Post by Isawa Mitsuru on Mar 12, 2012 17:40:35 GMT -5
“You understand, my lord phoenix,” he began, “that any route to the South of the empire will be difficult this time of year.”
I rubbed my forehead in weary anticipation of weeks trudging through the cold. “I am, unfortunately, well aware of this fact. However, this trip is part of an investigation…on the authority of the jade magistrates.”
It pained me to have to invoke the office of jade for any reason. It felt like a small betrayal to my clan and family every time I had to mention that I was on an errand from the magistrates who I felt to be generally incompetent. It was a necessary evil I supposed in order to move the wheels of Imperial bureaucracy.
Shiba teaches us that choosing between the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil.
“In any event,” I addressed the cartographer with whom I was meeting, “I must find an expedient route to the Wall.”
“Well, if my lord insists…hmmm.”
He pulled a general map of the empire out from a nearby shelf and unrolled onto a small table. We both knelt by it to have a closer look at the options.
“It looks like my lord could stay primarily within Crane lands. Either way, the Spine of the World will provide great challenge. This time of year Beiden is absolutely impassable but it seems…it seems like you might be able to go through Ashinagabachi Palace. If you’re going south from there, there ought to be several rough trod mountain roads leading to Monkey Clan Keep.”
I traced the suggested path with my eyes on the map. I was no stranger to mountains in winter. I only wished now that I had packed snow-shoes to traverse such an obstacle. I made a little face to myself but nodded to the cartographer, “If there is no other way.”
“Well, you could go by sea and even try to stay in sight of the coast but I wouldn’t trust my life to a boat on such a long journey.”
“Nor will I. Can our group stay in Crane lands after crossing the mountains?”
“I suppose so,” he resumed, “Make for Ookami Toshi and then Lonely Shore City. It’s mostly open plains. From there you want to continue to Wall Above the Ocean and then into Yasuki Lands. A ride across Earthquake Fish Bay will see you to Hida Palace.”
“That will be a blessed place to see.” I lied. Badly.
Truth be told, all of these hardships just seemed like a bitter sauce to the much more difficult swallow dango that promised to be the primary purpose of my trip. I hadn’t told the cartographer but I was setting to pass the wall and follow a Spider right into the City of the Lost! I had of course never been to the Shadowlands and I didn’t really relish the idea. In fact, it was my intention to purchase a goodly amount of jade once we reached the Crab Provinces.
I looked over the map once more to cement the route in my head and then began to rise.
“I am sorry to have inconvenienced you, master mapmaker. I think I will take your recommendation and travel through the Crane lands. If I could ask you to draw me up a map of the route for my travel I will see to it that you are properly compensated for services to the empire. I must go and arrange papers for this journey. Excuse me, please.”
I bowed to the cartographer and made my way from his office to the nearby Office of Travel to obtain official travel dossiers for myself, an alleged murderer, and an entire caravan of foreign merchants.
Oh, what a day.
I rubbed my forehead in weary anticipation of weeks trudging through the cold. “I am, unfortunately, well aware of this fact. However, this trip is part of an investigation…on the authority of the jade magistrates.”
It pained me to have to invoke the office of jade for any reason. It felt like a small betrayal to my clan and family every time I had to mention that I was on an errand from the magistrates who I felt to be generally incompetent. It was a necessary evil I supposed in order to move the wheels of Imperial bureaucracy.
Shiba teaches us that choosing between the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil.
“In any event,” I addressed the cartographer with whom I was meeting, “I must find an expedient route to the Wall.”
“Well, if my lord insists…hmmm.”
He pulled a general map of the empire out from a nearby shelf and unrolled onto a small table. We both knelt by it to have a closer look at the options.
“It looks like my lord could stay primarily within Crane lands. Either way, the Spine of the World will provide great challenge. This time of year Beiden is absolutely impassable but it seems…it seems like you might be able to go through Ashinagabachi Palace. If you’re going south from there, there ought to be several rough trod mountain roads leading to Monkey Clan Keep.”
I traced the suggested path with my eyes on the map. I was no stranger to mountains in winter. I only wished now that I had packed snow-shoes to traverse such an obstacle. I made a little face to myself but nodded to the cartographer, “If there is no other way.”
“Well, you could go by sea and even try to stay in sight of the coast but I wouldn’t trust my life to a boat on such a long journey.”
“Nor will I. Can our group stay in Crane lands after crossing the mountains?”
“I suppose so,” he resumed, “Make for Ookami Toshi and then Lonely Shore City. It’s mostly open plains. From there you want to continue to Wall Above the Ocean and then into Yasuki Lands. A ride across Earthquake Fish Bay will see you to Hida Palace.”
“That will be a blessed place to see.” I lied. Badly.
Truth be told, all of these hardships just seemed like a bitter sauce to the much more difficult swallow dango that promised to be the primary purpose of my trip. I hadn’t told the cartographer but I was setting to pass the wall and follow a Spider right into the City of the Lost! I had of course never been to the Shadowlands and I didn’t really relish the idea. In fact, it was my intention to purchase a goodly amount of jade once we reached the Crab Provinces.
I looked over the map once more to cement the route in my head and then began to rise.
“I am sorry to have inconvenienced you, master mapmaker. I think I will take your recommendation and travel through the Crane lands. If I could ask you to draw me up a map of the route for my travel I will see to it that you are properly compensated for services to the empire. I must go and arrange papers for this journey. Excuse me, please.”
I bowed to the cartographer and made my way from his office to the nearby Office of Travel to obtain official travel dossiers for myself, an alleged murderer, and an entire caravan of foreign merchants.
Oh, what a day.