Disclaimer: . Do I still need one of these?
Author's Notes: Sorry about the delays between chapters! I've got so much work at school, it's not right. But, yare yare. I will continue! Be it though pouring sarcasm, raging flames, or the dead of a black-out.
Oh my gosh.x.X Fourty Reviews? I wasn't expecting more than fifteen or so for this. but wow! Thanks to everyone who reviews! You all rule. Keep doing what you do.
"Excuse me, can you help me find the way out of here?" Chichiri knelt down beside the small boy and smiled. " I'm actually quite lost." Chichiri laughed and stared at Tatara.
"I don't know the way out." Tatara set the boxes he'd been carrying down and thought for a minute. "But I know Prince does!"
"Prince?" Chichiri gave the boy a strange look but smiled as the boy took his hand and led him through the maze to a set of tents.
"Pu-rin-su!" Tatara called out, and there was some obvious movement in one of the tents.
"Tatara!" Kira yelled in a singsong voice before she stepped out of the tent. "Did you run those boxes already?"
"Prince." Chichiri thought for a moment and chuckled. 'He's young; perhaps he can't pronounce her name correctly. Purin, that must be it.' Chichiri thought to himself.
"Ouh." Tatara remembered the boxes and blinked as he heard Kira laugh.
"You got distracted?" Kira asked as she stepped out of the tent in her full costume, veil, sword, and all. Kira looked at Tatara, and her blood ran cold as she saw who was with him.
"He's lost." Tatara said and pointed at Chichiri.
"I see." Kira said and took a cautious step towards the two.
"Huh. Pardon me Maam, but have we met somewhere before?" Chichiri asked and tried to place where he could have met the woman before. She seemed so familiar.
"I don't think so." Kira said calmly though on the inside she was saying her prayers. "Well, if you want to get out of our little labyrinth just walk that way as far as it goes and turn left." Kira motioned off at the wagons hoping to direct the attention away from her.
"Oh is that all?" Chichiri asked in a cheery voice and turned to thank the eerily familiar woman. He blinked as he turned around, it seemed she'd disappeared. "What?" Chichiri looked around; there was no sign of either the familiar woman or the little boy. He took a few steps back and walked off towards the wagons she'd motioned to.
As he walked off, Kira poked her head out from behind a nearby tent. She let out a breath she'd been holding and looked down at the confused Tatara.
"Why'd you run? He was nice." Tatara said and blinked.
"Uh." Kira didn't particularly want to lie to Tatara, but knowing him he'd probably walk up to the monk and ask if he really attacked Prince Kurare. "You're not supposed to talk to strangers." Kira said and smiled nervously.
"Oh. Alright." Tatara immediately took her word for law without even a second thought or doubt. "I'm gonna go find the boxes." Tatara laughed and went off in search of the boxes he'd left behind.
"Okay." Kira blinked, rather astonished that Tatara trusted her enough to simply accept things with no reasoning. "Uh, right! I should go follow that monk, he could foul up the plan."
With that Kira speedily walked off in pursuit of the monk, Chichiri. After filing through the twisted maze of carts and wagons Kira managed to slip into the crowd of pedestrians that walked along the sidewalk that met the edge of the empty street. She tried to be inconspicuous, but her Arabian style belly dancer's costume didn't bled well with the Chinese dress of the locals (not to mention she was rather tall and stuck out). However, that wasn't really a problem because there were enough people that she could easily lose someone (though that in itself was a problem).
"Where'd he go?" Kira stopped walking and stood up on her tiptoes and looked above the crowd as well as she could. "There he is!" She exclaimed quietly.
Chichiri was standing on the sidewalk corner, across the street that met the empty one perpendicularly. He was examining the way people avoided the street and looked quite tempted to stop someone and ask.
"Hmm." Chichiri looked down at the street. The stones looked normal enough, perfectly stable, didn't particularly seem cursed.
"Excuse me, sir, you don't want to go out there."
Chichiri turned around and 'blinked.' The same woman that had reprimanded the child who very nearly crossed the street for his ball was standing next to him and looked quite serious.
"May I ask why?" Chichiri smiled at the woman, unaware that just twenty feet away Kira was spying on him.
"You don't know?" The woman looked rather surprised, and then glanced around nervously. "I'm sorry, I'd rather not say it aloud." She bowed once and walked off swiftly in the other direction.
Chichiri watched her walk off and stood at the corner of the street looking quite puzzled. He looked down over his shoulder at the road and decided to simply ask the Emperor later during the festival. The festival, also, seemed to be a matter lacking in knowledge. Everyone seemed so jubilant, but they would become instantly silent and change the subject. There was something strange going on in this city.
The sun dimmed over the city, and as the sun dipped down past the horizon and faded from sight a sea of brightly colored paper lanterns lit up and cast a warming and festive glow onto the clean white streets of Cairou. Hundreds of the cities residents be they of any class of wealth or lacking, wandered out into the streets in search of the scattered festival booths that had been set up only a few hours ago by the caravan of entertainers.
The moon rose just above the white towers of the Palace and bathed the colorfully lit streets in a silver light. Everyone rejoiced, feasted, and many began to file out towards the large area where the caravan was set up. Off to the right of all the wagons and carts there was a stage, assembled by the entertainers, and all night they'd be playing spectacular shows to dazzle and amaze the locals.
"I wonder what the show is about, no da." Chichiri commented to Tasuki and Hotohori.
"Probably just some jugglers and magicians." Tasuki sighed as only he could and leaned back in his seat.
"I hope, whatever it is, it ends up beautifully." Hotohori said, exposing his trademark vanity but phrasing it as an encouragement.
"Enjoy the show gentlemen." The emperor was sitting down near the front just a stone's throw away from Chichiri and the others.
Around the large circular stage was a semi-circle of metal and wooden bleachers that went up only five or six rows. In the front row, just removes a foot or so from the stage, sat the emperor, his entourage, and the group from Konan. The rest of the rows were filled to the brim with excited onlookers, some even sat down at the sides of the bleachers and in the isles of stairs to watch the show.
There was a loud whistling noise as a rocket was launched into the air. All of the people seated in the bleachers looked up and applauded as the firework exploded in an array of light and colors. When they looked back a group of servants from the palace were standing at the bottom of the bleachers ready to give out food and drink, and on the stage stood a group of dancers carrying torches and Kira, clad in costume, holding her Samshir in one hand and a pair of daggers in her other hand.
"Ladies and gentlemen! May I have a volunteer from the audience?" Kira called out to the audience, who from her point of view were masked in shadows. "Perhaps his highness?" She looked at where the emperor had to have been, seeing as that was where all the guards were seated.
"No thank you young lady." The emperor answered back and Kira swore under her breath. "Perhaps someone else?" He looked up and, it seems, no one else wanted to risk being the volunteer in a show involving fire and sharp objects. "One of my guests?" The emperor was getting rather desperate, if no one else wanted to he'd have to go up.
Author's Notes (Part 2): Yes, this chapter has been divided. The next chapter will be very interesting.
Author's Notes: Sorry about the delays between chapters! I've got so much work at school, it's not right. But, yare yare. I will continue! Be it though pouring sarcasm, raging flames, or the dead of a black-out.
Oh my gosh.x.X Fourty Reviews? I wasn't expecting more than fifteen or so for this. but wow! Thanks to everyone who reviews! You all rule. Keep doing what you do.
"Excuse me, can you help me find the way out of here?" Chichiri knelt down beside the small boy and smiled. " I'm actually quite lost." Chichiri laughed and stared at Tatara.
"I don't know the way out." Tatara set the boxes he'd been carrying down and thought for a minute. "But I know Prince does!"
"Prince?" Chichiri gave the boy a strange look but smiled as the boy took his hand and led him through the maze to a set of tents.
"Pu-rin-su!" Tatara called out, and there was some obvious movement in one of the tents.
"Tatara!" Kira yelled in a singsong voice before she stepped out of the tent. "Did you run those boxes already?"
"Prince." Chichiri thought for a moment and chuckled. 'He's young; perhaps he can't pronounce her name correctly. Purin, that must be it.' Chichiri thought to himself.
"Ouh." Tatara remembered the boxes and blinked as he heard Kira laugh.
"You got distracted?" Kira asked as she stepped out of the tent in her full costume, veil, sword, and all. Kira looked at Tatara, and her blood ran cold as she saw who was with him.
"He's lost." Tatara said and pointed at Chichiri.
"I see." Kira said and took a cautious step towards the two.
"Huh. Pardon me Maam, but have we met somewhere before?" Chichiri asked and tried to place where he could have met the woman before. She seemed so familiar.
"I don't think so." Kira said calmly though on the inside she was saying her prayers. "Well, if you want to get out of our little labyrinth just walk that way as far as it goes and turn left." Kira motioned off at the wagons hoping to direct the attention away from her.
"Oh is that all?" Chichiri asked in a cheery voice and turned to thank the eerily familiar woman. He blinked as he turned around, it seemed she'd disappeared. "What?" Chichiri looked around; there was no sign of either the familiar woman or the little boy. He took a few steps back and walked off towards the wagons she'd motioned to.
As he walked off, Kira poked her head out from behind a nearby tent. She let out a breath she'd been holding and looked down at the confused Tatara.
"Why'd you run? He was nice." Tatara said and blinked.
"Uh." Kira didn't particularly want to lie to Tatara, but knowing him he'd probably walk up to the monk and ask if he really attacked Prince Kurare. "You're not supposed to talk to strangers." Kira said and smiled nervously.
"Oh. Alright." Tatara immediately took her word for law without even a second thought or doubt. "I'm gonna go find the boxes." Tatara laughed and went off in search of the boxes he'd left behind.
"Okay." Kira blinked, rather astonished that Tatara trusted her enough to simply accept things with no reasoning. "Uh, right! I should go follow that monk, he could foul up the plan."
With that Kira speedily walked off in pursuit of the monk, Chichiri. After filing through the twisted maze of carts and wagons Kira managed to slip into the crowd of pedestrians that walked along the sidewalk that met the edge of the empty street. She tried to be inconspicuous, but her Arabian style belly dancer's costume didn't bled well with the Chinese dress of the locals (not to mention she was rather tall and stuck out). However, that wasn't really a problem because there were enough people that she could easily lose someone (though that in itself was a problem).
"Where'd he go?" Kira stopped walking and stood up on her tiptoes and looked above the crowd as well as she could. "There he is!" She exclaimed quietly.
Chichiri was standing on the sidewalk corner, across the street that met the empty one perpendicularly. He was examining the way people avoided the street and looked quite tempted to stop someone and ask.
"Hmm." Chichiri looked down at the street. The stones looked normal enough, perfectly stable, didn't particularly seem cursed.
"Excuse me, sir, you don't want to go out there."
Chichiri turned around and 'blinked.' The same woman that had reprimanded the child who very nearly crossed the street for his ball was standing next to him and looked quite serious.
"May I ask why?" Chichiri smiled at the woman, unaware that just twenty feet away Kira was spying on him.
"You don't know?" The woman looked rather surprised, and then glanced around nervously. "I'm sorry, I'd rather not say it aloud." She bowed once and walked off swiftly in the other direction.
Chichiri watched her walk off and stood at the corner of the street looking quite puzzled. He looked down over his shoulder at the road and decided to simply ask the Emperor later during the festival. The festival, also, seemed to be a matter lacking in knowledge. Everyone seemed so jubilant, but they would become instantly silent and change the subject. There was something strange going on in this city.
The sun dimmed over the city, and as the sun dipped down past the horizon and faded from sight a sea of brightly colored paper lanterns lit up and cast a warming and festive glow onto the clean white streets of Cairou. Hundreds of the cities residents be they of any class of wealth or lacking, wandered out into the streets in search of the scattered festival booths that had been set up only a few hours ago by the caravan of entertainers.
The moon rose just above the white towers of the Palace and bathed the colorfully lit streets in a silver light. Everyone rejoiced, feasted, and many began to file out towards the large area where the caravan was set up. Off to the right of all the wagons and carts there was a stage, assembled by the entertainers, and all night they'd be playing spectacular shows to dazzle and amaze the locals.
"I wonder what the show is about, no da." Chichiri commented to Tasuki and Hotohori.
"Probably just some jugglers and magicians." Tasuki sighed as only he could and leaned back in his seat.
"I hope, whatever it is, it ends up beautifully." Hotohori said, exposing his trademark vanity but phrasing it as an encouragement.
"Enjoy the show gentlemen." The emperor was sitting down near the front just a stone's throw away from Chichiri and the others.
Around the large circular stage was a semi-circle of metal and wooden bleachers that went up only five or six rows. In the front row, just removes a foot or so from the stage, sat the emperor, his entourage, and the group from Konan. The rest of the rows were filled to the brim with excited onlookers, some even sat down at the sides of the bleachers and in the isles of stairs to watch the show.
There was a loud whistling noise as a rocket was launched into the air. All of the people seated in the bleachers looked up and applauded as the firework exploded in an array of light and colors. When they looked back a group of servants from the palace were standing at the bottom of the bleachers ready to give out food and drink, and on the stage stood a group of dancers carrying torches and Kira, clad in costume, holding her Samshir in one hand and a pair of daggers in her other hand.
"Ladies and gentlemen! May I have a volunteer from the audience?" Kira called out to the audience, who from her point of view were masked in shadows. "Perhaps his highness?" She looked at where the emperor had to have been, seeing as that was where all the guards were seated.
"No thank you young lady." The emperor answered back and Kira swore under her breath. "Perhaps someone else?" He looked up and, it seems, no one else wanted to risk being the volunteer in a show involving fire and sharp objects. "One of my guests?" The emperor was getting rather desperate, if no one else wanted to he'd have to go up.
Author's Notes (Part 2): Yes, this chapter has been divided. The next chapter will be very interesting.