private Bushi no Tamashi

[Samurshy 708]

Arashi was standing in his office looking out the window upon the army of Sakokuan soldiers training outside of the barracks. It was midday, in the middle of spring, and the smell of sakura blossoms were overtaking his olfactory senses. Today was truly a great day.

Arashi was deep in thought as he watched out the window, when he heard a knock on the rice paper door that separated his office from the hallway. 

"Come in", Arashi permitted. 

The door opened and a skinny man in an official kimono entered. Arashi knew this man as his assistant, Ikaku. 

"Shogun-", Ikaku began

Arashi sighed, "Ikaku, what did I tell you about addressing me as Shogun?"

"... That you prefer to be called by your first name." Ikaku stated with dread, as if he knew he was supposed to do it but couldn't bring himself to address a man of such esteem with his first name.

"Exactly. Now, I assume you have some news for me", Arashi said. 

"I do, Sho-.. Arashi-dono. The recon unit from Tani has returned. From the pigeon letter, it sounded like they had some very urgent information for you. I have prepared the war room for a meeting, the serving girls are preparing tea as we speak", Ikaku explained, as he took the pigeon letter from his sleeve and placed it upon Arashi's desk.

"Excellent! I will be down in a few minutes", Arashi said. He then added, "Ikaku, I won't be needing you for the rest of the day. You look like you could use some personal time off, Go visit the village, have some food, bathe in the hotsprings."

"But, sire-" Ikaku started.

"Nonsense, I won't take no for an answer", Arashi reached into his pocket and retrieved a small satchel full of gold koban. This kind of coin could put a man up in a luxurious hotel for weeks. He then placed it in Ikaku's hands and waved him off. Ikaku had known Arashi for 2 years now, and he was well aware that Arashi would not take 'no' for an answer. So he bowed his head and exited the room.

Arashi grabbed his katana that was resting in the corner of the room. He strapped it to his back, adjusted his loosely fitting kimono, and made for the war room. When Arashi entered, the recon unit was already there. The war room was a large room, with a low table in the center. The room was supported by red wooden support beams. The floor was originally made out of wood, however, every inch of the wooden flooring was covered in tatami mats. The recon unit was already sitting on the floor by the time Arashi entered. But as soon as he entered the unit stood and bowed. Arashi held a hand up as if to stop them, but at this point he knew it was useless. Arashi wasn't much for the system of honor that this country was run by. Too many people bowed before him, but he didn't feel as if he deserved it. He was just a normal human. Sure he could kill someone in an instant, and he rose through the ranks because of his skill. But, he still felt uncomfortable. Arashi never even used the honorifics at the end of a person's name. It just felt so weird to him. And even though, he suffered amnesia four years ago that wiped his memories clean, he still felt as if this was all foreign to him somehow. 

Arashi made his way to the head of the short rectangular table and took a seat.

Arashi made a gesture with his arms, "Please, sit."

The unit was made up of three individuals. One female, a tall, thin black-haired woman. Arashi knew this woman as Yuukino. And two males, who were also quite tall and thin. One had brown hair, he was known as Ginjo, and the other was bald, he was known as Inu. They all wore the same outfits, black shokozu. And normally they would be wearing masks as well, but as a sign of respect, they already had them off by the time Arashi had entered the room.

"So, you have information for me", Arashi asked?

Strangely enough it was the female, Yuukino, who spoke. It was clear that she was the leader of the team. Even though Arashi had created the team, he hadn't delegated a leader. It looked as if the natural order of things delegated a leader for them.

"We do, Arashi-dono. During our mission, we made friends with some of the locals in a village known as Jun. Eventually, we made friends with the village chief. The village chief, who was an elderly man, was revered as the strongest within the region. It was quite surprising, even though he was an onijin, he was a short, wrinkled, elderly man. We couldn't figure out why he was so revered, until one night, the village was attacked by Oni. Our unit did their best to fight off as many as we could, but we are not a combat unit. We thought we were all going to die, until the village chief, who always carried a walking stick, stepped out of his home. He raised the walking stick above his head. The stick was struck by lightning, and in an instant the chief had a renewed youth. It was as if we were seeing him 50 years ago when he was in his prime. He was a beast. He slew all of the Oni's in an instant. Afterwards, we spoke with the chief. He was reluctant, but eventually he explained that the staff that he walks around with all the time was an object with a divine affinity. An object blessed by a god or goddess. It had the ability to grant him youth and vigor for a brief moment. He then said that his staff was not the only object that has been blessed by a god or goddess. He said that there were lots of items strewn about the large island of Tani with divine affinity. So, we started a new mission to find at least one of these items to bring back to you. And, we were successful. We call these artifacts of power, Taniaku" 

Yuukino reached into her outfit and procured a gauntlet. The gauntlet was made out of what seemed like red leather with thin scale armor fixed on it. Yuukino stood, bowed before Arashi and passed the item to him. 

Arashi held the item in his hands. His years of martial arts training, and becoming in tune with his body gave him instinctual senses. These senses were able to asses an enemy's power before even fight them, but unbeknownst to him, also allowed him to feel the power resonating within an object. The instant the item touched his hands, he could feel a power pulsating within it. 

"So, what does it do", Arashi asked?

"Put it on, and see for yourself"

Arashi slipped the gauntlet on. Nothing amazing seemed to have happened. But then, in an instant, he felt it. It was as if he felt he was invincible, impervious to all manor of physical attack. 

Arashi unsheathed his sword with the arm that wore the gauntlet. He then held his other arm out and swiftly sliced at his arm. Instead of severing it like it should have, the sword bounced off of it, resounding with the metallic wobble.

"Amazing... The Emperor must know about this right away." Arashi stated as he peeled off the glove and sheathed his katana.

"You guys did a great job. I knew it was a good idea hiring the ninja guild for this one." Arashi said as he dropped a massive satchel of koban on the table, "Tell your master Icho I said hello." 

After the ninja left, Arashi made for the palace right away for an emergency debriefing. He explained to Emperor Hana about everything he had been debriefed on.

"You have been an amazing Shogun, Arashi. in a matter of two years, you have done more than my brother could have done in five. I think, the best course of action in this situation is for you to form a team. I want you to lead and form a tactical unit of five people, including you, of your choosing. After spending time rising through the milatary ranks, I am sure you are aware of exactly the right people to pick for the job. Maybe you have caught wind of people with amazing talents that you would like to employ. Either way, on behalf of me, the Emperor Hana. I authorize you to create a team and recover as many Taniaku from Tani as possible. I am almost positive my brother has already gotten wind of this as well. We must act fast, we cannot allow Zetsumei to possess even one of these artifacts of power. That being said, if you encounter any Zetsumei on your journey you are authorized to execute them on the spot. Do you understand?"

"I do, Hana-dono", Arashi replied.

"Alright then, Akage(redhair)-sama. What are you doing here then? You have a team to form." Hana laughed. 

With that Arashi made for the barracks again. He sent out 4 letters addressed to different people but all of which said the same thing. 

Attention (First and last name), under the direct order of Emperor Hana, you are to report to the war room of the main barracks in Jinzo. You have a unique skill that has been recognized by the Shogunate and are hereby summoned to utilize them for your country. The meeting in Jinzo will be in two nights, if you are not there, we will come and escort you in person. 

Thank you for serving,

Arashi Akage.

 
Lots of things had happened in such a short period, and a lot of thoughts were running through Arashi's mind. But the main common thought was, This is going to be really fun.

LINK TO THE OOC CAN BE FOUND HERE

Edited March 18, 2014 by Samurshy

[TheBreech 91]

With a final punch, the last challenger was on the ground, but Fenikku wasn't satisfied. "Come on men! None of you even want to try?" He sighed as even his fellow Onijin simply shook their heads. "Well this is no fun..." he thought. The outpost he was stationed at was far from any action, so the only things Fen could do was duel and hunt, and if he didn't do anything, he'd fester about the past. Just as this process began, Fenikku saw a messenger enter his tent. "Something big must be happening friend," he said with a chuckle. "What the hell are you talking..." Fenikku drifted off as he read the letter and instantly began smiling. "Nobody calls me to think, especially not the emperor! Which means they need a warrior to fight something!!!" He nearly knocked over the messenger as he went to report to his CO, who waved him off, promising to handle the paperwork of him leaving, and giving him a list of supplies for the armorer to give him. With a basic sword, and a days rations, he headed straight for the capital; adrenaline, stamina, and excitement bringing him there by nightfall, upon which time he was led to where he'd stay as he waited for the others.

Edited February 27, 2014 by TheBreech

[Chickey 383]

It seemed to be just another day passing by in Zetsumei, however deep in the main castle perched up on top the biggest hill in the lands events that might just shake the foundation of Shakuku itself were about to unfold. Saigo sat on a tatami mat in the back of the room resting, stroking a white cat that sat on his lap. His room itself was rather uncomfortable looking for anyone else but himself, but he almost found it relaxing. There were at least a hundred different weapons hung from the wall all around the room, almost all of them taken as trophies in battle or duels. In the middle of his lair, right above him were the weapons that he would consider his prized possessions, His katana, his odachi, his tanto, and his three kunai. The room itself was colored all white with black tinted screens. Red painted markings were all around the room too. Lastly there was a door in the corner of the room that probably led to his sleeping quarters.

 

Saigo was almost about to fall asleep, but just as his eyes closed, he heard a voice from outside his screen door. "Lord Fuzen, requesting permission to enter." The voice said, to him it was clearly recognized as the Emperors personally messenger. Saigo opened his eyes, now clearly more awake. "Proceed." He replied calmly right before he heard his screen door slide open. "I presume that the Emperor requests my presence?" He asked. The man merely nodded. "He didn't even tell me what it was, it must be very important." He replied. "I see.... you are dismissed. I'll make my way there now. I'd hate to keep someone waiting." He said as he got up, placing his cat down on his mat as he left the room, taking his katana with him. 

 

The way to the emperors quarters was rather scenic. The colors of the palace were clearly mostly based around red and black. Many ornate sculptures were placed in the rooms he passed through on his path to the throne room. He saw many soldiers still working hard for their nation in the larger training rooms he passed by, all of them immediately bowing in respect as they saw him. After his casual stroll through the palace he finally reached his destination. The entrance to the room had two large ornate sliding doors with red sculpted dragons entangled holding them together like a seal. He slid the two doors apart and entered the room, noticing the emperor immediately, he bowed before continuing. Kurai was sitting on a mat, a small table in front of him, with another seat on the opposite side. He even had tea prepared for the meeting.

 

"Please, sit, and the tea isn't going to drink itself." Kurai commented with a slight grin to break the silence. Saigo of course obeyed, sitting down, picking up his cup of tea and taking a sip as he waited for an explanation to why he was interrupted. "The tea is excellent, my lord." He commented. But what the emperor said next definitely made it worth his time for leaving his room. "The recon teams in Tani have finally returned, and this time with good news. We now know what your ring is, and more. After interrogation, some the Onijin elders explained it to be an item blessed by gods themselves that grant magical powers or abilities to the user called Taniaku by the Onijin culture." He explained. "The second piece of good news is that they are scattered all over Tani. This is the main reason I've called you here. These items are the most important thing that have ever surfaced in our campaign against Tani and Narumi. An all out war against my brother and the Tani will probably lead to either a draw or a loss, but if we can gain the upper hand with these, we could crush them with raw power much like when we took over Edo's castle here." He finished.

 

It took a few moments for Saigo to take in all the information. He definitely liked the idea of destroying Narumi more than anything. "I see... so what place do I play in this plan, my lord?" He asked curiously. "Saigo, my general, you will lead a task force of our greatest warriors in the Tani territory to collect as many of these as possible. I hope my brother hasn't gotten this information yet, but if you see Narumi troops, dispose of them immediately. If we send our whole army in there, it will likely start the pointless bloodbath we hope to avoid. I trust you can muster up a force to accomplish this task?" He asked as he ended his speech. Saigo finished his tea and rose from his seat. "It will be done at once, my lord. I will not let you down." He said as he bowed and then turned for the exit of the room. The Emperor simply nodded as he left. "You haven't let me down yet. But this will be the most important task I've ever given to you. It is critical to our success in this war." 

 

Saigo made his way over to the main record room, going through document after document of every soldier in the army before he made his final decision. He wrote out letters to each of his candidates for his squad and then walked outside. He saw his vulture circling the air over the castle and called him down with a whistle. Giving him the summoning letters explaining the basics of what was happening and instructing his messenger bird to drop them off by the soldiers. He then walked back to his quarters, putting all of his gear and weapons on and walking over to the meeting place inscribed on the letters. It was outside by a Sakura tree. He sat on a mat with other seats across from him to house the rest of the members.

Edited February 27, 2014 by Pumkin

[Gyro Zeppeli 120]

*Shiho was lost in thought. Her opponent was strong, and she wasn't used to being up against such a powerful foe. Her eyes darted around, looking for something anything that she could use to her advantage. Her opponent had a smug look on his face. He was obviously proud of himself. Suddenly, Shiho spotted something. A hole in her opponents defenses! A weak point! She smiled and slammed her stone down on the Go board with expert precision. Her opponents smile dropped and he went pale. He hesitated for a moment and placed his own stone on the board. Her confidence restored, Shiho placed sown another stone of her own. Her opponent bit his lip and then bowed.*

"I resign." *He said deflated."

 

"Good game Tetsu." *She said and shook his hand.*

 

"Not good enough."*He mumbled before standing and leaving. A messenger walked up to Shiho and handed her a letter. The messenger bowed and then left. Shiho opened the leter and reviewed the contents. Her commander sat down next to her and looked at the Go board.*

 

"He was close this time." *The commander said.*

 

"Yeah, for a minute I thought I would loose." *The commander looked at the letter. He had a sad look on his face.*

 

"Yeah, looks like there is something big. Don't know why they would want me though."*Shiho said.*

 

"You are a brilliant strategist Shiho. Who wouldn't want you?." *Shiho smiled at her commander's words.* "Plus you have these ears!" *He said as he began rubbing one of Shiho's panther ears.*

 

"Nu! Don't do that!" *Shiho said as she swatted at the commander's hand. He laughed and let go. The two of them stood up and bowed, and then hugged.*

 

"Good luck out there. Don't get yourself killed." *He took the uchigatana off from his belt and handed the sheathed weapon to her. Shiho took the sword and bowed.*

 

"Thank you teacher. You have done so much for me, I don't think I could ever repay you." *Shiho said.*

 

"You already have. Now go. You have things to do." *Shiho nodded and strapped the sword onto her belt and went to prepare for her trip.*

[Azura 1,107]

Akira was someone who the locals disliked, and some even try to kill her but to no avail. She hides her identity by wearing a torn cloak. It all started after she killed the son of the chief in charge of the village she lived in. Most of the people who see her will recognize her and cower away with fear painted on their face. She never wanted this to happen. It was supposed to be a friendly duel until it turned into a fight where only one would walk away alive.

 

Two guys approached her unwillingly like someone sent them to kill me. Akira sighed, wondering why people even bother. “Look, I don’t want to ki-” Before she could finish her sentence, a massive fireball came flying straight towards me. Akira blocked it with a magical barrier and withdrew her katana. She infused it with the poison of a thousand snakes and launched herself straight towards both of them.

 

She tagged both of them with her katana, wounding them lightly and rendering them immobile with the unbearable pain from the toxic liquid that is slowly going through their veins. Akira walked over to one of them and whispered into his ear “Don’t worry, I’ll end your misery.” before the tip of her blade met his neck.

 

As she approached her house, she saw a bird of some sort heading towards her with a letter gripped between his claws. Before you know it, it fell down and landed in front of her. She knew it wasn’t just some ordinary letter, so she picked it up and started reading it. “Why did I get chosen, out of all the people from Zetsumei?” When she finished reading, she made up her mind and decided to go.

 

Akira hurried inside and packed everything, including the Nagamaki which she doesn’t really use that often because her katana was a more viable choice since it was easier to carry around. She hooked up the Nagamaki onto her back, placed her katana on the left side on her belt and tied the two daggers together and strapped it around her belt as well. “I guess this is a new beginning for me.” She said with a grin as she walked out of the door and towards the meeting point.

 

After a few hours of walking, Akira started to approach the location where she was told to go in the letter. "I think I arrived a bit too early.." She told herself as she took a seat nearby and waited for the others to come, curious about these artifacts and the power within each and every one of them. "I can't wait to get my hands on one of them."

Edited February 27, 2014 by Azura

[Chickey 383]

"An early start is better than a late one, I'll commend you for your speed so far. Hopefully we don't have anyone who is tardy, or I might have to punish them." Saigo said learning up against the Sakura tree from his mat. He pulled out his Sake bottle and took a sip, before corking it back up and placing at his side again and rested his head on his right hand, his ring clearly visible as he did so. "Akira Sakurai, I presume?" He simply asked with his calm, almost soothing voice after his drink. However behind his calm voice, was a hint of absolute cruelty, fury, impatience, and spite. 

[Octavia's Bow 2,035]

Attention Katsuko Natsuki, under the direct order of Emperor Hana, you are to report to the war room of the main barracks in Jinzo. You have a unique skill that has been recognized by the Shogunate and are hereby summoned to utilize them for your country. The meeting in Jinzo will be in two nights, if you are not there, we will come and escort you in person. 

 

Thank you for serving,

 

Arashi Akage.

 

 

Why me? thought the young Natsuki. Apart from her 'blessing' the only thing unique about her was her current weapon of choice. And the only reason that was unique was that it wasn't a katana. Regardless, she was not stationed far from the specified barracks. She found her CO and quickly departed.

[Azura 1,107]

@,

Akira smirked as she glanced at him. "I can only assume you're the general, Saigo Fuzen, the who summoned me here. Nice to meet you." She said with a subtle voice as she continued. "So what are your thoughts about the artifacts that you plan on retrieving within the lands of Tani, and what exactly is the goal here?" Akira asked Saigo in hopes that he'll tell her something she doesn't know before the others arrive.

Edited February 27, 2014 by Azura

[Chickey 383]

Saigo simply nodded. "Indeed I am. It's a pleasure to meet you too." He said as he thought for a moment. "I figured I'd take questions after we're all here. But I suppose two can't hurt." He commented. "My thoughts on them is that they are critical to a side winning this war. After all I do have experience with them myself." He said as he twirled his hand with the ring around, before resting his head back on it. "The goal here is to collect as many of these Taniaku and then conquer the two nations with them." He said almost nonchalantly.

[Azura 1,107]

@,
Akira wondered what the ring does, but she didn't dare ask, even though she was a tad bit curious. 'He doesn't look even the slightest bit amused about this situation at all.' She thought to herself. "While I was on my way here, I wondered why I, out of all the people that serve under the name of Zetsumei, was chosen to join a squad to retrieve such powerful artifacts." Akira asked Saigo with a brief idea on what he'd say.

Edited February 28, 2014 by Azura

[Gyro Zeppeli 120]

*Shiho looked around the area. She had arrived at the main barraks in Jinzo. She was carrying her Uchigatana in her right hand and had her tanto strapped to the back of her left shoulder. She carried a bag of supplies, clothes, some rations, a portable shogi board and pieces, some whetstones, and various other important items on her back. She knew that she was had most likely been called to assist because of her strategic abilities, but she still lacked the reason for their need of her. She shrugged and continued to look around the area, until she came across an Onijin looking rather bored. He did not look like he was from around the area so she figured that he was here for the same reason that she was. She walked up to him and introduced herself.*

"Good afternoon. My name is Ohara Shiho. I would assume that you have also been called here for an unknown reason?"

[Samurshy 708]

Arashi sat patiently in the war room. The chai tea from the porcelain teacup tasted bitter, so he took a spoon of honey from the cup of honey on the tea tray and swirled it around in the brown liquid. He noticed one of his red hairs fell into the tea cup, and he carefully removed it with is index finger and thumb. He then brought the cup to his lips and tipped the cup back, the sweet honey made the tea more drinkable, but he was never really one for tea. He did enjoy sake, but he felt that he needed to be in the right state of mind for when the members of the new Taniaku retrieval unit arrived.

No one had arrived yet, but he was sure they would be there soon. The excitement was building in Arashi; soon he would be the leader of a task force, and go on a grand adventure. Sure, life in the barracks was okay. But Arashi had not seen real combat for a couple of months. Back when the base in Zan was attacked by a few Zetsumei assassins. Of course, Arashi trained every day. So he never lost his edge. But he was also never able to put his skills to use. This team is exactly what he needed. His lips spread into a smile as the anticipation of adventure took hold.

[TheBreech 91]

She shrugged and continued to look around the area, until she came across an Onijin looking rather bored. He did not look like he was from around the area so she figured that he was here for the same reason that she was. She walked up to him and introduced herself.*

"Good afternoon. My name is Ohara Shiho. I would assume that you have also been called here for an unknown reason?"

"Hmm..? Oh, hey I'm Fenikku. Unknown? No, I'm here for the same thing as always; to fight. I'm not smart but I can fight really good! If the emperor called for me, he wants a warrior." Taking a moment to examine the woman before him, Fen saw a lot of strange items and weapons. "What are you a battle plan maker? Warrior? Some kinda clown?" It was clear that he was genuinely too stupid to be more polite and he didn't know what her role was. "Though the emperor don't really need a clown so..." Edited February 28, 2014 by TheBreech

[Gyro Zeppeli 120]

"Hmm..? Oh, hey I'm Fenikku. Unknown? No, I'm here for the same thing as always; to fight. I'm not smart but I can fight really good! If the emperor called for me, he wants a warrior." Taking a moment to examine the woman before him, Fen saw a lot of strange items and weapons. "What are you a battle plan maker? Warrior? Some kinda clown?" It was clear that he was genuinely too stupid to be more polite and he didn't know what her role was. "Though the emperor don't really need a clown so... What are you?

 

"Though I can fight, it is not my personal forte." *Shiho said* "My still lies in strategy and support. Even my albeit incomplete Soul Forge is focused on wind, which is typically used to boost the power of fire type Soul Forges." *She raised her Uchigatana.* "On top of that, I am left handed, which often raises some eyebrows, but it doesnt mean that I cannot fight. I am fairly skilled, but there are plenty of better warriors than me. So I just figured that I am here to serve as a strategist for whatever goal it is that we are pursuing." *Shiho scratched the back of her head and looked towards the door to the war room.* "So, think they are ready for us in there yet? Think we should head in? Personally I am rather eager to meet the man who will be leading us. I hear that he is quite skilled at all manner of things himself."

[Octavia's Bow 2,035]

Arashi sat patiently in the war room. The chai tea from the porcelain teacup tasted bitter, so he took a spoon of honey from the cup of honey on the tea tray and swirled it around in the brown liquid. He noticed one of his red hairs fell into the tea cup, and he carefully removed it with is index finger and thumb. He then brought the cup to his lips and tipped the cup back, the sweet honey made the tea more drinkable, but he was never really one for tea. He did enjoy sake, but he felt that he needed to be in the right state of mind for when the members of the new Taniaku retrieval unit arrived.

 

No one had arrived yet, but he was sure they would be there soon. The excitement was building in Arashi; soon he would be the leader of a task force, and go on a grand adventure. Sure, life in the barracks was okay. But Arashi had not seen real combat for a couple of months. Back when the base in Zan was attacked by a few Zetsumei assassins. Of course, Arashi trained every day. So he never lost his edge. But he was also never able to put his skills to use. This team is exactly what he needed. His lips spread into a smile as the anticipation of adventure took hold.

Natsuki entered the room one of the officers had directed her to. She saw a red-haired samurai, and recalled that a similarly proportioned man had been described as famous for climbing the ranks. Regardless, she assumed nothing. She was, after all, a samurai herself, "Katsuko Natsuki, reporting for duty as requested."

[TheBreech 91]

"Though I can fight, it is not my personal forte." *Shiho said* "My still lies in strategy and support. Even my albeit incomplete Soul Forge is focused on wind, which is typically used to boost the power of fire type Soul Forges." *She raised her Uchigatana.* "On top of that, I am left handed, which often raises some eyebrows, but it doesnt mean that I cannot fight. I am fairly skilled, but there are plenty of better warriors than me. So I just figured that I am here to serve as a strategist for whatever goal it is that we are pursuing." *Shiho scratched the back of her head and looked towards the door to the war room.* "So, think they are ready for us in there yet? Think we should head in? Personally I am rather eager to meet the man who will be leading us. I hear that he is quite skilled at all manner of things himself."

After a moment Fenikku understood her, "Oh ok... If the emperor is in there he'd send someone to get us... Fire soul forges? You think you could help mine?" Without thinking about it, Fen walked a few paces over sand drew the katana his commander gave him. It was a cracked, rusty blade and would have trouble with butter, but that didn't matter because it glowed orange for a moment then exploded. The shrapnel hovered in the air, outlining a large blade as fire poured out of the hilt and warped itself to the shape of the outline, leaving a giant blade of fire in Fenikku's hand. "My brother taught me to use it. He said I was good at it because I get angry easily like fire does. What does yours do?" Fen wasn't used to being with people like him so he saw this ability as a common ground to make a new friend.

[Gyro Zeppeli 120]

After a moment Fenikku understood her, "Oh ok... If the emperor is in there he'd send someone to get us... Fire soul forges? You think you could help mine?" Without thinking about it, Fen walked a few paces over sand drew the katana his commander gave him. It was a cracked, rusty blade and would have trouble with butter, but that didn't matter because it glowed orange for a moment then exploded. The shrapnel hovered in the air, outlining a large blade as fire poured out of the hilt and warped itself to the shape of the outline, leaving a giant blade of fire in Fenikku's hand. "My brother taught me to use it. He said I was good at it because I get angry easily like fire does. What does yours do?" Fen wasn't used to being with people like him so he saw this ability as a common ground to make a new friend.

 

"As I had said, it is still incomplete, but I do have some ability with it." *Shiho put her bag down on the ground and drew her uchigatana. The blade was sharp and shimmering, beautifully crafted, obviously by a master smith. She held the sword out in her left hand and closed her eyes and focused. Wind began to blow around her body and around the blade. She opened her eyes and focused on a target, a training dummy a few meters away. She stood in a ready stance and swung the blade at the dummy, a slash of wind sliced through the air and impacted on the dummy, causing it to split about a third of the way through.* "That is how I attack with it. See how it only cut a little bit. Thats why it is incomplete, my teacher could slice thorugh a whole field of foes with a single slash. I can only damage one. As for its support ability..." *She began to focus wind around her blade again, then swiped it in the direction of Fen's sword. The wind burst from her own sword and wrapped around the blade of fire Fen held in his hand. The fire became more focused, less intense, but hotter and stronger. Shiho began to sweat and then released the Soul Forge, Fen's blade returned to it's normal flames.* "I can't keep it focused for  very long, especially after using an attack slash, but it can be useful in a pinch." *She sighed and re-sheathed her sword.*

Edited February 28, 2014 by Knight Artorias

[Samurshy 708]

Arashi was about to take another sip of his tea, when a female kyujin entered the war room. He noticed that a bushy tail swept from under her haidate, and from what he could asses, she was skunk kyujin. Arashi stood up, to be formal, and bowed. 

"Nice to meet you Natsuki-chan, I have heard a lot about you. Please have a seat. And feel free to help yourself to the tea. Also, did you happen to spot any other tough looking warriors out in the lobby? I am wondering if the others have arrived yet." Arashi said as he waved a hand toward the table.

[Octavia's Bow 2,035]

Arashi was about to take another sip of his tea, when a female kyujin entered the war room. He noticed that a bushy tail swept from under her haidate, and from what he could asses, she was skunk kyujin. Arashi stood up, to be formal, and bowed.

 

"Nice to meet you Natsuki-chan, I have heard a lot about you. Please have a seat. And feel free to help yourself to the tea. Also, did you happen to spot any other tough looking warriors out in the lobby? I am wondering if the others have arrived yet." Arashi said as he waved a hand toward the table.

"I did see a few, but I can't say I know them. Actually, I'm uncertain as to how I am known, or even how I may assist the Emperor. I'm a samurai and little else, sir. I'm not exactly... special. Beyond my physical appearance, I can only speak to loyalty as any trait worthy of notice, and any other soldier could display the same quality. "

[Chickey 383]

"Well it would appear that your skills are above average from what the reports say. And seeing I'm putting together a squad of the best warriors in Zetsumei, I need people like you." He explained as he waited for the rest of the group, growing more impatient by the second. 

 

(I'm pretty sick right now, so posting will probably be minimal on my part.)

[LOLINKLOL 6]

"Isamu! There's a letter here for you!" Isamu Shimanaka was looking over some of his old tactical scrolls when his mother called him down to his home's main room. "Coming mother!" Said Isamu, as he walked down the long flight of stairs. "Let's see here..." Isamu said as he broke the seal on the letter. After carefully going over the contents of the letter, Isamu concluded that this would be his chance to finally bring the Narumi to justice. He was extatic! He grabbed up his katana and shortbow and stormed out of the house. "Bye mom! I'm gotta go talk to Saigo! Be back... Soon!" His mother smiled and sighed, as Isamu's silhouette faded into the long road ahead.

[Samurshy 708]

"Well we will eventually talk about how we heard about you, but for now lets just say it has to do with your father. More accurately, your father before he betrayed this country." Arashi said with a smile. 

"Enough of that for now." Arashi  said as he walked over to the door that connected the lobby to the war room. He opened the door and noticed there were two other members waiting. He stepped out of the war room and walked over to Fen and Shiho. 

"Greetings; I assume you two are Fen and Shiho. I am Arashi Akage, but you can call me Arashi", Arashi said as he bowed to the rather tall Onijin and the female panther Kyujin. 

"Please, come inside. The war room is right over here. Feel free to sit down on the mats at the table and serve yourself some tea. We are still waiting for one more arrival." Arashi said. He made a gesture with his right arm as if ushering them to the war room door.

[Gyro Zeppeli 120]

*Shiho turned to see the red haired man who introduced himself. She bowed and introduced herself.* "It is nice to meet you Arashi-san, and yes, I am Ohara Shiho." *She picked up her bag and accepted the invitation into the war room. She sat down at one of the spots and rested her bag and blade beside her.*

[Ampharos 1,009]

Attention Kaito Ikazawa, under the direct order of Emperor Hana, you are to report to the war room of the main barracks in Jinzo. You have a unique skill that has been recognized by the Shogunate and are hereby summoned to utilize them for your country. The meeting in Jinzo will be in two nights, if you are not there, we will come and escort you in person. 

Thank you for serving,

Arashi Akage.

 

 

Kaito had the largest grin on as he read the letter. Finally, he had been recognized for his talents! A kitsune was no laughing matter, and despite all the non-believers, even the Emporer himself knew his worth! Kaito put on his least tattered clothing, packed a small satchel with some more clothes as well as his hachiwara. He then grabbed his naginata and slung it onto his back. Kaito had always found himself working best with pole arms, and his favorite one was his naginata. Since there wasn't much he would be able to carry with him, he figured he would make sure he grabbed that one. It had always felt good to him, as if it had some sort of power in it, but he knew there was no such thing. Kaito exited his small hut and began walking quickly and happily to the Kingdom.

[LOLINKLOL 6]

After a long journey, Isamu finally reached the Zetsumei capital city. It had been quite some time since Isamu's last venture to the grand capital. He could not wait to finally see just exactly what was going on, and to talk to his old friend Saigo Fuzen once more. After getting his bearings and exploring the city a bit, Isamu headed towards the castle.