Waking Up
I open my eyes.
The familiar surroundings of my clan hall, the Enigma Clan hall, appear before my eyes. With a quick stretch and a few quick steps, I walk over to my favorite spot, near our administrator Amigne, the old woman that lives with us and lives solely to aid us in our daily business of banking and repairs, as well as overseeing administrative functions of the clan.
A smile to Rollanni, fellow Muse and clan member, but he slumbers on undisturbed. Taking a moment to notice his clothing, I see that he has jumped on Soleil's Retro Fashion bandwagon. I make a mental note to share the observation with my brother Hotsprite, the Editor of the Imperial Ministry's new fashion magazine.
Darkness swirls, and I lose consciousness for a moment. When my vision clears, I see that the world is just as it was. Chaos has not arisen, and I begin reviewing the day's paperwork. I am proud to be an active member of this Clan, a clan that I myself helped from its creation more than 100 years ago. Sometimes I'm struck by this, the fact that it seems like just yesterday we were celebrating our acceptance into the Tribunal, gaining our representation before the King and exploring the Hall that was built through our hard work and donations. Now, here I am on the Council, fully in charge of creating and overseeing our Community Events, and providing fun opportunities and competition for clan members. Glancing at my mailbox, I see that there are no new letters, and I relax, knowing that for now, I am up to date on my paper work. I run a finger over my Qui-Hyang, a strange blue crystal I unearthed in the 68th year of King Yuri, and form a picture the Muse Trigram Circle in my head.
A moment of darkness, and I am standing in the Circle. A glance at the bulletin board reveals nothing new however, I make a mental note to post my annual journal, and to contact a few people about an idea for an event that we had. Master Muse Rohnep is snoozing, propped up against a few large barrels. With a quick glace to make sure he's asleep, I shrug off my ornamental gown and slide my combat robes on, woven from the magical power of the wind. Briskly, I walk through the Muse garden on my way to the Forest Crossroads. A message arrives, and I pause. A foxhunt is to begin soon, and I quicken my pace.
The forest crossroads are dark, and I have no lantern to light my way. I do not slow my step, for I have come this way many times before, in search of the bounty carried by the massive scorpion lords that reign over the mysterious mantis of the forest. Before I step into the forest, I call upon the standard protective magics, and heft my heavily enchanted weapon. The mantis that inhabit the north side of the forest are very large, my head reaching up only to their large claws. Fortunately they are slow moving, and even a poet such as myself, who specializes in healing and defensive magics, can dash past them with relative ease. Should one get too close for comfort, I simply turn on my feminine charms (aided of course, by my magic) and convince the beast that they don't want to hurt me, that they'd rather attack my enemies, their brothers (or sisters, its hard to tell). Arriving in the lair of Ch'Tan, I see that he is no where to be found. Almost certainly bested by another adventurer such as myself.
No matter. We will battle each other again soon, as we have battled for many years. The foxhunt is beginning, but I find myself overcome with weariness. It is time to sleep, and drift off to the strange world of my dreams.