Kiisan and Falina sat in the room looking at each other silently for a few minutes before Falina stood up. "I have to go...My father will be home soon and I need to make something for dinner." She walked quietly out of the room, slipped into her shoes, and left Kiisan's house. Avrin, Kiyo, and Osayo watched her go.

Avrin pushed back a few strands of hair slipping into her face, "Kiisan... is she okay? Is everything alright?"

Kiisan put his elbows on the table and rested his head in his hands; "Everything is fine Mother."

Murasaki Fuji no Shita ni Kuni

"The Country Under the Purple Wisteria"

Chapter 2- The Survivor Revisited

The sun was sinking slowly over the western horizon, casting an orange flame-like glow over the fields and the workers returning home. The northern border of the state of Serif was still at peace. The Tols Highroad was still safe to travel. --But not for long.

Falina scooped some rice into her father's bowl. She picked at her own food anxiously and almost tipped over the teapot. Something was not quite right. Pohren looked at his daughter and then out of the window, but he couldn't seem to find what was amiss. He hoped it was just Falina having a small bout of the blues and that it would be over quickly, however he couldn't really believe that something so simple was the cause of this feeling. Falina swallowed a sip of her jasmine tea and looked up abruptly. "Do you smell smoke?" Pohren set down his chopsticks and sniffed the air, "Yes...what could that be?" Falina stood up and stiffly walked over to the hibachi, which contained only a few tiny embers amidst the charred pieces of wood-, nothing that could be giving off this strong scent. Pohren opened the front door and one glance spelled terror.

The fields were burning. The livelihood of the whole village was gone. Some of the houses were burning as well. He turned to Falina and looked at her sternly, "Wait here, just inside the doorway for me to come back." She nodded and took up her position. As he stepped off the porch he turned back and looked at his only child once more, "If I don't come back than don't worry about me- take care of yourself." Falina fought back tears when she saw her hometown in flames. The clamor made her head ache; no one had been prepared for anything like this- what she saw was no simple wildfire- it was an attack from Medina, the state to the north. The soldiers with their white helmets and long spears ran through the streets waving torches and cutting down anyone who tried to stop them. The flames raged higher and she felt them come closer.

"How long am I supposed to wait for Father?" she wondered. Falina dug into her father's box of tools and took the two daggers he had fought with so long ago. She stuck the leather-sheathed weapons and stuck them through her sash. Better to be prepared than dead. The blaze was too close now; she snuck out of the house and stood by the tool shed. "...is there anyone out there who I can trust?" she murmured to herself. For the Medinan soldiers to make it here so silently they had either an amazing military strategist or a contact in Serif. She hated to think anyone would sell out the state to protect themselves or make some money, but she had heard many stories about spies from the past and couldn't dismiss the notion.

"Hey! Falina!" whispered a voice. Someone put their hand on her shoulder. She practically jumped out of her shoes. She spun around to end up face-to-face with Kiisan, his face smeared with ashes. He grinned impudently, his teeth still perfectly white, "Are you alright? Where's your father?"

She shook her head, "I'm okay, but Father went off to check on the situation and he hasn't come back. What about your mom? And your sisters?"

He suddenly became serious, "No hope there."

"Oh...I'm sorry..." Falina hung her head, "This isn't right...it- it can't be true..." she thought to herself, but no matter what her mind told her her heart knew it was true.

Kiisan took her hand, "We have to get out of here- fast."

She looked up him in confusion, "W-why?"

He glanced past her at the rest of the village; "It's too dangerous. If your father is okay, he'll come looking for you, right? So you don't have to worry about him. He is a war veteran after all, he's been through a lot of tough situations."

She looked at him, her face portraying a mixture of sorrow and trust, "Then let's go." Still holding her hand he started off to the southeast, away from the village and the path the soldiers had taken. Without a word the two walked through a yet untilled field full of weeds, stopping on a small rise to look back for a moment at the village they would never see again. And to smell the scent of wisteria and fire as life as they knew it went up in smoke.

After the pause Kiisan and Falina walked a few more yards before Falina was able to finally ask the question that had been plaguing her since their escape, "Where are we going to go, Kiisan?"

He stopped and from his countenance it became evident that he had not thought of that himself. "I think we should probably head to Serif City...to warn the turan about what happened... Do you have any other ideas?"

She shook her head, "That sounds good enough to me." With the light of the first-quarter moon exposing their path Falina and Kiisan walked all night, until, exhausted, they had reached Serif City and stood outside the rather imposing gates.

The gates were still closed for the night at the hour of their arrival so while Falina dozed against the wall Kiisan paced about trying to decide what to do first once inside the city. At the change of the guard the huge oaken gates were opened to the outside and the city awoke. Kiisan shook Falina and she sleepily followed himself inside past the peasants and merchants entering with their wares and the mercenaries leaving on their various missions. "What exactly are you going to do to get to see the turan?"

Kiisan shrugged, "I'll think of something when they ask me for a reason. I'm pretty good at improvising." Serif City was the capital of the state and therefore the largest, most populous city in the region. This wasn't either Kiisan or Falina's first visit, but they were still awed by the myriad of multi-cultural people and goods that surrounded them. Kiisan pushed past street vendors and entertainers looking for a handout and pulled Falina gently behind him.

"Do you know where you're going, Kiisan?"

He glared at her menacingly, but his eyes revealed that it was merely in jest, "Why would you ask me that? Of course I know where I'm going! Do you want to be in charge Missy?"

She giggled a little, although she was tired and dirty, Kiisan was still funny, "No, I'll just take your word for it Captain."

The Great Hall of Serif City was a large three-story building built of granite. All the other buildings in the city were wooden or adobe so the Great Hall with its tall pillars and waving pennants was a lovely sight. The guards outside looked rather complacent, as if they hadn't seen any action for a long time. Kiisan and Falina walked inside without any interference, but once inside they were greeted with a receptionist sitting at her desk. The round-faced woman looked at the two over her green-rimmed glasses and asked, "May I assist you?"

While Falina stared at the inside of the hall in a daze Kiisan spoke to the receptionist, "Yes, we could use some help. This is Falina and I'm Kiisan-"

"Kiisan's not your real name," cut in Falina, "It's just a nickname!" Kiisan rolled his eyes, "But that's what everyone calls me. My real name is too long and annoying." He turned back to the woman at the desk; "We've come here from Finnel Village. I'd like to speak to Turan Magno. Soldiers from Medina attacked Finnel Village last night. It's very urgent that I get to speak with him."

"Hmm..." she mumbled as she looked through her appointment book, "Turan Magno shouldn't be able to speak with you until Thursday unless...I realize that this is too important to wait nearly three days. He should be leaving his office in just about five minutes to go meet with Mayor Gurenne of Kuwan, if you wait right here you should be able to catch him before he goes. I'm sure Mayor Gurenne could wait an extra five or ten minutes for you to see Turan Magno." She winked at him and went back to her paper filing.

"So," asked Falina, "What's going to happen? When do you get to talk to him?"

Kiisan looked up to see the rather muscular, armored man who ruled the state striding towards them. Kiisan smiled broadly, "Right about now."

Note: "Turan" is a title. He's sort of like a mayor or governor, but also serves as a general.