[X] Explore Kaagi no Tamashii.
-[x] Buy Void 3
You are in a new town, an experience you have grown quite familiar with thanks to your travels. In almost every place you have ventured you have taken the opportunity to explore, time permitting. That being the case, you see no reason to break from that tradition now.
Kaagi no Tamashii is not nearly large enough to house the entirety of the army within its borders, so instead your camp is set up in a semi-circle surrounding the northern edge of the town. You leave the camp wand wander southward, entering into the community. It is much the same as you saw from a distance, the worn buildings patched up in various states of repair. In a few spots there are only burned out wreckages, charred skeletons where houses used to sit.
The scars left by the Dragon-Unicorn War, and Moto Shinichiro's rampage, are in full view here. In Shiro Kitsuki, close to the heart of the Dragon Clan, it was different. There the repairs were cleaner, the damage smoothed over such that only a keen eye could catch it. But here, at the edges of the territory… Well, it is a very different matter.
Something shared by the inhabitants of the village, it seems. There are many walking about in threadbare kimonos, many of which were undoubtedly of fine quality once upon a time. Kaagi no Tamashii was once as much a place of trade as spiritual significance, but that was before pain and blood and fire had overtaken the north two decades ago. Few shops line the streets, and there is little in the way of revelry. The people here have a hard, lean look to their eyes that is reflected in their bodies. Even after so long, some wounds linger.
There is a soft noise by your side, and you glance over to see Shirou walking alongside you. He looks on ahead, hands folded behind his back as he walks. Interestingly, you feel no surprise or shock at his sudden appearance. It was not as if he was sneaking, not exactly. A part of you felt that he was there, a presence so regular and constant that on a primal level you felt no need to react in even the smallest way.
It is good to have friends.
"It does not seem there is much in this town to see, Shirou-san," you say, turning your gaze back toward the street before you. "It seems much the same as any place we have walked together."
"Oh, I believe there is much to take in, Sosuke-sama," Shirou replies. He motions a hand out toward the villagers walking about, granting you a respectful amount of space even as they eyed you with concern and no little amount of fear. "We look upon the lives of people, less glorious than most but still grand all the same. Even the most humble of lives is a gift beyond measuring in the turning of the Kharmic Wheel, a wealth of experience that holds value just with its very existence."
"Heh… I suppose so, Shirou-san," you reply, giving him a nod that is almost a bow. "That is something I need to better keep in mind."
"Life is all about gradual improvements," Shirou says, folding his arms behind his back again. "We are born, we suffer for that birth, we learn from that pain and thus we live. Pain grows less as we gather wisdom, and if we are fortunate see that while it is not something to be embraced it can still be appreciated for the lessons it teaches."
"You seem quite the font of wisdom today, Shirou-san!" you say, mirth coloring your voice as you hold back a laugh. "Not that you are usually reluctant to share your thoughts, but I cannot help but wonder what brought this on."
"This place, I feel. That, and the events of the last few days," Shirou says solemnly. He takes a deep breath, and then exhales. "There is a darkness approaching, and what we are dealing with her feels like only the vanguard of difficult times to come." He smiles ruefully, and looks to you. "Perhaps I am reassuring myself as much as making conversation? That answer, I fear, eludes me."
You blink, unsure how to respond. Shirou, always so calm and implacable, is worried? You're not entirely certain how you feel about that. In all the time you've known the monk nothing has ever broken his composure, and you've faced enemies out of nightmares together…
A fleeting, illusory scent of blood fills your nose at the memory of the worst you two have faced together. A beast with too many faces, its laughter echoing off walls stained with gore. A shudder courses through your body, and you take a deep breath.
Thankfully, you are pulled free before you can slip too deeply into memories better left alone.
"Hiruma-san!" Mirumoto Hanabi calls out. You turn to see her approaching, a wide smile on her face. "I'm glad I caught up to you!"
"Greetings, Mirumoto-san," you reply, bowing. "Is there something I can help you with?"
"Oh, everything is fine, Hiruma-san," Hanabi says, bowing back. "The camp is almost completely set up, and we'll be waiting on scouting reports before we receive instruction on how to proceed."
"I see," you say. "So I suppose you have been given some leave, then?"
"Indeed, Hiruma-san!" Hanabi says, still smiling. "I wanted to see the shrine to the hero Kitsuki Kaagi. I have heard there is a memorial here named "Kaagi's Memory" that commemorates the part he played in the War Against the Shadow." She motions toward the shrine in the distance, still glittering strangely in the light of the sun. "Would you care to join me, Hiruma-san?"
[] Visit the shrine.
[] Politely decline, and return to camp and await instruction.
[] Write in.
