Come to my parlour (D5 LA)

[Reiko]

(Expecting)

Reiko really hadn't moved around much since they arrived. The fog was making her wary of exploring further, and it also made her already bad vision even worse. Plus there were blankets here!

So she sat in front of her tent, finding a few moments of solitude to continue writing in her book about the journey so far.

[Jiyo Ayumu]

Ayumu approached, bringing in hot tea and some freshly made hot buns. More exactly, he put them before him like one would put up a shield, badly hiding his nervousness behind the warm present.

"Lady Reiko, please pardon my interruption. Would you be interested in some tea or some snack?"

[Reiko]

There was a blink, and Reiko peered up from her writing to look at the person above her. She kind of recognized the voice from someone long ago, but she couldn't put a name to the voice.

Putting her work to a side, she smiled and bowed.

"That would be lovely, thank you. Forgive me, your voice sounds familiar, but I'm struggling to put a name to it and my eyes are not great."

[Jiyo Ayumu]

"I'm Ayumu. Jiyo Ayumu if we go by long names. But please just call me Ayumu. We may have run into each other within the context of the imperial estate.

But mostly, I was born Isawa. I heard your call for this very expedition back there, years ago."

[Reiko]

"Ah, of the Isawa tribe. We may have met then in passing, but it was so long ago. I have visited Shiba more recently, so perhaps. It is an honour to meet you" She lowered her head to the man "would you join me? Food is better enjoyed in company I hear, and you have been so kind to bring it to me after all."

[Jiyo Ayumu]

"Of course milady."

Ayumu sat in front of her, putting food and drinks between them.

"It's a strange feeling for me that to finally meet you eye to eye. Back in the days, I actually came very close to offer my service to the Spider after hearing your impassioned plea."

[Reiko]

Reiko chuckled at that.

"I am no Star, Jiyo-san. I am simply a woman, flesh and blood, born of this realm. Still, regardless of the path you took, you found the one that is right for you. For that I am glad. The Spider will consider you and yours friends always, I have a strong bond with Shiba-dono and value both his friendship and knowledge very highly. I believe he feels the same for me."

[Jiyo Ayumu]

"Present me understands your humanity. Past me was definitely younger and more prone to confuse the moon and its reflection in the pond.

Nonetheless, you are without a doubt one of the world shapers. This expedition exists as an answer to your call, and people here look up to you for answers on the path ahead."

[Reiko]

"Mm" Reiko nodded, taking a moment to bite into her food, a small frown on her features. Once she had swallowed, she spoke again.

"I feel like somewhat of a failure on that front. I had shared many messages of importance across the Empire, and it seems some have not heeded that advice, or it has not been passed on. It makes me worry about some being vastly unprepared physically and spiritually for what awaits us."

[Jiyo Ayumu]

"The fault is not yours alone, far from it. The lands the Kami have claimed is vast, most of its people cannot read, and even if they could we'll never have enough couriers to reach them all. I guess some structural changes could improve upon that, but that's the work of a human lifetime at best. As of now, some flawed word of mouth is to be expected.

However, errors that could have been avoided were indeed made, and I'm in part to blame for this, as I share the responsibility of my clan. Us of the imperial delegation came criminally underprepared, for having not properly recorded all information, and having lost a lot of it to time and other concerns."

Ayumu took out of his belet a piece of bark and a stylus. Well, more of a thin pointy stick of bone that could as well have been used as a needle or as a precision tool, but he was holding it as one would hold a pen at the moment.

"If that's okay with you, let's fix that right now. Please tell me everything."

[Reiko]

Reiko squinted when she saw Ayumu taking something out, moving back slightly until it became obvious that it was some kind of writing utensil.

"Ah, you intend to write what I say? Good idea."

She took a moment to think before speaking.

As you are aware, we are going to rescue one of the Stars, Fu Leng, who has fallen into a realm of evil. In the heavens tongue, this realm is called Jigoku" there was a small shudder "it is a mirror of the Heavens, known in their tongue as Tengoku. The realm of Evil, translated to Jigoku, is a vile and jealous realm, wanting to destroy everything. Many monsters, stuff of nightmares, plague this realm. It is not just the physical threat that it possess, but the spiritual, that we need to contend with."

She paused, taking out a necklace with Jade on it to show Ayumu.

"There is an affliction, a curse, that seeps from the portal that connects our realm, Ningen-Do in the Heavens tongue, to the realm of evil. Those who come in contact with it risk becoming corrupted by it. This corruption, if left unchecked, can corrupt the very soul of a being. It can turn friend into foe, or even prevent the soul from crossing peacefully after you die. Jade is a blessed substance, believed to contain a piece of the Heavens within it. Those who have Jade on their person can be protected from the corruption as long as the being wishes to be. That amount you are holding will protect one person for around seven days."

[Jiyo Ayumu]

Ayumu looked at the jade, then returned it to Reiko:

"Jade was one of our biggest blunders I think. Some received in time the insight it was needed and managed to get ahold of it. Others knew but couldn't find the resources to acquire it. Some lucky ones innocently carry some for cosmetic or religious purposes. Most simply learned of its protective properties too late if at all.

Out of my head, I would say at least half the expedition has none.

So, my next question is: How do we deal with JeeGoKoo without it?"

[Reiko]

It was times like these that made Reiko miss her scrolls the most. They didn't ask awkward questions, or put her on the spot. Nope, they were just lovely lovely scrolls.

"...Strength of will, natural affinity to spiritual curses. Luck. I don't really have an answer to that, and I'm sorry that so few have been informed. There is a hope that the Nezumi may have some."

[Jiyo Ayumu]

"On the subject of Nezumi, I've just talked with one of them. Didn't catch their name, sorry. They told me this whole swamp was a creation of the pit. Seemed really afraid for such a big person.

I'm not sure how metaphorical they were."

[Reiko]

"If you have seen what the stars can do now with a fraction of their divinity, it is not beyond belief that an entire conscious realm could create a swamp. The bigger question would be why" Reiko commented thoughtfully "as a diversion, or as a display of power to ward us off? Perhaps even an attempt to lure us in?"

[Jiyo Ayumu]

"I don't know about their intents, but they did get the result of delaying us by at least a full day.

Are we at a point where one extra day of delay could change everything and anything?"

[Reiko]

Reiko went to answer, before stopping herself.

"That is what the realm likely believes, yes. They underestimate the resilience of Fu Leng though, he is a far stronger being than any other."

[Jiyo Ayumu]

"Of course. Sorry I asked. Doubting, it's letting JeeGoKoo getting into our head, isn't it?

Lady Hantei Kinsen actually suggested that we become beacons of light to push back the despair. Considering her history, I think she was quite literal, but I'm not sure we all have the potential to turn into sunlight made flesh. But maybe I'm wrong and that's something anyone can do under the proper circumstances in this new world of walking gods. The mysteries of the divine elude me.

However, is there anything I, or any member of the expedition, could do, within our current limitations of the moment, that would help more that what we are already doing?

Or, if our current selves are insufficient, something we can actually work on to be ready in time?"

[Reiko]

"The main thing we can all do is keep Fu Leng in our thoughts and our prayers. Fu Leng can feel when we are praying for him. The realm of evil is trying to make him feel alone, one of many tactics as it attempts to break him and turn him. So while you cannot become a beacon of light, by keeping Fu Leng close you are being a beacon of hope" Reiko offered, a smile on her face "when I walked the Empire, that is what I was doing. I was not trying to create an army to storm the realm of evil, I was spreading a message. Spreading a name. Giving Fu Leng the strength to fight this evil."

[Jiyo Ayumu]

"If prayers are that important, maybe we should retrofit one of the now mostly empty provision chariots into an actual shrine? With statues of the Fortune and something that would remind us of Fu-Leng in it? Maybe even organize some kind of ceremony so all of us could come together to pray?"