9th Day of Mid Summer 1303
Return to Sendai
With the Spirit Well opened and the mysterious soulsteel lid removed, the work recommenced.
Yuki’s Water Elemental proved handy at saturating the ground and extracting bones from the mud – shaving ten days off the time it took to finish the entire dig. Bones were brought up out of the ground over the next twenty days and the laborers loaded them onto the wagons, which had been brought from Sendai in preparation for their transport.
So many bones there were, that it took four more wagons – commandeered from the Village of Kurokawa – just to contain them all. After being loaded, the bones were then covered under tarps and bound to prevent losing any; as well as to hide them from curious onlookers.
Once everything was ready, the Samurai and company of laborers, with the villagers who had volunteered their assistance, left Kurokawa and traveled back onto the Emperor’s road and up to Sendai. Again progress was slow, taking nine days to reach the Fortress City, but the villagers once more proved up to the task, working hard and pushing themselves much more than the ill-fated untouchables had on the way down to Kurokawa in the first place. Perhaps it was a boon after all that the original group had perished under Jan Xian’s evil hand.
Entering the gates of Sendai and heading directly to the main Shinto Temple, the populace with passing curiosity looked upon the caravan, but was not aware of what lie under the tightly bound tarps. It was best not to cause a scene, nor to speak of the bones, until the Exalted Patriarch Sanjo and his high-priests had been given a chance to properly bless them.
Arriving at the temple proper, the Samurai were met by both the Exalted Patriarch Sanjo and the Wu-Jen Yunikawa (apparently, messengers had already apprised them of their entry into Sendai). Additionally, the Korean man Lee stood behind Yunikawa with the three vampire Samurai-ko that nearly always accompanied the Wu-Jen.
Lee had Rai’s Cloud Flute tucked openly in his sash, as well as a handful of Lightning Arrows in a quiver. Off the ends of his great bow hung thirteen squirrel tails and he actually wore a foxtail off each hip. He glared daggers at Roka but was otherwise calm and Yunikawa seemed to not sense (or perhaps just ignored) the palpable tension in the air between the two.
“Well done!” the Exalted Patriarch Sanjo declared with raised hands, directing the monks and Priests of the temple to take over the handling of the wagons, so that they could be brought into the temple.
“You have brought great honor to Sendai and your family names this day!”
“Yes, a great day it is indeed,” Yunikawa agreed – “But I see from the missing laborers, that it was not without some small cost. Rest assured that it was not a price wasted nor will it be ignored by the Ancestors.”
“Certainly not,” Exalted Patriarch Sanjo interjects – “Your families (and even those of the lost) will be blessed for generations on behalf of this thing that you have done.”
“Nevertheless, I am sure we have things to speak of,” Yunikawa went on, specifically addressing the Samurai – “And, there is the matter of the promise I made with you concerning the little one Kioko.”
“Good good,” Exalted Patriarch Sanjo replied absently, not really listening anymore. He was very eager to get to the care of the bones, as the rituals to cleanse and bless them would take nearly two days – “My Priests will take it from here, you are free of the Temple’s service, as are the laborers and soldiers. If you will excuse me then…”
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Topic: Mythic Nippon Adventure IV (Read 181125 times)