Arrival... In the right Zone this time! [Req. Entry]

[Honma Kotone]

Two figures appeared from the horizon; one was Amori, retrofitted with his silver armour, that glister oh-so daringly against the the beautiful mid-day. He was a man of muscle, and this showed even from the distance. The second person was Kaigara, the physical manifestation of Amori's Nanjirou spirit sword, using the disguise of a priestess to help her master with the little things of life. You see, due to the events of the last few months, the knight grew unstable as he fell into the clutches of a harsh, bitter and unforgiving woman named Daku Joo - she promised him the chance to see his son, Hattaken, again. She used this emotional weapon against Amori so that he would become her lackey. However, after numerous occasions of torture, abuse and heartache the man snapped and lost all sense of control. He killed the S-rank criminal with all his might, subsequently resulting in the accidental birth of 'Kaigara', real name Rījentofurawā, whom not only was conscious but very self-aware. She, after witnessing life through the body of a blade, decided that her master was not in a stable place; he needed to be helped along, and with all her might, she would do whatever it took to help him.

Kaigara happily trotted along with her staff in hand, the blisters on her soles giving her grief, but she refused any assistance from her master, Amori. He wished to carry her so that she would avoid any ill. However the feeling of pain was so different in comparison to that of her previous experience that she just had to endure it. Odd lady. She was primarily in this world to communicate to people for Amori, as the Black Queen named Daku Joo, had removed his tongue one evening when she felt particularly sadistic. And despite her crimes, her ills and utter disrespect for humanity, Amori felt guilt for taking her life. He had a heart of gold. The silent giant would walk along side his lady, his companion and now friend.

The two grew closer to the 'gates' of Kumogakure, although it dawned on them both that they were passport-less. It would be an issue, for sure, but Kaigara had a way with words - so she liked to think from her life span of about 2 months.

[MFT: 386]​

 

[Morishige]

And so it was another day at the gates of Kumogakure! I often found myself talking between the guards who had honestly been there for most of my shinobi life. Naturally, they didn't like it when i took over as their boss, but there wasn't much they could do about it anyway. So, there I stood entertained with conversation as someone nodded their head toward the horizon; however far away that was at this given point. It varied based on the thickness of the daily fog that seemed to surround Kumogakure. "Welp, looks like I got this one guys. Might as well earn the money they been paying me instead of sitting around like a god damn supervisor." I said with a grin, shifting a glance toward my personal adviser and mentor. He rolled his eyes and went back to what we was preoccupied with.

Stepping out toward them as they approached, I took in my first impression. Female and Male, well armored for some reason or another. It would be such a pain to have to travel in such gear, I just had to wonder where on earth they had come from. It could not have been far. The female seemed to be in a better mood, carrying a staff of sorts. Couldn't quite tell if it was for decoration or actually had use as weaponry. Not that it mattered. Only the foolish attacked the gates of a ninja village in the day time, so I wasn't worried.

"Hoy there, welcome to Kumogakure. Let's make this quick shall we? I'll need a passport and relevant documentation for your visit, and if you don't mind me asking, what brings you to our humble village in such armor as that?" I inquired, nodding toward the man in silver.

 

[Honma Kotone]

A fellow of Kumo had appeared, standing strong as the confidence seemed effortless. Amori kept a strong expression, he could not answer for the man, but Kaigara could. "Shinobi-san," She would step forward, her aqua blue strands gently bouncing against the occasional gust from between the peaks, "Thank you for meeting with us." But how to really answer his question? They were here to find men, women and creatures that bound themselves to the shadows - who were capable of reviving the dead. And also maybe a skilled surgeon to do something about the missing tongue, possibly. "Unfortunately we do not have any documentation, from where we come that information isn't available." Kaigara would bow her head as an apology, and Amori looked on - uneasy at his lack of words.

Kaigara, sharpened by the man's comment on the silver plated armour, would widen her eyes with confusion. She would look from the Shinobi over to Amori and then back to the Kumo fellow once more. "This is Amori and he is my bodyguard. It is customary for a Knight to wear such an attire when on duty. He is but a mute, shinobi-san; a dear friend of mine and danger to only those that endanger me." They had no supporting documentation, so his would be hard to do, so it was hopeful that maybe the Kumo shinobi would follow protocol and call on a higher power to make a judgement.

[Geeeh, I'm late. Sorry! D:]

 

[Morishige]

The man seemed to just stare as the woman began, and my first assumption was that the man might have taken a vow of silence. But no matter! Whomever would speak would get my attention and she had it. I mean where else would it go, really. Not much to do as a gate guard. Unfortunately, she started her sentence with unfortunately, which was never a good sign. According to her, where they came from was a place where passports and documentation weren't given out. Which was actually a very viable excuse. They could have lived in some compound and were naturalists or nudists for all I knew. I frowned however, as she continued.

Now, I would first reply to her latter comment while in thought about the former. "Well if he is your bodyguard, wouldn't that mean he is always on duty? Does he not know the way of the ninja so that he can switch to a lighter armor?" I commented, but held my hand up. My curiosity was getting the better of me. As Captain of the Deathwatch, I was the highest authority at the gates and my knowledge of protocol was almost perfect. It was my job to take every story under suspicion and make a judgement whether to believe it or not, and whether to take steps to ensure the safety of Kumogakure.

"While I would love to process you and let you in, rules are rules. I'll need to contact my superior for a final decision." I grunted, seemingly with a rather begrudging look. What's the point of the promotion to Captain if I can't make these decisions. Perhaps those protocols needs to be updates since my position was newly create.

I got on my headest to contact Masao. "Takaki-sama. Two foreigners have arrived without passport. One seems to be a 'knight' along with a woman who appears to be a civilian. Orders?"

 

[Honma Kotone]

It was luck, or fate, or something altogether different that they ended up speaking with a reasonable mind at the gates. Although the friendly giant felt uneasy that his comrade, his spirit bound to him, had to do all the talking. "He is," Kaigara would retort to the young man with a smile, shifting her gaze to Amori and then back to the gate guard, "He prefers to wear armour over cloth, you see." She would go on to elaborate his natural affinity for plated clothing rather than silks, thin materials that would barely protect the body. "Amori and I are from a place where shinobi, such as yourself, do not exist. We are born into a world without people who readily specialize in 'Ninjutsu'. Although we do practice other forms of this." She would nod her head, speaking as if she were Amori himself, channeling his thoughts and words through their mutually shared mind.

"Amori became a patrol guard for our country, or what we called our 'realm', and quite promptly after numerous awards he became a Knight." Kaigara would move her left hand over to her staff, holding her body up with stability; her weakness apparent. It was tough for her to exist in this world. "Shinobi are very foreign to us, we are from a different pedigree."

Kaigara and Amori would wait patiently for the gate guard's authoritative figure to give them the 'yay' or 'ney'.

 

[Takaki Saeko]

I'll be right there," intoned the Boss's voice in Zaku's headset. And as promised, after a few minutes, he did arrive, briskly strolling up to Zaku. He nodded to the Captain and turned his gaze to the two individuals in front of him. He crossed his arms silently and eyed them for a minute that seemed to last an eternity.

"Ser Knight, you bear no heraldry or colors belonging to any of the Landsknecht of Kaminari no Kuni, nor do you display anything that suggests you serve the Holy See of Tenouza. Neither does your companion. Furthermore, you have not presented any sort of signed orders or letter of marque from your liege lord, as would be normal protocol for a man of your rank. So you must understand if we do not immediately allow you to pass.

"Know that at present our village does not have any extradition treaties with any other nation or hidden shinobi village except for Kirigakure, and that we are not under obligation to apprehend anyone else's fugitives but our own. If you seek shelter because you are running from someone, this village is a neutral party. But I need you both to be honest with us, not that I am implying you haven't been.

"So my question is: Are you missing shinobi or the equivalent of such, and why have you come to our village, knowing full well that this place is well away from the normal travel and trade routes?"

 

[Morishige]

[Skip me]

 

[Honma Kotone]

Maybe this was their fault, for being so drawn out, when they missed out the finer details that could've spared this gate guard and his master the time. As the master of the gate guard appeared, Amori and Kaigara both looked onward with a smile on their face; pleasantries and all that. The man talked about Landsknecht, to which the man's face scrunched up at the sheer confusion, the legitimacy of his title did not come from the countries of this realm. And then a title was mention, 'liege lord', which would only really be the King. The King whom he was charged with protecting had died, along with the Queen and the princess. And his darling adoptive son, the boy he came to love with every shred of his being, was strung from the ceiling and left to gasp of air that the noose prevented him from taking in. Amori lowered his head, a clear wash of regret had infested his body and corroded his muscles. Kiagara was a kind spirit, quite literally, she was apart of Amori through his vessel: Rījentofurawā.

Kaigara lowered her head, lifted it after a moment, and smile - moving her hand over to Amori's. "Our home, Ryōiki, is a realm of which that is not been touched by Shinobi and their wars. Instead it was governed by a monarchy, Amori was of the highest order charged with protecting the royal family. After years of jealousy from the people, a revolt was bound to happen sooner or later." Kaigara rubbed her thumb upon Amori's hand and gave him a reassuring squeeze, "During the onslaught, the King ordered Amori to go to his son, to protect him and take him away from the battle... But he was too late. Our Lords and Ladies are dead, our monarchy has crumbled, our Order has been decimated... We have no other home."

"Amori then left for Sunagakure, the birth place of his son, where he was only fell into the arms of a succubus. She promised him a chance to see his son again, she used his regret, turmoil against him and he became her bidding slave. A slave." Kaigara's face would narrow in rage, she clearly did not like to even think of those hours when she was most unavailable to do but a single thing against that cow. Her spirit bound to the blade, only able to watch like a pleasant housewife. "Amori eventually broke, and he killed her, but not before she tortured him for fun... Taking away his tongue; his speech. And that's why I am here, until there is a solution to his inability to speak, I am his words."

Amori would loosen his grip of Kaigara's hand, and would push forward, stepping closer to the man who birthed all the questions. There was a moment of 'whats going to happen next' but any worry was soon extinguished with his sincerity. The gentle giant lowered himself humbly, one knee on the ground, and the other bent to hold his body up. His lips opened, the tongueless cavern was moist. "Heeeease..." His gurgled words wouldn't be that audible, he didn't really expect any to understand him in all fairness.

Kaigara, as his spirit blade Rījentofurawā, found this hard to watch; her master so vulnerable.

"Please, he said."

[MFT: 556]​

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[Takaki Saeko]

Masao sighed to himself. In front of him were the cast-off remnants of some destroyed foreign monarchy irrelevant to Kumogakure. A crippled, burnt-out ex-noble and his helper on their last legs. And in truth, he was probably not of noble rank anyway and had looted the armor from some dead better of his on the road. The woman was probably a camp-follower with the pox who assisted him in exchange for his one functioning asset, which was his sword-arm. War never changed.

"Rise, Ser Knight, I'm not your master," said Masao, offering a hand to the man. "If you come here seeking medical attention, you are welcome to petition the Curatio Domus, although I must warn you that we cannot provide treatment free of charge for foreigners, else we would go bankrupt too quickly. You are free to enter the village, but you must abide by our rules at all times, and if summoned to help in our defense, you must lend your sword to our cause. Same goes for your companion. If interested parties come searching for you, we cannot not lend you aid in evading them. Ishikawa-taichou, please issue them temporary visas and identification. I will double check the story with the Spymaster as well."

With that, Masao nodded to his Captain and the new arrivals and left.

[Entry Granted, TL]

 

[Honma Kotone]

Masao had granted them access, success. Amori raised his head and looked upon the man in question, someone who bore a title that he did not know of. A smile replenished his face, the burnt out heart fell easy for a moment, that their journey had led them to Kumogakure - a place where only vague stories had spread to his ears. Kaigara rushed over to her masters side, the facade obliterated now, but before she could assist in lifting him up; Masao had already offered up his hand. The gentle giant took the gesture, gripped tightly and pulled himself up. It was a relief that kindness, even mercy, still existed so openly in the world of Shinobi. "We won't forget this gesture, Masao-sama." Kumo would now be considered an ally to these two, and after Amori got himself healed up then maybe he could offer his services in a more befitting manner.

Kaigara took her master's hand and helped him along, the clanking of his proud silver plated armour filling up the blanks. But before they departed from the scene, Amori stopped and looked to the gate guard, bowing his head respectfully. Instead of trying to speak with garbled words, letters and sounds - he brought up his hand and gave the man a thumbs up. With a smile, and with his companion, he departed into the City of Clouds.

[Topic Left/Kumo Entered - thanks guys!]​

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[Morishige]

And with that a potentially scaring situation was solved peacefully. I heard my orders and got them their temporary passports as quickly as possible. And once they had them, I bid them farewell into the sprawling city of Kumogakure. Hopefully no trouble would befall them; sometimes foreigners weren't always treated the same. But I had faith in my brethren.

[Topic Left]