Ethereal slumber- Raiden shogun x Tomo

Chapter 48

After minutes of sailing towards Watatsumi, they have finally arrived at the Island.

The island was very different compared to the other islands. Well, all the islands are different and unique in the same time.

The breeze of the island was somewhat pleasant and instead of sakura petals flowed in the air, bubbles rises up from the pastel land.

"Watatsumi... it's been centuries since I last stepped foot of this land and so much has changed throughout the years" Ei muttered and followed the General through the village.

They soon stopped at a house near a bridge "Please excuse me, Raiden Shogun" Gorou bowed down and walked inside the gates of the house.

Ei noticed that Sangonomiya Kokomi was there, offering flowers on the front porch of the house with soldiers guarding for her safety.

"Your excellency! Apologies for intruding your time of mourning but the Raiden Shogun has arrived" Gorou said to Kokomi who was kneeling down infront of the house.

The Watatsumi priestess stood up from kneeling and turned to the Raiden Shogun's presence "Oh... I see. Let's go to the shrine to discuss about it in private" Kokomi said and Gorou nodded "Understood. let us escort you to the shrine, your excellency"

Kokomi followed behind Gorou, as he walked towards Ei's direction "Please, follow us to the shrine, lady Shogun" Gorou bowed and guided the two nobles towards the shrine.

When they finally have gotten to the shrine, Ei remained seated on a comfy cushion with the Watatsumi priestess sitting across from her.

A servant offered them tea and leave them be to begin their discussion.

Kokomi took a quick sip of the cup and sighed briefly "I wasn't expecting for you, lady Shogun, to travel all the way the other side of the nation just to attend the meeting and early too" Kokomi said in her calm and charming voice.

"People call it— a pace of change. Have the crates of visions have arrived?" Ei asked making Kokomi tilt her head to the side with a questioning look.

Ei cleared her throat and adjusted on her seat "I have ordered General Kujou of the Tenryou commission to distribute the visions back to their respective owners..." Ei said and drank half cup of the tea "I will tell General Gorou to claim the visions once it has arrived. Thank you" Kokomi bowed her head.

Ei set down her empty cup and turned to the Watatsumi priestess "Are there anything else to discuss about?" Ei asked and Kokomi hummed for a moment "Hmmm... how about a trading association?" Kokomi suggested and Ei crossed her arms "What are we going to trade?" Ei asked.

Kokomi looked away from the Bakufu's gaze and thought about it "Well like... my offer are supplies of seafood, silks, and minerals" Ei rubbed her chin gently about her offer "Seems like a good deal... I will think about the trading association you want to establish with an alliance with me" Kokomi smiled "I-... Take your time then, lady Shogun"

Silence took over between the two. Ei sighed and gazed out the window in her right "Are there anything else? If no, I should be going now" Ei said and stood up from her seating position.

"Oh, okay. Let me walk with you to the exit" Kokomi gestured and walked with the Shogun.

They walked through a hallway where paintings of her ancestors(probably) were hanged against the wall.

The names of each person was carved on the wooden cover and Ei stopped to a familiar painting of a person.

Kokomi noticed her stopped on her tracks and spoke "Raiden Shogun..." Kokomi approached Ei who was staring at a painting.

It was a painting of a man with deep blue hair that faded to white where his horns were barely visible and fish-like eyes just like Kokomi's.

"May I know who's is this?" Ei asked and let her fingertips roam down its frame "He's my ancestor, Sangonomiya Kojuro. You whom lived throughout thousands of years might be familiar about him" Kokomi said and they stared at the painting for a while.

"Does he have a brother?" Ei asked. Kokomi turned away from the painting and started walking away "Ah- did I spoke of something wrong?" Ei asked and Kokomi turned her head around.

Her dead fish-like eyes stared down at the ground with her arms on her back "We... we don't talk about him anymore. He was known to be a cold-blooded sinner in our clan..." Kokomi said coldly.

Ei stayed quiet and just followed the priestess out of the shrine.

"We thank you for returning the visions of the people, lady Shogun" the Sangonomiya bowed down at the Bakufu which made Ei smile.

"If it weren't for the Resistance that fought against my pursuit of eternity, Inazuma would've changed" Ei said making a smile curve on Kokomi's lips.

"Do you know the reason how the Resistance came into a group and where our courage came from to fought back?" Kokomi asked and Ei hummed as a question "What was it? I'm curious to know"

"It was the samurai that dared himself to fight against the vision hunt decree before the throne" Ei widened her eyes at what the priestess spoke "If he was still alive, he could've became the General of the Watatsumi army instead of General Gorou" Kokomi added.

"His combat skills were impressive... if he actually managed to take me down back then, he would've taken the place as Shogun. He was really close to succeeding it" Ei said "It's a shame that he..." Ei added and sighed at the end.

"I should go now. Farewell, Sangonomiya Kokomi. I will have a meeting with the tri-commission about the trading association" Ei said and waved goodbye. Kokomi also waved out to her goodbye.

Ei crossed the bridge while staring out the distance, watching the water from the waterfalls fall down to the deep ocean below Watatsumi.

Ei passed by the house that the priestess visited and went on through the village to start another adventure.

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Yae Miko: how many cats do you have?

Ei: Yes