Nímbasa Sanctuary.

[Yuki-chan]

"Geh" answered the animal. 'I suppose that is 'yes' in dragon language' concluded the female as they kept walking through the hallway. "My family fought zohungaar beside the Dovahkiin during the First Shinobi War." told Fusa as she crawled over a dark mound of rubble.
Her seafoam green eyes looked at her with a contemplative look at her eyes. Yukiko noticed that her voice was a bit less raspy this time compared to earlier...maybe she was not as dangerous as she looked like?

"My brothers-- Oodama, Tate, and the honorable king Oyabun-- were some of his most trusted Grah-Zeymahzin. And, together, they experienced many zindro on the battlefield." continued the creature before she turned a corner. The young woman noticed that the passage was less narrow now.
"But, alas, that time did come to an end. The world seemed to have been consumed by fire, and there was no human to fight beside." sighed Fusa.

'Hm?' thought the Chuunin when she noticed that there was a number of torches at the wall that provided them with some light. She stumbled for a second after hitting some rubble with her foot, but regained her balance.
"It was not until recently that your kin remembered. He called upon my family to aid him against a grand terror attacking his home. I was not there...but we were reintroduced shortly thereafter" said the animal.

This caught the attention of the female who had listened to her all this time. "The Dovahkiin, you see, had met me before. But I had only been a mere hatchling then" informed Fusa.
"What kind of grand terror did he have to defend himself against? I know it's a while ago, but my senpai have not mentioned this to me" stated the brunette with a semi-surprised look at her face.

Her eyes then saw the hieroglyphics at the walls next to them. "And what kind of temple is this? Are there more dragons in here?" inquired the young woman with a somewhat nervous voice.
She knew that most dragons were kind...but that did not mean that all of them were. Did she have to fight against an evil dragon or something because she was a shinobi perhaps?

[Estilo]

N A R R A T O R

In response to your first inquiry, Fusa takes a moment to ponder over her answer, before actually voicing it. "The Dovahkiin lived in a settlement known as Hanasho for the past year and a half. Or so I am told, Odkiir. This settlement was attacked by a squadron of rogues, controlled by an entity known as a Colossus. The Dov¹ know of these giants, for my family fought beside them in the Great War. But... they were heartless creations of stone and darkness, untouched by the fires of the One Who Gives Life, and therefore cursed to taint this realm with their existence. We never befriended them, or truly saw them as comrades, for they were nothing more than Silnaak. Soul-Eaters, who damned their victims to eternal suffering."

The wide hallways the two of you navigate begin to grow, not wider, but brighter as more and more lit torches appear along the sides of the walls. The hieroglyphics you pass depict images of a mighty white dragon, ruling over human-populated kingdoms, and burning them down-- almost periodically. Having read the translation journal thoroughly, surely you realize that a few of the symbols carved into the wall gather to make up one word: Sahrotsahviing. These hieroglyphs are depicting his life story. A story drenched in the blood, and flame, and terror of war. Soon, however, these ancient carvings begin to grow less in number. Within a minute, you find yourself passing small statues-- some of them depicting priests in dragon masks, and others, the dragon himself. It almost seems as if the eyes of these statues follow you as you walk.

"After remembering, Odkiir," Fusa suddenly continues. "The Dovahkiin managed to recall all that he had forgotten previously. Pieces of his fragmented memories came back and, with them, my family's sacred seal. So, after summoning the help of my brothers, the Dovahkiin managed to repel the threat. And we were reunited. Not long after that, we discovered this haven-- the legendary revakqoth² of the Dovahjun³ Sahrotsahviing. The Mighty Phantom Wing. Long ago, this sanctuary was used as a place of offering and ritual for Dov. But that time has, like the Great War, long since passed. And its location was lost to time and neglect. Until now." Without so much as a glance in your direction, she continues her navigation through this temple silently-- apparently captured in her own thoughts for the moment.

SPOILER: Click to show

¹ Dragons (lit. Dragonkind).
² Sacred Tomb.
³ Dragon King.

[Yuki-chan]

The animal seemed to think about the answer for a couple minutes. "The Dovahkiin lived in a settlement known as Hanasho for the past year and a half. Or so I am told, Odkiir. This settlement was attacked by a squadron of rogues, controlled by an entity known as a Colossus.
The Dov know of these giants, for my family fought beside them in the Great War. But... they were heartless creations of stone and darkness, untouched by the fires of the One Who Gives Life and therefore cursed to taint this realm with their existence. We never befriended them, or truly saw them as comrades, for they were nothing more than Silnaak. Soul-Eaters, who damned their victims to eternal suffering." told Fusa.

"Really?" replied the female with a surprised look at her face. It sounded like her male Companion have had a rather rough time since the last time she had seen him. She then looked at the walls again to see if the hieroglyphics could help her out in this. A white dragon who appeared to be ruling over human-populated kingdoms could be seen on the walls.
One odd and scary thing was that the same creature appeared to burn down the same kingdoms several times. It made Yukiko a bit frightened...perhaps this dragon king was not as nice as she had thought.

Another thing she noticed were the eerie statues of priests in dragon masks or the ivory dragon himself. She felt that they were watching her every move as they went down the hallway. 'Come to think of it, the hallway is not as dark as it used to be' thought the young woman as they turned a corner.
She had also noticed that many of the hieroglyphics had been about a conflict or some sort of terrific event. Perhaps the dragon king had to kill humans since they terrorized his kingdom?

"After remembering, Odkiir, the Dovahkiin managed to recall all that he had forgotten previously. Pieces of his fragmented memories came back and, with them, my family's sacred seal.
So, after summoning the help of my brothers, the Dovahkiin managed to repel the threat. And we were reunited. Not long after that, we discovered this haven-- the legendary revakqoth of the Dovahjun Sahrotsahviing. The Mighty Phantom Wing. Long ago, this sanctuary was used as a place of offering and ritual for Dov. But that time has, like the Great War, long since passed. And its location was lost to time and neglect. Until now." muttered the creature.

She appeared to be quite absorbed in the moment as she navigated them through the maze of hallways. The Chuunin was silent since this was quite a lot to take in. 'I wonder when we will reach the center of this pyramid...we have been walking for a while now' thought the female.
She had noticed that there were less carvings at the wall now compared to earlier. Not to mention that there were no creepy sculptures that were looking at her. It was enough to cope with the darkness, which had fortunately decreased by now.

[Estilo]

N A R R A T O R

As the two of you are on the precipice of reaching the center at last, Fusa voices a question, breaking the silence that you created after she explained your older brother's whereabouts. "You've known the Dovahkiin long, ja?" She inquires, guiding you around another corner, and into a hallway that leads towards a wide wooden door. "Has he ever spoken to you about the Great War, Odkiir? His triumphs?" Clearly interested in the topic, she awaits your answer.

Soon, however, she reaches the wooden door. With a nudge of her snout, she pushes one side of the door open, revealing the spacious circular room within. At the sight of the large porcelain dragon bust at the center, however, this room suddenly begins to appear more like a shrine. The white, and expertly carved, dragon bust is surrounded by a pool of dark blue water-- still, with a reflection like glass. Very high above, a pillar of sunlight filters down through a square-shaped hole.

The sunlight striking it gives the porcelain dragon head a dazzling gleam.

This circular shrine, presumably located at the center of the ancient haven, bears hieroglyphics on its walls as well. Sitting against one side of the wall, you'll see the skeletal remains of a robed figure-- said robe now reduced to tatters, its red threads dulled, and grayed, with age. At first, you're compelled to just take in the entire sight of this room. But, you might come to realize something. The teeth you found with your letter... they're the same shade of white as the porcelain dragon bust.

[Yuki-chan]

"You've known the Dovahkiin long, ja? Has he ever spoken to you about the Great War, Odkiir? His triumphs?" inquired the animal as they walked towards a door.
"Hm..." muttered the female as she thought about what the male had told her about his participation in the Great War. What exactly had he told her during the years they had been together?

"Senpai did not really tell me that much about his role in the war to be honest. I know is that he became a shinobi when he was around my age and travelled a lot. Oh, he's from Kuma no kuni" replied Yukiko.
She could not recall anything else about what he had told her what happened during the war. He was only 19-21 at that time and had barely gotten his Genin rank.

A part of her felt a bit embarrassed that she did not knew anything more about his past. 'I know that he has a cousin as well as an uncle in Kumogakure. Not to mention that wife of his and that son' recalled the young woman.
Or at least she suspected those two on the photographs she had seen nearly two years ago to be his wife and son. But Atlas had however told her that he had travelled to numerous countries...perhaps there was a connection there?

Fusa then pushed the wooden door open with her snout. "Whoa" whispered the Chuunin when she saw the room right in front of her. A huge dragon bust made out of ivory porcelain stood in the centre of this room.
It reminded her more of a shrine than an exhibition room or a storage room. Especially considering the pool of sapphire blue water that surrounded the sculpture.

"IIIIK!" exclaimed the female when she saw the figure at the other side of the room. It made her jump in surprise as well as fear...she hoped that this guy had not awakened the dragon or something. She then noticed that there were a number of hieroglyphs at the wall as well.
Her eyes studied the statue that stood in the room. It was unlike any other sculpture the brunette had seen before, especially due to how the white colour gleamed in the faint light.

She then remembered something. The letter the young woman had gotten earlier contained two teeth that had a white shade to them as well. 'Is it possible that they're connected to the statue somehow?' pondered Yukiko as she put her backpacker down at the ground.
She moved the items around a little before she found the letter with the teeth. Her hand removed both of them and laid them at the ground in front of her.

"I got these two from senpai earlier on. Do you think they belong to the statue Fusa-san?" inquired the female as she put the backpacker on her back again. She then picked up the teeth and let the animal examine them a little closer.
The dragon probably knew more about this than the Chuunin did. Maybe they served as a sort of key for this room?

[Estilo]

N A R R A T O R

Even as the dragon walks beside you, into the moisture-laden air of that shrine, she makes certain to listen to every word you have to say about her Dovahkiin's past. Its interest wasn't built off of some malevolent purpose, or to find some way to undermine the man, no. But, rather, it was formed through an almost child-like sense of curiosity. Who was that man, the new companion she'd made all those weeks ago? Where did he come from? What made him the way he was? And, what compelled him to be a man of secrets? There was so much mystery in him, Fusa couldn't help but wonder.

She would then voice her opinion on your statements, but only after you released a startled cry, frightened by the sight of the skeleton. To this, Fusa could only offer a deep chuckle, accompanied with an almost shark-like smile as she walked ahead of you. "You seem to know plenty about him. More so than I." She begins, swiveling her head towards Yukiko's direction. "He must trust you deeply, ja? As it is known: the weight of secrets can bring down nations. And, the Dovahkiin tends to keep his share." Sauntering over to the dark pool surrounding the dragon bust, her tongue laps at the water, ripples of miniature waves spreading with the action.

When you present the realization that the teeth entrusted to you are somehow related to the sculpture, however, she pauses from her drinking. Her snout finds the aforementioned teeth on the ground after you've laid them out, and she takes a few sniffs, eyeing the ivory-shaded items with an unconcerned mien. "It is predicted." She answers, in response to your inquiry. "These teeth appear to be molars-- the teeth at the back of a Dovah's mouth, used to fasten our jaws into the flesh of our prey." She turns to the porcelain dragon bust, depicting a rather convincing portrayal of Sahrotsahviing, and seems to point at it with her snout. "The Dovahjun appears to bear no molars. Perhaps you can return them, eh, Odkiir?"

[Yuki-chan]

A deep chuckle was heard when the female had let out the scream. "You seem to know plenty about him. More so than I" told the animal before she turned her head towards Yukiko.
"He must trust you deeply, ja? As it is known: the weight of secrets can bring down nations. And, the Dovahkiin tends to keep his share" continued Fusa.

"You're right about that one" muttered the young woman as she placed the torch in an empty holder at the wall. The creature then bent forwards to sniff at the two fangs she had laid at the floor.
"It is predicted these teeth appears to be molars - the teeth at the back of a Dovah's mouth, used to fasten our jaws into the flesh of our prey" informed the dragon. She then stretched her head forwards; it looked like she pointed at the statue with her snout. 'I get it now...' thought the Chuunin when she realized what this was about.

"The Dovahjun appears to bear no molars. Perhaps you can return them, eh, Odkiir?" suggested the animal. "I suppose I can as long as he does not bite me" replied the female with a slightly sarcastic voice.
But she would do as she was told and stepped forwards with the molars in her hands. Her heartbeat was quite loud; it echoed inside her ears.

Her small frame moved towards the statue with small steps. The brunette then stretched out her pale hands while trying to keep them as steady as possible.
'Here we go...' thought the young woman as she tried to put them back where they belonged to.
A part of her was terrified since this may awaken the dragon, who would make her end up like the skeleton. But a part of her was a bit excited as well because this was the dragon king.

[Estilo]

N A R R A T O R

With the dragon's bust placed right at the center of the pool, there is no way you can place the molars back without stepping over the dark waters below. But, as you soon find, the pool isn't as deep as you would have imagine. In fact, the water seems to only rise a few inches above the ground-- barely enough to even wet your footgear. It only takes you a few steps, however, before you are within arm's length of the carved porcelain figure. And only a second before you take notice of the empty grooves at the back of the dragon king's mouth-- carved with unique and intricate precision.

Realizing these strangely carved grooves are ideal for placing your acquired teeth into, you begin the process of fitting them in. As you do so, your orange-winged companion proceeds to laying herself down, right beside the very skeletal figure that startled you earlier. She eyes the long deceased corpse with her trademark insouciance, her nostrils exhaling small poofs of cold air. But, she then turns at the sound of a deep rumble in the earth-- caused by your latest action. With the teeth placed firmly within the dragon bust's mouth, it is clear something has been unlocked.

The very shrine seems to tremble as something beneath you quakes. Then, before you know it, the pool of dark water surrounding the porcelain pillar begins to sink, seeping into the newly formed crevices that appear to be spreading open by the second. Something is opening, and it is best that you back away from the porcelain bust, before you are captured within the process. If you do, you'll see that the teeth you inserted back into the dragon's mouth caused a chain reaction: one that created and revealed a set of spiraling stone stairs around the gleaming ivory pillar.

It leads straight underground.

With the last of the water dropping down into these stairs, their dripping rippling throughout the circular room in echoes, Fusa lifts herself up slowly. Her eyes appear to betray a sense of impression. But, having barely met her today, it was hard to identify any subtle expressiosn of hers just yet. Sauntering over to the newly formed stairs, she takes the lead, casually walking down into the darkness below. "Do not forget the teeth, Odkiir." She suggests. "They are yours to keep. As this place is yours to inhabit, whenever you'd wish. Or, so the Dovahkiin has said."

[Yuki-chan]

'Hm. The water was not as deep as I had feared' thought the female as she stepped into the water. The water was barely deep enough to cover the lower part of her leather shoes.
She looked at the statue with somewhat narrowed eyes to see where the teeth had to be placed. 'Ah...there it is' thought Yukiko when she spotted two teeth missing in the back of the statues mouth.

Both of her hands then tried to make the teeth fit into the statue. It worked out quite well; the teeth fit in like the missing pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. The room then started to quake as if it was an earthquake going on.
The young woman felt slightly scared, but spotted the animal sitting straight across the small pond. She also saw the porcelain pillar sink into the floor before a crevice started to appear.

The Chuunin gathered some chakra into her feet and jumped away as fast as possible. A spiraling stair made out of stone then appeared from the crevice. It lead straight underground into one of the lower rooms.
Fusa then lifted herself slightly upwards and walked over to the female. She appeared to be slightly impressed despite not saying anything.

"Do not forget the teeth, Odkiir. They are yours to keep. As this place is yours to inhabit, whenever you'd wish. Or, so the Dovahkiin has said" told the creature.
"Right...I better take these with me" muttered the brunette as she removed the teeth with her.

She then grabbed a torch that hung at the wall to make sure she got a lighting source. "Let's go" stated the young woman with a small smile at her face. She started to walk down the stairs with the dragon right behind her.
'I wonder what's down here...' pondered Yukiko as she walked down the steps. Who knew what kind of things that would await her there?

[Estilo]

N A R R A T O R

As you walk down into the darkness engulfing those steps, lit torch in hand, the passageway above begins to close-- the sound of stone grinding against each other slowly quite prevalent. Soon enough, it closes completely, preventing you from retracing your steps, and forcing you to move forwards. The fire light from your torch proves to be quite useful, the water that was flushed down these steps gleaming in its presence, and the shadows receding from the sphere of light around you. Fusa, however, seems to prefer the company of darkness. In it, her green eyes seem to glow.

Within minutes of descending down the spiraling steps, you both eventually reach its end. Behind a circular gateway, you soon find that you've reached the locale from whence you started-- Sahrotsahviing's Sepulcher. Standing before the massive fire pit that precedes the rest of the room, the crackling sound of lit torches continue, the same as when you had left. Fusa has, effectively, shown you everything she was told to show you. And, within this short journey the two of you took, you've managed to learn how to open this safe haven. A safe haven that was, now, entrusted with you.

Walking with her typical lazy saunter, the orange-winged reptile walks down the steps, and enters the explorer's tent at the center. With a deft hop, she lands on top of Sahrotsahviing's sarcophagus, her tail accidentally tossing away a few rucksacks filled with vegetables-- as she spins around on all fours, finds a comfortable spot, and drops down on her belly. Propping her chin on her conjoined paws, her eyes shift their unconcerned gaze towards you. She is at home here, that much is certain. And, after her thrill-seeking and multilayered flight, it is reasonable for her to rest for a bit.

[Yuki-chan]

A sound of stone grinding against each other cut through the silence. 'Looks like I can't go back from where I started' thought the female as she looked up at the entrance. The animal next to her appeared to be fine with the darkness, but her turquoise eyes seemed to gleam.
Yukiko reached the bottom of the stairs and looked around in the room they were in. It was lit up quite well compared to the other rooms they had been in so far.

'Hm...why do I have the feeling that I have been here before?' thought the young woman as she looked around in the room. She then saw something that she recognized from earlier. It appeared to be the sarcophagi that was near the sepulcher!
A part of her wanted to roll her eyes while another part was happy that there was no angry dragon or creature that awaited her. 'I'm back to where I started; what now?' thought the Chuunin.

Fusa was now sitting at the top of the sarcophagi with her seafoam green eyes at her. "So this is what you wanted to show me? But what does this pyramid have to do with me? Does senpai want me to carry out his investigation or something?" inquired the female in slight confusion. She was wondering where the older male was at the moment...would not the seal bring him here too?

Perhaps the brunette had misunderstood something in the process; it had been a hefty day. But it was a day that she was not likely to forget anytime soon.
"Thanks for giving me the ride Fusa-san. I really enjoyed it" told Yukiko with a small smile at her face. She then let out the torch by sticking it in a bucket with water.

[Estilo]

N A R R A T O R

As you speak, your voice carried throughout the sanctuary in an echo, the orange-winged reptile listens attentively to the inquiry that follows. Then, after gauging the content of your inquiry within the mysterious depths of her mind, she responds. "The purpose, Odkiir, was simply to provide you with a haven, should you ever require it. The Dovahkiin also saw fit to have me meet you. Or, at the very least, that is what I was told. Any other reason for your invitation here is not known to me." A silence comes between the both of you, then she smiles again, that shark-like smile of hers. "But, you are welcome-- for the ride. I was pleased to have a reason to fly again."

With nothing more to wait on, other than the eventual reappearance of the Dovahkiin, Fusa closes her eyes and tries to rest. Although, considering her following statement, one would be quick to assume that she is trying to appear more solitary than she actually is. "The company... your company, wasn't as bad as I thought it would be." Her tail lightly waves around behind her laid down form, the cover of the explorer's tent enshrouding her with a light shadow. "I haven't met much humans, you understand. And even fewer than I would care to like. Or, ever see again-- lest I'm rending their flesh with my fangs. But I can say, with certainty, that you are... admirable."

A single green eye peeks out from a barely opened slit, observing your reaction to this, before promptly closing once more. "Anyways... he will be back soon-- for you. There is no need to worry." With that, Fusa is yet again open for any last questions before you go. Any last questions, or any last requests. Considering the speed of her flight, you are almost certain that she is capable of taking nearly anywhere faster than you ever thought possible. Cultures, landmarks, places to see-- the entire world is at your fingertips with this newfound companion at your side. You could take such a journey solo, of course. Or, choose to wait for your dying older brother.

[Yuki-chan]

"The purpose, Odkiir, was simply to provide you with a haven, should you ever require it. The Dovahkiin also saw fit to have me meet you. Or, at the very least, that is what I was told. Any other reason for your invitation here is not known to me. But, you are welcome-- for the ride. I was pleased to have a reason to fly again." replied the animal.

'So he wanted to give me this place in case something happened...I see' thought the female as she thought about what Fusa had just told her. Yukiko knew that the male considered her to be a little sister to him of some sort since they had been together for quite a while. She had known him for almost half of her life actually.
To know that there was a place and a dragon that would keep her safe was a relief for the young woman. She knew that the shinobi profession could be quite dangerous.

"The company... your company, wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I haven't met much humans, you understand. And even fewer than I would care to like. Or, ever see again-- lest I'm rending their flesh with my fangs. But I can say, with certainty, that you are... admirable." stated the creature.

A slightly nervous laughter was the response that the Chuunin came with. "I'm happy to hear that Fusa-san. I have not met a lot of dragons either. But I'm glad to know one that is on my side" told the female with a sincere voice. She then remembered that Atlas was going to be here soon.

"Anyways...he will be back soon - for you. There is no need to worry" assured the dragon. The brunette then started to think of something.
"Just how soon is senpai going to be here? Because I want to see some places if we have enough time for that" informed the young woman with a somewhat eager voice.

One of the places she wanted to see was that big temple (or was it a shrine?) in Hi no kuni. The beaches in Kaze no kuni were quite high up on her wish list too. The fact that she had an animal that could bring here there and back to Kami no shima in just a day or two tempted her to leave this place.
But it could be dangerous since not many people were used to see someone like Fusa. Plus that there was always a risk of facing strong enemies that could possibly kill or injure her seriously.

[Estilo]

OOC: For the sake of reminder, here's the map of the tomb: LINK.

---

N A R R A T O R

Fusa was, despite her cool and unconcerned facade, a sweetheart at the core. Relationships she made with individuals she liked-- they weren't just for show, or for concepts such as duty, honor, or privilege. No, when she actually bonded with someone on a personal level, the white wyrm was truly in it for the long haul. Through bad times or good-- until one of them died, or betrayed the other in some manner-- she would be there for a person she cares about. It was just that, through all of her years of life, this particular year had been particularly strange-- meeting humans left and right.

Despite her age, which was incredible by human standards, she was still a young one compared to the others in her family. In fact, the only difference between her and the baby (a little scamp they called Doju) was that she could fly. Until she completed her rites of passage-- exploring the human world, fighting alongside them honorably-- she was always going to be considered nothing more than a child by her seniors. And, she knew no top speed or flight maneuver of hers was going to change that. She needed to prove herself-- and it was going to be far more dangerous than just flying.

So, needless to say, she felt some sense of security with companions such as the Dovahkiin and you-- the young Odkiir-- by her side. She cared for you both, although she didn't make a habit of saying so publicly, and it was nice for her to know that you both returned the sentiment. Whether you chose to fight alongside her, or simply provide emotional support from time to time, she truly cherished these bonds. And, she would continue to serve proudly. So, when you voice your inquiries, a glimmer of this heartfelt camaraderie can be seen past the slits of her eyelids.

"I can't be sure." She answers, eyes closing yet again. "But, tell me of these places you would like to see. I haven't seen much of this world myself yet. I'd like to."

[Yuki-chan]

"I can't be sure. But, tell me of these places you would like to see. I haven't seen much of this world myself yet. I'd like to." told the animal while closing her eyes.
"Hm...where should I go?" pondered the female as she tried to think what countries that would be closest to her current location. She then walked over to one of the piles of books where she had seen something that looked like a map.

Yukiko searched through the small pile of material for about ten minutes until she found what she looked for. 'AHA! Let's see where Kaminari no kuni is' thought the young woman with a grin.
Her hands unrolled the map and her eyes tried to find Kaminari there. 'We should be pretty far north...ah' thought the Chuunin when she saw her second home country at the map.

By the looks of it, the countries that were the closest in terms of distance were Mizu no kuni as well as Hi no Kuni. But there was a small disadvantage in this. Shimagame was not marked at the map.
"I would like to travel to Hi no kuni or Mizu no kuni Fusa-san. But I'm not sure which of them are the closest to our current location since Shimagame is not at the map' informed the young woman.

A small growl could then be heard. The brunette let out a nervous laughter; she had not eaten any food in a while. "I'll take some soup...do you want some?" inquired the female while looking at the creature.
She would then walk towards the kettle after putting down the backpacker at the ground. 'I should probably try to return here within a day since senpai will be here soon' decided Yukiko.