Even now Hattori wasn't exactly sure what to make of Boreas' ruins. Back in Nippon vast swathes of the land were covered in them, shattered glass and concrete shapes, scars that would never heal. Left for the hounds, and for the wolves whose coats were not like his own. But here they were fewer and far between, the occasional blip on the map that had the Shogun wondering about the past, about what came before. Whether the past had even managed to gain a foothold here.

But this place was so close to home he idly wondered if he'd somehow lost his way up the mountain, that he'd fallen to his death and made his way to the world beyond. Returned to his roots, as some might say.

And yet he had never felt more alive, the winding mountain path felt grounded beneath his paws as he dug his talons in and made his way up the temple's crumbling steps. Its greyscale shape eventually becoming vivid when he pushed through the lingering fog and drew close. The air was cool in his lungs, bracing as the autumn winds ruffled his coat, a mere taste of the winter yet to come. His ears filled with the gentle chime of ringing bells as they dangled above, swaying and growing all the more melodic as he approached. He frowned. It was as if this place was so far removed from the world below that those rules did not apply here, that the bells would always chime gently no matter how strong the wind. And that distant chanting could be heard, rumbling words he simply could not understand even though this place had long since been abandoned.

Lukina wandered aimlessly, not really sure what to do with herself. She'd started up the mountains of the maw and continued climbing higher and higher until she arrived at a strange series of caves and tunnels. Her little fox companion held a torch clasped in her teeth, leading the way up a flight of stone stairs. There was no sign of daylight yet but Lukina hoped they'd find something soon. She was getting tired of the dark and the closed in space was making her feel particularly claustrophobic. Lukina pushed ahead, deciding to take another hundred steps and if no sign of daylight presented itself she would turn back.

She rounded a corner and saw clear sky up ahead at the top of another flight of stone steps. Trotting swiftly up them she breathed a sigh of relief when she escaped the tunnel and found herself standing in a courtyard in front of a strange set of ruins. Stranger still was the horned man that stood there examining them. She glanced at her arctic fox, the companion bearing her own little set of silver antlers. Lukina cleared her throat. "Excuse me, sir. Do you know what these ruins are for?"

Hattori's ear flicked at the sound of approaching paw steps, he had not been expecting company as it was obvious from the lack of scents that this place very rarely received foot traffic. What were the chances that someone happened on by just as he arrived? The cautious, perhaps paranoid part of him wondered whether he'd been followed, but as he turned to look at the newcomer he realised she was just a child. Almost a yearling if her looks were to be believed. She was pale, almost ghostly, and the companion that lingered by her sides had little antlers, not unlike his daughters or Mother. The girl's gaze was alight with curiosity, making it quite clear she was just as surprised to stumble upon the temple as Hattori was.

"No. I do not think anyone does." He told her with a degree of certainty as he turned his gaze back to temple. "I am going inside. You may join me if you wish."

The entryway was dark and looming, the archway carved with intricate symbols and drawings Hattori could not decipher. The general vibe of the temple was somewhat similar to those back home, peaceful and quiet, stable in its foundations, but the architecture was different but not completely foreign either. It was a strange sensation and Hattori's lips pursed tight as he finally stepped inside. It was dark, the windows blocked with latticed covers, but his eyes soon adapted to the change in light and he took in his surroundings with mounting interest. The temple layout was different from what he anticipated, it began with a wide and spacious area, only to branch off into darker corridors. A giant statue dulled by the ages was placed in the centre of the main room, surrounded by a little fence to stop visitors from getting too close.

He glanced behind him to see if the stranger was still there, only to pause when he noticed a new scent filling his nostrils, that of freshly burned and sweet incense.

Lukina watched the man curiously as he explained that no one knew anything of the ruins and she supposed that made sense. They seemed very old and were likely built by humans. At least according to Rœkia anything that looked out of place in nature was of human origin. The man stated that he was going inside and it was up to Lukina if she wanted to tag along or not. She thought for a moment then bounded along after him. "Ok, wait for me. My name is Lukina, what's yours?"

She padded softly after the man, moving stealthily through the entryway until they arrived in a large room with a strange stone statue in the center. Her fur stood on end as she eyed it. "What is that thing supposed to be? Is this what a human looked like?"

"Hattori." He finally answered after giving the statue a long, hard look."I presume so, yes." Hattori had of course seen statues littered about his homeland but as far as he was aware none roamed the earth any more. Whether they actually looked like this or the statue was simply artistic interpretation they would never know. And he was fine with that, there were more pressing matters at paw.

Tilting his head back he looked up at the ceiling, at the intricate rafters and noted just how high it went. There was enough room for his bird companion to comfortably spread his wings, marking that the room was far bigger and spacious than he'd initially thought. If this wasn't the temple's main room then what else could be?

Pressing on through the main back corridor, Hattori squinted against the sunlight that washed in through the open doorway. The doors were thick slabs of wood, so large that even Hattori would be unable to push them closed. Beyond that was a balcony that overhung the side of the mountain. A grey, seemingly never ending void loomed below, like a gaping maw eager to devour all that lost their footing. The railing that ensnared the edge of the balcony was wooden and rickety, and Hattori did not trust it to support any measure of weight.

"Stay away from the edge." He told the girl, whether she heeded his advice or not was her choice. He could not fix stupid.

Instead, his focus was transfixed by the massive metal bell that hung over to the side of the balcony, on its own separate platform. As though once it had been revered. Now this he had seen before.

"I know this. It is called a bonshō." He said, eying the hammer beam that hung beside it.

Lukina continued to gaze up at the statue, making note that the man's name was Hattori. She wasn't really sure what to make of humans for they looked so unlike many creatures she'd seen. Perhaps some sort of furless meerkat? She soon shifted her attention away and to the rest of the temple. Her claws clicked along the stone as she wandered about.

Hattori warned her to stay away from the edge. She scowled but nodded. It wasn't so much that she wanted to get close to the edge but that she thought his warning rather obvious. At least she hoped it was. Lukina moved carefully, looking over to the large metallic thing the older man was staring at. He named it and she cocked her head to the side. "What's it used for?"

"It is to announce prayer. The sound travels far, you would be able to hear it well beyond the mountain." He explained, feeling a touch nostalgic about it, it was a sound he hadn't heard in years. He paused, his nose wrinkling a little. Had it really been so long? "I did not think to find something like this here, my culture does not seem to have travelled far beyond its shores." He went on to say, talking at length, for Hattori's standards at least.

Then again Ashen had always been home to ranks of Hattori's language, something Venom seemed to have no explanation for. The Shogun would have sought out her Mother and inquired further but he didn't care enough to drag it out to such an extent. Perhaps Boreas was a mishmash of many places, drawing in wolves from all around the world to settle across the continent. Even Lukina had a name that carried a sense of otherness to it, he doubted she was of this place either.

Moving away from the bell he stood at a safe, reasonable distance from the ledge. But close enough that he could look out across the vista and take in the view of the mountain's jagged peaks. Even empty this place homed tranquillity, a feeling of sanctity as though all who visited were obliged to acknowledge and respect. Perhaps he could bring Venom here one day, use it as a means of telling her more about Nippon.

Lukina listened quietly as Hattori explained that the bell was used to call others to prayer. Her head tilted to the side. "Prayer? What were they praying to?" Her family hadn't held much in the way of concreted religious beliefs. Her father did believe that some great force had breathed the world into being but it didn't really have a name. She only vaguely remembered some rituals, offering thanks for the world's existence but she got the sense the bell and statue were for something else. Something unconnected to what she knew. As Hattori moved to look out across the vista she followed suit.

In the distance an eagle soared, weaving between the mountain peaks, the only sign of life to be seen for miles all around. He couldn't see what species it was but knew for certain it was not his bird, the wingspan was too small and its coat too pale. Perhaps it was a native to these parts, or simply passing through. Hattori glanced over his shoulder at the pups question, it was hard to say what deity was worshipped here as Boreas was a strange land of mixed cultures, but he knew well enough about those back in Nihon. He was not an active believer, but religion was ingrained in the overall culture, little things here and there that separated his world for this one.

"The Kami, or Gods most likely. Though in some cultures people pray to their ancestors for guidance." Everyone had their reasons to pray, whether it be to seek out comfort or to ask for something, nothing was done in this world without purpose.