<b><span style="font-size: 15px">Round Primary</span></b><br/><br/><br/>Eleyna was quite displeased with the incline upon which the village was built that necessitated the use of terraced growing fields. Her body was quite content to deter any such effort to raise her foot any further than strictly necessary - and it was a fair walk up the slope.<br/><br/><span style="color: blue">Ugh, I don't even care anymore...</span>Eleyna bemoaned in response to Naomi.<span style="color: blue">So long as its hot and I don't have to move in it.</span><br/><br/>Aa they walked, passing the last of the freshly planted rice fields, the path between turned into only a thin line of matted grass and dirt scuffs to lead them on. It was Curious to Eleyna that there were no trees in the great open clearing, nor signs of stumps or felled wood. Even as distant as any such thoughts were at the that moment, it struck her as ever so peculiar. The forest from which they had came the followed the mountain's western slope seemed to just end. Then far on the other side, another forest edge. But even under cursory observation, the eastern forest edge seemed different, strange in some way that Eleyna's mind was not readily able to grasp in its state.<br/><br/>At the eastern forest edge she saw what Old Brollem had told them about. All manner of work was being done, though no clear sense of what exactly it was being built could be discerned from its chaotic state save that something was being erected nearest the edge of the eastern forest.<br/><br/>The path to the onsen followed into a lightly wooded area at the foot of the mountain slope. There was no dense undergrowth to impede them, though. This place had been tended, cared for. To either side of the path, laid now with smooth stones edged in moss grow long shoots of bamboo that gently filtered down the sunlight. A small wood and stone shrine stood at the edge of the path as they passed, burnt down sticks of incense lay against the edge of a copper bowl and carved upon the wooden back were saying of philosophy. It all seemed like something from a museum to Eleyna. Like some old tourist spot remade to be like it had been in the days long ago. She had seen such places, but they were always so clean, so kept and maintained that they didn't seem at all a part of the world around them - which of course the owners insisted they were.<br/><br/>The Onsen came into view; it was a humble thing, so far removed from the great gleam and polish of those back home. This wasn't here to astound the eye with its modern design, or harken to old world sensibility with new world flare. No, this was a thing of purpose, not for the vain or pretentious but for the weary seeking rest. Eleyna climbed the stone steps, stepping beneath the roof and finding two doors. One for men, one for women.<br/><br/>It took no time at all to find a place within to set her things in the bathing room. The floor was smooth stone and mortar, the walls planked wood. the bath house looked out into the spring, separated down the middle with a great wooden wall. As Naomi had hoped, it looked to be fed by a natural spring, as seemed likely given its location.<br/><br/>Eleyna stripped down, embarrassed by the ease of which she was able to, reminded poignantly that she had suffered a lack of undergarments. She set her bag aside squatting over it and rifling through to make sure everything was still accounted for. A glimmer caught her eye, a reflection of enameled pink. Eleyna tense,ed tightening her grip on the bag and glancing up to make sure no one else had noticed. Sure that she was unobserved she reached in and ran her thumb over the Soul Badge. She quickly covered it back up, flustered.<br/><br/>She set one of the squat wooden stools on the ground and lifted one of the wooden buckets beside. A basin had been set aside in which warm water rested, and she dunked the bucket in bringing it back to her stool where she sat down, lifted the bucket over her head and lifting her face to it she poured half its contents over her face, feeling it wash over her. Down her shoulders and back, her arms, her breasts, down across her abdomen and between her legs. it felt like she hadn't had a warm bath in  a decade and such a sensation drew a long breath out of her that welcomed in all the aches that had been suppressed over the long journey.<br/><br/><span style="color: blue">"Ugh... I can't even imagine what I must have smelled like... but if it was anything like everyone else... blegh."</span>She found a bar of soap on a ceramic plate and began work. She found out very quickly which parts of her were the sorest.<span style="color: blue">"Naomi, you get my back, I'll get yours?"</span>She offered.<br/><br/><br/>***<br/><br/><br/>Brollem parted with Kaiyo, who remained at the house where the trainer had been taken. The large man headed east toward the field to rejoin the group and its preparations.<br/><br/><br/>***<br/><br/><br/>Phantump's lure took a moment to draw the attention of the blank faced Magickarp. The fish Pokemon, being neither the brightest nor most aware, concerned itself only with the berry dangling above - not taking the the time to give thought to what was carrying it or where. It followed along near the surface, waiting for it to drop or whatever may happened. It came close to shore, though engaging it would still require entering the water with only the smallest of shallows in which to wade beyond which was only deep water.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>