The Horat-verse

The clanging sound of bells was never welcome, in Kaor's mind. Her smile dropped as swiftly as it had come, and as the group of individuals around her began to scatter and make up their minds about what next to do... She made up hers as well.

On a heel she turned, searching through the scattering crowd of people within the Golden Peach Inn, located Xanth in the midst of reaching for the pocket of the strange, chained to the peasant, woman. Kaor whistled sharply, two quick knives of sound scouring into the air as Mutt (Xanth's beloved hound's nickname, courtesy of Kaor herself,) darted into movement.

Xanth found herself being swept up into the air, a massive paw grabbing her up by the scruff of her neck and seamlessly depositing her in the large wicker basket Kaor carried on her back. Mutt scrambled on the wood floor of the inn for a moment before rushing onward, leaping up and onto the back of a stumbling man before finding his way into the basket along with Xanth.

Kaor grunted her pleasure at seeing the two she wandered with secure, turned her gaze to Takai as the poor man chose to follow both the Snow Oni from earlier, and a new, interesting individual. This man carried himself in a manner that set Kaor's fur on edge, and reflexively made her ears press flat to her head. She made no comment on it though, and as the trio of men began to make their way out into the throng of scrambling people... Kaor turned and took her two companions away from the chaos at the front.
She made her way towards the back of the dining hall of the inn. Spotting the doorway that led into the back of the building, to the kitchens, she strode through.
As she entered the area where meals were prepared, the smell of half-cooked dishes hit her nose. A quick sniff- a quicker glance about- and Kaor kept moving. Food could wait for later. Making sure she, her Gecko, and her Mutt stayed safe was the highest priority.

And the chaos of the situation was DEFINITELY not safe. So the bearwoman made her escape.

Navigating to the space behind the Golden Peach was easy enough, but the rush of people that were trying to escape even this way was frustrating.
Kaor huffed; bared her teeth in a snarl at a woman who was attempting to pull a child along. The little boy, human, no more than five perhaps, was stumbling and crying hysterically. His mother, maybe? Was ignorant to his pleas for her to wait. Kaor stepped out and yanked the woman to a stop, grabbing the boy and placing him solidly in the mother's arms before pushing the woman and HER charge onward.
Good.

She then began following the crowd, away from the square. Whatever was happening was NOT worth it. These scrambling people were more worth the help anyhow.

"No," Jensu replied before disappearing behind a pair of blue hakamas. The goblin emerged again, running forward beside Ginchiyo, their tiny legs moving at almost double the speed to keep up. "I grew up here," Jensu said, leaping onto an abandoned kart and then off it again onto the cobblestone. "The most action Poyo ever sees is when the river floods."

Captain Jensu looked up, over the tiled rooftops of Poyo. Atop the village wall fresh-faced guards ran along ramparts. Unarmoured and wielding only wooden spears. "My family lives in the foothills," Jensu explained as they ran, a grim look on their face. "Outside the walls."

Sunaarashi glanced down at the child and smiled. "Not today, kid. Best get to the center of town like the guards are saying." The child scurried off after the others, and the ogre-like man followed at a more leisurely pace, enjoying the snacks of leftover food the worried people of Poyo had left behind.

Kaor and Xanth began to follow the sparse group of families through the back-alleys. A few ran into open-doorways and grabbing a few precious belongings before exiting again and running passed the mercenary duo, toward the town-square. The crowd of families dwindled until the only followed the mother and the crying child she held. There was a disquieting stillness to the backstreets of Poyo now. A few wind-chimes sung, a few doorway lanterns rattled, but the only consistent sound was the bells.

Suddenly Mutt began to growl from their basket just as a voice called out: "And where are you guys going?"

"Back to our farm. There's a shed we can hide in," The mother whispered to the man. Kaor and Xanth squinted at the shadowy figure: he appeared to be human- with wild hair, green eyes, and a long-blue cloak. His hands were in his pockets, an unfathomably degree of casualness given the situation. "Oh no, you don't wanna go there," Yuwen replied to the family. "There's- BIG danger outside those walls. Rogue elements that want to do terrible things to the denizens of Poyo!" Yuwen leaned in to the child, who stared back at him with watery brown eyes. "You ever hear of crucifixion, kid?"

The mother gasped. Yuwen nodded sadly. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. Just get to the square- it's safe!"

The mother and her child began to run, passed Kaor and Xanth, back down the alleyway toward the square.

"Claws!" Yuwen called out to Kaor as he strolled by. "Get your fur to the square, the mayor's got something to say."

"Well, I'm off then," Suiken nodded, taking the less direct route through the small town and navigating between the alleyways, going in the exact opposite direction of the fleeing townsfolk. If he could pinpoint the source of the problem, then perhaps there was a chance that he could aid in finding a solution.

It was a shame. Summer, while glorious to behold, was not a favored season of the Snow Oni. Suiken simply wanted to relax and enjoy the sights of the festival with the townsfolk, but that dream seemed to have come to an abrupt halt.

Shuin dragged Namari unwillingly toward the commotion.

Samyan stared up at the statue commemorating some nameless peasant soldier. What respectable people the Yunes were, to honor some long forgotten nobody. Even if this nobody seemed awfully rude and judgemental.

There were an awful lot of people crowding into the square around her. They seemed to be trying to keep their distance from her walking stick, but the more the square filled with bodies the harder that became, until they were desperately leaning back into their fellows to avoid the sharpened blade curving toward their faces. Samyan pondered this for a moment, wondering why they didn't just move away, then just sighed at the foolishness of humans and leapt into the air, landing on top of the crowd as they were pushed into the space she'd just occupied.

"Hey!"

"Ow!"

"Watch it!"

Samyan strolled leisurely on the heads and shoulders of Poyo as if she'd lived there her entire life, turning her head this way and that as she looked for a place to go with fewer people. She moved back toward the markets, against the flow of people until the throngs started to thin out. She began hopping to bridge the growing gaps between people, balancing like an acrobat on her rapidly shifting footholds, and when the spaces finally grew large enough she jumped several feet through the air, landing hard enough on a prefect in green armor to leave an imprint of her foot on his face and knock him nearly off balance. He was remarkably sturdy.

Samyan gave a knowing nod to the guard's raven haired lady companion, then stepped down toward the ground and headed off toward the walls, finding herself curious about what everyone was moving away from.

Yamato watched the young guard make his way toward the center of town. He then eyed the gate, then the guard who was running from it. He facepalmed, "You'd think watching the gate would be the important job," He looked up into the guard tower and shook his head at the now lone guard who was visibly shaking as he peered out into the night. Gesturing dismissively Yamato made his way toward the town square, his buzz fading as his mind settled in on the chaos that was erupting around him.

There wasn't anything Xanth hated more than being picked up. That was something Kaor only forgot when things were really, gravely serious. Her fingers had taken advantage of the bell and wormed their way closer to the noble woman's dress right at the moment a giant clawed paw descended and swiped her off the ground. She was thrown in the basket, which was bad enough - then the dog jumped on her. Squirming and fighting for the highest seat, her frantic attempt at whistling getting batted away by its paws. By the time she'd fought her way out of the basket and onto Kaor's shoulders, muddy paw prints spotted her face. She tried to say something, but Kaor's eyes were fixed on the path ahead. Her arms dropped to her sides with a huff.

At the stranger's intervention, Xanth jumped off Kaor and glared up at her, hands on her hips. She made a short, sharp movement, and jerked her hand forward in a demand. Once she was appeased, she tucked her hand back to her chest. She shrugged and her sour expression twisted into a sneaky grin. Her hands danced, then scurried up Kaor's legs without warning. She raised a brow and twirled on the ball of her foot, towards the direction the stranger was walking. A short whistle, and the dog barked and bounded out of the basket to plod beside her.

Kaor came to a halt, glaring at the stranger who spoke. His words were sour tasting in her maw, and the way he frightened the child made her hair bristle on end. She opened her mouth to shout a reply to him, a furious snarl flashing across her face before she had to stop as Xanth came to the forefront.

She watched the Gecko's hands move, taking it all in with a soft hum before a heavy sigh leapt from her chest. Her hands moved, claws and paw-pads moving in fluid motion. "I apologize. I didn't mean to upset you."
She paused, smiled at the Gecko, before once again flicking her hands into motion. She huffed, shrugging after a moment and stepping onward towards where the stranger had walked off.
Kaor shifted her arm around and reached up, grabbing the hefty weight of a spear-shaft in one paw. It came down and out, resting at her side as she turned and waved to Xanth to catch up.

She then moved onward, using the spear as a walking stick while giving a rather abrupt laugh. She turned over her shoulder and called out to The Gecko and Mutt. "Goodness little Gecko! So crass! Haha!" She then kept moving, chuckling to herself as she finally processed what the Gecko had said. To the square she went.

Ro rose, looking back at the massive figure who stepped on him, but the chaos of the crowd distracted again.

***

Yuwen turned back to Kaor and Xanth in the street. The lantern-light shined in his eyes. "Follow me... and everything will be alright," He said with a smile. "I promise." The man wore a chest-plate, and had a blade on his hip, but nothing else about him seemed particularly assuring. And yet, when he spoke to the two, for whatever reason, they believed him- or at least, they believed he believed himself.

The super mercenary combo began to follow Yuwen as he marched toward the square.

***

One finally step brought Ren atop the town-wall. Suiken climbed the ladder up after him, and when the snow-oni reached the top he was treated to quite a sight. Over the rooftops they could see the town-square, and almost all of Poyo stretching out around it. And beyond the bright streets was the country: the rivers, the hills, the forests. Calm. Peaceful. There was no sign of a threat.

In the dark path stretching out from town person ran, not towards the safety walls but away- into the darkness of the night. A single figure, with a body belonging to a goblin. "Attention all!" They could hear the distant, echoing voice of the mayor from the town-square as he got ready to address the crowd...

***

"Attention all!" He repeated. On a wooden stage built in front of the tall town-hall tower and beside the statue of shimmering stone Mayor Loy-Qui, a rat-faced man with no beast-man blood in him, watched over the square which was packed to it's fullest with over a thousand citizens and travellers summoned by the bells, the last ones now arriving at the edges of the crowd. The town had gone into a deadly silence, the bright lanterns that swung in the winds no longer as festive as they had seemed an hour earlier. Overwhelming all was the sound of bells from each of the village's five gates, ringing together in near perfect unison. The elderly yunish man glanced down at the scroll he held in his hands. After a moment he stepped forward, his silken purple robes the only thing clear from the farthest back of the crowd.

"Poyo is under attack!" He announced loudly. "At the twentieth hour... I received a report from the farthest northern outpost, saying an army of bandits was approaching... at least three-"

"That's not bad!" A feminine voice said from the crowd.

"-Hundred!" Gasps of shock and cries could be heard.

"Poyo has thirty-seven guards, as well as the twenty prefects in Commander Ro's unit... that is fifty odd men against... three-hundred," Loy-Qui explained awkwardly, trying to raise his fingers before realizing he did not have the required digits. "And so I am forced to declare a state of emergency! And forced to ask upon you, citizens of ability, citizens of our great Yune Empire, to step forward and defend our village against this threat! For what we have not in numbers... we have in gold: three-hundred gold coins to each man or woman of any race who steps forward to fight with us! Three-hundred for each bandit who threatens our home on this holiest of holidays!"

A silence went over the crowd as the numbers sank in, despair on the tongues of the people, most whispering where to hide or how to escape the town. "Would all willing step forward... and all unwilling or unable step back and find shelter and hiding," Loy-Qui stammered. "Find somewhere safe."

"Wait!" A voice called out as the crowd started shifting. All eyes turned to one figure as he pushed past the guards and leapt onto the stage. He stood tall with olive skin, striking green eyes, a determined face and glimmering armour beneath blue robes: a heroic image next to the cowering Loy-Qui, now almost in tears.

"I have information!" The man declared as he stepped forward dramatically on the stage. "I know! I KNOW! Where the banditos will attack!" The human, Yuwen Fortune, announced loudly over the crowd. "I just escaped their foul grasps... they've set up camp in the swamp, twenty minutes outside the north-gate, and are currently preparing their attack!" Yuwen nodded eagerly at the assembled citizens. "I will ambush them... and destroy them! I have done so before, and I will do it again!"

Yuwen looked over the crowd and he raised his finger to the sky. "I will save this town! But I cannot do it alone: listen carefully, for my next words are intended only for the most heroic of warriors." He reached back and pulled out a duo of ebony jians. He rose them above his head in a cross.

"Who among you is a brave enough hero to join me, Yuwen Fortune?!" He called, his voice echoing for a moment as it travelled across the square. Yuwen paused and watched, waiting for the willing to step forward and the rest, which he predicated to be around ninety-nine percent of the current crowd, to step back.

Prefect Ro glared at the man from the back of crowd. A frown grew on his face, the truth of the scenario sinking in...

Perhaps it was karma, but now it was Namari who found herself to be dragged by the chain. Her feet stumbled awkwardly over the cobble in a half-resisting, half-following motion as Shuin heartily ran on ahead, seemingly undeterred by the weight of his unwilling companion. Not that she was heavy, of course.

They joined the gathering crowds at the back, surrounded by the faces of Poyo and the mounting, indiscernible chatter that filled the square like so much useless noise. Namari didn't hate crowds, per se, but being around people -- especially this many -- reinstated her disdain for the common man. Like a speck of dirt, unpleasing but unassuming on its own, multiplied by thousands. Their combined stench was awful.

She covered her nose with a floppy sleeve, filtering out the odor of the unwashed masses and probably also some diseases. If it were up to her, they would be long gone from Poyo by now, but this man...

The noblewoman glared at Shuin, grinning and oblivious as usual. Though she couldn't quite place it, his stupid, smug face reminded her of someone...

"I have information!"

Her brow visibly furrowed as she leaned her head to the side, getting a better look at the stage.

"I know! I KNOW! Where the banditos will attack!"

After a brief moment of processing, Namari's stare turned into a squint. That's Yuyu.

She'd recognize that mug anywhere, even if it has been years since they last met face to face. A wave of unwanted nostalgia struck her, and she was suddenly back in the gardens near the steps of the old temple, trying to keep up with another one of his 'adventures' into the surrounding woods. Pins of golden sunlight pierced through the dark green canopies above them. The air was warm and gentle, and the calls of cicadas echoed from the treetops as their feet tread across soft dirt and their arms brushed aside hanging boughs.

He never liked being cooped up inside, to deal with the banalities of politics and formality and noble posturing. During those days she was much the same, but time wears its mark on some more than others. But that was all in the past, now there--

"I'M A GREAT WARRIOR!" Before she realized what was happening, Shuin had made his way to the front of the mob and proudly flexed his admittedly remarkable biceps. "Any cowardly bandits try to lay a hand on this beautiful little town, I'll send them all home without teeth!" He paused, and then pointed to Namari. "She's also a great warrior, you don't want to mess with her!"

Namari's eye twitched.

"Three hundred men and three hundred gold" Lo-muna muttered under her breath with some amusement. Standing near the front of the gathered townspeople, she had listened intently to the mayor and then to the human who loudly proclaimed he would stop the bandits before they attacked. Hand on her hip, her ears twitched to the whispered and muttered responses around her. Some reluctant or doubtful.

Lo-Muna herself considered it for a few moments. The night had been eventful already and this was only adding on. I was rescued so I suppose I should repay the favor... Plus that gold... Lo-Muna sighed but looked herself over, making sure she looked presentable. While the rabbit beast-women wasn't entirely convinced of the plan, she was certainly not going to hide herself away. Just as she was about to walk forward, another human male burst forward, dragging along a rather unhappy noble. Lo-Muna raised an eyebrow as the man flexed some rather attractive biceps. Though the rabbit had to admit it was not as impressive as the raven haired woman or the bear beast-woman.

"Strength certainly is commendable," Lo-Muna said as she stepped forward, chest out, and ears straight. Walking over besides the flexing human, she placed a hand on his biceps and winked at him. "Very commendable."

She let go and smiled up at Yuwen, "You will also need speed. For the safety of the people, I too, shall volunteer in your endeavor, Yuwen Fortune. There are very few who can outrun me after all."

"Hmm, that tiny figure," Suiken sighed, saying his thoughts aloud. "Goblin. But why said goblin ran away is a mystery..." He turned his head towards the town square. Luckily, Poyo was a small village and one voice spoken loudly enough, such as the mayor's, could be carried quite a ways. A force approaching, numbering in the hundreds. Of course a festival would be the perfect target for bandits and the like, but why was such a large force necessary to raid a small town like Poyo? Troubling. Truly troubling... and

And then a new voice spoke up. Unfamiliar, but whoever this was sounded certain that he had crucial information on these...bandits. Suiken turned towards Ren. "If such an attack is truly imminent, I intend to offer a helping hand. Quite a somber state of affairs, this festival turned out to be..." the Snow Oni scratched his chin.

"Heroic, you say?" A loud voice boomed from the crowd. Takai had leapt down from the wall and parted the sea of people around him as he sauntered graciously toward Yuwen Fortune and the stage that had piqued his interest, "Well, there are none more heroic than I, The Noble Shaming Arrow of Flaming Lae Ming Wae!"

Audible murmurs sounded from the crowd. A notorious criminal was here in Poyo. He grinned at the assembled group, "I shall join you."

Yuwen's lowered his twin swords as whispers grew across the crowd. But soon, voices rose up.

"I'M A GREAT WARRIOR!" Another voice exclaimed. Yuwen swung his heads to see a peasantly man run forward, a chain rattling behind him. Yuwen rose an eyebrow before leaning his head to the side. Dragged behind the urine farmer, attached at the wrist by chain, was a woman dressed as a noble. Dark hair, pale skin. There was something about her eyes... something familiar, something sad. "She's also a great warrior," The man added, pulling the woman forward "You don't want to mess with her!"

"Then I will need your skills," Yuwen said with a warm laugh, giving a graceful bow to Namari and Shui.

"You will also need speed," Yuwen squinted as the crowd parted for the woman to step forward: the rabbit beast-man from earlier. Whispers of concern and of uncertainty swept across the square as she joined the two at the base of the stage. "For the safety of others, I will aid in this endeavour. There are very few who can outrun me after all."

"Then I will need your speed," Yuwen replied, giving Lo-Muna an affirmative nod and a grateful smile.

From the crowd a monkey beast-man walked, a bow swaying as he approached the stage. "Well, there are none more heroic than I, The Noble Shaming Arrow of Flaming Lae Ming Wae!" The beast-man called. A smile grew on Yuwen's tiny freckled face. He'd seen this man before, not in person, but on wanted posters since he'd returned to the Yutan mainland. And though the crowd backed away in shock, this was exactly the type of man Yuwen needed.

"Then I will need your bow," Yuwen said, reaching out and clasping Takai's furry hand in his. He pulled the beast-man onto the stage

"GET OUT OF HERE, SCUM!" A voice screamed from the crowd as the nimble beast-man beside him ducked an incoming rock. Yuwen turned in shock to see the crowd begin to form an upset. "WE DON'T NEED HELP FROM THE FLAMING ARROW!" "Yeah! Screw the monkeys!" Another voice added loudly as the crowd began to form in an angry, frightened mass of yelling.

Takai laughed boisterously at the peoples hatred.

Sunaarashi eyed Yuwen Fortune and gave a small sigh. The bandits were probably the ones he had... business with, but it seemed he was a little behind. He didn't figure they'd caught wind of his arrival in Poyo, but he also hadn't had time to really do much investigation yet. Perhaps due to the festival, his source had never arrived.

It's almost not worth my time, Sunaarashi thought to himself, eyeing the others who had volunteered. But it's probably better to go with them directly than follow behind.

Raising a hand, Sunaarashi stepped forward, and called out. "I will join you, bithiqa."

Yuwen squinted at Sunaarashi across the lantern-lit square. He'd seen the man before, upon entering the village. "Then I will need your sword."

"A Sunen and a beast-man? We don't need to hire a bandit to fight bandits!" A bearded man screamed, his hands around his mouth like a cone.

"Then would you rather die?" Yuwen exclaimed. "Because you would not accept the help of a beast-man? Or a foreigner? Because you will not admit one can thieve and still do good?!"

The crowd quieted as Yuwen spoke. "Wise men ask for help when it is needed. I can stop these bandits, and save Poyo, but I know I can't do it alone," He admitted. Yuwen stood rose high, his gaze sweeping from the makeshift ambush team to the citizens behind them: heads becoming a blur as they lined into the distant streets. Almost every citizen of Poyo was here, as well as the visitors for the festival. The lantern light reflected off their faces, marked with fear. It reflected the mothers, and the children who clutched hands tearfully. It reflected off the guards: most of them barely seeing any combat at all. In reflected off the Mayor, the leader of this town, who had backed to the farthest edge of the stage.

"Poyo is not built for war..." Yuwen began quietly. "Your community is one of peace and happiness and these bandits have threatened that. And they've ruined Emperor day!" He clutched the hilt of his blades angrily. "And I swear to you! I swear: we will defeat them!"

"Wait!" A voice called. The crowd turned to see a man step up on the stage: Prefect Ro, weapon ready as he glared at Yuwen. "Ladies and gentlemen this man is a fraud," Ro said, his words met by gasps in the audience. Yuwen rose and eyebrow at the prefect and pointed at his own face in disbelief. Ro marched forward, pushing Yuwen back before taking his place at the centre of the stage.

"Yuwen Fortune is a liar and has ruined this festival for his own self-serving needs." Ro ripped the report out of Mayor Loy-Qui's hands and raised it high. "This is a fabricated report." Ro announced. A prefect rose another parchment in the air. "Sent via carrier hawk we've just received a message from the forest prefects. Bandit activity in the area is, and I quote, 'completely nominal.'" He threw the paper into the crowd that had grown more and more enraged. The report landed to grabbing hands. Ro turned to Yuwen grimly. "There are no bandits."

"Can you prove that?" Yuwen asked in response, defiance in his voice. "Bandits can be... very evasive." His hand lay on the hilt of his blades as the two men slowly began to circle each other on the stage.

"The prefects in the woods saw nothing," Ro spat. “You are a small, selfish man.”

"Maybe the bandits moved position!" Yuwen called, more to the audience and the soldiers he'd managed to recruit than to Ro. "Maybe they're attack the village! Maybe we have to go to the swamp and find the entrance to a secret tunnel! A tunnel that leads to the ancient cellar below Poyo! Doesn't- doesn't that sound fun!?"

Suddenly Yuwen heard iron footsteps on the wood of the stage. Large, armoured soldiers of the Prefecture were approaching, weapons ready. Yuwen turned from the soldiers down to the faces of those he hired, and the citizens beyond. Disgust, anger, and annoyance were the only expressions to be found.

"Look, I didn't lie!" He called out as the guards grabbed his arms. "There's something below this village, something worse men than me will try and get! Poyo isn't safe!"

"Please," Ro chuckled, stepping forward to the front of the stage. "I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt: Poyo is in no danger!"

Suddenly the statue beside the stage began to glow. Yuwen's eyes were consumed by light as the stone shone. And then, it blew apart by fire. A massive explosion rocked the stage, blasting everyone on it forward. A fiery piece of wood flung through Mayor Loy-Qui's back, impaling him to the stage as the crowd erupted in screams. Yuwen smashed into the cobblestone ground of the square, flaming pieces of wood zipping past him as deafening bangs roared from behind. He turned to see the town tower blowing apart, engulfed in a massive-fire ball expanding from within.

"Oh Sune!" He screamed, backing up slightly as the explosion blasted each layer of the hall apart, sending chunks and pieces scattering across town. A gargantuan piece of stone smashed apart the ground beside him as he limped forward toward a house.

"Formation!" Ro screamed in agony as he ripped his arm out from the large town emblem that had once decorated the tower, now a burning mass of molten metal which had crashed down upon the ruined stage. "Unit!" He screamed desperately through the fire and ash, searching for his men. A figure approached. "...Unit?" He whispered.

Wings expanded from the shadowy figure's form, and Ro raised his blade in horror. This was no soldier. He stabbed forward, a Tengu hand reaching out and grabbing the blade from him. The unarmed Ro dived as the Tengu proceeded to attack, flying out of the smoke and into the panicked square.

"Oh gods, not good!" Yuwen called as he pointed to the sky above. Descending from the mountain of smoke where the town tower once stood three dozen winged men, their red skin clear and their black robes fluttering violently in the winds. They wore opera masks, each one different, though even with concealed faces their race was clear.

"Tengu," Yuwen said as he turned from the approaching threat to the panicked citizens running for cover. "They were in the crowd! They were planning this!-" Before he had time to finish he was grabbed by the throat and smashed back into the cobblestone by a Tengu. One of many masked figures landing in the square. The figure who held Yuwen looked down at him. "Hello there Yuwen Fortune."

Suiken raised a brow in surprise as the walls of Poyo crumbled beneath a massive explosion. Over a dozen black winged individuals descended upon the small town, weapons in hand. Possibly a bit more about but not...three hundred as advertised. Well, that was good at least. A curious distinction between what was said and the reality of the situation but these were at least better odds. This was no longer a timer for observation. "I'm off," he nodded at the armored human. And leaped from the wall to a nearby rooftop with a heavy thud. Running as fast as he could, he couldn't help but wish it was Fall again. That was a much more suitable climate for Snow Oni, but it seemed he would have to make due.

Running from one rooftop to the next , he made his way closer towards the center of town, where the black winged bandits had landed.

When finally he landed on the ground, after a few huffs, a few of the Tengu looked on at the sudden appearance of the Snow Oni.

The Oni huffed, looking more than a little winded by his trek across the rooftops. "I hope...you do not mind if join the fray as well," Suiken spoke up, stepping to the not-quite-group on stage and bowed, lowered and extended one hand. "I may be a traveling musician...but I can fight just fine."

Sunaarashi threw up a hand instinctively when the statue exploded, managing to save an eye as a piece of shrapnel bounced off the fleshy wall and nicked his eyebrow. A few other pieces of rock and wood struck him, but he'd been struck worse by material thrown by sandstorms in Sune.

Climbing up onto the ruins of the stage, the large man quickly moved to the mayor, who had gotten the brunt of the blast. Unfortunately, the mayor seemed to have died nearly instantly, which was perhaps a blessing considering the amount of blood he'd left on the stage.

A gust of wind betrayed the presence of one of the Tengu attackers, a sword blade cutting down at Sunaarashi. Suna twisted superhumanly fast, his knuckles colliding perfectly with the blade in midair, knocking it to the side and sending the Tengu off-balance. Quickly recovering, the Tengu landed on the stage and brought his weapon to bear once more.

Sunaarashi clicked his tongue in exasperation. "You had best not be the one I shared my drink with, dkhyl. It would be masir musif... an unfortunate fate."

The Tengu said nothing but attacked again, but this time Suna drew his own sword from the scabbard at his waist, the blades resounding off each other with a sharp clang that echoed above the cries of the Poyo citizens.

Lo-Muna's ears were ringing. She had managed to duck when the explosions went off but one of her ears got caught by some shrapnel. A drop of blood fell on her shoulder as she looked up just in time to see the Tengu descend from the sky. The sound of the snow oni's voice cut through the ringing as she got to her feet, looking over to see Yuwen being choked on the ground by one of the mysterious Tengu.

"Then fight!" Lo-Muna yelled at the snow oni as she raced over to Yuwen, delivering a swift, powerful kick to his assailant as she yelled, "Hands off!"

The olive-skinned man continued to pitch his idea from the stage, holding twin blades high above his head; Ginchiyo had to admit it was an impressive show, she may have even stepped forward to join him if it wasn't for the look on Ro's face. The people who did join the Olive-Skinned Stranger were all a curious bunch, and they seemed to be losing the crowd. If something wasn't done soon, a fight would certainly to break out. Ro started towards the man, and within a minute the Olive stanger seemed to have lost all credibility. She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the whole situation; how had this stranger managed to fabricate a report that fooled the entire prefecture?

Before Ginchiyo truly had a chance to think further on the matter, a bright light lit up the night sky as the statue of the Mayor began to glow with the ire that only fire could truly bring. She began to loop chi through her body, bracing herself as the Mayor's steel body double erupted into a conflagration that lit up the town square, seemingly determined to burn down the place he had helped build.

Stone and molten rock flew through the air, bits of it spattering against Ginchiyo like a rain of hot oil. It stung, but no more than it stung when oil popped and landed on your skin while cooking. She raised her left arm to block a large rock, causing it to split in two, landing on either side of her. There was a crunch as the piece on her right landed, indicating it had probably hit someone who hadn't scattered fast enough. There was no time to check, as a littler over a quarter century of Tengu exploded into action.

Ro was nowhere to be found, which was just as well, it was easier to fight without looking out for others. One of the feathered idiots locked eyes with her and darted straight for her, Naginata brandished for a great swing. She patiently waited the second that felt like twenty that it took the Tengu to reach her, and as its blade clanged impotently against her neck she smashed the wooden shaft of the weapon with her right hand. The bird-man left out a caw of confusion and shock as it tried to back up. Her footwork followed his exactly as she moved forward with him. Her left hand cocked back for a quarter second, then she shoved her hand through the side of her assailants skull. Bone gave way with a squelch as she flexed her hand in his grey matter.

Stopping to wipe her gore covered hand on the Tengu's robe, she looked for the next Bird to hunt. The air was hazy with smoke, and only glimpses of the carnage about her could be seen; a pair of white ears here, a tall dark skinned man just over there. But where was the Olive-Skinned Stranger?

Ren had been taking in the commotion of the city from the walls with the Snow Oni, the disconcerting news of the 'army of bandits' soon being relieved as some Prefect took to the stage to declare some fellow, Yuwen Fortune, a fraud? He was prepared to fight if he had to, but Ren supposed it was for the best that the tiny town wasn't forced to fight off 300 bandits. Numbers that were this skewed rarely translated to success.

Before he could truly relax though, the tower at the center of Poyo erupted into flames, bursting apart and sending bits of stone and wood across the town square. Hoped too soon it seemed, but the arrival of Tengu warriors struck the sellsword as odd. A fake attack immediately followed by a real one? Strange timing. And that Goblin that had been running away from the town, what was that about? Had they helped coordinate this?

The Snow Oni had darted towards the battle, leaving Ren with the briefest of moments to consider what he would do. There really was no alternative but to fight, but what was the best way? He took a glance around the part of town he could see, noting several men, women, and children cowering. The men, while not exactly impressive warriors, had the strength one would expect from farmers. Good enough? He hoped.

Ren dropped down from the wall, making his way around some of the hidden corners of the side streets, signalling to the men in hiding. "You men, get a hold of yourselves. Your wives and children are in danger, time to step up to defend them. Go grab some tools and weapons. Knives and short blades, make sure you have them tucked into a belt. Grab spears, shovels, pitchforks, and knock the metal parts off. It'll weigh them down and slow your attacks. Use the spears and makeshift poles to keep those Tengu at a distance from you, and when they get too close, use your knives to stab at them. Aim for the heads, don't bother with the armored areas."

They looked terrified at the Yeuxkyenan. "But... We're not skilled enough to fight them! What are we supposed to do!"

The warrior raised a hand to calm them. "This isn't about fighting them, it's about controlling the battlefield. They already blew up the tower, we do not want them burning the whole town down. We keep them here in town square. Guards and Prefect's can deal with any saboteurs, and town's folk can help prevent fires."

The terror remained in their eyes, but Ren's face remained stoic and unaffected. "We will save the town. Do what I said, support the guards and Prefects, and we will be victorious." With that, the townsmen ran off to either follow the sellsword's orders, or to flee, and Ren made his way to the town square, grabbing a deserted guard's spear that had been lying on the ground.



Another Tengu dove towards the female Rabbit Beastman and Yuwen, intent on ensuring their target wouldn't escape. Before it could reach them however, and wooden rod swung past the Rabbit, through the air over Yuwen, and collided with the face of the flying assailant. A loud *CRACK* resounded as the Tengu was pulled along with the spear, being cast down into the pavement head first with a loud thud.

Ren gave a nod to the Beastwoman and the Adventuring Charlatan.

"Happy Emperor's Day."

Yamato skid to a halt upon seeing the Tengu descend from the sky. He'd seen the tower fall and was near to the center of town. The sounds of panicked townspeople filled the air, mixing with the clashing of steel. Drawing his own weapons he managed to make eye contact with a Tengu that was looking for anyone who might be trying to flee.

"You!" It called, landing a few yards away, "Why are you not at your post?"

Yamato grit his teeth before chuckling to himself, "As if I'd fight with any of you bastards!" He unfurled his wings, their ashen gray color a stark contrast to the jet black of the attacking Tengu. "I am Yamato Hibiki, Clan Killer, and Heir Apparent to the Hibiki Holding's Company, you are trash."

"Hibiki? It's been a long time since I heard that name, but it will do me wonders to kill the infamous Clan Killer!" The tengu started, taking a fighting stance.

"It's your funeral," Yamato said with a smirk.