Ondona's Story

"My purpose is not known to myself right now. I was brought here by whatever forces of destiny and the spirits that guide it. So I can not give a clear answer as to why I washed up on this beach." Saito said looking at the woman before turning to look at the other man. He stood sheathing his weapons once more, minus the polearm that was simply tucked away into the bag.

"I prepare my students with the tools they will need to make that decision to take a life. This is no different from the physical weapons they are trained in. The sword is an extension of oneself the wielder chooses to give life or take it with the blade. The defining elements of Battojutsu speak of this. The Nukitsuke, Kirioroshi, Chiburi, and Noto. Nukitsuke or drawing of the sword is to give ones opponent time to rethink their actions and ill intentions hence the life giving. The Kirioroshi is meant to take the life of one suffering a mortal wound that would cause them suffering, this reminds s that ethical and morally just actions should be an aid to ending the suffering of others. Next comes Chiburi, the cleaning of the blade before sheathing, this reflects the cleansing of the soul for our swords are our soul. This leaves the soul clean of the negative aspects of violence for the sake of violence. The final step that is taken by us is Noto, sheathing of the sword, this is taught to us in the contemplation that evil may still exist in the minds of others around us. We must always be diligent and vigilant in our duties because of this." Saito stopped himself looking in the direction of Ralen. He gave this lesson untold times before the students even picked up the sword, it was one of the first lessons to be learned and remembered.

"You call yourself a lion but you bind yourself by no code which will lead to ill intentions eventually entering you. If you wish to become a leader I suggest a greater introspective look at yourself." Saito finished looking away from Ralen and back to the woman. The man hovered on his vision though.

Maegan listened to each person reasons in turn. A lion looking to find destiny, a woman swimming and basking in the sun, and a warrior teacher spreading his lessons. It was an odd gathering, Maegan thought to herself. There was no rhyme nor reason why any such should be gathered together.

"Very well," said Maegan. "There is an inn a league ashore. It is called The Leaky Wench. They will have mead and bread, perchance some meat. Leave whatever payment that you can. Your other world money is not accepted here."

Maegan explained as best she could the laws of Skyfall. Kill no man. Take nothing that is not yours. Disturb not the peace. Speak no ill against the King. Find good work and be a contributing denizen until a way to their home is found. She was clear that they were not wanted but neither would they cast out those who were thrust into this place like so many others.

"If you are in need of me or my council, send word to Warhorn Keep to the west," Maegan said. Her hand pointed to a hill in the far distance. Sitting atop of it was a large wall with turret towers.

"I'd make for the inn if I were you. The storms move quickly here and can be very deadly," said Maegan. Another peal of thunder rolled across the sea and the beach. A gray wash settled onto the horizon as rain poured down into the ocean, mingling salt and fresh waters.

Ralen's smirk fell from his face at the ronins words. He did not return a response, though to the mounted woman he said. "Storms of wind and thunder do not bother me. And besides, I have no money to pay for a room, from this world or otherwise. I would not sleep soundly, in any case, without the treasures of my house"

At this he turns away from them all, and turns back to the sea, searching it with his eyes, futile a task that may be.

Although the threat the storm posed to Ondona was clothing ruining at best. She knew it would draw even more suspicion on her, however she did not have any currency on her, or currency that was worth a single nights stay at an inn. Of course, they relized he had magic so she decided to use it to disguise her real identity. "Thank you for the warning miss, however a storm of that size does not affect me. I will respect the laws of you land but for now I shall camp out here. Royka dear, please assemble the tent." She spoke and Royka unpacked what appeared to be a very simple camping tent, adorned with the artwork of hunters slaying massive beasts.

The tent appeared to only fit two people but as Ondona went inside she signalled the others to join her. "There is plenty of room inside the tent, so if you do not have the necessary currency to rest at the inn you are free to join me until the storm calms down. Also don't worry, this tent can survive the storm and much worse." She smiled as she vanished back into the tent.

"Do I take my chances in a strange camping tent with a strange woman on a beach or do I take my chances at the inn?" Saito mused to himself for a moment.

It did not look like he was returning home anytime soon after all. Then again the laws of this land did not differ too much from that of his along with the same attitude towards foreigners. He wasn't too worried of a fight then again those that live here may possess magic after all which to Saito is the stuff of fairy tales.

"I'll stay for the time being till I figure out my own path." Saito said at last after some contemplation.

"Be wary travelers, plague is spreading across this land," Maegan warned before sending her horse into a gallop away from the group of odd people. She headed for Warhorn Keep and left their company.

Watched over his shoulder as the mounted woman rode off, before turning and ducking into the tent. He didn't intend to stay the night, nor to sleep. He only sought the woman, so as to discuss with her a rather delicate situation that he would rather attend to sooner than later.

As Ralen entered the tent, he would find that the inside was much larger than the outside. The inside was furnished with a nice flat screen TV, a comfy looking couch made of cotton, fancy red carpet lay on the floor along with a pair of fancy beds, the roof was a couple stories high and there were many different appliances making this tent look like a mansion instead of a tent. "Please make yourself at home. I hope you enjoy your stay." Ondona spoke as she took off her shoes and sat on the couch before turning on the TV and began to watch some sort of cartoon.

Yoshiaki entered the tent as well. He looked about the room seeing strange things he had never seen before, not in his life time or in that of other lands. He did his best to not react as he took out his weapons once more and began apply the oil to them.

"Thank you. I will be out of your hair once I find what it is I need to do. Fate has brought me here after all." Saito was sitting on the floor with his weapons refusing to sit on the furniture.

Ralen paused and looked at the Ronin. "Fate? No chains exist worse than those crafted by belief in fate. Destiny is what you make of yourself, and thinking otherwise is to bind yourself without reason." He would scoff, before turning back to Ondona. "I don't suppose you, milady, have a way of searching the seabed. The crash robbed me of some of my families most precious possessions, and I would see them returned to me."

Ralen walked and placed himself fully in the tent, his eyes flashing with a light before he said "You need not hide yourself from me, for I knew what you were the moment you touched me in the sands. I could sense your power even then, and so I ask if it is within your power to see what is mine returned to me, and if so, what I may do to earn such a favor."


The crashing darkness in the distance vibrated through the earth, though few may have felt it. Ralen was one of those few, and he grew a degree more skittish. In his mind he could see those who had forced his ship to make the landing, such as it was, upon this world. That they would follow him to make sure he perished was not beyond the scope of possibility, but if that was the case, retrieving his artifacts was all the more important.

"My favor? Well it was not like I was trying very hard to hide what I am from you all...It sometimes gets weird when you tell people around you that they are a deity. Well its not like I can give you much power at all, I mean I can heighten your senses and make you a great hunter for a short period of time. However I only give my power to those hunting creatures of massive size, or wish for a little luck in their hunt for food. I am not sure why you would like my favor. As for your belongings, Royka here can easily retrieve everything in that ship even through this violent storm. If he wishes do so that is." Ondona spoke, even though she was glued to the television. And laughing many times.

Royka simply nodded and with a snap of his fingers was now dressed in a diving suit before leaving the tent and jumped into the sea. "As for you Yoshiaki, I do not mind your company. Its actually comforting having guests to talk to. I am not one to believe in fate, but sometimes I belive something awaits everyone here. Like me and my cartoons here." After saying this she laughed again.

"This is decided by fate. Our fate if formed from our karma, our own efforts and discipline. The tendencies of our soul and our environment. This creates the fate we see before us. Your karma just like mine is blackened by our past and had us wash up here alive. But through what levels of discipline are you willing to go to purify that karma? You seem like a man clouded with a deep ambition for power. That way will lead you to your death. The power you seek will corrupt and ultimately lead to your end." Saito continued oiling and polishing the weapons having them completely disassembled.

"I am here until I find out where I belong miss. I do think our paths will split eventually. I have no place with the gods currently or serving them. My loyalty still belongs to men." Saito said to the goddess.

Ralen looked at the ronin with incredulousity. "My ancestors but your a deluded one aren't you? I am here because My ship was shot down, because the cowards who seek to claim my power have not the stomach to earn it. My strength, like that of my father, my fathers fathers, and even their fathers before them, comes from our own dedication, our own strength of will to go on in the face of any enemy. We have ever been conquerers, and though many have sought to destroy us, all have failed in the end."

He rolled his eyes and looked back to Ondona's servant as he departed, calling out to him "In the wreckage of the ship you'll find a chest with ornate designs, that above all else is what matters to me, sir!"

After the manservants departure, Ralen turned back to the Ronin, seating himself a short distance away. "This talk of Karma and fate is ridiculous, you may as well be a child looking for an excuse for why you are miserable."

Ondona rolled her eyes as the two kept arguing about fate, she simply returned to watch the cartoon that was playing on the television and laughing fairly often. Of course a few minutes passed when the butler who had just left the tent came back dressed in his regular suit but had nothing on him. "I have found the chest and many other trinkets that may be yours." Royka announced as a portal opened in front of his self and with one hand pulled out a chest and placed it on the floor, along with a small pile of trinkets.

Ondona turned to face Royka and gave him a smile and an clapped at his success.

The Chest that the butler had retrieved would be about four feet tall, six wide, and two long. On it were many carvings and symbols, glyphic representations of Ralens Ancestry and their history. The most prominent feature of the chest was two fold, first being that there was no lock, nor seam nor any other indentifiable means of opening. It appeared for all the world to simply be an intricately carved wooden block. The second prominent feature was a large, blood red stone embedded at it's top and center, in the very core of a dragons body, carved upon the chest. This stone was the size of a heart, and seemed to pulse with a deep and fiery light.

Upon it's arrival Ralen hopped up, a fire in his eyes and a fiendish grin upon his face. He brushed his hand tentatively along the chest and sighed in relief. "I had feared that the vessel would be lost forever, but I am glad that is not the case." He said, looking up to Royka. "Thank you, my good man. I swear that should you or your mistress ever need of anything, I shall see to it you receive it."

He then turned to the pile of trinkets, among which would be a small locket shaped like a sword, three long blades of beautiful make, each complementing the others. Ralen lifted one blade, held in a green scaled scabbard, with vines and leaves carved along it's length. "Peace, that those who live might do so freely."

Another blade he lifted, this one held in a red scabbard adorned with etchings of fire, blood, and faces filled with pain. "War" He said "That those who threaten me know true fear before their end."

And the last blade he lifted from the pile, was a two handed sword taller than he was at six feet. It was held in no scabbard, and it's blade was etched with entwined copies of the other two blades, forming a spiral pattern that held both beauty and terrible grace. The blade was almost luminescent, glowing with a light that had no source. In the open spaces of the Double spiral pattern that wrapped the blade were five separate glyphs, unique and artful in their own right.

This one Ralen held with a look of awe upon his face. "Balance, as a King most be both strong and merciful, Brave and Wise, Powerful and Courageous." He said, placing the blade in between it's brothers.

The last thing Ralen raised from what had been returned from the ship was a ring, upon which was a single teardrop shaped blue stone.

"I am anything but miserable. You call men that attack you cowards simply because they do not fight head on? You know nothing about strategy then.If you claim this strength of your ancestors, you appear a lone man on a desolate planet? You have the talk of a man that was the leader of an Empire that finally failed. If I am not mistaken as well you would have been destroyed if not for the Goddess here? The sea would of reclaimed you with the tide. I washed up unscathed like you minus my fatigue from whatever trip brought me here. The more you strive for control the less of it you will have." Saito finished as he moved on to drying out the inside of the sheaths.

He knew many men like this from his land. The warring era of his land with every Lord with a sword and some followers bickering for power and control. The warring era was nearing it's end when Saito had vanished with only two lords left fighting. The rest had died to their ambition.

Royka simply gave a small bow to Ralen. "No thanks are needed, I just serve my mistress in whatever way I can. She is a kind soul, and that is why I want to keep serving her and protect her." He spoke as he stood by the wall and waited patiently for anything that requires his service.

Ondona smiled at the two. "You don't have to do such a thing, I am just simply helping someone in need. Like Royka said I am just a kind person, I do not intend to harm someone unless they force my hand. Speaking of harm I hear a bit of commotion outside, not just the storm but something...something happening outside that feels bad. Like a fight...Oh dear, now I am getting all worried...And as for you Saito and Ralen, I ask that you two stop arguing. You may both be warriors but please do not argue." She spoke as her smile seemed to slowly vanish replaced by worry.

Royka seemed to realize that something was going on before speaking up. "If there is something that is worrying you mistress then allow me to take care of it. I will not have whatever it is out there worry you any longer." He spoke as he began to walk to the entrance of the tent. With a small nod from Ondona he left the tent and outside into the storm to locate the source of this disturbance.

Ralen chuckled at Saito's words. "Leader of a Fallen Empire? No my dear misguided ronin, My empire has not fallen, and so long as I yet stand it shall never fall. You say you see a lone man, but you have yet to see with true eyes." As Ralen said this he stood and placed a hand over the heartstone at the top of the chest.

A spark of energy flashed between his palm and the chest, and the chest exploded into a dazzling display of light, fire, and power. Arcs of energy red, blue, and violet wrapped around him like coiling snakes, each striking into a limb or his body, and where they struck armor formed. It was a silver steel of vibrant hue and peerless make, and within moments the display was over and Ralen stood covered in an armor of brilliant metal, with a dragons head emblem upon his left shoulder, holding a blood red mantle that flowed from his back in a royal raiment.

Upon his right and left hands were fixed gauntlents with clawed fingers, and set into the center of the back of the hand in each was a orange glowing gemstone. Upon his right middle finger over the gauntlent he wore the ring with the blue stone, and around his neck, was the locket shaped like a sword. War and Peace, the two long swords, each in their scabbard, lacking a crossguard, with handles of burnished wire, were set at his right and left hip respectively. Their scabbards crossed beneath a robes tail that was draped behind him from his belt. The blade he named "Balance" was not to be seen.

The glowing heartstone was the last piece of the artifact Ralen claimed as his ancestral power. This floated in the air at chest height, and Ralen looked at it with a smug smile of satisfaction. He opened his arms wide, and the stone flashed into a bolt of light that crashed into his chest, whereupon the center of his breastplate, indeed over his very own heart, the stone now rested, it's ominous glow undimished.

Ralen turned to the ronin with a grim smile on his face. "So long as I yet live, Then so to does my house and my ancestors. Unconquerable in life, Unstoppable in death." He said to Saito

When Ondona mentioned a disturbance, Ralen smiled even wider at the Ronin. "A Challenge presents itself? Very well then, how about it, ronin. Would you care to witness this power you dismiss so readily? Would you care to see what it is you speak against?"

"Um...mistress...Remind me why we are here again...I am sorry to ask of this but this was a rather sudden decision to leave your abode..." A figure wearing a black suit and fedora spoke as he walked alongside a woman wearing pink snow gear. "Sorry for this Royka, but I thought after a nice warm day at the beach I thought it would be nice to go out for a nice day in the snow. Are you sure you really sure you want to keep your suit on? Its rather cold up here." The woman asked and the figure near her just raised him thumb. "Its just a bit of a cold...If I can't handle simple cold weather...How can I be your butler..." The man known as Royka spoke, although it was clear he was freezing in his stylish but not even warm suit.

"Oh Royka, you know you don't have to force yourself to do these things...although you really do like that suit so much that you would go anywhere with it. Although while we are here you should relax, go ski down one of these sloped, make a snowman, or throw snowballs at trees. Relax while we are here ok?" The woman spoke again with a small but gentle smile and the man simply nodded. "Of course mistress Ondona, although your safety is my top priority...even though there is no one around...and its cold...this place has bad snowstorms..." Royka spoke again still shivering. "Don't worry about the snow storms, I think we are more than capable of holding our own against such a terrible thing. But enough talk! I always wanted to do this!" Ondona spoke as she grabbed a handful of snow and threw it at Royka who quickly took cover behind a fallen log and threw snowballs back at her. "Snowball fight!...Oh boy!...As you wish mistress!..." Royka called out.

"Oh dear...Who is calling for the deities out of the blue like this? I was getting ready for some sleep as well..." A woman dressed in a pink dress appeared out of the blue rubbing her eyes. Her hair was a mess, and her dress looked rather wrinkled.

"Do you require something from us?...I'm sorry, I am not in the right mindset yet. I was not sure what you said...Oh...my names Ondona....please to meet you." The woman yawned as she tried to rub the sleep from her eyes.