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Yoshikuni Sadako and Asvaldr's Group
Somewhere within the Empire of Akino
A Collab between Lesli and Nim
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Summary:
Asvaldr's group and Kuni make their way their way into and through the Blackroot woods. Kuni learns more about their culture, and they get to see a rare sight along the way.
Somewhere within the Empire of Akino
A Collab between Lesli and Nim
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Summary:
Asvaldr's group and Kuni make their way their way into and through the Blackroot woods. Kuni learns more about their culture, and they get to see a rare sight along the way.
The rays of sun were almost like a faint attempt to remember the group of warmer seasons. The snow crunched underneath the weight of their boots and bodies. They had been traveling for a few hours and the vegetation started to become denser. Clearly cautious, each person seemed to be on full guard. Every little sound was enough to cause somebody to move a gloved hand towards the handle of a weapon or bring their hands together.
What seemed to be more unsettling was the absolute silence. There were no birds chirping or small critters moving about.
"Stay sharp," Asvaldr commanded, though it was clear that he wasn't feeling comfortable either.
Kuni was positioned within the middle with the majority seemingly moving around her.
"So, what do you know about wildlife?" Asvaldr decided to ask Kuni, glancing sideways at their guest of honor.
The positioning in the middle of the group made Kuni slightly wonder if Kiyomi ever had to go anywhere in this manner. It wasn't the most comfortable one, but the dead silence that surrounded them was much more unnerving. So she was glad for the way this was going so far. Upon hearing Asvaldr's question, Kuni scratched her cheek slightly "I can't say I know much about wildlife. I learned that a decent number of creatures will attack us not because they can, but because they fear us. A defensive mechanism, so to say. Though there are also a decent number that will hunt because they must. And yet, that doesn't mean those are the ones we need to worry about most." She answered.
Looking as Asvaldr, she slightly shrugged "Unfortunately, I don't know any particular animal patterns. I just know to always be careful when encountering wildlife. I've heard that it can be best to freeze when encountering wildlife, or that it is best to run, but I imagine both apply, just in different situations." Kuni said.
The hood casted a grim shadow over Asvaldr's features, which were further hidden by the linen cloth that masked the lower part of his face. Yet by the way he remained silent and turned his head towards Kuni, it was somewhat clear that he seemed a bit surprised.
"Ah. I thought you would know more. Being a shinobi, you know. And thus being send outside on missions." Asvaldr would begin. "But some animals indeed tend to become less aggressive when their prey stands still. It has apparently to do with being taunted. However," he briefly paused, "I believe it is best if you don't freeze. If we get into trouble, we will not stick around to fight any matter in these woods. I am sure that you don't know the stories. But a lot of dangerous creatures stalk these woods. The Gods may know why."
Staying silent as he spoke, Kuni nodded as he gave his warning regarding any potential situations. She then thought about the remark regarding her occupation as a shinobi and lack of knowledge "I learn as I go. I barely had any missions that involved wildlife, unfortunately." She briefly explained, sounding a bit saddened that was the situation. Most of her missions indeed involved people and not animals.
Thinking about how many creatures roam these woods, Kuni rose her eyebrows "I like to believe everything has a purpose. So perhaps these creatures roam these woods as a way to protect something? Of course, that's just my speculation." She said, wondering if it would make sense for someone of the Chonobi beliefs.
The first comment didn't raise much of a reaction from those around her. But when Kuni spoke of her idea, it became quiet. The looks shifted and it became clear that she was on thin ice.
"They are called soul-eaters, cause they are desperate creatures that want to devour one's being," Brynjar softly spoke, though his words were audible enough due to the silence. Subtly, the biggest bragger of the group would shake his head as if to notify that what she had said was clearly not something that came out right.
It remained silent and it became clear that most were simply hiding their true reaction away, not giving a glance towards Kuni or whispering in Chonobi instead of using Taika to converse. Eventually, most would sleep while at a certain time, people would shift to guard duty.
The next morning, the sun rose up as its light tried to breach through the canopy of the forest. The faint rays of light didn't provide much warmth or comfort against the ominous surroundings and cold. The Cho Guard group was working in almost complete silence to prepare themselves for the next part of their trek through the Blackwood Vale.
Asvaldr gave a few instructions to his group before approach Kuni. There was a certain caution as he closed in a bit of distance. The hood made it harder to read his features, that only were further hidden behind the scarf. The young man's eyes didn't hint much either as he spoke with a calm voice.
"We are leaving in a few minutes." He simply said, a pause following his statement. "I will need to state once more that we can't have anybody to use chakra. Seeing that you're a jinchuriki, I have thought about it."
Producing from the cover of his cloak, Asvaldr held up a slim device. Though simple in design, it was likely the most effective tools to restrain a shinobi or anybody that relied on ninjutsu. A chakra blocker.
"I considered to place it on you while you're asleep. Instead, I hope you will just cooperate and allow me to put it on." Even with the polite phrasing, the hint of a threat was clear. "Else I fear that I need to force it on you. And I doubt you will give me trouble."
The response from Brynjar, along with the reaction from the rest, made it more than clear for Kuni that she had messed up yet again. Though this time, she felt like it was due to a difference in beliefs. It made sense there would be some, but to see them react as much as they did made her feel somewhat depressed. Despite how they were slightly opening up to her, and letting her know bits about the world that she didn't know of, they chose to immediately shut down just because of this difference. And it hurt.
The following morning, Kuni made no attempts to approach the group, until Asvaldr approached her. Even then, she could see the caution in his step. Had her words been that much of a taboo in their minds? Before she could start overthinking about it, Asvaldr began talking, showing her the solution to her chakra signature problem. A Chakra blocker. Last time she had one on her, she was in the Amegakure jail, and that time left anything but pleasant memories.
"If that's the best solution, go ahead. I won't resist." Kuni muttered, her reaction being clearly quieter than usual. Last thing she wanted was to serve as a lure to creatures that were apparently 'soul eaters'. If it made the rest calmer, then whatever. Maybe she'd ask Aiko if she could just keep this one, and make it into something she wears in Amegakure. Maybe then the majority would stop thinking of her as a ticking time bomb.
Though his body language not showing it directly, Asvaldr didn't instantly stepped forward to place the contraption around Kuni's neck. His eyes briefly narrowed before he stepped forwards. Both calm and as gentle as the process could be, he would tighten the contraption around Kuni's neck. The cold metal would feel like hard ice against Kuni's skin but it wasn't that tight that it would cause too much discomfort.
Taking a few steps back, Asvaldr eyed the chakra blocker around Kuni's neck before giving a nod, which served to emphasise that he was content about the handiwork. "If anything, it is for a week or so. Then I hope I can take it off." He stated before turning half around to throw a look at his group. It became evident that they were ready to get moving. Throwing a look at Kuni, Asvaldr subtly gestured to Kuni to walk forwards.
The trek through the woodlands felt odd. There was the ambience of life around them, even in spite of the cold winter season. Some sounds could be heard from time to time in the distance but any large animal didn't cross their path. The group continued to move with a certain confidence, using various methods to know if they were still heading in the right direction.
Eventually, loud sounds as howling and roars could be heard. Sparking a more wary attitude among the Cho Guards, which became noticeable with the slower pace that the group travelled in.
Around Kuni were a few of the hooded and scarfed operatives while some others went up ahead. The scouts were led by Brynjar, who came back in sight with the other appointed scouts. As the few approached, the group came to a halt. Exchanges were made between the returning scouts and the group, the excitement almost tangible from their conversation.
Asvaldr would remain silent but eventually spoke up, giving what appeared to be orders to the group. Then as if nothing had happened, the group moved as one to the direction that they were supposed to.
"A boggart is in the area. Seems to be an older specimen. Not to mention wounded," he explained as he walked next to Kuni, "High chance that it got into a fight and lost. Perhaps by a pack of other dangerous predators or a younger, stronger boggart."
Seeing the excitement, Kuni was tempted to ask what was going on, but decided against it. Last thing she wanted was to cause all their excitement to fade because of her. Or to get the cold shoulder again. After Asvaldr gave the orders and then explained what had happened, Kuni gave him a brief glance, before turning to look ahead again "I thought we were trying to avoid Boggarts? One of the reasons for this?" She pointed at the blocker for a second before moving to cross her hands.
"We are, yes," Asvaldr began, "but we can't do much if one winds up on our path. Then again, judging from what Brynjar and the others stated it won't be long before it is dead. Depending on what kills it, we might be able to just pass by. Or need to find a route around it." The young man rolled his shoulders, an attempt to bring back some warmth.
"It is just that it might be the only time to see what we have heard and learned with our own eyes, instead of hearing it from others or reading it from a book or such." Asvaldr further explained, though he seemed neither excited or touched at all by the prospect of a boggart being hunted down.
Asvaldr's explanation for the excitement from the group seemed less than logical to her. They wanted to see something dangerous just because they had a chance? Just a day ago, they all shut down because Boggarts were considered to be soul eaters. Now they wanted to go check a dying one out. Kuni felt outright dumbfounded by this.
She started to whisper to Asvaldr "I've followed everything you told me to do so far, without a problem. But if you tell me at any point that we'll suddenly be going to see a dying soul eating boggart, then you can expect me to start resisting. Seeking out dangers, regardless of how weak they may be, is low in my to do list." Once she was done whispering, she went back to her silence, hoping that made her thoughts about the group's reason for excitement clear as day. Their mission was to deliver her safely. Not check out some dying beast.
A second of silence passed after Kuni was done replying. The head of Asvaldr twisted, to give her a sideways glance before he spoke up. "You lack some skill in listening and understanding," he brought up, a slight of amusement present as if he was speaking to a much younger person. "I said that we can't do much if one winds up on our path. The possibility is there but not certain. If the boggart is dying, it is sure because of what is hunting it down. Chances are that we might see what happens but that doesn't mean we will abandon our mission. Even if we never dreamed or hoped to escort a Taika jinchuriki half across the empire." His tone became a bit harsher with the last few sentences.
"Other than that," he looked at the path ahead of them, "You can try to resist. But you can't mould or manipulate chakra. Nor have you the skill to best one of us in close quarters without any weapon. If you think we didn't prepare for you to try to fight us, you should ponder some more. Everyone of us is capable of countering you one way or another when it comes to fighting." He decided to state, the harsh tone remaining.
And just like that, Kuni felt like a dummy. Looking down, she realized she kept getting the same lesson from people, and as much as she was trying to learn it, she kept failing. It was frustrating. Doing her best to pay attention to what Asvaldr was saying now, she took a moment of silence before responding "I apologize for my words. I spoke out of line. I'm more than aware that I am in no position to make any such moves. And you are very right with saying I lack in listening and understanding. A tip that Asmund gave me was to try and pay better attention. To not just speak without thought, or to ask about things before speaking of them."
She turned to look at Asvaldr "I'm sorry. You have said what you said as an answer to my question, and I retaliated in a bad way. The last thing I intend to do is to cause trouble. I have plenty of desire to reach our destination." Kuni said, before turning her attention to the group "It was also slightly hard on me. Ever since I made that suggestion, it feels like it has been nothing but a cold shoulder from the rest of the group." She further explained.
Some silence echoed after Kuni's response. The hood and scarf made it hard to spot and read from Asvaldr's features on what he thought or felt. Simply, the young man would continue to guide Kuni forwards while keeping an eye out around them.
"It isn't exactly a cold shoulder. It is more that most believe that boggarts aren't just ravenous creatures that have a real goal or place in the world. They are damned souls who couldn't reach the afterlife. And because of it, are what they are now." Asvaldr calmly stated to Kuni, "To state that they may have a purpose in the world just surprised some of us. Cause it is like saying that criminals have a right to commit crimes. It doesn't fit our beliefs, so to say."
The young man turned to silence once they heard some noise ahead of them. The cracking of wood was mixed in with what could be described as loud whimpering, barks and howls. Most of the group had already reached for their weapons as the sounds were ahead of them. Some seemed to already consider to move from their current path to find cover.
It became clear that the decision was with Asvaldr, who much like the group wasn't well known with the region they traveled in. Whistling softly to gain the attention of the group, the young man made various signs with his left hand. Without a word spoken, the group started to shift and move away, heading towards a slight diverted path while clearly attempting to keep themselves low and quiet.
"Stay close, if you don't want to end up becoming food for beasts."
Asvaldr's response, which came after a bit of silence, made Kuni feel like she understood them a bit better. Not everyone believed in the same thing, and she was raised to know that was fine. Though to hear their response was more of a surprise than a cold shoulder still felt a bit hard to believe. Although she had something to say, Kuni remained silent as she heard the same noise ahead of them. Everyone in the group turned alert and reached for their weapons, and for the first time in her life, Kuni wished she had training in a weapon that didn't require chakra. Following the movements of Asvaldr and his instruction to stay close, she kept quiet and made sure to try and also be aware of where she was stepping. The last thing any of them needed was the sound of a branch cracking to draw the attention of a chakra-eating lost soul.
The tension seemed to rise, making the air feel heavier and harder to breathe. More violent sounds erupted, followed by what could only be described as commotions caused by beasts. The group moved on, finding a path that started to become steeper but still slightly moving away from the sound.
Ironically, the sounds started to become more audible, as if the violent scenery decided to move closer to the group that tried to steer away from it.
Reaching higher ground, the group would find a cliff to their right, where the violent sounds were coming from. Climbing higher on Asvaldr's instructions, some excited whispers rang through the group. Due to their position, they had sight on something moving through the woodland below them, clearly large enough to make the canopy created by the many trees to shake and tremble. Eventually a large creature came into view. Its grey hide appearing grotesque and its ugly head rearing to find a way to go. What was more unsettling than the ugly appearance of the creature was the wounds it carried. Blood flowed from open wounds that seemed to be ripped open, the clear cause why the large creature limped forwards.
"A boggart," Asvaldr mumbled as he observed the scene.
It was evident that the beast couldn't reach them, even if it had caught sight of them. The cliff was too steep for it to scale it, though some moved away from the edge upon closer inspect and spotting the clear muscular arms and legs that carried the large beast forward.
From the treeline of which the boggart appeared, it wasn't yet clear who or what chased the boggart down. It became very silent, despite a loud and constant whimpering from the large beast.
"We will stay here. I want to see something," Asvaldr mumbled, audible for Kuni while he signalled the group. If one took their eyes from the wounded and scared boggart, they would notice that none of the group seemed interested to move further. The scenery was rare and attracted the Cho's attention.
Moving to higher ground, and afterwards also scaling a cliff, Kuni remained silent. The sounds that appeared to follow them around were, without a doubt, rough and sounded like something powerful. And from what little she saw, it was big. Once they were on top of the cliff, however, they got a chance to take a proper look at the Boggart. One thing Kuni thought upon seeing it was that not even a mother would call it pretty.
Hearing what Asvaldr mumbled, before seeing him also signal the team, Kuni nodded slightly. She didn't feel like the idea of staying right on top of where a huge, butt-ugly creature was, injured or not, but he was the one in charge of leading her where she was supposed to go. And like he mentioned earlier, probably each one of the group could take on her with relative ease, even if she had access to her chakra. The group was set up of people that were meant to help bring her to her destination, after all.
Sitting down, Kuni looked the view that spread out from the cliff. It felt much different than what she saw until now, in the Blackroot grove. Seeing them from above, like this, almost felt like the place could be peaceful in some manner. Like nothing could touch them there.
The wounded creature seemed to move towards the cliff, either too dumb to see it was a dead end or blinded by desperation and panic, driven by its instinct to try to survive what was chasing it down. Then out of nowhere, the sounds of howling and barking resonated. Like a deadly wave, a dozen large canines rushed forwards. The dark fur made it hard to spot what they exactly where, save it that it were large canines on first glance. But unlike normal hounds, the large specimen started to use what could be described as a near accurate military tactic.
The dozen split off in small groups or pairs, using their presence or lashing out quickly to drive the boggart further to the cliff. A few times did the boggart attempt to lash out and turn to face one of the large canines. But this only provoked other pairs or individual canines to rush forward and attack the hulking creature from the back.
Eventually, it became inevitable that the hulking beast was driven to a corner. It started to whimper louder, almost resembling something human to it as it looked up and started to appear crying. Its arms were stretched for a moment above, like it was trying to coerce either some deity or by any chance Asvadlr's group to come to its aid.
When the pack of canines moved in closer and their features became easier to spot, one would assume it were wolves. But an uncanny intelligence seemed to drive the group as it stayed out of range of the boggart. Then without any clear signal, a pair moved in on the desperate boggart. The later attempted to lash out to drive its ruthless attackers back but missed in its grab, exposing its right. Before the hulking mass of the boggart could attempt to retract its arm back and defend itself, four of the large wolves moved in. Their teeth sank into the dull coloured hide with ease, starting to rip and pull the boggart.
"Its doomed," Asvadlr mumbled as he watched the scenery unfold further. The brutal approach was only made worse as the boggart tried to turn itself to the four wolves that were attempting to drag it back into the forest. But it only left more openings, provoking more of the wolves to lung and starting to rip the beast apart. The crying became bloodcurdling screeching that spiraled into becoming louder as the ground became wet with its crimson coloured blood.
While Asvaldr's group watched, it became clear that death would be slow as the wolves seemed content to feast on the living boggart. Weak attempts were easily rebuked by the large canines while the boggart kept screeching.
The screeching of the boggart were anything but calming. Kuni briefly turned her attention to what was going on down, only to quickly look away. Standing up, she took a couple of steps away from the cliff, keeping her back to it. She knew that this was a part of nature, that for the creatures, it was kill or be killed, but to see it to this degree just felt a bit sickening to her. Putting her hands on her knees, she took deep breaths while mumbling to herself "Circle of life. It's all a part of the circle of life". After a couple of moments she straightened herself again, but she didn't turn to face the cliff again. The sounds that came from the boggart still felt like much, and the added mumble of Asvaldr didn't help how she felt.
She closed her eyes and tried to think of the positives that this meant. It meant there was one less danger to everyone. It meant the wolves would get to eat. It meant, if she were to believe Asvaldr's words, that a lost soul just finished roaming this world. Those three already seemed like plenty of good from the actions of nature, at least to Kuni.
The group didn't seem to worry or mind that Kuni took a bit of distance. Soon enough as the screeching started to become fainter, the group would turn away from the cliff. They seemed less wary than before now that they had witnessed a rare sight. Signals commanded the group to move forward as the group descended further into the woods. At a certain spot, they had to watch their steps as they clearly started to move down. If anybody was still excited upon seeing that a boggart was hunted down by other wildlife, they kept it to themselves as the attention was placed once more on traversing through the woodlands.
A break was eventually made with the bulk of the group taking it easy. A few pairs were sent to scout ahead but clearly not too far. Instead of Asvaldr, it would be Dagmar that took close watch over Kuni. The girl had approached Kuni and offered her some simple rations before settling down to enjoy her own part.
Moving away from the cliff helped Kuni calm down somewhat. While no one showed their excitement for what they have seen, she imagined they were probably somewhat excited, with how none of them looked away. But she had no desire to ask about it. Last thing she needed was to hear more descriptions of that. When they settled down for a break, Kuni saw Dagmar approach her and offer some rations. Although she thought that the earlier sight would've surely killed her appetite, it didn't. It seemed as though the long trek did its part, and she accepted the rations. Eating them slowly, she glanced at Dagmar, wondering if she should say something. But without being sure of what to say, she decided to simply focus on eating the rations.
The young girl remained silent as she ate her ration. Then as more silence passed between Dagmar and Kuni, the former decided to speak up. "So, you got a bijuu?" It was clear that the question didn't an answer as Dagmar continued. "Ever saw it like, outside of you?" She asked, throwing a curious sideways glance at Kuni.
Looking at Dagmar, Kuni nodded, but swallowed before she began answering "Only once. Just before it was sealed into me. It was big. Like, uhm, five boggarts high big." She said, though quickly regretted that description as the thought of what they saw before came back to her briefly. Shaking it out of her head, Kuni kept talking "I can give you all of the physical description, but it will be like with the boggart. Unless you see it, you won't really get what it feels like, to see something like that. Especially when it was attacking our village right before I saw it." She finished speaking before taking another bite of her ration.
"Do you hate it or believe it has some kind of purpose?" Dagmar asked, the tone contrasting the possibly cynical phrasing, actually making her sounding curious. "I would likely hate if what threatened my people and place of origin tried to annihilate it. Even if it was sealed within me." Dagmar continued, shaking her head as if she found the whole solution quite rubbish.
Hearing Dagmar's question made Kuni pause before biting into her ration yet again "I still believe everything has a purpose, including the Bijuu. But that doesn't mean I can't hate it. I do hate the actions it took against my village, against my home, and I hate how having it within me made most of the village think of me as a ticking bomb, or as more of a beast than me. But I still believe there was a purpose, a reason that all of it happened. Right now, I know my purpose is to help ensure the protection of people by having the Bijuu sealed tightly within me." As she finished speaking, she lowered the ration. Her appetite had gone away with the rise of this topic.
Dagmar didn't response. She stared in front of her, likely taking in the response that Kuni had provided. Before either could really continue the conversation, the group was once more rallied to get ready to get moving on.
What seemed to be more unsettling was the absolute silence. There were no birds chirping or small critters moving about.
"Stay sharp," Asvaldr commanded, though it was clear that he wasn't feeling comfortable either.
Kuni was positioned within the middle with the majority seemingly moving around her.
"So, what do you know about wildlife?" Asvaldr decided to ask Kuni, glancing sideways at their guest of honor.
The positioning in the middle of the group made Kuni slightly wonder if Kiyomi ever had to go anywhere in this manner. It wasn't the most comfortable one, but the dead silence that surrounded them was much more unnerving. So she was glad for the way this was going so far. Upon hearing Asvaldr's question, Kuni scratched her cheek slightly "I can't say I know much about wildlife. I learned that a decent number of creatures will attack us not because they can, but because they fear us. A defensive mechanism, so to say. Though there are also a decent number that will hunt because they must. And yet, that doesn't mean those are the ones we need to worry about most." She answered.
Looking as Asvaldr, she slightly shrugged "Unfortunately, I don't know any particular animal patterns. I just know to always be careful when encountering wildlife. I've heard that it can be best to freeze when encountering wildlife, or that it is best to run, but I imagine both apply, just in different situations." Kuni said.
The hood casted a grim shadow over Asvaldr's features, which were further hidden by the linen cloth that masked the lower part of his face. Yet by the way he remained silent and turned his head towards Kuni, it was somewhat clear that he seemed a bit surprised.
"Ah. I thought you would know more. Being a shinobi, you know. And thus being send outside on missions." Asvaldr would begin. "But some animals indeed tend to become less aggressive when their prey stands still. It has apparently to do with being taunted. However," he briefly paused, "I believe it is best if you don't freeze. If we get into trouble, we will not stick around to fight any matter in these woods. I am sure that you don't know the stories. But a lot of dangerous creatures stalk these woods. The Gods may know why."
Staying silent as he spoke, Kuni nodded as he gave his warning regarding any potential situations. She then thought about the remark regarding her occupation as a shinobi and lack of knowledge "I learn as I go. I barely had any missions that involved wildlife, unfortunately." She briefly explained, sounding a bit saddened that was the situation. Most of her missions indeed involved people and not animals.
Thinking about how many creatures roam these woods, Kuni rose her eyebrows "I like to believe everything has a purpose. So perhaps these creatures roam these woods as a way to protect something? Of course, that's just my speculation." She said, wondering if it would make sense for someone of the Chonobi beliefs.
The first comment didn't raise much of a reaction from those around her. But when Kuni spoke of her idea, it became quiet. The looks shifted and it became clear that she was on thin ice.
"They are called soul-eaters, cause they are desperate creatures that want to devour one's being," Brynjar softly spoke, though his words were audible enough due to the silence. Subtly, the biggest bragger of the group would shake his head as if to notify that what she had said was clearly not something that came out right.
It remained silent and it became clear that most were simply hiding their true reaction away, not giving a glance towards Kuni or whispering in Chonobi instead of using Taika to converse. Eventually, most would sleep while at a certain time, people would shift to guard duty.
The next morning, the sun rose up as its light tried to breach through the canopy of the forest. The faint rays of light didn't provide much warmth or comfort against the ominous surroundings and cold. The Cho Guard group was working in almost complete silence to prepare themselves for the next part of their trek through the Blackwood Vale.
Asvaldr gave a few instructions to his group before approach Kuni. There was a certain caution as he closed in a bit of distance. The hood made it harder to read his features, that only were further hidden behind the scarf. The young man's eyes didn't hint much either as he spoke with a calm voice.
"We are leaving in a few minutes." He simply said, a pause following his statement. "I will need to state once more that we can't have anybody to use chakra. Seeing that you're a jinchuriki, I have thought about it."
Producing from the cover of his cloak, Asvaldr held up a slim device. Though simple in design, it was likely the most effective tools to restrain a shinobi or anybody that relied on ninjutsu. A chakra blocker.
"I considered to place it on you while you're asleep. Instead, I hope you will just cooperate and allow me to put it on." Even with the polite phrasing, the hint of a threat was clear. "Else I fear that I need to force it on you. And I doubt you will give me trouble."
The response from Brynjar, along with the reaction from the rest, made it more than clear for Kuni that she had messed up yet again. Though this time, she felt like it was due to a difference in beliefs. It made sense there would be some, but to see them react as much as they did made her feel somewhat depressed. Despite how they were slightly opening up to her, and letting her know bits about the world that she didn't know of, they chose to immediately shut down just because of this difference. And it hurt.
The following morning, Kuni made no attempts to approach the group, until Asvaldr approached her. Even then, she could see the caution in his step. Had her words been that much of a taboo in their minds? Before she could start overthinking about it, Asvaldr began talking, showing her the solution to her chakra signature problem. A Chakra blocker. Last time she had one on her, she was in the Amegakure jail, and that time left anything but pleasant memories.
"If that's the best solution, go ahead. I won't resist." Kuni muttered, her reaction being clearly quieter than usual. Last thing she wanted was to serve as a lure to creatures that were apparently 'soul eaters'. If it made the rest calmer, then whatever. Maybe she'd ask Aiko if she could just keep this one, and make it into something she wears in Amegakure. Maybe then the majority would stop thinking of her as a ticking time bomb.
Though his body language not showing it directly, Asvaldr didn't instantly stepped forward to place the contraption around Kuni's neck. His eyes briefly narrowed before he stepped forwards. Both calm and as gentle as the process could be, he would tighten the contraption around Kuni's neck. The cold metal would feel like hard ice against Kuni's skin but it wasn't that tight that it would cause too much discomfort.
Taking a few steps back, Asvaldr eyed the chakra blocker around Kuni's neck before giving a nod, which served to emphasise that he was content about the handiwork. "If anything, it is for a week or so. Then I hope I can take it off." He stated before turning half around to throw a look at his group. It became evident that they were ready to get moving. Throwing a look at Kuni, Asvaldr subtly gestured to Kuni to walk forwards.
The trek through the woodlands felt odd. There was the ambience of life around them, even in spite of the cold winter season. Some sounds could be heard from time to time in the distance but any large animal didn't cross their path. The group continued to move with a certain confidence, using various methods to know if they were still heading in the right direction.
Eventually, loud sounds as howling and roars could be heard. Sparking a more wary attitude among the Cho Guards, which became noticeable with the slower pace that the group travelled in.
Around Kuni were a few of the hooded and scarfed operatives while some others went up ahead. The scouts were led by Brynjar, who came back in sight with the other appointed scouts. As the few approached, the group came to a halt. Exchanges were made between the returning scouts and the group, the excitement almost tangible from their conversation.
Asvaldr would remain silent but eventually spoke up, giving what appeared to be orders to the group. Then as if nothing had happened, the group moved as one to the direction that they were supposed to.
"A boggart is in the area. Seems to be an older specimen. Not to mention wounded," he explained as he walked next to Kuni, "High chance that it got into a fight and lost. Perhaps by a pack of other dangerous predators or a younger, stronger boggart."
Seeing the excitement, Kuni was tempted to ask what was going on, but decided against it. Last thing she wanted was to cause all their excitement to fade because of her. Or to get the cold shoulder again. After Asvaldr gave the orders and then explained what had happened, Kuni gave him a brief glance, before turning to look ahead again "I thought we were trying to avoid Boggarts? One of the reasons for this?" She pointed at the blocker for a second before moving to cross her hands.
"We are, yes," Asvaldr began, "but we can't do much if one winds up on our path. Then again, judging from what Brynjar and the others stated it won't be long before it is dead. Depending on what kills it, we might be able to just pass by. Or need to find a route around it." The young man rolled his shoulders, an attempt to bring back some warmth.
"It is just that it might be the only time to see what we have heard and learned with our own eyes, instead of hearing it from others or reading it from a book or such." Asvaldr further explained, though he seemed neither excited or touched at all by the prospect of a boggart being hunted down.
Asvaldr's explanation for the excitement from the group seemed less than logical to her. They wanted to see something dangerous just because they had a chance? Just a day ago, they all shut down because Boggarts were considered to be soul eaters. Now they wanted to go check a dying one out. Kuni felt outright dumbfounded by this.
She started to whisper to Asvaldr "I've followed everything you told me to do so far, without a problem. But if you tell me at any point that we'll suddenly be going to see a dying soul eating boggart, then you can expect me to start resisting. Seeking out dangers, regardless of how weak they may be, is low in my to do list." Once she was done whispering, she went back to her silence, hoping that made her thoughts about the group's reason for excitement clear as day. Their mission was to deliver her safely. Not check out some dying beast.
A second of silence passed after Kuni was done replying. The head of Asvaldr twisted, to give her a sideways glance before he spoke up. "You lack some skill in listening and understanding," he brought up, a slight of amusement present as if he was speaking to a much younger person. "I said that we can't do much if one winds up on our path. The possibility is there but not certain. If the boggart is dying, it is sure because of what is hunting it down. Chances are that we might see what happens but that doesn't mean we will abandon our mission. Even if we never dreamed or hoped to escort a Taika jinchuriki half across the empire." His tone became a bit harsher with the last few sentences.
"Other than that," he looked at the path ahead of them, "You can try to resist. But you can't mould or manipulate chakra. Nor have you the skill to best one of us in close quarters without any weapon. If you think we didn't prepare for you to try to fight us, you should ponder some more. Everyone of us is capable of countering you one way or another when it comes to fighting." He decided to state, the harsh tone remaining.
And just like that, Kuni felt like a dummy. Looking down, she realized she kept getting the same lesson from people, and as much as she was trying to learn it, she kept failing. It was frustrating. Doing her best to pay attention to what Asvaldr was saying now, she took a moment of silence before responding "I apologize for my words. I spoke out of line. I'm more than aware that I am in no position to make any such moves. And you are very right with saying I lack in listening and understanding. A tip that Asmund gave me was to try and pay better attention. To not just speak without thought, or to ask about things before speaking of them."
She turned to look at Asvaldr "I'm sorry. You have said what you said as an answer to my question, and I retaliated in a bad way. The last thing I intend to do is to cause trouble. I have plenty of desire to reach our destination." Kuni said, before turning her attention to the group "It was also slightly hard on me. Ever since I made that suggestion, it feels like it has been nothing but a cold shoulder from the rest of the group." She further explained.
Some silence echoed after Kuni's response. The hood and scarf made it hard to spot and read from Asvaldr's features on what he thought or felt. Simply, the young man would continue to guide Kuni forwards while keeping an eye out around them.
"It isn't exactly a cold shoulder. It is more that most believe that boggarts aren't just ravenous creatures that have a real goal or place in the world. They are damned souls who couldn't reach the afterlife. And because of it, are what they are now." Asvaldr calmly stated to Kuni, "To state that they may have a purpose in the world just surprised some of us. Cause it is like saying that criminals have a right to commit crimes. It doesn't fit our beliefs, so to say."
The young man turned to silence once they heard some noise ahead of them. The cracking of wood was mixed in with what could be described as loud whimpering, barks and howls. Most of the group had already reached for their weapons as the sounds were ahead of them. Some seemed to already consider to move from their current path to find cover.
It became clear that the decision was with Asvaldr, who much like the group wasn't well known with the region they traveled in. Whistling softly to gain the attention of the group, the young man made various signs with his left hand. Without a word spoken, the group started to shift and move away, heading towards a slight diverted path while clearly attempting to keep themselves low and quiet.
"Stay close, if you don't want to end up becoming food for beasts."
Asvaldr's response, which came after a bit of silence, made Kuni feel like she understood them a bit better. Not everyone believed in the same thing, and she was raised to know that was fine. Though to hear their response was more of a surprise than a cold shoulder still felt a bit hard to believe. Although she had something to say, Kuni remained silent as she heard the same noise ahead of them. Everyone in the group turned alert and reached for their weapons, and for the first time in her life, Kuni wished she had training in a weapon that didn't require chakra. Following the movements of Asvaldr and his instruction to stay close, she kept quiet and made sure to try and also be aware of where she was stepping. The last thing any of them needed was the sound of a branch cracking to draw the attention of a chakra-eating lost soul.
The tension seemed to rise, making the air feel heavier and harder to breathe. More violent sounds erupted, followed by what could only be described as commotions caused by beasts. The group moved on, finding a path that started to become steeper but still slightly moving away from the sound.
Ironically, the sounds started to become more audible, as if the violent scenery decided to move closer to the group that tried to steer away from it.
Reaching higher ground, the group would find a cliff to their right, where the violent sounds were coming from. Climbing higher on Asvaldr's instructions, some excited whispers rang through the group. Due to their position, they had sight on something moving through the woodland below them, clearly large enough to make the canopy created by the many trees to shake and tremble. Eventually a large creature came into view. Its grey hide appearing grotesque and its ugly head rearing to find a way to go. What was more unsettling than the ugly appearance of the creature was the wounds it carried. Blood flowed from open wounds that seemed to be ripped open, the clear cause why the large creature limped forwards.
"A boggart," Asvaldr mumbled as he observed the scene.
It was evident that the beast couldn't reach them, even if it had caught sight of them. The cliff was too steep for it to scale it, though some moved away from the edge upon closer inspect and spotting the clear muscular arms and legs that carried the large beast forward.
From the treeline of which the boggart appeared, it wasn't yet clear who or what chased the boggart down. It became very silent, despite a loud and constant whimpering from the large beast.
"We will stay here. I want to see something," Asvaldr mumbled, audible for Kuni while he signalled the group. If one took their eyes from the wounded and scared boggart, they would notice that none of the group seemed interested to move further. The scenery was rare and attracted the Cho's attention.
Moving to higher ground, and afterwards also scaling a cliff, Kuni remained silent. The sounds that appeared to follow them around were, without a doubt, rough and sounded like something powerful. And from what little she saw, it was big. Once they were on top of the cliff, however, they got a chance to take a proper look at the Boggart. One thing Kuni thought upon seeing it was that not even a mother would call it pretty.
Hearing what Asvaldr mumbled, before seeing him also signal the team, Kuni nodded slightly. She didn't feel like the idea of staying right on top of where a huge, butt-ugly creature was, injured or not, but he was the one in charge of leading her where she was supposed to go. And like he mentioned earlier, probably each one of the group could take on her with relative ease, even if she had access to her chakra. The group was set up of people that were meant to help bring her to her destination, after all.
Sitting down, Kuni looked the view that spread out from the cliff. It felt much different than what she saw until now, in the Blackroot grove. Seeing them from above, like this, almost felt like the place could be peaceful in some manner. Like nothing could touch them there.
The wounded creature seemed to move towards the cliff, either too dumb to see it was a dead end or blinded by desperation and panic, driven by its instinct to try to survive what was chasing it down. Then out of nowhere, the sounds of howling and barking resonated. Like a deadly wave, a dozen large canines rushed forwards. The dark fur made it hard to spot what they exactly where, save it that it were large canines on first glance. But unlike normal hounds, the large specimen started to use what could be described as a near accurate military tactic.
The dozen split off in small groups or pairs, using their presence or lashing out quickly to drive the boggart further to the cliff. A few times did the boggart attempt to lash out and turn to face one of the large canines. But this only provoked other pairs or individual canines to rush forward and attack the hulking creature from the back.
Eventually, it became inevitable that the hulking beast was driven to a corner. It started to whimper louder, almost resembling something human to it as it looked up and started to appear crying. Its arms were stretched for a moment above, like it was trying to coerce either some deity or by any chance Asvadlr's group to come to its aid.
When the pack of canines moved in closer and their features became easier to spot, one would assume it were wolves. But an uncanny intelligence seemed to drive the group as it stayed out of range of the boggart. Then without any clear signal, a pair moved in on the desperate boggart. The later attempted to lash out to drive its ruthless attackers back but missed in its grab, exposing its right. Before the hulking mass of the boggart could attempt to retract its arm back and defend itself, four of the large wolves moved in. Their teeth sank into the dull coloured hide with ease, starting to rip and pull the boggart.
"Its doomed," Asvadlr mumbled as he watched the scenery unfold further. The brutal approach was only made worse as the boggart tried to turn itself to the four wolves that were attempting to drag it back into the forest. But it only left more openings, provoking more of the wolves to lung and starting to rip the beast apart. The crying became bloodcurdling screeching that spiraled into becoming louder as the ground became wet with its crimson coloured blood.
While Asvaldr's group watched, it became clear that death would be slow as the wolves seemed content to feast on the living boggart. Weak attempts were easily rebuked by the large canines while the boggart kept screeching.
The screeching of the boggart were anything but calming. Kuni briefly turned her attention to what was going on down, only to quickly look away. Standing up, she took a couple of steps away from the cliff, keeping her back to it. She knew that this was a part of nature, that for the creatures, it was kill or be killed, but to see it to this degree just felt a bit sickening to her. Putting her hands on her knees, she took deep breaths while mumbling to herself "Circle of life. It's all a part of the circle of life". After a couple of moments she straightened herself again, but she didn't turn to face the cliff again. The sounds that came from the boggart still felt like much, and the added mumble of Asvaldr didn't help how she felt.
She closed her eyes and tried to think of the positives that this meant. It meant there was one less danger to everyone. It meant the wolves would get to eat. It meant, if she were to believe Asvaldr's words, that a lost soul just finished roaming this world. Those three already seemed like plenty of good from the actions of nature, at least to Kuni.
The group didn't seem to worry or mind that Kuni took a bit of distance. Soon enough as the screeching started to become fainter, the group would turn away from the cliff. They seemed less wary than before now that they had witnessed a rare sight. Signals commanded the group to move forward as the group descended further into the woods. At a certain spot, they had to watch their steps as they clearly started to move down. If anybody was still excited upon seeing that a boggart was hunted down by other wildlife, they kept it to themselves as the attention was placed once more on traversing through the woodlands.
A break was eventually made with the bulk of the group taking it easy. A few pairs were sent to scout ahead but clearly not too far. Instead of Asvaldr, it would be Dagmar that took close watch over Kuni. The girl had approached Kuni and offered her some simple rations before settling down to enjoy her own part.
Moving away from the cliff helped Kuni calm down somewhat. While no one showed their excitement for what they have seen, she imagined they were probably somewhat excited, with how none of them looked away. But she had no desire to ask about it. Last thing she needed was to hear more descriptions of that. When they settled down for a break, Kuni saw Dagmar approach her and offer some rations. Although she thought that the earlier sight would've surely killed her appetite, it didn't. It seemed as though the long trek did its part, and she accepted the rations. Eating them slowly, she glanced at Dagmar, wondering if she should say something. But without being sure of what to say, she decided to simply focus on eating the rations.
The young girl remained silent as she ate her ration. Then as more silence passed between Dagmar and Kuni, the former decided to speak up. "So, you got a bijuu?" It was clear that the question didn't an answer as Dagmar continued. "Ever saw it like, outside of you?" She asked, throwing a curious sideways glance at Kuni.
Looking at Dagmar, Kuni nodded, but swallowed before she began answering "Only once. Just before it was sealed into me. It was big. Like, uhm, five boggarts high big." She said, though quickly regretted that description as the thought of what they saw before came back to her briefly. Shaking it out of her head, Kuni kept talking "I can give you all of the physical description, but it will be like with the boggart. Unless you see it, you won't really get what it feels like, to see something like that. Especially when it was attacking our village right before I saw it." She finished speaking before taking another bite of her ration.
"Do you hate it or believe it has some kind of purpose?" Dagmar asked, the tone contrasting the possibly cynical phrasing, actually making her sounding curious. "I would likely hate if what threatened my people and place of origin tried to annihilate it. Even if it was sealed within me." Dagmar continued, shaking her head as if she found the whole solution quite rubbish.
Hearing Dagmar's question made Kuni pause before biting into her ration yet again "I still believe everything has a purpose, including the Bijuu. But that doesn't mean I can't hate it. I do hate the actions it took against my village, against my home, and I hate how having it within me made most of the village think of me as a ticking bomb, or as more of a beast than me. But I still believe there was a purpose, a reason that all of it happened. Right now, I know my purpose is to help ensure the protection of people by having the Bijuu sealed tightly within me." As she finished speaking, she lowered the ration. Her appetite had gone away with the rise of this topic.
Dagmar didn't response. She stared in front of her, likely taking in the response that Kuni had provided. Before either could really continue the conversation, the group was once more rallied to get ready to get moving on.
