The River's Orphans [Yami, Satoshi]

Spoiler:

The town of Fallhalt amounted to stone buildings ringed by a border wall, which had grown up around an ancient mural tucked away in the mountains of Haven Country. The place did have a certain charm to it, the boy believed, save for the cold storms that plagued it during winter, on your way to Fallhalt. Tokito remembered reading as the orphans made their way towards the makeshift town. The unsteady sign was about to fall from its rusty hinges, and time had withered both its paint and vibrancy away.

They found an inn to settle for the night after walking through the town's unguarded wooden gates. There was no shortage of rooms, so each of the foster brothers had gotten his own. Tokito did not sleep at night; a wolf always howled somewhere in his dream. The hour before the dawn, when the world was dull and grey, that Tokito dressed up and exited to the morning mists.

The boy warrior read through the assignments pinned on that plank of wood. That was a poor excuse of a mission board. The child soldier was to buy groceries and deliver them to someone. He took it as a necessity; somehow, he had to fill his pockets. And these missions would be a way to get there. Men and women like wine aged with time, and someone had to take care of them. But it wasn't a soldier's job. It lacked anything related to his training. 

He was scanning the grocery list when he realized he had reached the stands. First on the list were vegetables, onions, carrots, potatoes, and peppers. The first group was packed together, which saved him the trouble. He scanned the product with the inventory on hand and did his best to pick out quality items. After gathering each of the vegetables, he checked it off the list and paid for the items once finished. He hoped he had done alright with the selection; he wasn't the best when identifying fresh vegetables. He couldn't come up with a time when he had shopped for them, so he was very much winging it. The plan was to stay out from fruits and vegetables that looked wormy or mushy.

The second target of the day was all about meat. A small amount of honeyed ham, and chicken or beef, whichever looked fresher. There was also a note that if Tokito was willing to lie to the client, he should tell them there wasn't any pork as they needed to avoid it but wouldn't listen. The butcher's shop was the next station. Now, this he was a bit more familiar. Not an expert by any means, he couldn't pick out a choice piece of prime rib due to marbling though he had heard the term, he knew fresh. He believed he had as good the eye for meat as experts of the art of butchery.

His green eyes looked at the selections as fresh, but since he had no intention of leaving the ham off the list, he opted for the leaner of the two types of meat.  Grabbing a few on display, and selected a few lovely pieces of beef after a moment. The mutton was just slices of bacon; he had finished with the butcher and headed out of the shop.

With the shopping done, he headed to the client's house. He knocked on the door and waited. From inside, he heard a voice, "Who's there? Yuhi, is that you?" Tokito quickly responded with a simple no, then realized that alone wasn't enough and he would have to do better. "My name is Tokito; I am a mercenary here in town. Hoshi hired me to do your shopping because your social worker had another errand to run for you this morning. I have brought you your groceries.

An uncomfortable silence followed for a minute before the creaking of the iron hinges filled the air. The older lady seized him up and then conspiratorially inquiring, "Did you get the honeyed ham?" The boy held back a laugh at the question and then nodded. "I do indeed, have your honey ham m'lady." In response, she gave him a toothless smile and pushed the door open wide, urging him to bring the groceries inside. "Thank you so much; my dinners plans would have been disastrous if you hadn't. Yuhi always fails at getting my ham!" She laughed again. "If your sellsword career doesn't make you enough to pay the bills, you come to see me, young man. I could always use a hand."

Tokito grinned. This lady had some cockiness to her. "Thank you, should I ever wish to hold a kitchen knife instead of a katana, I should come to you. You have a nice day and do enjoy your dinner, m'lady." The boy headed out and made his way back towards the inn he was staying. It was far from the most exciting missions, but it was more entertaining than he expected. If anything, he met a hell of a character in that old lady from a different walk of life. He hoped that if he ever managed to live that long, he'd be able to act in such a positive manner.

He took a sip from his cup of orange juice, then bellowed out to the morning mists, "About time you put some respect to my name. Tokito, the shinobi who did the shopping for a grandma. Hail a living legend of this generation!" He finished his bottle of orange juice and threw it in a dustbin. The eyes of commonfolk followed the young showman as he shouldered his way inside the inn. He waited for his two brothers to arrive.

WC: 953

Fallhalt — a town that mirror that of a archaic times. It’s been some time since the foster brothers sauntered through a borough such as this one. It was quiet, saying that it was peaceful would be a far stretch. There was something within the air that belie that thought. Satoshi wouldn’t be much amazed if his younger brother, Tokito immediately taken a liking to this place. He was still fairly young, therefor communities like this one were rather impressionable on him. Yami, however, was not as ingenious. A foreseeable characteristic in him — he always had perception for what was more than it seemed. 

Their excursion happened them upon an inn. From an outward appearance it was less than aesthetically appealing, but it was a rest stop nonetheless. Their days on foot were catching up to them, it was necessary to keep their strength about them. Satoshi chose a room further down the hall of his brothers. No, it wasn’t the largest of the rooms, that would be to imply that such a place would consider such lodging. It was the warmest, placed directly over the kitchen of the inn. Satoshi found frosty areas most unpleasant. Setting off his nerves in the most frantic of ways. 

Glancing overhead at the old dust wet clock — a few numbers missing, perhaps faded or fallen off. He desired to go check on his family. Collecting himself he would tie his long hair up into ponytail, a red ribbon was his choosing for a tie. He black kimono with red collar and a black pair of pants with black shinobi boots. Buoyant on his feet as he sailed through the halls to his brother’s room, Tokito. Just to unearth that he was not there. His eyes depressed, knowing the reason for this. He did not fear the worst of his younger brother, knowing full well that he was more than talented to look after himself. He merely yearned to be able to do something about his condition. The wind could be heard howling like that of a hound. 

Withdrawing from that room, Satoshi motioned towards Yami’s. Should he be woke he would greet him with a nod. Should he be sleeping still he would linger a moment before departing from the threshold of the door. 

The orphan would make his way down the stairs leading into the lobby of the inn. His eyes would come to adjust to the light that was brighter downstairs than upstairs. To his right he would see the bartender speaking privately with two homely looking men. From where he stood they were troubled by something. One of the men look agitated, more than his companion did. Satoshi strides towards them, but sat two chairs away. Planting nothing his hands palm down on the counter as he lowered his head. His ears tuned in on their words, as quiet as they were. He gathered bits and pieces. Nothing of real substance, thus he grew board of it. 

“Can’t sleep?” Satoshi looked up, the bartender looking in his direction. The two men ceased their murmurs and looked over at him, one shorter, evident by how he was leaning up to see over his companion’s shoulder. “No, I’m afraid. It’s a bit too chilly in my room.” He softly chuckles at his own response. Noting that it was a silly reason for staying up. “Seems like you’re not the only one. A kid ran out of here not too long ago. Figured he had the same problem. Hope he’s alright, it’s rather lonely out there at these hours. Wonder where his parents are.” The bartender walked over towards Satoshi from his side of the counter. The orphan noting that the bartender saw Tokito, which meant that these two did as well. His eyes trailed the mixologist. “You mean my younger brother. I wouldn’t worry about him, he’s more than what he seems.” The eyes of the three men widen as they were bewildered by what came from the Uchiha’s mouth. “But he’s just a child, you can’t be serious.” The bleak adorned man would nod softly. “But I am. He’s a mercenary, as am I and our other brother. So your concern for him is markedly noticed, but it is not necessary.”

The barkeep would eye them for a flash, and they them. A mutual understanding was established just then. The keeper would pour a drink, setting it before the Uchiha. “You might need this.” The orphan inspected the drink — glancing over towards the two men he would narrow his gaze. “I surmise this has something to do with your secret meeting.” The one in the back, the shorter one nods. His buddy took lead. “So you are a mercenary — ninja for hire? What clan do you hail from?” Satoshi responds with a causal blink. No words compensated those questions. Taking up his glass he would sip from its dark nectar and sigh, placing the glass back down. “Those were the incorrect questions to ask.” The men did a hard swallow — nervously looking at one another. The feeling of misstepping pressed at their throats. “Uh-um, s-sorry. We didn’t mean it like that.” Satoshi chuckled lightly as she gave them a tender smirk. “Please, continue.” He guided the conversation. Learning that this was the first time these two came across a mercenary, or ninja for that matter. 

“Y-yes, uh, so here’s the thing. There’s been this new group popping up out of nowhere as of late. Faces we’ve never seen before around here. We sort of think that their bandits or something. ‘cept they’re well informed and a bit too organized. Nothing about them seems barbaric, in fact they come off as military. The folks of this town are growing restless and a bit on edge by this. They haven’t done anything out of the norm aside from showing up. It’s like a calm before the storm.” The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a flyer with some more information on the matter. Satoshi nods every so often as the man explained what was going on. The orphan’s facial expression was without personality as he gathered the information that was being provided. His curiosity was piqued the moment the man spoke of bandits of some sort. “I’ll look into this affair for you. However, I will have to up charge you due to the nature of the assignment. Is that fine?” Standing with his glass in hand, downing the last of his drink. The men would nod, seemingly influenced by his charm. 

With that out of the way Satoshi departed from the inn. Taking another scan of the contract given he would learn of this eccentric groups camp. Thus he would head there immediately. Walking through the mist and beyond the gates that were unguarded by officers. He would find himself on a 15-20 minute walk uphill. Trekking through the wilderness on his way to their location he was struck with flashbacks of him rushing through the woods with bandits behind him. He remembered with perfect clarity of the fear he felt in that moment. The sounds of branches being snapped under his weight. The smell of greenery. The small gleams of light peering through the impenetrable forest made him feel weak. 

Once he was out of the forest — he was out of the forest. Coming to with reality he noticed the camp before him. A small campfire with five tents of two meters high. There were quite a few people here. But no one was within his line of sight. Laboriously he scanned over the area for signs of movement. Deducing that they were all within their tents. He approached the fire, inspecting around it. The fire was set for some time now. Perhaps they gathered around to discuss their plans? He couldn’t be too sure.

His task was to dissuade them from operating in the region, through whatever means he found to be necessary. The first thing he would need to do was to locate the leader of this small militia. There was sounds coming from his west flank. Satoshi immediately took cover within the thick bushes nearby. He could see through them clearly and if he was still enough he could even hear from his current location. Two men walked into the lightning of the campfire. They were speaking of their agenda. Satoshi did not recognize their attire and found no connection between them and the group of bandits that made him an orphan. Though this was a good thing, he was left disenchanted nonetheless. The thought of getting even with your family’s killers was nothing more than a fleeting thought to him now. 

As one of the men detached from the other in their meeting, the remaining one looked around holding his crotch. Satoshi surmised he had to flood the banks. The man looked in the direction of the bushes. The very bush that Satoshi was cloaking within. His eyes widen as he did not fancy tonight to be the night that he partake in a golden shower. The man approached the bush with some haste — the Uchiha’s hands weaved together a set of seals. As the man was within a meter of the bush the orphan popped his head out from the concealing green. This took the man by surprise, but immediately within that moment the head faded away which was also odd to the man. The man relieved himself in the bush. He felt something at his feet. Looking down at first glance he thought it was a snake! But before he could do anything about it he found himself constricted. From seemingly nowhere a tree manifested and the man was pinned to it. Motionless at that. His throat tightly pressed upon which prevented him from screaming out. 

“You have upset a good number of people with your propinquity. For something like that to be possible means you and your people are not welcome here. It is my job to get rid of you.” Satoshi’s upper body phased from above the man. He noted the bars on his uniform, he was the ranking officer. “What do you want? Who are you?” He struggled to ask, nervously. Satoshi gave him a grim smile. He could feel his face going dark as he was committing himself to the thoughts in his head. “I am the keeper of Death’s Dominion — you’re final memory.” The man whimpers and struggles to move. “Please-Please-Please... don’t, don’t kill me. I’ll do whatever it is that you want. Whatever you say I’ll do it. Just don’t kill me. I have a family, two little girls.” He pleaded. Satoshi leaned in closely. His hair draping over his face and into the man’s. “I too had a family...once. I was robbed of them by people like you. So you will understand that I burden no loss of heart for what I’m prepared to do.” His words chilled the man to his very core. He could tell that this being was not going to just accept that. No matter how true it was. “Please, we will leave. I promise you on my children’s lives we will leave - tonight.” Satoshi was silent... he did not move and gazed into the eyes of the man. Judging if he was serious. “Should you be lying to me I will kill them before you in the most gruesome of ways imaginable.” Things went dark and the man found himself standing in place with his pants drenched from his own piss. He never wet the bush as he thought — it was all in his head. He immediately rushed to the tents to gather his men, informing them that it was time to depart. This was not a good site to operate from. 

Satoshi found his way back to the inn.  Soon after he walked in he was followed in by his younger brother unbeknownst to him. The man would turn to face young Tokito. “How did your walk fair, Tokito?” He asked with a tender smile. 

[WC: 2,015]

Turning a page of the book he was reading Yami spent the morning sitting on his bed when someone, or rather something, decided to disturb him. "Are you sure you should have left River?". With a sigh he'd close the book before responding to the voice reaching out to the young Shinkou. "Is it really leaving when you're going back?". Standing up before placing the piece of literature on the nightstand he'd walk over to the bathroom, small but it would do the trick. "What makes you so sure you'll get back?", the inner voice spoke once again. Letting the water run before splashing some of it on his face he'd reply a second time. "And here i thought you were more confident in me". This time no response came, the young man wiping his face with a towel nearby.

Hikari, the name he gave the one interfering with his thoughts remained quiet, Yami staring at his reflection in the mirror, little drops of water falling down the Shinkou's ashen hair. It hadn't been that long since the River Orphans, so were the brothers known back home, arrived in the town of Fallhalt. The three of them had a couple of reasons as to why they found themselves at said location, the young Shinkou mainly wanted to broaden his horizon, experience different things and have a look at how other villages ran things. He had a couple of ideas brewing inside his head, all which involved knowledge, money and power. Two out of the three were currently being dealth with while the last one would be something for the long run.

Just like many others the ashen haired had many hopes and dreams, goals he wanted to achieve someday as he'd be aiming for the highest possible. Although young of age, Yami's mind had always been developed much further, able to think about the bigger picture. However, in order to reach for the stars one needed to start somewhere, which is how they ended up in the Land of Haven. Each of the River Orphans got a separate room in the inn they were staying, whereas both his brothers would be early birds the Shinkou could be considered a late sleeper, not going to bed unless his eyes forced him to. If he wasn't spending time reading it would be his Yuumei keeping him up all night, always something going on.

Preparing to head downstairs Yami put on his sleeveless black shirt, topping it off by wearing a cloak around his body. Walking down the stairs the ashen haired male soon found himself entering the dining hall of the inn, expecting to find the other two of the orphans there and it appeared his guess wasn't wrong. "Tokito, Satoshi", placing a hand on each brother's shoulder Yami greeted them as if they hadn't seen each other for years. Ordering breakfast the Shinkou took a seat, hoping he'd be joined by the rest of them. "Come, we have much to discuss". Assuming the three River Orphans finally sat together he'd bring out a map, looking at potential places they could visit once they had finished their business in Fallhalt.

(WC: 528)

How long had it been since he had smelled that place? The land damp with river water that flowed slowly like a slug across the land. Wet foliage and fresh moving earth as though one could feel the earth churning itself anew with the passing of each season. It was an interesting sort of smell that one could only ever grow accustomed to living in such a place like the Land of Rivers. And so, when the three orphans pushed their way into the inn to find respite for the evening, it was only natural that Joski would turn his eyes from the table he had been seated at to put his gaze out of the side of his eye, nostrils flaring as the unmistakable scent filled his nose. There was only one set of people that carried the smell of home so close to them that even weeks on the road would not wash away that distinct smell. At least not to the senses of Joski, the man who had journeyed far from the river's shore. His eyes befell the trio as they made their way to the counter, his own gaze guarded by a mixture of his his disheveled hair and the fanning of a hand of cards that sat squarely in front of his face. "My my. You three sure are far from home. Don't tell me you've come all this way just for me," Joski thought to himself as his eyes turned back to the game of cards he had found himself playing.

A mixture of frustrated faces kept a dour expression turned in his direction, and though his face was lacking the mask that he currently had tucked away in his cloak, his icy expression was more than enough to keep any particularly volatile outbursts in check. For the better part of an evening, Joski had kept himself entertained at the expense of some local card enthusiasts. Apparently, he had found himself amidst a rather spontaneous tournament once one-too-many hands had been dealt under the temper of a steady flow of alcohol. What had started as an excuse to his legerdemain had quickly become a fast and easy means to pocket some extra Ryo had become a much more involved process that he now found himself at the epicenter of. Nonetheless, the hand he held before him would be the last he would need. "I wonder if the Old Man has bit the dust. Or if they are looking for something like I am." Joski's thoughts were interrupted as one of the fellow players slapped the table.

"Well! Are you going to play or are you just going to sit on the pot?!" He grumped, a restless knee bouncing as he tight-fisted a trio of cards in his hand. For all the calm Joski had, this man matched it in anxiety over their situation. And rightfully so. Joski had won this hand of cards the last time the dealer shuffled the deck.

A small smirk flashed across Joski's lips for just a moment before it vanished, the flurry of cards fluttering across the tips of his fingers for a moment as he adjusted his hand. "As you wish."


The next morning was an early one for everybody, though particularly Joski. Having been in town long enough, he had found his own place to stay for free. That was to say, an old shrine entrance not far from the edge of town that once served as a guard outpost. Still habitable thanks to the typically dry land of Haven, though didn't do much for those cold nights. As such, Joski found his early morning exercise in returning to the village proper and finding a nestling spot just outside the Inn where he could watch carefully. Fortunately for him, the spot he picked on a neighboring roof offered him a view of at least one of his brothers. Yami. "Sleepyhead," Joski thought to himself. Yami never was an early riser, which meant travel with him typically started well after the sun had risen for the day. A small measure of amusement crossed Joski as he considered the fate of Satoshi and Tokito having had to travel such a distance. Did they get frustrated with him? Did they squabble like they use to? These were just a couple of the questions that were added to the ever-growing list that had made sleep particularly difficult for him last night. It was not as though he thought he might be unwelcomed to approach them, but he wanted to do so when they were all together. And as he spotted Tokito exit the Inn and make his way down the street, Joski knew that might take a little time. But time was something he had in abundance.

He had managed to keep his distance from the youngest brother. Tokito seemed to be charged with the shopping, and thus did Joski find himself tailing someone through the early morning market. He'd observe the choice of the young lad, idly curious as to if the boy had even thought to see what sort of person he might be taking on the job for. Did he care? Was that the reason they had all come, because they were seeking to extend their wealth? Whatever the reason, it seemed each of the brothers had at least grown enough to take on their own jobs as Joski swapped the target of his stalking once Tokito departed from the market. Having caught sight of Satoshi making his way towards the village entrance, Joski fell into the step of a new path like he was dancing from one thread to the next, never missing a beat. The kimono-clad redhead was the oldest of the group. Joski remembered well meeting the older boy- he was often serious but when it was just the group of them, he had a sort of charm to him that made it easy to relax. More than just being the older brother, Satoshi played a much more important role; he kept their spirits high.

For a time, Joski stood on the village wall as he reflected on his memories of Satoshi for whom he remembered the most of any of the other brothers. He watched as Satoshi vanished into the thicket of trees in the direction of a local thug camp that Joski had come to avoid. Truth be told, he hated those thugs. Bandits. The worst sort of people. It seemed someone that cared enough to do something about them had finally come to town. Unlucky for the bandits.

It wasn't until the two mission-bound ninjas had returned to the Inn that Joski would make his way in shortly behind them like a shadow. It was easy to be a shade when others aren't certain what they were looking for, and it was only just shortly before the trio sat down at the table that Joski would enter the Inn. Finally. Taking a moment to gather himself, he would approach the table just as Yami was unrolling a map mentioning that they had much to discuss. Without ceremony, greeting, or gran reveal, Joski would simply snag a spare chair from a nearby table he passed on the way to the rest of the orphans and plopped it down in an unoccupied space before sinking into his seat.

No doubt the eyes of the table would each turn to him as they likely hadn't been expecting another person to just help themselves to a seat at their table. It had been some time since they had all seen each other- or more accurately, any of them had seen Joski. Still, he would meet each of their gazes in the search for that recognition, which was then met with a small smile and a lift of his hand. Casual as can be, as though he had been traveling with them the whole time. "Hey fellas." He'd offer quietly. "What are we discussing?"

WC - 1,319

Tokito walked to the bench of the inn. A familiar hand touches his shoulder. Rough and callused, like those of a swordsman. He nods to his older brother and watches him take a seat. Tokito follows behind. The missions that they had been doing would surely help their cause.

“Heaven, the country where the roses are red, and the road is filled with cutthroats. Grimmer's tooth they call themselves or something like that. The gods these people love so much have forsaken this place, or perhaps it's that Kage from the capital. Either way, it's a miracle the outer walls are still standing-" A boy, he couldn’t have been much older than Toki. A year or two at best. But his hands were made holding cups of ale, not swords.

The orphan looks at the menu, written on a rigid sheet of paper. A step away from a plank of wood, if that. “The beans and sausage breakfast.” Tokito decides almost immediately and hands the menu to the sibling that reached for it first. Once they had all decided, he would call for the waiter, hand him over the menu and wait for his food to arrive.

When they were safely out of the waiter's earshot, a figure appeared and sank into the seat beside him. “We are looking for our missing brother. Have you seen him?" Tokito responds to the question they had on their lips. "He has me running around playing the role of an eager Genin to old ladies. As amusing as that is, a tough job to come by around these parts.  Once we find him, we are thinking of taking on higher contracts.” 

The plate Tokito ordered arrived. It has two slices of crispy bacon, a loaf of bread, and a chunk of butter on the left. In the middle of the plate, there is a smaller bowl of steaming red bean soup. On the right, hash browns, a fried egg with the yolk looking ready to burst. 

“Itadakimasu, I guess.” The boy warrior says and stabs the sausage with a fork. He dipped it in the red sauce of the bean soup then chomped down on it.

WC: 371
TWC: 1324

Their company was added to by that of their brother, Yami. He spoke with such pleasantries as he sat down with them. There was much for them to discuss and so they would do so over breakfast. Satoshi sitting at the table, he would order a cup of black coffee and a side of sunny side eggs with a piece of toast. He was never one for heavy meals, during the day or the night. “Yami, you’re up. Did you sleep well?” He would ask. 

It was then that his eyes would shoot towards a newcomer. “Joski?” He would say, tenderly. His brother, one of the four. They were all gathered in one place. It’s been some time since they were all capable of sitting before one another like this. Joski had a tendency of disappearing and reappearing whenever he so pleased. It was something that was somewhat frown upon by Satoshi, but he would not say that it didn’t come with its perks. Joski was the best when it came to infiltration and reconnaissance. Something that was both skillful and appreciated. 

“To what do we owe this pleasure to? You’re not really one for social visits.” He jest. He would gesture towards a seat for him to take as he looked to Yami. “Before we start, I want you inform you that I’ve seen to one of the villages problems, if not two if looked at correctly. A group of organized Mercenaries were causing some trouble with the locals…simply by existing. It made them uncomfortable. I deemed that as a unnecessary itch that we don’t have the luxury to scratch and spread. Simply put, they will no longer be of much concern to us and what we are planning during out time here.” He would then turn his gaze towards Toki and Joski. “What have you two been up to?” His coffee and meal was brought to him and he nods gratefully to the server. 

His coffee was bitter, no sugar added, but he was accustomed to that taste. It was more beneficial that way than to add those sweeteners and such that strips it of its properties. His eggs were delightful and his toast lightly jammed. It was perfect. 

[WC: 371]
[TWC: 2,386]

A yawn escaped his mouth, yet another sign or perhaps even proof of Yami's struggles when it came to waking up. "Sorry about that" he apologized for the display of poor table manners, the map still laying in front of him on the table as the brothers awaited the arrival of their breakfast. However, speaking of something, or in this case, someone finally showing up, the fourth of the River Orphans made his appearance as he came walking through the door and into the inn. "Joski, glad you were able to find us. Please, grab a seat" the ashen haired pointed at one of the chairs nearby.

His finger moved across the map as he took a bite of the piece of bacon he ordered before placing the meat back onto the plate. "Hm, good job. The less eyes on us the better" the Shinkou said in response to Satoshi's update. If anything it would be attention they could miss the most. The brothers had big dreams, all of which required the utmost precision and carefulness. Yami kept reminding them of the dangers of the outside world each and every single day, the orphans used to their lives back in River. All the more reason not to let their guard down and remain cautious at all times.

Once everyone had finished their meal Yami carefully removed the plates from the table, spreading out the map for everyone to see. Well, not everyone. In case a curious bystander attempted to have a look they would soon find a fork buried inside their socket, a small price to pay for ones curiosity. Or how the old man always used to say, don't stick your nose in someone else's business or it'll start to smell. Their teacher, or father figure depending on one's standards, had a way with words. Oh how he wished to see the look on his face when he realized all of the brothers had gathered in an inn.

Pointing at a specific location on the map the ashen haired spoke up once more. "This, is us. And here, is Hoshigakure" the Shinkou referred to the village in the Land of Haven where they currently resided. It would be his idea for them to pay a visit to the Stars, perhaps earn a bit of coin and find some new information while they were out there. And so he explained their plan and next course of action. "Knowledge is power". He finished by taking a sip of coffee before putting it down again. "Cold", he couldn't hide his smile after realizing he'd been taking his time to go over everything.

(WC: 440, TWC: 968)

Settling in at the table with the others was almost nostalgic- it was like he had just plopped down late for breakfast back at the camp, the others already having gotten their food before him despite him having been up a lot sooner than the lot of them. Tired eyes turned to Tokito as the kid had a plate of food put in front of him, the humorless expression at the mistaken lack of recognition playing over Joski's features much like the rest of the boy's sarcastic joke; it was a storm Joski had to weather many times before. Lifting a hand, Joski would snatch one of the crispy strips of bacon from the boy's plate and brings it back to himself as recompense for the lack of familiarity. "Little shit," Joski cursed quietly, biting into the meal portion he had captured. Deep hues of purple would turn to Satoshi and soften some, the familiar face receiving a nod from him before Joski flicked a bit of hair from his face, speaking more openly to the older brother. "Satoshi. Yami as well. It is good to see you both again. You are all very far from home, though it is good to see you have all decided to see what lay beyond the swampy borders of the Land of River. Whatever brought you up here, there is plenty for the three of you to see."

When the map was brought out, Joski would sit up taller in his chair and lean forward to take a look. The map of the brothers had far less marking than his own, but that might be expected from someone who treated the marking of his map almost like a ritual. Every new sight, every feature, every incomplete road he ran across was something he recorded and kept. Still, they had done well for themselves, even having identified one of the villages he was about to bring up. "There are two villages nearby, though Hoshigakure is much closer." His dull tone was ever-present as though he was bored, even when he was the one speaking. A lazy finger reached to point down into the Land of Wind, a massive geographical slice by any normal standards. "Sunagakure. Both villages get a lot of travel, so merchants and vagabonds showing up aren't out of the ordinary. Hoshi had a massive library-" he paused, motioning to Yami. "As you said, knowledge is power. I've heard tell that Sunagakure has some manner of technology that allows you to project yourself into another reality in order to practice combat. Both of these places have an interest to me, and I intend to stop by either of them before returning back east."

Standing from his chair, Joski would lean forward on the table they were using, planting both palms flat as he looked over his brothers one at a time. "I've spent some time in the area and made some contacts recently. I am getting some papers drawn up to have some credentials from the land of Tea. If any of you want an easy in to the city, feel free to accompany me. Otherwise, I'm ready to leave when you guys are." Just at that moment, a heavy hand would rest on Joski's shoulder from behind, calloused and marked with a mixture of age and labor. "On second thought, perhaps I will meet you guys on the edge of town," Joski would quip, his tone unchanging despite the alteration of circumstance. Always such a bother.

"Hey punk, you think you can just take our money over a game of cards and get away with it? I've seen your sorts. You might think yourself high and mighty, but you're just another sort of road thug!" It wasn't an insult Joski hadn't heard before, but the utterance brought his brows to an irritating point just above his nose. The man looked to be a seasoned laborer, white rag wrapped around his head and a pair of equally square buddies beside him made for an intimidating group. A small sigh escaped the young man's lips before he offered his brother an apologetic glance. In a flash of movement, a series of events took place: The chair behind Joski would shoot backward as he lifted his foot, hitting the man directly behind him with a chair directly to the groin, producing an "oof" and a release of his shoulder. A cup of hot liquid was tossed over Joski's left shoulder, splashing in the face of a side thug who had stepped forward to take a swing, only for the swing to go wide and strike another patron as he howled in pain from the tea. From there, it was only a matter of moments with some pushing and shoving before the entire place was in an uproar.

No table was safe as everyone got up. Some got into the fight proper while others did their best to try and quell all the fighting though to no avail; all the bodies did was add more chaos and noise to the mixture as chairs were knocked over and tables were upturned, food and drink clattering to the ground as a backdrop of angered staff began shouting in an attempt to calm everything down. An observant individual might notice amidst the chaos that a side window on the ground floor had been opened, and with all the bodies mashing together in a mosh of misguided rage and confusion, Joski was nowhere to be found.


On the outskirts of town, Joski had managed to find his way once he slipped from the tavern without anyone the wiser. He didn't like to leave his siblings in chaos like that, but they seemed to have grown. Each of them had taken to their sense of self since he had left. All of them except for Yami, who was still as reserved as ever, it seemed. Joski would spare each of them some consideration as he entered his encampment, moving aside the veil of leaves and ivy from the netting he had used to camouflage his sleeping ground. Certainly, it would have been easier to just stay in the town in the nice comfortable inn, but that also meant being in town, around all those people and the rest of that funny energy he couldn't quite put his finger on. Ever since Joski had departed from the Land of Rivers, he had chased down those strange sensations with a hope of finding some sort of answer as to what it could be, but thus far, nothing had presented itself.

"Yami had it right," he thought to himself. "Hoshi or Suna. Both of them have their advances, both had to have centers of knowledge. Of the two, the one with the library seemed the obvious choice." Reasoning with himself complete, Joski would proceed to pack up his meager campsite in the same practiced fashion he always had, storing everything away neatly and taking his time to do so. A poorly packed bag often meant losing out on walking distance. Once he had everything secure and was set, he'd wrap his traveler's cloak around himself and his belongings before setting off to meet his siblings just outside the settlement. 

Arriving back at the crumbling wall of the settlement, Joski was greeted with the site of a group he was quite familiar with. A set of workers had been making efforts to rebuild the wall around the village in an effort to grant it a little more security- likely from the recent arrival of the group, Joski had witnessed his brother Satoshi confront earlier that day. Arriving from a strange direction outside of town might have drawn some strange looks if the workers hadn't already encountered Joski a number of times. Not to be confused with the group of roughnecks that he had tussled with not long ago. Nonetheless, a jeering smirk was offered to Joski as he came within view of the crew. "Hey, punk." One of the men called, though this tone lacked the malice the earlier one had held. This one was downright friendly, even. "You given any thought to joining the project?"

"I gave you two days of help." Joski countered the which a groan would be returned from the men. "You only ever paid me for one day. It is why I had to go take Hibiki's money from him in a game of cards; if you guys would have just paid me as you said, it wouldn't have had to come to a bar fight." The tone the young boy carried was nothing short of annoyed, his brow furrowing as he adjusted the pack on his shoulder and continued onward.
 
"Bah, the young should be the ones out here doing the work. You find yourself back around this way, we'll probably still need more help on the wall. You put in work like you did last time, you'll get paid. Promise!"

The man's promise was already passing in one ear and out of the other as Joski continued on his way, breaking from the workgroup and moving towards the gate of the small village.

WC - 1,527
TWC - 2,846

[Exit, Missions Complete]

WC Claims:

Mission Claims:

Before he could react to it, the wretched bastard was snatching the crispy bacon from his plate. "You've always been a better thief than a fighter," Tokito finished his sausage in three bites and wiped his greasy hands on a napkin. It was then that the discussion of their next destination was brought to the table, quite literally. Yami had a disinterested and sleepy expression on his face that all the cups in the world wouldn't fix. He pointed on the unrolled parchment, two locations of great importance. Sunagakure and Hoshigakure.

"People say that Sunagakure is the den of outlaws masquerading as a legal shinobi village. Heh, it sounds like the place that Satoshi over here would call home. But we know Father's rules on this." The Old Man of the River, that great bear of a man with a booming voice and hands as strong as sledgehammers. For him, family always came first. Missing-nin outside of their group could not be trusted. And they were never to put the key of their lives in their pockets. 

Knowledge is power, a saying that rang true in the hearts of the many. But not for Tokito Mikazuki. No, power was power. Joski claimed to have already done the groundwork, having reached into black market connections to find the permits that would allow them to enter Hoshigakure. "How solid are these documents, and for how long are they going to hold?" Tokito began asking, but his word abruptly stopped when he saw the knuckles on Joski's shoulder. 

The angry man looked like a bricklayer, a white rag wrapped around his head, and a pair of equally square coworkers beside him made for an intimidating group. "Glad to see your communication skills are put into good use." A small sigh escaped Joski's lips before offering Tokito a glance. It looked almost apologetic.

"Don't do it." The boy warrior muttered under his breath, but by then, it was too little too late.

A series of events took place in a flash of movement: The chair next to Tokito was shot backward with Joski's foot lift, smashing the victim to the groin, producing an "oof" and a release of his shoulder. A cup of hot liquid took flight, splashing a boiling rain in the face of a side thug who had stepped forward to take a swing. But now, with the thug howling in pain from the tea, it was a blind swing, and it was not Joski but another patron at the end. 

The pushing and shoving that followed caused an uproar in the inn. Tokito was rolling from punches when he last saw his brothers at the wooden bench. The sea of people fighting had washed him at the exit door of the inn. 

A drizzle and puddles were forming in the mud-caked street outside. The crowd was thinner there. A young girl, a waiter of the inn, was next to him. They exchanged glances momentarily, and both were ready to make their escape in different directions.

Someone reached up and grabbed her left wrist—a tall ragged man with a shaved head and a sunburnt face. “Please,” she started to say, but before she could finish, he'd yanked her bodily. The ground came up and knocked the breath from her as people backed away. Stunned, the girl rolled to her side and pushed herself onto one elbow.

"Just go; this isn't your problem." He told himself, and then Tokito saw the sword.

“There's the treacherous wench,” he said. “You were into the trick with that purple eye creep.” His head was bald as an orange, nose red, and peeling, but everyone in Falhalt knew that face and those pale green eyes. The most feared patron of the inn, some heavy hitter called Money. His great lean stomach and hairy chest were bare above the rope sash knotted about his waist.

“I'm going to start by cutting off your fingers.”

Someone was shouting for help. A patron edged forward, but only a step. One quick slash, and he was on his knees, blood running down his face. The Raider wiped his sword on his fur breeches. “Who's next?”

“I am.” Tokito leaped from the window and stood over her, the cold wind riffling through his black hair, both hands on his tall hardwood staff. He had stashed the rest of his weapons.

“Little Boy,” The man said, “bugger-off before I break your stick in two and stab you in the ass with-”

The boy fainted with one end of the staff, pulled it back, and whipped the other end about faster than anyone would have believed. Money staggered back into the mud, spitting blood and broken teeth from the ruin of his mouth. Tokito put the girl behind him. Money slashed at his face. The boy jerked back, cat-quick. The staff thumped the Grimma's ribs, sending him reeling. Tokito splashed sideways, parried a looping cut, danced away from a second, checked a third mid-swing.

The moves were so fast the average eye could hardly follow. The girl tried to get back to her feet when she heard the crack. She thought Tokito's staff had snapped until she saw the jagged bone jutting from the Bandit's calf. The Grimma Captain twisted and lunged as he fell, pointing straight at the boy's chest.

The River Orphan swept the blade aside almost contemptuously and smashed the other end of his staff against the big man's temple. He went sprawling, blood bubbling from his mouth as he rolled in the mud. A moment later, the wave of patrons washed over him too, stones and angry fists rising and falling in a frenzy.

The girl turned away, sickened. "He would have killed you." Tokito walked towards her and offered a hand to get her back to her feet. But she seemed more frightened now than when it had been happening—frightened of Tokito.

"If we wanted the applause, we would have joined the circus." He thought disappointed and went into the stables where he had stashed his weapons. The noise of the fighting muffled behind him. Once he was geared up, Tokito made his way to the unguarded walls of the settlement.


A crew of builders had built a wooden scaffold in the shadow of old unguarded walls. The workers were coming and going, carrying them on their backs. A flock of sparrows flew higher than the treetops, distracting one worker. As he lifted their gaze to meet them, he dropped half a dozen bricks a few meters away from where Toki was standing. 

"You moron, you almost killed the kid!" The foreman yelled. He had a belly like a keg of ale and stubble that screamed for a shave. "Clean this mess." And the worker obliged. The foreman walked to Tokito to check on him. "An injury on a young kid might have cost him a fortune. " Tokito was no fool, and he knew men did not do things out of the goodness of their hearts. 

"Are you all right?" Tokito nodded in affirmation. "Apologies for that. Workers are on edge lately. The Wall repairs have been taking a while to finish. That damnable Grima Group has been causing problems for us, trying to shake us down for money. We drove him away last time around, but everyone is afraid he'll come back. And the fact that they see him regularly at the inn doesn't help either." The man realized he was venting frustration to a total stranger and a boy at that. "Ah, me and my big mouth."

"Was his name Money? The guy from the wanted posters?"
"Yeah, that loud fuck. I put it up a while ago, but nobody has dared to face him yet."
Tokito's lips formed to what looked like a smile. "In that case, good sir, I fear you owe me some money."

It was half an hour that news of what happened in the inn reached the wall. How the Raider named Money wouldn't be bothering anyone for a while after a child that fit Tokito's description beat him with a stick. The River Orphan hadn't seen anyone happier than to part with a stack of ryo. The news that the Grimma Raider wouldn't be bothering him anymore had opened the Foreman's appetite. And the mercenary services of the River Orphan would once again be required by this employer.

"My sister is getting married tomorrow. I can't say I like that skinny fuck that she took for her husband. But the big brother provides the dowery in these parts. I want you to deliver this to her for me; she lives at the edge of town."

"You are always this trusting of outsiders, sire?"

The brow of the foreman narrowed down to what uncomfortably looked like a frown.
"I can't exactly leave the site and my crew. Well, guys with this amount of money get real stupid real fast. I'll take my risk with you."A fourteen-year-old capable of beating a grown adult as big as an aurochs, delivery should be simple enough. Well, Tokito had half a mind of robbing him, but that was against their Father's teachings. Rules that's what separate us from the animals.

Placing the wooden box that contained the dowery in his backpack, he began to leap from rooftop to rooftop until he reached the other part of town that the bride-to-be was. Usually, he'd travel there by foot, but he felt that after the recent events of the inn, he'd better avoid the main streets.

The house was made of timber and stone—the bride answered the doorbell. Toki had expected the female version of the hairy foreman, but instead. "Hello!" The lady was lean and beautiful, with golden locks of hair falling past her thin shoulders. Perhaps they were adopted, similar to Toki. When she handed the drawer, and the bride smiled in excitement. She tipped Tokito bravely, adding something extra to the reward for the delivery services that the foreman had prepaid.

Marriage was something the young boy warrior failed to understand. He didn't see himself growing to adulthood anyway. In this life, death knocked on the door for people all but daily. There are old sellswords and bold sellswords; there are no old, bold sellswords.

Once they were all gathered, Tokito would take the long walk towards their next destination without uttering a word.

Hoshi was said to be as large as two cities combined. And that turned out to be true. Like her sister cities, she was built of brick, but Hoshi was made with bricks of brilliant white colors, unlike the regular brick wall that surrounded Falhalt. Her walls were higher than and in better repair, studded with bastions, and anchored by great defensive towers at every angle. Behind them, massive against the sky, the top of the Great Palace could be seen, a monstrous thing a hundred feet tall with a towering bronze dragon at its top.

"A dragon is a scary thing." Tokito mused. "Armored in scales, no wonder her people hid behind the walls." But their heroes did not hide. They rode out the city gates to defeat their enemies, or so the singers said.


WC: 1868
TWC: 3192