Heavenfall

Ik'tch'krit, with his newly acquired (yet borrowed) piece of jade, went out to the forest to be alone. First, he sniffed the precious jade again. Then, he gave it some good licks to remember the taste. Perhaps, if he had made something else to taste like it later, it would have a similar effect to bad things as the jade did. He opened his mouth and seemed to almost put it inside, but, he had second thoughts...

Finally, he began thrusting his fist forward with the jade. He had heard rumors of humans being able to shoot jade-colored beams out of their hands. And so, it was only logical that they would have to use an actual jade to do so.

A few attempts later, he started shouting in both human and Nezumi words to try to activate the stone. "Die-die!" was among the more favorite of his.

Kinsen widens her eyes at the creature as he tells her to die in her own tongue!

Assuming a stance she shows some tough red nails pointing at him.

"Man-thing! I did not see-see you there-there!" He held up his hands, including the precious jade-stone. "No mean threat to hurt-harm man-thing!"

The tall bright woman takes a moment to fully understand the creature, and remembers the talk she had with Nanzi. Seeing that it rose arms up in peace, she takes a step further, and lowers hands, saying, "Good for you. I fear no spirit. I've defeated other shapeshifters before. They were Lions. Defeating a rat shouldn't be worse."

Jin, having also heard the commotion, arrives just in time to breathe a hearty sigh of relief as the wife of Hantei stood down from apparently attacking one of their erstwhile allies in this quest. A misunderstanding now could derail everything but it seems today was not the day it would happen.

"Hantei Kinsen...," a pause as he ponders the right one of Doji's honorifics since surely a Hantei would want them used. Why did they need so many. You greeted someone with respect, or you did not, if they couldn't tell from what you said then that was on them. Finally he went with the safe one, for Shinjo's sake, "-san. Nezumi. I hope this evening finds you both well."

"This is only shape-shape of mine-mine," Ik'tch'krit proclaimed, "Nezumi are no-like those species."

He tilted his head at the other human. "Greetings, other man-thing! You-you can explain so no confusion happen here-here?"

Remembering once, years ago, witnessing a meeting between Kinsen and Yamadono Jin can't help but let the corner of his mouth turn into a grin.

"While I cannot speak for her I believe she understands." He looks to the Hantei, "I believe her words were just a warrior's way of showing that she stood down due to that understanding not out of any fear."

Kinsen bows to Jin, according to the way of the heavens, and greets, “Jin-sama of the Ki-rin. An honor to have you with us.”

The once wild and feral Noriaki bride seems to have learned much from the Kami, and specially, from her husband, in these last five years.

She looks to the ratling and doesn’t seem to pay the same respect, at this moment. “The confusion is shouting around when we have been recently attacked. Who are you and what are your plans in coming with us, after all?”

Ik'tch'krit tilted his head. "Attack is done-done, I clearly-clear not here to hurt-harm man-things." He scratched his whiskers a bit, a bit of a nervous tic. "I must harness the-the power of this jade stone. Is magic if can protect man-things so well-well!"

Jin looks at the nezumi curiously, "You are a sorcerer then?"

“Jade stone. Sorcerer. What is this nonsense all about?” Kinsen asks while crossing her arms and looking at both.

"Sorcerer, shaman... those who call upon the spirits for magic such as myself. As for the stone, if it is what I think it is, it is a rare specimen where, apparently, the elements are all in balance granting it purity and strength."

"Oh!" She blinks a bit and approaches the ratling with curious eyes. The tall woman bends to check the stone in his hand. "So this makes you stronger -– where can I find them?"

"I am no-no sorcerer. Do I need-need that to use jade-stone?" He frowned and looked at the stone. There had to be some way to use it better. "I do not know-know where man-things get jade-stone! This one given to me-me. Must return though..."

He frowned at the thought. He had to cherish this moment now.

Jin scratches his chin with his good hand, "I'm honestly not certain. Kyosei, of the Isawa, would be a better one to ask. He has studied the stones in great detail. We have learned how to call upon a similar power through the spirits but I do not know if he had found any way to draw power out of the jade directly."

Kinsen nods a couple of times, noticing the Nezumi’s protectiveness, and takes a step back. “They look quite... normal, yet pretty at the same time.”

"So rumors were truly-true! Man-things can call upon the-the power!" The Nezumi then scratched his whiskers. "But-but is not with jade-stone?"

He then nodded and caressed the jade. "Yes-yes, prettiest of shiny-shines!"

Jin shakes his head, "Perhaps there is a way to use the stone to improve it, or perhaps there is power in the stone itself. But the ritual Kyosei devised does not require the stone itself."

Jin turned aside from the two so neither would be in the path of the spell or misconstrue his actions as hostile. A quick, light cut on the stump of his right arm yields droplets of blood. Instead of dripping towards the ground however the begin to shine with a heavenly green light, crystallizing into shards, then shoot forward into the forest beyond. Vanishing as they strike ground or tree.

"Sadly the stone so summoned does not remain in this realm, but we theorize it would harm anything which was out of balance with the elements of this realm."

Kinsen jaw drops. It is definitely the first time in her life she had seen such a scene. She remains there, flabbergasted, computing what just happened for a while.

The Nezumi ran forward to where the jade light had struck, trying to dig for any remains. "Man-thing did it!" he exclaimed, sniffing at the ground afterwards. "Why it go away-way?"

He scratched at the ground more and then chittered in annoyance. "Man-thing ever try-try with jade-stone before?"