The Day of Thunder

[Anjing]

The dirt path stretches on and on until it finally disappears into the distant horizon. As you travel along the track the surroundings on either side change rapidly. Grasslands, forests, jungles, deserts, great lakes and sees. Through all of it the path continues forward, ever forward.

Upon the path walks a sea of humans. Old, young, sick, healthy, joyous and despairing, the mass never slows, never falters. Some of their clothes are familiar, some ancient and some bizarre. Most of them have the familiar look of the Seidou, but not all.

The great host tramps on and on. There are the sounds of conversation, babies crying and laughter. But none of the figures are speaking, crying or laughing. Indeed they all see completely silent with only their footfalls echoing out.

In the centre of this host marches Anjing. Her expression is set, her stride firm, the Daimyo's eyes are locked on the distant horizon. Every few moment a figure appears out of the host. Man, woman, friend or stranger, it's never the same problem. And each time they bring another problem for her. Children are sick, families are starving. Bandits and wolves are out there, just beyond the horizon, waiting to strike. Calm and unruffled she answers each question, but they continue, question after question, on and on.

And so does the march.

[Chuchu]

And so does the march.

Sitting on the bough of a great tree a little nezumi watches the march, curious. Human dreams are strange sometimes -- but this one seems quite like the dream of a young chieftain, or a very old one, and that she understands. Her gaze follows the path ahead before her ears perk up. With a squeak the girl stands up, hugging the tree to frantically call out, "Wait! Wait! There's a cliff ahead!"

[Anjing]

Sitting on the bough of a great tree a little nezumi watches the march, curious. Human dreams are strange sometimes -- but this one seems quite like the dream of a young chieftain, or a very old one, and that she understands. Her gaze follows the path ahead before her ears perk up. With a squeak the girl stands up, hugging the tree to frantically call out, "Wait! Wait! There's a cliff ahead!"

Indeed, as the group continues on a steep and treacherous cliff looms on the horizon, the path leading straight to its edges! But the host doesn't seem to register the warning, continue to march grimly onward down the path towards that danger.

[Chuchu]

Indeed, as the group continues on a steep and treacherous cliff looms on the horizon, the path leading straight to its edges! But the host doesn't seem to register the warning, continue to march grimly onward down the path towards that danger.

With a frightened squeak she grabs a branch tight in one hand and raises the other to the air, calling down a cloud from the sky. In a moment it barrels down towards her and the little nezumi pounces to land on its back, pointing towards the head of the march.

It's there the cloud stops. Chuchu does her best to stand tall (which is very difficult for someone who at best is three foot five when you count their big ears) and block the way.

"The path before you leads to suffering! You must stop and change ways!"

[Anjing]

With a frightened squeak she grabs a branch tight in one hand and raises the other to the air, calling down a cloud from the sky. In a moment it barrels down towards her and the little nezumi pounces to land on its back, pointing towards the head of the march.

It's there the cloud stops. Chuchu does her best to stand tall (which is very difficult for someone who at best is three foot five when you count their big ears) and block the way.

"The path before you leads to suffering! You must stop and change ways!"

The first advance members of the troop are about to continue into Chu-Chu's when a deafening voice sounds from the centre "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALT". The host comes to a stop instantly, still with no expressions on their faces, the whole column now deathly silent.

A figure can be seen moving through the crowd who all step aside as she advances until Anjing appears at its head, her expression thunderous as she looks up at Chuchu.

"What is the meaning of this?!?!"

[Chuchu]

"What is the meaning of this?!?!"

Quickly she covers her sensitive ears, whole face scrunched up as she waits for the dreamer to stop yelling. Once it... seems safe... she lowers her handpaws to regard the woman.

"The path you follow now will walk these people off a cliff. Come see." The shaman gestures.

[Anjing]

Quickly she covers her sensitive ears, whole face scrunched up as she waits for the dreamer to stop yelling. Once it... seems safe... she lowers her handpaws to regard the woman.

"The path you follow now will walk these people off a cliff. Come see." The shaman gestures.

"There is only the one path and we are on it."
She gestures to the track before frowning slightly, this dream was...odd. But so far not enough to wake her consciousness.

"If we go back, we die, if we remain still, we die. Forwards has its dangers, but it is the only way. Only ever forward."

There's a long silent pause.
"Show me the cliff."

[Chuchu]

"Show me the cliff."

The shaman listens, ears flattening. Stubborn as a mountain, this one. Still -- she nods. The cloud turns her to bare her forward to the cliff's edge, which she cautiously, cautiously looks over. "You don't have to go back, but, wouldn't it be better to take the path down?"

[Anjing]

The shaman listens, ears flattening. Stubborn as a mountain, this one. Still -- she nods. The cloud turns her to bare her forward to the cliff's edge, which she cautiously, cautiously looks over. "You don't have to go back, but, wouldn't it be better to take the path down?"

She peers down the sheer cliff.
"My people have survived worse. If that is where the path leads we will accept it. If I have to go first so that my body can soften the fall for others I will."

Dream Anjing was now looking increasingly confused as a Nezumi hurriedly trying to warn her of impending doom was not quite how her usual nights went.

"I...cannot see the path."

[Chuchu]

"I...cannot see the path."

She hesitates before gently offering: "If there is no path, then make one." That is the way of chieftains and shamans. Chuchu looks up at the old woman, waiting to see what she will do, and if she can help.

[Anjing]

She hesitates before gently offering: "If there is no path, then make one." That is the way of chieftains and shamans. Chuchu looks up at the old woman, waiting to see what she will do, and if she can help.

Anjing's frown deepens as she looks between Chuchu, the abyss and her people for a few moments.
"I...wait, with the slope there, we could cut a path down the side. The work would be hard but not impossible, not if we come together."

She turns back to her distant people and bellows impossibly loudly for them to start cutting a path. As one the group materialises tools as if from nowhere and begins to approach and dig at the edge of the cliff, the ambient noise now of tools striking earth and the grunts of exertion.

When Anjing turns back to Chuchu it's clear that finally, the warrior's consciousness has surfaced as there is a foreboding look on her face as she glares at the Nezumi.

"Child, you creep into my dream uninvited." She crosses her arms. "Explain yourself. And tread lightly, for you are treading on my dreams."

[Chuchu]

"Child, you creep into my dream uninvited." She crosses her arms. "Explain yourself. And tread lightly, for you are treading on my dreams."

The little nezumi seems pleased by this turn of events, watching the creation of the path with interest; only when the sharpness returns to Anjing's voice does she look back up to the slightly-scary human. Chuchu bows (quite clumsily, at that). "I am Great Number, Nameseeker of the People, Friend of Humans, on my way to join the ones who stand against the coming storm. I wish to help you fight back the Rot overtaking your people."

[Anjing]

The little nezumi seems pleased by this turn of events, watching the creation of the path with interest; only when the sharpness returns to Anjing's voice does she look back up to the slightly-scary human. Chuchu bows (quite clumsily, at that). "I am Great Number, Nameseeker of the People, Friend of Humans, on my way to join the ones who stand against the coming storm. I wish to help you fight back the Rot overtaking your people."

Below them the host starts cutting into the earth properly, crafting a shallow slope down the side of the cliff. It is a mighty endeavour, the sort that would take most peoples many months if not years, but in the dreamscape it seems to be occurring disturbingly swiftly.

"Friend of humans?" She barks a mirthless laugh. "Doubtless. You will find many friends of your people in our capital city."
Looming a little. "But not here. Not in my dreams. When I dream of the Nezumi I dream of darkness and blood."

She continues to glare at the dream shaman for a few more moments before her expression softens slightly.
"But you are very small and very young. I will not hold a child responsible for the actions of its forefathers. You say you have come here to fight on our side? Hmmmph. Very well. Speak, Great Number. Tell me how you can aid us and I will listen."

Although she punctuates this by taking a step forward across the cloud to the sound of distant thunder.
"For now."

[Chuchu]

"For now."

The little shaman steps off her cloud and its mists disperse in thin whorls around them.

"Those whose Names have been corrupted can be purified -- though up to what point, I am not sure -- and those who have been harmed, I can heal. That which has been corrupted beyond saving I can help destroy, and those who need to be brought into the Dreaming, I can take. And..."

She looks to the sky above. "I can summon a Transcendent if we have need of information or advice. They would see this realm protected."

[Anjing]

The little shaman steps off her cloud and its mists disperse in thin whorls around them.

"Those whose Names have been corrupted can be purified -- though up to what point, I am not sure -- and those who have been harmed, I can heal. That which has been corrupted beyond saving I can help destroy, and those who need to be brought into the Dreaming, I can take. And..."

She looks to the sky above. "I can summon a Transcendent if we have need of information or advice. They would see this realm protected."

"..." Anjing blinks. "Right. So you can...maybe remove the corruption from people who have names?" That made sense. "And you're a healer?" Also sensible. "But you can fight too, and go into peoples' dreams?" Also self evident.

"And...you can summon one of your godly ancestors to come down and provide advice?"
Slightly harder to believe but not impossible.
"Sounds useful."

Down below them the host is descending into the darkness of the gorge along the side of the cliff, their tools echoing loudly from the walls.
"Why did you come to my dream? Listen, I don't know if you saw the nightmare earlier but I wouldn't take that personally, it felt like something trying to drag my sleeping mind into it. It wasn't something I was actively thinking on."

[Chuchu]

"Why did you come to my dream? Listen, I don't know if you saw the nightmare earlier but I wouldn't take that personally, it felt like something trying to drag my sleeping mind into it. It wasn't something I was actively thinking on."

She tilts her head. The chieftain doesn't understand, but she's listening; that can be more than enough, in such dire times. "The door here was open. You had a nightmare? Was it the Rot?"

[Anjing]

She tilts her head. The chieftain doesn't understand, but she's listening; that can be more than enough, in such dire times. "The door here was open. You had a nightmare? Was it the Rot?"

"I wouldn't describe my head in quite such terms but yes. It was an almost nightmare."
Her brow furrows.
"Red skies and violence, your people on all sides. The memory slips away from me. But given what we have encountered so far, yes, I believe it was the enemy. It's power is matched only by its cowardice, lurking in the sleep of mortal men looking for weakness."

Looking over at her dream guest.
"You call it 'The Rot', what is it to your people? The same power as fell in the south?"

[Chuchu]

"You call it 'The Rot', what is it to your people? The same power as fell in the south?"

She listens, standing a little straighter at the mention of red skies; yes, the Rot, roiling red, smothering everything in its bloody viscera. "What did you feel in that dream? Do you remember?" If it is weakness it seeks, then what weakness does this chieftain have..? Chuchu considers this further.

Her ears perks when their eyes meet. "I do not know if it is like the thing in the pit -- but the Rot is an existential threat to the People and our future." Gesturing to the horizon, the shaman's voice grows sharp. "My people dreamed themselves into existence. We are entwined with this realm like no other people who walk the waking world. Our children are born from the Dreaming through our wombs, and when we die, it is here we return to. This is our inheritance and our other home."

Tiny hands ball into fists. "While the Rot does not take root in us the way it does your people, we still fear it for what it may rob from us. As Daughter of Dreams it is my duty to help your people destroy it."

[Anjing]

Snip

"Righteous fury, power, rage. It tempted me by showing a world where I was slaughtering your warriors by the thousands. A world where I single-handedly set everything right. An alluring dream to be sure."
Anjing feels the memory stir and forces it down with an effort.

"But it was a ploy to take me away from my duty."

She turns to follow the gesture towards the horizon.
"So your people have two realms, the mortal realm and also dreams?"
Again, she pushes down the image of red skies with an effort, managing to just sort of nod thin lipped.
"I can see why the enemy would concern you so. If it corrupts all the dreams it could be the end of your people."

[Chuchu]

"I can see why the enemy would concern you so. If it corrupts all the dreams it could be the end of your people."

She understands, but says nothing for a time.

"It could. And yours, too," Chuchu adds softly. "Our people's fates are connected in this way. We cannot abandon you to your suffering."