When The Petal Fell

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The Kannai was good, but not as good as she thought she was. Sora noticed her almost straight away and she felt certain that Cierene had seen her even earlier. After several double-backs, changing levels within the Underside and waiting around corners, Sora felt satisfied that no-one had followed them and led Cierene towards their old home.

At one time, the Dangle, as they called it, had been among the bottom most dwellings hanging precariously beneath the bridge. Now, several years later, the Underside had continued its spread and two more levels hung beneath the one room hut. The entrance still offered difficulty to find, however, needing to hug the wall of one building and drop down into the hut from above, but it no longer offered unfettered views to the clouds below and, beyond the clouds, the waters at the bottom of the chasm.

Sora had rarely returned to the Dangle. Sometimes, when she felt most alone, she would visit and remember the old days. Not the good old days, or the bad old days, only days. The struggles to feed themselves, the times they needed to hide due to their thievery or to avoid the more unscrupulous people whose wicked designs for the girls would cause revulsion and fear in the two friends. Sometimes she returned only because she had nowhere else to go.

After Cierene had chosen to leave and join the Court of Blossoms, however, Sora found herself using the Dangle less and less as her skills and fighting abilities grew. She prided herself that none of the unscrupulous people had ever taken her innocence from her, but she had taken much blood from them. After years of struggle, gaining a reputation and cementing that reputation, she had chosen a career as muscle for hire. Her short, but stocky frame never failing to make her 'marks' underestimate her.

She knew Cierene had continued to maintain the Dangle, more for Sora's benefit than her own, and she resented that. A little bit. It felt like her old friend was rubbing her wealth and position in her face and saying that Sora couldn't look after herself. Just because she wasn't raised by the high and mighties of the Top-Side, didn't mean she needed handouts.

They sat there, hunched over due to the low ceiling, almost huddled upon each other's knees. The Dangle had seemed much bigger in her youth. Even sat in such an awkward position, Cierene exuded style and class, her hands placed flat together on her knees. Yet, in her face, Sora could see that Cierene seemed troubled, even through the instinctive veil learned from the Court of Blossoms.

"This is where you tell me what you want me to do." For a second, Sora thought she saw the tiniest flash of the girl she used to know. That loud, vivacious, charming girl that could wrap almost anyone around her little finger and talk her way out of anything. Then the veil returned.

"I'm sure you heard of someone taking the Great Leap earlier today?" Cierene fixed Sora with an intense glare. She was watching Sora for any flicker of understanding.

"Of course. Some fool in cheap noble clothing managed to miss hitting the water." Sora returned the favour and watched Cierene for reactions. As usual, there were none. "Although, there are other rumours."

"The 'fool' was, in fact High Gardener Luhsn himself." Cierene spoke the words in such a matter of fact fashion that Sora almost asked her to repeat what she had said. "As you can imagine, this has caused much concern in the Court."

"Concern? I heard he jumped from the Far View brothel! What was your boss doing in a dump like that?" Sora tried to lean back, but the tiny space offered little chance of that. She studied her old friend's face and saw, behind the impassive features, a touch of great sadness. "Oh, I get it. You don't know. And that's where I come in, right? The ducker and diver, asking the questions she shouldn't to the people that won't want to answer."