Heavenfall

She chuckled awkwardly at that. "You... do seem excited about that?"

"Oh, yes!" Haka sits up a bit. "This one fully expected to become a ravenous ghost when she died, like most Shoji. That there are other options is very exciting."

Oookay. I found one of the crazy ones. Thank the Kami she's blind at least. She won't be able to catch me, right? Wait, is a ghost blind too?

"Ah...uh... you... want to be a ravenous ghost?"

"Oh, no. This one would much prefer to not be a ghost. That is why all these other options are so interesting."

"Other... options?"

Now she really hoped Haka wasn't going to say she wanted to become some sort of twisted monster, like that animal she had seen earlier...

"Yes, some people have said that they do not return as ghosts when they die. Some have spoken of being reborn in new lives, or of their spirit going to another realm when it leaves their bodies." Haka smiles. "These seem better than spending the rest of eternity eating people as a ghost, yes?"

"Oh."

PHEW!

She heaved a great sigh of relief, and her nervousness abated considerably. "Yes, from what I understand, when we die our souls go to the realm of the waiting dead, where we're judged for how we've lived our lives, and from there on either punished or rewarded as appropriate. It's... a new thing to me as well; my tribe usually thought that heroes would return to us, reincarnated, in time of need, and otherwise, our spirits would return to the land."

Haka nods. "Yes, as far as this one is aware, all Shoji returned as ghosts. But she has begun to believe that it may be due to the proximity of the portal. This far away from it, who knows what will happen when Haka dies?"

"It is very exciting."

"Well... this sounds pretty odd to say, but I hope you find the death you wish for?" Saruko offered in a somewhat encouraging tone, as it was a pretty strange thing to wish to someone.

"Thank you!" Haka grins. "Hopefully it is some ways down the line."

"Hopefully, yes! Not wishing for you to die too soon." Indeed that would be bad, but hey, at least White-Hair seemed to like the well-wishes.

Looking at the tent, she hoped Shinsei hadn't died too soon either. "Well... I guess I'll go look around some more for Shinsei."

Haka nods. "This one hopes that he is found soon. He seemed the sort that would not ask for help until it was too late."

"Yes." Unfortunately very true. "Yes... he's quite... stubbornly independant, that one."

Haka takes another bite of her meat stick. "This one will wait here for some time in the event he returns."

"Good idea."

Saruko rose from her seated position and smoothed out her clothes somewhat and dusted off whatever dirt had gotten stuck to them.

"In the meantime, stay safe, White-Hair."

/scene!