Mystic Falls, Virginia, 2011年1月6日

Her prized leather boots clack on the old-looking highway, leaving faint footprints over the thin layer of humid soil. She breathes in the winter air, the smell of rain filling her senses. Expanding her magic around her like a trained muscle and reaching for the woods beside the road, she feels her connection to her gods muted, but still there, firm as an immovable rock. She has arrived in town earlier in the morning and decided to do a bit of reconnaissance for the sake of her coming mission. The familiar tickling of another supernatural presence behind her back has her turning around, only to see a dark-haired young man staring at her, curiosity overriding the wariness on his brown eyes.

Apparently, he notes her tense stance, to which he responds with a smirk.

"Well, hello there, new face. May I get your name, pretty one?" Voice flirty and husky, confidence rolling from him in waves, Yaeko has no doubts — it is exactly how her older cousin Osamu tends to talk when trying to entice the girl next door to be his date for the night.

"And who might be asking?" Yaeko raises an eyebrow. Vampire. She senses he is a vampire right away, and an old one if her instincts are to be believed. She will never admit to being interested in anyone outside her family, but this stranger has an air around him that is just… appealing to her, it calls for her. She mentally shakes the thought; she is here for her duty, not for personal affairs.

He sizes her up, wandering eyes roaming from her face to her hips without an ounce of shame. He must have also noticed she is not human, or at least not entirely, because he introduces himself by his full name.

"Kol Mikaelson, at your service." When he makes a move to take her hand, she has half the mind to disregard it entirely but a part of her is curious despite herself. So he is the Original who used to run with witches. She thoughtfully hums under her breath as he presses a light kiss on her knuckles, caressing them for a second too long, before letting her hand fall.

"Do I get to know your name now, darling?" He questions once again, the former smirk morning into a cheeky grin.

She is feeling unusually playful and cannot help the coy undertone that flavours her response. "It sure is a pleasure to meet you, Kol. And yes, it's Yaeko. Charmed."

"No family name?" Suspicion dripping into his query. She thought about it briefly before arriving, whether she should spend the whole time incognito and trying to pass as an ordinary human with some knowledge on vampires and the likes, or make an entrance and establish herself as a fairly neutral party. Now faced with a Mikaelson, she knows the first option is no longer viable, so she goes with the other.

"Depends on what you would want it for. If you mean to find out whether I have to do anything with that remarkably sought-after cure of yours, then I must say that though I find my interest slightly picked, I intend not to involve myself in the issue." Her heartbeat remains steady-paced and calm.

After all, it is no lie, and should he attack, she can perfectly defend herself, vampire or not. Raising an open hand, she carries on.

"I swear I mean no harm to you or yours, Old One. As a sign of trust, I'll tell you that my full name is Inazuma Yaeko, but I believe here in the West you'd say Yaeko Inazuma instead."

She lets a few moments for her words to sink in, and she can tell he has been able to piece some of her background together due to the knowing look that appears behind his eyes when she mentions her Clan name. Even if he is not as well-versed in the comings and goings of the Eastern supernatural world, he sure should have heard of the sorcerer clans at least once or twice during his long lifespan. Which is exactly what she was looking for. Recognition. That way he will, if not trust, at least consider she is, indeed, as neutral as she claims. She snaps back to attention when she hears him exhale, a cue that marks his having processed what he has just been told.

"So what, pray tell, is a servant of the Demiurges doing so far from home?" He appears to have calmed down, even if only slightly. She would not bet too much on it, though. She has heard plenty of rumours after all. Like how the fearsome Klaus Mikaelson is as paranoid as they come, how the rest of the Old Ones are not much better in that regard, or how Kol Mikaelson, the very Original before her, is well-versed in magic despite being unable to practise himself. Combine deep knowledge of her craft —even if it is not her specific branch— with an unhealthy amount of weariness and you get one very unpredictable, very dangerous potential hostile.

"My Patrons need me to be here and supervise the events. I am to interfere if they wake what should not be awakened. That is all I will disclose." Yes, sincerity is the way to go.

"So you also need Silas to stay down," he asserts in turn, gaze turned contemplating.

After a few beats of an invisible clock ticked, Yaeko finally sees his posture sag the tiniest bit. Oh, he is still tense, but it is because of her no longer. It probably is due to the bunch of teenagers on the other side of the town meddling with forces totally out of their league.

"Fine," he relents. Though it is obvious he does not trust her as far as he can throw her. It doesn't matter anyway, she's already got what she was aiming for. "You are a witch, aren't you? There must be a spell to wipe out their memories on the issue. I personally don't know any, but you may."

She lets out a soft scoff of offence at that. As if she was a Wiccan. No thanks. "I am no witch, my dear, I am a sorceress. Considering your knowledge on the Demiurges, I would have guessed you knew as much." When he merely sends her a glare, she deigns to answer. "As a matter of fact, here is. But I also just mentioned how I was not supposed to interfere unless needed."

"Sorceress. Of course you are one. Seems like my extended stay at a coffin courtesy of my dear brother has messed up my brain." Grin long gone, he mutters quietly to himself with a grimace, tone scathing. "Well then, dear, tell me, how will I know when you will involve yourself?"

"When you meet the divine messenger, your destiny will once again run apace." She finds herself in a trance, one she knows all too well has everything to do with her Patrons. "Though no saints, the Layered Child and the Old One shall right the wrongs and maintain the balance, for the gods have decreed it."

With a few rapid blinks, she snaps out of it and is met with the intense stare of the vampire before her.

His eyes hide an indecipherable emotion behind them, yet scrutinising as he ponders on her premonition. He seems to be satisfied by it, and the confident smirk comes back to his face.

"You are more than you appear, aren't you, darling?" Pointed, deliberate words are delivered by a saccharin voice, yet there is a trace of childish enthusiasm intertwined. Which she outright ignores.

"If you are so curious, keep doing what you were doing before I came here. All shall be revealed in due time." Now assured that her reconnaissance has bore fruits, she turns around, intent on going back to her hotel and calling home.

She does not see how he watches with a predatory gaze, thirst for knowledge once again ignited, nor hears the next few words that escape his mouth. "Indeed, darling, indeed. We will meet again."

• • •

Once the Inazuma is out of sight, Kol goes on with his search for the compiled knowledge about Travellers he has collected over the centuries.

Kol Mikaelson has always prided himself in being as knowledgeable as they come. He rarely gets genuinely blind-sided, so imagine the shock that must have struck him to the core when, out of nowhere, an Eastern sorcerer appears, claiming to aid him in his quest to prevent Silas from rising.

Never before has he encountered an Eastern sorcerer, to tell the truth, they've probably never felt the need to meddle in his business, so what is different now? He has heard the stories, all those rumours flying around, but they are even more reclusive than the sangomas of Central Africa, and it took him almost a full decade and a half to gain their trust —or at least enough for them to show him the basics of their arts.

If Mesopotamia is the cradle of civilisation, Central and East Asia are, without a doubt, the cradle of the supernatural. So up to a point, it is clear that the Inazuma Clan does indeed have the means to prevent Hell on Earth.

He will need to brush up his skills and contact some covens, if only to make sure he does have some kind of back-up, even if he doesn't trust it completely. Humans only see what they want to see, and will always remain blind to what does not fit their vision. People tend to write him off as a simple psychopath, an unredeemable and impulsive killer, the lesser of all the Originals —if they even knew of his family and did not consider them to be mere myths, that is. Well, he is a killer all right, but they are prone to just conveniently forget just how clever and calculating he can be when properly motivated — like when there is magic involved.

Considering how he's always made a point to keep gathering knowledge, it is glaringly obvious he knows best when matters of mage craft are concerned. It is honestly pretty insulting the extent to which his siblings disregard both his knowledge and his dedication, and he would find it more insulting had he not known how little he matters when it comes to their loyalty vow, as demonstrated time and time again whenever they daggered him without a hint of hesitation.

( Good news is that, entirely on his side or not, there will ultimately be a new player on the board, and the rest of them will be so busy running around like headless chickens that they will not notice until it is too late. It will surely make for an entertaining show. )

───── •᯽• ─────

Unknown location, 2011年01月04日

The young man raises an arm to sweep off his forehead. His usually bright, fair skin is glistening due to the sweat, short night-black hair drenched as well, but the relieved exhale that escapes his lips signals that whatever has caused the tremendous effort, is all well and done.

Endless pride starts bubbling from deep within his chest, rolling off him in generous, smug waves. He has finally done it. After over four moons pretty much in the middle of nowhere, learning about the different African shaman arts —of which there are aplenty—, he has achieved to complete the 'Hafl Muqadas Lilmuealijin', which to the local healers of the area means that he is officially one of them, despite being originally an outsider.

They have made it very clear that after passing the ceremony, there would be little to nothing left for him to learn, and so he would need to look elsewhere. At first he intended to go back to his mother's hometown for a couple of days, maybe more, and then go visit for a bit his father's side too. This changes, however, when the local soothsayer tells him of important events to come, and to go look for the Eastern Oracle if he dares to learn more.

He cannot contain a little smirk at that — certainly, it is time for him to reunite with his favourite relative. After all, the rest of the family are not the priority, in that comparison. Don't want to keep the Oracle waiting, do they?

───── •᯽• ─────

Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, 2011年1月3日

The sight that greets her is one to behold, only second to when the bronze leaves of autumn take over the forests that surround the compound in a magnificent display of natural beauty. Most of the trees may have already shed all their foliage, but there are many which start to bloom in the midst of the cold season —totally unrelated to the amount of ambient magic in the air, of course.

As she gets closer to the main entrance of the compound, she catches the eye of Uncle Masaru, current Clan Head of the Hanarashi family. He is clothed in silk robes in the traditional style of their family —handmade and embroidered with the sigil's colours—, and is being accompanied by his never-absent guards. Once they stand in front of each other, a respectful bow is the only warning that hints to the startling break in formality that follows. Uncle and niece both shatter the delicate semblance of protocol that permeated the air just a few seconds earlier.

「 おじさん！お元気ですか。大丈夫であることを願っています〜。」They separate from the embrace he has pulled her in, and ruffles her hair, making her preen — Masaru has always been Yaeko's favourite uncle, after all. (TL: Uncle! How're you doing? Hope everything's all right.)

「ええ。大丈夫ですよ。心配しないで、子ちゃん。」He chuckles lightly, eyes creased and looking only slightly weary. She knows that's the best she will get out of him. (TL: Aye, I'm all right. No need to worry, Ko-chan.)

「ああ、よかった〜」(TL: Ah, just as well.)

With a soft shake of her head, they enter the compound, guards trailing after them. A comfortable silence settles between them, only interrupted every other second by the chirping of the few birds that still remain in the region despite the cold. Yaeko looks at her surroundings, noting there doesn't seem to be anyone else at home besides entourage members here and there.

"Where are Osamu and Yuki?" Question directed to her uncle.

"Yuki's in Bulgaria with Yosuke, taking care of some matters concerning one of our estates over there. Osamu is inside with Min-Qiu —she came over a couple of hours ago—, he's finishing up with some spells he needed to do for her, so he'll join us shortly," he informs her, beckoning her to follow him to the kotatsu in the main parlour.

Satisfied with his answers, they sit down, and after serving tea and a few pastries, she folds her arms over the table and raises her head to look at him in the eyes, chestnut facing caramel.

"Well, let's talk business."

───── •᯽• ─────

Mystic Falls, Virginia, 2011年1月6日

Later in the evening, Yaeko finds herself going to the Grill when she face-plants into someone's chest. Ready to give an apology for her distraction, she has to do a double take at the sight of the stranger's face. She must have a gobsmacked expression on hers, because the other just bursts out laughing.

"Is this how you greet me, ol' little cousin, after coming here for you, Eko-chan?" He mercilessly teases her, leaning over her and ruffling her hair, which she fails to prevent while she is trying to regain her usual composure.

"Kai! 你好！What are you doing here?" Engulfing him in a tight hug, she too laughs mirthfully. Surprise does not even begin to cover how simultaneously dazed and utterly delighted she is feeling. Last she heard, her cousin Kai was lost amidst the blistering sands of Egypt and under the scorching sun of the Great Desert, being taught by the local shamans about their ancient craft. That has been about two weeks before, and then he appears out of the blue in a no-name town in Virginia. (TL: Hello!)

"Well, when I heard my lovely Eko had been tasked with supervising the events of some random American town, and with no close back-up, no less, so I thought: 'Why not pay a visit?' Who knows, I may be able to help," he shrugs nonchalantly, but Yaeko can see perfectly through the indifferent façade — he has missed her, the secret softie.

"Sure…" She sings out, feigning as if she believed him, brow arched in a challenging manner. "So, you're all caught up with what's going on?" She glances at him curiously, as he wraps an arm around her shoulders and leads her onwards, making their way to the Grill.

"About the bunch of idiots trying to awaken Silas? Yeah, I heard. Really, the world's gone mad and the people in it even more," he complains with a gruff. "As if it wasn't bad enough that the creator of vampires wanted to extinguish an entire race just a few months ago. I mean, I myself am not too much of a fan of those bloodsuckers, but even I've got to admit that they're a necessary evil. Population control and whatnot." He makes a careless wave with his free hand, as if in dismissal, to which she has to stifle a chortle.

Shaking her head fondly, she observes her cousin, and takes note of his unusually tanned skin —he must have come straight from Africa. She inwardly thanks the deities for it. It is truly reassuring having him supporting her, as he has always done and will always do.

( That's Hanarashi Kai-Jun to you, or simply KJ to Yaeko. When it was declared that she would be the Eastern Oracle for the times to come —the former one had passed away just about a year prior— a guard of sorts had to be appointed. Being only three years apart, Kai was one of the main prospects to form part of it, but due to the intense wanderlust and want for knowledge he ended up growing through the years —of which there had been a hint ever since learning to perform his first spell—, different people were selected for such a purpose. This did not mean, however, that Kai wouldn't pledge his loyalty to her anyway.

As a member of the Hanarashi, he had no obligations towards Ryūnosuke-dono or Minato-sama, considering they were the Inazuma Head and Heir respectively. The only ones he would have had to defer to were the current head, Masaru-dono, and the Hanarashi Heiress, Min-Qiu. Masaru-dono rarely concerned himself with the clan matters anymore, as opposed to Min-Qiu, who had practically inherited the position already. She was not only older than Kai, but she also had inherited the Hanarashi potential in full. Furthermore, she had been born with a certain sense for bonds, soul and magical alike, which was why she let him off the Clan's vows and allowed him to swear to Eko after being a witness herself of the strong soul bond that linked the two of them. )

They spend the whole evening catching up, about all the knowledge Kai has acquired in the last few months, as well as any news Yaeko has for Kai regarding clan affairs. Afterwards, Kai escorts Yaeko to the flat where she is staying, and promptly follows her inside. This makes her shoot him a questioning look, only receiving another that seems to say 'are you going to kick me out? yeah, didn't think so' in response.

Both sit down comfortably in seiza, one in each end of the low table in the living room, and it is almost tangible how the previously weightless air turns impossibly sombre. Yaeko serves the tea, and once she is done, she looks at KJ. No smile is worn on either of their faces any longer. Instead, matching solemn expressions have replaced them. It is KJ who breaks the silence first.

"What would the Eastern Oracle have for this guard?"

In front of him there is little trace left of his cousin Yaeko. The trance-like state says it all. This is the Eastern Oracle, the current link between the sorcerer clans and the Eastern gods. And with its ominous words, a mixture of excitement and anxiousness washes over Kai.

"This one shall only disclose the entirety of the message's content once the Old One has made his decision. 'Though no saints, the Layered Child and the Old One shall right the wrongs and maintain the balance, for the gods have decreed it', is the sole verse he shall know for the nonce." Golden glowing gems replace her eyes and pierce him, and a shiver travels up from the base of his spine. "To you, Hanarashi Kai-Jun, the words are these: 'Moon after Moon the Eagle you will protect, Sun after Sun to her side you will remain. The doors to the Heavens you shall pass twice — one to enter, and one to part. A hydrangea of wisdom must be collected while in the Heavenly Planes. Only that way, shall your path carry on, only that way, you shall endure'."