Lord Uesuki takes a walk down by the beach. Long ago he had chosen not to pursue a path closer to the throne as an imperial ambassador. Now at 30 he is a lord of a small northern village on the northwest side of Kozakura. Life had been generous for him, yet he felt something was missing in his life. Was it lost opportunity…. something else.
Tatsuo is a fine lawyer and often made extra coin for his people by representing defendants in court. He also made life rather good for his village and had good relations with the peasant council. He has a consort that has yet to produce a child but also an illegitimate child from his grandmother’s Besshikime Drasta: The ever-young elf He had known since he was born. Her name is Siora. The toddler is the love of his life. Still, now growing older and more mature Tatsuo seems at a crossroads.
As he walks meditating on these thoughts he comes upon someone He doesn’t know. It’s a woman in a light skirt sitting on the beach looking out over the ocean. Her skin shines slightly in the moonlight. It seems much lighter than the women of Kozakura… in fact it looks more western a creamy white color in the backdrop of the night.
He walks up and calls out to her. As she turns her head, he finds that she doesn’t have the round eyes that makes all westerners look the same. Her eyes are sharply almond even more than him. She smiles. As she looks at him. “Green eyes. Such a rare thing among your people.”
He smiles, “A gift from my grandfather. He was a westerner. I’ve never seen you here before. Who are you? I am…. “
“Lord Uesuki Tatsuo……. The Dragonfly. I know. My name is Qingge.”
“A Shou Lung name. How did you come to be here?”
“And so, it is. I came from the sea, Tatsuo. But what of you. You look distraught. You have all a man could need here. Why do you walk the beach late at night absorbed in such thoughts.”
“To be honest I do not know. There seems to be something missing in my life. You think life is mostly easy for me but there have been times it was very hard. Maybe it’s getting back to that challenge. I honestly just don’t know.” He says as he sits down beside her.
She reaches over and clasps his hand. “Life often comes to these crossroads where one feels out of place, unfulfilled, hazy. I will give you a gift of myself. Treat it well.”
Tatsuo wakes up on the beach early in the morning as the tide rises and tickles his feet. He was not sure if what he experienced was real or just a fanciful dream.
Of Two Worlds
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Winterhawk99
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Winterhawk99
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Re: Of Two Worlds
A little more than a year after his strange dream on the beach Tatsuo is on the docks one morning negotiating a new contract between the captain and the crew of a fishing junk when several women including his consort running up the dock. They are carrying something wrapped in a strange blanket. A blanket he almost recognizes.
He excuses himself and gets off the ship. They surround him. With the blanket is a strange baby with pale blue skin. His consort looks at him with some distain. “There is a letter…. My lord Uesuki.” He reads it.
Tatsuo,
I said I would give you a gift of myself and here she is. Our daughter. A precious and delicate thing. Take care of her. Her name is Shinju. Let no harm come to her for she is a very special girl. You are a good man. This I know, and now your crossroads have ended.
Qingge
He looks at the child. “Why is her skin this pale blue color is she sick?”
One of the older women laughs, “No my lord, The child is a spirit folk. One that came from your loins when you mingled with a sea spirit. See.” She puts her fingers on the side of the baby’s swollen throat and spreads them slits open up on its neck. “Gills, my lord. She is a child of both land and sea.”
His consort slaps him, not caring that he could kill her on the spot for doing it. She starts walking away. “That man will screw anything.” She says while starting to cry. Another woman rushes after her.
Tatsuo blinks, then turns to the elder woman. “Get a wet nurse from the village then. I will treat Shinju as my own daughter.”
“She is your daughter, my lord. That, I am sure.”
He nods and takes the babe in his arms returning to his home and his consort who is upset beyond belief.
He excuses himself and gets off the ship. They surround him. With the blanket is a strange baby with pale blue skin. His consort looks at him with some distain. “There is a letter…. My lord Uesuki.” He reads it.
Tatsuo,
I said I would give you a gift of myself and here she is. Our daughter. A precious and delicate thing. Take care of her. Her name is Shinju. Let no harm come to her for she is a very special girl. You are a good man. This I know, and now your crossroads have ended.
Qingge
He looks at the child. “Why is her skin this pale blue color is she sick?”
One of the older women laughs, “No my lord, The child is a spirit folk. One that came from your loins when you mingled with a sea spirit. See.” She puts her fingers on the side of the baby’s swollen throat and spreads them slits open up on its neck. “Gills, my lord. She is a child of both land and sea.”
His consort slaps him, not caring that he could kill her on the spot for doing it. She starts walking away. “That man will screw anything.” She says while starting to cry. Another woman rushes after her.
Tatsuo blinks, then turns to the elder woman. “Get a wet nurse from the village then. I will treat Shinju as my own daughter.”
“She is your daughter, my lord. That, I am sure.”
He nods and takes the babe in his arms returning to his home and his consort who is upset beyond belief.
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Winterhawk99
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Re: Of Two Worlds
The woman watches her husband mount his horse on his way to the capital city. He had been called to battle. She looks around to make sure no villagers are around. Satisfied, she walks back to the house. A maid is there cleaning up. She gives her the rest of the day off. She then walks to the kitchen and rummages in the back of a corner cupboard. She retrieves a Sheathed tanto.
Slowly, carefully and silently she walks step by step to the back of the house. She puts her back to the door to the bedroom and breaths slowly getting up the nerve to do what she thinks she must do. A minute goes by then two. She unsheathes the knife turns and draws the door to the side. What she sees inside makes her drop the weapons.
There is a woman with creamy white skin in the room holding the baby to her breast. The woman looks at her then the knife. She shakes her head. “Hisoka, has it come to this? Do you wish to kill a defenseless child?”
“I… I…” Hisoka covers her hands in front of her eyes and starts to weep.
“There are those in this world that cannot bear children Hisoka. Yes, I know. You do not want to stain your soul with the blood of an innocent. Damnation is… This world is already too brutal. Why damn your own soul for nothing.
This gift, I have given. It is not just for Tatsuo. It is also for you. Shinju is just as much yours as his. Raise her as your own. Love her and your family will receive the many gifts of the sea. This I promise you. Take her. Hold her. Know that I have chosen you to raise a girl full of life and love, not of death and pain.”
Qingge walks up to the woman. Still weeping the woman takes the baby. Qingge continues. “I only ask one thing Hisoka. If every Tatsuo wants to take her to Dojyu go to the beach and wave a towel. I will come to you and do what I must.
Shinju is a child of nature, a child of love. She is not meant to be a creature of death and war. She was meant for something else, not a hummingbird. Do you understand?”
Hisoka nods.
“Now take care of our girl. Make sure she grows strong and proper. Put away hate but make sure she knows the world for what it is too. I am depending upon you, Hisoka. Can you do all of that for me, for your family, for yourself.”
Hesitantly Hisoka nods. The room goes silent. When Hisoka looks up, the woman is gone.
Slowly, carefully and silently she walks step by step to the back of the house. She puts her back to the door to the bedroom and breaths slowly getting up the nerve to do what she thinks she must do. A minute goes by then two. She unsheathes the knife turns and draws the door to the side. What she sees inside makes her drop the weapons.
There is a woman with creamy white skin in the room holding the baby to her breast. The woman looks at her then the knife. She shakes her head. “Hisoka, has it come to this? Do you wish to kill a defenseless child?”
“I… I…” Hisoka covers her hands in front of her eyes and starts to weep.
“There are those in this world that cannot bear children Hisoka. Yes, I know. You do not want to stain your soul with the blood of an innocent. Damnation is… This world is already too brutal. Why damn your own soul for nothing.
This gift, I have given. It is not just for Tatsuo. It is also for you. Shinju is just as much yours as his. Raise her as your own. Love her and your family will receive the many gifts of the sea. This I promise you. Take her. Hold her. Know that I have chosen you to raise a girl full of life and love, not of death and pain.”
Qingge walks up to the woman. Still weeping the woman takes the baby. Qingge continues. “I only ask one thing Hisoka. If every Tatsuo wants to take her to Dojyu go to the beach and wave a towel. I will come to you and do what I must.
Shinju is a child of nature, a child of love. She is not meant to be a creature of death and war. She was meant for something else, not a hummingbird. Do you understand?”
Hisoka nods.
“Now take care of our girl. Make sure she grows strong and proper. Put away hate but make sure she knows the world for what it is too. I am depending upon you, Hisoka. Can you do all of that for me, for your family, for yourself.”
Hesitantly Hisoka nods. The room goes silent. When Hisoka looks up, the woman is gone.
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Winterhawk99
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Re: Of Two Worlds
A 14-year-old Siora comes into the home with her mother Drasta, Tatsuo right behind. The first to see him is 5-year-old Shinju. She screams out “Sister!” rushes over and hugs the other girl. Siora takes it well and hugs her back. The two girls go outside to play. Tatsuo and Drasta walk inside properly.
Hisoka comes in with proper dress and bows to Tatsuo. “Welcome home, my lord.”
He hugs and kisses her. “Could you make tea?”
“Of course.”
They all go into the sitting room. Tea is made. Hisoka pours for all of them. There is silence while each enjoys the first cup. As the second is poured Hisoka comments. It will be nice to have Siora home for a few weeks. How goes training?”
Tatsuo nods, “She is doing fine thus far but these are the easy years. As she grows it will get much harder. How have you and Shinju been these last weeks? How is the village?”
“The village is in good hands with our Elders in the council. I am well. Shinju plays with her imaginary friends.”
Tatsuo face shows concern, “She is at the age where she should give up her imaginary friends and find real ones.”
A chill runs down Drasta’s back. She looks around. “I’m not so sure Shinju’s friends are so imaginary.”
“Oh, come on Drasta. That’s not you. And that is why we should discuss something. Next year I wish Shinju to join Siora in beginning her training to become Onna-Musha. We have a duty to the emperor after all.”
Hisoka looks up at him, “Husband. Siora has already been inducted into… The training. We have done our duty to the emperor. He requires only one from each of the families of Hojo Miwa. I really don’t think Shinju is meant for Onna-Musha training.”
Tatsuo finishes his tea and pours more. “Shinju is flexible, strong, and has advantages others do not. She is perfect for the training. She may even be better than Takara as she ages. She might even have a chance to become the leader of the hummingbirds in a score or score and a half of years. She’s the perfect candidate.”
Drasta looks at the door. “I would agree with Tatsuo. Shinju is already showing signs of a good candidate. Perhaps if you two have another….”
Hisoka looks away, “You know well enough, Drasta that I can’t…I…”
Drasta looks down. “My apologies, Hisoka.”
Tatsuo sighs, “Siora has two weeks of down time. When those two weeks are over I will take Shinju with me. We will test her.”
Hisoka pleads, “My lord, I really don’t think…”
Tatsuo cuts her off. “I’m not saying that Shinju is going to stay or even start any kind of training. Just a testing Hisoka. I know you wish her to stay with you, but she will be a woman someday soon. The years go by more quickly as we age. We need to know if she can take to it.”
Hisoka purses her lips and bows. Ending the conversation.
That night Hisoka goes to the beach. She goes up and down the shore waving a towel. In the morning Shinju is gone.
They search and search for the Shinju. It seems she had just vanished into the night. Tatsuo is relentless combing all the nearby hills and shores for the girl. On the tenth night the family starts to wonder if they should give up hope. They spend till dark combing the beaches that the young girl so loves. As dusk starts to shed the last of its light Drasta picks up something coming in with the tide with her sharp eyes.
The family gathers together as a tall and small figure surface and walk up to the beach. Tatsuo lights a lantern along with Hisoka. Qingge is holding hands with Shinju who is naked. Shinju’s body is tattooed with Kozakurian Kanji that read the 9 virtues the enlightened path all over her body.
Tatsuo drops to his knees. “What have you done! Do you know what you have done!”
Qingge looks down at him. “I know exactly what I have done. I gave Shinju to you as a gift of love. One never to be used as a weapon of war. And yet, You wish to turn her into a hummingbird Tatsuo. She is our daughter, a precious pearl meant for love, compassion and the higher virtues. I did what I had to do.
Now she is untouchable. One who can never receive the training to become a warrior, a weapon of destruction for the emperor to wield. Now the only thing you can do is take her to a monastery or a whore house. I do hope you make the right choice.”
Angry, Tatsuo stands and draws his katana. Drasta and Hisoka grab him together and hold him until he relinquishes. Qingge continues, “Despite being the Dragonfly I know deep down you are a good and honest man Tatsuo. Make the right choice.”
She turns and walks into the sea. Shinju looks at him, “What’s wrong, daddy?”
Tatsuo sheaths his katana and again drops to his knees. Shinju rushes into his arms. He hugs her tightly. “I’m sorry Shinju. I’m so sorry.” Tatsuo starts to weep.
Hisoka comes in with proper dress and bows to Tatsuo. “Welcome home, my lord.”
He hugs and kisses her. “Could you make tea?”
“Of course.”
They all go into the sitting room. Tea is made. Hisoka pours for all of them. There is silence while each enjoys the first cup. As the second is poured Hisoka comments. It will be nice to have Siora home for a few weeks. How goes training?”
Tatsuo nods, “She is doing fine thus far but these are the easy years. As she grows it will get much harder. How have you and Shinju been these last weeks? How is the village?”
“The village is in good hands with our Elders in the council. I am well. Shinju plays with her imaginary friends.”
Tatsuo face shows concern, “She is at the age where she should give up her imaginary friends and find real ones.”
A chill runs down Drasta’s back. She looks around. “I’m not so sure Shinju’s friends are so imaginary.”
“Oh, come on Drasta. That’s not you. And that is why we should discuss something. Next year I wish Shinju to join Siora in beginning her training to become Onna-Musha. We have a duty to the emperor after all.”
Hisoka looks up at him, “Husband. Siora has already been inducted into… The training. We have done our duty to the emperor. He requires only one from each of the families of Hojo Miwa. I really don’t think Shinju is meant for Onna-Musha training.”
Tatsuo finishes his tea and pours more. “Shinju is flexible, strong, and has advantages others do not. She is perfect for the training. She may even be better than Takara as she ages. She might even have a chance to become the leader of the hummingbirds in a score or score and a half of years. She’s the perfect candidate.”
Drasta looks at the door. “I would agree with Tatsuo. Shinju is already showing signs of a good candidate. Perhaps if you two have another….”
Hisoka looks away, “You know well enough, Drasta that I can’t…I…”
Drasta looks down. “My apologies, Hisoka.”
Tatsuo sighs, “Siora has two weeks of down time. When those two weeks are over I will take Shinju with me. We will test her.”
Hisoka pleads, “My lord, I really don’t think…”
Tatsuo cuts her off. “I’m not saying that Shinju is going to stay or even start any kind of training. Just a testing Hisoka. I know you wish her to stay with you, but she will be a woman someday soon. The years go by more quickly as we age. We need to know if she can take to it.”
Hisoka purses her lips and bows. Ending the conversation.
That night Hisoka goes to the beach. She goes up and down the shore waving a towel. In the morning Shinju is gone.
They search and search for the Shinju. It seems she had just vanished into the night. Tatsuo is relentless combing all the nearby hills and shores for the girl. On the tenth night the family starts to wonder if they should give up hope. They spend till dark combing the beaches that the young girl so loves. As dusk starts to shed the last of its light Drasta picks up something coming in with the tide with her sharp eyes.
The family gathers together as a tall and small figure surface and walk up to the beach. Tatsuo lights a lantern along with Hisoka. Qingge is holding hands with Shinju who is naked. Shinju’s body is tattooed with Kozakurian Kanji that read the 9 virtues the enlightened path all over her body.
Tatsuo drops to his knees. “What have you done! Do you know what you have done!”
Qingge looks down at him. “I know exactly what I have done. I gave Shinju to you as a gift of love. One never to be used as a weapon of war. And yet, You wish to turn her into a hummingbird Tatsuo. She is our daughter, a precious pearl meant for love, compassion and the higher virtues. I did what I had to do.
Now she is untouchable. One who can never receive the training to become a warrior, a weapon of destruction for the emperor to wield. Now the only thing you can do is take her to a monastery or a whore house. I do hope you make the right choice.”
Angry, Tatsuo stands and draws his katana. Drasta and Hisoka grab him together and hold him until he relinquishes. Qingge continues, “Despite being the Dragonfly I know deep down you are a good and honest man Tatsuo. Make the right choice.”
She turns and walks into the sea. Shinju looks at him, “What’s wrong, daddy?”
Tatsuo sheaths his katana and again drops to his knees. Shinju rushes into his arms. He hugs her tightly. “I’m sorry Shinju. I’m so sorry.” Tatsuo starts to weep.
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Winterhawk99
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Re: Of Two Worlds
The family takes a trek deep into the mountains. There on a huge shelf stands the monastery far away from the ocean. This one called Tengoku-Ji is dedicated to the Path of enlightenment. It takes them ten days and nights to get there. They stop at the gate.
All included are Tatsuo, Drasta, Hisoka, and Siora. Tatsuo wears a Hamako over his kimono and has his daisho strapped to him. Drasta is wearing her besshikime armor, Hisoka is wearing a stylish kimono and Siora is in her guard armor with her daisho and Kaiken in plain view.
They meet the monks at the gate. They bow and are recognized. One of the monks goes into the compound. The family waits silently as they are all extremely disciplined. A monk in a saffron robe comes out. The family bows to him Tatsuo speaks. “Hail and be at peace master. I am Lord Uesuki Tatsuo. This is my family. Hisoka, Drasta, and Siora. We have come to see Uesuki Shinju.”
The monk appraises the family with a sharp eyes and bows. “ I am master Koichi. Welcome. Will you be staying for more than a day, Lord Uesuki?”
Tatsuo nods, “We planned on staying only two days.”
Master Koichi thinks a moment then bows. “The grand master would like to see you.”
Tatsuo grunts and nods.
The master leads them through the gate. There are near a hundred apprentices lined up on the sides and an elder man at the main temple steps. They watch the family’s every move as they enter and head toward the elder in a gold and red Arhat robe.
The family walks up to him and bows. The elder recognizes them. Again, Tatsuo speaks, “Lord Uesuki and family come to visit Uesuki Shinju.”
The old man smiles, “Ah yes, her temple name is Shirakobato. Greetings Lord Uesuki. Your family moves with practiced steps I see. I am grand master Shigeo, welcome.”
“We are well trained grand master.”
“You have disowned Shinju have you not?”
Tatsuo suddenly gets a look pain on his face. “I had to Grand master. When Shinju was only 5, she was… marked.”
The grandmaster studies the man a long time. He doesn’t move but something seems to fly to the side of the small group within a blink of an eye Tatsuo and Siora have their katana’s drawn and Drasta seems to have completely disappeared in plain sight. The grandmaster smiles. “Forgive my students Lord Uesuki. All have heard rumors of a secret imperial unit. A unit that seems to center upon the descendants of, a certain Onna-bugeisha magistrate.”
Tatsuo chuckles, “I would not know what you are talking about.”
“Of course.” The grand master says, “Shirakobato is with a teacher at the moment. We give her time for special training.”
Siora interrupts, “Is she that advanced in her kung-fu?”
Shigeo shakes his head, “Not kung-fu. She is advancing in her practice normally. This is different. We had to call in a master from Shou lung for this training. Come along now.”
They walk behind the main temple. In the back are several training grounds. There seems to be a full acre cut into the cliffside of the great mountain. Far in the back of the complex there is a large pool that seems to be 30 yards square with a fountain in the middle. There is where they see the 13-year-old. She seems to be dancing on the water with a partner but there is no partner. There is a old master there watching from the edge.
As they walk up Siora chuckles, “She’s dancing with her imaginary friends again.”
The other master they do not know says to her. “Not imaginary.” He places his hand on her shoulder and says, “I give you, my sight!”
The world suddenly changes for Siora as she peers into the ethereal plane. She now sees that Shinju is dancing with a young man. He seems to be made of mist or perhaps a ghost. There is also a bird the size of a large eagle swooping and seeming to be dancing with its flight around them. It looks like a beautiful routine as the three dance around the fountain.
In complete shock Siora exclaims, “What in all the hells!”
The old man takes his hand off her shoulder and chuckles, “Your sister is part spirit and can see spirits as they were living beings. Those imaginary friends are indeed real. These two are her best friends. One a spirit of the ocean and the other a spirit of renewal. She has known them all her life. She is a shamaness along with being a monk.”
Siora just gaps, “All this time. All this time we thought…”
“Seeing and interacting with spirits is often misunderstood. I am master Hai-Toa. I am also a shaman and am her teacher in the practice of interacting with her spirits. Shinju has to dance with them every dawn to gain their wisdom. She is learning quickly.”
Tatsuo asks, “What is a spirit of the ocean doing so far from the shore?”
“The world of spirits is quite different than the world of man, Lord Uesuki. They are not as bound to their elements if there is a focus and Shinju is a focus. Just as I am.”
They suddenly hear a scream, “SISTER!”
They see Shinju running at them, full pace. She nearly bowls Siora over. She hugs Siora tight. “I’ve missed you so much! Thank you for coming!”
Siora hugs her back though it is awkward now that she is a fully trained hummingbird. Tatsuo clears his throat. Shinju gets her sense of reality back. She comes off of Siora and stands at attention. She bows to Tatsuo. “Father,” Then to Hisoka. “Mother.”
Hisoka immediately hugs her back. “I have missed you so much.”
The grandmaster gets the group’s attention. “I will have the guest quarters prepared. Your horses are taken care of already. Lord Uesuki, Onna-Musha Siora, I would like to speak to the two of you about dragonflies and hummingbirds if you will.”
Tatsuo looks at Shinju a moment then back to Master Shigeo grimly, “Could you give the girls some time, first? I will come with you.”
Drasta stares at the grandmaster darkly, “I will be coming to any meeting of such. It is not a request.”
The grandmaster studies her for a long moment. “You are Besshikime Drasta of the west. Trained to be the guardian of Hojo Miwa the magistrate, are you not?”
“I am.”
“You are also welcome.”
Tatsuo and Drasta bow to the rest of the group. As they leave with Grandmaster Shigeo, they can hear Shinju tell Siora. “I want to show you so many things! Come everyone come.”
All included are Tatsuo, Drasta, Hisoka, and Siora. Tatsuo wears a Hamako over his kimono and has his daisho strapped to him. Drasta is wearing her besshikime armor, Hisoka is wearing a stylish kimono and Siora is in her guard armor with her daisho and Kaiken in plain view.
They meet the monks at the gate. They bow and are recognized. One of the monks goes into the compound. The family waits silently as they are all extremely disciplined. A monk in a saffron robe comes out. The family bows to him Tatsuo speaks. “Hail and be at peace master. I am Lord Uesuki Tatsuo. This is my family. Hisoka, Drasta, and Siora. We have come to see Uesuki Shinju.”
The monk appraises the family with a sharp eyes and bows. “ I am master Koichi. Welcome. Will you be staying for more than a day, Lord Uesuki?”
Tatsuo nods, “We planned on staying only two days.”
Master Koichi thinks a moment then bows. “The grand master would like to see you.”
Tatsuo grunts and nods.
The master leads them through the gate. There are near a hundred apprentices lined up on the sides and an elder man at the main temple steps. They watch the family’s every move as they enter and head toward the elder in a gold and red Arhat robe.
The family walks up to him and bows. The elder recognizes them. Again, Tatsuo speaks, “Lord Uesuki and family come to visit Uesuki Shinju.”
The old man smiles, “Ah yes, her temple name is Shirakobato. Greetings Lord Uesuki. Your family moves with practiced steps I see. I am grand master Shigeo, welcome.”
“We are well trained grand master.”
“You have disowned Shinju have you not?”
Tatsuo suddenly gets a look pain on his face. “I had to Grand master. When Shinju was only 5, she was… marked.”
The grandmaster studies the man a long time. He doesn’t move but something seems to fly to the side of the small group within a blink of an eye Tatsuo and Siora have their katana’s drawn and Drasta seems to have completely disappeared in plain sight. The grandmaster smiles. “Forgive my students Lord Uesuki. All have heard rumors of a secret imperial unit. A unit that seems to center upon the descendants of, a certain Onna-bugeisha magistrate.”
Tatsuo chuckles, “I would not know what you are talking about.”
“Of course.” The grand master says, “Shirakobato is with a teacher at the moment. We give her time for special training.”
Siora interrupts, “Is she that advanced in her kung-fu?”
Shigeo shakes his head, “Not kung-fu. She is advancing in her practice normally. This is different. We had to call in a master from Shou lung for this training. Come along now.”
They walk behind the main temple. In the back are several training grounds. There seems to be a full acre cut into the cliffside of the great mountain. Far in the back of the complex there is a large pool that seems to be 30 yards square with a fountain in the middle. There is where they see the 13-year-old. She seems to be dancing on the water with a partner but there is no partner. There is a old master there watching from the edge.
As they walk up Siora chuckles, “She’s dancing with her imaginary friends again.”
The other master they do not know says to her. “Not imaginary.” He places his hand on her shoulder and says, “I give you, my sight!”
The world suddenly changes for Siora as she peers into the ethereal plane. She now sees that Shinju is dancing with a young man. He seems to be made of mist or perhaps a ghost. There is also a bird the size of a large eagle swooping and seeming to be dancing with its flight around them. It looks like a beautiful routine as the three dance around the fountain.
In complete shock Siora exclaims, “What in all the hells!”
The old man takes his hand off her shoulder and chuckles, “Your sister is part spirit and can see spirits as they were living beings. Those imaginary friends are indeed real. These two are her best friends. One a spirit of the ocean and the other a spirit of renewal. She has known them all her life. She is a shamaness along with being a monk.”
Siora just gaps, “All this time. All this time we thought…”
“Seeing and interacting with spirits is often misunderstood. I am master Hai-Toa. I am also a shaman and am her teacher in the practice of interacting with her spirits. Shinju has to dance with them every dawn to gain their wisdom. She is learning quickly.”
Tatsuo asks, “What is a spirit of the ocean doing so far from the shore?”
“The world of spirits is quite different than the world of man, Lord Uesuki. They are not as bound to their elements if there is a focus and Shinju is a focus. Just as I am.”
They suddenly hear a scream, “SISTER!”
They see Shinju running at them, full pace. She nearly bowls Siora over. She hugs Siora tight. “I’ve missed you so much! Thank you for coming!”
Siora hugs her back though it is awkward now that she is a fully trained hummingbird. Tatsuo clears his throat. Shinju gets her sense of reality back. She comes off of Siora and stands at attention. She bows to Tatsuo. “Father,” Then to Hisoka. “Mother.”
Hisoka immediately hugs her back. “I have missed you so much.”
The grandmaster gets the group’s attention. “I will have the guest quarters prepared. Your horses are taken care of already. Lord Uesuki, Onna-Musha Siora, I would like to speak to the two of you about dragonflies and hummingbirds if you will.”
Tatsuo looks at Shinju a moment then back to Master Shigeo grimly, “Could you give the girls some time, first? I will come with you.”
Drasta stares at the grandmaster darkly, “I will be coming to any meeting of such. It is not a request.”
The grandmaster studies her for a long moment. “You are Besshikime Drasta of the west. Trained to be the guardian of Hojo Miwa the magistrate, are you not?”
“I am.”
“You are also welcome.”
Tatsuo and Drasta bow to the rest of the group. As they leave with Grandmaster Shigeo, they can hear Shinju tell Siora. “I want to show you so many things! Come everyone come.”
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Winterhawk99
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Re: Of Two Worlds
Shinju comes into a small prayer room in the central temple building. Her father is there praying. She quietly waits. When he is finished, he turns and sees her. She bows, “Father.”
Shinju. “Please sit.”
She gets a mat and sits down. He gets a mat, and places it down touching hers. He gets down on his knees and hugs her, placing his head on her shoulders. It doesn’t take long. He begins to weep. “I’m so sorry, Shinju. This is all my fault. If I had listened to your mother… Not entertained the idea that you could be the one to wield grandmother’s swords. I am so sorry.”
Shinju had never seen her father shed a tear let along weep. “She keeps hold of him, silently.”
“It was your mother that did it, marked you so you could never be… Never be what you could be. She said you were a gift of love. If only I had listened. Now you will never be able to be part of society unless you wear your robes.”
She finally says something, “My teachers said it was my fate, Daddy. Yes, I am marked like a yakuza, but I am here. You made the best choice for me. I have learned to listen to learn. I have learned so many things. One day I will help bring people together and closer to the great court.”
“Could you ever forgive me, my precious daughter.”
“There is nothing to forgive, daddy. I know you love me. It is all that matters.”
He pulls back and looks at her, strangely. “The wisdom of a child.” He shakes his head and hugs her again. “I have something for you. Tatsuo then releases her and stands. He wipes his eyes then holds out his hand.
She stands and takes it. They walk out of the temple. He leads her to the stables. There in a stall is a giant of a Kisouma stud that is black with grey spots. He takes the reins. “It is the greatest gift I can give you, Shinju. This horse comes from your aunt Takara’s ranch. It was carefully bred there from a mix of our Kisouma war horses and a breed from the west called a Percheron. It is for you and will ever be a true companion.”
Shinju looks up at the heavy war horse and melts inside. “Does he have a name?”
A tear falls from her father’s eye. He wipes it away. “That is for you. I may have had to disown you, but I still love you. He is the extension of that love. A conformation that I still see you as my daughter.”
She hugs him, “I will call him Starlight.”
Wrapping his arm around her, He looks at the horse, “A fine name Shinju. A fine name.”
Shinju. “Please sit.”
She gets a mat and sits down. He gets a mat, and places it down touching hers. He gets down on his knees and hugs her, placing his head on her shoulders. It doesn’t take long. He begins to weep. “I’m so sorry, Shinju. This is all my fault. If I had listened to your mother… Not entertained the idea that you could be the one to wield grandmother’s swords. I am so sorry.”
Shinju had never seen her father shed a tear let along weep. “She keeps hold of him, silently.”
“It was your mother that did it, marked you so you could never be… Never be what you could be. She said you were a gift of love. If only I had listened. Now you will never be able to be part of society unless you wear your robes.”
She finally says something, “My teachers said it was my fate, Daddy. Yes, I am marked like a yakuza, but I am here. You made the best choice for me. I have learned to listen to learn. I have learned so many things. One day I will help bring people together and closer to the great court.”
“Could you ever forgive me, my precious daughter.”
“There is nothing to forgive, daddy. I know you love me. It is all that matters.”
He pulls back and looks at her, strangely. “The wisdom of a child.” He shakes his head and hugs her again. “I have something for you. Tatsuo then releases her and stands. He wipes his eyes then holds out his hand.
She stands and takes it. They walk out of the temple. He leads her to the stables. There in a stall is a giant of a Kisouma stud that is black with grey spots. He takes the reins. “It is the greatest gift I can give you, Shinju. This horse comes from your aunt Takara’s ranch. It was carefully bred there from a mix of our Kisouma war horses and a breed from the west called a Percheron. It is for you and will ever be a true companion.”
Shinju looks up at the heavy war horse and melts inside. “Does he have a name?”
A tear falls from her father’s eye. He wipes it away. “That is for you. I may have had to disown you, but I still love you. He is the extension of that love. A conformation that I still see you as my daughter.”
She hugs him, “I will call him Starlight.”
Wrapping his arm around her, He looks at the horse, “A fine name Shinju. A fine name.”
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Winterhawk99
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Re: Of Two Worlds
As Shinju turns 19 or so she has mastered all 5 forms of the monastery and has been steeped in the philosophies of the Path of Enlightenment. She passes her testing and becomes a full warrior monk. She is given her Saffron and yellow robes.
Now Ordained, her masters send her to Shou Lung for further study and to spread the teachings of the path. They know that bearing the tattoos on her will only bring ruin to her if she stays in Kozakura. Thus, they have sent her to the mainland. She boards a ship in Renkyu and starts her journey.
She knows the ship will take up to 4 weeks to get to the mainland. She meditates and maintains a watchful eye on the crew. Most seem rather superstitious about a monk of the path being on board. Some want her to bless them. A few try to goad her into swimming so they can see what she can do being most sailors know a few sea spirit folk.
Into the second week she is dancing on deck with her two spirits when she looks up at the clouds. And see that all the high clouds make an arc across the sky in a semicircular pattern. She runs to the captain.
She bows to him, “Captain, have you seen the sky?”
The captain only grunts and walks up on deck. He looks at the sky then feels where the wind is coming on his face. He gets a worried look. “You’re Sea Spirit. Do you know where the center is?”
Shinju closes her eyes taking in the wind, the smell of the air and the humidity on her skin. She then opens them. I am uncertain but I think Southeast of here heading directly our way. The captain nods, “That is what I think too but these things can change, or we might be wrong.”
She looks back out to sea, then turns her head back to him. “I could ask?”
The captain raises and eyebrow, “What do you mean?”
“I’m also a shamaness of the ocean and restoration. I could call a spirit.”
The captain rubs his face, “These storms are life and death. Do it.”
Shinju goes to the bow and starts to dance as she does, she goes into a deep trance all the while dancing. She starts to attract minor spirits. Some of the men feeling that there is something unnatural going on give her a wide berth and watch as she chants and dances. Shinju casting her eyes to the ethereal plane sees a small spirit that looks like a water pixie come up along side and start to dance with her. She asks the one question she has for it, “Where is the center of the storm coming upon us?”
The water pixie points in a southwesterly direction. “About 120 miles coming this way.”
Shinju finishes the dance with the pixie. It dives back into the ocean. She turns to the captain, pointing the direction. “120 miles to center.”
He turns to his first mate, “Do you think we can make it?”
Shang frowns, “It will be close, captain.”
“Aye!” The captain starts yelling orders to the men to go full sail to catch as much wind as they might to keep in front of the storm.”
For 3 days they race to keep in front of the storm, but it slowly keeps gaining. The sails are at the end of their limit. The captain calls out the order to douse the sails. Everyone goes into action except for the few passengers. Waves start to hit the 9-foot mark.
As they sail into the night the waves hit 12 to 15 ft. Now even some of the seasoned sailors start to get sick. Shinju doesn’t seem to be affected at all. She does what she can to steady them carrying bags and large tins for the men to use.
In the morning the captain There is a calm about the sea. Shinju comes up on deck and dances with her spirits. The captain is barking orders. “OARS MEN WE’LL TRY TO KEEP TO THE CENTER UNTIL NEAR LAND!” The men get the oars out and start to row. It is somewhat a futile attempt, but they must try.
By noon the back of the eye wall is upon them. It starts to rain again. Waves surge anew. The storm hits them in earnest for the second time. The captain keeps the bow to the waves and hopes. The waves hit 12 feet, and the ship seems to be taking her. The crew comes to have a bit of hope and start to sing while weathering the storm. Then a man calls out suddenly.
“Maelstrom! Maelstrom!” Shinju rushes to the bow and looks across the sea. There about 100 yards in front of them is a whirlpool nearly 300 feet wide. A sailor looks at the situation. “I don’t think we can make it.”
The captain tries to maneuver around it but he has to turn the bow away from the tide with waves breaking over the deck. A highly dangerous position in the middle of a typhoon. He nudges the keel trying to go starboard. Seeing the breaks are easier that way. The ship seems to bounce up and down as it feels like it’s falling off small cliffs. Then it can take no more. A wave rolls it. Everyone goes in.
Shinju’s lungs immediately fill with water, and her hidden gills open up. She sees so many men in the water struggling. She’s also turned around and doesn’t know which direction is which. She can swim much faster than a human, so she sets to work. She tries to grab men one by one and take them to something that floats before they drown. She saves about 12 of them before the current suddenly pulls her. She is caught in an arm of the maelstrom.
As she is pulled around a hand reaches out. She tries to grab it but misses. She is swung around several times and then pulled into the deep depths of the ocean. As the pressure increases incessantly, she blacks out.
Shinju feels a bump on her side then another against her head. It isn’t like a punch, just a gentle bump. Her eyes open. She is in the water close to the surface since there is enough light to see 100 ft or so. She opens her eyes to find a white tipped shark swimming around her.
She doesn’t move. It comes in several times and bumps her. She waits. After a long ½ hour the shark losses interest and swims away. She waits another 15 minutes before swimming to the surface. Her head breaks into the air and she looks around. To the west she sees land and dives back underneath.
It takes her 8 minutes to swim to the shore she finds a river delta and swims up to a waterfall. There she gets up on land. The air is warm and there a road going up a small hill. She walks up it to find a camp. It’s full of Yokai and Oni. She wonders if she had died and gone to hell.
Now Ordained, her masters send her to Shou Lung for further study and to spread the teachings of the path. They know that bearing the tattoos on her will only bring ruin to her if she stays in Kozakura. Thus, they have sent her to the mainland. She boards a ship in Renkyu and starts her journey.
She knows the ship will take up to 4 weeks to get to the mainland. She meditates and maintains a watchful eye on the crew. Most seem rather superstitious about a monk of the path being on board. Some want her to bless them. A few try to goad her into swimming so they can see what she can do being most sailors know a few sea spirit folk.
Into the second week she is dancing on deck with her two spirits when she looks up at the clouds. And see that all the high clouds make an arc across the sky in a semicircular pattern. She runs to the captain.
She bows to him, “Captain, have you seen the sky?”
The captain only grunts and walks up on deck. He looks at the sky then feels where the wind is coming on his face. He gets a worried look. “You’re Sea Spirit. Do you know where the center is?”
Shinju closes her eyes taking in the wind, the smell of the air and the humidity on her skin. She then opens them. I am uncertain but I think Southeast of here heading directly our way. The captain nods, “That is what I think too but these things can change, or we might be wrong.”
She looks back out to sea, then turns her head back to him. “I could ask?”
The captain raises and eyebrow, “What do you mean?”
“I’m also a shamaness of the ocean and restoration. I could call a spirit.”
The captain rubs his face, “These storms are life and death. Do it.”
Shinju goes to the bow and starts to dance as she does, she goes into a deep trance all the while dancing. She starts to attract minor spirits. Some of the men feeling that there is something unnatural going on give her a wide berth and watch as she chants and dances. Shinju casting her eyes to the ethereal plane sees a small spirit that looks like a water pixie come up along side and start to dance with her. She asks the one question she has for it, “Where is the center of the storm coming upon us?”
The water pixie points in a southwesterly direction. “About 120 miles coming this way.”
Shinju finishes the dance with the pixie. It dives back into the ocean. She turns to the captain, pointing the direction. “120 miles to center.”
He turns to his first mate, “Do you think we can make it?”
Shang frowns, “It will be close, captain.”
“Aye!” The captain starts yelling orders to the men to go full sail to catch as much wind as they might to keep in front of the storm.”
For 3 days they race to keep in front of the storm, but it slowly keeps gaining. The sails are at the end of their limit. The captain calls out the order to douse the sails. Everyone goes into action except for the few passengers. Waves start to hit the 9-foot mark.
As they sail into the night the waves hit 12 to 15 ft. Now even some of the seasoned sailors start to get sick. Shinju doesn’t seem to be affected at all. She does what she can to steady them carrying bags and large tins for the men to use.
In the morning the captain There is a calm about the sea. Shinju comes up on deck and dances with her spirits. The captain is barking orders. “OARS MEN WE’LL TRY TO KEEP TO THE CENTER UNTIL NEAR LAND!” The men get the oars out and start to row. It is somewhat a futile attempt, but they must try.
By noon the back of the eye wall is upon them. It starts to rain again. Waves surge anew. The storm hits them in earnest for the second time. The captain keeps the bow to the waves and hopes. The waves hit 12 feet, and the ship seems to be taking her. The crew comes to have a bit of hope and start to sing while weathering the storm. Then a man calls out suddenly.
“Maelstrom! Maelstrom!” Shinju rushes to the bow and looks across the sea. There about 100 yards in front of them is a whirlpool nearly 300 feet wide. A sailor looks at the situation. “I don’t think we can make it.”
The captain tries to maneuver around it but he has to turn the bow away from the tide with waves breaking over the deck. A highly dangerous position in the middle of a typhoon. He nudges the keel trying to go starboard. Seeing the breaks are easier that way. The ship seems to bounce up and down as it feels like it’s falling off small cliffs. Then it can take no more. A wave rolls it. Everyone goes in.
Shinju’s lungs immediately fill with water, and her hidden gills open up. She sees so many men in the water struggling. She’s also turned around and doesn’t know which direction is which. She can swim much faster than a human, so she sets to work. She tries to grab men one by one and take them to something that floats before they drown. She saves about 12 of them before the current suddenly pulls her. She is caught in an arm of the maelstrom.
As she is pulled around a hand reaches out. She tries to grab it but misses. She is swung around several times and then pulled into the deep depths of the ocean. As the pressure increases incessantly, she blacks out.
Shinju feels a bump on her side then another against her head. It isn’t like a punch, just a gentle bump. Her eyes open. She is in the water close to the surface since there is enough light to see 100 ft or so. She opens her eyes to find a white tipped shark swimming around her.
She doesn’t move. It comes in several times and bumps her. She waits. After a long ½ hour the shark losses interest and swims away. She waits another 15 minutes before swimming to the surface. Her head breaks into the air and she looks around. To the west she sees land and dives back underneath.
It takes her 8 minutes to swim to the shore she finds a river delta and swims up to a waterfall. There she gets up on land. The air is warm and there a road going up a small hill. She walks up it to find a camp. It’s full of Yokai and Oni. She wonders if she had died and gone to hell.
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Winterhawk99
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Re: Of Two Worlds
Shinju avoids the camp at first and takes the other way down the hill and follows the road to a town called Harrowsport. She looks for things to do and finds some people needing help. She digs up some salt and refines it for the local inn. Then finds an old fisherman and brings him crabs. The next task involved lighting an urn in the local mausoleum so the undead would stay within and not venture out. She then found an old farmhouse that had a rat problem.
She took care of that too for the elder couple that lived there. She felt somewhat sorry for them for having no children, so she cut a few cords of wood for the upcoming winter and gave it all to them. Finishing that she rested at the bottom of the river.
When she came back up in the morning, she found place via a path behind the waterfall and found all manner of both Kami, humans, elves and Oni interacting. It seemed to be a secret place where all people could meet. She did some trading and made a bank account. After that she went back to camp. There she quietly sat and meditated while watching who came and went.
At first there were two Oni. A cat hengeyokai came and talked to her. The hengeyokai seemed very interested in her at first mostly because she smells like seaweed and fish she imagines. She also met a monk.
She found out about a cave between the camp and the town that had wish Kami. The people there call them Kobolds. They are not like the wish kami of Kozakura. They wanted to kill her, so she cleared them out of the caves.
A strange pale lady helped her along with a samurai of some kind though he used a strange shield and a straight sword. Within the caves they also found a Wu-jen that had lost his compass, so they went back out and got it for him.
Later an elven monk came to camp. Shinju had a pleasant discussion with her. Shinju went back to town and found a gnome that needed some help. She received a rod from him and went to deliver it. He told her to take the dwarven caravan. When she arrived at the crossroads she seemed to go the wrong way. Giants with two heads attacked her. They hurt her to the point she passed out.
When she woke, she awoke in a large woman's arms at the temple behind the waterfall. The woman smiles showing rows and rows of teeth. Shinju almost faints thinking she's some form of shark hengeyokai and is going to eat her. She doesn’t eat her though. She puts her down saying. “I’m TraPë! and I run a dungeon rescue service. This one’s free.”
“Ummm, thank you.” She bows and quickly slides away just in case her stomach starts growling too much.
One thing she is having problems with is that she cannot speak these people’s language. She did meet a Shou lung woman that she could talk to along with a one or two others that could speak shou but not many. She started to get the hang of it after a few days, but she knew she would have to learn it fully.
She decides what to do and jumps into the river. She follows it to the ocean then swims out to the shelf and dives as deep as she can. From there she calls minor spirits of the ocean to her for the next ten days. They spend their time teaching her the western trade tongue.
As they teach her, she knows she needs to figure out if this will be her new home to spread the word of the celestial court. If so, how would she be able to reach as many people as possible. She comes up with the idea of working on building a monastery.
She took care of that too for the elder couple that lived there. She felt somewhat sorry for them for having no children, so she cut a few cords of wood for the upcoming winter and gave it all to them. Finishing that she rested at the bottom of the river.
When she came back up in the morning, she found place via a path behind the waterfall and found all manner of both Kami, humans, elves and Oni interacting. It seemed to be a secret place where all people could meet. She did some trading and made a bank account. After that she went back to camp. There she quietly sat and meditated while watching who came and went.
At first there were two Oni. A cat hengeyokai came and talked to her. The hengeyokai seemed very interested in her at first mostly because she smells like seaweed and fish she imagines. She also met a monk.
She found out about a cave between the camp and the town that had wish Kami. The people there call them Kobolds. They are not like the wish kami of Kozakura. They wanted to kill her, so she cleared them out of the caves.
A strange pale lady helped her along with a samurai of some kind though he used a strange shield and a straight sword. Within the caves they also found a Wu-jen that had lost his compass, so they went back out and got it for him.
Later an elven monk came to camp. Shinju had a pleasant discussion with her. Shinju went back to town and found a gnome that needed some help. She received a rod from him and went to deliver it. He told her to take the dwarven caravan. When she arrived at the crossroads she seemed to go the wrong way. Giants with two heads attacked her. They hurt her to the point she passed out.
When she woke, she awoke in a large woman's arms at the temple behind the waterfall. The woman smiles showing rows and rows of teeth. Shinju almost faints thinking she's some form of shark hengeyokai and is going to eat her. She doesn’t eat her though. She puts her down saying. “I’m TraPë! and I run a dungeon rescue service. This one’s free.”
“Ummm, thank you.” She bows and quickly slides away just in case her stomach starts growling too much.
One thing she is having problems with is that she cannot speak these people’s language. She did meet a Shou lung woman that she could talk to along with a one or two others that could speak shou but not many. She started to get the hang of it after a few days, but she knew she would have to learn it fully.
She decides what to do and jumps into the river. She follows it to the ocean then swims out to the shelf and dives as deep as she can. From there she calls minor spirits of the ocean to her for the next ten days. They spend their time teaching her the western trade tongue.
As they teach her, she knows she needs to figure out if this will be her new home to spread the word of the celestial court. If so, how would she be able to reach as many people as possible. She comes up with the idea of working on building a monastery.
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Winterhawk99
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Re: Of Two Worlds
Shinju spends a 10-day meditating with her spirits at the bottom of the ocean just past the shelf to the deep, offshore of Harrowsport. There they cloister her and teach her the western trade language. It takes her a day to come back up to the surface. She then swims up the river delta to the encampment of a non-human base behind a waterfall. There she does some trading and then goes to the main camp near it where most adventurers congregate and form parties.
She could not find anyone, so she goes back to the old man and woman who have a farm in the forest a little past Harrow’s port and cuts a few cords of wood for them. She tries her hand at picking some mushrooms but decides her hands are just too hard for the delicate task in that she tends to smush them as she picks the. Frustrated, she abandons that small task. She next goes down to the shore and digs up several pounds of salt and refines it for the locals selling it at the local store.
She rests for a moment thinking about what to do next. Not coming up with anything, she goes back to camp and finds some people. They do notice that she speaks their language much better. In fact, almost but not quite fluently. There she meets a few new people. Four of note are Hitomi an Onna-musha from her own homeland, Airut and Sharia who are a couple. Both are very nice to her. Another she meets is Phlip. Phlip is a gnome or dwarf wu-jen. Which race? She does not know. She still has trouble defining races here.
The Airut, Sharia, Philp and she decide to go to see what the Orcs are doing. They go through the caverns clearing out the orcs and managed to kill the king. That done they were discussing what they would do next when they noticed Philp had disappeared. Shinju goes to look for him. She cannot find him anywhere within the cavern system and goes outside. There she finds him and an Orc raiding party that were just coming home.
They have poor Phlip tied to a spit and were about to roast him for a snack. He looked either unconscious or dead by the looks of the head wound he had. She quietly goes up to the first orc near her and attacks him with her Kungfu fighting. A few kicks and punches and he went down. She proceeds to devastate the orcs when suddenly she is hit by magic. It’s a shaman that had been hiding under a sanctuary spell. She turns and unleashes her own shamanistic magic against him with a hammer of the gods. He goes down.
That done she runs to Phlip. She unties him and lays him on the ground then gets rid of the evidence that showed what the orcs had prepared for him. When all that is done, she casts raise dead upon him. He awakens. She breathes a sigh of relief. As she tends to him, she tells him about how dangerous the orcs are and that he should not have wandered off alone with the group, especially as they were all middling professionals and only in a group could they take them on. He nods and complains a bit about how long they were taking. She brings him back to the group and they prepare to leave. As they were leaving, more raiding parties come. During one of the battles Phlip goes down again. This time Shinju has to cast a raise dead from a scroll. Again, Phlip awakens, thankfully. The group goes back to the secret grove behind the waterfall where they trade and collect their bounties.
After resting Shinju gets up on the second day and begins her routine by dancing with her spirits. Shinju takes some time to herself. She had grown in her arts exponentially since coming to these strange lands. She tries the orcs by herself she goes slow steady, saving her magic as much as she can. It is a hard fight especially when she is faced by a dozen shaman. She leads them round natural stone columns in groups of one to three then goes to her monk abilities to defeat them. It takes a while, but she again is able to defeat the new king and make off with his treasure.
As she leaves the cold fields, she spies a tower and goes to investigate. There she finds Oni what the westerners call ogres. She knows she has to also clean these foul beasts out at first it was easy but many of them start to use naginatas. She has a hard time with these beasts but finally makes it to the end and cleans them out completely.
She then trades and goes back to camp where there are many people there discussing various topics. For the most part she listens but adds comments as they talk. It is a bright fall day with a warm southern wind. As they all talk a smoke spirit comes out of the fire. The westerners attack it, though Shinju had not seen it attack anyone. She questioned them about it. Another and another come out of the fire again, the adventurers rush in and attack the spirits, destroying them. Shinju starts to get upset. After almost a dozen smoke spirits come out of the fire things calm down for a moment then fire spirits start to spring out of the fire. Finally, a fire spirit comes out of the fire, a big one and goes after her. She realizes it is contaminated. And is about to defend herself when two more adventurers strike it before she can. She sighs noting her mistake.
A few more fire elementals come out of the fire, and they are destroyed. Then it stops. People start routing around for what might have caused this. One of the westerners finds that two of the logs in the pile of firewood have runes on them. He calls them druidic runes.
Shinju follows a group that thinks they know what happened. She follows them to the portal shrine, and they all go through the white portal. In the blink of an eye, she finds herself in some kind of park that has been badly burned. There are many men and women there working to clean it up. There is a man that has a wolf there. The adventurers question him. They all found out that there is some form of Yokai being held in a prison and the logs with runes on them are what sealing him in his cage. If one of these logs were burned there is a chance he can escape and cause destruction in the local region.
The man said there were 5 logs being transported and must have found their way to the camp by the waterfall. They figure there were at least 2 logs in the fire and 2 in the woodpile. So, one may still be missing. The man also said there were many more logs, but they were being transported to other areas for safe keeping. He had no idea how those logs got tossed on a woodpile. He told the group that should not have been. He said it was most likely an accident.
Satisfied the group returned to camp via the portal stone.
She could not find anyone, so she goes back to the old man and woman who have a farm in the forest a little past Harrow’s port and cuts a few cords of wood for them. She tries her hand at picking some mushrooms but decides her hands are just too hard for the delicate task in that she tends to smush them as she picks the. Frustrated, she abandons that small task. She next goes down to the shore and digs up several pounds of salt and refines it for the locals selling it at the local store.
She rests for a moment thinking about what to do next. Not coming up with anything, she goes back to camp and finds some people. They do notice that she speaks their language much better. In fact, almost but not quite fluently. There she meets a few new people. Four of note are Hitomi an Onna-musha from her own homeland, Airut and Sharia who are a couple. Both are very nice to her. Another she meets is Phlip. Phlip is a gnome or dwarf wu-jen. Which race? She does not know. She still has trouble defining races here.
The Airut, Sharia, Philp and she decide to go to see what the Orcs are doing. They go through the caverns clearing out the orcs and managed to kill the king. That done they were discussing what they would do next when they noticed Philp had disappeared. Shinju goes to look for him. She cannot find him anywhere within the cavern system and goes outside. There she finds him and an Orc raiding party that were just coming home.
They have poor Phlip tied to a spit and were about to roast him for a snack. He looked either unconscious or dead by the looks of the head wound he had. She quietly goes up to the first orc near her and attacks him with her Kungfu fighting. A few kicks and punches and he went down. She proceeds to devastate the orcs when suddenly she is hit by magic. It’s a shaman that had been hiding under a sanctuary spell. She turns and unleashes her own shamanistic magic against him with a hammer of the gods. He goes down.
That done she runs to Phlip. She unties him and lays him on the ground then gets rid of the evidence that showed what the orcs had prepared for him. When all that is done, she casts raise dead upon him. He awakens. She breathes a sigh of relief. As she tends to him, she tells him about how dangerous the orcs are and that he should not have wandered off alone with the group, especially as they were all middling professionals and only in a group could they take them on. He nods and complains a bit about how long they were taking. She brings him back to the group and they prepare to leave. As they were leaving, more raiding parties come. During one of the battles Phlip goes down again. This time Shinju has to cast a raise dead from a scroll. Again, Phlip awakens, thankfully. The group goes back to the secret grove behind the waterfall where they trade and collect their bounties.
After resting Shinju gets up on the second day and begins her routine by dancing with her spirits. Shinju takes some time to herself. She had grown in her arts exponentially since coming to these strange lands. She tries the orcs by herself she goes slow steady, saving her magic as much as she can. It is a hard fight especially when she is faced by a dozen shaman. She leads them round natural stone columns in groups of one to three then goes to her monk abilities to defeat them. It takes a while, but she again is able to defeat the new king and make off with his treasure.
As she leaves the cold fields, she spies a tower and goes to investigate. There she finds Oni what the westerners call ogres. She knows she has to also clean these foul beasts out at first it was easy but many of them start to use naginatas. She has a hard time with these beasts but finally makes it to the end and cleans them out completely.
She then trades and goes back to camp where there are many people there discussing various topics. For the most part she listens but adds comments as they talk. It is a bright fall day with a warm southern wind. As they all talk a smoke spirit comes out of the fire. The westerners attack it, though Shinju had not seen it attack anyone. She questioned them about it. Another and another come out of the fire again, the adventurers rush in and attack the spirits, destroying them. Shinju starts to get upset. After almost a dozen smoke spirits come out of the fire things calm down for a moment then fire spirits start to spring out of the fire. Finally, a fire spirit comes out of the fire, a big one and goes after her. She realizes it is contaminated. And is about to defend herself when two more adventurers strike it before she can. She sighs noting her mistake.
A few more fire elementals come out of the fire, and they are destroyed. Then it stops. People start routing around for what might have caused this. One of the westerners finds that two of the logs in the pile of firewood have runes on them. He calls them druidic runes.
Shinju follows a group that thinks they know what happened. She follows them to the portal shrine, and they all go through the white portal. In the blink of an eye, she finds herself in some kind of park that has been badly burned. There are many men and women there working to clean it up. There is a man that has a wolf there. The adventurers question him. They all found out that there is some form of Yokai being held in a prison and the logs with runes on them are what sealing him in his cage. If one of these logs were burned there is a chance he can escape and cause destruction in the local region.
The man said there were 5 logs being transported and must have found their way to the camp by the waterfall. They figure there were at least 2 logs in the fire and 2 in the woodpile. So, one may still be missing. The man also said there were many more logs, but they were being transported to other areas for safe keeping. He had no idea how those logs got tossed on a woodpile. He told the group that should not have been. He said it was most likely an accident.
Satisfied the group returned to camp via the portal stone.
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Winterhawk99
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Re: Of Two Worlds
It was not more than a few hours later that a cry was heard. Running past the camp a villager screamed out that there was an unnatural fog growing around the small lake that Old Man Jeb fishes at. The villager ran past and up the trail. Shinju wanted to warn him of the minotaur up the trail, but he was gone before anyone could stop him.
She gets up and wanders down to the lake past the kobold lair. There she found Luv, Airut, Sharia already there beside Jeb who was still fishing. Others started to show up as well. She looks into the water to see a green glow at the point where his fishing line goes into the water.
The others are discussing what it can be when she says to them. “I can go down there if you like, and see?” They agree she should go down and take a better look. She dives in and swims to the bottom. There she finds a very large green disk. It glows softly while undulating and dilating. the glowing energy around it looks like a small whirlpool as the whole of the mass shrinks then widens in diameter. It is a very strange sight to her. She thinks it may be a portal to someplace else but is unsure. She swims back up and reports her findings.
That causes another discussion about what is down there. Jeb just keeps saying he wants to catch that giant catfish down there. The discussion goes round then someone looks at her and asks, “Can you go down there again?”
Shinju nods and jumps in again. She starts to swim down again when she notices something large around the glowing green disk. She swims around to investigate what it might be when squid like tentacles shoot out at her. She avoids them easily. Whatever was down there was very big and alive. The next thing that happens is a black inky substance gets shot at her. That was it. To her this must be some large squid that somehow wound up in the lake. She swims to the surface quickly (being a sea spirit folk she can swim as fast as a man can run.) In fact, she can swim faster than most ships of the time. She jumps out of the water.
Everyone is looking at her. She says, “It has tentacles and shoots some form of black inky…….) She could not get the rest out. The thing comes up out of the water, and she has no idea what it is. It looks like a 15-foot shrimp like creature with two large tentacles. Everyone attacks it immediately including her.
Jeb starts crying out. “That’s the catfish I was trying to catch!” It did not look like any catfish to her. She starts ki-punching and kicking it. The thing dies quickly in the onslaught. When it dies Luv says. “That’s an aboleth.”
Shinju has no idea what an aboleth is, but it was certainly one of the strangest creatures she has ever seen. She listens while everyone talks about the creature. What she got out of it is these creatures can travel the planes and go from world to world looking for slaves to which they mind control. They are completely evil and come from a plane called The Far Realm. They are also highly intelligent and can use mind control and other things. It is a very deadly creature indeed. Shinju feels very lucky she was able to get out of the water alive.
As they were discussing Aelyn the monk asks her if she had swallowed any of the ink the aboleth shot out of her. Shinju shakes her head. “I do not think I swallowed anything but some of it may have passed through my gills.
Concerned Aelyn asks her to get herself checked out by a cleric. Shinju does better. After she leaves the scene, she calls out to the Hoo bird spirit. Her spirit guide of rebirth and restoration. She speaks with it and it checks on her body saying that she is fine. Shinju breathes a sigh of relief.
Shinju is in and out the next two days mostly investigating a crypt both alone and with others. There is a large crypt in a forest where it seems many undead guardians of some kind haunt. At the very end of the crypt a necromancer wields her magic. Shinju goes and defeats the necromancer and her minions several times but can’t seem to put the spirits to rest for good. She looks all over for things that might tie the spirits down to this earthly place. There is nothing but a rune on the floor and two mysterious statues in one room along with a forgotten yokai that you can summon from a chest.
It perplexes her. One day she will find a way to free the spirits for good in those dim passages.
After 4 days she dives into the river and follows it to the sea. From there she swims out to the shelf and dives down to the lowest depth. There she communes and lives on the bottom of the sea for several weeks.
She gets up and wanders down to the lake past the kobold lair. There she found Luv, Airut, Sharia already there beside Jeb who was still fishing. Others started to show up as well. She looks into the water to see a green glow at the point where his fishing line goes into the water.
The others are discussing what it can be when she says to them. “I can go down there if you like, and see?” They agree she should go down and take a better look. She dives in and swims to the bottom. There she finds a very large green disk. It glows softly while undulating and dilating. the glowing energy around it looks like a small whirlpool as the whole of the mass shrinks then widens in diameter. It is a very strange sight to her. She thinks it may be a portal to someplace else but is unsure. She swims back up and reports her findings.
That causes another discussion about what is down there. Jeb just keeps saying he wants to catch that giant catfish down there. The discussion goes round then someone looks at her and asks, “Can you go down there again?”
Shinju nods and jumps in again. She starts to swim down again when she notices something large around the glowing green disk. She swims around to investigate what it might be when squid like tentacles shoot out at her. She avoids them easily. Whatever was down there was very big and alive. The next thing that happens is a black inky substance gets shot at her. That was it. To her this must be some large squid that somehow wound up in the lake. She swims to the surface quickly (being a sea spirit folk she can swim as fast as a man can run.) In fact, she can swim faster than most ships of the time. She jumps out of the water.
Everyone is looking at her. She says, “It has tentacles and shoots some form of black inky…….) She could not get the rest out. The thing comes up out of the water, and she has no idea what it is. It looks like a 15-foot shrimp like creature with two large tentacles. Everyone attacks it immediately including her.
Jeb starts crying out. “That’s the catfish I was trying to catch!” It did not look like any catfish to her. She starts ki-punching and kicking it. The thing dies quickly in the onslaught. When it dies Luv says. “That’s an aboleth.”
Shinju has no idea what an aboleth is, but it was certainly one of the strangest creatures she has ever seen. She listens while everyone talks about the creature. What she got out of it is these creatures can travel the planes and go from world to world looking for slaves to which they mind control. They are completely evil and come from a plane called The Far Realm. They are also highly intelligent and can use mind control and other things. It is a very deadly creature indeed. Shinju feels very lucky she was able to get out of the water alive.
As they were discussing Aelyn the monk asks her if she had swallowed any of the ink the aboleth shot out of her. Shinju shakes her head. “I do not think I swallowed anything but some of it may have passed through my gills.
Concerned Aelyn asks her to get herself checked out by a cleric. Shinju does better. After she leaves the scene, she calls out to the Hoo bird spirit. Her spirit guide of rebirth and restoration. She speaks with it and it checks on her body saying that she is fine. Shinju breathes a sigh of relief.
Shinju is in and out the next two days mostly investigating a crypt both alone and with others. There is a large crypt in a forest where it seems many undead guardians of some kind haunt. At the very end of the crypt a necromancer wields her magic. Shinju goes and defeats the necromancer and her minions several times but can’t seem to put the spirits to rest for good. She looks all over for things that might tie the spirits down to this earthly place. There is nothing but a rune on the floor and two mysterious statues in one room along with a forgotten yokai that you can summon from a chest.
It perplexes her. One day she will find a way to free the spirits for good in those dim passages.
After 4 days she dives into the river and follows it to the sea. From there she swims out to the shelf and dives down to the lowest depth. There she communes and lives on the bottom of the sea for several weeks.