Ark 15 Episode 3: A Foreboding Future

Particapates

 * Sayuri Oshino


 * Nobu Akagi

Priestess
Before the courtyard in the center of the Takageuchi Clan grounds dressed in a white ceremonial kimono that clung to her beautiful yet erotic silhouette from having been doused several times like the rest of her body with water from the sacred shrine that lay at the heart of the burial ground for the members that lived in the Kasaihana stood Sayuri Oshino, daughter of the Japanese Emperor and his Empress with her usually long and regal honey brown mane soaked, clinging to her much like the rest of her attire as the priests of the 4 of the 5 known Shinto Gods that dwelled with mankind moved about her praying heavily in clan’s native Japanese tongue in the hopes of imbuing her with each of their powers before she was to set forth through the lake once more in order to commune with Ōkuninushi-sama, kami of the Spirits. It was first time in almost 65yrs since half of the family relocated to Kasaihana that all three families from both sides of the ocean were gathered together in this place among them was Melanie Miyamoto, sister of Mai and Mina who had returned briefly to the city with the others to join in the celebration and bare witness to the Prophecies of Fate, a ceremony that was held every year since the reunion of the clan by the Rourin Akagi’s hand close to two centuries ago as means to reconnect their family to wise ones to which they all served on behalf of humanity.

Sayuri could feel the night air brush against her skin allowing the water from her purification to trickle down the nape of her neck and the bridge of her nose without so much as moving a muscle, and though the air was cold she did her best not to shiver remaining perfectly still whilst each member of her own family Priests and Priestesses of their own respective orders called upon their Kami while placing a sacred object of power at her bare feet. Above her the moon shone proud and full slowing making its way to the highest point in the heavens which below was the shrine at the lake’s heart before her. Through her slightly lowered eyes she could feel the power of all her kinsmen that were gathered from High Elder Nobu to the youngest babe who was just recently born 6 weeks prior to his journey with her cousins to these grounds whilst inside of her body she could feel the power of the other gods filling her in an over abundance of their strength and power as an aura spectrum of many colors moved over her radiant form before she slowly began to move her arms forward in a graceful manner allowing her fingers to move into several fire signs, one being fire that represents Amaterasu, deity of the sun. Earth being the second sign she performs motioning her right hand into a fist to simulate as being a stone, it representing Inari Ōkami, deity of the fields and fertility. The next being the sign of her right hand facing itself down her palm in the direction of the ground this was Water, it represented Susanoo, deity of the oceans. Motioning both her left and right index finger upwards together is the sign of sword, the symbol of Hachiman, kami of the samurai and creator of clan first weapon the Shounen Knife.

In the Presence of a God
Nobu watched the younger cousin execute these signs without fail, noting quietly along side the other members of the Clan how passionately Sayuri allows herself to be taken into the will of the other kamis and also praying that Okuninushi will also sees this and allow the girl some insight into the events that were to come so they wouldn’t suffer another tragedy such as Mai’s and be better prepared against new threats to the mortals and those onis, who couldn’t protect themselves against it. ~If it is your will my lord bestow up Sayuri your light~ the Elder prays slightly clutching his walking stick as he too was dressed in a ceremonial kimono colored a dark blue color with gettas on his old feet, beard slightly shorter than he likes as the moon caused his bald head to shine almost as much as it did.

In the mist of group Sayuri could feel a strange pull in power beginning to rise up but not from her family but the center of the lake as the moon approached its full ascent into the heavens above the shrine. It was there in the mist of her endless prayer that the Miko’s body began to move of it own will, first her hands ceasing their motions falling with ease by her side, then her left foot moving forward on its own, which was soon followed by her right as she did move Sayu slowly began to lapse into a trance her eye lids getting heavier with each move she made until at last they closed completely but by this point she could feel herself starting to wade at least ankle deep into the lake before her. From those looking on it would appear as if she were trying to walk on water and falling miserably at doing so while treading further away from the banks of the shore, the water now almost up to her waist causing her hair to dance against the ripples she made as she walked.

Out in front of her a being stood dressed in flowing robes of nobility or other with long flowing hair surrounded by what appeared to be orbs of many shapes and sizes, slowly coming into view from seemingly out of no where which wasn’t entirely true which instantly made those of family begin to whisper and murmur amongst themselves at being in the presence of the kami of Ōkuninushi himself as Sayuri moved further out into the deep the water now just below her breasts just as the two come face to face.

“What is Ōkuninushi-sama gonna do?” one person asked watching Ōkuninushi lift his right hand into the air in the direction of the girl that stood before him, his index finer out stretched as if attempting to touch the place between Sayuri’s brow in a gentle matter.

“I don’t know.” Another would reply also watching the scene unfold before them

“Is Sayuri-hime safe?” A member of her own family would ask unsure of what else was to come as the miko interacted with her God for the first time ever.

An Ill Gotten Destiny???
Sayuri felt her feet stop in front of the being that was in front of her, whose power was completely off the scales by human definitions as her eyes were permitted to finally open on their own by Ōkuninushi-sama’s touch upon her brow but when she did she found that she could see nothing at all. She had been completely robbed of her sight as to those looking on all they would see was white where once her sea green eyes stood while several brief visions moved through the cerebellum of her minds eye. In the mist of an endless river of flames (the flames are signifying the strength/power) she saw a child, a newborn Sayuri wagered from the arm band that was about its right arm. The next the endless feet of warriors marching as if off to battle stepping on something that looked to be a road but was in fact an endless row of human skulls that lay scattered every where, with eyes burning a hellish red past places that were familiar to her. It was then that she realized the place that they marched was in fact Sora Street and the city was Kasaihana! The final image was of an Oni who stand on top of a pile of human remains laughing holding a cup as if rejoicing at whatever conquest he’d just gained. Sayu couldn’t help but trembling at all she was seeing as Ōkuninushi drew back his hand from her causing her eye lids to lower once more, before turning upon the ball of her right heel and making her proceed back towards the shore in the same manner as he had called her to him before, as each spirit that was near him vanished one by one from view with himself being the last to leave as the moon moved towards the east of the lake shrine signifying that the ritual was now over.

By the shore line a group of women stood ready with towels in hand ready to help Sayuri, dry off as the rest of the family moved closer with Elder at the center of them to the bank just as the high priestess’ place her right foot upon the wet earth. Sayuri’s eye lids suddenly flew open showing to all that bore witness to her sight being taken that it was now restored according to Ōkuninushi-sama’s will, as she instantly jerks back around to see if he was still there but of course that wasn’t the case still shaking in what everyone believes is from the cold but in fact she was terrified at what she’d just been showed. Elder Nobu clears his throat which carefully draws Sayu’s attention as it does the rest of the crowd who was starting to clamor by asking her endless questions while being dried off by the woman of the family to the older male that stood before her before being asked by him and others, “Lady Sayuri, what has the Lord of Spirits shown thee?”

“In the wake of a child’s birth, an army will come to these lands…lead by a demon the likes none not even his own will be able to comprehend. Prepare yourselves my kinsmen; war is coming to us all…” Sayuri replies honestly gazing back at the water aloof shrine her sea green eyes giving off a wild gaze not knowing what ease to truly say, the voices of all in attendance suddenly taking to the air in questions as to what on earth the 19yr old means.