[SP- F1] A woman's touch

[Opal 0]

Opal slid to a stop as the thunder crashed over head and the lightning lit the sky with a bolt of hundreds of instantly flashing veins of light as she stopped in front of what appeared to be an old man hunched over, holding a sword and scabbard as a crutch to stay up. He looked asian from the lowness of his eyes, and had something of a fu manchu going on. She wondered if this was some lost NPC, she didn't have time for a quest right now.

"Sorry, I'm not interested in any quests right now so--"

Thunder boomed and the young woman squeaked, the rain continued to beat against her and the jacket now drowning in the weather. Her Treasure Seeker jacket billowed as a cool blast of wind came rolling by, her honey eyes narrowed as the man or NPC did not move, "You came from the mouth of the cave, did you not?" 

"Ugh...yeah who are you?" Opal said moving an inch forward until she found the blade and the man flashed before her eyes, he was quick, too quick and she couldn't do anything about it. She found the sliver of metal against her neck and she cursed to herself as she dropped her guard, but he was too damn fast for her to keep up with. 

"I am nobody, but you are someone that has what it takes to survive and surpass all in this world. You are woman who uses her body to get things, yet, the things she receives remain as empty feelings inside. My name is Myoga, and I was once like you. Passionate about life, used my body to get the things I wanted...then one day, I was in over my head." the man sheathed what appeared to be a Katana. She had yet to see anyone with the ability to wield such a dangerous and coveted weapon of this world and then he continued. 

"Then I was sought out, because I had the specific motivation to carry on. What lies within is anger, passion, and a destructive force. However, you are unable to wield any of these effectively. If you wish to learn, I have a place on the seventh floor away from the touch of man. Even in this game I am able to continue my training and pass on what I have learned. However, you must realize this training is a one time offer and it will be grueling. You will need to shut yourself out from others and dedicate all your time to me until the time when you are ready to leave."

Opal stood in the rain, her head lowered, hair a mess. This could be an opportunity to start over, but it seemed like a lot of trouble and pain. Xion, always constantly on her my and belittling her every chance he was given because of his Superiority Complex, then there was Grave who she had taken a liking to; a sweet guy and always came to her aid. The others, could she leave it all behind? Was this being selfish? 

"I am in the--"

"Crimson Blades, I was not born yesterday. I see those cloaks fly from the individuals who wear them. Military is much the same as the shinobi way, but the discipline I teach is not. You will benefit from this more than anyone because they, those in your guild are not broken in mind. You are broken, grief stricken from the loss of your friend and ally. Shinobi learn to deal with the pain, we must also accept and move on. I shall give you a week to make your decision. Make your goodbyes known, for you shall not return for a long time."
 

Just as quickly as he appeared in front of her he was gone after the rolling of a thunderous boom in the sky. Opal who was alone now, drenched in the rain had now a decision to make. The Shinobi Way...or the Crimson Blades? 

[Opal 0]

The rain continued to beat down on her, for the first time she felt something of a clarity in her mind. She nodded to herself, she would end her material hunting here and turn back. While the storm was still going on, Opal had no reason to run back to the cozy warmth of her Inn for there was a heavy decision weighing in her mind. She slowly made her way out of the forested area, the stormy weather seemed to have lighten and her boots squished through the grass as she walked through it. She sighed, flicking the wet inky hair off her shoulders that seemed to cling everywhere on the jacket. She was a total mess right now. She wanted to go home, soak in the tub and fall asleep. 

The Treasure Hunter made her way back to the city, the warm glow of the lights and the misty spray of the water gave the town an enchanting fairy tale sort of look. She headed towards the Inn and opened the doors greeted by the warmth of the lights, "Ahh! Opal! Good to see the lively vixen of Starting City is still in one piece. How was your adventure today?" The inn keeper, a friend of hers passed her along a much needed drink. 

"I didn't do bad as far as material gathering, I had to cut it short due to the rain. I didn't wanna be out there without help, and the wolves were closing in on me. But I got a nice haul, these should do well for some good alchemical experiments." her tone was cheery, but the Inn Keeper knew her better than that. 

"And?" he asked.

"And..." she continued, "I met a really old man with a katana in the forest. Right when it started pouring, he came out of no where and offered to train me. He said I have the Specific Motivation. I am not sure what that meant, but if I am to take his offer, I need to take a leave of absence to train on the seventh floor. He said he owns land up there or something not touch by hand of man? His accent was really thick though, I could just be bad translator." she took a drink from her liquor and cringed lightly at the taste. She was drinking, might as well enjoy a smoke while she was at it. 

[Opal 0]

She exhaled softly into the air while the Inn Keeper seemed to lean back and fold his arms, "Old japanese guy? Short, white manchu?" 

"Yeah! That's him...My..Myoga?"

"Oh him! Yeah, I've seen him a few times around here. Keeps to himself, orders saki drinks and then leaves. I haven't actually made conversation with him. But he seems to be a high leveled player with the Grandmastered Katana skill. He'd be deadly on the floor raids, but I haven't heard of him going out of his way to be there. He must have special reason to seek you out. It's quite the honor Opal, Shinobi are normally very secretive. It might be just a guess, but I think he might be dieing which is why he sought you out. Perhaps you just fit the bill to be his last pupil or something?" 

She flicked the ashes off her cigarette and looked at him with a suspicious gaze, "For someone who keeps to themselves, you sure know a lot about this guy; Myoga." 

"Well...I was into the ninja stuff back home and I heard of this guy, same name and all, who was a hermit up in the mountains. Pretty deadly sword fighter from what I remember and back in his youth he was quite the ladies man. I didn't expect these two to be the same people, but it could be. If it is, then that guy is a legend even in today's standards. One of the few who know true Shinobi Way. What do you plan on doing?"

She inhaled slowly, the petal like ashes of her lavender stick fluttered off as she flicked it and exhaled slowly. A lilac plume of smoke wafting in the air around her. She downed her drink and smiled at the Inn Keeper, "We'll see. Right now, I want a hot bath." She got up from her seat and waved, "Good night." 

"Hey Opal..."

"Not tonight, Gideon..." she said almost instantly. 

The man hung his head in defeat, once you have a taste of Opal. You don't go back to any other woman.  

[Opal 0]

She slunk in the porcelain tub, her knees popping out of the water as her head relaxed in the steamy room. She lifted a slender leg upwards and smoothed the bubble off of it and smiled, "The greatest thing about this game, I don't have to worry about shaving...anything..." she laughed and shook her head. Her dark eyes fluttered as her curvy lips remained in a sharp smile. Her leg dipped back down into the water once more, her dark raven hair silky and smooth, was swept back from her head and she could almost fall asleep in the bath. She exhaled slightly, her chest barely rising out of the water as she finally made her decision. It was time to get serious, it was time to leave this world and her bratty nature behind her. She would have to talk with Mack and the others about this, though she did not know if they would understand. 

The Shinobi, it was a foreign concept to the woman. Going from Prom Queen to Stealth Ninja, how ridiculous is that? She laughed, but she bit the tip of her nail in thought, "I just might be able to prove my worth to you after all Lindow. But I need to stop following in your foot steps. They might look at me and see a woman who is careless and self centered, but you saw past all that. You were able to see 'me.' Thank you, Lindow for the guidance. Its now time for me to walk on my own two feet from now on.." 

While she was still in the bath, she opened up her menu and stared at the item Boereson had originally made for Lindow which matched him in every single way. The Ifrit was a heavy bladed sword, something she could not wield as effortlessly as he did. There was too much weight in it, and the weight and burden that was left behind. She unequipped it and would give it back to the Guild. Surely someone else much deserving would be able to use it, if not, retire the item along with the Cloak of the Blades. Opal lifted herself out of the waters, the suds clinging to her body as she dried herself off with a towel and then placed on her normal clothing. She hoped into bed. 

Beoreson sent her a message about relocating his shop and has invited her to drop by and see as a small party. She smiled, probably a good time to let everyone know she will be on hiatus. She would enjoy herself one last time and then meet with Myoga at the end of the week. That's when she noticed the pending friend request from the individual. She scrolled and accepted, found sleep and drifted off to dream land. 

Thread Summary Rewards

1 Page: 400 Col + 1 SP
+20 Mats 

Edited September 5, 2015 by Opal