The New Winds

Meditation was a vastly different experience for Saburo than it had ever been in his life. What had once been a significant, tiring thing was now a relaxing effort as he finally began to empty his mind. The roiling, screaming voices did not sound the way that they once had sounded. He breathed slowly, and with each breath felt himself replenished.

(+2 Void Points: Meditation 3)

Rising, his senses fulfilled, he went to collect a bokken off of the rack. No, he was not a bushi, but after seeing the fighting with the goblins, the reality was readily apparent to him. No Shugenja could afford to be unprepared to defend his life. Magic and the kami were incredibly powerful and with their holy fire he could destroy the most terrifying of threats, but if an entire army bore down on him, he would need to be ready to handle whatever came. Practice with both melee weapons and archery were pivotal to be more than simply a priest of the kami.

And so he began to proceed through a kata before iai training as he had been doing recently.

He had come into this training far more prepared for meditation than any of the other students, but now, after all the work he had done towards improving his abilities, it seemed like an afterthought to be able to center himself. This was a new level of capability and he had no worries as his body and mind eased away tension and refreshed themselves in the moment of clarity he found.

When he completed his meditations, he joined the Asako in performing kata, though he was focusing primarily on his standard swordsmanship rather than specialized iai forms. He nodded to his fellow student but did not interrupt.

----

D8 Serpent, Meditation / Void, TN 20: 8d10o10k4 44 +2 Void Points

It's something of a habit at this point, and Sasaiko finds herself once again striving for quiet contemplation.

She finds it (Meditation 24), and she takes up a bokken again, working through exercises along with her friends.

He took a moment to bow to both as they entered, starting with the kata. "The two of you are looking well thus far. Despite the incident yesterday, I believe that most of us are showing considerable improvement. I would say it worth the unexpected risks of our stay." He intended to write his mother on the subject, regardless. Dear, sweet mother sent her darling, overprotected son into a hellhole of goblins and strange people, and he'd survived somehow. "It is good to reach some of the culminations of the daily lessons."

"I've noticed a marked improvement in many of the students. Even those that have distinguished themselves from the beginning have managed to improve even further," he said with a nod, both the Toritaka and the Asako having had a significantly better showing than himself at the welcoming ceremony.

"It has been gratifying to have examples to measure up to," Sasaiko adds, looking to Saburo. "And, again, things seem to be getting better."

"I''ve noticed that the lessons have begun, in these last periods, to take on a different tone. I suspect that they believe we are almost done with the basics, and should be prepared for what is to come." And unbeknownst to them, the gloves were going to come off tomorrow evening when it came to the difficulty of the tests they were faced with, which was very much the overall intent of this exercise period.

"I know I've been enjoying challenging myself. There is a great deal to learn here. Though we are closer to the end than the beginning now," he says with a slight smile. "I believe my family and master will be pleased with what I've learned here. It's pleasant to impress the sensei, but I hope to impress those that I will serve the most."

"Any thoughts on where you will serve, Kuni-san? Or where you hope to?"

"I'll likely be at Shiro Kuni. I may be given a few opportunities to travel a bit for a few years, especially when there are stories of spiritual activity. But after a while I'm sure they'll be expecting me to be recording a lot of reports about the different spirit realms," he says with a shrug. "Eventually I'll be tied to a table, with an ink brush kit, undoubtedly."

"We may see each other again, then, given the work the Falcon do. Though I hope to move into magistracy--but even then, we could be assigned to some of the same places."

She looks at the Phoenix. "Or we might be."

He nodded to them both. "Shugenja of sufficient caliber who are not themselves assigned to the legion sometimes have a certain... free reign," he said, shrugging once. "I have little way of knowing where I will be assigned in the end, though if I can demonstrate the correct mastery, I doubt it will be in my family's lands. Pale Oak is ... a diplomatic post. I find that somewhat unlikely."

He glanced at the Kuni. "Have you given thought to the Jade Magistrates? I can't imagine a group of their nature would turn down a skilled Kuni." He did blink, though and glanced over at the Toritaka before adding. "I think I would like that, Toritaka yes. You have good eyes. I'm looking forward to seeing them in action tomorrow."

"Our family has had a good number of shugenja among the ranks of the Jade Magistrates, but the Wardens tend to perform their duties independent of that. There is a reason that people do not like us. Most of the time we travel the empire for reasons not related to our familial duty but we perform it anyway. We suffer for our actions politically, but usually without legal repercussions because when we find the dangers we're looking for and eliminate them there is no reasonable way to claim our actions as unjustified. Usually it simply leads to the individual being sent home as an unwelcome guest. Rather than a necessary evil, it's more like a necessary rudeness."

Sasaiko blushes a bit at Saburo's compliment, and she nods at Yotsuo's words.

"We see enough of it, as well, though with greater speed, given relative status. But I would not call you unwelcome, Kuni-san, were you to visit where I am stationed."

"I think some clans would probably see it as such. I suspect if anyone felt there was rudeness in my homelands, they would not like it implied they could not handle their own mystical concerns." Very much aware of his own clan's ego, this one. Even if he shared it. "But certain work requires specialization, focus on singular tasks."

His eyes turned towards Sasaiko and he cocked an eyebrow. Was she coming down with something? She kept flushing so often. He really needed to read something on the subject. He wouldn't want for her to suffer for catching something here. But he would not call attention to it here and now. It was rude.

"True. And an outside perspective reveals much. Consider that someone looking east may not see clearly to the south. This does not mean the vision of the east-facing person is poor, just directed."

She nods.

"And not all things admit of the time some might prefer."

"Yes. My clan will probably have me wear out my welcome a few times. They'd probably call it good experience," he says with a slight smirk.

She chuckles.

"If you learn from it, I'm sure it will be, Kuni-san."

"One never knows the strange things one learns from tryiing something new." Saburo nodded. "I certainly have learned a great many things in coming here I never imagined that I would in my earlier studies. Our work will be little different I should hope." May you live in interesting times, as it were.

"I just hope that my work will be of use to the empire. I suspect I will experience plenty of strange things, but I can't help feeling like that wouldn't be enough for me even if I enjoyed it. If it does nothing to help people then I would be disappointed in myself."