A Yosei, A Shaman, A Pufferfish

[FadedMoonlight 63]

A Yosei, A Shaman, A Pufferfish...
The Spirit Walk, and shaman pact of Yano Tamotsu


Darkness, that was all that could be described by Yano as she trembled along the lines of dream and reality. In the past month, a Shaman named Hera had offered her tutelage to the young Oyashi yosei; an elf of Koyo-Kuni. It did not take very long for the two to arrange a 'spirit walk' as Hera had described it. The two had gathered in the basement, Yano having rolled out the good ol' meditation mat and had arranged candles in a circle. As each one had been lit, Hera found a comfortable place in the center. The orange haired elf, the new 'sensei' to Yano, had forgotten to remove her shoes! 

"Oh shoot!" Hera exclaimed as her boots were slipped off in respect for Yano's home. She looked around the mat as her student had lit each and every candle, "Works for me!"
Yano nodded to her teacher, the one who had asked that she not call her such a title, but rather refer to her as a friend. She had dropped to her knees, bringing both hands to her lap before awaiting further instruction; but there would be none. Hera had the young elf in her grasp, and would be guiding her to a land far from the Hellish realm of Aevos. A place where peace could be reached. All Yano had left to do was sit and allow for Hera to guide her. 

"Right, here we go." Hera said as she found her comfort in the confines of the circle. A deep breath was taken, the chill of the air nipping down Yano's back as doubts flooded her mind like a dam tasked with holding back a tsunami. But it was far too late to back out now; light had filled the Shaman's eyes, her pupils long gone, replacing Hera's eyes with two bronze glowing orbs. 

"HARICHI!" Her voice boomed, almost piercing the ears of the young elf, "Ilzgul Ak-doktr. Bugd-izg-lat!" 
As the ancient language was spoken, an aura began to emit in the room. First it was flame, harmless pinches of fire circling around the room, centered around the Shaman. The candles flickered with each word the woman spoke, and smoke emitting from her robes. 
Then, the flames converted into their opposite; water. Tiny droplets circling the two, revolving around the two as if they were the VIPs of the ocean, and their carriage had just arrived. 

Before Yano could say a word, consciousness faded from her, alongside the flames of each and every wick of the candles that circled the two. Both lay asleep among a circle of lifeless candles, illuminated only by a lantern that had been sheltered by the great magic of a Shaman. Darkness, that was all that could be described by Yano.

As the Yosei awoke, she found herself submerged in the ocean blue. Fish swam past her, all going to the same destination. One that was far too obscured by the ocean fog for Yano to properly make out. Yet, she felt no sense of danger. She could breathe, she could walk, she could survive down here; should the Kami permit her to. So, the elfess walked, her teacher slipping her mind had it not been for the gurgling of a distressed sister of Malin emitting just out of the Yosei's sight. Yano turned, to face Hera, who had just gotten her sea legs. The poor Shaman of fire had been submerged in her opposing force.
"Okay," Hera began as her feet touched the ground. "I'm going to let you do the talking, okay? Make a deal with the spirit... a pact." 
The Shaman attempted to wipe away the water in hydrophobia, but to no avail. "Aye... spirits. I hate water."

"Hai." Yano answered simply, "Come."
The two continued their journey among the fish. Walking the ground that had been untouched by man for centuries. As they continued, they found a great structure, a great monument emerging from the fog; a temple. The bricks were corroded and worn away, many had fallen. Seagrass had began to grow on one side where the most light that the sun could offer was provided. The fish grew in numbers, each holding a piece of a pufferfish's spike in their small maws. And finally, they reached an archway. Yano, the Oyashiman she was, placed both hands over her stomach, bowing as low to the ground as she could as a sign of the most substantial respect for the Kami they were to face. 
"Hai... Kami Harichi-sama lives here." Yano nodded to Hera. The two wasted no time, walking into the temple

Within the two found themselves in a great court room; an even greater pufferfish sat in the middle, busy performing tasks that were beyond the minds of any land-lover. So busy with the tasks that a Kami would be loaded with, that he had not yet noticed his two visitors. The two pressed further, until Hera stayed behind to allow for Yano to connect with the spirit she had talked to once before. The one who had sent her on a quest, to perform ritual acupuncture to those in need. To craft a tool made from his own kind. The elf still had it, the tool that she crafted two years ago. Not a day passed that Yano did not think of this quest, and finally, she was here to turn in. Her hand reached into her soaked yukata, retrieving a pin carved from pufferfish spike a wrapped with leather; this was the tool that Harichi had wished for her to create.
"Kami Harichi-sama... I have done as you asked me, hai." 
The elf raised her head, but only to bow it to the kami as she announced her presence.

"Hrmmmm?" A lively, animated voice boomed within the water, as if the two were on land. His body, round and full of pulsating spikes, turned to the yosei. His eyes scanned over her, checking his memory once, twice... or perhaps he was waiting for her to continue, which she did not long later.

"Etto... I have made the tool you wished for me to create, performed the procedure on two people." 

"What's this I wonder!" The Kami then scanned the needle. Primitive, yes, but it was made from the heart of a young woman who wished to please the spirit that she so desperately praised every day that blood was spilled in Koyo-Kuni, and every night that wounded soldiers rested in the clinic. "A Shaman, yes, yes... and a familiar face!" The Kami rejoiced in the reunion of the one he met so long ago. "Ahhh, hai, hai! I remember now! Eh... Yano! Yano!" 
The fish joined their master in his chant, each one singing in chorus of the yosei's name with glee ringing in their gills. 
"Yano!"
"Yano!"
"Yano!"

The yosei struggled, fighting the urge not to smile at the fish praising her for simply being there.
"Hai." Was all that she could muster as she held the needle up to Harichi.

"Ah!" The Kami had finally noticed, but did not have the hands required to hold such an item. "Sam! Fetch that for me, wouldn't you?"
A salmon turned to Yano, scooping the needle into his maw and bringing it to the great spirit. 
"Ahah! This will do wonderfully! Hai! Hai!" The great pufferfish nodded as well as a pufferfish could. "Now then, why is it you have returned to me?"

The yosei gulped, asking for a favor as great as this one was quite taxing on her comfort. But time would not wait for her, it would not wait for anyone. Not Shibuya, not Oijin, not Kuruk and certainly not for Kiku, the great Musin samurai. 
"I wish to become a Shaman, like Hera-sama. I wish to recieve the blessing of Kami Harichi-sama."

"Oh-ho-ho-ho!" The Kami chortled in delight, spinning around to exert a bit of glee. "Sam! Back you go!"
As the salmon returned the tool to Yano, the pufferfish settled into a more serious manner. Gazing upon the yosei, her purple eyes and brown hair, and the floral pattern yukata she wore. 
"I see... I see! Well then! I shall grant you my power. BUT!" Harichi paused, "What shall you do for me in return?"

Yano raised to her feet, still holding the tool that the Kami had instructed her to make all that time ago. She bowed her head one final time, then gave her vow to Harichi.
"I will protect the people of Koyo-Kuni... our people. And, I will serve as your witness, mouthpiece, your servant on the mortal plane. I will do whatever it is you wish for me to do, Kami Harichi-sama."

The pufferfish did not take long to respond, his voice booming as he made his demand. 
"You shall build me a shrine, Yano. And you shall bring me champions!" The Kami shifted his gaze to the Shaman who had brought the yosei before him. "Hera here will guide you, I am sure of it. If you promise to do these things, I accept!"

The elf nodded her head, clasping her hands together as she agreed, 
"I will build a shrine to you, hai. And I will bring you ones to be your champions." 

"Good! Good! Now... present me your wrist." The spike that Yano held took life, levitating to the front of the woman and facing downwards. Yano knew what would come next. That the ocean blue would become that familiar crimson red that stained her soldier attire. But she was not wearing the armor on this day, and Yano was calmed by the Kami she was so devout to. The elfess' eyes closed, and her wrist was extended to the needle. 

"I, Harichi, Great Kami of Accupuncture and Healing, choose YANO TAMOTSU as my champion!"
The pufferfish boomed once more as the needle came downwards, emitting a blinding white light into the eyes of the yosei. The elfess let one single word escape her lips as unconsciousness began to take her once more, giving thanks to the Kami that had provided her wish so much, and continued giving; "Arigatou." 

The white faded to black, pitch black, and on the brink of oblivion, Yano could hear two words uttered by her Kami;
"Go... forth..."

[FreePretzels 2]

Kuruk mentioned, goated post

[AllenBUwU 64]

20 minutes ago, FadedMoonlight said:

Shibuya

Hey ik that guy