“Patience.” Jinsen murmured, like a mantra.

Kimberley was beginning to hate that word.

“You’re posture is tense,” he continued, “remember, the first Kata is about concentration. Tension pulls on both sides of your will, and so to concentrate, you must relax.” Kimberley took a deep breath at his instructions, though she felt burning frustration settle itself in her chest. At the moment, both of her hands were extended in front of her, thumb and forefingers creating a triangle as Jinsen has shown her. Her right foot was planted squarely before her, knee slightly bent, and her other leg was keeping her balance. She was halfway through the exercise - Kata, she mentally corrected herself - and exhaled as she moved to complete it.

Her hands broke the triangle, and circled over one another as she brought her arms towards her chest. Careful to keep her hands together, she stepped back so both her feet were even, and returned to the Kata’s starting position, with both hands over her left hip.

Jinsen shook his head. With great effort, Kimberley kept her face smooth.

“Here.” He pointed at her shoulders. “Here.” Her elbows. “Here, here, and here.” Knees, wrists, and… neck? What was she supposed to do with her neck? “You must will your muscles into cooperation, Kimberley. You must relax.”

“I am relaxed!” She snapped bitterly, then clamped her mouth shut at Jinsen’s mild look. She spun around, face heating in shame and frustration.

Jinsen placed a cool hand on her shoulder.

“...Perhaps we should move on to discussions.” He suggested, and Kimberley just sighed, and nodded. Jinsen excused himself to prepare an area for them to sit, and Kimberley was left in relative privacy as she stewed in her thoughts.

This was how most of her training had gone thus far - poorly. The Eightfold Lotus was a remarkably patient man, which… did not exactly surprise her, but she had been expecting someone with a little more of a temper.

But then, up until this point, she had only ever heard about him from other people.

After Jinsen had agreed to teach her, he had brought her immediately to Kamigawa. When she asked him why, she did not receive an answer. Instead, after their first day in each other’s company, he had sat Kimberley down and began what he would later call their “discussions”. Mostly, this consisted of Jinsen talking about the philosophy behind the Eightfold Lotus. That first day, however, Jinsen had explained to her that there was no reason, really, that they were on Kamigawa. That looking for reasons in all the circumstances of your life would lead to an insular and selfish outlook. Events, he had told her, do not happen just to, or because of, you. They happen to everyone.

And oftentimes, there is no reason that these things happen.

Kimberley lay awake thinking about the implications of that most of the following night.

The following morning, Jinsen had introduced her to the first Kata of the Eightfold Lotus. A month later, and she was still struggling to master it. She was not used to not perfecting something immediately, and it bruised her ego every time Jinsen corrected her - which was often. He assured her that her progress was admirable, but mastery would not come quickly, or even soon.

After that, her days consisted of attempting to master the first Kata, discussing philosophy with Jinsen, and nonsensical - if rigorous - exercise. Once, Jinsen had simply pointed in a direction and told her to walk until she spotted thirteen birds. In the sparsely wooded northern plains of Eiganjo, birds were few and far between. It had been many hours before she returned, tired, hungry, and with sore feet.

But she had been prepared for this. For the training, and lectures. She had been prepared to learn. She had been prepared for it to take months - years, even. Because, she was beginning to realize, it would.

She had not been prepared, though, to discover how incompetent Jinsen was about managing himself.

The Eightfold Lotus owned only his blade and the loose, silk clothes on his back. He dismantled, cleaned, and polished his blade daily - with a spell, she assumed. Three times a week, he bathed and washed his clothes. Twice a week, he shaved his head - again, with a spell. He had no food, no money, and no other worldly possessions. If they had not camped by a river, Kimberley was certain he would have died of thirst. He most definitely would have died of hunger if not for her frequent forays into the nearby settlement of Kymoko.

And really, that whole situation was beginning to become a sore point for her, because she had almost gone through what little she had been able to save in her long search for the Eightfold Lotus in the first place. She was growing concerned that soon they would be forced to hunt for food (a fact that disturbed Kimberley, since she was unsure how the native Kami would react) but when she brought her concerns to Jinsen, he had merely commended her for her foresight, and told her not to worry.

And so, here she was. Frustrated with herself for learning so slowly, and frustrated with Jinsen for not taking basic survival very seriously at all. It was probably all well and good for the legendary Eightfold Lotus, but Kimberley Talon could not be sustained off of starlight and crisp, autumn air!

Not to mention after a month sleeping on a bedroll, surrounded by miles of grassland, she longed for a soft bed and a warm bath. Instead, she could only look forward to gritting her teeth every night and fighting the ever present ache in her muscles.

For his part, Jinsen slept sitting up. That, or he did not sleep at all. It was difficult to tell.

And for all her searching, and listening to stories, there were still many things about the Eightfold Lotus that she did not know.

“Kimberley.” Jinsen spoke from a ways behind her, and she found that he had folded their bedrolls into rough sitting mats. He was already seated, and motioned for her to do the same, directly across from him. With a tiny sigh, she obeyed.

As she sat, she saw Jinsen had his eyes closed, and his blade across his lap. He sat cross-legged, but Kimberley had always found folding her legs beneath herself to be a more comfortable sitting position. As she joined him, he lifted his blade - and really, it was an enormous thing, nearly half as tall as he was - and placed it on the ground in front of him.

“Do you know the history of my katana?” He asked, opening his eyes to regard her solemnly.

Kimberley shook her head.

“Neither do I.” He murmured, and closed his eyes once more with a sigh. Kimberley blinked. That was… odd. “You are upset.” He stated. For a moment, Kimberley was unsure how to respond, but because Jinsen said nothing else, she knew she must.

“...Yes.”

“What do you plan to do about it?” He asked, and she felt a flare of irritation in her gut. Do about it? Nothing, of course! She resisted the urge to snap again - patience, Jinsen had said. Patience. Why was he asking this question? Was it a test?

“I’m… not sure.” She replied honestly, if reluctantly.

“Anger and frustration are natural, Kimberley. But, like most natural things, serve only to inhibit our personal and spiritual growth. If you become frustrated, you become impatient. If you become impatient, you become tense. If you become tense-”

“I cannot concentrate.” She muttered, not proud of how bitter it sounded. She pointedly looked away from Jinsen, and so did not see his reaction. After a short silence he continued.

“...Yes. Kimberley… what is it you seek to accomplish as my student?” At the question, she looked back over at the Eightfold Lotus mulishly. It was not a difficult question but… He was watching her expectantly. It was something he often did - ask probing questions, and then accept the answer at face value without providing any context or feedback. She refused, however, to ask ‘why’, because she was not so keen on pleading her ignorance.

So instead, she simply answered and they both sat in a silence of feigned mutual understanding for a few moments. Kimberley did not know if Jinsen was aware of this. She hoped not, but there was nothing to do now but answer him.

“...I want to be able to defend myself,” she said.

‘I don’t want to be a victim again,’ she did not say.

Kimberley thought that Jinsen was simply going to nod and accept the answer, but instead, he surprised her by sighing resignedly.

“Kimberley. The path of the Eightfold Lotus is a long and tiring one. There will be truths you do not wish to accept. There will be lessons about yourself that you will not want to learn, but you must. The principles and Katas of the Eightfold Lotus teach you patience, concentration, understanding, empathy… Being able to defend yourself, and others, is but a product of these teachings and nothing more. Enlightenment through physical means. This… will take time.”

Kimberley looked away sullenly. She knew that! She knew that, she just… did not want to fail in front of him. Instead of saying this, she remained silent. Jinsen did the same, but he could feel his eyes on her. It was a slow and steady pressure, and eventually she was forced to glance at him.

He smiled.

“You have much potential, Kimberley Talon.” He stood, a smooth and swift motion that Kimberley could not track. “We are low on food, and it is only before noon - perhaps you would like to go to Kymoko and barter with the villagers?” Kimberley paused as she stood up, dusting off her trousers. Jinsen was not usually so interested in their supplies. At all.

“...I can do that.” Kimberley told him, and he nodded agreeably.

“Very good. I wish to meditate, so I will await your return.” With that, he turned around, and put his hand on his katana, and began moving seamlessly through the eight Katas that he had originally shown Kimberley. She knew a dismissal when she saw one, so she gritted her teeth, snatched up her knapsack, and stalked away from the Eightfold Lotus.

Their camp was about six miles outside of the village of Kymoko, though she usually made pretty good time and arrived an hour or so after leaving. She planned to spend the entire trip brooding over Jinsen’s unreasonable - if only perceived - expectations, but she burnt out all of her frustration in about ten minutes. It was unfair to blame Jinsen for her inability to adapt quickly to his exercises. She had no background in martial training, so it was bound to be difficult. She did not really think Jinsen was judging her too harshly, and well… he believed in her. That meant something, at least.

Her plan to brood thus derailed by common sense, she opted instead to decide how best to get the most mileage out of what little coin she had on her person. From her last visit to Kymoko, she remembered she had only a handful of coins left. Enough to buy a basket of bread, a few vegetables, and some jerky, but then she would be flat broke and that did not bode well for their continued existence at the camp. Housework for a shopkeep was an option in order to pay her way, but she was not keen on spending much time away from Jinsen, should he find some way to better her training while he meditated.

Of course, she could always steal something.

Jinsen would not approve, but it was not as though he needed to know. She very much doubted he had ever entered Kymoko himself, and had reliably declined any offer of hers to visit the village. He had lived the life as an ascetic wanderer for so long, Kimberley was uncertain whether or not he knew how to act in a community environment. Jinsen’s lack of social skills notwithstanding, if he did find out she had been out stealing, she was certain the Eightfold Lotus may cease training her on principle.

Which was a notion that plagued the more insecure parts of her mind. She refused to think about it.

She knew a bit of magic to make herself more charming, but that also fell into an area of moral suspicion that tainted her resolve with guilt. She had always been, ah, apt at convincing others to give her trinkets and foodstuff, but finding Jinsen had been like putting the past behind her. She had spent seven years searching for the Eightfold Lotus, convinced that the means would be worth the end. She had done a few things she was not too proud of (the thought of Lorwyn fae still caused her to wince) but now that she was officially Jinsen’s pupil, she could change. Become something more than a searching trickster and vagabond.

Or so she hoped. The insecure parts of her mind reminded her of her father, and how she would never really escape his shadow.

She had never thought a dead man’s shadow could cast so long.

Abruptly, as Kimberley had lost herself in her personal musing, she found herself on the dirt road in front of Kymoko. Well. The time to ruminate had passed, and she needed to disguise herself before she got much closer. Kimberley shook herself, placed a slightly bemused smile on her face, changed her hair from brown to black, and wandered into Kymoko.

This was one of her particularly favorite personalities. People did not expect to be conned or robbed by a vapid traveling girl, and though she had no plans to con or rob anyone today, it was best to take precautions and hide her identity. Being able to blame it (whatever “it” happened to be) on a nonexistent stranger was always preferable to being caught, and she found that the best disguises were ones that used expression and wordplay rather than powders and wigs.

She blushed and giggled as she passed a rather handsome samurai, who was standing at the edge of town watching for travelers. He was bald - or shaved, more likely - with a strong, if narrow, jaw and high cheekbones. He smiled slightly and waved to her, but they did not exchange words. Consistency was important. She had passed the same samurai, and used this disguise, on all of her visits. Better safe than sorry.

Kymoko was a farming community, though the vast majority of tractable land was south of the village proper. The village had sprung up next to the same river that Jinsen and Kimberley had settled beside six miles north, and was a bustling center of travel for anyone heading north.

They had avoided the village on the way here by way of the Blind Eternities.

Presently, Kimberley weaved through the light crowd, exchanging hooded glances with pretty and plain boys alike, turning her nose up at a few of the girls, and bowing demurely to any elder she crossed. They knew a stranger when they saw one, of course, but at least she could be counted on to act like a typical stranger.

She headed for the grocer, which, while perhaps not as direct as it would be if she headed to the market a few block away, was entirely more convenient. And cheaper. As she entered the shop, she caught the eye of Madame Joshi, the older woman who owned the place, and nodded pleasantly. Joshi nodded back, but was in the middle of haggling with a customer and so Kimberley went about inspecting the wares.

Most of what Joshi sold was what could be easily preserved. Many things were pickled or salted, though she also had an assortment of sweet jams and dried fruits. Day old bread that the bakery across the street had not sold usually wound up here, wrapped in paper. There was also, of course, rice. Barrels upon barrels of rice. It was cheap, it was filling, and it was not difficult to get creative with.

Kimberley was sick of rice.

As she walked around the shop, inspecting the variety of goods and enjoying the calming scent of preserved foods, Joshi finished talking the customer down. The customer, a red-faced man who appeared perpetually displeased, stalked off with his newly bought wares, the bell above the door ringing as he left. Kimberley approached the counter as Joshi rolled her eyes.

“Never satisfied, that one, eh?’ The older woman shook her head, a stray hair pulling free of her tight bun, and then smiled sweetly. “Been a bit, Kimi. What can I get for you, dumpling?” Kimberley put her elbows on the counter and grinned.

“Won’t you believe it, he wants more rice!” She exclaimed with an eye roll. “Rice, rice, rice! He never eats anything else. Why, the preserves you gave me last time would have gone untouched if I hadn’t dipped into them!” Joshi snorted at “Kimi’s” lamentations, and was already moving to scoop rice into a burlap sack.

“This researcher friend of yours sounds picky – or lazy. What’s so interesting about this river Kami he’s found?”

“I don’t know! I’ve never seen it.” She shrugged, and then glanced around conspiratorially. “I think he’s making it up.”

“Oh, do you?” Joshi chided, pouring rice into the sack. She raised a knowing eyebrow at Kimberley. “Why, to spend time with a pretty young thing like you?” Kimberley blushed and waved a hand at the older woman.

“Oh, stop that! I've known him since I was little, we’re just friends.” Kimberley giggled, and the older woman sniffed.

“Well, any honorable young man would fetch the supplies himself.” She said firmly.

“He’s got a bad knee, I've told you, Madame Joshi. That’s why I’m out here helping him. He’d be lost without me.”

Joshi huffed, but there was a smile in her eyes as she placed the burlap sack on the counter.

“Well, here’s enough rice to feed your wayward scholar and then a little extra, dumpling. The usual, if you’d please.” Kimberley thought for a moment about charming the older woman and trying to talk her down, but… well, there was no need and Madame Joshi had already been more than accommodating. It was not worth the guilt, she decided, and paid the full price.

The bell above the door rang as another customer – a kitsune – walked in. Kimberley smiled to Madame Joshi and bid her goodbye as the kitsune approached and began explaining, in great detail, why he needed several bundles of dried leeks immediately. Kimberley was about to walk out of the store when something on the back shelf, next to the exit, caught her eye. There were two candied apples, dipped in caramelized sugar and drizzled with strawberry syrup.

Gods, it had been an eternity since she had eaten anything sweet.

She glanced surreptitiously at Madame Joshi and the fox, who were both too engaged in their discussion on the relative prices of leeks to pay her any mind. Kimberley looked back to the apples, and bit her lip. Today had been long and difficult, and she had been at this for a while, so… well, surely she deserved something for all that hard work! She counted out her remaining coins, and was dismayed to find she did not have enough for even one of the apples.

She glanced at Madame Joshi again, then back to the apple, and walked out of the shop.

Or at least, that is what Madame Joshi saw.

In reality, Kimberley had cast a rather basic illusion to cover her apple theft, and was clear into the streets before anyone was the wiser. Her prize thus secured in her bag, she quashed any guilt she may be feeling and instead thought about how delicious the candied apple would be on her trek back to the camp.

Such was the extent of her denial that she did not notice the tiny, one-eyed hopping creature that followed her on the rooftops as she made for the edge of town. In fact, she was certain nothing was wrong until the samurai, who had waved at her on the way in, stopped her on the way out.

“A moment, miss.” He asked, one hand on his blade as he stepped in front of her. Kimberley made a surprised, if innocent, face even as the pit fell out of her stomach. She noticed, now, the one-eyed, two legged creature that was perched upon the samurai’s shoulder, whispering into his ear.

The Kami, as she recognized it, never removed the single, unblinking eye that it had from her. “Have you stolen something?” The samurai demanded, all traces of geniality gone. Kimberley hesitated. On the one hand, she had been caught. When the samurai searched her bag, the apple would be found and corroborate whatever story the Kami had told him. She would be detained for a day (which she knew was the thieves punishment) and be forced to return what she stole and pay for or work off the difference.

Jinsen would doubtlessly come looking for her, and when he learned of her petty theft, would discharge her from his presence.

…On the other hand, freedom was a scant few feet away.

“Well, I- I-” Kimberley stammered, and then vanished before the samurai’s eyes. It was a momentary thing – immediately, she was behind him and running, but as soon as she disappeared the Kami squawked and the samurai drew his blade.

“Stop!” The samurai called after her, but she had no intention of doing so. She needed to distract him, somehow, maybe use the illusory double switch to get him off her trail-

The one-eyed Kami popped into existence in front of her and shrieked. Startled, Kimberley skidded to a halt, and then tripped.

She landed hard on her knees, though she knew the samurai was gaining on her so she hopped back to her feet and – gods, that thing was still shrieking. She kicked the creature out of the way, and continued running with her knees protesting in pain.

Vaguely, she heard the sound of something whip through the air behind her, and for the second time in as many moments, Kimberley was tripped as something wrapped around her waist and pulled.

She probably bruised her tailbone.

The samurai trotted up to her, and sheathed his blade.

“You shouldn’t have run.” He commented tersely.

Yeah, she was beginning to understand that.

“What is your name?” He demanded as he grabbed her roughly by the arm and hoisted her to her feet. The whip – or whatever it was – was detached from around her waist. She tested the samurai’s grip on her arm, but it was like iron and had almost no give. She gave up any hopes of breaking free, then, and decided to cooperate.

“Kimi.” She told him. Well. Mostly cooperate anyway.

“What did you take?”

“An apple.”

He jerked hard on her arm, and she hissed in pain.

“A candied apple.” She elaborated. The samurai was silent, and then tugged on her arm more gently as he dragged her back to Kymoko – after confiscating her knapsack.

“I’m taking you to Kymoko, thief. It will decide what is done with you.” Kimberley opened her mouth to point out what was wrong with that statement, but decided she did not want to worsen her predicament. Instead, she opted to remain sullenly silent, seething at her inability to escape a single armed guard and his stupid pet.

She pointedly did not think about the Eightfold Lotus, and what he would do as soon as he realized what she had done.

***

Kymoko, as it turned out, was a person that the village of Kymoko was named after. Or more accurately, a spirit.

After being taken back into the village of Kymoko and paraded through the streets like the common criminal that she, regrettably, was, she was brought to a small but spacious shrine. It was made of white marble, and though it was small, it was grand in workmanship. It consisted of a dome and several high up, glassless windows that Kimberley could not see through. She had seen the building before, but had never opted to visit or enter it. Two priests, one old and one much younger, flanked the cloth-covered entrance of the shrine. As the samurai approached, they bowed their heads respectfully - though the young one was a tad late.

The samurai stopped in front of the shrine entrance, and let go of Kimberley.

“Kymoko must pass judgement on this one.” The samurai informed the priests, who exchanged glances.

“We shall witness the judgment,” one spoke.

“We shall hear of the sentence,” spoke the other.

The samurai nodded, and pushed Kimberley forward. He held on to her knapsack, however.

“Kymoko awaits.” He told her sternly. Kimberley rubbed at her sore arm, grimaced, and walked into the shrine. The two priests followed.

Several large eyeballs greeted her, staring, and she stopped in shock.

The inside of the shrine was mostly empty, besides several scrolls of calligraphy that hung from the walls and sticks of burning incense. Light filtered from the glassless windows, though it was muted and filled with tiny wisps of smoke. The incense was sharp and pungent. These things, however, were mundane compared to what floated in the center.

It was a many-armed creature, each arm draped in a long, silken cloth. The cloth itself was painted with nonsensical, red symbols that Kimberley did not know the purpose of. Each arm ended in a hand, above each of which floated a single, lidless eyeball. The arms sprang forth from a floating ball of light, and though the arms seemed to move at random, they constantly maintained an odd symmetry that Kimberley found mesmerizing. As Kimberley watched, a single Kami - the one that had ratted her out - hopped down from one of the tall windows, and began swaying.

Then, It vanished with a pop.

She decided it was safe to say that she was very confused.

“There will be no lies here.” A voice spoke, a sound like chimes filled with sunlight, and it was followed by the rush of a thousand more whispering voices, repeating what it had said. The voices were barely audible, and as Kimberley opened her mouth to explain that she had not actually said anything, the eyes, which had been looking around in random directions, all whirled on her.

Her mouth snapped shut with an audible click.

Then, she felt the illusion over her hair peel off like a poor wig.

“State your name.” The Kami - Kymoko - chimed, and the rushing whispers followed. She glanced at the priests on either side of her, but their heads were bowed.

She opened her mouth.

“There will be no lies here.” Kymoko insisted again. The whispers, if it were possible, seemed to multiply and crash over her like a wave.

“...Kimberley Talon.” She answered, finally.

The eyes never left her person.

“You are guilty of theft of mortal property. Of attempting to evade justice. And of attacking I, Kymoko the Watchful.” The whispers ebbed and rose with each accusation. Kimberley was aghast.

“I never attacked you!” She protested.

“There will be no lies here!” The din as all the voices shouted at once was tremendous, and Kimberley was forced to duck and cover her ears. As she looked up once more in the ringing silence, several of the floating eyes had detached from their position above the upturned hands, and created a square in front of her. “Observe, as I have observed.”

A vision appeared between the four eyes. She recognized herself, standing up after having been startled by that little Kami… Oh.

She kicked it aside, and was presently apprehended by the samurai.

The vision ceased, and the eyes returned to Kymoko.

“...Sorry about that.” Kimberley offered. Really, if she had known the eyeball thing was going to be part of some imperious spirit-judge, she probably would not have kicked it. Kymoko responded as though it had not heard her.

“For the crime of theft, you shall be detained. For the crime of attempting to evade justice, you shall be detained until such a time that Eijo, eleventh of the Pact, deems it fit to free you. For the crime of attacking I, Kymoko the Watchful…” There was a chorus of suddenly contradictory whispers. Kymoko’s eyes looked in all directions, the arms shuddered, and then, there was silence. “...You shall be forgiven.”

The priests beside her shifted.

Kimberley bowed her head. It would be for the… best if she said nothing else, she thought.

“Is it witnessed?” Kymoko asked.

“It is witnessed,” replied one priest.

“Is it seen?” Kymoko asked.

“It is seen,” replied the other.

“So it shall be.” Kymoko’s voice trailed off, the whispers dying down, and the priests ushered her out of the shrine.

Kimberley blinked in the sunlight, despite the fact she had been staring at a Kami made of light and eyeballs.

“She shall be detained, until Lord Eijo declares her free.” She heard one of the priests address the samurai who had apprehended her, and he responded with a grunt. She felt the samurai grab her arm again.

“Come, thief. Let’s get you to a cell.”

“I have a name, you know!” She snapped, thoroughly unhappy and aggravated at being handled so roughly.

“I don’t care.”

“Well, you should at least treat me with a modicum of basic decency!” She shouted, not noticing the glances that both the priests exchanged. The samurai growled, and began dragging her away, but that was the last straw. She dug her heels in. The samurai rounded on her.

“I need not show decency to one who would strike an innocent spirit!” He hissed, and Kimberley blanched at the sudden anger that burned in his eyes. He had been hiding it well, but this was her chance - she needed to exploit his anger, somehow, to-

“Control your temper, my son.”

Neither Kimberley nor the samurai had noticed the old man approach them. Kimberley sighed in exasperation as the samurai stiffened and bowed, but only tightened his grip. Nothing, absolutely nothing, was working out today. She noticed the old man watching her mildly, so she defiantly watched him back.

It took a moment to realize that he was not, actually, looking at her - his eyes were milky white, like those of the permanently blind. He wore a short, white beard, though his head was bare. He was the sort of man who aged well, it seemed, because his back was straight despite the many years she could see on his face. Despite all this, he wore the raiment of an experienced, if retired, samurai. She had seen it on a few of the older men who frequented the inn.

“Father, I am on my way to deliver this thief-” The samurai began, and Kimberley, for once, noticed how young he was. Early twenties, maybe. He certainly carried himself like one who was far older. His father, so she gathered, interrupted him.

“Unhand the young woman, my son. Be on your way - it is not good for you to leave your post unattended for so long.” It was spoken mildly, but with all the weight of an order. There was no hesitation as the samurai immediately let go of Kimberley’s arm, and bowed.

“At once, father.” He murmured, and stalked away. No questions, not a word sideways - but she caught the pained anger on his face. The old man sighed.

“He’s an obedient, if temperamental young man.” The old man murmured, scratching his beard. His eyes flicked in her direction, though she was… relatively certain he could not see her. That was… uncanny. “Don’t run off now.”

She remained silent. Maybe she could escape his notice?

The old man waved to the priests behind her.

“Good afternoon, Ro. Nasin. How fares our guardian spirit?” Kimberley glance back at the priests, who both wore a bemused and concerned expression. The older priest murmured something unintelligible, though the young priest spoke up.

“Kymoko is in a… fine mood, Lord Eijo.” He bowed, a little awkwardly. “Blessings upon you, Lord Eijo.” The old man chuckled.

“Thank you, Ro. If you’ll excuse me, I should really be taking this young woman away now.” And then, he offered Kimberley his arm.

She looked between the priests, still concerned, and the congenial smile of the old man. There was an ominous moment where she could not decide if the priests were more concerned about what she would do, or if they were more concerned about what this Lord Eijo would do.

She took Eijo’s arm.

“Very good. Thank you, Miss Talon.”

And she was led away.

***

Lord Eijo was good for a great deal of conversation. It was just that none of it was important.

As he led her to their destination - wherever that may be - he nattered on about crops, priests, the shabby state of that roof over there, and wouldn’t you know it, I think the well has sprung a leak, I should really get so-and-so to fix it… Needless to say she could not get a word in edgewise, or get any questions answered. Not once, however, did she dare attempt to escape. If what Kymoko had said was true, she was going to be imprisoned until this man deemed it punishment enough.

She would rather stay in his good graces.

So instead of asking him any questions, she discussed the matter with herself.

Kymoko the Watchful appeared to be the guardian Kami of this village. She had, perhaps, misinterpreted the phrase “the Village of Kymoko”. The Kami had also mentioned some sort of pact, a pact that Eijo was the eleventh bearer of. So, in exchange for whatever services Kymoko performed for this village, Eijo had given up… his sight? But he had already known Kimberley was here, and what Kymoko’s verdict was - even his son had not known that, and he had been right outside the shrine! Perhaps he was also in communion with Kymoko. That was the only thing that made sense.

And maybe Eijo could see out of Kymoko’s many eyes as well.

Admittedly, she had seen stranger things.

Eijo halted, and Kimberley realized that he had ceased talking a few minutes ago. She looked around, if only to hide her surprise. They stood in front of a large stone building. There were… bars on the windows. Kimberley glanced at Eijo nervously, and he gave her a sympathetic look.

“I’m sorry, but Kymoko’s sentence is absolute. I must keep you here for at least a day. After that, we’ll see how penitent you are.” Something about his somber expression, and the way his milky white eyes turned up at the corners made her think that there was some sort of… prank being pulled on her. She knew a thing or two about a good prank, however, and there was nothing remotely funny about being thrown into prison.

So instead, she stalled.

“Why did you come and get me?” She demanded. “Lord Eijo, right? Don’t you have better things to be doing?” She did her best to sound insolent and arrogant, but Eijo simply chuckled.

“I do as Kymoko wills, Kimberley Talon, and Kymoko does much in return. Kymoko wished that I oversee your detainment, and so I shall.” He nodded sagely, and she supposed, to him, that it made perfect sense. Kimberley removed her arm from Lord Eijo’s, and crossed both of hers sullenly.

“I don’t see why you can’t just let me go.” She pouted. Eijo snorted.

“Kimberley Talon.” He murmured, voice grave. “The punishment for attacking Kymoko is usually death.”

Kimberley froze, all pretense vanishing as the pit fell out of her stomach. Eijo regarded her evenly, and for the first time she noticed the milky whiteness of his eyes… moving. Shifting. “You have been offered a unique mercy - Kymoko is not usually so forgiving.” Then, the barest hints of a smile reappeared on his face. “Even if you’re ‘sorry about that.’”

Kimberley laughed nervously.

“...I suppose that was why your son was so upset with me?” She prompted, and Eijo hummed in agreement.

“Is there anyone you wish us to contact about your predicament?” Eijo asked, changing the subject neatly. And now… Yeah, and now Kimberley had to deal with what she had been pointedly not thinking about ever since she had been caught. The apprehension must have shown on her face, because Eijo sighed. “...It would be better that they got the news sooner, rather than coming to town and finding you have been imprisoned.” He coughed. “Whoever they are.”

He was right, of course, because it was the same thing that the reasonable part of her mind was telling her. But… She was not ready to face Jinsen. Especially after all his talk of enlightenment and empathy… and patience.

Kimberley shook her head.

Eijo paused… watching her, she assumed. Then, he held out his hand, beckoning her forward, towards what was to be her prison for an indeterminate amount of time. Kimberley took a deep breath, and, finally, resolved to face whatever was before her with dignity. As far as arrests and imprisonments went, after all, this had gone pretty smoothly. There had hardly even been any rope involved!

She was trying to stay positive.

It was sort of working.

She entered the building.

It appeared to be a single hallway, with four heavy doors on either side. At the moment, it was empty. In fact, it looked practically deserted.

“...Don’t get many people committing crime in a town with an all-seeing Kami, huh?” She pointed out, because, yeah, in hindsight that was pretty obvious. Eijo, having followed her inside, smiled ruefully.

“Most tend to know better, but yes.” He nodded down the hallway. “Here - I’ll let you pick.” Kimberley could not help but laugh, and simply walked up to the nearest door and opened it.

The room inside was simple, if small. It was at least large enough to pace in, and there would be plenty of sunlight from the two windows on the far wall. There was a padded mat in one corner, with a washbasin, and what she could only assume was a chamber pot in the other.

The mat actually looked like paradise compared to the bumpy ground she had been sleeping on for a month, but she did not mention that.

Lord Eijo pushed her gently, which caused her to lose balance and stumble into the cell. He promptly shut the door, and she heard the sound of it locking from the outside. Then, a small window slid open on the door. Kimberley glared at the old man.

“You’ll be fed three times a day, at sun up, noon, and sun down.” He informed her cheerily. “The guard on duty will also clean your chamber pot for you. Try not to make a mess.” Kimberley felt her cheeks heating in shame. If Eijo noticed, he chuckled anyway. “Of course, there’s no guard on duty at the moment - I’ll be sure to send someone by soon. Good afternoon, Miss Talon. I hope you enjoy our hospitality, for as long as it may last.” And with that, the slat closed, and Kimberley heard the footsteps as Lord Eijo exited the building.

She waited, completely still, for a few minutes more.

Right, now she just needed to find a way to break out of-

A chirping noise from her right caused her to whip her head around. She groaned as she saw a tiny Kami, like an eyeball with legs, perched upon the sill of one of the windows.

...She had had an easier time sneaking out of a Boros garrison undetected.

Resigned that this, apparently, was her fate for the foreseeable future, she removed her traveling boots and fell bodily onto the mat. This reminded her of her abused knees and bruised tailbone, however, and she groaned in pain as she hit the ground.

Gods… damn it all!

She punched the wall in anger, and was surprised when her fist did not come back covered in splinters or something equally stupid. That would be just her luck right now - she had ruined everything! All for a stupid apple, because she could not be bothered to go without a little pampering for… a few years! At most. Maybe.

Oh gods, what was she doing.

When she had been with Jinsen, she had been able to fight off the waves of uncertainty that hit her. Now, alone, she had no steadying presence to remind her what she was working towards. Instead, she had only herself and her insecure thoughts.

She would never master the Eightfold Lotus. She would never master anything! She would just be sort of alright, at everything, all her life - potently rare ability to hop between planes like an idiotic toad in a pond notwithstanding! All being able to planeswalk had done for her is lead her to Jinsen, which had, of course, turned out to a huge waste of time because she had failed him anyway!

Just like she failed at everything.

Her father had been right.

Quietly, curled up into the corner, stoically ignoring the little Kami that watched her inquisitively, Kimberley wept.

***

Kimberley woke in a cold sweat, dried tears on her face from some unremembered nightmare.

There was a knock at the door, and, her head still fuzzy from sleep, she called out… something that may have been a greeting. Her head hurt - gods what time was it? There was no light, so she assumed it was after sundown. Or maybe it was just sun down.

The door to the cell opened, and she sat up.

“Someone came looking for you.” Said the solemn voice. It was Lord Eijo. As his words registered, Kimberley was too busy fighting a growing lump in her throat to respond. Eijo approached, and she looked away from him. He set something down beside her. “A tall man, with a sword on his hip and skin white like the tips of the Sokenzan.” There was another sound, of metal against the wooden floor, and Eijo sighed.

Kimberley hiccoughed, trying to hide a wayward sob. She could feel Eijo watching her, blindness or no.

Eijo turned to leave, his footsteps echoing in the small room.

“What-” Kimberley choked. “What did he say?” She asked, almost begged. Eijo paused.

“He said ‘don’t forget to practice.’ Good night, Miss Talon.” And the door was shut, which left Kimberley in darkness. Well. Mostly darkness. Her eyes were adjusting to the moonlight.

...Practice?

It took her a moment, but then she remembered the Kata Jinsen had been working her through. He wanted her to practice that? Did that mean he was not going to abandon her?

She was sore all over and her head hurt. She did not feel like crying again, and so distracted herself trying to find what Eijo had placed on the ground. It felt like… a tray. And a glass of water. She greedily drank the water, then ran her fingers gingerly over what must be her meal. ...Rice.

Of course.

Kimberley laughed mirthlessly, and proceeded to eat. While she ate, she thought. Carefully, and in logical steps, so that she would not be overcome with grief once more.

If Jinsen had come to find her, he must have been worried.

If he was worried, he must care.

He had no reason to lie, or to deceive her. Neither did Eijo - she was already imprisoned. They had no reason to be malicious or cruel.

Kimberley took a deep breath.

Which meant that Jinsen wanted her to practice the Kata, and that Eijo had simply been delivering the message. There are no ulterior motives.

Kimberley exhaled.

Which meant, of course, that she should practice the Kata, and face Jinsen when she was released. Because there was no reason for him to tell her to practice if he was not going to be there when she got out.

...She wondered if he would visit.

She silenced her thoughts, and finished eating.

When she finished, she put the tray and cup off to one side, and eyed the washbasin that had, so far, gone untouched. It was completely dry. She wondered if whoever was going to bring her food in the morning would also bring her water to bathe with. Maybe that was too much to ask. So far, she had been treated with varying degrees of hospitality and hostility, but it had still been the most, ah, comfortable arrest she had ever experienced.

…Which was not important right now, and she should not be distracting herself with inanities. Kimberley stood, faced the window – pretended not to be dismayed that the Kami was still there, watching her – and began to stretch. Jinsen… insisted on stretching, every morning before exercise.

“It is important to make sure your body is willing to follow your mind,” He had said, and she could almost hear is soft, deep voice telling her so now. So, she stretched. After she felt sufficiently awake and limber (if entirely more sore), she took up the starting position of the first Kata. Hands together, over her left hip. Slowly, she went through the motions, trying to remember what Jinsen would say.

“Relax your shoulders.” She did so. “Breathe deeply, and focus. Will your body to move as you command it to. Do not allow it to disobey.” She completed the Kata, but had already caught herself making several mistakes.

“Again.” The Jinsen in her mind prompted.

She followed through with the Kata once more.

“Again.”

More mistakes.

Again.

She straightened her back.

Again.

She shifted her feet.

Again.

Again.

Again.

Kimberley started as bright moonlight struck her closed eyelids. She had lost track of time, practicing the Kata. The moon was now shining, bright, if only half-full, into her lonely cell. The Kami, conspicuously absent, was not there to cast a shadow over the soft glow. Kimberley sighed. That… would have to do for today. She would practice again in the morning – and hopefully, after that, be set free. Now, after the repetitive motions of the Kata, her body was in more pain than ever, though her head no longer hurt. She was exhausted.

She lay herself down on the mat to sleep, failing to notice that the Kami had returned. Her sleep that night was deep and dreamless.

Kimberley woke slowly in the morning, to the sound of someone pounding on the door of her cell. She sat up, blinking sleep from her eyes, and glared at the offending noise.

“Wake up, thief! Breakfast.” A stiff voice shouted from the other side of the door, and she stifled a groan. Lord Eijo’s son, apparently, had been assigned to her this morning. Fantastic.

“I’m awake!” She called irritably, and the pounding ceased. The door unlocked – really, either they were unused to having prisoners or they doubted her ability to overpower a single samurai – and it was, indeed, Lord Eijo’s son, with his grim frown on his too-young face. She wondered if he shaved his head because he wanted to, or because he had been told he must. He, of course, glared down at her, so she returned his gaze. “My name is Kimberley – if you could be bothered to learn it!”

Lord Eijo’s son snorted.

“You can’t be bothered to learn mine – why should I bother to learn yours, thief?” For a moment, she thought he was going to let the tray with her breakfast on it clatter to the floor, but instead, he stooped and set it on the ground. When he straightened, he gave her a hard look. “You’re an entitled ingrate, and a waste of my – and my father’s – time.” With that, he turned on his heel and walked out of the room. Kimberley stared after him in angry disbelief.

“You don’t know anything about me!” Kimberley screamed as the door closed, slamming her fist on the ground. She clenched her teeth, and breathed in deeply through her nose. Entitled ingrate…!

But it would do her no good to throw a tantrum now, so she slowly calmed herself down. She needed to eat, and then practice the Kata once more.

So, she did. Her breakfast was, like last night, rice and water. But they were feeding her, so that was something. When she finished, she stacked the tray and cup next to the other tray and cup – which Eijo’s son, she noticed, had failed to take with him when he so rudely left. Then, she began stretching, followed by a series of simple exercises Jinsen had taught her to perform if “you are ever in a small space, where there is not enough room to run.”

Remembering that, she wondered if Jinsen knew she was going to get arrested.

…Probably not.

One of the exercises involved pushing herself off the ground and clapping her hands together before her face hit the floor. It was sort of a ridiculous thing to be doing, but gods knew she needed the arm strength.

Sudden pounding on the cell door startled her, and caused her to actually hit her face on the floor. She hissed in pain and rolled on to her side – glad no one but the Kami had seen her do something so stupid – when none other than Eijo’s son was shouting at her from behind the door.

“What are you doing in there?” He shouted. Kimberley declined to respond, touching her forehead. She… was not bleeding. Well, good. She glared at the door, hoping her gaze would some how burrow through the wood and scorch the samurai on the other side. “Well, keep it down!” And she heard his footsteps stalk away – but not towards where she knew the exit was. Oh gods – had he been assigned to guard her?

Typical.

She supposed that this meant her chances of only being detained for a day were slim. Eijo probably would have declared her release this morning. That was disheartening, but… how long could they really keep her here on thievery charges? Besides, Jinsen… Jinsen was waiting for her to be released. This was something that was true.

It had to be.

She began practicing the Kata once more, not wanting to be shouted at by her samurai guard dog again. Today, it was easier to focus on what she was doing, but she still consistently made a misstep, or shifted her weight incorrectly. Something Jinsen had corrected a thousand times before. But he was not here to correct her now, so she had to correct herself. She knew the proper way to go about this – she just needed to… do it!

Again.

And again.

She took a break after about an hour to use the chamberpot, and looked around her small cell. There was… not much to do at all. She supposed, well… she could just… keep practicing? Eijo’s son had not said anything for a while, but she could sometimes hear him pacing in the hall. Striking up a conversation with that senseless jerk was out of the question, so… she continued to practice the Kata. Maybe if she mastered it by the time she was released, Jinsen would be less inclined to banish her from his presence.

She tried again.

“It is not a series of motions, but a single motion.” Jinsen had told her. “It is a process, not a puzzle. The pieces do not fit together, because there are no pieces. There is no beginning. There is no end. A single motion.”

A single motion.

She tried remembering how Jinsen moved. How he stood, how he sat. It always seemed to her that he did not take steps, but glided. With his sword drawn, he did not swing it, but became a ceaseless maelstrom of steel. No beginning. No end. A single motion.

Abruptly, it was noon and Eijo’s son was opening the door to her cell. She was halfway through the Kata, and he stopped in his tracks, glaring at her.

“What are you doing?” He snapped, and Kimberley scowled at him.

“Practicing.” She replied, folding her arms.

“Practicing what?”

“It’s called a Kata.” She told him bitingly, grinning. “I’m going to use it to break your nose.” The samurai snorted, cocking an eyebrow skeptically.

“Right, a Kata.” He mimicked derisively. “Who would even take you on as an apprentice, thief?” He was mocking her, and Kimberley felt her face heat in anger.

“I have the best master.” She told him petulantly. “I just haven’t been training for very long!”

“No one would waste their time training you.” The samurai said flatly as he set her lunch – more rice, big surprise – on the ground. This time, he actually gathered the dishes, and stepped beside her to fetch the chamber pot as well. Kimberley glance at the still unlocked door, and the samurai pointedly ignored her. It was a challenge, she could tell. Eijo’s son was daring her to escape.

She refused to give him the satisfaction.

“He isn’t wasting his time.” She informed the samurai as he carried the various containers towards the door. He seemed a little disgruntled that she had not made a break for it, so she took a bit of savage satisfaction in that.

“Who?” He asked, thinking he was calling her bluff. She saw the smugness on his face.

“The Eightfold Lotus.” She replied tauntingly. Really, this was a calculated bluff, because she had no reason to believe that Jinsen’s name had spread this far across Kamigawa. But as the color drained from the samurai’s face, Kimberley could not help but grin.

“You’re his student?” He demanded, suddenly furious. Kimberley blinked at the – in her mind – completely unfounded anger. She had expected begrudging respect, a little awe… maybe some fear. But no, he was livid. “You? You… You’re lying!”

And he stormed out of the room, and then, out of the jailhouse.

Kimberley stared at the still unlocked door, wondering what had just happened. She walked up to it, and tested it. It was… definitely not locked. Not that a lock was much of a problem. She glanced at the window, and sighed. There was a little eyeball Kami, staring at her. How far would she get…? Was it even worth it? Was Jinsen still in town?

…It would probably be better to just cut her losses and stay in the cell. Surely Eijo’s son would be returning soon.

She returned to the Kata, leaving the door shut.

It was not fifteen minutes later that Eijo’s son did, in fact, return, with Eijo in tow. She was aware of this before they ever reached the jailhouse, because Eijo was shouting.

“…left your post! If the door to her cell is not locked, I am going to see to it that…” Kimberley felt a flare of satisfaction at the sound of the samurai being scolded, and peered out the window at the approaching pair. Eijo had a look of unabashed fury on his face – strange for the kindly old man – and his son appeared… miserable. Kimberley frowned.

…Well, he had no right to shout at her and leave. It was his own fault. He deserved to be punished for his... mistakes.

Just like she had been.

Kimberley sighed, and then trotted up to the door and opened it before inspecting the lock. Sure enough, the keys were still in the door. She opened the slat from the outside, then closed the door and reached through the window for the keys. It was tricky, but she was able to get the lock turned and the keys onto the floor before Eijo and his son had entered the jailhouse – with Eijo still shouting. She retreated to her mat and lay down casually.

Eijo’s voice abruptly cut off, and there was a shuffling of feet and the jingle of keys.

“…Must’ve dropped them.” She heard the samurai murmur.

There was a beat of silence.

“Do not leave your post again without my express permission.” Eijo ordered. Another beat of silence. “And do not embarrass me in front of our honored guest. Am I understood?” Another beat of silence. “Good.”

The window on the door slid open, and Kimberley waved cheerily at Lord Eijo.

“Good afternoon, Miss Talon. Are you comfortable?” He asked, all the steel in his voice fleeing.

“Yes, thank you.” She replied.

“I’m afraid you’ll be here for some time yet.” He told her somberly. “It has been decided that you will be kept here for another week.”

Kimberley stifled a shocked and angry response, and nodded. A week. She could do a week. Jinsen… Jinsen would wait for a week. He had to.

“…Thank you for understanding, Miss Talon.” And the slat slid shut. Eijo chided his son one more time, imploring him to behave himself, and his footsteps echoed away.

Kimberley fought back another onset of tears, taking deep breaths. She thought about the Kata. About focus. About making her body do what she willed. But mostly, she did not think about Jinsen.

She was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Eijo’s son stood there sternly, carrying a fresh chamber pot. Kimberley glared at him, then looked away as he carried the pot over and set it in the corner. He did not say a word until he reached the door once more.

“…Thank you, Miss Talon.” He muttered, turned away, and Kimberley glanced over at him in surprise. “I apologize for shouting at you.” Then, without waiting for a reply he left and locked the door behind him. Kimberley snorted, and lay down on the mat.

She stared up at the ceiling until her thoughts took a turn for the worse, and she sprung up to practice the Kata some more.

That night, when Eijo’s son showed up with supper, he brought a bucketful of warm, lavender-scented water and a hand towel. He left her meal and the bucket without saying a word, and did not disturb her for the rest of the night.

Kimberley slept deeply that night, after washing up, and dreamt of practicing the first Kata in a field of lavender.

***

After that first day, Eijo’s son was more bearable to be around, though he was as resistant to conversation as ever. He did not bother Kimberley besides to drop off and pick up things from the cell, and was always polite, if curt, when he did so. It was a marked improvement, though she was… disappointed to lose something to direct her anger at.

Since now the only direction her frustration could go was towards herself.

She continued to practice the Kata. For hours, every day. There was just… nothing else to do. She knew she was doing something wrong – she could feel it. Her shoulders were always just slightly drooped, or her foot slightly misplaced, or her hands too shaky. She tried to focus, and often the hours seemed to slip away. She would lose track of time.

But there was always that flare of frustration, whenever it was not just right.

On her fourth day imprisoned, when Eijo’s son brought lunch, he paused to watch her go through the Kata one more time. Suddenly having an audience, however, caused Kimberley to lose her focus, and the she felt her shoulders tense before she could stop them. If the samurai had noticed her failure, he did not say anything, but she felt her face heat with shame anyway.

She turned and nodded at the samurai, trying to compose herself.

“…That’s a fairly simple Kata.” He remarked, without any malice in his voice. Kimberley frowned. This was the first time he had spoken to her since that first day.

“It’s been difficult to master.” She told him testily. The samurai ducked his head.

“I’m sure.” He murmured, again without malice. Kimberley sighed.

“Thank you for bringing me lunch.” She told him pointedly, looking at the tray. He cleared his throat, and set the tray down, then stepped to return to his post. Kimberley turned around – she would eat in a moment… just a few more tries…

“You’re a planeswalker, aren’t you?” The samurai asked, and Kimberley stiffened. “That’s why the Eightfold Lotus took you as an apprentice. You’re a planeswalker, like him.” Kimberley turned around slowly, and tried to piece together the motivation for this question from his face. Irritatingly, his face was calm, though his brows were furrowed in… thought, mostly.

“…I like to think that’s not the only reason.” She replied carefully. Again, he ducked his head.

“I didn’t mean to imply…” He began.

“It’s fine.” She told him quickly.

There was a long, awkward silence.

“So you could just…” He began slowly, with a vague, waving motion of his hand. “…Leave. Whenever you wanted. You don’t have to stay here. In prison, I mean.” Kimberley blinked.

Honestly, the thought of ‘walking away from Kamigawa, from Jinsen, had never occurred to her. But yes, she supposed she… could. She just did not have any desire to. There was nowhere else for her to go. She nodded at Eijo’s son.

“…But you won’t.” He confirmed, and if for no other reason than to remain mysterious, Kimberley stayed silent.

The samurai shifted his weight to either foot, and looked away.

“…I asked the Eightfold Lotus to teach me, once.” He told her. Well… that was interesting. So Jinsen had been to Kymoko before, and he had come back. She suddenly understood that there was a story here, and listened quietly as the samurai told it. “He said he could not. It was not because I would not make a fine student, he told me. It was because I could not follow him everywhere he went. That only someone who could walk the paths, walk the planes, that he had walked, would be able to truly study beneath him. There was… nothing I could do to convince him.”

He glanced at Kimberley, who simply nodded for him to continue. He placed a hand on his sheathed blade, and began pacing slowly.

“He saved my father, you know. Before I was born. An ogre blood-mage coveted Kymoko’s power, and when he attacked the spirit with vile Oni, my father also suffered, and would have surely died. The Eightfold Lotus slew the Oni, and then the blood-mage single-handedly. My father and Kymoko both owe the Eightfold Lotus their lives. I think... I think that’s why Kymoko spared you.” Here, he stopped and gave her a stern look. “Despite your transgressions.”

Kimberley rolled her eyes. “I thought we were past that!” She lamented, folding her arms.

“You should never harm the Kami, Miss Talon. They are benevolent unless provoked…” He coughed, and ducked his head, a blush creeping up his face. “…but you had no way of knowing, I suppose.”

“Just now catching that?” She muttered sarcastically, and the samurai frowned. “Look, I’m sorry you weren’t able to be taught by J- By the Eightfold Lotus, but there’s nothing I can do about that.” The samurai cocked his head.

“No, there is not – and I’m not asking you to. I was just… reminiscing, I suppose.” He sighed heavily. “…You should not squander such an opportunity, Miss Talon. You are a very fortunate.” That struck a nerve, and Kimberley looked away. There was silence, and she thought the samurai may have something else to say, but when she heard the tumbling of the lock, she looked up, and sighed.

It was not as though she was trying to squander this…

She just… was.

She fell into the Kata once more. She did not want to think right now.

***

The fifth day of her imprisonment was peaceful, though the intricacies of the first Kata continued to evade her. Eijo’s son continued to be prompt and polite, and, after their conversation, she found her rice being accompanied by a side of berries. It was a pleasant change from the bland grain, but when she tried to thank the samurai, he said nothing.

The sixth day, she was plagued by thoughts of Jinsen abandoning her, and attempted to beg some information from her samurai guardian. He assured her that the Eightfold Lotus was still in town, but said nothing else about it. She threw herself more fully into her practice, in order to escape her insecurities.

The seventh day filled her with nervous energy. Tomorrow she would be released – probably at sundown. She could not concentrate properly, and instead found herself chatting with Eijo’s son most of the day. She sat on one side of the door and talked about whatever came to mind, while he occasionally offered his insight, but usually just hummed to remind her he was listening. It was a surprisingly… endearing gesture from the samurai – even if it was just a distraction. After sundown, however, she began practicing the Kata once again.

On the morning of the eighth day of her imprisonment, no one came to bring her food.

When Kimberley awoke – with the sun, as she had gotten used to – she began her stretches and exercise like normal. No doubt Eijo’s son would be along shortly with breakfast. Except, when Kimberley ceased practicing an hour later, he had still not arrived. Her stomach growled, and she wondered what the hold up was. This was her last day – were they not going to feed her? Or were they late as they drafted up some sort of… writ of release?

Kimberley put the nagging doubts and fears out of her mind, and continued her exercise.

At noon, there was no lunch, and no sign of the samurai.

She felt fear and apprehension clawing at her empty stomach, but she forced it down. Everything was going to be fine, and if they did not appear with supper, she would simply… let herself out. She glared pointedly at the little Kami on the window – her only constant companion – and breathed in deeply.

She took the starting position of the first Kata, and began again.

Jinsen has forsaken you. She silenced the treacherous voice in her head as she brought her hands up and stepped forward.

You have failed. You always fail. Her hands spiraled around one another slowly, carefully, and she formed the triangle.

I have not failed. I can do this.

You are a waste of time! The echo of the samurai’s voice rang in her ears, and her stance faltered. She fought against the fear that gripped her heart – the fear of failure, of never being loved, of being a victim – she fought, and-

“Relax.” Jinsen murmured in her mind, voice soft and powerful. “Do not battle with yourself, conflict breeds frustration, frustration breeds tension, and…”

“…Tension destroys concentration.” She murmured to herself, and completed the Kata.

Perfectly.

Kimberley paused.

“Relax.” The Eightfold Lotus implored her.

She began the Kata again, another perfect repetition, and again, and again. The rhythm of the movement was in perfect time with the pulse of her veins and the easing of her thoughts. Her heartbeat slowed, her mind fell silent, and the Kata was perfect.

She did not know how long she remained like this, only that, when a cool hand rested on her shoulder, the sun had long since gone down.

“Kimberley.” She heard his voice, behind her, his actual voice, and the spell she had fallen into was broken. She felt tears well up and begin to spill from her eyes. “…That was very good.”

She turned and threw herself onto Jinsen, clinging to him like a lifeline and sobbing into his chest. Gently, and if she had more presence of mind she would have realized, hesitantly, he put his arms around her. He made no sound as she wept, and only rubbed slow circles on her back.

“I’m s-sorry.” She managed eventually, and Jinsen hummed his forgiveness. “You must be so disappointed…”

“…I believe you have been disappointed in your self enough for the both of us.” He told her slowly, softly. “No, Kimberley, I was concerned when you did not return, and happy to discover that you were in safe hands. Eijo is a good man, and your punishment was fair – but now it is over.” They stayed like that for a few moments, and then an awkward cough alerted her to the presence of other. She quickly extricated herself form Jinsen with a startled squeak, and saw Lord Eijo and his son standing at the entrance of the cell.

…Gods, that was embarrassing. She felt her cheeks reddening and immediately turned away from them.

“As you can imagine,” Lord Eijo addressed her, “you are now free to go, Miss Talon. I trust we won’t catch you stealing from Madame Joshi again?”

Kimberley managed something that was probably agreement. Lord Eijo snorted.

“And you, my old friend – now that you have your charge returned to you, must you be going so soon?”

“I’m afraid so, Eijo. Kimberley was diligent during her confinement, and has exceeded my expectations. We must move on to the next portion of her training – and for that, she requires a blade of her own.” At Jinsen’s words, she turned back around (making sure to wipe her eyes) and gave him a puzzled look.

“I happen to know a master swordsmith, Jinsen – I could refer you to him.” Eijo offered as Jinsen smiled secretively at Kimberley.

“That’s quite alright, Eijo. I have a specific smith in mind. She is quite capable. Kimberley will not want for a good blade.”

At that moment, Kimberley’s stomach growled.

Jinsen and Eijo both shared a glance, while Eijo’s son shifted uncomfortably beneath Kimberley’s pointed glare.

“It wasn’t my fault.” He explained. “The Eightfold Lotus,” he bowed slightly to Jinsen, “thought it would be beneficial if you fasted for the day.”

“What!” Kimberley shouted, rounding on Jinsen. He gave a small shrug.

“Denial of sustenance helps to sharpen mastery of your body. The hunger-”

“Do you remember a minotaur from Jakkard?” Kimberley interrupted impatiently. Jinsen’s eyebrows shot up, surprised by the sudden question. Lord Eijo and his son looked at each other helplessly. “You cut off his horn? Named Hurley?”

“Well, yes-”

“This is for him!”

And she punched the Eightfold Lotus square in the gut.

He grunted and took a step back, and Kimberley, her victory achieved, stalked past the aghast looks of Lord Eijo and his son. She needed to find something to eat!

Jinsen watched her go with a hand on his stomach, smiling slightly.

***

They stayed one more day in Kymoko. Jinsen had her apologize to Madame Joshi, who took the entire thing well.

“You should’ve just asked, dumpling!” She chided. Kimberley ended up getting that candied apple.

They stayed with Lord Eijo, who treated them as honored guests. She discovered his wife – now deceased – was a fan of the interesting, lyrical poetry unique to Kamigawa, and gave Kimberley several scrolls filled with it. She was excited about interpreting and reading them at her leisure, and thanked Eijo profusely.

They also visited Kymoko – something Kimberley had not expected to do. Jinsen led her to the shrine silently, and nodded to the priests as he explained he wished to speak with the spirit. They acquiesced immediately, though the younger priest – Ro, she remembered – was hesitant.

They entered the shrine, and the eyes turned to look at Jinsen, one by one.

“The Lotus returns.” The chiming voice spoke, and the whispers flowed around it. Jinsen bowed deeply.

“I thank you for sparing my pupil, wise spirit. I am in your debt.” Jinsen spoke gravely, and Kimberley, now realizing the purpose of this visit, bowed awkwardly as well.

“A small thing.” Kymoko said, and Kimberley supposed that the conversation was over. Suddenly, the whispers surged in force, and Kymoko’s many arms flailed about. When it calmed, one arm was stretched out towards Jinsen. “A gift, from I, Kymoko the Watchful.” As it spoke, there was only the chiming voice.

One of the eyes floated forward as Jinsen stretched forth his hand. As it approached, it became glossy, and then burnished. When it fell into Jinsen’s hand, it appeared to have turned into steel.

“For the smith who forges in the stars.” Kymoko intoned.

“Thank you, benevolent spirit.” Jinsen bowed again, and Kimberley followed suit.

When Kimberley asked Jinsen what had just transpired, he merely shook his head, and said he would tell her later.

Lord Eijo’s son – who Kimberley finally discovered was named Jin, after the man who saved his father’s life – was conspicuously absent for most of the day. When she inquired after him, Lord Eijo just rolled his eyes white eyes and shook his head.

“He’s being foolish.” Was all he told her.

She finally did track him down – and she was not certain why she did not check there first – at the edge of town, on the road where she had been apprehended. Evidently, he was still on duty. He was leaning against a fence post, and glanced at her as she approached. She smiled – he did not.

“I thought you were leaving. You know…” He waved his hand in the air vaguely. Kimberley snorted.

“I am. I wanted to thank you.”

“For what?” He asked, face neutral. Kimberley pursed her lips.

“If you’re going to be rude, I suppose I’ll just leave.” She told him, and turned on her heel. He grabbed her arm, suddenly, but let go immediately as she glared at him.

“I- Sorry.” He looked away, thumbing the hilt of his sword. “I just… what’s it like?”

“…Planeswalking?” Kimberley asked, and he nodded. She thought about that, letting Jin stew in the silence. When she answered him, it was with more honesty than she originally intended. “…Terrifying, mostly. It’s dangerous. There are so many things out there, on all those planes, that want to hurt you. And when you leave a place behind, you’re going somewhere where no one knows you, or cares about you… It’s frightening, knowing that there is nowhere out there that’s truly safe.”

He looked troubled, staring down the dirt road that led north.

“Well, you’ll always be safe here.” His eyes flicked towards her. “As long as you don’t steal anything else.” Kimberley held up a hand to her mouth in mock surprised.

“Spirits, was that a joke?” She exclaimed.

“No.” He told her flatly, but she saw a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. She laughed, and kissed him. Though he returned it, when she pulled away, he looked very much like a startled rabbit.

“I’ll come visit sometime – maybe.” And with that, she sauntered away.

Jinsen pointed out that she was in a good mood as she returned, and she just hummed in agreement.

***

They decided to return to their camp - such as it was - just before sundown that day. Jinsen had carried what little worldly possessions they had over with him when he went looking for Kimberley. Lord Eijo had given them a good amount of non-perishable food, as well as some new traveling equipment, which Jinsen had declined but Kimberley had accepted enthusiastically.

Jin had given her a red, silk ribbon to ‘keep her hair out of her face while she trained’, but she had tied it around her waist as soon as they were out of sight. It was rather dashing, she decided. Abruptly, she remembered she had forgotten to ask Jin exactly what he had used, that long week ago, to drag her to the ground. It had completely slipped her mind to ask. The absurd and sudden thought sent her into a fit of rueful giggles that had Jinsen looking at her for askance.

When they arrived at their intended location - roughly - Jinsen motioned for her to drop her traveling gear.

“Perform the first Kata with me.” He requested, and Kimberley nodded. Together, they took the starting position.

She matched Jinsen, move for move, bladeless, smooth, and undistracted. Neither of them said a word, or looked at each other. They repeated the Kata eight times, and then Jinsen bowed to Kimberley, who returned the gesture. The sun was just sinking below the horizon, casting the plains into a fiery orange.

“Jinsen.” Kimberley said, as he stared towards the horizon. He did not favor her with a glance or a response, but she knew he was listening. “Why did you bring us here, and then never visit Kymoko? If you knew people in the village…” Jinsen breathed in deeply.

“Kymoko is a powerful spirit.” He told her, still looking towards the sun. “I knew that, should anything happen to you, I could count on the spirit to lend me aid.” He turned, then, to smile softly at her. “And I did not wish you to grow complacent in the comfort that Eijo would offer us. Walking the path of the Eightfold Lotus is best done in adversity.”

Kimberley pondered this.

“...You knew I would assume that the choice of plane was random.” Kimberley murmured slowly. “And that, if I went to town, I would lie about who I was and what I was doing there.”

Jinsen ducked his head slightly.

“I guessed.” He stated simply.

“...You did not expect me to steal something.”

At this, the Eightfold Lotus smiled cryptically.

“If you’ll remember, Kimberley, I told you that sometimes, things simply happen, and there is no reason for them.” He reminded her, folding his hands into the sleeves of his loose robe. Kimberley nodded, and he continued. “That is true - for life. Things will happen, and there will be no reason. But we are more than just life, Kimberley Talon. We are peoples of thought, and fire. Of passion and insight. Life provides us with the unforged ore of possibility…” He held out his hand, displaying the steel Kami eye he had received from Kymoko. “...and we forge it into purpose.” The eye flashed briefly, and floated above his hand, before becoming inert once more. He returned it to the folds of his clothes. “Not everything is done for a reason, Kimberley, but we can give reason to everything we do.”

Once more, Kimberley pondered this.

The sun set.

“So, why didn’t you visit me while I was locked up?” She asked pointedly. Jinsen glanced at her, and cleared his throat.

“I…” He cleared his throat again, while Kimberley gazed up at him flatly. “...was not sure what to say.”

Kimberley folded her arms.

“That’s it?”

Jinsen shrugged.

“I… knew you would be distraught. I did not know how to comfort you.”

Kimberley stared flatly at the Eightfold Lotus.

“That’s stupid.” She informed him.

He bowed his head in assent.

“You’re stupid.” She clarified, and he chuckled.

“Perhaps.” He looked down upon her, dark eyes alight with mirth. “I hope you can forgive an old man his foibles.”

She sighed with exaggerated depth, rolling her eyes.

“I suppose so…”

“Very good. Now, we must away.” He held out his hand, and Kimberley took it with a smile.

“So, what’s this about a blade?” She teased. The Eightfold Lotus smiled knowingly. Then, master and student vanished into the Eternities, leaving the stillness of the night around them undisturbed by their passing.

I felt a palpable sense of relief when Kimberley locked the cell door. For all the moral choices which confront her over the course of the story, I feel like that moment is the real test of her character, even more so than her ability to overcome her self-doubt and to master the Kata. She has intrinsic reasons to want to do the latter. She does not want to let Jinsen down, nor does she want to validate her own fears about her own nature. She has no reason to help Jin beyond altruism, and it's that little glimpse of goodness which makes me like her even more than I already do.

I'm going to start doing things for no other reason than to remain mysterious.

When she asked him why, she did not receive and answer.

The customer, a red-faced man who appeared perpetually displeased, stalk off with his newly bought wares, the bell above the door ringing as he left.

Vaguely, she heard the sound of something whip through the air behind her, and for the second time in as many moments, Kimberley was defenestrated as something wrapped around her waist and pulled. (Maybe that word has a usage I'm not aware of, but I believe defenestrate specifically means to be thrown out of a window.)

He made no sound as she wept, and only rubbed slow circle on her back.