The New Winds

Mai tried to get her center back after her less than stellar performance at the opening ceremonies, but failed.

Well, that was over. Time to try new things. Mai wanted to learn some Kyujutsu. Her teacher was a big believer on never trusting only her spells to fight. There may be times, especially in dragged out battles, where should need to conserve her spells. Or may not want to use them at all. Her teacher hadn't said anything, but she knew he often went to the Crab lands and knew a bit about the Shadowlands. So, Mai was determined to learn more.

She did pretty good hitting the first two targets. It helped brighten her day up some.

Martial forms.

Even the term itself made Otoko softly frown, though her red mask did well to hide what little emotion she showed. She wasn't skilled in any weapon, and really, she had no idea why she was expected to be. Still, this is where she was, where she had been told to be, and what she had been told to do.

Kyujutsu seemed less... strenuous than all the movement that came with kata with a melee weapon, so she made her way to the range and grabbed a practice yumi. She took a few shots, and two of them even hit, even if with hardly and grace to the shots. She felt somewhat comfortable. There was only the Mantis out here for now. She'd proved... tolerable back in Otosan Uchi.

Mai made her way over to the Scorpion and bowed. "Yogo-san, it is nice to see you out here." She sees the targets made. "Nice shots. I did about the same on mine. Do the Iuchi teach to not rely too much on the kami as well?"

Umeno gave a slight bow. She had enjoyed the silence, but at the least Mai seemed to keep conversation simple, without all the flair of the immature. "...Some Iuchi train to use a knife, or to defend themselves with their wakizashi... but I believe not many are martial. I have... never seen one proficient with the bow certainly."

"I think it is a good choice. That way you can fight at range if you want to try to conserve your spells. My sensei taught me some jiujutsu, but I figure it is best to try to keep them away."

Otoko was silent a moment before speaking again, a bit thoughtful... perhaps. "...The Iuchi have a... poor connection with the kami of the air, so... many feel a lack of dexterity. Besides... they are horse riders. From what I understand, the daikyu takes some strength to wield..."

"Ah. I did not know that. Earth is the element that we Mantis tend to have problems. We are a school of Seas and Storms, so I guess it is only natural. But what your Family? Do the Yogo have a sort of martial tradition? I mean, I know you trained with the Iuchi, but would you still learn anything from your Family? Uh, sorry if I'm asking silly questions."

A young thunderhead made his way from the dojo grounds to the archery fields, fresh from his wretched failure to maintain his meditative focus in front of the eyes of the many sensei of the dojo. His pale features still carried a faint tinge of color somewhere between green and red from the shame of that abyssmal performance he'd done. He expected better of himself and the demonstration was an utter loss in his book.

So, if he was going to make a fool of himself, he might as well do it properly by working on something he had never properly trained. There would be Kyujutsu lessons they'd said, so he might as well take an effort to avoid tripping over himself. As he drew closer to the grounds, he saw a pair of others. "Ah, samurai-sans," he said, bowing, mentally hoping that nobody was going to talk about the kata demonstrations earlier today. "There is room for another, yes?"

Mai bows. "Hai. Join us if you like. I am Mai a future shugenja of the Mantis Clan."

Once permitted to do so, he rose and nodded to the two women, taking up a position. It was painfully obvious that he had perhaps picked up a bow once in his life. Three times at most, but that was the point of coming to this place was it not? His fingers were bound in cloth to avoid them being cut by the bowstring as he took his time with it.

Ah, the Mantis. The upstart batch of minor clansmen barely even fit for a family n... "It is good to meet you," he said, reserving his mental language for the privacy of his own mind. "And Yogo-san. It is good to see you have passed through the travels well. "You both performed well at the kata demonstrations." In his mind? It was truth. they were both shugenja in training. Kata were for bushi. He just demanded perfection from himself. Everything had to be exactly so. Failure was not an option...

Otoko was silent a long moment at Mai's question. "...I have learned enough from my family as well, yes. Most of my family do not train in martial practice. Most carry nothing more than a tanto for grooming."

Recognizing the Asako from the other day, Otoko gave a slow, even bow at his entrance. She was fairly frank against his statement, showing neither shame, nor anger, nor disappointment. "The only things I managed to do well were meditate and center myself. Perhaps my bowing was satisfactory as well, but I can imagine nothing else."

"I suspect this study will demand a great deal of you outside of the norm in that case," he admitted in a gruff tone. "But to wish to improve your technique will never be a bad thing. It is why we are here. I just cannot flag in my steps ever. Less than perfection is unacceptable." He drew and ... It barely cleared the bow. The look on his face was ashen and his lips quivered at the edge of rage before he leaned down to pick up the arrow and inspect it.

Tch. "At least it is good for another shot," he muttered. A shake of his head and he glanced over at the two of them. "Do you have aspirations, intentions?" It was a way to shift his thoughts from scowling at a bow that had done nothing to wrong him.

It seemed quite the simple question to Otoko, so she kept her answer simple too. "...To do service to my lord... and to my sensei for her teachings thus far."

"And is perfection even possible? We should want to improve, yes. But is there any mortal who is perfect?" She thinks about her aspirations. "I suppose I seek to become the shugenja aboard the Champion's ship, whether it is Yoritomo-sama or his heir."

Ah, so that was the name of the current head of the Mantis. Not that he'd even concerned himself with the goings on of sailors or their vessels. He did nod. "Humility is commendable, Yogo-san. Ambition or not, I will serve where my lord has need. I simply have a goal in my mind. A thing far above myself to aspire towards. As you say, true perfection is not for mere mortals. Yet still, only by striving can I be where I am. I must drive forward."

Mai nods approvingly. "I see. You sound like a Mantis." Well, he sounded a little stuck up, but she figured no need to insult the guy.

He almost took offense at that. What do you mean, I sound like fish-smelling water-logg... oh right. They're your fish-smelling, water-logged barbaric forebearers. Of course you think of them highly. They do say your kind have airs of wanting to be bigger fish in the sea than they are. It's probably intended as a complement. What would mother say? Take a complement rather than see offense.

Yeah. Definitely stuck up... or so demanding of himself that the difference was negligible. "Thank you, kohai." He honestly had no idea what to call someone without a family name. Mai just felt... too personal. A grunt and he tried again. This... cleared the bow at least. "Certainly, we will have an opportunity to thrive regardless."

Well, this Phoenix at least seemed to understand the greatness of Mantis ambition. Maybe he wasn't so bad. "Hai. Our next lesson is the lore test. That should be better." Mai was lying. Studying things was not her forte. But boldly claiming you will succeed despite the odds is basically how the Mantis lived. Sometimes, it lead to greatness. Sometimes, it lead to horrific failure. It was the Mantis way.

Otoko seemed more than content to let the talker's talk their heart's out if the wished. She had stopped her own shooting, instead merely closely studying one of the arrows, testing the head and lightly pricking a finger, though not enough to draw blood.

"Lore is Lore. There are expectations of us as shugenja in training." He was starting to practice, his eyes focused on the target, his statements coming between the shots. He wasn't concerned with facing them as he worked. What they were saying could be given in this way. "I am confident in that segment of the studies, but I don't think anyone would expect less."