When Hane had entered the room it had all seemed so calm. Au Tahuna had looked at them with eyes far too knowing for how young her body looked. For the first time in a while Hane felt actually seen and the feeling froze them, like they were physically pinned to the wall. Many feelings seemed to do that to them, these days. They weren't sure what they were expecting, or even hoping for. The young man outside had acted like something of some importance was happening, and their heart hadn't been sure whether to flutter or stop, but here in the air soaked through with incense, and the young girl staring, it felt like Hane had stepped right through myth and into a childish fairytale. They ran their hands across each other to check they were real.

Before they could explain why they had come, Au Tahuna had offered tea, freshly made, and Hane relaxed a little as they took a single sip. It tasted... like the scent of chrysanthemums, like the best tea back home, the tea Hane had shared with Taka the first time they met, under the shade of the maples... They eyed Au Tahuna suspiciously. Thank you for the tea.

Yes, I thought you might like it. Do relax while we wait.

I didn't know we were waiting, Hane managed hesitantly.

You are well aware that you have been waiting all your life. You did not know you were waiting for this, perhaps.

Someone told me you know about the Tangata, they battled on.

Her eyes were like the reflections on a pool. That isn’t why you are here, though. You were brave to come, despite everything.

A chill came over Hane. They took another sip, but before they could swallow -

A noise from outside, like Mukutori's mop falling over but heavy enough that Hane thought they could feel it in the ground, and a female voice. Au Tahuna sighed.

It was the young man from outside who had fallen. A woman, just a little shorter than Hane but far more energetic in her every movement, came in with him, and while he lay stretched out on the floor, Au Tahuna was taking that woman under her precocious eye and rolling her around like a marble under her hand. And still it felt like they were waiting.

Until the man woke. Then it seemed to all happen very quickly. The talk of destiny, like the man had said outside. They felt like they should feel more terrified than they were. The talk of cults, family, belonging to a purpose. No, they were almost jealous of the girl. But then again, they could empathise in pushing away from what they had been raised for. Perhaps Au Tahuna would have been happy if she had grown up making noodles and gears, and perhaps Hane would have been happy if they had been raised for some occult purpose.

But here was an occult purpose, being handed right to them.

A little stone like a lump of coal, with the harsh black bird. Their fingers found their feathers instinctively, as it melted away like a shadow under sun.

Hane stood. Would anyone like more tea? They did not wait for an answer before taking the man’s bowl and refilling it. The tea was getting cold. They poured more tea in their own bowl, too, and sipped. Their hands were shaking.

You were wrong - what you said outside, they said with a thin smile, gesturing at the man. Everything makes much less sense now.

He took the bowl and stared into the surface of the tea. Atua knows what she thinks we’re meant to be doing. Or why us.

I guess we look out for the others, now. Hane noticed now that her eyes were pink. It slightly unnerved them. As if the woman was feverish with excitement.

And how are we meant to find them?

I work in a noodle shop. I will be sure to look out for customers who seem particularly mystical, Hane said flatly. They were sure Mukutori would be delighted to hear that Hane had a new excuse to not go back home.

I don’t see anything that makes us special, though. I guess you two are foreign but I’ve always lived here, so it can’t be anything like that. Um, been to any temples, seen anything… odd… recently?

No.

Just the bird thing a moment ago. They knew what he meant, logically, but still it stung a little. He must have noticed Hane flinch - uh, not you! Au Tahuna.

If they were meant to be involved in these people’s lives, it would perhaps be better to come out with it now. It hadn’t become easier yet. I realise, yes. As ever, they struggled for a suitable transition, breathed deep, toyed with feathers. Bird thing - I - too many people have called me similar before. Please call me Hane Kujaku, and they, rather than she or he. I apologize if that is… confusing. As always they felt the need to justify, weakly - It not uncommon among the Lucharachain. I hear, at least.

(This post was last modified: 05-06-2020, 04:35 PM by Nakari.)

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Ember Rose breathed a sigh of relief, as the scene unfurled from where she sat. As the little human came out and brought the humans and the tengu inside her hut, Ember Rose let her claws relax.

Once the adrenaline subsided, she could feel her stomach gnawing at itself, and exhaustion weigh down on her like a ton of bricks.

I need food, now.

Ember Rose snuck out of the bushes, avoiding the light as best as she could. She jumped when she heard a loud shriek from the inside of the hut that the humans had all gone into, and decided against trying to raid that particular hut. She could see no other abodes further up the hill, so she resigned to decend once again to the heart of the city.

She stalked the first hut she found closer to the city, looking for any and every way she could force herself inside. Once she found a slightly opened window on the backside of the hut, Ember Rose swiftly darted for the ledge, clasping her talons securely on the straw. She quickly lifted the window a little bit higher, just enough so she could gently slide in without hurting her wings, landing on the floor fairly unceremoniously.

Ember Rose's heart sank when she looked up to see a massive dog baring its teeth at the tiny falkismanne, probably every bit as hungry as she was. She jumped to the air and took flight, feeling the dog's teeth clamp down on one of her tail feathers, yanking it out.

Stupid dog... Ember Rose thought to herself, as she surveyed the area she found herself in. She found a bowl full of strange fruit, which she very eagerly grabbed, preparing to take a bite of one of the smaller red fruits. Very quickly, the scent of meat cooking in lavish spices caught her nose, and she spotted the very thing of meat on a pan over an open fire. Without thinking, Ember Rose dove to grab the thick slap, carrying it away to the window, hardly noticing the human chasing after her, until she felt a large hand grab her legs.

Ember Rose thrashed around, trying to escape the person who grabbed her legs, hitting them with her razor-sharp talons and hitting their head with her Vaengjakindurverjastaf. The dog began growling and barking loudly, raising a ruckus that drew other household members down to investigate the sudden conmotion. The human struggled to keep their hold on Ember Rose, but somehow managed. The shorter human quickly tried to grab hold of Ember Rose's wings in order to help the other human, while a third, even shorter human brought a rolling pin over. Rather than whacking Ember Rose, however, the third human whacked the first human, affording Ember Rose her escape, if it weren't for the dog leaping up and grabbing Ember Rose in its mouth.

Oh gods don't let this be my end!!!

The first human grabbed a hold of the dog, while the second one quickly acted to force open the dog's maul. Ember Rose quickly took her chance to escape, flying until the adrenaline rush died out, replacing itself with exhaustion and weakness.

The last thing she remembered was crashing in an empty field away from the city, surrounded by thick jungle.

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The Entity continued to observe the Tengu as the human brushed by causing the Entity to instinctively expose the human to a nonlethal amount of miasma when the human touched it. Despite its instincts the Entity knew that the miasma would only cause temporary dizziness and was surprised when the Human collapsed. 

Used too much miasma??? Or perhaps the human was weaker than expected...

The entity thought as it watched another young human carry the one who had fallen into Au Tahune's abode. The entity was about to follow the humans when the little one tugged his shirt and pointed in the direction of the Falkismanne.

The creature hidden in the bushes drew the little one's curiosity and attention as the little one's eyes begged for them to follow it instead. However, the pull into the abode proved too great for the Entity causing it to mutter "go, I'll take care of things here..."

The little one smiled and as its eyes said thank you. The little one then turned its head as it caught sight of the Falkismanne sneaking away from the bushes and followed behind the curious creature.

The Entity smiled back as it watched the little one head follow the other creature, and then moved to eavesdrop on the abode of the Au Tahune and listened to events that transpired....

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The Perspective of the Little One:

The Little Entity followed the Falkismanne, taking care not to be found as it too sneaked in the shadows. As it followed the Falkismanne, the Little One stopped as the smell of delicious food from a vendor distracted it leading her away to a nearby stall.

" 'ello kid, where're your 'rents?" the vendor asked

The little one smiled as it pointed to a stick of spiced meat and gestured for 3.

"Oh runnin' errands fer t'e family, aren' ye diligen' kid," the vendor responded mistaking the little one's intentions, "That'll be six rai kid, and have another on the house to enjoy on the way home." the Vendor said as the little one exchanged 6 rai for the bag of meat skewers. 

The Little one smiled and imitated a curtsy as a sign of thanks and happily went back to where it last saw the falkismanne unaware of the struggles the poor creature endured. The little one scanned her surroundings just as she saw the Falkismanne flee a nearby hut and fly off into the distance.

The little one pursued the Falkismanne while it helped itself to the meat skewers until the poor creature finally fell off into the distance as the jungle obscured her from view.

Undeterred by the loss of vision, the little one followed the creature's scent until it reached the Falkismanne, who had crashed into a clearing in the jungle. 

Smiling at 'her' "catch" the Little Entity wanted to show it off to its larger counterpart as soon as possible, but its curious nature soon took hold as it began to poke the Falkismanne to see if it was alive or dead.

Just call me Frost

Roleplayer,
Former member of the Pool of Justices

King of the Hill

(This post was last modified: 05-07-2020, 07:49 PM by Imperial Frost Federation.)

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Laki realised that he should follow the Tengu's lead: introductions were in order. Still, he felt the need to cautious. He wasn't entirely sure why he had lied in response to the engineer's question, but something had told him to hold back a little, not to remind them that it had been he who had found the Tangata idol, nevermind how, or where, or what came afterwards.

Of course, Hane Kujaku... may I call you Hane for short?

The Tengu nodded gently.

My name is Laki. I'm from Inoa, one of the smaller islands west of the metropolises. I farm shellfish on the abyssal slopes there and... well I came here out of curiosity, he added quickly, just like you, Hane!

Well, my name's Vannah. I'm an engineer... an inventor of sorts. I live here but... I guess you could say something lead me here.

Laki nodded. Something about the way the young woman spoke told him that she wasn't being entirely honest, either, but he certainly couldn't complain on that account.

So, I guess we need to investigate this cult, then...

He tried to sound more confident than he felt.

It's hard to know where to begin. Nefunuku is so big.

Well, Au Tahuna said that they seemed to keep their control and influence to the crown of the hill, perhaps we should head there.

Perhaps. It is getting dark, though.

Yeah. I didn't mean to be out this late.

Laki nodded.

Yes, perhaps we should get some rest tonight, think it all over a bit and meet at the crossroads here tomorrow morning?

I can't make any promises but...

I wish to see where this all leads, the Tengu said, If destiny does indeed call, I would like to answer it.

Shall we say the second hour after sunrise?


The night sky was opening up above him as Laki made his way down the hill towards his lodgings. An ocean of stars, each like a little island in the sky. Somewhere up there was the world from which the Atua came and between, the dark stretches of night filled with tooth and tail and the ripples of worse to come.
Watching it, remembering the stories of the Atua's journey to Henua, he couldn't help but wonder what other great unknowns there were lurking in the deep waters of the sky and he didn't know how he felt about that. He did not know how he felt about anything.

Au Tahuna's words had been overwhelming and, when combined with what he had experienced back on Inoa, terrifying. Though part of him still wanted to attribute it all to coincidence, if a mere idol could be capable of the death and destruction he had seen in his home, what could it mean for Henua if the cult really could bring the Tangata back? And were they there now, somewhere in the vast darkness between the stars, watching and waiting?

Laki shuddered, then froze. What had started as a chil running down his spine was now suddenly the cold hard point of a blade in his back.

Don't move a muscle, boy, came a gruff voice from behind, or I'll bone you like a carp before you can even scream. The knife point pressed just a little harder, to drive the point home, as it were.

I... I... I don't-

Quit your stammering, boy. I've seen the money pouch on your waste. Untie it and drop it to the floor. Now, the voice added when Laki didn't move immediately.

Quickly, Laki fumbled for the strings of his leather coin pouch and let them slide free so the pouch fell to the stones of the street with a pebbly thud.

Excellent, the voice said, though it's tone was cruel and the knife point hadn't been drawn away. There was a moment's sielnce, then Laki saw a gnarled hand reach out from behind his legs and snatch the pouch away. I'm going to take my knife away now, but you'd better not move or turn around or it will be sliding down your spine and popping the bones out one by one, do you understand?

Y...yes!

Good! The blade withdrew and Laki stood there, still frozen for several minutes, waiting for something horrible to happen. Eventually, when the cool night air began to dimple his flesh he drew his arms in to cover his chest and, cautiously, looked around. He was alone in the street. Alone, and without a single rai to his name.

I won't be able to pay the landlady the rest of my bill for the lodgings! he realised. Shit! he said out loud, remembering just how greedy the woman had looked when he had handed her his deposit. It didn't seem likely that she would be generous to those who couldn't pay what was due. Shit!

It was obvious that the streets weren't safe at night and he didn't know a single soul in the city. Where was he going to shelter now?

And then he remembered that Hane had said they worked at a noodle shop. It might even still be open - if he could find such a place. But there could be dozens on the hill alone, never mind if they worked further away. His heart sank.

Oh mighty Atua, he prayed,help me find a way out of this mess!

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The Entity sighed softly to itself as it heard enough of the conversation to identify the individuals in Au Tahune's abode. The Entity then hid itself from view as the group emerged to go their separate ways forcing the entity to choose who to follow. 

'Do I follow the Tengu? The Human with the milder scent or the smaller human? Perhaps it was too soon to send the little one away... Should I split again? No... no, too risky. We would be consumed by hunger and draw unwanted attention... Follow one of the humans for now... They are weaker than the Tengu... And no one will ask questions when a human or two vanishes from the city...

The night sky hid the Entity as it chose to stalk the human, Laki, who had started moving downhill. It leapt from roof to roof silently watching and paused when it felt malice from another human.

"Prey..." the Entity muttered as it watched the robbery occur below him.
It waited as the Entity's beady eyes looked for an opportunity.

Several minutes had passed when Fortune smiled upon the Entity. The Thief had fled from the Human's view into a dark alley that led to a dead end.

The entity dropped down quietly behind the Thief 

"Hey!" it spoke poorly imitating Laki's voice causing the Thief to react.

"I thought I told you not to follow me if you didn't want to be gutted like a carp before you can scream!" the thief said as he swung his knife into the Entity, plunging his arm deep into the Entity.

"What the Hell?!" He cried out in shock and struggled to tear his arm free from the Entity. 

"Sh... Quit your struggling, boy." It spoke, now imitating the Thief "I've seen the money pouch. Untie it and drop it to the floor. Now," it repeated. 

The Thief refused to comply as he continued to struggle his arm. "No! Let Go of Me you Cursed wretch!" he said kicking and hitting the entity with his free arm in vain.

The entity shrugged off the Thief's blows as it began to slowly digest the arm embedded in it causing the thief to cry out in pain and say, "Alright, alright, alright, take the money. just don't eat me!"

 The Thief dropped the money as the Entity seemingly relaxed its hold on the arm.

"Good..." the Entity spoke again as the moon briefly illuminated the dark alley just as the Thief tried to pull his arm out. The pale light of the moon revealed that the Entity had assumed the Thief's form as it once again tightened its grip on the thief.

"But its too late..." The Entity said, as the Thief could only utter a single "No" in horror before the Entity began to devour the Human Thief. His blood curdling screams permeated the streets just as Laki prayed to Atua. 

The Entity looked down at the bag of rai stolen from Laki after he consumed the Thief. The Entity then picked it up looking for something to distinguish it from other bags, but a cruel grin emerged from the Entity as it muttered. 

"Delicious... Malice, fear and a hint of despair... Just the way I like it.... But perhaps i could have toyed with him. To make him feel hope and then despair..."

As it spoke an idea formed in the entity's head as it remembered the scents of the others and finished absorbing the Thief's memories. 

"Yes, bring them together like pigs to a slaughterhouse???" 

The Entity grinned, reverting to its merchant form, and returned to where he last saw Laki to guide him back to the Tengu.

Just call me Frost

Roleplayer,
Former member of the Pool of Justices

King of the Hill

(This post was last modified: 05-20-2020, 11:29 AM by Imperial Frost Federation.)

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Ember Rose yawned, opening her eyes to see her old room. She tried getting up, but quickly found herself pushed back against the bed.

"Ros, my dear, stay still." The familiar, melodic voice of her mother gently pleaded. "You're lucky the Reithiseinn didn't finish you off completely."

"What-" Ember Rose's brain scrambled around, thoughts and memories dashing around incoherently. "But... I don't..."

"Ros, darling. Conserve your energy." Her mom sighed, emotion overwhelming her voice, contrary to how she always remembered her mother in the past.

Wait, are those tears?

"We thought we lost you... Your father wasn't sure you were even..." The gentle female Falkismanne choked up, seemingly unable to keep speaking. "Katrin said..."

"Mother, I'm ok." Ember Rose moved to sit up. Instead of keeping her down again, her mother helped Ember Rose to a sitting position. "I'm ok.  I promise."

"Thank the gods."

Ember Rose watched her mother leave the room, and surveyed the extent of her wounds. All she could make out were a few puncture wounds, but nothing major. Her mother entered the room once again, carrying a small bowl of soup in her arms.

"It is your favorite. Vaengjakindur flanks and Skyhris." Ember Rose's mother sat down on her bed. "After this you can go see Katrin, if you're feeling well enough."

"Thank you, mother." Ember Rose took a sip of the rich, hearthy broth, savoring the taste. Somehow, every bite seemed to make her hungrier, and soon, the bowl was barren.

After her mother left, Ember Rose stood up, shaky at first. She grabbed her staff and bag, then made her way to the front door and outside.

The outdoor scenery was just how Ember Rose remembered it: plain white rolling hills of cloud, streams pouring from the farming settlements above, a constant icy chill in the air, fluffy snow, and Vaengjakindur roaming the sky settlement freely, under the careful eye of the Vaengjakindurverja.

The quickest path to Katrin's Dojo, which also doubled as a medical clinic, was by flight. However, Ember Rose quickly figured out that she would not be flying today, and resigned herself to walking on the Skyborke pathways.

"Ember Rose." A sharp, yet reassuring voice called out the second Ember Rose stepped inside.

"Uh, I'm Ros."

"Ember Rose." The voice became more foreboding. "Do you really believe you are back home?"

"What do you mean-"

"You're in a dream. Do you know why?"

Ember Rose felt her foggy memories start to clear up, remembering collapsing on the ground in a foreign environment, and the jaws of the dog.

"I don't remember."

"You refuse to learn self control, or seek help when you need it.  And you run away from those trying to help you."

"I... remember some dog-" Ember Rose suddenly paused, recalling a little more of her memories, and her mother's strange behavior towards her. "Wait, am I dead?"

A tall, muscular female Falkismanne swooped down from her perch, landing right in front of Ember Rose.

"You didn't die from the dog. You are in a magic-induced death." Katrin's light gray feathers puffed up, her fave stern and serious. "Eldur Ljos needs you alive. Yet you exhausted yourself to death. Again."

"Again...?" Ember Rose tried recalling what the elder Falkismanne was talking about. "Oh... I remember now. That one town."

"Yes." Katrin nodded. "You have much to learn, and only so many times you can die and rise before you stay dead, forever."

"I'm... sorry for my failure."

"When you wake up again, you must be more willing to seek help when you need it... if you even remember our conversation once you revive."

"When do I revive again...?" Ember Rose asked, noticing her vision suddenly fade to darkness. When she opened her eyes, she found that she was face-first in lush, green grass. Ember Rose became acutely aware of her hunger once again, craving the soup from her dreams.

Tap, tap, tap.

Ember Rose lifted her head, coming face-to-face with what looked like a little girl. She jumped up, backing away from the little girl as she whipped her staff into position, staying fiercely on guard. Her wings hovered just over where they would normally sit, positioned to quickly take flight if needed while also making her look larger.

"I don't have anything but the clothes off my back and my staff. Find someone else to rob." Ember Rose hissed.

Much to Ember Rose's confusion, the little girl seemed to stay still, observing curiously. She would shake her head, and run from the "girl", spreading her secondary wings out to fly. Except...

"Ow!" She hissed, snapping her wings back to rest, dropping to the ground once again, writhing in pain as the recent events physically caught up to her. "What... My wings... Ouch"

The little 'girl' just hovered over Ember Rose, picking her up unceremoniously despite Ember Rose thrashing about, walking away from the area with the panicky Falkismanne's legs in its hands.

"Please... if you're gonna kill me, please be quick..."  Ember Rose resigned herself to her fate, ceasing on attempting to escape, instead staying still, bracing for whatever the entity had planned.

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Laki startled as a horrific scream cut through the night air. What was that? he thought as he felt his skin crawling in response. It's really not safe out here!

He quickly glanced back over his shoulder to where the thief had surely disappeared and thought it was the same direction as the last echoes of that scream. Was someone else less lucky than I was... or was it the thief whose luck just ran out?

He realised that he really didn't want to stick around to find out and hurried down the slope. All around him shops and houses seemed shuttered against the night. Where light did spill out into the alleyway, it was in sickly-looking streams accompanied by the raucous sounds of a rough bar or, worse, a kona den. Laki did not expect to find safe harbour in any of those places. His only hope was to find his way back onto one of the main avenues, where there would still be life and light pouring onto the street and safe passage to the docks and waterways where he might feel at home once more. Home...

Taking a risk, he cut into one of the smaller side-alleys that ran across the one he had been following downhill. If his memory served him correctly, then this would lead him towards the broad avenue he had followed up the hill earlier in the day. This smaller alleyway was filled with rubbish from various shops and bars and Laki had to squeeze between some of the piles to progress, all whilst holding his nose as much of the waste had been there a long time and there were piles of rotted vegetables and maggoty cuts of meat. Something knocked a crate over behind him and he started, surging forwards and knocking over a pile of refuse himself in his effort to push through. He could imagine another thief, or worse, pursuing him through the debris and call almost feel them reaching out to grab him when suddenly he spilled out onto a brightly lit avenue, stumbling and landing in the rotted food he had brought with him. A smartly dressed young couple who had been descending the hill stopped to stare at him and cover their noses, before making a wide detour to the other side of the street.

Great, he said aloud, frustrated, now I need a bath as well as somewhere to stay!

Well there's a whole ocean down there, a wealthy-looking gentleman said in the doorway to some sort of eating house, I suggest you head down there and... swim away. The gentleman turned up his nose and began welcoming a group of customers with apologetic murmurs, all whilst watching Laki out of the corner of his eye.

Alright, alright! Laki picked himself off, dusted off as much of the food waste as he could and began to walk down the hill towards the docks. He was angry with himself, angry with the city and angry with the Atua, who, he felt, had done a poor job of looking out for him ever since he found the Tangata idol. What if they've deserted me? he wondered with a dawning horror. What if I've been tainted? It didn't bear thinking about, but his mood was becoming so black that he could hardly think of anything else. In his mind's eye, the village on Inoa burned and his parents lay, cut to shreds before they'd ever been charred, beneath the smouldering beams. Oh, Atua! he whispered.

And then he was at the bottom of the hill and the waterways of Nefunuku spread out before him, rippling gently in the light of the city. He sat down on the edge of the wharf and dangled his feet in the cool water and just... let go. All the pain and fear, all the sorrow that had brought him to this point seemed to wash over him at once, to drop as tears into the cool sea. Whether anyone was watching him, he neither knew nor cared and when his tears were spent he slipped into the waves and went under.

(This post was last modified: 06-29-2020, 06:09 PM by Seraph.)

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The Little One continued walking back towards the city, carrying its prize in its hands. The little one beamed at the Falkismanne as its eyes glowed with curiousity and pride. It continued back into the city as the moon rose into the heavens. The shops that it passed were gradually closing their doors to the night, but the Little one passed them by undeterred until the smell of delicious food from another vendor distracted it again.

" 'ello kid, y'know we're closing fer the night right?" the vendor asked

The little one nodded understandingly, but smiled as it pointed to the and shifting her grasp on the falkismanne gestured for 2 tortilla wraps.

The vendor, sighed, "you can pay for it right?"

The little one nods again, lifting up a handful of rai with her free hand.

The Vendor smiles, "Alright, kid, that'll be 8 Rai" handing her the two wraps in a bag, while the little one hands the money to the vendor. 

The Little one, then bows with the Falkismanne in its arms and takes the bag, heading towards the dock.

As the little one continued to walk, the It used its free hand to take one of the wraps out of the bag and placed it on the Falkismanne wondering if it was hungry.

Just call me Frost

Roleplayer,
Former member of the Pool of Justices

King of the Hill

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The smell of the strange food enticed Ember Rose, reminding her of the rich, hearty stews at home.  In her minds' eye, she was back home, surrounded by the warm campfires, remembering the warm fires under the crystal-clear skies.  The frosty air made the fire ever sweeter, and the stew more delicious, and the family more bearable.

Thank you!  Ember Rose found the oversized tortilla wrap to be so delicious, she couldn't help but to devour everything as quickly as she could, savoring the tortilla, the juicy meat inside, the seasoning, everything.  The blaring "STRANGER DANGER" alarms in her mind shut down entirely, she in fact became absolutely unaware of what was going on around her.  She could feel her previous injuries fade away with every bite, her body suddenly filled with all the energy needed to finish her regeneration.  

Ember Rose suddenly felt things whirl in her mind.  She closed her eyes, doing her best to hold on to what was still left of her tortilla wrap, only to wake up back in Eldur Ljos.

Ros.

The familiar voice echoed in her mind, the spinning unrelenting.  The vaguely familiar shape in front of her shook her violently, trying to illicit some sort of reaction, any sort of reaction.

Ros, you don't have much time.  If you don't hurry, we'll all be gone.  

The next vision in her mind was nothing but fire.  The entire town of Eldur Ljos was ablaze, different Falkismanne running, hectically, trying to put out the flames, yet they found that even the strongest of the water elementals couldn't put out the flames.  Ember Rose was kneeling on the ground, tears streaming down her face as she stared at everything she knew at home.  Thousands of years of settlement, gone in a blaze of glory.

Who did this?!?

When she next opened her eyes, Ember Rose was right back where she was, staring right back at the little girl holding the Falkismanne.  The little girl handed back the partly-eaten tortilla wrap, and Ember Rose could only blink to express her gratitude, her mind entirely preoccupied by the vision of everything burning as she absentmindedly ate the rest of the tortilla wrap, unaware of where the Little One was even taking her to.

Empress of Fire 
Current Minister of Military Affairs
Chair Perch of the Assembly (February to June 2020)
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Ambassador to Forest and Lazarus

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Mukudori briefly chastised Hane for their lateness as they returned to the noodle shop but Hane was only-half listening. It had been a troubling day. Thoughts of destiny and divinity and ancient bones beat against the sides of their skull like a dragonfly in a jar.

So it was a relief to return to the everyday heat of the stove, the rhythmic slicing of whatever fish this was that Mukudori had scrounged up, the scratchy fabric of the batik kimono, the smell of flour and coconut milk, the orangey sunset through the orangey glass, the scattering of rai on the counter, Mukudori’s croaking voice and the clatter of human accents. It was a small shop, but busy. Right on the edge of the island and on its busiest street, it looked out upon the hill of Nefunuku. As the lights of the inner city glimmered down onto the sea, Mukudori’s shop replied with its own tinny lightbulbs.

Mukudori talked to the customers and took their orders while Hane cooked in the kitchen with the door propped open, served food in coconut-shaped bowls, and cleaned when needed. Their mind cleared. It was like meditation.

Rather late that evening, when the shop was mostly empty apart from a few of Mukudori’s friends in the corner, a group of nine or ten men crowded in, smelling of tobacco, salt and alcohol. They spoke in enunciated voices, and wore clothing elaborately embroidered with blocky geometric designs. Hane watched through the smoky doorway as the men gave their orders to Mukudori.

Their eyes passed over each of the men in turn. The edge of a tattoo peeked out from a creased velvet collar - a black beak, or was that Hane’s imagination? Au Tahuna had mentioned that the Tangata cult lingered among the rich… their gaze caught as they met one’s eyes. He had, they realised, been looking at them for a moment. He seemed oddly familiar. Had a tengu face. But once they had made contact, he turned and talked to his little crowd.

Mukudori passed their orders on to Hane as he grabbed some bottles of wine from the kitchen - they wanted mostly the sacrilegious kind of thing that Nefunukans seemed to prefer to real Tengu food - and that put it out of their mind for a while as they chopped the taro. When they finally served the dishes, one of the men reached out a little too fast and knocked his glass from the table. He giggled.

Hane sighed, grabbed the mop from the corner, and went to mop up the spilled wine. One of the men clicked his fingers under their nose. They pointedly refused to look up. Hey. Again, and a harsh laugh, first from him and then all the other men. Hey, saburuko.

The Tengu word got their attention, and they straightened up. Yes? they said warily.

He had a sharp face, sharp nose, thick eyebrows, angled chin. His hair was pulled back into a tight black bun while the rest trickled over the shoulders of his black coat, and they thought they saw small iridescent feathers sticking out. He tilted his head to the side as he observed them. Then his hand darted out and pushed Hane’s hair aside to reveal their own feathers.

Kujaku?

Oh! Karasu. Yes - he was so much more polished now, like a shard of obsidian ground into a knife, but he still looked like Karasu, if Hane squinted.

Karasu turned to his crowd with a hawkish grin. My friends - this is Kujaku, an old friend of mine. A good friend. This was generous but Hane gave a pursed-lip smile to the thought. There were schools in Sobishima that taught the children of the rich in matters of calligraphy, etiquette, poetry, the proper making of tea... Karasu, a few years older than Hane, had attended at the same time, and they had moved in similar circles. You’ll excuse us, won’t you?

And with a swish of his frock coat he swept Hane off to another table, pulling out a chair for them and sitting with a broad smile.

Kujaku-kei! Oh, you haven’t grown a bit have you? he cooed, which was not much of a compliment as Hane had been sixteen when they last met, a mere fledgeling. The careless condescension was as familiar as the genuine excitement in his expression.

You have become a fine person, Hane said with a nod.

How have you been? Is Taka here with you?

No. We parted ways.

I remember when you two were like a peach and its stone. Shame, isn’t it? Kamome - you must remember her - her family made that yuzu wine - we were betrothed for years. Yes, Hane remembered Kamome. She had round black eyes that seemed to reflect everything, and lips as red and shiny as apple skin, and a very nasal laugh. Neither of her parents had grown wings, and when the cluster of feathers had begun to erupt out of her spine, it had been Hane that she whispered to in the shade of the chrysanthemums, Hane that she allowed to see her paper-white back. Hane never knew quite what to say, which Kamome seemed to find comforting. We had a whole life planned out, and then one morning she was gone. Left everything behind. We were sure she had died. Two years later, I heard news she had gone to be a monk in Tír na hÓige.

That doesn't surprise me. She always did seem the otherworldly type.

Not to me she didn’t, Karasu said with a laugh. I’d have expected that more from you. Never would have imagined you... here. How did that happen?

They waved a hand. The storm of fate has shipwrecked me. Why are you here?

There are many rich men in Nefunuku, and my father’s business requires that we become good friends with rich men. But he gave Hane a conspiratorial smile, and leaned forward. His breath was hot against their ear, and smelt of the yuzu wine, though Hane knew that was just memory interfering. Teisatsu, he whispered. Infiltrator. They wondered how many others he couldn’t resist whispering that to. Not that his table were listening.

Hane looked over at his friends’ table from the corner of their eye. You pick an odd place to take rich men.

And yet you’re here, and I don’t remember you being particularly poor. They are more comfortable if they think of our home as like this, and forget the nicer, more dangerous elements. Hane smiled. Not that this isn’t perfectly nice, Kujaku, for a shipwreck! he laughed hoarsely. But it’s hardly befitting of people of our standing.

Hane took a deep breath, reached across the small table and stroked the coal-black velvet of his coat. Perhaps you can help me, Karasu.

I would be honoured, my friend. What do you need from me?

You are right. This place is not befitting of me. Down here they don't appreciate someone who can play the shamisen and arrange flowers and make proper tea. Your friends - I suppose they are the kind that live at the top of the hill. Perhaps they will have a better use for me. And if they do - I am sure they will be grateful for your introduction.

Karasu's eyes gleamed like obsidian, and he turned to his friends with a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

(This post was last modified: 06-15-2020, 04:58 PM by Nakari.)

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