Name: Yomi (v.2) aka Supreme Goddess Rei aka The Supreme aka Rei
Age: 26
Sex: Female
Birthday: September 12
Height: 5ft. 7in.
Weight: 160lbs
Blood Type: AB+
Village: Leaf
Branch: Medical
OOC Rank: A
IC Rank: Chuunin
Core Ability: Demonic Ancestry
Kinjutsu: Jashinist
Physical Description: Skin rich in melanin, Yomi is always glowing from any angle you look at her. Her bronzed skin is only eclipsed by her darker eyes. Superb bone structure gives her the look of someone chiseled by the gods, or in her case, chiseled by Rei herself. She is always clad in her ceremonial headwrap if she is not otherwise occupied on official business outside of the village.
Personality: All great leaders are known as superb orators and while that is true of Yomi, she does not make grand speeches for the mere spectacle of it. In fact, she is a woman of few words. Her belief in actions speaking louder than words resonates deeply within her. (As made apparent by her 4 Acts of Contrition) Further, she believes much more in observing people than spouting out at the mouth to understand people and situations. Talking tends to reveal too much unintended.
A woman of deep faith all her actions could be viewed as movements to spread her religion. Whether that is true or not, Yomi would like people to believe that it does and she would never correct those kinds of assumptions. As the chosen representative of her faith, she carries herself in a regal manner. Never caught undone, never a word spoken out of rage, always elegant. This façade has been closely curated to advance her own ambitions. Only those blessed to be in her inner circle knows the cold, calculated maneuverings that Yomi painstakingly plans to complete her sacred mission: to bring the Word of Rei to all.
Background (Kinjutsu/BL Application):
Dedication:
The Lore – The Daughters of Jashin: Introduction
The Lore – The Daughters of Jashin: The 4 Acts of Contrition:
Act 1– Simple & Clean
Act 2 – Seeking Clarity
Act 3 – The Purification of the Sect
Act 4 – Mortification of the Flesh
NPC ‘s
[ooc; I'm keeping all my things, not swapping out jutsus or anything]
Age: 26
Sex: Female
Birthday: September 12
Height: 5ft. 7in.
Weight: 160lbs
Blood Type: AB+
Village: Leaf
Branch: Medical
OOC Rank: A
IC Rank: Chuunin
Core Ability: Demonic Ancestry
Kinjutsu: Jashinist
Physical Description: Skin rich in melanin, Yomi is always glowing from any angle you look at her. Her bronzed skin is only eclipsed by her darker eyes. Superb bone structure gives her the look of someone chiseled by the gods, or in her case, chiseled by Rei herself. She is always clad in her ceremonial headwrap if she is not otherwise occupied on official business outside of the village.
Personality: All great leaders are known as superb orators and while that is true of Yomi, she does not make grand speeches for the mere spectacle of it. In fact, she is a woman of few words. Her belief in actions speaking louder than words resonates deeply within her. (As made apparent by her 4 Acts of Contrition) Further, she believes much more in observing people than spouting out at the mouth to understand people and situations. Talking tends to reveal too much unintended.
A woman of deep faith all her actions could be viewed as movements to spread her religion. Whether that is true or not, Yomi would like people to believe that it does and she would never correct those kinds of assumptions. As the chosen representative of her faith, she carries herself in a regal manner. Never caught undone, never a word spoken out of rage, always elegant. This façade has been closely curated to advance her own ambitions. Only those blessed to be in her inner circle knows the cold, calculated maneuverings that Yomi painstakingly plans to complete her sacred mission: to bring the Word of Rei to all.
Background (Kinjutsu/BL Application):
The First Book of Yomi, Volume 1.
The 4 Acts of Contrition
A Memoir and Historical Text
by: Asuka Hano, 1st Disciple, Sacred Advisor to Yomi
The 4 Acts of Contrition
A Memoir and Historical Text
by: Asuka Hano, 1st Disciple, Sacred Advisor to Yomi
Dedication:
This book is dedicated to the followers of Rei, The Supreme Goddess. Know that this a firsthand account of the events that led up to Yomi’s awakening to Rei and the subsequent bestowment of Rei’s power upon Yomi. Yomi is Rei, Rei is Yomi. To Yomi the Power to Rei the Sacrifices.
The Lore – The Daughters of Jashin: Introduction
So that you may understand how the disciples of Rei have become enlightened you must first understand how Yomi, that is Rei The Supreme Goddess, came to know herself as Rei here on this earthly plane. That is where we begin our story.
Plucked from the womb of a devout woman of the Jashin faith, Illia was blessed to have been chosen to bring a daughter into this world. Daughters are precious and rare to those who worship the false god Jashin. Yomi was that daughter. From a young age, Yomi was pampered and highly favored; A far cry from what little is officially known about the Jashinist faith. After all, the scant knowledge about the religion almost always says that Jashinists are nothing more than carnal savage beasts and we accept it at face value. Whether that’s true, or not, it is simply irrelevant. This book will not devolve into a deconstruction of the faith. To understand the Supreme Goddess Rei, you must only accept three facts: Jashinists exist, Jashin is a false God, and, for a large portion of her life, Yomi was a fervent servant of the false god Jashin. However, we will start at the beginning.
Plucked from the womb of a devout woman of the Jashin faith, Illia was blessed to have been chosen to bring a daughter into this world. Daughters are precious and rare to those who worship the false god Jashin. Yomi was that daughter. From a young age, Yomi was pampered and highly favored; A far cry from what little is officially known about the Jashinist faith. After all, the scant knowledge about the religion almost always says that Jashinists are nothing more than carnal savage beasts and we accept it at face value. Whether that’s true, or not, it is simply irrelevant. This book will not devolve into a deconstruction of the faith. To understand the Supreme Goddess Rei, you must only accept three facts: Jashinists exist, Jashin is a false God, and, for a large portion of her life, Yomi was a fervent servant of the false god Jashin. However, we will start at the beginning.
The Lore – The Daughters of Jashin: The 4 Acts of Contrition:
Being a Daughter does not guarantee acceptance into the faith. It is a long process by which a Daughter must prove themselves worthy in the eyes of the leaders as told to them through Jashin. In her earlier years, Yomi was the most devout of all the Daughters in her cohort as expressed through her 4 Acts of Contrition.
The cohort that Yomi belonged to consisted of three other Daughters: Asuka Kano, Ko Ii, and Michi Ueda. Ko was short and stocky with the most stamina of them all. Her dark wavy hair sat at her waist with a clean part down the middle. Her olive skin complemented her hazel eyes that were almost too big for her face. If you looked long enough at her you would be enraptured by gaze. If Yomi was the initial fire spark, Ko was the blaze. She could ravage long after everyone else had tired.
Michi was rail thin and her skin was alabaster white. She was nicknamed ghost, although fitting, it was not for her skin color that she was called this; she was the stealthiest of the group. Her eyes were a pale pink that gave her an afflicted look and her inky black hair was a stark contrast to her melanin deficient skin. It made it hard to look away from her which led her to perfect her stealth techniques at a young age. As such she was designated the assassin.
I was the average one of the group. I had no discernable features, I blended in, which made me valuable to the group. I looked normal, people were not offended by my looks as they were with Michi, or put off by my stature like Ko. They would easily talk to me, and thus I oversaw the gathering of intel. At that time, I had a short blunt hair cut with light, blotchy skin. My eyes, are a light brown and I was told I had a pleasant demeanor.
Even as a youngling, Yomi held her tongue, but, her actions always spoke louder than anything she could say. None were more steadfast in their faith then Yomi. She never wavered in her determination and that is what earned her the nickname Bull. Very little has changed of her besides her height in terms of looks. Her bronzed skin was so rare (and continues to be) that many thought Jashin had declared her the favorite as she came out of the womb. Illia, Yomi’s mother, was more akin to Ko’s complexion and fathers are little more than seed donors, so who he was, was irrelevant. She was too beautiful and it was then that we first should have been aware of her Godhood. Her beauty was too great for her to be considered anything but a Goddess.
Collectively we were known as the Yoko Kami [ Yo(mi)Ko Ka(no)Mi(chi)]
Back then, we were housed in some caves in the North West of Earth Country.
It was a normal day. Yomi had awoken first, always committed in her devotion. Her prayers often became so intense she would shed tears, for she knew she was not worthy. None of them were. Her cries woke me, but I knew she couldn’t be consoled, so I watched from my makeshift bed until she calmed. It was an hour before her wailing would subside. She called out to me in a raspy voice, weakened from the despair of feeling unworthy.
“Asuka, please help me to Lord Kobayakawa.” At the time, we were holed up in a dank cavern in the mountainous region of Earth Country northeast of and forgotten Hidden Village. The cavern snaked almost a mile within the mountain. Craggy floors meshed with the mountain’s walls that gave way to long misshapen stalactites that hung from the high ceiling. We slowly made our way through the twisted path until we came to the end, where all the leaders were convened. I wiped down Yomi’s face to free it from any tear stains. She looked at me with a deadpan expression and said nothing. She allowed me to continue to fuss over her and how she presented to Kobayakawa.
Kobayakawa was a stern-faced man; angrily chiseled by a drunken sculptor. His beady eyes were too far apart to be considered normal and his thin lips gave the impression of being constantly peeved. As we came upon him, his back was turned to us, deeply entrenched in a tome. I cleared my throat to get his attention while taking three steps backward, dropping down to one knee. Yomi did not drop to her knee until he turned to acknowledge her, as was her custom.
“Yes, my child? What brings you here?” He closed his book and held it close to his chest. His voice was smooth and baritone, like a rich dark coffee.
“For some time, I have been conflicted on how to show my devotion to the faith.” Yomi started. Her head was bowed to the ground, as was mine, as she spoke.
“But I’ve decided on how I am going to do that. I have settled on 4 Acts of Contrition to honor Him.”
Had I been looking I could say with 100 percent certainty that a smile crept upon Lord Kobayakawa’s face. Footsteps slowly made their way closer towards me, closer to Yomi.
“Rise, both of you.” We complied, as any dutiful Daughter would. This cloaked figure, Kobayakawa, stood at least a foot above us.
“You’re here to seek my approval, yes?” He asked rhetorically. “You, Yomi, the most treasured Daughter, do not need to seek such a thing from me. His approval is all that you need. However, might I recommend you and your team accompany Lord Goto? It should be a great start for your Acts.” Except his approval was needed. As the favorite, Yomi knew her example was being followed by the rest of the Daughters especially by those who sought to also become the Favored One once she ascended the ranks. Kobayakawa was this faction’s leader and all things needed his blessing before implementation. Yomi would follow appropriate protocol.
Yomi hurried back to her resting area with a look of grim determination. A far cry from the deadpan look she had moments ago, in front of Lord Kobayakawa. Upon our arrival, Michi and Ko stood in waiting clad in their purple cloaks.
“We’re to meet Lord Goto.” I announced stopping in front of the two. Michi’s eyes widened while Ko guffawed.
“Is that a joke?” Ko asked, knowing full well it wasn’t. Before I could elaborate further Yomi had appeared with my cloak in hand and pressed it against my chest.
“We’re going.” Yomi looked at Michi and Ko as she fastened her cloak shut. Both girls resigned in a sigh.
The cohort that Yomi belonged to consisted of three other Daughters: Asuka Kano, Ko Ii, and Michi Ueda. Ko was short and stocky with the most stamina of them all. Her dark wavy hair sat at her waist with a clean part down the middle. Her olive skin complemented her hazel eyes that were almost too big for her face. If you looked long enough at her you would be enraptured by gaze. If Yomi was the initial fire spark, Ko was the blaze. She could ravage long after everyone else had tired.
Michi was rail thin and her skin was alabaster white. She was nicknamed ghost, although fitting, it was not for her skin color that she was called this; she was the stealthiest of the group. Her eyes were a pale pink that gave her an afflicted look and her inky black hair was a stark contrast to her melanin deficient skin. It made it hard to look away from her which led her to perfect her stealth techniques at a young age. As such she was designated the assassin.
I was the average one of the group. I had no discernable features, I blended in, which made me valuable to the group. I looked normal, people were not offended by my looks as they were with Michi, or put off by my stature like Ko. They would easily talk to me, and thus I oversaw the gathering of intel. At that time, I had a short blunt hair cut with light, blotchy skin. My eyes, are a light brown and I was told I had a pleasant demeanor.
Even as a youngling, Yomi held her tongue, but, her actions always spoke louder than anything she could say. None were more steadfast in their faith then Yomi. She never wavered in her determination and that is what earned her the nickname Bull. Very little has changed of her besides her height in terms of looks. Her bronzed skin was so rare (and continues to be) that many thought Jashin had declared her the favorite as she came out of the womb. Illia, Yomi’s mother, was more akin to Ko’s complexion and fathers are little more than seed donors, so who he was, was irrelevant. She was too beautiful and it was then that we first should have been aware of her Godhood. Her beauty was too great for her to be considered anything but a Goddess.
Collectively we were known as the Yoko Kami [ Yo(mi)Ko Ka(no)Mi(chi)]
Back then, we were housed in some caves in the North West of Earth Country.
It was a normal day. Yomi had awoken first, always committed in her devotion. Her prayers often became so intense she would shed tears, for she knew she was not worthy. None of them were. Her cries woke me, but I knew she couldn’t be consoled, so I watched from my makeshift bed until she calmed. It was an hour before her wailing would subside. She called out to me in a raspy voice, weakened from the despair of feeling unworthy.
“Asuka, please help me to Lord Kobayakawa.” At the time, we were holed up in a dank cavern in the mountainous region of Earth Country northeast of and forgotten Hidden Village. The cavern snaked almost a mile within the mountain. Craggy floors meshed with the mountain’s walls that gave way to long misshapen stalactites that hung from the high ceiling. We slowly made our way through the twisted path until we came to the end, where all the leaders were convened. I wiped down Yomi’s face to free it from any tear stains. She looked at me with a deadpan expression and said nothing. She allowed me to continue to fuss over her and how she presented to Kobayakawa.
Kobayakawa was a stern-faced man; angrily chiseled by a drunken sculptor. His beady eyes were too far apart to be considered normal and his thin lips gave the impression of being constantly peeved. As we came upon him, his back was turned to us, deeply entrenched in a tome. I cleared my throat to get his attention while taking three steps backward, dropping down to one knee. Yomi did not drop to her knee until he turned to acknowledge her, as was her custom.
“Yes, my child? What brings you here?” He closed his book and held it close to his chest. His voice was smooth and baritone, like a rich dark coffee.
“For some time, I have been conflicted on how to show my devotion to the faith.” Yomi started. Her head was bowed to the ground, as was mine, as she spoke.
“But I’ve decided on how I am going to do that. I have settled on 4 Acts of Contrition to honor Him.”
Had I been looking I could say with 100 percent certainty that a smile crept upon Lord Kobayakawa’s face. Footsteps slowly made their way closer towards me, closer to Yomi.
“Rise, both of you.” We complied, as any dutiful Daughter would. This cloaked figure, Kobayakawa, stood at least a foot above us.
“You’re here to seek my approval, yes?” He asked rhetorically. “You, Yomi, the most treasured Daughter, do not need to seek such a thing from me. His approval is all that you need. However, might I recommend you and your team accompany Lord Goto? It should be a great start for your Acts.” Except his approval was needed. As the favorite, Yomi knew her example was being followed by the rest of the Daughters especially by those who sought to also become the Favored One once she ascended the ranks. Kobayakawa was this faction’s leader and all things needed his blessing before implementation. Yomi would follow appropriate protocol.
Yomi hurried back to her resting area with a look of grim determination. A far cry from the deadpan look she had moments ago, in front of Lord Kobayakawa. Upon our arrival, Michi and Ko stood in waiting clad in their purple cloaks.
“We’re to meet Lord Goto.” I announced stopping in front of the two. Michi’s eyes widened while Ko guffawed.
“Is that a joke?” Ko asked, knowing full well it wasn’t. Before I could elaborate further Yomi had appeared with my cloak in hand and pressed it against my chest.
“We’re going.” Yomi looked at Michi and Ko as she fastened her cloak shut. Both girls resigned in a sigh.
Michi and Ko’s concerns were not unwarranted. Lord Goto was also known as the Executioner. While his sacrifices were worthy of admiration, no team ever assigned to him had come back alive. Falling victim to his judgement those teams would never gain Jashin’s favor in his eyes and were cut like the loose ends that they were. However, no Daughter cohort had ever been assigned to him for that exact reason. Daughters were precious and they needed to be protected until they came of age. This is what Lord Kobayakawa had always impressed upon us. Truthfully, it was disconcerting to me as well, but I did not question it.
There was no direct path from the cavern to the basin but faction members new how to get up and down without incident. In this way, it kept people from needlessly wandering in to our stronghold. It was still dark out, but dawn was quickly approaching. The air was frigid and it bit at our faces as we made the trek down to the basin. We had to take the quickest path down, as we knew that missions always started at dawn and we’d need to arrive before Lord Goto left us.
“Yomi!” Ko called from behind. “What are we doing?”
Michi elbowed Ko accompanied with an eyeroll. “Praising Him, what else would we be doing?”
Ko rubbed the spot where she was hit. Michi was nothing but bones and angles and it hurt much more than it normally would have. “I know, but, why are we going with Lord Goto, this is absurd.”
“It was Lord Kobayakawa’s recommendation.” Yomi flatly replied as she led the group down the path. I chimed in to provide further details.
“Yomi has decided to complete 4 Acts of Contrition to gain His favor and formally ascend the hierarchy. Lord Kobayakawa said that she should attend the mission with Lord Goto to start them off.” Michi smiled brightly at my explanation, her teeth were big and as white as her skin.
“She’s always so forward thinking.” Michi said “When my time comes I hope to decide upon something as great as this.” Ko, rolled her eyes and smirked, “Yeah, well, just hope Lord Goto doesn’t sacrifice us first.”
We made it to the bottom where Lord Goto had been. It wasn’t clear if he knew we were coming or not, but he greeted us just the same. He was tall and lanky with a bald head. His eyes were as dark as night and his skin was a sickly grey color.
“Well, well. To what do I owe the pleasure of being in the presence of the Favored One?” Lord Goto spoke without any indication of trying to hide the sarcasm in his voice. We all dropped to our knee with bowed heads but Yomi was the only one who spoke.
“Lord Kobayakawa would like for us to accompany you.” Yomi replied.
“Does he, now? Stand.” We all stood up, Michi moved to Yomi’s left, me to Yomi’s right, and Ko behind her. Lord Goto scratched his chin looking beyond us as if deep in thought.
“I see.” Goto replied. “Well in that case, we’re headed east of here to a place called…well it doesn’t matter much what it’s called. We’re going to spread the good word.” He turned his back to us and started off. We followed closely behind.
We traveled for five days before we came upon our first destination. We arrived at mid-day to a town that was boisterous and full of excitement. The market was packed with people buying and selling their goods. Kids ran around chasing each other in amusement, without a care in the world. Lord Goto asked where he could find the town inn and was given detailed instructions by a kind townsman. We walked to a two-story building called the Weary Traveler, it was quaint with all the makings of a warm welcome. A rotund man with an unfortunate comb-over sat at the front desk engrossed in a book. On his face sat tiny reading glasses that were almost swallowed by his big rosy cheeks.
“Two rooms please.” Lord Goto said, pulling a pouch of money from under his cloak. The innkeeper looked at Lord Goto from up under his glasses. He then peered at us, who quietly stood behind him, lingering on Michi the longest.
“And how long will you be staying?” He asked, not taking his eyes off Ghost. Yomi took a pointed step in front of Michi, aware that prolonged stares made her murderous.
“We’ll be staying two nights.” Yomi said with a smile. “Right father?” She asked as she looked up at Lord Goto.
“Yes, darling.” He replied smiling back at her. “Two nights.” Lord Goto repeated Yomi’s words as he took money out of his pouch, much more money than it could have possibly cost for the length of our stay.
The innkeeper raised an eyebrow at the money and took it off the counter. He pulled 2 room keys from his side of the counter and handed them to Lord Goto.
“Upstairs, last 2 rooms on the left.” Lord Goto gave a slight nod as he headed upstairs with us trailing behind. Yomi was the last to ascend the stairs, allowing for us to go ahead of her.
As Yomi entered the room, Lord Goto stood in the center of it, while the rest of us were seated on the bed. He wasted no time reminding us why we were there.
“We are here to spread the word of our God. As Lord Kobayakawa has graciously left you as my charges, I’d prefer if the Yoko Kami held the homily tonight.” Lord Goto smiled in anticipation of Yomi’s response.
“As you say.” Yomi responded in an even tone.
“Perfect.” Yomi stepped aside as the gray skinned man made his way towards the door. She closed it behind him and quickly unfastened her cloak.
“Let us prepare.” I said as I stood up, readjusting the fastening my own cloak. Yomi stepped back into the hall to bathe in the communal shower. Michi and I would go scout out the town while Ko remained to prepare our weaponry.
Michi and I would return a few hours later to Ko and Yomi fast asleep. Michi went to shower first while I would awaken the others to explain the best course of action. Because the town was so small, I had determined that it would be best to start the homily by setting fires at both edges of the town to prevent the people from fleeing. By the time anyone would notice,m the fire would be too big to put out. Just in case they didn’t notice in an appropriate time frame, I would begin to create a panic. Then we would make our way from the start of where we entered to the opposite end, leaving no stone unturned. The town didn’t appear to have any weapons caches to fight back with so it was a free-for-all as far as I was concerned.
“My kind of party.” Ko said, clasping her hands together in delight. She nudged a silent Yomi.
“Come on Yomi! Think of how amazing this is gonna be!” Yomi gave Ko a slight nudge of acknowledgment in return. “Yes, you’re right, Ko. I’m just thinking.” Yomi looked up as Michi returned to the room.
“Yeah Yomi, it’ll be simple, quick, clean. What else could you ask for?” Yomi stood up as she would begin to address us formally.
“We, the Yoko Kami, will do this in His name. May the spread be bountiful.” She looked to me, and told me to get ready, and I did so.
We waited until late into the night, when not even the cicadas could be heard, before we began our powerful sermon. Ko left first, setting up the fires while Michi took to picking locks around town, to catch her targets unawares. I made my way to the town square, after the fires were sufficiently burned and began the confusion. Yomi waited until she heard my cries before she would begin her onslaught.
In a groggy sleep, people emerged from their homes. As they were greeted by the bright flames fear quickly engulfed them. Panic flooded the streets, giving us all the perfect opportunity to spread the word of our God. Yomi pulled a dagger from under her cloak, slipping them in and out of people as she moved through the confused crowd. Bodies began dropping without a clear indication of what was going on giving way to more chaos and confusion. When the herd thinned, it became clearer to the survivors just who was behind the pandemonium.
To their credit, they tried to fight back, but they were no match against us. We were protected by our Lord God and it was his divine will that we serve them up to Him. As all the bodies fell where they were, Yomi, Ko and myself kicked in the doors to anyplace that looked untouched by Michi. Michi was not only a great assassin she had a penchant for torture that sometimes held her up if she got carried away. Clearing out all the areas, we came upon a final home that we were sure hadn’t been ran through by Michi. As we kicked the barricaded door in, we found a family of four. A male, presumably the husband and father of the group, stood in front of us with a knife in hand. He yelled at us to stay back, but, Ko was having none of it. Though she didn’t look it, she was swift on her feet and ran her solid body into him, knocking him clean off his feet. I pounced on the knife that fell from his hand as the wind was knocked out of him, tearing it into his side. The mother, screamed in terror as she held her two small boys close who were undoubtedly frightened by the vicious display.
Yomi squatted in front of the woman whose legs had given out from under her. Michi had appeared by this time, peeling one of the children away from the mother. She screamed in protest but her arms were too weak to hold on as tight to her son as she should have. The boy screams pierced my ears as he was pulled to his certain death.
“Do you love him?” Yomi asked. Her voice showed no remorse or concern, but, the question was genuine.
“Ask your God for strength to protect him because my God demands his flesh.” The woman looked confused but held on to her other son who was seeking comfort from his mom. She begged Yomi to let her son go, but, Yomi would not comply. Instead she gave a nod of confirmation to Michi who gripped the boy tightly by the neck, slowly pushing her own dagger through his eye. He tried to fight her but Michi was too strong and he was too frightened to wrestle his little body away from her. His screams were cut short by his untimely death. Yomi watched his mother’s tears begin anew as she witnessed her son’s death, his tiny frame hit the floor with a small thud.
Michi went to retrieve the other child but the mother kicked and screamed at her, invigorated by the sight of her son’s dead body. Yomi put her hand out, stopping Michi.
“I see.” Yomi said as she reached out and gripped the woman’s neck. Reactively the woman reached out to get Yomi off her neck, releasing her other son in the process.
“KO!” Yomi barked. Ko collected the other child who, unlike his brother, fought harder and screamed for his mother to help him. However, he was no match for Ko and her strength. Ko, unlike Michi, had no flare for torture, she was only interested in the kill. She snapped the boys neck in one clean motion tossing his body to the side. He landed on top of his father who still lay bleeding out on the floor. I watched him from the corner of my eye as he lay dying.
The woman screamed as Yomi let go of her neck. Yomi allowed her to crawl to the bloody pile that was her family as Yomi motioned towards Michi to place the other body on top of the other two. Yomi stood over the woman as she wept, sure that her mind was slowly fracturing over what had occurred before her in the span of a few minutes. It was a pitiful sight to behold and yet Yomi allowed the woman to wail for a time before she took her by the hair and dragged her out of the house.
By now the fire had encircled the town. Lord Goto had been standing outside of the house when we exited. It was unclear how long he had been standing there, but, none of us thought it was wise to ask him about it. Yomi dragged the woman several feet from her front door releasing her onto the cold earth. Straddling the woman, the girl watched as she coughed and choked on her own tears all while trying to get from underneath Yomi. She was in such a broken and dejected state that there was only enough strength left in her to scream and cry.
Yomi placed two hands around the woman’s neck and spoke to her.
“Shh, shh, shh. Look at me.” Yomi demanded in a softened tone. The woman complied with a look of despondency. The girl removed one hand from her victim’s throat and wiped the woman’s hair from her face to get a better look at her.
“Do not be sad, you will join them at my God’s table.” The woman looked at Yomi with listless eyes and, in what I could only assume was a last desperate attempt to remain prideful, spat in her face. Slowly, Yomi placed her knee on the woman’s chest as she released her from her one-handed grip. She pulled out her dagger and repeatedly stabbed the woman to death. Only when the woman became completely unrecognizable did Yomi’s stabbings subside. Her eyes flashed a hellfire red, as we all would come to know to be true when she became enraptured in her deeds.
Lord Goto smiled in satisfaction as he left the scene to put out the fires.
As only the Favored One could, and completely covered in blood, she pressed her head to woman’s mangled face and immediately went into prayer.
There was no direct path from the cavern to the basin but faction members new how to get up and down without incident. In this way, it kept people from needlessly wandering in to our stronghold. It was still dark out, but dawn was quickly approaching. The air was frigid and it bit at our faces as we made the trek down to the basin. We had to take the quickest path down, as we knew that missions always started at dawn and we’d need to arrive before Lord Goto left us.
“Yomi!” Ko called from behind. “What are we doing?”
Michi elbowed Ko accompanied with an eyeroll. “Praising Him, what else would we be doing?”
Ko rubbed the spot where she was hit. Michi was nothing but bones and angles and it hurt much more than it normally would have. “I know, but, why are we going with Lord Goto, this is absurd.”
“It was Lord Kobayakawa’s recommendation.” Yomi flatly replied as she led the group down the path. I chimed in to provide further details.
“Yomi has decided to complete 4 Acts of Contrition to gain His favor and formally ascend the hierarchy. Lord Kobayakawa said that she should attend the mission with Lord Goto to start them off.” Michi smiled brightly at my explanation, her teeth were big and as white as her skin.
“She’s always so forward thinking.” Michi said “When my time comes I hope to decide upon something as great as this.” Ko, rolled her eyes and smirked, “Yeah, well, just hope Lord Goto doesn’t sacrifice us first.”
We made it to the bottom where Lord Goto had been. It wasn’t clear if he knew we were coming or not, but he greeted us just the same. He was tall and lanky with a bald head. His eyes were as dark as night and his skin was a sickly grey color.
“Well, well. To what do I owe the pleasure of being in the presence of the Favored One?” Lord Goto spoke without any indication of trying to hide the sarcasm in his voice. We all dropped to our knee with bowed heads but Yomi was the only one who spoke.
“Lord Kobayakawa would like for us to accompany you.” Yomi replied.
“Does he, now? Stand.” We all stood up, Michi moved to Yomi’s left, me to Yomi’s right, and Ko behind her. Lord Goto scratched his chin looking beyond us as if deep in thought.
“I see.” Goto replied. “Well in that case, we’re headed east of here to a place called…well it doesn’t matter much what it’s called. We’re going to spread the good word.” He turned his back to us and started off. We followed closely behind.
We traveled for five days before we came upon our first destination. We arrived at mid-day to a town that was boisterous and full of excitement. The market was packed with people buying and selling their goods. Kids ran around chasing each other in amusement, without a care in the world. Lord Goto asked where he could find the town inn and was given detailed instructions by a kind townsman. We walked to a two-story building called the Weary Traveler, it was quaint with all the makings of a warm welcome. A rotund man with an unfortunate comb-over sat at the front desk engrossed in a book. On his face sat tiny reading glasses that were almost swallowed by his big rosy cheeks.
“Two rooms please.” Lord Goto said, pulling a pouch of money from under his cloak. The innkeeper looked at Lord Goto from up under his glasses. He then peered at us, who quietly stood behind him, lingering on Michi the longest.
“And how long will you be staying?” He asked, not taking his eyes off Ghost. Yomi took a pointed step in front of Michi, aware that prolonged stares made her murderous.
“We’ll be staying two nights.” Yomi said with a smile. “Right father?” She asked as she looked up at Lord Goto.
“Yes, darling.” He replied smiling back at her. “Two nights.” Lord Goto repeated Yomi’s words as he took money out of his pouch, much more money than it could have possibly cost for the length of our stay.
The innkeeper raised an eyebrow at the money and took it off the counter. He pulled 2 room keys from his side of the counter and handed them to Lord Goto.
“Upstairs, last 2 rooms on the left.” Lord Goto gave a slight nod as he headed upstairs with us trailing behind. Yomi was the last to ascend the stairs, allowing for us to go ahead of her.
As Yomi entered the room, Lord Goto stood in the center of it, while the rest of us were seated on the bed. He wasted no time reminding us why we were there.
“We are here to spread the word of our God. As Lord Kobayakawa has graciously left you as my charges, I’d prefer if the Yoko Kami held the homily tonight.” Lord Goto smiled in anticipation of Yomi’s response.
“As you say.” Yomi responded in an even tone.
“Perfect.” Yomi stepped aside as the gray skinned man made his way towards the door. She closed it behind him and quickly unfastened her cloak.
“Let us prepare.” I said as I stood up, readjusting the fastening my own cloak. Yomi stepped back into the hall to bathe in the communal shower. Michi and I would go scout out the town while Ko remained to prepare our weaponry.
Michi and I would return a few hours later to Ko and Yomi fast asleep. Michi went to shower first while I would awaken the others to explain the best course of action. Because the town was so small, I had determined that it would be best to start the homily by setting fires at both edges of the town to prevent the people from fleeing. By the time anyone would notice,m the fire would be too big to put out. Just in case they didn’t notice in an appropriate time frame, I would begin to create a panic. Then we would make our way from the start of where we entered to the opposite end, leaving no stone unturned. The town didn’t appear to have any weapons caches to fight back with so it was a free-for-all as far as I was concerned.
“My kind of party.” Ko said, clasping her hands together in delight. She nudged a silent Yomi.
“Come on Yomi! Think of how amazing this is gonna be!” Yomi gave Ko a slight nudge of acknowledgment in return. “Yes, you’re right, Ko. I’m just thinking.” Yomi looked up as Michi returned to the room.
“Yeah Yomi, it’ll be simple, quick, clean. What else could you ask for?” Yomi stood up as she would begin to address us formally.
“We, the Yoko Kami, will do this in His name. May the spread be bountiful.” She looked to me, and told me to get ready, and I did so.
We waited until late into the night, when not even the cicadas could be heard, before we began our powerful sermon. Ko left first, setting up the fires while Michi took to picking locks around town, to catch her targets unawares. I made my way to the town square, after the fires were sufficiently burned and began the confusion. Yomi waited until she heard my cries before she would begin her onslaught.
In a groggy sleep, people emerged from their homes. As they were greeted by the bright flames fear quickly engulfed them. Panic flooded the streets, giving us all the perfect opportunity to spread the word of our God. Yomi pulled a dagger from under her cloak, slipping them in and out of people as she moved through the confused crowd. Bodies began dropping without a clear indication of what was going on giving way to more chaos and confusion. When the herd thinned, it became clearer to the survivors just who was behind the pandemonium.
To their credit, they tried to fight back, but they were no match against us. We were protected by our Lord God and it was his divine will that we serve them up to Him. As all the bodies fell where they were, Yomi, Ko and myself kicked in the doors to anyplace that looked untouched by Michi. Michi was not only a great assassin she had a penchant for torture that sometimes held her up if she got carried away. Clearing out all the areas, we came upon a final home that we were sure hadn’t been ran through by Michi. As we kicked the barricaded door in, we found a family of four. A male, presumably the husband and father of the group, stood in front of us with a knife in hand. He yelled at us to stay back, but, Ko was having none of it. Though she didn’t look it, she was swift on her feet and ran her solid body into him, knocking him clean off his feet. I pounced on the knife that fell from his hand as the wind was knocked out of him, tearing it into his side. The mother, screamed in terror as she held her two small boys close who were undoubtedly frightened by the vicious display.
Yomi squatted in front of the woman whose legs had given out from under her. Michi had appeared by this time, peeling one of the children away from the mother. She screamed in protest but her arms were too weak to hold on as tight to her son as she should have. The boy screams pierced my ears as he was pulled to his certain death.
“Do you love him?” Yomi asked. Her voice showed no remorse or concern, but, the question was genuine.
“Ask your God for strength to protect him because my God demands his flesh.” The woman looked confused but held on to her other son who was seeking comfort from his mom. She begged Yomi to let her son go, but, Yomi would not comply. Instead she gave a nod of confirmation to Michi who gripped the boy tightly by the neck, slowly pushing her own dagger through his eye. He tried to fight her but Michi was too strong and he was too frightened to wrestle his little body away from her. His screams were cut short by his untimely death. Yomi watched his mother’s tears begin anew as she witnessed her son’s death, his tiny frame hit the floor with a small thud.
Michi went to retrieve the other child but the mother kicked and screamed at her, invigorated by the sight of her son’s dead body. Yomi put her hand out, stopping Michi.
“I see.” Yomi said as she reached out and gripped the woman’s neck. Reactively the woman reached out to get Yomi off her neck, releasing her other son in the process.
“KO!” Yomi barked. Ko collected the other child who, unlike his brother, fought harder and screamed for his mother to help him. However, he was no match for Ko and her strength. Ko, unlike Michi, had no flare for torture, she was only interested in the kill. She snapped the boys neck in one clean motion tossing his body to the side. He landed on top of his father who still lay bleeding out on the floor. I watched him from the corner of my eye as he lay dying.
The woman screamed as Yomi let go of her neck. Yomi allowed her to crawl to the bloody pile that was her family as Yomi motioned towards Michi to place the other body on top of the other two. Yomi stood over the woman as she wept, sure that her mind was slowly fracturing over what had occurred before her in the span of a few minutes. It was a pitiful sight to behold and yet Yomi allowed the woman to wail for a time before she took her by the hair and dragged her out of the house.
By now the fire had encircled the town. Lord Goto had been standing outside of the house when we exited. It was unclear how long he had been standing there, but, none of us thought it was wise to ask him about it. Yomi dragged the woman several feet from her front door releasing her onto the cold earth. Straddling the woman, the girl watched as she coughed and choked on her own tears all while trying to get from underneath Yomi. She was in such a broken and dejected state that there was only enough strength left in her to scream and cry.
Yomi placed two hands around the woman’s neck and spoke to her.
“Shh, shh, shh. Look at me.” Yomi demanded in a softened tone. The woman complied with a look of despondency. The girl removed one hand from her victim’s throat and wiped the woman’s hair from her face to get a better look at her.
“Do not be sad, you will join them at my God’s table.” The woman looked at Yomi with listless eyes and, in what I could only assume was a last desperate attempt to remain prideful, spat in her face. Slowly, Yomi placed her knee on the woman’s chest as she released her from her one-handed grip. She pulled out her dagger and repeatedly stabbed the woman to death. Only when the woman became completely unrecognizable did Yomi’s stabbings subside. Her eyes flashed a hellfire red, as we all would come to know to be true when she became enraptured in her deeds.
Lord Goto smiled in satisfaction as he left the scene to put out the fires.
As only the Favored One could, and completely covered in blood, she pressed her head to woman’s mangled face and immediately went into prayer.
Omnipotent Jashin, please accept this act before you from a humble unworthy servant
May you find sustenance in this bloody spread and know that it is you that I serve
Today, may you find me worthy of your holy blessing even though I could never hope to be
Tomorrow, may I be able to serve you another great feast so that I may continue to sustain you
By your blessing
From that day forward, Yomi would end every Act of Contrition with this prayer. Lord Goto and the Yoko Kami would continue this trend every third town we came upon, sacrificing three towns in total before returning home.May you find sustenance in this bloody spread and know that it is you that I serve
Today, may you find me worthy of your holy blessing even though I could never hope to be
Tomorrow, may I be able to serve you another great feast so that I may continue to sustain you
By your blessing
Lord Goto and the Yoko Kami had been gone for five months by the time we had returned home. Yomi and Lord Goto were immediately ushered to Lord Kobayakawa upon their arrival to give a full report. Yomi would not return to her resting area for several hours. I devoted myself to prayer in that time, as did Michi and Ko. It was custom to do so upon one’s return home.
Yomi finally came in as I, on bended knee, was finishing up my prayer. It was then that she confided in me her thoughts about all that had transpired.
“I do not agree with Lord Goto’s methods. It is not of me to deliver something as weak and pitiful to our Lord God and think it would properly sustain him.” She began to remove her outerwear. I chose my words carefully because I was unsure of where this conversation was going.
“Weak and pitiful?” I asked.
“Yes.” Yomi sat down on her makeshift bed before she continued. “Certain sacrifices cannot be helped, but I believe that sacrifices should be hard gained to properly sustain Him. For He is ravenous. What I have offered would not satisfy Him.” Yomi looked saddened at her revelation.
“So, what will you do?”
“I do not know, but, I will have the answers I seek soon enough.” Yomi broke into a half-smile and went into prayer, allowing me to watch her until I fell asleep. As usual I, would wake up to find her praying. She would pray all day for the next three days, only stopping to relieve herself or sleep. She would not even partake in any sustenance. By the fourth day, Lord Kobayakawa had stepped in, imploring her to drink water. He ensured her that our Lord God did not yet require her to be by his side, and that she had more work to do here. After much back and forth, Yomi decided to partake in water and only water. She declared that her body was His to do with as he saw fit.
Some nights I found her dry heaving in the corner of our shared space, but nothing would come up. I could only help her as much as she allowed, and that was limited to only helping her to and from the bathroom. Michi and Ko would bring fresh water every hour as they knew that her devotion was too strong to be tempted by food. On the 9th day, Yomi had stood and declared that she had found the answers she sought. I quickly reported it Lord Kobayakawa as requested who was relieved that this fasting period was over. Yomi was looking too gaunt for anyone’s liking, but, it was nothing that a bit of Michi’s cooking would not fix.
Michi cooked up Yomi’s favorite, Nikumaki Onigiri. She made more than enough for us all to eat well into the night. Yomi thanked Michi for the thoughtful meal as she ate slowly, letting her stomach adjust to food after being without it for a while. We all ate in silence, waiting for her to tell us what she had decided. It was not until her third helping did she respond to our unspoken questions.
“As I sacrificed my body to our Lord God, he released me from the torment in order to carry out his will. Should you all decide to join me, I have come to a conclusion on what it is that we should do next.”
Ko smiled “Oh please, like you have to ask, of course we’re coming!”
Yomi eyed Ko and then looked to Michi who was nodding in agreement. Yomi had not yet my eye.
“Thank you for helping me present my feast to our Lord God. On the day that you all decide to make your presentations, I hope to be of some assistance.”
Michi reached out to grab Yomi’s hand “Your example is the only assistance we need. You are the best of us. Should we not help you, our Lord God would surely call us to his table to feast on us. We would be unworthy to walk beside you because you are His chosen and you are set to present his greatest feast.” Michi was the most heartfelt among us. I would go so far as to say that she loved Yomi more than she was devoted to the faith.
“Please, Michi. We are all Daughters of Jashin. We were all chosen. Our times are only different, that is all.” Smiling she gripped Michi’s pasty hand in her own chocolate hued one in assurance. She then continued on.
“As I said before, Asuka, sacrifices should be hard gained. I believe we should clean house first. We should never accept anything but bold hard sacrifice for our Lord. I seek to present Lord Goto’s head to our Lord God.”
Yomi finally met my eye. She considered me, searching for a moment of weakness to condemn me in front of my peers while simultaneously placing me in their cross-hairs. I was the word of reason in the group. The other two would willingly follow her off a cliff with open eyes, and she knew it. It wasn’t them she had to convince, it was me. Regardless, I knew she would proceed with or without me signing off on it. This was not just a test of loyalty and a feat of strength, it was a test of wills and the abandonment of fear.
“Is this what you were thinking about, back at the first inn after we came back from scouting? That what we were doing was too easy?” I asked to buy myself a little more time.
“Yes.” She replied with a slow nod. Her answer was straight and to the point without feeling the need to go into any explanation. It was clear to me that it was clear to her that I was buying time.
“What do you think Lord Kobayakawa would say?” I asked this question expecting a more thoughtful answer.
Yomi smiled not letting her gaze leave my own. I imagine the tension in the air was thick to everyone that sat in the room except to Yomi. Even in her weakened state, I couldn’t hope to leave that room alive with Michi and Ko at her side.
“Lord Kobayakawa is not safe from the wrath of our Lord God any more than you are. This is what he said to me as I presented myself to him in judgement. Should I heed Lord Kobayakawa’s word over His?” The question was rhetorical and the promise of death was not lost upon me. It was clear then that I was in the presence of something more formidable than what dangers might crop up in the form of Lord Kobayakawa’s ire. To be clear, I did not think it was a bad idea, I just believed it would upset the overall goals of what this group of Jashinists were trying to accomplish. My eyes lowered as I reached for another Onigiri.
“Ok…When do we start?”
Yomi also reached down to pick up another rice ball. I could still feel her eyes burning into me.
“When I am at full strength. Please give me 2 weeks.” Ko squealed in anticipation and Michi exhaled in relief as the tense moment had finally past. When the meal was done, Yomi prayed again.
Yomi finally came in as I, on bended knee, was finishing up my prayer. It was then that she confided in me her thoughts about all that had transpired.
“I do not agree with Lord Goto’s methods. It is not of me to deliver something as weak and pitiful to our Lord God and think it would properly sustain him.” She began to remove her outerwear. I chose my words carefully because I was unsure of where this conversation was going.
“Weak and pitiful?” I asked.
“Yes.” Yomi sat down on her makeshift bed before she continued. “Certain sacrifices cannot be helped, but I believe that sacrifices should be hard gained to properly sustain Him. For He is ravenous. What I have offered would not satisfy Him.” Yomi looked saddened at her revelation.
“So, what will you do?”
“I do not know, but, I will have the answers I seek soon enough.” Yomi broke into a half-smile and went into prayer, allowing me to watch her until I fell asleep. As usual I, would wake up to find her praying. She would pray all day for the next three days, only stopping to relieve herself or sleep. She would not even partake in any sustenance. By the fourth day, Lord Kobayakawa had stepped in, imploring her to drink water. He ensured her that our Lord God did not yet require her to be by his side, and that she had more work to do here. After much back and forth, Yomi decided to partake in water and only water. She declared that her body was His to do with as he saw fit.
Some nights I found her dry heaving in the corner of our shared space, but nothing would come up. I could only help her as much as she allowed, and that was limited to only helping her to and from the bathroom. Michi and Ko would bring fresh water every hour as they knew that her devotion was too strong to be tempted by food. On the 9th day, Yomi had stood and declared that she had found the answers she sought. I quickly reported it Lord Kobayakawa as requested who was relieved that this fasting period was over. Yomi was looking too gaunt for anyone’s liking, but, it was nothing that a bit of Michi’s cooking would not fix.
Michi cooked up Yomi’s favorite, Nikumaki Onigiri. She made more than enough for us all to eat well into the night. Yomi thanked Michi for the thoughtful meal as she ate slowly, letting her stomach adjust to food after being without it for a while. We all ate in silence, waiting for her to tell us what she had decided. It was not until her third helping did she respond to our unspoken questions.
“As I sacrificed my body to our Lord God, he released me from the torment in order to carry out his will. Should you all decide to join me, I have come to a conclusion on what it is that we should do next.”
Ko smiled “Oh please, like you have to ask, of course we’re coming!”
Yomi eyed Ko and then looked to Michi who was nodding in agreement. Yomi had not yet my eye.
“Thank you for helping me present my feast to our Lord God. On the day that you all decide to make your presentations, I hope to be of some assistance.”
Michi reached out to grab Yomi’s hand “Your example is the only assistance we need. You are the best of us. Should we not help you, our Lord God would surely call us to his table to feast on us. We would be unworthy to walk beside you because you are His chosen and you are set to present his greatest feast.” Michi was the most heartfelt among us. I would go so far as to say that she loved Yomi more than she was devoted to the faith.
“Please, Michi. We are all Daughters of Jashin. We were all chosen. Our times are only different, that is all.” Smiling she gripped Michi’s pasty hand in her own chocolate hued one in assurance. She then continued on.
“As I said before, Asuka, sacrifices should be hard gained. I believe we should clean house first. We should never accept anything but bold hard sacrifice for our Lord. I seek to present Lord Goto’s head to our Lord God.”
Yomi finally met my eye. She considered me, searching for a moment of weakness to condemn me in front of my peers while simultaneously placing me in their cross-hairs. I was the word of reason in the group. The other two would willingly follow her off a cliff with open eyes, and she knew it. It wasn’t them she had to convince, it was me. Regardless, I knew she would proceed with or without me signing off on it. This was not just a test of loyalty and a feat of strength, it was a test of wills and the abandonment of fear.
“Is this what you were thinking about, back at the first inn after we came back from scouting? That what we were doing was too easy?” I asked to buy myself a little more time.
“Yes.” She replied with a slow nod. Her answer was straight and to the point without feeling the need to go into any explanation. It was clear to me that it was clear to her that I was buying time.
“What do you think Lord Kobayakawa would say?” I asked this question expecting a more thoughtful answer.
Yomi smiled not letting her gaze leave my own. I imagine the tension in the air was thick to everyone that sat in the room except to Yomi. Even in her weakened state, I couldn’t hope to leave that room alive with Michi and Ko at her side.
“Lord Kobayakawa is not safe from the wrath of our Lord God any more than you are. This is what he said to me as I presented myself to him in judgement. Should I heed Lord Kobayakawa’s word over His?” The question was rhetorical and the promise of death was not lost upon me. It was clear then that I was in the presence of something more formidable than what dangers might crop up in the form of Lord Kobayakawa’s ire. To be clear, I did not think it was a bad idea, I just believed it would upset the overall goals of what this group of Jashinists were trying to accomplish. My eyes lowered as I reached for another Onigiri.
“Ok…When do we start?”
Yomi also reached down to pick up another rice ball. I could still feel her eyes burning into me.
“When I am at full strength. Please give me 2 weeks.” Ko squealed in anticipation and Michi exhaled in relief as the tense moment had finally past. When the meal was done, Yomi prayed again.
Omnipotent Jashin, please accept this act before you from a humble unworthy servant
May you find sustenance in the coming bloody spread and know that it is you that I serve
Today, may you find me worthy of your holy blessing even though I could never hope to be
Tomorrow, may I be able to serve you another great feast so that I may continue to sustain you
By your blessing
May you find sustenance in the coming bloody spread and know that it is you that I serve
Today, may you find me worthy of your holy blessing even though I could never hope to be
Tomorrow, may I be able to serve you another great feast so that I may continue to sustain you
By your blessing
Act 3 – The Purification of the Sect
The two weeks had passed without incident. I had spent the entire time going over strategies in my head about how we should go about taking on Lord Goto. Each time I would try to go over them with Yomi, she would not hear it and went further to say that I was not to speak about it with Michi and Ko. Leaving me to strategize alone. I could not fathom why it was that she would not want to discuss it with me at all. The morning of the 15th day, I was awoken by Michi who had let me know that Yomi had gathered all the Lords at the basin. Lord Kobayakawa had granted her request to address them all. It was not unusual for the Lords to gather to discuss things, but, it was unusual for a Daughter to make the request and even more so for said Daughter to be making the address.
It was summer now, no need for heavy cloaks. I headed down the mountain path in my white vestments, unable to change into something for suitable for the occasion with Michi behind me. Michi explained that her and Ko were already down there and she asked Michi to stay behind to wake me once the other two got to the bottom. I had no idea what she was up to and was upset that she had kept it from me. When we reached the bottom, Yomi was kneeling in front of Lord Kobayakawa formally requesting to speak to the group who encircled her. I stood beside Ko who was outside of the circle, and Michi stood beside me.
“What’s happening?” I asked in an angry whisper. Ko shrugged, apparently, she was none the wiser than the rest of us. I growled and told them to remain on guard. I watched Yomi rise to address the men that encircled her. There were 10 lords with a team of 4 Daughters, for a total of 40 Daughters and 11 Lords. Lord Goto had no team of Daughters but instead his team consisted of runaway boys that wanted a place to belong. The girl’s moms were relegated to a Hidden Village and the surrounding parts. Our faction made sure that our surrounding area was taken care of in order the facilitate the continued birthing of baby girls. The Yoko Kami belonged to Lord Kobayakawa.
Yomi rose to begin her address to the crowd.
“As you know, in my desire to be accepted into the faith and serve Our Lord God wholly, I have decided to prove myself to you all and Our Lord God through 4 Acts of Contrition. I have completed my Acts 1 and 2 and have called upon you all to bear witness to my 3rd Act. For my 3rd Act, in an attempt to purify the sect from faulty shows of devotion, I challenge Lord Goto to a fight to the death. Should he deny, I call upon the Lords to put him to death for dishonoring our Lord God. Should he die, then know that our Lord God has not yet released me from my duty to serve him and that I have successfully carried out his will. Should he live, then know that I have failed and no longer deserve to do our Lord Gods bidding.” The crowd broke out in a roar of conversation. Some of the Lords looked pleased with her display while other’s looked disgusted by her blatant show of arrogance. The only ones who remained unmoved were Lords Goto and Kobayakawa.
The leader of the faction had made a motion to calm the men down.
“Faulty you say?” One of the Lords said from behind.
“Yes.” Yomi replied “Lord Goto presents paltry feasts to our Lord God. Our Lord God demands not only pain and sacrifice in terms of the dead, he demands them in every attempt made to present him a feast. We should never come out unscathed. The battle should be grisly and bloody. That is what he demands. I bared witness to his strategies on my first Act. They were unsatisfactory.” Yomi met Lord Goto’s eyes as she spoke with the same piercing stare that held me when she first told me of her plan.
“I admire your tenacity, however, if Lord Goto declines, we cannot move to strike him down. It is a sin for any of the initiated to strike down his brother. You have exploited a grey area in our practices, you see, since you’re still not formally a part of the faith.” Kobayakawa spoke evenly, as Yomi did in these situations. A trait she picked up from him.
Lord Goto seemed to weigh his answer in his mind before giving his response. We all knew he had no choice in the matter. Would he lose face to a Daughter to ensure he lived today, or prove to his Lord that her accusations against him were frivolous and she needed to die for slandering his name.
“You are truly a Bull, aren’t you, Favored One!?” Lord Goto spat “Of course I accept!” He stepped in to the circle while the others spread out to reorient the space. Yomi were dressed the same in the normal all black ensemble with black boots with their daggers at their side. I understood then that Yomi had already come up with a plan that would ensure that the man she set out to kill would have no chance of escape. In this way, it would be done without going behind Lord Kobayakawa’s back, honoring the protocols he set in place while also putting everyone on alert that they too could meet this fate if a future Daughter deemed them unfit to serve our Lord God.
Lord Goto brandished his dagger. He paced around Yomi, sizing her up, seeing the best way to approach her. Yomi followed his movements, not allowing for him to get behind her, she was not as experienced in one on one fighting, but, she knew that much.
In a burst of speed Yomi rushed him with dagger in hand. He blocked her first oncoming attack, pushing her back. She came again and again at him, but she was unable to break his defenses. He laughed at her and taunted her enraging her further. As she came at him again she was met with a solid boot to her chest, knocking the wind out of her body as she hit the ground. Instinctively Michi moved to be at Yomi’s side but I held her back. I had to remind her that this was a trial presented to Yomi by Our God and there was nothing we could do to circumvent that. Michi clenched her fists together and said nothing while Ko did not take her eyes off the fight.
“Look at you, so proud to be the favorite! I wonder if you understand what that means.” He walked around her as she coughed and gasped for air. As she made moves to regain a standing position, he kicked her back down. Yomi scrambled out of the way of another oncoming kick, clutching her ribs with one hand and holding her dagger for dear life in the other. She got to her feet, with a flash of red overtaking her eyes.
“Oh, you’re mad now? A raging bull!” His words oozed with hate as he lunged at her, and back handed her. She stumbled backwards but didn’t fall. “Pitiful!” He hit her again, harder than the first time, knocking her to her knees. Looking up at him with busted lips and a rapidly closing eye, she swiftly drove her dagger into his kneecap and continued to do so in a rapid fire motion until he fell back.
Seizing the moment she climbed on top of him placing her dagger to his throat. He was unprepared for her scrapping style and was caught unawares by her dirty tactics. Still, this was not his first battle. He did not let go of his dagger , it was firmly pressed against her side.
“Yomi, you’ll die whether or not it’s today or tomorrow. Did you ever ask yourself why there’s only Daughters here?” Lord Gato hissed.
Yomi, panting heavily, pressed her dagger deeper to his throat. His question weighed on me as I had not ever given that a thought.
“Perhaps, but you will definitely die today.” Lord Gato pressed his dagger into her side while she simultaneously pressed hers into his throat. She cried out in pain as blood gurgled from Lord Goto’s mouth. She fell off of him pulling the dagger out of her side in the process. The crowd erupted in another roar of conversation but no one dared to move into the circle. Lord Kobayakawa raised another hand to silence the crowd.
“Your actions have been watched and accepted by our Lord God. I ask, what you want in return for this sanctified act?”
Yomi, gasping for air waved for him to come closer and he did. He knelt, placing his ear to her mouth to hear her request. He gave, what I believe was, a slight grin as he heard her. He then repeated her request to those gathered.
“Our beloved Daughter, devout as ever, has requested only that the Yoko Kami dismember Lord Goto’s body and scatter the parts around where they may never be retrieved.”
Lord Kobayakawa placed Yomi’s hand on her wound and ordered her to apply pressure. He then picked up Yomi’s beaten body and carried her up the mountain path. She could be heard praying as she was carefully brought up the mountain.
He took her to his personal resting area and the Yoko Kami followed behind after they completed their mission. I found myself at Lord Kobayakawa’s quarters as he was cleaning Yomi up. He spoke to her in a manner I had never heard before or since. It was a soft, almost loving tone. His manner was gentle, not generally found from a man of the faith. I turned away from them reflexively, as I felt I was intruding on a private moment.
“You have reminded us what it really means to be of the faith. You have my thanks….It’s a shame that you are who you are.”
Yomi coughed and choked. That was my queue to leave to fetch her some fresh water. I was not meant to hear the rest of the conversation.
Yomi would spend the next few weeks regaining her strength.
It was summer now, no need for heavy cloaks. I headed down the mountain path in my white vestments, unable to change into something for suitable for the occasion with Michi behind me. Michi explained that her and Ko were already down there and she asked Michi to stay behind to wake me once the other two got to the bottom. I had no idea what she was up to and was upset that she had kept it from me. When we reached the bottom, Yomi was kneeling in front of Lord Kobayakawa formally requesting to speak to the group who encircled her. I stood beside Ko who was outside of the circle, and Michi stood beside me.
“What’s happening?” I asked in an angry whisper. Ko shrugged, apparently, she was none the wiser than the rest of us. I growled and told them to remain on guard. I watched Yomi rise to address the men that encircled her. There were 10 lords with a team of 4 Daughters, for a total of 40 Daughters and 11 Lords. Lord Goto had no team of Daughters but instead his team consisted of runaway boys that wanted a place to belong. The girl’s moms were relegated to a Hidden Village and the surrounding parts. Our faction made sure that our surrounding area was taken care of in order the facilitate the continued birthing of baby girls. The Yoko Kami belonged to Lord Kobayakawa.
Yomi rose to begin her address to the crowd.
“As you know, in my desire to be accepted into the faith and serve Our Lord God wholly, I have decided to prove myself to you all and Our Lord God through 4 Acts of Contrition. I have completed my Acts 1 and 2 and have called upon you all to bear witness to my 3rd Act. For my 3rd Act, in an attempt to purify the sect from faulty shows of devotion, I challenge Lord Goto to a fight to the death. Should he deny, I call upon the Lords to put him to death for dishonoring our Lord God. Should he die, then know that our Lord God has not yet released me from my duty to serve him and that I have successfully carried out his will. Should he live, then know that I have failed and no longer deserve to do our Lord Gods bidding.” The crowd broke out in a roar of conversation. Some of the Lords looked pleased with her display while other’s looked disgusted by her blatant show of arrogance. The only ones who remained unmoved were Lords Goto and Kobayakawa.
The leader of the faction had made a motion to calm the men down.
“Faulty you say?” One of the Lords said from behind.
“Yes.” Yomi replied “Lord Goto presents paltry feasts to our Lord God. Our Lord God demands not only pain and sacrifice in terms of the dead, he demands them in every attempt made to present him a feast. We should never come out unscathed. The battle should be grisly and bloody. That is what he demands. I bared witness to his strategies on my first Act. They were unsatisfactory.” Yomi met Lord Goto’s eyes as she spoke with the same piercing stare that held me when she first told me of her plan.
“I admire your tenacity, however, if Lord Goto declines, we cannot move to strike him down. It is a sin for any of the initiated to strike down his brother. You have exploited a grey area in our practices, you see, since you’re still not formally a part of the faith.” Kobayakawa spoke evenly, as Yomi did in these situations. A trait she picked up from him.
Lord Goto seemed to weigh his answer in his mind before giving his response. We all knew he had no choice in the matter. Would he lose face to a Daughter to ensure he lived today, or prove to his Lord that her accusations against him were frivolous and she needed to die for slandering his name.
“You are truly a Bull, aren’t you, Favored One!?” Lord Goto spat “Of course I accept!” He stepped in to the circle while the others spread out to reorient the space. Yomi were dressed the same in the normal all black ensemble with black boots with their daggers at their side. I understood then that Yomi had already come up with a plan that would ensure that the man she set out to kill would have no chance of escape. In this way, it would be done without going behind Lord Kobayakawa’s back, honoring the protocols he set in place while also putting everyone on alert that they too could meet this fate if a future Daughter deemed them unfit to serve our Lord God.
Lord Goto brandished his dagger. He paced around Yomi, sizing her up, seeing the best way to approach her. Yomi followed his movements, not allowing for him to get behind her, she was not as experienced in one on one fighting, but, she knew that much.
In a burst of speed Yomi rushed him with dagger in hand. He blocked her first oncoming attack, pushing her back. She came again and again at him, but she was unable to break his defenses. He laughed at her and taunted her enraging her further. As she came at him again she was met with a solid boot to her chest, knocking the wind out of her body as she hit the ground. Instinctively Michi moved to be at Yomi’s side but I held her back. I had to remind her that this was a trial presented to Yomi by Our God and there was nothing we could do to circumvent that. Michi clenched her fists together and said nothing while Ko did not take her eyes off the fight.
“Look at you, so proud to be the favorite! I wonder if you understand what that means.” He walked around her as she coughed and gasped for air. As she made moves to regain a standing position, he kicked her back down. Yomi scrambled out of the way of another oncoming kick, clutching her ribs with one hand and holding her dagger for dear life in the other. She got to her feet, with a flash of red overtaking her eyes.
“Oh, you’re mad now? A raging bull!” His words oozed with hate as he lunged at her, and back handed her. She stumbled backwards but didn’t fall. “Pitiful!” He hit her again, harder than the first time, knocking her to her knees. Looking up at him with busted lips and a rapidly closing eye, she swiftly drove her dagger into his kneecap and continued to do so in a rapid fire motion until he fell back.
Seizing the moment she climbed on top of him placing her dagger to his throat. He was unprepared for her scrapping style and was caught unawares by her dirty tactics. Still, this was not his first battle. He did not let go of his dagger , it was firmly pressed against her side.
“Yomi, you’ll die whether or not it’s today or tomorrow. Did you ever ask yourself why there’s only Daughters here?” Lord Gato hissed.
Yomi, panting heavily, pressed her dagger deeper to his throat. His question weighed on me as I had not ever given that a thought.
“Perhaps, but you will definitely die today.” Lord Gato pressed his dagger into her side while she simultaneously pressed hers into his throat. She cried out in pain as blood gurgled from Lord Goto’s mouth. She fell off of him pulling the dagger out of her side in the process. The crowd erupted in another roar of conversation but no one dared to move into the circle. Lord Kobayakawa raised another hand to silence the crowd.
“Your actions have been watched and accepted by our Lord God. I ask, what you want in return for this sanctified act?”
Yomi, gasping for air waved for him to come closer and he did. He knelt, placing his ear to her mouth to hear her request. He gave, what I believe was, a slight grin as he heard her. He then repeated her request to those gathered.
“Our beloved Daughter, devout as ever, has requested only that the Yoko Kami dismember Lord Goto’s body and scatter the parts around where they may never be retrieved.”
Lord Kobayakawa placed Yomi’s hand on her wound and ordered her to apply pressure. He then picked up Yomi’s beaten body and carried her up the mountain path. She could be heard praying as she was carefully brought up the mountain.
Omnipotent Jashin, please accept this true act before you from a humble unworthy servant
May you find sustenance in the bloody spread and know that it is you that I serve
Today, may you find me worthy of your holy blessing even though I could never hope to be
Tomorrow, may I be able to serve you another great feast so that I may continue to sustain you
By your blessing
<i></i>May you find sustenance in the bloody spread and know that it is you that I serve
Today, may you find me worthy of your holy blessing even though I could never hope to be
Tomorrow, may I be able to serve you another great feast so that I may continue to sustain you
By your blessing
He took her to his personal resting area and the Yoko Kami followed behind after they completed their mission. I found myself at Lord Kobayakawa’s quarters as he was cleaning Yomi up. He spoke to her in a manner I had never heard before or since. It was a soft, almost loving tone. His manner was gentle, not generally found from a man of the faith. I turned away from them reflexively, as I felt I was intruding on a private moment.
“You have reminded us what it really means to be of the faith. You have my thanks….It’s a shame that you are who you are.”
Yomi coughed and choked. That was my queue to leave to fetch her some fresh water. I was not meant to hear the rest of the conversation.
Yomi would spend the next few weeks regaining her strength.
Act 4 – Mortification of the Flesh
Truthfully, Yomi had nothing left to prove. She was steadfast in her belief but her faith pressured her to continue to complete her penance. For her 4th Act, Yomi had long been accepted by those in her cohort as worthy of Jashin’s praise.
She had not partaken in this kind of ritual before, and, as her last Act she would remind her Lord God that she was aware that she was lacking in all things. Yomi sat naked in our shared space. She requested Michi assist her in her final act with Ko tagging along. I would watch out of curiosity and bear witness. Michi, well versed in tortuous techniques, brought along her rod at Yomi’s behest. Michi was not keen on participating in this act, but would not suffer Yomi’s wrath let alone the threat of being cast out of the group.
“I owe you all again for your assistance. Please begin.” Yomi said as she adjusted her posture to a more upright position. Ko would stand outside and prevent any entrance from Lord Kobayakawa, who would eventually notice that Yomi had not reported to him. Michi, gripped the rod tight, her knuckles became a soft shade of scarlet at the tautness of her hold. I could sense the hesitation in Michi, but she would acquiesce.
She cocked back and struck Yomi with as much force as she could muster, tearing a chunk of flesh off in the process. Yomi made a noise I didn’t think she was capable of. A terrifying screech, that made me wince as if I were the one hit. Michi, paused and glanced at me. I gave her a nod of reassurance, because, there was nothing else I could do.
Michi exhaled, resigned to the fact that she would be doing this. Slowly she found her rhythm as all hesitation left her as readily as it found her. Each crack of the rod peeled flesh off her back followed by a disgusting howl that escaped from Yomi’s lips. Michi was an artist, perfecting her technique with every substantial blow. Blood spattered the walls and covered Michi’s face, her rod a paint brush which drew broad strokes against Yomi’s canvas of flesh until their collective vision came to life. A crude reminder of her unworthiness in His eyes; A portrait of shame.
Before long, Yomi fell silent and she slumped over. Her body had caved under the pressure long before her mind did. I watched her in silence for a few minutes, gazing upon her perfection realizing that I could never reach such momentous heights. Michi stood silently, her chest heaved up and down, as she wiped the sweat and blood from her brow. She was unreadable in that moment, but, I imagine that when she returned to her own resting area she sought clarification.
I stood up in silence and knelt in prayer. I prayed on Yomi’s behalf as she lay unconscious.
</COLOR>
When I had arisen from my prayer, Lord Kobayakawa was standing behind Michi, overlooking her , keeping his eyes on Yomi’s freshly wounded body. He stepped to the side careful not to look to bump into Michi who stood motionless. He looked over Yomi’s naked body, observing Michi’s masterful work. He muttered something that was incomprehensible to my ear before he picked Yomi’s unconscious body off the hard ground. He put her over his shoulder presumably not to cause any more trauma to her body.
His angular face looked at me, then Michi, and then back to me. His beady eyes always left me unsettled.
<COLOR color="#0000FF">“We all have long ago accepted her into the faith in an unofficial capacity. Bear witness, Michi, Asuka, Ko…On this day, I have officially accepted her into the faith. I will tend to her wounds.” Ko still stood outside as she watched Lord Kobayakawa bring her to his quarters to see to her.
Michi exhaled and turned to leave the room, unable to meet my eye. Ko quietly followed behind her as I went to clean the area for Yomi's inevitable return.
Lord Kobayakawa’s acknowledgement of it was a long awaited confirmation. Yomi was the best of us.
She had not partaken in this kind of ritual before, and, as her last Act she would remind her Lord God that she was aware that she was lacking in all things. Yomi sat naked in our shared space. She requested Michi assist her in her final act with Ko tagging along. I would watch out of curiosity and bear witness. Michi, well versed in tortuous techniques, brought along her rod at Yomi’s behest. Michi was not keen on participating in this act, but would not suffer Yomi’s wrath let alone the threat of being cast out of the group.
“I owe you all again for your assistance. Please begin.” Yomi said as she adjusted her posture to a more upright position. Ko would stand outside and prevent any entrance from Lord Kobayakawa, who would eventually notice that Yomi had not reported to him. Michi, gripped the rod tight, her knuckles became a soft shade of scarlet at the tautness of her hold. I could sense the hesitation in Michi, but she would acquiesce.
She cocked back and struck Yomi with as much force as she could muster, tearing a chunk of flesh off in the process. Yomi made a noise I didn’t think she was capable of. A terrifying screech, that made me wince as if I were the one hit. Michi, paused and glanced at me. I gave her a nod of reassurance, because, there was nothing else I could do.
Michi exhaled, resigned to the fact that she would be doing this. Slowly she found her rhythm as all hesitation left her as readily as it found her. Each crack of the rod peeled flesh off her back followed by a disgusting howl that escaped from Yomi’s lips. Michi was an artist, perfecting her technique with every substantial blow. Blood spattered the walls and covered Michi’s face, her rod a paint brush which drew broad strokes against Yomi’s canvas of flesh until their collective vision came to life. A crude reminder of her unworthiness in His eyes; A portrait of shame.
Before long, Yomi fell silent and she slumped over. Her body had caved under the pressure long before her mind did. I watched her in silence for a few minutes, gazing upon her perfection realizing that I could never reach such momentous heights. Michi stood silently, her chest heaved up and down, as she wiped the sweat and blood from her brow. She was unreadable in that moment, but, I imagine that when she returned to her own resting area she sought clarification.
I stood up in silence and knelt in prayer. I prayed on Yomi’s behalf as she lay unconscious.
</COLOR>
Omnipotent Jashin, please accept this act before you on behalf of Yomi, a humble unworthy servant
May you find sustenance in the coming bloody spread and know that it is you that she serves
Today, may you find her worthy of your holy blessing even though she could never hope to be
Tomorrow, may she be able to serve you another great feast so that she may continue to sustain you
By your blessing
<i></i>May you find sustenance in the coming bloody spread and know that it is you that she serves
Today, may you find her worthy of your holy blessing even though she could never hope to be
Tomorrow, may she be able to serve you another great feast so that she may continue to sustain you
By your blessing
When I had arisen from my prayer, Lord Kobayakawa was standing behind Michi, overlooking her , keeping his eyes on Yomi’s freshly wounded body. He stepped to the side careful not to look to bump into Michi who stood motionless. He looked over Yomi’s naked body, observing Michi’s masterful work. He muttered something that was incomprehensible to my ear before he picked Yomi’s unconscious body off the hard ground. He put her over his shoulder presumably not to cause any more trauma to her body.
His angular face looked at me, then Michi, and then back to me. His beady eyes always left me unsettled.
<COLOR color="#0000FF">“We all have long ago accepted her into the faith in an unofficial capacity. Bear witness, Michi, Asuka, Ko…On this day, I have officially accepted her into the faith. I will tend to her wounds.” Ko still stood outside as she watched Lord Kobayakawa bring her to his quarters to see to her.
Michi exhaled and turned to leave the room, unable to meet my eye. Ko quietly followed behind her as I went to clean the area for Yomi's inevitable return.
Lord Kobayakawa’s acknowledgement of it was a long awaited confirmation. Yomi was the best of us.
This completes the First Book of Yomi.
NPC ‘s
1. Name: Besito (Used also as a Messenger Dog. Will note when he is used in that capacity)
Type: Wolf
Sex: Male
Size: Undetermined. Large enough for Yomi to ride into Battle.
Useful Tidbits: Do not look at Yomi wrong, he bites. Yomi’s first line of defense, she found him in a village she may or may not have razed to the ground. Caged in the lower dredges of the town’s main tower, upon release Besito attacked Yomi. Beating Besito into submission, she decided that he had more fight in him than the people that stood against her. That deserved to be used in favor of her Lord God. After their standoff, Besito has never left Yomi’s side.
2. Name: Asuka Hano
Age: 26
Sex: Female
Birthday: December 12
Height: 5ft 5in
Weight: 142
Blood Type: A+
Useful Tidbits: Yomi’s right hand woman. She is Yomi’s trusted advisor and chronicler of her life and noted Rei Theologian. She often can be found in the background lurking, an ever present fixture in Yomi’s life. As intertwined in Yomi’s life as she is, she does seek life outside of her in order to gain a greater perspective on her Faith and life in general. Make no mistake, she is extremely devoted and would never compromise in the name of gaining some greater understanding.
3. Name: Yomi Ii (v.1 )
Age: 18
Branch: Medical
BL: Yamanaka
Useful Tidbits: Still crazy. Still a Mednin. Found in the hospital at all times.
Type: Wolf
Sex: Male
Size: Undetermined. Large enough for Yomi to ride into Battle.
Useful Tidbits: Do not look at Yomi wrong, he bites. Yomi’s first line of defense, she found him in a village she may or may not have razed to the ground. Caged in the lower dredges of the town’s main tower, upon release Besito attacked Yomi. Beating Besito into submission, she decided that he had more fight in him than the people that stood against her. That deserved to be used in favor of her Lord God. After their standoff, Besito has never left Yomi’s side.
2. Name: Asuka Hano
Age: 26
Sex: Female
Birthday: December 12
Height: 5ft 5in
Weight: 142
Blood Type: A+
Useful Tidbits: Yomi’s right hand woman. She is Yomi’s trusted advisor and chronicler of her life and noted Rei Theologian. She often can be found in the background lurking, an ever present fixture in Yomi’s life. As intertwined in Yomi’s life as she is, she does seek life outside of her in order to gain a greater perspective on her Faith and life in general. Make no mistake, she is extremely devoted and would never compromise in the name of gaining some greater understanding.
3. Name: Yomi Ii (v.1 )
Age: 18
Branch: Medical
BL: Yamanaka
Useful Tidbits: Still crazy. Still a Mednin. Found in the hospital at all times.
[ooc; I'm keeping all my things, not swapping out jutsus or anything]
