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DudeMeister and doctorwho27

Joined
Apr 29, 2013
The distant howling of wolves only interrupted Kojiro's drinking for a moment before he added more wood to the fire, the sticks cracking as the warm orange flames claimed them. Settled in a clearing of the forest, the wanderer uncorked the large ceramic jar of sake and drank a mouthful, cackling uncontrollably at a thought that only a drunk like him could find humorous. The commotion he stirred mingled in with the natural sounds of the woods, the occasional hoot of an owl before it unfolded it's wings, the chirping of the local insects, the faint creaking of tree branches at the gentle spring breeze. These sounds were an afterthought to the vagabond as he felt his head spinning from the copious amounts of booze he consumed. His torso was clad in a travel worn kimono of dark blue, his trousers equally unkept. He wore the split toed socks known as tabi beneath a pair of straw sandals. Leaning against the trunk of a tree was a katana of modest construction, yet he seemed for to inebriated to use it should the need arise.

The warm glow illuminated his face, showing his black hair to be worn in a ponytail behind his head. His skin was somewhat pale and a visible scar spanned diagonally across his face. Further testament to his violent past was the tattooing on his chest, visible through the slightly opened lapel of the kimono he wore. The likeness of a coiled dragon spanned down both of his arms which seemed to come alive at the play of defined muscle visible along his chest and forearms. A product of his past service to a gambling syndicate, they were a testament to his dangerous abilities while sober. Even then, he was nowhere near as dangerous as he was in his past life...

It was a few hours into his drunken slumber when his former comrades emerged from their cover. Kojiro had left the service of their boss Saito about four months ago, but not before taking a purse containing 5 ryo. The sum was many months salary for any thug working under him and having such a sum stolen from him was unacceptable. There were four men looking to claim the reward for delivering Saito his head, one of them drawing a murderous dagger from his kimono while they approached the sleeping man. The hitch in the plan came when the dagger wielder realized that his arm had been shortened at the wrist, the sickening realization coming with blinding pain and the swift blur of a blade.

"You know, I figured Saito would send better men after me...it's kinda disrespectful" Kojiro said boisterously, his movements unpredictable and shaking from all the drinking.

Enraged at their comrade being cut down moments ago, the others drew their swords and came at the lone vagrant. A vertical slash from Kojiro missed it's main target, passing the top of the head but managing to cut deeply into the man's sword arm. Gritting in pain as his arm was consumed by crimson, the man faltered back as the other two advanced cautiously. Knowing better than to charge in haphazardly, he retreated quietly into the woods. Using the darkness to his advantage, his blurry vision adjusted to the absence of light as his quarry stumbled through the trees. Kojiro was no samurai after all...he considered running off moments ago, but the fact that there was still some sake left in the jar at his campsite deterred him from being a coward. Hearing one of his assailant's stumble against a tree, he quickly closed the distance. The gambler didn't see Kojiro until the blade entered his throat and his heart pumped the last moments of his life before he fell to the ground. The chaos that ensued drove another bandit to strike diagonally at Kojiro's collar. The blade managed to cut into the fabric of his kimono and leave a shallow wound across his torso. Kojiro mused at how years ago the man wouldn't even have touched him. Nevertheless he gritted his teeth through the pain and slashed horizontally across his lower abdomen.

Making his way back to the camp, the last man backed away in fear. Bloodied up from dealing with the other three, Kojiro charged in. His slash took the man in the back as he was trying to run away. As he laid there dying, Kojiro wiped his blade on the man's back.

"If you're expecting me to give you a clean death, don't. You just lie there and think about what you've done with the time you have left" Kojiro said as he sheathed his sword.

--------

The woods were enveloped by an eerie fog, a deathly silence broken by the drunkard's footsteps. Laughing boisterously as he drunkenly sang a melody he recalled from his childhood, he took a long drink from the jar before throwing it aside without much care. Rumors spoke that yokai and other such demons resided in these woods, but Kojiro felt little need to give it much thought.
 
A young Kitsune/Okami (wolf), hybrid Yokai turned her head at the sound of violence that was happening with in her father's domain. The Princess of the Yokai sniffed the air as she adjusted her hair from her eyes. Her name is Shion, her name meaning death with she always tended to bring around her. She was 18 years of age, long white hair with a twinge of silver to it. Her eyes were blood red as her skin was as pale and white as snow. She was 5'4 1/2 in height, her weight was a light 125 lbs, with a slender yet athletic body build. She had ears and a tail of her canine parentage showing all the time. She could hide them if she wished, however she chose to show them with pride. She however could also appear fully human or take on a full Yokai form if she chose too as well. At this moment however she was in her regular form with her tail and ears and the sent of blood had awoken from her slumber.


She would track the scent down and follow it on the man as he made his way through her father's domain, her father a powerful Yokai lord. The female would watch him through the fog, her vision hundreds of times better than that of a human, her ears able to pick up his foot falls as well. Shion wondered if she should even bother confronting this man since he had sake on his breath and she could tell he was drunk. "You know your father will not be happy if he hears your going around and tracking humans again." said a voice as a smaller Kitsune appeared beside her. "Shut up Api, you know its non of your business what I do, your not my babysitter anymore." she snarled at the red haired boyish looking man. "Besides your power does not surpass me anymore." she giggled as she pointed to the bald spot she had burned into his tail a few weeks before.


He scoffed shaking his red haired head as they followed the drunk mortal as he walked along. "I am just going to keep an eye on him for now. He killed a few others and woke me so I want to know what is going on." Shion said as she followed after the man drifting from tree to tree like she was part of the thick fog. "I just have to make sure he doesn't run into bring brother or he will be devoured." she said with worry in her voice. Slowly she would twitch her ears picking up the sound of water dripping around them, onto the leaf cluttered forest floor. Sighing she would watch this man for a good half hour before she turned her head picking up a strange scent she knew it must be coming from the human she was tracking, though she had never smelt anything like it before.


However the fog would grow thicker and she would slowly make her way a lot closer hoping she would not be sensed. As she got a closer look he seemed rather gruff and a bit of a pig in her mind. She could see from his scruffiness and tattoos that he was a trouble maker as well. "What are you, where are you from? I never smelt anything or seen anyone like you before?" Shion whispered to herself in wonder. However she shook her head and started to jump through the trees making her way ahead of him for a few feet. Then she would block his path with a barrier, making it so he could not go any direction he wished with out being blocked. "what is a human like you doing in the Yokai woods? You should know better than to tresspas, my father with devour your soul." she snarled through the fog.



She had stopped him for a reason, Kojiro would be running to her brother if she hadn't. She felt pity for most humans who headed for her brother territory and most she would guide the other way. However someone with blood on them would be hard to protect if her brother picked up on it. She stayed out of view, though a ball of fire would appear in front of him. "Human, you should head the other way or I have no choice to remove you from the forest myself, for your own safety." she said as she stepped forward. He would only be able to see the outline of her as the fog began to clear slightly. She was not sure what it was about this man but she wanted to have some fun with him first before she let him go. Licking her lips she would appear before him in all of her splendor, she wore a soft blue kimono with fire balls upon it, a dark blade hung from her back while she wore bone like armor on her shoulders and chest.
 
The mist seemed to grow thicker as the drunken yakuza stumbled off the dirt road, losing all sense of direction as the eeriness enveloped him. Experience cautioned him that this was an ideal time and an ideal place to be attacked by bandits, so his stride became more cautious as his leveled his left hand to the scabbard of his sword, ready to draw quickly should the need arise. His senses were dulled from lack of practice and his own inebriation, yet hopefully whoever might try to assault him might not know that.

What is a human like you doing in the Yokai woods? You should know better than to trespass, my father will devour your soul.

The disembodied voice startled Kojiro, so naturally he was stopped in his tracks. A woman appeared before him, a puzzling apparition through all the fog. Her dress and choice of weapon were foreign to Kojiro. Her choice of entrance wasn't that of any shinobi tradition that he was familiar with and he wasn't sure if the design upon her kimono was her clan's crest or served purely as decoration. The bone armor that she wore puzzled him as well but he reasoned that it was for intimidation. Her choice to wear the sword on her back was odd. Attempting to draw from such a position left the wielder open to a counter attack. Nevertheless he heard her speak again, no doubt to distract him.

"Now now, cut the bullshit. You must be used to robbing peasants on the main road. Do you think I don't expect an attack from behind?" he asked her. He in fact hadn't heard her comrade, but every stratagem that he studied under his master served him where his senses had failed. He stepped so that his left side, where his sword was thrust through his obi, faced her. Subtly placing himself directly in line of her attack, he intended to draw out her slash once she drew.

"It must be a bitch to draw your sword from the back, but why don't you try it?" he asked, his left hand reaching to his scabbard, his thumb pressing up against the tsuba of his sword to free his blade should the need arise. What his would-be attacker didn't know was that he palmed a black egg in his other hand, which he intended to crush and fling it's contents into her eyes. Crushed glass would serve to blind her before he dispatched her with a killing stroke and buy him some time to escape the other attackers in the woods.
 
Shion just stared at the man, cocking her head to the side, her ears flicked back and forth as she picked up the sounds of movement around them. She breathed out, her hot breath causing a cloud to form in the air around her. "You really are out of it, you humans and your drink. It seems you had far too much sake to drink." she said shaking her head. "Say what you might, call me names but I am not here to kill you really. If you were sober you would have run off if you knew what is good for you." the Yokai said as she straightened up and made herself step forward some more ignoring his rude comments and his actions, she knew what he was up to and she was being wary of him. However she was in no mood to fight at the moment.


Shion held her hand up, a barrier appeared around him and she walked up so close to him he could feel her breath on his face. "I am Princess Shion, Yokai of these woods." she said softly as she brought his sword hand down using her magic. "I really do not wish to fight you human. You are in danger of coming this way, if you wish to pass then I will take you through the woods." she whispered. Slowly she turned around and he would be transported with her to the edge of the woods, it would seem like a couple minutes to him. Once at the edge she turned around, broke the barrier and looked at him. "Please be careful, I do not show most humans mercy like I did to you." she said gently.



The Yokai let out a sigh and slowly made her way past the man, a shiver ran down her spine and she wondered what was wrong. Something did not feel right about leaving him behind so she turned around again. "Look do you need some food and water, a place to stay? I feel bad about leaving you alone. But please don't think I ever want to hurt you." she said turning around. She reached her had out to him gently, it rested on his shoulder and he could feel a warmth flooding through his body. No one had ever been this close to a Yokai princess before and she was showing him a real honor.
 
"Frankly I don't think I've had enough...but that's just me. Don't worry, I'm still a handful when I'm drunk." Kojiro blared out loudly, his steps uneven as he clumsily advanced towards her. His left hand was still upon the saya of his katana, the thumb pressing up against the tsuba to free the first few inches of his blade.

If you were sober you would have run off if you knew what is good for you

"If I was sober I wouldn't know what's good for me anyway, but now that you've caught my interest I'd be willing to test myself against whatever lies ahead. I've been looking for a glorified way to leave this world" he responded, looking into her eyes with a mixture of madness and intoxication as he advanced towards her, not heeding her words as he drew his sword in a swift motion. To his surprise, Kojiro was enveloped in a barrier he couldn't understand.

"The hell is this!?! You demon from hell who are you!!!" he demanded as he swung powerfully at the barrier, but to no avail. The vagabond was rendered helps as he was escorted out of the forest against his will and once the mysterious woman freed him of the magical prison, he was unable to fight back.

Kojiro struggled to stand, the effects of the magic and the sake working in tandem to sap him of his energy as he drove his sword into the ground to will himself to his feet. Before long the dizziness began to overcome him as his head began to spin. His fingers failed to grasp his weapon as he fell to one knee, hearing the yokai's footsteps approaching as he looked up. By this time he saw three of her, his alcohol addled brain failing to register what she spoke as she placed her hand on him. He felt a strange warmth emanating from her as he slipped further and further into unconsciousness. He had heard in his time of men seeking comfort in a benevolent image before their deaths. Perhaps she was the last respite from misery before he departed to the void, having drunken himself to death. Soon things grew dark as he toppled over and passed out before her.
 
Shion took a deep breath and let out a huge sigh as she used her magic to pick him and his belongings up and made her way towards a huge cave she lived in which also happened to be part of her own palace. She had her servants strip him, wash him and dress any wounds he had. She then would put him on a futon a blanket over him, his things laying beside him so that he knew that nothing had been taken. She then would post guards at his doors and windows to make sure no one would hurt him but to also let Shion know when he was awake. She would then make herself rest in her bedroom her mind was throbbing from everything that had been going on in her life and now this man had come by.


"I am not going to let this man die, I feel so sorry for him. Usually its not like a yokai to care for a human or show them any pity or mercy, but I do." she said allowed. Her servant looked at her and cocked her head to the side. "You are the most interesting of them all Princess, there is nothing wrong with that. Your brother and Father will know not to touch the man however since he is under your power." Kuza her imp yokai would reply to her. "That is why the village around here prefers me most of all out of all the local deities to celebrate." she would say and then run her hand through her hair as her imp would walk off and return with for the Princess to eat.



Letting out a huge sigh again Shion would roll over in bed and rest her head upon her pillow. She then would shift her body and pull her blankets up and over her body and soon she would fall into a deep sleep. Her servant would return and leave some food out for her Mistress but she would not wake her up. Shion had left orders however that told her servants to wake her up the instant that the human was awake and make sure that he was well taken care of. Shion would begin to snore but you would be able to see a small smile on her lips and a peaceful look near her eyes. Her tail would wrap around her and her ears would go back against her head in a happy way.
 
Kojiro's vision was blurry once his drunken body decided to pain him enough to rouse him from slumber. The telltale migraine from cheap sake threatened to tear his skull apart and he could already feel the terrible pain in his back that told him his liver was in a sorry state. Other than that however, things could be worse. Unaware of where he was, he felt the soft futon beneath him and the blanket that kept him warm from the winter's chill. His nose was so unaccustomed to his own cleanliness that it seemed foreign and it was a matter of time before he realized his nakedness. Needless to say, Kojiro was slightly startled at this realization, having no recollection of when he removed his clothes or who did it. At least his body had been cleansed and he could see that someone had applied healing salves to the wounds he received on the run.

The sellsword groaned as he reluctantly willed himself to sit up and noticed his things beside the futon. Seeing that whoever brought him hear left his sword, he reasoned that at least he wasn't taken prisoner after he'd passed out. Kojiro quickly got dressed as he surveyed his surroundings. The chamber he was in wasn't lavish, but clean nonetheless. Where exactly was he? This didn't seem to be like any hut or shrine he'd spend his nights in. It was all cut stone.

After cautiously placing his sword through his belt, he opened the door slowly and peered out. The guards outside looked back at him with almost the same curiosity he showed them.

"Ummm...so do you mind telling me where I am? Or better yet getting me some sake? This hangover's killing me" he said, scratching his neck as he yawned.
 
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