A small mining town nestled in the foothills of the Arashi Mountains. The fruits of the humble citizens' labors supply the Village Hidden in the Storms with the raw materials it needs to fuel it's war efforts. While the town is loyal to the Storm, most of its citizens are comprised of former members of the Village Hidden in the Sound. The customs, traditions, and practices of Kirobuki reflect this foreign heritage.
Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2019 8:40 am
It was a peaceful if unnecessarily long journey down the mountain to the small town nestled at it's foot. He could have flown or taken a more expeditious method, but Belamos found comfort in the simplicity of overland travel. The countryside had a calming effect on him and truth be told he was in no great hurry. When the quartermaster for the Storm Village informed him the material shipments from Kirobuki hadn't been coming for the past few weeks he had been keen to impress upon the Shinobi that it hardly meant anything- shipments routinely were delayed and, while important, didn't account for a significant loss to Arashi's production. Belamos, however, felt differently. He knew that town. Kirobuki was mainly populated by former residents of Otogakure- his old village. They were a hard-working, diligent people; the result of spending a lifetime under an oppressive regime which promised annihilation in exchange for the smallest amount of disobedience. If they were behind on their shipments it meant something had gone wrong.
The town came into view a few hours before he actually reached it- nestled at the bottom of a valley, it was the perfect location for a mining town. Belamos stared down at it for a moment- it had grown larger than he remembered. Apparently business had been good to them. Tracing a path out of the western part of town he followed it until it bent over a hill. 'That must be the way to the mine' He thought to himself. One oddity was present; although it was not even mid-afternoon, he could see nobody walking the path. He expected to see people going to and coming from the mine. Perhaps they were all still toiling away on their work? He knew not, but would find out once he arrived.
● Flame Resistance Training ● Advanced Thread Walking ● Dexterity: Spinning the Staff
◆￤ Other Additives
● Yonbi Passive: Heat Immunity ● Scorch Release: Dehydration Immunity ● All complex techniques treated as simple
◆￤ Jutsu Used / Learned
● ● ● ●
Dexterous Prince
Business Tycoon
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Dexterous Prince
Business Tycoon
Offline
Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2019 9:51 pm
By the time he reached the village a sudden weariness overcame him. The trip had obviously drained him more than he realized. The main road cut right through town. In reality, the path was little more than a distinguished mountain trail. On the far side of the town, it forked sharply; either leading down into a valley or towards the town's mine. The sun was inching towards the horizon, a fact that was reflected in the shuttering of domestic windows and the increased activity of the local pubs. After a dozen or so minutes Belamos found the Red Ruby Inn- the only place he could find to lay his head in the small town. He approached the counter to find is mysteriously absent of any proprietor. He knocked on the counter, clearing his throat as he did so. His call was met by a 'thump' and the sound of clattering pots.
"Just a minute!" A woman's voice rang out from the next room. He shuffled from one foot to the other as a woman in his mid-30's strode into the room a couple of seconds later. She was a few inches shorter than himself and much thinner- the result of a lot of hard labor and never enough to eat. She had long brown hair pulled into a single interwoven braid that ended at the small of her back. She had plain clothes, all likely made at home and sported and an apron tied around wide hips. She smiled when she saw him as she was both friendly in nature and happy to have a customer. She wiped wet hands on her apron as she spoke "Good Evening! How can I help you today?"
"I'd like to rent a room, please. Just a single bed" She reached under the counter and flipped open a book, pretending to look at her availability. It was all for show- she knew the room was open "Yes...yes we have an opening. How long would you like it for?" Belamos reached into his robe and withdrew a small pouch. He dug around in it before depositing a stack of paper currency on the counter "For the next week, at least"
The woman's eyes went wide as she stared at the money "Yes sir! It's room 102.- first door on the right down that hall. My name is Eleyna- I own this place. Let me know if you need anything" Belamos politely nodded but quickly turned and walked off to his room. Shutting the door behind himself, he flopped down on the simple bed and was asleep before he could remember if he had locked the door.
● Flame Resistance Training ● Advanced Thread Walking ● Dexterity: Spinning the Staff
◆￤ Other Additives
● Yonbi Passive: Heat Immunity ● Scorch Release: Dehydration Immunity ● All complex techniques treated as simple
◆￤ Jutsu Used / Learned
● ● ● ●
Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2019 7:38 pm
He awoke just after dawn, rising as the sun did. He conducted the normal tasks associated with getting ready in the morning; bathing, dressing and eating. He was out of the door in less than half an hour, noting the absence of the woman from the previous night at her post. He turned down the road and made out down the path towards the west end of town before hitting that sharply divisive crossroads and taking the path that led towards the mine. The uphill climb was steep and long; the efforts of the trek left him, again, oddly winded. A thin layer of sweat had built up on his bod by the time the ground leveled off and he found himself less than a quarter mile away from his destination.
The mouth of the wave opened up before him. As he approached he noticed a minecart system that extended down into the mountain, the opposite end exiting the cave and curving off into a large metal factory a few hundred meters away which he suspected to be some sort of refinery. He could see people working in the general area. All of them did some manual labor like pushing carts, carrying rocks and other similar tasks. Smoke billowed out of the smokestacks of the warehouse so he knew there the place was operational.
'So why aren't they delivering to us?'
As he drew close to the entrance to the compound he was met by two armored guards standing post at the gap in a chainlink fence which wound around the area in a 200-yard radius around from the mouth of the cave- only ending when it encountered the stone cliff face. One of the guards held a hand up for Belamos to halt, an order to which he complied. They were both wearing a similar get up. Metal plate with swords hanging at the waist and an impressive looking helmet.
"Who are you and what business do you have here" He spoke in a gruff voice, sporting an accent Belamos could not place.
"I'm from the Village. Who I am isn't important. We haven't recieved anything from the town in a few weeks" He moved towards them, intending to go through "Is the Facility Manager in? I'm here to find out what the hold-up is" The guards reacted to Belamos's approach, looked to one another and stepped aside. "Of course. Right this way" They motioned for Belamos to enter and let him take the lead, heading towards the building to which they directed him to.
He had been walking a few meters when he heard it- the familiar sound of a blade being drawn from its sheath. Despite his awareness of the event, his reflexes were too slow, his body not moving fast enough. He cried out and rolled to the side as the blade pierced his side. He had moved just enough to avoid a lethal strike, but the blow was agonizing none the less. He rolled an action which caused a heavy stream of blood to flow. When he came up he was met with a boot in his face, knocking him down onto his back. As he fell he reached out, summoning his Spear to his hand.
Nothing came.
Then he looked inward to bring forth a devatating power; now resigned to scorch the earth and these bastards along with it. He would turn this area into a smoking crater!
Nothing happened.
Nearly shouting with frustration as well as pain, he curled into a ball as he was kicked to the edge of a cliff. He demanded the light to bend around him, sheltering and turning him invisible.
Nothing changed.
His power, his great and terrible abilities, all had seemingly abandoned him. The two guards approached, their faces a mask of emotionlessness efficiency. One of them nodded to the other. It was here where the second man drew his blade overhead, prepared to bring it down on a defenseless Belamos. His bag of tricks empty, the Spearman did the one thing he could do in this situation...he pushed himself and rolled off the cliff.
...This was the way to the sage lands, right? Byakko the tiger growled wildly as Byakko the human led the way. Both were wildly frustrated by the lack of progress the two were making toward the sage lands. Byakko the tiger was exceptionally furious at the human for not asking for directions the last time both of them were sure that they were going the wrong way. However, Byakko the human was not in any rush to see the Goddess. Truth be told, he was actually afraid to confront her without having more churches set up in her name. However, when the two were traveling, they found a man at the base of a cliff. Byakko the human took a moment to say a prayer in silence. "May he find peace in the next life." Kazuto said with his head tilted and his eyes closed. He raised his head and looked to the tiger when he saw the creature on a heightened sense. All of the hair on the majestic beast was raised as though it was in a fight or flight situation. "You okay kitty cat?" He asked hesitantly. His sage sense allowed him to detect the sense of hostility radiating from his tiger. This caused him to be aware of the fact that the animal was going to pounce on the presumably dead man. Byakko grabbed Byakko's tail as he held him back. "We don't attack corpses! No one gets anything out of that!" He shouted as his knees buckled. Byakko was in too much of a state of bloodrage to care. He dug his claws into the ground as he tried his hardest to get to the unconscious man.
Dexterous Prince
Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2019 6:42 pm
He spent the better part of the afternoon flittering in and out of consciousness. He sustained some type of head wound, he knew that, and at some point in his delirium, he had managed to staunch the bleeding from the stab wound on his back. He had used the last of his strength to crawl to a tree earlier in the day and has promptly fallen asleep while leaned against its base. This was where the man and his pet tiger found him. The sound of growling and the ensuing scuffle roused him awake. He lifted the hand that had been placed on his side, the one that had been keeping the pressure on the wound. It came away red- but thankfully not with fresh blood. He was wounded, and weak, but no longer in danger of dying today. He lifted his head and beheld the sight of an adult male holding back a tiger which seemed intent on mauling him. He weakly chuckled at his own bad luck. ' Out of the frying pan into the...tiger.' Belamos spoke, summoning all the strength behind his words he could muster "Not a corpse...well, not yet" With a groan he pitched forward and rolled to his knees. With a second surge of movement, he managed to get a foot out in front of himself in a kneel. Sweat beaded his brow from the simple act. Gritting his teeth he pushed with everything he had and, slowly, stood up. He used the tree as a support and more or less slid up the base until he drew himself up to his full height "I wouldn't stay here long, stranger. Odd things abound here"
"Huh... I wonder why I couldn't sense his life force." Kazuto thought to himself as Belamos spoke while holding the tiger back. His sage training should allow him to sense life from any source. Now that he thought about it, he had no sensory abilities present to him. Byakko gave a tug to the tiger's tail as he pulled him back far enough to stand in front of him. "Before you maul this probably innocent man, have you noticed that our sensory abilities are negated?" Byakko asked his animal force. The tiger stopped for a moment before he looked around. He too could not feel the nature chakra which was sure to be abundant in the area. Byakko growled in agreement as the human realized that, even though he knew the tiger's body language and actions well enough to have the general gist of what was going on, he couldn't actually understand what the tiger was saying like he normally would. To sever the bond between himself and his tiger required something highly unnatural.
"Hold still kitty cat. I'm going to talk to the dying man." Kazuto said with his hand out in the stop gesture. The tiger continue to growl at Belamos, but chose to suspend his attack for the moment. Byakko the human then moved over to Belamos as he took a look over the man's wounds. "I'm not a doctor, but these look like they could be life threatening if something isn't done." Byakko said as he slid off his jacket and pressed the fabric into Belamos' head. The back wound did not look deep, but it could get infected if he didn't do anything. "I'm not typically a charitable man, but you open up to why my sage powers don't work, and I'll do my darnest to make sure you don't die." He stated plainly. Byakko then waited for Belamos to respond. The pressure to his head should keep him conscious long enough to answer. Ideally the two would need to move fast in order to keep the man alive.
Dexterous Prince
Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2019 7:12 pm
He took the man's jacket and placed the clean fabric onto his wound, sopping up the fresh stream of blood that had accompanied his movements. He grunted with thanks but made no other show of appreciation. He surged forward and began a slow, but determined, uphill walk along the train. He needed to get back to the town and if this man wanted answer he would have to walk alongside Belamos. While he did not have his power, the King's Strength of Will had been left untouched. The fire of revenge burned in his heart and was quite possibly the only thing that kept him moving. When the stranger inquired as to why his Sage powers weren't working Belamos turned a discerning eye upon him before returning his gaze to the road. "No idea. But it has something to do with these strangers at the mine. I'm sure of it. They move in, take over the town and suddenly my powers dry up? That can't be a coincidence" He extended his non-bloody hand towards the stranger as he continued walking "Belamos Karna"
Byakko was stunned when the man began to move. He was certainly in no condition to. Despite this, Kazuto followed. The tiger followed loosely behind as it kept its sight squared on Belamos. Kazuto listened to the brief synopsis of events but was much more concerned with the fact that this idiot was going to work himself to death. "The only significance to knowing your name will be what to write on your gravestone when you eventually die of blood loss." Byakko said as he moved suddenly in front of the man. He raised his hands out to stop Belamos from moving further. "Whatever is going on can wait until you get patched up. If you act stupid then you'll have a stupid death." He said sternly. Since Byakko wasn't trying to convert him to Evergreen there was no reason for him to speak or act coy. Byakko hoped that being blunt with the man would cause him to take at least one moment to get properly patched. Although if what the man reported was true, then perhaps there was no where left in the village where a medical ninja can just magically heal the wounds.
Dexterous Prince
Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2019 7:48 pm
He curled his fingers back into a fist as his handshake was rejected by the stranger. It seemed this man had no proclivities towards social civility. Good. Neither did he. This belief was cemented by the brashness of his words. Had he had his abilities perhaps he would have shown him the scope of his power and in doing so give context to the minimal amount of damage he sustained. Unfortunately, for now, all he could do was stop and address the man's assumption. He peeled the jacket away, raised his shirt and exposed the bandage Belamos had constructed earlier that day. As he did so he rummaged in his pocket before bringing a small pill to his mouth. He ate it and could instantly feel the effects of the soldier pill as more color returned to his face. Unfortunately, it was his only one. "It's little more than a scratch. Painful, yes, but far from enough to kill me" Belamos tossed him back his jacket and pushed on around and passed the man- continuing on his journey. He had crested the top of the hill and could now see the town about a half mile away "I thank you for your help but require it no more. While I have no clue what's going on I swear to Utu himself I will solve this" He pushed on, and unless Byakko caught up with him, would continue to do so alone.
Byakko paused as the man walked by him. He said the name of a deity which stunned his subconscious. "Utu?" He echoed without understanding why he knew the context of the name. Byakko roared threateningly as Kazuto said the word. The man's attention turned to the tiger as he seemed to know a lot more about what was going on than the human companion did. Therefore, while this place seemed to contain his powers, Byakko held the jacket in his hands as he moved back to the man's side. "I'll have you know that this jacket is dry clean only. Since it's your blood on it, I'll have to follow your idiot self until you cough up the change for it." Byakko said as he followed along the right side of the man. He put on the blood stain jacket as a gesture to show that he really did not care about the condition of the clothing. Belamos would undoubtedly see it for what it really was; an excuse to follow the man who raised more questions than he answered. "Kazuto Sakuraba." He said, since he did not give a name earlier. Not that was his real name, but it would work for the purpose at hand.
Dexterous Prince
Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2019 8:13 am
Ignoring the newly acquired tag-along, Belamos pressed on. It took near a half hour until he arrived back in Kurobuki and slowly limped down the main street. Both Belamos and Kazuto would hear the shocked gasps of townsfolk upon seeing him. While Kazuto would likely assume they were surprised at seeing a wounded man in public like this, Belamos knew what was really going on. These people were primarily Otogakure refugees- tradesmen from the days of UHV occupation. They were his people both in the figurative and literal sense. So, to see their King not only in their town but wounded, well, it was a shock to many of them. The younger talked quietly amongst themselves, the older gawked and the even older still dropped down into a bow as he passed. Mutterings of "Your grace" Could be heard from more than a few lips.
The door to one non-descript house burst open and an aging, portly man ran out into the road. He lightly jogged to the two Shinobi and stopped a few paces in front of Belamos. He crossed his forearm in front of his chest and bowed. It took Belamos a second to recognize him "Delmos? It's been a while" He said, managing a weak grin. The man beamed in return for the recognition but kept his head bowed. "Yes, my king, too long in this man's opinion. If I may so so my l-" Belamos held a hand up "I'm not your King...not anymore. Save formality. If Bertrand still lives here, please send for him. I have a wound which could use his attention" Delamos finally raised his head to meet Belamos' gaze, a peculiar kind of sadness in his eyes. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded and gestured to the house he had just exited "Yes I have sent for him already. You and your...companion...may wait in my home."
Belamos nodded and moved towards the door, clasping Delmos on the shoulder as he walked past him. He trusted Kazuto would be behind him as he entered into the house, a small wooden structure with two floors and only a few rooms between them. Belamos found himself in a sparsely decorated but cozy living room. Two wooden stools were placed in front of a small but crackling fireplace. With a sigh of contentment, Belamos slid down onto one of the stool and stared into the fireplace, a far-away look in his eyes as a thousand thoughts flooded through his head at once
The two fractions of Byakko walked in pace with Belamos. The human part was perplexed by the gossip their presence stirred. However, once they reached the destination Belamos sought after, he finally pieced it together. 'Oh great. He's THAT Belamos.' Kazuto thought with a deep sigh. Belamos Karna, the sun god of Kogarashi. Because of the ceasefire he made with the people, he forgot all about the tension he had with those people. However, not only was he directly squared with the leader, he was also in a situation where he did not have the power to properly protect himself. Granted, neither did the man, but that still did not make him feel more secure. Despite this, apparently Belamos had no idea who he was, which made sense since Kazuto did commit mass murder on the majority of Belamo's men in one coordinated strike. There weren't too many people left to tell the story of the blood which paved the Kogarashi marketplace.
The tiger leaped onto the couch and sprawled himself out on it. As Kazuto looked at the beast, he wondered if this was why he wanted to kill Belamos. While it certainly would have saved the awkwardness of this eventual confrontation, it wasn't like Belamos was in a position to fight with his wounds. It also wasn't in the nature of Byakko, the prideful tiger, to fight a weakened opponent. If only Kazuto could communicate with the beast. Since he couldn't, however, he sat on the couch with the tiger. He watched the fireplace burn with ambient sound as he waited for whoever this doctor was to fix up the man.
Dexterous Prince
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2019 9:47 pm
He continued to stare into the flames, hardly moving much less talking. Fire. What was normally his to command had now seemingly returned to being the sole property of mother nature. If his father could only see him now; powerless and struck down by a mortal. It was almost enough to force a grin to his lips. Almost. He continued on this way for a good part of a half-hour until the door opened once more as a man wearing a grey coat and matching top hat entered the room. He muttered something to himself as he took his hat off, shook it, and placed it on the pegboard near the door. As he turned to face the two it was now clear that this man was two things: a doctor and one-armed. A red cross patch was stitched upon his coat and over his heart while the left sleeve of that coat hung loosely at his side. Without looking up, Belamos spoke "Blade through my lower right back. I bound it, took a pill for the pain and to slow the blood loss and managed to hobble back here." The visitor raised an eyebrow as he set a matching grey bag down on the floor next to the fireplace. As he stepped into the light it was easier to make out details of his appearance. He had snow white hair and wrinkles around his eyes from a lifetime of squinting at wounds. Despite this, a firm jaw, toned body, and piercing blue eyes gave him the impression of a man twenty years his younger. When he spoke, though, the true age of the man was betrayed through his aged tone "A blade say you? I would have never thought to see the day you bested by a common sellsword" He dug through the bag until he found the items he was looking for: a pair of scissors, a bottle of alcohol, a pin and a spool of thread. With trained fingers, he cut Belamos's shirt off, disinfected the area and began the process of closing the wound. Aside from wincing from the alcohol, Belamos made no more of a reaction. He had grown use to this long ago "They weren't mercenaries, Bertrand. They somehow stopped me from using my powers and knew their way around a blade. And it's not just me" Belamos jerked his thumb over his shoulder "Sigfried and Roy over there were likewise effected. Still, I doubt whatever this is is permanent"
After a few minutes, Bertrand finished sewing up the wound and quickly excused himself- something about it being past his bedtime. Belamos thanked him, paid him, and excused him. Before long it was just the two of them again. He let the silence linger between him and Byakko for a handful of seconds before Belamos rose once more and walked over towards Byakko, stopping at a table near him. He reached into his pouch and drew forth a small stack of gold coins. While not Ryo, they were still incredibly valuable and the primary currency Belamos used. He let a few of them clatter onto the table before stowing the pouch "That should cover your trouble. Follow the main road up until it forks and take a left. By the end of tomorrow, you should see Arashigakure. Fair roads to you, Kazuto Sakuraba" And with that Belamos turned headed back out onto the street and towards his hotel room
Byakko took the money in his hand. It would more than cover the cost of his jacket. With the change he slid it into his pocket. "Pleasure doing business with you." Kazuto said with a two finger salute as he got off the couch. He moved toward the door as the tiger followed behind. While he could be talked into doing charitable work, there were various factors to why he should leave. The first is that his connection to Nature Chakra was nonexistent here, which was a big deal. The second issue was that without that connection, he could not understand the tiger, who seemed to have a lot to say on the matter. The third reason, and arguably the most important one, was that this was all too much effort. Byakko was inheriently a lazy person, and Belamos seemed like someone who needed a lot more maintenance to keep him living than was necessary. Still, he did give directions to the closest village, which seemed like a good place to set up another place of worship for Evergreen. Maybe he should pick up the kid to go? Nah, he'll figure things out on his own. Regardless, time to leave this cursed place.
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