shadow practice(1573)

This is the story of Akeygmund scythe, when growing up in the city of scythe Akeygmund working with his parents on mountain farm with the slaves the family buys to maintain the farming operation with his family is in charge of everything agriculture but until one night Akeygmund saw his older brother stabbing his father. Akeygmund was about to leave then his saw him terrified ran from home and continued running until he was out of the city becoming tired then a kind eastern girl came up to he asking if happen but did not answer so she brought him to camp to give safe place introducing herself as Akafuku Haruhime than five man three women all came into the camp speaking a language which he was unfamiliar with as they all quickly packed up. Both Akeygmund and Akafuku with the other make a trip to docks and sailing to the eastern country of Nihon where he grew up learning of the way shinobi after completing his training Haruhime asked permission to establish dojo in malhen with her wish granted the two set out to find a suitable location as he an idea on how to find one then one of the folks at the at the docks came up to if they were thief with akeygmund responding yes. Looking relieved explaining that he trying to establish crane family as dominant owner of market district and offer up immense wealth after the campaign then asked them to steal the spell books from the aslmlslwl library as the sugarcane family is going to play dirty to still in power so Haruhime get to making the plan to sneak into the library but it seems like they forgot to bring weapons. Akeygmund notify her that ok as long as they go thought the scythe district to collect farming equipment first using then go to a jailhouse to grab some chain after some time finalizing the plan they get to traveling on what was once a dirt road now a brick road but upon approaching the scythe gate something seemed odd it was closed off during the day with an old sign that read 'gate stuck wait until repairs' they set up camp near the road.

Before nightfall Haruhime applied a face mask to make her face look malhen then night blue sky came Akeygmund throw grappling hook over the wall but as the climb the more they noticed there were no guards on this wall, finding it strange that little bird would not do basic necessities but upon checking what was wrong with the door but was disappointed by the laziness of the architect instead of removing statue of a farmer that sits on otherside. Upon inspecting the statue it move upright and press against block it with the top of gate smoothing out to remove evidence that it fell over then a drunk man saw them asking why the outfits wheir the same and blue before the man walked away Akeygmund knock him out then throw into the man-made river flowing thought the four district ensuring he drowns after making it to his mansion climb ups to his old room to find it now a display room for framing equipment created by the family. Haruhime impressed by the quality asking Akeygmund on how his family responding with 'I had no idea that they were capable of such feats' then the two start stealing the equipment then locates the nearest jailhouse knocking out the guards and taking the chains and attaching it to the equipment to make a suitable weapon. Akeygmund see an open window on alll godhall which is the library is house in with Haruhime pointing out that whoever was sleeping left to do something when they entered the hallway a sound can be heard thinking it's maybe one of the alll family members Haruhime got a white egg ready to throw then the person walking was revealed themselves quickly throw at their face seeing that a little girl was present with Akeygmund asking where it the library. Haruhime ask the girl what her name was she answered with Athemot alll after Akeygmund commenting on why this family act like gods Athemot answered him with that the alll family are self-centered power drunk and control all information that doesn't benefit them when they got to the library then tells Athemot got to go back to sleep but when she turns sixteen join the dojo.

Upon entering the library Haruhime ran to statue of sandena origins curious about how the family got one because sandena people as not the nicest to negotiate with, Akeygmund goes through the books finding a book on the geography of malhen taking it but was unable it find the spell books with Haruhime suspecting that a secret room is at play so they split up to increase the chances of finding. Akeygmund checking the bookshelves for anything unusual but was unable to find anything out of the ordinary hoping Haruhime found something after looking at furniture again nothing out of the ordinary then what to statues and noticed something odd about them like the heads can be removed Akeygmund suggesting that maybe placing the heads on different statue would open a secret passage after switching the heads around one opened up. After entering the passage it close up upon stepping foot in the room containing the six books that Akeygmund look at with fear as the books were only seen and heard of in myths and legends but to think that they were real frightened the two immediately putting charms on them with Haruhime putting a charm in the bag before packing the books and leaving through a window in the top but when they made it to the roof of resident but a fortune teller appear to be waiting. Haruhime looking at her strange outfit with assortment of colour but primary purple in coloration with an outfit fashion in a way to allow the wearer to move quickly and comfortably but when fortune teller turned around, Akeygmund pointing out that she look like an elf from a childish story then Haruhime walked up to see what kind of makeup she used but she was silently appeared next to him.

The fortune teller explained why she waiting for them as there is an important task for the two as a box float to them with Akeygmund asking what in the box that so important along Haruhime looking confused on why she had chosen them over other thieves but was informed that a shinobi would get the job done better. Both shocked that she knew what they were, asking where do they deliver the box with the fortune teller telling them look at the box before disappearing Akeygmund look at the bottom of the box reading 'sugarcane family campaign' luckily it wasn't too far so the two jump from rooftop to rooftop then open a window to one of the bedrooms then looking at the box again reading 'hide it' with Haruhime spotting a hole in the wall where the box was placed then the hole filled itself up. After returning to camp to rest Haruhime looking back on why a fortune teller as there tales of them knowing everything about an individuals just by looking at them, in the morning they Akeygmund asked if Haruhime stills believe that the magic gems from sandena could still be out with her responding 'how do we know where the traitor is or what happened to them' but he ensures her that there was a clue back at the temple. Akeygmund show a map that the traitor drop back at Nihon Haruhime looks at it noting that it not far from little bird so she agrees on going to the location shown on the map with hope of the gems possibly being there then got on the horses ready and start the trip by cutting through the forest to spot a castle leaving the horses out of sight. The two got into their civilian clothing then continued on foot just for Haruhime noticing that the ring her mother gave started glowing the closer they got it glowed brighter but once in sight of other it stopped glowing upon entering to be greeted by a witch in purple robes with other in unusual styles in purple as will seemingly inspired by the fortune teller welcoming them to the castle gormott as they think her hospitality.

Akeygmund ask if there was a place to sleep with the witch then taking them back to her hut for the night after getting there the witch ask for their name Akeygmund give the answer of Gilcolm nav with Haruhime giving the answer of Ibat hadd then the witch introduces herself jonny wooh as time past Akeygmund chatting and having drinks with jonny. Haruhime taking this chance to sneak into the Castle though an upper window climbing to a room with a witch reading a book throwing a white egg at her face and asked where are the gems but Haruhime was surprised that she knew nothing about the gem then put on the witch clothing, wander around to find where ring glowed the strongest to find that it led to a small prison upon entering was able to tell that it wasn't in use for a long time. As she proceed through to one if the cells where the ring glowed the brightest but did not find them in an old bag or box of apples then looking at the wall thinking there probably was hidden compartment and there was but that's not where the gems were confused looked at the solid ground as the possible chance so feels the flood for an opening to find that it was sealed tight having to use a tool to open it. Upon opening the compartment it felt like the black material at the bottom was pulling hatch on top after laying the hatch away from the compartment picking up the gems and putting the hatch back on it like it gravitated to the black material then return to the witch from early put back on her clothing, returning to Akeygmund having showed jonny a good time with her laying in bed. The two sneak out to make it back to horses but six green minan where eating the horses after being spotted they climbed the trees leaving the area with the two confused on why they were green now going to the nearest town of old Aleyn to steal some horses and riding off to narsakej plains were they set up camp Akeygmund looking through the geography book for suitable location noting that the kingdom of norsu gke and villgod tree.

Haruhime asked about the people if the book had information on the culture with Akeygmund finding that norsu gke had an entry but the one for vilgod tree was torn out finding it strange assuming this is instance of controlling information the two set out for norsu gke in the morning picking up their belongings but after traveling for a while a group of six bandits riding up blocking their way then drawing out their straight swords with one drawing a Kriegsmesser. Both Akeygmund and Haruhime drawing out the chain and sickle with one of the bandits charged at Akeygmund, quickly wrapping the chain around the sword pulling the attacker into striking the heart and got back position as two more surround him dropping cow drops to control the movement of the bandits, using the shinobi claw to deflect the sword strikes then the other one join in as he throws a black egg to blind them tipping one of the bandits to land on a shuriken killing him, and putting up the straight sword finish off the last one. Three of bandits charged at Haruhime as she throws a black and glass eggs at three giving the chance to cut one of there heels then slitting his throat and back away quickly while throwing cow drops in front of her with straight sword stepping on them falling forward, as she uses straight point shuriken to quickly stab him in the throat then the final one having step on the cow drops, looking at Haruhime with his red eyes try to charged at her but fail as he too was killed on the spot. Quickly getting the fight over with the horses immediately ran to norsu gke as not risk more coming after making it they were greeted by a guard at the front gate asking they been in the norsu gke before as he never seen them with Akeygmund saying yes 'it our first time here' then the guard gave them a small book on events and festivities, Haruhime reading the book to see what is going on in norsu gke. After dropping off the horses the two writing the names Gilcolm and Ibat on the pick up list then looking for an inn While Haruhime was reading the book on norsu gke, Akeygmund asking the locals were there an inn at after getting directions there was a little boy that came up to the Akeygmund telling him that his father just open one with Haruhime curious about the newly opened inn so they took the kid on his offer.

When they arrived, realizing it was closer then the one mentioned before noticed that 45 out of 500 room where filled and Akeygmund thanked the boy with Haruhime picking the room once in there they start making a plan to scout out the kingdom for secret enough location for the clan during the night but during the day pretend to be the with the locals festivities then room service knocked. Akeygmund goes to open the door to find that a letter addressed to Gilcolm curious open it to be surprise by purple glowing paper but upon further inspection it the missing page of the geography book with Haruhime happy but confused to read about vilgod tree then as the page came in close range of the book it flow at it merging and filling in the missing page. After leaving their stuff at room decide to see what the festivities is about the two head out to the town square it find a performer bigger than an ordinary man more like gentle giant lifting heavy objects that normal size would lift, every cheering on Atlas as lift near impossible feats as the audience put objects on the platform he carrying to the finish point and put it down in front of him covered in sweat as the crowd claps as he handed a narwol to dry off. Haruhime asked to check if there were a tailor near buy with Akeygmund why then seeing the scarf ripped up in the fight earlier not willing risk the task tonight, looking at a map goes to the nearest tailor which was way away then a stranger introducing himself as nomyuyn musket who ask 'why for a eastern woman, must you have the face of the malhen people' with Haruhime telling him that her father was malhen as the mother was Nihon. Akeygmund stepping in informing nomyuyn that their heading to tailor to get the scarf fix then he gives money to her and ensuring it will be delivered after it done after nomyuyn walked away like he busy, Haruhime thanking he in confused manner so after arriving at the tailor with the owner asking if she was the scarf lady that the norsog of norsu gke mentioned.

When night was arriving the two waited to see if the scarf would be delivered after all then room service knocked arriving with the promised condition with a letter addressed to Ibat, Haruhime finding it funny that that if her mother found out nomyuyn was interested he wouldn't last the first test after got in the night suit and warping the scarf on their faces. Climbing up the building on to the roof to get a view of the narshuf using it a reference as Akeygmund looking at the map while disgusting where'd to spit up but came to the conclusion that norsog has a way of knowing so they get to moving to the poor district with Akeygmund spitting the blind eyeballs so that both have five each and upon arriving at poor district noticing the narsog entered an abandoned chapel. Haruhime sensing a sinister aura around the narsog of norsu gke in which she decided to follow him if there were a secret passage in there with Akeygmund telling her to be careful as he goes to investigate the old abandoned meat house if it was suitable location before entering spot a cloaked figure approaching with caution now curious follow it until group also in cloaked making a deal of some kind. After made it back to the meat house to start looking around but hear a sound coming from behind but saw nothing of the ordinary but after returning back into his original position waits until what was making the sound to get in range as the attacker was about to strike Akeygmund and turned around quickly using two straight point shuriken causing it to balance but no blood on coming out and quickly using a blind eyeball. stumbling back it hood fall off revealing a skull tentacles holding the jaw in place the eyes glowing dark yellow immediately put the hooded back on then extending it eyes looking for him but couldn't see Akeygmund even if looking in his direction after a bit left but now realizing what he's dealing with is now heavily worried about Haruhime well being and climb up some to enter from a hole on the roof of the meat house quietly.

Haruhime before entering through a window using a blind eyeball to sneak on how the narsog finds a secret passage in abandoned chapel paying close attention as he chanted words of unknown origins to open a passageway disguised as a god of sorts after narsog entered waited a bit to enter as not arouse suspicion. When she got down to look at the statue of an unknown god maybe a part of the culture of norsu gke perhaps but is unsure then repeat the chant but images of primitive people blasted in her head blacking out for a few seconds and snapping back confused, continued on to the passageway through some stairs to find a new looking church with a town that appears to have been built in the past but no one was in the town. Out of the corner of her eye saw a shadow walking passed the window of church hoping it the narsog goes to investigate the church but going inside show nothing but a statue of unknown god and was wondering if it was ghost then exiting hoping to find footprints that may lead to the narsog then saw a hooded figure wearing a similar pattern to the narsog so followed it. After a while of walking saw it was going to a cave with drawings depicting some kind of war on the outside then upon entering more drawings depicting the culture of primitive people then hooded figure stopped put out it musket loud it with poison powder moving away to the sides of the wall as the hooded figure turns around shooting it but see it hit nothing with eyes attached to tentacles looking around as it knew somebody was there. Now proceeding with caution and following deeper as the hooded figure walking fasting heading into a narrow hallway exit then the hooded figure turned in inhuman speeds lunging in the direction of Haruhime but only narrowly dodging as a hidden blade cut the left lower leg causing her to lose balanced with blood now staining the spot make it visible.

Akeygmund entering through the hole in the roof but a foul smell polluting the air around the meat house as rotten meal from pigs, horses, and sheep hanging on hooks then a sound of glass breaking alert him, walking slowly to find what made it and the hooded figure was looking around for it pray as one of the pigs drop form a rusty hook it is seen running at inhuman speed stabbing and slashing until it was no longer recognizable. Now terrified walking slower as not to be heard but flood creaks when being walked on, quickly grabbing object and throwing it at the stairs leading to the first floor as the hooded figure rushing down with an ear piercing scream then Akeygmund gone down the stairs quietly to see that the hooded figure cutting and throwing pieces of meat in random directions as it claws away at tables, chairs, and shelves an eldritch manner. As he started carefully walking through the mess it made spotting a door broken through an unknown manner but assumed somebody try to opening and got killed then grabbing lose piece of the door throwing it at a window with the hooded figure running to a door, taking this chance goes through the door leading to a basement with a hole in the wall, wondering where it leads then noticed paintings on the sides. Upon going in the tunnel Akeygmund pick up a torch to get a better look at the paintings depicting a tribe going to war then later unifying to defeating one of the army and building a wooden castle but the curious part comes as it shows three tribes peacefully leaving to coexist with the invaders, a town made of tribal methods as he got closer spirits start becoming visible than one in flesh and blood walked up to Akeygmund giving him a golden figure. Then starts to feel dizzy blacking out and finding himself in a room with a statue of a warrior but upon getting up his body starts moving on it own walking to a goedendag then goes outside then strike the narsog on the back of the head knocking he out and going to the nearest statue swinging at the legs breaking them with the statue falling on the narsog head crushing it. After that start running from temple as saw a group of hooded figures running at Akeygmund worried that whoever is using his body may not be able to fight them off then one slash from the sides the spirit took advantage of the inability to see him as spirit using his agility to create confusing pattern which caused them to attack each other and finish off the last one by breaking skull killing it with one hit.

Haruhime move back as the hooded figures was about to strike again it then suddenly stopped as it gets yanked back and the skull crushed, Haruhime looks up to see Akeygmund who drops the goedendag to pick her up and running to safely to uses crystal powder to the bleeding but noticed Akeygmund face did not match. Then the two what to where Haruhime first enter and chanted the words again as she black out once more and snapping back on rooftop with Akeygmund regaining control of his body once on the rooftop but when Haruhime looked up to him and noticed that her eyes are now yellow, going back to the inn to rest but in Haruhime sleep she started talking in a language unknown to the both of them waking up Akeygmund. In the morning after packing up and nomyuyn is that at the exit with box for Haruhime then thinking him and arriving at the horse service retrieving their horses and now traveling to vilgod tree, Akeygmund start asking about Haruhime eyes and why her are now yellow but can't give an answer why as whenever she chanted the words images of primitive would flood her head but when toll about the sleep talking she got confused and scared. After walking through narsakej plains for some time Akeygmund noticed when dawn hit, Haruhime eye glow yellow as it got darker her eye glow brighter then ask if felt anything strange as she responds with 'im able to see better at night and can now hear unusually better too' upon setting up camp and go to sleep but later that night heard what maybe a bandits turning to look as he saw glowing yellow with dead body setting in front. When waking up he what to look at the body upon turning it over saw some generic knives possibly for killing looting then Haruhime wake up and saw the body ask if Akeygmund prevented his move with him responding yes, packing to finally make to vilgod tree as their travels come to a close a familiar figure came in site it was the fortune teller from little bird floating off the while using purple leaves to create a welcoming painting.

When they got to the entrance of the forest the fortune teller was happy to see them again as the spell book floating to her then informed them that the customer forgot to give them delivery point and will deliver the book before Akeygmund could ask the fortune teller a question she vanished within purple mist. Upon entering the vilgod tree, they found that the locals where smaller than a malhen and spoke a different dialect of malhen finding it to talk with them but somehow manage to convince the people to go see the chief then negotiating about putting a dojo in vilgod tree and succeeding.

Translations

Narwol = towel

Norsog = prince/princess

Narsog = king/queen

Narshuf = castle