Post by Saiko on Nov 9, 2011 22:21:17 GMT -5
{OOC} IF you have a reason to be in the area and feel like posting, feel free to jump in, I've just been gone for a while and I wanted a good post to get back into things.
Somewhere near the Castle of the Swift Sword, two weeks after the fall of Toshi Ranbo...
He had been walking for days, through nameless woulds and down forgotten paths, all memory of his life or the world to which he belonged gone. He walked as though driven by a will clearly not his own, for looking at the man you would wonder how he still breathed, much less walked. His black and green armor was caked in blood and mud, his Dragon mon barely recognizable without close inspection, though you would notice the wounds covering his body long before such smaller details. His forehead was split open from eyebrow to temple, he walked as though his leg was broken, watching him breath would show at least one broken rib, and his arm was gashed most of the way down, though it looked as though it was a much older wound. As the days dragged on though, so did he, seemingly feeling no pain or hindrance, moving inexplicably towards an unknown goal. He came upon a stream flowing through the woods, and remembered what thirst was. Stopping for the first time since he awoke in the woods days before, the man fell to his knees and drank greedily for almost a minute, not stopping until he heard a strange sound. Looking for the source, he saw farther up river, lazily stalking fish through the rushing water, a majestic crane, and he began to remember...
Kyuden Otomo, three days after the fall of Toshi Ranbo...
He marched across the courtyard towards the stables, his right arm heavily bandaged and in a sling, ignoring the protestations from the healing shugenja that had been trying to keep him in the infirmary since he, as well as the three Kakitas who he had retreated from Toshi Ranbo with, had arrived days before. "Mirumoto-sama, I must insist you rest. You should not be walking about as much as you are, much less preparing to ride to a battlefield!", the small man said with an exasperated tone in his voice, but the young bushi merely gave a short laugh and continued his brisk pace towards the stables. "As if I could stay when I am perfectly fine to ride. You truly expect me to stay here behind these walls while even now my Clan's armies march on Lion lands? While my family chooses a new Daimyo to replace Takezo? No, my friend. I thank you for your services, and I will always be in your debt, but for now I must return to the war."
As one of his retainers helped him to mount his horse, he looked down at the shugenja one more time. Asahina-san, I must ask one more favor of you. Deliver this letter to Kakita Sojiro as soon as you can please." With that he turned to his few bushi retainers, and they rode from the city, freshly polished armor gleaming in the midday sun.
Somewhere near the Castle of the Swift Sword, one week after the fall of Toshi Ranbo...
It was as if the entire Lion army is camped in these woods, thought the young Dragon bushi as his small part rode harder than they had since they left Kyuden Otomo, weaving in and out of the dark woods to try and avoid the absurdly large number of Lion troops that seemed to be both constantly getting closer and more numerous. He had already lost seven men, and was down to only him and three others, but he was determined that they would reach the rest of the Dragon host soon. Of course, that was before he saw the rope strung between the two trees that threw him and his men from their horses, and almost faster than they could return to their feet, the Mirumoto saw a blinding flash of light and knew no more...
Somewhere near the Castle of the Swift Sword, three weeks after the fall of Toshi Ranbo...
Shadows of memories, of a life he once led, a meaning to the colors of his armor and the blade on his hip, all began to return to the man as he continued to trudge through the trees all around him, but at a frustratingly slow pace. It all meant nothing to him, because none of it mattered without a name. Nowhere in his fragmented memory was he given a name other than Mirumoto, and although that had been a start, it had been a week ago and he knew nothing more about it other than it was his family's name. More so than that, however, was the walking. He had been walking since he awoke in these woods, over a week ago, and he did not know why. He knew he was not lost, but where he was going, how he was walking, and the why continued to elude him, day after day.
His answer was not far off. His ears perked up as familiar sounds reached him; sounds that he did not recognize at first, because he had not heard them in so long. Voices. There were people nearby, and for some reason the man knew exactly what he had to do. His pace quickened, and he emerged from the thick underbrush into a patrol of heavily armored men. Before he even managed a greeting, the men had drawn their weapons and surrounded him. One in particular stepped forward, obviously the one in charge, and spoke in a rough, gravelly voice. "I am Mirumoto Godukan, state your your name and business in these land." The young man straightened his back, his green eyes bright once again with light as he stared into Godukan's eyes, and said I am Mirumoto Saiko, returning from Kyuden Otomo where I retreated with the Crane armies after the fall of Toshi Ranbo, and I am looking for Mirumoto Shigekazu," and he promptly fell to the ground unconscious.
Somewhere near the Castle of the Swift Sword, two weeks after the fall of Toshi Ranbo...
He had been walking for days, through nameless woulds and down forgotten paths, all memory of his life or the world to which he belonged gone. He walked as though driven by a will clearly not his own, for looking at the man you would wonder how he still breathed, much less walked. His black and green armor was caked in blood and mud, his Dragon mon barely recognizable without close inspection, though you would notice the wounds covering his body long before such smaller details. His forehead was split open from eyebrow to temple, he walked as though his leg was broken, watching him breath would show at least one broken rib, and his arm was gashed most of the way down, though it looked as though it was a much older wound. As the days dragged on though, so did he, seemingly feeling no pain or hindrance, moving inexplicably towards an unknown goal. He came upon a stream flowing through the woods, and remembered what thirst was. Stopping for the first time since he awoke in the woods days before, the man fell to his knees and drank greedily for almost a minute, not stopping until he heard a strange sound. Looking for the source, he saw farther up river, lazily stalking fish through the rushing water, a majestic crane, and he began to remember...
Kyuden Otomo, three days after the fall of Toshi Ranbo...
He marched across the courtyard towards the stables, his right arm heavily bandaged and in a sling, ignoring the protestations from the healing shugenja that had been trying to keep him in the infirmary since he, as well as the three Kakitas who he had retreated from Toshi Ranbo with, had arrived days before. "Mirumoto-sama, I must insist you rest. You should not be walking about as much as you are, much less preparing to ride to a battlefield!", the small man said with an exasperated tone in his voice, but the young bushi merely gave a short laugh and continued his brisk pace towards the stables. "As if I could stay when I am perfectly fine to ride. You truly expect me to stay here behind these walls while even now my Clan's armies march on Lion lands? While my family chooses a new Daimyo to replace Takezo? No, my friend. I thank you for your services, and I will always be in your debt, but for now I must return to the war."
As one of his retainers helped him to mount his horse, he looked down at the shugenja one more time. Asahina-san, I must ask one more favor of you. Deliver this letter to Kakita Sojiro as soon as you can please." With that he turned to his few bushi retainers, and they rode from the city, freshly polished armor gleaming in the midday sun.
Somewhere near the Castle of the Swift Sword, one week after the fall of Toshi Ranbo...
It was as if the entire Lion army is camped in these woods, thought the young Dragon bushi as his small part rode harder than they had since they left Kyuden Otomo, weaving in and out of the dark woods to try and avoid the absurdly large number of Lion troops that seemed to be both constantly getting closer and more numerous. He had already lost seven men, and was down to only him and three others, but he was determined that they would reach the rest of the Dragon host soon. Of course, that was before he saw the rope strung between the two trees that threw him and his men from their horses, and almost faster than they could return to their feet, the Mirumoto saw a blinding flash of light and knew no more...
Somewhere near the Castle of the Swift Sword, three weeks after the fall of Toshi Ranbo...
Shadows of memories, of a life he once led, a meaning to the colors of his armor and the blade on his hip, all began to return to the man as he continued to trudge through the trees all around him, but at a frustratingly slow pace. It all meant nothing to him, because none of it mattered without a name. Nowhere in his fragmented memory was he given a name other than Mirumoto, and although that had been a start, it had been a week ago and he knew nothing more about it other than it was his family's name. More so than that, however, was the walking. He had been walking since he awoke in these woods, over a week ago, and he did not know why. He knew he was not lost, but where he was going, how he was walking, and the why continued to elude him, day after day.
His answer was not far off. His ears perked up as familiar sounds reached him; sounds that he did not recognize at first, because he had not heard them in so long. Voices. There were people nearby, and for some reason the man knew exactly what he had to do. His pace quickened, and he emerged from the thick underbrush into a patrol of heavily armored men. Before he even managed a greeting, the men had drawn their weapons and surrounded him. One in particular stepped forward, obviously the one in charge, and spoke in a rough, gravelly voice. "I am Mirumoto Godukan, state your your name and business in these land." The young man straightened his back, his green eyes bright once again with light as he stared into Godukan's eyes, and said I am Mirumoto Saiko, returning from Kyuden Otomo where I retreated with the Crane armies after the fall of Toshi Ranbo, and I am looking for Mirumoto Shigekazu," and he promptly fell to the ground unconscious.
