Kajinosuke

Traders who cross The Dragon Wastelands whisper that Kajinosuke is a phantom, that the bamboo on their back sprouts from the skeletal remains of old beasts. They let the stories circulate; it’s a better shield than armor. The truth is far simpler, and far heavier. Before Tsuchiko, this place was just a graveyard to be navigated. Then they found them, half-buried in the swampy ground where ghost dragons play tricks on the eyes. Saving Tsuchiko wasn't a heroic choice. It was just the only thing that made sense in a land stripped of it. The bamboo wasn't a trophy. It was from the one living grove they passed on the way to safety, a reminder that even here, something can be carried out whole.