month of the goat, 759


Isawa Ounoko, acolyte of Water, approached the Temple of the Dragons, and sighed. It had been so beautiful once. But, let the Lions take charge, and this was what happened. One of the best temples in the land, ruined.

Oh, some repairs had been done, but it had taken 8 years to construct. Thinking it could be brought back to that level in only a few months was sad.

Though, as she stepped onto the grounds and closed her umbrella, there was a slight sense of peace she got from sanctified ground. And not just any peace, but that of a Phoenix's holy ground. Was there another Phoenix here? She thought she was the first sent here.

A little questioning told her of another - a Phoenix on pilgrimage that had been helping here. One that was sickly, but kept going. And he wasn't here now, because he spent all his time in the former mountain pass, talking to himself.

Heh. Peasants. The lot of them, even the monks, were really just peasants.

A Phoenix, a shugenja, that talked to himself? Clearly he was communing with the kami. She tightened her geta, opened her umbrella, and walked out the nearly unused gates heading to the pass. Or former pass. It had been quite thoroughly blocked, from what she could make out as she approached.

And there, in stained robes, probably originally red, was the man. Leaning on his staff, head bent. As the rain beat down, he suddenly lifted his head and arms, staff reaching to the sky, and gave a great cry. And the rocks, stones, dirt, mud, all that blocked this portion of the path, quivered, then slowly began to pull back. It wasn't much, only about 4 feet wide and slowly extending, and she could tell it wouldn't have the energy to finish the whole pass; but it was a start.

Then she reached him. And, she recognized him. At least, sort of. This was not the strong and vibrant boy she had once known, but a pale, sickly man. Glancing down at his form, now collapsed to his knees in the mud and trickles of water, then up, at the beginning of the pass forcing itself apart, saving years of work, she smiled in a nasty way.

"You did an amazing thing here. I'll make sure all know who did this. heh. You will really be a mud tensai then, won't you Hachi?"

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Isawa Hachi • Phoenix Clan • Shugenja • Earth • Water • "The Mud Tensai" • Pilgrim
Honor: Typical • Glory: 3 • Infamy: 1 • Status: 1 • Experienced.
Tall walking stick, scroll satchel, shugenja robes, occasionally small drum, small purse with money and kawaru coins. Looks poorly, weak, wan.