Corpses strewn about, in various states of decomposition. Mutilated. Burned. Torn apart.
Buildings decimated, be it with brute force or unknown weapons designed to obliterate everything in their path.
In what little remained of Acarthy Village, no signs of life remained. What had once been a large-scale settlement bustling with individuals going about their lives was now nothing more than a totaled wasteland, one that only served as food to vultures and passing beasts. Trampled crops, slaughtered livestock, torched valuables, collapsed infrastructure. A path of destruction had been carved into the village's very foundation, leaving nothing untouched.
Paired together with a torrential downpour and intense winds, it was an abysmal sight, one that left little to the imagination.
Nothing was said as the team of armor-clad individuals maneuvered their horses along the muddy village streets. The only sounds that one could hear were those of the pounding rain and the splashing of equestrian hooves through murky puddles. Even if someone had something important to say, it would've been drowned out by the incessant whistling of the unrelenting winds.
It was hard to say how many years it had been since Yana Takashi had seen this level of devastation.
How many decades it had been since she witnessed a bloody massacre on such a grand scale.
Brutal assassinations. Absurd betrayals in pursuit of power. Familial bonds ripped to shreds over greed. Disease. Famine. Natural disasters. Wars.
Over seventy years on the field of battle, Yana had borne testament to some of the worst events life had to offer. From the cruelty of humanity to the impartial acts of mother nature. Memories that were enough to make the most hardened of warriors queasy and restless.
With that being said, Yana was at a loss for words.
Women and children riddled with arrows, most of which were stuck in their backs as they tried to flee. Men slumped on the ground, their heads separated from their bodies and mounted on spears, pikes, axes, and poles. Horses slaughtered indiscriminately, their blood-soaked saddles still fastened to their backs. Some with their owners still on them or flattened beneath the horses themselves.
The further into the village that the riders went, the more they saw.
"This is disgusting." One of the men in the front, a samurai sporting black and red armor, lowered his head. "I didn't think raids got this bad."
"They don't," Yana said simply.
The group slowly decreased their speed, a careful trot morphing into a timid walk. Without a word, the older samurai immediately moved forward and turned her horse around slightly in order to face the rest of the warriors behind her. Her only signs of growing discomfort were the slight tightening of her hands on her reins as she addressed her underlings.
"I'm going to scout ahead." Yana spoke over the strong winds, ignoring the rain that continued to slam against them. "Hanzo and Tadakatsu. You and your squads will survey the village for any survivors. Apply first aid as necessary or acquire any information possible."
"Are we certain there ARE survivors, Takashi Sensei?" Hanzo didn't look too positive about his role, though it wasn't something that could be blamed.
He was merely asking a question that was already on everyone's mind.
"We can only hope." Yana lowered her head for a moment before raising it once again.
"Do what you can. Let's operate on the basis that some villagers were able to escape."
"Yes, Lady Takashi." Tadakatsu gave a simple nod and moved forward.
"You heard her." Hanzo turned towards those individuals behind, who were on foot, and gave them a wave. "Fan out. I want a clean sweep for survivors. Section by section of the village and the immediate woods. Leave no stone unturned!"
There was a chorus of eager shouts from those on foot. A section of the soldiers peeled off from the rest of the group and began to follow after Tadakatsu's horse, around roughly 50 individuals sporting two distinct banners.
A black rose with a white background and a white deer with a red background.
As opposed to those on horseback who wore a mix of metal, cloth, and thick leather, the ones on foot donned much more simplistic attire. Brown and black leather guards on the arms, chest, legs, and back. Standard cloth rested underneath the armor, ranging from a complete black to a bleached white. The symbols situated on the raised banners were sewn onto the back part of the outfit, directly onto the leather.
As the two groups moved forward, they quickly dispersed into even smaller squads before disappearing into the thick sheets of descending liquid.
Hanzo gave the others one last look before following after his men.
"Chikara. Matsu." Yana wasted no time once the other two had left. "I want to know who did this. Any means necessary. Weapons used. Their approximate numbers. Strategies. Time of attack. I know you have a few Marked in your group who specialize in this. Use them."
"Understood." The one known as Chikara nodded her head. "Consider it done, my Lady."
Matsu also gave a nod of approval. "It'll be as you say. We'll return with what we can."
"Please do," - Yana
Chikara raised her hand and signaled towards those on foot. "Follow us and stay close. We're starting from the other end of the village. Keep your eyes sharp and senses on alert. The situation is as dangerous as it gets."
Just like before, there was a round of confirmation from the warriors before the whole group moved forward. Unlike the other group, though, these two squads moved much more quickly and much more effectively. The two Samurai and their entourage were gone before Yana had the chance to utter another word to them.
"As for the rest of you." The older woman glanced back towards her own underlings, the ones toting the banner of Clan Takashi. "You'll be following me."
The rain had tapered off considerably by the time Yana and her subordinates reached the inner depths of the now-defunct village center. With the storm lightened, the thick smell of death enveloped the area in its stuffy embrace.
A stench that Yana was far more familiar with than she would've liked.
As the elder Samurai and her entourage of foot soldiers carefully made their way down the lane of what used to be Acarthy's heart and soul, she thought back to how things used to be. Rows of overpriced inns, shops that offered various goods and baubles, vendors that sold food specific to that region, wandering nomads playing songs for the children on the streets. The sounds of lighthearted chatter, the smell of sizzling fish, the sight of younglings fighting amongst themselves.
30 years.
That's how long Yana had been acquainted with Acarthy Village.
For a little over three decades, the elder Samurai had frequented the once-thriving village numerous times throughout each year. Though initially required to survey its lands per her Clan's instructions, she gradually grew fond of Acarthy and its inhabitants. There were individuals she knew by name, buildings she had stayed in, places she was fond of. It was almost like a home away from home, a small break from the stifling duties and responsibilities against her own wishes.
She didn't have it in her to say anything. Not a single word as she walked through the shopping district. All she could do was bite her lip and pray to the gods that the bodies were too burned and mangled to properly identify.
Aargh! Aargh!
The call of nearby crows immediately snapped her back to the present, saving her from a dark trip down memory lane. Glancing up from the sea of bodies and collapsed infrastructure, Yana turned her green hues upwards.
Black Crows were everywhere.
In the branches of burned trees. Resting on mangled rooftops. Flying through the open skies. It was almost a wonder how Yana hadn't noticed them before, considering the sheer numbers.
But it didn't take too long to figure out why.
The crows themselves weren't anything weird or unusual. For the last five to seven years, crows and ravens had taken up the entire Prefecture as their home and nesting area. It was to the point where they had essentially become part of the village itself, interacting with the villagers, eliminating pesky insects, driving off bandits, and bringing good fortune. Yana herself had actually grown used to them, even when she wasn't in Acarthy.
So it wasn't the amount of birds that made her feel off. It was the fact that none of them were making a sound. The same birds that loved to talk and even mimic the sounds of others now refused to utter a single word.
The feeling of unease continued to grow as Yana led her men through the piles of bodies spread throughout the area. As they trekked forward, the crows seemed to grow in number, from a cluster every so often to whole murders that made trees turn black from the plumage. They never made a sound, but it was clear that the birds were watching their every step, as if waiting to see what they would do.
"Lady Takashi." One of the soldiers walked up as the Samurai gradually pulled her horse to a stop. "Up there, by the Oak."
Yana glanced towards the soldier, saw he was pointing, then immediately followed the direction of his finger. There, far off near the other end of the shopping district, was a large tree, far taller and thicker than any of the ones surrounding it. Its leaves, gorgeous reddish-brown foliage, had been plucked and burned away, leaving a charred husk that barely clung to life. In the place of leaves, crows and ravens filled every branch, perched on every rooftop.
Beneath this tree, right near its very base, was a lone individual with hair as black as midnight.
A survivor.
Without waiting for her team, Yana immediately flicked the reins of her horse and sped over, maneuvering through the open field as best she could. The rain had all but stopped at this point, but the wind was still relentless, pushing against the two as they rapidly closed the distance.
Then, the crows suddenly flipped their switch.
Aargh! Aargh! Aargh!
One by one, they broke out into noise. A flurry of activity as the mayhem spread quickly from bird to bird, until the whole area was filled with chirps and caws. They steadily grew louder and louder the closer Yana got towards the survivor, almost as if they were alerting him to the Samurai's presence.
Or warning her away.
By this time, her own horse was more than spooked, but Yana pushed forward anyway.
The large oak was situated near the very edge of the shopping district, placed in a wide open section free from buildings and stalls, almost like its own separate area. Placed on a sort of shallow incline, it was almost comparable to a small hill. Flowers of all kinds had once been planted in the same space but, like most things, had been destroyed by whoever had destroyed Acarthy.
As she got closer, Yana took everything in.
The youthfulness of the survivor, noticeable even with his back turned to her. The fresh mounds of dirt placed near the base of the tree, three of them situated close together with stones hammered in the front. The large Obsidian Crows that were near the survivor, mutated animals that normally hated being around other animals, even their own kind.
Slowing her steed to a halt, Yana grasped her reins tightly, green eyes fixed to the rather short individual before her. The same individual who hadn't even glanced in her direction.
"I am Yana Takashi of the Takashi Clan, daughter of Hibanobu Takashi. Who are you? What happened here?"
No response.
Yana frowned and grew a tad more uneasy. However, she didn't show it as she drew her blade from its sheath.
The crows went crazy, with some even flapping their wings as if they were prepared to swoop on her. The Obsidian Crows didn't react, but they never took their eyes off her. Somehow, though, that was far more intimidating than anything else Yana had come across. She still brandished her weapon, but she kept the crows in mind as she moved her katana in front of her.
It was only then that the survivor turned his head, but only slightly. Enough for Yana to see one of his eyes.
Neon purple.
A bright color that held no fear. No anger. No resentment. Just a cold nothingness that Yana had seen before, witnessed from those who had lost everything dear to them.
The crows immediately fell silent as the youth finally opened his mouth.
"You want to know what happened here?" The survivor leaned his head back slightly. "I'll tell you."