The Day of Thunder

[Hiruma Naraku]

"Do you really make people forget or that is just a myth," Naraku stared at the waters of the river. The soothing sounds of nature provided him with some solace, a moment of quiet. When had been the last time he had allowed himself to relax?

He remained in quiet contemplation for a while, his mind empty and for once managing to relax. The crossroad for the fate of Ningen-Do was fast approaching and anxiety and distrust would not help the cause of humanity.

---
D2 MA | Meditation | TN 20 | 4k3 ⇒ 20 (TN: 20) (1 void regained. 2/3 void remaining)

[Saru Shang]

After her time in the gardens, it seemed that Shang meandered out from the town. She followed the stream from the pond, whether or not they were connected or by some slight misadventure, Shang found herself at the river once more and encountered Naraku trying to find some peace. She watched him curiously at first before calling out to make her presence known. "Hiruma-sama! Good afternoon! How goes the research there? Are we any closer to an answer in any form? There is some suspense in all of this, I admit!"

[Hiruma Naraku]

snip

Naraku was startled by the voice. "Saru-san," he remembered the Dragon from yesterday, from the exact same spot. "I see you have also grown to like this river."

He stood up and greeted her "The only answer I have so far is that this river is strange. I know it doesn't go far scientifically but I have to admit it has me completely dumbfounded," he looks at the waters and frowns. Perhaps the trees that grew around had the same properties?

"How about you? Also coming here due to curiosity? Or just hoping to take a leisurely stroll next to a vexing mystery?"

(OOC: Did not notice someone had answered! Sorry)

[Saru Shang]

"Not at all, I can't say that I am fond of this river." She shrugged with a small sigh. "I'm afraid that I'm wandering about the town a bit aimlessly as I'm still trying to find and collect my inspiration for my piece. The water here continues to be a curiosity, especially after the difficult night that few of us at the camp seemed to have shared. I was just over at the garden just the other moment and it's very well-tended, especially for a village of this size. However, the water seems to take on strange shapes, at least on the surface. Maybe my eyes are playing trips on me but it's vivid enough that I took a few sketches, at least."

(OOC: No worries!)

[Hiruma Naraku]

"Strange shapes?" he cocked an eyebrow and turned to the river. "What do you mean with strange shapes? Did you see anything weird, weirder, on the water?"

He rubbed his chin and wondered if Reo had performed any sort of investigation on its waters. That seemed to be one thing the elderly Spider would do.

[Saru Shang]

"Hmm..." she murmured as she searched through her satchel to retrieve the parchment to show what she was talking about. "This is more or less what I saw earlier. Maybe it was the weariness of the day playing tricks on me or something just reflecting in the light. Either way, it seemed curious enough to sketch. Perhaps I could work it in a future piece of mine. What do you think, Hiruma-sama?"

[Hiruma Naraku]

"I think you should be really, really, careful," he warned her without looking at the sketch. "The influence of Yume-Jigoku is more insidious than simply the chaotic nature of Jigoku. The very notion of Yume-Jigoku is a cognitohazard. We are not talking about an unbridled chaos but rather precise and clear concepts that serve to tempt and corrupt us through our senses."

"If you are to sketch these drawings be sure to carry jade with you at all times and even then, if this would be a corrupted river, I would be reticent to recommend doing any sketch."

He motioned around

"There is so much beauty to be found here. The forest might be ominous but one can not deny it is visually appealing. The garden, or even the village itself, are beautiful in their own rustic way. Is there no inspiration in those places?"

[Saru Shang]

Shang looked a bit skeptical for a moment before nodding soundly, showing a hint of consideration on the matter. "I do thankfully have some jade on me. I made a trip through the Wu lands, avoided some of those strange stenchy creations, and picked up some jade as a reminder of my trek. That solves that. I never knew that I could be in danger just by looking at a river and sketching what I see but I suppose I could just commit it to memory from now on instead. There is a bit of natural beauty here but it's a bit muted and dampened by the abundant fog. That's if you don't even consider the strange sounds I've been hearing around the forest on my last trip. And to be frank, I've already done my share of rustic scenes already. I want something unique, a moment or an experience."

She sighed wistfully on the matter and shook her head. "But perhaps I have come to the right place to be educated on the matter, especially when it comes to the current spiritual conflict. Do you suspect any of what we're seeing in front of us has the involvement of the dream realm? Are these the signs?"

[Hiruma Naraku]

"The forest spoke to you?" he looks at the Saru. "Do you know what it told you? Or were the sounds just different? What can you remember?" He seemed to be very interested on the topic of voices coming from the forest.

He nods at her question. "We are having our dreams assaulted and many of the people assembled here are being unable to properly sleep during the night," he comments. "I think the influence of Yume-Jigoku is slowly getting stronger and that in the coming days it will only get worse."

[Saru Shang]

"...at least, I think the forest did," Shang said, a bit unsure. It was unnerving enough that it seemed better to forget about it than dwell too long on that thought, especially considering their increasingly depressing circumstances. "I'm certain I heard some voices asking me to lay down or to draw my weapon, to say the least. It was more mumbles and not coherent enough. At first, I thought it might have been a conversation going in the background but it didn't seem like anyone else was around, other than myself and Jiyo-sama. We were already talking to each other, of course."

"If that was the case, then would not being able to properly sleep be more advisable than actually sleeping? It sounds awful to force yourself awake but at least the complications are more human than spiritual," she brought up with a shrug. This matter was admittedly outside of her realm of expertise as she already made obvious.

[Hiruma Naraku]

"Yet our bodies would strain and struggle if we do not give them the respite of slumber," he warned shaking his head. "We need to be brave. To march into our dreams and fight. As we do not cower when we are awake, we should not let the nightmares tie us down. We should struggle forcefully against the machinations of that vile being."

The pondered on her words regarding the whispers from the forest. "It probably wished to sow confusion between you two," he sentenced. "Saru-san, are you a traveled woman?"

[Saru Shang]

"It does sound like a pretty lousy situation, now that you've put it into perspective, Hiruma-sama. We're being intentionally besieged on both sides to make things difficult, damned if we forsake one or the other, but that is likely the intention from what you've made it sound? And yes, I would consider myself well-travelled. Well! As well-travelled as I can for a few months around the Empire."

[Hiruma Naraku]

"Have you done many travels into the land between clans? You know the villages where the reach of the Kami has not yet arrive," he asked. "There is reason in this question, I was merely searching for your opinion about this village."

[Saru Shang]

"I have, actually," she nodded at the question. "I suppose I have made it my duty at first to educate the surrounding villages and settlements about Togashi-Kami and the Empire at large, at least the first month of my travels. They are typically a bit harder to inform, considering that education and knowledge are still ways away from being standardized, despite all the efforts. It's been a bit of an eye-opening experience and I'm sure for them too. At least, the ones who are willing to listen or sophisticated enough to open their mind enough. Many of the settlements aren't like this one, especially for a place that hasn't been settled properly by any protectorate or government. I'm more used to seeing long houses and yurts, not houses, roads, and even public gardens! It is a bit peculiar in many ways."

[Hiruma Naraku]

"Would it be less peculiar if they had been created by remnants of one of the big tribes? Perhaps after they had decided to migrate to other pastures?" he continues questioning, his eyes gauging her reaction.

[Saru Shang]

"Do you mean the former followers of Isawa that left the land prior to this particular tribe or commune's arrival? I remember we talked about that. To be honest, this is very impressive architecture for a place that isn't considered to be a capital or a stronghold of an established Clan. I would find it unusual all the same! I haven't been to many Phoenix settlements to compare but I can't say any of the villages of this sizes were this advanced."

[Hiruma Naraku]

"Perhaps we are looking at it wrongly. Perhaps it wasn't a village but rather became a village," he sighs exasperated at the number of questions that each answer seemed to bring. "Whatever it is it won't matter in a few days. Each day that passes will be harder Saru-san and each day we will have to steel ourselves."

"A storm is coming," he frowned. "And it will pour when it arrives."

[Saru Shang]

"Right! I suppose we're been focusing our attention on the trees for far too long to see the actual forest beyond. I suppose it's already raining in a sense, if your suspicions prove to be true, and we're already seeing the signs in front of us." She tapped her chin as she mused harder on this thought. "Perhaps we're already standing in the clouds and this fog that we're experience is sort of a representation of that."

"...But I digress from the gravity of the situation. I'm sure many of us could be using a pour, before and after the storm hits! All of this tension in the air could really use some alcohol to loosen up the situation. Everyone I've met has been on edge but rightfully so, of course.""