Akashima Saga: Luxuria

[Breaker]

Josh rose late in the morning. By the time he made it to the main floor of the inn, his breakfast became lunch. He munched on a satisfactory offering of dried sausage and grainy bread, elbows resting on the wooden tabletop as he considered his options.

He preferred to get an early start when travelling, and having missed half a day, decided to spend another night at the inn. As he flicked the last crumbs of his meal around the plate, he wrote up a mental list of items he might need to purchase. Josh liked lists; they created order even in the most chaotic situations. Foremost in his mind was a map. Travelling down the seaward side of the mountain was far more perilous than travelling up the landward side, if the rumours were true. Rather than a single, clear cut road the descent would take him through a series of intertwining, often overgrown paths. The soldier didn’t feel like getting lost, so a decent map became a necessity.

Sidling over to the reception desk, Josh rang the silver bell. The chime floated through the empty first floor of the lodge, and the Akashiman innkeeper appeared once more. The bald man in the flowing kimono approached with his usual wide grin.

“Hewwo suh, did you have a good night wast night?” the innkeeper asked enthusiastically. Josh decided to spare him the details. He wanted to keep the conversation as short as possible.

“I’m going to be staying another night,” he said, “I’ll pay for it now, as I might leave early in the morning.” Gold exchanged hands, the innkeeper nodding and smiling, but Josh didn’t let him get a word in edgewise. “Also, could you recommend a store where I might buy a decent map of the footpaths between here and Akashima?” He waited a few seconds while the innkeeper deciphered his question, then got a big smile.

“Ah yes suh, I know vewwy good sto’. My bwotha’ own sto’ just fwee’ stweet ova’. You find evwything you need fo’ twavos’ in his sto’, suh.” The Akashiman bobbed his bald head in a miniature bow.

“A store with all my travelling needs three streets over. That’s convenient. I just hope I don’t wind up throttling his brother in frustration.”

Josh thanked the innkeeper and exited the building. A firm wind pushed him along the sun streaked streets of Pagration. A few locals were out and about, and he received several good-natured nods as he followed the innkeeper’s directions.

“This is a pretty friendly place, for such a remote town. Ah, this must be it. The Traveler’s Troubles? Is that a joke?”

The owner had hung a wind chime from the wooden door, and it clanked awkwardly as he pushed through. All manner of mismatched items cluttered the store, from rusted weapons to folding chairs. Josh zigzagged through the melange and arrived at the counter. A bald Akashiman stood behind it. Josh knew immediately he had come to the right store; if they hadn’t dressed differently, he probably wouldn’t have been able to tell the brothers apart. The shopkeeper greeted him with a friendly nod and smile. Josh took a deep breath.

“I need a map,” he began, hands fumbling for the universal sign for map, “of the footpaths,” his fingers walked through the air, “between here and Akashima.” He gestured with his right hand then his left hand, waggling them to indicated different locations. The shopkeeper rolled his eyes.

He said, “My brother sent you, didn’t he?”