stone structure was the tallest point on the island, and its eight turrets aligned with the four cardinal directions and their midpoints.
That castle was the place to start. With that vantage point, Hana would be able to see every part of the island.
Yet even as she started walking, Hana felt doubt gnaw at her. She had no idea where the Water Dragon Knight might be, or even who he or she was. The Tacumsah Archipelago had more than a hundred islands, and while Awakimundi was the largest, most had at least a few hundred residents. If she had to search them all, she would never find her quarry.
Hana left the beach and headed inland. She initially had to dodge large groups of dark-skinned Tacumsahens working near the docks. After fifteen minutes though, she passed through the rings of huts and found her way to a packed-sand road that led toward the castle.
As she hiked, Hana marveled at the stone structure before her. It had an architecture unlike anything she had seen in either Lodia or Hiabi. In contrast to the sharp angles of Lodian design, or the graceful concave arcs of Hiabi’s keep, this castle had a teardrop shape. The southwest-facing portion was wide and bulging, while the part opposite it tapered to a point. The turrets all bore a similar cross section.
“She’s a beauty, ya?” a slow, musical voice called from behind Hana. She jumped. She hadn’t noticed that she’d stopped walking to gawk at the castle.
Hana turned around. Approaching her was a dark-skinned man of medium build, perhaps twenty years old. He wore simple clothes: a wide-brimmed straw hat, short-sleeved linen shirt and shorts, and straw sandals. In one arm he carried a stick with a cloth satchel tied to the end.
“By de glory of Mizuchi,” the man said, “now she’s lookin’ right at me!”
Hana started. Mizuchi was the Water Dragon. What did this bum know about him? Could he be the Water Dragon Knight?
She doubted it. The man was unarmed, and there was no way he could fit even a weapon as small as Rondel’s Liryometa in that satchel. If this guy was the Water Dragon Knight, he didn’t have the Zuryokaiten with him.
Still, the man was the best lead Hana had for the moment, so she decided to play along. “Hey,” she said, twirling her hair, “were you talking about the castle just now, or me?”
“Well you are both beautiful, ya?” the man answered with a fast, low laugh that came from deep in his chest. He walked up to Hana and offered his free right hand. “I’m Faro.”
Hana shook the man’s hand reluctantly. It was smooth and supple, not what she expected of a drifter.
“Hana,” she replied. “I’m from Lodia.”
“Long way for a young lady to come,” Faro said. “What brings you to Awakimundi?”
His voice was like the waves on a beach. The words flowed into each other without a care on Raa. Hana could get used to it.
She could also get used to his eyes. They were black, with no difference between the iris and pupil. Others might find them creepy, but Hana wanted to fall into those bottomless pools of night.
She shook her head to clear the thought. She was here on a mission. “The Lodian civil war,” she lied. She had practiced this potential conversation numerous times on the ship. “My parents were sheepherders, and they died early on in the fighting. I scrounged up what money was left in the farm and bought one-way passage here. I figured I’d start my life over.”
“Well, you picked a good place to do it. Tacumsah’s de safest place in de world dese days. I’m sure you can make a good life here. If you need help findin’ your way around, you just ask anyone where old Faro is. I’ll help you out.”
“That’s kind of you,” Hana said. She blushed. “I do have one question, if you don’t mind. You mentioned ‘Mizuchi’ when we first met. What’s that mean?”
Faro threw back his head and laughed. “Hoo, if you don’t even know Mizuchi, you got a lot to learn about Tacumsah. Tell you
That castle was the place to start. With that vantage point, Hana would be able to see every part of the island.
Yet even as she started walking, Hana felt doubt gnaw at her. She had no idea where the Water Dragon Knight might be, or even who he or she was. The Tacumsah Archipelago had more than a hundred islands, and while Awakimundi was the largest, most had at least a few hundred residents. If she had to search them all, she would never find her quarry.
Hana left the beach and headed inland. She initially had to dodge large groups of dark-skinned Tacumsahens working near the docks. After fifteen minutes though, she passed through the rings of huts and found her way to a packed-sand road that led toward the castle.
As she hiked, Hana marveled at the stone structure before her. It had an architecture unlike anything she had seen in either Lodia or Hiabi. In contrast to the sharp angles of Lodian design, or the graceful concave arcs of Hiabi’s keep, this castle had a teardrop shape. The southwest-facing portion was wide and bulging, while the part opposite it tapered to a point. The turrets all bore a similar cross section.
“She’s a beauty, ya?” a slow, musical voice called from behind Hana. She jumped. She hadn’t noticed that she’d stopped walking to gawk at the castle.
Hana turned around. Approaching her was a dark-skinned man of medium build, perhaps twenty years old. He wore simple clothes: a wide-brimmed straw hat, short-sleeved linen shirt and shorts, and straw sandals. In one arm he carried a stick with a cloth satchel tied to the end.
“By de glory of Mizuchi,” the man said, “now she’s lookin’ right at me!”
Hana started. Mizuchi was the Water Dragon. What did this bum know about him? Could he be the Water Dragon Knight?
She doubted it. The man was unarmed, and there was no way he could fit even a weapon as small as Rondel’s Liryometa in that satchel. If this guy was the Water Dragon Knight, he didn’t have the Zuryokaiten with him.
Still, the man was the best lead Hana had for the moment, so she decided to play along. “Hey,” she said, twirling her hair, “were you talking about the castle just now, or me?”
“Well you are both beautiful, ya?” the man answered with a fast, low laugh that came from deep in his chest. He walked up to Hana and offered his free right hand. “I’m Faro.”
Hana shook the man’s hand reluctantly. It was smooth and supple, not what she expected of a drifter.
“Hana,” she replied. “I’m from Lodia.”
“Long way for a young lady to come,” Faro said. “What brings you to Awakimundi?”
His voice was like the waves on a beach. The words flowed into each other without a care on Raa. Hana could get used to it.
She could also get used to his eyes. They were black, with no difference between the iris and pupil. Others might find them creepy, but Hana wanted to fall into those bottomless pools of night.
She shook her head to clear the thought. She was here on a mission. “The Lodian civil war,” she lied. She had practiced this potential conversation numerous times on the ship. “My parents were sheepherders, and they died early on in the fighting. I scrounged up what money was left in the farm and bought one-way passage here. I figured I’d start my life over.”
“Well, you picked a good place to do it. Tacumsah’s de safest place in de world dese days. I’m sure you can make a good life here. If you need help findin’ your way around, you just ask anyone where old Faro is. I’ll help you out.”
“That’s kind of you,” Hana said. She blushed. “I do have one question, if you don’t mind. You mentioned ‘Mizuchi’ when we first met. What’s that mean?”
Faro threw back his head and laughed. “Hoo, if you don’t even know Mizuchi, you got a lot to learn about Tacumsah. Tell you
Similar Books
