Snowforest Taiga akushū

Masa?
All welcome as always!

All the surrounding lands reeked of the beast, the potent musk thick in the air. Many seemed eager to affirm their presence in the area, and Shinjou was not one to question their legitimacy. He cared little for the land itself—his focus was on titles and, perhaps, a little too much on the finer pleasures of life. But now, having pledged his allegiance to his lord, Masa, the island warrior had no choice but to honor his oath and avoid falling back into his old ways.

Yet one question relentlessly gnawed at him: What could his lord possibly be doing in these wretched lands? What was their mission? What, in the end, had Shinjou truly committed himself to?

Head bowed, ears lost in his black fur, and brows furrowed in frustration, Shinjou muttered under his breath—a series of barely discernible growls to anyone who spoke his language—as he cursed every one of his life choices. What awaited him today? Was Masa-dono even in the vicinity? He had a gift for disappearing as quickly as frost melts beneath the warmth of the sun...