Cicada

[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.