Tengu Reporter Quest (Touhou) (World 7 - Wheel of Time)

Approach the gate on foot, from the pass.
- Introduce yourselves as reporters.


You watch the guards and their commander for a moment longer. Do you wait for her to leave, or just go down there right now? Then you shake your head and motion for Hatate to join you as you leap from the tree and glide through the night. The odds are that the guards will call for their commander if they suspect she is near enough to hear them, or else to send for her, so there's no real sense in waiting. You drop into the path, landing lightly, and study it more closely. At this distance, even the darkness doesn't hide the signs of combat – gouges and cuts in the walls, pockmarks in the walls and floor, and scorch marks. Fire magic, or a creature capable of breathing fire … or someone manipulating the volcano? That could explain the red glow, if someone was keeping it just this side of erupting so they could use it in combat.

"So what are we going to say? We got lost on the way to the castle?" You don't even look back as you buffet Hatate with your wing.

"We're going to tell them the truth, of course. We're a couple of reporters, looking for a story." You chuckle as Hatate very loudly doesn't say anything, but she does follow you up the path. You hesitate only slightly as you round the corner and step into the light – all four guards are accounted for – and stride toward the gate, pretending to not notice the arrows now aimed at you. You stop halfway to the gate, well within easy bowshot, your wings held carefully to your sides and your notepad and pen clearly held before you. "Hello! Could you open the gates, please?" Two of the guards shuffle apart, and their commander's head appears.

"Good morning," she calls out, leaning on the wall as she watches you. "It's not usual for visitors to be out so late – or early – so I hope you'll forgive us for not being immediately welcoming. Why don't you tell us who you are and what you're doing here?" You smile widely as two of the guards lower their bows.

"My name is Aya, and this is Hatate. We're reporters from a place very far away, and we're looking for good stories to write so people can learn about other places." The commander chuckles and straightens up.

"A place very far away, hm? Maybe I've heard of it. But you haven't really answered my question. Why here and not the castle?" You cock your head slightly, then shrug.

"We live in and on Mount Yatsugatake, in Gensokyo," you begin, drawing uncomprehending looks, "and we came here instead of the castle because we had heard something about an evil sorcerer attacking, and this place being where the survivors fled to. I thought it might be a good idea to get information from the real locals and their rulers before trying to approach an invader." Some of the guards look uncomfortable, but the commander's expression turns stern.

"Unfortunately, His Majesty was unable to escape the castle." You bow your head, and when you raise it you notice that the guards with their bows trained on you have changed.

"My condolences and apologies. Who is in charge of the survivors?" The commander stares at you for several seconds. Were you supposed to ask after the king's family? Did he have family? If he did, would they be legitimate rulers, or would that claim have died with him?

"For now, I am. My name is Impa, and I do still wonder at your intentions. To arrive abruptly and go straight here without regard to the time of night -"

"Oh, we didn't come straight here. We went into the forest, first." The guards draw their breaths, although whether it's because you interrupted Impa or because of your claim, you can't tell. "We met a girl there named Saria and talked with her for a little. Then we came here, because we hoped it might be civilized enough to have some beds." The guards react again, to someone else's intake of breath, and you wonder about Impa's little follower again. Reacted to your redirecting the wind, reacted to your mentioning Saria – could that person be someone related to the Kokiri? Impa leans forward again, watching you intently, studying you with red eyes. If she notices her follower's reaction, she doesn't show it.

"... If true, that would be quite the amazing feat. People don't simply visit the Lost Woods and speak with one of the Kokiri. Not adults, anyway. Sometimes children …." She trails off and shakes her head. "I find myself inclined to believe you, despite the outlandishness of your story. However, that doesn't mean I trust you. If you want to be trusted …." She frowns and shakes her head. A task? If she doesn't trust you, how can she give you a task that can show you are trustworthy that doesn't also put you in a position to do great harm? She chuckles and rubs her eyes before motioning for the guards to lower their bows, which they do gratefully. "Heh. I had thought of something, but it would easily take you until daybreak to discover what I want to know, if it's possible to learn it. And then you would need to return here, which, if you're in search of rest, would be contradictory. Similarly, even if you apparently don't fear Stalfos or Poes, it wouldn't sit well with me to force you to stay outside if you are innocent." She sighs heavily. "If you don't mind being placed under guard, I can let you in, and once we've been able to get to know you better, you'll be given your freedom." She gestures, and one of the guards steps away and out of your sight. Hatate sighs in relief and whines plaintively – very, very quietly.

On the one hand, you don't like being under close watch. On the other, you also don't feel much like running a probably-silly errand for someone, particularly since she hasn't asked you about it. On the third … you're already here, and leaving now would just make trouble later on.


What do you do?

[ ] Agree to be let in under watch.

[ ] Other?

Agree to be let in under watch.


"We accept your gracious hospitality," you call back, and Impa nods before turning to look back into the town. Hatate lets you lead the way, and when you reach the gate, Impa is waiting with two of the guards. Her follower is nowhere to be seen, however. The tall woman – even in your geta you only come up to her shoulder – smiles reasonably politely and nods at your and Hatate's bags.

"We will need to inspect those," she says mildly, and you sling your bag forward and set it on the ground before opening it up. Now, do you have anything that could cause problems …? Impa lets you sort things out of your bag, and you show her your clothes and writing supplies without fuss. The film you have to explain about, but after holding one of the unused canisters and simply looking at it, she simply shrugs and lets it go. The food and kappa medicine – which you merely call a 'medicinal ointment' – gain her approval, but the Herzwesten Dark, when you open the unsealed jug and let her sniff it, seems to disgust her. Still, she lets you put it away without any further remarks. "... You don't carry a weapon?" You smile and shake your head.

"I'm a reporter, not a warrior or some kind of hero. And we're pretty quick when we need to be."

"Hmph. These lands aren't as safe as they once were." She watches you a moment more, then turns her attention to the nervously-waiting Hatate, who tries to replicate the smoothness with which you displayed your belongings. Naturally, however, she stumbles when she gets to her other acquisitions. The candy and the manga are merely glanced over, but the smartphone and the gaming systems take a fair amount of explaining that she is only half-capable of doing. Perhaps fortunately, the only games she has with her are cooking and kitchen-work games. And then she takes out the flute, and is prompted by Impa to play it. After a brief hesitation, she takes a breath and stands up, making sure her posture is perfect. Eyes open but unseeing, Hatate begins to play. It's nothing special, not even any set of music you can think of, just her playing one note after another, and the high-pitched sounds quiver through the village. After a couple minutes, Hatate shakes herself out of her trance and looks around quickly, trying to cover up her embarrassment. Impa stares at her and the flute for several seconds, a complicated expression on her face, and you wonder why the presence of an instrument should worry her so much. Before you can ask about it, however, two new individuals melt out of the shadows near a lonely tree halfway between the gate and the nearest buildings.

"Impa," calls one of the newcomers, her voice croaking hoarsely. Impa turns to face them, and all three nod in some particular signal. They approach the gate and study you and Hatate obviously. Like Impa, these two have darker skin than the other guards, and like her they have red eyes, while the guards have blue or green.

"These two are our guests, but need watching. Please take them to their room and see to any needs they have." No mention of the flute, or any of your things, which is probably a good thing. Hatate quickly replaces the flute and picks up her bag, and you follow the waiting guards. Both are shorter than Impa, but not terribly so, and like her, both carry short swords. They half-bow to you as you approach, and one walks to your left while the other walks on Hatate's right. If they expect their silence to be unnerving, however, they're quite wrong – and in any case, you're rather interested in the village right now. There's a ramshackle old house that skitters and scratches, and you're almost certain you can hear moaning or crying coming from within. And the well that you pass is quite handy for the village as it is now, but as it was? And it certainly seems rather old, so it's not something put in with the newcomers.

You stymie your guards only once, when you study the windmill for a moment longer than they're comfortable with, and they seem surprised by your ability to resist being dragged away – but then you catch the guard trying to pull you when she stumbles, and you smile and pat her shoulder before letting her continue. It was little more than a focus for your thoughts, anyway. There aren't that many people here, not unless there are burrows digging into the mountain where most of the populace is hiding – but if that's the case, you also rather expect that they're near-starving. So are there still people living in the shadow of the conquered castle, or are they simply all dead?

Your guards lead you on a poor attempt to confuse you as to your whereabouts, but even a human would probably be able to see where they've taken you. And the building, while it seems to have recently been a storehouse by the not-too-unpleasant smell, is well-made and rather nicely furnished. Well, two simple beds, a reasonably comfortable desk and chair, and a single oil lantern hanging from the ceiling by a chain. There's a pitcher of water and two small cups on the table, as well as a plate with some dried fruit slices. Hatate stretches and sets her bag down, then flops unceremoniously down onto one of the beds, groaning unhappily over the unexpectedly hard landing. You chuckle as your guards stand outside the not-quite-closed door, then sigh and stretch.


What do you do?

[ ] Take a nap, see what the morning brings.

[ ] Talk to your guards.
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