The Dreaming Sword Wakes

Miscellaneous

On his ship in the ports of Celephaïs, Jericho Petalwing proved an affable host. He was not quite so bombastic as his waking self, Tsukijō Hanahane, but still possessed an open and cheerfully flamboyant manner that seemed to put his guests at ease. Matsumoto Ooawagaeri (Sword) and Alice of Diamonds had come here to find a way to grant the latter a soul, but that had turned out to be as easy as casting a spell that the former already knew. With that task rather abruptly finished, now they had to decide how to spend the rest of their time in the Dreamlands.

It might be some time yet before Ooawagaeri awakened, but it was difficult to tell. According to Jericho, the passage of time varied depending on where one was in the Dreamlands, but around these parts it was pretty close to accurate with Earth. That brought to mind the rift between Ooawagaeri's own realm and this one and he mentioned as much to his host. The news that the Date Clan were somehow channeling the power of the portal and widening it as a result was troubling to Jericho. He confessed that this side, too, was in unsavory hands.   The trading guilds of Dylath-Leen, whose Black Galleons peddled slaves all about the Dreamseas, had a tight grip on the Dream-side of the rift. Just as the forces of the Hashinara were not able to practice magic on the Black Galleon in their own waters, several areas near Dylath-Leen were mystically blocked. Even Dreamers found themselves unable to use their innate powers of creation in the presence of such fields. Therefore, as Jericho stressed, it was unwise to venture in that direction without a great deal of advance preparation. Ooawagaeri still wanted to see if he could do anything about the rift and its expansion from this side, but he had to agree with his host's assessment. Flying to Dylath-Leen without a plan would be dangerous at best, suicidal at worst.   They chatted amiably on happier subjects for a time, and eventually both Alice and Ooawagaeri decided to merely return to The Enchanted Wood for that day. It was unknown whether his spell of flight, maintained on Alice, would continue to function once he woke up. Therefore, it seemed prudent to test that in a more controlled sense, rather than risk stranding her so far from her Queen.   The two were mostly quiet on the way back. Likely, Alice was still digesting the fact that she now had a soul and was, for all practical purposes, a Dreamer. Her loyalty to the Court of Diamonds was something written into her by another, possibly The Dodo. In that case, what strength did that bond truly have? Alice shook the sword on her back and turned to speak with him, but the voice that issued forth was not hers.   After a bit more shouting and shaking, Fubuki finally woke up. Aka no Kitsunebi had been trying to get her* attention for some time. Apparently, Gamou Terukazu had seen a bird outside, and hadn't been able to stop barking. The noise had woken up everyone on the ship except for Fubuki and, when Aka had not been able to rouse her master, she had grown concerned. Fubuki calmed her* serf and explained in brief terms what had happened, mentioning the Dreamlands only indirectly. Aka no Kitsunebi seemed to understand, however, and apologized for waking her*.   Fubuki waved the apology away and dismissed Aka, only to find that she* could not return to meditation. Whatever somnolent state she* had accomplished before had provided enough rest for her* ki-enhanced body, and she* could not slip back into it. What's more, Aka's abrupt awakening had cut short her* replenishment of magical energy and left her* dazed. Fortunately, that prana Fubuki had managed to collect from mushrooms in the Enchanted Wood still lingered. If she'd* needed any more evidence that the experience was more than just a dream, that was it.   Gathering Aka no Kitsunebi to her* side, Fubuki wandered above decks, looking for Phenex. The moth-demon was not hard to find. She stood on the deck of the ship, alone as the others seemed to have already returned to their quarters. One hand on the rail, the other clasping her amber sphere, Phenex stared into the sky. Fubuki hailed her an asked if they could continue their lessons on Hebrew. After a short recap of what Fubuki had managed to communicate with Raym the previous day, Phenex agreed.   Their discussion, however, quickly turned to other matters. Fubuki observed that Phenex appeared quite proud of herself, but not so much of her chief desire, which was a return to Heaven. The demoness chuckled at that, stating that perhaps Fubuki had some strange preconceptions about what a Pride demon must be like. It was true that she wanted to return to Heaven, and knew she would eventually. Even if it took a thousand and two hundred years. When it was time, Phenex said, she hoped that Fubuki would lend her aid, just as Phenex had done for her. The disguised Matsumoto, however, only offered a noncommittal answer before they delved into their lessons in earnest.