Ninpocho Chronicles

Ninpocho Chronicles is a fantasy-ish setting storyline, set in an alternate universe World of Ninjas, where the Naruto and Boruto series take place. This means that none of the canon characters exists, or existed here.

Each ninja starts from the bottom and start their training as an Academy Student. From there they develop abilities akin to that of demigods as they grow in age and experience.

Along the way they gain new friends (or enemies), take on jobs and complete contracts and missions for their respective villages where their training and skill will be tested to their limits.

The sky is the limit as the blank page you see before you can be filled with countless of adventures with your character in the game.

This is Ninpocho Chronicles.

Current Ninpocho Chronicles Time:

The Tale of the Golden Kyrinchor [Contract Search] [Private]

Kazu

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[ THREAD NOTES ]
  • I am using a "Discovery of Contract of Your Choice" ASP Card for this thread, where I will be finding the Lizard Contract. Approval for this ASP Card can be found here.
  • This thread is going to be done in multiple posts — when I am finished writing the story, I will submit the entire thread to the Contract Team for approval.


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[ THE TALE OF THE GOLDEN KYRINCHOR ]

A breeze stirred across the distant dunes, the only sign of movement for miles around that Kazu could see. It sent a ripple of sandy dust into the air which hovered over the horizon as a cloud of obscurity. The desert seemed asleep this morning, which was as good of a sign as could be hoped for. 'The more beasties that are asleep, the better,' thought Kazu as he continued to make his way, crouched and doubled-over behind whatever dune or rock he could find, through the dangerous lands he called home. 'The last thing I want is to have to fight to protect my hoard.'

At the thought of such an occurence, Kazu instinctively checked the various pouches he had strapped to his waist with a quick touch. Still there. 'And growing fuller,' he thought, surpressing a smile, 'which is all the more reason to be careful.' Rose Cactus spines. Pink Thimble-Berries. Kali Melon, and Midnight Bloom seeds. Wax fruits, Wax leaves, and Wax roots. Strangle Vine samples — carefully collected and stored to avoid direct contact — and even the occasional Knocksroot. 'Not to mention the odd few pieces of Carmot,' mused Kazu. The list of inventory he'd been able to collect on this excursion was growing long; the longer it got, the more valuable the haul became. 'I'm not going to risk having to abandon any of this in order to make a clean getaway.'

The young boy had been up since well before dawn, setting out from the village perhaps just after 3:00am. The denizens of the desert preferred the cool night, so he couldn't leave too early; but should he have left too late, he would have to contend with the desert sun. To scavenge in this land it had to be at exactly the perfect moment when all the critters were settling down for the day, but before the sun could rise high enough to pose a danger. Kazu was well versed in desert traversal, and knew the dangers of being caught out in the sun quite well.

Cresting the dune in front of him, the young boy pulled the tan headscarf he had wrapped around his neck up a bit to cover his nose and the bottom parts of his eyes. He did not need to shield himself from the sun yet, but the windswept sands were quite the nuisance. 'Perhaps it's time to head back,' considered Kazu. He checked the last remaining stars in the sky, and noted the lightest touch of rosy light peeking over the horizon, to determine that there was, perhaps, another hour before the sun would be upon him. 'Yes, definitely time.' The boy had packed sparsely, and dressed even lighter, carrying with him only enough water for the day and no more clothes than were necessary. The headscarf around his neck was the only extra accessory he wore — his clothing consisted of a white tank top, tan shorts, a pair of running sandals, his belt pouch filled with his haul of scavanged goods, and the one hanging water skin.

He could not afford to be trapped out here waiting for night.

Kazu turned to head back towards the village — he had a very good sense of direction, and a few other tricks up his sleeve in case that sense failed him — when suddenly something caught his eye. A flash, or a glint, of some sort off in the distance. Pausing, Kazu tried to locate the source of that light he'd seen, but saw nothing besides the dusty cloud whipped up by the wind. Then, in the center of it, he saw it again. A bright gleam, sparkling, or perhaps even a brilliant reflection. 'It looks...metallic?' Kazu shook his head. There was no way.

But then it came again! Definitely metallic. 'Almost...golden?' Kazu wasn't sure, but he'd learned to trust his first instincts over time. Hesitantly, he headed closer. Two more dunes passed underneath him. The young boy crested the third and poked his head just over the ridge, peering down cautiously, trying to see what had caught his attention previously. His eyes widened at what he saw.

Below, a small pack of five Hykals — canine animals that looked like smaller, twisted, versions of Sand Wolves which banded together to form packs in order to compensate for their un-enviable strength — were circling around a very large, golden, Kyrinchor. It had to be at least five feet long! Kazu had never heard of such a massive specimen, nor had he ever laid eyes on one with such a lustrous coloration. He had read they tended to be golden colored, but this went beyond anything he'd ever read! The wonder that Kazu felt upon first seeing the scene below wore off, quickly, as he realized the full scope of the situation.

Each of the Hykals was taking turns to nip at the lone Kyrinchor from different angles. One of the pack would distract it, while another would circle around to get a bite in, then flee, while a third took up the attack again. The Kyrinchor's broad tail swung this way, and that, and its massive jaws unhinged and snapped shut wildly in defiance, but the Hykals were too agile, and too numerous. Kazu saw a sheen of red mar those golden scales. 'It's injured,' Kazu realized. Fighting alone, in a losing battle, Kazu couldn't help but feel bad for the creature.

'But what can I do?' His more rational side kicked in. 'This isn't my fight, and I've got to get these supplies back home. Don't risk all your efforts on this!' And yet, something kept tugging at the young boy — he felt rooted in place. Fists clenching, Kazu felt his brow furrow as he kept watching the scene below. 'It's going to die if I don't do something.'

The Hykals began to close in on the Kyrinchor, letting out a terrible snicker. The lizard was getting slower, and more sluggish. It kept fighting, until the bitter end. Something inside Kazu softened. He felt his fists relax; his tensed muscles loosed. The boy sighed, and closed his eyes for a moment.

"There's no other choice, is there?" Opening his eyes again, determination had set in. "Right then. No point in waiting around, now."

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Kazu

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'This is it,' thought Kinshouri the Kyrinchor, while eyeing the pack of Hykals slowly closing in from all sides, 'this is my chance to make it out of here alive.'

Kinshouri was patient. Not slow. Not without anger, or passion, or haste. Just...patient. His time would come; and so would theirs. A pack of five Hykals? 'Don't make me laugh.' He wouldn't be done in like this. His massive jaw opened slightly, ready to strike at a moment's notice, revealing rows of thick serrated teeth. His heavy tail twitched left and right. His muscles, wound taut, were ready to spring at a moment's notice. 'Yes. Charge to your doom! My moment is here. Right when they least expect it.'

The first Hykal, snickering stupidly, began to lope forwards. Why should they hurry? Their dinner was assured. The others would wait for Kinshouri to strike at the first one, then attack from behind. Kinshouri had no intention of letting that happen. He would strike at the flanking party, anticipating their movements, and catch the whole group off-guard. The only thing left to worry about was whether their flesh would get caught in his teeth. Or so he thought.

Suddenly, a human fell from the sky. Kinshouri had not anticipated this. The hairless ape was quick, and quiet, landing atop the Hykal group's decoy while thrusting a long stick of some kind into its throat. Blood dripped over the sands. The carcass fell limp as the ape slid its stick out from where it had stabbed the Hykal. For a moment, Kinshouri thought the ape would turn on him next. 'Perhaps it missed?' Humans were known to hunt his kin. They seemed to covet the scales of his kind. Kinshouri readied himself to strike at the human instead of the flanking party. Be it human or hykal, he wouldn't be done in like this.

However, the hairless ape did not strike at him next. Kinshouri saw that the human carried two long sticks, both a dark grey that shone with a black luster to match his own golden scales, each one pointed sharp with jagged edges. Kinshouri had heard they carried odd weapons — claws that grew unnaturally in consideration to their paws; fangs that could be detatched and thrown instantly; webbing, like a spiders', that could ensnare and immobilize the strongest of his kin — but he'd never seen, nor heard, of weapons like these before. Without hesitation the human threw its weapon at one of the other hykals, then quickly threw its other one as well.

One landed, and the other just barely missed its mark. The flanking hykals, now three, retreated a little to reassess their situation. Kinshouri was doing the same, though he held his ground. The human had not struck out at him yet, and it was all out of those strange long claws it used, so Kinshouri thought he had the advantage. That is, until the human grew more of those claws. 'Ryū's Tooth! They can do that?!' He had never heard of anything like this. Out of each of the human's paws emerged another shining, charcoal colored, stick. Kinshouri saw no blood. Nor did he see pain, or hesitation, in the humans' eyes.

The three remaining hykals had frozen in place. They, as well, seemed unsure of this human. They snickered between them, debating what to do in their strident tongue. But, their bickering was quickly rendered moot; the human decided for them by throwing one of its long claws at them. It flew through the air with a surprising amount of speed, grace, and deadly accuracy. The hykals reacted just in time to flee — the claw struck into the ground exactly where they'd been moments before. Their snickering grew fainter as they ran, yelps of terror accenting their horrid dialect.

That left Kinshouri all alone. To face the human? This human? Kinshouri could not see when his moment to strike might come. 'Perhaps I can at least take one of those accursed limbs with me!'

The human did not move. It did not turn to face Kinshouri directly, nor did it throw the other claw it wielded. It simply watched the Hykals flee. Glorying in its victory? No. Something else. A moment or two more passed, then finally the human dropped its claw — the odd weapon crumbled into dust, scattering with the wind. Kinshouri did not understand. He did not relax, either. However, the human seemed completely at ease. It breathed deeply, then turned to face Kinshouri directly. The two locked eyes. It did not blink, and neither did Kinshouri. Was it trying to intimidate him? Did it think itself that much more superior?

Suddenly, it smiled. To a human, that was not a sign of aggression. It relaxed. Then, it spoke!

"I'm glad that you're alright. Those Hykals were bad news, but you're safe now." It...had wanted to save him? Kinshouri did not understand. But the way the human kept smiling seemed to put his mind at ease. Kinshouri allowed his mouth to close. His muscles relaxed a bit. The human simply smiled more. "Yeah, that's right. I'm not going to hurt you."

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'Just stay calm,' thought Kazu nervously. 'No sudden movements, and no signs of aggression.' After all, this close up to the wounded Kyrinchor, its enormous serrated teeth looked like a dozen kunai just waiting to sink into the young boy's flesh.

Kazu had managed to fend off the pack of Hykals. It had merely been a matter of intimidation, really. Hykals were not known for their bold tactics or stalwart hearts; a quick and powerful strike usually sent the pack scattering. That was well — having to deal with hungry Hykals in the front, as well as a nervous Kyrinchor from behind, seemed a tough spot to him no matter how he looked at it. He had jumped in to aid the wounded creature without a real plan; however, now that the immediate threat was gone, would the Kyrinchor instead turn on him?

Kazu kept his eyes locked on the creature, and it did the same. Crimson red and glittering gold. The Kyrinchor's massive maw opened and closed a few times, as if unsure whether to strike or flee. 'Stand firm,' thought Kazu. A twisted grimace, displaying teeth set in a combative snarl, was the best version of a friendly smile the young boy could produce at this moment.

An eternity seemed to pass. Eventually, the Kyrinchor's jaw closed shut. Kazu could see that its muscled limbs, previously tensed and ready for attack, slackened into a more relaxed posture. Its eyes, lustrous golden pearls that belied a keen predatory awareness, lowered towards the soft sand below as it flicked its tongue out into the cool morning air. Kazu felt his own limbs soften as well. Slowly, he exhaled out of his nose a deep breath which he hadn't realized he'd been holding until this very moment. There would be peace between them — for now.

"That's it," spoke Kazu in as soothing a voice as he could manage at the moment. "They won't be bothering you anymore. Nice and easy now." Again the Kyrinchor's tongue flicked out to taste the air while its eyes seemed to scan the landscape around them. 'It's searching for any lingering Hykals,' thought Kazu, 'which means it doesn't seem to think I'm a threat.' Kazu took the opportunity to inspect the creature's wounds — of which, there seemed to be quite a few gashes that looked deeper than he'd initially anticipated — while its attention was diverted. There was also the matter of the hour: with only a few stars left in the sky, the first rays of light beginning to warm the horizon from the deep purples of the night into the pale blues of morning, Kazu judged he had maybe two hours before the sun would be fully upon him. 'And if I don't make it back to the village or find shelter before then...'

He didn't finish that thought. He knew the consequences of delaying his retreat.

But the wet red liquid running heavily over the creature's scales made him pause. 'Can I really just leave it like this?' This was none of his business — why was he risking so much for a strange beast that was, almost surely, waiting for him to lower his guard before making a before-dinner snack out of him? Slowly, still wondering why he was bothering to do so, he approached the Kyrinchor.

"Easy," Kazu said, soothingly. The creature had noticed his movement, and had spun around to face him again. It did not seem threatening, but it was wary. "Those wounds look really bad." Kazu indicated towards the gashes along the creature's sides. The thin pupils of its eyes took him in without blinking — Kazu had to fight every instinct within him to not run off on the spot. "Let me fix you up a bit before you go. You could get an infection from those." The boy was within arms reach from the Kyrinchor now, and froze in place to see whether the creature would try to strike. Though still alert, its mouth was snapped shut. Its legs and tail held still. 'What in the name of Legatus am I doing?!' Kazu didn't have any answers.

What he did have were herbal medicines, hand-picked only a couple hours ago.

"I'm going to clean your wounds a little, now." Slowly, Kazu untied the cloth headscarf he had wrapped around his neck. It would do as a makeshift rag. The Kyrinchor's tongue flickered out of its mouth as it watched him, as if trying to taste his intentions. Kazu crouched down towards the massive lizard, and prayed to every deity he knew of to ask that he come out of this with all his limbs in-tact. 'Here goes nothing.' Pressing the cloth up to the side of the golden Kyrinchor, Kazu worked at cleaning up the creature's wounds as best as he could. He was careful not to move too suddenly, or press too firmly, in order not to scare it. All the while, the creature merely watched him. Weighing him. More than one part of Kazu thought this must have been a dream. 'There's no other explanation for how I'm not dead already.' Yet, here he was; instead of indulging the thoughts further, Kazu focused on his work.

Soon, his once tan headscarf was now just a crimson rag. The Kyrinchor's scales had regained their golden sheen, but the gashes in its skin still ached with a pulsing red. That was the first part done. Turning to face the creature's eye, which had not moved from watching Kazu this entire time, the boy spoke calmly and soothingly. "There. Now that it's all cleaned up, I'm going to apply a little medicine. I'm going to reach into my pockets, now." As Kazu reached into one of the pouches he had tied to his waist, the Kyrinchor seemed to flinch a little bit in worry and fear. Slowly, the boy pulled out a small handful of long, flat, and leathery Wax Fruit leaves. Holding them out for the Kyrinchor to see seemed to reassure it somewhat. "No weapons. Just herbs." Opening his mouth, Kazu placed one of the leaves on his tongue before beginning to chew on the bitter foliage. It was rather unpleasant to the taste, but that's not why he did it. After a few moments of chewing, Kazu scooped out the resulting mushy paste and began to gently dab it into the creature's wounds.

"I know it doesn't make sense right now," said Kazu in a crooning, gentle, voice. "But this will help the wounds heal and keep them from getting infected. I know that doesn't make sense, but trust me." With a soft and tender touch, Kazu managed to coat the creature's wounds fully. The sticky paste had a number of beneficial qualities: anti-parasitic, anti-inflammatory, and even wound healing properties. This makeshift salve would help those wounds heal far more rapidly than they would on their own — plus, those injuries would not lead to something worse off befalling the Kyrinchor. By this point, the golden beast seemed not the least bit hostile; in fact, it actually seemed to regard Kazu with a much softer expression than the boy had assumed a lizard was capable of. 'Dare I say it, it actually seems fond of me.' A ridiculous notion, but still. It felt good to do something decent for another living being.

By the time he was finished, and Kazu had stood up from his work, the sun was just beginning to peek out from over the horizon. He'd spent a good forty-five minutes caring for the Kyrinchor, losing time in the process. 'I can't make it back to the village during the day like this.' He'd have to find shelter, somewhere, and wait out until nighttime. Kazu regarded the Kyrinchor, who in turn was regarding Kazu, and gave the creature a small smile.

"Stay out of trouble for a little while, yeah? Those wounds need time to heal. Find a nice spot, somewhere, to rest up for the day. I have to be on my way — I'm glad I was able to help you." Kazu didn't know why he insisted on speaking to the creature, but it felt right. Somehow, he felt like it helped. The creature continued to study Kazu, its tongue absently flicking out from its mouth, as if considering something. Then, without warning, the great lizard opened its mouth of razor sharp teeth.

"Come," said the Kyrinchor, with a deep and rumbling voice, before blinking once and turning to walk away.

Kazu's stomach felt like it had dropped down into the earth, leaving him forever. The boy blinked twice, his brain unable to comprehend what had just occurred. He stood, frozen as the fabled mountain peaks of Kumogakure, watching the golden Kyrinchor walk farther away from him. 'I imagined that, right? It...couldn't have really spoken, just now, right? Right?' He didn't know. He thought he'd heard the creature tell him to follow it; but, then again, he'd grown up hearing stories of men meeting their doom following crazy hallucinations. Perhaps he had gone crazy, wandering in the desert heat without having realized it, and had imagined this whole interaction?

Yet, as the Kyrinchor began to shrink in the distance, something deep within Kazu called out to him. It urged him forward. 'I must be insane,' thought Kazu, as he began to run after the golden gleaming lizard. "Wait up!" Kazu called out. "Hold your flaming Dustboars, I'm coming!"

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Kazu

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Kazu had followed the Kyrinchor for the better part of an hour now. The sun had risen and already Kazu wished he still had that head scarf he'd sacrificed for a makeshift cleaning rag. They were still in the middle of nowhere, sand dunes stretching for what seemed to be miles around, seemingly no closer to shelter than when they'd set off. As sweat streamed down his brow, stinging his eyes, Kazu wondered if perhaps this had been a mistake. 'Maybe I'd imagined the whole thing,' he thought. 'It never really spoke. It's just waiting for me to keel over and die before eating me.' Then why did he still follow? Why did he still feel like the creature was leading him somewhere. Kazu brought the back of his hand up to wipe the sweat out of his eyes for what seemed the millionth time, trudging along with blind steps, then stopped to blink out the remaining moisture as he felt something cool and soothing wash over his skin.

Directly before him, looming high above, was a massive sandstone rock pocked with holes, grooves, and caverns. 'That...wasn't there a moment ago,' thought Kazu. 'I must be getting hazy...I would have noticed something like this on the horizon...'

The Kyrinchor did not stop to look back at him. It scrambled over jagged boulders and leapt across rugged fissures in the ground, slowly ascending towards a burrow roughly a third of the way up the sandstone outcropping, using its long taloned claws to hook into small cracks and crags in the rocky surface. Then, when it had made it up past the worst of the terrain, it waited. 'Is this...a test?'

Kazu wasn't sure what sort of game this was, but he'd come too far now to turn back. And besides, with the sun comfortably hidden away behind the looming rock formation, he had found a second wind. Wiping off the rest of the sweat from his brow, Kazu readied himself.

The young boy leapt onto the top of the first boulder in his path, gripping carefully at the sharpened edges of earth that threatened to shred his hands. Nimbly, he jumped across a small gorge to cling onto smooth boulder that gave very little in the way of footholds. He shimmied his way up on top and scouted for the next route he would take. More than once Kazu had to double back to a rock or ledge he'd already been to, as the pathway up this mountainside was deceptive at best and treacherous at worst — yet still, he soldiered on and always found a way forward. 'I'll be damned if I come all this way and fail here!' He wouldn't have it. It didn't matter how many cuts and gashes he got, or how tired his limbs got from straining to make jumps or avoid falls. None of that mattered. 'What matters is proving that I deserve to climb this mountainside.' He would not allow it to be known that the Kyrinchor had misjudged him and made a mistake bringing him here. Perhaps he had spent too much time out in the sun, his brain getting fried in the process; or, perhaps he was on to something. Kazu couldn't shake the feeling that this was an important moment. Somewhere, deep down within him, he knew that getting over these obstacles was a big deal.

So he kept going, no matter what — eventually, he landed a few feet away from the lounging Kyrinchor. Letting out a long exhale, and spitting out a mouth full of dust and rocks, Kazu gave his golden guide a ferocious smile. "And here I thought this was going to be a challenge," said the boy, wiping off a thick layer of sweat from his brow. "Thanks for waiting up."

The Kyrinchor said nothing. It merely looked him up and down, flicking its tongue out lazily, before standing up and continuing on up the path. Slowing his breathing down, Kazu followed behind. 'At least the rest of the path looks nice and gradual.' It seemed a great reward to be walking up such a casual incline. A cooling wind picked up, taking with it all of Kazu's fatigue and strain, leaving him feeling rejuvenated and refreshed. 'Whatever lies up ahead, I'm ready.' It didn't take long for him to find out.

As the two of them reached the top of the path, which ended in the gaping maw of a dark cave, Kazu thought he heard echoing reverberations of... something... deep within. The Kyrinchor stepped to the side of the cave's opening and turned to face Kazu like a guardian of some sort. Finally, it spoke. "You have done well. Enter, and you will find your reward." Kazu couldn't help but grin a little.

"So, you really can talk! And here I thought I'd imagined this whole thing!" All the boy got back in return was a loud exhale of breath from the Kyrinchor's flared nostrils. "Are you going to tell me what's down there?"

"Enter, and see for yourself."

The two stared each other down for a good long while, Kazu's crimson red eyes meeting the Kyrinchor's shimmering gold, before finally the boy let out a soft chuckle. Shaking his head, as if in disbelief at a ridiculous joke, he marched forward into the cave without hesitation or turning back. He heard the massive lizard trailing behind him, its tail sliding through wind-swept sand and its taloned nails scraping against hardened rock, as he began his descent into the dark cave. Then, all of a sudden, he heard the groaning of a boulder rolling.

The cave plunged into total darkness. Kazu was trapped in the cave. There was no light, and there was no escape. That was when the crystals around him began to glow.

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Kazu

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It took Kazu's eyes a few moments to grow accustomed to the soft glow of the crystals all around him. Embedded in the walls, ceiling, and floor of the cavern, the brilliantly multi-hued crystals provided a cold — almost eerie — source of light. As his eyes adjusted, he began to see the shape of the tunnel before him: descending down into the earth, and snaking off to the left, Kazu was unable to see where this path would take him.

"Do not freeze up now, child." The sound of scraping nails and scales reminded Kazu that the Kyrinchor was here with him. The massive lizard seemed to be moving ahead without him; its silhouette slid in front of a few light crystals sticking out from the wall next to him. "Your quest is almost at its end. Now is not the time for regret."

'Does he realize that could mean two extremely different things?' Surely, this was some sort of test? 'Another one?' Whatever it was, Kazu didn't exactly have that many other options — he followed suit with the Kyrinchor, picking up his pace to walk alongside the massive creature. He couldn't be sure, but Kazu thought he heard the Kyrinchor chuckle next to him.

They walked for a few moments, twisting left and right, up and down, before Kazu saw the tunnel begin to open up ahead of him into a massive cavern. He heard voices echoing and bouncing off the stone walls. Rough voices. Growls. Chants. Strangely, he thought he might even have heard the occasional human voice, whooping and jeering, mixed in with everything? 'I must be imagining it,' decided Kazu. Whatever it was that he had imagined, however, it was certainly not what he found as he entered the cavern alongside his companion.

Within the massive cavern was what could only be described as a gathering. A huge crowd of lizards, of many different species and sizes, formed a large circle around a central point — there, a creature larger than anything Kazu could have guessed at sat atop a large flat boulder as if it were a dais. 'That creature has to be at least 50 feet tall!' The majority of the crowd could be found on the cavern's floor; but, as he took in the scene before him, Kazu quickly realized that there were holes carved out all along the soaring ceiling filled with even more onlookers. The boy saw humans among the lizards — he had not imagined it earlier! — comfortable and at ease. All seemed to be enthralled with whatever the massive lizard that commanded the central dais had said mere moments before. It was a lot to take in. Kazu could only stare in wonderment at the scene before him, trying his best to keep his brain from collapsing in on itself.

Then, the massive lizard turned its gaze directly at Kazu. It said nothing, but its gaze spoke for it. As it locked eyes on the young boy and Kyrinchor who had led him here, the rest of the crowd picked up on the change in focus. Heads began to turn towards him, both lizard and human, until finally the entire cavern was focused entirely on Kazu. 'Legatus save me,' thought Kazu.

"Kinshouri, who is this?"

"This is my charge. I vouch for, and acknowledge, his worth." A murmur worked its way through the crowd. Hushed voices, snickering jeers, and some outright calls of ridicule. Kazu didn't know what had just happened, but he felt a form of tension in the room. "I would bind him to 'Kaze no Ryūzu,' with myself as his caretaker. I shall teach him our ways."

"Oh? Is that so?" The great lizard regarded Kazu with eyes as large as a wagon, weighing the puny thing that stood before him. "You understand that any transgressions, insults, breaches of Contract, and other misdeeds he performs will be on your head? You understand that it will be your responsibility to prepare him for the Trials of Ryū, at a time of the Great Overlord's choosing?"

"I understand and accept these responsibilities. Let all the Clans know of it!" Again, a murmur ran through the crowd. Whispers passed freely, creating an oddly deafening pressure throughout the cavern. Kazu still didn't know what was happening.

"And you, child?" The massive lizard's gaze still lingered on Kazu. "What say you?"

Suddely, the crowd grew silent. Everyone present wished to hear what he would say. All eyes were on him. 'What do I say?' Kazu wasn't even sure he could say anything at this moment. The pressure, the uncertainty... he didn't even know what half the things these two were saying meant! But he knew disbelief when he heard it. He knew doubt when it reared its ugly head. And right now, every being in this cavern thought this whole charade to be a farce. That, more than anything else, made Kazu mad.

So, summoning all of his courage, strength, and foolishness, Kazu took one step forward, planted his feet defiantly into the craggy rock below him, and pointed with one outstretched finger directly at the massive lizard who dared to challenge his friend. Brows furrowed, jaw set, and muscles tensed to fight, the young boy let his voice ring loudly for all to hear.

"I SAY BRING IT, AND I SAY TO HELL WITH YOU ALL!" Stunned silence split the room. Not a single being moved to speak. That was good, because Kazu was not finished. "I SAY NO ONE DISREGARDS MY FRIENDS LIKE THAT! I SAY NO MATTER WHAT CHALLENGES YOU THROW AT ME, I WILL MAKE YOU REGRET EVER DOUBTING KINSHOURI!" The entire cavern held its breath. Taking in a breath of air, Kazu held firm for his last words.

"MY NAME IS RYUZAKI KAZUKURA, AND I SAY THAT I AM GOING TO MAKE EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU REMEMBER ME! THAT IS WHAT I SAY!"

The room was still. Nobody moved. Kazu braced himself for the inevitable death he knew would follow a stunt like that. What he was not prepared for, however, was laughter. The massive lizard, seemingly out of nowhere, began a deep throated cackle of morbid delight. The tension in the room lightened, although most other members of the crowd seemed confused at best. Kazu caught all sorts of expressions directed his way: everything from impressed, to befuddled, to outright malice. As the laughter died down, all the expressions faded as the crowd turned to hear what the massive lizard would have to say in response.

"You have picked a bold charge, Kinshouri! Bold, or utterly stupid. Very well! On behalf of the Great Overlord: I, Varanus, welcome this fledgling to be apart of our Clans and acknowledge the Contract formed between Ryuzaki Kazukura and Kinshouri of the 'Kaze no Ryūzu' as binding!"

The murmurs began to pick up again with more voracity than ever. Kazu could feel his heart beating so strongly that he wondered how it didn't burst out of his chest. To the side, he felt Kinshouri approaching to stand beside him — the lizard's tail was twitching this way and that, some sort of mix between agitation and excitement. Kazu didn't dare turn to face his newest friend. He was afraid if he looked away from the crowd, which had now made it a point of pretending that the young boy didn't exist, one of the angrier looking creatures would slit his throat while he was distracted.

"Friends, huh? Is it a thing of humans to make so many enemies for your friends?"

"What else was I supposed to do? It was infuriating the way that he spoke down to you."

"It was tradition, and ceremonial. However, you could not have known. I did not expect you to say all of that; I underestimated your mettle."

"I thought you brought me here to vouch for my worth?"

"I see now that I should have vouched more forcefully."

Kazu couldn't help but grin at that. The soft, rhythmic, thumping sound of Kinshouri's tail beating the ground told Kazu the feeling was mutual. Perhaps it was just adrenaline, but Kazu felt ecstatic. He didn't quite fully understand what had just occured, but he knew it had felt right. However, it wasn't quite over yet.

"Come. We still must perform the Signing." Kinshouri began to walk off to the side, towards the back of the meeting chamber and away from the crowd of onlookers. Kazu, grateful to leave, followed after his friend to wherever it was he was taking him. There was a lot still to figure out about what exactly had occured today, but he figured there would be plenty of time for Kinshouri to fill him in on all the details.

For now, he was just glad he'd shown up when he did; otherwise, he would have missed out on an incredible friendship.

[WC: 1478]
[Total WC: 5920 / 1500]

[ooc: Topic Left, and Contract Search completed.]
 
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