BZPRPG: Kentoku Archipelago

IC: (Senavysh Angavur)

Sena lowered her blade, slightly. "Turn it off, please."

IC Tutkee

(Obaida, Nortti's Lab):

Tutkee swallowed hard.

"I - I'm not sure I know how..."

She walked closer to the machine that was still emitting the laser-like light beam. It was hard to make out the controls with the light. In theory, Tutkee knew which lever had to be raised, but she was afraid of getting electrocuted. Then again, that was better than what was in store for her if she didn't.

Reaching within the light, Tutkee grasped the right lever and and raised it. The light beam shut off and parts of the machine fell on the floor. Tutkee fell to her knees, panting.

[Odaiba, Northeast Coast]

Today tasted like hope.

Inhale.

The twenty-third bead on the rosary clicked.

Exhale.

Hatchi had, as a rule, little belief in the power of the rosary to draw favor from Zuto Nui, and zie cared little for the god of the Imperials. But zie had found that the glass rosaries that zir people now produced by the hundreds were the best concentration tool for zir morning meditations. Zie always wore one now; the weight was comfort, something that could be counted, and yet there was always some new imperfection to be discovered, even though the beads seemed perfectly round: a small error on the part of the shaper, perhaps, or the result of zir thumb passing too many times over its surface.

The meditation technique had been passed, as far as zie knew, from the School of the Mind, but zie often wondered if it was not far older. There was something primeval about it, the way it felt like floating above zirshelf, unrestrained, unclassified and between.

Inhale.

The twenty-fourth bead on the rosary clicked.

Exhale.

It gave her more courage to settle back into herself.

I am Hatchi, of the clan Kuychar. I am called saihoko. This is not what I was born as, but it is what I am now.

Once, a long time ago, she had thought that she would one day be called zrupgar. That was then the old Grandfather was still alive, and he still humored her and her sisters by whispering in their ear the old tales of the hero who rode an ash bear, and the gods who came from the sea to make the first Kuychar by planting seeds in the sand. The names were forgotten, and the stories themselves should never have been told, but it did not matter. Her sisters forgot them, and her one lone brother never heard them.

Only she remembered.

Inhale.

The twenty-fifth bead on the rosary clicked.

Exhale.

And her other sisters talked excitedly of winning a mate, or of the glow of the glass kiln, or stole off in the night to converse with the sons and daughters of other clans.

“And what would you like to be, Hatchi?”

“I want to do all of it. I can’t choose.”

The old grandfather laughed. “Surely you will be the greatest warrior glass-maker on the planet. And you will win a splendid husband.”

“I don’t want a husband, grandfather.”

“Ah, surely then you will draw the admiration of beautiful women everywhere.”

“I’m not interested in that, grandfather. Tell me of the hero who pulled an island out of the sea again.”

The old grandfather’s face grew serious. “Little one, that is not a tale I can tell you any more. It was buried because the Imperials decreed it. To tell it now is a danger to our clan. You should have forgotten.”

“I don’t care, grandfather. The Imperials are cruel and so is their Zuto Nui. Why can we not tell stories of the old heroes and gods?”

“Little one,” said the old grandfather. “I am going to tell you one last thing, and then you must promise me to ask no more questions. We lost. Our gods could not save us from the strength of the Imperial armies. They are either stories or they bowed to the greater power of Zuto Nui. That was the way it happened.”

“But-”

“There was once a word for what you are. It is nyihzyr, and it means someone who lies between, someone who is neither male nor female, dead nor alive, neither of the mind or the body. No doubt a long time ago you would have been a great warrior-priest. But now is now, and you must keep that word within you and tell it to no one. Become a women, Hatchi, become a zrupgar. I have heard the trainer talk of your potential. The old ways are gone, child. Do not wish for something that can never be.”

Inhale.

The twenty-sixth bead on the rosary clicked.

Exhale.

The old grandfather died that year. And next came the ox with crazed eyes and the pain-the pain that still had not stopped.

She became a woman, but she would never be a zrupgar.

And she held the words and the stories inside her, and slowly as the years passed she learned that resentment was natural but it was also futile. The old ways were gone; the only way to live was to make new ones.

She had learned to brush off the shame, the accusing gazes, the yelling. To be saihoko was only shame to those who considered it so. Her people had always been between, between the sea and the land; between this world and the next. Now she was between the city and the country, and it was a good place to be. Those that stood only in one place would never know all the things that she did.

Inhale.

The twenty-seventh bead on the rosary clicked.

Exhale.

Hatchi opened her eyes, and set about preparing for the move. The trade had been good this year, and they had not even come to Sado yet. Many would come on Sado, despite their revulsion. They would be curious. They always were.

And somewhere, far away, there was a land where the people were the color of Janu birds.

She opened the flap of her tent, squinting out into the morning sun. Today was a good day. It tasted like hope.

IC Ahrusa

Ahrusa wandered around the marketplace, hood drawn up over her head. She walked briskly, her coattails fluttering behind her. Normally, Dasaka of her status would send servants to do the shopping, but she had none of her own. Her position did not allow for them. The city was beautiful in the morning, the sunlight shinning down the the crystal towers, being refracted in a spectacular fashion. She came here often to escape the drama of politics. Her clan didn't have the best reputation in the isle after all. She didn't understand why the merchants were so disrespected. They are just as important as the fishermen or the artist. She decides to sit down and rest for a moment.

OOC: Ahrusa is open for interaction.

OOC: Sorry Fanixe for not paying much attention to Koga and Soraph! Finally gotten some time to respond more thoroughly!

IC: Daikura Koga

Wispy clouds brokered cool moisture as Hane flew alongside their underbellies, her beating heart enjoying the freedom of the night sky. Koga watched within her mind, finding an irrepressible urge to call her wings his, her pinpoint vision his. Soraph, alongside as the conduit through which Koga experienced Hane's fleeting turn on the wing, kept his heady emotions in check. Too much, and he would overpower Hane's mind, sending them all plunging into the sea. It had happened once in the beginning, and Hane had been less than grateful for the near-death experience, her raptor's mind imagining Koga as a little rodent worthy of snapping up in her powerful beak. Koga couldn't blame her. Compared to the exalted freedom of the air his little world of the palace seemed insignificant, a measly attempt to compete with Nature's lavish majesty.

They beat their wings, muscles on the front of the chest expanding and contracting as the wind filled beneath, each feather catching the drift. With a twitch of the long tail Hane banked, curving back toward the crystal spires of the Imperial Palace. They rode in silence, listening to the wind cry from the East, a wind which had swept over an island far away, with no one to remember its journey save the birds who rode above the earth on its tumultuous currents. Hane dipped further toward the palace complex, and her eyes saw a couple on the veranda, a table set for an evening's meal, their hearts entwined. Swooping past, Hane left them to their still embrace, soaring off around the other spires as their minds accompanied her in the journey.

The gardens below glittered with crystalline light, and even from her height the janu inspected the snails crawling across a patch of moss with a growing appetite. Koga chuckled and they pressed on, shadow passing over the heads of two datsue deep in conversation. Koga laughed from within his azure ember of consciousness. If only his mother, Sakrayo, had looked up in the fleeting instant to feel her son's presence passing on the mental plane. What sort of shock might she have? Two wingbeats later and the datsue women were a thing of the past.

The city of Sado fanned out below, each street like the vein in a breathing organism, a channel through with the stuff of life pumped at all hours. Rickshaws clattered down the crystal streets, pushcarts stole the road as peddlers shouted their latest and greatest deal, a small child sat on an upturned barrel and cried for the parent in her arms. Koga's grief at the reality of the world, though mitigated by the exuberance of his circumstance, fell heavy on his conscience. Hane passed over the city quickly, approaching the ocean with each windswept moment. Hane flapped her wings and turned in the direction of the docks, the sounds of warriors practicing late into the night riding the smoke of bonfires. They tumbled through the updraft, and then her wings closed and they plunged toward the sea, frigid saltwater splashing across her feathery body before bursting back through the surface, a fish deeply gripped in their talons.

~

:I have felt something life altering.:

Koga had returned to his cushion on the veranda, his eyes moist from the emotions of such a precious experience. A menti serving lady had begun removing the plates, drawn with a subtle mental beckon upon the first son's return from his flight. Hane, perched on his shoulder, cooed with a belly full of fish. There was something more intimate between them. Minds having once touched never truly closed, it seemed. Taking his eyes off Hane he looked across the table at the woman who had made his touching the clouds with a wing tip possible. Her white dress of gossamer only seemed more regal. Her blue skin, so delicate and fair, only more attractive. The warmth of her lips still lingered on his own, the sweet intermingling of their breath treasonous against his better judgment.

What she had done for him.

:If there is some way, some deed, I can perform in exchange,: he faltered in his mental communication. Koga realized his emotions were too addled to properly converse. Something in their sharing of minds had, like with Hane, made a connection deeper than he had felt in a long time with any other menti. Koga took in a deep breath, eyes shuttered as he attempted to coalesce the feelings of his heated blood. Finally:

"Vilda Soraph. Thank you."

IC: (Senavysh Angavur/Farmhouse)

"Why in the name of Mother Zuto did you make such an unholy thing?" Sena said, lowering her blade.

IC Tutkee

(Obaida, Nortti's Hut):

Tutkee got up and tried her best to regain her composure. She was a Menti, after all.

"It was...", she began, considering what she could tell without incriminating her friend. "It was an experimental machine. Nothing unholy about that. A personal project, so to speak."

IC: (Senavysh Angavur)

"What happened to your friend? Why is she unconcious?"

IC Tutkee

(Obaida, Nortti's hut):

"I don't know", Tutkee answered quietly. "I - I don't know..."

OOC: Timeskipping to Enali's return to Odaiba.

IC (Enali)

The sky was turning orange as Enali made her way along a road that snaked through the fields of Odaiba into the heart of Ageru land. Lessons for the day had ended not long after the surprising session with Arisaka, and the young Dasaka had made the long and familiar walk home. She'd left the Yards, crossed the crystal bridge that linked Sado to Odaiba, and now the houses of the Ageru began to line her path.

Up in the distance rose Mahuika Hall on its great hill, the seat of the Toroshu. Enali's eyes were drawn to the beauty of its architecture, the way the sinking sun's amber light glowed on the carven stone like embers of the day, and traced intricate lines through crystal masonry. The banners of the Ageru flew at its door and on its spires: a white tree on a green field, the tree's roots mirroring its branches. They said it represented the equal importance of endeavour and firm foundation, of future and past.

Turning away from the majestic sight, she walked down a lane towards the outskirts of the settlement and soon reached the humble threshold of her own small home.

Opening the door, she was greeted with the sight of a small black-and-white Rahi sitting expectantly behind it, looking up at her.

Ketu's hungry, he mewed. Food please.

Enali gave a sigh that was half serious, from the length of her walk home.

"Yes, yes," she said - and though the words made perfect sense to her, had anyone been nearby her voice would have seemed to them to be the miaowing of a cat.

She walked towards his food-bowl, and he trotted after her excitedly. As she withdrew a fresh fish from a bag she carried, he rubbed his face affectionately against her leg - though his purring sounded very much like 'yummmm'.

As Ketu happily devoured his supper, Enali took some food of her own from a cupboard nearby and walked upstairs with it to her bedroom. Hers was a small house - only two rooms, one on top of the others - but it was hers, and she was comfortable there. She opened the shutters at her window, and laid out her food on the sill. Gazing out across the fields to the far-off and still-sunlit peak of Mount Koshiki, she smiled wistfully and began to eat. As she finished, a thin black shape caught her eye above the distant mountain. Her face lit up with delight as she made out the sweeping wings and lithe tail of a Kanohi Dragon, circling high in the evening sky. She leaned on the windowsill, watching the dragon weave its graceful way through the air, until it was lost in the young night's darkness.

Enali closed the shutters, and opened the lightstone-lantern that sat on her bedside table. She began to hang up her crystal armour on a small rack nearby, draping her sash neatly over the top, and as she did so there was a slight creaking as Ketu slid his way through the door. Enali looked around, and smiled when she saw the cat. She knelt down and began to stroke his soft back and tickle behind his ears.

"Who's my lovely kitty? Who's my lovely kitty?" she cooed, and Ketu happily purred Meeeeee! Meeeeeeeeee!

Giving the cat one last pat on the head, Enali crept at last into bed, the simple white sheets welcoming and comforting her. Ketu leaped agilely onto the covers, padding around until he settled at her feet and curled up, tucking his tail around to his head.

Warm here.

Enali smiled down at him one last time, and then slid the lightstone's cover shut. Sleep enveloped her.

IC: (Senavysh Angavur/Farmhouse)

Sena quietly ordered her cousin to get the medicine satchel from the caravan. Going close to Nortii's unmoving form, she untied the rope connecting her to the beam, and put her upon a blanket. She had a basic knowledge of herbal medicine, as many Zrupgars on Odaiba did. Those days in her youth foraging and mending thorn cuts helped her in many ways, but an unconscious Dashi...

She had little idea on how to wake her. Only one vague idea: Taajar Kaoliang. A Taajar alcohol infamous for its potentcy. In medicine, it was most commonly applied as a cure for toothaches. But if one thought about it, it could wake one up. Her cousin brought her a skin, and a plain wood cup. Sena poured a cup of the liquor in, mixed some hot-peppers for effect, and let a small bit into the Dashi's throat.

IC:

I was invisible; Nihi was trying – and failing – not to be.

The markets were, as always, bustling with loud and obnoxious life. On this, a typical day on the island of Sado, clear air carried the warmth and light of the sun unfettered down into the bazaar. The markets were one of the largest open-air places in the entire Imperial Palace. While most of Sado's available land had long ago been filled with soaring crystal towers wrought by the Great Ancestors, in which apartments, libraries, courtrooms, and training chambers were perfectly distributed, the public plaza that held the markets had somehow resisted such construction – such Order – opting instead to exist under cloth awnings, woven roofs, and a cloud of ill-repressed entropy.

Voices filled the air. The chattering of excited buyers, the hawking of determined sellers, and the babble of angry brokers was a thick smoke that hung oppressively over each narrow avenue, choking the ears. Garish hues – dozens of insignificant clans' regalia, accented with nonsensical combinations of colors and here and there the flash of a ceremonial white skirt – were no friendlier on the eyes. The scents of food and incense were inescapable. Goods of every kind were peddled and haggled for here; everyone from Saihoko to First Sons could find something desirable under the right tent. I'd been sent here by Kuno a few times to pick up various artifacts from some of the most exclusive dealers, including on one occasion a little piece of metal, almost the size of his palm, which had been found underwater. He had sent me to the markets today, too, but on different business. I was here to watch Nihi.

She had staked out a good spot – in the middle of the market, between the inner and outer rectangles of stalls – but that was the only thing she'd done right so far. Nihi had purchased a box to stand on from a Dashi farmer fresh out of crops, but the weathered wood had broken under her weight. She hadn't brought anything with her, not even prepared remarks. Several times she had tried to speak, but she'd been seemingly unable to raise her voice to an audible volume, and after a few words she'd faded into silence. She hadn't been lying to Kuno when she'd said that she was not a speaker.

Kuno would not gracefully endure a second failure. Soon, I would have to do something.

…

Nihi paced nervously in front of her broken box, bouncing in her knees as she did so. Her splayed fingers, attached to stiff elbows, swung jerkily at her sides, carrying all the tension of her distress. What was she going to do? She was no orator; though she was fearless in battle, Nihi found herself – to her contempt – cowardly in the face of public speaking. The meager confidence she'd mustered since her meeting with Kuno had crumpled along with the box she'd bought. The breaking wood had startled her; she had squeaked, windmilled her arms, and nearly fallen on her face when the platform of the crate had splintered beneath her feet. A few Dashi who had seen this happen had sniggered, and Nihi had felt her face grow hot. She hadn't even said anything, and already she had embarrassed herself.

Why was it so difficult to speak, but so easy to fight? In battle, against night rogues – and even against the wicked Piraka, she recalled – Nihi had never been afraid of anything. She'd whirled her staff with precision, striking exactly as she meant to, manipulated her foes' assaults and exploited their weaknesses just like in training; in combat, Nihi had known what she was doing. Fighting had brought not fear, but instead an audacious joy, adrenaline brought on by the most primal of contests. Her life had been on the line a few times, but she'd faced that danger head-on with relish.

While speaking, the worst Nihi could do was make a fool out of herself. The worst that could happen was that she could be laughed at. And jeered at. And made to look a fool. And mocked. And she could cry, and that would make them laugh harder.

The prospect of death, Nihi decided, was vastly preferable to the prospect of shame.

How absurd.

She had to speak. Kuno’s plan had resounded in her with the veracity of undeniable desire; immediately as the concept was broached with her, Nihi had realized that she wanted to speak. Though she feared worst-case scenarios, the idea of sharing her overburdened heart with anyone – or, several anyones – was a tenacious fire in her long-dampened soul. Nihi had come to realize that there was no denying this fire; even as she’d listened to him, she had irrevocably seized Kuno’s suggestion of oration as her new duty. As a Menti Warrior, Nihi was hardwired not to let an unfulfilled duty, however unpleasant, defeat her.

Besides, she told herself, someone had to rally the people; who was better suited to do this than Nihi herself? Yes, it was Nihi’s duty to stir the Dasaka all around her. And why, after all, was it impossible for oration to be like battle? Her audience could be the enemy; she had to capture their empathies, batter their complacency, rout their doubts, parry their questions, and slay their hearts with her passion. She had to sway the people, as Kuno had said, whirl them into a wave so formidable that the Rora could not deny it its final aim: to crest and break on the beaches of Mata Nui.

She needed to speak, because Nachi no longer could.

She was doing this for Nachi. All had been for Nachi, and all would be for Nachi. Vengeance was Nihi’s hunger. Speaking now, here, was a stepping-stone on the path she had been offered by Zuto Nui to sate that hunger.

No more delay, and no more fear, Nihi decided as she looked down at the remnants of the farmer’s broken box. It reminded her of the crate that had broken Nachi, and this pale semblance – a coincidence – was the keystone in an arch of resolve she had found herself building.

It was time.

…

Nihi took a visible breath and, exhaling, changed. The bouncing in her knees stopped; her exploded hands and overextended elbows relaxed back to normalcy; she ceased her pacing; her wide eyes shrank. She ponderously bent to pick up the broken box; she held it in both hands for a moment, and then threw it hard to the ground, where it splintered in two against the stone. The noise drew the gazes of a few people in the throng.

I was no longer the only one to be watching Nihi.

Under the weight of our stares, she coolly rose into the air, her shoulders back and her angular jaw squared. She ascended upright until she hovered several bio off the ground. The employment of her Mindarm powers on herself was – for a Menti of average ability such as Nihi – demanding, a trick that she would not opt to use in battle; at a time like this, however, she had no reason to preserve psionic energy. Nihi levitated herself over the closest solid roof, a raked and shingled slab of wood that steadfastly held her weight when she lowered down onto it. So positioned, she was visible from most places in the markets.

As Nihi had risen, she had attracted the attention of more Dasaka; when she started to speak at strident volume, as recklessly confident as a brash male, even more faces swiveled up towards her.

“Sisters, mothers, elders, betters,” Nihi began, calling down at a growing cluster of onlookers. “Why do we contain ourselves to the Kentoku Archipelago?”

IC Nortti and Tutkee

(Obaida, Nortti's lab):

"How long will it take before that stuff takes effect?" Tutkee asked. Nortti didn't budge.

IC (Akimoto)

The crystal smith swung her arms restlessly as she waited for her partner to complete her work. Akimoto hated doing nothing; every second spent waiting or resting or standing around was a waste, as far as she was concerned. Her eyes scanned the familiar cramped interior of the forge, flickering over tools and half-finished projects and and blueprints of yet-to-be-built contraptions. There was nothing to do but wait.

Wait for what?

She sighed angrily and rubbed the back of her neck. Nothing. This project was just one of an endless line of assignments. In the end, they were still just Ringti, and they weren't ever going to be anything better.

"This sucks," she muttered. "Don't you ever get tired of getting bossed around? I mean, is this what you want from life, Libro? To wreck your eyes fixing cracks in someone else's armour?"

A six-inch-tall Libro didn't make any sign that she'd heard, despite Aki's steadily raising voice.

"I want to see things, to do things! Who wants to die in some crummy forge you can't even freaking turn around in?"

To accentuate her point, the Dasaka attempted to turn around, bashing her shoulder into a bundle of raw crystal and sending it clattering to the floor. The resulting clamour died quickly, but was followed by a long silence.

Then: "I'm going out."

IC: Ahrusa

Ahrusa watches as some fool levitates onto a nearby rooftop. She remains silent, but is still interested in the spectacle. She listens to Nihi's words with interest, though it is not obvious. "What an odd question to ask, especially in a market", she thought to herself. Her clan owns the most land in the Archipelago, and it had so few members space was no issue. But still, the expansion of our empire would be good for us all. She looks around to see a large crowd watching attentively. This sounded like some sort of rally, and those are rarely good for the ruling party. She continues to pay attention, waiting to hear more.

IC: Amaki

It was the sound of a crate shattering against the hard ground that first caught her attention. Amaki would not have paid too much heed had it only been the minor disturbance - her mind was still been struggling to comprehend the horrifying, yet awe-inspiring events that had occurred less than an hour before, but the moment the other warrior began to raise herself into the air like a reckless child whose first taste of power left them demanding for more, the drummer immediately took notice.

“Why do we contain ourselves to the Kentoku Archipelago?”

Thoughts of heading down to the Yards in order to calm herself were dashed by her curiosity. The formerly levitating warrior seemed to have something important to say, and Amaki wanted to know exactly what was going on. While she had never been much like her fellows, the drummer still shared the Fursic's thirst for information; to cause such a scene in the busy marketplace meant that something was definitely going on - how could she call herself a member of her clan if she didn't try and find out what it was?

Indeed, the other warrior's opening lines definitely held something in store. From the brash tone of voice, to the confident way she regarded the gazes the stupefied market-goers provided ... her very being seemed to hypnotise the crowd into hearing her out, enticing them into eagerly waiting for what she would say next. It was as if a spell had fallen over everyone, bending the will of the people to watch ... to listen ... to remember.

The performance had barely begun, yet the audience were already captivated, and would stay that way until the very final beat.

She actually felt quite jealous.

IC:

The Markets, without exception, are a place of hustle and bustle, of money changing hands, and a place full of representatives from every caste and clan in the archipelago. Ringti sold their wares to fascinated Menti, Dashi worked to sell the fruits of their labor, and Saihoko peddled the day's catch, all within a few yards of each other. The mental chatter was equally loud, if someone were to take a moment to listen, and one would only catch snippets of a thousand conversations unless they delibertely sought out one to listen to.

It was a noble's nightmare, a Ringti's way of life, and for a Saihoko the fine line between death and prosperity. After all, in a place such as this, the odds that one would accidentally run into a noblewoman were increaed almost ten fold, and thus, the odds of being severed in half by an overzealous bodyguard were increased as well. Truthfully, she thought that such methods were wasteful. The Virtues must be upheld, yes, but there is nothing in Zuto Nui's teachings that says a Saihoko must be killed for bumping into someone when the Markets were full of everyone bumping into everyone. Ringti, Saihoko, Dashi, they all knew their standing and it didn't take a death to remind them. Odds are they would already be regretful. Give them a lecture, a warning, even hit them and not only would the same effect be accomplished, that being would live to work another day.

It was a matter of pragmatism.

Nevertheless, the market was a wonderful place to be. Hardwired into the heart of the archipelago, if you were going to learn anything about what was going on in the world, the market was a good place to start. And due to the number of people that went through each day, you were unlikely to stand out. Such were the reasons that Kagesu found herself there that day, at least in part. She needed to buy a few things, but it had been a while since she ventured into the city rather than more local establishments. Even in the chaos she could feel her partner nearby, as easily as she would sense her own presence. Masuyo's signature was as familiar as her own head, though she couldn't quite tell where her partner was at the moment. Likely attending to her own errands.

She would have continued as normal if not for one thing; a large, sudden outpouring of psychic energy into the world. Not an unusual thing near th Yards, but in the market? Either someone had summoned their Soulsword, or someone was making use of a powerful ability. The Menti's head swieveld about, searching for the source, but she needn't have bothered looking. The source was clear. A Menti was using their Mindarm abilities to levitate themselves onto a rooftop, gaining the attention of the entire market in the process. As she began speaking, silence, both physical and on the mental plane, descended over the area, all preent transfixed by this decidedly unusual sight.

And her words cause a bit of a stir, too. Whispers echoed on the mental plane, but they were not important. Nihi's, though Kagseu did not know that that was her name, words were. She posed an important question; why did the Dasaka confine themselves to the archipelago? The Piraka proved that there were lands beyond, but only a single exploration has been launched, and the results were still not common knowledge. The Eiyu in particular would want to know of the lands beyond, so why weren't they exploring?

A momentary pause, largely because Nihi herself paused, as Kagesu considered her own reaction. Ultimately, she was not surprised. If it had been surprise alone, she would have kept walking as soon as she understood the nature of the event. Instead she stood still, eyes riveted on the speaker with focused attention. No, she was curious, and after a moment she knew what she would do.

.:You speak boldly, Menti.:. She said "loudly" over the mental plane, her words directed at Nihi even though she knew that most of those in the market could likely hear her. She would have spoken aloud, but truthfully, she would rather not draw attention to her physical location. Safely esconced in the crowd, she could speak over the mental plane without having to make herself known.

.:I am curious to know of what you mean. Do you refer to the lands beyond the Kentoku Archipelago?:.

IC Ahrusa:

She then heard another speak, but this time on the mental plane. It was loud, and all in the immediate area could hear it. She continued to listen, having no real choice in the matter.

"You speak boldly, Menti. I am curious to know of what you mean. Do you refer to the lands beyond the Kentoku Archipelago?"

"She may be referring to the newfound island, but that's not common knowledge. Perhaps she is the mouth of another", she thought to herself.

IC(Rano-Sado Marketplace)

The marketplace was diverse stream of culture and trade, but on some days it was more comparable to a whirlpool. Today, though, the whirlpool had a definable center- a Menti had levitated to the the top of a building, speaking out to her fellow marketplace dwellers.

Rano's travels had taken her across the Kentoku Archipelago, all the way from the Eiyu village on Odaiba to the market of Sado, and she had already gathered a small but growing wealth of knowledge that only the experience could cultivate. Much of the Kentoku Archipelago was serene, or exciting, or exhilarating. And sometimes it was a bit strange, like the Menti who had levitated to the top of a building.

"We confine ourselves to the island," she replied quite audibly, "because we have established a perfectly good culture for ourselves here."

IC Ahrusa

Yet another spoke out, but this time out loud.

"We confine ourselves to the island, because we have established a perfectly good culture for ourselves here", she had said

She had finally though of something to say. "We do not confine ourselves, we have no reason to expand. Our empire is stable enough and space is no issue. We prosper here, and I see no reason to overextend ourselves", she yelled out. She thought if something was going down, she might as well be part of it.

IC: (Senavysh Angavur/Farmhouse)

"The liquor does nothing, I think," Senavysh said. By now, she was beginning to panic. She didn't want this Dashi to die by her failings. At least, Sena thought she was dying. "Have you anything loud? Perhaps we can spook her awake."

She was a Jahagir, not a medicine woman.

IC:

Soraph breathed deeply, the fierce embers of ecstasy that had rebounded through their mental link burning into oblivion and leaving the Vilda princess acutely aware of the night's chill. She had flown through a bird's eye before but not while a third mind was present, not one that had so thoroughly enjoyed the experience as First Son Koga.

She retreated from the Daikura, leaning back into her cushioned chair as her mental link with him was slowly severed. She licked her lips, savouring the fleeting taste of Koga's on hers, and listened as he uttered simple words of thanks. She got up, walking to the edge of the veranda and leaning on one of the support beams. Soraph looked up at the moon, bright and full and past it's zenith in the night sky. Soraph considered what Koga had told her.

"I'm sure I'll think of some way you can repay me, sooner or later" Soraph told the First Son. She took another look at the heavens and gauged the time. "But right now, its getting rather late..."

The Vilda First Son walked with a sense of nobility, a company of Ageru guards leading him through the halls of the Mahuika castle towards the throne room. It hadn't taken the farming clan long to recognize the visiting diplomat once he'd entered their lands - Kulrik was a male wearing Vilda colours, he was accompanied by a Herupa and that Herupa was carrying Vilda's banner. And Kulrik was the most handsome man any Ageru had ever seen.

Menti of the agricultural clan sprung from nowhere, surrounding Kulrik and Seigyo asking them for their reason for visiting. They'd asked as politely as possible, careful not to offend a male noble. When the Ageru learned of Kulrik's destination, they were all too quick to offer to accompany him personally. Looking at the number of guards, Kulrik noticed there were a few more than necessary for his protection. Kulrik smiled smugly that even trained Menti were not impervious to his charm.

Kulrik rather enjoyed all the attention.

Before long the guards stopped, two large doors directly ahead. Kulrik stopped muttering soft words into one of the guard's ears and focused his attention on the portal. Kulrik knew that during this pause his presence was being made known to an individual on the other side of the doors. He waited and a few moments later, the doors swung open.

Kulrik, First Son of Clan Vilda walked forward to meet Toroshu Kilanya of Clan Ageru.

IC Tutkee

(Obaida, Nortti's lab):

"We're being quite loud and it's doing nothing. I doubt sound will do anything for her."

Tutkee was holding back tears. She did not want the other Dasaka to see her sorrow and resolve at Nortti's condition. If she let them know she had been aware of this secret laboratory all along, she might lose her worth...

"She needs care at a medical facility, preferrably..."

Nortti's eyes began to open.

"Nortti!" Tutkee shouted in joy, ignoring the others. She leapt forward and helped the Dashi up. Nortti was still shaken, but alive.

IC: Eiyu Ankora (Sado)

"In any event, it was pleasant speaking with you," she told the other Datsue, "or maybe it wasn't, I shall contemplate this further as I go away from here"

Ankora turned and left the park, instead finding herself moving towards the marketplace where she could see a Menti she vaguely recalled seeing at least once or twice in passing before proclaim a call to explore the faraway culture on Mata Nui.

The crowd's responses were less than stellar:

"We confine ourselves to the island," one Menti that Ankora recognized immediately replied quite audibly, "because we have established a perfectly good culture for ourselves here."

We do not confine ourselves, we have no reason to expand. Our empire is stable enough and space is no issue. We prosper here, and I see no reason to overextend ourselves"

Both of them promptly received an unpleasant strike up the back of the head from an ornate cane floating in mid-air.

"You young ones speak out of turn," she barked, as her cane returned to her hand, "can you not see the opportunities presented to us by our new neighbors?"

She looked at the Menti known as Rano whom she recognized as a member of her own clan.

"And you," she said, "how dare you call yourself an Eiyu, to so callously throw away an opportunity such as this? It is our way to seek knowledge wherever we can, and I can imagine there is much we can learn from these Mata Nuians"

OOC: Introducing my new Dasaka character.

IC: Xania | Sado Marketplace

"Why am I even here?" Xania though, sighing and shaking her head.

She descended to Markets to buy some clothes, and after an hour of aimless wanders, she finally found something. Now, looking at this particular piece of fabric, Xania couldn't help but notice how poorly it was made and how rough it was. Dashi-trader looked at her carefully and waited, hoping to please noblewoman's taste. Menti gave her a rather harsh look that made Dashi tremble.

"Is that all?" Xania asked, slightly rising cloth she held.

"Y-yes..." shuddered saleswoman, anticipating everything from a Menti that was frowning with irritation.

Xania closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She needed to learn to manage her temper, to be calm in situations as simple as this. It helped, to some degree.
Menti carelessly thrown cloth back at Dashi and said:

"I don't need anything," then she left, abruptly turning away.

"Another precious hour of my time is wasted!" she thought with anger. "There's nothing decent in this place, why I even bothered to go here..."

As she was walking, Xania still gave a chance to looking around in hopes of finding what she needed. Markets were bursting with mental and normal chatter, sun was shining, reflecting from crystal spires and playing on the ground and faces, bringing joy. For a noblewoman as Xania it was a nightmare to be here, yet it was necessary. She promised herself not to go here again any time soon.

Walking forward, Xania heard sound of breaking wood. It was loud enough to make her stop, yet she couldn't find the source. Well, she didn't need to because soon "cause of trouble" lifted herself to the roof and her voice as thunderous sound of gong pierced mental plane.

"Why do we contain ourselves to the Kentoku Archipelago?"

Menti Warrior of Umbraline clan raised her eyebrows in gesture of genuine surprise and disgust. What was this Menti thinking, leaving Kentoku Archipelago?

Yet thoughts of Xania, unpleasant and opposite, were stopped by other voices, lifted from the crowd. By now, Nihi collected the attention she needed, and Marketplace frozen, looking at her.

"You speak boldly, Menti. Do you refer to the lands beyond the Kentoku Archipelago?"

"We confine ourselves to the island, because we have established a perfectly good culture for ourselves here."

"We do not confine ourselves, we have no reason to expand. Our empire is stable enough and space is no issue. We prosper here, and I see no reason to overextend ourselves."

Answer to her call was less than stellar, and Xania was pleased to not be alone on her point of view, yet she was intrigued by what would happen next, deciding to remain silent and observe. Mental chatter changed the mood - from joyful and light, to concerned and heavy. Everyone was flabbergasted by this Menti's words, and most of those who spoken were against them.

"Not a great start, huh?" she thought to herself, crossing her arms and looking at Nihi.

She expected Menti to soon descend from the roof and go do her business. Yet Xania's little triumph were short-lived: Datsue from Eiyu clan appeared, reinforcing doubt and heresy that were already sowed. It was enough for Xania to start speaking. Her voice broke into mental plane as a crushing wave:

:Opportunities? Knowledge? With all due respect, Datsue, what you speak is absurd. Our empire is the greatest there is and it continues to prosper because we were true to our traditions, to our roots. You want to abandon all of that to chase this... opportunity? What a great shame you will bring on your clan if this 'opportunity' doesn't pay off.:

IC: Eiyu Ankora (Sado)

Ankora turned to regard the newcomer to the discussion, quickly noting the purple garments and the haughty frame, this was not someone to take lightly.

"Yes, our Empire is great," Ankora replied, "truly our empire is the greatest work of Zuto Nui that our feeble minds can conceive of."

"So why, then? Do we presume to lock ourselves away when there seems to be no immediate reason to? Please explain to me how it would count as abandoning our traditions to seek out the Mata Nuians. Do you presume they pose a threat?"

OOC: Let's not drag our little chat, let the others play also.

IC: Xania | Sado Marketplace

Xania almost choked on her surprise. She nearly spitted out shocked "How dare you?!", but her manners disallowed so. Menti showed light sign of disgust and looked down at Datsue, yet in her gaze was no disrespect.

:Threat? Nonsense!: she dismissed it. :And what are your reasons to leave Kentoku Archipelago, Datsue? To seek opportunities? To conquer lands? To strike an alliance with this... Mata Nuians? Their existence is a mistake, and their name is utter disrespect, if not worse, for Zuto Nui. To even think about such things?.. But no matter...:

Losing interest in Datsue, she turned her eyes to Menti standing on a rooftop. Xania's voice once again shook mental plane.

:What's your excuse for such thoughts, Menti?:

IC:

Rano would not be accompanied alone. Jiyu had followed her.

"I must disagree with you my companion," The giant Dasaka said, easily drawing eyes. His size, status, and infamy made it hard not to notice the First Son of Clan Herupa.

"Should it not be our mission to go and conquer these new lands? Show these savages what true culture is like? Besides, there will come a day when we find that we cannot longer live on this island. The many will no longer have enough food, and we will begin to fill our cities. When this comes, we will want new land to take for our empire, and this Mata Nui will provide as an excellent breeding ground for future generations," Jiyu declared to the marketplace. Jiyu's almost looked like he wanted the beings in the marketplace to challenge him and his thoughts.

-

"A warm reception," Seigyo had muttered to Kulrik upon meeting the first of clan Ageru, although afterwards, she had said little, simply staying by Kulrik's side and watching for any threats as they walked to, and entered the hall.

IC: (Senavysh Angavur/Farmhouse)

Sena couldn't help but smile. Rising, she let go her breath, in relief. The Dashi wouldn't die, thank Mother Zuto. She considered asking to stay the night, but shot the thought down as soon as it appeared. They had overstayed their welcome, by far. She reached into her surcoat, and pulled out a fine crystalline dagger, sheathed in bleached white leather, with a carved bone handle.

Sena had it made as a ceremonial sidearm, to wear along her belt at feasts. The caravan had many. She figured it make a decent token of sorry, for the broken door and intrusion. It would fetch a fine price, and perhaps pay for another machine. She offered it up, a subtle hint of guilt in her eyes.

"I think this is suitable to pay for the door, and another machine. A give an apology on behalf of Clan Angavur, inventor. I hope this is suitable pay for the wrongful intrusion."

IC: Ahrusa

Ahrusa ignored the strike to her head, continuing to listen. Suddenly, the First Son of Clan Herupa, Jiyu spoke. It was hard not to notice him. She had to speak her mind.

"And what of its populace, they have more right to that land than us. They have lived there for thousands of years, and are we not just", she yelled. "We will find a way for our empire to continue to thrive!"

IC:

"In the end, no one has the right to anything. From what we know, they are nothing more than a large mass of savages, barely capable of using the land that they have been given," Jiyu replied, maintaining a calm voice, "If anything, we'd be doing them a favour by taking them, and consolidating them under our power."

IC: Ahrusa

Ahrusa was angered, but quickly composed herself. She stood up, and continued to speak, this time calmly. "We have only sent out a single expedition. Not nearly enough information for such a task. Who is to say they do not have a Military? Would it be wise to ignite a war?" She still couldn't find why she was discussing politics in the middle of a marketplace.

Ic: "Sisters, mothers, elders, betters," a Menti began calling down at a growing cluster of onlookers with a passionate voice. "Why do we contain ourselves to the Kentoku Archipelago?"

Betters. Ooh! That's me! I stopped midstride and turned on my heel to look in the direction of the voice. She was far away from me and I could barely see her head peeking up above the crowns of the rest and the roofs of the portable shops in the market, but her voice captivated me. I guess it all has to do with focus, right? Haha, good, focused Yumi!

But, ummmm. See, that's good and all, yay for focus and stuff, but the topic matter is something less than thrilling for me. Or really enthralling. I'm not entirely sure. Politics are the stuff I'm bred for, being princess and harbored at court for future success, but it was one thing to talk about expansion -- which I assumed from the very start that this would be about -- at court and another entirely in public. I looked this way and that at the dashi and few dasaka around me in a sort of daze. Was this really happening? Me, first time in the Market, and I'm still going to have to bear the brunt of a sociopolitical discourse?

From the looks of those around me they basically demanded (no, that's not the right word, only I can demand) expected (that's more like it I think) me to get closer and be a part of this. They allowed me passage through the crowd, making way for me to quietly make my way towards the Menti on a box and get a closer view and listen.

.:You speak boldly, Menti.:. someone loudly said over the mental plane, remaining hidden despite the eager voice. .:I am curious to know of what you mean. Do you refer to the lands beyond the Kentoku Archipelago?:.

.:Of course she does,:. I replied, though I knew the Menti's words were not directed at me. I, too, remained obscured. Nothing further was said just yet, though. My tone seemed to carry weight; I could not escape the noblewoman's mannerisms even in my state here in the Market. Even my calmest phrases seemed laden with status.

Suddenly my head was filled with the words from a familiar voice. I recognized Xania of my own clan speak her mind, clearly in response to someone who I as yet still could not hear. Sound was still lost to me through the crowd of heads and gentle murmurs. Hey, look, I'm tall and pretty and I have a long neck and probably could use some of these dashi as nightstands but there were a lot of them. Some were turned away from me and weren't aware that the chōjo was creepin' up behind them like a sneaky... I dunno, thing that is sneaky. .:Opportunities? Knowledge?:. Xania said. .:With all due respect, Datsue, what you speak is absurd. Our empire is the greatest there is and it continues to prosper because we were true to our traditions, to our roots. You want to abandon all of that to chase this... opportunity? What a great shame you will bring on your clan if this 'opportunity' doesn't pay off.:. I gathered the gist of what the contents of the comment she was replying to were. Xania was always direct. I did hear the follow-up, though quietly, as I came nearer to the fore of the crowd:

"Yes, our Empire is great, truly our empire is the greatest work of Zuto Nui that our feeble minds can conceive of. So why, then? Do we presume to lock ourselves away when there seems to be no immediate reason to? Please explain to me how it would count as abandoning our traditions to seek out the Mata Nuians. Do you presume they pose a threat?"

.:Threat? Nonsense! And what are your reasons to leave Kentoku Archipelago, Datsue? To seek opportunities? To conquer lands? To strike an alliance with this... Mata Nuians? Their existence is a mistake, and their name is utter disrespect, if not worse, for Zuto Nui. To even think about such things?.. But no matter... What's your excuse for such thoughts, Menti?:. Yup, that was Xania alright. I caught sight of her purple clothes at last though was at an angle from her; she didn't see me yet. For now I was still an unknown.

Teehee, this will be so fun when I fully reveal myself to the dignitaries here. Or not at all. Maybe I'm getting caught up in this, maybe it will be a disgrace. Too late now, though. A good leader doesn't back down from a chance to show what is right.

I heard another conversation on the other side of me arguing the morality of conquering the island of Mata Nui. I recognized the Herupa First Son -- Hanako introduced me to him a while back. He's too stocky for me, a bit too much of a man really, so I didn't really show any favour for him beside the professional courtesies. I just... I don't like him. I guess that goes for a lot of guys, actually. Anyway, Jiyu seemed to want people to challenge his statement but I wasn't sure what to say yet so I didn't take him on on the open offer. Someone else did, though, and took a less aggressive stance which I was fine with.

It's not that I didn't have an opinion but I'm not like Xania -- I don't speak unless I have something to say. I prefer a more cunning form of diplomacy, and as crown princess and future rora my impartiality was all but written in statute. I couldn't just say what was on my mind. Things were expected of me!

Finally I was within easy earshot of the Menti on the rooftop. Finally I spoke, primariy to make my presence known to this different, larger group of diverse denizens. I looked royal and stood erect, and the sea breeze blew gently over the market and made my skirt and linen cloak flutter dramatically. Believe me, I'm defititely the type who loves clandestine adventures but grew up relishing in abrupt entrances, so I figured this was as good a time and place for one as any

"I am Umbraline Yumiwa, crown princess and chōjo of the great Dasaka Empire, and I, too, would like to hear not only the rest of your speech, Menti, but also the remarks of all you who opine here -- and with great interest." I looked back at First Son Eiyu and then at Captain Xania to make eye contact and see to it that they could verify my claim of identity, if need arose. Nobody dared question me, though; I looked and behaved the part and the rumor was clearly afoot that I was in the Market. A lot of the saihoko sort of expected me to attend the impromptu speech.

"So, please," I said looking back at the Menti on the roof and impatiently twirled my index finger in an upward flutter. "Do continue."

OOC: Might want to read more carefully, Rene.

IC: Xania | Sado Marketplace

Now there was talk about conquering the Mata Nuians that Xania didn't particularly like. She didn't want to argue with First Son of clan Herupa, not because she was afraid, but because she thought it would be pointless, like talking to a falling rock that wants to smash a bug on it's way down. Yet when she thought that chaos is soon to be ignited in the midst of a marketplace, the crown princess showed herself.

"I am Umbraline Yumiwa, crown princess and chōjo of the great Dasaka Empire, and I, too, would like to hear not only the rest of your speech, Menti, but also the remarks of all you who opine here -- and with great interest."

Markets were silenced by her presence alone. Everyone, arguing or still minding their own business, looked at her, frozen in anticipation. Xania was too, until she regained control over her body and made her way closer to Yumiwa. It took her quite awhile, bumping through flabbergasted Dashi and Dasaka, trying not to touch the most dirty looking ones.

"So, please. Do continue."

Yumiwa's words were calm and regal, Xania almost envied her self-control in this mess. When she was within line of sight of the crown princess, she bowed courteously to her, dispelling any doubt about her identity, at least within reach of few dozen eyes. She genuinely wasn't expecting her to be here, but she was glad that chojo appeared to stop everything going out of control.

:What brings you here, my chojo?: Xania asked directly to Yumiwa, standing close enough to her in case she will require protection, yet not breaking into her "comfort zone". Though, she was sure that princess can take care of herself, Xania decided she did it more to reassure herself rather than to provide support for chojo.

IC: Eiyu Ankora (Sado)

The unmistakable authority of Yumiwa's ("the Great Rora's loins most glorious outpouring") voice was a welcome change in to the tune of the conversation as far as Ankora was concerned. She knew the Crown Princess could be a very reasonable woman when she wanted to, and it seemed like she was planning on being just that.

Ankora merely threw a court nod in her direction as she remained silent, Yumiwa had indirectly cast the ballot, it was now Nihi's turn to speak, and respond to those gathered.

IC:

The princess' confirmation, for now that her presence had been revealed it was certain to be her, only served to add fuel to the fire of her curiosity. Perhaps that wasn't all that surprising; After all, she was an Eiyu. Where others saw no need or point, she saw the potential to learn something that no one had ever learned before. She visibly frowned when someone said that the foreigners were blasphemous, but no one noticed. No one had noted her location yet, after all.

.:Apologies, chojo.:. She sent in Yumiwa's general direction, though truthfully, she didn't really expect a reply. .:I did not notice your presence, else I would have bowed.:.

IC: Amaki

Everything was moving too quickly for her. The moment someone began speaking another would chime in, throwing their opinion out into the wind. Amaki didn't know whether to agree with them or not - her focus was the warrior who had started the performance that was unfolding before her. But the warrior had not spoken since; she didn't even know what was going on anymore. Expanding the borders of the empire was such a foreign concept: the archipelago had always been the Great Dasaka Empire - the lands beyond had never come across her mind.

And then Lady Yumiwa ... no, Her Imperial Highness, had arrived. Amaki didn't know why she was so shocked by the presence of her liege - after all, they had parted barely an hour prior, and it would have been unlikely for the Crown Princess to have left so quickly. Yet she was, forgetting to bow for mere seconds before frantically dropping to the ground and bowing in deference to Lady Yumiwa. It was an action that many of the other watchers repeated, showing the necessary respect to the scion of their great ruler.

The performance had shifted dramatically in mere seconds.

IC (Kilanya)

The Hall for which the Ageru's castle is named was a long, tall one, set at the centre of the building. Sunlight gleamed through tall windows of crystal set into the walls and the roof high above, adding their golden glow to the orange of a large fire that burned halfway along the room's length. Rising up from the marble-paved floor along both walls were ornate wood-carvings, and it was to these that Kulrik and Seigyo's eyes were drawn as they entered through the great double-doors. The carvings depicted many scenes, both of war and of peace, and the craftsmanship so lifelike that once might expect wooden Dasaka to step out of the walls. One figure was particularly beautiful to behold - she seemed to appear in several panels, and was instantly recognisable, for her wooden form was overlaid with perfectly shaped plates of crystal. If the visitors knew of Ageru lore, then this figure was unmistakably Gestheru, a hero of old and the founder of the clan.

As they were lead along the long hall, Toroshu Kilanya watched them from where she sat, straight-backed on a throne carved from wood like the murals. This, Gestheru's Seat, was set on a dais at the far end of the hall from where they had entered.

She had been in the middle of her day's briefing when they arrived, and so had ordered that they be given a guided tour of the castle. Quite besides impressing them, it would give her Menti aide the time to finish informing her of all that the Toroshu needed to know. Most of it was the usual stuff: trade figures, political news, the latest harvest...all quite necessary, but somewhat banal. The last report, however, had been quite different. A young Dasaka of the clan had surprised her teachers in the Yards with a display of raw Soulsword power. Such outbursts were a clear sign of potential (she herself remembered the day her powers had first properly manifested) and were sure to draw special attention to the Menti in question. At her mother's suggestion, she had nominated the girl to be the Ageru's contribution the Eiyu's latest expedition. But that was not all that -

Enough.

Clearing her mind of these thoughts, the Toroshu gathered her wits to greet her visitor.

"Welcome, Vilda Kulrik," she pronounced. Her voice was clear and pure, but carried all the confidence and authority worthy of a clan's leader. "Your visit is an unexpected pleasure."

IC: "Um, let's go with business, Xania," I said to my clan sister. The captain was loyal to her namesake and, intentionally or not, confirmed my identity with her mental sentence. I replied with my mouth simply because I didn't really feel like sharing my purpose to everyone around. There was no shame, of course, but I'm still a private person despite my public personality.

Another Menti shot a message to me over the mental circuits. .:Apologies, chojo. I did not notice your presence, else I would have bowed.:.

.:Apology accepted,:. I replied in turn. But as a lot of people did bow or kneel to me in deference or respect even now I had to add on my suggestion, .:Though it's not too late to do it now.:.

(Here's hoping I'm not going to be a PR nightmare though. Be smart, Yumi! Don't suck! Zuto Nui would be so mad, not to mention my mom.)

IC (Akimoto)

The marketplace wasn't one of Aki's favourite spots, but she somehow found herself ending up there anyway. She didn't mind the crowds, the hustle and bustle, or the noise; what she did mind was tons of people trying to catch her attention and push their wares in her face.

But that didn't seem to be a problem today: in fact, the marketplace was bizarrely quiet. The silence hit the smith like a sledgehammer, jarring her from her introspective irritation and bringing her focus to the scene taking place in the centre of the market. Someone was hovering over the heads of the assorted Dashi and scattered Dasaka, and lone voices were calling out to her, both from the crowd and on the mental plane. It seemed she'd just made some sort of speech.

The crystal smith elbowed her way past a few Dashi, who shot her dirty looks, but she paid no mind as she did her best to get close to the action. That was when a new voice rang out.

"I am Umbraline Yumiwa, crown princess and chōjo of the great Dasaka Empire, and I, too, would like to hear not only the rest of your speech, Menti, but also the remarks of all you who opine here -- and with great interest."

Okay, then. Aki's eyes widened as she found the speaker, a Dasaka who carried herself with all the poise and power you'd expect from the heir to the throne.

"So, please," Yumiwa continued, gesturing to the hovering Menti. "Do continue."

Well. This was going to be interesting. Aki settled herself back and waited for the Menti's reply.