IsleOfJade/SessionFour

Farmer, Bloody Farmer

(1) Yeled: As Mou-Shendu, Tetsuko, and Yukio contemplate the whereabouts of the strange sorceress from the night before, they hear a commotion coming from the direction of the main village gate.

Yukio: "Hmmm... sounds like fun at the village gate."

Mou-Shendu raises his hand, needlessly, to silence the others as he looks toward the gate. 

Yukio frowns at Mou-Shendu's typical response. 

Mou-Shendu: "Let's go".

Yukio waits for Mou-Shendu to lead... 

Sook frowns a bit and lopes off behind the other two 

(1) Yeled: There is a small crowd gathered there, and the farmers are in something of a tizzy. They bulk of the crowd has formed a semi-circle around something that must have come in through the gate.

Mou-Shendu pushes his way through the crowd to see what has disturbed this normally quite village. 

Sook runs on the tips of his toes to see if he can see what it is over the farmers 

Sook then helps mou shendu part the farmers, an easy task for the huge man 

Yukio follows silently in the giant's trail 

(1) Yeled: You're not sure what it is, and with people running toward the gate as you are and the farmers yelling, crying, and wailing with trepidation and outright panic, its very difficult to make heads or tails of what's going on.

Sook pushes aside 3-4 farmers at a pace with arms like fenceposts 

Kaneda, the Gate Guard , a solid if not incredibly skilled former soldier in the Qin House militia, crouches above a figure who is laying prone on the ground. "What happened to you, Tam Bo?" he says. "Who has done this to you?" 

Sook pushes the guard aside bodily and begins administering first aid 

(1) Yeled: Tam Bo is an old rice farmer from the outskirts of the community. The harmless man is soaked through and laying collapsed on his stomach, blood spilling from his body at an alarming rate. The crimson trail leads from the farmer's fallen form to the gate, and he must have dragged himself in.

(1) Yeled: ((go ahead and make an Int + Med roll, sook))

Mou-Shendu is close behind. He attempts to take in all the details: specifically the kind of injuries. 

Sook begins ripping pieces of his robe off as bandages, mentally going over the various herbs he might have that can help the obviously nearly dead man 

Mou-Shendu: "Can I help?"

Sook waves the smaller man off 

Sook: [11d10] => [9,10,5,7,1,3,4,7,8,6,6] = (66)

(1) Yeled: Tetsuko's skill with the healing arts is truly amazing. Quickly ascertaining Tam Bo's condition, he uses his makeshift bandages to stop the rapid bleeding almost immediately. The farmer stabilizes rapidly after that, and while he's in terrible condition death no longer seems likely. He's even conscious, and his small eyes flick about between your faces. He seems to want to tell you something, but can't find the breath.

Sook: "he will need a place to rest...", Sook calms the man, motioning that he needn’t speak now,"...now, not later"

Mou-Shendu: "Tam Bo, do you have family at the farm? Just nod or shake your head."

Sook frowns 

Sook: "if he was attacked there, maybe it...you know.....isn’t safe"

Tam Bo nods, his face panicked. 

Sook will, if the man is stable enough, lift the smaller old man up into his arms, and stands, looking about for someone to offer a place 

Mou-Shendu: "And that is where this happened?" Mou-Shendu asks, just for verification.

(1) Yeled: The farmers stand about, no one taking the lead. They look to you, the students of the school, to make decisions of this nature, as always.

Tam Bo nods again 

Sook glares at mou shendu...as usual, sook cares much about the mans health and very little, at this point, about the cause of his injuries 

Sook frowns and grunts, then begins walking towards the hill 

Mou-Shendu: ((Is there anyone in the town that is good with healing, or is the school the place people would go?)) (1) Tam Bo: ((yeah, they go to the school for everything)) Mou-Shendu: ((How about Mater Li? Is he a capable healer?)) (1) Tam Bo: ((who do you think taught Sook?))

Mou-Shendu: "Tetsuko." Mou-Shendu says softly but firmly, "This man does not need your talents anymore right now, but his family still does."

Sook looks at mou shendu 

Sook looks at tam bo, "he does not look well enough for that..." 

Sook: "but you probably know better than i do"

Sook appears to be wrestling with his thoughts and losing 

Mou-Shendu turns to the crowd. He points to the ex-soldier that was leaning over Tam and says, "Help this man to the School. Enlist help if you need it. Bring him to Master Li." Mou-Shendu was talking to the soldier, about Tam Bo.

(1) Kaneda, the Gate Guard: "But, what about the gate? Who is going to watch it? This could be a prelude to an attack on the village!"

Sook: "mou shendu,you are kind...but he weighs but nothing to me"

(1) Yeled: At this comment the farmers all go crazy with panic. They resume their wailing and begin tripping over each other to get away from the gate.

Mou-Shendu sighs.

Sook moves off away from the panic,leaving the talking to the ones who are more skilled at it 

Yukio follows closely to Mou-Shendu 

Mou-Shendu: "Tetsuko!", Mou-Shendu calls after Sook. "Yukio and I will check out his farm, then."

Sook turns half back to them and nods, not stopping his legs forward motion 

Kaneda, the Gate Guard seems satisfied with this result.

(1) Sparrow: "I'll accompany you!" Sparrow walks confidently toward you, ignoring the commotion around her. She smiles and pulls from her robes two blue Chakram. She afixes them to the tie at her waist.

Yukio looks uneasingly at Sparrow... then at Mou-Shendu.

(1) Sparrow: "I might as well make myself useful while I wait for my Immaculate brother."

Mou-Shendu pauses a moment. If this is the one he seeks, it could be risky, but at least he'd be able to watch both leads at the same time. "Thank you. We appreciate the help."

Yukio: "Come along if you wish, but so help me god, I will not think twice about killing you if you betray us."

Mou-Shendu gives Yukio a dirty look. 

(1) Sparrow: "Why would I betray you? I'm here to help."

Yukio: "I only figure I give you fair warning."

Mou-Shendu: "I apologize for this one. Your description is similar to someone we have been searching for."

Drowning in the Light of the World

(1) Yeled: meanwhile, at the Two Rivers School of Martial Arts...Master Li has gathered Kaimi and Ayame before the wading pool on the Hill.

(1) Master Li: "You see, Kaimi, your martial arts--the way you move and the choices you make--they move against the flow of Creation. The world resists what you do, just as if you were fighting in water. For that reason you are slowed down, and it is not possible to reach your true potential. The difference between the way you move when you fight, and the way an exalt can move, is the very similar to you moving in water as compared with how Ayame does so."

Master Li stops talking and looks at Kaimi.

Kaimi stands watching master Li, waiting for further explanation. 

Master Li scowls just a bit at Kaimi. "Ayame, please come forward." 

Ayame slides up from behind Li 

(1) Master Li: "Ayame is going to open your eyes to a whole new world, Kaimi."

Kaimi: " Alright. Thank you Ayame"

Ayame looks slightly perplexed for a just a moment as she is thanked 

Kaimi is slightly lost. she knows something is expected of her but she is not entirely sure as to what. 

Master Li sighs. "Will you two stop standing there gawking at each other!" 

Kaimi: " I'm not sure what else I am suppose to do."

Ayame suddenly throws a hand out, firmly slamming her palm into Kaimi's chest, knocking her sailing backwards into the wading pool, infusing her with essence, hitting her like the cold water of the pool as sparks and light bursts from a mark planted squarely in her sternum. 

(1) Yeled: Kaimi sinks into the depths of the pool, the air knocked from her lungs by the force of Ayame's unexpected blow. As she struggles to regain her breath, her bearings, the surface, she notices strange lights flashing before her eyes. They flow and swirl before her in a strange dance of tiny vortexes and miniscule eddies.

 Kaimi attempts to resurface 

(1) Yeled: Kaimi tries to gain her bearings, but a torrent of watery ights flow around her in her path, turning her around and confusing her sense of direction. She's no longer sure which way is up.

Kaimi tries to hold her breath, picks a direction and goes with it. 

(1) Yeled: The lights flow in blues and greens. There is a movement to them. A current. The lights are pushing you. Forcing you in a direction against your will.

(1) Master Li: "She's been under a long time, Ayame."

Ayame looks over and blinks her pearly eyes at Li "Does that mean you want me to fish her out?" 

Master Li shrugs. "You can do what you think is best." 

Kaimi switches direction and goes with the water 

Ayame leaps into the air and dives, slipping into the water flawlessly, making a tight, impossible arc in the water…

(1) Master Li: Suddenly Kaimi's movements become swift, and she is carried along with the flowing and dancing lights. She sees a different kind of light ahead...warm, yellow light. Sunlight. Then she feels firm hands take a hold of her and pull her up.

…before snatching Kaimi and bursting out of the pool with her, laying her on the ground on the side opposite Master Li

Kaimi sits up sputtering 

Ayame looks down discerningly at the girl "How do you feel?" 

Master Li sits calmly across the pool from them, waiting. 

Kaimi turn to Ayame and coughs out: "What did you do?!"

(1) Yeled: There is an aura of light around Ayame, similar in many ways to those in the water. They dance around her playfully and even flow within her form, becomming one with her.

Ayame would raise her eyebrows if she had any, trying to look innocent as she points to Master Li, as if to say "It was him" 

Kaimi glares at both of them 

(1) Yeled: Master Li also is surrounded by an aura of light, although his is clearly different. It’s much more wispy, as if glowing clouds were enfolding themselves around your master's form.

(1) Yeled: And in between them, in the sky and the earth, the trees and the air, you can see a faint shimmering of lights of every color and nature.

Kaimi eyes widen and she struggles to her feet 

(1) Yeled: They converge and take flight in the sky above, flowing like the aurora borealis across the sunlit sky.

Ayame helps pull Kaimi up 

Ayame: "If you think that was unpleasant you wouldn't want to see what I have in my grotto" She laughs sheepishly as she says that

(1) Yeled: Kaimi notices that her own breath seems to glow as she breathes in and out. So too does Ayame's.

Kaimi gives the sky a 'why me look' but accepts Ayame’s help. 

(1) Yeled: As she notices her breath, the colors and lights begin to fade around her until they recede into the background. Everything remains perhaps a bit more vibrant and alive than before, but the distinctive glowing of the world has disappeared and all that remains is the in and out of her breath.

(1) Yeled: the way the breath flows in and our of your body. the way it touches your lungs and your chest, and your arms and legs and fingers and toes.

(1) Yeled: it courses through you, consuming you and giving you life all at once

Kaimi is a little disturbed by this exercise 

Kaimi: " What was this all about?"

Ayame continues to point an accusing finger at Master Li 

Kaimi: " I mean I think .. I had trouble getting out but then....." Kaimi looks back and forth between the two confused. "What happened?" she finally demands flatly. Wwhat did you do and did I do what I was suppose to do or not?"

Ayame looks at her sympathetically "Think of it like opening a new door." 

Kaimi: " I have had enough of strange doors lately. Strange doors each with no forewarning or explanation I might add!"

Kaimi stares at Ayame accusingly 

Ayame: "He made me do it!"

Kaimi crosses her arms over her chest and continues to glare 

(1) Master Li: "What are you two yapping about now?" asks Master Li from across the pool.

Kaimi glares at him too 

(1) Master Li: He starts to walk around it to their position.

Ayame sticks out her left hand, then waves her right hand across it, making a piece of fruit appear "Here, have an apple" 

(1) Master Li: "Kaimi, Ayame, come here!"

Kaimi blinks incredulously and just stares.

"You need to regain your strength" Ayame forces it into Kaimi's hand then goes to stand before Li.

Kaimi sighs and joins her. 

(1) Master Li: "You make me doubt my skills as a teacher. Have you gained nothing from this, Kaimi? You're acting like a child who has just received a lecture, pouting and carrying on as you are. Now sit! Both of you."

Ayame plops down on her butt, blowing a stray strand of hair from her face 

Kaimi does not look happy but she sits as well 

(1) Master Li: "Perhaps you do not want to see what you have seen, or to learn the lessons I have planned for you. Is that it, Kaimi?"

Kaimi cocks her head to one side irritated "It has more to do with wanting to know what I am being taught."

(1) Master Li: "So you think I should explain everything to you before we proceed?"

Kaimi sighs and hangs her head.  Then she spits out, "It's just that... I feel blind with this."

(1) Master Li: "Blind? BLIND?! That is what you are, girl. Or what you were, rather. Although you continue to not see. "You always look for the answers to be given to you. You don't seem to want to find them yourself."

Kaimi looks up angry now and somewhat embarrassed by her admission because of the way her it is received.  “Is it so wrong to want to know what I am supposed to be trying for before you try to drown me?"

Ayame: "I pulled you out, didn't I!"

(1) Master Li: "I don't know. Is it wrong for you to try to understand what has happened to you just now rather than sulking about not being told in advance? I haven't heard a peep out of you except whining. Very well, we won't do this lesson. You can stop now knowing you're probably the best mortal martial artist on the Isle. That's probably good enough." Master Li turns to go.

Kaimi: "Wait!"

Master Li stops, but does not turn. 

Kaimi: " I never said that I didn't want to understand!"

(1) Master Li: "But you don't seem to want to try."

Kaimi: " I did try."

(1) Master Li: "Oh?" Master Li still hasn't turned around.

Kaimi: "Not that I had a choice but that can be put aside for now. I want to know what just happened and that is it. I think I was almost up when she pulled me out,” says Kaimi, still rushing. “But I want to know if I did the right thing."

Master Li does turn at that comment. "You don't get choices, girl!" he scolds, angrier now than at any other time. "I don't ask your permission to teach you. You don't decide what to learn or how you learn it! I bless you with my teaching and you receive my blessing. Choice does not enter into it!"

Kaimi stops startled. She did not mean to imply that deep a disrespect.

Master Li calms down after that rant. "Now, you've got to get it out of your head that there is right and wrong in your lessons. This is not a test. I teach you what I will and you do your best to learn and understand what I teach. There might be a right way to punch. There isn't a right way to get thrown into a pool while you are awakened to the flow of energy around you." 

Kaimi: "oh..." Kaimi falters

Master Li sighs. "You'd think after twenty years you would understand my methods. But I suppose I shouldn't expect otherwise from a girl your age. The time draws near when you must leave this school, and you are surely eager for such. I have but one last lesson to teach you, and it is a difficult one to learn. Sometimes I don't know if you are truly up for it." 

Kaimi face goes blank but she continues to listen. 

(1) Master Li: "There are also important matters for us to discuss. Matters about your past and also mine."

Kaimi: sparks of interest appear in Kaimi's eyes and she sits forward

(1) Master Li: "But that is for another time. Ayame, will you spar with Kaimi? Take a defensive role and let her explore her new vision through her martial arts. You may answer her questions, if you can. But the important thing is for her to move, and to see her movements in their context."

Kaimi sits back, disappointed.

(1) Master Li: "I must leave you know, for I have research to conduct."

 Ayame heaves herself up and puts a hand on Kaimi's shoulder silently 

Master Li turns and walks away without another word. 

Kaimi sighs. “It seems I am always saying the wrong thing with him these days.”

Ayame: "Maybe he's on edge for other reasons"

Ayame: "There is a lot going on that you've been excluded from, and he seems to be pushing you harder than he likes."

Kaimi blinks "You think so?"

Ayame: "I think something is happening"

Kaimi: " I think you are right on that but what it has to do with me...?" Kaimi shrugs.

Ayame grins impishly "Apparantly Master Li thought we should spar though."

Kaimi smirks.

Kaimi: "Sure you feel up to it?" she asks spreading her arms out and letting the water drip from her sleeves

Ayame grins and strethes out a hand, then grips it into a fist and jerks her arm back, causing the water to be sucked from Kaimi's clothing, drying her off

Kaimi laughs, pleased with this new development. "Ok so we spar."

Tam Bo’s Road to Recovery

(1) Yeled: It only takes Aspirant Si Pat a moment's hesitation before he swings open the school gate to admit Tetsuko. When he sees what the large apprentice is carrying his eyes go wide. "W-what h-h-happened to him?"

Sook: "i do not know,si pat"

(9) No Name (enter): 23:34 (1) Aspirant Si Pat: "Is h-he gonna b-b-be ok?"

Sook: "I do hope so, si pat" Sook is walking so si pat must be following

Aspirant Si Pat follows until he reaches the shrine and the bamboo bridge, then stops and returns to the gate he is supposed to be guarding. 

(1) Gao the Lesser: "You'll regret that decision," says Gao's voice from up ahead on the bamboo bridge. "Who do you think you are, anyway, you lifeless corpse?" Gao the Lessor, First Apprentice at the school, is speaking in an angry tone to Dawn Star as they both stand on the bamboo bridge. Gao is a fairly attractive man with dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. He is above average in size but not huge, and in quite good shape. He wears the grey robes of the school but adorns them with red silk scarves. Despite his good looks his personality is pretty ugly. He's usually scowling at something or another, like he is now, or looking down his nose at you. Right now he is leaning in towards Dawn Start with fists clenched.

Sook stomps onto the bridge, behind dawn star, and glares at gao.

Sook: "she is not a lifeless corpse....", he indicates the unconscious man in his arms,"...this is a lifeless corpse"

Gao the Lesser looks up at Tetsuko, unimpressed by the larger man's presence. "Mind your own business, Oni brute!" 

Tam Bo looks very disturbed by Tetsuko's appraisal of his condition.  Tam Bo flinches a bit then falls back asleep. 

(1) Gao the Lessor: "Think you can go toe-to-toe with me, Oni?" For as long as you can remember Gao has called you "Oni."

Sook: "that doesnt matter....tam bo is hurt"

Sook moves past dawn star and gao, heading to the masters office....he will deal with gao and dawn star later 

(1) Gao the Lesser: "Hmph, who cares about some peasant farmer anyway?" says the fire aspect.

Dawn Star follows after Sook, eager to escape the scene. 

(1) Gao the Lesser: "Yeah, you'll come crawling back, baby!" calls Gao after her. "They always do."

Sook ignores gao, and gets a small sense of satisfaction knowing that is what irks him the most 

Sook runs up the steps,"master li!" 

Sook runs up the steps,"master li!master li!" 

(1) Yeled: There is no answer from the other side of the door. As the door itself is very thin he certainly would have heard you had he been inside.

Sook looks around for someone who might know where he is

(1) Yeled: [img]

(1) Master Li: As Sook looks about, he sees Master Li strolling down the path toward the sparring circle and his quarters.

Sook stomps awkwardly down the stairs, though the cause of this is not the load, but his legs, and hustles over to master li 

Dawn Star follows 

(1) Master Li: "What is this, Tetsuko? A farmer? Is it Tam Bo?"

Sook: "master li...",he stops to give a slight, respectful bow,"....tam bo, he is hurt, and nobody will....you know...take him in"

Sook bends his frame down impressively so that master li can see 

(1) Master Li: "Why, what has happened to him?" he asks as he moves to examine the injured man.

Sook: "he was attacked"

(1) Master Li: "Indeed he was. You have done a commendable job with his wound, though. He needs rest, and you should clean him up and give him fresh bandages.”

Sook stands straight again, and nods 

Sook: "where shall i take him? "

Master Li considers. "He won't get any rest in the barracks with you lot. He may rest in my quarters for now, until we find longer term arrangements." 

Sook nods, and without another word begins to head off that way 

(1) Master Li: "Tell me, Tetsuko, before you go...who attacked him and why? And what have you discovered of the mysterious woman from last night?"

Sook stops and turns back to master li, a jerking motion that looks as if it might topple the giant...he is known as being slow, but that doesn’t mean he cannot move fast, only that he cannot change directions very quickly 

Sook: "uhm....i dont know...it looks like a spear wound....and i think we found her, but the other aren’t so sure"

Sook nods to himself occasionally as he speaks, as if checking in his head that what he said was correct 

(1) Master Li: "You are pretty sure, though?"

Sook: "well...she sounded the same....but it was dark...or had odd light....so i cant be sure, from last night, what she....you know......looked like"

Master Li nods. "Where are Yukio and Mou-Shendu?" 

Sook: "they are checking out tam bo’s farm...it makes sense that that is where he would have been. tam bo was too hurt to speak, and when i bandaged him i gave him a tincture of fabu leafs...he will be unconscious for a while"

(1) Master Li: "So for now the search for the sorceress is on hold?"

Master Li looks a little concerned about this...unhappy even. 

Sook: "well, uhm....i do not know...we did track her back to the town wall..."

(1) Master Li: "And then?"

Sook: "there the tracks were, well, smothered. the village is a busy place"

(1) Master Li: "But you think she is in the village."

Sook: "yes,i do,or was when i left"

Sook looks increasingly concerned at master lis concern 

(1) Master Li: "Perhaps she booked passage on a barge, then."

(1) Master Li: "But she probably doesn't want to escape just yet. We have her key, after all. And the door the key should open." Master Li is clearly thinking out loud right now.

Sook: "if so, i would not have been able to track her there," he states this matter of factly, and without apology...he does not feel ashamed often, and especially if he did everything he could but failed...it isn’t his nature

Sook: "master li....tam bo..."

Master Li sighs. "Ah, right. Take him inside and clean him up. I'm sure he is in quite capable hands. I have a few things to attend to in the library." 

Sook turns and hurries off without further ado