Branches Of Wisdom

[1322 AY/560 CY]

        In the corridors of Castle Ember, there were a pair of
paintings made by Queen Corrine that hung on the opposite ends of one
of the fourth floor hallways.  It was not a frequently trafficked
hallway, so most of the general populace did not know of the existence
of the paintings, but those who had access to the Royal Suites had
seen them at one time or another.
        On one end of the hallway hung the portrait of a woman,
life-sized, clad in a red-trimmed, gold-epauleted white jacket and
coral pants.  She stood in front of a dark oak desk, a map of the
Kingdom of Amber laid out upon it, and the sun gleamed through the
windows in the painting.  The light illuminated the woman's form,
giving her a warm glow that made her look like a martial angel.  A
crescent-hilted rapier hung at her hip, and it and the decorations
upon her breast gleamed with reflected sunlight, a tribute to the
skill of Corrine's artistry.  The woman's countenance was strong and
wise, her eyes proud and her smile composed.
        The painting was titled "The Defender Of the Realm", and the
woman portrayed was Queen Corrine's blood-sister Juri.
        The other painting was more stylized, more impressionistic,
but still recognizable as Corrine's work.  It was more of a landscape
painting, appearing to be the Rose Dueling Arena of Castle Amber; but
a moment's glance quickly highlighted the differences.  For one, this
Duel Arena did not soar over the ramparts of Castle Amber but over a
yawning void, total darkness that seemed to eat the light that shone
upon it.  The other major difference was the presence of two figures
on the steps to the Duel Arena -- one whom looked like Juri of Amber,
and the other who looked like Corrine, yet lighter-skinned and
shorter-haired.  Both of them had sour expressions on their faces,
understandable given that they were locked in deadly combat, the skill
of their sword-work evident even given the static medium of oil paints
used to render it.
        This painting was titled "The Duel Called Revolution", and the
dueling figures were Juri and Darako of Avalon.
        Kanna, Princess of Ember, had always admired her mother's
works of art, but those two pieces had stood out in her mind as far
back as she could remember.
        Kanna looked at the paintings as she exited her mother's
private art studio after picking up some trumps, and not for the first
time wondered where her Aunt Juri and Other Aunt Juri had ended up.
Forty years ago, Juri of Amber had been lost at sea within the Rebma
Vortex caused by Prince Derith.  Nobody had been able to trump or
shift shadow to find her since that day during the Annadil Crisis.
Oh, there were -rumors- of Juri's appearance, of course, but none that
gave any real leads on how to recover her.
        As for Juri of Avalon, the chances of her returning to Amber
were even less optimistic.  At least the sightings of Juri of Amber
had been in her native universe, and gave some hope of an eventual
reunion.  The last Kanna's mother had seen of Juri of Avalon had been
before her disastrous departure to her home universe.  Sabatoge by one
of their enemies, Fiona of Black Unicorn Amber, had caused the portal
gate to malfunction.  Juri of Avalon, her brother Gideon, and her
lover Roderick were stranded, and only the Pyricorn knew where they
had ended up.
        Either way, the retrieval of either Juri appeared to be a
fool's errand to the average man.
        Kanna of Ember was not average by far, nor was she a man, but
even she had to admit that her self-proclaimed task to try and recover
her Aunts was daunting.  She had consulted with the best sages, mages,
and scientists of several kingdoms, and the results had been the same.
Wherever either Juri was, they were beyond the scope of the arts that
Kanna knew.  It seemed an impossible, foolish dream.
        Kanna shook her head, sighed, and headed downstairs to eat.

        After dinner, Kanna laid in her bed in her suites, looking up
at the ceiling, lost in thought.  This was not the first time that her
mind had turned towards what she knew of both Juri's and the obstacles
that laid before her; generally, those 'nights' (for Ember had no
night) ended up being rather sleepless ones.
        Fortunately for Kanna, she had a way to cope with this.
        "Hey, Gaby?" Kanna asked the empty air.
        There was a moment's pause, and then a beep answered from the
crossed-hammer badge that rested on the endtable next to Kanna's bed.
        "Yeah, sis?" a female voice replied from the badge.  "What's
up?  Can't sleep?"
        "Yeah..." Kanna sighed, and rolled over, looking towards the
endtable.  "Been thinkin' 'bout Aunt Juri again."
        "Mmmm."  There was a soft popping sound and a brief burst of
flame, and a small super-deformed image of a wavy-red-haired woman,
clad in a gold nightgown, appeared on the endtable.  "Worried 'bout
her?" the small woman asked as she walked over and sat on the end of
the small table, dangling her legs over the edge.
        "'course I am," Kanna said.  "One of 'em lost in Shadow if she
hasn't been sucked down the damn Vortex, the other stuck Pyricorn only
KNOWS where beyond our universe.  Mom, Cousin Hiko, Morgan, me...
We've tried everything from Trump to Pattern to Sorcery to just
wandering Shadow in the vain hope of getting a lead, and... nothing's
happened.  Nothing worthwhile at least, that I've heard..."
        "Well, it's not like you -haven't- tried, Kanna, or the rest,"
the chibi-Gabrielle pointed out.  "And it's a big universe.  These
sorta things take time."
        "Yeah... there is that, but..." Kanna took a deep breath.
"How -long-, sis?  How long are we gonna have to put up with this?
Every day she's out wherever the hell she is is a day longer Cousin
Hiko doesn't have her mom around, Mom doesn't have her sister, Morgan
doesn't have his... her... grandmother, and me my Aunt.  That weighs
on people."
        "Siiiiiis," Gabrielle chided, "You're starting to brood again.
That's mom's turf, not yours.  Don't make me hop over there and give
you an indian burn."  She grinned slightly, letting a little puff of
fire coruscate off her hand.
        Kanna let out a quiet laugh.  "All right, all right.  I'll try
to cut down.  But... you've seen how mom gets when she starts thinking
'bout Aunt Juri... both of 'em.  She's happy most of the time, but if
talk starts turning towards them..."
        "Y' gotta point," Gabrielle admitted.  She sighed.  "Mom
hasn't been quite the same since then.  Sure, she's coped well, thanks
to us and dad," she grinned, proudly, "and the rest of the family, but
..."  Gabrielle's face fell.
        Kanna nodded.  "She's got a 'Juri-shaped hole' in her soul.  I
think she even said that, once."
        "She loved 'em," Gabrielle stated, quietly.  "That much is
obvious.  And she still does."
        "Yeah."  Kanna sighed.  "Wish I'd known 'em.  People who mom
loves like that are worth knowing."
        Gabrielle kicked her feet against the side of the endtable.
"I did, for a little bit.  Aunt Juri of Avalon more than Aunt Juri of
Amber, though I can tap mom 'n Hiko's memories of both if I'm
desperate."
        Kanna made an acknowledging sound.  "Yeah.  'cause they walked
you during the Crisis, and all." She allowed herself a smile.  "I
-have- read my history, y'know.  And not the stuff that most of those
wags down in Amber believe."  Kanna rolled her eyes, and let out a
sigh.  "But words and even mom's writings don't cover fully how they
-felt- about each other."  She glanced over at Gabrielle again.  "What
were they like, sis?  To you, not mom or Cousin Hiko?"
        Gabrielle considered her sister's question, and folded her
legs under herself.  "Ummm... Aunt Juri?  Suprised to see me 'n dad,
for one." She grinned impishly.  "Really close to cousin Hiko.  I
think kinda confused at what'd happened to mom while they'd been away,
and not ready to deal with it.  Then again, we had that stupid icky
Logrus squid around at the time, and then mom went missing again...
She did want to go and find her though, but she felt that she also had
to take care of her duty and protect Hiko and help Uncle Tylor."
Chibi-gabrielle took a breath.  "Shoulda talked with Aunt Juri more
when she still had her ring, but..."
        "... you were young and what's done is done."  Kanna nodded.
"I don't hold what happened against you, and I know mom doesn't.  It
was just a really fucked up time when Rebma went away, and Aunt Juri
got caught up in it."
        "Thanks, sis."  Gabrielle sighed.  "Stupid Derith... Stupid
Water Shadowstorm... Stupid Vortex..." she muttered under her breath.
        "Hey.  Don't make reach over there and treat you like an alarm
clock."  Kanna lifted one long arm and reached over to the end-table,
batting with her hand at the representation of her sister.  Gabrielle
let out an 'eep', and blinked away from Kanna's attempt to hit her.
        "Watch it!"
        Kanna chuckled, and pulled her arm back to her side.  "'sides,
-you're- the one who keeps hangin' out with the Child of Water,
ANYWAY..."
        Gabrielle perched on a book on the end-table.  "That's 
different," she sniffed.  "Nagisa's very nice and intelligent."
        "That I can agree with."  Kanna rolled back, now looking up at
the ceiling once more.  She brushed some of her red hair out of her
eyes.  "... what about Juri of Avalon?"
        Gabrielle tucked her hands under her chin as she thought.
"She cared about mom.  A lot.  She was melencholy at times, and tried
keeping her distance, but I think mom helped her get over that.  Her
'n Roderick.  But they became a part of the family, and even with her
and Gideon sniping at one another... well, let's face it.  They were
close, and if it wasn't for them, I don't know -how- mom would've
coped when Aunt Juri vanished."
        "She would have.  That's what she does," Kanna commented.
"But it wouldn't have been good afterwards."
        Gabrielle nodded.  "No kidding." She sighed.  "Even with the
rest of us around, she probably would've been a -lot- more depressed
than she was."  She tilted her head.  "Even with getting married and
having you, baby sis."  Gabrielle grinned as Kanna blushed.
        "Nothin' like having a little sprout around to serve as a
distraction, eh?  Even if the sprout was me."  Kanna smiled as she
reminisced.
        "Oh yeah.  Keeping you outta trouble's a fulltime occupation,
sis."  Gabrielle smiled.  "I'd ruffle your hair if I was big enough
for it."
        "Like that's ever stopped you before?"  Kanna grinned.
        "Just watch me.  Hi-KEEBA!"  With a leap, the miniture
Gabrielle bounced off the end-table, her nightgown changing into a
Lipunese ninja costume (in red) in midair before touching down atop
Kanna's pillow.
        "Yeek!" Kanna laughed as she tried to avoid her sister's
sudden assault, but to no avail as Gabrielle chortled and hopped onto
the larger woman's shoulders, running her hands (and arms) through
Kanna's red hair.  "Ack!"
        "I am INVINCIBLE!  Muahahahaha---ACK!"
        "You're also available in the handy petite size," Kanna
commented as she grinned down at Gabrielle, whom she'd just caught in
her hands.  "Now, I wonder if I can make a bank shot from here..."
She moved her arms as if to make a basketball throw towards her
bedroom's waistbasket.
        "You wouldn't dare!"
        Kanna tossed the miniature Gabrielle up and down in her hands
for a few moments, as if considering her next course of action, and
then dropped her sister next to her on the pillow before flopping
back, folding her hands behind her head.
        "Nah, not tonight, Gaby.  Mebby another time."  She looked up
at the ceiling of her bedroom, once again quiet.  Gabrielle climbed
off the pillow, and hopped back over to the top of the endtable.
        Kanna lay there for several minutes before speaking again.
"... and Darako?"
        Gabrielle blinked. "... Darako?"
        "Yeah, Darako.  What was -she- like?"
        "Um.  Kanna?  We never -met- Darako."
        "I know."  The larger redhead nodded.  "The only stuff -we-
know about her was what Aunt Juri of Avalon and Uncle Gideon told mom
about her, and what mom remembers from the Cave of Worlds and it's
hardly like they were unbiased sources."
        "Mmm." Gabrielle looked down at her hands, and fiddled with
the edges of her nightgown.  "Well, if what happened to mom when she
almost died is any indication, Darako... wasn't somebody I think you'd
like, sis."  The construct-projection wrinkled her nose.  "She was
mean-spiritied and not at all nice."
        Kanna pursed her lips.  "Mmm.  Okay, don't worry 'bout her."
She made a dismissive shrug.  "Just curious.  There must've been
-some- reason mom gave me 'Darako' as my middle name.  Well, other
than it sounds good with the rest of my name."  Kanna quirked a smile.
        Gabrielle chuckled.  "Well, -most- people get by just fine
with just one name."
        "Yeah, I know, but mom's weird that way."  Kanna glanced over
at the small portrait of her mother that stood on her bedroom desk and
regarded it fondly.
        "True.  But it's a good sort of weird."  Gabrielle smiled, and
glanced at her mother's portrait as well.  "So, whatcha thinkin' about
now?" she asked as she looked back over at Kanna, who'd become silent
again.
        Kanna sighed.  "What the fuck we can -do- to find Aunt Juri.
We've had Mia scry for where she could be, and nothing's come up.
We've tried using her Trump, with you boosting until you're red in the
face, and we've gotten nadah.  I've wandered Shadow for months just
trying to -get- to her, and the best I've gotten was riding around in
circles.  Hell, I even asked -Falme- to try using the Logrus to grab
onto her, and -that- panned out."
        Gabrielle snorted.  "Well, what can you expect from the
Logrus?  Accuracy and reliability?"  She then grinned, leaning
forward.  "You know, if you -really- wanted to get to Aunt Juri
quickly, all you have to do is go downstairs, walk the Pattern, and
ask it to send you to her.  No muss, no fuss..."
        "Um, no, sis.  Thanks for the offer, but I don't want to pull
a Gil-Galad.  Not for something as serious as this."
        "Hey, it'd be -perfectly- safe!  You've just got to phrase
your request right..."
        "Yeah, but still... it's not exactly a risk I want to take."
Kanna managed a wan smile.  "Mom's lost -both- her sisters... I don't
want to add losing a daughter to her tally."
        "Fine fine, be that way," Gabrielle mock-pouted.
        "Also, I get the feeling that even if I -did- try that, I
might not go -anywhere-.  Given the rumors we've heard about that
ghost fleet out in Shadow, and the fact there's places the Pattern...
-our- Pattern can't go, it might not be able to send me to her,
anyway."
        Gabrielle nodded, and sighed.  "Yeah.  This sucks."
        The woman on the bed nodded.  "No kidding.  Though, there -is-
one other option..." Kanna considered.
        Gabrielle cocked her head, curiously.  "What's that?"
        Kanna looked at Gabrielle, her blue eyes meeting her sister's
amber ones.  "Yig."
        Gabrielle blinked.  "-Bwa-?  You mean..."
        Kanna nodded.  "Hang from Yig, like Uncle Drake and Cousin
Shizumaru did."
        "But... but but but," Gabrielle stammered.  "But that's -Yig!-
It's a tree!  It's Wood!"
        Kanna arched an eyebrow. "And should -that- make any
difference?"
        "YES!" Gabrielle blurted out.  "You're the daughter of the
Queen of the Kingdom of FIRE!  Wood and Fire don't get along!"
        "So?  The Child of Fire is the lover and wife of the avatar of
the epitome of Wood." Kanna looked levelly at Gabrielle.  "Our MOTHER
was given the strength of Wood, was the ORIGINAL Warden of Arden, and
married the avatar of Fire.  And last -I- checked, the four of them
were getting along swimmingly!"
        "But, Kanna... the risks!"  Gabrielle pleaded.
        "Sis, I'm at my wit's end here.  Everything we've tried,
everything we've researched, hasn't helped one IOTA for trying to
recover Aunt Juri.  All they've given us are tentative leads with no
results.  NONE.  The way I figure it, we've got nothing to lose and
everything to gain from going to the Worldtree."
        "You don't even know what you'll -get- out of it, sis!" the
smaller woman continued.  "All Shizumaru got was the Seed of Hope and
stuff, and it's not like they can give you a second one!  And Drake?"
She snorted.  "You know what mom thinks about what he -really- learned
at the Tree..."
        Kanna nodded.  "That he didn't learn how to -make- Werewindle,
but how to find Ember after the First Devestation so that he could
recover it from the ruins.  Yeah, I know.  And that's exactly WHY I
think hanging from Yig would help.  If it could help Uncle Drake learn
how to get to Ember when nobody else except for Grandfather knew about
it, I have a feeling the Worldtree could help us find Aunt Juri."
        Gabrielle sighed, and threw her hands up in the air.  "Fine,
fine, suit yourself.  I -still- don't like it, though."  She glanced
down at Kanna.  "You -sure- you think you can stand hanging for seven
days from Yig?  We've both heard Shizumaru's story of how much pain
-he- was in when he was hung.  You're tough, sis, but you're not mom's
level of tough."
        "I know," Kanna replied quietly.  "But I won't know if I don't
go.  And with you and Sumire watching over me..."
        "Woah, woah, waitasecond.  Since when did -Sumire- figure into
this?"
        Kanna's lips turned upwards at the corners.  "Well, I can
hardly expect -you- to give me drinks of water while hanging from a
tree branch, hm?"
        "Okay, you've gotta point." Gabrielle tilted her head.  "You
sure Sumire would go along with this?"
        Kanna shrugged.  "Dunno.  I'll have to ask her tomorrow."
        "Right.  You gonna go to sleep now?"
        Kanna chuckled.  "Yeah.  Thanks for listening to me ramble,
sis."
        Gabrielle waved a hand.  "No problems, sis.  Good sleeping."
        "You too," Kanna replied, though she knew that in truth
Gabrielle never truly 'slept'.  Gabrielle chuckled, and vanished in a
puff of logic.
        Kanna let out a breath in the silence of her room.  She had
made up her mind.  She would hang from Yig, and learn whatever she
could from its branches, to see what wisdom she could gain from the
experience.  Perhaps this way she would be able to accomplish what had
thwarted her family these past decades.
        With that decision made, Kanna finally fell asleep.

        The next day started out much as any other for Kanna.  A large
breakfast in the castle's Dining Hall, an hour's run around the castle
grounds and a workout in the Royal Gymnasium, finished off with
several laps in the swimming pool and a refreshing plasma shower.
Once her waking routine was completed, she got changed into a decent
combination of tan slacks and a red blouse with the sleeves rolled up
past her elbows.  Suitably attired, Kanna pinned the gold disc of her
Gabrielle manifestation within her blouse's pocket, tucked her wallet
into a back pocket, and picked up the small, polished oak case that
held her Trump Deck.
        Kanna opened the case, extracted the deck, and shuffled
through the cards.  Familiar faces and familiar places passed by her
fingertips in a blur as she searched for the particular card that she
desired.  She had quite a few Trump Cards, given to her by her mother,
sister, Uncle Miki, Great-Aunt Anthy, and even her great-grandfather
Fuyutsuki, so it took some time to find the card she wanted.
        Finally, she found it, and drew it from the deck.  The Trump
card depicted a cobbled courtyard, surrounded by small buildings and
open to the tangerine skies of Ember.  A circular fountain dominated
by a central obelisk stood in the center of the courtyard, and an
airship was visible in the sky above, framed by taller buildings and
causeways that arced off towards both sides.  The card was slick and
cool; the hallmark of a fully functional Trump.
        Kanna smiled slightly, and focussed on the card.  The image
gained depth, and then Reality, a warm sirroco wind caressing her
bared skin and bringing with it the scents of steel and machine oil.
She took a step forward, leaving the room behind her in a shimmer of
rainbows, and entered one of the central courtyards of Carlson
Citadel.
        Carlson Citadel, the Fortress City.
        Carlson Citadel, the Factory City.
        Carlson Citadel, the City of Industry.
        All these words and more had been used to describe the
towering, high-walled city that loomed on the border between the
Fire-Forest of the Corona and the Ara'Tsym Badlands of Ember.  But
none of them truly sufficed in expressing the sheer uniqueness of the
city itself, alone among the cities of Amber and Ember in design and
purpose.
        Kanna smiled, glancing around the area briefly in a reflexive
routine, confirming the environs as her desired destination.  The
ingenuity of Ember's engineers never failed to amaze her as she set
off through the streets of the Business District from the courtyard
she had trumped into.  Kanna took in the multi-layered buildings, both
small and large, that were arrayed in terraced rows around the central
manufacturing complexes that dominated the center of the city.
Airships of all sizes circled around the high towers and the borders
of the Citadel, creating passing shadows along the ground.
        One such airship, a small eight-passenger two-propeller model,
was just now flying in for a landing behind one of the many Carlson
Airtaxi stations that dotted the cityscape.  Kanna picked up her pace,
and sprinted for the building's entrance before the air taxi could
pick up its maximum number of passengers and depart without her.
        Kanna lucked out.  Although it was still mid-morning, only
five other passengers were waiting to board the small airship, which
had already released four customers, leaving one who had yet to arrive
at her destination.  Kanna grinned, and took her place at the end of
the line.  Although she was of the blood Royal, and was certainly
entitled to commandeer the entire air-taxi if she felt the need, Kanna
felt that it was better to interact normally with the populace, so as
not to disrupt their usual routines.
        "Where to, lady?" the air taxi driver asked as Kanna boarded.
It took him a second to realize that he was speaking to one of the
princesses of Ember, but Kanna just grinned at his surprised
expression, cutting off any apologies with a wink and a wave of her
hand.
        "Level 23, Kanzaki Enterprises!" Kanna exclaimed as she headed
to the back and found an empty seat.  The driver nodded, and the
propellors went up to speed, lifting and propelling the air taxi away
from the station.
        Kanna smiled, looking out over the city spread below her as
the airship took to the sky.  Carlson Citadel, like many cities,
tended to divide itself into sections and from the air they were
eminently visible.  The Industrial District was the largest, filled
with the original growth of the city, the many factories and
associated offices that dominated the Citadel's primary purpose as an
industrial and manufacturing center.  It was narrowly matched by the
Business District, which was more geared towards the service
industries and residences, helping to support the city's busy
populace.  There were a good number of upscale businesses as well in
the Business District, and some small research facilities.  The
smallest section was that of the Theatre District, filled with the
many studios and theater complexes that had developed over the
centuries, providing quality entertainment for the whole of Ember.
        The towers of the city soared above the smaller buildings and
terraces that circled the interior of the city.  The engineers of
Carlson City had many centuries to perfect the steam-driven craftworks
that allowed the buildings to reach for the sky, alone among the
cities on the Order end of Reality in its design.  One of the
companies that had a hand in this development was Kanzaki Enterprises,
one of the oldest members of Ember's industrial base.  Its main
offices and production facilities were located in the heart of Carlson
Citadels' Industrial District.
        It was to these offices that Kanna was now headed.

        Level Twenty Three of Carlson Citadel's Industrial District
was dominated by a cluster of wide, squat buildings, braced by four
taller glass-sheathed towers at the corners.  This complex formed the
core of Kanzaki Enterprises, the shorter buildings containing the
actual workshops and forges of the industral conglomerate, while the
towers held the offices (and in some cases, residences) of the people
who worked there.  Bursts of steam issued from outlet vents in a
stacatto rhythm, creating a slight mist that allowed clouds to form
over the facility.
        Kanna watched with interest as the Air Taxi made its approach.
The heart of Kanzaki Enterprises, the factories and workshops, had
never stopped working as far back as she could remember, operating
around the clock in Ember's eternal light.  She could see lines of
chain-driven rail cars hauling ore towards the gaping maw of the main
building, while rows of neatly-stacked metal bars were being arranged
at the other end by workmen as they were brought out.


2) Decision to head out into Shadow with Sumire (who reluctantly agrees,
   mostly to keep Kanna out of trouble since she isn't blatantly stating
   where she's going), and notifies mom she'll be out for a while.

                                     Office of the Coordinator 
                                     of Special Projects 
                                     KHI - Kanzaki Enterprises 
                                     Level 23, 455 Iridium Avenue 
                                     Carlson Citadel 
                                     Kingdom of Ember 


[Note: Sumire forged her Naginata, "Butterfly's Wing", around her 21st
birthday, which is around the same time Kanna walked the Fire Pattern
for the first time.  Ergo, she's been running around with it during
their adventures in Shadow or elsewhere.  Also, Kanna has a pretty
good idea of Sumire's capabilities respective to her own, and of the
state of her family, etc.]

        "Do you think I'll need Koucho-no-Tsubasa for this?"
        Kanna considered Sumire's question, and then shook her head.
"No, not -really-... after all, it's just going to be a run down the
Fire Highway to Yig and then back.  I don't anticipate any opposition
along the way.  It's your call, though.  After all, y' never know what
might decide to pop up..."

[Also, unvoiced to Kanna, unmentioned in the text, Sumire wants to see
the place where Drake supposedly hung from, given she had gotten Drake's
notes on Werewindle which allowed her to forge her blade, and her 
suspicion that Drake was actually her father.  So she has her own reasons
for coming along...]

        "Ah, good," Corrine nodded with satisfaction.  "Just as long
as you and Sumire don't strangle each other..."
 
3) The two (trio, with Gaby) ride off into Shadow.  Kanna's been there 
   before, and therefore knows the route... she takes the slower route,
   since she needs to psyche herself up for this.  Sumire's not
   particularly impressed... that is, until they reach Yig itself.

        "Good Pyricorn... Is that...?"
        Kanna nodded, slowing her horse to match pace with Sumire's.
"Yes.  That's Yig, the Tree of Wisdom.  The border, the Balance point
between Amber and the Courts, between Order and Chaos."
        Sumire just stared, nodding wordlessly as they continued to
approach the great tree.  The ground was alternatively grassy and
parched as the Shadows shifted around the two travellers, until
finally the environment settled on bare, dried earth, parched and
desolate despite the river that they were following to Yig's base.
        "How did this place come to be?" Sumire murmured as she and
Kanna finally reached the massive roots of the Worldtree.
        "I don't know," Kanna replied quietly.  "Some folks say that
great-grandfather hung from Yig to learn how to draw the Pattern.
Cousin Mikage said once that the Hanged Man there was perhaps
Fuyutsuki's -brother-.  Others have said that perhaps grandfather
planted it, or that it predates the Pattern or Logrus, or was planted
at the same time both icons came to be... so damned if I know."

4) They meet the Forestals, and Kanna petitions to hang from one of the
   branches.  To gain wisdom and insight, to learn what she most deeply
   desires -- how to find her Aunt Juri, and how to return her to her
   desire to help others, and her ties to Corrine, former Warden of
   Arden), and is taken up, along with Sumire and Gabrielle.
 
   [And yes, the Forestals know.  They ALWAYS know who's coming to hang
    from the tree.  See the logs of Shizu hanging from it.]

        "So.  You are Kanna?"
        Kanna blinked, and then bowed respectfully towards the old
man.  "Yes, yes I am.  Kanna Darako Kusanagi, blood-daughter of
Corrine the First, the Queen of Ember.  It is a pleasure to meet you
at last, good sir."
        Sumire bowed as well.  "And I am Sumire Kanzaki, heir to
Kanzaki Enterprises of Ember.  It is good to make your aquaintence."
        The green-robed man nodded to the two women.  "I am Forestal
Hile.  So, you come to seek the knowledge of how to recover your lost
Aunt, Princess Juri of Amber, correct?"
        "How'd you know what...?" Kanna shook her head, and looked
rueful.  "No, of -course- you'd know what I wanted.  You're the
forestals, you'd want to keep tabs on -anybody- who'd be thinking of
coming to Yig or things associated with it."
        "Very perceptive of you, Kanna."  Hile let out a soft chuckle.
"Yes, we have heard of you, Princess of Ember, ever since the news had
arrived that the first Warden of Forest Arden, now the Queen of the
Kingdom in the Sun, had borne a child."  The forestal tilted his head
to look upwards, even though his eyes were still green spheres.  "I
was expecting someone ... shorter, however."
        Kanna blushed, and chuckled.  "I get that a lot.  I'm used to
it, so there's no need to apologize."
        The forestal made a slight nod.  "Very well.  You spring from
a hardy stock, Kanna of Ember, sharing in the heritage of your mother
and Aunt.  This will serve you well in the trials ahead, as you hang
from Yig for seven days, if you indeed wish to learn what you seek."
        Kanna smiled a bit, trying to cover her growing nervousness.
"Er, yeah, I figured the hanging part would be mentioned eventually."
She and Sumire glanced up at the branches of Yig, and the massive bulk
of the Hanged Man, drifting in the breeze by a noose around his neck.
At that moment, they seemed impossibly high and far away.
        "Seven days hanging, right?" Kanna asked, though the question
was truly rhetorical.  "From a noose around my neck?"
        Hile nodded. "Wisdom never comes easy, Kanna.  You realize
this, otherwise you would not be here now."
        Kanna scratched her cheek.  "... yeah... yeah, I'm committed,"
she said, fighting to keep her worried tone out of her voice.
        "-- or should -be- committed," Sumire interjected, sotto voice.
        Kanna ignored her companion's commentary.  "I can't think of
any other way, easy -or- hard, to get Aunt Juri back that hasn't been
tried."  The taller woman sighed, and returned her gaze to the shorter
forestal.  "I'll do it."
        Forestal Hile smiled, still leaning on his staff.  "Good.  You
can endure.  You must.  No matter how you are assailed, you must
persevere, or you will fall into the void.  It will not be easy, but
the reward will be great."
        "... You gotta be kidding me," Gabrielle's voice suddenly
eminated from the manifestation badge Kanna wore.  "You're actually
going THROUGH with this, sis?"  There was a quick burst of flame, and
Gabrielle's adult form appeared next to Kanna and Sumire. "Sumire,
tell Kanna that this is a DUMB idea."
        "You don't think I've not already tried?" Sumire archly
replied.  "You know full well what your sister is like when her mind
is made up."
        "Well, yeah, but -you're- the one who can smack the clue into
her!"
        Kanna waved her arms in front of Gabrielle and Sumire.
"Ladies, ladies, PLEASE!  We're guests, save the sniping for back
home, okay?"  She glared at the two shorter women, and then glanced
over at Hile, looking apologetic.  "I'm sorry, but they get like this
from time to time."
        The forestal nodded, a bland expression on his face.  "You
have an interesting choice in companions, Kanna.  However..."  The old
man turned and walked over to one of the massive roots.  He caressed
the bark with a gnarled hand, and a portion of the wood twisted and
reshaped into a coil of rope.  "... they are the ones who will need to
stand vigil over you."
        "Ah?" Sumire paused in her verbal diatribe of Gabrielle to
look at Hile.  "Ah, yes.  What is it that we'll need to do?"
        Hile shifted the coil of rope so that it was looped around his
shoulder.  "Sumire, Gabrielle, you will need to watch over Kanna.  Let
none cut her down or do her injury while she hangs."
        Sumire nodded.  "I shall do this, Forestal Hile."  She pulled
her pack from the saddle of her horse and slung it on her back.  "I've
defended Kanna with Butterfly's Wing in more than one little escapade
in the past, this should be no different."
        Gabrielle smirked.  "Oh, -believe- me, Sumire, if somebody
tries to mess with sis, getting sliced by that naginata of yours is
gonna be the LEAST of their worries."  She lifted one hand, and flames
crackled around her fingertips.
        Kanna groaned.  "Sumire?  Sis?  Enough with the one-ups-woman-
ship?  Please?  And sis, put out the flame.  Open flame near big-ass
tree Bad."
        Gabrielle pouted.  "Fine, fine..." There was a puff of smoke
as the fire in her hand went out.
        "Thank you," Hile replied.  "Now, we must climb up to where
Kanna will be hung."
        Kanna and Sumire looked up at the massive trunk of the Tree of
Wisdom, soaring past the lower clouds, and at the feet of the Hanged
Man above them.
        "Climb... Yig," Sumire flatly commented.
        "No, Sumire, we figured that we were going to have me hang
from one of the roots," Kanna replied with sarcasm in her voice.
"Shouldn't be THAT much of a problem; you've climbed the Vesuvius
stairs before, haven't you?"
        "Yes, but those were on an incline."
        Kanna sighed.  "Ignore them, Forestal Hile.  And please, lead
on.  None of us are getting any younger.
        The old man nodded, and moved towards the thick roots.
"Follow me."  He began to climb the rough bark of Yig as if it was a
ladder.  Kanna glanced at Sumire, who shrugged, and they began the
ascent as well.

        Climbing the trunk of Yig took almost an hour by Kanna's
reckoning.  The climb was difficult for her, and moreso for Sumire.
Although both had climbed trees in the past, neither of them had
attempted an ascent such as this.  They were fortunate that the bark
of Yig was rough enough to form ample hand-grips and footholds, but
the awareness of just how far they would fall if they slipped was
always in their minds.  The three passed by the bulk of the Hanged
Man, the folds in his clothes and the details of his features broad as
mountains in their scale.
        Finally, they reached one of the branches of Yig, if indeed
the word 'branch' could be applied to a wooden limb almost sixty feet
wide.  Forestal Hile walked out onto the branch easily, his staff
still slung on his back and the coil of rope around his shoulder.
Kanna followed, and reached a hand down to help Sumire up.  For a
moment, she glanced downwards, and could see the bare ground, roots,
and rivers spreading out around the base of Yig.  A cloud passed
across her vision in the middle distance, and Kanna hesitated.
        "What is it, Kanna?"
        "... whatever you do, Sumire... don't look down.  Trust me on
this."
        "Ah."
        Kanna pulled Sumire up the rest of the way, and were greeted
by Gabrielle, who was leaning against the trunk of the tree near where
they had arrived.
        "About time you got up here, sis."
        Despite herself, Kanna chuckled.  "Well, SOME of us have to
take the long way up."
        "Are you certain of that, Kanna?" Sumire muttered, extracting
a pair of tweezers from her pack so as to pick at her palms.  "I don't
think I've ever had this many splinters in my -life-.  Couldn't we
have just Trumped up?"
        Kanna looked rueful.  "Oh, we -could- have... if sis had ever
been up here before.  Which she hasn't.  She just shut down her
projection before we made the climb, and reactivated up here when we
arrived.
        Gabrielle stuck out her tounge.  "Spoilsport."
        "Besides, I doubt the forestals would have considered it
'kosher' to just jump up here," Kanna continued.  "Speaking of 
whom..."
        "He's over there..." Sumire pointed further down the branch.
"What's he doing?"
        Approximately halfway along the massive limb, Hile had lifted
his hands and begun to sing.  As he sang, the side of the branch
developed a small shoot; a small shoot which rapidly lengthened and
expanded, a bud devloping at the far end.  That bud unfolded and grew
further, transforming itself into a broad, gigantic leaf.
        The forestal lowered his hands, and turned to face the group
of women.  He gestured with his free hand.  "Come here, Kanna of
Ember."
        Kanna nodded, and approached the old man, keeping her pace as
measured as possible.  Inward, her nerves were beginning to fire
rapidly as nervousness took hold.  "I am here," she stated as she
arrived, followed by the other two women.
        Hile nodded in response, and worked the coil of rope with his
hands, twisting it into a very functional noose.  "Now, the difficult
part.  We must hang you without killing you."
        Kanna swallowed, washing saliva down her drying throat.
"... right..." She raised her hands to the vicinity of her shoulders,
and leaned forward so that the forestal could loop the noose around
her neck.  She stood again, her hands on the rough organic fibers of the
vine rope, and watched as the old man somehow looped the other end around
the wide branch without assistance.
        "Step out onto the big leaf," Hile stated, gesturing with his
staff towards the wide green expanse.  Kanna glanced back at Sumire
and Gabrielle, and then took a tentative step forward.  The thinner
tilted branch shifted somewhat, but did not break under her weight.
She then took another step, as the footing continued to prove firm
beneath her feet.  It did not take her long to reach the center of the
broad leaf.
        Kanna tried hard not to fidget as she waited in the center.
Her mind raced, a thousand reasons why she should not do this warring
with the thousand and one reasons why she should.  A voice from behind
and above broke her reverie.
        "This is your last chance to back out, Kanna," Hile said,
looking down at Kanna with his blank green eyes.  "Do you accept this
geas to hang from the Tree of Wisdom for seven days?"
        Very slowly, Kanna nodded.  "Yes.  I do.  My Aunt's recovery
and my mother's happiness depends on this."
        Beneath Kanna, the leaf shifted, and began to tilt further as
the small branch connecting it to the larger lengthened.  She was no
longer standing on the leaf, but now leaning against it, then laying
on it, as her footing gave way.  She tensed for the jerk of gravity
and the certain snapping of her neck, even given her inherited
toughness, but it did not come.  Instead, there was just a slow,
steady tightening of the rope about her neck.
        With supreme force of will, Kanna pried her fingers away from
the noose as it tightened further.  She fought down a panic reaction,
forcing herself to take deep breaths through her nose and mouth as
long as she could.
        And then the rope tightened fully around Kanna's neck, and her
awareness was filled with darkness and pain, shutting out all else.

        Sumire fretted.  This was not a usual state of affairs for the
shorter, brown-haired woman, and when it occured she usually covered
it up with sarcastic comments and aristocratic poise.  But there was
no one here but Gabrielle and Forestal Hile to watch her, and the
person whom she would usually take her frustrations out on was
currently hanging from a noose.  It took all her efforts to keep from
pacing and chewing her nails above the rope where Kanna hung; instead
she settled for picking the splinters out of her palms.  Sumire
occasionally glanced out over towards the far horizon as she did this,
or over at Gabrielle, who looked down at the small hanging figure with
a studied expression on her face.
        Gabrielle blinked.
        Sumire glanced over at the taller redhead.  "What is it?"
        Gabrielle stared down at her sister where she now dangled.
"...i ... I can't feel her anymore."
        Now it was Sumire's turn to blink, her expression confused and
a little troubled.  "How do you mean?"
        "I can't -feel- her!" Gabrielle exclaimed, turning to face
Sumire and the forestal.  "Once the noose tightened, it... it's like
she isn't THERE, anymore!  I can't feel her through Moljnir!"  Her
gaze snapped over to Hile, and her amber eyes narrowed dangerously.
"What did you DO to her?" Gabrielle growled, taking a step forward as
her eyes sparked.
        Sumire glanced over at the forestal, who was still standing
there calmly without expressing any concern on his features.  Still,
she moved to place herself between the construct projection and the
old man.  "Now, Gabrielle, I'm -certain- there's a perfectly good
reason for this..."
        "There'd BETTER BE!"
        Forestal Hile continued to lean on his staff.  "Indeed there
is, Gabrielle, Sumire.  Kanna of Ember must hang from the Tree of
Wisdom for seven days without assistance in what she is about to
endure."  His blind green eyes turned towards Gabrielle, and the
redhead took an uncertain step back.  "As you were very likely to
attempt to provide, yes, Construct of Fire?"
        "But... but..." Gabrielle stammered, and backed away further,
unwilling to meet Hile's green gaze.  "Dammit, it's not -right-!  It's
not FAIR!  We've been working together since forever, how's she
supposed to make it through... whatever the hell it is she's going
through now?"  She gestured frantically at Kanna, who continued to
hang from the noose, her face a red rictus of pain, oblivious to the
little drama playing out on the branch above her.
        "One must learn not to depend on others all the time if one is
to gain wisdom, Gabrielle.  For such assistance may not always be
available."
        Sumire arched an elegant eyebrow.  "As reluctant as I am to
admit it, Gabrielle... Forestal Hile is correct.  Please restrain
yourself from doing anything untoward while Kanna is hanging from the
tree?  I seriously doubt it would help matters."
        Gabrielle slowly fumed, glaring at Sumire for several long
seconds, before turning on her heel and stomping away from the other
two people on the branch.  "Fine, -fine-, as long as Kanna makes it
through this all right without being hurt, I can let this slide."
Halfway to the main trunk, she turned around again, and pointed a
finger at Hile.  "But she'd BETTER live, Forestal, or else..."
Gabrielle growled, and flame snapped and crackled around her
outstretched hand.
        "That is entirely up to Kanna now, Gabrielle," Hile replied
calmly to the construct's fiery demonstration.  "Or do you not have
faith in your sister's abilities?"
        "I..." Gabrielle's hand wavered, and the flame winked out.
Muttering to herself, she walked away further, and sat down in a huff,
facing away from the forestal as she crossed her arms and legs.  "I
still don't like this.  So there."
        Sumire looked down at Kanna's hanging form, and closed her
eyes tightly.  "Kanna, you idiot..." she murmured under her breath as
she shook her head, but there was no venom in her words.
        "Perhaps, Sumire.  Perhaps not.  We shall see."  Hile's lips
curled upwards in a faint smile.  "And now, if you would excuse me?"
        Sumire gestured dismissively with her right hand, saying
nothing as she opened her eyes.  The forestal nodded, and headed for
the great trunk of Yig, climbing down its bark as effortlessly as he
had climbed up.  She watched him depart, sighed, and sat down near to
the vine that formed Kanna's noose.  Sumire made herself comfortable
where she sat, and settled down to wait.

=======================

[the vision-roster (subject to change) :

1) Juri-Amber  : Twilight of the Cimbri w/ Corrine
2) Juri-Avalon : Juri + Shiori at Ohtori
3) Juri-Amber  : Convincing Drake she's not a Traitor
4) Juri-Avalon : Juri and 'Hallucinatory Touga' at Citadel Avalon
5) Juri-Amber  : Juri + Miki, the morning after
6) Juri-Avalon : Juri vs. Darako at the Duel Called Revolution
7) Juri-Amber  : -- unknown/undecided at the moment.  Need more info,
                 may require resorting if before the last cimbri war
Final Decision : Watching Juri-Amber pledge herself to Cathuria so
                 her ship and herself could escape the Rebma Vortex. ]