Seeking the Temple

I sit on my rear after a bit of training in the clearing in which the Clan Compound stood. My gaze shifts up as I notice the white clouds shift about the blue skies. Strands of the teal hair in my face shift to the side a bit as my chest heaves up and down; it had been a good training session. I catch my breath and begin to pick myself up, dusting off my bottom. I was in a pair of khaki cargo shorts, and a white tee shirt with my cover shirt folded around my waist. Goronova, my sword was on my back, and its humanoid spirit form was walking about the compound keeping to herself.

In the few days after my sensei had gone into the clan compound in order to research the transformation that was taking hold of her body, I spent much of my time hanging around the compound and making sure I was there if she needed anything. After not really being able to help out much, I came to the conclusion that I would head to the past realm and check and see if I could find anything on my own. Looking towards Goronova, I ask her to return and prepare a portal to transport me to the past realm. Thinking over a destination, I remembered a large city that held a large temple. Though they might not know about demons or anything like that, they may know about Izumi’s people. With that destination in mind, Goronova fades away returning into the sword and I step into the portal, leaving that realm and arriving in the past realm just outside of Sai City, in the meadows near where I meet Rei for the first time.

After approaching the city, I walk through it for a bit; it felt as if I had traveled into an entirely new country. The people were different as were their clothing and dialects. The city was busy and larger than I had remembered, though my memory may have been comparing it to its future version. I proceed through the hustle and bustle of the large village and make my way to its main temple. With my eyes upon this temple, I approach wondering if Kazakura or someone was around that would be easy to talk to.

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As to be expected, my outfit gathered plenty of attention from the locals. I find myself greeted by a pretty cute girl around my age. My first thought was to wonder if Natsuki was anywhere around. Normally that wouldn’t be logical, but when dealing with a crazy girlfriend, you turned to throw logic to the wind as it didn’t apply in most cases. Through my denseness, I realize that she fully understood that I was from the future and knew about the others who had come and had already gone home. With a friendly smile, I respond, “cool! Maybe you can help me out.” I assure her, “I’m not a lord or anything, just a regular guy, but I need a bit of help. There was this chick who hung around the temples… or I think she did because she was a priestess…” I think for a moment before I correct, “well, she was more like a lady since she was older than you. Her name was Kaza something, but it’s been so long, I forgot it. But I think if I’m at the temple, then I’m at the right place…” I recognize, “so you know about us and stuff?”

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The chick seemed curious, but she had cuteness on her side, so I didn’t mind cutting the breeze with her for a little while. I answer, looping my thumbs into the pockets of my khaki shorts, “well, I’m here helping out my sensei… Actually it’s my second sensei since I can’t find my first.” I figured while I had someone that I was talking to, I might as well inquire on that even if it meant getting a little off point. “Hey,” the conversation redirects, “speaking of that, do you know of a man named Ashram? I’m looking for a swordsman who came from the future with me. Sometimes he wears a mask to cover his face… he’s a little taller than me with black hair and a talking cat?”

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My face dims a bit as I Iook down and comtemplate that it would be way too convenient if I were to find a clue of Ashram here. The search would have to continue, as it seemed to do a lot these days. I lift my gaze back, getting to the point as I speak, “okay, thanks. Well, as of the reason I’m here now, my current sensei is from the Hiramoto clan, but in the future, the clan is no more. I thought I would come in the past and see if there was a clan with that name now. I know it might be a long shot, but my sensei’s gotten some type of genetic…” I pause for a moment. I didn’t know if they know about spiritual stuff here and taints, but something like that could be frowned upon. I decide to go the easiest route since I didn’t really know this girl or who she was. I continue, “sickness and I think that her ancestors would have the cure to it. I’m seeking out that priestess, Kazakura, because she travels a lot and I figure that she might either know the clan, or a way to cure my sensei’s illness. The future can’t really help her.” After the explanation I inquire, “do you know about a Hiramoto clan?”

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At first I was slightly let down by the fact that she didn’t have any leads. For a moment I made up my mind to thank her for her time and the compliment and then continue on to the temple, but then with her words, I am given a bit of hope. I am taken back a bit by the title of High Priest; I wondered if High was as high as things got, or if they had something on par with a pope. Either way, I wasn’t much for social separation; if this guy had any idea where I could find the Hiramoto clan, then I knew I wanted to speak with him. Chances were high that he was in the temple somewhere as well, but the way she spoke, I wondered if this young lady knew him. “Cool,” I agree, “is he hard to approach? How would I go about meeting the High Priest? Can I just walk in?”

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I’m a bit caught off guard by her title as it would seem that I was speaking to someone of importance. Looking around and noticing my surroundings, it would make sense that people were looking at her as well as me. She seemed to be well known in this area much like Kazakura was. Still, a miko-type was a rare find; such fetishes were only truly authentic in a past realm such as this. Counter introducing myself, I speak happily, “I’m Seiki… guy from the future.” I follow behind at a pace as instructed lifting my arms and resting them behind my head with my hands clasped casually on the back of my neck. “Thanks a lot for helping me out,” I speak as I let her lead the way, “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were a priestess earlier. I guess you’re dressed the part… I’m pretty dense sometimes.” I smile and chuckle slightly at my self realization.

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It was very reasonable to question if the clan area would be in the same place as in the future, though following the laws of density, it would probably take me a day or two to even think that thought, much less attempt to remember how to get there the ‘long’ way, which didn’t include warping there.

“I hope so,” I say in a low murmur as I continue my steps behind her with my gaze sinking down to her rear end as she leads the way. It wasn’t too bad, it had a nice shape to it in her garments, but the cape was getting in the way of a good view. The teasing of the imprints was akin to two cuddly puppies playing under a sheet that was rising and falling. In glancing up, I noticed the temple was larger than I had originally thought it would be. So she worked at a place like this? “What do you guys do at a place like this?” I inquire as we walk, “you like… monks or something?”

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With a nod I take in the words she was telling me as she continued to lead the way. I could tell they didn’t have nearly the amount of spirit issues that we had; since coming here I hadn’t felt one demonic presence. Though, now that I was thinking about that, I noticed that I did feel a strong amount of energy coming from her body. It was a testament to my density that I hadn’t pegged her for a priestess when we first met. I continue to look about as I am guided wherever I was being lead to. I make the comment, “that’s pretty cool, I guess.” She seemed to me like she might be the good girl type. I wondered if she even had a boyfriend, or if they had rules against that or something. Knowing at least a little bit of social tact, I keep that question to myself for now; I didn’t want to offend her or something. Given that I was in a temple, offending a priestess might get me attacked by a legion of kung fu fighting monks with downward arrows on their heads who fight by river dancing and bending air.

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I realize that I hadn’t realized the difference between the terminology of our times. “Oh, that’s right,” I say in an enlightened tone. I explain, “genetic basically means it’s passed down through the different generations. From what they taught me in school, the human body is made up of genes and when you make a baby, the genes are passed on to create it. So, they get what you’ve got basically… I think. Anyways, it’s like she physically inherited something from her ancestors… I think. I don’t think her parents were creepy monsters with snakes for hair, so that means at one point in time, if someone in the past had it, they had a way to get rid of it… I think.” I noticed that I was doing a lot of thinking. I ask, “well, does that make at least a little sense?”

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“What are the watchers?” I ask innocently enough. To me, they sounded something like a bad industrial band or the name of some type of government organization. The fact that she stated they believed in them, made it seem like they were closer to being a governing body than a musical group. As she looks up to the skies, I look up too, wondering if there was a hint there before lowering my gaze. I didn’t really get that part about our way of thinking since I figured it was common sense. Though the movies and television shows I had seen up until now, I figured they must believe in the circle of life, nature and such ideals, though it did make sense for them to be ignorant about science kind of in the same reasons they probably didn’t know much about the type of spirits we came into contact with on a daily basis in the future realm.

159 / 1947

“Um…” I seek the right words as the question comes in. With the growth of technology, only the older or more traditional people still held on to religion, or rather that’s how it had been in my experience. It wasn’t that big of a deal in contemporary times, since it didn’t explain a lot of the questions brought up by scientific expansion. I never really paid much attention to religion myself, so I didn’t really feel qualified to speak on the topic. “Some people believe in something,” I answer, “but I’m not that big into religion. The Watcher might be the guy they pray too… but they probably just call him God in the future.”

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“Heh,” I murmur lightly before speaking in a low tone, “my world isn’t really one where having belief in something you can’t see will do you any good. My entire purpose for training was to protect those who were around me, because if I didn’t, no one would…” I murmur in a low tone as I gaze downwards in my walking, “there wasn’t help from invisible beings when my father took his life…” It was then that I realized the distaste I had for the notion of religion; up until now, I had never really thought about it, but the more I thought about it, the sillier it seemed to me. In my mind, the watcher’s merely watched; they didn’t actually do anything, which wasn’t acceptable in my book… that was if they really existed. Looking up, I speak, “not to be rude, but are we almost to this Treshin guy? I want to make sure I don’t waste any time. You really think he would know about the HIramoto clan?”

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After hearing about the man I was supposed to go see, I simply nod and allow Seijin to lead the way. I take note of the surroundings about me as I am lead on. It looked like a nice enough place, and reminded me of the shrines that would be about and used in traditional festivals and things. There seemed to be some connection between those festivals and the bit of religion we held in the city. As I was lead, I figured it must be a testament to how incognito the Hiramoto clan was that this would be the only man in this era who would know of them. I mentally confirm that they took their inconspicuous monitoring of the spirit order. It was no surprise that I didn’t fully understand what I was enforcing by becoming a member of the Hiramoto clan, but I had faith in Izumi-sensei that everything would be okay if I just helped her out and did what I thought was right. The priestess seemed to be pretty popular as we walked and others greeted her. I simply watched and walked with her, not really saying anything at this time. I refocused my purpose.

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Looking up, partially in reverence to the large door before me, my mouth opens a bit before my attention is garnered by the young lady. Switching my gaze to her, I nod and confirm, “okay” as she does what needs to be done. As she walks in, I catch a glance of the room beyond her. It looked like the old man liked to read. I hear the back and forth with them before it is agreed upon that I can be seen. Happy for this, I nod and proceed forwards into the room. Seeing the man instantly coaxes me think that I would do good to show him the proper respect. Assuming I should probably bow or something, I do so, albeit a bit awkwardly, before looking back up and smiling, “I’m glad you’re able to speak to me on this. The priestess has been really helpful since I’ve gotten here from the future.”

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I look back as the door is closed behind me before returning my attention to the elder before me. I watch as he strolls around to me and with his question, I speak, “my master is sick with some type of illness or condition that she thinks is passed down in her family. It’s like her body was transformed so that she has skin like a snake with real snakes in her hair and when she looks at you, she can turn you into stone. Her family is called the Hiramoto, and I think if I can find them, I can find someone who will know how to help her return to her normal self. She can’t really function in society the way she is now, so I’m trying my best to help her get better. Does anything I said sound familiar, or do you know of the Hiramoto clan?”

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At first I am elated that he knows about the family. Watching him go to a book and read seemed like it was pretty studious and such. I felt that things were looking up until I hit a dead end and am informed that their whereabouts are kept secret. “Oh,” I say as my gaze lowers with me looking to the ground for a moment in disappointment. I think over it for a second and realize that those vague directions given to me were similar to the same directions given during my time. I also realized that I was in the village that would eventually become Sai City. Putting two and two together to get five, I was able to figure out that I might be able to find the location on my own; the important part was that the clan existed. My worried expression changes to curiosity as my gaze lifts and I speak, “um… I think that helps… I think I might know where they are…” Looking towards Treshin and then Seijin, I begin to get the feeling that I had better get to going. “How much day light is left…” I murmur outloud looking for a window or something; I may have spent too much time already.

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Looking to the old man, I nod and take his advise saying, “right. I’ll grab some rations on the way out. As long as I have my body and my sword, I’ll be fine. Thanks a lot for the help.” I bow at the waist once more, assuming that was the correct thing to do before turning to the young lady as I am about to see myself out. Speaking, I confess, “I appreciate the help for picking me out the crowd, even if helping people is what you normally do. You’re a really kind person. I hope to see you around.”

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