Dark Edge Village

Batul returned to the temple of the Emerald Champion once more, this time she was surprised to find many new idols and status of other things around her. She walked among a few that she recognized, the Fortunes of times before the Empire, Benten no kami, Bishamon no kami... she counted as she walked past their statues, but there were many she could not recognize easily, some she made a general idea of who they were from their attributes and that which she had learned til then.

Batul stopped before a big figure, plumbed sitting joyfully with a great grin on his big face. Just the vision of the Kami brought a smile to Batul. "Hotei no kami" She identified in the silent space around the shrine with a grin and a bow. "Maybe you will bring me joy after this Miai, or guide me to finding it for myself."

Takashi is hardly one for temples or even shrines, but when he hears of the expansion of the Shrine of the Emerald Champion, he finally yields to duty to see what has become of it.

Striding up to the simple shrine, unexpectedly at peace in the quiet of the early morning, he notices a small Unicorn already there. Unwilling to appear rude, he approaches.

Coming up from one side, but at a respectful distance to avoid startling the other samurai, he catches a view of a slightly familiar face. Face creased in thought, he speaks out: "Good morning, Unicorn-san. Er--Iuchi-san, was it? You look rather familiar..."

"Good morning to you, Lion-sama." She replies after a glimpse of the mon on the samurai, although she is unaware of the family of the Lion. "I am Iuchi Batul, briestess of the Unicorn." She tilts her face slightly as she looks to the Kitsu in estranged expression. "I don't believe we have met before, Lion-sama, but we might have crossed each other on the ways."

Nodding, Takashi seems to brush off the recollection. "Of course. I am Kitsu Takashi, Iuchi-san. I came to observe the... expansion... of the shrine." He gestures gently to the small throng of additional statues. Then remembers himself and bows respectfully, recognizing Batul's station instead of her age.

"I understand these are the Fortunes of the Embire ub to date." Added the samurai-ko to his comment. She had never expected so many. "I barely recognize most of them. When the Ki-Rin left the Embire there were only 7 great Fortunes, The great Kamis, and a couble of older Fortunes from the times before the Rokugan. Even though I do not know their names, I do feel their embrace and somehow feel safe around the shrines."

The Lion half-smiles in response, trying to imagine how different things were before the then-Ki Rin Clan left Rokugan. Growing up among the Kitsu, who attentively tracked the fortunes and generations of ancestors, it was hard to imagine a simpler theology.

"Uh, yes. It would be quite different." He shakes his head, feeling a little foolish. "I'm sorry, I'm so used to... I guess contemporary shugenja might be the word--that I'm having trouble with the idea of a priestess who might know fewer of the fortunes than I do."

"This is no broblem, Kitsu Takashi-san, it is but a moment to teach since I am an oben book to learning, and an eager one to brove my devotion to the fortunes old, and now also the new ones."

Batul looked down to a nearby shrine that she could not identify. The symbols written, the image represented, it was not one she knew. "Who is this shrine to, Kits Takashi-San? "