Welcome to Gaia! ::

Keishi didn't interrupt as Hariko gave her a brief overview of some of the warning signs to look out for in regards to weather in wintry areas. As he made a comment on the animals moving to safety, she cast her vision out further around them. She could barely see a few small lifepulses some distance away, though they seemed lower than she or Hariko. Whether they had burrowed into the snow and ice, or even further, that was difficult to ascertain. But none of the lifepulses seemed to be moving. No rabbits were scampering to the next hopeful location of a buried patch of grass. Foraging in an area like this took a lot of energy, digging under the snow to try to find some form of plant life that could be digested.

Likewise, she couldn't see any larger lifepulses, not even medium-sized ones like foxes or wolves. They were still far enough from the village that the animals wouldn't be driven away by the signs of human habitation. Indeed, two humans traveling through the snow like this, it would have been unusual to not encounter even in passing, a hungry fox or pack of wolves. They likely wouldn't attack, animals knew enough to avoid humans where at all possible. But they would investigate the scent, to find out what was passing through. But not this time. If what Hariko said was true, then... "If that's the case, we might want to hurry. I had thought there just weren't many animals in a place like this, but if its just because they're laying low..." She really didn't have to finish the sentence, it spoke for itself. For the animal population to go through such an apparent sudden decline, there would need to be a cause of some kind. Some of it was simply the rigors of life in the northern wilds were rough on those that lived there. But even then, there should have been a decent number of prey animals, and several predators. Instead, there was virtually nothing.

She moved forward, and was relieved to note that she wasn't sinking as readily, once she had begun circulating chakra through her feet. It would still be a wise idea to keep moving, before the weight tried to overcome the effect, though. So she continued moving in the same direction they had been going, pausing only to make sure that Hariko was continuing the trek, too. If they pushed themselves, they would hopefully make it to the village before the blizzard finally broke. She could hear the wind howling, it was far louder than it ever got in other areas. That had to do with the density of the air. Air didn't seem like something that had density, but it did. Hot air rose up, while cold air dropped down. When more air was cold, it would build up atmospheric pressure, and by extension, become more dense. Sound waves travel better through dense air, thus the wind invariably sounds much louder in cold climes. The same principle applied to humid air, though to a lesser margin. Simply hearing the wind pick up wasn't proof positive of a blizzard approaching, but it did increase the chance of it happening. After all, the wind blowing controlled where the clouds went, and the humidity that they represented. If the wind was blowing toward the village of Hidden Snow, then eventually a bank of moisture-laden clouds would reach it, and disgorge its burden in the form of snow, sleet or hail.
[589 + 19,136 = 19,725 out of ??? ]

They drew closer to the village, close enough that Keishi could make out more of its details. The buildings were low to the ground and broad, with rounded corners. Not to the extent of the stereotyped igloos, but instead simply buildings that had once had corners which had long since been eroded away by harsh winds and low temperatures. The streets were narrow, and the buildings clustered close together, making the entire village look compact. This was another precaution learned through common sense. With narrow streets that avoided running completely through the village, it was easier and quicker to get from one source of warmth to another. Regardless of how inured they were to the cold, the villagers knew better than to underestimate it.

She could barely sense vague signs of lifepulses. They were coming from within some of the closer buildings, but they were blurred by the solid walls between her and them. The size was approximately that of humans, though, so it had to be some of the villagers. If a storm was brewing, that would explain why they had yet to see any of the villagers, just like the local animal life. The people who lived here would know how the weather behaved just as well as the animals did. She could hear the wind, stronger than before. And the snow, before falling in only slight flecks against the sky, was gradually turning into larger pieces. As the wind increased, it would pull freshly-formed snowflakes back up into the air, only to begin falling again. Through all of that, the flakes would collide with one another, and many of them would become affixed to one another. Snow like that began to build up quickly, in addition to what was already on the ground. "It's a good thing we made it when we did, do you know where the place we're looking for is?"
[316 + 19,725 = 20,041 out of ??? ]

Keishi didn't say anything more when Hariko led them into the village. It seemed he was moving with purpose, so he had to know where they were going. However, when they finally came to a stop, she looked at the building in front of them in confusion. The basic structure was similar enough to the others, but the decorations were rather unusual. A number of larger than life ice statues stood in guard of the building itself, masterful works of ice that seemed to hold no small degree of skill. Ice was more brittle than rock; carving it took a deft hand and lots of practice. And it wasn't simply interchangeable with rock carving, they were completely different styles of work.

"So... This is where we're supposed to deliver it?" Her tone was incredulous, and with good reason. She was considering the same concept as Hariko, why would an ice carver need a sword? A sword would be an absolutely horrible choice for carving ice. But there had to be a reason. Hariko seemed confident that this was the place, so it wasn't a case of mistaken direction. Perhaps it was for the carver's child or something?

Hariko had knocked gently on the door to inform the people inside that they had guests. She didn't say anything, but she couldn't help but wonder if he had knocked loudly enough. The wind was louder in colder areas because it had free reign to travel through denser air. That meant that when you were inside on a windy day- for instance, moments before a blizzard broke- you would hear the wind howling through any cracks in your home. With background noise at that decibel, would a simple knock be enough? She didn't want to immediately assume it wasn't enough, though. Instead, she would wait a few moments, long enough to give anyone inside a real chance to reach the door. If they didn't answer by then, she would take a turn to knock. She'd use the flat of her claws, that would make sure the knock was loud enough.
[347 + 20,041 = 20,388 out of ??? ]

The door opened, and someone surprisingly normal finally answered. Keishi had been expecting a veritable mountain of a man, someone even taller and broader than the customer from Craftsman. Instead, the man seemed perfectly ordinary, with the possible exception of the bearskin cloak he had pulled over his shoulders. To someone in a warmer clime, it seemed odd to wear a cloak indoors. But here, as cold as it got, it was merely an additional protection against frostbite. Similarly, it was almost a guarantee that the man was wearing more than one pair of socks.

When Hariko explained their purpose and gestured to her, she knew what he meant, and she pulled out the second weapon. She had carefully kept track of them, and which one was supposed to go to which patron. So there would be no surprises when they unwrapped their purchase, to find it was just as they had ordered it, done to their precise specifications. So she handed the wrapped blade over to the man, who wasted no time in unwrapping it to make sure it was what he wanted. He commented on how he was going to use it to carve, but he had already closed the door in their faces, before they could ask what he meant or even ask if they could stay long enough to warm up.

"Well, at least he seemed excited..." She took a moment to look around at the other nearby buildings. Looking even that far was difficult, the storm was getting closer. And even though it wouldn't truly get dark for several more hours, it would still be time to turn in for the 'night'. It would get colder, and the storm would make sure of that.

"So... Any ideas on where we should try to settle for the night?" She suspected that Hidden Snow had to have an inn or hotel of some kind. Even if it d8idn't get very many visitors, something like that was still a decent business. After all, even its own citizens may have wanted to check in for a weekend to celebrate something, and not have to make their own meals or whatever. So there was more likely than not somewhere where they could hang up their hats, if they could just find it. Hariko had found this place quickly enough, but would that extend to an inn, too?

When it seemed he did, she was quick to fall in after him. Even with the ice armor he had granted her, she wasn't particularly enjoying herself. At least the village was easier to move around in, the sidewalks and roads weren't nearly as buried in snow. Someone had to take care of it pretty regularly, to keep it as relatively clean as it was. As it seemed their housing situation was taken care of, her mind returned to her other problem. Food. Hariko probably wouldn't have any trouble finding a meal, but where was she going to catch a snack? She knew she couldn't take anyone's pet or livestock, but no wild animals would likely be within the village. A place like this surely wouldn't have a pet shop, would it?
[529 x 2 = 1058 + 20,388 = 21,446 out of ??? ]

Keishi was quick to move after Hariko, knowing that if she lost sight of him here, it would be much worse than it had been back in Hidden Katana. The visibility was rapidly approaching what could be called a white-out, where the snow would come down n such quantities that it was impossible to see more than a few meters away. It had yet tor each that level now, but it was a definite possibility, even within the next few hours. Hariko told her that he did know where they could spend the night, even if it was only a tavern. That was hardly a problem; as far as she was concerned they could retire to a hostel if need be. The more pressing concern for her was a meal. She had fed upon that deer before entering Hidden Craftsman; that was quite some time ago. Ideally, she would feed on a human-sized creature daily. Anything less than that had her feeling sluggish. That had been almost a day ago, she would start feeling the effects pretty soon. "Until tomorrow? Probably. But I won't be much use if we get attacked again. Let's just hope the tavern has a rat problem..." Catching rats wouldn't fill her up, but it might take the edge off of her hunger until morning, when they could leave and go to more temperate hunting grounds. Their final delivery was set for Hidden Nano, the land of blooming flowers. Surely there would be abundant life there. Or at least she hoped. If she got too hungry for life, she might give in and attack a person. She didn't want to take that risk, for fear that she might not want to give it up once she tried it.

She couldn't sense any other lifepulses besides Hariko's, any other signals were either too far away or behind multiple layers of buildings. Her lifesense was far from infallible, though when she was close enough, she could sense life even through walls. If the tavern did have rats, she would be able to find them with a little searching. So far, she had been able to avoid feeding too much on rodents. Not out of some oblique sense of ethics r pride, but because of the simple fact that they were fast little buggers. More often than not, it felt like she expended more energy catching them than she gained from eating their lifeforces. But needs must, and unless something else came along, she'd have to rely on the fact that rats tended to get anywhere that people lived, even in the unlikeliest of climes. There was always a chance a rat or two had stowed away in a box of grain, and wound up here. If they had, they would most likely be in the tavern, especially if it had a basement given over to storage.

Normally, storing anything in a basement in an arctic area would be a mistake. If that land ever knew summer, then eventually the frozen ground would melt. If it did, then that would stress the buildings and lead to an entire repertoire of repairs that would have to be done on a yearly basis. Here, however, it never warmed up, and that wouldn't be an issue. Barring unforeseen dramatic change, the ground would never thaw. Thus, a basement or cellar was a valid option. After all, it was protected from the frigid winds even more than the building itself, while it still remained cool enough to store food. After all, it just made sense to receive shipments of food on regular but infrequent occasions. Get deliveries too often, and the cost of paying for the transportation would cut into the profit margin. It was quite likely that the tavern only received deliveries once a month. Most of the items they would receive would keep that long, given proper storage. Even items as relatively perishable as milk or eggs could be kept for several weeks if kept chilled. All of that meant that there was a chance she would find rats, if the tavern's owner allowed her to go exploring. Or if she could find a way to do it without getting caught.
[700 + 21,446 = 22,146 out of ??? ]

"Hmm... I never tried feeding on plants, but I don't think we'll find many of them around here, either. I doubt other forms of energy would work, though." That much seemed to make sense, it didn't seem likely that someone like her could feed on, say, a crackling fire or a fast-flowing stream. She was dead, and she fed on life energy. Despite several arguments to the contrary, fire was not truly alive, and there was no life for her to eat. Even less of a chance for other forms of energy. Flowing water, thunderbolts of lightning, blowing wind, none of that could be expected to maintain her continued existence.

Keishi frowned when Hariko stepped forward to pay for their room. Again. She had told him she would take care of it. The presence of the tavern's master was the only thing that stopped her from calling him out on it right there and then. Instead she followed him to their room, and only then spoke up. "I thought I told you I was going to take care of the fee this time." She couldn't get too upset over his actions, however. Not because it didn't bother her; it did. But because getting annoyed would only make her even more tired than she already was. Tired being a rather vague term for the peculiar leaden quality her limbs seemed to be getting gradually, as her energy dwindled more and more. She could still move at an average speed, but she would only get slower from here on, unless she found a meal. As it was, she had to force herself to stop eying the numerous lifepulses all around her with no small degree of hunger. She felt sure that she could find a way to lure one of them to an unused room. They wouldn't be found until morning, and she would already be gone. It would be so easy...

No! She had swore that she wouldn't feed on humans, she didn't have to sink to that level! When she had been in the World of the Dead, she had encountered others like her. they had fed on humans wantonly, with no regard for what the living could do, what sort of potential they held. She wasn't like them! She was no ghoul, dragging the innocent into death for her own greed!

She snapped her attention back to the present, before asking Hariko to repeat himself. She had gotten distracted by the lure of life so close to her. "Um, yes, I think I would appreciate that." Normally she wouldn't need the help. But with her being so easily distracted now, she would likely need all the help she could get. She was on a dangerous downward spiral. If she was already getting to the point that she couldn't catch prey on her own, then it would only get worse from here. She wasn't ready to give up, however, and she had every intention of doing much of the hunting herself. It may not be noble or proper, but if catching rats was what it cost to remain herself, then so be it.
[523 x 2 = 1046 + 22,146 = 23,192 out of ??? ]

Keishi forced her mind to remain alert; she didn't want to drift off yet again. Focusing her senses, she tried to ignore all those -appetizing, delicious, satisfying, delectable- human lifepulses, and instead look for the smaller ones that were signs of rodents in the area. The walls were a slight obstruction, but as close as she was, if there were rats nearby, then she would have a pretty good chance of finding them. Turning her head first one way, then the other, she tried to take in as much of her surroundings as she could. The human lifepulses were larger, even if many of them seemed somewhat blurry due to the walls between her and them. Closer still was Hariko's lifepulse. But between his and the others, were there any smaller signals? At first she didn't believe there was, but she continued looking, and was rewarded with a faint wisp of a signal. A lifepulse was a fount of energy that seemed to circulate upon itself. To her, they resembled large, oval-shaped expanses of energy, with their exact color and brightness determining the relative health of the target. Most humans were composed of a white lifepulse, crackling around the edges as if composed of electricity. Smaller animals, wild animals, usually had a slight off-color to them, due to usually being not quite in their best condition. Having to fight and hunt for meals could do that. Rodents were small bundles of energy, tiny ovals of lifepulse that flickered and crackled.

She had caught just a whiff of one such signal. And where there was one rat, there were invariably a dozen more that were in hiding. The only problem? That signal was some distance away, likely down in the tavern's cellar. Would they be able to get down there without being seen? But first, her mind snapped back to what he had said, apologizing for forgetting her claim to pay for the next one. Her expression, already only slight, lessened further. "Alright. I'll pay for the next one, then. Don't forget this time."

She took another scan of her surroundings, to make sure that the signal she had spotted was a rat, and not someone's pet. Oh, she knew that some people kept rats as pets, but she doubted that would be the case here. Hidden Snow was a hard country, and anyone who had a pet would need one strong enough to survive. Rats were tenacious, but not really suited for pet status here. Instead something a little larger, large enough that its body was up to the task of keeping it warm. Possibly a cat, or even an arctic fox. Dogs were an excellent choice, too. But this signal seemed too small to be any of those, it had to be a rodent of some kind. "I believe so, but its not very close. I'd say its in the cellar."

Meanwhile, the group of ninja had finally found the ice sculptor's house. they paid no attention to the skill put into the sculptures spread around the entrance, and instead pounded on the door. Not particularly stealthy for ninjas on a mission, but it would suffice. The door opened, revealing the sculptor with a frown on his face. "Can it wait? I'm busy." He made to slam the door in the group's face, but instead found it stuck in place. He pushed harder, but it seemed truly stuck. Just after he stopped pushing, the door was shoved back against him hard enough to knock him off his feet. He glared up at the group that brazenly walked into his home, and demanded to know who they were.

The leader, dressed far too lightly for the conditions outside, merely grinned at him. "We're nobody you need to know about. Instead, why don't you tell us about your new sword..." Even as he talked, he pulled out a dagger, before another of the group closed the door behind them.
[658 + 23,192 = 23,850 out of ??? ]

Keishi nodded, somewhat listlessly, as Hariko agreed to let her pay for the next stop on their journey. She forgot precisely why she had wanted to pay, but she remembered that it was for a good reason. And with her mind drifting as it was now, that was enough to make her sure that that was what she was supposed to do. She tried to focus on Hariko's words then, only to watch as he created several clones. As if that wasn't enough to already overwhelm her already frayed senses, two of the clones transformed an instant later. One into her, and one into a small rat. This was somewhat confusing, as each clone possessed a small amount of chakra. Chakra was energy that had been channeled through the body, and externalized. As such, that meant that those clones both possessed a mere shadow of a lifepulse. Regardless of the difference in their size, they each held the same amount of energy, a mere taste. She tried cudgeling her mind into conjuring up a reason for this, and after a moment, she ventured a guess. "The clones... can chase the rat somewhere else... And then we can get in the cellar...?"

--------

"Fool, we don't care what you use it for. Just tell us who brought it to you, and where they went." The man grinned, but there was no warmth in his smile. To prove his point, he clapped the flat of the blade against the sculptor's cheek. Not to cause a wound, but just to make sure that he didn't forget that the blade was there. While he interrogated him, the rest of the group was searching the rest of his place roughly. Cushions were strewn about the room, drawers were pulled out of cabinets, their contents upended over the floor. Glass shattered deeper in the house, and the leader of the group turned his sharp gaze back to the sculptor. "You wouldn't be so foolish as to have let them go out in weather like this, were you?"

The man's eyes were wide, as he watched the point of the blade hover erratically in front of his face. "Th-they left, I sent them away! I didn't know they were anyone important! Just don't hurt me!" He cringed as the blade bobbed especially close, the point a scant centimeter from his eye.

"You did? What a shame, you are a horrible host, you know that?" The leader looked up to where the others were continuing to paw through the sculptor's belongings. He raised his voice to be heard throughout the house. "Alright, wrap it up! He says they left, and he isn't lying!" A last piece of glass shattered, before the group laughed and rejoined their leader. He waved a jaunty farewell. "We'll see you later, Pops!"

Long moments after they left, the sculptor got shakily to his feet. He looked around in disbelief at the sheer destruction the group had caused. Why? He hadn't done anything bad, he didn't deserve any of that! He had only bought a sword, that was all! Listlessly moving through his house, he came to a dead stop when he looked at the mantle of his fireplace. His face palled, as he saw the shards of ceramic on the lintel. Ash spread out in a large mass on the floor, complete with several gray footprints leading away. That vase had held the ashes of his dead daughter, the last member of his family. Hot tears came to his face, burning their way down his cheeks, as he collapsed to his knees and howled in grief and rage.
[605 + 23,850 = 24,455 out of ??? ]