The Day of Thunder

"Was sedated would be the more adequate term. I was about to administer some more, but there's a chance he might be lucid before his next dosing. Uncanny timing you've got there." Enrou jerked his head towards the side rooms as he made for the doorway. "Hell of a series of injuries that guy ended up with, he's lucky to still be walking right now."

"I've learned in a long life of killing and trying keep others from killing that humans are amazing. Some die to ridiculous little injuries, some survive things that would kill a bear."

He paused.

"What's his name?"

"Isamu. And I've learned some similar things in my life of preventing death. Enough, in this case, to know that the man's youth is about the only thing that kept him from an early grave today." Enrou stopped as he reached the bedside, then turned to start preparing the next draught for the guard. "You'll have a bit of time to talk to him while I'm getting this ready. With any luck he'll be lucid enough to say what you need to hear, but don't tax him too much. The pain he's in is immense."

"I'll not ask much of him. He's already given plenty."

Sora leaned to the guard.

"Isamu-san. The man who did this to you... did you see the color of his eyes?"

The young man looked up at Sora groggy and dull from pain medication but still his voice was strained "his, his eyes? I am not sure what I saw was a man. It moved too fast."

Sora nodded, as if the lack of information was no great concern.

"Thank you, Isamu-san. You rest easy. You took a hit that would have snapped plenty of men in half. Enrou's going to do what he can, all right?"

"And unfortunately what he can do is going to taste like last year's rice harvest after calling Inari a layabout twat." Enrou brought a cup over to Isamu and held it to his lips. "Try not to leave any in the cup, you need as much as you can tolerate."

The young man drank the whole thing without complaint. Whether that was through Valor or exhaustion was anyone's guess. He soon drifted away back to unconsciousness.

"Well, so much for that idea. I'm going to try and see if we can get some of our shugenja to swing by, free up some bed space."

He said, still unaware of the Nezumi Shaman looking in.

"Either way, tell him, when he wakes, that if he can't read and would like to, I'd be willing to teach him. The one who asked me here did this- he should have something by way of compensation."

"Mmm, all right then? I'll relay the message, though I don't know exactly what he'd considered adequate compensation. Either way, you can ask him when he's recovered." Enrou made sure to adjust Isamu's bedding a little, so that the man wasn't lying too long in an uncomfortable position, then started to leave the room. "What were you hoping to find, if I may ask?"

"Five years ago, a demon wearing human flesh had one tell. One that I missed until far too late. Green eyes which had once been blue."

"Hmm." Enrou pursed his lips and gave a short nod of surprise. "Well, that's rather courteous of the demon, isn't it? I'm sorry Isamu wasn't of more help, but I can't say I'm surprised he didn't see much."

Sora waved that away.

"It was a longshot. I'm just glad he's alive."

"Yeah, given what he went through alive is a pretty optimistic description of his health." Enrou shook his head. "So you have some kind of idea what did this to him then?"

(OOC, of the PCs+NPCs whose wounds are most grievous? Chuchubaby is gonna beeline for 'em.)

Enrou wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 06, 2023 1:20 am

"Yeah, given what he went through alive is a pretty optimistic description of his health." Enrou shook his head. "So you have some kind of idea what did this to him then?"

"I do. A great man grappling with an entire Spirit Realm."

Enrou took a long draw on his pipe, mulling that over. "So, if you were a betting man..."

"I would have lost a large wager on Isamu-san still being able to draw breath."

"Huh." Enrou puffed out some smoke thoughtfully. "You make it sound almost like this man should have killed Isamu outright, but somehow didn't."

"Had his will been focused on it, he would have. There's a good man in there, fighting what's happening."

Sora glanced over and spotted the Nezumi.

"Chuchu?"