Cicada

[Kuroji Setsu]

Kuroji Setsu made it to a cave before nightfall. He was regretful for his choice of gate now, but was certain that going back was not the correct route to take. Perhaps waking early the next day would offer a chance to explore this realm properly. Setsu slept with difficulty wrapped in his scarf, with no campfire, and using the orb of Omnillium as a pillow. He dreamt of his ninja village an it's decent into madness under it's leader, Setsu's teacher. A war resembling other foundational wars throughout the history of Setsu's world. War's for total control of the world and it's foundational energies. This time through a devious control of the minds of average citizens. It helped, perhaps, that these dreams led Setsu through a feverish sleep and he woke in the early part of the morning covered in sweat, pourly rested and foggy minded. 

Haunted by the night's images of his past life he crept out the cave and wandered out into the frosty landscape. What a contrast this was to the world and tropic island he had traveled from. 

"Please be gentle... Omniverse." Setsu said to himself, groggily, rolling his shoulders to loosen up his cold joints.

[Kuroji Setsu]

Setsu took a moment to thank whatever was watching over him for the opportunity he had found himself in. It was very clear he was being guided along a gilded path by fate. The encounter with the beast and then this new realm with its abiding deity, was exactly what he had needed to get the gears turning. How to build into the future, so that nothing would befall himself or anyone else in the way he had been tormented.

That meant becoming once again, formidable.

The first matter of business was to figure out exactly why there didn’t seem to be any ability for him to perform wins release techniques. This was an area that Setsu had been so specialized and adept in that it defied a fundamental axiom in Setsu’s reality. This was something he had demonstrated prodigal abilities in as a child. It was also definitely a crutch.

When you specialize you quickly develop blind spots. And that was definitely Setsu’s situation.

The first diagnostic test was a trick he had learned in his clan’s temple. It was similar to the paper test, but instead relied only on a match. The trick was simple, mold chakra into the lungs for a period of time while employing a short out-breath and deep in-breath. The result is the breath becomes saturated with the user’s chakra. The breath is then blown across the flame of a match which carries 5 different standard results given the individuals nature.

After a, perhaps, hour long preparation in this way for the test it becomes very conclusive in determining the primary of one’s nature’s.

Setsu suspected he no longer carried his innate affinity to wind release. This would explain his inability to utilize it, even slightly, as he was used to. The reason for this Setsu had a theory for as well.

He wasn’t yet certain of it, though. So for now, it was time to test.

He began the pattern, feeling the energy he still had left to focus in on his breath. He could feel the temperature across his body become comfortably uniform as he continued to circulate his chakra more efficiently as he become used to the form again.

He went for only 20 minutes since he was only testing for four forms and wind being the one better identified after the full hour.

He pulled one of two matches he had left from his vest and lit it off his shoe. Placing the flame before his mouth he blew.

The flame flickered and grew slightly then began to go out.

Setsu quickly tested the pliability of the match and found that it was hard yet brittle and smooth where the flame had been. This implied an earth affinity. Of all fice elements, this was the one Setsu was least happy to find he was connected to.

How could this be?

There must have been a mistake, though he knew that wasn’t likely. How was he going to rebuild himself if he was forced to so radically shift in his fundamental self understanding. No, it was clear just how much a crutch his affinity had been. This would be a good thing if he would only make it so. He just had to start over.. The word unprecedented stuck out in his thinking. He had never heard of one’s affinity being subject to change. In fact he was certain it had never happened.

He pocketed the last match and breathed a relieving sigh. He didn’t have time to burn here ruminating on his supposed lot. He had to start familiarizing himself with this region and sophisticate his situation in regards to food, water and shelter.

The sun was just beginning to rise, so he had all day to make something better of what appeared to be as wide open a frozen tundra as he had ever imagined or read of as a child. Why did he have to pick the ice gate? Sigh.

[Kuroji Setsu]

A spray of snow resulted as he took off. His feet no longer plunged the snow as he respected it's tolerance. In one solid, "swoosh", two fingered Oniyuri passed solidly in and through a nearby thick tree. The other hand traced the route and plucked the resulting sliced section of the tree. Trunk then slammed down into stump and began to fall topple over. Setsu on the other hand, shot from the ground climbing through the air a solid 15 feet

Setsu flexed the wood board then brought it under his feet and began traveling at speed down the hill, carving first left and then eventually right as the trees began to thicken. The snow was still solid from night time, but the wind had been rough and kept it from compressing to far.

The morning sun caught a cloud and poured yellow and blue light into the valley between the two ridges of the larger looming mountain range. Setsu had no awareness of the sheer scale fo the mountains in past the next plateau.

Setsu had surfed before, but never snowboarded. Eventually he had to bail out into a big snow bank rolling over delighted by the snow.

He recovered his oddly unusually circular snow board, taking a moment to appreciate the quality of the wood. He restrung his scarf so it strapped the board to his back.

Already it was clear that caves were going to define this landscape. He had spotted two more sizable entrances. The one he had slept in appeared to have been one for camping, even though it had been hellishly cold. He repositioned and gained some elevation back by jumping off the trees. Arriving at the entrance he was immediately on guard to the degree of craftsmanship immediately visible. He crossed his arms reflexively, his fingers still pointed forward. His ears up listening for obvious signs of life.

[Kuroji Setsu]

There's no better way to enter a cave than via snowboard. It appeared that this particular cave was spectacularly, angled straight down. The transistion from snow to ice was smooth enough that the board lost no speed.

The available light was quickly disappearing.

"Hold it, hold it."

Setsu said to himself as he carved his board in a quick "j", and lashed out with Oniyuri to a create a hold in the cave wall. He caught this and halted himself. This tunnel alrady looked like it could go on forever. However, Setsu didn't know the intentions of the builders and already thought he smelled blood.

He repeated the same process again and again until he reached a level room. To no surprise, he found a room which was filled with dead beasts on skewered pikes of stone carved into an angled wall facing the entrance. Setsu almost failed to catch himself before entering.

He sat and closed his eyes in the space he had managed to halt between the spikes. Whatever was watching him seemed commited to his survival. He would have to take similar care going further. Especially as to avoid the being who would likely come to claim their catch.

He couldn't help but admire the craftsmanship of the room despite it's attempt at killing him.

The only exit was highlighted by another far off source of light. Setsu began to head that way.

[Kuroji Setsu]

Rolling the Omnillium Orb down the corridor heading towards the light, Setsu held the wooden board at the ready as he followed. The lights from the orb were just enough to illuminated simple details of the tunnel, which was a marvel of stone.

Technically it would be better to call this a corridor since it was so ornately architected from prime masonry. The amount of effort required for this to exist was intimidating.

The orb came to a stop in a divot in the next room where the light, a lit torch, was located. There were again no obvious signs of life.

There was however an interesting chest that housed three rusty and crude looking knives, likely there to skin any beasts that fell victim to the trap. There was a long, long dark tunnel that connected here. Setsu peaked down this and saw nothing yet of note and returned to what he had found in this room.

There was a skillet, vegetables and firewood in a series of stone drawers in the walls. This little underground kitchen was a perfect find. Setsu was starved.


Setsu walked back to the spike trap area, this time with a torch and knife in hand. He set about selecting the fresher kills of the bunch and started carefully working away with the knife. Returning to a roaring flame and searing hot skillet, he began roasted the large clean cuts of meat into lovely rows.

After he ate everything he could, he prepared a large amount of extra and then found a comfortable and hidden corner of the room he had entered and fell asleep completely satisfied.

—

Waking up he was already in substantially heavy handcuffs. There were deep voices conferencing in the room where the torch had been.

It was clear his cooking would not go to waste. Setsu did not cry out. He was clearly caught, but he sat up and faced the door so he could greet his captors when they were done eating.

THREAD CLOSED