Han Li sat in the hall with a cheerful smile on his face. The sandy-haired boy sat in his lap fiddling with a puzzle composed of two strangely shaped twigs twisted around each other. It was evident to anyone who saw them that the ancient mage was quite taken with the little boy. "All right, Dad," Sanada approached him, "Would you be so kind as to tell me if our slight problem has been taken care of? No one else seems ready to talk about it, but since you look fine..."
"That'll be enough, Sanada," he snapped weakly, "Carlos has it. It's his responsibility now and I'm sure he'll be the expert on it in time," he paused and when he spoke again his tone had lost its harsh edge, "Before you go, though, do you have any ideas for a name?"
"A what?" she gave the mage a strange look, "Did you say 'a name?' Why?"
"For the little boy," he explained as if it were as plain as day.
She threw up her hands, "How should I have names at ready? I haven't named anything since I was a little girl."
Han Li sighed, "I guess I'll have to ask someone else."
Murasaki Fuji no Shita ni Kuni
"The Country Under the Purple Wisteria"
Chapter 65- The Skeptic and the Weaver Girl
Mio rather liked the Westerners, except for the fact that Neraini, the Safir woman, had to greet him each time they met with a tight bear hug. He was not sure what to make of that custom. Fairwind was concerned with all the details of the treaty Sanada kept assuring him that Kiisan would eventually sign and followed the orange-haired strategist around the fortress, asking questions. "Where are we going to draw the border, Mio? I don't want to inconvenience your people, but I was hoping that the lands of the Kaana and Safir wouldn't be decreased just because they're the furthest east... Will there be any guarantee that the peace will be kept? I don't want the clans to go completely all out fighting for this cause only for you people to turn around and crush us while we're weakened. ...Who are our neighbors going to be anyway? I feel sort of bad just saying, "you people" all the time."
The strategist paused thoughtfully, "I suppose that's right, Captain. We're just rebels; we aren't anyone in particular yet...at least not to my knowledge. Let's ask Kiisan about it."
Fairwind nodded in agreement and the two headed up the stairs to the room Kiisan was occupying. The door was open partially, so Mio picked in, "Kiisan?" The young priest was sprawled on the bed, fully clothed with his boots still on, snoring.
"He looks tired out for sure," the Zexen observed.
"I guess we'll have to wait," the strategist shrugged. As he turned to walk away he looked straight into the face of Hai-Yong, "Ack! Hai-Yong!"
The wavy-haired man put his strong hands on Mio's shoulders and turned him around so he was facing Kiisan's room again, "He's been sleeping for two hours now and he should be taking care of things. He deserves to be woken up." The muscular man ushered Mio and Fairwind into the room, leaned down over Kiisan, grabbing the younger man by the front of his robes and giving him a slight shake, "Kiisan! Get up you lazy bum!"
Kiisan stared at them groggily, rubbed his eyes, and yawned.
"Well," Hai-Yong muttered, letting go of Kiisan's robes, "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"
Their leader blinked twice, "Sorry, I was still just so tired. I sat down for a minute and then... Well, sorry, I'm very sorry."
Hai-Yong rubbed his temples with one hand, looking away. "Um, Kiisan," Mio began, "You remember Captain Fairwind, right? We introduced him to you when you came back yesterday. He and I were discussing some details of a possible treaty and then it occurred to us, who exactly will the Grasslanders be making a treaty with?"
"I think they'll have to wait until a new government is established and make it with them," Kiisan swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat there looking at his three visitors.
"Kiisan," Mio squeaked, "We're going to be a large part of the new government. You'll probably rule for at least a little while until everything is under control."
"What? Me?!" He finally woke up entirely, "I want to save people from oppression, not rule them!"
"You seem pretty capable to me," Fairwind noted, "At least from everything the messenger told me..."
"But I... Remember Mio- Chief Priest Hirano wants me to be his successor...I can't rule the country if I'm the Chief Priest. I'll be too busy running the Church," Kiisan protested.
"That's it!" Mio laughed, "The infrastructure we need can start with that! The Church can run the new country! I can't wait to ask Lady Sanada what she thinks of that!"
"Wait a minute, Mio...that won't work, and besides, I don't want to rule the country...I want the people to find a way to best run the country," Kiisan continued, trying to dampen the strategist's enthusiasm.
"He might be right, Kiisan," Hai-Yong noted thoughtfully.
"The Church is peaceful," Fairwind commented, "For the most part we have our own beliefs in the Grasslands, but we have no argument with this church. It will take nearly all of the old Imperial sympathizers out of power, right?"
"D-don't get ahead of yourselves," Kiisan stammered, "I'd be a terrible ruler! I'm indecisive...I'm lazy...I'm sure that the people would want someone else."
"You're the one who will have saved them," Hai-Yong noted, "You're the commander."
"You'll be a hero! You're already practically a hero!" Mio mused cheerfully, "And they will want you Kiisan. I don't doubt it."
"Oh! Enough already!" the young priest shouted, pushing past the three other men, "I'm busy. We'll talk about it some other time."
Azai had received the summons. The time was nearly at hand. "What's that?" Falina inquired curiously, pointing at the letter he held.
"It is our invitation, so to speak," he explained, "Sensei has called for us and so we must go."
She jumped up in excitement, "Oh! Where are we going to go, Azai?"
"To where Father Kiisan waits," he responded succinctly. He headed out of the room and the dark-haired girl followed him, through the hall, down the stairs, and out of the main building of the city of Klikk.
"Are we going to walk there?" she asked, "If he's really so close to Rupanda by now that'd be a long way..."
"No, that would take far too long," Azai replied with a laugh, "We will have an escort."
They crossed the unseasonably green grass and others turned to look as they passed. All who saw them go bowed their heads and raised a hand. Falina looked at Azai questioningly, "They are blessing our journey for they know how much is at stake." They approached the gate and he pushed it open slowly, "Come now, the world awaits."
Turan Magno's jaw dropped as Azai and Falina seemingly materialized out of thin air. His secretary, Amarilla, turned around to see why he had not answered her question, "Magno, are you listening to me?" and gasped, "Why you're that girl from Finnel Village! Father Kiisan's friend!"
Falina smiled shyly, "How nice of you to remember me, Miss Amarilla. Hello Turan Magno, how are you doing lately?"
The turan did not respond. He simply continued to stare.
"Magno," Amarilla scolded him, "Stop staring at the young lady. That's just not polite."
Azai laughed softly, covering his mouth with one hand.
"Who's this young man?" the woman from Serif asked.
"This is Azai," the weaver girl introduced her companion, "He's from Klikk. Are you by any chance our escort to the capital?"
"Klikk!" the turan snorted, "That's not a real place! That's a fairytale!"
"Magno..." Amarilla muttered, jabbing him in the side to make him stop. "Yes Miss Falina, we are your escort. The entire state army of Serif is here to take the two of you south. A little girl came by a few weeks ago and advised us that it was time to pay our debt to Kiisan and so here we are, camped beside Lake Dunan. It won't take much longer for us to reach the capital, at least as long as it doesn't start to snow."
Falina beamed, "I'm so glad. Things are finally happening again...I'll get to see everyone...Kiisan, Carlos, Hai-Yong, Yuki...all of my friends..."
"Our messenger did her task well. The appointed time truly is near," Azai observed.
"I wonder how Captain Louis Abdul and the rest of our old employees are doing," Amarilla said.
Turan Magno put his head in his hands and sighed, "I think I'm getting too old for this."