(Akira, Kinotu) Good Cop, Bad Cop

Place: Koshin's Blessing Dojo (Main training room)
Time: Early afternoon

The young Hare sat on one of the benches facing the west wall of the main training room. One of his students, the Shinjo, was practicing his acrobatic skills in the aerial obstacle course in the ceiling beams. The other student, the ronin, was practicing his knife throwing skills at a target dummy. The sensei was deep in thought as he examined the various maps that lined the wall of the dojo. Some were from the Outer City while the newest were of the Inner City. In his mind, he placed markings on the map of the various locations that bodies had been mutilated in a ritualistic fashion. There had to be a pattern in the locations. If past experience served him well, there will most likely be a tunnel opening somewhere near each scene. He didn't have a map of the Forbidden City because he had never scene it in its entirety. Coincidentally, that happened to be where the unknown point of evil emenated from according to the old Asahina. The secret lies not in getting into the city from above but below in the tunnels. That will be how he gets to where the Mother of Winter will most likely be. Of course, the task of locating her will be much easier now that there is a Kuni among his associates. Thankfully, he seems trustworthy at a glance and is not immediately trying to find Maho-Tsukai in the city, unlike the Tetsubo. He must be wary of her but at least having an Emerald Magistrate with him gives him some better legitimacy and legal defense should the Asako confront him.

The Kuni will arrive soon. Akira-sama had sent a letter dictating that there was an urgent matter that he needed to speak to him about. What could it be this time? Well hopefully he won't ask to many prying questions. It would be a shame to have to kill him so soon. He does make excellent sushi. The Usagi stopped his mouth from watering from the tasty memory. He forgot that his morning run had left him a little famished. Kinotu focused his mind back to the map and topic of how best to proceed upon the Kuni's arrival. This should be interesting to say the least...

Kuni Akira arrived at the Koshin's Shrine about a half hour or so before he was expected at the dojo. He had been in Otosan Uchi for perhaps two weeks at this point and had seen very little of his home away from home. For today, he relished the thought of venerating the Fortune of Travel, especially being so far from home.



Akira proceeded to the base of the arch on his right and knelt before it. He let his eyes pause briefly over each of the offerings present before beginning work on an offering of his own. The shugenja cupped his hands in front of him, hovering just above the ground. He offered a simple prayer to the local earth kami and requested a small favor in return. The kami complied. Before rising, Akira placed a palm-sized black stone crab statuette amongst the other offerings.



He turned as his stood and crossed the intersection, brushing the dirt off of his kimono as he did so. As his eyes fixed on the entrance to Usagi-san's dojo, he felt a pang from deep within and a flush of heat rush to his face. The now-familiar fire of O-Ka no Kami swelled within him. Ever the epitome of an earth shugenja, Akira was still struggling with the Spirit of Creation fueling his aggression and shortening his temper. He had yet to develop the means to curb the fire kami's attitude.



His eyes narrowed and his pace quickened. We have to find her. Now.



As the Crab approached the door, he saw the servant of the dojo stand ready to receive him. I have no time for this pretentious nonsense. Kinotu knows I'm coming.



"I am a Kuni Akira, an Emerald Magistrate of the Ekohikei and your master is expecting me." Akira spoke without looking at the servant or breaking his stride. "You are welcome to announce me to your lord, but you had better do so quickly because I haven't time to wait for formalities." He was almost passed the servant at this point. "I trust the servant of a Hare moves with the expected level of haste?"



Akira knew that he looked fearsome with his face paint. He knew the peculiarities of shugenja could make others uncomfortable. He knew that his social position could make people nervous. But most of all, whenever the part of his soul that O-Ka no Kami had touched was ignited, he knew he didn't care.



Obediently, the servant scurried ahead to announce the magistrate to his master. Akira couldn't help but laugh as he saw the man struggling with his uncomfortable situation. As the Crab watched the man go, a thought from his true self broke through the fiery haze in his mind. He was just doing his job, Akira.



As quickly as the thought appeared, it vanished. The Father's Home is existing now on borrowed time. The hurt feelings of a servant mean nothing. But Her? She ... she means everything.

The servant ran as fast as he could. As soon as he reached the main training room, he quickly rang the gong and announced the arrival of the Emerald Magistrate. The servant barely had enough time to duck out of the way as the Kuni almost ran him over coming into the room. Kinotu glanced sideways at his guest. Something was different about the Crab... Gone was the quiet patience of the earth. The Hare noticed the way he walked and how he locked his eyes on the Usagi with such intensity and aggression. Had he figured out his secret? Was he here to take him into custody or outright kill him? He was not expecting this.

The Kuni marched right up to within inches of the sensei,"We have business to discuss, now." The Hare didn't flinch under his gaze. With a snap of Kinotu's fingers, the servant and the two students quickly dismissed themselves. They wanted no part of what was about to go down, and the sensei wanted no witnesses either regardless of what was to come. With measured calm, Kinotu gestured to the seat next to him on the bench,"By all means. What concerns you sama?" The Kuni ignored the gesture and stood close to the maps on the wall,so he could see the careful drawing in detail. "I require details of the ritualistic murders of the New Heavenly Message cult that have happened in the past year. I am told that you were in charge of the case." Kinotu immediately was on edge. Something terrible had just happened, but at least it seemed as though the Kuni was still in the dark about him. That was a relief, but he had to find out what was upsetting the Emerald Magistrate.

Over the next two hours, Kinotu gave Akira a concise summary of the murders that he spoke of and the details of the New Heavenly Message that was on record. This included pointing out on the various maps where each of the murders had happened. The Hare also went over some of the tunnel systems that he knew of and about the maho ward that Kinotu and his allies had encountered when they escaped the wrath of the Lion. After the report had been given, Kinotu politely asked,"Is there a particular reason why you are suddenly so interested the maho cult murders? You seem to be very...on edge compared to the last time we spoke. Has something happened?"

"By all means. What concerns you, sama?" The Hare wanted him to have a seat. Sitting wasn't important now. Where could she be? His eyes were drawn to the large maps covering the wall. The detail was incredible.

"I require details of the ritualistic murders of the New Heavenly Message cult that have happened in the past year. I am told that you were in charge of the case." His voice was beginning to sound alien to himself. He started to realize just how strongly the Fire was controlling him right now and made a conscious effort to calm himself down.

Akira took a deep breath and prayed to the water for both wisdom and clarity. The conversation he had started, no matter how rudely, was paramount. He needed the kami to help him soak it all in. As Kinotu began to speak, the Crab studied the maps with renewed intensity. The details were everything.

The Hare complied with Akira's request and began telling him all about the case. Each murder was discussed, where the body had been found and under what circumstances. Akira asked clarifying questions now and then, but on the whole that wasn't necessary. Kinotu was an astute man and a fine magistrate.

As Kinotu's briefing concluded, the Crab felt much more like himself. You must learn to control these outbursts. It is not enough to outlast them.

"Kinotu-sama, you have been most gracious and tolerant. It was not my intent to offer offense to yourself, your students, or your servant. At your discretion, I offer my services as shugenja for you or yours, be it an ill relative or a blessing on a new birth, and all that falls between." He bowed to the sensei.

"Now, if I might interrupt your day a bit longer, I shall share with you what I have learned in my own investigation."

Akira proceeding to relate to Kinotu his experiences earlier in the month with The Rumbling Lord and those from just a few days prior with the Spirit of Creation. He spoke of the pain and anger of having the Mother of Winter trapped, of the fury contained within Ashidaka Koutestu's forge, of the unparalled rage the Rumbling Lord will unleash upon the Father's Home. He impressed upon Kinotu the urgency of the situation. He refrained from detailing all that transpired with O-Ka no Kami, but he wagered the Hare could deduce enough on his own.

"The answer to all of this lies in the tunnels we have discussed, Kinotu-san, I am sure of it. If you would like, I have an unconventional means by which we might explore the dark below." Akira couldn't stop the silly grin from spreading across his face. The Kuni's enthusiasm for what was to come was enough to surpass the oddity of his black eyes and stitched doll mouth.

"What do you say, Kinotu-san?"

OOC:
Spell Casting for Wisdom & Clarity, Water ML 2, TN 15, I got a 27. Used the spell to study the maps on the wall.

GM Note:

Please let me know if I need to jump in and let me know when this is finished so I can add it to my list of things to review.

The look on Kinotu's face was grim. He sat for a long moment contemplating many things. Most of all was if he could trust the Kuni enough for what he needed to tell him. It would seem that the Rumbling Lord didn't give him enough time to save the Mother of Winter on his own. Hopefully the Kuni's desperation and the fate of the city will keep him from asking too many questions about the Usagi's methods

"It would seem that the fate of Otisan Uchi hangs in the balance, and how we proceed next will determine that fate. We no longer have the luxury of time for our normal methods of investigation. It is in these desperate times that we may have to venture into the dark to find the light. We may have to interact with some unsavory characters to find the information that we need. Some of my methods are not the most honorable, but they do produce greater results. You offer your services in exchange for an offense in my own dojo? All I ask for is confidentiality about what I do in this investigation to free the Mother of Winter. This investigation may require assassination, murder, torture, and other nefarious means. I don't ask that you participate, only that you take what you see and know to the grave. I suppose before I show and tell you more I should ask you one last question. How far are you willing to go to save the Mother of Winter and thus this city?"

The Kuni's answer may decide the fate of this city. Without the willingness to go to the extreme, we shall not succeed.

"How far are you willing to go to save the Mother of Winter and thus this city?" the Hare asked him. Kinotu's words had acted as the bellows to the forge that now rest within Akira's soul, but Akira was ready for it after his last outburst. The fire swelled. It warmed him. But it did not break the surface this time. Instead, this time the it was held in check by the earth.

The Kuni turned away from his companion and again stared at the maps on the wall, hands casually crossed behind his back. "You presume much, Usagi-san," he said in a low voice. His words were precise, his tone measured. "Too much, I think." He let a long pause hang in the air between the two magistrates before he spoke again. "No. I do not accept your interpretation of my apology. My offer remains an act as physician, scholar, or spiritual guide for the sake of your dojo as a means to ameliorate my breach of etiquette. Accept my apology or let the imbalance stand. I will not be troubled by it either way."

"However ..." he learned in close, inspecting a particular part of the Juramashi District map. The details truly are stunning. It is a shame the Shadowlands prevents itself from being mapped with any degree of accuracy.

"... speaking as a dutiful servant of the Son of Heaven, as an Emerald Magistrate, and as a shugenja of the Kuni family, I think I have different answers to the question you pose." He turned to face Kinotu. Akira was several years older than his companion, but he could recognize a weariness in Kinotu that only comes from particular kinds of hardship.

"The first two roles are simple enough. As a servant of our Emperor, I seek to honor him in all I do." The Crab couldn't help but smile. "Well ... I seek to at least not dishonor him with my deeds. I've no doubt you can relate."

"As an Emerald Magistrate," he casually cupped the badge of office hanging from his hip with his left hand, "I will not break His laws. I was appointed to this position in recognition for my service and I will serve dutifully until I am relieved of my post or I pass from this world."

"But as a Kuni ..." he emphasized his family name not only with his tone, but by rubbing his right hand along his now-shaved head from his forehead to the base of his neck, drawing attention to fact that his traditional face paint now coated the entirety of his head.

"You've no doubt heard stories, Kinotu-san. About the Shadowlands. Oni. The Kuni. I won't pretend to know what manner of stories they tell in the lands of the Hare about what transpires at and beyond the Kaiu Wall. I wonder, though, if they speak of skinchangers who slip passed the wall, mutilate entire families and pose their corpses in macabre imitations of life? Do they speak of oni invulnerable to all but the rarest of Earth's elements who require an entire platoon of men to sacrifice themselves to buy time for the one who is properly armed to take it down?" His mind next recalled the broken body of Saturo lying atop the Kaiu Wall. He did more for this Empire in his brief twelve years than most in this city have done with their entire lives. The Fire quickly turned the sorrow Akira felt into anger.

"Am I what you expected, Kinotu-san? For a Kuni? Had you been raised to think I would be a madman, my mind addled from years of studying the stuff of nightmares? Perhaps Tainted from too many days south of the wall?" Akira stepped closer, leaving less than a foot between the two samurai. "Whatever you may have been told, whatever you may presume about me, know this, Kinotu-san. All that I have learned, all that I have witnessed, and all that I have done would break the minds of lesser men. What I have done and what I am willing to do to protect this Empire ..." his voiced trailed off as he decided to change his approach.

"There are lengths to which a man must go in the pursuit of his duty that others could not fathom. But not us. No," Akira took a step back. "I was wrong before. You do not presume too much, Kinotu-san. You understand me. And I think now, I understand you." The Fire within knew what was to come next, and it was excited. Akira felt his cheeks warm.

"You have my word that I will not interfere with your part of the investigation of those responsible for abducting the Mother of Winter," he paused, "provided that I do not witness you or have direct evidence of you violating the Emperor's Law. But understand this, Kinotu-san," the Crab locked eyes with the Hare as he spoke, "There are limits to what I will allow."

"Now then," Akira dropped the pointed gaze he had held moments before, "Tell me everything that you know."

The sensei rose from the bench with a smile on his face,"We do understand each other. Your trust is well placed and shall be rewarded. As for the observed offense earlier, consider it forgotten. Compared to the leader of the Mondai Ketsu I had here yesterday, your actions have be tame in comparison. Come. I have something that can help us find her. It just requires someone with your 'special' circumstances."

The Usagi escorted Akira to his office in the back. While the majority of the building was paper walls, his office was solid wood on all walls including the door. It was much more secure for its contents as well as more discreet for conversation. As the door closed, Kinotu turned to the Kuni.

"There is a lot that isn't in the official records and reports. One moment..."

The Usagi stood against one wall and faced his desk. Then, he used a quick burst of speed to hop onto the table. Without breaking stride, he leaped against the opposite wall to then bounce up to the rafters. He caught hold of the lowest beam and swung himself up to the higher beams. He stopped at one of the beams and opened a hidden compartment in the beam. He took out a small jar. It felt like he held a blizzard in his hand. He worked his way back down to the floor with jar in hand.

He sat down and placed the jar on the desk. "I have been tracking, observing, and hunting the New Heavenly Message cult for the past several months now. They know that I hunt them, but they have yet to figure out who I am. This probably the main reason why I am still alive, which is why I had to test your loyalty. I have seen and heard much during these many months. I have 'interrogated' several of the cult members. The murders that you spoke of was part of a ritual to imprison the Mother of Winter. The muders had to target specific individuals, in a certain way, in a specific order. The reason for this is because they need her blood for what I suspect is another ritual. My hypothesis is that they are trying to bring the realm of Toshigoku to Otisan Uchi. I cannot be absolutely sure of this but I believe it is the Prophet's end goal."

"I have information that tells me there is a strong evil force that resides within the Forbidden City. I believe that is where the Prophet is. It correlates with the information I have that he is a powerful political force that writes his ritual information on scrolls with the same quality that peace treaties are written on. Fortunately for us, I don't know if he actually has the Mother of Winter in his possession. The cult is fractured and has different sects. One has the Mother of Winter and a supply of her blood while the Prophet's sect has the knowledge to utilize it. I observed a transaction where one cult member exchanged a jar of the air kami's blood for instruction from the Prophet from another cult member. I couldn't get the scroll that was exchanged, but I was able to 'acquire' the jar of blood. The Prophet is more aware of my activities, so he has placed a ward on his members that trigger upon their death to 'tag' the assailant with a horrible body odor. This is so they can try to figure out who I am to take me out. They have also started to place maho wards on certain tunnel sections."

The Usagi motioned to the jar on the desk,"As for the Mother of Winter's blood, I have found out many things about it and what it can do. The blood cannot be corrupted by the taint or maho. It has powerful properties which is why the cult is using it. It can be used to appease the kansen in maho rituals. It can also be consumed...The act will not taint the person as her blood is incorruptible, and certain things will happen but there is risk of death if too much is consumed."

Kinotu looked Akira right in the eyes,"I know what happens when it is consumed because I have done it." He let the statement sink in. The fact that he was not immediately blown to pieces by the Kuni gave him relief and he continued,"I only consumed a drop of the blood, but I was able to see the Mother of Winter. A woman wrapped in white, hair of midnight silk, bound in silver chains below the earth. Black stains, wet and cracked as if recently frozen, stained the ground around her. Nearby an army of the mindless undead filled up tiny clay pots with the ichor. The last image was a howling chasm filled with the voices of the damned. She knew that I saw her and she tried to speak to me, but I hadn't consumed enough of the blood to establish a strong enough link with her. I felt her power flow though me. If I could commune with kansen or the kami, I imagine my power with them would be greatly increased until the blood wore off. The trade off is that when I consumed the blood I could feel my body growing dangerously cold, and I almost lost some fingers and toes from just a small taste of the blood."

"I know how we can find the Mother of Winter effectively. It will not break any laws, and there will be no aquisition of the taint or maho involved. I am physically incapable of doing it properly, nor do I have the knowledge to communicate with the Mother of Winter if I could establish a strong connection with her. I could attempt to see her again, but I will need your help to keep me from dying, or there is another more effective and reliable alternative..."

The Kuni stood motionless for a long while, soaking in everything that he had just heard. A flurry of different emotions and thoughts swirled about in his mind, but he took it all in stride and quelled the storm before it could overwhelm him.

This would not be the first time you utilized the blood of a powerful creature in an unorthodox manner. His mind's eye leapt back in time to that fateful day with Hida Yakamo and that terrible oni. He had risked much that day, but it had worked. Would he be so lucky again?

He pondered all that the Hare had told him, of the Cult, the Prophet, the visions. Has he truly tasted the blood of Fuyu no Okaasan? Why would he lie about that, especially to me? If I am to do the same, I will need to be ready in a way that he was not. DO IT. The voice was in his mind. It was his - but at the same time - it wasn't. Still, this had to be done.

Akira looked back at Kinotu and gave a brief nod. "I will need to make preparations."

The shugenja cleared a wide space for himself on the floor of Kinotu's office. He took out several scrolls from his satchel to have ready. He kneeled on the floor and set out his prayer scrolls around him. He took a quill and some paper and set it to his right, keeping the quill in hand. He nodded to the items and then to Kinotu. "You should do the same. Write down anything you hear or anything you may see."

In his left hand, Akira held fast to the jade stone carved with the symbol that marked him an Emerald Magistrate, and he read the words from one of his scrolls. He felt the stone warm for a moment to indicate the kami's response (Mental Quickness).

Next, he read the words on a pair of his scrolls intended for the water kami. He may need their assistance with this matter before its end (Silent Waters, Path to Inner Peace).

Finally, he beseeched the Earth kami to strengthen his will against whatever horrors he may encounter (Courage of the Seven Thunders).

When all the preparations were set, Akira closed his eyes and prayed silently to himself. We will find her, O-Ka no Kami. They cannot keep her hidden for long. And with that, he grabbed the jar and took a drink.

Spell Casting Rolls
(36) Mental Quickness / ML2 Fire / TN 15 / 8k3 / Target: Akira's Emerald Magistrate badge

(26) Silent Waters / ML 3 Water / TN 20 / 8k3 / Trigger: Akira falls down

(24) Path to Inner Peace / ML 1 Water / TN10 / 8k3 / Heals 14 Wounds (when triggered)

(34) Courage of the Seven Thunders / ML1 Earth / TN 15 / 10k4 / 1 Called Raise for Kinotu

(34) Commune (Air) / ML 1 Air / TN 20 / 6k3 / 2 Called Raises, 1 Void Point Spent

Current Effects
+5k0 on Fear Rolls for Akira, +3k0 on Fear Rolls for Kinotu, for 10 Minutes
+3 Intelligence for 10 Minutes
Path to Inner Peace (14 Wounds) to Trigger on Akira if Akira falls down.

There is a sensation when a man stands at the edge of a great height and looks into the face of the future. There is the fall, or will be, and the man knows it. His body reacts. His blood constricts. He gets dizzy. He is all but forced to back away by the animal within, but a man of discipline is greater than that animal.

Yet, some animals are greater than others.

The vertigo spun up around Kuni Akira like a whirlwind of ice and knocked him to his knees. The blood in his veins froze, tiny shards of ice slicing paths towards his heart. He felt as if he were staring down into the deepest abyss of the world and from it came howling the chill heart of winter.

Fear threatened to consume him, then. Fear of death, fear of pain, but mostly a fear of the unknown. What would happen? What could happen? Akira felt the blood enter his brain and his skull pounded, pounded like a hammer inside breaking its way out and he could no longer think.

He fell to his hands retching up dry, cold air until he was an empty vessel. The tatami beneath him froze, the air in the room dropped and a fog emanated outward from the shugenja into the room.

Kinotu shivered as he remembered his little drop. The Kuni had poured half the bottle down his throat.

Four beings stood in a circle, two women, two men. They watched as a glowing light formed in the center. The light was from Heaven and it pulsated with life. The light grew and it warmed others with its touch. The light dominated and the four beings vowed then and there to serve the light's creator for all eternity.

Akira collapsed in a violent seizure. He tried to scream, but though the muscles worked and the will was there, he had no air in his lungs with which to make a sound. He retched and heaved and his muscles tightened about him like a vice.

Kinotu felt his blood go cold and could swear he heard a ghostly howl, perhaps a scream, from some far-off distant place.

Four beings shared the time around the light for centuries. They served and they protected and in turn were worshiped. Their existence was forgotten by all but the most knowledgeable. And the bearer of the light, of course. To touch one of the four beings was to get a glimpse of Heaven.

To possess one was to take for yourself some sliver of the next world.

Kinotu watched as Akira's eyes rolled back in his head and his body exploded with what looked like a shower of water. The spirits swirled about the Kuni and delivered to him the tiniest bit of oxygen within their power. He breathed, one tiny breath, and the seizures overtook him once more.

The screaming sound grew louder and Kinotu knew what it was now. There was no mistaking the Mother of Winter in all her rage and pain.

Ancient secrets were uncovered. Dark secrets. Mysteries that the world should not possess. They were taken by a mortal with a vision and a dedication to see it through. The secrets and the vision combined to make the Message and from its power the mortal would seize the power of Heaven.

The New Heavenly Message was born.

The world dimmed about Akira. He could tell he was dying; freezing to death from the inside. The rage and protection of the Spirit of Creation was nothing compared to this woman's pain. The fury of troubled earth could not stand against the wrath within the Mother, within his blood.

Kinotu heard a whisper, far away, behind the screaming sound. Not long now, I think. This will alert them to your presence. To his. You will not be able to hid anymore that you know. They will know. The Prophet will know. Jama Suru's voice faded away. Even the power of the great General was nothing compared to the Mother.

The Mother. Wrapped in chains. Bound by ritual and murders and bled like a goat milked in the high Dragon mountains. Silver chains of mystic power kept her in check, locked her away from all others, and the New Heavenly Message spread its Word.

Akira could see it now in his mind. Blackness threatened to crash in from all sides. His vision dimmed. But he could see the vision at the moment of his death.

Dozens of veins cut through the Rumbling Lord. Tunnels. Dizzying arrays of tunnels hidden by dark magic and mundane means. Jars of the very ideal of cold buried within the tunnels and they were each sealed away, holed up. They were all over the city now, these tunnels. Only one was currently still being worked.

Akira shook and whispered with his last breath. "Beneath the Yunagi. The last tunnel."

The Kuni shifted his mind to try to find her, to seek out the Mother. He knew the other spirits would bring down their wrath upon the light, upon Otosan Uchi, if they could not find her.

As he journeyed through the visions of the mind he saw a Sorrow and a possible salvation. The River of the Golden Sun was closest to the Mother. Only she could convince the others to stay abated, to give them time.

If they could not find Fuyu no Okaasan then the great spirit of water was their only hope. She favored creation, she favored art. She favored beauty.

Akira's entire body slammed together into a tight fetal ball and he ground his teeth in agony. Kinotu reached out to help him, but found his own body slowed by the cold tightness in the air. He reached out in glacial pace and knew he would not be there in time.

All visions led towards one place. No matter where he looked all roads shifted the Kuni towards the light, the very heart of Otosan Uchi. A vision of the Hare's maps flashed into his mind and overlaid with the mystic prophetic imagery.

The light led towards the center, through the great Toshisoto, beyond the defensive walls, into the Ekohikei and beyond even the power of the Forbidden City walls to keep out.

The vision led towards the Imperial Palace. And then it stopped.

Nothing could pierce the light. Not even the four spirits. But she was there, of that Akira was certain.

The Mother of Winter was bound in the one place that no corrupted being could venture. No one could enter the Imperial Palace without sacred right. It was the most defensible location in all the Empire.

It was the greatest prison in all of Rokugan.

The vision ended and Akira felt the weight of air slam home with pure violence. He was stone injected by a bubble of purest breath and his body exploded in pain.

OOC:

- Akira must make a Willpower Roll to fight through the pain and remember all that he has seen. This roll is considered to be a Fear effect and has a TN of 40.

The visions. The cold. The pain. All of it consumed him and spelled his end. Not such a bad way to go. You've seen plenty worse on the Wall.

Akira struggled to pass on something - anything - to his colleague who watched in disbelief. It almost seemed pointless. His entire body was paradoxically on fire with ice. Nothing could be done. Death would welcome him now. The pain would stop and his quest to free the Mother of Winter would come to a tragic end.

Give him something before you go. You can do that much.

With all the strength left in his body, the Kuni forced out a single breath.

"Palace."

And then Akira's world went black.

END SCENE FOR AKIRA

OOC: My apologies for the extreme delay on this scene. Since this scene took place a bit before our last session, I figure the group has been made aware of the visions.

(79) Willpower / TN 40 (Orokos Roll is 81, but I added 2 when I shouldn't have.)

Kinotu looked upon the Kuni with frustration and a tinge of concern for his well being. He wrapped a thick blanket around the Crab and called out for some hot tea to be made immediately.

Well Master, they were going to find me out eventually one way or another. At least now I know where I can find her, but why of all places was she at the palace? There surely has to be some secret passage into the palace. The hordes of zombies would have set off the normal powerful wards.

The Hare quickly stowed the rest of the blood in its hiding place before the servant could arrive with the tea. He took the tea and waved off the servant. Kinotu raised the Kuni's head so he could slowly pure the hot liquid down his throat.

"Come on Akira-sama, if any of the stories I've heard about Crab stubbornness is true then you can't let a small thing like this kill you. We've got a Prophet to destroy and a kami to save."

The Usagi slowly nursed him back to helath. He would need the Kuni as a powerful tool to take out the powerful bloodspeakers.

END SCENE FOR KINOTU.