Land of Shadows

It seems the explosion was not enough.

This strange place that we were sent to was a virtual mirror of the proper world, save the lack of...anything alive or made by hand.  I suspect there were not even any spirits here, before we brought them.  With no other path, we returned by foot to where Standish ought to have been.  And not long after we arrived, the city did appear.  Everything in it, people, buildings, animals all came with it.  And a book store.  Moira-san's newest book hadn't made it home yet, they should have a copy here.  Perhaps she could autograph it?

...or maybe I should club her with it.  After I club Alanna-san for ratting out what I've been saying.  I haven't been trying to be rude, it is just...habit.  Can I really be blamed for using my native language more?  And...and...what she did was going too far.  They both twisted my words to make it seem as if I was lusting after Aren-san.  That's just absurd.  She is...nice enough, when I'm not angry with her, but why would I?  What is the point?

Before anything else, we traveled to the center of town.  A...building had appeared, completely different from all other architecture.  It had to have been evidence of the Titanspawn...and that was proven correct.  Only two tengu appeared after we breached the main entrance.  Both were cut down, though the second wounded both myself and Alanna-san.  The wounds did not last...I suppose we both have rather remarkable healing abilities.  I found another katanam, as well.  This one bearing Hachiman's own seal.  I have taken it with me as we spread out to prepare for our assault on this building.

Moira-san offered to take my to a meal and...talked.  And talked.  And talked.  The whole thing about 'love conquers all'.  It...she makes some sense, but ultimately every story I've ever read about situations like this ends with both parties dead or hating each other.  Even when I finally calm down more, I would prefer -not- to risk that with Aren-san.  So I simply told her that I would consider her words.  Which I will.  I will not, however, act upon them.  And what she does not know, will not harm her, in this case.

I suspect Mother is also using this as a test of my patience and understanding of foreign cultures.  If so...I woudl have appreciated the warning.  I fear I am going mad.

Just Not Enough

I suppose I should simply grow used to disappointment.

The alarms let us infiltrate the base, after Alanna-san led the giants off on a chase.  It did not take long to find Aren.  Moira-san....I've discovered does have a distinct gift for understatement.  Perhaps that is where her writing abilities went rather then into actual talent.  She claimed Aren was distracting someone, probably the leader, when we heard screams from behind a door.  I truly should have realized what those screams were, given present company.

The phrase 'sleeping with the enemy' is exact to describe what Aren was involved in with the base commander.  For all that is holy, she was supposed to be better than this.  I would not be so angry if the damnable wench had not seemed to be enjoying herself so much.  She was to find or recover the artifact and leave, not throw herself at the enemy leader.  And she has the nerve to have her little dalliance after the harassment she gave me and Alanna-san for how we handled the situation at the hotel?

That damned creature, though.  It simply would not die, regardless of how many times I struck it.  Either my training is not as good as I believed, or we stumbled into a battle that could not yet be won.  Aren did have the courtesy to, at least, aquire the artifact...until she told the leader where she had it couldn't even maintain a hold on it.  I will grant that may not be entirely her fault, given the strength of the creature we were dealing with.

And unfortunately, Alanna-san arrived too late to help us overpower the creature before it could activate the artifact.  While we appear to be where we left, but the chamber is empty.  I suspect we are wherever those other towns have gone to, which may give us some hope, if anyone in them yet lives.

I am tired.  And I am angry.  Moira-san and Alanna-san can do the talking, because right now, I am going to turn either of my blades upon Aren if I have to speak another word to her until I've calmed myself.

Patience

It would seem working at both the shrine and the shop have done well by me.  Being able to control myself and not just start snapping at those around me is something I will always be thankful for, though I wonder why Mother thought it best to test me in this particular manner.

Aren-san is...not particularly happy about how things at the hotel were handled.  Or just in a fundamental conflict of personality and belief with Alanna-san.  Most of the strife is centered around the two of them.  I fully suspect that either they will start throwing punches, or making out, any day now.  Perhaps I should see about aquiring a stun-gun or mace.  I suspect nothing short of that will stop a brawl, and turning the blunt end of my naginata on them seems excessive.

Moira-san and Aren-san, through use of their other abilities, pinned down what and where the artifact we need to liberate from the Enemy is.  Those abilities are...strange.  Perhaps I just think trying to peer past the veil of fate is cheating.  If we know what waits for us, where is the fun in letting life surprise you?  I suppose though, at least in this case, I shall live.  Especially as it's giving us a chance to stop the Enemy before another town is taken.

There was more arguing, then.  I am beginning to think I could cut through the tension in this group with a large brick.  But we did finally agree to a plan.  Aren-san, disguised as one of the creatures of the enemy(the proper name still makes no sense.  It is as if the Norse decided to knock over the concept of proper language, then perform a violent and disturbing dance upon it.) slipped up towards where the artifact was being held.  Myself, Moira-san, and Alanna-san followed behind, to make the Enemy think we were tailing one of their own.  The plan even worked splendidly, giants escorting 'their friend' back to the base.

Then the alarm sounded.

Then, Kaboom

Another...spirited debate on how to proceed.  I must agree with Alanna-san's thoughts that Loki can 'stuff it'.  Or that at least, Aren-san can handle it herself.  I imagine it's for different reasons, but we at least agree on that point.  There was, at least, some good news.  Moira-san's...abilities to guess the whims of fate have given us a solid lead to pursue.

Alanna-san was also given the location of a sacrifice her mother, The Morrigan, wanted.  Moira-san's abilities provided that answer as well.  Her grandfather had killed her father.  Given all that we had learned, there was finally a plan.  Let Aren-san and Moira-san deal with the professor, then stop by where Alanna-san had asked to meet her grandfather before continuing with our primary mission.  I gather everything went well at the professor's.  They didn't call Alanna-san in to deal with the problem, at any rate, so things must have gone peacefully.

Much better then what occurred at the hotel, later.  I joined Alanna-san as she went into the room.  It....well.  Alanna-san did not act in a way I didn't expect her.  As soon as the door shut she immediately pulled her blades and started to lunge, only pausing when her grandfather revealed a 'dead man's switch' linked to what would later prove to be a rather impressive amount of explosives.  I did the only thing I could think of as she surged forward again - I ordered the kami within the detonator not to carry out it's function.  It worked.

Alanna-san, at least, seems to have complete faith in my abilities, after talking to the mask captured from Hideki.  It is, strangely, comforting to hear.  With the sacrifice taken, Alanna-san talked to the others.  As they began to clear the hotel with their own abilities to convince, I told the detonator to resume it's function in ten minutes time.  Give us time to get far enough away.  Alanna-san's plan was, ultimately, simple...the attention of the media from the explosion would keep the Titanspawn from removing this town from exsistence unnoticed, giving us time to put an end to the threat.  And I now realize I never mentioned that Alanna-san asked her grandfather to meet us in the town the Titanspawn had designated as their next target.  Apologies.

As we were weaving our way through the fleeing traffic, the hotel exploded.  It was really quite spectacular, and given what I have learned of the American media in the past few weeks, they'll be camped out there for months.

The Sword and Dinner

I am growing to despise paperwork.  It was not even as if I had the blade packed into my carry on luggage, and yet...form, after form, after form.  Do they honestly expect me to break into the baggage compartment, grab a sword, climb back to the passengers, and attack with it?

We arrived in Albany without real incident.  After the planning at the hotel was finished...well.  Moira-san and Alanna-san got too friendly, so I swiftly retired to my room to speak to the spirit of the sword we recovered.  It is called the Reza-Shouten.  It was not, as I suspected, of divine or infernal make.  An old blade, exceptionally well crafted, but one forged by mortal hands.  It seemed to be pleased to be in the hand of a daughter of Amaterasu.

The both of them need a sense of modesty, but I doubt they will listen to me.  In any event, we ended up getting in touch with the being we were sent to speak to, Muscowequan.  The dinner was lovely, and even had we not known he was not human, I would have at least suspected.  He had the eyes of a snake.  I do not know if the others noticed, and have decided not to bring it up yet.  Unfortunately, however, it turns out that a book that would have aided was was stolen.  So we get the pleasure of assaulting another possible Titanspawn operations base.

Moira-san and Aren-san can handle the subterfuge in dealing with the Professor Loki-sama wished discredited.  They can attend to it without my aid.  It would still be easier to simply destroy his notes and let that be the end of it.  It would serve the purpose, but..those two are set. I shall simply bend with the storm and let is pass.

Another Job

We finally returned to the cabin after a long walk, just as the sun was coming up.  I would have liked to enjoy it, but I think around this group, silence is going to be a far more precious commodity.  Especially when kami from other pantheons come to visit.  When we arrived, Aren-san's father, Loki, was waiting for us.  I said...very little, save beyond being as polite as possible.  It seems unwise to offend a trickster.

Alanna-san does not seem to like him.  From what I gathered, Moira-san had a relationship with the deity.  That kind.  It also turns out that he is the one who funded the cabin.  And, in fact, had stopped by to get our words on what had happened.  He helped me look over the recovered documents...much I did not understand.  I will review the scrolls after finding a way to send my copies back home.  Mother and the others will wish to see them...especially as they were written in Japanese.  Aren-san....would make an excellent scribe, as she is the one who made all the copies.  I do not know if she understood what was written aside from our discussions of it.  I will have to ask her if she reads Japanese soon.

Our next mission...I am not entirely sure of.  Loki-sama had some information, and we are headed to New York.  The province...state.  Not the city.  To the University of Albany, to speak to an American kami.  Muscowequan.  This one seems to be on the proper side, though some of it's cousins have gone over to the Great Enemy.  We have been told that this one knows, or may know, where the next town to disappear is.  We may have a chance to stop it.  Our task is to track it down at a conference at the university.

Loki-sama...also set us on a personal errand.  Mother, I am not certain about this one.  Loki-sama, a couple hundred years ago, crafted an object called the 'Kensington Stone'.  An American professor believes he can prove it is a fake, and Loki-sama wishes us to...discredit him, so the little fabrication can be kept going.  Loki-sama's price for the information about Muscowequan.  This...does not feel right.  I would prefer to have nothing to do with it, but, there may be little choice.  Perhaps I will see if I can attend to speaking to Muscowequan, and let one or all of the others do what they must.  I am...confused.

I spoke at length with the mask Alanna-san recovered from Hideki.  It seemed...innocent of his treachery.  It claims it would aid in battle, and had no seeming compunctions about being used in battle against more Tengu.  I warned Alanna-san to be wary, but returned it to her.  The katana...I have not had a chance to speak to it, yet.  I would prefer a time of quiet.  Given what I was taught, I would prefer to talk to such a...focused spirit without distraction.

I have no way to hide it if we do not go by car, however.  And I am...loathe to leave such a weapon to be recovered by an enemy patrol.  I suppose Moira-san could figure out -something- if it came to it.

Tunnel Snakes

It was worse then I believed, mother, yet in the end we've won a victory.  Perhaps not as solid of one as we would have hoped, but we've yet to really go over what was recovered from under the mountain.  We've done well, I think, given what we had to start with.  But that is, as yet, not for me to truly judge.  I do not know if, or how, the others report back to their parents.  I would hope so.  T

We entered the mountain not long after the Bright One was cut down by the Shinobi.  Torches kept the base lit - I wonder that they did not simply set up portable generators and use electricity.  Tradition?  We do not know yet if the Fomorians, or one of Mikaboshi's lieutenants was in charge, though given what we found later, I suspect the latter.

With the sentries eliminated, there was no resistance for some time.  We reached what amounted to a kitchen, and I had begun to wonder.  This tunnel must have gone down a good deal.  It could have held hundreds of Fomorians and Shinobi for all we still know, we did not explore the entirety of the complex.  As Alanna-san, choosing a poor time to do so, made a meal, I traveled back down the tunnel.  Something in your blood just told me to go.  As I listened, the words and gestures needed to create a sort of silent alarm across the tunnel came to me.  Thank you, mother, for this gift.  I have not done so before, but this sort of thing...it can and will save lives, mother.

Moira-san found tracks for us.  One branch led to a bedroom, with a hound of the Great Enemy within.  It did not breach the door when it was slammed shut.  The other contained a study of some sort, a handful of Shinobi, another hound, and what I believe to be the leader.

The creature's name was Hideki, and it was a Tengu.  With the Shinobi following it's orders, it could only have fallen into service of Mikaboshi.  It lies dead under the mountain, but...it took an incredible amount of damage, mother.  There should be swifter ways of dealing with such a creature beyond bludgeoning it to death before someone finally manages to find a weak spot. The Shinobi were effectively distracted by Moira-san and Aren-san.  I am still unsure of what happened after, but somehow, the scattered papers had caught fire.

Aren-san recovered some of them.  I have no idea how she managed to always grab ones that were not aflame, but she did.  Alanna-san recovered the Tengu's katana as well as the creature's mask. I fully intend to study them later.  Perhaps by speaking to their kami, we can learn more.  I only hope that they have not been corrupted utterly by their proximity to Hideki.  

We escaped through a hidden tunnel.  Something...happened in that tunnel, mother.  It is almost as if something prodded the divine flame within me.  There is new strength now...but I have had little enough time to discover it.  We've still yet to clean up after the attack, and I have yet to sleep.  It hasn't yet troubled me, but I believe I would like to.

There is nothing else of note to mention.  Nothing more then the usual strangeness of comments between Alanna-san and Moira-san.  Even if they both tried and failed to convince me that the other was the greater pervert.  I have no interest at all in discovering the answer to that mystery.  No one has an interest in discovering that answer.  Not if they value their sanity or their dignity.