8/23/14

Pharast 18th, 656 AR

What a day it has been!

When I was coherent enough to think straight I was already standing in the quickly growing crowds of the city. I think Aiko dragged me the whole way here, though I'm only able to recall brief images of it at the moment. Apparently, I stayed up a little too late drinking with Baoji. My head is absolutely killing me. I think Baoji is amused by it, I keep catching him glancing at me with a smirk on his face. There will be justice for you later, my friend.

Oh gods above. There is no way. I didn't just hear Ki-

*The previous entry ends abruptly, the ink puddling heavily and obscuring anything further until the next section further down the page*

Just when I already wasn't feeling great, who is it that we heard? Kieshkin. I couldn't believe it! 

Apparently he made his way to the city when he heard of the celebration and Prince's birthday. Yeah you guessed it. He was running his explosive fish game like back in Tenshi. Except this time it was on a docks with thousands of people. To the credit of most of people here they were giving him a very wide berth and not going near his death trap. An extremely good idea for one's long term survivability.

I can't say the same for us. Somehow we ended up taking part again. This time Baoji and Keisuke joined us too...and joy of joys, Kieshkin even had improved his explosives further. By improved I mean made them more volatile and dangerous. I know I got hit by the things twice and a couple of the others definitely did too. 

On the bright side, even hung over and still half asleep I won this time! I must be getting better! Or more resistant to explosions. Probably a bit of both. I'd like to think Grandfather would be proud of me...or at least generally amused. I'm sure he is actually, for the latter at least.

When the game was over Chiyo who had been up to this point been standing near Kieshkin for safety got mad. She was hoping for Keisuke to win and he very nearly did. We were neck in neck right up until the end pretty much. That I totally understand. That said I was a bit distracted. Kieshkin was congratulating me and offering me a bottle of magical whisky. The guy knows me! He was talking about how it healed wounds and if enough was consumed it would hone your very body.

While this was occurring Chiyo was pouting and mad. She's something to fear when she is upset. She ended up kicking the sack beside Kieshkin in anger. The same sack from which he had been pulling his explosives from. She has one hell of a kick on her I'll add.

The bag landed right under my feet. I heard a distinct hissing sound. Kieshkin to his credit dove aside while I was not so lucky.

The next part was mostly a blur. I do remember feeling weightless and getting a truly amazing view of the city and celebration. It was the quickly plummeting and rising feeling of panic that mostly ruined it, though. 

If I hadn't landed on the stage area with the numerous hanging ropes and canvases to slow my fall I'm sure I'd have been dead. I...uh...also landed on some poor fellow. I never really got a chance to apologize, even if it wasn't my fault. Now it is crazy enough getting blown into the air by a sack of explosives. Where it got crazier is I landed on the lead actor of the Tantalus performing troupe...minutes before they were going onto stage. 

During my years travelling I had heard of them and their work. Pretty famous in fact! They were especially well known for their latest work, "I Want to be your Canary". Which it turns out they were about to perform that minute. As they pulled the poor guy off for the healers to look at, someone else stuffed me into a costume and I was informed in no uncertain words that the 'show must go on' before they pushed me out on the stage.

Besides totally flubbing my first few lines, I was able to do remarkably well. To be fair, I was playing the part of the heroic swordsman. Zereno. A role I've been striving to play my entire life. Having to take part in a pretend sword-fight with my very real sword, though was much less lucky. If I was less talented, I'm sure someone could have been badly hurt. 

The play was far from the traditional telling it turned out, but apparently the crowd loved it! We got a standing ovation! I was even offered to join their troupe, though obviously I had to turn it down. Just as we were catching our breath and starting to relax I saw every actor around me start to panic again and kneel. 

This...wasn't my swiftest moment. When the strange-looking, little creature bounded up to me, it took me almost a minute before I realized it was Prince Bog himself congratulating me and telling me how much he loved my performance. He kept calling me Zereno which I have to say tickled me a little. Anyway, the important point I hadn't caught onto yet was...

THE PLAY WAS BEING PUT ON NOT JUST FOR THE CROWD, BUT ALSO THE ROYAL FAMILY.

I knelt fast enough to drive my knee deep into the stage at that point (and it even now hurts a little). Which was lucky as it was just moments before Princess Nyotei herself entered. In all my dreams, I only expected to maybe glance her from a distance and yet here I was, being told how fun and wonderful the performance I just starred in was. I was introduced first hand to both the exalted Prince and Princess of our glorious country. 

As I was finishing collecting myself and getting over my shock is when Baoji, Keisuke, and Aiko ran backstage to find me. They had followed after me and witnessed most of the play and they walked in right as I was talking with the Prince and Princess. They looks on their faces must have been close to the one I had on my own moments ago. Baoji especially was fumbling all over himself, which I took a little glee in I admit.

Anyway, I could ramble on and on about this but by the end of the meeting we had been invited by Prince Bog for the royal feast and to sit at one of the head tables. The Princess seemed very amused by the invitation and agreed to it quickly. It turns out she had also heard Grandfather's name before, she recognized my family name when I was introduced to her. Just who was he that so many people know him? I'm consistently amazed.

The last thing worth noting was after the Prince and Princess took their leave I was approached by a Handmaiden of the Dark Empress herself. An elf with ebony skin and white hair named Kiyoko. She was...stunning. More importantly though, she bestowed on me a gift on behalf of Grandmaster Hoshi! A beautiful ring of onyx with a black diamond set into one side that even holds some truly potent enchantments within it. I truly cannot remember a time where I've been so honored! 

Things didn't slow down much at that point. We attended an archery contest (Keisuke took first and I took second place). Well, we would have taken second and third to another fellow that ended up being a well known bandit that it seems couldn't resist archery competitions. I think they said his name was...Sparrow Cowl? Something like that. Anyway, after the authorities came and took him away we got bumped up in the standings.

After that, Aiko wished to get her fortune read so we navigated the crowds till we eventually found a small tent. To my eyes, the man inside seemed legit enough and Aiko seemed convinced fairly quickly. I still don't know what exactly she saw in there, but something fairly quickly caught her eye and got her intention.

Alas, we never did get her fortune told. I'm not sure how things escalated the way they did...but Aiko was whispering to me the man appeared 'haunted' by some sort of malign spirit. She was telling me to not trust him when she went out cold suddenly. Baoji also got into a heated argument with the man when he proclaimed himself the last disciple of the Shudon monastery. The same monastery Baoji was from and it became quickly apparent he did not know this man. He was a fraud. 

Aiko didn't trust the man before she went unconscious, so I certainly didn't trust the man to look after her. I stepped out and was fanning her when I overheard one of the inns nearby had an opening. Keisuke and Baoji were still in the tent and started yelling. The noise unfortunately alerted several of the guards nearby that came over and made them leave. Baoji was still fuming as he left. I can't blame him, the man was making a mockery of his teachings and life's work. 

I informed the party of what I heard and we took Aiko toward the Inn. I figured even if we couldn't get the room, we could get her inside and cool her off. 

I'm currently writing from within the best suite in the Inn while drinking some very expensive sake with Baoji. Aiko is resting on the bed. Keisuke is reviewing his spellbook while Chiyo plays. A healer came through and said she should be fine, we just had to let her get some rest.

Turns out being the lead actor that played Zereno carries some weight here! I only scarcely mentioned it to the Innkeeper who set us up immediately with the best rooms, food, and drink they had to offer.

The final twist? The innkeeper here is apparently Kieshkin's mother!

*There is blank space left here, with another entry near the bottom. The writing of the second entry appears hurried and messy compared to most of the writings within*

What exactly is going on in this city?!

After Aiko recovered in the late afternoon she wanted to seek out the Pharasma temple and see if they knew anything about that Sho fellow that was masquerading as a disciple of the Shudon Monestary. I, of course, agreed to escort her while Keisuke and Baoji decided to head to the Temple of Irori and see if they had any information.

We were pretty easily able to navigate the crowds and find out way to the temple. Once inside though, well, I've never seen Aiko so pale. I've never been able to see the things she has, the spirits and Kami of Seiya Zei. Even so, what she saw when we entered rattled her and badly at that.

She told me after the head priest we ran into had the same skeletal figure cloaked in blue flames hanging over him. The same as Sho when we saw him at the tent. I'm clueless at these things so when he lead us toward the back to discuss the issues at hand and give Aiko a chance to lay down I accepted despite her hinting not too. I was worried, though that is not much of an excuse now I realize. She was right after all.

When we got to the back he revealed his intention to harm us both. She had seen too much and cackled with laughter I can only describe as mad. As he moved in at us I cursed my foolishness as I drew my blade and swung it.

He hit the ground with a wet thud, but not before grinning up at us and crying out. Loudly. Leading to guards rushing in. Aiko quickly whispered none of them had the same skeletal figures as he had. A bad spot. They were simply defending their temple, not haunted by whatever malevolent force he had been.

We did the only thing we could and ran. I covered Aiko's escape as well as I could, parrying and deflecting without attacking. She didn't get hit, though I took a few strikes and wounds before we managed to get out, mostly thanks to her spirits putting a few guards in our way to sleep.

It was a close escape and oddly, they all paused by the doors as if listening to something. They didn't chase us past the front doors of the temple. Odd...We're currently tucked away in an alley, making sure we are not being followed before we head back to meet with the others. Hopefully they had more luck than us. This just raises more questions and ones with answers I am not certain I want to learn.

Shizuru above, I need a drink...

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