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 Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2017 8:59 am
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Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2017 9:25 am
With the Hak'Vesh captured, the guards turned to look at the laying man that had been the target. One guard moved forward to explain that the man had in his possession one of the city's holy daggers.
Surrounding the man quickly, they kept a safe distance away and awaited the army to arrive. The man had survived the Hak'Vesh's assault which signed that he was likely not a normal human either...
With the Holy Army present, they proceeded to capture the man as well before transporting both of them back to the Citadel.
Eight hours later... you awaken to find the containment shields have been removed and you sit alone in a dark room. You can not see what is in the room but you can feel the slick walls that stand only three feet away from you on all sides. You feel a wave of nausea come over you, your head spins as a pressure is exerted on your entire body until you feel it go rigid in pain.
Soon you hear the paired steps of a person in boots and another in sandals approach. Light bleeds from one of the walls and you realize that it is not a wall anymore but a set of bars... though you are certain you touched solid wall before. Standing on the other side in the light that shines only on them, is two men. One is a priest who is adorned in wealthy jewelry, his robes made of beautiful silks.
The other, a soldier of great physical stature. Hair raven black, his ornate armor is black with red designs instead of the white and gold of the regular army. In one gauntlet hand he holds a wicked looking dagger, in the other is a shinobi headband.
"I would have words with you, Hak'Vesh... Or perhaps, Shinobi is a better title for you?" Some how the word Shinobi rolled off the man's tongue with more venom. The man closed his gauntlet fist around the headband's steel and slowly the sound of crunching could be heard.
Raising a ringed hand to the man's shoulder to placate him, the Priest smiled benevolently. "Keep your calm, sire. I'll leave this one to you and I'll speak with the other." The Priest said in a soothing voice, reaching to take the dagger from him before leaving the armored man alone with you. Which each padded step, the pressure and nausea recedes until it's finally gone and you find you can speak and move like normal.
You awaken to nausea and pressure attacking your body, coupled with the wrecked state your body is currently in, the new sensations are far from welcomed. A bright light floods from some where and you notice you're laying on your back staring into darkness. Darkness is replaced with the smiling face of a priest. You wish you could move or speak but you find that you can not. "Hello." The voice is sweet and soft, it fills you with hope but your instincts scream otherwise. The Priest circles around you and the light dims, it somehow seems to be originating from the Priest himself. "I have some questions for you... ah, but you can't speak from what that terrible Hak'Vesh did to you..." Smiling benevolently, the man reaches for your throat with a ringed hand, your body wants to cringe away but you can not move and must accept his touch.
A warmness fills your throat and spreads to your chest and mouth, you take a loud gasp and realize you had been suffocating slowly the entire time. You can breathe again. However you still can't move. "That's much better.. Now I just need you answer some questions and you'll be on your way." Dangling the dagger before your eyes, the Priest continues. "Where did you get this and why did that man attack you?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2017 10:26 am
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He was suffocating to death.
A light, from the corner of his vision shone, but he could not find the source. He was looking up into blackness, unable to move from his position. Then, from the darkness, a priest. When he spoke, Haikyo's stomach dropped. He could see the man's darkness. His instinct and the man's soul itself screamed at Haikyo not to trust him--perhaps he had just done horrible things, Haikyo did not know...but there was something off about this man.
He was told that he had questions for him--but he noted that Haikyo could not speak--yes, please, help, please, PLEASE! Haikyo could not breath, his chest felt like it was going to explode, and his eyes were beginning to bulge.
At this point the man's hand fell upon Haikyo's throat. His whole body was revolted by the man's presence, but he could do nothing about it. As his hand touched Haikyo's skin, his throat warmed to the touch. This spread throughout his chest as well. Haikyo gasped, sucking air greedily. He coughed and spluttered until he had managed to gain some semblance of oxygen in his body, and then the priest dangled the dagger in front of his eyes and Haikyo's heart dropped. He almost wanted to laugh. This ******** dagger had given him more trouble than it was worth.
"I'm...I'm sorry. The dagger is a family heirloom, as I explained to your guards. I was given it by father. I do not know how it came to be in his possession, as I have not been given the...chance to ask. I found the blade, addressed to me as a gift before I left my home in the land of Iron. I have encountered misfortune since being given the blade, but it is all I have of my father, so I do not wish to lose it. I heard that it was one of a very few exceptional daggers, and this was its origin. I wanted to find out where it came from--and how my family came to possess it as well. I came here to find it's origins." Haikyo stated, every word coming out of his mouth pained and labored. He did not know if this lie would get him killed--but he knew that it was partially true...he did want to know its origins, so he hoped the truth in his heart would show as well.
"As for the man...he attacked me because I pushed him. Your guards were going to arrest me because of that dagger...and I hadn't gotten any answers yet. So, I got scared, and he was drunk, so I thought it would be easy to push him in front of the guards so I could escape...I did not know he was a monster shinobi." Haikyo growled, still pissed off that he had been so easily destroyed by that man.
[ooc: ]
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Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2017 11:31 am
The Priest chuckled, "Monster Shinobi, yes indeed."
You feel a cold pressure against your chest. For the first time you notice that you have been striped completely naked. The pressure moves towards your abdomen and you realize it is the blade of the dagger on you.
"So tell me... Are you like him? A shinobi?" The Priest asks, his voice soft and calm, soothing almost.
The flat of the dagger passes over your navel before pivoting so that the handle lays against your sternum, point hovering just over your belly button.
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Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2017 11:43 am
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I'm...the son of...Shohan...Yomi. He is the head of the Yomi clan. First and foremost, we...perform rites...to allow the souls of the departed to rest in peace. We are...not...ninja. They have no...appreciation of the...soul..." Haikyo stated. He had not brought his ninja headband with him--for obvious reasons. He had no identifying nature, though, he continued to tell the man truths. His family truly didn't believe in the shinobi ways, for the most part. Though, some made their ways into their ranks, like Haikyo had done. Though, only the past months had been as a ninja--otherwise, he had been, just as he said. He was doing everything he could...to survive. He could not be honest here...it was clear they had no love for shinobi...to lie was against his moral code...but he had to.
His father was often the one so heavily against the ninja--saying they were evil people. Haikyo never knew where the hatred stemmed from though. He looked up to the priest, his eyes blinking slowly, his face twisting in a grimace as he struggled to remain focused. "Are you...going to kill me? I swear...I did not steal that dagger from here...what I say about its origin is the truth. Please." He stated. He was starting to break down, little by little. Hunger, exhaustion, agony...it was wearing his mind away. How long would he last?
[ooc: ]
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Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2017 11:54 am
The Priest's eyes widened and he looked around the cell as if in expectance to see someone else. When he realized no one else was in the room, he held the palms of his hands before him defensively. "ME? Oh no, no no. I'm not going to kill you, my child. That is a mortal sin." The Priest said, shock deep in his voice.
Laying both hands on either shoulder he grips you tight and leans forward to speak into your ear. You can smell the peppermint scent of his skin and the warm spices on his breath.
"No, you will not die here, in this dungeon. Have no worries of that. We are no savages, my child. We have trials, where you may provide your defense and plead your case and prove your innocence. And to be honest with you, I believe you, I believe that you would be able to prove your innocence in a trial."
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Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2017 12:13 pm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When the priest spoke, the scent of peppermint washed over Haikyo, but he could not move to turn away from it. Their magics, or whatever they used, were strong. He didn't know if they had poisoned him to paralyze him to the spot, or if it was some kind of jutsu, but either way, the man grabbed his shoulders and leaned in close, telling him that he believed that Haikyo could prove his innocence in a trail.
Haikyo licked at his dry lips and he lolled his head from side to side. "Thank you...sir...for...trust...me." Haikyo said, the words slow and labored, as if he were going to fall asleep. He was not so much tired as his body was giving out on him. "I know...I am...a prisoner for now...but sir, please...water? Or anything...to eat? When...would...trial?" He muttered. He couldn't honestly say anymore, if this man had his spell on him still, or if his body was so tired he just couldn't move. The agony had dulled--his body used to it, but it only added into his entire being's exhaustion.
[ooc: ]
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Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2017 12:30 pm
"Oh no, no no!" The Priest exclaimed. He stood up abruptly, walking away to call for water and food before returning quickly, "I'm so sorry, how neglectful of me! Yes, you may be a prisoner but we are not savages, I do believe I have said that before.. wait, no, but now I have." The Priest looked away for a moment before meeting your eyes, a somber look crossing his face. "I fear you maybe waiting a while for refreshments, we're so far down, it'll be quite a while before anyone hears for our pleas... and then for them to get to the kitchens and then return.. well, we could be here for hours, maybe days before any reprieve will come. Ah! I know!"
You feel the warm touch of the Priest's hand against your forehead. Soothing waves of warmth caress your brow, the colors of the room seem to become more vivid than before. You notice that you are not surrounded by darkness but a heavy coat of midnight blue, the walls and ceiling are frightening close which was what gave the impression of vast darkness.
You notice the color of the man's skin, the beauty of his skin tone catches you. The bronze tan is beautifully perfect.
A few more moments and you feel your awareness coming back, your mind becomes sharp once again. With the return of your perception you become all to aware of the pain of your body. The feeling of hunger and thirst becomes voraciously powerful. Your muscle protest to their stiffened stay and your wounds from the blood attack scream for medical care. The dagger on your stomach is freezing cold to the touch of the skin and you can feel how close the point is from your soft skin.
"Ah, now you're more with us. What were we discussing again?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2017 5:09 pm
"Uhhhhhng...." Michio groaned with pain as the man's word's rang through his head like a gunshot reverberating off of the walls of an echoing hall. "Hak'vesh?"
It took him a few seconds to process what the man had said. He'd called him a shinobi and crushed his sand village headband. "That was a gift from my father.... The only thing he left me..." Michio lied, holding his head as he looked up with tears at the side of his eyes. The words were fake, but the tears were real. Michio had never been this hungover before, and it pained him to move, speak, or hear anything. "My father was... ow...." he tried to say, but the words were overpowered by the intense throbbing in his head. "My father.... was a shinobi... and he abandoned my family to go die.... in a war... Ow... Another ninja clan killed him.."The pain was starting to subside and he found that it hurt much, much less to speak. "That ale in that tavern is potent... what was that again?" The question was more or less rhetorical.
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 11:24 am
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Then, suddenly, the priest's hand fell on his forehead once again and he looked at the man, feeling the warmth spread throughout his body. Everything became more clear. His eyes sharpened and his senses amplified. But with these senses restored, the pain in his body was ever more present, and he ground his teeth together against it. But the next time he looked at the priest, he couldn't help but notice his skin--like a woman's almost. It was perfect--the color of it and the softness of it. It was almost strange to think about such things while regarding a man.
His chapped lips burned, and his stomach ached with the pain of hunger. He felt like he would be sick, but there was nothing to throw up. The priest had made it possible for him to speak, but his ragged throat was still torn to shreds. The priest noticed right away that Haikyo was more alert, and the man asked him where they were...Haikyo could barely even remember, himself.
"I believe...the question...was when the trial might be set? How long am I to be kept down here? And...who are you? I mean...honestly...you seem much different than those other guards I've encountered. Though...I suppose a priest did offer my safe haven earlier...he was nice enough." Haikyo coughed as he spoke, looked up at the priest. "Who attends the trials? How are they run? I am sorry for all the questions...I have little more to do right now, without the ability to move, than to think about what my fate may be."
[ooc: ]
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Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 11:21 am
A muscle bulges on the side of the armored man's jawline, his gauntlet fist closing tighter on the headband. Opening his hand, pieces of metal fall and clang to the ground, a few pieces hang pathetically from the cloth. "I see you don't intend to take this seriously. How unfortunate for you." The man regards you with a cold, pensive stare. "If you're capable of telling the truth, tell me why. Why are you in my city, what does your village have planned for us? If you can help us, we can help you with your trial." The priest smiles softly, his gaze regarding you with what can only be seen as genuine curiosity. "Was that what we were discussing? Hm.. I suppose that could be it." With a gentle hand, the priest retrieves the dagger, dragging it's tip carefully along your abdomen to stop it just before your collarbone.
By the tips of his fingers he dangles it precariously above your throat. "Well, let's see... my name is Havarseth and I am the Holy Bishop of our fair city of Aren. Who are you?" Gently he sets the tip of the dagger against your adam's apple but continues to support it's weight.
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Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 12:27 pm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Haikyo listened to the man tell him his name, and that he was the Holy Bishop of their city...gods, he was high-ranking then. Haikyo wondered if that meant this man was the true decider of his fate--perhaps he could pull strings or put in good words--or put in bad words, and pull ropes that hung Haikyo to death....also a possibility. As the knife tickled against Haikyo's adam's apple, he was completely unable to move--as per the usual. He could do nothing but look, horrified at the tip of the blade against his flesh.
"I...apologize. I guess I forgot...to mention my own...name when I was explaining...earlier. I am Haikyo. Haikyo Yomi. As I had said earlier--my clan...performs rites...to allow passage of the soul to the next life, in peace." He swallowed hard, feeling the dagger press even more firmly against his throat with his swallow. "I am here...to find out the origins...of this dagger. I am here to...find out...who I...am." The last sentence caught in his throat, and the boy looked as if he may cry. Haikyo was smart enough to use truths in his white lies...but this truth hit him closer to home than he had expected it to. After he had met Sai Orasakai...it had turned his entire world upside down, after all.
[ooc: ]
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Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 1:03 pm
The bishop removed the dagger, a look of wonder pulling across his features. "Oh that is quite lovely!" The man exclaimed before beginning to pace around your motionless body, "Yes, yes! Your clan sound exquisite indeed! And a pilgrimage all the way over to our find yourself, a voyage for the soul, what an incredible theme for your life's story."
The bishop returned to his original position, his hand ever so gently touching your cheek. With a gentle caress of his thumb against your skin, he moves to thread his fingers through your hair. "So tell me... Are you like him? A shinobi?" The bishop asks, his voice soft and calm, altogether soothing.
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Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 2:06 pm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the man circled around to his original position, before his movements around the area Haikyo was laying. He felt the man's fingers begin to work their way through his hair and he felt an intimate connection to the man, then. Not sexually, of course, but a very close connection that Haikyo could not explain or understand...but it made him feel uncomfortable...afraid almost. Like the man was peering into his soul. He heaved a sigh as the question came from the man's mouth yet again. "In title...I am a shinobi. I apologize for...my lies...but I was afraid. I skipped a portion...of my life...to avoid further...trouble..." He stated, though his breathing was still labored, and his body tight with pain. "I...after my clan was almost destroyed...fled my homeland with my family. Not sure...if news of the Yomi Civil War made it to your city...but it was a terrible event. Our clan was hunted by the Lords...of Iron...afterward to prevent any further uprising...from ever occurring. This forced us...to move south into the lands...of the Shinobi. Most of us...did not...take up their titles or their...training. However...without the shinobi's training...I was never going to be able to properly access my clan's abilities...to interact with and aid the souls on their journeys...which to me...as the clan's heir...was a...disgrace." He stated, still breathing heavily as he swallowed hard.
The dagger may have been gone, sure, but he was taking a risk. He was putting his life on the table for this priest...and it might cost him just that. He took another deep breath before he started once more. "It was only a few months ago...that I moved...myself from the land of Rain, to the land of Fire. I moved away from my family, because...my parents did not...want me influenced by...them. They wanted...me to find...myself...as is tradition...in our family. I became a shinobi...in the land of Fire, only a couple of months ago...and I am still nothing more than an initiate. I just joined their ranks...and began training myself...learning the ways they train, in order to implement it in my own...personal way. I am a shinobi in title...to access their training, and to understand my own body and soul...though I have not decided whether or not the people of that shinobi world...are people I wish...to call kin. However...it is the shinobi people...who directed me here. They told me...this was...where my dagger...may have come from...and now, I am here...as I have told you. Yes. I am a shinobi...in title...in name...though I was raised far differently and with other values. You may judge for yourself what that means."
[ooc: ]
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Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 3:59 pm
Michio watched as his headband fell to the floor and a tear fell down his cheek. It was going to be quite an embarrassment for him to get a new one if he made it out of this alive, but worse than that, the headband he'd just lost was his symbol of being a recognized shinobi. He looked up at the man and then back down at the cloth. "I was being serious... that ale was strong and I don't remember the name..." he muttered, then lifted his head up and gave the man an angry stare. "And that WAS my father's headband. The ONLY thing I had to remember him by! And you destroyed it! Don't you understand what it means to keep things to remind you of your dead relatives?! And how am I supposed to know what the Sand Village wants with you. I'm not a ninja! That was my father. I specifically didn't want to follow in his footsteps. I wanted to live a life where I died an old man being watched over by his child! Not in some distant battlefield with one of those ninja star thingies stuck in my jugular vein. That's why I became a relic hunter instead."Michio paused, but before the man before him could speak, he continued. "I just wanted to live an adventurous life without putting myself at risk of being hunted down... or having my family hunted down... and then.... and then..." he let out an aggressive snarl and hung his head as he held his hand with the palm facing up. "Then I find one stupid artifact, and I get cursed by the god-forsaken shinobi who owned it previously. Gave me the capability to control my own blood... and in disgust, my wife almost left me and took my son away from me... "He looked up and got to his knees. "I'm sorry for attacking that guy like I did. I was drunk and he pushed me.... Argh! I don't know what's going on anymore!" He got to his feet and walked to the back of the cell, turned, and leaned against the wall before sliding down and hugging his knees. "Please sir... I'd like to just be alone now..."
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