Starring:
Nori, Odin (emitter)
Date: June 24-30, 2013
Summary:
Nori is tested by Piri the Owl Sage, found to be fitting, and offered to sign their summoning contract, which he does
"Sensing an Owl Summons - Owl Summoning Contract Signed!"
Land of Fire
Nori is standing on one leg on top of a tree, eyes closed, attempting to focus his chakras through the use of handseals. It is rather basic work, but it is also the start of Nori playing with stronger jutsu. The chakra flow in the boy is being analyzed by Nori's own mind. He's learning just how to make it more efficient, more useful to his jutsu, or trying to at any rate. (REPOSE)
The sound of flapping wings might draw the Yamanaka boy out of his internal meditations on his chakra system. Should his eyes open, he'd find the sight of an owl resting on the nearby branches of the same tree that the boy was within. It's head was tilted sharply, the large thing rustling it's white, brown tipped feathers. It blinked it's large yellow eyes once at the boy.
"Savior Nori?"
The young Yamanaka looks up at the sound of flapping wings and he bows his head. He keeps his balance on the one foot, but he does blush all sorts of red, "Not a savior, just a boy doing the right thing. Still, that is me. Do you need further assistance?"
"You saved us," said the owl in it's simple way. "That makes you a savior." It's luminescent eyes fix their direct gaze on the boy, an intensity inherent in their size. "The elders of our parliamentary wish to speak with you. There is transportation waiting outside of your village that can take you, though it may take some time in flight. Will you come home with us?"
Nori smiles a bit and says, "Fair enough." When the Owl asks for Nori to follow, Nori considers the request, though he barely needs to because he ends up just nodding. "Sure, I'll come. Please, after you." Assuming the owl guides Nori, the Young Yamanaka boy would make his way down the tree and run along the ground to wherever the owl leads him.
The owl lets out a hoot, and gives a flap of it's wings before saying. "Thank you, Savior Nori. Just right this way." And so the bird was off, taking flight and travelling with an easy speed borne of the use of wing and wind. The owl leads Nori through and fully out of the village, flying through the trees, weaving under and through the branches once they'd reached them. And eventually they would come to a breakage in the trees, wherein another owl was resting. Preening. This one about twice — maybe more — they size of a person. It's head turned to regard the pair.
It offered a wing.
Nori runs as quickly as he can. He's got slightly better than average genin speed, but the owl could lose him if he tried. Luckily, Nori keeps up alright. As he reaches the other owl, Nori blinks once and thinks wow to himself. Satomi-san has been teaching him to hold his thoughts to himself though, so he does. When the wing is offered, he gives it a quick shake. He then stares and waits for something else to happen. It takes the boy a moment and then he realizes…"Oh, you want me to get on? Seriously? Awesome. I've flown before, but never while riding." He doesn't go into the details. The boy gets on and holds on for dear life.
The first owl lets out a crooning noise of laughter as Nori shakes 'hands' with her much bigger cousin. She alights on the shoulder of the giant bird, watching Nori as he comes to understand what was truly offered and makes his way up. The oversized Owl gives a little pip — little for his size — and gives his feathers a single ruffle before launching off, wings taking him and his passengers into the sky. A few swift flaps and they're on their way, gaining altitude and heading northwards.
As their travel stabilized, the while feathered owl that'd retrieved Nori shifted over to be nearer to him. "I am Piri, savior Nori," she spoke, voice somewhat loud to be heard above the wind. "And this is Yukan. We are pleased that you have decided to come with us to visit our sage council." She hunkers down some, ensuring that her head isn't assaulted by the air, eyes lightly squinted as she looks to the Yamanaka.
Nori is holding on as tightly as he can. He's tiny himself, even for an 11 year old. He's barely stronger than a villager, so he's having a little trouble here keeping up. Luckily the boy has a fair share of stamina, so he might not have the best hold, but he can keep it. Once they stablize though, he feels much better about this trip. Looking to Piri, Nori nods. "Of course. I helped last time, I'd be willing to help whenever needed. I do not like seeing anyone in pain. Plus, the Eagles are being aggressive." He shrugs on that. "How long is this trip? Where is the sage council exactly?"
"That they are," replies Piri, speaking in response to the eagles and their aggression. "But I'm sure that we'll be able to convince them to leave off soon enough." The owl looks down at the world passing far below, large eyes examining the realm from a familiar view before looking back to Nori. "This journey shouldn't take too much more than an hour." Though whether that was due to the short distance or the high speeds wasn't mentioned. "And the sage council is waiting for us in a Land of Trees. They look forward to meeting the young boy who has already proven to be so selfless and strong. You know that they're bringing you for consideration of forming a contract with you, yes? What do you think you'll say?"
Nori listens and hmms, "Do you have a strategy in dealing with them? I am not that wise yet, but I do like to talk strategies." He is humble. The kid is fairly smart for his age. Nori considers the question of what it is he's going to say, "Oh, well…I guess I'd say yes. I would help you all and you all can help me. It sounds beneficial. I'd help you even without a contract though, so…" he trails off. "Perhaps it is an exclusivity contract. That I can only help you." In that case Nori nods, "I suppose that is to be expected. If I am to help you further, you would probably have to share some secrets, and then I would be expected to not be able to work with another species of ninken…much like I cannot work for another Hidden Village. If that is the case, well…you guys are letting me fly right now, which is awesome. I'm in." He smiles.
Piri lets out a little coo at the boy's final words, seeming pleased, and a hint of laughter in the sound. "Flight truly is amazing, Savior Nori, I must agree. And you need not worry if they decide to grant you a contract. It is silliness to think that we would repay your generosity with demands to limit your generosity. I am sure that if we give you a secret, it is with the full trust that you shall treat it responsibly." She blinks her giant eyes in regard of the boy. It is not every day one gets to meet the budding savior of her peoples. "As for the council… I suppose… You should just be genuine. With them, lies are unecessary and deception often seen through. It is not likely to help your cause. From what I know, they just want to get a sense of you. And when they do, they'll know whether or not you are a fit to us." She hesitates a moment before speaking again.
"I hope that they accept you."
Nori nods. "I've flown before, but not on a bird…but rather as the bird. I am a Yamanaka. I can possess and control others. As a shinobi, it is very useful to accomplish tasks, but when it comes to the animals, I ask permission…or if it is of dire necessity, I make sure to give compensation after and to ask for forgiveness. If a debt is needed, I repay the debt." He's very spiritual. He even talks to the animals and trees that can't talk back.
Nori smiles and nods, "Of course I would keep secrets, well…secret. I also do not like to lie. I can if I need to in order to fulfill a mission, but it is better to tell the truth. It gets you farther and faster than a lie." He nods twice and says, "I will be honest. Thank you for the advice. And thank you for rooting for me." He chuckles. He likes Piri.
"It is my pleasure, Savior Nori," says Piri with a few sidesteps towards the boy. "You are very likeable. Especially for being of the human race. And you have done much for our people while asking for nothing in return. I can't help but to wish you well." Her head turns around, looking to the world around them. So high in the sky in a world all of their own, the views owned by noone else. "I must ask," called Piri, head turning back. "Why ask the animals before utilizing their bodies. You do not wish them harm, I am sure, and relatively few are capable of higher thought as we are. Surely they cannot speak back. So why spare the time?"
Nori blushes all sorts of red when Piri says that he is all sorts of likeable. "Ano, thank you. I am just me." He just helped the owls do a few quick things…and he had help. He wouldn't tell her, but he actually gave his entire summer's worth of saved food stores for the winter to the villagers that were safe-housed inside Konohagakure during the True Fire Movement conflict. Which is probably why his stomach is growling lightly. "Why ask? Well, everything has a spirit, including the rocks, trees, mountains, plants, animals, ninken, villagers, and shinobi. We are all connected and all worthy of respect. Just because some animals can not think as well as we can, does not mean they do not serve just as vital as a role in their environment as we do, or that their spirits are any less bright. Plus, taking something without asking is stealing and stealing is usually wrong unless it is for the greater good."
Piri's head dips in welcome to the boy, expression showing one of hinted happiness at his thanks, though it fades as he gives his answer. She gives a contemplative hoot at Nori's answer, the drawn out sound nearly becoming a purr. Eventually the owl nods to Nori, saying only, "Well spoken," before turning her gaze back onto the world around them. Whether or not she was disinclined to speak further wasn't made clear, but she didn't lead the conversation with questions anymore, simply enjoying the sights and the sounds and sensations of flight.
Nori grows quiet too, enjoying the flight. He wouldn't speak up again unless Piri were to ask him something else. He has all sorts of questions, and all sorts of things to speak about, but Satomi has been teaching him to keep to himself more and not let his emotions rule him as much as they do.
The ruffling of Piri's feathers changed direction as the owl beneath the pair began turning, dipping towards the forest that they traveled over. It seemed they had made their destination, as Yukan's path took them in a downward spiral towards the trees. The ride was smooth, the pressure of the wind keeping the passengers on the back of the bird as they descended, the treetops swiftly growing larger and larger. Piri's eyes dipped nearly closed, lulled by the nearly weightless feeling of the constant swoop, clearly enjoying the ride.
Nori eyes the trees down below. He's not really afraid of heights…it's the fall he's afraid of…but he does peak out a little bit beyond Yukan's feathers to look down. "It's beautiful." He then realizes they're lowering, "Oh, are we there? I am ready to meet the sage council." He smiles.
"Yes," replies Piri in answer to Nori's query, not shifting very much from her comfortable position as the owl continues his descent. Eventually, they grow close enough to the treetops to show that there's a break in the lush foliage. As they approach it grows larger and larger, revealing itself to be a clearing. And there were figures within. Standing in a circle, ringing the clearing were six owls, presumably the sage council, and they wouldn't shift until Yukan's claws touched the ground and Piri shook herself out of her reverie. She took a gliding hop onto Yukan's head, looking down at the six owls as they inclined their heads in greetings.
Nori grabs ahold of Yukan more tightly as they approach the final descent and landing. The young Yamanaka lowers himself off the bird's back, not all that gracefully either. It isn't the easiest thing to ride an animal for so long. You get stiff. Once he makes his way down though, he turns and bows to each of the owls in a respectful, formal manner. He then waits to be spoken to or to be introduced, although he is hoping that they were expecting him…what with Piri and Yukan being sent to grab him and bring him there.
"Yamanaka Nori. You have been chosen."
The words came not from any of the six man sized owls surrounding the clearing who'd returned Nori's bows with dips of their own, but from Piri herself. The bird of prey looked to the boy, large eyes striking as the others murmur their acceptance. "You have been assessed and judged, and the Sage Council has found your soul to be a fitting one to bind ourselves to. We thank you for your servish to our people in the name of selflessness and charity." She raises a wing, a scroll as large as any of the sages being carried in on the back of another owl from outside of the clearing. A gave a bow of sorts, leaving it on the ground and backing to the outside of the clearing, settling to watch. "There are only two demands that we shall make in requirement of this contract."
Nori blinks as Piri speaks. He isn't sure if she is the one doing the judging, in which case this was all a set-up (smart), or if they can talk telepathically like Nori can and she is just speaking for the council members. Nori listens and watches as the scroll comes in. When the demands are brought up, he raises an eyebrow but otherwise says, "It was all my pleasure and will continue to be. What are your two demands?"
Piri nods to Nori. "As you are no doubt aware, we owls have been held as a figure of wisdom nearly since humankind could put a name to us. It is our ideal to ensure that your belief in this, and us, is never misplaced. It is a key factor in the way that we live our lives. As such, both of our requirements lend itself towards this. For the first? In life, to those who live lives worth leading, there are always moments that come by that prove to be crossroads in the journey. There are moments of great decisions and high potential consequences. In these moments, where you are not sure where to turn, we would see it that you came to us. Learned from us. As a representative of Owlkind, we shall seek to see you as wise as we ourselves attempt to be, for the sake of the both of us. Our second demand is for those moments when you are going to experience a potent moment. One where wisdom can be gained, and important lessons can be taught. We would have you summon our young, so that they too can learn and their knowledge grows.
"Are these demands acceptable?"
Nori listens and thinks on the demands. Even now he has learned to reflect on the moment before answering. "To have a council of advisors is a gift to me it seems, but if it is a gift for you too, then of course I accept the first demand. And as for the second demand, I would love to teach them all that I can." Nori bows. "These are both acceptable demands. I agree to them."
Piri nods her head, saying, "Excellent." She flaps her wings, leaving Fukan's head and dropping before the scroll, looking to Nori. "I believe that this union shall be a gift to the both of us. Come, Yamanaka Nori. Open the scroll and take the brush within to sign your name. Afterwards, hold your hand out to me and we shall see to the final steps in completing the pact."
Nori nods, "It certainly seems beneficial to the both of us." He heads over to the scroll, opens it, takes the brush with ink on it, and signs his name amongst the others that came before him. Nori has heard of how to summon before, but he's obviously never done it. He holds his hand out towards Piri and nods, "Ready to seal the deal."
Piri's head extends, sharp beak suddenly lashing out to open up a small cut along Nori's offered hand. It's tip bloodied, she looks up towards Nori, saying, "Your fingertips. You must press them into the blood and then leave your prints there, below your signature. With that act, you will have signed the contract and become beholden to us even as we have become beholden to you. Be sure that this is your desire before you leave your mark here."
Nori smears the blood across his fingertips and says, "I can't imagine doing anything other than signing this deal in blood." With that he plops his smeared handprint down on the scroll, says "Thank you," and looks up. "Now, how do I go about getting home exactly?" he smirks.
The last thing Nori would see of the clearing would be Piri's dips of the head as she said, "You have our gratitude," before he would suddenly be back within the tree of the training grounds, standing on the branch of the tree he'd been meditating on when Piri had come to him. This time, it was another owl in front of him, this one looking much like Piri did, though a tad smaller and with a small blue star on her cheek. She raised a wing to Nori, giving a cheerful. "Hey! My name is Mochi."
Nori smiles at Piri and blinks again as he is suddenly back where he started from. "What the?" he states confused. Then it hits him, "Reverse summoning," he says out-loud, "must be." He is thinking when he notes the other owl in front of him. He grins brighly and bows, "Oh, hi. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"It's way more mine to meet you, Savior Nori," replies Mochi in a pleasant way. The young owl flapped her wings, flittering up to a higher branch on the Konoha genin's right. "And yup. You got it just right. Reverse summoning. I have to say, I'm almost surprised you didn't fall off of the branch just as soon as you popped up over here." She leaves that branch, gliding over to another one on Nori's left side. "It's probably that shinobi training. I bet you guys teleport and explode stuff and use mind control and stuff all of the time."
She hops down to a lower branch, her head tilting. "Anyway. Reverse summoning. I guess you already know how that works, kinda. I'm here to teach you how to do the regular kind. The one where you bring me and my friend to you instead of the other way around. I've never been a teacher before, let alone for someone like you, Savior Nori." Excited, she flies down to the ground and looks up at Nori.
"What're you waiting for? Come down so we can get started."
