Ancient Steel [PRIVATE]

'Be still, my racing heart...' The male thought, feeling his heart thump in his chest after that embarrassing experience.

Swallowing hard, Henrex nodded as Ci Lan spoke, another shy smile breaking out onto his face. It was nice to know that he was now considered a part of this family of Tai Chi and that he was now on a path to improve that. With this Dantian, as well as the book that would teach him Shinmeiryuu, he was confident that he would be able to make it up with people like Mirja and Ci Lan soon if he was able to push himself hard enough.

But, the ominous mention of Natural Oddities, and how he should wait until he wasn't in the Bronze Realm before using them caused him to take another point of caution into the entire thing, making a mental note about that as Ci Lan ruffled his hair for a final time, caused a brief look of annoyance and embarrassment to pass over his face yet again, showing clear irritation when she did that. His hands moved to his hair, quickly pushing it down and flattening it back down.

As the woman waltzed into the Bazaar, Henrex found himself watching her, his eyes blinking slowly as his vision trailed the woman until she went out of sight, breaking the trance that she briefly had him in. Shaking his head furiously to recollect himself, Henrex took a deep breath as he found his cheeks briefly turning pink once again, before fading back to the ghostly pale.

Wandering into the Bazaar himself, Henrex's gaze altered from the many market-like stalls, his eyes flashing with nostalgia as he recognized the style of many of them, before his ears tuned into the conversation around him. He heard comments about him, being rude to Ci Lan, some were talking about their ranks, their skill, boasting their achievements, but there was one that caught Henrex's ear.

The tomb that Ci Lan had mentioned had a small rumor going around that something was living inside it. If it was here, then Henrex had a suspicion that he knew exactly where it was, why it was there, and what lies within. The moment that he heard this, his body instantly zipped off in a burst of speed, disappearing deeper into the forest in the direction of the tomb. As he did, there was something that slowly began to rise above the feeling of dread in the Suicide Wood.

Malice.

And then, there it was. The entrance to the tomb...or rather, the entrance to Yomi -- the underworld. This was the place where the Shintoists believed that the barrier between Hell and Earth was most fragile. It was also where...she, was bound in spirit.

The male stood in front of the rotten timber, gazing at the void below. The flowers and grass around the hole had wilted, dead thousands of times over, and the smell of burning grass stung the nostrils of the avian, his eye twitching in response to this. As he stood there, he began to hear them. Whispers came forth, laced with the temptation and melancholy of the victims of the Suicide Forest. An invitation to death.

Unmoved, Henrex's foot cautiously moved forward.

It wasn't until then that he saw the brief flash of white from the darkness did he realize his mistake.

A woman shot out from the shadows, her bone-like hands reaching for Henrex's foot, a loud scream rippling from her throat. Lashing out immediately, Henrex swung his leg and kicked at the woman, striking her the face -- the sound of her neck cracking ringing out as a result -- and causing her to slide back into the shade. Giggling echoed throughout the Suicide Wood.

Taking a step forward, Henrex entered the tomb.