Welcome to Gaia! ::

The woman inclined her head.

"Thank your husband, had he not spoken Gaian...you'd be pincushions. We don't get many live ones up here, we tend to treasure anyone that manages to get through the gulf."

Her milkey eyes studied Amber and then John.

"You were traveling with some companions, yes? They live...a runner for one of the..." She paused for a moment thinking. "More outgoing dwarf clans has come this morning speaking of a cat and a man. They are lucky, the dwarves don't usually wait for Gaian."

She got up and went to a counter in the gloom. Carefully she poured a glass of water and brought it to the bed.

"Drink, and tell your husband that I know he is awake, and to stop feigning sleep. Tribals to not sleep easily at the best of times, and for him to be out this long is unheard of."

~~~~~

"I thank you." Henry spoke quietly, even as the dwarf finished up his medical job and unstrapped his arm. Bright eyes gleamed at him from under bushy eyebrows.

"Nae problem, lad. But I'm curious as to why you an the wee lass is on yer own wit nowght to protect thee."

Henry grimaced and looked at Juuni as he sat up with a wince.

"There are two others, I pray they made it to the settlement in time. Man and his wife."

"Aye? Well, thairs been no werd of remains-like, so ye can set yer heart at rest for the moment. What do they call thee, lad. Yeh look vaugly elvish..." There was slight disapproval in the old ones tone. It was hard for those two races to ever really get along.

"I'm called Henry, in Gaian, I'm more wizard, I think you'll find." Was the slightly criptic reply. There was a bark of a laugh as this met with approval from the dwarf, slightly uncomfortable about what he'd let into his home. But wizards were a dime a dozen up here, like scientists...and they spent good money for lodgings and such. "The girl is Juunikyuu Leviathan, don't suppose you know that name this far north?"

There was a squint of sudden surprise. "Aye, that kinda name is more rumour then solid up here though, Henry. I be Red, though...these days most call me Grey." A booming laugh and a creak as he got off the stool and walked his used tools over to the sink. "Words been sent to the humans, mind, should have someone soon to guide ya to the village. 'less ya wanna pay for passage back the way ye came..."

"Actually..." A gleam sparked in Henry's eye...

Hours later an agreement was made and shaken hands over. Soon Henry had time to sit and talk to Juuni.

"You holdin up okay, small one?" They sat in a kind of living quarters, furnished with couches and the like, and obviously made for larger people to visit. A plate of food had been placed for them to snack on til the human guide showed up.

Juuni blinked and smiled up at Mere as her tail swished behind her and her ears flickered. She was stood by the table, craning upwards as her hand felt across the table, trying to pick up what food she could. Perhaps the tiny neko-jin would have been more comfortable in a dwarven room. whee

"Juunish hungry... Really hungry..." Came the honest really.

And indeed she was. Her stomach growled loudly as Juuni gave a mew of triumph, grabbing hold of an apple and pulling her hand back down to her mouth and taking a huge bit out of the piece of fruit. She was still replenishing all the energy she had used up over the last few days and as she could sleep no more, eating was the next best avenue to take.

The anthro smiled down at John and knuckled his head fondly.

"Course I'm fine, wouldn't be anything less with you looking after me would I?"

She looked back up at the woman, "Yes, they sound like they'd fit the description of our companions... Thank goodness they're alright!"

((Short and crappy but hey ^^))

John smiled and rolled his eyes as she knuckled his hair. She always had a way to make him feel better about himself. He felt like he'd messed up less now.

Rolling to his knees, he wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. He was famished...but there was no time for rest at the moment. They could rest when Juuni and Mere were found.

Standing as the healing woman drew up to them, he quietly folded the blanket they'd placed on him and put it down at the foot of Amber's bed as the woman gave Amber her water. He cricked his neck to the side before running his hand down his chest, feeling the blood-stained bandages wrapped tightly around it - before tearing them off, their usefulness now done. His body had healed itself overnight of it's many cuts and scrapes.

The world was spinning a little...but he'd live. "Ma'am, where are our companions? I have to find out if they're alright or not." He asked the woman, selecting his words carefully.

Paranoia was creeping in his belly, as well as the usual confusion and frustration that usually dwelled there. More questions creeped into his brain, questions questions questions...sometimes he wished he was more dumb then he actually was...

Shouyin stood at the foot of the mountain trail. He'd left his car about a mile back in the garage of a farmer he'd paid to have keep it in his barn. After popping the trunk he'd quickly pulled on the Wu-Tang robes and left. Hood hanging low on his brow he stepped forwards, slowly making his way up. The trail, although wide enough for a cart, was too curved to maintain a constant speed, and thus often too steep for a car to climb up, better suited to the physical strength of a horse or pack mule. Or a person, if you were brave enough.

During his stay with the temple, he'd recalled the different schools of martial arts within the Clan. There were thirty-six styles, referred to as the 36 Chambers, each drawing upon a different ideal, whether it be kicks, palm strikes, or simply breathing. However the Temple itself was simply not big enough to house so many competing ideals, and he'd heard rumours of at least three other Temples in existence across Gaia. While a multitude of chambers were still covered the temple Shouyin had become acquainted with, the primary school of thought was that of the 7th Chamber, its elite coming to be known as the Iron Flag Brothers.

The Wu-Tang Sword was a constant amongst every school, being taught as an accompaniment to all other things. Shaolin Shadowboxing however, was a very specialized 7th Chamber technique, focusing on the idea of an iron body, and a few illusionary concepts. But Shouyin had forgotten that a while ago. He was journeying now to the Temple to train specifically on 7th Chamber beliefs, all of which centered on pure and constant strength until breaking, no weakness until death.

And that was just koul.

Shouyin stepped into the center of the temple's training area, garbed in the same black gi as every other monk all around him. His first pair of robes, which he'd been using as a blanket, had disappeared, being replaced with an actual blanket, though he'd failed to touch the second pair left for him in the room. The gi, which had a black belt around the waist, was terribly comfortable, especially loose in the back and shoulders, which he loved. Though he hadn't much liked the sleeves, and decided to roll them up.

In the distance to the right he saw some monks sword fighting, and actually regretted not bringing his own blade, but quickly shrugged that aside and joined the end of a row of monks, throwing punches in time with the usual training chant.

"WU-TANG CLAN AIN'T NUTHIN' TA ******** WITH!"

And a hand came to rest gently on his shoulder, however Shouyin didn't turn, just ceased to chant while he punced. This man was new to the half-golem, but as it had been shown to him time and time again during his previous stay, each man was defined by the way in which he spoke. And so all Shou had to do was listen.

"I be that insane ***** from the psycho ward.
I'm on the trigger, plus I got the Wu-Tang sword.
The ******** you wanna do? More than Spike Lee's Do.
I'm like a sniper, hyper off the ginseng root,
PLO style, buddha monks with the owls.
So who's the ******** man? Methtical.

On the chessbox."

Shouyin just had to grin a little. Though the fellow had yet to introduce himself properly, the words spoke volumes. It was Method Man, a promising student, although more than skilled enough to be considered a master. Odd that such a person would be summoning our good fellow, very odd. Nevertheless Shouyin stopped punching, and turned to face the man, following him out of the main training area and through the halls, and coming into another room, close ceilinged, but still very open.

The grin spread even wider. If there truly was a '7th Chamber', this was it. Endurance, as was the focus of the style, was also the focus of the room. A few monks punched deep bowls full of iron bearings, others massive blocks of stone, more simply took turns kicking one another in the sides. Even the strength exercises were intensified: one monk did push-ups, while another monk stood on his back and stomped slowly, raising a knee up to their chest before bringing it down on the small of the first's back, before doing the same thing in between the man's shoulders, all while -another- monk raised the opposite leg and brought it down on one of the -second's- shoulders. Maaayn.

Method Man stepped off to the side as another person came to Shouyin's attention. He glared at him with a furious intensity, or rather his bracer. For some reason it truly rubbed this man the wrong way, enough so that he actually approached him, pointing at it and speaking.

"Where the powers you supposed to have? Hand in your soldier rag!
You posin' bad, show your a** son, you won't last.
With heavy weights that elevate the whole mass."

Suddenly he grabbed Shou's left wrist with his right, making a fist with his left hand and bringing it down on the bottom of the half-golem's forearm, hitting it like you would knock on a door and holding down. Despite the uncomfortable look in Shouyin's eyes the man persisted, his eyelids soon closing as he let out a slow hum. For some reason, Shou was compelled to close his eyes too, though he tried to resist.

The humming stopped.

He looked at the man across from in, and then down, surprised to find the bracer unlocked and on the ground, suddenly turning to dust and blowing away into nothing. Shouyin's eyes went wide, a pain developing in the front of his skull, as though something was leaving forever. He focused, but couldn't tell what it was, but he could still tell that the Anchor was there.

"Wh-what, what did yo---?"

"The only thing you've lost is doubt.
I'm Inspectach Deck, you are now a 7th Chamber disciple."

Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers): Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthin' Ta ******** With
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers): Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber
Wu-Tang Clan - Iron Flag: Iron Flag

The cloudy eyes looked at him before a chest heaved in a sigh.

"Calm yourself, Tribal. They are coming, the one who guides them has been coming here since before you and I were both born." There was a small smile.

"He claims the fishing is always the best here. But no matter. Come. I will show you were to get some food, your wife will be alright, in fact..." The glance moved to the anthro and she made a rising motion."If she feels up to it, she can come meet them with us."

The form of the woman turned, pale robes also moving in a liquid fashion as she went to another door.

The cabins in the village were all interconnected with pathways between each house, strange, until you realize how easily you can loose yourself in a blizzard, mere inches from your own house if not careful. It also allowed healers and other community forces easy acess to the outter defences and houses. Each hallway was patrolled by it's own guard, one of which straightened as she went out.

She paused to discuss something quietly with him...words that had an edge of Tomorrows own tounge to them, but blurred with other languages into an almost unrecognizable shape, before she turned back to them.

"Well. While I tried to hold off the curiosity of our leader as much as I could, he does tend to be impossible around meal times, he is very anxious to meet you no matter the state, it appears." There was a tinge of irritation, but also humour within the words.