The first leg of the trip was silent as the grave. Kyuzo was deep in thought trying to figure out what to do with the new friend of theirs. She obviously was coming to town with them, but after that, what would they do? And why was she out in the woods? And even further, what was she doing awake? The Naga were supposed to be sleeping, at least, that’s what he believed. Yet here one was, being hunted by her kinsmen, triumphing, and now attached to his side and following them back to the city he was running. Not to mention whatever happened in the woods with the spirit that turned her Naga friends against her. That was also something he would have to worry about. First, what he was going to do with her needed to be worked out.
“We…” Shiba was the first to say something in over an hour, “Should probably not be walking into town with a… Naga.”
Her timid voice floated effortlessly across the space between them. She was behind Daigotsu, who was behind the Naga, which was behind him, and Tsuruchi took the lead.
“Honestly, I’ve thought about that, and the thing is… I don’t want to…” How could he say this in a way that others could understand? “For lack of better words, I don’t want to hurt her feelings because I don’t want to make her mad.”
“We…” Shiba was the first to say something in over an hour, “Should probably not be walking into town with a… Naga.”
Her timid voice floated effortlessly across the space between them. She was behind Daigotsu, who was behind the Naga, which was behind him, and Tsuruchi took the lead.
“Honestly, I’ve thought about that, and the thing is… I don’t want to…” How could he say this in a way that others could understand? “For lack of better words, I don’t want to hurt her feelings because I don’t want to make her mad.”
The Naga had already proven to be dangerous if she misunderstood something, the scene with Shiba being threatened was the first example that came to mind. What would happen if Kyuzo angered her? Maybe she’d go on some sort of killing spree, or find other Naga and tell them that he was the one that shunned her. He didn’t even want to consider the things she was capable of with her pearl magic and her ability to explode heads and take out three Naga simultaneously.
“If Asahina-sama wants to bring a Naga into town, who is really going to stop him?” Tsuruchi reasoned.
“Yeah.” It was a good point. Kyuzo was the leader of the town; if he wanted to bring her there, no one had any place to object.
“Especially a wounded one,” Tsuruchi added. That was another good point. Kyuzo had saved her life, or tried to at least. Honestly, her anatomy was so vastly different he had no idea if he even helped. It appeared he had, but he couldn’t really say.
“Perhaps, after all the unfortunate events that have taken place, this could be seen as a sign of good luck and prosperity for the town,” Kyuzo remarked.
Daigotsu scoffed. Kyuzo shot her an annoyed look, which he was nearly certain she didn’t catch. The Naga, however, was holding out something small and fuzzy to Daigotsu. He peered over his shoulder and realized, as Daigotsu accepted it, it was a rat. Kyuzo shook his head and returned his attention to the path before him.
“We can’t have her stay outside of town after her troop has just been murdered and she’s wounded and we have no idea what is going on,” Tsuruchi attested.
“I agree. Perhaps she can live in the temple,” Kyuzo suggested.
“I don’t think that will be the best choice,” Daigotsu gave her input.
“Yeah, I have to disagree with that as well,” said Tsuruchi. “She has no idea what is going on, and if you have her living in the temple, she doesn’t know what is sacred and might cause an issue.”
“Isn’t she somewhat sacred? Naga are mythical creatures, I mean, I don’t know what to do with her otherwise and that seems the most fitting place.”
“Asahina-san,” Daigotsu interjected, “The Temple worships Fu Leng. It would be prudent to keep her away from there.”
“Fine, we’ll build her her own hovel, or whatever it is Naga live in.” Kyuzo was getting irritated there was even a debate about where she would stay. It’s true he didn’t know where to put her, but everyone was questioning his decision, not just questioning, they were outright disagreeing with it.
“Why not the barracks?” Daigotsu and Tsuruchi chimed precisely at the same moment.
“It’s okay for her to stay in the barracks and not the temple?”
“Do you know any samurai who live in the temple?” Tsuruchi asked.
“No, not personally. But I would think the people in the temple would be more welcoming to a savior of-”
“It is not the people in the temple I am worried about being welcoming,” Daigotsu interrupted.
“I think it’s the Naga in the temple she is worried about,” concluded Shiba.
That’s it, Kyuzo thought. He threw his hands up in the air. This was getting ridiculous. It wasn’t his job to find a place for someone to sleep that he couldn’t even talk to. She followed them to the town; she could do it on her own.
“I’m not a babysitter. I feel she can take care of herself. Yes, she was wounded, but there were three down and she was still standing. I don’t know what to do. I mean, I just bandaged her side, I didn’t actually knit anything back together.”
“Why don’t we get her to the barracks, find her a place, then go talk to the Phoenix and see if they have someone versed in Naga, their culture, language, or anything related to them?” Tsuruchi calmly offered. He was talking to Kyuzo like he was a child who needed to be soothed into accepting someone else’s decision.
“I’m going to talk to Kitsuki-san about this whole situation,” Kyuzo declared. “As far as I’m concerned, she can stay in our house until we figure things out. If anyone has a problem with that, they can take it up with her.”
“Sounds good,” Tsuruchi nodded. No one else said anything. Good, Kyuzo thought, that’s the way it should be.
***
The geisha house turned out to be a bust for finding out any of the embarrassments of those samurai in town. As soon as Anjin had started asking about others, the geisha politely pretended like he hadn’t said anything at all. No matter which approach Anjin took, he couldn’t break those women. It went to show how well they had been trained in their art, being emotional connections that samurai often didn’t find with their family, and keeping everything close to their hearts as if it were their own secrets.
After that, he had visited the brothel to see if they knew anything about Asahina’s dirty exploits. Those working in the brothel hadn’t been made aware of whatever Yasuki had been told about Asahina either. Moreover, with them, coin did all the talking, so Anjin was certain there was nothing to tell if they had nothing to say. That would probably be the last time he traded words with a Crab.
He had decided to make one last go with the peasant folk who worked in that section of town. Maybe Asahina took to liking the lower classed citizens, maybe that power of being the lord of the town went to his head and it was some sort of dominating deal. Anjin wasn’t sure why he couldn’t let it go and accept that there was nothing behind what Yasuki said. Maybe it was because courtiers usually weren’t so far off the charts, or at least the ones that Anjin usually talked to weren’t. There had to be something to it.
“So you haven’t heard of inappropriate behavior between a samurai and a heimin? I assure you, I’m here to protect the people and anything you say will not be brought back to you.”
The peasant shook his head and adjusted the wood he was carrying in his arms. “I…”
His mouth fell open and his arms went slack, spilling his woodpile to the ground. He was staring behind Anjin, which caused a demanding need for Anjin to turn and witness whatever it was that caused such a shock. Anjin spun and started as well. Asahina and Tsuruchi were trudging into town, and behind Asahina slithered a seven foot tall Naga. A real Naga. Scales, ten-foot long tail, armored and armed, and it came in with Asahina and Tsuruchi as if it belonged here as much as they did.
“You’ll have to excuse me,” Anjin quickly hobbled over to devour whatever knowledge the creature was willing to share. The peasant didn’t nod, didn’t bow, and didn’t even blink. Anjin was pretty sure the peasant didn’t even hear him.
As swiftly as he could, he approached the group. This was fascinating; they went on a hunt and brought back a hunter. He couldn’t wait to uncover a few of the Naga’s secrets, know a little history that most people couldn’t even dream of possessing. Before he could open his mouth and even greet the creature, it turned on it. It moved so quickly, she was behind Asahina one moment, then in front of him in the blink of an eye, her bow drawn and an arrow notched. Her hair flared out, much like a cobra hood would, and her eyes narrowed and shone yellow. Anjin felt his heart stop. He knew in this moment that he was going to die. There was absolutely nothing he could do to save himself.
“Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.” Tsuruchi threw his hands up and rounded the Naga.
“Hey, hey, hey. No, no, no. Stop. No. He’s okay,” Asahina stepped between Anjin and the thing that was surely going to skewer him. “He’s okay.”
She slowly lowered her weapon, her hair also laying flat again. Her eyes, however, took longer to return to what they were before, the yellow slits glaring at Anjin.
“So… uh, so this is happening,” Asahina nervously said while rubbing his neck.
“Yes it is…” Anjin refused to take his eyes off the thing that nearly took his life. “Can you tell me what, exactly?”
“We found her wounded in the forest, when we were out hunting this morning. I bandaged her, as you can see,” Asahina waved a hand at the wrapping around her side. “And then she just started following us. We found what injured her; it was three of her kinsmen who had been infected with a spirit. And we couldn’t just leave her out there, not that we had much of a choice, so she came back to town with us. I wasn’t sure what else to do. I was hoping you would have some sort of insight you could shed on this situation. They don’t want me to put her in the temple, and I don’t think she would do well in the barracks, personally. So… Yeah. That’s happening.” Asahina rubbed his neck again and shrugged.
“That’s… interesting. So what’s the plan from here?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know what to do. I’m basically going to play it by ear because this is kind of-”
“We were going to talk to the Phoenix and see if they know of someone who can communicate with it properly,” Tsuruchi disclosed.
“Yeah, and I thought you could tell us what you know, being that you read a lot. Maybe you can at least tell us how to talk to her, we’re having a hard time with that,” Asahina glanced at the snake who was still watching Anjin carefully.
“I don’t know a whole lot, I’m sorry to say,” Anjin began, combing through the recesses of his mind and trying to recall any information that he had ever read on the Naga. “No one knows much, they’re difficult to communicate with because they speak in an entirely different way, besides the obvious language barrier, it’s something about being connected to each other and perceiving thoughts that relays part of what they’re trying to convey. It is the main reason you will never see a Naga go into the Burning Sands of their own volition. Something happens to them there, they become disconnected from the hive, and unable to hear each other anymore, but they don’t actually stop sending their feelings to the brood. You can imagine this is all rather painful for all parties.
“They worship Akasha, their creator of all things. And they believe themselves to be the sons and daughters of the sun and moon, completely discounting our Kami as the children of the Sun and Moon. They seem to hold beliefs similar to ours, besides the celestial order, like reincarnation. However, in their cycle they retain memories of past lives when they are reborn, allowing them to continue to grow and gain knowledge beyond our capabilities.
“Besides all of this, which seems like a vast well of information even though it is only a minute piece of their culture; as I said, we don’t know much; the Naga race, as a whole, went into a Great Sleep, a hibernation if you choose to refer to it that way. I don’t fully understand it, and scholars haven’t determined why, but they woke before the Second Day of Thunder to help us defeat Fu Leng, and then simply went back to sleep. It was as if they roused for that specific purpose and went back into hibernation until we needed their help again. This, I’m hoping, isn’t now…
“Now that I think about it, I recall hearing of a recently known Naga who took the form of a human. This wasn’t too long ago. She goes by the name Akasha, and might very well be the same Akasha as their creator, if the stories of their reincarnation are to be believed.”
Anjin looked over the Naga before him; she was of the Cobra Bloodline, that much was obvious from her reaction when she believed she was threatened. However, she was huge for her bloodline. The Cobra were smaller, much smaller, even small compared to human standards, and she was at least twice the length they were known to be. He also judged her to be young, a child along their timeline. That would explain her sudden defensive posturing; she hadn’t yet learned what to trust and what not to trust. With a nod, he turned back to Asahina who stood there with a dazed expression on his face. Maybe Anjin had offloaded too much information at one time.
Asahina slowly nodded his head. “Okay,” he said.
“Shall we go to the Phoenix now?” Tsuruchi asked.
“I’ll follow,” Anjin informed them. He wanted very much to be a part of this history in the making, but he didn’t want the snake behind him. He honestly didn’t trust it enough not to get an arrow to the back of his head.
After that, he had visited the brothel to see if they knew anything about Asahina’s dirty exploits. Those working in the brothel hadn’t been made aware of whatever Yasuki had been told about Asahina either. Moreover, with them, coin did all the talking, so Anjin was certain there was nothing to tell if they had nothing to say. That would probably be the last time he traded words with a Crab.
He had decided to make one last go with the peasant folk who worked in that section of town. Maybe Asahina took to liking the lower classed citizens, maybe that power of being the lord of the town went to his head and it was some sort of dominating deal. Anjin wasn’t sure why he couldn’t let it go and accept that there was nothing behind what Yasuki said. Maybe it was because courtiers usually weren’t so far off the charts, or at least the ones that Anjin usually talked to weren’t. There had to be something to it.
“So you haven’t heard of inappropriate behavior between a samurai and a heimin? I assure you, I’m here to protect the people and anything you say will not be brought back to you.”
The peasant shook his head and adjusted the wood he was carrying in his arms. “I…”
His mouth fell open and his arms went slack, spilling his woodpile to the ground. He was staring behind Anjin, which caused a demanding need for Anjin to turn and witness whatever it was that caused such a shock. Anjin spun and started as well. Asahina and Tsuruchi were trudging into town, and behind Asahina slithered a seven foot tall Naga. A real Naga. Scales, ten-foot long tail, armored and armed, and it came in with Asahina and Tsuruchi as if it belonged here as much as they did.
“You’ll have to excuse me,” Anjin quickly hobbled over to devour whatever knowledge the creature was willing to share. The peasant didn’t nod, didn’t bow, and didn’t even blink. Anjin was pretty sure the peasant didn’t even hear him.
As swiftly as he could, he approached the group. This was fascinating; they went on a hunt and brought back a hunter. He couldn’t wait to uncover a few of the Naga’s secrets, know a little history that most people couldn’t even dream of possessing. Before he could open his mouth and even greet the creature, it turned on it. It moved so quickly, she was behind Asahina one moment, then in front of him in the blink of an eye, her bow drawn and an arrow notched. Her hair flared out, much like a cobra hood would, and her eyes narrowed and shone yellow. Anjin felt his heart stop. He knew in this moment that he was going to die. There was absolutely nothing he could do to save himself.
“Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.” Tsuruchi threw his hands up and rounded the Naga.
“Hey, hey, hey. No, no, no. Stop. No. He’s okay,” Asahina stepped between Anjin and the thing that was surely going to skewer him. “He’s okay.”
She slowly lowered her weapon, her hair also laying flat again. Her eyes, however, took longer to return to what they were before, the yellow slits glaring at Anjin.
“So… uh, so this is happening,” Asahina nervously said while rubbing his neck.
“Yes it is…” Anjin refused to take his eyes off the thing that nearly took his life. “Can you tell me what, exactly?”
“We found her wounded in the forest, when we were out hunting this morning. I bandaged her, as you can see,” Asahina waved a hand at the wrapping around her side. “And then she just started following us. We found what injured her; it was three of her kinsmen who had been infected with a spirit. And we couldn’t just leave her out there, not that we had much of a choice, so she came back to town with us. I wasn’t sure what else to do. I was hoping you would have some sort of insight you could shed on this situation. They don’t want me to put her in the temple, and I don’t think she would do well in the barracks, personally. So… Yeah. That’s happening.” Asahina rubbed his neck again and shrugged.
“That’s… interesting. So what’s the plan from here?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know what to do. I’m basically going to play it by ear because this is kind of-”
“We were going to talk to the Phoenix and see if they know of someone who can communicate with it properly,” Tsuruchi disclosed.
“Yeah, and I thought you could tell us what you know, being that you read a lot. Maybe you can at least tell us how to talk to her, we’re having a hard time with that,” Asahina glanced at the snake who was still watching Anjin carefully.
“I don’t know a whole lot, I’m sorry to say,” Anjin began, combing through the recesses of his mind and trying to recall any information that he had ever read on the Naga. “No one knows much, they’re difficult to communicate with because they speak in an entirely different way, besides the obvious language barrier, it’s something about being connected to each other and perceiving thoughts that relays part of what they’re trying to convey. It is the main reason you will never see a Naga go into the Burning Sands of their own volition. Something happens to them there, they become disconnected from the hive, and unable to hear each other anymore, but they don’t actually stop sending their feelings to the brood. You can imagine this is all rather painful for all parties.
“They worship Akasha, their creator of all things. And they believe themselves to be the sons and daughters of the sun and moon, completely discounting our Kami as the children of the Sun and Moon. They seem to hold beliefs similar to ours, besides the celestial order, like reincarnation. However, in their cycle they retain memories of past lives when they are reborn, allowing them to continue to grow and gain knowledge beyond our capabilities.
“Besides all of this, which seems like a vast well of information even though it is only a minute piece of their culture; as I said, we don’t know much; the Naga race, as a whole, went into a Great Sleep, a hibernation if you choose to refer to it that way. I don’t fully understand it, and scholars haven’t determined why, but they woke before the Second Day of Thunder to help us defeat Fu Leng, and then simply went back to sleep. It was as if they roused for that specific purpose and went back into hibernation until we needed their help again. This, I’m hoping, isn’t now…
“Now that I think about it, I recall hearing of a recently known Naga who took the form of a human. This wasn’t too long ago. She goes by the name Akasha, and might very well be the same Akasha as their creator, if the stories of their reincarnation are to be believed.”
Anjin looked over the Naga before him; she was of the Cobra Bloodline, that much was obvious from her reaction when she believed she was threatened. However, she was huge for her bloodline. The Cobra were smaller, much smaller, even small compared to human standards, and she was at least twice the length they were known to be. He also judged her to be young, a child along their timeline. That would explain her sudden defensive posturing; she hadn’t yet learned what to trust and what not to trust. With a nod, he turned back to Asahina who stood there with a dazed expression on his face. Maybe Anjin had offloaded too much information at one time.
Asahina slowly nodded his head. “Okay,” he said.
“Shall we go to the Phoenix now?” Tsuruchi asked.
“I’ll follow,” Anjin informed them. He wanted very much to be a part of this history in the making, but he didn’t want the snake behind him. He honestly didn’t trust it enough not to get an arrow to the back of his head.
***
As soon as they breached the forest, Katsumi picked up the pace and made a straight line for Negisa’s house, leaving all but Shiba behind. Shiba had decided somewhere in her mind that Katsumi was the one to tag along with today. Maybe it was Katsumi’s indifference towards most things Shiba did. She shrugged, whatever it was it really didn’t matter. What mattered was that Katsumi had to speak to Negisa right away about what they found in the forest today, and Shiba just happened to be following along. This was way out of Katsumi’s realm of knowledge. She knew little about the Naga to begin with, and tainted Naga were even further removed from that tiny bit of information she possessed. To compound things further, the Spider weren’t aiming to spread taint within the Empire, at least not this close to their first settlement. It didn’t take knowledge from the higher ups to figure out this was not of their doing, which made this a very big problem.
Katsumi threw open the door, forgetting her composure. It only took a moment to right herself after she noticed Matsu standing inside the house with Negisa. Matsu wasn’t family yet, and allowing Katsumi’s emotions to get away from her would reflect poorly not only on herself, but also on the family.
“Dear Sister,” Negisa smiled coldly. Katsumi caught the name right away. That was the name Negisa used when there was going to be Jigoku to pay and Katsumi was going to be the one to pay up. In most cases, once she heard that name from Negisa’s lips she would have found a reason to turn, to get out as fast as possible until whatever caused the upset in Negisa’s life had rolled by. But it didn’t matter today. Today there was more important business to attend to and if it required facing off with Negisa when she was in a foul mood, so be it.
“Katsumi-chan!” Matsu gushed.
“Matsu-san,” Katsumi gave a nod in her direction. “Negisa, I need to speak to you.”
“Of course, Dear Sister. Shiba, it’s a pleasure to see you.”
Katsumi quickly crossed the room and stepped inside one of the offshoot rooms, waiting inside the doorway for Negisa to join her. Negisa took her sweet time; her leisurely pace gave Shiba enough time to step into the room as well.
“Uh uh,” Katsumi swept a finger from Shiba to the door, indicating she should remove herself from the room.
“Katsumi,” Negisa held up her left hand to note that Shiba was promised something. Whatever it was could wait; this was not for Shiba to hear.
“I don’t care,” Katsumi snapped. She was sorry as soon as she had let it escape. Negisa’s glare crumpled Katsumi’s resolve. “I mean…” She muttered, “Could you ask her to leave, please? This is family business.”
Negisa offered a polite smile to Shiba. “Shiba, please excuse us.”
“Of course.” Shiba ducked out the door that Negisa promptly closed behind her.
“We were in the forest and there were some Naga who are dead and they were tainted,” the thought streamed from Katsumi’s mouth without hesitation. Negisa blinked. She looked shocked. Negisa didn’t get surprised. This wasn’t good.
“Are you sure they were tainted?” Negisa demanded.
“Positive.”
Negisa shook her head, “Naga can’t get tainted.”
“I’m telling you, they were tinged black and had red eyes. I know where I’ve seen that before, Negisa.”
“This doesn’t make sense,” Negisa mumbled.
“That’s why I came to you as soon as I got back to town.”
“Are you sure they were tainted?”
Katsumi nodded. “There’s a live one that seems to have taken a liking to Asahina-”
“That could be useful,” Negisa said thoughtfully, “Do you know anyone that speaks Naga? Why am I asking? Of course you don’t.”
“When I burned the bodies, the Naga had the same idea. So I assume she also knew they were tainted.” Katsumi finished her previous thought that Negisa had interrupted.
“Unfortunately, if you already burned the bodies, then there are no bodies for us to investigate to see if they actually were tainted.”
“I thought it would be for the best,” Katsumi said defensively. She couldn’t just leave them out there for anyone to see.
“It probably was… For a change, I actually agree with you.”
Katsumi was taken aback. Negisa never agreed with her on anything. Even the simple things in life Negisa nearly always took the opposite opinion just for the fun of fighting. There was a reason Katsumi repressed any desire she had to share her views on anything.
“There was another thing,” Katsumi recalled. “Some…thing affected them so they turned on the one that survived. I don’t know what it was, but it was a bigger, serpent-like creature. That’s what I saw in their death song during their funeral pyre.”
Negisa pressed her lips, processing it all. “Remind me to slap you later for the way you talked to me.”
Katsumi nodded slowly, “Very well.”
“Go find Yanagi; I have some things to read.”
“Understood.” Katsumi took a breath and brought back her collected exterior as Negisa slide the bedroom door open.
Katsumi threw open the door, forgetting her composure. It only took a moment to right herself after she noticed Matsu standing inside the house with Negisa. Matsu wasn’t family yet, and allowing Katsumi’s emotions to get away from her would reflect poorly not only on herself, but also on the family.
“Dear Sister,” Negisa smiled coldly. Katsumi caught the name right away. That was the name Negisa used when there was going to be Jigoku to pay and Katsumi was going to be the one to pay up. In most cases, once she heard that name from Negisa’s lips she would have found a reason to turn, to get out as fast as possible until whatever caused the upset in Negisa’s life had rolled by. But it didn’t matter today. Today there was more important business to attend to and if it required facing off with Negisa when she was in a foul mood, so be it.
“Katsumi-chan!” Matsu gushed.
“Matsu-san,” Katsumi gave a nod in her direction. “Negisa, I need to speak to you.”
“Of course, Dear Sister. Shiba, it’s a pleasure to see you.”
Katsumi quickly crossed the room and stepped inside one of the offshoot rooms, waiting inside the doorway for Negisa to join her. Negisa took her sweet time; her leisurely pace gave Shiba enough time to step into the room as well.
“Uh uh,” Katsumi swept a finger from Shiba to the door, indicating she should remove herself from the room.
“Katsumi,” Negisa held up her left hand to note that Shiba was promised something. Whatever it was could wait; this was not for Shiba to hear.
“I don’t care,” Katsumi snapped. She was sorry as soon as she had let it escape. Negisa’s glare crumpled Katsumi’s resolve. “I mean…” She muttered, “Could you ask her to leave, please? This is family business.”
Negisa offered a polite smile to Shiba. “Shiba, please excuse us.”
“Of course.” Shiba ducked out the door that Negisa promptly closed behind her.
“We were in the forest and there were some Naga who are dead and they were tainted,” the thought streamed from Katsumi’s mouth without hesitation. Negisa blinked. She looked shocked. Negisa didn’t get surprised. This wasn’t good.
“Are you sure they were tainted?” Negisa demanded.
“Positive.”
Negisa shook her head, “Naga can’t get tainted.”
“I’m telling you, they were tinged black and had red eyes. I know where I’ve seen that before, Negisa.”
“This doesn’t make sense,” Negisa mumbled.
“That’s why I came to you as soon as I got back to town.”
“Are you sure they were tainted?”
Katsumi nodded. “There’s a live one that seems to have taken a liking to Asahina-”
“That could be useful,” Negisa said thoughtfully, “Do you know anyone that speaks Naga? Why am I asking? Of course you don’t.”
“When I burned the bodies, the Naga had the same idea. So I assume she also knew they were tainted.” Katsumi finished her previous thought that Negisa had interrupted.
“Unfortunately, if you already burned the bodies, then there are no bodies for us to investigate to see if they actually were tainted.”
“I thought it would be for the best,” Katsumi said defensively. She couldn’t just leave them out there for anyone to see.
“It probably was… For a change, I actually agree with you.”
Katsumi was taken aback. Negisa never agreed with her on anything. Even the simple things in life Negisa nearly always took the opposite opinion just for the fun of fighting. There was a reason Katsumi repressed any desire she had to share her views on anything.
“There was another thing,” Katsumi recalled. “Some…thing affected them so they turned on the one that survived. I don’t know what it was, but it was a bigger, serpent-like creature. That’s what I saw in their death song during their funeral pyre.”
Negisa pressed her lips, processing it all. “Remind me to slap you later for the way you talked to me.”
Katsumi nodded slowly, “Very well.”
“Go find Yanagi; I have some things to read.”
“Understood.” Katsumi took a breath and brought back her collected exterior as Negisa slide the bedroom door open.
***
Morasahi shuffled across the room to where Matsu was standing. She had believed she made the right choice in joining Negisa for her conversation. Negisa usually had her sit in, why would this one be any different? She shook her head, not understanding the situation, resigning that it wasn’t something she was supposed to comprehend. Now she stood next to Matsu, but why she gravitated towards her, Morasahi had no clue. Maybe it was just this house. Morasahi was always next to Negisa when in this house, it just felt right to be next to someone while here.
“Um, Hello Matsu-san.”
“Hello Shiba-san.”
Morasahi looked Matsu over. She was wearing white, a lot of it. The thoughts of funeral robes and people in mourning came to mind; white was the color of death after all.
“You…um, look dead.” For some reason Morasahi couldn’t keep it to herself. It just sort of slipped out. If Matsu was offended, she didn’t show it.
“Did you enjoy your hunting trip today?”
“Yes, thank you. It turned out to be a little more than I bargained for, but yes.”
Matsu tilted her head, “How so?”
Morasahi took in a breath, how was she going to explain everything that took place? How would she explain that they found a Naga, or that it had tried to kill her? What about that it instantly became friends with Asahina, or even that it had killed three other Naga with little difficulty.
“Well… um. Asahina-san has a new infatuation.” Yeah, that was a good way to put it. He had taken a liking to the snake the moment he saw it, Morasahi was sure of it. He hadn’t tried to stop it from killing her, and he allowed it to follow him everywhere, even back into town. It only made sense.
“I don’t understand…” Matsu furrowed her brow.
“Well, it’s a Naga,” She began, but before she could elaborate, the bedroom door slid open and Negisa flew across the house.
“Shiba, take care of Matsu. Make sure she does all the rituals and all the things reserved for the week of her wedding. If you have any questions, get with one of the other Spider, they’ll help you when you have something specific to ask.”
She was out the door before Morasahi could even utter her confusion with a, “Huh?”
“Katsumi-chan, what’s a Naga?” Matsu called to Daigotsu who was creeping towards the door as well.
“I have something I must attend to, so I’ll explain it later.” Daigotsu bowed and slipped outside leaving Morasahi and Matsu standing in a house that wasn’t theirs, alone.
“Okay…” Matsu pouted. They stood, both staring at the door as if waiting for one of the Daigotsu sisters to return. At least that’s what Morasahi was doing, hoping to will someone into existence.
“So… Shiba-san, do you know any of what we have to do?”
Morasahi shrugged. She knew a little, but had no idea where Negisa left off, or even if they did the same sort of rituals. This was not something she was comfortable taking care of.
“Um, Hello Matsu-san.”
“Hello Shiba-san.”
Morasahi looked Matsu over. She was wearing white, a lot of it. The thoughts of funeral robes and people in mourning came to mind; white was the color of death after all.
“You…um, look dead.” For some reason Morasahi couldn’t keep it to herself. It just sort of slipped out. If Matsu was offended, she didn’t show it.
“Did you enjoy your hunting trip today?”
“Yes, thank you. It turned out to be a little more than I bargained for, but yes.”
Matsu tilted her head, “How so?”
Morasahi took in a breath, how was she going to explain everything that took place? How would she explain that they found a Naga, or that it had tried to kill her? What about that it instantly became friends with Asahina, or even that it had killed three other Naga with little difficulty.
“Well… um. Asahina-san has a new infatuation.” Yeah, that was a good way to put it. He had taken a liking to the snake the moment he saw it, Morasahi was sure of it. He hadn’t tried to stop it from killing her, and he allowed it to follow him everywhere, even back into town. It only made sense.
“I don’t understand…” Matsu furrowed her brow.
“Well, it’s a Naga,” She began, but before she could elaborate, the bedroom door slid open and Negisa flew across the house.
“Shiba, take care of Matsu. Make sure she does all the rituals and all the things reserved for the week of her wedding. If you have any questions, get with one of the other Spider, they’ll help you when you have something specific to ask.”
She was out the door before Morasahi could even utter her confusion with a, “Huh?”
“Katsumi-chan, what’s a Naga?” Matsu called to Daigotsu who was creeping towards the door as well.
“I have something I must attend to, so I’ll explain it later.” Daigotsu bowed and slipped outside leaving Morasahi and Matsu standing in a house that wasn’t theirs, alone.
“Okay…” Matsu pouted. They stood, both staring at the door as if waiting for one of the Daigotsu sisters to return. At least that’s what Morasahi was doing, hoping to will someone into existence.
“So… Shiba-san, do you know any of what we have to do?”
Morasahi shrugged. She knew a little, but had no idea where Negisa left off, or even if they did the same sort of rituals. This was not something she was comfortable taking care of.
***
Peasants fled as Kyuzo, Tsuruchi, Kitsuki and the Naga passed by. Kyuzo was well aware it was because a twenty-foot long snake was slithering through town. She truly looked like a monster, no matter what sort of demeanor she possessed people often didn’t see past appearances. Granted, she wasn’t exactly a delicate flower either. He had seen the three Naga she killed on her own, and she had drawn her weapon on his own friends on two separate occasions now. She had a lot to learn about civilized society and the way difference were handled in a humane way.
Amongst the buzzing crowds that parted and then encircled their small group, Asako Yuji appeared and calmly dared to approach Kyuzo and his monster. Asako’s eyes lit up the closer he got, obviously marveling at their new acquaintance, the Naga. He bowed to Kyuzo and with a perfectly balanced voice greeted him. “Lord Asahina, it seems there are some interesting developments that have come to light recently.”
“Yes,” Kyuzo said, “We were hoping for as much help as you could provide.”
“I have already scattered people to see if someone speaks Naga.” Kyuzo knew there was a reason the Phoenix were the right people to go to. Besides the fact that they held the largest libraries and the most knowledge in all of Rokugan, they were helpful and a step ahead of you when it came to anything that interested them.
“Is it even possible?” Kyuzo prodded. From what Kitsuki had just told him, they didn’t really talk like the rest of Rokugan.
“Well, no, not in the strictest sense,” Asako gave a half shrug and pressed his thumb to his lip as if considering something, “Imagine having a conversation without being able to speak, that‘s what talking to the Naga is like.”
“Yeah, we’ve already been exposed to that,” Kyuzo groaned. “We’ve attempted to get by with a little bit of pantomime.”
“I can only imagine that didn’t go over very well.”
“Well…” Kyuzo rubbed his neck. He didn’t feel like explaining the whole story again, no matter how much he shortened it, it still was too long to repeat to every new delegate that asked. “I did end up bandaging her. Now she’s… um… Now she’s…” He didn’t even know what to call it. Following him around? Taken a liking to? Both? Kyuzo shook his head.
“Oh,” Asako glanced between Kyuzo and the Naga towering over him. “Um, you know how the Lion are… er, honor bound to… hm, basically to return the favor of someone saving their life?”
“Yeah,” Kyuzo knew where this was headed and he didn’t really want the conversation to continue but Asako was the only one who seemed to know what was going on so he had to allow it to proceed.
“That’s sort of what is happening here. You bandaged a wound she thought would be lethal.”
“It was pretty bad…” Kyuzo admitted.
“And now she’s yours,” Tsuruchi reasoned.
“No, not like that,” Asako quickly corrected Tsuruchi. “Not anything like that.”
“Oh, I misunderstood what you were saying,” Tsuruchi professed.
“As I said, it’s also not exactly like the honor bound Lion either.”
“It seems like it’s going to be a bad thing,” Kyuzo imagined having to deal with the Naga drawing on anyone who came close to him. The thought of constantly preventing her from destroying the lives of non-threatening citizens exhausted him.
“I’m not sure it’s going to be bad, but it’s definitely going to be interesting for you,” Asako smiled encouragingly.
“Okay, so what do you mean ‘like that but different?’”
“Their society is very different than ours. I’m not openly versed on it, but on the crash course I was just given, their society is driven by deeds instead of bloodlines or anything like that. They don’t serve honor, and they don’t follow Bushido.” Asako shook his head, again offering a half-shrug. It was obvious even he couldn’t give Kyuzo all the answers.
“So, if I get wounded and she saves me then this is over with?”
“Well,” Asako visibly weighed the question, “She will probably massacre whatever did it to you.”
“That’s just perfect,” Kyuzo grumbled.
“And it still wouldn’t make you even,” Asako finished.
“I didn’t think so.” Kyuzo took a breath and held it for a moment before blowing it out. This was turning into a much bigger problem than he anticipated. “What makes it even?”
“I… er, we don’t know. They can’t explain it in a way we can understand it in our language, and we can’t understand theirs enough to get a full answer either.”
“Right, I did something for nothing, and now she has to do something to make it up to me.” Kyuzo threw his hands up. “I can’t have any girls over - How am I going to go to the geisha house?”
“I don’t see how that has relevance since she has no idea what you are trying to say,” Tsuruchi piped up as if his opinion really mattered at the moment.
“Are you trying to find a way to get rid of her?” Kitsuki finally stepped into the conversation.
Was Kitsuki kidding? Of course he was trying to find a way he could continue with a normal life free from preventing the untimely deaths of anyone who attempted to get near him. This was simply the worst possible outcome for someone who was running a town, and for him in general even if he wasn‘t running a town.
Kyuzo spun on Kitsuki. “Frankly, I have the equivalent of a wild tiger following me around and I don’t really know if that’s a safe bet. I have to go to sleep eventually and until she falls asleep, I don’t know if I’ll be safe - I don’t even know if I can protect myself when she’s awake.”
“It seems perfectly safe to you. She’s honor bound to you,” Kitsuki tried to reason with Kyuzo, but reason wouldn’t find him. All Kyuzo could imagine was every scenario where the Naga was there. Where she was aggressively there.
“Yeah, but say I’m enjoying a glass of sake. Maybe she decides I’m harming myself because I’ve had too much in her opinion. Is she going to cut my arm off to protect me?” He was yelling now, but he couldn’t help himself. Kitsuki stared back silently, nothing coming from that smart mouth of his.
“Exactly!” Kyuzo threw his arms up again. That’s when he noticed the Naga was pointing an arrow at Kitsuki again, puffing up and adding to his frustration because she was doing exactly what he was worried she would do.
“Whoa. Whoa,” Tsuruchi held up his hands for the Naga to stop. “You need to find a way to explain that if we arm up, she should arm up.”
“You need to find a way to explain that she should not shoot me,” Kitsuki squeaked.
Kyuzo took a breath and shook his finger at the Naga. “Okay, I’ll handle this.”
“My life is very important to me,” Kitsuki added.
Kyuzo went for a short walk, removing himself from the crowd, from any possible threat or interruption. As he thought she would, the Naga followed him. He turned to her trying to think of how to explain this. Slowly he drew his katana while the Naga just stared. He put it away. She watched him diligently. Again, he pulled his sword from its sheath, this time she drew an arrow and readied it. Kyuzo returned his weapon again with a nod.
“When I touch this,” he pointed at his sword, “You touch that.” Kyuzo then pointed to her bow. “Just calm down.”
The Naga put her arrow away and extended her bow to Kyuzo.
He shook his head with a sigh, “No. No. Okay, I’ll tell you what, I’ll hold this.” Kyuzo snatched the bow from her hand, an action she attempted to repeat from Kyuzo.
“No, no, no. You don’t need it. You don’t need it.” Kyuzo pulled the weapon back from her. He had enough of her threatening people with it. Shaking his head he walked away and came back to the group, of course, she was right behind him.
Amongst the buzzing crowds that parted and then encircled their small group, Asako Yuji appeared and calmly dared to approach Kyuzo and his monster. Asako’s eyes lit up the closer he got, obviously marveling at their new acquaintance, the Naga. He bowed to Kyuzo and with a perfectly balanced voice greeted him. “Lord Asahina, it seems there are some interesting developments that have come to light recently.”
“Yes,” Kyuzo said, “We were hoping for as much help as you could provide.”
“I have already scattered people to see if someone speaks Naga.” Kyuzo knew there was a reason the Phoenix were the right people to go to. Besides the fact that they held the largest libraries and the most knowledge in all of Rokugan, they were helpful and a step ahead of you when it came to anything that interested them.
“Is it even possible?” Kyuzo prodded. From what Kitsuki had just told him, they didn’t really talk like the rest of Rokugan.
“Well, no, not in the strictest sense,” Asako gave a half shrug and pressed his thumb to his lip as if considering something, “Imagine having a conversation without being able to speak, that‘s what talking to the Naga is like.”
“Yeah, we’ve already been exposed to that,” Kyuzo groaned. “We’ve attempted to get by with a little bit of pantomime.”
“I can only imagine that didn’t go over very well.”
“Well…” Kyuzo rubbed his neck. He didn’t feel like explaining the whole story again, no matter how much he shortened it, it still was too long to repeat to every new delegate that asked. “I did end up bandaging her. Now she’s… um… Now she’s…” He didn’t even know what to call it. Following him around? Taken a liking to? Both? Kyuzo shook his head.
“Oh,” Asako glanced between Kyuzo and the Naga towering over him. “Um, you know how the Lion are… er, honor bound to… hm, basically to return the favor of someone saving their life?”
“Yeah,” Kyuzo knew where this was headed and he didn’t really want the conversation to continue but Asako was the only one who seemed to know what was going on so he had to allow it to proceed.
“That’s sort of what is happening here. You bandaged a wound she thought would be lethal.”
“It was pretty bad…” Kyuzo admitted.
“And now she’s yours,” Tsuruchi reasoned.
“No, not like that,” Asako quickly corrected Tsuruchi. “Not anything like that.”
“Oh, I misunderstood what you were saying,” Tsuruchi professed.
“As I said, it’s also not exactly like the honor bound Lion either.”
“It seems like it’s going to be a bad thing,” Kyuzo imagined having to deal with the Naga drawing on anyone who came close to him. The thought of constantly preventing her from destroying the lives of non-threatening citizens exhausted him.
“I’m not sure it’s going to be bad, but it’s definitely going to be interesting for you,” Asako smiled encouragingly.
“Okay, so what do you mean ‘like that but different?’”
“Their society is very different than ours. I’m not openly versed on it, but on the crash course I was just given, their society is driven by deeds instead of bloodlines or anything like that. They don’t serve honor, and they don’t follow Bushido.” Asako shook his head, again offering a half-shrug. It was obvious even he couldn’t give Kyuzo all the answers.
“So, if I get wounded and she saves me then this is over with?”
“Well,” Asako visibly weighed the question, “She will probably massacre whatever did it to you.”
“That’s just perfect,” Kyuzo grumbled.
“And it still wouldn’t make you even,” Asako finished.
“I didn’t think so.” Kyuzo took a breath and held it for a moment before blowing it out. This was turning into a much bigger problem than he anticipated. “What makes it even?”
“I… er, we don’t know. They can’t explain it in a way we can understand it in our language, and we can’t understand theirs enough to get a full answer either.”
“Right, I did something for nothing, and now she has to do something to make it up to me.” Kyuzo threw his hands up. “I can’t have any girls over - How am I going to go to the geisha house?”
“I don’t see how that has relevance since she has no idea what you are trying to say,” Tsuruchi piped up as if his opinion really mattered at the moment.
“Are you trying to find a way to get rid of her?” Kitsuki finally stepped into the conversation.
Was Kitsuki kidding? Of course he was trying to find a way he could continue with a normal life free from preventing the untimely deaths of anyone who attempted to get near him. This was simply the worst possible outcome for someone who was running a town, and for him in general even if he wasn‘t running a town.
Kyuzo spun on Kitsuki. “Frankly, I have the equivalent of a wild tiger following me around and I don’t really know if that’s a safe bet. I have to go to sleep eventually and until she falls asleep, I don’t know if I’ll be safe - I don’t even know if I can protect myself when she’s awake.”
“It seems perfectly safe to you. She’s honor bound to you,” Kitsuki tried to reason with Kyuzo, but reason wouldn’t find him. All Kyuzo could imagine was every scenario where the Naga was there. Where she was aggressively there.
“Yeah, but say I’m enjoying a glass of sake. Maybe she decides I’m harming myself because I’ve had too much in her opinion. Is she going to cut my arm off to protect me?” He was yelling now, but he couldn’t help himself. Kitsuki stared back silently, nothing coming from that smart mouth of his.
“Exactly!” Kyuzo threw his arms up again. That’s when he noticed the Naga was pointing an arrow at Kitsuki again, puffing up and adding to his frustration because she was doing exactly what he was worried she would do.
“Whoa. Whoa,” Tsuruchi held up his hands for the Naga to stop. “You need to find a way to explain that if we arm up, she should arm up.”
“You need to find a way to explain that she should not shoot me,” Kitsuki squeaked.
Kyuzo took a breath and shook his finger at the Naga. “Okay, I’ll handle this.”
“My life is very important to me,” Kitsuki added.
Kyuzo went for a short walk, removing himself from the crowd, from any possible threat or interruption. As he thought she would, the Naga followed him. He turned to her trying to think of how to explain this. Slowly he drew his katana while the Naga just stared. He put it away. She watched him diligently. Again, he pulled his sword from its sheath, this time she drew an arrow and readied it. Kyuzo returned his weapon again with a nod.
“When I touch this,” he pointed at his sword, “You touch that.” Kyuzo then pointed to her bow. “Just calm down.”
The Naga put her arrow away and extended her bow to Kyuzo.
He shook his head with a sigh, “No. No. Okay, I’ll tell you what, I’ll hold this.” Kyuzo snatched the bow from her hand, an action she attempted to repeat from Kyuzo.
“No, no, no. You don’t need it. You don’t need it.” Kyuzo pulled the weapon back from her. He had enough of her threatening people with it. Shaking his head he walked away and came back to the group, of course, she was right behind him.
***
Meintaro watched Asahina walk away with the Naga in tow. He nudged closer to Kitsuki and whispered, “You think it’s going to work?”
“I’m not entirely sure what he’s doing,” Kitsuki responded.
Meintaro couldn’t help by give him a disparaging stare. How could someone be so dense? Obviously, Asahina was attempting to keep the Naga from drawing whenever she felt like it. That’s what he would have done, but he would have done it much earlier, like before they came back into town. After the first time, Meintaro would have started laying out the rules. Why Asahina let it go on twice more was beyond him. But then again, sometimes people didn’t understand the way you needed to handle those with violence in their hearts. He watched as Asahina did a few draws of his sword, eventually just taking the Naga’s bow from her before stomping back to Meintaro, Kitsuki, and Asako.
“I feel that was not very successful,” Meintaro commented.
“I’ll be holding these,” Asahina retorted.
“Right… I think she can still beat Kitsuki,” Meintaro eyed the cripple. “With one arm, even. Let me give it a shot.”
Meintaro pointed at Asahina’s weapon, than at his, then at the Naga’s bow. He pulled his bow off his back and pretended to draw an arrow, having none in his hand. He then nodded at the Naga. She promptly provided him with an arrow. Meintaro shook his head.
“Right. This is not working. At all.” Meintaro put his bow back on his back.
“Asahina, give her her bow,” Kitsuki directed. It seemed Kitsuki was going to try his hand at it. This should prove to be interesting. Asahina provided the Naga with her bow.
“Okay, now pull out an arrow and arm your bow,” Kitsuki watched the Naga intently. Asahina did as he was told. The Naga also did so. “Lower it.” Both Asahina and the Naga repeated the same action.
“Okay, put it away. Now pull your sword.” Meintaro watched as Asahina drew his katana and the Naga drew an arrow. She was actually getting the concept.
“Put it away,” Kitsuki said. Asahina sheathed his weapon; the Naga mirrored him. “Now just touch it.” It was amazing; suddenly she was repeating every action Asahina was doing when it came to his weapon.
“I’m not sure if that worked, but it seems promising,” Kitsuki smiled nervously.
“Well done,” Asahina clapped.
There was a rattle and Meintaro noticed the Naga was now holding a tambourine, shaking it in response to Asahina’s clapping. It would have been ridiculous, but everything the Naga had done since they first came across her was just as much so, so this one really didn’t seem out of character for her. However, when Asahina pulled out his flute and began playing, and the two took time to create a small musical number, that was ridiculous. Asako stood quietly. Kitsuki just watched; he actually looked like he was enjoying the scene. While Meintaro shifted uncomfortably. He was still wearing his hunting attire, which suddenly dawned on him with the lack of anything else to focus on. Now he was just… waiting for Asahina and the Naga to stop their little bonding session before he could excuse himself and clean up. Finally they finished, which probably was only ten minutes, but long enough for Meintaro to run through a long list of other things he would rather be doing.
“What will it take to clear her debt to you?” Kitsuki asked. Apparently, he was off in some other place in his head when Asako had told all of them.
“We don’t know,” Meintaro answered. He had this covered.
“We don’t know either,” Asako reiterated, “The Naga are different.”
“Well, when you find someone knowledgeable, can you just send them our way?” requested Meintaro. There was no need for Kitsuki to solve this problem too, he could handle it.
“The biggest problem is that the Naga are very secretive about themselves, we don’t just have-”
“Tell me where to send for the most knowledgeable. A lore master, or at least someone available,” Asahina demanded.
Asako blinked at Asahina’s rude manner. “That would probably be Kyuden Isawa.”
“Then send a courier. I need someone to come here with some knowledge to help us with this situation.”
“Of course,” Asako assured Asahina, “We were going to ask your permission to send for someone anyways. There hasn’t been a Naga seen for several years, not since Akasha.”
“Who?” Asahina asked. Kitsuki had said something about Akasha, Meintaro recalled. Something about the creator or something else pretty important.
“Akasha. She was the human born of a Naga,” Upon receiving the blank stare from both Asahina and himself, Asako continued. “Right. Um. She hatched from a Naga egg. She was basically a human child. She assimilated herself into the Imperial City and attempted to teach us about the Naga. Assumedly, it was some sort of bridge between our races.”
“Right,” Meintaro nodded. “That would help. If she’s going to be a bridge between us and the Naga, it seems like we have the perfect reason for her to visit.”
“I would imagine that eventually she would make her way here, however, it would be very similar to demanding the Emperor to show up, she’s very important to her people.” What a snotty guy Asako was turning out to be.
“That’s not what I was saying. I just wanted her informed. You know, brought to her attention,” Meintaro explained. He wasn’t demanding anyone to do anything.
“Of course, that is part of our intentions,” Asako smiled. A rather smug smile if you asked Meintaro.
“I’m not entirely sure what he’s doing,” Kitsuki responded.
Meintaro couldn’t help by give him a disparaging stare. How could someone be so dense? Obviously, Asahina was attempting to keep the Naga from drawing whenever she felt like it. That’s what he would have done, but he would have done it much earlier, like before they came back into town. After the first time, Meintaro would have started laying out the rules. Why Asahina let it go on twice more was beyond him. But then again, sometimes people didn’t understand the way you needed to handle those with violence in their hearts. He watched as Asahina did a few draws of his sword, eventually just taking the Naga’s bow from her before stomping back to Meintaro, Kitsuki, and Asako.
“I feel that was not very successful,” Meintaro commented.
“I’ll be holding these,” Asahina retorted.
“Right… I think she can still beat Kitsuki,” Meintaro eyed the cripple. “With one arm, even. Let me give it a shot.”
Meintaro pointed at Asahina’s weapon, than at his, then at the Naga’s bow. He pulled his bow off his back and pretended to draw an arrow, having none in his hand. He then nodded at the Naga. She promptly provided him with an arrow. Meintaro shook his head.
“Right. This is not working. At all.” Meintaro put his bow back on his back.
“Asahina, give her her bow,” Kitsuki directed. It seemed Kitsuki was going to try his hand at it. This should prove to be interesting. Asahina provided the Naga with her bow.
“Okay, now pull out an arrow and arm your bow,” Kitsuki watched the Naga intently. Asahina did as he was told. The Naga also did so. “Lower it.” Both Asahina and the Naga repeated the same action.
“Okay, put it away. Now pull your sword.” Meintaro watched as Asahina drew his katana and the Naga drew an arrow. She was actually getting the concept.
“Put it away,” Kitsuki said. Asahina sheathed his weapon; the Naga mirrored him. “Now just touch it.” It was amazing; suddenly she was repeating every action Asahina was doing when it came to his weapon.
“I’m not sure if that worked, but it seems promising,” Kitsuki smiled nervously.
“Well done,” Asahina clapped.
There was a rattle and Meintaro noticed the Naga was now holding a tambourine, shaking it in response to Asahina’s clapping. It would have been ridiculous, but everything the Naga had done since they first came across her was just as much so, so this one really didn’t seem out of character for her. However, when Asahina pulled out his flute and began playing, and the two took time to create a small musical number, that was ridiculous. Asako stood quietly. Kitsuki just watched; he actually looked like he was enjoying the scene. While Meintaro shifted uncomfortably. He was still wearing his hunting attire, which suddenly dawned on him with the lack of anything else to focus on. Now he was just… waiting for Asahina and the Naga to stop their little bonding session before he could excuse himself and clean up. Finally they finished, which probably was only ten minutes, but long enough for Meintaro to run through a long list of other things he would rather be doing.
“What will it take to clear her debt to you?” Kitsuki asked. Apparently, he was off in some other place in his head when Asako had told all of them.
“We don’t know,” Meintaro answered. He had this covered.
“We don’t know either,” Asako reiterated, “The Naga are different.”
“Well, when you find someone knowledgeable, can you just send them our way?” requested Meintaro. There was no need for Kitsuki to solve this problem too, he could handle it.
“The biggest problem is that the Naga are very secretive about themselves, we don’t just have-”
“Tell me where to send for the most knowledgeable. A lore master, or at least someone available,” Asahina demanded.
Asako blinked at Asahina’s rude manner. “That would probably be Kyuden Isawa.”
“Then send a courier. I need someone to come here with some knowledge to help us with this situation.”
“Of course,” Asako assured Asahina, “We were going to ask your permission to send for someone anyways. There hasn’t been a Naga seen for several years, not since Akasha.”
“Who?” Asahina asked. Kitsuki had said something about Akasha, Meintaro recalled. Something about the creator or something else pretty important.
“Akasha. She was the human born of a Naga,” Upon receiving the blank stare from both Asahina and himself, Asako continued. “Right. Um. She hatched from a Naga egg. She was basically a human child. She assimilated herself into the Imperial City and attempted to teach us about the Naga. Assumedly, it was some sort of bridge between our races.”
“Right,” Meintaro nodded. “That would help. If she’s going to be a bridge between us and the Naga, it seems like we have the perfect reason for her to visit.”
“I would imagine that eventually she would make her way here, however, it would be very similar to demanding the Emperor to show up, she’s very important to her people.” What a snotty guy Asako was turning out to be.
“That’s not what I was saying. I just wanted her informed. You know, brought to her attention,” Meintaro explained. He wasn’t demanding anyone to do anything.
“Of course, that is part of our intentions,” Asako smiled. A rather smug smile if you asked Meintaro.
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