Heavenfall

Beggars couldn't be choosers. It was known. And if eating a bowl of "Expedition Surprise" (What's in it? IT'S A SURPRISE!) let him preserve his own small cache of dried fish, nuts, and the Hikaru secret weapon, pemmican, well, so be it.

But he still eyed the bowl rather critically.

Need to teach the Seidou about pemmican. Clearly.

Taochusu had eaten much worse to survive in the past. He wasn't about to argue with a free meal. He sat near Jiyo with his bowl and ate.

"Hmm... Okay I guess," he says with a nod. He turns to Jiyo and nods to him.

"You work with what you have."

He sighed and knocked back the broth.

"Like it or not. Don't think we've met. Sora, of the Jiyo family, formerly of the Hikaru tribe."

"Oh, I met someone that was from the Jiyo family back in the village. You guys are part of the Emperor's clan right?" he asks. "I am Taochusu."

"The Kami like to refer to us as the Imperial Families rather than a Clan- think it's some hierarchical thing I don't much care about. But yes, we serve the Emperor. Glad you're with us, Taochusu. We might well need some strong arms before this is over."

"I hope they're just needed for lifting stuff. It'd be better if people didn't end up in danger anymore like that fight with the bandits the other day. But I'm ready to use them for a fight if I need to," he says.

"It only gets worse from here, Taochusu. I don't know if you heard about the... thing some of us ran into, but it doesn't exactly bode well for the trail ahead."

"No. Hadn't heard anything. What did you see?"

"We found... a dog. A dhole, poor thing. It was... wrong. All wrong. Eyes everywhere. Couldn't walk properly. Big tentacle, like something off of an octopus, growing out of its side. Mouth ran most of the length of its body."

Oh look. The food's even less appetizing.

"Are you carrying jade, Taochusu?"

"No. Never been one for jewelry or pretty stuff," he says, taking another bite. He seemed quite content with the food.

"I'd acquire the taste, were I you. it offers a modicum of protection from Jigoku's influence."

"Well, wanting it and getting it are two different things as well," he says with a chuckle. "Not really swimming in trade goods and I never even saw the stuff before this afternoon when I saw someone working it out of it's shell."

Sora sighed.

"I expect we'll have to see if the Nezumi have any."

He took a bit of his meal and nodded. "I guess if they have some, it would be good for those that have stuff to trade for it. But I got next to nothing to trade for it. So unless the expedition got some and lent it out until we we're finished wouldn't make a huge difference to me."

"Depending on the cost, I think we could see about subsidizing some jade. I have a little saved up, I'm sure others here do as well..."

"Not even sure what it's supposed to do," he says with a shrug. "What's so special about it?"

"You'd need to ask one of the spirit-talkers for the fine details- Kyosei of the Isawa is probably the best-informed- but there's something about the stone that.... keeps Jigoku's inlfuence from corrupting those near it, at leasta little."

"Sounds like it would come in handy," he says with a nod. "Next time I talk to him I'll ask about it."

"We're all in this together, after all."

"Yeah. Been so long since I was part of a group. The team is important so losing a part of it only makes things harder for everyone else," he says with a nod.