And So It Begins

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The next morning the damp and mossy lush forests with they're ancient trees and thriving canopy of lichen on the barks of the rich and dark trees above down to the mushroom and countless little medleys of shrubs that ruled the dark and fertile mossy grounds below were heavily clouded with rolling thick misty gray fog so dense with moisture that everything was sparkling with minut droplets that shine almost like snowflakes lit by the morning sun but only small fragments of light broke through the thick dark clouds and mist.

Leaving its flourishing green mossy covered Ōshirabisosawara, cypress, tsuga, sugi, kohauchiwakaede, hemlock and sakura trees and clear emerald pools filled with croaking toads shrouded in cold wet shadow leaving the only other sounds to be heard the echo of the morning birds and the sounds of the usually serene lake coming alive as the fish rapidly came and laped at the surface as to make use of all the insects that came out along with the misty air.

Yet behind the heavily shrouded by moss dark thick oak walls and stone carved caps and walls of the forbidden village the streets are alive just as always for its inhabitants are far too used to the mist that comes this time of year.

The children find it too cold to run into the streets and play so they gather around the fronts of their houses playing tag with their dogs or playing small neighborhood games such as random Hanetsuki duals with cherries and old pinecones that their Dansei no hahaoya's gave them from sweeping the porches.

The older men were at their fishing boats preparing to take advantage of the active fish while the Shiyūdōtai were simply happy to take a break from all the laundry washing while they helped to prepare the village for the summer season at the soon coming end of spring and making offerings of finely weaved cloth and rice wine they had brewed during the winter to the forest kami at the temple house or gathering the herbs needed to help build protective seals around the village to ward off demons and evil kami.

The only place that was not in use in the temple house was the banquet space that was completely closed down for purification by the daimyō Kiyon Kie all though a curious young boy or two poked their head in hoping to be able to watch him use his magic.

Gen rested leaned against the wall chewing on a rice cake as he watched his younger cousin pull his dark maroon kimono down until it was hanging by his elbows allowing his myriad of spirit mark tattoos to show.

Kiyon brought his hands into a sacred position and his eyes lit up with bright fiery light so bright and even burned through the mist and his tattoos lit up like burning flesh and released different spells from his blood to cast out the dark spirit that was made by someone to leave the poison in Suurin's water.

Soon a bunch of boxes lit up into blue flames and the loud painful agitated screams of a hiding demon echoed through the temple courtyard and halls.

It burst out from the crates with its tentacles mangled and twitching as it attempted to charge at the young man only for him to run at it swiftly after unsheathing his katana, jumping high into the air with his kimono being pulled taut by the wind as he held his blade firmly at his side with both hands and used his own weight to force it down into the monsters third eye.

It made blood curdling cackling screeches as it shriveled away in fear and agony wrapping its tentacles around its bleeding eye then as he landed a few feet away steadily on his feet the beast began to hiss in anger and charge back faster and baring black fangs full of poison.

No doubt the same poison that was meant to kill Suurin but since it planned to inject him directly there was no doubt that its effects would be made more potent however the young man did not intend to be defeated so easily.

As it charged back once more he jumped high in the air this time dodging to the other side spinning for a moment in the air landing again on his feet this time with his blade held out in front of him in defensive position.

Seeing this the creature charged at him even faster reaching all of its tentacles out to grab him exactly what he wanted, he jumped onto the tentacles and used them to race closer to the beast's head to then jump higher and face his sword downwards landing with the sword plunged deep into its head pulling it apart and slicing it apart as he used his own weight to pull him in the sword down to the ground again.

The monster then fell in half and melted into black pus on the ground which Kiyon then lit on fire with a torch burning away all traces of it from the temple grounds.

He then refasten his robe over his body covering his now scarred and sometimes bleeding tattoos from the cold wind that made them sore.

After releasing spells from his tattoos they always broke out like that it made fighting painful for all those like him but it didn't matter to him it never had it was simply his job to do.

Gen then walks over beside him

"This thing was obviously summoned by somebody with ill will towards your marriage!"

"Yes that much is evident however I'm not sure who it could be so until then I want limited contact for him understand!?"

"Him?"

Gen cocks his brow and Kiyon says nothing and simply looks at him knowing that his cousin was being coy about something

"you've never said your brides name out loud before don't tell me you don't know your own Bride's name!"

"of course I do you fool I simply saw no purpose and saying it!"

Gen falls to the ground laughing hysterically and at this Kiyon turns around and finds something else to distract himself from his cousin's obnoxious behavior making a point to show him that he's ignoring him entirely.

When he then notices after looking over to one of the doors leading to the inner corridors of the temple that a certain someone was awake and outside when he should be resting.

So he made his way up the steps to the balcony a bit irritated at the Shiyūdōtai's foolishness.

Upon seeing his approach Suurin attempts to address him with an honorable title and bow only to be interrupted.

"You go to bed!"

"...uh...yes but honorable husband Kiyon-"

"Do not address me as such a thing it is most unnecessary and gaudy! I'm not an old man! Now go to bed"

At this Suurin looks down blushing and starts to fidget with his kimono which greatly confuses Kiyon.

"what is it that you want then?"

"... I umm...I...-"

"You sound like a choking woodpecker just spit it out!"

"I...wish for a bath sense I am uncomfortable... but I do not know where I shall go!"

"Fine, I will take you to the bathhouse and not let you out of my sight! For I believe someone is after your life...and besides it would be a good opportunity to get you real clothes and not those rags!"

Suurin turns redder and just follows.