The Day of Thunder

She shook her head, “Nothing serious. Just egos and pride… Stuff that doesn’t really matter all that much.”

“As for what keeps people together… Well I have three parents who are trying each their own way to prepare things for that in the future.”

She continues.

“Shiba has put his energies into teaching and supporting moral education across the empire. Yuzuru has worked with Doji to create a common culture that we can all feel part of… and Jiyo has codified laws that constrain the worst types of behavior in people… To protect against our baser impulses as it were…”

She nodded her head slightly.

“And all of these things are able to adapt… Find the best methods for each time in the future…”

"Ego and pride, huh?" Akutou shakes his head. "An' from folks who ain't done s' much as others who keep humbler, more'n likely. I've met now two folks as went inta Hell, and neither of 'em's what you might call uppity. Makes a body wonder what gives folks airs."

Another shake of his head. "'Course, such folks might call f'r my head f'r sayin' such things, did I put names to 'em. 'Course, 'xceptin' yourself, ain't nobody hearin' me as oughta admit t' hearin me, neither. An' I doubt you want my head f'r your'n, though it's yours f'r th' askin'.

"Not that I think I c'ld keep you fr'm takin' it th' hard way, mind," he adds. "Not unless I got a real good head start runnin', maybe duck 'round a wall 'r a tree."

And at that, he grins.

She smiled, “I like your head exactly where it is located Otomo-san. You would make much better use of it than I ever would.”

Akutou makes a show of wiping sweat from his brow and flinging it aside.

"That's a relief, ma'am, and no mistake," he says.

"But, on th' topic," he adds, "might could be good t' host some kinda reg'lar contest. Nothin' like t' be injurious'r any such thing, but mebbe somethin' like races an' throwin' an' such. Give folks a way t' keep in form an' test 'emselves but not necessarily come t' sword blows an' all. After all this's blown over, anyway."

“That’s a good idea.” She said with a smile.

“I’ve never been much of a poet… or artist… or a lot of the other things that the more… aesthetically inclined folks are so good at.”

She nodded, “An excuse to get out of the house and test myself against others for good will sounds awesome to me.”

"I've got th' rudiments o' woodcarvin'," Akutou says. "Standar' teachin' f'r us. But I'm more inclined t' drag in th' wood than t' make it pretty. S' I un'erstand 'bout that feelin'."

She smiled, “Well… I’ll be sure to invite you to the first one when it happens. You can show me how a Stag Ranger handles himself.”

"I'm flattered," Akutou replies.

He pauses, considering.

"What's it like," he asks, "bein' a princess?"

She laughed warmly at the question.

“I guess that depends on the princess…”

She took a bite of her food which she had been nibbling at.

“I was never the best princess at… princessing. Always getting in trouble… looking for ways out of the capital to see more and more of the world.”

She smiled as she continued.

“But… even that road taught me things. Different from my sisters… but still helpful.”

"All sisters?" Akutou asks.

"I ain't got any o' them. Or any brothers. At least, none as I know about. Or as'll admit t' it. What all's that like?"

“Yes… all girls.” She said with a smile.

“All with different personalities… The priests always liked to say there was one of us for each of the elements.”

"That sounds like somethin' a priest'd say, yeah," Akutou remarks.

"Which one're you, then, ma'am?"

“The unruly and wild one… Or Water.” She said with a chuckle.

“I have a twin who is stubborn and firm as the Earth…”

She smiled in a distant and soft way.

“I hope I’ll see her again.”

"I don't doubt you will," Akutou says.

One breath passes.

Two.

"I 'magine your folks'll be happy t' see you back."

She smiled softly again.

“I hope so… I’ve given them more trouble than normal this time.”

She chuckled, “I’m sure my dads will be happy after they get the worry out.”

A chuckle.

"Yeah, I'd guess bein' at th' Day o' Thunder'd be a bit unus'al," Akutou says.

"I think that's a good thing, though. Don't know as we c'ld stand th' excitement f'r much longer'n this."

She nodded and asked.

“What about you? What are you going home to when we win?”

Akutou takes a deep breath, holds it for a moment, releases it slowly.

"Ain't much, truth be told," he says. "When th' O-Iemoto offered t' take me on as a student, th' Otomo were more'n pleased t' see me go. I ain't 'xactly the type they find of much account.

"I 'magine I'll call in on th' O-Iemoto, report to 'im what all I seen and done. Or to Waka-sensei, dependin'. Somethin's in th' old man's bones, hurtin' 'im somethin' fierce, or he'd be here 'stead o' me, most like. After that, I'm like to go back out on patrol. Though I might avail m'self of an invitation'r two I've received while I's here. Th' Hiruma young lord an' I seem t' get on well enough, an' it might do some good t' ease some o' th' vexation's still in force from th' Relocation."

Realizing what he's said, Akutou hastily adds "It needed doin', o' course! But needful don't make it easy."

“With the roads clear and the world safer… You can take your ranging wherever you’d like in the Empire. The Crab lands are mountainous… Be sure to take some good boots.” She replied.

"I'll keep that in mind, ma'am," Akutou replies. "Know a good cobbler?"