Ameiko, who has remained silent all day, speaks up. "The kami are not fey... but they are nature spirits. Maeve could have explained it better, but in short, they are guardians of the natural world. They are each tied to a ward of some kind... from a mountain river, to a bamboo grove, or even something as small as a rock, or a single tree. Whatever it is, they strive to maintain the balance that the gods ordered when the world was created."
"The oni are their bitter enemies. In fact, oni are spirits that were once kami, but lost the balance and fell into depravity and evil. The oni are spirits of flesh, ever hungry for the lusts and corrupt pleasures denied those born as spirits."
"So while the kami endeavor to defeat their fallen kin, they are bound to their wards, and usually have to employ mortal help if the oni leave their area of influence." She shakes her head, frustrated. "Really, its not that simple..."
"But close..."
Miyaro frowns a little, struggling for the right words to explain. "I understand your distrust, and given your situation I agree with your caution. I do not know the whole truth -- the kami rarely speak to me directly -- but I understand that they became aware of the Amatatsu heir several months ago. Once they were sure she was headed to Tian Xia, I was sent to Ordu-Aganhei to look out. I spent three months there, waiting and watching, until you appeared out of the tundra in the heart of winter."
"I watched from afar as you were welcomed, to make sure you were the ones my masters sought. I knew for sure once Ameiko was introduced to the Prince, even if you were trying to be coy about your situation. My mission for the kami is to be your guide, your advisor, whatever you require, so see your mission a success."
"Does that help?"
"I follow Ameiko. If she is OK with this, then I will accept it. You didn't answer my question about the House of Withered Blossoms. Is it close?"
Malnival shakes his head and throws his hands into the air. "I guess we may as well trust her. So far theses oni have tried a strait brute approach to stop us, planted her here seems against their character."
"I follow Ameiko. If she is OK with this, then I will accept it. You didn't answer my question about the House of Withered Blossoms. Is it close?"
"No, it is in the heart of the Forest of Spirits, more than a thousand miles from this spot. The north border of Minkai is twice that."
Malnival shakes his head and throws his hands into the air. "I guess we may as well trust her. So far theses oni have tried a strait brute approach to stop us, planted her here seems against their character."
"I understand your distrust, but I am right here... if you wish to test me, then do so."
Harlan pauses in his packing of the wagon.
"I think we should trust her. We'll have plenty of opportunity on the road to have her prove herself."
Ameiko nods, agreeing with Harlan. "Miyaro, thank you for your advice. Now we must decide our path." To the group, she asks, "We can investigate this House of Withered Blossoms, or first go to Minkai and find out the situation there. What else am I missing? Any suggestions?"
"This Sammy guy might be a good bet. We can meet him him and call on any resources he may have to assist us. The caravan was good to keep away from our enemies because we moved and could hide out in the wilderness. On this side of the spine we will be remembered by any one that sees us. I think that if Sammy can have a base and be against these oni, then it may be safer with him."
"That's probably the best choice. They know all about us, but we don't seem to know anything about them. If we can find a way to fight them, or imprison them again, that would be the best choice."
"I agree, it would be nice to have the upper hand for once, instead of dodging and reacting."
Ameiko nods and gives a weak, fleeting smile. "Let's do it, then."
Dates: 2 Calistril 4712 - 8 Calistril 4712
Route: Ordu-Aganhei -> Forest of Spirits
Distance: 336 miles (Total: ~4200 miles)
Weather: Clear, cold and windy
Special Events: Sparring Partner, Future Plans, Guardian of the Way
You leave sight of Ordu-Aganhei early the next day. Following the Spirit Road, the caravan makes excellent time. The road is all but deserted in the winter months, and the few people you pass give you no trouble. The weather remains clear and windy, chilly but comfortable during daylight, only getting bitter in the night hours.
Sandru seems pleased just to be on the road again, while Ameiko remains silent and withdrawn. There is a palpable absence in the group without Ulf and Maeve filling their roles. Miyaro provides general directions, but remains quiet unless spoken to.
In the middle of the travel week, Kelda approaches Malnival. "You spoke of vanting more endurance. Ve have veeks between real fights... perhaps a regular sparring match to get in shape?"
The second day out of Ordu-Aganhei, Sandru finds Harlan during a mid-day break. "I had a great opportunity, but completely missed it!" He lays down a rough sketch of northern Tian-Xia, with the cities and roads marked. "I could have made a lucrative trade route between Minkai and Varisia, but its a non-starter without Ordu-Aganhei as a stopover." He curses colorfully.
Parity will approach Ameiko after a few days, "You want to talk about it?"
Malnival smiles at Kelda an nods his head. "I think that would be a lovely idea. Just please take it easy, I think I still have bruises from our last match."
Kelda chuckles, "Vell, the stakes are much higher now... to get all bruised up just before an ambush vould be unvise. I vas thinking more endurance than just strength; more svinging but less... hitting." She smiles back at Malnival.
Malnival raises an eyebrow and gives the barbarian a half grin. "What exactly do you have in mind?"
Harlan frowns at the map.
"Well, maybe not wasted. We left in a hurry but I don't think the Prince will remember most of us. If we end up going back we could work out some new contacts and figure out a way to set up a permanent route. Just not in the winter this time. I don't want to do that again."
"Let me show you..." After the caravan stops to make evening camp, and before dinner is served, she takes you to an open space and sets up her sword and shield, padded in cloth. She then explains the sparring rules, intended for extended matches rather than going for the quick kill. After fifteen minutes of the vigorous moving, jumping, slashing and blocking, you are both heavily winded.
"You see?" Kelda says inbetween breaths. "Stamina..."
Sandru nods, but his frown remains. "That's just it... a missed opportunity. But instead of waiting until we returned, I could have been setting up these contracts all along. I know we've been focused on getting over the Crown, but... bah." He shakes his head, a smile coming out. "As you said, no more winter crossings. The way you've optimized the caravan... I could never have made it so efficient. Will you help me organize these trades, as we get to new cities and towns? I'd appreciate your advice."
Date: 8 Calistril 4712
At the end of the first week, you see the dark edges of the Forest of Spirits on the horizon ahead. Although no snow storm has passed recently, the boughs of the massive pine trees are laden with snow. Miyaro guides you away from the main road toward a narrow dirt path several miles east, at the dark edge of the forest.
As you enter the edges, you there is virtually no undergrowth, and the floor is a soft carpet of needles. Patches of snow lie in the few clearings open to the sky. An almost preternatural silence reigns over the wood. Ahead, a small stone pillar engraved with strange symbols has fallen off its base and lies across the path, blocking the way forward.
With your knowledge of Tien, you decipher enough to know this is a waymarker, though whether it is meant to protect visitors or to warn them is unclear.
Miyaro nods, "The Forest of Spirits is... haunted, for lack of a better word. Not by undead or phantoms of the dead, but rather the forest has a very thin boundary between the physical and spiritual worlds. Spirits of all kinds are drawn here." She gestures to the marker. "These waymarkers are here to warn mortals of such. Often, they have guardian kami who watch over them. If you were to set the waymarker upright for the kami, you may receive a blessing or favor."
Heng easily lifts the waymarker stone, which weighs only about one hundred pounds. As soon as it settles back onto its base, you all feel a sense of satisfaction and well-being. A moment later, a two-foot tall wizened old man in homespun robes steps from beneath some low-hanging pine boughs. He bows respectfully and speaks in Tien.
"I am Shunkichi. Because you have helped me, you have earned the favor of the local spirits. If I may ask, what brings mortals into the Forest of Spirits?"
|
Heng glances at Miyaro questioningly and then addresses the kami himself, "Honorable Shunkichi, I am Heng. We hesitate to disturb the Forest of Spirits and are grateful for your favor. We are here only to learn more of our enemies, the oni of the Five Storms. We have discovered that they were once imprisoned within this forest. We would know how they escaped and whether they can be trapped once again."
Shunkichi nods sagely, "You seek the House of Withered Blossoms. You are brave to willingly confront the oni in their home. I offer my blessings for your journey, as you have many miles yet to cross before you get there."
"This forest is not meant for mortals, and you should not tread carelessly beneath its boughs. Many of the spirits herein are dangerous, but not all of them. Go in peace, and I will inform the other kami of your coming." With that, Shunkichi steps into his waymarker and disappears from view.
"Of course Sandru, we'll conquer the trade routes on this side of the world! Now, let's see if we can figure out the food situation..."
"Wow! I mean...wow. That's pretty cool Heng. Miyaro, are any of the spirits here likely to hurt us if we know we're going to the House of Withered Blossoms?"
"Speaking out of turn, even animals are dangerous in a forest when trekking through their homes. We should be careful, especially as we approach this house."
At Harlan's question, Miyaro holds up her hands. "Difficult to say. The kami should let us through unimpeded, but there are many other spiritual entities in the forest that are not affiliated with the kami." She ponders a few moments before adding, "There are very few mortal settlements in the forest, and none that I know of are off the Spirit Road. Our path takes us deep into the woods, and our presence will potentially draw attention. Every spirit manifests in different ways, for different reasons... we can only be cautious, respect the balance, and handle each as we encounter them."
Sandru slaps Harlan on the shoulder, "Fantastic! We will be the envy of all Varisia, coming back with such exclusive and exotic wares." He laughs, giving Harlan a smile. "We will split the profits, of course."
Heng rubs his scalp and tries to remember if he's ever heard any traveler's tales of the Forest.
Nothing more than a couple generic, spooky tales about people disappearing in the woods, or coming back to the village with new personalities.
"Of course Sandru."
Harlan beams at his brother.
Malnival drops his sword and falls to the ground rolling to his back. "Stamina sucks."
Kelda laughs, nodding. "In a few veeks, you vill be able to go tvice as long! You vill see..." She looks around the rolling landscape and gestures to a narrow brook nearby. "Let us cool off," she says, starting to shed armor and clothes. You quickly realize it's still very much winter.
Dates: 9 Calistril 4712 - 15 Calistril 4712
Route: Forest of Spirits
Distance: 336 miles (Total: ~4500 miles)
Weather: Dead calm
Special Events: The Wandering Song, The Agony of Grief, The Fire Spirit
The next day, your caravan enters the forest proper. The place is still and silent, with only the creaking of tree trunks and rustling of pine branches After so many months amid the driving winter winds, the calm is jarring. Soon after you enter, you all have the feeling of being watched, though you can find no signs of anything actually following you. Strange noises occasionally ring out through the wood, but the source is impossible to discover. These occurrences only increase throughout the week.
*
Date: 9 Calistril 4712
Parity turns his head toward the sound of the humming, attempting to discern direction and source. He says nothing, noting the stopping of the caravan, assuming someone else heard it as well.
"It will get easier with time, Ame. I've learned about trying to appreciate the value of life from you as we soldiered through these frozen wastes with all these people. And while they, individually, mean nothing to me, I realize that they as individuals mean something to others and that is important in and of itself. Some hired on for money or family or adventure or a sense of duty to you, but regardless they came all this way with us. We lost some along the way, like Maeve, and each is hard for you, I know."
Parity pauses, sighing, before he moves on, "There will be others, Ame. And while I won't ask you to accept it, I do ask that you continue to prepare for it. What we are about to do, is incredibly dangerous and likely to fail. I expect many people to die, but you cannot falter now. Not after so much has been given with the expectation of a bright future. Shortly, we'll be asking others to join our cause. Those that don't know you. They will need to know your strength, and we, who are closest to you, need to know that you can soldier on and bear this ... for all of us who cannot. That said, let us bear as many of the other burdens for you that we can. You MUST reach out, and try not to take everything on."
"We should do something for Maeve, though ... a ceremony of some sort. A memorial, perhaps? It's appropriate, you think?"
Harlan looks up as the wagons come to a halt, listening to the strange humming. Quietly he slips his crossbow into position.