NSWRPF Archive Ultimate Fantasy: Cosmic Realm: Realm of Free-Play

Chu'ra - The Most Interesting Unnammed Tavern So Far...

Chu'ra was enjoying the show. Jubei had turned out to be so much more intesting, than even she had first decided he might be. He called up an ancient creature within him, and they fought off the tiny demons outside of the bar. He looked to be enjoying himsef. And now, the being, who as if yet, had not given them a name, seemed to be much more in control of things than even she originally believed. And then it was their new Fae visitor. A gusty little creature, and quick on her feet too, as she traded jabs with the huge demon that had irked Chu'ra into responding, by slapping him out of the bar, after threating to turn him into a mouse. The fae responding with a soft, musical chuckle, fangs gleaming. Fangs? An unusual feature for normal fairy. She spoke in a strange tounge to her companion, a small ferret who ran up on her shoulder. The girl then spoke to Chu'ra.

/Not many sspeak that language, stranger, am I to guess you are an Elemental too?/ The Fae glanced at the creature, a mocking smirk on her face. Chu'ra chuckled, but did not reply to the question directly. She did find it rather amusing though. She listened as the Fae taunted the demon some more. Then the Fairy sat on a table, legs crossed in lotus style, directly in fron of the gigantic, snarling creature, it turned it's glowing, enraged eyes to the tiny Fae, getting ready for an attack. Chu'ra heard her speak to the monster once again. /Tsk, tsk, tsk.;. This lady over here warned you...I would not risk being turned into a mouse with a ferret around, and I certainly do not think that was an empty threat/ Chu'ra simply raised an eyebrow, even as dog moved towards the sides, watching in earnest now. There was but a small distance between brave, and foolhardy, and she was begining to wonder just how far this one would cross from one to the other.

Chu'ra decided that she had enough of this foul breathed creature. And it was wrecking a bar that she was finding quite delightful, if not useful. She made another sweep of her staff, as she stepped towards what was left of the doorway. She usually didnt like to involve herself with demons, but this one seemed to be of the lower level eschilon. It was too stupid for anything else. As she stood there, chanting softly under her breath, her staff began to glow. This demon was costing her more than she had wished to reveal at the moment, but it could not be helped. She did not have to share all her secrets this day. Dog stood silent now, his attention rivited towards the door, but not moving as well, as she finished her enchantents. One was a binding spell. And the other..?

Chu'ra smiled, as she made good on her threat, as a muticolored spray of light suddenly poured out in a brilliant hue surrounding the beast.
'WOOF' Dog reponded, at full attention now. Was his eyes glowing? It was but for the briefest of seconds, so it was hard to be sure. Chu'ra smiled. "I know..I didnt forget." she said softly, as she stepped back, watching the prismatic spray of colors envelope the demon. With a graceful gesture, she brough her fingers together tightly, and watched as the sphere and the creature within also began to shrink.

Chu'ra stepped away, and walked back towards the bar. "WOOF!-WOOF!" Dog pawed the floor, whining slightly. Chur'ra smiled as she walked back over towards the bartender. "Let me have another drink please. And an ale in a bowl as well."She asked. She paused, and then thought the next question out towards the fairy.

/And would you be wanting something to drink as well?/ Something told her an intersting story lay within this creature. And the demon did seem interested in her. Perhaps the two were not so related after all. Around her waist, several crystals were style reacting, warming gently around her skin. Probably reacting to Jubei and the things he was busy combating. She was annoyed now. Perhaps, even enough to pay the one who had intruded on such a nice day, a visit. She could always use a new speciman

 

FORGIVE ME....wrong post..wrong area.

 

The demon's head had grown to more than three times the size of its body, jaws open to unleash fires from the underworld. Those flames gathered within the creature's throat as a doorway to set loose hell's wrath upon all that stood before it. Once released, however, the inferno met resistance.

Chu'ra simply held up a hand, her eyes golden. She spoke but a simple, soft word, an aura of magic swirling around her, as she blocked the flames at their point of origin. A smile formed upon her face, and she spoke in a strange language, warning the beast to relent.

Before it was given time to respond, she sent a cone of cold and ice into the creature's open maw.

With the demon's jaw frozen, leaving the creature's mouth agape for all to see, Chu'ra said, "If I am to be tested, then I guess the Fates will have a good show." She turned to face the stranger at the bar, and flashed him a smile, before she returned her attention to the stilled beast.

She swung her staff swiftly, generating a blast of icy wind, which sent the creature back several paces. "Behave yourself," she snarled in that same strange language, "before I turn you into a mouse." Chu'ra was grinning, then, revealing the slightest view of her fanged teeth.

Her dog growled at the creature from behind her, as it kept watch over the ruined doorway.

Meanwhile, outside the tavern, a deep, mocking laughter erupted from the centre of the fiery whirlwind. The swordsman could not be seen within the blazing inferno, though evidence of his presence was soon visible in a blinding flash of brilliant light, a swirl of awesome colour.

The twelve avians were given some measure of pause, their perfect coordination now disrupted. Some were blinded completely by the brilliant flash, others only further enraged. Together they resumed their assault upon the swordsman, who was obviously more of a threat than they initially imagined.

Jubei no more, Bishamon struck at them on their first pass. Each of the twelve was wounded. Wings were torns and claws severed, but a second pass came nontheless. As before, Bishamon dealt the demons a number of wounds, each precise in delivery. It was not long after that the creatures shrank in size, and power.

An ominous voice rumbled through the whirling flames, as the apparent swordsman spoke to the avian demons in their own language. "Begone to the pits which spawned you, or be destroyed."

For a moment the whirlwind subsided, the winged demons retreating as one. Then, without warning, the creatures fell to the ground, squeaking. Their shape shifted until they were furry, and white, considerably smaller than they had been. And, then, as mice, they were gone.


Within the tavern, only moments prior, Chu'ra arrived at a decision. She decided that she had enough of the foul breathed creature. She made another sweep of her staff, stepped towards what was left of the doorway, and began chanting softly. Her staff began to glow.

Chu'ra smiled as a multicoloured spray of light suddenly poured forth from her staff, surrounding the demon in a brilliant hue. Her dog barked, and she stepped backward. They watched the prismatic spray of colours as it enveloped the demon.

With a graceful gesture, Chu'ra brought her fingers together tightly. She admired her handiwork as the prismatic sphere, and the creature within it, began to shrink. She made good on her word.

Her business with the demon complete, Chu'ra walked back towards the bar where she ordered another drink, and an ale bowl. She received both in good order as she conversed with the fairy.

But, something had changed. There was no sign of the silent stranger at the bar. There were a few other patrons engaged in dialogue of their own, some attending to their meals and assorted drinks. The establishment itself was different, too. There was no sign that there had been an intrusion of any form. The doorway was untouched, and the air no longer reeked of poisonous fumes.

When Jubei reentered, it was to see Chu'ra's dog pawing at the tavern floor. A small

 

IC: Azul.

/I am grateful for your kind offer, but I must decline it, as I have very little tolerance for alcohol and Im not thirsty.../

Azul watched interestedly as her small ferret stood on it hind lengs and sniffed the air, eyeing the small pink tail between the dog's toes the way a young child would eye a chocolate.

"Ich n´pshnse q' s'sste uhn boenna deia, Ko'riku" she whispered. Her voice was also soft and musical, though it carried the same soft tone her thoughts did, making a whisper comming from her rosy lips barely audible for a human ear.

Mismatched eyes looked around again, with renewed interest, as she observed the many changes that had gone around the tavern. Her gaze fell upon the bartender, who's eye quikly looked away. A small frown came to adorn her delicate face, almost immediatly overwhelmed by a smile and a small giggle as the ferret sniffed her neck, tickling her.

/Anyhow...interesting little place, ne?/ she directed towards the woman. Azul wasn't the talktive type, but this woman had spoken like an Elemental, and prooved very amusing when she turned the big lizard into a mouse. She was curious, that was all.

Tag: Hunter Prime

 

Chu'ra - in an intersting unnamed Tavern


Chu'ra listened to the response, as she offered the small visitor a drink.

/I am grateful for your kind offer, but I must decline it, as I have very little tolerance for alcohol and Im not thirsty.../

Chu'ra nodded. /As you wish./ she responded. She turned, reaching over and took a sip of her drink. She then reached into her pouch and pulled out a small bag.

Dog was intently playing with the tiny pink tail, between his toes, making sure the animal attached did not escape. Chu'ra spoke a few words to Dog, and with a deft jesture, quickly scooped up the small animal that Dog was tending to, and scooped it into what looked like a glass jar. She chuckled softly, even as she heard the fae's soft whisperings.

Having also noticed the change in the bar, Chu'ra called to Jubei. "Time to return, warrior. It seems we have passed one of our...tests." With that, Chu'ra sat back down on her seat, admiring the jar for a moment. Intersting. Transmorph..or illusion? How curious. With a practiced movement, her staff returned to a smaller size, which she tucked away once more.

/Anyhow...interesting little place, ne?/ the faee directed towards Chu'ra. Chu'ra turned, and responded in the language of the fae. /This place holds far more secrets, than it has shown us so far, I do believe./

Chu'ra sat down her drink, as she waited for Jubei to rejoin them. She also wondered what happened to their mysterious stranger, who seemed quite in control of things. She tapped a finger on the bar, looking towards the bartender for a moment, before she spoke towards the fae again. /"Do you have a name, you wish to be called by?/ Chur'ra asked the the Fae, as she took a seat, looking at the bartender. Dog came over, and sat next to her.

"Interesting place you have here." she said to the bartender, with a grin.




TAG:MoonlightsAngel , GreyJedi125, DarkSide_Apprentice

 

Interesting. It was certainly one word that could be used to describe the place. The bartender could not deny the woman's assessment of the establishment, but even he could not fully explain or understand recent happenings within the tavern's walls. He nodded once in assent of the female's observation.

"It is no more interesting than the patrons it seems to attract," he said to Chu'ra, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He raised his glass, holding it to the light so that he might examine it, before he set it aside and took another. He cleaned the second just as he did the first, a simple cloth in hand, which he rubbed against the translucent cup.

The waitress returned from the kitchen area and set herself to removing empty dishes from the tables of absent patrons. She smiled warmly at Azul, and looked at the young girl's ferret. Her polite expression remained with her when she returned to the kitchen once more. It was nice to have guests.

 

It is the soul of humankind which moves toward perfection over the centuries, the human race which learns with each passing year how better to love and forgive. I am anchored to the past by chains I cannot break.

- Maharet (Anne Rice's The Queen of the Damned)

 

IC: Certain Faery with a huge lack of common sense
Location: The most interesting unnamed tavern

/Azul/ amswered the young faery in her now usual playful whispers /That's the name at least/

She looked at the dog beside the woman.

"Oi, Tske ne, shreka...ne?" she talked to the ferret, which sneezed and scratched his head before climbing back to her shoulder.

Azul jumped up and stretched, her back cracked softly.

/You spoke of tests, stranger/ she told the woman, matter of factly, smiling back at the waitress /Do you think the oversiezed lizard and it's little friends were nothing but mere tests?/


She couldn't help it if she was curious...

Tag: All

 

Outside the Nameless Tavern

"Jubei" : The Wandering Swordsman

Bishamon Oni only bearly regarded the former avain deamons who were now but mice scurrying away before him. His stare would have obliterated them should he desire it, but the battle was over. The deamons were in retreat, but he was not certain if it wa sdue to his words of warning. Bishamon found himself feeling actual surprise that the deamons were in taking their leave, for they usually fought to the bitter end.

Strange.

Gouts of fire flared from the transformed warrior's nostrils as he half turned, already sensing that the larger deamon was also gone, however, he did feel traces of arcane energies still charging the air.

Suddenly, Bishamon Oni looked skyward and roared mightily. The gesture was not one to be easily interpreted however. The ever-present white fire that surrounded him grew in intensity then flared with power. There was a flash of light and a whooshing sound, and after the brightness was gone, Jubei stood in place of the white haired warrior.

The wandering swordsman was taking deep controlling breaths as he stood in place. After a moment, Jubei's breathing was even and controlled, and only then did he open his eyes. He quickly regarded himself and chuckled dryly. Jubei's still bore the evidence of the attack he had suffered by the avian deamons. His gear was slashed, tattered and bloodied. A few red marks were still visible where his skin had been lacerated, but those marks were quickly vanishing. The pulsing light emiting from his hand ebbed and eventually faded.

Jubei shook his head as he sheathed his katana sword. A wry smile appeared on his face even though a brooding shadow was cast over his eyes. Silently, he began to move forth as he made his way back to the Tavern.

As he neared the nameless establishment, the swordsman regarded the undamaged entrance with very mild curiosity, even as he made it through the Tavern doors. Once inside, his eyes narrowed as he scanned for Chu'ra. Jubei's keen eyes noticed how all was as he last saw it before the attack. As he made a mental note, he saw the Dog and it's new chew toy. He just had to smile at that. He also noticed the most recent addition to the Tavern population. A faery.

Jubei did wonder for a moment as to the faery's arrival, but did not entretain the thought for very long....after all, such was the nature of the tavern, as he was learning. Finally his gaze found Chu'ra whom he nodded to, communicating to her with his eyes that all was well more or less.

Wordlessly, Jubei went to the bar and took a seat some distance from the others. He didn't order immediately, but made fists of his hands upon the bartop and bowed his head. He shuddered for a moment, then remained still. After letting out a sigh, he raised his head.

No. They didn't know...couldn't know what it's like.

Jubei rubbed his face with one hand then nonchalantly asked the bartender for a drink.

"More Sake.....please."

Tag: Chu'ra, faery, anyone that sees him

 

It was not difficult for the bartender to observe the returning warrior. A few of the other patrons also cast curious glances toward Jubei as he entered. As for the warrior himself, his clothes were the worse for wear, and had seen much better days. He assessed his surroundings with a keen eye, taking note of Chu'ra's new companion before he settled himself a short distance away at the bar.

He did not order immediately. Instead, he made fists of his hands upon the bartop and bowed his head. He shuddered for a moment, then remained still. After letting out a sigh, he raised his head. Jubei rubbed his face with one hand then nonchalantly asked the bartender for a drink. "More Sake ... please."

The bartender saw to preparing the required beverage, and served it to Jubei with a friendly smile. "It's on the house," he said politely. His eyes lingered on the warrior, and, after a few moments of silence passed between them, he added, "You may help yourself to one of the rooms upstairs, if you wish. Within you will find a spare change of clothes and bathing facilities, should you require either one."

His head turned to indicate the timber staircase leading to the tavern's second storey. "Please stay as long as you wish. My house is your house, for as long as you wish it." He said these words a little louder, so that Chu'ra might also hear him. His eyes looked directly toward the female then, in an effort to clarify that his hospitality did not extend to the wandering swordsman alone.

 

Nameless Tavern

"Jubei" : The Wandering Swordsman

Jubei finished his sake, then thanked the 'bartender'.

"Arigato....." he said in his native language, then in the common tongue.

"Thank you..."

Jubei's eyes followed the stairs as he got up from his place at the bar, quite incidentally leaving a few gold pieces behind. It was quite apparent to Jubei, at least now, that the 'bartender' was not entirely what he appeared to be.

Once upstairs, Jubei had no trouble finding the room the bartender was refering to, and to his surprise, he found a fresh change of clothes. Many questions came to the warrior's mind, but those would have to wait for later. Adjacent to the room was a hot tub, and Jubei was going to take full advantage of this opportunity. No telling when the chance would present itself again.

Needless to say, it would be a little while before the swordsman rejoined his acquaintances at the bar.

 

A little while or not, Jubei was free to indulge himself in what small comforts the tavern's guest quarters had to offer. Being who he was, however, the swordsman was not likely one to want or crave such comforts, though he, as much as anyone else, could appreciate their quality for allowing one to relax and feel so completely at ease. His reasons, should they delve more deeply, were his own.

When he returned to the common room, he found a scene near identical to the one he left behind. Chu'ra was still at the bar, as was her smaller companion. The bartender, too, was at his usual place. In fact, Jubei was almost certain he spotted the same waitress cleaning the very same table she had been at when he left. It was a most curious sight.

Strange though the tavern was, its patrons could not remain there forever. It was a place of particular allure, one that all but drew magical beings and energies towards it. Those same energies always remained, though in different capacities. Presently the air was filled with a sense of rest and peace. Those within the tavern's walls had come for some form of respite, and had been greeted with so much more.

Another patron entered the establishment through the main doorway. He was not unusual except perhaps in that he was the only being present who seemed devoid of magical energies beyond the dust with which he was created. As the door closed behind him, the same energies that were lacking in the newcomer were soon emptied from the tavern whole.

What had been a focus well of power had become a simple, common tavern. The bartender, and all of the patrons within, but three, were no more unusual that the ordinary denizens of the land known as Callanthorith. Yet, outside the tavern's walls, and perhaps unknown even to the three, waited a power quite unlike any other.

 

OOC: Hi guys ... as a matter of courtesy, may I invite you to take a look over my character currently running in the world of Men (that is, the informational thread of the UF.) I only advise the same as I'm aware of the possible impact such a character (which is, I might add, GM approved) may or may not have on the game world in the months to come. Many thanks!

 

Nameless Tavern

"Jubei" : The Wandering Swordsman

Finally feelig refreshed and rejuvenated now that he was clean and dressed in fresh, yet modest robes, Jubei silently made his way down the stairs from his quarters and into the Tavern's main room. As he descended, familiar sounds and smells greeted him, those of ale and conversation. He also noted that despite the hour, not to mention the recent episode, the dive was as busy as he'd ever seen it.

Jubei almost smiled as a sense of ease came over him.

For one moment he stood by the stairs, regarding the busy room. His eyes scanned for familiar faces, which he found. Satisfied, Jubei moved about the busy room filled with patrons, however, he did not make his way back to the bar. Instead, he found what would be a relatively quiet corner and sat down cross-legged. At the moment, he was not seeking isolation. He simply wanted to meditate and take in the sensation of the crowded room, the essence of the tavern. He had to admit, there was something very special about this place, somehow it seemed vaguely.....familiar.

The Wandering Swordsman closed his eyes, placed his sword across his legs and placed his hands at either side. Soon, he was in a meditative state as he took in the energies that surrounded him.

Time passed and all seemed to be normal, when without looking, Jubei discerned that the main doors of the Tavern had opened, allowing in a new arrival. Going in and out of the tavern was a perfectly ordinary occurance that scarcely merited his attention, but this time it was different. At that same moment the new arrival made it through the doors, there was an unusual shift of energy within the tavern. It was enough for Jubei to feel it palpably. To his slight dismay, his hidden talisman pulsed faintly in response...which was of itself a silent warning.

Jubei took a deep breath and exhaled. He then waited.

Long ago, he'd learned to be patient and allow events to unfold at their pace. Patience was a great teacher, and much could be learned at that time. So, he did not move or stir, but remained seated....and as he meditated, he waited to see what this new arrival brought into the Tavern.

Tag: No one, GM, any who see him.

 

Chu'ra - in an quaint unnamed Tavern

Chu'ra was finding this place more to her liking with each passing moment. It was certainly not dull. One of those lovely little places, that was more than it seemed. She could learn much. She turned when the fae spoke to her.


/Anyhow...interesting little place, ne?/ Chu'ra turned, and responded in the language of the fae. /This place holds far more secrets, than it has shown us so far, I do believe./ She paused. /"Do you have a name, you wish to be called by?/ Chur'ra asked the the Fae, as she took a seat, looking at the bartender.

"Interesting place you have here." she said to the bartender, with a grin, as she raised her glass, to order another drink.

The bartender nodded once in assent of the female's observation. "It is no more interesting than the patrons it seems to attract," he said to Chu'ra, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He raised his glass, holding it to the light so that he might examine it, before he set it aside and took another. He cleaned the second just as he did the first, a simple cloth in hand, which he rubbed against the translucent cup.

Chu'ra gave a simple nod. "Of that statement, I do agree. A quiet lively exchange indeed." Chu'ra offered a smile.

Chu'ra turned, as she heard the fairy speak once more, streaching as he did. /You spoke of tests, stranger/ she told the woman, matter of factly, smiling back at the waitress /Do you think the oversiezed lizard and it's little friends were nothing but mere tests?/ Chu'ra smiled, as she looked at the fae. /Most definatelly. If it wanted something, it would still be here. And our other companion, it seems he dissapeared as well. Definatelly make me think, test./

The door swung open, and Jubei entered into the bar. Wordlessly, Jubei went to the bar and took a seat some distance from the others. He didn't order immediately, but made fists of his hands upon the bartop and bowed his head. He shuddered for a moment, then remained still. After letting out a sigh, he raised his head.

His battle with the beast, seemed to have taken a toll on him. Then again, shapechanging was not something done lightly. Even if it was a true form. She stayed silent, as Jubei rubbed his face with one hand then nonchalantly asked the bartender for a drink.

"More Sake.....please."

The bartender saw to preparing the required beverage, and served it to Jubei with a friendly smile. "It's on the house," he said politely. His eyes lingered on the warrior, and, after a few moments of silence passed between them, he added, "You may help yourself to one of the rooms upstairs, if you wish. Within you will find a spare change of clothes and bathing facilities, should you require either one."

His head turned to indicate the timber staircase leading to the tavern's second storey. "Please stay as long as you wish. My house is your house, for as long as you wish it." He said these words a little louder, so that Chu'ra might also hear him. His eyes looked directly toward the female then, in an effort to clarify that his hospitality did not extend to the wandering swordsman alone.

Chu'ra gave a small bow, as Dog woofed softly next to her feet. It seemed that visitng the bar this day did indeed improve her outlook. She looked at Jubei. He looked worse for wear. Remembering how he took on the other, she could understand why. Jubei finished his sake, then thanked the 'bartender'. "Arigato....." he said in his native language, then in the common tongue. "Thank you..." Chu'ra was almost certain that the bartender would understand him no mater what language he spoke. It would be hard NOT to pick up a few things, running such a place as this.

Jubei's eyes followed the stairs as he got up from his place at the bar, quite incidentally leaving a few gold pieces behind. He left the others, without saying a word. Chu'ra bent down, and gently scratched Dogs face and ears. As she chuckled softly, she bent down and whispered something int

 

There seemed such a vast change in the tavern. Where once there was magical energy there was now an empty void. The shift was as dramatic as if the sun had suddenly vanished from the sky. Yet there was no sign or evidence of danger. In fact, no item of unusual quality or composition appeared evident within the tavern at all. The place had rapidly become ordinary.

A sure symbol of that plain character came in the form of a newcomer to the establishment. He was a simple man, dressed in humble clothes. He was not obviously poor, for he wore items far superior to a beggar's rags.

Some cast glances toward him as he entered. He seemed unbothered by those curious eyes, though he cast his own gaze downward. There his sight remained until he reached the bar. The man ordered a glass of house wine and paid for the beverage with copper, offering a simple word of gratitude to the bartender.

The man sipped his drink until at last his cup was empty. Then, he took a seat from the many that were vacant. He spoke not a further word. His eyes remained set on the table before him, only rarely stealing a glance at the others within the common room.

Both Chu'ra and Jubei kept to themselves. None spoke of the recent happenings within the tavern, though a few whispers were muttered between patrons. Among the exchanges, the Wandering Swordsman and Chu'ra alike heard the words 'Demon' and 'great power'.

After a time, however, the patrons became settled and the sun's light began to glow brilliant orange through the tavern's windows. Dusk came shortly thereafter, and with it, the departure of several of the tavern's guests, including that of the Ordinary Man.

Something, or someone, remained outside the tavern's walls, waiting patiently. She, he, or it, had been waiting since the beginning. A little while longer hardly seemed to matter at all.

 

Nameless Tavern

"Jubei" : The Wandering Swordsman

Jubei arose from his meditative state sooner than he'd expected. For some strange reason he kept getting mental flashes of someone he had not seen for a long time.

His brother. Kensukiro.

Jubei opened his eyes, and allowed the immediate reality surrounding him to flood him. He did not wish to focus on those images of his brother. They were intrusive and came unbidden. He wonered why they came at all at this time. He could not shake a sense of unase that accompanied the images. Perhaps it was some sort of omen, or perhaps they were caused by something else.

Without moving from where he sat, Jubei glanced in the direction of the stranger. The one that had caused the shift in energy as he came through the tavern doors. The wandering swordsman did wonder if there would be another shift if the man was to leave the tavern. The implications therein were many, even as the gem continued to pulse in his hand.

Jubei watched as the man finally got up and exited the Nameless tavern pretty much in the same manner he had entered the establishment. Nothing other than the shift of energy had occured then, which would seem a harmless coincidence, but Jubei knew there were no such things as coincidence. The known universe was ruled by the laws of causality. The man's presence and the effects of his arrival were no accident.

After taking two breaths, Jubei got up from his place and began to make his way through the tavern. He meant to follow the man out and see if his gem would react to him at closer range. As he made his way through the patrons that remained, he spared a glance at Ch'ura and suddenly wondered if her canine companion could track the man by scent.

Jubei exited the nameless tavern and made his way out to the dusky outdoors. Perhaps the fresh air would invigorate him, even though his focus was not enjoying the landscape, but seeing if there was more to the traveller who had enetered the tavern than was readily apparent. Perhaps he did not travel alone and his suspicious intuition would once again show him the hidden face of evil.

Tag: DSA, HP

 

There were various powers that one might describe or observe, strange energies that were often as mysterious as they were eternal, and seemingly beyond enslavement. People and beasts were not such powers in their own right, though such beings were at times known 'carriers' and 'bearers' of such energies. At the very least, some of them sensed those energies or were attuned to the elusive power they held seemingly at bay. As was often the way with power, part of its allure was its equivocal nature.

As Jubei stepped through the tavern doors he felt at once the sheer might and weight of not one such power, but an infinite combination of energies so diverse and potent that they might have been the very essence and tools of all creation. He stood still, the air around him silent and devoid of even the faintest breeze. The soil at his feet was dry, the ground cracked and disfigured in such a horrible way that it appeared thirsting for but the smallest drop of water.

Standing not more than a few metres from the swordsman, alone on the desert plane was a single man. He was not the Ordinary Man, though he appeared very much alike that strange being. The one before Jubei wore a silent, almost curious expression; his gaze, piercing, was contradictory, however, in that it saw not only into Jubei's mind and heart, but also through it. The man's eyes were all knowing, his face ageless. Most unusual of all perhaps was the kind smile the man displayed as he stepped forward.

The tavern was gone. There was no sign of the establishment in sight. When Jubei walked through its doors he might as well have entered a portal into an entirely different world. Seeming to know precisely that, and apparently counting on it, the man glanced past Jubei's shoulder as if expecting someone else to join them from out of thin air.

Jubei, meanwhile, caught sight of a blood-red mist flowing across the horizon. He might have imagined the crackling lightning streaking through the strange film of scarlet. Certainly the sound of bells ringing once, twice, thrice, was merely his imagination running away with him. Yet the chimes continued until at last at the seventh they ceased.

Blood rained from the blackened sky above yet none of its drops reached the desert surface, nor did they fall upon Jubei. Like tears from the heavens the droplets fell steadily until they slowed and remained suspended some twenty metres from the ground. There they hung within the sky. Thunder crashed and lightning struck the dried soil at Jubei's feet, burning a hole through the ground.

In that split second the swordsman felt a breath of hot air, a burning wave of heat brush against his face. He saw a darkened figure clad in ancient, battle armour from an Age not of the present. He saw vengeful eyes stare down at him, and then, the phantom vanished.

A quiet hand touched the shoulder of the Wandering Swordsman, as the kindly man said, "So it is that the past and the future become one again. Let us not be concerned with what once was, or yet will be, but with what you are, and you will be." Jubei blinked.

The man was gone. The desert was no more. There was no blood, there were no tears, and the haze of red seemed to have subsided. Instead, Jubei stood within a grassy field. There was a small building behind him, which he recognised as the now-familiar tavern. In the distance there was a magnificent forest and from its hidden depths came the calls of avians, the scent of flowers, and destiny's beckoning.

 

Jubei: The Wandering Swordsman

Elsewhere....

In an instant, there seemed to be chaos! The tavern was gone and astonishing visions assailed him. Whether they were real or realistic illusions or a combination of both, was hard for him to tell. He had not expected this, so he was caught by surprise by the sensory onslaught. A man spoke to him, the same he had seen inside the tavern, but before he could fathom the man's words, his gem started to blaze. Light rays shot from his hands! something powerful and dark had caused this reaction.

Jubei looked around despite his discomfort, but could see no one, just the sky changing to a crminson colour, arcs of lightning crackling upon it's face. Bells chimed somewhere in the distance and there was rain like blood, falling from the heavens.

Jubei was uncertain if his mind was under attack, or if he'd been transported to a netherealm against his will. Then suddenly everything stopped! The profound silence that followed only lasted a heartbeat as it was interrupted by a thunderous crash of lightning. There was a burning hole at Jubei's feet as a result.

The feel of the elements caused Jubei to turn and he was astonished by the dark figure in black armour that bore down its dark gaze upon him. Jubei immediately reached for his sword, before he realized that the image was a mere illusion... a vanishing phantom. But it had seemed so very real. He had felt the danger and his gem had pulsed in response!

Something else brushed his shoulder, and Jubei turned, this time drawing his sword! Only the man from before stood before him, speaking to him.

"So it is that the past and the future become one again. Let us not be concerned with what once was, or yet will be, but with what you are, and you will be."

Jubei blinked at the riddle. When looked once again, the man was gone. The desert was no more. Instead, Jubei stood within a grassy field. There was a small building behind him, which he recognised as the now-familiar tavern. In the distance there was a magnificent forest and from its hidden depths came the calls of avians, the scent of flowers, and destiny's beckoning.

Jubei sheathed his sword and without hesitation walked towards the tavern. He accepted the fact that he was displaced once again, for it was a similar displacement that had brought him to the desert in the first place. By now he was used to moving from place to place in this manner, without warning. Wasn't he infact The Wandering Swordsman, going wherever fate decreed that he should be?

There was one thing Jubei did find curious however. Never before had the same building been in the same place after one of his migrations. Usually, everything was different. Not so this time. Even so, Jubei did not assume that everything would be the same within the tavern itself, or that the people he had come to know so briefly would still be there. Of course, he was curious to know...and there was really only one way to find out.

But if certain elements were becoming constant......

Jubei narrowed his eyes and moved with caution. Mighty forces were at work and many of which conspired in dark places. Jubei would not be caught off-guard. He was a warrior, a wandering swordsman with a sworn duty to uphold and a destiny to fulfill.

Soundlessly as he could, he entered the Tavern.