Chapter 6 - Waiting Room
Seven days ago; afternoon; inside the capital.
"'It feels good to know that I am not alone in this,' I whispered to myself as I took one last look at the people around me. I half-expected to see Mingmei or Lynn to suddenly appear from the archway that leads into Lantern Way, but I knew that I was only fooling myself to think that they really would appear after being absent from their own clans during the entire festival. It suddenly dawned on me that if they went for an errand at the start of the festival, and still has not returned at this point, then it's no longer an errand by definition. You do not normally need more than a day to complete an errand. Something that takes this long to complete is already a mission.
"The skies have started to darken as thick gray clouds moved across the horizon and covered the twin suns. It will rain very soon. We did just have a festival for the last summer evening. We basically gave the go signal for the rainy season to start, and it is not wasting any time at all.
"I walked down the street that leads away from my clan's lands and started to worry for Mingmei. She has never been outside for the past sixteen years. The city might be a frightening place for her now. When we were young, she never goes anywhere without her twin. Now that Mingmai is gone, the city might feel overwhelming for her. The sheer number of people that move around the city sometimes makes me feel suffocated, and I am out on the streets of the capital each day. I have walked the wide, paved streets of the Palace District down to the Diamond Way and its tall mansions then towards the Jade District where government officials lived and in every corner of the Garden Streets where nobles and the upper class of the city live all the way to the narrow streets of Emerald District to the muddy streets of the Market Way and down to the Port District with its salty air and then through the Artisan's Court where the middle class and the lower class of the city live and yet the capital city still feels like a huge untamed beast to me. And I am sure that it would feel even worse for someone like Mingmei who has never been anywhere in the city without her twin and has left their house for the first time after a long period of isolation.
"I was not surprised to hear that the meeting of those who did not leave the capital would be at the Midmoon Stables. This tells me that at least Guunnar and Anika are both still in the city. It is easy for Anika to blend with any crowd. So, it is rare for me to see her during any festival. Guunnar's family, on the other hand, is in charge of taking care of half the horses of their clan. A serious responsibility because their entire clan is also the entire heavy cavalry division of the kingdom's army. Their clan breeds the toughest and strongest warhorses—the mustagor, and House Midmoon breeds the biggest of all mustagor sub breeds, the blood mustagor. They are taller than regular men at the shoulder. Thus, it is not a surprise that the Tsuno-Aruma Clan has the tallest and most muscular men in the entire kingdom so that they can properly handle the clan's warhorses. And since the stables of House Midmoon is located outside the capital city, Guunnar celebrates festivals outside the capital with his clan along with the kashin farmers who also live on the outskirts of the city.
"It would be good to see the two once more. It has been months since I have spent time with them. Anika is often busy helping out in her clan—making sure messages are kept confidential and delivered on time. Guunnar, on the other hand, joined the light cavalry early. This brought much honor to house Midmoon—being the youngest to join the ranks of the cavalry. He has long since become too tall and muscular for the light cavalry, so he is doing border patrol for the kingdom while training to join the main heavy cavalry division that his clan is in charge of.
"I walked past the cherry blossom gardens then turned left towards Rosewood Street to take a shortcut along the edge of the Artisan's Court. This is the quickest path to the West Gate. The air here smells strongly of leather tanning oil mixed with the sulphury smell of smelting metal. Midmoon stables are just beyond the farmlands north of the river after you leave the edge of Artisan's Court. You would immediately hear the thundering hoofs of the Midmoon horses once you've exited the West Gate especially at this time of the day when they are taken out for exercise drills. And this makes the stables the perfect meeting place since the horses will be out for drills, meaning most if not all the members of Guunnar's clan that work on the horses will also be out. I would rather have the meeting in secret until we're sure about the real reasons why Mingmei, Lynn, and Eunshi had to leave the capital in secret—and who else left with them. It's hard to think that they left in official capacity since my clan doesn't have any information about why they needed to leave in the first place. It could be for a mission that is not related to any criminal investigations. Which makes it highly likely that their mission was politically motivated.
"I had these thoughts in my mind as I approached the West Gate when two members of Yiiq-Yin's clan approached me out of nowhere. They were wearing the standard weapons and armor of royal palace guards; red lacquered armor emblazoned with the gold and silver emblems of the kingdom. I immediately thought that they would ask me if I have seen Yiiq-Yin which made me think that he went out of the capital with Mingmei, Lynn, and Eunshi. For some reason, this calmed down some of my worries. Yiiq-Yin's clan has the distinction of being the royal guards for the ruling and administrative people in the kingdom. The entire Palace District and the Crown District are their domain along with the Ancestral Lands of the Toromajiro Clan. The members of Yiiq-Yin's clan are trained as experts in defense and in protecting people. If Mingmei, Lynn, and Eunshi are traveling with Yiiq-Yin, at least I am sure that someone will make sure that they will be safe—Mingmei most of all since she would be like a fish out of water at this point.
"I hailed the two and waited patiently for them to ask me about Yiiq-Yin with a slight grin on my face. What they said after they hailed me back shocked me. 'Liam of House Katsuyuki of the Keruberosau Clan; you are requested to appear at the palace immediately,' one of the royal guards said as they approached. I was so surprised that it took a moment before I was able to reply back to them and they stared at each other as stared blankly at them.
"'Festival hangover. You know how it is,' I said while smiling awkwardly at them after I recovered from my initial shock. They smiled at what I said. They both looked like they immediately understood what I meant.
"'We understand. Even Yiiq-Yin took a while before he could get out of bed when we summoned him earlier,' the other guard explained. I kept trying to remember what their names were, but I just could remember who they were. I do remember that one of them is Yiiq-Yin's first cousin on his father's side. Older than us by at least six years.
"'Who else was invited to the palace?' I asked informally. I was surprised to find out that Yiiq-Yin was invited like I was. I suddenly wondered if Mingmei, Lynn, and Eunshi did something bad and now the rest of our group are to be asked to hunt them down. I knew right away that I will not be able to hunt Mingmei down even if the Dragon Grandmaster was the one to order it. I would rather end up being a fugitive like her if that was the case. An exile from my own clan is preferable than to be the one to hunt Mingmei down.
"'Just you and Yiiq-Yin,' one if the palace guards remarked casually. 'We're heading back. Would you like to travel back with us?' the other guard asked as he started to turn. His reply made my pulse race. If anyone had to investigate any of our friends, they would no doubt pick me and Yiiq-Yin. I come from the clan that also serves as the police force of the kingdom and Yiiq-Yin comes from the clan that serves as the royal guards.
"'You guys go on ahead. I will follow shortly. I just need to do something first,' I said with a smile. I wanted to think things over first. I watched the two royal guards as they walked past the western market square and towards the Palace District. I suspected that no one outside our group knows that Mingmei, Lynn, and Eunshi have already left the capital. Because if they did, I am sure that Guunnar would also be invited since he is our group's best horseman. That was at least a positive turn. By keeping the information that the three have already left the capital, I could do some investigation on what could have really happened why they are being hunted down now. I nodded to myself and took a deep breath as I turned towards the same path to the Palace District that the two royal guards took.
"I walked slowly at first, but as I developed my plan while I walked, my pace started to pick up speed. It did not take long until the palace gates came into view. The tall gates of swirling gold and its massive seals in rough silver have always looked intimidating to me since I was a kid. Minutes later, I suddenly found myself walking in the front gardens of the palace. The air suddenly smelled fresh and invigorating thanks to the fountains that lined the garden path. When I reached the front door, one of the advisers—an uncle of Eunshi led me to an adjoining waiting room near the throne room. I wondered if Eunshi's uncle was aware that she traveled with Mingmei and Lynn. That she was in as much trouble as they were. But the adviser wore a mask that was as emotionless as all the other advisers in the palace. It would be impossible to read any information from his facial expression alone. I will have to wait for other opportunities to get more information during the investigation so that I could clear their names.
"He walked with a light yet quick pace and we reached the waiting room faster than I expected. Inside, Dragon Grandmaster Kyoden Miramoto sat patiently as a master of tea ceremony prepared a tea with an assistant. After the door was opened, the adviser announced my arrival and the Grandmaster invited me inside right away. 'Come! Sit down and have some tea with me as we wait for Yiiq-Yin,' he said as he pointed to a well-cushioned seat opposite him on the table.
"Barely have I sat on the table when another adviser announced the arrival of Yiiq-Yin. The Grandmaster motioned him to sit down and join us for tea. Almost at the same time, the master of tea ceremony approached the table and scattered jasmine and rose petals on the floor around our feet. Once he has completed this, he then filled our teacups with an aromatic tea that quickly filled the room with a sweet smell. The master of tea ceremony handed the teapot to his assistant and then left a fresh pot at the center of the table. He bowed lowly and then left the room.
"As soon as the three of us were alone in the room, I bowed at the Grandmaster and braved speaking to him first. My heart felt like it was about to jump out of my chest in anticipation of what could be the reason behind our meeting. 'Master Miramoto, forgive me, is this meeting about Mingmei, Lynn, and Eunshi?' I asked nervously while still bowed. I could feel Yiiq-Yin suddenly turning to face me after I spoke.
"'Yes,' Master Miramoto replied simply, but did not elaborate further. I took a deep breath and straightened up to face him and receive his orders. I have to be resolute and ready with my plan. 'But please, enjoy the tea while I tell you more,' Master Miramoto urged us both. I can feel the tension in Yiiq-Yin as he sat beside me. Could he have already suspected as much as I?
"'My initial intention was to send you after Mingmei's group after half a deck has passed, but circumstances tell me that I should send you earlier,' he said calmly. He then raised his teacup to his lips and took a brief sip. Needless to say, I was surprised by what he said, but I made sure not to show any of my surprise to Master Miramoto.
"'Send us after them after five days, Master?' I asked.
"'Yes. As reinforcements. All five of you. I intended to give Izrik his Writ of Passage. I am sure you are all aware with what happened to Izrik's house around the same time as your births. He will need the Writ of Passage so that he may pass the land of our kingdom unbothered. However, he is nowhere to be found when I sent someone to invite him here at the palace to issue the writ,' Master Miramoto explained. 'I am afraid that he must have gone after Mingmei's group ahead of my plan. And to make it worse, without the Writ of Passage,' Master Miramoto explained. He then paused and took another sip. His words made me sigh in relief that I disguised with a quick sip of my tea that almost me cough.
"'What are your orders, Master?' Yiiq-Yin asked in a serious tone when he noticed that I was unable to reply back to Master Miramoto right away.
"'Send Izrik back here so that I could properly issue him his Writ of Passage. Without it, he might become a burden to your group rather than an asset,' Master Miramoto explained. 'You do not need to escort him back, I am sure he is more than capable to travel back on his own,' he added with a smile.
"'How about the others, Master?' I asked loosely for I was still unsure who traveled with Mingmei and who else was left at the capital.
"'I'm afraid that Izrik took them with him already. You two,' he paused with a slight smile as he looked at both of us; from Yiiq-Yin and then to me. '…are the only ones left.'"