Oriental Adventures, Rokugan

As soon as the Crane samurai walked out of the store, a female in her teen-years bumps into him, quite obviously not looking where she was going. The force of the bump causes her to fall backwards onto her tush, making a soft squeaking sound. Looking up at the Crane samurai, she gets a frightened look, turning over on the ground and sprinting as fast as she could away... which was an impressive speed! It was as if the Kami of Winds herself had blessed the teenaged female with celerity - after a good moment of sprinting away, the young female skids to a halt in enough time to disappear inbetween two houses.

Panting, the young girl looked about - she was no thief, at least not today... hadn't stolen anything from the crane man... she had just become frightened at the appearance of a samurai, something she had since youth. Her name was 'Roppu'... at least, that's what the humans called her, a slight variation on her true name. She was, in fact, a Nezumi... her dealings with the spirits of trickery made it easy to cloak herself in the illusion of human form. It was, however, just an illusion... she had been lucky thus far, no one catching on...

She gets a determined look, knowing that she still needed to locate food... she kneels down, resting against one of the buildings she stood between... she'd wait until nightfall. It would be easier, then - though the rumble of her stomach made the thought... tough. Also, the spell never lasted long... mayhaps, she'd ask the spirits of Trickery for another chance...

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Bei smiles at her. "Wonder why Lion not have famous performers? Why Lion never come up with humorous poems...? Lion not joke. Feel that the frivolous action is worse than being dishonorable. Rare to hear a Lion laugh, you know... the other clans laugh, yes, but the Lion are not so free of tongue."

He smiles, hands raising to be placed behind his head as he walks, tunic tightening against some very humanoid chest and arm muscles - they weren't as pronounced as a human's would be, but impressive for a fox. "...Sad, though. I really wanted to see the 'City of Earth'... or whatever it was called... never seen a city made entirely of rock before." He shrugs at her. "...Maybe... we turn about and see it anyway?"
 
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Ryoko huffed. Things always got complicated when men were involved ... She watched Bei as he walked. She had really wanted to see the city, too. And who knew when she would be able to see it next. Days from now, she'd probably be far from here. She may never get the opportunity again.

Ryoko stopped. "Brother monk ... I was too ... hasty. I would ... like to see the city. And if we should see the Lion again, I would ... apologize to him." He had apologized after all and surely even she wasn't too thick headed to forgive and forget.
 
Back in the city Kiyoshi followed a familiar path, some people stopped to look at the Samurai carrying a black-clad white-haired woman, but none approached, and it wasn't long before he stood in front of the house he was looking for. It hadn't been long since he had said goodbye to Akodo Hisaki, not expecting to see him again for a long while, and now he was knocking on his door, a strange woman in his arms. Before the boor opened he tried to wake Tae and stand her on her feet.
 
The monk smiles, nodding slowly and turning on his heel. He speaks,

"Fire burns in your soul,
As fire is let loose on he,
remember the ash."

With another mysterious nod, he chuckles... ears flicking as the wind rustles his fur audibly. Soon, they could see the rising stone of Renga Murai, the Rock Village.

It was a shocking expression of Lion power. The city was established to harvest lumber from the only major Lion forest. The lumber goes entirely towards military purposes, and the peasants of the village are not allowed to use it for building purposes; thus the village's construction and name. An obsolete military base nearby, Shiro no Shinjin, is the unofficial headquarters of the Lion Deathseekers, a rather terrifying and brutally effective branch of the military.

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The door opened, and the calm-faced Lion shugenja opened the door - red hair flowing long down his head like a lion's mane. He had been born of Akodo and Kitsu, and the visage of the lion-spirits still showed upon his powerful frame. "Samurai Kiyoshi... what is-" He looks down at the unconscious female. "Oh. Please, bring her inside..."

The calm man pointed towards a nearby couch, while he went to grab some materials. Lighting some bitter-smelling incense, the man pulled out a scroll from nearby. "Here we go... this should do the trick." Opening the scroll, he places his hand on the female's brow. "
Chiyu... Chiyu... Chiyu... Chiyu..." At once, a blue light ran down his shoulder, through his arm and into the young female - a water spell, and the most powerful healing spell the man had, completely healing Tae of all physical afflictions, washing the pain and affliction away with the power of water. When the spell was done, he nods - rising to his feet and looking to Kiyoshi. "She'll wake soon."
 
Ryoko couldn't help but be impressed. This truly was a city and well worth visiting. She would have to keep her temper, though, and who knows, perhaps she would meet that samurai again. Of course, she could be a bit lighter on the jokes but there was bound to be another way to snap him out of it. Lions really were too uptight.

As they drew near and finally entered the city, they found themselves at the back of a travelling party also arriving. "Do you think we will see that Lion samurai and the woman you found here? It's a big city. Lots of people."
 
Though the city was indeed beautiful, one quickly noticed how fast most of the villagers scattered, glaring at Ryoko and Bei through windows and other things. Several even reached for weaponry, backing away into hiding places. Almost as soon as the two entered the streets, the streets became depopulated.

Bei's ears fell. "...Wished this arrival would be different than the others. Maybe I should stay outside the city... the farmers are always less uptight than villagers, except for the chicken farmers..." He actually... radiated sorrow. Guess that was a possible problem for spirit-creatures. "...Shame, too. Beautiful city... and I would have enjoyed sharing some sake with you..."

He backs up slowly, shyly - tucking his tail under him like a frightened canine, making himself seem much smaller than he was. It was a reflex - villagers and most samurai tended to see the hengeyokai as villainous evil spirits... mostly because humans didn't like to have tricks played on them, but that was that. "Thank for... showing kindness, for once." It was obvious the fox was pretty much ready to bolt.

Were humans really so frightening...?
 
“Thank you shugenja Hisaki.” Kiyoshi said with a bow. “She fell at the side of the road outside of the city. There was also a hengeyokia monk from the dragon clan, it has been a strange day and I'm afraid I've shamed myself in front of a samurai from the unicorn clan and acted on anger.”he looked away from his friend, “I think I have an impossible task, even the monk said so.”
 
Hisaki looked terrified. "Hengeyokai...!? Outside of town...!? We must get the warriors up! The hengeyokai will tear the town apart..." The man panics for a bit, then calms. "Ah... but you mentioned shame... did you fail in fighting off the evil spirit creature? Do not worry - they are quite tricky and deceptive... as long as it knows it's not welcome here."

The man nods calmly, pouring some sake for his friend and himself. "Tell me, Samurai Kiyoshi... how have you been...? It was a simple task to set myself up as a healer, here - but how fare the warriors?"
 
Ryoko was a bit surprised by the reactions but then when Bei explained it, it finally dawned on her. "Hm ..." She huffed. "I'm not too bright anyways. Tend to forget things like that. Let's go then, Brother Monk." She started for the gate again. "Don't you have another form, Brother Monk?"
 
Kiyoshi took the glass offered but didn't raise it to his lips just yet. “Those who survived are mostly scattered. To be honest, we are not doing well.” he looked into the sake and gulped it down. “I doubt the spirit creature will come this way, he was walking away from the city when I last saw. He did not appear normal for his kind though.”
 
Bei nods. "I have two other. Though sensei says to appear human is to lie - and to lie is to be dishonorable. I... cannot take the form of a human. To do so would be to dishonor my sensei's memory." He walks a little closer to her, still making himself seem smaller... "But... I could revert to natural form... be 'friend'... what human call animal-friend...? 'Pet'... yes. 'Pet'." He nods, and in the middle of the nod - shrinks, form seamlessly turning into that of a fox, clothes melding into his new form. He was a tall, proud, muscular-looking fox with grand, expressive eyes. He had thick, ruby-red, luxurious fur. Giving her a curt nod, he trots into town in front of her.

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"It is very sad, to see so many fine warriors become ronin. Such is the state of war... I am not in the know - were the killers ever found? All I heard was that attempts to scry the killers caused the shugenja who attempted to black out into an endless sleep... terrible to think about - their eyes flicker as if in eternal nightmare..." He nods, drinking his own sake. "As for your... hengeyokai... you said he was in Dragon robes? The Dragon are far too willing to embrace the new... think of how strange it would be to see hengeyokai samurai, samurai-ko, or shugenja about...? The thought is almost a parody in itself.
 
"Hehe, sake makes even a fool sound like a wise man" Rhyodotsu mocked Kuroma as he exited the restaurant, eyes adjusting to being outside in the sun. Compared to the much darker interior of the restaurant, it was much brighter out here, with the full grandeur of the city on full display.

Rhyo heard a squeak and turned to find a small poof of dust as a small teenage girl landed on her behind after colliding with Kuroma. Rather than bow and apologize and pray to not be killed, the girl instead bolted in the opposite direction, her speed impressing Rhyo. While running wasn't honorable, it was better for survival than to hope and pray that the samurai wasn't in a bad mood. Besides, a half-human like her didn't need to worry about honor, they didn't have much to start with, if any.

Looking towards the direction the girl ran into, he asked Kuroma, "Are you alright? Did she steal anything?" As sad as it was, that wasn't a rare occurance. There were several peasants who lived in poverty or near poverty levels, and occasionally one would risk his life for another day's meal. "While code says chase, one cannot catch the moon," Rhyodotsu said, indicating her speed was such that trying to catch her would be nigh impossible.
 
[BG=#000099]Japik ignored the curious, poorly concealed stares he recieved on the road into Renga Murai. It wasn't their fault that none of them had seen a man his size before, (His father had often said he looked like "Two dwarves standing a top each other's shoulders.") and from what the Lions had been able to communicate to him, the family emblem on his shield and armor were no less curious.

As he approached the town, something caught his eye that aroused his curiosity - a young woman darting into an alley and turning to watch behind her. Slowing his gait slightly to quiet himself - admittedly, it wasn't very effective, but at least he wasn't rattling like a decrepit wagon - he entered the alley behind the young woman and leaned against one wall, his armor making a soft *tap* against the stone followed by the jingle of metal scales. When he had her attention, he mimed picking a pocket and raised an eyebrow. Did you steal something?
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The young woman seems to jump slightly in shock, having not paying attention. Her leg sweeps around, bending on the way back as she crouches, hands forming fists and raising to protect her face in a monklike fashion, giving him a serious look - obviously nervous... the skiddish movements of a cornered rat, one might compare it to.

She looks over his unique armor, giving the whole thing a quick look-over... it was clear she thought it odd... at the man's miming motions, she seemed to pick up immediately, shaking her head in a 'no'. Seems she appreciated how quiet he was, though... it was an excuse for her not to have to speak. She looks up at him, mouth gaping wide. She gives a flurry of quick hand motions, something indecipherable. Eventually, she slows down, pointing at him, and making motions as if wielding a katana - asking if he's a samurai. Her head tilted to the side, an inquisitive look, like an animal would.
 
[BG=#000099]The young woman gestured "no," but she quickly began gesturing the way a cornered street rat might spin a story to the Watchman who caught him. He regarded her with an air of tolerant amusement. Her question caught him off guard, though. It took him a moment to puzzle out.

Are you a Samurai?

He shook his head, paused, then made a back-and-forth motion with his hand. Not exactly. He reached back and drew his blade just far enough that the hilt would be clearly visible to the young woman on the ground. He returned the sword fully to its sheath, then touched the hilt, followed by his shield, and nodded before tapping his battered emblem. I am a soldier. I am a noble.

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She looked ready to bolt again when he went for his sword - and, in fact, took a good jump back on strong legs... he put it away again, though, and she looked at him curiously. She nods at his motions, seeming to understand... she tilts slightly to one side, raising her eyebrow in a cocky manner.

She points at him, miming sneaking with her body, then shrugs.... curious as to why he'd be sneaking up on her... she adds on, with a confused look, sneaking and pointing at him again... curious why he'd be sneaking at all. She gestures at his armor, shaking her head, expressing that his armor's terrible for trying to sneak around in.

She then looks away shyly, blushing - embarrassed she was startled by him anyway, with all that armor on.

She shakes her head, motioning to the alley, the grate that led to the sewers, the sky, and herself... she lived here, under the grace of the sky - no home. She smiled at that, though... she looked clean, not like a normal rough-and-tumble girl from the streets... her outfit was colorful, too, like she was a performer.
 
[BG=#000099]Japik had to smile at that. He made a loose fist at his temple and moved it forward, as though opening a telescope. Reconaissance.

He frowned at her announcement that she had no home, then gestured to himself, followed by a loose fist that widened. Cut off.

He paused a moment, looking at her quizzically. You don't look like a street rat, he told her, gesturing each word individually.
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She didn't seem to understand the second bit, but nodded anyway. At the term 'street rat', she gave a terrified look behind her, patting herself down and looking at herself... at the end of it, she gives a relieved sigh, giving him an embarrassed glance and nodding a bit.

She motions around, quickly and deftly making each word as if she had done this for years - which she had, in fact. It's not bad. I have a river to bathe and wash in. The stars and sun are very lovely. The city's made of stone, it's like outside everywhere here.

She nods, smiling - pointing to herself. "Roppu." She states her name out loud, nodding. She gestures at the city, "Renga Murai." She points to him, questioning, "Rokugani?" The single words at a time were easy to sound out without the stuttering, though she did have a softly higher-pitched voice. It wasn't a grating sound, though it couldn't be considered a 'beautiful' voice.
 
[BG=#000099]That the young woman panicked at being told she didn't look like a street rat confused Japik immensely, but he didn't say anything about it. Or rather, gesture anything about it. The quickfire signing was less confusing - he was just as fast or faster with battle signs, and street rats commonly used hand signs among themselves.

He shook his head at her inquiry, though. Instead, he replied in his rolling bass. "Japik," he said, gesturing to himself. Then to the city, followed by the general direction of the sea. "Eagle's Reach. Greyhawk."
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One eye…then the other. Wait, this wasn’t her room! ‘WaAaH!!’ She fell from the couch in a flurry of motions, not being sure of where she was. Not the smartest idea from her possibly, to react like so. Tae recalled some of what had happened in a rush of confused appreciation, realizing that she must have been taken to be tended. Each of the rooms occupants were stared at with a wide eyed look from her place in the floor. “I-I don’t hurt anymore…Who?” Her sleepy/not all there version of asking who had helped her.