Bound in Feathers [Curse Mark Acquisition]

The scroll sat before her, lying on the ground, still pristine. She didn't usually bring the main summoning scroll with her unless she was going to another village, hence why she had it now. Hakagakure wasn't her home village, she preferred being in Dipu but it was alright here, the moon was up and everything seemed to be dry and still. She eased herself onto her knees and rolled her shoulders, her kyougan covered and her weapons were lying off to the side as she readied herself for this. She had been told by one of the small summons during her training that Muninn wanted to speak to her. She wasn't sure what it was about but she knew that it wouldn't do to keep him waiting, he was the Elder of the contract, one of the most powerful, if not the true leader and she was indebted to him for allowing her to use his strength and power... She just hoped he wouldn't tell too many tales this time.

Reaching out she took hold of the scroll and pushed it open, revealing the markings that had led to her signing of this contract. She put her hand against it and then funneled her life force and chakra down into the paper. "Summoning Jutsu." She whispered and with a puff of smoke she would bring forth the Elder of the contract. She quickly rolled the scroll up again and pushed it to the side before bowing to Muninn. "Good evening, Muninn-sama. I was told that you wished to speak with me about something? What is it that I can do to aid you?" She gave him a polite smile and sat back on her heels, waiting to see what it was he had to say to her.

Spoiler:

Muninn appeared in the puff of smoke with his back to the one who summoned him, though not out of his own choice, he just appeared like that. He hopped around before Summer said anything and faced her, his single eye twinkling with intelligence. "I wanted you? Hrm... yes, yes, I believe I did want you." He shuffled in place in complete silence just looking Summer over. Half way through the silence he lifted a wing and preened himself a little before fixing his gaze back to Summer. "... You're certainly getting strong out there. I just wanted to let you know that." He went back and preened from the other side for a moment. "How do you feel?" He turned back to her again, shaking off the wings as if he were trying to get comfortable on the spot. "How do you think you're handling your training since you first came to us?"

Her smile grew at his compliment and she gave a nod before getting to her feet. She was tall but Muninn was taller and she looked up into his eye. "I believe I am doing well, Muninn-sama. The other Crows seem to like me, even the Valravn that I am able to summon. None have voiced concerns about me or worries or things that I should change so I can only assume that I have pleased them and that they enjoy my presence. Training alongside you has also helped me in realising my true power and unlocking my potential. I wish also to extend thanks to you from my Murder as you have aided them in learning as well with your great wisdom." She bowed to him once more before rising, a slightly confused look on her face, crossing it for only a moment. "I must say though that such is an odd thing to say to me, Muninn-sama, you phrased it as though there was something more to say and I know that you would not call for me just to give me a compliment, I'm not that special." She chuckled quietly and then put her hands behind her back, watching him intently.

"I was going to say more? Hrm... I suppose I was." Muninn tilting his head and looked of into the distance with a low hum, his head dropping low as he turned back to facing Summer. "Yes, I was going to say more." He nodded as he lifted his head up tall again. But once more he fell into silence, preening under his left wing once again. "But my young dear you are special. You got to meet me after all," He broke into squawks of laugh for but a couple of seconds and suddenly stopped. "Now what was I going to continue saying? That I think you're ready to become closer. To both your murder and to we crows as a whole." His head twitched, his single eye scanning her over intently. "... though perhaps utilising Natural Energy isn't quite within your style. What to do instead? Well if you might desire it there are seals of power I might instill upon you. I believe your people know them as a... Curse... Mark? I got that right."

Natural Energy wasn't her style? She had to think about that for a few moments before realising that Muninn was likely right. From what she had heard of it and what her sensei, who was a sage, had told her, it required one to stand still for prolonged periods of time and that just wasn't in Summer's nature. In addition the Senjutsu would take away from her training of other arts and make it quite difficult to focus on it. Perhaps this was actually for the best. Apparently there was an alternative however; a Curse Mark. Her mind flashed back to the Pandorans they had hunted long ago, about how each of them had wielded a curse mark turning them inhuman, into monsters but weren't theirs different? She had heard of Animal Curse Marks and apparently they weren't quite as bad, or so she had read of them. She took a deep breath and then reached up, scratching under her covered right eye for a moment, just above where a strange arrow-like scar was sitting. "This Curse Mark doesn't have a chance to kill me, does it? If it does I would rather not, I have too much riding on my life to take that chance but if it does not... To deepen my bond with the contract I will accept it Muninn-sama and I will thank you for allowing me such power. I am scared, I will not lie, but I am steadfast and strong and I will not let you down, that I promise you."

"It won't kill you," Muninn would actually give her zero time to prepare for receiving the mark, head darting in and his beak clamping like a vice against the right side of her neck. The flick of the tongue would leave behind a peculiar sensation, as it in particular was the section of the raven that would leave the mark. Head snapping back he spent another moment to preen himself whilst the mark seemed to fizzle just a little. "Snakes have it so much easier... they just bite and that's it. It's weird I'm telling you."

Queue Zelda music:

Summer wasn't expecting what seemed like an attack and she started to react, her arm about to snap up before the beak clamped down onto her neck. A bolt of pain shot through her and her eye dilated before she dropped to her knees. Her body started to twitch and the world grew dark, she couldn't hear what he was saying, she could only hear the thumping of her heart and the pulse of blood in her veins. She gave a strangled cough and then slumped onto her back, staring at the dark sky for a few moments before she fell into unconsciousness, the mark glowing white, chain markings spreading across her body as she fell into her own mindscape... It was time to confront herself and her own power, what she wanted from this world to ensure that she was worthy of the power that Muninn wanted to give her... She hoped she was strong enough...

Muninn looked over Summer as she felt on her back, giving himself another preen before pattering himself over and nesting himself by her side. "... should've gotten her to summon someone else... keep me company... she tasted weird... do all of them taste this weird? ... who am I even talking to..." Left alone to guard over Summer he just had nobody to talk to or have company. This close, he could keep a close eye on her however, make sure she wasn't attacked.

Darkness surrounded her, on all sides it closed in around her. She couldn't feel the ground anymore but she was sure that she could before? Was she sure of anything anymore? Yes, that was for certain. She knew her name, she was Summer Osuna, the Death Touch, Jonin of the Allied Shinobi Nations, warrior of Dipugakure and one day she was going to be Kage, she was going to bring this nation forwards, no longer would they be punished and kicked around like underdogs, she was going to make them amazing and she was going to make this world respect the Nations. Those were her aspirations but who was she in all actuality? Was she just a girl, fighting and killing for herself or maybe for others? Or was she something more, something greater than that. She could barely remember now, she couldn't focus properly anymore, it was as though all was slipping away from her, turning to mist that passed through the fingers of her mind.

She had two anchors though, the strongest she could have, the people she fought for. It wasn't for herself, it never was. Two faces appeared before her and she reached out, fingers passing through them but it cemented the memories; Cherish and Omito. She sat up and snapped her eyes around, eyes plural, her depth perception was no longer wrong. Her hand leaped up and touched her right eye, she could see from it and it wasn't draining her chakra, it didn't seem like time was slowed as she watched through it. She let out a long sigh and then took note of her surroundings. Void. It was ground, that seemed to exist in this expansive void, and pushed herself to her feet. She looked around and then blinked a few times. Going through the motions, she pulled her memories back of who she was and what it was she wanted to do. Finally the recent ones returned, she remembered Muninn lunging at her, the pain shooting through her neck, the feeling of the ground slamming into her back. Summer remembered the darkness that swarmed in to take her over and she nodded to herself in this emptiness. At least those memories had returned to her.

That was when she became aware of three figures around her, all of them had their backs to her and all of them possessed long, pink hair. She instinctively knew that they were her but at different points of her life. She moved to the first one, the one that was drawing her to it, a magnetic pull that she could swear was real but she wasn't wearing anything metal, this was all in her head but that didn't make it any less real. She walked over to the first 'Summer' and she walked around in front of the girl. She was taller than this one and the girl wasn't wearing an eyepatch or her forehead protector down over one eye and she didn't possess the earring or scar that Summer did. She looked over the younger girl's arm, noticing the lack of scarring there and she gave a sad smile. "A lot of bad things will happen to you but you're strong... You'll get through..." She whispered to her younger self, her voice echoing and seemingly bringing the younger girl to life. She held up Glimmer and nodded, a grin on her face. "I will! For my friends, for my family!"

Summer ruffled her hair and then gave her a quick hug before stepping away, the girl falling still and statuesque once more. The second figure drew her forwards and Summer's feet pulled her forwards. She swallowed and then stepped around in front of this girl and it didn't take any time to recognise her this time. This was present Summer, how she was now. Seven swords were strapped to her body, her forehead protector was pulled down over her right eye, an earring studded into her right ear. Her single blue eye glared out with pure focus and determination. This wasn't a girl to hug, this was a girl to offer a hand to. She reached out and the other Summer came to life, almost like during her awakening, and took her hand, giving it a firm squeeze and a nod. She could feel the power running through this girl and it made Summer happy knowing that she could recognise her own might, she wasn't a scared little girl anymore, she was a warrior, she had killed and had been wounded in her time but she had never given up, if she gave up... She would never forgive herself. The other Summer winked at her with a tilt of her head before falling still, a smirk sitting on her lips.

It would seem she was to move onto the last variant of herself. She walked around in front of this... Woman, no longer a girl. She was taller, hair done elegantly, singular eye shining and an almost motherly smile sat upon her face. Her seven swords were hidden behind a long cloak, slotted into an intricate series of sheaths upon her back. Upon the right hand side of her neck was a marking that Summer could tell was a Curse Mark. Was she actually worthy enough to receive such an honour? Muninn seemed to believe so. She then looked up and saw the angular hat perched upon her other self's head, the mark of a Kage. This wasn't the future, no, no one was truly capable of that. However this was what she wanted for the future, this was her future! She stepped closer and a hand came up, resting on her cheek, touch tender and sweet although she could feel the coarse skin on the woman's palm, the mark of someone who wielded a sword every day. The taller, older Summer stepped away and then put her hands together before giving her a bow. Summer returned it sharply and then the woman turned still. She knew now that this was definitely what she wanted. She wanted to be beautiful, powerful... Terrifying... It was what she would become and she would never give up fighting for such a thing. She turned around and felt herself resume her true body, her depth perception vanished but was replaced by an expanded awareness from the weapon at her hip, the others singing out to her. "To the future... To a better life for all..." She whispered before leaping forwards, the world shattering around her and darkness took her over once more.

She woke up and sat up, Muninn was gone and she was lying upon her weapons. She sat up and looked around, smiling, feeling the mark resting against her neck.

Words Needed: 1000
Words Written: 1119

Curse Mark of the Tengu mastered.

Probata