[Moon 11, Foredeck, Afternoon] Navigation station (Open)

[Rixy]

Grunting, the woman moved back toward him and, with body language more than anything, retook her place at the wheel.

"Never saw the point of keeping beasts for war. It seems to lessen one's opponents death if it's just raw instinct of some dumb beast that does it."

[Akodo Jishaku]

Relinquishing the post to his superior officer Jishaku moves to the spot the Daidoji had previously occupied. "Agreed -sama. One of the many reasons I joined the navy." He smiles lightly and takes note of her posture.

[Rixy]

"There are still animals in the Navy. That big fucking bird, for example..." She glanced around, almost expecting the damn thing to come down as if summoned. When it didn't, Kiriyo went on more easily, "Usually they're opponents, though...unless you've got a fairly powerful priest aboard."

[Akodo Jishaku]

"Opponents, Daidoji-sama?" The biggest animals they came across in the Lion navy were catfish in the rivers and the occasional seal in a estuary. He had yet to see a whale, kraken or anything else that might be considered a problem for a ship.

[Rixy]

"Sharks, giant squid, orochi, a whale that's got it into it's head your ship looks like a good mate..." The Daidoji sighed. "It's amazing how many things in the depths are capable of making the most highly-trained samurai look like an untrained child."

[Akodo Jishaku]

He smiles and shakes his head at that last image of the whale. "I take it the general plan against such creatures is to fire the ballistas at them and/or stab them until they reconsider?" I don't recall Ikoma-dono mentioning sea monsters in his notes. Maybe it's in the appendices...

[Rixy]

"You can try to shoot them but the problem is even ballista bolts don't go well through water. Spears do, to a degree, but usually it's just 'stab whatever damned thing it's trying to use to sink your boat and pray to the Fortunes for a freak storm.' "

Glancing sidelong, she added, "Or a crazy crewmember who's all for a Glorious death. Sometimes those work a treat, too."

[Akodo Jishaku]

"Crazy crewmember, right." He shrugs. "Don't see the glory in being eaten by a sea monster myself but so it goes."

[Rixy]

"Yes, well, you're not out here in white paint now are you." She gave him a sardonic smile. "Usually, though, it's the Mantis or the Crab who do that sort of thing. Some of the Scorpion too, those Bitter Lies bastards. Strange thing is more of them survive than the other two groups combined."

[Akodo Jishaku]

He smiles at her. "Very true Daidoji-sama. I've heard stories about those Bitter Lies types but never actually met one." Jishaku turns to look at the map. "I take it these sea creatures simply attack at random? Or are there places with a higher incidence of sightings?"

[Rixy]

"Clever boy..." Kiriyo gave him an assessing sidelong look. "Obviously the Sea of Shadows is full of nasties...outside of that, it depends a good deal on the sea's depth and what sorts of prey fish are about. Orochi can be a bit of a surprise, though not quite so much since the Storm Riders established a bond with some of them."

[Akodo Jishaku]

The Lion nods as he ponders the map. "The Captain reminded me of the importance of considering the terrain of the seas when I met him a few days ago. Seems to me that if one can minimise the chances of meeting a monster it would be all to the good." He looks back. "Do the orochi mostly leave us be these days then?"

[Rixy]

One hand left the wheel to waggle in an 'it depends' gesture. "They're still tricksters. Imperial ships aren't Mantis ones, now are they..."

[Akodo Jishaku]

"Right, so stab first and ask questions later." He smiles lightly at this and gazes off to the horizon. "Have you spent much time around the Coral Islands Daidoji-sama?"

[Rixy]

"Not really." Shoulders rose, then fell. "But with the recent wars up north, my usual training routes weren't wise. Taisa's told me a bit of them, of course. What'd you want to know?"

[Akodo Jishaku]

He shrugs lightly. "Mostly I'm just curious about the lay of the land and sea, whether there are any settlements and so on. Tactical information to lessen the surprise, its a reflex I suppose."

[Rixy]

"There's a small village there." The Captain smiled. "Much like any of the Mantis' Isles from what I'm told except it's gaijin that live there. Just enough people to support the markets there and themselves, no real fortifications beyond a natural seawall to speak of."

[Akodo Jishaku]

"Gaijin eh?" He says the word to rhyme with 'honourless scum'. "Fair enough. How many islands are there all told?"

[Rixy]

Only the one is of any real size but there are a dozen or so in the chain that can support tenants." Again, the woman looked sidelong at him. "They're no match for our samurai, don't worry yourself so much over it. If you can't help it, though, you might ask the Captain once we're past the Sea to show you his maps of the place."

[Akodo Jishaku]

He laughs at the first comment. "A Lion never worries about fighting Daidoji-sama, and I have no doubt the Imperial navy is more than a match for a few gaijin. Still, a good Akodo likes to know as much as he can beforehand." Again he smiles. "I might be out at sea but the Akodo urge runs deep. I will ask the Captain about his maps once we are past the sea, thank you for the suggestion."