"Why not just carry him?" Reikoto blinks, aqua faded eyes of pale violet shifting gaze away from Nokuru, and looks at Keira, then Iaeruki.
"Hmm... I suppose that could save us time. I do wish to get to the Tsukino forest before nightfall." Iaeruki gets back up, glancing back at Reikoto, and strides lightly over to Nokuru's tree, kneeling down, and looking at the blank stare in his eyes. He lifts one hand, holding it just over Nokuru's chest, and takes on a look of light concentration, palm opened and small threads of dark electricity flowing between his fingertips. He holds a moment, electricity becoming a little more intense, and gently presses his hand against the soft fur of Nokuru's chest, coils of dark energy spiraling from his hand and slowly spreading around Nokuru's body.
Keira stares at Iaeruki as he does this, a bit confused and beginning to show concern. She has no idea what he's doing, but it seems to make her feel uneasy.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Reikoto steps away as Keira lets him go, stepping over, and pauses by Iaeruki's shoulder, leaning over and staring at the energy close enough that his nose almost touches it.
"I am simply making it easier to carry him, Koto. I have made him seem lighter to any who carry him by doing this."
In response to Iaeruki's reply, Keira visibly relaxes, a relieved sigh rolling forth from her throat.
Iaeruki's ears twitch to this and he turns his head, eerie red- emerald gaze drifting to her and slitted pupils thinning faintly. "What? Did you believe I was doing something to harm him?"
Keira flinches a little, knowing he was right, and nods, ears folded and sheepish look on her face. "Uh, yeah. Kinda. At least it looked it from here."
"I suppose my element does give that impression, does it not?"
"What is your element, anyway?" Reikoto lifts away from the coils of dark energy snaking around Nokuru and turns to Iaeruki, curious look upon his face.
"I have control over the element of chaos." Iaeruki glances to Reikoto as he speaks, standing up straight, and lightly brushing off his knees.
"Whoa. Isn't that, like... evil, or something?"
"Of course not. No element is truly evil. It depends on the user whether the energy is to be evil or good. I choose to use my element for the better to help benefit the world."
"Ohh, okay."
"Now that I have cleared that up, shall we be getting on our way?" Iaeruki turns to Keira, leaning down, and carefully begins to slide his arms beneath Nokuru, getting himself a good hold and shifting to stand back up.
"Wait a minute." Reikoto tugs on the corner of Iaeruki's cloak, a handful of the velvety black material in his fingers, and lets go as he looks down.
"What is it, Koto?"
"I wanna come with you."

"Well, since I... have no home and... you guys seem to...-" Reikoto pauses, seeming a bit hesitant with his words, and starts tracing random patterns into the dirt with his foot, staring at the ground and shifting on his feet. "I know I have a family somewhere out there... and I know they're not here." He lifts his head, jamming his foot against the ground, and lifts closed fists up just in front of his chest, eyes shimmering in self determination. "I want to travel with you; learn what there is to learn of on such a journey. I promise I won't get in the way or slow you down."
"This journey is dangerous. Are you sure you wish to come, knowing that you put yourself at risk?"
Reikoto nods promptly, lowering one hand while the other rises beside his cheek, still clutched into a fist. "Yes. Please, take me with you."
Iaeruki shifts back, carefully sliding his arms out from beneath Nokuru, and stands back up, stepping over as his form towers over Reikoto's. "Alright, you may come with us. However, we will need to take you to the weapons shop, first."
"...Why?"
"To get you a weapon, of course. It is very dangerous to travel without the proper equipment. There are many hostile beasts that roam this land." He turns and takes a couple steps in the direction of the small shops, pausing and turning to Keira. "I trust that I shan't need to ask you to stay with Nokuru, Keira?"
Keira perks her ears, turning her head, and nods, padding to Nokuru's side and kneeling down. "Of course not."
Iaeruki nods in return, turning back into the direction of the shops, and motions Reikoto to follow, beginning to leave the area at a gentle stride. "Alright. Come, Koto, we shan't be more than a few minutes."
Reikoto nods, watching as Iaeruki walks by and trots up beside him, occasionally glancing up to the man as they walk down the road and into a weaponry shop. As Iaeruki turns to the swords area, he starts wandering around the small shop, glancing around at all the weapons from the bows to the staves. After glancing at a few things of choice interest, he looks to Iaeruki, putting the lance back where he had pulled it from, and turns, head tilted a little in curiosity as he watches.
Iaeruki looks carefully along each sword displayed on the wall, pupils thinning piercingly at each one, and pulls one of bone from the wall, looking down along the blade edge. After a moment, he takes it by the hilt, holding it out straight ahead himself while keeping his arm parallel with the floor, and gives it a quick swing, holding it up to look at the blade once more and making a soft sound of contemplation. He furrows his brow, putting it back on the wall, and takes one of a strong and ancient wood, inspecting it closely and doing as he had with the one of bone. After a moment's piercing stare, he nods faintly to himself, resting the edge against his shoulder, and steps to the counter, glancing momentarily at Reikoto and turning to the weapon smith.
"G'day, sir. Welcome to the Kawatani weaponry. There something I can do for you?" The young man leans against the counter, resting on his right elbow while the other arm rests against his hip, and lifts his head, peering at Iaeruki and the weapon he holds through short bangs of auburn hair.
"Greetings, smith. I wish to purchase this here sword." Iaeruki tilts his head in a flicking motion to his right shoulder, indicating the wooden weapon he holds rested on his shoulder rather comfortably, and slides it off, holding it out with the blade's side facing the smith.
The smith looks down at the sword in Iaeruki's hand, taking it into his own hands as Iaeruki's firm grip loosens, and looks at it closely, glancing over key spots before identifying what one it is. "Ah, I see you have quite an eye for quality. This one is the best bokken we have." He grins, holding out an open palm, and holds out the sword with the other, obviously waiting for the proper payment.
Reikoto watches the two, seeing Iaeruki pull out a bulging pouch and empty a fraction of it's contents into the smith's hand, and walks up, looking up at the sword and putting his hands on the counter.
The smith wraps his fingers around the gold put into his palm, letting Iaeruki retake the sword, and glances down, seeing Reikoto. "Well, hello there." He smiles at the boy and looks back to Iaeruki, stuffing the money into his pocket. "This your son?"
Iaeruki lifts his head from looking down at Reikoto, ears perking a bit, and lets out a soft chuckle, taking the sword and handing it to the child. "Oh, no. I am not his father. I haven't any children."
"Ah, I see. Well, thank you for your visit and I hope your travels go unhindered."
"And I thank you and pray that your business continues to prosper." Iaeruki turns and nods, heading for the door with Reikoto close behind.
As they step out the door and begin on their way down the road back to the inn, Reikoto holds the protectively coated weapon by it's hilt and looks at it in the light, the bladed edge glimmering brilliantly in the noontime sun. "Wow... cool."
Iaeruki glances down to Reikoto and smiles, another soft chuckle leaving his throat. "I see you like your new sword, Koto?"
"Yup! It's so light and strong, I think that weapon smith is right about your eye for weapons."
"Well, I suppose that comes with being of the Ryuakurei."
"Ryuakurei? So you're Ryuakurei? I always wanted to see one, they sounded so neat."
"Then I assume you have already learned how we were named?"
"Uh, nope. I just liked how the name sounds." Reikoto looks up to Iaeruki and grins, shrugging his shoulders as he rests the bokken on the right.
Iaeruki perks his brow and looks down to Reikoto from the road, ears twitching to his response. "I suppose it shan't hurt to tell you. We were named for our resemblance to the humanoid dragon demons, hence the name Ryuakurei, which translates to dragon demon." He pauses, smoothly deep and velvety voice ceasing a moment to collect his thoughts, and glances down at Reikoto, a small smile spreading his face at the response on the boy's face. "However, we are not demons. There is no such blood within us, unless hybrids walk among our race, but that would only be a small few."
Reikoto nods, shaking off the seemingly startled look on his face, and glances at his sword, then the path, before he looks back to Iaeruki. "I don't think looks would be the only reason why you were named Ryuakurei. Why else?"
Iaeruki looks down, lowering his head in thought, and glances over, eerie red-emerald gaze switching to Reikoto a moment before looking back. "Perhaps our life expectancy and long living youthful appearance? On average our life span stretches around thirty-thousand years. I appear a man merely in his teens. Perhaps my appearance had caused that smith to believe I was a parent, or maybe it was simply you, but I do not know for sure."
"You're kidding, right? You're not old enough to be my parent. Maybe an older sibling, but not my parent."
"Are you sure? I am far too old to be a sibling, or even a parent. By human standards I could very easily be your great grandfather."
"...What?"
"I am ninety-four, Koto." Iaeruki pauses by the inn wall, looking over and down at Reikoto, and lets his arm drop at his side, looking up and seeing Keira sitting beside Nokuru where he left them.
Reikoto stares at Iaeruki for a long moment, brow perked and face flickering surprise, and turns his attention to Keira as Iaeruki does, trotting over and jabbing the tip of his bokken into the ground. "We're back."