Rayunen's Story

"Well, how delightful." A woman said, a hand trailing over the goods of a market stall built by the docks. The water shimmered and many of the crowd parted as the gigantic samurai was led though them by a much smaller woman, prettied up with the best of makeups and blush.

"Jidai, we have to purchase this man's- Did your mask come undone again? Didn't your mother teach you how to tie knots." The woman frowned, leaning back to take in the knots of the large red frowning mask adorning the eight foot tall beast of a man. The samurai slowly shook his head, jutting his chin up.

The shadows falling just perfectly to make his skin and head vanish into the shadows as the girl clucked her tongue and retied the knot. "You buy what you want, Rio." He grunted, using his spatchcock hands to pull the money pouch tied to his side and pressed it into her hands.

Rio smiled and went to pay the man standing behind the stall for his colorful crochet. "Extra charge for a Geisha, you can pay that, can't you?" The man said, frowning. Rio raised her eyebrows and shook her head. Jidai stood forward, putting a hand on his hilt.

"You lower the price because she is Geisha." The helmet boomed, causing some of the crowd to look their way. "No, you want me to call the guards? You don't threaten me, thug!" "The guards won't come fast enough, dog." The samurai's hand fell to his sword, but the Geisha by his side lowered her pale hands to grasp his armored gauntlet.

"Don't. We're in Tianshi, I don't want to go to prison." she whispered hastily. Jidai grunted and threw her hands off. "I will come back, dog." "Come back anytime, thug! Guards will be here too."

The duo made their way back into the crowd, unbeknownst to the pair of eyes watching them.

Stopping by the same stall was a girl much younger than the geisha that had passed by earlier. She smiled at the stall owner and gave her condolences, taking his attention away from the side of the stall, where a small, silvery, humanoid creature reached for the crochet that the woman had been eyeing. Once it had disappeared, the girl quickly made her goodbyes and scurried off.

Once she was in the crowd, she parted her colorful frocks to scoop up the creature that had scurried beneath her skirt after he had finished stealing the merchant's wares. She hugged him closely to her with a deep chuckle. "Very good, Puggalo! Successful again. I couldn't imagine life without you, you rapscallion." The creature let out a racket of high giggles as they heard the merchant cry out in frustration behind them. The girl hurried on until she had caught up with the gigantic man in armor and the geisha.

Puggalo, who was as cute as he was creepy, held the crochet out to the geisha. "I'd apologize for that man's behavior, but I think that's his responsibility," said the girl, who's voice was much deeper and raspier than it should have been for her age. "Your man is a real piece of work, though."

Rio smiled, her almost perfect teeth shining brightly. "Thank you, strangers." The Geisha bowed, flourishing her loose kabuki as she took the crochet. "Thank you for your gift, you didn't have to do such a thing." Rio added, keeping her hand on the gigantic samurai's sword hand as the warrior turned around, his gait causing his many swords to swing.

"I am not her man, small demon and woman. I am a Warrior." Jidai snarled. Rio smiled thinly, tightening her grip on the samurai's hand, her black nails penetrating the bamboo slates. "Hush, Jidai. They meant no offence." She hissed. "I will not be shown disrespect." He snarled back, in an equally silent tone.

The quiet tiff ended almost as fast as it started. "I am Rio. This is my companion, Jidai. What are the names of the saviors of this Geisha's day?" The samurai huffed. "And the merchant's life." Jidai snarled under his breath.

"Saviors?" The girl managed the smallest of smiles. "Hardly. I stole you a scarf. This guy's the one who saved you from an empty purse." She pointed to Jidai. She put her hands up. "Whoa, whoa, relax. I meant nothing by it. It's another word for companion. Just like this guy, here-" She held up the small creature, sliding him into her shoulders. It gave them a blank stare and a small wave. "His name is Puggalo. I'm Rayunen."

Jidai would've frowned if his mask wasn't constantly doing that for him. Rio laughed, slinging the crochet over her shoulders. "You made my day anyway, Rayunen and Puggalo. What a strange name your little friend has." The geisha leaned forward and put a hand over her mouth.

"Relaxed isn't in Jidai's dictionary. Especially in public. I think instead of the big samurai, I think they should call him the shy samurai." Rio whispered, deadly quiet. Jidai was a little busy staring at Puggalo, willing it to remain silent about what it may or may not know about him.

"What do you do here apart from steal, Rayunen?" Rio asked.

"It's not Losenyu, but that's the name he came with," Rayunen said, reaching a hand up to pat the creature's head. She smiled at Rio's little comment about Jidai being the shy samurai.

"I'm not the one who stole!" she protested. "That was all Puggalo's doing. I just helped. However, I am simply a traveler. I'm from Yosai. A fisherman's child. What about... you both?"

"Jidai is samurai, he's never mentioned any masters or general's since I met him." Rio replied. Jidai turned his scowling mask towards Rayunen at the mention of his name. "I am... Geisha." Rio made an ugly face.

"I'm from Yan'Xin though, but I'm not sure where the big man came from." Jidai looked away and to the ocean and putting a large hand on the Geisha's shoulder, his foxtail moustache swaying in the light wind.

"Where are you travelling to?" Rio inquired, her smile not leaving her lips.

"Perhaps a ronin, then?" asked Rayunen. "Or something else entirely."

She placed Puggalo down onto the ground gently, and the strange, pudgy little creature scurried alongside her. "Don't make such a face. You act as though it's a demoralizing title." Rayunen glanced at the samurai, hair flopping over her shoulder. She carried her gaze back down to Rio.

"I don't know where I'm going, to be honest!" the young woman tittered. "I'm just wandering around. Trying to figure things out. Looking for something I don't know the answer to."

Jidai shuffled uncomfortably, his crimson bamboo sheet pauldrons twisting as he folded his arms and meeting her gaze with his steely red mask. "Ah! To be a free bird again... If it wasn't for big red here, I don't think I'd have made it here. I figured I kind of owe him. Even if he is a no good samurai thug." Rio smiled with a face full of cheek.

"You're in Tianshi! I don't think anyone knows where they're going anymore! This is ten times bigger than the estate my cousin used to own. What I woudn't give to be a noble around here, getting all the shrimp I want and none of this Geisha business." Rio made a wistful noise.

Jidai looked down at Puggalo and bent down as they walked, offering it a huge shovel-like platform up onto his shoulder.

"What's being a noble? Sitting posh and stingy on your chairs! The life of a geisha might not be sublime, but now you have the life of a traveler. You should venture out further and see the world. Money blinds and poverty enslaves, but the wanderer is always truly free." Rayunen lifted one hand towards the sun and splayed her fingers, passing her palm across the sky.

Puggalo lifted his small arms and mimicked her gesture, replying with a high "Ouuuyu."

Rio gave Rayunen and her pet a patient smile. "I think I've had enough experience with adventure, following big red is trouble enough for me to handle." Jidai withdrew his offered hand and perching it on one of the many hilts adorning his waist. As they walked, Jidai leaned close to Rio and whispered something.

"Are you two going to be in the city for long? Are you feeling hungry?"

"Hungry?"

That was the first word to absolutely capture the attention of the odd pair. Both Puggalo and Rayunen stared at Rio with wide eyes. "What was that?" said Yunen. "Food, you say?"

"Oyuuuuuu!"

From the hole, as they made their way to it, smoke rose. It curled around the roots and danced along the soil.

The creature hurried toward it, but before it even got near the hole, the sweeping, needle-barbed tail of a dragon hit him square in the chest and batted him away.

If they were to look into the hole, the smoke would part. In its midst, there was a lump of embroidered cloth and mud. The cloth moved, sweeping to the side, to reveal the dirtied and bloodied face of a young woman. Black hair streaked across her face in greasy lines. She looked up to the people above and gave a slight wave.

"Aya," she said weakly, trying to smirk.

Taylor and Railynn watched the creature tumble away, the dragon above looking more than a little pleased with itself. Railynn bit back a smile, keeping an arm up to ward off any more swats from the dragon’s tail.

When she saw what was bundled up at the base of the hollow, her eyes widened, one hand reaching out behind her with fingers splayed. It was a ‘hold on one second’ gesture. Taylor’s brow furrowed. She leaned more on her cane and lifted to her tiptoes to try to peer into the hollow.

“Are you alright?” Railynn asked.

“There’s someone in there?” Taylor echoed, eyes wide.

Keegan halted at Railynn's gesture, although he too was close enough to catch a glance at the woman. He released the hilt of his sword and folded his arms over his chest.

He merely remained silent.

Fagrim marched through the underbrush of the Dark Woods. He leaned on his staff, heaving every now and then from the exertion of the hike. Two companions trailed behind the dwarf. One was a skeletal wolf that wandered to and fro from tree to tree, bones rattling as it prowled, and the other was a tall silent figure clad in body armor. The armored man carried a cudgel at his hip, and he kept a careful watch on the surrounding woods through the tinted lens of a black biker helmet.

Bloop-5 whirred slowly along, eyes not glowing as bright as they once did.

Alastor McNibmet lifted his head as the newcomer appeared.

Eh?! This place hasn't seen a visitor in years! What d'ye say there, traveler?

he squawked.