Masanori The Ronin[Ze Blitzkrieg]

[Hazard1325]

Naimah took a moment to process what Masanori was saying but by thin he had already grabbed her and lead her out the front door. "Hey wait a minute! Where are we going?! I can't just leave everything I have behind!" She protested but couldn't pull away from his grip. She looked like she was ready to dig in her heels until she almost tripped and glanced down to see one of the many corpses of her fellow villagers. Her face went pale and she looked around seeing just how many had fallen already to this attack. "I..." Masanori naturally didn't give her much time to reflect as more of the footman closed in.

Heading down the rocky slopes near the back of the village Masanori found the small path that lead all the way to the shore of the river. Arashi and Airi were up ahead crouched low. It seemed a lucky survivor or two had pulled themselves out of the water up ahead though they looked like the fight had been knocked out of them for the moment. The kitsune was clutching at his bloody side clawed fingers pressing hard to try and slow the bleeding while Airi was trying to get him to move his hand whispering. "You have to let me look at it, I treated the Samurai, now let me look at this wound." The girl seemed to be handling things rather well compared to Naimah but perhaps the shock hadn't quite set in.

Arashi turned as Masanori caught up and offered a brief nod before whispering. "Think you can handle three dazed recruits? I'll watch your back. Once they're dead we can continue upstream for a few miles where the cliffs open up again." Being in the narrow ravine wasn't the best position should the remainder of the raiding force spot them but they couldn't stay put. Heading down river instead would take them out to sea which was further from civilization but also ensured they wouldn't cross paths with these raiders either. Masanori of course would have the final say in where they went.

[Ze Blitzkrieg]

"Let the fisher see to your wounds, or I'll club you out and see that she does." Masanori replied, grumbling to himself as he was once again given the dirty work of hacking through the opposition. It was for the best, though, as he couldn't risk them calling attention to the party's escape. With swiftness, he moved to dispatch the remaining raiders, and then go back and collect his companions so they could escape the ravine. The sea was far from ideal, but it was better than getting caught in the middle of the night by outriders.

[Hazard1325]

Masanori quietly made his way forward watching his footing and straying only in the shallowest parts of the the river. The first soldier he found was still trying to drag himself up out of the waters. A quick cut across the neck dealt with that. Another was laying against the ravine wall panting and out of breath, light armor stripped away as he struggled across the current. He too was ended swiftly and without a sound. Masanori continued with the other survivors of the bridge and none were in any condition to defend against him. It wasn't pleasant work but it ensured none of them would be followed and no word would get to their superiors about which way their small group had fled. Returning to his companions Arashi's wound was bound but he was moving a bit slower, thankfully not enough to delay their departure.

They went quietly with Masanori in the lead and for the better part of an hour shuffled carefully along the bottom of the ravine and away from the smouldering town behind them. After a twist and then a sharp drop off another mile or so after that the group finally made it to the sandy shores of the southern coast. The sun was just starting to rise and Naimah sighed sitting down on a piece of driftwood and looking over to the other three. "I can't believe its all gone... and we didn't even have time to pack. With no supplies its going to be hard... where are we going anyway? Why the coast?" She asked looking to Masanori.

"It makes some sense... no one out here to spot us. I think there was a city to the east but I've never been. Zhaogon?" The kitsune asked idly scratching himself as he looked around the empty beach. Masanori knew of Zhaogon, he had helped burn it down a month ago. It had been one of the last acts he had preformed for his master and if they were lucky the peasants that weren't slaughtered were probably rebuilding.

"That city? Uncle used to say all the fish there were gone. The fisherman there couldn't help themselves and drained the area dry. Its a scummy town filled with low lifes." Airi chimed in and Naimah rolled her eyes responding. "Your uncle said a lot of things. Mostly it was there to keep you out of the fish markets and away from sweet talking sailors..."

[Ze Blitzkrieg]

"It's a lot harder to escape when you've got a spear rammed through your stomach. We had to get out while we could, and this is the place they'll be least likely to go looking for survivors." Masanori replied. Frankly, he wasn't optimistic on their odds of survival either, considering they had four mouths to feed, and one of those mouths belonged to someone too injured to scavenge for themselves.

Listening as his various companions bickered back and forth about options, the ronin sighed. Zhaogon wasn't going to have the resources to put them up, if it hadn't been entirely abandoned by now. But, it was at least some kind of destination to move towards, and it beat standing in a ravine waiting for archers to turn them into pin-cushions.

"Zhaogon was sacked a month ago. Nothing was left standing. I suppose people might have tried to reclaim the ruins, but I doubt they'll have food or amenities. But, it's better than where we're standing right now, and the Wakimoto don't tend to pillage a place twice in such quick succession." He gestured to the ridge line, where they could garner some cover from anybody above looking down.

"Try to keep covered as we move. With any luck, we'll be able to get out of this ravine by nightfall and find some shelter."

[Hazard1325]

That seemed to settle matters. Wordlessly they turned to follow Masanori east along the coast. In the early morning it wasn't so bad but by the time the sun was rising even Masanori could feel hunger pangs and the start of fatigue setting in. Arashi was making decent progress, perhaps his wound wasn't that bad after all and neither woman pleaded with him for rest. Eventually though Aira finally tumbled into the sand and struggled to pick herself back up. "We need to rest... and find food." Naimah pointed out. The beach was fairly open, mostly sandy shores next to sheer cliffs. The tide would likely flood most of this area so they'd need to either risk it and see or try to find a path up the cliffs. Then he'd have to figure out food... if they had some tools improvised or otherwise they could likely get something from the ocean but failing that Masanori would have to head inland and try to hunt something down which wouldn't be easy.

[Ze Blitzkrieg]

Masanori growled in frustration as the members of his party already began to succumb to fatigue. He had half a mind to throw the peasant girl over his shoulder and carry on, but it seemed the others were liable enough to also collapse if they kept trekking through the day. The beach didn't provide much in the way of supplies; he lacked the tools to even try and catch something in the ocean, and even if he managed, they would be hard pressed to cook the fish with only soggy driftwood to act as their fuel. He would have to either scale the cliffs, or try and find a more gentle incline up to find them supplies.

"Could have been balls deep inside an inn keeper this morning." He grumbled to himself once more, then began to make his way towards the cliffs, intending to scout along them for a little longer to see if he couldn't discover a way up that wasn't liable to leave his companions as broken corpses at the bottom with one misstep. Failing that, he would have to use his own athletic prowess to climb up them.

"Stay put, and stay hidden."

[Hazard1325]

As he made his way to the cliffs and shouted his orders back at the others Naimah nodded moving to help Airi move out of the sun and into one of the small patches of shade. Focusing on the task at hand Masanori began walking ahead scanning along the cliffs for any way upward. It was quiet except for the sounds of the ocean or the occasional call of a sea bird nearby. Peering upward he could see a nest up about half way in a tangle of vines. Those vines continued upward all the way to the top. The others would probably struggle but Masanori could likely manage so long as he was careful. Or he could if he wasn't injured... moving to place his hand on his side he found it was surprisingly normal under the bandages, not tender at all. A quick look confirmed his wound was gone... it shouldn't have been but there wasn't anything, not even scar tissue left behind. It might explain why he had cut through so many men today with ease, even being vastly outnumbered.

It was unnatural whatever the source of his strange healing, but at the moment survival was the priority. He either ascended the cliffs here or continued further putting more distance between him and the others hoping to find an easier way upward. As far as foraging went he had seen a few small crabs skittering about which might make for a meal so long as he found proper firewood.

[Ze Blitzkrieg]

The odd quickness with which is body healed was concerning, but of little consequence at the moment. Without food, he wasn't confident he would be able to lug the half-starved peasant girl or the kitsune all the way to Zhaogon. He couldn't very well abandon them their; he was sure Naimah wouldn't approve, and while abandoning all three was certainly an option, the ease of sexual release that came with having her around wasn't something he was willing to part with. So, steeling himself, the ronin made for the vines and began to scale his way up the cliff, using them as an anchoring point for when he couldn't otherwise find foot holds. It wouldn't do for transporting the others, but they wouldn't have the energy to carry on further down the coast if he couldn't provide food and firewood anyway.

[Hazard1325]

Masanori took to the cliffs easily, with the vines and plentiful handholds he was up at the top shortly. The large tangle of southern jungles lay ahead of him. Luckily there were plenty of fallen branches within sight for wood and after a brief round up he had a bundle of firewood tied together with some of the errant vines. A snap off to his left alerted him that he was not alone up here but the brush was still... nothing was moving in that direction and a quick glance up to the canopy didn't reveal whatever had made the noise either. There was no easily accessible food here but the wood might be enough if Masanori wanted to settle on spending the rest of the evening hunting the tiny crabs on the beach.

Walking along the cliffs a while longer he continued to look for an easier climb for the rest of the group but it didn't seem like there were any good options. A few less risky ones but Arashi and Airi were going to struggle. Naimah had seemed fit enough to make it physically and had enough wit to adapt... the others were injured and completely inexperienced.

[Ze Blitzkrieg]

Masanori's hand instinctively went for his swords as he heard a branch within the undergrowth snap. He didn't trust the wildlife around these parts, nor did he trust whatever peasants might inhabit it. It seemed to be nothing, but that wouldn't drop his guard. Not by a long shot. As appealing as diving into the jungle sounded to him, he had other plans however, and so he went about scouting his options. The lack of an easy purchase was irritating; he would have to get creative in order to see all of his companions to safety. Luckily, he had an idea. Once he had managed to collect the requisite firewood, Masanori used his shorter sword to hack at some of the thicker vines he could find among the treeline. He figured that if the fox and peasant girl couldn't make the climb on their own, he would simply have to drag them up the mountain himself; thus, the vines could serve as rudimentary rope to secure them to his back, lest their grip falter while he made the climb.

Once he had contented himself with the resources gathered at the top of the cliff side, he made the precarious trek back down the mountain and the hunt for shellfish could begin in earnest. As much as he hated the idea of scurrying along the beach looking for crabs, it was better than being stuck on this damned beach all day as his companions withered.

[Hazard1325]

Throwing together a few vines Masanori made an improvised harness he could use to carry one of his companions if he needed to. Then he spent the next two hours hunting down the surprisingly evasive small crabs. The biggest was just shy of a full foot in length but he made up for the quality in quantity returning to his group with seven of the creatures plenty to feed all of them. Arashi was propped up on a rock head tilted back and drooling over himself as he slept. Airi and Naimah were doing their own crab hunting but weren't nearly as successful. As he returned Naimah walked over to intercept him.

"Looks like you had better luck than us... firewood and food? I can take care of the rest if thats all right with you?" She asked offering to handle the preparation for food and the fire. Keeping her around would definitely be a boon, cooking and as much sex as he wanted? She was showing her value at least so far.

[Ze Blitzkrieg]

"Fine be me. Make sure the girl gets the biggest one. I don't want her passing out again." Masanori replied, handing off his retrieved goods. He wasn't much of a cook anyway, and letting somebody else do the work after his trek into the jungle sounded nice. Pondering Naimah's talents did remind him of his growing randiness, however; it seemed as though the return of his health had brought back his libido, and he half wished he had brought his newly gotten bedmate along with him during his foraging excursion for some alone time, in lieu of their morning rendezvous.

Though, the fox did seem to be out of commission... and really, Airi had already seen him in all his glory.

[Hazard1325]

"I'll make sure it gets done. Theres some shade up against the cliffs over there if you want to take a break. I'll come bring you your food once they are ready." She offered before taking the firewood over to start setting up a basic fire pit. Masanori walked over to the area Naimah had pointed out where the cliff top jutted out just enough to provide some respite from the sun. Arashi was slumbering a few feet against the rock which didn't seem comfortable but he was sound asleep. After a few moments of rest Masanori found himself nodding off his head rolling this way and that as he tried to recover but it wasn't until a voice interrupted that he was snapped out of his daze. "Naimah said these ones were for you." Airi said handing over a pair of crabs, the backs of their shells had been cracked off exposing the meat within. Still he'd have to wrestle the legs off to get at the best but it was better than starving... looking back up to the girl he saw she had a large crab of her own and she sat down beside him. "We caught enough for today and maybe tomorrow. I just hope we're far enough away from those... marauders." She said before starting to pick at her own crab.

[Ze Blitzkrieg]

Masanori, for his part, eagerly accepted the crab. It wasn't anything to write home about, but it was food enough to fill his empty stomach. As he picked the white meat from within to satiate his hunger, he cast a glance over Airi and her own crab.

"'Marauders' don't go searching the beaches and jungles for plunder, they go looking for villages and towns. We'll be safe enough for the time being." He paused, thinking back to the village that had just fallen prey to them, and among it the old man who had fished him from the river.

"How are you holding up?" A silly question, considering their circumstances, but it was worth asking. If only to allude to Airi he cared.

[Hazard1325]

The young woman glanced over to him and offered a shrug of her shoulders. She picked at her food quietly for a moment before answering. "I... I don't really know. I wish my uncle had made it out with us... but..." She trailed off not finishing whatever thoughts she had, instead she hung her head low as she ate quietly. Naimah made her way over once she was done cooking and dropped off a crab next to the sleeping Arashi and gave him a little shove. "Wake up, you need to eat" She said simply before walking over to Masanori's side and taking a seat near him with her own meal. "So any thoughts on how we're going to get to the city or whats left of it?" She asked looking to Masanori.

[Ze Blitzkrieg]

"We walk until we arrive."

Masanori contented himself on picking away at his crab after his laconic answer, though he was sure Naimah would find the answer unsatisfactory. It was all he could really offer up, however; their sudden departure had given him little time to plan anything but their course to the coast in evasion of any pursuers. All he could do was herd his little band of followers along the jagged cliffs and hope the lack of bounty would give them safety from his former clansmen.

"There's no easy way up the cliffs. Going to have to climb." He eventually said, ripping off a crab leg and squeezing it between his fingers to loosen the meat. "I managed to get some vines from the treeline up top. Figured I'd need to fashion a harness for the lesser of us."

[Hazard1325]

Naimah folded her arms at his initial answer and for a brief moment he thought she might strike him. Thankfully his latter comments proved more constructive and she mulled the thought over. "We may be able to... perhaps give the Yokai a bit longer to recover? We could stay a day here if we had to or keep walking along the coast but I'd like for at least three of us to be ready for that..." She said glancing in Airi's direction. The young woman was still picking at her food and did not seem to be listening closely.

While they spoke Arashi had awoken digging into his food with abandon. He ate like a wild animal devouring the crabs in a few moments and then leaning back with his hand resting on his stomach with a sigh. "Those were pretty good... you're a pretty good cook innkeeper." He said shooting a grin towards Naimah who just rolled her eyes and replied. "Yes, yes I am. Don't waste your energy talking though, you need to recover. The sooner the better." Arashi just shrugged his shoulders and got up to his feet stretching. "Well I'm fine now." He said pulling his shirt off and stretching a moment arms up over his head. From what Masanori could see that wound he had taken on his ribs was fully healed though there was a nasty looking scar left behind not to dissimilar to Masanori's own quick recovery.

[Ze Blitzkrieg]

"We'll leave once we're finished eating." Masanori decided as the duo bickered before him, picking away flakes of meat from his own crabs to sate his hunger. He did take note of the kitsune's apparent hasty recovery. He had little information in regards to yokai, like most folk, so he took it as normal that the fox was able to recover with such speed. The speed of his own recovery by compare was somewhat concerning, but he had more pressing matters on his mind to attend to than any kind of superstition.

[Hazard1325]

Naimah nodded at Masanori's decision glancing briefly at the kitsune before getting to her feat and grabbing what few possessions they had. Once the other two were done as well the group followed Masanori to the spot he had found in the cliffs that would be easiest for them to scale. While Naimah moved to help fashion the harness for Airi, Arashi rolled his shoulders and dug his claws into the cliffside quickly scaling up and over in only a minute or two. He then sat at the top smirking down at them. After a brief rest and a bite to eat the yokai seemed to be in good spirits...

Naimah frowned up at him but looked to Masanori and secured Airi onto his back. The small woman clung to him nervously looking up at the cliffs. "Do we really have to go up this way?" She asked while Naimah moved to find her own handholds and start the long trip up the side.

[Ze Blitzkrieg]

"It's the only way I found." Masanori informed the peasant girl as the others began their ascent. He wanted to give Naimah some time to find her footing before heading up after her; if anything happened, he wanted time to try and reach out to catch her. Once he was confident she was far enough up to give them some space, he reached out to dig his fingers into the cliff and find purchase wherever he could.

"Hold on tight." He grunted as he began his climb.