Takin bit down a little on his lower lip. A small tear appeared in his left eye.

"...so, you're a technical conniseur of sorts. Hehehe. A mind like yours surely would appreciate a marvel such as this."

Takin waved his hand, and the guards stepped back from the old man.

Raikotsu soared through the sky in his natural form, at speeds fast enough to strip the flesh from a human's bones. He did not take the form of air, even as the island grew closer and closer, for he did not choose to come as a thief...but as a general, the prince of a proud and mighty people. He circled the volcano, sensing flickers of interest from the gaseous, invisible entities that also shared this mighty space, entities that he could detect as clearly as if they had been visible, or even more so.

Like mackerel in the presence of a shark, they scattered, removing themselves from his path, yet their unseen eyes remained fixed on him, wary...yet intrigued. These were Air Oni, the lowest and most basic of Air Demons, lacking physical form or the true ability to manipulate their own element. Yet, they controlled the climate and weather of the island, bringing to it the unnatural bounty it enjoyed. Even as they feared the newcomer, they also respected him as a powerful and distant kinsman.

"Air Demons of this isle, hear me..." Raikotsu spoke, his voice clear and ringing, as commanding as the rumble of thunder, yet not the voice of a conquerer...but the voice of a friend. Windspeakers, at least a dozen, materialized behind him.

"For too long, you have been in servitude to one not of your race, denied the freedom of the open skies by one who can never understand those feelings. For too long you, members of the mighty Air Demon race, we who bow to none except our own leaders, have been servants." his words, spoken with utter sincerity and conviction, were like the insistent draft that can penetrate a house no matter how often the residents search for the cause, a trumpet call to awaken the pride and honor of his lesser kindred. His blue-white skin and hair seemed to glow in this light, his eyes shining like those of a young god, and when he spoke again, infectious rage lay beneath every syllable. The fear vanished from the hearts of the Air Oni, and was replaced by anger, anger at those on the island below.

"This can not be tolerated."

His words continued to pour forth in an angry torrent, enspelling the listening Oni, some among them even wishing to attack NOW, and take vengeance on their former rulers. Raikotsu urged caution, and laid out his plan. If any of them attempted treachery, he would know.

"Until the time is right, all of you must continue to serve, to act as though it does not bother you. The time, my kin, has arrived for you to rise up and take what is yours...and I will not rest until you have it. Furthermore, to signify your ascension, I shall give permanent bodies to slay your foes to the greatest among you. Now go, and await my return."

"Hail Arashi!" voices like the whispering of wind echoed across the sky, the Air Oni departing at his command.

Vance opened the door to his Grandfathers study. The room was deathly quiet. A layer of dust lay on every surface. The room hadn't been touched sense Vance had killed his mother. As he entered he felt the familiar prickling sensation of the magic barrier passing across his skin. He remembered how his mother had told him of it. She had thrown a servent through the door and watched as he slowly disintegrated. 'The only ones that can enter this room, are those with the Blood of the Prakis line.' She had said. Vance had heeded that warning his whole life. Never bringing anyone into the room. He had forbid anyone to touch the door sense he killed his mother.

Now he had to search within it for answers. He lit the lamp he had brought with him and set it next to the reflecting mirrors. The light became ambient and reflected around the room, lighting it with a faint glow. It wasn't enough to do serious reading by, but it would do. He slowly began to search through the various books. Reading each title carefully. "Maybe the journals? Though it could be with the maps. Or perhaps under his ship logs." Vance spoke softly as he looked over the books. "Well, the good thing about being Immortal, you have all the time in the world." Vance continued to search through the books. Setting aside anything he thought could contain information.

Untamed Zephyr grumbled as he wandered through the forest near the temple where Talkatz’s legs had been kept, every blade of grass bent beneath his feet as he passed by in his corporeal form an annoyance that grated upon him. The young Windspeaker’s dark blue kimono signified his youth, and his scowl signified the temperamental, rebellious nature that came with it. Silently, he cursed Raikotsu for sending him on this mission, especially considering that there was a good chance the one he sought was no longer here.

“Smug bastard…sending me here to find some stupid girl.” He mumbled under his breath, his ear-fins quivering with both annoyance, and the tidings the winds brought him. She had been here, he could hear a commanding female voice and the growls of demon warriors mixed with the sounds of battle in the wind’s echoes, but her scent was gone. The wind continued to whisper to him, of trickery gone awry and an ignoble death. He hurried his steps, following the whispers…his footsteps barely audible even while solid, startling animals only when he was within a few feet of them. The smoking remnants of the temple were closer, now, and he smelled a distinct change in the scent of the one he sought. It was no longer demonic, or smelled of dog, but was completely human. The aroma of blood mingled with it, but that was common enough around here, so he dismissed it. Eventually, he reached a clearing marred only by a shallow, unmarked grave. He cursed again as he recalled his commander’s specific orders, to bring Koyuki to him whether she was alive or dead. Zephyr hated sullying himself with digging up bodies.

Taking a deep breath, the Windspeaker released a powerful gust that tore across the clearing, blowing away the loose gravesoil. Though a fine layer of dirt still covered her, the young demon could see fine, pale flesh covered with cuts and gashes, the blood clotted and mixed with dirt. It was a human woman, holding a sword. Lifting the filthy thing in his arms, a grimace on his face, he noticed that she had not even begun to decompose, and that no maggots infested the cuts that lacerated her entire body. It was as though she was simply asleep, he mused to himself, as he and his burden grew translucent, fading into mist, and then into a mere puff of air.

************************************************** ********************

Over the island, clouds had begun to gather, the hot day becoming cool and comfortable, a gentle breeze sweeping over the populace of the city, evoking sighs of relief from those currently engaged in military training. Mothers encouraged their children to go out and play before it rained, and a sense of peace was generally prevalent.

************************************************** ********************

Raikotsu stood on the shore, listening to the crash of the surf on the sand and rocks, the soft cry of a seagull reaching his pointed ears. He had already given all of the orders, made all of the necessary preparations, and the only thing to do now was wait.

The young Windspeaker he had sent to find Koyuki, one nicknamed Untamed Zephyr for his rash tendencies, had not yet achieved the serenity and wisdom possessed by the elder Windspeakers, but he was clever and competent, and would one day be quite powerful. At least, if he wasn’t slain first. Raikotsu felt the ripple in the air caused by the Windspeaker’s sudden materialization, and turned to see the boy carrying a human woman’s corpse in his arms. The woman was golden-haired, sweet-faced, and soft, with pale skin covered in wounds, she both smelled and looked human. She looked more like the sort of woman Kurama would be interested in than a powerful demon general. Though he did not normally doubt the divinations of his Windspeakers, he thought that perhaps the youth had made a mistake, though he had thought Zephyr had been listening when he described Koyuki to him. She did have the Angetsu Shouten clutched in both hands, but that proved nothing. It was then that he detected something, the faintest rise and fall of her chest.

It could just be the boy’s movements… Raikotsu concentrated, picking up the vibrations in the air caused by the beating hearts of himself, Zephyr, and…a slow, very shallow heartbeat from the woman.

“Lord Raikotsu, the winds tell me that she shapeshifted, then injured herself deliberately, perhaps to infiltrate Kurama’s group. Apparently, she overestimated how much punishment a human’s body can take. I am sorry that I could only bring you her corpse, sir.” Zephyr placed the body on the ground, then stepped back.

“Yes, a human would have died from those injuries. Not just because their bodies are weak, but because they have only mortal souls. Koyuki is not a mortal. Listen, and listen well. You overlooked something important, something that I would be enraged at you for if you were not still a child. Look at her carefully, and listen!” Raikotsu knelt beside the body, even as the younger Air Demon’s eyes widened, catching the beating of her heart as well.

“Yes, she did make a mistake and yes, she is dying. She is too weak to shift back into a form where she can heal, and I doubt any medicine or treatment of humanity could work on her now. Go, bring me bandages, water, and soap, I will think of something.” Raikotsu dismissed his subordinate, who scurried off to do his bidding.

He spent the rest of the afternoon carefully cleaning and bandaging Koyuki's wounds, while sending Zephyr to bring various other Windspeakers to converse with him, a plan coming together in his mind.

White Kimono (Tsubasa Hirasaka)
While it was thought that they would soon leave, this just wasn't so. Thus, they got to work being useful by other means.
"Who is she?" Kirie asked, looking up at Tsubasa.
"A ninja named Ayame...or what's left of her."
They didn't really bother too much with the body, deciding to bury it promptly instead. The ninjas did the digging, considering it training in the art of hiding bodies. Tsubasa secretly wondered when they would have the time and energy to bury bodies in order to hide them, but she didn't bring it up.
After they had gathered, they really didn't say much and eventually went searching for the girl Kiyomi didn't find. Takano the Brown Kimono. She was also at the temple, supervising the rebuilding of the temple.
"So far, they're trying to figure out how the devices worked, but to no avail. Whatever was used here to give Kurama the ability to catch up to us and somehow retrieve the legs successfully, it's smashed beyond repair."
"I wonder what the others are doing?" Chizuru asked.
Kirie shrugged. "Don't ask me. We're just hear to follow Lead orders. Talkatz wouldn't be stupid enough to put a bunch of half-demon girls in charge."
Tsubasa stepped forward, speaking to one of the ninjas. "I want the temple set up as a base camp. Get an order out to the captains that all soldiers should be ready to leave at a moment's notice. Other than that, they should be healthy."

OOC: I'm not gonna bother reading up on what happened, so I'll just post something to get back into this somewhat.

IC: Suzume was impressed by how fast Sanjuro was learning. They were already past using one sword, and Sanjuro was getting better at moving very quickly. However, the kid was still rather dull in every other area and would get on Suzume's nerves, especially when he drifted off on the lessons to try his own thing.

"Ok, kid, we're moving on to holding them backwards. It may not seem like much to you, but this is really the focus of my style," Suzme announced lazily.

"Yes, Sensei!"

Sanjuro quickly switched the way he held the swords and started swinging them wildly, almost out of nowhere. He obviously had no clue what he was doing. How Suzme was getting used to this crap, he had no clue.

"Calm down, kid, do what I want before you go wild."

"Yes, Sensei!"

"Ok, try a horizontal swipe. One hand at a time, before you try going crazy again."

"Hori... zontal?" Sanjuro asked stupidly, but sort of innocently.

"Ugh... A sideways slash. Horizontal means sideways."

"Oh... Uh, yes Sensei!"

Getting to work a little more quickly than before, Sanjuro actually started doing it right for once. He would still have to work on his stance and form now that he'd changed the way that he held his swords, but that wouldn't take too long.

Well, he hoped so, at least...

The old man climbs up slowly onto the deck and follows Takin. Kirakiri would be surprised if he hadn't anticipated this reaction. The shapeshifter hadn't considered it very likely though - it is the ideal case for his plan. As he enters the ship, he knows that Takashi is already inside and behind him two of his ninjas are already moving into position to dispatch the guards on deck if necessary. With the ninja's ability to steal other's appearances, the guards won't even be missed. A third ninja is acting as a lookout and the last... the last is a safeguard.

The old man is looking around with interest as Takin leads him deeper into the bowels of the ship. "You use those spinning vanes instead of wings?" he asks in reference to the propellers. Takin replies, "Oh, yes. They provide both lift and propulsion and allow the airship to hover. Much easier to get off the ground too."

The old inventor nods sagely, "Seems such a simple idea really. They all do once you hear them. If a windmill can be moved by wind, then if it is moving itself, instead it moves the air. With the vane's inclined surface and a sufficient speed of rotation, movement of the device is possible as the air resists being moved..." He looks thoughtful for a moment, "But coordinating the vane's rotation speed for stability in flight and steering must have been very difficult."

Takin shows some pride at this comment, "Yes, it was difficult to devise the coordination mechanism and finding out how to best set out the steering controls." Seeing the old man's eager expression, a mirror of his own, Takin begins leading him to the cockpit, talking about how he'd come up with it as he goes.

Takashi is quietly scurrying through the ship in the shape of a gecko. His small form makes no noise as he races hidden along the wall. Although he should encounter no other living thing on the ship than Takin and his guest, Kirakiri had told him to be cautious. He is headed for the living quarters, the bedrooms specifically, as this is where Kirakiri had decided was the most likely place where the legs are stored. The shapechanger had given him a description of the layout of the airship and which room he believed was Kurama's. On finding the legs he is to open a temporary portal - an act he can do in seconds - and return to the island where the legs had originally been stored. With his magic and Takin distracted, it should be simplicity itself.

OOC: Another obvious thing to talk about is the power source, but since I have no idea of what it is, I thought I'd leave it out for now. I'm guessing steam. Also, tell me if I'm wrong about the legs being in Kurama's room. Takin's current reactions are very important too, they probably will determine whether Kirakiri is able to kill him or not.

Upon arriving, once more, in the skies above the island, the incorporeal form of Konpaku began to shift, its invisible body forming into tendrils, thousands of long hair thin tendrils which rained down from the sky, searching for Raikotsu's demonic aura. Thankfully it was powerful, and as a result, should not be too difficult to find. It certainly wasn't the awful black wave that made up Talkatz's spiritual existence, but it was close. Close enough that it took little time for the tendrils to locate it.

Konpaku's form flowed into the tendril which had found Raikotsu, and then formed itself into a shape resembling a human. The spirit decided it would make Raikotsu more at ease than if he were to merely appear as an amorphous spiritual blob.

A translucent shape, roughly that of a man, appeared next to the air demon and a voice, sounding very much like the hollow voice of Konpaku, ushered forth from it. "I have returned... my body is hidden away safely... this form will allow me to have maximum efficiency in all things related to the siege of the city."

(OOC: The rooms are just big enough to hold the person that is sleeping there. And since the Demon King was twice the size of the average human, the legs should be the size of an average man. Hence, they wouldn't fit in Kurama's room if he was in there. The legs are stashed in a storeroom near the kitchen. And the ship is powered by a mix of steam and wind power. There are eight propellors on the ship. Four are on the top of the ship to hold it off the ground. Two are on the rear of the ship to move it forward. And there is a proppellor on each side of the ship. The propellors on the side don't spin on their own, but instead spin from the force of the wind moving through them. They then take the energy they get from spinning and store it in the energy area.)

Takin was grinning from ear to ear. Finally, he could say exactly what he wanted to say about his invention, and the listener could actually understand!

However, he was still a stranger. Takin's hand had never left the grenade. For all he knew, the man could be a spy. He could be a demon. Or worse, he could be a rival inventor that wanted to steal his idea! Why that bastard! Takin wouldn't let him get away with it. Not with all the work he had put into this ship.

Then he stopped and took a breath. He couldn't just go tossing grenades at random people anymore. The doctor told him that it was unhealthy. But, the doctor never said that he couldn't watch the man closely.

Green Kimono (Kirie)
Kirie eventually found Raikotsu. She wanted to ask about when they'd be able to move out. She eventually found him...doing something.
"Who is this that we have here."
Kirie had never seen the woman before, and didn't have a clue who she was. Maybe she was one of the casualties of the Vanguard? That was probably the best guess.
"Do you have a way to help her? Here, let me assist." Kirie kneeled and tried to help Raikotsu.