Soldiers of Light ch.9: "Deception and Distraction"
 

Kurama told Garud that he was fine, and then went back further into the room. He took off his tattered clothes, and put on the fine robes that had been laid out for him. He tossed his metal foreguards down beside his mat, and reached out for a bag he had brought with him. Inside the bag was a large stack of ancient scrolls. He took one, and gently rolled it open. It was all Tama's handwriting. It was the secrets to his fighting style, and the secrets to the Raigaki. However, the Raigaki secrets had been written with a special ink. Only when Kurama unlocked a new glyph could he read more. And now, he could.

He read more about his new barrier ability. Some of it he already knew. He could cast it quickly, but it only protected his front, and if he moved, the barrier would disperse. However, he found a new trick. If he carved a complete circle in the ground with the sword, and then stuck the blade in the exact middle of it, it would form a large barrier, like the one that surrounded the temple. It would only stay up as long as the sword remained in place, and Kurama could pass through it, but no others could. If any were inside the barrier when it was put up, they were stuck inside. But, that also meant that none could get in.

Perhaps he would try it out later.

OOC: *Long tired sigh* Alright, I haven't felt like writing for the last, however many days, sense Nicci decided not to come back. I haven't had much creativity, but sense the story can't really, progress without me. Here we go.

As the time before the scheduled meeting ran out everyone was approached by the same geisha that had brought them to their room. They were led away to a pair of large gilded doors. A variety of foreign languages decorated them. As the doors are thrown open a large square table is set before you. Vance is set to the left end with empty seats to either side of him. At the right end are several people you haven't seen before. Daemons and half daemons alike. (There are more then just the people I put up before but I'm not up to writing them all out). Food is set up all around the table. As you approach the table you see that it is not an ordinary sort of table. There is some sort of hard clear surface over the table. Under that is a large map. You can see what is the island on it, and Japan above that. Then many strange formations of lands.

As everyone is seated Vance turns to Kurama and makes a question. "So, where are we supposed to head to after the ship is fixed?"


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Chi spoke to the group "Well I suppose we should be on our way then. Doubtless the others have already figured out where to find the next piece and begun a search without us."

As though responding to a thought the shade appeared and opened a shadow gate underneath the 4. A moment later they were with the main group of team evil. "Well hello again. Making plans to retrieve the Torso I hope? I assume one of you has at least discovered its location by now?"

Kurama looked down at the map. It was an updated version of the map he had in one of the scrolls. The land masses must have moved in the past 1000 years. He pointed at Japan, and then began to move his finger west. He stopped at the farthest left point of a rather large continent.

"Here. The far west. I believe the natives called it 'Europe' at the time my ancestor laid the torso to rest there."

Garud put his feet up onto the table and leaned back in his chair.

"Europe, eh? Thats a good place, after all. That's where I came from. Eurpeans are a freindly bunch so you wont be bothered by hostile resistance."

He knew that most Europeans were good people, so they should be alright. But what worried him was that most people had never actually seen a demon before, so they wont know what to expect.

"Where exactly in Europe are we headed? Italy? Germany? Turkey? Possibly Greece?"

Sanjuro threw a hand onto a roasted pig leg, the tender meat ripped easily from the rest of it, as if it was barely connected in the first place. Sanjuro hungrily began stripping meat from bone as he watched the conversation move forward. He didn't understand a word of it, Italia, Deutschland none of these places sounded like they were real. Sanjuro didn't care though, he had barely started training with Suzume before they were called for this meeting. Sanjuro merely smiled as he set his palm against the pigs delectible ribs pulling quickly the pigs chest ripped smoothly off. Sanjuro snapped his jaws against the meat and yanked as the meat slid from bone he noticed a few of Vance's comrades take a surprised look to his actions, "What?" He said, as if this behavior wasn't far from the ordinary.

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Ishi looked at the position of all the team, they seemed to be just standing around watching the waves come in. Looking into the distance Ishi saw nothing out of the ordinary, the waves just continued on. "Humph, I don't believe Lord Talkatz would approve of sight-seeing when we should be claiming his torso." Ishi surveyed the group once more, there seemed to be quite a few members missing.

Sendo stepped forward from behind Ishi. Snorting he surveyed the group that was doing nothing to his view What does Talkaz see in these useless fools?. Raising his hand he pushed it thorugh his white hair and said condencendingly "I can see why you always fail Talkaz if this is what it looks like". Sendo was restraining himself imensly, for the first time in years he had agreed not to kill a person, and he was even keeping the promise, a feat that displayed how strong his will was, when he wanted it to be.

OOC: Standing around? Giving the Kimonos and Kirakiri their orders is hardly standing around...but, if you perceive it as such.

This new Air Demon is a Windspeaker, from another Air Demon clan/caste than Raikotsu. Arashi is the name of Raikotsu's clan.

IC: Raikotsu spared Sendo little more than a short, derisive, glance. If Ishi hadn't had enough sense to keep his mouth shut, he would have been included in it too, the Air Demon knew that neither one of them had much grasp of strategy. He had called for others to come join him, and there was little to do except go over the plans with his comrades until the necessary forces arrived.

"We actually have a different plan in mind. I would share it with you, but a madman and his incompetent servitors would be a hindrance I can do without." He would have continued, but at that moment a white wisp of fog darted between the rocks, emerging from over the sea, and seemed to thicken...becoming a cloud...that reshaped and solidified into a bipedal figure, another Air Demon.

This one was smaller, fragile-seeming, lacking the lithe muscle of Raikotsu. Its eyes were large, robin's-egg blue, and its skin was much lighter than Raikotsu's, a shade of bone-white that mottled to blue around its ears. Its ears were certainly different. Where Raikotsu's were gracefully pointed, the newcomer's were almost an exaggerated version, large, delicate, fins that swept back from its head like a frill. It wore a simple kimono of white with a blue sash, and as it kneeled before the larger Air Demon the newcomer spoke in a thin, reedy voice...like the wind blowing through the trees.

"Arashi-sama, I am here to transport the Shapeshifter, as you requested."

Drak popped up behind Garud.

"Um, you realize I'm from Europe, right?"

White Kimono (Tsubasa Hirasaka)
Tsubasa shrugged. "Yes. Honestly, if you're really the blood of Lord Talkatz, then by all means, I'm sure you'd know exactly where his parts are. But since you likely have no such ability, you're forced to use us as a crutch to help you along your way. If you're here to help us get Lord Talkatz's parts, then help. If you're just going to stand there and throw your ego around, then the stage is broad and open for someone with talents like yours to prove yourself. In other words, if you think you can do better, then all eyes are on you. Show all of us the true power of the blood of a Demon Lord who nearly got destroyed by a sword-slinging alcoholic and was too cowardly to accept an honorable defeat."
Tsubasa was visibly breathing, then sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, but we're all fed up, and the last thing we need is to be talked down to by someone who forces their way into our organization without our permission and demands respect that isn't quite due to them just yet. General Koyuki lead by strength and resolve. She didn't talk down to us. Ayame tried her hardest to be helpful. Chikane proved she had what it took before she commanded even an ounce of respect. Three people we could really rely on, and you. You haven't done a single thing but try to impress us, and that was a ridiculous display at best. How about we just do our thing, and you do yours? I'm sure the Vanguard would respect you if you can accomplish what we couldn't."
"Lady Tsubasa," Rio said lightly. "Might you be going a little too far?"
Certainly not if it makes them go away, Tsubasa thought to herself.

Tutusei was dumbfounded. Nothing had worked. So far, there was no evidence to disprove the unbreakableness of the Pyrosian Masamune. The sword emitted no barrier to protect itself that could be broken, the very bonds that hold the individual components of the metal could not be parted.

"Why? Why is it so difficult to prove to the world my greatness!" Tutusei pulled out a metal bangle with the call sign of the smithy, as well as the Family emblem from which the call sign was derived from. It was part of 3 part piece, the largest piece being the mark of Tutusei's father, the other his brother. Oddly, his brother's seemed to look like a 3-eyed cow.

"My family is a long noble line of weapon makers! Our weapons were wielded by kings, great samurai, and legendary warriors. But then, one day many long years ago in the time of my great grandfather, there came about a swordsmith by the name of Masamune! Oh what a cur he was! He would come from seclusion in the depths of the wilderness with weapons that could cut through even the toughest metals, and were imbued with the powers of the elements, and even the power of animals. Only the highly skilled and pure of heart were capable of wielding them correctly."

Pyros nodded. "Yes, I'm aware of the man's past. I've even met him, otherwise he would not have worked on my sword."

"Silence fool! I was not finished! When word spread of his miraculous weapons, there was a great demand for them. My family, being a tribe of half-demon mastersmiths were hired by people of power to build for them great weapons, but when tasked with creating weapons that were equal or greater than Masamunes, they were unable. The powerful men were angry to not be able to have such weapons, and ceased to hire us until we presented them with a weapon capable of breaking one of Masamune's.

But before my family was capable of creating this new weapon, there was the devil swordsmith, Muramasa. He presented to the powerful men weapons that were of equal power to that of Masamune's, some far more powerful. The men bought as many of his weapons as possible, for mountains of gold."

"I heard Masamune gave out the swords for free, he only sold the axe."

"Shut up you! I'm not done! But as you must know, these weapons were cursed and breakable. While not easily breakable, their cursed power made them horrible weapons. They would cause bad luck to befall their owners, even going so far as to possess their master and slowly devour his soul.

Despite the many years that had gone by, we had still not created a weapon that the lords thought capable of matching either Masamune's or Muramasa's, but there was clearly a rift between the various weaponsmiths in the land. So it was decided in a challenge that my great grandfather was witness to, that all the great swordsmiths would forge a masterweapon and give it to one of the greatest warriors with which to do battle. The Champions of each group met at the great field of Batl, and fought in the fiercest battle ever."

"You sure you're not mixing it with the tale of the Soul Edge and Soul Calibur?"