The Road to Toh-Morrow (Menat/8/Noir)

Spoiler:

It was the silence that cut into Menat like knives as she stood in the presence of the clan's leader. The building, from the outside, had looked like a small manor, a proverbial castle to the small town, but the outside was nothing compared to the sights inside. Having been led through a set of doors that did not open on hinges like those she had come to know from her childhood in Reim, nor made of heavy wood, but doors that slid open wide like people parting seemingly made of elaborately decorated paper. Crimson seemed the primary color of choice in the room with a tasteful use of gold as the secondary. Bright red pillars, six in total, spanned the massive room, one Menat was convinced was an audience chamber of sorts, and held the ceiling far aloft above everyone in it. In fact even the tallest Imuchakk she had seen would have been able to stand under the hall's ceiling and still have more than enough room to remain comfortable while on their feet.

The decorations were of various types of gold. From decorative pieces of the valuable substance itself to threads crafted to resemble the shining material woven into varying fabrics all throughout. Yet not all was silk and shining. Simple paper banners hung suspended from the walls, resting like the tapestries around the room. Yet the beauty of these pieces were not what they were made from but what was represented on them. Stunning artistic works of ink that took the young Fanalis by awe as she took them in. She wasn't sure what they all were but the one she did have an easy enough time recognizing was the large paper at the very end of the hall, wide as three people standing side by side and just shy of reaching from ceiling to floor, that depicted an ink drawn version of what was, clearly more than obvious, the Toh clan's seal itself.

Before the dominating representation of their symbol sat a single man clad in crimson cloth of his own. The style of wear was one Menat was unfamiliar with, the child not having had reasons to deal with true military wardrobes before, but the style impressed her none-the-less. The man held an air to him, one that matched that of her mother when she attended to the business of her budding nation. The air of a ruler, of a sovereign, of a protector. Yet despite this air to him he sat in the most un-leader like position she had seen. A single leg stood straight despite how he was sitting down, his foot pressed against the raised platform like section of the floor he sat on while his other leg was tucked under him. An arm rested lazily across his high knee as he looked the redhead over.

Since she had arrived, introduced herself and explained her reason for her journey to this new land and to find these new potential allies to her mother's nation nothing had been said in return. The silence was no longer simply cutting away at her but now stabbing like the sharpest of daggers into the young girl's body as she stood silent and observed. "My Lord?" Once again she paused as she was unsure of her choice in words and if she was using the correct ones. "I apologize for any lack of actual skill with word craft. Formal speaking is far from my strong point but I assure you that I am here to assist you in what ways I can."

WC: 599/1,000

Eight had realized the Toh's customs were the most lax of all. He had caught wind of what it took to become accepted within the Toh clan. Simply pledging your allegiance was the first step, as an ally from the Kogata clan, they would allow him to pledge himself to the clan as well, in a less formal manner. Having just verbally pledge his loyalty to the clan, but now there were two more tests to follow before being fully accepted by the Toh. Eight was waiting outside of the manor, seeing Noir for the Nth time. She seemed to be doing everything Eight was doing, but she was also part of their coalition. Perhaps she had seen through his moves and trying to court everyone just as he was to stop him from currying favor with the other clans by dividing their attention between herself and himself, but now he would have to read into her intentions. Was she a mastermind on par with himself, matching him move for move, but fortunately he had the help of Jynx, Dalia, Altan and Julius. Perhaps the people on her side in Morihana weren't working as hard as his crew was. But perhaps she was just catching wind of his plans and trying to stop him for the sake of Kina. Perhaps she was as kind as she made herself to be, and simply wanted to make sure to be able to respond to Eight's actions should he try to cause a commotion, but either way, Eight was sure that Noir was at least somewhat onto him, and planning to counter his actions. Either way he thought about it, the slaver felt like Noir was ready to counter him at any step should he take too wild of a step.

Eight would push the doors apart himself, and stepping aside of Noir. "After you." Walking behind her, into the elaborate manor, there were similarities to the Kogatan manor that he had been residing in for quite some time for having earned enough of their trust. The gold pieces as well as sheets of calligraphy and artwork seemed to speckle the walls. But what had surprised him the most was the person standing before him, could it have been Toh Tobinara? Eight had been working with the Kogata for the entire duration of the festival, and he had just gotten orders from Fumiko for the first time, despite carrying several high-level missions for the Kogata. Eight would glance at the Noir and Menat observing their reactions to the leader of Toh. Eight was relaxed in the leaders presence not offering much of a word. He had already pledged his loyalty, now it was time for it to be tested. The slaver of Kogata was very eager to see what this leader of Toh was like and what sort of test was in store for the trio.

After receiving the message from the Toh clan’s messenger, the magician would waste no time and go to the clan’s manor directly. This time, alone, she didn’t really bother to bring Haku along with her and would let her Liger to rest more in the room. As she arrived, there was someone she recognized, a black haired man with big earrings...

‘It was him again…’ Noir talked to herself inside her own head, wondering why she kept stumbling upon him most of the time. Eight was his name, a rather interesting name for someone, but who was she to judge someone’s name. Even her name literally meant ‘Black’ and she had no idea why it was bestowed upon her, not that she could ask her parents as well because they were not in this world anymore. He had the most... unique personality, perhaps, well, not the most, but he might be one of the people with a rather peculiar personality that Noir stumbled upon in her path before. It was a little bit strange though now that she met him again now, here, in the Toh’s clan manor. Their encounters had been happening too often and Noir wondered if it was only a pure coincidence… or perhaps… there was another meaning behind it. However it was too soon for her to make a conclusion for now…

The magician gave Eight a slight nod, greeting him without greeting him. Although, less than a second after that, she regretted not greeting him with her own voice, she was thinking what if the man thought she was being rude… Noir cursed to herself for being silly before letting out a sigh, slowering her walk to create a distance with the man.

But Eight’s action caught her off guard, instead of seeing the man gone, he was there, holding the door for her. “Oh, thank you, Sir.” She would bow slightly towards Eight before stepping into the room. Although she received that kind of act several times, she would admit that it felt awkward...since she would usually be the one to open the door for her master in the past.

The magician was amazed with the decoration inside the room though… various types of gold...valuable pieces of arts… scattered throughout the room. It made her remember the house where she lived when she was a slave under this rich master, his house was decorated with golds, the statues, the walls, the pillars...everything was made from gold. Well he was rich because he basically did a lot of shady jobs...and he was one of those...merciless masters. But enough of the past reminiscing, Noir would see that there was another girl waiting in the room along with a man cladded in crimson clothing. “Greetings.” Noir would say towards both the girl and the man, bowing slightly to be polite. She would take her seat slowly before waiting for the officials to explain what kind of business they want them to do.

WC: 500/1000

The lord of clan Toh before her remained silent despite Menat's apologies for her methods of speaking. It was enough to start making her nervous, fighting the urge to bring her hand to her Piercer strapped to her back. The action would be one that would comfort her normally but the magically aged child did everything she could to avoid reaching for it and risking the action being taken as an act of hostility. For the first time since she spoke Menat could literally hear the silence breaking as the ornate paper doors she herself had walked through upon her arrival sliding open once more behind her. Two distinct voices seemed to speak with each other, one a more masculine voice while the other belonged to a dark and mysteriously beautiful woman. Of course it was the act of turning to see who it was joining the lord, his retainers and Menat herself that produced such an opinion of the raven haired woman walking in.

It dawned on the girl that perhaps the lord had yet to speak because he had been awaiting on others that were supposed to arrive as well and had no intention of repeating himself several separate times. The meeting between the lord of the manor and the trio standing before him was a short, yet relaxed, conversation. He accepted Menat's assistance, as well as that of the two she knew nothing about, before giving them a task that sounded simpler than it likely was. All they would need to do was ascend a mountainside to fetch water and return it to the clan's elders before nightfall.

That had been a couple of hours ago. If Menat herself had been alone it would have been a simple enough matter of putting her natural speed as a Fanalis to reach the source of the water without so much as breaking a sweat. Yet the addition of two non-Fanalis taking the mountain didn't offer her the same option. It was, however, still not as much of an issue as most would think. As always she had her beloved cloth left to her from her father tying her hair up in her trademark messy ponytail. All she had to do was unfurl it once more and the trio had taken to the skies. She wondered if this would be seen as cheating the test yet at the same time she wondered if it was also a test of using their brains to bring the water back without complications.

The added option to transport the water safely from its source to those that required it via flight made the entire experience all the easier. More so, in fact, that the young girl had even thought to bring extra buckets and containers along since it allowed them more space to carry them with. The return trip went just as smoothly as their ascent and night had yet to fall. In fact the twilight of the evening was even yet to bleed over the horizon.


WC: 504
TWC: 1,103/1,000

Eight didn't really have much to say to the first person that had not seemed to greet him or pay him any mind, but he would gladly rely on the teens effort for his own, making his own portion of labor that much smaller. Using the magic carpet to travel from the Toh manor to the top of Mount Myo to collect some fresh spring water for some of the elderly of the people. Eight was accustomed to the Fanalis-like speeds of the tapestry they would be flying on, on their ascension up the mountain, Eight would take the time to talk to Noir, simultaneously ignoring Menat, unable to capture her while under the eyes of Noir. He would have to bide his time but perhaps it was time to confront the woman, slowly but surely. Eking out as much information from the magician as he possibly could.

"Noir, isn't it?" He wasn't sure on the details of their introduction because every time they had met they hadn't quite had the chance to actually talk, ever since their meeting on the plains. Their reunion while going back to the plains after the mystery letter. Then meeting each other at Kazeharu via Naruto, but then again in the final test to gain the trust of Kazeharu. "My memory is fading, but if I haven't introduced myself yet... you may refer to me as Eight. We seem to be sharing quite a lot of time together as of late, the plains, joining the festival, our new found alliance between the Morihana and the Kogata, as well as getting the trust of Kazeharu and now Toh." The slaver's intense curiosity filled him with impatience to ask just exactly her purpose was without following social norms. "I've been enjoy the festival very much, I'm glad I was allured to join here after hearing the rumors of the Kogata's clan wealth of knowledge. What brought you here to the festival?" Eight looked pensive as if a new thought popped into his head. "Well, actually, what brought you to join the Kazeharu and the Toh clan?" He paused for a moment, while he was eager to offer the story of why he came to Kina in the first place because it was true, his reasons for joining Kazeharu and Toh were a bit more nefarious and calculated. "I just wanted to make sure the alliances between the clans were solid. Dangling his legs off the edge of the magic carpet, looking at Noir, carefully listening to her words but as well as he body language and tone. He had seen her as extremely competent time and time again; with her magic, with her beasts and her heart.

Eight would help Menat secure pails of water onto the carpet, his flying cicadas keeping up with the carpet and carrying more pails of water to quench the thirst of the villagers, assisting the elderly very performatively in front of Noir to make sure she would see his good deeds. Before Eight would leave the village after helping out, he would say his goodbye to Menat, thanking her for all of her effort, as well as Noir.

WC:1000/1000

As Noir noticed that Eight was using his magic carpet, she wondered if she should use it as well, but Menat, the little girl, was also unfolding her own carpet. The magician would start feeding her carpet with magoi after she sat on top of it, making herself slowly floating on the sky. The moment Noir followed the red haired girl from behind, she thought that it seemed that girl was a very quiet person. Noir didn't think she even got the chance to introduce herself to the girl…yet. Oh well, there would be another chance, now she just had to be more focused on the mission.

"Noir isn't it?"

The man's voice almost startled her, she was too focused on following Menat from behind that she actually forgot about Eight who was flying on his own carpet not too far from her.

"Yes, Mr. Eight? Can I help you?" The magician said with her usual stoic expression, although she was actually curious about what the man wanted. But it was clear that he was just trying to re-introduce himself again, it was amusing for the magician that the man's memory began to fade even though they had met each other several times. He was right, they first met at The Plains where they were working together with the other against this tyrant, then perhaps at the festival but she didn't really pay attention so she was not sure. The interesting part was they have met several times but never really introduced themselves to each other, however she remembered that the timing wasn't right to do that. The first time they exchanged names was when they were working together for the mission requested by the Kazeharu clan. "I was certain you've introduced yourself to me, Mr. Eight. But it is a pleasure to meet you."

It made the girl more curious when he shared to her that he joined the Kogata clan because of the knowledge, well, Noir was actually interested as well, but Morihana seemed to pique her curiosity more. "I just want to see what kind of country that Kina would be and some clans are definitely interesting, however I pledged my service to Morihana because I want to know more about the religious belief that they have." She paused for a second, wanting to ask something although she was feeling hesitant, "Do you like to gain knowledge as well?"

When he asked her why she decided to help both Kazeharu and the Toh clan as well as hearing his own reason on helping those two clan, Noir would tilt her head, listening tentatively to what Eight said. "It is amazing that you have that kind of goal. For me, it was just another quest to find as much knowledge as I can. Not only that, I just voluntarily offered them my help as well, there is not really any kind of reason behind it." The magician meant it though, she was just helping and hoping to learn something new, that was all and although it sounded boring, Noir didn't really mind.

Noir would help to store the water by using her magic, storing the water inside a gravity ball as she flew back toward the village before putting the water into the container. She would help to distribute the water to the elders as well and was kind of amused that Eight seemed to be so into it, giving all sort or services to the elders as they enjoyed drinking the spring fresh water.

WC: 1000+/1000