The Poet and the Firecracker (Renga)

In a prosperous time of peace, there is hardly any role for a knight to play. The king's soldiers are reduced to giving outstanding performances in archery tournaments, gladiatorial shows and other such competitions to entertain the royals and their subjects.

Many knights find themselves lacking a sense of purpose or identity; Sir Reki Kyan, on the other hand, having worked hard since childhood to become skilled with a bow and arrow, thrives. He basks in the glorious attention and praise that the perhaps trivial contests provide.

Meanwhile, the arts flourish in the tranquility thanks to the newly available money to fund them. Langa Hasegawa is the royals' very own live-in poet. Once a child prodigy in performing as a lyrical bard, he has since moved on to writing poetry under the king and queen's orders, as well as tutoring their young heir. His work has achieved great fame, but he longs to pick up his lyre again and sing freely, by his own command.

The two men clash: one born blessed with a gift and the other constantly striving to improve. Reki is welcomed into a world of beautiful language never known to him before, and Langa finds himself a muse that holds the keys to set his verse flying free.