Heavenfall

"For different reasons too. To some, Reiko is a friend. To some, Fu Leng is family. There are feelings of... duty, or obligation. These I find understandable, but I've difficulties understanding those who are just... tagging along."

And it was those she worried greatly about.

"I am here because Reiko made the case and I feel that we can no longer live as we have. We must change. If I am seen by these kami, I will find new purpose in one of their ranks, probably Bayushi's, but only if he will have me." A shake of her head, a firm one. "I think the unaligned are in many cases seeking places for similar reasons. rescuing a kami is... quite the selling point if you wish to be honored as a fellow worker and not a rank and file. Ambition can be a motivator."

A dangerous one sometimes, but real in these days.

She certainly hoped the others had similar motivations, and not joining because it seemed like a fun thing to do.

"I hope you find what you seek. And yes, change is coming. It is... as inevitable as the turn of the seasons. The coming of the tribes were a change in this land, as was the coming of the humans. Now there's a new change upon us." Saruko shrugged. "Just because it's change doesn't mean it's bad. But people tend to fear what they can't control."

"I tend to be somewhat allergic to change." She grunted as she said it. It wasn't a pleasant admission, but it was also an honest one. She didn't like change that much at all. "But I do not fear it. Some do. I think my people are resistant because they do not wish to change. They do not want the old ways to go away. They will not have that luxury. I will, if I find what I seek, bring it back to them and offer as Koyama did five years ago the alternative that they have."

And just like Saruko was thinking she was really hoping there weren't a lot of thrill seekers out there. Get them all killed, those lot.

She chuckled, shooting Phi a teasing glance. "It seems that the Hikaru depend on eachother more than they like to admit, judging by how deeply you care for them. But - that is a good thing. Humans may be solitary, but we're all connected to eachother still."

"Heh. We're allowed to depend on each other. We're not quite stubborn, I promise." They just kept to the Hikaru as a rule, usually. "But you're not wrong. There's a few things out there that can't be handled by one. Like this crap." She looked down at the dead deer.

"You think the meat's good here? Asking seriously. This bog wasn't here last week? Even if it's not, there's parts I can put to use, but..."

Saruko gave the deer a sceptical look. It didn't seem to have any unusual amount of eyes, or tentacles. Or creepy dark things.

"It looks fine, but I would caution to scrutinize food and water found here. Stay clear of those found deep in the swamp."

She nodded. "It'll be overcooked and turned into jerky then, salted to the point where it's only good to nourish. Better safe than sorry. I'll keep it apart... just in case we get word there's a problem. Shouldn't be our first food store." At least that struck her as sensible. "Shame to let this much meat go to waste if we can help it. And no way in hell am I going into the deep swamp if I can help it."

Yeah, no such luck there Phi.

"The depths of the swamp seem to hold some darkness. I advise to not to go there." She hadn't gone to check herself, but it had seemed that things turned worse further in, if the poor dhola was anything to go by.

"I wonder how many brought their own dried rations for this trip."

"I believe a lot of the rations were dried, cured and prepared when we got here. Having weeks' worth is... unlikely. I know I put my effort into having the little jade I have," she admitted, considering that for a moment and shrugging as she started to get a stick ready to help hoist the carcass. "I think we've got enough supplies, as long as nothing really bad happens."

"I know that if we were to suddenly run out or lose our supplies for some reason, I should have enough for myself for ten days or so, I think... but I hope it doesn't happen, as I worry for those who have less or nothing." Hopefully the issue of jade would work out itself when they got to the Nezumi's place. Maybe they'd have some for trade.

"I'm not as skilled at going for days without food yet. Fasting wasn't something I got to have much practice with while learning meditation techniques."

"Never was the fasting type myself." Phi could admit that. So, she was definitely one in favor of guarding the stock to be sure that it remained intact and ensuring that it wasn't lost. "But with any luck, it won't come to that. Do you think we're in the middle o this ... Jigoku's influence yet?" She'd yet to realize that the degrading of her jade would be the fist real indication of that, and that had yet to begin.

"I don't think so... I'm not sure, but I... think I would sense its presence if we were. However, I think it might have left its mark here somehow. Not greatly, but noticeably, if the swamp is anything to go by."

She pointed in the direction further into the swamp. "Earlier today, along with Kinsen, Hanzou, and Sora, we found a dhola that had been... touched by it. Further in. It had grown many eyes along its body and a big... tentacle was sprouting from its body. It's mouth was full with teeth, all the way down its throat. The poor creature must've been corrupted by it somehow and suffered until we killed it. This place and the closer we are to camp, the purer things seem to be."

Another frown and she looked the carcass over for signs of extra teeth where they didn't belong. "That sounds disgusting," she muttered and began to sling the beast up onto a stake for ease of carriage. "I will see to it that the meat's marked. Just in case there is something we can't detect, the smallest of this ... twisting. We use the rations we brought first. Then those we foraged beyond the river."

She nodded, agreeing. "It might be prudent too to inquire who brought personal rations. We can add that to the common pool, if it extends our days with safe provisions a bit more."

"I'm... not really good at talking to people. I talk 'at' them. So it might be better if other people who don't put people off with their eyes handle that," she mused, chuckling to herself and hefting the stick while she looked over at Saruko. "But an accounting might not be terrible." She was, however, hoping they'd done enough of that already. They were almost a week out.

"I'll try to speak with Shinjo-Kami about it once we're out of the swamp and we have a better chance at looking at our current stock." She smiled warmly. "Maybe I'm just used to odd eyes and the likes, I don't find them so off-putting as others do."

"Fair enough. And thank you. For speaking to her. I'm not sure how to, really." A shrug. "But I suppose some are more used to red eyes. It puts most off who haven't lived with me around for a while, and even a lot of them." Honestly, it really did limit her interactions at times.

"In my tribe, the Ayakashi, it wasn't unusual for some of us to be touched by the other realms that our vale is close to. Sometimes, that manifests in... odd traits. Such as strangely colored eyes." She'd seen those with stronger marks, but that was a different matter.

"As for speaking to Shinjo, it's no trouble. We are bond-sisters, and I think she's kind and pleasant company."

"Ah. fair. It's much rarer where I come from. And I hear that about her a lot. That she's a pleasant, kind woman. Perhaps I'll address that when we finally meet. It needs to happen at some point." She had pretty much told herself she needed to by now. "I'm going to get this back to camp for salting. Do you need an escort?"