[Mission] Page going Postal

Mission Details:

Having built up the old man's tower, Page went to bed to get some serious rest, fully intending to begin his travels the next day and hopefully get to Wind Country in no time at all. Unbeknownst to him these plans would have to be... altered. Having done a good job in the eyes of the old man in the tower, he was offered a bed for the night rather than the floor he had to endure the night before, and graciously took the offer of a proper place to sleep that could provide comfort over just room. The pitter patter of rain was consistent, something to count on, something that lulled Page into a sleep slowly, Sheffield in his arms. 

A sharp paw pierced into the gut of Page sharply raising him from sleep as a figured jumped over top of him, one that quickly was recognized by the former farmer as his own pet wolf Sheffield prancing all over the bed bouncing on top of Page causing him to quickly pick himself up and brush himself off, planning to keep on moving on. He hit the makeshift restroom in the tower, splashed water on his face then went downstairs to see the old man, wish him goodbye. As he descended the stairs he saw the old man wrapping some sort of package, tying it up and putting a name card on it.

"Hey old timer, about to keep up my way towards Wind Country, should I get anything done before I leave, need any sort of help?" Page informed and asked, in that order, the elderly owner of the tower.

"Well sonny boy, I don't know about you, I don't know where you come from, I don't know how they do things there, but I can tell you around here we trust the people we work with, and showing this trust I trust you are a good soul and could assist these old bones once again, under the understanding that I'll pay you what you're due so you can do it and keep moving on, job should be on the way. I've got to ask you this now, are you in or are you out," the old man rambled. 

"Well okay old man, I think I could get whatever you need done, and while I'd prefer quicker exit I have no qualms helping out, now I don't know how you Rain Country folk do it, but us fire country people help those in need, I take it the mission has something to do with the parcel," Page replied. 

"You guessed it just right, this here package is for my son. Its his birthday and he lives all the way on the other end of rain country, I need you to go to his house over yonder and give him this present, tell him it's from his father. After that you should be able to continue that way for a while longer till the rain stops raining, and the dirt turns to sand, that'd probably be the best way to tell you made it to wind country," the old man said, "now off with you, can't have you stalling now I need that package delivered yesterday."

"Well then I best be going then, would hate for the package to be late, see you around sometime later I'm sure. That is... if you don't croak first," Page stated before quickly turning tail and getting out of there, Sheffield leading, with the old man now giving a stomping chase shouting, "You dirty dog!!!"

The path was long, slightly uneven, and above all else depressing as they stepped through the rubble of what was obviously at one point some sort of great and advanced civilization, but was now just the crunching stone beneath the feet of a wanderer and his wolf, eroded by the unending rain. Page had gotten a meal while he was at the tower and was glad for it as there were little to no signs of life anywhere around, as evidenced by Shef being put in a position where he had to really scrounge around for hours along the path looking for his third snack of the day. Eventually nightfall came and with Sheff, Page found a makeshift roof to serve as cover from the rain while they slept. Having not found any permanent structures yet, Page was sure that he hadn't past his location yet, but hoped he wasn't too far off, afterall he was getting somewhat weary of travel, even though he craved it so long prior.

Morning broke and after getting a poor night's sleep, Page awoke and got back up and going, now running somewhat on empty. Luckily for him, however, he came to a large tower like that of the old man's not but an extra hour down the road, it was when coming to the tower itself that this lucky streak was ended before it could begin. He approached the door ready to knock only for it to creak open as he tapped on it, slowly revealing the atrium, the visuals burning the way into Page's eyes.

A woman's form in body lay on the ground at the foot of a table, a mangled mess of hair. blood and grey matter spread across it's dented surface. She was in grey casual clothes, slashes from some sort of blade laid out across the exposed skin. As Page swallowed his tongue and gritted his teeth, he entered, a wave of terror washing over him as he gazed into the dining room, seeing a young man with a face like that of a much tighter version of the old man who had given him the mission, a corpse that could be assumed to be the old man's son the had be adorned with a fashionable kunai to the skull. Entering in to see if perhaps whoever did this was still inside only revealed more heart break, as among the broken and smashed pieces of furniture laid a corpse much shorter than the other. 

It was obvious that bandits had ransacked this place, killing the inhabitants and running off with any valuables. Knowing that he could not finish his job, Page had a dilemma. He could leave with his package and the income, or bring it back and inform the old man, afterall he had places to be, and he had no reason to tell the old man, afterall he may want his money back. This thought came and passed in an instant, as his conviction took over and he started his way back to the tower, knowing he could reach it if he kept moving through the night. 

It was late at night when Page arrived at the door of the old man in the tower, far after he was likely asleep, the rain pouring down atop him. Page slammed on the door, certainly waking up anyone in a half mile radius until eventually the old man answered, and even in his advanced age, he could read from the package still in Page's hand, the look on his face, and the tail tucked between Sheffield's legs, exactly what had happened. 

"They, they're. They can't be. Are they?" the old man began sputtering.

"Gone," Page said, a somber tone and demeanor washing over every moment denser than the rain. He handed the package to the old man, who took it, and without a word turned around and walked to his bedroom, keeping the door wide open. Page used this as an invitation for a roofed sleeping arrangement, and departed earlier in the morning than the old man, having spent too much time weeping and not enough sleeping. Shibata departed on a somber note from the land of rain, and began the final leg in his journey to the Country of Wind.

WC: 1,305
+7 Stats Page
+6 Stats Sheffield
Tai Spec 2k/2k continued from Here
Tai to main 193/3k
+3 AP
+1100 Ryo

Approved