character Diaries » Sang's Path

Sang closed the flap of her tent and, only allowing weariness to sag her shoulders when she was finally alone. A day of travel in the Shadowlands, a scant hour of sleep interrupted by R attacking the Yu camp, tense negotiations, recovering Lord Yu’s Blade, arriving on Wuhai when the day was full noon, more travel through a forest, through a maze of muddy fortifications, a shipboard fight, then additional issues to deal with here in the fortified evacuee encampment where it was now a couple of hours before midnight…

She slumped down on the bedroll and blankets, resigned to cleaning the muck of the rice-paddy fields from the lower sections of her armour before settling down to sleep. She’d be putting the cleaned items back on before resting. Who knew when an attack would come? Well, it had been at least a week since she’d removed her armour completely in order to sleep, much less slept in a real bed or a comfortable shelter. It wasn’t like this was anything new for anyone who’d spent any length of time in the field of duty.

While the tent kept the worst of the cold outside, it was still chilly. Kukulkan had predicted very low temperatures for the next day, which almost made Sang wish for the more temperate weather of the Shadowlands.

What I’d really like is a hot bath… Fortunes, I thought it was a pain having to wash my hair before.

Armour tended to, she untied her headband binding the rushed and untidy job at her nape before attacking the entire length with a brush from her pack. It took some time. Falling to her waist the day before, after picking up Lord Yu’s Blade her hair had practically doubled in length and now swept the floor when unbound. She considered it thoughtfully as she pulled the brush through the black mass, frowning at the sight of the dirt and forest detritus that had collected at the ends. Lord Yu had been noted for his long beard… down to his toes if she remembered correctly. Lord Yu of the Impressive Beard. So, what, did that make her? Hida Sang of the Impressive Hair? Didn’t really have the same ring to it. Besides, it wasn’t that impressive when one noticed all the crud it had swept up.

Hida Sang the Impressive Broom.

A tail was always the most convenient, and I didn’t need servants to do it. But a tail is going to be too long now. Just when Isadora’s tendency towards playing with hair would have been welcomed…

There was no mirror and barely enough light anyway, so she worked by touch. By the end of it her arms ached from being crooked up and working at the back of her head for so long, but she was satisfied by her efforts given the circumstances. The partial braid worked off some of the length. She hadn’t the patience to plait the entire thing, and wasn’t partial to braids in any case. Securing it with the headband once again, she tucked the brush away and had pulled out a pair of joss sticks before realising what she was doing.

Who do I pray to now?

She looked down at the incense for a long moment, feeling loss and anger and bitterness well up inside.

Deceived. All this time, all of us deceived. Why would anyone believe in any new gods after such a farce, and risk being tricked a second time?

He says they are real, so I must believe they exist. If he says I must serve them, then duty binds me to obey. But belief in something’s existence is not the same as belief in something’s worthiness. I haven’t forgotten what Typhenon’s association with them has done to him.

She knew she was being harsh in her feelings regarding the Primarch, and sighed. Used to expecting a certain kind of endurance and willpower from her companions growing up in the Yu lands, she kept trying to impose those standards on the southerner and knew it wasn’t entirely fair. But his total breakdown in a dangerous area still confounded and disgusted her on a basic level. Maiko had managed to pull herself together after her temporary collapse, and Sang had expected the same from Typhenon.

Worry about it when he gets back. There’s no use brooding.

Sang closed her eyes and inhaled, unconsciously rolling the unlit joss sticks between her fingers.

Other concerns are more immediate. Senji and Shanro were attacked by a creature that somehow bypassed all the defences and guards. Attacked in their own tent. Senji almost lost his mind, we don’t even know if he’ll recover. And Shanro is trapped in some spirit realm—he might as well be a ghost.

The shugenja was unconscious in the infirmary tent, not far from where Theosteris was recovering. Sang had risked waking Theos for the purpose of assessing and maybe helping Senji, but while the southerner had case his magics they would not know if Senji would regain what the attack had cost him. It was only thanks to Shanro and a hapless messenger that the Kuni was still alive.

And Shanro? Kukulkan had been able to make the man visible and audible, but when Shanro had confronted the Shyless for using some brand of blood magic he had inadvertently revealed something Sang had been curious about from the start—his kingdom of allegiance. Shanro was a Falcon, a kingdom neighbouring the Yu, and their ruling family had been killed by the Crane for practising maho some time ago. The Falcon still existed as a kingdom, even if their ways had been influenced by many years of Crane administration… Sang mulled on this. There was no reason for a regular Falcon to conceal their clan colours, let alone his daisho, unless he was ronin or in hiding. She had been plain to him about her curiosity, but promised her discretion. His secrets were his own, and she trusted Senji’s judgement in advocating for him.

She’d managed to convince Shanro that Kukulkan wasn’t Tainted through the simple method of handing the lizard her carved jade necklace and have him hold it in one scaled claw. While it didn’t alleviate Sang’s own uneasiness at Kukulkan’s use of blood magic, however pure he claimed it was, it was enough to convince Shanro to trust Sang’s opinion… if not Kukulkan’s claims.

So now Shanro trusts me that Kukulkan’s on our side, and most of my trust is from Typhenon. Sorry Kukulkan…When I see blood magic I think ‘Taint’. I can’t blame a Falcon for feeling the same way. For now it’s just enough that I don’t see you as a monster or subservient, being non-human. Give me time… a life-time of being drilled in some things doesn’t make it easy to change.

She opened her eyes to stare dully down at the incense in her hands.

And too much has changed in my world in too short a time.

She deliberately turned her thoughts to Maiko and Theosteris. The former was firmly in charge, and despite previously stating it was ‘fun’ introducing the Queen of the Yu back on Captain Korin’s ship, had restrained herself this time. Sang was sure the Kiaiu admiral and his son had recognised her, but both had been smart enough to catch on to Maiko’s lack of introduction and address her by nothing more ostentatious than ‘my lady’. As for Theos, she hoped he’d be better after some sleep. While she was concerned for both him and Senji on a human level, the practical and tactical side of her worried that they might have lost two mighty casters before the real fight even started.

We have the Mother and its minions to deal with, and those seven creatures planning a ritual sacrifice somewhere. We can’t hole up in this camp forever. We might stop the seven from snatching any of the people, but they only need seven. The Deep Ones are cannibals, and I’m positive that woman we saw them feasting on in Jin’s temple hadn’t been a corpse when they’d started eating her.

Her jaw clenched at the memory.

So, speaking hypothetically, the seven could grab a new batch of Deep Ones and any human captives they might have. We already know they can swim… Kukulkan may have scoured the surface of the island, but with cliffs like this island has there could be caves accessible under the water. They have their ways into the temple…

She ran her free hand over her face and rubbed her eyes tiredly before staring at the incense again. A few seconds passed before she pulled a third stick from her pack, jammed the ends of all three into the dirt a safe distance away then lit the tips. Tendrils of silvered smoke immediately started to curl towards the roof of the tent.

My obedience you have. But not my faith.

Wrapping herself in the blankets, she lay down with her back to the burning incense and closed her eyes.

OMG the latest Order of the stick is like... Sang.

Shadow of Light 1219493387|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion Misc / OOC » OMG the latest Order of the stick is like... Sang.

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0587.html

Re: Maiko's Journal

Pironious 1219461748|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion IC writings / Character Diaries » Maiko's Journal

I feel like I have failed.

The time is about an hour after midnight. It's been a long day full of problems and now I can't help but shake the feeling that fourteen men dissapeared during the night because I failed to keep them safe. I should have known walls of wood and stone would be no obstactle for such a powerful group…

This morning, the fleet of glorious recovery set off from port. I called each of the captains into a briefing before we left, so we could discuss aspects of the strategy not worked out the previous day, such as our entrance plan. You'd think something like that would be important enough to have come up yesturday, but I certainly wasn't going to bring it up where Yoritomo could put in place whatever plan he wished. Turns out he didn't bring it up becuase he already had a plan.

Regardless, we decided upon swapping two captains, Korin and I think it was Hirotaka, onto peasant ships equipped with wide landing ramps to allow our troops to deploy swiftly. They were supported by the last peasant ship as reserves. This plan didn't last. Around an hour before we hit Wuhai, we ran into a Yu… ship. I'll keep my person opinion of such monstrocities out of here as much sa I can.

It seems the letter King Yoritomo had mentioned yesturday had indeed got a response, apprently the Yu took the idea that they failed at keeping the Shadow out of the Empire rather presonally for some reason. I wonder why. Regardless, I spoke with the Kaiu Admiral and we came to an arrangement. He recognises Jin territorial rights and will fall under my authority, but insisted on the right of first landing which seemed appropriate to me. If nothing else, I already realised I could hide behind the Yu as my excuse for any and all decisions hereafter. It might mean I lose face in front of some of my officers and a rumour is spread that I make a bad or weak willed Admiral, but at this point I don't really care, my career is basically over. Perhaps those who are more than Yoritomo's lapdogs will see through my gambit, but I doubt any of the others will, they have such low opinions of me it should render them blind to my subterfuge.

Now where was I…

Ah yes, the landing. It seems Yoritomo intended the Storm Legion to deliver a message to me. And that message certainly felt like some of my vocabuary I've picked up through years as a sailor. The Storm Legion landed first upon Wuhai and in one action managed to annoy both the Kaiu admiral and myself by further damaging our diplomatic relations with the Yu. Frankly, I wonder the wisdom in this course of action. With recent turmoil, we should be strengthening our bond with the Yu, not harming it. The Jin's two closest allies amoungst the Empire were the Yu and the (Unicorn). With one almost wiped out, we don't need to isolate ourselves from the other.

Still, when we landed I managed to smooth things over with the Admiral and during the final approach I receieved a message from the garrison saying the were holding out but about to fall. In retrospect, I probably should have considered the unsigned message might be a false one, a plot to lure our forces into a trap but then the island was noticably without animals my last visit, something that stuck out as unusual and here was a message delivered by a bird. It turned out to be a legitimate message regardless.

We made our landing with almost surprising ease, there was very little resistance on the beach itself and what little there was went up in flames as we approched, seemingly spontaniously. I have to wonder if a certain group of seven individuals were responsible for this, I did see something scurry off into the bushes shortly afterwards.

The Kaiu Admiral's son, Nobutada, took a detachment of 300 Yu marines to the north end of the islnd in an attempt to evacuate the garrison at the north. This expidition proved to be a failure, as they returned shortly after they left with several missing and many more wounded, including Nobutada himself. Seems they ran into some kind of metal monster which could shoot lightning. Nobutada dueled it solo to buy time for his men to escape. An noble act, if foolish. My time around him have lead to the opinion he is but a boy, untested in the real world. He would do well to save the bravado for when he can deliver the results.

Regardless, with their expiditious failed, I decided to mount one of my own, taking a much smaller detachment in the hopes of bypassing any threats with stealth. I took Yoritomo Korin and a small detachment of his men, he was as eager to save the people as I knew he'd be. We ran into the same metalic monster however, and I quickly deduced there was no safe around it, or its associates.

I sent Korin back, to take to the sea and sail around the coast to reach the objective, while I went solo. Jin informed me these things were servants of the seven great evil gods and seeing no other way around it, I decided to challenge the three that were there before any more turned up to personal combat.

Marching through the bushes with purpose, I found myself in an empty clearing, with very visible tracks leading south. So much for that.

But before long, I ran into another, who demanded to know my purpose in its woods. I retorted that my business was my own and it would do well to leave my island. It responded by standing and assuming an attack stance, I believe more as a threat than anything more but I responded by taunt, declaring if it was looking for a fight, it had found one.

Unfortunately for me, this horned thing had very little sense of honour, it seems. The thing I was talking to was a fake, as I found out soon enough. The faintest sound of a cloak whistling in the wind gave me enough time to roll with a blow that would have cut me down otherwise, turning a strike intended to kill into a painful wound across my back. Still, if he wanted to play dirty, he'd picked the wrong girl to mess with. Using an old trick I haven't used in a while, I danced over his head in one graceful movement and returned the favour, a decisive strike into his back with Kanaye's Sting.

Maiko: 1, Goathead: 0

Smriking as the pair of man-goats turned to face me, they moved up with speed and began a series of feints, weaving in and out of each other as they approached until they both reached out as one and placed a hand upon me, sending a jolt of pain throughout me. I fought through it and came out no worse for wear, but what was more intimidating was he had managed to land a blow on me. Again.

Still, I countered its ineffective attack with another blow, Kanaye's Sting striking true and causing him to grunt in pain. I followed up with a sudden sai strike to the face, drawing the weapon for the first time in the process, but as the blow landed I noticed a slight delay in reaction before the bow hit. This wasn't my assailant, nor was it even real, but just a magical trick. The illusion dissipated as I saw through its false existance, leaving the goat to face me alone.

Maiko: 2, Goathead: 0

Having built up momentum from defeating the illusion, I followed through with another pair of strikes on my assailant. At this point, it seemed pretty clear to me it was running out of tricks, although its ability to land blow on me still had me slightly worried. It too must have been unphased by me as its next strike was unbelievably clumsy, leaving me a wide opening for counter-attack which I happily took.

Maiko: 3, Goathead: 0

But I may have slight over-extended myself in this counter-attack, for its next blow struck true, causing a nasty shoulder wound. As my vision began to blur, it dissapeared, but it was now the least of my concerns. Something within me stirred, and moved to save itself as my body burned in pain. Falling to my knees, I fought to keep control of myself, pain streaking through me as my skin began to crawl. And then it was gone. And so was Jin, other than faint backround traces of her.

Hearing the sound of footsteps approaching, I carefully moved towards cover in nearby undergrowth. I was in no shape for a fight now. Glad I did, for the goat was back, and he brought company. A small goblin leaning heavily on a staff, despite appearing to have no inherant need for one, and a massive brute in unfamiliar armour.

Bastard.

I began to very slowly and carefully creep away, but eventually I was noticed. The time for stealth was gone, so I ran. And then I fell, as somewhat familiar waves of pain washed over me, far more intense this time and my vision faded to black. When I came to, I was bound and being carried. I had been stripped of valuables, which distressingly included my hidden daggers, which had literally been cut out of my sleeves but thankfully not my hidden tools. Before long, I was trapped in a cage of bone that needed no door and I began plotting my escape. No one was paying close attension to me, so I carefully began to slip out of my ropes. They were well tied, but not well tied enough.

With my hands free, I then carefully retied the ropes around them. Now, the ropes would appear binding, but alowed me much more movement than before, and I could easily slip out of them. I then very carefully moved on to my feet and repeated the process. With all that done, it was time to begin the escape of this cage. Reaching up into my hidden tools, I retrieved my finger length serrated saw and began to work through the bone behind me, praying that my blade would not dull before I got though enough bars to make my escape.

In the end, it didn't matter.

Hida Sang, Theosteris and a number of heavily armoured Yu soldiers marched into the clearing and began conversing with my captors. After a brief conversation, however, arrows began to fly from behind and the group of seven teleported away. For champions of powerful evil gods, they sure do run away a lot. Still, he who fights and runs away, I suppose.

While the rest of them discussed what to do next, I slipped out of my bonds, exited the cage through the opening that had been made for me, and retrieved my belongings. Then, seeing them still arguing about what to do, I stepped in. Hunting down those seven or dealing with the mother, both valid choices, but there were people who needed saving first and doing so may hage lured the group of seven to us as well. I got the ball rolling, and Sang and myself caught up.

Something I should mention now is her hair. I very delibrately didn't bring it up, or stare at it, if she wanted to talk about it she would have. But it had grown to ridiculous length, trailing behind her on the ground. And of course, she had found Lord Yu's sword, which turned out to be not a sword at all, but an old type of spear no longer used. Closer to a Naginata than a spear, I wonder why there aren't more such weapons around anymore. They're hardly a design that is no longer practical in modern warfare. I suppose its the connection to Lord Yu that lead to their subtle decline.

Makes me wonder, is there some kind of dress associated with Jin or something.

Figures, Sang gets the artifact sword of courage and I get some dress. Seems about right for my luck as of late.

On the subject of Jin, because I now have her pouting at me, she very quickly abandoned me for the blade of Lord Yu. I don't blame her, I'd abandon her for such a powerful blade too.

Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing.

Anyways, I'm getting tired, so I'll wrap up quickly. We got to the northern estate, which was near in ruins. Korin arrived under attack, and with Ku… damnit, I really need to just ask him how to spell his name. Anyways, with his aid, we flew out to aid him. He seemed really distraught with his apprent failure for coming under attack, he left the marines back at base camp to make more room for people and supplies to be evacuated and lost some good men because of it. He asked permission to commit seppuku after the island was safe. I promptly told him no. I need to keep an eye on him and make sure he snaps out of it, he's a good man and Jin knows the Jin need more of them. Jin knows the Jin… that just doesn't sound right…

No Jin, I am not trying Elona knows. Now that I've put it down in ink, you can stop asking.

Anyways, we got back to base camp shortly after nightfall and I began preparing for an assault sometime before midnight. Afterall, those seven had intended to assault the northern estate to retrieve people for ritual sacrifice. But the attack never came. There were other disturbances brought on by the mother, but no major offensive. Even with the doubled internal patrols, I got no reports of attacks or other disturbances. It worries me greatly, but I cannot stay up any longer. I'll need my wits about me for tomorrow, and I need to get to sleep now before the night air gets any colder.

Apprently, it's going to be a cold day tomorrow…

In response!

Shadow of Light 1219453420|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion Misc / OOC » Second art post

Perhaps R should be working his charms on someone else…

Re: Second art post

Aimz 1219382419|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion Misc / OOC » Second art post

*waits patiently*

Re: Second art post

Shadow of Light 1219220298|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion Misc / OOC » Second art post

Oh, and I do have art to add to this thread. It's just not on this computer. >.<

Re: Second art post

Shadow of Light 1219220257|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion Misc / OOC » Second art post

Hey, I never cast Wrack on you :p

Maiko's Island

Shadow of Light 1219220181|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion IC writings / Character Diaries » Sang's Path

“Your Majesty, may I welcome you to my island?”

As they all trooped through the forest, Kukulkan and Shanro in the rear, Theos somewhere in the middle being supported by two Yu, Sang and Maiko had plenty of time to catch up. While it had been eight days in the Shadowlands, maybe nine, Maiko said that Sang and Theos had only left Epiach yesterday. Maiko had been summoned back to the Jin capital by her King, been made an admiral, put in charge of the Glorious Recovery Fleet (or some such) and made the Lady of the island of Wuhai.

As they spoke, Sang put her hair up a bit more to keep it from trailing in the dirt and catching in every passing bramble. She’d tried cutting the additional length off with a swift hack of the Blade, and had only been able to stare as it grew back to its previous lustrous length. The headband her father-in-law had given her was the only handy thing she could use to tie her hair back, and the style could only be called ‘practical’ or ‘convenient’ considering it was being done on the fly, but no one would notice with her kabuto on, anyway.

“So it really is your island?”

“A desk job,” Maiko said. “King Yoritomo wants me out of the way. Grounded, so to speak. I think I annoy him.”

“Have you considered leaving his service?” Sang asked reluctantly. She had a hard time advocating the idea of deserting a liege lord, even if the service required was unpleasant, but suspected Maiko wasn’t as concerned with such things as she was.

“At least if I’m in command, I can see some good come of this,” Maiko replied, and Sang was impressed by the sense of responsibility in the statement.

While Sang had met the King of the Jin, she did not know him well enough to form an opinion of his person. Maiko seemed to have experienced enough of him to not only despise him, but express as much openly. In fact, Maiko was talking more freely than Sang had ever known her to be. She wondered if it had something to do with her capture, her ‘promotion’, the situation on the island, Kanaye, Jin, or any combination of those things. While Kanaye was not mentioned once, Maiko covered just about everything else.

She had come across the ibexian creature in the forest and fought it, came near to defeating it until it teleported away and returned with help. Of the ritual they planned, Jin had told Maiko it would happen in the midnight hour when such magic was strongest.

“She’s still weak after the fight,” Maiko added. “My… other friend?” Sang nodded. “She’s been using her strength to keep it from surfacing.”

“Isn’t Kukulkan helping you with that?” Sang asked.

“I didn’t know where he was until he turned up with you. I’m fine for now, though. I can talk with him later.”

Sang glanced at the guan dao as they walked, remembered Lord Yu’s words about his brothers and sisters, then lowered her voice and said, “When she’s recovered enough that you can talk to her, perhaps you could tell her than we came back with more than Lord Yu’s Blade.”

“You found Lord Yu then? He’s with you?” Maiko guessed, a smile playing about her lips. When Sang nodded, the other woman grinned. “I knew it.”

“You knew…?”

“Jin said we’d have to find the others, and I knew Lord Yu would choose you. It was the obvious choice.”

Sang eyed her sceptically. “Because I’m the only—“

“—the only Yu I know, I suppose yes, but you’re also the strongest and most courageous one I know.”

Sang felt both absurdly flattered and deeply humbled at those words. “I… could think of any number of my kin just as worthy, or more so,” she said, meaning it. “But… thank you.”

“Well,” Maiko grinned again, “I could think of lots of people more compassionate than me.”

“Point taken.”

She went on to explain what was happening on the island. The monsters in the temple had found ways out and had overrun Wuhai. Maiko had been put in charge of cleaning the island up, and had several captains as well as part of the Storm Legion under her command—for a given definition. The Storm Legion regiment were apparently disinclined to respect Maiko’s position and seemed to be acting almost autonomously. Fortunately Maiko had more help at her disposal, as a large ship of Yu had come to Wuhai’s aid.

It turned out that, thinking the cause of the trouble had something to do with the Shadowlands, King Yoritomo had sent a somewhat insulting letter to the Yu. The ship, captained by a member of the Kiaiu family, had come in response.

“I don’t remember anything about a letter,” Sang mused, and remembered she’d only been in Tokai twelve hours at most before heading to the Shadowlands.

But a familiar voice behind her said, “Oh, that letter…” before trailing off into a cough.

Sang and Maiko glanced back at Yosuke’s defenders in their virtually identical armour, then forward again.

“I’ll have to ask Kaji about it when I get back to Tokai,” Sang added in a slightly louder voice.

“Now that you’re here,” Maiko continued, “I expect you and your people to be under my command.”

That probably could have been phrased better.

General Yosuke immediately interposed himself Sang and Maiko, and he glared at the Jin woman.

“The Queen of the Yu is under the command of no outsider, and we follow only her,” he growled.

Maiko was undaunted. “This is Jin soil and I am the ruling noble of this island. If the Yu are not under my command then you are an invading force. Considering the good history between our two kingdoms thus far, I would prefer to avoid war between our peoples.”

The general bristled.

“Yosuke,” Sang spoke firmly. “Stand down. Maiko is my friend and we will help her.”

Like Senji had backed down from Kukulkan, Yosuke now stepped away from Maiko.

Besides, it might be nice for someone else to be giving the orders for a while.

…

Strange. I can’t remember the last time I openly called someone a friend.

**

When they emerged from the trees the found themselves on the outskirts of the fort’s grounds. The rice paddy fields were riddled with spiked growth and sported several partially submerged Deep One corpses. After Maiko declared herself to the crossbowmen on the distant walls, Kukulkan cautioned the group to follow his lead to avoid the traps laid beneath the ankle-deep water and mud. Maiko and Sang continued to converse quietly as the Shyless led them through a twisting maze. They were drawing near the outer walls by the time Maiko got towards something that must have been plaguing her for a while.

“It hasn’t been bad,” she said. “Running the rescue operation, that is. Ever since going to Epiach, and then Jin sending me to Typhenon, I haven’t really been able to do anything for myself. It’s all been following orders.”

Sang understood to a point. Where she was concerned it was duty, but she’d been following orders most of her life. As the Silver Serpent’s captain, Maiko’s life had probably been a lot freer. Then Jin comes along and Maiko has to give up her ship and her crew for a new cause and a life on land.

Following a gaijin man and his… gods.

She refrained from saying anything in return to Maiko, as the woman wore the pre-occupied expression that usually meant some kind of internal conversation with Jin.

All of a sudden there was an unfamiliar presence in her own head, filling her mind like pink bubbles.

Flower-scented pink bubbles.

“What the—“ Sang started, eyes widening in shock.

“Yu?” Jin’s voice sounded excitedly in her head. “You found Yu?”

“What?” Sang said aloud, still visibly startled and trying not to plough off Kukulkan’s trail in her distracted state. “Yes, I did!”

“Where is he?! Is he here?”

“He said he would be, yes!”

“Where?”

“It’s not like I have a map!” Sang stopped walking. She wasn’t used to having more than one person in her head. “Where are you?”

“In your head?” She hesitated. “Is that his sword?”

“Yes!”

“Do you mind if I—”

“No!” Sang said earnestly. “Please do!”

The presence was abruptly gone.

“Jin?” Maiko said, dark eyes glinting her amusement. “She takes some getting used to.”

Lord Yu’s blade blazed blue, then flared red, causing Sang (and probably several people behind her) to jump.

“That will take some getting used to as well,” Sang muttered, looking up at the burning spearhead. “I hope that means they’re happy to see each other.”

Brother and sister reunion…

She felt a sudden ache for the loss of her own brother, followed by an unexpected rush of happiness that Yu and Jin were together again after so many years of separation. Bittersweet happiness, maybe… but happiness all the same.

Focussing her eyes beyond the burning Blade to the crossbows trained on her from the ramparts, she cleared her throat, said, “Uh, Maiko?” and tried like hell not to make any intimidating moves—no easy feat when holding a pole-arm that happened to be spouting crimson fire.

Fortunately they got to the gate without incident. The garrison, when confronted by their new Lady, Kukulkan and Sang’s burning spear, promptly fell on their faces.

“Prepare the evacuation,” Maiko told the garrison’s leader, to the cheers of the people in the fort. “We’re getting everyone out of here.”

**

The inside of the estate had been gutted. Maiko said that the Deep Ones had attacked the place some time ago, killing the young lord the two of them had rescued in the first assault. Sang remembered this area as carefully maintained gardens, its grounds sculpted to look like the rolling seas, but now everything had been slashed back or destroyed.

While the Yu fortified the walls so that the citizens could take some well-earned rest and prepare to leave, Maiko organised something to do with ropes and Sang took the opportunity to speak with Kukulkan.

Kukulkan, in his typically cryptic form, explained how he’d gotten away from Jin’s Temple. Evidently the masked angel down there had kicked him out. He had, however, managed to find out what the being was up to. It involved something along the lines of taking humans, or what was left of humans, and turning them into some kind of automaton, or soulless warriors. The angel seemed to think it was a form of ‘perfection’ that it wanted to share with the world.

Sang hoped Lord Yu’s Blade had a better chance of hitting the creature than her obsidian sword.

She wandered over to check on Theosteris, who was sitting out in the open as far away from anything with a corner as possible with his head in his hands. He seemed fine, except for a distinct twitch when he mentioned anything to do with doors or corners.

“The Mother’s prison is a sphere,” he tried to explain. “She manifests herself in cor… c…” He grimaced. “Corners. Something must have fouled up the chamber in the Temple, and that’s what she’s trying to use as a doordoordoorDOOR! Arrrrgh!”

As he keeled over and spasmed, Shanro offered to kick him in the head to snap him out of it. Sang firmly declined, convinced Theos just needed some time to himself.

“So, who’s your friend?” Shanro asked afterwards, glancing with interest up to where Maiko was dealing with her subjects.

Eventually the ship that was to evacuate everyone was sighted to the east. Someone with keener vision that she saw that the vessel was under attack by Deep Ones, so Kukulkan promptly changed form so he could carry some help over. Maiko, Shanro and Sang volunteered (fortunately Yosuke was nowhere nearby), but Sang in her armour had to lose some of the extra weight. While Maiko was quick to relinquish her daisho, Sang shed her own with considerable reluctance. Katana, wakizashi, nagamaki and Akaruikage were handed over to a masked Defender, and Sang, meeting the familiar eyes and hearing him wish her luck in a quiet voice, was more at ease that her weapons were in the best care.

Kukulkan carried the three across the span of water, dropping them to the deck and straight into the fray. It was no contest once the four of them joined the melee. Maiko bounded straight up to the foredeck where the ship’s captain was beset by four or five of the fish-lizards, while Shanro, Kukulkan and Sang lay about the deck to protect the crew. Pretty soon they were sailing free, weighing anchor at the base of the cliffs below the fort, and ready to evacuate.

Reunions and New Enemies

Shadow of Light 1219220121|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion IC writings / Character Diaries » Sang's Path

“We’re on Wuhai,” Sang noted. She wasn’t an expert in forests, but recognised one particular tree from when a group of shark-monster monks had attacked her and Maiko.

She inhaled deeply, relishing the scent of trees and grass and clean air after being so long in the Shadowlands. How long had they been gone? She had really expected to go back to Tokai first, and then Epiach. Not only did they need to collect Maiko before returning to Jin’s Temple, recruiting those guards Kolskegg had offered as well as some additional Yu to bolster Yosuke’s forces wouldn’t have gone amiss either.

“Where?” Shanro demanded.

“It’s a Jin island north of their capital,” Sang said, sharing a significant glance with Theosteris and pretending not to notice a few shocked mutters at Shanro’s lack of respect. After a moment’s thought she added, “There’s a fort on the northeast side of the island, outside the forest. We’ll head there.”

The Yu formed up at a word from Yosuke and the scouts figured out which direction was the right one, but they hadn’t gone far before Senji and Shanro, falcon on hand, hurried up to the head of the column.

“My Queen,” the shugenja said, sketching a bow, “Shanro has something to report.”

“Moroko has seen maho tsukai,” Shanro said.

“Which way and how many?” Sang asked.

Shanro pointed back in the other direction, then sent the falcon aloft again to check for more details.

“We should take care of this first,” Sang said, nodding her thanks. “General!”

The column turned around and started moving swiftly towards their new target. An avian screech from overhead heralded Moroko’s return, and after it alit on Shanro’s outstretched wrist the man said, “There’s something up there. A flying reptile of some sort.”

“Get ready, it might be trouble.”

The Yu took a defensive form and drew weapons, watching the canopy as huge wings beat at the leaves. It wasn’t until the creature had slipped through the dense foliage as easily as a fish swam through water that Sang got a decent look at it.

“Hold your fire. Unless it attacks us first, don’t provoke it,” she instructed, shifting her grip on Lord Yu’s Blade.

The winged reptile descended some distance from them and landed, sending up a spray of leaves with a sweep of its wings. Sang moved to the head of the column, eyeing it carefully and hardly daring to hope who it might be.

The scaled head tilted to one side, regarding first the trailing length of her hair (she hadn’t noticed it had grown a couple of feet until a moment ago), then the guan dao she carried with a single gleaming eye. “Either you learned sssomething from when lassst we ssspoke or you found what you were looking for,” it said.

Sang grinned slightly in response. “Good to see you’re all right.”

Behind her had risen a babble of voices, some exclamations of surprise at Kukulkan’s capabilities of speech, others of outright worship.

Kami!

Sang twitched. There was still some amusement for watching Kukulkan’s reactions as people kowtowed to him—it was almost as good as watching Typhenon attract a crowd, but considering she knew now what the kami really were… she couldn’t feel the same humour for it. How would they ever believe the kami were no more gods than Kukulkan himself?

Kuni Senji stepped to her side, bowed to her and said, “If I may, Majesty?”

She nodded and moved back slightly, expecting some kind of flowery greeting or another.

“Greetings, kami!” The shugenja smiled broadly. “I am Kuni Senji, shugenja of the Yu, and I order you to submit to me!” Then he swung his sword to point dramatically at Kukulkan’s head.

Sang winced.

Kukulkan examined the point of the blade, his face as inscrutable as ever, then batted the weapon aside with one claw. Fixing his gaze on the surprised Senji, he let out a string of hissing syllables.

“Perhaps you’d care to translate?” Sang asked, arching a brow.

Kukulkan looked at Theos. “Perhapsss you would do the honoursss.”

Theos shrugged. “He said, ‘Be more careful on who you try to order about.’”

“Are you sure you don’t want to clear up what you are from the outset?” Sang asked Kukulkan.

“I prefer to let people sssee me as they wish.”

“You want him to keep seeing you this way?” Sang tilted her head meaningfully in Senji’s direction. But there were distinct advantages to people thinking Kukulkan was a powerful guardian spirit. When Senji drew himself up and Kukulkan eyed him balefully, she decided to interpose before anything could go wrong. “Kuni Senji, this is a companion of mine. I would appreciate it if you didn’t try to bend him to your will.”

Senji backed down and bowed to her. “As my Queen commands.”

“Besides, we have more important things to worry about right now. Namely maho tsukai.”

Kukulkan’s eyes narrowed. “In the clearing sssome dissstance that way?” He pointed a claw. “They are not maho tsukai, but I did get a good look at them.”

He described the clearing, complete with a bone cage containing the fish-lizard creatures he termed ‘Deep Ones’, a smaller cage holding a single woman, a large altar and seven freely moving individuals. As he spoke of the seven, an ogre, an orc, a goblin, an ibexian… Theosteris’ face paled.

“This is bad,” the caster said. “Extremely bad. Agents of the Seven, of the Hell dimensions. Whatever they’re up to we have to stop it!”

“What are you babbling about?” Shanro demanded.

“This evil predates the Shadowlands,” Theosteris said, earning some derisive mutterings from the Yu. “They may well have paved the way for what it is today, or created it.”

Before anyone could gainsay him, Lord Yu’s Blade burst into angry blue flame. Everyone stared at it.

“Whatever they’re up,” Sang said, echoing Theos’ earlier words, “we have to stop it.”

**

When they burst into the clearing, the seven creatures were standing in a line and waiting for them. The central figure, armoured, crowned with horns and bearing a huge sword across his back, took one pace forward. “And who do we have here?”

Sang moved to the front. “I am Hida Sang, Queen of the Yu.”

As much as she hated announcing herself, some situations demanded impressive ranks.

“Ah, I knew someone of importance would show up sooner or later. Is this island yours?”

“No. But it’s not yours, either.”

He smiled behind his helm. “I have no claim to it. Our interest here is only to stop a great evil before it threatens the world.”

Sang smiled sardonically. “Really. I take it you’re referring to a different evil than yourselves.”

“We like the world. Can’t have some monster destroying it, can we?” Some of his fellows chuckled appreciatively. “Surely you know what I’m referring to, what stirs beneath this flyspeck of an island.”

“And this setup of yours,” Sang motioned with the Blade, trailing a lazy streak of blue fire through the air and causing the spokesman to back up slightly, “is supposed to fix that how?”

He smiled darkly. “Are you sure you want me to explain it?”

“In brief. You can spare any explicit details.”

So he did. They needed fourteen Deep Ones and fourteen of the island’s people, which they hoped to capture from the fort in the northeast. Each would be sacrificed on the altar, both to their own gods and to ensnare the Mother by creating some kind of soul jewel or something. Sang hoped Theos was understanding the mechanics—she’d lost most of her interest in the explanation after the words ‘ritual sacrifice’. She’d expected no less, but information was information—they still didn’t know how they were supposed to stop the Mother.

“Does that make you happy?” the creature asked when he’d finished.

“No,” Sang answered, shifting her grip on the Blade’s haft.

Time to challenge them…

“I didn’t think s—“

The creature jerked suddenly as something struck him in the back in quick succession. It half turned to look back, and Sang saw three of Kukulkan’s arrows sprouting from its armour.

Damn it, Kukulkan, you don’t shoot someone in the back when they’re talking peacefully—even if they are a horrible hell-monster!

Shanro charged the figure on the extreme right and slashed into it, but the group didn’t rise to the fight. Some casting magic, some reaching for pouches at their belts, they each disappeared. The one Kukulkan had shot was the last, and he spared the time to give the lizard a gesture of appreciation before vanishing. A moment later, the altar faded as well.

Sang stalked up to the bone cage Kukulkan was breaking open, ready to blister what passed for the creature’s ears until she realised the woman in the cage was Maiko.

“Weren’t you in Epiach?” Sang asked as the Jin woman casually removed the ropes binding her and stepped out of the cage.

“I was summoned back to Jin lands,” Maiko said, then walked off towards a pile of belongings near a distant tree.

“They’ve gone south,” Theos said, catching up to Sang before she could ask anything more. “We have to chase them!”

“South as in ‘still on this island south’, or just ‘south’?” Sang asked.

He shook his head in frustration. “I just know they went south, but you can’t be willing to let them try this sacrifice of theirs!”

“Of course not.” She looked past him at the other bone cage and its frenzied prisoners. The Deep Ones were virtually throwing themselves against the rib-like bars, or gnawing at them, clearly ready to charge the Yu if they were released. Cannibalistic abominations.

I can’t let them go. I have no stomach for such a slaughter, but I can’t let them go.

“Senji!” When the shugenja had come over, Sang nodded towards the imprisoned Deep Ones. “Take care of them, if you would.”

As he caused the cage to erupt in a huge fireball that killed everything inside and charred the bone bars down to black stubs, Sang watched impassively and felt dirty for having given the order, however necessary.

I wonder if Kaji has to deal with things like this. No wonder he wanted to get away so much.

I really, really wish I could talk to him right now.

“We have to give chase,” Theos said, claiming her attention back. “I know what magic they were using—and most were using items of some sort. That means they can’t run away only so much. We can catch them!”

“They’re doing this to destroy the Mother,” Sang replied. “If we get to her first there’ll be no need for their ritual.”

“Sang, they are servants of the darkest evils of this world!” He stared at her. “They could be within an hour’s march of here and you’re saying you’re not willing to go after them and put them down?”

She frowned at him, but didn’t speak as sharply as she might have. “I have no intention of letting them roam free, but you don’t know where they are or how long it will take us to catch them. We’ve ruined their sacrifice—for now. That buys us time to end the threat of the Mother and then we can mop up our new friends, if we can find them.”

The argument was only about to get started when Maiko strode past, pulling on her bracers and calling, “All right, children, time to get moving.”

“Where?” Sang and Theos both demanded.

“The garrison on the northeast side of the island,” Maiko said. “I’m organising an evacuation.”

“Wait,” Theos said, and pointed towards the browned imprint of grass where the altar stone had once stood.

A scroll case had materialised above the depression. It hovered in place for a moment before dropping. Theos gestured and it flipped out of the patch of dead grass, where he picked it up, opened it carefully away from himself and extracted a scroll.

Sang didn’t know what was on it, but Theos suddenly dropped both scroll and case and started babbling.

“Corners! She gets in through corners! The prison is spherical but something happened, it has corners now and she’s using corners as her doorway into the world! Arrrgh, doors! DON’T TOUCH THE SCROLL!”

Sang, in the act of bending down to pick it up, stopped. Maiko skewered it on the point of her sword.

“Burn it!” Theos says. “My head… Corners! The answer is corners! They’re the doors doors doors daaargh…”

“Yosuke,” Sang called. “I need someone to carry Theosteris.”

Re: Second art post

Pironious 1219021038|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion Misc / OOC » Second art post

I still say he has more in common with Maiko ¬ ¬;

Waiting for an in-game moment's rest so Maiko has a chance to write a journal entry. She's got a lot of ranting to do. Captured! Argh! Stupid honourless goat-man thing. Just because he was totally outmatched, doesn't mean it's okay for him to run away and go get his… "friends". Stupid evil clerics with their wrack spells…

…stupid non-evil custard morons with their wrack spells…

Stupid wrack spells.

Re: Second art post

Aimz 1218604107|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover
in discussion Misc / OOC » Second art post

Kaji has white hair… Duely noted! See, this is what happens when I draw stuff without any idea of the context.

Also, if we're going with the whole 'R SO TOTALLY HAS CRUSH ON SANG' thing, then maybe he's dyed his hair to look like Kaji? XD