The Day of Thunder

[Hiruma Naraku]

Naraku stared idly at his fire, prodding the coals slowly. Over the fire, a murky concoction simmered, though Naraku did not seem to be paying it particular attention instead staring blankly at the coals.

He put down his stick and retrieved his kiseru, filling the ko-bon with a mixture of herbs. He took the stick and lit the pipe, puffing three times before exhaling a thick white smoke that faded into the fog that seemed to be blanket the village.

[Jiyo Sora]

"What in the actual hell are you people doing camped here?!"

Sora's tone was weary- and why not, he hadn't slept a wink, just like when Phi and Shirayuki had been teething, and consequently his easy-going nature was being sorely fucking tested. He'd heard the chatter around the village, and had decided to go see for himself, and the sight of the Crab encampment, gathered together in some poor farmer's- Nobu's, apparently- field, had induced in him what might be charitably described as seething irritability.

[Hiruma Naraku]

Naraku snapped out from his introspection as the old man approached shouting. He looked at his campfire, then looked around, then looked back at the man.

"Taking inspiration to write a play, can't you see?" his tone heavy with veiled annoyance. He sighed "I am not camped here. I decided to take my breakfast here because the atmosphere in the camp is not..."

He takes a good look at the man

"Well I guess you'd know. You seem like you haven't slept in days," he takes a puff from his kiseru and dips his cup on the murky liquid. "I have an extra cup if you'd like."

[Jiyo Sora]

"You paranoid loons are lucky these fields aren't being fertilized yet..."

He sniffed the air.

"... I hope."

Typical fucking Anjing, set yourselves apart for security, inconvenience the locals and leave yourself open to defeat in detail...

"Whatcha drinking? If it's that kave stuff from the Ivory Kingdoms, I'll pass."

He had tried it once during the winter court five years gone, because while Viveki Doshi's player had dropped fairly early, the character had in fact been there.

[Hiruma Naraku]

"I do not know what kava is nor what the Ivory Kingdoms are," he shrugged as he filled another cup with the steaming murky liquid. "Valerian, lindentree bark and leaves. I think that's all inside it. Won't make you sleep but..." he shrugs as he offers the cup to the man.

"I guess you're an Imperial?" Naraku commented idly as he sipped from his cup before it dawned on him. Was this man Jinzo Sora?

[Jiyo Sora]

"What gave it away, the Phoenix on my kimono, or my stately bearing?"

He took the cup.

"Jiyo Sora."

[Hiruma Naraku]

"The sterling personality and commanding attitude really sold it to me."

He nodded at the man "Hiruma Naraku."

"It's good that you decided to go on this walk though. I wanted to find you and speak with you."

[Jiyo Sora]

"If you've got a complaint, you'll have to visit my office and make a formal request for an appointment."

He sipped the brew.

"It's in the Imperial Palace, so it might be a while."

[Hiruma Naraku]

"Complaining is such a waste of time," he blew the steam of his cup. "What is it supposed to accomplish?"

He shook his head

"No, I was looking for your knowledge to be honest. At Hisomu Reo's recommendation, no less."

[Jiyo Sora]

"Oh, Reo! Good man. But anyone looking for my knowledge will find the pond a shallow one. Still. You may as well ask"

[Hiruma Naraku]

He nodded at his comments about Reo "Smart too. I enjoyed his company."

He looked at the embers before taking a puff from his pipe. "What do you know about Name Magic"

[Jiyo Sora]

"Less than my son will after he gets back from his stay with the Nezumi, but a little bit."

He left unsaid that his shugenja son was considerably smarter than he was.

[Hiruma Naraku]

"What does Name Magic do and why would anyone research it?" he inquired as he puffed his pipe one last time before emptying the charred herbs.

[Jiyo Sora]

"Well. For Nezumi, Name defines a thing. You change the Name, you change the thing."

He shrugged.

"Sounds a bit like what the Isawa say about the Void, if that makes it an easier frame of reference, but it's... different. A different way of seeing it."

[Hiruma Naraku]

"Curious comparison," he comments.

"What is your opinion about this village?"

[Jiyo Sora]

"It's all wrong."

No hesitation whatsoever.

"Even putting aside the fog, and how anyone trying to leave gets turned around, which might be due to our specific circumstances, this place is wrong. A river that erases memory? I wonder how many of these people have drunk their fill but don't realize it. I wonder, if they have done so, who they were before."

[Hiruma Naraku]

He smiled at his comment. "See here I was afraid you'd say we should celebrate their differences," he shuddered as he remembered his first meeting when he arrived.

"This place is wrong," he started, pouring some herbs on his pipe. "This village apparently was house to an off shot of the Isawa. Heterodox Isawa that were heavily invested in investigating Name Magic," he takes a puff.

"I can imagine one person not managing to sleep, but a majority? That isn't a quirky coincidence, that is something fundamentally wrong with this place," his expression gets darker. "And I won't even start with the graveyard..."

[Jiyo Sora]

"Oh, that horseshit? That's just our enemy. I wasn't prone to nightmares until the last five years. That, I am prepared to lay at the feet of our circumstances. But Isawa tribe offshoots trying to meddle with Name..."

He frowned.

"Most humans are barely even aware of the concept of Name. And this far north? That feels wrong too."

[Hiruma Naraku]

"I think Shinsei did not choose this village on a whim. No, it seems way too off road to be left to chance.."

"I do not like this place and I do not like how much I feel the presence of the enemy," he asserted

[Jiyo Sora]

"Let me tell you a story about our trip South to rescue Hisomu..."

Sora took another sip of the brew.

"Three skintheiving monsters killed some of the guards and took their place. My friends Phi, Koyama, and myself ran them down one night, caught them at it. And before those things died, they talked. Well. One of them talked, after some persuasion. They said they were supposed to get close to the Lady Reiko."

He glanced at Naraku.

"Which told me, then and there, that we were a real threat to Jigoku. That we could do it. If the enemy is pressing us, it's because the enemy is afraid of what we will do."