**
After Kaze ran off in such an obvious hurry, Johnathon wondered why he took off like that. He sniffed the air and realized that there was a rather heavy smoke smell drifting by. He wondered why he hadn't noticed it till now. Remembering what Kaze had said earlier, Johnathon believed Kaze was heading back to his dojo to see what was wrong.
"He must have gone to see what was happening at his sensei's dojo." Johnathon thought for just a moment. "I'm going to head there, the dojo can't be far with this much smoke in the air. You coming with me Shanshalya?" Johnathon started to head in the direction that the smoke was coming from.
"Yes, I'm coming...” Shanshalya followed the young man towards the ever-thickening smell of smoke. "I hope nothing too bad is happening, I don't remember if I packed anything that's good for burns - oh, wait...” She stopped for a moment and knelt beside the path, pulling a few leaves off an innocuous- looking plant that was growing there. "Not perfect, but good enough for first aid...” She stood up again and went with Johnathon to discover the source of the smoke.
The smoke had been getting lighter, indicating that whatever it was that had been burning either had, or nearly stopped. The smell from the smoke was still strong through, and was still getting stronger. "We must be getting close now." No sooner had he said that than they come out of the forest and into an open space with a building near the middle. Seeing some very light smoke coming out of one of the windows, he figured this is where they had been walking to. "Kaze! You in there? Are you okay?" Johnathon yelled out. Only because he didn't want to go running into a building he didn't know anything about. Standing out front of one of the doors, he waited to see if anyone came out.
A loud hacking cough was the answer, as a short Asian man, balding though he had wild hair on the sides, and tiny spectacles resting on the bridge of his nose. He was shouting and cursing between coughs, and didn't look too happy. Moments later, Kaze appeared, squinting and holding a large blackened pan with a pair of oven mitts.
"Sorry sensei... This is all that was left."
Miyamoto glared at Kaze, then grabbed a nearby bamboo stick. "Put that thing in garbage! No use now!" Then he thwapped Kaze on the side of the head with the stick. "Ow!" the younger man yelped, then nearly dropped the pan.
"Geez..." he said, rubbing the side of his head. He blinked, and looked around. For the first time, he noticed his new friends were standing there. Johnathon seemed more disgusted by the charred bird in the pan, and Shanshalya was giving Roshi a funny look that he couldn't quite discern.
"Hi guys!" he said, cheering up. "Glad you could find the place...Don't worry, only thing burnt was Mr. Leghorn."
Roshi glared at him again. "I told you to quit naming poultry... Is food, not pet."
Kaze gave him a sheepish grin. "Eh heh… Master, these are my new friends, Shanshalya and Johnathon. I met them on the way back from the trading post."
"So THAT'S what took you so long… Hmph. Lazy bum spend more time making friends than making sure food turn out right… I should let you starve. But! Roshi not feel like starving himself tonight. I fix dinner… again... And DON'T make me hunt you down for help!" the old man said, waving his bamboo stick at Kaze. And without another word, the crazy old fart turned back and went into the dojo.
"Sorry, guys..." Kaze apologized. "He's not normally that grumpy. He's just a little... overzealous about his food."
Johnathon wasn't sure what to think. The few fighters he had talked to had only praise for their sensei. But from what he had seen so far, He didn't think he would be praising this guy. Though Kaze said he was upset about the food. Johnathon did have to stifle a laugh at the site of Kaze in oven mitts though; it just didn't look like him. Regaining his composure as quick as he could, Johnathon let out a light cough. "It wasn't hard to find this place, all we had to do was follow the smoke. And I'm glad that nothing besides "Mr. Leghorn" was burnt. Is the dojo clear enough to go inside Kaze?" He asked.
Kaze looked back into the dojo as he removed his mitts. "Yeah, pretty much." he answered. "Most of the smoke went out the windows."
"That's a relief," Shanshalya said, still giving Kaze's sensei an odd look. What a strange little man - and with that terrible accent... "May we come in?"
"Uhhh... sure, sure." came the reply, along with a smile. "It's nothing elaborate, but it's home." Kaze glanced at the large step up to the dojo porch and entrance. "Here." he said, bending down and offering Shanshalya a hand. He wasn't sure if she'd take it, but it was at least worthwhile exhibiting SOME amount of decency and courtesy...even though these practices didn't exactly feel instictual to him. He'd gotten these feelings often. Perhaps before losing his memory, he was a rude person of some sort... whether arrogant or just cold, he had no idea. But, he'd just operate on the pretense that losing his memory was a blessing… some sort of second chance... even though he often felt many a dark demon breathing down the back of his neck.
Shanshalya took Kaze's hand graciously. "Thanks - I'm sorry to have imposed on you so much, I promise I'll only be a few minutes." She climbed up the steps and walked into the dojo, wrinkling her nose at the lingering smell of the burned chicken. She slung her bag down on the floor and sat down beside it, digging through it to find one of her spare shirts. She pulled one out and stood up; belatedly, she realized that Kaze's sensei was still in the room. She blushed. "Um -excuse me - Master Roshi? I - need to change my shirt, so could you -um - that is, is there another room that I could use?"
Roshi, having not noticed her previously... certainly did now. Upon turning around, his grouchy ol' Asian man persona changed... His eyes seemed to bug beneath his tiny spectacles, his fingers twitched, his face seemed to redden... and an unmistakable lecherous grin spread over his face, as he let out a small laugh.
And like magic, his grumpy mask was back on, with a bit of that grin hanging still upon his face...
"Certainly, miss..." he coughed, making his way into the next room.
The dirty old pervert then strode directly over to the nearby wall, and silently removed a cork. He stuck his right eye to the wall, and gazed through. Kaze's new acquaintance sure was attractive enough... he though. 'I wonder what her breasts look...'
"Sensei!" he heard a sharp, quiet voice hiss.
Miyamoto nearly jumped out of his skin. He shot to his feet, and instantly went into his little "mood" again. "I was doing nothing!" Roshi declared. "Found a hole in the wall that needs fixing. That all. BRING me my putty, Kaze."
Begrudgingly, the younger student obeyed. Moments later, he returned with the cup of hole-stopping putting in his hands. "I'LL fix this one." he said, bending down towards the hole.
Roshi's face fell, and he cursed to himself. He left that room, too, and went into the kitchen.
Walking up the stairs into the dojo, Johnathon wasn't sure what to expect, sensing that Kaze & his sensei aren't your average people. Yet, upon entering, saw that at least this building seemed normal. At least compared to what he thought it would look like. A main room that seemed to house the main things in the dojo, a sparing area with the kitchen off to the side. A few doors here and there meant side rooms, either for guests or storage, maybe both. Shanshalya had pulled a shirt out of her bag and walked into a different room. Johnathon walked up to the mat on the floor and looked at it. He continued to look at it, looking like he was daydreaming. "Maybe Kaze's sensei knows something about it." He muttered softly.
Shanshalya pulled off her ragged shirt with a sigh of relief and stretched out her wings. Maybe keeping them hidden was handy, but they did get a little cramped... She gave them a quick once-over to check for damaged or out-of-place feathers, flexed them once or twice, and caught sight of a small hole in the wall. Her eyes grew huge, and she wrapped her wings around herself protectively. It's just a little hole, she reassured herself, and there isn't anybody - but the way that Kaze's sensei looked... Her wings twitched, but she kept them firmly folded over herself and knocked on the wall.
Kaze, the poor sap that he is, was just starting to apply the putty that Roshi had given him. The knock from the other side of the wall made his blood freeze. 'Hooolyyyy shazz...' he panicked to himself. He had been set up. He sat quiet... perfectly still. And then, he noticed a fatal error… His finger was still visible through the hole. Flesh and bone proof that someone was on the other side of the wall. Kaze, though, was just gonna have to sit there. Sit and hope she'd go back to doing what she was... But then what? He'd finish puttying the hole, and she could come through and see him messing with it! THEN he'd be in deep sheiss indeed... So, in the fog of Kaze's mind, he knew to do only one thing... He stood up, and tried to walk off. But, that wasn't the end of that, no. He failed to see a small, bent plank in front of him as he began walking... And he fell flat on his face. "Agh!" he yelped in surprise. He fell full force onto the floor, and just gave up all together. He took off at full speed into the other room, after Miyamoto.
Remembering at the last moment to pull on the fresh shirt, Shanshalya dashed out of the room and into the next one. "All right, who -" It was empty. There were, however, telltale signs that SOMEONE had been there, and Shanshalya tried the next room. Lucky strike - there were both Kaze and his sensei, Kaze with an embarrassed expression and a squashed nose. Shanshalya took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. "Did - did either of you know there was a - a hole in the wall of that room?" Despite herself, she blushed, and her wings twitched nervously; she hadn't taken the time to properly bind them, and they stretched the shirt's fabric almost to the tearing point.
Johnathon blinked. He had heard a crashing sound, which has snapped him out of his daze. At almost the same time, Kaze had let out a yelp. Moments later, Shanshalya had come out of her room red faced and looking mad. He walked into the same room that Shanshalya had run into, finding nothing but a putty jar. But the near yelling in the very next room told him where she was. Following the sound, he walks into the room behind Shanshalya, almost running into her. Easily seeing that something was stretching her shirt, but he didn't know what. And besides that, she was upset over something. "What's wrong Shanshalya?" He asked.
It was about time that dirty ol' Roshi got a look on his face... a wide grin... But not the lecherous grin from before. This was a sly fox grin. And as soon as it had appeared, it disappeared.
"HE did it!" Miyamoto announced, pointing a crooked old finger at his student. His aged Asian face was very good at hiding any sign of treachery or lying... He looked about as serious as they came.
"What?!" Kaze snapped.
"You the one with busted nose, not Roshi!" he said matter-of-factly. "You also the one who come RUNNING into room, nearly give Roshi a heart attack!"
Kaze, bright red face and all, was speechless. Well, for all of 2 seconds. "You old fart! You set me up!!"
"Not so." said Roshi, closing his eyes, crossing his arms, and turning away sullenly. "Roshi find hole, and tell you to get putty. YOU the one who sound TOO EAGER to fix hole. Roshi could fix it himself, but nooo..."
Shanshalya had seen the sensei's grin and didn't believe his story for a moment. She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot. To Johnathon, she said, "I was changing my shirt so that I wouldn't stand out in the trading post, and I found a hole in the wall!" She turned back to Roshi and Kaze, not realizing that the tops of her wings were now sticking out of her shirt. "And I heard one of you on the other side of the wall, too! Now, be honest, or - well - my brother taught me some useful knife-fighting tricks..." Deftly, she produced her little dagger from its customary sheath in her boots.
Roshi cocked an eye at the young, angry-looking girl. "Or you WHAT?" he stated, rather than asked, not in the least bit scared of her weaponry.
Johnathon couldn't believe what he was hearing. He didn't know by the facts if it was Kaze or Roshi, but his gut, as well as Shanshalya, told him it was Roshi. But whoever it was, definatly didn't have much of an ethics code. The sound of Shanshalya unsheathing her knife told him that this could get ugly real fast. Now noticing that what was stretching Shanshalya's shirts were wings, though it didn't really matter much to him. Looking around for ideas, Johnathon noticed that the nearby oven had been left open, and an idea formed in his head. 'If this gets too out of hand, I'll just cause a little distraction. But first things first, lets try to calm this down a bit.' He thought. "Come on Shanshalya, put the knife back. Even if Roshi is sick, he is still a martial arts expert and could PROBABLY take that knife away real quick." He said, hoping that it would sink in.
She kept glaring at the old man. "Only if he apologizes first!"
Roshi's right eye started to twitch. "Apologize? Roshi apologize in his own dojo? Ha! Roshi do nothing!"
"Sensei..." Kaze prompted, crossing his arms.
"Don't give me that look!" Roshi said to Kaze. "I give you home, food, even name! Don't you backtalk Roshi!"
"Gomen, sensei..." Kaze responded quietly, bowing toward the older man.
'He just had to bring that up, didn't he?' the young warrior thought bitterly. He hated being reminded of that…
Roshi snorted. "Don't be big baby. Roshi sorry." 'That Roshi not get good view of bird girl's bod...' he mentally added.
"See Shanshalya, he said he was sorry. You can put the knife away now." Johnathon said, though not fully believing Roshi's apology. 'He's probably only sorry that he got caught.' He thought. He had been focusing on getting ready to make his distraction if it had gotten any worse. He had already started preparing. His left hand, loosely balled up, now had a small flame inside it. But when he relaxed, so did his hand, and a small flare had gone out of his hand and fizzled out before doing anything. He remembered his plan, and quickly extinguished the rest of the flame in his hand, hoping no one had noticed the flare.
Shanshalya continued to glare, not trusting Roshi at all, but she put her knife back in its sheath. "Well, that was all I needed to do, so - I suppose I'll go on my way...” She turned to leave the dojo and saw Johnathon extinguishing a small fire in his hand. She raised one eyebrow. "Lighting matches in a wooden building that's already suffered one fire today? What a brilliant idea." With that remark, she went for the door.
"What matches?" He said, not making the connection. He followed her towards the door. "Anyway, are you sure you want to go out like that Shanshalya?" Trying to give her a hint that her wings were still showing out the top of her shirt.
Shanshalya gave Johnathon puzzled look. "Go out like -?" Abruptly, she realized that her wings weren't properly bound, and she turned a brilliant scarlet. "Oh - oh, no, I'm so sorry, just a minute...” She reached behind herself and tried to force her wings down into the shirt, with a notable lack of success.
Roshi, of course, had positioned himself to where he got the most enjoyment out of Shanshalya's struggle... with her breasts jiggling around as he tried to stuff her wings down into her shirt. The old man just couldn't help himself...
Kaze, though, had retreated off to his area of the dojo, if only for a minute. If he was going to be traveling, he'd want protection of his own. And so here he was, retrieving his one link to his past... his sword. Its sheath was broad and black with a silver tip on each end. The hilt of the sword was also silver, with two prongs facing out with the sword, like a badly disapportioned sai trying to be a sword. The handle was nothing special. Brown bands and a metal top. He grabbed it from it's black sword stand, and pulled the blade partly out. A stray beam of light from outside hit the metallic edge, and it cast a strange, mystic glow across the room. Kaze stared at it, almost in a trance... And then, he shoved it back into its sheath and flung it over his shoulder, making his way back outside with the others.
Johnathon had to restrain himself from laughing at the site of Shanshalya trying to tuck her wings in, and luckily, he managed to do so. Suddenly he remembered something, one of the reasons he had come here. He wasn't sure this was the best idea, it had gotten him into trouble before. But Roshi seemed like a man who had gotten around in his younger days. ‘And a possible lead not followed, may have been a needed one.’ He reminded himself. After thinking it over for a moment, he figured at the least, he had nothing to lose. After all, he wasn't exactly planning on coming back often. Kaze had returned to the room, now armed with his own sword. He figured it was now or never. He walked up to Roshi. "Master Roshi, is it possible for me to talk to you for a moment. Uh, that is, in private. He added after a moment." He was as serious as he could be, but also nervous.
Roshi responded hesitantly, only as Shanshalya turned around. He gave Johnathon a look, and studied his face. No, this young man wouldn't be selling him porn mags. He cursed to himself, then spoke.
"Of course, of course. Follow Roshi this way." he said, leading the young fighter into the next room. "Now, what is it you need?"
**
At last managing to get her wings under control and safely bound, Shanshalya straightened her shirt and noticed Johnathon and Roshi's absence. Kaze, however, had reappeared with a strange-looking weapon.
"Were you planning to accompany me?" she asked.
"It... Might be a good idea." Kaze said, fidgeting with his sheath strap. "I ran into some trouble at the trading post earlier, and I don't wanna see anyone else get hurt or anything."
Shanshalya smiled at him. "That's very sweet of you, Kaze. I would appreciate your help just finding my way around... Are you ready to go now, or do you think we should wait for Johnathon?"
Kaze looked back at the dojo. "I don't think he'll be too long. I wonder what's keeping him, though?"
Shanshalya shrugged, having no clue. "I don't mind a little wait - I already arrived here much sooner than I expected - but I was hoping to have time to start looking for Amanos. I know the name of the company he works for, but I don't know where it is..."
"You mean he never gave an address or anything?" Kaze asked.
"No... That's part of why we've been so worried about him. He's been so mysterious about what he's doing, and he hasn't visited us in ages - it's not like him at all...” Shanshalya frowned, biting her lower lip. "My mother sent me to check on him - we've always gotten along very well, so I hope he'll tell me what's going on."
Kaze frowned as well, crossing his arms. "I hope he's not in trouble... But if he is, me and Johnathon will give it our all to help him."
He wasn't exactly sure how or what went on at that trading post anymore. Before today, it was just the closest place to barter goods for him and his sensei. Now, though, it was brimming over with all sorts of bad omens. The blue-haired fighter dreaded what else might come his way…
"Thank you, Kaze." Shanshalya bowed to him. "I appreciate your help very much." She looked at the door through which Johnathon and Roshi had disappeared, and sighed. "I just hope that we can leave soon..."
Kaze nodded and sighed. "My sensei is too long-winded for his own good."
Shanshalya sweatdropped, but politely said nothing.
**
Johnathon waited for Roshi to sit down first before setting his backpack down and his sword on top of his backpack. Then finally sitting down himself. "Well, for one I wanted to know if you got around when you were younger. Did you see a lot of the world? I also wish to hear what you know or think about magic." Johnathon stopped to hear what Roshi's responses would be to his first part.
Roshi sat straight up, and looked out a nearby window. A smile creased his old Asian features as fond memories came back to him.
"When Roshi was young, he was like you... not quite as thick as that knucklehead Kaze, and looking for answers everywhere. Roshi travel Terracon all over… even to Tekno side. How Roshi get around, you ask? Carefully. And living on nonfat rice balls covered in mushroom gravy... mmm..." Roshi paused as he saw the disgusted look on Johnathon's face. "Anyway... What else? Ah yes... Magic. Roshi not know much about magic. Some say it just really advanced science, some say it legitimate... Roshi only know that magic like large blade. Heavy burden to bear, very deadly, and double-edged."
‘Roshi had definatly got around, even with his "unique" habits.’ he thought. "Did you ever hear about anyone who could control the elements in a fashion similar to magic? But with no chanting or preparations needed to do it?" He had asked these questions before, to a few people. This is where he tended to be called crazy, or just thrown out on the street. He thought about what Roshi said "Heavy burden, very deadly, double-edged" ‘So far I've only felt the burden. Maybe this is more different than I believed. Maybe I've just been that careful.’ Johnathon's mind wondered slightly on this part, while still listening for Roshi's response.
A thoughtful look of another kind crossed Roshi's face. A few moments passed, and the old pervert spoke.
"Not all magic is spells and such. Roshi hear of all kinds. Some with the potions, some with the chanting, some with the dancing, the weapons, the stones, even nothing at all. Not know much about it, but know it all the same at the core."
Johnathon wasn't too sure what the old man meant by "all the same at the core" but decided that was one piece he didn't need to pursue, at least not at this time. "Thank you for your time master Roshi, you have been helpful. I know this questioning probably makes no sense to you. So I feel that I owe you at least an explanation. I have a gift. A gift unlike any other known. I can use and create the natural elements, but it's not magic. I've recently been able to establish that much." Johnathon then decided to show Roshi what he meant, mostly because of the slightly puzzled look on his face. He stuck both of his hands straight out. A small ball of flame formed in his left hand. In his right hand an orb of lightning formed about the same size. The two fully illuminated the room. After letting them sit for a moment, he turned his hands sideways, so that his palms faced each other. The balls of lightning and flame moved closer and closer together, until finally they merged into one orb directly between his hands. Flame and sparks bounced around each other, creating a colorful display. After letting the orb remain in front of Roshi for a minute, he started to shrink it. The glow it had created slowly faded, until it and the orb, fizzled out. Johnathon stood still, waiting to see what reaction this conversation, and his display, would warrant from Roshi.
The old martial arts master seemed impressed. "You have a great gift... If you smart, you use it. Not be a bum like Kaze. How well you know to control this?"
"Well..." Johnathon thought for a moment. "I can control what I can do so far pretty well. I make that display I showed you with almost no effort. But when I first tried to do it, it took quite a bit of concentration. I can control the size and shape of what I created. And sometimes the path it takes if I launch it somewhere. I do that best with wind. It's harder to do with fire or lighting, and near impossible with water. Though it may be that I just need to get used to it. But I must admit, it can getaway from me. Sometimes if I get really mad, I'll start up a flame."
The wise old pervert nodded. "Then all you need is purpose for using such a gift. Experience in battle and in life will teach you. In time, you also learn to keep these powers latent within yourself. For combat use only." And then he stood from where he sat, placing his hands behind his back and turning to look out a nearby window. "That the problem with young people! Always want answers to come easy. No work. Ai ya...”
Johnathon was old enough to recognize the low/no work beliefs, yet firmly believe it didn't apply to him. "I understand why you would want me to keep this hidden except for combat, the surprise value alone is worth it. But I have begun to believe that this is a part of me, no different than an eye or ear is to you. Yet, I know better than to use it in public for no reason. When I first started my trek to find more about my gift, I made the mistake of using it in public a few times to try to get people to talk about it that way. It got them talking all right, enough to be horridly afraid of me. I was run out of three towns before I changed my style of search into hunting for people to talk to, instead of announcing it. That decision was made almost three years ago. Every now and then, I get a little more information than I had, or a new lead, but most of the time, I get either an insight or tossed out. I never thought it would take this long to get any sort of information, I think I may be the only one who truly knows about this. I've felt pretty lonely as of late, but there isn't much to be done about that." Johnathon stopped, both because he realized he was rambling, and he was out of breath.
"Road of the warrior often the most lonely of all. Roshi remember when he was still able fighter. Roshi have no friends, just rivals. I was strong enough to beat most, but one was far too strong for even Roshi... They called him the Dragon Master. The very essence of Martial Arts flowed through his veins. No one ever defeat that man..." Roshi paused himself as old memories flowed through his mind. His wise Asian eyes had seen many fights in their day... It was comforting and saddening at the same time... Reflection often was. A warrior's life was far from perfect, after all. The closing of his eyes signified that he was ready to continue. "You find your way eventually, young Grasshopper. Who knows? Maybe even meet the Dragon Master, Ryuu, himself one day."
"Yeah, who knows what the future holds." Johnathon stood up. "I plan on staying around this area for a little while. Would it be okay if I stayed with you and Kaze during that time, master Roshi? I'm no trouble really, I can take care of myself, and I can cook as well. If you'd rather not, I could always find an inn or something." Johnathon asked. Though inside he was thinking about this "Dragon Master" Roshi talked about.
"Roshi not really fond of keeping many people around dojo. Noise loud, breaks Roshi's concentration. People also like pets. Nosey and messy. Roshi not even want to keep Kaze around, truthfully. But what do you do when some bum comes around with no memory and no way to provide for himself? Ai ya.... Roshi too soft in old age!"
"I understand. You like your privacy. I'll just find an inn back at the trading post." Johnathon reached down, picking up his sword and fastening it to the right side of his waist. Then picked up his backpack by its shoulder strap. "Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions master Roshi." He went towards the door. "Kaze and Shanshalya must have been waiting for a while now." Johnathon opens the door and walks back into the main room, seeing that Kaze and Shanshalya had indeed been waiting.
Shanshalya looked up at Johnathon's re-entrance, unable to hide her sigh of relief. "Are you ready to go, Johnathon? Or are you going to stay here?"
It was Roshi, who appeared by behind Johnathon, who answered while waving a broom. "All of you get going! Stay out of Roshi's house! Old men need peace and quiet! No get that with young people around!"
Kaze just laughed, and made a short bow to his master. "Hai, Sensei. And thank you."
Roshi responded by pointing the stick at him. "Thank me by staying out of trouble! And maybe find your life while you away!"
Johnathon noticed Shanshalya's sigh before Roshi had come out. 'She must be glad I'm back so we can try to find her brother.' He thought while heading towards the door. "Yes, I'm coming. I need to get a room at the inn back at the post for tonight." Johnathon slung his backpack onto his shoulders. Johnathon remembered that Shanshalya had come here to find her brother... "About your brother, what did you say his name was again? I forgot." He blushed slightly.
"Amanos," Shanshalya answered. "And thank you very much for helping me...” She gave him a short bow. "Shall we be off?"
Kaze smiled and took a few steps toward the woods, glancing up at the midday sun. "I'm all for it. And I know a short cut."
"A short cut sounds good to me." Johnathon smiled from the warmth of the sunlight as it washed over him. "I'm all for getting to the post as soon as possible. That way we'll have more time to search for Amanos." He followed closely behind Kaze and Shanshalya as they entered the forest.
