Ark 12 Episode 21: Riddle me not

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Diversity: They’d taken off for their journey the next day. It had to be something they did under the radar, aside from Keyome’s close and watchful eye and Michiko wouldn’t let Densuke find out either. If anyone had asked, she’d simply told them that she needed alone time with Keyth to cope with the world around her. Not at all a far-fetched excuse for Michiko. They’d headed back to Seikai which wasn’t too far from their current location. But instead of going into the actual settlement, they’d begun to wander into the foggy bamboo forests that surrounded it. The Seikai forests that surrounded the village before the vegetation changed into the Lost Jungle’s territory were mostly composed of bamboo. The landscape was scarce enough that you could walk easily between the thick sturdy bamboo shoots, but the terrain was made more difficult because of the fog. It was thick and pale, obscuring what time of day it was and what lay ahead further than ten or fifteen feet forward or behind them. It made the setting somewhat ominous but the crisp cool feel of it and the smell of bamboo and aloe plants together was oddly soothing. Worse than the Lost Jungle itself, they wound up lost in the Seikai bamboo forests with absolute ease. Michiko found herself struggling for a sense of direction, and with the fog obscuring scents and the ground seeming to leave no impression of footprints, finding their way back became difficult. Hours passed, and as they walked Michiko finally felt herself starting to tire. She would pause, planting the bottom of the staff against the cool, comforting earth below her barely hovering feet. A sigh slipped from her lips a she let her shoulders sink as if gravity was pulling her towards the soil. “Maybe… I read it wrong.” Michiko felt a faltering in her hope about the Unwritten Gods and the Wise Man. But she shook her head and sucked in a breath, clearing her throat. “But maybe I’m not. We can look for a while longer. But for now I think I need to rest.” Michiko turned and the black animate cloth of her long-sleeved and high-necked gown flowed around her ankles and feet. She moved outwards and used her staff to gently bump the bamboo trees in front of her before she heard the more stern and pitched resonance of her staff’s end lightly striking a stone. She slowly moved forward to it, reaching out to touch its smooth flat and slightly inclined surface as she shifted and sat upon it. Her lips curled into a quaint smile, one that was very familiar to the smile she often wore around Keyth in their home world. “So what does it look like here?” She inquired with her own curiosity quite genuine. She figured it’d be beautiful and bright green with sunlight rays cutting down through it and a low-lying faint mist of morning curling around their feet. She also imagined her masculine Keyth, standing with his skin warmed by the slivers of sunlight. That rich hue of fallow and fawn stirred together, too dark to be solid Japanese. She imagined his golden eyes peering out through messy tendrils of onyx hair too, and it made her smile grow a bit as if she was thinking of something mischievous without telling him. “And do you see anything that might be what we’re looking for? Anything in the distance maybe?” Michiko continued. She overestimated their environment as she held the staff across her lap, but if Keyth really looked he’d find something quite odd over their heads. Tangled in one of the young mint-cream green branches were two aged wooden puzzle pieces of a child’s puzzle. They were beige with pink and brown touches upon them, and while being bent, could fit together if looked upon closely. On the front, if connected properly, it would show a brown line moving off to the right as if a map giving directions. On the backs, one puzzle piece read “Chimpanzee” and the other read “Lion”.

Thunrian: ((http://www.listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=oRtRbpcTsJc)) Walking with Michiko kept close, this place gave him the creeps. " Striny tree's..." He said under mummbled breathe. Keyth had a hue of blue over his cheeks to signify his sickness to the thick and foggy atmoshphere around him. Dino was walking along side them with his head up and high. Sniffing the ground as they made there way on through. Keyth didnt bother telling Michiko about his run in with Ryu the other day... it'd scare her to death to know he broke three of his ribs just the other day. But he knew if he told her now she'd surely scold him. No matter he had bandages around his waist under his clothing and he had taken medicene. He was gonna be fine. " What's it look like huh..." Keyth said as his left eye twitches. He knew it was cruel what he was about to do, but after she had talked him into making the long joruney he felt it nesscary. " It looks, like string beans trees. And there everywhere... I dont see a thing to eat in sight. Your blind, and im dumb." He said kicking the ground out of faustration. DIno walked by with a little trot to his step before it turned to eye Keyth with a scowl. " It's not her fault... your dumb." " WHY DONT YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH YOU STUPID FUCKING WEASEAL HUH!?" Keyth began to stomp poor dino into mush before one of the pieces fell ontop of his head. The Chimpanze one fell right ontop of his head forcing him to look up. It would roll near Michiko's feet where Keyth would pick it up. Reading the name of it outloud. He looked up again, this time he'd see the Lion one high above his head. " I wonder what that's doing up there.... Hold this." He said to Michiko as he pulled his clothings bottoms up and began to leap from bamboo treet to bamboo tree with inhuman and Monkey like finess untill he finally got it, landing back down to where Michiko had been he eyed it again and read it to himself. " Check it out MiMi I BET THERE WORTH SOME MONEY HUH!? WHAT DO YOU THINK!?" Keyth placed his right hand on her forhead, and channeld his chi so she'd be able to read the words as well. " Oooooooooooohhh mannnn! Hahahah I didnt even get my reaward monkey for that bounty guy i got. Instead they said i took to long so no pay. Those assholes. Hmph. But i bet these are worth alot. We can eat out tonigghtttt hell yeah!" Keyth said doing a tiger woods fist pump. Dino shook his head as he looked off elsewwhere into the bamboo woods. His little pink noise bega to sniff along the ground once more for anything he could find. " We have to help Ms.Michiko. Dont you have any respect..." " YOU LITTLE BRAT, YOU GONT ONE MORE TIME AND WERE HAVING HOTDOGS TONIGHT!" " Wh-..what's a hot dog..." Dino said looking back at Keyth, shaking lightly to himself as it began to walk its way over to Michiko. " A Hot-Dog.... is a cooked dog...ON A BUN!" Dino ran, hopping onto Michiko's lap snuggling close to avoid making eye contact with Keyth who had swirrls in his eyes like he was a pyschopath, slobbering from the mouth.

Diversity: (http://www.listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=tfCmCy3AziQ) When Michiko was handed a puzzle piece and- with Keyth’s help- read it, she would ponder something. How timely, that they would find puzzle pieces in the woods. Hers said Chimpanzee, his said Lion. Would that correlate to them in any way? Michiko’s unbelievably quick wit began to calculate and churn, trying to think. But nothing. She couldn’t gather what they would have in common, or what they had to do with them. “Keyth, can I see your piece?” She almost ignored Dino in her lap. This may’ve been a sign, or maybe Michi was losing her mind in hopes of finding this Unwritten God. She placed one hand over Dino, disregarding Keyth’s rather adorable fuming for the moment as she held out her hand. When he placed it there she would begin to feel the pieces with both fingers. What fingers of her left hand stuck out from the left sleeve were crystalline and paler than the rest- but they were almost normal now. She touched every inch of them, feeling their structures, the flat pieces having curves and sharp edges, and a dip here or there. They were legitimate old wooden puzzle pieces, hand-carved and finely aged. Though the forest was no place for puzzle pieces. Especially in the trees. The only /logical/ explanation was that they’d been left on the forest floor ages ago, and the bamboo had grown and they’d gotten tangled in the growth. But suddenly she realized a pattern on the Lion piece, and the reciprocating inverse of the design on the Chimpanzee piece. She held her hands together and they gave a light click, fitting together. “Oh… Even more unusual.” She whispered, as her thumb ran along the topside of the pieces. She felt a very, very faint life signature in the puzzle pieces, and suddenly she knew this was no coincidence. They were close! She was right! She was on the path to getting to the Wise Man, and she would find him most definitely now. She just had to think. “Wait...” Michiko was on to something, but then she sighed, petting Dino. “No hot-dogs in the Shinto realm…” She almost pouted, before flashing a smaller smile to Dino. She picked Dino up then by the back of its neck, like one would lift a puppy or kitten. She sat Dino down beside her and then moved to stand, but just as she did the puzzle pieces unsnapped from their position together. “Oh, and the pieces. I think they are worth a little bit of money, not a great deal.” She said as she knelt to pick hers up, her fingers hovering over the dirt to find the life signature in the puzzle pieces. “But I think they mean something Keyth. Let’s hold onto them, okay?” Then Michiko found the Chimpanzee piece and picked it up. The moment she did they would hear an obvious snapping sound in the woods to Keyth’s right, opposite of Michiko. It would sound like someone had stepped on a branch while trying to creep towards them. Surely it would draw Keyth’s attention, but it was all a ruse. When Keyth looked back, Michiko would be gone, and all that was left in her place was Dino and the Lion puzzle piece… Michiko twisted the Chimp puzzle piece in her hand curiously, idly, waiting to see what was approaching in the distance. Little did she know she’d been transported to another spot in the bamboo forest. She couldn’t tell, though she felt the eerie dissipation of Keyth’s presence. Maybe he’d wandered off quietly towards the threat. “The Chimpanzee.” A voice suddenly came forth, warm and aged. She turned fast towards it and sensed a very strong, very unique life signature that almost reminded her vaguely of Keyome but very unlike him at once. She stepped back and clutched her staff, holding the puzzle piece firmly in her other hand. “Am I the chimpanzee?” Michiko inquired. “Indeed you are.” The Wise Man said as he stood about six feet in front of her with his hands behind his back. “Then where is… the Lion?” She whispered as she turned around. Keyth’s presence was gone, and so was Dino’s. “Oh no…” Michi muttered, hearing the Wise Man chuckle amusingly in the background… ||| Keyth and Dino would be left alone together, and that same bemused chuckle would echo around them in full circle. “The Lion and the pup. What a combination.” The Wise Man teased, though he could not be seen. The fog seemed to swirl around the area, clearing out a fifteen foot expanse for the two. But still where it thickly created an obvious barrier or mystical means of being moved, they could not see the Wise Man as his voice poured unto them. “How do you like riddles, Lion? I would wish to ask you one. If you are right, I will reward you. But if you are wrong…” He snickered, almost as if this was giving the old man his jollies for the day. Thunrian: ((https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FaZQoZf4OY)) To Keyths knowledge, Michiko had been gone once he turned around back to her general direction. "Michi... Dino, where'd Michiko go?" Keyth began to sniff the air for the honeysuckle like fragrance when an elderly man's echo could be heard around Keyth and the pup. Asking if he was able to solve a riddle. This made Keyth blink as he looked back at Dino, then a glint or better yet flare of happines broke across his face. " HA! THIS IS LIKE THUNDERMAN COMIC BOOK ISSUE NUMBER 33 WHEN THE SPIRIT COMES TO GIVE ME RIDDILES IN EXCHANGE FOR ETERNAL LIFE AND POWER ISNT IT! HA HAAAAA! ALRIGHT SPIRIT, I KEYTH TASANAGI WILL TAKE YOUR RIDDLE AND KICK ITS ASS!" Dino would paw Keyth in the back of the head causing him to fall over as he hit the ground, faceplanting. " Are you not worried about Michiko? Hmph. I'll find Lady Michiko and be the hero this time..." " I'm starting to think you gotta thing for my girlfriend, you know im the jealous type righhhtttt." Keyth said with a Demonic smile as all of his teeth were sharp like he was drawn right out of a cartoon. " Be serious, for once in your miserble life!" Dino said back in response to Keyth. This response made him blink a few times before flipping his hair to the right and looking back out to the sound of the voice. " Alright, make this quick. I need to find my girlfriend. She's blind you see... Dont need her falling in quick sand...or getting mauled by bears or.....Something in that fashion." Keyth said rubbing the back of his neck.

Diversity: Michiko turned her head back towards the Wise Man who’d immediately taken in that she was blind. He would be studying her, but only for a single second. After that; she was completely analyzed by the lesser kami. He would nod as one hand came forward to pull his beard as he spoke. “You appear hungry, and surely have wandered for quite some time. Would you eat this beetle if I told you it was sweet and tasted nothing like a beetle?” As soon as the Wise Man stopped talking, Michiko would feel a fat, gem-like beetle crawling on her arm curiously. “A beetle?” Of course not, it was a bug. Yuck. But survival was a different story. She would do anything in the sake of survival. “What is its nutritional value?” Michiko asked. It was a good question, albeit a strange one. The Wise Man laughed and the beetle suddenly lifted its shell and sprouted thin translucent wings that beat rapidly with a buzzing as it flew away. “None.” The Wise Man seemed satisfied, but at last he had to truly begin. “Now it is time to get down to business. The Lion and the pup are to undergo these same trials. If you succeed, I shall give unto you a gift. But if you are to fail, I will challenge you in more savage and crude ways.” Michiko shook her head slowly. “That is not at all an appealing trade…” But she needed his works, his spells. “How about this then…” The Wise Man appeared before her, reaching out. His hand hovered over her chest and without her knowing, a soft golden glow formed along the center of her chest. “If you are to fail, I will take the golden jewel of your heart.” Michiko nodded to the Wise Man’s words as she put a hand protectively over the center of her chest. “And what if Keyth loses?” The Wise Man burst out into laughter at Michiko’s words. “Do you actually think the Lion will win? I promise not to do him any great harm… ‘tis a game, I doubt he will win. But I do like to see what drives a soul forward. My only advice is that you continue onward quickly, or his game of losses may become deadly after accumulated wrong answers. Shall we begin?” The Wise Man hovered back and Michiko would nod, feeling the seriousness of what was to be done and had been said settling in. She stood in front of him, five feet opposite of him, her expression dead serious. “We shall.” The Wise Man took her answer into perception as he then would speak smoothly as he posed to her the first riddle. “I never was, am always to be.” The Wise Man started in his warm ethereal tone laced with his age and heavy dose of wisdom. “No one ever saw me, nor ever will. And yet I am the confidence of all to live and breathe on this terrestrial ball.” He paused, and Michiko began to mull over what he’d said. It was an interesting riddle to say the least, but while no expression crossed her face she was intensely decoding its possibilities in her mind… ||| “Enthusiastic, hm?” The Wise Man chuckled, his age showing as he tilted his head back with his laugh. He reached forward after a moment though and began to stroke his beard beneath the gray bead that drew it together and let it flow down in a slender braid to his chest. “Well then we shall begin, for the sake of your beloved.” He twisted his hand free of his beard and placed it behind his back as he spoke, his mustache barely moving with his humbling words as his enigmatic and pale green eyes locked onto Keyth’s. Looking into the Wise Man’s eyes made one feel utterly befuddled and dumb, and it was like looking into the most complicated puzzle lock one ever did see. Windows to the soul? More like a labyrinth to madness lying in this creature’s gaze. “There was a green hut.” The Wise Man began the riddle. “Inside the green hut there was a white hut. Inside the white hut there was a red hut. Inside of the red hut… There were many offspring.” The Wise Man waited for a moment, almost thinking to give him a hint… But ah, that would ruin the fun of the game! So now to see how poorly the Lion did at this riddle- one of the Wise Man’s simplest riddles. Thunrian: ((http://www.listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=oRtRbpcTsJc)) " Hmmmmmmmm........." Keyth crouched down rubbing his facial hair under his chin as he looked at Dino. " ..............So what do you think it is.." Dino faceplanted, his little tail flopping over his head. " C'mon...gimmie the answer bro. Your gonna piss me off..." Keyth said whispearing to Dino with his teeth clenched together in a inhuman fashion. " I dont know the Answers, your the one with the Human intelleg-...I take that back..." " WHATS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!?" Keyth said smashing his right hand down onto the furry side-kick smashing him through the ground. He sat like a gorrilla as he turned to The old man with a frown on his face. Finally he stood, rubbing the back of his neck as he fixed his clothing and pointed at the old man. " D'AAHHHHH cant we just fight or something?" Keyth said sighing before he began to nonchalantly pick his noise. " The answer... The answer.....!!!!!!!!!!! THE ANSWER! IS... IT'S......" Keyth pulled at his hair as he dropped to his knees, shouting to the top of his lungs. " THE ANSWER, TO YOUR STUPID RIDDLE OLD MAN! IS......... IS............ BLOODY NOSE BUGGERS!!!!!!" Keyth said shouting at the top of his lungs as birds began to flock from the tree tops at the large disturbance. Dino simply stared at Keyth, with an UTTER look of faustration. He was completely, and tottally agitated. " I know. everything Dino i dont need you. Alright Old man, cough it up. Give me whats mine. One time i ate a walnut... But it was rotten so it was green, but due to the icey climte during this time it was white as snow. When i ate it, it accidentally snorted it up, and i had a cold, a BAD one. SO when it was loged up my nose. Not only was it drowned in SNOT! I got a nose bleed. When i sneezed it out, boogers came out with it, but within the walunt, spiders lived inside of it so when i sneezed out the blood wal-nut..... baby spiders came outta it. Took me three weeks to get those spiders outta my bodily system BUT I DID IT. Your intracit metaphors of fuckery cant work on me old man!" Keyth said nodding his head, seeming ultimately proud of himself.

Diversity: Michiko pondered the riddle for a moment, but she didn’t take too long. Who knew what was happening to Keyth. If Keyth was being riddled… Oh Gods help him. Michiko wiped away her worries though- she had to focus. And just like that an answer slipped from her lips. “Tomorrow.” She felt it was right. It made sense. Tomorrow never was, and yet always is to be. No one ever sees tomorrow, and yet they are always confident it will come. It made perfect sense. And soon the Wise Man gave a low, satisfied chuckle as he nodded. “Correct. Tell me your-“ She shook her head. “No time Wise Man.” She said, her tone apologetic for interrupting. “I’m sure you see how Keyth is faring, I have to hurry this along. Give me the next riddle.” Michiko asked of it. The Wise Man would continue, stepping closer towards Michiko. “At night they come without being fetched. And by day, they are lost, yet not stolen.” After the Wise Man spoke she would tilt her head aside and rapidly begin the process of before. Mulling over it. She knew there wasn’t much time… ||| The Wise Man stared after Keyth shouted such an absurd answer. He actually… was being serious. If it were an anime, an awkward sweat drop would’ve made its way down the side of the Wise Man’s face. “Poor Lion.” He mused with a shake of his head. “Wrong answer.” The Wise Man raised his hand and snapped his fingers. With the single snap the fog poured inwards in a thick gust, obscuring even the Wise Man after his brief appearance. It swirled and disturbed the scents in the area. But Keyth would notice a bit of movement in the fog as… What on earth? Little Dinos, little Dinos everywhere! They were trotting around and encircling the real Dino and Keyth. Suddenly he’d notice that one would lurch forward to bite his ankles. Not a harsh punishment, but if he didn’t do anything about the damn near fifty Dino dopplegangers, they would begin an attempt to eat Dino and Keyth sharp nibble by nibble. But if Dino transformed into his larger self, he would find that all fifty of the dopplegangers would do exactly that, and that they were all just as capable as the real Dino. As they encircled Keyth and the real Dino, biting and trying to scratch at them both, the Wise Man’s voice would echo outwards again. “Would you like one last try to remedy your first attempt?” Thunrian: ((http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-PbFtQ9O5E)) Keyth was about to lash back out with a slick come back when he saw all of the little Dino dopple-gangers. They began to look rabid as they peacefully began to trott around the two of them. Then they lunged. Keyth's battle-prone mind reacted quickly. And now his intelligence would show, biting his thumb as the Dino's lunged at the both of them. He used the blood on his flesh open thumb, running it down Dino's fur. And as he did, he'd be able to depict which one was which. It was incredible how swiftly his mind adapted to hostile situations. His slanted eyes bored a frown as he watched Dino transform. When Dino did, so did his clone buddies. Keyth leaped onto Dino's back as Dino began to leap from tree to tree to avoid it's dopple gangers only for them to get bitten out of the air and pulled back down to the ground. The two of them starting to get mauled by the massive sabertooth tiger like Kitsune. Keyth growled a hellish growl as he threw himself over the one to his right that had attempted to take a bite out on his arm, Breaking it's neck with a beastily roar. But...what he saw made his skin tighten and his heart sink. They were all mauling Dino at once in the large beastily form. " NO, NO! DINO!" As Keyth rushed to his little comrades aid, he'd get pulled back by one of them. His shirt, getting drug off further, and getting his shoulder bite into. Though he wasnt concerned of his safety better Yet Dino's. " ALRIGHT ALRIGHT! STOP OK! I WILL, I WILL!" If the Elderly man obliged to Keyths request, one would assume the dopplegangers would disperse. Keyth pulled himself up, walking over to Dino who had reverted back to it's smaller form. He craddled the small animal in his arms as his cold eyes turned to the elderly man with a glare of sheer dis-taste. "....." Standing to his full height, Keyth knew that someone with this kind of power. Wouldnt be wise. His eyes turned into a ocean blue as he looked at the elderly man, along with his hair. His physical capabilites getting transfered to his brain instead he looked down at Dino clenching him/her tightly to his body with a frown on his face. "...The answer...is watermelon.." Keyth said holding Dino tightly. He had struck his weakness... Messing with the ones he cared for. Was never a wise decesion. "...What's the next question..." He said with hell bent eyes.

Diversity: Michiko was thinking when the Wise Man raised a brow, speaking lowly beneath his breath. “The Lion is starting to take this game seriously.” Michiko’s head picked up quick as she spoke with the same suddenness. “What did you do?” She sounded a bit fierce, though calm. Michiko waited but he said nothing and it only hammered metaphorical nails into her flesh to know that Keyth may’ve been suffering. “The answer is…” She breathed in and spoke slowly. “The stars.” The Wise Man nodded and continued. “This is the last riddle then. Perhaps I will even cut the Lion a break as well. You will not know his riddle- but like lovers, you will have riddles of relevance to one another. Are you ready?” Michiko nodded after the Wise Man asked such a question. She took a deep breath and waited and the Wise Man began to speak, though his words seemed to echo around her, and yet he was standing right in front of her. “The beginning of eternity, the end of time and space. The beginning of every end, and the end of every place…” His riddle made her stomach drop but she closed her eyes behind her mask and began to think. Faster than any normal creature could, rushing through it like a computer calculating constantly. And she began to the rapid deciphering. |||| The now not-so-little Dinos all disappeared and the fog tossed and turned eerily as the Wise Man appeared in the distance, seeming to stand on the tops of grass blades without crushing them. As they faded away and he gave the correct answer, the Wise Man would but nod. “All right then. I shall spare you a bit of a break, seeing that you have been hiding true potential from me. To the final riddle then…” The Wise Man tilted his head up as he began to stroke his beard once more. He pulled on the smooth pale gray strands as he smiled and stared unto Keyth with those eerie but kind labyrinthine eyes. “I am the beginning of sorrow, and the end of sickness. You cannot express happiness without me, yet I am in the midst of crosses… I am always in risk, yet never in danger. You may find me in the sun, but I am never out of darkness.” The Wise Man smiled and waited to see what he would do. Could Keyth solve this one? Could Michi do it for that matter? Thunrian: " That.. all you got." ((https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pdtP0zEiXc)) Keyth said in his Calming Hadou Kussei. His eyes still dead set focused on Dino as the blue flames around his body began to chime into a powerful blaze. "...I am the beginning of sorrow, and the end of sickness. You cannot express happiness without me, yet I am in the midst of crosses… I am always in risk, yet never in danger. You may find me in the sun, but I am never out of darkness..." Keyth smiled as he looked down at Dino, tilting his head to the right. Images of his children flushed through his mind, along with all of his friends. Those he met along the way, claymore and Amy too. And then Michiko. His fingers touched the Necklace around his neck and his finger tips touched the metal tags his blue flame around his body began to envelope a animal like creature around his body. First a lion, and then a Pheonix, as the aura flushed from his body it soared all into Dino's body. Keyth using his own life energy to heal his friend. Dino's little feet began to kick and his eyes opened up, to see Keyth smiling down at him. Keyths jet black hair came back into play though his eyes still streamed with a bright blue as he turned to the elderly man. " The beginning of sorrow, and the end of sickness. You cannot express happiness without me, yet It is in the midst of crosses… It's always in risk, yet never in danger. You may find me in the sun, but I am never out of darkness..." Keyth looked at the elderly man as his frown faded and a smirk broke across his face. " It's The Letter S." ((http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfkLGSA_wFA))As he spoke the words the last bit of his calmind hadou would release from his form as flowers began to grow around his body once he put Dino down. The sunlight beaming down on his body, the right side of clothing had been bitten and torn off by the beast, meaning one shoulder was down. A Large bite mark on his shoulder that continued to bleed profusently as he put his hands behind his head before he started dancing.((http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfvxPm-alH4)) Doing break dance moves twisting his body all over the place before shifting into the robot. " YOU TRIED TO SHIT ME, BUT YOU CANT SHIT ME, AYYYYYY" Keyth had been jirating all around the elderly man....crudely.

Diversity: Michiko took a few moments and calmed herself. Her mind became soothed and empty as she would nod once, then twice. “The beginning of eternity, the end of time and space. The beginning of every end, and the end of every place.” She chuckled and nodded. “You almost got me. Something sounding so complicated, but it has such a simple answer. Keyth better have gotten his if it was this easy.” Michiko took a deep breath of relief, knowing this was the final riddle as she would squeeze the puzzle piece in her hand. “The letter E.”… ||| Two sets of clapping hands would ring out, as Michiko was suddenly standing behind Keyth with her back turned to him, and in front of her was one image of the Wise Man, and in front of Keyth was the other. They clapped in perfect harmony for a few moments until they grew off of their rhythm and began to walk around the two. Suddenly they just walked into each other and formed a single Wise Man. “Good job, both of you.” The Wise Man said as he glanced to Keyth. “Though the lewd and libidinous ritual dance of yours was… unnecessary.” That warm and ethereal laugh echoed wisely from him once more as the Wise Man then outstretched an arm and bowed to them both. “So I see you’re both an interesting pair. A wild and savage lion, still has wise instincts to survive as the king of the jungle. And the chimpanzee is the wisest of the mammals, working with both the lowest of jungle creatures, and also the highest- the King himself in this case. What a strange couple.” He laughed warmly once more. “You’ve found me then young ones. I am Zheren, the Wise Man. I feel as if you were looking for me, which is quite peculiar considering I have done my fair share to keep my name from being scripted with the other Gods.” His curiosity was obvious as the fog seemed to lift and dissipate, leaving the bamboo forest Michiko had earlier imagined. A beautiful outstretch of bright green shoots and stalks with warm brown earth and slivers of honey sunlight pouring down on them. “What is it you both seek?”… Michiko took the opportunity to speak as she would turn around and reach out to touch Keyth. Her hands touched blood though which made her withdraw as she closed a fist, feeling her puzzle piece lightly tainted by the crimson hue. A light began to form as her lips moved. “I have sought you out.” Michiko reached out then and touched her hand to Keyth’s shoulder. The healing light poured over him, winding around him in glowing threads that sank into his wounds and healed them as she then stepped closer and put her head on his shoulder. “Gods, when he told me this was a trial of riddles, I thought I’d never see you again.” Michiko chuckled sweetly as she tilted her head to kiss his shoulder several times over. “But you did good, didn’t you? You’re smarter than you let on- I’ve always known it…” She sighed with relief and turned her head, facing it towards the sound of the lesser Kami’s voice. “Zheren… I am-“ The Wise Man interrupted her. “Dr. Michiko Akasawa, aka the Seiketsu Senku-sha. And you-“ He gestured to Keyth. “-Are Keyth Tasanagi, and you /were/ the Okami, but I’m not quite gathering the same essence of Okami as the other Gods spoke of.” Michiko blinked behind her mask at the Wise Man’s… well, wisdom and knowledge. Where’d he learn that? He was almost eerily omniscient and it put her off a bit as she held onto Keyth. She missed him, even over such a short period of time. Probably because she worried over him so much due to the nature of the trials. “I need to learn a sealing ability, one that can lock away someone’s power. A specific power, and keep it that way. Could you teach me such a thing?” She paused, and listened to the silence filling the space between them. It was only melodically interrupted by the gentle chirp of birds and the cricketing of forest bugs. Finally though, Zheren replied. “I can. But it will be a vigorous undertaking. Do you believe you can learn such an ability in a short time?” Michiko nodded, sliding away from Keyth a bit as she would hold onto his hand. “I can.” She said firmly. She had a great sense of confidence and determination in her voice as she gave Keyth’s hand a light squeeze. “So be it then… But he cannot come.” Zheren turned to look at Keyth. “She will not be harmed by me, though this may put a great toll on her. She is wise though- I give her this. She may very well endure this. But it is a journey I must take her on alone.” Michiko stepped between Zheren and Keyth and turned to face Keyth as she would be ready to ensure him of only the best. “I can do this.” She whispered before he could even contest her. “I promise, and I will be okay. Okay?”  Diversity: She leaned up on her toes and went to kiss him, her lips caressing his cheek before she tangled her arms around him, allowing her staff to hover by her side. “Trust me.” She whispered against his ear softly. “This is for us. And who knows- I may be able to help Shira with this as well. It’s a great start Keyth. Things look… hopeful.” She sank back onto her heels and before she pulled away she grazed her lips against his. Not a goodbye kiss by any means, but simply conveying those three special words to him without having to say them aloud. A loving kiss. “If you want, maybe you could rest in Seikai. You could use a night to yourself, to eat and- oh!” She turned towards Zheren then and held out the puzzle piece though it was lightly stained by blood. “Are these worth anything? I would like for my beloved to have some kind of coin or payment tender so he can eat to his fill tonight.” Zheren burst out laughing at Michiko’s request as he shook his head. He reached up and began to scratch his beard, pulling out the braid. When he did, coins began to drip out of his beard and he combed his fingers through the hair as if to assure he’d gotten them all. He then pulled a small pale cloth satchel with a green kanji marking on the side from his robe pocket and poured the coins into it. Zheren tossed the bag to Keyth then began braiding his beard back and beading it. “It is enough to feast well and dine freely. Is that fair?” Michiko nodded to Zheren’s words as she then felt is life presence extend, as he held out his hand to her. Michiko turned back to Keyth and smiled. “I’ll be back soon my love. I /promise/.” She then turned after one last, saccharine kiss, and took the Wise Man’s hand. And just like that- they were gone… 

Thunrian: ((http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iv3uRiOpY4)) " But..." He was cut off when the bag of coins had been tossed his way. Catching them he looked back up once she had kissed him. " But who's gonna...." They were already gone by the time he looked up and he sighed, putting the bag of coins on his rope tied around his waist. " Sleep with me at night..." He said rubbing the back of his neck. He was acting like a kid, a feeling of attachtment was clearly seen. " Dont be so down Keyth. We can camp out in town for awhile, they owe ya for saving it that one time with the group remember. We'll stick around cl-" " Naw.." Keyth said putting both of his hands behind his head looking down at Dino out of his right eye. " Michiko's gonna be alright. And i understand that..." He said closing his eyes before turning his back heading back into town. " So are we gonna stay?" Dino said looking up at Keyth. " We eat, and then it's back out there." " To do what?" " Investigate... I cant sit around and do nothing. While she's out doing something. Dont worry about it..." Keyth said looking back at his animal friend. " Alright Keyth. I'm with you..." Keyth turned around with a smirk, walking backwards. " That's more like it! C'mon i'll race ya to town." Dino responded with transforming and dashing after Keyth. " HAHA YOUR ON!" Keyth running full speed would be in deep thought. ' I'm... gonna go better myself too michiko... for us...' He said to himself as he leaped over the obstacles dashing through the forrest with Dino, both laughing with each other.