☄ Summon Island: Fish Sanctuary

[Count-Swagula]

(Lady luck, why don't ya shine on ol Isamaru!]  

[Count-Swagula]

[this time...for real. come on baby.]  

[Count-Swagula]

Isamaru was again denied. He couldn't figure out why. He was almost sure he was ready this time. He bypassed the fish and paddled up to the sky. It was useful because Isamaru was on his way to defeating his fear of heights.  

[Count-Swagula]

Isamaru went back to Mercadia and bowed before her. He looked into the water and asked her again to make a pact with Isamaru. If he failed he would wait. Go learn some jutsu, and come back.  

[Count-Swagula]

[todays the day!]  

[Count-Swagula]

[dice roll!]  

[Count-Swagula]

Isamaru sighed and decided he would come back to her later. He bowed in respect and headed back to the mist village. Making a quick stop at the merchant country along the way.  

[Count-Swagula]

Isamaru was back on the boat. He popped in for tea at the mad old mans house and went to see his summon. Him and the old man were on a first name basis now. Isamaru had conversed with him. And the two got along splendidly. Isamaru now was finishing stupid attacks by Mr. Chomps and the chomps squad and Isamaru had another stab at the shark who again couldn't manage the conduit. Isamaru would ask humbly again. The fish queen mercadia. [1/2]


"Miss, please take me in as your sage!" Isamaru said holding the blood from rushing out of his nose at the slender beauty of a mermaid the elder was. She always gave the genin a rather odd look when he came to visit. Could it have been Isamaru's nose? Who knows? [2/2]  

[Count-Swagula]

[roll 1]  

[Count-Swagula]

[sigh...roll 2]  

[Count-Swagula]

Isamaru was out on his boat again trying to get the fish to accept him as a summoner. He would attempt to get her again. He didn't plan on losing. Isamaru row'd up and nodded to all the fish. They were used to him now. Isamaru was glad about that. He hoped for a pact with the beasts now. [1/2]


Isamaru bowed and said hello to Mercadia and she nodded back. "Asking again?" She wondered crossing her arms. Isamaru smiled and opened wide to ask. "Make a pact with me!" He said bowing quickl. Hoping she would accept. [2/2]  

[Count-Swagula]

[roll 1]  

[Count-Swagula]

Mercadia rose from the water and looked down upon Isamaru. The chunin felt a little nervous. The water began to churn and tug the boat. Isamaru grabbed the side and looked down. He was in a whirlpool. "Oh crap!" Isamaru said as she crossed her arms far above the shinobi. Looking down with wrathful eyes.

"You persistant little mortal" She began making the water pick up speed. She snapped and the shark Gargantua leapt at Isamaru. He was nervous at the awesome power of a summon. "I shall allow you to enter into a contract with us. You'll be the first mortal to ever borrow our power. Congradulations." Isamaru appeared shocked and the whirlpool suddenly became a stop. Still water in Atlantis. The chunin was spared a horrid death. He stood in his boat and fist pumped.

"Yeah!" Isamaru cheered he lept up in the boat and it rocked. He looked down and signed the pact in his blood. "I look forward to working with you!" Isamaru called heading towards the docks. He neednt be here anymore.  

[ghostfinch]

Artemis Souma

▴ Shishin▴ Nin Specialist ▴ 990/990 ▴ 370/370 ▴ B-Rank ▴

Artemis swallowed nervously. She collected the compass in her hand and frowned. She had little sense of direction, and no experience navigating. She'd always been a follower. First of Baba, once she had regained consciousness, and then of Atsuko, once Baba had passed and she was lost in her own grief. This was an unusual action coming from Artemis, who couldn't easily be described as impulsive.

However, she needed to set out on her own. Have a bit of her own path and time to herself. It felt right, after Houou's passing. He'd want her to grow. She settled herself on the boat and released its tie to the port. It was time to go off and meet some of these mystical sea creatures that she'd heard rumor of in Sasagi. She settled herself on the boat and whispered a mantra of good luck to herself while holding the compass. [1]

After a while, she left the compass by the sail and let herself walk to the edge of the boat. It'd likely take her a few hours to get where she needed to go because of her poor sense of direction; she might as well enjoy the journey. She sat at the edge and dipped a hand down, feeling refreshed by the icy water. Suddenly, she saw dark shapes rise from the water and withdrew just in time to see the jaw of the piranha clamp down. "Oh snap!" She brought her hand to her chest and held it carefully, shocked from how close a call that'd been. [2]

"What are you thinking?" She asked the fish out of frustration, not realizing that it may not be a summonable fish and could just be a regular, non-speaking animal. However, the creature did respond, in unison with a school of identical creatures. "You shouldn't come to these seas if you can't handle the waves," they mocked. Artemis was surprised at the gusto of these small fish, but it soon gave way to laughter. [3]

"I like your moxie, fishies! Who are you lot?" The fish were silent as they swam alongside her boat with ease. She couldn't read fish expressions, but they appeared surprised themselves. Eventually, the first one spoke alone. "No one has asked about us before. You don't seem very scared. We are simply the piranha school, here to send away cowards before they waste Raikoi's time." Artemis' interest was piqued at that. "Where can I find Raikoi?" [4]

She was answered by a giant splash a couple of yards ahead- it resulted in an even bigger wave that almost flipped her boat. She held on tight to the edge of the ship and tried to peer over but the piranha were gone. She looked forward to see a red and blue koi fish swimming towards her. She hadn't noticed it before but the sky was dark - suddenly lightning was shooting down and --- oh s**t, were those lasers? [5]

She threw herself port side as a laser beam shot right at her. The sea was in complete turmoil now, throwing her around without mercy. She held onto the pole of the sail, grabbing the shaking compass and stuffing it in her knapsack. "Woah, woah! Can't we talk about this?" She held on tight to the pole as the koi dove under her ship and began to strike it directly as he kept the storm techniques coming. Artemis, instead of feeling seasick, began to feel exhilarated. This was a bit like being on a crazy ride, something from her dreams maybe, and it was definitely exciting. She'd never done something so crazy that'd stemmed from spontaneity. The adrenaline of the encounter threw her into a giggle fit, with a snort tossed in here or there. [6]

The koi quit his onslaught and the storm techniques stopped. Curious, he swam around the boat in gentle circles. 'What is with you, green girl? You laugh in the face of my storm?" Artemis eased herself out of her laughing fit and sobered up to give a decent answer. "I'm thrilled by your techniques and the no holds barred sea. It's refreshing to not be around people - or fish - that are walking on eggshells around you." She took a deep breath; the salty air tasted so sweet to her. It was like a breath of fresh air after a year of being in those tunnels - in a way, she'd never left them. Houou certainly hadn't. [7]

"May I meet your friends?" Artemis inquired after the koi's noticeable silence. She faced forward and saw a giant shark. The water grew crazier than it'd been before, and Artemis hung on tight. "I'm in it for the long haul!" She shouted against the crashing, clashing sea. "You aren't going to shake me off!" She held on tighter to the boat as one wave threatened to flip it harshly. "I know you don't know me, but you should know that I don't give up! Never have, never will!" She confessed into the rumbling ocean. [8]

She couldn't sense the shark's presence, but the ocean had been in such a riot that she wasn't sure she had any idea where she was. The compass would be completely useless if she didn't know what position she was starting in. She simply hung on, sure that she would either drift into something that could help or would perish on the boat. She would not quit. But the sea breeze gentled against her skin and she realized that the previously thick fog was dissipating rapidly. She was rather thankful for that, though she was also surprised to witness a giant conch shell before her. [9]

Water tentacles grew from the conch shell, and Artemis grinned. "I've seen that technique before. Listen, you can try to scare me like the others, or try to kill me if you wish. But I won't quit. Whether I'm your friend or I'm a body on the bottom of the sea feeding those piranha, I'm going to be here. I won't let you be rid of me!" The conch responded in a deep, resounding voice that sent a chill down Artemis' spine. "You have experienced many of our trials. You laugh in the face of danger, and don't turn your face away from the assault of the sea breeze. You lick the sea salt off of her lips, and dip your palm in our waters. If you wish to become a fish, continue your path and earn the name of it, for that is all that you lack." Artemis' jaw dropped for a minute after such a curious speech from a conch with a voice she could have never prepared for. She scrambled together enough of her wit to thank him, and continue forward. Once her boat was just an arms length from him, she walked to the edge of the boat and put her hand just before him, not touching quite yet. "Do you think I am worthy?"

 

[ghostfinch]

Artemis Souma

▴ Shishin▴ Nin Specialist ▴ 990/990 ▴ 370/370 ▴ B-Rank ▴

Artemis licked her lips subconsciously as she waited for his decision. She must've stood there for at least an hour, her muscles beginning to feel sore and her arm feeling almost completely dead from being held out for so long. But the conch finally spoke. "I believe you will protect my family if you take them out to fight with you in battle. I believe you can embrace the anger of the sea without drowning in it. I trust you, Artemis Souma." Artemis let her hand fall on the conch king, just a gentle touch. She looked up at his massive form with a smile, and if her eyes were watering a little, well that's just because her eyes haven't adjusted to all the salt quite yet. "Thank you," she said just before he stuck out his tongue and threw her on top of him to meet the sage elders.

She was going to leave that part out when she told her brothers this story, she decided then and there. She had a brief conversation with the elders, which seemed more interested in discussing her scars or the weather than the contract, but eventually they allowed her to sign it.