Dinner went as well as can be expected for vegetarians at the table of Kirigai. Some effort was put to providing them with rice, vegetarian-style sushi, and various pickled vegetables at least. It is also strange that most of the meal is consumed in relative silence. Gossip is, of course, never spoken of at dinner; such would just not be proper after all. So, this leaves the lapis a lot of time watching others eat things that were once alive. Not a great fate for anyone with a weak stomach. Thankfully, though, since there is precious little talking the meal doesn't take too long. Umeko rises, and does her father and mother and they withdraw, leaving Xander and his sister more less alone. The of course Xiao comes and collects Nawar for lessons! This leaves Xander now alone in the dining room.
And of course he cannot sit there for long as other servants shoo him out now so that they can clean. This leaves poor Xander walking back through the gardens, alone. On an island of predators. Suspicious predators. What could possibly go wrong?
Xander makes sure to keep to the center of the path, in case the koi decide to jump out of the water and try to drag him in. Fire Mages respect water. And is if to mirror the confusion he's been feeling of late, the Lapi casts competing cantrips on his hands. One for warmth on his right, and the reverse on his left. Not cold but.. anti-warm. "Her parents didn't say anything about Savanites so.. maybe Lady Tsuguri is fine with Umeko associating with the Burning Sand," he mutters, because... well because he's a Lapi and has to mutter every so often.
The koi don't seem to be trying to leap out and grab the lapi ... but they do seem to stay as close as the can to the shore and make big open mouths at him while he walks. Life for the koi is a simple one, they want to be fed. No political concerns affect them at all.
"I'd bring you some rice, but that's probably not good for fish," Xander apologies to the carp. "I think it swells up in water or something. And you don't really turn into dragons if you live for a thousand years, do you? Not that a carp living so long wouldn't be impressive in itself.. but you'd never fit in this garden. Why am I talking to a fish?" He pinches his cheeks, once feeling warm and the other chilled.
The fish helpfully answer my making a 'blub' sort of noise. It's a pleasant enough noise, a lot nicer than the what sounds like a ferocious battle at the far end of the garden just past all the manicured hedges and stones placed 'just so'. Even the leaning stones seem to se set so that they have just the perfect aesthetic angle.
Ears shooting up, Xander forgets the fish and rushes towards the noise.. but not leaving the path. There's urgency, and then there is upsetting the groundskeepers.
Given the groundskeepers can give Master Longtooth a run for his money in being both old and grouchy, that is likely a wise course of action. So, this means having to take an incredibly indirect route to the sounds of the fracas. It only sounds worse as Xander gets closer ... just one more hedge to pass.
"I should be assessing things first, not running in blindly," the Lapi remembers, and so does deviate from the path slightly to leap up onto a stone that could let him see over the hedge.
Xander manages to peer over the hedge and finds himself staring at the back of an ebony-maned, blood-red, extremely-large, Kiriga. Xander knows those horn formations well, too; it isn't exactly easy to not stare at the dangerous parts of your host now and then. He is also not wearing elegant robes at the moment, he is adored in what looks like ... scaled armor. Just across the way from the Lord of the Estate Xander spots the far more diminutive Umeko. She too is wearing what looks like some sort of armor .. and she is wielding two swords; though there is something off about them. No words are spoken as both surge forward; weapons meeting weapons with loud 'thunks' and the occasional crackle. Aha! The weapons are made of wood or bamboo. Still, with the way the pair dance, sweep and dart in ... if one of them managed to hit the other it would leave serious, if not life-threatening injury.
The Lapi's ears go back, and he tenses with each strike.. but realizes this must be practice. And Umeko's father is sparring with her! That must be a sign of accepting her as a warrior.. and maybe wanting her to learn the family fighting tradition. So Xander hunkers down just enough that he can still see things without being a distraction himself.
The combat is a mix of extreme speed and ferocity then just as quickly falling back to a slow circling as each may be trying to find weakness in the other. Umeko, by far, is the more flexible of the two. The way she bends double, or back, or even to the side borders on looking unnatural. The Lord, however, has the upper hand on pure power. When he does land a strike against Umeko's defenses, he can literally push her a few feet in the dirt leaving behind deep talon ruts from where Umeko tried to hold her position. But, through the use of twist and tail, Umeko always managed to maintain her balance even when faced with a terrifying show of force.
Watching, Xander notes that reach is a major factor as well. The Lord's size gives him that extra arm length and leverage in the slicing-style attacks. If he let his weapon drag back a bit, and then flicked his wrist at the last moment.. but then, Xander isn't actually sure of how much those weapons weigh. There must be a 'balance' needed in attacking to avoid breaking them. He does like to see Umeko move about though, and wags his tail-puff. Speed, grace, flexibility.. and one day she'll be twice as big as him. Maybe he should practice a bit on her mother?
The two draw back and resume the circle. Both wear expressions of stone, unblinking cold reptilian eyes watching the other. It is Umeko who breaks the circle, though and surges forward. Not only forward, but upward as she descends with longer of the practice weapons, perhaps trying to use her body weight to the attack. Except ... the curve of her spine seems off for that. The Lord of the Estate brings his weapon up to block this attach with ease. As the blades connect, there is a horrid sound of crackling wood ... and Umeko's weapon comes apart in shards and splinters. That's when Umeko's spine beds the rest of the way, curving her backwards into a forward-moving back flip. She catches the base of the long sword in the Lord, and uses the force that he just imparted to her to kick the base of his weapon hard enough that it goes flying off and over Xander's head! It is over in a split second with Umeko back on her feet, drawn close to her Father to the point they are almost touching. her left h
and is extended upward ... and the edge of her remaining shorter blade rests within a quarter of an inch of the Lord's unblinking face.
"Ouch!" Xander mutters in sympathy with the Lord. It was a risky attack, from the Lapi's perspective. In the air like that, Umeko could have been knocked down without being able to dodge, or landed poorly.. any number of bad-for-the-skeleton things! But at least she made it through.. and Xander is sure he can force himself to forget the cold-blooded gazes with time.
"An unorthodox sacrifice of your weapon," Lord Tsuguri remarks as his eye shifts to that it is looking at the battered wooden edge waiting nearby, "A risky gambit that goes against formal traditions and training. There are any number of ways that could have ended poorly." Umeko then taps the side of his face with the wooden weapon and the Lord must concede, "Also rather effective. You used the power of your opponent against him. I did not expect such a feint. Your movement telegraphed commitment to the overhead strike."
Umeko draws back and looks at what remains of the shattered weapon in her right hand. "I was advised to not be predictable and that following tradition blindly makes me easy to control," she notes as she tosses the broken weapon to the side with a flick of her wrist.
She remembered that from the desert? Xander feels a bit of pride, seeing that his advice actually made an impression.. that she Umeko even used it appropriately! Now, just don't tell daddy where you got that advice from. I'm not sure if he'd think I was corrupting his daughter.
"Who gave you such reckless advice?" Lord Tsuguri inquires as he leans his battered practice weapons against a nearby bush.
"Mage Lightfoot, of course," Umeko answers readily, right before bowing deeply to her father.
Gritting his teeth and tugging down his ears, Xander crouches further on his rock. Don't look this way, big guy! Nothing to see here!
"And you take advice from one with a pedestrian upbringing over the years of tradition and earned wisdom?" Lord Tsuguri inquires next. "His family is of meager means; they sell carpets. He is the lowest ranked of all of them socially, which is of course why he decided to become a mage. You need not look so surprised; I always obtain the family history of anyone who visits here. I asked the Guild for his transcript and evaluation."
On hearing that last part.. Xander feels relieved. The Lord of the Manor didn't interrogate Nawar for the information. Still.. lowest ranked? Sure Heydar and Zeke did well enough for themselves.. but once Xander has his education paid off, he'll be doing pretty well too! He almost stands up to protest, but isn't that crazy.
"And there is wisdom gained in starting from nothing and making one's way in the world," Umeko counters, drawing back up to her full (but still short comparatively) height. "Much of the world beyond these shores do not follow traditions and engage in honorable warfare."
"And this is a compelling argument to throw aside traditions?" Lord Tsuguri replies as he too draws himself up to full height.
"Hmmm," Xander mutters. Being compared to the 'dishonorable' nature of the world probably doesn't help him much. "Tradition breeds stagnation," he continues to mutter.
"I am alive, am I not?" Umeko counters, "And family honor was restored without having to submit to the tradition of offering my life in trade for the breech of honor."
Lord Tsuguri looks down at Umeko, gaze still impassive; the only movements the light rustling of the Kiriga's whiskers in the light breeze. "You would not have made that offer," the older kiriga says with finality.
"Yeah," Xander mutters. "Don't knock winning, old man.. And she so would have.. It wasn't easy talking her out of it."
"I am not afraid to ... " Umeko says and the Lord cuts her off with a wave of his right hand. "I did not question your courage or what you would do if allowed. I would not have allowed it," Lord Tsuguri says. "Because the fault was my own. My actions pushed your choices. I would have stood in your stead, the dishonor was mine."
"What?" Xander actually says out loud.
"I ... what?" Umeko asks, her cold expression breaking.
"It appears the bushes have learned to speak," Lord Tsuguri remarks. "I shall have to speak to the gardeners about cutting them down for impertinence."
The Lapi peeks over the hedge again. "No no, just me!" he says. "Please don't get the gardeners involved! I just.. uh.. are you saying that your following tradition in the raising of your daughter resulted in a dishonor though? Sir?"
"My actions lead to what could have been the dissolution of family," Lord Tsuguri remarks as he looks over his shoulders and right at Xander. "I cannot condone the actions of my Daughter, but nor would I ask for her life when it was my actions that drove hers. And more simply, I have no wish to bury my child. My wife and I have felt what must be the closest possible to her death already. I would not wish to bear that again. Think of us as you like, but we are not as cold hearted as you may imagine."
Umeko, however, is glaring at Xander from where he peeks over the hedge.
"But.. weren't your actions... uh.." The Lapi goes silent when he catches Umeko's glare. "I never thought you were cold-hearted," he says instead.
Lord Tsuguri's brow arches slightly. "Is that so?" the older kiriga inquires.
"If you had been cold-hearted, you would not have cared what Umeko did, or raised her to be as you wanted by punishing undesirable behavior," Xander claims. "I have known Imperials who were simply dumped out into the streets as fingerlings, forced to fend for themselves until taken in as apprentices or workers. I understand family, sir. I know how to recognize it. You wanted the best for her as you saw it."
"Umeko, tend to the weapons. It seems this mage wishes to discuss family dynamics," Lord Tsuguri notes and gestures to the battered remains of the sparring weaponry. The large Kiriga then walks past the bush Xander is peering over. He also reaches over and lifts the Lapi off the rock by the scruff of his neck and sets him back on the ground with a seemingly effortless movement. "Follow," is all the Lord adds.
With a squeak, Xander obeys once he's back on the ground. "Yes sir.. Lord Tsuguri.." he says apologetically.
Umeko goes about picking up the remains of combat and muttering herself in fast-paced Imperial. ".... idiot ... " is about all Xander can make out.
The walk through the gardens this time is brisk, mainly due to the long strides the much larger kiriga can make than the lapi. The walk is at least not far; it is back to the same pavilion that Umeko's mother had used during her 'interview with the lapi. The lord of the stsate ascends the stairs, spins around, then lowers himself into a formal kneel. The reptile then gestures to the spot just across from him. "Be seated," he instructs.
It takes a moment for Xander to decide how to sit, and in the end just kneels down as well. "I didn't meant to upset you, sir," he offers, and tries not to fidget nervously.
"Did I say you upset me?" Lord Tsuguri inquires in his unnervingly deep and hollow-sounding voice. "I merely wish to clear up any ... misunderstandings about my family. I am likely not amiss in my presumption you have formed opinions during the time you have spent with my daughter."
"I have some, yes," Xander admits, ears down. "How could I not? Of course, I didn't know who she actually was for quite some time."
"Then enlighten me on what you presumed," Lord Tsuguri requests, "And if proper I will confirm or refute the assumptions you have made."
"Well.." the Lapi says, looking very on-the-spot. "It seemed that.. ah.. you wanted a son. So Umeko tried to fill that roll as best she could, while still trying to be a good daughter."
"I never suggested to her that I wished a son, only that she follow tradition," Lord Tsuguri comments, remaning perfectly still while he does so. "As for her being a good daughter, she was anything but when compared to tradition. From her insistence on acting ... masculine and her associations with those beneath her station, it was the source of unending gossip."
"If she'd followed tradition, you might all be Haku's slaves now," Xander points out. "Tradition only works when nothing ever changes. But you can't stop the world from changing. You have to adapt."
"Again, you presume. I did not say I was right in my expectations, I am simply clarifying the situation," Lord Tsuguri says. "I should also note that tradition and expectations seem petty and pointless when you are faced with the possibility your only child is dead ... and it is possibly your fault. A fact my wife reminded me of nightly."
"She is stronger than you know, perhaps," Xander says. "I've seen her when she felt.. helpless. But she always fought through it. She had to struggle against her own culture to do what she needed to do. If it is your fault she became what she is, then you have my gratitude for it. You made her strong and compassionate. Some of that had to have been by example."
"Stubborness is a family trait; compassion I must defer to my wife," Lord Tsuguri notes. "I still do not approve of what she did, but I am also grateful for it and for her to have returned home safely. I want it to be clear I love my daughter, Mage Lightfoot, even if it is not shown in ways you would be used to."
"You must be proud too," Xander offers. "She's brought honor, hasn't she?"
"Does that require being stated?" Lord Tsuguri counters. "I gave her one of my most valuable daisho; that should communicate such."
"I.. uh.. thought that was just a father-daughter 'you're a woman now' sort of gift," Xander admits. "I don't know your rituals yet. I doubt I'd be invited to learn them in any case, being an outsider. I know you don't care for my station, but having come up from the bottom does give one a broader perspective than having started at the top and stayed there."
"Women do not normally carry swords, Mage Lightfoot," Lord Tsuguri points out. "And you are correct, I do not care for you for a great many reasons, but you have been kind to my Daughter and she speaks highly of you. For that alone I chose to ignore my misgivings and treat you as an equal in my home."
"A great many reasons?" Xander squeaks. "Do most of them come down to me being a foreigner?"
"Many, yes," Lord Tsuguri confirms. "For example, you may have a detrimental effect on her manners and poise. It is only recent that she has resumed standing properly."
"Why would you assume it was me that caused that?" Xander asks. "I don't do anything that would.. strain her back.."
Lord Tsuguri arches his brow questioningly. Well, at least Xander knows where she got that trait from. "I did not suggest such. She has just been lax in maintaining perfect grace in movment and form. She was walking more like a ... commoner. It is unbecomming." There the Lord pauses for a moment. "Though your commend does raise another question, what exactly are your intentions towards my daughter?" he asks.
Xander freezes for a moment. Intentions? Well.. he isn't asking about actions at least. "I intend to continue to serve her and look after her interests," he says. "I worry about her new position and the people she'll be dealing with. Although it may just be my natural paranoia - but I will be keeping a very close watch on those around her."
This seems to cause the Lord to actually relax; a slight lowering of is shoulders. Perhaps. "Ah, then you do not intend to ask for her hand in marriage. Good," Lord Tsuguri notes.
"I.. didn't realize that was even an option.." Xander admits. "And what about children? Nobles are big on descendants and all.."
"I do not think you are quite capable of interbreeding with Kirigai, no matter how much the Lapi think of their prowess in that area," Lord Tsuguri remarks dryly.
"I could ask a few Life Mages," Xander continues to ponder. "Maybe if I found one from Kroz.. they seem to have a way around it.."
"Mage Lightfoot, if you have inclinations towards scale, there are servents of this household that could indulge that interest," Lord Tsuguri remarks even more dryly.
"I'm only really interested in Umeko though.." Xander notes, then closes his eyes and thinks about hitting himself. "That is.. uh.." he tries to say, "who wouldn't ignore everyone else over your daughter? Wait.. that's just as bad.." He flounders a bit, as usual.
Lord Tsuguri rolls his jaw as in chewing something slowly. "Well, I suppose it could be worse. You are at least a mage and that has standing," the giant lizard remarks rather flatly. "Though, perhaps you should keep such thoughts to yourself before we all have cause for regret."
"Umeko will keep me in line, I'm sure," Xander claims. "Plus, I wouldn't want to be eaten or anything, heh!" he jokes nervously.
"There is little risk of that. If I can tolerate that my grandfather and Master Longtooth used to ... drink together, I can tolerate a lapi doting on my daughter. There is at least less risk of questionable drinking songs becoming popular and requiring many duels to remove from circulation." Lord Tsuguri remarks.