thenearshore | [Closed] Seasons of wither

[Erk glances up from his open tome with a slight start, the gold glow of the runes on the page fading as his focus is diverted. He is a little busy, but he's not going to say as much if his god has need of him. That takes precedence over practicing his magic. He can always come back to this later.]

--Hm? What is it?

[He motions wide with his hands.]

I heard a prayer. S'been awhile, but I figured if Alluka took the last one, that makes it your turn this time. If you want.

[He gestures over at Meji.]

I can bring Meji as back up just in case there's an ayakashi too, since we're still figuring a few things out too.

[A prayer? Yes, that definitely takes precedence over practice. Finally, a chance to prove his worth as a shinki! A chance to fulfill his role and earn his keep. Erk tries to keep a handle on his eagerness, but it shows in the way his eyes light up.

He shuts his tome and fastens it away in its holster as his belt, then looks up at Dokugakuji and gives a resolute nod.]

Of course--I would be honoured! What do we need to do?

[Dokugakuji tries to stop smiling, even if Erk's eagerness makes that hard, considering the seriousness of the topic at hand, but he appreciates Erk's attitude all the same. He'd had no doubt that Erk would earn his keep, but if the man's so keen to prove it, then he doesn't mind giving him an opportunity to do so. Not in the least.]

Ksitigarbha is a protector of children among other things, not usually taking vengeance against those who wrong them. However, in this instance... that may be required. I need to investigate first. There's apparently a lot of orphans on the streets of Patna, a city in the state of Bihar, India... and they're not getting adopted, but I can't do much to fix that. The bigger issue is that they're getting picked off, not by adoption agencies, by something else. We need to find out what - and try to stop whatever it is.

[He turns over his shoulder real quick.]

Mokki.

[And the one-eyed man turns into Doku's sword, that part done at least while Erk processes what Doku's said.]

[The place names mean little to Erk; he's studied enough of this world's geography to know that India is a country in southern Asia, and a populous one, but most of his focus has been on learning about Japan.

Where isn't important, though. Orphans are being... picked off? Erk's stomach clenches, that information eliciting a deep-seated sense of alarm that catches him off guard. But quickly recalling that his god can sense his feelings, he takes a slow, steady breath and quells it to the best of his ability.

Where did that come from?

It doesn't matter--they have a duty to fulfill. Erk's gaze hardens.]

Very well. I'm ready. [He's got his tome, and what more could he need? Frowning, he mutters as he straightens his cloak.] What anyone could possibly hope to gain by preying on orphans...

[Doku catches that quick feeling burst, but the nice thing about having been mortal - maybe not human, but having been part of a family - he understands Erk's feelings completely. This isn't some wild emotional directive that he requires like some gods to know the right thing to do.]

I don't like what's happening there either, Erk. Not even a little bit. It... hits close to home, honestly.

[He rubs at the back of his neck.]

Honestly I'm worried they're recruiting impressionable kids who don't know any better - for some army or crime ring, who knows what. Without parents, kids'll default to listening to big brothers and sisters over any real adult. And if the kids go missing or wind up in jail, no one'll notice or care.

[That said, he teleports them out to the city of Patna, on a rooftop so that they can get a look around. He's never tried teleporting more than one person, but he was sure the familiar presence of his sword would make it negligible plus Erk for that purpose. Better safe than sorry.

The climate is very close to how he grew up. Dokugakuji looks out toward the suburbs and further, the little villages very close to the kind hew grew up in too.]

It's midday, I think. So we have some time to look around before it gets dark.

[Erk handles abrupt teleportation very well, apparently. Despite the lack of warning, he's quick to regain his bearings and begin taking in his new surroundings. He's not sure he's ever been this high up before, but the rooftop does afford an excellent view, even if the wind threatens to wrap his cloak around his head.

India's very different from Japan, or at least, what he's seen of it. But as much as he might like to explore and learn more, they're here to do a job.]

I suppose the most obvious place to begin would be to find some orphans. [He looks out over the city, turning around in a slow circle.] We should probably check the poorer neighbourhoods, or public places where they might receive handouts.

[And hopefully Dokugakuji will teleport them there, because there's absolutely no way Erk can get himself down from this rooftop.]

[Dokugakuji nods at Erk's assessment.]

That's probably best. I'm not sure where a poor neighborhood would be...

[He starts walking around the edge of the building, not bothered by the height since it's nothing compared to sheer castle walls, but looking out at the city.]

If I had to take a guess, there's got to be some along the river there.

[He points out to the massive river Ganges along the city's border.]

And it looks like there's a bridge over that way. There's probably a handful or more of homeless people that would love to use it for shelter.

[Erk nods, shielding his eyes from the sun and looking out at the river and the bridge.]

It's got to be as good a place to start as any. We should also be alert to anyone behaving suspiciously... [He hmms to himself.] Perhaps we should see about acquiring a map, as well.

[This is the first prayer he's been on, and he wants to make sure he gets it right. He doesn't want to risk overlooking anything that could be helpful. But he has clearly not been introduced to GPS or Google Maps yet.]

[Doku hasn't either, so they're both going to wind up in a very traditional map-seeking effort soon.]

Alright, I'll get us close but not right not on the bridge.

[He teleports them to a side street within visual distance of the bridge, but they're both suddenly staring at one of those corner stores that sells a little bit of everything. On a rotating display outside of it, there are several more tourist-y items, including maps. Little folded up paper things with labels showing that they're maps of various States (the first administrative level after Country) and getting as detailed as Districts (the second administrative level).]

Huh. Need any snacks for the trip, Erk?

[He says it a little jokingly, since it's clear they aren't going to be here long.]

[Well, this is convenient. Erk shakes his head, completely oblivious to the question having been meant in jest.]

Ah, no, that's quite all right. Thank you, though.

[He's quick to start perusing the maps. Surely there has to be one of the city they're actually in... yes, here we go. He selects one and unfolds it. And keeps unfolding it, as one eyebrow creeps gradually higher.]

It's... larger than I expected. [He's going to have fun folding this up again, isn't he? But it's the right map. Patna. He finds the river on it and looks for the bridge, trying to pinpoint exactly where they are.

And then something else occurs to him.]

I don't suppose shops in India accept yen.

Don't worry about it.

[He reaches into a pouch at his side, pulling out a small wad of bills.]

I've gotten paid in rupees a lot of times already, since I'm assigned to this Buddhist god and all. I get some yuan from China, yen from Japan, and a whole lot of rupees from India.

[Then he walks over and looks at the map.]

It looks like you found a good one. Want me to pay for it then?

[He holds out a hand to accept if Erk's decided on it.]

[A Buddhist god... that's right, Buddhism is quite geographically widespread. He recalls reading that.]

Of course. [He partially folds up the map--enough to make it manageable--and passes it to Dokugakuji.] I shouldn't have doubted that you would be prepared.

[The purchase having been taken care of, he's quick to take the map back, feeling strongly compelled to be in charge of navigation for reasons he doesn't understand and doesn't dwell on. He's found the bridge on it, and a glance around at the layout of the surrounding streets has him fairly sure of their location.]

I believe we're here. [He points to a spot on the map--the correct spot.] If we don't find any information at the bridge, we could head this way, along the river. But we should get started.

[With that, he sets to work getting the map properly folded.]

Edited 2017-03-04 18:44 (UTC)

[Hey if Erk wants to be in charge of the map he won't fight him on it. It wasn't something he loved doing before either, and if it gives Erk some kind of good feeling then that's more important to Doku than anything else. Erk's the guy struggling without memories.]

Mmm. That does look right. And a good plan.

[Dokugakuji leads them on over to the bridge, but as they approach the base by the water, Doku puts a hand out to stop Erk.]

Do you see that? Under the bridge, on the far side... some adults talking to a group of kids, but they're all shadowed...

[And the longer they stare at the figures, the more the silhouettes appear to shift - not like a person changing their weight, but a wobbly bit of food.]

[Erk succeeds in getting the map folded and tucked away inside his tome as they walk, and he follows his god's lead, looking this way and that at every street and shop and person they pass. He's keeping his eyes open for anyone who might be an orphan, of course, but he's also simply taking in the sights and sounds of a strange new environment with interest.

He's not one to allow himself to lose focus, though, and he stops when Dokugakuji does, squinting at the figures ahead of them near the water's edge.

Of course they're shadowed, he initially thinks, they're under a bridge... but as he continues to observe, it becomes clear that's not quite what his god meant.]

That's... unnatural. [There's a vague uneasy feeling creeping into his gut. People shouldn't... waver quite like that, and he's fairly certain it's not a trick of the light. Nothing else appears affected.]

I think-- [He hesitates, and swallows. He doesn't want to immediately assume the worst, but the more he watches, the more he suspects this can't be anything good. Or rather, that it's even worse than they'd expected. Unconsciously, his hand moves beneath his cloak to rest over his tome.] --I think we may have found what we were looking for.

[Dokugakuji likes the place a lot too. He's prepared to come back sometime when he's 'off duty' (which isn't really gonna happen, but there could be a lull anyway.) But Erk's picked up on what worried him too.]

It almost looks more than one ayakashi... or... Huh.

[He moves to the left, making it harder to see the 'pair' of adults talking to the kids, but he gets closer to the base of the bridge. Maybe they can get the drop on them from on top of it. The ayakashi appear to be ignoring what's going on up there in the light.]

The closer I get, the more it feels like there's only one of them over there... I guess there's weirder things than thinking these things can't split apart.

[Doku takes one more step forward, then stops, turning back to Erk.]

I think it's time to get you ready in Vessel form. There's a spell I'm supposed to use to get rid of them - do you know it? Not one of yours - I mean a shinki's spell, called Rend. If not it's fine, I can do it with Mokki and you can focus on the magic to wear them down.

[Ayakashi. Though he didn't want to say it, Erk suspected as much, and hearing it from Dokugakuji confirms it. There's at least one ayakashi down there, and it's almost certainly responsible for the disappearances of orphaned children. And they're going to have to stop it.

Erk has never faced an ayakashi before. He's never even seen one until now. He keeps close to Dokugakuji as they move in towards the bridge, undeniably nervous but, even more than that, determined. Perhaps even a little excited. A shinki's purpose is to work with their god to destroy these abominations, and he's finally getting a chance to fulfill that purpose. He's not about to let first-time jitters get in the way.]

I've never used Rend before, but... if I may, I'd like to try. [He looks up at his god steadily.] I'm ready. We should ensure that the children are out of the way before we engage it, though...

Pretty much the only way you'll get decent with it, right? But...

[The kids are absolutely his line in the sand. No harm has to come to them, human or otherwise. At least the ayakashi is tending toward neutral with them right now. But if they disturb it, then that goes out the window. He sighs.]

We've gotta find some way to scatter the kids before we attack. Or lure the ayakashi away somehow...

[He looks back over at Erk.]

Think you can use your magic like this to get it's attention? Then I can call for you and we Rend it together. If I find any kids about to get hurt, Mokki and I can intervene, teleport in there and grab em. Worst case scenario, he can apparently target one of them and take some of the pain away from the kid.

[He's never used it before, but of any time to use it, he'd willingly do it for children. And he is aware - and not making it very obvious - that where the pain 'goes' is not to Mokki, but to himself.]

[In spite of the seriousness of the situation--and his nerves--there's a clear hint of a grin on Erk's face as he nods and brings out his magic tome.]

I believe I can get its attention and scatter the children.

[A Thunder spell is all but impossible to ignore, after all, and what child wouldn't flee from the flash and noise of lightning striking so close to them? They're not quite near enough for Erk to actually hit the ayakashi, and getting even nearer without being noticed could be tricky, but that's fine. He'll worry about hitting it once the children are safely out of the way.

He opens his tome, takes a deep breath to steady himself--this is it, they're really going to fight an ayakashi--and recites the incantation.]

Thunder!

[The spell strikes only a few feet from the ayakashi and the children, the accompanying crack of thunder reverberating deafeningly beneath the bridge. There are frightened screams from the children as they bolt... the "adults", however, don't go anywhere.]

[Dokugakuji's quite pleased with Erk's response. Confidence he can handle in a shinki - it's even admirable to him.]

Oh yeah? Let's do it.

[Doku prepares for... whatever Erk's planning, and then when the spell goes off he realizes he shouldn't have been all that surprised in the first place.

He doesn't wait for the children to stop screaming - he just needs them to get away, which they're managing to do. Doku stands between the bulk of the children and the ayakashi, Mokki's sword drawn and ready.]

No you don't!

[Ah, but he quickly realizes it's just one ayakashi, but two different pieces of its body bulging upwards in vaguely adult-shaped silhouettes.]

Yep, gonna need two for this one after all. ALRIGHT! MOKKI... [His sword starts to glow brighter.]

You who desecrate this Land!
With my advent, I, Ksitigarbha, lay waste with the Mokki,
And expel thy vast defilement!
REND!

[There's an illumination of blue-white color in a line parallel to where Dokugakuji slices into the ayakashi, effectively severing one part of the ayakashi from the other. The smaller half dissolves into the wind as the ayakashi howls and starts to reach towards Doku.]

ENKI!

[It's his first instinct, calling to his non-Soulless shinki as the creature is bearing down on him.]

[Dokugakuji's quick to jump into battle, but Erk's instinct is to stay back, where he can strike with his magic while putting himself at minimal risk. He's still a little too far back to attack the ayakashi though, so while his god has its attention, Erk's creeping forward, tome still open, getting himself in a position to offer support. Just a little closer...

...But he stops as Dokugakuji attacks, watching in fascination at the ayakashi--or part of it?--dissolves into nothingness. So that's Rend... and it's powerful. Is he really capable of that? It hardly seems possible...

There's no time for speculation, though, and his name jolts him back to the matter at hand. This is certainly one way to get into attack range, he thinks offhandedly as he takes the form of a ring on his god's finger, and he doesn't waste a moment, not with their foe getting entirely too close for his comfort.

Twin columns of flame erupt from the ground around Dokugakuji, combining above his head into a fireball that hurtles itself squarely into the ayakashi. It gives an inhuman screech and draws back... before seeming to grow larger as it launches itself at them in a full-on attack.]

Not bad, Erk!

[He says with a lot more excitement than a normal 'not bad' - he's very proud. He just wants to push Erk to do more.

Then again, that's at least half as powerful as Engokuki in half the time that summon always took too, so he's starting to think he should actually be visibly impressed that the manner of Erk's death doesn't appear to have soured his abilities in combat.]

Alright, your turn -

You who desecrate this Land!
With my advent, I, Ksitigarbha, lay waste with the Enki,
And expel thy vast defilement!
REND!

[But how Erk's Rend will look compared to Meji's, he's just not sure.]

[Erk doesn't know how his Rend will turn out, either, but he can feel the power behind the words Dokugakuji recites. It's a different sort of power than his own spells, foreign and unnatural to his senses, and he has to make a conscious effort to embrace it rather than resist it... but once he does, he finds that it weaves itself into his magic quite seamlessly.

He lets the spell do its work.

The result, perhaps predictably, is lightning... but it's not the same as his usual Thunder spell. Instead of one bolt, there are three, sparking at three different points and instantly converging down on their target in a blinding flash and an explosion of sound that rattles the very ground beneath them.

The ayakashi, or what was left of it, vaporizes. A small crater marks the spot where it stood.]

I... I did it...

[Through it all, there was a swipe of light that was the crux of the Rend spell. Erk just happened to enhance it with his magic.]

Hell yeah you did. Revert, Erk. Revert, Meji.

[He casts his hand out to the side a bit to let the man have room to stand apart from him when the ring leaves his hand.]

And good teamwork, I'd say.

[His shoulders are fully back and his hands on his hips. He's very proud. Because Erk had come to him when he was lost and now they were actually doing what other god-shinki pairs did when the gods arrived and were immediately assigned one that wasn't a Soulless. He'd always try to provide for Meji and Masaji, but the fact was their emotional needs weren't the same. Erk needed some reassurances. This was a perfect time for it - to help him feel like he did belong among Dokugakuji's small team of shinki.]

We can probably hang around a little longer if you want - I can take a lap with Meji and make sure I don't sense anything else around the city?

[Erk appears at his god's side, a little breathless despite the lack of physical exertion on his part, and he takes a moment to steady himself, closing his eyes and letting the adrenaline rush fade. He did it. He can be a worthy shinki. He can fight ayakashi, and kill them, and that knowledge is both frightening and exhilarating.

Mostly the latter.

He almost misses Dokugakuji's question, his eyes snapping open as he realizes he's being spoken to. A little absently, he nods.]

Ah, yes, that's probably a good idea.

[Still... they're forgetting something, aren't they?]

I suppose... the children it had already picked off before you received the prayer...

[They're probably dead, his mind fills in.]

New prayer was approved too btw so I'll post that below

royaltyloyalty - 2017-04-03 05:33 (UTC) - Expand

[Closed] Seasons of wither

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New prayer was approved too btw so I'll post that below