Supply Run (Open-RP)

[Zeure]

For nights and days, along the coasts they had marched. Up from the territory that the humans called the shadowlands. Swimming and running they had marched. They had been given orders to assist in the fight against the empire on a more strategic scale than they had before, and they would, oh yes, they would. And now, Lonely shore city was in sight.

They had been informed by scouting and by magic that this was where a significant number of supplies was being stored by one of those things called a "Great Clan"; and this "Great Clan" was supposed to be so heavy into treasure that they would have rich supplies worth plundering. Enough to feed an entire tribe for months, not counting any shinies that they would find. This was the thought of the portion of the Stained Paw tribe that had moved north.

One nezumi in particular was looking for something else entirely but he had been put in charge of the others. Ik'kah-chek had been made a chief on this run. He was told that there was a powerful nemuranai that was present here. Something called the "Origami Crane of Good Fortune". He often had trouble remembering, but for some reason, this thing stuck out in his head. Maybe it was that Ikm'atch-tek had charged him personally with getting this, maybe it was because the tomorrow, Daigotsu, had made it quite clear that he was interested in this as well; but either way, Ik'kah-chek had no intention of not gaining this item.

In the dead of night, after the hour rat (funnily enough), the Nezumi began their desperate charge. However, one of the watch towers on the city line bordering the shore managed to get their fires lit, announcing that there was danger coming. Soon, there were gongs being hit and various alarms being sounded. A nezumi horde had sprung up on the edge of the city and they were out for blood.

Ik'kah-chek was yelling out several things to those in charge of the smaller bands.

"Kill every human that crosses your path. If they are too strong, run back and grab more. Find these things called warehouses where they store the food and other treasures and start carrying them out. Priority to be placed on getting food, treasures second."

He had his own band to lead, and as soon as they began uncovering these warehouses, then he would begin his seach in earnest. Though, he had a suspicion that something this important would be found at the big house of the big-name samurai in charge. He would strike there later if need be.

Peasents were dying and crying out for the samurai to protect them.

[OOC] I think it's pretty self-explanatory who can get involved in this. I'm don't really require a PM for entry, but if you want to work out some details, I am more than happy to speak with you on this. These ratlings are attacking Lonely Shore City, just to be even more clear about this. And remember a few things. 1. The average person, even a samurai, has never seen nezumi before. 2. If one were not a samurai, trained to stand in battle against fearful creatures, one would most likely flee. 3. Feel free to join in on the fun. [/OOC]

[Kakita Sojiro]

(OOC you DO remember that the Crab have taken Lonely Shore, right? )

[Zeure]

[OOC]Did I ever mention a clan alignment in my post?[/OOC]

[Zeure]

Hundreds of peasents were all trying to move at once across the city away from the encroaching hoard of fur, teeth, and claws. And many were not making it out in time. Blood was quickly filling the streets. There had been no response from the samurai of the city yet, the Nezumi felt lucky, the peasents felt that their lords were afraid to act.

Ik'kah-chek tore open a box that was located in one of the warehouses near the docks and found a supply of food. He looked around himself and spotting a group of younger less experienced Nezumi, he called them over to him.

"Take these and get them out of here. I'm going to head to the next location as this one is not what I seek. Secure these and move out."

He moved out into the street and haphazardly gutted a peasent with his wicked looking crudely made spear, Sadly, the human just happened to have run into him, trying to escape from a pack behind him.

"Filthy humans..."

Continuing his search, he moved into the next warehouse to look through some of the crates that were held there.

[Zeure]

Ik'kah-chek came out the door from another warehouse that he had rummaged through, he still had not found what he was seeking. More and more the thought occured to him that something like 'that' which he sought would have to be in a more secure location than these warehouses. They held nothing but food and random human things. His tongue rolled across his top left teeth as he looked up the hill towards the big place where the samurai met. He was not happy to have to move against that.

In other parts of the city, the looting and murder continued. The guards of the city had formed a sort of resistance against the Nezumi, but they seemed disorganized, as though waiting for more direction. But the tides were being pushed back at the very least. Nezumi tactics were normally hit and run, surprise measures, so an organized troop attack was not their style and they were not used to it.

[Hida Joji]

Joji looked around thinking - "Damm Cranes, even their peasants are fussy... I'll teach them a lesson in manners!" - "You there!" - Joji shouts to the local militia - "Close the gates to the Noble quarter! Close the gates to the market district! We secure this ward and this ward alone! And get some men on those walls and on those roofs! By men I mean warriors!"
As the militia rushes to botch the orders Joji approaches the quarters housing the small body of dammed bushi, survivors of the recent battle. Joji stops, adjusts his kimono and mentally prepares - "These morons want to kill me because I'm tainted but don't want to die. Do not show weakness! "

Joji bangs on the door and goes in before anyone can answer – “Get up and get ready! A Nezumi band is attacking the market district! ” – Joji turns to Hida Tetsu – “Take your unit, find large bands and slaughter them. Leave survivors, after a few casualties all Nezumi remember their nature. ”

Turning away Joji thinking – “I better check on the stronghouse. ”

Approaching the two story house he spots the two guards outside looking professional and missing the small figures moving up the wall and across the 1st floor’s roof. Joji hugs the shadows as he hefts his Tetsubo – “Guess I’ll go ninja on those rats. ”

[Zeure]

Ik'kah-chek had made his way to the largest house up and away from most of the Nezumi horde. He had this continued suspicion that the important object that he was after would be held here; in some private area. Humans loved to leave such things in open places that other humans could marvel at the possessions of another. He thought this was stupid, as it made it easier to take it. Though, really, if one can not hold on to one's possessions, then they were never really theirs to begin with; they were merely holding them for the true owner. That was old Nezumi logic.

He had a small band of other Nezumi with him. They were not the heavily experienced warriors, like himself, but neither were they the green, freshly cut cubs that he had looting the merchant's warehouses in that portion of town he had just vacated. Ik'kah-chek was surprised at how much of a fight the humans were putting up. Normally humans were afraid of Nezumi, but it would not be such a far leap of logic to assume that these must be the type of humans that were commanded to attack. Large groups of humans had run away from them that night. It must just be down to the veterans. He snorted in laughter. If these were the best that the humans had, he would have no trouble in here.

His group silently made it's way along the roof of the first floor until they came to one of the windows that would let them in to the second floor. Not particularly caring for the condition he left things in, he bit cleanly through the wooden cross beams that formed the window structure and tore them out. Assisted as he was by his teeth, it made very little sound compared to everything else that was happening in the city. He had his band went in through the window to begin searching the house.

[Hida Joji]

“Stained paw? Here?” – Joji approaches the sentries signaling for silence – “There are Nezumi inside. Go get more men, open the door, go inside weapons drawn yelling as loud as you can. They are all cowards and cowards are to be crushed. Remember that.” – Joji rotates his shoulders and cracks his fingers showing then his claw-like black nails. – “Go!”
As the soldiers rush in surprising stealth to fulfill his orders Joji climbs to the roof and covers the window trying to separate the sounds of the city from the sounds of the warehouse. – “Come out, come out….”

[Zeure]

The Nezumi had already vacated the room that Joji was now viewing. They seemed to move with an unnatural speed. Or at least, such speeds would seem unnatural to a human.

Ik'kah-chek had motioned them forward into the house. Though they had chosen to enter on the second floor, he was making his way downward, as he believed that humans liked to keep their 'treasures' in underground areas. Down the stairs they went. There didn't seem to be anyone in the house, which confused Ik'kah-chek. He thought surely that they would have go gut some humans on their way through the house. He was.... disappointed.

They reached the first floor and began looking for the entrance to go even lower.

[Hida Joji]

A few minutes go by as Joji waits by the window trying to separate the faraway sounds of fighting and looting from any noises come from within the house, so far only faints noises emerged as the nezumi search the house. “At last!” – Joji looks at the approaching ashigaru, there are about a dozen of them with 5 of them a Crab ashigaru patrol. Joji motions them closer – “The Crab soldiers are in charge. You!" - Joji says pointing his black nails to the biggest one – “We are ambushing nezumi. You are the hammer and I’m the anvil. Go!”
The Ashigaru light lamps and barge inside talking loudly and wielding their lamps and knifes. Joji draws his wakizashi and prepares for his favorite form of combat, chaotic close-up melee. Soon enough fighting sounds come out of the window and he hears the patter of feet approaching the window.

[Zeure]

A single cowardly nezumi had ran back to escape the oncoming guards. Which seemed odd to Joji. Nezumi are normally a cowardly lot that would run at the first sign of trouble, but this time, most of them had stood their ground against the soldier that had run inside. The single Nezumi bared it's claws and teeth and leapt for Joji, intending to strike him in the face with a jumping lunge attack.

Downstairs, the other nezumi group was working their way through the ashigaru troops. Ik'kah-chek had fought plenty of humans, and though they had surprise and number on their side, some of the humans were just plain scared of these wicked half-rat/half-man beasts that clearly had crawled up from the depths of Jigoku. The more-experienced crab soldier were not afraid of them though, and they were offering a decent challenge to the nezumi.

Which is why Ik'kah-chek made that fight his personal responsibility. As one ratling fell back, he moved forward, and the strange knife spear that he was wielding was striking at weird angles that the Crab were not prepared for. And, it was poisoned. Something fast acting apparently.

[Hida Joji]

Joji meets the charge with a Tsuchi Atemi his preferred Kobo Ichi-Kai maneuver especially good for breaking snouts. Sure enough the Nezumi falls backward leaving only a new tear on his kimono. As the Nezumi falls down to land in a semi-conscious heap of fur, taint and whiskers Joji jumps down and lands his entire weight on the scrawny neck. A Loud snap is lost amid the yelling and screeching. - “Looks like I’m the hammer.”

Joji advances cautiously until he spots the 2 groups engaged in combat , takes a deep breath and charges in silence bellowing a kiai only when his knee connects to the skull of the unfortunate nezumi on the back of the group. -
“You fight an Hida now! Too late to run to your holes! Prepare to meet your tomorrow today!” –
At the same time as he lashes out with his Wakizashi, fists, feet and the occasional headbutt Joji circles around giving the Nezumi an escape route to the window. You never corner a rat, never.

[Zeure]

The group of Nezumi that were holding back the guard were not having too rough a time of it. They seemed a great deal more organized than most Nezumi do. Joji, who had fought them before (or fought alongside them), would be able to tell that this was peculiar. The guards were just fighting them as they would any other force. And the Nezumi seemed purposeful in their defense of their ground.

Meanwhile, down below, in one of the storehouses, Ik'kah-chek was rummaging through boxes, trying to rapidly go through as many as he could while the others held off the samurai in the room above. Eventually, he found what he was looking for. Briefly holding it aloft to see if it had any obvious ways of usage or powers to display; though none came forth, he then moved back upstairs. He saw the opening that was being left for his troops to run, but made no move as of yet. He remained hidden and concealed in the darkness of the stairway down.

[Hida Joji]

Joji was somewhat intrigued, Nezumi are vicious, cowardly fighters. They fight for food, safety and little else. So what is this bunch fighting for?

Joji swings his his wakizashi wildly to make room and steps back out of the melee, a couple of nezumi keep an eye on him but don't seem interested in pursuing the big Hida.

"What are you rats doing?" - joji thinks as he looks around carefully. "There!" - Joji spots a nezumi tail swishing wildly poking out into the light from the stair leading to the basement. "Whatever it is must be really shiny." - Joji steps further back opening a clear path from the stairs to the window.

"Let's see if I can catch a rat..." - Sheathing his wakizshi, Joji prepares to pounce and wrestle a Nezumi, not an easy feat.

Spoting the opening Ik'kah-chek sees the trap for what it is but needs to take the opportunity. With a high-peached squeaks the orders his 2 senior bushi to flee in front of him and draw the big Crab out while he made his escape.
The 2 rats disengage and start to move towards the window, as they near the ambush spot they charge the corner but find nothing there.
Ik'kah-chek starts his dash but, suddenly, Joji charges out of a paper wall throws Ik'kah-check against the corridor wall and tries to finish him off with a flying knee to the skull.
"Grab grab grab! Stop stop him!" - Ik'kah-check screams as he tries to dodge the flying knee, he manages to evade the knee strike but it connects with the package throwing it flying up in a lazy arc.

Both Nezumi and Crab look up as it rises towards the ceiling.

Both snap their eyes down on one another.

Joji screams to his men, Ik'kah-check to his pack and both are saying the same thing...