Siinji - Or, Ankūro and the City of the Golden Boughs

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Any connection,
Between the dark, far places,
Can become broken.
- Rasakūn.

Her eyes became drawn to the mural, painted along the wall. From what she could see, it depicted the rise of the Kannai society from long ago. From hunting, to farming, creating towns and then cities. It showed them spreading outwards from their island home of Aoutro, out into the world. The further around the wall she moved, the more she began to understand their society, their civilisation.

She saw the Kannai influence grow in pictures so vivid, she almost felt as though she experienced the passing of time. Their growth in the use of magic, then the coming of machines, most of which she had no understanding of what the purpose of them was. But, then, it showed more telling visions. Of turning their backs upon the great beings, the Patrons, of their hubris at believing themselves as great as the powerful immortals.

Then, to the pinnacle of their society. A second home. A second island. Kaguta. And the bond they forged between the two distant places. A bond created using both magic and machines that defied the power of the Patrons. A bridge between two peoples.

She turned towards the free-standing doors at the top of the stairs and her mind whirled as she tried to fit disparate pieces of information into one greater whole. Drellis stared at the altar, hand rubbing his chin, as Yurivno fought to make sense of everything. The other mural, within the catacombs, all the devastation within the City of the Golden Boughs, the elaborate locks and the doorways and the mural she now saw before her.

"We can't do it." She ran to Drellis, her hand gripping his arm. "This is not what you think it is."

Shrugging her hand from his arm, Drellis continued to stare at the altar. He murmured to himself, several times as his eyes floated over the indentations, the raised portions and the holes that covered the surface. Ignoring her, he moved to the bag that held the tablets and the key, bringing them back to the altar.

"Your problem, little Kannai, is that you have no vision. No urge for greatness." Taking one of the tablets, Drellis began comparing it to the symbols upon the altar, his brow furrowing in concentration. "That's your father's influence. He saw your potential, your intuitiveness, but he instilled his values in you. A pity. You could both have become very, very rich. If you only you had applied your talents better."

"You don't understand! You've got it all upside down and back to front!" She grabbed his arm again, dragging him around to look at her, then pointed towards the doors at the top of the curving stairs. "That is a bridge. Some kind of magical bridge, mixed with some kind of machinery. If you open it, it doesn't only go one way. It leads to Aoutro!"

With deliberate movements, Drellis took Yurivno's hand, ripping it from his arm. He glanced to the side and Yurivno felt strong hands gripping her arms. The grip almost made her howl in pain as Sakicho held her away from Drellis. Then Drellis' eyes opened in realisation.

"Upside down and back to front! You are a clever girl!" Turning back to the altar, Drellis used the fingers of one hand to trace the symbols on the surface before giving out a triumphant 'ha'. "They go into the places upside down. Look, the symbols are reversed. Indentations become raised, raised parts become indentations. Marvellous!"

"Stop it, Drellis!" Now Tuccé joined them, trying to pull Yurivno from Sakicho's grip, but having no effect against the boy-warrior's strength. "If she says it's dangerous, it is. If I've learnt anything, it's that she's far more clever than anyone I've ever met. Far more clever than you!"

"Sakicho, do shut them both up." With a side-long glance, Drellis considered them and then grimaced. "In fact, tie them up, somewhere they can't interfere. I no longer have need of them."