From the north, the sword falls (Open)

[Brandt Solveig]

As the fog rolled over the waves, so did the vessel coming into port. The cautious approach gave Brandt time to take in the scenery as he traveled through the Seto Sea. 

The hulking figure couldn't help but appreciate the beauty of the area. Nature was something he enjoyed, and even on such a gray day he could see himself growing fond of it in time.

This was the first time that he had ever been to Japan, though he had met a few traders from the area over the last few years. He had often heard stories of great warriors called Samurai, but thus far he had never encountered one. The thought of it made his blood pump.

But he wasn't here simply to fight and kill for no reason. The son of Frey was to hire hire himself out, if at all possible. Communication might prove difficult, but he could easily show his worth in other ways, if it was needed. First thing was first though.. Food.

I just barely had enough grub to last the voyage.. I'm starving..

After the ship had anchored, Brandt would move from the deck and touch land once again. Those large boots thumped as they made contact, the giants stride carrying him away from the vessel and deeper into the port to find something to munch on.

While a large brown cloak covered much of his body, resting about halfway up his shins. Layered metal shin plates connected to a pair of large black boots was all that could be seen of his under attire. A sheath of a very large weapon protruded from the bottom of his cloak near his heels.

His battle torn face was hidden within the hood, but it was extremely hard to hide the weapon on his back. Even though it was under his cloak, the handle poked way out, giving the man an odd looking shape at first glance. His arms also remained tucked within the cloak as he moved toward the first stand he saw selling anything to eat.

His coin purse jingled as he stopped, which brought him to the realization that he might not even have the right currency to even pay. Brandt let out a slight sigh as he pulled a few golden coins from the bag on his waist. Motioning toward a younger looking male, the nord would offer the coins out asking for some bread, and some fish hanging that he had noticed.

Brandt would get a nod, while most of the people around him seemed to take notice of the outsider. Though it did seem like it would be hard for him to blend in with the vast majority of people here. shrugging the thought off, the man would begin to take bites of his bread loaf, as the fish hung on a string between the fingers of his other hand.

However it wasn't long before Brandt realized that he was being followed. A group of four were slowly closing in him. Glancing about he would look for a path to lead him from involving innocent people. Brandt would shift direction and cut toward an alley way, before stopping to turn and wait.

Brandt's right hand would lift to grasp that handle of his sword from beneath his cloak. A ping pf anger arose from the fact that he had just dropped the fish he paid for, and was starving more then ever.

It didn't take long before the men arrived, all of them gripping the handle of a foreign blade he was un familiar with. Brandts eyes would scan them for a couple seconds as he weighed his options. Two men tried to speak, but Brandt didn't know what they were saying. Instead he simply replied with a one worded question.

"Samurai?"

If they were, he would get to test their meddle for the first time. It would be interesting to see the outcome. Though he was certain he would be victorious. His hand would pull down on the handle of his blade, shifting the point upward so the massive sword resting vertical on his shoulders, a slight hunch in his stance.

The coin purse of hid waist jingled as he moved, and that was when one of the males un-sheathed his sword and pointed to his money pouch. Brandt huffed and cracked a snarl upon his face before his gruff voice sounded out. More then likely no one would understand him, but it would sound aggressive and intimidating at the least.

"If you can reach it alive.. By all means, take your fill!"

What little coin he had left, he would hold onto. Brandt would not allow this local rabble to treat this newcomer in such a way. The grasp on his great bastard sword tightened as the eyes beneath the hood narrowed.

The behemoth was ready.

[Chosokabe Nanami]

'First day away from sailing the seas with my father...'

~* Nanami had received permission to wander Japan on her own from her father and leader of the Chosokabe clan, Motochika. While she was considered a VIP by everyone else's standards, she cared not. She felt she required no protection, though she was certain her father would have people tailing her at all times just in case. Clad in the clothing of a western pirate, she certainly did not blend in with the rest of the Japanese.

~* Seeing a larger man disembark from a boat, her interest was instantly peaked when she saw that he wasn't Japanese. Everything about him screamed western, and Nanami's curiosity got the better of her. She noticed a rather shady looking group begin to tail the man, and soon recalled the string of robberies that had been running rampant in this area recently.

"Let me take that off your hands."

~* Tossing some coin to a merchant at a gun stall, the pirate princess had picked out the first pistol she could grab. While she normally went for the more quality ones, this situation called for more of a rush. Scimitars at her side and pistol drawn, the girl would follow not far behind the group.

~* As the man turned around to face his assailants, she would hear him speak in a language of the west. It was completely foreign to these men, and although Nanami had sailed the seven seas with her father, she had only picked up bits and pieces of other languages thus far. Regardless, as the man prepared to fight off the four attackers, Nanami would twirl her pistol in her hand before she aimed and fired it. The bullet would shoot out, striking the shoulder of one of the four men, he fell and began to scream.

"Now, now. I won't tolerate any of this in my port." The girl spoke with a cocky smile.

[Brandt Solveig]

The sound of gunpowder shocked him briefly, as those eyes of his caught sight of one of the men hit by the round. Brandt hated those infernal contraptions. Things were much simpler before the invention of such tools of warfare.

The Nord caught little fragments of the female pirate before him. He sensed she wasn't with the other four, or otherwise she was a really bad shot. Regardless, a simple shift of his head would pull the female within his field of vision as well. Guard up, the male continued to stare forward defiantly.

Brandt would wait for his dismayed adversaries to focus their attention on her while screaming obscenities and drawing their blades. And it was then that the hulking man would act. Two large steps was all it took for the man to clear the distance and as the second had touched down his attack was in play.

Arms flexed as he roared out liftjng his massive two handed sword up and over. When it came down it severed clean through one of thr males body from shoulder to crotch. The blade continued on through to collide with the ground beneath. The vibrations of the impact would be felt in the immediate area.

His hooded cloak spread wide open to reveal his armor below, and it was clear now it had been hiding the body of a warrior. Any skin that was visible was either covered by scars or nordic glyph tattoos. And his face was no different, scarred and battle forged.

Still grasping the handle of his massive bastard sword, Brandt would lift the blade to rest on Its tip, with the wide flat side acting as a shield as he took up a defensive stance after the first attack. Mainly because he wasn't sure of how the boomstick wielding female would react.

[Chosokabe Nanami]

"... Oh my..."

~* Nanami watched as the man effectively cleaved one of the other men in two. Shoulder downwards, ending with a very loud thud as his sword hit the ground. She could feel the vibrations from where she stood. She got a little sick seeing the blood and gore from that attack as the men fell into two pieces. As much as she sailed the sea and had seen death, very few deaths were quite this gruesome.

~* Her weapon had only one shot in it, but regardless, the other two men didn't seem to realize that. They were caught between the larger man and the gun toting pirate on either side of them. Nanami kept a close eye on them as she aimed her pistol towards the larger man now. She would do her best to speak in the English she had picked up, hoping it was a language he understood.

"Friend, or foe?"

[Brandt Solveig]

"Friend, or foe?"

Droplets of blood that had splattered onto Brandt's face ran slowly down to drip away. Those hues focused simply upon the female a bit away. Her flintlock pointed toward him in a manner he didn't much care for. And it was english she spoke this time. England was a place that he had stayed for a couple years, picking up the language relatively easily.

"Depends..I don't make friends with people that can't reload their own fire sticks.."

While he disliked them, he had seen enough of them to know most needed to be reloaded after one shot. Maybe he was bluffing, but it was a chance.he was willing to take. After all, he didn't plan on doing anything to her anyways. She didn't do anything to him. Not yet anyways.

The other fools seemed shocked as to what happened to their companion, but it had worn for one as he decided to strike out at the Nord. He was quick, but it didn't take much time for the giant to simply shift his stance and let his enemies katana strike the flat side of the giant hunk of metal he called a sword.

Brandt would then push forward and shift the blade from its vertical position, angled so that his sword could carve into the left side of the males ribcage. It buried itself at center mass before Brandt's oversized foot kicked the corpse loose.

[Chosokabe Nanami]

~* Nanami smirked at the man's response. This gun was a cheap toy to her anyway, compared to what she was used to wielding under her father's command. Cannons, rifles, muskets, matchlocks, nothing felt as good to her as a nice pistol though. It was most stylish, classy, allowed her to wield a sword in her other hand, or even another pistol. This cheap gun wasn't worthy, she merely bought it to intervene in the robbery of this man.

~* The last man, seeing his friend killed, started to run in Nanami's direction. He was trying to go past her, but as he passed, she merely pistol whipped him in the face, knocking him to the floor. Aiming her gun at the Western man, she cocked it, staring him right in the eyes for a moment before lowering her gun into the holster on her leg.

"You're no enemy of mine... as long as you don't try to slice me in two."

~* Her guard was up around this man, but if he tried... she'd just have to kill him. Didn't look easy though.

[Brandt Solveig]

"I wont if I dont have to.."


Without wasting much time the man would lift his weapon and run his cloak across it to wipe it clean before he would sheath the monstrous weapon once again. The cloak would raise to wipe his face as well before he grasped the hood and pulled it tight over his head again as it had been before.


"You wont make me.. right?"


His words came out deep, raspy. It was possible to tell there had been vocal damage done at one point or another. Brandt would casually kick aside the two haves of the first man, followed by the body of the second. While he wasn't going to properly dispose of the bodies, he would atleast move them from the middle of the alleyway.

[Chosokabe Nanami]

~* Letting out a sigh of relief as the bigger man sheathed his incredible weapon, Nanami relaxed a bit. Her hands were no longer ready to fly to her pistol or swords in defense. She wasn't even sure they could really stop a strike from this beast of a man.

"I have no reason to fight you, buddy."

~* Rather, the only reason she helped this man was because he wasn't Japanese. She was curious, interested. She wanted to learn more about his culture, his weapon. That said, she thought it best to not pester him about it. Instead, she figured she'd give him a warmer welcome to make up for the near robbery from the stupid guys who attempted to attack a guy who could carry a giant sword.

"How about we make up for that fish you dropped? My treat."

~* Being a pirate, her pockets were lined. Nevermind that she was the daughter of the ruler of the Shikoku region.

[Brandt Solveig]

Brandt was unsure of whether to trust this female. But she had holstered her weapon. Had she wanted, she probably already would have tried. It was just strange that she would stick her neck out for a stranger. Most people avoided the giant man like he was a leper.


She had offered a replacement of fish though and his stomach let loose a monstrous growl as he stared down at the fish he had dropped, now covered in dirt and blood. Brandt sure had a mighty appetite to quell. And after staring toward her stone faced for a short time, he would finally reply.


"I'm bound to chew a hole in your pocket.. But if you insist."


He would move cautiously toward the woman, watching her closely as he did. Just in case.

[Chosokabe Nanami]

~* The large man seemed quite keen on the idea of getting some food in his belly, and Nanami was pleased he wasn't so aggressive. She was sort of afraid he'd just leap at her and tear her apart, but it seemed he had a nicer side to him... maybe.

"Oh. You'll be able to eat your fill."

~* The pirate's pockets were lined, being the Chosokabe princess. Of course, this man didn't really need to know all of the details. She didn't know if he'd end up trying to rob her or not, and she really didn't want to end up fighting this guy off. Turning on her heel, she began to walk back towards the stalls, assuming the man would follow.

"So what's your name, stranger?"

[Brandt Solveig]

"So what's your name, stranger?"


Brandt would remain quiet for a moment as he followed behind the one who offered to fill his stomach. He doubted very much though that he could take such an offer without repaying her in some way. But he wasn't so sure if he wanted to simply hand his name out to whomever.


Completely ignoring her request for a name, the hooded giant simply kept on walking behind her as he threw out a question of his own. Those eyes of his taking in the surroundings as they moved.


"Where are you taking me?"

[Chosokabe Nanami]

~* The pirate clad girl glared at the larger man as he pretty much ignored her question, giving an almost pouty face. Okay, rude. She figured it was the least he could do for her offering to buy his meal.

"Well, Mr. Giant, if you've noticed, we're walking back to the stalls. The tavern's over thataway too, if you'd rather stop there to eat."

~* She didn't care where they went, she did want some grub in her belly too. That said, she was still a bit peeved by the fact he wouldn't give his name out.

[Brandt Solveig]

Well, Mr. Giant, if you've noticed, we're walking back to the stalls. The tavern's over thataway too, if you'd rather stop there to eat."


I have no preference..


The Nord would say as he continued following behind her. He wasn't the most talkative person in the world. And his english was still a little sloppy, thick with accent. It always took him a little time to adjust to such diverse environments. But he had grown to enjoy traveling, even if it brought solitude.


"Brandt.."


The mammoth of a man had decided to give him name. She had helped him. And it wasn't like anyone in these parts knew him as of yet. He had figured it wouldn't hurt to tell her at least.


"My name.."

[Chosokabe Nanami]

~* Nanami's ears perked at the guy's name. So he finally introduced himself, and the little lady smiled happily. "Bu...randto..." She would murmur, doing her best to say his unusual name. Her eyes narrowed a bit as she realized it sounded a bit off, but she just shrugged it off.

"Nice to meet you, Brandt! You can call me Nanami!"

~* She neglected to say her clan name, just in case the man knew the Chosokabe were in charge of the Seto area or something. She wasn't keen on being kidnapped, and she wasn't sure she was strong enough to hold off a ton of people yet, especially a guy this big.

~* Stopping by a stall, Nanami would produce a bag of coins, exchanging it for several fish. Only one would be for her, but she figured the guy could eat a ton.

"Hmm..."

~* She scouted the area, realizing the man seemed awfully quiet, and thinking he might not want to be around people. She saw a pathway leading to the beach, and figured they could just start a fire there and cook the fish up. She pointed at the beach and looked back to the larger man.

"Well, how about it?"

[Brandt Solveig]

"Well, how about it?"


Careful eyes searched the beachfront as they came upon it. Brandt had plenty of bad experiences when it came to ambushes. He knew nothing of this region, really. Thus his guard would remain up for quite some time. After scanning it over once again, the giant would hoist his sword up and shove it into the sandy earth.


"This is.. fine"


Brandt would not focus his attention upon the female at this moment though. Instead he would stride toward the water. Pulling his blood soaked cloak from his neck, he would grab a hold and squeeze. The water would run red briefly as the water released into the ocean. He had done it so nonchalantly that it seemed as if it might have been a regular thing he had become so accustomed to doing.


"Why did you decide to try and help me?"


Turning to face the girl now, the large male you then glance at the fish in her hands, before turning to start work on getting a fire going. Brandt would keep his ears open should she continue to speak, but he stood still no longer as he began to gather any dead wood of sorts he could. The trees here were by far some of the strangest he had ever seen.

(OOC: Sorry it took so long!)

[Zhuo Jina]

Jina was shocked when she saw the tower of a man approach her home via the beach. She had been keeping a watch since the two had come into view, remembering the pirate woman from a castle she had recently entered. The man, on the other hand, was more than a sight.

His body towered above the horizon, even from this distance. While he seemed more beast than man, Jina could sense his humanity. Well, sense as in, he hadn't killed the pirate...yet.

The smell of fish wafted through the air, almost smacking Jina in the nose. She had been feasting on rice for quite a while now, having just earned the full "rights" to her horse Huī (a man had almost rented-to-buy this horse to her, while she was forced to give up the entirety of her non-food pay to the man until she completed some task). 

She hadn't had meat in...well, it seemed like months. Jina had never learned to fish, but had instead raised livestock as a child with her mother. This being a port/pirate cove, there wasn't a severe abundance of hogs and chickens to be found.

Jina's stomach grumbled slightly as she patted Huī on the neck. She wasn't sure what to do from here, but she figured if there was food to be eaten, she might as well try and worm her way into some.

As she approached the beach, leaving Huī behind, she called out, the only thing she could think to say,

"Nanami?!"

[Chosokabe Nanami]

~* Nanami watched as the man squeezed the blood out of his cloak into the ocean water. She cringed a bit, the sight of blood not being something she thought she could ever get used to. It was a part of her that made her feel unbecoming of a pirate, or of being her father's daughter. The heir to the Chosokabe dynasty had to be more gutsy than this, right?

"It's not in my nature to let people try to take advantage of another, especially at that person's expense."

~* She said in response, watching him as he gathered up some wood. She wondered if he had bamboo where he came from. Finding a nice, flat rock, she would make sure there was no sand on it before laying the fish atop of it, helping to gather some wood as well. When there was a sufficient amount, she would try her hand at starting a fire.

"And also... I was curious about you. I like learning more about other places, you see."

~* She gave a small smile, prepping the fish ready to be cooked. Soon, they would be roasting over the fire that the two had started, and Nanami would stare into the fire without a word. The embers seemed to spark something from her past. When the Chosokabe had wiped out the Okiayu, the burning of her home... but she held no animosity towards them.

~* She broke out of her thoughts when she heard a familiar voice, looking up for a moment at the newcomer. Her eyes squinted a bit as she tried to remember, before widening upon recognizing them.

"... Jina? What are you doing here?"

[Brandt Solveig]

Brandt listened to the words Nanami spoke and while it might not have registered on his face, he took note of her kindness. He was still far from ready to simply tell her his life story. However he might have felt he could atleast indulge her a little bit. Though he was still not very good at conversing.

"Not much to learn.. I travel.. I kill men for a living.."

Blunt as always, Brandt would find himself staring into the fire as well, his own memories of growing up in a war clan. A flood of horrible memories, including the use of such a beautiful thing as fire. He had raised villages often in his younger years and regretted a lot of what he had done.

Another voice soon snapped the giant back jnto reality. Had this person not said Nanami's name then Brandt probably would have sprung into offensive action. However the name being called meant this person knew his new acquaintance. For now he would sit silently by the fire, munching on the fish Nanami had cooked. Even the crunches of bone could be heard, and it didn't even phase him.

[Zhuo Jina]

"Hey!" She sounded so cheery. Jina rarely came upon other women, and particularly ones with a pirate history. Jina herself had been taken hostage (and then accustomed to the life) by pirates and truly enjoyed the new kind of life they provided.

She was running slowly toward Nanami, the smell of fish flowing deep into her lungs. She was getting a little over excited and wound up tripping in the sand. She fell to her knee before she pulled herself up and continued running.

"Hey! It's so good to see you!"

[Chosokabe Nanami]

~* So the man was a killer. Not that it surprised Nanami too much, she kind of figured if he was carrying a weapon around like this. But even so, he did not seem the type to kill just to kill... perhaps he was another sell sword, only the sword he sold was pretty friggin' huge. And he seemed to eat fish bones included, which she thought was pretty metal.

"So where are you from, Brandt?"

~* She inquired with a smile. She was genuinely curious, wondering if she had possibly heard what part of the world he came from.

~* She would have a little sweatdrop seeing Jina trip, but upon her getting right back up, Nanami was relieved. The girl was certainly... energetic. Grabbing one of the fish on a stick, she would hold it out to Jina.

"Here, eat up. You look pretty famished."

[Brandt Solveig]

The large male sat upon his buttocks, mowing down fish left and right. One would think the man had starved for a month at the rate he was going. It hadn't been that long, but he had a stomach the size of a gorilla. He had remained quiet, out of the fact that he didn't really know either of these people. The giant kind of felt out of place.

However, Nanami soon spoke to him, asking where he was from. Casting a glance between the two females, he would remain silent for a few more seconds before he finally told them.

"Far north.. At the tip of the Jörð(earth).. Harsh weather.. Always cold.. Always warfare."

He would finish speaking, before he would stuff another half a fish in his mouth and munch away, staring into the fire as he did.

[Zhuo Jina]

Jina's Japanese had improved greatly since she had arrived here. She had been here for what felt like no time, but had really been almost two years. She was smart, she had known that even as a child. She picked up the language quickly but could see that the giant was struggling some with her words.

Knowing how embarrassed she had been when first learning, she felt as if she should say something. "You're foreign too? My name's Zhuo Jina. I'm from the land country west of here. China. What brought you here, Brandt?" She had already figured that was his name from what Nanami had said. Her words probably slurred some from still having food in her mouth as she talked. She was excited to be eating fish, she really needed the protein to keep her strength up.

Maybe if I ate fish like that big man over there, I could carry a sword that big, too!

After finishing off the fish, Jina licked her fingers clean and sighed happily.

[Brandt Solveig]

"Im battle-born.. I go wherever my sword takes me."

Brandt would look towards the female, the fire casting light upon his scared face. Those pale hies would study the woman for a moment before he realized how awkward that might make her. Casting a glance back toward the fish, he would reach for one more as he spoke once again, though he intended it toward both women to here.

"I have heard.. Of great conflict here in Japan.. In times of conflict, my most useful skills are.. highly sought after."

[Chosokabe Nanami]

~* Nanami listened curiously to Jina and Brandt talking, nomming on her fish quietly. Brandt being a sellsword interested her, though it wasn't that she was interested in purchasing his services exactly. She was rather worried that someone else would eventually use him against the Chosokabe, but nevertheless, the petite girl gave a small smile.

"In other words... you're a mercenary, correct? I think my father would be interested in meeting a man of your caliber. He's... let's just say he's the type of man who values strength greatly. And he pays even greater." She beamed brightly. "Same with you, Jina-san. Perhaps someday I could introduce you both to him."