And just like that, hshe proved that she hadn't changed in all the years that he had known her, and further more all the years that he had gone without seeing her. He really should have went to the Western mountains, another half year of trekking and asked Limand, the Sceptre of the West, for passage. He rarely ever stopped his passage, and often encouraged his escapes into the world. He hadfortunately not chose the other route back to his father, that was said to be sometimes guarded by Pikatok's husband.

Shaking his head, he noted that as often as he asked the same question of her, she asked the same of him. Always the Keys, force or will. In retrospect he understood why his father often sent him to the woman, as intolerable as she was. They shared similar abilities, albeit a different way to harness them. 

[b]"You know, as well as I, that I attain the keys through challenges set forth by their respective holders. There is no force, there is no undue altercations. Of note though, I've gained the Mountain Goat key, an elephant key, making that number two. And Kusanagi," [/b]he gestured to the weapon at his side, [b]"has shown some interesting developments."[/b]

Kei'taro cracked his neck to the side, and stepped forward, the snow crunching beneath his feet. He withdrew Kusanagi, his favored mode of attack, and began to plan his path past Pikatok and into the gate. 

Of course, that meant either surviving longer than she anticipated, or beating her. The latter had never actually happened. Today that would change.

Kei'taro glanced at Pikatok, and shrugged his pack off his back. 

[b]"Well then, come on let's get this over with." [/b]He mused. 

As he looked at the woman, he began to put his plan into action. He inched down into a common 'Horse' Stance, but kept his feet loose and limber, he hadn't planned on keeping this stance. Underneath his attire, his Tortoise Shell tattoo began to glow. Phase one.