Jian - Sailing Lessons and Seals

[17:38] <Earthflame> Jian groans, wriggling for a moment as he tries to lever himself up with an arm that isn't there. He blinks in the low dawn light, dragging himself up by his left arm and blearily glancing around.
[17:42] <~Deedles> It might take a moment for him to recall the events of last night, but if waking up on the boat wasn't enough he'd probably remember upon seeing the petite young woman with long white hair sat by the rudder, steering the boat still. She lifted one of her hands from the wooden object to wave to the swordsman before pressing a finger to her lips, nodding to his two companions that were still fast asleep.
[17:42] <~Deedles> "Morning..." she greeted him, her voice hushed, before lifting a hand to her face as she yawned.
[17:46] <Earthflame> Jian nods nods to her as he unsteadily clambers towards her, nodding. "Good morning. How long was I out?"
[17:47] <~Deedles> Rei looked up at the sky "About 5 to 6 hours I'd say." she replied quietly before smiling slightly.
[17:50] <Earthflame> Jian nods, turning to take a look at the landscape.
[17:51] <~Deedles> They'd reached the river by now, plains with small forests here and there reaching as far as the eye could see.
[17:55] <Earthflame> Jian yawns and lopsidedly stretches, moving to the back if the boat, sitting to the left of the rudder. "Looks like a calm stretch of river... Want to teach me the basics, and then take a rest?"
[17:59] <~Deedles> Reisuki smiled faintly and nodded "Sure, it's not that hard." she told him "Just push it this way and the boat turns to the left, pull with that way and it turns to the right." she explained, demonstrating quickly before she let go of the rudder. "Give it a try."
[18:31] <Earthflame> Jian reaches out to take hold of the rudder, giving it a few experimental pushes and pulls, nodding slowly. "I think I see..."
[18:33] <~Deedles> "When travelling on a calm river like this there isn't much more too it. Just try to keep the boat around the middle and be attentive to where the wind is coming from so it hits the sails right." Reisuki says as she places her hands on her lap.
[18:37] <Earthflame> Jian nods again. "When I sensed your soul, I felt the sea was as much a part of you as the sword is a part of me. You were raised on this, weren't you? Feeling the ocean waves in your heart?"
[18:43] <~Deedles> "Yeah..." Rei looks back the way they'd come from, the ocean still in view on the far off horizon."My home, Erora, the Capitol of Opheria, was a city located by the ocean, with a grand harbour. So, since our people was always sea-faring it was tradition that everyone in the royal family learn how to sail. A right of passage, I guess you could call it." she tells him softly with a thoughtful look.
[18:47] <Earthflame> He nods. "...The man who took my arm was flanked by two members of the Dancing Sword Clan..." Further up the boat, his blade shifts from underneath it's covering, rising up. "The symbol they bear looks very like this sword... But when I first heard of them, I was told they'd fallen to corruption. I am still unsure how my heritage links to them... But seeing how far they had fallen filled me with rage and shame..." He shakes his head. "The
[18:48] <Earthflame> He shakes his head. "The vile taint destroys so much."
[18:49] <~Deedles> Reisuki studies the sword for a moment, tilting her head to the side "I saw Katashi speak to people wearing that symbol from time to time."
[18:51] <Earthflame> "Apparently they are just another group of brigands now..." he shakes his head. "Sorry, I'm throwing my life story at a stranger. I've not been in my right mind for the past few days."
[18:53] <~Deedles> Rei looks at him intently before she smiles faintly "I don't mind. It's nice getting to know more about my rescuers." she tells him as she leans her back against the rail of the boat as she pauses briefly. "And whatever your connection to them is... You're a good man, I'm sure you can turn them around."
[18:53] <Earthflame> "Perhaps. We need all the allies we can get... The spirits can only do so much to aid us, when so much of this land has lost faith."
[18:54] <~Deedles> Reisuki looks thoughtful at that "What happened to the spirits?" she asks him
[18:55] <Earthflame> "I am not entirely sure... All I know is that, over the last two centuries, faith in them waned, and the corruption gained strength. Did your people worship the spirits?"
[18:58] <~Deedles> "Yeah, we did. The Serpent of the Sea, Mazu, would often show herself among my people. That's why I wondered what happened to them here." She explains with a concerned look "Do the spirits not walk among you anymore?"
[19:01] <Earthflame> "...No. I have prayed to the spirits of Metal, of the sword, every day of my life... It is only faith and, well, this-" He calls up his Chi Blade, hovering in the air, held in his missing arm. "-But faith is not about proof. It is about belief."
[19:06] <~Deedles> Reisuki nods "I know that, but the spirits walking among you isn't just proof of their existence. Their abscence is troubling... It's a sign of great imbalance."
[19:07] <Earthflame> "There is no doubt our land is suffering... From what I know, it all began when the true imperial family fell. That is why we seek the heir. With rightful blood, we might be able to heal the soul of this country... And prevent the curse of corruption spreading to other lands."
[19:08] <~Deedles> Rei ponders on that, lifting a hand to rub her chin slightly "What do you know of the heir?" she asks
[19:11] <Earthflame> "Not much. We know to seek them in Yumu from the words of a dying merchant... Haizhou was the other option, but the pirates rush to Yumu seems too much to be a coincidence."
[19:12] <~Deedles> "No way of recognicing them? Gender? Looks? Abilities? An item? Anything?" Reisuki seems quite surprised at that
[19:12] <Earthflame> "They are likely in possession of the Imperial Seal... But we are mostly trusting to destiny. And my senses, of course."
[19:13] <~Deedles> "What does the Imperial Seal look like?" Rei continues to ask
[19:17] <Earthflame> "It has a solid jade base which is used to make the imperial mark, and a statue of a dragon in gold upon it. It is said to be very beautiful."
[19:20] <~Deedles> "Sounds like it..." She agrees with a faint smile.
[19:22] <Earthflame> "I don't suppose you've ever seen something like it?"
[19:27] <~Deedles> "No, not like that." Rei replies honestly "I imagine if the heir still has it they'd be sure to keep it hidden."
[19:28] <Earthflame> "Indeed..." He sighs. "Still, we must try. Evil prevails when good men do nothing."
[19:33] <~Deedles> "Well, you have to try to know if you can succeed." Reisuki smiles faintly "That's what I thought whenever I tried to escape from Katashi's ship."
[19:35] <Earthflame> "...How many times?"
[19:35] <~Deedles> Rei has to think about that one "Hmm, at least a dozen times." she concludes after a moment
[19:36] <Earthflame> Jian shakes his head with a sigh. "I am sorry, Rei. Nobody should have to go through that... Through our efforts, perhaps nobody will have to in years to come..."
[19:37] <~Deedles> "Don't pity me." Reisuki answers softly, repeating his own words from the night before.
[19:40] <Earthflame> "I speak not out of pity, but of shame..." He shakes his head. "I lived my whole life in isolation, shielded from the corruption... Now I come to see the world, I realise we should have been doing all we could to help, rather than blaming others for their lack of faith."
[19:45] <~Deedles> She looks up at the sky, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Maybe so, but you're here now and that's all that matters. If we can find the heir in Yumu then that will certainly be a step in the right direction."
[19:47] <Earthflame> "We cannot change the past. All we can can do is choose the path of our future."
[19:49] <~Deedles> Reisuki smiles mildly at him "I like my current path. Helping you three seems like a worthy cause, though I do worry that I will only bring trouble to you."
[19:49] <Earthflame> "We are perfectly capable of bringing trouble upon ourselves." Jian smiles. "I doubt your presence will make that much difference."
[19:51] <~Deedles> "I hope so." She nods before surpressing a yawn.
[19:53] <Earthflame> Jian chuckles. "I think I can handle the rudder. You get some rest, Rei. And we can use all the allies we can get, as I said. Your Chi is strong enough that I do not believe you will be a burden."
[19:55] <~Deedles> Rei pauses before she smiles at him "Thank you... for everything." she says before she slowly stands, grabbing her cloak and rapier as she does. "Wake me if you need help with anything."
[19:56] <Earthflame> "I will." He nods. "...Oh. Some time you're free, I'd be interested to take a look at your sword. I would like to feel how it handles."
[20:00] <~Deedles> Rei hesitates for a moment before she places the sword beside him "Can have a look while I sleep." she tells him before she moves over a hatch to the storage where fish would usually be kept. She opens it and disappears down into the hull of the boat, opting to sleep out of sight.
[20:01] <Earthflame> ...Jian stares. And mumbles to himself "...I didn't know there was an inside."