Arc 5, Session 24, L5R

June 3rd, 1119

 

It had been less than two months since the mission into Phoenix lands. As before, the samurai were summoned to Otosan Uchi for a debriefing with the nascent Crystal Magistrate. 

The samurai gathered together with their part-time master. Having gone through many records since their last meeting, Otomo Kuni was unsure of where best to apply the skill of her deputies. And so, she put the decision in their hands. 

Of the various disturbances they had both seen & read of, which spoke with the most plaintive voice? Should they devote time to a road not taken- or perhaps revisit something with mysteries yet to be found? In the end, their decision was neither.

Ever since the wedding of Doji Tsukiko & Daidoji Hansha, Kiyuki had been working to mend her damaged relationship with Kitsune Ryosei. When she visited in-person to deliver some letters, she had been told that the Fox Daimyo was currently searching Shinomen Mori for a lost merchant caravan. This in itself was no cause for alarm.

But when, many months later, the Scorpion called once more...it was to find the young woman still absent.

The Fox clan were hesitant to reach out for assistance in the matter. Doing so would both make their clan look weak, & show their doubt in Kitsune Ryosei's ability to survive alone. Kiyuki had managed to convince one of the Daimyo's seneschals that she was interested in taking a lovely stroll through the haunted woods of her own. If she happened to find the missing Fox, well, that would be a lovely coincidence, wouldn't it?

Directed to an experienced hunter who lived at the forest's edge, Kiyuki had been in correspondence with him to keep tabs on the situation. It was late Autumn of 1118 when the Daimyo left on her quest. Now, as the Summer of 1119 bloomed, she had yet to reappear.

The discussion was shockingly brief. Though there were several threads each samurai had wanted to pursue, the prolonged disappearance of a Daimyo, Minor Clan or no, was a dire omen indeed. As one, they resolved to do what they could to find the young Lord. Before they prepared to leave, Otomo Kuni surprised them all with a gift: new sheaths for their wakizashis. Emblazoned on each was the symbol of their newfound office. Each samurai was given leave to return to their homes to see to anything they needed to before undertaking this mission.

It was the third of June each of them arrived at the Natsu Ferry crossing that led to Kyuden Kitsune. To the others' shock, Megumi had a significantly older Unicorn man in tow. Their new ally, Moto Shozo quickly ingrained himself into the group. His wisdom was profound & welcome at all times, even when unasked for. So valuable was his council, the others all volunteered to walk ahead of him- as a protective vanguard, of course.

Lady Amaterasu's warmth caused the samurai to bake while they waited for the ferry to arrive. As it drew close, they could see there was only a single occupant besides the peasant rowers. Whoever it was, they were excitedly rushing about the wooden raft. The man's exaggerated movements called to mind performers trodding the boards. He proved to be so fraught with worry that he leapt from the ferry to the shore before it had begun to dock.

"Oh, my wife!" he cried. "I have been so anxiously awaiting your arrival. Imagine the things that could have befallen you in the wilds! No- I dare not!" He broke into theatrical sobs as he clutched Kiyuki's hand tight.

It was hard to tell who was the most surprised by this turn of events. Hayata opened his mouth in shock as Megumi failed to hold back an audible snort. Takeshi shared a pained look with Ikoma Choshi. One of Yudai's eyebrows twitched slightly.

Introductions were made as the ferry was moored in place. This, Kiyuki explained, was the hunter she had been working with: Byako Nio. His was a vassal family of the Fox, decorated survivalists all. Byako Nio enthusiastically greeted the other samurai. Why, Kiyuki had told him all about them! How great it would be to work besides them now.

The rest of the party boarded Natsu Ferry as Byako Nio aided his "wife" in doing so. The Fox took up an oar, placing himself at the front of the raft. With the aid of the peasants, they forded the river fairly quickly. After the samurai had all disembarked, Byako Nio bowed deeply to the rowers. (Much to their discomfort.) Takeshi commended the hunter for his frank respect to what many considered their lessers.

Scorpion & Fox crooked arms together as they led the others North. A stone's throw away from Shinomen Mori was a small hut amidst swampy earth. The building showed clear signs of disrepair, even lacking doors. Still, the group remained polite as decorum demanded. 

Byako Nio prepared tea as he & Kiyuki explained what they knew of the situation. The quality of the brew was not up to Moto Shozo's exacting standards, leading him to spit it out onto the floor. All their host did in response was widen his toothy smile: a smile that seemed not to reach his eyes anymore.

Despite the tenseness, the planning continued. Kiyuki mentioned that, though they did not know exactly where to find Kitsune Ryosei, Byako Nio's brother had been able to bring back a message from her. In that message, she had mentioned that she regretted not listening to "Chk'toch'nu"- a name of Nezumi origin. It seemed that the best course of action might be to seek out the Tattered Ear Nezumi tribe native to the forest. When Takeshi asked why the brother had not simply brought the Daimyo back instead of her message, Byako Nio scoffed.

"It is not as though he has hands to carry her," he said in an exasperated tone. At the confusion this writ on his guests' faces, he moved to the window of his face that faced the woods. He let out a high-pitched, strangled cry. It sounded almost like...

A fox. Like the one that now came trotting into the shack. The creature walked up to the table before sitting himself upright besides it. It was now that Hayata & Takeshi recalled a bit of lore from the Fox clan: the Byako vassal family was known to be descended from the actual kitsune spirits of Shinomen Mori. Each generation, only two children were born. One was chosen to walk the path of a samurai, while the other joined their ancestors in Chikushu-do.

This knowledge did nothing to restore the flagging respect the samurai felt towards the hunter. He politely introduced everyone to his twin brother, Byako Ino. Moving on, Megumi mentioned that she was hesitant to bring her warhorse into Shinomen Mori with them. The fox nodded his head at this. He strolled outside, took the mount's reins in his mouth, & began to lead him to the closest clan stable. When he returned, the group would set off into the forest.

While our heroes went over some final questions, they heard a frail voice call a greeting from outside. Takeshi left the shack to see two fellow Lion samurai standing on the edge of the swampy terrain. One was an elderly woman, garbed in the robes of a Kitsu scholar. The other appeared to be her apprentice, a gap-toothed girl fresh from her gempukku.

The scholar introduced herself as Kitsu Nari, a master amongst the Celestial Wanderer school. Attending her was a shrine maiden-in-training, Matsu Domotai. From what the elder said, she was glad to have met the group here. She had been worried their travel was too slow to arrive in time. When Takeshi expressed his confusion at this, she simply alluded to a prophetic vision that had prompted her journey: she was here to help save Kitsune Ryosei.

Already weary of the Kitsu's condescending tone, Takeshi mentioned that the group did not have a palanquin to carry someone of her venerable status across the swamp. In response, Kitsu Nari instructed her student to lay down her white traveling jacket in the muck. Matsu Domotai complied immediately. She held her master's hand to aid her balance as she crossed to the hut. No thanks were given. When the student moved to follow her master inside, Kitsu Nari stopped. Her head turned just enough for narrowed eyes to glare at her follower.

"You are out of uniform." The cold disdain in her voice felt like a smack in the face to Takeshi. If Matsu Domotai felt the same, she did her best not to show it. She only hesitated a breath before picking up her muddy jacket & re-donning it.

With the lovely addition of the two new Lions, the group had swollen like a tick. Thankfully, it was not as if several of the samurai each clearly thought of themselves as the authority on this mission.

Shortly after, the fox trilled from outside. Megumi's horse had been safely lodged, & they could now leave. The cool shade of the forest mercifully blocked the summer sun as the group began to follow an old foot-trail. Strangely, it also seemed to block all sound from outside its eaves as well.

Our heroes trekked until night began to fall. They set up camp without incident, keeping a rotating watch.

 

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June 4th, 1119

In the morning, they continued. The sounds of running water soon reached their ears. A mid-sized river clove the trail in twain. Its current did not look particularly strong, but its depth was difficult to gauge. Yudai & Takeshi volunteered to cross it first.

For most of its width, the river only reached to their calves. There was a significantly deeper trench in the middle, but it was easy enough to step over with care. The Crab tied one end of a rope to a nearby tree before tossing it back over for his companions. Hayata secured his end & began to cross while using the tether as a handhold. At his comrades urging, he took his time to safely stretch his gait over the trench.

Which is exactly when two massive grey-green jaws burst from the water between his legs to snap shut on his torso.

Blood welled in the Tortoise's mouth. As the beast began to thrash him, his eyes rolled back. The bushi rushed into the water in an attempt to save him. Kiyuki, Moto Shozo, & the two new Lion held at the shoreline, calling advice & warning. The two Fox entered the fray as best they were able.

More of the giant reptiles spawned from the river trench, a swarm with numbers more than equal to the group. Here, the dangers of wearing armor in water became apparent. The warriors fought valiantly, but their foes were low to the ground, in perfect range to drag the samurai down. Water, the giver of life, finished those the crocodiles did not. 

As the remaining samurai continued to cry out in terror & alarm, their voices trailed off into choked gurgles one by one. Kiyuki felt her entire body seize as she collapsed. Her neck burned in agony, before everything went numb- including her throat. Air curdled in her lungs as her vision slowly, inexorably, faded to black.

The party gasped themselves awake as one. Strange dreams had visited them once, in the Shadowlands, but this felt different somehow. Though their bodies bore no sign of injury, the pain from their deaths still ached to their bones. The darkness weighed heavily upon them. Though they were all of them disturbed, this was not the time, nor place, to speak of whatever evil had been visited upon them. With difficulty, they returned to sleep.

Morning saw the group weary from their shared nightmare- if nightmare it was. Kiyuki spoke in hushed tones with Byako Nio. The two appeared distraught over something. Whatever it was, the pair quickly gathered Megumi into their discussion.

At the same time, Moto Shozo approached Hayata, Takeshi, & Yudai. He made no attempt to hide his gestures as he pointed over his shoulder towards the Fox. By his estimation, the spirit-queller figured these three samurai to be reasonable, law-abiding citizens of the Empire...

It did not take long for both groups to find themselves standing across from each other with furrowed brows. By Byako Nio's telling, he believed Moto Shozo to have stolen something from him. The Unicorn shugenja flat-out admitted that he had; yes, he had indeed liberated from the Fox's hut an obsidian inkstone.

Moto Shozo produced the object in question. The chunk was small, barely palm-sized, & wrapped tightly in warding seals. The hunter stood his ground. He had been given the inkstone to hold in magicks until his Daimyo could decide what to do with it. Whether she would want its properties & origin studied or to simply destroy it, his duty held him to safeguard the stone for her judgement. Would any of the others openly admit they would disobey their orders, make decisions for their betters?

When pressed as to who had given him the inkstone, Byako Nio refused to answer. Moto Shozo took this opportunity to criticize the seals wrapped around the stone. Such imperfect wards- a child could write better ones in their sleep. 

Kiyuki & Megumi asked then asked the Unicorn why he had decided to steal such a terrible object. He replied in his typical, derisive tone, claiming that as the "parents" of the Fox clan, the Unicorn knew better how to handle such things. He had brought the stone to confront the Fox in just this manner, with the backing of the more level-headed bushi.

The argument grew increasingly heated on both sides. Kiyuki eventually confirmed that she had been the one to pass Byako Nio the obsidian; echoing the hunter's words, the Scorpion explained that she wished for Kitsune Ryosei's insight into the cursed material. 

As time is a circle, this nearly led Takeshi & Kiyuki to come to blows. Voices rose, lips sneered, fists tightened on hilts. Kitsu Nari began to loudly complain about the ongoing debacle, causing Yudai to reach a decision. He took the inkstone from Moto Shozo before the Unicorn could resist. From within his robes, he pulled forth a finger of jade & touched it to the obsidian. In seconds, both stones were reduced to naught but ash.

Both sides stared at each other in terse silence. Eventually, Kitsu Nari coughed to draw their attention. She stood ready to continue on the path, with Matsu Domotai carrying the pair's gear. The issue was tabled for the moment...but neither side would soon forget it.

It was for the best, then, that the sounds of running water soon reached their ears. The group came to a dead stop at the sight of the same river that had killed them in their vision. Everything looked exactly as they had dreamt it, down to the slanting rays of sunlight. If what they had experienced was some sort of warning, they must approach the situation differently.

Focusing on the task, the party assessed the area. Assuming that crocodiles lurked within the center of the river meant they would need to avoid it as much as possible. Takeshi & Choshi suggested the group vault across using the bushi's spears. For most, this might work. Unfortunately, Kitsu Nari & Yudai would not be able to do so. 

Meanwhile, Hayata & Kiyuki searched their side of the shore for further threats. It took some time, but they managed to spot something in the trees shadowing the river: a massive hornet's nest. Kiyuki rubbed the back of her neck, recalling the burning sting that had felled her. The screaming of the samurai must have awoken the hive, causing them to attack what they perceived as a threat to their home.

Our heroes were now properly aware of the multiple dangers present in the scenario. They needed to ford the river without drawing the attention of either the crocodiles or the hornets. Kitsu Nari claimed that she could transport herself & a couple others across the waters by "jaunting" through a sideways realm. The act was draining though- she would only be able to do so once. 

Hushed voices began to discuss who would go with the Lion when the Scorpion surprised everyone. With a whispered prayer, Kiyuki began to fly. Looks of shock & realization crossed the others' faces, save for Hayata. Still with silent fury, the courtier took hold of her "husband" & his brother, floating safely across with them. 

This sudden display of power made it easy to proceed. While Kiyuki returned for Megumi, Hayata, Yudai, Moto Shozo, & the Lion spiritualists vanished in a flash of light. By the time they had reappeared on the opposite shore, both Takeshi & Ikoma Choshi had successfully vaulted the river.

Before the group could move on, Kitsu Nari held up a hand for silence. She remained facing the water with rapt attention. Almost imperceptibly, a pair of reptilian nostrils could be seen to break the surface above the trench for a breath of air. So, then. Less a dream, & more a prophecy.

The samurai mulled over the implications of this as they set out once more. It was shortly after noon that they came across a hunched figure foraging in the undergrowth. Humanoid in shape, they wore a motley assortment of Rokugani clothing. A laden pack dominated their form, while a long, naked tail trailed from beneath their robes. A Nezumi!

Seeing that the ratfolk was clearly a trader like himself, Hayata greeted her. The Nezumi turned in surprise, but quickly rushed over to the samurai. In a rush of stilted speech, she began to offer various sundry lining the inside of her robes. After making a few small trades, the group was able to learn that this was not just a member of the Tattered Ear Tribe: this was Chk'toch'nu herself.

Unfortunately, the ratfolk claimed her memory was spotty. She recalled seeing a young woman recently, certainly, but seemed leery of sharing further details. Nonetheless, she was more than happy to lead the samurai to the home of her people. She took them off the foot-trail, cutting through the wilderness. 

It was not far off from sunset when they arrived at "Ie"- the Nezumi word for "Home". Three large trees coiled against each other as they stretched far above the rest of the forest. Hand-made platforms adorned the branches as they ascended, each populated with Nezumi on watch. A large hollow was visible at the base of the middle tree. More sounds of life echoed from within as other ratfolk appeared to be preparing a meal.

When the group asked if they could perhaps stay the night, Chk'toch'nu pointed to one of the high platforms. Most of the party stayed on the ground & began to introduce themselves to the Nezumi. Yudai & Takeshi climbed their way up the tree together, finding themselves panting from the effort by the time they reached the top. 

A particularly large Nezumi greeted them when they had caught their breath. He was missing both an ear & the tip of his tail, the latter of which was replaced with a crude metal spike. After listening to the bushi's request, he introduced him as Ych’tor’kin. While they would need permission from the tribe's Rememberer to stay long term, he welcomed the samurai to at least join the tribe for their nighttime meal.

Kitsu Nari & Moto Shozo made little effort to hide their dislike for the ratfolk while the other party members tentatively explored the clearing. All of the other samurai were excited at the chance to learn from a new culture- though Yudai's face seemed particularly drawn, to those who notice such things.

 

Despite not being used to visitors, all of the Nezumi proved immediately warm & welcoming. Shortly before the meal was finished, a greying Nezumi approached the group. This was A'gon'flii, the Remember for the Tattered Ear Tribe. He was the latest in a long line of "living archives" for his people. He smiled as he told our heroes that they could stay as long as they would like. All he asked in return is that they joined in the storytelling ritual of the ratfolk after dinner.

The food was unfamiliar, but the casual comradery of the Nezumi was contagious. There was only one tribe member who did not partake in the feast, though food was set before her. A'gon'flii explained that the young rat in question was G'luc'luc'ts. Unique amongst her fellows, she had a strong connection to Yume-do, the realm of Dreams. As such, she spent most of her time with one foot in each world. The other ratfolk cared for her when her trances pulled her mind away.

Once the food was finished, A'gon'flii led the tribe in beginning the storytelling ritual. Not every member contributed, but the stories told by those who did so were of mundane happenings. Some spoke of times they found a particularly large bounty while foraging. Others recounted the births of their children, or the passings of their elders.

The samurai of the Crystal office all partook in turn. The ratfolk listened attentively, awed & excited. By the time the group had wrapped up their contributions, many of the younger Nezumi were drifting to sleep. Most of the tribe began to disperse for the night. Remaining by the campfire were A'gon'flii & Chk'toch'nu. 

Sheepishly, the merchant spoke in a chittering tongue with her elder. He produced a small stick from his robes. Strange lines marked it in undecipherable patterns. The Rememberer gently ran the stick through his mouth with his eyes closed. Seemingly extracting something in the process, he whispered further to Chk'toch'nu. With a resigned expression, she nodded, before turning to face the samurai.

Her memory refreshed, she told the group all that she knew of Kitsune Ryosei. Many weeks ago, she had come across the young woman, alone. Upon learning that the Fox intended to quest into the most dangerous parts of Shinomen Mori, Chk'toch'nu had attempted to convince the Daimyo to return home. Beholden to her duty, Kitsune Ryosei had politely refused.

Where the Fox went to after that, neither Nezumi knew. A'gon'flii chimed in to confirm that a few days after that meeting, some of the tribe's hunters had come across the wreckage of the merchant caravan. Not wishing to offend the spirits, they had buried the humans with all of their belongings- though they did take what perishables had not yet spoiled. If the samurai wished it, Ych'tor'kin could lead them to the site on the morrow.

 

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June 5th, 1119

Before leaving Ie, Yudai spoke some more with the Rememberer. Yudai seemed particular motivated as he inquired about any previous Hida the clan had met. A'gon'flii took some time to lead them to a nearby field. The many "memory sticks" sticking out of the ground made it clear this was a cemetery of sorts. The benefits of being immune to the Taint meant that the dead need not be cremated.

At the far end of the field was a much larger marker. Chewed into it was a clear attempt at rendering the Hida mon. Yudai asked to know more of who was buried here, & why.

It was many years ago, but A'gon'flii still carried the memory- literally. He recalled a small group of Crab, entering Shinomen Mori in search of something. Whatever their duty was, the Tattered Ear had welcomed them the same as our heroes. So it was a terrible shock when all of the group attacked the Nezumi without warning...except one.

Hida Masateru stood alone against his kin. At great cost in blood & injury, he defended the ratfolk until the last of his fellows was slain. A'gon'flii did not know why the Hida has saved his people, any more than he knew why the others had assaulted them. All he knew further was how Hida Masateru lived with the tribe as a protector. In time, he died of old age. The Nezumi buried him in his armor, that he may greet his afterlife with honor.

Hayata watched in silence as Yudai processed the tale. The Crab had a few more questions, mostly inquiring as to what belongings were buried with his kinsman. What his interest in the matter was remained unspoken.

While this was going on, Kiyuki entered the warren beneath the trees to seek the Dreamer. G'luc'luc'ts was in another trance when the Scorpion found her. Some gentle words roused the ratfolk to a state of wakefulness, enough for a discussion. 

The shugenja inquired about what was going on in the forest, what dark magicks could have ensnared the missing Fox. G'luc'luc'ts was hard to understand, but she eventually drew a large spiral in the dirt. Resting a paw on Kiyuki's cheek, the ratfolk apologized that these samurai had now become trapped by whatever spell had caught Kitsune Ryosei. 

She did know the source of the spell. It seemed not to affect the Nezumi, but she had been able to glean that the cursed web of magic somehow involved time. Time...

While Ych'tor'kin led the party to the remnants of the caravan, Kiyuki shared what the Dreamer had told her. Kitsu Nari sniffed haughtily before saying that this confirmed something she had already suspected. After the incident with the river, it had become obvious that they had fallen into some temporal trap. She continued to theorize that it may be possible to will oneself into experiencing another of the "time flashes" they had collectively experienced.

Upon reaching the wreckage, the samurai split into two groups. One investigated the caravan & dug up the buried merchants. The other discussed what they knew thus far of the supernatural element of their journey.

Takeshi led the digging efforts. As he did so, he explained that his Lord had given him orders to recover a package being delivered to him by one of these merchants. He asked the others what orders their own Lords had given them, in the hopes of generating some harmony. No one else chose to share.

A study of the wreckage indicated that the caravan seemed to have been attacked from above. Byako Ino was able to confirm that Kitsune Ryosei's scent was here, & seemed more recent than that of the merchants themselves- she must have found this spot herself. From what the fox could discern, there were two survivors of the attack, whose trail the Daimyo must have continued to hunt for.

The Celestial Wanderer led a few of the others in a guided meditation. It did not take long for these efforts to bear fruit, as both Megumi & Hayata entered a glassy-eyed trance. Moments later, the two samurai gasped as their vision became focused once more. They had seen something; something from another time.

Throughout these events, Yudai had been climbing one of the trees overhanging the trail the caravan had been using. If the ambush had come from above, perhaps there would be some evidence of who had committed it. 

The sickening distance between him & the ground threatened his composure. He channeled the strength of his people to banish any hints of fear. When the branches became too thin for him to safely continue, he began to search. There, on the very edge of a nearby branch, something fluttered in the wind. He stretched out an armored hand...

On the ground, the merchants had been reburied. Whatever package Takeshi's Lord sought was not present. Hayata & Megumi shared what they had seen with the group. They couldn't tell when or where the event took place, but they saw Yudai. The Crab was grasping his tetsubo tightly as his face seemed to wage war on itself. His fingers twitched until his eyes suddenly turned white. With a thud, the tetsubo fell to the ground as his hand wrenched itself open.

Heavy footsteps announced that the man himself was exiting the tree he had searched. The samurai tensed momentarily; was what their friends had seen something that would happen, or merely something that could? Ignoring their reticence, Yudai held out his hand. Wrapped around his palm was a stretch of thick spider-silk. Much too thick to have come from any creature of the mortal realm. This news of giant arachnids motivated the party to begin the return trip to Ie.

As they traveled, several of the samurai focused on casting their minds out, with mixed success. A few saw a vision of a surviving merchant being robbed by someone wearing a Crystal Magistrate sheath. One saw a glimpse of the Fox brothers being torn asunder by dog-sized spiders. Lastly, one of them could only briefly see what seemed to be a giant pearl within a stone building. An unfamiliar samurai lay dead, their body curled around the orb. These visions were shared amongst only those of the Crystal Magistrate's office.

The group split once more upon returning to the Nezumi camp. Each of the samurai had much to think on. Megumi decided to explore a bit of the wilderness surrounding Ie. While doing so, she came across Byako Ino on the hunt. Though the two could not speak, the fox was able to indicate that he was tracking a specific scent.

Together, they pushed on through the brush. Shortly over an hour, the fox let out a sharp yelp of alarm. Clearly terrified, he dug his paws into the dirt to skid to a stop. He refused to go any further. Megumi looked through the trees ahead of them- what was scaring her companion? 

Perhaps another few minutes ahead there seemed to be a portion of the forest devoid of trees. It looked almost like it had once been the spot of some kind of settlement...though to who it could have belonged, she had no idea. From this distance, all she could make our were scattered bits of stone. Ruins, unrecognizable in design. The pair wisely decided to share this with the others rather than press on alone into the unknown.

Noon had come & gone by the time our heroes were all on the same page. While Megumi had been scouting, another vision had been had: Yudai, being possessed & letting go of his tetsubo, as before. While standing in the middle of the Nezumi camp. Whether this potential prophecy rattled the Crab, no one could tell.

Conferring with A'gon'flii about the ruins, the group asked what he knew of the ruins. Even without consulting one of his memory sticks, the Rememberer shivered in fear. An ancient, ancestral memory haunted him & his people. In eons past, the Nezumi were once enslaved to a race of snake-like humanoids, known as Naga. Though none of the Tattered Ear knew much more of the topic, all of them had a deep-seated aversion to anything related to the snakes to this day. From the way Megumi described the ruins, they could only have belonged to these terrors.

The samurai wracked their minds for anything more they had heard regarding the Naga. Precious little, it seemed. Still, this was a lead to the Fox Daimyo's location. If they left now, they would have a few hours of sunlight to explore the area before returning to camp safely.

As they made ready to leave, Ych'tor'kin approached the samurai. He could not hide his slight tremble as he did so, but the Warrior vowed to accompany them on A'gon'flii's insistence. Moto Shozo chose to stay behind, though the Lion mystics both joined the excursion.

The Byako twins spoke in their strange, fox language as they led the way. The vulpine brother's tail stayed tucked between his legs despite Byako Nio's best efforts to encourage him. Though he appeared to need to fight for every step, his path was true. Upon reaching the point he & Megumi had turned back from, the fox flattened himself to the ground, panting in fear.

While the hunter calmed his mirror, the rest of the party continued to the edge of the clearing. The rubble in the area was all hewn from an unknown stone. Shattered hunks lay in heaps across the space. Yes; this had once been a fortified site of some kind. Some sort of tower, if the oddly localized piles of the ruins indicated. Besides the remains of buildings, there were hundreds of stone orbs dotting the field. Without closer examination, there was no telling what they may be.

And that was when a fateful decision was cast. They could learn no more from here. Only by physically entering the ruined field...

The very second the first footstep crossed that threshold, time & space warped around our heroes. Unlike the more recent "time flashes", this felt more like the first they had experienced. Fatigue & stress settled into their souls as their surroundings coalesced into coherency.

Battle. A pitched battle was underway. All of them weary & fighting for their lives. Their foes?

Naga?!

The hiss of scales on stone was the only warning. Takeshi could feel the tremor as one of the snakes launched itself towards his back. His body turned- too slow old man, gods damn it, too slow!- as a muscled bulk suddenly shoved him from the side. 

Ikoma Choshi. She must have seen the attack coming, must have been watching his back when he should have been watching hers. Takeshi's ribs burned from the impact as he fell. Losing to gravity, his body finally, finally completed its turn.

Just in time to see the attack meant for him, the powerful jaws of a Naga warrior, sink their fangs deep into Ikoma Choshi's face & rip it away from her skull...