In the Open Field [Elyss, Makoto, Others]

Far to the east of the Cossacks' ancestral home, those few bands that watched the edges of the steppe were awaiting foreign guests. Were it not for the message sent to them by the Hetman herself, Oksana likely would have sounded every alarm at the arrival of such notable spiritual power in such a backwater as this. But, of course, she knew already why they were here. Riding her horse out to greet the white-haired new arrival, she raised a hand and spoke in English which was, while functional, quite obviously accented.

"Hail, outlander. I take it you are the ones that the Hetman has sent in response to our message?"

Her gaze was hard, cold as the snow which covered the land around them. It was not out of any personal reasons, of course, nor distrust. She was simply a woman who had lived her life here in the most empty wastes of what could still be called civilization.

"If you are, I hope that you are equipped for the ruins of old Aktobe. It is a cursed place, even for being so close to safe lands. I know that hollows are your domain as shinigami, but I nevertheless am compelled to warn you for the sake of hospitality. There are evils there which none but our most powerful warriors could likely dispatch."

With the woman's forewarning Makoto's crimson eyes stared back at Oksana's vibrant blue. It was just as hard but entirely for the fact that she just maintained the attitude of rigidity when she was working and maybe a bit too much outside of it as well but that was another matter. This one was this.

Receiving the information she turned to face the barren landscape and take it in, the warning as appreciated but frankly it gave her no kind of useful details besides the fact it was a sinister and harsh place. Not exactly helpful or descriptive but she wouldn't discredit it for that alone. These people did know these lands far better than she ever would and her experience with the human world was limited.

"Thank you."

She turned her senses towards the landscape, looking for any kind of details that might help her in locating the position of the target in the stillness that settled in while she waited for her companion to catch up to her.

"Of course, ma'am. Any hunting Dufresne are honored among us."

Rifling through her saddlebag for only the briefest of moments, Oksana pulled a folded and faded map from within, and held it out to Makoto from atop her steed. Were it not for the gravity of the situation, she surely would never have even thought to hand over an heirloom like this to an outlander. But this, of course, was an exceptional circumstance. An exceptional outlander.

"This map carries all of our record of the curses that lie within Aktobe. When the war came centuries ago, it was a city which saw only desolation. If one is not careful, a single step can very well rip the soul from your body. One must always move cautiously, watch the wildlife and the very movement of nature itself. I do not know how you shinigami see the movement of spirits and energy, but I must warn you that those few among us who can see the flow of energy itself know only agony when they look upon old Aktobe."

Oksana hardly knew much at all about these Shinigami, much less what information might or might not be useful. But, at the very least, she could share what she knew.

There she was. On point the irritating comment from Elyss made Makoto turn her head and change her focus of attention from those cerulean eyes like ice to the matching crimson of Elyss's own.

"You finally caught up."

Taking another look at the map and details enclosed and had to accept the fact that she did not understand a single lick of it besides diagrams and even they left her pondering based on the associated text in a language she did not have the privilege of being educated in.

"If you know the local language Elyss, you are welcome to have us depart right now but I am still trying to interpret it."

Sure she might've been able to just get a cybernetic implant to deal with language deciphering but Makoto was not the kind to take shortcuts, if she wanted to read this map then she'd spend time actually learning the language herself though that was not something that could be done quickly. A piece of equipment for future might be beneficial for future situations like this.

"What does this mean?"

She finally caved and asked their guide for some enlightenment into the matter.

The arrival of a second woman did little to faze Oksana, seeing as she was entirely unfamiliar with the culture of these outlanders. So far as she knew, that was simply the way these shinigami spoke with one another and with others, and so Oksana merely gave Elyss a nod of greeting before she returned her attentions to Makoto.

"I can give you a guide for these translations, but the most important things you ought to look for are these..." Oksana pointed toward a few drawings of spirals which dotted the map, before moving her finger to circle a large series of what appeared to be waves drawn over a swathe of the city, "As well as this. The circles are the...ah, I think the word would be Whirlpool in your language. Areas of spiritual energy which twists anything inside it until nothing is left. The waves mark what we call the Breeze, which will occasionally push through those areas and simply sweep everything in the area away with the force of the sea itself."

Oksana herself had only traveled through Aktobe a handful of times, as there was little reason to ever go through such a cursed land. Besides, she was one of those few among them who could see the flow of spiritual energy, view the world even without her eyes. To go near Aktobe was something only done in the most dire of circumstances, but thankfully Oksana did not need to rely on her own experiences as she began writing out annotated translations on the map in what was, frankly, remarkably neat English.

"Give me a moment to give you a guide."

Makoto tried to pretend that Elyss wasn't here if she was going to goof off rather than try and constructively contribute to the discussion with their guide. Unfortunately she couldn't stiffle the small scowl at the smug words about her glare and she had to suppress her misanthropic bitterness. It was just a coping mechanism to remind herself that this assignment was almost over - hopefully - and she could try and create a better environment where she didn't feel so frustrated all the time.

"I see, thank you for this help. I appreciate your ability to shed some light on this and help us in the pursuit of Dufresne."

"The area is known to be something of a proving ground for our youngest warriors. Many of them do consider it a thrill to travel through Aktobe, though the same cannot be said for myself. There are others, as well, and I have done my best to provide notes where necessary, but the best advice I can give is to simply avoid the areas which carry any marks at all."

Oksana was not so foolish as to miss the tension between the two before her, though it did strike her as rather odd that such hostility would be present between two working together in a capacity like this. Then again, the redheaded one had mentioned falling in love... Perhaps it was merely some lovers' quarrel. Well, that was hardly her business.

"Of course. He likely has not left the city, or our other scouts would have reported it by now. I do not know where he might be, but the odds are quite high that you will find him there. If you find him, and you do avenge our people, please return here. I wish to offer the first thanks when you do."