The muddy black dirt road is cleared wide enough for two wagons to pass even long after they enter the tall ginkgo trees of the forest, marking it as a well-traveled trade route. The undergrowth looks like bamboo to Cain, which means that they must be clearing the area around the road fairly regularly just to prevent the other trees from getting overrun with the fast-growing bamboo.
The roar of the waterfall becomes obvious just after noon, but there are no hills in the area, so where the water is falling from is a mystery to them all. At least it is until it comes into view a few minutes after they have turned off the dirt path that serves as a road and begun making their way towards the noise.
A mighty river flows from further inland, passing into the mouth of a cavern system and falling thirty meters into a large pond before flowing away underground to meet the ocean. The walls of the cavern are covered in colorful layers of built-up minerals from the centuries of falling water, and the floor of the cavern is rich with thick moss and flowers.
A few couples are gathered around at the top for a picnic, enjoying the cooling spray of the waterfall while they eat. They have most likely come from the nearby villages on their day off, and the appearance of Cain's eclectic group is both startling and exciting for them.
"Welcome. Did you hear about this place in the city? How are the fights this month? We heard that there was a huge demon that beat up Purrseus then just gave him the spot in the finals anyhow." A small Youkai girl asks, running away from her parents and the picnic they have set up, her black hair constantly dripping water and her clothes wet.
That makes Cain wonder if there is a way down into the cavern or if the girl is just a water elemental creature. It is hard to tell under the cover of the trees if her parents are similarly wet despite the warm afternoon, but the flow of the river is clearly too fast for a child to safely enter.
"It was an amazing fight. She was so fast that even the mighty Purrseus could hardly land a hit on her. She dodged and punched and then she grabbed him and threw him to the ground all *BANG*" Laura explains animatedly, flying around and using hand gestures to emphasize her point.
The little girl is enraptured with the dragon's explanation, and the two start talking over each other at a rapid pace, looking for and giving more details of the fight as needed. The parents are keeping a close eye on the child while Laura tells her story, only getting up to come over and retrieve her once the battle is finished and the two are giggling about the mighty warrior getting head pats.
"Thanks for entertaining her for a few minutes. Having such a high-energy child it is hard to get even a few minutes to yourself to eat." Her father explains, picking her up and throwing her into the air, water flying off her hair.
He is also dripping with water, so they are some form of elemental creature. What the system categorizes as youkai is a pretty varied group, from flying creatures like the tengu to some spirits, sentient undead, and a wide variety of elemental creatures. Cain is recording every youkai that he sees, as well as all the beastkin that he doesn't already have recorded. He doesn't have a youkai companion, and the Echoes have only just started on adding beastkin forms now that Nila has progressed, so Nemu is a long way from making it to Mythic status.
The couple from the other group having a picnic near the waterfall also comes over to chat while the enthusiastic father passes the little girl to his wife, with the two newcomers introducing themselves as the local Shrine Guardians, but not giving names. Cain looks over their abilities when he has them recorded and finds that the pair that looks like dwarves are actually stone dogs in their natural form and that this is a transformation ability, like Cain's [Malleable Form], but on a smaller scale, only able to make various shapes the same volume as their natural form.
Cain hasn't seen much actual sign of religion, beyond some zealots, so the news of there even being a shrine to guard is a bit startling.
"Might I ask, which God is the Shrine dedicated to?" Cain pushes for a few answers from the Guardians.
"The spirit of life and rebirth. The Great Bunny." The Guardians answer proudly.
"I don't suppose that we could come to visit, could we? I am expecting children soon, and came to see if I could advance and find some new skills before they are born."
That makes all the locals happy. They explain that they worship the Great Bunny here, so all the families are large. The single little girl with the water elemental couple is one of the few single births in the village near the shrine.
"I think The Great Bunny might be smiling on our Guild as well." Vala laughs and Evangeline nods happily.
"First triplets and now twins? Multiple births are very uncommon on the Central Continent but the only two births we have seen so far among our members have been triplets and twins. Fast-growing demon children are a nightmare for a new mother." Evangeline adds.
"Oh, that is so true. Some of the demon species in the village grow up to full growth within only a handful of years. They are still big children at heart but fully grown. Unless you are used to them you can think their species is mischievous or troublemakers. But really, they are just young and energetic without knowledge of the outside world." The Guardians agree.
The village as they called it, is a small city by most standards, at least by population. Instead of being spread out, the entire village is made up of seven enormous buildings. Six very different mixed residential and industrial buildings that are twenty stories tall and hundreds of meters long are arrayed around a central temple. There are no single-family homes, but the large balconies suggest that not all the homes inside the buildings are lacking in spaciousness.
It takes Cain a few minutes before he realizes that there is a good reason for the design of the city, with no common theme between the designs of the six large buildings. Each of the structures seems to have a different climate inside and surrounding it. They are currently walking between the one with all the blacksmiths and other fire-related businesses on the lower levels and the one with the largest balconies, where Cain can see avian species taking off and landing, using the updrafts from the heat to their advantage.
"I see you understand. We don't all like the same environment, so the True Born and the transfers made this place to be a perfect home for everyone who came to worship the Great Bunny. Even the Ice Species have a home here, and there aren't many places on the continent that they fit in." The Guardians explain in eerie synchronicity.
"Oh, we learned about that. There is an island in the ocean covered in a thick blanket of ice and snow, where a large group of exiles lives. They explained the issues that those with incompatible elements face when trying to fit in with a tropical climate." Cain agrees.
"It is good to hear that you understand the necessity for everyone to have a home somewhere. Not all visitors see things that way, believing instead that everyone should adapt to a single standard and live uncomfortably at the average." The guardians tell him in a serious voice.
The Guardian leads them to the front steps of the temple and a young bunny kin girl with light gray ears that fold and flop at the top half comes running out to greet them, giving Cain a huge hug around the waist. Nobody is sure if these people are just extra friendly, or if it is a bunny thing since Daisy is also very physical.
"Change back. I saw you turn into a bunny in my visions, I know you can do it." She demands in an imperious voice, shocking everyone in hearing range. After all, why would a Wrath Demon be able to turn into a Beastkin of any sort?
