Name: Mae Shirahane
Appearance:

Age: 19

----((Liztress: I apologize for being all over the place, I didn't know how to start it.))---

Mae lounged in the fields, arms folded behind her head, fingers twist and winding in her hair. Turquoise eyes lazily observing the overhead sky; it was painted with shades a many—pale blues, rich ambers. “It’s so pretty…” She whispered, marveling at the many shapes that formed in the fluffy, cotton-looking clouds that slowly dissipated in the dwindling sunlight.

She was able to make out as many as a handful of animals—including oxen and ducks—before the sky was completely consumed by darkness. Blinking to keep her heavy eyelids from drooping over, Mae sat upright and stretched. Yawning as her joints popped into place, the youth settled back into the soft rut in the dirt. “Why can’t everyday be like this?” She pondering, listening to the gentle sounds of foliage fluttering in the evening breeze. In reality, every day was like that for Mae, as she would always finish her chores by the afternoon, and she would spend the rest of her day lounging and hiding away from her family.

Each time, she would be driven up the trail and back into the village for much needed warmth by the same gentle wind that currently caressed her bare skin. It was as if the comforting draft was goading her to climb to her feet, pleading with her to go back home—most of the time she listened, but not tonight. No, tonight, she insisted on staring up at the pale moon, wondering. “What if…?” Imagining a certain jewel of four souls in the luminous sphere’s place, the brunette propped herself on her elbows. “What if I had all that power?” While the possibilities were endless, the quest to retrieve said gem would be next to impossible for a person as powerless as herself.

The thought of hopelessly wishing for something sobered Mae up real quick. “What am I thinking?” She frowned thoughtfully. She would be a priestess someday, and didn’t have time to fill her head up with silly thoughts of adventuring. Shaking her head, almost as if to dispel her thoughts, Mae decided to head home.

Shivering, the youth got to her feet. “It’s colder than usual…” She mused, rubbing her sufficiently chilled skin. Rubbing her arms ferociously, Mae stalked up the dusty, winding road. “Strange…” Feeling the gooseflesh under the palms of her hands, the youth staggered along. It would be a long way to the village if she continued at this snail’s pace.

Name: Kyou 杏
Appearance:
Age: 22

((Apricot: That's fine, hun.))

Brown eyes scanned the forest edge. Just a few hours earlier, the local priestess at the village that Kyou had stopped in to restock begged the young warrior to dispatch a murder of crow youkai. The brunette knew that she couldn't refuse the elderly woman.

"All this trouble for a measly meal and warm bed." Kyou muttered to herself, her eyes focusing on what appeared to be movement from the south. Her right hand reached up over her shoulder and pulled the katana from its sheath. Steadily, she lowered the blade and got into a defensive stance. Crow youkai could be cunning creatures. Kyou was a bit glad that it was only crows plaguing this village. The past two had suffered from gigantic spider youkai. And the brunette was never a fan of insect.

"Show yourself!" Her voice rang out, causing the source of the movement to cease. The pregnant silence that engulfed the area was short-lived when a large bumbling monk tottered out of the forest edge and towards Kyou. The female leapt up as he barreled his way closer to her. The hole on the side of his chest was all the proof she needed to know his corpse was providing shelter for one of the crow youkai. With a swift motion, Kyou's blade sliced through the hole and caused the crow to fly out.

With a loud caw, the rest of the youkai gathered to attack the female warrior. Thanking the kamis for all the training that her father had gave her, the brunette had sliced through each one with ease.

Soon, fifty or more crows laid scattered around the heavily panting woman. Sheathing her katana, Kyou headed back to the village. Perhaps they will know where to find the Jewel of Four Souls, she thought to herself. If she had the jewel then it would be easier to avenge her own village's destruction.

((Liztress: I'll have to reply to your reply in the morning, since I've got the cramps like bad again.))

Mae could have sworn she had heard something off in the distance. It sounded like crying… or something like that. “Ugh, quit giving yourself the creeps.” She grumbled, climbing the steep hill that hid her home. Speaking of creeps, just earlier that day, Mae had caught wind from a few gossiping girls had seen a few youkai outside of the village. “They were probably just saying that to scare each other, or whatever.” Rolling her eyes once she reached the top of the alp, the brunette quickly shuffled across the peak and down the other side. If she hurried, she could make it back home before the last of the lights went out.

Racing down a particularly steep part of the hillside, Mae waved her arms around to hold her balance. The last thing she needed, or wanted, to do was fall and hurt herself… it would be hours, days before anyone found her—“Ah…” Coming to a halt to rest her straining legs for a moment, Mae glanced ahead… the village wasn’t too far now, she could see it just over the tree line, and to her luck most of the torches were still lit—and yet, that wasn’t enough to settle her nerves.

Why was she worrying so much? “Am I still worrying about that youkai thing?” The chill that raced up her spine was her definitive answer. “Oh, come on…” Mae whined aloud, as she continued to creep down towards her chosen destination. “Get a hold of yourself, Shirahane! If anything happens…” Trailing off, the youth gripped the necklace that rested inches below her clavicle. “You’re gonna be ok—”

An ear-splitting caw interrupted her. “Ahhhhh!” She screamed. Forget her family’s reputation, forget her supposed fearlessness—she was afraid, she was very, very, very afraid. Mae sprinted so fast, she kicked up dirt half-a-mile into the air, and in no time at all, she was bursting through the doors of her family’s inn.
“Kami—Mae, what happened?” Her mother worried, watching her daughter dry-heave against the door. It wasn’t every day that her brave as a warrior daughter came running home like a dog with its tail between its legs.

“Waaah?” The younger brunette said after moments of desperately trying to breathe through her retching. “Uh, nothing happened, mother. I’m fine! Uh—the girls and I, we were playing a game—yeah, a game! Ha, ha, ha… HA!” Mae laughed through tears of dread and embarrassment. “They wanted to see who could scare you the best… looks like I won!” She continued to lie as she inched away from the entryway and towards her bedroom. “I’ll have to tell them to be less noisy next time, yes? Okay, good night!” Turning on her heel to race to her room, Mae didn’t expect to feel her mother’s hand on her shoulder. “DAAAAH!”

“Mae…” Her mother started softly, before lurching forward and clasping her hand on her daughter’s mouth. “Can you keep your voice down? We have a guest.”

((Apricot: Alright, hun. *snuggles* I hope you get to feeling better. Otherwise, I'm going to kill the cramps. Heck, I'll kill them anyways.))

By the time that Kyou made it back to the village, a couple of the younger men were snuffing the torches that kept the huts aglow. The brunette's ears perked up as she heard the gossip of a few young maidens. Groaning inwardly, she continue towards the inn where the elderly priestess had a bed prepared for her. Youkai and men, Kyou remarked sourly with a scowl to herself. Sometimes, I wonder just what those girls would gossip about if they had to fight youkai. And see those men they idolize turn into bloody pulps. Before Kyou could scold herself for thinking badly of those who lived a life of ease, a swift figure darted past her and into one of the larger huts.


Walking into the same hut that she knew to be the inn, she listened to the young girl's prattling. Half-lidded brown eyes were jolted open by the same girl's scream and then the older woman's scolding. From the tone, Kyou could only assume that the two were mother and daughter.

"Excuse me." The weary warrior spoke up, hoping to not come off as rude. "If you may show me where I can rest my head, then I can prepare to leave early in the morning." The priestess had promised to have Kyou's supplies ready so that once awake, the brown eyed warrior could be on her way.

((Liztress: :) The cramps are gone, now! :D YAY! Now, you won't have to kill them!... but, you just might do it. :ninja:))

At hearing the young warrior's voice, the lady of the house spun around to meet with her eye-to-eye. "Oh..." She mumbled, openly gawking at her. "My apologies for the wait..." Apologizing more so for the staring than the delay, the older woman bowed to her guest. "Thank you for tasks you have performed for village's sake." Bowing two times more, she then righted herself, assured her guest that she would bring her a warm towel, and disappeared to the front desk calling out a command to her daughter. "Mae, please show her to her room."

"Waah? Aw...!" Mae hung her head. I just got home, why can't I keep some sleep? Silently brooding, which was just openly pouting, the brunette motioned for the warrior. "You heard the lady, follow me." She drawled out, her voice sounding just as exhausted as the muscles in her pulsating legs. Waiting a few seconds, to make sure the woman was following, Mae started out towards the room.

The walk there was silent, other than the sounds of sandal clad feet clacking against the hard, wooden floor, and in a way it unnerved Mae more than the forest ever could. What if youkai attack the village? She worried, wringing her clammy hands together. "Well, I guess I'll just have to fight them--yeah!" Images of herself with a magnificent sword and a kimono worth twice her weight in gold flooded her mind, and it took all of her willpower not to stop in the middle of the hallway to jump and swing her arms around, as if she was fighting a great—but, powerless—beast.

"Ehh... well, this is your room!" Mae stated loud and full energy, as she came to a stop near a slightly ajar door. "Oyasumi, ii yume mitene." She chimed, as she bowed to the woman. "Good night, sweet dreams!" She repeated, before darting off just as her mother arrived with the towels and bedding material.

"Mae! Wait!" Her mother called, scowling when her daughter didn't turn around. “That child is going to be the death of me.” Narrowing her eyes at the retreating figure, the aged woman handed the warrior large, fluffy quilt and a warm cloth, before starting after Mae.

((Apricot: I'm glad they're gone!))

The brunette tilted her head slightly as she watched the younger girl walk heavily with a pout towards the room. A smirk crossed her lips as she remembered a time when a dear friend of hers had to take on the chores of the family business. That friend was also the one who had confided in her about a traveling monk who asked the girl to bear his first child. Thinking of that memory, Kyou groaned inwardly. That was a day that her father had taken her out to the fields to dispatch of a bothersome trio of bandits. When they returned, all the villagers were talking about the monk who drove out some wayward spirit.

"Arigato." Kyou replied with a smile to the older woman, offering a curt bow. It was a welcomed interruption as that was the same day that her village came under attack. She accepted the items and went into the room. Setting up her bed, Kyou stifled a yawn. Tomorrow, she had hoped to head to Edo. The elderly Kaede had been a friend of her father and Kyou knew that the priestess could help her in the search for the Shikon Jewel.

Sleep had not long claimed the weary warrior when the scent of fire wafted into the room. Jolting up, Kyou grabbed her blade and tried to make her way out of the inn. It would seem that she missed a few crow youkai. Heading to the innkeeper's room, she pounded on the door. "You need to wake up! The village..." Kyou coughed, smoke beginning to burn her lungs.

((Liztress: You and me both. ;)))

Mae didn’t even remember falling asleep; she did however remember the firm flogging her mother gave her for being disobedient… her back was still stinging, and probably red, from getting swatted over and over again with a bamboo rod. “Ow…” She groaned as she awoke to the loud, sharp bangs on the door. “What is it?” Mae asked groggily, as she pulled herself together; though as she did so, the smell of smoke invaded her senses. The horrible smell of burning wood shocked her awake like a quick dip in frigid cold water. The gears in her head started whirring at a hundred miles per minute.

“Smoke…? FIRE! Mother, wake up! The inn is on fire!” Mae cried, while crawling over to the older woman’s bed. “Mother, come on! We have to get out of here!” Snatching the duvet off her mother’s mat, the brunette realized with horror that older Shirahane was gone! “…Mother?” Glancing around the room the best she could through the thick smog that threatened to envelope her, Mae fought back tears. Who could have done this?

She didn't have time to sit around and think about it, though, as sound came rushing back into her ears. Someone was outside trying to save her! Crawling towards the door, Mae tried her best to force it open without standing. “Help!” She called, beating on the door profusely. “It’s stuck! You have to break it! Please!” She cried, bashing her fist into the wood, over and over again.

((Apricot: Now to find a cure so they never return.))

Kyou couldn't believe her ears. It was muffled but she could hear the young girl. Glancing over her shoulder, the brunette noticed a heavy-looking statue. Forgive me, Kami... went through her mind as she lifted the granite figure. "Move back!" She yelled, pausing only for a few seconds before putting all of her weight into the swing of the statue. Splintered wood from the impact flew in all directions. The force of it caused a nice size hole and Kyou could see the frightened girl.

"We need to get out of here." The warrior responded calmly, all the while her insides began to twist and knot up. In her twenty-odd years, never had she been in a village during a raid or attack. Once helping the girl out, her brown eyes glanced quickly and saw that the older woman was gone. "Where is she?"

((Liztress: T-There’s a cure out there, somewhere?))

Mae only had seconds to react, before her family’s statue was crashing through the door; and, while she was able to narrowly avoid being injured by the heavy fixture impacting with the door, she however, was not able to dodge the fragmented projectiles. “Ahh!” She hissed, as the dangerous wood drove itself deep into her forearms. Tears of pain irritated her waterline, as she lunged towards the freshly prepared exit.

Hissing as she was aided through the opening, Mae barely registered that the woman was speaking to her. “I-I don’t… I don’t know.” She gasped, as she tried to breathe through the heavy smoke. “I think—someone took her…” Coughing rather violently, the brunette dropped to her hands and knees. Her body couldn’t take any more of this; she was going to die of exhaustion at this rate! “We have to find her…” Finding her strength once again, Mae climbed to her feet.

All of a sudden, beastly sounds engulfed the air, sending chills racing up Mae’s spine. It was as if a cluster of ravenous youkai were all howling together, mocking the two women before they came to them.

Thick, crimson strands of blood trailed down from Mae’s grisly wounds and onto the floor; and if it were any other time, she would have reacted to them—yelled, panicked, cried. But, right now, she was so overcome by fear that the only thing she could think to do was to cling to her companion. “What is that sound?” As if she needed to ask.

((Apricot: :gonk: I'm horrid! I haven't had the time to post here!))

Kyou's facial features contorted harshly as the combination of the youkai's howls and the sight of blood dripped off the younger girl's arms. Damn it... She's just going to get in the way. Her mind reeled, anger beginning to show upon her face. "We need to get out of here." She hoarsely spoke, the smoke in the inn was slowly filling it and the girls' lungs. "Either we burn to death or we take our chances against the youkai."

She grabbed the girl's arm, wincing slightly as her ears registered the shallow yelp from the force of the hold that Kyou placed on the wound. Now wasn't the time for an apology. The brunette warrior made her way past the crackling of fiery walls. Her left hand skimmed across the nearly too hot to touch surface until she found what she was looking for: a weak spot in the wall. "We leave now!" She exclaimed hurriedly as she put all her weight into her left side and broke free from the inn.