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Post by Shu on Oct 14, 2013 14:38:28 GMT -5
The capital city of Kaze no Kuni served as a perfect symbol for the country. Built in the most fertile land in the nation the city was free to prosper and grow. Beautiful architecture, reminiscent of the lost kingdoms, wonderful people, wealth, but most importantly it had water, a large river flowing through the capital. But just like Kaze no Kuni, you had to take the good with the bad. Even with the aide of the river the weather was still harsh. Sandstorms hit at least once every two weeks, which also made it hard to grow certain crops. Nevertheless, the people of Kaze no Kuni persevered.
The harsh realities of life made them strong. Just like their beloved leader they would overcome all adversity.
If they failed, then only death awaited them.
"Lady Aizu," a bespectacled woman announced as she made her way into the Daimyō's chamber to see the auburn haired woman reading a book behind her desk. The Daimyō sighed and looked up at the servant, mild annoyance clear. "I apologize for disturbing your down time," she said with deep bow. "It appears that your brother has returned from his stint in Yu no Kuni1. Apparently he has another business venture he demands you endorse."
"I had hoped he would have drowned in a hot spring," Aizu said truthfully as she closed her book and placed it on the desk. She then rolled her eyes when the servant gave her a disapproving look. Such a statement was fairly unbecoming for someone in her position. "What schemes does Kakeru have up his sleeve now?"
"I...wish I could say, m'lady. He has been more than vague about his business proposal." In truth he spent most of his conversation with the servant attempting to woo her into his bed. She was well paid, being the personal assistant to the Daimyō, but not nearly enough to deal with her chauvinistic little brother. Especially since she couldn't slap him if he got handsy, which was whenever she was in reach.
"Considering how the last meeting with one of my brothers went I shall pass. At least until more information surfaces," she said firmly as she turned to look out of her window to see the sun setting beautifully over her land. It was times like these when Kaze no Kuni stood out. Second only to its starry nights. "I detest surprises."
"I know, Lady Aizu. The guards are still baffled how he has evaded capture for so long."
"Ieyasu has always had a fair share of devote followers," she said as a hand gently rubbed over her throat. The feeling of the cold blade could still be felt. Never had she come so close to dying than that night.
"This is true," she said as one of the other servants came and whispered something into her ear before disappearing. "It appears there is one more surprise. The man from Next Gen Industries has just arrived. He understands that your meeting isn't scheduled for another two days, but apparently travel was favorable. He is willing to wait, however."
"That will not be necessary. We can have the meeting over dinner. Ask our guest what he would prefer," Aizu instructed as she rose from her seat and walked over to her mirror. "Make sure that it remains private. My plan is still to early in development for the public to be made aware. So keep Kakeru entertained for the time being."
"As you command, Lady Aizu," the bespectacled servant said with a bow before taking her exit.
--- - --- - --- - --- - --- - --- - --- - ---
The next hour or so was spent in preparation for the dinner. Her servants tending to her hair, make up, informing her of any prevalent information regarding Mizu no Kuni, and any other things that she should know. When the dinner had finally been prepared the two of them were gathered in a private room in the palace, decorated elegantly with marble and bronze. During this meal the two of them laughed and talked about everything but business.
"I know I said this before, but my compliments to the chef," the man said as he finished the last few bites on his plate. "To be perfectly honest, I was joking," the representative from Next Gen Industries said with a laugh.
"Chef Roku enjoys a good challenge," she said casually as she took a sip of her wine. "Feel free to request anything you would like during your stay."
"You are a most gracious host, Lady Yorimasa. So it would seem your generosity is second only to your ambition," he said as he decided to begin their business, it was the reason for his trek to this desert nation after all. "If your plan works then you would certainly give this country an edge it has been lacking. You would be a legend."
"I care not for such titles," Aizu stated as she placed her glass on the table. "This country of mine, as much as I love it, is a wasteland. Deserts encompass most of our territory and our only cities can be built around whatever oases can be found. Creating habitable areas takes years and is not without complication. We have been fortunate that our neighbors to the east have been supportive," she explained as her expression grew more stern. "But too much of our revenue is spent on imports. It is time that ends."
"That right there. That is the kind of passion we endorse at Next Gen Industries," he said with a smile. "We are king makers, investing in those that will change the world. Which is why I, Moboya Nū, will ensure that your dream of making Kaze no Kuni a fertile land for all your subjects to prosper."
"And your efforts will be greatly rewarded," she said with a subtle smile before raising her glass for a toast. "I look forward to the future we will build together."
...to be continued
1Yu no Kuni = Land of Hot Water
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Post by Shu on Oct 15, 2013 10:48:30 GMT -5
The next morning started painfully early for the Daimyō and her newest business partner, Moboya Nū. Before the sun was even given a chance to rise they had already departed in the darkness, well before the servants were even awake. They traveled by horse, accompanied by two of Aizu's bodyguards and three of Nū's coworkers. They traveled for roughly three hours, arriving at their destination just as the sun's light began to peak over the mountains.
"This has been quite the journey," Nū said wearily as he dismounted his horse. His pained expression showing his inexperience in horse riding and the sweat rolling down his face showing his regret in attire. The black suit really was not the best look for a desert environment. Nevertheless, he still looked good, which was all that mattered.
"A necessary one," Aizu said as she dismounted her horse on her own, despite her bodyguards offering to help. "We traveled far enough that anyone trailing us would have had to turn back by now from lack of supplies. Besides, this will be a perfect testing ground for our experiment."
They had come to a small abandoned village. Many of the houses and structures appeared to have been damaged from an attack, sand covered 1/4 of the village, and the man-made lake had all but dried up. It was a wasteland.
If they could make this land fertile then there was hope.
"Yes," Nū said as he took a couple of steps around the village. Crouching down and running his hand through the sand. "This will do nicely. Run an analysis on the premises."
One of his comrades ran through a string of handseals before placing both hands on the hard dirt. There was a subtle rumble that ended as quickly as it started.
"As of now, this place has a 5% chance of sustaining human life. Vegetation has no chance of growth. The ground is too dried out with no available nutrients."
"Let's get to work then, shall we?" Nū said jovially as he hopped to his feet. "Let's just do the basic technique for now. We will work on a more refined attempt in due time. Now, off you go. Into positions!" On the command his comrades dispersed, making their way to different parts of the village. "Step back, Lady Yorimasa, and enjoy the show!"
After giving the signal Nū and his companions seemed to come into perfect sync with each other. Immediately they all began to run through a long string of hand seals. Aizu caught a glimpse of about sixty, but even then she might have missed some due to how fast Nū was running through them. When they finally stopped they held the snake seal for a few moments before touching their hands to the ground.
What happened next was nothing short of a miracle.
A large seal began to be written in the sand, spreading rapidly around the village's perimeter. Intricate markings and designs covered nearly every inch of earth in a matter of minutes. Once completed the seal began to glow a bright green color, and that's when the real show began. The chakra began to alter the make up of the earth, introducing elements necessary to create fertile soil such as minerals, nutrients for plants, moisture, and even some microorganisms. The sand and the upper layers of earth were transformed into rich top soil. Aizu could not believe her eyes. For the first time in a long time she allowed her emotions to truly surface. After fifteen minutes, when the technique had finally finished, she stepped into the village, her jaw agape from sheer disbelief. Crouching down she placed her hand to the ground and a tear ran down her cheek. It was soft and moist. Not at all like the sun baked earth that was found throughout the majority of her land. She smiled unabashedly as she continued to run her hands through the soil.
"This is unreal," she said inbetween her laughs of joy, no longer caring what they might think of a Daimyō playing in the dirt. With this her people would no longer have to pander to the foreign countries for something as simple as food or water. Suitable living environments will be readily available for her citizens. Kaze no Kuni's potential would be limitless thanks to this miraculous jutsu. "This is the type of earth I would expect to see in Hi no Kuni."
"As keen as always, Lady Yorimasa," Nū said as he ran through a small string of hand seals. Water then began to spout out from the epicenter of the man made lake, filling it once more. He figured that she would appreciate that. After all, a woman was at her most beautiful when she was happy. "We studied the composition of some of the more fertile areas in Hi no Kuni. Once we had gathered enough information we came up with the schematics for this base technique. By combining Doton, Suiton, and some summoning techniques we were capable of recreating this," he explained as he walked over to the Daimyō, a smile present on his face. "Next Gen Industries is no stranger to landscaping projects. But when you came to us with the idea to utilize multiple fūin algorithms in combination with each other. ," he paused. "Simply genius. You could have gone far as a kunoichi." The two proceeded to walk towards the lake that he had just created.
"Perhaps, but my responsibilities to my people come first," the joyous Aizu was now replaced with her usual stoic demeanor. She had her fun. Sneaking out of the palace. Horseback riding. Getting to witnessing her dream take one step closer to being real. Now it was time for business. "There is no telling what my brothers would have done had they been allowed to rule."
"The eldest of the two would have driven the country to ruin. Much like you, he wishes to see Kaze no Kuni prosper, but instead of finding a remedy within the country he would have sought land outside your borders. Ieyasu is a warmonger at his core, and the world does not need any more of those. Kakeru makes for a wonderful business man, but the need to satisfy his indulgences would betray your people. Your country would go bankrupt before he ever would," Nū surmised. Aizu looked at him questioningly, but could not argue with anything that he said. "We are king makers, Lady Yorimasa. Judging people is what we do best."
"Mm," the Daimyō said before deciding to return the subject to the business at hand. "You said this was a base technique before. Care to elaborate on that?"
"Ah, yes. The technique is still in the experimental phase. As of now, this is about as big an area that we can alter. Of course, with time we will be able to create area specific formulas so that they can be altered to your liking. The biggest concern is the power source. We have come up with a formula where the seal will feed off of ambient chakra to sustain itself. All of our trial tests have been preformed in Hi no Kuni and Mizu no Kuni, and the technique has held for increasingly extended periods of time."
"But Kaze no Kuni is mostly desert, so ambient chakra is few and far between. The seal would not be able to sustain itself," Aizu interjected, a hint of bitterness in her voice.
"As of now, no," Nū replied. "But that will not dissuade us. This is just the first step among many. You're dream will become reality. I swear my life on it."
"I'll hold you to that," she said as she returned to her guards and mounted her horse. "Let's go. My absence is bound to have been noticed by now. There should be a carriage waiting for us at the next town," Aizu stated as she looked at the town. She did not care what kind of set backs they would have to endure. She would see her land prosper.
With that, everyone mounted their horses and departed. The little oasis that they left behind slowly began to return to its desert state less than fifteen minutes after they had left. The only evidence that any of the day's events ever took place was the water left behind, but even that would dry up in time.
The ride to the next town took only an hour, much to Nū's relief. Dismounting from the horses they all made their way towards the carriage that awaited them.
"I do not look forward to getting used to that," he said with an honest laugh. "Horses just are not my thing."
Without warning the carriage exploded violently and was followed by four more in the surrounding area, knocking Aizu and her guards to the ground.
"Baiken! Zan! Secure the area! I'll prote--!!"
...to be continued
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