Episode 2. From up on a hill, the tower
above the tree tops, Saku looked down at the camp.
Fire had been put out in the flat, but the tent had been
closed. She held out the skull so it
could see feeling completely silly while doing it, but Como
had complained after being in the pocket for too long.
After walking down from the hill, she carefully correct
towards the camp, dust swirling in the air above her.
You must be asleep or something, she whispered to the skull, Now
back in her pocket. Stop talking before he hears
you. The skull said.
She heard a snap. She threw combo in the direction
the sound had come from. His face slid in the dirt until
he once again was facing her. Hey, you shouted with the twinge
of hurt in his voice. I may be dead, but my feelings
aren't yet. I am not a weapon.
You had it coming, she said. Her eyes darted around back to
the tent, as if she expected him to come out of it.
He didn't. After a few moments, she went to
Combo and picked him back up again.
He's gone, she said, still looking around.
Why would he leave? Saku carefully approached the
tent and slowly opened the flap. The skull screamed.
Saku drops the cover, then paused and slowly turned.
Kamo might have been smiling if he had lips instead of a bone
beak. You fell for that?
Kamo asked. You scare easily.
Soccer through the skull into the soft dirt after she noticed
all the items that had once been inside the tent are now gone,
including the tea. But the Cortana lay in the
middle, seemingly waiting for her.
She approached the sword and knelt down.
Why would a Yashi leave this? That man is crazy, Como.
Not as crazy ugly as that dress he was wearing, he said.
I'm telling you, I have the same dress.
Why does a duck even have an opinion on what I wear?
How are we supposed to find Nagashi now?
I need to get that tea back. He could be anywhere if you want
my advice, Combo said burn the dress.
That's not a good color for your skin tone.
If you want more of my advice, let's head to the city.
If a Yashi is unhinged as he looks, someone will know about
him and where he is. Saku cursed.
Why do I keep talking to you? You aren't real.
I don't know how to get to the city.
A Yashi said he was going to take me.
He totally wasn't going to take you, said Kamo.
She muttered some unkind words under her breath before saying.
I know that now. If I could see the mountains in
all this dust, I could point you in the right direction, Kamo
said. You're going the Shao song like
the others, right? There's a lady near an apple
tree there who used to make great Pickles.
I used to go with some of my friends.
We'd get high up in the tree so we could see when she was
washing her clothes. Then we'd knock over the clay
pots and enjoy the good eating. Wait, you don't have to get the
Shao song because you eat Pickles?
She shook her head. Yeah, you are not real.
I am nuts. Mebu can never know that.
I drank the tea. Should never speak to me again.
Saku turned to look high up at the trees.
She put the skull in her pocket and grabbed onto the bark.
Soon she climbed far up enough to reach the sturdy branches.
Though sore, she managed to make it to the top.
Still, dust covered the sky. Como began complaining about the
darkness of the pocket when Saku grabbed him and tossed him as
high into the air as she could. She expected the skull to fall
straight down, but she could see nothing past the leaves of the
tree. Suddenly he fell from the dusty
air into her vision. She leaned out as far as she
could and reach for the skull. Her finger caught his eye hole.
You jerk. He screamed.
He almost shattered me. Stop dropping me.
I'm sorry. She climbed down the tree.
I figured you'd be able to see if I got you up high enough.
I did. The mountains are to our left,
so we need to keep heading straight up the river.
The dust should clear with those wind currents, but no more
throwing me. No promises, but I'll try, she
said. I never expected a school person
to act like this. Have some respect.
I shouldn't have to tell you that.
Well, if by some miracle you actually do leave me the chow
song, and I'm not just standing in the middle of the forest
talking to myself, I'll consider it, Saku said.
She searched around the camp for anything else she might need on
her journey, but only found a water container.
She filled it by the river and headed towards the city.
There was no moon that night, and a layer of dust blanketed
the horizon. She squinted in the dark and
held her hands in front of her as she walked through the
forest. Her palm hit a tree as her knees
hit a sharp thorny Bush. She cursed.
I can't see anything, which means there's no city here.
Kamo, I shouldn't have listened to you, Saku shouted at the
skull. Oh, what's that up ahead?
He said. She noticed the dim lights in
the distance. As they approached, the night
sky cleared, revealing a city illuminated by scattered,
decorated paper lanterns. Banners waved out in front of
shops and people, and brightly colored kimonos chatted amongst
themselves. The scent of cut grass and newly
built doors and walls overwhelmed Saku.
She had never seen buildings taller than trees before.
You got lucky, she told the Skull.
All cities are built by water. I'm sure I knew that this means
nothing. I was right.
You have to believe me now, he said.
She held skull higher towards the shops, still busy with
people. What is everyone doing out so
late at night? Don't they have work in the
morning? They're buying stuff, the skull
said. What?
You don't buy stuff with the money that you made growing all
that tea all day? Saku suddenly realized others
could hear and see her talking to the skull.
She put it away in her upper right pocket.
Hey, I was talking, the skull said.
I can't keep talking to you, she said.
Oh, look, not normal. So, the skull said back.
Tamo's voice now sounded muffled to the fabric of Saku's pocket.
Everyone is crazy in the city. The crazier you are, the more
power you have If I get caught. Saku began to say.
She noticed a young girl with light brown hair and a patch
together blue kimono staring at her.
Saku looked away and whispered. That kid sees us.
The castle finds out I'm here without the teeth.
Look what you The child ran up to Saku and tugged at her
pocket. Is that a talking skull?
The kid said, lifting up on her toes to speak to the foreign
person. You never talked to your pocket
for fun? Saku tried to hurry away from
the child, but she followed her behind a push cart, selling
dried fish and clay cooked sweet potatoes.
We don't have pockets, the child said.
Are you friends of Oniku? A boy in an old kimono with a
blue cap ran to her and used his arm to push the girl back.
She swatted away the arm. Leave her alone, sister.
They don't like to talk When they're not working at the freak
show, Saku gently squeeze Como as if she were asking him what
she should do. Como responded, laughing.
Tell her what's the worst that can happen?
Those people ducklings aren't going to tell anyone.
Saku's side, then smile slightly, the young girl still
filled with excitement. OK, Soku sits in a whisper.
She put a finger to her lips. I am Soku of the pocket.
People tell Oniku she should do more tricks and talk less.
Her brother's face soured from annoyance.
He picked up his sister and carried her over his shoulders.
But I wanted one of those skull flowers they were selling, she
said. Boy did not respond and kept
walking. She waved the soku, who waved
back until the boy stopped in the middle of the street.
Someone was coming. The skull laughed violently from
inside her pocket. They thought you were part of a
Miss Amano freak show. Streets grew quiet, a man in
iron and leather armor laced together with red wool.
It appeared with the torch in hand.
He wore a Caputo with the gold trim visor around the helmet.
With his other hand he revealed a piece of paper with the word
wanted in their tongue. Another skuller has gone
missing, The man spoke. The Regent wishes for them to be
found and brought to the castle immediately. 50 coins will be
given for her capture alive. Unless she is without the
shipment. Then he will accept her head.
Search the outskirts. In memory of Mibu telling her
not, the talk came to her mind. She disappeared into a closed,
unlit shop, away from the commotion in the streets, but
not before seeing the boy and the girl approach the soldier.
Soku swatted down behind the wooden counter beneath stacked
white ramen bowls with blue trim.
The world was silent and shadows of the people standing too
afraid to move fluttered on the transparent rice paper wall.
They know I'm here because I listen to you.
What is a Miss Amano? And how do we get there?
Why don't you know anything? That's where you can go to see
famous, weird people. I once saw a dragon mummy there,
please. That's what they were telling.
Everyone was behind the wrapping.
Let me get this straight, Saku. You are now planning to go up to
a bunch of famous people off the street and hope they tell you
what to do. Saku let out a puff of air.
I have a better idea, Kamo. I'm going to do nothing and just
stand here. They paused.
Well, that's not protective at all.
The school said it's not, but that was her only other option
and we tried it. So shut up and let me handle
this. They have to know who would
steal tea leaves there. Oniku might be able to help.
She might know how to get rid of this tea illness so I can stop
talking to myself. Good luck with that, Como said
as he was placed back in the soccer's pocket.
She left the shop through the back door in the kitchen next to
the fire pit, passing a wooden tray with leftover noodles.
Incense sticks placed nearby burned.
It's smoke rose up towards the sky.
They traveled past a bridge that towered over a dried up river
that led to a Plaza. Reed walls hung around the
carnival perimeter, surrounded by post to block off the outside
world. She found the entrance and
exchanged a palm full of rice for admission.
A band with the large straw hat and face paint accepted the
payment and motioned them inside.
He watched her not blinking as she wandered into the masses of
spectators. Hey, Kamo, Sako said.
Those people ducklings back there called each other brother
and sister. Is that normal here?
Why ask me? I'm just a crazy hallucination,
this girl said. What do you mean?
Is that normal? Being allowed to know who your
family is? She said.
Out in the open, being seen with them.
Pretty sure that's a common people's thing.
Not in my village, she said, looking down.
We aren't even allowed to have relationships without
Conqueror's approval. Something about seeing the
children together had tugged at her soul.
Oh well, I'm not a people's expert.
Combo said. Singing built the air inside the
bright, bizarre like atmosphere. A woman dressed as a Samudai
Johnson sung on stage around vendor carts and stalls Nearby.
A man held a pair of scissors in the air, shouting get your hair
cuts here, ponytails half off intestines played with blow
darts at booths trying to hit a circle on a piece of parchment.
Grass huts and a mainstage crafter from Bamboos had signs
above them such as large birds, swallows, hot coals here, or
it's a real camel. One coin from carts and booths,
Workers and tattered clothes took down sides and put away
items such as handmade dolls and painted pieces of wood with
characters on them. Oniku Saku pointed to a sign in
the far end of the stage, lit in a very dark blue Lantern light.
She lowered her head and made her way across the misimono
through the crowds, bypassing the stage, trying to hide behind
the huts as much as she could. To her dismay, the only kupus
had a rope with the sign attached closed.
You want to buy a doll? Heard a deep voice behind her.
She turned and grabbed the skull in her pocket.
The sword swung against her arm as she did.
Whoa, now, The voice said. The towering man came to stand
in front of Saku with this large, bulging muscles.
He had a very pronounced forehead and two large bombs
that almost look like horns. We don't need violence here.
Oh. She pulled the sword off her
shoulder and held the handle so it pointed downward.
I'm not attacking anyone. You scared me.
Scare you? You are the one who came here
with the weapon. You shouldn't have even been let
in. I don't know who you are, she
said. He's Onichan, the skull said in
a high pitched voice. I am Onichan, he said, not
hearing the skull or not responding to it.
If he did, we are closing as soon as performance is finished.
We open tomorrow. It's half price for you little
ones. He's squinted at Saku.
He observed her for a moment before looking to her pockets.
Little one, I'm an adult. I'm looking for Ayashi.
He took something from me, she said.
Sure you are. He winked.
I know nothing of any Ayashi or any of the other words that came
out of your mouth. Have a good night.
He looked again to Saku's pocket.
He looked in amazement. Hello.
My face is up here, Saku said. You are one of the scholars,
aren't you? He said I am from Fukui.
He said. You know you just called me a
slur, right? Hard R and everything.
Forgive me, he said. I'm from the old generation.
Why are you here? I'm guessing it's not to see the
camel. I need to get a bag back from a
ronin named Ayashi before someone finds out I'm here
without the region's goods. Also, I hear there's another
here who has pockets who might be able to help with an issue
I'm having. I'm glad you're saying this out
in the open, Saku. So everyone knows you're here.
Good thinking, Amosid from the pocket, Oni Chen looked down in
disappointment. The show is over.
Go home. No, I demand to see Oni Ku, Saku
said. He looked at her blankly.
No, you do not understand. You can't be here.
She squinted her eyes. A little girl told me you were
selling flowers that were once grown in my village.
Someone here knows something about them.
Unless you are scamming people by selling fake flowers.
He raised his hands in defense. Hey, now I'm trying to help you
out. They are fake.
Don't accuse me of selling those flowers.
They have by the castle, if that's what you are.
Meaning anything we sell is purely symbolic and not the
flower itself. Do you know what the punishment
is for getting caught with one of those things?
Show me what you were selling then, she said, not knowing what
the flowers look like. I'm not going to do that.
He sighed. I tried.
Leave now or I'm calling Kappa over here to have you removed.
Taku turned to the last remaining people, slowly making
their way out of the carnival. She cupped her hands around her
mouth and shouted as loud as she could.
Fraud. That's not a real camel.
That's a mountain whale in disguise.
You have no proof. Stop spreading lies.
He tried to step out in front of her, but she went on.
Who needs proof? I can yell whatever I want, she
said. That Lord Yotaku want your head.
Should you be shouting? Combo said Only chance.
All people starting to notice the commotion.
The large man gently pushed Saku aside and cut his hand over her
ear and whispered. You are letting everyone know
you are here. You know you are wanted.
I will keep shouting until I get what I want, she said.
Only Chan frowned and addressed the remaining crowd.
Good night everyone. See you tomorrow.
You winked and smiled. He turned back to Saku.
I was afraid this day would come.
I will take you the only coup, but I think it might be a waste
of time. I feel you're going to insist.
Pretty much, yeah, Saku said. Follow me.
He motioned with his hand towards a large building.
Across the way, the candles released a faint sweet smell
that lingered in the Hut. There was an opening that led
into what had been a stable, but now served as the storage room
for Peach baby dolls for Momotato's long last relative.
Saku felt herself ripping at the sword.
Onichan appeared from behind a giant water barrel, now wearing
a black cloak with a large hood. Oniku is not here, he said.
But I am going to perform to you the very act she gives knightly.
His voice came out sheepish, Saku thought.
He looked embarrassed. He picked up a fake skull and
began to speak to it. Well, hello there, Jazz Otto.
His voice rose to that of a convincing woman.
He used to skull like a puppet. He spoke in a weird accent that
made the puppet seem very unsophisticated.
Golly, Madam Oniku. I done hadn't seen you all day.
You done drunk some tea, didn't you?
Miss Oniku, that's the only time you talk back.
I always drink my gravy tea. Right before Saku cursed loudly
and stuck out her hand. That's enough.
Tony Chan stopped, still holding the skull in mid sentence.
Is that what everyone thinks we are?
She said. We work so hard for you and
that's it. You make fun of us for something
most of us have been done in 100 years.
Tony Chan looked down. That's only what they have been
told about you. I do not mean to be offensive.
I do this act to make a living. Nothing more.
Soku fought back tears, thinking of all the long days and extra
nights she had put in to ensure that shipments could be made in
time. You knowingly made fun of my
people for profit. That's disgusting.
She turned away and looked down to the floor, watching the
shadows from the Peach baby dolls.
Oni Chan put down his skull. I never thought of it that way.
I'm here to make a living. Sometimes that hurt others.
So yes, the flowers we sell are fake.
I've never seen a real pocket person who was partaken of the
flower tea. They do not exist.
I need to find a Yashi. I need to get it back and
delivered to you Lord Yataku, before they do something to me
or Mibu, she said. Onichan put his hand on his chin
and thought. I still do not know any Ayashis,
but look for the Makiyako in the Orchid district.
The commanders who patrol the city will be gathered there out
eating after their shifts. If there is a road in here, one
of them will know, I will retire the Oniku Act.
A woman with scales for skin poked her head to the door,
panting. Lord Yataku is here.
Someone saw the scholar yelling during the show.
What do we? The lady spotted Saku and
cleared her throat. I mean school person.
Get out of here, Tony Chen said sternly, pointing to the back of
the Hut. Push aside the wall before he
finds you. Moments after crawling through
the secret opening, she heard someone burst into the Hut,
followed by a hand smack. The voice rang out loud and
angry. Where is she?
It said. Someone must have been mistaken,
Soku heard Oni Chan say. There is no something or
someone. Struck Oni Chan hard, over and
over, grunted out in pain, gasping, spitting.
Bring this hideous liar to the castle, he said, seemingly to
others who had entered the room. Saku felt a hand on her
shoulders. She jumped this way, the man
with the straw hat said. When Saku left that night,
creeping past royal guards who surrounded the Misimono, she's
left with an Oni Chan doll and a mermaid handbag that had been
given to her on the way out by the man who took her admission.
They made their way into the night towards the Market
district, and Oni Chan really went all out for you.
I wouldn't get beat up for you, Camo said.
And by the way, I thought the ACT was pretty funny.
Saku, despite how she felt, didn't fling the skull into the
sky in the middle of the night, but did give it a whack on the
top of its head with her index finger.
The shops had closed for the night on the streets, and only a
few lanterns were lit. Because of this, a vast array of
stars hovered above Saku. She stared at them, as she often
did, when it was clear and wondered.
I thought I'd find help here. There is no help.
I'm on my own and I cannot fail. I'm going to find a way to free
only Chan. I won't allow anyone else to get
hurt because of me. I mean, I got us here, Como
said. I'd call that helping.
Yes, I told you to tell the decklings who you were, so I did
mess up. But you had a shouting match
that let everyone know where we were, so maybe we should call it
even. Saku found herself smiling at
this. OK, I'll admit.
Maybe I'm not crazy. Maybe you are real.
Saku found herself smiling at this.
She wiped it off her face as soon as she heard screaming.
She looked to see where the noise was coming from.
Isn't that where we're going on the last?
She kept walking towards screams, her pace quickened.