The sun was just rising as Louis Abdul led Kiisan and the other revolutionaries out of Serif City. Falina absentmindedly stroked the mane of the black horse she was sharing with Kiisan. He was busy chatting with the acting-navigator. "This is terrible...absolutely terrible. Nothing good is going to happen because of this," Falina thought to herself, "We should've just stayed in Serif City and waited to see if our parents or anyone else would show up. Now Kiisan's going on this stupid quest and he's going to get himself killed! I should stop him! ...But no one ever listens to me." She sighed and leaned her head back against Kiisan's chest. He looked down at her momentarily before returning his attention to Louis Abdul. "It's going to be a ridiculously long day..." the dark-haired girl decided.
Murasaki Fuji no Shita ni Kuni
"The Country Under the Purple Wisteria"
Chapter 6- The Treacherous High Road and Strange Devotions
It was nearly midday and Kiisan felt rather sore from riding so long. He had never been very much for horses...or any other large animals for that matter, he observed, glancing at Mai Mai who trotted enthusiastically behind his horse. He nudged Falina; "Do you get the feeling that Mai Mai there is waiting for me to fall off? ...I know that sounds insane, but you know how vultures circle around dying animals, don't you? ...That's sort of how I feel." His friend squinted at him fuzzily, "What? Why do you think that?" Kiisan shook his head. Maybe he really was just imagining it. "Nevermind."
In this farming region of the state of Serif most roads were built up above ground level to avoid flooding from rice paddies. Weathering had resulted in deep ditches between the roads and the fields. From down in the ditch Han Li was able to easily observe the passerby without their detection. He wiped some mud from his cheeks with a dirt-encrusted handkerchief and held up a hand to keep the sun out of his almond brown eyes. He could see a group of travelers approaching on horseback and squinted harder to get a good look at them as they passed.
Leading, on a brown and white horse, was a man in the uniform of a commander from Serif's Regional Army. His long ebony hair fluttered behind him like a scarf. He was followed closely by a black horse carrying a young, energetic-looking man wearing an odd hat and a slightly pretty girl who had the look of someone not long off the farm. A large, furball of a wildcat trailed them like the Grim Reaper, intent on not being distracted. After that was what appeared to be a Shensa Clanswoman whose tan skin was marked with red and purple paint in strange moon-like shapes. A few uninteresting privates from Serif's army were flanked by a scarred man wearing a bright bandanna and a ninja whose rode much more easily than the rest, even with an older man hanging onto him awkwardly. Han Li considered hailing the group and was starting to haul himself onto the road when he caught sight of a blond man in blank armor tailing the rather jaunty-looking military expedition. He slid softly back down into the ditch and took a deep breath. Definitely a bad aura there. The sound of the horses seemed to be growing more faint so Han Li summoned up some more courage and clambered onto the dusty road. He stood watching the people head towards the state of Kesten. "What could soldiers want there?" Although he called them soldiers the suspicious man seriously doubted that was what they really were. As he attempted to brush some dust and dirt off his tunic one final rider galloped crazily past him. Han Li fell to the ground and rolled a distance trying to protect himself from the terrible horseman. "I'm very sorry Sir! Please forgive me!" The straggler called to him. Han Li got back up slowly and observed the man who had just passed. He was a tiny priest wearing a rather improportionally large hat.
The dirty traveler smoothed down his hair and opened the pouch he wore at his waist to check on its contents. All eight flasks were cracked and the liquids they had contained were dripping on everything else. He untied his pouch from his sash and threw it to the ground. He turned and walked away in the same direction as the travelers he had just observed.
The weather, which had so far been holding rather well, suddenly turned sour, as it was apt to do in the early spring. The sky clouded over and a light drizzle began to fall. Kiisan felt rather miserable as the cool drops struck his face. He felt Falina shiver and he scooted closer to her. "Hey, Captain, how much longer do we need to go today? We've only stopped once, for lunch, and it's getting cold." Louis Abdul flicked some rain off his hair defiantly, "The weather's never stopped me before and I don't think it'll stop me now." Kiisan felt his spirits droop, a pause did not appear to be in order. "Sir, can't we set up camp for the night? I'm tired and I think the horses are too." Kiisan looked over his shoulder at the blond-haired soldier who had spoken. He was not an extra-ordinary looking person, but had a rather comforting, country type of face. The captain nodded his approval and called to the others, "We're stopping by popular request! Okay, let's get off the road! Set up the tents!" As they maneuvered their horses off the highroad Kiisan turned to face the round-faced soldier, "What's your name?" "Um, uh, Russ, sir," he responded. Kiisan grinned at him, "Thank you Russ!"
The campfire crackled and sparked from resin in the wood. Sonoa sniffed the iron pot that Russ was stirring soup in disgust. "You going to eat this?" Russ looked up at her, his straw-colored bangs sliding out of his eyes. "Yep, this's dinner Ma'am." Sonoa sniffed haughtily, "I just can't believe you would eat something like that." Rizu glanced at her with irritation, "It's just soup Sonoa, just because it contains no meat doesn't mean it'll kill you." Mai Mai growled at Rizu and he rolled his eyes in response, "You're a hunter Mai Mai. Go catch yourself something." Mai Mai turned from Rizu and skulked off past the tents into the night. Sonoa scowled, "Don't provoke Mai Mai." Russ offered her a bowl of soup. The pale-haired woman took the metal bowl gingerly.
Falina and Carlos watched the scene from a distance. Carlos took a last sip of his soup and put his bowl down. He rubbed his shoulders awkwardly, "Falina, could you do me a favor?" She laughed and before he could present his request she pulled the tiny priest's hair to the side and began to rub his shoulders. Falina looked around the campsite, "Have you seen Kiisan anywhere? Where did he go?" Carlos' bright green eyes darted back and forth, "I don't know...uh, that's good Falina, I'm okay, thanks." The two arose and began to search the camp for their friend. Carlos questioned their companions who sat around the tiny campfire while Falina patrolled the edges of the area. She stuck her head into each of the small, roundish tents that the group had set up, but she still couldn't find even a trace of Kiisan. Summoning up all her courage Falina marched over to the only person in the camp neither she nor Carlos had yet had the strength to approach: Yuber. The black knight didn't even turn to look at her as she stepped forward. 'What is it that Kiisan always calls him...?' Falina wondered to herself. "Excuse, me, Sir Yuber...H-have you seen Kiisan? I can't find him..." Yuber seemed to glance at her for a moment, but she couldn't be sure because of how his helmet covered his face. "I saw him leave to the east. He was following a True Rune so I decided not to do anything." Falina was both shocked and panicked, "He left?! A True Rune?!! What?!" She bowed quickly to Yuber and ran back to Carlos. She grabbed the scrawny man by the shoulders and shook him; "Kiisan left! Sir Yuber said he was following a True Rune! What are we going to do?!" Carlos's eyes grew round in fear, "A True Rune? What is it? From where? ...This is trouble!"
Carlos scurried to the others to alert them of the trouble, but no one seemed especially perturbed. Carlos threw up his hands in disgust, "Do you think Sir Kiisan is disposable?! He's our leader!" Russ turned his head frantically to both sides to look at Sonoa, Rizu, Junsuke, and Louis Abdul. None of them met his glance. Rizu became their spokesperson, "I'm sorry Father Carlos, but if Kiisan leaves it's none of our business. Turan Magno didn't tell us to keep a strict watch over him and it doesn't matter if we have to get a new leader. Kiisan wasn't that special." Carlos stared at the others in disbelief. He had not been introduced to the turan's plans fully. Falina gritted her teeth and clenched her fists holding back hot tears. "I'm going to wake up Lucien! He'll help us find Kiisan!" She stomped into a lop-sided tent angrily returning a few minutes later with Lucien who was more caught up in coming fully awake than in finding Kiisan. Falina grabbed him by the sleeve and dragged him off behind her as she strode to the east. Carlos scuttled after them clutching his wooden staff. Russ got up from the campfire and casting the turan's four agents a scornful glance ran after Falina, Carlos, and Lucien.
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Kiisan snatched at the man's tunic and just barely grabbed the edge. "Hey! Slow down you! Where're you leading me?" The man, Han Li, turned around suddenly, causing Kiisan to lose his balance and fall forward catching himself awkwardly with his hands. Han Li threw back his head and laughed hard. Kiisan strained his eyes to look at the dirty man in the dark. The moon was visible only as a small sliver appearing as a crown over Han Li's shiny hair. Kiisan sat up and took the opportunity to catch his breath. "Are you ready for your destiny?" The younger man stared in confusion, "What are you talking about?" Han Li put a hand to his face only adding to the dust and dirt that was already there, "I'm talking about what is in Crystal Valley. You can destroy the future there...or you can create it." He looked contemplatively up at the stars. Kiisan brushed himself off and stood up, his mind still reeling, "Do you mean me specifically...or anyone? I don't follow, Mister." Han Li's eyes lit up with an unearthly glow, "You specifically." Kiisan's off-colored eyes widened, he was enchanted by the aura the traveler possessed, "How do you know that?" Han Li lifted his right hand and a strong gust of wind blew all the dust and dirt of the road from him as it glowed faintly with a pale green light. Kiisan's hat blew off his head onto the ground and the bell hanging from his waist jingled. The grass waved like the ocean for a moment and back at the campsite everything shook and the wind whistled like a mournful spirit. "I can see things sometimes. I bear the True Wind Rune...Kiisan."