From Poet’s Mind

[Hinoten]

My trip back home was almost complete! I spotted Simon on his patrol and soon heard Larken afterwards! I remembered the way home. Larken was speaking about her brand new shoes, made with REAL gold. Simon checked to see if she had been tricked into buying them, to which Larken reassured that the butterflies got her money back…or was it they stole it back? Simon did not seemed pleased to hear that. I am fuzzy in the head and tired from my trip. I walk back with Larken and Simon. He asks how I’ve been doing.

“Shishin…..WARE WA SHI…”

I try to make a hand gesture to try and emulate removing Asura. Something my papa had talked about. I don’t think my abilities are strong enough to help Shishin. I will have to retrieve some of Hanu’s leftover baijiu to see if we can get Asura managed at the very least. Simon nods, I am not sure I got my point across…but Simon does not seem to be fond of magic, so perhaps he is just being polite.

We make it back home and I see a bright and smiling face followed by my favorite singing voices calling out to me! Raine was here!!! I excitedly run to greet him. It had been so long. We chat lightly but I am tired and need to tend to the Lam, but just knowing that I would get to hear Raine’s amazing voice already was brightening my spirits!

“Taidaima~”

I say to myself as I enter the Lam. The floor had become dusty with visitors and I take some time to tidy up and unpack some of my things. I pick up the gohei and begin cleansing the space, making sure the Lam was ready for both physical and emotional healing. I still need to make a new sign…

I am distracted by some noise outside. I look to see what is going on. Larken spots me and asks if I knew how to “blink”. I tried to “blink” like Larken but it was not effective. It was alright though! I had my own “blink”. I spread my wings and jumped off the ground, taking flight and landing 30 feet away. It was a short flight, but my wings were still recovering. I am proud but it has been a long time! Papa says that it will return to me in due time.

Tannas gave me a gift. A coin he said that meant he owed me a favor. I am not certain of what I could ask of him as he already helps so much! I accept though. Maybe I can ask him to help with some chores at the Po Chi Lam.

There is another bird! He is not like me though. I wondered if he was a baby Tengu, as his feathers did not come in yet and his Magan was not formed. Did he fall out of a nest? He has a beak and dark eyes and he calls himself a “Doctor”. He carries around a jar of yummy looking snacks, but he states that they are pets and/or medical equipment and not for eating. I don’t understand his methods as he speaks of balancing humors. I remember Hanu saying that it is humorous to watch him try to balance after drinking lots of Baijiu… maybe it is a similar idea? If he wishes to heal then he is welcome to assist at the Lam, but hopefully he won’t drink all the baijiu! I still need to bring some back for Shishin.

____________________

Simon calls us all to gather up. He informs us that we aren’t ready to face Tully-Eye and so to get proper training in we were going to fight in a tournament! It was a serious thing, but it kind of sounded fun! It would let me get more practice in. I had been training really hard. Simon did not look like this was for fun…

We wrote our names to be randomly drawn to form our teams. This was so we would not stick to our usual groups. Drandor helped write my name, I know the letters…but my penmanship is lacking. It is probably good that Drandor wrote my name on the paper too so it could be read. I have been slacking on my letters…

“A B C D E F G H P O T I S P P P P P P P”

No time like the present to get some practice in!

The teams are drawn, and my team feels promising! Raine is nervous, but I know he will fight well. We’re encouraged to learn each other’s abilities and get creative. We fight several rounds for placement. I try my best, and I have become quicker but I fall early in the practice rounds, my friends are all so strong! I need more training, my head has been fuzzy…

After preliminary rounds we take a break to recover. I help Z find resources to fix her armor after it was sundered in the previous fights. There is money for prizes and the first place winners get a favor from the Royce family. My mind quickly thinks of my missing siblings. Could I ask for Lord Royce to help me look for them?

“Pie! Posey!”

Z seems to think it could be a possibility. I am excited at this idea! Lord Royce knows lots of people, he may know someone who has seen them! If I find them then my friends could meet them, and they would be safe here! We had to win this!

I wonder why I can’t seem to locate them…I am having a hard time locating Mama’s Magan especially. Every time I try to use my foresight, things get fuzzy and I get a headache. Hanu said he had found Mama’s Magan and he placed it where I could find it in the future. But I can’t sort out where. I go and ask Kelora for a reading. Perhaps her vision will be able to reach where mine doesn’t.

“Help. Mama!”

Her news is not good…a path tangled in turmoil and pain and intertwined with Tully-Eye. She apologizes for the sad news. I…don’t know how this could be. Did Tully-Eye find Mama before me? Was I not fast enough?…Did Hanu lie? NO. I take a moment as I feel an anger start to well up inside me. It feels consuming. My eyes wander to my trinkets where Papa’s Magan lays. Papa tries to hide it but he is running out of time, but he can’t pass on without mama and she stuck in this realm. Papa will become a twisted wandering spirit if I can’t find mama. My eyes fall on Tannas’ coin and I grab it. I approach the table as Tannas is cleaning up a card game. I place the coin in front of him. He looks concerned. He asks “Who?”

“Tully-Eye.”

I feel a venom in the words. It feels like there is a pounding in my head and chest, like a creature trying to tear its way out. I want to shriek and tear into something. Tannas looks at me and hands the coin back. “Keep it. We’re going to get him.” The words halt the feelings from bubbling over. I wrap my hand around the coin and nod. I needed to train. I needed to process.

______________

I don’t know how long I go through my drills. I practice my foot work with a new vigor. My lunges and slashes feel like there is a new power behind them. I start to push further and further into it and I start to lose myself. Tully-Eye has mama, but Hanu said he found her and hid her. How??? How??? I don’t understand! Did Hanu lie!?! He lied??? He wouldn’t lie! He couldn’t have lied!!! Why did he lie????

I let out a horrendous shriek as I lose myself in my slashes. I stop as a cold calm comes over me. Tully-Eye won’t fall with just a bokken…I need steel.

I go to the training grounds for the guards. There was gear out for people to practice with. I walk over and pick up a blade. The steel is heavy and reflects the light of the sun with a tempting lethality. There’s a weight that begins to build in my shoulders and my heart and my hand starts to shake a bit. “Our duty is to take care of them.” Raine’s voice catches me off guard. I turn to look at him before looking back at the blade. The allure was gone. What was I doing?… Raine was right. A blade did not fit in my hands. I did not need it. I give a small nod as I return the sword to its proper place.

———

I continue to train. Each slash it feels like my blood is beginning to boil again. I’m so frustrated and angry…I look up at the tree providing me shade and the early falling yellow leaves. I take a moment. I breathe. I listen to wind in the trees. I feel it move through my feathers. I remember sitting next to Hanu, and him leading through breathing exercises…

“Breath in….breath out…”

Closing my eyes, I take a seat…it felt like I could feel his presence next to me there. He was with me. He did not lie. I would find answers. I will find peace. The boiling sensation began to leave my body and instead a gentle hum of a warm heart beat echoed in my chest. It was alright that I felt anger, but I couldn’t let it take me. I sit and remind myself that my anger had its place. But my bokken should not be guided by it. I opened my eyes half-expecting Hanu to be seated next to me…probably taking a nap. He was not physically there, but I feel a smile.

I continue my training and spend some time at the Lam. Simon walks by and checks on how I’m feeling.

“Angry…I WANT TO RIP HIS GUTS OUT.”

Simon looked at me with an expression that showed that he understood. He confirmed to me that we would get Tully-Eye. I want to whole heartedly believe that justice would be served. But there’s a worry. Why do things feel off?

_______

I guess there was a ruckus that went on in the woods. Drandor returned alone, and when questioned where the others were I swore that I heard him say “I killed them.” There was a moment of tension but soon it was released. Drandor’s jokes are odd. I do not always understand them. He reported that someone had been hurt in the woods and my feet begin to fly towards the direction he came. I quickly meet up with the others and see that Alyssaria has arrived in town! She is loopy, silly, and being assisted with her walking. I look to others for an explanation to which Z clarifies that she had been given an anti-septic that apparently has made Alyssaria a little drunken, perhaps a hint of the alcohol that she had poured on the wound had taken a bit of an effect as well. I follow to the Po Chi Lam and take a secondary look at the Doctor’s work. I was informed that her wound had festered, definitely would not be a good idea to try and close the wound up with magic. Her current treatment would have to run it’s course, or it could get complicated. I did not understand the Doctor’s ideas of humors, he kept on offering to place leeches on her! At the very least Alyssaria was getting proper treatment for the most part. I spend some time applying stitches to her wound.

“You’re okay. You’re okay.”

Alyssaria revealed a lot in her state of stupor. MEAT had gotten himself into a lot of trouble…all tied to outstanding debts to the Journey Gins? Kind of sounds like a band that Hanu would have listened to. She had been wounded when trying to help him and she had escaped. This was not good… Me and MEAT…or Marcus, I guess his name is. I like MEAT better. Meat and I don’t always get along. He makes fun of me a lot, which makes me want to make fun of him….I am worried though.

Word got around of MEAT…Marcus’s plight and Tannas came to visit Alyssaria. Luckily she had come to her senses at that point and she was able to confirm to Tannas of the danger he was in. Tannas stated that MEAT was “one of us”. That was a good way to sum up what I felt. He made me angry sometimes, but so did Pie and Posey at points. It was like bickering with a sibling.

_________________

The tournament concluded! I cannot believe it! Our team had won! There was a level of joy as the prizes were handed out. I offer my idea for asking for help finding my siblings and it felt like it was the plan to use our favor from the Royces. There was something wrong though. Tannas had spoken making a joke, and Simon…he turned and seemed to suddenly become hostile! What was going on?! There was a momentary stare down before things seemed to slowly settle. My hand had shifted to my bokken so I was ready if things were to become escalated. There seemed to be a recovery though and Simon took a moment for himself.

Alyssaria approached our team soon after, requesting that our favor be used to help free MEAT. Z stated that we would have a group meeting to discuss. We sat and layed out our options, and Z asked how I felt.

“Save…MEAT.”

Z asked if I was sure. That was not a fair question. I wanted all of them safe… Meat was in more direct danger though, and my siblings whereabouts were currently unknown…My heart sank a bit with making this choice. But I know it was the right one.

“Pie! Posey! Strong!….Meat….Poo Poo Doo Doo Head!”

A joke made it more light hearted. Meat was one of us. I was going to help him in whatever way I could.

________

I spent time learning a new recipe from Larken. It was one that Papa knew, but it was with plants that were not native to this realm. Larken taught me which ones worked to make a healing potion. I would definitely have to spend some time to learn this! It would be a great help at the Po Chi Lam. I usually use my magic to heal people, but to put it in the hands of others to apply would be a great way to protect my family!

A storyteller arrived while I was learning. He spoke a tale of the Elven King and the Hunt. We should never answer the call as it howled at our windows and doors in the night…it sounded very scary. Many questions were asked about the Elven King, on if there was a way to fight the hunt, there did not seem a way. Our only choice is to try and find Tully-Eye, catch the game and the hunt would be over…

Z had an idea on contacting a friend, someone who could hop through realms? This sounded like a very powerful ally that we could have on our side. I was very for this idea, and if he was Z’s friend then he must be good! I was excited to meet this Phelix!

“Dear Phelix! Dear Phelix!”

I chanted to myself as I headed to the Lam to fetch something to try and work on the potion with Larken. Aikenn approaches asking where I heard that name, he seems stressed.

“I have a friend! Dear Phelix!”

I repeat in Z’s words. Aikenn looks worried. He informs me that Phelix kills birds…indiscriminately. I feel like my feathers turned white and I ran to Z to try and stop her. Her friend kills birds!?

“He kills birds…indiscriminately! He kills birds…indiscriminately!”

It’s too late though as Z slashes across her hand and finishes a spell of some kind. Her note disappears. I grab her hand and start chanting. Why always the hand!? There are so many tendons there at risk of being damaged. I wanted to scold Z for possibly harming her crafter’s hands, but it would interrupt my spell, and I did not have the words. A sword appeared in the circle with her note returned. Z appeared to take it as a confirmation. I feel a shadow over my head.

“I’m gunna die!”

I squeak the words. I don’t know what to expect now!

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