Ifurei Province

Weary from his long voyage, he reached for a wooden canister tied at his waist, uncorked the lid and gulped its contents. With a steady sigh, his gaze fell upon the city ahead, its immense size enough to draw his interest.

Located East of Touran, it provided sanctuary to visitors of all origins. It lacked military supremacy. From the gossip he learned while crossing turbulent deserts and thunderous seas, it was a place known for prophetic Oracles. Ones favored with sight and knowledge of the Heavens.

He left Sairou a month ago, in search of those with immense and spiritual insight. The reasoning behind this remained hidden under a brown scarf tied around his forehead, where a mark, foreign in its character, burned. Despite the unspeakable sensation beneath the cloth, it emitted a peculiar blueish gleam.

What did it mean?

Without delay, he strode down the rocky path, the sight of the city drawing closer. Out of multitudes of structures, it fashioned the innermost with stone and wooden houses of the city's circumference. It was equidistant in every way from the center, with two enormous walls intersected where an extensive structure made up its focal point. From a distance, he saw the sanctuary.

As a cool wind wisped by blowing his parted ebony fringe, he soon entered through the open gates. Thousands populated Ifurei, and it was bustling with varying vendors.

Considering the glacial climate, it was no wonder the people wore heavy furred attire. While he was further south, snow did not frequent this area; in fact, the civilians wandered the streets in dresses and overcoats, with clay, stone and wood accessories complimenting their distinct fashion.

Among the thousands carrying on with their day-to-day tasks, shopping from vendors and eliciting in everyday conversation, he recognized a few faces in the crowds, those pulling carts filled with bundles; they were foreigners like himself, though they were not from Kutou. From their tanner complexions and rich dialects, they were likely from Sairou.

"Did you hear? A pillar of light lit the skies North about a week ago!"

"I'm aware."

"You think it means her arrival?"

"The Priestess? It's only a legend!"

"But hundreds of people claim to have seen it!"

Pausing next to a vendor selling various dried meats and woven baskets of rice and potatoes, he shifted. He observed a couple of women conversing in unsurprising gossip a few feet to his right. Even his own country relied on such religions. And hearing it spoken did not disconcert him.

"It can't be a coincidence!" She said. "With Kutou's invasion and that light, it must be true!"

"We don't know for sure!" The other said, hands positioned on her portly waist. "A priestess that can only bring ruin. It's her fault for all the deaths!"

"They massacred many clans, and the army is heading for the Capital now. There's no telling what'll happen in the coming days…"

"War. As long as our Great Oracle is here, she'll protect us."

"Against all those soldiers?"

"She's blessed by the Gods! Few have seen a fraction of her power! Look, if you're so worried, why don't we go pay our respects?"

As they departed, their legs guiding them down the path, he watched them disappear into the crowd. All the while, he stood transfixed to the temple's grandeur ahead.

Ψ

Author Note: (Please read)

Since I've been dealing with carpal tunnel for about a couple years now, I've decided to take a short break from writing long chapters and focus on writing fun (300-700) word ones. There will be frequent updates as soon as I prepare some chapters, and eventually I'll have a set schedule. Now you won't have to wait a month or more for a chapter!

Filler chapters will likely be longer (700-1000) words, that way I can focus on the main characters more, such as Kagome and her warriors/love interests, and Eri, Yuka, Ayumi and their celestial warriors. But worry not, I plan to add as much detail as I can into every chapter! :D The romance will finally begin!

Other than that, I'm getting hand surgery in two months, so I'll need a short time to recover. But have no fear! I still plan to complete all the stories on my profile page. That also goes for my second account, "Raelia'sChronicles".Paper Mario: Alliances Through Dimensions has been moved onto AO3 simply because it doesn't seem interesting on this site. Updates will continue for that also.

With that said, I hope these shorter chapters don't discourage anyone! Please enjoy the story!