[center][h3]Survivor Camp[/h3][/center] [center][b]A TIME TO HEAL[/b][/center] [center]~ [@The Irish Tree] (EUL) ~[/center] "[color=fff79a]They even stole from me?! Why? It was but a harmless prank! Just... playing with their suspicions of me.[/color]" The monk then let out a heavy sigh before taking [u]Eula's[/u] hand to stand right up. "[color=fff79a]...I suppose it's my fault too. They were on edge and I decided to provoke them. I can only accept the consequences of my actions.[/color]" Looking at the house regretfully, the monk continued. "[color=fff79a]I guess Mika and her son also saw the incident? Gods, I shouldn't have done it...[/color]" He then looked at the money pouch [u]Eula[/u] gave him, before handing it back to the Automaton. "[color=fff79a]Please, keep it. Let the theft be my punishment. Well, at least one of my punishments. Hopefully, the worst punishment that will come to me.[/color]" The monk then saw the closed houses and surmised the worst. "[color=fff79a]...Let us not linger here. I've worked hard convincing this village that the yokai are not to be feared. It is disheartening to watch it all erased in a single stroke.[/color]" --- [u]Eula[/u] and the monk quietly made their way out of the remote village and back into the wilderness of Onrai. But at some point, the monk stopped taking the road and began to lead [u]Eula[/u] up a tall, forested hill far from the dirt roads. Getting past the dense trees, [u]Eula[/u] soon found herself inside a sizable and populated camp. It was quite the feat for the surrounding forestry to hide this large a camp. Unfortunately, most of the people inside the camp were lying on sheets or just outright lying on the soil. There were only a scant few standing upright, helping those on the ground. "[color=6ecff6]Healer! My wife! She stopped breathing...[/color]" There was a villager man bawling as he cradled his lifeless beloved in his arms. "[color=fff79a]...I'm sorry. I got here as fast as I could.[/color]" The monk replied, but he received no response as the villager continued to weep. Returning to [u]Eula[/u], the monk sighed. "[color=fff79a]If only I have gotten here sooner. I've wasted too much time frolicking about...[/color]" He pinched his temples as he continued to berate himself. "[color=fff79a]What was I thinking? I should've focused. I even gotten myself attacked by my own protectors...[/color]" Wiping his face in frustration, the monk recomposed himself. "[color=fff79a]I suppose I deserve nothing less.[/color]" "[color=fff79a]Thank you for escorting me, madam yokai, but I think this is where we'll part ways.[/color]" The monk said. "[color=fff79a]Just as I am needed here, you are probably needed elsewhere. I'll stay here and... do what I can for these people.[/color]" "[color=f26522]Healer, she is a yokai?[/color]" Another villager man asked. "[color=fff79a]Yes. She... protected me well as she escorted me here.[/color]" The monk answered. "[color=fff79a]Indeed, there are more of her kind here and they're here to help us.[/color]" The refugees here might hear a different story soon, but that was a problem for another time. The mission was complete and [u]Eula[/u] can head back to Terauchi Temple or do something else like attempt to help the people in this camp. [hr] [center][h3]Hama Island[/h3][/center] [center][b]LOST AT SEA[/b][/center] [center]~ [@Enkryption], [@The Irish Tree] (LIL), [@AzureKnight] (SHI) ~[/center] [quote=Shizuka Kannazuki][color=royalblue]"A-Anyway, nevermind that now! Is there anything you can tell us about the situation on the island, anything we should know about?!"[/color][/quote] "[color=ghostwhite]Oh, just some dude swinging a sword in that island. Normally, that's not a problem but right now, a scary Varjan might notice and show him what real sword-swing looks like.[/color]" Ian replied, completely forgetting the indecency the taskforce members displayed near his boat. [quote=Alice]"[color=976f29]Bit Players should be silent and reliable.[/color]"[/quote] [quote=Alice]"[color=6083ff][i]From the background to the foreground, without them, we would be standing around on our tippy-toes while sitting on our hands and twiddling our thumbs! Useless![/i][/color]"[/quote] "[color=ghostwhite]...You know, you guys talk weird.[/color]" Ian remarked, without a hint of irony. "[color=ghostwhite]I commend Lord Takeshi for putting up with you.[/color]" The rainbow knight then boarded the large boat and took the oar from [u]Liliana[/u]. "[color=ghostwhite]Sorry, little sprite, but you're gonna need your strength for what you'll be doing later.[/color]" After the cryptic comment, Ian rowed the taskforce to Hama Island. - Hama Island was just a tiny and rocky rocky piece of land with a couple of thin trees rooted in the mostly sandy ground. A thin, natural fog rolled into the land as Ian led the taskforce to a campsite consisting of one tent, some supplies and a training dummy. A well-built but middle-aged man was there, practicing sword strokes on the dummy. Unfortunately, his swings and his form were less than amateur. "[color=ghostwhite]You better put that thing down before you hurt yourself.[/color]" Ian greeted the man. "[color=8493ca]What the-?! Who are you? Yokai?![/color]" The villager pointed his sword at the newcomers. "[color=ghostwhite]Relax, we're not here to hurt you. Just worried that you might take on the Varjan fleet yourself.[/color]" "[color=8493ca]Nothing of the sort, but I have to do something![/color]" The man replied. "[color=8493ca]The Varjans captured my daughter![/color]" "[color=ghostwhite]Where'd they take her?[/color]" "[color=8493ca]Out to their ships, the ones with the lowered sails.[/color]" The villager pointed to a pair of anchored Varjans ships out in the distant water. A thick fog obscured the two vessels. "[color=8493ca]I found a boat, a sword... maybe some friendly yokai can help?[/color]" "[color=ghostwhite]What do you say, my friends? Up for a little prison breakout?[/color]" [hr] [center][h3]Terauchi Temple[/h3][/center] [center]~ [@Hammerman], [@Rezod92], [@Crowvette], [@Nakushita], [@Restalaan] (GRI & SKA), [@AzureKnight] (ATS) ~[/center] After Yurine assured [u]Atsuha[/u] and [u]Skarsneek[/u] that she would begin treating [u]Hinami[/u] with the herbs, the latter joined the conversation outside. [quote=Kerry Maros][color=fff79a]"Hold on to that. Don't ask me where I got it. Now, if Komatsu Bay is fortified, then a full on assault would be a death sentence, not with the devastated numbers on Shizuyamian side. You got us, but there's only so much that we can do, so we'll have to be smart about this. Do you think there's anyone here, refugee or otherwise, that has been there? Any secret routes we can use to- wait, shit, I just remembered. Takamori's kid spilled the beans on that, so the Varjans may have any hidden pathways that we could've used covered."[/color][/quote] Ayu took a look at the coin pouch [u]Kerry[/u] tossed at her. An ominous shiver went down her spine, but she decided to trust the yokai. Surely, they knew what they were doing, right? "[color=red]Well, I know someone who's been there but he's... shady, to say the least.[/color]" Ayu scratched the back of her head. "[color=red]That and, his name is... well, I guess there's no dressing this up: His name is Shizuka. Not our Shizuka, of course, just same names.[/color]" The head spy revealed. "[color=red]Err, I guess we can find a way to handle the names later.[/color]" "[color=red]Actually, that's not all. He's actually doing business with the Varjans.[/color]" Ayu continued. "[color=red]But that guy owes me, I'm sure he'll help us. His methods, though, can get... unorthodox so the question is, are you guys prepared for that?[/color]" [hr] [hr] [hr] [center]~~ TAKESHI'S JOURNEY ~~[/center] [hider=Pre-Emptive Strike] [i]The wolves are at the door...[/i] [/hider]