Snippet #1216425

While en route to the gates, Hoshi, a young shrine maiden came running towards him. Her face full of fear, tears running down her once pale cheeks. Her ornate make up ruined. Her hair messily arranged as if disturbed from its traditional tie-up, an indeed, appeared as if someone had grabbed her hair and tried to pull her back. Obviously, she got away.

Skidding to a halt, Kado looked at her in a confused manner. "Hoshi, what's happened to you?" He would question as she slowed near him taking deep labored breaths.

"Its the Meigoki shrine! They are trying to burn it to the ground!" She shouted, sobbing and holding her face.

"Who? Who is trying to burn the temple down?!" Kado responded, his voice excited and worried.

"Woku. Pirates from the south, they bear the Cerulean flag! You must help! You must!" She pleaded.

Kado looked towards the gates, they were only, at best, three blocks down. He could even see the woman pacing in irritation at his late arrival. The sun was floundering, drowning in the depths of the Kidoushu Mountains. The dark was slowly overtaking the day; deep amethyst clouds outlined in pink and red and yellow. There was a choice to be made. Would he be late to the ambassador and be included in what essentially could be a lasting fight? Or would he rush to the ambassador and leave his friends at the mercy of the marauders?

"I'm sorry.." Kado said, almost like a whisper to the wind. " But I must do this, I can't let Hoshi or anyone else be hurt by these..vagrants."

"Hoshi, go home, now! I will take care of these beasts that dare defile our temple!" Kado said, leaving Hoshi behind him. Little did he know that it wasn't Hoshi--but an infiltrator of the Cerulean. She smiled, peeling the illusion of magic away from her face.

Rushing down the street, he zig-zagged through an alley way, avoiding disposables of any kind and finally leaping on top of the fence in a crouching position. One hand on his tucked sword along his waist and another on the top beveled edge of the fence. He seemed to be more acrobatic than he last remembered. Leaping off, he ran straight ahead to a blazing fire. Grand gates stood before him, and beyond them the cliff edge and an out cropping of rock that held the idol of Ryujin.