[x] Sirrocco
You sigh and lean back, massaging the bridge of your nose. A slight pressure is building up behind your eyes, the beginnings of a headache. It's not all that surprising, considering your journey. It always seems to be weeks of monotonous travel broken up by frantic activity.
Much like Shirou was getting at earlier, in fact. A chuckle bubbles out from your lips, and Shinjo Wanli drops her hand to look at you. She blinks a few times, then quirks an eyebrow. Her confusion seems to have overtaken her anger, for you see her shoulders relax as she leans back in her own chair.
"You find something amusing, Hiruma-san?"
"Hmm? Oh, nothing about the current issue," you say quickly. "At least, not directly."
"I think you're going to have to explain," Shinjo Wanli says, her tone only
slightly dangerous as she leans forward.
"I was remembering the words of a friend of mine," you respond. "The monk from when we first met. He commented that I always seem to get myself involved in interesting events." You chuckle again. "It seems he was right."
"Interesting events?" Wanli asks, relaxing. "That sounds like a story." She waves a hand at a servant, and soon enough there's a small bottle of sake on the table. She pours you a cup and hands it over. "And stories should be told over drink."
"It's really not so complex," you respond, taking the cup but refraining from partaking any alcohol. "We've been traveling for two months across the Empire, and most of it was quite peaceful. A few… instances aside, anyway."
"Like what?" Shinjo Wanli asks, pouring herself a cup. "Speak, please. I've been starved for good company."
"Well," you say, rubbing the back of your head sheepishly. "There was this one time I helped a Kitsune recover a token of her lost love."
"Kitsune?" Wanli asks. "You mean the Family of the Mantis?"
"Well, no," you respond. "I mean an actual Kitsune. She had fallen in love with a monk and married him, but he had died. So she was awaiting his rebirth with a token she had given him, which some Ronin had taken. I retrieved it for her."
Wanli blinks. "Huh… Alright, that's certainly something."
"Then there was that time Shirou-san and I survived a lightning strike…" you begin.
"Wait, what?"
"Shirou-san wanted to show me how Monks of Osano-wo express their worship," you say, taking a light sip of the sake. "It really comes down to challenging the Fortune to strike you."
"And he did?" Wanli asks, motioning with a hand for you to continue.
"Well, I can't speak for what a Fortune does or does not do," you answer. "The actions of Heaven are beyond my reckoning. Still, the lightning did strike not five feet from where we stood. Sent the both of us flying."
"I see," Shinjo Wanli says, taking a sip of her drink. She sets the cup down on the table with a light thunk and pours herself some more. "You certainly weren't joking, Hiruma-san. You've experienced quite a bit on your travels."
"And then there was that time we discovered an infiltration of Tainted in Scorpion lands," you say, taking another sip of your sake. "That was a rough encounter, I must admit."
Shinjo Wanli ceases her pouring and looks up at you. "Forgive me, Hiruma-san, but I'm beginning to think you're having some humor at my expense."
"Every word is true, I assure you," you respond. "A Lost One had snuck his way into their territory and was tainting people, slowly building a subversive force." You lean forward, your lips drawn into a tight line as you settle your elbows on the table. "War is coming, Shinjo-san. That's why I'm here amongst the Dragon, because they have discovered so much Jade in recent years. The Crab must be ready to fight."
The Unicorn Samurai stares at you for several moments, her expression unreadable. Then, after almost a minute, Wanli nods. She raises her cup to you, nodding. You, in turn, raise yours. The edge of your cups clink softly, and you both drink.
"Dangerous times, then," Wanli says as she sets her cup down. "For the Crab to journey so far to prepare."
"It is only necessary in order to fulfill our duty," you say back. "Shinjo-san, I want you to know that if your situation with the Dragon remains unchanged, I will try to come back this way and at least tell you what happens. I expect the Dragon will call for you, but even if they don't you'll at least have an answer from them and not the Dragonfly."
"Such kindness you show me," Wanli says, shaking her head. "I'm not sure I rightly understand you, Hiruma-san, but I'm grateful all the same."
"I'm just someone who tries to live as best he can, Shinjo-san," you say before rising. You bow to her. "A good evening to you."
"And to you, Hiruma-san," she responds, rising and bowing back.
You return to the castle without incident, making your way to your rooms as the sun begins to set beyond the horizon. It's early enough yet, and there are still things you could do… But the day has been draining and you're honestly looking forward to an early night's sleep.
That in mind, you hang up your armor and weapons and slip into a sleeping robe. The room is not the most ostentatious, but you really don't require much. The bed is large enough to hold you and seems comfortable, and that's all you truly need.
So you lie down, close your eyes and hope for a peaceful rest.
o\O/o
You are floating in a dark forest, illuminated only by the light of the moon. This light does not banish the darkness, however, but instead seems to make the shadows grow longer. Those slivers of gloom seem almost like fingers, grasping limbs reaching out to capture anything that comes close.
A man in heavy armor is sitting amongst the trees, very carefully out of the light. He's large, taller than you are by a few inches. A tetsubo rests by his side, and at his hip there's a large sword that doesn't look at all like a katana. The blade is too wide for that, and too curved.
"They were fools to reject me, fools to deny our proper place," he says in a deep, echoing voice. "The Empire is weak, and we are strong. We were the only ones truly deserving to rule."
The darkness around the man… shivers, that's the only way you can describe it. It undulates like a living thing, settling around the sitting figure like a cloak. It caresses him, whispers to him with words just barely beyond the edge of your hearing. There is too much depth to that darkness, and you take your gaze away lest you lose yourself within its expanse forever.
Instead, you focus on the man. He has lifted his tetsubo up now, examining it. It is dark, like the rest of him. It is so dark, in fact, that it stands out amongst the rest of the blackness by being almost the color of pitch. It glints dully in the shadows, and you wonder idly what it could be made of.
"And their weakness will damn us all," the man whispers. He stand up, going to his full, looming height. "They are gathering in the south, the old enemies. Shatter their cities, but they will still return." He takes a deep breath and shakes his head. "They must be annihilated. It's the only way. We must cleanse their filth from the face of the world entirely."
Dozens of eyes and mouths gleam within the darkness behind the man, as if forming from the shadows themselves. You can't tell exactly if it is one creature or several, for your eyes cannot pierce the gloom. Many of those mouths seem too wide, and those eyes too bright. They don't shine with reflected light, however. Rather, their shine comes from darkness so intense that it becomes almost like they are glowing. It is so acute that it the murk of night is nothing in comparison.
"We must prepare," the man says. "And when we are finished with the old enemies… Well, there are other grudges to settle."
o\O/o
The light of dawn stirs you from your slumber. You yawn and scratch your head, your thoughts coming slowly. Oddly enough, your limbs feel heavy and your mind trapped within a fog. Considering how long you slept, you should be well rested. This certainly isn't the case, though.
Could the dream have been the cause? It was certainly disturbing, being so cloaked in darkness, but it was just a dream. You were just worried after the news Shinjo Wanli revealed to you. What else could it be?
You look out the window and see the glow of the rising dawn. Your caravan will be getting on the move soon. The Dragon Lands proper await you, along with the hopeful completion of your mission. All that remains is this final step.
[] Tell someone about your dream. (Write in.)
[] Timeskip to Shiro Kitsuki
