[IC] The War for Baji (open)

[Xartarin]

'I heard why you wanted to go to Uta, I just disagreed with you,' Metou thought as they were beginning on their journey, but she didn't say anything because it would probably start an argument and they needed to move on. It seemed like most people agreed with her, which was good enough for Metou.

When the Shima escort left and the guide began asking a question, crows flew out from the trees and headed forward. It caught Metou's eye for a few seconds, she looked up as others began to talk about the action they'd seen. For a second she was distracted by the possibility that it was suspicious, but she quickly discarded it as a meaningless distraction. It wasn't like she knew much about the behavior of birds.

As she was looking at the birds instead of where she was going, Metou tripped on a rock and stumbled a bit. She caught herself before she fell, but it still hurt her old foot a lot, and she had been having a lot of trouble keeping up with the group as it was. She felt bad about stopping the group, but after Yuudai was done talking, Metou called out, "Hold on, give me a minute!"

Metou took the rifle off her back and her ammo pouch and placed them on the ground in front of her, then did the same with a jar that had an eyeball floating around in it. "I've taken lives before, although it's been a few years," she said as she pulled the lid off of the jar, a large cork with a 1 scratched into it. She retrieved an iron scoop from her person, dipped it in the jar, and lifted the eyeball out of the formaldehyde. With her free hand she flipped up her eyepatch, revealing a dark hole. 'It's been a few years since I've done this either.' Her hand shook while holding the scoop, her other hand held the jar, but after a few seconds she slammed the eye into her empty eye socket. A gust of magic surrounded her, consuming her and growing slightly taller.

When it dissipated, a younger Metou was standing, and she reached down and picked her rifle and ammo back up. It was the form she had when she first lost her eye, still wearing her spiritual robes, still with the weight she had lost a few years later when she was banished and living on the countryside. "Sorry about that, it'll be a lot easier for me to keep pace like this, we can keep going now," Metou said, now walking at a faster rate, though she'd have to pop it back in every hour or so. She stretched her arms and her wings, and then pinched her side with a bit of a dismayed look on her face. "Like I was saying, it's been a decade or two since I've killed anyone, but if you need to keep your hands clean, I guess I can help," Metou said. "By the way, this ability of mine is a bit of a sensitive issue, so keep quiet about it."

[Wei Phoenix]

It was looking like the majority of the group had either never taken a life before or haven't done it in ages. Baji wasn't so sure on how capable they were all going to be now after that revelation. Hesitation to go as far as needed when it came to self-preservation and the preservation of the group would be their downfall. He was about to give a few pointers on how to kill someone until the old crow asked them to stop moving. Jiang Baji thought she needed some rest so he reached for their water supply to hand to Metou but she was doing something else entirely. A jar with an eyeball inside? What kind of weird stuff was this lady into?! Then she had the unmitigated gall to put it in her empty socket, and Jiang was completely lost until that magical gust surrounded her. He still had no idea what was going on but it was quite interesting to see.

Once the transformation was done, she was gone, well, the old crow was gone and a new younger crow was here with two eyes, nonetheless. The Dog of Shima walked over, circling her and looking around in the sky, under the Rontu and anywhere else his eyes may wander. "The old crow is gone and you're here! You're young! Wow that was so cool!" The azure warrior was honestly surprised and impressed by this feat, but quickly calmed down when she requested to keep this ability on the hush-hush. They started moving again and Jiang went back to his original thoughts. Taking a deep breath, he began to speak on his opinions about taking a life.

"I'm going to be honest with you guys, from my experience, killing someone boils down to so many different factors and variables. You all are going to have to ask yourself these questions as our quest continues and accept the fact now that we will more than likely see death. One: The most important question to ask yourself is "Will I or an ally die if I don't kill them?" If the answer is yes then we should always go for the throat. We should always choose us over them. Two: Have we been ordered to kill by an authority that we acknowledge and answer to? If so then you have to discard all of your personal feelings and carry out your task. Three: They are at my mercy, would they show me any if it were the other way around? The answer to that one doesn't always directly affect your decision. Just because they are not as merciful as you does not mean that they deserve to die so long as you believe that they will change or never pursue you. Four: This is the most important question you need to ask yourself so pay attention if you've tuned me out already! What changes if I kill this person. This is doubly important while we are traveling as the voice and will of Lord Tenzin Shima. Anyone we kill is in his name and ultimately the blood is on his hands. Anyone that we spare is in his name. If we punch a merchant in the face, then it's in his name. We are his judgment in physical form while we are traveling. If we kill someone of another clan then that can be seen as an act of war or transgression. If you spare a bandit then that bandit may kill a child or daimyo later. If you kill someone, they may be linked to a powerful official and word will travel and make us their enemy. If you spare someone from a rival clan or even a neutral clan then our relations with them may improve...well except for the Ina Clan, screw those savages." There were more points and questions that should be asked, but he covered the major ones and hoped that the team would look past his extravagant and eccentric personality, and really absorb what he had to say on the subject.

[Kitsune]

"Wow...."

Yuudai stood there in stunned silence as the old crow before her transformed into a younger version of herself, a power to turn back the clock that no doubt almost everyone wished they had. She was sure it had to have a downside, as one of the many questions floating around in her head was "How come you don't always stay like this?" Sure keeping quite about it was fine by her, but she just had to know why the old crow would stay old despite having such a ability.

Slipping her hands into her pockets the young half oni was about to head up to speak to the guide but when Jiang started his long speech on the topic of killing she decided to at least give him a listen. He made some good points about the dangers of letting people live, dangerous people that would just end up killing others if left alive. However despite all the good points he may have made Yuudai shook her head "No.. As I said, I don't need to kill." A blunt response spoken in a indifferent tone was apparently all it took for Yuudai to outright deny the guys argument.

"Feel free to continue on though, I won't stop you from finishing off our enemies"

With that she started to move away towards Takumi, clearly considering the topic closed though that is only how she saw it as others may disagree. "Hey. How long until we reach Ru? I only ask since I was wondering if I would have to cook or not before we reach there." Saved time on thinking if she knew she didn't have to anyone anything for the time being.

[Vena Sera]

What a delicate situation this was, and an annoying one too. Tetsuya wanted to simply ask around for any information concerning their stolen relics and yet he worried doing so might cause further problems. Did the people of Ru even know about their troubles? No doubt seeing one of Shima's guards out and about in their town raised some questions but he doubted they had put two and two together. If he was going to ask around for information then it would need to be the right people, someone he could trust; trust when it came to complete strangers was a bit difficult to come across, unfortunately. Though he sincerely doubted anyone from Ru had stolen the relics he couldn't wipe that possibility from the slate, not just yet.

The very few places that Tetsuya could think to ask around were taverns; plenty of folks came and went in these, it was only reasonably then someone might know something. Either word had spread of his causing a bit of a scene before or people were naturally wary of an outsider, whatever the case was he found it quite difficult to get anyone to talk. After coming up empty on the third attempt he had resigned to wander off a bit, try to gather his thoughts and come up with a new plan. Sitting at the banks of a small pond he stared out over the water, watching as a team of ducks swam through, pecking at whatever might be at the water's surface. Watching curiously he spotted a shadow in the water, raising his eyebrows a second later when a koi rose up to try and attack the ducks, probably trespassing on its grounds. Rather than flee the ducks began swatting and kicking at the koi, successfully driving it away and resuming their feeding as if nothing had happened.

That's what he needed, a team. Or at the very least a partner to help cover ground, as two heads were better than one. Lord Shima had stressed sending him alone in order to keep suspicion from rising, and while the young Neko respected his decision it did make his own job much more difficult. Maybe he was just going about it all wrong, maybe he could find another way to work around this issue. Where espionage was hardly his forte however Tetsuya couldn't even begin to come up with a plan. If it took much more than direct questioning it was a little beyond him, and much to his chagrin that strength didn't seem to be panning out here. For a town that was supposed to be receptive to outsiders he couldn't get much luck going for himself.

"Or maybe I'm missing something..." Tetsuya mumbled, letting out a sigh as he plucked up a stone. Reeling his arm back he tossed it into the pond, watching as it skipped a few times before sinking below the surface. "Think... The war must be effecting these people too, maybe if I can figure that much out I could help..." He had been told by other guards that sometimes you needed to do a bit of work on the side to get people talking, earn their favor in a way. While Tetsuya loathed to waste time doing menial tasks it could well be his only option to finding out what he needed to know.

"Well, won't find anything out just sitting here, I suppose." Grabbing his sword and shield from the ground beside him Tetsuya placed them onto his back again, securing them on a clip fastened to a strap that ran across his chest and back. For a moment he considered leaving the weapons behind, figuring maybe it was his having them that was making people not want to talk. Then again near everyone in Ru seemed to be trained and armed, so thinking that he might be intimidating everyone or anyone was a little absurd. Smiling slightly he shook his head, marching back up the hill leading to the pond and getting back on the road. Right... So where to next?

[Lekkuen]

The answers were what Takumi had expected so far, with those who haven't out numbering the two who had and one of those two hadn't killed in a very long time. He didn't have much to say about that, just taking a mental note of it. More stunning was what happened with Metou, the old woman suddenly pulled an eye out and used it to change into her younger form. A very fascinating ability, shape shifting of any kind was very rare and given how valuable it was he understood completely why she wanted them to keep quiet about it. If people knew it would just make her a big target, and that kind of stress isn't something anyone would want even if they were still young. So in respect of that wish he stayed silent and continued moving, their shortcut up ahead which he was sure would make Yuudai happy.

"It won't be too long, so you can wait until we arrive to worry about food. Our path through the forest is just up ahead, which will take us right there." He said in a relaxed tone, before stopping as one of the crows came back and landed on his shoulder. After a second he stopped the group of Rontu from moving, and signaled the group to stop as well. He looked at the crow with an unsure gaze, but when the crow simply nodded he turned his attention to the group.

"This crow tells me we won't be alone on the path. It isn't wildmen either, or even the standard bandits. A group of men in unusual clothing appear to be waiting there, along with a young woman who signaled the crow to hurry up. I could be mistaken, but it seems they are waiting on you guys to get there. Unless there were allies I wasn't aware of, I'd be careful about your next move, as at least one of them is armed. Because it looks to me that an enemy cut you off. If they are connected to whoever you are after, it could also mean that going the long way around will only ensure that they get away." It wasn't his place to tell them what to do, so he simply informed them and would keep going if it was what they wanted. He had a bad feeling that this would end up in a fight and one that may not favor them given what they had said about their experience earlier. If it was a fight he hoped that the group told him to wait and went ahead, not wanting to be forced to be involved in their conflict in any direct manner. It was a little cowardly but he barely knew the people and didn't have any loyalty to Shima or to their cause so would rather stay alive and unharmed if at all possible.

[Lekkuen]

As Tetsuya went back towards Ru he would suddenly hear a lot of commotion, as a large group of Naji soldiers marched into the village, the Naji emblem shown proud from the banners some carried. They weren't the random foot soldiers, each had more ornate weaponry and armor signaling they were guards for the self proclaimed Shogun and his family. Men in the center of the large group were a dozen or so men carrying a massive and very ornate norimono, made of the finest woods and silk, curtains covering the passenger from the elements as well as from the gaze of commoners. The soldiers had formed a barrier around the litter, no one even being able to get close enough to see the men carrying it, let alone actually touch the human powered transport. As one would expect they drew quite the crowd, many of the village guard were the first to approach them unsure if this was some sign of aggression or just an overly dramatic visit. Whenever Naji himself visited to try to get them to join him, he came more low key so all of Ru was very confused by this display of wealth and power. Once they reached the guards, the soldiers parted and revealed a 9 tailed Kitsune woman with dark hair standing in front of the norimono. When she walked forward every soldier bowed, and remained that way until she was past them all.

"Traveling with us is the future Empress of this land, the 7th Princess, Eri Naji. She seeks an audience with Lady Ru on behalf of her father as well as to discuss current events within the region. Most of our soldiers will stay behind and I assure you they will cause no trouble. I will only require a small number to come with us. If needed we will hand over our weapons, and you can escort us to where Lady Ru is residing." The Kitsune spoke with a powerful tone that demanded respect, while still managing to not be aggressive via her word choice. The guards were practically awestruck by seeing a Kitsune of such power visiting their village of all places, once they snapped out of it they agreed. Naji was annoying but they were never hostile to them, and allowing them to meet with their leader once again ensured further visits were peace and not war. After some of the soldiers handed over their weapons they began to follow the guards, several men still carrying the concealed princess on their shoulders. Many Ru commoners stared at the elegant design of the transport, with several younger ones thinking it was cool that someone with such a fancy title was in their home with the adults more wondering why Naji himself didn't come and if this meant a change in policy.

[Mogtaki]

Gin really didn’t like all this talk about killing or whether he had killed before, finding it to be a bit of a sensitive subject for him. He didn’t want to say whether he had or hadn’t nor was he going to admit anything to them, seeing how it was none of their business. To have killed or to think about killing was never going to be something he’d comfortably talk about around people who were essentially still strangers to him; sure, he knew some of their faces but he barely knew them by name or anything else. There was always going to be that personal element to everything regarding life and death. Despite what they thought about his size he was perfectly capable of killing just like any other Half-Oni.

Choosing to ignore the subject for now he did have a look at the old Tengu, still thinking she weirded him out he stared at her curiously, frowning only slightly when she decided to stop them for something. Watching her curiously he stared at the jar she brought out, looking to the others quickly when he saw what was inside it. That was just disgusting, but then again she was already missing an eye so maybe there was something else to it. Not wanting to look at it yet unable to turn away he let out a groan, staring at her before gasping when she suddenly decided to flip open the eyepatch and show what was underneath. That was rather disturbing and immediately prompted him to look away, rubbing his hair messily. Feeling rather distracted by that image he kept himself concentrated on the path instead; however, the sensation of magic distracted him and he immediately turned to look and see what was happening, feeling curious rather than grossed out now.

Staring at the Tengu he gasped when she sprouted a little bit only for the magic to dissipate, leaving Metou looking much younger. Staring at her for a moment he turned red and looked away again, feeling like he was lied to somehow when she first spoke to him. Even though it shouldn’t hurt him that much it still meant he didn’t know where her true form lied, making him feel a little insecure about the company he was keeping. She still mentioned it was a few decades since she killed someone so he was still probably the youngest, but she still looked very young to him despite that fact.

Feeling oddly concerned about that Gin tried to keep his attention away from it again, keeping moving instead of talking. With a moment of silence sitting over the group soon enough Jiang figured it was time to no longer keep his mouth shut and from the sounds of it he was going to speak a lot, probably way too much for him to pay attention to. By the time he got to his second point Gin was already groaning, looking up to the sky in hope that he would calm down and maybe let someone else talk if they were thinking about it previously; however, he just continued speaking. Losing interest pretty quickly he soon sighed and looked away, staring down the road as he scratched at his arms. Gin thought he was perfectly capable of making the right decision and didn’t need a long speech to make him feel insecure, even if he was the youngest one there and probably the least experienced.

What a pretty terrible subject go on for the day starting, one he wasn’t willing to keep following. Feeling rather uncomfortable he kept his eyes on the road but quickly turned his attention to their guide, frowning at his words. He didn’t know what all that meant but from the sounds of it he needed to clear his mind from all these thoughts that only disturbed him previously. He didn’t know if there was going to be a fight if this group got their way, but he also didn’t know what they wanted. He didn’t think word had spread that fast that they were heading out on their quest, but he did hope it wouldn’t end this early. He was told to be wary of outsiders and this was definitely the time to keep his hand close to the hilt of his blade just incase they tried to take advantage of the group.

[Wei Phoenix]

Things were starting to heat up and Baji was becoming more and more excited. Someone may have been waiting on them to arrive, even one was armed. The opportunity to meet their enemy, find out who's behalf they act on and deal a crushing blow to their operation if they truly were an enemy. Baji had hoped that these people were friendly though and able to help them all get further. He wasn't aware of any further aid being delivered after leaving so soon but it was a possibility. The Dog of Shima stretched out his arms and rolled his neck around in circles to loosen up his joints. This would be a group decision but he hoped everyone would see the opportunity ahead of them and move forward instead of going around to avoid conflict. Jiang Baji unsheathed his blade and pointed it forward to their destination.

"We should move forward. If they are waiting on us so patiently then we should happily oblige them. If they are friends then great, if they are enemies then even better. We beat them up, ask for information and move forward on our journey. I suggest we approach peacefully though." He then went over towards Gin and nudged him in the shoulder with his elbow to get his attention. "Hey, do you mind staying near our guide as we move forward? He may need some protection if these guys are looking to hurt us."

[PaulHaynek]

The group Kenji had been traveling with was certainly not the regular kind. Though then again, they needed to be special since they were on a special mission. Its specialness increased when Metou the old Tengu used some magic involving plopping an eye into her empty eye socket which transformed her into a younger version of herself. She told everyone not to pry which and so no one did despite raising the entire group's curiosity.

Some time later, Jiang began a speech about taking other people's lives. Though he had a lot of good points, Kenji was sure that dealing death was more of a 'spur of the moment' thing than a well thought-out decision. If blood was to be shed, then it shall be shed though the Yang would prefer more peaceful outcomes, even if there was a war going on and much unrest was to be found in their journey.

Soon, Takumi the guide warned of multiple presences ahead of them. They wore unusual clothing and they could be the thieves behind the robbery of the Shima Clan's artifacts. Jiang certainly wanted to meet them and suggested to do so. Kenji thought there was little reason not to. "Agreed but we should still be careful. We do not know who they are and they are expecting us."

[Kitsune]

Yuudai gave a curt nod to Takumi when he told her that they would be there rather soon, which was good because she was already getting hungry by this point. She did take note of the crows that their guide interacted with, clearly being connected with him in some way, though in what way she did not know. Still they apparently made for pretty good scouts given that they could relay news to their master, and it was lucky they that had done so, otherwise they may have been in real danger.

"I agree, they are either our first lead or Ru knew we were coming, either way let us meet them"

She was alright with Baji's little plan, after all it made sense and it was not like she saw the waiting group as any kind of threat, more so given that they were not even trying to hide. However she did not agree on one little thing "You coming Gin? We can be up front if you like." Taking her hands out of her pockets she started to move forward "You are free to stay back if you wish guide. If you want you can ask one of the others for protect as well." She was clearly not making her self a option for this as even now she was moving up, after all she was not one to waste other peoples or her own time.

[Vena Sera]

Tetsuya had no real idea how to move along with his search, only that he knew he had to. It stood to reason that someone in Ru had the information he was seeking, but actually coming across that person was going to be difficult. Stolen relics were hardly the things of common trade so anyone that had knowledge of it was probably less than reputable, and therefore most people wouldn't know of them. Its times like this he wouldn't mind having someone a little more... Knowledgeable of how the underground world worked, then perhaps he'd not be chasing ghosts. If he kept at it he was bound to stumble across something, but who knows how long that might take? When being quick about it was fair important he couldn't quite afford to wander about hoping to strike it lucky.

In the not too far distance the young Neko began to pick up an awful lot of voices, and if he wasn't mistaken the clatter of steel against stone as well. Marching troops? It sounded rhythmic so that made sense, but why were there troops moving? Was it Ru's own or was it something else? He had no personal claim in the matter but he was curious, enough so that he began to follow the sounds to try and see what it was. The swathes of people gathered along a main road was show enough of where the spectacle was, and Tetsuya had to pick his way through the crowds in order to get eyes on just what was happening. He'd expected perhaps one of the local nobility was passing through, or if he were so fortunate perhaps Lady Ru herself. What he found on the other sides of the crowd, however, was far from pleasing.

"Naji...?" Tetsuya whispered, frowning as he glanced over at the norimono. What was someone like her doing all the way out here? It was a bit odd that such an important person would show up like this, though he could hardly claim to know what went on between rulers. When the soldiers parted and the kitsune woman began to speak he couldn't help but feel a little war of what was happening. Just by nature he had to be cautious of strangers, it was basically required by his position as a guard to do so. While he may have no personal stake in Ru he did need these people's aid, and anything that might inhibit his search would be a problem. It would hardly work for him to ask them to leave, he wasn't nearly thick enough to even consider such a thing. But maybe their being here wasn't all bad, maybe he could work it to his advantage.

If the future Empress was seeking an audience with Lady Ru, and indeed she was, she was all but guaranteed to get it. Should Tetsuya be able to join the convoy then he'd surely reach the palace, and perhaps even be permitted an audience as well. Unless he had some serious claim himself to enter the palace grounds he didn't think it likely he'd see the Lady himself; Shima's badge may hold some weight, but with brigands and bandits roaming one could never be completely certain someone was who they said they were. Tetsuya decided then if he was to get in touch with Lady Ru then this was his best chance. Seeing no other option he broke rank in the crowd, stepping out to the road to confront the kitsune woman. Naturally the guards and soldiers around the area immediately went to their weapons, to which he only responded by putting his hands up defensively, trying to show he meant no harm.

"Relax, I'm not here to cause trouble, I only wish to make a request," Tetsuya explained, trying to sound far more authoritative than his youthful voice might allow. Relieved when the guards looked to ease up a bit he looked at the kitsune woman, smiling faintly before making a polite bow in her direction. "I'm seeking an audience with Lady Ru as well, on behalf of Lord Shima. If it's not too much trouble I'd like to join you and your Lady in visiting her." He didn't want to admit he was utterly lost and needed directions, there was a little bit of pride to be had after all.

[Mogtaki]

Despite his worries that something might happen, Gin was feeling pretty prepared and willing to try and show he could still fight. If he was to be an adventurer then he was going to have to get serious. He was going to be the best Half-Oni there was, even if there was another one in their group. He would stand up to these people up ahead if they dared threatened his group, if he could keep trying to be brave about it. This was hard even for him when he was supposed to have all the confidence in the world given what he was and what he was supposed to do. Holding his head up high as he walked he couldn’t help but gasp when Jiang nudged his shoulder, giving it a rub as he gave him an annoyed look before looking away. ”What? I thought that would be something you would want to do”.

Feeling fairly confused about his decisions his eyes soon wandered away from Jiang before up to Yuudai, curious when she mentioned him by name. He didn’t think she’d be comfortable with someone of his stature holding up the front along with her, given the fact she was of such a height difference that it’d probably look like a joke to their possible attackers. ”What? You want me up front too?” he questioned her before smiling, showing off his sharp teeth, ”I’m not going to stand back and let everything happen without me. I’m capable of protecting others!” Moving quickly to the front Gin held onto his cloak, keeping his strides fairly long so he could keep ahead of the others without falling behind his post.

[Wei Phoenix]

Jiang was not used to such disarray in a group. He simply motioned his hand over his head when Yuudai spoked as she seemed to miss the entire point of his request. Her attitude became infectious and Gin quickly followed up with her and now their guide would be left alone to fend for himself if anything happened. "He's the only one that needs protection..." Baji thought to himself as he sulkily walked over to Takumi to provide him with the assurance that he would be protected no matter what went down. Baji wasn't as strong or durable as Gin so if a surprise attack occurred or he was caught off guard then Jiang would fall to the first blade that pierced his flesh. He wasn't mad, it was good to know early on that he couldn't entrust the important tasks to others. He really wanted their strongest member to protect the weakest and most needed as they all moved together, but today Takumi had the dog at his side and that's who he would have to depend on from this moment on. Standing next to Takumi he sighed and spoke low enough for them to hear or anyone with a strong sense of hearing. "I'm sorry, I wanted him to watch your back but I don't think that they trust me. No matter what though, if they are the enemy then I will fall before you do, this I swear. I will not let any harm come to you while I live." Jiang then spoke up to the two half-Onis. "Well, go ahead, lead us onward."

[Lekkuen]

Takumi raised a brow when they began talking about people protecting him, disagreeing over who should stick by him and do it. If this was going to be a problem he would rather not go at all and wait, but he would move with them and just stay behind like they wanted. "Don't worry about protecting me, you don't take the kind of clients I do if you aren't good at escaping. Just focus on resolving the situation and I'll be fine, I'm not much of a fighter and would rather avoid conflict but I'm used to dealing with it. The Island I'm from is in the middle of a war, unless you guys die instantly I'll be able to get away if I need to. Plus I still have Naji stuff on me, anybody who was after Naji would have intercepted me earlier so I doubt they care about me." He reassured them of his safety, preferring them to actually give any fight their all so he wouldn't be put at an unneeded risk by them having to hold back. He personally wasn't sold on the two half-oni just yet since neither said they killed, and one seemed to have some issue against killing so someone who has killed seemed a safer bet to actually be fighting. He continued to follow them from a short distance behind as they approached the path, with Takumi freezing up when he saw who it was, no longer sure of any survival.

Blocking the entrance to the path were four muscular men, each the same height as Yuudai. They were wearing seemingly random pieces of colorful clothing, with no attempting to match the rest of an outfit, and some articles of clothing being barely put on. Their expression was static, with no signs of their face moving outside of their never blinking eyes moving from person to person. Sticking out of each of their temples was a triangular object seemingly made out of a bone like substance, it was clear that more of it was jammed into the men's skulls from the painful looking scar around it. Standing in the center of all of them was a young woman, with two short swords at her side and clothing more common in lands outside of Baji. Her black hair was in braided pigtails, and her eyes were closed, sealed shut as the scars over them made clear. She was smiling as they approached, a very happy smile to see that they had finally shown up. "Glad you guys made it here from Shima!" She said in a cheerful tone, her voice high-pitched and childlike. "I know what and who you are looking for, but first I have a question! She continued to smile and speak in a friendly manner. "Who wants to die!?" Her closed smile became a toothy grin as she drew her swords. The men with her all slammed their fists into their palm in unison when she did so, not moving yet though waiting to see the reaction of the group.

"If she is involved, you may want to consider just quitting this journey now. I've seen her in Naji lands before, and she isn't someone you want to mess with." Takumi warned them as the crow flew back into the air, looking around if any others were in the area. He was afraid to say who she was while she was right there, he doubted they would be able to protect him if she actually got offended. To any who looked at him he would be visibly nervous, he had been taught not to mess with with the group this woman was a part of.

[Kitsune]

"Who wants to die!?"

Yuudai stared towards the rather intimidating sight before her with the same indifferent expression that she had held for the entire trip, though this time it was more out of sheer disbelief. From the large men with bone out of their forehead, her horns were much better, and all moving in unison, to the rather creepy looking women with knives and closed eyes. It was all very strange, were these the types of people outside of Shima? Though she guessed their own group did not really look all that normal so it was not like she could mention it.

Removing a hand from her pocket she took a step forward and pointed towards the small women, guessing that she was more of the talkative type than her big bruiser collection of boy toys. "You.. Who are you anyway?" Normally she would not even bothered to ask but Takumi had peeked her interest a little when he seemed rather intimadated by her, seeming to know who she was but did not mention. Slipping her hand back into her pocket she moved forward, taking slow steps as to leave her some breathing room, since it seemed she would be taking that little offer.

"It don't matter, I just need answers from you, since you mentioned you know about what we are looking for." Just like that her interest had dropped off, though really there were more important things to worry about, and she could ask later after she kicked her ass right? Yuudai looked between all five of the enemies, unsure who to face but she suspected she would take on the rather bulky guys since that is normally how it worked. Some big shot always trying to send their goons after her and all.

"Either way, I guess you are free to try and kill me first. But when I beat you, you will have to make sure to tell me everything you know. Ok?." Seeing a fight fast approaching Yuudai stabbed the large sword she had into the ground and waited, either for answers or one of the five to step up to face her. Though she had no doubt one of her companions would try to talk the five out of it... They did not look like the type for talk.

[PaulHaynek]

The party had reached the entrance to the path but unfortunately they were blocked by four muscular men who all had heights comparable to Yuudai's and wore seemingly random pieces of colorful clothing. Their faces were as blank as unwritten paper and sticking out of each of their temples was a triangular object seemingly made out of a bone like substance. In the middle of them was a young woman with two short swords at her side and clothing more common in lands outside of Baji. Despite her smiling face, she only invited intimidation. Her posse of men not helping at all.

Like Takumi had predicted, she was clearly expecting the fellowship and seemed intent on stopping them if her drawing her swords suggested anything. Yuudai was the first to speak to the woman while Kenji turned to the guide who looked like he had his soul scared out of him.

"If she is involved, you may want to consider just quitting this journey now. I've seen her in Naji lands before, and she isn't someone you want to mess with."

Takumi

"You know of her, Mister Takumi?" Kenji inquired. He already knew the answer and he already knew this was going to be a problem, he just wanted Takumi to elaborate.

A fight was coming up, that was certain. However, Kenji was not certain if the fellowship was going to be the winner if Takumi's reaction was anything to go by. "I guess Yuudai was right after all..." Kenji muttered as he grabbed the hilt of his giant sword, ready to unsheathe it.

[Xartarin]

The group had a small argument about placement, which Metou mostly ignored and stayed out of, as she did for most arguments. There wasn't any ambiguity about where Metou should stand, as the squishy sniper with no experience in close-quarters combat her place was in the back of the group. She didn't speak up until they encountered someone on the trail, someone the guide warned was strong enough to put a stop to their journey.

They were obviously connected to the relic theft in some way, unless word spread much faster than Metou thought, considering that this group already knew who they were. Somehow Metou found it unlikely that they actually had the relics considering how close they were to Shima. Unless it was all a trap from the beginning, why would the thieves simply camp out on a trail outside town waiting for Shima's forces to find them?

'If she's as famous as Takumi implies, we can find her later and fight her on our terms, not when she's been waiting for us to show up,' Metou decided. The rest of the group had the right general idea, fighting only if they moved first, and Metou readied her gun like the others, though she wasn't pointing it at their obstacles just yet.

Stepping forward so she could be seen by the enemy, but still standing behind Yuudai, Metou added an addendum to the half-oni's threat. "What we mean is, there's no reason for us to fight, we're just passing through to Ru," Metou said, "If you have any information regarding the stolen items, I'm sure it can benefit both of us to give it to us, otherwise let us pass." Adding to Metou's uncertainty was the playful way in which this woman had asked them if they wanted to die. She was probably just joking, right?

[Lekkuen]

The Naji group stopped once Tetsuya approached them, they weren't afraid of him but they did grip their weapons just in case he tried something stupid. After he stated his attention and who he claimed to be with, the soldiers simply turned to the Kitsune to await her response. She stared at Tetsuya for a few moments before smiling, her magic looking through his body and into his soul to see if he was who he claimed. "He's telling the truth, he is here on Shima business." She said to the men before turning to face the Neko knight, both of them standing at around the same height.

"For whatever reason, the Naji Shogun is a big fan of your Lord. Since he would allow it, I'm allowing you to come with us though any problems you cause will be taken as disrespect from your Lord. Also don't misunderstand my station, the 7th princess is not my Lady and her father is not my Lord. She is my student and for that reason I am acting on behalf of Naji for the time being, but I serve no one but my most honored Grandmother." With that statement she turned around and began to follow the guards, her heavy tails swaying behind her as the others continued to carry the concealed princess. The journey took them outside of ru into the nearby forest, from there they followed a hidden path until that were on the other side of a very dense wall of trees. There was Ru manor, a much smaller place than the castles and palaces many lords had constructed, while still larger than a normal home it was more spread out and small in height to be easily concealed by trees. The manner grounds were very well polished stone, with training equipment placed all around as well as racks with weapons both battle ready and practice. Where one would normally see servants cleaning instead there were handmaidens training and honing their bodies right alongside the official guards. Everyone was supposed to be capable of fighting even those whose only job was to do Lady Ru's hair, so everyone had to make time to train. Upon seeing the group of guests one exchanged a brief word with the guard before leaving to go get Lady Ru herself.

"Wait here, our Lady shall see you shortly. She prefers to meet people out here, where training takes place. " The guard said to the group, informing them that this is as far as they would be going. With that info, the group of men carefully lowered the norimono and both them and all the soldiers dropped to the ground as the curtain was opened. While clans like Shima had seen most of Ryuu Naji's children, the 7th princess hadn't gone on any of the trips with her father to their lands. So all anyone knew was that she was said to be his favorite daughter, and was held to an almost religious regard by the clan itself, some saying her mother was a Kami. From behind the silk curtains stepped out someone much different from the other Naji princesses, younger than the others but more notable wearing more simple clothes more suited for a medium (though modified) instead of the extravagant royal kimonos of her sisters. She stepped out and looked around, before smiling at the Kitsune taller kitsune.

"Rii-Sensei, who is that with you?" She asked the Kitsune woman, tilting her head slightly as she looked at the Neko in mild confusion. He was wearing armor unusual for the region, something she had seen outsiders wear back on her home island and never Nekos wearing such things.

"He is here on behalf of Shima, wanting to speak with Lady Ru like us. He is representing a friend of your father's, so be more polite to him." Rii's words caused Eri to quickly began to bow rapidly to Tetsuya, not wanting to accidentally make one of her father's friends angry at her and by extension at him.

"I'm sorry. I meant no offense!"

[Vena Sera]

If the kitsune woman should deny his request then Tetsuya would find an alternative, he would hardly place all of his bets on this one chance. That being said it would be far more convenient if she agreed, goodness knows it would save him a ton of trouble. Keeping bowed as he awaited an answer he dared not get his hopes up, knowing there was no reason for his request to be accepted. Surprisingly enough he was given the chance to join them, looking up in slight surprise as he was given clear directions. Well that went without saying, he was here as an extension of Lord Shima himself and knew full well his actions would reflect on his Lord. The Neko would never dream of doing anything to shame the man, so he would be on his absolute best behavior, that went without saying.

"Thank you very much, I appreciate your courtesy," Tetsuya said, smiling as he righted himself. How odd that he should be thanking a traveler for their courtesy, he really should be thanking the guards of Ru for having no issues with it. Ah, and so he had misunderstood the kitsune it seemed, he hadn't thought of her as being the princess' teacher. Interesting, he wondered what he might be teaching Eri, though it hardly felt appropriate to ask such things. "And I'm sure your Grandmother is a wonderful woman. There is nothing wrong with serving one's family." That was in effect what he was doing even now, even as he was carrying out Lord Shima's orders. Seeing everyone preparing to move out again Tetsuya fell in line with some guards, a little relieved no one tried to take his weapon from him.

So the manor was outside of the town itself, that would explain why he'd been unable to find the place. Lord Shima's home was easily accessible inside of Shima and so he had assumed other places were similar, but evidently not. This was certainly more secretive than Lord Shima's too, hidden amongst the trees as it was. It struck Tetsuya as a bit odd how everyone here seemed prepared for battle and yet Lady Ru was still hidden away. If they hid her then why must everyone be ready to fight? Unless someone knew specifically where the manor was he couldn't see the need for an entire town to take up arms, not when the invaders would be able to find the Lady. Then again he supposed there was nothing wrong with caution either, and it never hurt to have a few more arms to protect someone important.

Though the manor was far from grand in size it more than made up for it in appearance. The polished stone floors and walkways gave a sense of high worth, and everything from the walls to the timbers supporting the roof seemed to be finely crafted. Even the weapons holstered in the racks, no doubt used for the servants, were impressive in their appearance. This could be one benefit of a smaller home, you had more money to make what little you had seem nicer. It was certainly nicer in Tetsuya's eyes than any massive castle, he always felt like those were just unnecessary and a waste of space. Lord Shima had a moderately large home, but hardly what he would call excessive. Having passed through the entryway to the manor grounds the group was finally brought to a halt, one of the guards giving them instructions on where to wait for the Lady to arrive. Easy enough, it wasn't as though any of them had anywhere else to be until after this meeting anyways. Nodding gratefully to the guard he smiled a little, taking a glance around the area and examining it a bit more closely. When he heard a voice speak out his ears perked up, turning his head curiously and blinking seeing who he could only assume to be the princess.

That was the princess... Right? She didn't really look the part, as her outfit made her look much more like a shrine maiden. As far as nobility went he was used to extravagant, flashy clothes to show position, not something as simple as this. Even the kitsune was dressed better than the princess, and that struck Tetsuya as a bit odd. Having been staring he didn't even realize that the girl was looking back at him, feeling quite embarrassed as he looked away, clearing his throat and shifting his feet a bit. How rude of him to stare, he should probably apologize for that. Turning to do such a thing he frowned in confusion when the princess had come closer to him, his jaw dropping slightly as she began to bow to him instead.

"W-What...? You're... Apologizing? To me?" Tetsuya asked, sounding rather confused by the sight. She was a princess, why was she apologizing to a guard like that? It was like she'd done him some horrible wrong with how frantic she was, it was kind of embarrassing to see. Feeling awkward over having nobility doing this his face heated up, looking around at the other guards before smiling meekly. "It's um... It's fine, no harm done. Please, you don't have to do that for me," the Neko responded, bowing his head slightly, "Thank you for your consideration though. And it's an honor to meet you princess." If Lady Ru wanted to come out right now he'd be fine with that, it felt so weird speaking to someone so important so casually.

[Wei Phoenix]

The group seemed to be at odds on if they should fight or flee. The guide who obviously knew more about them was wary of their presence and wanted to flee, but Baji's allies wanted to stand their ground and fight. Metou wanted to resolve this case peacefully and Jiang didn't know what to do. Should he follow Takumi's advice or stand next to Yuudai and hold their ground? Jiang wasn't about leaving them alone to fight or die unless his own life was in grave danger of being lost. Either way, there was no sense in Takumi staying here and fighting or being in the way. If they were as dangerous as he said they were then it would be best for him to be gone and let them focus solely on the enemy. "So how fast can you disappear, sneak into Ru and alert them of an elite group of bandits approaching their village? If you can do that, then hopefully we can stall long enough for you to return with reinforcements, it doesn't look like my friends are going to back down from this fight."