The Forseen (Closed)

Kenneth chuckled and shook his head for a moment before he gave her some rules. "While we're there, you're ta stay close by me a' all times. If ya wanna look a' somethin', le' us know so we can keep an eye on ya. Or drag me alon' with ya." Kenneth chuckled as he packed his own bags. "Nex', I should say tha' this is Ronin's place of birth and where he grew up so be respectful, especially to those who know him. Understood?"

(After your next response, we'll do a skip ^_^)

Savanna smiled as she listened to him. "Of course, I'll be respectful." She answered as she zipped her bag back up. "There now I just need to take a shower and change in the morning and I'll be all ready to go!" Savannah said smiling as she set her bag on the floor beside her bed.


lol kk go for it.))

(^_^)

That next day was eventful for them. They'd gotten on their private plane after loading up their stuff and Ava's portable equipment she never left home without. After about five hours of being suspended in the air, the plane had finally touched down in Kyoto, the city where Ronin had first met Ava. Ronin, of course, had taken his car and it arrived shortly after they'd unloaded their stuff.

Ronin helped Kenneth put their things in the trunk of his car before he started her up and started their drive. Along the way, Ronin explained to everyone that the road leading to the monastery was hostile to vehicles so they would have to leave the car and their things behind at the house, which came into view shortly after he'd finished explaining.

Kenneth was telling Savannah about his home as they were placing all their things in the house and once Ronin was certain the car was hidden and out of sight, he locked it and the house and turned to the others. "You all ready to head to the monastery?"

Ava smiled as she grabbed a bottle of water for the walk. It wasn't long but she always liked to bring some water. "Ronin, you know I'm always ready to visit." She said smiling. Savannah looked a little nervous and stayed quiet only giving Ronin a small nod.

Ronin nodded at them all and started the walk. He took them through the forest that backed the house and over the foothills of a mountain. He stopped somewhere on the very top of the hill and looked around the rock for a moment. Ah! there it is! Ronin slipped into an almost invisible crack in the rock face and onto a new path that was wider than the crack portrayed. Kenneth followed soon after and was amazed. This wasn't just a path. It was a stone stairway cut from the rock to look as natural as possible.

(You're going to love this ^_^)

Ava chuckled. Ronin had taken her here a few times before and she now enjoyed the looks on peoples faces when they came here for the first time. Ava waited for Savannah to go in before she did herself. Savannah looked up at the way she had come in with an amazed look. Ava chuckled as she looked up at Ronin. "Did I react like that the first time?" She asked in a playful way.

Ronin gave a soft chuckle and did a bow. "Anata ga tsukutta kao wa kichōdeshita."(The face you made was priceless) His eyes sparkled as he spoke in his native tongue and Kenneth seemed bewildered. Sure, he'd heard a couple of Japanese words but never a full on sentence like this. Ronin put a finger to his lips to indicate that they needed to be quiet for the rest of the trip before he headed up the stairs, muscles relaxed while Kenneth's muscles were all on high alert.

A few moments later...

A Japanese archway marked the end of the journey and the beginning of something beautiful. Ronin stepped beneath it and turned to look at his friends and wife. He smiled, happy. Then something happened that almost made Kenneth shout. Someone in black and brown dropped down from the top of the archway and Ronin spun around, katana meeting kunai. The person's entire head was covered with some kind of black material that one could only guess was supposed to be a mask of some sort and the build of the person's body let everyone know that he was a young man.

The two young men locked eyes before the kunai bounced off the katana's blade and both men stepped back. They were both in strange poses, though Ronin's was more familiar than the youth before him.

(Haru's pose right now)

After a moment's hesitation, the two locked into combat once again. The Kunai knife bounced expertly off the katana and vice versa and before long, the Kunai was sent to the ground, its tip buried in the soil. Ronin took up his stance again, his katana parallel held with both hands and his feet expertly spread apart. The other young man snapped from his pose and rushed Ronin and they locked into combat once more.

This dance lasted for a while until the katana was dislodged and the pair stood there, two fingers pointed directly at each other's chest. After a moment of silence, the pair stepped back, put their hands at their sides stiffly and bowed expertly to one another. After that, they retrieved their weapons and the newcomer spoke. "Watashi wa nenrei de anata o mite imasen."(I haven't seen you in ages)
"Sore wa amarini mo nagaiai sa rete imasu, Haru."(It's been too long, Haru)
"Nani ga koko ni modotte anata o motarashimasu ka?"(what brings you back here?)

Ronin looked behind him at Savannah while he expertly slid his katana back into its scabbard on his back before he turned back to this young man; Haru. "Atode anata ni tsutaeru yo."(I'll tell you later) Haru bowed in respect before he looked to the other three. After a moment he jumped back up the stairs and motioned for them all to follow him before he disappeared from sight.

Ronin smiled. He missed this place. He continued up and onto flatter ground and what was before them was breathtaking. Somewhere in the background was a waterfall and there was one beneath a bridge as well but as for the rest of the monastery, it was absolutely gorgeous.

Ava hadn't even moved when the young man and Ronin spared. She had meet Haru once before and she knew he meant Ronin no real harm. Smiling she walked forward and nodded for Kenneth and Savannah to follow them. Savannah stuck right at Kenneth's side as they moved through the monastery. Ava smiled as she looked around and sighed contently. She enjoyed coming to this place whenever they got the chance.

Ronin led them over the water and into a building where he dropped to a sitting position on his knees beside the young man who had sparred with him earlier. They said nothing and instead looked ahead to the actual building where the Masters were probably having their meet. Kenneth hung back, a little bewildered and confused and even more so when a few elderly looking gentlemen stepped out of the room. Ronin was the only one of the two young men who slid into a kneeling bow.


The men looked at one another before they each smiled. One of them even took old of Ronin's arms and raised him to his feet before the four each took turns to hug and kiss the young man's cheeks. Then they bowed respectfully to one another, him to the four and the four to him. This marked the end of their greeting before they began to question why he was there. Ronin explained that he wished to visit and had brought a few friends along with him and if it was alright if they stayed for a while. The four examined the friends before they looked at one another. They gave their consent before they went back inside, declaring that dinner would be ready shortly.

Ronin turned back to the others just as Haru rose to his feet and started pacing around Kenneth and Savannah. Ava he trusted because she'd hung around for a while the first time she came here. But these two....and the girl...Haru's eyes narrowed before he turned his golden brown eyes to Ronin and pointed at the girl. "Setsumei shite kudasai. Ima sugu."(Explain. Now) Ronin dipped his head to Haru before he beckoned Savannah to come stand by him.

Nervously Savannah stepped forward and moved over to Ronin. Looking up at Haru she gave him a small smile, not really sure what to do or expect. Ava stood a few feet away, giving the girl an encouraging smile to let her know it was ok.

Ronin took a deep breath and looked down at Savannah while placing a hand on her shoulder to reassure her. "Savannah, this is Haru. Haru, ni aisatsu Savannah."(say hello to Savannah) Haru narrowed his eyes at the girl for a moment before he went around them both once again. Before long, he stopped in front of her and closed his eyes before resting a finger against her forehead. Almost immediately he jumped backward and pressed a hand to his head. He looked up at the girl before a small growl echoed in his throat.
"Gozonji."(A Seer)

Ronin looked at Savannah for a moment before he spoke to her. "Savannah, Haru here is special like you. He can help you. Anata wa tadashī, kanojo o tasukeru koto ga dekimasu Haru?"(You can help her, right Haru?) Haru scoffed and looked away, his arms folded across his chest. It was obvious by the way he was standing that he didn't trust the girl or Kenneth. He muttered something inaudible and Ronin snapped. "Haru!"
"Kanojo wa manabu tame ni yorokonde iru baai. Sōdenai baai ni wa, watashi wa dekimasen."(If she is willing to learn. If not, then I cannot)

Smiling Ava stepped forward. "Kanojo wa haru o manabu tame ni yorokonde imasu. Watashi wa kanojo ga anata ga itte iru subete no mono ni mimiwokatamukeru koto o yakusoku shimasu. (She is willing to learn Haru. I promise she will listen to everything you have to say.)" Ava said, speaking fluently in Japanese. She had spent a few years hiding in japan and though she didn't use it much she had learnt to speak the language quite well. Ava smiled at her husbands friend as Savannah turned wide-eyed at the Ava. She knew she was married to someone from japan but had no idea she could speak it as well.

Haru studied Ava for a moment before he turned back to the girl and Ronin. "Sorekara watashi wa kanojo o o oshie shimasu."(Then I will teach her) Ronin smiled as Haru turned his body a certain way, his stance hard and his gaze harder. "Shikashi watashi wa sore o watashi no hōhō o okonaimasu."(But I will do it my way) Ronin nodded and thanked his friend for a moment before he looked to the girl.
"Haru will teach you what he knows, okay? Don't be afraid of him." Haru held out a hand for the girl and waved for her to follow him before he left the place and stood out on one of the bridges, sitting on his knees.

Savannah turned to look at Kenneth before she followed quickly after Haru. She wasn't sure how this man was going to teach her how to control her gift but she was willing to try anything. She even wondered if he could help her get rid of the skull splitting headaches that came with them.

Haru sensed the girl and after a while of silence, he began. And how he began was throwing a handful of water into the air. There, he watched each drop and let them fall onto the bridge in front of his feet. "To understand a gift, you must first understand why it was given to you." He sounded like a Sensei the way he was talking and the way his english sounded, it sounded like he was more accustomed to his own native tongue.

Savannah watched, tilting her head slightly in curiosity. "I'm not even sure why I was born with this... gift..." She said. She had never really thought of it as a gift. It was more like a curse to her.

Haru shrugged slightly and tilted his head to the sky for a second before he looked out across the water. "Perhaps the universe thought you could handle it. Perhaps it thought that the world needed you. Or at least the Assassins." Haru suggested, grinning through the mask before he sent up another handful of water, watching the droplets sparkle off the wood.

Maybe.. They come with painful headaches... and they come at the most inconvenient times." She said with a sigh. "I'm willing to try anything, though... I want to learn how to control it."

Haru looked over at the girl for a moment before he dipped his head and beckoned for her to join him. "Then let us begin." Haru took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "First you will need to let go of your other senses. This is why they come with headaches. Your other senses have not properly shut down to allow them to pass."

"How do I do that?" She asked as she moved closer to him. She smiled and looked eager to know. She would love for the headaches to stop with the visions. It would make things much easier that they had been.

Haru sighed out his nose. This one was going to be hard to train. "Take a deep breath and relax. Close off your eyes and with that, your ears will follow. Tune everything out."

Savannah closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was trying to follow his instructions and not get on his nerves. It took a few moments but she managed to tune the world around her out.

Haru was about to give her another instruction when his head immediately started pounding. He took a deep breath and calmed his heart, forcing his muscles to remain relaxed. The pounding subsided and was replaced instantly with images flashing through his head. Of a great golden Japanese dragon. Of Ronin and the visitors. One stood out a bit longer than the others. Savannah. The girl. But her surroundings were black and unrecognizable. A frown came across his face for a moment before the images were gone and his eyes opened to the cherry tree across from them, resting on an island in the water. He hadn't had one of these in a long time.

Savannah hadn't moved the entire time his vision flashed through his head. Her eyes were still closed as she continued doing what he had instructed her to do.

Haru rose to his feet and tapped her shoulder once before he immediately fled across the bridges and slipped inside, where he fell onto his knees on the floor and addressed the three men that were currently present. Ronin sat there staring at Haru as he described what he'd seen. A dragon? They were just legends and deities that weren't ever seen. They sat there quietly discussing Haru's vision, especially the part of Savannah and her strange surroundings.