CHAPPIETR TWENTY-SIX

Sei-an City Aristocratic Quarters

I drew a sun in the sky to chase away the remaining darkness in the heavens, which boldly lit up and beamed down upon the city. Since the storm had vanished people had begun to emerge from their palaces and fine houses, looking startled to see sunlight after spending so long under oppressive gray skies. One man was leaning over the canal, peering into the water. I approached the man from behind, he looked troubled. I realized he was talking to himself as I came closer. "Oh what to do, what to do? It's so lifeless, there's no color in it at all…" He muttered with his arms crossed. "That dumb monk cleaned us out of all our fish."

I nudged his side. "Oh hello wolf, where did you come from?" He said looking down, "I'm in a pickle here Wolfie, the other high-class citizens of Sei-an and myself feel that our pond hasn't got anything special. Something that gives our pond more life- no koi." He sighed. "With their regality -the same as the people that live above them- graceful personality, and sharp colors, varying from modest and simple to brash and intricate… I can't believe we don't have any more! It's not Sei-an without them! I must get new ones as soon as possible!" He said, staring into the dark, somewhat murky water. "I'll go search for fish tomorrow, look, I even made a list!" He showed me a list with different colors of koi on them and a picture. It had a 'Sanke'- a white with orange and black spots. A 'Showa'- a black fish with orange and white spots. And a 'Kohaku'- an orange and white fish. "The Sanke," The man said, staring off into space again. "beautiful and graceful, calming to the eye and soul; the Showa, that so closely resembles the lucky tortoiseshell cat; and the Kohaku, the traditional koi, so modest but beautiful." He suddenly snapped back to attention. "Sorry, I phased out there didn't I?" Hiraku spoke then- "So... Pops. What would you give us of we collected all these fish for you?"

"Oh I see you have a little northern pixie with you! Can both of you help me gather the fish? Would you?" He said, doing a dance in place. The tiny poncle didn't seem too pleased at being called a 'pixie', but I nodded my head in response and the man practically sparkled with joy. "In case you have trouble finding me later- am Ren, the canal caretaker." He bowed, and I looked him up and down, he was tall, had pale yellowish skin and a green hat was on his head. He had a orange tunic on, and blue-green pants, and yellow, muck-covered shoes. His hair was short and dark, but flecked with gray. "Thank you Wolfie, you should be able to find these fish in lakes all across the coast! Or- if you're lucky- in a marketplace!"

My ears twitched as I heard giant doors swing open behind me, and I looked around. A lanky figure, with elegant purple robes atop white, a crown inlaid with leaves atop his head, a crystal ball nestled neatly in the center. He glided down the stairs as if he were floating instead of walking. "Behold his majesty. Heika King Yatosama of the Yamatai clan." The younger samurai proclaimed. 'So this is the king, Himiko's successor, the one whose 'kingsmen' Miss Eiko claimed have harassed her.' I thought, disapprovingly, to myself. The king approached us, Ren fell to his hands and knees, head nearly touching the pavement, and I dipped my head slightly, standing proudly in front of him. Gods do not bow to unfit rulers, and that remained to be seen.

"I heard the battle on the roof, both the howls of demons and ring of divine weapons clashing during the storm. I had known some evil power was causing our misfortune, but it was only when I saw you descend from my palace I knew that it had been divine ordinance that had alleviated our suffering. My people and I thank you."

I was surprised but pleased that he could see what I really was, obviously he was devout like his predecessor. King Yatosama certainly struck a regal figure, his thin, pointy mustache and beard were perfectly straight, and his sleek indigo robes were spotless, shining in the sunlight. "My priests informed me of a deity descending to rescue us from the rising darkness. May I ask your name?"

"Her name is Akimeterasu." Hiraku answered for me. Curtly, as I would have. "And mine is Hiraku." He added and bounced down to the ground to stand in front of the king. Due to his size, whether he bowed or not was impossible to tell. "I am most thankful for your arrival, you could not have arrived at a more fitting time. Please, allow me to welcome you to our humble city. Anything I can do to assist you in your quest to eradicate darkness from this world, I am your ally." Something seemed off about his first statement. "What do you mean, a more fitting time? Do you mean the demons?"

"No, unfortunately. They were a plague to us but our problems run deeper than that. The city is in the midst of political turmoil. I have been trying to wrest complete power away from the emperor, he took complete control over the city after Himiko's death. He wished to place his own pawns at the head of the city, but I intervened. I claimed my right as eldest child of the Yamatai to take Himiko's place as the ruler of Sei-an, which the emperor disagreed with. Since then, he has fought tooth and nail to remove me from my throne. The emperor puts his own wants ahead of those of the people. He dines lavishly while the poor must cover the cost and eat scraps. He takes and takes, with nary a thought of those he is supposed to rule. I am a ruler of the people, I did not grow up in a palace. I know what it is like to have less. I only want what is best for them, a leader that will give everything he can to them." He sounded sincere, and for a moment I forgot what I'd heard before. Perhaps Miss Eiko was worried about nothing.

"Excuse me." A voice asked and I turned around. A gold-clad guard bowed to me, ignoring the others. "His imperial majesty Emperor Takara, bids you welcome to his palace and the opportunity to dine with him this morning." Yatosama's mustache twitched in irritation as he frowned. "I pray the emperor's food does not prove too rich for your stomach. Most find his tastes too strong, and he does not like when people question his views. Best of luck, I hope our paths cross each other soon." I nodded and waved my tail in farewell as the guard led me across a bridge to the right towards a building with a magnificent wide roof shaped almost like a fan. We stepped through the first gateway, past the well-kept trees, and under the last gate guarded on either side by paintings of stalking tigers. The magnificent building sprawled before us, it was beautiful, perfectly kept, and the running water of the little ponds trickling was very relaxing to listen to. There were also guards positioned everywhere, all dressed in the same gold color.

Our guide led us to the left, following a cobbled path away from the water gardens. The walls were nearly transparent, and I could see the emperor before we'd entered the palace. Emperor Takara wore a crown resembling a boat full of treasures, sitting in an open room, cross-legged on the ground, giant sleeves draped against the ground, and a great meal laid out in front of him. The guard led us up the red stairs, and the translucent paper door was raised as we approached. The scene behind the emperor was adorned with a beautiful mural, and decorative fans adorned the wall above the emperor's head. The see-through walls in the back provided a view to the great gray mountains in the distance.

"Heika his imperial majesty Emperor Takara. Heavenly sovereign ruler of all Nippon." The guard proclaimed, crossing the room and bowing deeply in front of the emperor. "This is the god?" I heard Takara ask the guard quietly, which instantly disheartened me. 'He can't see me?' The guard nodded then left us, and the emperor spread his arms wide. "Welcome, Akimeterasu?" His sentence ended on a slight up-turn, as if asking a question. "Yes, thank you for inviting me here." I responded. "No, thank you for blessing me with your presence for this morning feast. I promise, it is food fit for a god." He smiled warmly. "Please, sit. Let us eat and be merry." I sat down in front of him, delicious aromas wafting upwards. I gingerly grabbed a few morsels, trying very hard not to drool on anything, and gulped them down as daintily as I could manage.

"Have you collected many demon fangs? I would love to trade with you." Takara chuckled as he ate a bowl of rice, his large belly rocking. "May I offer you a tribute, perhaps something from the Divine Treasure House?" Though he smiled, the words obviously did not come easy, nor the thought of parting with anything valuable. Clearly he sought to purchase my favor. Material offerings are nice to receive, but none are so sustaining as emotional praise, and bribery is not something I welcomed.

"No, no. Your hospitality is enough."

"I see." He said. "Such things are in short supply these days, what with the chaos 'King Yatosama' has been causing." I tilted my head. "Yatosama claimed he wants to end the turmoil." Takara scoffed. "End it? He is the source of it! Years ago, after our beloved queen's death I arranged for a member of the Miko, a lovely, intelligent, compassionate child named Iyo to succeed our departed queen. Then Yatosama, with his army of brutes, overtook the palace and disbanded the Miko! Claiming it as his birthright, as he was a member of the same family as Himiko, and Iyo was too young to rule. Now Iyo is of age, and he still will not relinquish the crown! He is no fit ruler. He was raised away from Sei-an, he knows nothing about what is beneficial for our prosperous city. And beyond that…" The emperor leaned in close, and I could smell heavy perfume and scent of rich food on his breath. "He leads by acts of tyranny. Surely, even in your short time here, you have heard about his 'kingsmen' brutally assailing and bullying citizens in the streets, for saying anything against his will." He watched me closely. "Surely I, as heavenly ordained ruler, can rely on your assistance against such ill purpose?" He asked, eyes glistening expectantly. I took a deep breath. "I promise by my mother Amaterasu and on my place as a god of the heavens, I will do what I can to bring peace to the city." I swore.

After a little more polite conversation and much more eating of the delicious food I thanked him for the meal, looked what he had to trade for the few demon fangs I had collected, and bid him goodbye. I padded back down the steps and back towards the gateways. Both Hiraku and I were glad to finally be out of the palace, if not for bursting stomachs and headaches from the overpowering aromas, I was quickly growing tired of the growing political drama, I cared not one bit for it. Both rulers were greedy, both had faults. Yatosama had a claim to the crown, Takara was overstepping in attempting to place someone of his own choosing in Himiko's seat. Yet Yatosama was not entirely proving to be a good leader. For one, he apparently put an end to the Miko, important spiritual leaders, for his own political gain. Perhaps the emperor's choice would be a better fit, even if under his thumb. My head was beginning to buzz, I needed time to think. I needed to leave the city and clear my mind.

(AN: Fun fact- I have a deep love of koi fish. My family owns a koi pond and I love my little fish-babies. I know the names of a plethora of varieties, my personal favorites being Sanke, Showa, and Beni Kumonryu (but I love so many). I'm a giant koi nerd, much like Ren. "^-^)