KITSUKI AKANO<br/><br/>After my first piece of business was concluded in the city, I had the second more important issue to attend to. It was a week until the Festival of Bon and during this week I commenced my second obligation to Kitsuki-sama, extending my stay to enjoy this most famous festival which in Ryoko Owari I am told is truly spectacular. I thus spent my days touring the merchant quarter and the docks to get an idea of the way the place was operating with regard to ships arriving and cargo disposal. I also visited some Dragon<em>samurai</em>in the city as well as spending some time with the other students of the<em>bushi</em>school after hours, visiting their homes and the tea houses and going on interesting walks around the city.<br/><br/>Of which I have discovered a number. Most interesting this city is turning out to be.<br/><br/>Tonight though, was Bon, festival of festivals, a great celebration of life and our ancestors who have gone on before us and who still watch and sometimes guide… and sometimes nag… us…<em>though not you grandmother, in your case your advice is always most welcome…</em>from their place of rest. I had arranged to meet with three or four of the other students at the hour of<em>Togashi</em>because the final procession to the Temple of the Sun Goddess they told me was at the hour of…<em>that person</em>… Why do we name an hour of the day after<em>him</em>? I have never understood it…<br/><br/>But until I met up with my friends I chose to experience the night life and proceeded to walk the streets sampling some of the street vendors foods (but declining their<em>sake</em>) and watching the fireworks. This too presented opportunities to observe the merchants at work, some of them, apparently diligent - though in all sincerity I doubted it - working late into the evening bartering and haggling over deals.<br/><br/>I wore my<em>daisho</em>of course but not my armour. I walked the alleys and gardens in a comfortable black<em>gi</em>and brick red<em>hakama</em>and sandals, I even left my straw hat at my lodging-house since the night looked to be dry.<br/><br/>I was walking along one narrow thoroughfare between lines of tall wooden warehouses when a sudden movement to my right caught my eye. Down a side alley three figures were moving rapidly away from me. A woman and two men. I saw the outline of<em>daisho</em>silhouetted at the runner's hips.<em>Samurai</em>, and in a hurry. I stopped and watched them. They reached the doorway of a warehouse off this side alley and looked at something lying in the street, an abandoned bundle of clothing it seemed. Then they ran into the warehouse.<br/><br/>I turned down the pathway, my right hand resting on my<em>katana</em>, moving at a fast walk. Reaching the bundle of rags I was shocked to see it was a person. I placed my bare hand a tiny space from the mouth but felt no breath. There was a good deal of blood in the dirt around the fallen man who looked like one of the peasant guards the merchants hired to watch their warehouses after dark sometimes.<br/><br/>I looked in the doorway and a shocking sight met my eyes in the gloom beyond. Several further bodies, one or two brutally slain and arrows in woodwork and floor. I pulled an arrow from the doorpost by my head and examined it. It was of cheap construction, no<em>samurai</em>would shame himself with such poor quality weapons.<br/><br/>Above me was a rickety stair and through a doorway at the head of that came the sound of excited voices.<br/><br/>(http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk137/HaibaneR/KitsukiAkano06_Edit.jpg)<br/><br/>With head bowed I spoke a short prayer seeking protection and courage then with a<em>shing!</em>sound I drew my blade from it's<em>saya</em>and moved rapidly up the wooden steps.