Waking up spread-eagled over a boulder was not something Akira had expected when he had decided to open his eyes that day. Neither was it expected that when he flicked out his tongue to taste the air that he would smell a considerable number of foreign human scents nearby.

Unfortunately for the curiosity which might have been raised due to this, the warm rock and luxurious weather proved to be too strong a gift to be wasted. Strangely he was treating the scenario with an inordinate amount of calmness, although that may have been to do with the summer sun beating down on him as he basked happily in the heat.

[i]I wonder where I am[/i] he wondered, yawning as he did so and opening one eye lazily. He appeared to be in a forest of sorts, nice and densely wooded, and he was surrounded by a strange selection of the most curious gaijin he had ever seen. 

[i]How novel[/i] he mused. Given he didn’t seem to be in any apparent danger, and he somehow doubted his rivals would suddenly decide to kidnap him to take him to some woodland for a nap, he figured there couldn’t be any immediate danger. 

The last thing he recalled was a banquet service with his loyal soldiers of the syndicate celebrating the second year of his rule of the clan, and the retiring to his quarters with a certain voluptuous lady and a bottle full of sake. Somehow he doubted that could have escalated to suddenly going on a drunken ramble with about a hundred different gaijin from across the world to stagger drunkenly into a wood and nap on a boulder.

So there had to be something more to this.

Half awake, with one eye opened he watched as the other people began to steadily awaken from their stupors, and begin to express the same confusion he himself felt over the situation at hand. Clearly nobody appeared to remember what had made them all suddenly congregate together in a patch of woodland; some didn’t even seem to speak the same language as each other, furthering unusual nature of scenario. 

Had he stumbled into some sort of multicultural bachelor party?

Somehow he doubted that.

Usually he had a couple of guards follow him when he went out and about, not that he needed them much, what with being a gigantic terrifying gorgon half the length of a bus, but for traditions sake. Thinking harder he vaguely remembered falling at some point, although his brain was not terribly clear on the subject.

His brow furrowed as he began to dissect his memories. He remembered falling through a series of floating lights, and strange otherworldly whispers coursing through his ears in a language he could not understand. 

Then suddenly there had been blackness… and then… this forest.

[i]What could it mean?[/i]

Some of the people were talking a consolatory position in waking up and explaining their current situation to those how had just awoken. Even now he saw dark haired European lady followed by a particularly Nordic looking fellow helping out some of them nearby. Personally he didn’t feel up to the hassle, he figured he’d be out of here soon enough, back at home with his men and having a fine laugh about the almost fantastic tale he would spin… or at least he hoped.

For now he figured he’d watch, wait, pick up the gossip and have a little doze on this boulder for a bit. Relaxing a little more he let part of his shifter side slip out, and felt the cascade of scales on his body flicker across in a tiny patter. He attempted to shift himself into a more comfortable position, moving his arm slightly and suddenly noticing something strange in it.

Curious he opened his eyes slightly and peered down.

His composite bow?

[i]Now how did that get there? I put in back in its place this very morning.[/i]

Now taking in his appearance more fully, he realised that he hadn’t been wearing this suit the night before either, the kidskin gloves and dark silk lined jacket had definitely been stored away when he had gone to bed, how could he be wearing them?
The questions were steadily piling, and he had no answers.

Feeling underneath his suit he found some small change and a few rings and bits and pieces, but nothing of note. He also appeared to be wearing a hooded top beneath it, which he only used when he was going out on business and needed to cover up his half-shifted appearance with something a little more innocuous.

The situation was steadily becoming more and more curious.

Casually the woman he had noticed earlier had made her way through the groaning piles of people towards him and had stopped nearby to converse with other woman who was looking a little dazed. Pausing for a moment for the right time in the lull of the conversation he sized the two up, the first – whose name was apparently ‘Lily’- came across as a friendly sort, with an interest in athleticism based on her physique. She wasn’t the most dazzling lady he had ever seen but he could tell that beneath the relative normality there was definitely something more to be seen. Strangely he kept on picking up on silver wisps around her, just at the corner of his vision, and he paused to wonder what they were.

[i]Maybe I am just hallucinating it…[/i]

The other woman seemed to be a Westerner as well, with dark brown hair and a shapely face, with bright blue unusual eyes. She came across as a little on her guard and far more cautious than Lily had been, perhaps still struggling to right herself in a world which had made such an unusual turn of events. 

Apparently her name was Liza.

They made their introductions as he watched, eyes half lidded and still sprawled over the warm boulder with some level of interest. He paused to pull himself up and yawn he took in the forest once again in a cursory searching glance. 

The wood was old, that was for sure. The foliage and trees were thick and untended, and the trees themselves towered high into the sky, casting long shadows over them as the sun continued to move through the sky on its set path. 

Wherever they were, it wasn’t Japan.

 When he saw a momentary lull in the conversation he decided to interject, rippling his scales into oblivion again before striking up the question.

“Pardon me miss Lily, miss Liza, but do you have the slightest any idea where we are? For I am absolutely certain this is not my beloved homeland of Japan.” He blinked reptilianly for a moment and continued after a slight pause, “a thousand apologies, I forgot to introduce myself, I am Akira Kagemusha, it is a pleasure to meet both you.”

With this he rose up onto his feet, heels clicking, and gave them a low bow of respect, waiting for their replies.

[i]I hope they do not mind my intrusion.[/i]

Suddenly he heard stomping behind him and turned to look a woman who appeared to have just fallen from a tree, pointing her finger like a sword she let out a torrent of questions which sounded more like demands and remained staring at Lily, arm raised.

[i]Well, this one is certainly ruder than me.[/i]