Tap. Tap. Tap. Loli Tschai glowered about the cramped quarters of the wagon, as she tapped her fingers impatiently. Rising quickly, she winds her way out of the wagon, thinking to get a breath of fresh air. The snow crunches under her feet as Katarina keeps pace with the caravan. Thoughts dance around her head, she recalls an earlier conversation,'The elder Tzigane was right... This is something he isn't to blame for, for once... I'm just making it harder, for both of us...' Her downcast eyes catch notice of something and focus upon it, a solitary flake of snow spiraling to the ground. Looking up, she sees overcast clouds, as the first flurries of the storm begin to fall. "Great, a storms stirring up. Well, I needed a good excuse to hunt down Natasha anyway." "Where _is_ he," Katarina growls under her breath, after a fruitless search for the Genbu no Shichiseishi. Overhearing her remark, a young Rom turns to her remarking, "Oh, Nat... He went off for a walk with the funny dressed girl a long while ago..." Katarina blinks, "He _what_?" "Um..." the young boy stammers under her glare, "I haven't seen him since... Well, I'm sorry Loli..." And with that, the lad scampers off, away from the irate young woman. Hands in tightly balled fists, Katarina stomps her way towards a wagon. 'He's gone... just left, not even so much as a farewell... A good thing for him, right now I want to skin him alive...' "Loli?" Katarina looks up to see the elder Csihari addressing her. "We seem to be nearing a storm... would you happen to know where Natasha is?" Katarina looks downwards, "He's gone..." The elder pauses, nodding, "I'm sorry... but, well, we'll be settling down for the night soon then. There seems to be a temple ahead, we'll settle near that." Katarina nods dumbly, responding halfheartedly, "I'll be alright." As the winds continued to howl, and the snow fall, three dark figures on horseback approach the still encamped caravan from the west. Nearing the encampment, Natasha leaps from the horse, which they had 'borrowed' from their deceased attackers this morning, walking and leading it by hand the last distance. "Natasha's returned," came the cry. The red haired gypsy's heart skipped a beat, face softening with relief, before hardening into a glare, as she rises and storms in the direction of the shout. Turning to his companions, Nat remarks, "I told you they wouldn't have travelled far. The storm stalled them." Turning his attention back to the camp he spies Katarina striding towards him. 'I'm in trouble now,' he thinks to himself. There is a resounding crack as Katarina slaps Natasha across the face. "I deserved that," he mutters. Glaring at him, Loli responds in the gypsy tongue, "You're certainly right you do. Up and leaving, not telling me a word about it..." She turns to the Genbu no Miko, but before she can continue Natasha interjects in the tongue of Hokkan, "It is not her fault. It's my fault. Entirely." Turning back to Natasha, the Loli Tschai glares, "You're always blaming yourself... it's just..." She turns away, growling with frustration before storming off. Turning to Kiyuki and Kita, Natasha pauses, one hand touching his cheek, still red from the slap. He's obviously troubled, but trying to shake it off "My apologies that you had to see that..." Turning from the pair of Kita and Kiyuki, Natasha is still somewhat flustered from Katarina's reprimand. A hand still up to his smarting cheek, awkward moments pass, until Natasha looks upwards, seeing the elder Csihari approaching. "I see that my grand daughter is still as temperamental and stubborn as ever," he remarks. Smiling weakly, Natasha nods in aggreement. "You two do make such a matched pair... But, I came here to ask you to help." Pleased to have something to distract his thoughts, Natasha nods curtly, "Of course, elder. I will see to moving the blizzard out of our way immediately." Turning back to Kiyuki and Kita, Natasha motions for them to follow him, "I'll need to help them before the caravan can begin travelling again..." Leading the two through the encampment, Natasha explains to Kita, "I doubt you've seen my kind before. We're called gypsies, though our name for ourselves is the Rom, or Romani." "We travel, from larger cities to larger cities, entertaining the locals and moving on within a day or two..." Natasha stops by the front of a wagon, reaching in to pull out a violin. Now, at the front of the caravan, the genbu no shichiseishi peers off into the distance, and performs some minor tuning of his instrument. Putting the instrument under his chin, and drawing the bow back, he's interrupted. "Natasha," Kita interjects, "But, what are _we_?" Pausing, turning back to them, Nat deliberates for a moment. "It is true, I do know more of... that matter than I speak. Suffice it to say, you should protect Kiyuki with your life itself. Then again, I have the feeling you'd do that anyway." At this Kita blushes slightly. Chuckling, Natasha continues "We're flies in a spiderweb of sorts, and there's no escaping it, we're marked for a destiny, perhaps a painfull one. But that is the future, now is the present. Live life in the moment, enjoy it to the fullest, it is short and painfull enough as it is, and dwelling on the future only worsens it. That is the way of the Rom, and a good way to live." Turning away from the pair, and ignoring any further questioning, Natasha almost explodes into a song, violin bow sawing along the strings. Eyes glowing, the effects of his song and power are at first not even noticeable. However, the biting winter winds kick up stronger and stronger. The clouds are kicked about by the strong winds, the snowfall dwindling slowly to nothing as the clouds make there trip northeast towards the capital. The violin bow slows to a halt. Namame noticed that as promised by the old man's weather forecast, snow had once again enveloped the countryside of Hokkan, obscuring all but the wooden timbers of the temple's porch, and the gray, broken-down stone of the outer wall. What passed as daylight in the ever-thickening, ever moving swirl of white was rapidly fading, already leaving Namame in cold darkness. But what did he fear of cold? Perhaps there was something to say for serving an out-dated god; it was never fun to be scoffed at, but the novelty of walking amidst a blizzard without discomfort was quite amusing indeed. Truthfully... he did not know what to make of his abilities. The scholarly arts were well respected in Hokkan, given high honor by the royal house, in tradition. He could have done anything, if so inclined - taken up position in the government, taught at the university, become advisor to the Court... But what use was it? Hokkan was declining without its god. People were unreasonable, politics were growing worse and more violent each year... He did not want to contribute to that. Even his father's deceptions and money-grubbing were preferable to serving an empire he no longer had any faith in. Emperors might rise and fall, but money would always be the only constant. Or so his father was known to say. With a half-hearted glance at the speed of the storm, Namame tried to focus his power to give it a little more strength, and stepped from the porch into the snow-blanketed courtyard. The wind immediately tried to grab him in an icy vice, but the chill fell away as soon as it came, fading into a minor detail that he thought he could safely ignore. The barrier didn't protect him from the snow, however - it caught on his eyelashes, bits of his hair, his cloak, and just about everything else exposed; the wind still sifted through his hair - loose today, for some ungodly reason he could not remember - and his cloak, lifting them like banners on the currents. He must look a sight... and that in less than a minute. They had been lucky to have warning of this storm after all. Yes, perhaps there was something to be said for serving the old god. He and his retinue were alive, because of it. 'Genbu guards his children faithfully, young one,' the priest here had said, all those years ago. 'As faithfully as they guard him.' A matter of faith, was it? Namame slushed through the ever-growing drifts to the inner wall, ascending to the top of the chest-high barrier with a leap and the help of a step on a nearby wagon. The icy stone wasn't quite as tractable as he would have liked, but he managed to straighten and gaze out at the storm, as if he thought the snows might subside and reveal the secrets his thoughts were pursuing. Well, faith, he could give... surely gods were more reliable than a human monarchy. And more helpful certainly, given recent events. If only he could puzzle out that strange, disturbing feeling of resonance he'd been experiencing the last few days... Prayer comforted him, but he was impatient - and he was half afraid the god would take his request for guidance as a sign to take his time, instead. Namame let his head fall back, enjoying the sensation of the wind that tried to sweep him from his place atop the wall. It was getting colder - cold enough that even he could feel it now, through his improvised barrier. If he didn't return to the confines of the temple soon, the nighttime temperatures would become too much for him to endure, even with the help of his chi. He was almost sorry he had allowed sentries to be posted - the night would be a hell for those on shift. Perhaps he could... "Kouru-san! Kouru-san!" Blinking his eyes open to the snow, he twisted around to face the direction of the call, careful not to lose his footing on the slippery stone. What in the world had possessed him to climb up to such a dangerous vantage point? There was nothing out there, in the direction he had been gazing... unless he wanted snow ghosts to answer his call, instead of his god. Yet still, he felt pulled... "What is it?" he shouted back, turning his face away from the force of the icy wind. Yes, definitely time to seek shelter; enhanced ability or no, this was no weather to be taking an evening stroll in. Just as he was about to repeat his reply, fearing it had been missed, the response came, faintly, along with the shadowy form of one of his guards, swathed in furs. "The watch has spotted a group of wagons not far from the temple - can't be sure of the distance, but they're close enough that they could be a danger, if they're hostile." Ah... that wasn't particularly good news. But it would be a bit judgmental on their part to simply assume this group was an enemy... "Bring everyone in," he called to the guard, jumping carefully from his perch to land in the gathering drifts of snow. "It seems a meeting is in order. Send two rested men out to keep watch until I can join you in the main hall." The guard bowed and hurried off toward the temple, leaving Namame standing in the powdery snow to watch his back. He knew he should follow, but... Once again he turned, eyes searching vainly through the swirling white for whatever was drawing him out in this direction. But there was nothing - only snowflakes and wind, and the faint outline of mountains far in the distance. '...Genbu...?' No... He wouldn't blame this foolishness on Genbu. In fact, he hoped his god would have more sense than to lead him out into the middle of a storm - this was ridiculous. With a shake of his head, Namame sludged through the snow after his guard, swiping a hand across his face to brush his hair back as it swirled with the wind. Genbu would answer in good time; right now, he should be worrying about the matter at hand.. and eventually the capital. He 'had' made a promise to his father, after all... regardless of how he felt about his family, he had to keep it. That was a matter of honor, and he'd be damned if he followed his father's footsteps in that respect. Ignoring the urge to turn around again, Namame stepped up to the porch quickly and slipped through the door, pushing it shut with a soft sigh of relief at the sudden warmth of the temple. Time to take care of business... Musky smoke drifted up to the rafters, a tendril of grayish smoke that seemed at once light and shadow against the candlelit background of the shrine. It was not accompanied by prayer today, but the unspoken request that snaked up to the sky with the smoke was thre on the tip of Namame's mind. 'Someone' was trying to reach him. He didn't know who, and only generally where, but... that was a fact. He'd lost the trace of chi before he'd had a chance to pinpoint it, but the feeling had left little doubt in Namame's mind as to 'what' it was... But there was nothing to do but wait for the sense of that "presence" again, and hope he could catch it before it could slip through his fingers. Legend said that at least one of the Genbu seishi of the past had been able to communicate by astral means - perhaps he too might be able to divine that talent, given the slant of his power. Or perhaps this one would - he knew the person he had sensed was one of Genbu's. The feeling of it had been like a light shed upon his mind... A knock ended his contemplation abruptly, and Namame rose silently from his place in front of the little altar, sending one last request to his god before turning to admit the guest - or rather, going out to meet him. "The men are ready, Kouru-san," Kori informed him, bowing politely. "The snow hasn't let up, but we've rigged a rope up to drag with us, just in case we lose sight of the temple." Namame nodded and gestured for the guard captain to proceed, halting only once to gather his fur cloak and pull it over his shoulders. The night before had been a lesson - better not to tempt fate, even if he /could/ shield himself. "How many have you assembled? I won't pass judgement on them, but gypsy groups are notably unreliable when they feel threatened." "Only ten, my lord - just enough for your safety." Kori glanced back at him when they reached the inner doors, hitching his own cloak to clear room for his sword. "I suggest arming yourself, if you will. As you said, they may be dangerous." After a moment of thought, Namame shook his head, adjusting his cloak to hide all but his face, letting it fall in thick, soft folds over his arms. "That would not be wise... Any negotiations or offers we intend to make will be rejected out of hand if they think I mean them harm. A presentation of trust -" well, as much trust as he could show, with ten armed men accompanying him, "-will serve us better." The captain pushed the doors open with a shrug, leading Namame to the antechamber and the group of guards awaiting his arrival. To a man, they bowed and saluted, as if this was a formal occasion rather than a hastily thrown-together honor guard. It would have been amusing, if there hadn't been so much tension in the air... Heavy... something felt... "Be at ease." What was that...? So close, too. "This is your last reminder: do not draw your weapons unless directly provoked. We're offering our hospitality, not arresting them for trespassing. When we reach--" Namame's eyes widened almost convulsively, his words cut off in a gasp of shock. It was a rush of power - familiar power - that roared over his senses for seconds that seemed like eternity, before fading... Very near... If he hadn't known better, he'd have thought it was his own power, it was so close. "Kouru-san?" A hand gripped his shoulder, and shook him hard. "Kouru-san, are you unwell?" He blinked, his head reeling... "What...?" Eyes focusing again, he stared into Kori's concerned face, mouth hanging open like an idiot. Nearby... There was only one thing that close... "The snow's stopped!" Namame started, his thoughtless contemplation of the sensation he had felt melting away in a brief flash of amazement as he gazed over the heads of his guards to the sliver of daylight he could see through the widening crack between the outer doors. /Daylight/... rather than snow... After another moment of indecisiveness, Namame pushed forward, pulling Kori with him a few steps. "Come along - we're going to investigate that gypsy camp." It was the only explanation - the feeling, now that he could actively /feel/ it, was coming from that direction. One of the feelings, anyway. The other... Well, he had his answer. But why, for Genbu's sake, did he get the feeling that it would only cause him more trouble in the end? 'What now...?' Namame asked hiself silently, halting for a moment to stare at the wagons ahead of him. The Gypsy camp lay not more than a dozen yards away, pulsing with an inner energy he'd often admired whenever groups such as this had traveled through Ara to perform. Even from this distance, he could almost feel the music in the air... as if it could be a tangible thing, rather than just sound. He'd thought of running away with them more than once... but had eventually dismissed the thoughts as illogical. It was a shame; those brief fancies had been the only dreams he regretted pushing away for the sake of his family... But enough of that. For the first time in his memory, Namame was at a loss for words. And for someone in his position, that was most definitely 'not' a good thing. He started forward again, drawing his guards along with him to approach the camp. He knew exactly where to go; though they had moved a bit further within the circle of the wagons, the group he had seen at the edge of the encampment upon first leaving the temple was still nearby, and within hearing distance. He didn't even have to raise his chi to know that one of them, at least, was the person who had caused the blizzard to vanish so suddenly. Genbu, what to say? They were already at the edge of the wagons; the camp had quieted considerably, and two of the companions - the girl and the one with pale hair - had drawn back, and Namame had been left to confront the eldest (or so it looked to him). Typical. But the girl... Namame's eyes strayed to her for a moment, noting her strange garb before turning back to the one who was apparently in charge. A strangely-dressed girl... what coincidence could that be, really? "Who are you?" Piercing eyes bored past windblown strands of hair, as the gypsy met Namame's stare head-on. "What is your business with us?" This one... was the one. He could feel it clearly now. "I am the leader of the caravan sheltering at the temple," he replied calmly, speaking just loudly enough that his voice would not be lost on the wind. "There has been some concern over your presence, so we've come to asertain your intentions, nothing more." He bowed politely, using the gesture as a cover to focus his power, just a little... yes, this was definitely the one. A Genbu star... He thought he could feel a resonance with the other young man, the one hovering protectively about the girl, as well... After a second of quick thought, Namame added before the other could respond, "My name is Kouru, of the Hirashu Family in Ara. But I am also known by the name 'Namame'." There, he'd said it. Perhaps it was a bit rash, but he was positive this man was another seishi - now that he'd raised his own chi, the other couldn't have much trouble figuring things out. And if such a display of power was accepted by his comapnions and the rest of the camp, then Namame certainly shouldn't be in much danger because of his marking. Whether they would trust him, on the other hand... that was the difficult part. And this seishi did not seem to be the trusting sort at all. The pause stretched, as the other studied him intently through windblown blue hair. Then, finally, he said, "Why don't we go aside a moment, stranger?" He motioned for Namame to follow and started off a few steps, glancing over his shoulder once to regard his companions. "Why don't you two go find something to eat? I'll catch up with you in a few minutes." The gypsy led him a little bit away from their meeting site, casting a few glances around before halting and turning to face Namame and his entourage again. They were well away from the rest of the people in the camp now, almost hidden by the wagons, though flames were visible at the center where fires were being set for cooking and warmth. "So, you claim you're a seishi?" His eyes flickered for a moment to the circle of guards again before settling again on Namame. "I am Tzigane Natasha... and please, forgive me if I don't believe you right away. There aren't many people who will claim Genbu's name these days, but there are plenty that might try if they thought it would help them kill their rivals." "Direct, aren't you?" Namame locked eyes with 'Natasha' again. "I'd say the same, in your position. But I hope you consider that I might be telling you the truth..." He glanced meaningfully in the direction of the fires, where he assumed the oddly-garbed girl had settled. "The miko is going to need more than just two protectors and a gypsy camp to assure her safety." There was nothing worse than a gypsy with an attitude, his father used to say... and Namame found that he had to agree. It was difficult to keep his annoyance in check, but he did his best to keep his face smooth, lest he alienate 'Natasha' further. No one would get anywhere if this turned into a conflict. Natasha graced him with a sharp smile. "Can you prove it, then? Show me your symbol - then I'll consider believing you." Of course - why hadn't he thought of that before? Genbu's marking couldn't be faked... Namame grimaced - showing his symbol was fine, but... "I will, if you wish it. But I'd like to request that we move to a... warmer location, if you don't mind. I'm afraid it isn't as easily accessible as I'd like." "Shy?" The gypsy grinned, a decidedly unfriendly touch to the expression. "Don't worry - the people in this camp don't have any prejudice toward Genbu's seishi. They won't cause you any harm, if you are who you say you are." Warmth tinted Namame's cheeks, threatening to set his entire face aflame. Yes, he'd been the lucky one, hadn't he? "That isn't quite what I meant." He paused, trying to think of a diplomatic way to say it. "My marking is... difficult to show without compromising my modesty..." Natasha's lips twitched. "I see..." Namame sighed, his annoyance nearly getting the better of him. "'Will' you allow me the privacy I need to prove myself to you? I will accompany you without my guard to the location of your choice, and you may surround me with as many armed men as you please... I haven't any intention of betraying your trust, as long as you do not threaten me." Yes, the gypsy definitely looked as if he wanted to laugh. Namame did his best not to react. "Well if you're that set on it..." He made a sweeping gesture to a nearby wagon. "Follow me, then." With a gesture to his guard to remain where they were - Kori looked as if he wanted to protest, but one look silenced him and set him back in his place - he moved away from his companions and followed Natasha as ordered. After a moment of silence, Namame found himself growing calmer, almost comfortable. Almost. Maybe Genbu wanted to reassure him, but 'Natasha' certainly wasn't helping any... Head hung down, a bitter chuckle escapes Natasha's throat. Lifting his gaze, with one hand he brushes troublesome locks of hair from his eyes, to see a look both perplexed and irritated upon the other man's face. "I know you can't fight fate, guess you can't delay it either. Should have guessed, I've never been that lucky..." Looking up at Namame, Natasha cracks a small grin, "You know, if you keep arching that eyebrow, it could get stuck like that. The long and the short of it is I'm not exactly thrilled about being dragged in like some tool for a freak of nature that happens to have divine powers. And Genbu doesn't exactly treat his tools well. You don't temper a sword through kindness, I suppose." "I don't know what you're talking about, I..." "I'm not finished. Kita... that poor boy. Doesn't know a thing of the 'religion' of Genbu. His power, it scares him. The pure look of terror on his face that I saw... He thinks its evil, he can't entirely control it. I'm certain he must have lost control of it before, and that scarred him. Kiyuki, or as you'd call her, the miko... Ripped from her own world, stranded in a foreign land. I'll spare you my story, but suffice it to say either there's an amazing amount of 'coincidence' in my life, or Genbu tempered this sword in the fires as well. Yes, I know I can't avoid my destiny, and I won't ignore these responsibilities that I didn't ask for, I just had wished to delay being entangled in the thick of things. In addition, foreigners, from the north by their accents, seem to be after Kiyuki. Not only does this imply that someone somehow knew that a 'miko' was arriving, it also tends to cast some shadow of a doubt over a mysterious stranger claiming to be a seishi, I believe you can understand that. So, shall we get this over with?" Namame eyed the other critically for a moment. But all he said was, "You can't run forever. And neither can they." What an odd day /this/ was turning out to be. Or perhaps 'odd' wasn't the right word for it - but the terminology he wanted to use was too vulgar for his taste and station. Perhaps he'd ask Kori to... Namame sighed, breaking Natasha's gaze and tugging at his sash to loosen it; the red material fell to the floor, along with his cloak and his brocaded outdoor robe. How many more layers left? 'I suppose it's a good thing I dressed quickly. Genbu, what a mess...' "Really stranger, I don't know you well enough for this." The gypsy's sarcastic tone caused him to look up for a moment, but no more; the buttons and fastenings of his formal robe required too much concentration. "I have to admit, this would be a new approach for an assassin, if that were the case with you." "Hold your tongue." It was an order, and it slipped out too quickly for Namame to bite it back. After a moment of silence, and the unfastening of his robe, he added, "I requested privacy with reason, 'Natasha'. If you'll be patient, I'll show you why." "Of course. But hurry - we wouldn't want the others getting the wrong idea, now would we?" It was easy to shrug out of the silken material and let it fall to the floor with the rest of his robes; it was not so easy, however, to endure the shock of the temperature. The air, even inside of the wagon, was almost frozen solid, and it caressed his bare shoulders with a numbing touch, sucking away all of his accumulated warmth until he was sure ice ran through his veins. Gritting his teeth and refusing to look up to Natasha just yet, Namame reached within to find his focus, and centered his power in the way he had the night before, to distance himself from the cold. And that... he thought that would be enough. "As I said, I am the star 'Namame', of the northern quadrant of the sky." He hooked a finger on the waistline of his pants over his left leg, and tugged it down just enough to reveal his symbol. 'Na' shined faintly there on the pale expanse of skin, brightening enough to cast Natasha's face and the walls in white-green light. Unless the other seishi was a fool - or more stubborn than he seemed - there could be no denying the chi _or_ the reality of the symbol. "Does this ease your suspicions, Natasha? I find it hard to believe a foreigner could do as well without divine intervention... pardon the pun." Natasha quirked an eyebrow, a sour expression - or something akin to one - caught in his eyes. "Perhaps not." After a long pause, he shrugged, and motioned for Namame to release his chi. "Well then, I can't dispute the truth of your claim. But I think I should ask what your intentions are - and I hope you don't give me the standard seishi speeches either, stranger. I've already told you why I'm keeping Kita and Kiyuki in my care." Something brushed Namame's mind - just an impression, but he thought he understood what it meant. Yet he kept it to himself, instead saying, "I exist to protect the miko, as you do. How I do so is entirely up to the circumstances. But I get the distinct feeling that my talents may be of help to her..." Natasha kept his eyes locked to Namame's face as the other began to don his clothes again. "And what would those talents be? It might be helpful to know." Namame raised an eyebrow ever so slightly, going to work at fastening his formal robe once again. "I really don't know what to call it." Well, perhaps that wasn't quite true... "I sense things. I hear lies, I see through illusions. I can create barriers... At my father's home, I work as his mediator. In terms of the politics that will be involved with the miko's duties, my skills may prove useful." ... If the miko was allowed to reach the capitol, in any case. He knew quite well that Natasha's reasons for holding back were mostly selfish; that was the worst kind of obstacle to overcome, sometimes. And he was also right - given the current situation with the worshippers of the so-called 'one god', it really would 'not' be safe for Kiyuki to be out in the open. And if they'd already found her once... Well, best not to dwell on that just yet. A dour expression on his face, Natasha clambers from the wagon, leaving Namame to finish dressing himself in silence. His wandering mind is brought back into focus as his guest disembarks from the wagon. "You're travelling, and I'd wager on some form of business for your father. Where's the destination?" "You are correct. My father has business dealings that he requested I tend to in Tolan." The gypsies countenance darkens at the name of the city. "The capitol..." he remarks, displeasure evident in his voice. "Well, it can't be avoided forever, I suppose we should find the others." A slight smile crosses Natasha's face. Apparently Kiyuki had dragged Kita off and found someone willing to play for them, as they were enjoying a Rom's musical renditions. "Natasha, and Namame I believe it was... You're back, well, what was that all about?" Kiyuki asks the returning pair. Natasha grimaces slightly, "Well, there are a few things I should explain..." Turning to address Kita, "A few things that pertain to both of you." Taking a deep breath, Natasha explains "Kiyuki, this 'Genbu no Miko,' of the local religion... Well, there is a truth of some kind to the religion, and you almost certainly are the Genbu no Miko." He pauses to explain, "You see, as the legend goes the Genbu no Miko is a girl from another world, who will arrive when Hokkan is in need, and gather the Genbu no Shichiseishi, and with them call forth the animal god Genbu to protect the country. The Genbu no Shichiseishi are meant to protect the Genbu no Miko, and each bears a character, marking them as Genbu's." Turning to Kita, Natasha gestures towards the younger man's forehead, where the mark of Genbu proceeds to glow. "Kita, you are marked as the Genbu no Shichiseishi Tsuki." Cutting away one of the patchwork pieces of the sleeves of his shirt, Natasha shows the symbol for void glowing faintly green upon his arm. "I am the Genbu no Shichiseishi Tomite." Gesturing to the bright glow near the newcomers waist, he finishes "And finally, Genbu no Shichiseishi Namame." "We'll probably be moving on soon, but not with my people. Instead with Namame, towards Tolan, the capital. I need to prepare for our departure, but I'm certain Namame knows more of the legends pertaining to Genbu no Miko and her protectors than I, so he should be able to satisfy your curiousity..." Kiyuki couldn?t help but wonder the chances that she would band with so many people. First there was Natasha, then Kita, and now Namame?all one after another. 'Well, no sense in trying to understand it all now, just gotta keep my eyes peeled,' she thought to herself. Still, the idea of being protected by all these strangers bothered her. Kiyuki wondered if there would ever come a time in her life when people would see how hard she had worked to be like a normal person. 'I suppose the only way I can do that is to act like a normal person-whatever that means.' "Wherever we're headed, I'm ready to go?" Kiyuki answered Tomite. "One question, though, is it possible that I can find some local garb to blend in a little better?" Natasha pauses, before answering "Well, I could find you garb of my kind, but it may be less conspicuous than your clothes, it is still quite peculiar and foreign... Should I?"