Kagewa [Shadow Country]

This was once a very beautiful country village, a center for farming. The it was hit by an unknown series of plagues. The village, in a weakened state, became a target for bandits.

It is now a burned husk of its former self. Those too stubborn to leave there homes are forced to eek out a pathetic existence among the rats and charred remains of there homes. Most of the citizens lucky enough to survive are too old or weak to rebuild there homes.
As a result many live on the streets or in the burnt shells of houses. There is not much to see here save the rows of blacked fields and homes.

Two strange young men stood silently in the charred and blackened ghost of a field, waiting, watching. The younger of the two was crouching close to the ground, his tattered gray garments blackened by the sooty ground. Where he poked absentmindedly at the burned corpse of a young bird with a bit of a stick, he head cocked to the side in thought.

The older, taller of the two stood straight up, scanning the horizon. The sun was beginning to set behind them and their shadows stretched out in front of them. A warm wind blew in from the west, bringing with it the smell of burning homes and rotting flesh.
A crow cawed happily in the distance as it found yet another fresh meal among the recent dead of the village.
The bandits that had made this town their home for the last two months had caught wind of a rumor this morning with the local tradesmen.
As soon as the chance came they vacated the small hovels and shell they called home and made for the south as though the devil himself were on their trail.
They did not leave peacefully however. In one final hurrah they burned half of the already decimated village and stole any young women they could find as the left.
The younger brother took the chaos as an opportunity to have a small "conversation" with the merchant who had brought them the news, and he had been giddy ever since. He had only recently settled down into a quiet waiting. Anticipation hung in the air like flies over an open grave as the twin brothers waited.
They knew she was coming....and they could not wait.

A massive dark cloud was approaching the small burnt village from the east, moving against the wind like a flock of jet black birds. Nothing in the shadow of this cloud made a sound, it was as if nature itself was afraid of its passing.
She moved there, her feet hanging an inch or so off of the ground as she moved forward slowly and smoothly like a cold midnight breeze.
Her jet hair moved in her wake, her kimono following suit.
The village came into, a black stain against the orange orb of the setting sun.
They were waiting for her there. She had made certain of that much when she had allowed the lone merchant to escape.
Her face remained passive as the thoughts of what lie ahead filled her mind. These two would serve her purpose well, their thirst for pain unending.
They came into view, standing, waiting for her approach. She would not disappoint them.

______________________________________________________________________________

The dark mist circled around her as she touched the ground before the twin brothers. It was cold as the grave and twice as dark.
She looked both brothers in the eyes, the second one craning his head to make contact.
After a fashion she spoke, her voice hollow and icey.
You have done well to wait for me, oh brothers Byouki. For there shall be much blood shed to come.
The mist wrapped around them like a promise of things too come, taking them in its deathly grip.

Upon making eye contact with the strange woman before them the youngest of the Byouki twins began a strange bout of maniacal laughter, shaking with some unknown glee. The sound of his laughter echoed preternaturally through the dark mist.
Karada simply stood, in silence, basking in the dark and ominous feeling that surrounded him. He let it permeate him to his black soul.
It was unlike anything either of them had ever felt before, and they knew from that moment that they would gladly accept any task this chilling being set before them.

They stood in silence, waiting for this apparition to speak, do direct them and give them a purpose aside from their everyday killings.

Oh how they looked forward to serving her, oh how they could already taste the suffering of all those in their path.

The dark woman stood in silence for a moment longer, allowing her new followers to bask in the darkness surrouding them.
With a deep breath she spoke once more, her voice echoing through the mist and sending chills down the murderous brothers spines.

"There is much work to be done my pets. The time of the second coming is nearly upon us." She paused as the mists around them all swirled and churrned, showing half images of battles past.
A great monster depicted in the mist. Shattered moutains and smoldering forests filled the scene, death and chaos ruled the scene.
Then a portion of the picture lighted and five weapons flew forward, driving themselves into the very heart of the beast and finally ending the suffering. The weapons, upon emerging, scattered themselves to the winds and the scene ended in a vortex of thoughts and faces.

Just as the oldest brother was about to speak a new vision formed. This time of a child, thin and frail. The eyes of this child were what drew the attentions of the brother, for they appeared both bright as well as sly showing a wisdom beyond there obvious years. In this childs hand it held clenched all five of the demon slaying items and behind in the silouette of the beast they had payed their lives to slay.
Screams filled the air, the void erupting once more in chaos pouring forth from the very sea itself.
All went blank.
The strange apparition spoke once more, " You see, as I have spoken," her voice cold and empty, "Time is drawing short and I for one do not wish the out come to turn as you have seen. I am compeled to act, as are you through me."
She turned to look over her shoulder as something within the darkness shivered.
"You shall travel to the village of Suichuugakure and prepare for my...arival." A faint glowing darkness moved forth from within her. It touched the young men and imbued them with the abilities to travel to this village as she wished.

"Now go, and do not disapoint me. For there is much bloodshed to come." Her voice echoed one last time in the darkness.
Then
She was gone, the two brothers left standing alone in the field. No sign of the strange woman, the sun rising in front of them.

The brothers Byouki stood in silence for a moment, a bit dumbfounded by what had just passed. The woman, if thats indeed what it was, had left them with a sense of awe and power the likes of which they had never felt before.
As the stood there, Shinteki was still crouching actually, the younger brother began to laugh hysterically. He laughter was so hard and loud that he almost lost his balance and fell over, he did catch himself however and stopped.
Karada took a deep breath of the morning air and went into a subsequent coughing fit, once he recovered he spoke. His voice was tired and weak, as always.
"Well that was interesting, eh brother." Shinteki did not respond. He seldom did.

Karada sighed, "I suppose we should get a move on. This place is gonna get dull without those bandits around anyway." He said as he looked back at the village both of them were born in, but neither called home.
With that he began to walk, slowly, towards their destination, his brother in tow.

((left for Wanizame Sea))