Suzume had been kind of hanging around Kurama after Garud had left. Maybe he was just bored, but he couldn't really sleep anyway. And he was glad, because the fearless leader apparently needed a bit of a cheering up. He hadn't heard Kurama talking to himself, but he could see what he felt written all over his face.

"C'mon, boss, cheer up. You can't do everything. Besides, I haven't seen you sleep at all while I've been here. Go take a nap or something, it'll make you feel better." Thinking for a bit more, Suzume added another point. "And you don't need to do all the fighting. Why do you think the rest of us are here? Hell, I'll hold off any demons that come for us alone if you decide go off and recover."

Suzume waited for a second and then looked off at the ocean. A long expanse of nothing with a tiny dot on the horizon. It was pretty damn boring.

"Besides, if you take a nap, this'll all go by quicker."

Kurama nodded.

"You're right, Suzume. Sleep isn't something I'm given that often. I should take this chance."

He laid down gently on the deck, making sure his injuries are rested. He grasped his straw hat and laid it on his face, blocking the sun. Slowly, the samurai fell asleep.

-LET'S DO THE TIMEWARP AGAAAAAAIIIIIINNNN!!!!-

On the evening of the second day, Team Good was standing on a dock in the mainland. The large ship had sailed away, leaving the warriors on their own. Kurama's wounds had healed slightly, but his arm still showed a slowness to it.

KER-TIMEWARPINESS!!!

As the forces eventually made ready to leave, Kirie and the subordinate led them all to the gunboats. The gunboats were "docked" on the shore utilizing four spider-like metal appendages that were stabbed into the sand.
"For safety concerns and in case you wish to hold a strategy meeting, it would be adviseable to all get on just one of the ships here." Kiyomi's soldier said, but didn't press the issue at all. There were only two of the vehicles. The soldier got on one of them and Kirie waited for Kirakiri. "Do you have a destination in mind?"

With Kirakiri's decision made, both gunboats turned, entered the ocean and they were on their way. Peering from behind a tree back on the island, Yuna smiled. "And all this time, I was actually slightly concerned about them becoming a problem for me. It just goes to show how much I overestimated these idiots."

Summary: So, where did we end up?

The trip after the monster was fairly uneventful. Just alot of water and crew. Still, Garud had to keep his guard up. Anything could have happened potentially. It just didn't. With Kurama injured, the guardian would have to protect him feverently.

"So Kurama, we should head off now. By the way, where's our next destination?"

Taken held his right hand inside his kimono, while his left rested quietly on the pommel of his katana as he walked alongside the others in a complete calm. He knew that Tayuumi meant to challenge him, but he felt no need to press the fact at this moment--as she hadn't acted like a fool, as she usually did, recently.

Instead he walked near Jade, keeping silent even in the face of the summoner's foolish question. He had slowly become acclimated to the people surrounding Kurama and no longer felt the need to correct all but the most grievous errors of judgement.

So, even though it had already been expressed, at length, that they would be travelling to Jade's village, he held his tongue, merely following the ninja-girl--assuming she knew the easiest route.

On the boat trip back to the mainland, Kirakiri gave himself to introspection. Despite his tendency to act as more of an advisor and facilitator, he seemed to have managed to become the de facto leader of the various people gathered to put an end to the Raigaki's wielder.

He had discarded his plans of further harrying of Genkai's vessel - he was busy here. A flight to see that the ship was headed where Kirakiri had surmised it would go had proven sufficient. Beginning to position his own resources to close in the net around Kurama, he had begun to gather more specific information about the region. The shapechanger had spent the rest of his time studying the scrolls of Tama that had been salvaged from the airship's wreckage, reading the first trickles of information coming in about Kurama's companions and familiarising himself with his allies.

Koyuki seemed intent on denying any sort of feeling for Iori. Kirakiri knew the value of a facade, especially when faced with such opposition from one's own side, but she seemed determined to show any signs to anyone. Not Kirakiri, despite his tacit support earlier nor even Ayako, her own trusted subordinate.

Although he would have preferred to have seen the pair's meeting himself, the ninja trailing Iori on his orders had reported what he'd seen. They were all trained to give unbiased and detailed reports. Still, if Koyuki wished to pretend Iori was merely her prisoner, that was her own concern.

For Raikotsu, Kirakiri was beginning to consider arranging his removal from this enterprise. Every task the air demon had been given thus far, he had left incomplete. Females seemed to play a prominent role in the reasons behind this. It was intolerable. One way or another, Kirakiri intended to remove this problem.

Taken was travelling with Genkai. Kirakiri was uncertain of the reason for this - his powers of information gathering were not infalliable but some speech one of Kohaku's illusionary spies had managed to overhear suggested the ronin was merely waiting to duel with Kurama at a latter date.

Falcon was another enigma. Kirakiri now bore no trace of the scratches she had inflicted before he had struck her down. Similiarly, she bore no trace of remembering anything before then. Seemingly, the demon had lost all memory before that had happened. She seemed eager to please and quite attached to Kohaku. Kirakiri had chosen not to take any special action against her. She seemed willing to assist them and any return of memory would probably be gradual, giving some warning signs if she looked likely to turn again.

Then there were the Kimonos. Kirakiri had chosen to focus some of his resources on finding out about them. The reason for such an organisation choosing to join in the fight against Genkai was one that the shapechanger wished to know. Careful questioning of some of the personnel aboard the ships had given him some insight into the organisation. And then there was Kirie...

The ships put in the near the mouth of a river. They did not wish to gather too much attention by approaching the port city located at the mouth. Kurama's ship had berthed at. From there they planned to make a short trip overland to slightly further upstream where rivercraft would await them. From there they could travel along the river for most of their journey.

For most of the last day Iori had rested within his small quarters aboard the ocean-going vessel. He tended his various wounds with whatever supplies were handy and remained silent as the ship went about it's journey.

Iori awoke now, from a somewhat fitful and brief slumber. He felt much better than he had, the swelling on his eye having faded and the gash across his cheek forming a small scar. He had never been a vain man, and so he greeted the recent facial addition with a certain amusement. Raikutso was indeed a skillful opponent, no foe in Iori's life had ever managed such a wounding. Iori wondered what the air demon prince was up to, where he was at.

The momentary reverie ended abruptly as Iori stood from his bunk and left the small confines of the stateroom. He wandered below decks briefly before reaching the fresh sea air of the weatherdeck.

Salt had gathered along the deck in small windblown lines, their chaotic patterns beneath Iori's feet mimicing the strange journey which had led the ronin to this point. Iori thought about what he would do now, about Koyuki and how he could learn more about what was transpiring around him.

Iori needed to know much more if he hoped to survive the immediate futrue, let alone change it.

Kirie had remained quiet during the journey, mostly because she had taken the opportunity to get some much needed rest.

Kirakiri's probing did produce some pieces of information from the soldiers and mechanics. Kirie was confirmed to be a commander and two additional names popped up. Tsubasa and Rio, both also commanders, with the former seeming to hold quite a bit of power and the other...well, the other was known well among the girls for being a pervert, though a tough one. Mentions of Astral, the ninja who died on the island cropped up as well, but the sad news didn't garnish a tear from any of them. Either Astral was a bitch or a loner, or perhaps both.
The idle gossip wasn't particularly useful. A complaint about how the suits they wore tended to be a bit too snug for comfort in some places. Girls talking to themselves as they inspected each other's work to make sure everyone did everything right. A fourth of the crew was napping the moment the ships had left the beach, and the number was increased to a half once some additional inspections were complete. Those who stayed awake discussed nonsensical topics like hair styles and how they might just die before they get to see a cute guy again.

Now, Kirie stayed with the group as it traveled upstream, watching Falcon carefully and sticking to the rear of the group.

Jade walked at a steady pace with the rest of the group. "If we follow this road, we should reach my village in a day or so." She slowed her pace and slowed to walk alongside Tayuumi. "I was going to talk to you on the ship, but you didn't seem in the mood. I was impressed with your fighting. I wouldn't want to meet you and your giant sword in a duel," she smiled, but cast her eyes behind her at Taken, "do you know why he is following us? I was under the impression that he was our enemy."

She stopped in her tracks for a moment. She looked back to Jade and flashed an acknowledging smile of her compliment and then turned on her heel to look at Taken, smile still held across her face.

"Alright, Taken. I'll meet you on the road for our duel. I hope you enjoy masochism as much as I think you do. I'm a worthy purveyor."

She turned back again and looked at Jade, the smile now a wicked smirk.

"I can't wait to use my sword again, Jade. He's been too much of an annoyance to come along so easily."