Kyuden Shika

"Heck.

At one point, when the tricksters were still doing mostly innocent pranks, I wondered if they weren't part of the miai process, allies of the Shika testing our ability to deal with the unusual.

As soon as they started putting people in danger though... The Shika will need to show off all their ability as diplomats to cover that mess. Though the racket of the war in the north might be enough of a distraction on its own for their failings to go unnoticed."

"Well, they only have to particularly appease the moth. And she is quite taken with a member if the Deer that was there to protect her. So that may not be too difficult," he replied.

"Since no one was permanently injured or worst, I guess all is well that ends well.

The Moth and the other dozen of seers that attended the miai should however definitely honed their skills more. They missed about everything as far as I know."

"That is right. You held an event related to that. I apologize for missing it, truly," he said with a bow. "I apparently should have been there. I mostly got involved with such things as others brought them to me. But I am persistent in accomplishing what I set myself towards."

He smiled a bit ruefully. "You seem to be a woman that knows how to accomplish her goals as well. I... well... don't like using the word regret, but I find myself feeling a bit more of it each time we speak for not having spent more time getting to know you."

"Oh, you didn't miss much in regard to the art. You know the joke that to kill a wounded person, the surest is not to call no doctor, but to instead call three of them? It very much applies there.

It was chaos, and the only things that were revealed that day were several dramatic knots of passions among people in attendance."

Mitsuki sighed, a mix of many emotions in her breath:

"We both know I'll be facing, if not you directly your brothers, on the battlefield in a few months at most."

"An unfortunate state of affairs, but more important people seem driven to it," he agrees with a nod. "It feels wrong to wish you success, as your success likely means the failure and lives of my clansmen. But I do wish you well and hope for your safe return to your family after the upcoming battles, Mitsuki-san."

"Thanks. I too will pray for your safe return.

And then what has to be will be."

"But that is a somewhat dour topic for a miai. How have you been enjoying Shika lands? I imagine they are much different from your home," he says. She has seen his home, passing through Lion lands so she knows that this is a drastically different place, but he has not had the benefit of seeing hers.

"It is an interesting place. I can see parallels with the jungles of the Ivory Kingdoms and the Shinomen, but here is more peaceful and not as dangerous – at first glance at first.

The main difference I believe is that the natural barrier is not nearly as thick, and thus, while the Deer keeps the appearance of an island of calm and neutrality, it is in truth very much involved in the affairs of the world around.

I would even hazard the guess the Deer has very much been shaped, in spirit and in architecture, by that mix of pretend innocence and actual dangerousness. Their castle town for example is very much a city, with all the comfort of urban life, even if it affects to be part of the forest."

He nods at the description of differences. So your home is both less spiritually active than this place and more wild then? A more natural picture of Ningen-do?" he asks curiously.