SKY OF PAPER: AN ASIAN STEAMPUNK FANTASY

CHAPTER 17

We boarded another carriage, which took us to the other side of the docks some distance away from the landing area.

There, stood a small, humble building which seemed to hide discretely between two much larger neighboring warehouses.

A sign above the entrance read, "Air Trader's Guild Registry."

We went inside to find an empty reception room. At the receiving desk sat a very bored man organizing official looking documents into various piles. He gave a single glance at us and pointed to a nearby door with another sign above it that read, "Special Passengers Registry."

Inside the second room awaited a completely different atmosphere. There were no chairs or even a desk. Instead, lay a series of tatami mats and a very traditional-looking table in the center, upon which sat a decoration that looked like a mini shrine mounted with burning incense sticks. Kneeling patiently on the mats were a few other chienkuu ko, paying hardly any attention to us as we entered. Next to them were other adults. Some of which were stern-looking men in very old fashioned robes with swords sheathed imposingly at their sides. They too wore flower crests on their chests, but each was of a different variety and color. Some flowers I recognized; like the child which had the crest of a red rose and another with a purple lilac.

A red lantern hung from the ceiling, giving the room a solemn, crimson glow. Along the walls, hung scrolls emblazoned with large characters, proudly expressing words like "Strength", "Focus", and "Spirit."

We approached the door on the far end of the room which was covered by a loose, green-satin curtain. Miss Nishio knocked on the door frame, and a very old, bald man with large, bushy gray eye brows emerged.

"What is your business?" he queried in a raspy voice.

"I've come to register these two children."

"Wait here. We shall come for you after all the others ahead of you have been served."

"This cannot wait," she said in a more forceful tone. "This is official business from the Imperial Temple."

He lowered his head and his eyes disappeared into his bushy eyebrows in what I could only assume as a posture he used for thinking. He then gave an approving groan and nodded slightly, before motioning us inside.

We entered a room that was at least four times larger than the one next door, but had an atmosphere that was much more drab and dusty. There were piles upon piles of scrolls littering every corner. Towering wooden shelves that stood as tall as two grown men hugged the walls, packed with so much paper work that it seemed that all of it would come spilling out like an avalanche at any moment. Shafts of light gleamed through windows high up near the ceiling making visible the dust lingering in the air.

Kassashimei mumbled something, which seemed to be some sort of sly remark. Thankfully, Miss Nishio was either ignoring her, or was too occupied to listen, because she did not react.

The frail-looking man took his place behind a podium in the middle of the room, which stood on a large, wooden platform flanked by tables and even more stacks of paper and scrolls.

"Now then, " he said preparing some paper and ink. "What can the guild do you for?"

"There are a few matters I would like to take care of," Miss Nishio said. "First I would like to register these two children as apprentices to the Tiger Lilly Tea House. Second, I need permits, qualifying them to serve aboard air ships and trading vessels."

"The guild knows who you are Miss Nishio as well as the influence you have in this city. It is because of this that we will recognize these two children as property to your house. But allowing them to serve on air ships?"