The Wandering Isles: Session 79
Eldrin returned from his prayers to the unsettling sight of a ship on the horizon. Even at a distance, its silhouette was unmistakably military, and it was cutting through the water at an unnatural speed. Unease settled in quickly. He sought out Hatsu first, urging him to look, then rushed to find Eos. She noted the vessel with a glance and an immediate refusal, making it clear she wanted no part in whatever was coming before turning away.
Eldrin’s concern only deepened. He spotted Weslyn and asked if his strange abilities might allow him to see what was happening aboard the ship from afar. Hatsu went to alert the others while Eldrin and Weslyn spoke, though the conversation drifted into an abstract discussion about the forest and the rules Weslyn believed governed it. Frustrated and confused, Eldrin dragged the focus back to the threat at hand, even suggesting they lure the newcomers into the forest to be “ripped to shreds.” Weslyn refused outright.
Hatsu moved quickly, warning Asuka and Ayame, and Asuka in turn alerted Dash and his family that a military vessel was approaching. Hatsu then spoke with Kaelora, Malrik, and Orla, thanking Kaelora for her aid during the fall of Saigo no Toshi. He asked Orla to fire a message toward the ship. She loosed the arrow cleanly, but before it could fall, someone leapt impossibly high and caught it midair.
Tension mounted. Eldrin, Dash, Orla, and Weslyn gathered on the beach, waiting for a response to their simple message, “who goes there?” Eldrin went to find Hatsu again, warning that they needed to prepare for an ambush or an invasion. The reply came swiftly. An arrow buried itself in the sand, narrowly missing Dash. Attached was a note that read, “you left me?”
Before anyone could respond, a silhouette appeared against the moon. An angelic figure descended, and Amaedrianna returned. She announced that she had saved 111 people. Hatsu answered grimly that they had saved 456. Together, 567 lives had been pulled from the destruction. In a moment that cut through the tension, Amaedrianna reminded Dash that he still owed her 20 gold for their bet on who would die first. Then the levity faded as she learned of Hatsu’s father’s death and was brought up to speed on the last harrowing days.
They worked together unloading people and supplies. Amaedrianna later visited Dash and Lysa’s children, quietly observing their differences. She noted the red skin of Ash and the striking golden eyes of Elysa. The night passed, and several days followed. Dash began using a walking stick, his body still bearing the cost of survival.
The group eventually gathered around a table to talk through what came next. They spoke of Slate, missing and unseen, trusting that he would reveal himself when ready. Eos raised concerns about food, and they agreed that fish and rationing would sustain the people for now. They discussed Weslyn’s looming deal, how to assign work across the growing community, how to respect the forest they now lived within, and who had survived the siege of Saigo no Toshi.
Weslyn spoke candidly about time. He could not remain here for months. Whatever he was tied to was approaching fast. They took stock of their needs. Stone was essential, but tools would be required to shape it. Turning a scattering of huts into something resembling a civilization would take planning and sacrifice.
Hatsu paired Orla with Virelya of the Broken Glade to hunt for the settlement, an uneasy partnership forged out of necessity. Then he turned inward, confronting his family with a truth long buried. His grandmother placed a letter on the table, once meant for Kokoro, now shared with all. It told of Hashirama’s patrol in the northern borderlands, of a woman named Kaede, of a brief but meaningful connection. It told of a child, a boy he never knew existed until it was too late. Of a village burned in winter. Of Kaede’s body, buried by his own hands. Of a toy he had carved, found near her. Of desperate searching until his hands bled, tracks leading into the hills, and the belief that no child could have survived. It ended with his confession that he had told no one, not even his wife, crushed by shame, grief, clan politics, and fear.
Hatsu said nothing in response. He only said that he needed to leave, and that he would support them however he could. He said his goodbyes. Ayame and Asuka prepared to go with him, and at his mother’s instruction, Boreal joined them.
Before departing, Hatsu spent days training alone in the woods. He pushed himself relentlessly, not just to sharpen his body, but to break the cycle of violence that had shaped his family for generations. He meditated on guilt, shame, and the rigid protocols of his clan, searching for a path that did not lead to more blood. One night, he found stillness. In his heart, he returned to a familiar place, a cave that was also a shrine, his shrine. There, he did not just see the bee that had guided him before. He felt like the bee. Golden, radiant, protective. Mother of light, creator of shadows, send a bee to those in need. Gold light filled him, carrying peace, hope, and righteousness.
And with that, the path forward, however uncertain, began to take shape.
