"Kyaaah!" He had run right into a girl in a bright kimono, knocking both of them to the ground. She dropped her lantern and the rain quickly extinguished the tiny light. Kiisan sat up and blinked, allowing his eyes to readjust to the darkness. The brown-haired girl sneezed and rose to her feet. She looked at Kiisan with a mixture of curiosity and fear, "Ah! Sonata wa ize!" He pushed his hat back down onto his damp head and slowly arose, "Who are you? Where am I?" The girl shook her head and shrugged, "Someruno. Que va?" Realizing that she must not understand the common tongue of the nation Kiisan could only raise a hand to his brow and glance around with a worried expression on his face hoping she would realize it meant he was lost. The girl stared at him helplessly for a moment before taking grasping the edge of one of his dirty sleeves in her hand and leading him through the muddy field.
Kiisan could still feel his head reeling from the panic that had overtaken him momentarily, however it began to fade as he walked behind the kimono-clad girl. The rune in his hand shone faintly as the rain began to ease up. The girl walked at a steady pace, her straw sandals making a soft crunching sound at each step. As the night wore on they approached a wooden house raised on poles slightly above the ground. The girl let go of his sleeve to run up the porch steps and knock on the door. He followed silently, letting his heartrate even out and his breathing relax. The door was opened by a young woman with brown hair like the girl's and a dark spot on one cheek. Her eyes widened at first, and then she smiled and beckoned him in.
Murasaki Fuji no Shita ni Kuni
"The Country Under the Purple Wisteria"
Chapter 10- Eddies of Wind and Poppies Seen Through Fever
As Kiisan stood just inside the closed door uncomfortably letting his robes drip-dry the girls chattered excitedly in words he could not comprehend. After a few awkward moments he stepped towards them and asked, "Can't either of you tell me where I am? I got lost in the rain." The younger girl he had run into in the field took a step away, the elder approached him smiling and said, "You are in our house. I am Hyoko, and that is my younger sister, Hittoko. We are in the state of Sanjan. Father, what is your name?" It took Kiisan a moment to realize that his mouth was hanging open in shock. He hastily stood up straight and responded, "Oh, ah, I'm Kiisan. Thanks for giving me our location." Hyoko laughed cheerfully and turned to her sister, "Father Kiisan wah ano hito no amae da. Iku." Kiisan felt his face light up a bit, "You're bilingual. What language is that?" Hyoko looked back at him as Hittoko left the room, "It's Lirwani. Hittoko and I were born in the Lirwai Settlement just outside of Tou-Kaan City." "She only speaks Lirwani?" The young woman nodded and rolled up her long sleeves to her elbows. "Why don't you come with me Father Kiisan and I'll get you something dry to put on for the time being." Kiisan left his muddy boots by the door and followed Hyoko, his mind filled with many thoughts, "I'm not so sure 'Father Kiisan' suits me..." Hyoko stopped suddenly and glanced at him over her shoulder, "Would 'Father Hikusa-" "No, that would not be better!" announced Kiisan stubbornly, cutting her off mid-word. Hyoko smiled again as Kiisan felt a shiver run down his spine. He was unsure whether it was from the cold or the worry, "I wasn't speaking out loud. And you don't know my name. How could you know...?" She turned and kept walking, her kimono rustling against her legs, "I can read your mind when it's that loud." It took Kiisan another awkward moment to notice he was no longer following his hostess and he scuttled after her to keep up, his mind turning to quieter thoughts, like anxiety over the conditions of his friends.
Falina had decided Kiisan was missing again, but Lucien forbade her to leave their camp in the rain and fog. Han Li comforted her slightly by stating that he could still sense Kiisan's presence, meaning he could not have gone too far, but he also did not tell her that with such a powerful True Rune Kiisan's aura was enormous and one with any magical skill whatsoever did not have to be near him to recognize its unconcealed power. One of the recruits they had met in Crona, the man with his own agenda, Jirobane, volunteered to go walk a bit up the road and see if he could find anything. He borrowed a thick cloak from Louis Abdul, which he tossed over his head, and he lit a lantern to try and help see through the heavy atmosphere. Falina braided and unbraided her hair anxiously while Han Li hummed a foreign tune and tapped his fingers in time to it on the hilt of his dagger. The rain lightened for about an hour or so before growing harder again. Even Yuber was so sick of the rain that he took shelter in one of the flimsy tents. Mai Mai sat with Falina, who stroked the big cat, until she fell asleep. Dreams flitted through her mind like hummingbirds, until a nightmare of burning arrows and raining blood gripped her unconscious and she awoke in terror to the sound of blades clashing.
An Imperial spy had trailed the group from Crona City and an attachment of the Aronian Regional Army was soon to follow. She was alone in the tent with Mai Mai. Falina found her blades and gritted her teeth venturing out of the tent with Mai Mai at her side. The chaos was absolute. The fog was still thick and a fine drizzle still coating everything in sight. The soldiers' silver armor and purple insignia stood out against the various costumes of her companions. Mai Mai snarled fiercely. Falina turned to see Mai Mai pounce on a man who had drawn too near. She could pick out some of the others too through the mist. Yuber slashing up and then down with his sparkling blades, blood spattered on his face as he laughed, dancing the waltz of death. Louis Abdul, atop his horse, whirled his sword above his head, hair blowing wildly. Han Li raised his right hand and from it shone the True Wind Rune. A hurricane-sized gust slashed at the enemy and although leaving her unharmed knocked Falina down into the mud. Another attacker raised his javelin above her, but was taken down by a well-aimed arrow from Russ. They were outnumbered, but still managing to hold their ground, due mostly to the powerful efforts of Han Li's magic.
Many miles down the road, Jirobane decided it the search for Kiisan this way was no use and raising his lantern high for one last glance decided to turn back the way he had come. He had been interested enough to travel with the revolutionaries because of the fervor in the voice of their teenaged leader. Jirobane had been rather excited about the idea of talking with him and was disappointed at Kiisan's disappearance. He had the vague feeling he was being cheated out of an interesting conversation. He picked up his pace as he meandered back down the highroad as he heard the strange sound of whistling arrows. Jirobane was somewhat uncertain as to what this might mean, but he knew it couldn't be a positive thing. He ran back to the campsite, returning in time to see Han Li's blast of wind turn the arrows back on the archers. The remaining imperial soldiers fled back towards Crona. He dropped the cloak and hurried closer to survey the damage. One of the soldiers who had come with the rebels from Serif had been killed, as had two of the new recruits from Crona. Louis Abdul had his left arm wrapped up tightly in his cape. Sonoa and Junsuke looked relatively unscathed, as did Rizu, who had mud smeared across his face. One of the tents still stood with some purple fletched arrows stuck in the side. The other tents had been ripped apart or knocked down in the battle. Mai Mai sat in the ruins of one licking her paw. Lucien was occupied wiping off a cut on Russ's cheek. The various other rebels and the remaining soldiers from Serif tended to some minor wounds and tried to hang to the horses that had not fled in the confusion. Han Li stepped up behind Jirobane quietly and tapped him on the shoulder, "So? Nothing at all, was there?" The young warrior shook his head; "You were ambushed." The traveler sighed, "Things like that happen. We'll only have to fight more in the future. Yes...this is still just the beginning." Jirobane kicked at a bow that one of their attackers had dropped in his haste to escape, "Where're Miss Falina and Father Carlos?" Han Li tensed and spun around rapidly, "Falina! Falina!"
It took only a few minutes for Falina and Carlos to be found in the ditch alongside the road. Falina was relatively unharmed, but Carlos had suffered a tremendous gash in the side. Han Li squeezed her hand as Rizu and Junsuke hurried with their wounded comrade into the remaining tent. "Falina, what happened?" She took a deep breath and wiped some tears from her face before turning to face the mysterious man, "I was with Mai Mai at first, until I ran into some trouble. Russ told me to get out of the way so I wouldn't get hurt. I jumped down into the ditch, thinking I would be safer, and then I saw Father Carlos. He cast some sort of spell and I first I thought he was doing alright, but the soldier fighting him got faster and slashed downwards towards him. Father Carlos was surprised so he slipped and with his upward slash the soldier got him. I was scared, but I didn't want him to kill Father Carlos. I closed my eyes and threw a knife at him. I guess my aim isn't so bad... Sir Han...is he going to be okay?" "I don't know. I'll have to go take a better look at his injury. Whatever happens, you did a good job Falina." She shivered and started crying again. Han Li put his arm around her and led her back to the others in silence.
Meanwhile Kiisan was sleeping peacefully in Hyoko and Hittoko's home in a robe they had lent him. He hadn't known when he arrived how exhausted he was from the constant traveling or how the sudden addition of the True Rune had both given him strength and deprived him of it. He slept for two days, awakening around noon. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Hittoko's round face. "Hello," she murmured to him, "Daijouubu? Asa ni kiite?" He sat up shakily, brushing some hair out of his face, "Oh, hello Hittoko. Good morning." She laughed happily and pulled him out of bed, dragging him onto the back porch. The sun was shining as if it hadn't rained in a thousand years. The field was a greenish-gold checkered with bright red poppies growing amid the wheat. "It's beautiful..." "Zaa, sure is." Hyoko handed him a glass of orange juice; "Here you are Father Kiisan. You must be hungry, come with me to the kitchen for some breakfast. You can look at the poppies later, they'll be waiting for you."
The poppies had sprung up quickly in the few days following the rain and in the village of Sanjah Falina gazed at them out of the unclear window. The glass was rather cheap and really made more to allow light into the room than to give a good view of the outside. At the time, however, it made little difference to the peasant girl. Lucien sighed loudly, "Falina, come help me. I can't get him to swallow any of this." She arose from the off-balanced stool she had been sitting on and walked over to Lucien. The older man stood holding a small bowl, filled with a greenish liquid, a look of strained patience on his face. "If the scrawny little priest wants to survive his injury he needs to take my medicine." Falina smiled unpleasantly, "He doesn't like you very much Mr. Lucien, even when he isn't delirious." She looked down at Carlos, who tossed slightly, his face red and hot with fever. "He always cooperates better with you..." Lucien mumbled, "He should be grateful I almost became a doctor. No one knows a thing about medicine in a little out of the way place like this." He wandered out of the room bemoaning the world's unappreciation of his many talents leaving the bowl of medicine in Falina's hands. She set it down on the wooden floor and reached around Carlos, putting her arms under his shoulders, lifting him up a little bit. She ran her other hand along the floor until she touched the clay bowl, which she picked up carefully. Falina managed to pour a good portion of the green liquid into Carlos' partially open mouth. He coughed, seeming to choke slightly and swallowed it. She laid him back down and smoothed down the quilt that covered the bed. "Kiisan, where are you?" She asked aloud, turning back to stare out the window at the crimson poppies, "You need to come back now..."
Note: I wrote Hittoko and Hyoko's Lirwani dialogue in Cyrillic to give it a more foreign appearance to the reader, however, that is not the alphabet Lirwani is written in. ^-^