First Voyage to Baharna

Expedition

While everyone took some time to secure the prisoners and recover from their recent battle with the Black Galleon Slavers and their captive Gug, Fubuki set about preparing the floundering Black Galleon for sail. This was not her* first dealing with such a vessel, as another served as Fubuki's flying transport back in the waking world. A bit of magic was enough to patch up the hull and, together with Taira no Tokuko and Aka no Kitsunebi, the Matsumoto gang was able to safely take the remaining frozen slavers prisoner. Fubuki thought to ask Sothy what should be done with them and received in reply that the Chieftan of Baharna would decide their fate. It was to be expected, however, that they would be thrown to the Wamps.   A quick chat with the refugee Baharnans discovered that they were both skilled enough and willing to crew a Black Galleon, navigating it through familiar waters back to their home port. As a final thought, Fubuki reached out across the realms to Tsukijō Hanahane. His flamboyance was still well awake, and suggested that he'd not be retiring for many hours yet. That meant that they couldn't count on Jericho Petalwing's patronage anytime soon. Fubuki did learn, at least, that dropping the Petalwing name might earn them a bit of pull in Baharna.

Meanwhile, Aotsuki Tsukamoto was watching with reserved melancholy as the stubborn little Zoog, Zhyrgal, called him boring and ditched him for more interesting climes. This apparently meant Hashinara Yoshitakatomo, who stepped away at the mere sight of a magic-eater approaching her*. Indeed, this masked maiden seemed more receptive to Zhyrgal's demands of revenge on those who had sent her away. Yoshitakatomo, for her* part, carefully avoided making any commitment to the zoog's cause. Instead, she* pumped the other for information, making sure to stay a safe distance away all the while.   Through this, it came to light that Zhyrgal had been sold from somewhere called Dylath-Leen, where she used to work for the Caelestis Collegium as a messenger and general servant. Zhyrgal had trouble with the idea that Yoshitakatomo didn't know some of the big names of the Collegium, like Shibukawa Shunkai, who had apparently taught her to speak Japanese in the first place. It was not Shunkai, but someone named Azophi who had sold Zhyrgal. Yoshitakatomo might know her by her full name, Abd Al-Rahman al-Sufi. She* did not.   With a true investigative spirit, Yoshitakatomo cast a hungering void spell upon Zhyrgal without warning. The results were interesting. While the little zoog was not immune to the spell's effects, after resisting the initial burst, she was able to eat the void energy and eliminate it. Not even spells drawn from the yawning void were safe from the ravenous appetite of the Zoog, it would seem. Still, that could be useful. Yoshitakatomo eventually assented to Zhyrgal accompanying them on their voyage. Zhyrgal, who took this to mean that they'd be going to Dylath-Leen for her revenge, happily boarded the vessel with the rest of the Hashinara.   It didn't take long from then to cast off toward Baharna. With Fubuki's magic turning the waves to their aid, it would only take about an hour for the Black Galleon to make the northern port. From the mountain in the center of the island, a great stone profile seemed to watch them go with impassive eyes until it, too, was out of sight. Their journey was to be fairly uneventful, or so it seemed until Baharna rose over the horizon in the distance.   There were ships coming in and out of port even with the sun hanging low in the sky. None of them matched the silhouette of a Black Galleon, and a few of the Hashinara realized this just as another vessel came out from the harbor's mouth and sped in their direction. Thinking quickly, Fubuki gathered up some of the water she* still held under magical control and used it to craft a simulacrum of Jericho Petalwing's dashing figure hovering above their ship. This seemed to do the trick and the other vessel slowed slightly, altering its course to swing around abreast of their ship. The more keen-eyed also noted a single katana fly up from the other deck and shoot away toward Baharna.   As it approached, all could see that the new vessel was not like anything commonly on display in Japan. Long and narrow, its prow was carved into the stylized visage of a snarling wolf. One huge sail caught the wind above and two rows of closely-packed shields lined each side of the vessel. Just below those, a line of ten huge oars caught the water with impressive force, sending the ship lunging forward with each mighty row. Strangely, there didn't seem to be anyone on deck save for a tiny figure wearing armor and a horned helmet. Beneath golden locks, a pair of suspicious sea-blue eyes studied them, but as she shouted out in broken Japanese, it became obvious that the other captain did know and trust Jericho Petalwing.   Her recognition opened an opportunity for Fubuki to parlay, and eventually the longship came up alongside them, although it maintained a respectful distance just out of boarding reach. The Black Blade continued to explain that they'd taken the vessel from Slavers, but were not themselves affiliated with the Moonbeasts' horrid trade. The other captain, Steersman Leaf, wondered where "Battle Brother" Jericho Petalwing was, and if his absence meant a trap, but the motley assortment of people on deck and the continued work of Fubuki soon lowered her guard. At a barked order from little Leaf, a quintet of razor-sharp katana burst from the water around the Black Galleon under some unseen control and returned to their owner, who was now coming abovedeck on the other ship. Apparently, if they had answered wrong, those blades would have punctured their hull and created quite an inconvenient situation. Toba Himawari sheathed her blades, however, catching the interest of both Fubuki and Sasaki Kojirō.   At the same time, most other members of that aforementioned motley assortment were distracted by the appearance of an unknown girl in traditional Japanese dress. Her arrival had been so quiet, so natural, that it took a moment before Aotsuki Tsukamoto noted that she hadn't been there before. The girl, wearing a black fox mask atop her purple locks, spoke first with Zhyrgal in hushed tones. After Hashinara Yoshitakatomo approached and demanded to know her business there, the girl only told her to come back later. After all, the eighty-second Empress of Japan was over on the other ship. Wasn't Yoshitakatomo interested in that?   The Hashinara's feared Princess-Daimyō was not so easily swayed, however. She* kept her expressionless gaze locked on the newcomer until the other finally relented. A brief discussion ensued, focused on obscure topics such as secrets, fear, forbidden knowledge and its discovery. Yoshitakatomo had been doing well, the stranger praised, but it seemed as though she* did not yet fully respect fear. If the elderly young Daimyō would embrace the shadow, feel true helplessness...   Yoshitakatomo accepted.   A brush of fingers later and Yoshitakatomo was alone in an empty black void. The ground beneath her*, spongy and as stygian as the rest, felt like shadow might if it had a physical form. To everyone else, Yoshitakatomo stood silent and contemplative on the deck. To the Daimyō herself*, even sound was deadened as horrid figures began to rise out of the surrounding murk. With gaping, hanging mouths emitting the stench of death, she* recognized these creatures as Putrid Jikininki, servants of Yomi. Aotsuki was not here to aid her*, wherever here was, and so Yoshitakatomo was helpless against the stench as it pierced her* mask and burned her lungs. Strength drained from her* muscles even as an unholy, terrible hunger rose in her* gut.   Almost in reflex, Yoshitakatomo cast a cocktail of spells that would hide her* presence from all but the most powerful observers. That did not help the stench, however, and all but the barest strength vanished from her* body before the Jikininki finally withdrew. They stepped aside as if to make way for the new figure which was even now rising from the muck. With a slender, womanly form, a shroud covering her face, and the white snakes of the underworld writhing behind her, this could only be Izanami-no-Mikoto herself.   As an Undead creature now herself*, Yoshitakatomo was helpless against Izanami's command of the dead. Forced by an overwhelming compulsion, the Princess-Daimyō could only assent as the Goddess of Yomi ordered her* to end her* own life. If she* was going to die, at least she* would go out in spectacular fashion. Conjured by a powerful weave of magic, a visage of Katamoto's old body appeared in front of the ailing Daimyō. At the same time, his fallen wife knelt in the darkness, given form by the same dark magic, and thrust a blade into her stomach. Yoshitakatomo did the same, pressing her* wakizashi deep into her* gut and wrenching to the side. At the same moment, the vision of Katamoto conjured the Black Blade of Doom and, cutting downward, beheaded his helpless future self.   In the world of dreams, on the Black Galleon, Hashinara Yoshitakatomo buckled at the knees and fell to the ground, all unlife vanished from her* limp form. Aotsuki rushed forward in an attempt to save his lord, but was stopped by Osogami Wakatsu, who held out a hand and implored him to wait. The Daimyō's true death lasted only as long as her* trip to that realm of nightmares: a few seconds. She* climbed to her* feet and regarded the avatar before her* as impassively as before. Wakatsu, however, appeared satisfied. With Yoshitakatomo's assent, she, Omoikane, declared the newly-risen Princess as Champion of Nightmares, a god in the realm of dreams.   Unaware of the momentous events transpiring just over the gap, Fubuki had made her* way to the longship to speak with mysterious swordswoman Toba Himawari. Apparently the technique that Dreaming Empress had used to command her swords was called Ophiucos, or Lord of the Infinite Swords. Despite Fubuki's interest, however, Himawari expressed no interest in teaching the style to another. Her days of tutoring children, she claimed, were long over. Fubuki took the news well, stating that she* was probably not ready regardless. Jigenmaru, so prompted, agreed. Perhaps when the still-young Matsumoto Scion was ready, Matsumoto Jigenzaemon would pass down the same technique himself.