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Kasumi
Chapter Three: "Stranger Places"
Current Location: Radat
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It's always funny, how being
in a strange place, with strange people and strange surroundings, can
still remind you so much of home.
Here I am. I don't know where
I'll be a day or so from now, I don't know where I'm going, and I don't
know where I'm going to end up. But the more different everything seems,
and the stranger everyone else seems, I'm always reminded of Rokkaku.
I have to admit, there's not
really much in Rokkaku to take pride in. We don't have any interesting
landmarks, no popular tourist attractions for people to come and see. The
fact that we've taken great pains to hide Rokakau from the rest of the
world may have had something to do with that.
But there's always that
distinct quality in Rokkaku that I never find in most other places. Sure,
they may have beautiful scenery, but they didn't have the old and very
high steel pole right at the center of the town, where children try to
climb and reach the small white handkerchief at the very top, proof that
they were ready to begin their ninja training when they do manage to take
it off. They didn't have the small rickety house at the very end of the
street, filled inside out with the scents of white bread, cookies and
ginger snaps; special treats my grandmother used to make for the whole
block. They didn't have a bubbling spring tucked away just a little behind
the Chief's low-roofed house; the only noise you'd hear at night when you
want to go outside and watch the sun rise.
Amazing how vividly I can
recall all those things in the here and now, when back in Rokkaku, I
barely paid attention to any of those at all.
And it's even more amazing
that I'm thinking of Rokkaku right now, just when I'm hunched over to one
side of a ship, busy getting sick from a previous night's drinking spree.
Amazing how the mind works.
Simply amazing.
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Radat was a small yet busy
town, of people from all walks of life. Sailors frequented the port,
mending boats, gambling, or just relaxing in the shade, with the
occasional feet popping out from within large comfy-like hammocks
scattered around the vicinity. People young and old walked about;
buying, selling or just enjoying the view of the huge dam that rose from
Radat nameless river, apparently one of the town's prides and joys.
Kasumi took no notice of them,
as the boat she was standing on eventually drew near to shore. What
need does a dying girl have in taking pleasure from viewing her
surroundings, no matter how beautiful the scene?
Her tongue and eyes burned,
as if she hasn't seen a drop of water for the past week, though drinking
was the farthest thing from her mind. When the burning in her eyes cleared
--it wasn't a marked improvement, but it had cleared somewhat-- she
began to see two of everything. She spent the two hours she had since
boarding the small ship huddled on the starboard side, emptying whatever
contents still remained in her stomach, much to the amusement / irritation
of the fishermen they passed, as well as to the sailors manning the
said means of transportation. And someone was beating out a steady tattoo
involving something heavy and obviously sharp, in constant rhythm to a
battle cry she had heard during the days when she had taken part in the
Toran Liberaton army. From inside her head.
Stupid hangover.
It would have been more
embarrassing if they knew she was a famed ninja from Rokkaku. More so if
they learned she was actually a government official. Technically.
Maybe it was from all that beer
she had taken the night before. She didn't recall drinking too much of it
to give her such a headache today, though. Everything had started to get
quite blurry after gulping down that fifth cup in her room.
Relief washed over her, in small
bursts of waves as soon as the ship began its docking. Once firmly moored,
she hurriedly gathered her belongings, haggled for a bit with
the captain regarding the fees (I didn't know the captain had a twin..),
and hopped down happily onto solid terra firma. Miraculously, the
pounding in her head lessened to a considerable degree. Physical
health reaffirmed, she turned to look around the town. Radat didn't seem
like a bad place, even though she was still seeing double of
everybody. In fact, everything looked peaceful and ordinary. Maybe those
rumors she had heard back in Banner Village about an impending war was
just a rumor after all.
But if that was just a rumor,
those of McDohl somewhere in South Window could be just another rumor as
well.
Kasumi felt another headache
coming on.
"First, supplies." She
muttered to herself, walking in a rolling gait of a woman unused to being
away from land for a long time. "Then, rest. Then....South Window, I
suppose. It's not like I have anywhere that I have to go."
It was only when she was halfway
up the street that she realized yet another problem. With the exception of
her encounter with the samurai the day before, all her money were in bits. The
currency in Radat was potch. Inwardly, she groaned. That did nothing to
soothe her still-pounding head.
She had only enough potch
for either the supplies, or a night at the inn. Obviously, with the state
that she was in, she was going to need medicine. And as much as she wanted
to have a nice comfy bed to spend sometime in after such an ordeal, that
was going to have to wait, at least until she found a coin exchange shop.
With much effort, Kasumi managed
to locate an item shop at the next corner. Stopping in front, she was
rewarded by nearly getting trampled by a harried-looking mom and her brood
of squealing children on their way out of the store. It was only through
years of training was she able to avoid getting stepped on and shot at by
water pistols. Inside, after much haggling, she was able to get a couple
of packs of medicine, with a littl bit left over for the owner's special
hotdogs. It turned out that the shop specialized in food as well.
Taking refuge under a stout oak
tree, Kasumi took a little of the medicine from one of the packs, enough
to make the pain in her head go away and stop her from getting double
vision. She even relaxed enough to enjoy the hotdogs. Now there was only a
matter of finding a place to rest.
Kasumi casted a quick look above
her. No better place than here, I suppose. Except maybe the inn.
Slinging her pack over her
shoulder, Kasumi began her ascent up into the tree, stopping only after
finding a branch that could carry her full weight. She had slept in
trees on several occasions, when there was nowhere else to stay or during
missions, and it wasn't really as bad as a lot of people claimed it was.
She had a good view of most of the town while remaining hidden among the
leaves, and it was a comfortable enough tree to settle in for the
meantime. Leaning back against the trunk, she allowed her eyes to wander
around below. She was facing a large house, much larger than most of the
others, and somewhat set apart from them all. Somebody important
living there, she surmised.
She let out a deep breath, and
slowly let it out. At least some of her worries were over. What else could
go wrong, anyway?
*hic*
Damn.
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