Emora Deen:
Shinobu was sitting in a room waiting on word on Kosuke. It came quick and they took her to see him after that had bandaged and stiched what needed to be stiched. She walked into the extravagant room with a large bed and Kyosuke was on the bed. A nurse was tending to his back and she left the room.
Shinobu looked at Kyosuke for a moment. She walked up beside the bed and looked at him. "How are you?" she asked softly.
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke waved his hand idly. "I'm fine. Remember I told you before? I refuse to die." The samurai smiled cheerfully from his position laying face down on the bed. "Anyway, you should figure out where we can go from here. I have no idea why the Shogun would just disappear."
Emora Deen:
"I'll go request a meeting with the Queen, she surely should know where the Shogun is," Shinobu said and smiled at Kyosuke. "You get some rest, you need it."
Shinobu walked towards the door and left quietly, the beautiful handmaiden stepped back into the room to tend to anything Kyosuke needed.
She saw a man standing in the hall and she walked to him, it was a man that she had spoken too while waiting on Kyosuke to be healed or bandaged. "I need to speak with the Queen on matters dealing with the Shogun."
"I'll have it arranged immediately," he bowed his head in respect and left to have it arranged.
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke looked up as the handmaiden walked back in. He waved his hand idly again. "Don't worry, I don't really need anything. You can go about doing other stuff that ya want."
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that. I will attend to whatever you wish for me to do," the handmaiden replied. Kyosuke blushed slightly at the implications of the statement and the handmaiden, also blushing, added, "except for that."
Eslin:
The captain of the guards outside Sinead's chambers who was always a Queen's Maiden, knocked once and entered. This was a normal custom. During the few hours just after noon, anyone could visit her; all they had to do was convince the guards outside her door that their case was important enough for the Queen.
The captain announced a man, let him enter, and then stood off to one side of the room where she could prevent the man from harming her Queen.
Sinead, acting like she had all the time in the day, sat at her desk writing a few lines out in a letter. As the silence remained unbroken, the man began to fidget; Sinead finally looked up.
She could tell that the man was not rich. He wasn't poor either; rather, he fell somewhere in the middle. "What is your case?" she asked him in a smooth voice. He immediately began to pour a story out about a promise that he’d made to a woman named Sinobu. He was trying to get Sinobu a meeting with the Queen. When he feel silent, Sinead sat in her chair and thought for a brief moment.
She finally said, "Yes, I will meet with her. In fact, I can meet with her right now. Go, bring her to me."
When the man had left she turned to the captain who was dressed in her Maiden’s armor. "Captain," she said, "please cancel the all other petitions for today. Tell them the queen is busy. That will be all."
She said, “Yes my Queen,” bowed, and walked out.
Sinead began to write more of her letter while she waited.
Emora Deen:
Shinobu walked down the hall with the man she had sent to see if she could meet with the Queen. She was a little nervous about meeting with such a great woman. She had heard many things about this Queen. That she was wise and beautiful and very powerful, but a kindness as there ever was in a person.
The man opened the door and led her in. She saw the Queen sitting at a desk writing something on parchment. When Shinobu entered she waited for the Queen to rise.
"Queen Sinead-sama," Shinobu said putting her hands in front of her and bowing. She rose back up and looked at the great woman. "I have come to ask where Kitanai-sama may be. I have grave information about his kingdom."
Eslin:
Sinead put her quill down when Sinobu walked into the room and stood. She could feel the graveness rolling of this woman.
She smiled as she said, "Please have a seat. There's not need for you to stand." There was a chair directly in front of the ornamentally carved desk. She waved a hand in its general direction as she spoke.
A Queen’s Maiden slipped silently in the doors behind Shinobu, and stood watching.
She took her seat again, and laid one hand on the armrest of her chair; the other rested in her lap; she felt the soft material of her bright blue dress.
Her face became serious. She really hoped there wasn't anything too terriblely wrong with the Shogun's kingdom. Not only did she worry for her friend; she also worried about what would happen to her kingdom if the Shogun's fell into any chaos.
"He's in Hepian at this moment. Although when he'll leave no one can tell. I hope the problem isn’t too grave. Is there anything I can do? Or any way I can speed you on your journey?"
Emora Deen:
Shinobu took the seat and sat properly, for she was in the presence of a queen. "I would need a guide, my lady," she told Sinead and smiled. "I do not know my way around your kingdom, that is for sure."
Which was true, the whole land was foreign and she knew nothing about it's dangers or the towns and people living in it.
((OOC: sorry for the lousy post… writers block))
Eslin:
Sinead thought for a moment. Then she said in a confident voice, "I'll have one found for you. Don't worry, they'll be the best that Lowight has to offer. In the mean time, I offer you a room here in the castle. You may stay for as long as you wish. If there is anything else you need, make sure you tell me."
She then waited to see if Shinobu would need anything further.
Lore: The Search for the Shogun
-
Eslin
Lore: The Search for the Shogun
Emora Deen:
((OOC: I surely hope I'm doing the name thing right, adding "sama" at the end of the name...))
"Thank you, Queen Sinead-sama," Shinobu said and rose from her seat. "It is true what they say, you are a kind woman. I will see what my bodyguard says to staying a night in your fine palace. Thank you again."
Shinobu bowed and turned, walking back to the door. The Queen's Maiden's opened it for her and she stepped out into the hall. She found she got lost roaming the halls of the palace looking for Kyosuke's room, but a page was happy enough to show her the corridor where the in firmary and guest rooms were.
She knocked on the door to Kyosukes's room before entering...
Kyosuke:
(OOC: Actually, it would be more like Sinead-sama, or if you want to call her Queen Sinead then it's something like Sinead-Joo (pronounced jo-o I believe, either that or jou))
While Shinobu was discussing matters with Queen Sinead, Kyosuke just lay face down on the bed. He was now sound asleep, having not slept very well on the ship during the whole trip over. He had been paranoid the whole time and did not fully immerse himself in sleep.
Emora Deen:
Shinobu walked up to the bed and was about to speak when she noticed that Kyosuke was a sleep. She smiled down at him for a second and then turned to leave, walking back towards the door.
She walked to her room, right across the hall from his. Shinobu was tired as well, for the same reasons. She had fitful sleeps the whole time on the ship.
The room was nice, decorated elaborately, as was to be excepted. She pulled open her back and looked inside. She decided that it would be wonderful to get a bath. The pulled on a rope and a maid walked in. All she wanted to know was where the bathing rooms were, but the made had a tub and hot water brought up to her room.
Shinobu bathed and dressed in a clean kimono. The maids took her clothes from her to have them cleaned and the blood washed out of them. She felt better in the clean kimono and her hair washed. She sat at a vanity brushing the tangles out of her long ebony hair.
((OOC: Thanks! See learn something new every day))
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke, still asleep, thrashed out at anyone who got near him to wash him or change his clothes for him. Afraid that the man would inadvertantly injure himself, they stopped any attempts and just left him in his bloodied state. His clothing and hair was still completely soaked in dried blood, the blood on his skin had mostly dripped off.
Emora Deen:
"My lady," came a voice from the open door. Shinobu sat the comb down and turned her head towards the voice. "You bodyguard, Kyosuke, is not allowing us to do our jobs. We are trying to bath him and get him clean, he has ruined the sheets and we need to change them."
Shinobu smiled and nodded. She rose from her seat and walked out of the room, across the wide hall, and into Kyosuke's room. She put a hand on his shoulder. "Kyosuke, these ladies would like to get you clean and into some clean clothes so they can change your sheets and make it more comfortable for you to sleep."
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke continued to sleep. Nothing short of a serious threat would probably wake him up now. Anything he took as a serious threat may also end up dead if they woke him up. Kyosuke mumbled random words in his sleep and continued.
Emora Deen:
Shinobu smiled and turned to the maids. "I'm afraid you'll have to wait until he wakes up," she said and bowed her head to them as she left to go back to her room.
She sat down at the vanity and began brushing her hair again, because that was really all that was left for her to do. She thought about reading a book, but didn't feel like reading at the moment.
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke finally woke up after a couple of hours of deep sleep. The samurai sat up on the bed and stretches his arms out while yawning. He twitched in pain slightly when he pulled the stitches that were on his back and remembered exactly where he was. He smiled at the handmaiden that was in the room.
"Say, do you know where Shinobu-dono is?" he asked. The handmaiden nodded and gave directions to the room, which Kyosuke followed. "Hmm, she said I should take this left... or was it right? I'll go right..." Kyosuke soon found himself blushing brightly as he discovered that the room he just walked into was the handmaidens' bathing chamber. He quickly shut the door behind him, just avoiding the chorus of screams that followed him out. "Okay... wrong door." Kyosuke walked in the other direction he could have chosen.
Emora Deen:
She was through brushing her hair and she decided that reading was a good thing, but the books bored her to a great length. She wondered out onto her balcony, looking at the night sky until she got cold and returned to her room. Shinobu pulled down the covers to the large bed she yawned and climbed in and pulled the covers over her. She leaned over and blew out the candle beside her bed and closed her eyes...
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke looked out a window he was passing by and saw that it was night. He paused his hand before knocking on Shinobu's door. "Hmm... it's pretty late, I probably shouldn't disturb her." Kyosuke wandered off, waiting for the sun to rise before waking Shinobu up.
As he wandered around, he found himself in the dungeon and passed through to the end before turning back, scaring the wits out of some of the prisoners and the guards. They all yelled stuff about bloody ghosts, seeing that Kyosuke was still covered in the sailors' blood.
Emora Deen:
There came a polite knock on Shinobu's door. She rose up from her bed and said, "Come in." A maid entered, bowing her head in respect and it also seemed apologetic.
"My lady, your bodyguard is frightening the guests... he is covered in blood and..."
"I'll handle it," Shinobu said with a sigh. She climbed out bed, fixing her kimono and walked towards the door, slipping on her sandals. She walked down the hall, two maids following her. "Do you know where he was seen last?"
"The dungeons." And so Shinobu went there.
She saw Kyosuke and walked up to him, the two women following warily behind her. "Kyosuke! If you do not bathe so these people will leave me alone I will throw you in the water and wash you myself!" Of course she didn't realize how it had come out until... it had come out. She blushed slightly. "Well you know what I mean."
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke blushed also. "Yeah. I don't know where the baths are though, I was looking for them. Plus, you have our bags and in them is my spare clothing. I'd end up wearing this bloody clothing anyway even after I bathe. I figured you were sleeping so I didn't knock on your door," Kyosuke explained.
Emora Deen:
She smiled, she had only been joking with him about the bathing. "I wouldn't have minded if you would have woken me, I was woken anyway. The maids will bring you some water up, they did for me, I'll get your bag for you," she said nicely. She was still a little embarrassed by her last phrase, but she was losing the embarrassment. “I’m not tired any more anyway.”<br>
The maids walk off to have a tub of hot water brought up to Kyosuke’s room.
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke grabbed a fresh pair of clothing from the bags on Shinobu's room. Following the maids back to his own room, he waited for the hot water to come and asked for a second tub to be brought in 10 minutes. The samurai washed his hair out, the blood on it staining the water in the tub red. He also scrubbed down his body to clean off any blood that had not been washed off and wrapped himself up in a towel to wait for the second tub to be brought in so he could bathe.
Emora Deen:
Shinobu sat in a chair reading a book that was completely bored by the book. She put it down, going to her Katana and pulling it out of the sheath. She took a rag and began cleaning the blade and the handle, because it was the only thing she could think to do.
Kyosuke:
The second tub of water was quickly delivered to Kyosuke's room. The servants that entered set down the second tub and took the first one out. "Thanks," Kyosuke said to them before closing his door. The samurai soaked his muscles in the hot water, letting it relax them. After a while longer, Kyosuke stepped out of the water and dried off before slipping into a new set of clothing.
Eslin:
Sinead had just finished writing her letter. She sanded it and put it up to where it would dry without being seen.
She then turned her thoughts to Vlad and opened them so he could hear her. Vlad, I have a task I'd like you to perform. Come. With that being said she closed her thoughts to him, drew a glass out of her drawer, filled it with wine from the pitcher on the edge of her desk, and leaned back to sip it while she waited oh him to come.
Emora Deen:
Shinobu put her Katana away and slipped back into bed closing her eyes. She started a peaceful dream about a meadow and children playing in the meadow. They couldn't be her children... she couldn't have children.... But, it was still nice to start a dream off with such a nice sight.
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke walked out of his room, letting the servants take care of the tub and his bloody clothing. The handmaidens wondered what they should do about the large gash in the back of the gi.
Kyosuke found his way to Shinobu's room, making sure that he did not take the wrog turn again. Kyosuke knocked on her door and waited.
Emora Deen:
Shinobu came out of her light sleep and pushed the covers off. She brushed the hair out of her face, fixed her sleeping kimono and walked to the door. She opened it to see Kyosuke. "Hey," and opened the door.
"Come in, I'll light some candles." She turned and took the oil lamp and lit some candles around the room.
Kyosuke:
The samurai looked apologetic. "Sorry, were you sleeping this time?" he asked. "I didn't mean to wake you up," he said. Kyosuke walked into the room and sat on a chair.
Emora Deen:
"It's alright," Shinobu said and smiled at him. "You can wake me up any time." Shinobu brushed a strand of black hair behind her ear, lighting the last candle, which made for a dim glow in the room, but enough to see by.
Kyosuke:
"So what's our plan of action now?" Kyosuke asked. "I was still out when you met with Sinead-joo (OOC: There goes the honorific now ^^) so I don't know what you decided or found out," Kyosuke said.
Emora Deen:
"Sinead-joo (
) said that Kitanai-sama is in Hepian at the moment, she has offered to find us a guide to lead us there, I do not know who he will be, but I am sure he will be trustworthy if they comes from Queen Sinead." Shinobu sat down on her bed and placed her hands in her lap.
Kyosuke:
"I see," replied Kyosuke. The samurai stood up again. "So all we can do is wait for the Queen then right?" he asked. "That's kinda boring actually, but I suppose if we have to wait too long then I'll just start exploring the castle again... I wonder if they washed my clothes yet, it'd be fun to go back to scaring the prisoners."
Emora Deen:
Shinobu smiled at him and shook her head. "I wish I could be as playful as you," she said absentmindedly and looked at the floor. "I fear I am too serious for my own good." She sighed and then seemed to shrug it off. "Oh well, the world needs serious people I guess." A smile came to her pretty face.
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke shrugged as he stood up and walked out of the room. "I'll leave you to sleep now, night," he said. The samurai walked down the corridors of the hallways, wandering around for quite some time until he was sure he was lost. The samurai smiled, having found a way to entertain himself. "Now I can spend my time finding myself back to my room."
Emora Deen:
Shinobu, for the third time that night, climbed back under the cover and fell a sleep quite quickly. It was a deep sleep too, one that it would take more than knocking to wake her up...
Zenmusha:
Vlad materialized before the queen, with a rather angry expression on his face. "I was stolen from claiming my hunt. You better have a good reason to have called me, Si... I mean, Mistress....." He had clenched his fists after being summoned, and as he'd forgotten to decline his claws, blood drops stained the ground.
Eslin:
Sinead looked at Vlad calmly. She wondered if she should act angry or apologetic. It was always hard to tell with Vlad. She just decided she'd put the facts out for him.
"I'm terribly sorry I interrupted your fun," she said in a haughty sarcastic voice. She thought about the many times that he'd ruined things for her.
"You might find fun in this task. It never fails with you; I'm sure you could find fun in anything. There is an Ongoreth woman here to see the Shogun. The Shogun is in Hepian, and since Shinobu, the woman, doesn't know her way around Ighten, I'd like you to be her guide. It seems something is wrong in Ongoreth. I only ask you to get her safely to the Shogun."
She frowned at the blood on the floor. It wasn’t her fault. She didn’t know he was busy. She contemplated making him clean it up himself. Deciding some of the fault probably was hers, she discarding that thought. You had to expect things like this to happen in a type of relationship like hers and Vlad’s.
Zenmusha:
Vlad's face quickly twisted from anger to his usual grin. "So... I get to escort a cute Ongorethian woman, and reaqquaint with my dear Maiden Girl? My dear Mistress, I take back my offences to you, working in your kingdom is the best. In fact, I dare say every day is like an orgy of pleasantness." He began to fade... when he returned. "Where's this Shinobu you speak of, my queen?"
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke yawned. The feminine looking man was bored out of his wits. He had wandered the castle for quite a while now and was actually more lost than when he started. He sighed. "Man, I thought trying to find my way back to my room'd be fun, I guess I'm not that easily amused quite yet. Ah well." The samurai found his way out of the castle instead of back to his room and lay down in a bench in the courtyard, staring up at the stars and the moon.
Eslin:
Sinead couldn't help from smiling at Vlad's eagerness. "Shinobu's chambers are located in the wing where all of our guess are given places to sleep. Hers is the first one to the right. On the left you'll find her bodyguard; a samurai if I haven't misjudged badly, and I know I have not. Have fun," she said. Her look then turned dark, "Vlad, don't mess this up."
*********************************************
Briena watched in surprise as the strange man just faded from the room. Not wanting to test her new found luck she garbed her swords and belt pouch from her bedside and got her black cloak from the wardrobe.
After she put everything on she replaced the illusion spell that had just went out. She wondered what the man would have done if he’d know her for a dark elf.
When she reached the common room a name caught her ears from the table in the middle of the room. She calmly walked over to find three male humans discussing a certain guest that had just arrived at the Queen's palace.
"Please repeat that name good sirs,” she asked, trying to be kind so they wouldn’t shrug her off, forcing her to retaliate. Her luck was running high now; there was no reason to crush it.
“The name was Shutobo something. One ‘em stuck up bitches from that fitly Ongoreth.”
Briena could tell the man was drunk. His friends smiled apologetically. She really didn’t care. She wasn’t even really seeing their faces any more. Her prey was at the palace. Her luck was running high tonight. She left the inn happy enough to skip all the way to the palace. She didn’t thought; she walked calmly, plotting.
Emora Deen:
Shinobu woke a few minutes after falling a sleep and sat up in bed for a moment. I can't seem to get to sleep in this strange place... I wonder why. She sighed turning her head and looking out the window. After a while she slipped back under the covers to try and get some rest so she could be alert in the morning.
She had the urge though, and felt something was telling her, to pull her sword close by. So she did, reaching over and pulled her Katana next to her on the bed and under the covers, hiding it from site
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke yawned, still lying on the bench. He stood up and unsheathed his swords, letting the moonlight reflect off of the sharpened wave patterns of the blade and onto his face. The samurai jumped off of the bench and started performing a random kata. He hadn't had much chance to train the last few days since he and Shinobu had been cooped up in the room for the last few days.
Zenmusha:
Vlad only rose an eyebrow. "Like I ever do that... Mistress..." He said that last word as he faded off, and into the guest's room. He had the fortune of appearing there when Shinobu had her back turned upon him. He examined the Ongorethian woman, admiring the way fate had shaped her delicate frame. He walked silently towards her, like a predator towards prey. He wanted to taste her blood, that seemed like fine vintage.
Then again... He stopped dead on his tracks, and decided not to cause a potential diplomatic incident in these times of struggle. Instead, he arheem'ed and bowed as he caught her atention. "Welcome to the city of Lowight. I am Vladimir Dracul, queen Sinead's secret weapon, and your guide for the moment." He looked at her, gazing into her brown, almost red eyes, tasting her feelings of surprise and almost fear. "You need not fear me. It's not my intention to... harm you. Though if you'd like me to succumb to my instincts and let my vampiric nature take over... Just whistle. Hehehehehehehehe......" He showed his sharp fangs as he smiled.
Emora Deen:
Shinobu was a deep sleeper but as of late she couldn't get to sleep and when she did it was light sleep. So she had felt the presence enter her room and when she felt it grow closer she rolled over sitting up in her bed, one hand on the covers so she could throw them off and pull her katana. Shinobu quietly listened to his introduction and she saw his fangs. Was Ighten filled with vampires?
"If you work for the Queen and are to be my guide thank you," Shinobu said a little warily, keeping her senses on alert incase he was a lair. "But, I ask you come no closer, these days have made me paranoid and I might not hesitate to slice your head off..." Her eyes looked at him for a moment.
Zenmusha:
Vlad couldn't help but notice that one line of thought. Was Ighten filled with vampires? He lost his grin for a moment, and was overcome with anger. "So, you've met those scum that spit on the name Vampire by their mere exhistance." He looked at her surprised expression. "Yes, I can read your thoughts, but as an Ongorethian noblewoman, I'm sure you can close your mind to me."
He considered walking closer to her, but she was really edgy as it was. "Shinobu-doono, is it? Would you please retell the troubles you had with those scum? I might go on a small hunt once this war is at an end."
Emora Deen:
Shinobu was surprised that he could read her thoughts, she hadn't expected that. So she closed her mind of as much as she could, but didn't know how powerful he was to get into it. "There is no need," Shinobu replied when he asked about the scum. "My bodyguard and I took care of it when we reached Ighten. Though, my bodyguard did most of the work."
She rose from the bed, taking her Katana with her just for a precaution. She didn't feel it appropriate to meet with a strange man and lay in bed. "I don't know what they wanted, I know the captain wanted to turn my bodyguard into one of his own. That is all I am for sure of. The ship is still in the harbor. Bellow the decks it is filled with dead Ighten sailors. I'm not sure why they kept them instead of throwing the bodies over board." She didn't really feel like going through the whole ordeal. "They didn't attack until after dinner that night, after I found the bodies. It seemed they were just toying with us, though I really don't know why they played with us at all instead of just killing us the moment we boarded the ship. Is that what you needed to know?"
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke resheathed his katanas and shook out his arms. He had been doing katas for a while now and was satisfied with the amount of training he did. Turning around, the samurai walked back into the palace. "Now I just gotta find my room again," Kyosuke muttered to himself, and set himself to do just that.
As he walked down the hallway, the samurai checked his back to make sure he had not ripped his stitches out during his training. He now knew how Shinobu felt before, not being able to do as much because of the risk of popping his stitches out. He sighed in relief, finding that he had not torn out his stitches, though he felt a bit of pain in his back now that the adrenaline had worn off.
Zenmusha:
Vlad examined the way Shinobu acted and spoke. She was indeed a lady. He smiled, with only a bit of difference from his grin. "Yes, that's what I wanted to know." He walked nearer to her, and bowed his head only slightly. "I'm genuinely pleased to have made your aquainntance. I'll enjoy guiding you through the forests." With that, he phased out of the room, and into the dungeons. "This will be interesting..."
Emora Deen:
Shinobu laid down and closed her eyes. Well, that was interesting. At first Shinobu had been completely convenced that he was there to try and pull her head off her shoulders, but she knew now that since he workd for the queen that would not be happening. She sighed contently and faded off into sleep...
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke, tired of wandering around the castle halls, asked a guard for directions to the guest quarters. After trying to figure out exactly where he was staying at, he managed to tell him that he lived in the guest quarters and that he was one of the visitors from Ongoreth. The guard, tired of trying to figure it out, just gave a set of random directions which, unknowing to the guard, ended up taking him to Queen Sinead's room.
He blinked as two guards approached him. "What are you doing here?" one asked.
Kyosuke shrugged. "I'm lost and can't find my way back to my room. Can one of you help me?"
The other guard sneered. "You're lying aren't you? You're really after the Queen's life!"
A single one of Kyosuke's eyebrows rose up in a disbelieving manner. "Right, I'll find my own way then."
Eslin:
Sinead's eyebrows came together when she heard a disturbance outside of her room. Was someone trying to kill her again? She stood up and shook her silk white dress out. She crossed the room and opened the first set of double doors. There was a small room behind the doors where guest waited to be announced; she could hear voices through the double doors that lead in to the corridor.
"You're lying aren't you? You're really after the Queen's life!" she hear one of the guards shout in a gruff voice.
Stunned she opened the door to see what was going on. It might have not been the best decision, but she had a spell ready.
She found Shinobu's bodyguard, Kyosuke, standing outside her doors. The guards were about to attempt arresting him. She laughed in amusement at what she was seeing.
"Guards, stop," hearing her voice they stopped and turned to face her.
"My Queen," one of them said. "This man is trying to kill you. You're not safe."
Sinead chuckled. "No, he's not hear to kill me. This is Kyosuke; he’s a guest here." She laughed again.
Thinking of the customs in Ongoreth and hoping she wasn’t wrong, she made a small apologetic bow to Kyosuke.
“I’m sorry for the inconvenience. If I'm not mistaken, your lost aren't you I can have one of these nice guards escort to where you need to go." she said with a smile on her face. She wondered which of the embarrassed guards wanted to escort the Queen's "attacker."
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke bowed back. "It isn't a problem Sinead-jo-o. I've been hastled for stranger things before... like being mistaken for a girl," the samurai laughed. "And I don't really need anybody to escort me, just directions. The guards I asked before got tired of me and gave me a random set that took me here," he explained. "Any good set and I should be fine."
Emora Deen:
Shinobu woke the next morning to find bright sunlight floating in through the large window. She bathed and dressed in a nice kimono. She would change before they left, for she didn't know if they would leave any time soon. One could only guess with the type of guide she had.
Shinobu held nothing against her guide, besides the fact she did not know him and didn't know they way he worked. She guessed she would find out how he worked on there trip.
Shinobu was eager to get to the Shogun and eager to help her country. But, she was willing to be patient if it meant getting to him sooner than if she was not patient.
Shinobu left the room to look for Kyosuk and the vampire known as Vladimir...
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke woke up from his seated position against a wall. Sometimes the samurai prefered to sleep that way as opposed to on beds or futons. In this case he figured that it would be easier for him to sleep against a wall since he'd probably have to get used to it in the following days. He had no idea how long they would be travelling to get to their destination.
The samurai stood up and stretched a little, wincing as the stitches on his back threatened to pop out on him. The stitches reminded him to check on Shinobu's stitches. They would probably be able to be removed by now and neither of them had the time to do it while they were on the ship. He stepped out of his room, looking for her to remind her.
Emora Deen:
Shinobu wondered the halls trying to find Kyosuke and this Vladimir, the vampire. She looked down the halls watching the knights and maids bustle around. Some stared at her, probably wondering why she was dressed in the clothes. They must have come to the conclusion of where she was from, because the confused glances didn't last long.
The knights were courteous, giving bows of there heads as they passed and smiling. She bowed her head and returned the smile.
"Now where could he be?" she asked wondering just where Kyosuke had gone to. The castle was much to big for her taste... she couldn't find anything...
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke went around, asking people if they had seen a woman dressed in Ongoreth style clothing. Many of them directed him in the direction that she had gone, recognising Shinobu because of her clothing.
After running around the halls for a while, Kyosuke saw Emora, who was looking around for himself and he ran up to her. "Shinobu-dono!" Kyosuke yelled out, waving his hand, then winced as the stitches were irritated. "I was looking for you!"
Emora Deen:
Shinobu smiled at Kyosuke. "I was looking for you too," she said and looked at him for a momnet. "How are you feeling this morning? Are you up to traveling or would you like to rest?" After all he had been very badly wounded just the other day.
Kyosuke:
"I'm fine for traveling," Kyosuke replied. "I just can't fight or train too hard because I have a whole line of stitches running down my back." The samurai shrugged. "Nothing I can do about it unless I wanna tear em out accidentally."
"Anyway," he continued. "I think we've both forgotten with the hecticness of these last few days. Your stitches should be fine to come out now, but I can't train you very well because of my own. Mine won't last that long though since it wasn't that deep."
Emora Deen:
Shinobu nodded and put a hand to her side where her wound had been. "Well, I've never had stitches removed..." she said absentmindedly. She didn't know whether it was going to hurt or not or even how to do it. "I'll go see if I can find a healer or doctor or something around here..."
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke shrugged. "It hurts a bit," he commented. "But popping them out by accident would hurt a lot more, so let's go find a doctor now."
The two went off to the palace's infirmary. There they asked the doctor to remove the stitches for them. Kyosuke stepped out of the room for a bit when the doctor picked up some scissors to cut each stitch and remove it.
Emora Deen:
The doctor pulled the stitches out and it felt a little weird, but didn't cause any dramatic pain. She was out of the room with in minutes, her kimono all neat and fixed. She saw Kyosuke waiting on her and she smiled at him as she walked towards him. "I wonder where our guide is... Have you met him? He's a vampire. I have to say I was very surprised... I think he tried sneaking up on me last night. He seems to be a trust worthy person, though I'm not putting trust to him yet."
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke shrugged. "A vampire huh?" The samurai felt no particular malice towards vampires despite the incident on the ship. "Bah, if he's not trustworthworthy, we'll deal with it when it comes. Nothing else we can do. Besides, if the Queen here recommended him, he probably is trustworthy. She seems to be a pretty nice person after all."
Zenmusha:
Vlad had kept to the shadows while they were having their stiches removed. He took the time to admire the Ongorethian woman's pale skin... Before picturing a very angry Tenele hammering his skull.
He listened to Shinobu's conversation with her bodyguard. So, they thought they could ever hope to defeat him...? It was an amusing though. "Don't put me in the same level as the scum you faced." He walked in. "Those aren't even vampires in my eyes."
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke turned to Vlad and smiled in reply. "Arrogant aren't we?" he said. "But I suppose in your case, you may be stating facts rather than feigning strength."
The samurai shrugged. "I assume you're our guard then?" he asked. "I'm Kyosuke Yamato, but you probably already know that." The samurai seemed undisturbed by the sudden appearance of the vampire as his smile portrayed. He didn't notice the vampire hiding in the shadows, but managed to keep his surprise in check when he appeared.
Emora Deen:
Vlad would have to forgive Shinobu for her distrust. She knew that she could trust him because the Queen trusted him, but after the meeting with the vampires on the ship coming over she was a wee bit wary of them. They were creepy to her.
She remained quiet while her bodyguard and the vampire conversed amongst themselves. She eyed the vampire closely, but then lowered her eyes, not wanting to offend him in any way.
All the while she was thinking of the many things in her mind the thought of her homeland still held tight. She wanted to find the Shogun as soon as possible so she could warn him, before it was too late. "When is the soonest we can leave?" she asked quietly after many seconds.
((OOC: I surely hope I'm doing the name thing right, adding "sama" at the end of the name...))
"Thank you, Queen Sinead-sama," Shinobu said and rose from her seat. "It is true what they say, you are a kind woman. I will see what my bodyguard says to staying a night in your fine palace. Thank you again."
Shinobu bowed and turned, walking back to the door. The Queen's Maiden's opened it for her and she stepped out into the hall. She found she got lost roaming the halls of the palace looking for Kyosuke's room, but a page was happy enough to show her the corridor where the in firmary and guest rooms were.
She knocked on the door to Kyosukes's room before entering...
Kyosuke:
(OOC: Actually, it would be more like Sinead-sama, or if you want to call her Queen Sinead then it's something like Sinead-Joo (pronounced jo-o I believe, either that or jou))
While Shinobu was discussing matters with Queen Sinead, Kyosuke just lay face down on the bed. He was now sound asleep, having not slept very well on the ship during the whole trip over. He had been paranoid the whole time and did not fully immerse himself in sleep.
Emora Deen:
Shinobu walked up to the bed and was about to speak when she noticed that Kyosuke was a sleep. She smiled down at him for a second and then turned to leave, walking back towards the door.
She walked to her room, right across the hall from his. Shinobu was tired as well, for the same reasons. She had fitful sleeps the whole time on the ship.
The room was nice, decorated elaborately, as was to be excepted. She pulled open her back and looked inside. She decided that it would be wonderful to get a bath. The pulled on a rope and a maid walked in. All she wanted to know was where the bathing rooms were, but the made had a tub and hot water brought up to her room.
Shinobu bathed and dressed in a clean kimono. The maids took her clothes from her to have them cleaned and the blood washed out of them. She felt better in the clean kimono and her hair washed. She sat at a vanity brushing the tangles out of her long ebony hair.
((OOC: Thanks! See learn something new every day))
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke, still asleep, thrashed out at anyone who got near him to wash him or change his clothes for him. Afraid that the man would inadvertantly injure himself, they stopped any attempts and just left him in his bloodied state. His clothing and hair was still completely soaked in dried blood, the blood on his skin had mostly dripped off.
Emora Deen:
"My lady," came a voice from the open door. Shinobu sat the comb down and turned her head towards the voice. "You bodyguard, Kyosuke, is not allowing us to do our jobs. We are trying to bath him and get him clean, he has ruined the sheets and we need to change them."
Shinobu smiled and nodded. She rose from her seat and walked out of the room, across the wide hall, and into Kyosuke's room. She put a hand on his shoulder. "Kyosuke, these ladies would like to get you clean and into some clean clothes so they can change your sheets and make it more comfortable for you to sleep."
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke continued to sleep. Nothing short of a serious threat would probably wake him up now. Anything he took as a serious threat may also end up dead if they woke him up. Kyosuke mumbled random words in his sleep and continued.
Emora Deen:
Shinobu smiled and turned to the maids. "I'm afraid you'll have to wait until he wakes up," she said and bowed her head to them as she left to go back to her room.
She sat down at the vanity and began brushing her hair again, because that was really all that was left for her to do. She thought about reading a book, but didn't feel like reading at the moment.
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke finally woke up after a couple of hours of deep sleep. The samurai sat up on the bed and stretches his arms out while yawning. He twitched in pain slightly when he pulled the stitches that were on his back and remembered exactly where he was. He smiled at the handmaiden that was in the room.
"Say, do you know where Shinobu-dono is?" he asked. The handmaiden nodded and gave directions to the room, which Kyosuke followed. "Hmm, she said I should take this left... or was it right? I'll go right..." Kyosuke soon found himself blushing brightly as he discovered that the room he just walked into was the handmaidens' bathing chamber. He quickly shut the door behind him, just avoiding the chorus of screams that followed him out. "Okay... wrong door." Kyosuke walked in the other direction he could have chosen.
Emora Deen:
She was through brushing her hair and she decided that reading was a good thing, but the books bored her to a great length. She wondered out onto her balcony, looking at the night sky until she got cold and returned to her room. Shinobu pulled down the covers to the large bed she yawned and climbed in and pulled the covers over her. She leaned over and blew out the candle beside her bed and closed her eyes...
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke looked out a window he was passing by and saw that it was night. He paused his hand before knocking on Shinobu's door. "Hmm... it's pretty late, I probably shouldn't disturb her." Kyosuke wandered off, waiting for the sun to rise before waking Shinobu up.
As he wandered around, he found himself in the dungeon and passed through to the end before turning back, scaring the wits out of some of the prisoners and the guards. They all yelled stuff about bloody ghosts, seeing that Kyosuke was still covered in the sailors' blood.
Emora Deen:
There came a polite knock on Shinobu's door. She rose up from her bed and said, "Come in." A maid entered, bowing her head in respect and it also seemed apologetic.
"My lady, your bodyguard is frightening the guests... he is covered in blood and..."
"I'll handle it," Shinobu said with a sigh. She climbed out bed, fixing her kimono and walked towards the door, slipping on her sandals. She walked down the hall, two maids following her. "Do you know where he was seen last?"
"The dungeons." And so Shinobu went there.
She saw Kyosuke and walked up to him, the two women following warily behind her. "Kyosuke! If you do not bathe so these people will leave me alone I will throw you in the water and wash you myself!" Of course she didn't realize how it had come out until... it had come out. She blushed slightly. "Well you know what I mean."
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke blushed also. "Yeah. I don't know where the baths are though, I was looking for them. Plus, you have our bags and in them is my spare clothing. I'd end up wearing this bloody clothing anyway even after I bathe. I figured you were sleeping so I didn't knock on your door," Kyosuke explained.
Emora Deen:
She smiled, she had only been joking with him about the bathing. "I wouldn't have minded if you would have woken me, I was woken anyway. The maids will bring you some water up, they did for me, I'll get your bag for you," she said nicely. She was still a little embarrassed by her last phrase, but she was losing the embarrassment. “I’m not tired any more anyway.”<br>
The maids walk off to have a tub of hot water brought up to Kyosuke’s room.
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke grabbed a fresh pair of clothing from the bags on Shinobu's room. Following the maids back to his own room, he waited for the hot water to come and asked for a second tub to be brought in 10 minutes. The samurai washed his hair out, the blood on it staining the water in the tub red. He also scrubbed down his body to clean off any blood that had not been washed off and wrapped himself up in a towel to wait for the second tub to be brought in so he could bathe.
Emora Deen:
Shinobu sat in a chair reading a book that was completely bored by the book. She put it down, going to her Katana and pulling it out of the sheath. She took a rag and began cleaning the blade and the handle, because it was the only thing she could think to do.
Kyosuke:
The second tub of water was quickly delivered to Kyosuke's room. The servants that entered set down the second tub and took the first one out. "Thanks," Kyosuke said to them before closing his door. The samurai soaked his muscles in the hot water, letting it relax them. After a while longer, Kyosuke stepped out of the water and dried off before slipping into a new set of clothing.
Eslin:
Sinead had just finished writing her letter. She sanded it and put it up to where it would dry without being seen.
She then turned her thoughts to Vlad and opened them so he could hear her. Vlad, I have a task I'd like you to perform. Come. With that being said she closed her thoughts to him, drew a glass out of her drawer, filled it with wine from the pitcher on the edge of her desk, and leaned back to sip it while she waited oh him to come.
Emora Deen:
Shinobu put her Katana away and slipped back into bed closing her eyes. She started a peaceful dream about a meadow and children playing in the meadow. They couldn't be her children... she couldn't have children.... But, it was still nice to start a dream off with such a nice sight.
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke walked out of his room, letting the servants take care of the tub and his bloody clothing. The handmaidens wondered what they should do about the large gash in the back of the gi.
Kyosuke found his way to Shinobu's room, making sure that he did not take the wrog turn again. Kyosuke knocked on her door and waited.
Emora Deen:
Shinobu came out of her light sleep and pushed the covers off. She brushed the hair out of her face, fixed her sleeping kimono and walked to the door. She opened it to see Kyosuke. "Hey," and opened the door.
"Come in, I'll light some candles." She turned and took the oil lamp and lit some candles around the room.
Kyosuke:
The samurai looked apologetic. "Sorry, were you sleeping this time?" he asked. "I didn't mean to wake you up," he said. Kyosuke walked into the room and sat on a chair.
Emora Deen:
"It's alright," Shinobu said and smiled at him. "You can wake me up any time." Shinobu brushed a strand of black hair behind her ear, lighting the last candle, which made for a dim glow in the room, but enough to see by.
Kyosuke:
"So what's our plan of action now?" Kyosuke asked. "I was still out when you met with Sinead-joo (OOC: There goes the honorific now ^^) so I don't know what you decided or found out," Kyosuke said.
Emora Deen:
"Sinead-joo (
) said that Kitanai-sama is in Hepian at the moment, she has offered to find us a guide to lead us there, I do not know who he will be, but I am sure he will be trustworthy if they comes from Queen Sinead." Shinobu sat down on her bed and placed her hands in her lap. Kyosuke:
"I see," replied Kyosuke. The samurai stood up again. "So all we can do is wait for the Queen then right?" he asked. "That's kinda boring actually, but I suppose if we have to wait too long then I'll just start exploring the castle again... I wonder if they washed my clothes yet, it'd be fun to go back to scaring the prisoners."
Emora Deen:
Shinobu smiled at him and shook her head. "I wish I could be as playful as you," she said absentmindedly and looked at the floor. "I fear I am too serious for my own good." She sighed and then seemed to shrug it off. "Oh well, the world needs serious people I guess." A smile came to her pretty face.
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke shrugged as he stood up and walked out of the room. "I'll leave you to sleep now, night," he said. The samurai walked down the corridors of the hallways, wandering around for quite some time until he was sure he was lost. The samurai smiled, having found a way to entertain himself. "Now I can spend my time finding myself back to my room."
Emora Deen:
Shinobu, for the third time that night, climbed back under the cover and fell a sleep quite quickly. It was a deep sleep too, one that it would take more than knocking to wake her up...
Zenmusha:
Vlad materialized before the queen, with a rather angry expression on his face. "I was stolen from claiming my hunt. You better have a good reason to have called me, Si... I mean, Mistress....." He had clenched his fists after being summoned, and as he'd forgotten to decline his claws, blood drops stained the ground.
Eslin:
Sinead looked at Vlad calmly. She wondered if she should act angry or apologetic. It was always hard to tell with Vlad. She just decided she'd put the facts out for him.
"I'm terribly sorry I interrupted your fun," she said in a haughty sarcastic voice. She thought about the many times that he'd ruined things for her.
"You might find fun in this task. It never fails with you; I'm sure you could find fun in anything. There is an Ongoreth woman here to see the Shogun. The Shogun is in Hepian, and since Shinobu, the woman, doesn't know her way around Ighten, I'd like you to be her guide. It seems something is wrong in Ongoreth. I only ask you to get her safely to the Shogun."
She frowned at the blood on the floor. It wasn’t her fault. She didn’t know he was busy. She contemplated making him clean it up himself. Deciding some of the fault probably was hers, she discarding that thought. You had to expect things like this to happen in a type of relationship like hers and Vlad’s.
Zenmusha:
Vlad's face quickly twisted from anger to his usual grin. "So... I get to escort a cute Ongorethian woman, and reaqquaint with my dear Maiden Girl? My dear Mistress, I take back my offences to you, working in your kingdom is the best. In fact, I dare say every day is like an orgy of pleasantness." He began to fade... when he returned. "Where's this Shinobu you speak of, my queen?"
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke yawned. The feminine looking man was bored out of his wits. He had wandered the castle for quite a while now and was actually more lost than when he started. He sighed. "Man, I thought trying to find my way back to my room'd be fun, I guess I'm not that easily amused quite yet. Ah well." The samurai found his way out of the castle instead of back to his room and lay down in a bench in the courtyard, staring up at the stars and the moon.
Eslin:
Sinead couldn't help from smiling at Vlad's eagerness. "Shinobu's chambers are located in the wing where all of our guess are given places to sleep. Hers is the first one to the right. On the left you'll find her bodyguard; a samurai if I haven't misjudged badly, and I know I have not. Have fun," she said. Her look then turned dark, "Vlad, don't mess this up."
*********************************************
Briena watched in surprise as the strange man just faded from the room. Not wanting to test her new found luck she garbed her swords and belt pouch from her bedside and got her black cloak from the wardrobe.
After she put everything on she replaced the illusion spell that had just went out. She wondered what the man would have done if he’d know her for a dark elf.
When she reached the common room a name caught her ears from the table in the middle of the room. She calmly walked over to find three male humans discussing a certain guest that had just arrived at the Queen's palace.
"Please repeat that name good sirs,” she asked, trying to be kind so they wouldn’t shrug her off, forcing her to retaliate. Her luck was running high now; there was no reason to crush it.
“The name was Shutobo something. One ‘em stuck up bitches from that fitly Ongoreth.”
Briena could tell the man was drunk. His friends smiled apologetically. She really didn’t care. She wasn’t even really seeing their faces any more. Her prey was at the palace. Her luck was running high tonight. She left the inn happy enough to skip all the way to the palace. She didn’t thought; she walked calmly, plotting.
Emora Deen:
Shinobu woke a few minutes after falling a sleep and sat up in bed for a moment. I can't seem to get to sleep in this strange place... I wonder why. She sighed turning her head and looking out the window. After a while she slipped back under the covers to try and get some rest so she could be alert in the morning.
She had the urge though, and felt something was telling her, to pull her sword close by. So she did, reaching over and pulled her Katana next to her on the bed and under the covers, hiding it from site
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke yawned, still lying on the bench. He stood up and unsheathed his swords, letting the moonlight reflect off of the sharpened wave patterns of the blade and onto his face. The samurai jumped off of the bench and started performing a random kata. He hadn't had much chance to train the last few days since he and Shinobu had been cooped up in the room for the last few days.
Zenmusha:
Vlad only rose an eyebrow. "Like I ever do that... Mistress..." He said that last word as he faded off, and into the guest's room. He had the fortune of appearing there when Shinobu had her back turned upon him. He examined the Ongorethian woman, admiring the way fate had shaped her delicate frame. He walked silently towards her, like a predator towards prey. He wanted to taste her blood, that seemed like fine vintage.
Then again... He stopped dead on his tracks, and decided not to cause a potential diplomatic incident in these times of struggle. Instead, he arheem'ed and bowed as he caught her atention. "Welcome to the city of Lowight. I am Vladimir Dracul, queen Sinead's secret weapon, and your guide for the moment." He looked at her, gazing into her brown, almost red eyes, tasting her feelings of surprise and almost fear. "You need not fear me. It's not my intention to... harm you. Though if you'd like me to succumb to my instincts and let my vampiric nature take over... Just whistle. Hehehehehehehehe......" He showed his sharp fangs as he smiled.
Emora Deen:
Shinobu was a deep sleeper but as of late she couldn't get to sleep and when she did it was light sleep. So she had felt the presence enter her room and when she felt it grow closer she rolled over sitting up in her bed, one hand on the covers so she could throw them off and pull her katana. Shinobu quietly listened to his introduction and she saw his fangs. Was Ighten filled with vampires?
"If you work for the Queen and are to be my guide thank you," Shinobu said a little warily, keeping her senses on alert incase he was a lair. "But, I ask you come no closer, these days have made me paranoid and I might not hesitate to slice your head off..." Her eyes looked at him for a moment.
Zenmusha:
Vlad couldn't help but notice that one line of thought. Was Ighten filled with vampires? He lost his grin for a moment, and was overcome with anger. "So, you've met those scum that spit on the name Vampire by their mere exhistance." He looked at her surprised expression. "Yes, I can read your thoughts, but as an Ongorethian noblewoman, I'm sure you can close your mind to me."
He considered walking closer to her, but she was really edgy as it was. "Shinobu-doono, is it? Would you please retell the troubles you had with those scum? I might go on a small hunt once this war is at an end."
Emora Deen:
Shinobu was surprised that he could read her thoughts, she hadn't expected that. So she closed her mind of as much as she could, but didn't know how powerful he was to get into it. "There is no need," Shinobu replied when he asked about the scum. "My bodyguard and I took care of it when we reached Ighten. Though, my bodyguard did most of the work."
She rose from the bed, taking her Katana with her just for a precaution. She didn't feel it appropriate to meet with a strange man and lay in bed. "I don't know what they wanted, I know the captain wanted to turn my bodyguard into one of his own. That is all I am for sure of. The ship is still in the harbor. Bellow the decks it is filled with dead Ighten sailors. I'm not sure why they kept them instead of throwing the bodies over board." She didn't really feel like going through the whole ordeal. "They didn't attack until after dinner that night, after I found the bodies. It seemed they were just toying with us, though I really don't know why they played with us at all instead of just killing us the moment we boarded the ship. Is that what you needed to know?"
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke resheathed his katanas and shook out his arms. He had been doing katas for a while now and was satisfied with the amount of training he did. Turning around, the samurai walked back into the palace. "Now I just gotta find my room again," Kyosuke muttered to himself, and set himself to do just that.
As he walked down the hallway, the samurai checked his back to make sure he had not ripped his stitches out during his training. He now knew how Shinobu felt before, not being able to do as much because of the risk of popping his stitches out. He sighed in relief, finding that he had not torn out his stitches, though he felt a bit of pain in his back now that the adrenaline had worn off.
Zenmusha:
Vlad examined the way Shinobu acted and spoke. She was indeed a lady. He smiled, with only a bit of difference from his grin. "Yes, that's what I wanted to know." He walked nearer to her, and bowed his head only slightly. "I'm genuinely pleased to have made your aquainntance. I'll enjoy guiding you through the forests." With that, he phased out of the room, and into the dungeons. "This will be interesting..."
Emora Deen:
Shinobu laid down and closed her eyes. Well, that was interesting. At first Shinobu had been completely convenced that he was there to try and pull her head off her shoulders, but she knew now that since he workd for the queen that would not be happening. She sighed contently and faded off into sleep...
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke, tired of wandering around the castle halls, asked a guard for directions to the guest quarters. After trying to figure out exactly where he was staying at, he managed to tell him that he lived in the guest quarters and that he was one of the visitors from Ongoreth. The guard, tired of trying to figure it out, just gave a set of random directions which, unknowing to the guard, ended up taking him to Queen Sinead's room.
He blinked as two guards approached him. "What are you doing here?" one asked.
Kyosuke shrugged. "I'm lost and can't find my way back to my room. Can one of you help me?"
The other guard sneered. "You're lying aren't you? You're really after the Queen's life!"
A single one of Kyosuke's eyebrows rose up in a disbelieving manner. "Right, I'll find my own way then."
Eslin:
Sinead's eyebrows came together when she heard a disturbance outside of her room. Was someone trying to kill her again? She stood up and shook her silk white dress out. She crossed the room and opened the first set of double doors. There was a small room behind the doors where guest waited to be announced; she could hear voices through the double doors that lead in to the corridor.
"You're lying aren't you? You're really after the Queen's life!" she hear one of the guards shout in a gruff voice.
Stunned she opened the door to see what was going on. It might have not been the best decision, but she had a spell ready.
She found Shinobu's bodyguard, Kyosuke, standing outside her doors. The guards were about to attempt arresting him. She laughed in amusement at what she was seeing.
"Guards, stop," hearing her voice they stopped and turned to face her.
"My Queen," one of them said. "This man is trying to kill you. You're not safe."
Sinead chuckled. "No, he's not hear to kill me. This is Kyosuke; he’s a guest here." She laughed again.
Thinking of the customs in Ongoreth and hoping she wasn’t wrong, she made a small apologetic bow to Kyosuke.
“I’m sorry for the inconvenience. If I'm not mistaken, your lost aren't you I can have one of these nice guards escort to where you need to go." she said with a smile on her face. She wondered which of the embarrassed guards wanted to escort the Queen's "attacker."
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke bowed back. "It isn't a problem Sinead-jo-o. I've been hastled for stranger things before... like being mistaken for a girl," the samurai laughed. "And I don't really need anybody to escort me, just directions. The guards I asked before got tired of me and gave me a random set that took me here," he explained. "Any good set and I should be fine."
Emora Deen:
Shinobu woke the next morning to find bright sunlight floating in through the large window. She bathed and dressed in a nice kimono. She would change before they left, for she didn't know if they would leave any time soon. One could only guess with the type of guide she had.
Shinobu held nothing against her guide, besides the fact she did not know him and didn't know they way he worked. She guessed she would find out how he worked on there trip.
Shinobu was eager to get to the Shogun and eager to help her country. But, she was willing to be patient if it meant getting to him sooner than if she was not patient.
Shinobu left the room to look for Kyosuk and the vampire known as Vladimir...
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke woke up from his seated position against a wall. Sometimes the samurai prefered to sleep that way as opposed to on beds or futons. In this case he figured that it would be easier for him to sleep against a wall since he'd probably have to get used to it in the following days. He had no idea how long they would be travelling to get to their destination.
The samurai stood up and stretched a little, wincing as the stitches on his back threatened to pop out on him. The stitches reminded him to check on Shinobu's stitches. They would probably be able to be removed by now and neither of them had the time to do it while they were on the ship. He stepped out of his room, looking for her to remind her.
Emora Deen:
Shinobu wondered the halls trying to find Kyosuke and this Vladimir, the vampire. She looked down the halls watching the knights and maids bustle around. Some stared at her, probably wondering why she was dressed in the clothes. They must have come to the conclusion of where she was from, because the confused glances didn't last long.
The knights were courteous, giving bows of there heads as they passed and smiling. She bowed her head and returned the smile.
"Now where could he be?" she asked wondering just where Kyosuke had gone to. The castle was much to big for her taste... she couldn't find anything...
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke went around, asking people if they had seen a woman dressed in Ongoreth style clothing. Many of them directed him in the direction that she had gone, recognising Shinobu because of her clothing.
After running around the halls for a while, Kyosuke saw Emora, who was looking around for himself and he ran up to her. "Shinobu-dono!" Kyosuke yelled out, waving his hand, then winced as the stitches were irritated. "I was looking for you!"
Emora Deen:
Shinobu smiled at Kyosuke. "I was looking for you too," she said and looked at him for a momnet. "How are you feeling this morning? Are you up to traveling or would you like to rest?" After all he had been very badly wounded just the other day.
Kyosuke:
"I'm fine for traveling," Kyosuke replied. "I just can't fight or train too hard because I have a whole line of stitches running down my back." The samurai shrugged. "Nothing I can do about it unless I wanna tear em out accidentally."
"Anyway," he continued. "I think we've both forgotten with the hecticness of these last few days. Your stitches should be fine to come out now, but I can't train you very well because of my own. Mine won't last that long though since it wasn't that deep."
Emora Deen:
Shinobu nodded and put a hand to her side where her wound had been. "Well, I've never had stitches removed..." she said absentmindedly. She didn't know whether it was going to hurt or not or even how to do it. "I'll go see if I can find a healer or doctor or something around here..."
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke shrugged. "It hurts a bit," he commented. "But popping them out by accident would hurt a lot more, so let's go find a doctor now."
The two went off to the palace's infirmary. There they asked the doctor to remove the stitches for them. Kyosuke stepped out of the room for a bit when the doctor picked up some scissors to cut each stitch and remove it.
Emora Deen:
The doctor pulled the stitches out and it felt a little weird, but didn't cause any dramatic pain. She was out of the room with in minutes, her kimono all neat and fixed. She saw Kyosuke waiting on her and she smiled at him as she walked towards him. "I wonder where our guide is... Have you met him? He's a vampire. I have to say I was very surprised... I think he tried sneaking up on me last night. He seems to be a trust worthy person, though I'm not putting trust to him yet."
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke shrugged. "A vampire huh?" The samurai felt no particular malice towards vampires despite the incident on the ship. "Bah, if he's not trustworthworthy, we'll deal with it when it comes. Nothing else we can do. Besides, if the Queen here recommended him, he probably is trustworthy. She seems to be a pretty nice person after all."
Zenmusha:
Vlad had kept to the shadows while they were having their stiches removed. He took the time to admire the Ongorethian woman's pale skin... Before picturing a very angry Tenele hammering his skull.
He listened to Shinobu's conversation with her bodyguard. So, they thought they could ever hope to defeat him...? It was an amusing though. "Don't put me in the same level as the scum you faced." He walked in. "Those aren't even vampires in my eyes."
Kyosuke:
Kyosuke turned to Vlad and smiled in reply. "Arrogant aren't we?" he said. "But I suppose in your case, you may be stating facts rather than feigning strength."
The samurai shrugged. "I assume you're our guard then?" he asked. "I'm Kyosuke Yamato, but you probably already know that." The samurai seemed undisturbed by the sudden appearance of the vampire as his smile portrayed. He didn't notice the vampire hiding in the shadows, but managed to keep his surprise in check when he appeared.
Emora Deen:
Vlad would have to forgive Shinobu for her distrust. She knew that she could trust him because the Queen trusted him, but after the meeting with the vampires on the ship coming over she was a wee bit wary of them. They were creepy to her.
She remained quiet while her bodyguard and the vampire conversed amongst themselves. She eyed the vampire closely, but then lowered her eyes, not wanting to offend him in any way.
All the while she was thinking of the many things in her mind the thought of her homeland still held tight. She wanted to find the Shogun as soon as possible so she could warn him, before it was too late. "When is the soonest we can leave?" she asked quietly after many seconds.