A Pledge

[Chosokabe Nanami]

"I am Chosokabe Nanami, I come on behalf of my father! I would like to speak to Amakusa Takehiro!"

~* Nanami arrived in Totomi, declaring her intentions to the guards outside of Takehiro's main camp. The petite pirate was here to see the demon that had once saved her life. It was her intentions to form an alliance of peace with the Daimyo of Totomi, showing that the Chosokabe meant no harm to them. She hoped this would spare them from the man's ambition of conquering the land. An ally of the sea could prove useful, powerful even. And the Chosokabe owed the Demon of Totomi for saving Nanami's life previously.

[Ichimura Ryunosuke]

Ryunosuke, who was sleeping inside the camp and near the gate when Nanami announced intentions to speak with the Daimyo, woke up following the clear voice of the woman. He had expected the guards to heed her intentions to speak with the Daimyo, but it was five minutes and the gate does not seem to open. He then peeked through the wall near the gate, and it seemed that the soldiers were not responding beneath their heavy helmets. It had seemed that they were sleeping while standing on duty. Shocked at the ineptitude of the guards, he opened the gate from the inside, and met Nanami by himself.

"I'm sorry for the wait, Lady Chosokabe," Ryunosuke said while bowing low. "It had seemed that even with the strict discipline that we have enforced on our soldiers, some still resorted to their bad habits. I am Ichimura Ryunosuke, the head of the Totomi militia. I will escort you towards the quarters of the Daimyo."

[Amakusa Takehiro]

"What's happening here?" Asked a bright, young child. A nine-year-old boy, bearing a striking resemblance to Takehiro, wandered out toward the gates of the main camp. He bore a smile on his face as he was attracted to the commotion, and simply watched as the head of the militia opened the way for the Chosokabe emissary. Of course, he had no idea what was going on, but he was interested nonetheless.

"Lord Ryu, she wants to see father?"

The boy stood about as tall as Ryu, with long, black hair. His eyes were bright - but a strange color for one of Japanese descent - and lively. Takehiro, it seemed, was busy, and his son was here at the gates in his stead.

[Ichimura Ryunosuke]

Ryunosuke replied to the boy, "Yes, Young Master, she is here to meet with the Daimyo. It would be about our situation with the Chosokabe, I think, for she came here on the behalf of her father Chosokabe Motochika." He then turned towards the woman, and said, "Now, may we entertain you for some time until the Daimyo is disposed to meet with you and talk about your sentiments, Lady Chosokabe?"

He then pondered on how short he really was. The son of the Daimyo beside him was only nine years old, and yet he was as tall as Ryunosuke was, who was already turning 19 this year. To just think that he was only as tall as a nine-year-old somewhat irritated him. He wondered when would he become taller.