[D1 EM] New beginnings

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

The lives of the young Unicorn had been changed twice during their lifetimes. First, their Clan had been summoned back their homelands, to the Empire they had left so many centuries ago, forcing them to endure a ride through dark and unforgiving lands that had seen many lost friends and members of family. The seconds change, direct consequence of the first one was the new life as a part of the Empire, pasturing on strange lands. Dong-Ha pondered all the twits and turns that had brought him where he was now. Had not that one arrow missed him, he would be dead. Had the Shadows lured him instead of his sister, he would be dead. It seemed as if the Fortunes had something greater in store for him.

There wasn't much left of the so called shrine, much as there wasn't much left of the life he had once known. In a way, it seemed fitting. Dong-Ha leaned against one of the stone pillars that made up the torii and dug out an amulet from his pocket, rolling it between his fingers, lost in his thoughts.

[Asako Sayuri]

From the shrine, a small brightly dressed figure can be seen meandering through the fields. She seems uncertain glancing between the shrine, the distant mountain, and the position of the sun before making her decision, lightly stepping up to the shrine.

Shielding her eyes against the sunrise, she scrutinizes the figure leaning against the post, seeming to wonder at what he is doing. Finally deciding that he is engaged in no important, if strange and subdued, ritual, she decides to greet him before beginning her own prayers.

"Sunrise truly reveals the many bounties of your lands. I hope your return to them has been a joyous occasion."

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

Shaken from his reverie, Dong-Ha turns to face the newcomer. "Good morning, samurai-san." A low bow follows the greeting as the Ide had advised them to. "Iuchi Dong-Ha, son of Iuchi Dong-Suk." the young mystic introduced himself, bobbing an another bow as he did so.

"In a way, yes." The had been the Dark Ride after all. "There is joy in getting to sleep through the night without fear. There's joy in not having to flee the Darkness." A soft chuckle followed. "Yes, there is no sight quite like first rays of Lady Sun, reminding of of her grace."

[Asako Sayuri]

"While I am joyed that you now rest in safety, it troubles my heart to hear of encounters with dark forces. Here in the Empire, we have learned not to speak of such things, so that we may be comforted during those times that they do not appear. And it was in fact Lady Sun's face that occasioned my visit to this shrine, such that I might thank the Kami for the new day. Would you care to join me?"

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Eh." Dong-Ha blinked. "It's not as of they disappear if you do not talk about them." He sounded rather puzzled. "Is it not better study and understand what haunt us?" There was a curious gleam in his eyes.

"Well... I think this is all that remains." A calloused hand patted the pillar thst made up the torii. "But sure... I didn't catch your name though."

[Asako Sayuri]

Sayuri did her best to not react to the word 'haunt', realizing that this man had not had her own experiences with the matter. Instead, she made her introductions.

"Asako Sayuri, shugenja of the Phoenix clan. I am curious, Iuchi-san, as to how you go about your studies. In the Empire, we have found it best to ask the Kami for their help, and it never hurts to show one's gratitude to one's allies."

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Well met, Isawa-san." Ding-Ha quipped, bobbing his head down for a quick bow as the Ide had taught him. "About that... hmm... we are ever grateful for the kami that look over us, yes. Our prayers might be different from yours, though."

"We are also grateful how kindly we have been welcomed." It felt like an appropriate thing to say.

[Asako Sayuri]

"Well met, Isawa-san." Ding-Ha quipped, bobbing his head down for a quick bow as the Ide had taught him. "About that... hmm... we are ever grateful for the kami that look over us, yes. Our prayers might be different from yours, though."

"We are also grateful how kindly we have been welcomed." It felt like an appropriate thing to say.

"You and your people are certainly welcome. Our hospitality is merely a reflection of the joy we feel at the reunification of all of Lady Sun's people."

"And to that end, perhaps we should take this opportunity to learn of one another's ways? I would be pleased to show you how it is that we honor the kami, and immensely honored to observe prayers in turn."

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Well said." Dong-Ha bobbed his head, offering Sayuri a careful smile. "Why not, though I am afraid I might not have much to show." He shrugged. "We do not hear the whispers of the kami as Iuchi-shiryo did. Our prayers are mouthed only to pay respects, as is proper."

"Though I would be curious to see the magic of our ancestors." There was a strange gleam in the man's eyes.

[Asako Sayuri]

"Such wishes do you credit, Iuchi-san."

Sayuri solemnly steps through gate, bowing slightly as does so, and removes her sandals. Then, with a glance at the position of the sun, she bows low in each of the four cardinal directions, intoning a thanks to each element as she does so. Then, to the center of the hillock, she kowtows low towards the sun, her forehead pressed into the earth long enough for some particles to be indented into it. Rising, she touches the earth on her head, requesting a blessing from the Void to the Emperor and imperial family.

General devotions complete, she touches the earth on her head back into the ground, taking the opportunity to feel the wind currents around the hillock. Feeling the northerly breeze, she moves to the south side, and sit there in the lotus pose, letting her devotion to the Kami of air fill the space around her. As the Kami respond to her well-wishes, she begins the ritual greeting and supplications. Assuring them of her gratitude and thanking them for their blessings of wind, breath, and life. The swirling currents begin to take on vague shapes, inquisitively probing the clothes and hair of the praying shugenja, tugging them in time to the rhythm of her chants. Fairly quickly, in respect for the easily bored nature of such Kami, Sayuri spreads her arms, and the Kami depart in sudden and enormous updraft, pulling her hair and sleeves with them. As the dust settles Sayuri rises, uttering a final prayer to the Kami of this shrine in thanks for the auspicious location, and retreiving her sandals, returns to Dong-ha.

"So, Iuchi-san, you have seen the Kami now. I hope my meager offerings pleased both them and you."

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"So strange." He muttered to himself as he watched Sayuri perform her prayers. Dong-Ha's eyes were following every small gesture, his ears peeked for each whispered syllable. Yet he said nothing until she was done with her supplications.

"How could I judge Asako-san as I have little idea of what happened." A shy smile flickers on his lips. "Well, besides what our legends tell. Our prayers are much simpler, sometimes nothing more than hastily uttered words of gratitude."

"Our powers... our magic is not of the kami, but we command the elements nonetheless." Dong-Ha's fingers brushed a hollow piece of limestone dangling from his belt. "Like this... talayyana." The small characters carved on the amulet shimmered for a moment and then Dong-Ha sunk into earth as if was water. Few heartbeats later he surfaced again, this time bit closer to Sayuri, letting go of the trinket to end it's effects.

[Asako Sayuri]

"So strange." He muttered to himself as he watched Sayuri perform her prayers. Dong-Ha's eyes were following every small gesture, his ears peeked for each whispered syllable. Yet he said nothing until she was done with her supplications.

"How could I judge Asako-san as I have little idea of what happened." A shy smile flickers on his lips. "Well, besides what our legends tell. Our prayers are much simpler, sometimes nothing more than hastily uttered words of gratitude."

"Our powers... our magic is not of the kami, but we command the elements nonetheless." Dong-Ha's fingers brushed a hollow piece of limestone dangling from his belt. "Like this... talayyana." The small characters carved on the amulet shimmered for a moment and then Dong-Ha sunk into earth as if was water. Few heartbeats later he surfaced again, this time bit closer to Sayuri, letting go of the trinket to end it's effects.

"Facinating...you say 'command'. What is the nature of this command? When I invoke the Kami of an element, it is never with a command, always with a request. We are taught that the Kami are much like us, beings of the celestial order, fulfilling the duties of their station, and obeying the orders of their superiors. Therefore, we approach them in their capacity as servants, and thus as equals. What power does this trinket hold to give you superior station to the spirits of earth and water?"

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Aye, command. The elements heed to the words of creation. Such is the way of meishodo." Dong-Ha explained, spreading his arms ever so slightly to reveal several trinkets dangling from his woolen belt. "They say that when the world was created... that the creator or creators spoke words of power to bring life unto the void. The magi of the city of sorcerers studied these words... and Iuchi-shiryou gleamed their secrets from them, to give us powers to replace the ones we had lost." The was no shame in his tone as he explained the history of his clan.

"The kami, as in the spirits, we do not hear. We have legends telling that this was once possible to as, but alas none seem to be able to do that anymore. So we have a workaround. Instead of asking the kami to bend the elements to our will... we command the elements in a more direct fashion without intermediaries. The elements themselves are part of the world, much like we are, and as Iuchi-shiryo said, power is what you think it is." He didn't seem to have issues with how the Iuchi manhandled the elements. "The elements themselves are not any more divine than we are, Asako-san."

[Asako Sayuri]

Sayuri remained silent for a few moments, avoiding Dong-ha's eyes. She ran a hand along the rough stone of the shrine's arch, her hand flinching slightly as it crossed the terminal between sun and shadow.

"I...agree Iuchi-san. Provided, of course, that we agree that you and I each carry the spark of the divine within us."

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"What else soul would be?" he sounded puzzled. No-one was going to argue that men were somehow lesser beings. "Though I guess some learned men would be willing to refute that but... I am not one of them. We keep our ancestors so that they keep us. We live an orderly life, hoping to be freed from the mortal coil one day by being born into a virtuous body."