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 Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2004 11:36 pm
Kouji closed the door behind him and sighed as he slid the bolt. He crossed the room, throwing his overcoat onto the chair beside his window. He ran a hand through his hair and plunked down on the bench beneath the same window. 'Takaha hasn't returned yet,' he thought,' He should have been back by now.'
As if on cue, the slightly larger than average hawk swept into the room, a note tied to its fearsome leg. It did one round around the room before landing on his perch and screaming at Kouji once.
"There you are Takaha," Kouji said with a smirk," I've been waiting for you."
Takaha squawked at him and stuck his leg out, eager for Kouji to take the note off. Kouji stood and took it off, discarding the string easily. He unfurled the note from the hawk's leg and read it to himself.The note- translated Alcyone and Kouji,
Greetings! We are glad to hear that you two are doing well with the Kaikou family. Keep up the good work not only for the honor of the Kaikou family, but for the Teshigahara as well.
Also, we have prepared the team that Alcyone-chan asked for. The Hirano twins, Keito-kun, Sasori-san, Tasogare-san, Iesada, and Hisui-san are all on their way, having left the Sankei mountains 3 days ago. They should arrive in about 6 days since they are all on horses that are some of the best of Iesada's stables. He hand-picked the horses for their journey.
Alcyone: Hakuya and K'anya are alright and progressing nicely. I suspect that they will be able to join you in about 6 months time, if you will have them around. Hakuya can be quite troublesome and devious but he means well. K'anya resembles you more and more everyday.
Kouji: Hisui-san can't wait to see you. She is a bit over-eager to see you again. You know how she is. Be careful around her. Make sure that she keeps her mind on the mission rather than you.
So as I said, the team will arrive in 10 days. Be prepared to welcome them and make sure that they are given proper introduction to the Kaikou family and that proper arrangements are made within the Laburnum Palace of the East.
Good luck and may the Dark conceal you always,
~ Teshigahara, Makoto- Kamikage of the Teshigahara ninja clan
About 10 minutes later, Kouji was changing his clothes. He liked some of the Western clothing and had incorporated some of it into his style. He liked the turtleneck shirts and the dusters- those were fun- but he was still true to his roots in the loose linen or cotton clothing. He pulled a black turtleneck over his head and his hair poofed out. He pulled his ponytail out of his shirt and finger-combed it. After a moment, he grabbed a comb of his night stand and started to detangle the mess.
20 minutes after that, he had armed himself and taken his regular bow off its rack. He made sure there were arrows in his quiver and calmly left his room but not before Takaha had perched carefully upon his shoulder.
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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 1:23 am
Alcyone Teshigahara Levie jogged through ivory halls and assorted passageways until he came to the door to the classroom where he was supposed to be. He had been skipping his class until the woman with the mismatched eyes saw him. She had a piercing gaze and a laidback aura to her. She was with another woman and they were supporting an injured man. Now there was no getting around her.
He stared at the door and raised his fist. 'So much for skipping,' he thought and knocked thrice. (( I guess this is for me, then, eh? sweatdrop )) On the third knock the doors split open down the middle, almost as if they did so in responce to his addressal, though, in reality, it was simply a coincidence; one which presented itself all too clearly a moment later...
The hinges made not a single sound as the two, thick and massive, double doors slid inwards to the room, allowing a growing wedge of light, of which a large section was obscured by Levie's own shadow, to penetrate the blackness of the sealed and windowless room within. No light, save for that which came from the lanterns hanging from the walls in the hallway, penetrated the darkness of the room, but a great din from within made itself quite clear as soon as the sealed exterior of the room was broken; yells, shouts, the stomping of feet and the shifting of garments... all these sounds poured out from the darkness within as dozens of forms emerged into the light, all wearing the same white robes that Levie did, all bearing young faces and bright smiles as they stepped from the darkness and back into the light.
It was odd enough that Sage Sol had ordered this basement storeroom cleared out when there were still half a dozen nearly unused classrooms on the upper levels, but it was odder still that he insisted to his students that it was necessary to hold their noontime classes in such an abysmal place... No light, no light at all. He had even seen to it that the lanterns on the walls had been stripped off and the cracks in the doors were sealed so that no light from the hallway could enter.
Quite frankly, it was not only odd and a tad frightening to the students themselves, but many of the other faculty were beginning to murmur amongst themselves and whisper things behind Sol's back about his unconventional methods. Some said that he was a mite touched in the head, others said he was simply trying to stir up controversy so that he might be next in line when the aging Avatar passed on, and others, still, made the claims that he was in league with the darkness worshipers in Kumori, and was corrupting their students with the lies and trickery of the dark spirits.
As to which of these accusations were true, it was impossible to say for certain... though one thing did present itself as a true and undeniable fact...
"Levie Lumiere."
...he had no tolorance for students that refused to show effort.
A short snicker rose up from the last few students to rush out into the hallway and turn towards the stairwell, intent to hurry after their classmates to grab a bite of lunch before their next class began in the gardens.
In the empty room, with nothing but darkness and a wedge of light spilling in from the hallway to spread across half the floor of the room as if a slice had been cut out of the darkness, the sound carried clearly to the young boy who stood in the doorway.
Almost as if the light had aquired a will of it's own, it moved away; stretching further across the floor and narrowing the beam that it spread to only a few feet in breadth, though piercing the darkness of the room and dividing it into two halves... leaving nothing between the nervous young lad and the illuminated figure of Sol Ascardel sitting upon the lip of the dais at the back of the room with his hands folded in his lap but a walkway of light cast upon the floor. Even the boy's shadow had vanished as the light itself melded around him to illuminate his way into the room.
"I'm glad you decided to join us today..."
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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 1:38 am
Levie nervously stepped forward towards his teacher. His knees threatened to buckle with every step he took. He feared his teacher and rightly so. He had heard from a few of the other Light Initiates that Sage Sol had more than a few screws loose in his head. He had also heard wilder things like rumors that Sol was the Avatar of Darkness but Levie doubted that. He was more inclined to believe that his unorthodox teacher was a nutcase.
Those final steps closer to Sol were even harder than the first step into the room. Perhaps he could distract Sol by using the women and the injured man as a scapegoat. That had been the plan initially, since Levie was possessed of a devious mind.
"Sage Sol! I can explain! I forgot where class was today and just happened by the courtyard when this weird woman with mismatched eyes and a woman in the robes of the Water Temple showed up carrying an injured man. The lady with the weird eyes asked me to find a healer so naturally, I thought about you and came here without delay!"
He hoped Sol would buy it. Chances are he wouldn't though.
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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 2:12 am
"That's quite a story, Levie," Sol said, raising a hand from out of his lap to brush a few strands of auburn hair over his right shoulder before addressing the student again, as sternly as when he had first called the boy's name.
"Though how could you have come running to find me if you had forgotten where the class was? How could you forget where the class was when we have it here every week? And most importantly of all, Levie Lumiere, why do you think I care what your reasons were for skipping my class?"
Pressing both hands onto his knees for a moment, the instructor righted himself, standing tall in front of the boy and towering over the lad's own figure. Two steps brought the Sage beside his student, and with a swift flick of the wrist the palm of his hand was brought quickly upside the youth's head, mussing the boy's hair and causing Levie to crane his head downwards and bring his hand up to rub at the place where he had been smacked.
"If you don't want to come to class, then say so, and you can go home. If you're going to stay at the temple, however, you're going to come to my classes, and you're going to want to learn, do you understand me?" the thin Sage was not a strong man, nor was he vicious, but he had put enough effort into that little smack to ensure that the boy would remember it for a few days to come... unless, of course, he were to practice the mending magic that they had learned in the last session to bring down the swelling that would come in a few minutes and leave a lump on the back of his head.
"Now... show me who it is that needs help, if one of the other healers hasn't gotten to them yet, that is..." Sol said as the walkway benath them burst from the form it had taken and melted back to the normal pattern of light cast about by the lanterns in the hallway.
As he reached the door, he turned back to his student, looking at the unmotivated boy with a stern gaze.
"If you don't come to class, you won't learn anything. If you continue to lie, you'll be getting much worse in the future from much meaner people than I."
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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 2:19 am
Levie knew when it was best to shut his mouth and cut his losses. Wordlessly, he scrambled out of the room, and kept an eye on Sol. He was fearful for another smack since the last one stung like the dickens. He'd have to try and fix that when he got a spare moment.
About 5 minutes later, they stepped outside the Temple and Levie pointed at the trio. Sol probably figured out who they were any ways simply from his earlier description but he felt it appropriate to point them out nonetheless.
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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 2:24 am
(( Like the lady said.... short and to the point... ))
Following the lead of Levie, Sol looked to the three who were waiting near the temple gates, wondering why they hadn't thought to come inside, but not wanting to question them... more than likely they had their reasons.
"Can you tell me what the problem is?" the young Sage said quickly, though in a tone both gentle and confident as he strode off from the center of the path towards where they had situated themselves.
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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 2:40 am
Hoshimi babbled quickly in Eastern, she could speak Western basically but not if she was stressed then she went all but incoherent in it and had to resort to Eastern. She had been panicked since meeting Lao that afternoon. "Please, my mentor is injured...Please help him. We come from the Temple of Water in the East. They burned the village...." the girl herself looking exhausted, beautiful in her costume and general appearance but it would seem even she had been put through the ringer.
She herself did not know it but her mentor had caught a stray posioned arrow when they fled. The poison had been seeping into his sytem for the past week as they made their way here. It had been sheer willpower that had forced him from his bed at the herbalist healers to find his charge. He had also given every bit of food to her, only drinking enough water to keep him going to find somewhere safe, the one place where eventually they could lose themselves.
The man in question was hung in between the two women, his body slumped unconcious as Hoshimi kept looking at him worriedly, her eyes misting over with tears. Tsai was of average height for an eastern but about 35 years of age, he had in fact a bad heart as well tho no one knew of it either. It was something he had hidden even from his charge, even if he were healed he most likely wouldn't live long.
The dark blue cheongsam he wore, with silver lined sleeves and a dragon on the back stretched across his broad shoulders even in repose. His hair falling into his blanched face as Hoshimi tried to help the elven woman hold him upright along with her own staff, stuggling under the weight and her own weakened condition.
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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 3:59 am
((Unless she wasn't looking at the chair, she could have saw the pin. It was fast, but not so fast it coudn't be seen.
Just making sure thats known.))
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Joseph Brown Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 11:31 am
Lao awakened a few hours later, somewhat relaxed and a little more focused. It was a wonder that he had not been bothered by anything major the night before, with all that had happened. He was going back to his buisness mode again, though he missed his wanderings. In any case, they would have to wait. The security detail was important, though he knew not what the detail would include. It was wrong to have it hidden from him, though he trusted that the Kunoichi would fit him in, somehow.
As he rose from his bed and took a deep breath, just one to clear his mind of any small doubts or stray thoughts, he donned a deep blue silken cheongsam with silver lining- as dictated by his sleeves, which were turned up as usual- and his family's dragon on the back. After buttoning up and tying the platinum sash to his waist, he put on silk pants of the same color, as well as the black slippers. The deep, ocianic hue shone in what sunlight was left, and as he looked in the mirror at his image, he nodded.
As he turned to exit, he did not care to tie his hair in any way. Why should he? It was only done that way for ceremonial purposes anyway. As he left, he simply stopped at Sey's room and bowed respectfully, then began to make his rounds.
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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 7:12 pm
*Nicholai listened to the seer's rant. She spoke of all the knowledge he could ever desire, though her voice was more harsh than being flogged with a whip. But he sat on the mat, absorbing locations, names, ideas, everything about the Spirits, their relics, and the temples around the world. Of course, one name stood out. Vil'jiar Jungle. He knew immediately that the name she spoke would lead him to his goal. He aborbed all the other info as well, but kept Vil'jair Jungle especially fresh. Now, finding it would be another matter, but at least he knew where the Wind Relic Temple was located, which was half the trouble.
As the girl finished, she spoke to him.* You have received what you came in search of, now leave my accursed hut! *Her voice gave him a sensation akin to the grating of nails on a chalk board. He jumped to his feet* Thank you, Wise Seer. *He turned quickly and walked away, not turning back to view the Seer retreating back into her curtains.*
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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 9:20 pm
Tiel was staring at Yuri, trying to make an answer. All she had ever wanted to be was a carpenter...but the only thing she could do well were her small stories and poems...but she could never make a livng as a bard, and scholars weren't called upon to entertain...it was far too boring to pore over dusty tomes all day long. And she couldn't entertain, cause she never wanted to go in front of a crowd...if, indeed, the spirits had anything planned for her, they weren't being too obvious about what it was.
Then Rigel began to speak, and Tiel stopped thinking of Yuri's words to listen. As he spoke, she felt something else...the same thing she had felt in the marketplace, when...
When it had flowed through her.
No, but it couldn't have...
But it did...it came from her, moved from shadow to shadow...just as these had moved from his hand to the chair. Was this, then, the spirits answer? Was Rigel, too, sent by the spirits, to show her what she was meant to do?
"I'd only get in trouble..." Tiel began, standing and walking to the chair. Her legs were working fine, now, thanks to Yuri. "If someone sat in it." She grasped the head of the pin, and began to tug. She already knew how it had gotten there, but that was no reason not to get it out. "Given the way it's made, that's not bloody likely..." The head of the pin slipped out of her fingers. She tried again, digging her own nails around it.
It wouldn't budge.
Please...help me, she thought, thinking to ask the dark spirits within and around her. Help me like you did in the marketplace, please.
Nothing happened. Something was there, but no channel opened. There was no direction, nothing for it to flow through. Tiel straightened, and looked at Rigel.
"How did you do that?"
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Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2004 1:04 pm
Rose raced toward the city her horse in full gallop. Why did she have to be so helpful? She already had something to do, but no she just had to help the old woman didn't she. She had been making good time but stopped to help an old woman, so now she was a bit behind. Atleast her horse got some rest so she could ride it this way and not have it keel over under her. She wished the horse would go faster though, she had important things to find out.
When she made it into the city she did not slow she couldn't, beside she knew her way around and people usually bunched up in the middle of the city. She weaved through the streets trying to avoid the main roads so she wouldn't run into anyone and have to force her self to stop. She eventually had to slow down though when she moved pass the market place, there had been a spilling of some sort or atleast that was all she could gather while she passed through.
She finely let her horse relax somewhat as she neared a large three story building that seemed that looked like an inn. It use to be an Inn but the Silver Arbiters had just reacently purchased the building and were still in the process of renovating the building to take make it a more workable area. She pulled her horse to the back where a small stable was for horses and let a stable boy take care of the horse. "Be sure he gets some extra oats" She said to the boy as she dropped a gold coin into his hand and walked toward the Newly renovated in.
The first floor had had th least changes made to it, it was suppose to be a place for people to report they wanted a session with a silver arbiter. So the chairs and bartop had been left as is, so the people can be somewhat comfortable while they waited for whatever the reason. She rubbed her forhead and walk to the boy sitting idly behind the desk staring out the window, wishing he had something to do. He would get something to do Rose would see to it and in a few weeks he will be wishing for more time with nothing to do when Labrum City is aware of the Silver Arbiters and what they do. That had been the reason for the large inn, to ensure that no one went unhelped for to long. It was something new and the Silver Arbiters have yet to discover any problems with this idea, but they knew some would arrise, espicially since they were use to working in more rural areas.
Rose reached for a pendent that went around her neck and pulled it from under her attire. It was a silver coin with a gavel that was etched into the center of it with the words peace and equality on each side of the handle. She then slammed her fist down on the desk to wake up the day dreamer. The boy jumped a bit and was about to complain until he saw the pendent, his words came quick and stumbled a bit but he managed to sputter "La Lady Nocturia, I wasnt.. I mean how can I be of service?" Her reply was one that sounded very annoyed and angry she made sure of it to get her point across "Theres a meeting going on between East and West that I don't know about and I want the person responsible for this, NOW." She smiled a bit to ease the the boy behind the counter and tryed not to sound to angry when she said "If he isnt brought to my office within half the hour, you will be held accountable, is that clear." The boy simply nodded his head and didn't move mutch afraid Rose might strike if he tried. Rose anger flared and slammed her fist against the counter top once more "I said NOw" The boy fled trying to find somone who knew where The head of Intellegence for Labrumn was. Rose sighed when the boy left and headed up the stairs to the top to the room that had been turned into her office.
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Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2004 7:26 pm
Owle Isohos Tiel was staring at Yuri, trying to make an answer. All she had ever wanted to be was a carpenter...but the only thing she could do well were her small stories and poems...but she could never make a livng as a bard, and scholars weren't called upon to entertain...it was far too boring to pore over dusty tomes all day long. And she couldn't entertain, cause she never wanted to go in front of a crowd...if, indeed, the spirits had anything planned for her, they weren't being too obvious about what it was. Then Rigel began to speak, and Tiel stopped thinking of Yuri's words to listen. As he spoke, she felt something else...the same thing she had felt in the marketplace, when... When it had flowed through her.No, but it couldn't have... But it did...it came from her, moved from shadow to shadow...just as these had moved from his hand to the chair. Was this, then, the spirits answer? Was Rigel, too, sent by the spirits, to show her what she was meant to do? "I'd only get in trouble..." Tiel began, standing and walking to the chair. Her legs were working fine, now, thanks to Yuri. "If someone sat in it." She grasped the head of the pin, and began to tug. She already knew how it had gotten there, but that was no reason not to get it out. "Given the way it's made, that's not bloody likely..." The head of the pin slipped out of her fingers. She tried again, digging her own nails around it. It wouldn't budge. Please...help me, she thought, thinking to ask the dark spirits within and around her. Help me like you did in the marketplace, please.Nothing happened. Something was there, but no channel opened. There was no direction, nothing for it to flow through. Tiel straightened, and looked at Rigel. "How did you do that?" *He just stood there, wondering about all of the events that had occurred in the midst of him entering the workshop. Maybe he should just stop prodding the girl towards her destiny, and let her find it on her own. But no, he knew he had been sent, as he guessed Rigel had, and the girl would become a legend in her own right, hopefully.* Tiel.... *He finished his sentence before it really began, deciding to let her inquire to Rigel of his power.*
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Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2004 7:59 pm
It wasn't long until Rose received a guest in her office, obviously the head of Labrumn Intellegence had been looking for her. Before she could even ask he was already telling her of the east and west meeting. She was glad she didn't have to ask that meant the man was doing his job. She listened intently to what was going and tryed to get a few question as to the hows and whys but they had know little about it as well. Just that it was going to be held in Labrumn and that it would be held soon. Rose groaned at that, wondering if she could make it in time. The Silver Arbiters had to be there to make sure things went smoothly and went recorded.
After recieving all the information the man had of the evening, he offered to tell of other things but Rose waved him off and asked politely if he could make sure a horse was ready. The man left with an agreed to do the favor leaving Rose to sit and think in her office. When the man left Rose dropped her elbows on her desk and burried her face in her hands. She had to think of all the proper things to say and do just to make sure she didn't offend either East or West, but she knew better she would loose her cool one way or another. She could handle spats between Lords but Rulers where another matter, they had the lives of thousands of people in there hand and they flick it without a care of consequences.
Rose sat up and headed for the door, she couldnt be thinking like that thats what usually got her temper up. She would have to speak with her head and not her heart this night and hope for the best. She took a deep breath and head out of her room letting out a sigh as she closed the door behind her.
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Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2004 6:14 pm
Slifer arrived in Laburnum finally. His breath was out completly. He looked totally exhausted, and he was. He looked around, his vision blurred. Suddenly he collapsed from lack of energy. He gazed around as people stared and then continued moving. He was low on energy, faint and near to a serious injury.
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