A Shrine Time Forgot.

[Das Kirb]

Trees, vines, and dense brush choked the lands surrounding the rivers. Thorns threatened to puncture the flesh of any unwary when traveling through them. Swarming insects constantly buzzed around the head of any creature who didn't fully cover every inch of possible skin. Combine these conditions with the sweltering heat in the humidity and it'd be a wonder anyone would come to this part of the burgeoning nation. However, one had come with the specific purpose of restoring what was forgotten.

Arsa sat with her ritual tools laid purposefully around her. She had painted herself with various colors, creating intricate patterns across her arms, legs, and face. Where paint didn't go was either covered with furs, or mud slathered to protect from bugs. Before her sat a small bowl filled with spices, pleasant to the nose, doubly so when left to smolder as they were. The smoke also acted to keep many of the biting and stinging insects away, a welcome side effect. In a pile beside this were several small pieces of metal and wood, intricately carved and patterned with symbols that resembled her own. The same etchings could be seen on a small worn stone, once beautiful in its hand worked craftsmanship, now left to crack and chip by neglect.

The stone rest upon a floor of smooth dark rocks that'd been sanded and hewn to create a purposeful floor. Moss nearly covered it making the edges difficult to define now. What was visible had been left to decay and chip, many stones having been washed away by the river's flooding. Where once pillars for offering and ceremony had stood now only crumbling piles remained. A site of worship once rested here, now the spirit who called it home had been forgotten. It was this spirit Arsa called out too, projecting her voice and passion to the winds in an effort to commune. However, her efforts seemed futile.

In her patience Arsa had begun to clear the moss and pain an intricate network of seals, attempting to create a place of sanctuary for the residents of this shrine. In her frustration she had begun to grow impatient and doubtful the resident even knew this old home existed. While her ritual was designed to bring the forgotten one's back, it had a secondary purpose. It linked with every other shrine she had thus visited through subtle ways to create a greater network. So even in her doubt Arsa continued to perform the ceremony, calling out in vain hope, but none the less sacrificing of herself to complete it.

[Kabu]

How long had it been since she had left home? Days? Weeks? Maybe even months unlikely as it was? Hikari wasn't really sure but she knew one thing, that she was completely lost, no idea where she was. Why had she abandoned the carriage once they had crossed over into a new country? The driver had been kind enough to escort her to town but no, being the curious teenager she was she had wanted to learn about her new surroundings and so had chosen to walk instead.

And now here she was... lost, sweaty, and just a bit bothered at the buzzing of insects and the constant threat of thorny plants. If she had to guess, all of the above meant she had found herself in some region of the land of rivers, not that that knowledge was of any help until she actually found some form of civilization.

"I was always told my curiosity would get me in trouble one day. Never thought it would be like this." she sighed, mentally berating herself for her foolishness. All said however, she did have to count herself lucky that she wasn't starving as well or else she would be in real trouble.

As that thought crossed her mind the pleasant scent of spices wafted over towards her, the girl tilting her head in confusion. It wasn't unnatural for such scents to occur in such a lush region but this wasn't the scent of the forest, this was much more controlled.

Feeling her curiosity peak, she decided to follow the scent, hoping it would lead to some solution to her current predicament. Whether it would lead her directly to civilization was unknown, doubtful actually, but there was definitely another person somewhere nearby that could hopefully help her out.

And it wouldn't take long before she came across the source, the girl peeking out from behind a tree only to be greeted by a mysterious sight, a lone painted woman surrounded by various bits and bobs... sitting within an area that even Hikari could vaguely recognize as a desecrated shrine. It was enough for her to realize that perhaps she had intruded on an event that she wasn't meant to witness, and yet she couldn't look away, curiosity and intrigue keeping her glued to her spot. What had she stumbled upon? What kind of place was this for a shrine to be in the middle of nowhere like this? What was this woman's connection to the place and why was she here? And most curiously of all, who or what was she calling out to?

There were so many questions she had but she didn't dare to interrupt. Instead she was going to just wait and watch, all the while mentally preparing herself to run should the need arise.

[Das Kirb]

Once more the frustrating lack of response had gotten to Arsa. There was no host to this place, no spirit lingering to claim it should one come to seek guidance or offer tribute. Time had forgotten this shrine, and so had it's host. Accepting the grim realization came with the cost of her spirits, depression crawling into her heart. Arsa sat and listened now, thinking herself alone in a forsaken place. A tear streaked down the pain and mud covered face before she began to suppress it. There was still more to do.

Arsa began to rise and left the tools. Not noticing her guest she reached for a nearby clump of moss on the rocks and began to pull at it. With a blade produced from her waist she cut at its roots. She did this to another, then another. With each instance fistfuls of plants were removed from the worked stone until she began to reach the edge of the shrine. Her knife was dug into the earth along it's lines and she began to trace the circle of stone, throwing fistfuls to the side as she went. When she came to half way around the circle her gaze caught something from the corners of the eye. Suddenly filled with a sense of joy she continued her work yet called out now.

"It is good to see another in this wondrous place. Do you seek to speak with an ancestor? Or perhaps you are the one I have called? Come, speak and be marry. My labor is not so difficult as to prevent me playing host to a curious one. I do ask you be real though and not an illusion of the heat. That would tear my heart so."

[Kabu]

Perhaps Hikari should have expected to eventually be noticed but it nonetheless caused her to jump as the woman called out to her, quite happily it seemed. For a moment she hesitated but for not the first time that day, intrigue and curiosity won out and she emerged from her hiding place, carefully looking around as she approached. Now she knew for sure her observations had been correct, that this area had played home to a shrine of some sort, or at least it had once upon a time. It made her all the more curious as to what was going on.

"My name's Akaiyah, Hikari. I... was lost in the forest and managed to find my way here by following the most delightful scent." she spoke, feeling it best to properly introduce herself and her situation before getting too inquisitive. "So what is this place and what exactly are you working so hard on? And is there anything I could possibly help with?'

[Das Kirb]

"Oh good, you are real enough. You are also no spirit or you would probably know. At least not any spirit I have called. This is a shrine, sacred to many of the people's here, yes. I wish to make it beautiful and allow the world's to touch. Many people would love to see their family again. Many more would bring offerings and worship back to this place. It has been forgotten and I want to fix that. What is forgotten can be remembered and if remembered perhaps those that once called this home can again. As for help, you need help first, yes? Here, eat and drink. Be company and my work will go much quicker."

Arsa removed a couple pieces of fruit from her pack and made to hand them off with a sloshing waterskin.

[Kabu]

As Arsa spoke, Hikari couldn't help but appreciate the way the woman spoke of the shrine, as if it was a special place to her and many others, human and spirit alike. She wondered if her mom or dad had laid witness to a thing like this on their travels and if so, if they had felt the same or similarly. It was yet another entry on a very long list of questions she had for her mother if she were ever to find her, wherever the woman was. It was more than a little worrisome that despite her best efforts she hadn't yet found a single clue.

Luckily before she could dwell too much longer on her mother's possible whereabouts her tummy rumbled, bringing her attention to the fruit and water being offered. "Ah, thank you very much. It all looks so good." she accepted it all with a smile, taking a bite out of one of the fruit pieces, eyes practically lighting up as she did. "Oh, that's so good, juicy and perfectly sweet." she spoke after swallowing.

"So uh, what kind of shrine was this? It's sad to see it having fallen into such disarray."

[Das Kirb]

"I don't yet know. A place for family to remember their honored dead. A place to place host to ceremony for worship of a god. It doesn't matter much as all are equally deserving of service. To be forgotten is not the worst fate one can endure but it is a long and slow agony. If I achieve anything it will be to allow those beyond to seek us, provide us guidance, or simply reconnect with a life they once knew or may have never known."

[Kabu]

"To connect with a life they may have never known, huh? That sounds a lot like me, the reason I'm even all the way out here." Suddenly Hikari felt a sense of sympathy for the spirits as she thought back to the day she had first learned of her mother's disappearance. There was nothing quite so painful as to feel a disconnect with your life, to know that there's more to it, and yet be able to do nothing about it. She often wondered if her mother felt that same pain, if she had felt anything at all when she had left.

Feeling a familiar sensation bubble in her gut she quickly shook her head to chase the thoughts away, finishing off the fruits and water as well, unable to help a relieved, satisfied sigh. "Ahh, that was delicious. I didn't think I was really hungry but I guess wandering lost in the forest can do that to a girl." she chuckled, head tilted as she looked towards the shrine in front of her.

"And after hearing all of that, now I really want to do as I can to help out."

[Das Kirb]

Arsa ripped more roots from the grout and tossed them aside, wiping her brow as the humidity and heat had almost blinded her with sweat. She looked over towards the mean and smiled to see it devoured.

"If you wish to help then we clean. My labor is made better for the company but many hands make short work. With a full belly you should be of energy to work till the job is done. However, I would enjoy hearing your story. What makes you venture where you have never known?"