The Day of Thunder

"Nothing so far," Ayako replied in a low voice. The younger Crab's posture was tense, but she kept eyes up and her voice even.

“What did you write on your slip? If you don’t mind me askin’…” She asked the Crab. "Lots of things," Ayako admitted. "There's just so much going on, I couldn't decide on just one. So to be on the safe side I wrote down everything I could think of. I know that's not exactly what the villagers had i...

Nearby, Ayako guarded Anjing's back as they watched for trouble. They had both heard about the fighting in the farmlands and they made sure to be ready in case it spread into the village itself.

"I'm sure you'd be welcome, if you want to come by sometime," Ayako offered, as she slipped off the horse and turned towards the Crab camp. "Thanks for helping me find the way back!"

Jiyo Sora wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 27, 2023 8:17 pm

"Just hope I hit mine hard enough."

"It looked like you hit it pretty hard," Ayako said. "I'm sure any evil spirits around are quaking in their boots. If ghosts can have boots, anyway."

Han-Hei wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 27, 2023 7:58 pm

Han-Hei smiled in return, “It’s a pleasure to meet you Yoshitsune-san. Have you met Jiyo Sora?” She asked pointing a thumb over to him at her side.

"Yes, we talked briefly yesterday, right?" Ayako bowed respectfully to the older man. "What did you think of this purification ritual, Jiyo-sama?"

Han-Hei wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 27, 2023 7:35 pm

Hearing the voice nearby she nodded at the woman.

“It is nice to smash things once and a while, huh?”

"Yes!" the Crab woman enthused. "It really gets the blood pumping. Especially when you've given the thing all your problems to deal with."

"I'm called Yoshitsune Ayako," she added.

Ayako stepped aside after beheading the effigy she had been assigned.

“You know, I think I do feel a bit better after all that,” Ayako remarked cheerfully. "This village ritual really works."

As the villager handed her a piece of paper and an ink brush to write her fears on, Ayako thought about what she should write. There were a lot of problems to choose from; it was hard to decide on just one. Well, it was time to be decisive! Dipping the ink brush into the ink, Ayako scrawled Shame on...

"Umm, hello...? I heard something was happening here?" a young Crab woman asked hesitantly. She was short and stocky, and in full armor. A wicked axe slung over her shoulder, at odds with the woman's uncertain tone.

"Perhaps I could help?"

One of the Crab warriors, a short woman with young features and a neat ponytail, was doing weapon drills with an axe, but stopped when she saw Wu Zhe approaching.

"Ahh, good morning," the Crab said, bowing politely. "I'm called Yoshitsune Ayako. Can I help you?"

"I haven't really trained with members of other clans before. Perhaps some practice fighting together as a unit might be worthwhile," Ayako suggested. "It may come in useful if we need to work together against more of these monsters."

"Huh," said Ayako, giving the Ivindi priest's words serious consideration. "That's ... a lot to take in. How can an ordinary mortal type person have more effect on the fate of the world than a god? It seems like the influence of a god would have the weight of a mountain, while regular people like us...

"That's getting a bit deeper into theology than I really understand," Ayako admitted. "I guess the gods are different than us, but they walk among us... make friends, fight enemies, have children, form families, and all that. Doesn't that make them people, too? Albeit maybe more important than most."

"Yes, it helps to have friends when fighting them," Ayako agreed. "Maybe that's what Shinsei's really doing by gathering so many different people here ... trying to get all of the Clans working together so that we face these things together, rather than one-by-one."

Ayako nodded again. "I hope he can give us something to use against the ... enemy," she said. "I'm just glad it looks like so many clans have sent people to help." "I think that's the Crab camp just ahead," Ayako said, her eyes straining to make out the shape of tents in the fog. "I should report in...

"Yes, you are right. One cannot just give up," Ayako conceded. "We all have things to do in this life, before moving to the next one." A wry smile crossed her face. "What about you, though?" she asked. "What will you be in your next life? Or is being an Ivory Brahmin-priest already the best thing yo...

"Hmmmm, perhaps," Ayako allowed. "Pleasure and joy are nice, but they are ... fleeting. Maybe it would be worth giving such things up, if nothing could ever hurt you ever after." She looked very solemn at this thought.

"I suppose I do see the butterfly and how free it seems, but never think about how it might be some bird's lunch," Ayako admitted ruefully. "I guess even animals have problems. Maybe better to be reborn as a rock! Nothing can hurt a rock."

"We did see a monster on the way here," Ayako ventured. "Me and the rest of the Crab, that is. It was a pretty horrible thing, that didn't know when to die. We had to hit it a lot."

"Hopefully we won't see a lot more of those, but ... best to be ready."