Aku sat crouched on top of the gate to the meadow, watching the latest people on their shouzan leave.
This was taking too long. She couldn't just sit here forever, meeting with the people who came up four times a year, going through them, finding nothing. If she were unlucky, she could end up like Enrin, who was twenty two now, and had yet to choose a king. Aku didn't want that. Already, at fifteen, she felt she had waited too long.
She couldn't even imagine what it was like in Kyou. The longer a kingdom went without a ruler, things just got worse and worse. Fields would lay fallow, either unable to support crops or simply abandoned by fleeing farmers. Natural disasters would plague the land—floods, storms, earthquakes, and so on. Without a strong ruler with the Mandate, the powerful would fight among themselves. Youma would roam the land, killing people indiscriminately. It would be a disaster, destroying the livelihoods and lives of thousands of people, hundreds of thousands. As the years passed by, a larger and larger portion of her people coming on their shouzan were refugees actually living in the neighboring kingdoms of Ryuu and Han. The situation in Kyou was simply that bad.
This was taking too long. Kyou needed a king. Now.
Well, that's all there was to it. It was amazing how easy it was for her to make her decision. She had probably decided in her heart long ago.
"Kyourin!" came a call from below, inside the gate. Kashou. "What are you doing up there?"
"Looking around!" she shouted back. "Be right down!" Aku popped to standing, then came back down exactly the way she had gotten up. She ran to where the gate joined the rock, smoothly jumped to a narrow shelf in the wall a good distance down, then fell down to the ground. She had discovered long ago that she was just as light on her feet in human form as she was as a Kirin. Long practice running and jumping around and her weight, very slight for a human, made doing things like that pretty easy. She turned to Kashou. "Is Gyokuyou still around?"
Kashou blinked in surprise at her sudden question. "Yes, I believe so."
"May I speak with her? It's important."
It was obvious she was curious what was so important, but she didn't ask. "I'll arrange it." Kashou led her off toward the inner palace.
So, again, Aku found herself in that same pagoda she had met Gyokuyou in a week ago. But this time, she wasn't left alone with her thoughts, and hadn't even made it to a chair before the Genkun walked in. "Lady Gyokuyou," she said immediately, bowing her head a little.
"Kyourin," the Genkun said with a similar nod. Before speaking further, Gyokuyou walked over to the table to take a seat. Kyourin followed her lead. There was a short pause before Gyokuyou spoke; Kyourin waited. "Now, I wonder what you could have come to me about this time. I'm told it's important."
Kyourin decided not to beat around the bush. "I'm going to Han."
"Okay," she said immediately.
In mild surprise, Kyourin blinked to herself for a couple seconds. "Okay?" she repeated. "That's it?"
"That's it," the Genkun confirmed with a nod. "It's pretty common for Kirin around your age to get fed up with the whole shouzan process, worrying if their king will come at all, and wander out into the world. If you were going to Kyou I would have some concern, as it is very dangerous there, but if you're simply meeting refugees in Han, that's acceptable."
"Oh, well..." Kyourin paused. She had expected to have to do some convincing. She wasn't sure if being given permission so readily was convenient or unsettling. "That's settled then."
"It is," Gyokuyou agreed. "There is some procedure, though."
"What's that?"
"You have to ask Han-Ou for permission to search through his kingdom."
Kyourin frowned. "We do I need permission to visit my own people?" It only occurred to her after she spoke that she had just asked Gyokuyou for permission to do the same thing.
"It's just the way things are done."
"Oh, okay." Kyourin considered that a moment. "I'll need directions to Eishou Palace, then."
"I'll get a map to show to your mount," Gyokuyou said easily. "We have one prepared for each kingdom specifically for this purpose."
"That's convenient."
"It's a frequent occurrence."
"I guess," Kyourin said with a shrug. "Can I leave now?"
Now it was Gyokuyou blinking in surprise. "Immediately?"
"No point in delaying, right?"
A short moment passed in silence. "I guess not. I'll guide you to the maps. I'll also have some supplies fetched, and gather the nyosen closer to you for their goodbyes." Responding to her indirect command, the pair of nyosen just outside the room bowed, then hurried off to fulfill her wishes. Gyokuyou stood. "Come." Gyokuyou walked through the building to a different room, then grabbed a very large scroll from a shelf containing several of the same size. Kyourin didn't count, but she suspected there were twelve. She walked outside of the pagoda into the grass, then unrolled the scroll on the ground.
"Nansou, take a look." At her direction, Nansou popped out of her shadow, and bent to examine the map. It was a terrain map, showing the various physical characteristics of the kingdom of Han and some of Kyou and Sai—mountains and flat lands and forests and rivers and lakes all in differing shapes, along with the locations of cities and towns and villages. Very detailed. Nansou didn't take long looking at it before nodding, a strangely human gesture, and vanishing into her shadow again.
Gyokuyou rerolled the map, and returned it to its place. Then she led Kyourin out through a path in the rocky maze that was Houzan. She knew where they were going before they got there. They emerged from the maze in the clearing around the Shashinboku. Already gathered there were a few nyosen, including Kashou and Sekto. The nyosen served her one final meal on the rocks, fawning over her all the while, even Kashou. She supposed they were going to miss her. Afterward, they gave her some provisions—two changes of clothing, some food, some coins. They said brief goodbyes; she thought Sekto looked strangely sad.
And then, barely two hours after she had made her decision, she felt the jolt of Nansou leaving the ground, and she was on her way.
The trip through Koukai felt no different than any other time she had flown over it. There was one youma attack, but they got away without shedding any blood. Nansou wasn't as fast as she when she was flying on her own, but he was still fast. They took a rest near one of the gates for a while. Crossing the Kongou Mountains was a bit of an adventure, but not so different from the usual way of things.
Once over the mountains, she got her first look at Hakukai, the White Sea. Much as Koukai wasn't yellow, Hakukai wasn't really white. It was a deep blue, the sort of blue she had seen a few times in lakes in Koukai. But it was huge. The water stretched as far as she could see in all directions, flat in its blueness save for tiny variations in the way the light hit the water. She assumed this variation was from waves. The air was wet and salty with an unfamiliar twinge to it she couldn't put her finger on. This was definitely interesting.
It didn't stay interesting for very long. The sea was very very large, and it got boring after a while. To entertain herself, Aku kept a running conversation with her shirei, talking about what they were doing, their hopes for finding the king, and what kind of person they hoped the king would be. They had left pretty early, but by the time they were over land again, the sun was near setting. From Nansou's breathing, Aku could tell he was getting a little tired. Nansou had never flown this far at once before, so it wasn't that unexpected that he would wear himself out.
Aku told him to find a town. Nansou came to a heavy landing not far from one, just off the road. As soon as Aku was down, he disappeared into her shadow to rest. The forest was different than Koukai, calmer, quieter, less menacing. It seemed almost peaceful. This was either in Han or in Sai close to the border; she wasn't sure which. Actually, by those spires far to the west, barely visible despite their size, she suspected she was in Sai. She walked through the trees, making her steps light in unconscious reverence. Before long she was on the road. By the time she got there, she had forgotten which direction the town was in—she hadn't seen it very well from the air—but one of her shirei, a little exasperated, pointed her in the right direction. The sun was almost set by the time she got there.
The town was surrounded by a tall wall, made of flat brick. She couldn't see much of the town save for a narrow view down a street through the gate. The sun was setting. The guard at the gate started yelling at her to hurry. She supposed they closed the gate at night, and she might not be able to get in if she didn't get there soon. Well, it would be a simple matter for her to get in, but a normal human wouldn't be able to. Despite how the walls weren't really an obstacle for her, for appearance's sake, she sprinted flat out for the gate. Shortly after she entered, the heavy gate closed behind her. The guard gave her an odd look; apparently she had ran a little suspiciously fast. Even in human form, Kirin were very quick.
The town was nothing special. Really, it wasn't all that different from the palace. The buildings were of a similar design, though a little more worn. There were people inside, but not a whole lot of people. She saw more at the meadow all the time. As soon as she took her fill of her surroundings, she asked one of the guards where she could find lodging. He pointed her in the right direction.
The inn wasn't a spectacular place. It wasn't an expensive one, without the casual sort of luxury she was used to on Houzan, but it wasn't cheap either. The place was clean, if simple. The owner met her with a smile, and, after she proved she did indeed have money, he led her up to her room. Among other things, he said they served food to their guests, and she should go down to the dining room if she wanted to eat. She decided she would. She laid her things down in a corner in the simple bedroom, which was little more than a low bed, a desk, and a dresser. She kept the money with her though; she wasn't a complete idiot. Only mostly. It was good she brought it with her, because she completely forgot to lock the door.
Many things they made in the kitchen had meat in them, or as part of the process in creating broth. Aku didn't know why humans were so fascinated with meat. She had tried it once and had found it to be absolutely disgusting. She had even chosen the thing that smelled to her the least like blood: fish. Someone on their shouzan had brought a little dried fish. She hadn't been able to swallow it, and had spat it out and thrown up immediately after. After a little bit talking with the chef, they managed to decide on something fitting to her palate. He had acted as though she were very strange for not wanting meat, but he did it anyway. Soon she had her food in the dining room, a collection of chairs and tables under a low wooden ceiling. There weren't many people there. One table held a couple and a child. Another had a single traveler. No one gave her a second glance.
That's what had been striking her as odd. She had had a strange feeling ever since she had gotten to the town, and only now did she figure out why. People were treating her as though she were an ordinary person. They were perfectly polite, but they didn't act like she was anything special. They didn't know she was a Kirin. She was completely anonymous. It was strange. Not bad, but strange.
Trying to sleep in this foreign place was a little difficult. The room felt oddly stuffy. She guessed, since the pagodas at the palace hardly had external walls, she was more used to there being a constant breeze when she slept. And the bed was harder than she was used to. But she managed it without calling Kasshi or any of her shirei.
In the morning, she paid the owner on the way out the door. He thanked her for staying with them and being so agreeable with a gentle smile. Apparently she had made an impression on the staff even after only one night. She thanked him back for having her, and then made her way out of the town. When she was far enough away, she ducked off the path and walked a distance further before calling Nansou, and she was in the air again.
Another day and night passed much the same way before reaching the capital. The mountain that bore Eishou Palace was a strange touch of home. The monolith of a mountain stretched far into the sky, piercing Unkai. Most of the mountains back home were such, so it didn't surprise her as she knew it did people who had never seen one before. The mountain did seem to hang in the distance longer than it should before rapidly approaching. Nansou flew up onto a shelf sticking out of the rock high up on the mountain. It looked a little precarious to Aku, but she was a frequent resident of precarious places, so it didn't bother her.
Nansou hit the stone with a clattering of claws. Against the wall on their shelf, which was larger than it had looked against the size of the mountain, was a huge double door swung wide open, and an increasing number of soldiers wearing leather armor and bright decorations in all colors. The town she had stayed in in Han, she had noticed, was extremely colorful, the entire spread of the rainbow. Apparently that colorfulness spread to the soldiers. They seemed about to attack Nansou, but hesitated. Perhaps because Nansou had yet to make any aggressive moves, or possibly because they noticed Kyourin on his back.
She hopped off and turned to take in the guards. They were all giving her very strange looks. "Nansou," she said, loud enough for them to hear her, "take a rest." Nansou disappeared into her shadow with a flourish.
A couple of the soldiers instantly fell to the ground, prostrating themselves. One of them, who she had seen when he had been standing had more decorations than the others—she supposed this meant he was their leader—gave a shout of "Taiho!" At the word, the rest of them bent to the ground as well.
"You may stand," Kyourin said, almost immediately. "Tell the King and Han Taiho that Kyourin requests an audience." A couple of the guards sprinted ahead to make the arrangements.
Eishou Palace, she couldn't help noticing while being led through it, was positively lavish. All materials were of the highest quality, and there was art everywhere, a rainbow of colors in even greater variety than the town she had visited. It made Aku slightly uncomfortable, but not so much that it was distracting. She was led up some stairs, through the open air, where she could see the many buildings of the palace spread out before her, and through several of the enormous buildings before they reached their destination. Her escorts stood at either side of the shining wooden double doors, and gestured for her to enter. She opened the door and slipped inside.
Inside was an office. It was of a more subtle beauty than the rest of the palace, more function than art. Behind a wide desk, in front of a wall holding many sconces filled with documents, sat a somewhat severe-looking man, with white hair and a long nose. She realized this was the King. She was a little surprised; she had expected to be received in the proper manner in a hall. That was the proper way of things. She suspected since she wasn't technically a taiho yet that they weren't observing such formalities. Walking toward her, she knew without even looking from the golden aura flooding that side of her vision, was a Kirin. Before she could even focus on him, Hanki had her in a tight hug.
Many Kirin were, as Sekto had called it, "touchy-feely". Aku was much the same way, when she got in her moods. So it didn't at all surprise her that a complete stranger was embracing her, or, that when they separated with his hand lingering on her shoulder, Hanki immediately reached out to stroke her mane. "Such a beautiful mane. I've never seen a red Kirin before." Hanki was about her height, narrow-shouldered, and was wearing the most beatific smile she had ever seen on a living being.
Kyourin reached out to run a hand through his too. "Yours isn't so bad either." It was only polite, after all. And besides, Kirin manes were always beautiful, and the hairs were always smooth and soft.
"Is that really a Kirin?" asked the King, with some doubt on his voice.
"I thank you for welcoming me to your home, Han-Ou," she said, bowing her head deeply, which was made a little difficult by the arm around her shoulders. The usual procedure for a human would be to prostrate herself, but Kirin only did that for one person each in the entire world. "I am Kyourin."
"Huh." The King raised an eyebrow. "Strange. Well, I have some work to do yet. You're dismissed, Hanki. You two catch up."
"Thank you, my lord," Hanki said to his king, bowing his head. With nothing further, Hanki led her out of the office. They walked through the palace, eventually coming to a small gazebo sitting in a patch of grass. Aku took a moment to look out over Unkai, which looked little different than Hakukai. She knew she would be able to see through it to the ground below if her angle weren't so shallow. Servants brought them tea.
And the two Kirin talked, about all kinds of things. The state of things on Houzan, Han, and Kyou, what Hanki did with his time, what he thought of his King. He almost asked Kyourin what she thought of her king before stopping himself, realizing that, "Ha ha, silly me," she didn't have one. When Kyourin talked about her journey so far, Hanki found her time in the towns absolutely fascinating, and listened closely to every detail. Kyourin figured all Hanki knew in life for the last couple centuries was Eishou, and it was much harder for Kirin with golden manes to remain inconspicuous besides.
She found she greatly enjoyed meeting another of her kind. She had only met a couple, and every time she felt a connection to them that she couldn't explain. It was like, she guessed, they were family. Which they sort of were. Hanki seemed to be the eternally cheerful type, always smiling and laughing, more like herself than Enrin. Aku liked him.
In the evening, after talking with her fellow Kirin for hours, Kyourin ate with Hanki and the King. It was then that Kyourin brought up her request, that she be allowed to search for her king among the refugees along the border with Kyou. Han-Ou immediately granted her request, and wished her luck. Well, that was simple enough. Talking with him confirmed the impression she had gotten from Hanki's stories about him: he wasn't a very sensitive person. But that was okay.
Kyourin was given a room to stay in. Well, several rooms. She supposed, from the opulence, that they were intended for visiting dignitaries. Everything was shining woods and metals and soft silk. The bed was the most comfortable she had ever been in. It took no effort at all to fall asleep.
The next morning, with absolutely no fanfare, she mounted Nansou and left for the northeastern border. The prospect excited her in a powerful way she hadn't expected.
Eishou: 永松
(As far as I know, the capitol palace in Han isn't named, so I just made one up. I do/did the same thing with Kyou's provinces.)
